Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 674 The Gap Between Reality and Ideal (First Update)

At the Avengers' new headquarters, a gloomy atmosphere hung over certain agents with access to intelligence, but they dared not tell anyone. The reason was simple: the two most important members of the Avengers were imprisoned, and no one knew whether they were alive or dead, or when they would return. "I'll talk to Salomon. But I can only ensure the survival of the Avengers members, not the safety of all agents, unless they exist in the future Salomon envisions. Like Agent Coulson, Rogers, and Stark." Nick Fury frowned, his tone stern. "This should never have happened in the first place. Agent Hill, you failed to control Tony Stark and Steve Rogers' behavior."

“I can’t do it.” Maria Hill shook her head, pointing at the spot, and said very decisively, “It’s impossible. Even Agent Coulson’s team and the remaining S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are no longer under our control. Agent Gonzalez and Agent Weaver are still on the carrier; I can’t contact them.”

"Your intelligence is outdated, Agent Hill. Agent Coulson didn't tell you everything." Nick Fury sighed. "Gonzalez is dead. The killer is Skye's mother, Jane, the Inhuman Salomon is currently holding. As for Agent Weaver, she's disappointed in Agent Coulson and has now sided with Victoria."

Agent Hill shrugged, indicating that he was powerless to help.

Although she didn't face much blame for her role as an undercover agent sent by the World Security Council to S.H.I.E.L.D. during the Hydra rebellion, she was subjected to numerous interrogations as Nick Fury's most trusted second-in-command, and even required to undergo regular lie detector tests. She was no longer able to build the intelligence network and obtain the latest information as she had previously.

Now, her identity is more that of an undercover agent sent by Congress to infiltrate the Avengers, just like the roles she played in the past.

"I know, but I need you to make sure they don't do anything outrageous again. And you, Agent Romanoff, you're both insurance for the Avengers, preventing those big boys from getting carried away. And maybe there's a robot too, who knows what's going on!" Nick Fury's one eye was fixed on the evidence the Avengers had gathered during this incident. Even the simplest deductions suggested what Salomon was doing on the East Coast: hunting monsters and preventing a bigger disaster. Nick Fury was quite satisfied with Salomon's actions. Although they hadn't completely stopped the earthquake, it was obvious he had prevented something far worse.

The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. reaffirmed that they were the same kind of people, and Salomon's operation was, in his view, extremely successful.

"As for the little boy, I'm pretty sure he knows some very important information. He wants to verify its authenticity, otherwise he wouldn't be so insistent on getting something out of Jia Ying. This means that information can't be predicted by magic, so I'll let him decide for himself. The fact that he takes it so seriously indicates that it involves an extinction-level event. As for the magical contamination... this is the first time Steve Rogers has directly witnessed Kamar-Taj's modus operandi." Nick Fury scoffed twice. "He always says the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D. are different, but now he's seen what the real world looks like. S.H.I.E.L.D. became what it is because it's necessary, and so is Kamar-Taj. I can even imagine their negotiations—Rogers will definitely refuse to be inspected, then a conflict will break out, and more agents will lose their lives."

The former director of S.H.I.E.L.D. sighed.

"This is the consequence of not having received professional agent training, only considering emotional factors and not reality. When they return, try not to let them take a hostile attitude towards Salomon. I don't want to see a Salomon Damonette on the opposite side. If that happens, then the Avengers will have no power to fight back except to wait for Thor's help. Salomon is not a harmless lamb."

“That’s hard to say, sir.” Agent Romanov looked worried as well. “I don’t think Tony Stark is a magnanimous man. As for Rogers, Salomon’s behavior is intolerable in his eyes. I’m pretty sure Captain Rogers clashed with Agent Hand, and I don’t even think many agents survived.”

"What did you say?"

Salomon sat at the metal table, meticulously recording every word the madwoman uttered. Officer Carter stood guard to the side, arms crossed, her eyes darting between the madwoman, Salomon, and Bayonetta. She couldn't understand what the man was doing; the words of a mentally ill person couldn't be taken as testimony, and recording the testimony of a mentally ill person was utterly absurd. Equally absurd was the woman in the suit, sitting idly on the other side with her coffee, completely failing to perform the duties expected of an FBI agent, even occasionally kissing the young man's cheek in a seemingly intimate manner.

The man mentioned Harold Finch, which was why Officer Carter chose to trust him for the time being, but she still needed to ask Mr. Finch about the man's identity. She had already sent a photo of his identification to Harold Finch, requesting his information.

She glanced at her phone discreetly; Mr. Finch had already replied.

Why do you need this person's information?

Ha! Looks like you have some secrets, Mr. Finch. Officer Carter thought to herself. She glanced at Salomon, who was taking notes, and discreetly replied to a text message on her phone, "You just need to tell me if these two people are FBI agents."

"I only know that man. To your question, my answer is: no. But if you check with the FBI, yes."

"What does this mean?" Officer Carter asked.

"It means that the man I know isn't an FBI agent, but he does have FBI credentials, and both of their files are in the database, so the credentials are genuine. I found the woman's identification... she has multiple nationalities, and all her documents are genuine."

"They're interrogating a mental patient!" Officer Carter was bewildered. "Who are they?"

"I advise you not to get too involved in this," Harold Finch replied earnestly. "These people are extremely dangerous, and the incidents they're involved in are beyond the capabilities of ordinary people. If they want to do something, let them do it. Don't try to track them down; it's for your own good, Officer Carter."

"CIA?"

"No, they're more dangerous than the CIA! Don't ask them any questions!"

Why?

"I can't tell you why, Officer Carter. Samun Shaw is nearby, and she's agreed to go to the police station and talk to them. Now you just need to turn a blind eye to what they've done."

"As long as they don't harm that poor mental patient."

Salomon stood up and organized the materials in his hands. The madwoman had immediately uttered her prophecy upon seeing him. Salomon had ample experience in interpreting prophecies and oracles; by combining them with past events, he could deduce the future described in the prophecy. "My dear, I need to send her back," he said to Bayonetta. "I think you and Joan can go ahead; I promise I'll follow you."

"That's it?" Although Bayonetta had never studied divination magic, she could still sense the magical aura emanating from the madwoman. The woman had been blessed by some deity, but because humans couldn't withstand such a blessing, the woman's mind had been wreaked havoc by magic. "What does her prophecy point to?"

"It may be related to recent operations... I suspect she was sent to issue a warning."

"Goodbye, Fateline Ethereal." The madwoman walked up to Officer Carter with a dazed look in her eyes. "Your coffee was very good."

"I can't let you leave like this, Agent." Officer Carter stopped the group as they were about to leave the interrogation room. "Don't misunderstand," she waved her hand, "you still need to sign a few documents."

"I hope Mr. Finch has made things clear to you, Officer Carter. No, he didn't betray you; it's just that your little tricks didn't escape my notice." Salomon looked at the officer. "You're a good cop; fate has given you back your lost life. Cherish your second chance."

"What does this mean?"

"It means you've already died once."

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)