Chapter 44: Love and Flames
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Lin Chen and Diana started their new life together in a luxurious penthouse apartment overlooking Metropolis. The two months that followed were the happiest Diana had experienced in nearly a century.
Mornings were spent chatting together on the rooftop—Diana telling Lin Chen about historical events and how she lived in past years while he showed her the powers he currently possessed.
One evening, as they stood on the balcony watching the sunset, Diana asked, "Lin... Show me, what you can do now. I want to see your abilities."
Lin Chen smiled and gestured. Metal objects on the balcony began floating in the air. "Telekinesis. I can move objects with my mind."
He then held out his hand, and blue-white electricity crackled between his fingers. "Electrokinesis. I can control electricity."
Diana watched with more interest. "What else?"
Lin Chen touched a small stone from a decorative pot. Before Diana's eyes, the ordinary rock transformed into gleaming gold. "Matter transmutation. I can change one material into another."
They stood together in comfortable silence, Diana leaning against his shoulder as the city lights began to glow below them.
"I missed this," Diana said softly. "For so long, I was alone. I thought I would always be alone."
"You'll never be alone again" Lin Chen wrapping his arm around her.
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While their personal life was peaceful, Lin Chen had been monitoring global events carefully. The world was nervous—Superman was dead, and people wondered who would protect Earth from powerful threats.
For the past month, Lin Chen had been particularly focused on Midway City. His enhanced mental power allowed him to scan the city from a distance. He detected unusual military movements and the presence of several metahuman criminals being transported there.
He recognized the operation immediately—Task Force X, also known as the Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller's project to use imprisoned metahumans as disposable soldiers.
Something big is happening there, Lin Chen thought. I need to observe this.
He told Diana he needed to investigate something and would return by morning. She kissed him and made him promise to be careful.
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Lin Chen arrived in Midway City as a blur of speed, perching silently on a blackened skyscraper overlooking the battlefield.
Below, chaos reigned. A massive mystical machine was tearing open a portal to another dimension in the sky. The Enchantress—an ancient witch possessing archaeologist June Moone—stood at the center, performing a reality-warping ritual. Storm clouds swirled above, lightning striking randomly as she manipulated the weather.
[ABILITY ACQUIRED: WEATHER MANIPULATION -Can control atmospheric conditions including wind, rain, lightning, temperature.]
[MENTAL POWER +49]
The Suicide Squad—Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, Captain Boomerang, and others—were fighting desperately against the Enchantress's brother, Incubus. The creature was enormous, made of dark energy and twisted matter.
[MENTAL POWER +1]
Lin Chen watched as El Diablo—Chato Santana, a man with pyrokinetic abilities who had sworn never to use his powers again after accidentally killing his family—finally gave in to his rage.
Santana's body erupted with flames. He transformed into a towering, skeletal fire demon over twenty feet tall, covered in burning energy.
[ABILITY ACQUIRED: FIRE MANIPULATION - Can generate, control, and manipulate fire]
[FIRE RESISTANCE ACQUIRED]
[MENTAL POWER +38.5]
The transformed Diablo unleashed torrents of flame that matched Incubus's dark power. The two titans clashed, creating explosions that shook the entire city block.
The battle reached its climax as Diablo managed to pin Incubus against the building's support structure. The demon was momentarily restrained.
"Do it!" Diablo screamed to the squad. "Detonate the bomb now!"
Rick Flag, the military commander leading the squad, pressed the detonator.
Lin Chen stood atop his observation ledge, his eyes glowing faintly with orange light from his newly acquired fire abilities. He didn't intervene to save Diablo—he understood this was the man's choice, his redemption.
The bomb detonated with tremendous force, incinerating both Diablo and Incubus in a blast of white-hot flame.
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With her brother dead, the Enchantress faltered. Her power flickered begain to low. She stood at the center of her mystical machine, preparing to complete her ritual despite her brother's death.
But before she could finish, Lin Chen moved.
He blurred from the rooftop. From his perspective, time nearly stopped. The Enchantress appeared frozen mid-gesture.
Lin Chen appeared directly in front of her, his hand already reaching toward Enchantress's heart—the source of her power and her only weakness.
"You've caused enough noise," Lin Chen said calmly.
The Enchantress's eyes widened in shock as she realized someone had moved faster than her perception could track. She tried to lash out with a psychic illusion, attempting to trap Lin Chen in a nightmare vision.
But Lin Chen's mental power was far higher than hers. The illusion shattered against his mind like glass against steel.
[MENTAL POWER +5.6]
[ABILITY ACQUIRED: MIND MANIPULATION - Can read, influence, and control minds. Can create mental illusions. Can defend against psychic attacks.]
Lin Chen now held her heart in his hand—a grotesque, glowing organ wrapped in magical energy. He raised his other hand, and a jet of white-blue flame erupted from his palm, using his newly acquired Fire Manipulation.
The flame was so hot it burned with nearly sun surface intensity. It instantly vaporized the Enchantress's heart.
The Enchantress screamed—a sound of pure agony that echoed across sky. Her soul was being burned out of existence. The ritual machine behind her collapsed, its mystical energy dissipating.
[MENTAL POWER +29.3]
[MENTAL POWER +9.7]
[ABILITY ACQUIRED: TELEPORTATION - Can instantly transport self across distances.]
Lin Chen vanished before the smoke even settled, using his newly acquired teleportation to instantly return home.
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Next second, Lin Chen was back in Metropolis, standing on his balcony as the cool night air washed over him. The entire operation had taken less than five minutes.
He looked out at the skyline, processing his new abilities. He subtly opened his hand, and a small, perfectly controlled white-blue flame danced on his thumb—yet produced no smoke.
Fire manipulation, weather control, teleportation, mind manipulation, Lin Chen thought.
He closed his fist, extinguishing the flame just as Diana emerged from the kitchen carrying two cups of tea.
"You're back early," she said with a warm smile. "Everything alright?"
"Everything's fine," Lin Chen replied, taking a cup and kissing her forehead. "Just some observation work. A crisis was averted."
Diana studied his face for a moment, sensing something new but not pressing for details. She trusted him completely.
They stood together on the balcony, sipping tea and watching the peaceful city below.
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In a secluded upscale restaurant, Bruce Wayne sat across from Amanda Waller in a private booth.
"You wanted to meet," Bruce said coldly. "What do you want, Waller?"
Amanda Waller got straight to business. "I need protection. What happened in Midway City... if certain details come to light, I could face serious legal consequences."
"You mean the fact that you enabled an ancient witch to nearly destroy an entire city?" Bruce asked dryly.
Waller's jaw tightened. "I'm offering you information in exchange for your discretion. Information I think you'll find valuable."
She slid a thick dossier across the table. Bruce opened it and saw detailed files on several individuals:
- Barry Allen - Metahuman with super-speed
- Arthur Curry - Atlantean hybrid with superhuman abilities
- Victor Stone - Cybernetic being with advanced technology
"Metahumans," Bruce said quietly. "You've been tracking them."
"The world needs protection," Waller said. "Superman is dead. These people could fill that void."
Bruce closed the dossier. "I'm building a team. These people could be part of it. But in return, you shut down Task Force X."
"That's not your decision to make," Waller replied coldly.
"It is now," Bruce said, standing to leave.
As he walked away, Waller called out, "You look tired, Mr. Wayne. You should stop working nights."
Bruce stopped, realizing she knew he was Batman. He turned back slowly. "Shut down your operations, Waller. Or I will. And you don't want me as an enemy."
He left without another word.
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[UPDATED STATUS]
Name: Lin Chen
Mental Power: 223.1 (Continental scale+)
Strength: 35,344.2 tons
Physique: 137,387.9
Speed: 12,346 m/s
AbilitiesAdded:
- Weather Manipulation (Continent Scale+)
- Fire Manipulation (up to 5000°C, Continental Scale)
- Fire Resistance
- Mind Manipulation (Continent Scale+)
- Teleportation (Continental scale+)
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Time Manipulation: Expanded to Continental Scale
Electrokinesis: Expanded to Continental Scale.
...
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