Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1038, Chapter 1034: Naples and the Mediterranean War Zone (Second Update)

She was eager to know the current situation at the naval base in Naples, Italy. There was only one Sky Battleship in the Mediterranean theater, and although there were five Fortress-type combat robots there, the number of genetically modified warriors assigned there was also minimal.

The mission in the Mediterranean theater was not destruction, but capture and seizure. Before the controlled nuclear fusion power plant was fully assembled, Latvia needed to use ships from the Mediterranean Fleet to exchange for oil and gas supplies from Russia. This was a deal already reached with the Russian fleet, and its political implications far outweighed its military ones.

The most heavily armed Sky Destroyers were deployed to the Arctic theater, where Commander Tita of the Sisterhood led the Battle Sisters in combat against the fortress-type combat robots. The Sovereign made no secret of his fondness for the suspiciously beautiful girls of the Sisterhood; they didn't need to land on the ships to fight, they only needed to launch missiles.

Victoria Hand still couldn't figure out where those girls came from. With ample missile support, the Arctic theater required minimal manpower, yet the Sisterhood still brought a significant fighting force. Victoria Hand believed that with such overwhelming firepower, the mission in the Arctic theater might end even faster than here.

According to the intelligence she received, her monarch seemed to be attacking the American naval base alone on horseback. She didn't know what kind of horse in the world could carry a giant in power armor, except for the white Pegasus that appeared during the Battle of New York. Too many incredible things happened to monarchs; a horse wasn't particularly unusual, and charging at main battle tanks on horseback with a lance was even less so.

"Ms. Hand," Constantine's voice came through the encrypted communication, "it's over."

"it's over?"

“Yes.” Constantine looked down at the captain, who was hiding in the ship’s hold. A large-caliber explosive gun was pointed at the captain’s head, and the air was thick with the smells of propellant, chainsaw blade fumes, and burning debris. They had been extremely careful during the operation to avoid triggering ammunition explosions. “Execute the disengagement and loading plans.” He gestured to the genetically modified soldiers to plant remote-controlled bombs. The hangar and the 85 carrier-based aircraft on the deck were all spoils of this operation, but Constantine had no intention of moving these weapons. “We have obtained enough prisoners and data; now it’s time to scuttle the ship.”

Compared to the Arctic and Atlantic theaters, Salomon's task in charge of the Mediterranean theater was much easier. Each theater employed different tactics, and the Mediterranean theater demanded higher individual combat capabilities from its soldiers. Therefore, he would personally lead raids, but before that, he needed to personally capture his own spoils and disrupt the enemy's command chain.

Victoria Hand's battle report was accurate; he had indeed charged into the Naples naval support facility on Pegasus. This US military base, located south of Naples International Airport, was extremely well-equipped. While its primary function was to provide administrative support and logistical support to NATO military units in the Mediterranean region, the naval base occupied only a small portion of the southern part of the area. It was more like a two-story office facility than a military base, even less luxurious than the Naples Naval Hotel, which connected to a laundromat and chapel. Moreover, the general hospital, convenience store, housing service center, housing repair/allocation office, and KFC on the east side of the facility resembled an office space far more than a naval base.

Although reluctant, Salomon had to strike this location first due to its intelligence network before targeting the Mediterranean Fleet. Based on prior investigations, Salomon was now waiting for Vice Admiral Frank Craig Pandoff to enter the facility—whether due to prior allegiance or not, Vice Admiral Hale showed no mercy in betraying his colleagues. Commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, Frank Craig Pandoff, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1980 and earned a Ph.D. in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. Pandoff commanded the USS Mitchell (DDG-57) from 1999 to 2001, during which time the ship received three commendations. He later participated in the Afghan War and, before becoming commander of the Sixth Fleet, served in the Office of Naval Operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House. He also had close ties with a Republican-affiliated company and planned to join it through a "revolving door" after his retirement.

Due to Latvia's sudden rise to power, the retiring vice admiral was forced to travel to Naples, Italy, to attend a conference. The conference was initiated by none other than Vice Admiral Hale, who, by feigning lateness, inadvertently avoided the attack. She advocated a hardline policy towards Latvia, concentrating the Mediterranean Fleet for a strategic bombing campaign against Latvia, similar to the bombing of Yugoslavia. The first part of this proposal was adopted, while the second part was temporarily shelved because the CIA had not yet assessed Latvia's equipment capabilities. Behind this proposal were the decisions of Gideon Malik of the Foreign Relations Committee and the staff of the Immortal City War Council. Malik persuaded Democratic senators, using these connections to advocate the importance of strengthening control over Southeast Europe to the retiring president and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

There is actually an even more important reason: many companies in Southeast Europe, including Hungary, are controlled by wealthy foreigners, and many of these companies have shares held by European and American politicians. Many of these politicians' descendants serve as nominal executives in these companies, accepting bribes on behalf of their families. Furthermore, many of these nominal executives have connections with politicians within the country and to liberal political parties. Latvian assassinations and intelligence capabilities have fundamentally cut off the financial lifelines of many politicians.

As expected, the Democrats took the bait, perfectly concentrating the Mediterranean Fleet through the Strait of Gibraltar, preparing for a military strike. This had nothing to do with values; the sole reason was money. This was a lesson capital learned after the Templars were killed—no matter how powerful capital is, it cannot contend with a monarch who holds military power. To grow and expand, one must become the uncrowned king who controls the army. The White House's decision perfectly aligned with the interests of the Immortal City. The Immortal City needed the Mediterranean, Atlantic, and Arctic Fleets concentrated; only in this way could it annihilate the US Sixth Fleet in a short time. An impregnable fortress can only be breached from within. Relying on a financial offensive and Hydra spies, the Immortal City's strategic decisions were always faster than the White House's, and could even, to some extent, influence the White House's decisions.

Salomon first ordered some food at a barbecue restaurant called "BRP Cafè," a five-minute drive from the naval base. Using illusion magic, no one noticed that he was actually three meters tall and wearing gleaming, luxurious power armor. He even chatted happily with the waiter at the bar while waiting for his food. During his meal, he continuously used his data tablet to receive images from a drone flying overhead—a golden eagle with ruby ​​eyes, constructed of gears, motors, and ivory, containing a wealth of cutting-edge technology. It was an upgraded version of the silver dove Salomon had given to Father Moru. This mechanical eagle was extremely agile in flight, like a real bird of prey. In fact, it was a mechanical eagle equipped with low-level intelligence. Salomon had digitized and upgraded the soul of a real eagle through magic and technology. This meant that this mechanical eagle, like an ordinary bird of prey, enjoyed hunting small animals and even preened its gilded alloy feathers. Aside from not being able to actually eat, it was no different from a normal living being.

He looked up and winked at the camera in the upper left corner of the bar.

This was also the last piece of intelligence regarding the attack on the Naples naval base that Natasha Romanov gave to Steve Rogers. Although television reports were filled with news of fires on US Navy carrier strike groups, Steve Rogers knew that the so-called "fires" were actually sinkings. From the Arctic Ocean to the Mediterranean, the US Navy suffered its worst losses since World War II—two hours after three carrier strike groups simultaneously lost contact, the US Navy's operations office finally deployed satellites for reconnaissance. After confirming that the losses were irreparable, the information was finally submitted after numerous delays. Three carrier strike groups, each with a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier as its flagship, were completely destroyed. Part of the Mediterranean carrier strike group was completely missing, with no wreckage found on the seabed. Meanwhile, the Russian Black Sea Fleet suddenly made new moves, and the situation in the Mediterranean suddenly became tense.

All of this is related to the person in the video who is chatting happily with the waiter.

"I took the surveillance footage. No one but us knows he was ever near the naval base," Natasha Romanov said, pursing her lips. While it wasn't a difficult task, her ordeal was far from simple. Aside from shaking off the Ministry of Defense's informants and boarding a Quinjet to Italy, she also found a letter addressed to her in a rarely opened computer case while taking the hard drive containing the surveillance footage. The letter was written by Salomon, who seemed to have foreseen her actions.

However, she did not tell anyone else about it.

More than a day has passed since the US carrier strike group was attacked by an unknown force, and Secretary of State Ross and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter have not yet had time to urge the Avengers to sign an agreement. Even so, Steve Rogers remains distracted. First, Crossbones Rumlow revealed Bucky's situation, then Peggy Carter's critical condition notice; his mind was completely occupied by these two, leaving him little time to think about the Sokovia Accords.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)