"Resurrection is possible."
"But first, you need a body to house her soul."
"…"
Hawk's expression froze at Mephisto's words.
He was stunned.
"Wait…"
He shook his head, staring hard at Mephisto. "Can't you just revive her directly?"
He remembered clearly—Mephisto had that power.
Mephisto met Hawk's gaze, lips curling into a faint smile. "Of course I can… if you're willing to play dumb. If you're fine with pretending not to notice that your sister's resurrected body is nothing more than my energy keeping her together."
Hawk's thoughts raced, his scarlet-gold pupils contracting sharply several times.
After a moment, he drew a deep breath and asked solemnly:
"So what you're saying is—if I find a body that can hold my sister's soul, you can bring her back?"
"Correct. Find the vessel, and I'll release her soul."
Mephisto nodded without hesitation.
Hawk exhaled slowly, ready to give his thanks—
But then Mephisto's tone shifted again. "That is… if you hadn't summoned her soul out the other day."
Hawk's heart clenched.
"What do you mean?"
"You know all dimensions closed their doors recently, afraid of the World Tree's energy wave?"
"Yes."
"But what does that have to do with Anya?"
"Your sister's soul was caught in that wave."
"—What?!"
Hawk shot up from the couch, eyes blazing.
Mephisto lifted his gaze lazily. "Relax. For now, she's unharmed."
Hawk shut his eyes, forcing his breath steady, before sitting back down.
Only then did Mephisto continue.
"If Anya had never stepped beyond Hell's gate to meet you, her soul would remain solely under my dominion. You'd only need a body, and I could revive her anytime. But now? No. Your sister's soul bears not only Hell's mark—it also carries the aura of Helheim."
The World Tree's millennial tremor washed across countless dimensions, assimilating them into its cosmic fabric.
The wave was so strong that even Malekith, leader of the Dark Elves, had once tried to harness it to plunge all Nine Realms into eternal night. He failed, but the tremor still struck.
Even the mightiest beings had retreated to their dimensions and sealed their gates.
And if whole realms were vulnerable, what chance did a soul have?
Though Anya had only taken a single step outside Hell's door, the invisible current of Yggdrasil had still brushed her.
Not much. But enough.
Originally, Anya was entirely a soul of Hell. Now, part of her belonged to Helheim.
"…Helheim?"
Hawk frowned, recalling the bleak realm he had glimpsed during the Nine Realms' convergence. "The goddess of death… Hela?"
Mephisto nodded.
"Yes."
"But wasn't she sealed by Odin?"
"She was. But not destroyed."
Mephisto's lips curled in a mocking sneer. "She even manipulated my son, luring him out of Hell in an attempt to hasten her release."
Hawk's eyes narrowed. "Satannish?"
"Yes."
Mephisto swirled his wine with bitter amusement, as if lamenting his disgraceful child. "If my foolish son gathers the Four Elementals and uses the fading pulse of the World Tree to forge a new Hell, Hela will break free, and your sister's soul will fall to her."
Hawk's brow furrowed.
"That can't be allowed."
"She is the goddess of death," Mephisto reminded coolly.
Not every so-called god deserved the title. Dimensional rulers might wear the name, but before a true god, they were nothing.
Hela, however, was different.
She held dominion over every soul claimed by natural death across an entire cosmos.
Save for warriors slain in battle—their souls went to Valhalla.
At last, Hawk understood why Mephisto had come.
"You want me to stop Satannish from rebuilding Hell?"
"Yes."
Mephisto nodded. "Not just for me. For our sister."
Hawk's thoughts turned quickly. He stared coldly at Mephisto. "And if I do stop him… once I've secured a vessel, you'll revive my sister?"
"Yes."
"I see."
Hawk nodded slowly, then asked one last question:
"Where is Satannish now?"
"Texas. The Four Elementals were there before Hell's gates closed. The World Tree's aftershocks still linger, though they're fading. I must stabilize Hell, and I must resist Hela, or she'll seize your sister's soul. I can't go myself."
The Four Elementals weren't true demons.
They were ancient Earth-born entities, shaped when Yggdrasil's fragments reforged the four primal forces—earth, water, wind, and fire. In Eastern terms, they were elementals who had gained form.
Hawk absorbed this explanation, then drained his glass in one gulp. "Fine. I'll take care of it."
He set the cup down, rose, and strode out of the tavern.
In the next moment—
Gwen blinked as Hawk reappeared beside the car, less than a second after he had vanished.
But the faint smell of liquor clung to him.
Suspicious, she said nothing as he climbed in. She simply started the car and drove them back to Palm Street.
…
An hour later, in their bedroom, Gwen emerged from the bathroom in pajamas. She found Hawk standing on the balcony, staring off into the distance.
When he turned and smiled at her, he explained what Mephisto had told him.
Her face lit up.
"So if you stop Satannish, Mephisto will bring Anya back?"
"That's what he said."
"You don't believe him?"
"Not at all." Hawk's answer was firm. "Gwen, never trust a demon's words. Not even a punctuation mark."
"So he's lying?"
"No." Hawk shook his head.
Gwen blinked, confused.
Hawk chuckled softly. "He'll release her soul, yes. But did you notice the condition?"
Gwen thought fast. Then her eyes widened.
"You need a vessel first."
"Exactly."
She inhaled sharply. "But… how will you find one?"
"That's the easy part." Hawk shrugged. "Cloning."
After all, this was the Marvel universe. Black tech was everywhere.
Even if Earth lacked it, the stars did. Xandar. The Sovereign. Somewhere in the cosmos, cloning was child's play.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that Mephisto had set a condition.
"Which should come first?" Hawk asked quietly. "Finding Anya's body—or dealing with Satannish?"
"Satannish," Gwen answered after a beat. "He's already here."
"Right. And what happens if I do stop him? What if Mephisto changes his mind afterward?"
Gwen froze.
Hawk smiled faintly. "He told the truth tonight. But the truth today doesn't guarantee the truth tomorrow. Demons can't be trusted. This felt like a test."
"A test?" Gwen echoed.
"Yes." Hawk's eyes hardened. "If I really do his work for him, I fear Mephisto will one day use Anya against me—holding her hostage to control Hawk."
"…"
(End of Chapter)
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