Volume 5: The Young Wolf Seeks Home Chapter 37: A Loving Family - Wasteland Edition
"I have passed through the mechanical ant colony and am approaching the underground base."
Far Zod's low voice was transmitted to Barbara Gordon's ears through the team communication. The Black Superman was now tiptoeing in a collapsed tunnel nearly 300 meters underground in the wasteland.
He walked very carefully, avoiding making any noise and spreading his Kryptonian sense to catch any possible threats.
The ant colony signal beacon on Zod's wrist continues to be effective.
This made the group of mechanical ants crawling all over the place behind him regard this big guy as a member of the ant colony and not attack him, just like the way Ant-Man used to control the ant colony by turning himself into the ant king.
However, the signal beacon made by Barbara is obviously simpler.
"Capture the 'Ant King', Zod, and collect valuables at the same time. We will wait for you at Pym's Crossing."
Barbara advised:
"Be careful. Mason said that if you encounter special circumstances, you should give up the action and put safety first when you are done."
"Um."
Zod responded, then put the communication into silence.
He obviously didn't think that he would return empty-handed after having reached this point. Although he always maintained silence and kept a low profile, in Zod's mind, his evaluation of himself was quite accurate and reliable.
Through this experience, he confirmed that there are indeed only a handful of things in this world that can hurt him.
After all, Kryptonians, no matter which parallel world they are in, belong to the bloodline of "starting off on a winning note". The defeat at the hands of Black Bolt did not dampen Zod's confidence, but only strengthened his idea that he must further tap his potential.
Although I don't quite understand why Mason did these things in this dark age, to be fair, following Mason to do these things to save people makes people feel more comfortable than aimless destruction and venting.
This mentality is probably related to his experience.
He hated those evil people who took violence and oppression as their daily routine.
"Sister? You're finally awake. Look what good stuff I got. You'll definitely like it... Well, don't move. I'll help you up."
As Zod quietly emerged from an underground elevator that had long been out of service, his super hearing captured the sound coming from the space ahead.
It’s the ant king!
That thin young man.
Superman in black immediately stepped forward, but still maintained his stealth action. He used his penetrating vision to check the surroundings, carefully avoiding the strange things hidden in this steel tunnel and moving forward.
The sound ahead became clearer.
"Look! This is enough water for the two of us to drink for several years. And these compressed foods, if I'm not mistaken, are from the pre-war storage.
And these snacks... Damn! I've never seen them before, and I just tasted a piece of candy, and the sweetness made my taste buds explode.
You must try one too. It is said that this kind of thing was everywhere in the world before we were born, but unfortunately it is gone now. Come, I'll peel a piece for you.
This one has orange flavor.
I have no idea what an orange is, but it smells nice.”
"Have you... checked?"
In addition to the Ant King's voice, Zod quickly caught a second voice.
It's a girl.
And he sounded short of breath and very weak.
He stopped and looked forward with his penetrating vision. In the X-ray-like perspective, he could see the Ant King carefully helping a thin girl out of a structure similar to a biological cabin.
Just from the little girl's abnormal heartbeat, it can be judged that she is not healthy.
But at this moment, the little girl who was helped up was still warning her brother. She said in a low voice with a little complaint:
“I’ve warned you, Franklin, to be careful when selecting your targets. Anyone who can come up with so many supplies at once is definitely not an ordinary person in the wasteland.
You shouldn't have risked showing up, and you shouldn't have asked for so many things, which would put us in danger."
"I know, but after this vote we won't have to go out for several years."
The ant king was a little embarrassed, but he handed Harley's snack candy to his weak but majestic sister and explained:
"Aren't we trying to open the machine left by Dr. Pym? This much food and water, if properly stored, will be enough to last until you crack the mystery of the machine.
Mom said that the machine is connected to the quantum space, and perhaps we can use it to leave this desperate wasteland.
That's the key thing.
You don't have to worry about possible dangers. I have just adjusted the mechanical ant colony to the 'self-discipline' mode. They will build a super-large mechanical hive outside the base.
Anyone who wants to catch up must first pass through the ant colony's attack. Mom said that even in the heroic age before the wasteland, few people could do this. "
"You are still too confident. My mind tells me that you have done something very dangerous."
The weak sister was a little unwilling to give in, but she couldn't scold her brother anymore. She knew that Franklin did all these things for her, so after a few seconds, she laughed and said sweetly:
“This candy is delicious.”
"Right? Hahaha, I knew you would like it."
The ant king laughed and said:
"We have to put it into Dr Pym's analyzer, analyse it and see if we can't recreate the flavour with normal food.
This way, you won’t have to endure ... Valeria? Sister! What’s wrong with you? Don’t scare me! Wake up! "
The Ant King's voice suddenly became terrified, and Zod, who had been eavesdropping, also heard the little girl's heartbeat rapidly weakening.
A sense of urgency rose in his heart, and the Superman in black didn't bother to hide. He rushed forward with his legs and punched open the blocked mechanical door in front of him.
Amidst the loud noise, smoke and dust flew everywhere. He strode out into the underground laboratory in front of him. It was not very big, but the furnishings were extremely exquisite.
The ant king was startled by the noise. He reacted quickly and used the helmet he never took off to mobilize the mechanical ants to attack.
A large number of silver-gray special soldier ants rushed out of the storage cabin of the laboratory, making a sharp cutting sound and pounced on Zod, but they soon lost their target and began to spin around in a daze.
This scene made the Ant King grit his teeth and eyes, and he realized that his greed really caused trouble.
He kept giving orders to the ant colony, guiding the awakened mechanical ants to attack Zod, but...
Friendly forces!
They're all friendly troops! I can't even lock on to them!
The information fed back from the mechanical ant colony made the ant king's face quickly become desperate, but the courage and stubbornness that this child had gained from being tempered in the wasteland made him never surrender. He simply grabbed a strange-shaped gun behind him and aimed at Zod who was striding towards him.
Dangerous energy gathered on the gun, and when it was about to be activated, he heard the black-clad Superman in front of him say coldly:
"Your sister's heartbeat is rapidly weakening. Look at her pale face and lips. She has been suffering from long-term malnutrition and may have some congenital disease.
The equipment here is not enough to save her, but my companion can!
He is an excellent pharmacist and engineering master. You just met him. He also made the locator in your stomach . Ant King, do you want to fight me here?
Or give me some time and give your sister some hope?
According to the current situation, she can only hold on for ten minutes at most..."
"Franklin! Put down the quantum gun..."
The little girl lying in the dilapidated bio-pod covered her heart and said with difficulty:
"You'll drain the energy out of the lab... let them come... lay down their weapons..."
"Snap"
The strange and dangerous energy weapon was thrown on the ground. The ant king obviously listened to his sister. He lay beside his thin sister, held her hand, whispered her name, and looked at Zod with gritted teeth, saying:
"Tell your people to come quickly! I have cancelled the ant colony's patrol, hurry! If anything happens to my sister, I will make everyone around here buried with her!"
"What a murderous man! Another little lunatic."
Zod glanced at him, turned around and quickly reported the situation here to Barbara, and said:
"Send Mason over here as quickly as possible. The little girl here may not be able to hold on any longer."
"Zod, stand there and don't move."
Mason's voice took over the communication, and he said in a gentle tone:
"The hat is going to activate a precise teleportation that will send me to you, but you will endure a certain amount of energy conflict. Are you ready?"
"Let's get started."
The Superman in black glanced at the little girl who was having difficulty breathing next to him, and nodded.
Then a special energy burst out from the Isu armor on his body, like the energy of an invisible chain binding and suppressing him. Zod frowned but still gritted his teeth and persisted.
A few seconds later, at the moment the energy exploded, a gorgeous flashing light lit up beside him, and then Mason walked out of the broken light with Harley carrying a medical box.
"magic?"
The ant king exclaimed, but Mason ignored him and said to Harley beside him:
"Prepare an operating table first, cutie."
"Roger that! Doctor Mason."
Harley blew a pink bubble, and she, who was playing the guest role of a nurse, immediately took out a mechanical assembly from her bag and started working on it. Mason stepped forward, put on medical gloves, and put his hand on the neck of the little girl in the bio-capsule.
He said with a serious face:
“It’s not just malnutrition, but also congenital weakness. I guess it’s a disease that she brought from her mother’s womb. But the good news is that there is no congenital genetic disease, so she only needs nursing care and some special medicines.
But her lung infection has developed into severe pneumonia, and I need to do an endoscopic surgery to see the details."
Mason glanced at the helpless ant king beside him, pushed his glasses without lenses and said:
"What did you do when she was upset before?"
"Use the biopod."
The ant king didn't dare to get angry at this time, and could only answer honestly:
“The bio-pod left by Dr. Pym has healing and palliative functions, but its effect is getting worse and worse, and I can’t find enough medicine in the wasteland.
Those damn guys took away everything they could when they moved seventeen years ago!"
"You really know Dr. Pym. You are guilty of deliberate deception! Now go and take out all the Pym particles you have and use them as the medical expenses for your sister."
Mason gave the Ant King an impolite order, but the latter dared not say anything. However, when he saw that Mason was indeed preparing to treat him, he stepped back a few steps, activated a mechanical secret compartment and took out a box of Pym particles.
The captain didn't look at him. He first fed the concentrated water of life and death to the suffering little girl to make her fall into a deep sleep. Then he picked up the poor, almost skin and bones girl and put her on the makeshift operating table prepared by Harley.
While his fingers were busy, using his superb first aid skills to relieve her condition, he said to the Ant King who was already being watched by Zod without turning his head:
"You are such a cunning and deceitful fellow, you are a great actor, but your concern for your sister makes you barely a good brother. What is your name?"
Faced with Mason's question, the ant king stiffened his neck and refused to answer.
He was still trying to gather the ants together to increase the self-protection ability for himself and his sister, but the next moment, Zod grabbed his helmet and gently took it off, and the child's greatest reliance was removed.
Under the helmet was a face that looked young but weathered.
Fifteen at most.
But his rough appearance makes him look as mature as a twenty-year-old.
"Answer the question, Franklin."
Zod put his hand on the thin boy's shoulder and whispered:
"We are not your enemies, but we could be."
"whispering sound"
The disarmed ant king curled his lips and replied unhappily:
"Franklin Richards."
"Hmm? Richards? He's from a prominent family."
Mason paused and looked at the weak girl who was sleeping in front of him. After a few seconds, he said:
"Your sister's name is Valeria Richards? Your father is Mr. Fantastic Reed?"
"Indeed, but I have never seen him."
The ant king snorted, with a kind of wastelander's rebelliousness, and said with a curled lip:
"I heard he was the greatest hero ever, bullshit! If he was really great he wouldn't have made such a mess of the world. You know what you want to ask, you cunning bastard.
My sister and I were raised by our mother.
Sadly she died of heart failure when we were five.”
"Ms. Susan?"
Mason let out a long breath and said:
"With her abilities, she could have possibly survived in such a dangerous situation. Was it she who led you to this laboratory and taught you how to operate the instruments here?"
"No, my mom was in very poor health in the last two years of her life, and it was hard for her to take care of us."
Franklin whispered:
"I learned how to find the mechanical ant colony and operate Dr. Pym's spare helmet by myself. As for this laboratory, it was found by Valeria.
My sister is a true genius.”
"I just heard these two kids say that there is a machine in this laboratory that can open a quantum channel."
Zod told Mason what he had heard:
"The two of them are planning to hack the machine and enter a place called the Quantum Realm to escape the disaster of the wasteland."
"Dr. Pym's black technology is so shocking even if you just listen to it."
Mason, who was performing first aid, shook his head and said with emotion:
"But who could have imagined that his successors would be two self-taught brats? Zod, go get Barbara. I need her to take over this underground laboratory.
This is a real treasure trove...
As for you, Franklin, and poor Valeria, I will find you a new home. But didn't Lady Susan leave you anything to defend yourself?"
"You bastard, it's not enough that you robbed my home!"
The ant king shouted:
"Are you still plotting to take my mother's inheritance?"
"You were the one who lied to us first, kid."
Harley scolded unhappily:
"You'd better behave yourself. You and your sister are lucky to meet a good man like Mr. K. You little bastard, you remind me of Damian.
No, you are worse than Damian."
"Franklin Richards, who was tempered by the wasteland into a cunning and sinister man, will definitely become a good friend and a good partner of Damian Wayne to go out and do evil things together."
Mason glanced at the ant king and said softly:
"But, Franklin, have you ever discovered that you have some special abilities since you were a child? I mean, the kind similar to super powers.
I think you might be a mutant..."
"No, I'm not."
The ant king denied:
“When we found the base, my sister used the instruments here to examine our bodies. I am just an ordinary person, but my sister inherited the wisdom of my mother and the legendary father.
I'm just an executor, she is the real ant king.
Alas, I should have listened to my sister. If I hadn’t robbed you today, nothing would have happened.”
"This is what is called 'fate', kid."
Mason snorted, and looking at the little girl whose situation was gradually easing, he said:
"Perhaps it is fate that I should find you who need help. After all, this is my job now. Okay, now take me to see the quantum tunnel.
I’m really interested in that stuff.”
