"Tony, we're father and son. You actually set me up and recorded it... My heart hurts."
Howard clutched his chest, looking melancholy as if he had been wounded by his unfilial son. As he spoke, he stomped hard, crushing the recorder to powder.
"Bastard, if your heart hurts, my body hurts too."
Tony lay on the ground, rolling his eyes. "You think destroying the recorder means I have no evidence? Don't be naïve. The recording was transmitted back to Earth long ago."
"I know. Jarvis even sent it to four separate email accounts as backup."
Howard looked down disdainfully, glanced at Tony, and continued, "Stupid son, I gave you the technology you used to upgrade Jarvis. Do you really think I wouldn't leave a backdoor?"
"Don't celebrate too soon. The physical evidence may be gone, but I still have a witness!"
Tony raised a hand and pointed at Nick Fury, who had heard everything loud and clear.
"Is that so? Fury, what do you have to say?"
"Sir, I didn't hear anything..."
Nick Fury decisively abandoned Tony. After moving to Howard's side, he asked softly, "Could you take me to Asgard? I won't disturb you while you're having fun. I really just want to broaden my horizons."
"Come on, Fury, stop making excuses!"
"No, I really am... That's right, I'm making excuses."
Nick Fury shrugged. As long as Howard took him to Asgard, nothing else mattered. He already had plenty of stains on his record; one or two more would make no difference.
"Let's go. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll take you both along."
Howard shrugged. "Let me make this clear first: if you want a friendly match with an Asgardian beauty, there are only two ways—fists and drinking capacity. You have neither, so you'll make perfect