Solomon in Marvel

Tatyana and the other sisters all stopped their training in unison. Through the training hall's windows, they watched as the women of the Sisterhood directed a forklift, transporting a heavy cast-iron coffin down the street outside. The coffin was covered in dense silver runes, and thick iron chains wrapped around it multiple times before being welded shut.

Not a single girl wasn't curious about what was inside that heavy coffin, but none dared to ask. They would find out one day—but not yet. They had not completed their training and were not yet worthy servants. However, they all believed that, one day, they would wield swords in service. Every girl held that belief with conviction.

When they saw Lady Katherine passing by the training grounds without her helmet, the girls let out small cheers. Lady Tita did not need to express anything—every girl held great respect for her. Katherine, however, was different. She was lively and outspoken, carefree and bold. Not only did she teach them swordsmanship, but she also took care of them in private and had a habit of sneaking drinks. It was said that once, Tita had thrown Katherine out of a window by her belt because she had drunk all of Tita's wine collection. That wine had been a gift from their master, and it was the only time the girls had ever seen Tita lose her composure.

"I see you up there!" Katherine called out, tilting her head back to look up. She spoke in English, the designated language for today's training. Tomorrow would be Latin, and the day after, French—the language of the day was always determined by the scheduled coursework.

Her familiarity with the girls gave them confidence. For example, Vera had already overcome her shyness around familiar faces. She boldly leaned on the windowsill and asked Katherine about dinner.

"Maybe lemon-roasted chicken."

Katherine thought back to what was being prepared in the kitchen before she left for her mission.

That kitchen was run by older girls, those with disabilities, or those who, for various reasons, could not participate in combat training. They also handled laundry and sewing, completely separate from the Sisterhood's recruits. They did not want to return to their homelands, nor did they wish to leave. Some were even pregnant. Solomon had arranged for them to live near the Sisterhood, providing logistical support—not as unpaid labor, but with wages. They also received professional training. If they ever chose to leave, they could apply and walk away with savings and useful skills. Some would become chefs, others would open laundromats, and some might even serve as the Sisterhood's informants in the mundane world.

One could say that Solomon's policies were humane—none of the girls left out of training had any reason to complain. The one who did complain was Tita, who believed her master was too kind to these girls. Solomon had even provided them with personal phones, though Tita controlled their screen time.

Fun fact: Tita discovered that the most viewed content among the girls was silly cat pictures.

Food was one of the Sisterhood's greatest expenses, but Solomon had no financial concerns. The girls dined on ingredients from around the world, and each meal resembled a lavish feast from a wealthy Western household. Tonight's dinner included beet-cured salmon, roasted pork ribs, and lemon-roasted chicken. Desserts featured Black Forest cake, along with an endless supply of milk tea, soda, and a permanently stocked ice cream machine in the dining hall. The girls indulged without worrying about their figures—the next day's training would burn every last calorie.

For the artificial soldiers, a recruit's training was considered complete only when she could wrestle a brown bear with her bare hands. The girls were being conditioned to achieve exactly that. Slavic girls were not afraid of such training. Aside from the foul-tasting alchemical potions and grueling physical drills, their lives were far better than before they were trafficked.

From a distance, the other artificial soldiers called out to Katherine. She hurriedly put her helmet back on. Tita, expressionless, watched as Katherine waved halfheartedly at the window before skipping over, her chainsaw sword and explosive pistol clanking loudly against her armor. Tita frowned and turned away, silently deciding to halve the amount of time Katherine was permitted to serve beside their master.

This was the greatest punishment for the artificial soldiers. Tita hoped it would make Katherine reflect on her flighty behavior.

"Deliver this to Dr. Maya Hansen's bio-lab," Tita ordered. "Be careful. Whatever's inside might still be alive."

This was a direct order from Solomon. The accompanying document detailed where the iron coffin was to be stored, the security measures required, and the subsequent procedures. This was the first official application of the ABN Protocol (named after the first three letters of the Latin word for "anomaly"), a newly established standard procedure for handling magical creatures and dark sorcerers.

Tita glanced at the iron coffin, which continued to emit muffled thuds from within, then resumed reading the document. She would also need to retrieve a special containment vat from Solomon's personal warehouse and transport it to Cell A-05-F2, where the entity inside the iron coffin would be transferred.

There were not enough personnel for this, so the Sisterhood would have to handle it themselves.

Tita knew exactly what that special containment vat was. It was larger than the tanks used to create artificial soldiers, filled with a pale green solution and covered in intricate cables. She didn't understand their exact purpose, but with help from the experts in the bio-lab, she was confident she could complete the task.

"Also," she added, "pass along greetings to Dr. Maya Hansen. His Majesty is far too busy to visit the lab himself."

Solomon had discussed with her the issues revealed during the last mission. He believed the fundamental problem was the nature of shadow creatures, which had stalled the operation. As a result, he mandated that all combat personnel be equipped with specialized anti-magic weaponry, including power longswords, silver-powder fragmentation grenades, grenade launchers, and recoilless rifles. The first two would be mass-produced, while the latter two would be stored aboard every assault transport craft for specialized engagements. These new weapons utilized advanced mystic technology. Though production in Eternal City was still ramping up, the Sisterhood would receive priority access.

As for the plasma weapon that had catastrophically exploded on-site, it would be revised and improved for future deployment.

Princess Shuri swore she would fix the problem.

Solomon did not tell her the whole truth. Instead, he quietly reassigned several Wakandan scientists to different projects.

"Master, where are you headed now?" Tita asked, watching the mage—still dressed in his shabby sleepwear, a small black cat nestled in his pocket. She was not questioning why he was leaving work behind but rather expressing concern for his safety.

Tita knew that some people already saw their master as a threat. More than once, she had pleaded for Solomon to increase his personal security detail, even proposing that armed artificial soldiers accompany him to lectures.

That request was far too extreme, and Solomon had refused without hesitation.

However, he reassured Tita that only a few knew his true identity. As long as Stephanie kept a low profile when taking him out, he would not become a target. All Tita needed to do was maintain contact with Natasha Romanoff and monitor Hydra's movements. There was no need to overreact.

Later, when Tita visited Stark Industries for business negotiations, she would take care of that matter as well.

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