A thunderous crash echoed through the abandoned factory as Juggernaut hurled himself again and again against the crumbling walls. Each impact sent flakes of concrete and dust spiraling through the air. Su Zhan kept his distance, his eyes sharp and his mind racing. No matter what barriers he conjured or how far he retreated, Juggernaut never slowed. He was a force of nature, a living battering ram whose momentum seemed truly unstoppable.
Su Zhan watched as Juggernaut barreled through another wall, his massive helmeted head leading the charge. He could not help but shake his head in disbelief. "You keep smashing your head into things. Does it not hurt? With strength like yours, why waste it on mindless destruction? If you keep hitting walls, maybe your head will finally learn something."
There was no malice in Su Zhan's voice, only a kind of regret. Juggernaut's power was extraordinary, but there was something tragic about the way he used it. It was not a flashy or elegant ability, but it was undeniably effective. To possess such overwhelming strength and use it only to smash things was, in Su Zhan's eyes, a waste.
Drawing on the energy of his light ring, Su Zhan shaped it into barriers, cages, and even shackles that erupted from the ground to trap Juggernaut's legs. Each construct was shattered in an instant. He even conjured a cannon and a submachine gun, firing blasts of energy and projectiles, but nothing slowed Juggernaut's advance. The mutant's stamina seemed inexhaustible. The more he ran, the more powerful he became. His armor grew tougher, his skin nearly indestructible. Not a single attack left a mark.
Su Zhan could not help but think, This man is a living bug in the system. No wonder even the Hulk has trouble stopping him.
Juggernaut's voice boomed through the factory. "I swear, I am going to smash your head!" His speed suddenly increased, and in a blink, he was upon Su Zhan, his head lowered for a devastating charge.
Su Zhan braced himself and punched straight at Juggernaut's helmet. The impact sent a jolt of agony up his arm. He heard the sickening crack of bone as his elbow gave way under the force. Pain shot through him, and before he could recover, Juggernaut's momentum sent him flying across the room.
Su Zhan grunted in pain but quickly righted himself, floating in the air as he pushed his dislocated elbow back into place. He used his healing ability, and the pain faded. "It seems my strength still falls short against yours," he muttered, flexing his arm.
He changed tactics. Flames erupted from one hand, while a swirling whirlwind formed in the other. The wind coiled around Juggernaut, slowing him for the first time. Juggernaut strained against the resistance, but it was not enough to stop him.
"You cannot stop me!" Juggernaut roared, his confidence unshaken.
Su Zhan only smiled. The whirlwind grew denser, wrapping tighter around Juggernaut, not as a wall but as a cocoon. At the same time, the flames swept in, merging with the wind. At first, Juggernaut paid it no mind, but soon he began to feel it. The air grew thin, and each breath became a struggle.
The sensation of suffocating crept up on him. His steps slowed, and his powerful arms flailed as he tried to disperse the wind and fire. The air inside the vortex burned, the oxygen vanishing with every passing second. Even Juggernaut's immense stamina could not compensate for the lack of breath.
He staggered, his face turning red as he gasped for air. "What is this? Let me go! I cannot breathe! Let me go, damn it! I will kill you!" His voice grew hoarse, his words punctuated by desperate, ragged breaths.
He smashed at the pipes and walls, sending debris crashing around him, but the wind and fire would not relent. The more he struggled, the less air he found. Stars danced before his eyes, and his powerful legs finally gave out. He collapsed to his knees, clutching at his helmet as if he could pry the suffocation away.
With a final gasp, Juggernaut toppled forward and lay still, his massive body shaking the ground. The dust settled, and Su Zhan released the wind and fire, watching with satisfaction as the last wisps of smoke faded.
He approached Juggernaut's unconscious form and nodded. "In terms of raw strength, I still have some shortcomings. But the power of my abilities, especially when combined, is formidable. Wind and fire together are not just a simple sum. Their synergy is much greater."
He considered Juggernaut's near-invulnerability. The mutant's skin was nearly impossible to pierce, and neither wind nor fire alone could do much to him. But together, they created a deadly trap. Even someone with Juggernaut's endurance could be defeated by suffocation and heat. Su Zhan realized that clever combinations of his powers could overcome even the toughest opponents.
He reflected for a moment. With so many abilities at his disposal, perhaps it was time to focus on a few and master their synergy. Specialization and cooperation among his powers would serve him better than relying on brute force alone.
As he pondered this, a sudden flash of red light illuminated the far side of the factory. Azazel, the red-skinned mutant with a devil's tail, appeared in a swirl of energy. Beside him stood Emma Frost, the White Queen, dressed in pristine white and exuding an air of icy confidence.
Su Zhan raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here? Are you planning to join in?"
Emma Frost glanced around the ruined factory and smiled. "I heard the Brotherhood is planning to cooperate with Hydra. I was worried you might run into trouble, so I came to help. But it seems I was not needed after all."
Su Zhan did not answer right away. He tilted his head, as if listening to something only he could hear.
Emma Frost's eyes widened, and in an instant, her body transformed into diamond. She laughed lightly. "Most women want men to understand their thoughts, but you are a little too good at it, are you not?"
Su Zhan grinned. "I was just wondering why you are so eager to help me. Is it because you like me?"
Emma Frost's reaction was swift, but she recovered her composure and smiled. "What if I do? Powerful men always attract attention, especially with so many women around you. I do not think I am any less than them. In fact, I can help you more than they can. Why not open your heart and accept me?"
She stepped closer, her diamond form shimmering. "If we work together, I can help you destroy the Brotherhood."
Su Zhan regarded her thoughtfully, sensing both sincerity and calculation in her words. The factory was quiet now, the only sound the distant crackle of settling debris.