Chapter 35 – The Wolf Strikes (6)

(SHIELD Helicarrier – Somewhere off the East Coast – May 4th, 2012)

Fury took in a rasping breath as he felt the pressure of Kal's hand on his throat, which was just enough to make him struggle for air but not so much that it was truly threatening. However, from the outside that was not how it seemed, especially to the over two dozen SHIELD Agents whose guns were trained on Kal, nor to the several superpowered individuals in the room who were also looking ready for a fight.

"We need to talk about the Tesseract." Kal's voice was eerily calm as he stared at Fury. "What were you doing with the Tesseract?"

"I SAID STAND DOWN." Maria Hill shouted her order at Kal who was merely ignoring the mortal woman, as she took a step closer, weapon drawn, only for Thor to step in her way.

Fury merely held up his one remaining hand at her and took a deep breath so that he could speak clearly without sounding hoarse.

"Maybe we should talk about why Loki thinks you're going to change sides?" Fury asked, trying to regain the upper hand in the conversation.

"DO NOT," Kal's voice boomed out as a vicious snarl appeared on his face before he took a deep breath to calm himself. "…..Do not try and change the subject, what were you doing with the Tesseract?"

"We were trying to create an energy source to solve the problems of our world." Fury stated as he managed to look down directly into Kal's eyes, only for the god to squint back at him.

The area fell into silence as Kal just stared at Fury, his hand still on the man's throat ready to squeeze tighter if he desired to do so. However, Kal suddenly felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and turned to see that Carol had moved to stand next to him with calmness in her eyes as she looked directly into Kal's.

"Kal let him go, this isn't the time." Carol stated gently as she gazed into his eyes.

To the surprise of most in the room, Kal listened and he slowly lowered Fury back to the floor and released the man, causing the previous tense feeling of the room to diminish. Hill lowered her sidearm and signalled for her agents to follow suit. However, before anyone could do anything else Kal turned and stared down at Fury again, a grimace on his face as his eyes stared into the man's soul.

"We will discuss this later, my friend, count on that," Kal promised before he moved back over to stand next to Thor and crossed his arms.

As Fury straightened himself out he rubbed his neck slightly and gave Carol a grateful nod for her assistance, which she returned. Fury stepped forward trying his best to reassert his authority on the room after the tense standoff.

"Okay, let's get back to work, people." Fury spoke, his usual confidence and commanding tone returning instantly. "Banner, Stark, head to the lab. Try to track the Tesseract and figure out how that Sceptre of his functions."

"Shall we play, Doctor?" Stark turned to face Bruce with a lighthearted tone whilst his body language told everyone that he wanted to leave the room as quickly as possible.

"After you." Bruce gestured for the exit and hurriedly followed Tony out.

"Perfect. Danvers and Rogers, I want you both on standby and ready in case this is indeed a trap." Fury nodded to the two soldiers in the room who both nodded in return. "Thor, Agent Coulson would like to debrief on Doctor Foster and what's occurred."

Thor gave a glance at Kal who nodded that it was okay and that he understood that his brother wanted to check on his mortal love. "Thank you, lead the way, Son of Coul."

"Maria, I need to contact the council about Kal, Thor and…." Fury gave a glance at Lex who was still sitting at the conference table with a smile on his face. "…and the other 'contingency' plans they want in place."

"I'll get them on the line, sir." Maria gave a nod and immediately moved off to follow her boss's orders.

"Then I guess that is my cue to attend to my own affairs," Lex stated as he stood up and rebuttoned his suit jacket. "I must say, it is a rare pleasure to meet someone who exceeds my expectations, I hope we can talk again soon, Kal."

The address caught the Kryptonian prince off guard. He gave the mortal a small nod of the head as Lex moved off to attend to whatever he was here for. However, as he departed, Kal spotted Lex's gaze lingering on Carol, but it was gone too quickly to display any sign of perversion . However, under the surface of that fleeting look Lex's mind was already imagining where he would cut to find out how different she was from other humans, along with all manner of experiments he would subject a specimen as interesting as her to.

Fury gave Kal one last stare that the god returned sharply before he too moved off, heading back to his command platform to attend to his duties before he would be called in for a meeting with the World Security Council. Kal watched the man go and was about to walk over to speak to Carol when he suddenly noticed that Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, was standing next to him. A rare look of trouble crossed her face as she gazed up at the incredibly tall powerhouse of a man.

"We need to talk, in private," Nat stated the troubled look on her face was matched by a seriousness in her eyes that was equal parts worry and anger.

Kal cast a quick glance around the room and saw that Carol was already moving off to speak to Captain America about something before giving Nat a nod of the head. "Of course, what do you want to talk about?"

Nat gave the room a quick scan and then signalled for Kal to follow her as she walked out of the command deck and into an elevator. Once they were inside, Kal noticed that Nat's demeanour changed, gone was the confident calculating Black Widow and in her place Kal suspected was the real Natasha Romanoff, or at least the closest he would ever see. She released a deep breath before she suddenly moved forward pressing a button on the elevator that caused it to stop.

"Your brother took Clint, why?" Nat asked looking at Kal the look on her face making it clear she wanted answers. "Was it just opportunity, or did he take him to get to you?"

"You want to know if I am to blame for our friend's misfortune. I -" Kal began hoping to offer some sort of apology but was cut off by Nat who merely raised one hand and spoke over him.

"I'm not looking to place blame, I've been there and done that. Trust me no good comes from it." Nat sighed as she closed her eyes for a moment trying to dispel the unpleasant memories that had seeped in. "No, what I am asking is, what does Loki want Clint for? Is it just a foot soldier that we will hesitate to fight or is Loki going to….."

Nat trailed off not wanting to ask the question that Kal could see lingering in her eyes, the very question he had wanted to avoid answering if someone thought to ask it of him.

"You want to know how cruel my brother is?" Kal spoke barely above a whisper releasing his own breath as he sighed.

"Yes, is he going to kill Clint?" Nat asked, sounding more forcible as she clearly needed to know what was going to happen so she could be ready for whatever it was.

Kal was silent for a few moments as he just stared off into empty space with a blank expression on his face, before a grimace appeared on his face and his right hand became a fist. Both actions Nat noticed and knew whatever Kal was going to say she wasn't going to like.

"My brother's mind is far afield. There was a time I was the only one that could tell what Loki was thinking, I thought I knew my own family better than anyone." Kal explained, his voice low and a hint of anger bubbling beneath the surface. "And that mistake allowed Loki to stab me in the back, almost kill Thor and nearly wipe out an entire race of people.

Nat was quiet at Kal's explanation as he was clearly trying to summon the will and energy to continue. She couldn't blame him, for if Yelena had still been in her life and then turned around and done even a fraction of what Loki had, Nat reckoned she wouldn't be happy to talk either. However, as the silence lingered she decided she needed to push for an answer.

"So?" Nat pressed gently not wanting to make Kal feel like he was backed into a corner or had to get defensive.

"So…" he sighed knowing he had to continue. He owed it to Clint and Nat to get her ready for what was potentially going to happen. "…. I believe that Loki won't kill Clint, not until he gets Clint to experience true horror and pain as a kind of vengeance on me. Loki believes I betrayed him and although I know he wants me at his side he still wants his vengeance as well."

"How?" Nat asked for the first time in her life asking a question she didn't want the answer to be still needed. "How will he do that?"

"You…." Kal whispered slowly, his eyes closing. "I know Loki, and what he will do is get Clint to kill you, slowly and intimately in every way that you fear. Then before the light leaves your eyes he will make you watch as Clint slits the throats of his own children just to prove to you that your friend is now his…after which he'll release his hold and make the man live with what he has done for the rest of his life."

Nat was silent for a few moments, her eyes wide as she looked away from Kal processing everything he had just told her. Which despite the horrific confirmation of Nat's worst fears, was actually incredibly useful as it provided a great insight into her opponent's mind. Nat let out a low breath and then gave Kal a small smirk trying to ease the tense atmosphere as she pressed the button getting the elevator to resume its journey down.

"No offence Kal, but I'm pretty sure your brother is a sociopath," Nat stated with a neutral tone as they continued their journey down into the depths of the vessel. "Which give me an idea, would you be willing to talk to Loki?"

"What for?" Kal asked curiously as to the mortal's plans. "Even if I used Gram I doubt Loki will tell me anything. Well, nothing useful beyond lies and whatever madness has gripped him."

"Maybe, but it would get him relaxed and if he's focused on you as his main interrogator it might make him lazy when I give it a shot," Nat explained, giving Kal a confident look.

Kal looked at her for a few moments, a calculating look on his face before he broke out into a smile and let out a little chuckle.

"It would seem that my brother doesn't stand a chance." Kal let out a confident laugh but underneath his veneer of calm there was conflict and rage brewing.

(Loki's Cell - SHIELD Helicarrier – Lower Decks)

"So, are you here to break me out?" Loki said with a grin as he sensed Kal approaching.

"I would rather see you rot in a cell, like this one, for an eternity than free you," Kal stated a dark look on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest as he stood before Loki's cell. "By the Allfathers Loki, you've murdered over a hundred people, did you think I would just overlook that?"

"I thought you more than anyone would understand, the mortals of this realm mean nothing to Gods like us." Loki waved off Kal's fury with a dismissive snort and looked amused at his brother's rage. "I also believed I could count on my brother."

"Like I counted on mine?" Kal barked back making no attempt to hide his anger anymore, taking a powerful step forward that caused the room to shake slightly and Loki's cell to jostle. "I trusted you, I loved you, you were my brother and you stabbed me in the back the moment I didn't play along anymore."

"I kept you alive," Loki stated dismissively as if Kal's anger was misplaced. "If you want to blame anyone it should be Odin, for he was the one that had the dagger and the powder already ma-"

"DO NOT SHIFT THE BLAME, LOKI!" Kal roared, cutting off his older brother who looked shocked at Kal's reaction. "We are not children anymore! and THIS IS NOT A GAME!... You are going to tell me where the Tesseract and my friends are, then you, I and Thor are going home."

"Such rage brother, why?" Loki spoke in a calm, controlled voice that did nothing to alleviate his brother's anger, if anything it only increased it. "When I have something oh so precious to offer you?"

"Loki I am in no mood for riddles, you are going to tell me -" Kal turned his hands into fists and felt his knuckles go white, nearly reaching the end of his patience when Loki's quiet tone cut him off.

"Go on, ask the question," Loki stated softly as he half turned away from Kal, all of which caught his brother off guard.

"Where is the Tesser-" Kal began before Loki cut him off with a sharp tone.

"NO, not that one." Loki gave Kal a quick glance that caused him to shift uncomfortably troubled at how well he was known.

"Where are my fri-" Kal decided to use another tactic hoping to catch Loki off guard, but his second question was again cut off.

"NO! No, no, no, no." Loki spoke with a look of frustration on his face as he turned back to Kal and glared into his brother's eyes. "Your REAL question, the one that has been burning within you since you had me in your hands, the one you are afraid to ask but know that you must. Come, Son of Krypton, ask it."

Kal was silent for a few moments, a pensive and troubled expression on his face as he knew the question Loki was talking about. He was stirred out of his hesitation when he heard Natasha walking towards them, she was evidently moving in as part of their prior plan to get Loki to slip up. Kal cast his gaze at Loki and saw the smirk on his brother's face and knew he had to ask.

"Where is Zod?" Kal asked in a whisper, closing his eyes as he did so and hating the feeling in his stomach that Loki had been right.

"Finally, the truth." Loki gave a small smirk and leaned in close to the cell's barrier causing Kal to move in too, so that he could hear his brother's words. "Latitude North by 61°37' 41.189'', with a Longitude heading East by 6°53' 52.6''. You'll find him there, brother, along with your own glorious purpose."

Kal leaned back from the cell's cold transparent walls and without saying another word immediately turned and headed back the way he had come from. Loki gave a small smile of joy as his plans were falling in place, Kal would take care of Zod, all he had to do now was unleash the beast to-.

"What did you say to him?" His head snapped towards a figure that had somehow escaped his notice, causing his eyes to narrow at the woman who now stood by the entrance to his cell.

"Impressive. There are not many people who can sneak up on me." Loki immediately recovered from his shock, as he chose to ignore the woman's actual question and gave the agent he knew from Barton's reports a cunning smile . "You mortals continue to impress. I can see why Kal decided to set up his kingdom here."

"Is that what you think has happened, that Kal has set up a kingdom?" Natasha asked with surprise in her voice as she eyed Loki.

"You didn't come here to discuss my brother," Loki stated with a confident, sly tone while he licked his lips as if preparing for a fine meal. "Come now, unburden yourself as my brother did and say why you're really here."

"Okay, you're right, I don't care about your family issues, I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton," Nat spoke with her own confident voice, keeping eye contact with the god of mischief.

"I would say I've expanded his mind." Loki stated casually as he started to pace around his cell unconcerned with being polite to her. "Which is more than I can say Kal has done for anyone on this pathetic dust ball of a realm."

"And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?" Natasha asked, pretending to ignore Loki's statement on Kal and focus on Barton to lure the prisoner into her little trap.

"Oh…." Loki stopped pacing and placed a hand over his heart in mock emotion. "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"

"Love is for children. I owe him a debt." Just a little longer for the illusion to sell her breakdown.

"Tell me." Loki pressed, dropping his hand from his chest and giving her a look that emphasised the dark glint in his eyes.

"Before I worked for SHIELD, I, uh... well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skill set. I didn't care who I used it for, or on." Nat told her story piecemeal and shifted slightly in discomfort to sell that she was becoming unnerved by saying it, "I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me. He made a different call."

"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" Loki asked, pretending to be intrigued by what the mortal was offering.

"Not let you out." Natasha stated firmly wanting to show Loki that he was without that particular bargaining chip.

"No, but I like this. Your world is in the balance, and you bargain for one man." Loki stated with a sly look that almost made her skin crawl.

"Regimes fall every day. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian... or was." Natasha stated injecting some humour into the situation that she hoped Loki took as a sign she was nervous

"And what are you now?" Loki pressed moving closer to the edge of the cell where Nat was having stopped his pacing.

"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out." Natasha stated with calm demeanour, getting ready as she knew what was coming now.

"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Dreykov's daughter, São Paulo, the hospital fire?" Loki stated his voice going dark as he leaned across the darkness, eyes stirring to life as he prowled in closer, his hand slamming the glass of his cell.

Natasha allowed her calm demeanour to break, she wrung her hands in front of her and took a cautious step back away from the cell. She made her eyes go wide as if shocked by Loki's knowledge and opened her mouth as if to speak but let him continue on his tirade.

"Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's GUSHING red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?" Loki snarled, a look of pure disgust on his face as he stared down at Natasha as if she was less than dirt upon his shoe. "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer... PATHETIC! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code. Something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away!... I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you!"

Natasha took several more steps back and let her hand slip to the railing next to her making it appear that she needed the support to stay up. With practised movement, her eyes started to bulge, and tears threatened to burst forth in an impressive display making her face one of fearful disbelief.

"I'll make him do it, slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear! And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams, I'll split his skull! This is MY bargain, you mewling quim!" Loki spat out at Natasha having reached a new level of disgust for the creatures his oh so noble brothers claimed were there equals.

"You're a monster!" Natasha turned away from Loki pretending to stumble slightly out of fear before allowing her fake tears to start to flow.

"Oh no, you brought the monster," Loki boasted in triumph, laughing in amusement at her fear.

Natasha quickly spun around as she dropped her façade, having gained what she wanted.

"So, Banner... that's your play."

"...What?" Loki blinked in confusion, not understanding what just happened as his interrogator gave him a grateful and mischievous smile of her own.

"Thank you... for your cooperation. Kal said you won't stand a chance, guess he was right." Nat thanked Loki, even giving him a slight bow of her head as she turned to leave bringing her hand up to her comm device. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way. Send Thor and Kal as well."

"Ma'am, Kal has just left the Helicarrier heading Northeast, he's not responding to hails. Should I send some after him?." The SHIELD Agent's voice replied immediately causing her to pause and look back at Loki, who gave her an impish grin.

"Dammit, no. Get Captain Danvers down there now with Thor. Will sort out Kal once we are secure again." Nat ordered bluntly and lowered her hand as the elevator doors opened up letting her step inside.

"Truth and Purpose, that is what I said to my brother. Agent Romanoff!" Loki called out to her with a manic laugh as the elevator doors started to close. "Truth and Purpose!"

(Ancient Burial Tomb – Fjell Kal- 100 km Northeast of Lakstad - May 4th, 2012)

Kal didn't even bother slowing down as he approached the mountain the mortals had attached his name to, once he had gotten close enough to see familiar features, he knew exactly where Loki had been sending him. He slammed through the mountain, his vision briefly becoming one of rock, dirt and stone as he bored through the earth to reach the old cave that lay within. However, as he stopped and hovered in the air, the rage inside of him stilled as he saw a face he had not seen in nearly a millennium.

Lagertha's stone features gazed up at him, a peaceful and restful look on her face as her effigy lay inside a mighty longship, vast treasures placed around her and a sword carved into her grip. The sight of the tomb caused Kal to momentarily forget why he was there and float down so that he was standing next to the stone tomb.

"I understand that she meant something to you." A rasping corpse-like voice caused Kal to twist around and see the figure he was there for. "You have my condolences, for I know what it is like to lose something that you love."

Standing in black crystalline armour, with the symbol of his house on his chest and a black cape draped on his shoulders was Zod. Kal felt hot fury enter his veins and made to move towards the man, but he stopped after only a few feet, a feeling of burning and weakness entering him as he did so, a sensation he had felt only once before. It had been more intense last time, like his blood had been boiling and his muscles were being flayed off, but this still made him pause as he recognised the source… Kryptonite.

"I would keep my distance if I were you, Kal-El," Zod spoke in laboured breaths and coughed briefly as he seemingly noticed Kal's discomfort. "I am not exactly conducive to anyone's health these days."

As if to explain his point Zod lift his hand and tapped the side of his head, causing his skull-like helmet to melt away back into the rest of the armour. What greeted Kal's vision was almost nightmarish, Zod's skin was pale and gaunt, and it clung to his skull like almost rotting flesh on carrion. What made it worse was his nature was emphasised by his deeply-sunken eyes that had charring around the edges and his veins which glowed with a sickly greenish hue.

"What happened to you?" Kal couldn't help the whispered question escaping his lips as he stared in horror at the corpse that had once been Krypton's greatest warrior.

"The death of our world is what happened," Zod explained, his voice raspy and brittle, as he opened his mouth Kal could see black viscous ichor where his blood had stained his teeth. Pieces of his rotting flesh tore from his gums and clung to them as he spoke, causing Kal to almost turn away at the sight. "When our planet exploded, I and my soldiers were bathed in the natural radiation of our homeworld. As it seeped into our blood, into our bones, our own bodies became poison."

"Soldiers?" Kal asked whilst he was horrified by what had happened to Zod he jumped on the information that had been revealed. "You said 'your soldiers,' there are more survivors from Krypton."

"There were," Zod stated his voice becoming low and almost sorrowful, he started coughing and Kal saw flakes of black slime escape his lips and land on the ground. "They're dead, Kal-El, all of them wasted away as I am now, centuries ago, you and I are the only ones left … but it does not need to remain that way. Our rebirth is still possible, and I will not allow myself to die until it is at hand."

"You want the Codex?" Kal stated softly keeping his eyes on Zod who looked surprised at his knowledge.

"What do you know of the Codex?" Zod asked, his voice becoming curious as to what the last son of El knew of his people's most important artefact.

"I know that with it one can restore the Kryptonian people, that it provides a map to creating more of our kind," Kal responded. He started moving slowly to the side, an action that Zod mirrored causing the last two sons of Krypton to circle each other.

"Indeed, but it is so much more than that," Zod spoke with almost religious reverence, as if the Codex for him was somehow more than the last means to save his people, it was also beyond sacred that even just talking about it was blasphemous. "The Codex is life Kal-El, in every sense of that word, it contains not only the means of restoring our people but all their knowledge, all truth, everything that makes our people what we are."

Kal was silent for a few moments as he paused in his circuition of the room, eyes briefly flickering away as he absorbed what he was saying before a low sigh escaped his lips. "I can't give you the Codex."

"I know, the Codex is held on Asgard with the craft your father created to save your life." Zod suddenly started retching again, a hand moving to his stomach as he coughed up a considerable amount of blood, before wiping away the last flecks as he spoke. "But together we can seize our destiny Kal-El, together there is no force in the universe that can stand against us!"

"You murdered my father, Jor-El. Conflict and suffering are all you can create. Why would I ever join you?" Kal asked a dark rage had entered his eyes as he responded to Zod's offer with a quiet low voice.

"Your father was like a brother to me," Zod replied, his voice had gone low and truly mournful as he looked away from Kal staring into space before he closed his eyes, becoming so quiet that super-hearing almost didn't catch him. "…..I grieve for him every day"

Kal was quiet for a few moments as rage and anger still coursed through his veins while he scoffed at Zod's pitiful attempt to seem mournful. However, as Kal looked at the man his rage turned to shock and surprise as all of his vast senses told him one thing.

"You are, aren't you." Kal's voice was barely above a whisper causing Zod to turn from his gazing into space and look at the son of the man he missed. "You really do miss him."

"Your father was the greatest man I ever knew," Zod spoke with complete sincerity as he looked at Kal and for a brief moment saw not the son but the father. Jor-El was alive once more with that friendly cocky look on his face and a warm understanding expression. "He and I laboured day and night to save our world, I supported him and he supported me. My greatest regret is that my rage took his life…...not that it would have changed anything in the end, he would still have perished when Krypton…..."

"How did you?.. Survive?" Kal asked, he couldn't help his curiosity. Everything Jor-El had told him and that he had learnt from the Fortress records told him that there should have been almost zero chance of anyone else making it.

"In return for my efforts in trying to save our people, I and my fellow officers were condemned to the Phantom Zone, an extra-dimensional prison where time and the laws of physics have no meaning, you exist as mere consciousness, a living hell." Zod explained moving over to the tomb that stood in the middle of the room staring down at the carven image of Kal's former love. "The destruction of our world was our liberation, a malfunction occurred when Krypton…..after which we were left aloneadrift in space, destined to starve to death around the ruins of the world we failed to save."

Zod lifted his head up and looked directly at Kal. The sorrow with which he had started his tale was suddenly replaced by fierce conviction and determination. For a moment Kal could see the man before him for what he had once been, Zod in his true glory standing erect and commanding, a fearless gaze emanating from his eyes.

"However, we refused to let that be our fate, with Kryptonian resolve we modified what was to be our tomb into our salvation. We then searched the old colonial outposts, what was once our great empire for any sign of life…. all we found was death and weakness." Zod spat out the last words ashamed that those Kryptonians that had not returned to the homeworld at the end of the civil war had also perished. "What, we did find was weapons, supplies, even a World Engine equipped with a planetary-scale Genesis Chamber, everything we would need to restore our people, the only thing we lacked was -"

"The Codex." Kal finished Zod's sentence earning him a respectful nod from the General pleased to see that Kal was just as sharp as his father.

"Yes the Codex, however, there was no sign, no trace of you or it, we searched for decades, which turned to centuries and in the end, we gave up believing. Jor-El's gambit had failed," Zod's voice was growing in confidence, however, it was suddenly undercut by another bout of coughing and blood, which he was forced to wipe away as he continued. "Despite our limited number we calculated we could start a viable population and planned on recreating Krypton anew, however that proved impossible."

"The Kryptonite poisoning." Kal realised the answer as to why Zod's last ploy had gone wrong. "Your exposure to the immediate aftermath of Krypton's destruction, it irradiated your genes. You couldn't produce children even if you wanted to."

"Precisely, the natural composition of our homeworld created a rare superheavy isotope. We knew it as the 'Gift of Rao', and although it was toxic and weakened us when we stood beneath a dying sun, it also gave us strength." Zod pushed himself off the ground and hovered in the air demonstrating his powers for effect. "Exposure to the gift made our species strong enough to survive anything and, in its absence, we become the gods we were always meant to be."

"But the poisoning? How have you survived?" Kal pressed wanting to know how Zod was still alive let alone had his gifts when by all natural sense the man should be dead.

"Exposure to yellow sunlight helped, it eased our symptoms, however over time even that was not enough. The others wasted away until only I was left. I was created to be the strongest, to endure what others could not but when the last of my fellow officers died, I almost abandoned all hope." Zod grew quiet for a few moments as he remembered the moment that almost broke him completely. "But then I heard of a Son of ODIN with fantastical powers that bore a symbol on his chest, one that I knew well."

Zod curled his right hand tight into a fist, the power of the sudden act caused a small sonic boom to occur as the ancient walls around them cracked slightly. Zod was breathing heavier anger rising in his eyes as he spat out the word Odin as if it was foul and polluted his mouth with its mere presence.

"However, I was no longer strong enough to rescue you from the filth that had risen since our people's fall. SoI turned to one who could, a being like us with power and, well, let's call it vision for the cosmos," Despite his words it was clear that Zod thought little of the person who he had made a pact with, his face was one of disgust and anger. "We made a deal: I would provide him with the knowledge that our people had about the Infinity Stones, aid him in retrieving them and in return he would -"

"Give you the Codex and a means to restore our people." Kal finished Zod's sentence feeling an ominous tension begin to build as he could see Zod was growing more unstable with each passing moment.

"Yes, but that deal no longer matters, nor does the Asgardian in green. Join me, Kal-El, and we can seize the Tesseract, summonMY army, MY vessel and the world engine, then retrieve the Codex from Asgard." Zod raised his clenched fist before him as he almost trembled with jubilation as he envisioned the future he was forcing into existence. "Together we can save Krypton just as I and your father should have, I can teach you our ways Kal-El, all that you long to know, so that when I die you can rule a restored Kryptonian Empire"

"Your army?" Kal asked softly, wanting as much information as possible, as he realised that his father had been more right about Zod than he could have imagined. The man was unhinged and knew only blood and force as a means of solving problems.

"The Chitauri, they are a product of our golden age, perfectly-engineered soldiers. They were expendable cannon fodder we created during our wars, obedient, ruthless and totally without mercy." Zod explained to Kal a proud smile on his face which disturbed Kal even more than he already was. "Join me Kal and I can teach you of the other wonders our people created."

"No," Kal stated softly, taking a step back from the only other son of Krypton left, shaking his head in disgust. "What you want isn't our people restored, you just want power and control, and I will have no part of it."

"Do not defy me Kal-El, your father did, and he found only an early grave." Zod's face fell at Kal's refusal; the mad hope in his eyes was now a dark stare that promised death. "I give you one last chance, son of El, to embrace your destiny. Kneel before Zod."

"Never," Kal stated, moving into a combat stance ready to fight to protect the last honour his people still possessed from Zod's madness.

"Disappointing, just like your father, an idealistic fool to the end. Then find comfort in knowing that I shall build our people's future on the foundation of your corpse." Zod snarled back at Kal hate entering his eyes as he glared at his adversary. "Well, not just yours."

Kal pushed off the ground with a great burst of speed and threw a punch with all his might at Zod's head, hoping the sudden vicious blow would be enough to end the fight before it began. However, as Kal's fist was about to make contact he suddenly found himself passing through Zod and skidding to a halt on the other side. He recoiled the true source of the kryptonite radiation; it was not Zod's dying body but the dagger Loki had once used against him suspended in the air with magic.

Kal's eyes flashed red destroying the offending object before a sense of dread started to wash over him.

"What in the name of -" Kal whirled around and saw that Zod now shone with a familiar green magical aura he had seen too often before. "Loki's magic…... oh no, the Helicarrier."

"See you soon Kal-El." The conjured projection of Zod that had been distracting him smirked before it vanished, the spell now broken as Kal knew the truth.

However, Kal paid that no heed as he immediately turned around and hurtled back through the rock of the mountainside, cursing himself for falling for Loki's distraction. He just hoped that he could reach the SHIELD vessel before it was too late.

(SHIELD Helicarrier – Somewhere off the East Coast – May 4th, 2012)

Carol was currently hating everything about Kryptonians, as she fired another salvo at the black armoured figure that was attacking the Helicarrier. When he was not gracefully twirling and arching through the sky avoiding her blasts, he was shrugging off what hits she was landing. What made it worse was that Zod was apparently taking little interest in actually fighting her, every chance he got he decided to use his heat vision to gouge another hole into the Helicarrier.

Carol cast a wary glance at the vessel which had seen better days. When Kal had departed, she had hoped that it was a sign that Loki had cracked and that he would soon return with the Tesseract. However, what had instead occurred was Fury frantically calling them to the lab as apparently Loki's plan was to unleash the Hulk, to cripple both the ship and team.

'Well, he got that one right' Carol grimaced to herself as she sent another barrage at Zod chasing him underneath the Helicarrier. Her attacks paid off as Zod finally responded to her but not in the way she had hoped. He merely twisted so that he was facing the Helicarrier and unleashed his heat vision on one of the intact turbines, causing the whole vessel to shake and start plunging downwards.

Carol cursed and quickly dived downwards placing her hands on the ship and pushing up with all her might to level the vessel.

She really hated Kryptonians, and she was hating SHIELD as well. This entire situation had been caused by human stupidity and arrogance.

Fury had made weapons with the Tesseract, actual goddamn weapons. When she had left the artefact on Earth and hid it from Kal she had done so because she believed Fury understood its danger and would only use it for a power source. Instead, he had basically put up a massive neon glowing sign in space, whilst blasting out on all channels that Earth was open to all comers if someone wanted to kick an arrogant child in the face to claim a shot at ultimate power.

She had been ready to tear her old friend in half and knew Kal was likely going to, but had only been prevented from doing so by Banner suddenly grabbing the Sceptre, which had then been followed by a violent explosion. Loki had played them for chumps, he had tricked Kal, sucker-punched the team, unleashed the Hulk and even orchestrated a rescue attempt led by Zod that was tearing SHIELD apart.

Carol was suddenly brought back to reality when she felt her skin feel like it was flying off. The cause was Zod, who had ceased his attack on the Helicarrier to attack her directly. He was hovering a few feet away from her and was blasting her with his heat vision full on as she desperately tried to keep holding on, knowing if she let go the craft would be lost.

"Hngh, you are tougher than you appear." Zod's raspy corpse-like voice was somehow still audible as he paused in his attack on her.

Before she could respond, Zod unleashed another devastating wave of red energy that washed over her. Carol's abilities naturally created a barrier that protected her, but the heat and intensity were such that she was barely able to do anything but hold on. However, just as she truly started to feel pain, it stopped, and she was able to look up.

Zod faltered in the sky, just for a moment, but Carol clearly observed it just as his heat vision stopped. Zod's chest was rising and falling rapidly, muscles tensing, which could only mean one thing… he was exhausted.

"And you are weaker," Carol smirked back triumphantly, her comment immediately caused Zod to roar in anger, his eyes flashing red again.

However, nothing happened, there was no fiery retort or anguishing pain, the red glow of his eyes flickered, and she saw again his ability to fly momentarily fail. She was about to mock him again hoping his rage would force him to over-commit and cause his powers to fail, but two things occurred that prevented her.

The first was Loki's prison cell being jettisoned only a few dozen feet from her, it hurtled to the ground like a ballistic missile, however, Carol was able to clearly see that the occupant wasn't Loki.

It was Thor.

Whilst the first distraction had been horrifying, the second brought a smile to her face as a familiar sonic boom reached her head. Both she and Zod turned to watch Kal approach at breakneck speeds, before she could blink, she felt the air shake as Kal impacted with Zod. The last two Kryptonians hurtled upwards, clipping the side of the vessel and tearing a hole as they went before they stopped in empty space.

The two men hovered a part from each other, neither engaging the other, whilst Carol couldn't hear what was being said she could guess. Kal was likely trying to use diplomacy or else demand Zod surrender, and the rogue insane Kryptonian was likely demanding the same of Kal.

"ghzzzzzzzzzzht -Captain do you read me?" Carol suddenly heard Fury's voice come back over the communication device. "Dammit, Carol, do you read me?"

"Yeah Nick, still here," Carol stated but felt the hull plates she was holding started to buckle as cracks and fissures started to appear around her hands. "But I could use a hand if anyone is free, I'm on the starboard side holding the ship up. Unless you can get this thing levelled off and under its own power, I'm going to lose it."

"Stark's getting the other turbine back online, we should be able to stabilise with three. Do you have a visual on the mother fu-, on the hostile putting holes in my boat." Fury's voice reflected his name. Carol could almost visualise the thumping veins in the man's head as he spoke.

"I -" Before she was about to speak, she suddenly found herself cut off by another voice coming over the intercom.

"I do." Lex Luthor's calm clinical voice sounded clearly over the radio. "And I am moving to engage."

"Luthor?" Fury's confused voice sounded over the airwaves as he clearly believed he was missing hearing the voice over the radio. "What do you mean you're engaging?"

"I am doing the job I was sent here to do:Complete and utilise Phase 2." Lex's statement was accompanied by a blue glowing rocket being fired from the deck of the Helicarrier.

Carol saw the missile arc through the sky towards both Kal and Zod who were still hovering, Zod was making gestures with his hands pointing at both Kal and himself, evidently trying to convince Kal to side with him. Carol tried to shift her weight so that she could unleash a blast and destroy the rocket before it hit both Zod and Kal but found herself unable due to her precarious position.

"Sir we've got a Phase 2 prototype in the air, it's -" Maria Hill's voice screeched over the radio trying to warn everyone but was cut off by the missile.

As it reached its target Kal twisted his body and easily caught the metallic projectile, and for a moment it seemed everything was fine.

There was then a flash.

It was a white blinding flash that was accompanied by the complete absence of sound, as the entire sky suddenly exploded into blue light. Carol had to close her eyes and even though the blast radius was small, she could still feel the heat and metal in her hands almost melt.

Then came the noise.

It was the crashing of a thousand waves made of a hundred thousand metal pieces each crashing onto a shore made of drums. The noise was deafening, and Carol suspected that if any sound could be described as pure absolute annihilation it was the one she was hearing.

Suddenly it was over.

As quickly as it had occurred the blinding light and deafening noise of destruction were over, allowing Carol to open her eyes again. As she did so she caught sight of a fleeing Quinjet likely scurrying Loki away, but Carol for the moment couldn't care less. Her sole focus was on where the Phase 2 missile had struck, on where one of the few people she cared deeply for had been.

"KAL!" Carol's scream echoed through the air as she stared in disbelief at the empty patch of seared air where Zod and Kal had once been.

Her only response was the emptiness of howling air that swirled around her, as she frantically cast her vision around the sky and sea. She saw nothing, no smiling face, no cocky grin, no blue and gold armour, not even a red cape. Only empty air and an uncaring sea.

"Kal." The word escaped Carol's lips this time as a whisper, as she felt cold emptiness etching into her heart.

A cold emptiness that was quickly replaced by a burning fury that caused her powers to surge and the metal in her hand to start to melt. As her grief was quickly replaced by a searing almost burning desire for vengeance.

"….Luthor"