thefictionvixens Page 1362
Page 1362
“No, huntress, this isn’t part of the mission.” The new boss finally arrived late, and the clattering of high heels on the floor was from a woman.
Helena turned around, curiously examining the male protagonist's face. Needless to say, this was completely different from her previous fantasies. First of all, her legendary boss was a woman with dark skin, and her exaggeratedly large, bouncing gait made her look like a rolling ball. Her sky-blue suit clung tightly to her body, and her thick, muscular calves were faintly visible beneath her short skirt, almost comically so.
Strangely enough, while the description of this fat woman's appearance might seem somewhat comical, when you actually see her, she's definitely not the type to make you laugh. Her gaze is as sharp as a dagger, radiating a unique aura that makes you hold your breath...
Helena straightened up, feeling it was at least necessary to greet her, "It's an honor to meet you...".
“Waller Amanda Waller,” the fat woman replied coldly, “I’ve heard you’re very capable, so you’d better not prove it to me. My expectations are too high.”
Helena's lips curled into a confident smile as she asked, "So, what makes this mission so special to me? And what does it have to do with the new Superman?"
“That boy attracted a lot of attention, and I paid special attention to him too. But no, this time he's not the focus.” Amanda Waller paused, her gaze shifting to the screen where towering waves were churning. “This time, the storm itself is the focus.”
Helena raised her eyebrows: "Wind and waves?"
"How much do you know about meteorological knowledge related to typhoons?" Waller asked instead of answering directly.
“Not necessarily.” Helena scratched her head. “I’ve just heard that typhoon forecasts are usually not very accurate.”
"Waller said, 'Typhoon forecasts often involve too many factors: airflow, atmospheric pressure, temperature, geostrophic displacement, wind speed differences, and so on. This is an indisputable fact. Too many variables make it difficult to make accurate forecasts....'"
“Don’t tell me this mission is to help the meteorological bureau investigate the causes of typhoons,” Helena raised her hand. “Then I can hand in the mission report right now. Just three words: I don’t know how.”
“No, Huntress, hear me first.” Waller said, “Generally speaking, while typhoons are difficult to predict, they always have warning signs because so many factors are involved. Air pressure, wind speed—the meteorological bureau constantly monitors all the necessary conditions for a typhoon to form, so a typhoon cannot come without warning. Our experts believe that this is illogical and unreasonable.”
"But it still happened."
“Yes, but it still happened, so our experts determined that there must have been some external factor.” Waller gestured towards the screen, and the image of the storm that had been there a second ago vanished instantly. “So, after a series of analyses, we determined that the truth lies here.”
An underwater 3D image appeared on the screen, showing gray and brown rocks covering the seabed, with bubbles rising from the water. Helena saw a green orb of light wedged between the underwater rocks, its glow flickering eerily.
"Now look at this."
As soon as Waller finished speaking, the ball of light began to expand rapidly. Blinding green light shot out from the crack, which spread across the entire lower layer of rock at an astonishing speed. Bubbles suddenly rose, and green energy burst through them, radiating out of the water and soaring into the sky. In an instant, thunderclouds gathered, and blue lightning streaked across the sky, striking the sea and instantly creating countless enormous whirlpools, as if the entire underwater world was surging.
Looking at the 3D cartoon image, Helena couldn't help but ask, "You mean that green thing caused this strange phenomenon? What is that thing?"
“I don’t know,” Waller replied bluntly. “That’s exactly what you’re here for. We’ve determined that a very powerful energy body lies dormant on the seabed, and we’re certain that no other country or power has discovered its existence yet. It has an astonishing ability to cause such drastic changes in the weather, so we need to bring it back before anyone else.”
"So it's a diving mission." Helena frowned. "I hate diving missions. Besides, you don't even know what it looks like. What if it's a big thing and I can't fit it in my pocket?"
“Then at least we need to recover images for the next reconstruction.” Waller said, “This facility is very important to us in any case. This mission will not be a solo one; I’ve specially selected a partner for you to participate in the diving operation on May 5.8th.”
"Partner?" Helena seemed to back away upon hearing this word. "Who?"
“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll get along well,” Waller said, turning his head towards the entrance. “Come in.”
The door to the team room opened, and a young man wearing a red bodysuit and black-rimmed glasses walked in. He looked very young. He smiled and extended his hand to Helena, introducing himself: "Sisco Raymond, you can also call me Shockwave. I made that up myself, and I personally prefer that name."
Helena held his hand, raised an eyebrow incredulously, and couldn't help but mutter to herself: A slightly comical uniform, glasses that seemed to be trying too hard to project an air of superiority, and a frail physique that didn't look suited for combat...
I hope he won't procrastinate too much.
Chapter 1670 The Lonely Fortress
Arctic Circle
The icy blue sky hung high in the air like a giant canvas, and the faint sunlight dappled the white earth with a golden halo, offering some of the little warmth one could muster in this extremely cold place. Although the water wasn't completely frozen, it was covered with floating ice.
The Arctic Circle is one of the most sparsely populated places on Earth. At this time of year, even fewer ships pass by. Hundreds of nautical miles of white ice stretch out without a single shadow, and the near-minus 20 degrees Celsius is enough to drive away most living things. People like Xu Fu and Kara, who dare to venture onto the ice wearing only bodysuits and red cloaks, can only be described with one word: monsters.
But there's nothing wrong with it. Away from the bustling streets, amidst the frost, in the snow and ice, on the sea covered with floating ice, it seems as if there are only the two of them in this pristine white world. Could there be a more romantic scene than this?
They weren't really here for a date. Xu Fu followed Kara for quite a while before their destination suddenly appeared before them: a massive ice palace. It was a castle perched atop ice and snow, but due to the shadows of the surrounding glaciers and its color so similar to the snow, it was difficult to make out its appearance. Its outer walls resembled some kind of crystal, radiating a faint, crystalline glow under the Arctic sun.
Before them stood two tall, circular, composite golden gates, with a black "C" embossed in the center, marking the owner of the building. Xu Fu took a deep breath, adopting the solemnity typical of visiting a temple, and asked softly, "Is this...his house?"
“The Lonely Fortress was what Superman called this place back then.” Kara stepped forward and took a golden key from her cape pocket. “After Superman died, only I still have the key to this place.”
Xu Fu thought helplessly.
Kara inserted the key into the slot in the middle of the "S" sign. A slight mechanical whirring sound came from inside the door, followed by a "beep." The "S" separated, making room for the two of them in the narrow passageway.
They stepped onto the almost transparent crystal tile floor and passed through a passageway suspended in the air. It felt as if they were walking on a suspension bridge over a bottomless abyss. Xu Fu couldn't help but look down from one side of the bridge and saw countless glass containers of all sizes floating in the air, filled with all sorts of unimaginable things. Some were filled with plants that couldn't be found anywhere else on Earth, others with species already considered extinct. And these were just the creatures found on Earth; behind the glass were other creatures that Xu Fu had never even heard of.
It's like visiting an interstellar zoo.
"Clark once defeated a collector of space artifacts, most of which belonged to that collector. This is also the collection of various species he encountered during his Superman adventures, so it might look a bit..."
"Fantastic!" Xu Fu exclaimed. "I apologize for my lack of language skills, but I sincerely believe that this place is as meaningful as the word itself."
Kara laughed and said, "It's true."
After passing through a long corridor, the style of the next room abruptly changed, as if stepping from a paleontology zoo into a futuristic museum from a science fiction movie. An alien spaceship from some planet was suspended in the air by wires, its enormous form resembling a sleeping beast. Countless glass bottles lay scattered across the floor, but instead of rare plants and animals, they contained various high-tech devices he couldn't name. Although Xu Fu didn't recognize these things, he could discern the extraordinary technology they embodied.
“Clark has encountered countless dangerous weapons throughout his Superman career, many of which could even harm us,” Kara explained, introducing herself as a guide. “He locked up dangerous items that he believed shouldn’t belong to any power or individual, so this place is a bit like an armory.”
"The most dangerous arsenal on Earth," Xu Fu said, "wouldn't it be cool if some villain got the key to get in?"
Kara shrugged. "I think we have to make sure that doesn't happen. Fortunately, the Lonely Fortress's defenses are quite robust, almost impenetrable from the outside, and even we can't breach them."
After passing through the room, they finally entered the main hall. The crystal dome had been flipped into a circular space, where three tall, golden statues stood before them. On either side stood a man and a woman, dressed in strange robes; the woman embraced the man, their eyes gazing into the distance. In the center of the hall stood Superman, fists on his hips, his cape frozen in the fluttering wind.
Xu Fu whispered, "This is..."
“The background is of his parents, the Joel couple, whose statues Clark erected himself,” Kara said expressionlessly. “Clark’s statue…I built it.”
She remained silent, and Xu Fu deliberately stopped talking as well. In the days that followed, the two of them quietly avoided the topic.
Later, they finally met the purpose of their journey: a Kryptonian spaceship that had been recovered by the government and brought to this world.
Shortly after defeating Mungo, Xu Fu returned to the base where his spaceship was parked. He didn't know what to do with it, and digging a hole in the backyard to bury it sounded a bit silly. When he told Kara about it, Kara immediately claimed she knew a perfect place to park the spaceship, and Xu Fu promptly handed it over to her.
Naturally, Kara was headed to Superman's Lonely Fortress.
As Xu Fu approached the spaceship, the Kryptonian AI Higgins popped out on its own and said in a soft, synthesized electronic voice, "Good morning, how can I help you?"
Xu Fu and Kara looked at each other, then asked, "My name and birthdate. Tell me where I come from."
“Please wait,” Higgins seemed to be querying the database, and after a moment of trembling, the projected body image said, “I’m sorry, sir, this part of the data is corrupted and missing and cannot be read.”
"Is it still like this?" Xu Fu sighed softly, still feeling a little uncomfortable.
"But my Kryptonian database contains information and knowledge about 28 known galaxies. May I request access?"
Xu Fu shook his head: "Let's do it another day."
Kara walked to his side and gently stroked his face: "It's okay, Xu Fu. The past is the past, you don't need to think about it anymore. What's important is that we still have a future, isn't it?"
Xu Fu squeezed her hand and smiled: "Yes, we still have a future."
He leaned down and kissed Carla's soft lips, and instantly all his troubles vanished.
Chapter 1671 University
Perhaps all parents in the world are the same on the eve of their children going to university. Although he had prepared himself mentally, Mrs. Reynolds's exaggeration was still unacceptable to Xu Fu.
The night before, Mrs. Reynolds took her family grocery shopping. After Xu Fu made a token refusal, Mrs. Reynolds, like an invincible general, led her two little followers through the mall, filling bags with all sorts of delicious food, household goods, and clothes until the huge cloth bags were crammed full, leaving no room for even a finger. Then, Mrs. Reynolds would pick up the next bag she had prepared.
Although Xu Fu possessed extraordinary strength, and a few stuffed bags weren't enough to make his muscles ache, there was still a limit to what he could carry in his arms. Before long, his arms and shoulders were piled high with packages of all sizes. It was a pity there was no mirror nearby, otherwise Xu Fu would definitely have felt like a Christmas tree.
Since Mr. Reynolds had been dragged here, he had no reason to escape easily. Although not as dramatic as Xu Fu, he burst into tears after carrying only three bags, complaining that his back wouldn't obey him. Mrs. Reynolds rolled her eyes at him, saying it was proof of a lack of exercise, and that carrying weights would help strengthen his old bones.
Xu Fu looked at Mr. Reynolds with sympathy and said that he was powerless to help either. He wanted to help his father more, but he couldn't keep hanging shopping bags on his father, so he had to give up.
After Mrs. Reynolds returned home, she carefully organized all her belongings. Xu Fu noticed that seventy percent of them were things he felt he wouldn't need, and couldn't help but remind her. But as soon as he spoke, Mrs. Reynolds waved him away, as if he wanted to steal her joy.
Xu Fu had no choice but to let her go. But rationally speaking, what was the point of carrying a razor around? It made people think that the razor could actually shave off his beard.
However, Mrs. Reynolds and her family's decision was none of the two men's business; they set off with their luggage the very next day. Mr. Reynolds' beloved Chevrolet's trunk was crammed full, the lid wouldn't even fit, and the passenger seat was packed from the seat to the carpet. This gave Xu Fu the illusion that he wasn't heading to his university dormitory, but rather to a family's relocation site.
Mrs. Reynolds was exaggerating. In reality, Xu Fu's university was in the Metropolitan Area, just a bit far from his home, about a fifty-minute drive. If he flew there, it would be no different from living nearby. Listening to Mrs. Reynolds's endless nagging and advice, Xu Fu unknowingly arrived outside the dormitory building.
The dormitory was a double room, and the room was quite spacious; at least the college hadn't skimped on student dormitories. However, the door seemed to have a problem. It took Xu Fu a long time to insert the key into the lock and get it working properly. He almost couldn't resist the urge to tear open the worn-out lock cylinder with his bare hands, but ultimately he opened the door using the "normal method."
After unloading the carload of things, Mrs. Reynolds even offered to stay and clean his room, but when Xu Fu tried to stop her, she was dissuaded. Xu Fu thought they were wasting their time and energy, because he could clean it up in three seconds if he wanted to.
Mrs. Reynolds began to describe to him what was in each box and bag, even though he could actually see the contents through the boxes. Nevertheless, he listened patiently to Mrs. Reynolds's explanations, and she seemed to enjoy them as well.
It wasn't until she took half a dozen treats and snacks that Xu Fu finally relented: "Mom, I'm not going abroad alone. I haven't even left the metropolis yet! You know I can fly home in the time it takes me to go to the bathroom each day, right?"
"But you won't do that, will you?"
Xu Fu was defeated again. She was right; he wouldn't do it because it would defeat the purpose. He came to university as Xu Fu-Reynolds, focusing on a normal university life, and the daily commute between home and his dorm didn't seem very normal.
Mrs. Reynolds said, “Unfinished snacks can be shared with new roommates,” adding, “Appropriate gestures of friendliness can help people come together quickly.”
“Yes, but he’d rather be a simple person; you could bribe him with a bag of potato chips,” Xu Fu said half-jokingly.
“Alright, if everything is ready, let’s go.” Mrs. Reynolds looked around as if searching for an excuse to linger, finally kissing him on the forehead and saying, “Then we’re off. Don’t forget to call me often.”
After the Reynolds went out, Xu Fu heard them fiddling with the door lock again. A minute later, he saw the black Chevrolet disappear from the window and onto the street.
He leaned against the headboard of his new white bed, let out a long sigh, and decided to give himself a 30-second break before thoroughly sweeping the floor piled high with boxes and bags. But to his dismay, just 20 seconds into the break, his phone beeped.
Xu Fu checked his phone and saw a message from Kara: "Are you at school?"
“Hmm…” Xu Fu replied briefly.
Do you like your new dorm?
"So-so. The furniture is alright, but the door lock is broken."
"Ha, what bad luck!"