It had to be said—this decision, humiliating though it was, was extremely correct. Because if they refused, the one who'd suffer in the end could only be Earth. Their technology wasn't advanced enough to cross interstellar space, and once war broke out, Earth could only sit there and take a beating.
An Earth actively preparing for war was searching for the Kryptonians on one hand, while on the other making battle preparations in case the Kryptonians turned hostile without warning.
Mainly because they'd already fought aliens several times over. Though the people of Earth were afraid, they didn't think they lacked the ability to fight back.
Stark was inwardly cursing that he couldn't reach Zod again. That guy was always offline at the most critical moments.
But the superheroes were already prepared. That last battle with the Shi'ar Empire's Gladiator had made Stark realize where their true advantage lay.
And now they'd built starships of their own, ready to launch an attack on the Kryptonian vessels in space at any moment.
On the starship in outer space.
Dru-Zod.
General Zod had once served as the military commander of Krypton, a colleague and superior-subordinate of Superman's birth father, Jor-El. They had both believed that Krypton was dying. Faced with the council's inaction, General Zod resolutely launched a coup—only to fail and be taken captive, banished to the Phantom Zone along with his team.
Afterward, Krypton was destroyed. Zod could only watch the tragedy unfold, powerless to stop it. After escaping the Phantom Zone, he swore to rebuild Krypton and carry on his race's civilization.
"The Codex is on me."
With that single sentence, Zod drew the gazes of General Zod, Faora, five Kryptonian soldiers, and two Kryptonian researchers.
Then they watched as Zod produced his access key—handcrafted, of course, since his original one had been shattered along with his transmigration into the Marvel universe.
"You're a Kryptonian too?"
General Zod's expression softened a few degrees.
But then he seemed to recall something.
"Then you're Kal-El?"
"No. I'm a pure-blooded Kryptonian."
Zod inserted his key into the Kryptonian ship. As the key slid home, the identity of Zod Hess became clear to General Zod and the others at a glance.
Father, an elder of the Kryptonian council. Mother, a great Kryptonian scientist. And he himself a researcher in Kryptonian weapons and materials...
"How is that possible? On Krypton I never once heard of you!"
General Zod frowned. Though they'd been imprisoned in the Phantom Zone for a long time, Krypton had already been on the brink of destruction before they were locked away.
So there was no way they could have failed to know of Zod Hess's existence.
"On that point, I think parallel universes might explain it."
Zod looked at them and said.
"What do you mean?"
General Zod and the others looked utterly baffled, while the two Kryptonian researchers' eyes lit up.
"That's right. You and I are Kryptonians from different universes."
Zod nodded in confirmation.
"Then how did we end up meeting? Crossing universes can't be that simple, can it?"
The Kryptonian researcher pressed, digging to the bottom of it.
"As a matter of fact, it is that simple. You just showed up."
Zod said, at a loss for words.
If he hadn't searched the Earth again and confirmed that no one named Clark Kent existed, he might have thought he was the one who'd transmigrated into the DC universe.
"And you don't need to keep looking. There's no Kryptonian called Kal-El on this Earth. Most likely you crossed universes without even realizing it—or it's possible you were already in this universe the moment you left the Phantom Zone."
Zod explained.
General Zod and the others exchanged glances, all wearing looks of disbelief.
Was crossing universes really that easy?
"Then rebuilding Krypton..."
General Zod looked at Zod.
"The rebuilding of Krypton is already complete. In this universe, Krypton became one of the four great empires of the cosmos—and now one of those empires no longer lives up to its name."
Zod said calmly.
"Really? Take us there at once!"
General Zod's lifelong wish was to rebuild Krypton—even if it had to be the Krypton of another universe.
So Zod teleported them directly to the Krypton of the Kryptonian Empire.
The light of the plasma spark towers illuminated the entire planet, and the angel legion flew patrols through the sky.
"This is the rebuilt Krypton?"
General Zod and the others wore dubious expressions.
"That's right. Everyone living here is a Kryptonian I created using the Codex. Welcome home, General Zod."
Zod said with a smile.
"They're all Kryptonians?"
General Zod was beside himself with excitement.
"Take off your armor. Then you'll experience the true power of a Kryptonian."
Zod said to them.
The true power of a Kryptonian?
General Zod and the others didn't think much of it and removed their armor.
The moment the armor that shielded them from light radiation and all manner of radiation came loose, they felt pain.
Pain beyond imagination.
"The light of a yellow sun reacts with the cells of us Kryptonians, granting us the power to soar through the heavens, tunnel through the earth—to do anything—without needing to wear armor at all."
Zod's voice drifted over slowly, soothing their spirits—distressed by their awakening powers—through the Mind Stone.
With so many plasma spark towers on this Krypton, the effects were naturally unimaginably fast—not to mention that they were professional soldiers whose combat genes had been tuned to the optimum. In no time at all, they adapted.
Mighty power surged through each of their bodies. General Zod and the others experienced firsthand just how beneficial this planet was to Kryptonians.
As for Zod, he obtained the Kryptonian ship.
It recorded the knowledge of Krypton ruling over a hundred thousand worlds. Although science based on DC's theological universe probably couldn't be carried over and used in the Marvel universe, it was still worth taking a look at for reference.
General Zod's group, meanwhile, quickly adapted to the Kryptonian Empire and blended into its military—after all, that was their calling.
Though Zod had little interest in the old Krypton's system, the highly efficient new Krypton did carry a certain flavor of the old in some respects.
Like this division of labor—everyone in their proper place, everything orderly.
An ordinary Kryptonian, no matter how much sunlight they basked in, had an upper limit around the level of a Cursed Warrior—perhaps a bit stronger than one.
In defense they completely outclassed the Cursed Warriors, and they could also fly, fire heat rays, and use freezing breath. Truly versatile.
After all, not everyone is Superman, and not everyone is H'el.
Back then, the Dark Elves had been able to sweep through the Nine Realms with their legions of Cursed Warriors, forcing the then All-Father Bor to resort to a sneak attack on their home base—that alone shows just how formidable they were.
It was just that Zod now had an even better Ultraman legion, so he wasn't keen on mass-producing Kryptonians.
"Your Majesty, General Zod and High General Darius have started fighting."
The Black Queen reported.
"Let them fight. Darius knows how to hold back, anyway."
Zod said lazily.
/-\
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