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S.H.I.E.L.D. New York Command Center.
After iris verification, Sharon led the way, bringing Hawk into the operations command center. She glanced at the large screen displaying standby status.
"Patch in Avengers comms."
"Yes, ma'am."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agent nodded. With authorization from New York's top agent, he established communication with the Avengers—currently assaulting a Hydra base in the Middle East's Rub' al Khali, the world's largest continuous sand desert.
The screen flickered.
Black Widow Natasha Romanoff's image appeared instantly.
"Sharon."
"Natasha."
Sharon exchanged greetings with Natasha, then got straight to the point. "Where's Tony? He said he found something Hawk might be interested in."
"We discovered a hidden tunnel at the base's lower levels. Tony and Thor pursued down there."
Natasha explained Iron Man and Thor's whereabouts, then rotated the camera. A moment later, something resembling a cryogenic pod appeared on the main screen.
Natasha zoomed in, revealing through the observation window someone lying inside as if asleep. "Anna Pierce. Alexander Pierce's adopted daughter. Hydra operative. Tony remembered Hawk was looking for her."
Sharon stared at Anna's image on the screen—found in a Middle Eastern Hydra base. She glanced at Hawk, confused.
"Shouldn't Anna Pierce be with Strucker?"
"Strucker isn't here."
Hawkeye Barton's voice came through the screen. "JARVIS just scanned all the base's files. This is definitely Strucker's facility, but according to the logs, he hasn't been here since Hydra's second uprising. JARVIS is analyzing communication records now."
Hawk studied the water droplets forming on the observation window of the cryopod. He rubbed his chin.
"Did you cut power before the assault?"
"Yes."
That explains it.
Hawk noted this internally.
The Avengers had killed the power first—preventing the base from sending out warnings while simultaneously cutting Anna's life support. The woman who'd been kept barely alive had finally flatlined. Her soul had arrived in the Underworld.
Just then.
Natasha's voice cut through.
"Hawk, want to come confirm in person?"
"On my way."
Hawk refocused. He looked at Anna lying peacefully in the cryopod on screen. "Send me the coordinates."
Natasha rattled off a set of numbers.
Hawk turned and vanished from the command center.
Natasha's voice came again.
"How long until you arrive?"
"He's already gone."
Sharon chuckled.
Natasha flipped the camera back to herself, glanced at something off-screen, then seemed to hear movement. "No—he's already here. Gotta go, Sharon. Talk later."
Sharon acknowledged.
The screen instantly displayed SIGNAL LOST.
Sharon turned and left the command center. When she returned to her office, she found Gwen sitting alone on the couch.
No sign of the red-haired girl.
And—
The brooding man Hawk had brought back as a trophy was also gone.
Sharon took a deep breath. She studied Gwen—seated on the couch, chin resting on one hand, apparently deep in thought—and approached carefully.
"Gwen?"
"Mm."
Gwen looked up briefly at Sharon.
Sharon frowned. "The red-haired girl and that brooding guy..."
Gwen lowered her hand from her chin. It fell naturally to her side. She looked at Sharon.
"Her name is Jean. The man is Pietro—Jean's uncle."
"..."
Sharon opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated.
Gwen knew what Sharon wanted to ask. She laughed softly.
"Yes. Pietro took Jean and left."
"Why?"
"Pietro said if he didn't bring Jean back, Strucker would kill his sister—along with Billy and Tommy."
"Uh..."
Sharon's expression turned strange.
Gwen looked at her, face calm. "Billy and Tommy are Jean's younger brothers."
Sharon blinked. Then it clicked. Her eyes went wide as she stared at Gwen.
Their gazes met.
Sharon finally processed everything. She sucked in a sharp breath.
"Wait—there are two more?"
"Yep."
Gwen nodded. Then something seemed to occur to her. She shook her head and laughed bitterly. "I wanted one daughter and two sons. But here I am, haven't even gotten started, and Hydra's already given Hawk a daughter and two sons."
Sharon heard this. She watched Gwen and proceeded carefully.
"Gwen, this isn't Hawk's fault."
"I know."
"Uh..."
Sharon met Gwen's gaze again. Studying her eyes, Sharon pressed her lips together.
"You're... not blaming Hawk?"
"Why would I blame him?"
Gwen blinked, then looked at Sharon curiously. "Hawk didn't betray me. He's always been loyal. If I'm going to blame anyone, I blame Hydra. I blame Strucker. And I blame... myself."
She shrugged at the last part.
Sharon raised an eyebrow.
"Blame yourself?"
"Yeah."
Gwen remembered being at the Jersey port with Hawk. She sighed. "I was there when Hawk sold his blood. If I'd known this would happen, I would've stopped him no matter what."
But after letting Pietro take Jean, she'd thought it through.
This really wasn't her fault either.
Who could have predicted Hydra and Strucker would play this dirty?
Unbelievable.
They couldn't find Hawk's weakness—so they manufactured one for him.
And not just one.
Three.
One daughter. Two sons.
She couldn't decide whether to curse Hydra for being inhuman or praise them for playing Virgin Mary.
Gwen gritted her teeth. A flame of fury flickered in her eyes—the same rage she'd felt at Cascade Falls when she'd learned what vampires had done to her cousin. No—even stronger.
"Damn you, Strucker."
"...We'll find him."
Sharon quickly spoke up. "Now that Strucker's plan is exposed, we're one step away from tracking him down. The moment we catch a single mistake, Hawk will have him."
She quickly changed the subject, pulling Gwen to her feet. Her gaze swept over Gwen from head to toe.
"That brooding guy didn't hurt you, did he?"
"No."
Gwen shook her head. Then, remembering something, she retrieved the Vibranium Energy-Absorption Collar and its key from the couch and returned them to Sharon. "Sorry for releasing him without asking."
Sharon accepted the S.H.I.E.L.D. tech—which had been clamped around Pietro's neck to prevent him from breaking out again if he woke up. She smiled and said it was fine, then looked at Gwen. "Hawk's the one who brought him in anyway."
Gwen smiled. A hint of worry crossed her face.
"I'm a little worried about Hawk."
"Hawk?"
Sharon blinked. "Hawk went to meet Thor and Tony. He shouldn't run into any danger, right?"
Gwen considered this, then smiled. "I suppose you're right."
She wasn't actually worried about Hawk's safety.
After all, Hawk had proven something countless times through battle.
I'm invincible. Do whatever you want.
Gwen was worried about something else.
When Hawk had brought Pietro in, she'd sensed it—that thick, barely contained killing intent radiating from him.
But it hadn't been directed at Pietro.
At first, Gwen had assumed Hawk's murderous intent was aimed at Strucker.
But then—
When Pietro had begged her to let him take Jean, she'd learned about Billy and Tommy.
Her heart had lurched.
Gwen worried that Hawk's killing intent—stronger than she'd ever felt from him—might also include Jean, Billy, and Tommy.
Hawk had motive.
For her sake.
But!
Even though today felt like a fever dream, she truly knew this wasn't Hawk's fault.
If Hawk had betrayed her? No question—she, Gwen Stacy, police captain's daughter with ten years of secretly practiced power punches, would've planted her fist in his face immediately.
But this genuinely wasn't on him.
So—
Gwen thought this through. She glanced at Sharon, who was watching her with concerned eyes, then pulled out her phone and called Hawk.
Sharon stood beside her, watching silently.
She wasn't stupid.
When Gwen had said nothing was wrong, Sharon had accepted it—but she knew Gwen was definitely troubled.
Just then.
Hawk answered on the first ring.
Anyone else's call, Hawk might miss.
But Gwen's calls? Never.
His left hand rose, releasing a wisp of Phoenix Fire that settled onto Anna's body—just extracted from the cryopod. His right hand held the phone.
"Gwen, I'll be back soon—"
"Pietro and Jean are gone."
"..."
Hawk heard this through the phone. His eyebrow rose.
But he didn't speak. He knew Gwen wasn't finished.
Sure enough.
"Oh, and—"
"After you left, Jean woke up. I gave her my Andromeda necklace. Told her to bring it back for Billy and Tommy as a gift from me. You won't be mad, will you?"
Gwen stood in Sharon's office, eyes lowered to her now-empty neck.
Sharon, listening to Gwen's call, finally noticed—the golden goddess-shaped pendant that had hung around Gwen's neck was gone.
Hawk heard Gwen's words. His thoughts turned. He instantly understood her intention—and laughed.
"Of course not."
"Really?"
"It's just a necklace. If you wanted to give it away, that's fine. I'll get you something better when I'm back."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Gwen heard his answer. She smiled, then hung up. She looked at Sharon, pulling a distressed face. "Sharon, now I don't have any protection. After Hawk gets back, you can't leave my side."
Sharon watched Gwen's exaggerated expression and smiled, nodding.
"No problem. I won't move an inch."
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