The Tough Guy Who Insisted on Taking the Bus

Tony Stark's trip to Los Angeles wasn't just for inspecting Stark Studios. His public image doesn't include being a hard worker.

So unsurprisingly, this guy is throwing another party on his private beach in Malibu.

Anyway, with his wealth, he could play these little games every day until he's broke, and he still wouldn't have all the money to spend. So, as a working-class person, I shouldn't worry about him.

Henry drove his Cadillac and saw Jack Reacher off.

On the way, the military police captain was more silent than expected, and the atmosphere in the car became slightly awkward. Henry had no choice but to ask, "Do you have any plans for the return trip? Or can I take you there on my private jet? We can be back on the East Coast in three minutes."

Jack Reacher replied, "No, thanks. I can roughly imagine your method, but I have a formal mission this time; I need to conduct an investigation in the central region."

"The journey on the West Coast took a day less than I expected, so I have plenty of time afterwards. Please just take me to the bus station."

Henry was looking for an ordinary person to test the Duck Leopard armor's Hyper-Acceleration Ejection System. Since Jack Reacher refused, Henry couldn't very well force him onto Kitty's back. So, he gave up on the idea.

Jack Reacher suddenly asked, "Was that Tiger armor a product of Stark Industries?"

"No, I designed and made it myself. It has nothing to do with Stark Industries." Henry asked curiously, "Why do you think it has anything to do with Stark Industries?"

"I just don't want to see that kind of thing on the battlefield. It would be great if it wasn't some genius arms dealer who developed it. But why did you even build it in the first place?"

"You're a military policeman, right? You don't need to go to the battlefield..." Henry quipped before replying, "Didn't you see that guy on the news? And there are tons of Mutants. This world is far too dangerous; I need to find some ways to protect myself."

Jack Reacher complained, "Although military police don't go to the battlefield, do you think the outflow of military weapons is a serious problem?"

"I don't want to be attacked by one of those metal Monster while conducting a field investigation. The only people I'm confident in are humans."

"But would you really need something like this to protect yourself? According to the information I've seen, aren't you also a Mutants, and your ability is to be immune to pistol bullets?"

Henry said, "My skin is thicker, that's true, but it doesn't mean I can outrun everyone. There's a joke about two people being chased by a lion on the savanna; they don't need to outrun the lion, they just need to be faster than the other person to survive."

A speechless Jack Reacher finally managed to utter, "The conclusion is, you don't trust the Sentry."

"Only a fool would entrust their safety to Superman's kindness. Maybe the one in the comics is an alien, and our Sentry are Earthlings, but do you think such concerns are Reason?"

"You're planning to play Lex Luthor?" Jack Reacher asked casually, seeing Henry's horrified expression. "I also had a childhood where I idolized Superman. Do you know how incredible Superman is?"

Henry, his expression returning to normal as he drove, said calmly, "I have no interest in becoming the Sentry's nemesis. What If...? that guy causes any trouble, I'll be as far away as possible."

"The media that glorifies the Sentry as saviors and messiahs, and the people behind it all, are the ones who should be cleaning up the mess. But these are probably also the first to receive the news and the fastest to run."

He wanted to say something more, but Jack Reacher opened and closed his mouth several times without saying a word.

As far as he knew, the military and officials were so lenient with the Sentry largely because they lacked the power to confront them. Therefore, they resorted to a less desirable approach, trying to control them through flattery.

On the other hand, it is rumored that Sentry Serum has also begun human trials without permission.

However, due to the chaotic management of Canada's Department K and the large number of miscellaneous outsourced laboratories, no one knew which dose of Sentry Serum was effective.

The military, which has intervened, has yet to find the serum that creates Sentry, so that a second Sentry can be created.

Suddenly, the alarm on Henry's pink digital cartoon watch went off.

Jack Reacher noticed that it wasn't exactly the hour, nor was it the exact time he'd been in the car. So he asked directly, "Do you have something else to do?"

"It seems so. I was originally thinking that no matter where you're going, I could still give you a ride."

"No, thanks. I'm adamant, I'll take the bus." The tough guy recalled those two trips that were anything but comfortable and firmly refused.

"Okay, okay. We've arrived at the bus stop." Henry parked the car in the bus stop's pick-up area.

Jack Reacher got off the car carrying a backpack containing his military uniform. He held up his wrist, revealing the watch with a tracking device that Henry had given him, and said, "I'll keep this. Just like you said, there are too many crises in this world that are beyond human control."

Henry chuckled, "The next rescue will definitely be timely. But I still hope you never need this thing."

"Besides you, is there anyone else who can track this signal?"

"Pull the knob next to the dial up two notches, manually adjust it to 6:30, and then restart it to turn off the active signal. At this point, unless you press the emergency call button, the watch will be in a silent state. To turn it back on, use the same method to adjust it to 12:00."

Jack Reacher glanced at his watch, said simply, "Thanks," and turned to leave.

After the rather traditional American tough guy had walked away, Henry drove to a nearby parking space to park.

The cartoon watch's alarm clock is actually a distress signal, calling for Blade or Abraham Whistler at their hideout in the abandoned steel mill.

However, the signal wasn't an active distress call. Their alarm system was set up with Black Super's help, and it would only send a distress signal to them under certain conditions.

Otherwise, if those two Vampires hunters were to encounter even the most trivial matters, Henry would be on high alert, and his daily life would be in jeopardy.

What If...? an emergency evacuation is needed, Abraham Whistler will proactively contact them, instead of having the system automatically send him alerts like it does now... their secret base has probably already been breached.

Looking at the Sun Pharma high in the sky, Henry could easily understand why their secret base had fallen.

Because Vampires fear sunlight, Vampires hunters mostly use the daytime for investigative work or personal matters. Few people would defend themselves against Vampires attacks in broad daylight.

But Vampires developed sunscreen long ago, allowing them to briefly move in the sunlight. Not to mention the humans who depend on them, who are the main force of their daytime activities.

It's just that their long-standing habits prevent them from doing anything during the day. But I've heard that the ones causing the most trouble recently are the "young" radicals among the Vampires.

Being ambushed by this combined force of Vampires and humans, What If...? Blade are also diverted, the one-legged old man really wouldn't be able to defeat the invaders. He might even have trouble escaping.

This is actually why Henry is so slow and unhurried. The alarm from the cartoon watch is less of a distress signal and more of a notification to clean up the mess.