The majestic electromagnetic energy continued to accumulate on the sword, blue electric light crackling and emitting intense heat.
"Boom!" The Destroyer's internal oven suddenly roared to life, releasing a thick atomic energy beam that shot straight towards Merlin.
"Ah, so we're playing like that!" Merlin muttered. As the saying goes, whoever goes first in a power duel often loses.
"Boom!" At that exact moment, the electromagnetic cannon mounted on Merlin's floating sword reached its peak charge. A dazzling beam of blue electromagnetic energy erupted from the sword, enhanced by the admantium blade embedded within it.
"Boom!!!" The electromagnetic beam collided violently with the red atomic energy blast. The force of the collision created a massive shockwave, spreading in all directions like a typhoon. Sif and the others, standing nearby, could barely withstand the impact, squinting as they anxiously watched the battle unfold.
For a few moments, the red atomic energy and blue electromagnetic beam were locked in a stalemate, but soon the admantium sword, propelled by the electromagnetic force, pierced through the center of the atomic beam like a silver swordfish cutting through the sea. The blade plunged straight into the Destroyer's head!
Clang! The admantium sword, carrying immense kinetic energy, embedded itself deep in the Destroyer's neck. The Destroyer staggered, its massive body reeling as it took a few steps back under the force of the blow, causing the atomic beam to dissipate.
"Boom!" The uninterrupted electromagnetic energy surged forth, enveloping the Destroyer's towering frame. However, to everyone's astonishment, despite the sword lodged in its neck, the Destroyer remained largely unharmed. The electromagnetic blast hadn't left any visible damage.
The Destroyer reached to pull the sword from its neck, but Merlin, who had swiftly moved in front of it, was already prepared.
Click! The mechanical hilt of his sword reconnected with the embedded blade, and high-heat plasma quickly flowed over the weapon.
Buzz! The sword glowed red-hot, and the heat began to melt through the Destroyer's neck. Merlin gritted his teeth, twisted the sword with a powerful motion, and sliced through.
Stab! The molten blade cut cleanly across the Destroyer's neck, sending a spray of sparks flying into the air.
"Bang!" Merlin gracefully spun the sword in his hand a few times before sheathing it behind his back. Without looking back, he calmly walked away from the towering figure of the Destroyer.
Boom! The Destroyer's head fell off, its body half-kneeling before collapsing heavily to the ground, sending up a cloud of dust and debris.
The battle was over.
The smoke-filled street remained silent for a moment, everyone stunned by the events that had just unfolded. The silence was soon broken by Fandral, who was holding a long sword.
"That's so cool!" he exclaimed, his eyes bright with admiration as he watched Merlin's calm and collected figure. As Asgard's master of swordsmanship, Fandral was captivated by the flawless display, a scene straight out of his dreams.
"This could definitely be a classic movie moment," Coulson remarked, raising an eyebrow at the spectacle.
But just as everyone basked in the awe of the moment, Merlin suddenly turned around, walked over to the Destroyer's body, squatted down, and began collecting materials. His main target? Uru metal. Such a large amount couldn't go to waste!
Sif: "..."
Fandral: "..."
Coulson: "..."
After the Destroyer was dealt with, the group quickly made their way to Thor and the others. The laboratory was in disarray. Thor was comforting Jane, who was lying over Dr. Eric's body, crying in anguish. The girl with glasses, sitting nearby, looked equally devastated.
"Sif! Thank goodness you're here. Do you have any healing stones with you?" Thor asked, his voice laced with urgency. The healing stone, a magical Asgardian artifact inscribed with runes, was known for its restorative powers.
The four Asgardians exchanged glances, their expressions grim. They had crossed the Bifrost in a hurry and hadn't brought anything with them. They shook their heads.
Thor sighed in frustration, but his companions quickly shifted the conversation to a more pressing matter.
"Thor, while His Majesty Odin is in his sleep, the cunning Loki has taken out the Casket of Ancient Winters and allowed the Frost Giants to infiltrate Asgard!" Hogan said anxiously. "Asgard needs you to return and take charge of the situation immediately."
"What? Father is in the Odinsleep?" Thor asked in shock. "When did this happen?"
"Not long after you left. But right now, the most urgent matter is that Loki plans to activate the Bifrost and connect it to Jotunheim, which would lead to an invasion of Asgard," Hogan explained.
Thor looked torn, glancing between his companions and the heartbroken Jane, who was still crying over the now silent body of Dr. Eric. His heart was divided between his duty to Asgard and the pain of those he had come to care about.
"Leave it to me. If you're lucky, there might be a way to revive him," a voice suddenly broke the tension in the room.
Everyone turned to see Merlin entering, carrying a backpack. Jane and Thor immediately recognized him—it was the man who had saved them last night.
"It's you!" Jane exclaimed in surprise, wiping her tears.
Merlin knelt down beside Dr. Eric, scanning him carefully. There were still faint electromagnetic fluctuations in his brain, but the lack of blood oxygen was leading him towards irreversible death.
"We need to supply oxygen to his brain to preserve its function," Merlin said, analyzing the situation.
"We have first aid equipment in the car!" Coulson quickly chimed in.
Merlin nodded. The brain doesn't die immediately after death; it's the lack of oxygen supply that ultimately leads to the loss of electrical activity. With quick action, there might still be time to save Dr. Eric.
At Coulson's command, agents rushed out to retrieve the necessary equipment.
After some resuscitation to stop the bleeding, Dr. Eric was rushed to the nearest hospital. Despite their efforts, he was not revived. However, with the help of medical equipment, his brain activity was temporarily stabilized. Outside the hospital, Coulson stood with a furrowed brow, staring at Thor, who was now wielding Mjolnir and dressed in his armor.
"It seems like you have a big secret hidden in you," Coulson remarked, his voice steady. "Don't worry, we're all working for world peace."
Thor, now much calmer with Mjolnir back in his hand, nodded. "I've dealt with those four aliens, but there's still one left out there. I must return to Asgard soon, and I'll have to leave it to you."
Merlin, who had been talking with Jane, called out from a distance. "No need to worry about that one, I already took care of it."
Thor turned to Merlin, his expression serious. "Thank you for saving Sif and the others. From now on, you are a forever friend of Asgard and of me, Thor Odinson!" His voice was full of gratitude. "After the rebellion is over, I hope you'll come to Asgard as a guest."
"Sounds good," Merlin responded with a grin. "I've always been interested in runes."
Thor smiled at Merlin's enthusiasm. "I think my father won't mind a smart guest." His expression grew somber as he glanced at Jane, whose eyes were still red from crying. He sighed softly. "I'll leave Dr. Eric in your hands."
"It depends on luck," Merlin replied, cautious about giving any guarantees.
"Just do your best," Thor said, knowing the odds were slim. He then gently pulled Jane into his arms, comforting her. After a moment, Sif and the others urged Thor to leave. Reluctantly, he let go of Jane.
"Would you like to see the Bifrost?" he asked Jane with a soft smile. Without waiting for a reply, Thor lifted his hammer and soared into the sky, taking Jane with him as they disappeared into the clouds.
After thanking Merlin again, Sif and her companions hurried to follow Thor back to Asgard.
The next day, Merlin found himself sitting in Coulson's car. With Thor gone and Mjolnir no longer in their possession, S.H.I.E.L.D. had little left to investigate, so they were headed back. Merlin, needing a ride, had joined them.
"Ahem," Coulson coughed slightly as he drove, then spoke up. "You know, Merlin, we helped transport you. Think maybe you could give us a little share?"
Merlin glanced at him sideways. "You're dreaming!"
Coulson smirked but didn't push further.
"I went through a lot to defeat that thing," Merlin continued. "Don't even think about taking anything from the Destroyer. I'm planning to use the Uru metal to build a new set of armor. I need it, especially now that I've got Cybertronians on my tail."
"We can protect you!" Coulson assured confidently, but his words were quickly met with Merlin's suspicious glare. "You can't even handle an alien monster. Doesn't your conscience hurt when you say that?" Merlin retorted, shaking his head in disbelief.
Even Hawkeye, seated in the back, couldn't help but smirk at the remark. The six aliens that had appeared earlier had inflicted heavy casualties, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was still struggling to find a cure for the infected bodies.
"Conscience?" Coulson chuckled lightly. "We agents don't have such a thing. But listen, you don't need all that metal. You could easily make three armors. What do you say to selling us one after you make them?"
Merlin eyed him for a moment before responding vaguely, "Depends on the situation." The Destroyer's body was massive, more than enough to craft three sets of armor. But Merlin had something different in mind—a mechanical longsword, enhanced with Adamantium, that could transform into a floating cannon in the shape of a blade. As he thought about it, his mind drifted into a daydream about his future weapon.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had considered detaining Merlin forcibly, but Coulson quickly dismissed the idea, knowing the risks involved. They had learned a lot about Merlin's connections over the past month. When Merlin had faced danger, a wide range of people had shown up to help—Frank Castle, Iron Man, John Wick, Daredevil, and even Kingpin had sent people. It was a mix of both legal and underground figures, and although some wanted to maintain order, there was no denying that many of them owed Merlin favors.
The consequences of tangling with Merlin would be far worse than the Lizard evolution incident. On the surface, he seemed like a harmless high school student, but the ripples of his influence were vast and significant.
Even though Coulson's partner, Agent Sitwell, constantly raised concerns about Merlin's growing power, Coulson knew that moving against Merlin was out of the question—the potential fallout was too great. Besides, S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't exactly standing on moral high ground in this situation.
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