Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 194: Ch.193 Tossed Aside to Farm

Chapter 194: Ch.193 Tossed Aside to Farm

A large, shirtless, muscular man charged at Su Ming. It wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, and Su Ming had no intention of wrestling with such an oily Steve Rogers.

Steve had just undergone the transformation, without his shield and no combat skills. He was no fun for Su Ming. Steve had become Captain America, and history was progressing as Su Ming knew it. That was enough.

Besides, Dr. Erskine couldn't stay in the hands of the military's SSR. Even if Su Ming didn't need him, taking the doctor was essential.

"No, kid, let me show you something cool."

Su Ming sidestepped, easily avoiding Steve's attack, and grabbed his arm, flinging him toward Peggy and Colonel Phillips.

So greasy. Su Ming felt like he was grabbing a fish, and when he released Steve, there was even a slippery sound.

Steve instantly transformed into a human throwing star, knocking down the two who had been preparing to fire their guns.

Su Ming discreetly pulled a small black ball from his bag, pressed the button on it, and tossed it high into the air before turning to leave.

As Steve got back on his feet, ready to chase after him, the unassuming little ball landed right in front of him...

Roll, roll.

Steve had no idea what it was. It was about the size of a sugar cube, and he didn't pay it much attention.

However, the seemingly harmless object suddenly erupted in a burst of blinding light and deafening noise. Everyone who had intended to pursue Su Ming was left blinded and disoriented, their brains buzzing, unable to stand.

The flashbang was from Batman's Batcave, something no one had seen in this era.

Depending on the proximity to the explosion, ordinary people would need three to five minutes to recover. Steve, on the other hand, would recover in about 30 seconds.

But by that time, even with someone in tow, Su Ming would have made it far.

Retracing his steps back was easy. The knocked-out guards were still lying unconscious where they fell, but Su Ming noticed the absence of the "Little Rose" (Lorraine).

However, just as he was about to exit the underground corridor, Su Ming's sixth sense kicked in. Someone was aiming at him from one of the dark rooms along the hallway.

Typically, the helmets of masked individuals are modified to block out toxic gases while still allowing them to smell their surroundings. This gives superheroes and villains alike the ability to detect changes in their environment during combat.

As Su Ming passed by the door, he caught a faint whiff of alcohol and tobacco.

And there was that feeling of being watched. Even though the person aiming at him was trying to suppress their intent, Su Ming's heightened senses, thanks to being a super soldier, detected the target: Dr. Erskine on his shoulder.

Su Ming was bulletproof, but Dr. Erskine, in his lab coat, was clearly not.

Rather than let the doctor fall into someone else's hands, the shooter preferred that no one get him—a classic spy mindset.

The sniper was cunning, waiting until Su Ming was a bit further away before peeking out to shoot at the doctor's head.

But the shooter clearly didn't understand super soldiers.

Before he could pull the trigger, Su Ming turned around, using his arm guards to block the bullet. The small brass round flattened on his armor, falling to the floor as a tiny metal disk.

Ding.

Bang! Bang!

Ding! Ding!

The young Black man fired several shots, each aimed at Dr. Erskine, but Su Ming easily blocked them all at close range.

It sounded difficult, but it wasn't about speed—it was about calculation and prediction. The Black man's aim was decent, but that was all.

He still needed to use his eyes to aim, and the muscles in his hand gave away his intent when squeezing the trigger.

Su Ming could sense the subtle movements that preceded the shots. The rest was like catching falling apples under a tree.

There were plenty of people capable of shooting without looking, like Deadshot, Hawkeye, and Green Arrow, but unfortunately, none of them were here.

"Not bad, very decisive," Su Ming commented as he caught each bullet, tilting his head slightly to speak to the Black man. "Which agency do you work for?"

"..."

The Black man didn't respond. He tossed his empty gun aside and pulled out a knife, charging at Su Ming.

Well, there were suave secret agents like 007, and then there were the silent types like this guy. Staying quiet during combat was certainly a good habit.

So Su Ming just stood there, letting the man stab him in the chest. The alloy knife sparked against Su Ming's promethium armor, and with a swift backhand slap, Su Ming knocked the man unconscious.

As a cybernetically enhanced soldier, Su Ming's strength was no joke, and now, with X-metal enhancements, he could crush a normal person's skull with a single blow if he didn't hold back.

Su Ming bent down to check the man's neck and pockets.

"Hmm... Nicholas Joseph Fury," Su Ming muttered, tossing the dog tags onto the unconscious man's chest. "Here's a tip: even though you're part of the military, secret agents shouldn't wear dog tags."

Who knows when Fury would wake up and understand that lesson, but the Black Fury had certainly piqued Su Ming's interest.

The world had changed so much.

Exiting the antique shop, Su Ming could already hear police sirens in the distance. He took a few sharp turns, ducked into an alley, and lifted a manhole cover, slipping into the sewers.

Let them search the streets all they wanted.

Su Ming felt like he was stepping back in time, to over a decade ago when he had first arrived in New York. Even the familiar sewers seemed new again.

The world he once knew was becoming strange to him.

Though, to be fair, it could just be that there were more chemical products in the city now, changing the smell of the sewers.

Listening to the sound of waste water flowing and the squeaking of rats, Su Ming carried Dr. Erskine back to the basement of the "Peace Hotel." There, he changed out of his costume, blindfolded the unconscious doctor, tied him up, and loaded him into a car headed for the airport.

His factory could only build small twin-engine planes, but at least he had a private jet.

Stark Industries had four-engine planes, and Su Ming had bought one to see if his own "experts" could reverse-engineer it.

But Howard Stark's skills far surpassed the times, and attempting to reverse-engineer the plane would have cost more than just buying another one.

Over the years, Su Ming had noticed a pattern.

It seemed like the world's consciousness was deliberately sabotaging his efforts. No matter how brilliant a scientist was before joining Wilson Enterprises, any attempt to create advanced military technology always ended in failure—almost as if something like a "Sophon" was locking their brains.

However, when it came to developing household products or food items, these same scientists were top-tier talents. Wilson Enterprises was even about to release its first semi-automatic washing machine.

Su Ming didn't yet know who—or what—was hindering him, but he was keeping track.

After a day and night of flying, with several refueling stops, the plane finally arrived at Kaho?olawe Island.

On the surface, the island looked the same, but the underground spaces were nearly complete.

Su Ming tossed the now-awake Dr. Erskine into a thatched hut. The doctor was still blindfolded—this wasn't the time for introductions.

"Old Zhang, keep an eye on this old man. Don't let him escape."

Butcher Zhang's business had collapsed after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and Hawaii wasn't the best place to be anymore.

After Su Ming took over Kaho?olawe Island, he had Old Zhang and a few trusted friends move there to manage the farmland and island operations as part of the cover.

Unlike Gin, they were kept completely in the dark.

"Uh, Mr. Wilson, who is this old man?" Old Zhang rubbed his hands nervously, still haunted by memories of the massacre in Honolulu a decade ago. He both respected and feared Su Ming.

"He's a German scientist. You know Germany, right? Japan's ally."

At the mention of an ally of the Japanese, Old Zhang's expression turned to hatred. "So he's with the little devils. Mr. Wilson, just say the word. What should we do with him?"

"The situation's complicated. This scientist isn't fully aligned with Germany, but the things he's invented are dangerous. We can't let the Americans get them either, so just make sure he doesn't escape."

Su Ming tossed aside the fuel hose and picked up a rag to wipe his hands. The Hawaiian sun felt nice.

"Got it, no problem. We'll take turns watching him. We'll record every time he uses the bathroom, if you want."

"Uh, no need for that. Just make sure he doesn't escape, commit suicide, or contact the outside world."

There was nothing on the island. If Dr. Erskine wanted to conduct any experiments, he'd be limited to studying pineapples and coconuts.

"Don't worry, Mr. Wilson. The whole island's full of my relatives. He's not going anywhere."

"Good. Keep him busy. If he gets bored, have him help with the farming or chopping wood. You figure it out. I'm off."

Su Ming shrugged, signaling Old Zhang to handle things. Then, he climbed back into his plane and left Kaho?olawe Island.

Dr. Erskine had gone from one extreme to another. After developing the serum for HYDRA and realizing the danger, he switched sides to help HYDRA's enemies.

But was the U.S. military any better? If they gained an army of super soldiers, wouldn't they just be another group of Nazis?

So, the doctor would stay here, helping Su Ming grow pineapples. After all, he was an expert in genetics and biology—maybe he could develop a new variety of fruit.