Chapter 4

Two months later, in the basement.

"287, 288, 289... 300."

Hawking, wearing a tank top, clenched his teeth as he completed his 300th? push-up before struggling to his feet and plopping down on the ground.

"Indeed, the body of a Saiyan is incredibly resilient."

His body was around the age of eleven or twelve, not yet in middle school under normal circumstances. If it were anyone else using his training method these past few days, they would likely have exhausted themselves beyond recovery, possibly even experiencing muscle dissolution.

But every time he trained until completely drained, all it took was a good meal and sleep, and by the next morning, he was fully recharged and felt stronger.

In just two months, his strength had become comparable to that of an average adult male.

He now understood the joy of fitness enthusiasts obsessed with training—it was akin to leveling up in a video game, which brought a significant sense of achievement.

When one realizes they are improving every day, it can become addictive.

"The economy is still a bit of an issue, though."

Sokovia was in the midst of rebuilding, and Oleg and Irena had found decent jobs.

Normally, supporting three children wouldn't be a problem, but the appetite of a Saiyan was enormous.

If Hawking truly ate as much as he wanted, Oleg and Irena's salaries would not suffice to feed him alone.

At the World Martial Arts Tournament, Master Roshi's first-place prize money of 500,000 was almost entirely consumed by Goku in one meal, costing 480,000.

This was why his current training intensity was still not at its maximum.

He considered using the Goku template to earn some quick cash illicitly. With Goku's strength, making some money on the side in the still unstable Sokovia wouldn't be difficult, and it would also accumulate some justice points by fighting crime.

But after some thought, he decided against it. He recalled that Sokovia was also home to a Hydra base, led by Baron Strucker, who had a penchant for studying individuals with special abilities. 

Rash actions could expose him and also endanger Wanda's family.

If he could maintain Goku's form indefinitely, he could single-handedly take down a Hydra base, as their strength likely didn't match the Red Ribbon Army.

However, he could only sustain Goku's form for an hour, after which he'd be extremely weakened.

Even though this side effect was diminishing as his own strength grew, it was still dangerous.

More critically, transforming into Goku affected his personality, preventing him from handling situations as rationally as he could now—he became too kind, too just, and too eager to fight.

So he thought it best not to rush. It was only the year 2000; there were still ten years until Iron Man would appear.

He decided to bide his time until his own powers were sufficiently developed to start focusing on earning money and accumulating justice points.

After resting for a while, Hawking pulled out his tail hidden around his waist and started training it by curling up a chair. The tail was a Saiyan's weakness; if grabbed, it could render him powerless, so it was crucial to strengthen it.

"Hawking, Hawking, come out quick, the moon is so full tonight, let's go watch it from the second-floor balcony!"

As he was diligently training his tail, Wanda and Pietro peeked through the door crack, excitedly calling him.

Hawking stiffened for a moment, then turned around and smiled, "You go ahead, I don't like looking at the moon."

Joking aside, he couldn't risk exposing his Saiyan bloodline under the full moon—that would truly stir up Sokovia.

And the last thing he needed was global news coverage of a King Kong-esque rampage through Sokovia, followed by various organizations hunting him down.

With twelve full moons a year, he had to be cautious each time, until he could control his transformations or maintain his sanity while transformed.

"Okay!"

Disappointed by Hawking's response, Wanda and Pietro's faces fell.

In their eyes, Hawking was a mature and dependable big brother, always taking good care of them, so they wanted to involve him in everything.

Plus, with their parents working late daily, they were often bored.

"How about this: after you watch the moon, come down to the kitchen on the first floor, and I'll make you something," Hawking offered, seeing their dejected expressions.

Having had to fend for himself from a young age due to his difficult family circumstances, he was proficient in cooking.

Though no gourmet chef, he could handle everyday meals quite well.

It felt awkward for him to just eat and not contribute, so he had taken on the responsibility of preparing all meals and managing the household chores, considering it part of his training.

Indeed, this aligned with the Turtle School philosophy that everyday labor was a form of training.

The Western palate differed from other countries, but he adjusted his cooking accordingly.

Wanda and Pietro loved his tomato and egg noodles, especially the sweet kind.

And mastering Western dishes was straightforward enough.

"Oh, that's awesome!"

Hearing about the food, the children immediately perked up, high-fiving and nodding in excitement.

In their eyes, big brother Hawking was simply amazing—capable of cooking delicious meals and sharing endless stories and knowledge, always protecting them like an adult.

"Hawking, this is a comic my dad gave me; I've already read it, you can borrow it," Pietro said as he and his sister were leaving, handing over a comic book as if presenting a treasure.

"Thank you," Hawking said, ruffling the slightly shorter Pietro's hair as he took the comic.

Though not particularly interested in comics, he accepted it to avoid hurting the child's feelings.

"And this is mine; it's my absolute favorite DVD, 'The Dick Van Dyke Show,' the first season. I'm giving it to you," Wanda added, not to be outdone, handing over her beloved DVD.

"Thank you," Hawking responded, similarly ruffling Wanda's hair.

After the children left, he set aside the comic and DVD, planning to wash up and head to the kitchen.

However, as he was about to go upstairs after getting dressed, he glanced at the comic's cover and his expression changed abruptly.

"What's this?"

The comic's cover depicted a woman wielding a shield battling a man with a red skull, prominently titled, "Captain Carter vs. Red Skull."

"Captain Carter vs. Red Skull? Shouldn't it be Captain America?"

He quickly flipped through the comic, murmuring to himself, "Could it be that I've crossed into Universe 838?"

(End of Chapter)