"I'm glad you agreed to this conversation, Solomon."
Agent Coulson sat on a wooden bench common to small taverns scattered around Oxford. He wore a worn suit and looked utterly exhausted—deep wrinkles under his gentle eyes made it seem as though he had aged significantly in recent times. He wasn't alone on the bench. Solomon sat across from him, expressionless. Coulson slid a burrito across the table—the tavern's signature dish. Solomon took it, scanning the area.
Coulson had not come alone. His team was stationed inside a nearby jeep, ready to act. Solomon didn't need to read their exposed, defenseless minds to guess their thoughts. Coulson had likely insisted on a solo meeting, but to them, Solomon was the most dangerous possible threat. A cocktail of fear and hatred clung to the air like mist. Solomon could feel it, and he knew another person was lurking nearby. Coulson gave no orders, continuing as if unaware.
"How long has it been since we've talked like this? Years, surely?"
"Is there a point to this question? I'll hand Jiaying over to you. She's of no more use to me." Solomon bit into the burrito without a trace of concern for whatever tricks may have been laced into it.
"Fine. I heard Captain America approached you?"
"I'm not doing this because anyone persuaded me, Agent Coulson. Jiaying has outlived her intelligence value, and—surprisingly—what little sympathy I possess is still functioning." The sorcerer smirked. "Perhaps you should've brought Skye to sit beside me, to hear my reasons. I'm not cruel—I'll give her an explanation. Don't worry. She can't hurt me."
But I'm worried you'll hurt her, Coulson thought. He hesitated but said nothing.
"I won't harm her. I promise." Solomon responded to the unspoken fear in Coulson's eyes. He wasn't using mind-reading spells—he didn't need to. An average human mind was an open book. "No matter what accusations she hurls, I won't be offended. You're lucky you caught me during a break—otherwise I wouldn't have spared you the time. I've got far more pressing concerns than a teenager's tantrum."
"You're twenty. You do realize Skye's older than you, right?"
"I'm talking psychological age. I'm quite lenient with minors."
"That's the second time you've insulted her," Coulson sighed.
Before long, the young hacker appeared from around the corner. Skye, wearing a sleek black outfit, stormed toward them. Her pistol was missing—Coulson had ordered her to leave it in the car. It wouldn't have made a difference anyway. Her cheeks were rounder than before; her Asian heritage made her look more delicate than most Westerners. Right now, she was glaring daggers at Solomon.
"What did you do to her—"
"Before you accuse me, I have a question for you," Solomon interrupted, pointing at the empty space beside him in invitation. She glanced at Coulson, then reluctantly obeyed. Compared to the tall sorcerer, she looked like a delicate porcelain doll. "Just one question—one that lies at the heart of the conflict between reason and emotion."
His voice was magnetic, drawing her in despite her hostility. She couldn't help but listen—whether it was a spell or not.
"If someone's actions are guaranteed to lead to the deaths of many, do you have the resolve to kill them? And if that person is your family, could you still go through with it?"
Skye hesitated. Coulson quickly assured them that Jiaying would be handled properly and that the threat of the Inhumans' "Afterlife" community would be neutralized. Agent Melinda May, hidden in the nearby jeep, whispered through Skye's earpiece, urging her to be cautious of Solomon's tricks. The conversation was being monitored, but Solomon heard everything. He rolled his eyes slightly.
"Let me answer first." Ignoring the commentary, Solomon continued, "I was taught from a young age that we don't have the right to let others die because of our momentary compassion. You can't measure life in numbers, but one death is better than two, and two better than three. We may have no right to judge who should die, but we have an obligation to minimize loss. If Jiaying's continued existence means hundreds, even thousands, will die—do you have the resolve to end her life?"
"When you call yourselves the final shield of humanity, did you ever think about the burden that title carries? This isn't some TV drama where pretty people solve everything with a romantic subplot. We must choose between life and death. There's no middle ground."
"I..." Skye hesitated. "If it's true, and she's responsible... I'll do it. I'll kill her."
"See? It's not so complicated." Solomon nodded. "No matter what's happened, it's not too late if you decide now."
"Is this a prophecy? Is that why you're handing her over now—to fulfill it?" Coulson was quick to connect the dots. "What exactly did Jiaying do that's worth all this maneuvering?"
Skye, too, asked the kind of question one wouldn't expect from a rookie. Her desperation revealed her inexperience in subtle interrogation. Normally, she'd be accusing Solomon, not trying to dissect his motives. Clearly, they had prepared this line of questioning before meeting him.
"If I tell you, you'll hate me for it. No matter how I hint, your indecision won't change. So I won't say another word." Solomon snapped his fingers, summoning a server. "Onion rings, fried calamari, and a cold beer."
"Believe it or not, I haven't eaten a thing today!" he said, biting into the food, then added with a mocking tone, "Because villains like me supposedly can't eat until they've tortured civilians and fed on their screams. Isn't that how they described me to you? Just another fairy tale monster for your little head to demonize?"
"I can't fathom your stupidity, Skye. You need to read more books. I don't even understand how you people define evil anymore. And May—don't even get me started on her. The last time she claimed she was fighting for democracy, I almost died laughing. Do you know what kind of background her parents must've had to get her cleared by SHIELD?"
"Back when Fury ran things, SHIELD at least didn't push ideology in your face. But in your hands? It's become a cesspool of pathetic incompetents—rotten fish and shrimp—useless nuisances that do nothing but get in the way."
He took a deep breath to calm his anger. Turning to Skye, who looked utterly shaken, he smiled. "But you know what they got right? This morning, I did kill someone—with my own hands. I cut off his head with a sword. He was once one of mine. He betrayed me. There are no prisons in the Eternal City. No forgiveness for betrayal."
"Now, doesn't that sound exactly like what a villain would do?"
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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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