Perhaps it was mere coincidence, but just as Robert and Kara were spending time with their families on the remote island, Earth, which had only recently endured a major crisis, found itself embroiled in yet another upheaval.
The root of the issue lay in the proliferation of Chitauri technology. As more and more of this alien tech was sold on the black market, Earth's overall technological level began to climb rapidly. One isolated nation, however, remained unaffected by this technological boom.
This nation was Wakanda, which had previously clashed with Clark. Wakanda hadn't gained any advantage from the recent Chitauri incident, nor had it shown any interest in studying Chitauri technology. The Wakandans believed their weapons, powered by vibranium technology, were superior to the Chitauri's. They had immense confidence in their vibranium-based technology, which had sustained them for generations.
However, this wasn't mere arrogance on Wakanda's part—their technology truly was formidable. Although their weapons might appear primitive, their power and effectiveness in combat were on par with the Chitauri's.
Still, no matter how advanced Wakanda's technology was, it couldn't ensure their absolute safety. As Earth's technology advanced, Wakanda's once-hidden barrier was inevitably discovered.
"We found it!" Outside Wakanda's borders, a group of mercenaries eagerly stared at their advanced radar detection device. "We finally found this vibranium country!"
These mercenaries were here for the vibranium. As Chitauri technology became more widespread, ordinary Earth metals no longer met the growing demand. Consequently, vibranium, long known on Earth, caught the attention of those who sought greater power.
Vibranium had never been a secret. On the black market, it had always been a highly sought-after commodity, much like Chitauri technology today. Transactions involving vibranium had occurred countless times, leaving behind traces that connected vibranium to a seemingly backward nation—Wakanda.
Now, with technological advancements, Wakanda's veil of secrecy had been lifted. On the surface, it was a nameless group of mercenaries that uncovered this secret, but it was clear that some government agency, or even multiple agencies, were backing them. Only entities with such resources could arm mercenaries to the teeth and possess the audacity to covet all of Wakanda's vibranium.
"Move out!" The mercenary leader, seeing the radar display, immediately ordered his men to advance. The group surged toward Wakanda's borders.
"Here it is! We're detecting those invisible energy waves right here. Boss, what do we do next?" one of the mercenaries asked their leader, pointing to the dense forest below from their aircraft.
"What do you think? Blast them first, then we'll see!" The mercenary leader had no intention of being discreet. He knew that this mission had to be swift; the longer they delayed, the more eyes would turn toward Wakanda. If they dragged it out, not only would the people backing him struggle to monopolize Wakanda's vibranium, but he would also lose his chance to grab some benefits early.
The leader wasn't afraid of making a scene. His biggest worry was that the vibranium would slip through his fingers.
With a series of sharp whistling sounds, the mercenaries' aircraft unleashed powerful energy blasts. Even though only a few months had passed since the Chitauri invasion, the mercenaries' aircraft were already equipped with the latest energy weapons, a testament to how quickly Earth's technology had developed and how powerful the forces behind these mercenaries were.
A terrifying explosion echoed in the skies above Wakanda. Wakanda's energy barrier wasn't always running at full power. Most of the time, it was only active enough to obscure Wakanda from sight. After all, Wakanda wasn't in a separate dimension; it was still part of Earth, and completely isolating itself from the planet wasn't practical. Airflow, sunlight, and other natural factors made full isolation impossible.
So, when the explosion occurred, Wakanda's barrier flared to life, revealing the city beneath. The entire nation was immediately on high alert. The last time this happened, Wakanda hadn't fared well, even with their gods' intervention.
"Is Wakanda in trouble again? Could that terrifying Kryptonian be back?" In the Wakandan pantheon, the panther god Bast and the other deities grew tense, focusing their attention on Wakanda. Seeing only a few aircraft outside, Bast and the others relaxed.
After the beating Clark had given Bast, the panther god was in no hurry to face him again, fearing that another encounter might wipe out the entire Wakandan pantheon. This fear had only deepened after Bast heard from a god in Heliopolis that Robert, not Clark, had defeated the moon god Khonshu. Bast's apprehension about Clark only grew stronger.
Fortunately, the situation appeared normal. Wakanda was merely being invaded by a regular organization. With Bast's knowledge of Wakanda, a few aircraft posed no real threat.
"Enemy attack!" Thanks to the previous clash with Clark, Wakanda responded much better this time. They quickly mobilized their defenses and began surrounding the aircraft.
In an instant, the mercenaries' planes were surrounded, but the mercenaries themselves weren't concerned. To them, the Wakandans below, clad in animal skins and armed with spears, didn't look like much of a threat.
Their aircraft had been upgraded with Chitauri technology, and fighting these primitive Wakandans was like shooting fish in a barrel.
However, reality didn't match the mercenaries' expectations. In mere moments, two of their planes were blown apart. The remaining three narrowly escaped destruction by reacting quickly.
"What the hell is going on, boss?" The mercenaries in the surviving aircraft were at a loss, instinctively calling out to their leader. It took them a moment to realize that their leader's plane had been destroyed. Their boss had likely become part of Wakanda's landscape, forever joining its soil.
"Maybe we should retreat," one of the mercenaries suggested. With their leader gone, the mercenaries were ready to flee. They weren't trained soldiers or government operatives; they were hired hands, following the leader's orders. Without leadership, they had no idea what to do.
Especially since Wakanda's aircraft seemed superior in firepower and speed, the mercenaries weren't willing to risk their lives for a paycheck. There was no point in dying for such meager wages.
With that thought, the mercenaries quickly agreed to retreat, trying to escape the danger. But while the mercenaries wanted to flee, Wakanda had no intention of letting them go so easily.
You don't just come to someone's doorstep, smash their windows, and then expect to walk away without consequences.
Moreover, Wakanda's aircraft far outnumbered the mercenaries'. If not for King T'Chaka's order to capture them alive and find out how Wakanda had been exposed, the mercenaries would have already joined their leader in the afterlife.
"This isn't working! Their planes are too fast and skilled—we can't get away!" The mercenaries quickly realized they were trapped. After a brief discussion, they accepted that escape was impossible, and despair set in.
"Didn't the boss leave anything for us? Wasn't he from some government agency? Is there any way to contact them for help?" Panic-stricken, the mercenaries began to brainstorm.
"No, he always handled communications alone. He never gave us a way to contact anyone higher up. Besides, even if we could reach them, they'd never get here in time."
"Wait! I've got an idea!" A young mercenary suddenly brightened, pulling out a cross from his chest and holding it up high.
"What idea? Are you praying for divine intervention?" a fellow mercenary asked, glancing at the cross with resignation. "Kid, you're too naive. God won't save us. If He keeps us out of hell after we die, that'll be good enough."
"I'm not praying to God! I'm calling for Superman! Help! Superman, help us!" The young mercenary took a deep breath and screamed for help, his voice echoing through the aircraft and across their communication channels.
"Shit! I forgot about Superman! Help! Superman, help us! If you don't come, we're gonna die!"
"Superman, save us! My whole family are your followers! You can't just let us die!"
In an instant, the three aircraft were filled with desperate cries for help, proving that despite government efforts to smear his name, Clark's image among ordinary people was still god-like, if not surpassing that of actual deities. Even mercenaries engaged in nefarious activities in foreign lands instinctively called out to him in their time of need.
Wakanda's people didn't hear these pleas. They only saw the mercenaries' aircraft slowing down and assumed they were surrendering. But just as Wakanda's aircraft prepared to force them to land, a figure appeared in the skies above Wakanda.
"What the hell? Is he really here? Did they actually call him?" Bast, watching intently, was stunned as Clark once again appeared over Wakanda.
"Is he planning to save them? Those guys are clearly bad news! They're invaders!" the white ape god grumbled in frustration.
"They're not even his followers! There's hardly any devotion in them—well, except for that one young guy. But even then, Superman hasn't accepted his faith. So why is he saving them?" the crocodile god asked, puzzled.
Clark, of course, couldn't hear the Wakandan gods' questions, nor would he have answered them. Arriving in Wakanda, Clark furrowed his brow. He had heard several cries for help and flew over without hesitation, not even realizing he had entered Wakanda's territory.
Recalling his previous agreement with Bast and sensing
the gods' eyes on him, Clark glanced at Wakanda and then, in a flash, moved.
In an instant, the three surrounded aircraft vanished, reappearing outside Wakanda's borders.
"What just happened?" Wakanda's pilots were momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend what had occurred.
"It was Superman! He came back and rescued those three planes!" Princess Shuri's voice crackled through the comms, snapping the Wakandan pilots back to attention.
"Is it really him? Is he going to attack Wakanda?" King T'Chaka frowned, his expression grim as he looked at Princess Shuri.
"It's definitely him. After our last encounter, I made sure to keep track of his movements. My surveillance equipment caught a shadow just now, and after slowing it down a thousand times, I saw him!" Princess Shuri displayed the footage, gritting her teeth.
"Do we need to call on our gods again?" King T'Chaka's eyes flickered with hesitation before slowly hardening. "We have no choice. Better to risk divine wrath than to sit and wait for death."
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