"We went Christmas shopping. I know it's still a ways off, but preparing early is a good habit, isn't it?" No one quite understood why the witch refused to wear a blouse under her tailored women's suit, leaving vast swathes of smooth skin exposed—a true test of restraint. Solomon's gaze glided effortlessly from her flawless collarbone to her captivating abs. Jeanne favored red, Bayonetta favored black. Truthfully, both colors suited them remarkably well, perfectly complementing their eyeshadow and lipstick.
Given that just a few years ago their fashion sense was still stuck in the Renaissance, their current sense of coordination was nothing short of astonishing. Solomon admitted he would never understand the intricate balance between makeup and fashion, nor could he possibly match the witches' learning speed in such matters. Still, this didn't stop him from adopting red and black as the Sisterhood's official color scheme, with roses and lilies as recurring motifs in the design of their power armor.
The original idea behind the Sisterhood was to preserve the witches' knowledge, to continue Bayonetta and Jeanne's legacy. Yet as time went on and the plan evolved, the Sisterhood had become the Eternal City's strike force in the physical realm—a rapid-response unit capable of precise deployment and lethal action.
"Honesty is the foundation of any relationship," Bayonetta said in a tone that had suddenly turned icy. She adjusted her glasses and fixed Solomon with a gaze as sharp as a blade, one that bore a frightening resemblance to a schoolteacher catching a student misbehaving. "So now that I've told you what we've been doing, shouldn't you explain what exactly happened to your arm?" Her voice was the very image of discipline. Normally, Jeanne played the stern role, but Bayonetta had been too agitated to delegate this time. She carefully ran her fingers along his arm to inspect the wound.
"Kamar-Taj still has missions that can injure you? Look into my eyes, boy—not at my chest."
Solomon began unwrapping the bandage.
Dayna, lightning-fast, caught the strip of fabric midair and immediately initiated the confidentiality protocol. Solomon's DNA was the Eternal City's highest-level secret. It was one of Dayna's core responsibilities to prevent any genetic leaks, which is why she was assigned to all domestic duties.
"It was just a sparring match. No supernatural abilities involved, so I didn't activate my stigmas." Solomon felt a familiar tingling at the witch's fingertips—a prelude to their flirtations. But this time, Bayonetta's eyes warned him not to respond.
"I'm inspecting your wound."
"It's just a scratch. If you'd gotten back a few hours later, it might've healed already."
As Solomon said, in a few hours, the wounds Hela had inflicted would be completely healed. Frigga's magic herbs from Vanaheim's greenhouse, Kamar-Taj's alchemical serums, and his own stigmatic healing—together they rendered even Hela's "Nightfall" blade ineffective in the long term.
"Don't lie to me. I can tell how serious it was. A few hours? So you could watch women's high jump? Or are you going to claim that magical energy on your arm isn't supernatural?" Bayonetta crossed her arms, clearly annoyed. She had walked into the manor just as Solomon switched the TV to a children's channel, pretending to watch puppet shows. But she wasn't fooled. She had personally ordered those channels—for their future child, of course. As she always said, she was a homemaker in training.
Even if she wasn't one yet, she was working on it.
"I smelled that same magic on you during the Dark Elf invasion. Tell me—it was that woman, Hela, wasn't it?"
Solomon glanced at his maid. Dayna stared into the fireplace with an expressionless face, pretending the already-incinerated bandages still required attention. The Magus didn't call out her little act—so long as it didn't interfere with her work, he was always lenient.
"Yes. The Ancient One and I have plans involving her," he admitted partially. "But she's been locked away on a dead planet for too long. She's... not quite sane. She only regains clarity during battle. The Ancient One and I need her lucid, even if temporarily."
"So how long is this stupid sword duel game going to last?"
"Didn't we agree to leave work out of the home?"
"That was before you came home injured!" Bayonetta snapped. "Work stays out of family time. You promised that!"
"We're not a normal family. We're people who fight through steel and blood," Solomon replied with a wry smile. Hela's case, while important, was a variable—not a constant—in his plan. If she had been critical to his goals, he wouldn't have been so gentle. "I promise you, she won't hurt me again. This was the last time, my love. Our safe haven should be free of bloodshed."
The Eternal City was built beneath layers of rock, sealed off from electromagnetic waves and sunlight. In this fortress-like city, the biological lab was among the most heavily secured areas. Zero carried a suitcase as he passed through a dozen airlocked steel doors. He had long grown tired of the stark lighting, endless corridors, sterile ceilings, and perpetual security checks. Only when he reached the head researcher did he finally stop. He remained outside the lab, meeting the geneticist in the adjacent lounge as she removed her sterile gown.
"This is a DNA sample His Majesty retrieved from an Asgardian. It needs to be compared with Thor's genetic profile," Zero said, handing the case to Maya Hansen. "Please record and clone the data."
"Where did this come from?" Maya asked curiously. Asgardian DNA wasn't exactly easy to come by. Thor's sample had been collected years ago. For another to suddenly arrive now, it had to belong to someone of royal blood.
"Don't tell me it's Loki's?" she asked. "Isn't he a Frost Giant?"
"This is Asgardian genetic material. Do not confuse the two. As for further details—classified."
"Kid, I know your genome better than you do. You were created by me and Solomon. You have no secrets from me." Maya grinned. "And I have the clearance to escalate this. If I go directly to our boss, do you think he won't tell me a few things? Don't waste time. Give me something only I would understand. Also—"
"—do you remember this place?" Maya stood up from the lounge sofa and pointed to the corridor outside. Her interest in the sample was overshadowed by her curiosity about the young man before her. Solomon's genetic profile was far more exotic than any Asgardian's—more like a treasure vault, one that took years to explore. "You used to come here a lot. Do you still remember what it was like before your transformation? I need an honest answer. Complete records are essential for developing more successful Praetorians."
Zero's face remained unreadable, betraying nothing of his thoughts.
"Please begin the analysis. This is tied to another project."
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I Am Zeus, KING OF GODS (Chapter 120)
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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