Shadow of the Beautiful World

What happened? Why is there another S-level incident? Did it happen suddenly?

Merlin handed over the command to Agent Gartler, and before he even had time to say goodbye to the little wizards, he returned to London as quickly as possible with the Displacement Charm.

In a hidden military base on the outskirts of London, he saw Maria Hill waiting for him, and the military plane that was ready to fly.

The appearance of Fury's official assistant, a level 4 secret agent of SHIELD, seems to represent the seriousness of the matter.

Faced with Merlin's inquiry, Agent Hill handed Merlin a stack of photos, and then took Merlin on a direct flight to South America. In the bumpy plane cabin, Merlin looked at the documents and photos, his expression became more and more ugly.

The photo looks like it was taken by a satellite. At the center of gravity of the terrain photo, there is a bright, irregular light shining, like something exploded on the ground in Argentina in South America, and then it was captured by the satellite. It's filmed.

The explosion on the ground that could be directly observed by the satellite, and the familiar light shape in the photo, gave Merlin an ominous premonition.

Hill sat beside Merlin, explaining this unexpected incident to Merlin in a low voice.

And the first sentence she spoke confirmed Merlin's bad guess.

Sir, you can interpret this incident as an unexpected nuclear accident.

Um?

Merlin looked back at Hill, and he said:

Argentina has a nuclear bomb? A national test gone wrong? Is it a harbinger of war?

Neither, listen to me slowly, Sir Merlin.

Hill took out several files from the bag he was carrying and handed them to Merlin. She explained:

This time is not a conventional nuclear explosion, otherwise Director Fury would not have asked you to go to Argentina immediately. The explosion this time was a large particle collider made by a private laboratory, and that equipment is specially used to study quantum entanglement Phenomena. The energy bombardment caused by its explosion is equivalent to the energy generated when a small nuclear bomb explodes.

There was a look of rejoicing on Agent Hill's face, she said:

But unlike the devastating explosion of a nuclear bomb, this time the dissipated energy dissipated in a very short period of time. The location of the laboratory was not in the downtown area, so there were not many casualties. This is simply unfortunate. Great luck.

Quantum entanglement?

Merlin frowned upon hearing this scientific term, opened the file, and said:

In that case, what did Fury ask me to do? It's not up to S.H.I.E.L.D. to take care of this kind of thing, right?

We have to manage.

Agent Hill helplessly turned over the last few pages of the document in Merlin's hand. She pointed to one of the personnel files stamped with the word Top Secret and said to Merlin:

Because this matter is related to some old things left by the Strategic Science Corps, and it also involves some secrets from the Cold War period.

Hill emphasized her tone, and she said to Merlin:

These files were obtained by Chief Fury and I from Ms. Carter a few hours ago. Ms. Carter told Chief Fury to choose the most trusted agent to handle this matter.

Fury really thinks highly of me

Merlin flipped through the personnel files in his hand, pointed to the black and white photos, and said with some headaches:

So, this Pim Hank, Bill Foster and Elias Starr, what is the relationship between the three of them? Where are they now?

There is also the 'Goliath' plan, what is this?

I heard from Ms. Carter that the Goliath Project is a research similar to the 'Super Soldier' ​​project initiated by the Strategic Science Corps in the 1960s and 1980s.

Agent Hill said to Merlin:

Ms. Carter didn't give a detailed introduction, but according to her, the experiment was finally successful. Dr. Pym Hank, who was in charge of the experiment, and his three assistants successfully developed a product called 'Pym particles', That special particle can change the distance between atoms, so as to realize the enlargement and reduction of the human body.

Human body? Zoom in and out?

Merlin quickly flipped through the document filled with various technical terms. After hearing Hill's explanation, he said in surprise:

Are you sure that's something the technology of the last century could produce?

Frankly, I don't believe it, sir.

Agent Hill brushed her black hair, and she said to Merlin:

But Ms. Carter doesn't need to lie to us. According to her, Pim Hank is the smartest person she has ever met, even smarter than Mr. Howard Stark. And Dr. Pym is the first generation of Ant-Man, He can use Pym particles to shrink his body to the size of an ant, or he can expand himself to about 60 feet tall, becoming a real giant.

He was not content to be just a researcher. From the 1970s to the 1990s, he, his wife, and his assistant, Ms. Janet, used Pym particles to successfully prevent the imminent Cold War crisis several times. It's in the S.H.I.E.L.D. archives.

Well, what's next?

Merlin looked at the document, and he asked again:

I seem to have heard Fury say that Dr. Pym withdrew from the Strategic Science Corps in 1989?

Yes.

Agent Hill said:

Before departure, Chief Fury told me about this past.

It is said that in an operation in the 1990s, Dr. Pym lost his wife, and his temperament changed drastically. Later, he discovered that the top leaders of the Strategic Science Corps were trying to secretly copy his research results, which directly angered Pym, beat up his boss, and quit the Strategic Science Corps with all of his research.

Ms. Carter and Mr. Howard both tried to persuade him, but with little success. It is said that now, Dr. Pym is trying to establish his own scientific research company. He has his own laboratory and strong sources of funding.

Well, he doesn't look like a likable guy.

Merlin turned the document to the last few pages, and he saw the record of the conflict between the top management of the Strategic Science Corps and Pim Hank. According to the official records, Pim is not a person who follows the rules.

The recorded Pym is a haughty, unapproachable, short-tempered, controlling and eccentric genius who is not very good at dealing with people.

Yes.

Agent Hill agreed, pointing to pictures of several other people in the file and saying to Merlin:

Dr. Pim Hank had three assistants, Dr. Bill Foster, Dr. Janet Van Dyne, and finally Dr. Elias Starr, but apart from Dr. Janet Besides, the other two assistants left because they couldn't stand Dr. Pym's weird temper.

Hill added:

What happened this time was Dr. Elias Starr's laboratory.

Let me take a guess.

Merlin closed the file, and he said to Hill:

Elias Starr learned something from Pym Hank, but he didn't fully learn it. After leaving, he planned to study it by himself, but something went wrong, right?

Yes.

Hill nodded:

That's why we're going to Argentina, sir.

If it wasn't for this explosion, we would not have known that Elias Starr was capable of making his own particle collider that specializes in the study of quantum entanglement phenomena. That thing can't be designed casually. Ms. Carter also As I said, Dr. Elias Starr was actually expelled from the Strategic Science Corps because Dr. Pym reported that he repeatedly stole things in the laboratory.

At the beginning, Ms. Carter didn't catch his evidence, but now it seems that Elias Starr did take some terrible knowledge from Dr. Pym Hank.

so what?

Merlin replied:

What is the mission of the two of us? To confirm the death of Elias Starr, or to bring back the knowledge he stole?

Both.

Agent Hill said in a calm voice:

The Goliath Project was not terminated for nothing, Sir Merlin. Any product of this project is dangerous.

I heard from Ms. Carter that only Dr. Pym, Dr. Janet, and Dr. Bill Foster, who volunteered to do experiments, know the correct way to use Pym particles. Even she and Mr. Howard don't Yes. Dr. Pym's secrecy is as strong as his science.

The explosion this time is a tragic reminder. Those dangerous knowledge must be withdrawn and must be sealed.

Hill said seriously:

Letting them wander outside will only lead to more trouble.

All right.

Merlin nodded, he probably understood his mission. Fury sent him here, probably borrowing his powerful perception, trying to find some clues from the ruins of the destroyed laboratory.

He looked at Hill, and at the serious expression on the face of the level 4 agent, he couldn't help but say:

The way you speak is becoming more and more like Fury, Hill. Even the expression is the same, which is not a good sign.

He said to Hill:

Would you like to come to work at sl.d.? Our job is very easy. There is no problem, we only have weekends and weekends a week, and we can occasionally travel at public expense. I think it is definitely easier for you to stay with me than to stay with Fury.

Merlin's joke made the ice-cold Hill smile.

She reached out to brush her hair, leaned against the uncomfortable cabin seat, rubbed the dark circles under her eyes caused by lack of sleep, stretched herself again, and said to Merlin:

Forget it, sir, I thank you for your kindness.

but?

Merlin closed his eyes, as if resting, and said:

I knew there must be a 'but,' right?

Yes.

Hill shrugged, she smiled, and replied in a low voice:

But I'm naturally afraid of ghosts and things. I can shoot at a group of armed thugs without changing my face, but the lowest level of villians can scare me. I still remember that the last time I was on a business trip with you, the first The first time I saw Latton, I was petrified and didn't get much sleep that night. So, sl.d. is definitely not for me.

Well, girl, it's understandable.

Merlin smiled and said:

After all, I can't expect every female agent to be as tough as Melinda.

He raised his wrist, looked at his watch, and said to Hill beside him:

It will take several hours to get there, let's sleep for a while.

It's okay, I'll sort out the files again, sir, you can rest.

Hill showed a helpless expression to Merlin, and she said:

I'm used to staying up late.

That's what I said, but ten minutes later, Hill's eyes closed with the vibration of the plane, her head turned to the side, and finally leaned on Merlin's shoulder.

The feeling of shoulders sinking, and the fragrance from Hill's hair made Merlin, who was reading the materials, stunned for a moment, but he didn't push the tired girl away.

Poor Hill, what happened to being tortured by that fellow Fury.

He shook his head, maintained his sitting posture, waved his fingers lightly, and a military blanket fell on Hill's body.

He quietly threw a Sleeping Curse on Hill, without malice, but in this way to make the girl sleep more soundly. Although the sleeping spell sounds a little dangerous, in fact, in the wizarding world, many wizards also use it to treat insomnia symptoms.

Well, it's still a very effective treatment.

And judging from the thick dark circles under the eyes of this girl, Hill, she really needs to take a good rest.

Seven hours later, the plane landed at an airport in a valley on the edge of Argentina. Hill and Merlin took a special car and rushed to the ruins of Elias Starr's private laboratory at the fastest speed.

The explosion energy of the quantum entangled particle collider almost destroyed all the laboratories on the 3 floors above ground and 5 floors underground, leaving a miserable pit in place.

To be honest, this hole is bigger than the one Merlin made in Malfoy's Hollow.

The destructive power represented by the two is not on the same level at all.

Didi, Didi

Hill, who was wearing a protective suit, was holding a Geiger counter in his hand. Amidst the slightly sharp detection sound, Hill gestured to Merlin.

The radiation has fallen back to a level that will not cause harm to the human body. You can take off the cumbersome clothes.

No! Don't take it off!

Merlin's eyes fell on the bottom of the 10-meter-deep pit in front of him. In the shadow of the remaining buildings, he vaguely saw something. He said to Hill with a serious face:

Don't let anyone get close, and then you come with me. In addition, Hill, you should be mentally prepared.

What's the matter, sir.

Hill also followed Merlin's gaze to the bottom of the pit, but she saw nothing. She looked left and right, and then remembered the news in the document that more than a dozen researchers in the laboratory had disappeared in the explosion. She hesitated for a moment, and asked with some fear:

Is there something here that I can't see?

Don't worry, it's not a ghost.

Merlin stretched out his hand to pull off the protective clothing, he took off his glasses, looked at the shadow at the bottom of the pit, and said:

It's 'clean', but it's not empty.

There's something in the shadows, like

A living ghost.