The morning came too soon, sunlight barely breaking through the heavy curtains when the incessant buzzing of my phone dragged me from a peaceful slumber. I groggily reached out, grabbing it off the nightstand and squinting at the screen. Fury's name glared back at me.
With a sigh, I swiped to answer.
"Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting to hear back from you?!" Fury's voice was loud enough to pierce my early-morning haze. "Did you get the meeting with the world leaders or not?"
Before I could even form a response, Alice stirred beside me, groaning as she pulled the covers over her head. "Shut up, it's too early," she mumbled before taking the phone from my hand and ending the call with a decisive tap.
I stared at her in stunned silence before laughter bubbled up, spilling out uncontrollably. She peeked out from under the blanket, rolling her eyes at me. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing," I said, shaking my head with a grin. "You just handled Fury better than I ever could."
A few hours later, Alfred—my ever-efficient AI assistant—activated the automated curtains, flooding the room with natural light. "Good morning, Master Wayne," Alfred's refined voice echoed from the speakers. "Today's forecast is sunny with a high of seventy-five degrees. You have no immediate appointments, but I've flagged several emails that require your attention. Also, breakfast is ready in the dining hall, should you wish to partake."
I stretched and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. "What's Ultron up to?"
"Mr. Ultron is currently repairing a series of damaged drones used in yesterday's rescue operations. I must say, his efficiency is nothing short of remarkable," Alfred reported.
I nodded, standing to grab my clothes. "Good to know. Let him know I'll check in with him later."
By the time I was dressed, Alice was up too, pulling on a sharp blazer and pencil skirt. As she adjusted the cuffs of her blouse, I handed her a slim folder. "Here are some plans for the next quarter. I want you to oversee these personally."
She glanced through the papers, nodding. "Got it. I'll make sure everything's on track. Anything else?"
I shook my head, though I couldn't help but think, She's way better than Piper ever was. Alice was poised, efficient, and had the kind of presence that turned heads wherever she went—not to mention her past as a model only added to her charm.
"That's all for now. Thanks, Alice," I said as I headed out the door, grabbing my keys.
Wayne Tower gleamed in the morning sunlight as I arrived. But my mood soured when I saw who was waiting for me in the lobby. Fury stood there, arms crossed and an irritated scowl on his face.
"Morning, Nick," I greeted as I stepped out of the elevator and into my office. "You look tense."
Fury followed me in, shutting the door behind him. "Don't play coy, Wayne. Did you get the meeting or not?"
I settled into my chair, letting the silence stretch just long enough to needle him. "I did. The President gave us the date. It's happening."
Fury's shoulders relaxed marginally, but his expression didn't soften. "Good. Now, let's talk about something else. Have you thought about joining S.H.I.E.L.D. officially? With your resources, your tech, and that brain of yours, you'd be an asset."
I couldn't help it—I laughed. Not just a chuckle, but a full, genuine laugh.
"What's so damn funny?" Fury demanded, narrowing his eye.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.," I said, wiping a tear from the corner of my eye. "You mean Hydra-lite?"
That made Fury freeze. His expression hardened as realization hit. "What did you just say?"
I leaned forward, my grin fading into a pointed smirk. "Don't act so surprised, Fury. Hydra's influence runs deep, and you know it. S.H.I.E.L.D. is compromised. Always has been."
Fury's jaw clenched, and his fists tightened at his sides. Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed out of my office, slamming the door behind him.
I leaned back in my chair, a satisfied smile tugging at my lips. "Touchy," I muttered, turning my attention back to the work that needed to be done. Fury might not have appreciated the truth, but it was better he heard it from me now than find out the hard way later.
I stepped down into the cool, dimly lit lab, the hum of machinery filling the air. Ultron was there, hunched over some display on the wall, his glowing blue eyes fixed on the news screen mounted in the corner. A hostage situation, the camera panning over a desperate Tony Stark, surrounded by terrorists with guns drawn.
"What are you watching, Ultron?" I asked, crossing the room to stand beside him.
Ultron didn't look up from the screen. "A hostage situation. Stark's in trouble."
I followed his gaze, watching the chaos unfold. Tony, ever the playboy, caught in the middle of some mess as usual. But I knew better than to just jump in.
"Let it play out," I told him, not taking my eyes off the screen. "This is something he has to experience. For now, just keep an eye out for anything… unusual. If you spot anything strange, let me know."
Ultron's head turned slightly toward me, his expression unreadable behind his synthetic mask. "You think this is necessary?"
I met his gaze, shrugging. "Tony needs this. He's stubborn, always has been. Sometimes you have to throw him into the fire to make him realize he's more than just a playboy with a suit."
Ultron nodded, returning his attention to the screen. "Understood. I'll watch. But… are you sure about this? Tony's valuable."
I sighed, turning away to the far side of the lab where my new project awaited me. A table covered in metal and blueprints—my latest obsession: the Unchained Armor. "I know. But sometimes you have to let people find their own path. This is part of Tony's path. He'll come out stronger on the other side. Or not," I added with a shrug.
I moved to the table, running my fingers over the rough sketches and prototypes laid out before me. The Unchained Armor was a project I'd been tinkering with for a while. It was meant to be an emergency backup—a suit that would amplify my own abilities tenfold in case things went south. I'd never needed it before, but the idea of having it ready, just in case, gave me a kind of peace.
"Ultron, what do you think?" I asked, turning to him as he continued to monitor the screen. "Would you wear something like this if you could?"
Ultron paused, his mechanical voice tinged with a hint of something almost… human. "Maybe. It would be a fitting enhancement to my existing capabilities. But it's not necessary."
"Maybe not," I said, walking over to the table to pick up a piece of the armor. "But it's nice to have options, isn't it?"
He didn't reply, and I didn't expect him to. I didn't need to explain it. The armor wasn't just about power; it was about preparation, about ensuring I was ready for anything the world—or the people in it—could throw at me.
After finishing up with a few final adjustments, I turned off the workbench's lights and stepped away from the table. "Let me know if you see anything weird, Ultron," I said, heading for the exit. "And keep an eye on Tony. He's going to need someone watching his back through this."
Ultron's eyes flickered toward me, the flicker of a blue light in the dim lab. "Understood. I'll keep you informed."
With that, I left the lab, the shadows swallowing me up as I headed back to the main house. The Unchained Armor would sit in the dark for now, a backup I hoped I'd never need. But it was there, just in case.