Since the "Black Mask" incident, Atreus has kept a low profile and hasn't visited any nightclubs, which has frustrated many club managers. They frequently call to politely ask about Atreus's status, reassuring that their venues are perfectly safe.
Unfortunately for them, it's now Black Canary who answers the phone. As a diligent secretary, she uniformly responds according to Atreus's instructions: "He's been busy lately, no time."
This left the managers in a bind.
Atreus used to reserve entire clubs for an entire night, leading to packed venues, with even nearby drunkards rushing over. The clubs, naturally, would serve only the most expensive drinks, maximizing profits by 1000%. After all, Atreus was rich and reckless—both money and popularity followed.
Atreus wasn't just any typical "top supporter"; he was a rare benefactor who could single-handedly support an entire club.
Now that he stopped coming, no one knew it was because he killed *Black Mask*. They only knew that Roman had caused Atreus trouble before, and now Roman was dead. Club owners across the city hated Roman for this—he had not only died but also scared off the next biggest benefactor after Bruce Wayne. Gotham's GDP took a hit, and *Black Mask* was blamed for it.
Because of this, the bosses behind these clubs were even more motivated to eliminate the remnants of *Black Mask*'s gang.
*In Hell, Black Mask grumbles*: "I'm not sure if I should say something?"
The underworld bosses respond: "Shut up!"
No one knew that Atreus wasn't partying for two reasons: first, the zombie universe issue, and second, he was genuinely scared. His troublemaker friends often joked with him: "Hey! What's the worst that could happen? Just die trying!"
To this, Atreus could only sigh: "There's a reason why there aren't many foreigners around."
But more importantly, Atreus had gotten two new cars in his garage.
And what man doesn't love cars?
Actually, Atreus preferred domestic cars over the slightly wild-looking Western ones. But these two new models were special. Their headlights were large and bright, and the built-in sound system was top-notch. The sound was so smooth and melodic, it made him feel light as a feather.
New cars need a break-in period, so he couldn't hit the highway right away.
After a week of breaking them in, Atreus finally took one for a spin on the highway.
Afterward, he could feel the car's power had noticeably increased. Just a light press on the gas, and it responded far more quickly than it had before the highway trip.
There were two main reasons for this: one, some carbon deposits in the engine had been cleared out, and two, after some time on the highway, the car's onboard computer had adapted to Atreus's driving habits, adjusting the fuel injection accordingly.
The car's smart system had also been upgraded. Now, whenever Atreus approached, it automatically opened the door for him.
Atreus was thoroughly satisfied after getting used to it.
...
One day, Dinah suddenly received an order from Atreus. She took two transfers of public transport and, under the cover of night, walked to a mysterious warehouse to bring back a box.
Back at the underground chamber, the two sisters watched as Atreus opened the box.
"What is this?" they asked curiously.
Atreus entered a code and pulled a human-shaped suit out of the 32-inch metal case.
Piece by piece, Atreus donned the suit, with Sara helping him put on the headgear and adjust the hidden zipper on the back. Once everything was in place, the sisters gasped in unison.
"Oh my god!"
"He's like a completely different person."
And indeed, he was.
Atreus was immensely pleased.
The man in the mirror stood 6'6", with a burly frame. This bald, muscular warrior sported a goatee and wore only a diagonal Greek-style skirt and shorts. His attire was completed with bronze bracers and greaves.
His skin, exposed to the air, was an unnatural pale, and on his left chest was a bright red lightning-shaped mark.
A similar red mark was 'tattooed' over his left eye, while a long scar stretched from the corner of his right eye across his cheek.
That's right!
Atreus had donned *Kratos'* skin.
This wasn't just cosplay!
The suit was handcrafted by Tony Stark himself, featuring a layer of cutting-edge synthetic muscles. Tiny sensors inside the suit detected muscle signals and amplified the wearer's movements. The synthetic muscles, with an average thickness of over 3 cm, also provided significant protection against blunt force and worked like anti-stab clothing.
In simple terms, this was a mini-version of *Iron Man's* suit, without its own power source.
The system rated the suit with bonuses of [+5 Constitution, +12 Strength, +50 Armor], showcasing how insanely powerful it was.
To put that into perspective, a standard III-grade American bulletproof vest only had a rating of [Armor +25].
(Level 3) bulletproof vests are fitted with two 300mm x 250mm ceramic composite plates, each 18mm thick and weighing 2.6 kg. This level can stop a 7.62x51mm NATO round traveling at 800 meters per second, and it can also defend against standard rounds from AK-47s and Type 56 rifles.
Kratos' suit weighed only 10 kg and was full of Tony's advanced technology.
Only Tony would be so accommodating—if Atreus had asked Batman for a suit, even if he had applied to be Robin, Batman would probably still have thrown him out.
But...
"Why would you make yourself look so ugly?" Dinah asked, puzzled.
A once handsome young man with a refined artistic vibe had transformed into a bald, muscular middle-aged man.
Both sisters found it hard to accept.
"No Gotham superhero shows their real face. Just covering half the face isn't enough; this is perfect."
There were far too many heroes in Gotham that regular people thought were eccentric.
But Atreus had his reasons for doing this, even if it seemed a bit excessive.
"You've got your suits too."
The sisters then put on the two other suits that Tony had included.
These were skins modeled after the robot twins from *Atomic Heart*.
The outside was coated with 2mm-thick silver-plated titanium alloy, while the inside contained minimal synthetic muscles. Instead of headgear, their suits came with full-face helmets.
The helmets, made from high-strength tempered glass, served not only as protection but also as chemical and oxygen masks. A small oxygen supply unit was attached to the back of each suit.
With these suits on, they could even go diving, as the gear was pressure-resistant up to 50 meters underwater.
Although their suit bonuses weren't as strong as Kratos', their armor rating was a whopping +100.
Clearly, Atreus had been preparing for something big during his quiet period!
"Ladies, fancy a ride to New York?" Atreus smiled at the Lance sisters.
(End of Chapter)