Ch.80 Farewell
The time for parting had come, and naturally, this lunch couldn't continue. With the help of everyone, Barry welded Bryce's treadmill onto the roof of the Batmobile, connecting various pipes and lines to the car's engine.
Bryce modified the car's access requirements from the control console, gifting it to Su Ming and Barry. At Su Ming's request, she also gave him some gold jewelry as pocket money.
With everything ready, Su Ming discreetly handed the divine silver bracelets to Cindy, who knew how to deal with them.
"Goodbye, Cindy." Su Ming hugged her farewell, their black-and-yellow armor clanking together.
"Goodbye, Su. It was a good operation." Cindy patted his back, a bit sentimental, shaking her head with a smile as she let go.
"Though it was nice working with a team, don't take Holly on such dangerous missions. She's not as strong as I am," Su Ming joked. He had to leave; things weren't over yet. He had to head to the main world to face Barbatos.
"Well, it seems like you saw through me again, haha." Cindy shrugged, making a helpless face, then looked at Su Ming with a calm expression. "Take care."
"You too." Su Ming glanced at Bryce and Alfred, who were talking to Barry nearby. He lowered his voice: "If those two become too ruthless, Bryce might take action in the future. You could lend a hand to ease things a bit."
Cindy nodded slightly, raising an eyebrow: "If the price is right, an 'Owl Talon' might just kill them on their way home from the show, and Gotham's wealthiest might end up picking up their child."
"Uh… whatever makes you happy."
Su Ming shook his head with a smile, sharing a knowing look with her. There was no need to say more; she already had a plan.
Next, Su Ming shook hands with Bryce and Alfred to say goodbye, equipped himself with his gear, and climbed into the driver's seat. His task was simple: start the engine and keep revving it in neutral.
The key to crossing dimensions lay with Barry.
He climbed onto the treadmill attached to the car roof, took a deep breath, and assumed a runner's stance. "Well then... We're off, Bryce, Cindy, and Alfred."
Everyone nodded. Barry flashed a shy smile, then turned his gaze forward, his expression becoming serious.
Golden lightning enveloped him once more as he started sprinting on the treadmill. As his speed increased, the Speed Force spread through the pipes, enveloping the entire car.
Then, the massive Batmobile, with the two inside, disappeared from the Batcave. No sound, no image, as if they had never existed.
Cindy sighed. Su Ming had told her that the main world was just a pit stop for him. He would be heading to even further places, and they probably wouldn't meet again.
But her life had to go on. She would return to her solitary mercenary life. Bryce's payment was already prepared, all in non-sequential cash. When she left, she would take 60 million with her. If she weren't a super-soldier, she couldn't have carried those two large bags of money.
This money would allow her to take a break for a while. Maybe she could visit Egypt and enjoy the Nile or try the hot springs in Iceland.
"Well, then, I'll be off too. Gotham probably won't have any business for decades."
Bryce turned to look at Alfred, who bowed slightly in response: "Most of the Court of Owls' members were major clients of Ms. Wilson, and this time..."
Batwoman nodded, staring at Cindy with a blank expression: "If there are any more problems, I'll need you to provide after-sales service. But for now, Alfred will take you to the docks, and my private yacht will take you wherever you want to go."
Cindy gave a faint, sarcastic smile, putting on her helmet and strapping her weapons back on: "Then you'd better have the money ready. Mercenary after-sales service comes at an extra cost."
The following events unfolded as Su Ming had planned. Two days later, the fear toxin wore off the Sea Queen. They believed the Court of Owls had miscalculated the toxin's duration and were overjoyed.
With a sliver of hope, they immediately escaped the island. The Sea Queen, like a dolphin, carried Dian away from Dinosaur Island. In their infatuated state, she took him directly back to Paradise Island.
They explained their relationship and the lurking threat to the Amazon Queen, recounting their experiences of the past few days. They presented the blood-stained messages in the garden and the zombie dinosaur left on Dinosaur Island as evidence. Despite the impostor not appearing, the plan was shocking enough.
Though the Queen found their sudden relationship suspicious, they were both descendants of the Olympian gods, and being overly affectionate was just a hereditary trait.
Faced with an unknown external threat, the Queen and the council engaged in all sorts of speculations. At this moment, the Sea King's presence on Paradise Island signaled sincerity. The two sides truly began negotiations. Both races were under absolute monarchies. Once the Sea Queen and Dian made up their minds, nothing could change it.
Their races merged, with all dissenters secretly executed. Their past histories were completely erased.
The Amazons and Atlanteans had always been one, always as close as sisters. War? Conflict? They never existed.
The newly formed race called themselves Olympians, and the world was truly unified. Though injustice and darkness persisted in the world, peace had finally arrived. It was a good start.
The first order of the new Olympian regime was to hunt down a cult called the Court of Owls. The reason was unclear, but the reward on the news was astronomical. Anyone providing a clue could receive various benefits.
Unfortunately, people later realized that a TV reporter from Gotham was the only one almost constantly winning the rewards. Cultists seemed as common as weeds along the roadside, and everyone she reported was never wrong.
With these bounties, she launched her own series of documentaries, "Deathstroke on the Edge," distributing it underground. The series gained high praise for its unique narration and perspective, and even boosted the mercenary's business. But it also led to the rise of many new assassins, bringing Gotham's crime problem back into the spotlight.
Su Ming barely had time to react. One second, he was sitting in the Batmobile, watching Cindy wave goodbye through the window.
The next second, the Batcave outside his window changed into endless yellow sand, flowing like a meat grinder, sucking their car into a bottomless abyss.
"Why is this a quicksand pit? Barry?!" Su Ming immediately shifted gears, fighting against the sand. Thankfully, the Batmobile was sturdy, with excellent tire grip. "Where are we?"
After crossing dimensions, Barry felt weak. He lay on the roof, feeling the engine roar. He glanced at the massive black hole in the desert behind them.
"I thought you knew. We returned to the main world at the exact time we left, to avoid causing a Flashpoint Paradox!"
"So, this isn't Egypt? This is Central City?!" Su Ming recalled the comic storyline. They were underground on the outskirts of Central City, where the Red Death had chosen to duel Barry.
There was no need to mention the Flashpoint Paradox. Just arriving here had already caused the butterfly effect. Su Ming could only try to steer this change in a positive direction.
"Yes! We're under Central City. The quicksand whirlpool behind us is a Speed Force storm. If we get caught, people will lose time until they die!" Barry clung to the windshield, shouting to Su Ming over the engine's roar.
Su Ming felt speechless. He had just endured the longest night of his life in Gotham, and now he had to face one of the Dark Knights. It was such a hassle.
Gripping the steering wheel, he floored the gas. He saw a glowing spot ahead, likely an exit to the surface. With his other hand, he drew the Sword of Ares and cut a hole in the roof, pulling Barry inside.
"Where's the Red Death?"
"He'll re-enter this time point after leaving the Speed Force, so he'll be here any moment!" Barry squeezed into the cramped cockpit beside Su Ming. The Batmobile's cabin was too small for both of them, making it very uncomfortable.
Before he finished speaking, a massive fleet of vehicles suddenly appeared less than a hundred meters behind them, the roar of engines filling the air, and the Bat-Radar on the dashboard blared in warning.
"Alright, I see him. He's right behind us."