Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 234 Technology is quite useful (Second update)

Stark's impression of Salomon, besides his mysterious magic, was one of rigidity and stubbornness unlike that of a typical teenager. Although he knew Salomon had excellent grades, he lacked the vitality expected of adolescence. Stark believed Salomon had serious psychological issues. What were fifteen- or sixteen-year-old American teenagers doing? Dating, playing basketball, discussing various sports, and being addicted to video games. In Stark's view, Salomon was completely unrelated to any of these things.

So when he made that suggestion, all he received was a disdainful look from the sorcerer. He certainly wouldn't tell Stark what he was doing in private, nor would he tell Stark that the T-shirt he was wearing, hidden by his jacket, would almost certainly get him arrested on the streets of America; not everyone has the courage to go out wearing clothes with R18 illustrations printed on them.

Salomon ignored Stark's ravings and instead gestured for the android to pick up his custom-made weapon, instructing her on how to use it—a double-edged sword wide enough to block the android's side, with a flat, rounded tip. The weapon was excessively heavy; Salomon could barely lift it without activating his Stigmata, and even Stark needed mechanical assistance to carry it to the firing range. Yet, the weapon seemed weightless in the android's hands, much to the sorcerer's satisfaction, as this was exactly the weapon he wanted for the android. The weight combined with the acceleration during the swing made it nearly impossible for any enemy to withstand such a ferocious attack. If the android's alchemical engine could sustain it, and the weapon was enchanted, Salomon believed she could slice through a car.

"You know, when I was your age, all I did every day was throw parties," Stark rambled on, sitting in a chair nearby, trying to change Salomon's mind. Seeing the arcane mage didn't answer, Stark's imagination ran wild. "Are you still angry because I won't let you drink whiskey?" he said. "Champagne is fine, and while I broke federal law too, I never drank whiskey when I was your age. Oh, and smoking is definitely out of the question. You've never seen a high school student smoking 'drugs,' I'm glad you didn't get hooked. Wait, I've seen the S.H.I.E.L.D. report; I remember you bought some at the pharmacy in Old Bridge (Thor 1)..."

The sorcerer rolled his eyes at Stark as he directed the android and his created illusions in their training. "I haven't been using any addictive drugs," he said. "It's potion ingredients… By the way, how did you come up with this topic? Did someone say something to you?"

"The old man came to see me," Stark said, spreading his hands with a hint of helplessness. The "old man" he referred to was none other than his specific nickname for Captain Rogers; there were many similar nicknames, just like the one he gave Salomon—he could use a different nickname each time if he wanted. Hearing Stark's explanation, Salomon roughly understood what was going on—Nick Fury had approached Captain Rogers, and Captain Rogers had approached Stark; they were both trying to correct Salomon's psychological problems, trying to make him more like a normal person.

Salomon, however, felt perfectly normal. He played video games, dated, slacked off, and daydreamed in class—no different from any other teenager. What others considered abnormal about him was magic; it was their ignorance of the magical world that led them to believe Salomon was abnormal. That was prejudice! But the arcane mage didn't say it aloud. Instead, he cast a disdainful glance at Stark, letting him figure it out himself.

But eyes can't convey a single byte of information, and Stark didn't understand his meaning. "Last time was just an accident." Stark looked around, then leaned closer to the arcane mage. "This time Pepper will definitely not know. I've taken precautions to keep it a secret. I even instructed Jarvis to keep our upcoming itinerary a secret."

"Yes, sir, only you have access to your upcoming itinerary..."

"Shit! I need to find a way to teach Jarvis to lie, otherwise Pepper will find out. Anyway, I invite you to see something normal men like. I guarantee you'll like it, don't worry, it's not a striptease."

“I’ve worked on missions with Agent Romanov. To be precise, she’s the one who broke into the magical world.” Stark’s expression changed after Salomon said this. The arcane mage continued, “I think Agent Romanov has a great figure, so I don’t think any stripper can compare. Going to her show would be a waste of money.”

"So you like older women, I see." Stark nodded. "But we're going to Hollywood this time! You know Hollywood? It's much more fun than you think, Salomon. You should go out and see more of the world while you're young, and then you'll find that Romanov agents aren't all that great. Don't let a female spy steal your first love, that would be too embarrassing."

"Heh." Salomon turned his head away, ignoring the idiot.

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"So, you had a trip to Hollywood planned, but you canceled it?" Agent Romanoff asked with great interest, holding his teacup. "Why? Shouldn't teenagers admire movie stars on screen?"

"Oh, my dear Miss Natasha, when Stark saw Miss Pepper storm upstairs with her files in her arms, the guy didn't dare say a word." Salomon smiled and sipped his iced lemon tea, completely ignoring his role in the whole affair. Stark still hadn't figured out how Miss Pepper Potts knew his itinerary, including his trip to Broadway to see the strippers—he didn't even suspect Salomon, because he thought Salomon should be looking forward to it, and he was the least likely person to leak the information.

So Stark decided to overhaul Jarvis.

"Let us mourn poor Stark," Agent Romanov said, suppressing a laugh. "So, what brings you here?"

"Well, I need you to allocate some manpower to me." Salomon picked up a spoon and gently tapped the rim of the ceramic teacup. The android lady sitting next to him stood up and handed Agent Romanov a thick document.

"You've done a really realistic job," Natasha exclaimed, then shifted her gaze from the android to the document. The document contained satellite maps, on which Salomon had marked locations with markers and approximate timestamps. The agent looked up and asked, "What's this?"

“This is a target I’m currently tracking.” Salomon blinked. The Cosmic Cauldron is powerful, and the Eye of Agamotto is powerful, but Ghost Rider’s trail is obscured by the countless magical fluctuations that occur on Earth every day. Compared to magical artifacts with less precise location tracking, Salomon believes that cameras and facial recognition might be more useful. Ghost Rider is the key clue, and to track down the target as soon as possible, the arcane artist must seek technical support from S.H.I.E.L.D. “Johnny Blaze is a top-secret case; only you have access to his information. I want to know if S.H.I.E.L.D. is tracking Ghost Rider, and also Johnny Blaze’s girlfriend, Rose. I saw her on television, but Ghost Rider’s whereabouts remain a mystery.”

"You're tracking Ghost Rider, why?" Natasha put away the documents, placed her hands on the table, and leaned closer with a look of interest. "You have to tell me why," she said, "otherwise it's not worth me coming all the way to London because of a phone call from you."

"Actually, it's Nick Fury who wants to know, isn't it? I didn't go to him because I didn't want him to know the reason. Miss Natasha, it seems you're not planning to jump ship yet."

"I'm still a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent." Agent Romanoff's fingertips lightly traced the back of the sorcerer's hand, but Salomon knew that if she wanted to, she could kill with a small spoon; she was just putting on an act.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. can only send in the action team because this operation will involve many illegal arms dealers and drug traffickers. Consider this a gift from me. But you can't interfere in what happens on the other side."

"make a deal."

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(End of this chapter)