Marvel: I Awake the Little Cosmos-Chapter 553 - 521: Stacy’s Wife Clan (Second Update!!)
Reed Stacy only regained his senses after Hawk turned and flew away into the sky.
But before he could say anything, the soldiers escorting him were already looking like they were transferring a prisoner, protecting him as he returned behind the wall of tanks.
Meanwhile.
More soldiers formed ranks and headed towards the white building where Hawk had already departed.
"Reed!"
Reed Stacy’s wife, a woman also named Helen, cried out when she saw her husband return, and then embraced Reed with a look of relief.
The two embraced tightly.
It was only at that moment, as Reed held his wife tightly, that he realized everything that had just happened was not a dream.
He was alive.
The alien visitor Hawk Phoenix, who had destroyed the Quantico Base, the Pentagon, the Congress Building, even the white house last night, didn’t kill him.
The reason was nothing else, just because his last name was Stacy.
However—
Wasn’t Hawk Phoenix’s wife’s last name supposed to be Maximoff?
Embracing his wife, Reed thought, but quickly, the twenty-four-hour ultimatum that Hawk had issued before leaving resurfaced in his mind.
Reed quickly released his wife, and looked at the general beside him, who was also rapidly promoted, to inform him of the content of the twenty-four-hour ultimatum.
Either they kill all the people related to the Sentinel Robots.
Or Hawk would kill them all in twenty-four hours.
Just this one condition.
After hearing Reed Stacy’s retelling, the general fell into silence and then nodded.
"Understood, sir."
"So what should we do?"
"Not us."
The general shook his head and looked at Reed Stacy: "But you, what do you plan to do?"
Reed was slightly stunned.
"Me?"
"Yes, Mr. President."
"No, no, no, I can’t."
Reed realized what the general meant, and quickly waved his hand, saying: "I can’t make this decision."
Choosing for some people to die.
Or everyone dies together.
Although Reed wasn’t a saint, he was at least a politician with principles, so this choice was a little beyond his capability.
"No, you can, Mr. President."
The general looked expressionlessly at Reed Stacy: "Only you can make this decision, the Pentagon is fully amenable to your instruction."
Facing the general’s gaze, Reed had a feeling, as if he was reminded of something.
He was silent for a while.
"Are there many who know about the Sentinel plan?"
"A lot."
The general’s tone was solemn.
But precisely because there are many who know, he could say the Pentagon fully follows the President’s orders.
After all, if there were few who knew, how could he, as an acting general, have the confidence to say those words?
Therefore—
Yes.
You authorize, I execute.
The glory of victory, we share.
The general’s pupils couldn’t help but reveal a desire for advancement.
Reed Stacy frowned.
"We should find..."
"Finding people will alert them, Mr. President."
The general said solemnly: "That person 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 die meaningless for something I never participated in or even knew about. Do you, Mr. President."
Reed Stacy said nothing in response.
After a while.
With the general watching him, he nodded very seriously.
"I understand. I authorize you and your National Guard to carry out this rescue operation."
"Received!"
Upon hearing this, the general saluted Reed Stacy smartly and quickly gathered his subordinates.
"You heard the President’s authorization."
"Capture them."
"I will not share this glory. In the new Pentagon, there’s a place for you and me."
"Yes!"
Soon.
Regardless of who the President is, the National Guard that only follows the President’s orders promptly mobilized, heading to various places in Washington.
They didn’t know which people had participated in the Pentagon, but they were most familiar with where their safe houses were.
So they directly ran to the safe houses to capture people, and it didn’t matter if they caught the wrong ones.
Wrong is wrong.
When it comes to their own lives, others dying is better than them dying.
Most importantly.
If they don’t die, how will they ever get to sit in those positions?
Reed Stacy watched the departing soldiers, felt their uncontainable joy, and fell into silence again.
His wife Helen Stacy watched his demeanor, came to his side once more, held his right hand, and looked at him with concern: "Reed!"
Reed returned to his senses, looked at his wife, and smiled slightly.
"I’m fine."
"Someone always has to make a decision; it just happens to be you. You don’t need to dwell on it."
"I know."
Reed nodded. Anyone facing the ultimate ultimatum from a man who overnight destroyed their Pentagon and the White House would make the decision to let someone else die rather than themselves.
He’s no exception.
Better others die than himself; he has neither the obligation nor the need to pay the price for others’ actions.
Reed consoled himself inwardly, then under his wife’s gaze, he smiled again and changed the subject, "How about Gwen, has she been picked up yet?"
His daughter Gwen, ten years old this year, smart, obedient, and lovely.
Helen smiled and said, "The Secret Service went to pick her up, she should be almost here, but unfortunately, we estimate we can’t move in."
Helen, while speaking, glanced at the still smoldering ruins of the White House and shrugged.
Reed followed his wife’s gaze and couldn’t help but smile too, "But we can live in a brand new White House."
For buildings, old ones are certainly not as good as new ones.
The White House is no exception.
Rather than living in an old one, it’s better to live in a new one.
Reed thought to himself and then shifted his gaze from the smoldering White House to the likewise burning remains of the Pentagon.
It’s not just the Pentagon.
New York City’s Manhattan Wall Street is also engulfed in a sea of flames at this moment.
A sentinel robot, looking no different in appearance from the ones in Washington, is now recklessly walking down the streets of Wall Street.
Once similarly radiant skyscrapers have become ruins.
As the sentinel robot swings its arms, a skyscraper is knocked down, and with its collapse, the probability of control by future algorithms here decreases.
After the little guy’s death, the unbound sentinel robots have set not just mutants as targets but also anything potentially threatening their existence as primary targets.
So, while the sentinel robot destroys the skyscrapers in front of it, it also fights against the mutants trying to stop it amid the ruins.
Hawk found Wanda when their daughter Jean had already joined the battle.
"How is it?"
"Compared to you, she doesn’t have as much experience, but there’s good news."
"What?"
"Our daughter is different from you; she doesn’t like to be wild."
"..."
Listening to Wanda’s tease, Hawk looked at his daughter who was steadily holding her ground with Storm and Cyclops, "Not bad, very good, stable and steady. I’m actually all about stability too."
Wanda chuckled without responding, instead she looked at Hawk.
"Is Washington settled?"
"Gave them twenty-four hours."
Hawk spoke truthfully.
Upon hearing this, Wanda raised her eyebrows and looked at Hawk, "Soft-hearted again? Didn’t you say this time no soft-heartedness?"
Hawk’s gaze remained calm.
"Because the speaker is different."
"Who?"
"Reed."
"...Who is that?"
"Designated survivor."
"A lucky one?"
Wanda knew about the designated survivor system, "Just because he’s lucky, you’re soft-hearted?"
Hawk shook his head.
"No."
"Then it’s..."
"His last name is Stacy."
"...Oh."
Upon hearing this, Wanda was initially taken aback, then she realized, laughed, and looked at Hawk, "He really is a lucky one."
Not just because Reed Stacy is a designated survivor.
But because Reed Stacy’s last name is Stacy.
In Eastern Country terms.
This belongs to Hawk’s wife’s family.
However...
Wanda curiously looked at Hawk, "Does he also have a daughter named Gwen?"
Hawk shrugged, "That I don’t know."
Wanda laughed.
"Didn’t ask?"
"No need."
Hawk and Wanda exchanged glances, "Because I already have my own Gwen."
Yes.
He already has his own Gwen.
As for other worlds, there may be other Gwens, he might also like them, but it’s not genuine affection rather a fondness akin to loving something because of its association.
Because he loves his own Gwen, he likes all the Gwens in every cosmos.
This isn’t promiscuity.
This is loving something for its association.
Wanda met Hawk’s determined gaze with a slight smile, "I’m quite satisfied with this answer, Mr. Phoenix."
Hawk also smiled slightly.
"This is the truth."
"I know."
Wanda smiled again, then withdrew her gaze, looking downward at their daughter battling sentinel robots, "So, when is the guy hiding in the shadows planning to show up?"
Hawk shrugged.
"Up to him!"
"The war was started by him, but I’m the one to end it!"
"..."
