Indeed, not only did Merlin do nothing wrong this time, he also repelled the monster that suddenly appeared and protected his classmates. They could see this in the surveillance footage. Because the lizard-man monster had a major impact and could easily cause panic if not handled properly, George, as the police chief, could not leave for a while and could only send someone to take Merlin home.
After returning home, Merlin found Gwen and Hannah had set up the grill on the balcony and lit the apple charcoal.
"Merlin, you're finally back! Come and cut the meat." The apartment's open-air balcony was very large, even comparable to some rooftops, so the barbecue grill did not look crowded or boring.
"Where's Peter? Isn't he here?" Although he roughly guessed Peter's situation, Merlin still wanted to confirm.
Hearing Merlin's words, Gwen shook her head, looking a bit downcast. "I don't know if he has a cold or is in a bad mood. Anyway, he doesn't plan to come over."
"It looks like it's just the three of us drinking tonight," Merlin said, waving the beer he had bought on the way back.
"That's enough!" Gwen's eyes lit up. George kept a tight rein on her at home, making it nearly impossible for her to get her hands on beer. Only at Merlin's place could she indulge a little.
Once the barbecue was done, the three sat around the grill, chatting and drinking cool beer while admiring the city lights. Merlin and Gwen often bickered playfully, while Hannah watched with a smile, occasionally joining in.
Afterward, Gwen cleared the smell of alcohol off herself and carefully returned home. Merlin then offered to escort Hannah back. At this time of night, the streets were mostly empty, and it was dangerous for anyone to walk home alone.
All kinds of narrow alleys have a high probability of hiding evil.
"Come on, hop on," Merlin said, lighting a cigarette and nodding towards Hannah, whose cheeks were flushed. He hadn't expected her to have such a low tolerance for alcohol; she seemed a bit dizzy after just one drink.
Under the dim streetlights, Hannah's flushed cheeks looked even cuter.
"Well..." Hannah clumsily climbed onto the back seat, wrapping her arms tightly around Merlin's waist and pressing her body against his.
"That's promising..." he muttered in surprise before releasing the clutch and starting the motorcycle. The sound of the exhaust echoed through the quiet street, gradually fading away.
Hannah, sitting in the back seat, felt the strong wind rushing past her ears. Under the cold breeze, her dizzy head began to clear up.
Except for Manhattan, there were not many drunk driving investigations in other places, especially at this hour. Merlin drove smoothly, soon arriving at Hannah's home.
"We're here. Get some rest. Thanks for your help today," Merlin said. Seeing no response, he turned to find Hannah blushing and leaning forward. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, and kissed her passionately.
Suddenly, the sound of a door opening broke the moment. They turned to see a silver-haired old lady squinting at them, as if trying to confirm something.
"Grandma!" Hannah exclaimed, quickly jumping out of the bike from Merlin's arms and running over with a blushing face.
"See you tomorrow!" Merlin smiled and waved, then started the motorcycle and disappeared into the night.
"Ahaha, it looks like I disturbed you," Hannah's grandmother said with a smile, noticing her granddaughter's flustered state.
"It's indeed disturbing..." Hannah replied, watching Merlin ride away and patting her hot face, feeling a bit lost.
---
The next day, Merlin went to call Gwen, but to his surprise, she wasn't at home. The appearance of the lizard man likely prompted her to suit up and patrol the city, probably swinging through Big Apple(Another name for New York) while still tipsy from the night before. He just hoped she hadn't ventured into the sewers.
As soon as Merlin arrived at his destination on his motorcycle, a crowd of reporters and technology company personnel eagerly gathered around him.
"Hello, according to the police report, it was you who fought off the lizard man. Is this true?"
"According to our investigation, Spider-Man was also present at the time. Why did it appear that you were the one who defeated the lizard?"
"Is it because of your close relationship with Sheriff George Stacey?"
"How did you fight off the lizard man who targeted you?"
Before Merlin even got out of the bike, he was surrounded by people with cameras and microphones. The reporters gave various directions, trying to get more explosive and contradictory points for their stories
."Get out of the way, get out of the way, it's convenient for him to accept your interview now."
On the contrary, the representatives from various technology companies were squeezed out by these reporters. Merlin looked helplessly at the microphone shoved in his face, fearing it might get stuffed into his mouth if he opened it. Speaking now could lead to misinterpretation and sensational headlines, so he chose to stay silent.
Fortunately, the principal of Midtown High School called in the security guards, temporarily calming down the reporters. After all, these impromptu interviews were against the rules.
"We will hold a special press conference later. Everyone is welcome to come for interviews."
"No, we just want to know what happened yesterday. You can't stop us from pursuing the truth!"
"Yes! He needs to stay!"
The reporters immediately protested, determined to dig deeper and get their story. They saw Merlin as a young and potentially talkative source, so they were adamant about staying.
The principal, understanding the nature of these reporters, remained firm. He instructed the security guards to escort Merlin into the school, blocking the reporters from following. Representatives from various technology companies adjusted their collars and followed Merlin inside. They were here to discuss potential collaborations and possibly recruit Merlin, whose development of the atomic energy gun made him a prime candidate for their training programs.