4 Chapter 4

'Zod...' Corey thought as Johnathan turned to him. For a moment Corey seemed to be frozen as he stared at the pod. He had thought that Zod had been caught in Krypton's destruction or stuck somewhere else. Then a thought came to mind.

'Wait if that is House Zod's crest...then where is the occupant?'

"Yeah, shocking isn't it? I was shocked too...I guess that this answers the question, are we alone in the universe." Johnathan spoke up, believing that Corey was entranced by the ship's design. He stepped down into the basement, and was soon followed by Corey who kept his eyes on the pod. "Me and Martha saw it crash outside of Smallville and went to look at it. When we got there, there was no one inside. We thought whoever in there got out and just up and ran."

Corey was mostly running theories into his head. Some of which that referred to if Zod had a child. He wasn't sure if Zod did have one, after all, he didn't think that the man could even think about having one. His brows furrowed at the pod, considering Johnathan's words for a moment. He had said that whomever was inside was already gone before they reached it. Meaning that Zod or whoever they were had left and is now out and about in the world.

"How long ago?" Corey suddenly asked, interrupting Johnathan when he was about to explain more. The man blinked twice before answering Corey's question.

"Um, about 3 years ago." Johnathan replied.

Corey gained a serious look upon his face, nodding as he thought more about this. To him this was both a good thing or a bad thing. If it were Zod then he was either looking for other Kryptonians or biding his time. If it were anyone else then they were most likely somewhere out there scared and alone. With a turn, he looked to Johnathan and let out a sigh. "Why are you showing me this? You know that you can get in trouble for hiding something like an alien ship?"

"Well....I assumed that you had experience in this. Also because you seem like the kind of guy who knows how to hide secrets." Johnathan replied, giving Corey a knowing look.

'Great, he remembers me...' Corey thought then turned to leave the basement of the farmhouse. He walked out as if he were being paced. Corey was hoping that anyone but Zod was on Earth. As much as he adored him as his mentor in combat, the man could not be trusted. Then again, if it were actually Zod then he would have began slaughtering humans or even kill Johnathan and Martha already. Zod may have been a talented military commander, but outside of that he wad a simple thug.

"Where are you going?" Johnathan asked with a worried tone.

"Mr. Kent, what you just confirmed to me is that Earth has an alien roaming free out there. We don't know if they are friend or foe. So I am going to do whatever I can to find them." Corey said, sounding professional as he could while walking out the farmhouse. Johnathan was right behind them, with a concerned look on their face.

"Wait...aren't they like you?" Johnathan asked, causing Corey to stop in place and slowly glance back at the man.

"They are nothing like me.." Corey replied, then continued walking onwards into the night, leaving behind an even more concerned Johnathan.

[10 Minutes Later, Arctic]

Kor arrived after flying back to his arctic base, as he entered he immediately bolted down the hall. He rushed himself past the entrance and down the crystalline halls. Even going so far as to running through holographic forms of Jor whenever he appeared in front of him. Kor continued to run, going past the statues of his mother and father. He eventually arrived at a massive spacious chamber, crystalline pillars surrounded him with only one of them being larger than the rest.

"Father, did any spacecraft enter Earth's atmosphere within the past three years?." Kor questioned, though it sounded more like a command.

"Yes, but I do not see the issue." Jor-El answered as his face showed up on the largest pillar.

"The issue father is that I found the pod that the spacecraft arrived in, and it had Dru-Zod's House crest!" Kor exclaimed, and watched his father's face become concerned. While Zod and Jor were more like good friends, even close to brothers. Unfortunately that sense of friendship became less and less when Zod had tried to manipulate Kor into joining Krypton's military when he was several years younger.

"Zod is here?"

"I...don't know. We must remain vigilant, you have to tell me when spacecraft that is not of human origin enters Earth's atmosphere. I am currently Earth's only defense against outside threats father."

Jor nodded, then slowly sighed as he began to understand where his son was coming from. He may not have been the real Jor-El, but he was aware of a specific falling out that happened upon Kor's 14th birthday. Said falling out was a disagreement upon Kor's future. Kor lowered his gaze and began trying to theorize on how he could find the roaming Kryptonian. Then a thought occurred, he could try to activate a beacon. Though that thought ended once realizing that anyone would notice it. That was when another thought came to mind, one that Kor had been testing out to no avail.

"Would a sound frequency gain the attention of any stray Kryptonian?" Kor thought aloud, and heard the holographic form of Jor-El muse over that idea.

"With your newfound powers it is possible, however are you sure that you wish for this Kryptonian to come to you?" Jor-El questioned with uncertainty

"Yes, because it is better for them to be aware that they are not alone. As well as to know who the are and how they knew to come here.."

"Very well, I will make the necessary requirements and begin running simulations."

Kor nodded to his father's construct as it disappeared from the pillar. With a turn, Kor walked out of the large chamber and headed for his personal chambers. He didn't really live here, only to run his more personal tests and to perfect his control over his powers. As far as he was concerned, he was excellent at using his powers. That said he was a bit concerned on if he was ready to face individuals on par with him. It wasn't fear that made him doubt, it was after having seen what the fights in the movies and shows looked like. Were they going to move as fast or slow? Was his status as Zod's favorite pupil going to deter them from battle?

Kor's worries were swept to the side as he entered his laboratory once more. His eyes landed on the microscope that he used to watch this new Kryptonite that he's made. His brows began to raise up as he realized the answer as to what he could do to this possible Kryptonian threat. Immediately, he began commanding the drones to collect small samples of Kryptonite so that he could make more of this "Gold Kryptonite".

[1 Hour Later]

Kor was well into creating a small shiv for a weapon. It was made of the new Kryptonite substance that he has created. Before he was finished, he heard a loud ringing that didn't harm his ears. That said it sounded close by as he turned his attention towards the holographic form of Jor-El looking at him. He started to deduce that the construct had finished creating the frequency signal. Meaning that the Kryptonian was about to be on their way there.

With a turn, Kor saw that his Gold Kryptonite shiv was finished. Slowly he took the blade into his hand and began to place it somewhere where he could hide it.

"Is all this truly necessary, Kor?" Jor-El questioned.

"We're about to find out, father." Kor answered, then began to walk out of the laboratory with the shiv in his hand. He entered the hallway and marched himself out towards where the Kryptonian would be arriving. Right as Kor reached the entrance to the Fortress, he came to a stop and just stood there waiting. A serious look was upon him as his body remained tense. He could hear the cold winds rushing past him despite the ringing frequency. Kor slowly closed his eyes, and allowed his super-hearing senses to go overtime. His ears was beginning to hear many things, voices, vehicles, everything. Though what he was listening for was a distinct sonic boom sound for a fast moving object.

For a moment, Kor thought that the Kryptonian wasn't going to try and come towards the frequency. That line of thought ended when he heard a familiar sonic boom...and it was heading straight for him.

[Several Minutes Later]

Kor opened his eyes after hearing the Kryptonian come to a stop near him. When he did, his eyes gazed upwards to find a white Caucasian skinned woman floating above him. The woman had black hair like Kor, wore a more exposed Kryptonian attire. It was dark gray with a cape of the same color, as well as black spandex like leggings, and even had House Zod's sigil upon her chest. Kor frowned not entirely sure who this was, nor why they had Zod's House sigil. That said he knew a warrior when he saw one, and this one was most certainly a warrior.

Kor tapped the wristband that he had kept on this entire time 3 times. Then felt the band begin to form his House attire over him. The black suit coming onto him as if nanotechnology from the MCU movies. Luckily it didn't destroy his clothes, he hated having to replace them. As the House El sigil formed over his chest, Kor watched as the woman's face contort into that of surprise. She then began floating downwards to Kor and landed about six feet from him. "I had not thought that House El's eldest son would still be living. It seems that this world has not taken away any strength that my husband Zod had taught you." She began to say, speaking Kryptonian rather than English.

'Husband?' Kor thought, unsure if the Kryptonian general actually took that time to marry someone. "This world has yet to do me in, may I ask what your name is?" Kor replied in Kryptonian.

"Forgive me, I am Faora-Ul."

"Faora-Ul, I would like to formally welcome you to Earth. Why have you come here?"

"I am here to see if this world will be capable of supporting Kryptonian life, worry not, my husband is well on his way here."

Externally, Kor kept up a poker face that showed Kryptonian professionalism. Internally, the Kryptonian was sweating balls and nearly panicking. There was no one besides himself who had powers. This felt similarly like the Man of Steel's plot, with the difference being that he was there including this Faora. Kor had the shiv that he made hidden away on his person. He was hoping that Faora wouldn't try to use her X-Ray vision to try and figure out what he had. "If that is the case, then I assume that General Zod aims to attack the planet?" Kor asked.

Faora nodded before responding to Kor. "Indeed, after having told him about the benefits under the yellow sun, it was decided that this planet could provide all that we needed. When my husband arrives, then we will begin our campaign to usurp the control of this world from the Terrans and put it under our own regime."

The moment that Kor heard that, he knew what he should do. As much as he would like to see that happen in one hand, the bad thing about this was that there was no telling of what would happen if there were just more than normal humans. After all, he hadn't found a clue as to if Wonder Woman was around. Then there was no telling if there were people like Shazam still protecting this planet. He didn't want to wipe out his people, but he also didn't want his little brother to grow up in a world on fire.

"Faora-Ul, I hope that you forgive me for this..." Kor suddenly said, catching Faora off guard. Then immediately after saying that, he sped towards her through a burst of speed. Not long afterwards he tackled her away from the Fortress, heading right into a nearby icey mountain. Faora had a shocked look on her face before gritting her teeth and sending a lunch into Kor's jaw. The blow knocked him back a few feet in the air, however he caught himself quickly. Faora came out him with a practiced kick aimed for his temple, she was expecting him to have gone complacent while on this planet. Kor unfortunately had not grown complacent, for he dodged her kick, and caught it expertly.

With a twirl, Kor hurled Faora away and higher into the air. Not long after, he few upwards to continue their battle. Faora was high in the upper atmosphere after catching herself. She had a deadly glare on her face as she locked it onto the rapidly approaching Kor. "What are you doing!? Have you grown to care for people who aren't your own!?" Faora exclaimed, knowing that Kor could hear her as she cocked back a fist.

"I couldn't care less for them, I do this because what Zod would bring is only death for our people." Kor replied calmly, then cocked his own fist back. When he beared Faora, the two Kryptonians threw their own fists at one another. Their knuckles colliding and causing a shockwave that blew away the clouds around them. Kor went on the offensive now, hitting Faora with a rising uppercut to her abdomen that had her hunch over. He then hit her face with a cocked back knee.

Faora growled before hitting Kor with a roundhouse kick to his chest, then followed up with three punches from left to right at his cheeks. She drew blood from him before Kor ducked under another punch that she sent his way. He then hit her with a spin kick to her hip that sent her spiraling away. Kor soon flew back after her as blood dripped from his lip. His body was aching from the attacks that he suffered, Faora may have been the only other person on the planet that could hurt him. That said, he wasn't going to let his doubt cause him to hesitate. He was too far in to stop now, Faora was a warrior, and she wasn't going to stop until he was dead. When Kor reached the Kryptonian woman, he decided to end this before it could get out of hand. So once he reached her, she sent a fist right unto his face. Kor however responded by firing a bolt of heat vision right into her eyes.

Faora screamed in pain, having not expected this from the young Kryptonian. She floated backwards placing her hands onto her burned out eye sockets. Kor drew the gold Kryptonite shiv that he made, then took up a solemn look as he floated to Faora. She thrashed about, flinging her arms about trying to attack him.

That was when she stopped moving, listening for where Kor could be. She spun around and threw a fist at Kor who promptly caught it. Then she opened her eyes that radiated her heat vision about to be fired, her healing factor working fast to give her eye sight back. She had an angered look on her face as her free hand struck like a viper and grabbed him by his throat. "Our people must live! How else would we have-" Faora gasped before she finished that sentence, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

Slowly looking down, Faora gazed down at the golden blade that had surprisingly pierced her skin. She felt weak, as if her powers were slowly leaving her. "I'm sorry Faora-Ul, but I can't let Krypton destroy another world...one that someone precious to me lives on at least." Kor slowly said with a solemn tone, causing Faora to gaze into his eyes still in shock. Before she could try to utter another word, Kor pulled the blade out of her then began to repeatedly stab into her chest. Her blood began to drench his knife hand as he continued to stab her. He could hear her heartbeat getting slower and slower as he continued to stab her. Her hands latched onto him, as if trying to stop him as she took her last breathes. Before her body fell back to Earth, Kor caught her with one arm and looked over his handiwork.

"Forgive me.." He apologized, then saw how many stab wounds that she suffered before death. 28 stab wounds from this gold kryptonite dagger was what it took to kill her. Kor looked to his knife hand and stared at the bloody shiv that he used to kill her. Her blood was literally on his hands now, fresh and already starting to dry. His heartbeat was racing as the solid act came down upon him. He had just killed someone, though unfortunately this was not the first time that he had done this. In his past life he wasn't a serial killer, but he had done so quite a few times.

Kor closed his eyes and gave Faora a moment of silence as he floated there with her body in his grasp. When the moment had passed, Kor opened his eyes to find Faora's body cold in his grip. With nothing else to do after briefly paying his respects to her, he ascended upwards. Once he exited Earth's atmosphere he thrusted Faora's body outwards and watched as it floated out into the vacuum of space. The Kryptonian continued to watch as Faora's corpse floated off lifeless. Then turned and flew back down to Earth as if her death meant nothing. From his point of view he was right, she was a scout from a group of Kryptonians who were on their way.

He needed to prepare for their inevitable arrival, if it was anything like Man of Steel then he was going to need help. Hopefully he could bring the Justice League up faster than normal. After all, it would be bad if Zod showed up before anyone besides Kor had started to play hero.

'Well....scratch one at least.' Kor thought.