Disclaimer: I do not own Arrowverse or Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Phantom Zone
Zod approached Clark and punched him in the groin, knocking him down.
"I know." Zod said with a sadistic smirk. "Feels terrible, feeling so powerless, when you know you've got such strength inside of you, with no way unleashing it."
"Even without the yellow sun, I will find a way to defeat you." Clark promised.
"You'll have to work twice as hard." Zod said as he sat back onto his throne. "Because when I arrived here, I made a very special acquaintance, someone you know and someone I'm very, very fond of."
"Who?" Clark inquired.
"Me." Zod said and Clark paled.
"The original Zod's phantom." Clark said, the realization hitting him.
"Finally back in the body that you stripped me of. Now I have the full knowledge of two lives and you…" Zod pulled his sword from the sheathe. "…are my enemy in both."
"I defeated you in both." Clark reminded and Zod nodded as he got up from his throne.
"Which is why it will give me double the satisfaction to see you kneel…" Zod said as he placed the tip of the sword on Clark's chest, making him groan. "…and serve until you die. You sent me to my death sentence. You left me at the mercy of those Kandorians." He gestured at the Phantom Zone. "This was my punishment."
Clark noticed the crystal hanging on Zod's necklace before meeting Zod's eyes. "Jor-El built this place for your kind."
In response, Zod punched Clark in the face. "My kind. Then why are you here? Seeking refuge like your uncle did?"
Clark's eyes widened. "How do you—"
"Zor-El has been using this place as a refuge for years since Krypton's destruction." Zod said, smirking with glee. "If I can't have my revenge on Jor-El, I'll settle for his brother. I found one of his old beacons, sent a distress signal."
The realization hit Clark as he cursed himself and Kara for their stupidity. "It was all a trap. You knew we'd come here looking for him."
"And you came." Zod said as he passed by Clark. "Soon enough we'll draw Kara and Zor-El out and the House of El finally ends, a fitting punishment for sentencing me to die here. The weak decisions of your House are what sentenced Krypton to die. I could've saved our people but you took that away from me."
"You're a tyrant who only believes in himself." Clark said as he got up on his feet and faced Zod.
"Who else should I put my faith in?" Zod asked rhetorically. "We both know that trusting others is a calculated risk, one a Kryptonian is not willing to take. We can easily fool those closest to us, can't we? But we can lean on no one." He stepped back before continuing. "Do you remember that most famous story about two brothers from your adopted planet?" He gestured. "You've got Cain… and Abel. Which brother are you, Kal-El?"
"Well, I'd never murder you. I saved you." Clark said.
Zod punched Clark in the face, forcing him on his knees before Zod neared Clark's face. "You exiled me. I'm in charge here and you're about to find out what that means… brother."
In his cavern, Zor-El was drinking water with Kara as they began catching up.
"I thought I'd lost you forever." Kara said.
"When I chose to stay on Krypton to activate Argo's shields, I knew there was no way I'd get off the planet in time." Zor-El explained as he looked around. "Sending myself here was a last-ditch attempt to save my life. A terrible mistake. There are things worse than death."
"This place is even worse than when me and Kal were here the last time." Kara said as Zor-El looked at her in confusion. "Zod and Brainiac have banished us both here before but we've managed to escape this place on both occasions."
"You've been here before?" Zor-El asked, disbelieved and Kara nodded. "Kara, if I'd known—"
"We're together now." Kara said as she got up. "We just need to find Kal and get out of here."
"That won't be easy. The Phantom Zone isn't something you can fight. Zod has the command crystal to the exit. And Kal too, most likely. Zod can't use the crystal to leave, only the blood of House of El can activate it." Zor-El explained and Kara paled before he looked at her darkly. "Fighting your way out of here is going to be much harder than last time."
"I'm not leaving this place without you or him. If we have to get through Zod to go home, then that's what we'll do." Kara said.
Clark was dragged by the guards out of the throne room into a makeshift arena, while the inmates chanted and cheered and Clark was horrified to see some people in cages, while observing two gladiators wearing helmets and one of them wielding an axe and the other wielding a sword and a shield and Clark saw Zod on his throne observing the fight with sadistic pleasure.
One of the gladiators knocked the other one's shield off his hand before hitting him in the face with the handle of his axe and to Clark's shock and horror, the man finished him off by cutting him across his chest while the crowd cheered and the victorious gladiator raised his hand to signal his victory, while the dead gladiator was dragged away by Zod's men and Clark was then shoved forward into the middle of the arena, realizing he was about to fight him as he saw the look in Zod's eyes.
Clark dodged as the gladiator swung his axe and ducked before the gladiator could cut his head off, shattering a piece of a pillar in process, while Zod watched with vested interest. Clark picked the shield of the dead gladiator from the ground to block the following blow but its strength forced Clark on his knees. The gladiator swung his axe again, breaking the shield in half and Clark dodged the following blow before bashing him across the face with the shield, sending him stumbling back. Clark used the shield to block as the gladiator attacked with his axe again, causing for them both to drop their weapons. They began exchanging blows but without the yellow sun, Clark was in great disadvantage due to the gladiator's physique as he threw Clark to the edge of the arena.
Clark saw a helmet at the reach of his hand and grabbed it, rushing at the gladiator and bashing him across his helmet with the one in his hand, dazing him as he staggered back. The gladiator was about to punch Clark but Clark again slammed the helmet against him, sending him stumbling to a nearby cage.
Zod leaned forward with piqued interest as the crowd chanted. "Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Clark was about to deliver the final blow but stopped himself upon seeing the fearful look in the gladiator's eyes. Clark was not going to stoop down to Zod's level and he was not going to take a life, not unless he had no other choice left. Clark dropped the helmet and glared at Zod, while the crowd booed as Zod leaned back to his throne, disappointed before he got up and raised his hand, commanding for the crowd to be silent.
"In the arena, we answer failure with the only thing suitable: Death." Zod said as the crowd cheered, while two guards neared Clark, pointing at him with spears.
"I'm nothing like you. I'm not going to kill everyone who gets in my way to get what I want." Clark said.
Zod stepped down from his throne and pulled out his sword, pointing it at Clark, who looked at Zod with a fearless look. Then, to Clark's shock, Zod plunged the blade through the man Clark had been fighting before he pulled away and the man's lifeless body fell to the ground.
"You killed him for no reason." Clark said, glaring at Zod in disgust.
"In any arena, one fighter walks away." Zod said as the crowd cheered, while two guards neared Clark, pointing at him with spears. "When are you going to learn it's 'kill or be killed'? It always has been."
Clark then saw the crystal with the symbol of the House of El hanging on Zod's neck, realizing this was his and Kara's ticket out of here. He just needed to wait for the right opportunity.
"Maybe in your world, but not mine!" Clark sneered.
"But this is my world." Zod pointed out. "Oh, and consider this your one free pass. If you fail to finish the job again, it will be you dragged along by your heels."
Kara and Zor-El were outside Zod's encampment on the top of valleys, observing the place.
"It's heavily guarded." Kara said.
"There is no way we can fight our way through and out and there are too many of them to sneak in undetected and get Kal out." Zor-El said.
"Then what are we going to do? March into the lion's den?" Kara asked.
"Desperate times, desperate measures." Zor-El said.
Clark had been sent back to his cage, while Zod was sitting on his throne before his men entered, with restrained Kara and Zor-El.
"We caught them trying to sneak in." One of the men said and Zod smirked.
"Zor-El. And his daughter." Zod said as he stepped down from his throne and held Kara by her cheek. "You look as beautiful as I remember."
"Don't touch her—ugh!" Zor-El grunted as he was punched down by one of Zod's men.
"Silence!" The man yelled.
"Go to Hell." Kara sneered.
"We're already in it, my dear. At last, I shall have my revenge on your entire bloodline. The wretched House of El dies by my hand." Zod promised before turning to his men. "Take her away."
Kara was dragged by Zod's men away, while Zod smiled at Zor-El who was on his knees.
"At least you learned to kneel before Zod, unlike your brother." Zod said.
"How lucky he is he doesn't have to see you again." Zor-El said.
"To be honest, I find you more honorable than your brother. You did what you could to save our people and send Argo City away." Zod said as he paced around Zor-El.
"I know what you've almost done to Earth. How many innocent have you killed in the name of our dead people? How many more will have to die?" Zor-El asked.
"A small price to pay for salvation. Foundation needs to be built on something. I'm just doing whatever is within my power to ensure Krypton's survival, just like you."
"The ends don't justify the means."
"Then why did you sacrifice your own home to save your wife and daughter? The place on which Argo stood still could have been salvaged but you instead sent your hometown away with your wife and daughter."
"At least I didn't sacrifice any lives to save the ones of those I hold most dear."
"But you would willingly fight your Kryptonian brothers and sisters here to ensure your own survival." Zod said as he faced Zor-El, meeting his eyes. "You were willing to go to lengths your brother never could."
"You and I are nothing alike. Or Jor-El." Zor-El said in disgust.
"But you're not what Kara remembers either. She remembers you as a good caring man. Does she know what you've become here? How many lives have you taken to ensure your survival? What have you sacrificed?" Zod pointed out, passing by Zor-El who paled and swallowed. "Once she learns what you've done here, she'll never look at you the same way."
"She's a grown woman. She will understand, just like Kal." Zor-El said.
"Perhaps. But we both know it will stain the memory they both have of you. And even if they forgive you… can you forgive yourself? Besides, everything else you know is long gone." Zod pointed out. "And Kal and your daughter were both fools, rejecting every opportunity I offered them to save our people and even here, their devotion to humans blinds them. They'll never belong among us but you…" He turned to face Zor-El, placing his sword against Zor-El's chin. "You don't have to suffer for your brother's or your daughter's or nephew's sins against our people. We can start anew here. All you have to do… is kneel before Zod. And I promise you that they won't be harmed, as long as you put them in their places."
Zor-El stared into Zod's eyes and considered.
At the same time, Avengers Compound, New York
"So we gotta assume they're coming back, right?" Rhodey asked.
"And they can clearly find us." Wanda added.
"We need all hands on deck. Where's Clint, Diana, Clark and Kara?" Bruce asked.
"Diana's gone. In the Underworld. And Clark and Kara are looking for her father in the Phantom Zone, as for the Clint, after the whole Accords situation, he and Scott took a deal." Natasha explained. "It was too tough on their families. They're on house arrest."
"Who's Scott?" Bruce asked.
"Ant-Man." Steve explained.
"There's an Ant-Man and a Spider-Man?" Bruce asked, perplexed and Rhodey nodded.
"And Zatanna's AWOL and Constantine's in Hell." Oliver said.
"What? What's he going through?" Bruce asked.
"He's literally in Hell." Sara said.
"Oh." Bruce gapped for a moment before getting back to the topic. "OK, look, Thanos has the biggest army in the universe and he is not gonna stop until he gets…" He stopped for a moment due to the dreadfulness of the situation. "Vision's Stone."
"We'll protect it." Barry assured.
"No, we have to destroy it." Vision said tiredly, leaning onto the wall as everyone turned to him. "I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head. About its nature." He pointed at the Mind Stone on his forehead. "But also its composition." He turned to Wanda. "I think if it were exposed to a sufficiently powerful energy source, something very similar to its own signature, perhaps its molecular integrity could fail."
"Yeah, and you with it." Wanda pointed out.
"You're asking her to kill you." Pietro realized.
"Eliminating the Stone is the only way to be certain Thanos can't get it." Vision said.
"That's too high a price." Wanda said as Vision placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Only you have the power to pay it." Vision pointed out before looking at everyone. "Thanos threatens half the universe. One life cannot stand in the way of defeating him."
"But it should. We don't trade lives, Vision." Steve argued as Vision turned to him.
"Captain, 70 years ago, you laid down your life to save how many millions of people? Tell me, why is this any different?" Vision asked.
"Because you might have a choice." Bruce said as they turned to him. "Your mind is made up of a complex construct of overlays. Jarvis, Ultron, Tony, me, the Stone." He listed. "All of them mixed together, all of them learning from one another."
"Wait, you mean that Vision isn't only the Stone?" Caitlin asked.
"I'm saying that if we take out the Stone, there's still a whole lot of Vision left. Perhaps the best parts." Bruce explained.
"Can we do that?" Natasha asked.
"I can try, with the right equipment." Bruce said as he turned to Cisco. "Ramon…"
Cisco nodded. "Well, let's see what we can do."
I'm not going to cover the events in space and Titan, since even without Peter involved, I'm sure the events with Tony, Strange and the Guardians fighting Thanos would end up the same way as in Infinity War and even without Peter, Tony was so stupid and let his fear get the better of him, taking on Thanos on his own on his home turf and it would end up with Thanos beating Tony, the Guardians and Strange, with Strange surrendering the Time Stone to him.
Ironic that Zod mentioned Cain and Abel and compared himself and Clark to them, when Tom Welling later played Cain in Lucifer.
So, what do you guys think?
Please review and let me know if you have been enjoying this so far.