American Comics: The Strongest Villain

Gotham wasn't silent as night fell. Instead, it was more chaotic than ever. The usual nightlife was absent, replaced by occasional gunshots and screams that made sleep elusive.

In the master bedroom on the second floor of the apartment, Harley Quinn lay awake, her back to Su Sheng, who was asleep with steady breathing. His gun was within reach on the bedside table. After dark, Su Sheng had asked her to take a bath and then led her to the bedroom. Harley had expected something more intimate, given Su Sheng's reputation, but instead, he simply held her through the night. Even with an airport to his name, he had chosen not to take advantage of the situation and left the gun at her side.

"Unpredictable lunatic," Harley Quinn muttered to herself, closing her eyes.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Harley Quinn was jolted awake by the sound of gunfire. When she opened her eyes, it was already bright outside, and Su Sheng was nowhere to be seen. Startled, she got up, pushed open the bedroom door, and went downstairs.

Downstairs, the door was open, and Su Sheng was leaning on the sofa, his gun trained on the outside. Several bodies lay on the street, evidently the result of Su Sheng's shooting.

"Good morning! How did you sleep?" Su Sheng greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning," Harley Quinn replied, somewhat stunned. "I slept well. How about you?"

"Not bad," Su Sheng said, still smiling. He gestured toward the kitchen. "I made breakfast. Care to try it?"

"You made breakfast?" Harley Quinn asked, bewildered. She wasn't questioning his cooking skills but found it odd given the circumstances.

Harley Quinn went to the kitchen and tried the breakfast. It was quite good. As she ate, she observed Su Sheng shooting at anyone attempting to approach the street.

One shot. One headshot.

"Thank you. Breakfast was great," Harley Quinn said softly after eating, approaching Su Sheng.

Su Sheng handed her the gun. "Your turn."

"Me? Why? My marksmanship isn't as good as yours," Harley Quinn said, confused.

"I've lost interest," Su Sheng replied with a shrug. Initially intrigued, he had grown bored after a few shots.

Even though her marksmanship wasn't perfect, standing and shooting wasn't engaging enough for him.

"I'm going out for a bit," Su Sheng said, patting Harley Quinn on the shoulder before jumping off the sofa.

Gunshots erupted immediately. Harley Quinn instinctively ducked behind the sofa, then remembered that Su Sheng had just left. She peered out to see him swaggering down the street, skillfully avoiding bullets with seemingly preternatural reflexes. Despite the continuous gunfire, Su Sheng evaded every shot effortlessly and disappeared around the corner.

Was this guy for real?

Harley Quinn was stunned. She tried to follow but quickly realized she couldn't match Su Sheng's remarkable agility. Regretting her decision, she sought refuge nearby, finding a hiding spot and waiting for Su Sheng to return.

The street, marked by chaos and litter, looked desolate. Occasionally, a head would appear from behind curtains in the residential buildings but would quickly vanish.

Ring… Ring…

The sound of a phone ringing from a booth about ten meters away cut through the eerie silence. The ring echoed sharply on the empty street.

Step by step, Su Sheng walked toward the phone booth but passed it without acknowledging the ringing phone. The bell continued to ring sadly until Su Sheng moved past and the sound stopped, only to start again at the next booth.

Su Sheng continued to ignore it.

The third booth. The fourth. Each time he passed, the phone rang until he turned into an alley. From the rooftops on either side of the alley, a dark figure leaped down—like a bat.

Thud!

The bat landed gracefully. The figure's eyes, visible beneath the mask, looked slightly annoyed. After all the ringing, the figure had raced across rooftops to catch up. Out of breath, the bat was about to speak when Su Sheng, still grinning, pointed at her and said, "Would you like to take a break? You seem to be breathing a bit heavily."

The bat's retort died in her throat. The unexpected comment had completely derailed what she had planned to say.