Marvel: Awakening the Universe.

Reed Stacy didn't come to her senses until Hawke turned and flew away.

Before he could say anything, the soldiers escorting him, looking like they were transporting a prisoner, led him back behind the protective wall of tanks.

at the same time.

More soldiers formed ranks and rushed toward the white building where Hawke had already left.

"Reed!"

Reed Stacy's wife, a woman also named Helen, gasped when she saw her husband return, then hugged him with a look of relief.

The two hugged each other tightly.

It was only when Reed hugged his wife tightly that he fully came to his senses, realizing that everything he had just experienced was not a dream.

They are dead.

Hawk Phoenix, the alien who destroyed the Quantico base, the Pentagon, the Capitol, and even the White House again last night, didn't actually kill him.

The reason is nothing other than his last name being Stacy.

but--

Shouldn't Hawk Phoenix's wife's surname be Maximov?
Reed, embracing his wife, thought to himself, but soon, the 24-hour ultimatum Hawke had given before leaving resurfaced in his mind.

Reed quickly released his wife and looked at the general beside him, who, like himself, had been promoted on the spot, and told him the contents of the 24-hour ultimatum he had just received.

Either they killed everyone connected to the Sentinel robots.

Either Hawke kills them all in 24 hours.

That's all the conditions.

After hearing Reed Stacy's account, the general fell silent, then nodded.

"I understand, sir."

"So what do we do?"

"not us."

The general shook his head, then looked at Reed Stacy: "But it's you, what do you intend to do?"

Reed was slightly taken aback.

"I?"

"Yes, Mr. President."

"No, no, no, I can't."

Reed realized what the general meant and quickly waved his hand, saying, "I can't do it. This is not a decision I can make."

Choose a portion of the people to die.

Or we all die together.

While Reed wasn't a saint, he was at least a politician with principles, so this choice was a bit too much for him.

"No, you can do it, Mr. President."

The general looked at Reed Stacy expressionlessly: "Only you can make this decision. The Pentagon will follow your orders."

Reed met the general's gaze, a thought flashing through his mind, as if he had realized something.

He was silent for a while.

"How many people know about Project Sentinel?"

"a lot of."

The general spoke in a serious tone.

However, it was precisely because many people knew the inside story that he revealed why the Pentagon was completely at the behest of the president.

After all, if few people knew the truth, how could a general who had only temporarily assumed the position have the confidence to say such a thing?

and so--

Yes.

If you approve, I will carry it out.

The glory of victory is shared by both of us.

The general's pupils couldn't hide the desire to advance.

Reed Stacy frowned.

"We should be looking for..."

“Sending people here would alert the enemy, Mr. President.”

The general said in a deep voice, "That man only gave us twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours, either they die or we die. To be frank, Mr. President, I don't want to be implicated in something I've never been involved in, or even know about, and die for no reason. What about you, Mr. President?"

Reed Stacy remained silent upon hearing this.

after awhile.

Under the general's gaze, he nodded solemnly with a serious expression.

“I understand. I authorize you and your National Guard to carry out this rescue operation.”

"Roger that!"

Upon hearing this, the general did not hesitate, giving Reed Stacy a standard salute before turning around and quickly gathering his men.

"You have heard the president's authorization."

"Catch them."

"I will not share this glory. There are places for you and me in the new Pentagon."

"Yes!"

soon.

Regardless of who the president is, the National Guard, which obeys only the president's orders, is instantly mobilized and rushes to various parts of Washington, D.C.

They didn't know who was involved in the Pentagon's operations, but they knew exactly where the safe houses for those people were located.

So just go straight to the safe house and catch the person; it doesn't matter if you catch the wrong one.

If it's wrong, it's wrong.

It concerns their own lives; it's better for others to die than for them to die.

The most important thing.

If they don't die, when will it be their turn to sit in their positions?

Reed Stacy watched the departing soldiers, sensing their barely suppressed elation, and fell silent once more.

Seeing him like this, his wife Helen Stacy walked over to him again, took his right hand, and looked at him with concern: "Reed!"

Reed snapped out of his reverie, looked at his wife, and gave a slight smile.

"I am fine."

"Someone has to make the decision, it just so happens that you are that person, you don't need to worry about it."

"I know."

Reed nodded. Anyone, no matter who they were, would have made the decision to sacrifice their friend rather than themselves when faced with an ultimatum from a man who had destroyed their Pentagon and the White House overnight. He was no exception.

It's always better for someone else to die than for yourself to die. He has neither the obligation nor the need to pay the price for the actions of others.

Reed reassured himself, then smiled again under his wife's gaze and changed the subject: "Gwen, did you take her?"

His daughter, Gwen, is ten years old, smart, well-behaved, and adorable.

Helen smiled and said, "The Secret Service has gone to pick us up, they should be here soon. It's a pity we probably won't be able to check in."

As Helen spoke, she glanced at the white building still engulfed in embers and shrugged.

Reed followed his wife's gaze and couldn't help but smile: "But we can live in a brand new white building."

When it comes to buildings, the old is definitely not as good as the new.

The same applies to white buildings.

It's better to live in a new place than an old one.

Reed thought to himself, then shifted his gaze from the white building burning with embers to the direction of the Pentagon, which was also engulfed in flames.

It's not just the Pentagon.

Wall Street in Manhattan, New York City, was also engulfed in flames.

At first glance, a Sentinel robot that looks exactly like the Sentinel robots that appeared in Washington, D.C. is now walking recklessly on the streets of Wall Street.

What was once a magnificent cluster of high-rise buildings has now become ruins.

With a sudden swing of its hands, the sentry robot knocked down a tall building. As the building crumbled, the probability of it being controlled by this place in the future decreased by several percent, according to its algorithm.

After the little guy died, the Sentinel robots, now freed from their restraints, not only targeted mutants for elimination but also made anything that might threaten their existence their primary objective.

All the Sentinel robots were destroying the skyscrapers in front of them while fighting against the mutants who were trying to stop them as they moved through the ruins.

When Hawke found Wanda, his daughter Jean had already joined the battle.

"How about it."

"Compared to you, I certainly don't have that much experience, but I have some good news."

"what?"

“Our daughter is not like you; she doesn’t like to be wild.”

"..."

Hawke listened to Wanda's teasing remark and looked at his daughter, who was steadily fighting alongside Storm and Cyclops: "Not bad, quite good. Steady is good. I actually take the steady approach too."

Wanda chuckled but didn't reply. Instead, she looked at Hawke.

"Is Washington all taken care of?"

"They were given 24 hours."

Hawke spoke the truth.

Upon hearing this, Wanda raised an eyebrow and looked at Hawke: "Give in again? Didn't you say you wouldn't give in this time?"

Hawke's gaze was calm.

"Because the people speaking are different."

"Who?"

"Reed."

"...Who is this?"

“Designate a survivor”.

"A lucky one?"

Wanda was also aware of the survivor system: "Just because he's a lucky one, you softened your heart?"

Hawke shook his head.

"No."

"That is……"

"His last name is Stacy."

"……Oh."

Wanda was taken aback at first, then realized what was going on, chuckled, and looked at Hawke: "He really is a lucky guy."

Not just because Reed Stacy was the designated survivor.

It's because Reed Stacy's last name is Stacy.

In Dongguk (Eastern Korean)

This is Hawke's wife's family.

but……

Wanda looked at Hawke with some curiosity: "Does he have a daughter named Gwen?"

Hawke shrugged. "I don't know."

Wanda smiled.

"Didn't you ask?"

"No need."

Hawke and Wanda locked eyes: "Because I already have my Gwen."

Yes.

He already has his own Gwen.

As for other worlds, perhaps there's Gwen, whom he might also like, but it wouldn't be true liking, but rather a kind of liking that extends to everything connected to the beloved.

Because he loves his own Gwent, he loves every Gwent in every universe.

This is not promiscuity.

This is loving the house and loving the dog.

Wanda met Hawke's determined gaze with a slight smile: "I am very satisfied with this answer, Mr. Phoenix."

Hawke smiled slightly.

"This is true."

"I know."

Wanda smiled again, then looked down at her daughter who was battling a Sentinel robot: "So, when does that guy hiding in the shadows plan to show up?"

Hawke shrugged.

"He's already here!"

"what?"

"..." (End of this chapter)