Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

It must be said that the powerful anesthetic spray Winston got for Castle from some unknown source was incredibly effective. Castle didn't expect it to work so quickly when he released it from a small door in the corner of the hangar, while wearing a respirator. He was initially worried that the hangar's vast size would render the less than a thousand milliliters of anesthetic insufficient to knock out everyone inside. Surprisingly, within five minutes of releasing the anesthetic, no one in the hangar was still standing.

Amazed by this, Castle realized that Winston had indeed found something good for him. Curious, he didn't rush in to retrieve the unconscious chubby kid from the private plane but instead stood at the hangar door, examining the powerful anesthetic in his hand. He wanted to see where such an impressive product was made.

Upon seeing the strange, unfamiliar characters and a large danger symbol on the canister, Castle suspected that Winston's men had obtained it from a secret laboratory. He had never heard of an anesthetic as potent as this one. Thus, Castle considered asking Winston for more of it. After all, it was much better to incapacitate enemies silently than to engage in bloody gunfights.

Wearing his respirator, which made him look like a pig-headed man, Castle entered the hangar. The floor was strewn with members of the special squad from General Atomics sent to kidnap the chubby kid. Due to time constraints, the flight crew meant to transport the two drones stolen from the chubby kid's home and the chubby kid himself had not arrived. Therefore, apart from Castle and the kid, everyone else in the hangar was from General Atomics. The engineer who conducted the flight tests in New York and discovered the kid and his drones was also present, lying unconscious on the floor. Fortunately for him, Castle didn't know this man was the mastermind behind today's kidnapping. Otherwise, Castle might have shot him on the spot, with no one around to witness.

Nevertheless, Castle could choose to cut off all cooperation with General Atomics without making deadly enemies. After all, it was a big arms company.

Seeing everyone in the hangar unconscious, Castle relaxed and boarded the private plane. He carried the unconscious, dead-weight chubby kid off the plane. Thanks to his system-enhanced strength, Castle managed this easily, which would have been impossible before his enhancement.

Without sparing a glance at the unconscious people in the hangar, Castle carried the kid straight out and drove him home. On the way, he reconsidered his initial plan to hand the four people from the kid's house over to the NYPD. Instead, he decided to call Beckett, hoping to explain his intelligence sources.

Castle and the chubby kid's drone flights over New York had attracted the attention of General Atomics, leading to the kidnapping. Thus, by sending the kidnappers to the police and explaining his intelligence sources to Beckett, he could achieve two goals at once.

With this in mind, Castle called Beckett: "Beckett, it's Castle. A friend of mine was just kidnapped by some guys from General Atomics on the West Coast. I captured four of the kidnappers and rescued my friend. I need you to come over so I can explain my intelligence sources to you."

Beckett, busy with today's incidents at the precinct, was puzzled. What kidnapping? How did Castle know the kidnappers were from General Atomics? Why would this company kidnap his friend? Overwhelmed by Castle's information, she didn't refuse him outright.

Hearing no response, Castle worried she was still angry with him. He loudly repeated his request, prompting an irritated Beckett to reply: "I heard you, but the precinct is swamped right now. Don't you know what Simon did today? My team is dealing with a fake bomb at a school, and other precincts are searching for Simon's accomplices. I can't leave."

Castle acknowledged her point but insisted his matter was urgent. Desperate, he revealed more to get her attention: "Don't you want to know my intelligence sources? Here's your chance. Plus, there are four armed kidnappers at my friend's house. Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Cornered, Beckett reluctantly agreed to take Espo and Ryan with her after getting permission from Captain Montgomery. She couldn't handle four armed kidnappers alone, even if they were unconscious from Castle's tranquilizers.

By the time Castle returned to the kid's house, Beckett hadn't arrived yet. After placing the unconscious kid on the living room sofa, Castle hid the gold bar originally stolen from the Federal Reserve by Simon's gang. He didn't want Beckett finding the stolen item and suspecting him or the kid.

After tidying the kid's room, Castle moved the four captured General Atomics men from the storeroom to the living room floor. They were securely tied and sedated, lying unconscious like the kid on the sofa.

With everything set, Castle placed his tranquilizer gun on the coffee table just as Beckett arrived with Espo and Ryan. Following Castle's directions, they reached the kid's house.

Upon entering and seeing the unconscious men and the kid, Espo joked: "Castle, if you hadn't called us, I'd think you were the culprit. Five men, all knocked out? Writer, you're quite something!"

Castle smiled wryly and addressed the stern-faced Beckett: "Take a seat. I'll explain everything. This unconscious kid on the sofa is Harry Dominic, my friend and the source of my recent intelligence..."

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