Snowmelt

The timeline moves forward to April 1999, springtime in Alaska.

The melting snow has brought the mountains and forests back to their verdant state. Apart from the snow still lingering on the mountaintops, the return of spring to Alaska has also brought out small animals that have been cooped up for a long winter, searching for food and mates.

On the edge of a small inland town to the north, a man and a tiger walked by. This strange sight stunned the onlookers, who wondered how the cat beside the man could be so big, almost the size of a brown bear.

The man's appearance was hard to describe. He wore a black suit that looked quite conventional, yet subtly revealed a unique and confident air about him.

But his unkempt face, long hair, and stubble contrasted sharply with his clothing and taste.

Just looking at that head, you'd probably think he was a homeless person. But homeless people can't maintain a clean appearance.

The Tiger, on the other hand, had a glossy coat. After an Alaska winter, it hadn't lost much weight; in fact, it had gained even more fat.

When they couldn't hunt, Henry would go and buy prey. Kryptonian, terrified of hunger, simply couldn't bear to go without a meal. Getting fat was better than starving to death, and Henry, holding this belief, never missed a meal, regardless of any talk of escaping the hustle and bustle of the world.

Of course, you still need to avoid things that need to be avoided.

During this period, I didn't have my phone with me, so most calls went to voicemail. People who would try to reach me...

The majority of those seeking further trouble were not people from S.H.I.E.L.D.. or Snake Shield; rather, they were headhunting firms across the United States and including Europe.

Some universities are even offering lecturer positions just to hire them to teach. The film and television technology industry is the hardest hit, with everyone wanting to replicate Stark Studios's success in their own company and become a technology leader in a certain field.

Through the glasses he wears, he connects with a synchronous satellite in the sky, and the technological world he has built is not too far away, so he can still receive these messages.

This doesn't even include the fact that Miss A has to constantly adjust her algorithm logic and battle wits with that young master.

But most of the time, Henry, accompanied by Kitty, walked through Alaska in winter, enjoying the snow scenery that he had never had the chance to truly appreciate in either his past or present life.

As the snow melted and new buds sprouted, Henry had been living in self-imposed exile, felt that the time was right. He had been forced to live alone for more than ten years, without even a single person to talk to. Tom Hank, stranded on a deserted island, at least had a ball, Wilson, for company.

During their time in the snowy wilderness of Alaska, Kitty's presence was absolutely crucial. Without this Tabby Cat's company, Henry probably wouldn't have survived a single day.

Henry's self-imposed exile stemmed from his search for a way to fully heal his eyes. This was clearly not something that could be sought externally, but rather through introspection.

Introspection is clearly not easy to achieve in a place like Los Angeles, where there are many temptations and many eyes watching you.

Moreover, having dealt with numerous tasks and feeling somewhat out of sorts, I definitely needed a different environment to change my mood.

These past few months have allowed Henry to see some signs of recovery, but ultimately he was unable to fully restore his eyesight.

Simply put, it is a powerful force that is subtly at odds with this world, and the residual Destroy properties of it are unexpectedly sealed within its own eyeball.

My eyeballs are being damaged on one side and repaired on the other. The speed of the two sides is just balanced, so my vision is neither blind nor completely restored, remaining in a state that is neither good nor bad.

As far as I can remember, the source of this immense power came from when I was chasing the Void in the deep space of multiple dimensions. In some other dimension, I used the Void as a punching bag and exchanged a punch with some being before being invaded by this power.

Henry neither saw nor understood who was on the other side. After that punch, he and the Void were quickly sucked back into the universe they were in. It was as if the other side didn't welcome him, so he naturally returned to his original position.

Originally, this powerful force was harmless; having it in the body would only cause discomfort, and it would eventually be eliminated by the body's own body. It might also be absorbed and assimilated? In any case, it wouldn't remain unchanged indefinitely.

But he had used that power to obliterate the Void and Phoenix. Even if those two didn't die, they would be seriously injured.

Such an astonishing victory did not come without its own setbacks; the loss of his eyes is the price he has paid.

Do we really have to go outside into the Sun Pharma and treat it like a hot spring?

One of the main reasons I had to end this retreat even though my eyes hadn't fully recovered was because of a voicemail message I received from Maria Stark Tom in New York, Catherine Hepburn's personal nurse.

Back in town, Henry made a long-distance call to this person.

The call was answered quickly, and a familiar voice came through. "This is Maria Stark Tom. Where are you looking?"

"Ms. Tom, this is Henry Brown. What's the matter with you calling me? How is Catherine?"

A bitter laugh came from the other end of the phone. "Catherine's condition hasn't been good. Recently, her dementia symptoms seem to have worsened. These past few days, she's been constantly demanding to see Spencer Tracy, Howard Stark, and you."

"We can't just let Catherine go see those two. You're the only one still alive. So I was thinking, could you come to New York to see her and calm her down? I'm sorry, I know it's not good to trouble you like this, but I have no other choice."

Henry, taken aback, gave a wry smile and said helplessly over the phone, "How could I possibly be compared to those two?"

"I understand, I'll go there. But I'm currently in Alaska, and no matter how fast I rush, it will be a few days before I can get to New York. Please be patient."

Maria Stark Tom said, "Yes, I will tell Catherine that. Hopefully, it will reassure her."

"Is the situation bad?" Henry asked, frowning.

This question opened the floodgates for Maria Stark Tom. She launched into a tirade. "Ever since Catherine was hospitalized with pneumonia in the winter of '96, her condition has been terrible."

"She ate less and didn't talk much. She occasionally showed signs of dementia and couldn't even recognize me. Actually, at that time, Catherine's sister, Peg Bailey, had her move back to her home in Connecticut."

"But Catherine always sneaked back to New York and lived alone in her Manhattan home. And because there were stairs to climb and no elevator, she rarely went downstairs."

"Staying at home all the time and not getting enough physical activity and exercise has made her health worse. I'm not with her all the time either, so I don't know how to take care of her anymore."

It seems she's quite resentful. Henry could only encourage her, saying, "Alright, Maria Stark, try a little harder. I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Hurry up and come over. Catherine's calling again." Maria Stark Tom shouted into the phone, "Big star, my dear Oscar-winning grandmother. Spencer isn't hiding in the fireplace, so don't go crawling in there." Then she hung up.

It seems the situation is urgent.