Marvel: The Enlightened One#193+194: Today They Test You, Tomorrow They Eat You Alive, Pierce Loses His Temper

New Amsterdam Hospital.

Outside the emergency room.

After Sharon Carter had been rushed in for surgery, Gwen had been sitting in the hallway with Hawk, waiting.

She looked worried.

"Sharon's going to be okay, right?"

"She'll be fine."

"You sure?"

"Don't worry. Even if she dies, her soul belongs to my Underworld. She won't end up in Hell."

"Huh?"

"Remember what I told you? I made a deal with Mephisto. Any soul that praises my name belongs to my Underworld."

"...Alright then."

With that reassurance from Hawk, Gwen finally relaxed a bit and nodded. "I still hope Sharon pulls through without any problems."

Hawk chuckled and decided to change the subject. "Gwen, that was reckless. You shouldn't have opened the door. We have a safe room in the basement."

It was a multi-million-dollar standalone home, after all. A safe room was standard.

Right there in the basement—a space big enough for a family of three, with its own power supply and stored food. Once sealed, it could hold out for three days.

Gwen seemed to remember something. She looked at Hawk.

"Obviously, my method worked."

"Huh...?"

Hawk was genuinely confused.

"What method?"

"Once I'm in danger, you show up immediately."

"..."

Hawk listened to Gwen explain her "method," his expression somewhere between disbelief and concern. "So that's why you dared to open the door and face three HYDRA agents alone?"

Gwen shrugged.

"You tell me—did it work or not?"

"It worked. Don't ever do it again."

Hawk's face turned serious as he looked at Gwen. "I just happened to bring Peter and Felicia out of that no-signal zone at the right time. What if I hadn't gotten out that fast?"

Gwen's smile was radiant. "It's fine. You gave me a protective charm, remember?"

As she spoke, she lowered her gaze and pulled out the Andromeda Cloth necklace hanging around her neck.

Hawk's expression cleared. "Fair enough."

Gwen carefully tucked the necklace back under her shirt, then her eyes lit up as she looked at Hawk.

"You found Peter and Felicia?"

"Yeah."

"That's great!"

"Yep. Felicia's pregnant. Four months along. It's Peter's."

"..."

Gwen's mouth fell open slightly. Her expression froze in place.

Wait... What did he mean Felicia was pregnant, the baby was Peter's, and she was already four months along?

Peter was two-timing? That was impossible. Peter was such a straight-laced guy. There was no way he could be a scumbag.

Gwen's mind raced at lightning speed.

Hawk smiled faintly but said nothing more. He turned his head to look at the emergency room doors.

The next second, he felt someone tugging on his sleeve.

Gwen's eyes were wide with disbelief, staring at Hawk without saying a word. But her expression said it all.

What happened?

"Alright, fine."

Hawk laughed and proceeded to explain the time differential between Skull Island and the real world, along with how Peter and Felicia had gotten together.

Gwen was shocked.

Not just about the time difference between Skull Island and the real world.

But also about Peter and Felicia being a couple.

It took her a while.

Finally, Gwen snapped out of her shock and looked at Hawk. "There's really a place on Earth where one month outside equals a year on the island?"

Hawk nodded.

"I only figured it out when I found Peter on Skull Island and did the math. Turns out, more than ten days had passed out here."

"I really want to see it."

"Absolutely not. That place is dangerous as hell."

Hearing that, Hawk immediately tried to squash that terrifying idea. "You don't want to spend a few days there only to come back and find out more than a month has passed out here—with Helen and George losing their minds looking for you. They'd kill me."

Gwen thought about it, then instinctively nodded. "Fair point. But wait—Peter and Felicia. Did Peter tell you that himself? That doesn't sound like him. He's not the type to share his private life with people."

Hawk's lips curved upward.

"I told him that if MJ finds out Felicia's four months pregnant, she's either going to believe he cheated on her or believe his story about time differentials—which one sounds more believable? But if you explain it to MJ, she'll believe it."

"Me?"

Gwen blinked and pointed at herself.

"Of course. If I say it, MJ will just think Peter and I are in cahoots."

"True."

Gwen found Hawk's explanation flawless and nodded. Then she shook her head. "Actually, let's not tell MJ proactively. Let's wait until MJ finds out on her own. Then I'll help Peter explain it to her."

Hawk didn't respond.

He was happy to watch the drama unfold. He wasn't about to stir the pot himself.

Just then, the emergency room light turned on.

Soon, the doors opened.

A surgeon wearing a mask emerged first. Sharon Carter, lying on a hospital bed, followed right behind.

"The surgery went well. However, the patient lost a lot of blood. She'll need to stay for observation for a couple of days."

"Okay. Thank you, doctor."

After the surgeon left, Hawk and Gwen followed Sharon Carter to a VIP room.

After all, they'd gone through the VIP express lane for this surgery.

Translation: Pay in cash, skip the insurance.

...

Inside the VIP room.

Hawk crossed his arms and looked at Sharon, who was lying in the hospital bed. Thanks to the blood transfusion, her complexion was gradually returning to a healthier color. He shook his head and glanced at his fiancée. "I'm probably not getting that sixty grand back."

Gwen looked at Hawk. "Sharon's our friend."

Sharon—lying in the hospital bed, her face looking a bit more flushed but still very weak—managed a faint smile as she looked at Hawk. "I'll pay you back."

Hawk laughed.

"I was joking. Gwen's right. You're our friend."

"I'm sorry..."

Sharon's face was filled with guilt. "I almost got Gwen dragged into this."

Hawk waved it off and dropped the smile, his expression turning serious as he looked at Sharon.

"Again—you're a friend, Sharon."

"That's right, Sharon."

Gwen chimed in as well. "Friends don't need to be so formal with each other. And honestly, if you hadn't come to me, who knows how long Hawk would've stayed out there playing around before coming home?"

Hawk raised an eyebrow at Gwen.

Gwen ignored him and kept reassuring Sharon. "Besides, you saw it yourself. Hawk's back now. Don't worry. Get some rest. No one's going to mess with you anymore."

Hearing Gwen's reassurance, Sharon managed another smile and nodded. Then, as if remembering something, she turned her head to look at Hawk.

"Hawk, HYDRA—"

"I know."

Hawk cut her off. "HYDRA's been parasitically embedded in SHIELD this whole time, right? And now they've decided to stop hiding and are making their move for a second uprising. Is that it?"

Sharon blinked, thinking Gwen must have already told Hawk. She nodded.

"New York SHIELD has been taken over. Commander Hand was captured. Hawk, could you—"

"No."

"..."

Sharon opened her mouth. The hope in her eyes visibly dimmed. "Alright."

Hawk smiled faintly.

"I have no interest in getting involved in the mess between you and HYDRA."

"But..."

"They made the first move."

"Today they dared to knock on my door and test me. Tomorrow they'll dare to break in. If I act like nothing happened, the day after that, someone's going to think they can walk all over me."

"And—" Hawk continued, watching as hope began to flicker in Sharon's eyes again. His lips curved upward. "And you're my friend, Sharon. I've always been generous with my friends. So—John Garrett. Describe what he looks like."

In principle, he genuinely didn't want to get involved in the grudge match between HYDRA and SHIELD.

Bottom line, Whether SHIELD won or HYDRA won, it made no difference to him.

It wasn't like HYDRA would suddenly think they could disrespect him once they were in charge.

Except HYDRA actually did think they could.

They hadn't even succeeded in their takeover yet, and HYDRA was already sending people to test him. If he didn't respond now, what would happen if HYDRA actually won? They'd be walking all over him.

So he had to send a message.

Sharon immediately understood what Hawk meant. Without hesitation, she quickly described the build and appearance of John Garrett—the man leading the takeover of New York SHIELD—then looked at Hawk. "Hawk, Commander Hand is still in there. And other agents. If you can, please help them."

Her pleading gaze was similar to the three HYDRA agents who had begged Hawk to spare them earlier.

But there was a fundamental difference. Because Hawk had refused the three HYDRA agents' plea.

But Sharon—

"I can do that."

Hawk smiled and nodded, then looked at Gwen beside him.

Just as he was about to speak, Gwen was already smiling. "Go on, superhero."

Hawk raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not a superhero."

"I know. But you're my superhero. Come back soon. Once it gets dark, I'm not brave enough to go home alone."

"Yeah. I'll be right back."

Hawk chuckled, then the moment he turned around, his body vanished like a fading mirage, disappearing from the room.

Gwen watched Hawk disappear from view, blinked a few times, then turned to Sharon with a smile. "Now you can relax."

Sharon managed a weak smile.

"Thank you, Gwen."

"Don't mention it."

Gwen smiled warmly, then glanced at the IV drip and said to Sharon, "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch. Don't worry. Hawk's back. This'll all be resolved soon."

Sharon hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah. Hawk's back—"

Before she could finish, Sharon's eyes had already closed. She fell into a deep but peaceful sleep.

<><><><><><><><>

"HAWK'S BACK!"

"FUCK!"

Alexander Pierce—who had seized full control of the SHIELD Triskelion headquarters using Maria Hill's absence in Africa handling the Wakanda situation and the SHIELD Director's assassination as justification—cursed under his breath when he heard the latest update from New York City.

Especially when he learned that Sharon Carter had escaped, run into Bleecker Street, and that their HYDRA agents had not only followed her in but had actually tried to threaten Gwen—only to be caught red-handed by Hawk the moment he got back.

Alexander Pierce was absolutely livid.

He'd never been entirely on board with this second attempt at the Struggle Plan.

After all, the whole thing was way too rushed. The three helicarriers equipped with the Insight Algorithm were still in the final stages of testing.

But the arrow was already nocked. There was no turning back.

Better to struggle again than to quietly die out.

Take the gamble. Win big or lose everything.

So HYDRA had seized this rare window of opportunity and chosen to make their move.

Maria Hill was stuck in Africa and couldn't get back anytime soon.

Thor had gone to New Mexico.

Tony Stark had retired and was currently in South Korea with Pepper Potts.

And even Hawk had been maneuvered out of New York City by Zola.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime window. With one god, one who was practically a god, and one billionaire superhero all outside the continental United States, the resistance they'd face during this second uprising would be minimal.

Captain America alone wasn't a real threat.

Sure, their leader had been defeated by Captain America last time.

But that had been an accident.

This time, they were terrifyingly strong.

They didn't even need to kill Captain America. All they had to do was wait for the three helicarriers equipped with the Insight Algorithm to reach permanent altitude. Once that happened, it was game over.

Three permanently airborne Insight helicarriers, running Zola's algorithm, could instantly analyze the data of billions of people worldwide and identify anyone who posed a threat to their rule.

All three carriers would open fire simultaneously, capable of eliminating millions—possibly tens of millions—of potential threat targets within minutes.

But—

Among all those targets, there were two they absolutely did not want to provoke.

The first was Thor.

Thor wasn't Earth's Thor. He was Asgard's Thor. If they pissed him off, what would they do if Asgard sent down a hundred thousand soldiers the next second?

So Thor was off-limits. Fortunately, Thor had also left D.C. and New York with his girlfriend and gone to New Mexico.

The second was Hawk.

Once again... The thick layer of white ash covering Wakanda still hadn't been cleaned up.

So Hawk was off-limits. Fortunately, Dr. Zola had managed to maneuver Hawk out of New York City ahead of time.

But while Hawk wasn't in New York, Gwen was still there.

So Alexander Pierce had issued strict orders to New York from the very beginning: Stay away from Bleecker Street. No matter what happens, stay away from Bleecker Street.

And yet—a few idiots still went there. And more importantly, those idiots had tried to threaten Gwen right when Hawk came back.

...

"You didn't ask me before going in. But now that something went wrong, you come running to me?"

Alexander Pierce was so angry he almost laughed.

His assistant—who had come to report and was currently standing to the side—saw his boss's nose practically twitching with rage and quickly responded.

"Sir, they did request permission."

"Who the hell authorized it? Who did they ask?"

"Dr. Zola."

"..." Alexander Pierce actually laughed out loud.

HYDRA was never a unified block. If anything, HYDRA was more like an alliance.

An alliance made up of remnants who had survived after World War II through various means, now calling themselves HYDRA elders.

Alexander Pierce wasn't a HYDRA remnant himself. But he was the leader of the new generation of HYDRA.

There was always friction between the old guard and the new blood. HYDRA was no exception.

Just like how Alexander Pierce constantly cursed Arnim Zola and Strucker as two fossils who should have been in a museum decades ago.

And this time, the person in charge of the New York operation was Zola. The main operative, John Garrett, was Arnim Zola's proxy.

"What's this supposed to mean?"

"You didn't ask me before starting. But now that things went south, you come running to me? You think I'm just going to clean up your mess?"

Alexander Pierce sneered repeatedly.

His assistant stood to the side, eyes lowered, not daring to make a sound.

Pierce didn't expect his assistant's opinion anyway. He took a deep breath, pulled out his phone with a cold laugh, and called Arnim Zola directly.

Zola's synthetic voice soon echoed in his ear.

"Pierce."

"Zola. You sent people to Bleecker Street?"

"Yes."

"Great."

Hearing Zola's frank admission, Alexander Pierce was equally blunt. "You made this mess. You clean it up."

Zola's voice remained completely flat.

"According to my algorithm, in a scenario where Hawk does not appear, faced with our extreme pressure, Sharon Carter would have voluntarily surrendered herself to protect Gwen."

"But Hawk's back now."

"Yes."

Dr. Zola's electronic voice remained steady.

After all, the real Arnim Zola—the one with emotions—had died back in 1972. The digital Zola that remained was just a program with Zola's memories. At its core, it was still bound by logic.

As long as he had data, he could calculate all sorts of future possibilities.

For example, he could use the soon-to-be-online Zola Algorithm to calculate each person's potential likelihood of becoming their enemy in the future.

But what about someone who couldn't be analyzed through logic? Then his algorithm was useless.

Like Hawk...

His logic told him that once Peter went missing, Hawk would immediately go looking for him.

But fundamentally, he hadn't actually calculated Hawk's behavior. He'd calculated Peter's.

So, He'd predicted Hawk's departure but hadn't predicted his return.

Still, that wasn't important.

What mattered was that as a digitized consciousness, Zola couldn't lie. So when faced with Alexander Pierce's questioning, he had no intention of shirking responsibility.

Alexander Pierce felt the same way.

This time, no matter what, he wasn't getting involved.

"You made this mess. You fix it."

"I will."

Zola's voice remained calm. "Although Hawk's return was not within my calculations, New York City is irrelevant to the bigger picture. I will contain the fallout within New York."

Alexander Pierce sneered. "You'd better."

With that, Pierce ended the call, tossed his phone aside, and downed the ice water his assistant handed him in one gulp.

The next second, he reached over and activated the signal jammer on his desk, then turned to his assistant, his eyes glinting. "Arnim Zola has to go."

Zola's cloning project.

Strucker's synthetic human project.

If Hawk ever discovered either of those projects, you didn't need a crystal ball to know what would happen.

And Alexander Pierce felt completely wronged.

He hadn't done anything. He'd even lost one of his operatives. And now he was expected to share Hawk's wrath alongside Zola and Strucker when everything came to light?

At first, Pierce had been convinced by Zola to get on this boat.

But now, he suddenly realized he had a second option.

Kill that damn Zola first. Otherwise, Pierce was convinced these fossils were going to drag him down with them sooner or later.

And Strucker too.

That guy's ticking time bomb was even bigger. Once it went off, the fate that had turned all of Wakanda into white ash would be HYDRA's future.

But Strucker was in Sokovia. And unlike Zola, Strucker had a physical body. Rumor had it that years ago in Japan, he'd eaten an alien and had been living off that ever since. He'd been operating independently all this time.

So taking out Strucker would be difficult right now.

But it wasn't impossible.

Once the Insight helicarriers were permanently airborne, Alexander decided—the first shot would go to Strucker in Sokovia.

He'd obliterate him, his castle, and that massive bomb inside it completely off the face of the Earth.

Alexander believed that once he eliminated these two museum-worthy fossils, HYDRA's rise wouldn't be a distant dream anymore.

Bottom line, Hesitation brings disaster.

HYDRA's failure last time had been because of these deadweight teammates. This time, he absolutely was not going to repeat that mistake.

And so—Kill Zola first. Eliminate Strucker next. Only Pierce remains, and HYDRA reigns supreme!

Once Alexander Pierce made up his mind, his gaze stopped flickering and became sharp as he stared at his assistant.

"Figure out a way to pull the plug on Zola's server."

The assistant heard his boss's low-voiced instruction, froze for a moment, then met Pierce's gaze and understood what he was getting at.

"Understood, boss. I'll notify the Winter Soldier to go to Jersey City and shut him down."

"...No!"

Alexander Pierce quickly raised his hand.

That had been his first thought too—send the Winter Soldier to New Jersey and shut down Dr. Zola's server.

But now, he'd suddenly thought of an even better idea.

An idea that would not only ensure Dr. Zola got shut down permanently but also guarantee that Hawk wouldn't direct his fury at the Insight Project—which would go online in just twelve hours.

...