To be honest, Linda was very tempted by Luke's proposal, especially the phrase, "No matter how good other people's things are, they're not as solid as your own," which really resonated with her.
The Fortress of Solitude was the crystallization of Kryptonian technology, containing the efforts of several generations of the House of El.
As a result, the highest authority was given to her cousin, Kal.
As a descendant of the same family, how could Linda be convinced? It was just that she was magnanimous and unwilling to dwell on it deeply. Not dwelling on it didn't mean she had no thoughts, especially when her cousin repeatedly refused to take on the responsibility of rebuilding their civilization and chose to become an Earthling.
"He doesn't deserve the Fortress of Solitude!"
On many quiet nights, this thought would often pop into Linda's mind, followed by a helpless sigh.
Once the highest authority of the Fortress of Solitude was bound, it couldn't be changed unless the binder died.
Although that guy was hypocritical, pretentious, sanctimonious, and cowardly, her cousin was still her cousin. The bond of blood couldn't be severed. Killing her cousin to seize power was unthinkable; how could she possibly do it?
Luke grew impatient and yelled,
"Hey, have you thought about it yet?"
Linda came back to her senses, glared at him, and said with a hesitant tone,
"Wouldn't doing this be… not so good?"
Luke patiently said, "What's not good? Explain it."
"It's just... it's just..."
The girl stammered, unable to articulate why.
Luke interjected, "Are you saying that doing this would seem like taking advantage of others, being despicable and shameless, and not much different from a robber blocking the road?"
Linda nodded repeatedly,
"You're absolutely right; that's exactly it."
"Right my ass!"
"Why are you scolding me?"
"Not only am I scolding you, I'm going to punch you, you idiot with a big butt and no brains! I worked so hard to save you, and you want to let the enemy go. What if they fly their spaceship to Earth? What then? Who will deal with them?"
The girl's face flushed. "Who are you calling an idiot with a big butt and no brains?"
Luke sneered, glancing at her undeniably round backside, then at her flat chest, finally letting his gaze rest on her head. Without saying a word, his expression conveyed everything.
Linda was furious and punched Luke's nose.
Slap!
Her fist was still mid-air when Luke caught it in his hand.
Linda struggled hard, but couldn't break free.
"Stop hiding it; I already noticed. Once you leave Earth, your powers disappear, and you become a normal person. That is to say, on Earth, you're invincible and could beat a hundred of me. On Krypton, I'm invincible, and a hundred of you wouldn't be enough for me to beat."
"You..."
The girl gnashed her teeth like an angry wildcat, secretly vowing that after returning to Earth, she would definitely pin this scoundrel to the ground and give him a good beating. He was too hateful.
Luke let go of her hand and said with a helpless expression,
"Alright, stop throwing a tantrum. Everything I'm doing isn't just for myself, but for you too. Don't you want to have your own spaceship? You can't always have to depend on your cousin's mood every time you want to go back to your homeland, can you?"
"But you still shouldn't scold me."
"I'm complimenting you! Look at your figure—curvy and vibrant, combining athletic beauty with fashionable elegance. If you were to walk on a runway wearing pink lace lingerie, wouldn't you make those hypocrites bleed from their noses?"
Linda's face flushed with both shame and anger. She glared at him resentfully, then turned and walked away.
Luke called out loudly, "I'll give you two seconds to think about it. If you don't nod, I'll do it myself."
Bang!
The sound of the door slamming echoed in his ears.
Luke shrugged. "Little girl, she's clearly a fledgling bird who hasn't experienced the beatings of society. She doesn't understand anything."
Such a good opportunity, how could it be wasted... Fortress of Solitude medical bay.
Dru-Zod lay expressionlessly on the sickbed. His physical wounds had healed, but his spiritual wounds remained. The shadow of that punch, especially the iron fist wrapped in blue lightning that shattered his faceplate and pierced his head, made Zod feel an urge to slit his own throat with a knife every time he recalled the scene.
The supreme military leader of Krypton, defeated by an aboriginal from a lower civilization, and under circumstances where they had a numerical advantage.
"Dru-Zod, you are a waste, a useless waste."
Zod roared in a hoarse voice, repeatedly banging his head against the bed frame.
The thudding sounds made Luke's eyelids twitch.
"General, are you alright?"
Zod immediately stopped, raised his head, and looked at Luke expressionlessly. His annoyed gaze turned sharp, and a cold killing intent permeated the depths of his pupils.
"Lex... Luthor!"
The sentence was paused six times, indicating how furious the speaker was.
Luke gave an awkward laugh, unsure whether to nod or shake his head. After all, he was being called Lex Luthor—the most famous bald magnate on Earth. If he agreed, wouldn't he be suspected of usurping someone else's identity?
"What are you doing here? To mock me?"
"No, I'm not here to mock you. I'm here to discuss the prisoner issue. I suggested to Linda that we kill all of you to eliminate future trouble. Guess what she said."
Zod snorted coldly, remaining silent.
The people of the House of El never had the courage to cut off the roots.
Luke clapped his hands, "As expected of the General, your insight is unique. You guessed correctly; Linda plans to pardon you. However, I personally don't agree with this approach. To avoid future retaliation, I can only do something sneaky."
Zod's face changed slightly, his hawk-like eyes fixed on Luke.
"You dare to kill me!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Luke chuckled, undisguised killing intent flickering in his emerald eyes. For some reason, a tremendous sense of fear descended, and Zod couldn't help but shiver, his pupils contracting into pinpricks.
This Earthling really wants to kill him. How dare he? How could he?
"General, with all due respect, you are too arrogant. As arrogant as a stupid donkey. It's better for an arrogant, conceited, and ambitious fellow like you to go to hell sooner rather than later."
Luke took out the assault rifle from his bag.
"This is the most widely circulated weapon on Earth, called an AK-47. The name is stupid, but it's unambiguous in killing. To show the bravery of Kryptonian soldiers, and to give Linda an explanation, I will use it to execute you all."
The dark muzzle pressed against Zod's head!
At this moment, the feeling of death was so close that even Zod, who had experienced countless wars, felt a pang of panic. He wasn't afraid of death, but he couldn't die here.
The great cause of rebuilding Krypton had just begun. If he died, what would happen to Krypton? And what about Faora, Edwin, and his other subordinates? They were loyal to him, vowing to stay with him until death. If they lost their lives because of this, how could he face them in the next world?
"Rest in peace, General! Soon, you'll be reunited with your family in hell."