Reborn as the God-Emperor in Marvel

"Do you know about the Asgardians, Agent Victoria Hand?" Solomon ignored the gun pointed at the back of his head by the tall woman with streaked red hair. "Are you fighting for humanity?"

"Who are you?" Victoria Hand took a step forward, pressing the gun barrel against the back of Solomon's head. She demanded, "Who told you about this address? What's your purpose here?"

"It seems all agents have the same bad habits. When Nick Fury first met me, he also asked a bunch of nonsense questions, which annoyed me greatly," Solomon sighed. The reason he had come here was to recruit a talented agent. After all, when Nick Fury had tricked him, Solomon realized how impractical it would be to rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. to help expand Kamar-Taj's influence in the mundane world.

Compared to the global population, Kamar-Taj's numbers were insignificant. People with magical talent were rare, and even fewer could pass the test of the Vishanti. With such a small number, it was extremely difficult to protect the entire Earth from magical threats. The Earth's current period of peace, free from the menace of interdimensional demonic gods, was entirely due to the Ancient One's presence at Kamar-Taj. However, with time, the Ancient One would eventually step down. When that time came, Solomon would need a team—a team equipped with magical weapons to deal with Earth's internal dark magic threats, allowing Kamar-Taj sorcerers to focus on external interdimensional dangers.

Doctor Strange, that rookie, was unreliable. His only true talent seemed to be causing trouble.

This team would be built upon the foundation of the Brotherhood of the Shield, and Solomon planned to investigate and inherit its legacy at some point. He no longer trusted Nick Fury. Even if the Brotherhood were handed over to Fury, that guy would undoubtedly have his own agenda. Agent Coulson was too loyal to Fury to be an option for Solomon. Maria Hill was also off the table, being one of Fury's trusted subordinates, and an overseer placed in S.H.I.E.L.D. by the World Security Council. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. fell into chaos, she would be able to escape unscathed.

The only person worth recruiting was Agent Victoria Hand, who would have died in the S.H.I.E.L.D. uprising. Solomon had no concerns about her loyalty; a contract would solve that. He just needed to find a law firm to help draft an airtight agreement, and that would settle everything.

Victoria Hand blinked quickly, her hand steady on the trigger, ready to shoot at any moment.

"I know you have clearance to access files on the Asgardians. Thor, the Destroyer… those figures from myth have now become part of reality. Actually, I shouldn't say it like that. I should say this: for the first time, modern humans are beginning to understand what the real world is like. The arrival of the Asgardians has awakened humanity from its arrogant delusions," Solomon said with a smile. "Would you like to know more?"

Victoria Hand's heartbeat remained steady. "What do you know?" she asked.

"Everything."

"And your goal?"

"Well, let's put it this way: when a person engages in a great cause, they become unstoppable. That's a direct quote from Nick Fury, and you believe it wholeheartedly," Solomon slowly stood up. Moonlight poured over him, casting a soft, ethereal glow on his silver clasp, the sacred relic cloth, his gemstone ring, and his slightly wavy black hair. He turned around slowly, looking at Victoria Hand, who stood in the shadows across the sofa.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founding principle is to protect—to protect individuals from harm, to protect Earth from alien threats. But whether you believe it or not, it's never been S.H.I.E.L.D. that has protected Earth. It's always been us. For thousands of years, we've safeguarded human civilization, ensuring it grows independently without external threats. The Asgardians are our allies. S.H.I.E.L.D. is helpless against future dangers, which is why I'm inviting you to join me."

"Who are you, really?"

"Solomon Damonet, from Kamar-Taj, a magical organization dedicated to protecting humanity. Our legacy dates back to before the dawn of human civilization, to the time of the most powerful sorcerer, Agamotto. You will be the second person in S.H.I.E.L.D. to know my identity. The first is Nick Fury." Solomon clapped his hands, and suddenly the room's lights turned on. Victoria Hand was startled by the sudden brightness, and then she heard a soft jingling sound.

As Solomon moved his fingers, steam rose from the teapot on the table, and a white porcelain teacup reached out with a tiny hand to pick up a silver spoon beside it. The teacup knocked on its own head, then jumped onto the table. The teabag tore its own packaging, grabbing a sugar cube with its string. As the teacup chimed rhythmically, it danced up and down, finally landing in the hot water. It soaked in the cup contentedly, letting out a satisfied sigh.

The whimsical scene left Victoria Hand wide-eyed. Her first thought was that she had been poisoned and had fallen into a trap using hallucinogenic gas or something similar.

"Magic, not some hallucinogen. It would take much more effort to make you hallucinate like this. No need to doubt; this is magic. My file is classified, not even accessible with Level 10 clearance. It's not my first time at Triskelion headquarters either. I've observed you, and you are the most suitable candidate," Solomon said. "By the way, I apologize. I saw a teabag under the table and took the liberty of making some tea."

Solomon walked over, sat down on the long sofa, and casually picked up the teacup to drink. He had no intention of recruiting an agent with just a few words; he was simply laying out an offer.

"I recently returned from Asgard and brought you a gift. It's the finest Asgardian mead. I hope you like it. Ms. Hand, this is an invitation," Solomon said. "When you are completely disillusioned with S.H.I.E.L.D., you can contact me. No matter what state you're in at that time, if you're alive, I will recruit you. If you're dead… well, then you owe me a life."

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"You actually tried to recruit one of my agents!" Nick Fury shouted. "I was going to compensate you!"

"What could you possibly give me, Nick Fury? I don't need anything from you. The last time I accepted your diamonds, it was only because they were raw materials," Solomon said, eyes closed, feet propped on the desk. He waved his hand impatiently, signaling Fury to stop talking nonsense. He had a headache.

The shock that Bayonetta had given him was too much. He didn't even dare spend the night in that apartment. Bayonetta had called him a "shy boy with clumsy kissing skills." Not that Solomon thought Bayonetta was particularly skilled either. Even back at his room in Kamar-Taj, puberty hormones kept him from getting a good night's sleep. It wasn't until he took some medicine (a universal elixir) and combined it with the lingering effects of the mead from Asgard that he finally fell asleep.

Victoria Hand had reported everything to Fury, just as Solomon had expected. Before S.H.I.E.L.D. collapsed, Hand had been loyal. She demanded that Fury give her full access to Solomon's file, but due to the contract between Fury and Solomon, she got nothing. All Fury told her was that he was Solomon's overseer. Without that comment, Hand would have continued pressing the issue.

"And this!" Fury pulled out another item, the mead Solomon had gifted Hand. "You didn't tell me you went to Asgard! What were you doing there?"

"Do I need to inform you every time I visit Asgard, Nick Fury? That's Kamar-Taj business. You'd better not interfere. Don't forget our agreement. The contract clearly states that when the time comes, I won't care if the people standing before me are S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They'll only have one option: death. I believe you've already experienced that," Solomon said impatiently. His vacation was almost over, and his schedule for the remaining days was packed. There was no way he would give up his chance to visit Akihabara just to deal with Fury.

"Let's negotiate properly, Solomon Damonet."

"Then stick to the contract. Don't look for loopholes," Solomon opened his eyes. "You exchange information on dark magical creatures for magical support. This is strictly a transactional relationship."

"You're still holding a grudge? I reminded you to fulfill your obligation on the plane."

"Don't bring that up again," Solomon glared at him. "It makes me mad every time I think about how you tricked me."

"Alright, I admit I made a mistake, and I've already apologized. I promised to make it up to you," Fury said. "Also..."

"Also what?"

"I don't think you really want to recruit my agent. You're just trying to get a little revenge. Otherwise, you wouldn't have approached Agent Hand. But I have to say, your approach was a bit immature," Fury chuckled. "I think your intelligence skills are decent, but I can teach you more. When it comes to protecting the world, S.H.I.E.L.D. has more experience. You and I are the same—we're willing to do whatever it takes to protect the world. How about dropping out of Eton and enrolling in the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy? There, you could receive a more systematic education."

"Oh really? Is that all you think I've done? Then go ahead and think that. I won't tell you anything more," Solomon shrugged. "And I'm not as bad as you say, am I? I'm a sorcerer, not an agent. Besides… what's S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy compared to Oxford?"

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