26. The Wanted

"Hot! Ah! Damn it!"

On the surface of the sea whose terrain has been changed, on a small island rising from the sea, Steve howled at Tony, and helped him manually open the armor.

He pulled Tony out of the scorching hot armor.

The poor playboy was nearly burnt in the final outburst of the Phoenix Force just now.

His hands were covered with scalding blisters, and smoke rose from his body.

He rushed to the edge of the island and jumped into the icy water to cool himself down.

And the situation of the captain is also pretty bad. The symbiote suit is powerful and fully functional, but being afraid of fire is a terrible problem...

Especially when it was facing the Phoenix Fire at this time, its destructive power far surpassed that of ordinary flames, making the blue symbiont rush back into the captain's body in a rage the moment it was touched by the flames.

If it wasn't for that magical shield, the captain would probably have been seriously injured by the bursting phoenix fire.

Things are fine for Clark and Thor.

Superman lost some strength after his fatal punch, but it was not a big problem, as long as he rested for a while, or went to bask in the sun, he could recover.

The Kryptonians have once again proven themselves powerful and nearly omnipotent.

His biggest loss in this battle is probably his black hair, but according to his previous experience, it only takes ten minutes for this hair to grow back.

As for Thor, the disgraced Thor is already sitting by the island, dealing with his own wounds.

He's already a skilled medical worker, and he can take care of himself.

"Where did Merlin go?"

Thor looked up at Steve, who was pulling Tony out of the water, and asked:

"Why didn't I see him?"

"He's off to take care of the last thing."

Clark looked at the sea level in the distance, and he said:

"He's sending the poor girl home with her lover..."

On Utopia, an island in the Pacific, Merlin's figure emerged from the halo of the Displacement spell.

He staggered and needed a cane to walk forward steadily.

The soul was severely injured by the power of the phoenix, and he forcibly used super-level magic when he was injured, so that the magic power in Merlin's body was close to the edge of being completely out of control.

He desperately needed a good rest.

But before that, he has one last thing to do.

Behind Merlin, the invisible gravitational force lifted the woman in the long black dress and the man who had lost his heart.

Jean and Summers, a pair of hard-working couples.

Here is a quiet hill near Utopia City.

Here is the place where Riqin was brought by Merlin to meet Summers when she returned from the ice and snow kingdom. That was the last loving meeting between the two lovers.

It is also where they bid farewell.

A few minutes later, a simple cemetery appeared behind Merlin.

He made a tombstone for the two men out of a huge stone, but did not write anything.

The dappled sun shone on the ground along the intertwined branches, and Merlin stood in the sunlight leaning on his cane. He looked at the tombstone in front of him, his eyes were full of solemnity and sadness.

It's a funeral...

He was alone.

The story of Jean and Summers shouldn't be known to anyone else, at least not yet.

"I sent you home."

Merlin stretched out his hand, stroked the tombstone, and said softly:

"This is the last thing I can do for you...Sorry, until the end, I still couldn't save you."

"You have finally got the peaceful life you long for, and I have to keep going."

Merlin closed his eyes, and in the rustling wind, he said:

"But it won't be too long..."

"It's almost over."

He bent down, picked some flowers from the edge of the hill, made a garland, and placed it on the tombstone.

He took a step back and looked at the unnamed tombstone in front of him.

Merlin closed his eyes, put his left hand on his heart, and leaned over slightly.

After a while, he turned around, looked at Utopia in front of him, and said:

"You know what? Icarus, I suddenly feel that maybe this funeral is not just for Jean and Summers... maybe it's for me too."

"What do you mean? Merlin!"

Icarus said:

"Did you feel something?"

"No."

He said:

"I don't feel anything, no crisis, no good things, no bad things. My spiritual perception is unbelievably calm."

"But the thing is... since I have it, it's never been so peaceful."

Icarus was silent, and after a few seconds she said suddenly:

"I want to confess something to you, Merlin."

"Um?"

"I didn't donate all the money you asked me to donate every month..."

"I kept a part of it for investment, and then in the star port of m.i.b, I prepared a shuttle for you, which can take off at any time."

Icarus says:

"You might be able to..."

"You let me escape?"

Merlin chuckled lightly:

"At this time, people have died because of me...I haven't told Qin, I dare not even open my mouth."

"The tragedy of her and Summers is only because they were involved in this game that was played because of me."

Merlin clenched his fists and said:

"She and Summers don't deserve to die!"

"They could have survived, they could have had a happy life and they would have had children."

"Just because I..."

"It all came to an abrupt end."

He let out a sigh of relief.

"I have hurt too many people, and the world has been suffering because of the emergence of myself. I have been working hard to do what I can to remedy it."

"I've been trying to restore the world that was out of balance because of me..."

"But in my heart, I have always been very clear that as long as I am still alive, the disasters in this world will never stop."

"Those painful disasters, I caused them, because of the damn game, those choices, this ending...I tried to eliminate the disaster, but..."

"I am the greatest source of disaster in this world..."

"I can't run away anymore..."

"I was shaped by malice and jokes from a higher will, Icarus, there is no destiny, I have no past, no future, all of this is my fantasy as a disaster monster."

"The illusion that this only hurts other people is over."

"It's time to face the ending."

————————

"The first phase of insight mothership has been built!"

In Washington, D.C., in the office of the director of the World Security Council, the assistant to the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., bald agent Japas Sitwell, is reporting to Pierce the current progress of the Insight Project.

"The first three ships completed in the Numbani industrial zone are flying to North America, and the mothership that rolled off the production line in the Eichenwalde industrial zone is also crossing the Arctic. They will enter the airspace from the Canadian region."

"The mothership in the Volskaya Industrial Zone is still on standby, but as long as it is ordered, it can go into the air, and then establish an insight system defense network in the European region."

"The mothership in the Brasilia region will be in charge of Oceania and South America, but unfortunately, the construction plan for the mothership in the Lijiang Tower Industrial Zone was forcibly stopped by the Eastern Kingdom at the last moment..."

Agent Hitwell glanced at Pierce's expression, and he said softly:

"There is no possibility of a diplomatic solution to the problem at the moment."

"Well, that is to say, only 12 of the original 15 motherships were successfully completed?"

Pierce did not show much disappointment.

Holding a cane in his hand, he looked at the world map on the table in front of him. At this moment when he was about to fulfill his lifelong wish, Pierce was quite calm.

He said:

"Umbrella ground power ready?"

"Madam sent a message 2 hours ago that the tyrant's troops have been assembled and have been transferred to the Atlantic Ocean, ready to launch operations at any time."

Hitwell glanced at the tablet in his hand and said:

"The Special Response Force is also ready...they are awaiting the order to start the program, sir."

"Um."

Pierce stroked his chin, thinking.

After a few seconds he looked up at Hitterwell and said:

"About Merlin..."

"Officer Merlin has just finished dealing with the SSS-level supernatural event that happened in New Jersey. Currently, his positioning signal is in the Pacific Ocean, on Utopia Island."

The bald agent pushed his glasses, he said:

"According to your instructions, we have handed over the 'thing' to the clown, and set up the 'stage' in the Trident Building, and he assured us that he will hold Merlin until the insight plan is deployed. "

"A Madman's Guarantee..."

Pierce stood up, he shook his head:

"I don't believe him!"

"In fact, I now feel that hiring him was a huge mistake."

"Send a message to Madam and ask her to send her best fighters. Once the clown drags Merlin, get rid of him immediately!"

"Yes! Then about the action order..."

"Execute!"

Pierce walked to the window, condescendingly looking at the same scenery as in the past, he put the cane in his hand in front of his eyes, and looked at the orange light lingering in the cane.

When his fingers touched the light, his belief in the new order became stronger.

As a fetish of Templar Knights throughout the ages, the golden apple can affect human thinking, but this effect is not only for the enemy...

Pierce's eyes flashed a stubbornness and paranoia that he had never seen before. He looked at the orange halo and said softly:

"A new order must be brought about...a world full of evil needs to be cleansed..."

"Just today!"

Behind him, Hitwell retreated quietly. He picked up his mobile phone and sent a message. After a while, there was a reply. It was a smiling face.

It's just a very ordinary mobile phone expression, but at this moment, it's so strange no matter how you look at it.

On the other side, Clark Kent, a member of the Avengers who had just completed a mission and a reporter from "Daily Planet", was walking on the street and was rushing home.

He didn't want Louise to be suspicious, and he didn't want his beloved to wait too long.

He's wearing a weird hat to cover his growing hair, which should be back to normal by the time we get home at this rate.

But just after Clark walked a block, the watch on his wrist suddenly rang.

He raised his hand and saw an Avengers logo shining on the watch.

This is the rallying signal for the Avengers.

"What happened again?"

Clark frowned, looked around, and then rushed into an alley.

After a while, he rushed into the clouds at super fast speed, and rushed towards the assembly point where he received the assembly signal.

In less than a minute, Clark arrived at the assembly point.

It's on the rooftop of the Trident Building.

And a lot of people came.

"Captain America" ​​Steve Rogers who just returned to the Trident Building.

"Iron Man" Tony Stark with a bandage on his face and changed clothes.

"Thor" Thor in a blue coat with a black umbrella.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 8 Agent "Black Widow" Natasha Romanoff.

Level 8 agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., "Hawkeye" Barton Clint who is ready to retire.

These few people are very close to the assembly point, and they all came faster than "Superman" Clark Kent.

As far away as Europe, Wolverine Logan, who was basically not involved in the affairs of the Avengers, was probably not summoned because he was too far away.

Everyone had doubts on their faces. Obviously, this sudden gathering made everyone puzzled.

"Where's Merlin?"

A bored Tony drank his coffee and said to the others:

"Why didn't I see him? Isn't it the assembly signal from 'Raven'?"

"no!"

Behind everyone, a voice sounded from the stairs.

When the Avengers turned their heads, they saw Nick Fury, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., with his hands behind his back, walking towards them, wearing a black leather jacket and an eye patch.

"It's my rallying signal."

Fury said to the Avengers:

"I didn't notify Merlin because I just got terrible news..."

"Stop beating around the bush, Fury."

He had just experienced the thrilling battle with the black phoenix, and he also knew Qin's tragic experience.

The captain, who has always been good-tempered, also felt impatient with Fury's half-spoken way of speaking at this moment.

He said to Fury:

"Say something!"

"All right."

Fury wasn't offended by this blunt answer.

He looked around, then took out a small black box like a miniature speaker from his pocket, and put it in the palm of his hand.

The next moment, a blue projection jumped out in front of many Avengers.

It was an unclear picture. On the picture, Merlin in black was approaching a white-haired old man.

The picture is muted and a bit shaky.

But after a while, Merlin took a step forward, and the Hidden Blade popped out from his left hand, and pierced the old man's chest with an indifferent gesture.

Blood splattered...

"New progress has been made in the murder of Gideon Malik, a former member of the World Security Council and an important political figure."

Fury looked at the beating picture, and he said softly:

"I don't want to believe it either, but...you saw it too."

"It was Merlin who murdered him."

Everyone present was a little overwhelmed by the projected picture in front of them and Fury's words.

They looked at each other, and Natasha and Barton, who were familiar with SHIELD's style, immediately flashed undisguised worry in their eyes.

"That's why I called you here..."

Fury said:

"I don't believe that Merlin did it either, but this video has been sent to the World Security Council. Those congressmen are very angry, and Pierce is helping us."

"But before the truth of the matter can be found out, we must first bring Merlin to justice."

Fury raised his voice and said to the others:

"If we don't carry out this order, someone else will do it... Merlin's reputation will be ruined, and his reputation will be ruined. What's worse, those councilors voted for the s.d.o.l.d. directly under Merlin to stop immediately. This is very troublesome."

"So, Avengers, go and bring Merlin back before things get worse!"

Director of Braised Egg Head said:

"Only in this way can we protect him!"