This is only a casing, used to contain a Sentry.
Once the Sentry is out of the shell, it seeks a host.
Then uses that host to gather information
about whatever planet it's on.
Once it's gathered all the information required,
it uploads it to Brainiac,
and leaves the host body for dead.
My mom's not coming home, is she?
No, sweetheart, she's not.
Val, I'm headed your way...
Tell me what you know about Brainiac.
- Who are you? - I didn't bring you here
to ask me questions.
I need you to tell me how to get us out of here.
We go straight.
Whoa, hey, friends, friends.
This is a sacred place. You do not belong here.
Commander Zod, it is by Rao's word
that you are hereby eby chard with treason.
I have come to make you an offer
- that could save Lyta's life. - For the cost of what?
Pledge your support for my father.
What makes you think Jayna is ready to join us
and go against everything House Zod stands for?
Our plans rest on Jayna's militarism...
Oh, you think I don't know that?
Tell us where you took that Cythonnite woman.
She holds the key to stopping Brainiac.
Stay here.
- Who gave you that? - You did.
I'm your son.
You made me work for this when I was just a boy.
Then you put it on me, and said,
we kneel for no one.
This...
It can't be. It's impossible.
Don't listen to a goddamn word this asshole says, Seg.
- You know him? - I know who he is.
In my time, we all know who he is.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
General Zod.
This son of a bitch is Superman's greatest enemy.
So trust me on this, we need to kill him now.
- Synced and corrected by martythecrazy - - www.addic7ed.com -
- Born from the void of the universe,
before time began,
Almighty Rao, who kindled the sun and created all life,
I submit to thee.
What makes you think Rao created all life?
Because I have faith.
My mother told me faith's a journey
that begins in hope and ends in belief of what you can't see,
but know to be true.
Or it could be considered a delusion.
The sign of a species not given to clear thought.
Is this a test?
Yes.
Do you think my faith isn't strong enough?
What are you testing?
Your worthiness.
Your city's, your world's.
Do you deserve eternal life?
What happens to those who aren't worthy?
I think you know the opposite of eternal life, Ona.
Killing a man directly runs the risk of witnesses.
A bomb, though, that can be attributed to anyone.
Tonight, the Voice of Rao closes the Nova Cycle festival
with the Ascension Ceremony at the Hall of Justice.
It's private, so there will be minimal collateral damage
and we can rig the explosive ahead of time.
I hope you've chosen your support
among the Guilded carefully.
Oh, we know who will back us when the time comes.
- What about you? - There's only one left
to complete the team. Commander Dev-Em.
He's used to working with the Voice's security detail,
and the Voice is used to him.
How sure are you that he'll commit?
The Ems are a traditional house.
Dev goes through the motions of Raoism,
but it's not where his heart lies.
That's with my daughter.
As for his loyalty, that's with me.
- I hope you're right. - And I hope you're ready.
Come now, you're obviously not built for this.
You're only resting that weapon on my chest
to stop your hands from shaking.
Go on, say one more word.
And you'll see exactly what I'm built for.
All right, all right. Just take it easy.
- And start explaining. - This sorry bastard
has travelled back through time to get here.
I don't know how, but it's not hard to see why.
He's obviously working with Brainiac to destroy Krypton.
Why would I destroy our world?
I'm here to save Krypton.
Oh, so it's just a coincidence
you're here at the same time as Brainiac?
Of course not. History tells us this
is when that creature ripped Kandor City
away from the planet and made it part of his collection.
I'm here to prevent that tragedy.
I'm confused, you're saying that Brainiac
isn't from the future?
That's exactly what I'm saying.
Brainiac didn't travel through time to launch this attack.
This is what he's always done.
No, that...
That can't be right.
It's elementary Kryptonian history.
The beginning of the end for our civilization.
Brainiac takes Kandor City,
which destabilizes Krypton's core.
Causing the planet to explode in 200 years.
The planet explodes in 200 years?
That, that, that's insane.
- That's insane. - Wait.
Your friend here didn't mention that?
It's true, isn't it?
That's not the point.
This whole time, you knew and you said noth...
Seg, you cannot trust this man.
Oh, so he's lying?
But you've confirmed he's a Zod,
- and he's from your time... - And if he's really your son,
then I'm sorry, but believing anything he says
is a mistake. You got to trust me on this.
He's here to destroy Krypton,
and make sure Superman is never born.
No Zod would ever destroy Krypton.
It's our duty to defend our city, and our world.
Our duty, and...
Our proud privilege.
Oh, this is some grade-A, premium bullshit.
Seg.
You know you can trust me, don't you?
Well?
Hey, man.
Seg!
Cuff them both.
Come on.
Seg...
Oh, I think there's some explaining to be done.
All right.
You first.
You said you're here to stop Brainiac,
that you've studied him. Let's hear the plan.
Firstly, you have to understand
that Brainiac is virtually immortal.
Existing for thousands of years.
He possesses the intellectual plunder
of countless advanced civilizations.
He's far beyond us.
And as history has proven, Krypton's current weapons
- are useless against him. - Yet here you are.
And we still haven't heard a plan yet, General.
That's because he doesn't have one.
On account of he's full of shit.
When Brainiac took Kandor, both our families made it out.
They made their way to Kryptonopolis.
In that city's ancient archives,
I learned of the location of a hidden weapon.
A pre-cataclysm instrument of violence so powerful,
it would give even Brainiac pause.
That's why your base is down here?
I've been searching these catacombs for months.
With only one clue.
Inside pocket.
Don't come crying to me
if he's hiding some kind of freaky ass space spider
in there that bites your hand off.
Just saying.
According to the archive,
we find that symbol, we find the weapon.
It looks like a house sigil.
It doesn't match any house currently on Krypton.
You recognize it.
All you have to do is take me there.
- Seg, you can't... - Shut up.
You'll have your turn.
The people who live down here, the Cythonnites.
This weapon is what they're sworn to protect, isn't it?
Yes, and they will guard it with their lives.
Because that is how powerful it is.
Which is why we need it.
I received a message. You wanted to see me?
Commander Em, sit down.
What I need to say to you,
I say because I trust you, Dev.
Thank you, Primus. That means a lot.
The Rankless Initiative. That was shit, wasn't it.
Complete shit.
It only made things worse, and Lyta didn't deserve
to be made a scapegoat for the Council's bad decisions.
Over your lifetime, would you say things
have gotten better in Kandor?
No, I wouldn't.
But there is nothing we can do about it.
We are Sagitari. We don't make policy.
What if I told you there are some
who would like to see a change in who makes policy?
And the person they'd want to change out?
The Voice of Rao.
You've committed to this?
Just by my being here,
being here and not turning you in,
I'm committed.
Are you?
You could still walk out and call officers to arrest me.
Would you let me do that?
We could find out.
No need.
Everything I learned about being a Sagitari
was by following your lead.
If you ask it of me, I'll back you.
All the way.
You guys can't seriously be considering
giving this wackjob a weapon of mass destruction.
Seg.
I'm sorry. Really, I am.
I know I should have told you before,
but what was I supposed to say?
Hey, man, let's go get a drink.
By the way, your world's going to explode.
Why even lay that burden on you?
Wouldn't you want to know?
All right.
I didn't tell you because it was hard.
It's not a conversation anyone wants to have.
Look, I don't, I don't know.
Maybe Zod's lying. Maybe...
Maybe I was wrong.
All I knew was Superman's enemy was going back
to change the timeline, which means that
your grandson would never be born.
So you're telling me you didn't even hear
the full story, but you came to me, so sure of yours...
I had to. I couldn't just stand around
and do nothing if it meant no Superman.
Regardless of what you got wrong,
Brainiac is still coming. We can all agree on that.
We all want to stop him, so why don't we work together?
Because, if the warning I received
wasn't about Brainiac, it must have been about Zod.
And if we're to preserve the timeline,
maybe we have to step back, and let...
Let Brainiac take Kandor.
In honor of the Nova Cycle, by Rao's mercy,
your wrongdoing is pardoned.
Go, meditate on your sins, and perfect yourself.
In honor of the Nova Cycle, by Rao's mercy,
your wrongdoing is pardoned.
Go, meditate on your sins, and perfect yourself.
In honor of the Nova Cycle, by Rao's mercy,
your wrongdoing is pardoned.
Go, meditate on your sins, and perfect yourself.
In honor of the Nova Cycle, by Rao's mercy,
your wrongdoing is pardoned.
There must be some mistake.
A late addition to the list of pardons.
- I see nothing wrong. - But Commander.
It says he's Black Zero. He's a bomb maker.
- Is something wrong? - Excuse me,
but there's been an error. Zeroes are never pardoned.
Rao's mercy is infinite.
If His Eminence sees something in this prisoner
that we do not, it is not for us to question.
But shouldn't we follow this up?
- Make sure... - Lieutenant.
You're aware that the Rankless Initiative
created an ill feeling in the city.
There are those who think the authorities
are obsessed with Black Zero.
This is a chance for us to show them
that Rao sees us all as his children.
Let it go, Lieutenant Ran.
The politics are above our pay grade.
Commander Em, there's a lot of animosity
towards Black Zero, understandably.
Perhaps you could accompany this prisoner
safely out of the building.
In honor of the Nova Cycle...
He's clearly insane, Seg.
Come on, don't waste another moment thinking about him.
Seg, I know how this sounds, but please.
This is a key moment in history.
Things need to unfold the way that they originally did.
Okay, any changes could set off history
in some new and crazy way, and something huge,
like stopping Brainiac,
that could ruin everything.
By everything, you mean my grandson.
Your obsession.
Tell me, how is it that my world goes extinct,
but he ends up on yours?
He was sent off just before this planet exploded.
That's why he's called the Last Son of Krypton.
I don't have all the answers here.
I admit it.
I guess if...
If Brainiac doesn't take Kandor,
if Krypton doesn't explode, then anything can happen.
And maybe Kal-El will exist. Maybe he won't.
But what I do know is that is a risk we cannot afford to take.
One might argue that the millions of lives
on Krypton are more important
than one immature survivor on Earth.
And one might argue how many times
Superman saves the universe, if you want to count numbers.
Forget the numbers!
I care about my world.
My friends.
What's the point of any of it?
Of making the world a better place?
Of having children? Of protecting our loved ones?
If it all just ends
in fire and death?
Everything that we are.
Everything we've built.
You're asking me
to sacrifice all of it.
For an idea.
An abstraction.
A future if.
Seg...
Please.
This is the most important moment in all of our lives.
I know that I've given you reason to doubt me,
and I'm sorry.
But I'm asking you to put that aside right now.
I'm asking you to trust me.
- Keep both eyes on him. - He's not to be trusted.
Copy that.
When we met,
you said you knew my family.
I counted your son as my closest friend.
It's true I disapproved of your grandson.
Why?
There are immigrants who turn their backs
on their history and their culture.
Passively accept the standards their new world offers,
as though no others could possibly exist.
He let himself be cut down to size.
He was proud of it. Proud of burying his heritage.
I'm sorry, but your friend was right about one thing at least.
We were enemies.
Though I take no pleasure in that, and never have.
Why is faith important to you?
It means that everything has a purpose.
That the purpose is good.
That I'll see my mother again one day.
It's faith that leads us to the Blessed Place.
Is that important to you, Little Sundrop?
How did you know my mother called me that?
A few of the worthy, the special ones,
I take into myself.
I take their memories, skills, dreams.
Everything that makes them what they are.
Their template lives forever
in me.
A template, that's a soul?
Your mother is here in me.
You could join her.
Together forever. Would you choose that?
Sevi, why are you afraid? What's wrong?
Sevi has nothing to be afraid of.
She's answered her questions well,
and been promised eternal life.
Sevi, that's wonderful, isn't it?
Yes, I'm so happy.
Your choice will determine your fate for eternity.
Take time to consider it well.
He's been asking questions.
Wondering why the last minute pardon
for a Black Zero bomb maker.
Noting that the prisoner hasn't returned to his dwelling,
or been seen in the city since his release.
Of course not, he's in a Rankless safe house
under guard, waiting to be found and arrested
for the Voice's death, and killed while avoiding capture.
What good does that do us when one of your officers
is encouraging people to scrutinize the chain of events?
He's from a prominent family. People might listen to him.
Couldn't you have replaced him with one of our people?
I already slipped Dev in.
If you want to attract suspicion,
a good way to do it would be to shift assignments around
just before an assassination.
Most officers wouldn't have questioned the order.
- We were unlucky. - You need to silence him,
quickly, before he draws attention.
Well, it's too late to bring him on board now.
And any attempt to scare him
would only deepen his suspicion further.
No, there is only one way to handle this.
- I'll speak to him. - No, don't...
I do not need to be schooled on the danger here.
The lives of every Sagitari I've recruited are in my hands,
and they've put them there because they have faith in me.
If I'm committed, they're willing to back me.
What are you committed to, except yourself?
You've only ever been out for number one.
Am I supposed to justify myself to you?
Two decades ago, you came out of nowhere,
and married into House Vex, and spent the rest of your life
trying to make the Vex name seem important.
My honor, that's my own problem.
But what did I sacrifice it for?
And am I supposed to kill a junior officer
to prop up your ego? My ego?
You take a good look at this city
that you are supposedly protecting, Jayna.
Kandor is stagnating.
We are barely surviving on our dwindling resources.
It is time to look to the future.
To look beyond, and start to build new alliances
with the eight other cities.
To combine our expertise, and develop new resources.
If the other, more illustrious houses
are too hidebound to do it, I am not.
This world will only improve when our cities work together.
Under your leadership?
You know, you're right.
I do look out for number one.
But the people of Kandor are number two.
Where do you suppose they feature
on the Voice or Rao's list?
He only cares about the glorification of his god,
and he expects the people to dedicate themselves to that.
At least from me, they get a chance at a decent life.
I am a selfish bastard, Jayna.
But people do things for more than one reason.
Everything all right, Lieutenant?
I don't know.
The bomb maker who was freed.
Why pardon someone with such lethal expertise?
I feel I should seek an audience with the Voice.
- Ask what he meant by it. - I'd advise against that.
You'd be implying the Voice made a bad decision,
and that's never a good idea, career-wise.
I get that, but...
Did you know the prisoner vanished?
The whole thing feels wrong, don't you think?
You could be on to something.
Let's find somewhere to talk it over, figure it out.
That's okay. You're right.
I probably should stay out of it.
It's no trouble.
- I've got the time. - No.
Thank you, Commander Em.
It's really okay.
Oh, I hate to say this, but I got to pee.
So unless you want to hold it for me,
you're going to have to unlock me for a moment.
Real soon.
I'll take the third option, which is ignoring you.
Hey, wait, wait, wait, I've got something to tell you
about the weapon that you're guarding.
The prisoner was only added to the list at the last second.
And no one can tell me where the order came from.
He was last seen with Commander Em.
Since then, he's disappeared from the city.
You were right to come to me with this, Lieutenant Ran.
I feel I should also tell you,
I've requested an audience with the Voice of Rao.
You are a fine officer.
You have your commander's praise.
- I have a million questions. - Yes?
Aren't you afraid revealing things to your mother
might mess up your timeline?
A man who travels into the past to change things
is in no position to be picky.
Very true.
It's amazing to see you like this.
- Young? - Happy, open.
Smiling.
What I remember most about you was how heavy
the loss of Kandor weighed on your heart.
You didn't like to talk about it,
but I learned that you were in one of the military vessels
attacking Brainiac's ship
when he ripped the city from the ground.
You never forgot your failure to defend the city.
It made you bitter.
I guess you're saying I'm not a perfect mother.
Maybe, but you taught me
to put the defense of this world above all else.
You fashioned me into a weapon.
I take pride in that.
What was he telling you?
Apparently, one day, I wake up to find
I've turned into my mother.
Well, it seems I have a grandson
who's decisions are morally dubious, so there's that.
Can't help but worry, though.
Our future?
I have a son who recognizes me as his mother,
but only knows you as the father of his best friend.
I suppose I thought...
Now that you're Guilded, maybe there'd be a way.
I still want to believe we have a future.
Let's stick with today.
We already know the future is confusing.
Hold.
- What is it? - I heard something.
Glad we're on the same side.
Not bad for a bitter old lady.
The prisoner's given up the location
of his bomb-making equipment,
and I've put the finishing touches
on one of his creations.
Did you remove all remote detonators?
Yes, there's nothing that's traceable back to us.
Once the timer's set, nothing can stop it.
And no one can point a finger at anyone else but Black Zero.
And the rogue officer asking all the questions.
Has he been...
dealt with?
- Yes. - Good.
Then please feel free to conceal your bomb
in the Tribunal, Commander.
Have you decided, Ona?
Are you ready to give yourself over now,
and join your mother?
That's not what I've chosen.
I want to serve you here.
You are a surprising child.
I'm sorry.
One gets tired of always being right.
I think I like surprises.
Perhaps it's time you saw
who it is you've vowed to serve.
Your Eminence, we're here to escort you to the ceremony.
There will be a slight delay.
In speaking with my protégé,
I've realized I need more contact
with the people of Kandor.
I have much to learn
and to judge.
I don't understand, Your Eminence.
The ceremony must be open to the public.
I want the hall packed with citizens.
Young, old, Guilded, Rankless.
Turn no one away.
Your Eminence, I'm not sure we can
get the people there in time.
Then begin now.
Thank you, Seg.
If you hadn't guided me here, I might never have found it.
Well, let's just hope this ancient weapon actually works.
Where did you get those?
They're military-grade explosives.
Perks of using Black Zero.
Here goes.
You're telling me there will be collateral damage?
I'm telling you the room will be stuffed
with collateral damage.
This is no longer a controlled situation.
We have to abort.
Proceed as planned.
There comes a point in any coup when it's more dangerous
to back out than to go forward.
Too many people are involved to depend on
none of them betraying the secret.
- Even inadvertently... - Let me be clear.
Your opinion means nothing to me.
Primus?
We can't withdraw now.
We've already paid too much, Dev.
People of Kandor City.
The time for holding myself apart is over.
I look forward
to coming to know you intimately.
Soon, you will have
no secrets from me.
Bomb! Bomb! Clear the room!
There has to be a way in.
I know if we work together, we can find it.
I think you might be more right than you realize.
I can't believe I didn't see it before.
Doesn't that symbol look familiar to you?
It's the El and Zod sigil superimposed on each other.
I think our families put this vault here.
Raika, Raika said that because I'm an El,
I have the power to destroy everything.
And the power to open the vault.
Maybe this is a lock of some kind.
Blood of the house.
Blood of the house. Um, do you have a knife?
Yeah.
Okay.
An El and a Zod.
I'm not used to being in this position.
No!
Don't do it.
That thing in there will kill us, and everyone in Kandor.
Everyone in the universe, if it can, okay?
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- Whoa. - He betrayed us.
Hey, just surrender.
Okay, they promised not to hurt you.
That thing in there, they told me it's called Doomsday.
Okay, I know that name.
It's a soulless killing machine that can't be destroyed.
Or controlled.
Seg, if you let that thing loose,
it will kill everything that it comes across.
It's true.
That's why we have given over our lives
to protecting the universe from Doomsday.
My people were here when the weapon arrived.
The Els and the Zods, they thought that together,
they were creating something great.
But we've seen it.
We understand the unending cloud of hatred they birthed.
You do not know the danger we are in.
It doesn't matter what may have happened in the past.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. - Hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa.
Our world.
No!
Shit!
Hey.
Cover me, I see a way out.
Seg!
Go, go, go.
Go!
Just have the skimmer ready.
This is going to be a hot extraction.
They'll be there, you can trust me.
- I believe you. - You understand why
I had to do that, right?
The timeline is too important to risk.
We're still friends, Seg.
You can come with us back to Kandor.
Find your Zeta-Beam gadget and ride it back
to wherever you came from and never come back.
- Does this mean you're in? - I'm with you.
But no Doomsday. We find another way.
I have His Eminence. We are headed to his chambers.
- You do your job well. - Thank you.
If this moment is to be my last,
I trust you'll allow me
to look upon it with my own eyes.
Most worthy Sagitari.
- Synced and corrected by martythecrazy - - www.addic7ed.com -