The room was quiet after she left. Too quiet. The Ancient One's warning still rang in Sam's head, heavier than the city outside. He looked at the Executioner's axe on the desk, the runes still glowing faintly. The thing felt alive, like it was watching him.
He ran his hand over the edge of the weapon, fingers brushing the strange markings. "A threat to the world…" he muttered. "Yeah, maybe. Or maybe I'm just the only one actually doing something."
He reached inward, not to the system, but to the Aegis Core itself. The manifested concept of protection was not just a tool; it was an extension of his will, sentient and responsive.
The response was immediate, a stream of pure data and understanding that flooded his mind.
"She didn't break in," Sam muttered to himself. "She just slipped through space like the walls weren't even there."
His eyes went to the glass wall, to New York. Smoke still curled into the sky, buildings still cracked and broken. The fighting was over, but the city looked like it had been through a war—and it had.
"They're gonna be hunting me now. S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, every government out there. Doesn't matter." He sighed, leaning back in the chair. "They'll waste time chasing shadows. I'll be the one fixing this place while they argue."
Sam's gaze dropped again to the axe. It wasn't about being a hero. It wasn't about saving the world. It was about control. And right now, the city was broken, which meant it was wide open for anyone bold enough to grab the pieces.
He stood up, leaving the axe on the desk as a macabre paperweight, and walked over to the hidden wall panel that housed AetherLink's primary server node. The holographic interface flickered to life at his approach, projecting a clean, organized display of Atlas Biotech's assets.
"AetherLink," he commanded, his voice crisp and clear. "Priority shift. Initiate Project: Renaissance. Pull all non-essential resources from R&D and focus them on Phase One: HyperCell commercialization and public rollout."
The AI's response was instantaneous. > [Acknowledged. Project: Renaissance initiated. Allocating 78% of computational resources to market analysis, supply chain logistics, and client acquisition for the HyperCell.]
"Good. First target: the reconstruction effort. Filter and compile a list of every major construction firm, engineering consortium, and city planning contractor that has been awarded an emergency grant or contract for the New York rebuild. Cross-reference with their current energy suppliers and projected power needs for heavy machinery, temporary housing, and site operations."
The holographic display dissolved into a rapid stream of data. Company logos, financial reports, government tender notices, and energy consumption graphs flew across the screen, organized and analyzed in nanoseconds.
[List compiled. Top three candidates based on contract size, liquidity, and public influence:]
· Vista Verde Construction – Lead contractor for Lower Manhattan infrastructure.
· Ironworks Engineering – Primary firm for bridge and tunnel repairs.
· Skyline Renewal Corp – Joint venture handling residential and commercial rebuilding.
"Perfect. Draft a formal proposal for Vista Verde. Highlight the HyperCell's application in powering industrial equipment, off-grid site offices, and temporary light grids. Emphasize the cost savings over diesel generators and the elimination of refueling logistics. Make it irresistible."
[Proposal drafted. Incorporating efficiency metrics, cost-benefit analysis, and a comparative study against traditional power solutions. Adding a limited-time introductory offer to incentivize a swift response.]
Sam allowed himself a small, cold smile. This was a language everyone understood: efficiency and profit. He wasn't selling a miracle; he was selling a superior tool.
"Now, for the demonstration. Schedule a meeting with their head of operations for tomorrow. And AetherLink... make sure our presentation is... memorable."
—
The Next Day – Vista Verde Construction Headquarters
The boardroom of Vista Verde was a stark contrast to the destruction outside. Polished mahogany, a floor-to-ceiling window view of a scarred but persistent Manhattan skyline, and the smell of expensive coffee. Seated at the head of the table was Richard Vance, a man in his late fifties with a firm handshake and the weary eyes of someone trying to rebuild a city with red tape and limited funds.
"Mr. Jackson," Vance began, gesturing for Sam to sit. "I'll be frank. Your assistant was very persuasive on the phone. But my inbox is full of 'revolutionary' solutions from companies looking to profit from a tragedy. What makes Atlas Biotech different?"
Sam sat, placing a simple, matte-black case on the table. He was dressed in an impeccably tailored but understated suit, the picture of a confident, serious CEO.
Profit is a motivator, Mr. Vance," Sam replied calmly. "But efficiency is a necessity. You're trying to power a small city's worth of equipment with a finite supply of diesel, fighting traffic for deliveries, and dealing with noise and pollution constraints. You're not just building; you're fighting your own power supply."
Vance's eyes narrowed slightly. He'd clearly had this exact argument with his own team. "Go on."
Sam clicked the case open. Inside, nestled in black foam, was a single HyperCell unit. It was sleek, about the size of a car battery but only a few inches thick, with a smooth, featureless surface except for a single blue status LED and universal power ports.
"This," Sam said, "is the HyperCell. Its energy density is approximately fifty times that of the best commercial lithium-ion battery on the market. It is silent, emits zero pollutants, and requires no refueling. A single unit can power a full construction site—lights, tools, portable offices, everything—for two weeks on a single charge."
Vance leaned forward, skepticism warring with intrigue. "Fifty times? That's a bold claim. I've got PhDs telling me that's theoretically impossible."
"Theory has a way of catching up to reality," Sam said with a faint smile. He slid the unit across the table. "A demonstration. This unit has a 5% charge. Hook it up to the most power-hungry piece of equipment you have on-site right now."
Vance raised an eyebrow but picked up his intercom. "Janice, send a team to the boardroom. And have them bring the industrial impact hammer from Bay 3."
Minutes later, two workers wheeled in a massive, heavy-duty impact hammer, the kind used for breaking concrete. It was a power hog, typically chained to a shrieking diesel generator.
Under Vance's watchful eye, his chief engineer reluctantly connected the HyperCell to the hammer. The LED on the battery glowed a steady, confident blue.
"Alright," the engineer said, shrugging. "It's got juice. Let's see how long it lasts." He flipped the switch.
The hammer roared to life, its deafening THUMP-THUMP-THUMP vibrating through the floor. The executives in the room winced, but Sam didn't flinch. He simply watched the HyperCell.
Five minutes. Ten. The hammer continued its relentless work, smashing a test block of concrete to dust. Vance kept looking from the hammer to the small, silent battery, his skepticism slowly melting into stunned disbelief.
After twenty minutes, the engineer, looking shocked, finally switched the hammer off. The sudden silence was deafening.
"The generator would have burned through five gallons of diesel in that time," the engineer muttered, checking the HyperCell's readout through a tablet connection. "This thing... it's still reading 4.7%. The draw was almost negligible."
Vance was silent for a long moment, staring at the unassuming black slab. When he looked up at Sam, his expression was completely different. The weary businessman was gone, replaced by a man who could see a path through the impossible.
"How many can you produce," Vance asked, his voice low and serious, "and how fast?"
Sam's smile was no longer faint. It was the smile of a man who had just changed the game.
"Let's talk business, Mr. Vance."