Unlike the Captain America of this timeline, who was focused on rescue operations, Solomon prioritized hunting massive beasts. He ignored the Chitauri soldiers flying about unless they happened to cross his path, in which case he'd trample them without hesitation. If they passed by him, however, he wouldn't give chase. This strategy proved effective. While Solomon didn't always manage to kill the beasts in a single strike, repeated charges were enough to disrupt their flight paths. Whether it was their writhing bone-like tails or their spines covered in artificial metal plating, every strike inflicted pain, creating openings for a finishing blow.
Earlier, Solomon had seen Hulk leap to the top of Stark Tower. Following him, Solomon used special restraints from Kamar-Taj to neutralize Loki's magical abilities. However, he refrained from lethal action. Though the Asgardians' agreement was not yet finalized, under the honor of the All-Father and the Sorcerer Supreme, the matter was essentially settled, beyond Solomon's authority to change.
The distant sound of an explosion snapped Solomon's attention back to the battlefield. Looking up, he saw lightning surge upward into the portal above New York, electrifying the half-mechanical, half-organic creature emerging from it. The intense current scorched the beast's metallic surface, causing its engines and other machinery to spark and combust. Moments later, it exploded into a charred mess of metal and flesh, taking another beast with it. One half of the wreckage drifted into the depths of space, while the other half plummeted from fifty thousand feet, crashing into buildings near Stark Tower. The impact shattered bricks and twisted steel, kicking up a massive cloud of dust as if a controlled demolition had just occurred.
"I've been looking for you, magic boy." Stark landed in front of Solomon, his armor covered in scratches—more than Solomon's own armor bore. Judging by his tone, Solomon immediately recognized this version of Stark as the younger one from this timeline—still carefree, still lighthearted.
"Why aren't you on the comms?" Stark lifted his faceplate, unable to resist teasing. "Or are you slacking off? I'd understand. You're still a kid, after all."
"No, Stark," Solomon replied, his voice low and almost drowned out by the explosions and the distant roar of beasts. Clearing his throat, he added, "I'm not slacking off. I just don't have an earpiece."
"Poor kid," Stark quipped, seemingly taking a short break as the battlefield's tide turned in their favor thanks to Thor and Solomon's efforts against the beasts. Stark allowed himself thirty seconds of rest. "You've done well."
He acknowledged Solomon's efforts, even noting how the mage conjured shields to protect civilians from falling debris. Stark had heard rumors that Solomon took enemy heads as trophies, but the absence of such brutality today made him feel a bit more at ease.
"Exhausted?"
"No." Solomon didn't turn around, keeping his gaze fixed on the battlefield through his helmet's visor. He spotted a smaller Hulk—Bruce Banner from the future—pretending to smash things dramatically. As for the future Stark and Rogers? Solomon couldn't see them.
"Then get moving. See that big guy? Lend me a hand, okay?"
Without a word, Solomon nodded. Stark took off, deploying flares to distract the beast, while Solomon urged Pegasus upward before diving sharply.
"Nice work, kid," Stark whistled as he watched Solomon pin the beast to the ground, where it thrashed in agony. Firing repulsor beams to deal with the Chitauri soldiers spilling out of the beast's underbelly, Stark called out, "Superpowers sure come in handy. If you don't mind, could you clean up these ugly guys for me?"
"I don't have time, Stark," Solomon replied, frequently glancing up at the New York skyline. "Time's running out."
"What time?"
"The time for betrayal. Stark, do you have turnips growing on your shoulders? How could you not expect the politicians to act?"
"What are they planning?"
"A nuclear strike," Solomon said flatly. "They're planning to launch a nuke."
"Shit! How do you know this?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Fury, tell me the magic kid's wrong."
"He's right, Stark," Nick Fury's voice came through the comms. "The council just approved a nuclear strike on New York. But don't worry—I'm not going along with this idiotic plan."
Fury's reassurances usually inspired confidence, but not this time. Stark knew bureaucrats too well. They would stretch their authority, drag out processes, and complicate simple matters unnecessarily. Urgent issues would be delayed, while rash decisions were implemented swiftly. Stark had learned never to trust bureaucrats.
"What's your plan?" he asked Solomon. "Fury's smart, but he can't do it alone."
"I have a solution," Solomon said, waving his hand. "Give me an earpiece, and I'll make those politicians regret this for the rest of their lives."
"What are you going to do?" Stark repeated.
"I'm going to open a portal and drop the nuke in the White House basement," Solomon said with a smirk. "Or the Pentagon. Your choice."
"No! Don't joke about that, Solomon Damonet!"
"Fine. I'll move it to the Mirror Dimension. No signals there, so the nuke won't detonate."
"Well, that's some good news."
The comms crackled as interference from the portal worsened signal transmission. "I can close the portal..." came Natasha Romanoff's voice, cutting through the static.
"Stark, bad news," Fury's voice chimed in. "A plane's taken off unauthorized..."
"Perfect." Stark activated his thrusters, exasperation in his tone. "What's your plan?"
"Close the portal," Solomon said, steering Pegasus back toward Stark Tower. "The Chitauri soldiers are bio-enhanced beings. Even if the portal closes, they'll keep fighting. We have to destroy their mothership to stop them."
"Then we'll need that nuke."
As Pegasus gained speed, Stark followed close behind. Through his external speakers, he heard Solomon reply, "We don't need it. I have something better."
When Solomon landed Pegasus on Stark Tower's rooftop, the gale nearly knocked Natasha Romanoff over. The agent graciously overlooked the disruption. She held the scepter containing the Mind Stone, its tip piercing the protective energy field surrounding the Tesseract.
"Is this going to work?" she asked. Nearby, Dr. Erik Selvig looked tense, eager to atone for his actions. "This is the backdoor I left," he explained. "I never thought it would actually work."
"Don't worry, Dr. Selvig. You're still the mentor of my mentor," Solomon said, dismounting and examining the portal device. Though high-tech, it was incomprehensible to him—an admission he made with the humility of someone unfamiliar with nuclear physics.
"I heard about the nuke," Romanoff said. "What's the plan?"
"I'll deal with the portal first, then the nuke," Solomon replied, handing his lance and shield to Selvig. The professor nearly stumbled under their weight. "Step back, and close your eyes. Stark's already tracking the rogue plane."
As Solomon removed his helmet, revealing sweat-soaked black curls, he seemed oddly relaxed. This was the Sorcerer Supreme's final task for him—a daunting one, but the promise of rest afterward kept him motivated.
Romanoff and Selvig retreated. Drawing a longsword, Solomon gripped it with both hands and recited an oath for the first time. What followed was a spectacle neither Romanoff nor Selvig would ever forget.
"Release the thirteen seals! Let the Round Table convene!"
"Confirmed!"
Golden lights erupted around Solomon as twelve radiant columns surrounded him, their brilliance surpassing even Thor's thunderous displays. The wind generated by the spectacle was so fierce that Romanoff and Selvig clung to the embedded lance to avoid being blown away.
"I hereby declare!"
"This is not a battle of inhumanity."
"Gareth—Confirmed—"
"This is not a battle against the elves."
"Lancelot—Confirmed—"
"This is a battle to vanquish evil."
"Mordred—Confirmed—"
"This is not a battle of selfish desire."
"Galahad—Confirmed—"
"This is a battle for survival."
"Kay—Confirmed—"
"This is a battle for truth."
"Agravain—Confirmed—"
The voices of the Round Table echoed across New York, heard by all. Heads turned skyward toward the radiance emanating from Stark Tower. The light from Solomon's sword grew ever brighter, and as he spoke the final vow, it outshone even the sun.
"This is a battle to save the world."
"Arthur—cough, cough—is it starting? Confirmed!"
Though the last confirmation was oddly awkward, Solomon paid it no mind. The Sorcerer Supreme was likely grilling beef somewhere, and Solomon intended to return in time to claim a serving.
"This is the revival of Camelot!"
"Ex—calibur!"
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