The Death Knell

"Are you sure you don't want me to send someone to arrest her? If a nationwide wanted order is issued now, she shouldn't be able to escape the United States easily."

Howard looked at Fury, who was all wrapped in bandages, and asked again.

He plans to send a team to track down Valentina, and even send a notice to the military for their assistance. No one can leave the United States safely after assassinating a senior SHIELD agent.

Fury wanted to shake his head, but Jarvis not only shaved his head quickly, but also bandaged him so well that he couldn't move his neck and could only shake his eyes and speak.

"No, Howard, I can handle it myself. You should launch a purge within SHIELD now. At least everyone who has been in contact with Valentina needs to verify their loyalty."

Howard crossed his arms and lowered his voice involuntarily even at home.

"Do you know that you are the most suspect among the people who have come into contact with her? Not only did you escape death, but you also deliberately let her go. Nick, if you were not my friend and we have gone through so much together, I would definitely doubt you. of."

Fury was unmoved, just looking out the window with a dull gaze, where a little bird was jumping around on the treetops of the courtyard.

Today is like a carnival for them, because a lot of filth hits the streets, attracting all kinds of bugs, and the birds feed on it.

"I am also willing to accept the investigation, but I emphasize that it is not that I let her go, but that I was too injured to fight back."

Howard shrugged and shook his head with a smile: "I guess, since there are no witnesses, I can only listen to what you say, right? But if she escapes from the United States, it will be difficult for us to find her."

"I know a man, there is nothing in this world that he cannot do, and I will ask him for help..."

Fury's voice became deeper, and he could not imagine the price he would pay.

"Oh ho ho ho, ha ha ha ha!" Howard laughed, raised his hand to smooth his hair, and winked coquettishly at Fury, who had just shaved his head: "Oh, even though he is really everything. It can be done, but it’s embarrassing for you to say it to your face like this..."

Fury withdrew his gaze from the window and remained silent, looking at Howard as if he was mentally retarded, until his laughter became weaker and weaker, and finally he snorted twice like a pig's braying.

"Okay, I know the person you are talking about is Deathstroke, but that person... may not help you. Even if he does, he will knock your bones and suck out your marrow. He is really a devil."

Howard sighed, he was not very optimistic about Fury's idea.

After all, when it comes to close relationships, Steve and Slade are the closest, but in the end, even he suffered a mental breakdown due to the fake death.

The comics were no longer drawn, the girlfriend was gone, and Captain America’s uniform and vibranium shield were all thrown away. Steve, who seemed to be hopeless, just followed Bucky and was never heard from again.

As an old friend, Howard didn't even know whether Steve and the others were dead or alive. Former Director Peggy was looking for them outside alone, which was also a very dangerous situation.

Sometimes Howard really wanted to reveal Deathstroke's true identity, but when he thought about his wife and children, and that Deathstroke always had a plan, he gave up.

He could only give up this dangerous idea and remind Fury by insinuations.

After saying this, Fury was reminded of something: "By the way, back then, Deathstroke rushed into the SSR and kidnapped Dr. Erskine. He once left you and some people his business card, which had a contact Right? Give me yours."

"Calm down. You're in a bad state now. Let's think about it after the injury heals." Howard touched the wallet in his arms and shook his head.

Fury closed his eyes: "When you find out that your wife is a member of an enemy organization, and she wants to kill you, and you are shot seven times and you are not dead in a car accident, you will find that you are extremely calm. Now...I know what I'm doing."

Just when Howard was still about to argue, the sound of a child squealing suddenly came from the corridor outside the door.

"Daddy, where are you?"

"Hide quickly!"

Howard suppressed his voice and said urgently. He lifted Fury up from the bed in one fell swoop, his head looking around like a meerkat on the African grassland, looking for where to hide the wounded in the room.

"What are you doing?" Fury also lowered his voice, but Jarvis gave him an anesthetic when he took the bullet, and now his body doesn't obey at all.

"It's Tony. I don't want him to know about SHIELD. He's still a child. How can I explain you if you are seen like this?" Howard wanted to stuff Fury under the bed, but there was no one in the room. The bed was a custom-made luxury model, and there was no space between the bed board and the floor for a large black man.

"You also said that he was just a child. Just lie to him. Just say that I was a gardener who was injured in an accident." Fury said helplessly.

Howard became nervous for some reason, and his mustache curled up: "It depends on whose child it is. My son, Howard, is an out-and-out genius. How can he be so easily deceived? He can recognize gunshot wounds. .”

"Is that worth being happy about now?" Fury said expressionlessly.

"Tsk, that's true." Howard was brought back to reality, and the footsteps in the corridor outside the door became increasingly clear.

He was a little panicked, but at this moment, an idea suddenly flashed in the mind of the strongest scientist!

Howard took out a folding knife from his pocket, pounced on Fury's sheets and worked frantically. He cut out strips of white cloth, and then frantically wrapped them around Fury's face.

"Cross your hands on your chest and stand against the wall."

He completely wrapped Fury's face and stood him in the corner. At this time, the door just opened and the little Tony walked in.

"So you are here, Dad, look what I invented?"

He raised his hand, holding a small robotic mouse. This thing was made very realistically, with a sinister look on its face.

Howard put one hand on his hips and the other on his head, supporting himself on the wall with his elbows to block Fury behind him, with a stiff smile on his face.

"Oh? What did my good son invent?"

"This is a remote-controlled mouse. I can use the remote control to control it to move through the poop pile and the sewer. I also installed anti-skid tracks and a camera on it so that we can know what happened in the sewer this morning... ..."

When it comes to inventions, Tony doesn't act like a five or six-year-old child at all. He has clear logic and clear goals, and the remote-controlled mouse is indeed very creative.

But halfway through his words, his little eyes saw something that seemed to be hidden behind his father, which seemed suspicious.

"stare......"

Howard took the mechanical mouse and smiled awkwardly, trying to get his son's attention: "Ahem, have you ever done experiments on this mouse? I mean, shouldn't you put it in the sewer for a run?"

"What's behind you, Dad?"

Tony was not fooled at all. As he spoke, he wanted to go around Howard's thigh and take a closer look at the mysterious object.

Only then did Howard think of the correct solution. He should have taken the initiative to welcome Tony out of the room, take Tony away, and lock Fury in this room alone!

It's a pity that he cared too much about Tony, and when it came to this child, he was a little confused. He only thought about hiding Fury, and made the wrong decision in a panic.

"It turns out to be a mummy..." Tony had already bypassed Howard at this time, supported his chin with his small hand and commented on Fury, who was tightly bandaged: "This messy wrapping style is the new Egyptian style. A product of the late dynasty?"

"Uh... Probably, I don't know for sure." Howard wiped the sweat from his head. Fortunately, his disguise for Fury was effective, and the king of agents is also good at holding his breath.

Tony glanced at Howard with disdain. His father was worse than himself. He didn't understand any history at all, huh.

But he rolled his eyes, as if he understood something, and let out a sinister laugh, so that's it...

"It seems that your mother didn't let you bring the dead body home to play with, but you still secretly brought this mummy back, right? Don't worry, dad, I'm not a three or four-year-old kid anymore. If you can promise me On one condition, I won’t tell my mother about this.”

Howard was originally a businessman, Maria's family was also a businessman, and Tony didn't know when he learned to negotiate terms.

"what do you want?"

Howard felt a black and yellow figure flashing through his mind. He quickly shook his head to drive the delusion out of his mind, and asked Tony with a smile.

"I saw a record in your laboratory. You invented a device called a nuclear reactor in the past. The principle is that the fission of atoms produces energy. Can you give me that to play with? I want to shrink it and put it in my In the mouse.”

Tony immediately made his request. He wanted the nuclear reactor developed by Howard and even wanted to miniaturize it.

Sometimes, it is not good for children to love studying too much, such as now.

If you were like other children, you would have a bicycle or a Lego set. If you can't take it to Wilson's Fast Food to eat some junk food, you can just get a free Captain America toy.

What's wrong with playing with nuclear energy?

"No! That kind of thing is too dangerous and is not something you can touch. Find something else. Hey, do you want a bicycle or a tree house? Or a football signed by the All-Stars?"

Howard immediately refused. What a joke. Fortunately, the actual reactor was not in the basement. Otherwise, he and Maria would not know when they sat on the mushroom cloud together.

Tony is simply extremely smart. We can't let him hang around at home all the time. We need to send him to school as soon as possible. Maybe he will have more contact with peers, and he will find his childlike side.

"But that's all I want, Dad." Tony looked up at Howard with watery eyes, like an abandoned puppy.

Feeling that Fury began to shake behind him, Howard thought that he could not drag it on any longer, otherwise he might be betrayed. He immediately grimaced: "If you say no, you can't. Go back to your own laboratory, Mr. Stark. "

Tony kicked his shoes angrily: "If you don't give it, I won't give it to you. I'll make it myself! I hate you the most, stinky daddy!"

After saying that, he ran away quickly and slammed the door to express his dissatisfaction.

Howard sighed helplessly, but was still determined not to let Tony come into contact with things in the dark world. Just let Tony be a rich second generation, especially if Deathstroke cannot discover his value.