"Since we're going together, follow my commands in all actions, got it?" Deathstroke took a few steps forward, placing the two behind him: "Support the wounded and clear the path. Seriously, I don't know what you were thinking. Just follow me."
Simmons awkwardly shrugged. She certainly couldn't say she wanted to keep a distance from the Demon.
"Well... I just wanted to find Mike and the others first, yes, that's it."
"Hmm, are your communication devices still working?" Su Ming continued walking forward without stopping.
The Shield Squad and Longevity People came looking for Gravityium, but Su Ming's main target was Element Zero, bringing along the 'star-crossed lovers' just in case he encounters Coulson later to exchange the hostages for something.
Everyone was going deeper into the caves. Although through three different paths, they would eventually meet. If they encountered Leviathan, it would be a kill on sight. Meeting the Longevity People might be negotiable to see what they're up to.
Longevity People, a kind of alien robot appearing in the MCU, like to roam the Cosmos observing the development of other civilizations, and Earth is no exception.
They don't interfere in human affairs unless in extinction-level events, making them relatively benign aliens.
Their robotic bodies are primarily made of special plastic, with high-quality human skin overlays. By mimicking the wavelength and electronic signals of human flesh, they can still remain undercover in human society even under advanced future surveillance.
Compared to advanced AI, their behavior is heavily patterned, sometimes seemingly rigid and doctrinal, but they do have learning abilities and emotions.
In summary, besides mastering brainwave interference technology and teleportation technology, they are similar to other aliens who roam the Cosmos with spaceships, just that they've come to the 40K Universe this time.
Unlike Charles' psychic superpowers relying on bioelectric signals, Longevity People disrupt human brainwaves using sound. There are many countermeasures, like Quake Daisy, who can isolate the effect by vibrating the surrounding air, or the simpler method—finding two lumps of cotton.
They have been underground for a month now, presumably with some findings, but as aliens wanting to take things from Earth?
Asked the Supreme Mage yet?
Simmons had no idea what Deathstroke had in mind. She obediently took out an earpiece from her ear, placed it on her palm, and said, "It seems to be functioning normally, but for some reason, I can't contact anyone else."
"What about Fitz? You're so close together, have you tried contacting each other through the earpiece?" Su Ming asked quickly.
"Uh... never thought to try." Fitz scratched his head; the two have been together all along, which made them forget about testing the communication range.
"Try now." Su Ming simply assigned the task, extending his finger to lift Fitz's arm from Simmons' neck: "Stop leaning on your woman. Your wound is superficial. I know you want to show off your love, but this could really get you killed faster."
Fitz and Simmons exchanged a helpless glance and then looked at Xiaowang who was guarding the rear.
At this moment, Xiaowang was constantly maintaining a Defense Magic with his hand. Seeing their gaze, he said, "Don't look at me. The Supreme Mage says you will die this way, so it must be true. I'll bid you farewell first, to avoid running out of time later."
Fitz grinned as he looked at Xiaowang's bright eyes above the mask, and his skin and physique indicating he was a young person.
People at this age are usually naive, but Xiaowang was naturally cunning.
Simmons didn't ponder those thoughts; she was a biologist, while Fitz was a physicist. She immediately stuffed her earpiece back into her ear, pressed the call button, and tested it.
There was sound in the earpiece.
After several tests, they found the signal only gets cut off when the distance between them reaches about 30 meters.
Su Ming carried a curved blade as he walked briskly ahead, without glancing back at the two who were testing the earpiece like children with paper phones. Yet he seemed to see everything without turning back, using a raspy voice audible to everyone:
"Very well, now we have a radar with a thirty-meter radius, which can be used to search for other Shield members. Meanwhile, Element Zero should be the reason causing the communication disruption. As its concentration in the air increases, the communication distance will decrease accordingly. By the time both of you can't use the earpiece even when close together, we've found Element Zero."
"Element Zero... is it the same kind of Zero Material that Director Peggy Carter extracted from Leviathan?"
As people with academic prowess, both Fitz and Simmons practically had photographic memories, and being scientists, they had access to such information.
Fitz immediately recalled a report he'd read written by Howard Stark, detailing Peggy Carter's operations, where Zero Material was mentioned—a substance capable of producing strange energy and repelling other electronics and signals.
"Yes, it's the same thing you mentioned. But even if we find it, neither of you should approach. King, explain to them how someone dies after Black Dimension Energy enters the body."
Su Ming dropped this statement and went silent, only occasionally glancing at the 'little lovers', watching their faces turn pale then white as King candidly explained.
.............
"We've been breaking through fast for an hour, can we rest a bit?" Simmons gasped, worried more about Fitz's leg injury.
Su Ming knocked on the rock wall beside him, then pressed his head against it to listen, and gestured for silence with his finger in front of the mask.
The group quieted down. Through the rock wall, there was rustling noise on the other side, like something constantly scraping the rocks.
He motioned for the group to move back, while thrusting the Godslayer in his hand into the wall, swiftly carving an arc in a lightning speed, and then kicked it, sending a large chunk of rock wall flying along with whatever was on the other side.
Beyond the half-meter thick rock wall was an extremely spacious underground space, with irregular distribution of columns that were thick at the top and bottom but thin in the middle, supporting the heavy ceiling.
There were no bats or birds—just plain stones and darkness.
But now it's different. After Deathstroke's explosive kick, the dust gradually settled, and the opposing crowd came back to their senses, the sound of chambering echoing.
"Urah!"
With chaotic shouts from the enemy, bullets rained like a storm on Su Ming, sparks blooming dense from various parts of his body, lighting up his whole figure in the darkness.
Yet he leisurely stood in the shortcut just made, turning to speak to the group behind him: "Hide well, dear Shield folks, it's best not to run around. You could easily die on a battlefield with hundreds."
"Uh, hehe... No worries, we'll stay here." Fitz pulled Simmons close, holding her in his arms, shrinking back along the natural wall of the tunnel, sitting on the ground obediently.
"The upcoming scene is not recommended for your young eyes; it's not good for mental health..."
Suddenly, countless tentacles emerged from Deathstroke's body, and these dark tentacles pulled out various heavy weapons from his waist pouch, skillfully loaded and cocked them, and in the two's surprised gaze, Deathstroke alone withstands the suppressive firepower from hundreds, wielding a giant sword in each hand for a counter-charge.
Leaning against the wall, the two quickly heard a butcher-like mincing sound among the varied gunfire.