With just a thought, Zod converted the energy in his body into ultraviolet rays. The reaper who had lunged at him screamed as his body disintegrated into ash.
"What have you done?" Chad Norma stepped back cautiously, his eyes wide with fear.
"Relax, Prince Norma. I'm only interested in the R virus in your body. Cooperate with me for some samples, and you'll be free," Zod said calmly.
Without giving Chad a chance to respond, Zod unleashed his psychic power, effortlessly controlling both Chad and the reapers behind him.
"This is easier than I thought. Controlling vampires is no different from controlling humans," Zod remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice.
He toyed with them, making Chad Norma and the reapers roll around on the ground like dogs, then wriggle like worms. Zod chuckled at the absurdity, wondering if Professor X would ever play with his powers like this.
While many might envy superhuman strength, Zod found that his psychic abilities were far more versatile—and fun. Hypnosis paled in comparison to the sheer control and manipulation he could exert with just a few mental commands.
"Unfortunately, I can only use it on enemies," Zod sighed theatrically.
After collecting the samples he needed from Chad Norma, Zod led the prince and his reaper variants back to the base of Blade Technology Industry. Once his research was complete, he implanted a strong psychic suggestion into Chad. From now on, Chad and his reapers would only attack vampires and the scum of society. Zod watched them slink off into the sewers, knowing they would follow his commands.
By now, an entire night had passed since Chad's rampage. Only the clear surveillance footage remained as evidence of the attack. This footage quickly escalated through the vampire hierarchy, ultimately landing in the hands of Levitra, the vampire prince of New York, and his superior, Archduke Elida Maquinos.
Maquinos, the oldest vampire in the Americas, held a position of immense power. His reputation as the leader of the vampire families preceded him, but his appearance was far from the romanticized image of a dark, handsome nobleman. In reality, Maquinos was hideously disfigured—his pale blue skin was sickly and decayed, his blood vessels bulged grotesquely, and his entire body seemed like a rotting corpse held together by sheer force of will.
While other vampires of his age retained their elegance, Maquinos had sacrificed his physical appearance to maintain his power. Refusing to enter the regenerative sleep typical of his kind, he allowed his body to wither, preferring control over rejuvenation. To maintain his grip on the vampire empire, he formed a Blood Guard—elite warriors who slaughtered anyone standing in his way.
Maquinos also aligned himself with human powerbrokers, reinforcing their mutual interests in maintaining control. His ambitions were clear: power at any cost.
When Chad Norma reappeared, Maquinos quickly realized his son sought revenge. Aware of how powerful the Reaper variants were, he began to formulate a plan to not only deal with Chad but also to finalize his own scheme.
Meanwhile, Zod had little interest in the political maneuvering of the vampires. His focus was on the R virus. His research revealed that while the R virus wasn't vulnerable to silver, it had an incredibly fast metabolism, which allowed it to expel harmful substances like silver and anticoagulants from the body. However, the virus had a significant flaw—when exposed to the Extremis virus, even a small amount would obliterate it instantly.
This was disappointing for Zod, who had high expectations for the R virus. On the other hand, its infectious capability was staggering. It could infect and transform a host with just one cell, making it far more potent than the typical vampire virus.
"It's a dangerous world…" Zod mused. The R virus was like a supercharged version of the T virus from Resident Evil. Luckily, it wasn't airborne. If it were, Chad and his reapers would have created a pandemic, turning Marvel's world into a scene from Resident Evil.
Once his research was complete, Zod shifted his attention to the World Fighting Tournament in New York.
Having screened a group of his animalized soldiers, Zod transitioned from using them as mere war machines to leveraging them for profit. After Bucky brought the hundred pieces of War Machine armor back to Hydra, several of their strongholds had been exposed to Zod. He was now preparing to execute the "Snake Swallow" plan.
The World Fighting Tournament, supported behind the scenes by Blade Technology Industry, had become immensely popular, attracting fighters from all over the globe. The financial backing was discreet, but well-known in certain circles, drawing in all kinds of participants, including some with superhuman abilities.
Zod marveled at the range of combatants, many of whom seemed to mirror the powerful, eccentric characters from the King of Fighters series. The tournament wasn't just a spectacle—it was a treasure trove of data. Zod collected and analyzed the combat footage, saving everything for the Black Queen to process.
Whenever someone displayed exceptional abilities, Zod's organization, World Snake, extended an invitation. If the fighters declined, Zod resorted to more underhanded tactics, abducting them for experimentation. This method allowed Zod to amass a small army of powerful individuals. Although many proved to be disappointments—most were self-trained rather than mutated—a few had significant potential.
Zod's network had even captured low-level villains and imitators, but the truly powerful ones remained rare gems in the vast sea of challengers.