Chapter 1:
There were few planets in the universe with more technological advancements than that of the planet Krypton. Technology-wise, they were what other planets aspired to be. They were light years away from many of their fellow planets around the universe. In the known twenty-eight galaxies, many planets excelled. However, few were of a superior breed than that of Krypton. It was an amazing world that rose far and beyond that of many all across the galaxies, an advanced race that was before it is time.
It was an advanced race that the current generation could even appreciate. Could marvel at.
And yet, when looked at from a certain perspective, these kind of opinions simply... flew short. Became obsolete. Unimportant.
Dru-Zod was a member of a very proud and old Kryptonian family, with a huge background of successful military leaders. Whenever a Zod lead an army, chances were that victory was almost certainly guaranteed. Enemies shook before the might of said brilliant leader.
And yet, this Zod was deemed inferior. A defect. Useless.
Dru-Zod was of the very rare, very forbidden 'free births' on Krypton. His own parents simply had no choice but to continue the legacy of Zod via natural means, rather than the usual artificial growth. This allowed something to be given to Dru-Zod that no other child before was given: free will to choose what discipline to take. Rather than automatically choose the Warrior guild among Krypton - the highest and greatest of honours bestowed onto members of the House of Zod - Dru-Zod allowed himself to be drafted into the Thinker guild.
He had six years on Krypton to live with that shame. The shame of being a disgrace to his very name.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
XXX
In the six years that Zod had been born, there had always been a constant thing he'd noticed about Krypton; it is gloomy. Lonely, if one were to describe it properly.
Many would vehemently disagree; Krypton was full of so much exotic plant and animal life. But the atmosphere of the environment seemed significantly gloomy.
Through his growing up, Zod was bred with a specific role in mind; to take up the mantle as a warrior. A leader. And everyday, since his birth, he was put through the process of becoming that very thing.
However, his natural birth gave him somewhat of an advantage; allowing him not to just follow orders like sheep or like the other programmed warriors.
Jor-El, an older outlet for him to vent his frustrations and confusions, talked about how free will was important, how individuality was what was wrong with Krypton. Heresy, those of the High Council would comment. Disgraceful, his own parents would say. Which was exactly what he loved about the idea.
Dru-Zod sighed as he stared at the red sun above, his own scroll to take down notes beside him.
Funny; he was trained and tortured and then trained some more to ingrain the necessary teachings into his very being - with the scars and injuries to prove it - and resisted thoroughly. Yet, solving and reading complex equations and formulae was something he could do with no harm at all.
"Zod!" a voice called out, making his head turn up to see who had called him. It was a young girl around his age, bright blue eyes staring back at him. Her blonde hair bobbed around her head as she smiled at him.
"Kara," he greeted, smiling warmly.
She frowned as she plopped down next to him. "I didn't see you in the daily guild meetings."
"Apologies," he replied, sighing. "I've been busy."
Kara frowned, looking at his scrolls. "Are you still going on about that useless formula?" She gestured down to his work. "You know that's never going to work. That's been stored in the Kryptonian Archives for Rao knows how long!"
Zod frowned, looking down at the mentioned equation: 3X2(9YZ)4A. It was a formula to an equation that lead to a phenomenon that had plagued Krypton long ago. Too far for any coherent mind to properly remember, but the basis of the equation was placed into the archives under strict protection.
Not willing to let that stop him, Zod had snuck into the archives uninvited, eager to consume more knowledge. When he had found it, he had taken it upon himself to do the work, confident he could get it to work. In his arrogance, he had deduced that if a child his age could solve the question that was this... force, something that even those amongst the High Council could do, then he could earn more favour than the House of Zod ever could.
"It'll work," Zod waved away. "I've already done the calculations necessary for all of this to occur."
"Wow. And here I thought that you'd be less arrogant than your own House," Kara teased.
Zod scoffed. "Please. Like the House of El doesn't have its arrogance as high as a mountain."
The two children continued to tease each other, glad to have found each other. One would think that because of the history of Zod's own house, and his pariah-like status, he'd be avoided. Kara, however, chose to ignore thus once she saw a child her age to play with.
Yes, the two found that the company of one another was the best thing to occur for them.
XXX
The thunderous sounds of blasts was heard all over Kandor. The colourful explosions of ships caused a massive hailstorm of burnt metal scraps.
Kara and Zod hid behind a boulder while others ran beside them. They looked at each other, panting harshly. Seeing that a group had passed, Zod said one word to Kara; "Run."
Nodding, the two dashed out of their hiding place. Kara looked to her friend, shock and fear written across her face. "What's going on?!" she screamed frantically, seeing flying ships occupy the sky above them.
"I-I don't know!" Zod yelled, panting as he ran. "A-All I managed to hear was starts of a coup! B-But that's impossible! Who would be insane enough to do such a thing?!"
No answer came. Seeing the attacks coming, neither of them saw the robotic droid pop up behind them, eyes a menacing red, a skeletal frame giving it form. Seeing a red glow behind them, Kara screamed.
"Look out!" Kara screamed, pushing Zod out of the way to avoid laser blasts that decimated the ground that they were previously on. Gasping, they looked up to see what had shot at them, only to pale.
"A Brainiac drone..." Zod muttered fearfully, backing up quickly upon seeing the machine aim at them again. "W-Why are they attacking us?!"
No answer was given, as the Brainiac drone prepared to fire at the children again, making them close their eyes. However, the drone was interrupted by plasma blasts fired from a Kryptonian guard. Having no effect on him, the drone turned its attention to the guard, swatting it aside like a fly as it attacked the oncoming Kryptonian guards following after him.
Eyes opening upon seeing that they were still alive, Zod scrambled into his exoskeleton suit, bringing out a scanner pad, he typed a few commands in.
"W-What are you doing?!" Kara questioned as they stood up, continuing to move as they ran to a safe place.
"Prepping a spaceship," was Zod's immediate reply, hacking into the grid that registers all of the ships available on Krypton.
"What?!" Kara exclaimed, grabbing his arm to stop him from typing. "A spaceship?! You're planning on leaving?! Krypton is dying-"
"I know that!" Zod replied, yanking his arm back and glaring at his friend. "But we have no choice! It's our only hope off of this planet!" He went back to typing. "Originally, I prepped one in the occasion that we could study other planets that weren't eradicated by Krypton - to learn about them! But now, it's vital that we leave to survive!"
"How did you even get a Phantom Drive?!" Kara screamed as they headed towards the station where there usually were ships docked.
Zod's face turned grim, possibly even moreso than when he'd realised that Krypton was exploding. "You don't want to know," was his answer as he typed, avoiding Brainiac drones, guards and fellow civilians running past them.
"Just give me a small amount of time..." Zod muttered, only to get whirled around by Kara. "What?!" he snapped.
Kara glared at him. "We can't leave! What about our family?! They have to come with us-"
"We don't have time, Kara!" Zod growled, getting a shocked look from her. "Krypton is..." He withheld a sob. "Krypton is about to be destroyed."
"You don't know-"
"I. Know. We all know, even if you don't want to admit it. Whatever is hitting this planet... won't allow any of us to survive."
The two children were crying, both knowing the grim truth; Krypton wasn't going to survive this encounter.
"I..." An angry look appeared on Kara's face. "I have to get the rest of my family. I am not leaving them behind."
"Kara, wait!" Zod yelled, already seeing the girl go in the opposite direction. She turned to look back at him.
"Get the ships ready!" she demanded, ignoring his calls to wait.
Snarling, Zod yelled in frustration as he ran towards where the ships were. "Damn that girl! There's not enough time or any space in the ships!"
He managed to reach the place where the ships were docked, planning to be discrete upon activating his ship, only for his eyes to widen upon seeing Jor-El there, prepping his own ship. "Jor-El?" Zod said, stunned.
Jor-El turned to look at Zod, surprised. "Dru-Zod? What are you doing here?"
"I... I planned to use a ship to... to leave Krypton. You..." A frown came upon the boy's face as he saw the pod beside the man. "You were planning to do the same thing as well, weren't you?"
Jor-El smiled. "For my son, actually. But it's nice to see that you have the same idea. Krypton's legacy must survive. And I believe that my son - and now, you too - will be the key for that to continue."
"Legacy?" Zod frowned, using his scanner to activate his own ship. "But what about the birthing chambers?! The Codex?! How can-"
"All taken care of," Jor-El answered briskly, typing some data into his own scanner. Data which seemed to enter the ship. "You can go along with Kal-El. Live upon the planet I've plotted a course for. Grow stronger there. Teach him, Zod. Please. Guide and mentor him upon the doctrines of Krypton. Make sure he can live the right way. The free way."
Zod had finished bringing up his ship. The spacecraft was a highly modified dropship with a Phantom Drive fitted to a hyperdrive engine. Everything in the ship was modified by his own hands.
As he was planning to enter, a horrible thought entered his mind. "Kara..." he whispered, drawing a confused but also frightened look from Jor-El. "Kara! She went to go searching for her family! We need to bring her here, make her another ship!"
Jor-El blinked rapidly, the thought not dawning on him. "I-I can't."
Zod growled angrily. "What do you mean you can't?! She's out there searching for you, and-"
"Zod!" Kara's voice called out, making him go rigid and turn to look at the girl running towards them.
"Kara!" the boy cried out, relief flooding through him. "Kal-El is here! Quickly, you have to come with us!"
"But-" she started to say, only to pause as her words were left choked in her throat. Zod and Jor-El watched in horror and shock as a hole appeared in Kara's chest. The wound had a plasma blast exit the other side, causing the girl to seize up suddenly, eyes wide. Then, she collapsed to the ground, blood flying from her mouth and wound.
"NO!" both man and boy yelled, Zod being the quickest to dash to her and inspect her. He cradled her head, tears instantly springing to his eyes, the teachings that had been installed into him through training to ignore such emotions being ignored.
"Kara! Kara, wake up, please!" the boy begged, Jor-El beside him to inspect his niece. He checked her unresponsive body, tears springing to his eyes upon seeing the obvious truth.
"Well, well," a voice spoke mockingly, causing the two to turn up to see who had shot Kara. Jor-El's eyes widened in shock and horror.
"Jax-Ur?!" he exclaimed, seeing his fellow Thinker standing there with a plasma gun and a sneer on his face.
"So... planning to abandon Krypton in her greatest hour of need? I always knew you were spineless, Jor-El, but this... this is an all-time low." Jax-Ur gave the sobbing Zod a sneer. "And to think, you gave this disgrace a chance to live as well. Pathetic."
"You..." Zod gave Jax-Ur a terrifying snarl, his blue eyes burning holes into his head. "How dare you?! She was innocent!"
"She was fleeing her planet, joining you traitors instead of trying to defend Krypton!"
"KRYPTON IS DYING, YOU FOOL!" Jor-El roared, so much fury and anger in his tone and soul that even Jax-Ur looked fearful. "YOU MURDERED AN INNOCENT OVER STUPIDITY!"
"I will not be lectured by a traitor such as yourself!" he retorted, raising his gun again. He made to fire, but Jor-El was quicker. He tackled his fellow Thinker to the ground, wrestling the gun out of his hand.
"Quickly, Zod! Enter the ship! Follow Kal-El's course to Earth!" Jor-El yelled, beating Jax-Ur and prolonging the child's escape.
"But-"
"NOW!" he roared, slugging his opponent across the face.
Shaken, Zod gave one last broken look to Kara's pained face. Sobbing, he hopped into his ship, setting the course through teary eyes.
"I'll find you, boy!" Jax-Ur yelled, struggling to escape Jor-El's grip. "Your fate is mine! I created you! I WILL FIND YOU!"
Ignoring the madman's words, Zod's AI immediately sprung to life. "Welcome, sir," it responded in a female voice.
The boy secured himself into position, running checks throughout the ship, making sure everything was functional and ready to go. He looked at the coordinates once again, making sure the system read the Sol system of Earth.
"Phantom drive online, ready for launch sir," came the AI.
Zod took one last look at Krypton - his family, his friend Jor-El, Kara's broken face - and cried his goodbyes. He already took all he could in his scanner. It and his ship was all he had left.
The shield panels slid into place, protecting the ship and all its components. A tear-stricken face stared out onto the planet, a massive explosion overtaking everything. With a stifled roar the ship began to make its ascension, blasting off after the path Kal-El took.
However, just as he had ascended past Krypton, the force from the planet's explosion knocked him off course. He yelled as his head struck the side of his shop, knocking him out as he drifted off course.
XXX
(Unknown Area in Space, 18 years later, 1998)
Dru-Zod gasped as he awoke. Rubbing his head and widening his eyes, he saw that he was still in space. His eyes narrowed upon seeing his ship orbiting a blue giant star.
He tried to remember what had happened to him upon his hibernation. He grunted as the memories came back to him. Krypton shaking, rubble, Brainiac drones, ship, Jor-El, Kal-El, Jax-Ur murdering Kara, leaving, grief, somuchgrief, toomuch, TOOMUCH, TOOMUCH-
Zod gasped as tears fell from his eyes, having relieved the memories. He sobbed as he mourned his world... all that he had lost.
After a few hours of mourning all those he had lost and offering prayers of forgiveness to Rao for not doing enough, his voice croaked. "Status report."
Immediately, a feminine voice called out. "Command function: AI of the Stroma-Make: Code 1,305. All systems full functioning. Hello, Dru-Zod, next in line for title 'General Zod'. How may I be of service?"
"Stroma, how long have I been in stasis?" Zod queried, a pit of dread forming in his stomach.
"18 years," Stroma replied.
Zod's eyes widened. 18 years?! Krypton has been gone for 18 years and I wasn't even given time to mourn?!
The thought caused a new wave of tears to flood from his eyes, but his mind was filled with rage. Why?! Why was he given the burden of being the last of his race?! The last of a mighty kind-no. Kal-El. He still lived. Hopefully. As bad as things were, he could at least look forward to Kal-El being alive.
The thought gave him hope, yet no strength. His young body couldn't handle this. The thought that he would be alone.
Another thought popped into his mind, making him even more saddened. Kal-El would be nearing the age of an adult by the time he would search for him. The thought made him even more depressed. He had failed Jor-El's promise of looking after Kal-El. Not even an hour into his awakening, and he already felt like he should've perished along with Krypton.
Sighing, Zod did his best to still his tears, trying to focus on going to Earth. "Stroma, how far is Earth from our current location?"
"Earth is currently located in the Milky Way Galaxy," Stroma replied.
"Inform me of its inhabitants," Zod instructed.
"Technologically speaking, in comparison to the late Krypton, Earth is largely inferior. All of the humans - the main inhabitants of the planet - are currently weaker than you are, with the exception of additional genes and other questionable quirks."
"Could they potentially harm me?" Zod questioned, remnants of his military training rearing its head, reminding him to take in any threats to himself.
"With the amount and quality of blue sun radiation that you've been absorbing all these years? No. The chance of them being able to even scratch you is one in a billion," Stroma answered.
"Scratch me? How-" Zod's eyes lit up. "Of course. Jor-El discussed with me about the possibility of Kryptonians absorbing sunlight - yellow, specifically - could allow us to evolve further and develop new abilities. Grow stronger. Which is why he sent Kal-El to Earth. But since I've been absorbing blue sunlight-"
"It's likely that you'll be stronger than Kal-El could ever be," Stroma finished for him.
Blinking, Zod sat back in his seat, taking all of the information in. Sighing, he decided to do so while heading to Earth. "Stroma, set a course for Earth."
"Understood, sir," the AI replied.
The ship hummed, waking up properly after being stuck in stasis, before it shot off, heading towards Earth.
XXX
(2 days later, Shiruta, Kahndaq, Africa, Earth)
Entering Earth's atmosphere, Zod's ship shot straight from the sky. The natural cloaking technology kicked in, allowing for his ship to pass through undetected. He struck the ground hard, shaking the earth.
Local workers had jumped out of the way, scared out of their whits. Had the gods sent them a gift? A curse?
Several people approached the crater, seeing that it was only 10 feet deep, but quite large.
Suddenly, the pod opened roughly, looking like it was torn like tinfoil by what looked to be... a young boy?! Those watching gaped, wiping their eyes to see clearly. Some whimpered prayers to the gods for forgiveness.
Zod gasped as did his best to climb up, the earth breaking under his fingers like Play-Doh. He grunted as he collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain.
"Hey, what's that?!" "What was that... that meteor?!" "Was it a sign of the gods?!" "Look, Mommy! I almost caught one!" "¡Espera, hermano!" "Guarda, una bella stella!" "Baba, ṣe o nilo iranlọwọ?!"
"SHUT UP!" Zod roared, the shockwave from his roar deafening many people and blasting them back. He panted as his ears rang with pain, feeling like they were going to bleed. The voices kept on coming, the sound deafening him as he cried out, crawling back to where he thought his ship would be. "S-STROMA! H-HELP ME!"
"Understood, sir," the AI responded, tendrils sprouting from the ship and wrapping around his head, liquid geo coming from the tentacles to wrap itself around his head, giving him a helmet to wear to block out the sounds. He sighed in relief as Earth's atmosphere was moderated inside his body, while his sun-enriched body stayed strong.
Finally. The noises are gone, he sighed, panting and crying in happiness. The pain... the pain was too much. His ears buzzed as Stroma did its best to heal him.
"My apologies, sir," Stroma replied, the voice modulated to speak in an apologetic tone. "I did not realise that your powers would be this strong. I apologise."
"N-No," Zod panted, standing up on shaky legs. "It's fine. I should be able to operate normally. The helmet is helping keep my... my increased senses regulated." Standing up properly, he rose from the crater, looking at the frightened crowd he had gathered.
Pushing aside his grief, his emotional and physical pain, and his fears, the Kryptonian stood firm as he spoke from the deepest part of his body. "My name is Dru-Zod. And... I come in peace."
XXX
(Egyptian Duat, Moments after Zod arrived)
A golden being's eyes snapped open from their meditation, orange-coloured eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion.
"Ra. What is the matter?" another being questioned the golden one, seeing the facial features twitch.
The being known as Ra frowned, looking at his subject. Ra had long, flowing braided hair that fell past his shoulders, his bronze, sun-kissed skin rippling with power and muscle. Golden ornaments adorned his body - rings, earrings, a jewel-covered crown - as he sighed. The air around his mouth heated up significantly, creating a slight glowing flame. "A being has entered our sacred sanctuary of Kahndaq, Horus."
Horus' eyes blinked, taking a moment to adjust to what he had heard. His crimson tribal tattoos rippled and contorted along his body as his pale-white eyes narrowed, taking in the information that was spoken. "You are sure?"
Ra's eyes narrowed. "You dare doubt my words?"
Quickly backtracking, Horus quickly spoke. "No, my lord. I am just surprised. Kahndaq's magical defences protect the citizens from the outside world. Is this an attack?"
A mad cackle rang through the Duat, the very realm shifting and contorting slightly to accommodate the figure who was walking towards the two. "Do you really think that, Horus? I would be the first one ready to vanquish such a foe."
Horus sneered, gazing upon the being before him. "Is that it? I would never have thought that you of all people would be loyal to the crown, Set."
Set cackled, the air around him shifting again. His black robes shifted, showcasing images of numerous things; natural disasters, slaughtering of humans, animals and other creatures, murder, rape and other horrendous nightmares. His red eyes glittered with madness. "My, my, Horus. You do not trust me? I'm hurt."
Horus snarled, making to say more words, but was halted. "Enough." Ra's one word echoed throughout the nearby area of the Duat, silencing the two bickering gods. Ra's eyes looked at Set. "Set, you are sure this is not an attack of the outside world?"
Set sneered, but quelled the poison about come from his tongue. "Yes. It appears to be that of... a young boy. A child." The very idea seemed to amuse him, as Horus stared incredulously, and Ra raised an eyebrow.
"What madness is this?" Horus scoffed. "A child?! We have no time for your games, o god of chaos! Be serious and speak of the being who-"
A hand was raised in his direction from Ra, and Horus stiffened, angered at being snubbed. Ra kept on looking at Set, eyes narrowed. "Describe this boy to me."
Set uttered the words, the sight still confusing even him. "Young, white, black hair, dark blue eyes, wearing an odd bodysuit of some kind. Has some sort of pod that he came inside with. The technology eludes me, as it is not of any Earthly origin. But that's not what confuses me." He stared at Ra. "You've felt it, haven't you? From the boy?"
Confused, Ra looked to the side, seemingly searching for something. He continued to stare, unimpressed, until-
He gasped, shocked. Horus stood at his side, worried. "My lord. What is wrong?"
"Sun," was the word that was whispered, before he elaborated. "I can sense the sun inside that child. Like a star, growing inside of him, filled with the sun's power. Even now, he draws upon the sun's power." His eyes widened. "No, this child is-"
"Kryptonian," Set finished, making even Horus looked shocked.
Even light-years away from Earth, even they, the Egyptian gods, knew of Krypton's greatness. Its atrocities, achievements... even their demise. Not just them; the Asgardians and Olympians knew of the tales of the starchildren(1)... the Eradicators.
Ra himself was affected deeply upon hearing that Krypton was destroyed. He was raised on the stories of power of the Kryptonians - particularly under a yellow sun - and he was in awe. Leaders and figure-heads upon practically all the important races strove to be better than them. To compete against them. Czarnians, New Genesians, the Kree, the Skrulls, the Nova Empire, Thanagarians, the Shi'ar, the Guardians, the citizens of Almerac... all of them.
All those treasures, the legendary Codex, the blessed Orb of Kandor, their Phantom Drive ships... all of them were gone. When the news had reached his ears, Ra wept when he'd heard of such precious treasures lost to time. Just... gone.
Ra would've followed in his forefather's footsteps and tried to attack the Kryptonians to prove that he and his forces were better... until he was informed of the truth: that Krypton was gone.
When he was informed, he couldn't believe it. The Kryptonians? Wiped out from existence? They were one of the greatest races in the known universe, the first to create an interstellar empire - the Era of Expansion - which spanned countless of galaxies and worlds.
Ra's eyes narrowed as he glared at Set. "If this is a trick-"
"It's not," Set waved away, insulted. "As if I could - no, would joke about something like this."
Staring at Set for a good few seconds, Ra stood up from his golden throne. "I would have words with this child."
XXX
(Shiruta, Kahndaq, Africa, Earth)
"Woohoo!" Zod exclaimed loudly, his shout enough to shatter practically all the clouds and deafen almost everyone in the nearby vicinity. He flew through the air unsteadily, laughing as he was able to gain altitude to hover properly. His helmet was removed, his training and discipline as a member of the House of Zod honing his trained senses to adapt vigorously to Earth's environment.
His sight, mind, hearing, sense of touch... all of it was enhanced to a degree of unquantifiable levels.
Shapes and colours zoomed into view and then out of focus. When he was on the ground, Zod could see through his ship and the sand beneath his feet. The microorganisms, the grains of sand, the odd-looking spectrum that seemed to surround this planet; Zod could see through even his own hands at varying levels of exposure; the bones, the blood pumping through his body. The smells of the sweetest scents and most disgusting of filth assaulted his nose at the same time.
His curiosity and agitation grew, causing the nerves around his eyes generating humongous amounts of heat energy which were then expelled through his eyes in the form of cobalt beams with red the primary colour in the middle. It was painful at first, as his vision turned blue with small specks of red. He turned away from his ship to protect it, the heat rays turning sand into burnt dust and the rest into glass. Nearby people were also harmed, possibly killed from the heat.
Luckily, he did his best to shield the others by either closing his eyes or covering them with his hands. Neither result was painless for him, as his could feel his eyelids blisters slightly, or his hands heat up extraordinarily. Thus, he aimed upwards, allowing the beams to part the clouds.
It took a while for him to calm down, but eventually, he did.
He then discovered another phenomenon about himself: he could fly.
Not just use his ship, but actually fly. Despite everything that had happened, he laughed to himself. His senses were a bit wonky, but he could push them down to bearable levels.
There was something awe-inspiring about flying through the air, encountering odd creatures with wings common to this planet, passing through the clouds and feeling practically nothing, feeling the sun shine down on his form... it was nothing short of amazing.
Flying, he mentally decided, is one of the greatest treasures I've encountered since coming here.
Suddenly, his flight was interrupted by a bright light forming in front of him. He narrowed his eyes, unaffected by the brightness. A being suddenly appeared before him. He halted his float, floating in the air as he beheld the figure.
Ra had a heartwarming smile on his face as he laid witness to the boy before him. He was amazed that he was already capable of flight. And at such a young age, at that. "Hello, young one," Ra spoke warmly, heat seeping from his body. "You are currently flying over my lands. May I ask who you are?"
Zod's eyes narrowed. He could feel warmth and power wafting off of this person, but he was unsure as to whether he should trust him. "Who I am is of no concern. I am-"
"A Kryptonian," Ra finished, causing his eyes to widen in surprise. "Oh, don't look so surprised. I could recognise the ship you arrived in from anywhere. Not to mention the growing sun inside of you."
"Who are you?" Zod hissed, confused and immediately suspicious. How did this being know who-no, what he was?
"My name is Ra," Ra answered simply, smiling serenely. "And I would like to make you an offer. I see you have come far from the stars, obviously having survived your planet's destruction." The god chuckled as Zod looked at him, wide-eyed. "Oh, don't look so surprised. Do you think a planet such as Krypton with its legacy and power could be so dismissed by other planets? Especially following its demise? I am so very, very sorry for that."
Zod's eyes pricked with tears as he remembered the scene that haunted his mind. "What is it that you want?" he snarled, hating that he was being reminded of his birth home's destruction.
"To help you." An incredulous look crossed the Kryptonian's face. "I would gift you with a new home, to replace the one you've lost. Not even a simple home, mind you. But a kingdom. The kingdom of Kahndaq, which is the place you crashed into. I can make you king, a ruler over your my people. You could become my champion, my herald. In return, you can call this planet your own home. What do you say?"
Zod narrowed his eyes, mulling over the option before him. He knew instantly that it was a delightful offer. He needed a home on this planet, a place where he could live. It was likely that if he refused an offer, he could be kicked out, and be left struggling to find another place to live. He did not know everything yet on this planet, but he didn't know if the humans of this planet would be as 'welcoming' to his presence as this... Ra.
Not to mention, a stable place allowed for his search of Kal-El to begin, and with the possible resources this Kahndaq, the search could be made much easier. And... he needed a place to call home. As much as he didn't like it, he was stranded. Nowhere was available for him to go. He might as well take advantage of the opportunity before him.
Nodding stiffly, Zod responded with, "I am Dru-Zod, of the House of Zod upon the recently deceased Krypton. And I will... accept your offer."
Ra's smile become wider, doing its best to hide his greed and excitement. "Perfect."
XXX
(Apokolips, Currently Unknown Area of the Universe)
Jax-Ur gasped in surprise and agony, his previously closed eyes shooting open as he instantly took in his surroundings. He found himself in a dark-lit lab, filled with technology that seemed quite complex. Although in his mind, nothing compared to the marvel that was Krypton.
His eyes drooped as he recalled all that had happened. Krypton dying, following the children of the Houses of Zod and El, Grabbing a blaster, killing the girl, battling Jor-El, an explosion that covered him, a bright light, then-
"I see that you are awake," a soft voice uttered, causing Jax-Ur to stare up are the being that was standing above him. "Looks like the improvements have taken affect."
Jax-Ur saw a nightmarish face, gnarled hands and glowing eyes screaming of evil. He shifted, trying to get away, but found his movements restricted. He looked at his body, only to reel away in shock.
Metallic flesh covered his body - his right arm, his left pectoral and lower abdomen, even parts of his legs... what-what was going on?! Why was he here?! What happened to Krypton?!
"What did you do to me, you sick bast-" "Calm yourself," the being whispered, seeing Jax-Ur's mind stilled. He defiantly tried to struggle, but it was futile.
"Is our Kryptonian ready, DeSaad?" a dark, malevolent voice questioned, causing DeSaad to look stiffen up and quickly turn around to look upon his master.
The being who had walked in was a rock-like being, with Apokoliptian armour adorning his body. His body stank of death and decay, his very being shrouded in pure evil. It was his crimson eyes, however, that shook all those who served him. His classic Omega symbol adorned his chest as he glared at his subordinate.
"M-M-My lord, Darkseid," DeSaad whimpered, all signs of arrogance vanishing in his presence. "H-He has just woken up. I-I will begin the processing immediately-"
"You better, DeSaad," another being said behind the 8' 9'' being, appearing small with his own small size roughly more than half of Darkseid. "That is one of my own you are holding."
"J-Jor-El," Jax-Ur's voice stuttered, struggling to fight against DeSaad's control. His eyes widened as he looked upon the traitor he had fought before Krypton's destruction. At the moment, however, he was his only connection to the recently deceased Krypton. "I-Is that you?"
A scoff was heard as Darkseid chuckled. "No, fool," the figure said as he stepped closer, allowing more of his face to be seen. "Jor-El was my birth father. I am Kal-El, son of Darkseid," Kal-El replied, an evil smirk on his lips.
I am back. And I'm feeling... well, crazy, after being stuck in quarantined.
On the plus side, I can have more time to write my stories.
So, yeah. This was the change to my profile; a new story that's been stuck in my head.
This came about as I was grieving. Reason being is that the family member that died was on my mind. All the good times we had was primarily with the family, in which we all watched superhero films. My cousins were suckers for the Justice League, even if I tried to tell them otherwise.
One of my favourite memories was with the family (except my baby cousins) would sin the shit out of the superhero movies we watched. So I was thinking, 'Hmm. What if I create a fic from these fun past times?'
So yeah. I'm back on my feet properly, staying indoors, washing my hands over a dozen times (I'm not joking) and cranking out this story. Essentially what I'd fix about the MCU and DCEU respectively. Which is what fanfiction is about, so...
Here are the basics of the story:
It's an AU. The events of both movies will play out, but differently, obviously. I may change bits and pieces and add more characters. Also may mess around with the timeline of both universes, 'cause I'm impatient.
I'm actually using Zod (well, a younger version, but still Zod) and not an OC as the MC, which is a surprise. I did like General Zod in Man of Steel. It's one of the three DCEU movies that I think are actually good, with WW and Shazam surpassing it. So I picked him. He'll be in character, just
Jax-Ur will take what was supposed to be Zod's place as the big antagonist in Man of Steel, with Kal-El - who is evil in this story - joining him.
Zod will gain the Speed Force. Yes, I'm doing this along with having him absorb blue sunlight while in hibernation.
I had him land in Kahndaq because I am looking forward to when they introduce Black Adam into the DCEU (hopefully, they do it right, but who knows?) and so am planning to introduce Kahndaq and the Egyptian gods.
Like the Asgardians, the Egyptians and Olympians will be like alien-beings worshipped as deities.
WW's movie did happen, but Ares is alive till this day. He just lost against her and was punished on Olympus.
There may be some crossover with Arrowverse. Why? There's obviously going to be a multiverse involved, so why not add it?
'Kay, that's it.
Harem members are as follows:
Definite: Wonder Woman, Mera, Wanda Maximoff, Faora, Hela, Harley Quinn, Jean Grey (played by Bryce Dallas Howard), Emma Frost (played by Elisha Cuthbert), Pyslocke (played by Olivia Munn), Hope van Dyne, Susan Storm (played by Laura Vandervoort), Black Cat (played by Charlotte McKinney), Jessica Drew (played by Penélope Cruz), Amora the Enchantress (played by Ashley Benson), Poison Ivy (played by a Kaya Scodelario that dyed her head red), Maxima (played by Angelica Bridges), Mary Bromfield.
Maybe: Natasha Romanoff, Lorelei, Lois Lane, Ororo Munroe (played by Sanaa Lathan), Lena Luthor, Caitlin Snow/Killer Frost, Sif, Wonder Girl (played by Lleven Rambin), Kara Danvers, Thea Queen.
No: Pepper Potts, Carol Danvers, Maria Hill.
That's it. Only one more member is moving to the 'Definite' field. I already know who it is, so don't suggest more.
Alright. So that's it. Just one last thing: this isn't affecting my Solaris fic or my Perfect Imperfection fic. Both play out as normal, and will be updated as normal.
Hope you like the story as it goes on.