Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 290 A Visit (First Update)

The call connected, and Salomon spoke in his gentlest tone. After receiving an affirmative reply, the sorcerer hung up and turned his attention to the stew on his plate. He hadn't put much effort into cooking during Bayonetta and Joan of Arc's business trip; simple fried chops and sautéed onions were perfectly delicious, and even the Cheshire Cat's meals had dropped a notch.

The fat cat meowed a few times in dissatisfaction; the monotonous cat food did not please it.

This time, he was able to eat the stew that would normally take a long time to prepare because someone was helping him. The android finally learned how to make dinner (though not cat food), and Maya Hansen brought her grandmother's recipe, and they made a big pot of it before Salomon rushed back to the apartment.

The moment Salomon smelled the creamy aroma, his stomach started growling.

"You should eat more." Maya Hansen sat in Joan's usual spot, picked up a spoon, and stuffed a large spoonful into her mouth. "I should eat more too. It was extremely irresponsible of you to leave me here, boss. I'm really fed up with microwaved food. Those wizards eat better than me... I wouldn't have survived without the hot dogs they brought."

"I apologize, ma'am." Salomon wiped his mouth, casually shoving down the cat's head as it tried to climb onto the table. "It was my oversight. I'll help you get a public identity as soon as possible. In the meantime, I'm also very worried about your safety—the remnants of AIM haven't been completely eliminated, most of the Extremis data has been transferred, and S.H.I.E.L.D. came up empty-handed. There's a bigger player in charge, and while I'm not afraid of that force, they still pose a threat when you're alone."

"At the time, I knew nothing about the true owners of AIM, but it certainly wasn't Killian; he didn't have that ability. Do you know who they are?"

"Yes, I know." The sorcerer nodded, lifting the 15-pound fat cat tightly and ruffling it in his arms. "But I need them now; they still have a mission to complete. Damn it, Cheshire Cat! Why didn't you say you were going to shed?"

"Meow!"

"The Battle of New York marked the end of the old world; now comes the new world. Our work will become much busier because people will have access to alien high technology, various drug formulations, and secrets they are not yet ready to know."

Agent Grant Ward wholeheartedly agreed. "Agent Coulson, I've heard Agent Maria Hill say the same thing," he said. "But that doesn't mean I agree to recruit that hacker. Skye is a member of the Rising Tide organization! She cracked our RSA encryption system..."

"Both times, and she used a laptop. Just think about how much she could do with our resources!"

"I've thought of that, and that's precisely why I disagree. You brought me here for a risk assessment, Coulson. She is the risk; she doesn't think like we do. Even Fitz and Simmons have received professional training..."

"This is exactly what I wanted." Agent Coulson winked at Agent Ward. He felt the young operations specialist was a bit too tense, not quite fitting the relaxed tone of the team. Well, Melinda, who was staring at him, could be counted too; now there were two overly tense guys on the Airbus.

"What Ward means is, there are already two kids on the Airbus who can't fight, and now you've brought in another one." As Agent Coulson's long-time partner, Agent Melinda May bluntly voiced her objection. Although she had stated that she wouldn't participate in combat, that didn't mean she didn't care about the safety of the agents.

Agent Coulson decisively rejected all the proposals, even setting aside the mission he had recently acquired.

"This is Mission 084." Agent May pointed to the control panel in the center of the small conference room. "Is this how you just throw Mission 084 aside, Coulson?"

Agent Ward also cast a questioning glance at him.

"This mission can wait. In fact, we have another mission to carry out before this one, top secret. Relax, Agent Ward, it's not about defusing a nuclear bomb. We're investigating the whereabouts of a multi-million dollar embezzled fund, and this mission comes from the highest levels." Agent Coulson pointed upwards. "But this mission won't require force, because the target is someone we know well—remember that document I showed you before, May? The one about the super-powered child, I thought you'd be interested in him."

Agent Melinda May rolled her eyes dramatically.

"What are you talking about?" Agent Grand Ward asked.

"You'll find out," Agent Coulson said with a smile. "Have everyone attend the meeting, including Skye. I'll explain the mission objectives in detail. It's a friendly mission, perfect for newbies."

Fitz, Simmons, and Skye sat side-by-side on the sofa, each holding a cup of hot tea. Coulson was right during the meeting; this was indeed a very friendly mission, perhaps even overly friendly. The android placed a plate of steaming cookies on the table in front of the three rookie agents. The usually taciturn android spoke, but the topic didn't stray from the desserts she had made. "Butter cookies, shaped like bears!" Simmons' eyes lit up. "These are so cute! Thank you so much!"

After a while, seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, the rookie agents huddled together began to get a little nervous.

"Great cookies. Oh, and black tea! Are you English, uh... Miss Diana?" This was the first time Simmons had ever tried to ask a question, and the person she was asking was the one who had just given her the dessert. She felt a little guilty; she felt like the cookies she had just eaten would jump out of her stomach and punch her.

"No, I don't belong to any country." The android's cold tone interrupted Simmons's questions, and she whimpered, shrinking back onto the sofa. But the person beside her wasn't as shy. "The tea is very good," Skye smiled, putting down her teacup and trying to stand up. "But I need to go to the restroom."

The android stepped forward, placed its hand on her shoulder, and pressed her back onto the sofa. "Master doesn't allow you to move around freely," the android said. "You must stay here."

“Well, this is certainly friendly,” Fitz muttered, hiding his face with his teacup and tray. He glanced at the android out of the corner of his eye, then lowered his voice to speak to his companions, “What are Coulson and that Salomon talking about? They’ve been in the study for ages.”

"Are you really going to keep this a secret, Salomon?" Agent Coulson was also holding a cup of black tea, as were Melinda May and Grant Ward, who were sitting in the study's armchairs. However, they had no intention of drinking the tea; only Agent Coulson could enjoy it without any restraint.

Agent Melinda May sensed something was wrong. Because of Coulson's suggestion, the entire team had entered the apartment. However, they were separated; three incapable members were left in the living room. She didn't know why Coulson had agreed to this, but she wouldn't let her guard down—she thoroughly examined the French windows, the bookshelves, the pens, everything, trying to figure out a solution for any unforeseen circumstances.

Although she had met Salomon once, she did not trust him; that mission (referring to the mission to the Devil's Son) was something she would never forget.

Grant Ward thought so too.

“We’re old friends, aren’t we?” Agent Coulson raised an eyebrow. “I know your financial situation, Salomon. You had no reason to take that ill-gotten money, so why didn’t you tell us what you were going to do with it? I’m sure you had a legitimate purpose.”

"Did Nick Fury say that to you? That doesn't sound like something he would say."

“No, it’s me. I know you. I’ve been studying you ever since Salem. I know about Colin, I know about Sun Island, I know what you did during the Battle of New York, I know I can trust you, you’re the kind of person who would save countless lives,” Coulson said softly. “So, I’m just here to find out where you’ve spent your money, that’s all.”

"You're really good at persuading people, Agent Coulson." The arcane artist smiled, a smile that gave Agent Coulson a bad feeling. "But not this time, even though we've been on adventures together. Nick Fury gave you this address, not so you could interrupt my lunch. Who else knows this place?"

Please vote for me!

Post Chapter Two before I leave work!

(End of this chapter)