The water from the faucet was gushing.
Hawk frowned, looking at the flowing water, seemingly lost in thought.
At first, Gwen didn't notice anything, until she placed the pasta and looked at Hawk still standing by the sink, realizing something was wrong.
"Hawk?"
"...Hmm."
Hawk heard the sound and instinctively looked up at Gwen.
Gwen looked at Hawk suspiciously.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Japan's time is thirteen hours ahead of New York City."
"What?"
Gwen was initially puzzled, then said, "We're at dawn now; it's actually 1 PM the next day in Japan, that's right. What's the problem?"
Hawk seemed thoughtful: "But just now when I was at New York S.H.I.E.L.D, Anna called me and said good evening."
Gwen frowned.
"It's indeed evening for us; she said good evening. What's wrong with that?"
"Others can, but she cannot."
"Uh..."
"Anna is acting strange!"
After a moment of realization, Hawk looked at Gwen: "I suspect I've been played for a fool."
Gwen couldn't understand.
"Just because you said good evening, and Anna didn't say good morning, you feel fooled?"
"Yes."
Hawk nodded, looking at Gwen, then revealed his reasons for suspicion: "Because every time Anna and I talk, we always greet each other based on our own time."
He hasn't talked with Anna that many times.
But…
Whenever they speak, Anna always greets based on her own time, without following his time.
This is a small trademark of Anna.
But just now at New York S.H.I.E.L.D, Anna, far away in Japan, called him, and during their greetings, Anna followed his time.
In one word.
This wasn't like Anna.
Listening to Hawk's reasons for the anomaly, Gwen opened her mouth then looked at Hawk: "How about you call Anna again?"
Hawk shook his head.
"I seriously suspect, the person I talked to just now wasn't Anna."
"If not Anna, then who was it?"
"I don't know."
Hawk's eyes twinkled: "But once I get to Japan and confirm, I'll find out."
Gwen's brows rose.
"Japan, now?"
"Yes."
Recalling the odd greeting from Anna and thinking of Dr. Zola's last words, Hawk looked at Gwen and smiled slightly: "Of course, after the midnight snack first."
Though he really wanted to fly to Japan right now and confirm in person.
But…
Gwen had already cooked the midnight snack, and if he just ran off to Japan to find another woman, Gwen might go crazy.
But it was clear.
Gwen wasn't that petty of a woman.
Soon.
She watched as he quickly devoured the midnight snack she lovingly prepared, then looked up at her Hawk somewhat helplessly and shook her head.
"Go ahead, come back early."
"Okay."
Hawk replied without hesitation, his figure instantly vanished from the high stool, and once he appeared high up in the sky, he transformed into a rainbow, swiftly darting towards Japan.
Making another call is out of the question.
He already suspected the Anna he talked with not being the Anna he knew.
So there's only one way to clear up this doubt.
Seeing is believing!
Meanwhile, Gwen watched as Hawk's seat disappeared after the words, blinked, then stood up, ready to clean up and head upstairs to sleep.
But just as Gwen was rinsing the dishes and ready to put them into the dishwasher.
The doorbell rang.
Hearing the doorbell, Gwen instinctively looked up at the clock on the wall.
It's almost twelve thirty.
Who could it be?
That was when Sharon's voice sounded outside.
"Gwen!"
"Sharon..."
Hearing Sharon's voice, Gwen reacted, wiped her hands, and walked to the door, opened it to see Sharon at the door, an eye-catching sight, then her eyes settled on a man and a woman standing beside Sharon.
The woman she recognized.
Natasha.
She and Natasha had close encounters before.
But what surprised Gwen was the man beside Natasha.
"Captain America!"
Gwen seemed a bit unbelieving of her eyes, excitedly looking at Steve Rogers appearing at her doorstep: "Jesus God, it's really you."
Once more.
Captain America Steve Rogers' old home in Brooklyn has become a sightseeing spot packed with daily reservations.
Let's put it this way.
If Captain America ran for president right now, his public support rate would probably have a cliff-like lead.
Gwen didn't normally idolize celebrities, but Captain America was different; he was a renowned historical figure, and now, a historical figure was appearing right in front of her.
This…
Gwen was thrilled, quickly inviting the three inside, then dashed upstairs, and after a while, brought down a book titled "Captain America" written by a famous Federal author along with a pen and handed it to Steve Rogers.
"Captain, could you help me with an autograph?"
"...Of course."
Steve Rogers was momentarily stunned, but when faced with the "Captain America" book handed to him, he quickly gathered himself, signed the pen, and then very skillfully penned his name on the book's flyleaf.
Obviously.
This wasn't his first time doing this.
Gwen, upon receiving the book and seeing the signature on the flyleaf, was very happy: "My dad will definitely be envious when he sees I have this book personally signed by Captain America."
After all, this book was the first one George bought for her.
The first biography for most local residents of the Federation was about Captain America.
Of course.
Except for orphans.
After all, in the Federation, books are expensive, and most families prefer renting books rather than buying them. Let alone orphans like Hawk.
Hawk's first book was the Bible.
Indeed.
If the priest of the church who adopted them knew Hawk's enlightenment book was the Bible, but he ended up with a nickname like the Demon King, it's likely he would have entered the confessional seeking God's forgiveness.
After a while.
Gwen placed the "Captain America" book with the autograph back upstairs carefully, then went downstairs and curiously looked at Sharon, asking how come Sharon was here so late.
Sharon said, "It's the Captain. He came looking for Hawk, hoping Hawk could help us."
At first, in the hospital, she hadn't figured out the meaning of what Hawk said.
But when she returned to New York S.H.I.E.L.D., she recalled the words Hawk said in the hospital room: "It's up to you from here on out!"
Clearly.
Hawk didn't plan on getting involved in the upcoming matters.
Sharon didn't press him, and after explaining to Victoria Hand, the latter also said Hawk had already helped them enough, and now it was their turn to take the stage.
Then...
Captain America and Black Widow showed up, informing them of Hydra's ultimate plan they obtained from Dr. Zola, followed by the shocking news of a short-range ballistic missile explosion destroying an abandoned military base.
So.
Captain America, upon learning Hawk's home address from Sharon, thought to visit Hawk to invite him along to head to the Capital Special District tomorrow, to set things right and thwart Hydra's attempt at world destruction.
And then...
Gwen, listening to the intent of Captain America and his team, opened her mouth, looked at Sharon: "You came too late, Hawk's not home."
Natasha responded.
"Hawk hasn't come back yet?"
"No, he did come back."
Gwen shook her head, looked at Natasha: "If you had come ten minutes earlier, you would have met Hawk."
Sharon spoke up: "Hawk went out again?"
Gwen nodded.
Captain America inquired.
"To Washington D.C.?"
"No, Japan."
"Japan?"
Sharon, hearing about Hawk's whereabouts, felt a bit curious: "It's so late, what is Hawk doing in Japan?"
Gwen shrugged.
"He said he felt like he might have been deceived, so he's heading there to check."
"...Alright."
Sharon, though not understanding what that meant, understood that they simply came too late.
Natasha looked at Gwen.
"Can you call Hawk?"
"See!"
Gwen gestured towards the phone lying on the couch not far away: "His phone is out of battery, left it at home, and as he put it, he doesn't have international roaming, so the phone is useless in Japan anyway, and he's not really used to using phones."
Sharon nodded instinctively.
Indeed.
Before confirming a relationship with Gwen, Hawk didn't even have a driver's license, embodying the invisible man in the information age.
Natasha looked at Steve.
"Captain..."
"Alright."
Steve Rogers, seeing that he couldn't meet with Hawk, didn't say much more, smiled as he stood and shook hands with Gwen: "If Hawk returns, could you let him know I was here?"
Gwen smiled and said: "Of course, I'll tell him as soon as possible."
Steve Rogers thanked her, and then nodded to Sharon and Natasha before walking towards the door.
Gwen escorted the three to the door.
At the moment it opened.
The sight.
A row of black Chevrolet SUVs, exclusive to S.H.I.E.L.D., already lined up.
Gwen opened her mouth, looking at the scene, and glanced at Sharon.
"This is..."
"New York S.H.I.E.L.D. has been restored, but the Capital S.H.I.E.L.D. is still in Hydra's hands, and they plan to launch their evil plan for world domination tomorrow morning. We're going to stop them, and the Captain came to invite Hawk to join us."
Sharon smiled lightly.
Although this trip to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters might be dangerous.
But...
They are S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents.
And they have Captain America!
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Agents, upon hearing that Captain America intended to head north to serve the king, almost without a pause, decided to join Captain America in the grand endeavor.
Don't ask if they're afraid of dying.
This is Captain America!
So...
Sharon left.
Natasha left too.
As one SUV after another, loaded with signal jammers to prevent detection from Hydra, left the neighborhood, Gwen, standing at the door, slowly withdrew her gaze.
In the next second.
Standing at the doorway, Gwen looked in the direction of Japan.
...