General Dru-Zod stared out of the window. The glassy plain was large enough to nearly fill out the entire wall where he looked out. The entire room was lit with a very light blue atmosphere, as opposed to the black absence of worlds and emptiness of space. This felt nice for a change. It certainly felt more peaceful than many other planets he had already visited. From an aesthetic point of view, Earth was even more beautiful than their ship's databases indicated. He was told that the planet was a mix of land and ocean, a perfect balance. He favored Krypton's wider variety of landscapes, but it was still admirable to see what else the universe was capable of.
His long ancestry was responsible for conquering, but they never stopped to look and admire the world that would then belong to them. It was maddening that the Lawmakers wouldn't allow them to expand themselves beyond their own planet. It was, however, refreshing that their technology did also include the durability and capabilities of their warships. It could've led to a return of their conquests with that kind of innovation. More worlds to explore and have that ownership over it. If only they were more dogmatic. But now, that'll never happen. He could never know.
An elderly man approached the room. He spoke in a non-alarming voice so that he wouldn't break his General's concentration. "General."
Zod spun around. "Yes, Jax-Ur. What is it?"
"Ursa and Kal are approaching us. They should be entering our vicinity within fifty minutes, sir."
Fifty minutes. That's impressive. Last he checked in with Ursa's location, she was approximately 1,300 miles away, which would take such a long time to get over there without the velocity of this ship. That G-type star really was a miracle for them.
"Very good," Zod said. "Prepare the main hangar room. I want Kal to enter through a graceful entrance. Prepare for their arrival."
"Right away, sir."
Ursa flew at a wild speed. Luckily, Clark was able to keep up with her, but he wanted to mind his distance between the two of them. He was impressed by how she was able to easily preserve her course without the use of her arms, unlike him. He imagined that he'd have to try that one day after everything was settled.
He was concerned as Ursa was flying at a much lower altitude than he had planned. The ground below them was no higher than how a regular airplane would ascend. At this rate, it would be easy for them to be noticed, even by innocent bystanders.
"We should fly high up," Clark called out to her. "No one will see us up there."
"You care for these people?" Ursa cried through the air and sounded both curious and amused.
"Of course, I do," Clark answered. "I was raised here." Ursa nodded to herself as if to understand him. "Very well then."
Soon enough, both of them increased their altitude and they were above the clouds once more but not enough to reach outside of the atmosphere.
"Satisfied?" Ursa said in a tone that made Clark feel uneasy.
Clark gave an untrusting, "Yes. Thank you."
That minor dispute offered Clark uncertainty. He knew that his father displayed a feeling of love and compassion, which is what he was hoping and looking forward to from the rest of his kind, only this was not at all what he expected. Every nerve in him was tugging at him to be on his guard in case she did something they would regret.
The rest of the flight seemed to be forever as Clark his eye on this mysterious stranger that was supposedly from where he came from. She never said another word and seemingly kept her mind on their destination across the entire north American continent.
For what seemed like half an hour, at least according to Clark, his eyesight picked up the large object that was exactly displayed from tie TV screens. Clark's eyes widened as he saw that it was bigger than what he had in mind when he first saw on TV.
From what he could make out, the ship itself was bigger than the plane from earlier. Though, Clark could calculate that this only a little bigger than that. Its depth had a thicker build, compensating the large dome that was mounted above.
"Looks bigger than I thought," Clark observed.
"You were expecting less?" Ursa called back.
"Been having trouble with that for a long time," Clark responded casually.
Ursa said nothing else as she then took a gradual tum and aiming herself at the ship's bottom portion. As Clark mimicked, he saw where they were heading.
There was an opening at the direct center of the lower portion of the ship. A little ramp had been extended outward in thin air as it was the seemingly only way for it to be open. There were two humanoid figures on each side of the opening with their hands behind their backs and looking directly ahead. Clark observed that they were wearing the exact colors as Ursa's uniform and had different symbols on their chests, compensating for their Houses. Unlike Ursa, they were both wearing plated armor that covered their bodies. Their faces weren't completely covered as only their eyes were revealed. From what Clark could tell, the Kryptonians on both sides of the door almost dropped their guarding stance. He sensed their astonished looks at him.
Following Ursa's lead, Clark eased himself, manipulating his altitude to where it would be right where the opening's floor would end to nowhere. As his feet met a flat surface, he looked around him in awe.
The interior of the ship was vast. There were two staircases on both sides of the room that led up to the same upper ledge on the opposite side of the room where Clark stood. The staircase and ledge were barricaded with fancy looking rails. The constant tone blue, which was altered from the lighting, producing many different shades. From what he could tell, Clark was walking on a sophisticated kind of metal, but the texture of the surface heavily resembled glass. The floors were heavily shimmering, giving no indication that anything had walked upon them. The same kind of thick glassy material covered the walls and ceiling which created a silvery blue aura that would glare at Clark's eyes whenever he was at a certain angle. Beneath the glassy surfaces was a somewhat transparent whiteness like a still fog.
He felt as if he was walking through a strange looking museum. An impossible museum that showed the existence of a civilization that was supposed to have been completely destroyed. Jor-El was right—it seemed that their technology really had climbed through the years, thanks to his ancestors. Shame that this was probably the only thing left of everything they've built.
One of the two Kryptonians standing on the side of the open doorway pressed a button and the ramp raised itself and closed back into the ship, leaving no daylight within the room. The light of the entire room then illuminated a harsh dark cerulean environment. Clark's red and yellow "S" on his chest had turned into an altered tint as the rest of his blue suit hadn't changed.
Standing at the center of the ledge overlooking the entire room was another Kryptonian.
This particular Kryptonian stood out from all the others for one blunt trait—there was no armor covering his face, revealing himself. There was, however, a different kind of armor that covered the rest of his body that separated himself from all the others Clark had already seen. This one was wearing an expression that said that he was pleased. Judging his expression and different looking uniform, Clark had already made the assumption that this was the person who called him.
"General," Ursa announced as they got just right about close to where he was.
Yep.
"Kal-El." Ursa informed before she positioned herself away from Clark.
The man's eyebrows were raised, and the corners of his mouth gently creaked up. He looked about middle-aged due to some noticeable silver in the darkness of his beard and goatee.
The man grinned brightly as if he was watching a loved one returned.
"He lives!" he exclaimed cheerfully.
Rolling his shoulders back and merely smiling back, Clark spoke in a deep and calm manner, "I take it you're Zod?"
"General Zod," Ursa hissed. "And you will speak when you are spoken to."
Zod's smile turned calm and he held up a hand. "At ease, Ursa. He is a stranger to our ways." His tone changed to a neighborly announcement. "This is no cause for conflict. This is cause for celebration."
Zod turned to one staircase that would bridge between him and Clark and held a face of admiration. "Son of Jor-El," he said as he held out his arms as if presenting him.
Clark felt a warming relief. At least he seemed more friendly than that global message.
"It took us a long time to find you after all these years," Zod said. "It brings me great happiness to see you safe and sound as we hoped you'd be." His eyes lingered all over Clark. "Seeing you standing and wearing your family's coat of arms . . .," He shook his head in fascination. "You look so much like your father. Truly remarkable."
Smiling and almost feeling his face flush, Clark maintained his placating demeanor before saying, "I have so many questions. I'm afraid I don't even know where to begin."
Zod dropped the excited expression. "Yes," he continued in a friendly manner, "I'd imagine you would. Come with me. I have a many great things to explain to you."
Zod turned around and faced the door behind him. Clark cautiously ascended the staircase as he felt a tugging shudder rushing through him, unsure if it was the feeling of being in a place that was too much to take in or it was the air itself. It did at least feel much cooler when the door close, but Zod's company did bring a winsome cure to that. He maintained his tall posture and displayed a confident demeanor as he proceeded after Zod.
He shifted his eyes all around him, catching more and more glimpses of the interior. The rooms had the same peaceful blue serenity that emitted from the walls. It was clear that the other rooms served specific purposes. One room had, what looked like tables. Clark assumed that was either a sitting room or some sort of restaurant area. Other rooms included several large windows that looked out into the vast void of black space, accompanied by the glittering stars.
He passed by several other Kryptonians, who stopped and stared at him with their eyes peering from their armor locked onto him. Their eyes lit up at the sight of him followed by barely audible excited whispers of "he lives! The son of Jor-El lives!"
Clark's heart pounded in excitement at the mention that he was recognized and addressed by his true inheritance. He almost felt like he was a completely different man than the six-foot friendly guy at the Daily Planet who just started his first day on the job. It felt so different than being recognized by Jonathan or Martha's relatives, who greeted him as "Clark". He had never felt so far from home since leaving Smallville for Metropolis. Then again, what was home?
"Taking a liking to our ship's structure, I see," Zod observed.
Mesmerized, Clark answered, "it's impressive."
"It's exterior is made of an ancient ore that has been harvested many generations ago. It was called 'kryptonite'. The kryptonite crystals held large amounts of energy that we've used for many purposes. While radioactive and at times unstable, they've helped our planet's renewability as well as providing stronger ships."
"Were there any other ships like this back on Krypton?"
"One of many," Zod answered enthusiastically. "This was one of our finest vessels back in our once strong military. Large in mass, durable in armor and exceptional in combat. We were lucky to acquire it before the planet's destruction. Thanks to the core, our vessel has been more powerful than anything else we've had in our arsenal."
Clark cocked his head. "Core?"
"Follow me," Zod said with a knowing look.
After quick minutes of passing through more hallways, Zod led Clark to another room that made a large distinction from all the others.
Both of them were standing on a platform that overlooked what Clark would assume this was the engine room judging by the abundance of large metal constructions that resembled pipes. Several Kryptonians were walking around on the lower levels to supervise the machinery, checking its readings.
seemed to have a large machine right at where the floor and wall met. The massive machinery had several tube-like structures spread outwards in a web-like pattern and reached the ceiling at different points as if the center piece had rooted within the wall. At the heart of the apparatus was a near dim blue light. It glowed brighter, then it dimmed again in a rhythmic fashion as if it was pulsating.
"I'm guessing this is the engine?" Clark observed.
Zod's sociable style shifted to a more solemn tone. "Yes. One that we've constructed. Years ago, we discovered that your emergency shuttle sent out a beacon upon activation."
"Activation?"
"Your emergency shuttle activated upon your touch, did it not?" Zod asked as if it was rhetorical.
"Yes, it did," Clark said. "It showed me an image of my real parents. The House of El."
Zod nodded before his frown became more obvious. "After Krypton was destroyed, we believed for a long time that we were the sole survivors. We watched from afar as the entire planet burned in an instant. So many people gone in a second . . . including your parents."
Clark took a silent sad deep breath. Even as he already knew this since the beginning, he felt Zod's words hit him.
Zod looked at Clark with deep sympathy. "I'm sorry, Kal. But once we detected a beacon that was activated when you touched your emergency shuttle, we had hope that what was left of Jor-El's legacy was still out there. Thus, our journey across the universe began. It took us many years, but our patience never died." He gestured his head towards the large machine with the pulsating light.
"We knew that our ship would take a lifetime to reach this planet, so we constructed a phantom drive for our engines. "This device," he explained, "the phantom drive allows passengers to venture through black holes and theoretically through the Phantom Zone."
Clark cocked his head.
"The Phantom Zone is a dimension. Or rather, a gap between. It's a barren world where time and space are irrelevant. It's also used as a prison for Kryptonian capital punishment."
Deeply fascinated with this alien technology, Clark kept his eyes where the pulsing light would send signals everywhere else as if it was a brain sending electric signals throughout a body.
"I advise not to touch it," Zod smirked as if catching a mischievous child. "While it's very powerful, it's also unstable. The slightest damage would cause a singularity. Thankfully, we've had the proper protection for it. Without that, it could forcibly pull someone or other lifeforms into the Phantom Zone. I had hoped that with the use of the phantom drive, I would find other Kryptonian survivors. It sustained our aging, giving us an advantage of living longer to find other Kryptonians who may have fled to our former outposts." Zod then lowered his head in sorrow before facing Clark again. "You, along with us, are all Krypton has left."
Clark darted his eyes around at the realization. He had only counted a little more than ten Kryptonians onboard, excluding himself, and that was all there was left.
Gathering the courage to speak, Clark asked, "what happened?"
"Our planet was under attack," Zod said as Clark's face opened more to his words. "We were invaded by these metallic creatures. Their ship remained outside of our airspace for a period of time before they began their assault. Many innocents were slaughtered. Before they attacked, your father and I proposed to our government that we should act by mobilizing our military. Only they didn't. They just continued their pointless squabbling of protocol and traditional values. And so, we had no choice but to take matters into our own hands. By the time we confronted our superiors, we were too late. We were forced to fight for our lives. I didn't see it happen but seeing how you managed to survive, your parents must have taken you and placed you in an emergency shuttle."
Clark grimaced before asking, "How'd you survive?"
"As they attacked our council chambers, we retreated to this ship in the desperate hopes to fight off against our attackers. But we've never seen an unstoppable force like that before. Our advanced weaponry proved ineffective. In nearly an instant, they wiped out the capital city of Kandor. We were defeated and retreated away from the planet. It soon became clear that leaving the planet's atmosphere was the reason we survived." Zod's frown tightened in anguish. "Soon after, Krypton burned."
Zod's eyes turned watery and blinked to fight the emotion. "So many people who weren't even in the Kandor city. . ."
Clark noticed that Zod was no longer wearing a face of regret, but now a face of frustration and guilt.
Zod sauntered his head away. "We lost our planet because we didn't do enough."
"What was it like?" Clark asked hoping to ease the pain. "Krypton."
Zod's sadness turned into a passionate countenance. "It was beautiful, son of Jor-El. More than Earth, in fact. It had many landscapes much like your planets, only more captivating. It had glistening mountains whose shine was as bright as these walls that met the eye from miles away. The mines and caves where the kryptonite materials were discovered were just as beautiful. There was also the bright cliffs of Fire Falls, which would light up the entire mountainside at night. Our planet was located on the southern side of the constellation of Corvus. According to our trajectory, Earth is located about twenty-seven light-years away from where Krypton was."
"So, who are you?" Clark asked informally. "I know that you're General Zod, but who were you on Krypton? The time before."
"My full name is Dru-Zod," he said before boasting modestly, "I was Krypton's highest ranked General of our once mighty army. I was stationed in the Capital city of Kandor at Fort Rozz, where I served Krypton and its beauty for so many years as the House of Zod did." He raised a hand, gesturing towards Ursa. "My wife whom you've met has been with my side and assisted my views for Krypton. Her bloodline goes back a long way. A noble family of grandiose nobility and undying ambitions. Her, ah, tenaciousness in her goals come with a sense of. . ." Zod's expression turned to a grin as if he was about to get to the punchline of a joke. ". . . superiority."
Ursa's corners of her mouth stretched upward as if making a flirting smile.
Clark gave an awkward smirk.
It was slightly unnerving that Zod found amusement that his wife may or may not have held a certain kind of prejudice against any other kind of race. It at least explained Ursa's callousness towards Clark's views on humans.
Zod's smile faded away as his returned to look at Clark. "I can only observe that you were raised here among Earthians. Is this true?"
"Correct," Clark answered. "I was raised by a loving couple who accepted me. Only they knew who I really was."
"And by now, you know of the Earth's sun and its influences on you," Zod stated.
"My father called it a 'G-type star'," Clark answered. "What is that? Does Krypton have that too?"
"No. The planet orbited around Rao, an M-type red star. As you know, the star around Earth is a G-type star, which has unnatural effects on a Kryptonian. Krypton's sun is a red solar-powered star. An M-type star to be exact. Like Earth's nearby G-type, it helps sustain life and light on our planet, albeit at a lower temperature. Though, our sun has a red solar energy source with natural effects on any Kryptonian, a yellow G-type's star's radiation effects a Kryptonian genetic code at a more reactive rate than an Earthian's. I must say, flight was a trait none of us considered. I'm impressed, Kal."
"You never knew about any of this?" Clark raised his brows. "The effects on Kryptonians?"
"All we ever knew is that the altered Kryptonian's exposure to a G-type star was higher endurance and augmented strength. Beyond that was unknown until now. We've never had the resources to travel anywhere else as we saw fit that Krypton was our one and only concern."
Clark's only response was a nod in comprehension. "Has any Kryptonian been to Earth?"
"Perhaps a long time ago, though there are only echoes of the past that indicated yes."
Zod's face went blank and said in an examining tone, "So, you hid yourself from the rest of the world."
"Yes," Clark answered modestly. "That is, until today. There was a plane. On this planet, there's a ship that is meant to carry passengers around the planet. It started crashing, so I disregarded my Earth identity for a brief moment. Still, nobody knows who I am down there."
Zod nodded. "Yes. We've looked into your radios and communication wavelengths all around the planet. From my understanding, the Earthians have given you a name in your honor. 'Flying Man', was it?"
Clark returned an embarrassed smirk. "Not my idea."
"It's almost as if they worship you like a god," Zod said with a tone that indicated admiration.
"I wouldn't use the word 'worship' at the moment."
Zod studied Clark closer. "Tell me, do they fear you?"
Clark frowned as he took in Zod's words. "To be honest, I don't really know what they think of me. I wanted to be someone who represents what my parents would've wanted. Someone who can help other people who can't help themselves." His face turned away. "I don't know if that would mean people would have to be afraid of me for that."
"So, you really care for these Earth people," Zod further studied.
"Of course, I do. I lived among them, I grew up there, I was raised there, and I know the way they think."
Zod furred his brows in fascination "I see."
Clark didn't know what to make of that response. Hopefully, it wasn't some sort of subtle prejudice disgust. "My father," Clark proceeded. "What did you know about him?"
"Ah. Brilliant man he was just like many of his ancestors. The House of El has a long history of provision for our planet. He had a heavy voice in our laws and moralities, though no House would ever compare to his contribution to our research and technology. His position in the Kryptonian Science Council gave us so many benefits and resources while I heeded his advice. Had it not for him and his forefathers, our planet wouldn't be how it was. He and I also shared the idea that Krypton needed better protection."
"Protection?" Clark cocked his head.
Zod fastened his sight at Clark. "Which is why I've come to make a proposal to you, Kal."
Clark's brows tightened in puzzlement.
"This planet of yours," Zod said. "Earth . . . How well protected is it?"
Clark's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"The planet, Kal," Zod reiterated. "How well protected is it?"
Clark lightly shrugged. "It has me. I've already saved lives today. Aside from that, we have militaries from all around the world. Why do you ask?"
Zod slowly approached him. "Do they have military ships?"
Clark had an uneasy feeling in his stomach from that question; he could feel his pulse escalating. "We have ships that travel on sea, land and smaller ones that fly."
"Are any capable of space travel?"
"We only have several that can. Even then, they're not used for military use. They're only used for exploration."
"What sort of weapons do you have? Do they have massive destructive capabilities?"
These expedient questions were now giving Clark a cold chill, and there was no end in sight. "The most destructive we have are nuclear weapons. But even then, they produce radiation that would surely kill millions of innocent people, so we're restrictive on using them." Clark's tone turned direct. "General, why are you asking this?"
Lowering his head, Zod said, "If you are all that is required for protection, then my judgement is that they are not protected enough. Just like on Krypton, they are vulnerable. Those attackers, Kal, they were unbeatable even by our own native weapons. Now, that the G-type star has enhanced us, we can protect this planet that you've stayed on your whole life."
"'We'?" Clark asked. "Are you saying you want to help?"
"I'm asking for an alliance, yes. With your efforts and the Hand of Rao, we can give Earth a strong guard. My ancestors in the House of Zod have long served Krypton for so centuries that our technology grew and far beyond anything we could've ever imagined. From what we've been reading, Kal, your world's technology is commendable at best, but obsolete in comparison to ours. Our alliance would grant Earth a new era of scientific advancement."
Clark felt a warmth of comfort. Facing the rest of the world solo felt impossible. More people like him standing shoulder to shoulder would ease the weight of being unalike with humanity. He thought to himself that he could be some sort of ambassador for the Hand of Rao and tell the rest of the world that there would be no need to be afraid of other world strangers. Then again, there were some other world strangers that did warrant fear from what was described.
"What were these invaders?" Clark asked.
"Their origin was and remained unclear. But they were metal creatures as tall as we. A kind of metal that we've never seen and nigh impenetrable. Capable of mass slaughter."
"You really believe they'll be back?" Clark studied him. "Here on Earth?"
"I'm unsure," Zod answered morbidly. "But we can't assume they won't ever come here. If they are capable of destroying a planet, then we can't just disregard this."
"So, what do you suggest?" Clark asked.
"We take this knowledge to these Earthians. You and I will notify them what happened to our planet. With my familiarity of these invaders, they'll have no choice but to mobilize their entire defenses. Kryptonians and Earthians will ally against whatever foreign forces will combat us. Our planet may be gone, but Earth can be our refuge and new foundation."
"That may not be easy," Clark warned. "These humans aren't familiar to people like us. Not even me, at least as of now."
Zod cocked his head. "What do you mean?"
"I only exposed myself among them just today. Now, they're not sure what to make of me. They don't know if I'm good or bad. Now, you're here and want to make a case with a world you don't know. If we're going to warn them, then we'll have to do it openly and diplomatically. We have to give the impression that we're not hostile. Even then, they're not just going to believe you just like that. It'll take time before people are adjusted to what we have to say, let alone us."
"We have no time for political plays, son of Jor-El," Zod said, his tone unchanged. "If what you say is true, and that they aren't familiar to us, then they'll have us questioned, interviewed," he then said bitterly, "studied. We are talking about preparation, not foreign relations. The last time I tried to warn a body of government, I was unheeded, and our planet died along with the rest of my people. I can't take that risk again. The longer we delay, the more time our enemy has to mobilize. That, I promise you."
"I'm not unheeding you," Clark said firmly. "I'm letting you know that you wouldn't be able to make your case this easily. From where I was raised, these people aren't going to react to you lightly. You need to make some sort of contact with them—"
"My only form of contact I was willing was the request of your presence on this planet," Zod interrupted bitterly. "I will see that results be produced to me immediately with no equivocations."
"General," Clark calmed, trying to conceal his impatience. "If you go in and try to say something right here and right now, then you'll have more concerns than whatever's out there."
"Then tell me, Kal-El," Zod exclaimed, "what is more concerning than the inevitability of your own home exploding to oblivion?"
"The General has spoken, Kal," Ursa joined in. "his decision is made, and you will abide by it."
"Look," Clark said, holding out his hands before talking smoothly. "Just let me go down there. They already know I exist. I can talk to them. Just give me some time."
"We don't have time," Zod raised his voice. "The kind of hostilities that Krypton has faced will not have any time to spare. If there was any intermediate danger out there, no matter the distance, you can bet there'll be consequences."
"So, you're just going to pop up without a word." Clark accused, before approaching Zod with a warning stare. "If you do this without their consent, then you'll have two problems to deal with."
Zod's stern face quickly changed to calmer while maintaining a demanding expression. "You're right," he said.
Clark was at first alarmed by this sudden change of voice until he was caught off guard as he was pulled back by two Kryptonians who locked their arms around his. Their grip was brutal, courtesy of the G-type star that gave them this capacity. Before Clark could motion himself for a flight, Ursa sprinted from behind. He didn't see it happen, but she swung a swift and vicious elbow at his temple. Clark knew nothing more . . .
Clark's vision was blurry. Only at first. The first thing that caught his still recovering attention was a faint high-pitched screech, followed by a bright light. As everything sharpened, Clark felt that he was lying on his back. Shaking his head into reality, he could see several figures moving in front of him. He tried motioning himself but found it difficult, particularly his arms and legs. He looked and saw that his wrists and ankles have been restrained onto a large table. The light above him was indeed an overhead light that leered blindingly at him.
Clark struggled against the restraints, but they wouldn't budge, even from a growling pull.
"Don't bother," Zod said as he approached from the side. "The cuffs were constructed with a concentrated material of kryptonite. Its radiation was known to have degraded enhanced physiology. There's no need to struggle."
Ceasing to fight, Clark looked up. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry, Kal," Zod said meekly. "But Earth is in dire need of protection. Otherwise, it will be destroyed just like Krypton."
He leaned in closer. "Is that what you want? If there was a chance to prevent that from happening, would you take it?"
Clark huffed angrily. "So, these invaders killed Krypton, and now you want to do the exact same thing they did to Earth?"
"Correction," Zod answered, narrowing his eyes. "They slaughtered our people. We merely took matters into our own hands by revolutionizing your planet's military structure to prepare for an imminent invasion that would, rest assured, Kal, kill everyone you love!"
"Just let me talk to them," Clark insisted.
Zod scoffed dryly. "Talk". Walking away from Clark, he said, "You all think that talking is the solution when you have an action that is waiting for you to take."
"You don't even know who these people are!" Clark shouted. "This isn't your world, it's theirs. They deserve to know what is out there, but it has to be on grounds for agreement."
Zod's tone turned calmer. "Or they would resent us and they, along with us, could face annihilation," Zod spat. "I am done debating this with you, son of Jor-El. This planet that you care about so much will be under my experienced protective guard and each world leader will agree either by choice or force. Any who rebel will be terminated under my authority. The honor of the House of Zod will be reestablished, and you'll see that Earth will have a new glorious empire. Bigger than any other in its history."
Clark couldn't believe the severity of what he was propositioning. "You're talking about a global totalitarian regime."
"Your father would've agreed."
"I don't believe you!"
This made Zod's brows rise.
"My father's message told me that the House of El was supposed to stand for nobility and aspiration, the same kind of ideology that helped shape Krypton for centuries. And I don't believe for one second that you would think that he'd go along with you."
Zod's only response was a silent calculation. Clark looked deep into Zod's expression and he couldn't help but feel that there was more to the story. A flicker of anger rose deep within Clark. "Did you kill him?"
"Murder!" Zod shouted incredulously. "You accuse me of murder? The murder of a man with common views?"
"Tell me the truth," Clark said sternly. "Did you kill him or not?"
"No!" Zod blinked before he took a deep breath. Then he continued in a tranquil tone, "but I can see there's no deceiving you, Kal. Indeed, he did speak against my suggestions. It was only I, along with the Hand of Rao, who spoke against the Councilmen. He stood by the Lawmakers, who stood by nothing. And that hesitation from your father cost him his life, let alone billions. Had we mobilized sooner, and those damned Lantern fascists hadn't nullified our expanded empire, there could've been a chance to fight off those monsters," he finished bitterly.
An aggressive approach wasn't working. Clark changed his strategy and spoke sympathetically. "I'm sorry for what happened. I really am. I know you've been through a lot, and I know how that feels. But that doesn't mean that anyone else has to be forced into cooperating. This isn't honoring my father. He will despise you for this. Do you understand me?"
Zod approached slowly with an emotionless face that almost gave Clark a shudder. "When I am Earth's protector, you will see it our way."
"Please," Clark said. "Don't do this. You don't have to do this alone. Help me resolve this peacefully. No one has to get hurt. They don't need to be frightened."
"They won't be," Zod answered calmly. "My objective isn't a grab for power. It's security. There was a time when Krypton had one of the mightiest armies in the galaxy. Now, its necessity is more relevant than ever before."
He turned around and walked away towards the empty doorway. Anger rose again in Clark, but he rolled his head over on one side in defeat for anything to react.
"You'll see soon Kal," Zod continued walking away, "that this will be all for our people alike. Earth won't meet Krypton's fate and Krypton will be avenged. Kryptonians and Earthians band together." He faced Clark as he placed himself on the other side of the doorway. "Embrace it."
"Untie me!" Clark demanded.
"Don't waste your time, Kal. Those binds will only lower your strength to a mere man. We've prepared for everything. The sun's power has forsaken you."
Clark then got an idea. It was a longshot, but there was no other choice, even if he was unsure this would work. "Then what'd you do for heat vision?"
Zod cocked his head and was caught off guard by this question.
Clark's eyes glowed red before shooting thin red lines. The beams met the link between the slab and the binds that held him.
Zod's eyes widened in shock. The bonds were supposed to block enhanced strength. What is this new ability?
Clark aimed his focus on the rest of the bonds of his body until they were reddened. They didn't break, but Clark felt them weaken enough.
As he felt this, Clark quickly rolled over, feeling the bonds in his links snap off easily like tissue paper. As he was rolling off the table, Clark grabbed a hold of one of the guards and tackled him to the floor.
Feeling his strength returning, Clark stood up and levitated himself a foot or two above the floor. The rest of their guards aimed their firearms at Clark, who wondered if those types of weapons would have any kind of effect on him.
"Kal!" Zod insisted, holding out a hand. "Don't do this. You don't understand."
Clark glared. Now, he's begging him to stop?
"I understand enough," he said in a low growl before launching himself into the air and breaking through the ceiling. The metal of the ship felt harder to penetrate through than Clark realized. It felt much stronger than the piece of the plane he crashed through earlier.
Once he found that he was outside of the ship, he found that he was surrounded by the immense ambience of space. As he looked and saw that the ship was docked outside of Earth's atmosphere, he dove downward and steered himself to the direction where Metropolis was located.
A massive vacuum conjured the entire room. The Kryptonian guards stayed in their place. Even in their enhancements, their armor was built to withstand the deadly vacuum and lack of air in space. The Hand of Rao guards scrambled out of the room, followed by Zod, who closed the door, ending the vacuum. Zod growled angrily. "Engage all flight systems!" he shouted. "Track him and find where he's going!"
With the destination of the bridge in mind, he pursed his lips.
If shooting beams of fire out of one's eyes is another effect of a G-type star's radiation, then Kal knows a lot more about his own biology then they did. If Kal was going to go ahead and warn his adoptive planet, then there was even less time to waste. This was nothing he and the Hand of Rao were ever trained for. Using their manufactured firearms seemed like it was no longer an option if the one hostile standing in their way was an empowered Kryptonian with far more years of training and adjusting to his own capabilities. At least Kal didn't seem to have the complete trust of Earth, even if he is able to get the word out. Either way, now was the time to move.