Finding the Last
A Man of Steel/Avengers/Agents of Shield Flip
Planet Krypton
"They're heading for the Academy, Sir!"
"Adjust course and heading to match," General Dru Zod kept a hand on the weapons console for balance as the ship trembled under his feet.
There had been plenty of indirect hits and near misses these last few minutes of the battle over Krypton.
Now, the enemy was sending their ships to the Academy; and it was obvious the children were their next target.
Zod rubbed his forehead tiredly.
The war was not going well for Krypton. The enemy had far more resources, and far more manpower than Krypton did.
Zod sighed…
It was only a few short years before that Jor El had convinced the Council of Krypton to send a scientific mission to one of the colony worlds that had been abandoned by Krypton during the period of Civil Wars of around thirty thousand years ago.
All but one of those colony worlds had withered and died in the intervening years.
The Renan, however, had not. In fact, they had managed to thrive, and now held several systems in their sector of space.
A burgeoning empire in the making…
In spite of the fact that the Renan had originally been fellow Kryptonians, the meeting had not gone well.
The survivors of the Kryptonian scientific mission spoke of a technology capable of stealing a man's mind.
Jax Ur had scoffed at the notion.
There was no science, he had said, that could destroy a man's free will.
Jax was dead now, killed in the first strike on Krypton.
Jor El had returned with a Renan army at his back; and Zod, seeing him for the first time since his capture by the Renan, had to concede that Jax Ur was wrong; horribly and completely wrong.
Jor El was the one in command of the invading fleet; Jor El was the one ordering the destruction of Krypton, and Jor El was the one conducting this…war of extermination.
Genocide…
Dru Zod no longer felt the grief he had at first. Jor El had been his best friend before; and many had thought it odd that Krypton's greatest Warrior should form such a strong bond of friendship with what was perhaps Krypton's most brilliant scientist.
But they had.
Through all their lives that friendship had persisted and grown.
Until now.
Now, with Jor El no longer truly Jor El…
The Winged Victory was now in range of the ships threatening the Academy.
"Fire all weapons," he commanded. "Bring those Renan ships down."
Maybe we'll give the Academy a few extra minutes within which to evacuate…
Energy beams streaked out, seeking Renan targets.
"They're returning fire," Faora Ul announced.
"Brace for impact."
Everything exploded around Zod, the force of it sending him flying.
There was a sensation of freefall, then impact, the feeling of something snapping.
A good death is its own reward…
HR
He hung in darkness, bereft of sensation…
Regeneration cycle complete. Initiating neuro-sensory integration. Subject ready for wakeup procedure.
"General Zod…"
That was Lor Em, head of the Council of Krypton.
I'm alive…
General Zod opened his eyes, blinking owlishly in the brilliant light of Medblock Central.
He sat up, waited out the customary post-regen dizziness…
Where are the others? Where is Faora Ul?
He looked down at himself.
Just the bodysuit.
"My armor…" his voice sounded rusty.
"We don't have time," Lor Em helped Zod to his feet.
"How bad is it?" Zod straightened as he looked down at the shorter man.
"The war is lost," the Councilor admitted.
"The Academy?"
"Gone."
Zod stopped dead at Lor Em's blunt statement.
"The children…" he began
"All dead," Lor Em turned and began to walk. "Forget the armor and follow me. We don't have much time."
He stepped outside, Zod following.
This isn't Medblock…
They were at the Tower of Council. Six other people were present; Faora Ul-relieved to see Zod alive and well-three front line fighters, and Lara Lor-Van…
Her clothing and hair were damp…
"Prepare the launch," Lor Em commanded, and Lara nodded and set to work.
Seeing her brought all the grief he had been holding at bay back.
Her husband, my friend…
He is the enemy now…
He killed the children at the Academy…
He watched Lara prepare the launch.
"What are you planning?" Zod turned back to Lor Em.
"There's no time to explain, sir," Faora came up; holding-of all things-Zod's Cloak of Command bunched in her arms.
"The Renan are on their way here," she continued. "He is on his way here. They mean to kill off the last of us all."
"We're all that's left?"
"Yes, sir," Faora was trembling, and Zod really couldn't blame her.
This is it…
"Are you well, sir?" Faora asked. "You were wounded badly, and I was afraid you would die."
"I am well," Zod lay a gentle hand on Faora's shoulder. "Certainly I am well enough for a last stand."
"Yes, sir."
"Before we make our Last Stand," Lor Em spoke up. "A Farewell Toast?"
Zod's throat tightened as Lor Em poured Rao Red Wine for everyone; including the three Front line fighters, who literally didn't have the taste buds to appreciate what they were drinking.
But it was the thought that counted…
Zod held his wine glass, watched as everyone else stood, facing Lor Em, who was holding his wine glass up.
"To the Last," the Councilor intoned.
To the Last…
Zod drained his glass. He wasn't really all that fond of Rao Red; too syrupy sweet for his taste. But this was Krypton's last day.
To the Last…
"Faora, where's my armor?"
He turned to her, saw…tears?
Tears, so out of place on her stern features.
"Faora?"
"I'm sorry, sir," her voice trembled. "You won't be needing your armor."
The wine glass slipped from Zod's suddenly numb fingers. He barely heard the shattering sound when it hit the floor.
The floor was tilting…
Everything was tilting…
I've been drugged…
He felt someone catch him from behind as his legs buckled.
"Put him in the pod," Lor Em instructed.
The pod?
"No…" Zod's voice was slurred from the drug. "Let me stay and fight…"
Lor Em, and Lara Lor Van worked quickly, strapping him down, securing his arms and legs.
"Were you able to get it?" Lor Em asked Lara.
"Yes," Lara held something, put it in place over Zod's head, and he looked up at it, horrified as it hovered there.
The …Codex…
It slowly disintegrated before his eyes, particles floating down to merge with his body.
The entire Registry of Citizens was now inside him; and General Zod, who had been fully prepared to die, with hardly a thought, in a heroic last stand…
Now, he was terrified.
"It's done," Lara nodded sadly as she turned to Lor Em.
Now, the Councilor was bending over him.
"I'm sorry Zod," he said. "You're the best and strongest of us. You're the one best able to bear this burden. Remember what you were born and bred to do."
To protect Krypton. To defend my people…
Lor Em laid a gentle hand on Zod's chest.
"You are Krypton's Protector," he nodded. "You are Krypton. All that Krypton is, was, and ever shall be now lies within you. Now, your first duty is to live. You must live so that Krypton may live. Our hopes and prayers all go with you. Farewell, Zod…"
HR
The drug was beginning to take General Zod down. Lara Lor-Van saw Zod's eyes close, the always-tense muscles beginning to relax, and felt tears in the corners of her eyes.
I'm sorry, Dru…
He was the only one tough enough to weather an uncertain future in an uncertain galaxy…
"His cloak, Faora," Lara held out her hand.
A little warmth against the darkness…
She kissed his forehead, wishing none of this had ever come to pass…
You and Jor were friends, and you thought Jor's decision to go out and make contact with the Renan world was dangerous in the extreme. You told him not to go. He did, and now we're all paying the price…
She closed the Pod.
"It's ready," she informed Lor Em.
"Initiate," Lor Em ordered.
Behind, she heard Faora gathering the three front line fighters, and heading out of the room.
The Renan are here. He is here. They're going to hold the Renan off; sacrifice their lives so we have time to send Dru away
She pressed a control, and the Pod's rockets fired; sending the Pod blasting upward.
Be well, Dru, she prayed. Find a safe place, and create Krypton anew; far away from here…
Behind, she heard the sound of battle, of men and women dying. She kept her eyes on the pod, rocketing upward.
Away from here. Away from the monster my husband has become…
She had programmed the Pod's onboard Phantom Drive to make a random selection from the Registry of Planets.
We won't know where it went, so they won't be able to torture it out of us…
The battle behind had ended. Now, she could hear booted footsteps entering the room.
I don't want to turn around, my love. I don't want to see what they've done to you…
Steeling herself, Lara turned to face the invaders, saw Lor Em do the same.
Twelve faceless men, armored from head to foot, commanded by the thirteenth…
Physically, Jor El didn't look any different than he had before; the same graying hair and beard, the same very blue eyes.
But, all the soul, all the life, had been sucked out of those blue eyes.
Jor El didn't live there anymore…
The Pod's Phantom Drive engaged just then, and it was gone, sending Dru Zod, and the Codex who knew where.
Jor El wasn't really Jor El anymore. But he did have access to all his memories.
"I was expecting to see General Zod with Faora and the Fighters," he said. "I assume you had him drugged, as that is the only way you could keep him from making that heroic last stand with the last remnants of his army?"
Lara bit her lip.
Of course he would know that…
"And, I suppose you also put the Codex in the Pod with him," Jor El continued. "One surefire way to keep Krypton alive when all else is lost…"
He strode up to her, and it took all she had not to back away from him.
"Where did you send him?"
Now, she could smile.
"I don't know," she admitted.
"You…don't know?"
"The Drive made a random selection from the Complete Registry of Planets"
There were literally hundreds of millions of planets that fell within "habitable range" for Kryptonians.
"I don't know where Dru Zod is," she said. "But he's far away from you, and it will take you forever to find him. If you can find him."
Jor El stood there in silence, communing with his…superiors.
Then he drew the blaster at his hip.
"For the Renan," he intoned. "For the Judgment."
The blaster fired twice, and two bodies slumped to the floor.
HR
The Pod streaks on, the Phantom Drive taking it, and its infinitely precious cargo, ever onward, in search of an acceptable world.
Not a perfect world. Not another Krypton. Not yet.
For now, all it needs is to be an acceptable world, one Zod can live and breathe on; and it needs to be an inhabited world, one with people who look exactly like Kryptonians do.
Dru Zod is the Last. And, above all other things, he needs to disappear…