Although there had been no useful discoveries lately, and the Skrulls seemed non-existent, leaving no traces, Howard maintained his daily work routine, going to S.H.I.E.L.D. on time to avoid raising suspicion.
If he suddenly changed his behavioral patterns, it might arouse the suspicion of the lurking Skrulls.
Maria looked at her husband with some concern: "You're going out so late? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"There are some documents that need my signature." Howard made an excuse, his tone gentle, "I'll be back soon, don't worry."
He picked up his cane, ready to leave.
But just then, Mavuika stopped him.
"Wait a moment, Howard."
Mavuika stood up from the sofa and walked over to Howard.
Her expression became more serious, and those amber eyes looked exceptionally deep under the living room lights.
Howard stopped and looked at her, somewhat puzzled.
Mavuika didn't speak immediately; instead, she raised her right hand, palm facing upward.
The next second, a point of golden-red light lit up in her palm, warm and not blinding, like a miniature Sun.
The light gradually condensed and compressed, turning from the initial point of light into a ball of leaping Fire, and then solidifying from Fire into substance.
A few seconds later, a thumb-sized crystal appeared in Mavuika's palm.
The crystal was a perfect hexagonal prism shape, transparent throughout, but inside flowed a golden-red halo, as if liquid Fire was slowly rotating within it.
It emitted a warm light, but it was not scorching.
"Take this with you." Mavuika handed the crystal to Howard, her voice calm and solemn.
"If you encounter any accidents, just crush it, and I will sense it."
Howard was stunned for a moment. He looked down at the crystal, feeling the energy contained within it. It was not any form of energy on Earth; it was pure power belonging to a deity.
In his eyes, the crystal seemed like a small Sun, and as the light flowed, countless tiny runes seemed to flicker within it.
"This is..." Howard's voice was a bit dry.
"A crystal formed by my Fire," Mavuika explained, her tone as relaxed as if she were introducing a small gift.
"It has a wisp of my power sealed inside. Once the crystal is crushed, no matter where you are, I can immediately sense your location and status."
She paused and added: "Of course, I hope you won't need to use it, but just in case."
This was an amulet Mavuika gave to Howard to ensure his safety.
After all, Howard was now facing Skrulls who could perfectly disguise themselves and lurk in the shadows.
No one knew if they would notice Howard's investigation or if they would take action.
Howard looked at the warm crystal in his palm, his eyes full of gratitude.
"Thank you!" Howard said solemnly, tucking the crystal into his inner jacket pocket and pressing it firmly.
The crystal felt warm to the touch, like a piece of jade warmed by the Sun.
"I will keep it safe."
Howard gave Maria a few more instructions, then turned and left, driving towards S.H.I.E.L.D.
In the following days, time flowed like a calm river, peaceful on the surface, but with unknown undercurrents hidden deep within.
Howard maintained his daily work rhythm as usual. Every morning, he dressed neatly, ate breakfast, and drove to S.H.I.E.L.D.
In those magnificent and cold buildings, he reviewed documents, attended meetings, and discussed project progress with his colleagues; everything was the same as usual.
But only he knew that his seemingly focused eyes were observing at all times.
Every figure passing by his office door, every face greeting him in the hallway, every researcher participating in the meeting—Howard was silently evaluating them in his heart.
Could this person be a disguised Skrull? Did that tiny abnormal movement mean something?
However, the Skrulls seemed determined to lie low. Two full weeks passed, and Howard found no suspicious signs.
The details that had once made him suspicious all returned to normal under his deliberate observation.
It was as if the previous abnormalities were just his imagination, or perhaps the Skrull Agents had received a warning and become more cautious.
The interior of S.H.I.E.L.D. was terrifyingly calm; the data on the Tesseract was normal, security records were flawless, and there wasn't even any discussion of "abnormalities" in the Base's gossip.
This perfection itself was an abnormality, but Howard could find no evidence.
Instead, the Skrull locked in his house became a trouble Howard had to deal with.
The green-skinned prisoner was locked in a reinforced storage room, with Maria delivering Water and food at regular intervals every day.
Of course, this was done through a special delivery slot to avoid direct contact. Howard had tried interrogating him several times, but the other party either remained silent or looked at him coldly with those yellow eyes without saying a word.
"How long do we have to keep him?" One evening, Maria asked softly while tidying up the tableware: "This is not a long-term solution."
Howard sighed. His wife was right; an alien prisoner hidden in the house was like a ticking time bomb.
But they couldn't hand him over to S.H.I.E.L.D.; who knew how many Skrull accomplices were there? They couldn't let him go either, as that would alert the enemy.
"Wait a little longer..." Howard said, his voice laced with exhaustion: "Until we find other clues..."
However, clues were slow to come, the investigation reached a stalemate, and Howard's life fell into a strange calm.
Working by the book every day, coming home, eating, discussing progress with Mavuika, and then repeating it the next day.
But at the same time, the lives of Mavuika and Tony were much richer.
Having regained the Flamestrider, how could Mavuika resist going for a ride?
On the first day, she just drove around the country roads near the Villa to familiarize herself with the vehicle's performance. On the second day, her activity range expanded to nearby towns.
By the third day, she had already ridden to a lakeside two hundred kilometers away and back in just one morning.
By the fourth day, when Howard went out in the morning, he saw Mavuika checking the vehicle, looking like she was preparing for a long trip.
"Are you..." Howard asked hesitantly.
"Going to check out the north," Mavuika said excitedly, holding a map she found in Howard's study.
"I heard there's a beautiful mountain road there with many curves and few cars."
Howard opened his mouth, wanting to remind her to be safe, but thinking of Mavuika's identity and abilities, he swallowed the words back.
Finally, he just nodded: "Be careful on the road."
"Don't worry." Mavuika put on her helmet, and the engine let out a joyful roar.