Nolan lay awake on the cold metal bed, sleep eluding him despite his exhaustion. His mind was too active, thoughts racing through possibilities and plans.
He opened the simulator interface and began recalculating the cooldown time requirements.
His frown deepened as he worked through the numbers. If he chose not to consume stored reduction time for cooling, it would take over a month of real-world time to complete the natural cooldown. And if he survived even longer in future simulations, the cooldown requirements would only increase proportionally.
"The costs keep rising. I'll need to extract thousands more guns." He licked across his fangs with unconscious habit, a gesture that still felt strange and new.
He retrieved his phone and sent a message to Madame Gao, requesting she replenish their gun supply. He added a note: the more, the better.
After receiving Madame Gao's confirmation reply, Nolan didn't immediately activate the simulation function's cooldown. Instead, he navigated to the salvage page, his curiosity getting the better of him.
He stared at the designated salvage option, hesitating only briefly before making his decision. His claw-tipped finger hovered over the interface.
[Designated salvage item: Power Armor]
[Basic salvage consumption: 100 hours]
[Do you wish to increase salvage probability?]
[Additional one hundred hours added]
[Salvage probability increasing...]
Nolan's cyan wolf eyes blinked as he reviewed the total expenditure. Two hundred hours. Having spent that much, he temporarily restrained his impulse to continue adding time.
According to his current understanding of the simulator's operating principles, the success rate for each new function was highest during its first use. The amount of cooldown time consumed didn't seem to significantly affect the final outcome beyond a certain threshold.
After all, this was likely the simulator's marketing strategy to attract him as its sole customer. Give him a taste of success early to encourage continued use.
[Designated salvage countdown: Ninety-nine hours, fifty-nine minutes, fifty-nine seconds]
As the simulator page closed, Nolan slowly shut his eyes. He focused his attention inward, feeling both his original heart and the Heart of Leman Russ beating within his chest. The dual rhythm was becoming more familiar, more natural.
Sleep finally claimed him.
Nolan woke early, his body fully energized despite minimal sleep. The enhanced physiology provided by his transformation required less rest than his baseline human form had needed.
After washing and preparing for the day, he headed to the training ground for warm-up exercises.
Jessica had arrived even earlier. She'd already completed her physical conditioning routine and was currently wrestling with various pieces of fitness equipment, her movements showing the fatigue of a thorough workout.
"Good morning, Jessica."
"Good morning, Boss."
Nolan nodded to her in acknowledgment, then began his own telekinetic exercises around the training ground's perimeter. He pushed his enhanced body through increasingly complex movement patterns, testing his limits.
About an hour later, Jessica sat exhausted while Nolan, having barely worked up a sweat from what he considered a warm-up, prepared a simple breakfast for both of them.
While Jessica recovered her strength, Nolan made several trips to the equipment room, bringing out various weapons and gear they'd acquired from the Warhammer universe.
He began explaining the usage and characteristics of different Imperial firearms to Jessica. His demonstrations were thorough and patient. He fired several weapons toward the training targets, showing proper stance, grip, and trigger discipline.
Jessica's initial fear of handling firearms gradually diminished as Nolan's calm, professional instruction continued. She began experimenting with different weapons herself, growing more confident with each successful shot.
Soon, the roar of hell guns and the acrid smell of laser fire burning through air filled the entire base hall. The distinctive odor of ozone mixed with heated metal created an almost intoxicating atmosphere of military readiness.
Then Jessica's hand closed around something particularly large and heavy. She lifted the bolter with evident curiosity.
Nolan's eyes went wide with alarm. He rushed forward immediately, his enhanced speed carrying him to her side in a heartbeat. He gently but firmly removed the weapon from her grasp.
"Even I struggle to control this thing properly," he explained with utmost seriousness, looking directly into her eyes to ensure she understood the danger. "If you fired a single shot, the recoil would shatter every bone in your body. You'd be dead before you hit the ground."
He carefully set the bolter aside, well out of reach, before continuing his warnings.
"You should focus on the laser pistols for now. But be extremely careful about energy cell overload. If you notice the weapon shaking, or if the power cell section begins buzzing and emitting light, don't hesitate for even a second. Throw it away immediately. Otherwise, you'll have the dubious honor of being Earth's first casualty from an Imperial energy cell explosion."
Jessica's short hair shook as she grimaced, her expression caught between amusement and genuine concern. "Boss, don't you have any safer weapons around here?"
"Jessica." Nolan's cyan wolf eyes opened wide, his expression shifting to absolute seriousness. "There is never safety on a battlefield. The sooner you understand this truth, the longer you'll live."
Faced with her boss's sudden gravitas, Jessica drew a deep breath and nodded heavily, absorbing the lesson.
Then she stuck her tongue out at him playfully, showing some of her youthful nature beneath the professional exterior.
"Intensify the training," Nolan said, his slight smile revealing his fangs. The stern moment had passed, but the lesson remained.
He turned and walked to a clear section of the metal floor, settling cross-legged into a comfortable meditation position. He pulled out his phone and began searching for specific information.
Scientific research talents. That was what he needed most urgently.
He searched for names he remembered from his knowledge of this world's future. Brilliant minds that would eventually turn to villainy but currently remained relatively innocent.
For example, the famous "Doctor Octopus," Otto Octavius. A genius nuclear physicist with a brilliant mind and, eventually, mechanical tentacles.
Yesterday's barbecue meeting had made the deficiency painfully obvious. Without scientific research personnel on his team, Nolan couldn't properly analyze, transform, or fully utilize the technology and materials they acquired from the Warhammer universe.
Rather than letting various villains run rampant across New York, why not find ways to recruit them? Let these potentially dangerous individuals contribute to humanity's future in more productive ways.
Nolan stared at Doctor Octopus's information on his phone screen, making small sounds of consideration as he read.
Perhaps the timeline hadn't reached a critical juncture yet. Currently, Doctor Octopus was merely a successful nuclear physicist. The man spent most of his time at New York University, teaching advanced courses in theoretical physics.
This significantly reduced Nolan's leverage options. Force was ruled out immediately. He wasn't about to kidnap a respected university professor from a major institution. And he didn't possess sufficient advanced technology to attract someone already working at the cutting edge of nuclear research.
Nolan glanced at Jessica, who was diligently training her marksmanship, then at the various Imperial weapons spread before her. Would the unique structure of Imperial energy cells be sufficient to spark Doctor Octopus's interest? Perhaps. But perhaps not.
"Is money the only viable approach? Becoming an experimental sponsor?" Nolan licked across his fangs thoughtfully, muttering to himself.
He temporarily classified Doctor Octopus among the potential candidates rather than immediate priorities.
Because suddenly, racking his memory, Nolan recalled another figure. Someone whose circumstances might make them more approachable.
He searched for a different familiar name.
Biology teacher at Midtown High School. Also destined to become another villain: The Lizard.
"Teacher Curtis Connors," Nolan whispered, his thoughts racing. His cyan wolf eyes narrowed as he focused. "I remember you're also a biochemistry researcher."
He stared at the information gradually loading on his phone screen.
"Huh?" His eyebrows rose. "You were fired from the school? Because you were implicated in the disappearance of a female student?"
Nolan's frown deepened as he slowly stood from the metal floor. He remained still for a long moment, head lowered in thought, processing this unexpected development.
Then he called over his shoulder to Jessica, "Jessica, continue your training. I have something to attend to. I'll be out for a while."
"Understood, Boss!" Jessica's face was flushed with exertion and excitement as she gradually discovered the satisfaction of accurate shooting. She waved one palm enthusiastically while her other hand continued pulling the trigger of her laser pistol, sending bolt after bolt downrange.
Nolan grinned slightly at her enthusiasm, his nose twitching. Then he turned and walked toward the lounge area.
Several minutes later, he emerged with his distinctive gray hair hidden beneath a baseball cap. A pair of sunglasses concealed his cyan wolf eyes. He headed toward the base's exit with purposeful strides.
After just a few steps, he stopped abruptly. His head tilted as he considered something he'd nearly forgotten.
He returned to the lounge.
When Nolan emerged again, even his hands were covered with black gloves that completely concealed his thick-jointed fingers and sharp claw-like nails.
No point in terrifying random civilians with his transformed appearance. Better to blend in as much as possible.
He headed out into the city, hunting for a scientist who might prove more desperate, and therefore more amenable to recruitment, than the comfortable Doctor Octopus.
A disgraced teacher implicated in a student's disappearance would have limited options and powerful motivation to accept alternative employment.
Perfect recruitment conditions, really.
Nolan's slight smile showed just the hint of fangs as he stepped through the exit and into New York's streets.