Shadow of the Beautiful World

Go and stop him!

Seeing Merlin disappear into the office, Pierce grabbed the phone on the table, turned his head and shouted at Fury:

He's going to start a horrible confrontation, my God, stop him!

Fury also knew that the matter was urgent, he rushed to the door of the office, but at the moment Merlin disappeared, Fury actually knew that no matter how fast he was, it was impossible to stop Merlin who was already murderous.

No one knew better than him how strong Merlin's execution was.

After Fury disappeared, Pierce's phone was dialed at this moment, and on the other end of the phone, a gentle voice sounded:

Pierce? Why are you calling at this hour? Is there something urgent?

Gideon...

There was a twinkle in Pierce's eye, and he said:

I just got word that the hive... is dead, your god, dead.

...

On the other end of the phone, Gideon Malik, a member of the World Security Council with a great background and a great philanthropist, was breathing heavily at this moment. After a few seconds, he said bitterly:

Really?

You can think I'm lying to you.

Pierce said calmly:

But our Godslayer has already gone looking for you, you'd better be prepared.

Pierce...

The person on the other end of the phone was not irritated by the news, he hesitated for a few seconds, and then asked:

Tell me honestly, is all of this in your plan? Including the thing you sent a few days ago...

I've always had hope for the kid Merlin.

Pierre replied calmly:

When you told me that you had the means to kill the threat he brought, I was very contradictory. I always thought that he might be our best successor and bring a real new order to this ugly world, but you think He was a threat, I compromised, I gave everything to you to run, but it turned out that my expectations were correct.

Merlin made a feat that no one could have imagined. He freed Hydra from the belief of the hive. He gave me and you real freedom... So, I decided to continue to believe in him.

That is to say, you want to give up on us?

Gideon chuckled twice, his tone became sonorous, and he said:

Do you think I will help you keep your secret? Do you think I will continue to hide your existence from that godslayer?

You will!

Pierce said firmly:

From the time we set foot on this road, you should know that a great cause needs sacrifices, many sacrifices, and now we are only one step away from the final victory...you will Great sacrifice to make, I believe in you, Gideon, I have always believed in you.

What's more, besides the twisted belief in the hive, you have more precious things to protect, my old friend...

Stephanie, your daughter, my niece...she's just begun her beautiful life.

Pierce! You bastard!

Gideon Malik growled:

You can't involve her!

It's your choice, my friend.

Pierce's tone was gentle, like a kind reminder:

We need your sacrifice.

The devil must have a face, and the warriors will have a goal, and only when the evil really falls, the pursuit of justice will stop... Hydra will fall today and fall apart completely, but the new order will come tomorrow Rise to light the whole world.

Gideon, haven't you always wanted to control the entire Hydra?

Pierce whispered:

Now, you are the leader of all Hydra.

I wish you all the best, my friend, wait for me in the other world, and I will bring you the news of victory.

I'm very old, you don't need to wait too long...

Go. Death, for you and me, is a relief...

———————————————

Icarus, search for 'Gideon Malik'.

Merlin's figure was floating in mid-air. Before his eyes, the beautiful sunset was swaying in the large swimming pool of a private estate in the mountains of Virginia. Covered with a dreamlike color.

It is not far from Washington, and it is said that the low-key Mr. Gideon often spends leisurely weekends here.

On the lens in front of Merlin's eyes, the information about Gideon Malik was listed in front of him in the form of screenshots one by one. Judging from the retrieved information, this politician is really enthusiastic about public affairs. Several charitable foundations under his name have ongoing charitable activities around the world.

As Pierce said, it is really hard to believe that such a person born with a golden key in his mouth could be the head of an evil organization.

Your Excellency Merlin, I retrieved the evidence that Amanda Waller showed to Mr. Fury. They are all true and hidden in the complicated cash flow. It must have taken a lot of time for the Sky Eye to find these loopholes.

Icarus' voice sounded in Merlin's ears:

This doesn't look like a temporary coincidence. According to my judgment, there is an 85.47% chance that the news about Gideon Malik being the leader of Hydra is true. Judging from the current intelligence synthesis, he is The last head of the Hydra you seek.

Um...

Merlin moved the fingers of his left hand in the air, and his right hand touched the Shadow Blade Whip. Shaking shadows enveloped his body, preventing him from being detected by any monitoring equipment.

He has made up his mind to do the right thing, but before that, he needs to make sure that the person who is about to die under his knife is not a pathetic scapegoat.

In the previous confrontation, regarding the golden cicada's escape, Hydra played too slippery.

I'm curious what the other 14 percent might be in your absolutely sane extrapolation?

Merlin asked.

Insufficient information, Your Excellency Merlin.

Icarus replied:

Hydra's internal forces are too complicated. I don't rule out whether there are other Nine-Headed factions that continue to hide besides the Red Skull faction that has been destroyed by you, the . Snakes...you should not have forgotten Ms. Peggy Carter's advice before leaving.

She said she thought Hydra was the enemy, but then she discovered that Hydra was not.

You mean, there may be Hydras that haven't been discovered yet?

Merlin fell to the ground. Under the cover of the shadow, he walked through the gate guarded by 4 armed bodyguards. He said:

Is this the 14% beyond your conclusion?

13.53% to be exact.

Icarus corrected:

Includes all unknown intelligence and speculation, and other possible outcomes.

Well, I noticed you just used 'I' again...

Merlin says:

Have you regained your sense of self?

This is your illusion, Mr. Merlin.

Icarus said in an emotionless voice:

I'm just a rational and indifferent artificial intelligence. I don't have the 'self-awareness' you understand.

Well, you're an emotionless electronic being, I understand, I understand.

Merlin was like an invisible and inaudible ghost wind. His fingers touched the door of the closed room in the manor. Under the high-speed vibration of the atomized fingers, he 'melted' into the wall in front of him. He whispered :

Shut down all the communication equipment in this room, and I want to have a good talk with Mr. Gideon.

The next moment, Merlin's figure appeared in the study of Gideon Malik, the current director of the World Security Council.

This is a very quaint room, not luxurious, but there are Impressionist oil paintings hanging on the walls, Mr. Gideon's precious family collection, books on the bookshelves, and an exquisitely shaped fireplace. Let this study is full of a quiet and elegant atmosphere.

Merlin stood by the wall, he looked at the old man behind the desk.

He looked very old, and the well-made blue suit jacket was thrown on the sofa by him. He was sitting at the long L-shaped desk.

He unbuttoned the two buttons of his shirt, undone the sleeves in an indecent manner, with a haggard expression, holding a wine glass in his hand and a wine bottle by his hand.

It seemed that before Merlin arrived, he had already poured himself a drink for a long time.

Godslayer... you're a bit slow to come.

Old man Gideon's voice was a little fluttering. He raised his head and looked at Merlin without any fear in his eyes.

He looked like a mad believer after his faith had collapsed. Maybe in a world where the gods he believed in didn't exist, there was nothing worthy of his nostalgia.

At least it seems so.

come over!

Gideon beckoned to Merlin and pointed to the chair in front of the desk. He took a wine glass from the wine cabinet behind him, poured some wine into it, and said to Merlin:

I know what you are here for. Before you do it, have a drink with me.

Merlin strolled forward, reached for the glass, and said to the drunken Gideon:

In what name, then, Mr. Gideon?

Ah

Gideon looked up, looked at Merlin with a mocking look, and said:

You still call me Gideon? Shouldn't you be calling me 'Speaker'? I can't believe you've been hunting us down for so long and don't even know my codename in Hydra...

Merlin didn't answer, but Gideon Malik really seemed to have lost his faith. He stood up unsteadily, holding the wine glass, ignoring Merlin behind him, walked to his family's collection, and put the glass He drank the wine in one gulp, and he said:

I've noticed you since you killed the banker, Merlin Riley, Ferry's beagle.

You weren't a problem when you first came out. It was a stupid mistake to ignore you when we were focused on a greater cause. You quickly showed more lethality than we expected.

You are like a ruthless hunter, carefully looking for the target, the poor baroness, the Hydra lady, the unlucky Whitehall, the despicable chief, one after another, my 'council' continues in you Becoming fragmented under constant hunting, your fierce reputation makes my subordinates who are not smart enough or firm enough fearful.

You and Fury, you joined forces and pushed me and my beliefs into a desperate situation bit by bit. It forced me to resort to illusory myths... Unfortunately, myths... Myths also failed.

Old man Gideon picked up a beautiful sculpture in the collection cabinet. He admired it as if he had done it countless times before, and then suddenly his hand shook, and the sculpture fell to the ground and shattered.

Just like the Hydra now.

We wanted to shape a new order...

Gideon, without looking at the broken sculpture at his feet, turned and said to Merlin:

But now, it's all over.

You believe in an evil god who feeds on flesh and blood, sir.

Merlin looked at the wine glass in his hand. The amber liquid exuded a mellow aroma. He raised his head, poured the wine in the glass into his mouth, and then put the empty glass on the table. He said to Gideon:

Without wine, I can't drink the rubbish lies you tell... What kind of new order can an evil god bring to this world? You are just deceiving yourself and others.

No no no no.

Gideon smiled and shook his head. He spread his hands and said to Merlin:

That is the belief that an organization should have. You have to understand, young people, that if an organization wants to survive for a long time, it needs belief.

As for the hive... look at me now, do you think I'm a sincere believer?

The hydra in front of him who called himself the Speaker sat back at the desk. He opened the drawer and took out a golden, delicate ring. He put the ring in his hand and stroked it gently. He whispered:

Perhaps in the time of our ancestors, belief was still sincere and mysterious, but have you ever wondered, Merlin, why an evil belief has persisted for more than 3,000 years? Have you ever Why do the believers who grew up in the world still obey that foolish legend?

The old man lifted up the ring in his hand, and on the ring dotted with emeralds, there was the purest Hydra emblem without any embellishments. He put the emblem in front of Merlin's eyes, and said:

Faith? Faith is just an insignificant thing. What really brings us together is interest.

The real Hydra died long after Red Skull's failure. Those of us latecomers only came together because of various interests, but the more greedy people are, the more they will be deceived by their own greed. Put on a bluffing coat.

Some people use faith as a cover, while others act in the name of order.

The old man threw the golden ring on the table casually, he pulled out a meaningful smile, looked at Merlin, and said:

There are greedy bastards everywhere in this world, and I'm just one of them. I'm just not very lucky. The powerful and invincible gods passed down by my ancestors still haven't been able to bury you in that world.

Unfortunately, as long as the greed in human nature is still there, young man, you will never try to destroy Hydra...

I can see the killing intent in your eyes. You have made up your mind, so come on, kill me and bury you at the same time.

Gideon reached for his shirt, eyes closed, and said:

Let all of this, in the flowing blood, come to an end.

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