Above a galaxy burning to the ground.
As the burning of the galaxy beneath gradually reaches its demise, and the whole galaxy falls into a dead silence, Hawk withdraws his heart projection from the cosmos Gwen resides in, looking expressionlessly at the foot of this lifeless galaxy.
In sight.
Where are the billions of living beings?
Where are the relics of the gods?
This barren galaxy beneath his feet was never a place of life—it's an uninhabited system where life has never appeared.
Yes.
What Reed Richards and Susan Storm saw, those wiped out by Hawk's eye impact amid the background, along with those sinking in the planet's destruction, were nothing more than illusions, infinitely realistic ones created by Hawk using the Reality Gemstone.
In short.
Hawk is ruthless, but only when provoked; when provoked, he retaliates most fiercely.
But when unprovoked, Hawk considers himself quite kind.
The reason Hawk used the Reality Gemstone to create the illusion of destroying lives in a galaxy was merely a powerful deterrent against the cosmos where Gwen resides.
Telling Gwen's cosmos.
Do not move against her, or perish.
He has the strength, and he doesn't care about what happens, only the results. If anything happens to Gwen, he won't listen to explanations, but only will strike back with destruction.
Barbarians fear power, not virtue; Hawk already has rich experience dealing with these barbarians.
Just like the gods of the Aldar galaxy.
The recent projection was indeed fake, but Hawk's extermination of the Aldar galaxy's gods is true; otherwise, he wouldn't be known as the Demon God across the cosmos.
However, the gods of the Aldar galaxy weren't exterminated in this barren galaxy beneath him, nor now.
It was a month ago in another galaxy.
Just like Hawk and Gwen said.
The gods of the Aldar galaxy, aiding evil forces, deservedn't pity; having chosen to stand with Celestial God Griss, they were doomed to die.
For friends, Hawk is like the sunshine of spring.
For strangers, Hawk is an indifferent bystander, respecting others' fate.
As for enemies?
Ha-ha.
Hawk's approach has always been to strike with a heavy fist; though he hasn't seen the Aldar galaxy's gods truly alongside Celestial God Griss, the Star System Main God carries the remnants of Griss's aura—this is all Hawk needs.
Once again.
Cosmic policemen rely on evidence.
Cosmic Demon God needs only suspicion.
But…
After withdrawing his gaze from the galaxy beneath, engulfed in silence, Hawk senses the infinite cosmic pressure from all directions, looks up towards the depths of the cosmos.
This pressure from reality cosmos itself only allows him, even when burning his Little Cosmos, to maintain his combat power at the level of Celestial God.
This differs from the suppression by the cosmos wanting to replace Celestial God Griss.
This is suppression from the cosmos, returning cosmological pressure on Hawk after Griss fled in embarrassment.
The cosmos is indifferent; it wouldn't grant privileges to Hawk for saving it from Griss's poison.
Though the cosmos returning won't use time traps, subjectively attacking Hawk.
But preventing any creature from transcending this cosmos is written into the cosmos's DNA.
Furthermore, Hawk recently killed several cosmic gods, including those from Aldar galaxy.
He's slain several; otherwise, he wouldn't be named Demon God.
Yet attacking cosmic gods is something even Griss of the Celestial God Team hasn't done.
So…
The true cosmic pressure descends; Hawk senses the suppression, rejection, and disgust towards him from all directions.
Yet Hawk pays it no mind.
Once again…
Suppression is suppression; what can it do to me?
Hawk senses the familiar aura approaching, focusing his gaze on the golden light rushing swiftly towards him from afar.
Within the golden glow is a woman.
Her golden, medium-length hair draped casually, her tall, strong figure full of power, clad in a tight battle armor interlaced in red, blue, and gold.
There is an eight-pointed star emblem on her chest.
She is enveloped in brilliant photon energy, like a cosmic divine spirit.
Carol Danvers!
Captain Marvel.
Seeing Captain Marvel surrounded by golden energy, her shining eyes fixed on him, Hawk slightly raises the corners of his mouth, greeting: "Hello, Carol."
This isn't his first encounter with Carol Danvers.
His first encounter with Captain Marvel occurred five months ago, during his third fulfillment of a promise.
Hawk transferred the remaining life on a planet reduced by half from Thanos's arrival to populate his sycamore World Tree.
Of course.
This is another reason why the cosmos's instincts abhor him.
If Celestial God Griss is akin to a family thief, then Hawk is purely a bandit.
To digress.
Hawk met Captain Marvel while destroying that planet of life.
At the time, Carol Danvers was furious, like an enraged tigress.
However, just as Carol Danvers was ready to strike, showing Hawk what Captain Marvel meant, the Planet of Life exploded, revealing an unformed Celestial God within.
Carol Danvers halted immediately, looking at the extremely hideous monster, the Celestial God's remains exposed after the planet's explosion.
And then…
This Captain Marvel seemed to latch onto him.
At this moment.
Carol Danvers looked at the extinguished star system below.
"I remember this star system seems to be an uninhabited one, did the Celestial God Team also plant their seeds in this star system?"
"No, their seeds are only planted on Planet of Life without Divine Spirit protection."
Hawk shook his head, then looked at Carol Danvers: "I remember telling you about this last time."
Carol Danvers nodded.
"I know, then why did you destroy this star system?"
"To meet someone."
"Your wife."
"Yes."
"Did you meet her?"
"Mm."
Hawk's gaze was calm: "I met her, but unfortunately the Celestial God Team also responded, further strengthening the shielding of that cosmos."
But it's not a big deal.
He already knew the multiverse's code after seeing the Fantastic Four beside Gwen.
828.
This was not determined by the uniform but by their faces.
After all, the Susan Storm he saw didn't look like the blonde babe Barbara, but rather had the face of a White Widow.
So—
828 Cosmos.
Hawk was very certain, hence the Celestial God Team's further shielding was useless.
What he needs to do next is to figure out how to travel through the multiverse.
Hawk thought in his heart, then looked at the Captain Marvel in front of him: "I reckon this place can be considered the edge territory of the cosmos. I came all the way here, yet you still managed to find me."
Carol Danvers laughed.
"You're akin to a Demon God of the cosmos, all the gods in the cosmos are reporting your location."
"Really?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"They're so scared of me."
"The entire army of gods from the Aldar Star System was annihilated; it's natural for them to be afraid."
Carol Danvers shrugged.
She wasn't angry about Hawk destroying the Aldar Star System's people, rather she felt Hawk did something she didn't dare to do.
Carol Danvers had been to the Aldar Star System.
Life there was harsh, essentially treated like cattle or expendables by the gods of the Aldar Star System, often offering sacrifices and the like.
But since it was the territory of the Divine Spirit, Carol Danvers could not intervene.
But after Hawk destroyed the gods of the Aldar Star System, Carol Danvers could intervene.
So after they got to know each other, although they didn't communicate much, they reached a kind of tacit understanding.
Hawk acts, she cleans up.
The informer Hawk mentioned to Gwen, was actually Carol Danvers standing right here.
"By the way," Carol Danvers seemed to have thought of something and looked at Hawk: "The gods of the cosmos are fearful you might go after them, so they've started fleeing to the Olympus Temple."
Hawk responded: "Zeus's Temple?"
Carol Danvers nodded.
"Yes."
"Seeking refuge?"
"Exactly."
"I'm not bloodthirsty."
Hawk shook his head, somewhat speechless: "I only kill the pantheons related to the Celestial God Team."
Carol Danvers shrugged: "But you killed gods similar to them."
This phenomenon of creatures fearing for their kind, nobody knows if Hawk might suddenly target them, so they've collectively fled to Zeus for emergency shelter.
Hawk chuckled, choosing not to continue the topic, he looked at Carol Danvers: "I have no interest in them, and I need to go back. What about you, returning to Earth?"
Carol Danvers waved her hand: "There's still some planetary unrest in the Aldar Star System, I need to keep watch over there."
Hawk nodded.
"Alright, see you next month."
"See you next month."
Hawk then remained silent, and the moment he turned around, he transformed into a red light, disappearing from Carol Danvers' sight almost instantly.
Carol Danvers, after Hawk left, glanced at the extinguished star system below, then withdrew her gaze and subsequently left the spot.
Earth.
Palm Street No. 521A.
Bang!
The instant the red light touched the ground, Hawk walked straight out from the red light, arriving under the big tree in the backyard, where he once again sat cross-legged below the tree, closed his eyes, continuing to ponder the Eighth Sense of Life.
Meanwhile.
New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Central.
"Knock, knock!"
"Enter."
A S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent pushed open Sharon Carter's office door, walked in, and looked at Sharon sitting behind the desk: "Ma'am, Mr. Phoenix has returned."
Sharon looked up and nodded.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent turned and left.
After the S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent left, Sharon grabbed the phone beside her, composed a text message, and promptly sent it away.
"Hawk is back."
"..."