章 21: Consequences. Who cares?
<So this is an extra long chapter. I was planning on making it 4,000 words because we hit 100 power stones yesterday but I felt that the chapter ended on the right note. Any more and it would feel exhausting for the reader.>
Zod and Carol accelerated towards each other causing a simultaneous sonic boom to explode around them.
As Carol approached him Zod prepared to use the standard Kryptonian military martial arts.
An empire like Krypton that has stood for more than several millennia has a fully complete set of martial arts. The main focus of their attacks stem from grappling and holds that can break and dislocate bones.
With their expansionist policy that conquered several planets they had to adapt to the different gravity levels of each planet. The best way of taking down an opponent on a new planet was to redirect their opponents moves like tai-chi rather than accidentally over-extend or under-extend their power due to the different gravity.
With the mix of tai-chi and jiujitsu based techniques the rapid deployment troops could face various levels of gravity without breaking a sweat.
Back to the battle, Zod seemingly let Carol punch him in the face, however before the fist could connect he redirected the punch using his right hand while grabbing her wrist and using his left knee to kick her in the side, directing the energy past him and sending her towards the ground for a high speed collision.
It was not meant to be however as Carol regained her balance and slowed down in the air to where a crash turned into a skid on the ground with her feet leaving a 10-meter trench.
Zod didn't give her a chance to counterattack as his leg chopped down towards her head breaking the sound barrier and sending the sand in different directions.
Carol angled her body so the kick would brush by her and used the displaced air from the sonic boom to help her escape several meters away with a somersault.
Her eyes were shining with a multicolored light as she grinned, excited for the chance to finally let loose on an opponent that could fight back.
Zod looked at her eyes that were shining from her photon powers and smirked before saying,
"I can do that too."
His eyes started to gleam an unholy red as the temperature in the air increased.
Carol tensed her muscles while putting her hands in front of her ready for an attack.
Only instead of a melee attack a ray of red energy erupted from Zod's eyes, the temperature of it turning the surrounding sand to glass as it continued to cross the distance between them.
Carol's luminescent eyes contracted into a dot as the photon energy surrounded her in a cocoon, the photon aura looking like the aurora borealis swirling around her.
The ray impacted her now crossed arms, and she gritted her teeth as her body slid backwards quickly from the impact.
She then twisted her wrists that were crossed so her palms would face outwards and unclenched her hands while her aura covered them before erupting in two streams of light.
Both beams entered a tug-of-war battle, unceasingly shortening and lengthening as neither could snuff out the other.
Zod smiled, his teeth gleaming as he upped the intensity of the ray that was at least two feet wide to about 4 feet wide.
The increase instantly rebounded on Carols arms as she was sent flying into a 50-meter-high rock formation before coming out the other side and splitting 3 sand dunes in half before finally coming to a stop.
The armor around her arms was smoking as she pulled herself into a sitting position.
Zod flew over a little worried that he might have injured her seriously. He came to a stop next to her as her hair covered her face while she was looking down at her arms.
Before he could turn his x-ray on to see her face behind her hair she started chuckling, then full-blown laughing.
If this were an anime there would be question marks flying above Zod's head right now.
She suddenly looked up at him with grin, then slammed her fist into her palm with a sound akin to a cannon going off and spoke one word.
"Again."
For the next hour sonic booms and colossal impacts spread for miles as Zod and Carol traded fists at an increasing tempo, getting faster and faster.
Several times Carol had to tap out as Zod put her in different body locks.
The ambiguous nature of the poses was not lost on either of them, although both just tried to ignore it for now.
Both of them stopped the fight as they noticed they were now in Earth's orbit and Zod just launched Carol through a satellite, the fragments bursting in all directions. The Foogle logo with different colored letters could vaguely be seen printed on one of the shrapnel.
Zod shrugged slightly when he saw Carol's amused accusation-filled glance.
He then turned towards the moon before looking back at Carol as he got a sudden idea.
Directing his warping field towards his hand, he created two earpieces that integrate brainwaves and Krypton technology to make a transmitter that can be used without speaking.
Taking one of them and tossing it in the zero-gravity to Carol who looked at him with surprise, he grabbed the other and fastened it on his ear.
Instead of using the field to transmit his thoughts directly which would be harder to gain her trust as she associates it with mind reading, he decided to use this roundabout option.
Carol put the earpiece on and Zod sent his thoughts through it,
[Just think what you want to say, it triggers the message when the user directs its 'intent' into a message]
Carol raised an immaculate eyebrow at him with slight suspicion before replying,
[Is it working? Can you hear me?]
Zod nodded and gave a thumbs-up.
Carol then sent with a teasing grin,
[So why did you make this? Trying to impress me?]
Zod rolled his eyes in exasperation then wiggled his eyebrows,
[I want to show you something.]
With a dry look, Carol sent,
[Uh-huh. Seriously, what do you want to show me?]
Zod stopped joking and looked at her with a serious expression,
[Potential allies.]
He then took off towards the moon at high speed.
----
Meanwhile, Kelex was getting situated in his new and improved home under the villa. He used his new capabilities made possible by his creator to do a deep search on all communications made by a black-ops team and the intel recorded.
Most off-the-books ops aren't recorded digitally, however this group takes video evidence of some of their deeds to use as blackmail against the other party.
One innocent Frank Castle who is under the assumption that these are legitimate orders from the higher-ups is about to get a rude awakening.
Frank is currently finished with a mission with the "Cerberus Squad" and doing some R&R, video chatting his family back home.
Kelex hacks into his military laptop and while his wife is in the midst of a sentence, a pop-up appears, showing downloaded files and video.
Frank quickly ends the chat with some well-wishes and then opens the files.
One of them shows a couple of his squad-mates stuffing heroin inside a dead body. The part that stands out to him the most is the two figures that are overseeing it all, his superior Ray Schoonover and best friend Billy Russo.
Then a notepad file opens without him doing it and the words appear as if he were typing them,
[Before you do anything with this, look at the next part.]
The laptop continues to operate on its own as he watches more evidence piling up and finally ending with a video of a middle-eastern family being massacred in their own home as one of his squad-mates lifts the balaclava covering his face and says in broken Arabic, {This is what happens when you try to snitch, Kasim.}
Frank sat there shell-shocked as he put his head in his hands.
Then rage, unending rage erupts inside him.
Only a small mechanical beep from the laptop stops him from going over to the next tent and beating the life out of his former friend.
[If you make them aware you know something, it will put your family in danger.]
Franks eyes see red as he breathes hard like a blacksmith's bellows while his hands are clenched so hard blood is seeping from between his fingers.
His voice is hoarse as he speaks between clenched teeth, "What the f*ck do you expect me to do after seeing all of that?!"
[All of this evidence you see, it's nothing. Not enough. My employer doesn't care about who this will bring down. You can use this evidence to cut off any chance of your family being hurt. Because both of us know it's only a matter of time. My employer only wants you. Imagine what you could achieve if you had Captain America's power or even higher. Then you can protect your wife and kids without having to rely on the law. All he wants is your allegiance. The benefits are endless and the opportunities infinite.]
Frank stared at the screen for what felt like hours. Then he grabbed a USB flash drive and went to work.
----
Outside the Inhumans lunar base.
[So you're telling me those Kree bastards experimented on humans a few million years ago? Now they have powers?!]
Carol looked at Zod in disbelief. Then she looked in front of them at the landscape that looked like the regular moon and scoffed in what Zod would dare say an adorable way. And Zod would be the only one that would dare say that…
[I'll believe it when I see it.] Carol said.
Before Zod could say anything, the air in front of them erupted in a dazzling golden color. After the golden aura dissipated a strange group with space helmets could be seen standing in its place all holding onto a huge bulldog as large as a lion.
A man wearing a black and white outfit with a grim face was standing in the center, and a woman with long red hair stood next to him.
Off to the side was a tall man that had hooves for feet and a bald man who looked like a monk.
The bald man took one look at Zod and his eyes widened so much it looked like they would fall out.
Zod enhanced his hearing so he could listen to what the "monk" was saying,
"I cannot find a weak point on that man at all, it's the first time I have ever come across such a thing!"
All of the group wore solemn expressions as the man in black stepped forward with the red haired woman.
He then used sign language to speak, and before the red haired woman could interpret it for the others, Zod started to sign also,
{We are here without ill-intentions. May we speak with you inside your city, your majesty Black Bolt?}
Carol watched with fascination on the side as all the group went rigid at the same time.
Black Bolt stared at Zod warily before signing back,
{There is a place we can talk; you and your companion may lay your hand on our family dog Lockjaw and we will take you there.}
Zod relayed to Carol what he said, and she contemplated for a moment before walking over to the dog and petting it before resting her hand on its back.
After both Zod and Carol grabbed onto Lockjaw the rest also rested their hands on it and the whole group disappeared in a golden flash.
----
On a platform overlooking Niagra Falls in New York.
The golden flash subsided while the whole group looked around.
The area was off to the side away from onlookers and Zod chuckled as he recognized where they were.
The red-haired lady, Medusa commented,
"You didn't think we would allow outsiders in our city, did you?"
Zod shook his head indifferently,
"It doesn't matter where we talk."
Carol nudged his arm with her elbow surreptitiously and spoke through her mind with the headset,
[So how are you going to approach this? I can take a crack at it.]
Zod didn't make any outward acknowledgment that he heard her and spoke through his headset,
[I've established a small amount of goodwill by speaking to their king in sign language, so I'll take the lead.]
Zod broke the tense silence between both parties,
"My friend here, Carol Danvers is a long-time enemy of the Kree who experimented on your race. She is here with me to open up a cooperation between us."
Medusa raised an eyebrow and spoke,
"Hoh, and what kind of cooperation is that?"
Zod smiled slightly,
"I know through my own means that your city has problems with food scarcity, and I have technology that can print food as long as you have the nutritional gel that supports it. I can give you the recipe for the gel and some of the machines for you to test."
Black Bolt used sign language to communicate this time instead of Medusa.
{And what benefits would you receive from this? What is your end goal?}
Zod decided to be blunt too,
"Soldiers."
Black Bolt's expression changed and was about to open his mouth to speak, likely destroying the scenic spot and the surrounding areas with his sonic voice.
Zod quickly interjected before that could happen,
"The Alpha-primitives!"
Black Bolt closed his mouth.
Zod then continued with a rising emphasis,
"The failed people of your race that undergo the terragenesis have always been a threat to your rule as they try again and again to overthrow the caste system your society has developed. Why not choose the most extremist of the rebels and give them the opportunity to fight against the true cause of their misfortune! The Kree!"
Black bolt and Medusa looked at each other and communicated in the way only couples who have been together for decades could, and finally came to a decision.
{We will discuss this with our family before deciding whether to accept your cooperation.}
Zod smirked internally as he conveyed what Black Bolt said to Carol.
"I will await your decision then. You may leave your answer outside your city when you have come to a conclusion."
Black Bolt nodded to both Zod and Carol before placing his hand on Lockjaw as the others do the same.
A moment later and all of them disappear in a golden flash.
Zod looks at Carol and gestures to the waterfalls of Niagra Falls,
"Might as well tour the place."
"This isn't a date."
"Didn't say it was."
----
After spending the day touring the waterfalls and the surrounding shops, Zod and Carol said goodbye as they both went their own way, planning to contact each other when the Inhumans make their decision.
Zod touched down on his balcony in Texas as he reminisced on the day's events.
Carol was a surprise as she was more down-to-earth than he thought she would be. While there was no doubt she was a capable warrior, she also showed restraint and generosity when dealing with others.
It was a far cry from the feminist warrior in the movies.
Zod enjoyed the time spent with someone he considers his close to his strength and ability.
Before his mind could wander further, a spinning portal opened up in front of him.
Out walked the iconic bald headed Ancient One in all her robed glory.
"Did the sling ring make you forget necessary courtesy?"
Her eyes twinkled as she replied,
"I brought some tea, does that count as courtesy?"
Zod sighed as he leaned against the railing.
"What brings you here?"
The Ancient One sat down on one of the chairs before speaking,
"You have angered many…entities, with the stunt you pulled on Victor Von Doom."
Zod rolled his eyes,
"I'm sure you are capable enough to stop them from interfering with the world, unless I have overestimated your power."
Zod leaned forward as if he were about to test that theory.
The Ancient One smiled as green glowing alphabetical characters appeared on her skin as if tattoos, winding all over her skin and ending with a third eye on her forehead.
The air around her seemed to shift as it gained an illusory quality.
Zod arched an eyebrow,
"Time stone?"
"It's a handy thing isn't it? We're not currently in the same timeline at the moment yet still speaking. The wonders of the stone are limitless."
Zod thought for a moment then chuckled,
"That means you cannot affect me at the moment, and I cannot affect you, so a fight would be meaningless. However, you have the stone so you know my powers; this type of trick will only work once."
The ancient one smiled slightly while looking at Zod's arms,
"Oh, are you sure?"
Zod looked down and saw the same alphabetic script on his arms. The effect had already taken place as he was now in the same timeline as the Ancient One.
Furthermore, he could feel that his body was now weakened majorly.
Zod scrunched his brows, the only time he felt this weak was when he had just arrived on Earth, which means…
"You used the time stone to bring my body back to before I got my reality warping powers and was only barely above Captain America level strength."
The Ancient One clapped politely as she praised Zod's thought process,
"So now it seems that the power has shifted. Would you like to listen now instead of being aggressive?"
"Fine."
Zod leaned back against the railing as he idly wondered how the hell this was actually possible.
Bullsh*t Magic.
The Ancient One smiled like a kind old grandmother and started to talk,
"I'll make this short since the Time Variance Authority doesn't like me messing with timelines, and while you are an anomaly in the timestream, they still get irked when I do this sort of thing. It's only the fact that I have done favors for them in the past that stops me from being judged. Several dimensional entities were interested in Doom and were annoyed when you cut off their path. While that wouldn't normally be a problem, you are now their main topic of interest.
That means any time you slack off with your surroundings, you could accidentally touch an item of theirs and before you can even think, you will be possessed, or any other dark outcome could await you. Your reality warping powers are useless against dimensional beings because they are not a part of our main reality. They have their own domains.
Furthermore, any person affiliated with such an entity is now probably your enemy. While I and my sorcerers are usually able to stop the event before it happens, I already have a full plate of problems at the moment.
Another point of concern is the more you use your reality warping, the more you will attract the attention of nigh-omniscient persons. Whether or not they have the best intentions for you is unknown."
After that whole monologue the Ancient One proceeded to walk towards Zod and pat his shoulder in encouragement before walking towards the glowing portal that opened up.
Zod looked at her and asked a question before she went through the portal,
"Why are you on my side?"
The Ancient One paused to leave a comment and entered the portal,
"Like it or not, you are one of this dimension's last hope."
クリエイターの想い 
SoySauceSovereign
SoySauceSovereign Whew, and now I am going to bed.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット