Cisco drove the research van to take Lin Li over, while Caitlin monitored Barry's condition in the control room. The few of them were all in contact with one another.
As a consultant for STAR Labs, Lin Li was, as Cisco had said, the nemesis of supervillains. And having watched the TV series, he was more than capable of directing them in battle.
He picked up a Flash earpiece and clipped it onto his ear. It was the communicator from Barry's suit. Cisco had made six of them, one for each person.
Lin Li spoke to Barry. "Barry, be careful. You can't confront Mardon head-on like last time."
At that moment, the car stopped for a red light.
Lin Li said to Cisco as though he had screwed three hundred thousand huskies, "What the hell is this? You're still stopping?"
Cisco pointed at the traffic-filled road. "Hey, what else can I do? It's rush hour. We're lucky it isn't completely jammed already."
Lin Li and Cisco waited helplessly at the red light. The nemesis of supervillains was waiting at a red light.
"Lin Li, what should I do?"
Barry's anxious voice came through. He was almost at the destination.
"Barry, when you get there, see if you have a chance to rescue the hostages first. Whether you save them or not, run. Don't stop."
"Weather Wizard's Compressed Blade Knives are fast, but not faster than you. Watch his movements, and you can dodge them easily."
"No matter what, Barry, stay completely alert. Don't relax, don't underestimate him, and keep an eye on his every move. Run, Barry. Run, run, run..."
In the woods south of the city, near the hunter's cabin.
Eddie lay on the ground, covered in the blood he had vomited. He was unconscious, groaning in pain without awareness.
Just moments ago, Mardon had let go of him from a height of thirteen or fourteen meters. He had not died instantly, but he had fractures all over his body. He could only groan in agony, unable to move, occasionally vomiting mouthfuls of blood.
Joe stayed by Eddie's side, his face filled with sorrow. Eddie's injuries made him feel guilty. If he had not been careless and had brought Lin Li along, Eddie would not have ended up like this. If he had not brought Eddie along, none of this would have happened. His negligence and lack of caution had caused these consequences, leaving him full of regret.
"Mardon, I'm begging you. Eddie needs treatment. Let me call an ambulance to treat him first. You can do whatever you want to me."
Joe's voice was filled with grief and pain. He did not know how much longer Eddie could hold on. In Eddie's condition, he did not dare move him recklessly. Every time he saw Eddie convulse, it felt like a vicious lash across his own body, making his heart ache.
Mardon enjoyed Joe's pleas.
This was the right of a god—to dictate whether mortals lived or died.
He looked down on Joe with contempt, raising his hand high. With his eyes closed, he greedily and deeply savored the pleas of a mortal.
An incomparable thrill rose within him.
The thrill of being in control.
Yet when he opened his eyes and saw that only half an arm remained.
His face twisted into a savage grimace.
"When that guy gets here, you and the one lying on the ground will both be buried with him. You should cherish every extra second you get to breathe, because before long, I'll grind you into minced meat."
Mardon spoke with hateful distortion.
But the one he had been waiting for was not that lightning-powered man he hated.
The lightning-powered man was waiting at a red light...
A red arc of electricity, a red blur, arrived first—The Flash.
Barry rushed to the scene. Seeing that Joe was still safe, he let out a breath of relief. Then he saw Eddie lying on the ground, vomiting blood and badly injured, and his kind heart clenched.
He spoke quietly into the communicator. "Lin Li, Joe is safe, but Eddie is seriously hurt. What should I do?"
"It's you, red Joker."
Mardon burst into laughter. This red-suited Joker, whom he had nearly killed, still dared to show himself?
"That guy hasn't arrived yet? You ran here first to die?"
"Last time, because of that guy, I failed to kill you."
"This time, I want to see whether he can make it in time when you're on the verge of death."
Mardon sneered coldly. A rolling mass of mist gathered in his right palm, denser and more powerful than before, radiating a stronger pressure from his hand.
The heavy injuries from last time had left a shadow over Barry. His heart sank, and he felt a trace of fear.
Lin Li's voice came through Barry's communicator, showing him the way.
"Barry, draw Mardon's attacks toward yourself. No matter how you do it, lure him farther away from Joe and Eddie. Mardon's attacks could easily hurt them by mistake. Whether you curse him or send kind regards to his family, just get him farther away."
The moment Lin Li finished speaking.
Barry pretended to sound relaxed. "Hey, one-armed man, looks like you failed to kill me last time because you can't get it up anymore?"
Mardon was extremely sensitive about having one arm. It was a humiliation. Whenever he thought of losing that arm, a blaze of fury rose in his heart and burned him.
He was furious that he had once feared Lin Li.
He was furious that the dignity of a god had been trampled upon.
He was furious that his body was no longer whole.
He was furious that The Flash, as insignificant as an ant, dared speak to him like that.
"What are you? Weak trash, a defeated loser. Without him, you'll die horribly."
The mist in Mardon's hand churned as he slashed it toward Barry.
Three Compressed Blade Knives burst from his hand and flew toward Barry.
Following Lin Li's instructions, Barry remained on guard the entire time, his eyes never leaving Mardon.
Thus, the moment Mardon raised his hand and the Compressed Blade Knives emerged, Barry activated the Speed Force. The blades slowed, and he ran aside to dodge them.
As long as he remained on guard at all times, he would not get hit by this kind of attack.
Barry became a yellow arc of electricity, dodging away as he ran to the opposite side of Joe.
Successfully dodging a Compressed Blade Knife gave Barry a huge boost in confidence. He called out again, "Hey, Mardon, losing an arm must be tough, huh? How do you even eat?"
Barry taunted him again.
Once more, it struck at Mardon's proud heart. Eating with one hand really was troublesome.
Mardon's fury surged as he walked toward The Flash.
"You think your sharp tongue can change your fate?"
Mardon flicked his hand, sending several more Compressed Blade Knives flying.
Barry turned into a blur and dodged them.
The Compressed Blade Knives cleaved through the trees behind Barry, cutting several birch trees so they toppled over at an angle.
Barry saw it, and his scalp tingled. These Compressed Blade Knives were much stronger than last time. He guessed he could not withstand even one hit.
Several more of Mardon's Pressure Blades were dodged by Barry in succession, leaving a continuous line of severed birch trees falling to the ground.
Crash...
The trees slanted and fell.
Barry called out, "Lin Li, I've already lured Mardon several hundred meters away. How do I defeat him?"
Lin Li stroked his chin and calculated. "Barry, a person's reaction time is around 0.15 to 0.4 seconds. You can run 90 meters in one second at 320 kilometers per hour. Within ten or twenty meters, I think you could even circle around and punch him in the back before he had time to react."
"That's a really good idea. I think I can do it."
Before you continue