Mavuika looked at Howard, then at Bucky, his brow furrowing slightly: "An old friend?"
"Then why did he attack you?"
His gaze carefully scrutinized Bucky; the attacker's eyes were cold and vacant, with a hint of confusion after his mission was obstructed.
Those were not the eyes of a normal human; there was no anger, no fear, no emotional fluctuation, and not even a sign of thought.
It was more like a machine executing commands, a programmed tool.
Howard gave a bitter smile, his expression full of bitterness and confusion: "I don't know either; I even once thought he had long since sacrificed himself in that war."
"In 1944, during the mission to hunt down Red Skull... he fell from the train into a cliff; everyone thought he was dead, and we didn't even find a body."
He paused, his voice dropping lower: "Steve... and we suffered for a long time because of this; we all thought Bucky was a hero who died for his country... I never expected..."
Howard looked up, his eyes becoming a bit more determined, though that determination was laced with pain: "Ms. Marvica, please help me."
"Bucky... he must have been brainwashed and controlled. The Bucky Barnes I knew was someone who would block bullets for his comrades on the battlefield, someone who would disregard his own safety to protect civilians, someone who would... would laugh and drink with us, talking about our dreams after the war."
He stared intently at Bucky: "This isn't him; at least, it's not the real him. I want to save him; please help me take him back."
"Take him back home?" Mavuika asked.
Howard nodded, his expression serious: "Yes. Very few people should have known my route today, but the way Bucky was controlled to attack me was so precise—the time, the location, the method... it all seems meticulously planned."
He took a deep breath and continued: "There must be a problem within the agency, or perhaps it's the work of the Skrulls, who we still have no leads on. If they can infiltrate to this extent..."
Mavuika nodded in understanding.
"No problem," he said.
He turned and walked towards Bucky, his pace calm and steady.
Bucky had been standing in place like a statue, but when Mavuika approached, his vacant eyes suddenly focused, and his body instinctively entered a combat state.
Despite losing an arm, and despite his reason telling him there was no chance of winning, the training and programming were already etched into his marrow.
He took a half-step back, crouched slightly, and held his right fist in front of him in a standard frontline combat stance.
His vigilant gaze locked onto Mavuika, like a cheetah staring at a powerful predator.
But in the next instant, Mavuika's figure blurred in the moonlight.
Then, he was already behind Bucky, moving so fast that only an afterimage remained.
Bucky couldn't react in time. His combat nerves had been pushed to the limit, with a reaction speed more than three times that of a normal soldier, but in front of Mavuika, such enhancement was as laughable as a toddler's stumbling.
Mavuika raised his hand, his palm landing gently on the back of Bucky's neck.
Bucky didn't even have time to turn his head before his eyes lost focus, his body went limp, and he collapsed forward.
Mavuika reached out to steady him and placed him gently on the ground.
The whole process was silent; not even a sound was made.
Howard struggled to stand up, walked over to the car, opened the deformed door, and carefully retrieved five sealed test tubes hidden in the compartment.
Inside were those Super Soldier Serum samples. He gripped the test tubes tightly in his hand, and only after confirming they were intact did he breathe a sigh of relief.
Maria also took her handbag and some important documents from the car. The two of them packed up briefly and returned to Mavuika's side.
In the distance, the sound of sirens drew closer, and flashing police lights could already be seen appearing at the end of the road.
"I'll take you back," Mavuika said, supporting Howard with one hand and Maria with the other.
Then he looked at Bucky on the ground, and a golden-red band of light shot from his fingertips, wrapping around Bucky and gently lifting him, suspending him in mid-air.
The next second, flames rose from beneath Mavuika's feet.
The golden-red flames gently enveloped the four of them, slowly rising into the air, leaving the ground, accelerating, and then turning into a meteor that streaked across the night sky, flying towards New York City.
...
In the Villa, Tony was restless, pacing back and forth anxiously with his brow furrowed, his phone gripped tightly in his hand.
From the moment Mavuika turned into flames and flew away, he knew something had happened. He first tried to contact his parents, but the calls went unanswered.
Then he immediately drove to the Villa. The living room lights were still on, and Tony paced back and forth in the room like a trapped Beast.
His brain was racing, analyzing various possibilities.
He walked to the window, watching the pitch-black night outside, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the window frame.
Just as he was about to go out to search again, a light appeared in the night sky.
At first, it was just a speck of light in the distance, like an especially bright star.
But the speck of light was rapidly approaching, getting larger and brighter, until finally, he could see it was a ball of golden-red flames, flying towards the Villa at an astonishing speed.
Tony held his breath, staring at the flames without blinking.
It streaked across the night sky, slowed down over the Villa, and then slowly landed on the front lawn.
The flames dissipated, revealing the four figures inside.
Mavuika stood in the middle, his golden-red long hair fluttering in the night wind, with tiny sparks still lingering on his body.
His left and right hands were supporting Howard and Maria respectively. Although the two looked a bit disheveled—clothes torn, abrasions on their faces—their spirits seemed fine.
And behind him, a band of light carried an unconscious man, placing him gently on the lawn.
Tony immediately rushed out of the Villa and ran to his parents, looking them over.
His eyes were filled with obvious tension and worry.
Howard looked at his son, stunned: "Tony? Why are you here?"
His gaze glanced involuntarily at Mavuika. He had never told Tony about Mavuika's true identity, nor was he sure if Mavuika would mind others knowing.
Tony didn't answer immediately but carefully checked his parents' condition.
Howard had a scabbed wound on his forehead and bloodstains on his clothes, but he was standing steadily. Maria's left arm was fixed with a makeshift bandage, and she had a few abrasions on her face, but her spirit seemed fine.
After confirming his parents were not in life-threatening danger, Tony's tension eased slightly.
He straightened up, crossed his arms, and swept his gaze across the three of them, finally stopping on Mavuika.
"Why am I here?" Tony snorted, pointing at Mavuika: "This guy suddenly burst into flames and flew away right in front of me. You tell me why I'm here?"