Nathan devoured his meal like a starved beast.
Not out of poor manners, but because his enhanced metabolism demanded far more sustenance than a normal person. Coupled with nearly a day of non-stop action and survival, and with food as rich and flavorful as Klaue's, he simply couldn't stop.
Every bite was like a miracle.
Even Nathan himself was surprised. "Maybe I really can rival a chef," he thought, licking his lips.
After the meal, he returned to the workshop.
With Klaue's safe house being well-stocked and his own mind buzzing with knowledge, Nathan immersed himself again in the complex task of forging the steel prosthetic. After another hour of calibrating microprocessors and running diagnostic tests, he inserted HYDRA's stolen hard drive into the computer and began researching Vibranium metallurgy.
Vibranium wasn't like any ordinary metal.
Smelting it required temperatures far beyond standard furnaces. The molecular bonds within it were tightly packed, absorbing and storing kinetic energy instead of dissipating it.
Nathan's solution?
He would build a custom alloy smelter, reinforced and powered with Chitauri core tech, capable of sustaining the intense heat necessary to mold Vibranium.
Unlike Captain America's shield—which was an alloy combining Vibranium, proto-Adamantium, and trace exotic elements—Nathan's would be forged from pure Vibranium.
"It won't cut like Adamantium, but it'll absorb force better. That means more defense, which is what I need."
His fighting style had always been defensive—take the hit, outlast, and then strike back.
So he wasn't looking for a blade.
He was building a wall.
Days passed.
Nathan threw himself into his work. He barely slept, balancing engineering with physical training and knowledge acquisition.
Fortunately, Klaue—who had once served in paramilitary ops—stepped in to help.
Together, they trained in the deep forests behind the bunker.
Close-quarters combat. Tactical shooting. Targeted throws.
Though Nathan had raw power and inhuman reflexes, he lacked precision. His aim had been average, and his melee attacks often relied too much on brute force.
But now, under Klaue's guidance, Nathan honed each punch, each shot, each movement.
Hydra, meanwhile, was unraveling.
Despite multiple sweeps around Klaue's former estate, the mine, and nearby villages, they had found nothing. Baron Strucker, already frustrated from Nathan's prior escape, snapped completely.
The entire office was left in ruins.
He barked orders at his staff, "Keep searching! Widen the perimeter! Find him!"
One of his lieutenants spoke hesitantly, "Sir... expanding the search will draw attention from outside forces. Do we really want the Avengers—or worse—intervening?"
Strucker's bloodshot eyes twitched. For a moment, he was silent. Then—
"You're right," he muttered. "No expansion. But keep searching quietly. Use disguised operatives. No uniforms. No emblems."
He paused.
"Also, monitor the dark net. If he tries to communicate, make a purchase, or leave a trace online, we'll find it."
"Understood."
As his men scattered to carry out the orders, Strucker leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at his monitor.
On it was an image of Nathan mid-battle, eyes sharp, face unreadable.
"Where are you hiding, Nathan?" he whispered. "And what are you planning?"
Two weeks later.
In the peaceful stillness of the mountain woods, a loud metallic snap echoed.
Klaue flexed his new prosthetic arm—now fully connected to his nervous system.
Nathan stood nearby, arms crossed, observing.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
Klaue turned to him with wide, gleaming eyes. "Like I never lost it."
He rotated the wrist, curled and uncurled his fingers.
"It moves just like the original. It's perfect. Flexible, responsive... like a natural extension of me."
Beside them, Elizabeth clapped excitedly. "Daddy has an arm again!"
With a huge smile, she ran forward and hugged Nathan. "Thank you, big brother!"
Nathan smiled softly and patted her head. "Try the strength settings. Let's test the full output."
Klaue grinned. "With pleasure."
He turned and punched a nearby tree.
BOOM!
A large dent exploded in the trunk. Bark flew in every direction.
Klaue laughed in amazement. "Whoa! If this hits a person... it'll break bones, maybe walls!"
Excited, he pulled back again.
CRACK!
This time, the tree split in two, groaning as it collapsed.
"Whoa, whoa—look out!" Klaue shouted as the tree toppled—toward Elizabeth.
He bolted toward her.
But she didn't flinch.
She didn't scream or move.
Because she knew.
Just before the tree landed, Nathan calmly caught it one-handed.
Effortlessly.
He looked down at her. "Move aside, Elizabeth."
She obediently skipped to the side.
Nathan tossed the massive tree aside like a toy.
BOOM. It landed yards away.
Klaue scooped his daughter into his arms. "Sweetheart! Why didn't you run?!"
She gave a small laugh. "Because big brother was there. He'd never let anything happen to me."
Klaue was stunned. "...She trusts you more than me."
He looked at Nathan, half-laughing, half-crying. "You're stealing my daughter's heart. I'm supposed to be her hero."
Nathan chuckled, but Klaue's admiration only grew.
"Look at this!" Klaue held up his new arm and fired a built-in energy beam.
FWOOOSH! It blasted straight through four trees, splitting each trunk in a perfect line.
"HAHA! This thing is insane! You're a genius!"
"Brother, you're the next Tony Stark."
Before Nathan could respond, Elizabeth raised her chin proudly.
"Next Tony Stark? No way! Big brother's going to surpass him! He'll be the greatest scientist the world has ever seen!"
She beamed at Nathan like he was the sun itself.
Klaue gave her a look of mock offense. "Hey! I thought daughters were supposed to think their dads were the coolest."
"Sorry, Daddy," she teased, sticking out her tongue. "You're cool... but big brother is cooler."
Klaue sighed dramatically. "My padded jacket is leaking. My daughter used to be wrapped around me like a blanket. Now she's defected."
Nathan laughed for real this time.
Klaue grinned and asked, "How's the shield coming?"
Nathan replied, "Final cooling process. Should be done by tomorrow."
Klaue's smile faded slightly. "So you'll be leaving?"
Nathan nodded. "Yes. I've accomplished what I came for. The shield and the arm were my immediate goals."
Klaue was quiet for a moment.
Elizabeth's face fell too. "You're really leaving?"
Nathan gave her a warm smile. "I have something important I need to do. Someone I need to find."
He looked off into the forest.
Wolverine.
That name carried weight.
The next phase of his plan would begin there.
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