Ah Fu quickly delivered dinner, using a concealed elevator, he pushed the dining cart down and even prepared a full set of tablecloths, napkins, and cutlery.
On the large table in the Bat Cave were the leftovers from Pete and the others' meal, as well as half a pot of the strange sweet soup made by Cindy. At that time, only Pete and Cindy, relying on being modified people, managed to take a few bites, while the others turned pale after just a taste.
As Ah Fu was cleaning up these leftovers and cold dishes, he suddenly noticed a smoke-stained yellow spot on the table, with cigarette ash scattered around it, also on the floor.
His expression instantly became sharp.
"Miss, if you want to befriend Deathstroke, I think we should order a batch of ashtrays for the Bat Cave, perhaps natural crystal products, what do you think?"
Briss continued looking at the information on the screen without turning her head, as if Indian Mountain seemed familiar to her, but the historical records in the intelligence were only a few lines, which was itself a problem; why hadn't she noticed it before?
"No one will be friends with Deathstroke. I just want to talk business with him."
Ah Fu nodded, tilting his head, raising his eyebrows to show understanding, methodically clearing away the debris, setting up the tablecloth, and placing new food.
"Oh, but I recommend having a lawyer present when negotiating with a mercenary like Deathstroke, and the contract must be tight."
"Barry will join me," Briss said casually, moving away from the monitoring console and sitting at the large table, which was her workbench where she usually crafted some gadgets, always mindful not to make it greasy.
But today the workbench was used for a new purpose by Deathstroke, and it got dirty, so she might as well eat on it.
"Hmm? But I deal with forensics, kind of like a medical examiner, but contracts aren't my specialty?" Barry was suddenly sitting by the table, already having set his own napkin and cutlery, waiting for the dishes to be served.
Briss gave him a you're-kidding-me look, as Barry, though highly intelligent and probably the best optical physicist and material scientist she'd seen, seemed to lack common sense like many scientists.
"No need to prepare documents, just come with me in uniform."
"Oh, you meant that...," Barry realized, his youthful face lighting up with a smile, "I get it now, you speak even more cryptically than Diana did back there."
"I understand, the Hero here is an arrogant, selfish, and sinister person, seeing his interviews on TV makes me nauseous."
Briss set her napkin while Ah Fu served the appetizer first, a plate of green fish salad.
"Then what about your Sea King?" Barry eagerly took a bite, feeling his tastebuds finally coming back to life.
"She attempts to create a world ruled by Atlanteans, and for that purpose, she's willing to bury the whole world with it," Briss answered his question while eating, using her fork to pick food and put it in her mouth.
Ah Fu, who stood by serving, watched her speak while chewing, not recalling teaching Miss to do such a thing.
Barry nodded, seeming to understand the situation: "Forgive me for saying, Briss, I now feel you may never be the person I remember, but if the Amazons and Atlanteans erupt into war, I've... seen such a scene, in a wrong timeline, and the world would be destroyed too."
Briss remained calm, the darkness of the Bat Cave seemingly deep in her bones, with her indifferent expression always accompanying her.
"I can guess, if the world's situation continues to worsen, the old me would probably treat Arthur as a world-class threat to deal with him. I originally had a very similar plan."
"The old you was the world's fuse; I have made you change your mind, but not Barbatos. He's still continuing his evil plan, using the power of the Dark Multiverse, trying to drag the Bright Multiverse over, once successful, we're all done for."
Barry had finished his food, waiting for the next dish, wiping his mouth with a napkin, he spoke the previous words.
"I've heard your theories on cosmic balance and restart, though that's just a hypothesis and you can't prove it... but as long as there are Amazons and Undersea People in this world, the threat remains. Maybe our world is incomplete, doomed to destruction," Briss put down her fork and knife, gesturing to Ah Fu to continue serving without waiting.
"That's what Barbatos wants you to think! No world is doomed for destruction; people can change their destiny!" Barry became serious, his childlike smile fading, he said earnestly: "Don't be influenced by him, he might appear in your dreams, full of lies, we will soon stop this war, and the world will continue."
Briss glanced at him, revealing a hard-to-decipher expression: "I know, we should first find Deathstroke. I've had the urge to give it my all and fight her to the death several times; this person is the one I hate the most, but the situation is special now."
"He's not a regular villain; he's done good deeds; maybe one day he'll change his ways, though even I find that hard to believe... I understand you can be very strong when you don't hold back, but we both have a principle of not killing... I'm finished eating, when shall we leave?"
A flash of lightning, and Barry was at the side picking his teeth, having devoured half of all the dishes in an instant and changed into his red and yellow lightning uniform.
Briss sighed, got up, put on her Bat Helmet, and restocked her various small gadgets.
"Ah Fu, I'll finish the remaining food when I return, Barry and I are off for a bit."
"Of course, Miss, I'll be waiting for you at home."
Ah Fu gave a slight bow, showing a gentlemanly smile, watching Briss disappear in a red flash, just as he had countless times watched her leave to fight for justice.
...............
Indian Mountain Underground Research Facility, Third Floor.
Su Ming and Cindy encountered a hail of bullets here; having just come down the stairs and before taking a few steps, they were met with comprehensive firepower coverage.
This place seemed like an employee dormitory area, or simply a place meant to detain ordinary people who were to be used as experimental subjects. In the brightly lit corridor, small rooms lined both sides.
At the moment of the attack, Su Ming pushed the three unarmed people into a room, while Cindy darted into a small room across the corridor.
"Forty-seven personnel, submachine guns, rocket launchers, large-caliber shotguns, small anti-tank cannons, and some unidentified weapons, your decision?"
Cindy peeked her head out from the room door to take a quick look. Amidst the continuous gunfire, she rapidly relayed a series of tactical gestures to Su Ming. Vico beside her urged Pete to record quickly, but the big guy's legs were as soft as noodles, forcing Vico to carry the camera herself.
Su Ming immediately envisioned a structural map of this building's form, like leaves growing symmetrically on a vine, with rooms on either side of the corridor. The rooms contained only a damaged small stainless steel bed and nothing else; the walls used soundproof materials, and, despite decades passing, the quality seemed decent.
"Flash bomb," Su Ming responded to her with tactical gestures. The enemy's fire made the cement near the door fly in disorder, and within just a dozen seconds, even the corridor floor had been chipped away.
Cindy nodded slightly on the opposite side of the corridor, countless bullets trailing flame and air current passed through their line of sight, the heat slightly warping the air. This tactic suited her well.