Zod's Retreat
"General, Edwin and the two others have lost contact."
At that announcement, the atmosphere grew heavy.
Fully armed, elite Kryptonian soldiers were defeated by a native from a lower civilization. Even more humiliating, the opponent was alone, and they had three soldiers.
Three against one, and they lost despite the advantage in numbers!
Zod's face was ashen, and he let out a low growl like a lion.
"Useless!"
While he said that, his mind was cold and clear. He knew his subordinates' abilities well; they were not people who could be handled by just anyone. The native from Earth who could take out an elite team including Edwin in a mere minute was clearly formidable.
"Notify Faora. Return to the main control room immediately."
"Yes, General."
With the situation changing, Zod was forced to alter his plans. Since the Earthling could defeat Edwin's team, he was certainly capable of taking down Faora's group. Zod couldn't give him the opportunity to defeat them piece by piece.
However, this move would put them in a very passive position.
The Fortress of Solitude was not the Odyssey. He knew nothing about its layout and systems. If the Earthling and the A.I. conspired, things would become exceedingly difficult.
"Damn it!"
Zod clenched his fist. If he had known the native was so troublesome, he would have focused all his efforts on eliminating him. Now, he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Still, there was a chance to salvage the situation.
He turned and walked to the girl, removing the restraint covering her face. His expression was cold as he stated,
"Don't rely on that Earth friend to save you. With me here, it's impossible. Your only chance for survival is to sit down and negotiate with me. I can guarantee no physical harm, but you must surrender control of the Fortress of Solitude."
Ptooey!
Linda spat on Zod's faceplate.
"Using a woman as a threat when you can't win a fight! Do you even deserve to be called a Kryptonian soldier? Disgusting!"
Zod's face darkened. He fought down the urge to kill, roaring word by word,
"Kara Zor-El, daughter of El! You still don't realize the meaning of your existence. The place you are in is the Fortress of Solitude—it is not just the work of the House of El, it is the future of Krypton! It is the beacon of hope for rebuilding our civilization! Yet you allowed an outsider to board it! You have not only betrayed your family but also your entire species! According to military law, I can execute you right now!"
"Go ahead!"
Linda was completely enraged. "Do you think I'm afraid? Go on, kill me! Do you dare?"
Zod narrowed his eyes. The killing intent in his heart surged, but his logic held him back. The Fortress of Solitude's A.I. served the House of El. If he executed Kara Zor-El here, there was no guarantee that the A.I. steward, witnessing the act, wouldn't resort to extreme measures.
The soldier next to him sensed the General's struggle and stepped forward.
"General!"
Zod took a deep breath, suppressed his fury, and ordered,
"Notify Faora. Accelerate your return. Do not give the enemy any opportunity."
Linda launched a mocking curse. "Dru-Zod, you are destined to be a failure. Krypton did not need a General like you before, and it doesn't need one now."
"Make her shut up!"
"Yes, General."
The soldier walked up to the girl and resealed the face restraint.
Just then, an unfamiliar voice echoed from above.
"General Zod, we need to talk."
The clumsy Kryptonian accent made everyone frown. Dru-Zod said grimly,
"You must be the Earthling."
"The General is so refined, even using an appropriate title. Unlike those three idiots, who only yelled 'native, native.' They annoyed me so much I almost couldn't stop myself from killing them."
"Edwin and his men are in your custody."
"Yes. Do you want to know their condition?"
"No need. As long as they're not dead."
"Truly the military leader who fought his way out of a sea of corpses. So cold-blooded. Doesn't even care about the lives of his subordinates."
Zod snorted. "Soldiers should die on the battlefield. Their defeat means they lacked the ability. There's nothing more to say. On the contrary, Earthling, I admit I underestimated you." As he spoke, he gestured to the three people with Faora who had just appeared at the entrance. They immediately understood, activated their personal A.I.s, and began searching for Luke's hiding place.
"Should I take that as a compliment, General Zod?"
"Suit yourself."
"Receiving a compliment from the General is a stroke of luck for me. The problem is your three subordinates are fading fast, and I don't want to stain my hands with Kryptonian blood. So, let's negotiate the terms!"
"What do you want?"
"Simple. Release Linda, and I'll hand them over to you."
"Do you think I'll agree to that?"
"Whether you agree or not is up to you. After all, it's Kryptonians who are dying. I'll give you three minutes to consider. I'll contact you afterward, and I hope you'll have a definite answer for me then."
"Goodbye for now, Dear General Zod. We'll meet again."
The voice faded, and the communication channel shut down.
The soldiers in the room all looked up instinctively, then simultaneously lowered their gazes, their eyes shifting uncomfortably.
Does that Earth native have a death wish? Calling the General "Dear"? Is that Earthling a homosexual, mesmerized by the General's presence?
Their minds raced with wild thoughts, but none dared to speak them aloud. Linda's eyes also grew strange. That scoundrel! It's one thing to flirt with me, but why is he acting this way in front of outsiders?
Doesn't he know that the word for "dear" in Kryptonian is used for "wife"?!
A grown man, calling a forty or fifty-year-old, tough man "wife"—isn't he embarrassed?!
This was a colossal misunderstanding.
Luke's Kryptonian knowledge was limited to pronunciation and vocabulary; he was entirely ignorant of the cultural "nuances."
On Krypton, the term translated as "dear" (qin'ai de) was reserved strictly for spouses, an exclusive and highly serious term of endearment. It was like calling a stranger 'son' on Earth; you'd get beaten to a pulp.
The atmosphere became incredibly bizarre. Zod clenched his fists, veins throbbing on his forehead. His face cycled from pale to red, from red to green, and quickly settled into a dark purple.
The supreme military leader of Krypton had just been called "wife" in front of his subordinates, and by a man, no less...
"Faora! Find that homosexual! Spare no expense! I will personally flay him!"
"You will not be disappointed, General!"
Adjutant Faora, her face equally furious, immediately pledged a military oath to capture the Earth native, dead or alive. The General's will was her will, and anyone who insulted the General would face her relentless vengeance.
With the full cooperation of the two engineers, Faora began a full-scale intrusion into the Fortress of Solitude.
Unfortunately, the Fortress's defense system was designed by Jor-El. As Krypton's Chief Scientist, his A.I. system was not something easily breached.
Soon, three minutes passed with no progress in the intrusion. At the same time, Luke's voice returned to the channel.
"General, have you made a decision?"
Dru-Zod's eyes were wide with rage, his killing intent reaching a boiling point.
"Kryptonians never compromise!"
"I figured you'd say that. So..."
The main control room hatch slid open, and a pitch-black mechanical armor, flashing with pale blue light, appeared in the doorway.
"I brought your people to you."
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