"Boss, this is your armor."
Helen Zhao led Rowan to a wall where a black curtain hung.
With a faint smile, Helen pulled the curtain aside, revealing a suit of armor that shimmered in a blend of deep blue and silver-gray.
Rowan studied it carefully. At first glance, the design was nearly identical to the Series-6 combat suit he had once used in the Devouring World, except for the subtle difference in color.
This wasn't paint. The hues came from the metal itself.
Vibranium in its refined state was typically a silver-gray, yet this armor carried a ghostly blue tint. Clearly, Helen hadn't forged it from pure vibranium alone.
"Helen, did you combine Chro-Alloy with vibranium to forge a new composite?" Rowan asked, curiosity in his voice.
Helen's smile widened. "Yes, Boss. After obtaining vibranium, I discovered its molecular structure was incredibly stable. It can bond with most other materials it's practically a universal metal! So, I experimented with different ratios, blending vibranium with Chro-Alloy, and the results exceeded my expectations. Later, I had a new idea: what if I added another material to the mix?
"After several trials, I combined graphene with vibranium and Chro-Alloy.
"The result was extraordinary. The new alloy's defensive capabilities rival, if not surpass, pure vibranium. It retains the sharpness of Chro-Alloy as well.
"And most importantly, graphene helped overcome one of vibranium's weaknesses."
"Weakness?" Rowan tilted his head.
"Yes, Boss. Vibranium is remarkable, but at certain sonic frequencies its molecular structure enters a dormant state. In that condition, vibranium loses part of its effectiveness. For nano-scale vibranium, it can even lose all defensive properties."
Her explanation sparked Rowan's memory. In the Black Panther story, there was indeed a scene where high-frequency sound disrupted both T'Challa's and Killmonger's nano-suits, leaving them vulnerable.
But wasn't that flaw unique to nano-armor? Traditional vibranium structures should remain stable under most conditions. Why was Helen emphasizing this point?
Suddenly, realization struck Rowan. His eyes widened at Helen in surprise.
Seeing his reaction, Helen pursed her lips into a knowing smile. She tapped the emblem at the chest of the displayed armor.
At once, the alloy suit dissolved, collapsing inward, shrinking rapidly until it compressed into the form of a sleek gauntlet.
Rowan's pupils constricted.
A nano-suit.
He stared at Helen in disbelief.
"Boss, this armor was built with nano-technology," she said calmly.
Rowan drew a sharp breath. He had expected advanced work from Helen, but this? A nano-vibranium suit at this point in time was far ahead of anything the world had imagined.
"How did you achieve this?" Rowan asked, unable to contain his amazement.
Helen chuckled. "I've been researching nanotech for years. I'm actually ranked among the top three in the global nano-printing industry."
Rowan nodded slowly. He knew her academic brilliance was undeniable. In fact, in another story, it was Helen's insights that once inspired Tony Stark to shift his research toward nano-armor.
Still, why had her breakthroughs come so much earlier here?
As if sensing his doubt, Helen continued, "It's largely thanks to vibranium. Its properties are beyond versatile. Once I used vibranium in my nano-research, many of the barriers that had blocked me simply vanished. From there, creating this armor was only a matter of time."
Rowan understood at once. Vibranium truly was a miracle metal. With the right theoretical knowledge and the right material, breakthroughs were inevitable.
He stepped forward, eyes fixed on the gauntlet. "How do I put it on?"
"Boss, just extend your arm."
Rowan raised his arm. Helen pressed a virtual button on the gauntlet, which unfolded and latched onto his forearm with a crisp clack.
Rowan flexed his arm, testing its weight. It felt no heavier than sixty kilograms light as air to him.
Helen exhaled in relief. She had worried the gauntlet might be cumbersome, especially since it took all her strength just to move it with both hands.
"Now press the virtual button in the center," she instructed.
Rowan nodded and tapped the glowing blue interface.
A soft beep sounded, followed by a faint hum. The gauntlet scanned his biometrics, confirming his identity.
Then, like a tide of metallic particles, the gauntlet dissolved and surged across his body, coating him from arm to shoulder to chest, until his entire form was clad in the sleek armor from before.
Rowan marveled at the sensation. The suit fit him perfectly, light and flexible, even more comfortable than the Series-6 combat gear he once owned.
That was the beauty of nanotech it adapted to the wearer, optimizing itself automatically.
"Boss, this suit has another powerful function," Helen said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Rowan stopped testing his movements. "And what would that be?"
"Why don't I show you?"
Helen retrieved a pistol from a drawer, its frame painted in striking black and pink. She loaded a magazine, racked the slide, and took position about fifteen meters away.
"Boss, I'm going to fire."
Rowan gave a nod, more curious than cautious. A bullet couldn't scratch vibranium. What was she trying to demonstrate?
Bang!
The shot rang out. The bullet struck Rowan square in the chest.
He barely felt a tap of force nothing of consequence. Using his telekinesis, he caught the ricocheting round midair to prevent collateral damage.
Then he froze.
From the impact point on his armor, a faint violet glow rippled outward, accompanied by a subtle vibration.
His eyes widened.
"This…?"
A strange, powerful energy clung to the surface of the armor, as though the metal itself had absorbed the force of the bullet.
Helen's smile turned proud. "Vibranium's molecular bonds allow it to store kinetic energy. Since this suit contains a high concentration of vibranium, I modified it to harness that property. Now it can absorb incoming energy and release it at will."
Rowan's lips curled into a grin.
Recruiting Helen had been the right choice.
Not only had she built a nano-vibranium suit, but she had even given it the ability to store and unleash kinetic energy.
Just like the legendary Black Panther suit.
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