Sokovia.
An inland Eastern European country, mountainous, not to mention the land is barren, and also perpetually caught in turmoil.
Military factions are everywhere.
Let's put it this way, the one in charge today might be this warlord, but by tomorrow—no, sometimes even before tomorrow—this afternoon, the head of that warlord might be chopped off and hung on the flag at the President's Mansion.
However...
This has nothing to do with Hawk, who just arrived here.
Boom!
Accompanied by the sonic boom cloud appearing in the skies above Sokovia, Hawk's figure followed closely, his gaze locked on a deserted castle nestled within the icy forest, established on the mountainside.
In the next second.
Hawk had already arrived within the castle.
But...
The castle was empty, devoid of a single person, and even more, a mess covered the ground, with vehicles seemingly abandoned in haste and burned in place, still parked at the entrance to the castle.
Hawk glanced over, his Sixth Sense spread wide, instantly enveloping the entire castle and locking onto a location, his figure disappearing directly from where he stood.
When he appeared again, he had arrived in a spacious room on the third floor of the castle.
This place was equally deserted; countless scraps of paper scattered the floor, pens and some connecting wires were strewn across the desk.
Hawk only swept his eyes around the room, then his gaze fixed on the place where the Mind Gemstone, one of the Infinity Gemstones, had been.
He possessed the Reality Gemstone, and without mentioning the farther ones, when close, he could sense the energy fluctuations of other Infinity Gemstones.
And here, precisely, was where the Mind Gemstone had been.
But it was not anymore.
Thoughts whirred in Hawk's mind, and he instantly understood why it was so empty here.
Alexander Pierce must've tipped them off.
No.
He should be the one who notified Alexander Pierce.
Hawk recalled the time a voice pretending to be Anna called on the phone, speaking about borrowing the Scepter of the Mind.
It was precisely because of that statement that led to the Scepter that was supposed to be here no longer being here.
"Pierce!"
"The leader of Hydra is indeed the leader of Hydra."
Hawk sneered.
In the next moment.
Alexander Pierce, who was originally serving his sentence in the Stone Mill Hell of the Third Prison, after a flash of dark light, was directly thrown into the Eighth Prison.
Frozen Nether Prison!
Looking around, it's infinitely vast here, with layers of ice, snow, and icy winds ravaging continuously. Souls that come here face only one end: freezing to death.
Alive, frozen to death.
But like Stone Mill Nether Prison, this kind of death is not a one-time death, but an endless death.
In the instant Alexander Pierce appeared in the Frozen Nether Prison, he felt the piercing cold, instinctively embraced himself, teeth already trembling.
After Hawk threw Pierce into the Eighth Prison, he paid no more attention to him.
He couldn't be bothered to ask Pierce where Strucker had fled with the Mind Gemstone.
No need.
Let's see if Strucker has the guts to hide away with the Mind Gemstone for a lifetime.
As Hawk contemplated, he turned around, just about to leave here to return to New York City when suddenly there was a pause in his thoughts, his figure flickering as he came into a closed room, his gaze landing on a round object that had just been activated in the room.
At this moment.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
As Hawk's figure just stepped into the room, it was as if some mechanism had been triggered, and golden metal from all around the closed room, even on the ceiling, quickly folded together with a golden glow, enveloping the entire room in a blink.
Boom!
Hawk's eyes blazed red, releasing Phoenix Beams hot enough to vaporize an ordinary person instantly on the metal walls, yet not even a dent was made.
"Vibranium!"
"Exactly."
As Hawk raised an eyebrow and revealed the origin of the metal, with a buzz, the round object that had just been activated emitted a projection.
Along with the sound, a man's projection appeared in Hawk's view.
Hawk looked at the man, appearing through holographic communication in front of him, narrowing his eyes.
The man in the projection seemed pleased to see Hawk, with a smile spreading across his somewhat weathered face, his voice carrying a metallic scraping rasp.
"Mr. Phoenix, hello, we finally meet."
"Wolfgang von Strucker!"
Hawk also spoke the name of the man in the projection, glancing around the room completely surrounded by Vibranium metal, his expression calmly watching Strucker: "I found this Vibranium for you, do you think this thing can trap me."
Strucker responded with a smile: "Of course not; I never thought this move could trap you."
Hawk was amused.
"Then what's your intention."
"To have a chat."
"Alright!"
With a smile unchanged on his face, Hawk looked at the projected Strucker: "Give me an address, and I'll visit personally, then we can have a good discussion."
Strucker laughed heartily.
"Mr. Phoenix, I will absolutely not give you my current address, after all, I just moved here."
"Pierce notified you?"
"Yes."
Strucker candidly admitted: "Though Alexander Pierce and I disagree on many things, we share a common goal: to make Hydra great again."
Indeed.
Whether him or Alexander Pierce, their goal was to make Hydra great again.
It's just that the two have different methods.
As it stands now,
his way seems a little better.
Hawk scoffed without hiding his disdain as he listened to Strucker's words: "Let Hydra be great again? Maybe when I'm dead."
Strucker smiled.
"Mr. Phoenix, in this world, no one is immortal, and you're no exception."
"Is that so?"
Hawk raised an eyebrow, looking at Strucker with a playful expression: "So you're saying you've found a way to kill me?"
Strucker chuckled and didn't continue on this topic.
After all, whether it was his plan or Anim Zola's plan left behind, they both need time.
So—
"Let's make a deal, Mr. Phoenix."
"No deal."
"..."
The smile on Strucker's face froze slightly: "You haven't heard what our terms are, Mr. Phoenix."
Hawk smirked, looking at the projected Strucker with ridicule: "Strucker, you'd better pray you can hide well and hide for a long time, and you'd better pray that whatever you're cooking up will actually work, otherwise, you'll be in for a world of pain, endless and eternal."
After speaking.
Boom!
Hawk's eyes turned crimson, striking directly at the projecting device, followed by an explosion, causing Strucker's startled expression on the projection to vanish.
The next second.
Zoom!
With one step, Hawk appeared above Hydra Castle. With one punch, the castle situated on the mountain slope began to collapse visibly under a violent tremor.
In no time, the once grand castle became a broken ruin.
Hawk then headed towards New York City without looking back.
Deal?
What a joke.
What's his level.
Completely invincible in this world.
What's Hydra's level.
A presumptuous yet utterly foolish villain organization that doesn't even know how to rebel.
He wants to negotiate a deal with me? Is he even worthy?
When Mephisto tried to blackmail Hawk with his sister's soul, Hawk did not compromise. Now Hydra thinks they can negotiate with Hawk just because they have the Mind Gemstone?
What are they thinking?
Hawk only mentioned using the Mind Gemstone to cheat and quickly grasp the Seventh Sense, but he never said he must have the Mind Gemstone.
Without using the Mind Gemstone to cheat, it would just take a bit longer.
Let it take longer then.
Hawk doesn't care.
Since awakening his Little Cosmos, how long has it been to now?
Just like he said to Strucker, if Strucker dares, let him cling to the Mind Gemstone for life and never come out.
So...
Negotiation?
Negotiate with your grandpa.
If you dare, just hide well from now on, don't ever show up, or else, kill you and the Mind Gemstone will still be his, right?
Hawk thought to himself, then, after returning to New York City, he appeared in the backyard of Palm Street No. 521A with a flicker.
The two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents on guard in the backyard, seeing Hawk suddenly appear, instinctively reached for their guns but quickly realized who it was.
"Mr. Phoenix."
Both agents were among the ones Hawk rescued, so they recognized him and quickly greeted him.
Gwen, who was in the living room with Commander Victoria Hand, heard the commotion in the backyard, ran out just as the two agents spoke, and, seeing Hawk's return, her eyes lit up and she immediately hugged him.
"Hawk, you're back."
"Mm."
Hawk embraced his fiancée, looking at Commander Victoria Hand, who also walked out from the living room: "Thank you."
Commander Hand spoke up: "We should be the ones thanking you, Hawk. Without your intervention, this turmoil wouldn't have known how to end."
This was heartfelt.
If Hawk hadn't intervened this time, who knows how it would have concluded?
Especially considering those three Insight Mother Ships equipped with the Insight Algorithm.
But thanks to Hawk, only one of the three Insight Mother Ships was scrapped and one damaged, fortunately leaving one intact.
That's the one controlled by Tony Stark.
The one Thor operated was severely damaged and needs extensive repairs.
The one Hawk pierced through is beyond repair, and extracting it from the river is a cost S.H.I.E.L.D. cannot bear.
Still, compared to if Hydra had succeeded, this outcome was the least among many possible disasters.
So...
Commander Hand smiled slightly: "Since you've returned, we won't disturb you any longer, we'll be heading out."
Hawk nodded.
"Take care."
"Goodbye, Commander Hand."
Gwen also smiled and greeted Commander Hand.
Soon.
After seeing off Commander Hand and the others and retracting her gaze at the door, Gwen turned, looking at Hawk seriously: "If you lose your left arm for the next month, it shouldn't be much of a problem?"
Hawk: "..."