Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1436 Ruby's Unique Philosophy (Two Chapters Combined)

Ruby firmly believes that some great people can change the entire universe simply by existing.

She looked down at the shaded side of the armored porthole, where the white armor plates were illuminated by red and white crash lights. Several orange figures, inlaid with faint white lights, lined up and swayed as they crawled across the surface of the armor plates, twisting their bodies toward the airlock as if they were maggots in a vacuum.

She stared intently at one of the figures, her gaze filled with disdain and mockery.

She knew who that person was; she could pronounce their name; she even knew about their biological parents' past, things they themselves didn't know. She used to believe Daisy Jensen was the one who could change the universe because that street-smart superhuman was incredibly powerful, capable of easily shattering buildings and overturning cars. Her mother, Hale, had no idea that Ruby's posters of Daisy Jensen in her bedroom—more accurately, her cell—at the training facility weren't a form of worship, but rather observation and hunting. This bizarre philosophy of becoming stronger by defeating greater individuals and absorbing their traits stemmed from her observations of cannibalistic tribes in the Amazon rainforest, later applied to Hydra's social Darwinism and the ideas expressed in General Hale's harsh educational philosophy.

Daisy Jensen was a milestone in proving herself.

Ruby later discovered that the Emperor could breathe, felt hungry and thirsty, and even had difficulty controlling his emotions; aside from possessing special abilities, he had no outstanding qualities. So she changed her focus, setting her sights on the person who had taken the initiative to find her. However, contrary to her unique philosophy, she did not defeat the Emperor and prove her ideas.

Although that person possessed the physiological functions of a normal person, Ruby couldn't be sure whether they were genuine physiological instincts or a disguise used by a body housing the essence of another world to avoid highlighting its uniqueness, with all emotions designed to prevent others from noticing its extraordinary qualities. At one point, she even suspected that the person hadn't actually breathed at all, and that even laughter was a muscular movement performed to evoke her emotions; simply meeting those eyes was enough to feel an unparalleled sense of oppression.

All behaviors that appear to be related to humans are disguises, merely a way to show that one is still human.

Ruby shuddered at the thought, feeling both fear and longing.

A superhuman forced to adapt to humanity displays power far greater than anyone else in the world. She has witnessed this person effortlessly alter the weather, melt steel, destroy asteroids, rewrite reality, and traverse time and space. When those emotionless, obsidian-like eyes fixate on someone, judgment begins silently. Even the most resolute feel fear and guilt, becoming helpless as if Judgment Day from mythology has arrived. No one can say no to that person, especially Ruby, who, through her mother General Hale's collaboration with him, understands his actions. Ruby believes she should be in a place where she can better utilize her abilities, not in the training base's cells. She can find her place beside a great man, just as he promised.

"I want you involved in the management of S.H.I.E.L.D. After my Custodian Army withdraws, Agent Coulson and his team need a harsh reminder that they are not vigilantes but agents, and that they need to be held accountable for their actions." The man sat behind his desk, his tone calm. Ruby stood with her hands behind her back, her spine straight. "To be precise, I want you to become one of the supervisors of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, to go to the Beacon Base as my executioner and carry out swift action against S.H.I.E.L.D. agents until they complete their missions. Your mother, General Hale, will not refuse to let you take on this responsibility, and even if she objects, I will persuade her."

"I don't need her permission; I can do it better than anyone else."

Ruby raised her chin, her long, sharp eyes fixed on the person behind the desk.

She tried to ignore the golden-armored giant standing nearby, lest she reveal the fear a normal person would feel. She hated this fear and helplessness, even though she knew it was just a so-called "superhuman syndrome," an emotion that could be overcome through training. She saw the person behind the desk dressed in peacetime attire, their aristocratic features full of concern and gentleness towards her, a feeling that made Ruby feel good. The weapons the Emperor had given her, holstered at her waist and in their sheaths, were still being used to practice killing techniques when the Malik family women found her a few days earlier. The feeling of about to use her hard-earned skills made her even more comfortable.

"Her protective instincts are too strong," Ruby couldn't help but complain. "Or maybe it's not protectiveness."

The emperor smiled and looked up at her. "How much do you know about yourself, Ruby?"

"I've read the top-secret document about Dr. Whitehall's eugenics project."

Ruby lowered her eyes.

She knew how much her birth had helped General Hale, and she also knew she might be the mother of Dr. Whitehall's next eugenic creation. However, she had no intention of following the same path as General Hale; as far as she knew, Dr. Whitehall had failed, and all his assets had been seized.

"Fourth-generation Germanic gene modification, training data shows I possess stronger physical abilities, faster reaction speed, and higher intelligence." Ruby recited her recent physical and intelligence test scores incessantly, seemingly trying to escape something through this method. Her feelings towards her mother were very complex, especially after her brain began to develop and she accidentally learned of her identity. She didn't know if her mother had any feelings for her, or even if her mother would hate her, the flesh and blood she had been forced to give birth to. Therefore, she always displayed a fearless and arrogant demeanor as a form of self-protection.

She was completely oblivious to why she couldn't kill her pet dog without hesitation like her fellow Hydra trainees, like a child clutching a toy and refusing to let go. She even went so far as to argue with her instructors because that golden retriever was the only creature she was certain would love her, the only thing she possessed. This was something absolutely forbidden within Hydra, even for General Hale's daughter. Hydra demanded absolute obedience from its subordinates, and her performance in the training camp would determine her future career path; any violation was intolerable.

Young General Hale was chosen as the mother of the eugenics program partly because of her exceptional academic performance. However, excellent grades alone were not enough to make her fully submit to Dr. Whitehall's eugenics program, as there were many young women in the Hydra training camps who were equally capable and intelligent. What truly made her accept Dr. Whitehall's program was an incident that occurred on the eve of her graduation—young Hale had a serious physical altercation with young Baron Strucker, a graduation classmate. This was an absolute violation that would be punished, but because she was about to graduate and Dr. Whitehall was visiting, the punishment was temporarily postponed.

Dr. Whitehall was very satisfied with young Hale's performance in class, and he also understood the truth of the conflict, so he made a suggestion about eugenics. As a helpless orphan, young General Hale knew that if she did not accept the eugenics program and refuse the suggestion of the Hydra leadership (referring to Dr. Whitehall), she would be suppressed by the radical Hydra family after leaving the training camp, especially by Baron Strucker's threat before his departure. Young Hydra members like her, without external power, could only work for that old family.

Politics is everywhere, even in the relatively clean Hydra youth training camps.

That argument with the instructor was also the first time Ruby felt the care from her mother. Especially when the instructor asked her to kill the golden retriever she had raised since she was a puppy to prove that she would not be held back by emotions, General Hale, who had learned that the radical Hydra was being wiped out, did not hesitate to shoot and kill the training instructor that Dr. Whitehall had sent to the base (not Ruby, who was the nightmare that had been haunting her, which made Ruby very scared), and completely took control of the entire Hydra training camp.

Ruby desperately wanted to declare that she had no genetic defects, but she couldn't vent her anger before the Emperor. When she saw those eyes, guilt instantly overwhelmed her rage. She felt remorse for almost losing control of her emotions just seconds before and for not noticing the concern in the Emperor's tone. "I don't know, my lord," she stammered, clutching her wrists tightly, her cheeks flushed and on the verge of tears. Hammurabi, standing behind her, noticed her almost convulsing fingers and red skin. "I don't believe I have any defects."

"Dr. Whitehall's research in genetics is extremely profound, but his understanding of the code of life is still superficial. The expression of certain seemingly useless gene loci has never been discovered before. Genetic modification can make you immune to certain diseases and give you certain talents, but it will also make you lose some abilities that ordinary people should have." With this hint, Hammurabi placed a thick paper report in front of Ruby. When she opened it, it was filled with numbers, words, and charts that she couldn't understand at all. "Your genes come from Hydra's super soldiers, but compared to Steve Rogers' genes, your DNA telomeres are shorter than others."

She was stunned speechless by the news, her heart pounding like a cannon, assaulting her reason, because it meant her life was far shorter than the average person's. For a teenage girl, this news, no less significant than learning the extent of her remaining lifespan, left her bewildered. "Was this deliberate design or an accident?" Ruby sniffed, as if she could still feel her numb lips and cold nose. "Who doesn't want me to live, Whitehall?"

"No one knows the answer now, Ruby. From now on, you will receive medical care from me, have your genetic integrity checked regularly, and undergo gene therapy and cleansing when necessary, just like the surgeries performed in Latvia by wealthy people around the world seeking to extend their lifespans." The Emperor's voice pulled her from her chaotic thoughts, as if certain ideas were being directly implanted into her brain. She heard the concern in that voice. "You will undergo comprehensive training on the space station before your mission, training you couldn't complete on Earth. I look forward to your role, but at the same time, I don't want to lose a capable subordinate. I never intended to abandon you, because not everyone in this world is capable of completing the tasks I assign."

"What kind of training will I receive?"

Before the emperor could answer, Hammurabi spoke first.

"All the skills you learned in training camp are just the basics. According to the procedure, you should have learned much more after you entered your proper position. Now you are missing that process, and you will also be facing two Inhumans from S.H.I.E.L.D., so I will rapidly improve your killing skills."

The guard pointed to himself. Ever since Ruby entered the office, he had scrutinized her with a stern gaze, assessing her suitability for the upcoming mission. The results were disastrous: Ruby's waist was too thin, her muscle mass too low, and her body fat too high. Training data indicated that while her explosive power was exceptional, her endurance was lacking—perhaps such a physique would attract some hormone-driven men and women, but for the guard, she was a body unsuitable for prolonged special operations, only fit for delicate raids. In fact, Ruby Hale had undergone a full examination, completely stripped naked for a full digital scan in the infirmary, even her skin imperfections were clearly recorded and reconstructed. Her body model had already been rendered in three dimensions; Hammurabi's visual assessment was merely to verify any potential errors in the digitization, as the modifications the Emperor had bestowed upon the guard were sufficient for him to use both his eyes and brain to precisely verify the accuracy of the digitized three-dimensional model.

Even worse are the psychological aspects.

The Emperor personally wrote Ruby's psychological investigation report. It was an absolutely credible report; Hammurabi had personally witnessed the Emperor excavating someone's thoughts and emotions, which they were unwilling to touch upon and which were deeply hidden in their subconscious. Ruby was undoubtedly subjected to such "interrogation" as well, and much of the content in the psychological investigation report was something she herself was unaware of.

"I will be responsible for training you, from close combat to marksmanship, from piloting void gliders to boarding infiltration. Every day thereafter will be spent in training, and your daily food and drug intake will be meticulously calculated. I will establish rules for you far stricter than those in the training camp, until you are honed into a barely usable tool. You will have no thoughts beyond the skills I teach you; you will be fully committed to your future service," Hammurabi said. "We will provide you with a small amount of bio-modification to enhance your abilities, making you surpass Dr. Whitehall's original design. You will possess the most basic abilities of an assassin: a dagger capable of picking locks and slitting throats simultaneously."

This was a plan provided by the Royal Guard, not the emperor's own idea.

In his view, Ruby was merely a political tool, not a weapon; a finely crafted dagger, not a slingshot, good enough to slit General Hale's throat when necessary. However, he didn't disagree with Hammurabi's opinion that if Ruby could acquire more skills, she would be better able to handle unexpected situations.

"General Hale will be arriving at the space station in a few days." To reassure Ruby (this was a step the Emperor had requested), Hammurabi said in a prepared tone, "You can show her a version of yourself that far exceeds her education level."

(End of this chapter)