"You have three minutes." Captain Rogers watched as Vision and Thor walked out one after another, then gave orders to the others. Although there was still unease in everyone's hearts, the situation was urgent, and they could only take it one step at a time. Fortunately, the Avengers' equipment stored in another room had not been affected by the previous battle. They were able to replenish supplies and change into fresh uniforms.
"You should know what Solomon would do if he found out Stark had created another AI." Wanda Maximoff deliberately paused while selecting equipment to speak to Steve Rogers. "If he decides to take action, no matter what he chooses, I'll stand with him. I've heard about the Infinity Stones, and I know Solomon possesses one of the six."
"I know." Captain Rogers felt a headache coming on. He knew Solomon didn't care about the difference between Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.—to him, both represented the ruling class of secular society. But he had still managed to reach an agreement with Solomon, having him inform the Avengers about any newly emerged sorcerers—or rather, Hydra's sorcerers—so they wouldn't be caught off guard. He hoped Solomon would understand the kind of harm a Hydra sorcerer could bring. He hoped Solomon would place more importance on the order of the secular world rather than the laws of the magical world.
More importantly, he hoped Solomon wouldn't destroy Vision. The Avengers still needed that AI.
Once the twins had boarded the aircraft, Tony Stark approached Captain Rogers. In the Avengers, everyone turned to him with things they found hard to talk about—even Tony Stark was no exception. "Even if there's only one Iron Man left standing, we've already lost," Stark said. "This is going to be a brutal fight."
"I didn't have plans for tomorrow night anyway," the Captain shrugged.
"I had plans for tomorrow night." Seeing that more time would be wasted at headquarters, Agent Victoria Hand couldn't help but complain. She was starting to regret not breaking off from Coulson's team and acting ahead of time with Commander Gonzales to strike against the Inhumans. That had been an order from Solomon as well, but with lower priority than this mission. She hated intelligence missions with unclear parameters—Immortal City's intel-gathering capabilities were nowhere near S.H.I.E.L.D.'s. No matter how advanced the technology, it couldn't make up for the lack of personnel. Even though she did her best to recruit agents, she couldn't operate as openly as S.H.I.E.L.D., recruiting college students and soldiers and filling their heads with lofty ideals straight out of school.
"Nick Fury's order has been completed. Our engineering team is gradually withdrawing from the S.H.I.E.L.D. base." Stephanie paid no mind to the intelligence chief's irritation, informing everyone of the mission's progress in the calmest tone possible. With a few gestures of her gloved fingers, she brought up a video, some images, and a model incomprehensible to everyone else. Then she pulled out a signed parchment from a pile of documents delivered by an official from the Department of the Interior. In the dim room, the only source of light was the holographic projection table. Apart from the model just pulled up by Stephanie, it displayed work statuses on three helicarriers and sky battleships, the intel department's task list, rescue plan equipment, combat team rosters, ammunition stockpiles, ship repair statuses, fuel levels, and progress on classified projects others had no clearance to access—just a pile of garbled code to them.
As the Sisterhood's representative, Ola also participated in the meeting. As Solomon's personal assistant in Immortal City, she had the authority to be present.
"Our intel personnel and Zero of the Royal Guards transmitted data that was decoded by the intel department, resulting in this footage." Stephanie said. "Our scientific director, Shuri, has built a rough 3D model of the mechanical device shown in the video and, based on the intel, deduced its probable function. Don't be too hard on her—she's extremely busy. Nick Fury's order is no joke, and we didn't anticipate he'd repair that helicarrier and just leave it there. This shows we've been negligent in plundering S.H.I.E.L.D.'s legacy. Fury has far too many secret bases."
"Finally, some progress." Agent Hand yawned. "No need to look at me like that—before this, even I didn't know where the first helicarrier was."
"Perhaps it's an anti-gravity engine—crude, but effective," Ola commented as she read the model annotations. "Powered by vibranium, as long as the mass is large enough."
"Yes, and the tech does originate from Stark Industries. But that's not all." Stephanie nodded. She handed the parchment to Agent Hand, filled with Princess Shuri's analysis and proposed countermeasures. "In fact, Zero of the Royal Guards discovered many technologies on those robots that haven't even been implemented in the current Stark Iron Legion. Our prior suspicions have been confirmed: Ultron possesses all of Stark Industries' technology, including those that were only theoretical. We should relay this to the Sisterhood and special ops teams."
"Of course, but where is Solomon?" Victoria Hand asked. "He should be here commanding, or with the assault team."
"If the monarch doesn't tell you what he's doing, then it means you don't need to know." Ola glanced at the intel chief. Clearly, this department head was trying to expand her authority. Agent Hand waved her off and kept reading the report by the dim light. She said, "The solution Shuri proposed is nearly impossible with our current engineering capabilities in Immortal City. We can't just roll construction machines into Sokovia and start digging! Maybe we should tell her what kind of suggestions we actually need—something actionable, not fantasy. We need tactical guidance."
"I believe Commander Tita can handle that." Ola said. "We are not mere mortals. When our Lord created us, He granted us many talents that surpass ordinary humans. Without them, we wouldn't have been able to achieve so many feats of alchemy."
"Then send Zero of the Royal Guards to destroy the core of that anti-gravity device!" Agent Hand could no longer hold back her frustration. She slapped the alloy table hard. "We have to do something! Or are you all just going to wait for a meteor bigger than the one that killed the dinosaurs to fall from the sky?"
Ola glanced at Stephanie, and the Interior Department chief gave a small nod. They were among the few who knew the true scale of the mission. They understood Solomon's goals and were determined to carry out his orders.
"Zero's surgery hasn't been completed. Until then, our Lord will not permit him to take such a risk." Stephanie said in an exceedingly gentle voice. "Besides, he's only nine years old. Do you really want to send a nine-year-old boy to his death, Agent Hand?"
"Then what can we do?" Victoria Hand sighed.
"Wait. Wait for the sky battleships to reach Sokovia." Ola said. "Once they arrive, we can deploy combat teams to the ground and begin evacuation procedures."
"What about the local government?"
"There's only a provisional government—they're useless, and they know nothing." Stephanie replied. "Keep your faith in our Lord. He has never let us down. He will never allow an extinction-level event to happen, because Kamar-Taj will not allow it. We've already done everything we can. The intel department is working full-force to analyze Ultron's weaknesses. For now, let's wait and see how Tita progresses!"
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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