Upon hearing General Zod's words, Faora and the others fell into silence. To be honest, they could all feel the immense power coursing through their bodies, a power that seemed capable of destroying entire worlds. But the problem was, they had no idea just how strong this power really was.
The notion of world-destroying power was clearly an illusion—if all eleven Kryptonians could destroy worlds, there would still be differences in their individual strength. It was clear that General Zod, who had absorbed more sunlight and reached his peak last, was the strongest among them. But just how strong was this? How would it compare to other beings out there? The members of the Kryptonian squad were still clueless.
Even though the Kryptonian squad had survived in the universe for many years and fought numerous battles, they had always relied on the battle suits inherited from Krypton. Their journey had been smooth until they encountered Thanos and his subordinates.
Thanos was by far the most powerful opponent Faora and the others had faced, so strong that they were utterly defeated without putting up any resistance. This experience left them uncertain about their ability to handle Thanos, even after gaining new powers. So when General Zod expressed his intention to take over Earth on their own, they couldn't offer any concrete suggestions.
"Why aren't you saying anything?!" General Zod was deeply disappointed by this. He had been brimming with confidence, thinking that their Kryptonian squad was now invincible in the universe. But his subordinates' silence, as if they were terrified, left him feeling utterly let down.
"General, please don't be angry. While our power has greatly increased, making us much stronger than when we wore the battle suits, we still don't know the true extent of Thanos' strength. We were defeated so quickly last time..." Faora hurriedly explained, seeing General Zod's anger.
"Besides, didn't Thanos and his group say they weren't interested in conquering Earth? They just wanted to retrieve the artifacts they left there. It doesn't seem like we have much of a conflict of interest."
"Hmph! If we take over Earth, everything on it will belong to us! Why should we give them anything?!" General Zod sneered, clearly displeased with Faora and the others. "And where is your Kryptonian pride? Just because you were defeated by that ugly, incomplete Titan, have you lost the pride of Krypton?! Let me tell you, once we conquer Earth and transform it, we will track down that Titan and reclaim our honor!"
General Zod was extremely proud. Although he had once been a rebel on Krypton, he had always sought to lead Krypton down a path he believed in.
General Zod had faced defeat before, but Thanos' condescending attitude, treating them as insignificant, deeply irked him. This irritation only grew stronger after gaining his newfound power.
Moreover, Zod held a low opinion of the Titan race. In his view, Kryptonians were the most perfect beings in the universe—how else could they have such a miraculous connection with the sun? This belief was also why Zod coveted Earth, not just because Clark happened to be there, but also because humans closely resembled Kryptonians, suggesting that Earth was well-suited to nurturing their perfect form of life.
"Yes, General Zod! We will avenge ourselves and reclaim our honor!" Seeing that Zod was determined, Faora and the others had no choice but to follow his lead.
Satisfied that his subordinates had rekindled their desire for revenge, General Zod set course for Earth without bothering to contact Thanos.
However, what Zod didn't know was that Thanos had anticipated this. Thanos intended to let Zod and his crew wreak havoc on Earth first, and only after things escalated would he send his forces. Thanos' monitoring ship had already infiltrated the solar system, keeping a close watch on Earth.
"Damn it! What's happening?!" As soon as Zod and his team entered Earth's atmosphere, they encountered a problem. No sooner had they emerged from their ship than they clutched their heads and ears in discomfort.
It turned out that while they had gained their powers in the vacuum of space, where only the eleven of them were present, entering Earth was a different story. Earth was teeming with life, and as Clark had experienced, it took him quite some time to adjust to the overwhelming sounds that bombarded his super-sensitive hearing. Even though Zod and his team were older and more mentally mature, they were still struggling to adapt to the sudden onslaught of sensory input.
"Hmm? Is that... Wait! General Zod?!" Just as Zod and his crew were about to lose control and fall, a voice of surprise rang out, snapping Zod back to some semblance of clarity, though he still couldn't focus.
"Who's there?" The thought crossed Zod's mind. "Someone recognized me? But Jor-El had a son, didn't he? Why does it sound like a woman?"
Indeed, the one who had spotted Zod and his group was none other than Kara, who had been sunbathing to boost her powers. When she had inadvertently looked toward the sun, she noticed Zod and his crew and immediately recognized them.
After all, by Kryptonian standards, Kara was older than Clark. More importantly, when Jor-El had mentioned Zod, he had shown her images of him. Although the Zod in the images looked slightly different from the one she saw now, Kara recognized him nonetheless.
However, after her initial exclamation, Kara didn't rush toward Zod. She realized that Zod and his group had come with ill intentions, especially since they could already fly freely in the sky, indicating that they had absorbed the sun's power. Though she wasn't sure of their exact strength, the fact that they could fly meant they were formidable, and Kara couldn't afford to be careless.
With a swoosh, Kara vanished, heading straight to find Clark. She quickly arrived at his side.
"Clark! We're in trouble! General Zod and his men have come to Earth. You need to inform the Avengers. I'll take our family to the wild island and bring Robert out!" Kara didn't waste any time and, after informing Clark, disappeared again.
"General Zod? Is it really him?" Clark was momentarily stunned by Kara's words, then anger flashed in his eyes—one of the rare times Clark had been truly enraged.
Jor-El had already told Clark about Krypton's history, and Clark knew that Jor-El had been killed by General Zod. Although Jor-El had left behind an AI, this didn't change the fact that he had died. In another universe, a Clark who had lost his adoptive father and was left alone without any companions might have hesitated to fight another Kryptonian, possibly even refusing to engage in a deadly battle. But this Clark was different.
Not only had Robert's influence made this Clark more decisive and ruthless, but he wasn't alone in this world. Kara was also a Kryptonian, and their relationship was much closer than that with Zod. Additionally, Clark had found Jor-El's AI, which had filled part of the void left by his biological father's absence.
Furthermore, the Avengers and even Clark's official girlfriend, Lana Lang, were all extraordinary individuals. Although their powers didn't match Clark's, they could still relate to him. This made Clark feel far less lonely after Robert's arrival.
"I'll see what they're here for first!" The anger in Clark's eyes slowly subsided as he locked onto General Zod and his group in the sky. Simultaneously, he telepathically contacted Martian Manhunter, saying, "Eleven Kryptonians have arrived on Earth. I'm not sure of their intentions yet, but they've all gained great power. Have the Avengers prepare for the impending crisis!"
"What?!" At the same time, in the Avengers' headquarters, Martian Manhunter, who had been working with Reed Richards and the others, exclaimed in shock. He immediately looked toward the sky. When he spotted Zod and his crew, his pupils contracted. He realized that this group of Kryptonians had come with hostile intent—they clearly weren't here for a peaceful coexistence.
With a swoosh, Martian Manhunter vanished from his spot, not even pausing to explain the situation to Reed Richards and the others. After all, they were primarily scientists, and few people could actually fight against a threat as powerful as Kryptonians.
"This is a major incident!" Martian Manhunter dashed into Tony Stark's lab, where Tony was in the process of equipping his new armor. Martian Manhunter's sudden appearance startled Tony, but as soon as he heard the news, Tony's expression turned serious.
"What's going on?" Tony quickly finished donning his armor and asked Martian Manhunter.
"Superman and Supergirl's kin have arrived on Earth!" Martian Manhunter explained.
"Kin? Are they... not friendly?" Tony hesitated, seeing Martian Manhunter's grave expression.
Tony had long suspected that Clark and Kara were aliens. Of course, from Clark's perspective, Robert might also be an alien—after all, who else would have a tail?
But up until now, Tony hadn't seen Clark's race as a threat, not even after encountering the Skrulls.
To Tony, Clark and Kara seemed genuinely good-hearted, certainly more so than Robert. If anyone's kin were a threat, Tony had figured it would be Robert's.
"They don't seem friendly," Martian Manhunter replied, shaking his head seriously.
"How strong are they?" Tony instinctively wanted to summon the Avengers, but he suddenly remembered the strength of Clark and Kara, and hesitated.
There was no
denying that the two Kryptonians Tony knew were incredibly powerful. Clark was one of Earth's strongest fighters, and Kara was also among the Avengers' top-tier members.
If all Kryptonians were this strong, Tony thought there might be no need for the Avengers to intervene—perhaps just sending some armor to scout and harass would suffice. If the Avengers joined the fight directly, they might not be able to contribute and could even become liabilities.
"I'm not sure yet, but the Avengers' top fighters should be prepared," Martian Manhunter said, shaking his head. He looked up toward the sky and added, "Also, separate Hancock and Mary immediately! If possible, we should try to divide the Kryptonians, drawing them into different battlefields..."
"After all, if the Kryptonians fight on Earth, the planet might not survive the battle."
"Got it! You decide who can join the fight and notify them. As for the others, gather them quickly. Even if they can't fight, they need to protect civilians and prevent the battle from affecting too many people!" Tony nodded, his expression serious.
Meanwhile, in the sky, General Zod's strength was undeniable. He was the strongest among the Kryptonians, possessing the warrior genes of his people. He was the first to overcome the noise and regain his composure.
Of course, this didn't mean Zod had fully mastered his super senses, but he had managed to block out the overwhelming noise for the time being.
Just as Zod was about to instruct his subordinates on how to block out the noise, a figure appeared in front of them.
"Kal-El!" Even though this was his first time seeing Clark, and despite Clark not resembling Jor-El much, Zod instantly recognized his identity, especially from the familiar family crest on Clark's chest!
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]