Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Chapter 427 Because You Are My Friend (Third Update!!!)

Vomir Star.

2014 years.

This is the location of the Soul Stone, and the people responsible for collecting it here are Black Widow Natasha Romanoff and Hawkeye Clinton Barton.

When Hawke emerged from the river of time, Natasha and Clinton were already climbing a mountain.

Thousands of miles high in the sky.

Hawke's figure was concealed by the thick clouds of Vormir, and his gaze finally fell on the two people below who were struggling to climb the mountain.

Natasha quipped, "I bet that raccoon didn't need to climb mountains like we did."

Clinton, who was also struggling to climb the mountain beside him, thought for a moment.

"Strictly speaking, it is not a raccoon."

"It eats garbage, Barton."

"Okay, it's a raccoon."

Clinton could not refute Natasha's reasons.

at this time.

As the two were bickering, a hoarse laugh reached their ears.

Natasha drew her gun instantly, and Clifton also drew his ronin's sword, looking in the direction from which the sound came.

"welcome."

"Natasha, Ivan's daughter!"

"Clinton, son of Edith!"

The one who spoke was a person who had completely concealed himself in a gray robe and shadows.

"who are you?"

"You can think of me as your guide!"

As he spoke, the man who had been hiding in his gray robes revealed his scarlet skull face: "For you, and for all those who come here seeking the Soul Stone, as your guide."

He looks like the Red Skull.

He is actually the Red Skull.

After his battle with Captain America, Captain America fell into a deep sleep beneath the ice, while Red Skull was transported to Vormir by the Space Stone, where he spent many long years alone, accompanied only by the Soul Stone, on the desolate planet of Vormir.

After appearing, Red Skull turned around and walked towards a platform not far away that did not appear to have been built by the forces of nature, but whose creator was no longer known.

Natasha and Clinton exchanged a glance, then followed the Red Skull who was leading the way.

soon.

On the platform of soul sacrifice.

The Red Skull, standing at the edge of the platform, turned around: "What you want is right in front of you, and so is your fear."

Natasha reached the edge of the platform and looked down into the abyss.

"The Soul Gem is down there."

"One of you can take the Soul Gem, and what about the other one?"

The Red Skull, like an NPC, recited his lines: "To obtain the Soul Gem, one must lose what one loves. This is a deadly trade, exchanging one soul for another."

Upon hearing this, Natasha and Clinton instinctively looked at the Red Skull.

A deal involving death?
After Red Skull finished speaking, Hawke also turned his gaze, which pierced through the clouds, onto Red Skull.

The red skull, completely enveloped in a gray robe, seemed to sense something and instinctively looked up at the clouds.

but……

He can't see anything.

Of course.

If he could see Hawke, Hawke felt like he could just bang his head against a wall and die.

After all these years of hard work, if a mere earthbound spirit can easily see him, then all his efforts have been for naught.

Yes.

Earthbound spirit.

This is the current state of the Red Skull, a semi-transparent, ghost-like state, unable to physically interact with the outside world; it is a bound spirit of this planet.

As for why Red Skull behaves this way, it's actually quite simple.

Do you remember how to use the Infinity Stones?
Having mana consumes mana, running out of mana consumes life.

The Red Skull tried to leave using the Space Stone, but Captain America interrupted him, leaving him stranded here. He also lost his life because he couldn't afford the cost of using the Space Stone, but because this is where the Soul Stone is located, his soul remained in the same place.

This is not luck, but punishment.

think about it.

He knew perfectly well that the Soul Stone was down there, but he couldn't reach it, or even leave the area. For the power-hungry Red Skull, this was torture.

But that's not the point.

Hawke was interested in what Red Skull had just said.

This is a death bargain, soul for soul.

and so……

Is this an adjective?
Or is it a realistic portrayal, with death driving this deal?
Hawke wondered to himself.

Just as he was thinking this, Natasha, on the soul sacrifice platform, finally beat Clinton to it and plummeted off the cliff.

boom!
The moment her body hit the ground, Natasha felt a sharp pain, and then she found herself in an indescribable space.

next second.

She saw a bar in the distance with the name "Hell's Tavern" written on it.

Natasha paused, looked at the Hell's Tavern in front of her, thought for a moment, walked to the door of the Hell's Tavern, and then pushed the door open and went inside.

The tavern was empty, looking exactly like it had closed for the day.

Natasha stood in the doorway, looking inside.

Hello, is anyone there?

"Close the door, I haven't had time to clean up outside yet."

"..."

Natasha turned and looked towards the bar counter, following the direction from which the sound came.

Before my eyes, Hawke, dressed in a suit and tie, was at the bar, mimicking Mephisto's actions as he mixed cocktails.

Hawke looked up at Natasha, who was standing in the doorway with her eyes fixed on him, and chuckled, "Close the door. Don't you think it smells bad outside?"

After all, since Mephisto died, Hell has come under his control, and he hasn't had the time, or rather, hasn't even thought about cleaning up Hell.

Moreover, he did not incorporate Mephisto's hell into his own universe, or into his own sycamore tree.

and so……

Hawke never expected that the Hell Dimension would follow him here.

However, he remembered that Mephisto had stolen the Heavenly Dimension, which has the ability to travel through the multiverse, so he guessed that Mephisto might have tricked him again.

They claim to have moved the Hell Dimension to the Heaven Dimension, but in reality, they've secretly moved the Heaven Dimension's ability to traverse the multiverse into their own home, the Hell Dimension.

But that’s fine too.

He got all the benefits.

Hawke said this, then took out two glasses, poured the prepared cocktail into them, and looked at Natasha standing at the bar entrance again.

Natasha realized what was happening, turned around, closed the bar door behind her, went to the bar counter, pulled out a high stool, and sat down.

Hawke pushed a bourbon cocktail toward Natasha.

"Taste it."

"Thank you."

Natasha took the glass, took a sip under Hawke's gaze, and then looked at Hawke: "It's a bit sour, too much lemon."

Hawke raised an eyebrow, listened to Natasha's assessment, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.

then……

He revealed a mask of pain.

Hawke stuck out his tongue and looked at Natasha.

Is it a little sour?

"I'm alright."

"You're probably sick."

Hawke shook his head, took the glass from Natasha's hand, poured the wine into the sink beside him, and without any further fancy moves, dutifully took out a bottle of 1982 Thunder Bourbon, poured two more glasses, and then pushed them towards Natasha: "How does death feel?"

Natasha took the glass and pursed her lips upon hearing this.

"pain!"

"Do you regret it?"

"No regrets."

Natasha chuckled, then seemed to realize something: "If I could get the Soul Stone without doing this, I would regret it."

Hawke smiled and said, "The way to exchange Soul Gems is to exchange souls for souls. Even if I want to take Soul Gems from here, I must abide by this rule."

That's the rule.

Putting aside his ability to overturn the table, if he wants to take the Soul Gem, he must abide by this rule.

Natasha looked at Hawke's smile and then at her surroundings.

"So, where is this place?"

"The edge of life and death."

"I'm not dead?"

"It depends."

Hawke put the bottle back in, picked up his glass, took a sip, and looked at Natasha: "Do you want to die?"

Natasha didn't answer the question; instead, she looked at Hawke.

"Did Barton get the Soul Stone?"

"not yet."

"why?"

"Because your soul has not yet been traded."

Hawke's lips curled into a smile: "Soul for soul. Your soul is still with me, so naturally, the Soul Gem won't appear. If you really want to die, leave the bar, and your soul will be completely sacrificed, and Barton will get it too..."

The words have not yet fallen.

Without hesitation, Natasha got up from the bar stool and ran quickly toward the bar entrance.

I can tell.

She was in a hurry to die.

pity……

Natasha tried with all her might to pull open the bar door, but it wouldn't budge.

Hawke stood behind the bar, quietly watching Natasha try to forcefully open the bar door.

After trying for a while and finding that she couldn't open the bar door at all, Natasha turned to Hawke and said, "If we can't get the Soul Stone, our plan will completely fail."

Hawke crossed his arms and looked at Natasha, who had a worried expression, with some curiosity.

"Why, Natasha?"

"what?"

Natasha frowned subconsciously, then looked at Hawke's gaze, opened her mouth, and then, as if she knew what Hawke wanted to ask, pursed her lips and remained silent.

Hawke's eyes were calm.

There is something to say.

Of all the Avengers, only Natasha is the one who treats the Avengers as her home.

Because for the other Avengers, they still have a home.

After the annihilation incident, Natasha worked tirelessly for five years to keep this "home" running, because compared to the other Avengers she cared about, the only thing she cared about was the Avengers.

Natasha took a deep breath and looked at Hawke.

"You said you wouldn't get involved in our affairs, but what are you doing now?"

"Because you are my friend!"

"..."

(End of this chapter)