American TV Writer

Castle couldn't care less about the chaos that would ensue at the Assassin Brotherhood tonight. After hanging up the phone with his dad, he used his earpiece to confirm with the chubby guy and Moz, who had been controlling the drone and watching the area, that his results were astonishing, far exceeding his expectations. Carefree, Castle then drove his car, filled with little white mice, and headed back to New York.

Before going home, he made a stop at Central Park, where he had taken out the gunsmith sent by the Assassin Brotherhood earlier that afternoon in a rather psychopathic manner. He released all the mice from the backseat of his car, having achieved a significant victory tonight. After all, he couldn't really bring these seemingly dumb but surprisingly clever little creatures home. Even though he knew his daughter, Alexis, would love them, a hundred was just too many! He kept the smartest one, the mouse that responded to his commands the quickest and best, while the rest, after one last meal, were set free in Central Park.

With that final mouse in hand, Castle finally returned home.

Beckett had been at the police station all night, not just to cover for Castle, who had pulled out an automatic rifle in Central Park, but more importantly, Vulcan Simmons, who had long been laundering money for Senator William Bracken through the illegal drug trade, had finally realized the situation he was in. After the DA's office offered him a plea deal in exchange for his confession, Simmons began to talk. Consequently, he was escorted by heavily armed marshals to the 12th Precinct's interrogation room, where Beckett obtained the first key piece of evidence that could bring down Senator William Bracken for good.

The next morning, Beckett planned to visit the high-security prison where Nick Coonan was being held. Coonan had lost all hope, and as soon as his testimony was secured, both the four corrupt NYPD officers and Senator William Bracken would be facing their doom. Beckett, however, had no idea that while she was busy with these matters, Castle had blown up the Assassin Brotherhood's hideout, turning it into a condemned building.

Back at home, Castle took the lone mouse from his pocket and, using his animal communication skills, instructed it not to run around and to stay inside the house. Then, he quickly washed up and went to bed.

Meanwhile, Moz and the chubby guy withdrew one of the drones monitoring the Assassin Brotherhood's cover factory in North Bergen, New Jersey, leaving another drone to keep an eye on the organization. Neither of them had any intention of sleeping. They sat in the chubby guy's house, discussing Castle's unbelievable use of a large group of mice to transport explosives.

"Uncle Moz, how do you think Uncle Rick managed to do that? How could he make those mice follow his orders so perfectly, without a single mistake, and transport all that C4 inside? It just doesn't make any sense! Do you think Uncle Rick has some kind of secret we don't know about?"

Moz couldn't help but laugh at the chubby guy's serious attempt to gossip, but as Castle's friend, he patiently reassured him. "No matter what secret Rick has, as his most trusted friends, our job is to support him. If Rick wants to tell us, he will. If not, it's not our place to pry. As friends, we also have an obligation to keep his secret. Got it? Besides, no one else can know about this—especially not Gianna. Understand?"

The chubby guy nodded. He wasn't desperate to know Castle's secret; he was just a curious young man who had gotten excited after witnessing something so extraordinary. After Moz's reassurance, he obediently went to retrieve the drone.

What he didn't notice was that while Moz seemed calm and composed on the surface, he was just as shaken by Castle's actions. Sending nearly twenty kilograms of C4 to blow up a hideout wasn't what bothered Moz. It was Castle's eerie ability to command the mice that left him feeling uneasy. Moz had heard about things that defied normal human understanding, but seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely. While he appeared calm in front of the chubby guy, Moz was deeply unsettled. As someone who had seen a lot, he fully grasped how extraordinary Castle's actions had been tonight.

That's why, when the chubby guy voiced his doubts, Moz didn't hesitate to both comfort and warn him, fearing that the chubby guy's loose lips might inadvertently reveal Castle's secret.

Yes, Moz was now certain that Castle harbored a big secret. But whether as a friend or a seasoned survivor, Moz had no intention of bringing it up. If Castle wanted to tell him, he'd listen. If not, he'd pretend not to know, so as not to damage their friendship.

In reality, Moz was overthinking it. Castle didn't see his ability to command mice as a big deal at all. He hadn't even considered explaining it to his friends. If Moz asked, Castle would probably explain everything without hesitation.

But due to a series of misunderstandings, the matter became an unsolved mystery: one man didn't think it was important enough to mention, while the other was too wary to ask. And so, the secret remained.

Early the next morning, Castle, the "mysterious man," was already up and making breakfast for his daughter. He proudly showed off the clever mouse he had brought home the night before. "Alexis, look at this smart little mouse! I bought it just for you. You can keep it as a pet. It's so smart that you don't even need to keep it in a cage—it'll follow your commands!"

Alexis was delighted, watching the well-behaved mouse with joy. "Dad, are you sure it doesn't need to be in a cage? What if it runs away?"

Castle boasted, "It won't, trust me. I told you it can understand simple commands, right? You can even give it a name and try giving it some commands yourself. See if it listens to you."

Alexis, excited, began playing with the mouse, which she had named "Mickey." When she saw that it could indeed follow simple commands like "come here," "sit," and "stay," she was ecstatic.

"Dad, where did you get this? I've never seen such a smart mouse before, let alone heard of one!"

Castle, pleased that his daughter liked the gift, smiled. After all, he had specifically chosen the cleverest mouse to bring home as a gift for her. On the way back, he'd even used his animal communication skills to train the little creature, ensuring it would behave so well today.

Seeing his daughter's smile, Castle was overjoyed. "I had someone find it for you. Apparently, it's a new breed developed in a lab, much smarter than regular mice. I've been really busy with work lately and haven't had much time to spend with you, so I thought I'd bring you a little companion.

That way, if I can't be here sometimes, you'll still have a pet to keep you company. So, what do you think? Do you like it?"

Alexis beamed. "I love it! I've never seen a mouse this smart before, and it can even follow my commands. Thank you so much, Dad!"

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