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Better to act than to just think about it.
The Phoenix constellation was only two stars away from completion. It was only a matter of time.
Even if he didn't get into any more fights, at his current training pace of ten thousand punches a day, he could probably ignite the remaining two stars in less than three months.
But Hawk was still completely stumped when it came to the Saint Armor.
More specifically, he had no leads on 'Gammanium.'
The other two materials were manageable.
Theoretically, as long as he had enough money, he could just buy them.
Take the meteorites needed to create Stardust Sand, for example.
There were plenty of wealthy meteorite collectors in New York City alone, not to mention the various trade shows and conventions that happened regularly.
So, if he was willing to spend the money, he could get his hands on one.
And while Vibranium was technically priceless...
That was fine.
He knew where it came from. If Vibranium was the final piece of the puzzle and its owners refused to cooperate, he had no problem seizing it himself.
Again.
My need for Vibranium has nothing to do with you.
So that left only one problem.
Gammanium.
For the past few days, after his classes, Hawk had been camping out in the library, checking out every book he could find on gamma radiation and using the public computers to search for more information online.
As a side benefit, he'd also learned who the biggest meteorite collector in New York City was.
Norman Osborn.
That's right.
The very same Norman Osborn of Oscorp Industries, the man who becomes a major villain in the Spider-Man story.
Hawk had found a post on a meteorite enthusiast forum from a month ago.
According to the post, Norman Osborn had an entire room in his mansion dedicated to the meteorites he had collected over the years.
He'd even found information on the Wakandan ambassador to the United Nations.
The ambassador was based right here in New York City, since the UN headquarters was here.
So, Hawk had leads on the meteorite and the Vibranium. But the final, and most crucial ingredient, Gammanium, was still a complete mystery.
Right now, Hawk was monopolizing one of the library computers, continuing his search.
If you had to name the one person in the Marvel Universe who knew the most about gamma radiation, it would undoubtedly be the father of the Hulk himself, Dr. Bruce Banner.
Unfortunately...
Even if Hawk wanted to find him, he couldn't.
After the Battle of New York, Dr. Banner had ridden off on a scooter and disappeared.
S.H.I.E.L.D. probably knew where he was.
But Hawk wanted nothing to do with superheroes, let alone S.H.I.E.L.D, an organization that was practically synonymous with "trouble."
It wasn't a huge problem, though.
Dr. Banner wasn't the only person who studied gamma radiation. There were others, even if they weren't as knowledgeable.
Like the author of the paper Hawk had just found.
"On the Application of Gamma Radiation in the Field of Bioregeneration."
"Dr. Curt Connors."
"Oscorp Industries..."
Hiss.
Isn't that the Lizard?
The name clicked. Hawk stared at the title of the paper on the screen and blinked.
"Oh, you're reading Dr. Connors's paper?"
"..."
A familiar voice pulled Hawk from his thoughts. He turned his head.
Standing right behind him was Gwen. She was holding a book, a few strands of blonde hair falling across her forehead as she leaned in to look at his screen.
"On the Application of Gamma..."
Gwen read the title, then looked at Hawk with a curious expression. "I thought you wanted to go to NYU for law school. What's with the sudden interest in gamma radiation?"
No, that was just a way to make money.
Hawk answered in his head.
Before his power awakened, he had set a clear goal for himself.
Study law.
His first choice had actually been medicine.
In some parts of the world, doctors were expected to be humble public servants. If a doctor lived in a mansion and drove a sports car, they were probably corrupt.
But not here. Not in America.
Here, if a doctor didn't live in a mansion and drive a nice car, people would probably assume they were a bad doctor.
So, a successful doctor, especially a surgeon, could make a fortune.
But Hawk had given up on that idea pretty quickly.
The reason was simple.
He didn't think he had the aptitude for it. So, he had settled for the next best thing: becoming a lawyer.
Lawyers did just as well as doctors.
And more importantly, after law school, if he didn't want to work for a firm, he could go into public service, maybe become a prosecutor, or even a judge someday.
But that was the path he had planned for himself before he awakened his Cosmo, a path designed to make his future a little easier.
He didn't need it anymore.
He still planned on going to college—he wasn't going to get lazy—but the desperate need to study law was gone.
...
Hawk shook his head with a slight smile and turned to Gwen. "Just browsing. Stumbled upon it by accident."
He closed the web page, stood up, and let someone else have the computer. It was time to head to the old gym for his daily ten-thousand-punch routine.
He couldn't help it.
After more than two years, a day without training just felt... incomplete.
Gwen watched Hawk leave the library, a thoughtful expression on her face. A moment later, one of her friends nudged her, and they went to find a table to study.
Summer break was just around the corner, which meant that starting tomorrow, Midtown Tech would be entering the most dreaded time of the year for slackers: finals week.
Every school had them.
Midtown Tech was no exception. Aside from a few scholarship students, most of the kids here were paying tens of thousands of dollars in tuition each semester.
And that was the demographic where you found most of the slackers.
So, for the past few days, the library had been filled with the sight of normally hyperactive students suddenly cramming, their noses buried in textbooks.
Hawk didn't need to.
He hadn't needed to cram before his Cosmo awakened, and he certainly didn't need to now.
His future was set. His only two options were "comfortable" and "more comfortable."
So...
Hawk stuck to his usual routine.
...
Inside the old gymnasium.
Hawk was focused, throwing punch after punch.
The squeal of the gym door opening cut through the silence, and a familiar, radiant figure walked in.
"The school board said they're tearing this place down after the break. They're turning it into a swimming pool."
"...CRACK!"
Hawk's fist slammed into the heavy bag in front of him.
The bag didn't swing. It didn't even move. It just shuddered violently, and a cloud of dust exploded from its surface.
The midday sun streamed in through the grimy windows of the old gymnasium.
It illuminated the scene perfectly.
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