CHAPTER 129

A blazing beam of light descended from the sky, obliterating a swarm of mechanical zombies in an instant. The intense heat from Superman's vision left nothing but scorched marks on the ground where the mechanical horde had stood moments before.

Before the remaining zombies could respond, two more red-hot beams rained down, sweeping through the streets and eliminating every last one of them in the area. Within seconds, the block was cleared.

The terrified crowd, moments ago fleeing in panic, now looked to the sky. Hovering above them, his red cape billowing in the wind, was a figure of hope. His iconic 'S' shield gleamed on his chest, and faint traces of heat radiated from his glowing red eyes.

"It's Superman!"

"Thank God, Superman is here!"

"Superman, please save us from these monsters!"

Superman's presence rekindled hope among the citizens, who had been terrorized by the relentless mechanical zombies. Without wasting a moment, Clark Kent flew toward the next block. Leveraging his super-brain's advanced computational abilities, he precisely directed his heat vision. Red lasers rained down from above, surgically targeting the zombies while leaving civilians and infrastructure unharmed.

Where Superman was precise and calculated, Wonder Woman's approach was raw power and ferocity. Diana Prince descended onto the battlefield like a thunderbolt. She darted into the thick of the mechanical horde, her fists smashing through the brittle frames of the zombies. The air echoed with the sound of her attacks as metallic limbs and torsos scattered across the street.

Despite their menacing appearance, these mechanical zombies were poorly constructed, made of discarded machinery. They were no match for Wonder Woman's sheer strength. A single blow from Diana could disable a tank, and these crude creations crumbled before her.

Meanwhile, Batman employed a different strategy. Driving into the battle zone, he unleashed the newly developed Nightwalker 10 armored vehicle—a compact, single-occupant mech equipped with an arsenal of weapons. Designed to adapt to various combat scenarios, the Nightwalker 10 proved to be an efficient tool for clearing the streets.

The Flash joined the fray shortly afterward, darting between the zombies at super-speed, disassembling their joints and disabling them before they could react. The combined efforts of Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Flash quickly turned the tide against the mechanical invasion.

While the heroes fought on the frontlines, Kaius had returned to the Batcave. Sitting before the wall of twelve crystalline displays, upgraded with advanced alien technology, he moved at lightning speed. His fingers blurred across the light-constructed keyboard, inputting commands and sifting through streams of data on the screens.

"Master Kaius, may I ask what you're doing?" Alfred Pennyworth inquired. He watched in awe as Kaius's movements left faint afterimages, a testament to his superhuman speed.

Without pausing, Kaius responded, "Tell me, Alfred, do you find these mechanical zombies threatening?"

Alfred thought for a moment before replying, "Not particularly, sir. They seem numerous but lack sophistication. Without proper weapons, they've been no match for Superman, Wonder Woman, or even the local military. I'm sure they'll be dealt with swiftly."

"Exactly," Kaius said, slowing his typing for a moment. "These mechanical zombies are poorly made—defective products, really. They feel like they were hastily cobbled together to meet a deadline. Brainiac 27—or the Data Demon, as Cisco insists on calling him—has a 12th-level intellect. There's no way he'd seriously expect to conquer Earth with these... toys."

Alfred's expression grew serious as realization dawned. "You mean to say this invasion is just a distraction?"

"Precisely," Kaius replied. "The mechanical zombies are a smokescreen. Brainiac 27 is up to something else—something far more dangerous."

To confirm his theory, Kaius had tapped into the Wayne Enterprises satellite network, scanning the Earth inch by inch. However, the Data Demon had anticipated this move. The satellites were under constant cyberattack, their functionality hanging by a thread.

"If it weren't for the Krypton-based technology upgrades I installed recently, these satellites would've been useless by now," Kaius muttered, his mind racing. He could feel his thoughts accelerating, his divine powers augmenting his already superhuman mental and physical capabilities.

Kaius was no expert in cybersecurity. However, thanks to the Krypton technology he had downloaded directly into his mind from Joe-El's archives, he was able to deploy a Krypton-class firewall to fend off the Data Demon's relentless attacks. This advanced alien defense system was leagues ahead of anything Earth could produce, but even it was being pushed to its limits.

"Master Kaius, perhaps you should consider enlisting some hackers to help," Alfred suggested. "After all, the best way to fight a hacker is often with another hacker."

When Alfred mentioned hacking, Kaius's first thought was of Felicity Smoak from Star City's Team Arrow. As one of the top hackers on Earth, Felicity could handle even the most complex cyber threats. But this was no ordinary adversary. "Even Felicity couldn't handle this," Kaius said, shaking his head. "To counter the Data Demon, you'd need someone with a brain capable of performing trillions of calculations per second—a living supercomputer. Human hackers simply aren't enough."

Turning his attention back to the task at hand, Kaius directed three satellites to scan Earth inch by inch. Another satellite was aimed toward the stars. He was searching for Rhodesburg, the infamous Kryptonian prison that had been lost in the Phantom Zone. If his hunch was correct, it held the key to understanding the Data Demon's true intentions.

According to Krypton intelligence, Rhodesburg contained some of the galaxy's most dangerous criminals—beings stripped of their powers in the Phantom Zone but capable of regaining their full strength once outside of it. Kaius suspected the Data Demon's obsession with Earth was tied to something—or someone—in Rhodesburg.

As he worked, Alfred's phone suddenly vibrated. He glanced at it in surprise. "Master Kaius," Alfred said hesitantly, "I've just received a text message."

Kaius turned sharply. "A text? Alfred, shut that phone off immediately! The Data Demon could use it as a backdoor to bypass the Batcave's firewall. He could rewrite security protocols and—"

"Master, the phone is already off," Alfred interrupted, holding up the device. "And yet, there's a message on the screen."

Kaius stepped closer. The screen was dark except for a single string of text: "I know its purpose."

"Who are you?" Kaius demanded, his voice firm as he stared at the screen.

The text shifted, as if responding to him in real time: "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is what it's planning."

The text continued: "The Data Demon can infiltrate any device connected to the internet. But there is one place it cannot breach—a location that uses a primitive, isolated operating system: the U.S. nuclear missile silos."

Kaius's eyes widened. "The nuclear silos… Of course. If the Data Demon wanted to conquer Earth quickly, launching nuclear weapons would be the fastest method. The mechanical zombies are nothing but a distraction—a smokescreen to divert attention while it takes control of the world's nukes."