Solomon in Marvel

Solomon decided to send Tita to Stark Industries to negotiate with Agent Hill, rather than Stephanie. Victoria Hand couldn't show her face—she was still on the official death list. If anyone found out she was alive, a congressional manhunt would immediately follow. The idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. was entirely Hydra had been deeply ingrained in the public mind through relentless media coverage.

Through Stephanie, Solomon had identified the true beneficiaries behind this entire farce.

In the near future, U.S. intelligence agencies would see a massive rise in power. Stephanie had advised Solomon not to interfere with the CIA's operations for now. Jumping into the fray would only make him a target. Besides, Eternal City had already seized much of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mobile assets—aircraft carriers, Quinjet squadrons, and more—while shifting the blame onto Hydra. There was no need to fight politicians and intelligence agencies for surface-level control, not when the real treasure trove of secrets was still buried by Nick Fury, its location unknown to all.

Solomon took Tita to Stark Industries, but his target wasn't Tony Stark—it was Maria Hill, who was now working under Stark's protection. Thanks to Stark's wealth and her direct appointment by the World Security Council, the investigation into her involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D. had wrapped up quickly. However, she was permanently barred from intelligence work—a minor inconvenience in a world where money could buy anything. Now, her primary role was mediating conflicts within the Avengers.

That was where Solomon ran into Dr. Bruce Banner.

Stark had given Banner a fully equipped lab where he could focus on research without distractions. The scientist had little interest in violence—he was one of the few who could engage Solomon on an intellectual level. Their research fields had some overlap. Though Banner hadn't interacted much with Solomon, he was familiar with his academic achievements.

Banner first expressed gratitude for the magical artifact Solomon had sent him to help regulate his emotions. He had extensively analyzed it… only to come up with absolutely nothing.

It was, after all, a magic item. Aside from spectral analysis, he could do little with it. Worse, during his attempts to dismantle it, the artifact had simply ceased to function. The embarrassment had made Banner vow never to bring it up again.

While waiting for Maria Hill to finish her work, Banner advised Solomon not to waste time in undergraduate studies. He suggested fast-tracking his education, obtaining a PhD, publishing papers, gaining recognition, and securing research funding—practical advice from one scientist to another.

"This world doesn't tolerate outliers very well, Bruce," Solomon said, his words carrying a deeper meaning. Banner gave an awkward chuckle—he understood all too well. If not for S.H.I.E.L.D.'s protection, General Ross would have hunted him to the ends of the earth after the battle with Abomination. He had not only cost his would-be father-in-law his military rank but was now determined to live in a lab for the rest of his life.

"I already stand out enough," the mage continued. "There's no need for unnecessary attention over trivial matters. Right now, I'm just an ordinary college student—no one knows who I really am. And that's fine. I hate fame. Even more than I hate being tabloid fodder."

Banner nodded in agreement.

He admitted that he rarely left Stark Industries. He ate, slept, and practically lived in his lab, rarely venturing outside—even for food.

After the Battle of New York, the Avengers had become massive pop culture icons. Toy companies, with the exception of Hasbro, had released countless unauthorized merchandise. But no one cared—after all, Iron Man wasn't about to fly down in his suit and demand copyright fees from an ice cream stand.

Besides, Iron Man's strawberry-flavored ice cream was nowhere near as good as Hulk's matcha almond flavor. Black Widow and Captain America had blueberry, Hawkeye had cranberry, Thor had mint, and Loki had banana.

As New York's premier ice cream connoisseur, little Lorna had provided a detailed expert analysis of the flavors. Solomon fully agreed with her findings.

Dr. Banner then cast a curious glance at the formally dressed artificial soldiers standing by the conference room wall.

"You don't know?" Solomon asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not aware of what happened after S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded?"

Banner hesitated before admitting that beyond what the news had reported, he was completely in the dark.

"Oh, then you really need a history lesson, doctor."

Solomon's eyes flicked toward the doorway as Maria Hill strode into the conference room. He clapped Banner on the shoulder before rising from his chair.

"Ma'am."

His demeanor was impeccably polite, but Hill still wore a cold expression. She knew that the stolen S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft carriers and Quinjet fleets were in Solomon's hands. She also knew that he had played a role in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s downfall.

Now, he had the audacity to come seeking cooperation?

This level of shameless political maneuvering was something she expected from career politicians, not college students.

Then again, he wasn't just any college student—he was a mage.

Maria Hill rolled her eyes.

Regardless of her personal feelings, she had her orders. Nick Fury had left clear instructions to maintain contact with Solomon. Coulson's team would need his help eventually. If Solomon believed they would save the world, then when they were in crisis, he would have no choice but to assist.

"How's Agent Hand?"

As soon as Banner left, Hill wasted no time asserting her intelligence advantage.

Solomon, however, wasn't particularly concerned. If Coulson's team knew something, then Nick Fury would know it too. It was only natural that Hill would also be aware that Victoria Hand was still alive.

"She's doing great. I've never seen her this enthusiastic before," Solomon replied. "She's thrilled to be back at work—hunting down Hydra. She even tried to recruit Gonzalez, but that stubborn old man turned her down. Have you reached out to them yet? Those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aren't having an easy time living on the run."

"Then when are we going to discuss your harboring of former Hydra agents?" Hill crossed her arms. "And the stolen helicarriers?"

"They're just men chasing money, Hill. Their loyalty was to cash, not Hydra," Solomon replied. "As for the helicarriers… Who exactly said they were in my possession? Do you have evidence?"

He rapped his knuckles on the table, signaling Tita to approach. She took a seat across from Hill.

"My commander will handle that discussion," Solomon said. "What we want is cooperation. We want Hydra's heads on pikes. Isn't that right?"

Hill narrowed her eyes. "And what about you? You do realize you're a high-risk target, don't you? If left unwatched, you're going to keep some people up at night."

"I'm not a high-risk target." Solomon's voice carried a dangerous edge. "I am the danger itself. As long as I breathe, many will lose sleep—but none of them have the nerve to pull the trigger."

He leaned in slightly.

"I have better things to do. The mess S.H.I.E.L.D. left behind is full of forbidden artifacts. I have to clean up your agency's failures. I know what Project Slingshot really was—it was a scam.

Remember the Berserker Staff? That thing was sitting in The Fridge. Now, The Fridge has fallen to Hydra.

And I have to go get it back."

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