Su Sheng stood on the roof of a residential building, observing the scene before him. A few meters away, a woman was crouched by the edge, peering through binoculars at a room in the building opposite. This wasn't a typical voyeur situation—there were no scantily clad women or couples in the room she was watching. The woman, with her curly black hair resembling instant noodles, was Shauna Baez, also known as Peek-a-Boo.
Shauna had a special gift, a result of the particle accelerator explosion—she could teleport to any location within her line of sight. In the original timeline, she used this ability to break her boyfriend out of prison. Eventually, The Flash caught her by breaking all the lights in a tunnel, leaving her unable to see where she was going.
"Multiplex for numbers, The Mist for support, Girder for brute strength, and now a teleporter who can attack or retreat at will. Not a bad lineup," Su Sheng thought to himself, pleased with the team he was assembling.
Shauna let out a long breath, lowering her binoculars as she prepared to move. But when she noticed Su Sheng standing nearby, she jumped in surprise.
"Who the hell are you? Get out of here!" she shouted, reaching for the gun at her waist.
Su Sheng smiled. "I'm here to ask for your help."
"Help? Who do you think you are? I don't know you, and you better get lost before I make you," Shauna snapped, pulling out her gun and aiming it at him.
"It seems everyone prefers to solve problems with violence," Su Sheng chuckled. "Very well."
In an instant, red lightning flashed, and Su Sheng disappeared from her sight.
Shauna's instincts kicked in, and she tried to teleport to a distant rooftop. But before she could even activate her ability, a sharp pain struck her neck, and everything went black as she fell unconscious.
"You might be able to teleport, but I'm faster than you can see," Su Sheng murmured, scooping her up and disappearing again in a flash of red lightning.
Su Sheng returned to the Discipleship, his ship. Though smaller than the Waverider, it was equipped with everything he needed, including high-security cells. The ship's previous owner had been a bounty hunter, so the cells were built to hold some of the most dangerous individuals across time.
He casually tossed Shauna onto the floor and glanced at the three other metahumans locked in their cells: Multiplex, The Mist, and Girder. Multiplex sat quietly, The Mist fumed as he transformed into green gas and repeatedly smashed against the walls of his cell, while Girder, ever the brute, furiously pounded the steel walls.
"Shh, keep it down. Don't disturb the lady's rest," Su Sheng said, gesturing for silence as he pointed to the unconscious Shauna. "I know you have questions, but hold them until she wakes up."
A few minutes later, Shauna groaned as she regained consciousness. She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar setting, surrounded by the three other metahumans and Su Sheng, who watched her with an amused smile. She quickly realized she couldn't teleport out—there were no visible exits, no way to see beyond the walls.
"Who are you, and why am I here?" Shauna demanded, backing away cautiously.
"My name is Su Sheng," he began, still smiling. "I know everything about you—all of you. I know how you got your powers, what they are, and what you want to do with them."
"And why should we help you?" The Mist shouted from his cell.
"Because you're still alive," Su Sheng replied calmly. "Fight me, and you'll lose. Run, and I'll catch you. You've all been living like fugitives, hiding your powers, running from the law. I'm offering you a chance to do what you've been wanting to do—together."
He turned to each of them in turn. "You, Multiplex, want revenge on the man who stole your research and cost your wife her life. The Mist, you want to kill the mob boss, the judge, and the cops who betrayed you. Girder, you just want to be feared and do as you please. And Shauna, you want to save your boyfriend from prison, don't you?"
Shauna frowned. "What's your angle?"
"It's simple. I'm bringing you all together so you can achieve your goals as a team. Whether you work together or separately is up to you. But it'll be a lot easier with more hands on deck," Su Sheng explained.
"And what do you get out of this?" Multiplex asked, narrowing his eyes.
Su Sheng chuckled. "Have you heard of The Flash?"
Multiplex and The Mist shook their heads, but Girder scoffed. "You mean that guy who's been saving people all over the city? I thought it was you."
"His speed isn't nearly as fast as mine," Su Sheng replied with a smirk. "But yes, this is about The Flash. Wherever trouble happens, he's sure to show up. I want to see how he handles facing all of you at once."
"If you're faster than him, why don't you just deal with him yourself?" The Mist asked, still skeptical.
Su Sheng shrugged nonchalantly. "Do I need to explain myself to you?"
Without another word, he opened their cells. "You can do whatever you like, but I expect you to confront The Flash tomorrow at noon. If anyone bails and ruins my fun, I'll make sure they never have any fun again."
Before any of them could respond, red lightning flashed, and they found themselves standing in an alley in the heart of the city.
The four metahumans exchanged glances, processing what had just happened.
After a long silence, Multiplex spoke up. "He's right. We might as well stick together. Four of us have a better chance than one, especially if this Flash guy tries to stop us. Let's get to know each other and plan this out."
The others nodded in agreement, realizing they had little choice.
Meanwhile, Su Sheng, having sent the four on their way, returned to his villa. There was still one more metahuman he wanted to find, but that could wait until after the showdown tomorrow.
He waved to Laurel, already anticipating the chaos to come.
...