American Comics: The Strongest Villain

Seeing Caitlin Snow trembling quietly, Su Sheng approached her, squatting down with a smile. "That's better. Stay calm and quiet. No need to scream like the damsel in distress in a bad TV drama. It kind of ruins the image I have of you, even though I'm more interested in the other version of you."

Caitlin Snow looked at him in confusion. "Another me? What do you mean?"

Su Sheng chuckled. "I didn't plan on hurting you. You can leave as soon as Cisco Ramon finishes what I asked for in half an hour. But until then, I need you to cooperate. Can you do that?"

Caitlin Snow nodded hesitantly.

"Good." Su Sheng patted her head, seemingly satisfied, and then casually asked, "Have you ever had a boyfriend?"

Caitlin shook her head.

"Never? Well, maybe it's for the best. You're probably better off single." Su Sheng laughed lightly.

Caitlin Snow frowned, feeling slightly offended. "What do you mean I'm better off single? Why?"

"Why?" Su Sheng echoed, amused. "Let's just say you have a bit of a 'coffin' effect."

First, there was Ronnie Raymond, Caitlin's fiancé, who became Firestorm after merging with Martin Stein during the particle accelerator explosion, only to die later while saving Central City. Then there was Hunter Zolomon, Zoom from Earth-2, who posed as a hero but turned out to be a villain, and he also met a tragic end. Lastly, there was Julian Albert, the man who became Alchemy, who didn't die but eventually left her life. Caitlin's romantic history seemed cursed.

Su Sheng patted her shoulder, continuing with a mock serious tone. "So remember, no boyfriends for you. But if you ever need anything, you can always find me. As the saying goes, 'If I don't go to hell, who will?' My life's pretty tough—you won't be able to kill me."

Caitlin Snow turned her head away in frustration, choosing to ignore him as if to say, I'm too angry to talk to you right now.

But as her anger simmered, Caitlin realized she wasn't as scared as before. Despite his infuriating attitude, this man didn't seem intent on harming her. As her fear subsided, curiosity took its place. Although she wasn't as obsessed with superpowers as Cisco Ramon, her background as a bioengineer made her intrigued by Su Sheng's abilities. How did he generate electricity? And if she could, Caitlin would love to run a full analysis on him.

"What's your name?" Caitlin asked cautiously.

"Su Sheng."

"Are you from China? Were you born with these powers, or did they result from some kind of accident? Have you ever had your body checked?"

Su Sheng smiled. "What? Are you offering to check me out?"

Caitlin Snow nodded, then hesitated. "I mean, although there aren't many documented cases, your situation seems like it might involve genetic mutation. If I could conduct a detailed examination, I might be able to figure out how you acquired your powers and what your limits are."

She sighed, a bit disappointed at the thought of missing such a unique opportunity. Given the situation, she knew she wouldn't get the chance to study him.

Su Sheng seemed to consider this before replying, "Tell you what—if you can keep it a secret, I might come to you for a check-up in the future. But I'll warn you now, if you can't handle it, I might have to kill you."

"Really?" Caitlin's eyes lit up with excitement, and she asked eagerly, "When?"

"Whenever I feel like it."

"Deal. I promise I won't share the results with anyone. I just want to understand why." Caitlin hurriedly gave Su Sheng her phone number, afraid he might change his mind. "Just call me ahead of time so I can make the necessary arrangements."

"Sure," Su Sheng agreed, taking note of the number.

"Why do you need a sonic device anyway?" Caitlin suddenly realized that someone with his powers shouldn't need such equipment.

"You'll see soon enough."

Time passed quickly as they chatted, and before long, Su Sheng led Caitlin downstairs and back to S.T.A.R. Labs.

At the entrance to the lab, the security guard who had been electrocuted earlier had been taken inside for treatment. Cisco Ramon stood at the door with Harrison Wells, holding a small box.

When they saw Su Sheng and Caitlin Snow walking back together, chatting as if they were friends, both Cisco and Harrison were stunned.

"What's going on?" Cisco asked, looking between the two. "Caitlin, are you okay?"

Caitlin glanced at Su Sheng before nodding. "I'm fine. He didn't hurt me."

"That's a relief." Cisco exhaled, handing the box over to Su Sheng. "Here's what you wanted."

Su Sheng opened the box, revealing a small circular device the size of a watch face, mounted on a two-finger-wide black metal band. Cisco began explaining the device's functions. "You activate it by touching the surface with your finger. You can also adjust the intensity of the sound waves with this dial…"

Su Sheng listened attentively as Cisco continued his explanation. "The device can emit sonic waves strong enough to incapacitate or even shatter objects, depending on the intensity you set. It's small but packs a punch."

"Not bad," Su Sheng said, impressed by the craftsmanship. "It's exactly what I need."

Cisco, despite his earlier fear, couldn't help but ask, "Why do you need this? With your powers, it seems unnecessary."

Su Sheng smirked, his eyes gleaming with a mischievous glint. "Let's just say I like to be prepared for all kinds of situations. You never know when a sonic blast might come in handy."

Caitlin exchanged a wary glance with Cisco, sensing that Su Sheng wasn't giving the full story. But before they could ask more questions, Su Sheng closed the box and gave them a nod.

"Thanks for the help. And Caitlin," he added, "I'll be in touch."

With that, Su Sheng turned and walked away, leaving Caitlin and Cisco standing there, trying to process everything that had just happened.

"Do you think he'll really come back?" Caitlin asked quietly.

Cisco shrugged, still looking in the direction Su Sheng had gone. "Honestly? I have no idea. But if he does…we'll be ready."

Caitlin nodded, though she wasn't sure what to expect. One thing was certain—her life had just taken a very unexpected turn.

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