Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1378 Following the Clues (Second Update)

Many years ago, or perhaps not so many years ago, the emperor clearly remembered all his memories after gaining self-awareness.

Every single day, every hour, every minute, even every second—his memories were akin to "hyperthymesia," yet he could clearly discern the past, present, and future. He vividly remembered a discussion he had with Nick Fury. When Fury asked him why he so disliked the Avengers and refused to join, they debated the definition of a hero. This happened six months after the Battle of New York. Although the Avengers were nominally disbanded, everyone knew Nick Fury could reunite them.

The discussion shifted from the nature of the Avengers organization itself to whether the Avengers should be disbanded. At the time, Nick Fury saw the Emperor as someone far younger than most, but with a mind far more complex than the average person. When a natural orator, agitator, a walking nuclear bomb, and an incomprehensible being is imbued with dangerous thoughts, his potential for destruction far surpasses that of any registered superhuman, even Thor.

This memory was somewhat hazy for Nick Fury, but he still vividly remembered the danger of that conversation. At that time, Nick Fury hadn't given up on bringing the Emperor into his camp, attempting to minimize potential future losses through appeasement. However, when he saw the Emperor again, he found that things had spiraled out of control. No one had noticed a single clue before, and the subsequent events unfolded exactly as he had predicted: the Emperor's entry into the UN Security Council on horseback, sword in hand, was destined to be etched in history.

"Steve Rogers is a true hero."

"But you've warped his mind," Nick Fury warned the then-young Emperor. "If Captain America doesn't fight for America, then the super-soldier's fate is to become an experiment. He knows nothing about his future, and you're pushing him into the abyss."

“Steve Rogers didn’t experience the conflicts of the Cold War, nor did he experience Ronald Reagan’s propaganda offensive, which is why I need to let him know what happened during that time. I believe Steve Rogers will make the right choice because he is a man willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good.” Salomon shook his head and continued writing his homework, as he needed to catch up on his heavy boarding school coursework while still at Eton College. “Look at Carol Danvers. Growing up in a white Catholic military family, she deeply believed in President Reagan’s rhetoric during the Cold War and was convinced that American soldiers defended America in Vietnam. After graduating from high school, she joined the Air Force and trained at Edwards Air Force Base in California, but she had no combat experience whatsoever; she only had experience in killing, not in saving.”

He solved most of the problems in the book with a single equation. The Eton curriculum was challenging for his peers, but he used advanced mathematics to skip lessons, which is why the headmaster allowed him to leave. Picking up another book, he continued, “She didn’t participate in Operation Justice or Operation Desert Shield, nor in the Sidra Bay incident; she only participated in Operation Pegasus as a test pilot. In her eyes, war was merely a story on the news, driven by fervent patriotism, and then dropping missiles at what she perceived as evil. That was her entire understanding of war. Badges, speeches, and flowers—that was all she knew about war.”

"You're generalizing. From what I know, Carol Danvers participated in many battles as a Kree soldier, and her sympathy for the Skrulls seems to me like an awakening."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean she'll recognize the same situation on Earth," Salomon said with a sneer. "When she sheds her identity as a Kree soldier, she can rationally view the war between the Kree and the Skrulls. But when it touches on her identity as a human being, as an American, can she still view things on Earth objectively and rationally? Especially an anti-war movement fueled by a bunch of idiotic addicts—can you really think she'd oppose a war started by the United States? You expect a high school graduate who learns everything in a public high school that teaches the Bible to think critically? Aren't you being a bit delusional? When you created the Avengers based on her, you destined this organization to be beyond your control. Disbanding it as soon as possible to avoid a conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Security Council is what you should be doing."

Nick Fury pointed out, "Steve Rogers only had an elementary school education, and it was pre-World War II elementary school education."

"But he experienced one of the most devastating wars in the world, a war that would awaken even the most fool, prompting reflection on its causes and consequences. Aren't you curious about the kind of conflict that would arise between Steve Rogers and Carol Danvers, who hold opposing views, if war were to break out on Earth?"

"No," Nick Fury said in a deep voice, "Carol Danvers is not on Earth."

"She's not here now, but she'll be back sooner or later. Steve Rogers will inevitably be disgusted with the actions of the US government during the Cold War, and there will inevitably be a conflict between him and Carol Danvers. It's a conflict between a righteous man and a fool, the former convinced that he must protect the innocent, the latter convinced that destroying the axis of evil tyranny is the only way to maintain peace." Salomon narrowed his eyes, his sincerity almost touching. "I'm doing you a favor, Nick Fury. Once Carol Danvers returns, the Avengers will leave your control, and Tony Stark might even side with her. At that time, you'll need someone on your side, and Steve Rogers is the best choice."

For a moment, Nick Fury almost considered the feasibility of this claim.

"I almost believed you, you cunning devil. Every word you utter carries the corrosive venom of a devil." He finally let out a long sigh of relief, thankful he had rejected Agent Coulson's application for long-term contact with Salomon. If it had been someone else who overheard his story, they might very well have switched sides and been manipulated by this young man. Nick Fury always remembered to treat Salomon like a devil, or he might fall into the trap he had woven. "But that is absolutely not a reason for me to allow you to continue contact with Steve Rogers."

Salomon shrugged, showing no embarrassment at having his trick exposed. "Regardless of how I phrase it, the central point remains the same: I'm telling the truth, just at an inappropriate time. This isn't a trick, but rather amplifying your anxieties, so I can rephrase it—what if the US government discovers that Steve Rogers isn't their hero? You know that's quite possible, aren't you?"

"I knew it, MotherFucker!"

Nick Fury stared down at the tablet in his hands, cursing under his breath, powerless to stop what was about to happen. Dressed in a black sweater and beanie, his blindness completely exposed, he looked like a filthy homeless man. The alarms regarding the immortals at the Beacon Base had been triggered, and he couldn't help but recall the extent of the Emperor's intelligence gathering over the past. Once again, that man had taken what he wanted from S.H.I.E.L.D. without his knowledge. The Sky Helicarrier wasn't enough for him; no one knew what the man now called the Emperor truly wanted.

"Sir?" Maria Hill's voice put Nick Fury at ease. "Lighthouse Base?"

"Yes, Lighthouse Base. Recount everything you've seen, Agent Hill."

"Enoch".

Nick Fury hung up the phone.

He pulled out the SIM card, tossed aside the prepaid phone, and turned toward Oxfordshire. He had already pressed a dagger against his enemy's throat; he had to deliver the final blow before he was checkmated.

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(End of this chapter)