After placing his order, Su Zhan sat quietly in the restaurant, letting his thoughts drift. The recent encounter with the Thing had not even counted as a real fight for him; it was more like a warm-up, a reminder that his current arsenal of abilities was still limited. He knew he needed to expand his powers, and with another world copy soon to be unlocked, he was not worried about that.
But his mind was not just on himself. He thought about the War League and the people around him. The incident with the Twin Blades of Fear had been a close call, and he could not always guarantee that nothing similar would happen again. While the War League could avoid such threats for now, people like Skye and Natasha were often out on missions, facing danger. Skye, with her Inhuman abilities, would likely become very powerful in time, but Natasha remained vulnerable, lacking any special powers.
Su Zhan wondered when Simmons would finish her research on the R16 serum. If successful, it could grant abilities to those close to him and greatly improve their safety. He also thought of Felicia, who was just an ordinary person. The DC world was full of dangers, and even if things seemed calm for now, he worried she might attract unwanted attention. He needed to find a way to protect her, at least until Simmons's serum was ready. Perhaps a suit of armor, like Tony's, would be a good temporary solution. Felicia was skilled at piloting and would have no trouble handling it. With a suit, she would be much safer, at least until something better came along. Although Tony guarded his technology closely, Su Zhan was confident he could find a way.
His thoughts were interrupted when the waiter arrived with his order. After paying, Su Zhan left the restaurant, slipped into a quiet alley, and took to the sky. When he returned to base with the Chinese food, Skye and the others were delighted. The familiar flavors brought a rare sense of comfort and warmth.
Later, Su Zhan checked in with Simmons about her progress on the serum. She reported that she had identified the key ingredients and was about seventy percent confident in her formula. While it had not yet been tested, she believed it could be fine-tuned to reliably grant a specific ability. This news pleased Su Zhan greatly. He asked her to give him a copy of her research as soon as she succeeded, since he had a way to test it.
He planned to use the power world's laboratory for the first trials. There were many who dreamed of gaining superpowers, and since Simmons's formula was designed to grant a fixed ability, the risks seemed manageable. It was the perfect opportunity for a controlled experiment.
After dinner, Su Zhan spent time with Skye, enjoying the peace of the evening. Once everyone had gone to bed, he quietly entered the power world copy.
The scene shifted, and Su Zhan found himself in his room at the base of the power world. Outside the window, the stars glittered in the night sky. It was already midnight. He left his room and went to find Kira.
The door to Kira's room was unlocked. Su Zhan entered quietly, but Kira was already awake. She opened her eyes, startled for a moment, but then recognized him and smiled with relief.
"Master, you're back?" She whispered, sitting up.
Su Zhan nodded and sat beside her, handing her the successful research from Simmons. "Take a look at this. It's a formula for the serum. With this, you should be able to create a potion for specific abilities, though the success rate is still uncertain. Have your people study it carefully, and only proceed with experiments if you're sure it's safe. I hope to hear good news soon."
Kira nodded eagerly. "Yes, I'll arrange it right away."
Su Zhan smiled and shook his head. "No rush. You can wait until morning."
"Alright," Kira replied softly. She hesitated, then added, "Master, the person you were looking for has been found. She's at the base. Do you want to see her?"
The Prophet-Pop Girl.
Su Zhan felt a complicated mix of emotions. He could not pretend he had no feelings for her. After all, they had shared an experience that could not be erased. He could not imagine seeing her with another man in the future.
"Just tell me where she is. I'll go myself. You can get some rest," he said gently.
Kira gave him directions, and Su Zhan quietly left.
Pop Girl's living conditions were comfortable. Although her freedom was restricted, her room had everything she needed. When Su Zhan entered, he found her sitting on the bed, fully dressed, a lollipop in her hand as always. She seemed to be waiting for someone.
She looked up as he entered, showing no surprise.
"Did you know I was coming?" Su Zhan asked, their eyes meeting in the quiet room.
Pop Girl did not answer right away. Instead, she took out a small notebook and showed him a drawing she had made. It was a picture of her room, with herself sitting on the bed, talking to someone whose figure was shrouded in darkness.
"I only knew I would meet someone tonight," she said softly. "I didn't know who it would be, but given the circumstances, it wasn't hard to guess."
Su Zhan smiled faintly. "Then you can probably guess why I came to see you."
Pop Girl nodded. "I have an idea."
He looked at her, his expression serious. "So, what is your answer?"
She lowered her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do I even have a choice? From the moment you forced yourself on me, I stopped having choices."
Su Zhan shook his head, his tone gentle but firm. "It's not that you never had a choice. You just didn't want to make one. I was unconscious, and you woke up before me. If you truly hated me, you could have killed me then. But you didn't. You just ran away. Still, you're right. Now, you really don't have a choice. Whatever the reason, you became my woman, and that's not something I can ignore. In the future, you can only be mine. But if you don't want me, I will never touch you."
Pop Girl was silent for a long moment. Then, suddenly, she looked up and met his gaze. "What if I want to be with you?"
Su Zhan's heart softened at her words. He reached out and gently took her hand, his voice warm. "Then you will never be alone again."
In the quiet of the night, a new understanding passed between them. For the first time, both felt the weight of the past begin to lift, replaced by the hope of something better ahead.