Barry's Taunting Mouth

Cisco drove the research vehicle to pick up Lin Li, while Caitlin observed Barry's physical condition in the control room. They were all in communication.

As a consultant for STAR Labs, Lin Li was, as Cisco had said, a supervillain nemesis. Coupled with his familiarity from watching TV shows, he was more than capable of directing their battles.

He picked up the lightning headset and put it on. It was the communicator on Barry's suit. Cisco had made six of them, and everyone had one.

Lin Li spoke into it to Barry, "Barry, you need to be careful. Don't confront Mardon head-on like last time."

At that moment, the car stopped for a red light.

Lin Li exclaimed to Cisco, as if he'd been through hell, "What the hell is going on? You're stopping now?"

Cisco pointed at the busy road and said, "Hey, what can I do? It's rush hour, the peak time for traffic. It's good we're not stuck in a jam."

Lin Li and Cisco waited for the red light, helpless. The supervillain nemesis was waiting for a red light.

"Lin Li, what should I do?"

Barry's anxious voice came through. He was close to his destination.

"Barry, when you get there, see if you can rescue the hostages first. Whether you succeed or not, run. Don't stop."

"The Weather Wizard's Pressure Blade is very fast, but it's not faster than you. Watch his movements, and you can easily dodge it."

"No matter what, Barry, you need to be completely focused. Don't let your guard down, don't underestimate him. Always be aware of his movements. Run, Barry, run, run, run..."

In the southern part of the city, near the hunter's cabin in the woods.

Eddie lay on the ground, his body covered in vomited blood. He was unconscious, groaning in pain.

Moments ago, Mardon had dropped him from a height of thirteen to fourteen meters. He hadn't died instantly, but with multiple fractures all over his body, he was groaning in pain, unable to move, and occasionally vomiting mouthfuls of blood.

Joe stood guard by Eddie's side, his expression sorrowful. Eddie's injury made him feel guilty. If it weren't for his negligence, if he had brought Lin Li along, Eddie wouldn't be like this. If he hadn't brought Eddie, none of this would have happened. His carelessness and lack of attention had led to this consequence, filling him with regret.

"Mardon, I'm begging you. Eddie needs medical attention. Let me call an ambulance to treat him first. You can do whatever you want to me."

Joe cried out in pain. He didn't know how long Eddie could hold on. In Eddie's condition, he didn't dare to move him. Watching Eddie twitch with every breath was like a blow to his own body, causing him immense pain.

Mardon savored Joe's pleas.

This was the right of a god, to control the life and death of mortals.

He looked down at Joe with contempt, raising his hand, closing his eyes, and greedily, deeply enjoying the mortal's desperate begging.

He felt an unparalleled pleasure.

This pleasure of dominance.

However, when he opened his eyes, he saw only his severed arm.

His face contorted into a look of fierce distortion.

"When that guy gets here, you, and the one lying on the ground, will all be buried with him. Enjoy this moment of breathing air, because soon, I'll grind you all into mincemeat."

Mardon said, his voice twisted with hatred.

What he was waiting for, however, was not the lightning-wielding man of his hatred.

The lightning-wielding man was waiting for a red light...

Red arcs, a red phantom arrived first: The Flash.

Barry arrived at the scene. Seeing Joe was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. Then, he saw Eddie lying on the ground, spitting blood, severely injured. His kind heart ached.

He quietly spoke into the communicator, "Lin Li, Joe is safe. Eddie is seriously injured. What should I do?"

"It's you, the little red clown."

Mardon burst into laughter. This little clown in the red suit, whom he had almost killed, dared to show up?

"Hasn't that guy arrived yet? Did you run here first to die?"

"Last time, I couldn't kill you because of that guy."

"This time, I'll see if that guy can get here in time when you're on your deathbed."

Mardon sneered coldly, a ball of swirling mist condensing in his right palm, more condensed and more powerful than before. The pressure emanating from his palm was immense.

The severe injury from last time had left Barry with a lingering shadow. A trace of timidity tightened in Barry's heart.

Lin Li's voice came through Barry's communicator, guiding him in a direction.

"Barry, lure Mardon into attacking you. No matter how you do it, draw Mardon away from Joe and Eddie. Mardon's attack style can easily injure them by mistake. Whether it's by cursing or by affectionately greeting his family, just pull him away."

As soon as Lin Li finished speaking, Barry nonchalantly said, "Hey, one-armed man, looks like you couldn't kill me last time because you just can't get it up anymore?"

Mardon was extremely sensitive about his missing arm. It was a humiliation. Every time he remembered losing it, a flame of anger ignited within him, burning him.

He was angry at his past fear of Lin Li.

He was angry at the trampled dignity of a god.

He was angry at his incomplete body.

He was angry at how the insignificant, ant-like Flash spoke to him like this.

"What are you? A weak piece of trash, a defeated opponent. Without him, you would have died horribly."

Mardon's hands surged with mist as he slashed at Barry.

Three compressed blade-like projectiles burst from his hands, flying towards Barry.

Heeding Lin Li's advice, Barry remained vigilant, his eyes never leaving Mardon.

Thus, as soon as Mardon made his move and the compressed blades shot out, Barry activated his Speed Force, slowing them down as he ran, dodging them.

As long as he stayed alert, he wouldn't fall for these tricks.

Barry transformed into a yellow streak of lightning, evading the attack and running towards Joe's position.

Successfully dodging the compressed blades boosted Barry's confidence. He called out again, "Hey Mardon, doesn't feel good to be one-armed, does it? How do you even eat?"

Barry put on a mocking expression once more.

This again struck a blow to Mardon's pride and sensitive heart; eating with one hand was indeed quite troublesome.

Mardon's anger flared, and he walked towards the Flash.

"Do you think running your mouth can change your fate?"

Mardon flicked his hand, sending out several more compressed blades.

Barry became a blur, evading them.

The compressed blades sliced through the trees behind Barry, felling several birch trees at an angle.

Seeing this, Barry's scalp tingled. These compressed blades were far more powerful than the previous ones; he estimated he couldn't withstand even one hit.

After several more swings, Barry dodged all of Mardon's pressure blades, causing a continuous line of birch trees to be cut and fall to the ground.

Rustle...

The trees tilted and fell.

Barry called out, "Lin Li, I've lured Mardon hundreds of meters away. How should I defeat him?"

Lin Li stroked his chin, calculating as he spoke, "Barry, a person's reaction time is roughly 0.15 to 0.4 seconds. You can run at 320 kilometers per hour, covering 90 meters in one second. Within ten to twenty meters, I think you could even circle around behind him and punch him before he even has time to react."

"That's a brilliant idea, I think I can do it."