Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 40: Ch.39 Underground

It was more accurate to call it a giant bat with a human face rather than a Bat-Man. Judging by its behavior, Su Ming concluded that it lacked human intelligence or humanity—it was just a beast.

This enormous, hideous creature certainly made people uncomfortable, especially as it flew erratically overhead, emitting piercing screeches. Whether due to malnutrition or genetic instability, its fur shed constantly during flight, making it look as if it were snowing black and brown flakes inside the room.

Su Ming also drew his gun and fired. Although this thing flew swiftly, it was still far inferior to the Talons of the Court of Owls.

After all, these genetic monstrosities had been ordinary humans before their mutations.

On the ground, it was probably weaker than a regular rat of the same size, because a bat's bones have very low density, filled with hollow spaces like birds, which lightens their weight and allows them to fly.

The scientists who conducted genetic experiments with bats and humans were truly wasting their time.

If Atlantis were the hypothetical enemy, given they lived in the sea, why not experiment with aquatic creatures? None of these monsters seemed capable of swimming.

They were all completely useless.

But now wasn't the time to chastise those people for wasting taxpayer money. The bat had already been shot down by the two of them, crashing into several other glass tanks before landing in the corner of the room.

Cindy drew her sword and slowly approached. "I hope the bullet holes aren't too numerous to ruin the fur. Rich people have bearskin rugs. Now I can have a batskin one. A bat this big would make a nice trophy."

The Bat-Man wasn't dead, just severely wounded. It lay helplessly on the ground, its red blood mixing with the blue nutrient liquid from the shattered tanks, forming a blackish fluid.

Its face looked at Cindy as she approached, showing a surprisingly human-like expression.

"Ah... ah..." It opened its mouth wide, making strange noises.

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Cindy swapped her sword for a gun.

"Ah... ah... help... help..." It actually managed to utter a few simple words.

"Bang!"

Cindy shot it in the forehead without hesitation. The Bat-Man twitched once and then lay still.

Barbara bit her lip hard. The old her might have tried to save this creature that could speak human words, but now she understood that killing it was the most thorough form of salvation.

If it really had human intelligence, being trapped in a bat's body was the cruelest thing. Death was its only release.

Cindy ejected the magazine and reloaded as she turned and walked back to the group.

"You're giving up on the bat rug?"

Su Ming put a few more bullets into the creatures that had fallen out of the tanks, regardless of their state, while reloading his own weapon and asking Cindy.

"No, having dead things hanging around the house isn't lucky."

Cindy said nonchalantly.

Perhaps when the Bat-Man showed that terrified human expression, Cindy had already changed her mind. Even Su Ming had to admit—that was indeed a person.

Vicki Vale sighed, signaling Peter to forget about filming. After recording a few brief shots, the team set off again.

These specimens in the tanks were still just the outer perimeter of the lab, all useless rejects, preserved in the nutrient fluid with hypnotic properties to keep them alive.

Such pitiful lives.

Before leaving this hall, at Su Ming's request, Barbara executed the sterilization command for all the life support tanks. All those creatures would die in their sleep.

Barbara knew she had killed them. At least half of their genes were human; they looked human and might even have been able to use human language.

But she was sure she had done the right thing. Killing them was a mercy.

For the first time, she understood this truth, and it clashed with her previous beliefs. Her thoughts were chaotic, and she could only silently focus on hacking the door to the adjacent room.

Meanwhile, Su Ming was talking with Cindy. According to his speculation, Earth Negative-11's Indian Hill seemed more like a playground for madmen.

"This place is a genetics lab. Below, it's likely to be viruses or something else. Be careful."

Cindy nodded. "Don't worry. Just keep some distance from me. I know what to do."

The door slowly opened. The second time hacking the door was much faster than the first. Cindy went in first, while Su Ming stayed behind to guard the group.

Upon entering, they were greeted by a human skeleton, along with a blackboard and many teaching tools, similar to what you'd find in a medical school. Scattered around were some exercise equipment and a few tables and chairs.

It looked like a gymnasium that had been abandoned for many years.

The instruments and equipment here were fewer but took up more space, and the massive metallic devices looked like shipping containers.

Cindy carefully scanned the area, even checking the ceiling, and soon signaled that it was safe.

Su Ming had already figured out what this place was—the Metahuman Research Facility. In the TV series, this place housed many metahumans who, as experimental subjects, harbored an intense hatred for outsiders.

The large metal instruments nearby were actually isolation pods, each like a small room. The metahumans were kept inside, observed like animals in a zoo.

He walked up to one of the rooms, and the facilities were still operational. He peered through the observation window; it was a mess inside. The room had originally been furnished like a bedroom, with a pretty wooden bed and a thick mattress, but now everything inside was torn to shreds. Many pieces of furniture still bore bite marks and claw scratches.

A particularly large skeleton lay spread-eagle in the center of the room.

Su Ming guessed it had starved to death.

In the TV series, Indian Hill was discovered and opened in the '90s, right after the lab was shut down, and the metahumans inside were still alive and very powerful.

But now, on Earth Negative-11, several decades had passed. Even the strongest metahumans would have starved to death. DC was different from Marvel; there were no mutants here, and metahumans didn't have innate superpowers.

All the metahumans here had been humans before.

The military captured them, then induced genetic mutations through massive doses of radiation or chemicals, turning them into monsters.

On Earth Negative-11, the history of this lab would probably be localized too. The scientists likely wanted to find a way to induce mutations in Atlanteans, causing them to self-destruct.

But that was a flawed premise.

Atlanteans, like Amazons, had semi-divine bloodlines. How could scientists experimenting on humans develop a weapon that would work on Atlanteans?

They had died in vain.

These metahumans were humans, with the same minds and hearts as any other.

So, the postures of the skeletons in the rooms varied. Some were curled up in the corners, hugging themselves. Others lay peacefully on their beds, while some clearly had committed suicide.

There was nothing more to see. The hall was safe.

Su Ming called Vicki over, asking her to take a look at the isolation chambers while he briefly explained the situation to her.

"This is the kind of story you journalists like—government experimenting on its own people."

"Maybe, but I think I've seen too much news today. I can't seem to get excited."

Vicki pondered for a moment, scratching her chin, then replied to him.