Earth - 1024.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
The high-rise buildings standing on the Potomac River, the lights dimmed one by one, and only a few high-rise offices were still on.
Howard leaned on the desk, struggling to write something.
"This is the eighth month of Superman's disappearance. My friend, the Pentagon's Lieutenant General, the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D... has disappeared, disappeared from this planet -- I don't think Luke is dead, although rumors like this are rampant, and there's a growing trend."
"I also know who's behind it, pushing it all forward."
"Just two months ago, the President read an emotional eulogy in front of the whole world. So far, the military hasn't confirmed the death of Lieutenant General Luke Cavill, but our President couldn't wait to announce the news -- This is really intriguing."
"Although he praised Superman and described Luke as a shining beacon in the human world, he also said that losing the other party wasn't only a great loss to America, but also to this beautiful world."
"The loss of a hero, the fall of a star, the collapse of a lighthouse -- it was really touching."
"I don't think the President was even this sad when his father passed away. Forgive me for using such unkind words, but when I think of that hypocritical face, my appetite would be halved -- that's why I have suffered a lot recently."
"With all due respect, the President's behavior is like a thief who broke into the house and would always be worried about its owner's return. Even if he was sitting in the White House and was the nominal manager of the country, his inner timidity and fear couldn't be completely concealed."
"The situation in the world is changing. Upon learning that Superman was 'missing', the Soviet Union celebrated with vodka in the Kremlin that day! With the Sword of Damocles that hung over their heads and could fall at any time disappearing. I believe those senior officials could finally have a good night's sleep. They didn't have to worry about Superman falling from the sky and hanging them in the 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, the White House had a heated discussion on whether to deploy medium-range missiles, the Thor and Jupiter missiles to Italy and Turkey."
"The peace and harmony ... had long gone with Superman's departure. Only the shadow of nuclear war remained!"
"The atmosphere of terror is spreading. I heard that Castro had asked the Soviet Union for help. The footsteps of World War III seem to be getting closer and closer, and the scale of the doomsday clock is steadily and resolutely pushing forward."
Writing up to this point, Howard's tightly locked brow twisted even deeper.
He sighed, put down his pen, and subconsciously touched his mustache.
He reached for the glass on the table and took a sip of whisky.
In Howard's face, the cynicism of the past was gone, full of worries about the future.
"After Superman left, S.H.I.E.L.D had a hard time. Without a huge organization to rely on and support, it looked like a giant with a limp leg, stumbling and struggling."
"The guy sitting in the White House -- is actively dismembering S.H.I.E.L.D. and limiting its power. Bastards from the FBI and the CIA loved it."
"I'm not sure if I'm being watched. The only people who know the identity of the President so far are probably Nick Fury -- a humorless gloomy-faced agent, and me."
"I've tried everything. Just a week ago, SkyNet launched its first artificial satellite."
"I was smarter than the Soviet rocket experts, whose Sputnik 1 was 11 days behind me."
"But still no sign of Superman's whereabouts. I began to feel certain of my inner suspicions, that Luke had probably left the planet, or even, the universe."
"In the fifth century B.C., Democritus introduced the concept of the 'countless worlds', which was formed by the movement of atoms."
"Later, the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus said that 'the world is pluralistic'."
"Leibniz affirmed and added to this view."
"If this is true, then Luke may have been taken away to a parallel world due to some unavoidable force."
"I really want to bring him back. But unfortunately, I couldn't find any partner who could communicate properly about quantum mechanics and study parallel time travel with me."
"They either think I'm crazy or I'm on drugs. It's worth mentioning that there is a young man named Henry Jonathan Pym, whose papers were very interesting. It gave me some sparks of inspiration."
"I can only put my hopes on the Tesseract. But this path is also blocked, and the military is considering confiscating it in the name of 'taking in dangerous materials' and 'returning it as government property'."
"I don't know what to do. The man behind the curtain in the White House has cornered me and cornered S.H.I.E.L.D."
"The Hellfire Club can't help either, as the White House has close ties to Essex Enterprises -- the latest biogenic company to emerge."
"The situation of the mutants isn't that good, and they have become animals in cages again. Radicals, moderates bickering, becoming tools and used ... What a mess."
"I can't imagine how Luke handled these things when he was still here."
"By the way, he could still spare time for some recreational 'activities'."
"I think I need to learn this practical skill of time management."
"..."
After writing for a while, Howard closed his thick personal diary.
This was a habit he developed recently. Sooner or later, the White House would attack S.H.I.E.L.D and him.
Whatever the outcome, he should leave something behind.
To tell others, tell ... Superman, who no one knew when he would return.
"How come I didn't realize this before? It turns out Luke was that important."
Howard looked up, drank his last sip of whisky, and then stood in front of the French window for a few minutes.
Realizing that it was late at night, he left his desk, took off his suit from the hanger, and took out his car keys.
While flinging it round his finger with a clatter, he took the elevator to the underground garage.
At this time, most of the staff in S.H.I.E.L.D had already left work.
In the underground garage, only the sound of Howard's footsteps and the softly humming tune echoed.
"I hate working and working overtime."
He sighed with emotion and got into the car.
He inserted the key and started the ignition.
The newly bought Ford drove out of the garage and galloped towards the upscale hotel in Washington, D.C...
"The target appeared."
A cold gaze was fixed on Howard, who was driving alone.
And then, there was the roar of an engine.
The car parked on the side of the road quietly followed.
Like a hunter, it was tracking his prey.
"Kill Howard."
An order came from a tiny headset.
"Copy."
The man replied.
He glanced at the Ford driving in front of him and steered onto an overpass, ready to take a shortcut to block the other party.
He stepped on the accelerator, driving faster.
...
...
"Javits, what's up? Claiming to be a friend of mine? In the afternoon? I don't remember..."
Howard answered the phone while holding the steering wheel.
Fortunately, he didn't know a guy named Strange; otherwise, he would definitely know that driving while taking a call could cost him dearly.
"Wait! Motherfuker!"
Howard, who was answering the phone, suddenly saw a car flying out.
The tires scraped against the ground, making an ear-splitting sound, blocking the middle of the road.
He was so frightened that he hastily braked, hitting the steering wheel hard.
Before Howard cursed, a black figure, perfectly blended into the night, pushed open the car door and stepped down.
He was carrying a Poposha submachine gun in his hand and skipped the clichéd part of monologuing and just opened fire.
Da da! Da da da da!
The bulletproof window glass suddenly cracked in a spiderweb-like pattern.
The dense bullet burst and almost turned the car into a hornet's nest.
After nearly 2 minutes of violent shooting, the killer threw away the submachine gun that had emptied two magazines and went straight to the Ford.
He tore open the bulletproof door full of bullet holes with his hand, like tearing off a fragile tissue paper.
Such power was simply inhuman!
It's just that--
Before he could confirm the target, a heavy iron fist came head-on!
Bang!
The exoskeleton mechanical arm, like a compressed spring, tightened violently and then exploded out.
Enough terrible power to break through the steel plate and hit the assassin in the chest.
Crack!
Without a doubt, the assassin was knocked out and crashed into the stone pier of the overpass.
He saw the man's sternum collapse and spitting out blood.
The body that fell to the ground twitched twice and forever silenced.
"Do you really think that the small fry you sent can finish me off?"
Howard, wearing portable exoskeleton armor, squeezed out of the car door and smiled smugly.