"Too easy." He shook his head and placed the sports car down steadily.
"Jarvis, calculation results."
"Based on the degree of muscle contraction and energy output power from your exertion just now, Sir, your current baseline strength is approximately 45 tons. Furthermore, the data model shows that your cells are continuously absorbing and converting light energy. Your strength continues to increase at a very slow but steady rate."
"Tens of tons? Not bad, at least taking down a small villain shouldn't be a problem." Henry flexed his wrist. "What about defense? Test it with conventional weapons."
A few minutes later, looking at the footage on the screen of his skin showing no signs of even a white mark after being attacked by bullets and small explosive devices, Henry was completely relieved.
"Excellent. Impervious to bullets and RPGs. That's enough for now."
He now needed a piece of equipment, an Armor that could match his current abilities.
"Jarvis, pull up all the data on Kryptonian technology. Focus on their battlesuits."
Henry sat in front of the control console, and countless data and images flashed rapidly in the air. His memory from his past life, combined with his current high IQ, allowed him to process this information quickly. Soon, he paused on the image of Faora, General Zod's female deputy in the movie Man of Steel.
"That's the one." Henry pointed to the streamlined, powerful-looking black battlesuit on Faora. "This aesthetic is much better than Tony's red-and-gold iron can. But the details need to be modified."
He started designing on the holographic model. "First, seal all exposed gaps. I want full coverage. Making it look like lingerie worn on the outside is just ridiculous."
"Second, use our newly developed composite titanium alloy for the material, and add a layer of energy-absorbing buffer gel to the inner layer."
"The most important point: no face obstruction. If a face as handsome as mine is covered by a helmet, it's a sheer waste of God's gift."
"The colour should be the purest matte black. Remember, it needs to be cool, sleek, and look like it's expensive and incredibly powerful!"
He was like the most fastidious artist, constantly modifying and refining the design blueprint. Time unknowingly slipped away as Henry devoted himself entirely to the Armor's manufacturing.
The lab door quietly slid open, and Pepper walked in with a cup of coffee.
"Henry, I knew I'd find you here." Her face carried a hint of fatigue, but her eyes were bright.
"How did it go, Pepper?" Henry manipulated the mechanical arm for the final assembly of the Armor without looking up.
"We got the evidence." Pepper placed a data disc on the control console.
Happy did well. He found a secret account in a Swiss bank belonging to Obadiah, containing a huge sum of money that flowed to an arms dealer linked to the Ten Rings. That's enough to ensure he enjoys his golden years in prison."
"Excellent work," Henry praised.
"Also," Pepper continued. "The military found Tony's bombed-out military vehicle in the Kunar province of Afghanistan, along with the suitcase. It was intact. Those people couldn't open it because they didn't have Tony's biometric authorization."
"I knew that idiot would mess things up." Henry stopped what he was doing and turned around. "But it's good that the thing wasn't lost. When I get back, everything will be back on track."
"Get back? Where are you going?" Pepper keenly caught the emphasis in his words.
"Of course, I'm going to bring our wayward family head back." Henry pointed to the black Armor that was beginning to take shape behind him. "And test out my new toy while I'm at it."
"You're going to Afghanistan? Alone?" Pepper's expression instantly changed. "Henry, that's too dangerous! You don't even know where he is, and you're relying on this iron shell?"
"I'm not relying on it, of course." Henry smiled. He walked over to a special alloy plate used for material strength testing, which was ten centimeters thick. Then, to Pepper's shock, he reached out his right hand and effortlessly crumpled the hard alloy plate into a twisted pretzel, like it was a piece of dough.
Pepper covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief. Oh my God! What did I just see? He bent that alloy plate? With his bare hands? How is that possible! Is he even human?
"You... Henry... you..." she stammered, unable to complete a single sentence.
"Surprised?" Henry tossed the metal pretzel aside, clapped his hands, and casually joked. "Don't be so dramatic. I just happened to participate in a Hydra-sponsored super-soldier development program during my kidnapping, and I accidentally succeeded. Honestly, their service attitude was terrible, but the product effect is pretty good."
It took Pepper several minutes to reluctantly process this astonishing fact. She looked at Henry, her eyes complex—shock, worry, but also a hint of heartache. She had always treated Henry like a younger brother. She couldn't imagine what Henry had gone through to become the way he was now.
"Listen, Pepper." Henry dropped the joking expression and looked at her seriously. "Don't tell anyone about this, except for you and me. Keep the evidence on Obadiah safe and don't make any rash moves. Once I bring Tony back, we'll give him a huge surprise."
"I understand." Pepper nodded heavily. "Please be careful."
"Don't worry." Henry's confident smile returned. "The person who can hurt me in this world has yet to appear."
After Pepper left, Henry threw himself back into his work. After several more hours of meticulous refinement and debugging, a perfect suit of Armor was finally presented before him.
It was a deep matte black all over, and its streamlined design was full of power and beauty. The Armor surface was covered in fine, dense plates, like dragon scales. The Armor's lines outlined perfect muscle contours on the chest and limbs, making it look less like a cold weapon and more like a work of art from the future. Most uniquely, it had no helmet, fully exposing the wearer's face.
Henry walked up to it, and the Armor automatically sensed him, splitting open in the middle. He stepped in, and the plates quickly closed, perfectly fitting his body without the slightest bulkiness. He moved his body and felt as if he was wearing a second skin.
"Jarvis, status report."
"All Armor systems are running normally and perfectly synchronized with your biological vital signs, Sir. Suggested name: Emissary of God Armor."
"Emissary of God? Too melodramatic." Henry complained. "Let's call it the Black God Armor. Simple, direct, and sounds cool."
He didn't make a grand entrance by crashing through the ceiling like Tony would. He didn't have a habit of destroying his own home. Picking up Tony's Mark II suitcase, he walked out of the lab in his incredibly stylish black Armor and took the elevator up to the villa's second-floor viewing balcony.
The night was deep, the sea breeze was cool, and the stars were bright. Henry stood at the edge of the balcony, looking down at the rolling Pacific Ocean. He turned his head and glanced at his brightly lit home.
"Tony, wait for me. Your brother is coming to take you home."
As he finished speaking, he slowly levitated.
The next second:
BANG!
A white blast of air exploded behind him. His figure turned into a black afterimage and disappeared from the balcony. He then silently sliced through the night sky, speeding towards the distant east, to the war-torn desert.