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Normally—
The moment Hawk left New York City, Sharon's phone would ring on Gwen's end within the next second.
But not this time.
Back when Hawk's Cosmo hadn't yet evolved into Gold level, his speed hadn't broken the light barrier—which meant SHIELD's satellites could still catch his energy fluctuations.
Now??
He'd surpassed light-speed entirely.
Until—
Hawk's figure materialized over Paris exactly 0.02 seconds later—19.5 milliseconds, to be precise—and only then did the SHIELD satellites covering the globe finally register his energy signature.
Instantly.
The energy marker codenamed "Phoenix" blinking into existence over Paris was captured by SHIELD's "Eighth Day" AI and relayed to the New York SHIELD hub.
And then!
Gwen, still sitting in her father George's office, watched Sharon's name flash on her phone. She smiled, then picked up.
"Gwen Stacy."
"Sharon."
"Hawk's in Paris. Vampire-related. You know—the Andrew Chloe situation."
"Yeah. It's connected to vampires."
"I'm at the 21st Precinct."
"Copy that."
Gwen ended the call, then met her father George's questioning gaze. The corner of her mouth curved into a graceful arc.
"Dad. You're going to need to hand this case off."
"..."
————
Hovering above Paris, Hawk gazed down at the city sprawled beneath the night sky. His eyes lingered on one particular structure, triggering an odd sense of déjà vu—like he was watching some bird-themed movie intro.
But he didn't linger long.
The moment his Seventh Sense swept across the city, he vanished from the Paris skyline. When he reappeared, he was standing at the gates of the Corvinus estate.
Logically speaking—
The two detectives and one patrol officer who'd investigated Andrew Chloe's murder were all in or around New York. Coming all the way to Paris was technically unnecessary.
But...
Hawk couldn't be bothered with procedural bullshit.
Again.
This wasn't some detective game or riddle to solve.
'See the head, take the head.'
The Corvinus family had shown their hand first. Whether they actually knew anything was irrelevant.
Simple rule:
Beat first. Ask questions while beating.
————
The moment Hawk materialized at the entrance of the Corvinus estate, he drew the immediate attention of the guards patrolling the grounds.
"Hey! You there!"
"Halt! State your business. Do you have any idea where you are?"
Two vampire guards, patrolling together, spotted Hawk and shouted simultaneously—then lunged at him with vampiric speed.
Of course.
"Speed" was relative.
In Hawk's perception, the two vampires rushing him moved like turtles crawling through molasses.
VWOOM!
"Phoenix Ray!"
Two searing beams of pure gold erupted from his eyes. The vampire guards vaporized on the spot, reduced to nothing.
WEEEE-OOOOOH!
The next second, Corvinus Castle's alarm system screamed to life, a raw, desperate wail tearing through the night.
Hawk shoved his hands into his pockets. His Seventh Sense tracked the flood of vampires pouring from every corner of the castle in response to the alarm. Face utterly calm, he took a step forward and vanished.
————
Inside the main keep.
Elias Corvinus—impeccably dressed in dark formal wear, his snow-white hair combed back with surgical precision, pale-faced but sharp-eyed, every inch the image of a centuries-old aristocrat—strode in from an adjacent wing, flanked by a dozen elite vampire guards.
"What's happening?"
"Someone's attacking the castle."
"Reapers?"
"No."
"Then what—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
"ME!!" Before Elias Corvinus could finish his exchange with his security chief, Hawk appeared in the doorway. Not a hair out of place, not even breathing hard—despite having swept through the entire Corvinus estate in under three minutes.
The security chief and his vampire unit bared their fangs, snarling as they prepared to charge.
Hawk raised his right hand.
Snapped his fingers.
CLICK!
The security chief. His vampire unit. All of them froze mid-motion, bodies locked in place. Only their eyes moved—rolling frantically in their sockets, panic and terror plain.
Elias Corvinus, however, remained composed.
Seeing Hawk's arrival, he made no attempt to flee. Instead, his gaze settled on the intruder, his voice low and resonant with that unmistakable aristocratic lilt.
"Who are you?"
"Phoenix. Hawk Phoenix."
Hawk glanced at Elias, who hadn't tried to run. With a gesture, he summoned a chair from across the room, settled into it, and regarded the vampire patriarch. "Or you can call me Hawk Chloe."
Elias Corvinus's equally pale brows knitted at the introduction.
"Never heard of you."
"Bruce."
"Andor."
"Giorno."
Leaning back in his chair, Hawk recited the names he'd gotten from George—the two vampires and their blood thrall.
Elias's brow furrowed deeper.
"Never heard of them either."
"You haven't. But someone here has."
Hawk's lips curved upward. His gaze locked onto one particular vampire among the frozen guards—a bald-headed man with a severe, almost sinister expression, whose eyes had flickered with unmistakable fear the moment Hawk spoke those three names.
Elias followed Hawk's line of sight.
"Carter?"
Heh.
Hawk released the bald vampire—Carter—from his psychic hold with a thought.
The next second?
Carter didn't hesitate. He launched himself like a black arrow, screaming toward the castle exit.
In the blink of an eye, he'd covered three kilometers.
Hawk's smile didn't waver.
Elias frowned, watching Hawk remain utterly still in his chair. He opened his mouth to speak—
CLICK!
Hawk snapped his fingers again.
Carter—now five kilometers clear of the castle—was instantly reeled back in by Hawk's Seventh Sense, teleported directly into the hall.
Then Hawk's telekinesis carved like a blade.
SHINK!
SHINK!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH—!!"
Carter's scream tore through the hall as both his legs were severed cleanly below the knees. They hit the stone floor with a dull thump, like potted plants toppled from their stands.
Still seated, Hawk propped his chin on one hand, crossed his legs, and regarded the shrieking Carter with mild amusement before turning back to Elias.
"Who is he?"
Elias's expression darkened as he glanced at the now-legless vampire.
"Carter. My second-in-command."
"Your second-in-command's been running things behind your back, Mr. Corvinus."
Hawk's tone was flat. He ignored Elias's sour expression, released the security chief and the other vampires from his psychic grip, then glanced at his watch. When he looked up again, his gaze was steady.
"Since you weren't involved—"
"I'll give you a chance."
"You have ten minutes."
"Tell me what I want to know."
"When the clock runs out, either you give me answers—or I take them myself."
"..."
Hawk fell silent, watching Elias expectantly.
Elias's expression flickered through several shades. Finally, he signaled his security chief with a glance.
The chief understood. He strode over to Carter, grabbed him by the head, and dragged him toward the adjacent wing.
Hawk leaned back, closing his eyes to rest.
Elias stood before him, not daring to move. He was pureblood. Arrogant by nature.
But he wasn't stupid.
Anyone who could clear his entire castle's vampire population in under three minutes? Not someone he could afford to provoke.
So—
Even with Hawk's eyes closed, Elias didn't dare move.
Run?
Where? He'd just watched Carter cover five kilometers only to get yanked back by a finger snap.
————
Time ticked away.
Eight minutes later, the security chief emerged from the adjacent wing, drenched in blood, dragging Carter behind him—or what was left of him. The vampire was a limp, shriveled husk, every inch of skin flayed, barely clinging to life.
THUD.
The chief dumped Carter's corpse-like body on the floor, then approached Elias, leaning in to whisper the information he'd extracted over those eight minutes.
Elias's expression shifted with every word.
A masterclass in color.
Like someone had opened a dye shop on his face.
Right on cue.
Hawk opened his eyes, fixing them on Elias. "Time's up, Mr. Corvinus. Do you have the answers I'm looking for?"
Elias met Hawk's gaze.
"Bruce and Andor—they were turned by Carter nineteen years ago."
"Carter was acting on someone's orders."
"Who? Chuck used every method he had. Carter wouldn't break."
"As for Bruce and Andor's current location—"
"Two months ago, Carter embedded them in a 'blood bag' squad heading to New York City."
"The vampire council there got wiped out by Blade. They were sent to claim the territory."
"The squad leader's name is Reinhardt. I can contact him, order him to bring Bruce and Andor back in chains."
"..."
Hawk didn't interrupt. He waited until Elias finished, then simply looked at him.
"That it?"
"That's everything."
Heh.
Hawk chuckled softly, shaking his head with something almost like disappointment.
"I gave you a chance."
"Why do you people never learn to take it?"
"..."
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