"Yes, this is the Super Saiyan transformation. I could have waited to build up more strength, but there's no need for that now..." Robert said with a hint of regret as he surveyed the area. His voice was heavy as he spoke, only sensing traces of Clark's blood but not seeing his body.
"If only I had mastered Instant Transmission earlier, this wouldn't have happened. If I had returned in time, there's no way Superman would've been killed by that monster!"
"Do you think you can handle Doomsday?" Diana opened her mouth, not sure how to comfort Robert, so she shifted the conversation to the immediate threat.
"From what I sense, Clark and I have similar levels of power. If we fought, I couldn't guarantee a win..." Robert said softly, a ball of pure energy forming in his hand.
"This so-called Doomsday may be stronger than you all, but it's still far weaker than Clark and me. After I kill this ugly creature, I will slowly review and settle everything that's happened here."
With a hum, Robert's energy dispersed, flying out and merging into each Avenger's body.
Previously, when Robert used healing techniques, he needed to physically touch the injured to be effective. Now, with more precise control over his energy, he could heal them from a distance. Although this method wasn't as immediate as his healing touch, it still helped the Avengers, Kara, and Diana recover quickly, combining the effects of healing and energy transfer.
The reason Robert didn't personally go over to fully heal them was simple—he needed to release the anger boiling inside him, using Doomsday and the mastermind behind all this to avenge Clark!
With a swish, Robert's figure vanished from beside Diana and Lana Lang. In the blink of an eye, he appeared below Doomsday, just as the monster had yet to hit the ground!
"I've sent Clark near the sun, but he still shows no signs of recovery..." Kara transmitted to Robert as her injuries had mostly healed.
"Hmm?" Robert, who was about to punch through Doomsday's bone armor, altered his approach upon hearing Kara's words. His fist still struck Doomsday but caused no real damage, only sending the creature flying.
Previously, Clark and Kara together had taken a long time and much effort to knock Doomsday out of Earth. Now, Robert's single punch had sent Doomsday flying out of the atmosphere, so fast that it was beyond the creature's ability to react.
Doomsday, now back in space, appeared confused, but it quickly began to move again.
After its body had been blown apart in space before, Doomsday had evolved, gaining the ability to control its energy for movement and flight.
Thus, as soon as the force of Robert's punch dissipated, Doomsday regained its mobility and rushed toward Earth again. But before it could get far, it saw a figure appear in its path.
"Boom!" Doomsday instinctively tried to dodge, but the difference in speed between it and Robert was too great. It couldn't avoid the punch, and once again, Doomsday was sent flying, this time hurtling toward the sun.
This was the first time Doomsday got a clear look at Robert. Previously, it hadn't even seen who had hit it. Now, as it saw Robert clearly, Doomsday became confused.
With its relatively small brain, Doomsday couldn't understand how Robert, without the familiar power or a massive body like its own, possessed such overwhelming strength.
Though Doomsday couldn't figure it out, its primitive instincts told it that if it couldn't overcome Robert, it would only face one outcome: death.
A terrifying surge of energy erupted from Doomsday's body, steadying its retreat and unleashing a powerful aura that pressed in all directions.
However, within the very space Doomsday tried to dominate, Robert suddenly appeared, his own far more terrifying aura crushing down on Doomsday. The two energies clashed, but while Robert's aura remained stable, Doomsday's began to waver and diminish.
Robert followed up with a powerful kick toward Doomsday, and despite its massive size, the monster's attempts to block with its giant fists were futile. Doomsday was sent flying again, toward the sun, with its leg armor cracking and blood pouring from its wounds, spilling into space.
This was only the beginning. The distance between Earth and the sun, while not endless, was certainly significant. Along the way, Doomsday repeatedly tried to resist, and its body evolved several times. Yet, the gap between its strength and Robert's was too vast. Even after evolving, Doomsday stood no chance.
This was the real difference in power between Clark and Doomsday. If not for the Kryptonian elements present in Doomsday, Clark would have dealt with it long ago.
Of course, certain weaknesses can't be easily overcome, even with raw strength. For example, Martian Manhunter, despite his immense power, was tragically killed by a group of ordinary agents, leaving no intact body behind.
After some time, near the sun, Doomsday was battered beyond recognition. Its evolutionary abilities were helping it recover and grow stronger, but this process took time.
Even then, such evolution had its limits. Over long periods and many evolutions, Doomsday might eventually surpass Robert. But expecting it to make such rapid progress in a short time was unrealistic.
Robert wasn't in a rush to kill Doomsday. For now, it was serving as a convenient outlet for his anger. He wouldn't let it die too quickly.
"Clark!" Robert now looked at Clark's lifeless body floating in space. His eyes burned with sadness and fury.
Earlier, when Kara had used her enhanced vision to examine Clark, there had been no signs of life in his body. Even with the sun's light shining directly on him, it hadn't stirred the dormant cells inside him.
Moreover, much of the sun's energy had been absorbed by Doomsday, leaving only the rays that merely illuminated Clark's body, without being absorbed by it.
Now, a new problem emerged. If Clark were truly dead and no extraordinary powers remained in his body, his corpse wouldn't have stayed intact. The sun's high temperatures and radiation should have either turned his body into a mummy or incinerated it completely!
"Clark, are you really dead? Weren't you supposed to be the hero of this world? You're so special, much stronger than other Kryptonians. How could you just die like this?" Robert muttered as he noticed these strange details. He placed a hand on Clark's body, activating his healing power.
A hum resonated as the healing energy flowed into Clark's body, but it didn't restore his wounds. As Robert had said before, healing magic wasn't the same as resurrection. While it had near-miraculous effects, it couldn't bring the dead back to life.
Clark was, by all accounts, dead, so the healing spell had no effect. But Robert wasn't willing to give up on him so easily. He continued to strike Doomsday, venting his anger, while repeatedly trying to revive Clark with healing energy.
As Robert sent Doomsday flying into space, the battlefield below finally fell quiet. The Avengers, surveying the ruined landscape, were filled with a sense of melancholy. Not only was there no trace of the city that had once stood there, but even the ground was a mass of craters, worse than a site ravaged by nuclear war.
However, the Avengers' somber mood soon gave way to sheer exhaustion. Robert's energy healing wasn't as effective as direct healing, so their injuries weren't fully healed. Beyond physical fatigue, they were also mentally drained from the battle.
Meanwhile, back at his base, Lex Luthor was in a state of rage, having smashed a pile of equipment in frustration. Yet, even after venting, he couldn't calm down.
By all accounts, Lex's plan had been nearly perfect. He had achieved his primary goal—killing Clark. Martian Manhunter was also one of his targets, though not as important as Clark.
Robert, however, was the unexpected factor that caused Lex's plan to fail. Not only had Robert destroyed Lex's base and the Kryptonite, helping Kara regain her powers and saving the Kents, but now he had returned to Earth seemingly stronger than ever, with the power to overwhelm Doomsday.
Lex had made estimates of both Clark and Robert's strength. In his mind, Clark was clearly the more dangerous of the two. This wasn't just because Clark was stronger but because Superman's influence far exceeded Robert's as a Saiyan.
Still, that didn't mean Robert wasn't a threat. Unlike Clark, whom Lex had studied and found exploitable weaknesses in, he knew almost nothing about Robert's race.
Moreover, Lex hadn't found any weaknesses in Robert, which meant that dealing with him was far more challenging.
That's why Lex had used the Space Stone to teleport Robert to an unknown location. But now that Robert was back, even without a device to measure his power, Lex's instincts screamed at him that Robert was now as strong as, if not stronger than, Clark.
This was terrifying, especially since Robert had no known weaknesses like Clark did. Though the Kents could be used to manipulate him, that didn't mean Lex had a way to weaken or kill him.
What worried Lex most was that, unlike Clark, Robert didn't care about public opinion or his image. He was far more ruthless, and his threat to humanity and Earth was far greater.
Having analyzed all this about Robert, Lex found himself in a panic. He couldn't think of any way to deal with him.
Not to mention that Robert now had the ability to teleport. Even without that power, Lex no longer had the Space Stone to send
him away again...
Moreover, Lex had already used up all his trump cards in this plan. Even though he had other future schemes, none seemed capable of dealing with the Robert who now wielded such overwhelming power. This realization filled Lex with not only anger but also helplessness.
"Is it really true that humanity can't defeat these alien monsters? No! I refuse to believe that! Every life form has a weakness, and the fact that Robert hasn't returned yet means he's still fighting Doomsday. A creature that can theoretically evolve infinitely can't die so easily... There's still hope, still a chance..." As time passed, Lex's panic began to subside. He started to reaffirm his belief, convincing himself that there was still a possibility for victory.
"Could something have happened to Robert?" Back in the battlefield ruins, Tony Stark, concerned, approached Kara and Diana. "Doomsday has resurrected several times already. Robert might not know that—hopefully, he won't fall victim to it..."
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