Henry flew much more leisurely on his way back to his Malibu beach villa.
He began to enjoy the sensation of freedom, even performing various complex rolls and dives in the air.
"Hey, this feels pretty good!"
He was like a child with a new toy.
"It's much cooler than Tony's tin cans. It's just a bit exhausting, and I'm starting to feel hungry again."
An hour later, at the top floor of Stark Industries headquarters, in the chairman's office, Happy paced back and forth anxiously. His arm was still wrapped in thick bandages, and the guilt and worry on his face almost overflowed.
Pepper stood in front of the towering floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking New York City's streets, but her eyes were unfocused.
Suddenly, the elevator dinged open. Henry strode in, wearing an obviously ill-fitting Armani suit. The two people in the office turned their heads simultaneously.
"Mr. Henry!" Happy rushed over, eyes shining with excitement.
"I'm so glad you're okay! I… I couldn't protect you that day."
"It's not your fault, Happy," Henry said, patting his broad shoulder reassuringly.
"You guys came prepared. You did your best."
He walked past Happy and headed straight for the bar, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and drained it in one gulp.
"Huh! This tastes just right." He let out a long sigh, then turned to Pepper.
"Pepper, do I look thinner? Those bastards didn't even give us food. That's inhumane."
Pepper looked at him. Even though Henry still had his cynical expression, she could see a hint of fatigue deep in his eyes.
She couldn't imagine what the young master of the Stark family had endured.
"Welcome back, Henry," her voice was a little hoarse.
"We were all worried about you. And Tony… he…"
"It's okay. Listen to me," Henry interrupted her, walking to the main seat. He sat down unceremoniously, kicked his feet up on the expensive desk.
"I believe these two things are not coincidental."
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Pepper and Happy, dropping all playful expressions.
"After I was captured, the person interrogating me knew all the secrets of Stark Industries' weapons—some details that Tony and I only discuss in the lab. And the organization behind my kidnapping was Hydra."
"Hydra?!" Pepper and Happy exclaimed simultaneously.
They all knew Hydra, the organization only seen in archives, supposedly destroyed by Captain America.
"That's right. And someone with access to Stark Industries' core secrets, and capable of connecting with Hydra…" Henry's voice grew meaningful, eyes narrow.
"There aren't many in the company who can do that."
Pepper's face turned pale instantly. A name that she had refused to believe surfaced in her mind.
"You mean, Mr. Obadiah?"
"Who else could it be?" Henry chuckled.
"That uncle who's been watching us grow up. I suspect he's the mastermind behind the attacks on Tony and me. His goal is clear: eliminate us, then take over Stark Industries."
"This bastard" Happy slammed his fist on the table, furious.
"Calm down, Happy," Henry waved his hand.
"Before Tony returns, we need solid evidence, something that'll make him stay in place and not spin his wheels. Not just a charge of assault to land you in jail."
Henry's tone turned serious.
"This bastard's fate was sealed the moment I started suspecting him. I'm not dealing with him now because I have other things to do."
He looked at Pepper. His voice was sharp.
"Pepper, I need you to use all your authority, investigate Obadiah's recent financial transactions and communication records secretly. Focus on shell companies under his name and any clues related to the Middle East. Happy, work with Pepper and dig up all the dirt on Obadiah over the years, but do it in secret—no one can find out."
"Understood," Pepper and Happy nodded firmly, their eyes determined.
"Very good," Henry stood up and stretched.
"I'll leave the paperwork to you. I have to go home and prepare some big plans. After all, I need to find our runaway patriarch."
He turned toward the elevator, and just before the doors closed, he looked back and warned, "Keep a close eye on the company. If Obadiah returns early, hold him back and don't let him suspect anything."
Henry drove the Ferrari as fast as possible to a secluded suburb, then abandoned the car and flew into the sky, heading toward Malibu.
He wouldn't let anyone know he was a superhuman right now. The stock would be more valuable if only one Stark returned.
Soon, the white villa perched on the cliff came into view, and Henry's mood brightened.
Home. He was back.
He softly landed at the underground laboratory entrance, avoiding alarms.
After passing fingerprint and iris scans, the heavy alloy door slid open slowly.
The lab was just as he left it—futuristic, filled with holographic projections and precision instruments.
"Jarvis, are you there?" he called softly.
"Always here, sir," a gentle male voice with a British accent responded.
"Welcome back, Mr. Henry. I've detected significant changes in your physiological data. Do you want a full body scan?"
"Of course. Show me the data." Henry took off his ill-fitting Armani suit and walked toward the testing area.
"Also, help me test my current strength limits."
Soon, a large holographic screen displayed Henry's vital signs—most indicators far beyond ordinary levels, with green arrows indicating levels of incredible magnitude.
"Cell activity is 28 times that of an average person, metabolism 35 times, and bone density..."
Henry nodded with satisfaction.
"It looks like those Hydra guys aren't entirely useless. This superhuman serum is incredibly effective. I just need to watch out for side effects, if there are any."
He headed to the strength testing area, where a limited-edition Bugatti Veyron from Tony's collection sat.
"It's you." Henry took a deep breath, grabbed the front of the car with both hands, and lifted it effortlessly—like lifting a foam model.
He lifted the nearly two-ton sports car above his head with ease, demonstrating his newfound strength.