Even though Bai Qi blocked the attacks of the two, the smoke from the explosion still enveloped him.
Taking advantage of the smoke, Superboy circled behind Bai Qi and, without a word, swung his fist towards Bai Qi's back.
Superboy's attack was swift and decisive, without any hesitation. But Bai Qi, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, turned instantly, grabbed Superboy by the neck with one hand, and slammed him forcefully into the ground with sheer strength.
"Your beginner's protection period is over."
A greater force then surged forward, hitting Superboy and causing a large section of the ground around them to concave.
From Superboy's pained expression, it was clear that Bai Qi's move had inflicted considerable damage on him.
Seeing Superboy falter, especially in terms of strength, the other three dared not harbor any illusions. They exchanged glances and attacked Bai Qi simultaneously.
With their meager skills, they were, as expected, easily dealt with by Bai Qi.
As the four were being subdued one after another, and the farce was about to end, Bai Qi suddenly stopped. He released the pressure he was exerting on them and retreated.
"What trick are you playing?"
Kid Flash, getting up from the ground, asked, rubbing his aching head.
In contrast, Kadeem was much more pragmatic. He didn't waste words after getting up, signaling the others to run towards the exit of the cloning chamber. Before leaving, Robin threw three batarangs, destroying the containers holding their blood samples.
"What trick are you playing! You've already captured them, why are you letting them go?"
It wasn't Desmond's fault for being so angry; Bai Qi's actions made no sense from any angle.
"Mind your own position," Bai Qi said, pushing Desmond's hand away. "I am not under Cadmus's command, and you are the person in charge here. If you can't even handle such a small matter, I believe the board of directors will be very displeased. So, for your own sake, get moving." Sudan Novel Network.
Desmond, though angry, calmed down immediately after hearing Bai Qi's words. Although his expression was grim, he swallowed his retort and turned to Guardian and the goblin on his shoulder, saying, "Activate all of Cadmus's mutants."
The entire Cadmus complex then became a scene of chaos. All dormant mutant creatures awoke, hatching from their cocoons and intercepting the four from all directions.
But these four, unfamiliar with the terrain, seemed to have cheat codes enabled. They fought their way and escaped, not only avoiding routes heavily guarded by mutants but also never running into a dead end in the labyrinthine corridors.
As the four moved steadily downwards, Desmond grew truly panicked. He deployed all sorts of tracking methods, but their opponent, Robin, managed to hack into every one of Desmond's tracking systems.
When Desmond used the motion sensors deliberately left behind by Robin for tracking, he not only failed to intercept them but also ended up in a face-to-face embrace with the Claw, who dropped from the ventilation shaft.
Looking at the fallen Desmond, Guardian beside him said calmly, "We will intercept them on the sub-basement level."
"I hope so, otherwise the Cadmus board will have our heads, my head."
Desmond pondered for a moment, then said to Guardian, "You go first, I'll be right behind you."
With those words, Desmond quickly departed.
His destination after leaving was clear: the lab of the Titans Project. He intended to gain strength from the Titans Project to ensure a one hundred percent interception of these brats.
However, when the door opened, Desmond found Bai Qi waiting for him, casually playing with a vial of Titan serum.
Seeing Desmond enter, Bai Qi, still fiddling with the serum, asked, "You want to drink this? You should know what price you will have to pay."
But at this moment, Desmond clearly wasn't in the mood to argue with Bai Qi about the serum's side effects.
"Of course, I know. And I also know that if Weapon and those three brats get away, the Illuminati will have my head; so, give it to me."
Saying this, he lunged forward to snatch the serum from Bai Qi. But as soon as he neared Bai Qi, he was repelled by a telekinetic force.
"Don't rush," Bai Qi said, looking at the fallen Desmond. "It would be a waste to turn a scientist like you into a monster whose only thought is destruction."
With that, Bai Qi merely gave a glance, and a figure shot out from a nearby corner, appearing before the two.
Desmond recognized the person instantly as the lab assistant who had guided Bai Qi around earlier. However, his eyes were now filled with terror, his legs weak and unable to stand. Upon seeing Bai Qi, he repeatedly pleaded not to be killed.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of killing you. Your life is useful for much more."
What followed was a scene Desmond would never forget for the rest of his life. The lab assistant's body began to contort, his face like dough, his features twisting together. After reforming, he looked exactly like Desmond. Bai Qi then proceeded to alter the lab assistant's memory, making him believe he was Desmond, and Desmond was him.
Afterward, Bai Qi handed the lab assistant a white coat and the Titan serum.
The lab assistant, with vacant eyes, accepted the two items and turned, walking out of the laboratory.
"This, this is... what happened?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
Bai Qi approached Desmond, lifted him up, and forced him to stand. He dusted off Desmond's clothes, saying, "Now your lab assistant is you. He will take the Titan serum on your behalf and complete what you couldn't. From now on, you will work for me. I will give you a new identity and a better research environment to continue your unfinished experiments."
"Who, who are you?"
Bai Qi didn't waste any more words. He quickly revealed his true appearance for a fleeting moment before changing back.
Although it was only for an instant and only his face was visible, it was enough for Desmond.
Knowing Bai Qi's true identity, Desmond's mind raced. With the other's strength and background, it was impossible for him to be a mere subordinate of the Illuminati. Therefore, there was only one answer: he was one of the Illuminati members.
With this realization, Desmond no longer hesitated and immediately pledged his allegiance to Bai Qi.
Seeing this, Bai Qi's lips curved slightly. Two shadowy ninjas appeared behind him, flanking Desmond and leading him into the Shadow Realm.
As for what happened next, it was quite simple: Superboy's humanity reawakened. Guardian's control over the goblin on the sub-basement level failed, and it regained its autonomy. A fake Desmond appeared, took the Titan serum, and transformed into a giant fist monster. Ultimately, through the combined efforts of the four, the fist monster was defeated. The commotion attracted the Justice League, and the fist monster was taken away. The league elders convened to discuss the issues surrounding Superboy's identity and the unauthorized actions of the three assistants.
The result of the meeting was that the fist monster was imprisoned, and Kadeem, Kid Flash, Robin, and Superboy formed the Teen Titans.