Many people said that New York was a sleepless city that never stopped buzzing. Only its brilliant lights beneath the dark canopy of night could truly display its prosperity.
After leaving Stark Mansion, Sean took Gwen home, then drove alone along the highway. In the cool night, his hands held the steering wheel as his psychic awareness spread through the surroundings. The distant Hudson River gleamed brilliantly, while towering buildings stretched together like a lush forest cast from steel.
After his initial surprise at Tony's sudden Ultron Project, Sean found it only natural. That flamboyant, arrogant Iron Man was, deep down, someone profoundly lacking in security.
In the original timeline, after the New York battle, Stark had nearly developed an anxiety disorder. He had wanted to remain inside his Iron Armor twenty-four hours a day, as if only that could provide him with even the slightest sense of safety.
Hulk's emergence had shattered Tony's confidence. He had begun to realize that Iron Man's power alone was insufficient to face the growing number of massive crises, and thus the Ultron Project had come into being.
With Reed Richards, another of the world's foremost geniuses, as a partner, and Jarvis and the Red Queen as the foundational framework, who knew what they would end up creating?
Sean was quite looking forward to it.
Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. was far from idle. Nick Fury sensed that the world was on the verge of tremendous upheaval, so he began developing the Tesseract. Construction of the Sky Carrier was also formally set in motion. Clearly, the Black director had made thorough preparations and plans, intending to turn the vast organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. into this planet's truly solid shield.
But ideals were full, while reality was harsh. That one-eyed Black man had underestimated the new era about