Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1013, Part 1009: Maria Hill's Warning (First Update)

"Captain Rogers." A cool voice rang out in the hall. Accompanied by the clatter of high heels on the tiled floor, Maria Hill's footsteps were as forceful as her personality, making it hard not to suspect that she had actually nailed steel plates to the soles of her shoes. Even after working together for many years, Steve Rogers still found it difficult to get used to Maria Hill's icy tone once she was in work mode. Although he knew that Agent Hill was actually very humane, the responsibilities she carried prevented her from relaxing.

Steve had to stop in the lobby and wait for Maria Hill to come into the light.

Many of the ceiling lights were off, leaving just enough illumination for the Avengers living in the base to reach their quarters. The agents working for the Avengers lived in a residential area near the base, about a 30-minute drive away, on Stark family land.

Steve Rogers glanced at Agent Hill's attire. "I remember you were supposed to be in Washington today for questioning."

"Ha, it's the same old story. Congress doesn't care what I say. If those in power don't remind others of their power, then that power doesn't exist. That's why bureaucracy exists in this world." Agent Maria Hill waved her hand, her icy expression softening slightly. She wore a dark blue sleeveless, form-fitting dress, the fabric clean and crisp, adorned only with a silver brooch. Even her long, dark hair was tightly tied back, and her high heels were quite ordinary. This outfit was perfect for routine hearings; she dressed almost identically every time she went to Washington, but her tall figure made it quite alluring. Sometimes, after returning from Washington, she would tell the Avengers about the fools she encountered at the White House who tried to woo her—a frequent topic of conversation at the Avengers' evening gatherings.

“I got back early today.” She held up what she was carrying, and it was only then that Steve Rogers noticed that besides her handbag, she was also holding a FedEx box. “The recipient is you, and it’s been checked and there are no security risks.” She didn’t immediately hand the box to Rogers, “but the problem is, the sending date and address… I didn’t know you had friends in the Vatican, Captain.”

"What?"

"Looks like you don't know much about this package either." Maria Hill moved closer and pointed to a military crate that Steve Rogers was carrying. "What about this? There can't be two anonymous packages in one day!"

"Agent Hill, this isn't S.H.I.E.L.D.," Steve Rogers said, his voice carrying a hint of warning.

"Sorry, it's just a professional habit." Maria Hill coughed twice and handed over the FedEx package. "A Latin Bible personally signed by the current Pope. Whoever sent you this must be on good terms with you, or the Vatican is planning some kind of event. I don't think you'll become the Vatican's Captain, will you?"

"Of course not." He chuckled at the joke. "I'm not fighting for God."

"I think so too. The White House sees Captain America as American property, something even God can't take away. If God dared to do that, those idiots in the White House might even wage war against Heaven." Maria Hill nodded calmly. "If possible, keep an eye on Pietro's training. He's been a bit distracted lately and keeps making mistakes. Goodnight, Captain Rogers, I imagine you must be very tired today."

Steve Rogers walked back to his room, deep in thought, carefully placed the heavy armory case aside, and then sat down abruptly on the bed. The armory case contained the shield provided to him by the Immortal City; he hadn't participated in training today precisely to master its use as quickly as possible.

Although he was already aware of the pressure the Avengers faced, he wasn't planning to don the new shield so quickly. He intended to wait until he led the Avengers through their transformation before publicly donning the equipment. However, Maria Hill's subtext made him very uneasy. Perhaps he had been accidentally photographed while fighting the New Nazis. If Agent Hill had inherited Nick Fury's intelligence network, she might already know what he was doing in Eastern Europe—the existence of the Immortal City in Eastern Europe wasn't a secret, although many countries' intelligence agencies didn't know where it came from. Others might not know, but Nick Fury certainly did, and Agent Hill might know as well.

Given Salomon's immense destructive power and the fact that he spends most of his time maintaining a facade of "keeping to himself at Oxford University and rarely interfering in matters outside of magic," this dangerous individual would have long been on the wanted list. Salomon is an extremely terrifying threat to any ruler; he has no weaknesses, is single-minded, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. If he wants to kill someone, even the world's richest person couldn't avoid death by spending a fortune, and life is the only thing that wealthy tycoons value.

Agent Hill's advice came at the right time, and could even be described as sincere.

Captain America is an American asset. If Captain America does something morally right but not in the interests of the White House, then even Captain America, who represents the American spirit, could be convicted of treason. This is entirely possible. During the Hydra rebellion, all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were indiscriminately labeled as Hydra agents by the White House, except for Captain America, who escaped charges due to his immense popularity. While there is an element of political struggle involved, it also reveals the true nature of S.H.I.E.L.D.: a political tool—public opinion is meaningless. Steve Rogers recalled what Salomon had told him long ago. As long as there is no threat to their lives or property, public opinion can be manipulated at will. After all, not everyone possesses the ability to think independently, and elections further demonstrate that this is a farce for entertaining the masses. Social media can make the Avengers beloved, and it can also turn them into pariahs overnight. The truth is irrelevant; what matters is the expression. This is why the Silicon Valley upstarts who control social media and the Jewish news media in the traditional news industry always have political biases.

Even if Captain America went to Eastern Europe to fight the new Nazis, the media could portray it as the complete opposite. This would mean that, aside from whether they could convince Tony Stark, the Avengers' public transformation would face significant obstacles, and could even lead to a complete split – a scenario Steve Rogers didn't want to see.

He temporarily put aside his chaotic thoughts and picked up the FedEx box that had fallen to the ground, opening it. He had initially thought Agent Maria Hill's claim of a "Latin Bible personally signed by the current Pope" was a joke, but it turned out to be true. After opening the cover, a postcard fell out, and Steve Rogers picked it up and found a sentence written on the back.

This is a keepsake worth treasuring, and I will come back to collect it eventually.

"Oh, Salomon." Steve Rogers sighed, completely baffled by Salomon's intentions. After much thought, he could only attribute it to the sorcerer's astonishing prophetic abilities. He tossed the Bible onto the bedside table, left the room alone, and decided to go to the bar to find something to ponder the future of the Avengers.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)