At ten in the morning, Henry stepped out of Helen Cho's apartment building, dressed in a fresh, casual outfit.
The bright California sunshine bathed him, making him radiate satisfaction.
He glanced up at Helen's window, smiled faintly, then bent his knees slightly—ignoring whether anyone was watching.
Boom!!
With a sonic boom, his body shot upward like a cannonball, piercing the sky.
His bio-field had grown strong enough that such shockwaves shouldn't happen anymore, but Henry didn't bother doing it.
Don't ask why. The answer was simple: it looked cool.
High above, beneath the endless blue sky, Henry soared like an eagle freed from all restraints.
He stretched his arms wide, relishing the icy, pure currents of air brushing across his face.
The city below shrank, becoming small and distant.
That feeling—like having the entire world beneath his feet—filled him with a deep sense of freedom.
He considered his next move.
So… what now? Head back to Malibu, to that home filled with high-tech gear and bikini-clad beauties?
Last night, Jarvis had already told him that Wakanda had rejected his request for a meeting.
But that wasn't something he intended to handle personally. Better to send Tony to do the legwork.
"Go back for what?" he thought, lips curling in disdain.
"To listen to Tony nitpick my blueprints, using his outdated mechanical engineering theories to criticize the genius ideas of a biology PhD? Or to watch him in the lab, playing with his new toy body like an overexcited kid, flaunting his 'American ass 2.0' for hours on end?"
Just imagining it gave Henry a headache.
"Too boring."
Sure, sparring with Tony in debates could be fun—but right now, Henry had bigger priorities.
He hovered high above the earth, closed his eyes, and felt the sunlight warming his skin.
Gentle, soothing—like faint streams of energy seeping into his body.
But it wasn't enough.
No, not nearly enough.
Instead of fretting over trivial matters, why not soak up the sun? Recharge now, deal with everything else later.
"This feels like drinking sugar-free soda," he critiqued.
"Or eating fat-free cheese. Not bad, but… missing something. Earth's atmosphere filters the sunlight so much, it's like a nutrient solution diluted a hundred times. Way too weak."
He needed more energy.
He tilted his head, gazing at the cosmos that felt almost within reach.
A familiar thought resurfaced.
"Maybe… I should change locations."
Once the idea appeared, it wouldn't leave.
Yes. As a walking solar-powered battery, why not charge at the source? Pure, undiluted, one-hundred-percent natural energy, free of charge.
He'd done it before, and the results were incredible.
"Hey, Jarvis," he said lazily.
"Always here, sir," came Jarvis's calm voice through his earpiece.
"Let Tony know I'm heading out. Tell him I'm off to space for a sunbath—recharging my batteries. And make sure he doesn't turn my lab into his closet or raid my fridge while I'm gone. Otherwise, when I get back, I'll throw him in the cradle and let him experience 'second puberty' firsthand."
"Understood, sir."
"Oh, and another thing." Henry paused, then smirked.
"Remind him to put that 'Iron Man charm' of his to use. Work some deals, see if he can buy us what we need. With his fame, people should be lining up to give him face. If he's too busy partying, or just screws it up, I'll handle it myself once I'm back. And remind him—don't mess it up. I'm not wearing a battle suit made out of frying-pan scrap metal."
"Of course, sir. I'll deliver your words exactly as spoken." Jarvis's voice remained perfectly composed.
"Additionally, shall I record detailed biometrics as you absorb high-intensity solar radiation?"
"Do it. I want to know if a few hours of deep-space tanning can make me lift even more."
Without another word, Henry turned into a streak of black light, streaking toward the vastness of space.
Breaking through the atmosphere was… exhilarating.
Like a sports car suddenly bursting through a thin water curtain.
One moment, his ears roared with the shriek of tearing air.
The next, silence. Absolute, endless silence.
His speed slowed, and he drifted quietly like a submarine leaving the harbor, gliding into the infinite sea of space.
Turning, he looked back at the immense, glowing blue planet behind him.
"I've got to say, Jarvis," he murmured into the void.
"This view… is sexier than any Victoria's Secret angel I've ever seen."
"Sir, according to aesthetic analysis, the scenery indeed scores maximum ratings for magnificence and grandeur," Jarvis's even tone carried clearly through the comms.
"However… describing a planet as 'sexy' may not be entirely appropriate."
"Oh? Really?" Henry raised a brow.
"Then what—majestic? solemn? Please. You just don't get art. Look at those cloud curves, those ocean arcs, the contours of the continents… That's the most perfect figure the Mother of the Universe could sculpt. Life, strength, radiant motherhood."
He spread his arms, drifting toward the glowing blue orb.
The invisible bio-field around his body flawlessly shielded him from the cold and the vacuum.
He could even breathe, even speak, in the emptiness of space.
"Feels good," he nodded with satisfaction.
"Looks like this Superman isn't a knockoff after all."
He picked a spot, not too close and not too far from Earth—perfect for basking in pure sunlight.
And then, closing his eyes, he surrendered himself entirely to the golden glow.
***
Chapter 66 is an author note in raw so I'm skipping it.
***
Here's the bonus
Next goal is 150 stones
We can make it guys
If you're interested and wish to support me, you can read advanced chapters:
p-atreon.com/Redestro666