American Comics: The Strongest Villain

The sudden ringing of Laurel's phone interrupted Su Sheng's thoughts. He deactivated the electricity flowing through his hands, bent down, and retrieved the phone from Laurel's bag.

The screen displayed an unfamiliar number, unmarked by any contact name.

After a moment of consideration, Su Sheng decided to answer. Felicity's anxious voice came through immediately.

"Is it you?"

"Felicity?" Su Sheng was surprised to hear her voice on Laurel's phone.

Felicity exhaled in relief upon recognizing Su Sheng's voice, but her tone remained urgent. "There are seven or eight well-equipped people outside. They're definitely not police officers. You need to get out of there now!"

"Can you identify who they are?" Su Sheng glanced at the unconscious Laurel and asked, chuckling slightly.

"I can try, but…"

"Do it. Let me know what you find."

Without hanging up, Su Sheng slipped the phone into his pocket and turned his attention to the steel bars scattered on the ground. He picked up two of them and, with a casual twist of his hands, bent them into U-shapes as if they were made of soft clay. He then dragged Laurel to the wall, positioned her upright, and extended her arms. The U-shaped steel bars were wrapped around her arms and driven deep into the wall, pinning her securely.

The solid wall gave way easily, as though it were made of soft tofu. Within moments, Laurel was firmly fastened to the wall, her unconscious body hanging limply.

Poor Laurel had only encountered Su Sheng twice, yet both times had ended with her fainting and being restrained—first on the ground, and now on a wall.

At least this time, Su Sheng had refrained from stripping her of her clothes, though that might still be a possibility later.

"I've found something," Felicity's voice came from the phone.

Su Sheng took it out and listened as Felicity spoke with a mix of surprise and concern. "Most of the people outside are wearing masks, making it hard to identify them. But one of them—she seems to be their leader—is Dinah Lance, Quentin Lance's ex-wife and Laurel's mother. I tried to dig into her background and found that her records are as highly classified as yours. She wouldn't have anything to do with you, would she?"

"I don't have any connection with her," Su Sheng replied with a chuckle. "Good job. I'll reward you when I get back. I'm hanging up now."

"Be careful," Felicity warned.

Su Sheng ended the call and deleted the call log. He then turned the flashlight Laurel had brought with her towards her, illuminating her unconscious form.

The bright beam cast long shadows across the room as Su Sheng stood beside her.

At the entrance of the factory, the door was cautiously pushed open.

A moment later, a flashbang was tossed inside, detonating with a blinding light that filled the entire factory. Immediately after, the door was flung wide open, and a group of men in combat gear and masks stormed in. They were well-organized and moved with precision. As soon as they spotted Su Sheng, their guns trained on him. But to their shock, Su Sheng seemed completely unaffected by the flashbang, standing there with a calm smile.

The rhythmic click of high heels echoed from the entrance as a middle-aged woman with a stern, paralyzed expression stepped into the room.

She surveyed the scene—Su Sheng, Laurel pinned to the wall, the bent steel bars—and frowned, about to speak.

But before she could say anything, Su Sheng moved.

The air crackled as blue electricity surged through his body. With a sharp gesture, Su Sheng directed a powerful current at the intruders.

"Boom."

The electric charge amplified exponentially, transforming into a giant blue serpent of electricity that surged through the air, its massive jaws wide open. The serpent struck with blinding speed, engulfing the men in an instant.

Within the belly of the electric serpent, the men's weapons exploded in their hands, and screams of agony filled the air as they collapsed one by one.

The serpent roared, but as it reached the middle-aged woman, it halted abruptly. Slowly, the serpent coiled around her, its massive head hovering just inches from her face. Electric sparks flickered like a snake's tongue, and the crackling energy in the air made her hair stand on end. Yet, she remained still, her gaze fixed on Su Sheng as he approached.

"Surprised? Shocked?" Su Sheng asked with a smirk.

Suddenly, the middle-aged woman collapsed to the ground, her earlier calm replaced by visible terror.

"I thought you were well-informed and prepared," Su Sheng remarked, momentarily taken aback by the stark contrast in her demeanor. He then burst into laughter. "Tell me who you are."

Dinah Lance glanced nervously at the electric serpent beside her, then at her daughter, still pinned to the wall, and at the team of agents lying on the ground, their fates uncertain. She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing as she processed the situation. The intelligence she had gathered hadn't mentioned anything about Su Sheng having such overwhelming superpowers.

"Have you heard of the A.R.G.U.S?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "It's a special division under the U.S. government, responsible for monitoring and handling superhuman activities. What you did in Gotham has posed a threat to national security and the safety of society. That's why we're here to have a conversation with you."

Though government organizations in the DC universe don't usually have as much prominence as those in the Marvel universe, Su Sheng had heard of the Sky Eye Society. He just hadn't expected that Laurel's mother, Dinah Lance, would be involved with them. That explained why her records were classified at such a high level.

"Is this how you initiate a conversation?" Su Sheng asked, glancing at the fallen agents and shaking his head with a wry smile.

Dinah Lance responded, "This was a precautionary measure given your uncertain stance. Notice that they didn't shoot, did they? Besides, you seem to be holding an innocent person captive right now. I can't predict what you intend to do. If you release her, I'd be willing to offer a sincere apology and have a proper discussion."

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