Marvel: A Lazy-Ass Superman

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Running like mad was one thing, but Henry wasn’t running around aimlessly.

Before infiltrating the prison, he had stashed his personal belongings and clothes in a hidden location.

Siberia was simply too vast. Once you left the prison, finding no sign of human habitation for a hundred miles wasn’t an exaggeration—it was reality.

It was much like how prisons on the east and west coasts of the United States often chose isolated islands. The surrounding ocean was a natural prison.

Even if someone managed to scale the walls, escaping the far harsher natural environment beyond was another matter entirely. Not everyone possessed Bear Grylls’ wilderness survival skills.

In other words, if he wanted to take the Red Guardian—a super soldier—out of here without preparing transportation in advance, it would be impossible to avoid exposing certain secrets.

Because Henry was accustomed to making extra preparations, he had not only stored his own clothes but also a spare set for Alexei.

After both of them changed out of their conspicuous prison uniforms, Alexei finally asked,

”How exactly are we leaving? Please don’t tell me we’re going to cross the Siberian wilderness in autumn on foot, relying on whatever supplies are in that backpack.”

”How could that be?” Henry chuckled and opened the bag for him to see.

Aside from stacks of U.S. dollars, there wasn’t a single piece of food inside.

”There’s no food or cold-weather gear in here. If you’re planning on surviving in the wild, this bag would just be dead weight.”

”Wonderful. You just reminded me of that joke about a millionaire stranded in the desert who can’t even buy a bottle of water.” Alexei sighed. ”Actually, it’s not a joke. It could very well become reality for us.”

Henry laughed.

”No need to be so pessimistic. We’ll just wait here. I’ve already called for support. In the meantime, you can think about what you plan to do next.”

Alexei asked, ”What about you? What are you going to do?”

”Didn’t I say? I still have twenty-four items left on my to-do list. Those people are all in the United States, so I need to head back and deal with them one by one.”

Since there wasn’t even a bottle of water available, Alexei pulled up a blade of grass and chewed on it, hoping to produce a little saliva.

After thinking for a moment, he said,

”I think I’ll go find my two girls. They were sent back to the Red Room, and that’s not a place anyone should stay. Besides, I’ve got some personal scores to settle with the Red Room’s director, General Dreykov.”

Feigning surprise, Henry said,

”The Red Room? I heard that was a secret spy-training organization from the days of the Red Empire. It’s still around?”

”The Americans thought they destroyed us. In reality, they only shattered the shell and dismantled the framework. There are always stubborn survivors who crawl into the shadows and cling to life. In the end, it’s still the same thing—just wearing a different face.”

”Do you know where the Red Room is? Otherwise, how are you planning to find them?”

Alexei shook his head.

”I don’t know its exact location. The only thing I know is that the Red Room is no longer inside the territory of the former Red Empire. It should be somewhere in Eastern Europe. The relocation began a long time ago.”

”Eastern Europe is huge. How are you going to search? Through your old intelligence contacts?”

The reality of the situation forced Alexei to seriously consider the practicality of his plans.

With a helpless expression, he said,

”Even without using organizational resources, I still have a few personal connections I can call upon.

”But getting those connections moving won’t be a matter of friendship. It takes money. Some of the safe houses I know about might still contain cash, but those safe houses belonged to the organization. I don’t even know whether they’re still operational.

”Still, a road is made by walking it. As long as you’re alive, there’s always a way forward, right?”

After a moment’s thought, Henry tossed the backpack to him.

”There’s still some money left inside. It was originally meant to be spent during this trip. Consider it sponsorship for your efforts.”

”You serious?” Alexei asked skeptically.

Henry shrugged.

”When you have a chance to make someone owe you a favor, you should do it openly and generously. You can always collect later. Don’t act like some pussy—wanting it badly but pretending to refuse out of politeness.

”From my perspective, if I break you out of prison only for you to starve to death or get shot by police while robbing somebody, who am I supposed to collect that favor from? Don’t let my investment go to waste.”

Zipping the backpack shut, Alexei slung it over one shoulder.

”Thanks. I owe you one.”

”Where are you heading first? Or are you coming back to America with me?”

”Where can you go?” Alexei countered.

”Anywhere. Though it’ll all be illegal entry. Don’t expect our next trip to involve buying plane tickets at an airport and comfortably flying to our destination.”

Rubbing his bearded chin, Alexei considered it for a while before saying,

”If you really can go anywhere, take me to Sokovia.”

”Wasn’t that outside the old communist sphere? You’ve got contacts there?”

Sokovia—a fictional landlocked European nation in the Marvel Universe, poor and mountainous, bordering Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Its history was somewhat like Afghanistan’s in Asia: a Cold War battleground and frontline where the two superpowers competed for influence.

Alexei nodded.

”It wasn’t under the banner of the ideology, but the Americans meddled there plenty. The place is chaotic enough. And chaos has its advantages. Some channels work everywhere, as long as you have the money.”

Clearly, Alexei already had a plan.

As someone who was on his first espionage mission in Russia and privately felt he had done a terrible job, Henry naturally had no intention of offering advice.

The man had received professional spy training and possessed real field experience. As an amateur, Henry knew better than to run his mouth. Besides, why learn too much? What exactly would that accomplish?

Just then, the support he had been waiting for finally arrived.

Against the fading glow of dusk, the Duck-Leopard Armor appeared in the sky above them—the unmanned duck-shaped unit riding atop the leopard-shaped one.

Only after the two suits landed did Alexei finally get a good look at the metallic creatures—equal parts ridiculous and terrifying.

Katie, inside the leopard-shaped armor, glanced at the darkening sky and let out a doubtful roar.

Translated through Tiger Language, it came out as:

”Is it time for dinner yet?”

Henry felt that explaining time zones to a tiger would be a profoundly stupid endeavor.

While removing the duck-shaped unit secured to the leopard’s back, he replied,

”Hungry already? Didn’t you eat before leaving?”

”But it looks like dinner time!”

”Stop looking for excuses to eat. If you keep getting fatter, I’m putting you on a diet.”

”Ah! Animal abuse! Villain! Don’t threaten me with diet meals all the time! You jerk! Scoundrel!”

Henry suddenly found himself wondering where Katie had learned those words.

Or perhaps some questionable material had somehow slipped into his language translation database.