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Time flows like a river.
In the blink of an eye, the fall semester at NYU and Empire State had come and gone.
In another blink, winter break had arrived.
"Wow!"
"It's snowing!"
On the first morning of the break, Gwen slipped out of bed, threw on a robe, and went to open the curtains. Her eyes lit up at the sight of fresh snow blanketing their backyard, soft flakes still drifting down. She whirled around with pure delight written all over her face. "Hawk, look!"
Since they were engaged, it was only natural that they were now living together.
Helen had been fine with it, her only condition being a series of not-so-subtle hints about being careful. She'd just finished raising Howard and Simon, and she wasn't quite ready for grandchildren just yet.
In a word: no babies before the wedding.
It was a condition they had both readily agreed to.
So, since the start of the semester, Gwen had been spending most of her time at the house on East Village, only occasionally going home to her parents' for a night on the weekends.
This was her home now.
...
Gwen climbed back onto the bed, her excitement bubbling over.
"It's snowing, Hawk!"
"I see it."
"Come on, get up! Let's go build a snowman."
She tugged at his arm, trying to pull him out of bed. "I was just talking to Mrs. Smith from next door yesterday about how we should decorate for Christmas. I can't believe it's already snowing."
Hawk let out a weary laugh. "Gwen, do you have any idea what time I got home last night?"
She paused. "Oh, right. You and Thor had another sparring match. When did you get back?"
"About a minute before you woke up," he said, his voice deadpan. "I just got back from Mars. So, can I please get some sleep?"
Yes. Mars.
This was their tenth sparring session. Ever since September, they had been meeting up almost once a week.
At first, they had fought in Earth's upper atmosphere.
But after a few rounds, S.H.I.E.L.D had put their foot down.
It wasn't Hawk. It was Thor.
He was still the God of Thunder, and the stray arcs of lightning from his hammer were wreaking havoc on their satellites.
Once was an accident. But at a rate of one satellite per week, the five world powers were getting nervous.
So Sharon Carter had paid them a visit. First, she'd gone to Hawk, who politely pointed out that it wasn't his fault—but that he was open to finding a new venue.
Then she'd gone to Thor—
Thor had been furious, declaring that the mortals were insulting a god. Then Sharon had shown him the bill for the damages.
Thor had immediately agreed to find a new venue.
Their fourth match had been on the moon.
But then Thor, in his infinite wisdom, had summoned a lightning bolt that fried both the American and European lunar rovers.
So, when a tight-lipped Sharon Carter had shown up on their doorstep again, they had preemptively agreed to go somewhere even farther away.
It was Jane who had suggested Mars.
And it had been perfect—far enough away to keep the world powers satisfied, yet vast and empty enough to serve as an arena where they could go all out.
With each battle, Hawk felt his Cosmo grow stronger, new stars igniting within his inner universe.
At this rate, he was drawing ever closer to the peak of Silver Saint.
Thor was equally content.
Though he had settled on Earth for love... deep down he remained a warrior through and through.
A good, no-holds-barred fight once a week was exactly what he craved. He was improving as well—his control over his power growing more precise, more refined.
At the very least, when Hela eventually appeared, he might actually keep both eyes this time.
...
Hawk did not sleep much longer. He sank into his Cosmo for a brief but fruitless search for the Seventh Sense, then rose to his feet.
After breakfast, Gwen dragged him outside to build her snowman.
The entire neighborhood was out, the kids all playing in the fresh snow.
In the end, Gwen's snowman was declared the undisputed champion of the East Village Snowman Building Competition.
It stood proudly on their front lawn—a chubby, cheerful figure with a carrot nose, a Santa hat, and a red-and-white scarf—posing for pictures with the neighbors.
Hawk stood back, watching Gwen laugh and talk with their new friends, a genuine smile on his face.
When he had lived here alone, he had not known any of his neighbors. But since Gwen moved in, everything had changed.
On her first day, she baked a batch of cookies and dragged him through the entire neighborhood, introducing them to everyone. Within a month, she had become a beloved member of the community. Now, whenever there was a neighborhood event, she was always included.
And this afternoon, she went to St. Mark's Church with Mrs. Smith to volunteer, handing out blankets and food to the local unhoused community.
Hawk went with her.
But he did not remain out front. He walked around to the back, to the small, quiet cemetery, to visit his sister. Standing before her grave with his hands in his pockets, he gazed at the photograph on the headstone.
...
"Next year," he whispered.
"I'm coming to Hell to bring you home."
"I promise."
He had wanted to go this year. But to walk freely between the realms of the living and the dead, he needed the Eighth Sense. He was still a long way from even touching the Seventh.
He was strong enough to survive a trip to Hell, but if Mephisto refused to release her, there was nothing he could do.
Moreover, according to Thor, all dimensional pathways to Earth were currently closed. The recent Convergence of the Nine Realms had triggered a massive, invisible energy storm that forced all pocket dimensions—including Hell—to seal their gates.
...
That night, after dinner at the church, Hawk and Gwen walked home. When they returned, he saw her standing before the fireplace, wreathed in blue flame.
The Hell Witch.
"..." Gwen gasped.
Before Hawk could explain, the witch was upon him, her voice desperate.
"Hawk, you have to help us."
"My descendant…"
"Someone is hurting her, just like they hurt us."
"Her power is out of control. I'm afraid she'll hurt herself."
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If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx
~# Bonus Chapter every 300PS