Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 519 Danger Itself (Second Update)

Salomon planned to send Tita to Stark Industries to speak with Agent Hill, rather than Stephanie. Agent Victoria Hand couldn't show herself because she was still on the death list; if anyone discovered she was alive, a congressional warrant would follow. The idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. was entirely Hydra had taken hold with the news, and Salomon, through Stephanie, had seen through the vested interests behind the whole farce.

The status of US intelligence agencies will be greatly enhanced in the future, and Stephanie also advised Salomon not to touch the CIA's territory for the time being. Jumping out now would only make them a target of public criticism, since Immortal City has already seized many of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mobile assets, numerous aircraft carriers and Quinjet fighters, and has even pinned the blame on Hydra. There's no need to fight with politicians and intelligence agencies for superficial things, because the real treasure has long been buried by Nick Fury, and nobody knows where it is.

He took Tita to Stark Industries, not to see Stark himself, but to see Agent Maria Hill, who was currently working there. She had accepted Stark's protection, and thanks to the capitalist's financial power and her status as an agent directly appointed by the World Security Council, the investigation into her was quickly concluded. However, she still had to occasionally travel to Washington to assist with investigations and was permanently barred from intelligence work—of course, this wasn't a major problem in a society where money talks; Agent Maria Hill's real job now was coordinating relationships within the Avengers.

The sorcerer met Dr. Bruce Banner here.

Stark provided him with a fully equipped laboratory, allowing Dr. Banner to focus on his research. The fighting and killing held little appeal for Dr. Banner; he was one of the few people with whom Salomon could have academic discussions, as their research overlapped to some extent. He hadn't had much contact with Salomon, and his knowledge of Salomon was limited to his academic achievements. Dr. Banner first thanked Salomon for the magical item that could suppress emotions, which he thoroughly analyzed, but ultimately came to no conclusion.

It was a magical artifact, and he couldn't do anything about it except detect its spectrum. The artifact even malfunctioned during the disassembly process. This greatly embarrassed Dr. Banner, who resolved never to mention the matter again.

While waiting for Agent Maria Hill to finish her official business, Banner advised Salomon not to waste time on his undergraduate studies, suggesting that getting involved in high-end research projects early would be more beneficial for his future. He advised Salomon to graduate as soon as possible, obtain a PhD, publish as many papers as possible, gain recognition, and then secure research funding—a piece of advice from a researcher's experience.

"This world has a very low tolerance for outsiders, Bruce," Salomon said pointedly, which made Dr. Banner smile somewhat embarrassedly. If it weren't for the protection of S.H.I.E.L.D., Bruce Banner would still be hunted to the ends of the earth by General Ross after the battle with the Abomination in New York—not only did he cause his father-in-law to lose his rank, but he also planned to stay in the laboratory forever.

"I'm special enough already, there's no need for me to make a big fuss about trivial matters," the sorcerer said. "I'm just an ordinary college student now, and nobody knows my true identity. There's nothing wrong with that. I hate being famous, and I hate becoming a cash cow for gossip newspapers even more."

Bruce Banner nodded in agreement.

He told Salomon that he now lives and eats at Stark Industries and rarely even goes downstairs to buy food; the laboratory is his home.

After the Battle of New York, almost all the Avengers gained massive exposure, and apart from Hasbro, many other manufacturers released co-branded products without authorization. However, nobody seemed to care, since Iron Man couldn't possibly walk into a New York ice cream stand in his Iron Man suit demanding royalties, and frankly, the Iron Man strawberry ice cream wasn't nearly as good as the Hulk matcha almond flavor. Black Widow and Captain America had blueberry, Hawkeye had cranberry, Thor had mint, and Loki had banana.

Salomon highly endorses the report, which features authoritative analysis provided by Lorna Little, one of New York's leading ice cream tasters.

Dr. Banner glanced at the androids dressed in women's suits standing to the side of the conference room and cast an inquiring look at Salomon.

"You don't know?" the arcane mage asked. "Don't you know what happened after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded?"

Dr. Banner hesitated for a moment, then admitted that he knew nothing beyond what was reported in the news.

"Oh, then you need to brush up on your skills, Doctor." Salomon glanced at Agent Hill as she strode into the conference room. He patted Dr. Banner on the shoulder and stood up. "Madam." Salomon was very polite, but Agent Hill maintained a cold expression—she knew that Salomon was in charge of the lost aircraft carrier and Quinjet fighters, and she also knew that Salomon had played a part in the disbandment of S.H.I.E.L.D. Now Salomon was openly seeking cooperation, and this shamelessness, usually reserved for politicians, was an eye-opener for her. She hadn't expected such behavior to come from a college student.

He wasn't just an ordinary college student; he was a magician college student.

Maria Hill rolled her eyes.

Despite Agent Hill's deep resentment, Nick Fury still left instructions to seek cooperation with Salomon. Coulson's team needed Salomon's help, and since Salomon was certain they would save the world, he had no choice but to assist them when they faced crisis.

"How's Agent Hand doing?" As soon as Dr. Banner returned to the lab, Agent Hill spoke first, confirming her intelligence advantage. However, Salomon didn't care too much; what Agent Coulson's team knew, Nick Fury would also know, so it was normal for Agent Hill to know that Victoria Hand was not dead.

“Very good, I’ve never seen her so happy,” he said. “She’s excitedly preparing for work, hunting down Hydra! She also wanted to recruit Gonzalez, but that stubborn old man refused. Have you contacted them? Those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aren’t having an easy time these days, living on the run.”

"So when can we talk about your harboring of Hydra agents?" Agent Hill, dressed in a business suit, crossed her arms. "And the Sky Carrier."

“They’re just a bunch of honest guys after money, Agent Hill. They’re after money, not Hydra,” Salomon said. “As for the Sky Carrier… who said it’s in my hands? Do you have any proof?” He tapped the table, and Tita walked over from the other side of the conference room and sat down opposite Agent Hill. “My commander will talk to you about this. What we want is cooperation, and we want Hydra heads, don’t we?”

"And what about you? You should know you're a dangerous target. Without surveillance, many people wouldn't be able to sleep."

"I'm not the target, I am the danger. Many people can't sleep with me around, but they don't have the guts to shoot me," Salomon said. "I'm busy. You SHIELD left behind a mess with a lot of contraband, and I have to clean up your mess. I know what Project Slingshot is—it was a hoax. Remember the Berserker Cane? That thing was in the cold storage, and now Hydra has breached it, and I'm going to retrieve it for you."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)