Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 86: Ch.85 General Objectives

In the dimly lit basement, Su Ming casually filled his stomach. In critical moments, he had no problem eating bugs or rotten animals, let alone canned food.

He quietly pondered while staring at the map on the whiteboard.

The highway wasn't far from here. On normal days, he would have heard the sound of cars passing by, but now, only silence reigned outside.

Barry's mouth was full of meat as he also looked at the map, but he didn't see anything new on the map of the United States: "What are you thinking?"

Su Ming took out a cigarette and lightly bit it, drawing a few symbols and lines on the map with a pen.

"As I said before, they're essentially bootleg Batmen. After going insane, they gave up their greatest advantage—Bat tactics. They've become obsessed with their new powers. Red Death didn't fully utilize the abilities of a true speedster. On one hand, it's because another version of you was in his head, causing interference; his soul wasn't compatible with someone else's body. On the other hand, he didn't anticipate my presence, and we worked well together."

"But your tactics also seem pretty crazy." Barry wiped the crumbs off the table, wondering whether to continue with the meat or switch to beans for a change.

Su Ming rubbed his temples, feeling the surge of memories: "That's because they are Batmen. They still have logical thinking capabilities. They might not use it, but I can't afford not to be prepared."

"So you fought Red Death using unpredictable, crazy tactics?" Barry shrugged and chose to keep eating meat: "Like the Joker?"

Su Ming shook his head, exhaling a smoke ring and continuing to draw on the map without turning his head: "The Joker is truly insane; no one can imitate that. My plan looked mad, but I had armor and regenerative abilities as a backup—it was just an act."

Barry took a big bite of meat, almost choking: "Have you ever considered quitting being a mercenary to become an actor?"

"Disguise is just a basic skill in special operations. He thought I was insane and didn't know about the dark energy in his body, but he didn't anticipate that my intel exceeded his expectations. With Bat Gold in my hand, I could completely crush him using information asymmetry."

Su Ming scribbled on the map for a while until the entire world map was covered with symbols and shorthand that Barry couldn't understand. If he didn't know that Deathstroke's cognitive abilities far exceeded normal people, Barry would have thought he was venting his frustration on the map.

"Uh... so what's the plan now?"

"Next, we'll go to the A.R.G.U.S. underground vault in Washington to deal with the Merciless and free Diana from the conflict," Su Ming patted the map. Both the primary and backup plans were set. They could proceed according to this.

"Alright, then let's go now." Barry had mostly recovered his strength, having wolfed down several cans of luncheon meat, and was looking at Su Ming expectantly.

"Ugh..." Su Ming sighed inwardly, putting his helmet back on, slinging his weapons over his shoulder, and said, "I still need some preparations. The Merciless is a master of weapons and a war god. If we go like this, we'll only cause more trouble for Diana."

"Okay, I'll follow your lead. I'll just get you there." Barry put on his hood and wiped his mouth.

"Let's go. First, to the Great Pyramid of Khufu in Egypt. I need to change weapons. This Bat Gold, although it's good for short-range attacks like bashing people like a brick or stabbing like a dagger, isn't enough to face the Merciless."

"We're here."

Barry crossed the seas once again and dropped Su Ming directly into a pitch-black tomb chamber.

The air was thick with the smell of dust, and the chamber wasn't large. Other than the golden sarcophagus, there was nothing else. This place had long been converted into a museum by the Egyptian government, and anything valuable had already been moved.

"You overshot. Go back up a bit, to the upper exhibition area."

Su Ming said helplessly to Barry, who seemed a bit too eager and had run too fast.

"Uh, sorry..." Barry awkwardly scratched his brow, then carried Su Ming back to the museum.

"Don't let urgency or anger cloud your judgment. Save your strength... Found it."

Like other pyramids, the Pyramid of Khufu had most of its treasures taken away by British archaeologists during Egypt's time as a British colony. Even though Egypt gained independence in 1922, the British government still hadn't returned the artifacts.

But those so-called archaeologists were only interested in gold and gems, leaving behind many items they didn't care for, which was why Su Ming was here.

He expertly took out a large amount of C4 and blasted open the museum's vault, revealing many ancient weapons. But his target was clear, heading straight for a corner where a particular weapon lay.

Su Ming smashed a glass display case with his elbow, sending glass shards scattering everywhere, and retrieved a one-handed war hammer from within.

It looked unremarkable, dark and heavy in hand, weighing about seventy to eighty kilograms. It resembled the Chinese historical weapon, the meteor hammer, except that the hammerhead and handle were not connected by a chain but fixed together.

In Europe, this weapon was called a morning star hammer, a large round ball with irregular conical spikes forged onto it. This was the equipment of the first Hawkman, Khufu I, and without a doubt, it was made of Nth Metal.

Back then, it was he who found the alien spaceship and used the peculiar metal he discovered to craft his gear.

The Promethium armor vibrated slightly—this was the resonance between metals. Su Ming knew he had found the right one.

"Weren't you always using a sword?" Barry's face was tense as the alarm blared constantly around them. This was clearly a robbery, and he was an accomplice.

"What does being a weapon master mean? It means I can wield any weapon with the same level of mastery and skill." Su Ming slung the hammer over his shoulder, adjusting the strap: "The security will arrive soon. If you don't want me to kill them, take me to the next place quickly."

"Where to next?"

"Where's the Shadowpact team now?"

Su Ming needed some help on the magical side of things, and the Shadowpact, consisting of powerful sorcerers, was a perfect fit.

On one hand, they were superheroes and generally helpful. On the other hand, they were a team, and if he could recruit them, it would make things much easier.

Barry first took Su Ming out of the pyramid and to the banks of the Nile, under a star-studded sky. In front of them was the rushing river, and Su Ming sharply noticed a crocodile swimming not far away.

"I was saved by Doctor Fate before. He teleported me to the Oblivion Bar to escape from Red Death. But after we made our plan, the Dark Knights followed us there..." Barry squatted down, watching the water flow by: "Master Nightshade, the leader of the Shadowpact, stayed behind to cover our retreat for the Justice League. But soon after, the Dark Knights caught up to us..."

Su Ming adjusted the weapons on his back. With so much firepower, he looked like a porcupine. If not for his extraordinary physique, it would have been impossible to carry so many weapons: "Master Nightshade is already dead. If the Shadowpact isn't in the main world, they might be in the magical realm of Myrra... We can't get in there. Do we really have to go find him?"

"Who? Don't tell me it's Circe again?" Barry's face was full of refusal. It seemed like the Circe from Earth -11 had left a bad impression on him.

"No, Circe's sorcery is too niche, only effective against the Olympian pantheon's magic. The person we're looking for now... Ugh, it's complicated. Let's go to London first."

Su Ming sighed. If he had a choice, he would definitely avoid going to London. That person was way too troublesome.