Chapter 54: Arc 2: Chapter 10: New Friend

Merlin was troubled by something.

He tried to find the solution to his problems, but unfortunately, he did not find the answer he desired from the people around him or the information he had acquired.

Merlin assumes that deep in the SSR databases are records of wizards, which was one of the main reasons he accepted Fury's recruitment.

The Atlantean Vulko had told him before, that to permanently dispel the dark powers inside his body, he would need to seek aid from the realm of black magic. And with the accelerated corrosion of the dark powers to his body, Merlin once again feels the pressure.

He has to find a way to save himself before the dark powers utterly consume him.

And the Natasha Romanoff in front of him was no doubt another point of breakthrough. If Black Widow is truly as mysterious as Fury made her sound like, then Merlin should be able to acquire some exciting news from her.

But this was no easy feat.

The woman in front of him was bad news.

"Wizard?"

As knowledgeable as Natasha was, she was stunned by the question Merlin had thrown at her.

She contemplates Merlin through the glass, at first she thought that he was joking with her, but from his serious expression, it may not be one.

"It's hard to believe that you still believe in such things while being a grown-up."

Natasha lets out a giggle, she bends down and looks at Merlin, then she says:

"Do you still believe in fairy tales of magic and wizards?"

"Someone as vigilant as Fury will soon find out that something is wrong with the sound recording device, so we have not much time."

Merlin uses a calm tone and tells the woman in front of him:

"I just want to know the answer to a question, you're not my only shot at it."

Natasha's expression abruptly darkens, she stares at Merlin's eyes and says:

"Why should I tell you? Or to be straightforward, what could you give me?"

"As you said, what I can give you, depends on what you want.

Merlin beats around the bush, Natasha then lets out a mocking smile and says:

"Can you give me freedom?"

Merlin shakes his head.

"Can you give me a future?"

Merlin shakes his head.

"Can you give me a new life?"

Merlin shakes his head.

"So, what's the point of going through all this trouble to tell me that?"

Natasha yawns and turns around, she heads for the bed, seemingly lost interest in conversing further.

But behind her, Merlin gently says:

"I'll protect you with all my might, as long as you need me, no matter where you are, I'll save you."

"Oh?"

Natasha turns around and looks at Merlin with a faint smile, she says:

"Why should I believe you? You men are the best at lying to girls, vowing so much when making promises, yet running away before it gets dangerous...that is how a man acts."

"Shwa"

Merlin's right arm turns into black fog and appears next to Natasha, then, like an invisible hand, gently touches the female agent's smooth jaw, and before she could react, it dissipates.

This process didn't even last a second.

Merlin who was sitting on the chair lifts his head, looks at Natasha, and tells her:

"As long as I know where you are, I can save you...that's not a joke."

"Interesting!"

Light flashes in Natasha's eyes, she turns around and walks to Merlin once more, she contemplates this good-looking young man through the glass and says:

"You're Fury's real trump card...no wonder he's so confident."

"Fine, I'll help you! Remember your words, little kid."

"Pong Pong Pong"

Knocking resounds in the room, Merlin and Natasha look at each other and nod slightly, the trade is done.

Merlin stands up and retracts the black fog covering the recording equipment, he opens the door to find Fury standing there, he says in a low tone:

"Come out first."

"What's going on?"

Merlin had a face of ignorance as he asked:

"I just started talking to her."

"It's nothing."

Fury's expression didn't change as he replied:

"Just some small problems with the monitoring equipment, you can talk later."

"Mmm, alright."

Merlin leaves the room as though nothing had happened, behind him, Natasha sees him off as a faint smile flashes on her beautiful face.

She uses a lazy tone to tell Fury:

"You should teach that kid how to keep a secret, Fury. I just slightly guided him and he told me agent Barton's name, Miss Carter's current situation, and that the SSR is recently planning to transform...I was wondering why you suddenly thought about me, must be feeling threatened, huh?"

Natasha sighs as if she was lamenting about the vicissitudes of the world, then she tells Fury:

"Organizations like 'Red Room' and the SSR are only useful during times of war, and once that war is over, the government will direct their first attack onto us. What need is the hound if all the rabbits are dead?"

Fury had an interesting answer, he looked at Natasha and replied:

The war is over? Not so. The Soviet Union has collapsed, but your colleagues are still very active; Europe, South America, North Africa, The Middle East. Your organizations hadn't taken too big of a hit, and without restraint, they've become more dangerous than they once were. You see, Natasha, this is the problem you're facing."

"Do you want to become a rabbit? Or do you want to become a hound?"

"I still need to reconsider."

Black Widow gently replies:

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"Give me more time, to be honest, you would get suspicious if I accepted too quickly, no?"

"Then keep considering."

Fury steps out of the confinement room and says:

"Natasha, for your safety, no tricks, okay?"

The confinement chamber returns to silence, under the dim light, Natasha stretches her body and lies back onto her bed. She closes her eyes and starts thinking about the future.

As Fury had said, she needed to think about what to do in the future after escaping 'Red Room's hunt.

After a few hours, the plane had flown across the Atlantic Ocean and entered North America's airspace. Agent Barton and Fury switched their shifts, Fury holds a cup of coffee and sits in front of the monitoring screen, he looks at the confinement chamber through the monitors, Natasha Romanoff had been lying on her bed, seemingly sound asleep.

Fury drinks his cup of coffee, picks up a document, and begins reading.

It was a report on the reorganization of the SSR that will begin in a few days; in a few more days, this organization will experience a major reshuffle. Even a senior agent like Fury who had been recruited into the SSR by Miss Carter herself, could not guess how this organization will turn out like.

No one knows if this change is good or bad, but with the international situation, the weakening of all intelligence organizations has become inevitable.

And while Fury's attention was on the report document, Natasha, who was sound asleep in the confinement room, suddenly feels a hand touching her face, which causes her to open her eyes abruptly, then she hears a weak voice.

"Shh, don't move! Talk lightly..."

"Merlin?"

Natasha keeps her body still as if she was still sleeping, she closes her eyes and whispers:

"Is that you?"

"Mmm."

Merlin under his Shadow Cloak looks around, he moves to the side and hides in the shadows, then he asks:

"About wizards..."

"Let's be patient."

Natasha lets out a playful smile and says:

"What would happen to you if I suddenly jump up and scream?"

"Shwee"

A sharp combat knife presses against Natasha's neck, and Merlin's gloomy voice enters her ear:

"Natasha, are you threatening me?"

"No, I'm just reminding you, Merlin."

Natasha flips her body and says:

"We're practically on the same boat now, I hope you can tell me what Fury plans on doing with me. You see, I'm just a lonely woman with no place to go, I have to understand the life I'll be going through using all means possible...you're an agent of the SSR, and I find you more trustworthy than the other two, so tell me, do you think that this organization can be trusted?"

"You're asking the wrong person."

Merlin retracts the combat knife and calmly answers:

"What I know about the SSR is far less than what you know. It hasn't even been a week since I joined, maybe you should take your time to ask Clint, he knows much more than I do."

"Alright, then do you understand Fury?"

Natasha asks again, this time Merlin hesitates before answering:

"I know Fury officially joined the SSR in March of 1988, he seemed to be serving the army before that."

"You know too little about those around you, Merlin, that'll get you into trouble eventually."

Black Widow snorts and gently says:

"Nick Fury, born on July 14th, 1950, in the state of Alabama, joined the military after high school graduation, has been working in military espionage until his honorary discharge in 1986 as a colonel. During the Cold War, he's engaged in several successful infiltrations in Belfast, Bucharest, Belgrade, and Budapest."

"His name and information are classified level 3 as he had sabotaged many of our operations. Peggy Carter recruited him into the SSR because he was born to be an agent, he knows more secrets than me, and he's very good at maintaining secrecy.

Natasha lets out a very faint giggle, like a sly fox:

"He thought that I've never seen him before, but in fact, I've seen him many times now. Do you understand what I mean? Merlin...Nick Fury is a complicated man, I'm guessing you've asked him about wizards and magic before, though he didn't answer you directly."

"Why tell me all these?"

Merlin asks astonishingly:

"Are you trying to make me defect?"

"You can think of it that way, or you can treat this as some of my goodwill, or investment, little Merlin. If I want to join and work for the SSR, then I need new friends with potential, and get him away from his old friends."

"Coincidentally, I heard some surprising news a few days back, that legendary Miss Carter recruited another mystery person into her organization before her retirement."

"That mystery person is you, isn't it?"

Natasha snorts, she seems to realize Merlin's surprise and says:

"Do you think that your organization is opaque? There are no organizations in the world that don't have eyes in them! It's not safe in the SSR either, just as you shouldn't blindly follow Fury's commands. Simple Merlin, let's make a deal."

"I'll tell you what you want to know, and when I need help inside the SSR, you have to come to help me in the fastest possible time. Okay?"

Merlin did not answer immediately, he contemplates for a dozen seconds, then he lets out a breath and says:

"Okay! Deal!"

"Good boy..."

Natasha spreads out her arms as if she's stretching her back, her finger gently swipes on Merlin's back as she says:

"In England, or to be precise, London."

"Based on some age-old intel I found in MI6, supposedly wizards are hiding in London's old town and some ancient places in the outskirts of the city. They isolated themselves and refuse to converse with regular people, but they have their own circle. Supposedly, during WWII, there was a mysterious magic consultant by H**ler's side codenamed 'the Dark Lord'. At the same time, there were also wizards siding with the Allies."

"Back when I was in 'Red Room', I heard from some of my predecessors talk about there being some mysterious beings in the wilderness of Siberia. They've lived out of the world for a long time as if they're living in a different space."

Black Widow says in a balderdashing tone:

"Supposedly, only those with special talents can come in contact with them. Undoubtedly, you're the type of people they're talking about, little Merlin."

"And?"

Merlin follows up, to which Natasha lets out a smile:

"I'll tell you about the rest on a later date. Any skilled intelligence businessman won't sell off all their valuable intel at once. Alright, leave, I need to take a good nap."

"We'll be colleagues from now on, Merlin."

"Oh, and...don't forget about our promise."

 

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