To put it bluntly, Castle's previous actions, if examined closely, were riddled with holes. At the time, he thought no one would pursue these matters, so he never bothered to cover his tracks. But he had left significant loose ends.
For example, the treasures he had handed over to Sean's father in Italy had long since been sold off in the underworld. Now, if the CIA—a department hell-bent on digging up dirt against him—investigated, they would trace these World War II-era treasures, once stolen by Hitler's forces in Europe, directly back to Sean's father. This was a massive vulnerability that couldn't be easily patched.
If the FBI agents who handled this case discovered any direct connection between him and those treasures, they would never let him go. And then, what else could he accomplish?
Castle felt a growing sense of frustration. This 'Roxette' group was proving to be a persistent thorn in his side. He had made it clear to the anonymous player in the CIA that they should leave each other alone, yet these idiots were still intent on stirring up trouble.
If this was how they wanted to play it, then fine—he'd abandon subtlety. If they wanted a fight, he'd bring it.
Castle's system had, in fact, assigned him an ultimate mission that included dismantling the 'Roxette' organization. Previously, his laid-back attitude and sense of timing held him back from seeking trouble with them, but it seemed his retreat had only emboldened them. There was no way he could tolerate this any longer.
Roxette's agents likely had no idea that he was already aware of their plot the moment they initiated it. So he was not about to sit idly by while they manipulated events to lead him by the nose. He needed to disrupt their plans and force them to act on his terms.
Determined to address this head-on, Castle abandoned any hope that the 'Roxette' group would come to their senses. While he found it mind-boggling that they still failed to understand their limitations, he knew there was no use in trying to talk sense into those deeply embedded within the massive intelligence machine of the CIA. Instead, they would need a harsh lesson, something so severe they wouldn't dare come after him again.
Castle decided he would use this opportunity to fulfill a portion of his ultimate mission by dismantling 'Roxette.' They would need to be crushed thoroughly if he were to be rid of them once and for all. With Jarvis and the "God's Eye" technology at his disposal, he had both the world's only AI and the highest resources on his side—there was no reason not to seize this moment to eliminate his foes.
While Castle was strategizing in his study about how best to annihilate the 'Roxette' organization, he received an unexpected call from Mark, the aerospace technology director at Northrop Grumman, with whom he had maintained a positive relationship. This same director had helped Castle secure Northrop's interest in his drone designs, providing significant assistance in the process.
But the reason for Mark's call left Castle utterly shocked. Northrop Grumman was reaching out for his help? Was this some sort of joke?
The request was beyond belief: Mark asked if Castle could make time to visit Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to conduct a technical assessment on the B-2 stealth bomber fleet operated by the 509th Bomb Wing. Northrop Grumman wanted to see if Castle's semi-automated flight control system could be installed in these venerable stealth bombers, which had been developed decades ago and remained one of the most classified military assets in the world.
This request left Castle, still preparing his plans against 'Roxette,' thoroughly stunned. Why would Northrop Grumman put so much trust in him?
The B-2 was one of Northrop Grumman's most classified projects, a stealth bomber originally conceived in the 1980s to penetrate Soviet airspace carrying nuclear payloads. To this day, only limited information was available to the public, making it much more secretive than Lockheed Martin's F-22, despite its fame.
Seated in his study, Castle reviewed all available online information on this strategic stealth bomber, courtesy of Jarvis.
The B-2, renowned as the world's most successful stealth bomber, had its origins back in the 1940s. The first prototype with a bat-wing design and no tail, the XB-35, was a rear-propeller model similar to the "Valkyrie" bomber that Red Skull piloted to bomb New York in Captain America: The First Avenger.
Later, the YB-49 prototype was developed, though it used four rear propeller engines instead of jet engines like the B-2. Only when the U.S. military realized that the SR-71 Blackbird, Lockheed's high-altitude spy plane, was limited to reconnaissance and unable to carry enough payload to effectively confront the growing Soviet threat did Northrop receive a new commission. The Pentagon wanted a radar-invisible strategic bomber that could undertake global missions.
Northrop invested $20 billion, under the assurance of a huge order of 132 planes from the U.S. military. Driven to succeed, Northrop eventually produced the B-2, a technological marvel at the time, boasting capabilities previously thought to be pure science fiction.
But the exorbitant development costs and per-unit price nearly broke the military's budget. Each B-2 cost $2.13 billion—equivalent to the cost of 13 Boeing 747s at the time. Even the U.S. military balked at the price tag; a purchase of 132 bombers would have drained their budget.
In the end, the Pentagon and the Air Force reneged on the initial order, purchasing only 20 B-2s, which nearly bankrupted Northrop Grumman. Only 21 planes were built in total, with 20 going to the military and one retained by Northrop for future research and development.
Despite its astronomical price, the B-2 initially faced skepticism and was largely dismissed as unnecessary—until 1999…
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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