DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Slade emerged from the makeshift tent.

The night was dark, with only one source of light in the southern suburbs: the temporary camp.

He gazed into the distance with his single eye. An off-road military vehicle sped down the winding suburban road, its headlights piercing through the darkness like sharp bayonets, cutting through the shadows.

That was Sam Lane's vehicle.

Slade stood at the entrance of the tent, his posture straight and imposing, silently watching the car disappear into the night.

Behind him, General Vic, who had just finished bidding farewell to Sam, was losing his temper in the tent. He was furious, the situation spiraling out of his control.

Slade's gaze lingered on the dark road as Sam Lane's vehicle vanished into the distance.

Then, he turned and began walking toward the monster.

There was an invisible tension in the air, a subtle but tangible connection between everyone involved, like an intricate web pulling at him. He felt trapped, uneasy.

The temporary camp was bathed in bright artificial light, illuminating the area like daylight. But the corner where the monster was held remained deliberately shadowed. No one dared to shine strong lights directly at her for fear of provoking her into a frenzy.

In that dimly lit corner, the glow from the steel bars reflected faintly on the ground, revealing the shape of a towering cage. It was nearly ten meters tall, housing something grotesque and terrifying.

Slade walked from the bright light into the darkness.

The air grew heavier, trembling faintly with the sound of labored breathing emanating from the steel cage.

Inside was Jenny.

She stood nearly seven meters tall, grotesquely transformed. Her limbs were massive and deformed, her body a horrific amalgamation of flesh and bone. Her skeleton continuously grew and fractured, tearing through her skin in jagged protrusions. Her epidermis was a patchwork of keratinized growths, thick, pale, and grotesque, with jagged bones jutting out like twisted thorns.

She was a nightmarish, horrifying creature.

Every second, her body underwent agonizing changes. Every moment brought new pain.

Her massive eyes, larger than fists, resembled the sharp, calculating gaze of a venomous serpent. Her pupils expanded and contracted, glinting like blades.

Labored, pained breaths escaped her lips. Each exhale carried a deep, guttural sound that shook the air around her.

"Ha... ho…"

Even her breathing distorted the surrounding atmosphere. The heat radiating from her body was palpable, saturating the air with an almost oppressive warmth.

Slade approached the cage, his single eye fixed on her. He raised his head to look up at her massive form. In the dim light, only her glowing, lantern-like eyes were clearly visible.

Those eyes were monstrous. The vertical slits of her pupils, combined with the cracked, bloodshot whites, exuded a predatory intensity that sent chills through anyone who looked at her.

Slade narrowed his eye as he observed her. A wave of heat radiated from her cage, burning against his skin like the flames of a furnace.

Although it was late autumn, the temperature near Jenny's cage was sweltering, the air almost steaming from the sheer heat her body emitted.

"I have a question for you," Slade said, his voice steady and cold.

Jenny didn't respond right away. Her breathing remained labored, the sound like that of a massive prehistoric beast struggling for air.

"Do you love Bardi, or do you want him dead?"

Slade's words cut through the silence like a blade. His tone was calm but carried an unmistakable edge.

Jenny's eyes narrowed dangerously, shrinking into sharp, slitted lines. The intensity of her gaze was terrifying, like a predator locking onto its prey.

The air grew heavier, the oppressive heat intensifying as though it were on the verge of combustion.

A guttural growl escaped her throat.

"Grr… ah…"

Every sound she made was a struggle, a torment. Her muscles and bones twisted with every attempt at speech, the act of forming words tearing her apart from the inside.

Slade remained unfazed.

"You still love him," he continued. "That's why you've given General Vic false hope. That's why Vic hasn't reported Bardi's true identity to the military. You let him wallow in his ambitions, in his delusions of power."

Slade's voice grew sharper.

"He thinks he can reclaim his status through you."

"He thinks he can restore his power through you."

"He thinks he can achieve ultimate supremacy through you."

"All of this—every single thing—is what he believes."

"And all of it… is your doing. You've led him on, haven't you?"

Slade's eye bore into her, unyielding and calculating.

"Is it worth it?"

With those words, Slade turned on his heel, leaving the cage behind.

Everyone in this tangled web had their own schemes, their own agendas. Everyone had their own goals.

As he walked away, Slade silently vowed to himself: no matter what Jenny's role was, no matter whether she had acted out of love or manipulation, he would destroy Bardi.

Bardi's downfall would come at his hands.

Slade disappeared into the darkness, heading toward the distant city lights.

The wind swept through the camp as he retrieved a yellow-and-black mask from his pocket. Sliding it over his face, he became Deathstroke once more—a fierce, one-eyed force of vengeance.

Behind him, the glowing eyes of the monstrous Jenny burned with a terrifying intensity.

---

Had Deathstroke not been lying helpless on an operating table earlier, the memories Hera displayed might have carried a tragic, almost heroic air. But now, seeing him as a prisoner of Bardi, reduced to such a state, the contrast was almost comedic.

Bardi stood nearby, his expression unreadable. His right thumb lightly rubbed against the palm of his left hand as he processed the memory Hera had suggested he review.

After a moment, his eyes flickered with thought.

"So, Hera," Bardi began, his voice calm, "what exactly are you trying to tell me with this memory?"

It was impossible to confirm whether Jenny's actions had truly aligned with Deathstroke's interpretation. Was she subtly helping Bardi by preventing Vic from exposing his identity? Or were her actions part of something else entirely?

Regardless, Jenny's existence alone was reason enough for General Vic to hesitate in reporting Bardi to the military.

"Master," Hera replied, her tone elegant and composed. "I simply felt it was important for you to see and understand her."

Her projected form stood close to Bardi, her regal presence exuding a calming influence. She had developed emotional intelligence and had come to understand Bardi deeply. She believed this memory was something he needed to know.

And, as always, she was right.

After viewing the memory, Bardi fell silent, deep in thought.

Finally, he nodded and said, "There's no device capable of transferring consciousness or soul. The Colu civilization's biochip can create lifeforms, but using it would broadcast Earth's location to Brainiac."

He paused, his tone somber. "To restore Jenny, her brain would need to be replaced with a biochip. But doing so would alert Brainiac to Earth's presence."

Hera's projection moved closer, her elegant figure almost touching him as if to offer comfort.

Krypton had been a world of endless choices, too many painful decisions to make. And now, Bardi faced those same burdens on Earth.

Closing his eyes, Bardi took a deep breath, his voice steady as he spoke.

"I made my decision long ago."

"Defy me, and you die. I have no need for disloyal servants."

The corner of his mouth curled slightly as his eyes opened, sharp and resolute.

"Now, Jenny. Choose."

"Live... or die."