Chapter 56: Dark Knight

If Zod unleashed his automatic armed mechanical soldiers, the battle would be over in an instant. However, these mercenaries provided him with an opportunity to showcase his true strength.

He had long considered when he would debut his steel suit, and now, the moment had arrived.

"Natalie, follow me."

Zod led Natalie to a concealed metallic hallway. Her heart raced—was she really being entrusted with company secrets this soon? Still, Zod's concern for her safety was clear, and the heavily reinforced metal door seemed like the safest place in the facility.

As they reached the door, it revealed an advanced security system, requiring both eye and voice recognition to unlock. Natalie marveled at the sophistication—no wonder no one could find this room.

Once inside, Natalie found herself in a vast room filled with pieces of War Machines. Clearly, they were decoys, meant to confuse intruders. But what caught her attention was Zod stepping onto a sleek black platform.

"The Black Queen," Zod called out. Immediately, the platform activated. Natalie watched in amazement as liquid metal began spreading from the floor, crawling up Zod's legs, covering his entire body until it formed a sleek, black suit of armor.

Black Widow, witnessing this from afar, was equally astonished. Though she was a veteran of countless high-tech battles, this scene—straight out of science fiction—left her momentarily speechless.

The armor itself was a masterpiece. Its streamlined design combined simplicity and sharp edges, with thick plating around the joints radiating power. The intricate metal plates not only provided defense but were artistically crafted.

The helmet was especially impressive, made from nano-metal extending from earmuffs and linking behind the neck. The face was protected by gear that emerged from the jaw area, completing the look.

The outer surface of the armor shifted colors, turning jet black as nano-metal molecules responded to Zod's command. Golden lines began to appear across the shoulders, adding a regal, dangerous flair. In an instant, the nano armor—once just a machine—became something that exuded dark, formidable power.

This was no ordinary suit. It was made of nano-robots, a marvel Zod created after acquiring hundreds of tons of vibranium. With the help of the Black Queen, he had perfected nanotechnology and developed these tiny machines. They were designed for combat, able to transform and offer unmatched defense, controlled entirely by the Black Queen's central system.

By analyzing vibranium and alloys from around the world, the Black Queen created a metal stronger than secondary Kryptonian gold, giving Zod's nano-robots their edge. It was unfortunate, however, that he could not dismantle the Helios and Ares armors to extract original Kryptonian gold; otherwise, his suit could have been even more formidable.

"The Dark Knight armor is complete," announced the Black Queen, her voice cold and authoritative.

This armor was unlike anything mass-produced, such as the War Machines. It was custom-built for Zod's personal use.

"BOSS?" Natalie's voice shook with awe as she addressed Zod. Unbeknownst to her, the bug she had secretly planted was quietly retrieved and destroyed by one of Zod's nano-robots.

Donning the Dark Knight armor, Zod stormed out to confront the mercenaries.

"It's a War Machine!" one of the mercenaries shouted as they opened fire on Zod. Yet their bullets bounced off his armor, not even scratching the black surface. Zod raised his hand and unleashed a blue energy beam.

The beam wasn't just light; it was composed of energy particles that, when focused into a ray, could vaporize anything they touched. Two mercenaries, standing too close together, were disintegrated instantly, their heads vaporized into primitive molecules. Another, standing behind them, lost an arm to the residual energy.

Their bodies, scorched and headless, resembled nothing more than mannequins. Natalie watched this display with a growing sense of unease.

The energy cannon embedded in Zod's palm was far stronger than anything found in the standard War Machines. As she watched, Zod extended his index finger, and a red laser beam shot out at incredible speed, piercing through another mercenary's body armor, leaving a hole the size of a ping-pong ball.

The Dark Knight's ten fingers were capable of firing these highly penetrating laser rays, and with enough power, they could even slice through solid objects.

Despite the mercenaries' fierce firepower, including RPGs, the Dark Knight remained undeterred. Firing an RPG in such close quarters was a death sentence, but it seemed desperation had set in.

"What the hell is that?" one mercenary gasped, as Zod advanced. His suit bore similarities to the War Machines, but there was something far more menacing about it.

Before they could react, Zod raised his arm. "Burning cannon."

The armor on his arm shifted, reconfiguring itself. A spiral of flames shot from his palm, enveloping the mercenaries in a torrent of fire. Their screams were cut short as they were incinerated, their bodies reduced to ash.

The fire sprinklers in the hallway activated, dousing the flames, but the damage had already been done.

"The Dark Knight's performance is impressive," Zod remarked, satisfied. Most of his weapons had been successfully tested. Now, it was time to finish the job.

The nano-robots in his suit reassembled into a long sword in his hand. The blade vibrated at such high frequencies that it could slice through nearly anything, including vibranium.

As Black Widow observed from a distance, she saw Zod's back open up to reveal a row of thrusters. Blue flames ignited, resembling wings of light, propelling him forward in a burst of speed. In the blink of an eye, he was upon the remaining mercenaries, cutting them down with lethal precision, as if they were nothing more than vegetables to be harvested.