Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1370 The Prisoner of the Mind (Second Update)

The person in the front passenger seat didn't look in the rearview mirror to check on the passenger in the back. Traffic in Washington D.C. isn't particularly fast, and the passing luxury cars meant that someone inside was a player dancing gracefully in this fertile ground of money, power, and intrigue. The passenger in the front seat leaned their head against the window, watching the red taillights of the cars and the white lights projected from the windows of the buildings along the road flow by like water.

"Are you familiar with the Life-Model Decoy project, Agent Coulson?"

“That project has been terminated.” Phil Coulson abandoned any thought of escape, for he had never seen anyone escape from this man before. “It was a project established to ensure the safety of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, designed to replicate all external aspects of a real person,” Agent Coulson said. “I’m pretty sure it’s been terminated. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hardware design has run into difficulties, and the closest thing to come is the Life-Model Decoy project. It should be Vision from the Avengers; as far as I know, Vision’s prototype is Tony Stark’s butler, Jarvis.”

"You're being honest, but not honest enough," the co-pilot said calmly. "Tony Stark perfected the Life-Model Decoy project, and now it's fully realized, complete with unexpected capabilities."

Agent Coulson remained silent.

"I believe you've conducted a thorough investigation into me. You must be very curious about how I managed to study at Merton Academy while handling official business in Latvia... Yes, just as you think. It's a Precision Body Stand, a Stand using the Salomon identity, and that Stand is right in front of you now."

"Is this an android?"

"You could say that, but my control over this Stand far surpasses the initial design of the Life-Model Decoy project. The complexity of this Stand is also comparable to Aida, the artificial intelligence created by Dr. Horton Radcliffe, and I'm looking at you through the eyes of this body right now." Only then did Agent Phil Coulson see the passenger's eyes through the rearview mirror. It was an utterly calm face, the dark eyes devoid of any soul. "I have no interest in Aida, nor in Dr. Horton Radcliffe's knowledge. If you hadn't exposed Aida to things you don't understand, I wouldn't be here."

"The Dark Book." Agent Coulson swallowed hard. "You want that?"

"For centuries, Kamar-Taj has been dedicated to destroying the Dark Scroll and the Dark Book bound by Morgan le Fay. We've acquired many versions of the Dark Book, but most are copies made by later sorcerers, tucked inside their own compiled spellbooks, revealing bits and pieces of truth amidst various strange tales and nonsense. Even so, those spellbooks caused quite a bit of trouble, such as... the East Coast earthquake that killed thousands. The Avengers were still around then, but they only made things worse."

Agent Phil Coulson remained silent.

"Now, Dr. Horton Radcliffe's Life-Model Decoy project has come into contact with the Dark Book. To make matters worse, the AI ​​Aida is still connected to the internet. Although we captured its carrier, Dr. Horton Radcliffe let it escape. Now nobody knows where in the world Aida has hidden its corrupted electronic soul, or what trouble those corrupted programs will cause."

"You captured Dr. Horton Radcliffe and the Life-Model Decoy project?" Agent Coulson had anticipated many terrible outcomes, but this answer still surprised him. He secretly browsed the database on his phone and then activated a secret S.H.I.E.L.D. spy satellite used for surveillance. During this time, he kept rambling until he saw the horrific state of Dr. Horton Radcliffe's residence. He remained calm, even though he had already anticipated the worst. The Beacon Base wasn't a particularly secretive base; for someone with access to most of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, finding it was only a matter of time. "You also raided the S.H.I.E.L.D. base?"

Agent Coulson received no answer. As they crossed an intersection, the car stopped. The driver expertly plugged a data interface into the dashboard and began tampering with the GPS location data. Seeing this, Agent Coulson knew the other party was extremely well-prepared; Jeffrey Mays would definitely be watching this car closely until the driver dropped him off at the airport and saw him board the plane. The falsified GPS information would now lead towards Lonner Regan Airport, while the car would turn onto another road in the opposite direction after the green light, and Agent Coulson had no idea what awaited him at the end of that road.

"I don't understand," Phil Coulson voiced his doubts. "If you see us as constantly causing trouble, why don't you just kill us all?"

"So now, in your mind, am I already a murderer, Agent Coulson? Just because I didn't follow your values ​​and do good?" The co-pilot laughed. "Having lived through the Cold War, you should understand that fanatical patriotism can't explain the scandals of those years, can't explain the soldiers who displayed methods no different from the Nazis in Vietnam, and certainly can't explain why soldiers were defending America thousands of kilometers away. Our views are still incompatible. Even Steve Rogers, after I showed him the truth of that history, is no longer the propagandad symbol of America that you worship."

"This simply cannot explain your behavior."

"Because of your courage and humanity, Agent Coulson. Because of your humanity, you will make a choice within your predetermined destiny." The co-pilot smiled, thousands of tiny machines driving bionic muscles beneath his skin to grin, his expression perfectly natural, showing no sign of anything amiss. "I believe you will make the choice that benefits humanity, even if it's not the optimal solution. I believe you have the courage to face that dark future and to fight for hope with humanity. I've never given anyone similar praise, except for Steve Rogers, who was even more foolish than you, but I still saw in him the future and courage that humanity should fight for."

Agent Coulson seemed uncomfortable with the sudden praise, especially coming from someone described by many Western media outlets as a madman, tyrant, Nazi, dictator, mentally ill, dreamer, and a wicked faithless individual deserving of seven curses. "I won't kill you, Agent Coulson, because you're a good person. Foolish, but kind," he said. "While I've always believed that the bottom line of justice is survival, I don't want to have nothing but the right to survive. I need you to embark on your predetermined destiny to save the future of humanity, to save other rights, including survival."

Why are you refusing to answer the question?

There was no answer, only silence, and the cold raindrops that pelted against the car window and slowly slid down.

The nighttime temperature in Washington was dropping, and the driver was reluctant to turn on the air conditioning to keep it warm. Agent Phil Coulson let out a difficult breath. He blinked again and found that there was no sharp blade pressed against his neck, yet he still felt a stinging and icy sensation on his skin. The chill ran up his spine; he had been running around Washington all day, and his only opportunity to consume sugar was that cloyingly sweet cup of coffee in the morning. He could still recall the undissolved sugar in that scalding hot coffee that rolled down his throat like sandpaper.

Agent Coulson suddenly felt a pang of pity for the man in front of him.

He knew he had countless opportunities to pull this man out over the years, but each time the man refused help, stubbornly choosing a thorny path for a future and possibilities unseen by others, leaving him scarred and wounded. Agent Coulson understood he couldn't comprehend this obsession and sense of responsibility; in his eyes, this man was a prisoner, having locked his soul in a prison of humanity, a prison no one in the world could open. However, this sentiment was quickly dismissed; he knew he was negotiating. So many years had passed, their cooperation had changed drastically, and S.H.I.E.L.D. could no longer be his backer. "I've had enough of your prophecies, old friend. Let's settle this, shall we?" Agent Coulson said. "The Dark Book isn't in my possession, but I can help you find the person who possesses it. Would that be enough to spare my friends?"

Eight in the morning

(End of this chapter)