The Kryptonite Punch
A faint green flame flickered along the seams of the armor, lending an eerie hue to the already dark suit.
Luke grinned, a devilish smile spreading across his face.
"Are you sure you want me to attack?"
Linda hooked her finger with a careless gesture, brimming with confidence.
"I'll stand right here. If you can make me take a single step back, I lose."
"So confident. Should we make a wager?"
"Wager what?"
"If I win, you grant me one condition. If you win, I'll give you anything you want."
Linda's eyes lit up. "If I win, I want the Phantom 1. Will you give me that too?"
"Yes."
"You said it yourself. Don't go back on your word."
"Regret is something that has never concerned me."
With that, he suddenly exploded into action, moving at a speed of several dozen meters per second to arrive right in front of the girl, throwing a straight punch aimed directly at her face.
Luke's speed was extremely fast, but to a Kryptonian, it was like a slow-motion slideshow. As the fist closed to within thirty centimeters of her head, Linda calmly raised her palm, intending to grab the incoming punch. However, the moment her palm touched the metal fist, an indescribable, agonizing sting erupted from the depths of her soul. She cried out in pain, her right hand involuntarily giving way, and the heavy punch struck her square in the face, sending her flying backward with clean force.
Her body skidded dozens of meters across the floor before finally stopping with a crash against the wall.
Luke removed his faceplate, walked slowly toward her, and smiled.
"I won!"
"Liar!"
Linda roared, wanting nothing more than to smash that irritating face into a septic tank. Scoundrel, rogue, scum! He agreed to use technology, but ended up using a superpower. He didn't keep his word.
"It was merely a clever tactic, not deception. If you're not convinced, let's have a rematch after I solve the armor's problems. I can still beat you without using superpowers."
The girl ignored him, clutching her head, her cheeks occasionally twitching in obvious pain.
"A little rest and you'll be fine."
Luke patted her shoulder and turned to leave. Once outside the room, he couldn't help but curve his lips. So what if she's a Kryptonian? I still knocked her out with one punch.
The green flame was an absolute cheat-level power. Its only drawback was that it couldn't physically strengthen his body.
What a pity!
The Armor's Flaws
Luke shook his head and returned to the lab to work.
Field testing is the only measure of combat effectiveness.
The battle had exposed many issues he hadn't noticed before, especially with the kinetic energy absorption system and the power supply. They were supposed to be tightly integrated, but the external impact nearly severed the connection. If Luke hadn't made a timely adjustment, Linda would likely have smashed him into the floor.
The Phantom 1 still had many areas needing improvement.
Luke booted up the mainframe, uploaded the collected data to the computer, and began repairing the armor while summarizing and analyzing all the exposed problems.
Time quickly flew by. Before he realized it, half an hour had passed.
Linda entered the lab, her arms crossed, leaning against the door frame, watching him with an impassive expression.
"When are we leaving?"
"Once I've finalized my work arrangements for the company. Oh, and I need to take the Phantom 1 to the Fortress of Solitude. I need you to transport it."
"Be a porter! Are you kidding me?"
I am the eldest daughter of the House of El, the invincible Supergirl on Earth! How can I be a mere delivery person? Who do you think I am?
"If you won't move it, who will? I can't lift it myself!"
"Can't you just fly it over yourself?"
"If I could fly, I wouldn't need you."
Linda: "..."
"I won't move it!"
"Then I won't go."
"Luke Shaw, don't push your luck! I haven't settled the score for you using your superpower to cheat me just now!"
Luke put down the control lever and said sternly, "Testing is testing, and moving equipment is moving equipment. They are not the same thing. Furthermore, I see no harm in bringing the Phantom 1. At the very least, it provides an extra layer of protection should we encounter any unexpected trouble."
"There is absolutely no need for that. The Fortress of Solitude has the most comprehensive defense systems. You will be perfectly safe there."
"Past experience tells me not to trust the promises of anyone under the age of twenty-five. They're about as reliable as hot air."
Linda pouted. "You sound like you've been fully adult for years."
"My physical age is seventeen, but my psychological age is far beyond that stage. The bottom line is: If you don't move it, I don't go."
"You..."
Linda punched the Phantom 1 in frustration. "I really don't understand what's so great about this hunk of metal!"
Luke quickly steadied the armor, cautiously checked it for damage, and only spoke once he was sure it was fine.
"Studies show that less than 10% of girls like mecha, but 95% like luxury cars. While I don't understand how they separate two things so intrinsically linked, I can understand your feelings."
"Understanding is one thing, but damaging property is another. You're eighteen. Stop acting like a spoiled child. This armor is very valuable."
"A pile of scrap metal! What value could it possibly have?"
Luke shook his head, deciding to ignore her. He didn't know what the future Supergirl would be like, but the current Linda Danvers was a beautiful, arrogant, and stubbornly rebellious young woman. There was no point in reasoning with her.
When Luke fell silent, she grew more interested, leaning closer and asking curiously,
"Is that hunk of metal really valuable?"
Looking at her sweet face so close to his, Luke felt a sudden urge to pinch her cheek. But the thought of her steel-hard skin instantly extinguished the desire.
Women and Superwomen are completely different organisms. The former are made of water; the latter are made of steel. You can't expect steel to move like water. Even if she was willing, he didn't have the ability to handle it.
This is where the saying 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak' comes from.
For now, the priority was to secure Kryptonian energy technology. Everything else was a pipe dream.
"Hey! Why aren't you talking? What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing."
"Tell me, how much did it cost to build the Phantom 1?"
"I thought you weren't interested in money."
"That's a different matter. I'm just curious."
Luke spread his hands. "Not too much. Five billion."
The girl gasped. "Five billion U.S. dollars! Just to build a pointless suit of armor? You're insane."
Luke removed his electronic glasses and said seriously, "Listen closely, Miss Danvers. The Phantom 1 is not just a suit of armor; it contains the most cutting-edge science and technology on Earth, along with seventy-three of my own patented inventions. More importantly, it's a semi-finished product. There are still three major problems left to solve. Once they are addressed, the Phantom Armor will undergo a complete upgrade and become the new age's technological standard."
"Imagine a powerless ordinary person, as weak as an ant, who can become a peer to you simply by putting on this armor. What will the world look like then? To what heights will Earth's civilization develop? Perhaps one day, it will surpass Kryptonian civilization."
Linda pouted. "Daydreaming too much is why you look the way you do now."
Luke: "..."
If you can't say anything smart, say nothing at all. No one's forcing you.
Linda then asked, "What are the three problems you mentioned?"
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