"Ha!"
"Go back?"
"I raged all the way from New York to New Mexico and flattened General Ross's family graveyard, then I sped all the way from New Mexico to here."
"What do you think I came here for?"
"Am I that idle?"
"They started this war, not me."
"When the war begins, they decide, but when the war ends, it's not up to them, it's up to me."
Hawk's laughter abruptly ceased, his cold eyes sweeping over the well-dressed, seemingly important figures crowded at the entrance not far away.
These important figures should have been imposing.
But at this moment…
They were terrified.
They were uneasy.
Ha!
You know to wipe your nose when snot reaches your mouth.
You know to turn when the car hits a wall.
With a knife at your throat, you finally know regret.
But…
You're not regretting, you just know you're about to die.
Hawk took in the ugly expressions of these important figures, then refocused his gaze on Maria Hill, who stood before him.
"There are only two outcomes for this matter."
"…May I hear them?"
"Of course."
Hawk smiled faintly.
Compared to the undignified important figures, his impression of Maria Hill, who remained composed under Abomination's pressure, was quite good.
Hawk looked at Maria Hill, his tone distant.
His words were distant, his voice calm, without any emotional display.
"Since I'm already here, killing one is killing, killing two is also killing, and killing five hundred, five thousand, or even fifty thousand is just a matter of numbers."
"…"
Maria Hill's limbs instinctively grew cold upon hearing these words, and her heart grew cold too.
Hawk's words continued.
"After killing here, I'll go to the Pentagon, and after the Pentagon, I'll go to the White building. In short, they started the war, so there can only be one victor in this war. Either they kill me, or I kill them."
"Miss Hill."
Hawk's face regained a hint of a smile as he spoke, saying with a faint smile, "What do you think of this outcome?"
His gaze then swept again to the important figures gathered at the entrance, unsure whether to enter or leave.
Hawk's voice just now wasn't loud, but it wasn't low either, enough for these important figures to clearly hear what he had said.
So…
They were stunned.
They collapsed.
They begged for mercy.
In the face of death, all men are equal. At this moment, these important figures, slumped on the floor, pleaded incessantly as Hawk's gaze fell upon them.
In total, there were two meanings.
General Ross had orchestrated the plan to attack him; it had nothing to do with them.
They hoped Hawk would let them go like a fart, and they promised Hawk would never see them again.
Hawk said nothing, but rather enjoyed watching the ugly display of these important figures, with their snot and tears.
He had no doubt that at this moment, if these people could live, they would even send their socialite wives to his bed.
After all…
Outwardly glamorous, but behind the scenes, men and women engage in illicit affairs.
This is the Federation.
This is capitalism.
It's normal.
Just as Hawk was enjoying the unsightly display of these important figures, Maria Hill, who had recovered from the shock of Hawk's words, spoke up.
"What about the second outcome?"
"What second outcome?"
Hawk turned, looking at Maria Hill with a hint of surprise, "I suddenly realized I don't really like the second outcome. I think this one is quite good."
Maria Hill met Hawk's playful gaze.
"May I hear it?"
"…Alright."
Hawk thought for a moment, shrugged, then looked at Maria Hill and said, "After a war ends, the victor can demand war reparations from the loser."
As soon as the words fell.
Maria Hill had not yet spoken, but the important figures not far away, upon hearing this, their eyes lit up.
"We'll compensate!"
"We'll pay!"
"However much you want."
"Shut up!"
Hawk's cold gaze swept over the noisy, unsightly important figures again.
As his gaze passed.
These disheveled important figures were now trembling like quails.
Hawk gave a cold laugh, then looked back at Maria Hill, "But I don't want this outcome anymore."
Maria Hill frowned slightly.
"Why?"
"I don't like it."
Hawk shrugged, "Anyway, since this happened today, I probably won't be staying in the Federation much longer. Since I'm leaving, why keep them around? Might as well kill them all once and for all, then cleanse the Pentagon. I don't like the one in the White building either, might as well kill him too."
He spoke very casually.
Maria Hill, however, listened with great alarm.
Because…
She heard no hint of a joke in Hawk's words, nor did she see any joking expression on Hawk's face.
Clearly.
Hawk spoke casually, but he wasn't lying.
He really wanted to do that.
Hawk looked at Maria Hill, whose face showed a horrified expression, smiled inwardly, then turned and walked towards the important figures.
Just then.
Maria Hill, seeing Hawk move, gasped, quickly came to her senses, and ran directly in front of Hawk.
"Wait, Hawk!"
"…"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at Maria Hill, who stood in front of these important figures, protecting them like a mother hen guarding her chicks.
Maria Hill's voice was urgent.
"This matter will not be known to the outside World."
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
Maria Hill nodded heavily.
And it was true.
Despite Quantico having just been a fierce battlefield, few knew what had happened there.
Because S.H.I.E.L.D. had intervened from the beginning, cutting off all communications and signals from Quantico immediately.
So…
Apart from the locals of Quantico, the Pentagon, the White building, and S.H.I.E.L.D., not everyone knew what had transpired here.
The people of Washington D.C. at this very moment still thought today was just another ordinary holiday, let alone other places.
Hawk listened to Maria Hill's words, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
But…
After thinking, Hawk shook his head at Maria Hill.
"Not enough."
"Compensation."
Maria Hill quickly said, "You just said it, this is a war. Since they lost, they have to pay compensation."
Hearing this, Hawk's gaze swept past Maria Hill's shoulder, looking at the important figures behind her, who were now silent as cicadas in winter, wanting to say something but not daring to open their mouths.
Wherever his gaze fell.
These important figures instinctively avoided his gaze.
Clearly.
They were truly afraid.
Hawk's thoughts turned, and he looked at Maria Hill, smiling faintly.
"How much."
"How much do you want."
"Ha."
Hawk scoffed, "If I ask for a trillion, can they afford it?"
Maria Hill's mouth twitched.
Hawk shook his head, his tone calm.
"A million."
"?"
"Each!"
"…"
Maria Hill instinctively turned to look at the more than thirty important figures trembling like quails behind her.
Ten minutes later.
Hawk withdrew his gaze from the balance of his Stark Bank account displayed on the tablet Maria Hill handed him.
He looked at the important figures who, after transferring the money, were all looking at him with pleading, eager eyes.
"Scram!"
"Oh."
"We're going, we're going."
"Hurry, hurry."
"Thank you, thank you."
"…"
In just a blink of an eye, thirty-three important figures pushed and shoved, cheered, thanked, and disappeared from Hawk's sight.
Soon.
The vast military Base now had only two people left.
Hawk handed the tablet back to Maria Hill.
Maria Hill, taking the tablet, thought for a moment, then looked at Hawk.
"You never intended to kill them, did you?"
"…"
Hawk, putting his right hand back into his pocket, heard this, glanced at Maria Hill, chuckled, and didn't respond.
"You should leave."
"What about you?"
"I will stay here for an hour."
Hawk said calmly, then his gaze swept past Maria Hill and landed on the surveillance camera at the entrance of the command building: "Within an hour, you can use any weapons at your disposal to try and eliminate me. Of course, everything comes at a price, as long as you can bear it. If you don't make a move within this hour, then don't blame me for not warning you: from now on, stay away from me. If there's a next time, Washington D.C. will be razed to the ground by me!"
With that.
He glanced at Maria Hill, "You can leave too, Miss Hill. Perhaps S.H.I.E.L.D. can also try within this hour, since you're already here."
Maria Hill heard this and quickly said, "This is an internal Federation matter, S.H.I.E.L.D. is only responsible for World peace."
Hawk chuckled, said nothing, and closed his eyes.
Maria Hill, seeing this, also said nothing more, but turned and quickly ran towards the S.H.I.E.L.D. private jet nearby.
As she boarded, her call had already gone through to the Pentagon.
As the S.H.I.E.L.D. private jet took off, the vast Quantico Base truly became an empty shell.
The sun set, Fire burned, and ruins and debris covered the entire Quantico Military Base.
Hawk stood in the open space surrounded by ruins and debris, hands in his pockets, resting with his eyes closed.
Apart from the sound of the remaining Fire burning, there was nothing else in the entire military Base. On the outskirts of the military Base, the surviving soldiers also held their breath, looking in the direction of the military Base.
Time ticked by.
The air was silent.
Soon.
An hour, neither long nor short, passed in the blink of an eye.
Just then.
"Ring, ring, ring!"
A phone placed on the ground in front of Hawk rang.
Hawk opened his eyes, looked at the ringing phone, bent down, picked it up, and put it to his ear, connecting the call.
"Hello!"
"Hawk."
Gwen's voice came from the other end of the line.
Her voice was as gentle as ever.
"Are you done?"
"…Almost."
"Then come back soon. Don't forget, we have driving practice tomorrow."
"Okay."
"Mm, I'll wait for you in New York!"
"…Okay!"
"…"
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