Solomon had always kept an eye on Pym Technologies, though he never involved himself directly. That was simply his style—he rarely concerned himself with the so-called "superhero" nonsense. He had never understood how the concept even gained traction. To him, these individuals seemed to do little more than cause chaos and disrupt order. But considering the U.S. government's weak grip on social control and the federal system of state autonomy, their emergence became somewhat understandable. The vacuum left by institutions failing to fulfill their duties gave rise to the space where "superheroes" thrived.
He preferred to view them as social science experiments—studies in governance philosophy under weak institutions. Just like the mafia during Prohibition, the Avengers were merely a supplement to a faltering state. The only difference between them and organized crime was whether or not they dabbled in the gray market. For that very reason, Solomon believed that unless the Avengers reached an agreement with Capitol Hill, their fate would mirror that of the mob during the Prohibition era. He had even published a peer-reviewed SSCI social science paper comparing the two. Darcy, who shared his physics lab, was listed as the second author.
That author credit had earned him a fierce kiss from Darcy.
He was confident that when the downfall of the Avengers finally came, his paper would be frequently cited. It was hard to believe that such work had come from a recent Oxford physics graduate and a former social sciences major turned physics grad student—especially considering Solomon was also preparing for further academic pursuits at the time. For those in the know, his capacity was even more astonishing given that the period from Halloween to the winter solstice was one of the busiest times of the year for Kamar-Taj.
As the Druidic New Year and winter solstice both approached, the veil between dimensions thinned, and extradimensional interference intensified. Sorcerers had to expel spirits and entities to maintain the sanctity of the physical realm. The assignment to investigate the Borley Rectory hauntings had been issued with this concern in mind. In truth, the spirits plaguing the site originated elsewhere, merely drawn to the high negative energy of three specific bones. Out of sympathy for his exhaustion, the Ancient One had assigned Solomon the relatively easy task—but he had instead delegated it to his apprentice, Wanda Maximoff, who completed it flawlessly.
With such minor concerns out of the way, Solomon naturally turned his focus elsewhere. Not only had he laid the groundwork for constructing the Martian Foundry, but he had also handed over a massive warship buried in the Aether Dimension to Malbus. The Fifth Demon Pillar was now tasked with studying its tech, training naval officers, and preparing pilots.
For everyone involved, time was in short supply.
Princess Shuri was racing against the clock to uncover the secrets of the Celestial Project. Malbus oversaw the Foundry's expansion on Mars. Maya Hansen continued her work on gene-alchemy. Relying on food shipped from Earth would only last so long—Malbus had to accelerate biochemical conversions and use the Eternal City's machines to begin transforming qualified scholars. Most critically, research into the Astral Engine had finally been greenlit—a technology possessed by only a few advanced spacefaring civilizations. For humanity's future, it was indispensable.
Meanwhile, Lorelei, daughter of the Rhine and Solomon's embedded agent, was on a mission far more covert and deadly. Should the Asgardians even suspect her presence, not even the Sorcerer Supreme could prevent war between Asgard and Kamar-Taj. Odin himself might arm for battle, spear in hand, to personally kill Solomon. To safeguard their operative, the Ancient One had tasked the Kamar-Taj consulate in Asgard with shielding Lorelei. Disguised as eager consumers, sorcerers used trade as an excuse to approach galactic merchants while bolstering the consulate's protective enchantments. They worked tirelessly to mask the operation from the seers of Asgard and Vanaheim.
Neither the Ancient One nor the Allfather considered this overkill. The Ancient One, in fact, understood the true gravity of Solomon's goal—he wasn't merely trying to plunder Asgard's national treasures.
Solomon's true ambition was to defeat the gods themselves.
Not merely the so-called "old gods" with physical forms and mythic attributes, but arcane, soul-bound magical entities. The Ancient One admired his disciple's ambition and methods, and willingly ignored Kamar-Taj's thousand-year code—rules she herself had crafted—to aid Solomon's long-reaching plans, even if it meant Kamar-Taj's eventual ruin.
Though Athena lacked the full picture, she too sensed the disruptions Solomon was causing to fate. As the goddess of wisdom and victory, she knew better than to underestimate him. Since the moment she had divined his birth, she understood one thing clearly: Victory would always side with Solomon.
Meanwhile, the news cycle raged:
"Massive thefts reported at Pym Technologies—"
"WWII tanks spotted in Pym Tech's main plaza—"
"Darren Cross vanishes mysteriously; Pym Technologies leaderless—"
"See? This is what happens when key technologies fall into the wrong hands," Solomon said, setting down his sweetened red tea. His fingers formed a steeple as he addressed the grumpy old man seated across from him on the couch. "I hope you still hold some shares in Pym Technologies, because those might be the only thing stopping the U.S. government from raiding the entire vault. They're flailing like a man whose balls are in a vice."
Dr. Hank Pym had gotten up at the crack of dawn to prepare for his esteemed guest. Now, he felt like a fool.
"Is that what you came here to tell me?" Pym snapped. "You already turned down my invitation. Now you show up just to mock me?"
"Old man, I turned you down because I didn't need to come. The second Ant-Man must be Scott Lang, and he will be the last. I need to control every variable before the tangled web of fate fully descends."
"You actually believe in determinism?" Pym shot back. "Haven't Conway and Kochen already demonstrated the Free Will Theorem?"
Their debate escalated rapidly, diving into esoteric topics. The breadth and speed of their exchange was astonishing. Only someone with immense academic prowess could keep up with the intellectual fencing match between Solomon and Hank Pym.
Scott Lang, newly minted as Ant-Man and armed with a master's in electrical engineering, struggled to keep up. It finally dawned on him that the two men were debating free will and determinism—Solomon refuting it, Pym defending it with the Princeton theorem. Just as he was about to chime in, he caught a look from Hope that made him zip it.
She didn't understand how this man had waltzed into her father's home without resistance, nor what he wanted.
"I don't want the tech in that vault to leak, old man," Solomon said bluntly. "At least not yet. We both know what would happen if Congress got their hands on it. If you agree, I can authorize a full-scale airstrike to wipe it all out. I promise the tech will be returned to you, intact. How's that for a deal?"
"You're a goddamn hyena. You never miss a chance to feast," Pym muttered. "So what do you want in return, Solomon?"
Solomon cast a glance at Hope. Scott Lang discreetly shuffled his seat away from her.
"It's simple," the sorcerer said. "I assume you've heard those Martian rumors floating around on NSNA lately? That's actually my research facility. Dr. Pym, I've got some projects you might find… intriguing. Don't worry—I'm not so bored as to kill anyone who disagrees with me."
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 79)
Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 391)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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