Bang!
The wooden door burst open under a powerful kick—the Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes, stepped into Klaue's now-abandoned house. His gaze swept the empty room like a predator scanning for prey.
Moments later, his team followed, clearing the space room by room. But the only thing they found was silence.
No sign of Nathan. No trace of Klaue. No target to capture.
Bucky immediately tapped his comms device.
"Baron, Nathan and Klaue are gone. The regular squad was wiped out. There's nothing left here."
On the other end, Baron Zemo's voice erupted through the receiver.
"Damn it!" he growled, seething with frustration.
They had come so close—finally locating Nathan, only to let him slip through their fingers.
After a sharp breath, the Baron composed himself. "The mole just updated me. The regular squad had only just arrived when they were hit."
"That means they couldn't have gotten far. Search every inch of the surrounding area. You'll find them."
Bucky's sharp eyes turned toward the nearby wilderness.
"There's a mine nearby," he said. "There's a good chance they escaped through it."
The Baron replied, "Send a unit in immediately. More squads are on their way to support you. I want that mine cleared."
"Understood."
Far away, on the other side of the mountains…
Nathan and Klaue emerged from the dark mine shaft, each pushing a dusty, worn motorcycle. Beside them, Klaue's young daughter squinted as they stepped into a canopy of towering trees.
The dense forest was alive with birdsong, but little sunlight broke through the thick treetops. Everything was shaded in a cool, green twilight.
The girl hugged herself tightly, shivering slightly in the chill of the mountain air.
Without hesitation, Nathan removed his coat and gently draped it over her shoulders.
Klaue offered a quiet nod of gratitude. "Thank you."
The little girl added softly, "Thank you, big brother."
Nathan gave her a small smile, then turned to Klaue. "Where do we go now?"
Klaue's eyes flashed with resolve. "To my safe house. I'll give you the Vibranium there."
Without another word, he secured his daughter on the back of his motorcycle, wrapping a thick rope around them both to keep her safe.
"Hold on tight, sweetheart."
"Okay, Daddy!" she chirped, wrapping her arms around him.
Vroom!
The engines roared to life. Klaue's motorcycle tore through the underbrush, and Nathan quickly followed suit, revving his own engine and launching forward.
They sped into the wild.
The terrain was rugged and chaotic—rocks, roots, uneven slopes—but neither man faltered. Klaue's driving skill was seasoned, while Nathan's cybernetic reflexes and body control made him a natural on the uneven ground.
The wind lashed their faces as they zigzagged through trees, dirt spraying behind their tires.
Adrenaline surged through Nathan's veins.
The crisp mountain air filled his lungs with every breath, and he felt alive—his senses heightened, his body in perfect sync with the bike.
As branches whipped past and sunlight flickered through the canopy, Nathan felt a strange exhilaration.
"I think I like this kind of rush," he murmured to himself.
They rode for hours, crossing hills, fording shallow streams, and dodging obstacles. The sun dipped lower and lower, eventually vanishing behind the mountains.
By nightfall, they burst out onto a dirt road on the outskirts of a rural highway.
The roar of their engines echoed into the night sky.
Klaue raised his voice over the wind, shouting back, "We're almost there! Just a little more!"
Nathan shouted in response, "Got it!"
The engines screamed with speed.
Eventually, just past midnight, the motorcycles skidded to a halt at the entrance of a hidden cave in a secluded section of the forest.
Klaue dismounted and gestured. "This is it. My safe house. Hidden inside the cave."
Nathan took one look and whistled. "You really don't mess around."
"Remote forest. Concealed cave. I can't even tell there's a house in there."
They pushed the bikes inside. The cave interior was narrow and damp. Stale air clung to the walls.
At the far end of the tunnel, it appeared to be a dead end.
But Klaue approached the wall and touched a protruding rock.
Bzzt!
An electronic panel flickered to life, scanning Klaue's eyes with a pale blue light.
RUMBLE!
A hidden door slid open with a mechanical groan, revealing a high-tech bunker concealed behind rock and moss.
It wasn't just a safe house—it was a fortress. Modern, minimalist, and European in design, complete with furniture, lights, and equipment.
Inside, Klaue's daughter immediately flopped onto a soft couch.
"Ugh! My butt hurts!" she cried, grimacing.
Klaue chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Daddy will give you a massage later. For now, I've got to grab something."
He turned to Nathan and waved. "Let's go. I owe you something."
The two men stepped into a room filled with tools, workbenches, and forging equipment.
Klaue headed to a corner, retrieved a small safe, and opened it with a retinal scan and passcode.
From inside, he withdrew a dull, metallic lump—no larger than a grapefruit, but heavier than it appeared.
He tossed it to Nathan.
"There. Vibranium. That's your payment. Enough to craft a shield."
Nathan caught the metal and immediately tested it.
He picked up a small hammer nearby and struck it firmly.
Tink!
The force of the blow vanished as soon as it touched the surface.
The Vibranium absorbed nearly all the kinetic energy.
Nathan's eyes lit up.
This was the real thing.
Authentic Vibranium—one of the rarest and most valuable materials on Earth.
With this, he could finally prepare himself for future threats.
After all, if he wanted to confront Wolverine, Adamantium claws and all, he needed something that could match that ferocity.
He clenched the metal tightly. This was a start.
But not enough.
"I'll need more," he thought silently. "And some backup tools to control him."
Wolverine wasn't someone you just reasoned with. His temper was infamous. To tame him, Nathan needed more than words.
But he had promised Klaue.
"Next step," Nathan said aloud, "I'll help you build your new arm."
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