Half an hour earlier, Solomon had video-called Lara Croft to confirm her expedition team had sufficient supplies to venture deep into the jungle and hadn't encountered any serious issues. Normally, going that deep into the rainforest would cut off all contact with the outside world, but Lara was equipped with Eternal City's communication gear, and a dedicated satellite hovered above her location to maintain the link. That was the only reason she was able to take Solomon's call in the damp, suffocating heat of the rainforest. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Lara immediately began reporting her findings—she'd followed the trail laid out in Sir Richard Croft's notes, along with files from Eternal City, and as expected, discovered a ruin in Brazil. Evidence suggested the remnants of Trinity may have been there long ago, their presence marked by the skeletal remains of soldiers caught in ancient traps.
"We were looking in the wrong place. The ruins aren't in Brazil—they're in Peru," Lara said, her voice full of excitement. She held up photographs of the ruins to the camera, speaking with the glee of a child receiving a new toy. Perhaps due to Solomon's intervention, Lara had completely shaken off the shadow of her father's death and the burden of his legacy. Now she could happily retrace his steps and discuss her adventures with a relaxed demeanor. She showed Solomon images of the reliefs carved into the ruins and the gemstones arranged on murals to form constellations. Using clues from these reliefs, she'd identified the ruins' true location.
"And we also found a man mentioned in my father's notes… he's an archaeologist who studied the pre-colonial era. Apparently, he's coming to Brazil soon. I've decided to wait for him—he might know something!"
"I hate to break it to you, but Dr. Dominguez is affiliated with Trinity," Solomon replied while flipping through a dossier. "I'll send his file to your terminal shortly. But because of how long ago this all happened and the chaos in the records, even the intelligence division couldn't dig up much. His life remains shrouded in mystery."
"That's enough, Solomon." Lara shook her head. "You've helped me so much already. I've never known a patron more generous than you."
"I do this out of duty, not personal sentiment, so no need for thanks." Despite his words, Solomon smiled. "Besides, if you'd just taken care of the Croft Foundation first, you wouldn't have needed my funding at all. You have no idea how much your old butler complains to me, Lady. One of your estates is overgrown from lack of upkeep. He wanted me to ask if you'd prefer cranberry or classic butter cookies. Once the supplies arrive, you'll find the cookies on the plane."
"Cranberry, thanks." Lara pretended to think for a moment before answering quickly. "And tea."
"Of course. There'll be more tea bags than bullets."
After ending the call, Solomon began troop redeployment. He issued orders to a unit engaged in conflicts against warlords in Africa on behalf of Eternal City. This unit was led by an old friend of Agent Coulson's—Camila, a former Peruvian officer and guerrilla infiltrator. If Trinity really had gone to Peru, Solomon believed Camila's local connections would make Lara's mission much easier. Simultaneously, Eternal City was preparing an assault on Trinity's headquarters in London, forcing them to divert all their forces into what could be a decisive campaign. To ensure Camila had a firepower advantage when facing Trinity, Solomon provided her with three attack helicopters, large quantities of anti-tank missiles, Stinger missiles, and anti-aircraft artillery.
If Camila were to get her hands on a nuclear bomb, she might even overthrow the Peruvian government.
Stephanie would handle the logistics. These supplies wouldn't compromise Eternal City's overall military readiness.
This pleasant exchange hadn't brought Solomon closer to the true secrets of the Feathered Serpent God, but thanks to prior research, he had begun to hypothesize about its emergence. In Aztec cosmology, floods, jaguars, storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes were each associated with distinct myths. The Aztec Sun Stone stored in Kamar-Taj contained carvings representing these legends. They reflected the ancestral fear of survival—when those fears became myth, the Feathered Serpent gained divine strength through belief. To investigate further, Solomon used his recent trip to Wandazar Foth—ostensibly for alchemical materials—to consult spellcasters from other planets and study extraterrestrial reverence of the Feathered Serpent.
On other worlds, the Feathered Serpent wasn't called "Kukulkan." It was known instead as the "Star Demon," referencing its power to block stellar light and cause eclipses. On some primitive planets, a stellar serpent that devoured the sun was worshipped as a harbinger of apocalypse—solar eclipses were viewed as omens of the end, prompting blood sacrifices. Solomon learned the details of these rituals in depth. Without exception, these civilizations possessed advanced astronomical knowledge for their development stage. Yet their tribes often warred in the name of their god. Similar to the Mayan "Flower Wars," they would offer human sacrifices post-battle. Priests donned the flayed skins of victims and danced in celebration of the sun's rebirth. Few scenes in existence could rival the horror of such festivals—blood and viscera flung everywhere, celebrants high on coca-laced hallucinogens, maniacs clad in human skin dancing atop pyramids, while crowds spiraled into ecstatic frenzy.
Compared to ancestral fears of floods, jaguars, storms, hurricanes, and earthquakes, the Feathered Serpent's arrival was always accompanied by a solar eclipse. But the total eclipse had already occurred that March. Therefore, Solomon deduced that the god's arrival was entirely unrelated to natural cycles. It couldn't be said with certainty that the Feathered Serpent altered planetary orbits—but the possibility, however slim, couldn't be dismissed.
This made things even trickier. His only viable lead was the truth Lara continued to unearth through her archaeological work.
"Hey, Wanda." Though Solomon had clearance to borrow most books, making phone calls in the library was still frowned upon. The librarian immediately cast a glare that sparkled like xenon headlights—an enchantment spell designed as a silent but piercing warning. Solomon had to use a book to shield his face to avoid being blinded.
"Dinner tonight?" he whispered quickly into the phone. The librarian's warning flared again, so he sped up. "At the apartment—not the estate. After dinner, I'm taking you to see someone. You know him."
"Who?" Wanda asked lazily.
"You'll never guess." Solomon imagined how Nick Fury might react after being persuaded by Frank Castle. According to recent intel reports, Solomon had uncovered secrets he hadn't noticed before. "I can't tell you yet, but you'll learn a lot from him. No pressure. Just treat it like a post-dinner diversion."
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