Hawk and Gwen turned their heads.
At the edge of the alley, a man and a woman in police uniforms stared wide-eyed at the four corpses sprawled on the ground, each with their necks grotesquely twisted. Their hands shook as they drew their pistols, leveling them at Hawk and Gwen.
Gwen quickly called out, "My father is the captain at the 19th Precinct!"
…
At the precinct, George received the report from Queens and raced to the scene.
The area was already sealed off when he arrived.
The moment he stepped out of his patrol car, he spotted Gwen and Hawk standing together, answering questions from Queens detectives.
"Gwen!"
"Dad!"
Hearing his voice, Gwen's face lit up as she turned toward him.
The other officers greeted George respectfully, saluting as he passed, but George ignored them. He strode straight to Gwen, tense and worried.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine." Gwen shook her head, then glanced at Hawk and added, "Hawk came just in time."
George turned to Hawk. He didn't speak—just gave a small nod.
Hawk smiled faintly in reply.
Then the Queens precinct captain, Allen, called over to George from inside the cordon. "George!"
George squeezed Gwen's shoulder and went to meet his old friend.
"What happened, Allen?"
"Looks like attempted kidnapping."
"Kidnapping?"
Allen nodded, gesturing to restraints and tape taken from one of the Toyotas. Then he added with a smirk, "By the way, Gwen's boyfriend—he's something else."
George blinked. "What do you mean?"
"Look." Allen pointed at the four bodies. "No gunshot wounds. All necks snapped by hand."
George's face shifted, eyes sliding toward Hawk outside the tape.
Gwen noticed and nudged Hawk. "Dad's curious about you."
"It's fine," Hawk said easily.
His power wasn't luck or a gift. It was a thousand days of relentless training, ten thousand punches a day. The so-called "system" had only given him a chance—he'd been the one to seize it.
Why hide?
He wasn't the type to play meek and live in the shadows.
No—he'd shine in the open.
George met Hawk's eyes across the cordon. Hawk simply smiled back.
Then a detective ran over with intel.
"Abu Lumbel. Demon Gang. Out on bail two weeks ago. The others too—all Demon Gang. The unconscious woman sent to the hospital is his wife."
Allen frowned. "Coming after you, George?"
"Not likely," George said. "I handle homicides. Organized crime isn't my division."
Allen grunted. "Then who were they after? Gwen?"
He checked his watch. "Let's head to the hospital, see if the wife wakes up."
George agreed.
…
Meanwhile, Gwen introduced Hawk formally. "Uncle Allen, really, I'm fine. Hawk protected me."
Allen chuckled, then suddenly asked George, "She's eighteen now, right? Just three years till she's done with college. Tell me, how big is her wedding fund?"
George's jaw clenched. Wordlessly, he tossed his car keys to Hawk.
Hawk caught them effortlessly.
"Take Gwen home."
"Alright."
Hawk and Gwen got into the patrol car and drove off.
Allen raised a brow as he watched. "Not bad. He from Berkeley too?"
George shook his head. "NYU Law."
Allen's eyes lit. "Law? Perfect. Lawyer if he wants money, politician if he wants power."
Then his tone sharpened. "But… have you checked his background?"
"Yeah. Orphan."
Allen inhaled sharply, staring at the gleaming Audi A8 parked nearby.
"An orphan, but driving an A8? You sure?"
"He moved recently. From Bridge Apartments to Palm Street in the East Village."
Allen's jaw dropped. Bridge Apartments were infamous low-income housing. Palm Street was for the rich.
"Unbelievable…"
George said quietly, "All I know is, the money for his house checked out."
Allen frowned.
George smirked. "Because the IRS hasn't come knocking."
Allen went silent.
That was the ultimate test. If the taxmen weren't after you, then your money was clean enough.
…
That night, George came home.
Hawk and Gwen were on the couch with Helen, watching Desperate Housewives.
"How is it, Dad?" Gwen asked immediately.
George shrugged off his coat and poured a drink. "She didn't make it."
Gwen froze. "Dead?"
Hawk's eyes flickered faintly. Good. No need to finish her off.
Helen, already briefed, looked at George with worry. "Why would anyone target Gwen? Were they after you?"
"Allen's still investigating. But for now, stay cautious. Don't go out alone. Two officers are stationed downstairs. Let them escort you if needed."
Helen and Gwen both nodded solemnly.
Hawk rose. "Mr. Stacy, I'll head out."
George looked at him. "Thank you."
"No need. Protecting Gwen is my responsibility."
Hawk smiled.
Gwen walked him to the door. Across the street, a police cruiser idled, comforting in its presence.
"Be careful, okay?"
"Don't worry."
He waved, then turned toward the subway.
Once out of sight—
Hawk stopped. Drew a deep breath.
And unleashed all five senses.
…
(End of Chapter)
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