Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 761 Reckless Acts (First Update)

Work on the boulder continues, and Fitz wanted to say something, but Agent Coulson's questions remained unanswered.

"If it's an infectious disease," Leopold Fitz said, "I can handle it, as long as you give me time."

"I don't think you can find a solution against a parasite that can lurk inside your body and devour flesh in an instant. Even if you could, that self-aware parasite wouldn't let you succeed," the arcane mage said in an electronic voice. "If Gemma Simmons is infected, then she won't be herself. Her thoughts will be twisted and manipulated by the parasite, and her past memories will become weapons against those she has lost." He pointed to the android below carrying a flamethrower. "This is the last resort: airtight powered armor and flames. Fitz, I'm sorry, but the best course of action is incineration."

Agent Coulson gently squeezed Fitz's shoulder, trying to offer as much comfort as possible. "How much do you know about this, Salomon?" Coulson looked up at the knight in his magnificent black armor. "Don't lie to me. Isn't your goal the Rock? Have you manipulated my mind?"

"Because I can't let a team like yours gamble the fate of humanity. I don't know why you became like this after dying once, but if it were the old S.H.I.E.L.D. or Nick Fury, you would understand why my actions would be supported," Salomon said. "The current S.H.I.E.L.D. is not capable of taking responsibility for failure. You're a bunch of vigilantes now, not law enforcement officers. You value the fate of humanity as much as your own feelings for your comrades, recklessly teetering on the edge of annihilation. Saving the world isn't some fucking romance drama where you can vent your emotions and solve your psychological problems."

Salomon didn't want to explain further. His tone turned cold. "I've already apologized for the sacrifices you're about to make, and that's enough. The sooner we resolve this issue, the lower the chance of Gemma Simmons getting infected. Our next actions could very well determine the future of humanity! Now, either join the work or shut up. We're standing on the edge of life and death. If anyone gets in my way... don't make me regret the decision to let you live!"

“I’ll join. No one knows The Rock better than me.” Fitz nodded. He took off his filthy suit and put on the white lab coat hanging on the wall of the temporary command room. “I’ll go retrieve my research data now. If Gemma dies, I’ll die with her. Coulson, don’t try to persuade me anymore. You know what choice I’ll make.”

Salomon's desire to discover a way to open the megalith through scientific means is inseparable from Fitz's research findings.

With his involvement, research on The Rock progressed rapidly. Melinda May (who was on vacation) and Skye (Daisy Jensen) both visited the temporary command center to check on the situation, while Barbara Morse and her ex-husband Hunter withdrew from the research facility after undergoing checks. This was an order from Agent Coulson. Although The Rock was now encased in a transparent box, it was not a completely airtight device, and any personnel not wearing protective suits could potentially be infected.

"Detectors," Fitz explained to Salomon over the communication channel, "If we can keep the boulder liquefied, we can use detectors to monitor the environment on the other side. But there are risks involved; as you said, the source of infection could emerge from inside at any time."

"Then let's do it."

"Furthermore, I've traced the history of this megalith, and I need all the research data on it from humankind." Fitz cleared his throat. "And a scientist who is an expert on the Einstein-Rosen bridge."

"I can meet your first condition. The second condition... my advisor is busy, and Professor Sauvignon is preparing to receive his award. I think my graduate degree should be sufficient. I assure you, I didn't get my PhD because I didn't have the time; my knowledge is more than enough." This was probably the most humane thing Salomon had ever said since entering the base, but for Fitz, it didn't matter.

"Okay. We also need to move the boulder out and put it in another container. Otherwise, we can't deploy the detector."

"Do as he says." Salomon instructed the long-waiting engineering team to begin work, while he also gave secret orders to the heavy weapons team to accompany Fitz on his experiments. The flamethrowers in their hands could burn any organic matter to ashes, and even the Hive, a carefully crafted targeted mutation bioweapon by the Kree, could not escape the laws of physics.

Fitz shrugged; he didn't care who the flamethrower was aimed at.

A few hours later, Fitz had assembled a small wired probe by hand. Salomon watched from the empty makeshift command post as he efficiently dismantled the underwater probe, removed unusable equipment, added a walking device, and assembled it into a strange-looking little Mars rover. Meanwhile, the engineering team moved the boulder and placed it into a "swimming pool" welded from prefabricated panels. Due to the time urgency, they couldn't get a tempered glass panel large enough, so they had to use airbags commonly used by pest control companies for sealing. They also prepared two layers and a temporary sterilization room to prevent any toxic substances from being carried out.

Before Fitz could prepare the probe's software, the boulder suddenly liquefied, startling all the researchers inside the airbags, who took several steps back. This had happened once before Fitz's return, but because the boulder's liquefaction appeared to be random, the shaken researchers could only record historical data and then perform a cleaning process to ensure no infectious agents reached Earth.

The heavy weapons team inside the innermost airbag immediately aimed their flamethrowers at the boulder, just as they had done previously. This was the cleaning procedure; high-temperature sterilization was the most reliable method. However, the airbags weren't yet coated with fire-retardant material, and their actions could very well cause them to leak.

"My Lord!" the heavy weapons team called Salomon over the comms channel. "Something's wrong! Leopold Fitz jumped into the 'swimming pool'!" the android yelled. "He only had a pistol with him!"

"I understand." Salomon's tone was flat. He walked out of the temporary command post, stepping down the creaking metal steps towards the orange gasbag below. "Where's the detector?"

"Already deployed... Data received... My lord, the boulder is back to normal, the cable has been cut." Catherine's voice cut in forcefully, "Leopold Fitz is missing!"

"Inform Agent Coulson of this bad news, then get back to work. We must secure this stable portal, and even understand the teleportation mechanism of this boulder."

"What do you intend to do, my lord?" Stephanie seemed to have just woken up and was still confused about the situation. Several days of work had left her extremely haggard. Although she had long ago handed over the megalith samples from the Malik family's collection to the Immortal City for testing, even now, the scientists of the Immortal City had not been able to fully understand how these things worked.

Catherine interjected, "The area around the boulder is full of gravel, my lord. Researchers are examining this gravel. Perhaps this will help determine the composition of the material on the other side of the portal, but they will need time."

"I need to go there first and take a look," the arcane mage said over the communication channel. "Collect all the sand, inspect it, and give it to me. Open the airtight door and the sterilization chamber; I need to open another portal here."

"My lord!" Stephanie, who greeted him at the other end of the sterilization room, frowned. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Don't worry, it's just a parasite." Salomon patted the longsword and pistol at his waist. "Everything has to be dealt with on the other side. You know what I mean."

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(End of this chapter)