Christmas in 2012 looked no different from past Christmases.
The streets and shops were playing little Christmas tunes.
Snowflakes were drifting from the sky.
In the community, children gathered in groups, joyfully playing together on this very special holiday.
The entire New York City was immersed in the joy of Christmas arrival.
Families either were celebrating in various restaurants or gathering at home, lighting bonfires and sitting around to celebrate the holiday's arrival.
Hawk was also reuniting with his family.
Just like in previous years, as dusk was about to fall, he took the bus to Calvin Cemetery, stepping on the snow-covered ground to spend the holiday with his sister.
Helen was thinking of inviting him to celebrate on Long Island with the Stacys.
But he declined.
Although Hawk felt that if nothing unexpected happened in the future, he would surely marry Gwen and she would become his only wife, making them a family.
But that is a matter for the future.
The future is the future; the present is not yet.
The most important point.
He has his own family too.
So...
Hawk declined Helen's invitation.
From childhood to adulthood, every Christmas, he would spend it with his sister Anya, even after her passing in 2009, he would come to spend it with Anya each Christmas.
Because Hawk knew his sister liked lively scenes, but due to her congenital heart disease, she could often only watch from a distance.
This already pained Hawk greatly; to let Anya celebrate the holiday alone?
Sorry.
He couldn't do it.
In the cemetery.
Just like last year, Hawk placed the food Anya liked on the gravestone, then leaned against her gravestone, sitting on the ground, gazing at the distant landscape.
Heavy snow was falling from the sky.
It's quite miraculous to say.
The snow that had continued for nearly two hours had already covered the surrounding ground with a layer of white, but the ground around Hawk and Anya's gravestone was dry as if it were a clear day.
As if in the snowy wilderness, the area around a tiger remains dry like summer.
Hawk leaned against the gravestone, gently closing his eyes, immersing his mind into his Little Cosmos.
After three days of rest, his Little Cosmos completely absorbed the Gamma Power he seized after Hulk's death, entirely transforming anew.
Evidently.
His Little Cosmos has transcended.
The Gamma Power is indeed a real power within the Marvel Cosmos.
Therefore, his Little Cosmos, having absorbed this real Gamma Power, became somewhat more real.
Though it's still far from being a true Little Cosmos, even worlds apart.
Still...
Merely adding a speck of reality compared to the previous Little Cosmos, is entirely a case of heaven and earth.
For instance.
If previously Hawk needed to rely on the power of drowning in the lake to kill Hulk, now he wouldn't need it.
Now, if he were to face Hulk again, even on land, as long as Hulk maintains the same combat strength, he can beat Hulk to death.
There's no exaggeration.
The most important point.
With his mind immersed in his Little Cosmos, Hawk raised his head, looking at the dazzling, scorching Phoenix in his Little Cosmos sky, and the dozens of newly added stars in the starry sky.
Yes.
Dozens of stars.
This was another unexpected gain besides the Gamma Power after avenging against Hulk.
It might not be right to say unexpected.
Saint Warriors, after all, are rooted in the Holy War Technique, and each of Hawk's battles adds stars to his Little Cosmos to enhance his strength, achieving a proportional effect of becoming stronger with each battle.
This time, the dozens of stars will be used to light up the 'Dragon'.
'Phoenix' gave him the basis for 'Immortality' and 'Nirvana'.
Then the 'Dragon' would provide him 'Dragon's Ferocity' and 'Dragon's Guardian'.
Ferocious strength and unparalleled defense.
This is Dragon.
Among all Saint Warriors, the only one whose strength surpasses that of when they wear Holy Armor.
The most important point.
It's a dragon!
The phoenix soars across the sky.
The dragon roars through the heavens!
Hawk slowly opened his eyes, glancing sideways at his sister's photo on the gravestone that seemed to be smiling at him, his face softening.
"Hulk should be in Hell by now."
"You should have seen it."
"Don't worry, Abomination is next."
"Remember to tell Mephisto, if he hasn't taken good care of you, when I get to Hell, I'll twist his head off and use it as a chamber pot!"
Just like Mephisto treated Zatannos back then.
What?
You don't know who Zatannos is?
The Ghost Rider, right? The Ghost Rider uses Zatannos's power.
Back then, after defeating Zatannos, Mephisto twisted off Zatannos's head and made it into a urinal.
The Ghost Rider's power was bestowed upon him by Mephisto using this urinal.
Hawk's voice was gentle, as if this way his sister Anya in Hell could hear him.
Leaning against the tombstone, Hawk closed his eyes and started mumbling about things that might interest and please his sister Anya over the past year.
At this moment, Hawk was no longer silent and introverted, but rather quite talkative.
Very talkative.
He even chatted with his sister Anya about today's headlines.
That was Tony Stark battling Extremis Virus Kilian at the Roslin Port pier in Tennessee, and setting off fireworks using the Steel Legion he accumulated over the years.
Sister Anya, in life, like other little girls, loved listening to such news about billionaires.
"Last night, at the oil tanker pier in Roslin Port, Tennessee, an unprecedented heroic farewell and identity reveal was shockingly staged."
"After successfully thwarting the deadly threat posed by terrorist Oldrezy Kilian and his Extremis Virus Soldiers, Tony Stark made a jaw-dropping move—"
"He ordered the remaining Steel Legion Armor to fly into the sky, conducting an invaluable, night-sky illuminating fireworks explosion."
"At seven o'clock this morning, Tony Stark reappeared and stated in an interview..."
Leaning against the tombstone, Hawk murmured the newspaper content to himself.
The cemetery was silent, with only Hawk's whispers.
If someone timid passed by the cemetery, upon hearing these hellish sounds resembling a demon's voice, they might think they encountered a ghost.
After a while.
Hawk's murmur ceased.
He leaned against his sister Anya's tombstone, seemingly asleep.
Just like last year, the year before, Hawk planned to stay here, spending Christmas with his sister.
After all, if nothing unexpected happens, this year would be the last.
Because...
Next year, before Christmas at the latest, he plans to find a way to Hell, openly bringing back his sister from Hell.
Mephisto either returns his sister.
Or he'll take down Mephisto.
There's no other choice.
No idea how much time passed.
The noise outside the cemetery gradually faded away, accompanied by the passage of time, it completely vanished.
At this moment, all of New York City seemed to quiet down simultaneously.
But...
Right then, a patter of sounds resembling footsteps and the ground shaking slightly approached from afar.
Footsteps.
The sound of tracks rolling over the ground.
At first, it was far away, but it gradually became clear, and closer and closer.
Hawk's phone in his pocket vibrated at this moment.
Because he feared Gwen's call, he only turned off the ringtone but didn't power off, feeling his phone vibrating, he opened his eyes and took out the phone.
He looked at the incoming call.
It wasn't from Gwen.
It was from Anna.
Hawk thought for a moment and answered the call.
"Hello..."
"Hawk, I just received news that the military has identified you as the person who stormed Quantico Military Base the other day, and they have pinpointed your location. They've already sent people towards you."
As soon as the call connected, Anna's voice rushed out from the receiver.
The message conveyed was clear.
Still sleeping?
They're coming for you.
Hawk's sword-like eyebrows raised, and he unleashed his senses, which usually remained in ordinary state.
Instantly!
He heard the rumble of armored vehicles skimming over the ground.
He also heard weapons clanging together on fully armed soldiers as they jogged.
And...
Hawk did not speak, directly hanging up Anna's call, his face expressionless as he rose from the ground, looking up, watching the sky where armed helicopters with searchlights and roaring rotors were swiftly approaching.
Soon.
A racing armed helicopter soared across the sky, its searchlight thumping, accurately illuminating Hawk, surrounding him as brightly as daylight.
Rumble! Rumble!
Flying over the cemetery, the armed helicopter stabilized its position, the cabin door opened, a soldier already sat in front of the Metal Storm, aiming the Metal Storm, capable of firing hundreds of bullets in a second, at Hawk under the searchlight.
Meanwhile.
Boom!
Two leading armored vehicles, equipped with some kind of sonic cannon weapon, smashed through the cemetery gates with a bang, ignoring the tombstones within, directly crushing over, producing rumbling sounds as they reached Hawk.
Click.
Click.
The following Federation soldiers, along with the searchlights and sonic cannons, were also loading their weapons, then either standing or crouching, aiming their guns at Hawk from a distance.
War!
On the verge of erupting!!
...