It was already past 3:00 a.m. when Tony finally decided to leave, not before making his usual enthusiastic invitation to Arthur:
"Hey, you've got to come with me tomorrow night. There's gonna be a party at the Baxter Building, and man… you won't want to miss it."
The party was set for the following day—or rather, that same night that was already drawing near. But at that moment, Arthur didn't even have the energy to think about parties. He and Tony had lost themselves in their work, so absorbed in the project that time seemed to evaporate. More than five hours had slipped by in the lab without them noticing, every minute filled with plans, calculations, and contagious excitement from both of them.
When they finally left, the house was wrapped in silence. Gwen was sound asleep on the couch, completely unaware of the world, while Ruby, arms crossed, shot Arthur a look dripping with disapproval.
Arthur let out a small smile as he watched Tony's trail vanish into the sky. Shaking his head, amused, he thought: if he hadn't handed over part of the project, Tony would've practically moved into his house.
Jean, who was walking alongside him, raised an eyebrow and couldn't hold back a laugh.
"I didn't know you two were that close. Let alone that you had some kind of hidden talent on Stark's level."
Arthur chuckled, a soft, restrained sound. "Everyone's got their secrets, darling." He winked at her, the familiarity between them making the moment feel comfortable and intimate, despite his obvious exhaustion.
Once back inside, Arthur collapsed onto the couch with a heavy sigh of relief.
"You have no idea how exhausting it is to keep up with him," he complained, running a hand through his hair.
Jean sat down beside him, resting her head naturally on his shoulder. There was something about her touch that brought instant calm, a quiet comfort Arthur cherished.
"Are you free tomorrow?" he asked, more to himself than to her, while gently running his fingers through her silky red hair.
"Tony invited me to a party at the Baxter Building," he continued, his eyes fixed on her serene face.
"I'd love to," Jean answered softly, relaxing under his touch like a domestic cat, as if every stroke drew her deeper into tranquility.
Arthur drew in a deep breath, the silence between them growing heavy for a moment before he suddenly spoke with unexpected seriousness.
"Jean…"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever had the feeling that someone took something from you, but you can't figure out what it is?" His brow furrowed as he tried to put into words the unease that had been gnawing at him ever since returning from the DC universe.
It wasn't something grand or material in value; it was subtler, an almost ethereal sense of loss. Something he hadn't removed from the Gate of Babylon—something that had simply vanished without explanation. It shouldn't have been possible—unless someone else had access to the same ability, the same treasure he guarded so carefully.
Jean smiled knowingly, recalling small stories from her own life, little unexpected losses.
"I know exactly what that feels like…" she said with a light, nostalgic laugh. "Up until recently, things kept disappearing from me during classes at Xavier's Institute… without me ever knowing who took them. It's frustrating, but it also teaches you to value what truly matters."
Arthur stayed silent for a few seconds, eyes fixed on the ceiling. The feeling consuming him ran deeper than anything he could easily explain. Finally, he found an analogy that perfectly mirrored it:
"It's strange… it's like when you leave your parents' house for the first time and start living on your own. You realize a part of you stayed behind—with them—in the corners of the house, in the smells, in the objects… something essential, but invisible. I feel like a part of me isn't with me. It's not missing an object or a person… it's more like I left a piece of myself behind."
Jean stayed quiet, letting his words echo in the room. She didn't need to answer immediately. Sometimes shared silence says more than explanations ever could.
Arthur sighed again—less heavily this time, as if putting that feeling into words had given him some relief.
At that moment, Ruby materialized in front of Arthur.
[Master, Nick Fury is looking for Fisk.] Ruby reported.
"Leave them alone."
[Understood.]
---
During the night—especially at that hour—most streets were deserted. Silence was broken only by the occasional rumble of a distant engine or the clink of bottles in dark alleys. Going out at that time was risky in many areas of the city—when darkness reigned, anything could happen.
That's why almost no one ventured out unless necessary. Almost no one.
There were, however, a few who not only ignored danger but walked over it as if it were a red carpet. Wilson Fisk was one of those men.
The massive Kingpin was on his way to his mansion in a custom-made car. Few vehicles on the market could handle his size and weight, so he had commissioned a special model—armored and luxurious.
Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes. The car shook, but Fisk, seated firmly, merely furrowed his brow. His massive hand closed around his cane, ready to crush the skull of whoever dared interrupt his night.
Before he could react, a voice sounded from outside—deep, unmistakable:
"Wilson Fisk. It's been a while."
Fisk slowly relaxed his shoulders. He'd know that voice anywhere.
The car door opened, and the bald figure of Nick Fury slid into the seat beside him without asking permission.
"I'm sure you know what I came here for."
A faint smile curled Fisk's thick lips.
"Director Fury… I'm an outstanding citizen and a great follower of the law. I can't imagine what could possibly draw SHIELD's attention. Or perhaps you just came to share a drink with me?"
Without waiting for an answer, Fisk opened the built-in minibar, pulled out a bottle of extremely expensive red wine, and poured two glasses. He handed one to Fury, who accepted without hesitation.
After a sip, Fury cut straight to the chase:
"Where did you get so much Vibranium?"
Fisk raised his brows, feigning surprise.
"Vibranium? I have no idea what you're talking about."
His nonchalant tone made Fury clench his teeth. His instincts screamed Fisk was lying, but the crime lord betrayed nothing but calm.
Without wasting time, Fury signaled to Maria Hill, who handed him a tablet with SHIELD's records. He pulled up the files on the illegal Vibranium transactions—only to find that everything had been wiped. Reports, images, communication logs. All gone.
Inside, Fury was livid. Someone had hacked SHIELD's database and erased every shred of evidence. Outwardly, however, his face remained as hard as ever.
Fisk, feigning indignation, shook his head.
"Director Fury, you and I have always had our differences. But if you're going to accuse me, at least bring concrete proof. Without it, this is nothing but slander."
The silence in the car stretched for several seconds, broken only by the sound of wine swirling in a glass.
Ten minutes later, Fury left Fisk's vehicle with a clenched jaw.
"Someone's helping the Kingpin," Hill said in a low, serious voice.
Fury nodded. "No doubt."
"Do we keep searching for the Vibranium?"
"No. Put that on hold for now. If someone was able to hack SHIELD's database just to wipe the evidence, it means we have a bigger problem. Our top priority now is closing that system vulnerability before even more critical secrets fall into the wrong hands."
Hill agreed immediately. Both of them knew the scale of the risk. If SHIELD's confidential information were exposed, the stability of the entire nation would be at stake.
As soon as he returned to headquarters, Fury stormed into the tech department like a tempest. His voice thundered across the floor, laced with restrained fury.
"You left me a hole in the system wide enough for an elephant to march through! I want every line of code checked, every log analyzed, every trace of intrusion found. And I want it now!"
The tech agents swallowed hard, knowing it was going to be a very long night.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, Fisk silently raised his glass in satisfaction.
---
(End of Chapter)
"Hmph. If you really want to be useful, then entertain me, try to throw those pathetic power stones at me. Let's see if even your insolence can amuse a king."