History would remember this day.
The moment Hawk's Phoenix Wing Rise shattered Wakanda's vibranium shield, the dream of hiding great wealth while begging for United Nations aid was over.
But for Hawk, it no longer mattered.
As he told Maria Hill—he'd helped them, and now his task was finished. It was time to return home.
By the time Hawk landed back in New York City, it was already 9 p.m. He walked out of JFK Airport, found his Audi A8 still parked, paid the outrageous parking fee, and drove off.
A stray thought crossed his mind.
The last time he left New York for Quantico, he'd run into trouble with muggers. This time, Africa had brought its own chaos.
"…Am I cursed to run into accidents every time I leave the city?" he muttered.
His phone rang—Anna.
"Good evening, Anna."
"It's nearly dawn here. Five a.m.," she replied.
"You made it to Wakanda already?" Hawk chuckled.
Anna's voice carried a teasing reproach. "Hawk, we're friends. You could've told us first."
He laughed. "It was a gift. Saves you the trouble of inventing a source, doesn't it?"
The words caught her off guard. "A gift… for me?"
"Of course," Hawk said easily. "You've helped me a lot. I don't care about camps or sides—friends are friends. So I exposed Wakanda for you. Go tell your bosses they should give you a raise. Put my name on it."
Anna laughed. "Fine. I'll pass it along."
"That's right. As for the rest of Wakanda's vibranium, take as much as you can. You're the experts."
"Then thank you, Hawk. I like this gift."
"Glad you do."
Before ending the call, Hawk added, "One more thing. Keep an eye on Jane Foster. When she heads to London, tell me."
Because where Jane went, the Aether—the Reality Stone—would appear.
Anna promised to keep watch, joked again about asking for a bonus, and hung up. Hawk smiled to himself.
Partly, he had exposed Wakanda as a favor to her—and the shadow behind her, Hydra. But that wasn't all.
First, he simply despised the hypocrisy: thriving on vibranium while stealing food meant for starving nations.
Second, it was a diversion. With Wakanda's wealth revealed, the world's eyes would turn there instead of on him.
The Five Great Powers would never ignore such a lie. Vibranium and advanced technology were irresistible prizes—for them, for Hydra, for everyone.
And Wakanda had brought it upon themselves. By playing beggar while feasting in secret, they had mocked the Five Powers as fools.
That was worse than what Gaddafi had ever done. And now the reckoning was inevitable.
But it no longer concerned Hawk.
…
An hour later, he was back in his East Village home. After a cold shower, his cosmos burned quietly inside him, the Phoenix Cloth resting within, strengthening.
Yet even at its peak, his Bronze Cosmos was not enough to storm Hell itself. He needed the Reality Stone to make his Phoenix Cosmos manifest in reality—then he could stand as a true Gold Saint, worthy to march into Hell for his sister.
Until then, he would wait.
As he dried off, his phone rang again. Gwen.
"You're back in New York?"
"Yeah."
"Then I'm coming back tomorrow."
"…Wait, tomorrow? Weren't you supposed to be gone two months?"
Gwen laughed softly. "I never said I had to stay the whole time. Mary asked when I'd return. We graduate this term—the yearbook and alumni registry need work. So I'll help."
Hawk smiled. "All right then. What time?"
"Ten. Come at ten-thirty, I'll need to pick up my luggage."
"Got it."
They lingered on the phone for a while before saying goodnight.
The next morning, Hawk waited at JFK. At 10:30, Gwen emerged from the terminal with her suitcase, scanning the crowd anxiously—until a hand gently tapped hers.
She turned, and there was Hawk, already taking her suitcase handle with a natural ease.
"Welcome home," he said.
"Mm."
The tension on her face melted into relief. She smiled, reassured just by his presence.
…
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]