After hanging up the phone, Emrys chuckled, "He's truly an old fox."
It must be said that while Osborn's act of shifting the blame onto him was indeed a bit underhanded, his subsequent handling of the situation was flawless.
On one hand, he conceded shares of the Osborn Group. Although it didn't seem like much, a 5% personal ownership stake was enough to give Emrys significant influence within the Osborn Group, further binding the two deeply.
Secondly, he proactively relinquished his equity in the Vought, signifying Osborn's willingness to give up his dominant position.
However, the deeper one thought about it, the more one appreciated Osborn's shrewd experience and foresight. He clearly understood that the greater the say he held in the early stages, the more easily Emrys could purge him.
Therefore, he used this opportunity to deliberately convey his intentions to Emrys.
This was tantamount to a veiled 'surrender' to secure his future safety, which prompted Emrys' 'old fox' remark.
"Incomplete Super Soldier Serum research data."
Emrys pondered for a moment and immediately guessed the source of this data; it was highly likely related to the military.
Osborn's willingness to hand over this data was equivalent to voluntarily surrendering his 'leverage' and exchanging current benefits for future ones.
All things considered, even though Emrys inexplicably found himself with a 'scapegoat' on his head...
Compared to what he gained, a mere Dr. Lizard was naturally no threat.
With the Super Soldier Serum data, even if it was incomplete, the difficulty of completing it shouldn't be too great once he returned to the Warhammer Universe.
The next day, at noon.
Emrys only woke up when the warm sunlight from the sea-facing French windows spilled onto the messy bed.
"Jarvis, prepare me an iced Americano."
Ever since moving into Tony's large Villa, Emrys felt he had become decadent.
But on second thought, having finally escaped 'hell,' shouldn't he seize the time to fully enjoy a beautiful and peaceful life?
"Breakfast has been prepared for you, Mr. Merlin."
Jarvis' magnetic and deep voice echoed in the room, "You have a visitor who has been waiting in the living room for a long time."
"A visitor?"
Emrys was a bit surprised. He didn't know many people since coming to Marvel, so where would a visitor come from?
"The person claims to be an employee of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division and mentioned speaking with you on the phone last time." Jarvis displayed the living room's image.
He looked somewhat in the throes of a midlife crisis, dressed in a sharp suit, sitting primly on the living room sofa, unsmiling.
"If you don't wish to see him, I can refuse him for you."
Jarvis said slowly.
"No need, I know him."
Emrys looked at the 'honest man' in the projection and thought to himself that after being in Marvel for so long, he had finally met the legendary 'Newbie Village Chief.'
After changing into more casual clothes, Emrys went directly to the living room.
"Hello, Mr. Merlin."
The middle-aged man in the suit sitting on the sofa immediately stood up, respectfully handed over a business card, "My name is Phil Coulson, I am with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. I am the staff member who contacted you last time. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"How much of a pleasure?"
Emrys stared at Coulson, a half-smile on his face.
"..." Coulson's expression was quite colorful, shifting between pale and purple, before he finally mumbled, "It's, a great pleasure, a very great pleasure."
Although Agent Romanoff had warned him beforehand that Emrys was quite troublesome.
He never expected to be stumped by the very first sentence upon meeting him!
Unconventional, extremely erratic in personality, and very difficult to get along with. Coulson made a preliminary assessment in his mind.
"Alright, what do you want from me?" Emrys plopped down on the sofa and asked leisurely.
"Ahem, Mr. Merlin, could we perhaps discuss this elsewhere?"
Coulson subtly glanced at the room, hinting, "Someone really wants to meet you and talk to you face-to-face. Please believe that we absolutely have no ill intentions."
"Fine, but I charge by the minute."
Emrys, as always, maintained his 'greedy' characteristic.
Coulson took out his phone, performed a few actions, then smiled, "The money will be deposited. When would you like to depart?"
"Mr. Merlin, a sum of ten million has just been transferred to your personal account," Jarvis said.
"You're that rich?" Emrys was slightly surprised. It seemed that the Director had embezzled quite a bit.
"Not at all, our funds are actually quite tight," Coulson maintained a Agent's fake smile, saying, "However, to meet you, the Director specifically approved a portion of the funds."
Well, it seemed Fury was truly going all out.
He had teased them for two days, and the timing was about right, so Emrys nodded, "Alright, seeing as you're so sincere, I'll agree."
"Oh, and Jarvis."
Before leaving, Emrys suddenly said, "I forgot my pendant, please bring it to me."
Jarvis was silent for half a second, "Of course, Mr. Merlin, please be careful. I will maintain constant monitoring."
This statement immediately made Coulson uncomfortable, making it seem as if they were truly going to harm Emrys!
With Coulson present, Emrys naturally didn't need to drive.
Riding in a S.H.I.E.L.D.-issued special car, the sense of security was simply off the charts. Its defensive capabilities could be glimpsed from Fury's own vehicle. They arrived at a coffee shop in downtown New York City.
Before long, Coulson drove Emrys to a coffee shop in the city center.
"Mr. Merlin, the Director is waiting for you inside."
Coulson proactively opened the car door for him, respectfully gesturing for him to enter.
"The area around here must be full of your people, right?" Emrys roughly surveyed the moving personnel around the coffee shop; they clearly bore traces of training, unlike ordinary people.
"These are necessary security measures, Mr. Merlin."
Coulson sincerely explained, "Please rest assured, these personnel are solely to ensure the Director's safety and will absolutely not pose any threat to you."
That statement was just for show; anyone who believed it was an idiot.
The visible personnel alone already exceeded dozens; who knew how many more were hidden?
"Heh~ Do you think I believe that?"
Emrys smiled, patted his shoulder, and said meaningfully, "Next time, remember to tell the one with the bow and arrow to hide better; he's too conspicuous."
"Uh..."
Coulson was speechless and could only awkwardly guide Emrys.
Stepping into the restaurant, Emrys' eyes immediately lit up, "Long time no see, Natasha, have you missed me?"
Natasha, dressed in her Agent uniform, her eye twitching slightly. If it weren't for the Director still being nearby, she would have already pulled out her gun and shot this bastard!
"Bastard, I haven't missed you," Black Widow said grumpily.
"Hello, Merlin Emrys."
Sitting nearby, the steady and seasoned Nick Fury slowly rose with a smile, extending his hand, "I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Nice meeting you. But I was expecting the director to be human."
Nick Fury gritted his teeth, "Do you have a problem with my skin color?"
"A little, but not much. I'm just a bit racist."
Emrys said very sincerely, but still extended his hand, "Of course, I'm not referring to skin color, but to creatures other than the human race."
It's common knowledge that in the Warhammer Universe, being a little racist is quite normal, isn't it?
"Understood, understood."
Fury coughed twice to cover the awkward atmosphere.
"Coincidentally, we at S.H.I.E.L.D. are dedicated to protecting humanity from alien threats." To bridge the distance between them, Fury continued his topic: "From this perspective, our goals are the same, Mr. Merlin."
"Is that so?" Emrys' eyes lit up as if he had found an interesting topic: "You also believe that all beings other than humans should be eliminated, right?"
You seem a bit too extreme. Fury twitched his mouth and said dryly, "Your idea is good, and commendable, but isn't it a bit extreme?"
"No, Mr. Fury, I don't agree with your view."
Emrys' expression was serious, like that of a devout and fanatical believer: "So-called heretics must all be slaughtered; only then can the purity of humanity be guaranteed!"
This time, Coulson and Black Widow, who were standing nearby, were both startled by his firm tone.
"Aren't you being a bit too radical?" Coulson was a little scared. If they really brought this kid in, as Director Fury suggested, it might cause a lot of trouble.
"Radical? No, no, no," Emrys sighed with a hint of regret, saying, "I often regret that I am not a conservative."
"That's great. Actually, sometimes being overly aggressive isn't the right choice."
Fury inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he wasn't completely beyond help; at least he understood that one should be more conservative when dealing with other races.
"Hmm, you're right." Emrys nodded in agreement, slowly saying, "But there's nothing I can do; it's because I'm not radical enough."
"What???"
Fury and the two Agents widened their eyes, somewhat failing to grasp the meaning of this statement.
Someone who constantly talked about slaughtering all non-human races to ensure the purity of humanity actually claimed to not be radical enough?
Wait a minute. Could it be that the 'conservatives' he spoke of were those who thought the 'radicals' weren't radical enough, and were too conservative?
"Mr. Merlin, where exactly do you... come from?" Fury instinctively asked.
"Believe me, you wouldn't want to know."
Emrys wore a meaningful smile, tapping the table with his index finger: "Alright, the small talk is over. It's time to discuss serious matters, Director Fury."
Fortunately, Fury had no immediate intention of delving deeper. He looked at Emrys seriously: "It's like this, you might not be aware, but this world is far from simple, hiding many dangers, and the goal of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s establishment is to build the first, and also the last, line of defense for humanity!"
"Go on."
Emrys sipped his iced Americano, his face showing little interest, seemingly not very engaged.
"Lately, more and more people like you have been appearing."
Fury said, handing over a file: "Right here in the city beneath our feet, there's a doctor who was transformed into a Lizard by a genetic drug, a student who mutated after being bitten by a spider, and in Hell's Kitchen, a dark ninja organization called the Hand. And these... are just the tip of the iceberg!"
The Hand?
Emrys' interest was piqued slightly. He remembered that this organization supposedly had 'Immortal Dragon Bones' stolen from K'un-Lun.
"We sense that the world is undergoing drastic changes!"
Fury's tone was low and serious. He clasped his hands together, stating gravely, "Therefore, to cope with the impending disaster to the world, S.H.I.E.L.D. plans to establish a special unit. Its main task is to gather forces to contend with powerful unknown enemies that may pose a threat to Earth and even humanity!"
Emrys was stunned for a full half-minute before he pointed at his nose, somewhat incredulously: "So, you mean, you want me to join this team?"
To be fair, he had guessed that Fury would definitely seek him out, even suspect him, investigate him, and so on, but he never expected that it would actually be an invitation to join the Avengers!
Something was wrong, twelve parts out of ten were wrong!
Given Nick Fury's suspicious nature, there must be a problem here!
"You two, step out for a moment."
Upon seeing the doubt on Emrys' face, Fury seemed to guess something and turned to Coulson and Black Widow.
Though the two didn't understand, they still followed the Director's orders and stood guard outside the cafe.
At this moment, Fury took off his listening earpiece. Under Emrys' puzzled gaze, he solemnly took out a somewhat worn iron box from his embrace.
"What is this?"
Emrys asked, confused.
"You can open it and see."
Fury pushed the iron box over, smiling mysteriously.
From its appearance alone, the iron box had clearly endured many years; its surface was rusted and worn, and it didn't look like it held anything dangerous.
Emrys hesitated slightly, then opened the rusty iron box in front of him.
Inside the iron box, wrapped in soft silk cloth, lay a golden medal.
The medal hung from a pure ribbon. Although Emrys was unfamiliar with its style, the skull symbolizing human purity, combined with decorative elements of the Sun, wings, and gears, made his heart suddenly stop. His blood seemed to accelerate, rushing directly to his head!
"Where did you get this thing?!"
Emrys forcefully controlled his emotions, which were on the verge of spiraling, and asked in a deep voice.
He didn't recognize the medal itself, but he was all too familiar with the skull, gears, and pure ribbon!
Aside from the Warhammer Universe, Emrys couldn't imagine who else would use a human skull, gears, and wings as special symbols for a medal!
But the question was, why would a Warhammer Universe medal appear in Marvel?
"I don't know."
However, Fury's answer left Emrys somewhat bewildered.
Looking at Emrys' questioning gaze, Fury picked up his coffee and took a sip before slowly saying, "In fact, even now, I don't know the origin of this medal. My intuition just tells me that this medal is very important, and someone entrusted me to pass it on to someone who recognized it."
With that, he gave Emrys a meaningful look and put down his coffee cup: "Now it seems I haven't made a mistake. You are the master of this medal, Merlin Emrys!"
"Wait, since you don't know the origin of this thing, why would you hand it over to me?"
Emrys was even more confused, his mind a mess.
"I am an Agent, Mr. Merlin."
Fury smiled and said, "In my decades-long career as an Agent, I have never valued a medal so highly. Moreover, I believe that the lost memory must have been intentionally deleted. Although I don't understand the reason, since the me before the memory deletion trusted that person, then I naturally trust him as well. This medal must hold significant importance."
"Then how did you determine it was me?"
Emrys found it even more bizarre. This thing didn't explicitly state who it was for, so how did Fury know he would recognize it?
"You're not the first, Mr. Merlin."
Fury said calmly, "In fact, before you, I had already suspected more than a dozen people, but unfortunately... after seeing the medal, they didn't recognize its origin."
"How do you know they didn't recognize it? Couldn't they have pretended to?" Emrys pressed on.
"Remember? I'm an Agent." Fury pointed to his eyes and smiled: "While I can't say it's perfectly accurate, at least 90% of people can't fool these eyes of mine."
After he finished speaking, he paused and continued, "Besides, this medal has nothing special about it; it's merely a medal. Even if someone else got it, it would be useless. It will only serve its original purpose in the right hands. Of course... perhaps it's completely useless, just a simple medal. These are all my conjectures."
In fact... he had studied this medal.
But unfortunately, no matter how S.H.I.E.L.D. studied it, the medal remained an ordinary, unremarkable medal.
Thus, Fury speculated that perhaps this medal would only reveal its true purpose once it returned to its rightful Master.
"Now, it's yours, Mr. Merlin."
Fury pushed the iron box towards Emrys: "This way, I can say I've fulfilled my promise."
"How many years have you kept this thing?"
Emrys frowned and suddenly asked.
Fury seemed to be lost in thought, remaining silent for a full half-minute before slowly speaking in a hoarse voice: "Since 1963, it has been exactly forty-five years."
"Was there anything special about 1963?"
Emrys thought hard, but he simply couldn't remember.
In his previous life, he wasn't a professional Marvel researcher, so how could he clearly recall which events happened in which year?
Not to mention 1963, a somewhat unfamiliar year.
Kennedy's assassination?
No, no, no, it definitely wouldn't be such a minor event; at least it should be something like an alien invasion.
Unable to recall no matter how hard he tried, Emrys could only pin his hopes on the Traveler System, hoping to find some useful clues by scanning the information.
However, when he took out the medal from the iron box and the system's detection results appeared before his eyes, he was immediately dumbfounded.
"Detected item: ?????"
"A medal with a special symbolic meaning."
"Energy provided: 0 units."
"Doesn't that mean it said nothing at all?!"
Emrys was a bit dejected. "At least be a little useful, Traveler System!"
"Merlin, on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., I sincerely hope you will join Project Avengers."
Seeing Emrys accept the badge, Fury breathed a slight sigh of relief. His tone softened, and he said sincerely, "Joining S.H.I.E.L.D. will not restrict your personal freedom; on the contrary, you will gain many unimaginable benefits."
"Such as?"
Upon hearing about benefits, Emrys immediately became interested. If Fury was going to talk about that, he certainly wouldn't be sleepy anymore!
"For example, the Vought you co-founded with Norman." Fury smiled, saying meaningfully, "Although we are temporarily unclear about the main business of this company, we can roughly guess that the purpose of doing this is to avoid military scrutiny, isn't that right?"
"You guys work fast. It's only been two days, and you've already investigated it so thoroughly?" Emrys wasn't surprised at all. If S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't have that much capability, it would have been disbanded long ago.
"Thank you for the compliment. This is only a very small part of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Clearly, Fury had a considerable degree of confidence in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intelligence work. "Please rest assured, Mr. Merlin, we only investigated your background out of safety concerns and will not cause any losses to you or Vought."
"It's fine, I don't care."
Emrys looked at Fury with deep meaning and said casually, "Even if Vought fails, I can always find someone else to cooperate with."
In fact, if he couldn't find HYDRA, he would be more willing to cooperate with those people.
After all, Norman still had to abide by the law, so research progress would inevitably not be fast. But if it were HYDRA, it would be a thousand miles a day.
"The benefit I'm talking about is that once you join S.H.I.E.L.D., you won't have to be wary of the military anymore."
Fury threw out the first bait: "S.H.I.E.L.D. is backed by the world Security Council. The U.S. military has no right to investigate S.H.I.E.L.D. All your actions will be deemed as actions to maintain world and human security. S.H.I.E.L.D. can even vouch for you if necessary."
"Not enough."
However, facing the bait Fury threw out, Emrys shook his head almost without thinking.
No matter how good it sounded now, once something went wrong, the speed of cutting ties would be as fast as possible. This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s consistent style.
Fortunately, Fury had more than just this prepared. Looking at Emrys, who remained unmoved, he crossed his hands and smiled, "Then, let's make a deal, Emrys."
"Interesting, go on." Emrys' interest was successfully piqued.
Fury grinned, as if revealing his true intentions, and said, "We don't require you to join Project Avengers, but when necessary, we can conscript you to participate in a certain operation. You can choose to accept or refuse, and in return, we will pay you corresponding remuneration. How about that?"
Emrys pondered for a moment and suddenly realized, wasn't this like being at the beck and call of someone but not necessarily following their every command?
Furthermore, on this basis, S.H.I.E.L.D. also granted him a great deal of freedom to choose to accept or refuse.
Looking at the old fox-like, cunning Fury, Emrys finally understood, his expression a bit strange: "So, you've been planning this from the very beginning?"
"I should say, I prepared two sets of arguments, hoping to persuade you to join Project Avengers."
It must be said that Fury was indeed worthy of being the King of Agents for decades. His ability to accurately hit a soft spot just by observing expressions and demeanor definitely made him an old fox.
"Such excellent terms, I have no reason to refuse, do I?"
Since S.H.I.E.L.D. had made such significant concessions, Emrys naturally wouldn't refuse. After all, for him, the benefits definitely outweighed the drawbacks.
Fury calmly stood up, adjusted the buttons of his coat, and extended his hand with a smile: "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D., Mr. Merlin Emrys . I am Nick Fury."
"No need to be so polite, it's for money anyway." Emrys also extended his hand, shaking his hand firmly, smiling playfully.
"If there are any follow-up missions, I will have Agent Romanoff contact you."
Since the day's goal had been achieved, Fury didn't intend to stay longer. He turned and waved to Black Widow. When she came over, he said seriously, "Agent Romanoff, you will temporarily be responsible for Emrys' contact work. If you need anything, just tell Agent Romanoff directly."
Little did he know that his words made Black Widow's originally calm expression suddenly turn from green to red, and she was already considering whether to resign.
"Director, I think you should reconsider?"
Black Widow felt she was already very restrained; if she had to spend a few days with this guy, she would probably go crazy.
"Agent Romanoff, you must trust your professionalism."
Fury comforted his capable subordinate with earnest words: "Coulson has important matters these days, so I can only rely on you. You are my most trusted subordinate, and I believe you can complete this task. After it's over, I will give you a long vacation to rest well."
The standard workplace PUA rhetoric made Emrys, who was standing nearby, almost sick, and he couldn't help but shiver.
"Yes, I'll try my best."
Black Widow's face was complex, yet she was powerless, only sighing silently in her heart.
"It's okay, I'm very gentle. Just bear with it."
Emrys patted Black Widow's fragrant shoulder, a suggestive smile on his face: "Then, for the next few days, I hope we can 'get along well'."
He deliberately emphasized the last part of his sentence, causing Black Widow's face to crumple in despair.
Then, Fury took Cole with him, leaving Black Widow alone in the wind, and drove away in a S.H.I.E.L.D. car.
"Let's go, Natasha."
Emrys pulled out his keys from his pocket and tossed them to Natasha, who was still in a daze next to him.
"Wait, what do you mean?" Black Widow subconsciously caught the car keys and asked somewhat blankly.
"Starting today, you are my secretary. Any problems?" Emrys turned to look at her strangely and said lightly, "Stop the nonsense, let's go to Osborn Group."
"Can I refuse?"
Black Widow's eye twitched, gripping the keys tightly, ten methods of killing flashing through her mind.
"Yes, I'll call Fury right now and talk to him."
Saying that, Emrys made a gesture as if to make a call: "I'll ask him what he means. He said he'd let you help me, but you won't even drive."
"...No need to call, I'll drive!"
Black Widow gritted her teeth, her facial muscles twitching, clearly on the verge of exploding with anger.
"Wait, stop the car."
Suddenly, Emrys, sitting in the back seat, said somewhat seriously.
"What do you mean?"
Black Widow looked puzzled, but soon she understood why they needed to stop.
Bang!
A manhole cover in front, for some unknown reason, suddenly exploded with a bang and flew dozens of meters into the air.
Immediately after, a black shadow shot out from inside and landed on the ground with a thud!
The intense tremor was so strong that even the two people in the car could clearly feel the vibration, and cracks appeared in the surrounding concrete road.
The perpetrator was a huge, humanoid Lizard.
His grayish-green skin and shaved head made him look extremely ugly, as if when all of humanity evolved, he was the only one left behind.
"Emrys!!!"
The Lizard Man opened his bloody maw, looked at Emrys in the car, and let out an angry roar!
"An acquaintance of yours?"
Black Widow suddenly felt a bit schadenfreude, looking at Emrys in the back seat: "Looks like he's here for you. Why don't you get out and chat with him?"
Emrys was in a bad mood after suddenly having his path blocked by a Lizard.
He glanced at the gloating Black Widow and sneered, "Don't be so quick to laugh. If that thing charges over, I might be fine, but you might not be."
No sooner had he spoken than the Lizard Man went berserk, charging through the street like a tank!
Cars along the way were tossed aside like toys, crashing heavily to the ground, and the neat asphalt road was stomped and cracked inch by inch!
The Lizard Man's rampage indirectly confirmed Emrys' words.
Mere cars couldn't stop that monster. If it crashed into them, Emrys would most likely be fine, but she wouldn't necessarily be!
Natasha, who had just been gloating, suddenly looked as if she had eaten a fly. "I knew it! Nothing good ever happens when I'm with you!"
Screech—!
Tires rubbed violently against the ground, emitting a piercing noise!
Driving skills seem to be a mandatory course for every Agent, whether it's the renowned 007, Ethan Hunt, or even Marvel's Black Widow; their racing skills are definitely top-notch.
The car spun around, its engine roaring, and the next moment, it shot forward like an arrow!
"Stop! Emrys!"
The Lizard Man seemed to have decided that Emrys was the 'culprit,' and it galloped on all fours across the overpass, chasing the car ahead.
"How did you even provoke that monster?" Natasha was flooring the accelerator, but seeing Emrys leisurely in the back seat, she instantly flared up. "Aren't you super powerful? Hurry up and use your invincible superpowers to stop that monster!"
"Are you perhaps misunderstanding something about me?"
Despite the car shaking violently, Emrys maintained his balance, even holding a wine glass. "Besides, aren't you a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent? If you can't even handle such a small matter, how did you become an Agent? Did you get in through the back door?"
"I'm an Agent! An Agent! Not Superman!" Natasha was on the verge of breaking down, biting her silver teeth. "That guy can swat me to death with one slap. How am I supposed to deal with him?"
"How should I know? Why don't you call and ask the amazing Nick Fury?"
As they were about to be caught, Emrys still didn't forget to tease, almost making Natasha lose it.
"No more jokes. Lead him somewhere deserted."
Emrys felt that being constantly targeted wasn't a good thing. He might as well take this opportunity to deal with it once and for all.
Besides, Dr. Lizard should be considered a villain in the movie, so he would definitely have 'Source Power'!
"Ten minutes!"
When it came to serious business, Natasha was still very professional.
She sharply turned the steering wheel, slammed on the brakes, and simultaneously floored the accelerator. The car cut a beautiful arc around the bend without slowing down, continuing to speed towards the outskirts.
Dr. Lizard, however, unable to turn in time, crashed head-first into a utility pole, dusted himself off, and roared as he continued the chase.
"Hold on, let me get this straight." Emrys pinched his brow, feeling a slight itch in his head. "You mean, because my product is better, your investment was canceled, and you didn't dare to retaliate against Norman Osborn, so you targeted me, right?"
"If it weren't for you, Norman wouldn't have canceled the investment!"
Connors glared at him with resentment, his mind on the verge of extreme danger, as if he could go berserk at any moment. "I was one step away, just one last step, from succeeding!"
"What does that have to do with me?" Emrys was speechless. If you needed money, go find Norman, or if not him, someone else. Why come to him?
"If it weren't for your damn plan, Norman wouldn't have withdrawn his investment!" Connors now looked exactly like someone who, after a failed business venture, blamed everyone else for his mistakes. "My regeneration serum was so close! If it weren't for you, none of this would have happened!"
"Is it possible that even without me, Norman would have withdrawn his investment?"
Emrys' mouth twitched. He picked up a broken mirror from the ground, which reflected his ugly appearance. "Look at yourself. Who would want to turn into a Lizard? You call this 'close to success'?"
"Shut up! I don't care, it's all your fault!"
Connors completely lost his sanity, a crimson glint flashing in his eyes. "I'm going to kill you! Blame yourself for accepting Norman's investment!"
What kind of twisted logic is that? Good people should be held at gunpoint?
Emrys was almost amused by Connors' strange logic. "I understand now why Norman canceled the investment. You have a problem with your brain. I suggest you go see someone at Elizabeth; maybe there's still hope for recovery."
"I'll kill you!!!"
Connors was clearly triggered by the words, roaring as he charged forward, intending to tear this damned bastard to shreds.
Just as Connors was about to reach his face, a web shot out from the side.
The snow-white web possessed excellent toughness and strength, actually pulling the charging Lizard Man to a halt. As it pulled, the hard ground, like fragile tofu, was directly dented and collapsed.
"It's you again, Peter!"
Connors suddenly turned his head, staring venomously at the source of the web, Spider-Man in his red and blue spider suit.
"Dr. Connors, please stop!"
Spider-Man used the web shot from his wrist to firmly control Connors, desperately restricting his movements. "It's not too late! Don't do anything you'll regret!"
"No, Peter, I can't go back!"
Clearly, Connors had no intention of giving up and struggled to break free from the webs that bound him.
Boom!
Suddenly, a fierce roar interrupted their conversation.
A Rocket-propelled bullet, carrying astonishing kinetic energy, actually pierced through Connors' chest. Its terrifying destructive power even created a basin-sized hole.
"Dr. Co-Connors?!"
Spider-Man was dumbfounded, seemingly still reeling from the shock.
Connors turned his head in shock, looking at the source of the gunshot, only to see Emrys holding an exaggeratedly shaped firearm. "You, you..."
"Sorry, I'm really tired of listening to you two ramble."
Emrys shook his numb arm, gripped the Bolter again, and placed his index finger on the trigger. "Everyone's busy, and I have things to do, so please..."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment the trigger was pulled, the Bolter roared like a fierce beast, a howl from Hell!
Rocket-propelled bullets streaked through the air, unleashing all their terrifying kinetic energy onto Connors.
In the face of an inch-caliber weapon, unless you are Iron Man in armor, or an Asgardian, then forget about the Lizard Man; even if it were Spider-Man and Hulk, all beings are equal. Nothing can stop a Bolter. If it can, then pull out a Plasma Gun!
Unfortunately, Connors, who ascended to the throne of rebellion through mutation, clearly wouldn't receive 'protagonist' treatment.
Under the roar of the Bolter, Dr. Lizard's short and frustrating life came to an end.
In just half a second, he was blown into thousands of pieces of flesh!
The noisy world suddenly became much quieter.
Emrys lowered his gun, listened to the Traveler System's prompt, and a smile appeared on his face.
"[Killed Dr. Lizard, Curtis Curt Connors]"
"[Obtained Source Power: 500 units]"
"[Fixed current world anchor point, requires 3000 units of Source Power]"
Hiss... That's quite a lot missing!
Emrys looked at the displayed information, feeling a twinge in his teeth.
The world of The Boys, fixing a world anchor point, only cost 1000 Source Power in total. For the Marvel universe, it suddenly tripled!
"No wonder staying here for one day costs 100 units of energy." Based on his two Crossing experiences, Emrys had roughly figured out some of the hidden rules of the Traveler System.
Depending on the difficulty and scalability of the world, the energy units required for staying and the Source Power for fixing an anchor point would vary.
"No choice then. Hell's Kitchen will have to suffer a bit."
Emrys sighed slightly. Now he could only hope that Hell's Kitchen would deliver.