American Comics: The Strongest Villain

The cold sensation roused Laurel from her fainting spell. Her mind was still foggy, and she vaguely realized she was lying on the ground, staring up at a dimly lit ceiling.

"Where am I?"

Laurel tried to get up, but to her shock, she discovered she was completely naked, her wrists shackled to the ground by bent steel bars. Panic surged through her as her memory slowly returned. She remembered arguing with her father, storming out of the house, wandering into the slums, and being robbed by a man with a gun. Then, an Asian man had appeared, dodging bullets like something out of a sci-fi movie and killing the robber with a single, brutal punch. After that, she had fainted.

"You're awake."

A familiar voice cut through Laurel's scattered thoughts. She saw the man from earlier, shirtless, walking out of the shadows.

It was the Asian man who had saved her.

"Let me go! What do you want from me?" Laurel yelled, her voice frantic as she struggled against the restraints.

Su Sheng knelt down beside her, a smile on his face. "You should say thank you first."

"Thank you? You kidnapped me, and you want me to thank you?" Laurel retorted angrily. "Let me go! My father is a cop!"

"Quentin Lance. I know." Su Sheng seemed unfazed by her outburst. He casually ran his hand along her body as she struggled and shouted. "First of all, I saved your life, so a thank you isn't too much to ask. Secondly, your clothes are over there, clean and dry. I even gave you a bath. I didn't want you to faint again from the blood and smell."

"Then how do you explain this?" Laurel demanded, shaking her shackled wrists. She was far from convinced by his explanation.

"I restrained you so you'd listen to me quietly." Su Sheng's smile was disarmingly sincere. "And also to show you the importance of not fainting and getting captured. Right now, it's just me seeing you like this. But if I were a bad guy, you could be dead—or worse."

"You killed someone and kidnapped me. Aren't you a bad guy?" Laurel shot back coldly.

Su Sheng chuckled as if amused by her accusation. "If I hadn't kidnapped you, would you still think I was a bad guy for killing him? You know what could have happened if I hadn't stepped in. Even if you were lucky and he didn't kill you, what would you do? Let me guess."

"Have him arrested, tried, and punished by the law?"

Laurel remained silent.

Su Sheng continued, unfazed. "How long would he be in jail? Five years? Ten? Maybe he'd get out even sooner. He wouldn't be a reformed man when he got out. Chances are, he'd repeat the same crimes, maybe even kill someone next time. And then what? Arrest him again? Another jail sentence?"

"What are you trying to say? That killing him was justified?" Laurel asked, her voice icy.

"So you firmly believe that the law is the only way to maintain justice?" Su Sheng asked, his tone curious.

"Of course!" Laurel answered firmly. "And you will be punished by the law and pay the price you deserve."

"I'm not here to debate what justice is. But I am curious: What if the man who killed your sister was standing in front of you? If you had the chance to kill him and avenge her, would you take it? Or would you let the law handle it?"

Laurel's expression darkened with sorrow. "He's already dead."

"You mean Oliver Queen? But what if the Queen's Gambit accident wasn't just an accident?" Su Sheng suggested with a sly smile.

Laurel's eyes widened as she looked at him. "What do you mean? Are you saying it wasn't an accident? What do you know?"

Su Sheng suddenly grabbed the steel bars shackling Laurel's wrists and yanked them out of the ground as if they were nothing. Now free, Laurel instinctively covered herself and backed away, keeping a wary distance from him. Su Sheng looked at her seriously and said, "I know that the person responsible is powerful. Even if you gathered evidence and brought him to justice, he might not stay in jail for long—if he goes to jail at all. And when he gets out, he might come after you and your father. Maybe more people will die."

"Who is he?" Laurel demanded, her voice low and tense.

"Think about whether you want to rely on the law to bring justice for your sister or kill him to save others. When you've made up your mind, come find me, and I'll tell you the answer." Su Sheng smiled, waved her off, and then walked into the darkness, leaving Laurel alone.

"Wait! Why should I believe you? What's your name?" Laurel called after him, but his voice came back faintly from the shadows.

"Su Sheng."

The name echoed in the dim light, leaving Laurel standing in stunned silence.

After a moment, she walked over to where her clothes were neatly folded. They were clean and dry, just as he had said. She dressed quickly, found her bag, and turned on her phone. Ignoring the missed calls and texts, she called her father.

The phone connected, and before Laurel could say anything, she heard Quentin Lance's impatient voice on the other end. "Finally, you're answering! Listen, I don't want to fight with you, but you shouldn't have turned off your phone. If Sara hadn't turned off hers, I might have been able to find her and stop what happened. So remember, never turn off your phone. Got it? Are you even listening?"

"...I'll be home soon," Laurel replied after a moment of silence.

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