American Comics: The Strongest Villain

The hospital wasn't Gotham's largest, but it had the best environment and top-tier medical facilities, thanks to the generous investments of Wayne Enterprises.

Su Sheng led the way confidently, making his way upstairs without hesitation, as though he knew exactly where Barbara Gordon was. Catwoman followed, bewildered. Could he really have been gathering information earlier? How? Watching Su Sheng with incredulity, she thought, Who gathers intel with their eyes closed?

"We're here," Su Sheng said softly as he pushed open the door to the private ward.

The smell of antiseptic filled the room. The ward was about 20 square meters, equipped with modern facilities. One hospital bed lay empty, while the other held Barbara Gordon, pale and frail in her gown. Her eyes, dull and lifeless, stared into nothingness. The slight rise and fall of her chest was the only sign she was still alive.

When the door creaked open and Su Sheng entered, Barbara didn't react at first. But as her eyes registered Su Sheng and Catwoman, a storm of emotion overtook her. She snapped her head toward them, her eyes ablaze with fury. Her whole body trembled, fists clenched tightly as her teeth ground in suppressed rage.

"It's you!" she spat venomously. "You did this to me!"

Her voice dripped with hatred, and her delicate features twisted into a terrifying expression.

Su Sheng glanced at Catwoman, saying nothing. His X-ray vision scanned Barbara's body, assessing her injuries. After a while, he let out a light chuckle, pulled a chair close to her bed, and sat down.

"I told you once... you would end up paralyzed."

Barbara's fury froze, and a distant memory surfaced—Su Sheng's cryptic words when they first met. Why aren't you paralyzed yet? he had asked.

"There are many parallel worlds near ours," Su Sheng began, as if he hadn't heard her accusation. He leaned back, his tone calm. "Fifty-two to be exact, each one encased like worlds in a snow globe. Beyond them is a barrier, a wall of Speed Force—that's where Flash's powers come from. And beyond that... is the realm of gods—places like Apokolips and New Genesis. Beyond even that, there's Destiny."

Catwoman and Barbara Gordon, despite their anger and confusion, found themselves listening. Su Sheng's words carried the weight of a mystery beyond their understanding.

"At the top," Su Sheng continued, "there's a book—a book that holds the fate of everything."

Barbara's expression hardened. "Are you saying this was destined? That I was meant to end up like this?"

Su Sheng shook his head, chuckling lightly. "No, no. I'm just explaining the world to you. You're going to be in bed for a while; I figured I'd pass the time with some cosmic trivia."

Catwoman slapped Su Sheng's shoulder, scowling. "What's wrong with you? I thought you were comforting her!"

Barbara said nothing, glaring at him.

"Not a fan? Then maybe you'd like to revisit the three questions I asked you last time. You still don't have the answers," Su Sheng teased.

"What questions?" Catwoman asked, curious.

With a mischievous smile, Su Sheng recounted, "My brother had a high fever and his body went stiff. I shook him, thinking, 'Hold on, bro,' and he started twitching and vomiting. I cleaned him up, but he was sluggish, curling into a ball. What illness does he have?"

Barbara was baffled, as was Catwoman at first. But as Su Sheng finished, Catwoman's expression changed. She slapped his shoulder again.

"Shameless!"

Su Sheng laughed, pointing to Catwoman. "See? She's got it. An experienced driver on the road of life."

Barbara still looked confused. "What's the answer?"

"Don't worry about it," Catwoman rolled her eyes. "It's not the kind of question you should waste your time on."

Ignoring the remark, Su Sheng continued, "Here's another. What day of the year do men fear most?"

"January 31st," Catwoman answered confidently, her sharp eyes sparkling.

"And for women?"

"December 1st," Catwoman quipped.

Su Sheng clapped, clearly impressed. "Now that's an experienced driver!"

Barbara was still lost, not understanding the innuendos. Su Sheng chuckled again, leaning in. "It's about the 'day' in those answers, Barbara."

Her face flushed with realization. "What kind of stupid, shameless questions are these?" she snapped. "It's— it's ridiculous!"

Without missing a beat, Su Sheng shifted gears. "Why did Harley Quinn come after you?"

Barbara's anger receded for a moment as she gathered her thoughts. "She's been trying to draw you out, and she finally succeeded. After you left Gotham, she changed. She became more reckless, more chaotic. She told everyone she wanted to make Gotham so wild that you'd have no choice but to return. She's committed countless crimes over the years. The name Harley Quinn has become a nightmare for Gotham's new generation. Batman couldn't capture her. And you... you never came back."

"So, her plan was to make something big happen?" Su Sheng asked.

Barbara nodded.

Catwoman listened, stunned. When they entered the room, Barbara was filled with rage, blaming Su Sheng for everything. And now... now they were talking like old acquaintances? What kind of sorcery was this?!

Su Sheng stood up, his tone shifting back to seriousness. "Your injuries are severe. Even if you recover, you'll need a wheelchair. I'll come back after I deal with Harley Quinn."

As he turned to leave, the door opened. Bruce Wayne stepped into the room, his face hard and unreadable.

"I'd really like to know," Bruce said gravely, his voice thick with tension, "what you plan to do about all of this."