Marvel: The Enlightened One#115+116: The Friendship of a Hell Witch, A Trip to London and the Reality Stone

With the Hell Witch’s departure—

Instantly, The space beneath the Manhattan Bridge was plunged back into darkness.

But whether for Hawk or for Peter, the darkness was irrelevant. They could both still see as clearly as if it were day.

Peter stared at the spot where the witch had vanished, his mouth slightly agape.

“She’s gone?”

“Apparently, yes.”

“So...”

"Leave it," Hawk cut in. "It's Osborn family business."

"Right..." Peter thought back to how easily the witch had bound him, a shiver of lingering fear running through him as he looked at Hawk. “Thanks, Hawk.”

"Don't mention it. I'm heading out. You sticking around?"

"Nah," Peter shook his head. "I'm heading home, too."

Hawk gave him a nod and a small wave, then vanished in an instant.

Peter watched him go, then shot a web and swung off into the night, leaving behind nothing but a single, gibbering madman pinned to the bridge’s stone support.

...

A short while later, Hawk was home.

He took another quick shower, then lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he replayed the image of the Hell Witch vanishing without another word.

He had been planning to get her talking, to see if he could learn the location of Hell’s gate from her.

But—

Witches, as it turns out, are predictably aloof.

Whatever. It’s too soon to be thinking about Hell anyway. The Reality Stone has to be the priority.

With that thought, Hawk closed his eyes, sinking his consciousness back into his Cosmo, continuing the slow, arduous process of reaching for the Sixth Sense.

...

When Harry Osborn first passed away, the news had dominated the headlines of every major media outlet in New York.

But the world moves on.

It was just like with Tony Stark. Since his dramatic battle last Christmas, news about him had all but vanished from the papers.

Harry Osborn was no different.

After the initial media frenzy, after the funeral and the public reading of his notarized will, the stories had dwindled.

Wall Street's attention had shifted to his successor, the new CEO of Oscorp Industries: Felicia Hardy.

Interestingly, the moment the news of her inheritance broke, Oscorp's stock not only stopped its freefall but began to rapidly rebound.

As one Wall Street analyst put it, "Felicia Hardy is a known quantity. She started as Norman Osborn's executive assistant, effectively ran the company during his illness, and then continued to manage it alongside Harry. Now, she's in charge. Investors like that kind of stability."

Her career trajectory reminded many of another famous executive.

The CEO of Stark Industries—Pepper Potts.

A few days later, the investors had even given Ms. Hardy a nickname.

"The Black Cat."

"Where did that come from?"

It was the day before their trip to London. Hawk, Gwen, Peter, and Mary Jane were gathered at a cafe, finalizing their plans and catching up on the latest gossip.

Mostly, it was Mary Jane doing the talking. After all, her title of “Gossip Queen” wasn’t just for show.

MJ explained. "Apparently, Felicia owns a black cat. A really beautiful one. The name just kind of stuck."

"A black cat..." Gwen's eyes widened in recognition. "You know, when I was an intern at Oscorp, I remember seeing a black cat around the labs. I always thought it belonged to the security department."

After all, their lab was full of mice. It had seemed logical.

She'd often seen it prowling the hallway outside their lab, a sleek, silent shadow. She had just assumed it was there for pest control.

She never imagined it belonged to Felicia.

“Oh, right.” Mary Jane smiled, her eyes lighting up as she turned to Gwen. “Do you remember at the funeral, those guys Felicia had thrown out? The ones who were probably Harry’s uncles?”

Gwen nodded. "Yeah, what about them?"

"They sued to have the Will overturned. The court refused to hear the case."

"It’d be weird if they did," Gwen said, rolling her eyes. "Harry was of sound mind when he wrote it. He had a video recording, and a lawyer from a major firm was present. No judge in their right mind would even hear that case. They'd be a laughingstock."

Mary Jane shrugged. "That's not even the best part. Apparently, the second uncle, the one who was making the most noise? He was just diagnosed with the family's genetic disease."

Gwen's eyes widened.

Across the table, Hawk and Peter exchanged a quick, silent look.

Hawk gave a subtle shake of his head.

It was the same as before. This was a private matter between the Hell Witch and the Osborn family. There was no need for them to get involved.

If Harry were still alive, Peter might have stepped in.

But Harry was gone.

And besides Harry, Peter didn’t really know any of the other Osborns, and it wasn’t likely they’d appreciate his help anyway.

Peter understood Hawk's signal and said nothing.

Time flew by as the girls finalized the itinerary. By the time Hawk and Gwen got back to the Stacy's apartment, it was already six o'clock.

Helen had dinner ready.

The scene was a familiar one.

The same people.

The classic lemon sea bass was on the menu.

Helen, with her "I just love my son-in-law" smile—and George, with his "I'm going to kill my son-in-law" scowl.

Gwen's two little brothers were as energetic and mischievous as ever.

Hawk looked at the scene, then at Gwen, who was watching her family with a happy, contented smile of her own. And in that moment, an image flashed in his mind:

Electro, the man he had killed with a single punch.

The power plant...

It finally clicked. He finally understood the source of the immense, overwhelming relief he had felt in that moment.

...

After dinner, Hawk drove back to his house.

He parked in the garage, walked into the living room, and immediately saw it: a ball of blue flame, hovering in front of the fireplace.

The next second, the flame coalesced into a familiar form. The Hell Witch.

Hawk tossed his keys into the decorative fruit bowl Gwen had bought and walked toward the sofa.

The witch's voice was the same ghostly whisper as before.

"Thank you."

"..."

So, she finally realized I could have killed her back then.

Hawk thought to himself. He just smiled and got straight to the point. "Can you tell me where the entrance to Hell is?"

The witch paused, and when she spoke again, her voice was a strange, layered chorus of different women—some old, some young, their personalities clashing and merging.

"The gateway to Hell has been sealed."

"It happened a while ago."

"We heard Mephisto... got his ass kicked."

"And then he sealed the entrance."

"..."

Hawk listened to the cacophony of voices, a curious look on his face.

The Witch's voice returned to a single, calm whisper. "I apologize. We were all burned together. Our souls are intertwined. We cannot forgive, so we seek vengeance."

"Understood." Hawk nodded. "An eye for an eye. Your revenge has nothing to do with me. I won't interfere."

The Hell Witch thanked him again.

Hawk steered the conversation back to the main topic. "You said the gateway to Hell is closed?"

Well, I’ll be damned.

So Mephisto is all talk?

The Hell Witch explained, "Apparently, Mephisto came to Earth a while ago, but he was discovered by the guardian of the Kamar-Taj, who beat him senseless. After he went back, Mephisto sealed the gate."

Kamar-Taj.

Guardian.

The Ancient One??

Hawk drew in a sharp breath. “The Ancient One didn’t kill him, did she?”

The witch shook her head. "Mephisto is the sovereign of Hell. As long as Hell exists, he cannot truly die."

Hawk let out a breath of relief. "Can you tell when the gateway will reopen?"

"Yes."

"Then do me a favor. Let me know when it does. I have business in Hell."

"I will."

"Thank you."

"You are welcome."

The Witch held his gaze for a long, silent moment, then dissolved back into a ball of blue flame and disappeared into the fireplace.

With a soft poof, the flame vanished, and the living room was plunged into darkness.

Hawk turned and started up the stairs to his bedroom.

Wait.

He suddenly stopped, blinking.

Mephisto got beaten up by the Ancient One?

That doesn’t seem right. Mephisto is a God. As powerful as the Ancient One is, she’s not a god.

Oh, right.

The Ancient One has the Time Stone.

Hawk let out a short, surprised laugh and shook his head.

Whatever. Right now, the Reality Stone is what matters most.

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

The next morning, Hawk felt the world shift around him. He pulled his consciousness back from his Cosmo, slowly opened his eyes, and saw Gwen, her head resting on his chest.

"Morning,"

"Morning,"

Seeing that he was awake, Gwen leaned down and kissed his forehead, then climbed off him. “Come on, get up. I brought you breakfast.”

Hawk nodded.

Today was the day their two couples were heading to London.

Everyone was excited.

Their flight wasn't until noon, but by a unanimous vote—mostly from Gwen and Mary Jane—they had decided to head to the airport early, just in case they hit traffic.

Hawk and Peter, of course, had no say in the matter.

After a quick shower, Hawk got dressed and went downstairs. The first thing he saw was the breakfast Gwen had laid out on the kitchen table.

Gwen was standing in front of the fireplace in the living room, looking at it with a curious expression.

"Hawk, did you do something to the fireplace last night?"

"What?"

Hawk, who had just taken a sip of the coffee she'd brought, looked over at her. "What about it?"

Gwen turned and walked toward the kitchen. "It just feels... different than yesterday."

Hawk glanced past her shoulder at the fireplace.

"Does it?"

"Maybe I'm just seeing things."

Gwen shrugged, dismissing the thought. "Come on, eat up. MJ just texted. She and Peter are already on their way to the airport."

Hawk didn't say anything. He just downed the rest of his coffee, devoured the two pancakes she'd brought, and then clapped his hands together, heading for the garage.

Gwen stared, her mouth agape, then hurried after him.

"Do you have your luggage?"

"It's in the car."

"Right."

Gwen got into the passenger seat, pulled out her phone to text Mary Jane back, and then looked at the slowly opening garage door. "Go, go, go!"

Hawk just smiled and hit the gas.

...

At noon.

The international flight from JFK to London Heathrow was on time. After a smooth taxi and takeoff, they were in the air.

It was a full flight, so they hadn't been able to get seats together.

Peter and Mary Jane were on the upper deck.

Hawk and Gwen were in a two-seat row by the window on the main deck.

As soon as they reached cruising altitude, Gwen pulled on her sleep mask. "Wake me when we get there."

It was a seven-hour flight. She wasn't about to spend the whole time staring at the back of a seat.

Sitting next to her, Hawk looked out the window at the scenery below and couldn’t help but think of his last two trips.

The first time, he'd been robbed the second he'd stepped out of the airport.

The second time, he'd been stranded by a military coup.

He'd had an accident before the flight, and an accident after the flight.

What about this time?

It couldn’t possibly be an accident during the flight, could it?

Hawk thought to himself.

Bad things come in threes. If something really did happen this time, it could only mean one thing.

He was never meant to leave New York City...

Fortunately...

Seven and a half hours later, they landed smoothly at Heathrow. No turbulence, no engine failures, no drama.

Hawk let out a breath of relief.

Okay. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

The next second, the cabin door opened, and a line of stern-faced London police officers boarded the plane and headed straight for the upper deck.

Half an hour later, they learned that a group of five terrorists, who had been planning to hijack the plane to demand the release of their comrades, had been thwarted by the heroic efforts of Mr. Peter Parker and Ms. Mary Jane Watson.

The moment the flight attendant made the announcement, the entire cabin erupted in applause.

Peter just blushed and smiled shyly.

Mary Jane, on the other hand, looked incredibly proud.

Gwen, who had just woken up, was completely stunned.

Hawk was silent.

Okay. It was official. He was never leaving New York City again.

No, wait...

Maybe he could. He just had to bring Peter with him. As long as he didn't have to be the one to deal with the inevitable disaster, it didn't count, right?

It was a flimsy excuse, but it was the best he could do.

...

Because of the incident, they had to spend a few hours at the airport police station giving statements. By the time they were finally released, it was one in the morning, London time.

The police, as an apology for the inconvenience, had arranged for a car to take them to their hotel near the Tower of London.

The hotel was in a prime location, close to both the Tower and London Bridge.

The night in London wasn't much different from a night in New York.

He and Gwen checked in and got their room key. After some intimate time together, Gwen—who had slept through most of the flight—was out cold again.

Hawk watched her for a moment, then gently pulled the covers over her. He grabbed his phone and opened the email Anna had sent him while they were at the police station.

A boarding pass appeared on the screen.

Erik Selvig.

He had just flown into London as well.

The same Dr. Selvig from the first Thor movie—the astrophysicist who, in The Avengers, had been mind-controlled by Loki into opening the portal for the Chitauri.

Hawk looked at the boarding pass from Anna and smiled.

It seemed he had come to London at just the right time.

If Dr. Selvig was here...

Then Dr. Jane Foster wouldn't be far behind.

And the Reality Stone...

Was almost within reach.

Hawk’s mood brightened. He turned off his phone, looked at Gwen’s peaceful, sleeping face, and then turned off the lights, pulling her into his arms as he drifted off to sleep.

...

The next morning at the hotel's breakfast buffet, a glowing Mary Jane was breathlessly recounting the story of the five hijackers to an equally bright-eyed Gwen, waving her hands around dramatically as she talked.

How Peter had spotted them, how he had secretly alerted the air marshal, and how the three of them had taken the five terrorists down one by one.

Mary Jane wasn’t just a good dancer, she was a great storyteller.

Gwen was completely captivated by her vivid, immersive tale.

Hawk listened too.

He had already made up his mind. He was never leaving New York again unless it was absolutely necessary. And if he did, he was bringing Peter with him as a disaster shield.

After breakfast, their London tour officially began.

For five straight days, they toured the city.

The London Eye and Big Ben.

Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

Gwen and Mary Jane were having the time of their lives.

Hawk, the Marvel Universe's only Saint, and Peter, its only Spider-Man, both had superhuman stamina. But even Peter was starting to feel worn down after a few days of nonstop tourist activities.

Hawk was holding up fine.

So after some not-so-subtle hints from the guys, Gwen and Mary Jane finally called today a rest day.

They were at the OXO Tower Restaurant, a chic spot on the South Bank of the Thames, with a stunning view of St. Paul's Cathedral.

The four of them were sitting at a window table, eating and talking.

Gwen and Mary Jane were taking pictures of the cathedral with their phones, capturing the beautiful moment.

Hawk and Peter were talking quietly.

But...

When a woman who looked remarkably like Natalie Portman walked in, Hawk's attention was immediately drawn to her.

Jane Foster.

The earthly girlfriend of Thor, Son of Odin, Prince of Asgard.

Finally.

Hawk's eyes lit up.

Gwen, who had been talking to Mary Jane, seemed to sense something. She glanced in the direction Hawk was looking and saw Jane Foster, who was now sitting down across from a man.

Hawk instinctively looked at Gwen.

She looked back at him.

Gwen just smiled faintly, then turned back to her conversation with Mary Jane.

A little while later, Jane's friend and assistant, Darcy Lewis, bustled in, said a few words, and then left.

Soon after, Jane, who was clearly on a date and trying to move on from Thor, apologized to the man she was with and stood up to leave as well.

Hawk looked at Gwen.

But before he could even speak, Gwen said, “Go.”

"Uh..."

"Should we wait for you?"

"Probably not."

"Okay." Gwen smiled. "Then we’ll wait for you at the hotel."

Hawk opened his mouth, then closed it. He changed his mind. A slow smile spread across his face. "Come with me."

Gwen's eyebrow arched.

Hawk stood and held out his hand to her.

A brilliant smile spread across Gwen’s face, and she placed her hand in his.

Across the table, Mary Jane was speechless. She watched them stand up to leave, completely bewildered.