American comics: You're asked to fish, but you catch a Superman template?

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An earthquake, and it will be a major earthquake.

The buildings began to crack at a visible speed, the street lampposts shattered, and sparks flew, mercilessly striking the Reynolds. Xu Fu's pupils contracted, and his body flashed, instantly carrying the two of them into a clearing, safe space.

Xu Fu stopped the stunned couple and said, "I'm sorry, but I have to..."

“I know.” Mrs. Reynolds nodded. “Go, do what you must do.”

Xu Fu nodded in response, then his figure flickered and disappeared from the couple's sight, as if he had teleported.

The town had no experience with earthquakes, and none of its buildings were earthquake-resistant. The sudden earthquake plunged the town into chaos within ten seconds. Spreading cracks and falling rocks paralyzed traffic, and drivers struggled to squeeze through the congested roads amidst blaring sirens.

A neon sign on the roof of a large shopping mall exploded with a "crack," and a monster several meters tall plunged headfirst into the traffic-blocked street. The shadow of death rapidly approached, and terrified people hurriedly opened their car doors and ran out, but it was too late. In just half a second, the streets below were stained crimson with blood.

In that half-second, red and blue shadows flew out from the end of the street like butterflies. Xu Fu flew past the sign at an astonishing speed, lifting the heavy metal frame with one hand. He slowed down slightly, ducked, and with what he thought was just the right speed and height, knocked the sign down onto the sidewalk, then roared forward.

The main shock lasted less than twenty seconds, but the damage had already been done and the situation was deteriorating. Overpasses spanning the city's main thoroughfares cracked during the earthquake, with debris and dust cascading from the fissures. After the cracks climbed up the railings, the bridge collapsed instantly; a helpless citizen screamed and tumbled off the bridge, while many others screamed and clung to the railings, hanging precariously.

Xu Fu leaped up like lightning, grabbing a citizen who had slipped off the bridge with one hand and pulling the collapsed half of the bridge back into place with the other, then using his thermal vision to weld the cracks shut. He put the citizen back on the bridge and continued on to the next location, while the stunned citizens had no time to process what they had just witnessed.

The small town was torn to pieces by the earthquake, with buildings on the verge of collapse scattered throughout, like a leaky boat overturned. Xu Fu was like a firefighter, shuttling between the city's buildings, reinforcing and repairing the crumbling structures, searching for survivors in the ruins, and doing everything he could to save lives.

But even Superman isn't omnipotent; even he has lives he can't save. Despite Superman's best efforts, when the dust settles, some lives are still buried forever beneath the rubble. If the town hadn't been fortunate enough to have a new Superman, that number might have been many times higher.

Countless Petwa citizens who had escaped the calamity looked up and gathered on a small point high in the sky with awe and gratitude, as if gazing up at a deity who had descended to earth to save them from suffering.

Xu Fu hovered above the city and let out a long sigh of relief. Everything had happened so fast, and for no apparent reason. Actually, large-scale tectonic earthquakes are caused by the activity of underground fault systems, but Petwa's location lacks such a system. Therefore, even if an earthquake occurred, it would at most be a small tremor caused by a hidden fault; a large earthquake like the one just witnessed was virtually impossible.

No, wait, on the foundation of this city... there seems to be a newly formed fault line here?

Xu Fu turned his X-ray view deep into the earth in surprise and discovered that the crack system at the bottom of the city had indeed just grown. The possibility of natural formation had been ruled out, so what external factor caused the fracture at this depth?

His gaze followed the trail of the crack, discovering that it extended beyond the city, spreading into the ocean, stretching from the depths of the sea to the distant unknown world.

A chilling spoon.

Xu Fu had a bad feeling, perhaps a sign of something big. He thought for a moment, then his body suddenly moved, and with a "bang," a ring of air behind him broke apart, flying out of the city in the direction of the crack.

Chapter 1717 Rescue

Cortland

If it weren't for Deathstroke providing the clue, Helena and Sisko would never have known about the hidden mine on the island, let alone found it. The closer they got to the island, the more followers the Knights of Favonius had to take down, at least three sentries at each location, and their numbers were steadily increasing.

Fortunately, the thick fog that had enveloped the entire island gradually dissipated, the whitish fog thinned out, revealing a gray sky, and the damp air made it difficult to breathe properly.

Through the thick fog, they finally found the mine hidden deep in the forest. The mine wasn't large; outside the gate were some simple, inconspicuous buildings and makeshift tents. Surprisingly, there weren't as many masked cultists inside as they had expected—only about ten.

This was clearly not enough for the three of them; they even completed the sweep without alerting a single person. The lingering fog provided an ideal natural environment for infiltration, and the island's inexplicable signal disruption prevented the enemy from sending messages via radio. Huntress and Deathstroke, skilled in ambushes and surprise attacks, seized the opportunity to surge from the depths of the white fog, pouncing on each target like cheetahs. Any enemy they struck would surely be knocked unconscious within two moves; the entire process was as swift, accurate, and silent as a precisely executed operation.

But when it comes to stealth and ambushes, Cisco is helpless. All he can do is patiently wait behind cover for his two teammates to finish off the enemy, then wave goodbye. If this were an online video game he was playing, he'd probably be that lazy teammate lying there yelling "666" (a Chinese internet slang for "awesome").

"As you can see, no one died." After the battle, Deathstroke flipped the gun over and sheathed it. "But maybe two or three are in a vegetative state and don't care at all."

Helena rolled her eyes at him and said nothing.

The three found the mine entrance behind a row of tents and cautiously entered. Deathstroke could see the entire island, but he knew nothing about this place, not even the inside of the mine. So the path ahead was completely unfamiliar to them, and every dark corner might harbor danger, or even evil spirits that had escaped from hell.

The lighting in the shaft was almost blinding, like a faint yellow light from a nearly burnt-out bulb flickering in the tunnel, stinging my eyes. The rails on which the mine carts stood were covered in rust, but the carts themselves didn't look as old as the rails.

They followed the stretching railway track deeper into the tunnel, and after walking for a while around a bend, Deathstroke suddenly stretched out his arm to block their path. They followed him to the corner, where they saw a long, swaying figure projecting into the tunnel. Judging from the shadow, it was undoubtedly a hooded cultist carrying some kind of weapon. A low, humming sound came from the depths of the tunnel, like machinery at work, confirming they were on the right track.

These cultists were recruited from all walks of life into the "Knights," brainwashed to the point of ruthlessness, but without systematic training. Their combat ability and fighting skills would barely qualify them as passable in a typical army. The huntress silently entered the shadows of the tunnel, her black combat suit almost blending into the surrounding darkness. She appeared silently behind the masked cultist, subduing him instantly with a series of gentle, fluid strikes. All of this happened silently, without a single sound approaching violence, until the man fell to the ground, as if his bones had been removed.

"You're quite patient." Deathstroke walked up behind her and commented softly, "Your movements are still the same old routine, with a personal touch. It's fine for dealing with minor characters like this, but it'll be a hindrance when facing real experts."

Helena gave him a cold look: "I don't need a master."

“Perhaps you should consider it.” Deathstroke’s somber voice seemed to contain a profound meaning: “If you agree to become my apprentice, you will become limitless in the future, even surpassing Batman. I can see that potential.”

Becoming Deathstroke's apprentice? Just thinking about it made Elena feel like a laughingstock. She simply ignored Deathstroke and continued walking in the direction from which the mechanical sound was coming.

Next, they discovered what appeared to be one of the destinations of their journey: ahead lay a man-made shaft with an old-fashioned iron gate embedded in the stone wall, perhaps originally a public warehouse or storeroom. If you wanted to take hostages, this might be a good place.

Helena walked to the door and, through the narrow crack, could vaguely see a figure inside. She reached out, knocked lightly on the door, and asked softly, "Dr. Ray Isaac?"

There were rustling and moving sounds coming from inside. A middle-aged man in a dirty plaid shirt appeared at the door: "Me? Who are you?"

"Damn it! Finally!" Cisco was overjoyed, because it meant they could finally complete their mission and leave.

Helena remained unfazed, calmly opening the floating screen on her wrist. Her five slender fingers, clad in black gloves, deftly manipulated the screen, opening a certain interface: "Say something."

The person speaking was stunned: "What?"

As soon as she uttered those few words, the computer on her wrist received the man's voice. The smart terminal quickly performed sound wave recognition, and a few seconds later, it found matching information in the database and displayed the message "Verification passed".

“Very well, we have confirmed your identity, Dr. Isaac.” Helena took a step back. “Now, please move away from the door.”

She took a spherical miniature bomb from a hidden compartment in her belt and hurled it at the thick metal door. The lock instantly became a charred dent, sparks flew, and black smoke billowed. She flung the door open and saw the rescued doctor cower.

"Are you here to save me?" he asked, somewhat uncertainly.

“Otherwise?” Helena replied coldly, “You’ve made it very difficult for us to find you, and the situation on the island isn’t in the best position right now. We have to get you out of here and then bring you back.”

"Wait, wait, we can't just leave like this." The doctor waved his hands back and forth.

Helena frowned: "So?"

Dr. Isaac blinked. "Don't you know why I'm here?"

Helena shook her head: "Our mission is simply to save you, nothing more."

Dr. Isaac said solemnly, “A week ago, we discovered highly unusual crustal movement beneath the island. Some experts and I believe that something special is awakening here. Three days ago, the crustal movement intensified, and at the same time, it began to release a special radioactive material. The space agency believes this is a highly unusual unnatural phenomenon. Data shows that this abnormal movement has penetrated all the way to the Earth's core. My mission is to fly in to study the specifics, collect detailed data, and then bring the results back to the expert group so they can assess the level of danger and propose solutions.”

Helena frowned. "What does this have to do with you wanting to stay here? You don't want to continue your research under these conditions, do you? Do you know that this island is teeming with armed cultists and harbors monsters of unknown species?"

“That’s the problem,” Dr. Isaac said gravely. “These cultists, their leader, seem to have a peculiar connection to something stupid beneath this island. They dug a well down there, and I saw this person absorb some dark power from it, summoning creatures that don’t belong to this world.”

Helena and Sisco exchanged glances, clearly describing what they had encountered in the city earlier.

“He locked me up here because he needed my knowledge in the relevant field. During the time I was locked up here, I learned their true intentions. The chief seems to want to summon a dark source hidden deep beneath the island.”

Sisco twitched an eyebrow: "What if we let him succeed?"

“I don’t know,” Dr. Isaac shook his head worriedly, “but it might cause the most serious damage to the world.”

Chapter 1718 Mine

From her first lesson with her father, Helena Wayne was taught to "be prepared for anything that might happen." But no matter how meticulously she planned, she never imagined the mission would take such a crazy turn.

Land on Cortland Island, find Dr. Ray Isaac, who has lost contact with the government for unknown reasons, take him in, then return to a landing point on the aforementioned coast to rendezvous with the plane parked there, and then return to America. What seems like a routine rescue mission is significant in Helena's career as a huntress and super-agent; she has faced many far more complex missions, but none have involved demonic monsters, fanatical cultists, or super-mercenaries.

According to Dr. Ray Isaac, whom she had just met, the cultists seemed to be planning to summon some kind of dark source beneath the island that could destroy the world. Therefore, the main purpose of her mission had deviated drastically from the original plan and was undergoing a qualitative change: to prevent the Knights from summoning something she had never suspected! "To prevent her from summoning something she herself didn't even know about."

The Huntress and Deathstroke stood face to face, leaning against the rusty railings on either side of the old-fashioned powered frame crane, patiently waiting for the crane to "transport" them deep into the shaft.

Sisko and the successfully rescued Dr. Isaac evacuated the mine first. Helena told them to return to the evacuation point to board the plane, saying that if she didn't return within the stipulated time, they might come back with bad news of the world's destruction. If things got to that point, it might not be something a few super agents could handle; they would need an alien in a red cloak.

The elevator descended slowly, perhaps because it was so deep. Helena clasped her hands together, remained silent for a long while, and then coldly asked, "So, what exactly did you come down here for? Don't tell me you're here to stop the world from being destroyed; I know you're not the kind of person who cares about that."

“Of course I don’t care,” Deathstroke grinned. “My only concerns are completing the mission and whether my employer is willing to pay. There are some things I need to know, but like I said, those are trade secrets. All you need to know for now is that our goal remains unchanged, and the Knights are our common enemy. That’s enough.”

Helena snorted and didn't answer. For a moment, only annoying noise filled the dark elevator.

After a three-minute descent, they finally reached the bottom of the mine. This enormous cavern, carved out by hand, was like stepping into a new century compared to the dilapidated, almost abandoned rooms above. Incandescent bulbs hung from the dome several meters above the ground, and coils of wires wound around the pockmarked stone walls, illuminating the entire cavern as if it were daytime. Modern folding lab tables filled the entire space, with a dazzling array of laboratory supplies occupying almost every inch of each table. Among them were the simplest test tubes, beakers, and chemical reagents, as well as some advanced electronic instruments whose names they didn't recognize—it was as if a cutting-edge technology company's laboratory had been moved into this sunless cave.

When the elevator crashed to the ground, it was empty. The Huntress and Deathstroke had already leaped out of the cave mid-air and nimbly ran into a dark, dead-end alley, crouching on a high platform overlooking the cave.

“17 armed squads, 6 explorers,” Helena said in a low voice.

“You observed very well, but you missed a detail.” Deathstroke lowered his voice, making his already somber tone sound even more eerie: “There is another person in the deepest room, and that must be their leader. And the well the doctor you rescued mentioned should also be there.”

Helena frowned slightly, but did not answer.

“I’m guessing you have it on your belt, right?” Deathstroke looked at her with one eye. “Because as far as I know Batman, he would do that right now.”

Helena gave a soft hum and gently activated a device on her belt: a pale blue fluorescent light illuminated a clear pattern, followed by a quiet, almost inaudible "chirping" sound as the machine started up.

Three seconds later, a deafening roar echoed through the empty cave, and all the lights went out. Darkness instantly enveloped the entire world, and chaos erupted within the cave.

Deathstroke was right: if Batman were here, he would definitely choose something like this—a portable electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device that could instantly disable all electronic devices within a certain range, and darkness is always the best time for a predator to infiltrate. Huntress, trained by Batman, would naturally carry an EMP with her, and Deathstroke's premonition was indeed correct.

The followers of the "Knights" were like flies in the air: the darkness stripped them of their claws, further weakening their already meager fighting strength. The Huntress and Deathstroke were no strangers to the darkness, even accustomed to considering it an ally in battle, so the fight ended predictably in a very short time. The cultists fired a few bullets symbolically and swung their knives haphazardly in the pitch-black open space, quickly becoming incapacitated.

· ·Requesting flowers····· ·······

Overall, those chosen by the Huntress were quite lucky: at least they didn't wake up to find themselves missing limbs. In contrast, those struck by the death knell were far less fortunate. Almost everyone was left with severed limbs, bleeding profusely, and though still able to stand, they were barely alive.

Deathstroke noticed the Huntress looking at him with disgust. He sheathed his sword, shrugged, and said, "Like you said, no one died. But don't blame me if a few weaklings bleed out later; they're still panting."

0 .... ....

"So these researchers are unable to fight and you have to put them to sleep?"

"Who knows? Maybe these guys have some powerful personality hidden within them. There's always a wolf who likes to pretend to be a sheep to lull the enemy into a false sense of security. This isn't unprecedented." Deathstroke said coldly, "You know, you have to be prepared for anything, don't you? I bet that's what your master taught you too."

There was no time to talk to him about this under the circumstances. Helena gave him a cold glance and simply ignored him.

The last remaining target is their leader. Take him down, and the mission will truly be over.

Unable to find any other entrance, the two entered the last room through the main gate. Just as Deathstroke had predicted, there was only a well and a man inside. The man wore the same black cloak as the other worshippers, the hood covering his entire head, leaving their backs completely black.

"You've arrived." Hearing the two enter, the man said without turning his head, "I saw you a long time ago, and I knew my men wouldn't let this go. You would find your way here sooner or later."

“In that case, you should understand that the game is over,” Helena said coldly.