"What... what the hell?!"
Abomination's eyes went wide.
His punch his full-powered, Hulk-tier punch had just been stopped. Barehanded.
"You—how the hell did you block that?!"
To him, no one but the Hulk could withstand a strike like that.
But now, Nolan stood there with a single hand locked around his incoming fist.
"I don't believe it!!"
Roaring, Abomination pulled his other arm back and swung it like a rocket, aiming for Nolan's skull.
But Nolan's other hand rose and caught that too.
Despite having a body only a fraction of Abomination's size, Nolan's frame radiated power.
With a sudden twist of his body, Nolan's leg swept forward like a steel whip. The air cracked with a sonic boom as it smashed into Abomination's ribs.
The force hit like a freight train.
In that instant, Abomination felt it again—that same helplessness he'd once tasted at the hands of the Hulk. The time he was nearly beaten to death by chains, pummeled into submission by rage incarnate.
His body flew across the lab like a ragdoll, smashing into the wall hard enough to leave a crater.
Ross's pupils dilated. He knew how powerful Abomination was—he was nearly a match for the baseline Hulk. Estimated strength: 80 tons.
And Nolan had just manhandled him.
This guy... is not human.
Abomination groaned, dazed. Before he could get up, Nolan was already there raining down blows like thunder.
Each punch sounded like a sonic boom. Bone cracked. Steel bent.
Abomination tried to block, but he was too slow. Too stunned. Nolan's barrage overwhelmed him.
He hadn't felt pain since his last encounter with Banner.
Green blood spewed from his mouth as his body convulsed under the assault. Bone fractures echoed through the lab, sickening and loud.
The reinforced floor beneath him cracked, caving in.
He lay there twitching, buried in a crater of his own body's failure.
"Dr. Nolan—" Ross stepped forward hesitantly.
He opened his mouth to say something... but the words caught in his throat.
Even Abomination, wild and uncontrollable, wasn't fighting back. And Nolan looked like he was just getting warmed up.
"If you're going to pick a fight," Nolan muttered, breathing calmly, "be ready to lose."
He reached down, grabbed Abomination's massive right arm—
Abomination screamed in agony.
But before he could even retaliate, Nolan's eyes flared with red light. Twin [Laser Eyes] burned out of his pupils, slicing clean through Abomination's hide like molten blades through butter.
The blood evaporated on contact.
Holding the severed limb, Nolan smiled.
"Call it compensation."
He turned away, dragging the arm like a prize.
Killing Abomination would've been easy but Nolan wasn't here to burn bridges. Ross still had things he wanted. This way, he'd gain something and keep the leverage.
Besides, that severed arm was perfect for reverse-engineering Gamma-based enhancements.
Ross would be forced to save Abomination's life Pand in doing so, provide even more biological data.
Leaving a time bomb like Blonsky nearby? That was strategic pressure. And who knows... if Ross ever got desperate enough to unleash Red Hulk, Nolan would have another specimen to dissect.
"Apologies, General," Nolan said cheerfully. "Didn't mean to wreck your lab."
He hefted the grotesque limb like a souvenir.
"N-no problem," Ross stammered.
Only now did he realize how terrifying Nolan truly was. This wasn't just intellect. This was dominance. He had power to rival the Hulk maybe even more.
And those eyes... Was Nolan a mutant too?
"This experiment," Nolan added casually, "can now be considered a success. Anything that happened afterward well, that wasn't on me."
Ross nodded and handed over a USB drive. "As promised. All the data you asked for. Thank you, Dr. Nolan."
Behind them, Abomination finally collapsed. Dozens of tranquilizer darts now embedded deep in his flesh had finally taken effect.
"If you need help refining the serum," Nolan added, "keep in mind the limit's around 15 tons of base strength. Luke Cage's base was 25. This version? It's scalable, but capped."
Ross nodded again. "Fifteen's more than enough."
This wasn't just about individuals this was platoons of enhanced soldiers. That kind of force would give Ross untouchable status in military command.
In the transport back, Connors frowned. "Why didn't we kill him?"
"Because killing is only a tool," Nolan replied. "Right now, Blonsky still has value. Removing him would ruin my leverage over Ross."
"And that's exactly why he's useful."
Letting Abomination rampage had served a purpose: it exposed Ross's inability to control him. That meant Ross would soon be desperate likely even willing to transform himself to maintain balance.
And even though the lab had all the data now, no working prototype remained.
Which meant any future enhancement? They'd need Nolan's help.
And Nolan? He'd just keep draining them for everything they had.
Then, Nolan's phone buzzed.
"Boss, Wanda just showed up. Alone this time."
"Got it. I'm on my way back."
Nolan closed his eyes for a moment. If Wanda was involved, things were about to get complicated again.
He still hadn't figured out whether she and Pietro were really Magneto's kids. If they were...
That man's genetics rivaled Reed Richards in sheer potential. A natural-born Omega-level mutant birthing two more?
And Wanda wasn't just a mutant.
She was the chosen vessel of Chaos Magic.
"A flawless research specimen," Nolan murmured to himself.
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