"Don't worry, with his current strength, he's now on par with top-tier God-King level beings. Handling Doomsday won't be difficult, especially since Doomsday doesn't have any powers that could counter him!" Diana was the first to reassure Tony Stark, seeing his worried expression.
"And I can sense his energy constantly appearing near the distant sun. It seems that Doomsday's vitality is too strong, so killing it will take some time..." Diana continued.
"He's torturing Doomsday while also checking on Superman..." Kara looked toward the sun, her eyes seeing Robert's actions from far away. When she saw Clark, completely unresponsive to the healing magic, a deep sadness filled her heart.
Kara knew how effective healing magic was. In the past, no matter how serious the injuries, Robert's healing could restore them in an instant. But now, Clark's body showed no sign of healing.
This realization struck Kara—Clark might truly be gone, and Robert was merely performing a futile task...
"The sun?" Tony Stark, standing beside her, was taken aback by this and hesitated. He reminded Kara, "Didn't you say before that Doomsday was one of your Kryptonian creations? You and Clark draw strength from the sun—couldn't Doomsday do the same?"
"It probably can, but any changes in Doomsday won't escape Robert's notice. What we should be focusing on now is cleanup and finding out who's behind this!" Kara, snapping back to reality, took a deep breath, her eyes flashing with cold determination.
"Don't forget, the Saiyan and Lana came back, but Martian Manhunter didn't. That means he wasn't teleported by the Space Stone—he was truly killed."
"Martian Manhunter..." Tony Stark clenched his fists. Even though he had been prepared for this, a wave of anger still surged through him.
Among the Avengers, Tony Stark was the one closest to Martian Manhunter. Before Martian Manhunter embarked on his undercover mission, they spent nearly every day together in the lab, working on various technological experiments.
Tony had learned a lot from him, and their relationship was one of both mentor and friend.
Even though Martian Manhunter sometimes used his telepathy to gossip about the Avengers' inner thoughts, which annoyed Tony, everyone had their flaws. After all, Tony himself was often sarcastic toward others. The gossiping even made Martian Manhunter seem more human, less like a lonely alien far from home.
Thus, his death weighed heavily on Tony's heart. Unlike Clark, Martian Manhunter was never flashy and never sought to be a god. He was just a man who had lost his home and was trying to find a reason to keep going in a new world...
"Whoever is responsible will pay for this!" Tony Stark's gaze suddenly shifted toward Gotham. In his mind, the Batman who possessed Kryptonite surely knew something!
"Count me in!" Johnny Storm, still ablaze with flames, flew over and echoed Tony's sentiment.
"Me too!"
"How could I miss this?"
"Yeah, this is something we all need to do!"
As Johnny flew over, the other Avengers also stood up one by one, voicing their determination to Tony.
"Aren't you all in need of some rest?" Tony frowned as he looked at the battered Avengers, asking.
During the battle with Doomsday, every Avenger had given their all, leaving them with severe injuries. Even with Robert's energy-based healing, they had yet to fully recover.
Tony, however, was different. His combat strength came from his suit, and aside from exhaustion, he wasn't badly injured. The few cuts and bruises he had sustained were quickly healed by Robert's energy. In this case, being a human with a lower "health bar" had its advantages—he recovered more quickly.
"These wounds are nothing! As long as we don't face another monster like that, I'm ready to take on every government agency again!" Pietro snorted. "I'm sure both the earlier explosion and this monster have ties to the government! I've always suspected SHIELD's director—he's too shady!"
"Right, not to mention Task Force X and the military. They've definitely been collecting intel on us, or else Superman wouldn't have faced all these setbacks!" Hancock chimed in. He was one of the few who hadn't fought on the frontlines, so he was still at full strength and itching for another fight.
Hancock hadn't participated in the battle because, even with technology isolating them, only one of either Hancock or Mary could retain their powers at a time. Mary, being the stronger of the two, had taken the lead in battle while Hancock helped with evacuations and rescue efforts.
"Direct confrontation won't do us any good. We're in the open, and they're in the shadows. By now, who knows how much intel they've gathered on us..." Tony Stark shook his head, seeing Hancock's eagerness, and spoke seriously.
"Even if the government doesn't have anything that can specifically counter us, they definitely have contingency plans. If we're going to burn bridges, now isn't the time, especially with Doomsday not fully dealt with and Robert still not back."
"After this battle, Robert's power has grown, but we've lost two of our top fighters: Superman and Martian Manhunter. We need to plan carefully..."
"And the most important thing is, we don't have any evidence. We don't even have any solid leads. Acting rashly could play right into the hands of the real mastermind, creating exactly the scenario they want."
"Fine, you're the smart one. You call the shots. Just let me know when it's time to fight," Hancock shrugged, a bit disinterested now.
"No, I need to prepare more contingencies. With Robert and Doomsday not back yet, I can't just wait around. Martian Manhunter's plan must be accelerated!" Meanwhile, back at his base, Lex Luthor, unable to hold back his anxiety any longer, quickly moved to a new location.
Lex was swift in his movements, equipped with his own battle suit. It was filled with unique gadgets, some of his most guarded secrets. These were among the few things that still gave Lex any sense of security.
Soon, Lex arrived at a remote facility, constructed just like his previous one, using lead and other materials to shield against Kryptonians. It was a perfect hideaway.
Inside the facility, various robots were working. In the core lab, Martian Manhunter's body had long since lost all its vitality due to the fire. His genetic code, however, was being decrypted.
"A new Martian Manhunter... First, I need to alter your perception. Fire is too common. Not only can Johnny Storm counter you, but so can Robert. This has to change, or you won't be able to guarantee my safety..." Lex muttered to himself as he furiously tapped at the computer.
"Honestly, I never expected your fear of fire to be psychological. There's no flaw in your genes—Martian genes are just as strong as Kryptonian ones. You don't even need sunlight to have extraordinary powers. What a terrifying race!"
"I can see traces of genetic modification in your DNA, which means your species is a blend of natural evolution and genetic engineering. How advanced was your civilization?"
"Unfortunately, all I have is your genetic code. I can't extrapolate the entirety of Martian genetics from just you. But it's clear not every Martian was as powerful as you, or their civilization wouldn't have been destroyed so easily..."
"It's a good thing I killed you first. If you were alive, I wouldn't be able to hide anything from you. Who would've guessed that a master of the mind would have psychological issues? It's ironic, but it was also my opportunity!"
"From now on, you will still be Martian Manhunter, but you won't fear fire. You will fear me. My mental commands will sap your strength, you will follow my orders unconditionally, and you will be unable to reveal anything about me. Any malice toward me will strip you of your powers..."
Lex continued mumbling to himself, meticulously crafting his plan. It was clear he was being extremely cautious. Martian Manhunter's abilities were too unique, and even a cloned version wouldn't be easy to control without perfect safeguards.
But Lex Luthor was a genius on par with Martian Manhunter and Tony Stark. Faced with the external threat of Robert, Lex was operating under immense pressure, which only sharpened his intellect. A safe, controlled Martian Manhunter clone was slowly being brought to life under his hands...
Meanwhile, near the sun, Robert was still trying to heal Clark. The healing magic had no effect on Clark's wounds, but Robert hadn't given up hope. After repeated attempts, Robert discovered that while the healing magic couldn't help Clark, his energy could be absorbed into Clark's body.
Robert's energy had some healing properties. Although it couldn't fully restore Clark, it began to activate the cells in his body, bringing a faint spark of life back to them.
"You're not dead after all. Are you too badly hurt, or are you just tired and need a little rest?" Robert smiled as he felt the faint signs of life in Clark's cells. A sense of relief washed over him, and he teased Clark gently.
Robert knew that this small spark of life wasn't enough to heal Clark or close his wounds, but it was a sign that there was hope for Clark's recovery.
With the reawakening of Clark's cells, the sunlight that had previously been ineffective slowly began to seep into his body. The process was slow, almost agonizingly so, but it was a positive sign nonetheless.
"Looks like you
're going to be sleeping here for a while. But leaving you floating around out here seems too risky—what if some random alien passes by?" Robert muttered to himself as he looked at Clark's body suspended in space.
"Maybe if I take you closer to the sun, you'll recover faster. Hmm… I hope you won't blow up or something. You haven't blown up yet, so I guess we're safe to try!" Robert mused aloud, before turning his attention back to Doomsday.
With a roar, Robert fired a powerful energy wave, piercing through Doomsday's recently regenerated body. Then, with a swift movement, he grabbed Clark's body and disappeared from the spot.
Robert knew that, with time, Clark would eventually absorb enough sunlight and recover, even if they went back to Earth. But Robert wanted to speed up the process. He had no idea how to explain Clark's condition to Lana Lang and the Kents, and he couldn't stand the thought of making them wait for too long.
Of course, if there had been a way to secure Clark near the sun, Robert wouldn't need to go through the risky process of taking him into the sun itself. But with no other options, it was worth the gamble.
"If I hadn't awakened my Super Saiyan form and gained the ability to survive in space, I wouldn't even think about taking you inside the sun..." Robert murmured as he cautiously watched Clark, finally letting go of his worry when he saw no adverse reactions.
"It seems like you're absorbing more energy now. I can sense your aura, faint but steady. Don't worry, I'll come check on you. If they start missing you too much, I'll come get you—after you've fully recovered, of course."
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