Marvel: The Enlightened One#136+137: Anya—All Grown Up, Gates of Hell, The Two Great Witches of Marvel, Cap’s Seal of Approval!

Ten minutes later, Hawk showered and changed into a Winnie the Pooh pajama set Gwen had bought him, came back downstairs.

The Hell Witch, still wreathed in blue flame, looked at him, her voice filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Hawk. You're a good man."

"Yes. You're not like the men who burned us."

“No.”

"You—"

"Stop." Hawk held up a hand, cutting her off. He didn't know why, but every time the other souls in her started talking, it felt like he was listening to a comedy routine.

He got straight to the point. "I thought all the dimensional pathways were supposed to be closed."

The Hell Witch nodded and explained. "The energy wave from the Convergence of the Nine Realms is strong enough to assimilate any dimension it touches. And since we are dimensional beings, it would have been fatal for us to be exposed. So we returned to Hell before the energy wave was released."

Hawk said. "So, the gates to Hell are open again?"

"No."

"Then how—"

"We sensed Carrie’s magic awakening," she explained. "A witch’s magic only awakens under extreme emotional distress. And if a newly awakened witch isn't guided, her own power can destroy her. If she survives, and if no one helps her, she'll suffer the same fate we did—burned as a heretic. Carrie is our descendant. We couldn't let that happen. So, one of us—Emma, sacrificed her own soul to open a temporary gateway."

Emma.

One of the souls within the Hell Witch. Her voice was always cool and detached.

No wonder he hadn't heard her. Hawk looked at the witch, at the swirling mass of souls, and saw that one of the entangled souls was missing.

"But why come to me? Wouldn't it have been faster to go directly to her?"

"We cannot leave New York City. Not as long as the Osborns are here."

"Why not?"

"When we first returned from Hell, the Sorcerer Supreme found us. I was once a Salem witch, and the Salem Dimension had dealings with Kamar-Taj. I had even spoken with the Ancient One herself. So, she granted us a special dispensation. We are allowed to remain in New York, but we cannot leave, and we cannot harm any humans… unless an Osborn leaves the city first."

Hawk understood.

The New York Sanctum was one of the three great pillars of Kamar-Taj. He had always wondered why they had allowed a demonic entity to openly curse one of the city's most prominent families right under their noses.

So this was it. A special, off-the-books arrangement. Even in the world of magic, it all came down to who you knew.

"So, do you know when the gates to Hell will reopen?"

The Hell Witch shook her head. "We don't know. But it should be soon. We could feel that the energy wave, while still present, has weakened. It can no longer harm us."

Hawk nodded. "I see."

Just then, the Hell Witch spoke again. "Hawk, when we were in Hell, we saw your sister."

Hawk's head snapped up.

"ANYA?"

"Yes."

"How is she?"

He didn’t even realize his own voice was trembling.

The Hell Witch held out her hands, and a blue light flickered, coalescing into a spectral flame that formed the projected image of a young woman.

Hawk stared at the image.

There was no doubt. It was his sister.

But…

The trembling in his gaze slowly faded, replaced by a look of relief. "She’s gotten taller. And her hair has grown out."

The Hell Witch lowered her hands. "Hell is the realm of the dead. But other than that, it is no different from Earth."

Hawk nodded.

He sank onto the sofa and rubbed his face, then looked back at the witch. "Where did you see her?"

"In the palace of the Lord of Hell. We had gone to ask Mephisto to open a gateway for us. He refused. As we were leaving, we saw her in one of the palace wings."

A wave of relief washed over Hawk. His sister was alive, safe, being looked after.

“Is she okay?”

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

"..."

Hawk's pupils contracted.

The Hell Witch didn’t speak. She began to chant, and as the incantation flowed from her lips, a strange energy began to fill the room. Hawk couldn’t see it, but his Sixth Sense could—a dark, ominous gate was opening.

He could sense it, but he couldn’t touch it, couldn’t pinpoint its location.

Soon, the chanting stopped.

And then, A soul, confused and hesitant, stepping through the Gate of Hell.

She looked exactly as she had in the projection. Dressed in a simple white dress, her long hair falling in gentle waves—Anya looked around, and then her eyes met his.

The next second, he heard a voice he hadn’t heard in years.

"Brother!"

Anya's eyes lit up. She ran toward him.

Hawk's arms opened, ready to embrace her.

But she stopped at the very edge of the gate, at the boundary between Hell and Earth. It was as if she could not take that final step.

In his senses, she was right there.

And yet, so far.

Hawk looked at the Hell Witch.

She explained, “This is only possible because of the residual energy from Emma’s sacrifice. I’m sorry, I don’t have the power to resurrect her. And she only has one minute. Before the gate closes, she must return to Hell. Otherwise, the spirits that linger outside will devour her.”

Hawk nodded, a look of gratitude on his face. He turned back to his sister. "Anya, don’t worry. Wait for me. I'm coming to get you. I’ll be there soon to bring you home."

Anya had always been a good girl. She didn't cry, didn't argue. She just smiled, tears streaming down her face. "I know. The Lord of Hell told me. He said if he didn't take good care of me, my brother would rip his head off and turn it into a wine goblet. My brother is the strongest man in the world."

Tears welled in Hawk’s own eyes. He smiled back. “Of course he is. So believe me, I will bring you home.”

Anya nodded emphatically.

The next second, the minute was up. He could sense the gate beginning to close, and in the darkness beyond it, countless pairs of malevolent eyes turned toward Anya.

The Hell Witch didn’t hesitate. In an instant, she had sent Anya back through the gate.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Gate of Hell slammed shut.

The moment it vanished, the Hell Witch swayed, the blue flames around her dimming as she nearly collapsed.

“I’m sorry. The energy from Emma’s soul is gone.”

"Thank you."

Hawk closed his eyes, took a deep steadying breath, and then looked at her. "I owe you one."

...

Just then, Carrie, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of Gwen's spare pajamas, came downstairs. Hawk looked at her, then back at the Hell Witch. "So, what's the plan for her?"

The Hell Witch began, "We were hoping—"

Hawk said. "Say no more. I'll take care of her."

It wasn't a refusal, it was an acceptance. After what the Hell Witch had just done for him, he would do more than just take care of Carrie.

The Hell Witch shook her head. "Thank you, but she can’t stay here. She’s newly awakened. She needs a teacher. If you could, we were hoping you could find a witch for her. We are bound to the Hell dimension now. We no longer know any others."

Hawk was taken aback for a second, then nodded.

“Of course. I’ll find someone. Any requirements?”

"Just someone who can teach her the basics. Once her powers are stable, the knowledge of the Salem Dimension will awaken within her naturally."

“Understood.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

"Thank you."

<><><><><><><><>

The next day.

Agent Sharon Carter parked her car, got out, and stared at Hawk’s front door. She let out a soft sigh, walked up, and knocked.

Just yesterday, her bags had been packed. She’d been sitting at the airport, waiting for her flight, ready to get the hell out of town for Christmas.

She had zero interest in spending the holidays watching Hawk and Gwen play house. So, she’d bought a ticket to Texas to catch the hottest show on the circuit—a stunt performance by some daredevil motorcycle rider named Johnny Blaze.

The tickets had been a nightmare to get.

But then…

The Commander had called.

As she waited for the door to open, Sharon felt a pang of regret. If she could turn back time, she never would have agreed to fly back to New York with Hawk from Quantico.

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the door opened.

Sharon instantly composed herself, smiling at Gwen as she greeted her.

“Morning, Gwen.”

“Sharon.”

Gwen’s eyes lit up when she saw Sharon. She stepped forward, giving her a quick hug before saying apologetically, “Sorry to drag you into this again, but something came up yesterday.”

She warmly invited Sharon inside, then lowered her voice and gave her the short version of what had happened to Carrie the night before.

The bullying.

The pig’s blood at the prom.

God...

Last night, as Gwen helped Carrie change into a spare set of her pajamas, she had listened to the story in utter disbelief.

She had thought the worst kind of high school bullying was the stuff Flash Thompson pulled at Midtown. But even a meathead like Flash would never, ever ruin a school dance.

Because for most students, prom was supposed to be one of the best memories of their lives.

And yet.

Gwen had never imagined a girl could be so vicious—so determined to destroy what should have been an unforgettable night for another.

When she’d gone back to her room and told Hawk about it, she learned that he had already… dealt with the girl responsible. Her immediate reaction was—

Serves her right.

Even for someone as kind-hearted as Gwen, she knew that if anyone had done that to her, she wouldn’t have hesitated to do the same damn thing.

...

After hearing Gwen’s summary, Sharon’s expression was a mixture of disbelief and disgust.

“There are really women that evil in the world?”

“Yeah. It’s disgusting.” Gwen nodded.

Just then.

Hawk came walking down the stairs. Seeing Sharon already seated on the sofa, he smiled and greeted her.

“Morning, Sharon.”

“Morning.”

“Here about last night?”

“Yes.” Sharon nodded, then glanced at Gwen before looking back at Hawk. “But it seems like it’s already been handled.”

Hawk nodded.

The next second.

He looked at Sharon. “Actually, there’s something I need.”

Sharon, who had been about to get up and head for the airport, paused and looked at him.

Hawk didn’t beat around the bush.

“I remember back in Africa, Commander Hill mentioned that S.H.I.E.L.D. has a Witch. Is that right?”

“...Yes.”

“What’s her character like?”

“Uh…”

Sharon blinked, not quite understanding the question.

Hawk sat down next to Gwen. “Carrie’s a newly awakened witch. A friend of mine asked me to rescue her last night and find her a mentor—someone to teach her the basics. Her powers don’t need to be incredible, just someone to guide her until her magic stabilizes. Eventually, she’s supposed to receive a knowledge inheritance from the Salem Witch Dimension. So, I thought of what Commander Hill told me.”

Witch.

Newly awakened.

With a built-in magical inheritance.

Entrusted to them.

Sharon quickly processed the keywords in Hawk’s explanation.

Her eyes lit up.

In that instant, all thoughts of Texas, Johnny Blaze, and her vacation vanished.

This was a witch—and one who came with her own knowledge inheritance from a supernatural dimension.

An asset like that was priceless. You couldn’t find one in a million. And Hawk was just… handing her over to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Holy shit.

...

Sharon was so excited she was almost speechless, but she managed to keep her composure and nodded enthusiastically at Hawk.

“Yes, yes! We do have a witch.”

“And her character?” Hawk looked at Sharon. “My friend didn’t say it outright, but I’m sure she doesn’t want Carrie to be led down the wrong path.”

His first thought had been to ask his good friend Anna.

But Anna hadn’t answered her phone, and she seemed busy.

Besides, on second thought, Anna was HYDRA. What if they got ahold of Carrie and turned her into some world-ending supervillain?

That left S.H.I.E.L.D.

Other than HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D., he didn’t know any other organizations that might have a witch.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He knew two others.

Wanda Maximoff—the Scarlet Witch.

But at this point in the timeline, it was doubtful Wanda had even awakened her powers. And even if she had, she was a complete rookie herself. It was unrealistic to expect her to teach Carrie anything.

Then there was Agatha Harkness.

But she was out, too.

Agatha was a powerful witch, and she was a good teacher, but she also had a habit of draining other witches of their magic.

Hawk seriously suspected that if he handed Carrie over to Agatha, he’d get a skeleton back.

The Hell Witch had trusted him to find a good home for Carrie.

So—

After thinking it through, Hawk decided S.H.I.E.L.D. was the most reliable option.

S.H.I.E.L.D. might be on the verge of collapse, but there was still a year. That was more than enough time for Carrie to learn the basics and stabilize her magic.

After that, even if S.H.I.E.L.D fell apart, it wouldn’t matter. By then, Carrie would have received her knowledge inheritance from the Salem Dimension and could teach herself.

Sharon, meanwhile, was still focused on Hawk’s words.

Wrong path?

She looked at Hawk, who was asking about character with a completely straight face, and couldn’t help but recall his track record.

He’d worn a mask and stormed Quantico to steal a gamma stone, leaving several dead soldiers in his wake.

The execution of the Hulk at Culver University.

Then there was the second Quantico incident. The base was destroyed, a million-dollar armored car was totaled, a ten-million-dollar tank was obliterated, a hundred-million-dollar fighter jet was wiped out, countless soldiers were killed, and General Ross was dead.

And then there was…

The more Sharon thought, the stranger her expression became. But she quickly snapped out of it, looked at Hawk, and asked with genuine curiosity, “Hawk, can I ask… what’s your definition of ‘the wrong path’?”

The question took Hawk by surprise. He glanced at Gwen, who was sitting beside him.

“Destroying the world?”

“…”

Gwen opened her mouth, ready to object, but destroying the world definitely qualified as ‘the wrong path.’ She swallowed her retort.

Sharon was also taken aback by his answer, but she quickly recovered and said, “Don’t worry. That’s definitely not on the table.”

'Okay. At least now I know where his line is. He’s not planning on destroying the world.'

Sharon repeated the thought to herself like a mantra.

Hawk saw the amused look in his fiancée’s eyes and chuckled, turning back to Sharon. “I’m just kidding. Let’s say… not actively harming people. Can you guarantee that?”

Sharon came back to reality and nodded.

“Yes.”

“I’m going to consider that your personal guarantee.”

Hawk looked at her, a smile playing on his lips. “If you guys lead Carrie astray and my friend comes after me, then I’m coming after you.”

Again.

The Hell Witch had entrusted Carrie to him. He had to be responsible for her.

Sharon nodded again without hesitation. “I can. The witch we work with was a member of Captain Rogers’ Howling Commandos. She’s now one of our supernatural consultants.”

Hawk's eyes widened.

“The Howling Commandos?”

“Yes.”

“Then there’s no problem.”

Hearing that, Hawk’s worries vanished.

He didn’t know the witch, but he knew Steve Rogers.

And any supernatural being who could have joined Steve Rogers’ Howling Commandos…

Put it this way.

Their power level was irrelevant. What mattered was that Captain America had once trusted these people with his back.

So… A witch trusted by Captain America was a witch whose character was beyond question.

Cap’s seal of approval—good enough for him.

...

A little while later.

Carrie came downstairs. She’d been up late talking to the Hell Witch, and her mind was still reeling from the revelations about her future.

When she came downstairs and learned she would be leaving with Sharon, she didn’t protest or argue.

The Hell Witch had told her everything.

She wasn’t the daughter of a demon.

She was a witch. The next in the line of Salem Witches. And she could trust Hawk. He would find her a good teacher, someone who could help her understand and control her magic.

As for Maine? She wasn’t going back.

The Hell Witch had shown her a vision of her original, intended future—a vision of her own mother, who had always seen her as a child of the devil, trying to kill her. The thought of ever returning there was gone for good.

And so, Carrie quietly followed Sharon out of the house.

Hawk and Gwen also left, heading for the Stacy apartment. Helen had called that morning and asked them to come over for lunch.

…