Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 216 Alexander Pierce's Plans (Second Update!)

The aftermath of the war was far more complicated than Salomon made it out to be. He was simply recounting lighthearted matters to the witches, as was his custom. His actions went far beyond simply opening a portal and moving a nuclear warhead to the Pentagon's basement. He did indeed do these things, and he readily admitted to attempting to pry open a nuclear warhead with a screwdriver. But it was for the sake of truth—radioactive materials are classified as "celestial gold" in magic, another common type being adamantite, both of which are heavy metals. Some ancient techniques even allowed the use of radioactive materials to power golems. Salomon, knowing he couldn't purchase radioactive materials, planned to dismantle the nuclear warhead to obtain uranium.

However, he failed; a nuclear warhead is not something that can be pried open with a screwdriver.

Of course, he did more than that. Before he knocked out that ungrateful senator with a single punch, he did much more. This included, but was not limited to, finding Bruce Banner some clothes, feeding Pegasus an apple, and helping Tony Stark remove his transforming armor. But none of these things compared to the help he provided to the visitors from the parallel universe. No one knew about this except the Sorcerer Supreme; no one else even knew that their future selves had ever been there. Salomon protected them with invisibility spells, and the dimensional anchor he placed on Loki prevented Loki from escaping. He ensured that everything unfolded as he knew it.

"That punch you threw really hard," Joan of Arc said to the sorcerer the day after the Battle of New York, looking up from the newspaper. "The US government is putting pressure on S.H.I.E.L.D. It seems the White House wants to use this incident to interfere with S.H.I.E.L.D. Ha, what a boring trick, but these kinds of tricks never go out of style. How long do you think you can keep your secret?"

"Perhaps a long time." Salomon casually stirred the cream in the bowl, the dessert for tonight. Bayonetta liked sweet things, while Jeanne wasn't so fond of them, so he had to strike a balance. He subconsciously brushed his hair back, only to find that it was now short. "I have a contract with the director of S.H.I.E.L.D." Salomon lowered his head again, manually whipping the cream. "He can't sell my information—maybe he can tamper with it, but I have a different way of dealing with people who know my information."

"I hope you can do that." Joan of Arc curled her lip in disdain. "Ceresa likes a quiet life, and so do I, so I don't want anyone disturbing us. You know what? You already went too far by taking us to see your mentor, why should we pay attention to those ordinary people who know nothing? Or is it that you're attracted to Darcy Louise's figure? I had no idea what kind of figure you liked. Is her ass really that nice?"

"Stop slandering me, Joan of Arc." Salomon rolled his eyes. "You're always like this. Why do you always have this problem with me?"

"You are the sorcerer of Kamar-Taj, do I need to say anything more?"

"That's prejudice. Kamar-Taj is just for maintaining order. The witches are no small fry." Salomon felt his phone vibrate a few times in his pocket. He wiped his hands on his apron, picked up the phone, and answered the call. Joan of Arc only saw him remain silent, listening to the person on the other end of the line, before hanging up.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing serious." Salomon shrugged, looking nonchalant. "Tony Stark and the others wanted to have a get-together. The last barbecue was awful; even Pegasus consumed too much salt. Stark wanted to make it a good one, since Thor is going back to Asgard, and he asked if I'd come—actually, it was more like a notification, as if he was pretty sure I'd be there."

"But your dessert isn't ready yet, and Ceresia hasn't returned from Athena's place. I don't quite understand why you want Ceresia and Athena to meet? They're like oil and water; aren't you afraid they'll fight?" Joan of Arc picked up her teacup and took a sip of Salomon's hot black tea. She now felt sorry for Ceresia missing afternoon tea.

"Athena is my adoptive mother, so I can't refuse her offer. Besides, I feel that we're all family, and we can't always be arguing."

"So you just left this awful thing to Ceressa? You're really not acting like a man!"

"Apart from the first time, every subsequent meeting with Athena was initiated by Bayonetta herself; that's just her stubborn nature," Salomon shook his head. When they first met, Bayonetta had a playful side, often teasing Salomon for fun. But as they got to know each other better, Bayonetta's competitive nature became apparent. Her meetings with Athena were less about mutual understanding and more about her desire to control the household and diminish Athena's influence on Salomon. Therefore, the witch refused to let Salomon know the details of these matters; it was a battle for territory between two lionesses, and no one else was allowed to interfere.

His phone vibrated again, and Salomon only answered the incessant call after putting the cake in the oven. "I'll go, you don't need to say anything more," he said impatiently, his voice then turning to surprise and anger. "Are you sure? Are you sure there won't be any unacceptable consequences? Understand? I don't understand, Nick Fury. Don't you know why I refused to reveal my information? Human greed is endless, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was wrong to try and get this done. Prepare to face the consequences, Nick Fury."

Salomon hung up the phone, ignoring Nick Fury's explanations. He refused to speak with Nick Fury's superior; the man couldn't force him. But Salomon knew Alexander Pierce would find a way to extract information, and he must have gotten some details from Nick Fury. He wasn't Bruce Banner, who would run away from the world because he couldn't control himself; he wasn't Thor, far away in Asgard and unable to interfere in this world. He knew some people in the World Security Council certainly remembered his performance in the Battle of New York, and many wanted to control him—but unfortunately, he was capable of killing.

"He refused." Nick Fury shook his head and sat back down in his chair. "His reaction was intense, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on."

"We can have your agent make contact with him. I remember Agent Romanov fought alongside him before, why not let her get close to that sorcerer? The sorcerer in armor. Ironically, the media actually thinks he's King Arthur."

He had long since rejected Agent Romanoff. Nick Fury didn't voice his thoughts, believing it might please his old superior, since even he himself hadn't found Salomon's weakness; the second phase of the plan had completely failed, and he didn't think the Insight Project could handle the arcane. "Perhaps he is King Arthur?" he said. "Or perhaps Arthur's successor; he always has a claim to Britain."

"Even if he really is, claims made over a thousand years ago are meaningless. Aside from those fools who crave independence, nobody cares. Look how quiet Wells is; Camelot is located in Wells," Alexander Pierce said with a laugh. "If that armored wizard wants to reclaim Britain, the first to die will be the Prince of Wales. Charles isn't dead yet, so let the British worry about it; it's none of our business. Nick, you're someone who can communicate with him. I want you to ask him if he can help S.H.I.E.L.D. train magical talent—once we know a magical world exists, we can't ignore its safety, can we?"

"It's pointless, Pierce. I've mentioned this idea before," Nick Fury shook his head. "But in the magical world, the gap between the upper and lower limits of individual combat ability is enormous. No amount of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents can compare to a highly skilled spellcaster. I've already told you, bullets are useless against them. They also possess unparalleled mobility. If he wanted to kill the president, he could do it with a flick of his wrist, and your suggestion has already enraged him. He doesn't abide by social order, but rather their own ancient laws."

"We'll find a way, but you need to calm him down first."

I desperately need your votes! I really need your recommendation votes!!

The weekend was so awesome, wow!

(End of this chapter)