Chapter 29 Solutions

Brandon staggered into his ship with a tired expression. Previously he had acted as if he was completely fine but that wasn't exactly true. The sun may have healed his wounds to a great extent but he could still feel the lingering of a different energy in his body. It gnawed at him and made his recovery slower.

Having flown above the atmosphere for some extra sunlight did him some good but he didn't heal fully on purpose. Red sun exposure was a first for him and it was something that needed more study.

Walking into the med bay Brandon found Zod already waiting for him with various advanced medical machines, their displays flickering with diagnostic data.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice tinged with an uncharacteristic hint of surprise and worry. As an AI Zod had easy access to the internet and various cameras around the world. So when Brandon first returned he was one of the first to see his appearance. Battered, cut, and bruised… a sight he never thought he'd see on his son.

Brandon slumped into a chair, wincing as he moved. "I ran into some trouble," he said, understatement heavy in his voice. He took a deep breath and continued, "The Flaxans world was strange, it affected me and made me weaker than I've ever felt. I think it had to do with their red sky"

Zod's expression shifted, revealing a rare flicker of emotion. For someone who prided himself on his stoicism. "Could it be a red sun?" he asked himself, a mix of astonishment and concern in his tone.

"A red sun?" Brandon asked feigning ignorance

"Yes, a red sun. The same kind that illuminated our home world Krypton." Zod said with some reminiscence. "A red sun limits Kryptonian abilities to a certain extent, making us mortal. It's one of the few things in this universe that can actually limit us."

"A red sun huh? So is it impossible to absorb it like a yellow one?" Brandon wasn't sure about this part. The cartoons never showed Superman successfully doing so but the comics could be different. Unfortunately, he didn't read too many of those.

"Using the red sun's light? As far as I know, it should be impossible."

Brandon nodded expecting that response but now it seemed like he had a problem. How in the world was he supposed to fight the Flaxans? Was he supposed to just wait and become defensive?

'No, I can't do that. If I do then people will die needlessly. Sigh, I'll figure some out' Shelving his concerns for now Brandon returned to the topic of the red sun.

"Well, I'd still like to learn about this energy if I can. I still have some of it in me if that helps"

Zod nodded approvingly. Learning about one's weakness was a good move. Even if he didn't expect much to come from it.

"Alright come along I need to take some samples and you're still recovering so head to the sun chamber to heal afterward."

Zod didn't need to tell him twice. Rest was exactly what he wanted and he was going to take full advantage of it.

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Two weeks quickly went by without anything major occurring in the world. The guardian's absence did stir the criminals but those were handled by street-level heroes leaving Brandon relatively free.

Not one to waste time he began studying the effects of the red sun but he didn't learn anything more than what he already knew. Exposure weakens him and continues to do so the more he's exposed but won't kill him.

However, he still wondered why he was so strong despite this when he fought the flaxans. On all accounts, he should've become as weak as a common soldier. He figured if he found out why this was then he could use it to his advantage for future battles and turned it into his next research goal. Luckily he was actually able to make progress on this but it was because the reason was actually simple.

The Flaxan world similar to Earth is much smaller than Krypton, specifically 10x smaller. This along with the residual yellow sun in his body gave him the strength he had at the time. Meaning it wasn't really a viable option or plan for him if he wanted to take the fight to them.

This was unfortunate but he was undeterred. Where there's a will there is a way as they say. So going back to the drawing board he began thinking up some more plans. Some were creative such as heading there with a battery suit carrying earth's sunlight but this was also a weakness. If he went and the battery was somehow damaged then he'd be screwed but he felt like he was on the right track.

A suit was a good idea but instead of making it a battery what if he just blocked the red sun's influence? His body was basically a perfect battery and he had a good amount of Kryptium to make a durable suit. Feeling like this was a good plan he ran it by Zod he calculated the feasibility and it was actually really high.

All they really needed to do was develop an energy shield to block the red sun. Which was also simple to do with the tools they had.

"Haha this is great, this suit might even be great for space exploration," Brandon said with some excitement. After all the universe is wide and you never know where a red sun might be.

"Agreed, I'll get started on it right away"

"Great, besides that how's the work on Viltrumite DNA?"

Zod up to this point had appeared in a good mood but upon being asked this question he released a light scowl. "Difficult, these Smart Atoms as you've called them are resistant and elusive. I've tried various means but it's going to take more time. Perhaps if I had a living sample…"

"No, I won't bring the boy"

"Very well but it would go faster with him just think about it" With that said Zod's figure dissipated back into the ship as he went to do his own thing for a while.

With him gone Brandon relaxed in his chair happy with how things were going. There had been no flaxan attacks, there were No Viltrumites invading, and he had made a solution for the red sun.

"Everything's just going great"

RING RING

Brandon lost his smile hearing the phone. 'Hopefully, I didn't just jinx myself' Reaching out he picked it up and saw it was from Cecil's. One of his least favorite people…

"Cecil didn't think I'd hear your call today"

"I didn't think I'd be calling you either but I didn't really have a choice"

'Sigh and there's the trouble I wonder what it is… another Kaiju maybe?'

"Alright I'm all ears"

"Don't worry, it's nothing world-threatening. I just need you to come in"

Brandon's eyes narrowed not sure where he was going with this but there was only one way to find out.

"I'll be right there"

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"You called him right Cecil," War Woman asked while trying to climb out of her bed.

"Sigh, I told you already you need to rest and still have to go through more examinations before you're clear to move." In response, War Woman just glared at him and continued getting out of bed much to his disapproval. "Sigh but yes he's on his way"

"Good" War Woman said as she stretched. Laying down in a coma for over a month made her extremely tense.

"How about you rush, how are your legs?" Cecil asked, looking at the corner of the room where a man dressed in casual clothing sat.

"They've been better but I can walk" Red Rush responded but it lacked the life it used to have. Losing his friends was a lot to take but he had fortunately had time to mentally recover.

War Woman noticed Red Rush's tone and also seemed a bit down but she was more used to losing people. Being an immortal demigod had its perks but it also came with the cost of seeing those you love fade away.

As such she was hurt to hear that most of her time perished but in her opinion, they died in the best way they could. On the battlefield with their honor intact as a warrior should.

Creak

Hearing the door open caused everyone to turn to the new arrival. They stood tall with a rough beard and carried strength beyond most men.

"Immortal? I thought you died" War Woman exclaimed as she stood up in shock.

"I did but they managed to bring me back," Immortal said with a short response. Not aging was something he was used to but he still felt uncomfortable learning that he couldn't even die. So he kept it short to avoid the subject.

"So only half of us died" Red Rush murmured

War Woman didn't enjoy how the Red Red made it sound. They were survivors and their teammates were lost but this wasn't something to cry for. Instead, they should celebrate the lives they live and get stronger in response.

"No Half of us lived and we will get our vengeance"

Immortal and Red Rush tensed at this. There's no way she was actually thinking of fighting that monster again. They barely stood a chance with a full team. What did she expect with half of one?

However, upon seeing her face they saw she was completely serious and wasn't joking.

"We'll discuss this another time first. I think it's time we see your friend" Immortal said as he turned to Cecil noticing how he was notified by his men about a new arrival.