From the road outside the junkyard, they ran back along the original route to the lowest level of the research facility. By now, they had reached the bottom level where countless biochemical bombs were stored.
There was only simple lighting here, and the surrounding walls were covered in dark mold. The damp air was filled with a smell reminiscent of disinfectant. Some thick pipes extended overhead along the corridor in all directions, resembling dark blood vessels, occasionally emitting puffs of pale yellow steam.
Robin raised his dual guns, searching for the cat's trace, but apart from the sounds of water droplets and steam, there were no other movements.
"Where did you find Falcone and his daughter?"
"Over there, let's go."
With a surge of Divine Speed, Barry and Robin appeared in a steel-enclosed area filled with various instruments, where a white cat sat perched on a control panel, its tail swaying like an ordinary house cat watching a cartoon on the sofa.
Its fluffy ears twitched, and it pressed a button.
Immediately, its head twisted 180 degrees like an owl, looking at the two men as if its head were separated from its body. The cat's face wore a sinister smile.
A black, long tongue licked its sharp fangs, and in a harsh voice, it shouted human words.
"All roads will eventually lead to darkness! Everything shall return to Barbatos!"
"Fxxk!"
Robin immediately fired his gun, while Barry was so shocked by the cat actually speaking that he didn't even have time to stop its small movements,
The cat jumped off the control panel, and a pitch-black, ink-like round energy shield appeared around it. Robin's bullets hit the shield as if sinking into the sea, completely disappearing.
"Jie jie..."
The cat cackled and charged at the two of them, the dark energy on its body writhing around like living tentacles, expanding and extending in the air. Anyone could see this bizarre power with the naked eye.
Darker than darkness, colder than extinction, this terrifying trait was devouring all surrounding light.
"Barry! Share some speed with me!"
Robin drew his sword, Barry came to his senses and patted Robin on the shoulder. A trace of golden lightning wrapped around the yellow-black armor, giving it a golden sheen.
Divine Speed would not last long in an ordinary human body, unless through complex scientific steps. Robin was only temporarily housing it, and with use and time, the Divine Speed would quickly fade away.
But he only needed this brief moment, if his speed could surpass the neural firing speed of a feline, then that dark energy shield would definitely not be able to stop him. Memories constantly surfacing in his mind taught him many things, memories that once belonged to Slade.
The fastest neurons in the human brain still required bioelectricity to transmit information, with the fastest speed being 193 kilometers per second, which was also the limit speed of human thought.
The Flash's top speed is said to be 30 million kilometers per second. Because of the Divine Speed, he could still think as if time had stopped.
Robin wasn't sure about the truth of that statement, because if you exceeded the speed of light, which is 290,000 kilometers per second, according to relativity, time would turn back, causing a Flashpoint Effect.
However, he didn't need to be that fast, he only needed to borrow the Divine Speed to strike a single blow. As a modified person, his thinking speed was nine times faster than normal and undoubtedly exceeded any feline.
The lightning-wrapped sword swung down at the white cat.
In a still environment, Robin's strike could be said to be a perfect blend of speed and accuracy, aimed at three crucial points: the brain, neck, and heart. If it hit, even a lion or tiger would perish.
However, the sword only left a white mark on the cat's forehead.
Behind the mask, Robin furrowed his brow, realizing what was happening.
As a Dark Creation, this cat was no longer just a cat; it was a dark monster. His weapons, lacking 'metal,' were ineffective against these dark creatures.
But even if the sword and gun were useless, Deathstroke still had his fists; his armor was entirely made of Promethium with traces of N Metal. His distinctive colored arm and hand armor could also serve as weapons.
His sword hadn't been deflected yet, but with his free left hand, he delivered a heavy punch to the previous spot. The white cat went spinning and flying like a white trash-filled plastic bag.
With a flash of electric light, Robin quickly followed up, his fists raining down on the monster's head. The tremendous force even started to deform the metal floor, pounding the dark monster into a small pit in the ground.
But the Divine Speed was rapidly fading, and his fists were no longer as fast. Although he still overpowered the monster, the white cat kept emitting eerie laughter.
"Gah gah! For Barbatos!"
"Bang!"
A burst of black smoke exploded from the monster's small body, and Su Ming was blown away by the powerful explosion. The dark energy corroded every part of his armor, emitting a faint 'sizzling' sound.
The monster self-destructed, spraying black entrails everywhere. The dark energy completely covered the area. Barry, standing at the door, managed to avoid it, but Su Ming felt something was amiss.
The injuries on his body were nothing. The Holy Statue Uniform resisted the magic damage, and the muscle strains and bone fractures from being blown away could quickly heal. However, his Healing Factor was working, causing his rationality to dissipate, and a flood of memories surged in.
He thought he was Slade, and these memories were way too detailed. In comparison, the monotonous and repetitive life memories of Su Ming seemed fake.
"Huff huff..." He took a few heavy breaths, trying hard to focus. The current situation was unresolved, and he couldn't lose his mind.
"Slade, how are you?" Barry ran over and supported him.
"Huff... I'm fine, but next time when dealing with the Owl, it's better to plan ahead... You go quickly and see what that monster activated just now." Su Ming pushed him away, leaning against the control panel, trying hard to soothe his mind to keep it stable.
But it was like trying to calm the stormy sea; he could only ensure his sanity wouldn't capsize. The headache was even causing a constant ringing in his ears.
"Alright, wait for me!"
Barry dashed out of the room, feeling the vibrations on the ground, indicating something big was happening here.
Lightning enveloped him as he scouted from all directions. Finally, he discovered a massive cavity underground in one direction; everything that originally blocked it had been removed, and rainwater was directly pouring down into the ground from there.
Raising his head, he saw a fireball blazing in the night sky. The monster had launched a rocket containing Venom after all.
When it reaches the cloud layer, it will explode, 'purifying' Gotham completely, like artificial rain. The hot air and smoke filling the launch silo told him he was a step too late.
But Barry is a Superhero; such a situation could not make The Flash, representing speed, give up. He looked around but found no suitable tools. Then he set his gaze on the smooth inner wall of the launch silo.
Barry leaped and began running along the inner wall of the launch silo, accumulating speed. Lightning fully enveloped him, and he reconnected with the Divine Speed. Then, as he ran in circles, his speed increased continuously, and he then changed his foot direction, sprinting straight upwards against the rain falling from the sky!
The launch silo 'launched' him out as well.
In almost an instant, he caught up to the rocket in mid-air. He began relying on his extraordinary speed, using his lightning-wrapped hands to pound and tear the rocket's outer shell.
Even a stone cannot withstand being hit tens of thousands of times in the same spot by water. Without proper tools, Barry had to resort to this crude method of persistence.
Finally, he successfully pried open the outer shell and saw a canister of green liquid.
This was the Super Strong Venom.
The Romans' rocket only carried a minuscule amount from the entire lab. They merely wanted to purify Gotham, not destroy the world. Yet this small canister on the rocket was thicker than Barry's waist.
The Owls' Priesthood aimed to create a huge commotion. Just by achieving a bit, they could report to the great Dark God to see if he took interest in their world.
Barbatos once promised that if he took over some world, the Owls' Priests there would enjoy direct ruling power, only under Barbatos.
The Owls believed that a World War was best, so they decided to give it a try. If they caused enough stir, they would surely attract Barbatos's attention, and the Priests would become paramount figures.
But it was just a lie. The Owls' Priests in the Main World did the same, but before they even glimpsed their god's robe, they were all killed and fed to the Robin Hounds.
Fortunately, this Owl Priest, due to his identity as a cat, could exert limited influence. Falcone was a seasoned mob boss who, although magic drove him a bit crazy, retained a baseline of rationality and didn't load enough Venom to trigger a World War.
After they were captured, the feline Priest continued his plan. Because all his helpers were caught, he had to go into battle himself personally.
However, due to his small size, he couldn't replace the bullet head. He kept pondering the method, but by the time Su Ming and Barry arrived, he still hadn't found a way to replace the warhead, so he had to launch it.
In the gale, Barry lay on the flying rocket. The howling wind screamed in his ears. Through the pried-open hole, he saw the green goo gleaming ominously in the rain, the liquid surface rippling with the rocket's tremor, as if impatient to penetrate into people's bodies.