Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1047, Section 1043: Room Service (First Update)

"Looks like he's confused by his external thinking module," Hammurabi said, pointing to his head. He'd never been a fan of those with external thinking modules installed; after all, for the Praetorian Guard, whose brains far surpassed those of humans, such a method was utterly superfluous. "Overall, this method of enhancement is far less expensive than genetic alchemy. It seems My Lord intends to pursue both mechanical and genetic evolution simultaneously. While I'm not against mechanical implants, if it results in a mess of the brain like this unfortunate brat's, I think preserving one's current brain is a better option. I'll get the pilots ready; the scheduled attack time is fast approaching. Hopefully, their thinking enhancement modules haven't malfunctioned. If the Lord asks why we're a step behind, I'll just throw the pilots out of the cargo hold."

The signing ceremony of the Sokovia Accords comprised only a small part of the proceedings at the conference held at the Vienna International Centre. The main purpose of the 117 national representatives was to announce legislation restricting augmented beings and their organizations. Although a total of 117 countries participated in the conference, the work of drafting the legislation had been underway for several years, negotiated by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. The Sokovia Accords were a comprehensive agreement presented by the UN Security Council for revision by other countries. The agreement targets not only the Avengers, but also all augmented beings, organizations, and individuals with significant individual combat capabilities, who will henceforth be required to sign it.

The agreement includes, but is not limited to, restrictions on entry and exit, reporting of operations, acceptance of UN Security Council command, and participation in peacekeeping forces. While these reasons seem quite legitimate on the surface, Steve Rogers' judgment was correct—and this was the result of Salomon's guidance—the White House intended to wait until the Avengers signed the agreement before sending them to Afghanistan or to the Balkans to teach Latvia a lesson for attacking the carrier strike group, thus boosting the Democratic presidential candidate's counterterrorism agenda.

Whether the five permanent members of the UN Security Council would veto the resolution was not a concern for the White House. White House officials believed that by offering some concessions or lifting certain sanctions, they could persuade the member states that initially intended to veto it to approve it. Mycroft Holmes provided this information; as Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, he was heavily involved in drafting the Sokovia Accords. While largely agreeing with the Cabinet and the Prime Minister's ideas, his staff presented the British Empire's perspective on the Sokovia Accords, many of which aligned with those of other countries and were therefore incorporated into the agreement.

However, Mycroft Holmes can assure you that the Prime Minister and cabinet members only have a general understanding of the Sokovia Agreement, since the document is placed at the very bottom of the red box—a common trick used by British civil servants in the past to hide documents they didn't want politicians to see at the bottom of their small red briefcases. When politicians did see the document, they were either too tired to read it carefully and would just skim over it, or they were overwhelmed by the next day's meetings and paperwork and completely forgot about it. With the advancement of technology, politicians have also learned to look at the documents at the bottom of the red box first.

Although this tactic is less common now, the power struggle between civil servants and political appointees has never stopped. Politicians don't know where civil servants keep their most important documents, so they still use this phrase when referring to documents they don't want politicians to see—the current Prime Minister, David William Donald Cameron, is about to resign due to the Brexit referendum. His successor, Theresa May, is more focused on the Brexit process and cabinet reshuffling than on the complex UN Security Council agreements. Initially, the Foreign Office kept track of the progress, but as certain clauses were repeatedly discussed, the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister gradually lost patience and eventually stopped paying attention.

Natasha Romanov put down her suitcase in a deluxe room at the Melia Hotel, the closest hotel to the international center, intending to change her clothes and head to the meeting early; her black mourning attire was inappropriate for such an international occasion. She ultimately didn't stay at the reception, but she also didn't eat the food from the private jet, as she discovered upon inspection that the bread was expired. The private jet had left on its own after dropping her off in Vienna; the Ministry of Defense was only responsible for taking her to Vienna to sign the agreement, not for returning her to London. She was certain that another sum of money had been embezzled, but she didn't care about that now. Trying to suppress her growing agitation, she thoroughly checked the room to ensure there were no listening or surveillance devices, then decided to change her clothes and find somewhere to eat.

The hotel's restaurant, number 57, didn't offer service during this time, so she had to find her own way. She had just changed into a business suit when the doorbell rang. "I didn't book room service."

Instead of opening the knocked door, she took out her small handgun. However, the door, locked from the inside, slowly opened, and a very familiar face peeked out from behind it, seemingly squeezing through the crack. Although the appearance had changed drastically, she could still recognize the person in the suit with his short black hair combed back in a mature style.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve booked room service,” Salomon winked playfully. His striped red and black tie was embroidered with laurel leaves in gold thread, and a perfectly positioned golden falcon-shaped lapel pin soared, its exquisitely carved claws gripping the laurel leaves and radiating sunbeams. This understated yet opulent accessory served as a subtle hint of his status, though the average person, unfamiliar with much of history and mythology, would hardly grasp its meaning. Nevertheless, it was enough to make him stand out among the assembled government officials in their serious business suits. “Would you like some grilled meat, madam? I bet you’re starving. I got it from a barbecue place a block away; the locals rave about it.”

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in Latvia? Remember to make an appointment next time you visit, unless you want me to shoot a hole in your head for this kind of behavior." Natasha Romanov put down her pistol and said irritably, "You've certainly made a big fuss. Now the whole world knows about the US carrier strike group. If CIA agents were here, they might shoot you. Or do you want me to do it for you?" Judging from her expression, this option was extremely appealing.

"Don't worry, they can't hurt me yet. I arrived in Vienna a while ago and am currently staying in the presidential suite on the 14th floor. The room even has a jacuzzi. I suggest you relax after you finish eating; it's impolite to attend a meeting smelling of food." Salomon walked in carrying a plate and closed the door behind him. "After all, this is the signing ceremony for an agreement among all enhanced beings worldwide, so I have to come and see. I'm sure the contents of the agreement will be very interesting, especially the King of Wakanda's speech."

"I'm sure no one will mind the smoky smell on me, and it's hardly polite to barge into someone's room like that. But thank you for your concern anyway; I am indeed very hungry, and the food on the private jet was terrible." Natasha took the still-hot ceramic plate, on which were slices of smoked beef brisket with bright pink smoke rings. According to the accompanying bill, this meal had been purchased several hours earlier, yet the cut pieces of roasted meat remained at the perfect temperature, as juicy and tender as if they had just finished their resting process. Natasha didn't pay attention to this strange phenomenon; she was already familiar with the odd things that always happened around Salomon. Although she didn't know how to stay away, it was clear that this food had been preserved magically.

"Since you had the ability to get here early, why didn't you go to the funeral?" She sat on the sofa with a plate in her hand, squeezed the accompanying small bottle of barbecue sauce onto the edge of the plate, and then picked up her utensils, ready to fill her stomach as quickly as possible. "I always thought you valued interpersonal relationships much more than international affairs."

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(End of this chapter)