Six months had passed.
Six months of relentless preparation. Six months of consuming Kryptonian knowledge at an inhuman pace. Six months of waiting for the right moment.
And now, Damian was close.
Through General Zod's illegal channels, he had gained unrestricted access to Krypton's forbidden archives—a crime punishable by death. Knowledge on Krypton was controlled with absolute precision. Scientists studied science, warriors trained for war, and civilians remained ignorant.
No one was allowed to step outside their genetic role.
But Damian was an anomaly—a ghost in the system.
With Zod's backing, he had access to everything.
The Codex alone wasn't enough. What use was it if he couldn't decipher its genetic structure? If he couldn't fly a ship? If he didn't understand how to survive among the stars once Krypton was gone?
Escape wasn't just about wanting to leave. It was about being ready.
So, Damian prepared.
Spaceflight and navigation—he studied Krypton's warp drives, gravitic engines, and wormhole mapping technology until he could pilot a vessel blindfolded.Genetic engineering—he pored over the Codex's bio-data encoding, learning how Kryptonians stored their entire species' genetics within a single artifact.Cybernetic evasion—he learned how to erase his genetic signature from Krypton's records, ensuring that when he left, no one could trace him.Military tactics and encryption—because Zod was a general, and knowledge of war was as useful as knowledge of science.
Damian learned everything Krypton had to offer—and everything it tried to keep from him.
Now, he needed one thing. The codex.
Jor-El's schedule had been predictable. The Chief Scientist spent his days in the Science Academy, alternating between council meetings, research labs, and secure data centers.
But recently, his routine had shifted.
Where once he was a daily presence, Jor-El now appeared sporadically—sometimes for a single day, then vanishing for several. His projects continued without him, but his absences stretched longer each time.
Damian had monitored every possible detail, and the conclusion was clear.
Lara was pregnant.
Jor-El's wife was entering the late stages of pregnancy, and she was likely avoiding the public eye. If that was true, then Kal-El's birth was imminent.
And that meant time was running out.
Damian's surveillance had given him one last crucial piece of information.
Jor-El never let the access key to the Codex leave his possession.
The key itself was small and unassuming, but Damian recognized it from Zod's stolen intelligence. A command key—just like the one Clark Kent would one day use to access the Fortress of Solitude.
And it was always on Jor-El's person.
Damian clenched his jaw.
He had everything—except an opportunity.
But soon, very soon, that opportunity would come. And when it did, he would not hesitate.