Chapter 365: Rumors at Triskelion Headquarters

Once again, Solomon found himself begrudgingly impressed by Nick Fury's all-encompassing intelligence network.

Fury had assembled a handpicked team from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence division, bound by countless NDAs and "slave contracts," ensuring they wouldn't leak information. This team's sole focus was tracking and analyzing every move Solomon made. Fury had made it abundantly clear on multiple occasions that he had more than one "eye" watching Solomon, though he described this as merely one among many.

In response, Solomon had also made his stance clear:

If he ever found a Skrull near him, he would kill it on sight. On the street? Dead on the street. In a restaurant? Dead in the restaurant. He didn't care if he was caught on camera decapitating a slimy green alien—it didn't matter. Fury needed to understand that if Skrulls set foot on Earth, Solomon would wipe them out without hesitation.

What began as a conversation about Solomon's interest in Lara Croft quickly escalated into a heated argument over Skrulls. Fury found himself on the receiving end of Solomon's fiery tirade: accusations of idiocy for trusting the Skrulls, threats of immediate violence if they were ever spotted on Earth, and a few scattered bits of cake and spilled tea as collateral damage.

By the end, Fury couldn't even remember why he'd brought up Lara Croft in the first place. Perhaps Solomon was simply curious about meeting someone new. After all, he was still young. Fury reasoned that it was natural for a young man to want to interact with an intriguing woman. On some level, Fury was even relieved to see Solomon expressing such normal human desires—it was a rare sign that he wasn't entirely consumed by his duties.

Eventually, the matter was resolved. Fury assured Solomon that Agent Coulson had already gone through Greenwich University's surveillance footage, deleting any instances where Solomon's face was visible. While there was no shortage of images showing Solomon in his armor and helmet, he had been careful to avoid revealing his identity.

Solomon left the office humming the tune to "The Bear and the Maiden Fair." A witness later claimed to have seen a sharply dressed young man in a tailored black suit, complete with a silver-hilted rapier at his hip, enter a restroom stall. After a flash of orange light and the sound of flushing, the stall was empty.

"Good grief, does S.H.I.E.L.D.'s restroom connect to the Ministry of Magic?"

And thus, a new urban legend began circulating among the lower-ranking staff at Triskelion headquarters. The rumor gained traction, particularly among clerks and administrative personnel, that the restroom housed a secret portal to a magical department.

Higher-ranking agents dismissed the idea, instead theorizing that the stall was an entrance to a classified base within Triskelion. Perhaps Fury's most closely guarded secrets were hidden there.

Soon, even field agents began taking an unusual interest in the restroom during their off-duty breaks. The flow of curious personnel was finally curbed by an official notice issued by Alexander Pierce of the World Security Council, who labeled the rumors as "absurd."

"No one in their right mind would put the entrance to a secret base beneath a flushing toilet," the memo stated.

Fury couldn't help but laugh as he read the memo. "I didn't know you had a sense of humor," he remarked to Pierce.

"I've always had a sense of humor," Pierce replied, pouring a glass of light wine for himself and Fury. "You've just never bothered to get off your ass long enough to hear my jokes."

It was work hours, so the drinks were kept light—enough to ease the tension without impairing judgment.

"The World Security Council wants answers," Pierce began, his tone turning serious. "Those bureaucrats think the aliens were our doing. And to be fair, last time was our fault—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s experiments with the Tesseract brought Loki here. They're demanding assurances that we're not conducting experiments with Loki's scepter and want to send inspectors to verify its storage."

"The scepter's locked away," Fury said, setting his glass aside. He folded his arms and leaned back in his chair like a brooding bear. "It's sealed up with the Chitauri wreckage on the other side of the planet. That's not the issue, Pierce."

"What's the issue, then?"

"If we let the council inspect the scepter, they won't stop there," Fury said gravely. "They'll poke and prod into everything—down to our office supplies, looking for evidence of corruption. Sure, a $10 Mitsubishi UMN-207 gel pen is expensive, but that doesn't mean we're embezzling funds."

"You mean the liquor cabinet on the Helicarrier?" Pierce quipped, landing a verbal jab. But he didn't press the issue; for now, their goals aligned.

"I'm not letting the council plant their agents in S.H.I.E.L.D.," Pierce declared with a smirk. "Not because of Coulson's liquor cabinet, but because those bureaucrats can't be allowed to obstruct our work or uncover our secrets. If they send us daily inquiries, we won't get anything done. Worse, some idiot might start believing we're some kind of world-manipulating shadow organization."

Pierce sneered at the thought. "They'll only realize how vital S.H.I.E.L.D. is once we're gone. Without us, global security would be in shambles. But right now, they're happy to enjoy the peace we provide while throwing stones at us. That has to stop, Nicholas."

"I'll handle the council," Pierce assured him. "But I need you to do me a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Fury asked.

"It's about Solomon Damonet." Pierce leaned forward, his voice dropping slightly. "The council knows about him—or at least, they've started piecing it together from your reports. They want me to talk to him. He's on Earth, isn't he? Thor and the Hulk are walking nukes, and Solomon isn't far behind. We need to strike a deal with him. If he wants to go public, fine, but it has to be on our terms. Especially since he's linked to the alien invasion. The council's losing its mind."

"For the record, Solomon's the one who issued the invasion warning," Fury said defensively. "He also killed their leader. Sure, he's tight-lipped about what happened, but I trust him."

"Why?"

"Because his teacher has been fighting enemies beyond our understanding for years. They think we're beneath their notice—ordinary problems for ordinary people to solve."

Pierce swirled his glass thoughtfully. "Well, let's hope they don't get any ideas about taking over the world."

"You never know," Fury said with a wry smile. "Solomon loves quoting Veni, Vidi, Vici. Let's just hope his sights stay on aliens and demons."

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