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On the central altar inside the metal pyramid rising from the outskirts of Cairo, the X-Men, Pietro, and Jean stared upward as the River of Time tore itself into view above them.
To them, it happened in a blink.
One moment, Wanda stepped into Hawk's River of Time.
The next, it shattered.
Countless specks of silver light burst out, like a tiny Big Bang. Starlight spun through the broken cosmos as a flame from an impossible life swept over it. Then a golden light caught the shattered river and set it on fire.
When the eruption faded, only one bright river was left. It had no branches, no loopholes, and no other paths. Hawk's past was now fixed, and the scarlet flames around it turned to pure gold.
The golden river slowly turned. As everyone watched in shock, the timeline Wanda had restored came down and sank into Hawk's body as he lay on the cold metal floor.
Hum.
Standing before the gates of the Eighth Sense, Hawk realized he was now five steps closer than before. With his River of Time restored, only five steps separated him from the threshold.
For a moment, countless thoughts flooded his mind.
He did not continue forward.
Hawk pulled back his right foot. He disappeared, then reappeared fifty steps away from the gate.
This was not a retreat...
To throw the Strongest punch—you have to pull your fist back first. Only then can you put all your strength into it.
The same principle applies here.
Hawk had moved forward too fast. In just a few years, he had done what might take another Saint a lifetime. Now he needed to pause and let things settle. He had to check the foundation he had built, find the cracks he had missed, and fix the flaws he had always put off.
There was no reason to rush the final steps.
Hawk closed his eyes.
The next second, the Hawk lying on the metal floor opened them.
Death crouched beside him with her arms crossed, watching him as though this were all part of an entertaining show.
"Changed your look?"
"Got a date. I had to dress for the occasion."
"...Fair."
Hawk pushed himself off the floor. Jean immediately rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"Daddy, Mom..."
"Easy. I've got her."
He smiled and hugged her, then turned his attention back to Death. Only Professor X could sense her presence at all. To everyone else, she simply wasn't there.
Hawk's expression grew serious.
"Thank you."
Death was the reason Apocalypse came back, but Hawk never judged possible allies by their group. He cared about what people did, not their intentions or which side they said they were on.
Death didn't bring Apocalypse back to kill him. She used Apocalypse to get rid of the loopholes left when Hawk used the Time Stone to force his River of Time closed.
Apocalypse had nearly killed him.
Nearly was the important word.
Even if Wanda hadn't stepped in, Hawk had another way to survive. He would have been badly hurt and unable to erase the leftover traces of Time from his timeline, but he would have lived.
That's why, even while barely conscious, he grabbed Wanda and told her not to go. He couldn't explain himself. All his focus was on guiding his Cosmo through the damage.
Wanda had gone anyway.
The past could not be changed. What had happened was bound to happen.
Still holding Jean, Hawk studied Death. She was clearly ready to leave for her date.
"Aren't you worried Eternity will find out and come after you?"
Death shrugged. Her usual coldness had disappeared from her voice, replaced by a light, casual tone that matched her new appearance. She even winked at him.
"You don't actually think the five Abstract Entities are one big happy family, do you?"
Wherever there are people, there's politics. Gods aren't any different.
If the five Abstract Entities really acted like a family, Galactus wouldn't have had to wander the Multiverse looking for planets to eat. Eternity could have just made a few universes for him so he could eat at home.
Hawk looked at Death's expression, then shook his head and laughed.
"Fine. I owe you one. Whenever you need something, you can..."
"Forget whenever. Give me a fragment of your soul."
Death cut him off and held out her right hand, curling her fingers impatiently.
"Quickly. I'm already late for my date."
Hawk raised an eyebrow.
"Just a small piece," she added. "You won't last very long in my heroic rescue script anyway."
The corner of Hawk's mouth twitched.
"Can I ask what this script involves?"
"No."
Death kept a straight face and extended her hand farther.
"Hurry up. I already have Wanda's. I can't stay here much longer, or Eternity might notice."
Hawk did not argue. He opened his right hand, and a small fragment separated from his soul.
Death snatched it and closed her fist around it. A bright smile spread across her face as she said goodbye and turned away.
A dark void swallowed her whole.
When the darkness faded, she was gone. In fact, it felt like she had never been there at all.
Death had not explained her so-called rescue script, but Hawk could already guess its general shape.
His thoughts wandered to Agatha All Along and the part Death played there. He shook his head at the empty space she left, then looked around the altar.
His gaze passed over Mystique supporting Professor X, moved across Magneto in his classic armor, and finally settled on Pietro.
"Where is your sister?"
"Uh..."
Pietro blinked, caught off guard by the question.
"She's probably at home."
Hawk said nothing.
After meeting his gaze for several seconds, Pietro finally understood. He pulled out his phone and called home. A minute later, he hung up and looked at Hawk.
"She just left. Nobody knows where she went."
"I do."
Hawk looked down at Jean, who was still in his arms.
"I'm going to bring Mom back. You should go home with the others."
Jean immediately stiffened.
"I'm coming with you."
Hawk laughed.
"I'm taking your mother on a date. Do you really think you should tag along?"
"...A date?"
Jean blinked. Then she released him without hesitation. Any desire to accompany him vanished, replaced by open encouragement.
"Then go, Dad. You don't have to rush back. I'm almost grown up anyway."
Hawk burst out laughing.
He looked up at the roof and lifted off. With a loud crack, he punched through the top of the pyramid. A sonic boom echoed through the clouds as he disappeared.
Pietro stood under the new hole, staring after him, trying to process what had just happened.
"What did he mean when he asked where my sister was?"
"Uh..."
Jean pulled her gaze away from the sky and looked at him.
"Maybe. Probably. Most likely, you're about to be my uncle."
Pietro stared at her.
Magneto stared at her too.
Noticing his gaze, Jean pointed at him.
"Which means, unless something goes wrong, you're technically my grandpa?"
'Whoa.'
'I have two uncles and a grandpa now?'
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Sokovia
In this universe, as in Earth-616 and almost every reality where Hydra existed, an old castle stood silently in the Sokovian countryside.
A streak of golden light descended from the sky and landed before its gates. Hawk glanced up at the dark stone structure, then stepped inside.
Here, the castle was half abandoned. Sokovia was a small country stuck in one war after another. No one expected the soldiers passing through to fix the crumbling stonework, and no one with money wanted to buy a castle in a war zone.
The castle stayed quiet. Weeds grew up the outside, and dust and cobwebs filled the halls. It didn't need any decorations to look like a haunted house at night.
Hawk walked through the dark halls as if he had been there many times. He stopped at a certain door and pushed it open.
The room beyond bore no resemblance to the rest of the castle.
Outside was a haunted ruin. Inside was a warm bedroom with a crib resting near its center.
Hydra had prepared this room when Jean was born.
In a way, it was also where Hawk and Wanda had first met.
Wanda stood before the crib with her back to him.
Hawk entered and quietly watched her. He did not speak.
After a long moment, Wanda turned away from the crib and met his eyes.
"So..."
Her gaze narrowed.
"Who is Gwen?"
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