"Snatch and run, it's really exhilarating!"
With a grin on his face, Su Sheng leaped over a police car that had just arrived on the scene in response to the commotion. The officers hurriedly got out, ready to give chase, but Su Sheng had already dashed into a nearby alley.
And then… he jumped straight up.
Though he couldn't fly yet, this height was nothing to him after copying Diana's abilities.
The crowd that had been pursuing him rushed into the alley, only to find themselves staring at a dead end in bewilderment.
Where had he gone?
They looked at each other, wide-eyed.
Meanwhile, as the commotion unfolded below, Riley discreetly made her way up the side of a building, heading for the rooftop. Once there, she quickly located the spot where the Disciple was cloaked. Though it looked empty, she sighed in relief when she felt its surface. The hatch slowly opened, and Riley hurried inside.
"I'm home."
Su Sheng used the Lasso of Truth to bind the unconscious woman to a chair, turning to Riley with a playful smile.
"Master, you..." Riley began, unsure of what to say.
"An occasional run keeps you healthy and in shape," Su Sheng said with a chuckle. "If you get too fat, I might not want you anymore."
"Uh... I see." Riley was stunned, nodding awkwardly. She wasn't sure if Su Sheng was serious. Would he send her back to her original time to face her original fate, or would he simply kill her? After all, no one likes their personal belongings being used by others, even if they no longer want them.
A low groan escaped the woman's lips as she regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, and she immediately began to struggle, shouting angrily.
"Let me go, you bastard!"
"Don't be nervous, I'm not a bad person!" Su Sheng said with a smile.
If there had been background music, she would have definitely shouted back at Su Sheng: Don't lie to me, the background music changes whenever you speak!
"What's your name?" Su Sheng asked in a calm tone.
"Laura... Laura Juspeczyk. What did you do to me? Why can't I..." Laura stared in horror at the golden rope binding her. The burning sensation compelled her to speak, even though she desperately didn't want to.
"Silk Spectre II?" Su Sheng inquired further.
"Yes... how do you know?" Laura asked, feeling as though she was losing her mind, her answers coming out involuntarily.
"It seems I found the right person!"
Su Sheng smiled.
The Watchmen is a superhero team that includes Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach, Ozymandias, the Comedian, Nite Owl, and Silk Spectre. As the only woman on the team, Laura had inherited her mother's mantle, taking on the codename Silk Spectre and adding a splash of red to the otherwise male-dominated group.
"Where's Dr. Manhattan?"
Having confirmed that he was speaking to the right person, Su Sheng naturally asked the question he was most curious about.
"He... he left Earth. No one... no one knows where he went," Laura answered helplessly.
"When did he leave? And why haven't I seen any reports about him?"
"After he became Dr. Manhattan, he... he gained the ability to see the future. He knew... he knew that one day, someone would come looking for him and use his power to bring disaster to the world. So he... he left early. That person is... you, isn't it?" Laura was drenched in sweat, her voice trembling as she forced the words out.
Su Sheng frowned.
Among Dr. Manhattan's extensive list of abilities, the power to see the future was indeed one of them. It wasn't a rare ability; even Gideon on the Waverider could predict future events, not to mention the Time Masters. However, they could only see the impact of a deviation after it occurred. Dr. Manhattan's ability to predict was stronger, allowing him to foresee deviations before they even happened.
He was always one step ahead!
No wonder there was no news about him—Dr. Manhattan had left Earth early to protect his own peace of mind.
Originally, Su Sheng had planned to recruit Dr. Manhattan to deal with the Soviet Firestorm, hoping that with just a snap of his fingers, the Firestorm project would be obliterated. After all, Dr. Manhattan's wish was for world peace. But now, it seemed that plan was off the table. Who knew where Dr. Manhattan had gone after leaving Earth? Mars, like in the movie? If he could leave the moon early, he could just as easily leave Mars.
Su Sheng reluctantly withdrew the Lasso of Truth from Laura and waved his hand. "You can go."
Laura, known for her fiery temper, immediately tried to kick Su Sheng the moment she regained her freedom.
You let me go, and I'm supposed to just leave?
Even setting aside the kidnapping, if Su Sheng had some connection to Dr. Manhattan, there was no way Laura could just walk away.
Smack!
Laura's black high-heeled shoe collided with Su Sheng's arm, but he caught her and flung her aside with ease.
Boom!
Laura hit the ground hard, groaning in pain as she looked up at Su Sheng standing a few meters away, his expression indifferent.
This man was incredibly strong.
"Who the hell are you?" she asked cautiously as she got back on her feet.
"Why ask? If you don't know who I am, you shouldn't ask for trouble that's beyond your reach!" Su Sheng replied impatiently.
"What... what do you mean?" Laura was confused.
"You can't beat me, so just get lost!" Su Sheng clarified.
"..."
Laura, infuriated, unbuttoned and took off her coat.
Su Sheng glanced sideways. "What? Are you going to seduce me, shirtless?"
Shirtless... seduce me...
The sound of high heels clicked against the ground as Laura charged at Su Sheng.
Laura had been trained in hand-to-hand combat by her mother from a young age and had participated in numerous missions with the Watchmen. She prided herself on being strong, but she had never encountered someone who could casually block all her attacks with one hand, looking utterly bored in the process!
Boom!
Another failed strike, and Laura stumbled back a few steps, glaring at Su Sheng in frustration.
"Do you know what life is?" Su Sheng suddenly asked, catching Laura off guard. But before she could respond, he answered his own question. "Life is a series of slaps, waking you up one hit at a time."
"Are you awake?"