It was a clear and sunny day.
Su Sheng took a brief trip to drop off Disciple at the villa before making a few phone calls. He then gave Riley a quick lesson on how to use certain powers before calling Caitlin Snow.
Caitlin Snow was driving to the lab when she picked up his call. After a brief chat, she hung up, and Su Sheng returned to his study of the Speed Force.
The Speed Force had numerous applications beyond the basic abilities, like the rapid hand vibration to create a lightning blade, the high-speed face vibration to conceal identity, or phasing through solid objects. Some techniques, such as time travel and running up walls, required more mastery. Su Sheng was still refining his control over the Speed Force, which wasn't just about how fast others saw him moving but also about his own perception of the world and the precision of his movements when using the Speed Force.
Before he knew it, the morning had passed.
After a quick shower, Su Sheng came to the living room and turned on the TV. He asked Laura, "Where are the others?"
"They went out," Laura replied.
"Shopping, huh? Why didn't you go?" Su Sheng asked, picking up a decoration from the table. With a simple touch, he transformed it into gold and tossed it to Laura. "Here, this should be enough for you to buy a car. Go out and have some fun."
Laura hesitated, but Su Sheng was already engrossed in the TV.
The news was on, reporting a bank robbery. A bank employee being interviewed mentioned that a mysterious fog suddenly filled the bank during the robbery.
"Fog?" Su Sheng mused. "The Weather Wizard, perhaps?"
The particle accelerator explosion not only created the Flash but also gave rise to many meta-humans. The Weather Wizard was one of them—well, technically, the second Weather Wizard. He and his brother had been bank robbers who, after being caught by Joe West, escaped on a small plane. But they crashed during the particle explosion, which was assumed to have killed them. Instead, they gained the power to control the weather. The older brother hadn't shown up immediately due to his injuries, so the one who robbed the bank must have been the younger brother. This would make him Barry Allen's first real enemy as the Flash.
Su Sheng couldn't remember the younger brother's name, but he was certainly intrigued by his abilities.
Swish!
With the Speed Force activated, Su Sheng instantly became a streak of red lightning and vanished.
His objective was clear. Using his knowledge from the TV series, he planned to check all the farms in Central City, knowing that the younger Weather Wizard had used one as a hideout.
Farm after farm, the red lightning zipped through the countryside.
Suddenly, Su Sheng stopped at one particular farm, finding himself face-to-face with a startled man.
"You... you..." Clyde Mardon stared at Su Sheng, bewildered. How had this man appeared out of nowhere? Could he have superpowers too? No, there was only room for one god.
Though Clyde didn't know who this man was or what he wanted, he made a quick decision.
Clyde thrust his arm forward, generating a whirlwind of fog that spiraled toward Su Sheng.
Boom!
The whirlwind tore through the farm's walls, leaving a trail of destruction.
Clyde was about to check on his handiwork when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw Su Sheng, looking unperturbed, with a sly smile on his face.
"Nice attempt, but it seems you've fallen into the classic villain trap—talking too much. But honestly… you're too slow."
"You..." Clyde stammered, backing away as he extended his arms to summon a more powerful windstorm. The gusts intensified, rapidly building in strength.
Boom!
The roof of the farm was torn off, and debris was blown away by the force of the winds.
"You're dead!" Clyde shouted from within the raging storm.
"You won't die, at least not by my hand," Su Sheng said, chuckling. "I won't use your own power against you—might end up killing you by accident. So…"
Swish!
Red lightning flashed, and Su Sheng appeared right in front of Clyde Mardon.
"How did you…"
"How am I unharmed by the cutting winds? Don't ask too many questions, little minion," Su Sheng laughed, grabbing Clyde by the throat.
Clyde instantly felt the suffocating grip, and the whirlwind surrounding him dissipated.
With one hand around Clyde's neck, Su Sheng raised his other hand, vibrating it at an incredible speed. To Clyde, it appeared as a mere blur, an afterimage.
"You have a choice," Su Sheng said calmly. "Either you go and attack S.T.A.R. Labs, or I'll kill you right now. You know S.T.A.R. Labs, right? It's where you gained your powers when the particle accelerator exploded. They already know about meta-humans, and whether it's to protect themselves or as a threat to me, I think it's in your best interest to choose the former."
"I-I'll go…" Clyde gasped out.
Snap!
Su Sheng released his grip, and Clyde fell to the ground.
"Don't even think about running. You know… I'm very fast," Su Sheng warned. Before Clyde could respond, Su Sheng had disappeared.
At S.T.A.R. Labs, Su Sheng appeared on the rooftop where Caitlin Snow had previously been kidnapped. He sat down, pulled out his phone, and called her.
"Is Barry Allen at the lab?" Su Sheng asked when Caitlin answered.
"No, he's not."
"Then tell him to head back to the lab," Su Sheng said, smiling.
"Why?" Caitlin asked, confused.
"Because a meta-human will soon be attacking S.T.A.R. Labs—the guy who robbed the bank that was on the news," Su Sheng replied.
"How do you know that? Then come help us!" Caitlin said urgently.
"Help? No, I won't be doing that. I'm the one who forced him to attack S.T.A.R. Labs, after all. Why would I help?" Su Sheng laughed before hanging up and turning off his phone.
Caitlin stared at her phone in shock. "You… forced him to come?" She quickly tried to call Su Sheng back, but the phone was off.
Frustrated, she had no choice but to contact Barry Allen.