Gwen actually lied.
She didn't rush back from Berkeley City because of the graduation yearbook and directory.
The only reason Gwen returned to New York City early was her wish to verify firsthand whether Hawk was injured.
After all...
There was a video circulating on the internet yesterday.
Though the filming was shaky like a Parkinson's patient, the video faintly showed a massive black monster on the African savannah, resembling a black mountain.
It looked very much like a blackened Hulk.
Also, there was a blurry figure battling the black Hulk, appearing insignificant in comparison.
It's said that the video was uploaded by a blogger from the Eastern Country.
He frequently traveled around Africa's indigenous tribes doing trade, and stumbled upon this scene on his way to Wakanda.
Though the video was taken down in less than ten minutes after being uploaded.
Although the blogger later issued a self-photo apology, admitting to faking it for views.
But...
Those who know, know.
Gwen was very certain that the blurry figure fighting the black Hulk in the video uploaded by the Eastern blogger was indeed her boyfriend, Hawk.
Hence!
Even though Hawk sounded relaxed on the phone, Gwen couldn't rest easy without confirming it with her own eyes.
Now.
Having confirmed the truth, Gwen completely relaxed. She smiled gently, hooked onto Hawk's arm naturally, and walked towards the parking lot outside the airport.
After some time.
Hawk put Gwen's luggage into the trunk, got into the car, started it, and looked at Gwen, who was seated and buckled up in the passenger seat, and smiled.
"How was the study tour in Berkeley, satisfied?"
"To be honest, not very satisfied."
Gwen shrugged. As Hawk drove out of the airport, she spoke about her feelings regarding the trip to Berkeley: "I thought New York City's security was bad enough, but I never realized Berkeley's was worse."
She elaborated on nearly experiencing three street robberies by youngsters while shopping during the day in Berkeley.
Good heavens.
It was daytime then!
However...
Gwen chuckled with some relief, looking at Hawk.
"Luckily, Kara was there."
"Kara?"
"The bodyguard you helped me find, surely you remember her name."
"Oh, oh, I remember now."
Hawk recalled.
Kara Palamakis, with long brown hair, a gentle appearance, was the bodyguard recommended by Anna back then.
However, he didn't pay much attention to Kara.
In a word.
He didn't care about the process, only the outcome. Whatever the outcome, good or bad, he attributed it to Anna.
If Gwen was safe, he'd credit Anna.
Similarly, if something happened to Gwen, he'd only turn to Anna, after all, it was Anna who vouched for Kara.
It was just that simple.
Hawk thought to himself and then looked at Gwen.
"Do you still want to go to Berkeley?"
"Of course, since I'm staying at the university dorm, I'll just stay inside the campus."
After all, Berkeley City's security issues had nothing to do with Berkeley University. She was going there to study, not to settle in Berkeley City.
Gwen smiled as she relayed her solution, then shifted the topic: "I've finished talking about my side, what about you, how was your trip to Africa?"
Hawk smiled, "Perfect."
Although this trip to Africa was more challenging than his first journey to Quantico, delaying him for over half a month in total.
But a good meal is worth the wait.
This time the gains were tremendous.
He modified the Little Cosmos to fit more into the Marvel Cosmos as the Phoenix Little Cosmos.
And even crafted the Holy Armor of the Phoenix.
The most important being.
He also learned in advance about his sister Anya's situation in Hell.
Anya was doing well in Hell.
As long as he remains alive, Anya will continue to do well until he retrieves her from Hell.
This was personally certified by Mephisto.
So...
Hawk thought carefully, glanced at Gwen again, nodded slightly, and added.
"It couldn't have been better."
"What's the deal with the black Hulk?"
Gwen smiled, speaking up the moment Hawk finished.
"That's the ear—"
Hawk instinctively started before pausing, looking again at Gwen.
His sword-like eyebrows raised.
"Did you see anything?"
"Guess."
Gwen turned in her seat, looking at Hawk, smiling softly but didn't actually let him guess. Instead, she began recounting the video that appeared online yesterday, filmed by an Eastern Country merchant dealing in African indigenous tribes, but taken down less than ten minutes after its upload.
Hawk understood.
Especially when Gwen mentioned that this video blogger was an Eastern Country person filming, it seemed even more reasonable.
As everyone knows.
Even on Marvel Earth, Eastern Country people are famously known as street wanderers worldwide.
You can find at least one Eastern Country person in any corner of the world.
Hawk thought to himself, then shrugged towards Gwen's curious gaze.
"Well, just like what you saw in the video."
"It really is Hulk, wasn't he killed by you?"
Gwen frowned, recalling that before last Christmas, Hulk was clearly killed by Hawk at Calver Lake.
"Did Bruce Banner really find a way to revive Hulk?"
"Not exactly."
Hawk thought for a moment and shook his head: "Rather than saying the person who revived Hulk was Bruce Banner, it was Mephisto."
Bruce Banner thought about exchanging one life for another.
But if Mephisto had not been willing at the time, Bruce Banner's idea could never have come true.
After all, once the soul enters Hell, it belongs to Mephisto.
Can you just exchange it?
How is that possible.
Gwen listened to Mephisto's name from Hawk and widened her eyes, looking at Hawk: "This Mephisto, isn't he the Hell Monarch you muttered in front of Anya..."
Hawk nodded: "Yes."
He proceeded to describe how Mephisto altered Hulk, turning him into Demon Hulk and throwing him back to test his strength.
Gwen listened to Hawk's account, her expression becoming shocked, then looked at Hawk: "So you knew Bruce Banner was still planning to seek revenge on you, which is why you fled to Africa, since the place is vast and sparsely populated, no one would witness the fight?"
Hawk shook his head.
"No, I went to find Vibranium."
"Vibra..."
Gwen realized this and was shocked once again.
Hawk saw the expression on Gwen's face and laughed: "Wakanda, I went to Wakanda, and Vibranium is there."
Gwen didn't say anything but took out her phone, tapping swiftly, and soon found publicly available information about Wakanda online.
"Wakanda, with scarce resources, a fragile economy, primarily a backward small nation of tribal alliances."
"The United Nations once again initiated a new batch of food assistance for Wakanda to help it overcome a severe famine."
"Tribal conflicts in Wakanda are escalating, and the United Nations is calling to prevent a refugee crisis."
"Current King T'Chaka of Wakanda spoke at the United Nations, asking for additional economic aid."
Gwen browsed through information related to Wakanda online, speaking while casting a peculiar gaze at Hawk.
Seeming to say, this ghostly place, are you sure there's Vibranium?
Hawk smiled slightly and, much like explaining to Maria Hill, revealed to Gwen how Wakanda quietly develops into a high-tech nation while possessing vast amounts of Vibranium, all while pretending to be impoverished, appealing for more international economic and food aid.
Gwen continued tapping on her phone.
"You mean Wakanda was exposed yesterday, but I didn't see such news."
"Not that quickly."
By this time, Hawk had already driven to the Stacys' apartment building, parking the car at the entrance, opening the door and the trunk to retrieve the luggage inside, then headed towards the apartment building with Gwen.
"It was exposed only yesterday, and the five good men are likely still in meetings. But one thing is for sure."
"What is it?"
"Oil generates wealth, do you think this amount of Vibranium would summon wealth?"
"..."
Gwen didn't speak.
But silence implies agreement.
The answer is obvious.
Oil summons wealth, and Vibranium, well, summons the five good men.
Ten days later, international news appeared on the headlines of newspapers in various countries.
United Nations Announcement: In light of the intensifying tribal conflicts in Wakanda, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties, the Security Council's five good men unanimously agreed to form joint peacekeeping forces to enter Wakanda, restoring local peace and stability!
Upon seeing this news, well-intentioned spectators, unaware of the truth, couldn't help but be amazed.
With just a sentence.
Five good men teaming up to serve Wakanda, this Wakanda's fortune is enormous.
Wakanda's ancestral tombs must be smoking.
Indeed, this is the case.
Wakanda's Holy Mountain, regarded as a hill, containing vast amounts of Vibranium, was billowing with smoke.
S.H.I.E.L.D's scientists looked at the detected data, their expressions exhilarating.
"Sir."
"What's the situation?"
"Massive!"
"Great."
The commander of the joint peacekeeping forces formed by the five good men looked at the scientists' reported data, couldn't help but laugh several times, then immediately reported the massive Vibranium amount detected within ten short days.
Maria Hill was also present.
But at the moment, she was standing on the Holy Mountain, gazing into the distance, observing the futuristic architecture of Wakanda's capital and the imperial palace complex.
Outside Wakanda's capital.
Armored vehicles roared.
Tanks rolled.
Jet formations constructed by the five good men approached from afar, bombs exploded over Wakanda's capital with thundering air-to-ground missiles.
Accompanying the explosion, a Vibranium Energy Shield, akin to a golden dome, emerged over Wakanda's capital.
...