To Be An Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D (Marvel)(MCU)

The land was indeed cheap. The area wasn't densely packed yet—lots of room to expand. The Silicon Valley mindset had already begun attracting companies, but this was still 2007. Civilian tech hadn't caught up to what the military had been hoarding.

James had an edge.

The world might have been strange, full of superheroes and wild tech, but it was still a world he could dominate entertainment.

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James secured a large plot of land with almost no upfront cost. The project he'd pitched was just too attractive for California to ignore. In Los Angeles, something like this wouldn't even make headlines. But in Silicon Valley? A gaming and software hub with global marketing potential? That got attention.

The state wanted tourists, traffic, and jobs. James delivered the pitch with Cortana's helpful inputs, and thanks to his technical patents, creative IP, and the inclusion of Tony Stark as a backer, they basically handed him the land.

Of course, it wasn't charity. Politicians don't do favors out of kindness. They saw votes, headlines, and dollar signs. James didn't care. He got what he wanted: prime real estate, no strings attached, just a basic compliance checklist to follow.

"I'm heading back to New York to meet with Stark," James told Philip. "We've got two months. In the meantime, start the server vendor bidding. We'll need a lot. Rent a temporary setup if you have to. The launch will happen at the Stark Expo."

"That's a tight schedule," Philip replied, raising an eyebrow.

"The tech's solid. Once the servers are in, we're readily operational. I can even lean on Stark for optimizations. Just focus on getting the bids. He'll stop by soon to inspect."

James boarded a flight back to New York.

The moment he landed, he called. "Tony, I'm back. How's your Expo looking?"

"James, for this time, it's our Expo," Stark corrected. "It's almost ready. Right now, we're in show rehearsals."

"Wait, what? It's still two months out and you're already rehearsing?"

"Relax. Everyone else can wait. My opening act is the barometer of the entire Expo. If I nail it, the stock price goes up. Oh—and your five million shares of Stark Industries? That gives you three percent. Welcome to the Knowledge Bureau."

"No time for that. I need to see you. The plan's finished. And I need capital."

"Then come to the venue! Show me what you've got."

James grabbed a cab and headed straight there. Stark was literally on stage, in full Iron Man armor, dancing with a team of backup performers.

"Hey Ace! What do you think?" Stark called out from mid-choreography.

"It's flashy. Over the top. In other words, completely you," James called back.

"Glad you approve!" Stark launched into the air with a flare of propulsion, scattering dust as he landed nearby.

"Yeah, yeah. Save the fireworks. Read this," James said, handing over a thick packet.

Stark returned to the robotic dressing rig to disengage from the suit, then flipped through the first few pages. "You're serious about this software?"

"Look closer. It's bundled content—music, movies, streaming, social networking, work tools, and games. Most of it is free. Optional pay models only. Easy to use, and impossible to quit. The idea isn't to charge, it's to become essential. Once they're hooked, they'll pay a little to save time."

"And the real money is in ads, of course," Stark said, nodding. "Get the users, and everything else follows. You already filed the patents?"

"Of course. I wouldn't show it to you otherwise."

"Smartass. Alright, I'm in. How much are you asking?"

"Don't know yet. Haven't done the math. But the big expenses are the HeadQuarters and the eSports arena. That arena needs to be a global landmark. I've got six years of product rollouts mapped out. We're not rushing the talent side yet. But we need server stability right now. That's the foundation."

"No problem. We'll head over tomorrow. You've only got one lawyer so far?"

"Yeah. Still finalizing the CEO. I need someone... unconventional."

"Say no more," Stark said. "You need someone like me."

The next morning, they flew back to California on Stark's private jet. James didn't care about the money yet. SHIELD still came first. The company? That was just a vacation project. A chance to build out dreams from his past life.

"Philip, meet Mr. Tony Stark—our major shareholder," James said upon arrival. "The HQ and the eSports complex will rely heavily on his support. How's the server selection going?"

"These are the quotes and specs from the top three vendors," Philip said, handing over a packet. "Didn't make a final call. Not my area of expertise. These are the best: IBM, Lenovo, and Dell."

James flipped through them and passed the files to Stark. "Thoughts?"

Stark skimmed and nodded. "Go with IBM. Solid hardware. I've worked with them before. I'll even do some light upgrades."

James gave the go-ahead. Philip made the order.

IBM took it seriously. A $100 million order got their attention. Their team arrived immediately with top-of-the-line equipment, even if it meant pushing back other orders. The system they installed could handle simultaneous logins from fifty million users across the U.S.

The rented space was massive. Installation began right away. Engineers added climate control, ventilation, and a full monitoring system. Crude for now, but functional where it matters.

"So how are you planning the building the design?" James asked Stark.

"Come back to my place. Let's do it properly."

They flew to Stark's villa, where J.A.R.V.I.S. greeted them and escorted them to the underground lab. Stark activated his holographic projection system. James picked it up quickly and began sketching his design in 3D.

His concept: an 88-story HQ, shaped like a stretched-out equilateral square(rectangle). Clean, symmetrical, no frills.

"That's it?" Stark asked, eyebrows raised. "No flair?"

"I want the HQ to feel serious. A place of purpose. It's a temple for digital warriors. It should project stability, and strength, something grounded. The arena inside is where I'll get creative. I'm thinking of… bold lines, geometric architecture. Something that looks alive and futuristic."

Stark nodded. "Alright, now we're talking."