Three month later, The day of the meeting and gathering.
I continued to live in my lab. Eventually, my nephew Robin announced my departure from this world, which saddened the people of the town. Of course, I wasn't literally dead only the family knew I was still alive.
To the others, I was a member of the founding family, the last of the original line still living. Even though they never saw my face, I had a local artist paint a portrait of me looking older. Of course, I didn't tell him it was actually me.
With Robin handing me a new identity as the grandson of James Howlett supposedly born in the '70s, it was more than enough to keep my secret.
I told Robin to gather everyone for a meeting. And when I said everyone, I meant everyone.
The original seventeen families living here collectively agreed for me to stay behind the scenes. We support those who were pushed forward to be the face of the company. With things working so well now, I don't see any reason not to just keep going with it.
Today was the first time that every member of the original families was in a meeting together. The last time I had attended one was before World War I. Now, here we are in the late '50s, heading into the '60s it has been over forty years since then.
You might ask: 'If it's still the fifties, why did you make a birth certificate for the seventies?' Remember, I would be living here. and I created a fake one for future use. Since we own the hospital here, we can alter the records however we want, after all.
Well, plans might change. I don't think what's coming will really let me stay here. I have things to do once the Cold War starts and Professor Charles Xavier begins his recruitment plus, I have another job to finish with Victor.
As I made my way to the estate hall, I reminded myself that this gathering was only for family members and future family members. We vet everyone we can. Those we don't approve of? Well, they aren't here in our hall.
As I entered the hall, I heard Robin's booming voice.
"Today we gather here to tell you the history of this town," Robin began, starting his monologue.
"As everyone knows, our grandparents were visionaries. They started building this town as a place where we could live in the future, a place where we could be safe. In the early 1900s, Texas was still the 'Wild West' where anything went, but our grandparents saw it as an opportunity for everyone to come together."
"they do it by thinking for future generations." he stop to take his breath
"We are the beneficiaries of their foresight. We can eat, drink, and clothe ourselves all thanks to the sacrifices of our founding fathers and mothers. They toiled on this land when it was nothing more than a ghost town, a place others would have abandoned for opportunities elsewhere.
But they saw abandonment as something shameful, they believed if you could leave your neighbors and friends, you could eventually do the same to your own family. That is why they stayed and made our town flourish as it does today."
"The reason I called you all here today is because, before any of this existed, it all started with just one person. Only one man brought this level of change to our town."
"I know a lot of you have heard that we have a guardian for our family, but we have never met him. It's not because he doesn't want to meet you, it's simply because his identity is a bit sensitive."
"If he were to be known outside these walls, believe me, there will be no peace here. And because he loves us, he would leave us just to keep us safe."
"As the founding father of this town, he alone carried the weight of all the families who were here when they had nothing. But with his intellect and charm, he managed to ensure we all live in harmony."
"I'll tell you one thing: as parents, just raising our own children can leave us feeling tired and low in spirit because of the responsibilities we bear."
"But he alone has held the expectations of all our families on his shoulders for sixty years."
"I know some of you might have thought I'd gone bonkers after my father died. I was grieving, yes but it was because our guardian was there for me that I was able to get back up and fight for tomorrow."
"Are you implying that this guardian is still alive?" asked one of the family members. The older ones those around Robin's age kept quiet, they knew this was the moment the younger generation would learn that their life was not something given to them freely.
"Yes, he is. And he will be here in a moment to meet all of you."
James thought, Well, they aren't to blame. I've hardly met any of the new generation. When I first came here, everyone was already thirty or older. He couldn't help but feel nostalgic.
While the cycle of life turns, I will always be here. That is why I made the decision to appear in front of everyone to let them know that there is someone behind the scenes protecting them.
I would say that this is the third generation of families that I will get to know and create a bond with.
When I saw the kids, I started to reminisce about the past, about how they had grown so much.
Lily was there too. She had become a renowned chef in the town. When the war started, she began researching military rations for the army, that was how she started her cooking journey.
After the war finished, she pivoted and opened her own establishment. She had actually learned to cook from a renowned French chef who was fleeing the war and seeking asylum here in this country.
She started her journey by traveling from Houston to New York, learning step-by-step. She began as a lowly kitchen girl and worked her way up until she became a chef herself. She stayed there for almost eight years just to learn how to manage a French cuisine restaurant.
Once, she sent me a letter saying how hard it was just to stay relevant in a 'man's kitchen' at the time. She told me that a guy had come along and started courting her. At first, I thought it was fine, but then she told me she had rejected him. He didn't seem to understand the word 'no' at the time.
I was actually ready to travel all the way to her restaurant just because of this. I wanted to see exactly who this punk was who dared to do this to my girl.
As I continued reading, I realized Lily was truly afraid at the time. My face was turning red with anger just thinking about it. But then she told me she had telegraphed home using an SOS code.
And let's just say, the whole town came. They left everything behind and swarmed her restaurant. Over a hundred people showed up at once; the police actually thought a gang had arrived to start a ruckus!
When the police arrived and saw the massive crowd, Robin held everyone back so he could speak to the officers first.
Well, Hunter was managing things in Houston at the time. I think he was the only one who got left behind, he probably cried a little bit because of that!
Robin spoke with the police, explaining that his cousin was being bullied and the family had come to settle the matter.
The police were absolutely dumbfounded. I mean, who could say they were being bullied, only for nearly the entire town to come to their aid the very next day?
Let's just say the boy who was disturbing Lily wet himself that day.
I let out a little laugh, and then I felt all the eyes in the room watching me.
"Isn't that Uncle James?" one kid said. All he knew was that I was "one of the family," and that was all. Today, they were in for a shock.
There were murmurs and whispers.
I walked to the front and stood beside Robin. "I know you all know me as one of your own, though we haven't interacted much," I said, addressing the crowd. "But today, we are going to talk about that."
I looked out at the faces, some young and curious, others old and knowing and took a deep breath.
"Most of you must know by now, and for those who don't, I will tell you today: I was the one who built this town alongside your grandfathers and grandmothers. I was here when there was nothing but a single pub and a row of houses.
I came here seeking solace from the world, but I ended up gaining a family. That is why I stayed. I reveal myself to you now to give you the same assurance I gave your predecessors, that I will keep you safe to the best of my abilities. In return, I only ask that you keep my existence a secret from the outside world."
"Most of you see me as a man who simply doesn't age," I began, my voice steady. "You think I'm lucky. But the truth is a bit more complicated than that."
I held up my hand, the scars from a dozen wars long gone, my skin looking as smooth as a man in his prime. "My body has a gift or a curse, depending on the day. I heal. If I'm cut, the wound closes in seconds. If a bone breaks, it knits itself back together before the pain even fades. Diseases don't take hold, and time... time just can't seem to wear me down."
A heavy silence fell over the room. I saw a few of the elders nod; they had seen me survive things no man should.
"Because my body constantly repair themselves, I don't grow old like you do. I've watched generations of your families grow up, lead, and pass on while I remain the same. I've lived a long time, longer than this town has existed and I've used that time to make sure you never have to face the things I've seen alone."
"If you want to know more, you can ask your fathers about it," I said, ending my speech. "Now, let the gathering begin!" We did as we always had: everyone brought something to share with everyone else.
As they began to learn the truth about me, they seemed to hold me in reverence, but I didn't want that. I didn't come here to rule over them. "Guys", I said, "I am your family before anything else, just as I was to those before you. I can die, too just not yet. There's no need to be afraid to come to me for help. I'll always help whenever I can".
I told them about the Codex, and though they were afraid, they all agreed to be tattooed. I was relieved to see that my efforts for them had not been for naught.
As we ate and mingled, everyone eventually dispersed, returning to their own families and their lives.
I stayed behind just a bit longer, taking a moment to feel grateful that I could live my life here and hadn't been erased by the TVA. I knew something weird was brewing, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.
I got up and made my way home to close this chapter of my life. My promise to my old friends had been fulfilled, for I had kept their sons and daughters safe.
Now, I need to reassure my agents in the dark. I want them to know that the lives they live are for themselves, not for us. While we provide them with work, we don't demand anything other than their loyalty and their commitment to protecting this family from harm.
We have always recruited orphans to be our agents. Many of them live right here in town, near us, they are the only outsiders permitted to live so close to our estate. While some might see this as a form of oppression, we have never mistreated them.
We clothe them, feed them, and send them to school. If we vet ten orphans to be agents, sometimes only three actually choose that path. That is why our network remains so strong today, even without me there to oversee it.
****
Under the Town Hall, deep underground, there is a staircase leading to the utilities room. If you go behind the large pipe and twist the nozzle, a secret door will open. Behind that door is a lift that descends twenty floors deep into the earth.
I stepped into a chamber vast enough to accommodate a thousand people. There, in the center of the expanse, stood three people, motionless.
The "Three" stood at attention, but I waved my hand to dismiss the formality.
"At ease," I said softly. "Before we get into the numbers and the threats... how are you? Truly. How has life been for you three lately?"
They looked at each other, surprised. Sarah was the first to speak. "It's good, James. I've been helping Lily at the restaurant in my off-hours. The town... it's peaceful. Sometimes I forget what we're actually guarding down here."
"Good," I nodded. "That's the point. And the boys?"
"I'm getting married next month, Sir," Marcus, the youngest agent, said with a shy grin. "To a girl from the Miller family. She doesn't know about the silo. She just thinks I work in 'town security."
I felt a rare smile touch my lips. "Congratulations, Marcus. Keep it that way. You deserve a life that isn't lived in the dark. Now..." my expression sharpened as I turned to the main terminal. "Give me the progress report. How is the organization holding up?"
Sarah hand me a file. "The network is self-sustaining. We have 'Sleepers' in three major cities and two in the capital. Our funding, the gold reserves you set up is being managed through the shell companies. We're shielded".
I looked at the data. The organization was a well-oiled machine. "And the new recruits? The orphans?"
"Six are in school," Sarah reported. "Two want to study medicine, one wants to be a pilot. Only two have expressed interest in joining the Shadow branch. We're vetting them now."
"Don't rush them," I reminded her. "The moment we force them is the moment we lose our strength."
"And I know I don't need to remind you: even though I created this division forty-five years ago to protect the family from behind the scenes, that doesn't mean you can't have lives of your own. I don't want slaves here. I want people who can give their own opinions and help this family.
While everyone upstairs is our family in the light, you are our family behind the scenes, just like me. If one day you want to leave, you can. Nothing will stop you, and no one will 'silence' you. You know that all our former agents live out the rest of their lives in security, they have families now, and I want the same for you."
A heavy, respectful silence filled the room after I finished speaking. I saw Marcus look down at his hands, likely thinking of the life he was about to start with his fiancée, a life I had made possible.
Sarah was the first to speak. She didn't salute; instead, she placed a hand over her heart, a traditional gesture among our agents.
"Thank you, James," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Most of us were nothing before you found us. You didn't just give us a job, you gave us a name. You gave us a home where we were actually wanted. We don't stay because we have to. We stay because we belong here."
Marcus looked up, his eyes bright. "I wouldn't be the man I am today without this division, Sir. My family, my real family is right here. Thank you for giving me a chance to have a life worth living."
The third agent, a quiet man named David who rarely spoke, simply nodded firmly. "You've always had our backs, James. You know we'll always have yours. No matter what comes out of those portals."
I felt a lump in my throat. I had lived for over a century, and I had seen the worst of humanity, but these moments made every scar worth it. "I know you will," I replied, my voice a low growl of pride. "Now, get some rest. We've got a storm coming, and I'll need you all at your best."
I gave them a salute and made my way home.
****
I need to ensure my 30-year strategic plan is correctly aligned with the future. I am drafting a blueprint for Robin that outlines the company's long-term vision and overarching direction, ensuring our timeline remains synchronized with global shifts.
Additionally, I need to consult with the Dean of our university. Although we founded the institution, our decision to grant it autonomy is exactly why it has thrived and become the renowned university it is today.
We haven't cut ourselves off from its future, rather, we've ensured that both the company and the university can grow in parallel.
Dean office
"Dean, I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me today. I am handing you a foundational document: a 30-year blueprint detailing the university's strategic focus and research priorities. This plan ensures that while the university maintains its independence, it remains at the forefront of global innovation."
"This blueprint was issued by our headquarters. We are seeking the university's expertise to develop a new academic major focused on industrial automation. As global costs rise, industries must inevitably transition to automated systems to remain viable. As the primary conglomerate in this region, we are committed to leading this shift rather than being left behind, ensuring our local economy remains competitive."
"We will invest appropriately, as this represents our collective future". By automating the majority of local industrial processes, we can allow our current workforce to reach retirement age naturally. Future hiring will then be reserved exclusively for specialized, high-intensity, or arduous tasks that require human ingenuity.
"Of course, sir. We will integrate our curriculum with your R&D department, ensuring our students receive invaluable hands-on experience." The dean reply
"This is a visionary move. By working on such advanced, real-world automation, our graduates will become an elite tier of professionals, unparalleled in their field."
"Thank you for your time, Dean," I said. After leaving the university, I walked through the city to witness what we had accomplished. I looked around at the life we built, seeing the fruits of the hard work my friends and I had dedicated ourselves to for so long.
****
R&D centre
I'm tasking R&D with a new project: hearing aids and prescription glasses. While we will eventually develop robotic limbs, I want them designed with an analog philosophy. I prefer to avoid embedding chips that could be compromised or repurposed as weapons.
We need to focus on what people need right now. I want to support our soldiers who have lost limbs, but I want to do it in a way that is safe, reliable, and fundamentally human.
Once inside, I summoned the heads of the Medical and Home Appliance divisions to the main conference hall. I needed them both in the room to understand how these two worlds would eventually converge.
"Team, Headquarters has issued a new research directive. I've brought the 30-year blueprint that defines our future path. We have analyzed where the world is headed and identified exactly what people will need to survive and thrive. Our goal is simple: we are going to make life easier for everyone, starting today."
With those directives in place, I had done everything in my power to ensure the transition would run smoothly. The blueprint was no longer just a document, it was now the heartbeat of the company.
****
While someone powerful will eventually come here to take control of this place, I am not afraid even though the people around me are.
That means I need to assess all the human potential that exists in this timeline; I don't want to leave anything to fate if I can change it with my own two hands.
That means it's time to bring Sarah and the others in, I must teach them how to use the computer so they understand that this machine can calculate and predict everything.
I have also decided to give the team a name. They shall be known as T.H.R.U.S.H.: Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity.
While I wait for everyone to arrive, I need to create another supercomputer for them to use. This new model will be even more advanced than the one here. Since I will be gone in the near future due to my commitment to Victor and my own desire to have my bones coated in Adamantium, I will build them a machine capable of handling at least fifty years of future advancements.
As the team arrived, they were shocked by what they saw. There was a machine so massive it was the size of a train, and a huge screen on the wall, similar to a television, but different: this one was in full color.
Their worldview was flipped by the technological advancements here, if that is indeed what they call it.
"You guys are here. Come, I will show you the future of intelligence." I was excited to teach them about the system. "This one in front of you is a computer, I call it a 'supercomputer.' Based on my tests, it can run calculations as fast as a thousand people per second. At first, I thought it was only as fast as ten people, but I was wrong."
"With this computer, you can input every piece of information you gather to do your work you won't need typewriters anymore. But I didn't call you here just to show you this machine. I am going to teach you how to use it. I will teach you how to understand people and predict their actions so we can protect this town. We will input the names of every potential threat that could raze this town to the ground."
Sarah and the others is in shock, They were even more shocked to hear that an individual could possess the power to raze a town or a city. They understood how a swarm of people could do it, but they couldn't wrap their heads around a single person having that kind of power. Of course, they were in total shock.
I was relieved when I searched for the Richards men and found they don't exist in this world. I thought I would have to hunt him down not to kill him, but to show him that despite his high intellect, he cannot escape the stare of judgment. Given his volatility and his tendency to sacrifice so many people, he is a truly twisted human being.
While the Richards men were brilliant, I don't deny that, they always thought they were above everyone else. They looked at people walking down the street as if they were monkeys that needed to be chained and guided by their perspective alone. To them, others were simply inconsequential.
I made it clear during their training: mastery of this machine takes years, not days. It demands rigorous practice and complex calculation. Even those with natural talent must realize that this is not a tool for the masses. This power is reserved strictly for T.H.R.U.S.H.
I will carve out a room at their headquarters to house this machine. I also need to redirect energy from my reactor to power it that part was easy. The difficult part is the water, I need to build a deep enclave to store it. This might take considerable time. You might ask where the dirt I dug up went, it didn't go anywhere. I compacted it into the walls themselves using runic magic. Now, the walls are three times as hard as tungsten steel.
I have three priorities now. First, a communication device similar to the one Stark gave Steve, I might need to 'borrow' that design. Second, I want to fulfill my promise to build this supercomputer. Victor understands the schematics, but he lacks the machinery required to manufacture the smaller components.
I need to call him. I want him to design his own supercomputer from scratch, my role is simply to build it according to his specifications.
With that done, I need his help with a second project: my own satellite. I have truly gone into full 'villain mode' with this one. While NASA builds satellites using standard Earth materials, I use runic magic as a bonding agent to strengthen the structure. Since it's powered by my reactor, it can last for two hundred and fifty years.
While he has already sent some of his satellites into the atmosphere, I will send a small one to orbit the planet. Why send ten satellites ten different times when you can send one for a tenth of the cost? I have retrofitted it with my own super-cluster, ultra-small supercomputer. That's a lot of 'supers,' I know. I call this the Houston Hyper Satellite.
I built each satellite to be about the size of a person, utilizing advanced origami designs from the future. I've created ten of these to be launched into space, and I am leaving the schematics with T.H.R.U.S.H. so they can manufacture more. Ultimately, a hundred of these will be enough to provide us with global coverage.
The third thing I need is carbon specifically, carbon fiber weave. I want to follow the logic of the John Wick universe, this fabric will protect my agents if something unforeseen happens to them. However, I won't settle for a 'normal' weave.
I am building a self-automated clothing machine. It will scan an agent's body and create any design they want, perfectly tailored to their size. To top it off, I'm creating a custom sidearm inspired by Judge Dredd's Lawgiver. Ho, ho, ho!
In the world of Judge Dredd, the Lawgiver is much more than a standard pistol, it is a highly advanced, computer-controlled "smart gun" that acts as judge, jury, and executioner in one package.
The weapon's functions are divided into three core areas: Security, Ammunition Versatility, and Tactical Systems.
Security & Anti-Tamper Systems -
The Identity Lock is absolute. The grip contains a dual-layer sensor: I use a magical sensor for the palm-print and a 'Sanguine Codex' for DNA verification. If the gun doesn't recognize the user's bloodline and touch, it remains a useless piece of metal.
The Self-Destruct is my most extreme countermeasure. If an unauthorized person attempts to fire the weapon, it will explode in their hand. To ensure my technology never falls into the wrong hands, I have added a Disintegration Codex: after the explosion, the entire weapon will turn to dust.
The weapon utilizes two primary types of ammunition. First is the basic kinetic projectile for general use. The second is the 'Hot Shot' a heat-seeking round that locks onto a target's thermal signature. I've integrated a Heat-Seeking Codex with a kinetic projectile to ensure the round homes in on the target after a lock is established. This allows the bullet to track enemies around corners or neutralize them in complete darkness.
Unlike Judge Dredd, who uses rubber bullets for ricochets, I don't deal in non-lethal rounds. We aren't the police, we aren't here to save everyone. My rounds are designed to be lethal. I use a Rebound Codex paired with a miniature supercomputer targeting system to calculate bounce trajectories, ensuring the bullet finds its mark even off a wall.
Next are the Incendiary rounds, chemical projectiles that ignite on impact, perfect for armored or non-human threats. To make these effective, I had to create a 'Pocket Space Codex' inside the bullet casing. Despite the tiny shell, the internal space is as large as a shoebox. This spatial magic is the most complicated Codex I've mastered, it's the same principle that allows me to travel through dimensions, similar to a Sling Ring.
I've designed Armor-Piercing rounds. These are high-density projectiles engineered to punch through advanced body armor, robotic plating, or reinforced security doors. By using my spatial folding tech, I can pack more mass into each round than physics should allow.
I've included High-Explosive rounds. These act as miniature grenades for demolition purposes, though they are extremely dangerous to use in tight spaces. With the 'Pocket Space Codex' I mentioned earlier, I can pack enough explosive yield into a single shell to bring down a structural pillar or clear a fortified room.
Finally, there is the Stun Shot. It's not always a physical bullet; sometimes it's an electromagnetic pulse or a specialized low-lethality round used to incapacitate targets without killing them. This is primarily for interrogation purposes after all, you can't get information from a corpse.
All hail judge dredd.
The weapon is fully integrated with Voice Control and a Facial Recognition Codex. I've refined every inch of the hardware. When I finally presented the arsenal to the team a year later, the looks on their faces were complicated. Until that moment, they had relied on standard-issue sidearms for their protection details. Seeing a weapon that recognizes their face and speaks back to them was a total paradigm shift.
They were visibly relieved when I handed over the carbon-weave clothing, they realized I had prioritized their safety while designing the system. Though I was touched by their sentiment, I felt a chill when I saw them looking at me with such reverence.
I quickly shooed them out of my lab to get back to work. I began constructing a 3D-printing fabrication case, a fail-safe so they can manufacture new weapons in my absence. This machine is massive, nearly the size of my chip fabrication unit, as it must integrate the supercomputers directly into the pistols. I've interfaced the two machines and installed a robotic arm to assist with the high-precision assembly.
Stark finally sent over his supercomputer design via jarvis. That stoic man simply handed me the envelope and left. He asked how I was doing, but other than that, he was... well, he's a piece of work. He doesn't say much, but the fact that he shared asked is already enough for me, Hahahaha
When I see him next, I'll ask for his assistance with the satellite project. Thanks to the 3D fabrication machine I've built, my agents can handle the production themselves. They just need to press 'start' and the system handles the rest. I don't need to be physically present, which is vital, because given my upcoming plans, I might disappear for a very long time.
to be continued -