Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1291 Bargaining (First Update)

If there were a better option, Stephanie Malik would never have chosen this seemingly delicate and fragile girl. Ruby's beliefs had always differed from those of people receiving universal education. For years, General Hale had constantly emphasized to Ruby how special she was and how she would one day become a great figure. Stephanie Malik knew that she herself had been like that in the past, but her father, Gideon Malik, was more concerned with the family's interests, clarifying both the power she would possess and the responsibilities she would bear.

General Hale had no family backing; her true identity was that of an adopted baby girl from Hydra. From a young age, she was exposed to the radical utilitarianism of Hydra, where stopping meant losing value, and losing value meant death. Now, this once worthless abandoned child had climbed to the pinnacle of American military power, but this insecurity still permeated General Hale's entire life. Therefore, her education of Ruby was based solely on the radical ideas taught by Dr. Whitehall.

In her mind, if she and Ruby lost their value, then the monstrous Malik family, the Lister family, and other lurking behemoths beneath the surface would devour them completely, leaving not even a trace of bones. For the sake of her only trustworthy daughter, she had to create a perfect environment for Ruby's survival. General Hale's thinking wasn't wrong; the vicious competition within Hydra was indeed extremely cruel, especially in the radical faction full of young and middle-aged men. Those in power allowed the environment of the strong preying on the weak to grow unchecked among their subordinates. As long as their own positions and interests weren't threatened, the lives of those at the bottom of the faction were actually irrelevant. Although the conservative Hydra faction was also fiercely competitive, they maintained a final line of defense and trust, because no one knew which family would prevail in the future, and maintaining this last tacit understanding was also for the survival of their own family.

Unless a powerful external force completely destroys all of Ruby's past beliefs, her ideas, limited by her environment and the constraints of human consciousness, will never change. Perhaps the Emperor also realized this, and he believed that a mere afternoon's conversation was insufficient to change Ruby's beliefs; otherwise, he wouldn't have dispatched the Royal Guard, known as "demigods" in Latvinia, to provide her with the confidence to act. In the superstitious coastal region of the Balkans, when the Royal Guard, clad in magnificent golden armor, appeared in a village that had interacted with extremists, apart from the young and middle-aged who were completely immersed in criminal groups, even the elderly who had no contact with the outside world would show a certain fear, longing, and worship towards the Royal Guard's appearance.

This is the true situation recorded in the observation archives, serving as material for the Guardian Order's psychological research.

Constantine had more than once endured the sight of elderly laborers, their hands, covered in dark, sparse nails and countless wrinkles, caressing his cloak and armor, and had tolerated the irritability and ignorance of those called "angels." After that, the Guards were able to learn from the elderly who remained in the villages how many strangers had recently visited and who they were connected to. Ruby, though not superstitious, was no better behaved than the peasant women untouched by the light of science when Stephanie Malik presented her with the exquisite pendant, declaring it a gift from the Emperor and a communicator.

The eldest daughter of the Malik family seized the opportunity to pat Amon's forearm armor (a position she could barely reach due to her height), signaling Amon to read out the Emperor's order at this moment. While Ruby was taking a bath, Stephanie Malik tried to persuade Amon to accept this approach. If they acted according to the Guard's plan, everyone in the base might die under the Guard's spear, and completing the mission would be out of the question.

While the guards were speaking, Ruby's body remained tense, but she no longer showed the panic she had shown before.

"Can you swear an oath to wield your blade against all traitors who betray the interests of the human race?"

"I swear," Ruby said firmly.

"What if the traitor is your mother?"

Faced with the Guards' question, Ruby was shocked, but after a few seconds she nodded, trying to straighten her chest to prove her ability and determination. Stephanie Malik and Amon exchanged a glance and shook their heads. Then Amon took out an alloy reel case that was an arm's length long for an ordinary person. The reel case had a golden eagle emblem and a mysterious number on it. This was one of several reel cases that Amon had brought.

"Place your finger on it," Amon said, pointing to a screen on the sealed reel. "It might hurt a little. That's where your genetic information is collected to form your genetic code. You'll open it in front of me, read the mission on the reel, and then seal it again. No one but you can open it."

Ruby frowned, enduring the slight pain of her fingertip being pricked. After obtaining the genetic data, the negative pressure inside the reel immediately hissed and sucked in air. The long reel was covered with beautifully written Latin characters; Latin happened to be part of Ruby's curriculum. "My mother betrayed humanity to the Kree?" Even after reading the mission, Ruby was still somewhat incredulous. "That's impossible!"

"I know this is hard to believe, because General Hale has always thought he's doing the right thing," Amon said in a deep voice. "The Emperor needs you to use that pendant to send intelligence; only in this way can we stop the situation from escalating."

"Why don't you just tell her the truth now?" Ruby said angrily, clutching the parchment tightly, the sweat from her palms soaking the rough edges. "You can tell her now that the Kree are all liars!"

“It’s not that simple, girl,” Stephanie Malik sighed. “General Hale is in contact with a Kree hawkish hunting unit, following the Kree Empire’s hunting tradition. We intercepted and analyzed some of the intelligence she obtained and found that much of the information about extraterrestrials was actually correct. The Kree’s targets on Earth include not only humans but also their alien enemies. To us, any alien is an enemy, only differing in extermination priorities. The enemy the Kree wants to hunt is very cunning and can cause far more damage than that hunting team, so we need to obtain as much intelligence as possible. If you can complete the mission, General Hale will not only not be punished for contacting the Kree, but will actually be rewarded. It’s a white lie, Ruby, General Hale’s future is in your hands.”

"Really?"

“I swear on the honor of the Malik family,” Stephanie Malik said, blinking. “Now it’s time for you to make a decision, Ruby. Will you choose to remain foolish, or will you choose to side with the interests of the human race?”

"I...I will do it." Although she felt terrible, a sense of mission overwhelmed Ruby. General Hale's teachings had instilled in her a long-awaited day to shoulder heavy responsibilities, but this responsibility didn't come from General Hale himself. "I hope that my mother and I's sacrifices will be rewarded, and more than expected, as the price for her being deceived. And I need you to create the conditions for me to leave here, to provide all the necessary assistance for my mission. When I came here, the guards told me that you arrived in a forward-swept wing fighter I'd never seen before, and I believe my mission deserves that additional aircraft."

“That’s more like it. If you hadn’t said so, I would have thought General Hale’s daughter was a fool.” Stephanie nodded with a smile, now having a bit more faith in Ruby. Hydra trusts selfish people because they are predictable; selfless people are the hardest to fathom because they won’t make choices for their own benefit. This is also why Gideon Malik has never been able to figure out the Emperor’s thoughts. Everything the Emperor does exceeds Hydra’s expectations, but Ruby clearly doesn’t share that mindset. “Deal. After the mission is complete, he will personally meet with you and General Hale, at which time you will be able to obtain everything you desire.”

"This is a promise made by our Lord," Amon said. "I suggest you think carefully about your own desires first."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)