Marvel: The Enlightened One#84+85: I'll Be Waiting for You in New York! The Phoenix Armor and the Reality Stone

“Heh.”

“Go home??”

“I just ran from New York to New Mexico to level the Ross family cemetery, and then ran all the way back here from New Mexico.”

“What do you think I came here for?”

“Do I look like I have nothing better to do?”

“They started this war, not me!”

“They may have decided when it started, but they don’t get to decide when it ends. I do.”

Hawk's laugh died in his throat. His ice-cold gaze swept over the crowd of uniformed, well-dressed men huddled in the doorway—the so-called 'great men' of the nation.

Normally, these men would have exuded an aura of power and authority.

But now, They were terrified. Anxious. Pathetic.

Heh.

You only learn when it's too late. You only change course after you've already crashed. You only feel regret when death is staring you in the face.

But you don't feel regret... You just feel fear!!

Hawk took in the pathetic sight, then turned his gaze back to Maria Hill. “There are only two ways this ends.”

“...May I hear them?”

“Of course.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched Hawk's lips. Compared to the sniveling cowards in the doorway, his opinion of the woman who had stood firm in the face of the Abomination was relatively high.

Hawk looked at her, his voice quiet and hollow, completely devoid of emotion.

“Since I'm already here, what's the difference between killing one or killing two? Five hundred, five thousand, fifty thousand—they're all just numbers to me.”

“...”

Hearing his words, a chill went down Maria Hill’s spine.

Hawk continued. “After I kill everyone here, I’ll go to the Pentagon. After I’m done with the Pentagon, I’ll go to the White House. In short, they started this war, and a war can only have one victor. Either they kill me, or I kill them.”

“Ms. Hill.”

Hawk paused, a small smile returning to his face. “What do you think of that ending?”

His gaze once again swept over the men huddled in the doorway, trapped between coming and going.

Hawk hadn’t spoken loudly, but it was more than loud enough for them to hear every single word.

And so—

They broke.

They collapsed.

They begged.

In the face of death, all men are equal. The powerful men, now slumped on the floor, saw Hawk’s gaze fall upon them and began to plead for their lives.

Their message was simple: The attack was Ross’s idea. It had nothing to do with them. They begged Hawk to let them go, swearing he would never see them again.

Hawk said nothing. He just watched their pathetic, tear-streaked performance with cold amusement. He had no doubt that right now, these men would pimp out their trophy wives if it meant saving their own skins.

Beneath the polished veneer, a cesspool of corruption and depravity.

As Hawk was enjoying the show, Maria Hill, having recovered from her shock, finally spoke. “And the second ending?”

“What second ending?”

Hawk turned back to her, a look of mock surprise on his face. “You know, I’m not sure I like the second ending anymore. I think the first one is pretty good.”

Maria Hill met his teasing gaze. “May I hear it anyway?”

“...Fine.”

Hawk thought for a moment, then shrugged. “After a war, the victor is entitled to demand reparations from the loser.”

The moment he finished, before Maria Hill could even respond, the eyes of the VIPs lit up.

“WE’LL PAY!”

“WE’LL PAY!”

“WE’LL GIVE YOU ANYTHING!”

“Shut up.” Hawk’s ice-cold gaze once again swept over the noisy, pathetic men.

They immediately fell silent, trembling like quail.

Hawk sneered, then turned back to Maria Hill. “I don’t think I want that ending anymore.”

Maria Hill frowned slightly.

“Why not?”

“I don’t feel like it.”

Hawk shrugged. “After what happened today, I won’t be staying in the country much longer anyway. And if I’m leaving, why let them live? Better to end it once and for all—wipe them out, then clean out the Pentagon. I don’t like the guy in the White House right now, either. Might as well take him out too.”

He said it so casually.

But Maria Hill’s blood ran cold.

Because she didn’t hear a trace of humor in his voice, and she didn’t see a hint of a joke on his face.

He was serious.

He would really do it!!

Hawk saw the look of horror on Maria Hill’s face and smiled to himself. He turned and started walking toward the group of VIPs.

Just then, Maria Hill, seeing him move, drew in a sharp breath. She snapped out of her shock and ran, placing herself directly in his path.

“WAIT, HAWK!”

“...”

Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at her as she stood before the VIPs, protecting them like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

Maria Hill’s voice was urgent. “This incident will not be made public.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes!”

Maria Hill nodded emphatically.

And she was right.

Quantico might have been turned into a raging battlefield, but very few people knew what had actually happened.

S.H.I.E.L.D had intervened from the very beginning, cutting off all communications and signals from the base.

So, Aside from the people in Quantico, the Pentagon, the White House, and S.H.I.E.L.D, no one else knew.

The people of Washington D.C. still thought this was just another quiet holiday.

Hawk listened to her words, a thoughtful expression on his face.

But—

He finished his consideration and shook his head. “Not enough.”

“Reparations...” Maria Hill said quickly. “You said it yourself. This was a war. Since they lost, they have to pay reparations.”

Hawk’s gaze drifted past her shoulder, to the men behind her who were now as silent as the grave, wanting to speak but not daring to.

The moment his eyes met theirs, they all flinched and looked away. They were scared shitless.

Hawk considered it, then turned back to Maria Hill with a small smile. “I want a trillion dollars. You think they can pay that?”

Maria Hill’s eye twitched.

Hawk shook his head, his tone calm. “One million.”

“?”

“Each.”

“...” Maria Hill instinctively turned and looked at the thirty-plus powerful men trembling like quail behind her.

....

Ten minutes later, Hawk looked at the tablet Maria Hill had handed him, saw the new balance in his Stark Bank account, and then looked up.

He met the pleading, desperate eyes of the men who had just transferred their fortunes to him.

"Get out."

"Yes, sir!"

“We’re going, we’re going now!”

“Let’s go!”

“Thank you.”

“...”

In the blink of an eye, the thirty-three powerful men scrambled over each other, cheering and thanking him as they disappeared from sight.

Soon, the massive military base was empty, save for two people.

Hawk handed the tablet back to Maria Hill.

As she took it, she looked at him.

“You never intended to kill them, did you?”

“...”

Hawk, stuffing his right hand back into his pocket, just glanced at her and chuckled, not answering the question. “You should go.”

“And you?”

“I’ll be here for one hour—” Hawk’s voice was calm. His gaze went past her, to the security camera over the command center’s main entrance.

"—For the next hour, you can use any weapon in your arsenal to try to take me down. But remember... every action comes with a price... If, after one hour, you’ve accomplished nothing, don’t say I didn’t warn you. From this day forward, stay out of my way. If there’s a next time, I’ll level Washington, D.C!!"

With that, he glanced at Maria Hill. “You can go too, Ms. Hill. Or maybe S.H.I.E.L.D wants to take a shot in the next hour. Since you’re already here.”

Maria Hill immediately replied, “This is a domestic federal matter. S.H.I.E.L.D. is only responsible for global peace.”

Hawk just laughed and said nothing, closing his eyes.

Seeing this, Maria Hill didn’t say another word. She turned and ran toward the S.H.I.E.L.D. jet parked a short distance away.

As she boarded, she was already on the phone with the Pentagon.

As the S.H.I.E.L.D jet lifted off, the massive Quantico base was well and truly deserted.

The sun set, the fires burned, and the ruins of the base were spread out under the dying light.

Hawk stood in a clearing of twisted metal and debris, hands in his pockets, eyes closed in peaceful rest. The only sound across the entire base was the crackling of dying fires. Beyond the perimeter, the surviving soldiers held their breath, all eyes fixed on the destruction.

...

Time ticked by.

Soon, an hour, which can feel like an eternity or a fleeting moment, passed in the blink of an eye.

Ring-ring-ring!

A phone, lying on the ground in front of Hawk, began to ring.

Hawk opened his eyes, looked at the ringing phone, bent down, and picked it up. “Hello.”

“Hawk.” Gwen’s voice came from the other end. “Are you done?”

“...Almost.”

“Then come home soon. Don’t forget, we have our driving lesson tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Alright. I’m in New York, waiting for you to come home.”

“...Okay.”

“...”

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

Their call was short.

A simple question, a simple answer, and then it was over.

After hanging up, Hawk stared at the phone in his hand, lost in thought. Then, an idea struck him. He looked up at the sky.

His gaze seemed to pierce the crimson clouds, to tear through the atmosphere, and lock onto a high-definition communications satellite in orbit.

...

In the S.H.I.E.L.D. command center, Maria Hill, now back at the Triskelion, stood with her arms crossed. Her face was calm, but her heart was pounding as she watched Hawk on the main screen, who seemed to be staring right back at them.

She was worried he would interpret the call from Gwen as a threat.

In reality, it wasn’t a threat.

It was a concession.

Just go. Go back to New York. We’ll pretend today never happened.

She was out of options. A few warmongers at the Pentagon had been pushing hard for a nuclear strike against him.

But what if it didn't work?

Who'd take the blame when it all went to shit?

The second they realized they'd be thrown under the bus, those same warmongers went quiet real fast. They were all for aggression—as long as someone else's ass was on the line.

After all, If they made a move, Hawk would actually kill them.

It was a gamble they weren’t willing to take.

And more importantly, they couldn’t take it. The image of General Ross lying on the ground like a dead dog, his head completely gone, was still fresh in their minds.

None of the generals at the Pentagon wanted to be next.

And so, playing dead had become their only option—

But playing dead was one thing. Hawk was still sitting in the middle of the Quantico military base.

So, the Pentagon had thought of Maria Hill.

Hill looked at the screen, at the man who seemed to be staring at her through the satellite’s lens. She took out her own phone and dialed his number.

...

Hawk, still looking at the sky, saw his phone ring again. He put it to his ear.

“Hello.”

“Hawk...”

“The reason,” Hawk said, his tone flat. “You get one chance to explain, Ms. Hill.”

Hill spoke quickly. “The car.”

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

Through the satellite feed, his expression was perfectly clear.

Hill composed herself and quickly explained how Natasha Romanoff had gone to New York to return the repaired car to Gwen.

Of course, she also explained that after Hawk had left New York, she had ordered Natasha to stay behind as a precaution, in case the military tried to use Gwen as leverage against him.

She told him everything, except for her suspicion that Nick Fury had orchestrated the whole thing with General Ross.

She had no proof of that yet—

Hawk listened to her explanation and was silent for a moment. Then, his gaze fell from the sky. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Hearing his thanks, Hill let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Then, a thought occurred to her.

“I can arrange a jet to take you back to New York.”

“...Alright.” Hawk considered it, then accepted. After hanging up, he looked at the only building on the entire base that was still standing, and took a deep breath.

His right foot slid back. The stone beneath it cracked under the pressure.

The next second—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

As Hawk's right fist shot forward, every window in the building exploded outward. The entire structure cracked and crumbled in seconds. With a thunderous roar, the last standing building on Quantico collapsed into dust and debris.

Watching from the satellite feed, Maria Hill’s eye twitched.

The warmongers at the Pentagon watched, their hearts filled with terror.

And in a secure location far from the Triskelion, Nick Fury watched, something dangerous flickering in his one good eye.

....

Half an hour later, a S.H.I.E.L.D jet lifted off from the ruins of the Quantico base. Only after it had completely vanished from sight did the soldiers who had been waiting outside the perimeter finally re-enter.

The scene that greeted them was one of apocalyptic devastation.

The ground was scarred and broken. Buildings were reduced to rubble. Armored vehicles, tanks, and fighter jets were nothing but charred, skeletal remains. And everywhere, there were bodies.

But the thing that drew the most attention was a massive, charred corpse lying on a pile of rubble.

“Hiss.”

“IS THAT...”

“THE ABOMINATION?”

“WHERE’S HIS HEAD?”

A few of the soldiers, their courage returning now that Hawk was gone, gathered around the corpse. They looked at the headless body of the Abomination, then at each other.

The next second, as if they’d all had the same thought, they looked up in the direction the S.H.I.E.L.D jet had disappeared.

....

Miles above the earth, Hawk relaxed on a plush sofa inside the jet. The charred, grotesque head of the Abomination sat on the table in front of him like some twisted trophy. He stared at it for a moment, then shook his head and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

He had originally planned to bring the head back to his sister’s grave as a gift. But his sister had always been timid.

When she was little, she would jump into his arms if she saw a mouse. A gift this ugly would probably make her cry.

So, he decided against it.

After this war at Quantico, Hawk now had a very clear and complete understanding of his own power.

On Earth, he was untouchable. But being the strongest on one planet didn't make him the strongest in the universe.

Mephisto, Lord of Hell itself, was no ordinary enemy.

He was a God.

A Dimensional God.

Hawk was not yet strong enough to take what he wanted from a Dimensional God.

Even with his Cosmo now anchored in the Marvel Universe, the odds were stacked against him. In the Saint Seiya universe, Mephisto ranked alongside Hades, the King of the Underworld.

A freshly awakened Saint—no Armor, not even the Sixth Sense unlocked—going toe-to-toe with Hades right off the bat??

That Saint would have to be an idiot.

And so—

“The Armor is the key.”

“And I need the Reality Stone. With it, I can make my Cosmo a permanent part of the Marvel Universe—not just borrowed power, but something that truly belongs here.”

“That, and only that...”

“Is how I’ll get my sister back from Hell.”

The thoughts flashed through Hawk’s mind, and he now had a clear plan.

He had already identified two of the three materials he needed. All that was left was Orichalcum, or as it was known in the Marvel Universe—Vibranium.

Once he had the Vibranium, he could forge the Phoenix Armor.

And at that point, even if his Cosmo wasn’t yet a physical reality in this universe, with his Armor, he should be able to go toe-to-toe with Thor.

After all, the Reality Stone's storyline was from Thor: The Dark World. That should happen next year—probably sometime in the second half?

...

Just then, the door to the jet’s cockpit opened, and a female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent walked out.

Sharon Carter.

She was about to speak, but she froze, her eyes landing on the hideous head in the trash can. “Mr. Hawk, that head...”

“I don’t want it.” Hawk snapped out of his thoughts and followed her gaze. He shook his head. “It's too grotesque. My sister would've been terrified.”

Sharon Carter laughed. “I can see that.”

At first, she hadn’t understood what Hawk had done today.

But, After reading his file, she had a different perspective.

“You’re a good brother, Mr. Hawk.”

Hawk glanced at Sharon and let out a short, humorless laugh. “No, I’m not. If I were, my sister wouldn’t have died.”

Seeing an opening, Sharon sat down on the sofa across from him. “That wasn’t your fault, Mr. Hawk. If your sister knew you had avenged her, she would be very happy.”

Hawk looked at Sharon but didn’t speak.

Sharon felt a slight jolt and blinked.

“What is it, Mr. Hawk? Did I say something wrong?”

“No.”

Hawk shook his head, his gaze shifting away. “So you agree with what I did?”

Sharon smiled. “Professionally, I’m noncommittal. But personally? Yes... However, if I had a brother, and if I were to die... I would want him to be happy. Not to live his life consumed by hatred.”

Hawk smiled faintly. "I don't do forgiveness."

“Hm?”

"Forgiveness is God's business, Agent Carter. My business is arranging the meeting."

“I see.” Sharon was taken aback for a second, then she nodded thoughtfully. She looked at Hawk and said, almost as a joke, “Then I hope I never become your enemy, Mr. Hawk.”

Hawk laughed. “As long as you're not my enemy, you're my friend.”

“Understood.”

Sharon’s eyebrow shot up, and she nodded with another smile. She shrugged. “So, what are your plans now that you’re going back to New York, Mr. Hawk?”

Hawk seemed to think of something. He looked at her.

“Driving lessons.”

“Driving lessons?”

“Yeah.” Hawk nodded.

He had money now.

A lot of money.

....

Half an hour later, the S.H.I.E.L.D jet touched down smoothly at a private airfield outside of New York City.

As Hawk stepped out of the jet, the first thing he saw was Gwen standing next to the repaired yellow Corolla. She wore a yellow wool coat, arms crossed, watching him with a gentle smile.

Hawk walked down the stairs and toward her. “I’m back.”

“I see that.” Gwen’s smile was radiant. “Going home?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on, get in.”

"Can I drive?"

“No. You don’t have your license yet. If you get caught, George will haul you into court himself.”

“...”