The Flower of Dark Mercy, more commonly known as Black Mercy, is a parasitic entity. Once it attaches to a host, it induces a coma, trapping the victim in a vegetative state. During this period, it feeds the brain with blissful thoughts, creating a dream world of perfect happiness.
As the Black Mercy lunged toward him, aiming to latch on, Su Sheng swiftly copied its ability. Activating the Speed Force, he dodged behind the parasitic flower in an instant. Without hesitation, he summoned a burst of flames.
Boom!
The intense heat engulfed the Black Mercy, reducing it to ashes in seconds. With the threat eliminated, Su Sheng pushed open the door to the living room, where Kara Danvers lay asleep on the sofa. Gently placing his palm on her forehead, Su Sheng activated the ability he had just copied. Instantly, he felt his consciousness being drawn into a different reality.
Krypton.
In a cozy room, Kara Danvers was happily chatting with her parents. When she noticed Su Sheng, she beamed and waved him over. "Come here! What's on your mind?"
"Nothing much," Su Sheng replied with a smile, walking over to her. Kara immediately took his arm, pulling him closer.
As they talked, Su Sheng began studying this new ability. It was fascinating. The dream felt incredibly real, and though it was built around Kara's deepest desires, he had the power to alter it at will. He could end the dream, prolong it indefinitely, and even choose whether Kara would remember or forget it upon waking.
What intrigued him most was his role in this dream. Here, he was a Kryptonian, and more surprisingly, Kara Danvers' husband. This, it seemed, was one of Kara's deepest subconscious desires.
Su Sheng decided not to end the dream immediately. Instead, he lived alongside Kara in this dream world, learning more about Krypton through her eyes. They spent days together, even sleeping side by side at night. Despite being a dream, the experiences felt incredibly real—after all, both physical sensation and emotional response are governed by the brain and spirit.
After what felt like a month in the dream, Su Sheng decided to bring it to an end.
As the dreamscape dissolved, Su Sheng glanced at the clock.
Only ten minutes had passed.
"Mmm," Kara murmured as she slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes and saw Su Sheng, she instinctively called out, "Husband."
Su Sheng had chosen to let her retain the memory of the dream.
As Kara glanced around her apartment, realization dawned on her. She looked at Su Sheng, flustered. "I... I..."
"You suddenly fainted. Were you feeling stressed? Or is your body still recovering?" Su Sheng asked gently.
"Ah? No, I'm fine. I don't know what happened. I just... I had a dream," Kara said, her voice trailing off. She began recounting the dream, a smile on her face. Although it had only been a dream, she looked genuinely happy, more at ease than she had been in days. The tension between them had vanished, replaced by a comfortable familiarity that carried over from the dream.
"It seems like you don't need me anymore after that dream," Su Sheng teased with a light chuckle.
"Of course not!" Kara laughed, grabbing his arm and planting a kiss on his cheek. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him and flew them both out of the apartment.
Boom!
They soared through the sky, finally landing in a secluded, deserted area.
"Do you like it here?" Kara asked, slowly shedding her clothes. "No one around, no disturbances. We can do whatever we want."
"The sky as our blanket, and the ground as our bed?" Su Sheng smirked, pulling her close.
They indulged in each other with no reservations, their surroundings bearing the brunt of their passion. By the end, the once desolate area was now a landscape of devastation. Luckily, there was no one around to witness the destruction. As they lay together, Su Sheng marveled at Kara's newfound boldness—her enthusiasm had only grown after the dream, making the experience even more exhilarating than the first time.
After a long time, they finally returned to Kara's apartment in National City.
They showered together, laughter mingling with the sound of water, before wrapping themselves in towels and heading to the living room.
"Oops, crap!" Kara exclaimed as she grabbed her phone. She noticed several missed calls from Cat Grant and suddenly remembered she was supposed to be at work. "I don't know if Ms. Grant is going to be angry!"
"You could call her and explain," Su Sheng suggested with a chuckle.
Kara hesitated before shaking her head. "I'll deal with it tomorrow."
As night fell, neither of them suggested that Su Sheng leave. When it was time to rest, they naturally went to bed together.
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the window. Su Sheng awoke to find Kara getting dressed. She noticed he was awake, kissed him goodbye, and prepared to leave for work.
Though many challenges still lay ahead, Kara's mood was visibly lighter and happier.
When she arrived at CatCo, Kara noticed something new: there was an additional desk opposite hers, occupied by a woman she didn't recognize.
"Winn, who's that?" Kara asked her colleague in a low voice.
"Where were you yesterday? Cat was furious! She brought in Siobhan Smythe as a second assistant. I heard she used to work at the Daily Planet," Winn whispered back.
"Oh," Kara replied, returning to her desk.
Meanwhile, as Su Sheng left Kara's apartment, he received a call from Lucy Lane.
Lucy shared two pieces of news. First, she was returning to National City soon, having been ordered to temporarily take over the DEO. Second, with alien activities on Earth becoming increasingly apparent, the government was considering an anti-alien proposal. According to Lucy, this measure was primarily aimed at Superman, whose actions were becoming increasingly reckless.
Just last night, Superman had killed Lex Luthor.