Boom!
Deafening lightning lit up the night sky, turning darkness into day for brief moments. Bean-sized raindrops began to pour from the sky, gradually clearing the streets of any remaining pedestrians.
Inside an apartment, Su Sheng and Jesse were sitting in the living room, watching TV. Earlier that day, Su Sheng had received a call from Supergirl not long after leaving the DEO. On the call, Supergirl updated him on the chaos at the DEO and the situation with Hank Henshaw. Su Sheng had responded with feigned concern, assuring her that she didn't need to worry about him and that he'd already left her place.
In truth, Supergirl was extremely busy. With Alex handling the sudden leadership vacuum at the DEO, Supergirl was working tirelessly, balancing her job with saving people across the city. Even in this torrential downpour, she had just rescued someone.
The news on TV was covering Supergirl's latest heroic act.
Leslie Willis.
The radio host at CatCo Worldwide Media. Earlier that day, she had used her radio show to mock Supergirl with her usual sharp-tongued insults. By evening, however, she found herself demoted and assigned to report from a helicopter in the middle of the thunderstorm by Cat Grant, the company's president. As if things couldn't get worse, the helicopter was struck by lightning, causing an accident—but fortunately, Supergirl was there to save her.
Leslie Willis and Supergirl were both well-known figures in National City, and the public's interest in their "feud" ensured this news made the headlines quickly.
Leslie was still in a coma, being treated at the hospital.
Su Sheng, with an arm around Jesse's shoulders, casually stroked her as he pondered. Leslie Willis was almost certainly going to become Livewire. She could control and emit electricity, and even transform her body into pure energy—a formidable adversary for Supergirl. The origins of her powers were linked to the lightning strike that occurred when Supergirl saved her, mixed with the latent energy of a Kryptonian in the vicinity, which altered Leslie's physiology and turned her into Livewire.
"Zzzzt… Zzzzt..."
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and Jesse looked up curiously. There was a sharp snap as all the lights and the TV went out simultaneously, plunging the apartment into darkness.
"What's going on?" Jesse asked, startled. "Is it a sudden power outage? It looks like it's not just here."
She turned to look out the window, where the surrounding high-rise buildings were also shrouded in darkness.
"What a coincidence!" Su Sheng muttered, releasing Jesse as he stood up. "I'm heading out."
"Huh?" Jesse was caught off guard, but Su Sheng had already donned his battle suit and flown out the window.
Su Sheng could control electricity, but transforming into an energy body like Livewire was a unique ability. It was interesting enough that if he encountered it, he wouldn't pass up the chance to take it. The large-scale power outage in this area was almost certainly Livewire's doing.
Crack, crack!
Electricity danced along the streetlights, causing them to flicker before extinguishing as the current moved on.
Su Sheng landed on the street just as a bolt of lightning struck nearby, transforming into a human figure as it touched the ground.
Black boots, distressed jeans, a blue shirt beneath a small black jacket, white hair, pale skin, and sharp features—she looked every bit the villain. Crackling electricity flickered at her fingertips as she opened her hand, glaring at Su Sheng with disdain.
"Where did you come from?" she snapped. "Step aside!"
"Pretty bold, aren't you? I'm guessing you're on your way to cause trouble for Cat Grant at CatCo Worldwide Media?" Su Sheng chuckled.
"You planning to stop me?" Livewire, newly awakened and brimming with anger and arrogance, shouted as she waved her hand, sending a bolt of electricity his way.
Boom!
The electricity struck the ground, and Su Sheng, standing a short distance away, chuckled again. "Nice power, but… too slow."
"Too slow?" Livewire was momentarily stunned before firing off another bolt.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of electrical blasts surged forward, lighting up the street as Su Sheng dodged effortlessly, flashing from one spot to another, completely unharmed.
"Still too slow. You're not going to hit me at that speed!"
Swish!
In a blink, Su Sheng was standing right in front of her. Startled, Livewire thrust her hands forward, sending another surge of lightning.
But Su Sheng was gone.
"Where did you go?" Livewire whipped her head around, searching, only to find Su Sheng had silently appeared behind her.
"Humph!" Sensing him, Livewire scowled, her electrical charge transforming into a long whip, which she lashed out with. The crackling whip struck the air, but just as it reached Su Sheng, he raised a finger.
Swish!
The electric whip halted abruptly, suspended in the air. Livewire tried to pull it back, but it wouldn't budge.
"What… What did you do?" she exclaimed, shocked.
"Control the current? You're not the only one who can do that!" Su Sheng laughed, opening his hand as the electric whip in Livewire's grasp transformed into pure energy and shot into Su Sheng's hand, instantly wrapping around her. Panicked, Livewire's body began to glow blue as she attempted to transform into electricity and escape.
"Infinite superposition, ten times."
Su Sheng amplified Livewire's electrical control by tenfold. He could feel the current surrounding them, and with just a thought, he could control it all.
Livewire herself was now just a mass of raw energy.
"Come here."
With a simple gesture, the electric whip vanished, and Su Sheng's palm opened. The electricity that was once Livewire condensed into a ball of crackling energy, hovering above his hand.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
The electric sphere hummed and crackled, its energy volatile and unstable, as if it might explode at any moment.
"Isn't this fun?" Su Sheng teased, lightly tapping the electric ball. Unfortunately, in this form, Livewire couldn't respond.
Boom!
Su Sheng took off, flying out of National City with Livewire in tow. Despite the torrential rain, he remained dry, unaffected by the storm. Arriving at his destination, Su Sheng brought Livewire into his prison and tossed her inside.
The prison door sealed shut, and Livewire reverted to her human form.
"What is this place? What are you doing!" she demanded.
"What?" Su Sheng replied with a chuckle. "You're my new backup battery, of course."
PS: Livewire, also known as Leslie Willis, debuted in Supergirl during the first episode of the show's fifth season. In the comics, she's also known as Livewire, and she was quite active in the TV series. Although she started as a villain, she eventually helped Supergirl fight against stronger enemies, ultimately sacrificing herself. In the show, she also had a partner called Silver Banshee, another of Supergirl's colleagues.