Ch.253 Post-Battle Paris

The three of them passed through the portal, but what they saw was far from what they had imagined.

There were no blooming streets filled with flowers, no fiery, passionate French girls. Even though they were in a hidden alleyway, the surrounding buildings were draped with enormous swastika flags.

The red banners hung from the rooftops like cascading rivers of blood, submerging the entire city in an eerie atmosphere.

At the end of the alley, the main road was visible, and though passersby occasionally walked by, their expressions were blank, as if they had accepted their reality: France had been defeated.

More soldiers in gray uniforms walked the streets, their postures relaxed as they chatted in German, leisurely touring this great city.

France had surrendered, Paris had fallen, and this was now the heart of German-controlled territory. Many German soldiers would come here during their leave to visit.

The City of Love was even more glamorous than Berlin, and as victors, the Germans were eager to explore their new prize.

"Well, looks like French isn't going to be of much use," Monarch said, planting his staff on the ground and sighing. They were now deep behind enemy lines, surrounded by Germans.

"I'd better not say much—I don't speak German," Doctor Holoway gestured as if zipping his lips and gave the others a helpless look.

"If you still want to meet girls, there are other ways," Su Ming said as he pulled a few blocks of compressed rations from his bag, which were meant as emergency food supplies for field operations. "French girls aren't living well these days. Many young women will trade their bodies for food. Just offer them these."

Both the doctor and the sorcerer shook their heads. They had been hoping for a relaxed environment where they could charm women and prove their appeal, not engage in a harsh transaction for physical pleasure.

What was supposed to be a romantic encounter would be soulless if it turned into a business deal.

Su Ming put away the rations and turned his attention back to observing the alley.

In the sky, many massive German airships floated, layered like airborne fortresses. They carried soldiers, spotlights, and an array of heavy weaponry.

Apart from soldiers, the streets were filled with men in black leather coats. From a distance, it was hard to tell if they were Hydra or Gestapo, but their alertness was much higher than that of regular troops.

Every few minutes, a patrol would pass by—a squad of elite German troops searching for the underground resistance. Besides conventional weapons, they had armored vehicles with energy cannons and massive, five-meter-tall robots with curved mechanical legs, walking like strange creatures.

It was unclear whether these things could truly be called robots. They looked like something that had been fused onto the base of a Rhino assault cannon, with long, mismatched legs grafted on. The overall appearance was grotesque.

There were no turrets on the cockpit, only a dense array of weapons—heavy machine guns, rocket launchers, energy cannons, and even a retractable circular saw for close-quarters combat.

The sky was overcast, and the atmosphere was ominous, like the calm before a storm. Airships, flying massive flags, hovered overhead while the terrified citizens of Paris looked up at the gruesome war machines walking the streets.

It was only natural that ordinary people were afraid. Blood was still dripping from that circular saw—they must have recently killed someone, somewhere.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

The heavy metal footsteps grew fainter as the giant machine moved away. The three of them just watched as the tall, dark figure vanished, unsure of what to say.

"What the hell are these things?" Doctor Holoway was the first to speak, scratching his head in confusion. The oppressive presence of that mechanical monstrosity made his skin crawl, and he couldn't recall any American weapon that could compare.

Su Ming didn't know the answer either. In this world, Germany had all sorts of technological breakthroughs. Any kind of black tech was possible.

Forget a knockoff Sentinel—if an "Emperor Scorpion" tank suddenly rolled down the street, Su Ming would just have to accept it.

However, the situation was getting worse. As Su Ming hid in the alley, smoking a cigarette and observing, a squadron of flying saucers suddenly passed overhead. The disc-shaped crafts bore large Luftwaffe symbols, clearly visible from the ground.

They made no sound, emitted no heat. They simply floated by like ghosts, then vanished in an instant, disappearing before his eyes.

Doctor Holoway clutched his mouth and nose, taking a deep breath and letting out a noticeable exhale. He was starting to feel shaken.

Before coming to the frontlines, he had thought war was like the propaganda films shown in movie theaters—bloody and tragic, but at least somewhat understandable.

But now, reality was proving him wrong. The Third Reich's weapons were beyond anything he could comprehend, and an unknown fear began to take hold of him.

Su Ming had no intention of commenting. Armies could fight other armies. As for how they would pit P-51 Mustangs or Spitfires against flying saucers, that wasn't his problem.

Besides, there was always Captain America and the Human Torch. Surely Steve could handle those dozens of flying saucers, right?

Hopefully.

Su Ming's focus was on retrieving Namor from the enemy's hands and sending him back home to his watery domain. The other war machines posed no threat to Deathstroke; what mattered most was preventing the Germans from achieving breakthroughs with mutant experiments.

In a world of superhumans and super-soldiers, these individuals often decided the outcome of wars.

Now that they were certain that fragments of Namor had fallen into German hands, the locations Monarch had previously detected were likely secret bases. They could be Hydra or allies of the Germans—anything was possible.

Thankfully, Su Ming had managed to rally additional support, spreading the mission across multiple squads, making it more manageable.

"You there! What are you doing?"

A group of German soldiers in black leather coats had noticed them in the alley. The sound of guns cocking echoed around them as the Germans eyed the three suspiciously and began to surround them.

Doctor Holoway and Monarch looked at Su Ming. Should they fight or flee?

Opening a portal now might attract the attention of enemy sorcerers, and fighting back would only draw more troops. Su Ming subtly moved his fingers behind his back, signaling them to remain calm—they had not yet been exposed.

He studied the lead officer, observing the insignia on his uniform. Apart from a skull patch on the collar, there wasn't much else.

This made things easier.

Su Ming motioned for the others to step back and stepped forward himself, speaking in perfect Berlin-accented German.

"Heil Hydra!"

The officer hesitated, a flash of displeasure crossing his face, but he still signaled his soldiers to lower their weapons. With a perfunctory salute, he raised his right hand and waved it dismissively: "Heil Hitler."

Su Ming arrogantly lifted his chin, his hands clasped behind his back, making no move to produce any identification, appearing utterly aloof.

The officer's breath grew heavy, nostrils flaring, but after a moment, he gritted his teeth and adjusted his peaked cap. "Excuse me, I'm on duty."

It seemed this officer was a die-hard loyalist to the Führer, with no love for Hydra. Su Ming had hoped to leverage the situation for some intel, but it wasn't going to happen.

As the squad departed, Doctor Holoway understood something.

It seemed there were fractures within the German ranks. This meant they still had a chance, and it would make infiltration significantly easier.

After all, when dealing with secret police, they could disguise themselves as Hydra. With Hydra, they could pretend to be the Wehrmacht. And with the Wehrmacht, they could pose as secret police.

These factions weren't aligned with one another, leaving plenty of cracks to slip through.

And most importantly, they had Su Ming, a super-soldier, in their ranks. He always had a plan.