Universe 1024.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
The lights of the high-rise buildings standing beside Potomac River dimmed one by one, with only a few offices on the upper floors still on.
Howard was lying on the desk, writing something quickly.
"This is the eighth month since Superman disappeared. My friend, Lieutenant General of the Pentagon, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.... He has disappeared, disappeared from this planet - I do not think Luke is dead, although rumors similar to this are rampant and have an intensifying trend."
"I also know who is behind this and pushing all of this forward."
"Just two months ago, the President read an emotional eulogy in front of the whole world. So far, the military has not confirmed the death of Luke-Lieutenant General Cahill, but our president couldn't wait to announce the news - it is really intriguing."
"Although he praised Superman and described Luke as a shining beacon of the human world. He also said that losing each other would be a huge loss not only to America, but also to this beautiful world in peace."
"The passing of a hero, the fall of a star, the collapse of a lighthouse - it's really touching."
"I think the President may not be so sad when his father passes away. Forgive me for using such harsh words. As long as I think of that hypocritical face, my appetite will be reduced by half - which is why I have lost a lot of weight recently."
"With all due respect, the president's behavior is like a thief who breaks into a house and is always worried about the return of his owner - even though he is sitting at White House and is the nominal manager of the country, his inner cowardice and fear cannot be concealed at all."
"The situation in the world is changing. After learning that Superman was 'missing', Soviet Union opened vodka at the Kree Murin Palace that day to celebrate! A handful was hung above their heads, and then The Sword of Bodhidharma Kree that would fall from time to time has disappeared. I believe that those high-ranking officials can finally sleep well and no longer have to worry about Superman falling from the sky and hanging them on Red Square."
"Without the important weight to maintain the balance, the relationship between the two superpowers has become increasingly tense. A month and a half ago, White House had a heated discussion on whether to deploy medium-range missiles, Thor missile and Jupiter missile in Italy and Turkey."
"Peace and beauty... have long since disappeared with the departure of Superman. Only the shadow of nuclear war remains!"
"The atmosphere of terror is spreading. I heard that Castro has asked for help from Soviet Union. The pace of the Third World War seems to be getting closer and closer, and the scale of Doomsday Clock is moving forward steadily and resolutely."
As he wrote this, Howard's frown deepened.
He sighed, put down his pen, and subconsciously touched his mustache.
He reached for the wine glass on the table and took a sip of whiskey.
On Howard's face, the cynicism of the past is gone, and it is full of worries about the future.
"After Superman left, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s life was not easy. Without the huge mechanism to rely on and support, it was like a giant with a lame leg, stumbling and struggling."
"The guy sitting on White House is actively dismembering S.H.I.E.L.D. and limiting its power. The bastards of FBI and CIA are happy to see this."
"I'm not sure if I'm being spied on. The only ones who know the president's identity so far are probably me and Nick - Fury - a dark-faced agent with no sense of humor."
"I have tried various methods. Even just a week ago, SkyNet Corporation launched the first artificial satellite."
"I am smarter than the Rocket experts of Soviet Union. Their Sputnik 1 is eleven days behind me."
"But the whereabouts of Superman are still not found. I began to confirm my inner guess that Luke has probably left this planet, or even left this universe."
"In the fifth century BC, Democritus proposed the concept of 'countless worlds', believing that the world is formed by the movement of atoms."
"Later, the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus said that 'the world has plurality'."
"Leibniz affirms and adds to this view."
"If all this is true, then Luke may have been taken away to the parallel world due to some force majeure."
"I really want to bring him back. But unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any partner who can communicate with Quantum Mechanics normally and study parallel time and space travel."
"They either thought I was crazy or thought I was on drugs - it is worth mentioning that there was a young man named Henry-Jonathan-Pym. He wrote several interesting papers and provided me with some sparks of inspiration."
"I can only place my hope on Tesseract, but this road is also blocked. The military is considering confiscating that thing in the name of 'containing dangerous goods' and 'returning government property'."
"I don't know what to do anymore. Black Hand is hiding behind White House, forcing me and S.H.I.E.L.D. into a corner."
"Hellfire Club can't help either. White House has a close relationship with Essex Corporation - it's a newly emerged biogenetic company."
"The situation of Mutants is not optimistic. They have become animals in a cage again. Radicals and moderates are arguing so much that they have become tools to be used... It is really a mess."
"I can't imagine how Luke handled these tasks when he was still here."
"At the same time, you can also take some free time to engage in some recreational activities that promote physical and mental health."
"I think it is necessary for me to learn this practical skill of time management."
"..."
After writing at my desk for a while, Howard closed the thick personal diary.
This is a habit that has been developed in recent times. Sooner or later White House will start to attack S.H.I.E.L.D. and himself.
No matter the outcome, he had to leave something behind.
Tell others, tell...Superman who doesn't know when he will come back.
"Why didn't I realize before that guy Luke is so important?"
Howard raised his head, drank the last sip of whiskey, and then stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window for a few minutes.
Realizing that the night was getting late, he left his desk, took his suit off the hanger, and took out his car keys.
While making a clattering sound, I took the elevator to the underground garage.
At this time, most of the staff at S.H.I.E.L.D. had already gotten off work.
In the underground garage, only the footsteps of Howard and the gentle hum of a tune echoed.
"I hate working and working overtime."
He sighed and got into the car.
Insert the key and start the ignition.
The newly purchased Ford automobile drove out of the garage and sped towards the high-end hotel Washington D.C..
"Target appears."
A cold gaze stared at Howard, who was driving alone.
Then, the roar of an engine sounded.
The car parked on the roadside followed quietly.
Like a hunter, stalking his prey.
"Kill Howard."
The order came from the miniature headset.
"Roger that."
the man replied.
He glanced at the Ford automobile driving in front, turned the steering wheel and climbed onto the viaduct, preparing to take a shortcut to block the other party.
Step on the accelerator and it's a smooth ride.
"Jarvis, what's the matter? Claiming to be my friend? In the afternoon? I don't remember..."
Howard was holding the steering wheel while answering the phone.
Fortunately, he didn't know a guy named Strange, otherwise he would definitely know that he was driving irregularly and he might pay a heavy price.
"Wait! Damn Fake!"
Howard, who answered the phone, suddenly saw a car rushing out of the sky.
The tires scraped against the ground, making a screeching sound, blocking the center of the road.
He was so frightened that he quickly slowed down and braked, slamming his whole body against the steering wheel.
Before Howard could curse, a black figure that perfectly blended into the night opened the door and walked out.
He was holding a PPSh submachine gun in his hand. He skipped the cliché step of saying harsh words and explaining his purpose, and opened fire directly.
Ta-ta! Ta-ta-ta!
The bullet-proof window glass suddenly cracked with spiderweb-like lines.
The dense bullets almost turned the car into a hornet's nest.
After nearly two minutes of violent shooting, the killer threw away the submachine gun with two empty magazines and walked straight in front of Ford automobile.
He raised his hand and pulled open the bulletproof car door full of bullet holes, like tearing off a fragile piece of tissue paper.
Such power is simply inhuman!
It's just——
Before he could confirm the target's situation, a heavy Iron Fist came towards him!
Boom!
The exoskeleton robotic arm suddenly tightened like a compression spring and then blasted out.
The terrifying force was enough to penetrate the steel plate and hit the killer on the chest.
Click!
Without any suspense, the killer was knocked out and hit the stone pier of the viaduct.
The man's sternum was collapsed and he was spitting out blood.
The body lying on the ground twitched twice and then became silent.
"Haha, do you really think that sending some miscellaneous fish over here will solve me?"
Howard, wearing a portable exoskeleton armor, squeezed out of the car door and smiled proudly.
ps: Yes, there is.