Yes.
The caller was none other than Anna.
Anna from Hydra.
After exchanging greetings, Anna's voice came through the phone, with a tone of apology: "Sorry, I just received the message, Hawk, please trust us, we have no intention of being your enemy, you know that."
Hawk chuckled. Just as he was about to speak, he glanced at Victoria Hand and the S.H.I.E.L.D. female agent eavesdropping nearby and didn't immediately speak but looked towards Commander Hand.
"Since there's nothing else here, I'll be going."
"No need to thank me."
After Hawk finished speaking and before Victoria Hand could react, he turned and disappeared into the underground base of the New York S.H.I.E.L.D. Combat Command Center.
When he appeared again, he was already in the sky.
As Hawk leisurely drifted towards New Amsterdam Hospital, he continued his conversation with Anna, who was still on the line.
"John Garrett isn't one of your people."
"No."
"Then whose is he?"
"Anim Zola's."
Without any hesitation, Anna on the other end of the line revealed Dr. Zola's name, then amidst a chaotic cacophony, she said: "Because New York City is close to New Jersey, that area has always been Dr. Zola's territory."
Just as expected.
Hawk thought to himself.
Right at this moment.
There were gunshots from Anna's side.
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you now?"
"Japan."
As Anna spoke, screams of chaos were followed by crisp gunshots: "I've been transferred to Japan, remember?"
In Hawk's mind, a scene had already formed.
Facing Anna, who always wore a smile for him, now seemed like a ruthless black-leather queen, standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window in Japan, with a group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents from Japan behind her, refusing to submit and being executed one by one.
Anna executed them one after the other.
That scene—
Was quite beautiful.
After speaking, Anna seemed to recall something else: "By the way, Hawk, I went to New York City a few days ago, but you seemed to be away, and I couldn't reach you by phone. I thought about waiting for you to return in New York City, but, you know, I had to hurry back."
Hawk also remembered the fortnightly meeting he had with Anna.
He subconsciously patted his forehead.
"Sorry, something came up last minute and I had to leave."
"No worries, once I'm done with things in Japan, I'll head back to New York City."
"Alright."
Hawk said with a smile: "It doesn't necessarily have to be after you're done; if things turn south, just come to New York City and find me."
He never judged friendships based on alignments.
Sharon is his friend.
Anna, too, is his friend, and compared to Sharon, Anna is more like an old friend who truly understands him.
So...
If Sharon were to die, her soul would end up in his Netherworld, and if Anna were to die, her soul would follow suit.
However, he could protect Sharon, and surely he could protect Anna as well.
Anna also understood the underlying message in Hawk's words.
But it seemed she misunderstood.
"Hawk, this has nothing to do with us. Mr. Pierce cursed out Dr. Zola the moment he learned about it."
"Oh, and then?"
"Dr. Zola said he'll find a way to handle it."
"Heh."
Hearing this, Hawk laughed.
Indeed, Dr. Zola found a way to handle it, which was to let John Garrett take all the blame to muddle through.
Unfortunately...
He's no fool.
Thinking this, Hawk told Anna on the other end of the phone: "John Garrett is just a small fry. I was just wondering if the mastermind behind it could be Alexander Pierce."
Anna's voice was urgent.
"Absolutely not. Mr. Pierce expelled him from the Three Feathers Headquarters the moment he discovered his allegiance to Dr. Zola."
"I know, Commander Victoria Hand from New York S.H.I.E.L.D. said the same thing just now."
Saying this, Hawk shifted his tone: "But, regardless of who's behind John Garrett, as long as it's Hydra, I was thinking of taking down your entire Hydra if no one steps up to claim responsibility."
There's a saying.
Correcting mistakes must be excessive.
Better to kill a thousand wrong ones than to let one go.
So, he truly thought this just now, since Hydra decided to test him, they must pay the price.
Mediocre and obscure, John Garrett, someone he'd never even heard of, stopping his wrath? Dream on.
"But now, Anna, you're my friend."
"I can give you some face and not spread my anger further."
"But..."
"Are you really planning to use the favor I owe you to make me back down?"
Hawk seriously and sternly asked Anna.
Anna didn't hesitate in her response.
"Yes."
"Alright!"
Hawk chuckled and didn't hesitate, directly giving a clear reply: "I promise you, I won't spread my anger to you and the Alexander Pierce faction."
Anna on the other end of the phone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you."
"Since I've promised you, are you going to give me something in return, Anna? I came back with a belly full of anger. Can you understand my mood when I barely return from outside, only to see three blind Hydra guys trying to break into my home?"
"Understood."
"Good that you understand. So, find a way to help vent my anger onto that Jingguo Toilet in Japan."
Hawk smiled as he spoke, putting forward his demand: "I need to see a video of that toilet on fire within two hours. Once I see it, I'll remain indifferent like before, and I won't concern myself with whether you or S.H.I.E.L.D. wins in the end, how about it."
Anger doesn't disappear, it only transfers.
After all, Zola is intangible; even if killed, Hawk wouldn't feel any satisfaction.
But kill, he certainly would.
Yet, the anger needs a tangible object to transfer to.
Just so happens Anna is in Japan.
So, the Jingguo Toilet it is.
Anna, hearing this, initially froze. Once she reacted, she didn't hesitate to agree: "No problem, I'll arrange for someone to do it now. Within two hours, you'll see the footage of the blazing fire, I assure you."
Hawk responded with a hum.
"There's one last thing. I was originally thinking of asking for your help when you come to New York City, but now that we are talking, might as well say it now."
"...Go on."
"The Scepter of the Mind!"
Originally, after destroying Wakanda in Africa, Hawk was planning to bring this issue up when Anna returned to New York City in half a month.
However...
He went to Skull Island, which in his view was just two days, but due to the discrepancy in time flow, seventeen days had passed on the outside.
And right after he came out, he encountered Hydra once again striving hard.
So, Anna said she couldn't wait for Hawk, so she returned to Japan to oversee Hydra's operations, which Hawk did not doubt.
Firstly, Anna is with Hydra, and secondly, she's his friend.
Hydra is business.
Friends are personal.
Hawk is not the type of person who gets angry if Anna doesn't wait for him in New York City.
He was originally planning to call Anna tomorrow or the next day.
Now, Anna called, so he might as well mention it all together, lest he forgets tomorrow or the next day.
On the phone, after hearing Hawk talk about the Scepter of the Mind, Anna's voice paused for a moment.
But quickly recovered.
"Scepter of the Mind?"
"Yes."
Hawk didn't beat around the bush, directly said: "I know the Scepter of the Mind is with you. I need to use it. But don't worry, I'm not asking you to give it to me for free, just borrow it. If you're not comfortable, I can come to use it on-site, and leave as soon as I'm done."
This time, Anna didn't immediately agree but instead thought for a moment, and her tone wasn't so certain: "I don't want to deceive you, Hawk. I can't decide this matter, but I will report it."
Hawk wasn't surprised at all.
"Alright, just these two things, nothing else."
"Okay, I will arrange it."
"Alright, hanging up now."
Listening to Anna's guarantee, Hawk didn't waste words, said briefly, then hung up the phone directly.
Everyone is busy, after all.
He's busy sending Gwen home first, then going to New Jersey to find Zola and pulling the plug on that electronic man.
Anna should be even busier.
She not only has to deal with S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents in Japan but also find a way to burn down that toilet.
So...
Catching up can wait for another time.
Hawk thought whilst looking at the New Amsterdam Hospital below, his mind moved, and his figure disappeared into the air.
At the same time.
Far away in his villa in the suburbs of Washington, Alexander Pierce grabbed another phone and called Ophelia Sargsyan, who is known as Lady Viper within the organization far away in Japan.
The phone was quickly connected.
A female voice infused with allure and laziness with a hint of danger came through the phone.
"Good morning, Pierce."
"Ophelia, do me a favor."
Alexander Pierce took a deep breath, then spoke in a deep voice: "Burn the Jingguo Toilet within two hours."
At this moment, Lady Viper of Hydra, lying on her bed with a lazy figure and a seductive posture, blinked and sat up from the bed.
"Why?"
"Damn Zola."
Alexander Pierce cursed and then spoke of how Zola's program erred, wanting someone to test Hawk, who ended up getting caught red-handed by Hawk.
Ophelia immediately laughed.
"Pierce, I always said, what's smart life worth when it's just a broken computer program, and even bound to outdated electronic devices, you guys still follow his words obediently."
"Don't waste words, I need time now. Just stall until the Insight Mother Ship takes off. Burn the Jingguo Toilet in two hours, is there a problem."
"Alright."
Ophelia chuckled, nodding: "No problem, I'll get someone to do it now. But Pierce, remember, you owe me a favor."
Pierce breathed a sigh of relief.
"Alright, I remember."
"Hanging up now."
"Okay."
"..."