….
[Los Angeles | Malibu Coastline]
While the post production of [The Dark Knight] was in its last phase, the team also divided into promotions.
Plastering Christian Isaac's stoic silhouette across every major billboard from Times Square to Shibuya Crossing.
However, as the film was prepared for its release, Regal Seraphsail decided to do the prep work for next films under the LIE Studios.
As the foundation of MarvelDC Cinematic Universe had already started, Regal's main goal was now the introduction of remaining MDCU characters of Earth-616 and Earth-1, along with the sequels.
And the actors were being called back for the job.
….
[Robert Downey Jr.'s Malibu Estate]
Robert lounged in his armchair, looking more like a man killing time than one paying attention.
The television played in the background, an entertainment channel replaying its [The Dark Knight] primetime special.
Christian Isaac occupied the screen, recounting the marathon one hundred and seventy-six-day shoot.
Even without the volume, he could practically recite the interview from memory, and the thought drew a knowing smile to the corners of his mouth.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
One hundred and seventy-six days. Welcome to the club.
Everyone shows up thinking it's another movie. Then Regal gets involved and suddenly it's a full-contact relationship with filmmaking. By the end, you're sleep-deprived, questioning every life decision you've ever made... and somehow delivering the best performance of your career.
He gave an amused shake of his head.
Can't argue with results.
The sharp chime of the front gate intercom pulled Robert from his thoughts. His attention shifted away from the television toward the speaker mounted on the wall.
"Well..." he murmured to himself. "That's either impeccable timing... or spectacularly bad timing."
A moment later, his private security guard's voice came through the intercom.
"Mr. Downey."
"There is a courier here from LIE Studios with a Level-One bonded delivery. He says it requires your signature in person."
Robert's heart gave a sudden, unexpected thump.
"LIE?" he repeated, one eyebrow lifting.
"Yes, sir."
That narrowed it down considerably.
LIE Studios didn't use Level-One bonded couriers for publicity kits, contracts, or routine paperwork. That level of clearance meant whatever was inside had been tracked from the moment it left the studio vault until it reached his front gate, with every handoff signed for and every security seal meticulously logged.
Which meant it had come directly from Regal, a realization that drew an involuntary grin to the corner of Robert's mouth.
"He finally sent me something fun..?" he murmured. "Or something that's about to consume the next six months of my life."
He pressed the intercom button. "Identity verified?"
"Twice, sir. Government ID, biometric confirmation, courier authorization, and studio chain-of-custody all check out."
Robert nodded to himself. "Bring him through."
"Yes, sir."
The intercom clicked off, and a minute later, the front doorbell chimed.
Robert opened the door to find a man in a crisp charcoal suit standing on the porch, a matte-black hard case securely handcuffed to his wrist.
The courier straightened instinctively and offered a polite, albeit noticeably nervous, nod.
Robert didn't recognize him.
The courier, however, knew exactly who he was facing.
His name was Copper.
Years ago, Regal had unceremoniously volunteered him as a living prop during Daren's completely unofficial 'Joker audition' inside Keanu Reeves' caravan.
What was supposed to be a harmless bit of improvisation had quickly spiraled into one of the most nerve-racking experiences of Copper's entire career, leaving him convinced, if only for a few unforgettable minutes, that he might actually become collateral damage in the name of method acting.
Ever since then, he had developed a healthy respect for anyone unfortunate enough to orbit Regal Seraphsail.
Copper subtly straightened his posture, took a quiet breath, and offered his free hand.
"G-Good afternoon, Mr. Downey." he said, the practiced greeting losing a bit of its polish beneath unmistakable nerves. "My name is Copper. I am an authorized bonded courier with LIE Studios. It's... it's an honor to meet you."
Robert glanced at the handcuffed case, then back at the young man.
"Relax." he said with an easy smile as they shook hands. "You're delivering a package, not defusing a bomb."
Copper let out an awkward laugh.
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
"No need to apologize."
Only then did Robert notice he wasn't alone.
A broad-shouldered man in a black suit stood a few paces behind him, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable.
For a brief moment, Robert thought it was Rock, but a second glance told him otherwise.
The resemblance was uncanny, though.
The man remained perfectly still.
He was one of the two security specialists Regal had hired during the 'construction' of the Batmobile.
There was even a story making the rounds.
When Keanu Reeves had arrived to visit Regal, the guard had flatly refused to let him enter a restricted workshop because he wasn't carrying the proper clearance pass.
It hadn't mattered that Regal himself had extended the invitation; protocol was protocol, and exceptions simply weren't made.
Only after Samantha personally came outside to authorize Keanu's entry had the guard stepped aside.
Robert had found the story hilarious, and out of sheer curiosity, he'd raised a hand in greeting.
The guard hadn't reacted in the slightest, forcing him to quietly lower his hand with an amused smile.
"...Tough crowd." he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Copper cleared his throat, silently reminding himself to stay focused; meeting one of Hollywood's biggest stars was intimidating enough.
Being the person personally entrusted by Regal Seraphsail to deliver a classified package somehow made it even worse.
He reached into his document pouch and produced a sealed envelope.
"Mr. Seraphsail instructed that I hand these documents to you first. Once you've confirmed your identity and signed the receipt, I will release the security lock and transfer custody of the case."
Robert accepted the envelope with a curious look. "So this isn't just fan mail?"
Copper blinked before realizing it was a joke. "N-No, sir."
"Shame." Robert smiled. "I was hoping somebody finally appreciated my work."
The joke earned a nervous chuckle from Copper, though the young courier still looked terrified of making even the slightest mistake.
Robert found the kid strangely likable.
Five minutes later, he stood in the foyer, signing the final page on a digital NDA tablet Copper held out.
"Initial here... and one more signature at the bottom, please."
Robert scribbled his name with practiced ease before handing the tablet back.
"There you go. I assume I have just signed away my right to tell my neighbors what came in the box?"
Copper smiled sheepishly. "...Essentially, yes, sir."
"I have signed worse."
The verification completed with a soft chime.
Copper entered the final authorization code, unlocked the restraint securing the case to his wrist, and carefully transferred the sleek, heavy matte-black lockbox into Robert's hands.
"Delivery complete, Mr. Downey."
"Pleasure doing business."
With that, the assignment was officially over.
Or at least, it should have been.
Instead of leaving, Copper remained rooted to the spot, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other until Robert raised an eyebrow.
"...Something else?"
"N-No. I mean... yes... actually..."
After a brief internal battle, Copper reached into his back pocket and slowly produced a small notebook, followed by a black pen.
Robert looked at the items for exactly one second before a knowing grin spread across his face.
"Ah."
An autograph.
If anything, it boosted his ego just a little more.
Most bonded couriers barely exchanged more than a handful of words during assignments like this.
They delivered the package, verified the paperwork, and disappeared without so much as making small talk.
Copper's ears turned noticeably red.
"I am really sorry, sir. I know I am technically on duty and probably shouldn't ask, but... My little sister's a huge fan. Well..." He smiled sheepishly. "...so am I."
Robert laughed. "So the package was just your excuse."
"N-No!" Copper blurted before deflating almost immediately. "...Well... not exactly."
"Relax." Robert accepted the notebook with a smile. "Who am I making it out to?"
Copper visibly relaxed. "Just... 'To Copper,' please."
Robert uncapped the pen. "You know, most bonded couriers treat these jobs like covert military operations."
Copper rubbed the back of his neck. "I figured... if I was already meeting Robert Downey Jr., I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't at least ask."
Robert chuckled as he signed the page. "That's probably the smartest decision you've made all day."
"There are definitely worse life philosophies." Copper admitted with a grin.
Robert handed the notebook back. "There you go."
Copper accepted it with both hands as though it were made of crystal. "Thank you, sir. Seriously... thank you."
Robert waved him off.
"No problem. Just don't tell Regal I interrupted one of his classified deliveries with an autograph session."
Copper blinked. "...I think he would probably tease me for it."
Robert laughed. "Yeah... that sounds exactly like him."
He fully expected that to be the end of it, but instead of putting the notebook away, Copper sheepishly reached into another pocket and produced a second one.
Then, after a brief hesitation… A third.
Robert slowly lowered his gaze to the growing stack before looking back at Copper, who answered with a broad, completely unapologetic grin that showed every last tooth.
"...Seriously?"
Copper scratched the side of his head. "I... may have mentioned to a few people at the studio that I was delivering this package."
"A few?"
"...They were very persuasive."
Robert let out a long, theatrical sigh.
"You know, I don't think I have signed this many autographs in two minutes since I was trying to convince a judge I deserved to stay out of jail."
Copper bit his lip, trying, and completely failing, not to laugh.
"So..." Robert said, picking up the second notebook and uncapping the pen once more. "Who's next?"
….
Ten minutes later, Copper finally stepped out of Robert's house, the front door closing behind him with a soft click.
Only after walking all the way down the path toward the waiting SUV did he finally let out a long, shaky breath.
"Haaaa..."
It felt as though he had been holding it in for the entire visit.
Beside the vehicle, Rocco, the same stone-faced security who had accompanied him the whole way, glanced at him briefly.
"...Done?"
Copper nodded, clutching the signed notebooks against his chest like priceless treasures.
"Done."
Rocco silently opened the passenger door.
Copper had barely settled into the seat when his phone began vibrating.
[Jex]
He answered before the second ring.
"How did it go?"
At that exact moment, Jex asked the very same question.
["How did it go?"]
The two paused for a heartbeat before bursting into laughter.
"You first." Copper said.
["No, you."]
Jex had been sent on an assignment every bit as nerve-racking as Copper's.
While Copper had delivered Regal's package to Robert Downey Jr., Jex had been dispatched to Andrew Garfield.
Like Copper, he had been accompanied by one of Regal's security team members.
Instead of Rocco, his silent escort had been Rook, the same guard who had famously refused to let Keanu Reeves into a restricted workshop without the proper authorization.
Before either of them could compare stories, another notification interrupted the call.
["Wait."] Jex said, glancing at his screen. ["I am getting another call."]
"Azari?"
["Yep. Damn, she's calling too. Hold on, let me merge us."]
A second later, the conference connected, and Azari's excited voice immediately came through the speaker.
["So..."] A brief pause followed.
["How did it go?"]
Copper and Jex exchanged amused glances before breaking into laughter together; compared to the two of them, Azari had unquestionably drawn the shortest straw.
Not only had her assignment been personally supervised by Rock himself, a situation nerve-racking enough to make anyone feel like they were taking an exam under the company's founder, but her delivery had also been to Henry Cavill.
Superman himself.
"I got the signatures." Copper announced proudly.
A brief silence followed.
["...Plural?"] Azari asked.
Copper couldn't keep the grin out of his voice. "Three."
Before setting out, the three of them had made a simple pact: if any of them happened to deliver a package to a celebrity, they would try to get three autographs.
One for themselves and one each for the other two.
["So did I."] Jex chimed in with a laugh. ["Three from Spider-Man."]
Copper grinned. "Looks like we're two for two."
Leaning back in his seat with a satisfied smile, Copper asked. "Now, what about you? Did Superman sign?"
Azari let out an exaggerated groan.
["Oh, he signed.]
Another pause. ["...But wait until I tell you what happened after."]
["I don't like that pause."]
"Neither do I." Copper added. "That pause usually means somebody almost got fired."
["It wasn't that bad."] Azari protested.
The silence on the other end said otherwise. "...Azari."
["...Okay, maybe it was a little bad."]
"A little?"
….
.
[To be continued…]
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