"I've made my way through a colony of mechanical ants, and I'm approaching the underground base."

Farr Zod's muffled voice reached Barbara Gordon's ears through the team's communications, and Superman in Black was tiptoeing through a collapsed tunnel nearly 300 meters under the wasteland.

He walks very carefully, avoiding any sound and spreading his Kryptonian perception to catch possible threats for himself.

The ant colony signal on Zod's wrist continues to be in effect.

This caused the group of mechanical ants crawling around behind him to regard the big man as a member of the ant colony and not attack him, just like the way Ant-Man manipulated the ant colony in the past was the same as how he turned himself into an ant king.

However, Barbara's signal sign is obviously simpler.

"Capture the 'Ant King', Zod, and collect valuable things at the same time, we are waiting for you at Pym Cross."

Barbara advised:

"Pay attention to safety, Mason said to give up if there is a special situation, and put safety first."

"Hmm."

Zod answered, and then silenced the comms.

He obviously didn't think that he had reached this point and would not return, although he always maintained a quiet and low-key approach, but in Zod's mind, his assessment of himself was quite accurate and reliable.

Through this experience, he has confirmed that there are indeed only a handful of things that can hurt him in this world.

After all, Kryptonians belong to the bloodline of "Beginning Tianhu" no matter which parallel world they are in, and the fact that they are sinking in the sand at the hands of Black Bolt has not dampened Zod's confidence, it only strengthens his idea that he must further tap his potential.

Although I don't really understand the reason why Mason did these things in this dark time, it is fair to say that it is more comfortable to follow Mason to do these things of salvation than to destroy and vent without purpose.

This mindset probably has something to do with his experience.

He hated the evil guys who treated violence and oppression as a matter of course.

"Sister? You've finally woken up and see what good stuff I've gotten that you're going to love. Well, don't move, I'll help you up. ”

As Zodd emerges from an underground elevator that has long since ceased to function, his super hearing catches the sound coming from the space ahead.

It's the Ant King!

The emaciated young man.

Superman in Black stepped forward immediately, but remained stealthy, his see-through vision looking around, carefully avoiding the strange objects hidden in the steel tunnel.

The voice ahead grew clearer.

"Look! This purified water, enough for the two of us to drink for several years, and these compressed foods, if I read that right, they came from pre-war storage.

And these snacks hell! I've never seen it, but I just tasted a piece of candy, and the sweetness made my taste buds explode.

You must also try a piece, it is said that this kind of thing was everywhere in the world before we were born, but unfortunately it is no longer there, come, I will peel a piece for you.

This one is orange-flavored.

I don't know what oranges are, but they smell good. ”

"Have you checked?"

In addition to the Ant King's voice, Zod quickly picked up a second voice.

It's a girl.

And it sounds like it's lacking in qi and very weak.

He paused and looked ahead, and in X-ray-like perspective, he could see the Ant King carefully lifting an emaciated girl out of a structure that resembled a biological pod.

Judging from the girl's abnormal heartbeat, she was not healthy.

But the little girl who was lifted up was still warning her brother, and she whispered with a little complaint:

"I told you, Franklin, to be careful when choosing your targets, and the people who can take out so many materials at once are definitely not ordinary people in the wasteland.

You shouldn't risk showing up, and you shouldn't ask for so much stuff too much, it will put us in danger. ”

"I know, but we won't have to go out for years after this ticket is done."

The Ant King was a little embarrassed, but as he handed Harley's gummy snacks to his weak but dignified sister, he explained:

"Aren't we trying to open that machine that Dr. Pym left behind? That's enough food and water to keep it all in the best of the way, until you crack the mystery of the machine.

Mom said that the machine was connected to quantum space, and maybe we could use it to get out of this desperate wasteland.

That's the key thing.

You don't have to worry about the possible dangers, I've just adjusted the mechanical ant colony to 'self-discipline' mode, and they will build oversized mechanical hives outside of the base.

Anyone who wants to chase them will have to go through the ant colony first, and Mom said that even in the heroic days before the wasteland, few people could do that. ”

"You're still too confident, my mind tells me you've done something dangerous."

The weak sister was a little reluctant, but she could no longer reprimand her brother, and she knew that Franklin had done all these things for her, so after a few seconds, she burst out laughing and said sweetly:

"This candy is delicious."

"Right? Hahaha, I knew you'd love it. ”

The ant king laughed, and he said:

"We're going to have to put it in Dr. Pym's analyser and analyze the ingredients to see if we can translate the flavor out of normal food.

That way, you don't have to endure monotony when you eat. Valeria? Younger sister! What happened to you? Don't scare me! Wake up! ”

The Ant King's voice suddenly became frightened, and Zod, who had been eavesdropping, also heard the little girl's heartbeat weakening rapidly.

A rush rose in his heart, and Superman in black didn't care about hiding, his legs rushed forward with all his might, and with a punch he rammed open the mechanical door blocked in front of him.

Smoke and dust flew in the loud bang, and he strode out into the small underground laboratory in front of him, but the various furnishings were extremely elaborate.

The Ant King was taken aback by this movement, and he reacted quickly to mobilize the mechanical ant colony to attack with his helmet, which never left him.

A large number of silver-gray special soldier ants burst out of the lab's storage bay and pounced on Zod with a piercing cutting sound, but soon they lost their purpose and began to spin in a daze.

This scene made the ant-king's teeth crack, and he realized that his greed had really caused trouble.

He constantly gives orders to the ant colony, guiding the awakened mechanical ants to attack Zod, but

Friendly!

TM's all allies! I can't lock it at all!

The information from the mechanical ant colony made the ant king's face quickly despair, but the courage and stubbornness that the wasteland tempered the child made him refuse to surrender, and simply grabbed a strange-shaped gun behind him and aimed it at Zod, who was striding forward.

The dangerous energy gathered on the body of the gun, and when it was about to be activated, he heard the black-clothed superman in front of him say coldly:

"Your sister's heart is dying fast, look at this poor little pale face and lips, she is chronically malnourished and must have some congenital disease.

The equipment here isn't enough to save her, but my companion can!

He's a very good pharmacist and master of engineering, you've just met him, and the locator in your stomach was made by him. Ant King, you're going to fight me here?

Or give me some time and give your sister a little hope by the way?

As it stands, she'll hold out for another ten minutes at most."

"Franklin! Put down the quantum gun."

The little girl lying in the dilapidated biological pod covered her heart and said with difficulty:

"You're going to drain the energy out of the lab. Let them lay down their arms"

"Smack"

The strange and dangerous energy weapon was thrown to the ground, and the ant king obviously listened to his sister's words, he lay down beside his thin sister and held her hand, called her name in a low voice, and looked at Zod through gritted teeth, and said:

"Let your people come quickly! I lifted the ant colony parade, quick! If something happens to my sister, I'll let everyone around here be buried together! ”

"It's so murderous, another little madman."

Zod glanced at him, turned around and gave Barbara a quick report of the situation, and said:

"Send Mason over as fast as possible, the little girl here may not be able to hold on."

"Zord, stand there and don't move."

Mason's voice took over the communication, and he said softly:

"The hat is going to activate a precision teleportation that will send me to you, but will you bear a certain energy conflict, are you ready?"

"Let's get started."

Superman in black glanced at the little girl next to him who was struggling to breathe, and he nodded.

Then a special energy burst out in the Isu armor on his body, like the energy of the invisible chains binding and suppressing, causing Zod to frown but still grit his teeth and insist.

A few seconds later, the moment that energy exploded, a magnificent flickering light lit up beside him, and Mason walked out of the shattered light with Harley carrying the medical kit.

"Magic?"

The Ant King exclaimed, but Mason ignored him and said to Harley beside him:

"Prepare an operating table first, cutie."

"Roger! Dr. Mason. ”

Hallie blew a pink bubble, and as a guest as Miss Nurse, she immediately pulled out a combination of mechanical components from her bag and got busy, while Mason stepped forward to put on her medical gloves and put her hand on the neck of the little girl in the biological pod.

He said with a serious face:

"It's not just malnutrition, it's congenital weakness, I guess it's a disease brought out of the mother's womb, but the good news is that there is no congenital genetic disease, so all you need is recuperation and some special potions.

However, the infection in her lungs has progressed to severe pneumonia, and I need to have an organoscopic surgery to see what happens. ”

Mason glanced at the helpless Ant King beside him, and he pushed the frames of his glasses without lenses, and said:

"What did you do when she was upset?"

"With a bio pod."

The ant king didn't dare to blow up his hair, so he could only answer honestly:

"The biopod left behind by Dr. Pym has healing and palliative functions, but it is getting worse and worse each time, and I can't find enough medicine in the wasteland.

Those damn guys took everything they could with them when they moved seventeen years ago! ”

"You know Dr. Pym, the crime of deliberate deception is one more degree! Now go and get all the Pym particles out of your hands and use them as your sister's healing fee. ”

Mason unceremoniously gave an order to the Ant King, who dared not speak angrily, but after seeing that Mason was indeed preparing to heal, he took a few steps back, activated a mechanical compartment and took out a box of Pym Pellets.

The captain didn't look at him, first fed the condensed water of life and death to the pained little girl to put her into a deep sleep, and then picked up the poor little girl, who was almost skinny, and placed her on the makeshift operating table that Harley had prepared.

While he was busy with his fingers, he used his superb first aid skills to relieve her situation, and without looking back, he said to the ant king, who had been watched by Zod:

"What a cunning and treacherous guy, a good actor, but the care for your sister makes you barely a good brother, what's your name?"

In the face of Mason's inquiry, the ant king craned his neck and did not intend to answer.

He was still trying to gather the ant colony to add some self-protection to himself and his sister, but the next moment, Zod grabbed his helmet and gently took it off, and the child's biggest reliance was removed.

And under the helmet was a face that was immature, but could be seen weather-beaten.

Up to fifteen years old.

However, it has a rough appearance and looks about as mature as a twenty-year-old.

"Answer the question, Franklin."

Zod put his hand on the shoulder of the thin boy, and he whispered:

"We are not your enemies, but we can be."

"Shh

The dearmed ant king pursed his lips, and he replied very unhappily:

"Franklin Richards."

"Huh? Last name Richards? It's not a small source. ”

Mason's movements stopped, he looked at the frail girl who was sleeping in front of him, and after a few seconds, he said:

"Your sister's name is Valeria Richards? Is your father Mr. Fantastic Reed? ”

"Yes, but I haven't met him."

The Ant King snorted, with the unruliness of a wastelander, and pouted:

"I've heard he's the greatest hero of all, bullshit! True greatness wouldn't make a mess of the world like this, you know what you want to ask, cunning bastard.

My sister and I were raised by my mother.

It's a pity that she was dead, dying of heart failure when we were five years old. ”

"Ms. Susan?"

Mason let out a sigh of relief and said:

"With her abilities, it is indeed possible to survive that dangerous situation, and it was she who led you to this laboratory and taught you how to manipulate the instruments here?"

"No, my mother was in very poor health for the last two years of her life, and it was very difficult for her to take care of us."

Franklin whispered:

"I learned it all by finding the mechanical ant colony and manipulating Dr. Pym's spare helmet, and as for this lab, Valeria found it.

My sister is a real genius. ”

"I just heard these two kids say that there is a machine in this lab that can open quantum channels."

Zod told Mason what he had heard:

"The two of them are planning to hack the machine and escape the scourge of the wasteland in a place called the Quantum Realm."

"Dr. Pym's black technology is so shocking even just to hear about it."

Mason, who was performing first aid, shook his head, and he sighed:

"But who would have thought that his heirs would be two self-taught little boys, Zod, you go and pick up Barbara, I need her to take over this underground lab.

It's a real treasure trove.

As for you, Franklin, and poor Valellia, I'll find you a new home. But didn't Ms. Susan leave anything for you to defend yourself from? ”

"You bastard, it's not enough to rob my home!"

The Ant King shouted:

"Still plotting my mother's legacy?"

"You lied to us first, boy."

Harley scolded unhappily:

"You'd better be honest, you and your sister were lucky to meet a great guy like Mr. K, a little bastard who doesn't know the hearts of good people, you remind me of Damian.

No, you are worse than Damien. ”

"Franklin Richards, who has been forged into a cunning and sinister man by the wasteland, will surely become good friends with Damian Wayne and a good accomplice who goes out to do evil and bad things."

Mason glanced at the Ant King, and he whispered:

"But, Franklin, haven't you ever discovered that you have some special abilities since you were a child? I mean, the kind that resembles superpowers.

I think you might be a mutant."

"No, I'm not."

The Ant King denied:

"When we found the base, my sister used the equipment here to check our bodies, I was an ordinary person, but my sister inherited the wisdom of my mother and the legendary father.

I'm just an executor, and she's the real ant king.

Alas, I should have listened to my sister, if I didn't rob you today, there would be nothing. ”

"It's called 'fate,' little friend."

Mason snorted, looked at the little girl who gradually eased the situation, and said:

"Maybe it's fate that makes it right for me to find you who need help, after all, that's what I'm doing now. Okay, now take me to see that quantum tunnel.

I'm really interested in that thing. ”

(End of chapter)