It wasn't often anymore that Sparga needed to put in real effort against a villain anymore, but once in a while, a threat reared its head that needed him to actually put some focus in combat as opposed to the typical lazy and half-hearted brawling he typically deals with. His left arm swiped out to parry an incoming right jab that was shooting for his face. He was going to slide his elbow up to strike and counter, but a swift knee strike that launched toward his hip required him to block with his own knee. Parry, weave, glide back, dodge, wait for an opening. It wasn't often Sparga was on the backfoot in battle anymore, not with all the experience as Superman he's gained. But fighting against the more experienced and older General Zod meant being careless or lackadaisical would end with him being brutally punished. Sparga was much stronger than the older pureblooded Kryptonian, and had a wider arsenal to make use of. But such a large gap in experience covered that distance in destructive potential between the two. However, Sparga had his own edge that he knew Zod wasn't counting on. Sharp super senses were abuzz with frenetic focus as the Saiyan Kryptonian hybrid stayed on the defensive while searching for an opening. How many years had it been since he fought Zod? Since that fateful night that pushed him over the edge to unlock that transformation out of legend - that transformation that sent him spiralling into a series of mistakes that – THERE!
His opening narrow but apparent, Sparga thrust sharpened knuckles forward in a winding arc to deliver a devastating right hook that smashed into Zod's jaw and rattle his skull from the crushing impact that sent such a forceful shockwave out that the nearby clouds scattered and dispersed. The kinetic distribution of force not only blew back the clouds but sent Zod reeling back in an uncontrolled flight. Tightening his posture into a stronger guard that left little room for openings, Sparga clenched up and held himself strong. Thankfully, this fight was so many miles above Jump City and the coastline that the echoes of their clash weren't reverberating down to cause collateral damage, nor would it be difficult at all for Sparga to move this fight further out past the coast and to sea should Zod push against the proverbial line drawn in the sand. But for some distinct reason, every punch thrown, every kick, every feint - Every movement Zod performed gave the distinct sensation that the Kryptonian General was holding back, probing and testing. But for what?
Zod gathered his footing and ground his forced flight to a halt and rushed in to get back within arm's reach with a swift dash to cross the skies. Leaning his body to the side, Sparga deftly evaded a diving kick that bladed out to smash the older warrior's heel into his chest and then Zod paused with a grin.
Zod: "I'm impressed, Son of Kal. You've grown into quite the warrior. You're not just relying on your strength like you did before."
Sparga: "Flattery will get you nowhere, Zod. I'm a lot stronger than you are now and you've got the experience to know this is a losing battle so cut to the chase; What do you want?"
The older Kryptonian straightened his posture and slackened his guard in an obvious display while holding his hands behind his back. His chest squared out, he certainly cut the imposing figure befitting the man who once was Krypton's military leader. His expression was hard to read and the details of the weathered and older face were blank. Sparga held his fists raised, preparing for some trick the moment he let his guard down. But Zod just held himself in place, floating among empty skies while standing at attention with a bearing that almost felt like he was trying to read the hybrid. Finally, he spoke up.
Zod: "It's been three years since Kal-El's death. We might have stood on different sides, but he was a Son of Krypton. I'd like to pay my respects."
Sparga paused for a moment, digesting the words offered before replying.
Sparga: "Then why did you attack the moment you saw me?"
Zod: "Kal-El was a Son of Krypton, but he wasn't a warrior. Not like me. Not like you. I needed to get your attention in a way you'd understand. There's… one more thing."
Sparga held quietly before choosing to speak, letting Zod continue. There was a moment of silence that hung in the air, broken briefly by the howl of the wind before Zod continued.
Zod: "My scouts have reported sightings of a Kryptonian ship. They believe it to be a skirmisher - something a small squadron might employ. Sparga. We believe it's your father."
Sparga's features soured with a scowl and he almost spat out of reflex as his brow furrowed as he snarled in response;
Sparga: "My real father died three years ago. Kal took me in when my mother died after the sperm donor abandoned us. Kal raised me like I was his own son and taught me everything that makes me the man I am. It's his legacy that matters to me, his legacy I'm going to uphold."
Zod: "Yes. A legacy stained in blood. A father's sins aren't something that any son should pay for. Kal-El was a beacon of hope once. And then he was a monster."
Sparga: "SHUT UP!"
Reflexes kicked in as Sparga's anger spiked and he flew with a swiftness that Zod wasn't prepared for, his flight speed so intense that afterimages trailed behind when light failed to reflect and bounce off of the hybrid's frame to illuminate his position. Zod's face found itself smashed in by a tight fist and his nose cracked under the pressure. He could feel the blood dripping onto his lips but the moment the sensation of liquid flowing registered in his senses, Sparga's fists were raining down in a repeating volley like rainfall plummeting to unleash rampaging fury onto the older Kryptonian. Zod grimaced with strain as he defended and held himself in a guarding position against this savage assault that chipped away at his fortitude until eventually the barrage broke through and Sparga's fists smashed without pause against his body, battering him in full ferocity and unrestrained anger before his right fist unfolded to grab hold of Zod's face and push him down from the skies and down to a small island with an impact so tremendous that the ground beneath them shuddered with a tremble and quaking rumbles that signified the shift of tectonic plates being displaced.
Sparga: "You don't get to criticize him for his mistakes! Not with how much blood is on your hands! How many innocent people did you kill?! How many worlds did you destroy all in the name of glory for Krypton!?"
Through grit teeth, Zod snarled as Sparga pushed his head deeper into the dirt and his eyes went ablaze with a sudden spark of red light that ignited like wildfire before bursting out in concussive destruction that scorched the atmosphere and sent Sparga reeling skyward and sending him back up into the stratosphere the kinetic force and burning heat of Zod's heat vision struck with so much force. With a leap, Zod took flight after the hybrid and grabbed hold of him to execute a chokehold and subdue the more aggressive and outraging younger hybrid. Zod knew Sparga was right, this was a fight he couldn't win on strength alone. But he didn't need to. He just needed to corner him. Sparga clawed at the forearm bracing itself around his neck and railed and struggled to no avail. Zod had a strong clench in place and as he maintained this hold, he spoke with the authority of a military leader that one would only direct toward an unruly subordinate.
Zod: "Don't presume you're in any position to debate philosophy with me, boy! My hands are drenched in blood, yes, but unlike Kal, I never pretended to be anything other than what I am. And you owe it to yourself to find out –"
A spark flared up as Sparga's entire body went alight with a crackle of intensity and then came an explosive wave of torrential heat and light that detonated like a volcanic eruption, blasting Zod off of Sparga as the young Superman roared with a thundering howl. As Sparga's explosive wave echoed, blowing Zod back and freeing him from the clench, the hybrid shifted to pivot and turn about-face to see the scorch marks on Zod's suit and body. Panting heavily, Zod hadn't counted on the primal and barbaric power of Sparga's Saiyan half manifesting like that. Uncontrolled destruction like that was a mark of a savage, not a Kryptonian. But perhaps Zod had expected too much from a half-breed.
Sparga's features contorted and twisted with the anger running through his veins and as he held a trembling fist back, veins bulging between his knuckles as his rage burned red hot. His own eyes began glowing with that same fury and heat as his heat vision pooled into a bright glow and his aura flared into view like a translucent wildfire of furious thrashing tendrils and heavy winds. When he spoke, the venom in his voice dripped with what little restraint he was holding onto to keep his sense of rationale.
Sparga: "How dare you! You've only ever antagonized my father in your senseless pursuit of restoring a dead world! And you think I owe you something? That I owe him something?! Don't patronize me by trying to make it sound like it's for my benefit! I might have been born Sparga-Do̅ but I am a Son of the House of El! And I don't owe some foot soldier I've never met from a world I've never seen an ounce of courtesy! Don't come here and spit on my father's grave under the guise of paying respects!"
Zod snarled through grit teeth as he gathered himself and wiped a streak of blood away from his mouth. If this boy were to unleash another attack like that, then Zod didn't know how much more he could take. He was as angry as he was ten years ago, but he wasn't half as strong nor as efficient a combatant. But he was here with purpose and that purpose needed to be fulfilled, and this was for the young Kryptonian's benefit whether he believed that or not. He needed to complete his mission so that he could see Krypton reborn. But first he had to subdue the Saiyan.
Zod: "You're still the angry child you were back then. Clearly, your other half fuels you with a rage that poisons you. That barbarism will need to be purged from you if you'll ever see reason. And once it is, then I'll extend that same offer to you I did all those years ago. But first, you need to be tamed like the animal you're behaving like."
The two flew toward each other and when their fists clashes, the blowback sent them both reeling in uncontrolled directions. But neither wasted time in regaining their footing and rushing back into melee range. A dodged kick to the head ended with one fighter bracing their shoulder under the evaded thigh to prepare for a bodyslam only to have the crown of their skull crashed against a heavy fist slamming down. A backflip was countered by a palm braced by the opposite hand to stabilize and lock in place to halt the momentum and then two skulls clashed in a headbutt. Sparga and Zod were glaring daggers at one another beneath mutually sustained heat vision and then Sparga's knee jolted up to drive into the General's thigh and disrupt his balance. Once this sundering blow struck, Zod's knee buckled and he cried out in retaliation before Sparga's hands locked around his arm and he began to spin at extreme speeds before throwing him down toward the ocean waves beneath.
The sting of saltwater in his burn wounds from the explosive blowback from earlier sent Zod's eyes wide as the shock rang throughout his entire body and he hastily ejected from the water in a hurried flight back up only to see Sparga divebombing down with a fist cocked back that smashed into his chest and knocked him right back down into the water. That same sting of saltwater pouring into scorch marks all over his body was aggravating and Zod once again flared his heat vision up and discharged it right up toward Sparga who felt himself washed over with baleful heat that turned the water around him to steam while Zod prolonged the ray of heat and hateful red light into a streaming surge of solar might that prevented Sparga from attacking while he was guarding against such fury. What kind of battles had this young hybrid faced to gain such experience, such aggression? It had been ten years since their last encounter but the amount of skill gained in that time was well over double that most other experienced soldiers twice Sparga's age had. Was a Saiyan's potential for combat truly so profound? Zod had little choice but to prolong this torrential outpour of heat vision if he wanted to gain any breathing room, but then there was a sound like a rupturing of air flow.
And then Sparga suddenly appeared at Zod's flank to send his fist crashing forward and into his jaw once more. The rattle of his skull informed him that another concussion was inevitable if he kept taking punches to the face like this and as Zod went flying, he peered through clenched eyes and grit teeth that Sparga was giving chase. Using his own momentum to catch his footing and flip backward in mid tailspin, Zod bounced forward and sent a jab forward only for Sparga's entire body to blade to the side and send his knee smashing into Zod's gut. The echoing impact rumbled throughout Zod's entire body and he nearly felt the contents of his stomach flood upward and out of his mouth from such a powerful blow, and Sparga's knee retracted from his abdomen only for the other to swiftly rise upward and eject Zod even higher into the sky, forcing him to cry out in anguish as his entire body vibrated in pain.
Sparga: "Kaaa… Meee…"
The strange cries the young Superman chanted were foreign to Zod as he recovered in time to see Sparga soaring upward to chase after him and he threw a brutal axe kick downward with his left leg that was dodged and then Zod sent his right leg out in a roundhouse kick that Sparga's flight path lifted him above only to find himself on the receiving end of a thunderous and devastating hook kick that smashed against his collarbone and neck, once again sending the General into an uncontrolled flight path away from Sparga, and despite the world turning into a blur from both the speed of his velocity and the pain dulling his senses, he could still hear the chant.
Sparga: "Haaaa… Meeeee…"
How much had this pup grown? How had he achieved such skill? Such tenacity? When Kal-El took this child in, he was a hybrid with so much potential but also still just a whelp prone to tantrums and outbursts. Now, he was a warrior whose cunning and skill were only outdone by his overwhelming might. Kal-El had always edged over Zod in raw strength but this was different. This kind of strength was monstrous, even among Kryptonians. Zod knew he was going to lose this fight but there was a ferocity to Sparga that experience couldn't outwit. When Zod finally wrestled control of his flight and ground his heels through air particles to skid to a halt, his entire body felt like one big bruise and when he raised his head, Sparga was right there in his face with both hands cupped at his right side and a pale blue light swirling at the center of his palms.
Zod: "Great Rao…"
Sparga: "HAAAAA!"
When Sparga's hands were pushed forward, that soft-hued cerulean sphere erupted into a tidal flood of blinding white light that washed over Zod, bathing him in so intense a heat that it felt as if Rao had struck him down and sent him plummeting down to the Earth. This wave of power and might was so profound in its absolution and dominance that as it smashed into Zod, the older Kryptonian could do little else but accept his fate. The blast smashed him back down to the ground where he couldn't even muster the energy to move a finger, let alone get up to continue fighting or say everything else he had to say. He had hoped to provoke the boy and force him into a corner where he could reason with him but that proved to be a mistake. He still had so much to tell him, but he was beaten and battered so thoroughly in ways he hadn't anticipated. And more than anything, he was wondering; What was this new ability Sparga had utilized?
He could do little else but lay there in submission, unable to rise back to his feet but still conscious enough to hear the footfalls of Sparga descending onto the ground beside him. His vision was hazy so he couldn't see clearly, but he could still feel the scathing glare directed at him.
Sparga: "My father's sins don't define our legacy. I won't let the name of Superman be remembered as one of a fallen hero turned tyrant who lost himself to grief and rage. This symbol stands for Hope, and I won't let anyone take that away."
The faint, blurring images of Sparga's figure informed Zod that the young warrior had his hand against his chest, over that red "S" emblazoned across his suit. It was a sentiment that he had to respect, honoring the ideals of one's House even if your forefathers did not. Zod could feel himself fading from consciousness, but as he did, he heard one final call by the Saiyan of Steel.
Sparga: "Kal might not have been the Kryptonian you wanted him to be. But that doesn't mean you can spit on his grave. He protected Earth, and so will I. So when you wake up, get off my planet."
And then as he felt the world go black, he saw Sparga's frame fly out of view. How foolish he is, despite his noble heart. He still had so much to learn, but Zod had little choice but to accept that those lessons would have to come later. And as he lay beaten in the crater, the curve of the basin he had been left in in the wake of the blast that smashed him into the ground sent some loose rocks tumbling free and a small sphere with two red stars in the center rolled to his side.