Left with no choice, Mavuika had to go to Tony for help. While Tony enviously grumbled about her "never aging and being a magnet for trouble," he skillfully utilized Stark Industries' resources to provide her with a completely new identity.
Her birth date was changed to 1988, and her profession was swapped for a relatively low-profile job, saving her a lot of trouble.
This new job, which Mavuika chose herself, was as a Historical Artifact Appraiser for a Private Museum.
Since updating her identity, Mavuika stopped being a race car driver. Although her love for the Flamestrider remained undiminished, whenever she had time, she would ride her beloved vehicle to the Winding Mountain Roads in the suburbs for a high-speed run, feeling the speed of the wind and freedom.
However, the identity of a race car driver was too flashy, which was not conducive to her low-profile life and easily attracted unnecessary attention.
The job of an artifact appraiser was relaxed and pleasant, requiring no overtime or excessive social interaction. On a daily basis, she only needed to deal with ancient artifacts, easily completing her work by relying on her millennium of Asgardian knowledge, which perfectly suited her current state of mind.
Because of this, the number of times she sought Tony to repair her vehicle also dwindled, and naturally, the opportunities for the two to meet became few and far between.
Besides that, there was another thing Mavuika looked forward to: Hela's work in the underworld was finally nearing its end.
In about a year or two at most, she would be able to finish her work in the underworld.
Every time she thought of this, a trace of Warmth and anticipation would well up in Mavuika's heart.
...
This week, after finishing her work, Mavuika headed to Helheim as usual to visit Hela.
The two sisters chatted and sparred in the underworld until the weekend ended, at which point Mavuika returned to the Villa Howard had given her.
A moment later, Mavuika stood before the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of the Villa. She had just finished bathing, her damp gold-red hair draped over her shoulders, with a white bath towel casually wrapped around her body.
Outside the window was the small garden she had meticulously tended for over a decade. The various flower seeds Howard and Maria had given her years ago had now grown into a lush expanse, with deep red and milky white flowers in Bloom under the courtyard lights.
Thirteen years was but a brief moment in the long life of an Asgardian deity like Mavuika, but during these years of living on Earth, her perception of time had undergone a subtle change.
She had begun to grow accustomed to the human time scale, the rhythm of a seven-day week, the changing scenery of New York streets with the seasons, and the outrageous gifts Tony would send every Christmas.
She looked at the lamp on the living room wall, a Christmas gift from Tony last year. It was repurposed from a discarded missile casing; while its design was exaggerated, the light it cast was indeed warm.
On the nearby bookshelf sat a photograph from Tony's thirty-fifth birthday party in 2005. He was wearing a flashy purple suit, holding a wine glass in one hand and resting the other on Mavuika's shoulder, both of them laughing heartily.
At that time, Tony was at the peak of his life. Stark Industries was at its zenith, and he himself was a media darling, the richest man in the World, with his playboy image deeply ingrained in the public's mind.
Mavuika's gaze shifted away from the photograph as she walked over to sit on the sofa, picking up the remote to turn on the television.
The local news channel was broadcasting the evening report, the female anchor's expression solemn.
"...Stark Industries has yet to issue a further statement regarding Tony Stark's whereabouts. It is reported that the controversial billionaire and arms mogul was attacked by unidentified militants three days ago while conducting a field test for the new 'Jericho Missile' in Afghanistan..."
Mavuika's brow furrowed sharply.
Tony? Missing? Afghanistan? And it was three days ago?
She quickly switched to other news channels; every station was broadcasting this news on a loop.
The scene cut to a Press Conference where Obadiah Stane stood behind a podium, his broad face etched with 'heaviness' and 'worry.'
The news continued to show photos from the scene: charred vehicle wreckage, scattered parts, and footage of the Military search teams.
Mavuika put down the remote and immediately stood up to head to the bedroom, picking up her phone from the nightstand—another gift from Tony.
The moment the screen lit up, a dense cluster of missed call notifications popped up. The screen showed 27 missed calls, all from Howard Stark.
The most recent call was from an hour ago.
Mavuika gave a soft 'tsk,' rubbing her brow with some frustration.
She had spent the last few days in Helheim visiting Hela. The two sisters had a rare reunion, sparring and chatting, and time had slipped away unnoticed.
She knew Howard's temperament all too well; usually steady and gentle, he would rarely be so urgent, let alone call her so many times in succession.
Clearly, the news of Tony's attack and disappearance had completely unnerved the ninety-one-year-old man.
She immediately dialed Howard's number. After five rings, it was picked up, and Howard's aged but clear voice came through from the other end.
"Mavuika?" His voice held an unmistakable exhaustion and anxiety.
"Howard, I just saw the news," Mavuika said directly.
"Sorry, I was... out of the service area for the past few days. What's the situation with Tony?"
There was a two-second silence on the other end before Howard took a deep breath. "Three days ago, Tony was testing a new weapon in Afghanistan. The convoy was ambushed. The Military found the wreckage and... the bodies of several Bodyguards, but Tony wasn't among them."
His voice began to tremble. "Maria has already cried several times. We... we don't know what to do. The Military says they're searching, but Afghanistan is so large..."
Mavuika could imagine Howard's current state. Although the ninety-one-year-old was still physically robust, the blow of his son's disappearance was enough to crush any parent.
"Don't worry," Mavuika interrupted his thoughts, her voice calm and firm.
"I'm going to find him right now. Tell Maria to put her mind at ease. With me there, nothing will happen to Tony."
"Ms. Marvica..." Howard's voice was filled with gratitude. "Thank you, truly thank you..."
After hanging up, Mavuika stopped slowly drying the Water droplets on her body with the towel. Instead, she directly circulated the divine power within her, causing the moisture on her body to instantly Vaporize completely.
After quickly changing her clothes, she walked to the balcony. Gold-red Fire rose from beneath her feet, and in the next second, Mavuika leaped, bursting through the floor-to-ceiling window and flying straight into the high sky.
The gold-red figure, like a meteor, cut through the dark night sky, racing toward Afghanistan.
The flames left a long trail of light and shadow behind her, her speed so fast it ascended the speed of sound, leaving only the whistling heat waves and a faint scent of Fire in the air.