"You've already died once," Nick Fury said, looking at Steve Rogers and Tony Stark crammed together in a single cell, tossing out his usual shock tactic first. Stark smirked dismissively, but Rogers locked his gaze onto Fury's one remaining eye.
"Agent Hand decided to let you out," the former S.H.I.E.L.D. director said gleefully. "Be grateful you didn't get yourselves killed after meddling in a magical incident!"
"I knew he wouldn't keep us locked up for long," Stark said, smiling. "Everything here's fine—except there's no place to shower. The spaghetti is terrible, but at least the wine isn't bad. One correction, Nick Fury: I almost did die! They broke my spine and then repaired it! Do you know how much it hurts when a spine heals?"
"Then you should be grateful you still have a spine, Stark. I've seen mages casually take someone's head off."
"Tell me, what deal did you make with Solomon?" Steve Rogers slammed his fist against the reinforced glass wall of the cell. He wasn't as cheerful as Stark. "Whose lives did you bargain away this time?"
"The agents you brought," Fury said flatly. "The ones you protected from machine gun fire. You might want to reflect a bit, Rogers. Who was it that insisted on getting involved in this? Captain Rogers, you exposed those agents to magical contamination. You led them to their deaths. Kamar-Taj merely followed its rules. Tony Stark, you're no better—Steve got dragged into this mess because he tried to rescue you! I hope losing two Quinjet squadrons and dozens of agents will make you understand that your vigilante games can cause far greater disasters. If it weren't for Solomon and Victoria Hand showing restraint, you wouldn't even want to know what your fate would be right now!"
"I don't call gunning down unarmed agents at point-blank range 'restraint'!" Rogers retorted angrily.
"Do you even realize what Solomon did? I'm not talking about the one who broke my spine—that guy was actually decent," Stark said, leaping off the bench to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rogers. "I mean Solomon Damonet! He illegally detained a superpowered woman—an enhanced individual! And he intended to interrogate her illegally, using extremely cruel methods! Also, I haven't even called you out yet, Nick Fury—you lied to us! You never told us Agent Coulson was still alive!"
"Jiaying's involvement ties directly to a critical secret about an alien invasion," Fury said coldly. "You have no idea how important this is. I'll give you a glimpse—the invasion happened in the Stone Age. Humanity was used as genetic engineering material. This affects the genetic security of tens of millions of people today. Until we fully uncover the truth, there's a risk of disease, death, and people being taken as alien slaves.
Coulson was revived. His resurrection ties back to that alien invasion. The reason I kept it secret is obvious. I failed to uncover Hydra, but I prepared contingencies." Fury gave them a sharp look. "If you ask me, I support Solomon's methods—and if it were up to me, I'd be even crueler."
"That's the difference between us, Nick Fury. We are the Avengers, not S.H.I.E.L.D.," Rogers said firmly. "We don't abandon anyone."
Stark nodded in agreement.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. exists to maintain order and keep civilians away from the supernatural. You? You're constantly creating disasters, squandering innocent lives! There's no perfect world. We can't save everyone. But refusing to accept any sacrifices leads to even greater loss—that's why S.H.I.E.L.D. strives for minimal casualties, because someone has to do the dirty work!"
Fury's voice grew harsher as he jabbed a finger at Rogers. "After all you went through in the war, I can't believe you're still this naive, Rogers! Do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. is just some kill-crazy agency? You think the sacrifices agents make are somehow less noble than wartime deaths? In my view, you undervalue those agents' lives. Solomon respects them more than you do—because he refuses to let agents die for no reason! If Solomon were here, he'd probably start explaining the origins and dangers of anarchism. But I won't waste time. I want you to stay right here and watch—see how many of your agents survive. Don't forget whose fault it is that their lives were wasted!"
Silence hung heavily between them.
"What about Vision?" Stark asked finally. "I heard Vision came with us but got taken down!"
"Vision's doing fine. That robot finally met his match. The mages used the safest method to imprison him," Fury replied. "You ever see a bug trapped in amber? That's Vision now. You'll be out of here in ten minutes. Vision will be released later—they don't fully trust him. They'll personally escort him to Stark Tower."
"Friday has already activated the defense systems. They won't get in!" Stark said confidently.
"Trust me, they will," Fury said lazily. "Solomon can stroll into my office anytime. Other mages can slip into your 'secure' rooms just as easily."
Meanwhile, Solomon glanced at his phone and then continued signing documents. Agent Hand had finished her mission, but the prophecy he had received showed her work wasn't done yet.
The madwoman's prophecy, the Crawlers, the Worm Summoning Spell, the Secrets of the Worm—all the clues pieced together into an answer that made cold sweat run down Solomon's back. He recalled an ancient warning from a dream: a god awakening in the thirty-first century would impact the entire timeline.
The foolish vampires had merely been a distraction.
Regardless of the future, he still had to complete the paperwork to properly transfer the madwoman. Officer Carter patiently explained her phone number to the madwoman and made her repeat it.
"If anyone hurts you, find a phone and call this number, okay?" she said worriedly. "Promise me you'll remember."
"You really don't have to worry, Officer Carter," Solomon said with a sigh. "We even fattened her up by two kilos."
"With all due respect, you don't look like good guys. Or FBI agents."
"We're not—but also not not FBI. Even the Director can't outright deny it," Solomon said with a shrug. "I trust Mr. Finch has explained enough."
Bayonetta was delighted. She gave Sameen Shaw, who barely reached her chest, a huge hug. Solomon had to peel Shaw off because the woman clearly didn't want to leave his girlfriend's embrace. Shaw's eyes sparkled with admiration for Bayonetta's new look.
"I think you don't need to come after all, darling."
"And you need a new haircut, Solomon. You look way too British—like a total pussy!" Sameen Shaw bluntly pointed out. They shared similar high-bridged noses, part of why they were good friends. Shaw was a friend to both Solomon and the witches and had ties to Officer Carter too. Carter visibly relaxed when Shaw showed up.
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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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