As Laura fell silent again, Su Sheng gently pulled her into his arms, his fingers tracing along her bare legs as he spoke with a teasing smile. "You've had it rough—first being tricked by Lai Li and then being forced by me. But remember, I never forced you to stay. If you miss this chance, you might not get another one."
Laura hesitated, the conflict clear in her eyes, but she remained quiet.
"Do you want to kill the Comedian to avenge your mother? I can help you," Su Sheng suggested, his tone probing.
Laura's instincts made her nod briefly, but she quickly shook her head. Killing the Comedian wouldn't solve everything. If it could, she wouldn't have stayed in the first place. And besides, the Comedian was likely already dead by now.
"Are you sure?" Su Sheng asked when he saw her shake her head.
Laura softly hummed in agreement.
"Alright, it's your choice," Su Sheng replied casually. He had only offered his help because he was in a good mood after acquiring a new ability. Whether Laura chose to remain submissive or not didn't concern him much.
Moving to the living room, Su Sheng lay on the sofa, picked up a tablet, and began browsing the news in Central City. Unsurprisingly, the headlines were dominated by stories of the group of four, who had caused quite a stir with their brazen crimes. The city had issued a bounty on them, and their identities were no longer secret.
Besides the group of four, The Flash was also making headlines. Despite the skepticism surrounding his existence, his recent actions had convinced many that he was real and was Central City's protector. However, Su Sheng knew that Barry was in for a tough time. If he recalled correctly, the last target on the gas man's list was Joe West, the police officer who had arrested him—who also happened to be Barry Allen's adoptive father and Iris's father.
Although the group of four was now down to three, The Flash would be busy for a while, especially with other villains lurking in the city.
As for Reverse Flash? He was likely panicking, fearing that all his efforts would be in vain and that he might be trapped in this era forever. Su Sheng decided to let him stew for a while before continuing their game once he received word from the Birds of Prey.
In the meantime, Su Sheng turned his attention to another project: creating a steel suit. With his newfound abilities and knowledge, he planned to bring his ideas to life. He converted the villa's garage into a makeshift workshop, ordering all the necessary equipment and materials for the suit. Thanks to his ability to transmute materials, he didn't have to worry about money. In less than a week, everything was in place.
Su Sheng spent his days flipping through books at super speed, absorbing knowledge at an astonishing rate. What might take someone else a year to learn, he could master in minutes. To keep himself engaged, he developed a new Speed Force ability—overclocking his senses. This allowed him to adjust his perception of time, speeding up or slowing down as needed. It was like watching a movie on fast-forward or in slow motion, but to everyone else, he still moved with lightning speed.
After finishing the last book, Su Sheng glanced at the pile beside him with satisfaction. "It's almost time to put it to the test."
"Shh!"
In a flash of red lightning, Su Sheng zipped from the living room to the garage.
Laura, curious, followed him and entered the garage just as Su Sheng began spinning rapidly around the workbench. He moved so quickly that, despite his speed, the air around him remained still, serene.
"Shh!"
Suddenly, Su Sheng appeared beside Laura, draping an arm around her shoulders. "It's done. Want to see how it turned out?"
Laura's eyes widened in surprise as she looked ahead.
A sleek, red-and-gold steel suit stood before her, its tough lines exuding a sense of power and elegance. Every connection and joint was perfectly crafted, making the suit as much a work of art as it was a weapon. Despite not being particularly interested in armor, Laura couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship.
She walked over, gently running her fingers over the suit's surface. After a moment, she whispered in amazement, "It's incredible…"
Su Sheng smiled at her reaction. "I ran over 300 simulations to perfect the design, so it should work in theory. The only downside is the lack of artificial intelligence, making it a bit more hands-on. It's like an advanced manual suit. There's also the energy issue—it can only support five minutes of full-power combat. Flight time is longer, comparable to a small helicopter. There's still plenty of room for improvement, like enhancing the energy source, making it portable, adding self-repair capabilities, and so on."
Laura nodded, still entranced by the suit.
"Do you like it?" Su Sheng asked, amused by her fascination. "They say mechas are a man's dream, but I didn't expect you to be so interested. I could make you a suit too, if you want."
"Really?" Laura looked up, her curiosity piqued.
"Depends on your performance," Su Sheng teased as he walked over to the suit. It opened up from the middle, allowing him to step inside.
The suit sealed itself around him, the dark interior lighting up as the helmet's eyes glowed.
"I'm going to take it for a spin!" Su Sheng's voice echoed from inside the suit. In the next instant, blue propulsion energy flared from his hands and feet, and with a burst of speed, he shot out of the garage!
Author's Note:
Why write about a steel suit? Although the protagonist is already powerful and doesn't need external help, steel suits are undeniably cool. Even though the DC world has plenty of awesome armor, I thought it would be fun to explore. Plus, it gives the female characters a way to protect themselves. After all, this is the DC universe, and danger is always around the corner.