If the Supreme Sorcerer bound Solomon with a sense of duty and responsibility, then Bayonetta used the chain called family. Though this chain was slender, under Athena's guidance it served the same purpose as the iron track named responsibility. She took off her high-heeled leather shoes and gently rubbed Solomon's calf with her foot—she knew she had to control the degree. Just inducing a slight sense of guilt in Solomon, the man she had raised and trained since childhood, would be enough to make him handle everything himself, allowing her to experience an even fiercer love. She had done this more than once, and each time had yielded the best results.
"But this time, you brought us here, darling." Sure enough, the witch saw guilt on Solomon's face, and the thoughts she touched conveyed the same sentiment. For spellcasters, sharing thoughts was an extremely intimate act; their mental tendrils intertwined, as intimately as ever. The witch picked up her wine glass, attempting to use the dark red liquid to block Solomon's gaze, preventing him from seeing the involuntary curve of her lips. It was useless, of course—her emotions had already been transmitted to Solomon through their spiritual connection, and the swaying inverted-triangle sapphire earrings betrayed her smile. She squinted her eyes with delight at the corners, "I hope there's a next time."
"I promise you, Bayonetta." Their relationship was not built on mutual charity, but on a transformation from surveillance and murder into competition—neither was more noble than the other. But in Solomon's eyes, he had indeed neglected the witch during this time, nearly abandoning his duties. Feeling that work had encroached upon his family life, the arcane sorcerer swore to Bayonetta; the seduction from the black-haired witch was also a key reason he had quickly surrendered. Jeanne widened her eyes, finding the development of events surprisingly smooth. Then she leaned back, shifting her gaze from the elegantly moon-white tablecloth to under the table. Her eyes widened again, but this time not in surprise, but in anger. She tried to use her calf to push away Bayonetta's high heel, then stepped hard on the smooth leather surface of Solomon's shoe.
Witches always managed to engage in amusing and childish disputes over trivial matters, including this contest beneath the dinner table.
Whether it was Bayonetta dragging a sleepy, lazy Jeanne out of bed, or Jeanne stomping hard on the floor to make noise when Bayonetta and Solomon were enjoying intimacy, or Bayonetta forgetting to salt the fried eggs, or even when they shared ice cream, these silly quarrels always happened—as if they were still little girls waving their respective cat plushies at each other. Jeanne naturally joined the entangled thoughts, but sharing emotions made her cheeks flush red, something she probably didn't even realize. For a witch with pale skin and pearl-white hair, such outward expressions of emotion were as vivid as the lipstick she wore. Coupled with witches' typically bold choices in makeup colors, it made her appear excessively beautiful. She felt the muscles hidden beneath her clothes tense up, her blood nearly boiling. Her elegant and graceful way of holding the wine glass instantly turned into a violent grip, her fingers nearly crushing the glass stem.
"Bring another." Without a change in expression, Solomon raised his finger, then gently pried open Jeanne's stiff fingers one by one, leaving the fragile glass—so delicate it could be shattered with a breath—for the confused waiter. He made a sealing gesture toward the waiter's lips. To that end, he planned to tip an extra hundred dollars to prevent the waiter from spreading gossip.
"Let's enjoy the meal properly." Bayonetta smiled and winked, and Solomon could feel her foot rubbing against his calf. "Don't go bending the fork too, alright?"
"Today is your lucky day." Kaecilius's voice woke Tony Stark. He groggily threw off the blanket and got up from the floor, seeing Steve Rogers already standing before the tempered glass, locking eyes with the relaxed and cheerful Kaecilius. He had heard Rogers pacing the night before—very likely he hadn't slept at all. The arcane sorcerer had said that the test results would be out this morning, which would determine how many of those agents survived. Steve Rogers, tormented by inner conflict, couldn't sleep at all. As for Tony Stark, he had never seen the carnage on the helipad, never seen agents blown into pieces by explosives, nor did he know any of them personally, so he wasn't under much psychological stress.
"Good morning?"
"You should say, good evening." The sorcerer raised an eyebrow. "We're on a time difference run, so technically it's still night."
"What's so lucky about it, Kaecilius?" Stark stretched lazily. "How many survived?"
"Your agents were tested after those in the City of Immortality. Only two agents showed mild contamination. With reprogramming and life reconstruction, they'll be fine. That's how the City of Immortality solves such problems. As long as they don't go insane on the spot, recovery is easy." Kaecilius smiled as he looked at Rogers' stiff expression. "A simple math problem. If only two agents were mildly contaminated, then the others weren't severely affected. Which means, no one will die."
To Steve Rogers, every word from the sorcerer felt like a knife repeatedly stabbing into his heart. Tony Stark glanced at Rogers's expression and quickly changed the subject. "So this is our lucky day?" he asked. "No murders today?"
"Today you'll witness the order Solomon spreads, which is why I call it your lucky day," Kaecilius said. "We're now in Eastern Europe, executing a long-term mission for the City of Immortality. Tony Stark, I know about your connection with Epstein. I know it was in your youth, and that it was just for socializing, and that it was the former CEO of Stark Industries who was the real participant. But that doesn't mean you were unaware. When you gained power, did you ever think of saving those people? You say Afghanistan? Isn't that a mess created by the USA? Don't you know that in the eyes of Afghans, you're no different from the US military or the terrorists? Don't you know the devastation left behind every time you carried out military strikes there?"
Tony Stark's expression turned grim, while Rogers still didn't quite understand what was going on.
"The City of Immortality rescues those boys and girls, providing them with a quality educational environment. No tax-sheltering charitable foundations, no student loans, only the most direct kindness and the strictest discipline to ensure those children grow into useful people."
"Is this atonement?" Captain Rogers' voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from his throat.
"No. I just want you to see what others are doing while you're playing your vigilante games." Kaecilius snorted disdainfully. "Victoria just received word that a gang once wiped out by the City of Immortality is making a comeback and has acquired missiles they never had before from an arms dealer. In twenty minutes, a high-intensity war will erupt in Albania targeting that gang. The City of Immortality will deploy tanks, gunboats, and airborne carriers—an entire array of heavy firepower. The Sisterhood will be in charge of battlefield breakthroughs and hostage rescues. This is no longer about fighting crime. It's about dominion," he said. "I'm giving you a chance, Steve Rogers. Pick up your shield. You'll personally participate in the great endeavor of the City of Immortality, fighting for justice and reason. This is a cause that mortals like you can join. Solomon will not waste resources for nothing."
"What about me?" Tony Stark pointed at himself. "Don't I get a chance?"
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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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