Chapter 105: The Earth Shaker

Harrow's offensive capabilities were relatively weak, not even matching the destructive potential of Limbo.

His method of countering Void entities was primarily through his restraining chains, blocking Void influence from the outside.

This didn't concern Marcus much—after all, he had plenty of offensive options already.

Having completed two new Warframes, only one remained to be chosen. The distribution of frames in his arsenal was looking quite balanced.

This final Warframe deserved careful consideration.

He already possessed Harrow and Limbo for utility and control, Gara for area attacks, Titania for aerial combat, Xaku and Excalibur for offensive prowess, and Inaros as a partial defensive frame.

He needed to consider what other capabilities would complete his combat system.

"My frames cover most scenarios well, but raw strength might be lacking," Marcus realized.

After reviewing his collection, he identified physical power as a relative weakness. While the Exalted Sword allowed him to face many enemies effectively, there were situations where brute force would be more appropriate.

Two strength-specialized Warframes came to mind.

The first was Atlas, the Rumblers' master known as the Stone Titan. The second was Rhino, a heavily armored juggernaut that charged through battlefields with unstoppable momentum.

Both were formidable strength-based frames, each with distinct advantages.

In Warframe lore, Atlas had earned the nickname "One-Punch Man"—a testament to his devastating striking power.

Rhino, meanwhile, could harness his tremendous energy to slow surrounding particles, creating an effect similar to time standing still.

The two frames excelled in different areas: Atlas focused on offense, while Rhino emphasized defense.

"I'll go with Atlas," Marcus decided. "His defensive capabilities are decent too, and the satisfaction of landing those earth-shattering punches should be quite rewarding."

Having confirmed his choice, Marcus began shaping his final Warframe.

Atlas was a powerful frame—lord of stone and dust, wielder of earth's might. At full strength, he could shake mountains to their foundations.

As time passed, the energy cocoon surrounding Marcus grew increasingly bright before suddenly bursting open. A muscular Warframe emerged, appearing at first glance to have no visible head.

"Are Atlas's trapezius muscles a bit excessive?" Marcus wondered. "Someone unfamiliar with this frame might think it's headless!"

The frame's strength was immediately apparent—trapezius muscles so developed they nearly engulfed the head, clearly indicating this was a frame built for raw power.

Marcus wasn't particularly concerned with aesthetics. What mattered was functionality, and as long as the appearance wasn't completely outlandish, he could accept it.

He immediately felt the frame's tremendous power. Standing on solid ground, energy flowed continuously into him—a connection so strong that no force could knock him down.

Marcus sensed his connection to the earth, as if he had become an extension of the planet itself, able to harness terrestrial power against enemies.

Even the sand created earlier by Inaros gradually transformed into solid rock beneath Atlas's influence.

With a sudden clench of his fist, raw force erupted. The entire laboratory shook with the impact.

"Incredible power—truly worthy of the Stone Titan," Marcus marveled.

While he appreciated the display within his laboratory, elsewhere in the school, the demonstration had more alarming effects. Students and staff felt the building tremble, ceiling lights swaying as if an earthquake had struck.

In classrooms, students spoke in nervous whispers while teachers called for calm.

"Everyone remain quiet! The school is perfectly safe—even during an earthquake, we can protect you."

Reassured by their teachers, the students gradually settled. They knew the faculty were right—with their mutant abilities, even a genuine earthquake posed little threat.

After calming their students, the teachers all received a mental summons from Charles.

The Professor had also been startled by the sudden tremor and wanted to determine its cause.

In Charles's office, Raven and the others arrived one by one, looking to their leader sitting in his wheelchair.

"Did you all feel that shock just now?" Charles asked.

"Yes," they nodded in unison. Raven added with a serious expression, "The vibration was unusual—not consistent with an earthquake."

A genuine seismic event would have lasted longer rather than occurring as a single, powerful tremor.

Charles nodded—he'd reached the same conclusion. But who or what had caused the disturbance?

"I think Marcus might know something about this," Erik suggested.

He had fully settled into life at the school, choosing to become a teacher and guide young mutants from around the world.

Earlier, when he'd noticed his daughter's rabbit wrapped in gauze, she'd explained that Marcus had bandaged it. This surprised Erik somewhat—Marcus had been sequestered in his makeshift laboratory since returning, rarely emerging.

The fact that he'd helped Nina suggested he might have completed some research and finally left his workspace. Perhaps the tremor was related to whatever he'd been developing.

Hearing Erik mention Marcus, everyone's attention shifted. The connection seemed plausible.

"Let's pay him a visit," Charles suggested. "We might learn something interesting."

The group made their way to Marcus's laboratory. Inside, Marcus had just finished enhancing his newly formed Warframes and was preparing to take a well-deserved break.

As the door opened, Charles and the others appeared.

"Well, look who's here. Shouldn't you all be teaching classes right now?" Marcus joked.

It was indeed class time—strange that the instructors would abandon their students to visit him.

"We have some questions," Charles replied with a smile. Glancing past Marcus into the laboratory, he added, "Won't you invite us in for a look around?"

They were genuinely curious about Marcus's activities these past weeks and whether the tremor was connected to his work.

Seeing their interest, Marcus didn't refuse. The laboratory contained only two Foundries and some materials—nothing to hide.

"Sure, come on in!" he said, stepping aside to welcome his visitors.

As the X-Men entered, they gazed with fascination at the strange equipment and glowing materials scattered throughout the room. They couldn't possibly understand what they were seeing—technology from a different universe altogether.

Charles wheeled himself toward the center of the room, looking at the metallic Foundry with particular interest.

"So this is what you've been working on? I must admit, it's not what I expected."

"This is just the manufacturing equipment," Marcus explained. "The real work is what it produces."

Erik examined a partially completed Amplifier Crystal on the workbench. "And what exactly are you producing?"

Marcus smiled, considering how much to reveal. These people had fought alongside him against Apocalypse. They'd earned some measure of trust.

"Enhancements," he said simply. "Ways to increase my effectiveness in combat situations."

"And the tremor we felt?" Raven asked directly.

"A test of new capabilities," Marcus admitted. "Perhaps a bit more powerful than anticipated."

Charles studied Marcus's expression. "You've been busy creating quite an arsenal, I see. Should we be concerned?"

There was no accusation in his voice—merely the natural caution of someone responsible for hundreds of young students.

"Not at all," Marcus assured him. "Everything I create is for protection—yours included. The next time a threat like Apocalypse appears, I'll be better prepared to defend this school and everyone in it."

The tension in the room eased slightly. Though they couldn't understand the alien technology before them, they could recognize the sincerity in Marcus's words.

"Then perhaps," Charles suggested with a glint in his eye, "you might consider sharing some of this knowledge? Our students could benefit from understanding more about your defensive capabilities."

Marcus hadn't considered teaching, but the idea had merit. While he couldn't share Warframe technology directly, he could certainly demonstrate combat techniques and strategic thinking.

"I might just take you up on that offer," he replied thoughtfully. "After all, knowledge is its own form of protection."

As the conversation continued, Marcus realized that for the first time since arriving in this world, he was beginning to feel a genuine connection to it—and to these people who had welcomed him into their strange family of mutants and outcasts.

The Warframes were powerful, certainly, but perhaps the real strength lay in the bonds formed with those who fought alongside you.

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