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?"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"