In the training room, Diana and Kara were practicing diligently. They realized that even though their fusion dance had flaws, it could still help them stand up against danger, providing Earth with a powerful force in times of need.
However, no matter how hard they tried or how precise their movements were, there was no sign of fusion. This was because the fusion wasn't part of the rules governing this world. Robert was able to perform the fusion dance with Clark because his body contained the power of those rules, and only Robert could use the fusion dance in this world.
Thus, despite their efforts, Diana and Kara failed to fuse. While they continued practicing, Clark and Robert had already returned from outside the dimension.
In truth, the fight between Lorak and the Dark Lord wasn't that long. It was far shorter than the battles Robert had previously fought against powerful beings from various dimensions, and it was even shorter than the battle fought when the Dark Dimension invaded Earth.
The fusion lasted only about half an hour, and as Lorak's strength increased, the fusion time was cut short. In total, their battle with the Dark Lord lasted only about ten minutes.
But in those ten minutes, they nearly made the Dark Lord question his own existence, forcing him to use his trump card to escape, only to end up being consumed by the Dark Dimension.
"They're back!" Diana and Kara sensed and then saw Robert and Clark's return. When they realized that Clark and Robert were no longer fused, both of them relaxed a little and quickly left the training room to meet them. The Avengers, who had been unsuccessfully discussing Earth's dimensional awareness, also came out to greet them.
"Are you okay?" Kara asked nervously after seeing Robert unharmed, though she was clearly still tense.
"Ahem, I'm standing right here too, you know? It's not like I was the only one fused!" Clark feigned dissatisfaction, looking at Kara.
"Oh." Kara responded indifferently, not paying him any mind. Instead, she continued examining Robert's body, even activating her X-ray vision to check for injuries. Only after confirming that he was fine did she fully relax.
"No need to worry. When Superman and I fuse, we're unbeatable!" Robert said with a hint of pride. "The Dark Dimension and its consciousness were no match for us. Even though he escaped, he's been severely injured. He won't be coming back anytime soon!"
"How exactly did you and Superman fuse?" Tony Stark asked, hesitating slightly. "Does your fusion increase your combat power significantly?"
"Yeah, before we fused, we couldn't take on the Dark Dimension. But after the fusion, we completely overpowered it—and that was without even using light-based powers…" Robert grinned, then added with a mischievous look, "Come to think of it, since we fused, we should have a name too. He's Superman, and I'm a Saiyan, so together, we're Super Saiyan!"
The name "Lorak" was a bit risky. If someone analyzed it, there could be trouble. It was better to merge their titles instead.
"Huh? Isn't that…" Diana and Kara were momentarily stunned, as they remembered that "Super Saiyan" was a term Robert had mentioned before for a more powerful transformation. But now he was using it as their fusion name.
After a brief surprise, they quickly returned to normal. Clark, on the other hand, didn't object at all. He agreed that a name to hide their true identities was a good idea. Super Saiyan? Sure, why not—it even included "Super" from Superman.
"Super Saiyan, huh? That works…" Tony Stark muttered, though his attention was more focused on the fusion technique. "Is there any restriction on this fusion? Do you just need to dance, like Kara said?"
"No, it didn't work. We tried multiple times in the training room, but we couldn't fuse…" Kara slowly shook her head, explaining to Tony.
"Huh? It didn't work?" A look of surprise flashed in Robert's eyes. He hadn't considered this possibility before. He had only fused with Clark, and they had practiced it many times without any issues.
"No, for us, it's just a regular dance. There's no extraordinary power involved," Diana sighed regretfully.
"Really? Maybe you're not doing it right. Why don't you try again?" Robert blinked, glancing at Diana and Kara, then suggested without thinking.
"Hm?!" Diana and Kara's faces instantly froze, and they shot fierce glares at Robert as if they wanted to devour him. Seeing this, Robert shrank back.
What a joke! It was one thing for Kara and Diana to practice the fusion dance in private, but doing it in front of everyone? That was something neither of them could accept, especially when there was no urgent supernatural crisis requiring them to fuse.
Clark's face also showed a trace of embarrassment. When he and Robert had first practiced the fusion, Clark had found it incredibly awkward. He had thought he would never dance like that in front of others. But when the Dark Dimension invaded, they had no choice but to perform the dance.
"Ahem! I also think this isn't the best place. Why don't you take them somewhere else to practice? I've got some things to take care of…" Clark quickly recovered, giving Lana a signal with his eyes before speaking to Robert. "After all, Kong and the T-Rex are still out in the ocean. Luckily, Kong can swim and is holding up the T-Rex…"
"They've been sent home already, haven't they?" Robert checked and realized that the students from Kamar-Taj, along with Constantine and Klarice, had all returned to their respective places. It dawned on him that this was Earth's dimensional awareness at work.
Kong and the T-Rex couldn't return to their island because it had changed. After being altered by Jor-El, the island could no longer be freely entered via the mist. Special channels and methods were required now.
It was unclear whether Earth's dimensional awareness could force its way into the island, but it hadn't done so yet, which might have been a sign of deference. Unfortunately, this left Kong and the T-Rex stranded.
Kong, in particular, had it rough. The T-Rex couldn't swim, and Kong couldn't just let his little buddy sink, so he had to keep holding him up in the water.
"Let's go find somewhere else," Clark said as he and Lana left. Robert turned to Diana and Kara with a smile, and the three of them disappeared from the Avengers base.
"You guys think…" After they left, Johnny Storm blinked, his eyes flashing with envy as he glanced around at the other Avengers, clearly wanting to say something.
"I think…" Pietro nodded as if he knew exactly what Johnny was thinking, but he didn't say it aloud.
As their expressions changed, the other Avengers' smiles became more mischievous, their eyes filled with a similar envy.
"Shut up!"
"Shut up!"
Lorna and Susan Storm, annoyed, glared at their brother and brother-in-law, instantly making them sober up.
"Ahem, let's not get distracted. Just because the Dark Dimension invasion was repelled doesn't mean we're completely safe…" Tony Stark cleared his throat, his earlier grin turning serious. He addressed the Avengers with a determined tone.
"The Saiyan mentioned that the Dark Dimension was only severely damaged, not destroyed. They could come back, and if they can't win in the open, they might strike from the shadows. Morbius, Blade, even the werewolves, you all need to stay vigilant."
"And this time, we had weapons specifically against the Dark Dimension, but it was still a tough fight. If next time we're facing a different dimension, one we can't counter, the casualties could be far worse than this time."
"Sure, the Saiyan can heal our injuries, but he can't bring the dead back to life. If any of us fall in battle, we won't get a second chance…"
"So I hope everyone continues to strengthen their abilities. I don't want to see any familiar faces lost forever."
"I've gained some insights from this fight with the Dark Dimension. I might be able to share something to help us grow stronger," Morbius said, breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Reed, go help Morbius and his team. See if you can address their weaknesses. If not, look into ways Morbius' findings can improve their abilities!" Tony nodded, assigning Reed Richards to Morbius' group.
Though Reed wasn't much help in combat, his ideas and inventions were invaluable in research, and he could make a big difference in improving their technology.
On the other hand, Robert, Diana, and Kara didn't return home after leaving. Since they were still close to the Avengers' base, they went to Diana's estate instead. It was Kara's first time setting foot on European soil, even though Robert had spent a lot of time here with Diana before.
"Try again?" Robert asked, looking at them after they arrived at Diana's private training facility.
"First, shield the area so no one can spy on us," Kara reminded him, ever cautious.
Potential spies included Martian Manhunter and Clark, who had recently retrieved a spaceship from space!
With a hum, Robert nodded. He activated his telekinesis and aura, enclosing the training base in a shield. Once the area was secure, he signaled for Diana and Kara to begin.
"Ahem, maybe you should turn around first?" Kara asked, feeling uneasy under Robert's gaze, despite Diana being ready. It was different with three people involved.
"How am I supposed to see what's wrong if I don't watch? Besides, it's not like I haven't seen everything before…" Robert scratched his head
in confusion, but before he could finish, he felt two waves of killing intent directed at him.
Thud! Thud!
Two large fists struck Robert in the eyes, and he didn't dare block, allowing himself to be punched into a panda-eyed state, which finally placated Diana and Kara.
"Let's start!" Kara and Diana exchanged glances and began the fusion dance.
Robert watched closely, but even though their dance steps were flawless, there was no reaction when their fingers touched. It was as if it was just a normal dance with no supernatural power.
"How about now? What went wrong?" Kara and Diana asked after stopping.
"To be honest, I couldn't see anything wrong, but you still didn't succeed…" Robert scratched his head, puzzled.
Many abilities in the Dragon Ball world were like that. Just because you could use them didn't mean you understood all the underlying principles. Robert had studied the various abilities from Dragon Ball more than most, but even he couldn't fully grasp the mechanics of the Metamoran Fusion Dance. It seemed to be a special power tied to the unique rules of the Dragon Ball world.
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