Voyager's information was more than sufficient. Su Ming took the small device back and pressed it into the crevice between the bricks on a wall.
Since it was a transmitter, he couldn't risk carrying it around, lest the Conqueror use it for tracking.
He had a good idea of its function.
Sentinel robots had a similar feature: when a Sentinel was destroyed, it would record the abilities and tactics of its enemy, then relay that data via satellite to the hard drives of other Sentinels.
This way, when other Sentinels encountered the sa enemy, they would have the advantage, potentially adapting with counter-abilities or learning the opponent's strategies.
It was through this adaptive ability and networked intelligence that they managed to hound mutants, forcing them into desperate asures, even sending Wolverine back in ti to alter history.
Ultron, that nace, had a similar capability—destroy one of its bodies, and it would upload itself to the network, then build a more advanced new body.
There was also S.H.I.E.L.D.'s LMDs and the TAHITI program, Hydra's digitized soul of Dr. Zola, AIM's advanced clones—technological thods for achieving a form of resurrection.
"Headache..."
Su Ming realized that even if he killed one Blue Glove, countless others might still be active elsewhere.
Until the Conqueror Kang was dealt with, it would be an endless cycle—his forces like a train, and Su Ming had only managed to break one window on a single carriage.
Without dismantling the tracks, there would be no derailing the train.
"Let's go, back to the resistance headquarters. Let's see how things are going on Cable's end."
They descended one by one from the bell tower, taking down a few German patrols along the way before vanishing into the night. The streetlights of Paris couldn't illuminate their small team.
At the Catacombs, Cable and his group were already waiting. Cable sat atop a pile of empty ammunition boxes, puffing on a cigar, while Deadpool had recovered slightly and was wriggling on the ground like a worm.
Everything had gone smoothly—so smoothly, it was unbelievable.
All of Namor's fragnts had been placed in a coffin, left casually under a large tree.
No ambushes, no traps, no trackers or poison gas—retrieving the fragnts was easier than crossing the German blockade into the city.
"Deathstroke." Cable extinguished his cigar and stowed it in his kit.
"Cable, did things go smoothly?" Su Ming, still wearing his helt, spoke in a low voice.
"Smooth as could be. Except for his left hand, we got all of Namor—every last piece." Cable tilted his chin, gesturing for Su Ming to look at Namor on the ground.
Namor seed to be in a state of deep slumber. Even after being reassembled, he showed no signs of awakening. The cut parts showed clear seams; even when aligned, they couldn't fully rge.
And, he did sll pretty fishy—like a dead fish, in fact.
"Prince, can you do anything about this?"
"It doesn't seem magical in nature; it's more technological. But it's not impossible to solve. I'll need more help, though." Monarch and Halloway were inspecting Namor's body.
Halloway had matched and assembled each part of Namor. During his ti in dical school and later working in hospitals, he'd put together bone specins, but piecing together a living person was a first.
"Alright, Angel, stitch him up. Prince, take him to the London Sanctum... and the mage should rest for a while. You've been casting spells too frequently. I've seen our true enemy now; we'll handle the rest."
Su Ming made the decision swiftly, instructing Halloway to sew Namor up like a Frankenstein monster.
Monarch wanted to protest, but Halloway placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head in a calming gesture. Monarch's emotions were becoming more volatile, and his ntal state was nearing its limit.
Monarch sighed and nodded in agreent.
"Don't worry. There are plenty of German warlocks. Once you've recovered, you can hunt them down at your leisure." Su Ming gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, signaling urgency.
Monarch cast a final teleportation spell, taking the stitched-up Namor with him, stepping into the rainy London night.
The portal closed, leaving behind a lingering sense of industrial moisture in the air.
"Nick, Peggy, it's ti for you to leave. Take Steve with you, and I'll have soone help you get out of the city."
"But..." Peggy frowned, wanting to know more.
"This is an order. No room for negotiation." Su Ming cut them off firmly. "Return to the Allied command and warn them to guard against assassinations by people wearing blue gloves. These aren't ordinary foes."
Nick held Peggy back, giving her a look. He knew it would be safer for them to leave with Steve, and the information about potential assassinations needed to reach their superiors quickly.
"Thank you, we'll make our way back to England as soon as possible. Honestly, we could have just left with you earlier." Nick nodded to Deathstroke, accepting the arrangent.
"Ha, are you an idiot? In the future, you'd better assu you're surrounded by enemies at all tis." Su Ming tossed him a depleted Hydra energy weapon, a token to help with their story back ho. "If it took you 18 hours to reach Paris but only 10 seconds to return, do you think the SSR would send you to a ntal asylum or a dissection table? Rember, everything that happened in Paris stays hidden. Got it?"
Nick Fury inhaled sharply, his expression growing serious. Indeed, the SSR had enemy agents among its ranks, and he needed to avoid drawing any suspicion.
"I understand. Thank you again."
"Good. Rogue, you and the others escort them past the blockade."
The X-n departed with the Howling Commandos, carrying the unconscious Steve with them.
In truth, Su Ming's warning to Fury served another purpose: to prevent the SSR from interacting with the magical community.
The London Sanctum's old mage seed like a harmless old coot, but if Nick and Peggy managed to pry information out of him, it would be a problem.
The SSR—future S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra—were essentially two sides of the sa coin. Letting them dabble in magic would only create trouble for his future.
Across the channel in London, the sorcerer studying Namor shivered as if he sensed soone talking behind his back.
"Oops, my hand slipped, and I accidentally severed Namor's little buddy with my magic staff. Let's hope reattaching it works... Maybe he'll still be functional?"
The mage stole a glance at Monarch, who was sipping tea nearby, ditating to mourn his fallen rabbits, paying no attention to the old mage's clumsy attempts.
"In the na of the Vishanti, transfer the pain!"
In the underground cells of the London Sanctum, a pale man let out a piercing scream.
"Mage, what's wrong? Why use a transference spell?" Monarch opened his eyes, puzzled by the old sorcerer's actions.
"Oh, it's nothing."
The old mage put on a benevolent smile, hiding Namor behind him to avoid Monarch's scrutiny. Seeing Monarch return to ditation, the mage tugged at his white beard, musing silently.
"Oops, slipped again... Well, better reattach it. Even though it's more like a three-piece staff now, it should work, right?"
The old mage cast another white magic spell.
...
"Our enemy is confird—it's Kang the Conqueror, from other universes and tilines."
The X-n had completed their escort mission, and Nick's group had t up with their contacts just outside the city—a group carrying the Union Jack. With allies on guard, the X-n felt safe returning.
After a brief rest, Su Ming gathered everyone in the catacombs, sitting around an oil lamp to conduct a debriefing.
At the ntion of Kang's na, almost everyone's expressions changed. They all knew how formidable the Conqueror could be, except for Su Ming and Deadpool, who remained calm.
Su Ming, having been trapped in a ti flow anomaly for years, had sensed many irregularities, and he was ntally prepared for any adversary.
Deadpool, on the other hand, had jumped from a normal tiline into this chaos, dragging others with him. He hadn't yet grasped the gravity of their current situation, too distracted by the presence of three won nearby.
Now, Su Ming needed these allies from the main tiline to help him restore the branches that Kang had severed from the great tree of ti.
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