Bang! Bang! Bang!
Inside a secret training room at the base.
Bare-chested, his muscles looked as if they had been forged from steel, sharply defined and brimming with power. Any girl who saw him would be unable to resist taking a few extra looks.
Rorschach was throwing punch after punch at a metal punching bag hanging before him.
That was right, a punching bag made entirely of metal.
It could not be helped. Rorschach's strength was far too great now, and ordinary training methods were completely unsuitable.
That was why Charles had specially tailored this metal punching bag for Rorschach.
Rorschach's physique was now more than fourteen times that of an ordinary person. While he was not fully bulletproof yet, bullets could only break his skin before getting lodged in his flesh.
With that level of durability, along with some boxing wraps, there was no problem at all with hitting a metal punching bag.
More than a week had passed since the incident at Springfield Amusement Park. Everything had been calm during that time, and no trouble had come looking for him.
Rorschach did not know whether Stryker had failed to find anything, was holding back some big move, or was too busy with other matters to spare any attention.
Rorschach did not particularly care.
With his current strength, unless Stryker came with an army, he would not even be worth Rorschach's notice.
Compared to Stryker, Rorschach was more concerned with his own strength.
Not bad. After these past few days of training, I've completely adapted to my current strength and speed! Rorschach thought with satisfaction as he threw punches.
Just then.
Rorschach suddenly stopped, leisurely wiped away his sweat, and walked over to the clothes rack to pick up his clothes.
Because Rorschach had heard footsteps.
And from the force and rhythm of those steps, he could immediately tell that Raven was approaching.
Everyone's footsteps were unique and highly recognizable. It was something Rorschach had never noticed before gaining super-hearing.
Creak!
Sure enough, the door soon opened, and Raven appeared before Rorschach.
"Oh my God!"
Rorschach had just picked up his tank top and had not yet put it on when Raven saw him. She immediately let out an exaggerated cry.
"Rorschach, your body is way too good! No girl could possibly resist that kind of temptation!" Raven's eyes were practically glued to him.
"Enough. Your eyeballs are about to fall out." Rorschach mercilessly pulled on his tank top, giving Raven no more chances to stare.
"So this is your fitness secret? Punching a metal bag?" Raven glanced again at the dented metal punching bag nearby.
She could not help baring her teeth.
What a monster.
A monster even among mutants.
"No, my secret is actually drinking more hot water," Rorschach said with a straight face.
Raven: "..."
What the hell?
Who boiled water before drinking it?
"Forget it, Rorschach. Do you know the party has already started? Everyone's waiting for you," Raven said, finally remembering why she had come.
"Sorry, I forgot," Rorschach said honestly.
He had gotten so immersed in training that he had completely lost track of time.
"I knew it. Go take a shower and get downstairs already. Don't make us wait too long!"
"Fine, I'll be there right away."
Returning to his dorm room, Rorschach quickly showered, changed into clean clothes, and headed to a lounge bar on the first floor.
Raven, Hank, Alex, Sean, Aman, and several other mutants were all there, chatting and joking together as bursts of laughter rang out from time to time.
It was incredibly lively.
Rorschach pushed the door open and walked in, apologizing to everyone. "Sorry, everyone. I'm late."
"Rorschach, you came at just the right time. We were just talking about how we should all have cool nicknames. I'm Mystique, and Aman is Darwin!"
Mystique had officially made her debut!
Raven spoke excitedly to Rorschach.
"Mystique? That's a great nickname! Aman, is your Darwin named after the Darwin from evolution theory?" Rorschach casually found a seat and joined the discussion.
"That's right. Because my ability is adaptation," Darwin briefly explained.
"Rorschach, Darwin just stuck his head into the fish tank and actually grew gills! It was insane!" Alex said, gesturing wildly as he explained.
"What do you think of Banshee for me?"
"If it were me, I'd call myself Angel. That was already my stage name."
"Havok! That nickname suits my temperament much better!"
The future Banshee, Havok, and Angel had all made their debut.
"What about you, Rorschach?"
Angel fluttered the wings on his back, hovering in midair as he looked at Rorschach and asked.
"As for me..."
Rorschach considered it lightly, then spoke three words. "Homelander."
Homelander?
Everyone was baffled. What the hell was Homelander supposed to mean?
They had no idea what he was talking about.
"Rorschach, does Homelander mean something? Why did you choose that name?" Mystique, Raven, could not help asking curiously.
"You don't get it, right? Exactly. A nickname nobody else understands is what makes it classy." Rorschach laughed it off.
No one paid much more attention to the name Homelander. The group began partying in earnest, freely unleashing their abilities.
Enjoying this mutant party.
Buzz!
Banshee opened his mouth, and a sound wave shattered the glass to pieces.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Havok, Alex, fired several energy rings, slicing through the statues outside.
Rorschach, however, did not join in. He merely sat silently alone on the sofa. According to the plot, Black King Shaw and the others should be arriving soon, right?
"What the hell are you doing!"
Just as everyone was having the time of their lives, an angry roar suddenly exploded through the room.
Agent Moira, Charles, and Erik had appeared out of nowhere.
Seeing the mess before her and the immature behavior of the mutants, Moira was utterly furious.
She was not the only one. Charles and Erik also wore looks of deep disappointment.
Just moments ago, they had finished a meeting. The CIA had finally found a lead on Black King Shaw, and they had decided to formally involve the mutants.
Naturally, Moira and the others' proposal had been questioned by their superiors.
But Moira and the others had assured them that the young people they recruited were no ordinary youths, but outstanding talents.
And this was the result?
Their faces had been thoroughly slapped.
Other than Rorschach, everyone had been a huge disappointment.
"Who broke the statue?" Agent Moira demanded, glaring at the mutants.
"Alex."
"No, Havok. That's his new name."
Mystique, Raven, was still riding high. Pointing at Charles and Erik, she continued, "We were also thinking that you should be called Professor X, and you should be called Magneto!"
Professor X and Magneto had made their debut.
Before you continue