Shadow of the Beautiful World

A few days later, on the roof of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Trident Building, Maria Hill, wearing a gray windbreaker, stepped on high heels and approached Merlin, who was blowing wind on the roof.

The latter held a burning cigarette in his hand, put his left hand in his pocket, leaned on the railing of the roof, and looked at the New York City below. sad.

Here is the information on the Far Star Project you want, sir.

Hill handed the folder in her hand to Merlin, and she said:

Nasa is very uncooperative. They claim that the project was terminated a few years ago. So we used some 'unusual methods', but our agents are still in the closed laboratory and found some still Running equipment, they seem to be searching for some specific stars in space, and judging by the amount of data in the database, this work has been going on for a long time.

Who is going to get the information? Can it be kept secret?

Merlin asked without looking back.

Agent Natasha went there in person.

Hill replied:

She said she could guarantee that no one would find out.

Ah, very good.

Merlin nodded. He took the information and said to Hill:

You continue to search along this line, and contact me directly if you find anything.

Any attempt to communicate with extraterrestrial civilizations is a major event, not to mention our responsibilities, and NASA's actions have not been filed in .b, which is not allowed. But don't alarm them, let them continue to do it, sooner or later It will show its feet.

So, sir, what the hell are we looking for?

Hill asked:

Although Director Fury gave me the order to obey your instructions completely, he didn't tell me the reason. And why did you suddenly deal with NASA? That department has been very busy since the end of the moon landing activities in the last century. keep.

Don't overthink it, Hill.

Fury and I both trust you, but the more you know about this, the more dangerous it is for you.

Merlin looked down at the documents and said to Hill:

Well, from what Fury means, from now on, you are my assistant?

Theoretically so.

Hill nodded:

But my post is still in the director's office.

I can understand.

Merlin says:

Fury always needs help from others. He's like a spider, do you understand? He's sitting in the middle of a web that's getting bigger and bigger, and he's busy enough just feeling the vibrations around the web. More Not to mention, he himself has to secretly prepare many other projects.”

Also, regarding that investment company, we have also conducted a fund check on it.

Hill was like the perfect assistant, reporting to Merlin:

We found many doubts about the source of the company's funds, but the progress of the investigation is very unsatisfactory. It seems that there are many forces preventing us from continuing to investigate, and many lines have been broken.

You mean Karen Zemo's company?

Merlin raised his head and said:

If the verification is really difficult, then stop. To be honest, there is little point in continuing to pursue this line. It is just a 'white glove' company, which is only used to collect funds for real cancer. All the black gold is frozen, and then part of it is taken out as our activity funds.

Okay, I'll execute it now.

Hill responded bluntly, and just as she continued to talk about other things, Merlin suddenly said:

Hill, help me go to my office to get a file. It's on the second shelf of the file cabinet. There's a folder marked with '.'. Get it here for me, okay?

Uh, fine.

Hill took the key from Merlin and left the rooftop quickly.

After watching Hill leave, Merlin turned his head to look at the other side of heaven, and said:

It's been two years since we met last time. I thought you guys had completely rejected my original proposal. But now it seems that you just thought about it a little longer, right?

As I said, this matter is not for me to decide.

Same as 2 years ago, wearing a brown windbreaker, the eyeless Inhuman Gordon came out from behind the vent in heaven, he stood there with his hands behind his back, and said to Merlin:

'Afterlife' is a small organization. In order to cover up our existence and survive, we have to consider any risks. However, we finally made a decision, but I shouldn't tell you.

After speaking, Gordon turned sideways, exposing the person standing behind him.

It was a woman.

To be precise, it was a woman with an oriental charm. She was wearing a long red dress, her black hair was coiled on top of her head, and her hands were folded on her abdomen. She looked like a lady from a big family.

But this woman's face was covered with scars that looked horrible, like a face that was originally good, cut open by a sharp knife, and then stitched up again with thread.

This is a woman who has suffered unimaginable suffering, and she now distrusts any outside visitor, which can be seen from the scrutiny of her eyes.

Who is this?

Merlin looked at Gordon, who introduced:

This is the leader of the 'Afterlife' and the savior who brings together those of us who are suffering. Her name is Jiaying.

Well

Merlin drew a long nasal voice, he looked at the leader lady, and said:

I have also wondered what a leader who can command a group of supernatural beings would look like, but with all due respect, Ms. Jiaying, you are much gentler than the powerful leader I imagined.

Gordon is actually more like a leader. He has more courage than me, has more love for the tribe, and is willing to take risks to help anyone in need.

Jiaying stood where she was, and replied to Merlin in a gentle voice with a slight accent:

I'm just a symbol, and because I have the ability to heal other people, I'm an important part of the 'afterlife', that's all.

Then what is the purpose of the two of you today?

Merlin looked at the time. With Hill's action efficiency, she should be back in a few minutes.

So Merlin said to the two strangers in front of him:

I have other things to do, so I hope we can keep the story short, of course, we may make another appointment.

No, what we're going to say is very simple.

A trace of determination flashed across Jiaying's terrifying face, she said to Merlin:

'Afterlife' is willing to cooperate with you to rescue more suffering aliens. They are our compatriots. Although I don't trust you secret organizations because of my personal experience, my people need help, and I also Willing to try to cooperate with you.

very good!

Merlin nodded, and the response from the stranger was a pleasant surprise, which meant that another chaotic force existing in this world was willing to enter the system of S.H.I.E.L.D.

But Merlin was also a little curious, and he asked frankly:

It took you two years to make a final decision. This time is a bit too long. So let me make a conspiracy theory. I guess it should be something related to aliens. It happened recently Change, and this change forces you to respond wrongly, I guess.

It's no big secret.

Jiaying replied calmly:

Since a few months ago, during his journey to and from North America and the 'afterlife', Gordon has monitored a force calling for the instinct of aliens to reverberate in New York. There are also several aliens who were forcibly transformed and disappeared.

We suspect that this is a sign that the obelisk was being 'opened' by the ancestors of the aliens in a corner of the world. We must find it before it is completely opened, otherwise something very bad will happen. .”

Obelisk? Open? And something bad?

Merlin narrowed his eyes, this was not the first time he had heard of the Obelisk. A few days ago, in the baroness's memory, he still remembered that the disciple of one of the mysterious Hydra leaders had instructed the baroness to help him find a thing called an obelisk.

I don't know if the obelisk mentioned by the stranger in front of me is the same thing as the obelisk that Hydra is looking for?

Merlin looked at the alien leader in front of him, and said:

Explain in detail, otherwise it will be difficult for me to help.

I told you before that the transformation of aliens requires a medium.

Gordon replied:

And what is stored in the obelisk is that kind of medium, it is called Terrigen Mist. When it is stored, it is solid, similar to green cloudy glass, but once the obelisk is fully opened, it will transform into a gaseous state .In the past ten years, under the guidance of Jiaying, we have recovered many lost obelisks around the world, but that is not all.

Terrigan Mists are dangerous, Mr. Merlin.

Jiaying then said:

It is only harmless to aliens. Any ordinary person who does not have alien genes in his body will be absorbed by it immediately and transformed into inorganic matter. It is a very, very painful process, and an obelisk contains The stored Terrigen Mist is enough to transform the population of a small town. If it is opened in a densely populated place

Jiaying looked back at the bustling city below the rooftop, she shook her head, and said in a deep voice:

In just an instant, you will receive a report of tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of casualties. That will be the most tragic massacre in this new century.

Well, I probably understand.

Merlin says:

You need me to help you find that obelisk, but you have an alien like Gordon who can travel through the world at will, so it shouldn't be difficult to find such a thing.

Actually, it's quite difficult.

Gordon hesitated and said:

My ability does not work under any circumstances. In short, we have confirmed that the obelisk is now near New York, and it is in the hands of a group of people who specialize in finding aliens and using them to conduct cruel experiments. This is your territory, if you want to find something here, you have more ways than us.

Okay, you can give me the information on the obelisk, and I will arrange for someone to find it.

Merlin said to the two strangers in front of him:

In addition, you have to meet with my boss. Don't worry, a private meeting is fine. You have to understand that the cooperation between the two is not something that I can decide alone. The process that should be followed must be followed.

It should be so.

Jiaying looked normal and said:

We have already considered this matter when we came. We will wait for Mr. Nick Fury on the edge of the Hudson River. If he is not at ease, he can bring guards, but it is best to come alone.

After finishing speaking, Jiaying seemed a little hesitant, but in the end, she quickly approached Merlin. She lowered her voice and said to Merlin:

One more personal matter, I would like to ask your help, Mr. Merlin, I have a daughter who was taken away shortly after birth, I know her last place was in New York, I hope you can help me Find her.

This request made Merlin frowned again, and he said:

I'd be happy to help you, ma'am, but the same question as before, why didn't you let Gordon help you find your daughter? With his ability, if you really want to find her, you may have seen her years ago gone.

because

Jiaying raised her head, she looked at Merlin with a strange look, and said:

My daughter was taken away by you at the beginning.

us?

Merlin replied:

What's the meaning?

Yes, it's you, S.H.I.E.L.D., to be precise, the Strategic Science Corps.

Jiaying sighed, and she said to Merlin:

Did you see the wound on my face? It was left in 1991. I was kidnapped from my home by a group of gangsters and taken to a laboratory in Southeast Asia. I was skinned and cramped. This is not an adjective, it is literal It means that my ability is longevity, I have lived for hundreds of years, in short, they coveted my ability, that time, I almost died.

Before I was taken away, I hid my daughter in a secret place. Later, I experienced some things. I was resurrected and returned to my hometown, but I found that my daughter was gone. Someone took her away. She. I have been looking for my daughter Daisy all these years. Later, through some special channels, I learned that the person who took my daughter away was someone from the Strategic Science Corps, and it was most likely your leader at that time. , Peggy Carter!

Peggy Carter?

Merlin said in a suspicious voice:

You're kidding, right? Ms. Peggy was already in her 60s in 1991. How did she cross half the world and go to the ancient eastern country to bring back your daughter?

She's not alone.

Jiaying took out a folded paper from her pocket and handed it to Meilin, she said:

A man went with him, and he carried a shield, and that shield looked like this.

Merlin took the paper, opened it, and found that it was a cut out page of a comic book, and in that comic, the legendary hero Captain America, Steve Rogers, was brandishing his shield and fighting with a dangerous opponent.

Merlin glanced at Jiaying, waved the pages of the comic book in his hand, and said to Jiaying:

It's exactly the same as the shield in this comic? Are you sure you didn't get confused by reading the comic?

You can be skeptical, it's normal.

Jiaying said without changing her expression:

But believe me, I've seen a lot more abnormal things. At least now, this is the only clue I have to find the whereabouts of my daughter. And I just recently learned that there is a um, a violent, dangerous person who has been I'm looking for her, which worries me.

Jiaying didn't seem to be lying, so Mei Lin's eyes fell on the cartoon in his hand again. After a while, he said:

Okay, I'll do my best.

But in fact, in his heart, Merlin had almost guessed the hidden information about this matter.

If it was Peggy Carter who really took away Jiaying's daughter in 1991, then the one who accompanied her must be the old Steve who is suspected of being an old version of Captain America.

This is really hell.