Calver Lake, the surface of the Water had already returned to its calm state.
The same was true beneath the Water.
The murky lake water washed over Hawk's body.
Hawk's gaze was expressionless as he stared at the enormous green body lying motionless in the mud of the lakebed.
Hulk!
Yes.
He was dead.
His death was simple, just as Hawk had planned: He was trapped in the Water by Hawk and then drowned alive.
But while it sounds simple, it was not easy to do.
Hawk glanced at his current Little Universe.
Within the Little Universe, there was chaos, and even the phoenix constellation that illuminated the Little Universe was now dim.
There was no other way.
Hulk was indeed very strong; ordinary people would burst forth with incomparable strength when drowning, let alone Hulk, who grew stronger with anger.
Hulk's final struggle before his death almost sent Hawk into the Phoenix, initiating the rebirth from Fire process.
But...
He still won.
Hawk looked at Hulk's body, lying quietly on the lakebed, and thought silently.
Just then.
Wisps of green light emerged from Hulk's massive body, and then, with a whoosh, the green light entered Hawk's body.
Buzz!
Hawk felt his Little Universe suddenly begin to rotate on its own, as if drawing these green lights into his body.
As wisps of green light entered the Little Universe, the previously dilapidated Little Universe once again bloomed with vitality.
"This is..."
"Gamma Power?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at Hulk beneath his feet.
As all of his power was absorbed by Hawk's Little Universe after his death, his massive body began to shrink, and the green light on his body gradually dimmed.
Finally, the enormous Hulk silently disappeared from his original spot as the last trace of power vanished, replaced by Bruce Banner, lying on the lakebed, his life uncertain.
Hawk looked at the appearing Bruce Banner, his eyes flickering.
By Calver Lake.
Gwen was still wide-eyed, holding her breath, staring motionless at the now calm lake surface.
Just then.
Boom!
The lake surface exploded.
Gwen's pupils contracted.
The next moment.
She watched Hawk emerge from the Water and reappear before her eyes, finally letting out a sigh of relief, and her tense, pretty face broke into a complete smile.
Gwen hurriedly ran towards Hawk, who had emerged from the Water and then landed on the shore, holding Bruce Banner.
"Hawk!"
"Bang!"
Hawk, whose upper body clothes had been torn during the fight and whose casual pants were also tattered, threw Bruce Banner aside.
Then, he looked at Gwen, who was running towards him, smiling through her tears, and a faint smile appeared on his face as well.
The next second.
He collapsed to the side.
"Holy sh*t!"
"Hawk!"
Gwen was startled for a moment, then quickly accelerated her pace, catching Hawk just as he was about to fall, and she held him up, her voice trembling: "What's wrong with you?"
Hawk's head rested on Gwen's shoulder.
"I'm fine."
"Liar."
Gwen looked at Hawk's pale face and was almost in tears.
Hawk shook his head.
"Really, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted."
"...Really?"
"Yes."
Hawk nodded.
His fight with Hulk, especially after burning his Little Universe, had indeed left him feeling utterly drained.
He was fine underwater, as he was still in combat, but as soon as he got ashore, he couldn't hold on. An endless sense of weakness and powerlessness instantly invaded every corner of his body.
However...
After absorbing the Gamma Power, the previously dimmed phoenix constellation in his Little Universe slowly brightened again, and a powerful self-healing ability was rapidly eliminating this feeling of powerlessness.
Although it wasn't quick enough to restore Hawk to his peak condition in an instant.
But...
In just a blink of an eye, blood color reappeared on his previously pale face.
Gwen, who personally saw the blood color reappear on Hawk's cheeks, finally believed Hawk's words and breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, as if remembering something, she supported Hawk while looking at Bruce Banner lying on the ground.
Perhaps because of his transformation into Hulk, Bruce Banner had prepared a pair of public large pants for himself, avoiding the awkward situation of being stark naked after transforming back from Hulk.
Gwen looked at Bruce Banner, who was soaking wet and only wearing a pair of boxers, and then turned her gaze to Hawk, who was leaning on her shoulder.
"He's not dead?"
"He's not dead."
"Then Hulk..."
"Hulk is dead."
Hawk said with certainty, then his gaze fell on Bruce Banner, who was lying motionless on the ground: "But he's not dead."
After all, Hulk was Hulk, and Bruce Banner was Bruce Banner.
Hawk was surprised when he saw Bruce Banner appear after Hulk's death.
Hulk died, but Bruce Banner didn't. However, Bruce Banner, who subconsciously opened his eyes under the lakebed, drank several mouthfuls of Water and then choked to death.
He had hesitated whether to leave Bruce Banner at the bottom of the lake.
But...
Hawk chuckled softly, inhaling the scent of Gwen's hair, and said in a somewhat weak voice: "It was Hulk who killed my sister, not Bruce Banner."
Just as he had insisted from the beginning.
If it had been Bruce Banner who killed his sister, he wouldn't have wasted words; he would have punched Bruce Banner into eight pieces long ago.
Every wrong has its source, every debt its owner.
Hulk was dead.
His grievances with Bruce Banner were settled.
This was also why he brought Bruce Banner ashore from the bottom of the lake.
"Then he..."
"He choked and passed out. He should wake up in a while."
"...Alright."
"Let's go back."
Hawk said, looking up at the sky, and said to Gwen: "If we go back now, we should make it home before your curfew."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, seemed to recall something, and shook her head.
"I don't think that's possible."
"What's wrong?"
"Our car was smashed."
"..."
With Gwen's support, Hawk saw the yellow corolla, which had been parked quite far away but was still smashed into a wreck.
He also saw Natasha Romanoff, lying on the grass not far away, sleeping as sweetly as a baby.
Gwen met Hawk's gaze, her tone innocent, and quickly explained.
"I didn't want to knock her out. I saw her pull out her phone and thought she was going to tip them off, so I hit her with a stick and knocked her out."
"Uh..."
Hawk looked at Gwen, who had an innocent expression and an even more innocent tone, thought for a moment, and swallowed the words about telling Natasha's identity.
He changed his mind and said: "Do you have a phone?"
Gwen took out her phone from her pocket.
"Yes."
"1-646..."
Gwen supported the weakened Hawk with one hand and took out her phone with the other, dialing the number Hawk gave her.
The call was answered quickly.
Anna's voice came from the other end of the line.
"This is An..."
"Have your people drive the car over."
"..."
Anna on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then, realizing what was happening, simply said: "Please wait, Hawk."
Three minutes later.
A black Chevrolet SUV drove from the end of a nearby path and then stopped in front of Hawk and Gwen.
A man in a black suit got out of the car.
"Mr. Haw..."
"Keys."
Hawk directly interrupted the man in the black suit.
The latter paused, then took out the car keys from his pocket and handed them over.
After Hawk reached out and took the car keys, he immediately gave them to Gwen, and then, with Gwen's support, moved towards the Chevrolet SUV.
With Gwen's help, Hawk opened the passenger door, preparing to sit inside, when he seemed to remember something and looked at the man in the black suit, who had turned and stood with his arms crossed in front of him, his posture very proper: "Oh, right!"
The man in the black suit looked up at Hawk upon hearing him.
"Sir?"
"Natasha and Bruce can die, but not today."
"...Understood, Sir."
The man in the black suit paused for a moment, then nodded and responded in a deep voice.
Hawk said no more. With Gwen's help, he got into the passenger seat and leaned back.
Gwen closed the car door and walked towards the driver's side. As she passed the man in the black suit, she paused and said to him: "Thank you for the car."
The man in the black suit quickly said: "You're welcome, it's our duty."
Gwen looked at the somewhat flustered man in the black suit, blinked, then smiled again, thanked the man in the black suit once more, and then opened the driver's door and got in.
"Hawk, you should be nicer. After all, he brought us a car."
"Alright."
Hawk, who was leaning in the passenger seat, feeling the unprecedented soreness brought by the powerful healing ability during the healing process, turned his head and smiled at Gwen: "Then you help me out of the car, and I'll kowtow to him?"
Gwen simply rolled her eyes at Hawk, ignoring him. After starting the car, she turned the Chevrolet SUV around and then drove towards New York City.
"Oh, right, my car is still there. They won't find us after they wake up, will they?"
"My grievances with Hulk are settled, but if they want to cause us trouble, I don't mind forming new grievances with them."
"That woman in the combat suit, she seems to be the one..."
"Gwen?"
"Yes."
"Can you let me rest for a bit? I'm very tired."
"...Alright."
The man in the black suit crossed his arms, watching his Chevrolet SUV drive away, then took out his phone from his pocket and made a call, reporting that Hawk and Gwen had left, and the last thing Gwen had said before leaving.
The voice on the other end of the phone was also silent for a moment.
After a while.
"Come back. Our relationship is very good now. Maintain this relationship."
"Okay, Officer. What about the car left here..."
"Don't worry about it. Since he didn't mention it, it means he doesn't care, or he has a plan. Don't interfere."
"Received."
"..."
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