Chapter Thirty-Four: Grappling

Apocalypse was still asleep, which was extremely bad news, adding another troublesome figure to this already fragile world.

Donnie was in a hurry. The very next morning, he found Professor X, hoping to study combat and marksmanship at the school during this period.

"My combat and marksmanship are too poor, putting me at a significant disadvantage in battles. I hope you can train me and make me stronger," Donnie said.

Then Ororo was assigned to teach Donnie. Ideally, Cyclops would have been the best fit for this teaching role, but unfortunately, Cyclops had been dispatched to gather information during this time. Under Professor X's orders, he was sent to find someone.

Or rather, a wolf.

Cyclops was tasked with finding the man named Logan and bringing him back to the school because Professor X believed Wolverine, Logan, could become a reliable comrade and was qualified to be a member of the X-Men.

This was also why Donnie had never met the famous mutant, Cyclops, as he had left long ago to search for Wolverine, Logan.

Donnie maliciously wondered if Cyclops and Wolverine might have clashed before competing for Jean's affection. It was entirely possible, especially considering the fiery tempers of both Cyclops and Wolverine; they could explode at any moment. Cyclops might still be able to restrain himself, but as for the Wolf, he was truly someone who would act rather than talk. Since he couldn't be killed no matter how much he fought over the past one or two hundred years, what was there to fear?

"You dare to get distracted during training?" Ororo, seeing Donnie spacing out, was displeased and seized the opportunity to deliver a sweeping low kick followed by an over-the-shoulder throw, slamming Donnie hard onto the ground, leaving him disoriented.

Lying on the ground, Donnie felt helpless. This scene had been repeated many times. He had lost count of how many times Ororo had effortlessly taken him down, feeling utterly frustrated. Countless times he had tried to console himself, thinking, I'm meant to lead an army, to slaughter enemies with a horde of war machines. Hand-to-hand combat is just for emergencies.

Then, the next time, he would go all out again, only to be defeated once more.

The AllSpark could continuously strengthen his body and even enhance his neural reflexes, but it couldn't improve his combat awareness or fighting skills. He often counterattacked in the most ineffective ways, getting caught off guard and thoroughly beaten.

"How many times has this happened today?" Ororo wiped the sweat from her forehead, looking at the Mechanic with a hint of amusement. He possessed extremely high physical fitness yet was so easily defeated. If outsiders saw this, they would be astonished.

"A full thirty times! Five minutes longer than yesterday!"

Many people were watching. Shadowcat, Kitty, was the most observant. She enjoyed timing things and was usually the first to announce the count, remembering it more accurately than Donnie himself.

The spectators cheered. These students had nothing else to do these days; after class, they would come to watch Donnie get beaten, finding it quite amusing.

"I won, pay up, ten dollars each."

Pyro, John, was the most active. He had bet that Donnie could last longer and had won the gamble.

The others looked dejected, muttering things like, "How is this possible?" and "It's a cheat, there must be an inside job," reluctantly taking out their pocket money.

Donnie's expression darkened. He sighed, lamenting the decline of morals and the changing times. A bunch of brats openly gambling, and what's more, the teacher was pretending not to see. It was hopeless.

"Do you want to take a break?" Ororo asked mockingly.

"Yes, break! Break!" Donnie, still on the ground, agreed repeatedly, clamoring for a rest while muttering "So big" and similar phrases.

Ororo looked down and saw Donnie staring intently at her chest. From that angle, the perfect curve of her full bust was outlined, along with her round, shapely legs...

Bang!

A heavy kick sent Donnie clutching his stomach and wailing in pain.

Storm, Ororo, remained calm and beckoned Donnie with a finger, signaling him to get up and continue.

The onlookers erupted, expressing their admiration.

"What did I just see? He actually flirted with Ororo and survived?"

"Tsk, tsk, amazing. Truly worthy of being called the Mechanic."

They watched the spectacle, thoroughly entertained.

Pyro, John, publicly declared his admiration for Donnie, saying, "I don't even support the wall, I only support you. Boss, your courage, your boldness, your resilience – I'll follow you from now on."

Shadowcat and the other young girls unhesitatingly expressed their disdain for Donnie.

During this period, Donnie not only trained in combat and marksmanship but also underwent blood tests and various examinations by Jean and others. The results were in.

"It's astonishing. I never expected such results." Jean, an expert in this field, was amazed this time as well. The report in her hand was detailed, covering all aspects.

Jean looked at Charles, Donnie, and the others and stated the report's findings with great solemnity.

"According to the results, Donnie's abilities have gone beyond mere creation and control. His powers have an astonishing scope. In all my years of research, I've never encountered such abilities. You named it 'Spark,' and it truly lives up to its name," Jean said, expressing her astonishment at the incredible nature of this power.

The Spark not only gave Donnie the ability to create mechanical soldiers but also enhanced his physical indicators across the board, representing a true evolution.

"Your abilities allow you to grow constantly. Your life essence is slowly improving, it's so comprehensive. The Spark is like a flame that ignites everything, giving you infinite possibilities. For example, your healing ability."

Jean explained. Although Donnie's healing ability hadn't reached an exaggerated level yet, it was undoubtedly very practical. Some injuries could be fully recovered with just one night's rest.

This gave Donnie much greater endurance. As long as the AllSpark wasn't depleted, he could fight until the very last moment.

Jean even felt a little envious.

"You, how can you be so lucky..." Ororo muttered enviously.

Donnie laughed heartily, boasting that he was just that lucky and it was all due to his explosive good karma. His smugness made people want to punch him, and Ororo actually did.

Finally, Charles intervened to stop the playful scuffle and asked Donnie about his next plan.

Donnie pondered for a moment and said, "I'll stay here for a while longer to learn combat and marksmanship. Most importantly, I need to replenish more Transformers until my combat power reaches its maximum." Donnie had initially wanted to ask the Professor for more alloy and silver, but he ultimately didn't. He wasn't that thick-skinned, nor was he that shameless.

This elder had already helped him too much; he didn't want to shamelessly ask for more benefits.

Donnie handed a mobile phone to Jean and asked if she could find out who had sent him the message. Jean replied that she could try.

Finally, Charles smiled and said that in his spare time, he would arrange something for Donnie to do: every couple of days, he would teach the children, imparting knowledge they couldn't learn in school.