Used-by-Beauty Phone and Used-by-Beauty Laptop

It was nighttime.

On the rooftop of the new apartment.

After finishing his boxing, Hawk tugged at his shorts and sat directly on the ground, leaning against the ventilation duct behind him. He grabbed the cola beside him and took a big gulp.

Just then.

Hawk seemed to remember something, put the cola aside, and opened his right palm.

He looked.

The mark on his palm, which Gwen had previously described as resembling new skin, had now completely disappeared.

After he awakened his Cosmo, his strength, speed, and physique – these three basic qualities had completely transcended the mortal realm.

Without even burning his Cosmo.

His strength could easily shatter boulders, destroy thick walls, and even bend steel.

His speed, if he willed it, could reach the speed of sound.

His physique was the same.

He could withstand the powerful impact and force that would instantly kill an ordinary person, even without the protection of his Cloth. And even if he were injured, his self-healing ability, far surpassing that of ordinary people, would allow him to recover from fatigue and minor injuries much faster.

The shard that had shot out of the high-speed centrifuge today was a prime example.

If he hadn't reacted instinctively, Gwen would have had no chance of survival against that shard. It was highly likely she would have been decapitated on the spot by the projectile.

But that wasn't the point.

The point was…

As Hawk replayed the scene of his subconscious reaction, he used his left hand to rub the spot on his right palm where he had felt the pain.

Just as he frowned, lost in thought, the phone beside him rang.

Hawk snapped back to attention, slightly startled, and looked at his phone, which had rung for the first time since he bought the SIM card.

He answered.

"Hello?"

"...Yes, it's me. You've arrived?"

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

He hung up the phone.

Hawk stood up from the ground, and with a whoosh, his figure disappeared from where he stood. When he reappeared, he was already by the fire escape. He then climbed through the window back into his new apartment, opened his backpack, and took out five hundred US dollars.

His computer had arrived.

Ten minutes later.

At the entrance of Bridge Park, across the street.

Hawk arrived at the park entrance, looked around at the deserted surroundings, took out his phone from his pocket, and dialed the only number in his call history.

Just then, the lights of a van parked not far away flashed.

Hawk instinctively looked towards the van.

The driver's door of the van opened, and an Asian woman with thick, long brown hair, who looked no older than her early twenties, stepped out. She waved her phone at Hawk.

Hawk raised an eyebrow at the Asian woman's appearance.

Skye?

Skye, standing beside her van-cum-RV, looked at Hawk as he approached. "Superman is no match for me?"

Hawk nodded. "That's right."

Hearing this, Skye didn't waste any words. She took out a laptop and handed it to Hawk. "It's just as we described during our chat this afternoon. Used for three years, nine out of ten new. I've reconfigured the system, so check it over, and pay me if everything's okay."

Hawk grunted and didn't say anything like "no need." He took the laptop.

After all, it was a significant purchase for five hundred dollars.

If he hadn't felt a bit embarrassed, he would have asked Gwen if she had any spare computers she could give him.

As he always said.

Boundaries were meant to be broken.

Although the phone he was using now was something Gwen had practically forced on him, he had accepted it.

But Hawk thought about it and felt that a man should maintain some dignity.

However…

He never expected that the seller he casually found in the second-hand market using the office computer that afternoon would turn out to be another well-known figure in the Marvel Universe.

Skye.

The future Quake.

As Hawk mused inwardly, he checked the used-by-beauty laptop Skye was selling. After confirming that it could boot up and run some pre-installed programs, he closed the laptop and took out the five hundred US dollars he had prepared from his pocket, handing it over.

Skye took the five Franklin bills and also gave them a once-over.

A moment later.

Skye put away the five hundred dollars and reached out to Hawk, smiling as she said, "Pleasure doing business with you."

Hawk switched the laptop to his left hand and offered his right: "Pleasure doing business with you."

No pleasantries.

Just business.

After the transaction was complete, Skye said nothing more, got into her van, and drove away.

Hawk, back in his new apartment, placed the used-by-beauty laptop he bought from Skye on the folding table, setting aside the used-by-beauty phone Gwen had given him.

Hmm.

Comparing them, Gwen was better.

Wait, what was he thinking?

Hawk frowned again, shaking off the stray thoughts before connecting the laptop he bought from Skye to the phone hotspot Gwen had given him.

Next.

Quantico.

Hawk directly opened the satellite map website and pinpointed Quantico's coordinates.

Although some more classified buildings and objects were hidden on the satellite map.

It didn't matter.

With just one glance, Hawk spotted a dilapidated building surrounded by sheet metal on the satellite map.

He spent half an hour confirming that this building was indeed Dr. Bruce Banner's laboratory in Quantico at the time.

The internet was very developed nowadays, especially after the Original Avengers were exposed, not to mention Bruce Banner himself had been exposed once in '09.

So...

Information about Bruce Banner's life, why he became the Hulk, and when he became the Hulk was all available online.

At the same time, gossip about Bruce Banner and Betty Ross's past relationship had also been leaked.

But this wasn't Hawk's main focus.

In his new apartment, Hawk rested his chin on one hand, his other hand sliding across the laptop's touchpad. He looked at the introduction and satellite map of the Quantico military base on the screen, his gaze falling on the targeted abandoned laboratory, his expression thoughtful.

He felt like he might have to break his own bottom line ahead of schedule.

There was no other way.

He was broke, and even if he had money, Quantico probably wouldn't sell him the Gamma Stone.

But he wanted the Gamma Stone.

After all, it was related to the Cloth.

So there was only one path before him.

If you won't give it to me, then I'll have to take it.

But...

Stealing the Gamma Stone from Quantico was different from stealing Vibranium from Wakanda.

Let's put it this way.

If he stole Vibranium from Wakanda, it wouldn't matter even if it was exposed. It would be like automatically matching teammates if he dared to start a fight. The whole world wouldn't come after him; they'd come after Wakanda. Without a doubt, the five major powers would force Wakanda to hand over the Vibranium, or at the very least, agree to UN troops stationed there.

So Hawk didn't care about Wakanda at all.

But stealing from Quantico was different.

However...

The Gamma Stone.

I must have it.

Hawk's eyes flickered as he looked at the satellite map of Quantico on the computer screen.