Chapter 393: [497] - The President Bets It All

Hawk stood in front of the memorial at Quantico, looking over the huge stone with real amusement. Every so often, he muttered something to Wanda.

Just a few feet away, the presidential aide Ada was almost shaking.

He stood close enough to catch what they were saying.

"Do me a favor," Hawk said.

"What?" Wanda asked.

"Take a quick trip down my timeline and see if I actually killed this many people." Hawk rubbed his chin, staring at the hundreds of names carved into the stone. "I have a strong suspicion they cooked the books."

This was a classic federal move. If you stole half a million from a bank, the news would say you took five million the next day.

So—

He really thought the government was making the numbers bigger just to make him look worse.

Hearing that, Ada jolted. He hurriedly stepped forward. "Mr. Phoenix! The names on this monument are not solely from the… misunderstanding two years ago. The majority of these casualties occurred during the reconstruction efforts. You can see the dedication text at the bottom of the memorial."

Hawk followed Ada's pointing finger.

Sure enough, there it was.

A so-called liability disclaimer.

It was carved in tiny, almost invisible letters at the very bottom.

Hawk chuckled and shook his head. He glanced at the nervous aide. "Relax. I'm not going to get mad just because you built a stone monument."

Ada's face went stiff. For a moment, he felt like Hawk could see right through him, uncovering every secret the government had hidden.

But he quickly pulled himself together.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Freedom of speech, right?" Hawk waved a hand, smiling. "This is the land of the free. I respect that. More importantly, talk is cheap. It doesn't actually hurt anyone. As long as you aren't talking trash directly to my face, I generally don't care. Hell, I'll even forgive you once."

Ada relaxed.

But as soon as Hawk spoke again, all the color left his face.

"But my mercy only extends exactly once. And you people have already used yours up. If there is a next time, I won't hesitate to erase this entire planet."

Hawk's voice was light, almost conversational, but his eyes were completely devoid of warmth as he stared at the aide. "So, Mr. Ada… you guys wouldn't be stupid enough to try something again, would you?"

Ada shuddered. Under Hawk's piercing gaze, he reflexively shook his head and waved his hands. "No! Of course not! That's completely impossible. We would never do such a thing."

They say lying is a basic skill for any politician. The real test is how well you can do it when the pressure is on.

Clearly, Ada wasn't cut out for the top tier.

Even though he kept a straight face and steady voice, his denial was clumsy. Any decent politician would have seen right through it.

Hawk wasn't a politician, but he didn't have to be. With his cosmic senses, he could see the panic pouring out of Ada's mind.

Hawk didn't say anything. He just gave a quiet chuckle.

"Is that right? Well, that's a shame."

"To be honest, I really don't like your planet."

"But my wife told me that even though I'm not a good guy, I should try to be a kind one."

"So, as much as I dislike this place, I won't go out of my way to destroy it."

"But if you hand me a valid excuse? Believe me. Before I leave, I will burn this planet to ash without a second thought."

"Gulp."

With Hawk smiling at him, Ada swallowed hard. He struggled to steady his racing heart. Trying to keep his voice even, he said, "Please rest assured, Mr. Phoenix. No one will disturb you or your family before you depart."

Hawk laughed.

"That's a shame."

"…"

Ada decided it was best to stay quiet. Luckily for him, the President's motorcade arrived at the base gates just then.

As engines grew louder, Hawk looked toward the approaching vehicles.

Ada used the distraction to quietly reach back and touch his shirt.

He was soaked with cold sweat.

Hawk's offhand threats had left him terrified.

It was true. This man was more than a threat—he was like a walking apocalypse. If they missed this chance to stop him, they would all end up dead anyway.

But instead of making Ada want to quit the Sentinel project, the fear only made him more determined. Now he was sure they had to act first.

'Strike first, or face the consequences.' Ada steadied himself, fixed his expression, and quickly moved to greet the President's motorcade as it stopped nearby.

As Ada hurried off, Wanda's voice sounded in Hawk's mind.

[I finally get what you meant about the humans here being spoiled.]

[How so?]

[You threatened him right to his face, almost daring them to act. Instead of backing off, he just wants to kill you even more.]

In their home universe, or on Earth-616, this kind of reckless stubbornness would never happen. Those governments were corrupt, but not stupid. When faced with real power, they knew when to give in.

But in this universe, the federal government really was as Hawk described—spoiled, corrupt, and stubbornly foolish.

[That's exactly why I said I hate this world,] Hawk answered in his mind.

——————————

While they spoke telepathically, Hawk watched President Turner get out of his armored SUV. Turner forced a polite smile and almost jogged the last few steps to Hawk, reaching out his right hand.

Turner seemed very enthusiastic and spoke in a humble tone.

"Mr. Phoenix! It is an absolute pleasure to see you again."

"Hello." Hawk gave a faint smile and shook the President's hand for a moment. He raised an eyebrow, pretending to forget. "Oh, right. What was your name again?"

Turner felt a jolt of panic, but he kept smiling.

"PLEASE, MR. PHOENIX, JUST CALL ME TURNER."

"Alright, Turner."

"May I have the honor of calling you Hawk?"

"No."

Hawk refused right away. He kept smiling as Turner's carefully controlled expression finally slipped, his face stiffening at the blunt rejection. "Only my friends call me by my first name. Tell me, Turner. Are we friends?"

Turner didn't even hesitate.

"Of course."

"Are we?"

"I sincerely wish to be your friend, Mr. Phoenix. And I am more than prepared to prove it."

"No," Hawk said with a short laugh, ending the conversation. "You can keep calling me Phoenix."

'Damn it. I'm the President of the United States!' Turner forgot for a moment how he had gotten the job, and anger boiled inside him. He was the Commander-in-Chief, the most powerful man in the free world.

Yet Hawk was treating him like he was just an annoying intern.

How could he not be furious? To him, Hawk's disrespect was more than a personal insult—it was an insult to the whole country.

It was unforgivable!!

Right then, Turner felt deeply grateful he had approved the Sentinel Program.

If Hawk left, that was fine. But if he stayed and kept living in America, he would spend his life defying the government's authority.

So—

They had to find a way to control him.

Turner's mind raced, but unlike Ada, he kept his political mask perfectly in place. His face and breathing stayed calm. "Very well, Mr. Phoenix. Regardless, thank you for coming to help us today."

Hawk smiled.

"Don't mention it. So, did you come all the way out here just to say thank you?"

"Actually, there is one more thing." Turner kept his warm smile. "I heard you might be leaving our world soon?"

Hawk put his hands in his pockets and stared at the President.

"And?"

"Please don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Phoenix." Turner raised his hands in a friendly gesture, his smile growing. "If you're open to it, I'd like to invite you to dinner. Honestly, I've wanted to ask for two years, but I didn't want to bother you. Now that you're here in Quantico, it would be an honor to host you."

He paused and added, "If coming into the city is too much, we can have dinner right here at the Quantico base. Afterward, I'll have a private jet take you, your wife, and your daughter straight back to New York."

They had finally gotten Hawk to leave his fortress. The Sentinel's mimicry program was still being set up. Turner was determined not to let Hawk get away now.

It was a huge risk.

But politics was always a risk.

And if Turner won? He was sure that capturing the Demon King and learning the secret of multiversal travel would guarantee his re-election.

Even more important,

Multiversal travel.

Maybe—

Just maybe, it held the secret to Immortality!

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