Solomon especially liked seeing Bayonetta in dresses—particularly long dresses with side slits that didn't hinder combat. They accentuated the sleek, athletic lines of the witch's legs, and the fitted waists perfectly highlighted her extraordinary waist-to-hip ratio and flawless curves. Even Solomon couldn't say how many different outfits Bayonetta owned. Her dimensional wardrobe was seemingly endless; every time she and Jeanne showed up, they brought new surprises.
Jeanne had a backless black leather catsuit paired with red thigh-high boots, the front unzipping all the way from the red-studded choker at her neck to her navel. Bayonetta had a similar outfit, only in deep violet. She had once worn it for Solomon, her pale, flawless shoulders exposed as she unzipped it in front of him until her flat stomach was revealed, letting him leave kisses on her chest. Solomon didn't think he could resist that kind of assault—Bayonetta had a firm grip on his weaknesses.
Everyone seemed to be doing well—except for Steve Rogers.
He was still tirelessly searching for his former comrades, pushing again and again for the Avengers to act. But his efforts weren't purely selfish; after Alexander Pierce's death, the mess left behind was dumped on the Avengers by the U.S. government. Tony Stark's decision to take in vetted S.H.I.E.L.D. agents gave the White House the perfect excuse.
As previously mentioned, the Avengers were essentially a supplement for areas where government control failed, much like gangs during Prohibition. The USA, a nation rooted in fundamentalist capitalism, was a natural breeding ground for HYDRA. If the White House had directly led the campaign against HYDRA, it would have offended a huge number of powerful interests. Even if HYDRA didn't exist, cracking down on corruption and financial networks was politically unfeasible in a capitalist nation. The U.S. government could afford to offend anyone—except money. To avoid having politicians from their party lose campaign funding and oppose their reelection, the current president, advisors, and the State Department all supported offloading the HYDRA cleanup to the Avengers.
"It wasn't the president who cost you your campaign donations—it was the Avengers. Take it up with them!" Gideon Malick let out two dry chuckles as he told Solomon about the State Department outsourcing the HYDRA purge. All he got in return was a look of awkward silence from his daughter.
Solomon simply gave a polite smile and said nothing.
He knew it wasn't a funny joke, and he wasn't good at jokes anyway. But his daughter had brought that man home for dinner without any notice, and he hadn't prepared any kind of small talk. He wouldn't have minded discussing the president's latest moves, what the corporations were planning, or who was involved in which backroom deals. He'd even support an assassination plot against the president. But none of that interested anyone at the table.
It was just a dinner—but Stephanie had arranged security measures for the man that rivaled those of the Secret Service.
Before the guest had even arrived, women in power armor carrying chainswords and explosive rifles had already turned the Malick estate upside down. Every servant and member of Gideon Malick's security team had been dragged out for questioning while strange instruments were waved in front of their faces, accompanied by constant interrogation.
"Who's instructing you?"
"What's your purpose?"
If Gideon hadn't intervened, those lunatics might have actually cut off the guards' heads. He had already experienced the bloodthirst of the Sisterhood and had no intention of going through that again. Even so, Tita felt the security arrangements were still inadequate. She hadn't yet finished checking whether any kitchen staff had traces of enchantment-based manipulation.
She didn't want the Sovereign eating poisoned food.
Frustrated, the artificial woman stood in the hallway with her chainsword in hand, electronic eyes locked onto the Malick father and daughter. Her helmet displayed reports from Sisterhood agents monitoring the kitchen.
Gideon Malick, now quite old, was utterly exhausted after the chaos caused by the Sisterhood. Until Immortal City's rejuvenation surgery was ready for implementation, he could only rely on a regular dose of blood pressure medication to keep from dropping dead on the spot. What frustrated him even more was that Stephanie seemed to care more about that man than about the continuation of the Malick family. She spared no effort in helping him seize HYDRA assets.
He couldn't help but glare across the table—his daughter was practically leaning against the man.
And yet, he couldn't lash out at Solomon. When Stephanie had told him what had become of Whitehall, Gideon resolved never to refer to Solomon by name again, always calling him "that man."
If there was anyone in the world whose name could still send a chill down Gideon Malick's spine, it was Dr. Whitehall. That cold German had left a psychological scar that still lingered. Gideon had no idea how Whitehall had learned the Malick family's secrets, nor how deep his infiltration of HYDRA had gone. And he certainly didn't understand how the young man before him—barely in his twenties—could be so ruthless, taking down Whitehall and enslaving his very soul.
No one wanted an enemy like that. In his hands, death was a mercy.
Solomon didn't disrespect Gideon Malick.
Though he didn't know what had gone wrong between father and daughter, he had accepted Stephanie's invitation and come.
From Solomon's perspective, Gideon Malick was an old political fox, well-versed in every trick capitalism had to offer. His rise wasn't just thanks to inherited political capital—his own cunning had played a role too. A man like this, though lacking in conscience, had the intelligence to help solve the administrative challenges that Immortal City would inevitably face. There's nothing new under the sun when it comes to human conflict; politics and scheming were Malick's specialty. As more factions like Sophia's joined Immortal City in the future, Gideon Malick's experience would become invaluable to Stephanie's administrative system.
To get someone like him moving, you didn't use money or praise—you used whips and blades.
"My father's started introducing me to the heirs of various corporations," Stephanie said softly. "He wants me to get married."
"Oh... And what do you think about that?" Solomon now understood why Stephanie had invited him to the Malick estate.
"I think it's too early," Stephanie said with a smile, completely unfazed by her father's glare. "I can live for a very long time, can't I? Besides, my work involves extreme confidentiality. If I were to cause a leak through negligence…"
Gideon Malick sighed helplessly.
He couldn't argue against Solomon's decisions. He hadn't expected his daughter to hate the idea of marriage so much.
Was this mission really more important than the continuation of the Malick family?
"There will be a child with the Malick name in the future," Solomon said, catching a glimpse of Gideon's face. The old man's expression instantly lit up with hope.
"But not yet. I ask for your understanding, Mr. Malick."
"No problem." A smile spread across Gideon Malick's withered, weary face. He stood up and poured Solomon a glass of wine. "From now on, we're family."
A brief rant follows.
First of all: "Shang-Chi" is trash.
Don't defend it. At its core, it still reeks of Western arrogance. The lead actor's parents were government-sponsored students who never returned after going to Canada—while others stayed behind to build the country, they ran off to "pursue a better life," only to come back and trample what they left. Westerners know what kinds of Chinese people are attractive, yet they deliberately don't choose them. The female lead looks like a walking caricature of rural cliché. Though the film claims to oppose "Asian discrimination," what it really opposes is discrimination against Asian-Americans—"We're already Americans, stop discriminating against us."
That's the real core of the "anti-Asian discrimination" narrative.
Just like the lip-plate-wearing Africans in Black Panther, it's all just Western stereotypes in disguise.
Love Marvel if you want—but don't lose your brain doing it.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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