MARVEL'S MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

The next day, as the early morning fog lingered, a faint light crept through the windows.

"Hmm... something feels off..."

Derick furrowed his brows and slowly opened his eyes. Looking down, he noticed a slight bulge in the blanket, rising and falling with soft breaths.

"Baby, are you up to something sneaky this early in the morning?"

Natasha peeked her head out from under the covers, giving him a playful smirk. "Hani, you're awake? I thought you'd sleep in a bit longer. Oh, by the way, Coulson messaged me—he said you asked him to buy the car parked outside. Consider this your reward ~ Now lie back and relax. I have to get to work soon~"

Watson sank back into bed with a satisfied murmur. "The legendary perfect morning..."

Afterward, the two washed up, had breakfast, and spent some time together before heading to the door.

When Watson stepped outside, two Chevrolet Corvette C7s were parked in front of the house—one black, one silver.

Leaning against the doorway, he watched as Natasha approached the cars. "Baby, I forgot to mention—since we don't have to run the shop anymore, I'm thinking of remodeling the downstairs space. Want to help design it?"

Natasha tilted her head, thinking for a moment before replying, "Of course~ I'll come up with a good plan today and let you know~" She then stepped forward, kissed him lightly, and got into the black Corvette before driving away.

As Watson watched her leave, something clicked in his memory. He turned back inside, threw on a hoodie, and then walked toward Aunt Liya's house.

Would she still be asleep at this hour?

Click—

Watson quietly pushed open the door and glanced inside. The living room was still dark.

"Braised Egg~ You here~?"

A sleek, shadowy figure suddenly leaped down from the second floor, landing soundlessly.

Without hesitation, the black cat, Braised Egg, jumped straight into Watson's arms.

Rubbing the cat's head with a grin, Watson whispered, "Hey buddy, did you miss me that much?"

Before he could continue, he heard approaching footsteps.

"Snoring~ Meow~"

"Who's there?" Uncle Polk's voice rang out from the staircase. He was holding a civilian M16 rifle.

"It's me, Uncle Polk. Sorry for waking you..." Watson said, looking up.

Polk lowered his gun and sighed. "Oh, it's you, kid. Your Aunt Liya's still asleep. I heard Braised Egg meowing and thought it was hungry. Figured I'd get it something to eat. But this little guy's smart—it even knows how to use the litter box properly."

Watson chuckled. Polk's instincts were still sharp from his military days.

And… was Uncle Polk officially a "cat dad" now?

"Alright, Uncle Polk, go back to bed. I'll take Braised Egg out for a walk."

"Be careful out there."

"I will, don't worry." With that, Watson headed outside, the cat perched comfortably in his arms.

The streets were quieter than Watson remembered. Last time he walked through here, it was lively. Now, only a few early office workers were out and about.

Before long, he reached the familiar ice cream shop—but it wasn't open yet.

As he strolled toward the Manhattan Bridge, Watson glanced down at Braised Egg. "Hungry, buddy?"

"Meow… Goo~" The cat touched its belly with a paw, giving him a pitiful look.

"Alright, let's see if there's a breakfast shop around… Oh, wait."

Watson suddenly remembered he had fully cooked meat in his backpack.

As soon as he pulled it out, Braised Egg reached for it with eager claws.

"Hold on, man, leave some for me too." Watson chuckled, taking out a hunter's short knife he hadn't used in a while. He sliced off a big piece for Braised Egg and put the rest back in his bag.

As they continued walking, Watson picked up the pace, the energy from the meat already kicking in.

A sign caught his attention.

Queens, New York City.

Queens?

Wasn't this where Spider-Man was from?

At this point in time, was he still just a scrawny kid?

Since he was here anyway, Watson figured he might as well check it out. He pulled out his phone and opened navigation.

After a short walk, he arrived.

Forest Hills.

One of New York's most livable neighborhoods.

The place was quiet—almost too quiet.

Standing at the entrance to the community, Watson adjusted Braised Egg in his arms and, feeling a bit bored, pulled out another piece of fully cooked meat for a bite.

"I'm not giving you more."

"Alright, alright, just one more bite."

SCREECH—

A yellow school bus pulled up at the community entrance. Kids with backpacks began filing out of their homes.

"Peter, you didn't eat breakfast!"

"I'm not hungry, Aunt May. Fine, I'll take it to school with me, okay?"

There he was—Peter Parker.

Watson quickly tucked the meat back into his bag.

Holding a chunk of meat and gnawing on it in public? Not exactly the best image… even if he wasn't actually a caveman.

Just then, Peter looked in Watson's direction—and froze.

His eyes widened in shock.

"Wow! Aunt May… it's him! It's the Flame Knight!"

"Peter, the school bus is leaving soon. Get on before you're late."

Even as he climbed aboard, Peter waved excitedly toward Watson. Watson grinned and waved back.

Little Peter was pretty adorable.

As Peter took his seat at the back of the bus, he turned to look at Watson through the window.

Watson put a finger to his lips and made a "hush" gesture.

Alright, the little Spidey had seen him. Maybe next time, he'd swing by Hell's Kitchen to see if Daredevil was around.

Just as Watson was about to leave, he felt someone approaching from behind. His instincts flared up—whoever it was, they were coming straight for him.

Turning around, he found himself face-to-face with Aunt May.

"Excuse me," she said hesitantly, "are you… really the Flame Knight from TV?"

Watson hadn't expected her to recognize him. Well, at least his public image wasn't bad.

Smiling warmly, he replied, "That's me. But my name's Watson. Just call me that. Honestly, 'Flame Knight' sounds a bit childish to me." He gestured toward the cat. "And this little guy is Braised Egg."

"Hello, Braised Egg~" Aunt May said with a smile. Then she hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Have you eaten breakfast yet? If you don't mind, I have some Swiss meat rolls… Would you like to try one?"