The Temptation
To be honest, Linda was very tempted by Luke's proposal, especially by the phrase, "Someone else's property, no matter how good, is never as reliable as your own"—it truly resonated deep within her heart.
The Fortress of Solitude was the culmination of Kryptonian technology, representing the life's work of several generations of the House of El.
Yet, the highest authority had been given to her cousin, Kal-El.
As an heir of the family, how could Linda possibly be satisfied? Although she was generally generous and didn't dwell on trivial matters, not dwelling didn't mean she had no feelings about it, especially when her cousin repeatedly refused to embrace the responsibility of rebuilding their civilization, choosing instead to be an Earthling.
"He doesn't deserve to own the Fortress of Solitude!"
In the quiet of many late nights, this thought would surface in Linda's mind, only to be followed by a helpless sigh.
Once the Fortress of Solitude's highest authority was bound, it could not be changed unless the binding person died.
Even though her cousin was hypocritical, pretentious, sanctimonious, and cowardly, a brother was still a brother. The bond of blood could not be severed. Killing her cousin to seize power was unthinkable; she could never do such a thing.
Luke grew impatient and yelled,
"Hey, have you made up your mind yet?"
Linda snapped back to attention, glaring at him. She said hesitantly,
"Wouldn't doing this be... inappropriate?"
Luke patiently asked, "Inappropriate how? Explain."
"It's just... it's just..."
The girl stammered, unable to articulate her feelings.
Luke finished the thought for her. "Do you feel like doing this is taking advantage of their dire situation, that it's despicable and shameless, and no different from a bandit blocking the road to rob them?"
Linda nodded vigorously.
"You said it exactly right! That's it."
"The hell it is!"
"Why are you cursing me?"
"Not only am I cursing you, but I want to punch you, you thick-headed idiot who only grew a butt and not a brain! I risked my neck to save you, and you want to let the enemy go? What if they fly their ship to Earth? What then? Who will deal with them?"
The girl's face flushed. "Who are you calling 'thick-headed'?"
Luke chuckled coldly. He glanced at her barely concealed round hips, swept his gaze over her flat chest, and finally settled on her head. He didn't say a word, but his expression said it all.
Linda was enraged and threw a punch at Luke's nose.
SMACK!
The punch was halfway through the air when Luke snatched it.
Linda tried hard to pull free, but she couldn't budge.
"Stop hiding it. I figured it out long ago. The moment you leave Earth, your powers vanish, and you become an ordinary person. That means on Earth, you're invincible—you could beat me a hundred times. But here on a Kryptonian vessel, I'm invincible; a hundred of you wouldn't be enough to fight me."
"You..."
The girl gnashed her teeth like an angry kitten. She secretly vowed that once they returned to Earth, she would pin this scoundrel to the ground and beat him soundly. He was utterly despicable.
Luke let go of her hand, saying with a look of exasperation,
"Alright, stop acting spoiled. Everything I'm doing isn't just for me, it includes you. Don't you want your own spaceship? You can't always rely on your cousin's mood every time you want to return to your homeworld, can you?"
"But you still shouldn't curse me."
"I was complimenting you! Look at that figure! Curves in all the right places, bursting with vitality! Blending athletic beauty with fashionable charm! If you ever walked a runway wearing pink lace lingerie, you'd have those lecherous suits bleeding from the nose!"
Linda's face was scarlet, a mix of shame and anger. She gave him a hateful glare, then turned and walked away.
Luke called out loudly, "I'm giving you two seconds to think about it! If you don't nod, I'll take action myself!"
"Get lost!"
The sound of the door slamming echoed.
Luke shrugged. Little girl. Clearly a bird that hasn't experienced the beatings of society. She doesn't understand a thing.
How could I let such a good opportunity go to waste?
Death on the Operating Table
Fortress of Solitude Medical Bay.
Dru-Zod lay on the medical bed with a blank expression. His physical wounds had healed, but the wounds to his spirit could not. Especially the memory of that punch—the iron fist wrapped in blue electricity shattering his faceplate and penetrating his head. Every time he recalled the scene, Zod felt the urge to grab a knife and slice his own throat.
The supreme military leader of Krypton, defeated by a native from a lower civilization, and under circumstances where they had the overwhelming advantage in numbers.
"Dru-Zod, you are garbage! Incompetent garbage!"
Zod hissed, slamming his head repeatedly against the bed frame.
The muffled thudding made Luke's eyelids twitch.
"General, are you alright?"
Zod immediately stopped, lifted his head, and stared at Luke blankly. The frustrated look in his eyes sharpened, replaced by a cold killing intent in the depths of his pupils.
"Le-x... Lu-thor!"
The sentence paused six times, demonstrating the speaker's immense rage.
Luke managed an awkward smile, 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 admitted to it, wouldn't he be guilty of identity theft?
"What are you doing here? To mock me?"
"No. I didn't come here to mock you. I came to discuss the issue of war prisoners. I suggested to Linda that she kill all of you to eliminate future threats. Guess what she said."
Zod scoffed, making no reply.
The House of El never had the courage to truly exterminate a threat.
Luke clapped his hands. "Worthy of a General! Your insight is unique. You guessed correctly. Linda plans to forgive you all. However, I personally disagree with this approach. To avoid being targeted for retaliation in the future, I can only resort to doing things quietly."
Zod's face subtly changed. His hawk-like eyes fixed intensely on Luke.
"You dare kill me!"
"Why wouldn't I dare?"
Luke let out a cold laugh. Unconcealed killing intent flickered in his emerald green eyes. Suddenly, an immense sense of dread descended. Zod shivered, his pupils constricting to pinpricks.
This Earthling really intends to kill me. Why? How dare he?
"General, with all due respect, you are too arrogant. Arrogant like a foolish mule. It's better for ambitious and arrogant people like you to go to hell sooner rather than later."
Luke pulled an assault rifle from his bag.
"This is the most widely circulated weapon on Earth. It's called the AK-47. The name is silly, but it doesn't hesitate to kill. To honor the bravery of a Kryptonian soldier, and to give Linda a clear outcome, I will use it to execute you all."
The dark muzzle of the gun pressed against Zod's head!
In this moment, the sensation of death was so close. Even Zod, who had survived countless wars, felt a pang of panic. He wasn't afraid to die, but he couldn't die here.
The great mission 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, swearing to follow him to the 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."
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