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To do good work.
One must first sharpen their tools.
Hawk had only a tiny window of opportunity to steal the World Tree.
His only chance would come at the precise moment the World Tree was cut, the instant the temporal current of the main universe completely broke through its defenses.
Fully!
Holding nothing back!
He couldn't just burn his Cosmo—he had to make it explode in a total, unrestrained burst of power. Only then would he have a real chance to grab the World Tree from Time itself.
Because Time moves fast. The blink of an eye.
But no matter how fast Time is, it can never be faster than the moment of the Big Bang.
The logic is simple.
First comes Time, then comes Life.
But the Universe predates Time itself.
If the Big Bang hadn't occurred, then Life, Space, and even Time would simply not exist.
Therefore, the moment of cosmic detonation is, and always will be, faster than Time.
There was just one problem.
Hawk had to identify that exact, microscopic fraction of a second and, simultaneously, trigger the unreserved detonation of his Cosmo.
To survive that, he needed his armor.
A suit of armor perfectly attuned to his very soul.
The Phoenix Gold Cloth!
As the saying goes:
Only a Saint clad in their Cloth is a true Saint.
He had Adamantium, harvested from the unborn Celestial Tiamut, to serve as his Stardust Sand.
He had the ultimate, golden life energy, also extracted from Tiamut, to serve as his Gammanium.
And...
He had mountains of Uru metal, secured in an equal exchange with Eitri the Dwarf King, to serve as his Orichalcum.
And above it all—
High above in the vast Nidavellir forge, the glowing image of the true Phoenix Cloth hovered, looking almost alive.
SKREEE!
The phantom Phoenix seemed to understand exactly what Hawk intended to do with it, letting out a series of sharp, metallic, resonant cries.
A man without a heart cannot live.
The same is true for the Phoenix.
Only a Phoenix perched upon the sacred Parasol Tree is a true Phoenix.
The booming voice of Eitri the Dwarf King echoed through the forge, directing his massive kin as they took their positions.
The molds for the Phoenix Gold Cloth were taking shape at a visible rate.
But to Hawk, that 'visible rate' was completely subjective.
He had already been in Nidavellir for three days.
The only reason the Dwarves' progress seemed fast was because his mind was elsewhere.
Hawk's heart was in turmoil.
He stood off to the side, his face perfectly calm as he watched the Dwarves work with a wild energy that seemed inspired by the Phoenix itself.
In truth, he almost wished the molds would take more time.
Deep down, Hawk didn't want to steal the World Tree.
Not if he had a choice...
But Gwen was right.
Time wouldn't back down just because he tried to be good. Unless he gave up and accepted the ending Time had set for him, nothing would change.
So, even though Hawk was sure that if he stole the World Tree, an angry, vengeful Time would target the person closest to him and destroy them...
He had no choice.
Houses make a town, but citizens make a city.
It was an ancient strategic truth, and the fundamental reason Hawk never accepted threats, never tolerated ultimatums, and never allowed anyone to test his boundaries.
Hawk watched quietly, and to him, the Dwarves' frantic work seemed to move in slow motion.
He pictured a woman who had been by his side since the beginning, who had seen him grow, but who would soon be apart from him. She was always gentle and kind.
His wife.
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Back on Earth
"Gwen."
"I don't get it." Wanda—after three days of shopping trips with Gwen and ending up back at 521A Palm Street cooking together, finally reached her breaking point.
Wanda frowned, staring at a handwritten recipe card in her hand.
[Phoenix Sauce #1!]
[Ingredients: Blueberries, Strawberries...]
[Instructions: ...]
Wanda looked completely confused. She glanced at the ingredients on the counter, then at Gwen, who had just tied an apron around her waist. "This is your secret recipe. Why are you giving it to me?"
Gwen smiled softly at Wanda's confusion.
"Sharing is caring!"
"Sharing?"
Wanda met Gwen's bright green eyes. For the past three days, Gwen had been acting a little strange.
During these three days, Gwen had shared a lot with her.
But the central theme of every conversation had been the same.
Hawk!
Wanda had listened as Gwen talked about Hawk's personal life.
His habits. What he liked. What he hated.
At first, Wanda didn't think much of it. She thought that with Hawk gone, Gwen just wanted someone to talk to about her husband.
It was totally normal.
Mrs. Zheng, who lived next door in Westview, would constantly complain about her husband while their kids played at the park. She'd complain that he was always away on missions for days at a time, and even when he was home on leave, he was so stressed about work that he was practically a ghost.
And the Russian lady two houses down, once Mrs. Zheng got her started, would complain about her husband, too.
She'd say he drank too much, never knew when to stop, and once, when they were snowed in at a cabin and ran out of vodka, he even drank antifreeze.
So Wanda had initially assumed Gwen was just blowing off steam.
But now?
Wanda looked down at the secret recipe for 'Phoenix Sauce #1.'
Alarm bells started ringing in her head.
Because... While sharing recipes is common worldwide, in America, a 'secret family recipe' was just that: a closely guarded secret kept by the head of the family. It was the kind of thing you never gave away, no matter how close you were to someone.
For example.
If a guy's best friend was absolutely obsessed with his wife's famous pot roast, even if the guy begged his wife to share the recipe, she would sooner invite the friend over for dinner every single night than hand over the instructions.
So!
Gwen's sharing of her secret recipe, along with her casual 'sharing is caring' comment, made Wanda feel very uneasy. When she thought about the oddly specific talks they'd had over the past three days...
A very bad feeling settled in Wanda's stomach.
"Gwen, what's going on?"
"Nothing's going on." Gwen shrugged casually. "Jean, Billy, and Tommy are part of the Phoenix family too. If you learn how to make this, you can make it for them."
Wanda looked suspicious and doubtful.
"Is that it? Really?"
"Of course."
Gwen smiled. "Plus, if I don't come home for a while, you'll be able to make it for Hawk."
Wanda raised an eyebrow. She noticed the important phrase.
"Wait. What do you mean, 'if you don't come home'?"
"Overtime."
Gwen looked at Wanda and let out a light laugh. "My research project is hitting a critical phase. I'm probably going to have to pull some serious overtime at the lab in the coming weeks. I might not make it home much. So, I figured, while things are still relatively quiet, I'd have you over. That way, if I really get swamped, I can ask you to check in on Hawk. You have no idea how terrible he is at taking care of himself. If I don't remind him, he'll literally go three days without remembering to eat."
Gwen seamlessly transitioned into complaining about Hawk's lack of domestic survival skills.
Hearing the explanation, the suspicion in Wanda's eyes began to fade.
She knew Gwen had a lab at Stark Industries. And before the wedding, Gwen had told her how crazy the hours could get when an experiment was in full swing.
So...
Hearing that Gwen just wanted a backup plan to make sure Hawk didn't starve while she was working late, Wanda's anxiety subsided.
But one question remained.
Wanda looked at Gwen, a little hesitant. "I don't mind helping out. But... does Hawk know about this arrangement?"
"I run this house. People who can't even remember to feed themselves don't get a vote in domestic management."
Gwen smiled, delivering the line with boss-lady confidence. Then, she pointed at the recipe card in Wanda's hand, smoothly changing the subject.
"Anyway, let's not worry about that right now. I might not even have to work late. Come on, let's start with Sauce #1. Hawk loves this stuff. He basically has the palate of a five-year-old. Once you learn it, you can make it for Jean, Billy, and Tommy, too."
"...Alright."
Wanda was still a little hesitant, unable to shake the feeling that something was slightly off, but she nodded and started helping Gwen prepare the Phoenix Sauce #1.
Of course.
It wasn't just Sauce #1.
After Wanda had successfully recreated the signature Phoenix family sauce on her own, Gwen pulled out several more recipe cards.
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Time ticked steadily on.
The Dwarves hammered away, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG.
Hours slipped by, though to Hawk, lost in his thoughts, it felt like mere seconds.
Finally!
The molds for the Phoenix Gold Cloth were complete. It was time for the true forging to begin.
Eitri the Dwarf King, having prepared himself physically and mentally, channeling his absolute peak focus into creating a weapon the likes of which the universe had never seen, turned his gaze to Hawk. Hawk had been standing there, silent and still, for days.
"If you're ready, we can begin."
"...Hmm?" Hawk snapped out of his detached state and looked at Eitri.
The next moment, his previously unfocused pupils rapidly contracted, bringing the world back into immediate clarity.
Hawk's eyes scanned the carefully arranged exotic materials and the large, detailed molds for his armor. A spark lit up in his eyes. He took a deep breath to steady himself, then locked eyes with Eitri, showing complete, unwavering calm. He nodded once with determination.
"Let's do this!!"
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