Elliot. Randolph is undoubtedly a cunning fellow.

He saw Merlin's situation, and after the angry spear, he threw another bait at Merlin to urge Merlin to be more active in fulfilling his request.

According to him, the mysterious thing that was left in the Nordic region in the 8th century AD was related to Thor, the god of thunder in Norse mythology. That represents a higher level of existential power than the Angry Spear.

Of course, Merlin could have turned down the temptation, but Randolph had nothing to lose.

He could have used the news to hire others.

In order for Merlin to fulfill Randolph's instructions, he must first find a way to contact Asgard, and as long as this problem is solved, the rest of the matter will be simple.

It's just a message, it's nothing more than a little farther away, it's nothing more than Asgard is ethereal.

Merlin quickly stopped thinking about it, for it was useless to think about it, and it seemed to him to be a matter of complete luck, and his luck, to be honest, had not been very good.

Merlin, who found the treasure, did not use the shapeshifting charm to leave Spain, on the contrary, he drove the rented car leisurely, along the highway from Seville to Lyon, spent 2 days, like a real vacationed traveler, returned to Lyon, and from there took a plane to Paris.

It was his last day on vacation.

He's going to have a meal with old friends in Paris, chat with him, and then head back to New York to get ready for work.

In the afternoon, Merlin walked into a restaurant in Paris, not far from the offices of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s European division, where he used to serve his dinner when he was seconded to the European branch a few years ago, and which he was familiar with.

And when Merlin walked into the restaurant, he saw his old friend Gatler at a glance.

The guy was sitting at the corner table, holding the menu, speaking fluent French, to the waiter next to him.

Merlin walked over, and Gatler noticed his friend behind him, and the old cowboy, who looked much younger, smiled and stood up and gave Merlin a hug.

"I haven't seen you in years, Merlin Boy."

Garrett let go of Merlin, and he looked Merlin up and down, and said with a scrimson voice:

"Well, I'm a little taller than I've been a little bit older than I've been in the last few years, and I look a lot more relaxed. Look at your smile, it looks like you've met something happy. Yes, it is necessary to smile more, this is the attitude that young people should have. ”

"Young?"

Merlin shook his head, and he sat down in the chair opposite Gatler, and he took up his glass of water, and said to the old cowboy:

"I'm 30 years old... It's not young anymore. ”

"You're only 30, and your days are still long."

Although they hadn't seen each other for a few years, there didn't seem to be a strange feeling between the two people, and Garrett said to Merlin in front of him in a passer-by tone:

"You have to hurry up and find a wife while you still have energy, look at you, since I met you, you have always been a person, and now, you have become a commander like me, but you are still alone... That's not good, Merlin, it's true that we're doing secret work, but we need to have a life of our own, too. ”

"You have a home, and no matter how crazy a sailor is, he won't be adrift forever."

"You're annoying, Gatler."

Merlin seemed reluctant to discuss the issue, and as he drank his water, he said:

"It's like the old men who chatter. When did you start caring about my life too? Speaking of which, didn't you tell me last time that you were going to chase that mixed-race nurse? What's her name? ”

"Liv."

A strange smile appeared on Gatler's face, and he stretched out his finger and waved it at Merlin.

Merlin then noticed that Gatler was wearing a golden ring on his left hand.

"Won't you, are you playing with her really?"

Merlin was "shocked" and said:

"You're going to be sucked dry by her!"

"Don't make a fuss, do you think I'm always indulging in carnal desires like a young man like you?"

Gatler said dissatisfiedly:

"Liv and I are spiritual companions, and you won't understand it if you're not my age. Of course, we won't get married, after all, I'm just an ordinary person, I'll live 30 years at most to be an old man, and Liv will always be young, I'm just a passerby in her life. ”

"So, it's important to enjoy the moment."

"Actually, it's not impossible."

Merlin put down the water glass, he looked at Gatler, and he said:

"Remember what I told you on the phone? The mutation test that my wizard friend was working on... If you participate in that program and the trial is successful, not only will you be able to get rid of that terrible life support in your body completely, but you will also have a longer life than the average person, I mean, enough for you to spend the rest of your life with your wife. ”

"You can enjoy life together, grow old together, and even have your own children and watch them grow up."

"Are you serious?"

After listening to Merlin's words, Gatler's expression was a little strange, he pondered for a moment, and looked at Merlin:

"I thought you were joking... But before I make a decision, I want to ask, why did you choose me? I mean, if it's a wizard's experiment, then he shouldn't be short of experiments. ”

"Because among the people I know, you have a desperate need, and your will is strong enough."

Merlin calmly said to Gatler:

"My friend told me that the test subject had to be strong-willed, Gatler, you can't imagine how painful that test was, I watched it once, and it seemed to me to be torture."

"You're going to suffer a pain that's worse than a knife and an axe for a week. Those mutated substances will destroy your body first, and then reshape the transcendent body with alien inducers. You will be destroyed and then reborn in pain. ”

"It is impossible for a weak person to survive the trial, and it is difficult for a person without urgent need to make up his mind to lie on the wizard's experimental table."

Merlin picked up his glass and drank the last sip of water, and he looked at the waiter who came not far away with a large meal, and said to Gatler:

"You've helped me, Gatler, and I'm going to help you. But I'm not sure if that's the help you need, and I'm most likely going to send you into a torturous hell with my own hands, so I'll have to ask for your opinion. ”

"Let's eat first."

Garrett did not answer Merlin's question immediately, he picked up his knife and fork and smiled at Merlin:

"I can understand your kindness, but I need to think about it."

"It's natural."

Merlin nodded, and he said:

"You have enough time to think about it, and I'll wait for your news."

The food in this restaurant is very good, and the fish soup that comes up at the end is even more appetizing, Merlin and Gatler chatted while eating, and they didn't seem to be affected by what had just happened.

At the end of the lunch, Merlin enjoyed the last dessert and asked:

"When you called before, you said that you also found some news about the inner ghost?"

"Yes, there are some."

Gatler cut the dessert a little rudely, and as he cut it, he said without raising his head:

"A few months ago, I led agents to destroy a Ten Rings stronghold in Marseille, and I found some information. Did you know that the Ten Rings tried to form an alliance with the traitors within us? ”

"Well, I really don't know."

Merlin frowned and put down his knife and fork, and said:

"Tell me more."

"Well, that was after you were sent back to New York."

Gatler Says:

"The Ten Commandments gang sent a representative to lobby some 'friends', but it seems to be rejected. After the great upheaval within the CIA, they stepped up their infiltration into North America, but failed. I mean, it's not just Fury sniping at them, the traitors within us seem to be happy to see the Ten Rings kept out of North America. ”

"At least when it comes to dealing with the Ten Rings Gang, those guys seem to be on the same front as us."

"They were just worried that the arrival of the Ten Rings would hinder their plans."

Merlin said disdainfully:

"Just because you fight a bad guy doesn't mean they're good. It's just dog-eat-dog. ”

"Indeed."

Gatler's eyes narrowed, and he said:

"That's true. But Merlin, I don't know much, but I can sense that those hidden guys are dangerous, I mean, you don't have to get involved in these things, just let Fury do it, don't you believe in his abilities? ”

"I believe in Fury, but I can't let go of this matter."

Merlin looked at the dessert on the plate, and he whispered:

"They killed my family, they meddled in all sorts of things, they made waves... I have entered the storm, and I will not quit until the storm has completely subsided. Actually, I enjoyed hunting them. ”

"Alas... Family. ”

Gatler sighed, and he said:

"Indeed, you have no reason to retreat. You're not the kind of person who will run away, but Merlin, I still want to persuade you, S.H.I.E.L.D. is a job for you and mine... You have to understand that your life is your own, and sometimes, a job doesn't mean we have to risk our life. ”

"You understand what you mean, Gatler."

Merlin shrugged his shoulders and said:

"I'll protect myself."

With that, Merlin raised his wrist and looked at the time, and he said to Gatler:

"It was a great meal, Gatler, but it's time for me to go."

"Are you in such a hurry?"

Gatler stood up and said to Merlin:

"I'm going to invite you to my house, and you might want to meet Liv."

"Forget it this time."

Merlin Says:

"I'll definitely visit you next time. Mostly I have some personal matters to deal with... I've just found a nest of snakes, and I'm going to have to get rid of them all before they can escape. ”

"Oh, is that so?"

A twinkle flashed in Gatler's eyes, and he said with a smile:

"Since I have something to do, I won't keep you. You kid, the next time you come to Europe, you must tell me in advance. ”

"Well, definitely!"

Merlin and Gatler waved goodbye, and the latter watched Merlin walk out of the restaurant and into an alley.

The old cowboy himself did not leave immediately, on the contrary, he sat on a chair in the dining room, took out his mobile phone, and dialed a number.

A moment later, the phone was connected, and a calm, with a hint of hoarseness, came from the microphone:

"What's the matter?"

There was no salutation, no greetings, and the person on the other side asked the question bluntly. And Gatler seems to be accustomed to this kind of headless words, and he says indifferently:

"It's not a big deal, I just wanted to ask, how is the 'Death Warrior Project' going? How long will it take for me to see the finished product? ”

"That will take time... Please be patient. ”

"You prevaricate me with this sentence every time."

Gatler said with a blank face:

"I've always been patient, but I'm not going to be deceived. I need a time, a specific time. ”

"At the current pace, it could take five years."

The man replied:

"The outer metal armor has encountered a technical bottleneck, the progress of the body enhancement project is very slow, this is not something we can decide, the breeding and development of technology takes time, you can only wait patiently."

"Five years?"

Gatler laughed and said:

"In five years, I'll be 50 years old... You say I'm a 50-year-old man, what are you still pursuing? I've been waiting for you guys for 10 years... And then you tell me that I have to wait another 5 years, or even longer... To be honest, I don't want to wait. ”

"So, what do you mean by making this call? Putting pressure on me? ”

"No, I just asked, I wanted answers, but all I got was the same disappointment as always."

Gatler sighed, and he said:

"Sorry to interrupt me."

After saying that, he pressed the hang up button and did not tell the person on the other side of the phone the terrible news he had gotten.

That seemingly tough organization keeps letting him down...

Perhaps, it is time for them to taste the feeling of disappointment.

"I'm really on a broken ship... It's time to prepare yourself for a back path. ”

Gatler leaned back in his chair, his eyes closed, and reached out to stroke the back of his waist, where there was still a cold touch of metal.

"Merlin, good friend... Will you let me down? ”

"Can you pull me out of this quagmire?"

"Maybe... Maybe I should give you a little help, but not now, the time has not yet come. ”

"Alas... It's a tough decision. ”