Faced with the rising threat of Black Adam, Vought International decided against deploying their costly and resource-intensive Doomsday Corps. Instead, they sent a team of Kryptonian mechanical warriors—cheaper, easier to produce, and still immensely powerful.
"What are these things? They don't feel alive... could they be some kind of mechanical creations from this era?" Black Adam muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes at the approaching machines.
Having only just emerged from his centuries-long imprisonment, Black Adam's understanding of modern technology was limited. While he had learned some things from the tattooed man, he couldn't fathom the idea that such powerful beings could be artificial constructs.
"Zzzzap!"
"Zzzzap!"
Before Black Adam could fully assess the situation, searing beams of heat vision shot from the mechanical warriors' eyes, streaking toward him with deadly precision. They showed no regard for Homelander, who was still lying unconscious on the ground.
"What?!" Black Adam's pupils contracted as he realized the heat beams were far more potent than Homelander's. He had no time to ponder the relationship between the mechanical warriors and Homelander. Instead, he deftly dodged the incoming attacks.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions rocked the city as the beams struck nearby buildings, reducing one to rubble. Even with Earth's newfound resilience, the collateral damage from battles involving superpowered beings remained unavoidable.
The Kryptonian warriors showed no inclination to rescue the civilians trapped in the collapsing building. While technically affiliated with Vought and connected to official governmental bodies, the task of saving lives wasn't their directive. That responsibility fell to the Seven.
However, with Homelander incapacitated, and the other members of the Seven too slow to respond, no one was available to handle the crisis. Fortunately, Clark and the Sentry, who had been monitoring the situation, arrived just in time to step in.
Black Adam, sensing their approach, grew wary. Though his initial assessment of Clark and the Sentry's strength had been revised downward after his encounter with Homelander, he recognized the combined threat posed by the Kryptonian warriors, Clark, and the Sentry. Holding onto Homelander as a hostage only complicated matters.
Making a swift decision, Black Adam hurled Homelander's unconscious body to the ground, leaving him in a crater where he lay motionless. Whether Homelander was unconscious or simply too humiliated to move remained unclear.
"If you want to fight them, fine," the Sentry's voice cut through the air, directed at Black Adam. "But not in the city. If you endanger civilians, we'll intervene."
Black Adam paused, momentarily surprised by their stance. He quickly recovered, smirking. "Superheroes, huh? You people really like sticking your noses where they don't belong."
Despite his mocking tone, Black Adam took the hint. Drawing the Kryptonian warriors and Clark away from the city would work to his advantage. With a burst of speed, he shot off in a direction away from both the heroes and the mechanical warriors.
The Kryptonian warriors, however, weren't about to let him escape. While Vought considered Clark and the Sentry significant threats, Black Adam was their primary target. The squad immediately gave chase, leaving the city behind.
As he flew, Black Adam glanced back at the city, noting how Clark and the Sentry were tending to the civilians instead of pursuing him. "So they truly care about human lives," he murmured. "Unlike that Homelander fellow. Interesting."
While he still viewed them as potential threats, their clear weaknesses—compassion and adherence to principles—presented exploitable opportunities. "If they have vulnerabilities, they'll be easier to deal with. For now, I'll focus on eliminating these 'twin-like' constructs."
Black Adam came to an abrupt stop in the wilderness, then turned to face his pursuers. The Kryptonian warriors quickly closed the distance, unaware that Black Adam had been waiting for them.
"Bam!"
Catching the lead warrior off guard, Black Adam delivered a devastating punch to its head, sending it hurtling to the ground. However, despite the force of the blow, the machine rose again, seemingly undamaged.
Black Adam frowned. "These things are tougher than I expected."
He realized then that the Kryptonian warriors were more formidable than Homelander, further solidifying his belief that these machines were instrumental in forcing the Avengers into retirement and displacing them from their official status. While this conclusion was far from accurate, Black Adam trusted his instincts and remained convinced.
Deciding not to hold back, Black Adam unleashed his full divine power. Lightning coursed over his body, amplifying his strength and striking terror into his enemies. Yet, the Kryptonian warriors, as unfeeling constructs, were unmoved. Even in the face of overwhelming energy, they advanced without hesitation, releasing heat beams that scorched the air.
Several beams struck Black Adam before he could fully evade, leaving scorch marks on his body and forcing him back.
"Impressive. These things are much stronger than that so-called Homelander," Black Adam admitted, admiration tinged with irritation. He retaliated with a barrage of lightning bolts, targeting the warriors with precision.
Though they attempted to dodge, Black Adam's lightning was not so easily avoided. Guided by his will, the bolts curved mid-flight, striking their targets with devastating accuracy.
Through this exchange, Black Adam noticed two key things. First, the Kryptonian warriors lacked the agility to effectively evade his lightning attacks. Second, his divine lightning seemed to inflict more damage than his physical strikes.
Unbeknownst to him, this weakness stemmed from the Kryptonian biology embedded in the warriors. Their natural vulnerability to magic left them particularly susceptible to Black Adam's powers. While he didn't understand the exact mechanics, he quickly adapted his strategy.
"Let's see how well you handle this!" Black Adam roared, surging forward with his body enveloped in lightning.
Each punch now carried a potent charge of magical energy, amplifying the damage inflicted. One by one, the warriors faltered, their mechanical components unable to withstand the assault.
"Crack!"
As Black Adam exploited their weaknesses, the tide of battle shifted decisively in his favor. Immobilizing each warrior with lightning, he targeted their mechanical cores with pinpoint strikes, rendering them inoperable.
When the final warrior collapsed in a heap of sparks and shattered parts, Black Adam exhaled deeply. "At least that's over." Exhausted but victorious, he decided against confronting Clark and the Sentry immediately, opting to retreat and recuperate instead.
Meanwhile, Clark and the Sentry, having finished evacuating civilians, observed the battle from a distance. Neither seemed particularly impressed.
"As expected," Clark remarked. "He's strong, but nothing beyond what we anticipated."
The Sentry nodded. "Taking down a squad of Kryptonian warriors isn't exactly noteworthy. Either of us could've done it faster."
With the fight recorded, they forwarded the footage to JARVIS for analysis. The AI's assessment placed Black Adam's strength slightly above Frank's—better known as Shazam—but still within manageable limits.
"So, Frank's been notified?" the Sentry asked, glancing at his communicator.
"Yes," JARVIS replied. "He's on his way back from New Earth, along with the other Shazam-powered individuals. Captain Rogers has requested that you two monitor Black Adam until they arrive."
"Not a problem," the Sentry replied confidently. "As long as he doesn't have some hidden spatial ability, he's not going anywhere."
With their orders clear, Clark and the Sentry left the city to keep tabs on Black Adam.
Back in the crater, Homelander finally stirred. Bruised and humiliated, he dragged himself upright, glaring in the direction of the departing heroes. His eyes burned with resentment.
"Homelander? Please… help me. I need a hospital," a weak but familiar voice called out.
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