After dealing with the two super soldiers, the benevolent Robert turned to look at Slade. Even with his battle-hardened composure, Slade couldn't help but inhale sharply: "Hiss!"
Slade had to admit that Robert, as the super soldier had said, was like a devil. Slade himself was no saint, but facing someone like Robert, with his bizarre methods and almost demonic unpredictability, Slade felt a bit intimidated...
His highly developed brain was running at full speed, yet Slade could neither find a way to deal with Robert nor a way to survive under his various methods. After all, experiencing the constant lingering between life and death, Slade doubted even his intellect and consciousness could endure!
Slade thought maybe Wade, with his often erratic mind, might stand a chance against Robert, only to be killed on the spot by Robert's sheer strength...
Slade listened to the researchers claiming Wade might have gained immortality, but he didn't believe Wade could survive in the hands of a devil like Robert. Who knows what other methods Robert, capable of reviving the dead, might have?
"What are you afraid of? I'm not a bad person!" Seeing Slade gasp, Robert replied somewhat disgruntledly, "It's you two whose auras don't look like those of good people – chaotic, evil, filled with the scent of slaughter... Hm?"
"This guy's aura contains strong life force and death energy, a weird dynamic balance. How is this possible? How can he survive like this?"
Robert's gaze shifted to Wade, curious. He had seen such strong life force and death energy in the Animal Warrior, but it never achieved such a strange dynamic equilibrium. The Animal Warrior's life force would plummet with excessive use of power or severe injuries, and the death energy would quickly consume all life force, leading to death. But Wade didn't seem to be showing any signs of this...
"Hey! Keep your distance from him!" Seeing Robert's curiosity move towards the still-unconscious Wade, Slade's eyes flashed with wariness, but he eventually said firmly.
Slade might not be a good person most of the time, willing to kill for money, and Robert wasn't wrong about his chaotic and evil aura. Slade could face the truth about himself, at least not claiming to be a good person like Robert. However, Slade wasn't purely bad either, especially in front of his family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ventured into such a dangerous place to save Wade.
So, seeing Robert approaching Wade, Slade couldn't help but speak up, not wanting this mysterious and unpredictable Robert to target Wade. Who knows what Robert's intentions might be?
"I said I'm not a bad person. You seem to have been subjected to some experiment, the horse talisman curse? Have you gained its powers? It doesn't seem quite like it, at least the curse shouldn't have turned you into this..." Robert turned back to Slade, speaking softly, "Don't you want to know what changes have happened to you?"
"We'll figure it out ourselves, thanks for your kindness!" Slade scrutinized Robert cautiously, then said slowly, "You've killed these Hydra members today, and both Wade and I will remember this favor. I'm Slade, also known as the 'Tolling Bell.' If you need me, feel free to find me..."
Slade considered himself somewhat renowned in certain areas and was curious to see if Robert would react to his name or be displeased with his words...
"Do you understand the talisman? Do you know the power within the horse talisman curse? Your aura has strong life force, which should greatly enhance your self-healing abilities. But your companion... this Wade guy, I'm not so sure. His condition is weird and dangerous. Are you sure you can figure it out?" Unfortunately, Robert hadn't heard of 'Tolling Bell' before. He shrugged, looking at Slade, "You just saw my abilities. I have some research in this area. How about we collaborate?"
Robert was interested in Wade and Slade's current state, just like when Barry Allen and his friends gained superpowers from the curse. He wanted to see the effects of the horse talisman curse's transformation on people.
But Robert also didn't like to force others. If Slade and Wade really didn't want his research, Robert wouldn't insist, even if they didn't seem like good people. After all, they didn't carry the curse or make enemies with him, so Robert still had his principles...
"..." Slade fell silent upon hearing Robert's questions, realizing he knew nothing about the talisman. His brain was highly developed, but he needed effective information for analysis.
Slade had come to save Wade and was caught for experimentation. He deduced that Wade probably came to solve his cancer issue but was tricked and ended up in this state.
"Can you really help us?" Slade finally asked Robert, "What's your purpose? What do you want us to do?"
"I don't have any particular aim, just curious why the horse talisman curse's power has changed like this..." Robert shrugged, looking at the unconscious Wade, "But this place isn't safe; let's leave. It seems we've been discovered!"
Robert sensed some extraordinary auras approaching, not very strong but clearly not ordinary. He looked at Slade and Wade, and the metal devices binding them opened, freeing them.
"What's this ability?" A thought flashed through Slade's mind. Facing the inscrutable Robert, he didn't think of running away. Considering their altered states, they probably couldn't escape, and they needed to understand what had happened to them.
Slade quickly, sensibly picked up Wade and followed Robert, who waved his hand and sent a blast of Qi into the experimental base. A violent explosion followed, and everything inside – corpses included – turned to dust. "Rest in peace," Robert thought. "Even if it's concrete, it's still 'earth.'"
Near a stream in the outskirts of New York, Robert stopped. There was no one nearby, making it a good place to deal with Wade and Slade's situation. As for the horse talisman curse, it was also on the same path, making it convenient to handle after resolving Wade and Slade.
"Hasn't he woken up yet? Let me check?" Robert looked at Wade still unconscious on Slade's back, raising an eyebrow, "Or should I examine your condition first?"
"Check him first; his condition seems more severe than mine..." Slade hesitated, then decided to trust Robert, placing Wade on the ground.
"Buzz!" Qi surged into Wade, waking him from his daze. He first saw the blue sky and clouds, then Robert.
"I'm free, Wade! Wait, am I in the wrong story?" Wade hadn't yet enjoyed his newfound freedom when he suddenly screamed in surprise, looking at Robert, "Eh? Wrong, it's not me intruding? This world is too chaotic? Oh, it's already chaotic, so never mind!"
"What are you talking about?" Slade looked bewildered at the shouting Wade, confirming Wade's erratic soul remained unchanged.
"What? Can't I shout in joy after regaining freedom?" Wade looked equally confused at Slade, indicating he was in a good mood, quite different from his previous outburst.
"???" Robert looked at Wade's sudden change in demeanor and mood, then at Slade, asking, "Is he always like this, or did the experiment change him?"
"Uh, he's always been like this. Don't mind his brain; it's always been bad. Just check his physical condition!" Slade's face showed a hint of embarrassment, speaking softly.
"Physical condition? I'm in great shape, full of vitality... What the heck?!" Wade was speaking when he suddenly screamed again, noticing the changes in his skin. He ran to the stream and saw his reflection, "I'm an avocado again? Is my handsome face gone forever? How can I keep impersonating Hal then?"
"Wade, calm down. Stop talking nonsense. This gentleman understands the power that transformed us. Let him take a look..." Slade pulled the crying Wade, saying helplessly.
"Daddy, save me! As long as you can restore my handsome face, you're my Daddy Wade!" Hearing this, Wade rushed to Robert, knelt, and shouted shamelessly.
"???" Robert looked bewildered at Wade, kneeling before him. Robert considered himself well-traveled, even tolerating Arale Norimaki's antics, but he felt he'd seen too little encountering Wade!
And the relationship between 'daddy' and 'uncle' sounded so strange. Was this Wade really sane? Shouldn't he be in a psychiatric hospital?
"Daddy? What are you thinking? Save me, Daddy!" Wade, seemingly oblivious to shame, looked at Robert eagerly, speaking smoothly.
Slade: (--; I thought he wouldn't ask for help. Seems I underestimated him. Wade is a class apart!
"Get up; let me check..." Robert twitched slightly at the corner of his mouth, feeling less inclined to investigate Wade and Slade's mutations. But he took a deep breath and began examining Wade's ability changes.
Throughout the process, Wade stared straight at Robert, his eyes, the only normal part of his face, fixed on him, as if afraid Robert would run away...
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