New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Central Operations Command Room.
After iris verification, Sharon took the lead, bringing Hawk to the operations command center, then glanced at the large screen in standby mode.
"The Avengers communication is coming through."
"Yes."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent nodded, establishing communication with The Avengers who were currently attacking a Hydra Base in the Middle East's Rub al Khali Desert after receiving authorization from New York S.H.I.E.L.D. First Agent.
The screen flashed.
Black Widow Natasha Romanoff's image suddenly appeared on the big screen.
"Sharon."
"Natasha."
After greeting Natasha on the screen, Sharon quickly asked, "Where's Tony? He mentioned finding something Hawk might find interesting."
"Found a secret passage at the base of this facility, Tony and Thor are pursuing it."
Natasha initially revealed the whereabouts of Iron Man and Thor, then switched the camera, showing something similar to a Hibernation Pod on the screen.
Natasha zoomed in, and through the observation window of the pod, she saw someone seemingly asleep: "Anna Pierce, Alexander Pierce's adopted daughter, part of Hydra, Tony remembers Hawk was looking for her."
Sharon stared at the displayed image from the Middle East Hydra Base, slightly surprised, then looked at Hawk.
"Anna Pierce shouldn't be with Strucker, right?"
"Strucker isn't here."
Hawkeye Barton's voice also came through on the screen: "Jarvis just scanned all the files from this base, confirming it's indeed Strucker's. But according to its logs, he hasn't been here since Hydra's second endeavor. Jarvis is investigating the base's communication records."
Hawk, observing the water droplets outside the Hibernation Pod's observation window, stroked his chin.
"Did you cut the power before attacking?"
"Yes."
That explains it.
Upon hearing this, Hawk thought to himself.
The Avengers chose to shut off the power first, preventing any leaks, simultaneously cutting Anna's life support, leading to her demise and her soul's journey to the Netherworld.
At that moment.
Natasha spoke up.
"Hawk, why don't you come over to confirm?"
"Sure!"
Hawk snapped back, looking at Anna, peacefully resting in the Hibernation Pod on the screen: "Send me the coordinates."
Natasha gave the coordinates.
Hawk then turned and instantly vanished from the command center.
Natasha's voice came again.
"How long until you arrive?"
"He's already on his way."
Sharon chuckled.
Natasha flipped the camera back, glanced, then seemingly heard something: "No, he's already there, ending the call, Sharon, see you."
Sharon responded affirmatively.
The screen instantly showed signal loss.
Sharon then left the command room, returning to her office to find Gwen sitting alone on the sofa.
The office was devoid of the red-haired little girl.
And also...
The melancholic man Hawk had brought back as a trophy was gone too.
Sharon took a deep breath, watching Gwen on the sofa, resting her chin in thought, cautiously.
"Gwen?"
"Hmm."
Gwen looked up at Sharon from the sofa.
Sharon frowned, "The red-haired girl and the gloomy guy..."
Gwen lowered her resting hand, letting it fall naturally, looking at Sharon.
"Her name is Jean; the guy is Pietro, Jean's uncle."
"... "
Sharon opened her mouth, intending to speak, yet hesitated.
Gwen, aware of Sharon's desire to ask, chuckled lightly.
"Yes, Pietro took Jean away."
"Why?"
"Pietro said if he didn't take Jean back, Strucker would kill her sister, along with Billy and Tommy."
"Uh..."
Sharon's expression was inexplicable.
Gwen looked at Sharon, calmly: "Billy and Tommy are Jean's brothers."
Sharon was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized, instinctively widening her eyes at Gwen.
Four eyes met.
Sharon fully realized, taking a deep breath sharply.
"So, two more?"
"Yes."
Gwen nodded, then seemed to recall something, shook her head with a quiet laugh: "I was hoping for a daughter and two sons, yet, without taking any action, Hydra gifted Hawk with one daughter and two sons."
Listening to Gwen, Sharon regarded her with cautious curiosity.
"Gwen, it's not Hawk's fault."
"I know."
"Uh..."
Sharon meeting Gwen's gaze once more, observing her eyes, pursed her lips.
"You... don't blame Hawk?"
"Why would I?"
Gwen was slightly surprised, then curiously looked at Sharon: "Hawk hasn't betrayed me; he's always been loyal. If blame is assigned, it falls upon Hydra, Strucker, and... myself."
At the concluding words, she shrugged.
Sharon raised her eyebrows.
"Blame yourself?"
"Yeah."
Gwen recalled the scene when she accompanied Hawk to Jersey Port and sighed, "I was there when Hawk sold blood, but if I'd known what would happen today, I'd have stopped him no matter what."
However, after she just had Pietro take Jean away, she thought seriously about it.
Actually, this can't be blamed on herself.
After all, who could have known Hydra and Strucker would play so wild?
Good grief.
They couldn't find Hawk's vulnerability, so they personally created one for him.
And they created not just one.
Three, to be exact.
One girl and two boys.
At this moment, it's hard to know whether to curse Hydra for being heartless or to praise them as Holy Mother Mary.
Gwen gritted her teeth, her eyes flashing with a flame even more furious than when she heard her cousin was treated like a blood bank by vampires in Waterfall Town.
"Damn Hydra."
"...We'll find him."
Sharon, seeing this, quickly reassured, "Now that Strucker and his plans have been exposed, we're only a step away from finding him, and as soon as we catch a mistake from him, Hawk will be able to find him."
At this point.
Sharon quickly changed the topic, pulling Gwen up and casting her eyes up and down Gwen.
"Did that sorrowful guy hurt you?"
"No."
Gwen shook her head, then seemed to recall something and returned the 'Vibranium Energy Absorption Necklace' and key lying on the sofa to Sharon: "Sorry, I didn't tell you, and I let him go."
Sharon accepted the S.H.I.E.L.D. Vibranium Technology Crystal used to collar Pietro to prevent another breakout upon waking, smiling and saying it was fine, then looked at Gwen: "He was originally caught by Hawk."
Gwen smiled a bit, a hint of concern appearing on her face.
"I'm a little worried about Hawk."
"Hawk?"
Sharon blinked: "Hawk went to find Thor and Tony, he probably won't encounter any danger, right."
Gwen, hearing this, thought about it and smiled, "That's good."
She actually wasn't worried about Hawk's safety.
After all, Hawk has proven one thing through countless battles.
I'm invincible, do as you please!
What Gwen worried about was something else.
When Hawk brought Pietro in, she felt the intense killing intent within Hawk's heart, almost uncontrollable.
But this killing intent wasn't directed at Pietro.
At first, Gwen thought Hawk's killing intent was directed at Strucker.
But then…
Gwen, when she heard Pietro pleading for her to let him take Jean away, learned from Pietro about Billy and Tommy's existence.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Gwen feared that Hawk's unprecedentedly strong killing intent this time also included Jean, Billy, and Tommy.
Hawk might have that motive.
For her.
But!
Although today's events felt like a dream, she really understood it couldn't be blamed on Hawk.
If Hawk betrayed her, no doubt, she, Gwen Stacy, a sheriff's daughter, would definitely smash Hawk's face with her ten-year practice in Heavy Cannon Powder Fist.
But this matter truly can't be blamed on Hawk.
So…
Gwen silently thought, looking at Sharon beside her who watched her with concern, then took out her phone and called Hawk.
Sharon watched this scene, without speaking.
She wasn't a fool.
When Gwen shook her head saying it was fine, though she also responded, she knew Gwen did have something on her mind.
At this moment.
Hawk's phone was answered immediately.
Any call from anyone might be missed by Hawk.
But Gwen's call, Hawk would not miss.
With his left hand raised, he tossed a Phoenix Fire onto Anna's body being lifted from the hibernation pod while his right hand held the phone.
"Gwen, I'm…"
"Pietro and Jean left."
"…"
Hawk listened to this sentence over the phone, his eyebrows raised.
Yet he didn't speak, for he knew Gwen wasn't finished.
Sure enough!
"By the way."
"After you left, Jean woke up, and I gave Jean the Pleiades Necklace to take to Billy and Tommy as a gift from me, you wouldn't blame me, would you?"
In Sharon's office, Gwen lowered her eyes, looking at her now empty neck.
Sharon, listening to Gwen's call, only then realized that the golden star necklace that was once around Gwen's neck was gone.
Hawk listened to Gwen's words, his thoughts whirling, instantly understanding Gwen's intention, then laughed.
"Of course not."
"Really?"
"It's just a necklace, you like it, giving it away is fine, I'll give you an even better one when I return."
"Promise!"
"I promise!"
Gwen listened to Hawk's answer, smiled slightly, then hung up the call, turned to Sharon, and made a bitter face: "Sharon, now I have no safety protection, when Hawk returns, you cannot leave me."
Sharon saw Gwen pulling a bitter face, also smiling and nodding.
"No worries, I won't leave a step."
"…"