chapter 13: the hint

*** Two days before the coup, kar-el p.o.v.

Zor and Alura finally arrived at noon with a crying kara, we welcomed them silently as everyone was tense because of the incoming storm that will come in two days.

" kara, come with me for a moment pls," I said to her as I got up from my seat and turned to move to the next room. she looked at my back for a while before getting up and following me.

I turned towards her and asked," speak, what's in your mind? no point keeping it inside the heart." I sat her on the table while I sat on the chair so that we can be eye to eye to each other.

" Why do only we have to go? can't we all leave the planet together?" she asked while trying to not cry her heart out.

" Technically speaking, we all can't leave because the prime A.I. won't let us, I'm not even sure if the third pod could leave without harm but honestly speaking, they just don't want to leave," I said to her as I patted her head.

"why??"

" They want to be together in the last moments of their life, the pod can only send an adult and they don't want to be torn apart. I know it's asking a lot from you and im sorry that you have to face such a problem at such a young age but fate is something that we can't predict, we can only adapt. you must not let their sacrifice go non-rewarded. With time you will feel better." I told her as gently as I could.

' it's easy for Kal-el because he wouldn't have any memories of Jor-el and Lara but kara has known her parents and loved ones so it's obviously tougher for her to forget krypton.' I thought as I pitied her.

" now cheer up, champ. you don't want to say goodbye with a crying face, do you? come I have prepared a gift for you. " I got up from the chair and said her to follow me.

we entered the launch base and stepped beside kara's escape pod. I opened it up and showed kara 4 football-size balls of nth metal stored size. she looked at my face for answers.

" that is all the nth metal I was able to collect during my expenditure, this is my gift for you as I have already planned something else for Kal-el. It is now yours to use. whether you want to make it a weapon or a shield, it would be your choice. don't belittle it, it's one of the greatest metals found in the universe." I looked at the metal with complicated eyes. It's tough not taking it with me after all the hardships I had faced to collect it but she would need it more than me as I have the codex inside me while she didn't. After all the love that house of El had given me, it would be against my principles if I couldn't return it in some way or form.

"why me?? won't Kal-el be the better choice for it? " she asked with uncertainty as she gripped the pod's lower body with both her hands.

" Maybe be could have been a better choice but in my opinion, the weapon should be given to those that need it rather than to those that might have been a better choice. One powerful person can't conquer everything but an equally powerful army can accomplish it. Kal-el has the codex inside him that makes him a royalty among Kryptonians in terms of genetic potential while you don't. you couldn't match his level of growth in terms of strength under a yellow star that's why you would need it more than him. I have already prepared something for him too."

we returned to the others after that as kara wanted to spend her time with her parents which made them happy.

I arrived beside Lara and gave her a white master key with the symbol of my house," please make Kal-el wear it as a necklace before you send him, it is my birthday gift for him." I told her as she looked into my eyes confused.

" Why are you talking like that? you will also be leaving with him so why not give it yourself?" she asked worriedly as she observed the key.

" I believe in preparing for the inevitable, the chance of a successful escape for the third pod is lower than you expect, Lara. it is better to give important things to Kal-el and kara while leaving." I made up an excuse so that I could convince her to follow my instructions.

**** 6 hours before the coup

I was resting on a chair with my eyes closed when Jor-el spoke to me," It's time that we leave for the El cathedral, kar-el. zor will make sure things work out fine here, we must keep going too now."

I nodded to him as I got up and followed him. h'raka was waiting for us already so we both climbed upon him and he took a deep dive before swinging his four wings towards the cathedral.

**** Zod P.O.V., a few hours later.

" it is time that we teach those filthy nobles of the council that they don't get to decide the future of krypton however they like. they have culled so many bloodlines they dare to question their tyranny, and now they want to end the whole race because of their arrogance and incompetence. what do you all say, my fellow brothers and sisters in arms?" I asked my loyal soldiers throughout the krypton connected through the servers.

" We take the arms!!!!" they collectively replied.

" Are you sick of them as much as I am?" I asked.

"yes!!!"

" Do you want a better future where all the bloodlines get to thrive?"

"yes!!!"

" then let's bring the hell to all that stand against us!!!" I continued the momentum.

" We ride at dawn!!!! Ohhhhhhhh We ride at dawn"

****** El cathedral, same time, third-person p.o.v

"kar-el, the general has given the orders for the coup to begin." Serena spoke to me as jor-el and I test our armor and weapons.

" What is the current situation? " I asked her as I stretched my body after wearing the armor.

" they will be simultaneously attacked at dawn, there are only 35 minutes till dawn. what is your opinion? should I inform the prime A.I., it might have allowed this to happen only because it was heresy to the coup against the council, and no one had tried it in a century but once it gets the information, it can quickly put an end to it before it ever happened," she suggested me the easiest way.

" We can't have that, we must allow the general to create enough chaos that Prime A.I. had to concentrate on his forces completely so that we can create higher chances to evacuate," I said as I prepared my pod to get launched at a moments notice as long as I entered it.

" tell zor to launch the first pod after two minutes to dawn," Jor-el said to Lara who was helping us communicate our timings while Alura was helping zor.