After stepping off the aircraft, Su Ming immediately gave Arthur a warm hug.
Arthur looked delighted; his power had been withdrawn by Nu Tao from the Manta Ray and returned to him. Now that things were over, although Poseidonis was heavily damaged, it would eventually be repaired with time.
However, Mera, while saluting the three goddesses, had a hint of caution in her eyes, frequently glancing at where Arthur's eyes were looking.
"Hey, Arthur, you guys move pretty fast. We were just apart for a bit, and the repairs have come this far."
Arthur scratched his curly hair and let out a hearty laugh: "Haha, thanks to Poseidonis being a city designed by Aryan. In today's terms, it's called... oh, modular building design, I think. It makes repairs quite easy."
Su Ming held his helmet, surveying the surroundings.
The city's repair was progressing quickly, but there wasn't a ghost shadow on the streets, and the scratches and bloodstains on the walls testified to what had occurred here previously.
"I need Atlantis's help with something." Su Ming didn't waste any more words; everyone was quite busy.
Arthur patted his chest, causing his chest muscles to ripple: "No problem, you not only saved my life but also saved Earth."
Mera turned her head and sighed quietly. Deathstroke hadn't even mentioned what needed doing, and Arthur agreed right away. Is that really okay?
Looking at the three goddesses behind Deathstroke, this matter likely involves the affairs of the gods. Ever since the Poseidon incident was exposed, she's hardly been able to feel any goodwill toward any god.
"I previously asked Barry to send a theme park to Atlantis. Now I need to use one of the buildings there as a temporary residence for these three women."
Arthur almost didn't think about it. Although he's not Atlantis's king anymore, his wife is.
But the amusement park was given by Justice League friends on his behalf, so it was more like it was given to Arthur rather than just Atlantis.
Now, the original owner just wants to stay in one room, there's no problem at all.
"Of course, Barry told me about it. I haven't even had the chance to thank you yet. In the short term, Poseidonis won't have time for amusement, so the goddesses can absolutely stay there."
Arthur smiled and nodded at the three goddesses. He often dealt with Poseidon and was quite familiar with other Olympian gods as well.
"All the gods have lost their divine power now; they are no longer high above. They're just my spoils, no need to be so respectful to them."
Su Ming and Arthur's family chatted as they walked towards the amusement park at the island's edge; most of the park was submerged, but there were still parts above sea level.
Just find a small divine hall to stay in; after all, the privacy of the Egyptian Temple is a bit better than the Greek Temple.
The divine hall was bare, with nothing inside. The walls used to be full of engravings of skeletons and various remains, but Barry, worried about frightening children, had chiseled them all away during reconstruction.
Su Ming was quite satisfied; at least it wouldn't be exposed to the wind and rain, and in a few days, they could eat the fish from the sea outside.
Arthur rubbed his hands and said a bit sheepishly: "How can that be? They are still goddesses after all."
Su Ming shook his head, turned around, and said to Arthur and the former goddesses: "Before, they relied on Divine Power to become gods and became idols for humans, Atlanteans, and Amazonians. But that was the result of coercion through violence. People admired their divine power, not their true selves. Now, they should learn, as humans, what it takes to be respected and become human, and that is rebirth."
Well, the topic was veering into a direction Arthur didn't understand. It was as if mosquito-repellent incense appeared in his eyes.
However, Mera understood and respected this Deathstroke even more for wanting to become a respected person. Isn't that great?
Athena also understood. Did Deathstroke mean for them to become superheroes?
But earlier, Deathstroke and Hera had been plotting deceitfully together, trading them from Olympus like slaves. How could that be a path to respect?
However, some things Deathstroke said are indeed right. Now, the sisters are pretty much mortal, just with greater strength and better physical attributes.
They should learn how to live as humans.
Thousands of years ago, Zeus, with 'Prometheus' and others, stole fire and split from humans to become gods. Today, they must strive to reclaim their human identities.
It's almost like a malicious joke; everything they once had is now just a passing smoke.
Hera plans to seek new help through political marriages, but whether this can continue Olympus's existence remains unknown.
Su Ming looked at the three goddesses and sighed. The oldest, Hestia, had common sense like a child, and Artemis was a hunter who killed animals but not humans.
Only Athena, who used to be an enhanced version of Diana, was now a weakened version of Donna, but thankfully, her intellect was intact, and her martial skills and combat ability were reliable.
"Do you understand what I mean?" Su Ming asked the three, holding his helmet.
"I understand, we will do our best to help people and be a superhero like Diana." Athena answered for the other two.
"Who asked you to be superheroes?" Su Ming, with a look of despair, sighed towards the sky: "With me around, there's no need for you to go to the battlefield. You stay in the temple and study. In human society, knowledgeable and cultured people are very respected. You should develop towards becoming a 'young idol group that can answer one hundred thousand whys.'"
"..."
Athena didn't know what to say. To get the three former goddesses to study academics, what was Deathstroke thinking?
"That's it, you're forbidden to go out. Just focus on reading and writing every day."
Leaving the three women to their painful state in the temple, Su Ming dragged Arthur out of the temple.
"Do you have a photocopier here?"
"Hmm, we do have a photocopier. What do you need it for?"
The sea breeze tousled Arthur's long hair and beard, making them look quite flowing, while Mera just walked silently beside him.
"In a while, I'll have Barry run over to Asia and buy a hundred sets of college entrance exam papers for them to do."
Arthur's eyes were filled with fear; these three goddesses had now fallen into a den of demons—this was mental torture.
Just thinking about answering exam questions or taking tests made his head ache. He didn't do well in school back then, and he couldn't read a single word in books.
Not to mention it was Asia, known for its notoriously difficult exams.
"Won't they go crazy?" Arthur was somewhat worried; he didn't want anything like Harley's psychiatric issues appearing near Atlantis.
"They have their own legs, don't they? Let's go to your Royal Palace; I'll get in touch with Barry."
The Royal Palace's architecture was relatively well-preserved, still had some semblance, except for a few scattered Fish-Men hiding in the corners, but they currently had no desire to attack, aimlessly swimming back and forth.
The quantum communication device in the communication room had been soaked with water, but it's a product of the Justice League, and waterproof is one of its basic functionalities, so it still works now.
The communication directory includes a photo of each member, and you can contact them by pressing one, very convenient indeed.
Su Ming pressed Barry's smiling face on the large screen, and the call was instantly connected.
"Arthur?"
"It's me, Deathstroke," Su Ming smiled.
"Oh? You're using Arthur's terminal now, are you in Poseidonis?" A breath came from the other side.
"Yes, you sound like you're still running; where are you now?"
"Myanmar, uh, Thailand, no, now I'm in Cambodia, oh it's hard to say, are you planning to buy me a meal?"
You could hear Barry's helplessness in his voice; the Justice League uses the subspace network with sonic connections and communicates with The Flash in Divine Speed, but Barry's speed isn't affected over there.
Asking The Flash's location is indeed meaningless; he can instantly appear beside you.
"Come to Poseidonis for some grilled fish, and on your way through Hua Country, help me find a hundred sets of college entrance exam papers."
"Uh, but what do you need so many exam papers for?"
Barry's voice sounded from behind, he had already arrived, holding a somewhat damp stack of papers in his arms.
Su Ming turned around to inspect the exam papers; very well, although Su Ming hasn't attended university, just by looking at the densely packed small printed words on these, you know they are top-class goods.
Nothing else, just plenty to fill the belly.
"Someone just sent me three beauties, but I think they're uncultured, so I plan to have them learn a bit." Su Ming casually closed the exam papers, found a spot to let them dry for a while, waiting to photocopy them: "Can you help me find a Greek-to-Chinese dictionary too?"
"Here." With an electric flash, Barry borrowed a dictionary from who knows which library: "But trading women is wrong, who's your client, some chieftain from a feudal Arab country?"
"A bit further north; the tribe's called Olympus... let's not talk about it, let's find some edible fish, the sky is getting dark, let's rest for a while; I have things to do tonight."
Barry's mouth twitched; he remembered Athena's matters.
Su Ming wasn't planning on doing anything to the three women; Hera was just using them as pawns, intending to outwit Su Ming.
But Su Ming saw through it.
Hera had resolved to trade the three away, both to prevent Zeus from constantly thinking about them and to curry favor with the strong. Even if Su Ming didn't want them, Hera would still find others, perhaps even send them to aliens.
It's better to temporarily take them in, let them adapt for a period, and then free them.
Just like wild animals raised in a breeding center, tigers and lions need an adaptation process before being released into the wild; after reaching a certain level, they can be freed.
Ordinary release methods won't work for them; they could likely develop gratitude towards Su Ming and eventually there would be possibilities of entanglement.
They must think Deathstroke is an irredeemably bad person who'll never return.
So Su Ming thought of making them do papers, it's merely forcing them to run away...
Surrounded by papers as vast as the sea, with Mera watching like a hawk.
Yes, in the plane, he saw Mera pinching Arthur hard; hard water magic is quite conspicuous.
As long as the three goddesses think they're ready and can adapt to human society, they'll definitely come up with a way to escape.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have told Arthur—it's just temporary.
If the goddesses, who've never experienced exam-oriented education, can withstand a week of the storm of papers, Su Ming would turn Wilson Enterprises' 'W' upside down and rename it Golden Arches!
Athena will think of it, as long as they escape, they can live freely. Moreover, because they escape from Deathstroke, it won't affect the surface cooperation between Olympus and Deathstroke.
Torment or freedom? Even a fool knows how to choose.
To never appear again in front of Olympus and Deathstroke, living by their own will and capability, that's truly living as a human...