Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing-Chapter 163: Iceman Awakens

Although Lorna looked determined, who could truly remain unmoved after watching so many of their friends fall one by one?

Now, with her last companion, Bobby, stepping forward to face the enemy alone, Lorna felt something she hadn't allowed herself to feel until now: regret.

"Lorna! Keep going!"

Bobby seemed to understand what was running through her mind. The moment he stepped off the bus, he turned and raised his hand. A wave of frost surged over the doors, sealing them shut.

"Drive away! Don't let our efforts be for nothing!"

Seeing the fear on the boy's face, yet also the unshakable resolve in his eyes, Lorna's hesitation vanished.

"Alright!"

She didn't start the engine. There was no need now. She was alone. A bus couldn't help anymore.

Instead, Lorna extended her hand and summoned the magnetic power inherited from her father. A sheet of metal ripped clean off the bus's roof, twisting and folding mid-air until it formed a makeshift platform beneath her feet. She rose into the sky, heading straight for Wayne Manor.

Back on Kane Bridge, Deathstroke watched her go. Even with a firearm in hand, one that used non-metallic rounds and could easily strike her down at range, he didn't move. Not even a finger twitched.

Once Lorna was out of sight, he turned with interest toward Bobby.

"Whoever taught you people didn't do a very good job. Besides courage, you don't have much else."

As he spoke, Deathstroke slowly stood up and kicked the small stool he'd been sitting on off the bridge, letting it fall into the water below.

It was such a simple motion, yet it startled Bobby. He instinctively raised his hand and unleashed a blast of freezing air. It was a panic reaction, but in a way, he had just launched a surprise attack.

If it had been anyone else, the blast might have hit directly. But this was Deathstroke, an elite mercenary hardened by countless battles. He never let his guard down just because the enemy seemed weak. Even his cocky taunts were part of his strategy to mess with an opponent's mind.

As the cold surged toward him, Deathstroke dodged with a smooth roll, then sprang back to his feet in one fluid motion. In the blink of an eye, he had closed the distance.

"So fast!"

Bobby's heart pounded. At the academy, battles had always been about showy powers and sparring between classmates. He had never faced someone like this. Someone so brutal, so efficient.

He didn't even have time to react before Deathstroke's foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying. Bobby crashed against the bridge railing, tumbling over the side. At the last second, he managed to grab onto a pillar, barely halting his plunge into the churning sea below.

But his grip was slipping fast.

The mercenary approached slowly, his pace deliberate. Bobby's strength was draining, and he knew it wouldn't last much longer.

'So this is how it ends,' he thought, closing his eyes.

On the other hand, Deathstroke calmly pulled out his gun and aimed it at the mutant's forehead.

Bang!

No more taunts. No wasted words. He simply pulled the trigger and fired a killing shot.

Deathstroke was supposed to be the best: the ultimate strategist, the most skilled mercenary. But Reid's foresight gave him such a crushing advantage that he rarely had the chance to use his strengths. Just follow the plan and the mission was done.

That was why, ever since his appearance, Deathstroke either racked up easy kills or ended up getting blindsided by some unexpected opponent.

Now, he wasn't in the mood for trash talk anymore.

Bobby, at this stage of his life, wasn't exactly a worthy opponent. But a win was a win. Considering how hard it would be to score one in the future, the mercenary was ready to take what he could.

But just when he thought it was over, the unexpected still happened.

As the bullet was about to hit Bobby, something snapped inside him. Fear, confusion, hatred, and a rush of adrenaline all coursed through him at once. The young mutant who still needed years of growth broke through his limits.

The next second, Bobby's entire body turned into solid ice. Deathstroke's bullet hit him square in the forehead, but it only left a faint mark.

His frozen form was far tougher than anyone could've expected. And more than that, once he transformed, the mutant's strength increased dramatically.

With just a small push from his now powerful arms, he flipped himself back onto the bridge. As soon as he landed, he swung his leg at Deathstroke in a sweeping kick.

Bobby didn't fully understand what had just happened to him, but right now he felt unstoppable. There was no way a one-eyed human could match him anymore.

Yet this time, even though another surprise had hit the field, the mercenary didn't end up getting wrecked.

Bobby's transformation had boosted his strength, yes. But people often forgot that Deathstroke's physical abilities were already far beyond normal humans.

Facing the incoming attack, Deathstroke raised an arm and blocked the attack with precision, absorbing the blow with barely a grunt. Then, faster than Bobby could track, he countered with a brutal kick of his own, launching the mutant off the bridge for a second time.

"Kid! You think I'm just here to keep getting knocked around?!" He yelled in frustration, letting out his irritation over the string of underwhelming fights and the times he'd gotten beaten unexpectedly. But deep inside, he stayed alert.

And sure enough, Bobby wasn't done. As he was falling, the mutant showed the instincts of a fighter who finally matched his potential. In the brief moment of free fall, he came up with an idea.

He thrust his hands downward, releasing an intense burst of cold that formed a sleek, crystal-clear ice slide beneath him. It caught him mid-fall, and in a graceful, almost effortless motion, he skated across the ocean's surface in a wide arc.

Moments later, he zipped right back in front of Deathstroke.

"This time, I'm the stronger one!"

Staring at the confident young man before him, the mercenary didn't say a word. He simply raised his weapon and opened fire.

The submachine gun in his hands roared to life, spraying bullets toward Bobby.

At first, the mutant instinctively raised his arm to shield himself. But after a second, he realized something. His new frozen body was completely unfazed by regular firearms. So, he ignored the bullets and fired a blast of freezing cold air straight at Deathstroke.

The ground around them, even the very air, began freezing. But the mercenary, somehow, was always one step ahead. He kept dodging Bobby's blasts, even using the massive chunks of ice created by the attack as cover.

"Damn it! If you've got guts, stop dodging and fight me!" Bobby shouted, charging recklessly.

However, the more he attacked, the smoother Deathstroke's movements became.

Bobby had faced opponents before. But this wasn't like sparring with other students. Deathstroke had years of combat experience, and he'd faced enemies with similar powers before—Captain Cold, Mister Freeze. Ice-based powers were nothing new to him.

And it wasn't a coincidence that he happened to be here. He had been assigned to stop the bus all along, and that meant he came fully prepared for the mutant.

But Bobby didn't notice the trap closing in. He was too focused on chasing Deathstroke, unleashing wave after wave of cold, drawing closer and closer without realizing just how much danger he was walking into.

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