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"Moloka'i."
"Mauna Loa."
"That's..."
Hawk listened to the address Klaus provided, thought for a moment, then looked at him. "Hawaii. Forty-eight nautical miles east of Honolulu?"
Klaus continued watching Hawk with that trademark crooked smile, his mind racing through possibilities. Who was this man in the supernatural world? Which major player had he failed to account for?
"Yes. Three days ago, you were there too."
"I've never been to that place. Never even been to Hawaii."
Hawk glanced at Klaus.
The only reason he could pinpoint the location so precisely after Klaus mentioned the name was because his memory was exceptional.
Otherwise, he never would have chosen law school.
Hawk looked back at Klaus.
"Mind telling me what you experienced on that island?"
"What can you offer me?" Klaus toyed with his whiskey glass, studying Hawk with interest.
He could let Katherine go—someone he'd hunted for five hundred years—simply because Hawk's presence alone carried enough weight to crush him. That much was clear from the brief surge of power he'd felt.
That wasn't a big deal.
After all, his werewolf blood was unsealed now. Hunting Katherine had always been more about principle than necessity—she'd offended him, disrespected him. But now that someone powerful enough to matter was vouching for her, there was no point in making an enemy over it.
But...
"You asking me to do you a favor and let Katherine go? That's one thing."
"You wanting to know how I unsealed my bloodline? That's something else entirely."
"Another favor?"
Klaus leaned back in the booth, his right hand idly spinning the whiskey glass on the table.
Hawk smiled slightly, spreading his hands.
"Would that work?"
"Of course!"
Klaus's crooked smile widened as he looked at Hawk deploying his Face Fruit once more. "As you wish."
He began recounting what had happened three days ago. The full moon. His trip to Hawaii, to Honolulu, to Moloka'i forty-eight nautical miles east. The process of unsealing his werewolf blood. And the moment he'd seen "Hawk" there.
...
"You know me..."
"I don't know where you learned about me, but you know me well."
"So you should know I've been searching for the key doppelgänger to unseal my werewolf blood for many, many years."
"At first, I thought Katherine's doppelgänger—Elena—was the only one."
"But that wasn't true."
"One of my blood servants, while I was on my way to Mystic Falls, informed me that there were doppelgängers on Moloka'i as well."
"Many of them."
"So I went. And I saw them."
"That's where I saw you."
"More accurately—many versions of you."
"In a pit of corpses."
"A pit filled entirely with your doppelgängers. Many, many doppelgängers..."
"..." Hawk's expression remained calm as he listened to Klaus's account. He looked up. "So you unsealed your werewolf blood using my doppelgängers?"
Klaus's smile widened.
"Yes."
"Clearly, someone there has mastered the technique of creating doppelgängers. They make you. Then they kill you."
"Cloning. Merrick."
Hawk's thoughts crystallized. He looked at Klaus. "Can I ask—did you find the place where they were mass-producing my doppelgängers?"
"I didn't need to search. All I needed was the doppelgänger's blood. There was a pit full of them. All I had to do was have Elijah grab a random werewolf and meet me there."
"Conveniently, the lie I spread about the moonstone drew all my potential enemies to Mystic Falls."
"I found a local witch on the island. Then I very calmly, very smoothly unsealed my werewolf blood."
"After that, I came here. To meet these enemies who wanted to steal the moonstone and prevent me from breaking my curse."
"The rest, you already know. I arrived. You showed up."
Klaus's tone was measured. "So if you're asking whether I tipped anyone off—the answer is no. If you go to Moloka'i right now, you should find what you're looking for."
Something stirred in Hawk's mind. He looked at Klaus.
"You want me to leave Mystic Falls?"
"Of course."
Klaus didn't hide his intentions. "I can't read you. You're powerful. But you're not my enemy, and I don't want you to become my enemy. The smartest move is to give you what you want. So I pardon Katherine Pierce. I tell you about Moloka'i. My instinct tells me you'll be grateful."
Hawk held Klaus's gaze. The next second, he smiled faintly.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Hawk stood from the booth. "If I find what I'm looking for on Moloka'i, I'll owe you a favor, Klaus. You can call on me anytime."
Klaus looked up at Hawk.
"That's exactly what I wanted. Thank you."
"Pardon Katherine Pierce. And Elena too, while you're at it. You don't need her anymore anyway."
"Yes. I'll pardon them both."
"Later."
Hawk heard Klaus's answer, said nothing more, and turned. The instant he did, he vanished silently from Klaus's sight.
Klaus felt the powerful presence—which had been impossible to track or pin down—disappear the moment Hawk did. His expression shifted subtly.
Just then, A man in an impeccable suit—looking less like a vampire and more like an elite Wall Street lawyer—walked over from the back of the bar. Elijah Mikaelson took the seat Hawk had just vacated, looking at his brother across the table.
"You could have asked him to find Mikael."
Mikael Mikaelson.
Their father.
Just as Katherine was hunted by Klaus, Klaus was hunted by his father Mikael.
After all, Klaus wasn't Mikael's biological son. He was the child of Mikael's wife and the werewolf next door.
Klaus looked at his older brother Elijah, his wicked smile returning.
"I've already unsealed my werewolf blood. Mikael isn't a problem anymore. Rather than waste this favor on him, I'd prefer to save it for something more important."
"Like what?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Klaus stared at the spot where Hawk had vanished. "But I will."
...
Fox Manor.
Caroline, Elena, and Stefan—who had been waiting anxiously in the living room—all shot to their feet the moment Hawk reappeared.
Gwen turned to look at him as well.
Caroline spoke first. "Cousin, how did it go?"
Hawk didn't answer immediately. He walked to Gwen first, kissed her gently.
He did this every time he came home.
This time was no exception.
After the kiss, Gwen asked the question.
"Did Klaus give you that favor?"
"What do you think?"
Hawk smiled at Gwen, then turned his attention to Caroline, Elena, and Stefan. "Klaus isn't your problem anymore. You don't even need to drain Elena's blood. Klaus found another doppelgänger to solve his own issues."
Elena's expression visibly relaxed with relief.
Stefan, however, froze. "Another doppelgänger? I thought Elena was the only one?"
Hawk smiled slightly, glancing at Stefan.
"Clearly not."
"Then—"
"You can go now."
Hawk cut him off directly.
He had no interest in chatting with Stefan or Elena. Honestly, he hadn't even wanted to deal with this situation in the first place.
But his fiancée had promised to help Elena resolve it.
So, He'd stepped in to protect Gwen's word. Nothing more.
To put it bluntly, If Caroline weren't his fiancée's cousin, even she would have found it nearly impossible to get a meeting with him.
Just like when he'd been an ordinary person who knew about Tony Stark but could never actually meet Tony Stark.
Stefan understood the subtext. He knew when to quit while he was ahead.
"...Understood. Thank you for your time, Mr. Phoenix."
"No problem."
Hawk's tone was neutral. He said a quick word to Gwen, then the two of them returned to the manor's bedroom.
Gwen closed the door behind them, then turned to face Hawk.
"Go ahead. I can get to the airport on my own tomorrow."
"Wow."
Hawk, who'd been about to speak, looked at Gwen—who'd beaten him to the punch—and laughed. "Is there anything I can actually hide from you?"
Gwen's eyes sparkled with amusement as she looked at him. "I just know you, Hawk. Better than anyone. So yes, you can't hide anything from me. Where are you planning to go?"
Hawk smiled.
"Moloka'i."
"That's..."
"Hawaii. An island forty-eight nautical miles east of Honolulu."
"Because..."
"Merrick." Hawk didn't hide anything from Gwen. He explained what he'd learned from Klaus—that Dr. Merrick was very likely on Moloka'i.
Of course, He left out the part about the corpse pit. The pit Klaus had mentioned, allegedly filled with countless clones of Hawk.
Hawk hadn't internalized it as a serious problem. But he knew Gwen would worry if she heard about it. So to avoid unnecessary concern, this wasn't deception. It was a benevolent omission.
Gwen listened to the story—how Klaus had accidentally provided this information—and blinked. Then she looked at Hawk. "Then you should thank me, Hawk."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Gwen smiled. "If I hadn't promised Caroline I'd help solve her problem, you never would have met with Klaus. So—thank me."
Hawk's expression turned serious as he looked at Gwen.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Gwen's smile was radiant. Then her expression grew more serious as she looked at him. "Go. Catch that bastard Merrick. Finish this quickly and come home. I'll be waiting."
Hawk nodded.
"What about tomorrow—"
"I can have Caroline come with me to the airport. So don't worry about me. Just go. And this time, don't let him slip away."
"Alright."
Hawk didn't argue further. He pulled Gwen into an embrace, kissed her, and when he lifted his head—he was already miles above the earth.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
A sonic boom echoed across the sky. A crimson streak of light shot forward, racing toward Moloka'i at impossible speed.
...
At the same time.
Just as Gwen smiled, opened the door, and started down the stairs, her phone rang.
She pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and answered as she descended.
"Good afternoon, Sharon."
"Gwen, SHIELD satellites just detected Hawk's energy signature moving—"
"Hawk's going after Merrick."
Gwen reached the bottom of the stairs and headed toward the living room. "Moloka'i. Hawk said it's an island near Honolulu. He just got intel that the real Dr. Merrick might be there."
Sharon, on the other end of the line, paused.
"Thank you."
"No problem. You're our friend, Sharon. And Hawk said if you asked where he was going, I could tell you."
"By the way, SHIELD agents Abby Bruce and Lauren Cross are already en route."
"...I'm going back to New York tomorrow. And Hawk might be back any minute."
"I insist. SHIELD insists, Gwen. When Hawk's not there, we need to ensure your safety."
Sharon, sitting at her desk, glanced up at the screen showing two signals moving toward Fox Manor to protect Gwen.
This was part of the new understanding between SHIELD and Hawk after the organization's restructuring.
When Hawk left on business, SHIELD ensured Gwen's safety.
The newly reformed SHIELD had figured out the key to working with Hawk: Build a good relationship with Gwen, and you build a good relationship with Hawk.
So if anyone cared more about Gwen's safety than Hawk himself, it was SHIELD. Even George and Helen couldn't claim that distinction.
Soon, After hanging up, Sharon used her satellite phone to contact her superior—Victoria Hand, former commander of New York SHIELD and current commander at SHIELD headquarters.
"Commander, Hawk's heading to Moloka'i. The real Dr. Merrick is suspected to be on that island. Should we deploy agents?"
"No."
Victoria Hand's response was immediate. "If Hawk's already there, we stay out of it. If the real Dr. Merrick is on that island, our presence could tip him off."
SHIELD had undergone a complete top-to-bottom purge under Director Maria Hill's leadership.
But—
HYDRA remnants still existed scattered across the globe. Both Hill and Commander Hand suspected there might still be undiscovered HYDRA operatives embedded within SHIELD.
So the two of them had agreed on a strategy: All direct contact with Hawk would be handled by Sharon Carter, someone they could trust absolutely. Sharon would personally select agents she trusted completely to form a specialized unit stationed at the rebuilt New York SHIELD Hub, dedicated exclusively to Hawk-related matters.
Any information involving Hawk went directly to Sharon and Maria Hill. Maximum compartmentalization to minimize leaks.
So—
"Don't worry about Moloka'i. Hawk will handle it himself."
"Protect Gwen. Until Hawk returns."
"Understood. Abby and Lauren are already on their way. They've been stationed in Mystic Falls all week."
"Good. Ensure Gwen's safety."
"Copy that."
Sharon acknowledged, then hung up. She glanced at the main screen and ordered the satellite tracking of Hawk's energy signature terminated.
Better safe than sorry.
Speaking of which—at Hawk's speed, he should have already reached Moloka'i by now.
Sharon stared at the darkened screen, her thoughts drifting.
...
Moloka'i.
Also known as Molokai Island or the Friendly Isle, it was the fifth-largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Pine forests and bamboo groves covered much of its surface. It boasted unique black sand beaches, the world's highest sea cliffs, and Kahiwa Falls—plunging fifteen hundred and seventy meters in a single drop.
Most of the island remained in its natural state.
Especially Wailau Valley in the northern region.
The terrain there was steep and forbidding, completely at odds with the rest of the island. It maintained ninety-nine percent of its original, untouched wilderness. The only safe way to reach Wailau Valley was by helicopter.
WHOOSH.
A streak of red light tore through the sky at ten thousand meters. An instant later, deep within the dense canopy of Wailau Valley—thick enough to block out the sun—Hawk materialized silently.
The next second, He stood before a pit. Obviously man-made. Excavated with purpose.
He looked down into it.
And saw—
His own corpse.
Many corpses. All his face. Densely packed, scattered in chaotic layers—three deep on the bottom, three more piled on top. Naked. Expressions frozen in various states of death. Twisted and discarded like garbage, carelessly thrown into the pit before him.
But this wasn't the only pit.
Hawk's gaze swept the surrounding area. Several other patches of disturbed earth were clearly visible—soil that had been dug up and filled back in.
His Sixth Sense extended downward, following the traces of disturbed ground, spreading rapidly beneath the surface.
Then—
Hawk withdrew his Sixth Sense, staring at the pit in front of him. The eighth one. The one that hadn't been filled yet because it wasn't full.
A pit dedicated to burying his clones.
He was suddenly reminded of a classic film.
Resident Evil.
Because Hawk realized his current situation mirrored the protagonist's almost exactly.
The Umbrella Corporation had used Alice's blood to create countless Alice clones, attempting to replicate the perfection of the original.
The HYDRA operatives here were doing the same thing.
It seemed they were trying to use sheer volume to trigger a qualitative change—hoping that by producing enough clones, one would eventually possess his power.
That's...
Wishful thinking.
Hawk scoffed at the absurdity.
The next second—
WHOOOOOM.
Scorching Phoenix rays erupted from his eyes, striking the pit. One by one, the corpses vaporized instantly. In the blink of an eye, the countless bodies bearing his face had been reduced to nothing.
Hawk pulled his gaze away. His form vanished from the spot, following the faint, nearly invisible traces left on the ground. He reappeared on a distant cliff edge.
The ocean stretched out before him, endless and vast.
Below the cliff lay Molokai's signature black sand beach.
And beneath his feet—
The HYDRA base.
Hawk looked down.
His Sixth Sense expanded like a net, blanketing the area in an instant.
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