Chapter 85: Sword of Damocles

Doom was frozen in ice, encased in a tank, and sealed deep underground in Zod's hidden research base. He now shared his confinement with Killian, and Zod intended to release them only when he deemed it necessary.

Meanwhile, at S.H.I.E.L.D., Nick Fury wore a grave expression.

"His Dark Knight armor can reach outer space?" Fury asked, his tone heavy with concern. This unexpected revelation meant that S.H.I.E.L.D. would need to revise its threat assessments on Zodhis from scratch.

If Zod's armor could defy Earth's gravity and reach orbit, he could theoretically take down any country's communication satellites in an instant. Current human technology lacked the means to counter a threat from space effectively, and Zod's war machine was more advanced than anything the U.S. military could field. Even the Raptor jets couldn't compare; the high altitudes would freeze them and send them plummeting back down.

"What is he trying to accomplish?" Fury wondered aloud. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s analysts suspected that Zod's display of power was a message. Fury reasoned that Zod was too calculated to show his cards without reason. Saving civilians as the "Dark Knight" was an act, meant to mask his true intentions, Fury thought. And since Zod's intervention had, ironically, reduced S.H.I.E.L.D.'s workload, Fury had tolerated it so far.

But now, the genius seemed to be broadcasting a more ominous warning.

Perhaps, Fury speculated, Zod had caught wind of certain international schemes. By flaunting his new abilities, he might be signaling: if you move against me, I'll take out your satellites and cripple your global communications.

The hypothetical consequences would be catastrophic; while humanity could eventually launch new satellites, Zod could just as easily destroy them. The economic and technological losses would be severe.

"Could he be positioning himself as a sort of Sword of Damocles over the world?" Fury mused.

"More than that, Director," a S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist cut in. "If he wanted, Zod could use his armor to weaponize satellites, turning them into kinetic missiles."

Fury glanced at the scientist, troubled. "You mean a space-based weapon?"

"Precisely. One satellite, redirected from orbit, could level a city like New York."

As scientists and strategists speculated on Zod's capabilities, others voiced objections.

"But Zod's Blade Tech Industries is still on Earth. He can't just abandon it," someone argued.

"That's assuming Blade Tech is his only asset," an Air Force admiral countered. "Can you be sure he only has one Dark Knight armor?"

Indeed, Zod's armor had eluded radar detection and continued to operate unhindered over U.S. airspace. The discussion turned heated as officials debated how to contain a man who could single-handedly disrupt global power dynamics.

The unanswered questions about Zod's hidden resources and potential motives left Fury and the rest of S.H.I.E.L.D. in a difficult position. There were speculations about whether Zod had a hidden legion of war machines or if he alone held this level of power. Despite their best efforts, no one had yet been able to replicate his armor's technology.

Zod, for his part, was well aware of the ripple effects his demonstration had caused. Irritated by the constant meddling of minor agencies and underwhelmed by the lack of movement from more serious threats like Hydra, he had staged this cosmic rescue to send a message. He wanted the world to understand that he held the ability to enforce peace on his terms.

But Zod didn't worry about their reactions. If they forced his hand, he would retaliate decisively. If they stayed quiet, even better.

Though he could intercept all U.S. communications and process them as intelligence, he was preoccupied with his own research into advanced gravitational and electromagnetic forces, leaving little time to play cat and mouse with lesser threats.

Elsewhere, Reed Richards visited his former partner, Susan Storm.

"Doom disappeared," he informed her, a concerned look on his face. It seemed Victor couldn't bear his financial ruin and had vanished. Doom Industries had declared bankruptcy, and its assets were being auctioned off.

Susan nodded, troubled but not surprised.