The mercenaries' weapons, like their bodies, were cleaved in two with seamless precision, a testament to the sheer power of the Dark Knight armor. After Zod intervened, the battle ended swiftly. The aftermath, however, was a different story—clean-up would take time.
The War Machines cordoned off the scene, keeping reporters at bay. No way could this chaos be allowed to hit the news. Even the military and police handled the situation differently, showing an unusual level of cooperation. The reporters, sensing the shift, refrained from pushing the boundaries of "freedom of the press."
Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Director Nick Fury received footage of the event, courtesy of Black Widow. As he reviewed Zod's new "War Machine" in action, his thoughts raced. This "Dark Knight" was leagues ahead of other War Machines—strong enough to take on a hundred enemies. While Nick wasn't shocked that Zod could engineer such a machine, he was perplexed by its purpose. Why had Zod unleashed it? What was his endgame?
Despite his suspicions, protecting Zod was top priority. The mercenary attack wasn't just a rogue incident—it was a clear challenge to the U.S. They knew about the global bounty on Zod, but how had this group gained such immense firepower, especially when most of their weapons were of American origin? It suggested inside support.
Soon, investigations revealed several U.S. officers who had covertly aided the mercenaries. But before any could be interrogated, they all mysteriously "committed suicide"—or died in accidents. One officer, for instance, died from electrocution while using a faulty bathroom appliance. These incidents seemed coincidental at first, but under scrutiny, they were anything but normal.
Zod, always several steps ahead, learned of these events through the Black Queen and quickly deduced the culprit—Hydra. Yet something puzzled him. Why had Hydra's North American branch not given any signal?
After all, Zod had supplied Hydra with 100 War Machines for their champion, Bucky Barnes, through the World Fighting Tournament. This had led to the exposure of numerous Hydra bases across North America. Blade Technology Industry capitalized on this by capturing and brainwashing the exposed Hydra agents.
Had this attack not been orchestrated by Hydra's North American branch? Zod pondered the many heads of Hydra, including Viper from the island nation and Baron from Great Britain. North America's Hydra leader was Alexander Pierce. Perhaps the attack was initiated by another Hydra faction seeking to undermine Zod's influence, which was now vast and unsettling to many.
Following the attack, Blade Technology Industry wasted no time in addressing the public, holding a press conference.
"I'm concerned about the security in the United States. We are in Washington, D.C., the very heart of the nation, and yet a group of thugs armed with Barrett rifles, 7.62mm automatics, and RPGs managed to wreak havoc. It took the police and military ten whole minutes to respond. As a U.S. citizen, I condemn this failure in protecting our people," Zod declared passionately, appealing to both the public and the capitalists who funded the system.
While the U.S. government didn't care much for public opinion, the capitalists certainly did. The United States hastily issued a statement expressing regret for the terrorist attack, pledging to compensate Blade Technology Industry for their losses and promising tighter security—especially in wealthy neighborhoods. Measures such as increased police patrols and the establishment of borders to prevent entry from lower-class areas were proposed.
Once compensated, Zod no longer pursued the matter. To keep pressing would have been futile. The U.S., keen to placate the genius inventor, promised to form an investigation team to track down the source of the bounty on his head.
Of course, they were also intrigued by the Dark Knight armor. Many high-ranking officials, including those from S.H.I.E.L.D., wanted to learn more about the tech. However, Zod made it clear that the armor was not for sale. It was a personal machine, designed for his use alone. Should he ever be eliminated, then perhaps it could be sold.
Even when the U.S. offered an extravagant price, Zod remained unmoved. He had more than enough wealth—so much that he could buy entire buildings for leisure, just like Tony Stark.
Meanwhile, other nations, having caught wind of the attack, extended offers of asylum. They assured Zod of their security, claiming their countries were safer and more stable. But Zod ignored these invitations, focused instead on his research.
In a recent experiment, Zod had collected samples from fighters in the inner world, discovering a peculiar gene—one that resembled the X-gene, the gene responsible for mutant abilities.
As most know, the Marvel universe is fraught with cataclysms and scientific experimentation. Eons ago, before the birth of humanity, the Kree arrived on Earth to conduct genetic experiments on early Homo sapiens, attempting to create powerful biological weapons. Likewise, the Celestials left their mark on Earth's genetic makeup.
Zod suspected that this special gene could be alien in origin.
Millions of years ago, the Kree and Skrull waged a war across the universe. As part of their strategy, the Kree established a research base on Uranus within the solar system. Intrigued by Earth's potential, they experimented on early humans, aiming to create a species with extraordinary abilities. Their experiments had two purposes: to prevent stagnation in their own evolution and to create soldiers for their war efforts.
Although the Kree successfully created a race of humanoids with superpowers, they abruptly abandoned the project. This race, later known as the Inhumans, developed in isolation, creating a highly advanced society. By exposing themselves to the Terrigen Mist, they unlocked various superpowers, but the process also led to genetic deformities.
Zod's discovery of this gene intrigued him—it might offer insights into the Kree's experiments and possibly the origins of other superhuman abilities.