Chapter 93: [92] : Enhanced Defense
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Boom!!
A red shockwave struck Roger, creating a deafening sound.
The force of the impact was strong enough to send anything flying, and the heat-filled energy of the shockwave could easily tear apart anything fragile. However, this shockwave, which could pierce through most solid materials, hit Roger as if it were nothing more than a splash of water from a spray gun hitting a sturdy rock.
No matter how much effort the spray gun put in, it couldn't break the solid rock.
Alex, who had originally thought this might be dangerous, was left stunned by what he saw.
After two seconds of shock, Alex, unwilling to believe it, intensified the energy output, making the shockwave continuously batter Roger's body.
Initially, Alex had held back a bit, knowing that his shockwave had significant destructive power and worried it might hurt Roger.
But now, realizing that his shockwave felt like nothing more than a tickle to Roger, Alex's mindset shifted completely.
Like Hank before him, Alex became stubborn, refusing to believe he couldn't break through Roger's defense.
This time, Alex attacked with full force, but Roger, his face concealed by the glow of the shockwave, frowned slightly.
This was the first time Roger truly tested his defense.
In the past, Roger had never been foolish enough to let someone hit him, even when facing Thor. He never thought to use the God of Thunder's power to test his body's defense.
Of course not! Thor was an Asgardian god who could withstand the power of a neutron star. Unless Roger had a death wish, he'd never be dumb enough to fight Thor!
Since Roger had never put his body through extreme defense tests, he had no idea where his limits were.
When fighting Apocalypse, Roger had been worried the villain might break his defense, so he hadn't dared to take a direct hit.
And just now, when Alex first launched the shockwave, Roger had felt a little uneasy.
He could withstand missiles, sure, but Alex's shockwave in the original storyline didn't seem weak, and its sustained power was impressive.
Sustained attacks differ from explosive ones. If both had the same power and range, the sustained attack would naturally do more damage.
But when Alex's shockwave actually hit him, Roger realized… it wasn't that big of a deal.
It wasn't that he felt nothing, he did, but it was more like a soft massage, as if a gentle pair of hands were lightly pressing against his chest.
It felt more like a warm shower gently hitting his body.
Forget pain; Roger almost felt like asking for more because it was so pleasant.
"Alright, you can stop now."
Once he was sure Alex's power had no effect on him, Roger called out to the slightly flushed Alex to stop.
The red shockwave abruptly ceased. Since the evening sky had grown darker and there were no nearby lights, the sudden stop in Alex's attack gave the illusion of dimness.
Rubbing his eyes a few times, Alex finally got a clear view of Roger's condition:
"You… didn't feel anything?"
"Seems that way."
Roger put his shirt back on.
Exhausted, Alex took a few steps back and plopped down on the ground, asking Roger:
"What kind of monster are you…?"
Feeling that his comment was a bit rude, Alex quickly added:
"No offense. I'm not calling you a monster; it's just… it's so hard to believe…"
Hank, seeing the situation, patted Alex on the shoulder and said, "I know how you feel."
Looking at the two, Roger gave a helpless smile.
"My defense wasn't always this strong. I think… I might've been enhanced again. Hank, you can skip the rest of the tests. I already know what I needed to find out."
Feeling his body was completely unaffected, Roger informed Hank that they could stop testing.
Because now he understood what his latest power upgrade was.
It was defense.
Since his latest crossover, his defense had been strengthened.
Roger's defense was already strong, but not strong enough to remain unscathed under a full-power shockwave.
"So now, I really do have a Body Of Steel?"
As Roger walked toward his room, he muttered to himself.
What had been holding Roger back from being reckless all along? Was it his strength? Or the uncertainty of this new world?
Maybe both, but neither was the main reason.
The real reason Roger hadn't dared to act recklessly was because his defense wasn't yet the strongest.
His defense was inferior to Thor's, Thanos', and the Hulk's. Compared to the original Superman, the gap was even wider.
Thor could cut off Thanos' head with one swing of his axe, and naturally, he could do the same to Roger. The inability to guarantee his own safety was what made Roger cautious, preventing him from going wild.
...Though, truth be told, he had already been pushing the limits of recklessness.
But now, with his defense strengthened, Roger's confidence soared.
At least now, no matter what situation he encountered, he could ensure his survival!
With his newfound confidence, Roger even considered testing his limits by withstanding a nuclear explosion!
But that was just a thought. After all, in the DC movies, Superman had been left dry and shriveled after taking a nuke head-on. If it hadn't been for the timely sunlight, he might have been in real danger.
Then again, that Superman had been weakened by kryptonite, so perhaps that's why the nuke affected him.
Regardless, Roger's newly enhanced defense was certainly not yet at Superman's level. If he tried to take a nuke head-on, the only outcome would be death, no second chances.
Still, aside from a nuclear explosion, no other weapon should be much of a threat to Roger. Even Apocalypse's powers likely couldn't harm him, putting Roger in a near-invincible position.
With heat vision for offense and a body of steel for defense, Roger was in a great mood after testing his abilities. He even felt like challenging Apocalypse again right now.
But as the sky grew darker, Roger's excitement began to wane.
There was no rush to fight Apocalypse now. Sooner or later, they would face off again.
For now, he would get a good night's sleep and soak up some sunshine in the morning to further toughen his steel body, giving him even more confidence for the battle against Apocalypse.
Thinking about his steel body, Roger was about to return to the room the X-Men had prepared for him. Just as he reached the door, he saw someone approaching.
White mohawk, slightly tanned skin, and although her combat suit had been replaced with casual clothes, the distinctive features immediately told Roger who she was.
Storm, Ororo Munroe.
Storm hesitated for a moment when she saw Roger, her expression tense and cautious as she stood still.
Roger raised a hand to greet her, saying:
"Yo, good evening, Little Mohawk."
"???"
Storm was confused, then realized Roger was referring to her hairstyle.
Her face darkened, making her skin appear even darker as she covered her hair with one hand and replied:
"…Good evening."
The two stood there, staring at each other, as if they were statues in the hallway, not moving an inch.
After a while, possibly sensing the awkwardness, Roger asked:
"Ahem, you're heading back to your room, right? The X-Men must have arranged one for you?"
"Mm…"
Storm answered coldly, keeping her distance from Roger.
Though she had technically been 'kidnapped' to the X-Mansion, the mutants here had treated her well, providing her with food, drink, and a place to stay. Storm had been touched by their kindness.
But, grateful as she was, Storm still felt uneasy around Roger, the one who had 'abducted' her.
When Roger brought her here, he hadn't held back, knocking her out cold with a punch to the head. Right before she lost consciousness, Storm had even thought he'd blown her head off.
When the X-Men checked her out later, they discovered she had a mild concussion.
With that memory still fresh, Storm's head ached just looking at Roger, filling her with an inexplicable fear of this seemingly friendly Superman.
Roger noticed her reaction and understood that his method of bringing her here had been a bit violent.
But he'd had no choice. Storm's powers were troublesome, and the lightning she could summon would've caused Roger some issues back then. The only way to deal with her had been to knock her out first and deal with the rest later.
"You should head back. I'm heading to my room too."
Roger, knowing Storm was afraid of him, didn't plan on dragging out the conversation and turned toward his room.
But Storm remained frozen in place.
Roger: "... (staring)"
Storm: "...?"
"...My room is behind you."
"Oh?"
Storm finally realized she was blocking Roger's way and awkwardly stepped aside, brushing past him before practically fleeing to her room.
Watching her run off, Roger couldn't help but twitch his lips.
He didn't think he was that scary, so why did Storm act like she'd seen a ghost whenever she saw him? He hadn't even hit her that hard...
Shaking his head, Roger ignored Storm's hasty escape and opened the door to his room.
But just as he did, another visitor arrived.
Wearing a leather jacket and a pair of ruby quartz glasses, it was none other than Cyclops, Scott Summers, who had only recently joined the school.
Scott had come to see Roger because he'd heard from others that Roger could shoot lasers from his eyes.
He wanted to ask Roger how to control his optic blasts, so they wouldn't go off when he didn't want them to.
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