Marvel: The Awakened One

The next morning.

Hawk got dressed, went down to the motel’s front desk, and pulled thirty dollars from his pocket. ”One more night, please.”

”Room key.”

”Here.” Hawk handed over the key.

The clerk glanced at the room number, updated the booking, and handed the key back.

Hawk took it, said a quick ”thanks,” and walked out of the motel.

A short while later, he was there.

Not at the Quantico base itself, but on a mountain trail right next to it.

Hawk wasn’t worried about his morning run attracting any unwanted attention.

He wasn’t the only one out. Several other residents from Quantico Town were also jogging along the same path.

Hawk kept a steady pace behind a group of runners, blending in perfectly.

Soon, the trail came to a sharp bend.

Hawk saw the group ahead of him disappear around the corner. He glanced back, the next group of runners was still a ways behind. Without a moment’s hesitation, he accelerated.

With a nearly silent whoosh, he shot off the trail and into the woods. By the time the next group of joggers rounded the bend, Hawk was gone.

The only sound was the rustling of leaves in the forest.

...

It was late afternoon when Hawk finally returned to the motel.

Back in his room, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

He smoothed it out.

On it was a simple, hand-drawn map of the inside of the Quantico Military Base.

Barracks.

Admin buildings.

Motor pool.

Airstrip.

And—

The abandoned lab. Hawk had spent the entire morning getting the lay of the land. He’d spent the afternoon scouting the surrounding forest, mapping out three separate exfiltration routes.

He hadn’t decided which route he would take yet.

But it didn’t matter.

Having options was enough. He would adapt on the fly once the job was done.

Hawk studied the map one last time, his eyes tracing the symbols only he could understand. Then, he methodically tore the paper into tiny, irretrievable pieces and threw them in the trash.

Soon, the sun began to set.

Hawk went back down to the front desk, returned his key, and checked out of the motel.

It was a motel, after all. The clerk had seen people check in with a date and check out ten minutes later.

An early checkout didn’t even raise an eyebrow.

After leaving, Hawk found a nearby pizza place, ordered a pie, and sat by the window to eat.

Never go into battle on an empty stomach.

It would be a pathetic way to go—getting caught because he ran out of energy halfway through a fight or was too weak to escape.

...

Night fell completely.

Fed and ready, Hawk moved under the cover of darkness. He became a phantom in the woods, his speed so great that he was on the verge of creating sonic booms with every step. Soon, he arrived at the base’s perimeter fence, a chain-link barrier topped with high-voltage wire.

He didn’t rush in. He looked up, his eyes scanning the tall guard towers.

On top of each tower, a powerful searchlight cut through the darkness, sweeping slowly across a predetermined path.

As the beam swung toward him, Hawk pressed himself into the shadow of a large tree, his black hoodie blending into the night. The baseball cap was out. He’d already worn it this morning—too risky.

But the black hoodie was perfect.

He’d found it in the trunk of the taxi before he’d sent it to its watery grave.

Soon, the searchlight passed.

The next second, Hawk moved. He exploded from behind the tree, his right knee bending as the ground beneath his foot compressed. He launched himself upwards like a silent projectile, soaring effortlessly over the fence that was meant to be impassable, and landed softly inside the base.

Now that he was in, the hard part was over.

All that was left was to find the lab, get the goods, and get out.

One minute later.

He saw it. The abandoned lab, surrounded by a temporary corrugated metal wall. The only entrance was guarded by two soldiers.

Hawk stopped about a half-mile out, using a stray shipping container for cover. He watched the two guards.

”Hah...”

”Time to go.” Hawk closed his eyes, exhaled a slow, steady breath, and then opened them, his gaze locked on his target.

The next second.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The grass beneath his feet ripped apart as a sonic boom thundered through the night. Hawk shot forward like a cannonball.

The two soldiers on guard duty were laughing and talking, expecting another uneventful night.

Until—

They caught a blur of motion out of the corner of their eyes. A split second later, the sound of the sonic boom hit them like a physical blow.

Thump.

Thump.

The two soldiers didn’t even have time to cry out. Their eyes rolled back in their heads, and they collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Hawk still hadn’t used lethal force. He had knocked them out in an instant and was already inside the metal perimeter.

The next second.

”SHIT!”

”WHO’S THERE?”

”...”

After slipping through a gap in the fence, Hawk saw them. Standing in front of the dilapidated lab building—its outer walls still scarred from the original explosion—were two more soldiers. His brow furrowed.

Seriously?

Was this necessary?

They already had guards at the outer gate, why put two more inside?

He had only been able to see the outside of the perimeter during his recon.

The two soldiers, after a moment of shock at his sudden appearance, reacted.

The next second, they raised their rifles.

”CONTACT!”

”SOUND THE ALARM!”

”WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!”

In an instant, a piercing alarm shattered the night’s silence, blaring across the entire Quantico base.

The moment the soldiers pulled their triggers, Hawk’s figure vanished.

He reappeared a split second later, directly in front of them.

The soldiers outside hadn’t pulled their triggers. They got to live.

”...” These two...

Hawk’s expression was a mask of cold fury. His right fist lashed out at the two stunned soldiers before him.

--

”BEEP!”

”BEEP!”

”BEEP!”

The moment the piercing alarm blared across the Quantico military base, every soldier—whether on duty, in the barracks, or on leave in town—froze, their faces a mask of pure shock.

The next second, reality kicked in.

”Holy shit!”

”Battle stations!”

”We’re under attack!”

”Jesus Christ, what’s happening?”

”Did the Japanese attack again? Wait, this is Quantico, not Pearl Harbor.”

For a moment, there was chaos. But these were Marines. They snapped into combat readiness in an instant.

This was Quantico, after all—home of the United States Marine Corps. The FBI Academy and CIA headquarters were right down the road.

Less than three seconds after the alarm sounded, the first soldier was on the scene. Then a second, a third...

”GO, GO, GO!”

”What’s the target?”

”The old gamma lab!”

”Fuck!”

A lieutenant colonel, hearing the location of the attack, swore viciously. He threw on his fatigues, grabbed his phone, and started running.

The call connected instantly.

”Yes!” a deep, gravelly voice answered.

”GENERAL, THE GAMMA LAB HAS BEEN BREACHED.”

”...”

On the other end of the line, General Thaddeus Ross, who had just left the Pentagon and gotten into his car, went rigid.

What did he just hear?

The gamma lab has been breached?

How? The lab is on the Marine base at Quantico. Who the hell could get in there?

Still reeling from the news, General Ross’s voice was sharp.

”Say that again. What’s been breached?”

”The gamma lab, sir.”

”Shit!” Ross’s heart sank. ”What’s the situation?”

”The Quick Reaction Force is on-site. I’m on my way now.”

”...”

General Ross took a deep breath, loosened his tie, and slapped the back of the driver’s seat. ”QUANTICO. NOW!”

The driver nodded and slammed his foot on the gas, peeling out right in front of two stunned Capitol police officers.

The two cops just stared at each other, speechless.

...

Meanwhile, back at the base, the Quick Reaction Force had arrived at the fenced-off perimeter of the gamma lab.

From inside, they could hear a series of thunderous crashes. A moment later, a group of panicked, terrified scientists burst out of the entrance.

The soldiers immediately swarmed them, grabbing them and pulling them to safety.

”What’s going on in there? How many intruders? What do they want?”

”ONE! There’s only one! He’s after the gamma stones!”

”...”

The Quick Reaction Force Captain stared at the scientist who had spoken.

The other soldiers looked at him in disbelief.

”Did you just say... one?”

”Yes, just one.”

The scientist’s face was still pale with terror. ”He’s not human. He shattered a concrete wall with a single punch. Bullets don’t even touch him. All the guards who shot at him... they’re dead.”

The soldiers exchanged stunned looks.

Just then, another soldier, leaning on a scientist for support, his leg clearly broken, spoke up. ”He’s telling the truth. There’s only one of them.”

The Captain’s attention immediately snapped to him.

”Soldier, report.”

”It’s just like he said. One intruder. He seems to be after the gamma stones. Our bullets couldn’t hit him. He killed every soldier who opened fire on him, almost instantly.”

”What about you?”

”Weren’t you listening?”

The injured soldier, on the verge of a breakdown, screamed at the Captain, ”He killed every soldier who shot at him!”

The truth was, he had shot at him too.

But—

The moment he’d pulled the trigger, his rifle had jammed.

And for that reason, and that reason alone, Hawk had spared his life, shattering his leg instead and taking him out of the fight.

The other soldiers and armed scientists in the lab had not been so lucky.

Just as Hawk had predicted:

Once the valve of killing was opened, it was no longer a choice. It was just a matter of numbers.

But he was still holding back.

By now, Hawk had reached the basement of the gamma lab.

The first thing he saw was the gaping hole that had been dug into the floor.

Thump.

Hawk, still in his hoodie and mask, leaped down into the pit.

At the bottom, a rough-hewn tunnel stretched out before him. Pickaxes and shovels lay scattered on the ground.

How primitive.

No, wait.

This was probably intentional. The military is not a monolith.

Hawk thought to himself, his eyes scanning the walls of the tunnel.

There they were.

The walls were made of the same strange, dark stone he had seen in Dr. Connors’s lab.

Just then, a phoenix cry echoed through his Cosmo, and a message was delivered to him. ”Devour.”

”So I just need to let you absorb it?”

”That simplifies things.”

Hawk processed the new information.

He had thought he would have to play miner and dig out all these stones himself.

But...

All he had to do was place his hands on the walls, burn his Cosmo, and let the Phoenix constellation within him absorb the Gammanium stored inside.

This was perfect!

A wide grin spread across Hawk’s face. He was about to begin.

But just as he raised his hands, his gaze snapped back to the hole he had just jumped through.

He threw a punch at the ceiling, a blast of pure force shooting from his fist.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The entrance to the basement collapsed, sending a cloud of dust and debris raining down into the tunnel.

The shockwave washed over him, but he stood firm, unaffected.

He just didn’t want to be disturbed.

There. Now I can work in peace.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Hawk placed his hands on the tunnel walls.

The next second, he unleashed his Cosmo.

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

BOOOOOOM!

--

How long does it take for a building to collapse?

There’s no single answer.

But here, on the military base at Quantico, the old gamma lab—already structurally compromised from Bruce Banner’s little accident—finally gave way. A massive explosion from underground was the final straw.

In less than five seconds, the three-story building imploded, becoming a heap of rubble and twisted steel.

A thick cloud of dust billowed outwards, slamming against the surrounding metal fence with a deafening clatter.

The Quick Reaction Force that had been about to storm the building scrambled backward. They stared at the ruins, then collectively swallowed hard.

If they had gone in just a few seconds earlier, they would have been buried along with it.

After the initial shock and relief, the soldiers all looked to their captain.

”Coyote One, what are your orders?”

”...How the hell should I know?”

The captain, after a moment of stunned silence, finally found his voice. ”Pack it up. We’re done here.”

His men stared at him.

”Sir?”

”What part of ’we’re done’ did you not understand? The building’s gone. What are we supposed to do, dig the intruder’s body out of the rubble?”

The captain rolled his eyes. He had been expecting a firefight.

Instead... he got this. A complete and utter anticlimax.

Just then, a Jeep screeched to a halt nearby. The lieutenant colonel who had called General Ross jumped out.

”Coyote Two, stand down your men,” the captain ordered his second-in-command.

”Yes, sir!”

The captain slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked over to the colonel.

The colonel didn’t even wait for a salute. He was staring at the still-settling dust cloud over the ruins. ”What happened?”

The captain shook his head. ”To be honest, sir, we’re not entirely sure. But we can confirm, there was only one intruder.”

He then repeated what the scientists had told him, and how the building had collapsed just as his team was about to make entry.

Hearing that there had only been one intruder, the colonel’s face went blank.

”Are you sure? Just one?”

”Yes, sir.”

”Mother of—” The colonel bit back the curse, a look of sheer disbelief on his face. ”One man? What kind of maniac pulls something like this?”

It wasn’t that Quantico had never been attacked before.

But...

Even foreign agents came in teams. And most of them never even made it past the main gate.

Everyone knew that Quantico was a raid boss, a team effort.

And this guy—

This guy tried to solo it??

What was he thinking?

The colonel couldn’t wrap his head around it.

The captain just shrugged. He glanced back at the rubble. ”Maybe it was a suicide mission, sir. Maybe the building was his only target. He never planned on getting out.”

The colonel considered it for a moment, then nodded.

”It’s the only explanation that makes any sense.”

”Shit.”

”I can’t believe I called the General for this. I should have waited.” The colonel’s face fell as he remembered his frantic call to General Ross.

If he had known it was just a suicide bomber, he never would have made the call.

Well...

At least, not in such a panic. Now he had to call back.

The colonel sighed, told his aide to have the base control room stand down the alarm, and pulled out his phone again.

The call connected instantly.

”Report!”

”General, the intruder is dead.”

”Dead?” General Ross, who was still urging his driver to go faster, was taken aback. ”What happened?”

”We don’t have an ID on the intruder yet, sir, but he was working alone. The gamma lab has collapsed. We’re currently assessing it as a suicide mi—”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!

”HOLY SHIT!”

Just as the colonel was briefing General Ross, a thunderous explosion erupted from the ruins of the gamma lab.

The next second, he saw it. In the glare of the searchlights now focused on the rubble, a figure shot out from the dust and smoke.

The colonel froze.

The Quick Reaction Force Captain let out a cry of disbelief. But his training kicked in instantly.

”Contact!”

”Light him up! Light him up!”

”RATATATATATA!”

The rest of the Quick Reaction Force, who had been about to stand down, snapped back into action. They raised their rifles and unleashed a hail of automatic fire at the figure standing in the wreckage—a dark silhouette against the swirling smoke.

At the same time, the base-wide alarm, which had just been silenced, began to shriek once more.

The soldiers, who had just been dismissed, looked around in confusion.

What the hell? Didn’t they just turn it off?

Just as they were starting to wonder if someone in the control room had hit the wrong button, the sound of gunfire reached them.

”Shit!”

”Move, move, move!”

”BRRRRRRT! BRRRRRRT!”

Hawk’s figure flickered in and out of existence on top of the rubble.

Deep beneath the ruins, the last of the Gammanium had been absorbed into his Cosmo.

He looked up at the soldiers firing at him, and at the reinforcements now swarming the area.

And—

The low rumble of tanks rolling into position, and the rhythmic thump-thump-thump of attack helicopters lifting off the ground.

Yep.

He had officially kicked the hornet’s nest.

But my work here is done. Now I just need to find a quiet place to digest this meal.

Hawk thought to himself. As the smoke around him began to clear, he raised an eyebrow, then turned, bent his knees, and with a final, explosive CRACK of shattering concrete, launched himself into the sky.

The next second, with the searchlights struggling to track him, he carved a perfect arc through the night sky and disappeared into the forest outside the base.

Right.

Phase one, the lightning raid, was complete. Time for phase two.

Run like hell!

--

By the time General Thaddeus Ross arrived at the Quantico military base, the alarms had been silenced.

But the crisis was far from over. The base’s command center was a hive of activity, buzzing with controlled panic.

This was a major embarrassment!!

Someone had not only breached their base with ridiculous ease and destroyed a building, but had also managed to get away completely clean.

And the worst part?

They had lost him.

”What do you mean, you lost him??”

”We lost visual in the forest, twenty miles south of the base.”

”What about our air support?”

”Sir, it’s a dense forest, at night. The choppers couldn’t get low enough for a clear shot.”

”Shit!” The lieutenant colonel slammed his fist on the table. ”Scramble everyone. Get those birds back in the air. I want this son of a bitch found.”

His aide snapped a quick ”yes, sir” and hurried out of the room.

The colonel stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the live feeds from the helicopters and ground teams on the main screen. Just then, a deep voice came from behind him.

He flinched, then spun around to see General Ross, his face dark with fury.

”Ge-General...”

”One intruder, Colonel, and you lost him. Impressive.”

Ross said, his voice dangerously calm.

The colonel opened his mouth, then closed it. Instead, he had a tech pull up the surveillance footage of the intruder’s escape.

Ross turned his attention to the main screen.

He saw the figure, a silhouette in the smoke and searchlights, then a blur of motion as the intruder launched himself into the air and disappeared into the forest.

Ross was stunned.

A moment later, he looked at the colonel. ”You said the gamma lab was the only target?”

The colonel nodded quickly. ”Yes, General. He breached the perimeter, and moments later, the building collapsed. We thought he was a suicide bomber. But then, right as I was updating you, he just burst out of the rubble.”

”...” Ross said nothing. He just watched the footage of Hawk’s impossible leap on a loop, his mind racing.

One man. A clear objective. Inhuman evasion. Superhuman strength.

Ross’s eyes glinted.

”Did any other cameras get a look at him?”

”The tech team is reviewing all footage now.”

”Have you got a location on him?”

”...No, sir.” The colonel glanced at his aide, who had just returned and was shaking his head. He braced himself. ”We lost him in the woods, twenty miles south. We’re still searching.”

Ross just nodded.

The next second, without another word, he turned and started walking out. ”Get a crew. I want that lab dug out. Now!”

The colonel snapped to attention. ”Yes, General!”

...

By the time the heavy machinery had been brought in, the rubble cleared, and the bodies of the fallen soldiers recovered, the sun was rising.

The helicopters, which had been flying all night, returned to base.

The pilots were exhausted, but the machines weren’t. With fresh crews and a full tank of fuel, the choppers took off again, fanning out in all directions, a dragnet searching for the man who had basically taken a dump on the United States Marine Corps and walked away.

The ground troops were just as relentless.

The soldiers who had been out all night were replaced by a fresh wave, who were now sweeping through the forests surrounding the base.

They were in it for the long haul.

Ross hadn’t slept either. He was sitting in his car, parked near the ruins of the gamma lab, his eyes closed.

Just then, his aide, sitting in the driver’s seat, answered a call. After a few grunts of acknowledgement, he turned to Ross.

”General, it’s Director Fury.”

”...Hmph.” Ross slowly opened his eyes, took the phone from his aide, and put it to his ear. ”General Ross speaking.”

”General Ross. I hear things got a little lively at Quantico last night.”

”...”

The smug, self-satisfied tone on the other end of the line made Ross’s head throb. ”What do you want, Nick?”

In his office at the Triskelion, Nick Fury, clad in his signature black trench coat and eyepatch, leaned back in his chair. He was also watching the footage of Hawk’s escape. He chuckled.

”A joint operation. What do you say?”

”You can kiss my ass.” Ross scoffed. ”This is a military matter. I’m warning you, Nick, stay out of it. And if I remember correctly, your operational authority has been suspended, hasn’t it?”

With that, Ross hung up. He didn’t bother to wait for a reply. It would have just been more bullshit anyway. He handed the phone back to his aide, sat up straight, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ”Any sign of him?”

The aide shook his head.

”No, sir.”

”Heh.”

Ross didn’t seem surprised. He let out a dry, humorless laugh and changed the subject.

”Have they dug out the lab yet?”

”ETA ten minutes, sir.”

”Let’s go.”

Ross pushed open his car door. ”I want to see for myself.”

His aide scrambled to follow.

By now, the bodies of the soldiers who had died in the lab had all been recovered. They were laid out in a neat row nearby.

Their deaths...

Were all different, but the expressions on their faces were the same: shock, terror, and utter disbelief.

Ross’s gaze swept over them. He turned to his aide. ”File a report. Maximum death benefits for all of them. I’ll sign off on it personally.”

The aide nodded and made a note.

Soon, the ten minutes were up. The entrance to the underground tunnel had been cleared.

A team of base scientists, who had been on standby, descended into the pit.

”It’s gone.”

”IT’S ALL GONE!”

”Unbelievable. Did he... absorb all of it?”

”Jesus Christ. But why didn’t he turn into a monster like the Hulk or the Abomination?”

A series of shocked, disbelieving cries echoed up from the tunnel.

Ross’s eyes lit up with a terrifying intensity.

”Aide!”

”Sir.”

”FIND HIM. AT ANY COST.”

”Understood!”

--

General Ross kept his expression stone-cold, but inside his mind was racing.

The reports from his scientists had just confirmed his deepest suspicions. An image coalesced in his mind.

Captain America. Steve Rogers.

To this day, the only successful recipient of the Super Soldier Serum. The peak of human potential.

The military had never given up on recreating the serum.

But ever since Dr. Abraham Erskine was assassinated, the true formula had been lost to history.

One thing, however, was certain.

The real Super Soldier Serum required gamma radiation.

That was the root cause of the Hulk’s creation. Bruce Banner had been a military scientist, working on that very project, when the accident happened.

And that accident had given General Ross hope. Even if the Hulk was uncontrollable.

But now—

A human, with no discernible non-human characteristics.

Inhuman reaction time.

Superhuman strength and agility.

And the complete absorption of all gamma radiation.

Ross was now certain. The intruder had come for one thing: the gamma.

And when he put the pieces together, the conclusion was inescapable.

This was the Super Soldier he had been searching for.

”Find him.”

”At any cost.”

Ross’s right hand clenched into a fist. He stared at the ruins of the gamma lab, not with anger, but with a terrifying, all-consuming excitement.

...

Hawk had no idea he had just become the new obsession of General Ross, the man who had once chased Bruce Banner across the globe.

But even if he knew, he wouldn’t care.

Because Hawk was already gone. He wasn’t just out of Quantico, he wasn’t even in the D.C area anymore.

Right now, Hawk was at the bottom of a waterfall.

ROOOOAR!

The water thundered down, a relentless, liquid avalanche. It crashed onto the figure of Hawk, who was sitting cross-legged in the churning pool, wearing only a pair of shorts, his eyes closed.

But as the water, heavy as falling rock, slammed into his body, it seemed to vaporize on impact, shrouding him in a cloud of white mist.

He was in Cunningham Falls State Park, deep in the mountains of Maryland.

It was a place few people ever ventured.

Hawk had been here for over twenty days.

And for twenty days, he had been doing only one thing.

Burning his Cosmo.

Within his inner universe, the star chart of the Phoenix constellation now blazed with a brilliant light, the phantom image of a fiery bird shimmering within it.

He wasn’t in a rush to return to New York.

For one thing, the school’s summer session hadn’t started yet. For another, he wanted to let the dust settle.

Hawk was curious to see if the military, after the mess he’d made at Quantico, could actually find him here.

If they couldn’t, he would head back to New York.

And if they could? He wasn’t worried.

He had chosen this spot for a reason. Five miles in any direction was nothing but dense forest.

It was the perfect place for a battle. The perfect place to kill.

Some people only respect force. You can’t reason with them, you can only beat them into submission. You have to break them, instill a fear so deep that obedience becomes their only option.

You know what they say.

When the U.S. military accuses you of having weapons of mass destruction, you damn well better have them.

Why??

Because if you truly have them, no one will risk laying a hand on you.

But if you’re just bluffing, well, then they’re going to come at you with everything they’ve got.

So—

Hawk had deliberately chosen this remote location as his potential battlefield. If the military found him, the war would start here. He would break them, crush their will to fight, and then casually head back to New York.

But twenty days had passed.

He hadn’t seen a single soldier. He hadn’t seen a single person at all.

It didn’t matter.

His primary reason for being here wasn’t to wait for the military.

It was the waterfall itself.

Hawk was using the relentless, crushing force of the water to push himself past his limits, to finally and completely ignite the Phoenix star chart within his Cosmo.

For the past twenty days, his routine had been simple.

During the day, he would throw his ten thousand punches against the crushing resistance of the waterfall. At night, he would shut down his five senses, sit cross-legged in the pool, and let the 24/7 torrent of water hammer against his body, while he reached inward, searching for the door to the Sixth Sense.

Technically, a Bronze Saint wasn’t considered a true Saint.

The legendary five were the exception, of course.

Only a Saint who had awakened and mastered the Sixth Sense was worthy of the title.

Hawk wasn’t expecting to master it now.

That was unrealistic. But he had time. And if he was lucky, he might just brush against the edges of it.

The Sixth Sense was a game-changer!

A Saint with the Sixth Sense and a Saint without it were on completely different levels of existence.

It was the gateway to True power.

With it, a Saint could manipulate the elements, see the future, move objects with their mind, fly, create illusions... the possibilities were endless.

But alas.

Forget awakening it. He hadn’t even found the doorknob.

Hawk slowly opened his eyes. He rose from the water, his body as immovable as a mountain, the crushing weight of the waterfall having no effect on him.

His blood was boiling, a furnace of heat radiating from his skin, turning the surrounding water into a cloud of steam.

And within that cloud, the fiery, spectral image of a phoenix shimmered into existence behind him.

Yes.

The Phoenix.

In the twenty-plus days he had been here, the military hadn’t come, and he hadn’t found the gateway to the Sixth Sense.

But he had accomplished his main objective.

Hawk had successfully ignited his first constellation.

One of the forty-eight Bronze constellations.

The Phoenix!

The next second, Hawk looked at the curtain of falling water before him and threw his first punch of the day.

--

One punch.

Then another.

And another.

Standing at the base of the waterfall, Hawk braced himself against the crushing torrent of water, his fists lashing out against the immense resistance.

With every punch, the wall of water would momentarily buckle, freezing in place for a fraction of a second.

But it wasn’t enough.

He didn’t just want the waterfall to pause for him. He wanted it to tremble. He wanted it to reverse its flow.

Hawk didn’t think he was asking for much.

This wasn’t Niagara Falls. Compared to the great waterfalls of the world, this one was a trickle.

So, was it too much to ask?

No. Not at all.

But clearly, the waterfall disagreed—

Do you think you’re Poseidon?

And even if you were, what good would that do? He’s the god of the sea. What jurisdiction does he have over a freshwater waterfall?

And so—

The waterfall, enraged by Hawk’s relentless assault, began to flow with even greater fury, its speed visibly increasing.

Hawk felt the shift, the raw anger of the water, but his expression remained unchanged.

Deep within his Cosmo, the fully ignited Phoenix star chart pulsed with light. A fiery phoenix was slowly, majestically, taking form.

He had made his decision.

He would leave this place when this waterfall reversed its course—and not a moment sooner.

He only had a few days left before school started.

A burning, defiant light ignited in Hawk’s eyes.

”Come on!!!”

...

”...Was that thunder?”

Miles away, on the northern edge of Cunningham Falls State Park, Gwen, who had just entered the forest, heard the distant roar and looked up at the sky.

But the dense canopy of the ancient trees blocked her view, allowing only dappled sunlight to filter through. The shifting patterns of light and shadow gave the already quiet forest an eerie, almost mystical quality.

Unable to see the sky, Gwen looked back down.

Dressed in a bright white windbreaker and a pair of hiking boots, Gwen pulled out her phone and looked at the screen.

A tracking map was open.

Two pulsing dots, far apart, but now close enough to be seen on the same screen.

One was her current location.

The other...

Gwen took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the hiking pole she had bought in Thurmont the day before, and steeled herself. She started walking again, heading directly for the second dot.

At first, Gwen had just assumed Hawk’s phone had been stolen. She tried not to worry.

She had been busy with her own summer internship after all.

The next day, Dr. Connors had asked if she had given Hawk the ”Gift,” and she’d realized something was wrong. After work, she’d gone back to Hawk’s apartment.

And the envelope she had left on his table was still there, untouched—

But for reasons she couldn’t explain, a sudden, cold panic seized her heart.

She had immediately called her father and asked him to use his resources at the NYPD to find Hawk.

At first, her father hadn’t been too concerned, but seeing the genuine fear in Gwen’s eyes, he had agreed to make a call to his colleagues in the Queens precinct.

He was the captain of the 19th Precinct in Manhattan. Technically, a missing persons case in Queens was out of his jurisdiction, but a friendly call to a fellow captain was all it took.

The result: nothing...

It was as if Hawk had vanished from the face of the earth.

He had no credit cards, no driver’s license, and his phone was either stolen or dead. There was no way to track him.

To put it bluntly, Hawk was a ghost living in the modern world.

No family.

No social life.

He didn’t even seem to have any friends. Even after opening a case file, the Queens precinct had no idea where to even begin their investigation.

No one could provide a last known location. When they questioned a few of his classmates, no one seemed particularly concerned that he was gone.

Well...

Except Gwen.

Two nights ago, her father had come home to find her just getting back, looking exhausted from another day of searching. He had finally asked the question he’d been holding back. ”Gwen, are you in love with this boy?”

Gwen, who had just come from a cemetery in Queens, froze, then gave him her answer.

”Dad, Hawk and I are just friends.”

”...”

By the time her father had processed her words, she was already halfway up the stairs.

George had blinked, then looked at his wife, Helen, who had been standing quietly by.

”Friends? Do you believe that?”

”It doesn’t matter if I believe it or not.”

Helen, ever the wise and gentle mother, had smiled at her daughter’s retreating back. ”But one thing I know, she’s no longer just a little girl.”

George was speechless.

...

Up in her room, Gwen had thrown herself onto her bed, her mind filled with a gnawing, nameless feeling as she thought about Hawk, who had now been missing for over a week.

Just then, her phone had buzzed.

She had glanced at it, expecting another spam text.

But then, her eyes had gone wide.

It wasn’t spam. It was another security alert from her phone provider.

She had frantically clicked the link.

This time, it wasn’t a general location. It was a precise GPS coordinate.

Cunningham Falls State Park, Maryland. At the base of a waterfall.

...

And that was why Gwen was here now.

Soon.

As the roar of the water grew louder, a surge of adrenaline cut through her exhaustion. Drenched in sweat, Gwen pushed herself, quickening her pace.

Back at the base of the falls.

Hawk had just thrown his nine-thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-ninth punch. He drew his fist back one last time. The fiery silhouette of the Phoenix behind him solidified, becoming almost real.

The next second, he unleashed his ten-thousandth punch. The fiery phoenix behind him spread its wings and soared.

”SKREEEEE!”

”Flow... BACKWARDS!”

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The waterfall no longer plunged downward. It roared to a halt, then surged upward—reversing its course into the sky.

In that moment, it was as if time itself had frozen.

But a single sound cut through the impossible silence.

A voice.

Clear.

And trembling.

”HAWK!!!”

”...”

--

Countless shattered droplets of water hung in the air around Hawk, spinning and orbiting him as if paying homage.

The world was utterly silent.

The only sound was a single voice, calling his name from behind.

”HAWK!!!”

The word sent a jolt through him, and his bare chest, which had been rising and falling steadily, hitched for a second.

Hawk instinctively turned.

And saw her.

She emerged from the forest, dressed in a windbreaker. Her blonde hair was a mess, her face beaded with sweat, but her blue eyes, when they locked with his, were filled with a brilliant, overwhelming joy.

”Gwen?”

Hawk froze.

He couldn’t believe it.

Somehow, the first person to find him here wasn’t the United States military. It was Gwen.

How was that even possible?

His mind reeled.

And in that moment, time, which had been frozen, lurched back into motion.

ROOOAR!!

The inverted waterfall collapsed, crashing down once more. But this time, the sound was softer, more subdued.

It was as if the waterfall itself was afraid of making too much noise and inviting another cataclysm.

After all, Hawk had proven he could make it bend to his will.

At the same time, Gwen, seeing him standing there, began to run.

She didn’t know why she was running—she had already found him—but her body just took over...

In the blink of an eye, she had reached the edge of the pool, and without hesitation, she plunged into the water, wading toward him.

The next second.

She threw her arms around him, holding on tight.

Hawk’s arms instinctively wrapped around her, pulling her into his embrace, his body shielding her from the punishing force of the waterfall.

And then, he remembered. With a nearly silent whoosh, they vanished from the pool, reappearing an instant later on the grassy bank.

A thick cloud of steam, like a pillar of smoke, rose from Hawk’s body and from Gwen’s now-drenched clothes.

In a single, breathtaking moment, the immense heat radiating from Hawk’s body vaporized the water, leaving them both completely dry.

Hawk looked down at Gwen, who was still clinging to him tightly.

He opened his mouth, wanting to ask how she had found him when the entire United States military couldn’t.

But—

He saw that she had fallen asleep, a faint, soft snore escaping her lips. He closed his mouth, then slowly sat down on the ground, cradling her in his lap.

He didn’t speak. He just watched her sleep, his gaze soft. He reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of blonde hair from her face.

...

About half an hour later.

Gwen’s eyes slowly fluttered open. Still groggy, she thought she was in her bed and instinctively started to stretch.

The next second, she saw Hawk, looking down at her.

Their eyes met.

Gwen blinked.

Hawk smiled.

”Hello.”

”HOLY SHIT!” With a gasp, Gwen scrambled out of his lap, her pale cheeks flushing a deep shade of pink.

Hawk rose to his feet, stretching his limbs, which had gone stiff from holding still for so long.

Gwen, after a quick, disoriented glance at her surroundings, focused her attention back on him.

He stood before her, wearing only a pair of shorts, his body like that of a Greek statue. His sharp, intelligent eyes were framed by a pair of strong, confident brows.

They were the same brows she had always known.

But before, they had been like a sword in its sheath. Now, they were like a newly forged blade, drawn and ready.

Gwen stared, momentarily captivated.

The next second, she snapped out of it. A playful, knowing smile spread across her face. ”The library... Studying. Hah.”

”...” Hawk’s brow twitched. He heard the gentle accusation in her teasing tone. After a moment, he said, ”Sorry.”

Gwen’s smile widened.

She had heard the note of complaint in her own voice, and she had heard something new in his apology.

Before, when he had said he was sorry, it had been a dismissal, a way to end a conversation.

But this time?

A corner of her mouth turned up. She held out her hand.

Hawk looked at it, confused.

Gwen said, ”Why didn’t you answer my calls?”

Hawk walked over to where he had left his clothes, picked up the phone that had been sitting on his neatly folded t-shirt, and handed it to her. ”I’ve been out here for over twenty days. The battery’s been dead for weeks.”

Gwen paused, then took the phone.

Sure enough.

The screen was black.

But—

She blinked. An idea struck her. She pulled out her own phone, still holding his, and clicked on the link from the security alert.

Link has expired.

Gwen stared at the screen, momentarily stunned. The link that had been active just a moment ago was now gone.

At that moment, Hawk finally asked the question that had been burning in his mind.

”By the way, Gwen, how did you know I was here?”

”...”

Gwen snapped out of her thoughts. She casually put her own phone back in her pocket, handed his back to him, and smiled. ”My dad’s a police captain, Hawk. If I want to find you, I’ll find you.”

Hawk just blinked.

That line—was the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. He’d have to be crazy to believe that.

But looking at Gwen, who was trying so hard to look confident, a faint blush still dusting her cheeks, Hawk’s expression softened into one of dawning realization. He gave a slow nod.

He decided to let it go.

A moment ago, he had been desperate to know how she had found him. But now, he realized he didn’t care.

No.

The moment he’d seen her lying asleep in his arms, the question had ceased to matter.

Maybe it was just as she said.

She was the daughter of a police captain. If she wanted to find him, she could.

That was her story.

And Hawk decided to believe it.

--

Five o’clock in the afternoon.

New York, John F. Kennedy International Airport.

George Stacy of the NYPD’s 19th Precinct was pacing back and forth near the arrivals gate, feeling like he was about to lose his mind.

This was it. The day he’d always dreaded.

His little girl, the precious daughter he had raised so carefully, was finally being snatched away by some animal.

And a wild one at that.

But that wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was that, from the looks of it, his daughter was the one who had gone looking for the animal.

George couldn’t understand it. But at this point, it didn’t matter.

Right now, only one thought consumed him.

He wanted to put a bullet in the punk who had stolen his little girl.

Just then, the passengers from the flight from Hagerstown, Maryland, began to deplane.

George stopped his pacing, took a deep breath, and stood by the gate, his eyes fixed on the passengers emerging from the jet bridge.

A moment later.

His breathing hitched, sharp and ragged in his chest.

Jesus Christ.

What was he seeing?

His baby girl was walking out, hand-in-hand with some handsome punk.

George’s face went dark.

The other people waiting nearby felt a sudden, inexplicable chill in the air. They glanced at George, then instinctively took a few steps away.

...

Finally, the new couple—fresh off the plane and still in the early days of their relationship—felt a wave of pure hostility crash over them.

Gwen looked up, saw the source of the cold front, and immediately let go of Hawk’s hand. ”Shit. It’s my dad.”

Hawk had already seen him. George Stacy, standing at the gate, dressed in a black suit, his normally stoic face radiating a dangerous cold.

Their eyes met.

Hawk could feel the captain’s gaze on him—suspicious, analytical, and utterly hostile.

It was to be expected.

Hawk figured that if his own daughter had run off without a word and come back with some guy, he’d probably be even angrier than George Stacy.

Breaking the punk’s legs would be letting him off easy.

What’s that?

He’s the punk in this scenario?

Oh.

Right. Never mind.

Hawk thought to himself.

To be honest, Hawk was still a little fuzzy on how he and Gwen had ended up holding hands.

The memories were a blur.

But he was happy.

It was just like he’d thought before.

Hawk had never been against the idea of a relationship, especially with Gwen Stacy, the undisputed number one girlfriend in all of comics.

He had always felt out of her league.

But now, he wasn’t.

And once he got his hands on that meteorite, got the Vibranium from Wakanda, and forged his Phoenix Armor, he’d own the whole damn league.

So—

Hawk watched as Gwen ran ahead to her father, grabbing his arm. His own expression remained calm. He walked right up to Captain Stacy, met his glare without flinching, and extended his right hand.

”Mr. Stacy. I’m Hawk. I’m sorry for worrying you.”

”...”

George didn’t speak. He didn’t shake Hawk’s hand. He just glanced at it, then completely ignored him and looked at Gwen.

”Let’s go. Your mother’s waiting.”

”Dad!”

”It’s okay, Gwen.” Hawk smoothly retracted his hand, his expression unchanged. ”You should go with your father.”

He understood. He didn’t blame George for not shaking his hand. Right now, even if the man had tried to punch him, he would have just dodged. He wouldn’t have fought back.

Hawk gave Gwen a small, reassuring smile, said a final ”Goodbye, Mr. Stacy,” and then walked away, not wanting to make things any more difficult for her.

...

Hawk was back at his apartment near Queensbridge Park.

He flipped on the light.

He had expected to find the place covered in a thick layer of dust after being away for over twenty days.

But it was clean. Even the shorts he had left hanging in the window were now neatly folded on the sofa.

And on top of them was an envelope.

This must be the gift from Dr. Connors that Gwen had mentioned on the phone.

Hawk sat down on the sofa, picked up the envelope, and pulled out a handwritten letter.

It was a letter of recommendation to New York University, written by Dr. Connors himself.

Hawk had forgotten. Dr. Connors was an NYU alumnus.

Hiss.

”Damn. This is a pretty big deal.”

Hawk blinked.

Honestly, the letter was impressive.

A recommendation from a scientist of Dr. Connors’s stature was more than just a nice gesture, it was the kind of thing that could open doors. Other students would kill for something like this.

A letter of recommendation was a form of social currency, a personal endorsement.

So, If Hawk had received this letter before he had awakened his Cosmo, he would have been ecstatic.

But now?

He didn’t really care if he got into NYU or not.

He wasn’t planning on dropping out of school, but his perspective had shifted.

If it happens, great. If not, that’s fine too.

He could see a different, more brilliant future laid out before him now.

However—

He still owed Dr. Connors a thank-you call.

Hawk turned the envelope over. Gwen had written Dr. Connors’s number on the back.

He pulled out his phone, saw the black screen, and chuckled. He stood up and walked into the bedroom.

Hawk plugged his phone into the charger and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for it to power on.

As he waited, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the picture frame on his nightstand had been moved slightly.

Hawk raised an eyebrow. He reached over and carefully adjusted the frame, angling it back toward his pillow.

It was a habit.

He slept on his side, and with the frame positioned just so, there was a seventy percent chance it would be the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning.

There. Perfect.

Hawk smiled, then looked at his now-powered-on phone and dialed Dr. Connors’s number.

The call connected quickly. ”Curtis Connors speaking.”

”Dr. Connors, it’s Hawk.”

Hawk introduced himself, then apologized for the delay, explaining that he had been out of town and had just gotten back and seen the letter.

Dr. Connors sounded genuinely pleased to hear from him.

After a few minutes of pleasantries, Hawk asked casually, ”You sound like you’re in a good mood, Doctor. Did the experiment finally succeed?”

Dr. Connors laughed.

”Almost. One of the test mice showed me the breakthrough is within reach.”

”...Well, congratulations in advance, Doctor.”

”Thank you, Hawk. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

”Of course. Take care.”

”...”

--

”For real?”

”It was a success?”

Hawk hung up the phone after his call with Dr. Connors, a feeling of genuine surprise washing over him.

After all, he had assumed that in a world with the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man but no Andrew Garfield version, Dr. Connors’s regeneration experiment was doomed to fail.

But it seemed…

Hawk stood up and walked out of his bedroom, his mind replaying the conversation.

Dr. Connors had been ecstatic, so he’d shared a few more details with Hawk.

During the latest trial with the lab mice, they had expected the same result as all the previous attempts: failure.

But then, something unexpected happened.

One of the lab mice, after being injected with the lizard serum, had flatlined. But a few minutes later, its life signs had reappeared. Not only that, but the tail it had lost during an escape attempt last month began to regrow at a visible rate.

The discovery had left Dr. Connors absolutely thrilled.

Hawk thought it was fascinating.

But the feeling only lasted for a moment.

He sat down at his folding table, opened the secondhand, ”gently-used-by-a-pretty-girl” laptop he’d bought from Skye for five hundred bucks, and pushed the thought of Dr. Connors’s success to the back of his mind.

He was far more interested in the situation at Quantico.

Soon, after a quick search online, Hawk’s expression grew strange once again.

No intrusion...

Only a training exercise.

A D.C. newspaper had reported on the alarms at the Quantico base.

But in the article, a base spokesperson denied any such intrusion, stating that it had simply been a routine training exercise. Unfortunately, during the exercise, a building had unexpectedly collapsed, and a dozen soldiers had been tragically killed.

Yep. Quantico was covering it up.

It was to be expected.

This was Quantico—home of the US Military, right next door to the FBI Academy, a stone’s throw from the CIA’s headquarters in Langley. Under those circumstances, there was no way in hell the military would ever admit that one of their most secure bases had been breached.

As for anything else—

Hawk searched, but found nothing.

There were no reports about the body of the young driver he’d killed.

Either he hadn’t been found yet, or his death simply wasn’t newsworthy.

After all, a lot of nobodies died for a lot of reasons every single day. A nameless, faceless punk disappearing without a trace wasn’t going to make the headlines.

Hawk shook his head, closed the laptop, and went back to his bedroom to sleep.

...

The next morning, Hawk was woken up by his phone.

He opened his eyes, saw the familiar picture frame on his nightstand, and then reached for the phone, which was still charging.

”Hello?”

”Come downstairs.”

”...”

Hawk’s brain took a second to reboot. He sat up, pulled on a t-shirt, and walked to the living room window. He looked down and saw her, standing across the street next to her yellow Corolla, waving up at him.

Gwen.

Oh, right.

His girlfriend Gwen!

It still felt unreal.

Let me say that again.

Gwen Stacy is my girlfriend!!

Hawk thought to himself, a slow smile spreading across his face. He waved back, then hung up and headed for the door.

A few moments later.

He emerged from the building, crossed the street, and walked up to her.

”What’s up?”

”Are you free tonight? My mom wants you to come over for dinner.”

”Uh...”

Hawk’s mind raced. He looked at the hopeful, expectant look in Gwen’s eyes and, after a moment, nodded.

”Okay.”

”So, what are you doing now?”

”Um, probably head to the library. Do some reading.”

”...”

Hawk saw the look on Gwen’s face—a gentle, knowing smile—and let out a small laugh. ”No, for real this time. I’m actually going to the library.”

School started tomorrow after all.

Senior year. The last year of high school. If things went according to plan, the admissions officers from NYU would be coming by this semester for final interviews and to confirm scholarships.

He might have acted like he didn’t care if he got into NYU or not.

But if he could, he still wanted to go. It had been his dream, before all of this, to study law at NYU, to become a prosecutor, maybe even a judge.

And he had worked his ass off for the past three years to make it happen.

Gwen studied his face for a moment, then her own broke into a brilliant smile.

”Then let’s go.”

”Where?”

”To the library, right? I have to go too. We can study, and then I can give you a ride home. But first, you have to come with me to Oscorp.”

”Get in.”

Hawk watched as she walked around to the driver’s side, opened her door, and gestured for him to get in. He didn’t hesitate, pulling open the passenger door and sliding into the seat.

Just as he’d said, he really was going to the library to study today.

It was all about work-life balance.

Deep within his Cosmo, the Phoenix star chart glowed, a spectral phoenix shimmering within it. The brilliant, chaotic energy of the Gammanium he had absorbed from Quantico swirled through the constellation.

The Phoenix was still working, improving the raw power.

They spent the entire day together. After a quick stop at Oscorp, they went to the library and studied in comfortable silence.

He was aiming for NYU.

She was aiming for Berkeley.

They were both working toward their futures.

--

Manhattan, the Goring Building.

Helen Stacy, who had been a devoted wife and mother ever since she married George Stacy, was in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

Her two sons, nine-year-old Howard and eight-year-old Simon—Gwen’s younger brothers—were in the living room, watching TV as if their lives depended on it.

Yes. Because the moment their mother was free, she would march them off to do their homework.

As Helen often said, ”Your sister Gwen is so smart. You all came from the same place, you should be smart too.”

In reality, Howard and Simon weren’t bad students, but they were perpetually hovering right on the edge of a passing grade, and sometimes, they slipped.

Case in point: their final exams this year had been a disaster. As a result, Helen had cut their daily hour of screen time in half.

Just then.

The doorbell rang.

”Howard, Simon, time to go to your rooms and study,” Helen called out from the kitchen.

”...Okay.”

Helen walked into the living room, gave her two sons a pointed look, and then watched as they trudged upstairs to their rooms. She went to the front door and opened it.

Standing on the other side, Hawk smiled at the woman who opened the door—a woman whose first impression was one of pure, gentle warmth. ”Good evening, Mrs. Stacy.”

Helen’s eyes widened in a welcoming smile. ”Good evening, Hawk. Please, come in.”

Hawk said his thanks and was immediately pulled inside by Gwen.

This was the first time in this life that Hawk had ever been a guest in someone else’s home.

Gwen’s apartment was on the top floor, a two-story duplex. It wasn’t massive, but every corner of it exuded a sense of warmth and tidiness.

Hearing the voices downstairs, George Stacy descended from his second-floor study, his face a mask of stern disapproval.

Gwen, who had been introducing Hawk to her mother, heard the footsteps on the stairs. ”Dad.”

Hawk looked up and gave a respectful nod. ”Mr. Stacy.”

George’s expression was severe, his posture rigid. He looked like a man who had forgotten how to smile.

But at least this was better than yesterday.

This time, he actually grunted in acknowledgement before walking past them to the dining table without another word.

Helen just shook her head with an amused smile. ”Hawk, please, have a seat. Dinner’s ready.”

Hawk said his thanks again and followed Gwen to the table. He gave another slight nod to George, who was now seated across from him, and took his own seat.

Helen then called upstairs.

”Howard, Simon, dinner!”

”Coming!”

The two boys, who had been waiting for this moment, came thundering down the stairs. They stopped short when they saw the stranger at their dining table, then slowly took their seats, their eyes fixed on Hawk.

Hawk met their gaze and extended his right hand to the older boy.

”Hi, Howard. I’m Hawk.”

”I’m Howard.”

”I’m Simon.” Eight-year-old Simon stood up, shook Hawk’s hand with his own small one, and then looked up at him, his eyes wide with curiosity. ”Are you my sister’s boyfriend?”

”...” Hawk’s eyes flickered to George.

Yep. The captain’s face had gone several shades darker.

Hawk smiled and nodded at the young, blonde-haired boy. ”I am.”

At that, George’s face went even darker.

Gwen, however, just smiled and ruffled her little brother’s hair.

Nice one, little bro.

She decided she’d give him ten bucks before bed as a reward.

Howard, on the other hand, would get nothing.

The dinner was served in typical American fashion—individual plates, not family style.

This was probably George’s doing.

After all, Hawk was an outsider. Unless you were a lifelong family friend, the first time you came to dinner, it was always formal.

Hawk understood.

But regardless of how it was served, the food was excellent.

This was, without a doubt, the best meal he had eaten in this life.

The school cafeteria food didn’t even count. And when he was alone, Hawk never cared about flavor or presentation. He just ate to fill his stomach, because just surviving was hard enough.

...

At the dinner table, George presided like a silent, watchful patriarch, eating his meal without a word.

Helen was occasionally asking Hawk if he was enjoying the food and making light, easy conversation.

Gwen acted as a buffer between her mother and her boyfriend, while also keeping a wary eye on her father, half-expecting him to explode at any moment.

Howard and Simon just happily ate their food.

Just then, George picked up his glass of whiskey, took a sip, and cleared his throat.

In an instant, all eyes were on him.

Here we go again...

Hawk thought to himself, his own gaze shifting to meet the captain’s, who had been watching him out of the corner of his eye the entire meal.

Just as George was about to speak, Helen caught the desperate, pleading look in Gwen’s eyes. She hid a smile and cut in first.

”So, George, tell us about work. That Spider-Man, have you caught him yet?”

”...”

George shot a look at his wife, then at Gwen, and finally, his eyes settled on Hawk. ”Not yet. But we will. He’s an amateur, and he’s leaving clues everywhere.”

With that, without giving Helen or Gwen another chance to interrupt, he turned his full attention to Hawk. ”So, Hawk, what’s your take on this new Spider-Man? Do you think he’s some kind of vigilante?”

Under the table, Gwen’s hand gently squeezed Hawk’s thigh.

Hawk got the message. He just smiled and shook his head.

”Sir, I’ve been in Maryland for the past few weeks. I just got back yesterday, and I spent all day at the library.”

”Honestly—”

”—I’m just a student. My only concern right now is getting a scholarship to NYU so the bank will approve my student loan application.”

”As for this Spider-Man... I don’t really care if he’s a vigilante or just some idiot looking for attention.”

”...”