Multiverse: Deathstroke
Chapter 289: Ch.288 Plot

Chapter 289: Ch.288 Plot

It was Su Ming and his symbiote, Stranglehold.

Before the suicide attack at Place de la Concorde, he had already sensed something off. Cable's words had been right, leading him to speculate that his enemy might also be a time traveler.

If Deadpool's friends and girlfriend could travel to this era without the Ancient One intervening, then perhaps... his enemies had arrived in the same way.

If his opponents came from the future, it would explain their awareness of the current situation. With a "strategy guide" in hand, they'd have a clear view of everything, including the German forces' strength.

After all, he himself had the same idea of harnessing advanced technology.

Luckily, he came from another universe, so his enemies' "Marvel strategy guide" wouldn't have any information about him.

Disguising himself as Captain America to fight Red Skull and Zemo, leading to Zemo's untimely death, must have caught his opponents off guard.

This created a "temporal divergence point."

If he pretended not to notice anything, the enemy, aiming for their larger goals, would likely attempt to fix the situation, aligning the world with its original timeline. They might do something like resurrect Zemo or bring the second Zemo into play prematurely.

At a temporal divergence point, choosing to steer events back toward a known path was what time travelers instinctively preferred to do.

That way, they were working within the framework of "history" they knew. People always tended to trust what they were familiar with—this was just human nature.

And time worked in a similar manner.

By changing something at a critical temporal point, the world would automatically adjust events around that change.

As for insignificant points in time, they were best left untouched, as tampering with them could exponentially increase the chances of unintended consequences.

For example, if someone traveled back in time and gave their young grandfather a futuristic computer, they might return to the future to replace themselves a rich heir or part of a tech dynasty.

But if they meddled further, perhaps by killing their grandfather's handsome neighbor, Old Wang, they might come back to replace themselves erased from existence, wiped out by a time paradox.

With this in mind, Su Ming set a trap based on time theory, betting on whether his hypothetical enemy would come to "clean up the mess."

Though he appeared to have left the square, in reality, he merely turned a corner and used Stranglehold to cloak himself, lying in ambush at the site of Zemo's death, waiting for the enemy to show up.

Could it be Red Skull? After all, he orchestrated the bomb and should have been nearby to watch the fireworks, right?

But no, Red Skull had survived so long not because of his strength but because he was as cunning as a fox and as cautious as a dog.

After setting off the bomb and seeing from a distance that three figures were engulfed by blue light and black mist, he immediately retreated, not even bothering to check the scene.

Red Skull also took his soldiers from the cordoned area, pretending as though nothing had happened.

Su Ming slowed his breathing and waited patiently in the shadows of the alley. He had plenty of time.

And then he saw him—a Hydra leader he had never seen before, and he knew immediately that he had caught the enemy's tail.

He stalked the Hydra agent silently, observing as he picked up Zemo's weapon and badge, delivering them to Zemo's son and initiating the rise of the second Zemo.

Su Ming immediately locked onto his target.

He analyzed this individual's behavior. Noticing that Blue Glove instinctively avoided fire and smoke, Su Ming set controlled fires at intersections along Blue Glove's route after leaving Zemo's home, using them to herd him into a trap.

Blue Glove didn't wander into this place by chance—every move he made was orchestrated by Deathstroke.

"Stranglehold, take them."

Su Ming's thought was transmitted to the symbiote, which sprang up from the ground like a Venus flytrap, wrapping around Heine's guards from below.

The symbiote sprouted sharp spikes and serrated edges, cocooning the guards in black pods and making quick work of them.

With a squeeze, the guards were turned into swiss cheese, and the sealed cocoons let no sound escape.

Heine, however, was quick to react, rolling out of the trap just as Stranglehold struck.

But from behind a nearby dumpster, Deathstroke lunged out, bringing a golden greatsword down on Heine's head.

Heine's blue hands morphed like putty into two beams of energy, which acted like lightsabers, pushing back against Su Ming's attack with repulsive force.

It was worth noting that Su Ming's leaping strike carried immense power, enough to crack the pavement beneath Heine's feet, yet Heine's legs didn't buckle.

"The Force? A deity? Another time traveler? Thanks?"

With every word, Su Ming swung his sword again, while Heine silently fended off the attacks.

But Su Ming's questioning wasn't meant to confuse the enemy—it was to deduce his opponent's capabilities.

The enemy's methods seemed rooted in science rather than divine or magical power.

He had a seemingly human body with strength comparable to a superhuman combined with a symbiote.

As Su Ming spoke, Heine's face remained expressionless, his gaze steady, his heartbeat unchanged, and his resistance to force unwavering—no sign of emotion.

From this, Su Ming narrowed down his suspicions. This being appeared human but was, in reality, a highly advanced humanoid machine.

A crimson eye on Su Ming's mask glowed in the darkness—he had found the enemy's weakness.

"A robot? What a piece of junk."

With a powerful shift of his arms, the Godslayer transformed from a greatsword into a massive hammer, pressing down on Blue Glove and forcing his body to bend unnaturally backward.

"I am not a robot! I am a synthetic being! Don't compare me to those soulless machines!"

Blue Glove struggled frantically, trying to roll away, but the symbiote, after spitting out some skeletal remains nearby, slithered over and wrapped around his legs.

Ah, so he's a synthetic being... got it.

This is the weakness of a time traveler—they love to lecture "natives" and correct their understanding of things. It's practically a universal trait.

"Heh, a soul? Once I take you apart, let's see if your soul is square or round. You're finished."

Su Ming swung the hammer down, smashing the Hydra agent into the ground like driving a nail, each strike sinking the enemy deeper.

Stranglehold acted like a loyal sidekick, spitting at the enemy while clinging to Su Ming's back. It had been exploring Su Ming's mind and replaceing many amusing memories, and now it could detach partially from its host.

As long as it maintained a connection to Su Ming's spinal cord, it no longer needed to cling to him constantly. It could become a pet-like creature, a small cat or dog, walking alongside him.

After a series of loud impacts, only Blue Glove's head and hands remained above ground; the rest of his body was buried.

Stranglehold melted into a liquid form, one end connected to Su Ming while the other wrapped around the enemy's neck like a serpent.

On the cold ground, its head twisted toward Su Ming as if asking, Can I eat him now?

But there was still one crucial piece of information missing. This synthetic being was merely a foot soldier, lacking the intelligence or power to orchestrate global schemes. Su Ming needed to know who was behind the scenes.

He transformed the Godslayer back into a greatsword, pressing its tip against the enemy's forehead. Removing his helmet to breathe in the cool night air, he spoke calmly to the head lying on the ground.

"Is your master an idiot? Didn't they install a self-destruct function in you? Or do you not understand what sacrifice means?"

Blue Glove flailed his weaponized arms, eyes blazing with rage, as if he wanted to devour Su Ming whole.

But buried in the ground as he was, he lacked the means to do so. The surrounding pavement had been compacted by Su Ming's sheer strength, leaving him firmly stuck.

"You fool! How dare you insult the King of Kings! You're dead!"

"Well, I got what I needed. Stranglehold, dinner's served."

The black creature bared its jagged teeth, lunging forward with a crazed grin.