Seeing the confused expression on Castle's face, Sean paused for a moment before realizing what was on his son's mind. Castle must have been wondering why Sean wasn't shocked after learning that the whole situation was just a trap set up by Dr. Edward Bailey.
Laughing heartily, Sean explained to the bewildered Castle, "Did you forget that I've gone up against the KGB countless times back in the day? Son, during the Cold War, these kinds of conspiracies were routine for me and Frank. Dealing with the ever-changing schemes back then was part of daily life. So now, this level of intrigue doesn't surprise me. If Dr. Bailey didn't harbor such deep hatred for the Brits, that would've been strange! After all, who wouldn't want revenge after being locked up for over thirty years?
Besides, I know Edward Bailey well. I've long known he's got a misanthropic streak. As you mentioned, he's incredibly smart, and even after being locked up for decades, he managed to exploit an opening and leak the rough details of the Dragonberry Plan online, hoping to attract someone like Frank or the Russians to rescue him from the British."
Sean continued, "But now that we're aware of his plan ahead of time, while we still need him to help disarm that bomb, he won't be able to pull any tricks in front of a prepared Frank or me."
Castle nodded in agreement but added a caution, "Yes, Bailey may not get the better of you now that you're prepared, but you should remember, he's not normal. It's rumored that years ago, he experimented with French neurotoxins. I'm worried he might leave some trap behind in Moscow. After he helps Frank retrieve the red mercury bomb, he could use his neurotoxins to escape undetected. Bailey's obsession with getting revenge on the Brits who locked him up for thirty years likely means he plans to secretly transport the bomb back to the UK and detonate it there. So Frank and his team need to be on guard not just in London, but also in Moscow."
Castle then advised, "I suggest you just support Frank from behind the scenes, helping arrange transport, maybe a plane to get them to Moscow quickly, or providing equipment and intel. But don't get directly involved yourself!"
Sean understood that his son was warning him not to get too personally entangled in this situation. With both the Russians on high alert and Bailey's devious nature, it seemed wise not to join Frank's operation directly. Luckily, Frank had only asked for Sean's help with intel and equipment, as Castle had suggested. Plus, the CIA's European branch had recently been thrown into chaos by an agent named Jason Bourne, and they were still recovering, making Sean's European trip relatively safe.
Thus, Sean decided to stick to providing support for Frank and his team, including warning them about Bailey's potential scheming. Frank, forewarned, would not fall for Bailey's tricks so easily.
With that matter settled, Sean finally felt like chatting more casually with his son. He was particularly curious about how Castle had managed to get his hands on the treasure from Vincent Adler, that old fox. Castle didn't hide anything and explained that his friend Neal was the key. Vincent had been obsessed with finding a music box in Neal's possession, and when Vincent recovered a sunken submarine, he couldn't resist showing off in front of Neal. That gave Castle the opportunity to quietly swipe the treasure from under his nose.
Vincent, who would have surely pieced together Castle's involvement, was eliminated by Castle and John during his arrest by the FBI. Castle, still cautious, didn't feel comfortable handing the treasure over to Sean for safekeeping.
Sean finally understood why Castle was in such a hurry to sell the treasure—it turned out his son was planning to fund the construction of an expensive supercomputer. Sean didn't probe further into what Castle needed a supercomputer for. Despite being his father, Sean had spent very little time with Castle as he was growing up. Everything Castle had accomplished was due to his own efforts. As a father, Sean felt it was better not to pry too much. Since they were already reunited, and Castle's influence was nothing to scoff at, Sean decided to help him sell the treasure without asking more questions.
After securing his father's help with the treasure, Castle could finally afford the supercomputer and storage systems he had been dreaming of. Once completed, Castle planned to use them to develop the artificial intelligence he had received as a reward from his system. With that AI, Castle's intelligence-gathering capabilities would reach their peak.
The mere thought of having an AI as powerful as Tony Stark's JARVIS made Castle tremble with excitement. In this world, strong AI was still just a concept, a rumor. Not even weak AI had been successfully developed by any research institution or national lab. When Castle's AI finally came to life, the internet would become his playground. For Castle, who had no grand ambitions and just wanted a peaceful life, the biggest advantage of having an AI would be receiving early warnings of any threats involving him or Beckett.
What Castle didn't know, however, was that his assumptions were entirely wrong. He believed he was the only one with the technology to develop AI, unaware that a billionaire named Harold was secretly working on a similar project.
Sean, armed with crucial information from his son, hurried to London. Meanwhile, Castle, who had originally come to Italy just to travel with his daughter, decided to let loose. Since his system hadn't issued a mission related to the red mercury bomb crisis, Castle didn't see any need to interfere with his father-son trip. After Sean left, Castle, under Gianna's local guidance, took his daughter on a tour around Italy.
Alexis, who had recently become fascinated with European art history, was overjoyed. The two art teachers her father had found for her were incredibly knowledgeable, and now, visiting the heart of the Renaissance, Alexis was eager to explore. With Gianna, a powerful local guide, there was no place in Italy they couldn't access, whether museums or exclusive, restricted sites.
For the next few days, Alexis was in a constant state of excitement.
Meanwhile, Castle, keeping a discreet eye on his father and Frank's activities, received updates that Frank, along with Marvin and Victoria, had successfully rescued Dr. Bailey from the Tower of London thanks to Sean's assistance. Unlike the original series, where Frank was unaware of Bailey's ulterior motives, this time, forewarned by Castle, they knew Bailey's true intentions. If not for needing Bailey to disarm the bomb, Frank probably wouldn't have even bothered rescuing the old man.
With Kayla's team from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs closing in, Frank avoided capture with Castle's help. The Russians had lifted the lockdown after failing to find the bomb in the Kremlin, giving Frank and his team one last chance to head to Moscow. After rescuing Bailey, Frank, with Sean's arrangements, boarded a private jet bound for Moscow to deal with the red mercury bomb.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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