American Comics: The Strongest Villain

Su Sheng's phone rang, cutting through the tension in the room. He glanced at the irritated Catwoman before answering with a chuckle.

Catwoman narrowed her eyes, then swiftly kicked at Su Sheng in retaliation.

"Hey, it's me," Su Sheng said, half-stepping back and catching Catwoman's ankle, tossing it aside with ease.

Riiiiip!

The sound of tearing fabric echoed as Catwoman's long skirt split, and she ended up sitting on the floor.

"This was brand new!" she fumed silently, pushing herself up quickly. In a swift motion, she launched herself at Su Sheng, fists and feet striking out.

Effortlessly blocking her attacks with one hand while still holding the phone with the other, Su Sheng continued, "Didn't bring her out? Said she was bored? Heh, not my problem. If you send her over, you better bring her back, because when you hand her to me, I'll let her go. Barbara's walking again will depend on it, and I'm almost done designing the device, so you better hurry."

He hung up just as Catwoman swung a high kick at him.

"You know your moves are getting slower, right?" Su Sheng teased, catching her ankle once again. When she tried to twist away, he suddenly pinned her leg against the wall.

Boom!

Catwoman was now pressed against the wall in a perfectly executed standing split, one leg held high by Su Sheng. Her face twisted in frustration as she struggled against his grip.

Holding her leg in one hand, Su Sheng pocketed his phone with the other, smirking at her. "Why do I get the feeling that you've been trying to get my attention ever since I got back?"

"Bah, I despise everything you do," Catwoman spat, still struggling.

Su Sheng's smile widened as his free hand began to inch closer, causing Catwoman's expression to shift. She kicked and cursed, but her voice grew faint as her struggles became weaker.

"You're all... water, aren't you?" Su Sheng muttered mockingly as he finally let her go.

Catwoman slid down to the floor, dazed and humiliated. After a moment, she cursed under her breath and stormed out of the room. Some time later, she reappeared, freshly dressed, and without a word, headed straight for Barbara Gordon's room.

Knock, knock, knock!

The sound of someone knocking interrupted Catwoman and Barbara Gordon's conversation. Catwoman stood, her mood still foul, and went to open the door. The moment Su Sheng stepped in, Catwoman shouldered past him coldly, pushing him out of the way.

"You two had a fight?" Barbara Gordon asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

"I was just helping her release some pressure. You know, dams can burst if they hold too much water," Su Sheng replied cryptically, leaving Barbara confused. He closed the door behind him and walked over to Barbara's bed.

"Batman didn't manage to save Harley Quinn."

Barbara stiffened, gritting her teeth. "So… you're not going to help me?"

"I already told him—when he brings Harley to me, I'll restore your ability to walk. But don't worry, I'm almost finished with the device, so I'm prepping early." Su Sheng smiled as he approached the bed and lifted the corner of the blanket.

Swish!

"W-What are you doing?" Barbara panicked, trying to cover herself.

"Helping you," Su Sheng said, unbuttoning her hospital gown. "Look, Harley Quinn got into her mess partly because of me, and you got hurt because of her. But I won't take all the blame. You, Harley, and Catwoman—you three were the first people I met. I still remember the first time we crossed paths... so, consider this my way of helping you."

The gown slipped away as Su Sheng continued speaking, his tone casual. "Besides, I don't actually need Batman to save Harley. It's all just a game of leverage. I could make a call to ARGUS and have her out in no time. But I'm curious. I want to see how much Harley has changed, how she'll play Batman this time. So I'll get you walking first, but I'll leave you hanging for now. Sound good?"

Barbara, now lying on her stomach, remained silent, her hands covering her face.

Su Sheng pulled out a small device and, with a calm voice, said, "This might sting a bit." Without waiting for a response, he inserted the device into her lower back.

Barbara's prepared resistance was no match for the sudden, sharp pain, and she couldn't help but cry out.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Catwoman's furious voice echoed from the door as she rushed in, seeing Barbara bare and Su Sheng standing over her. Rage ignited in her eyes.

"You're bullying her now too?!" Catwoman yelled, rushing at Su Sheng to pull him away.

"No! No, you misunderstood," Barbara gasped weakly. "He didn't… he didn't do anything bad."

"You're lying! It looks like he bullied you, and you're just afraid he won't help you if you tell the truth!"

"No, really," Barbara protested. "He's helping me. He's already made the device."

Catwoman paused, bewildered. "Really?"

"Really," Barbara confirmed.

Su Sheng raised an eyebrow. "I'm starting to think you're targeting me," he said, watching Catwoman closely.

"Targeting you? Please," Catwoman scoffed.

"Think about it," Su Sheng continued. "The people around you seem to like me. Maybe you're feeling a little lonely? It's not fun being the odd one out, especially when you're wound so tight all the time. Holding back for too long… It's no wonder you're always on edge."

"You… you're impossible!" Catwoman sputtered, but Su Sheng just chuckled.

"Let me finish with Barbara, then I'll come find you," he teased.

"Asshole!" Catwoman growled, stomping off in a huff.

Barbara looked up at Su Sheng, still processing what had just happened. "Is… everything okay?"

"Don't worry," Su Sheng reassured her. "Cats are like that. They're good when they're good, but when they're wild, they're really wild."

With that, he activated the device.

Barbara's face lit up with excitement as she felt the sensation returning to her legs. Slowly but surely, she lifted one of them off the bed.

It was working.