Chapter 1: The Great Disappearance

Steven Haking sat in his study, a quiet room at Cambridge University filled with books, framed awards, and relics of his monumental career. The outside world buzzed with relentless activity: physicists waited on his next paper, journalists wanted the next interview, and the public—endlessly hungry for the next great discovery—demanded more answers to the universe's deepest mysteries.

He had already unlocked the secrets of black holes, radiation, and quantum mechanics in ways no one had expected. He had opened doors to realms of thought others barely dared to imagine. But the more he delivered, the more the world wanted.

The pressure had grown unbearable. Every time his mind wandered toward a new theory, he could feel the weight of expectations crushing down on him. It wasn't that he no longer loved physics, no longer adored the thrill of chasing the unknown but he felt trapped. Trapped in a role he could no longer live up to. The world wanted Steven Haking, the icon, a scientific oracle who would continue producing genius revelations on demand. No one saw the man behind the theories anymore.

And so, Steven made a decision. A decision that would change everything: he would fake his death.

It wasn't an easy process. Haking had spent years carefully constructing his public persona, every move scrutinized by the media and his peers. His plan required absolute secrecy, and the trust of only one person—Dr. Emily Carter, a brilliant physicist in her own right, and someone who had worked closely with Steven on many of his breakthroughs. She had known for years about the toll this life was taking on him.

"I've thought this through, Emily," Steven's synthesized voice buzzed calmly one evening as they sat together in his study.

Emily looked at him, her brow furrowed. "You're really going to do this? Disappear for good?"

"I have no choice," Steven responded, eyes focused but weary. "Society expects too much. They don't see me anymore. Just the image of me. I need freedom."

Emily understood. She had watched as the endless requests for interviews, lectures, and discoveries had worn him down, year by year. For someone whose body was confined by ALS, the mind had been the only place left where Steven could roam freely. But now, even that sanctuary had been invaded by the world's expectations.

Together, they orchestrated the perfect plan. It would be simple—a sudden, peaceful death during the night. No fanfare, no questions. The world would mourn, celebrate his legacy, and then, slowly, it would move on. Steven Haking would become a legend.

And then, Steven Haking—the man—could live.

On a quiet morning in 2018, the world awoke to the news: Steven Haking had passed away. Tributes poured in from every corner of the globe. Scientists, celebrities, and world leaders paid their respects. Newspapers and television channels spoke of his genius, his indomitable spirit, and his endless contributions to science. For weeks, the world mourned the loss of one of the greatest minds of the modern era.

But Haking was not gone. Far from it.

He had taken refuge in a secluded house on the edge of the English countryside, a place where no one would ever think to look for him. The media believed his body had been cremated, and all inquiries about his private affairs were deftly handled by Emily. In this quiet, undisturbed space, Steven Haking began his new life—free of expectations, free of the relentless pressure to be a public intellectual. For the first time in decades, he could breathe.

And yet, the question remained: what would he do with his newfound freedom?

The answer came to him in a moment of surprising clarity—Marvel Comics. No, not just Marvel Comics, no, he would do more, he would delve into Warhammer 40K, D&D, movies, anime, webnovels especially the kingdom building, fantasy, and sci-fi ones and just fantasy and sci-fi books in general. Maybe this is what they call escapism but Steven was excited. But for the most part it would be Marvel Comics.

For years, Steven had quietly enjoyed the world of Marvel, Webnovels and books in general, devouring the tales of superheroes, gods, and cosmic forces in the privacy of his home. He had always been fascinated by the blend of science fiction and fantasy, the way Marvel characters pushed the limits of reality. Their universe was an escape, where people with extraordinary powers battled for the fate of the cosmos, unconstrained by the laws of physics or the demands of academia.

In this world, Steven found solace. The Marvel Universe offered him something he had long craved—freedom from the rigidity of his own existence, from the constraints of the real world. It wasn't that he wanted to be a superhero, but rather that he could immerse himself in stories that weren't asking him for answers, only his imagination.

Six years passed, and Steven lived quietly, indulging in his love of Marvel comics. His days were spent reading tales of the Avengers battling galactic threats, of Doctor Strange bending the laws of reality, and of Tony Stark building technology that defied the imagination. He reveled in these stories, often pausing to contemplate the wild, speculative science behind them. Time became fluid for him in this private retreat, unmarked by deadlines or interviews. His mind was free to wander through the fantastical realms of fiction, where no one asked him for another theory or discovery.

But Steven wasn't just a reader; he became a scholar of this universe. He read every back issue he could find, researched the in-universe science of characters like Reed Richards and Hank Pym, and even began writing his own Marvel-inspired essays on the hypothetical physics behind their abilities. He laughed at the absurdity of some plots, while marveling at the clever use of real scientific principles, even if distorted for the sake of fiction.

For the first time in years, Steven found joy without the burden of responsibility. Here, he could explore the multiverse, time travel, and quantum anomalies without having to explain it to the world.

Yet, despite this newfound peace, his scientific curiosity never truly left him. Six years into his quiet life, something began to stir within him—an old, familiar pull. He had read countless stories of alternate dimensions, wormholes, and quantum realms in the Marvel Universe. But what about the real world? What about the mysteries of the universe that still lay unsolved? Had he truly walked away for good?

One day, as he sat by the window of his countryside retreat, watching the sun set over the fields, Steven's thoughts turned back to CERN—the European Organization for Nuclear Research. It had always been one of his favorite places in the real world, a hub for the most cutting-edge particle physics experiments. CERN had been responsible for monumental discoveries, from the Higgs Boson to insights into the structure of the universe itself. It was a place where the boundaries of knowledge were constantly pushed, where the very fabric of reality was questioned.

CERN, in many ways, was the closest thing the real world had to Marvel's wild science. Steven had visited the facility many times over the years, watching with fascination as the Large Hadron Collider smashed particles together, hoping to unlock the next big breakthrough.

As much as he had found peace in his six years of escape, Steven realized he wasn't done. Not yet.

"I think it's time," he said aloud, his voice faint but resolute. "Time to visit CERN."

Emily, who had remained by his side all these years, looked at him with a knowing smile. "You're ready?"

Steven nodded. "The universe has waited long enough."

And so, with his mind once again buzzing with excitement, Steven Haking prepared for his return—not to the public eye, but to the place where the universe's deepest mysteries still waited to be discovered.

It was time to visit CERN.