"Let me introduce you. This is Stephanie Malik, heiress to the Malik family. You should know her father was once a member of the World Security Council and now sits on the Council on Foreign Relations. The Malik family provides official cover identities for the Eternal City, and Stephanie herself has been instrumental in helping acquire assets within Latveria."
Stephanie had known Solomon was expecting an important guest today, but even so, she couldn't help being startled when she walked into the office and saw Victor Von Doom's horrific scars. Though she masked her reaction with polite decorum, it was obvious she wasn't at ease. She couldn't be blamed—without his iron mask, Victor's face was nearly indistinguishable from a leper's. Though originally disfigured in a school laboratory accident, he later pressed a still-heated iron mask to his face while in Kamar-Taj, enduring excruciating agony with unshakable willpower. That will came from his burning desire to save his homeland. He only removed the mask before a select few: the Sorcerer Supreme, Solomon, Mordo, and Kaecilius.
Victor stared deeply at Stephanie, then calmly put his iron mask back on, breathing through the grill and filters embedded within it.
"My lord, I heard you intend to launch a war," Stephanie said breathlessly.
As head of internal affairs, she had always known Solomon's ideals would be realized through war. The Eternal City had been stockpiling weapons for that very reason. Still, when the day of declaration finally came, the moment felt strangely surreal.
"Yes. A modern war. The target is this gentleman's homeland: Latveria," Solomon said, gesturing to Victor Von Doom seated across the desk. "To liberate the people of Latveria from the tyranny of their rulers—this is Lord Doom's wish. Mine is to establish an industrial and scientific base there, to train and recruit soldiers, and educate scientists. Our visions align perfectly. Lord Doom fully supports my ideals. But before any of that can be realized, we must first demonstrate the Eternal City's ability to govern."
Stephanie exhaled deeply. Thankfully, it wasn't a total war, which would've overwhelmed the Eternal City's logistics. She figured that if she ever heard Solomon suggest a world war, she'd wind up in a hospital before she signed a single order.
"If we want to liberate Latveria, we'll inevitably clash with the U.S. military. That's why we call it a modern war," Victor said through his helmet's speaker, its long years of use causing a faint static buzz with each word. Though Solomon had offered to upgrade his powered armor with Eternal City tech, Victor hadn't yet taken him up on it. "The United States will not withdraw from Eastern Europe so easily. We will be facing the entire NATO alliance."
"Indeed." Stephanie found herself a chair. Solomon kindly poured her a cup of hot tea—alcohol was best avoided when discussing war, lest it cloud judgment. Solomon himself had no such concerns, but others weren't so resistant to intoxication. "I've looked into Latveria. Conquering the entire country is no issue for the Eternal City. The challenge comes after. We'll be governing a nation with productivity barely above medieval standards. Even with Wakandan infrastructure support, nation-building is an excruciatingly slow process. The question is whether we can withstand external pressure until the build-out is complete." She glanced at Victor. "No offense, sir. But the Latverian royal family is a comprador class. The average citizen is only barely surviving."
"We will reveal the Eternal City's orbital strike capacity and nuclear delivery systems. As of now, no nation on Earth surpasses us in space-based warfare capabilities. To militaries still confined to the atmosphere, this is a dimensional collapse. We'll declassify our nuclear reserves—enough to make even NATO hesitate before invading Latveria," Solomon said. "This has been in the works since I founded the Eternal City. Our armed orbital satellite platforms are designed for global nuclear deterrence. Until we deploy interstellar warships, these satellites will remain our most powerful weapons."
"When did you start planning all this?" Victor asked, intrigued. "Ten years old? Fifteen? Eighteen?"
"This plan evolved over time—until it became what you see today. Stephanie, you may have noticed I didn't invite the Wakandans to this meeting. I'll tell you now: a coup is coming in Wakanda. That will be our best opportunity to fully assimilate their nation. But first, I need to review the governance framework for Latveria with Lord Doom—what we're calling the Imperial Truth."
As Solomon spooned more sugar into her tea, Stephanie instantly knew she was about to receive another exhausting assignment. "Just say it," she sighed. "You give the order, and I'll find a way to make it happen. That's my job. But please, no more sugar, my lord—I don't like drinking syrup that smells like tea."
"Stephanie, this time the Eternal City needs to invest heavily in education, and I need you to oversee it. I want you to purge the ignorance from the minds of the Latverians and replace it with science and reason, just like our academy system here. Even if we achieve our strategic goal—that is, making NATO too afraid to invade Latveria—if the people remain in darkness, then everything we've done is meaningless." A different kind of light sparked in Solomon's eyes, and even Victor's expression turned solemn.
"Ten years from now, Latveria will produce its own scientists, who will contribute back to the Eternal City's systems—education, research, governance, industry. Latverians will be essential to humanity's push into the stars. Until then, we must endure. We'll leverage our technological edge to earn hard currency in global markets, breaking any future embargoes on food or industrial goods. If possible, I'd even like to establish a spaceport to trade directly with Mars. That would be ideal. This is an extremely profitable deal, after all—everything I've described is entirely possible, isn't it?"
"But we're still short on personnel," Stephanie reminded them, highlighting the Eternal City's most critical weakness. "If we don't have enough loyal citizens, anything could happen. Bureaucrats who haven't been through our education system will only care about money and comfort. Your ideals will be seen as naive fantasies. When that happens, embezzlement and intelligence leaks will become the norm."
"I will train a force," Victor Von Doom said gravely. "A force that monitors every corner of the system, never communicating with the rest of the administration. I will bear the burden of all evil, and I will bring judgment to every traitor. All I ask is that you do your part—to give the Latverian people the prosperity they've never known."
"You're far too modest, Victor Von Doom," Solomon said, shaking his head. "Latveria will remain under your rule. That is my promise to you. I only ask that you think beyond the present—beyond Earth, even beyond the solar system. A grand expedition awaits us. Diana, take minutes for this meeting. Stephanie, be sure to sign them."
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