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New Amsterdam Hospital.
Outside the emergency room.
After Sharon Carter had been rushed in for surgery, Gwen had been sitting in the hallway with Hawk, waiting.
She looked worried.
"Sharon's going to be okay, right?"
"She'll be fine."
"You sure?"
"Don't worry. Even if she dies, her soul belongs to my Underworld. She won't end up in Hell."
"Huh?"
"Remember what I told you? I made a deal with Mephisto. Any soul that praises my name belongs to my Underworld."
"...Alright then."
With that reassurance from Hawk, Gwen finally relaxed a bit and nodded. "I still hope Sharon pulls through without any problems."
Hawk chuckled and decided to change the subject. "Gwen, that was reckless. You shouldn't have opened the door. We have a safe room in the basement."
It was a multi-million-dollar standalone home, after all. A safe room was standard.
Right there in the basement—a space big enough for a family of three, with its own power supply and stored food. Once sealed, it could hold out for three days.
Gwen seemed to remember something. She looked at Hawk.
"Obviously, my method worked."
"Huh...?"
Hawk was genuinely confused.
"What method?"
"Once I'm in danger, you show up immediately."
"..."
Hawk listened to Gwen explain her "method," his expression somewhere between disbelief and concern. "So that's why you dared to open the door and face three HYDRA agents alone?"
Gwen shrugged.
"You tell me—did it work or not?"
"It worked. Don't ever do it again."
Hawk's face turned serious as he looked at Gwen. "I just happened to bring Peter and Felicia out of that no-signal zone at the right time. What if I hadn't gotten out that fast?"
Gwen's smile was radiant. "It's fine. You gave me a protective charm, remember?"
As she spoke, she lowered her gaze and pulled out the Andromeda Cloth necklace hanging around her neck.
Hawk's expression cleared. "Fair enough."
Gwen carefully tucked the necklace back under her shirt, then her eyes lit up as she looked at Hawk.
"You found Peter and Felicia?"
"Yeah."
"That's great!"
"Yep. Felicia's pregnant. Four months along. It's Peter's."
"..."
Gwen's mouth fell open slightly. Her expression froze in place.
Wait... What did he mean Felicia was pregnant, the baby was Peter's, and she was already four months along?
Peter was two-timing? That was impossible. Peter was such a straight-laced guy. There was no way he could be a scumbag.
Gwen's mind raced at lightning speed.
Hawk smiled faintly but said nothing more. He turned his head to look at the emergency room doors.
The next second, he felt someone tugging on his sleeve.
Gwen's eyes were wide with disbelief, staring at Hawk without saying a word. But her expression said it all.
What happened?
"Alright, fine."
Hawk laughed and proceeded to explain the time differential between Skull Island and the real world, along with how Peter and Felicia had gotten together.
Gwen was shocked.
Not just about the time difference between Skull Island and the real world.
But also about Peter and Felicia being a couple.
It took her a while.
Finally, Gwen snapped out of her shock and looked at Hawk. "There's really a place on Earth where one month outside equals a year on the island?"
Hawk nodded.
"I only figured it out when I found Peter on Skull Island and did the math. Turns out, more than ten days had passed out here."
"I really want to see it."
"Absolutely not. That place is dangerous as hell."
Hearing that, Hawk immediately tried to squash that terrifying idea. "You don't want to spend a few days there only to come back and find out more than a month has passed out here—with Helen and George losing their minds looking for you. They'd kill me."
Gwen thought about it, then instinctively nodded. "Fair point. But wait—Peter and Felicia. Did Peter tell you that himself? That doesn't sound like him. He's not the type to share his private life with people."
Hawk's lips curved upward.
"I told him that if MJ finds out Felicia's four months pregnant, she's either going to believe he cheated on her or believe his story about time differentials—which one sounds more believable? But if you explain it to MJ, she'll believe it."
"Me?"
Gwen blinked and pointed at herself.
"Of course. If I say it, MJ will just think Peter and I are in cahoots."
"True."
Gwen found Hawk's explanation flawless and nodded. Then she shook her head. "Actually, let's not tell MJ proactively. Let's wait until MJ finds out on her own. Then I'll help Peter explain it to her."
Hawk didn't respond.
He was happy to watch the drama unfold. He wasn't about to stir the pot himself.
Just then, the emergency room light turned on.
Soon, the doors opened.
A surgeon wearing a mask emerged first. Sharon Carter, lying on a hospital bed, followed right behind.
"The surgery went well. However, the patient lost a lot of blood. She'll need to stay for observation for a couple of days."
"Okay. Thank you, doctor."
After the surgeon left, Hawk and Gwen followed Sharon Carter to a VIP room.
After all, they'd gone through the VIP express lane for this surgery.
Translation: Pay in cash, skip the insurance.
...
Inside the VIP room.
Hawk crossed his arms and looked at Sharon, who was lying in the hospital bed. Thanks to the blood transfusion, her complexion was gradually returning to a healthier color. He shook his head and glanced at his fiancée. "I'm probably not getting that sixty grand back."
Gwen looked at Hawk. "Sharon's our friend."
Sharon—lying in the hospital bed, her face looking a bit more flushed but still very weak—managed a faint smile as she looked at Hawk. "I'll pay you back."
Hawk laughed.
"I was joking. Gwen's right. You're our friend."
"I'm sorry..."
Sharon's face was filled with guilt. "I almost got Gwen dragged into this."
Hawk waved it off and dropped the smile, his expression turning serious as he looked at Sharon.
"Again—you're a friend, Sharon."
"That's right, Sharon."
Gwen chimed in as well. "Friends don't need to be so formal with each other. And honestly, if you hadn't come to me, who knows how long Hawk would've stayed out there playing around before coming home?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow at Gwen.
Gwen ignored him and kept reassuring Sharon. "Besides, you saw it yourself. Hawk's back now. Don't worry. Get some rest. No one's going to mess with you anymore."
Hearing Gwen's reassurance, Sharon managed another smile and nodded. Then, as if remembering something, she turned her head to look at Hawk.
"Hawk, HYDRA—"
"I know."
Hawk cut her off. "HYDRA's been parasitically embedded in SHIELD this whole time, right? And now they've decided to stop hiding and are making their move for a second uprising. Is that it?"
Sharon blinked, thinking Gwen must have already told Hawk. She nodded.
"New York SHIELD has been taken over. Commander Hand was captured. Hawk, could you—"
"No."
"..."
Sharon opened her mouth. The hope in her eyes visibly dimmed. "Alright."
Hawk smiled faintly.
"I have no interest in getting involved in the mess between you and HYDRA."
"But..."
"They made the first move."
"Today they dared to knock on my door and test me. Tomorrow they'll dare to break in. If I act like nothing happened, the day after that, someone's going to think they can walk all over me."
"And—" Hawk continued, watching as hope began to flicker in Sharon's eyes again. His lips curved upward. "And you're my friend, Sharon. I've always been generous with my friends. So—John Garrett. Describe what he looks like."
In principle, he genuinely didn't want to get involved in the grudge match between HYDRA and SHIELD.
Bottom line, Whether SHIELD won or HYDRA won, it made no difference to him.
It wasn't like HYDRA would suddenly think they could disrespect him once they were in charge.
Except HYDRA actually did think they could.
They hadn't even succeeded in their takeover yet, and HYDRA was already sending people to test him. If he didn't respond now, what would happen if HYDRA actually won? They'd be walking all over him.
So he had to send a message.
Sharon immediately understood what Hawk meant. Without hesitation, she quickly described the build and appearance of John Garrett—the man leading the takeover of New York SHIELD—then looked at Hawk. "Hawk, Commander Hand is still in there. And other agents. If you can, please help them."
Her pleading gaze was similar to the three HYDRA agents who had begged Hawk to spare them earlier.
But there was a fundamental difference. Because Hawk had refused the three HYDRA agents' plea.
But Sharon—
"I can do that."
Hawk smiled and nodded, then looked at Gwen beside him.
Just as he was about to speak, Gwen was already smiling. "Go on, superhero."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not a superhero."
"I know. But you're my superhero. Come back soon. Once it gets dark, I'm not brave enough to go home alone."
"Yeah. I'll be right back."
Hawk chuckled, then the moment he turned around, his body vanished like a fading mirage, disappearing from the room.
Gwen watched Hawk disappear from view, blinked a few times, then turned to Sharon with a smile. "Now you can relax."
Sharon managed a weak smile.
"Thank you, Gwen."
"Don't mention it."
Gwen smiled warmly, then glanced at the IV drip and said to Sharon, "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch. Don't worry. Hawk's back. This'll all be resolved soon."
Sharon hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah. Hawk's back—"
Before she could finish, Sharon's eyes had already closed. She fell into a deep but peaceful sleep.
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