Godfather Owl: Guardian of Batman [63]

The true nature of the hatred between Hawkeye and Red Skull was something he never spoke of.

The Avengers’ annihilation years ago was still shrouded in mystery, a secret Hawkeye seemed unwilling to reveal.

Now, as they were already halfway to New Utopia, their journey was going smoothly—until they encountered a bit of trouble.

A T-Rex, over ten meters long, was now in relentless pursuit of the Spider-Tank. Hawkeye floored the gas pedal, but the beast stayed hot on their trail.

Could this be one of Kingpin’s hunters?

It didn’t seem likely. Bruce was inclined to believe they’d simply stumbled upon a wild T-Rex.

“I’ve been meaning to ask…”

Bruce, seated in the back, kept glancing over his shoulder at the dinosaur. “Where did these dinosaurs even come from?!”

Just because America was now a wasteland didn’t explain why dinosaurs, extinct for millions of years, were suddenly roaming about.

“What, you got something against dinosaurs?”

Kathoom twisted his head around, joining Bruce in watching the T-Rex behind them. “Technically speaking, I am a dinosaur!”

After all, birds were the descendants of dinosaurs.

As they argued, the T-Rex behind them began to change.

A black substance, like crude oil, started spreading across its body, covering it entirely in a matter of seconds as if it were alive.

“A symbiote!” Kathoom immediately recognized the black ooze.

At the same time, Hawkeye realized why they’d been targeted.

“So that’s it,” he muttered. “Years ago, I burned a whole horde of symbiotes. Looks like I missed a few.”

Though Hawkeye had not yet processed his grief over his daughter, he knew now was not the time to mourn—there were more pressing matters at hand.

He buried his sorrow deep down, appearing as calm as ever.

Unless, of course, he came face to face with his daughter’s killer.

Logan, hearing Hawkeye’s explanation, couldn’t help but curse. “Damn it! So it’s your fault we’re being chased!”

“Fine, I apologize.”

Hawkeye replied casually, “But right now, this isn’t about blame. Escaping is what matters!”

Logan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

Really? You’re lecturing us about blame? No one else is being blamed here, it’s all on you!

The tank roared ahead, but the symbiote T-Rex kept closing in, inching nearer and nearer.

Hawkeye suddenly turned his head to Logan. “Logan, it’s been a pleasure traveling with you. Right now, we’ve only got one option left. It might just get us out of this, but… it’ll require a bit of a sacrifice from you.”

“Shut your mouth!”

Logan cut him off with a growl, refusing to listen further.

He had a good idea what Hawkeye’s “brilliant plan” was.

It was probably to let the T-Rex eat Logan, allowing him to use his healing factor to regenerate inside the creature’s stomach and burst out from within.

“Let me be perfectly clear—don’t even think about it!”

Just imagining the scenario made Logan feel queasy.

No way was he going through with it, even if it was just a T-Rex.

Hawkeye let out a whistle. “Well, then, it seems we’re out of luck. At least I’ll have the honor of dying alongside you all. Too bad for Bruce, though—he’s just a kid.”

Bruce frowned.

From Hawkeye’s tone, he heard no sense of urgency. It was as if the problem had already been solved.

Could Hawkeye have some kind of backup plan?

Thinking this, Bruce’s hand paused, halfway to drawing his wand.

Sure enough, just as they rounded a corner, a figure appeared on the road ahead.

He stood before them, clad in a black suit and wrapped in a billowing cloak, exuding a presence that reminded Bruce of Batman. It was as if Hawkeye had anticipated this—he steered the tank to swerve past the man, narrowly avoiding him.

As they passed, Hawkeye raised two fingers to his temple in a salute.

“I leave it to you, Black Bolt!”

Black Bolt?

Bruce heard the name but hadn’t yet pieced it together. Meanwhile, Kathoom leaned in close, whispering provocatively in his ear.

“What gall! You only call yourself Batman, but he dares call himself Black Bolt? He’s obviously trying to one-up you. Aren’t you mad?”

What kind of nonsense was that?

Bruce tuned out Kathoom’s rambling.

The tank had already passed Black Bolt, who now stood in the T-Rex’s path.

Black Bolt looked up, calmly addressing the dinosaur, “You shall not pass.”

BOOM!

In an instant, a massive shockwave exploded forth. The symbiote tore into pieces, and the colossal T-Rex burst apart in a spray of blood and gore.

A rain of blood fell from the sky, with Black Bolt standing amidst it all, like a grim reaper emerging from Hell.

“Well done, Black Bolt!”

Kathoom cawed excitedly. “You’re way better than that bat! I’ve been your fan for fifty years!”

Bruce clamped a hand over Kathoom’s beak, feeling his patience fray.

—

Bruce and the others followed Black Bolt into a building—so well hidden it almost blended entirely into the wasteland around it.

Inside, a beautiful woman in a white bodysuit, exuding a seductive aura, sat at the head of the hall.

“Emma!”

Hawkeye called out, a note of enthusiasm in his voice as he addressed her by name.

Logan, however, scowled, an unmistakable look of disdain in his eyes.

Emma Frost—the White Queen, a mutant with telepathic powers and the ability to turn her body into diamond.

Emma ignored Hawkeye, instead greeting Logan with a nod.

Logan cast an unkind eye over her, taking her in with an obvious lack of respect. “Fifty years, and you haven’t aged a day?”

“Telepathy, Logan.”

The White Queen responded with a faint smile, “I let others see only what I want them to see.”

Of course, she’d aged.

But she used her telepathy to make sure everyone saw her as she once had been—in her prime beauty.

Everyone, that is, except Kathoom.

Not only that, but Kathoom—never one to let things be—produced Magneto’s helmet from beneath his feathers and popped it onto Bruce’s head.

In an instant, Bruce had a moment straight out of The Shining; he watched as the stunning young woman transformed into a shriveled, heavily made-up old hag.

Bruce struggled to keep a straight face.

Meanwhile, the White Queen continued her conversation with Logan and Hawkeye, seemingly oblivious. “So, what exactly brings you across my territory?”

“We’re just passing through,”

Logan answered flatly. “We’ll be out of here soon.”

In Logan’s eyes, Emma Frost remained the vision of beauty she projected.

With a glance at Hawkeye, Emma’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “So, Clint, you still haven’t given up on that ridiculous notion?”

“You still want to steal Galactus’ head from Red Skull?”

Suddenly, Kathoom sat up straight on Bruce’s shoulder.

What was that?

He couldn’t have heard her right.

The Invincible Devourer of Worlds… dead again?