"How did you build those muscles?" Steve Rogers asked, gesturing at his own arm before pointing to Thor's. Taking a sip from his glass, he added with genuine curiosity, "You don't have the Super Soldier Serum."
"I don't know. I just do the workouts I need to do. Of course, being a god might help," Thor replied, raising Mjolnir and flexing his biceps for effect. Across the room, Loki rolled his eyes, thinking that Thor's brain might also have turned into muscle. Still handcuffed and muzzled except during meals, the God of Mischief sat silently, under the constant vigilance of everyone present. If not for Thor's guarantee of keeping him under control, Loki would already have been confined to a cell.
Since the top floor of Stark Tower was still under renovation, Tony Stark had hosted this farewell dinner at his mansion. His girlfriend, Pepper Potts, had handled most of the party preparations as the hostess. The event was a small, private affair, attended only by the Avengers who fought in the Battle of New York and their close associates. However, several attendees couldn't help but notice one glaring absence.
"Where's the magic kid?" Tony Stark glanced at the clock, tapping the side of the oversized cola mug he'd prepared. He had made sure Solomon knew about the gathering and, given his ability to use portals, couldn't imagine why he'd be late. Stark had even stocked up on the kid's favorite soda. Looking around, he turned to Natasha Romanoff. "You're the only other one who has his contact info. Did he mention being busy? I scheduled this on a weekend—Eton College should be on break."
"He didn't say anything, Stark. You've spent the most time with him. You should know by now he never shares unnecessary details." Natasha was also curious about Solomon's whereabouts. Surely he wasn't at home baking a cake, right? If that were the case, she wouldn't mind sampling his sugar-frosted sponge.
As they speculated, a portal crackling with sparks opened in the corner of the room, and Solomon stepped through. Before anyone could catch a glimpse of what lay beyond, he snapped the portal shut with a faint "pop" and a shower of embers.
"You're late, Solomon," Tony greeted, spreading his arms in mock welcome. He froze mid-step, his nose wrinkling. "What in the world is that smell? Where have you been?"
"Killing aliens," Solomon replied, rolling his neck as if to work out the tension. He looked thoroughly displeased. Reaching for Tony's glass, he took a gulp of single malt whiskey before the adults could stop him. The alcohol failed to quench his simmering anger. His fingers flexed restlessly around the hilt of his blade, betraying his impatience.
"Aliens? Did the Chitauri come back?" Steve Rogers shot up from his seat.
The room tensed at the possibility. Earth was still reeling from the last invasion, its collective nerves frayed.
"I'll handle it," Thor declared, raising Mjolnir. "This is my duty."
"No, it's not the Chitauri," Solomon said, extending his hand for Tony to reclaim the glass. Stark snatched it away, replacing it with a large cola. Solomon drained the soda in one go, letting out a burp. "It's the Skrulls. Shapeshifters."
"I've heard of them," Thor said gravely. "They're cunning, capable of mimicking anyone's appearance. If the Skrulls have infiltrated Earth, it could be disastrous. They once ruled an empire in Andromeda. After Asgard defeated their gods and destroyed their homeworld, they became galactic nomads, constantly searching for a new home."
Thor's explanation darkened the room's mood.
"The disaster has been contained—for now," Solomon said dismissively, tossing a severed green hand onto the table. "Skrull blood stinks."
Before arriving, Solomon had drawn his blade intending only to intimidate Nick Fury. However, Fury's reaction had been far more extreme than expected: he fired his gun before Solomon even finished speaking. A swift strike severed Fury's hand, revealing his true identity as a Skrull imposter. The real Nick Fury was missing, apparently in hiding.
The wounded Skrull spilled the truth under duress. Fury had discovered an unusual faction within S.H.I.E.L.D. and had arranged for the Skrull to impersonate him while conducting his own secret investigation. The implications enraged Solomon. If the Skrulls had decided Earth was their new home, it could lead to catastrophe.
"Nick Fury is collaborating with the Skrulls," Solomon announced to the Avengers. "According to this impostor, Fury suspected something was amiss in S.H.I.E.L.D. and used the Skrull to maintain his public role while he investigated. But we have no way to confirm if that's true."
"We can't trust this alien," Steve said grimly. "If what you say is true, Fury could already be dead."
"He's alive," Solomon replied. "I've divined it. My next move is to systematically purge the Skrulls from Earth. Romanoff, I'll need your help finding the real Fury. He must answer for his actions."
"And what are you planning to do?" Natasha glanced at Clint Barton, seated nearby. "Fury likely has a reason for what he's doing. You mentioned internal issues within S.H.I.E.L.D. That's probably what he's trying to resolve."
Clint nodded in agreement, more concerned about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal problems than Fury's collaboration with aliens. Fury had helped him hide his family, and aside from Natasha, no one in S.H.I.E.L.D. knew their location.
"I don't care what his reasons are. Allowing Skrulls onto Earth is unacceptable," Solomon said coldly. "Kamar-Taj protects against extradimensional threats to keep Earth safe, not to hand it over to parasitic shapeshifters. Whatever Fury's motives, he must bear the consequences. The next time you see Fury, it's likely to be the real one."
Natasha's phone buzzed. She read the encoded message aloud after decrypting it: "Triskelion headquarters attacked. Director missing." She showed the message to Solomon. "What did you do with the Skrull? Does anyone else know it was an alien?"
"No one will ever find its body," Solomon replied. "I left no biological traces at the scene. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal issues are Fury's mess to clean up, but he will pay for his mistakes. Thor, thank you, but I don't need your help here. Just make sure the Tesseract reaches Odin's vault. That will ease my mind."
Loki looked like he wanted to speak but held his tongue under Thor's stern glare. Instead, he watched the humans with amused detachment.
"So, our next move is to find Fury and help him resolve S.H.I.E.L.D.'s issues?" Stark said, raising an eyebrow. "Never thought I'd be meddling in their affairs."
"Don't forget the Skrulls," Solomon reminded him. "Betrayal has consequences."
"I'm sure you have a plan, don't you?" Stark asked with a smirk. "What's the old guy's take? Still kicking?"
Ignoring Stark's quip, Steve Rogers decided to consult someone who could give him a clearer picture of S.H.I.E.L.D. and its secrets.
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