Nick Fury was under heavy scrutiny for failing to act during the President's abduction. He had to face a congressional hearing to account for his actions during the crisis. The truth was, Fury hadn't mobilized S.H.I.E.L.D. resources for the rescue operation. The only defense he had was that Maria Hill, his deputy, had conducted an investigation into Killian and his AIM company. That investigation was Fury's sole piece of evidence to show that S.H.I.E.L.D. had been active in the matter.
If Fury couldn't convince the committee that he had made meaningful efforts to protect the President, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s next-quarter budget was in serious jeopardy. Competing agencies like the FBI, NSA, and CIA were already vying for the same pool of funds. FBI Director Robert Mueller even went on record saying that if the FBI had received more funding, the President would never have been kidnapped in the first place.
Naturally, Nick Fury wasn't going to let this happen. He had other tricks up his sleeve—like blaming the military. After all, it was the military's investment in AIM and their support of Killian's Extremis research that enabled the President's kidnapping. He planned to argue that it was the military's negligence that led to the crisis. Moreover, when S.H.I.E.L.D. seized AIM's assets, they discovered that much of the Extremis research data had already gone missing. Fury intended to highlight that S.H.I.E.L.D. was actively investigating the whereabouts of this missing data.
Regardless of the strategy he chose, Fury knew one thing: he had to maintain composure and sharpness during the hearing. And there was no way he could show up wearing those cursed bunny ears. This disappointed Solomon greatly; he had been looking forward to seeing the senators and the Secretary of Defense react to Fury's ridiculous appearance.
Still, Solomon found it curious—what made Nick Fury so confident that he would lift the curse?
"You and Maya Hansen appeared together in security footage," Fury said. "According to Stark, Maya Hansen is dead. What you may not know is that the cameras at Killian's base weren't all disabled. Don't worry, I've already deleted the footage. In return, I need you to lift this curse. And, I need information about Extremis. Maya Hansen is a critical witness; she knows a lot."
"You win," Solomon said, patting Fury on the shoulder. He muttered a few words and dispelled the curse. Fury leapt out of his chair, ripped the bunny ears off, and tossed them aside, moving with the speed of a rabbit.
"I've had enough of this nonsense!" Fury exhaled deeply. "Let me warn you—don't think you can curse the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. with impunity!"
"Zzz—"
"What was that?"
"A new curse," Solomon replied with a smirk.
"S.H.I.T! Damn you!" Fury roared.
"Is your life just a cycle of fighting and studying?" Maya Hansen asked. She wore safety goggles and rubber gloves as she skillfully worked with a scalpel on the cold, lifeless body laid out on the metal slab before her. Although the corpse wasn't entirely human, Maya's extensive understanding of mammalian anatomy made the task manageable.
"You've never thought about attending a party or something? When I was in school, I always went to parties. You should know that bookish boys aren't popular with girls… Well, looking at your build and your face, I suppose you're an exception." She carefully sliced along the clavicle, then made a long incision down the midline. Sliding the scalpel beneath the skin, she began separating the fur-covered flesh and fat from the underlying structure to expose the ribcage. The materials Solomon provided gave her plenty of subjects to dissect, and this wasn't her first time working on a non-human species.
Yet, every time she performed an autopsy on these humanoid creatures, she was amazed by their physiology. With her limited research tools, she could only conduct a rough analysis. Her findings included heat-resistant cells in infernal-blooded creatures, abnormalities in the platelets of lycanthrope victims, and the peculiar oxidation rates of vampire red blood cells.
She speculated that if she could replicate the heat-resistant cells of infernal creatures in humans, she might be able to create a version of the Extremis virus that would never go out of control.
"As thanks for helping me out of a tough spot, I could reluctantly agree to be your practice date," she teased. "When you saw my body earlier, you weren't as composed as you claimed—you were crossing your legs. Don't tell me that was a show of social etiquette; I'm done believing that nonsense! Why are you looking at me like that? I can't always solve my problems on my own, you know."
"You should keep your mouth shut while dissecting; otherwise, the lycanthropy virus might enter your respiratory system," Solomon said, flipping through a book Maya had specifically requested. In addition to being his subordinate, Maya also acted as his unofficial tutor during her downtime—a job for which she wasn't paid.
They were in a room located directly below Maya's bedroom in the Eternal City. The space had been temporarily converted into an autopsy lab. The expensive handwoven wool rugs had been removed, though a tapestry depicting Samson slaying a lion remained on the wall. The wooden paneling was left bare, with no additional wallpaper.
Solomon had brought in several freezers to serve as temporary storage for the bodies. The corpses Maya was dissecting came from the orphanage attack; in other words, all of the dark magic creatures had been killed by Solomon himself. As such, many of the bodies were damaged. Without precise anatomical knowledge, Solomon couldn't reliably exploit the weaknesses of these creatures. That's why he tasked Maya with compiling a complete physiological study of dark magic beings.
These findings would eventually serve as training material for Kamar-Taj's earthly operatives.
"Lycanthropy doesn't meet your needs, boss?" Maya asked.
"No," Solomon replied, taking a bite of his dry bread as if the stench of the corpses didn't bother him in the slightest. He didn't look up as he continued scribbling notes on paper. "What I need are humans—or, if you prefer, call them mutants. They should possess some magical abilities, but they don't need the ability to reproduce. I need them to act as surrogates for arcane practitioners in the mundane world so that we can focus on countering extra-dimensional threats."
"Oh, another term I've never heard before. You really need to explain these things to me. What is an 'extra-dimensional threat'? Are we talking about higher dimensions? Fourth dimension? Fifth?"
"Think of the universe as an egg," Solomon said, putting down his pen and projecting a translucent hologram above his head. "Our material universe is the yolk, and the egg white is the infinite void beyond it.
"The problem is, there are other yolks inside the egg. As they grow, they constantly try to absorb nutrients from our yolk, leading to endless conflict. And it gets worse—this isn't the only egg. Other eggs exist, and their yolks don't always stay within their own whites. Ours happens to be larger and more nutritious, so it's a prime target."
"That's… a surprisingly clear explanation. Ever thought about becoming a teacher?"
"I don't need a career. After I graduate, I'll devote myself entirely to the war against extra-dimensional invaders. In fact, I'm already fighting one—more specifically, I'm involved in a personal war with the Lords of Hell. That's why I need to accelerate my research and eliminate distractions."
"What's so special about you?" Maya asked, pausing her work to glance at Solomon's back. Her voice was filled with curiosity. "Or do extra-dimensional wars start over any random boy?"
"This is a bloody war for the throne. Eliminating competitors is just common sense."
"So, you're special?"
"You could say that," Solomon admitted with a nod. "Someone always wants me dead. Devils covet my soul, and as for gods… well, it depends on the pantheon. Alright, I've finished the test. Time for you to grade it."
"Ever since the Asgardians showed up, I can't tell which myths are real and which aren't… Hmm, perfect score again. Why are you studying so hard when you already know this stuff?"
"My goal is to ace everything. Also, give me some A-Level test tips, charming lady."
"More like a flat-chested lady," Maya shot back with a cold smile, slapping the perfect-score test paper onto Solomon's desk. "Alright, you can leave now. I've got work to do. Next time, bring back the virus samples and research equipment you promised. And listen carefully—I need a flow cytometer, fully automated biochemical analyzer, urine analyzer, hematology analyzer, coagulation analyzer, ESR analyzer, cryostat, rotary microtome, pathology image processing system, ultrapure water system, refrigerated centrifuge, microplate reader, CO2 incubator, biosafety cabinet, and a batch of lab mice. Boss, can you even afford all that?"
"Phew… Hang on, let me rob a bank first…" Solomon sighed.
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