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Snap!
The crisp snap of Hawk's fingers resounded throughout the World Tree.
Before him, Mephisto, still motionless mid-stride, his right hand clawing toward Hawk, shuddered as the sound reached him. His demonic form locked into stillness.
And then—
He turned to dust.
The demon lord's towering body withered at a visible rate, like a sandstone statue subjected to an eternity of wind in a single second. From left to right, he crumbled into gray ash and blew away into the void.
By the time the sound of Hawk's snap faded...
Mephisto was gone.
Erased. Not even a trace of his soul remained.
Hawk had planned to lock Mephisto in the Magma Prison of his Underworld to suffer for eternity.
But he changed his mind.
Mephisto was treacherous by nature, a creature of sheer malice. Keeping him alive, even in chains, carried the same risk as keeping Hela alive.
So, better safe than sorry. Wipe him out. End the problem for good.
Hawk looked at the vacant spot where Mephisto had been, let out a slow sigh, and shook his head.
The next second, Hawk looked up, his body melding into motion. He reappeared at the peak of the World Tree and settled back into a cross-legged position.
SKREEE!
The Phoenix graces only the most sacred of lands and rests upon no branch but the Parasol Tree.
As Hawk closed his eyes, the cry of the Phoenix echoed throughout the cosmos. The metallic Phoenix construct, crafted from the Gold Cloth, dissolved away, revealing a genuine ethereal Phoenix. Drenched in golden flames, it stretched and spread its wings wide, towering over the sky.
Its blazing wings formed a luminous canopy above the World Tree. On those fiery wings, the faint silhouette of a universe—much larger than the World Tree—began to shimmer into existence within the golden flames.
The sight was staggering.
Under the Parasol World Tree, the Phoenix served as the protector of the middle realm. Its wings supported the Hawk's Phoenix Universe above. It appeared just as it should—a planet-sized Phoenix wreathed in golden fire, with talons clutching the ancient roots of the World Tree and wings sustaining the Phoenix Universe.
As the Phoenix appeared, Hawk's physical form appeared to blend and merge with the fiery being. The two became one.
The next moment, A flat-earth realm under a domed sky—Hawk's Underworld—began a slow descent from the fiery wings. It phased through the flames and came to a solid rest in the void where Helheim had formerly existed within the roots of the Parasol World Tree.
THUD.
As the Underworld settled into place and fused with the roots, a shake rippled through the cosmos. The wound closed, and the realm was restored.
However, since Hawk had not yet brought his Phoenix Universe into the main reality, everything inside his inner cosmos remained somewhat spectral.
But there was a catch. He possessed the Four Elements of Creation.
The Four Elements of Creation were tangible realities.
This created a paradox: while his Cosmo as a whole remained spectral, the stars and realms and domains forged within it were real.
Therefore, Hawk could swap his tangible Underworld into the empty slot left by the destruction of the World Tree's Helheim.
After all, Hawk was now the Lord of both the Phoenix and the Parasol World Tree.
The two realms supported and reinforced each other.
Neither could exist without the other.
The good news:
Hawk no longer needed the Reality Stone to project his Phoenix Universe into existence, nor did he need it to wield his full power within the primary Marvel Universe.
Because the primary universe had devoured Midgard—the World Tree's property—and turned it into Earth.
By absorbing an asset belonging to the Parasol World Tree, the primary universe had granted the power system of the Parasol World Tree full operational authority within its borders. Because the primary universe had played dirty and stolen what wasn't its.
This was the price.
The primary universe's intent had been cosmic robbery: it wanted the prize but refused to pay the toll. But Hawk had intervened, snatching the World Tree back from the brink of assimilation, leaving the primary universe empty-handed and in debt.
So...
Unless the primary universe returned Earth to the World Tree, Hawk's power could flow through the primary universe without the Reality Stone acting as a conduit.
But returning Earth was impossible.
The primary universe had already swallowed it whole, digested it, and generated a "New Past" to cement Earth's place in its timeline. How could it vomit it back out?
It couldn't.
The bad news:
Because he had merged his realm with the World Tree, Hawk would now have to wait until he achieved the Ninth Sense—the Amala Vijnana—before he could physically manifest his Phoenix Universe in full.
Once again, A Phoenix that wanders the earth and a Phoenix that nests upon the Parasol Tree are two different entities in terms of power and scope.
But there was better news.
Hawk, whose grasp on the Eighth Sense had been vague at best, found his understanding deepening the moment he was crowned Lord of the Parasol World Tree.
He was still a fair distance from mastering the Eighth Sense.
But this was a leap forward. No question.
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At that exact moment.
On the banks of the River Styx, deep within Hawk's Underworld.
Anna, who had been enjoying an afternoon nap in her flower shop, jerked awake as the quake shook the realm. She stepped outside, standing near the murky waters of the Styx.
And then she looked out toward the horizon. Before her eyes, a new world was coalescing from cosmic dust—stars forging themselves from fire, water, and wind.
"This is..."
Anna blinked, startled. She turned, her eyes lighting up as she saw Hawk standing behind her. "Good afternoon, Hawk."
Hawk lifted an eyebrow. "Time doesn't exist in the Underworld. What is this 'afternoon' you speak of?"
"I divided the cycles into twenty-four hours to keep myself sane."
"Fair enough." Hawk chuckled. Considering the time he had entered the World Tree, he smiled back. "Good morning, then."
With that, Hawk turned his gaze back to the forming maelstrom of creation—the nascent realm preparing to replace the destroyed Asgard. His voice was tranquil. "I'm going to make you the Goddess of Death for the Parasol World Tree."
Following his gaze, Anna stared at the forming realm. She blinked, caught off guard. "Goddess of Death?"
"Yes." Hawk looked at her shocked expression with a tender smile. "Interested?"
Anna shook her head. "No, I can't. I don't know how to be a god."
"If I say you can, you can."
"Uh..." Hearing his conviction, Anna was at a loss. It took her a long moment to find her voice. "Can I ask... why me?"
Hawk laughed softly. "This realm needs a Goddess of Death, and you are my friend."
It's a well-known fact. Hawk always favored his friends over logic or rules.
Because Anna was his friend, he ignored her Hydra background. He would, without hesitation, ignore the war between S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra just because she called and asked for help.
Even though that call had been a deception by Alexander Pierce.
Oh... Speaking of which.
Where was Alexander Pierce?
Hawk's perception swiftly scanned Elysium. He noticed Pierce anxiously pacing near the sanctuary's border, maintaining distance after sensing Hawk's presence.
Right, despite the fact that Hawk had pardoned Pierce during his Christmas Eve "Season of Reunions," the former Hydra leader still made a point of disappearing whenever Hawk visited the Underworld.
Probably afraid Hawk might change his mind and drag him back to the torture cells.
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Anna looked up at Hawk after his explanation. "Alright, if you need my help, I'll do it. But just so you know: I've never been a god before. If I mess up, don't be mad at me."
Hawk laughed, looking into her eyes. "Even if you accidentally tear this whole realm apart, I wouldn't blame you. Worst case, we just rebuild it from scratch."
Anna's expression turned serious. "It won't come to that. I'll work hard. I'll learn how to be a proper Goddess of Death. One who can help you."
"I look forward to that day." Hawk's expression matched hers. He smiled and spoke.
"In the name of the Phoenix. In the name of the Parasol World Tree."
"Anna Pierce. You are hereby crowned the Goddess of Death for the Phoenix and the Parasol World Tree!"
RUMBLE!
Hawk's voice, carrying the authority of a divine edict, thundered across every realm of the World Tree, ringing in the ears of every living soul within its borders.
As the edict fell—
The World Tree rustled its leaves in acknowledgment. The next second, a single glowing leaf drifted down from the branches stretching above the Underworld.
The leaf fell slowly on an unseen breeze but arrived almost at once.
In an instant, the luminous leaf, symbolizing control over Death within the World Tree, landed on Anna and embedded itself in her body.
"..." Anna closed her eyes.
A torrent of knowledge concerning the administration and laws of Death flooded her consciousness like a river. At the same time, her clothing began to shift and reform.
A flowing gown, made from the darkness of a midnight sky and the glow of shattered bone, laid itself over her form. Her shoulders were decorated with jagged armor plates resembling solidified magma from the Hell prisons, curving into sharp angles. The cold detachment that had defined her as a top Hydra operative returned to her face.
But...
Watching Anna design her own divine raiments based on her new knowledge, Hawk blinked. The outfit looked familiar.
Opening her eyes, Anna—now the Goddess of Death—caught his expression and explained. "I drew inspiration from the residual memories of the previous Goddess, Hela. If you don't like it, I can change it to..."
Hawk's face cleared.
Of course... No wonder it looked familiar. It was Hela's signature look.
"It's fine." Hawk smiled. "I just thought it looked familiar but couldn't place it. So... do you know what you're supposed to do now?"
Anna nodded.
"Death and rebirth."
"Exactly. The Goddess of Death holds authority not just over the end of life, but also its beginning."
Hawk nodded, looking at her with pride. "I have high expectations for you."
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