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Felicia Hardy, her face tired but glowing with happiness, cradled her newborn son—hers and Peter Parker's—in her arms.
Hawk and Gwen stood beside the hospital bed, looking down at the baby.
The little guy was tiny, but those eyes were unmistakably Felicia's. He'd inherited her signature gray-blue gaze perfectly—that slightly hazy, dreamy quality that made her eyes so distinctive.
A layer of soft, silk-like platinum-blonde fuzz covered his head.
No question about it.
That came from Felicia too.
Peter's hair was black—no blonde genes there. But Felicia's hair was pure gold.
Gwen stared at the tiny bundle nestled against Felicia, completely transfixed. "Wow. He's so cute."
Felicia smiled at Gwen.
"Do you two have plans?"
"We do."
Gwen looked at Felicia, smiling. "Two boys and a girl. That's my dream family."
Just like her parents. Two sons, one daughter.
Gwen was happy.
She wanted to carry that happiness forward.
Hawk, meanwhile, turned to Peter, who stood on the other side of the bed, carefully reaching out to touch his son's tiny head. "Have you picked a name yet?"
Peter nodded.
"Ben."
"..."
Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Your Uncle Ben's name?"
Peter nodded. "Yes. Uncle Ben taught me something important when I was lost. So my son's name is Ben."
In the East, naming your child after an elder would be considered disrespectful—like treating the elder as your child.
If Hawk ever had a son and named him George... George wouldn't be offended. He'd be honored.
Because to George, using his name wouldn't be an insult. It would be a sign of respect.
But, George was never going to happen.
Hawk filed that thought away, then looked at the baby in Felicia's arms before turning back to Peter. "So, Ben Parker?"
Peter opened his mouth to respond.
Felicia, still holding little Parker, looked at Hawk. "His full name is Ben Hawk Parker."
Hawk paused, then looked at Felicia.
She smiled. "Peter wants you to be little Ben's godfather."
Hawk turned to Peter.
Peter grinned sheepishly.
Hawk smiled. "Of course. I'd be honored."
He genuinely hadn't expected Peter to use his name as his son's middle name.
Again—
In America, using a friend's or elder's name as your child's name or middle name wasn't disrespectful. It was a sign of respect for the elder and the value you placed on that friendship.
And Peter hadn't just used his name as his son's middle name. He wanted Hawk to be little Ben's godfather.
Godfather and honorary uncle were not the same thing.
Honorary uncle was just something people said.
But godfather? That was a formal role, officially recognized during the baptism ceremony. The godfather was typically someone the parents deeply trusted and respected.
Usually, the godfather had to be baptized himself. Because the godfather's primary responsibility was guiding his godchild's religious faith.
Hawk had been baptized.
He'd been left on a church doorstep as an infant, after all. Whether he liked it or not, that was a fact.
But again, Believing in God and planning to storm Heaven weren't mutually exclusive.
Bottom line, Storming Heaven didn't mean he didn't believe in God. It just meant the throne rotated. And it was his turn next.
...
Anyway.
The godfather wasn't just a spiritual guide. He was a witness and guarantor of the baptism ceremony.
Simply put, Baptism wasn't something you could just show up and do. You needed someone who'd already been baptized to vouch for you.
So, Hawk thought for a moment, then looked at Peter. "I'll stop by St. Mark's Church later and check with the priest about scheduling the baptism."
Not all churches were created equal when it came to baptisms.
St. Mark's Church, with its long and storied history, might not be the absolute best in the city, but it was definitely one of Manhattan's top-tier churches.
Most importantly, Hawk turned to Felicia with a smile. "Wow. My godson. I'll have to think carefully about what kind of baptism gift to give him."
Felicia smiled. "Yes, you really should think about it, Hawk. After all, that's the whole reason I did this."
Peter immediately looked at Hawk.
"Hawk, she's joking—"
"Peter..." Hawk quickly cut him off, smiling at Peter. "Please. Relax. Today's a good day. You have a son. I have a godson. Congratulations, Peter."
Peter looked at Felicia, then at his son still wrapped in her arms, and smiled shyly.
Hawk and Gwen stayed at the hospital a while longer. Once Ben Hawk Parker yawned and drifted off to sleep, they hugged Peter and Felicia one more time and left.
...
Outside the hospital.
Gwen looked at Hawk curiously. "Weren't you planning to tell Peter you got your doctorate so you could rub it in a little?"
Hawk started the car and pulled out onto the street, heading toward Bleecker Street.
"Not today."
"Today should be a happy day for Peter."
"He deserves that."
Hawk glanced at Gwen.
Today was a happy day for him too.
Not because Peter had asked him to be Ben Hawk Parker's godfather. But because he'd changed Spider-Man's fate—a life that had been written as one tragedy after another in the original timeline.
That gave him a deep sense of accomplishment.
Not the kind of satisfaction that came from getting stronger. But the kind that came from somewhere deeper—a quiet fulfillment that settled in his chest.
Gwen smiled, hearing Hawk's words. She thought he was referring to Peter losing his parents and Uncle Ben. She nodded in agreement.
"Hawk."
"Yeah?"
"You're actually a really kind person."
"I know." Hawk glanced at Gwen, who was watching him with a warm smile, and returned it with one of his own.
He'd always considered himself a kind person.
Honestly. Since he'd started down this path, he'd killed plenty of people. But he could say with absolute certainty that he'd never killed an innocent bystander.
Every single battle he fought, he made a point of avoiding cities and crowds whenever possible.
No exceptions.
Unlike those superheroes, who seemed to run toward crowds whenever a fight broke out.
Hawk was different.
Maybe it was because he'd been caught in the rain before. So now he chose to hold an umbrella for those who came after.
So yes.
He was kind.
After Hawk and Gwen returned to Bleecker Street, they didn't go straight home. Instead, when they passed St. Mark's Church, they parked and went inside to speak with the priest about scheduling the baptism.
A major church like St. Mark's held baptisms almost daily. Some parents even made reservations while they were still pregnant.
Because baptisms had a time-sensitive nature.
Typically, baptisms were held within a few weeks or three months of the baby's birth. The earlier the baptism, the sooner the newborn's original sin could be absolved by God.
After flipping through the baptism reservation book, the priest—recognizing Hawk as one of the church's major donors—found an opening on April 25th, next month.
Hawk made another donation to St. Mark's, left the church, and called Peter to let him know.
As the baby's parents, Peter and Felicia would need to attend a pre-baptism preparation course.
Hawk didn't need to.
He'd been a member of St. Paul's Church choir, after all. Forget baptisms—he could probably step up and deliver a sermon without any training.
No choice in the matter.
Orphan life. With a sister to take care of. Living under the church's roof, the only thing he could do was make himself look as devout as possible.
Just like Samael before he became Lucifer Morningstar—the most devout angel before God's throne.
After hanging up, Hawk raised an eyebrow, as if something had just occurred to him. He looked at Gwen. "You don't think Peter's broke, do you? Maybe that's why he asked me to be his son's godfather. So I'd cover the baptism costs?"
The sacrament itself was technically free. No fee required.
After all, baptism was sacred.
But churches had operating costs. And supporting the church wasn't called a fee. It was called a donation.
A baptism ceremony at St. Mark's typically cost around two thousand dollars.
Gwen laughed, opening the car door. As Hawk walked around to the driver's side, she climbed in and replied, "It's the godfather's responsibility to pay for his godchild's baptism. You could always decline being Ben Hawk Parker's godfather."
Hawk closed the door, smiled, and looked at Gwen. "Can't do that. The 'Hawk' in Ben Hawk Parker is my Hawk. I'm the only one qualified to be his godfather. No one else gets that honor."
The biggest reason, though, was Peter.
Like he'd always said—out of the three Spider-Man versions, his favorite was the original.
So—
Hawk started the car again and glanced at Gwen. "What do you think I should give my godson as a baptism gift?"
Gwen looked at Hawk's expression and smiled.
"You already have an idea, don't you?"
"Yeah."
Hawk nodded. The moment Peter had asked him to be his son's godfather, he'd already had a rough idea of what to give.
Gwen was curious.
"What gift?"
"It's—"
Hawk was about to answer when Gwen's phone suddenly rang.
Gwen said, "Hold on," and pulled out her phone. She glanced at the screen. "It's Mom."
Hawk raised an eyebrow. "Probably asking about your doctorate."
Gwen hummed in agreement and answered the call. She'd just opened her mouth to tell Helen the good news about her doctorate when—
The next second, Helen's voice came through, thick with tears.
"Gwen, get to the hospital. Now."
"Your father's been shot. He's in surgery."
"HURRY!"
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~# 70 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
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