Marvel: The Enlightened One#63+64: Hydra? A Christmas Killing.

"My blood?"

The cautious, almost timid tone in Anna's voice was all the confirmation Hawk needed. He raised an eyebrow, a cold, knowing certainty settling in his mind.

So... Hydra?

His mind instantly flashed back to the moment before the Quantico job, just after he’d dealt with the would-be robber. He remembered that faint, prickling sensation of being watched from above, a fleeting but undeniable feeling of being observed.

A slow, dangerous smile touched Hawk's lips.

Just as he'd always thought, he didn't care about factions or affiliations. All that mattered was how people treated him.

And right now, HYDRA was treating him with a proposition.

His response was immediate and disarmingly casual. "Sure."

"Ah." Anna sounded like she couldn't believe he'd agreed so readily.

Hawk smiled. "How much do you need? Don't tell me you want a bucket. Even if you drained me dry, you probably wouldn't get that much."

"No, no! Just a vial will be enough."

"A vial??"

Hawk raised an eyebrow again, then laughed. "One vial is hardly worth the trouble. Tell you what, I'll give you two hundred milliliters. You can have your people draw it themselves when you deliver the meteorite."

Whatever their reasons, if Hydra was going to be generous, he certainly wouldn't be stingy.

Besides, his true power came from his Cosmo. Especially now, with the Phoenix constellation ignited, his physical body was almost an afterthought.

As long as his Cosmo burned, he could not die. Even if he were struck down, he would be reborn from the Phoenix's embers the next.

So, what’s a little blood?

But then a thought struck him. In a light tone edged with steel, he added, "Anna, you should know, I'm always very generous with my friends..."

"Thank you!!" Anna's voice became excited, clearly surprised by his generosity and the offer to have them handle the blood draw.

But then another thought seemed to strike her, and her tone became cautious again. "Mr... Hawk, aren't you worried about what we might do with your blood?"

Hawk laughed. "What are you going to do? Clone me?"

"What? No, of course not!! We would never."

"Good."

Hawk, who had been studying a satellite map of Calver Lake, New Jersey, glanced at the phone, still on speaker. "As long as it's not cloning, I don't really care what you do with it."

It was just as Gwen had said: people are the weapons, not the tools they use.

Anna gives him a meteorite, he gives her his blood. It was a simple transaction. What she did with it afterward was her business.

Honestly, even if they did try to clone him, he wouldn't be that concerned.

It would just be... annoying. And it would be a shame to have to end their budding friendship so soon.

"Just one rule. Don't go making any copies of me. If you do, we won't be friends anymore. And you won't like what happens next."

"You have my word. You can rest assured on that point," Anna promised immediately.

Hawk grunted in acknowledgment, ready to end the call. "Just let me know when the meteorite is ready. I'm in no rush. As long as it's here before Christmas."

Anna agreed.

Hawk hung up, picked up the phone, and edited the new contact before saving it.

His contact list now contained exactly four people.

1. Gwen (Girlfriend)

2. Mrs. Snow (Counselor)

3. Peter Parker (The Spider)

4. Anna (HYDRA?)

That was it.

Honestly, if Gwen ever glanced at his phone, she’d know Spider-Man’s secret identity instantly.

Hawk saved the number, then dismissed the matter from his mind, his focus returning to the satellite map on his computer screen.

The Hulk.

Hawk's eyes glinted.

During the long days of his training, he had prepared for two possibilities.

The first was that his power-up would be the Cosmo he remembered, which would give him the strength to get his revenge on his own terms.

The second was the Lawyer Path.

If his power had turned out to be a dud, or if it had all been a dream, he would have used the legal system to pursue his vengeance. That was the path he had set for himself—from lawyer to judge.

It would have taken years, decades even, and there was no guarantee of success.

But it would have been better than doing nothing.

Now, that second path was no longer necessary. He didn't need to rely on outside forces anymore. He had more than enough power to see this through himself.

But the Hulk was damn good at hiding.

After getting the new computer from Skye, Hawk had tried to track him, but Banner was a master at the game.

General Ross, with the full might of the United States military at his disposal, had failed to find him. What chance did he have on his own?

Then again, considering Ross hadn't been able to find him either, Hawk was starting to doubt Ross's skills at the game.

But that was no longer important.

He knew where the Hulk would be this Christmas. That was all that mattered.

This time, there would be no escape.

Hawk had actually seen the Hulk during the Battle of New York three months ago. For a moment, he had been consumed by the urge to attack.

But he wasn't a fool. Back then, he had a newly awakened Cosmo, no Phoenix constellation, and no armor. And the Hulk was surrounded by the Avengers, including a literal God of Thunder.

If Hawk had made a move then, the God of Thunder would have sided with the Hulk, no question.

So, he had suppressed the urge.

Revenge is a dish best served cold...

He had already waited over a thousand days. What was a few more?

...

His original plan had been to wait even longer, to forge his Phoenix Armor first, then go after the Hulk. A suit of Celestial armor that would let him stand toe-to-toe with the God of Thunder himself.

But now, the prey had wandered out of its den before the hunter had finished preparing his tools.

And that...

Was just fine.

When an opportunity presents itself, you take it.

Since you came to me, this is where you'll be buried.

Hawk stared at the satellite map on his screen, his eyes narrowing to slits.

"Anya..."

"Just wait a little longer. This Christmas, I will send the Hulk to Hell."

"..."

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

Time had never moved so slowly for Hawk before.

But it was now.

Christmas had always been a special time. Back at the group home, his sister, Anya, had loved it. Every Christmas Eve, a few kind-hearted staff members would hand out small, cheap gifts, and for her, it was magical.

Because of her, Hawk had come to love it too.

But after she was gone—after September 10th, 2009—he had spent that first Christmas Eve alone, having snuck into the cemetery to be with her.

Since then, he hated the holiday.

He didn't just dislike it, he found the noise and forced cheer of the holiday unbearable.

But this year, Hawk was desperately, impatiently waiting for it to arrive.

Time has a funny way of working, though. The more you watch it, the slower it goes. It's only when you're not paying attention that it seems to vanish in a flash.

Realizing this, Hawk forced himself to stop counting the days, to lock himself back into his usual, relentless routine.

And finally, the week before Christmas, Midtown Tech officially let out for the holidays.

Hawk went home with Gwen.

His plan had been to head straight to New Jersey that same day, to begin his stakeout for the Hulk. But Gwen's mother had been so insistent with her invitation that he couldn't find a polite way to refuse.

...

When they got back to the Goring Building. George hadn't returned from work yet, so Hawk went with Gwen up to her room.

He was familiar with her bedroom by now.

He walked in and sat down on the edge of her bed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Gwen pulled her desk chair over and sat down, calling Mary Jane.

A few minutes later. Gwen ended the call with a laugh, set her phone aside, and turned to Hawk. "MJ was asking if we had any plans for the break. She suggested the four of us could do something together."

Hawk said. "Four of us?"

"Her and Peter."

"Well, I'll be damned..."

Hawk was taken aback for a second, then a grin spread across his face. "When did that happen?"

Gwen leaned in, her expression serious. "You're not going to believe this. Today. Right after Norman Osborn's funeral. And get this—MJ was the one who made the first move."

A look of genuine surprise crossed Hawk's face.

"For real?"

"I know, right?"

"Wow." Hawk nodded slowly. He really hadn't expected the Peter of this world to actually say yes to MJ.

But then, He thought back to last Sunday night, when Peter had tapped on his window, seeking him out to confess that he had just killed his best friend's father.

Just like in the original story, the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn, was dead.

And he had died in the same way—killed by his own glider after a failed attempt to stab Peter in the back, even after Peter had spared him.

But one detail was different.

In the original version, Harry had walked in on Peter returning his father's body. Here, that hadn't happened. Instead, right after it was over, Peter had come straight to Hawk's apartment and told him everything.

Hawk, who had just returned from his own recon trip to New Jersey, had been exhausted and in no mood for company.

He was ready to tell Peter to get lost, but the look on his face—haunted, lost, and heavy with guilt over his best friend’s father’s death—made him pause...

Instead, he cracked open a couple of Cokes and let Peter talk it all out.

And now, It seemed his intervention had caused a butterfly effect. Peter hadn't rejected the girl of his dreams... he had actually accepted her confession.

...

Hawk smiled and said to Gwen, "That's great. Peter's always been crazy about her."

"MJ always knew," Gwen said, then her brow furrowed. She looked at Hawk, a knowing glint in her eye. "But Peter... he's just like a certain someone I know. Pretending he doesn't care when he actually cares a lot."

Hawk met her gaze, which seemed to speak volumes.

Gwen's lips curved into a smile.

"Am I wrong?"

"No."

Hawk shook his head.

Gwen's smile widened. She blinked slowly, her eyes sparkling. "So you admit it? You've had a thing for me since freshman year?"

Hawk held her gaze, a slow smile forming on his own face. "Yes."

"I knew it." Gwen had the answer she wanted, and her happiness was radiant. She leaned her head to the side, resting it against her chair. "It was the same for me."

She understood Peter's hesitation with Mary Jane perfectly. Because she'd been through it herself.

Her smile grew more confident. "And now I'm absolutely certain Peter is Spider-Man."

"Because if he wasn't, he never would have found the courage to be with MJ."

"Right??"

"..."

Hawk looked at Gwen, who was once again trying to get him to confirm Peter's identity. He gave her the same, practiced answer. "Again, I'm not confirming anything, and I'm not denying."

Gwen shrugged. "Whatever. Now that he's with MJ, it's only a matter of time before she finds out. And when she does, she'll definitely tell me."

MJ was the biggest gossip. She might not tell anyone else, but she would absolutely tell her.

Gwen's thoughts then returned to the phone call. "So, what should I tell them? A twenty-one-day break is a long time. A couples' trip could be fun."

She looked at him, her eyes bright with anticipation.

Hawk didn't answer right away. A slight frown creased his forehead.

Gwen noticed. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure yet." Hawk thought for a moment, then gave her an apologetic smile. "I have something I need to take care of over the break. I just don't know which day it's going to be yet."

Gwen blinked. "Something you need to do?"

"Yes."

"..." Gwen watched him, then tilted her head slightly. "If I asked you what it was, would you tell me?"

Hawk met her gaze. She stared back. Their eyes locked for a long moment. He let out a soft chuckle and nodded. "If you're asking, I'll tell you."

Gwen nodded back. The next second, her expression became serious. "Okay, then. I'm asking, Hawk. Tell me."

After a long moment of silence. He spoke two words.

"Killing someone."

"..."