It was almost Christmas 2002, and Merlin was still doing his job.

At the Ghost Base's weapons proving ground, Merlin is assisting Winston the Gorilla in testing S. L.D.'s latest gear.

"It's too small, isn't it?"

Merlin looked at the metal box in front of him, which contained a pair of things that resembled hiking boots, made of metal, like a pair of iron boots worn by medieval knights in battle, with several round holes like jets underneath the boots.

It was Winston's personal flying device, inspired by his jetpack.

Merlin asked Winston to simplify it and make it into combat equipment that could be used by ordinary agents, but he didn't expect that Winston would simplify it to what it is now.

"The design would have been bigger."

Dressed in a researcher's uniform and wearing glasses, Winston explained to Merlin:

"In addition to the design of the boots, there should be a matching flight energy pack, but I checked the S.H.I.E.L.D. design database, where I found a design of a primitive, anti-gravity engine from decades ago, which was abandoned by Mr. Howard, but still gave me a lot of inspiration."

The superhuman orangutan pointed to the silver steel boots in front of him, and said to Merlin:

"I adapted its energy source, and with George's help, we designed a high-efficiency energy module for it, and also set up a very advanced energy control system. It now relies on recharging for energy, and in the case of energy saturation, it can allow the operator to fly in the ground for 15-30 minutes, depending on the speed of the flight. ”

"Well, it looks pretty good."

Merlin lifted his foot and put his left foot into the iron boot in front of him, and after his foot was fully placed in it, the open shell of the boot snapped back with the movement of the gears, and finally stuck on Merlin's calf.

Merlin tried to lift his feet, the iron boots were a little heavy, and ordinary agents could no longer move freely when they wore them.

However, as a special equipment for reconnaissance and infiltration, high-altitude airborne operations, the agents will unfasten their boots when they reach their destination, and when the mission is completed, they will put them back on and leave the scene.

No one would be stupid enough to run and chase an enemy in this thing.

"This is the controller."

Winston handed Merlin a palm-sized, remote-like gadget with a few keys to control the general direction and a flexible joystick.

"Try it, sir."

Winston turned on the computer at hand, observed the operation of the flying boots, and said to Merlin:

"You're the best test pilot I've ever found, and for the sake of the agents' safety, please be sure to test every eventuality."

"Hmm."

Merlin pressed the controller, and with the start of the micro engine in the boot, a reverse thrust burst out from under his feet, Merlin's body quickly rose into space, and he hovered in this workshop-like weapons testing ground, constantly circling through the control stick, and the speed became faster and faster.

After trying simulations of various extreme situations, such as sudden rise and fall, cutting off energy in the air, re-igniting in the event of a fall, and so on, Merlin heard Winston shouting on the ground:

"Now test one of the most important features, the Commander does not fog and simulate the scene when a normal agent falls."

"Click"

The next moment, Merlin's flying boots untied in the air, Merlin and the boots separated, and both began to fall towards the ground.

"Long press the start button!"

Winston shouted, Merlin's fingers pressed on the red button of the controller in his hand, and after 2 seconds, the stopped flying boots suddenly started again, they flew around in the air, drawing all kinds of trajectories, and finally locked Merlin, and quickly re-buckled Merlin's feet in the air, and in the continuous spray of the propulsion engine, Merlin finally landed firmly on the ground.

"Click"

The outer shell of the boot opened outward, and Merlin threw the controller in his hand to Winston, saying:

"Very nice stuff, what's that last feature?"

"It's a crisis rescue function."

Winston checked the state of the boots and said to Merlin:

"It's used in a real crisis situation, but it's not perfect, and when it comes to matching locks, the boots are occasionally in the wrong position, more on the user's hands than on the feet."

"This feature is useful, perfect it as soon as possible."

Merlin Says:

"I'll file a patent application with headquarters, and this thing you've designed will definitely satisfy the field agents."

"It's my job, sir."

Winston pushed his glasses, and it said:

"Didn't you hire me to do that? I also love this job, especially when my wisdom is used in the right place, in the cause of fighting crime and maintaining order, and I feel honored. ”

"I feel a little ashamed of what you said."

Merlin and Winston joked:

"You're a lot more decent than the people who call themselves 'superheroes.'"

"Didi"

Winston was about to say something, but Merlin's communicator rang, and Merlin put it to his ear, and he asked:

"Barbie, what's the matter?"

"We caught a reporter who snuck into the base, sir."

Agent Barbie reported:

"Disguised as a chef's assistant, he drove into the restaurant in a car full of ingredients, then changed into the uniform of a base agent and took a camera to film the inside of the base."

"He and a couple of chefs are under control at the moment, what are we going to do with him?"

Hearing this, Merlin suddenly had a headache, and he said:

"How many times this month?"

"The fifth, sir, the other four were all found outside the base, this guy is perfectly disguised, if he hadn't accidentally encountered Tripp while trying to enter the underground prison, he probably probably got out of it."

Agent Barbie said:

"I suspect that this guy is probably trained in stealth, and his identity is probably not a simple journalist."

"Send him to my office."

Merlin Says:

"Let me talk to him."

"Yes, sir."

Barbie hung up the communicator, and Merlin gave Winston an apologetic smile, saying:

"That's all for today's test, I'm going to take care of some things."

"Yes, yes, sir."

A few minutes later, Merlin returned to his office, where Agent Barbie and the reporter with his hands tied were already waiting for him.

Merlin glanced at the guy who had slipped into the ghost base, he looked very young, only in his early 20s, not very tall, his hair was a little disheveled, his eyes were bright, and he looked like a very sharp guy.

He was still wearing the uniform of the base agents, and even the information on his ID card was disguised.

It seems that this guy did all kinds of preparation before diving in.

"Barbie, pour me a cup of coffee."

Merlin sat in his chair, his hands propped up on the table, his chin propped up, he looked at the caught guy in front of him, the two looked at each other, and after a few seconds, Merlin's lenses showed all the information he could find.

"Eddie. Brooke. ”

Merlin whispered:

The 21-year-old, born in San Francisco, joined the Army two years ago but was dissuaded from the Army for repeated military violations. After working as a jobless homeless for one year, he joined the news gathering and editing department of the Global Daily in San Francisco in July last year. ”

"You've done a great job, you've always had your own unique perspective on social issues, you're a well-known investigative journalist, and you've done a lot of things that your predecessors couldn't do, even though you've only been in the industry for a short time..."

Merlin read out the information about the reporter word by word, and when he finished reading it, there was already an undisguised consternation in the eyes of the young reporter sitting in the chair in front of him.

"I'm trying to say, Eddie."

Merlin reached out and took the coffee from Barbie, and while stirring the hot coffee, he said slowly:

"You have a bright future, but why do you do such a dangerous thing, why do you want to destroy your future?"

"Isn't it the duty of a journalist to answer citizens' questions?"

Eddie. Brooke, the young, gifted journalist, retorted:

"Citizens are concerned about the developments regarding mutants in the last year, the authorities are reluctant to make the specific treatment public, and Professor Charles's brilliant speeches do not mention much about the whereabouts of the radical mutants who have been silent... If someone has doubts, we have a duty to answer them. ”

He was not afraid of the gaze of Merlin, the head of the great secret service, and he had the momentum of a newborn calf who was not afraid of a tiger.

He said to Merlin:

"Those radical mutants, although they are hated by others, although they are a group of crazy people who are afraid of the world, they also have their own human rights. There have also been a lot of mutants who have disappeared for no apparent reason recently, and I think their disappearance has something to do with this base. ”

"That's a good guess, but unfortunately you don't have proof, do you?"

Merlin looked at Eddie and said:

"But before you come, maybe you should give us a notice in advance and apply to the S.H.I.E.L.D.'s External Information Office for a visit, instead of making a fuss like this, you see, you're sitting here, you're wasting my time, it's really bad."

"Here's the proof! And we applied! ”

Eddie, a young journalist, said angrily:

"Not only us, but many other newspaper reporters who are also interested in mutant affairs have applied, but none of them have been officially allowed to cover the news."

"Then it's none of the business with me, Mr. Eddie."

Merlin spread his hands and said with an innocent expression:

"My colleagues don't allow you to interview me, and they have a point. Maybe you should have a good communication with them, I believe that any problem can be solved by communication and communication. ”

"Well said, Mr. Agent."

Eddie. Bullock keenly grasped the loophole in Merlin's words, and he asked rhetorically:

"I also believe that the truth of any matter and misunderstanding can be obtained through honest communication, so, would you like to accept my interview?"

"Huh?"

Merlin and Barbie glanced at each other, and he found that he had met a stunned young man, a stunned young man with his own persistence and code of action, in this situation, any normal person would want to get out quickly, but this guy...

In the case that he is unable to protect himself, he is still interested in the truth.

But Merlin didn't immediately reject him.

Since the Ghost Base was established and put into use, almost every once in a while, it has welcomed some and Eddie. Brooke is the same as uninvited guests, some of them are for the truth, and some are just purely for fame, although it is not difficult to expel these guys, but it is not cost-effective to occupy the resources of the base for these guys.

Merlin has been looking for an opportunity to answer the inner doubts of the populace about the whereabouts of the dangerous radical mutants.

They crave the truth, and Merlin gives them the truth, but this matter cannot be officially intervened.

In today's society, people will believe everything, but they don't believe in official rumors.

Presumably because the credibility of the government is much less than it used to be, it is better for this kind of truth-related description to be published by a professional news organization with some reputation.

It's like Eddie. The first-hand accounts given by Brooke's fame and investigative reporters who work for major newspapers are more credible.

"Of course, I'm willing to be interviewed by you."

Merlin thought for a moment, then he looked up and said to Eddie:

"You've got 30 minutes, you'd better organize the questions you want to ask in advance, and I can give you permission to shoot on the base as well, but, I warn you, Eddie."

Merlin pushed his glasses and said to the young reporter in front of him:

"We're a secret organization here, after all, and I'm allowing you to keep the photos you took yourself, but as a part of the secrecy, your memories of this interview will be erased when you leave the base."

Eddie. A flash of surprise flashed in Brooke's eyes, and before he could ask, Merlin waved his hand and said:

"Don't ask us how to erase your memories, we can do it."

"How? Eddie. ”

Merlin asked in a playful tone:

"You claim to be the defender of the truth, and the truth you want to know is right in front of you, and you only have to pay a small price to get them, and then publish them and win praise from the citizens again."

"Are you willing to accept it?"

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