Chapter 194: Arc 5: Chapter 37: Hall’s ‘Gaia’

In Bill Foster's laboratory at Columbian College in New York.

The fat professor was researching something in his lab while young Ava sat on a nearby chair, sipping on Cola while watching cartoons.

Professor Foster was highly fond of this young girl, not only was Ava well-mannered and good behaving, but she was also the child of Professor Foster's friend; thus, even the stubborn independent activist Professor Foster has been treating Ava as his old child for the time being. 

He has created a suppressing chamber by imitating the distorted hive lab Merlin found in Argentina, this allows young Ava to sleep soundly at night by suppressing the quantum activity of her body to its lowest point.

The lab was quiet, young Ava watched her cartoons with a headset as she knows its best not to disturb Uncle Bill's scientific research. She had grown up in her father's lab and knows that one must remain quiet during experiments.

But then, young Ava senses a strange energy wave, she turns to find a sketchy figure appearing at the edge of Bill's lab, and when she saw the figure, Ava's eyes went wide.

She saw an odd creature.

It was short, had bat-like ears, a sharp nose, along with a large head and eyes, looking like the leprechauns in cartoons.

What's most surprising is that the leprechaun was also wearing a suit, a pair of shiny black shoes, a pair of sunglasses atop its nose, as well as a black wand on its waist.

Ava immediately covers her mouth to not make any sound.

The odd leprechaun seemed oblivious that Ava had discovered it, it appeared at the edge of the lab, then took out a large package from its pocket, and places it on the table behind Bill with difficulty.

And when it turned back, it saw young Ava, who was staring back at it.

It's been discovered!

Dobby feels frustrated by the failure of its first mission.

It had promised Officer Merlin that it would not be discovered...hell, it sure is hard being an agent, and how did the girl discover it?

Supposedly muggle children are unable to see it!

But Dobby did not flee in a panic, instead, it points to the package atop its head, points to the working Professor Bill, and waved at young Ava friendlily.

Then, it casts Apparition, and its figure distorts before disappearing from the lab.

"Bill! Bill! There's something there!"

After Dobby disappeared, young Ava jumps off her chair and shouts at the experimenting Professor Foster:

"It was a leprechaun! A magical leprechaun!"

"???"

Professor Foster, who was awakened from his state of experimentation, glances at young Ava and shakes his head, saying:

"Don't watch too many cartoons, Ava, there is no such thing as...err, what's this?"

Professor Foster turns his head and finds the package laying at the edge of the lab. As a quantum physicist, he has a good memory and was certain that there should have been nothing on the table before.

He walks over as Ava follows behind him.

Professor Foster picks up the package, shakes it, and opens it.

In it were two clothes, a black coat, and a children's dress. On top of the clothing was a card.

"Sorry for troubling you lately, it must not be easy taking care of young Ava, so I prepared a gift for you. - Merlin Reilly."

"Ha, how thoughtful of him."

Professor Foster smiles and puts down the card, he was one of SHIELD's official researchers and had worked for Miss Carter during the early years of the SSR.

He knows that agents have their ways of delivering items, and according to Ava, Merlin was a special agent and could use legendary magic.

"How magical."

Professor Foster picks up the coat and inspects it, it was a coat that matched the interests of a 30-year-old man, thus he was satisfied.

"Ava, this gift is for you. It's from Merlin."

He then takes out the black dress and gives it to young Ava.

"Wow! Hooray!"

The young girl who had received a gift immediately forgets about the leprechaun, she happily holds onto her new clothes as she returns to resume watching her cartoons.

And beneath the two clothes, at the bottom of the package, Professor Foster even found a stack of blueprints.

He spreads the blueprints and frowns at a glance.

Merlin did not leave any information on the blueprints, in fact, he didn't need to leave any. For a professional such as Professor Foster, he could understand what this complex device was used for at a glance.

He instinctively looks to the bottom right corner of the blueprint and immediately finds a faint symbol.

Like someone's personal symbol.

"Hank...so this is the fruit of your research?"

---

"Swish"

Dobby returns to their officer's side through Apparition.

Merlin was sipping on his Cola while leaning against his car. In front of him was SHIELD's newly built agent academy, of course, to differentiate it from the one of the past, everyone calls it the 'SHIELD academy'.

Compared to the agent academy Merlin stayed in during the past, not only did the new SHIELD academy have a new campus, but its internal structure had also become clear.

While Merlin had not stayed here before, he had heard from Coulson and Melinda that the new academy had four different campuses, first is the combat group for training field agents and action specialists, secondly was the communications group for training agents for logistics and technology support, the third one was the technological group that was responsible for theory research, containment of dangerous items, and the manufacturing of new weapons, and lastly, was the special affairs group that was responsible for training internal agents and special affairs agents, as well as reviewing the recruitment of new recruits.

All in all, the SHIELD academy that was formed under Fury's leadership was currently the most powerful backup of a now-expanding SHIELD; in the past few years, it had been providing SHIELD with countless talented agents to fill up the empty slots formed in SHIELD's expansion.

And it was because of the existence of the SHIELD academy, that Fury could retake control and reform SHIELD's resources in such a short time.

"The agents here undergo two types of training."

Merlin looks at his watch, and while leading Dobby into the secret SHIELD academy, he explains to his new consultant:

"The first would be training for agents like you, normally people with special abilities that can go to work immediately after 6 months of training. Of course, they are usually the outer members of SHIELD, and can only be promoted by proving their loyalty and capabilities."

"The second would be the 'members' specially trained by SHIELD, they would be absorbed into SHIELD after graduating from university or high school, and be directly absorbed into the core of SHIELD after a long 3-6 years spent here. But the SHIELD academy has been founded for exactly 6 years now, this means that the first batch of trained 'members' has only recently graduated."

Dobby follows behind Merlin while moving its short legs.

It looked at its surroundings curiously, for Dobby, who had grown up in the wizarding world, had never seen a muggle structure of such a scale. In fact, anyone who visits for the first time would also be surprised.

This place was no different from an actual comprehensive university.

Its size was large, about twice as large as a town, and it would take 20 minutes to get from one end of the academy to the other.

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"Your living quarters will be in the warehouse on the 12th floor, Dobby, here is the key."

Merlin turns back, hands Dobby a key and credit card, and says:

"As well as your wages card, 6 months-worth of wages have been transferred into this credit card, and you are free to use it in any way. And for the next six months, I won't interrupt your learning, but you'll have to undergo the training exam, and your results will be directly delivered to me. I look forward to seeing your results."

Dobby takes the key and credit card, it looks at the plastic card in its hand curiously, as it knows that this was how muggles stored their money.

It keeps its credit card well, as this was its first time having such a large amount of money that it could use freely.

Dobby nods at Merlin and heads for the dormitory of the SHIELD academy through Apparition.

Muggles, or to say, normal people, are usually unable to see house-elves, which means that there will be an 'invisible man' in the SHIELD academy from now to 6 months later.

"Wonder if any rookie agent can discover it."

Merlin looks at where Dobby disappeared and strokes his chin, saying:

"Let's pray that this won't cause any trouble."

A dozen minutes later, Merlin drives his car to the tech building of the technological group of the SHIELD academy. It was currently after class, so Merlin could see lots of young people walking out of the building nearby while carrying books.

To be honest, if not for the SHIELD symbol on the building, Merlin would've thought that this was a real university campus.

At least, Merlin does not feel anything similar to an agent organization in the technological group.

In the young people's curious or envious gazes, Merlin hangs the identification card showing that he was a level-5 agent into his pocket, he then walks casually into the building while holding his handbag.

He found Professor Hall, who was inspecting a strange silver-white device, in a lab on the 16th floor.

Compared to how he looked 6 years ago, Professor Hall seemed older, and one could tell that he's been having a 'fulfilling' life over the past few years from his ever-balder head.

"Hi, Professor Hall."

Merlin knocks on the door and surprises Professor Hall. The latter raises his head, presses his glasses, and lets out a smile.

"Ah, Merlin, you're here."

He walks forward, takes off his glove. and shakes Merlin's hand; he sees the card on Merlin's chest and jokes:

"Or maybe I should call you sir?"

"Ha, don't joke, Professor Hall."

Professor Hall was Merlin's neighbor when he trained in the academy 6 years ago, he had helped Professor Hall during those 6 months, and had a good relationship.

Though the two rarely communicated after working officially, Merlin could still see Professor Hall when the SDOLD needs technological support.

This professor had designed plenty of devices used for capturing and monitoring irregulars for Merlin's department. He was a very wise and very professional engineering researcher, as well as one of SHIELD's few founding members.

Of course, his level wasn't that high since he was a pure technological agent.

"So this is the fruit of your research?"

Merlin conversed with Professor Hall for a few minutes before setting his sights on the device behind Professor Hall. The device looked odd, it looked like a silver-white metal egg with four railings that could spiral around it.

Under that device was a metal framework, and beneath that framework were bundles of black cables, seemingly yet to undergo their finishing touches.

The device in its entirety had a sci-fi feel to it.

"Yes, this is the fruit of my research. A full 22 years since I was still a student. I call it 'Gaia'."

Professor Hall pats on the device and says to Merlin:

"In fact, I have to thank you; Earth's current technology was yet sufficient to create the energy port needed for Gaia, but the forcefield generators you acquired from those Kree warriors gave me a much-needed inspiration; I imitated how they binded energy, and finally succeeded in creating an energy device that could drive Gaia after hundreds of attempts."

"Gaia? Goddess of the Earth?"

Merlin looked at Professor Hall in confusion and asks:

"Why such a name?"

"Because the ability of this device is the godly powers that belong to the Earth Goddess in legends."

Professor Hall puts on the protective goggles and pointed to the other side of the lab, where there was a wooden chair. Professor Hall gestures for Merlin to sit on the chair, and says while calibrating the device:

"This is why I can only look to you to help me with this experiment. I dared not to let my assistants try for it is too dangerous, and you're the only superhuman I know."

"Err, I wonder if this can be counted as an honor."

Merlin puts down his handbag and walks to the chair while telling Professor Hall:

"Sounds like this experiment is somewhat dangerous...to be real, professor, are you certain that it's safe?"

"It's certainly safe for you."

Professor Hall answers without lifting his head:

"Even if it explodes, you can forcibly stop it before it destroys the building. But it's less safe for other people since Gaia's blueprint is still in concept, I can't give you a clear answer unless the experiment succeeds."

"Sit tight, Merlin."

Hall raises his head and glances at Merlin, he then reaches out and presses the start button of the device.

"Woong"

Merlin sat on the wooden chair and could see the metal railing of the silver-white device begin to move at a frightening pace, and soon, afterimages began to form outside the silver-white eggshell as dangerous-looking blue electricity flows in the afterimage of the railing.

Merlin could sense emitting danger from the device as electricity is poured in.

But then, as Professor Hall turns the last valve, Merlin's chair suddenly vibrates, and as Merlin looked on in surprise, his body and his chair began to rise from the ground.

Along with everything in front of the device 'Gaia', had begun to float into the air like they had lost their weight.

This was a very fantasy-like scene.

Looking at Professor Hall's satisfied smile, Merlin finally knew why this device was called Gaia.

It...

Could control gravity!

 

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