Chapter 47: Stolen Gold

The vibranium meteorite beneath Wakanda is vast, capable of sustaining mining for hundreds of years. It's truly a treasure trove, a divine gift in the eyes of many.

Ould observed the Wakandan soldiers around her, noting their blend of traditional shields and spears with a few units carrying advanced thermal weapons. The sight amused her—it was a common configuration across much of Africa, a mix of modern and old-fashioned armaments. But it also made her realize where she could begin to break through Wakanda's defenses.

Zod had sent her on this mission because he knew Wakanda had more vibranium. These natives might play innocent and primitive, but Ould wasn't naive enough to believe they'd sold off all their precious metal. She was determined to get her hands on more.

"Mr. T'Chaka," Ould began, her tone diplomatic, "Blade Technology Industries is prepared to offer Wakanda a batch of advanced weapons in exchange for vibranium."

T'Chaka raised an eyebrow. "Advanced weapons? Are you referring to the flying Iron Men?"

Ould couldn't help but bristle at the thought. Did these Wakandan tribesmen truly think War Machine tech—something even world superpowers lined up to buy—could be handed out so easily?

Feigning disinterest, T'Chaka continued, though in reality, he was quite aware of War Machine's potential. His people, however, were not so easily swayed. They clung to tradition, favoring the bows, arrows, and spears they'd mastered since childhood over guns and advanced weaponry.

Wakanda's isolation had fostered a deeply conservative mindset. The nation remained steadfastly tied to its traditions, rejecting many of the technological innovations that had swept the rest of the world. This was a challenge T'Chaka had faced ever since he ascended the throne. He had recognized Wakanda's backwardness, especially when World War II broke out and demonstrated just how far behind they were.

T'Chaka had tried to promote basic national education, but the elders of the various tribes resisted, fearing it would erode the country's traditions and values. They worried that an educated populace might challenge their authority. The result? His modernization plans were delayed.

But T'Chaka wasn't blind to the dangers of staying isolated for too long. He knew that if Wakanda didn't adapt, it could be left behind. His strategy was to gradually modernize the Golden Tribe, the group most open to change. In time, the other tribes would have no choice but to follow suit.

Wakanda's strength, T'Chaka believed, lay in its future—specifically, in his son, T'Challa. He envisioned a day when T'Challa would inherit the throne and bring Wakanda fully into the modern world. Little did he know, however, that his plans might be disrupted by Zod.

Vibranium could make Wakanda one of the wealthiest nations on Earth, but selling too much of it came with great risk. Each sale drew more attention from foreign powers. The metal might be Wakanda's greatest asset, but it was also its greatest danger.

T'Chaka sighed. "As for War Machine tech, I can't make that decision alone," he said diplomatically. "But as for the vibranium, we only have 10 kilograms available."

Ould's eyes narrowed. She knew there was more vibranium—far more than T'Chaka was letting on. The king was playing it safe, offering just enough to keep her interested but not enough to tip the scales of power.

"Ten kilograms?" Ould thought. "This man thinks he can outsmart me."

Frustrated, Ould excused herself and called Zod for advice. When she explained the situation, Zod chuckled.

"Ten kilograms? They're sitting on tons of vibranium," Zod told her. "Keep negotiating. Offer them one War Machine for every equal weight in vibranium. They'll either give in, or we'll find another way."

Zod knew full well that the War Machine armor wasn't the real prize. The armor's true power lay in its core technology, which no one could crack without his permission. Besides, each suit came with an explosive fail-safe in case anyone tried to reverse-engineer it. Still, Zod was curious about how far T'Chaka would go.

Ould returned to negotiations and stuck firmly to Zod's proposal: a War Machine suit for an equal weight of vibranium. T'Chaka, seeing through the ploy, politely stalled for time, but Ould wasn't one to wait around. After a few more exchanges, she left Wakanda, determined to explore other options.

Meanwhile, Zod had another plan. If negotiations couldn't get him the vibranium, he'd simply steal it.

Using a photo sent by Ould, Zod arrived in Wakanda under the cover of darkness. The quaint, rural facade of the country vanished before his eyes. Through his enhanced senses, Zod saw Wakanda for what it truly was—a high-tech utopia, with advancements far beyond anything the rest of the world had.

"Impressive," Zod muttered to himself. "But not enough to stop me."

He slipped into the city undetected, his biological force field masking his presence from even the most sophisticated Wakandan sensors. As he navigated the streets, his superhuman vision scoured the city for his target—the vibranium vault.

It didn't take long for him to find it. A warehouse near the city center, filled with gleaming silver-white blocks of metal—vibranium, enough to build an empire. Using his super vision, Zod scanned the molecular structure of the blocks, confirming that this was indeed the same precious metal he had previously encountered.

"More than I expected," Zod thought, eyeing the massive stockpile. Vibranium was being moved constantly, with forklifts loading it into transport vehicles for storage and refinement. Wakanda's mines were operating at full capacity.

With a wave of his hand, Zod unleashed his psychic power, stunning the warehouse workers and forcing them to abandon their posts. He descended into the vault, his biological force field expanding until it enveloped the entire structure. With a surge of energy, Zod lifted the entire warehouse from the ground, vibranium and all.

Alarms blared across the city. Wakanda's soldiers mobilized immediately, but Zod was already on his way out, the warehouse in tow.

"Wakanda might be advanced," Zod mused as he flew away with his stolen prize, "but they're still no match for me."

The theft would leave Wakanda reeling, but Zod wasn't concerned. His real prize—enough vibranium to fuel his grand ambitions—was now in his possession.