Chapter 29: Breaking Free from S.H.I.E.L.D.

The data Himawan had secured from S.H.I.E.L.D. was more than he could have hoped for. Walking through New York's early-morning streets, he replayed the information he'd gathered, each byte of intel feeding his understanding of the agency's inner workings. Yet, he knew that possessing this data put him in a vulnerable position. S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't tolerate intrusions, and it was only a matter of time before they noticed that someone had compromised their secure files. His escape from their grasp had to be meticulously planned.

That morning, back in his hidden lab, Himawan spread his findings across multiple devices, sorting and categorizing each piece of intel. He prioritized information regarding S.H.I.E.L.D.'s personnel: their profiles, their weaknesses, the blind spots in their surveillance grid, and, most crucially, the layers of encryption they used for tracking and locating potential threats.

His face was calm, expression focused, as he reviewed every detail. He understood S.H.I.E.L.D.'s power. They could mobilize quickly and decisively, especially when someone like him—a scientist gathering knowledge and manipulating human evolution—entered their radar. He couldn't afford the slightest oversight.

As hours turned into days, Himawan refined his escape strategy, testing its every facet. To break free from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s influence and ensure they could never trace him again, he would need to sever his connections to any device, any location, and any person that might lead back to him. This would require sacrifice, even of his current lab. But his commitment to his goals outweighed any sentimentality.

His focus was interrupted by the subtle ping of a notification. It was a security alert from a secondary device he'd planted near his initial entry point to the S.H.I.E.L.D. outpost. Checking it, he confirmed his suspicion: they'd discovered his traces. It was only a faint trail, but they'd already flagged it and were initiating a counter-intrusion operation.

The countdown had begun.

Remaining calm, Himawan set his plan into action. His first move was to dismantle his network of proxy signals. These proxies had rerouted his location through multiple underground connections, masking his true whereabouts. As he shut each down, he watched S.H.I.E.L.D.'s countermeasures struggle to keep up, their digital footsteps moving slower as they sought a signal that was fading by the second.

He could picture the agents in their fortified rooms, staring at screens, unable to pinpoint the source. They'd expected an unskilled hacker or rogue, someone ignorant of their advanced tracking systems. But Himawan knew S.H.I.E.L.D.'s methods well enough to avoid the obvious traps and anticipate their reactions. He continued severing his connection, carefully monitoring each closed signal, and then moved to the final phase of his plan.

Gathering his essential equipment, he began stripping his lab of any identifiable trace that might link it to his work. Each piece of tech and each experiment had to be carefully dismantled or packed, leaving nothing behind. The decision to leave was not one he took lightly, but Himawan understood the necessity. Sacrificing his current base was a price he was willing to pay if it meant securing his future plans.

As he methodically erased every digital and physical footprint, he felt a certain freedom in the action. With each erased file, each destroyed gadget, he was creating the illusion that he had simply vanished, leaving no trail for S.H.I.E.L.D. to follow. The final task was his most crucial—obliterating any residual data that linked back to his previous identity.

It took him nearly a full day to complete this, leaving the remnants of his lab unrecognizable. The walls, once filled with notes and schematics, were now blank; the tables that had held countless experimental tools were empty. The silence in the lab felt almost reverent, a quiet testament to the dedication he poured into his work.

Finally, when every trace was erased and every piece packed, Himawan made his way to the exit. He wore a plain, unmarked coat and carried a small, inconspicuous backpack containing only the most essential equipment he could take with him. The rest, he would have to rebuild from scratch. It was a setback, but a necessary one.

Stepping out onto the quiet, dimly lit streets, he felt an odd mixture of loss and anticipation. He had left behind his lab and months of work, but he was also free from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s watchful eyes, at least for now. He couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long, and he knew he would need to find a new location to establish his experiments.

As he walked, he became aware of his surroundings, his gaze sharpening to assess each shadow, each passerby. The darkness felt more oppressive tonight, each footstep echoing through the empty streets, the city itself seeming to breathe with a kind of watchful silence. He was on high alert, knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. was not an organization to be underestimated. They would hunt, and they would do so relentlessly. But he was determined to remain a step ahead.

He found himself at a small, hidden alley, taking cover to check his devices one last time. His network had gone completely dark. S.H.I.E.L.D. would find no digital trace of his activities now, only blank screens and dead ends. He allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before moving forward, each step taken with the knowledge that he had effectively escaped their grasp.

In his pocket, he felt the weight of his tablet—a compact but powerful device he had kept for emergency situations like this. With it, he could access whatever information he'd downloaded from S.H.I.E.L.D., studying and learning their vulnerabilities at his leisure. He would spend the next days and weeks preparing, hiding in the shadows and watching from afar, waiting until he was ready to emerge once again.

The path he'd chosen was dangerous, but he welcomed the risk. If anything, the intrusion had only confirmed his suspicions: S.H.I.E.L.D. and other agencies would always stand in his way, opposing his pursuit of scientific advancement. Their existence was an obstacle he could no longer ignore.

For now, he walked in silence, disappearing into the dim, narrow streets of New York, his face hidden from the flickering lights overhead. The city stretched out before him, a sprawling, shadowy expanse, ripe with possibilities. He would rebuild, he would evolve, and he would return with a force that even S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't contain.