Marvel: The Enlightened One

[87] - A Father's Murder, an Irreconcilable Feud!

Manhattan's East Village.

This was the heart of Manhattan, where land was scarce and obscenely expensive.

Before the Battle of New York, a single-family home like this one—with six thousand square feet of living space, custom floor-to-ceiling windows, high-end construction, and a fully integrated Stark Smart Home system—would have been listed for around twenty million dollars.

So, Twelve million was a steal.

The moment Hawk said, "I'll take it," the real estate agent felt like her soul was about to leave her body.

Gwen, who had been lost in a daydream of snowy days by the fireplace, was jolted back to reality. Her eyes went wide as she watched the agent take Hawk's bank card.

Hawk's expression remained perfectly calm.

It was just as he'd said before. After awakening his Cosmo, money was no longer a necessity.

Lured by the promise of a massive commission, the agent promised Hawk she would have the deed transferred and the sale finalized within three hours.

A moment later, she was peeling away in her Porsche, racing to the city records office.

Hawk and Gwen turned and went back inside the house.

And then—

Gwen had him pinned against the wall.

Hawk, his back pressed against the drywall, blinked in surprise at Gwen, who had her hands braced on either side of his head, her eyes fixed on his.

"What's wrong?"

"Hawk."

"Yeah?"

Gwen's face was serious. "What exactly did you do in Quantico?"

Hearing this, Hawk laughed. "I was wondering when you were going to ask."

It had been two weeks since the Quantico incident. He had expected her to ask what had happened, but she never did, and he was not one to volunteer information. He assumed she never would.

Gwen dropped her hands and shrugged. "I wasn't going to. But now, it's obvious I have to."

She knew Hawk had a million dollars even before he went to Quantico. She knew exactly where it had come from. And with some effort, she could accept the two-million-dollar donation to the church.

But twelve million?? She couldn't even wrap her head around it.

Her father could work for the NYPD for a hundred years and his salary and bonuses combined probably wouldn't add up to that much.

Hawk didn't have this kind of money before he went to Quantico. He had it when he came back. He must have gotten it there.

So—

What the hell happened in Quantico?

Gwen had no idea.

The woman, Natasha, had never explained, only saying they had found Hawk. To be safe, Gwen hadn't pressed for details over the phone and had simply told Hawk to come home soon.

By the time she reached the airfield at the address Natasha had given her, the woman was already gone, and she still had no idea what had happened.

At first, Gwen hadn't worried about it.

She had figured she'd see it on the news in a few days, so she'd kept a close eye on the headlines, especially any reports from the D.C. area.

And the result? Business as usual.