Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 101 Declaring War on the Gods?

"What a pity," Salomon said with utter sarcasm. "I thought a god who had fallen to earth would be enough to tempt you to mobilize military forces to capture him."

Nick Fury wasn't that naive. Salomon had already explained Thor's status in Asgard and Odin's long lifespan, which was enough to illustrate many of Asgard's problems. However, Nick Fury also mentioned internal Asgardian issues, such as whether anyone would oppose Odin—Salomon mocked Nick Fury, the king of spies, for being blinded by the foolish rhetoric of American freedom and democracy. He argued that the existence of an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D. was the biggest violation of human rights by the United States, because in this world, might makes right, and this was especially true in Asgard.

In fact, when Salomon first mentioned the struggle for the throne, Nick Fury was somewhat tempted, because Thor was destined to be the next King of Asgard. If S.H.I.E.L.D., or rather the United Nations, could provide assistance, then perhaps Earth could make contact with extraterrestrial forces through Asgard, and its technological level could take off from there.

Nick Fury, however, remained calm. The struggle for the throne was the bloodiest of all, a spectacle that had unfolded countless times throughout human history. Even Salomon couldn't guarantee Thor's survival. If S.H.I.E.L.D. made the wrong bet, it could mean total defeat, potentially even implicating humanity.

Harming Thor is absolutely out of the question; there are too many variables involved, and he has already foreseen all sorts of unforeseen consequences. He is the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., not a politician in the White House who would say anything for votes. As an agent, he wouldn't blindly make enemies; caution is paramount.

Even if the World Security Council finds out about this, he can gloss over it. Even if the five people sitting in those seats are all idiots, they'll know what to do.

Therefore, Nick Fury intended to remain neutral in this incident, hoping to gain some benefits if possible. And those benefits he envisioned were now right in front of Salomon; some of the blood samples were Thor's, but unfortunately, he was destined to miss out.

Nick Fury also understood Salomon's subtext. The sorcerer's repeated mention of Carol Danvers was a reminder that the sorcerer knew his trump cards, or rather, most of them. He didn't need to pretend to be ignorant in front of him; proper communication was the key.

“I’m not an idiot,” Nick Fury said. “Besides, I think you and I are on the same page—keeping all that trouble out of the world. Otherwise, how do you explain your location being in Old Bridge? Tracking a phone call isn’t as complicated as you think.”

"You were absolutely right," Salomon scoffed. He did indeed harbor ill will towards the Aesir pantheon, whose bloodline was more akin to that of evil than gods. He and Nick Fury were testing each other while simultaneously getting to know one another. Though the analogy was somewhat disgusting, they exchanged more text messages than lovers in the throes of passion, and Nick Fury's predictions of Salomon's inner thoughts were far more profound than even those of the Sorcerer Supreme.

Nick Fury knew Salomon's attitude towards all non-human beings, and Salomon also knew Nick Fury's protection of human safety. The two were quite similar in their methods and philosophies, and Salomon also had some goodwill towards Nick Fury—not goodwill towards certain characters, but because Salomon knew that Nick Fury was someone who would truly give everything for the safety of the Earth.

Although S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Nick Fury, tends to favor the United States in many matters, Salomon believes that once S.H.I.E.L.D. is destroyed, Nick Fury will know what he should be fighting for. At that time, if Salomon has deciphered all the documents related to the Brotherhood of the Shield, he will pass that information on to Nick Fury. It's better to leave real-world threats to ordinary people; Kamar-Taj can focus on threats from the magical world.

"So, tell me, what's the situation in Asgard now?" Nick Fury asked. "Who's in charge? Odin?"

"It's Loki," Salomon said, examining the blood sample. "Odin's adopted son, second in line to the throne of Asgard. Don't believe too much in myths; I've already been burned once."

"What is Loki's attitude towards Earth?"

"He is a god."

"Okay, I understand." Nick Fury thought for a moment and roughly understood Salomon's meaning—gods don't care what people think. He continued, "So, what will Thor encounter on Earth? Is that Asgardian you mentioned who might threaten Thor... Loki? As you said, they are contenders for the throne."

"Yes." Salomon omitted some details—things Nick Fury shouldn't know, and things he was too lazy to say—"If Loki caused Thor's death, then it has nothing to do with Earth. As for Thor's fate—he probably learned how to be a prudent king."

"What does Thor think of Earthlings?"

"How bad can a guy be who can stay in a Viking longhouse, enduring the stench of animal dung and drinking mead?"

"Alright, tell me, will Loki's plot against Thor harm humanity?" Nick Fury said. "I don't think a god cares about the mortals beneath his feet, and I don't want ordinary people to be injured or killed because of the petty squabbles between gods. I know you, Salomon, and I believe we can agree on this."

"If I were you, I'd be mobilizing the army right now," Salomon said. "While the US often tests nuclear weapons in the New Mexico desert, not this time, because Thor is now a mortal. You can try every military force except nuclear weapons—isn't that what you want? A comparison of military strength between humans and aliens?"

"Does that mean we've gotten involved in the Asgardian conflict? What if we lose?" Nick Fury seemed to sense a veiled meaning from Salomon, as if this was yet another warning. What did he know? The Phase Two plan? Or the Avengers plan?

But now is not the time to explore these things.

"Loki won't care, and neither will Odin, because humanity's military strength is negligible compared to Asgard's weapons. Besides, Kamar-Taj is the only government on Earth. We can just claim you were a rebel force that has already been wiped out and we'll get away with it."

Salomon stuffed the blood sample he found, along with ice, into a sealed bag, then wrapped the bag with foam before putting it into his dimensional bag. He then took several bottles of alcohol from the medicine cabinet and poured them into the clogged sink.

He said, "If the situation gets out of control, Kamar-Taj, as the ruler, will naturally step in to save the day. Even though Asgard is the overlord, it cannot act recklessly on Earth. Humans are not the Vanir gods who have completely submitted to Asgard."

Salomon meant that S.H.I.E.L.D. could freely test Asgard's military strength because Kamar-Taj was the true ruler of Earth, and in the eyes of the Asgardians, S.H.I.E.L.D. was no different from a street robber—a single robber couldn't represent a nation. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D.'s operation failed, the Sorcerer Supreme, as the Lord, could easily absolve himself of responsibility.

"I just hope you weren't just bragging when you said those things, Salomon." Nick Fury was swayed by the sorcerer's suggestion. Through this operation, he could demonstrate alien technological prowess to the World Security Council, facilitating his own plans, while also testing the power gap between humanity and other planets in the universe. It could even be argued that this operation could promote cooperation between nations—a win-win situation.

He said with utmost seriousness, "Now, tell me, where is Thor? I will find him, and then I will take care of everything."

"Now? I don't know, probably having lunch," Salomon said with a smile. Nick Fury had finally fallen into his trap. He had placed his bet under Salomon's inducement because the offer Salomon made was something Nick Fury couldn't refuse. This was the perfect time for him to push forward with his "Phase Two" plan. Salomon's proposal was just right. Moreover, the soul worm incident in the streets of Amsterdam wasn't enough to make him take Kamar-Taj seriously. Only through this operation could Nick Fury indirectly depict Kamar-Taj's power through Asgard, especially the power of the Sorcerer Supreme who had secured autonomy under Asgardian rule.

Salomon was genuinely pleased by this behavior, and he said in a relaxed tone, "But it doesn't matter, he'll definitely head towards you."

Why?

"When have you ever seen the God of Hammers leave his hammer?" Salomon tossed a wisp of fire into the sink, the azure and orange flames dancing wildly on the water's surface. He then tossed in the medical records and the remaining blood sample, doing so to prevent S.H.I.E.L.D. from obtaining Thor's DNA through negligence. After doing this, he stepped out of the room and pressed the fire alarm. "Now, you can begin evacuating the crowd."

Nick Fury acted swiftly. In New Mexico, the U.S. military had at least three air bases, and with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s authority, he could order the fighter jets at those bases to stand by. This action naturally attracted the attention of his superior, Alexander Pierce. Nick Fury told him the truth, omitting Salomon's details and claiming that his intelligence sources had informed him of it.

Alexander Pierce narrowed his eyes, not out of surprise at hearing about a divine intervention, but because Nick Fury now possessed intelligence sources he was unfamiliar with. While this was bad, it wouldn't immediately disrupt his plans. However, Hydra's intelligence agents needed to investigate these sources thoroughly; they absolutely, positively couldn't allow Nick Fury to escape their control!

“I don’t know why characters from mythology would appear in reality,” Pierce said, “but I think you can handle this.”

"I have a foolproof plan." Due to the contract, Nick Fury couldn't explain too much to his former boss, "but I'll handle it."

"I believe in you," Pierce said. "I always have."

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(End of this chapter)