Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

As the conversation unfolded, Belle seemed to find in Castle a confidant to whom she could vent her grievances. Unconcerned about whether Castle was a suitable listener, Belle, naturally talkative, couldn't hold back her frustrations. She slowed her car to an extremely leisurely pace, just to fully express the years of accumulated emotions regarding her relationship with Zeus.

Castle, being the oddball that he was, showed immense interest in learning about the love-hate story between Belle and Zeus. He knew that gathering as much information about Zeus's personality, hobbies, and private life could only benefit him in gaining Zeus's trust when the critical moment came to assist him and Officer John McClane in thwarting Simon's plans. So, he sat in the back seat, smiling, listening attentively to Belle's outpouring.

In essence, Belle and Zeus's story was quite clichéd and lacked novelty. It was the classic tale of a poor boy falling for the girl next door but feeling too insecure to confess his feelings. After taking some wrong turns in his youth and realizing his mistakes, he still felt unworthy of his beloved, keeping his love unspoken.

Belle, on the other hand, was a bold and passionate woman. Yet, as a woman, she longed for romance and love. Her slight hesitation had scared the already insecure Zeus, who only dared to like her secretly without ever confessing. Their missed opportunities led to their current predicament.

It didn't take long for Castle to grasp the crux of Belle and Zeus's entanglement. Seeing the usually carefree Belle harboring a romantic, dreamy side full of pink bubbles, Castle barely managed to suppress his laughter. Once Belle had finished her rant, he offered his advice: "Belle, I don't understand why you and Zeus, who clearly care for each other, can't just be straightforward about your feelings. You know he cares about you, right? And you've said that aside from being timid around you, Zeus is a stand-up guy. So why not let go of that fleeting pride and just tell him how you feel? Wouldn't it be better than both of you being awkward around each other?"

Castle had hoped his words would resonate with Belle. Instead, she deflated like a punctured balloon. "You think I haven't tried that? I've practically been ready to slip something into his drink to get him to speak up. But that coward keeps saying one thing while thinking another! Why do you think we've been stuck like this for years? He told a friend that he feels unworthy of me and doesn't want to drag me into a poor life. He never made it big and thinks he needs a fortune to stand tall before me and say he loves me! Do I need him to support me financially? It's ridiculous..."

Belle's words about Zeus's peculiar mindset sparked an idea in Castle. So, Zeus wanted to make a lot of money? How convenient! Castle had the perfect opportunity right in front of him. Zeus, as described both in the original series and by Belle, seemed like a good person despite his past mistakes. Castle, who was already short on hands for the planned heist on Vincent's submarine loot, thought about recruiting the younger version of the M**F**er into his team.

If they successfully robbed the submarine's treasure, Zeus could get a big payout and finally have the confidence to be with Belle.

With this plan forming in his mind, Castle decided to keep it to himself for now. After all, the heist plot involving Simon robbing the Federal Reserve hadn't started yet, and Zeus wasn't involved yet. He could reveal his idea after assessing Zeus's character during the upcoming mission.

When Belle finally dropped Castle off at his building after the slowest drive ever, Castle comforted the slightly downcast Belle without revealing his plans to make Zeus rich overnight. He advised her to hold on to her feelings and give Zeus some more time. He assured her that Zeus might eventually realize that being wealthy had nothing to do with their relationship. After this comforting talk, Castle got out of the car, carrying the tools he had bought from Zeus's hardware store, and headed home.

Castle and his daughter Alexis had a simple takeout dinner. Alexis focused on her homework, and Martha was staying with her new boyfriend, Chet. After dinner, Castle sneaked into his study, where he had secretly stashed the drone frame he had been working on. He continued his modifications.

To be honest, Castle was genuinely experiencing the brilliance of being "the smartest person in the Marvel universe." Although his mechanical proficiency skill had been slightly modified to fit his current world, it still originated from Tony Stark.

Using these skills, Castle truly appreciated the prowess of the top-tier scientist and craftsman Tony Stark. Even with the simple tools from Zeus's store, he could efficiently modify the drone frame on his desk.

No wonder Tony could build the Mark I suit in an Afghan cave with rudimentary tools provided by his captors. For Castle, modifying a drone with relatively better tools was a piece of cake.

Immersed in the creation of the drone and the endless ideas flowing through his mind, Castle lost track of time. It wasn't until Alexis's morning greeting that he realized he had worked through the night.

"Dad? Don't tell me you stayed up all night tinkering with that weird thing in your study," Alexis exclaimed, surprised to find her father not in the kitchen preparing breakfast.

Her voice finally snapped Castle out of his focus. Despite not feeling tired due to his enhanced physical condition, he was surprised to realize it was already morning.

"Dad, what is this thing? Last night, you came home with a bunch of toolboxes, not this huge contraption," Alexis asked, puzzled by her father's new interest in handcrafts and the large object on his prized desk.

Castle finally came to his senses. Seeing his daughter's curious and confused expression, he proudly smiled and said, "Haha, sweetheart, this is a prototype and frame for a drone I'm building. Once it's complete, you'll see it's quite an impressive piece of work!"

Alexis resisted the urge to roll her eyes and make fun of her unreliable dad. Instead, she looked at his messy hair from a night of tinkering and said, "Are you planning to switch careers now? Not writing novels and becoming a scientist? Dad, are you under some illusion? You're a humanities guy!"

Castle, unable to tolerate his daughter's teasing, retorted, "Who says a humanities guy can't tinker with machinery? Remember when I made that spring-powered tin frog for you when you were little?"

Alexis couldn't hold back her sarcasm any longer. After rolling her eyes, she said, "Yeah, that spring-powered tin frog that fell apart in less than a day! Don't tell me this thing you're building will last just as long."

Castle, unable to defend himself, could only laugh. Alexis's playful jabs were a welcome reminder of the balance he needed to maintain between his adventurous escapades and being a good father.

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