In the Marvel Universe, gangs hold little significance. Kingpin stands out as perhaps the most notable gang leader. But in DC, criminal organizations shine with a brilliance all their own. Their combat prowess may not be extraordinary, yet the chaos unleashed by each underworld leader far exceeds what ordinary minds can fathom.
These criminal enterprises serve as masterclasses in strategy, teaching mundane individuals how to outmaneuver and even defeat superpowered beings. Wisdom, after all, never goes out of style. This was the core reason Hong Fei chose the path of a policeman. Only by balancing light and shadow could one become truly invincible in DC's world.
In the locker room, Hong Fei studied the White Dragon now merged with his body. Its color had grown more vibrant, its fish-like features nearly vanished. The Power of Hong continuously fed energy into it, gradually awakening a spirited aura. It wouldn't be long before it stirred from its slumber.
During the battle with Shou-Lao the Undying, Hong Fei had first used a human Soul to control the White Dragon's body for close combat. Later, he activated his Binary Form, allowing the dragon to share the strain of the Binary outburst.
This forced it into hibernation, but not without great sacrifice. In return, it had gained considerable benefits—its appearance now bore little resemblance to its original race. Whether this was evolution or something else, Hong Fei couldn't say.
He suspected it was once 'Fin Fang Foom,' a creature both similar to and distinct from the divine dragon he envisioned. Its transformation had brought increased strength, and while Hong Fei hadn't cared for its original form, its current state held a certain allure.
Once awakened, the White Dragon would allow Hong Fei to merge with it, amplifying their combined power. He could take on a dragon form or simply unleash it to wreak havoc—both appealing options.
Next, Hong Fei turned his attention to his scales. With a thought, his left arm became encased in hard dragon scales, his palm morphing into a claw. The scales crept up his neck, spread across his back to his shoulder blade, and reached nearly to the small red dot on his left chest. Inside his body, the dragon egg remained, cocooned in a magic circle crafted by the Ancient One.
The egg's once-rich golden glow had faded, its shell now translucent, revealing the life still developing within. This wasn't Shou-Lao's usual Western dragon form—it had transformed into a long, slender divine dragon. Hong Fei couldn't help but feel Shou-Lao had borrowed from him. After all, if Hong Fei hadn't frequently manifested the divine dragon form, Shou-Lao might never have altered his own appearance.
What truly unsettled Hong Fei was the possibility that Shou-Lao had harbored the same intentions as him even before their battle: to consume the opponent and take their place. Another point of suspicion was Shou-Lao's lack of a Dragon Dimension, unlike Hong Fei. These mysteries would have to wait for future exploration, perhaps when a new Dragon Power was discovered.
The Dragon Dimension had followed Hong Fei to the DC Universe—an absurd development. It should have been a part of the Marvel Universe, unless it had already fused with Hong Fei entirely.
The current Dragon Dimension wasn't just a source of Dragon Power; after the fusion, it had become Hong Fei's 'Hong Dimension.' His understanding of dimensions remained limited. For now, he treated it as nothing more than an enormous, portable storage space.
The other Dimension Lords' performances hinted at untapped potential. Hong Fei slipped into his police uniform and headed to the parking lot, where Cora was already waiting in the squad car.
He slid into the driver's seat and buckled his seatbelt, glancing at her. Her face was etched with unmistakable anger, her eyes practically shouting, I'm pissed!
The robbery had only happened yesterday. No doubt, Sergeant Neil had managed to rile her up again. Hong Fei didn't pry. When a woman was in this mood, the best approach was to let it slide—especially since she wasn't his girlfriend.
They cruised through the streets once before getting out to patrol on foot. A top-down map of the city materialized in Hong Fei's vision. A red dot blinked over a thousand meters away, steadily closing in. Captain Boomerang. His mission was to intercept—or rather, be intercepted—in Hong Fei's patrol zone in Queens. The two moved toward each other.
Boomerang's outfit was unremarkable: just a baseball cap and casual clothes. His behavior raised no red flags—he even glanced directly at Hong Fei and Cora as they approached. At a hundred meters, Arthur's voice echoed in Hong Fei's mind: Distance: one hundred meters. Prepare for anomaly trigger. Hong Fei kept walking, calm and unhurried.
If this was a test of acting, he wasn't falling behind. Fifty meters. The countdown began: Three! Two! One!
"Ah!"
A sharp, agonized scream pierced the air as Boomerang doubled over, clutching his eyes. The sudden outburst made nearby pedestrians instinctively step back. Hong Fei frowned, exchanged a quick glance with Cora, and jogged forward.
"Sir, are you okay?"
Cora called out from a few meters away, her tone cautious. Hong Fei hung back slightly. As she reached out to steady Boomerang, he suddenly straightened. His face, twisted in pain moments ago, now bore a savage expression. Cora caught a flicker of faint electrical light in his eyes.
Her body froze. Pupils dilated, hair standing on end, her right hand instinctively flew to the gun at her waist. But Boomerang had planned this ambush perfectly. He was faster. As he straightened, his right hand whipped a silver-edged boomerang from his coat.
Cora's fingers barely grazed her gun's grip when the blade swung toward her throat. Death loomed—she didn't need to calculate the odds. The truth was undeniable: she was about to die. In that moment of despair, it was a hair's breadth.
Hong Fei's hand snapped out, grabbing her duty belt and yanking her backward with enough force to lift her off the ground. The blade whistled past, narrowly missing her body. She landed hard on her rear, unharmed but shaken. Her hands flew to her neck, checking for blood. Relief washed over her as she found none.
Hong Fei didn't waste a second. He drew his gun, but Boomerang was already moving. The failed strike didn't slow him—he bolted into a nearby alleyway. Hong Fei gave chase, firing shots as he ran. The gunshots snapped Cora back to reality. She scrambled to her feet, gun in hand, and sprinted after Hong Fei.
The vicinity was an ordinary residential area with low-rise buildings. Most people were at work, leaving the streets quiet and nearly empty. Boomerang was fast, and Hong Fei soon found himself trailing far behind. Cora lagged even further, running while keeping her eyes sharp, scanning the surroundings.
Approaching her patrol zone, she adjusted her shoulder radio and barked into it: "This is patrol unit **. We're pursuing an officer attacker. All nearby units, converge for backup!"
Ahead, Hong Fei rounded a corner. Cora's jaw tightened. She drew a deep breath and poured on speed.
"Sir," Arthur's voice crackled in Hong Fei's ear, "you're in Officer Cora's blind spot now. No witnesses, and I've blocked all surveillance."
Hong Fei raised his gun and fired. The bullet struck Boomerang's left knee. The man lurched forward and hit the pavement. In a blur of speed, Hong Fei closed the distance.
Hong Fei planted a hand on Boomerang's head, slamming his face into the ground. A front tooth snapped off. Boomerang thrashed wildly, but the weight pressing down on him felt like a ton of bricks. The more he struggled, the harder it became to breathe. He let out a strangled cry.
Boomerang went still, but a frustrated roar tore from his throat. He twisted his head to glare up at Hong Fei, eyes blazing.
"Cop! I've been sold out! I wanna talk! I was one of the guys who hit the New York Federal Reserve last night!"
Hong Fei's face went rigid, shock flickering across his features. Seizing the moment, Boomerang pressed on: "I swear it's true. I've still got the stuff I took from the bank's vault yesterday. Check it out—you'll see I'm not lying."
Hong Fei's frown deepened.
He knelt, pinning Boomerang's neck while pulling handcuffs from his belt. Boomerang let himself be cuffed, babbling all the while: "Believe me, I'll cooperate fully. There were four of us total. I know what the other two look like—they're escaped cons."
With Boomerang's hands secured, Hong Fei kept him pinned, gun trained on his head. His breathing quickened, every inch the cop who'd stumbled onto a major case. Blood stained Boomerang's teeth as he grinned.
"Relax, I'm not going anywhere. You shot my knee—I couldn't run if I tried. Hey, want to know how we got out? Heh, I'll tell you straight—it was a Witch. Covered in black mist, she whisked us right out. I thought her magic screwed up, but now I get it—they sold me out! Or maybe the other two guys who didn't listen got sold out too!
There were four of us. The other two escapees and I were new recruits. Someone else masterminded the whole thing, but I never saw his face. Always wore black iron armor, he—" Boomerang's voice cut off. His eyes widened, reflecting the figure in a police uniform whose head was now enveloped in black nano-metal.
"Now you know."
Hearing the familiar voice, Boomerang couldn't help but tremble violently. But before he could speak, his vision went black, and consciousness slipped away.