Ch.74 Spoils of War

"Hmph, so you have allies? It's useless. Today, all of you will... huh?"

Just as she sneered and swung her trident, trying to skewer Su Ming, she suddenly found herself unable to move. It wasn't just that she couldn't stab anyone with the trident; even moving a finger was difficult.

Looking down, she saw golden glowing ropes tightly binding her body. She could feel her strength still within her, but she couldn't use it at all.

It was no surprise that she couldn't use her strength. The Lasso of Truth was an item capable of restraining even Superman. In the main universe, Diana had used it to bind Doomsday and Darkseid.

That's why, when they were dealing with Dane earlier, Su Ming's first order was for Barry to seize the lasso.

Although Earth -11 was slightly different from the main universe, the most threatening piece of equipment Dane had, in Su Ming's eyes, was undoubtedly the Lasso of Truth.

Since this item was so effective, it could obviously be used against the Sea Queen too. Besides, the lasso had the power to compel truth-telling, but that wasn't necessary at the moment.

Barry, moving at lightning speed, handed the lasso to Su Ming, who immediately wrapped it around his arm several times and secured it tightly with his elbow.

Using all his strength, he pulled the lasso taut.

"What is this?!" The Sea Queen was bewildered. There was no Justice League in this world, and she had only seen Dane on television, so she had no knowledge of this treasure.

Su Ming had no obligation to answer her. He merely nodded, and Barry, understanding the signal, moved behind the Sea Queen and injected her with a syringe.

The muddy yellow liquid was not some kind of steroid, but the highest concentration of fear toxin Su Ming could buy from the Gotham black market. According to the sketchy vendor, this toxin could make someone fear even the air around them to the point of being afraid to breathe.

Of course, Su Ming didn't care about advertisements; he only cared about results. He watched the Sea Queen intently, waiting to see her reaction.

It must be said that the Atlanteans' physical resilience far exceeded that of humans. Su Ming had to use all his strength just to keep her restrained with the lasso.

Under his helmet, sweat dripped down his face. For the first time, he felt his strength was inadequate.

The Lasso of Truth essentially amplified his strength, canceling out that of the person it bound. While the Sea Queen couldn't move, neither could Su Ming, as they were locked in a test of strength.

"Barry, give her a few more shots!"

Barry hesitated for a moment, apologized in his mind, then took out several more syringes of fear toxin and injected half of them into the Sea Queen's neck.

Her gaze gradually turned vacant, and her struggling strength rapidly weakened. Su Ming, panting heavily, signaled to Barry that it was now safe to put on the bracelets.

With two crisp clicks, the Sea Queen was also adorned with the Medusa bracelets, instantly reducing her to the level of an ordinary human.

"Are we really doing the right thing?" Barry asked awkwardly, looking at Su Ming. He didn't think fear toxin was a good thing.

Su Ming was unconcerned. If it weren't for Barry and Bryce's sensibilities, he could have made the scene far bloodier.

"For the world, no problem."

"Uh… what's next?" Barry, again stymied by the greater good, opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. Finally, he resigned himself to the situation.

"Have you studied criminal psychology?"

"Yeah, that's a required course for forensic personnel," Barry said, coming to life at the mention of academics. "Since 1972, criminal psychology has been a formal discipline, initially trained by the FBI and gradually adopted by all federal law enforcement."

"Oh, then you can hypnotize her to fear the ocean. I'll check if the fish are cooked."

Su Ming patted him on the shoulder and turned to check on the two sharks roasting by the fire. He wasn't sure if the recent fight had affected them, and it would be a shame if they got dirty and couldn't be eaten.

"What? Why me…"

Bryce emerged from the shadows, watching as Deathstroke dropped the unconscious Sea Queen beside the equally unconscious Dane. Now both targets were secured.

If they kept them imprisoned, they could indeed prevent both sides from waging war and focus on investigating the situation. But this wasn't the long-term solution Su Ming had in mind.

"Here, this one's for you."

Barry handed her a giant skewer of meat with a smile. Su Ming, too, held two skewers, which were speared onto a golden trident.

"What is this?" Bryce asked as she took the skewer but still felt the need to question it.

Su Ming took off his hood and helmet, wiped the sweat from his brow, and said, "Grilled fish… although it looks bigger than a steak, it's just grilled fish—a byproduct of capturing the Sea Queen."

"Hmm, it's a bit odd…" Bryce took a small bite. It was mostly raw. "It's got a primitive flavor…"

Su Ming took a bite himself, agreeing that it tasted strange. "It's just to replenish some energy; don't expect too much. Sharks aren't meant to be on the menu anyway. I used the finest salt-sprinkling technique."

Barry joined them under the shade of a tree, the sea breeze brushing past as they looked at the two unconscious figures in the makeshift shelter. He took a bite of shark meat, the peculiar taste reminding him of the sweet soup he'd once had in the Batcave.

"What technique?"

"Infusing it with soul," Su Ming said with a chuckle, shrugging. He was just saying it offhandedly; eating it raw was fine too.

"???" Barry examined the skewer in his hand, finding nothing special about it.

Bryce said nothing. She seemed to become a different person when she wore her uniform. "What are you planning to do next?"

"You two can leave. Let me handle the dirty work. No, let the Court of Owls handle it."

Su Ming finished his meat skewer in a few bites and handed his helmet to Barry before donning the Owl mask himself. Although he had washed it in the rain earlier, it still had a strong scent of blood, which made him feel a bit nostalgic. The familiar smell intertwined with his memories, as if he were soaking in a warm bath.

Bryce watched him walk toward the two unconscious captives, squinting slightly as she pondered. But soon, she shrugged her cape and melted back into the shadows.

Barry, meanwhile, tried to fit Su Ming's helmet onto his head. He'd long wanted to try on a different suit. None of the Justice League members wore full-coverage helmets, so this was a rare opportunity.

He awkwardly fumbled with the helmet's straps as he followed Bryce into hiding.

Su Ming entered the small hut. It wasn't in good shape, with light streaming in from every corner. If it rained, it would probably turn into a waterfall inside.

He glanced down. Both of them were still unconscious, but Dane would likely wake up soon.

"Let's fully disarm you first."

He bent down and stripped Dane of his battle skirt and chest armor, leaving him completely defenseless.

Immediately, he felt much better. A six-foot-plus man with long hair wearing a low-cut battle dress and a mini-skirt? It was an affront to humanity.

Now, with Dane in nothing but red briefs, he felt a need for fairness. So, he also stripped the Sea Queen down to her undergarments.

Weapons, armor, accessories—he couldn't leave them with anything. There could be hidden mystical functions he wasn't aware of, and it was better to be cautious.

Looking at the pile of gear outside the door, he thought for a moment before making a decision.

There was no need for him to use the trident and shield. The skimpy armor and mini-skirt were definitely out of the question. The divine bracers were effective but too feminine, so they'd be left for Cindy. A bit of black and yellow paint might make them usable.

The Starlight Diadem was a symbol of Amazonian royal authority. It could serve as a trump card if needed and would be given to Bryce.

He called Barry over and had him run to the South Pole to bury the rest of the items there.