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Gwen's mouth hung slightly open.
The effect wore off quickly, though. She looked down, taking in the armor that now encased her.
The Andromeda Cloth shimmered, its signature ice-blue light flickering in rhythm with the nebula that seemed to pulse from within the metal itself.
Gwen reached out, her fingertips brushing the surface.
The moment she made contact, a wave of sensation washed over her—cold metal, yes, but also something deeper. A sense of recognition. Of connection.
She flexed her arm experimentally. The chains hanging from the waist lock chimed softly, a delicate, crystalline sound that seemed almost alive.
As the links swayed, her emerald eyes—visible through the elegant faceplate—reflected the nebula's light, making it seem as though entire galaxies swirled within them.
She glanced up at Hawk, who stood watching her with a smile so warm it could melt snow.
Her lips curved into a mischievous grin.
A second later—
"Nebula Chain!"
With a playful shout, the chains coiled around her body sprang to life. They obeyed the singular directive Hawk had embedded within the Cloth: Protect Gwen.
The chains shot upward, and promptly wrapped themselves around Hawk.
Loop after loop, binding him tight.
Hawk looked down at the chains now restraining him, then back up at Gwen, his expression somewhere between amused and exasperated.
"Gwen. I didn't give you this gift so you could tie me up."
Gwen's grin widened. She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Hey, I thought you were into this sort of thing."
Hawk's eye twitched.
Women don't need a manual to unlock their inner freak. Marriage just flips the switch.
Gwen was no exception.
With a thought, Hawk dismissed the armor.
SNAP!
The Andromeda Cloth disassembled, the chains retracting as the fragments reformed mid-air into the pendant. A flash of ice-blue light, and the necklace settled gently back around Gwen's neck.
Gwen looked down at it, then back up at him, pouting slightly.
"Hey. I wasn't done playing with it."
Hawk smiled. "It's not a toy. It's for protection. And it's got limited energy. I don't want you burning through it all now and having nothing left when you actually need it."
Gwen tilted her head. "Can't you just... recharge it?"
"I could. But the materials aren't ideal."
Again—Vibranium absorbed energy but couldn't store it.
The Andromeda Cloth, as it stood, could only protect Gwen twice. She'd just used up one activation.
But that was fine.
Once she'd exhausted both charges, he'd just melt it down and reforge it.
Gwen listened to his explanation, her expression softening. She looked down at the pendant, her thumb brushing over its surface. A sweet smile touched her lips.
She looked back up at him.
"Hawk."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. I love this gift."
"You're welcome."
Hawk met her gaze—those gentle green eyes that seemed to see straight through him—and his smile deepened.
Then he gestured toward the mountain path ahead.
"Come on. We came all this way. Don't you want to take some pictures?"
Gwen nodded, brightening immediately. Then she paused, glancing at him with a hopeful expression.
"Can I put the armor on for a photo?"
"No. Reforging it is a pain."
Gwen's face fell. Then, a beat later, she shot him a look.
"This is your fault."
"..."
Hawk blinked.
'Wait, what?'
One second she's thanking him, the next she's blaming?
'Women.'
'Trying to understand them is like trying to find a needle at the bottom of the ocean.'
Still—
The disappointment didn't last.
Within ten seconds, Gwen was completely absorbed in the breathtaking mountain scenery, her camera out, her mood restored. She spent the rest of the day exploring every snow-covered ridge and peak surrounding Kamar-Taj, leaving her footprints across half the Himalayas.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, they finally made their way back to the monastery.
....
As they walked along the covered corridor, watching the apprentices still practicing their sling ring portals in the courtyard, a figure approached.
A stocky, serious-looking Asian man with a no-nonsense expression.
Wong.
The librarian of Kamar-Taj.
He stopped in front of them, his tone formal but polite.
"Mr. Phoenix. Mrs. Phoenix. Dinner is ready. The Sorcerer Supreme requests your presence."
Hawk hadn't said anything yet, but Gwen—hearing the way Wong had addressed her—responded immediately, her face lighting up.
"Oh! Thank you so much."
She was clearly delighted by the title.
She looked at Wong with genuine curiosity. "And you are...?"
Wong's expression didn't change. "Wong."
Gwen smiled warmly. "Thank you, Wong. We really appreciate it."
Wong gave a curt nod, then seemed to remember something. He reached into his robes and pulled out a slip of paper, handing it to Gwen.
Gwen took it, glancing down at the letters printed on it: Shamballa.
She blinked. "This is..."
"The WiFi password for Kamar-Taj."
"The WiFi... password."
Gwen, who had just been mentally running through a dozen mystical interpretations of the word, stared at him.
Then she let out a soft laugh.
"Right. Of course. Thank you."
Wong's lips twitched in what might have been the ghost of a smile. Then his expression returned to its usual stoicism, and he turned to lead the way.
Gwen, walking behind him, pulled out her phone and connected to the network. She glanced at Hawk, whispering.
"I thought this was a magic monastery."
Hawk shrugged. "Even sorcerers need to keep up with the times."
The Ancient One wasn't some hidebound traditionalist. The fact that she was willing to draw power from the Dark Dimension was proof enough of that.
....
After dinner, Wong escorted them to their guest quarters.
He pushed open the door.
Inside was a room that wouldn't have looked out of place in a five-star hotel.
A modern bed. A sleek, contemporary bathroom. Everything perfectly designed for comfort.
Once again, the aesthetic clash between the monastery's ancient exterior and its decidedly modern interior was almost absurd.
But Gwen had stopped being surprised.
She walked to the window, gazing out at the moonlit peaks in the distance, and pulled out her phone to snap another photo.
When she turned around, she found Hawk watching her with a faint smile.
She grinned. "Shower and bed?"
Hawk: "..."
....
The next morning.
Hawk glanced at Gwen, still fast asleep. Last night, she'd been as fierce as a tiger. This morning, she was as peaceful as a kitten.
He smiled, leaned down, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
Then he got dressed and, guided by one of the apprentices, made his way to the library.
Wong was already waiting at the entrance.
Hawk nodded in greeting.
"Morning, Wong."
"Good morning."
Wong pushed the doors open. "The Sorcerer Supreme is inside."
Hawk thanked him and stepped through.
....
The library was vast—far larger than the exterior of the building suggested.
All around him, bookshelves drifted through the air like fish in an ocean, each one laden with ancient tomes. They moved with a life of their own, gliding silently through the impossible space.
Hawk watched as one of the floating shelves drifted toward him. He reached out—
WHOOSH!
The shelf recoiled like a startled animal and darted away.
"Those books were written or collected by generations of Masters of the Mystic Arts. They're bound to the Vishanti. Since you're not one of us, they won't let you read them."
"That's a shame."
Hawk watched the bookshelf flee, then spotted the Ancient One standing nearby in her white robes. He walked over. "Can I borrow the Time Stone now?"
The Ancient One just smiled, said nothing, and turned to lead the way.
Hawk followed without a word.
They walked in silence until the Ancient One raised her hand. The space before them rippled, fracturing like shattered glass. A doorway opened.
Beyond it was a chamber built entirely of stone.
At the far end of the room, carved into the wall, were three massive stone heads.
The Vishanti.
Omnipotent Oshtur. All-Seeing Agamotto. Ancient Hoggoth.
Below the carvings, resting on a stone pedestal, was a relic that defied gravity itself.
The Eye of Agamotto.
Hovering. Waiting.
Hawk's gaze lingered on it.
'So that's why she didn't bring me here yesterday. She was wearing it. Had to put it back first.'
The Ancient One stepped onto the platform. Her hands moved in a series of precise gestures, and slowly, the Eye began to open.
As the relic's shell peeled back, a brilliant green light spilled out, flooding the chamber.
And there, at its heart, was the Time Stone.
The gem that controlled the flow of time itself. Past, future, acceleration, deceleration, stasis, loops—every aspect of temporal manipulation lay within its emerald glow.
The Ancient One then levitated the fully opened Eye of Agamotto and sent it floating toward Hawk.
Hawk reached out and grasped it. The weight settled into his palm. He stared at it for a moment, then looked up at the Ancient One.
"Can I ask... what promise did I make?"
The Ancient One's expression remained calm, though a flicker of curiosity touched her eyes.
"What did you plan to offer me, in exchange for this?"
Hawk smiled. "I have an idea. but I can't deliver on it right now."
The Ancient One's gaze didn't waver.
"It's fine."
Hawk blinked. "What do you mean?"
"I've already collected."
"What?" Hawk's confusion deepened.
The next second, the Ancient One, standing on the pedestal, raised her hand, her fingers forming the shape of a flower as a slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
Hawk's pupils contracted violently.
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