"Special ability?"
"Yes," Su Zhan replied, his voice calm and confident. "You know in this world there are many people with superpowers-like the Avengers, the X-Men, and so on. I have a special ability as well. But I'm not a mutant. My power is innate; it awakened suddenly, like an instinct. I can devour all forms of energy, and there are no negative side effects. For example, I absorbed Extremis before, and that's how S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered me. They realized I had no official identity, so..."
"So, they won't trust you," Skye finished, her brow furrowing with worry. "Especially after learning about your ability, they'll want to capture you, maybe even experiment on you. I can't let them get you-absolutely not..."
Without another word, Skye spun her laptop around and her fingers danced rapidly across the keyboard.
"What are you doing?" Su Zhan asked, genuinely curious as he watched her work.
"I'm helping you erase your recent digital footprints-so they can't track you. Then we'll leave this place immediately!" Skye said, her voice determined and urgent.
"Wait, just wait a second..." Su Zhan called out, reaching to stop her.
"Trust me, I can do it," Skye insisted, thinking he doubted her hacking skills.
Su Zhan shook his head. "It's not that I don't believe you-I know you can do it. But there's no need. I can't keep hiding like this. I already told Black Widow I wouldn't hide, so S.H.I.E.L.D. won't be coming after me for now. And honestly, it's not that easy for them to catch me!"
"Really?" Skye looked up, her concern evident.
"Really. If I get the chance, I'll show you my abilities and you'll understand," Su Zhan said confidently, his eyes meeting hers.
"Then... okay," Skye hesitated, but finally agreed. "Still, this isn't safe. Even if S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't acting against you now, it's not good to be on their radar!"
"You're right. So... let's leave now."
Originally, only Skye had planned to leave, but now the two of them hit the road together and left the hotel. Their cars were parked nearby, but Su Zhan simply got into Skye's van without hesitation.
"What about your car?" Skye asked, glancing at him as he settled into the passenger seat.
"You said your van is your home. Since I'm your boyfriend, of course I want to be with you. I don't care about that car," Su Zhan replied casually, a gentle smile on his lips.
"Okay!" Although Skye felt a little regret about leaving the car behind, she much preferred Su Zhan's answer.
The two of them got into Skye's van and quickly drove off, leaving their old lives behind. Skye was already used to a wandering, nomadic life. The difference now was that she had a man by her side-her man. As they traveled together, their relationship grew closer and more intimate. They were almost always holding hands or hugging, especially at night. The van wasn't too small, but it certainly wasn't spacious, so they ended up sleeping together. Although nothing physical happened, the feeling of sleeping in each other's arms brought their relationship to a new level of comfort and trust.
"There seems to be a good family-run restaurant nearby. Let's try it!" Su Zhan said excitedly, browsing nearby restaurants on his phone.
"I'll listen to you," Skye replied with a bright smile.
When they arrived near the restaurant, Skye said, "You go in first. I'll park the van and join you."
"Alright." Su Zhan got out and was about to find a seat when someone came out of the restaurant. Unexpectedly, the two bumped into each other. Su Zhan's body, modified by the Extremis virus, didn't budge at all, but the man staggered back several steps.
"Are you blind?" Before Su Zhan could say anything, the man cursed at him.
Su Zhan frowned slightly, his expression growing cold.
"Yellow-skinned monkey, I'm talking to you. Are you blind? Or... are you looking for trouble?"
"Very good," Su Zhan said, his anger rising. He looked the man up and down and replied, "I'm pretty sure I'm not blind, but it looks like you are!"
"So, you're looking for death!"
At that moment, Skye finished parking and hurried over, seeing Su Zhan in an argument.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she asked, concern in her voice.
Su Zhan turned and smiled at her. "It's nothing. I haven't had a chance to show you how strong your boyfriend is. Now... the opportunity has come. Hey, there are too many people here. Let's find somewhere else to talk!"
"Just what I wanted," the man sneered, heading toward a nearby alley.
"Honey, what's going on?" Skye asked, her worry growing.
Su Zhan smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing, just someone looking for trouble. I can't help it."
With that, Su Zhan followed the man into the alley. Skye frowned and followed, fiddling nervously with her phone.
The alley was a dead end. The man stood there, sneering at Su Zhan.
"Honey, be careful. His name is John. He's a mutant!" Skye whispered urgently to Su Zhan.
Su Zhan was surprised. "Pyro John?"
"You know my identity? It's too late now. Today, I'll show you what happens when you offend me-Pyro John!" John said menacingly, pulling out a lighter.
With a snap, a flame appeared and grew in John's hand, dancing and intensifying.
"Interesting!" Su Zhan grinned. Because of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Skye, he hadn't gone out of his way to seek out new abilities lately. He hadn't expected to run into Pyro John by chance.
Pyro John was a villain, a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants. He could control fire but not create it. His power wasn't the strongest, but it fit Su Zhan's needs perfectly.
Currently, Su Zhan could generate high temperatures, like magma, but couldn't create flames. He'd planned to wait until he joined S.H.I.E.L.D., where he'd meet a superpowered individual from Hong Kong who could create flames. That person's platelet resistance meant he could use fire without fear of burns-Su Zhan had wanted that ability. As for burns, Su Zhan's body was immune.
Still, if he could get John's fire control now, and later gain the ability to create fire, his strength would increase dramatically.
"Pyro John, you really are blind. You dare to pick a fight with me... This is what they mean by 'refusing the road to heaven and barging into hell!'" Su Zhan said, his tone icy and full of confidence.