Solomon in Marvel

Ruby jolted awake from her sleep, eyes wide open in the darkness, yet unable to see anything. Only the rapid pounding of her heart and the cold sweat trickling down her spine confirmed her lingering fear. The air conditioner hummed softly, releasing a steady stream of cool air, but she still felt unbearably hot. Cold sweat pooled under her arms and between her thighs, prickling her skin like a thousand needles.

She exhaled sharply, pulled back the blanket, and sat up in bed, struggling to recall her dream. She had seen an uncut ruby gleaming in the darkness—only for a slender blade to shatter it into pieces. A simple, mundane dream. Nothing about it should have terrified her. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt as if her mind had been invaded, as if something had peered into her very thoughts.

If a mere dream about a ruby could shake her, then it only proved that her training had not been sufficient. Her will was weak, and she had let fear creep in.

Her room had no windows. Even in total darkness, she could picture what it looked like in the light. Stuffed animals in various shades of pink cluttered every corner. Posters of celebrities lined the walls. To her left was a desk, its surface piled high with books—some open, others scattered in disarray.

Like many American teenagers, she refused to tidy up. It was her small act of rebellion against her mother. Ruby's mother had exceedingly high expectations for her, demanding nothing short of perfection. And Ruby had delivered—whether in physical training or academic excellence, she was the best in this facility, just like her mother had been.

From childhood, her mother had instilled in her one belief: she was unique. She would become the strongest member of Hydra. And despite despising this goal, Ruby had believed it.

She fumbled in the dark, grabbing the remote for the air conditioner and lowering the temperature further. She needed to sleep. She had class in the morning.

"Is that girl Hotweir's creation?" Solomon muttered, standing before a thick iron door, tucking the gift he had prepared into his dimensional storage. "Not impressive. Naïve, weak-willed, and arrogant. And I see no real advancements in Hotweir's bio-modification techniques. She's just an ordinary human."

"Hotweir has many projects. This is merely one of them, and one of the least classified," Stephanie said, feeling the need to defend the scientist. She didn't want Solomon thinking this was all Hydra had to offer. Reaching into her handbag, she pulled out a dossier—a list of all individuals who had trained at this facility.

The handbag itself was the first gift she had ever received from Solomon. At first, she had assumed it was just a well-crafted luxury item suited for a woman of her status. She had not expected it to be enchanted—an object of pure magic. Stephanie had read Harry Potter, so she understood just how precious a bag with infinite storage could be.

"This program focuses on eugenics—one of the Nazi faction's fundamental projects. That girl is an eugenics product. Her mother was the top student of the previous generation in this facility, also an eugenics experiment. She was then artificially inseminated to give birth to her. Hotweir's goal is to identify the strongest genetic combinations for further enhancement. But from a modern scientific standpoint, this entire approach is incredibly foolish," Stephanie explained as she flipped through the pages, committing the details to memory. This information would be critical when Solomon later absorbed Hydra's assets. She wanted to prove her worth in this operation.

"If you're dissatisfied, we can visit Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's facility instead. Ever since he acquired Loki's scepter, he's been running experiments. From what I've heard, the results have been promising."

"I know, but it's unnecessary. Strucker's work is pure luck. Those twins are anomalies—they don't fit into our plans."

Solomon and Stephanie strolled through the deserted corridors of the training facility. The Hydra base had largely been abandoned, leaving only one remaining student this term—Ruby. Her instructors were elite members of the Nazi faction of Hydra, handpicked to train the best.

The two intruders moved freely. Every electronic lock they encountered automatically disengaged, allowing them to pass without resistance. Solomon paid no heed to security cameras or guards, acting as if they did not exist.

Stephanie found the experience exhilarating.

She had grown up knowing Hydra was ruthless. Even as the daughter of Gideon Malik, a high-ranking member of Hydra's old guard, she knew that unauthorized intrusions into another faction's facility could have dire consequences. If she were caught snooping into a rival leader's secrets, her family name alone would not save her.

Yet, she couldn't suppress her thrill at the thought of being discovered. She wanted to witness Solomon unleash his full power. His control over the facility's security systems had already stunned her, but it wasn't enough. She wanted blood.

"What are your expectations for that girl?" Stephanie asked, deliberately raising her voice. "Tell me what you want—I'll make it happen."

"I want assassins. Dedicated assassins."

They entered the facility's cafeteria, where trays of food still lay untouched. Solomon poured himself a glass of juice, hesitated, then grabbed a biscuit as well. His casual demeanor unsettled Stephanie.

"Not every battle is fought head-on," Solomon continued. "I need operatives skilled in infiltration, sabotage, and silent execution—agents who are fearless in the face of death. Such individuals are difficult to find. And even if I do find them, they will require extensive surgical modifications to meet my standards."

"If I may ask… I have yet to see any detailed information on human augmentation within the Eternal City." Stephanie closed the dossier. It was too thick to read in one sitting. She intended to take it with her—no one in the archives would notice it was missing.

The document revealed more than she had expected. Hotweir's influence extended far beyond Hydra, entangling countless international organizations, foundations, and private investors—including entities like the Global Vaccine Alliance.

It made sense.

The United States was one of the few nations that had refused to sign the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Hydra had capitalized on this loophole to conduct unethical experiments. If she could untangle these connections and help Solomon seize control of these assets, she was certain her standing with him would solidify.

"I don't know if your human augmentation project will succeed," Stephanie admitted, "but I recommend absorbing the research of both Hotweir and Strucker first. The biologists my father recruited don't understand magic. They need a scientific framework to guide their work."

By now, Solomon was no longer surprised by Stephanie's eagerness.

"Those biologists will be placed under Maya Hansen's supervision," he replied. "She will oversee the research. All personnel involved will be under strict surveillance. Your father's recruits should ideally be Hydra scientists. I suspect the work environment will be… distressing for outsiders."

Stephanie nodded, understanding the warning.

Solomon had already proven that he did not tolerate incompetence. Those who could not adapt would not survive. And yet, she could not shake the feeling that Solomon was playing a much larger game—one she had yet to fully grasp.

Still, she had made her choice.

Her family had once worshiped a false god, an alien parasite unworthy of devotion.

But now, the Malik family would serve a true god.

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