Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1324 (Second Update)

When Stephanie Malik returned to Royal Castle via the Underground Railroad, she was immediately found by Diana Lister, who had been waiting for her, holding an operational report from the Defense Intelligence Agency. Steve Rogers's rogue Avengers squad and Silver Sablinova's Wild Band had completed their mission, but not perfectly; twelve Albanian and Syrian extremists were killed, three were seriously wounded and hospitalized, and one was slightly wounded and taken to the interrogation room.

However, these weren't Stephanie Malick's problems. Her responsibility lay with the five refugees who died in the operation and the two civilians accidentally wounded during the rescue. More precisely, it wasn't about the fate of the survivors, but rather the media frenzy surrounding their deaths. The ongoing gun control and anti-gang operations involve numerous gunfights daily, but in terms of media value, the dead have more impact than the living; those who should have died have no news value if they survive. But no one will be punished for this, not even Steve Rogers or Silver Sablinova, who should have perfectly resolved the situation. Their job was to deal with extremists, not rescue civilians, even if they believed their job was the latter. Reality doesn't always offer perfect endings in movies.

It was already closing time at the royal castle, and the Emperor had disappeared long ago after dropping her off at the underground station. One can imagine how frustrated Stephanie Malik was after receiving the report. "Steve Rogers issued a formal protest," Diana Lister added, bringing another unsettling piece of news. "He tried to stop the Coast Guard from taking the refugees away, but the knights refused, and a near-clash ensued. The matter ended with the knights firing warning shots, but Steve Rogers claims he will pursue this to the end; he intends to demand an explanation from the Emperor."

"When are we finally going to get rid of these idiots?" Stephanie Malik's face contorted as if she'd stuffed a salty plum into her mouth. "Are we supposed to help those refugees start families and build lives? Send them all to Turkey, no more Balkans. Tell Steve Rogers that because we can't interfere with these refugees' beliefs, we're sending them somewhere that tolerates superstition. If he wants to be Jesus, let him act out the Exodus himself!"

"Why are you so irritable, ma'am?"

"Because I hate those idiots in the Avengers!"

"Steve Rogers' job is done. Now the whole world knows Captain America has defected from the United States, and his public image is practically nonexistent. These people staying here could very well hinder our work. It would be better to hand them over to Wakanda. T'Challa's Wakanda royal family greatly admires Western culture." Victor von Doom faced the buzzing holographic projector, the captured light points accurately depicting the facial and clothing details of both parties in the communication. Seeing the person on the other end of the holographic communication frown, the Regent immediately raised his voice. "Don't be so impatient, and don't think I'm disturbing your family time. You're the one who brought these people here, so I need to consult you before making decisions, unless you send the Imperial Guard to wipe them all out. I've promised to give you everything, so it's only fair that I listen to my complaints, isn't it?"

"It's your decision. The Avengers are no longer of any value to me, but I must remind you to continue upgrading the firewall of S.W.A.R. station. You know, in the comics they'll definitely come into contact with Nick Fury, and then he'll reveal to them that he's the one who built S.W.A.R. station. Then both sides will use our modified S.W.A.R. station to deal with the big villain who wants to rule the world." The Emperor nodded. "That's right, it's me. The guy who threatened to storm the White House and kill everyone who dared to be president. In the eyes of those foolish citizens who think all authoritarian countries in the world are part of the axis of evil, that's definitely the biggest villain. I'm ready to step onto the Hollywood big screen as the villain in Tom Cruise's new movie this year."

"You're still joking at a time like this!" The Regent was somewhat annoyed by the Emperor's dismissive attitude. However, he immediately suppressed his anger when the small figure struggling to climb behind the Emperor peeked out, even lowering his voice to avoid startling the little fellow. "Do you think adding gilded decorations to the manuscript is more important than this?" he asked softly. "Steve Rogers is eager to see you!"

“I’m making a fairy tale book for Milia, albeit a medieval one.” Salomon gently lifted Milia from his lap, settling her securely on his thighs, while scolding the Cheshire Cat for trying to fiddle with the holographic projector, lest it knock Victor von Doom to the ground. “I’ve added some safe and harmless illusions and mind magic. Imagine, every time she reads the story aloud, she’ll experience the scenes and characters of the fairy tale firsthand, the vibrant plot, she can even participate in an epic adventure herself…”

Viktor von Doom curled the corners of his mouth, his resentment towards the emperor lessening considerably.

"I believe your efforts will give her wonderful childhood memories." He softened his tone again, even waving to Milia. Although the girl was somewhat afraid of the man in the iron mask, she still mustered her courage and responded. "She's lucky to have a guardian like you."

"...With this, that little brat will be more well-behaved at night, and I can spend more time with the witch. They're so hard to please." Salomon, rambling on, looked up from the manuscript. The soft-bristled brush, still coated in gold ink, continued to fill in the gaps, creating exquisite golden patterns. European books were incredibly expensive without movable type printing, and each book, after driving the scribes to madness, was meticulously crafted and adorned with numerous decorations, eventually becoming works of art in themselves. "What did you say?"

"No!" Victor von Doom's face turned cold again.

"In any case, Wakanda is the only faction that can stand with us right now. We can just send the Avengers away as a gift. It's just a civilian security exchange meeting on the surface. Give them visitor status and then tear up their passports as soon as they land. The illegal immigration method is actually quite effective."

"I shouldn't have asked you."

"I wasn't planning on answering; it's after get off work hours now."

"Rulers have no time to rest, you know that's your responsibility."

"The nuclear warheads still need time for maintenance! I entrusted domestic affairs to you so I could free up my hands to do my own things. Don't bother me; we still have a lot of research to do!" The Emperor waved his hand impatiently. "When can the starships be launched? When will the first phase be completed? If you can't spare the time, then I'll have to do the research myself. The Martian foundry is also under construction simultaneously. I will open up the shipping route between Mars and Earth as soon as possible and begin large-scale transport of supplies and personnel. Next time, our transport will be measured in tens of thousands of tons. When you go on your visit to discuss cooperation, we'll use a container of Martian soil as a gift..."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)