Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 303: Ch.302 Temporal Device

Chapter 303: Ch.302 Temporal Device

"That was an effective lesson."

Su Ming fastened his helmet, staring into the dust cloud that enveloped the Human Torch.

Even though the Torch could transform into an elemental state to withstand most damage, escaping the energy weapons powered by the Cosmic Cube wouldn't be easy.

As the dust settled, the Torch still stood there, arms raised—but he was battered and torn. If the Germans focused their fire again, he'd be running around without a stitch of clothing.

The Human Torch was confused, not understanding why humans were fighting each other. He had no concept of the complexities of war.

Yet the intense pain wracking his body made it hard for him to control his powers.

A surge of flames erupted from his position in front of the door.

"Get down!"

Su Ming knew the Torch's power wasn't just about fire; the flames were merely an external manifestation of the fusion-like energy coursing through his body.

So when it seemed like the Torch might lose control, Su Ming immediately ordered his allies to take cover, avoiding potential collateral damage.

What followed was like a replay of the great fires that had once ravaged New York—enemy troops in the street, along with nearby structures that weren't sturdy enough, were blown to pieces.

The Reich Chancellery shook, dust and debris falling from its ceiling panels.

The Human Torch stared dumbly at his own hands, then touched his chest. For a moment, he lost all sense of purpose.

"I've killed again... I've killed again..."

In his dazed state, he rose into the air and flew off, not knowing where he was headed.

He needed a place to reflect on everything that had just happened.

"Hmm, that explosion was effective. We've got some breathing room now." Su Ming got to his feet, dusting off his armor. Stranglehold seemed a bit wilted, clearly not a fan of the intense heat and noise.

Cable approached to inspect the front entrance, finding nothing but a scorched battlefield. The ground bore dark, ripple-like scorch marks, and flames licked at the remnants.

"What just happened?"

"Nothing much, just a little superhuman stomach ache." Su Ming chuckled grimly and sent Cable back to guard the other directions.

Though the immediate vicinity was temporarily clear, they were still in Berlin. The German forces would regroup soon.

Su Ming hoped Apocalypse would return quickly and not spend years battling Kang in some other dimension. If night fell without a sign of them, Su Ming would initiate Plan B and lead everyone in a retreat.

"Enemy forces, left flank!"

Su Ming heard Rogue's voice from upstairs. He flexed his wrist, preparing to hold the line again.

Wave after wave, the German troops kept coming, surging like relentless tides, only to be repelled time and time again. Among their ranks, more HYDRA soldiers began to appear.

So far, Su Ming hadn't seen any of HYDRA's leaders, but they might be watching from afar.

Just as Su Ming was preparing to organize a retreat at dusk, Apocalypse finally returned.

He dropped down from the sky, carrying Kang like a broken ragdoll, slamming him into the ground.

This version of Kang had been eliminated, but he was just one of countless iterations.

Apocalypse glanced around, seeing only enemies surrounding him. Their attacks, like tickling pricks, barely reached him.

He rolled his eyes dismissively, and in an instant, a vast swath of the city was engulfed in swirling sands.

The sands, sharp as blades, silently decapitated the enemy soldiers, sliced into their tanks and mechs, turning the war machines into scrap metal.

"Foolish humans."

Apocalypse, in high spirits after dispatching Kang once more, felt a weight lift from his shoulders—a shadow of defeat from a century ago fading away.

On the now-silent street, he strode into the Reich Chancellery, casually tossing Kang's corpse to Su Ming. After battling through hundreds of timelines in alien dimensions, he had finally secured another victory.

He needed a brief rest.

Su Ming gestured for Wade to keep Apocalypse occupied, ensuring he wouldn't have time to think.

Meanwhile, Su Ming and Cable dragged Kang's body into the basement, intending to study his advanced technology.

"How's it going?"

The 'research' process involved Cable doing the technical work while Su Ming supervised with a cigarette.

It couldn't be helped. Among their group, only Cable had a shot at understanding Kang's technology.

Cable extracted Kang's body from the armor and discarded it, then began examining the high-tech suit with various tools, generating streams of data and holographic images.

"What if I told you I don't understand a thing?" Cable offered a wry smile, wiping sweat from his brow.

Su Ming shrugged, blowing a smoke ring. "That's to be expected. Kang's technology might not even originate from Earth. It's entirely possible you wouldn't understand it."

"After filtering out the damaged parts and the vast majority that's beyond my comprehension, I can only grasp about 1% of how this stuff works."

Cable began attempting to dismantle the armor—a task that proved difficult.

Even after being battered by Apocalypse, the suit retained extraordinary physical durability. Cable's tools cut through it at a snail's pace.

"Just tell me what you do understand." Su Ming needed to move on to the next phase of his plan.

With Kang defeated, it was time to take out the final piece.

It was best to send Apocalypse back to his slumber as soon as possible, so everyone could wrap up and go home.

"There's this, inside the armor—a syringe system. The contents seem to be a powerful stimulant, something like a rapid-acting super-soldier serum, providing a burst of strength."

Cable reached into the armor and pulled out a miniature injection system.

Su Ming had no use for it. Uncertain of its composition and dosage, he wouldn't dare inject such a mysterious substance into himself.

"Well, consider it your spoils of war this time."

Cable shot Su Ming a resigned glance, feeling that getting involved with Deadpool's affairs had been a mistake from the start. Now it seemed he was entangled with Wade's cousin, too—a complete tragedy.

"And this." Cable extracted a gauntlet-like device from the armor.

This item looked distinctly different from the rest of the suit, with a vintage feel. A large, oval-shaped red gem was set into the gold-colored bracer, roughly half the size of a hand.

"What is it?"

"A temporal displacement device. Judging by the design, it's likely created by the Watchers. Kang might have taken it from a Young Avenger at some point."

Cable had seen such devices before. It allowed the wearer to manipulate space and time, and it was the inspiration behind his own time-travel wrist device.

Now, the X-Men could traverse dimensions easily thanks to Kitty Pryde and Bishop. Cable and Deadpool's team members all had time-travel gadgets—except for Su Ming.

Seeing this, Cable decided to offer the device to Su Ming as a prize, a way to even things out.