Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 39: Ch.38 Limits of Humanity

This indeed was the path leading to the lower levels. After walking down the corridor for a while and dealing with a few minor issues, they quickly found the stairs and elevator that led downward.

Using the elevator was out of the question—not only because it was old and in disrepair, but also because it wouldn't be safe in case of an emergency.

The group took the stairs down to the second basement level. This staircase only led to this floor and did not go further down. The power distribution box was still functional, so Su Ming turned on all the lights, and the underground space lit up as bright as day.

The sudden brightness required some time for the three ordinary people to adjust, but soon they realized that the scale of this place was far beyond their imagination.

In front of them was a vast area filled with numerous glass-enclosed experimental fields, at least hundreds of them. Each one contained surgical tables and experimental benches, all of which seemed relatively intact.

"All dissection tables. Let's move through here," Su Ming said as he shot down some black bugs that had followed them down, speaking to Cindy up ahead and indicating for the group to start moving. Their view was obstructed, and they couldn't see the way to the lower levels from here, so they had to pass through these areas first.

The group walked through the gaps between the glass chambers as if they were visiting a museum. Inside were all kinds of old-fashioned surgical instruments, and the stains of blood indicated their grim purposes.

Not all the surgical tables were empty. Some still held grotesque, dried-up corpses, suggesting that the evacuation had been sudden, and they didn't have time to destroy this place.

The reason was unknown, but Su Ming didn't care.

After passing through the dissection area, they reached a thick, heavy door. The door was tightly shut, and its thickness was uncertain. Dust obscured the words and symbols on it. Who knows how those little creatures they encountered earlier got through here? There were many possibilities—ventilation ducts, sewage pipes, or even reanimating on the dissection tables.

Next to the door was an old-fashioned ID card slot, connected to a keypad for entering a password.

"It's up to you. Open it." Su Ming pushed Barbara's wheelchair to the panel, signaling her to unlock the door.

She didn't hesitate. She immediately raised her hands and started dismantling the card reader, pulling out a bundle of colored wires from it, then taking a connector out of her laptop bag. She arranged the wires carefully, finally connecting them to her laptop.

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Barbara's computer skills were comprehensive. She was not only a hacker but also had excellent hands-on abilities.

"The oldest type of electronic lock. Did the government have these before the '90s? First, I need to simulate an ID card permission..." Barbara muttered as she worked on her laptop, entering a series of commands. Soon, she had the password.

She entered the password on the keypad. With a hiss, the door lifted upward, and dust fell like rain.

A gruesome scene awaited them behind the door.

The room behind the door appeared to be a storage area. Several large glass tanks stood there, filled with various modified creatures suspended in blue liquid. Occasionally, a stream of bubbles would rise to the surface, oxygenating the liquid. The creatures inside, to varying extents, had human features.

The origin of their other half's genetic material was unclear; some had mutated so drastically that they bore no resemblance to any recognizable life form. Some were curled up in the tanks, while others lay peacefully, eyes closed as if in slumber.

"Are they alive?"

Barbara covered her eyes, peeking through her fingers.

Su Ming gently removed her hands, making her face reality.

"You should be telling me. Look at the consoles next to each tank. Every tank has its own control panel. What do the numbers and indicators mean?"

Barbara, suppressing her nausea, approached the nearest tank. Inside was a ball of flesh, resembling a person with limbs twisted and curled inward, compressed into a tight sphere. The body parts folded in on themselves seamlessly.

She didn't focus on the creature, merely pressing her lips together as she started to hack and operate the console. The console resembled a book, mounted on a pedestal, with a keyboard and a small screen.

"Human and armadillo hybrid weapon. Capable of curling up and entering narrow areas for espionage use," she read aloud while operating the console. "Experiment records... 320 trials... Test subject number... Current status... Deceased. Recommended to recreate the experiment."

"Armadillo, huh?" Cindy rested her sword on her shoulder, tapping the hilt against her armor with a metallic clang. "I remember they're from Africa, right? These people really have twisted tastes. What's something like this good for on the battlefield?"

Su Ming's expression remained stoic. He signaled for Barbara to check the next tank and responded to Cindy's comment. "Whether it's useful or not isn't the point. The military always encourages scientists to try new things—just in case something works."

"Heh." Cindy shook her head, not surprised by the military's antics.

Barbara saw more creatures—monsters with dragonfly traits, human-fly hybrids, human-lizard hybrids, and other abominations. Her initial indignation turned to numbness as she saw more and more, feeling her understanding of humanity's limits sink lower and lower.

Su Ming's intention was merely to show Barbara a glimpse of humanity's darkness. The seemingly righteous Council conducted such experiments in the shadows, and though Cindy had a notorious reputation, who had killed more than the Amazonian government?

Deathstroke may have killed innocents, but that was just for survival. In the steel jungle of this world, the law of the jungle still applied. But the Amazonian Council? Creating these things didn't seem like weaponry, but more like torturing humans for sport.

In comparison, Cindy seemed like a saint.

After this experience, Cindy might receive some intelligence support from Barbara in the future, or at least not be rejected immediately. Other versions of Oracle were all cold and indifferent to Deathstroke, and that couldn't continue.

Besides, intelligence doesn't come free. Barbara would get compensated, which could help with household expenses. Commissioner Gordon would surely appreciate Su Ming's brilliant idea.

Back to the room.

Not all the tanks were full; some were clearly broken, indicating that the contents had escaped for various reasons. They might encounter them in the upcoming action. To prepare, Su Ming had Barbara hack these control panels too.

They were now beside an empty, broken glass tank. Its contents were gone, and the blue liquid had long since dried, leaving a light blue stain on the floor.

Barbara skillfully ran the program and began explaining to them.

"Human-bat hybrid. Nocturnal weapon. Uses ultrasound for navigation. Designed to infiltrate and sabotage radar stations. Current status: containment breach. Contact security."

Cindy chuckled, leaning on her weapon and swaying left and right. "Looks like we found Batgirl's relatives. I wonder what it looks like."

Su Ming didn't respond, merely pointing upward. High above them, hanging upside down from the ceiling, was a large brown ball of fur.

"Ha, a bat is still a bat." Cindy drew two pistols, firing at the bat creature. The bullets formed a dense line in the air.

The bat-person, whether avoiding the light or in hibernation, took several shots head-on, letting out a shrill screech as it flapped its wings and took to the air.