Chapter 258: Beneath the Yellow Sun
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SPACE – THE SUN
The void beyond the ship’s reinforced windows burned with brilliance. The yellow sun, massive and celestial in their view, its radiance spilling across the Kryptonian vessel’s hull. The interior of the warship was cavernous, lined with cold steel and etched with Kryptonian design, angular, both beautiful and severe.
General Zod stood at the helm, his hands clasped behind his back. The harsh glow of the sun lit the ridges of his face. Behind him, rows of soldiers moved with disciplined silence, their armor sealed, visors down to shield them from the very star that promised their strength.
His voice, when it came, was steady, commanding, yet filled with disdain almost disgust.
"Kal-El. Kara Zor-El."
He didn’t need to raise his tone; even speaking their names was enough to command the chamber. His eyes never left the sun.
"They have walked that world far longer than we. Kal-El most of all. Born under circumstances not meant to be... raised beneath the endless feast of this star. Decades to accustom his flesh, his cells, to its gifts. He is not only stronger than us, he is entrenched. Hardened."
He tilted his head, a faint sneer tugging at his lips.
"To strike at them now would be foolish. Let the insects of this planet gnaw at him instead. A swarm of insects may not kill a beast... but they may wound it. And wounds fester, even in gods."
A murmur of approval stirred through the soldiers, a ripple quickly silenced when Zod’s gaze shifted back toward them. His hands unclasped for a moment before folding once more behind his back.
"Continue supplying the earthlings with weapons," he commanded, his tone measured but absolute. "In secret. Let their hunger for power serve our purpose. They are eager pawns, and Kal is a fool, all that power and he made countless enemies that he didn’t crush... And while they bloody themselves against the House of El, we grow stronger."
His gaze turned back toward the sun, its brilliance blazing across the black of his pupils.
"Yes... stronger. Though we arrived late to this feast, we are not without means."
Zod gestured subtly, and one of his lieutenants, clad in armor, stepped forward. A display shimmered into view, streams of Kryptonian glyphs forming patterns in the air. Radiation intake models. Absorption rates.
"Our suits protect us from the sun’s immediate onslaught," Zod continued, his voice now edged with cold certainty. "Without them, the radiation would tear our bodies apart before they could adapt. But with time... with precision... our cells will drink this light faster than theirs ever could. We were forged in chains, shaped by suffering the House of El has never known. And so, our ascension will be swift."
His jaw tightened, his voice lowering to a dangerous growl. "In little time, we will eclipse them."
He turned at last, his cape brushing against the polished steel as his eyes fell upon the woman at his right Faora-Ul. She stood rigid, her face cold, her every movement that of a soldier bred for perfection.
"Faora," Zod said, the name sharp as a command. "Have you discovered who tore open the Phantom Zone for us? Who pulled us from that exile?"
Faora’s lips pressed into a thin line. She shook her head once, sharply. "No."
Zod studied her for a moment, the muscles in his jaw working. Then he turned back toward the sun, his voice a low rumble. "It matters not. We will settle accounts with the House of El first. Then Earth. Afterward, we will turn our eyes upon our... benefactor. Whoever they are."
Faora’s expression did not soften. Her voice was level, yet it carried a strange conviction. "It is fate, General. That we are here. That we are freed. That the House of El stands before us now."
Zod froze. Slowly, he turned his head toward her. The glow of the sun carved deep shadows across his face, his eyes burning with contempt.
"Fate," he repeated, the word bitten out like venom.
His voice rose, sharp, commanding, his fury barely caged. "Fate is the creed of cowards. The council of Krypton believed in fate. They sat in their marble halls, blind, deaf, while our world trembled. They believed destiny would save us. And in their faith, Krypton burned!"
His fist slammed against the steel railing, the impact resonating through the chamber like thunder. Soldiers stiffened, their helmets turning toward him.
"I offered salvation," Zod continued, his voice carrying across the hall, now alive with rage. "I offered strength. A new order. And they called me extreme. They spat on my vision, clinging to weak ideals, to tradition, to inferiors!"
His breathing quickened, his glare shifting from the sun to the memory of a man long dead. "And none more than Jor-El. Foolish. Arrogant. He chose the council’s cowardice over my truth. He doomed Krypton, and then... then he sent his spawn to thrive in the very light he denied us!"
For a long moment, the chamber was silent save for the hum of the ship’s engines. Zod stood rigid, the fury still etched in his face, but his voice lowered again, cold and serious.
"No. I do not believe in fate." His eyes narrowed into slits. "I believe in conquest."
Faora bowed her head, accepting his fury without flinching. Around them, the soldiers remained in disciplined silence, the weight of Zod’s wrath pressing into their bones.
****
METROPOLIS -
The skies above Metropolis were calm, painted in late afternoon light. Kara soared effortlessly through the open blue, her cape fluttering behind her in ribbons of red. For once there wasn’t a crisis, no alarm screaming from the city below, no shadow of violence lurking in the corners. Just her, the air, and her thoughts.
And her thoughts, as usual lately, wandered where she didn’t expect them to.
"Arthur..." she murmured under her breath, almost pouting as she drifted along. The name tasted unfamiliar when spoken aloud in such a soft tone. "What Raven said... about Didi... I still can’t believe it."
Her brow furrowed, lips pressing into a line. The truth Raven had confided had been heavy, startling. Yet instead of the jealousy or fear she might have expected, Kara had felt something stranger. Something lighter. Relief.
"But why am I relieved?" she muttered to herself, hands tightening as she flew faster, like movement might shake the thought free. "Ugh, this is so stupid."
She slowed again, cheeks warming with heat she blamed on the wind. "Maybe I should... force him on a date again. I mean...we have time now, right? No world-ending apocalypse breathing down our necks every five seconds..." Her voice trailed off, wistful, before doubt crept back in.
"Or... maybe I should apologize to him. For pushing too much before and asking too many questions..." she said, voice lowering into a sigh.
But then her eyes widened and she shook her head violently, hair flying in the slipstream. "Wait no! Why would I apologize? It was his fault for not saying anything! Not mine!"
Her little burst of defiance made her spin slightly off-balance in the air. She actually grabbed her head with both hands mid-flight, groaning like a frustrated child. The sky seemed to tilt as she tumbled clumsily through it.
"Why is this so complicated?!" she whined, eyes squeezing shut.
And then wham.
Kara jolted to a stop as if the very air had turned solid. She blinked, dazed, rubbing her forehead as the world steadied. Slowly, she lifted her head... only to freeze.
Floating in front of her, arms crossed with that infuriatingly calm smile on his face, was Arthur.
"...Arthur?!" she yelped, her voice cracking as heat rushed to her cheeks.
"Hey, beautiful," he said casually, like bumping into him midair was the most normal thing in the world. His tone carried that teasing undercurrent, smooth and warm. "Where’re you heading?"
Kara opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Her heart was beating like a drumline in her chest, and all the words she’d just been mumbling about him came rushing back like a cruel joke. She blushed furiously, whipping her head to the side.
"N-none of your business!" she snapped, her voice higher than she wanted it to be, folded arms hugging her chest. She tried for stern, but it came out like a flustered child.
Arthur’s smile only deepened. "Relax, I just wanted to check on you."
Her head jerked toward him, eyes narrowing. "Check on me? Did you hit your head or something? You’ve never sought me out like this before."
He chuckled softly, turning his gaze away toward the distant horizon, his tone light but edged with mischief. "Well, since you don’t want me here, and you’re fine, I guess I can leave..."
"Wait!" Kara shot forward instinctively, grabbing his arm before he could drift away. The contact alone sent another wave of red to her cheeks. Her voice dropped, suddenly uncertain. "No. Don’t. I didn’t say that."
Arthur turned back to her, his eyes glinting with amusement as he let her hold on. His lips curved into a smile that was gentler this time, almost disarming. "I was just kidding. There’s a reason I’m here."
Kara’s grip on his arm loosened, though she didn’t let go. She looked away again, her cape flicking in the breeze, trying to hide the small, shy smile tugging at her lips.
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If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
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If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
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You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want