Bullets struck Zod and bounced right off. One of the gunmen even had his head pierced by a ricocheting round.
Thud!
Zod's fist slammed into one of them. With that single punch, the man was done. First his organs were crushed, then his spine suffered a catastrophic fracture. He lost control of his body before he even hit the ground.
Since this was the Dark Knight's debut, Zod felt he shouldn't make it too bloody.
Perfect timing. From the KOF tournament footage in the underworld fighting circuit, he'd learned quick, simple, lethal methods.
He appeared behind two gunmen, almost like teleportation, and flicked a finger at the base of their brains. Instantly, they started shaking like they had Parkinson's, then collapsed onto the ground.
The surrounding onlookers stopped panicking. The police also found their courage and returned fire.
After that, Zod cleanly and efficiently dealt with every last gunman.
"May I ask who you are?"
Since the officers hadn't encountered vigilantes or superheroes before, they didn't know how to approach him. And this War Machine armor looked way too powerful.
"I'm Zod Heath. This is my War Machine, Dark Knight. Good work, officers."
Zod stated his identity, and the faceplate opened to the sides, revealing his face.
That handsome face was instantly recognizable across America. Zod Heath was already considered the most charming man in the United States.
Then Zod left immediately.
Reporters from the Daily News and the Daily Bugle watched him fly away, full of regret that they hadn't run faster.
Zod pulled this stunt to establish a positive public image.
Ulde had already set up a news agency exactly as Zod ordered. With his mischievous taste, Zod named it the Daily Planet, even making an iconic globe logo, that massive steel sphere frame.
If you managed your image well, you were basically unbeatable.
It also made enemies believe that everything impressive about him came from the Dark Knight armor, that suit that could fly and move like a ghost.
And most importantly, Zod wanted to open an era. The era of superheroes.
Since the Daily Planet belonged to its boss, it naturally got the first high-definition photos of the Dark Knight.
Black Queen had taken them from every angle. They were perfect, the kind of shots even a professional photographer couldn't capture.
Beneath the streamlined close-combat armor, his broad, solid muscles and explosive lines were on full display, full of strength and beauty. He had more masculine allure than Michelangelo's David.
In an instant, most American women fell for Zod's charm.
Zod Heath immediately became the man most desired by America's teenage girls, elegant older women, and married women alike for a one-night encounter.
Granted, he already was, but this was the first time they'd seen how good his body was. Add his slightly aloof, high-class looks, plus that slick, dyed, swept-back hair, and calling him America's national heartthrob wasn't even exaggeration.
"Dark Knight, the greatest genius in human history, Zod Heath!"
"Put on a War Machine, and he becomes a superhero!"
"Genius and hero. Is Zod Heath indirectly accusing America's security problems and its tangled system?"
"The world needs heroes, so he stood up!"
"Full evaluation and analysis: Dark Knight versus other War Machines."
"The NYPD states: New York is fine, America is fine, and we don't need a genius to be a hero!"
Aside from the Daily Planet's all-out praise, other newspapers copied the approach. Some even took another route, criticizing Zod Heath's personal-heroism behavior, even though America loved personal heroism the most.
They were the ones who suffered, though. They didn't get any Dark Knight photos, so their sales were instantly crushed by the Daily Planet.
Mainly because the Daily Planet's coverage hit a lot of Americans right where they lived. Becoming a hero, saving the world, fighting crime, upholding justice.
America needed heroes.
Nick Fury and many American power players had headaches over it.
No, seriously. Why not stay a scientist and do your research properly? Why come out and play superhero?
That War Machine, Dark Knight, was powerful, but this was still risky.
In the end, he was still a young man who liked the spotlight.
They'd thought he was different from Tony Stark, but it turned out he was even worse.
At least Tony Stark wouldn't put on armor and run out to save the world. That was the job of police and soldiers. If you did this, it undermined police credibility and capability.
"Natasha, how's your work going?"
Nick Fury had to contact his most capable subordinate, hoping she could keep the genius on a leash.
Besides worrying about Zod's personal safety, a War Machine as powerful as Dark Knight would attract all kinds of greedy eyes.
Black Widow froze when she received the message. She almost forgot her mission was to get close to Zod Heath and gather intel, not to be a perfect assistant.
Mainly because Zod Heath's ideas were wildly unpredictable.
Everyone thought he'd go after curing cancer next. Instead, he suddenly went to acquire private hospitals.
Neither Black Widow nor Ulde had ever done anything like that. They ran themselves ragged. Finally, once it was settled, Zod Heath wanted to set up a news agency.
Fine. They could just buy a struggling small paper and rebrand it.
But as soon as they finished that job, Zod Heath told them to recruit IT elites.
Because Zod Heath wanted to build a YouTube or Twitter.
So now Black Widow's mind was filled with work. There wasn't even a gap to breathe.
"It's terrible. He has zero interest in me. In his eyes, I'm probably not even as appealing as a mechanical part," Black Widow complained.
Nick Fury frowned. How was that possible?
With men, Black Widow had always been unstoppable.
If Zod Heath wasn't interested in women and cared more about research, then what about Ulde, that gorgeous, sexy senior secretary assistant at his side?
"He might not like my type. You should send in a female agent like Ulde," Black Widow said.
She felt exhausted, body and mind.
Sure, Blade Technology Industries paid a monthly salary higher than her yearly agent income, and Boss Zod Heath even liked raising pay. Results meant raises. He was practically a saint of a capitalist.
But it was too tiring.
/-\
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