Robert noticed Doken's aura growing slightly stronger. Curious, he wondered if Doken had a Hulk-like ability to grow stronger with anger. If so, this fight might actually become interesting.
"Smack!"
Robert's musings were brief, interrupted as he casually slapped aside Doken's heat vision, redirecting the beam into the depths of space where it dissipated harmlessly.
"What?!" Amy and the other crew members aboard the spaceship were stunned yet again. From this brief exchange, it was clear there was a significant power gap between Robert and Doken.
"Could Robert have been telling the truth earlier—that he really wiped out the Skrulls?" Carol thought as she watched the slow-motion playback on the ship's monitor.
Previously, Carol had doubted Robert's claim. She assumed he had captured a few Skrulls and coincidentally learned of her whereabouts. After all, she knew firsthand how troublesome and tenacious the Skrulls were. Their ability to infiltrate and hide made exterminating them nearly impossible.
But now, seeing Robert's strength, she began to question her assumptions. Perhaps with enough power, even the impossible was within reach.
Doken stood frozen, staring at Robert with a blank expression. His heat vision, unleashed with near full force, had been effortlessly deflected. He had been prepared to adjust his attack if Robert struggled to block it, but this outcome left him utterly bewildered.
Doken was no fool. In that moment, he realized the enormous gulf between their abilities.
"Why did you stop?" Robert asked, tilting his head in mild confusion. Doken's stunned, dejected demeanor puzzled him. "Is that all you've got? If you have more tricks, use them now. Otherwise, I won't hold back anymore."
Doken's response—or lack thereof—left Robert disappointed. When provoked, Doken didn't become angry or defiant. Instead, he seemed even more hesitant and subdued, his aura shrinking further.
"What's going on?" Robert muttered, scratching his head in confusion. He had intended to fire up Doken's fighting spirit, but instead, Doken looked like his confidence had been completely shattered.
What Robert didn't realize was that Doken's abilities were tied to his self-confidence, much like the Green Lantern Corps. When Doken felt confident, his power grew. Conversely, doubt and fear weakened him significantly.
Initially, Doken had approached Robert with confidence, believing he could win. But Robert's effortless slap had extinguished that confidence, dragging Doken's strength down with it.
"Why are you so strong?" Doken finally asked, his voice filled with confusion and frustration.
Now convinced Robert wasn't a Skrull, Doken reasoned that if Robert were, he could have easily overpowered the entire Shi'ar Empire without resorting to deception. There would be no need to toy with Carol or anyone else.
"Maybe because I've worked hard enough?" Robert offered after a brief pause, his answer leaving Doken at a loss for words.
"What happened to your strength?" Robert asked, frowning. "You were stronger earlier. Don't you have any other abilities to show?"
"My speed and strength are no match for you, and beyond heat vision, the only unique ability I have is freeze breath..." Doken admitted reluctantly.
"Freeze breath? And you still claim you're not Kryptonian?" Robert exclaimed, his surprise evident.
Doken fell silent, unsure how to respond.
"Do others from your race have abilities like yours?" Robert asked, stepping closer and patting Doken on the shoulder.
"No... I don't think so," Doken replied hesitantly. He racked his brain for examples among the Shi'ar people but couldn't recall anyone with powers resembling his own.
While the Shi'ar were an extraordinary race with impressive physical capabilities, none had developed abilities like heat vision or freeze breath.
"Maybe you've got some Kryptonian blood in you," Robert mused cryptically. Then, in a flash, he disappeared, reappearing inside the spaceship next to Carol.
"How did you get in here?!" Amy exclaimed in shock, her wariness of Robert now mixed with fear.
The Shi'ar spaceship was equipped with advanced spatial defense systems designed to block unauthorized entries. Yet Robert had bypassed these defenses as if they didn't exist, leaving no trace of disturbance.
"Just like this," Robert replied casually with a shrug, noting Amy's growing unease.
Turning to Carol, he asked, "I haven't killed all the Super Skrulls. Some are still alive. Would you like to see them? Or maybe take revenge yourself?"
"They're still alive?" Carol paused, her expression conflicted. After a moment of silence, she replied, "That doesn't seem right. Just finish them off quickly."
"You're too soft-hearted, Carol," Amy interjected, her frustration evident. Hugging Carol's arm, she continued, "They hurt you so badly, and now you want to let them off easy? They should suffer for what they've done!"
"Exactly!" Robert agreed, glancing approvingly at Amy. "One of them gave up your location under torture. Without me, they would've come for you sooner or later."
"And you know what it means when a Super Skrull appears in the Shi'ar Empire without targeting you," Robert added, his tone serious.
"It means those vermin have begun their secret infiltration plan!" Amy growled, her hatred for the Skrulls burning brightly.
Carol sighed heavily but nodded in understanding. Before she could respond, Robert disappeared again. Moments later, he returned, bringing with him several severely injured, incapacitated Super Skrulls, each reverted to their original forms.
"So many?!" Amy and the others gasped in astonishment. The spaceship, large as it was, barely had room for all of them.
"Are they dead?" Amy asked cautiously.
"Their souls have been separated from their bodies, but they're not dead," Doken answered after examining the Skrulls.
Robert gestured toward one particular Super Skrull, the one who had revealed Carol's whereabouts. "Here's the one who found you. If he hadn't hesitated, you might not be alive today."
"Carol! Save us! Please, help us!" The Skrull suddenly shouted, pleading desperately with Carol.
"What?" Everyone, including Robert, was stunned by the Skrull's audacity.
"Carol, the Skrulls wouldn't have come this far without your help," the Skrull continued, his voice trembling. "You can't just stand by and let us be wiped out by Robert! Please, save us from extinction!"
Carol stared at the Skrull, her expression cold and devoid of surprise. She sighed and said, "You haven't changed at all. You used me to grow your empire, to expand your territory. And in the end, you turned my own power against me to try and kill me. And now, you're asking me to save you? Your race is as disgusting as ever."
"This is just a word from you!" the Skrull persisted, his voice desperate. "I spared your life when I found you. Doesn't that count for something? If I'd attacked you then, you wouldn't be here today!"
"From that perspective, I saved your life. Doesn't it make sense to repay that by saving the Skrull race?"
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