Mark was at his graduation ceremony, sitting in a chair with his girlfriend Amber by his side. Their relationship had grown a lot over time.
His face was bruised—another consequence of his superhero life.
His friend William was nearby as well.
The school principal began calling out the names of those who had graduated. Both Amber and Mark were among them.
When Mark was called, he went up and received his diploma.
He walked back to Amber, and they celebrated together.
In the middle of the celebration, Mark received a notification from Cecil.
His communicator lit up.
"I need you here, now. Something's happening," Cecil said.
Amber and William were still close by.
"Just a sec, guys..." Mark said as he stepped away.
"What's up with him?" William asked.
"I don't know. He's been acting weird lately," Amber replied.
Mark moved far enough away to speak privately.
"What is it? I'm kinda busy," said Mark.
"I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important. Something's happened," Cecil replied.
"Any news on Henry?" Mark asked.
"Completely vanished. It's been three months, and no one's heard from him. I asked Eve too—she has no idea where he is," Cecil said.
"Alright. I'm on my way."
Mark returned to his girlfriend and friend and came up with an excuse to leave.
"Is everything okay?" Amber asked.
"Nothing big. I'll see you guys later," Mark said.
---
Global Defense Agency
Cecil stood in front of a massive monitor. His agents were scanning the globe as usual, looking for threats to Earth.
That's when the alert came in—three beings, stronger than Nolan himself, had arrived and were wreaking havoc across the world.
They wore black armor and high-tech transparent helmets.
One of them was a woman with short hair and a black cape. Her name was Faora.
Another was a massive brute, bigger than the others. He wore no cape, spoke little, and radiated menace.
His name was Nam-Ek, a loyal follower of Zod.
And the last was General Zod himself—short hair, commanding presence, and a gaze that seemed to dominate the very air.
After stealing Henry's portal device, they made their way to Earth.
Within hours, their bodies absorbed enough sunlight to grant them immense power—still not on Henry's level, but terrifying by Earth's standards.
Zod had brought with him a device that connected worlds, though it required time to activate.
Once ready, it would open a portal and summon his army to Earth.
Zod's mission was clear: wipe out or conquer humanity and rebuild Krypton.
"General, it will still take some time to establish the connection between worlds. What are your orders?" Nam-Ek asked.
Zod thought for a moment, then said, "There's no one on this planet who can stop us. Destroy everything. Begin rebuilding Krypton."
"Maybe we should wait, my love. We don't know what enemies we'll face," Faora warned.
Zod stepped close to her. "Don't worry. There are no Viltrumites here. No one can stand in our way."
"Yes, my lord," Nam-Ek replied, before flying off.
Zod and Faora remained.
"Will you be my queen here too?" Zod asked.
"Of course. We've come this far together," Faora answered before kissing him.
She then flew away in a different direction.
The three of them spread out—each heading to a different part of the planet to destroy and conquer.
---
Henry stepped through the portal, carrying his sister in his arm
The sorceress followed right behind him.
They landed on Earth—more specifically, in the middle of a deserted road.
A truck was speeding straight toward them.
The mage instantly dropped into a fighting stance, ready to cast a spell.
But Henry caught her attention and pulled her back before she could react.
The wind pressure from the truck blew their hair back violently.
The mage shot him a "why did you stop me?" kind of look.
The truck driver honked furiously as he passed, probably thinking get out of the damn road, idiots!
Let's get out of here," Henry said, motioning for her to follow
"What was that? A demon?" the mage asked seriously.
Henry looked at her, baffled.
"That's a truck... You've never seen a truck? Don't tell me you don't know what that is," he said as they moved out of the road.
The mage stared at him. "No. Should I?"
Henry sighed.
"It's a human vehicle. It's used to carry cargo. It's not a demon, and you shouldn't attack them. Got it?"
"Uh-huh. What else should I know?" the mage asked.
Henry gave her a once-over and realized the problem—both of them looked like cosplayers.
She was dressed like a sorceress straight out of a fantasy novel, and he looked like a battle-worn rebel soldier.
"We need new clothes," Henry said.
He was still carrying Kara.
The sunlight hit them, rejuvenating their cells and restoring their strength.
Kara looked a lot better already. Her body was warming up and growing stronger with each passing minute.
Henry's powers were also coming back—but he still couldn't fly properly yet. It would take maybe fifteen minutes for full strength to return.
"What now?" the mage asked.
Henry focused, using his still-weak but functional super-hearing.
He located a roadside diner about five minutes away.
"Let's go. I'm starving. We'll eat and find some new clothes. We're way too noticeable," Henry said.
"We are? If you say so," she replied.
Though she was only half-Kryptonian, the sun was already boosting her strength, too.
They walked along the edge of the road, Henry carrying Kara in his arms, until they reached the diner.
Cars passed by constantly as they stayed close to the side.
---
Roadside Diner
Henry, the mage, and the unconscious Kara entered the diner and sat down.
Henry immediately noticed the writing on the menu and around the diner—it wasn't a language he recognized.
There were only a few people there.
A waitress came up and began talking rapidly.
Henry didn't understand a word, so he just nodded.
She kept talking. He looked at the mage, confused.
Henry had no money. No phone. Nothing.
He was broke.
But he was starving.
He scanned the menu until he spotted something he could read: chicken with sauce.
One of the few words he understood. He pointed at it.
The waitress noted it down and left.
Kara's head lay on the table, still unconscious.
"Why do you look more lost than me? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" the mage asked.
Henry leaned in and whispered, "I don't even know what language they speak. And I've got no money…"
"You didn't think to tell me that sooner?" she whispered back.
"What was I supposed to do?"
"I don't know, maybe tell the truth?"
"If I did that, we wouldn't be eating. Do you want to stay hungry?" he asked quietly.
She frowned at him.
The waitress returned with their food.
Henry's mouth watered. He grabbed a fork.
The mage, however, started eating with her hands like it was nothing.
Henry quickly stopped her.
"What are you doing?" he whispered, grabbing her wrist.
People around them were starting to stare.
"Eating," she answered plainly.
"Not like that! You're drawing attention."
"Then how do I do it?" she asked.
Henry showed her how to use a fork and knife, teaching her how to eat without looking like a wild animal.
As they ate, Henry noticed a TV on the wall.
He got up and said, "Be right back. Watch over my sister."
He picked up the remote and turned on the TV.
They were somewhere in Asia, but he kept changing channels until something caught his eye.
A news reporter stood in a ruined city.
"It's horrific—thousands are already dead. These beings have no mercy. These are dark days for humanity. Another city has just fallen. Where are the Guardians when we need them? God help us," the reporter said.
Footage showed the three Kryptonians obliterating entire cities.
"Shit…" Henry muttered.
He rushed back to the table.
"Let's go," he said, grabbing Kara and the mage.
"What happened?" she asked, noticing the shift in his expression.
"They've already started. We have to move," Henry said.
Outside the diner, she asked, "But what about your powers?"
Henry hovered a few feet off the ground, holding Kara with his remaining arm.
"They're back. Get on."
"I refuse to ride on your back. I'm a grown woman—over five hundred years old. I'm not doing that," she said.
"Oh really? Well, good luck then," Henry said, starting to lift off.
"Wait! Wait—I was joking!"
---