Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 202: Ch.201 Murder

Chapter 202: Ch.201 Murder

After news about the Human Torch broke in New York, the Führer immediately sought out U-Man, subtly suggesting an experiment to merge Atlanteans with Aryans.

U-Man naturally wouldn't hand over his own men, but he had no problem with the people still living in Bermuda under Namor's rule.

Without hesitation, he gave this information to the Führer, advising him to go to Bermuda and "help himself." U-Man wouldn't involve himself directly.

After all, his own soldiers were Atlanteans, and not everyone would accept betraying their own race. By providing intelligence and letting the Führer carry out the mission discreetly, U-Man could keep his hands clean.

If the assault succeeded, Namor's power and reputation would be diminished.

If Namor fought back, the regular fleet wouldn't stand a chance, which would make the Führer even more dependent on U-Man.

It was a win-win situation.

And so, the events unfolded, but unlike in the comics, this time there were a few Hydra officers hitching a ride on the warship. Using Tesseract-powered weapons, they easily subdued Namor.

Now, the Germans had a strong hand to play, while the British and Americans only had Union Jack and Captain America. Other heroes were still playing dress-up in New York City.

When the Human Torch finally left the amusement park and returned to the police station for work, the long-awaited tsunami still hadn't come. Su Ming felt frustrated.

He could never just follow the plot peacefully, like a relaxed bystander.

If only things were as simple as in the movie world, following Steve Rogers to take down Red Skull would've been so easy.

But now, Su Ming had to find Namor himself.

Namor may have been a jerk, but he was still the legitimate ruler of Atlantis. If U-Man became the new king, all land-dwelling creatures—including Su Ming—would be in trouble.

On the top floor of Wilson Tower, Su Ming stared at a world map, calculating as sunlight warmed the room.

The key problem was that he had no idea what had happened to Namor.

Maybe Namor was on vacation in Hawaii? Or digging mud for a sea spa somewhere in a trench?

Even if he had been captured, there were too many factions capable of doing so.

The Americans had Captain America and the Human Torch, both of whom could defeat Namor.

The Germans? Hydra's leaders definitely had the ability.

In Soviet Russia, Leviathan's Red Room continuously produced deadly female agents, and Namor's low IQ would be an easy target.

Even the Japanese had Strucker, who had rebuilt Hydra there. The electromagnetic weapons his forces developed could defeat Namor as well.

Su Ming puffed on his cigar, deep in thought.

First, he ruled out the Americans. If the SSR wanted to capture Namor, they'd need to back Captain America with a large military force, but Steve was busy promoting Su Ming's instant noodles. He didn't have the time.

As for the Human Torch, the commotion would be too big. If he fought Namor, the whole city would know.

Germany seemed the most likely culprit. Namor operated primarily in the Atlantic, a region where neither Ten Rings nor Leviathan could easily intervene.

However, Su Ming didn't have much intelligence on Hydra. Most of what he knew was about Red Skull.

In reality, Red Skull was currently playing with the Tesseract alongside Dr. Zola. His attention had long shifted from the super-soldier serum, and the Führer didn't trust him much anymore. Red Skull's involvement was unlikely.

But other Hydra leaders had branches worldwide, and Su Ming had no clues about them.

For instance, he knew Strucker was in Japan, but not his exact location. Searching all of Japan would take too long, and by then, Britain would have collapsed.

In London, even a single biscuit was being saved to support the front lines, and the people were starting to starve.

Once people began dying of hunger in large numbers, no matter how capable Churchill was, he wouldn't be able to keep the fight going.

Time was running out. The British didn't have much food left. Even though America was airlifting supplies, it was merely a drop in the ocean for an entire nation.

Su Ming sat down on the sofa, poured himself a drink, and thought rapidly.

Soon, a detail from his memory struck him as a potential lead.

In the underground lab beneath the antique shop, Su Ming had killed a German spy posing as a federal agent. Before the spy died, he didn't shout the typical Hydra mantra, "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Judging by his lip movements, it seemed like he was about to shout "Deutschland."

This suggested a difference in the origin of the spy.

That spy was the only known German agent at the moment. If Su Ming could track his movements, he might find a clue.

His cover identity was fake, as was his listed address, but the German must have had at least one safe house in the city to store weapons and communication equipment.

Su Ming needed to find it.

If there was communication equipment, it might hold records of transmissions, allowing him to eavesdrop or discover useful information.

The newspaper today reported a murder. A masked hero had been killed, and other heroes in the city were investigating.

In the original story, this murder was connected to German spies. Su Ming couldn't be sure of that now, but investigating the details could help him judge the situation.

One morning, New York's police department received a report about a body found in an alley near the docks.

The body lay spread out in the shape of a cross, as if embracing the sky. But beneath the mask, half of the victim's face showed an expression of pain and disbelief.

Judging by the clothing, the victim was one of the masked heroes that had recently appeared, known as "Phantom Bullet."

Phantom Bullet was famous for his physical prowess and exceptional marksmanship. He was known for his willingness to deal lethal blows for justice. He never hesitated to fire on true villains, and since his debut, he had wounded more than a dozen criminals.

However, this hero, who had been active for less than five days, was found dead on the cold ground that night.

He had been shot three times in the chest, and he hadn't even had a chance to fire back with his own gun.

The caller who reported the body had disappeared without leaving a name, and the voice on the phone had been too indistinct to determine gender.

After that came a horde of reporters. Journalists from the Daily Bugle were the first on the scene, having caught wind of the news the night before. The police were the third group to arrive.

The officers stood around the body, gossiping. Thanks to the media, they weren't particularly fond of these masked heroes.

"Died wearing a clown suit—how ridiculous."

One officer, arms crossed, spoke to his colleague as they examined the scene. It wasn't their first time seeing something like this.

"A professional hit. Silenced pistol, clean and efficient. Even dug out the bullets afterward—no way to trace them. There are footprints everywhere, but it's obvious they were left by the reporters."

They couldn't even be sure whether the body had been touched by the paparazzi.

"No one deserves to die like this."

The officer's partner shook his head. Although he wasn't a fan of these masked hero antics, the man in front of them had been shot. And that was the police's responsibility.

The first officer shrugged, agreeing silently. He turned to wave toward the street, signaling the coroner's van. Soon, they would transport the body back to the city morgue for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, up in one of the alley's buildings, a man had made up his mind to get to the bottom of the case.

He was Dr. Thomas Holloway, now known as the Avenging Angel.