DC: Rise of the Kryptonian Tyrant

Southern Suburbs.

The night sky loomed oppressively dark, a cold wind sweeping through the stillness.

Above, the moon and stars glittered brightly against the deep, inky heavens, but their light wasn't enough to fully dispel the encroaching darkness.

The world below was shrouded in shadow. Darkness seeped into every crevice: the rocks, trees, soil, and wind itself seemed steeped in it.

Bardi walked through the night, his white figure stark against the blackened world.

Behind him, the forest, the flowers, the earth, the stones, and the bitter cold wind all became part of his backdrop, swallowed by the void of night.

In this desolate landscape, he stood out as the lone figure of brightness, his white trench coat flaring like waves caught in the night wind.

His silhouette was both solitary and weighty, like a man carrying the burdens of an entire world. His steps were steady, his presence commanding, as though he had walked out of an old black-and-white photograph.

His face was devoid of warmth, his expression cold to the bone.

He hated the fate that had turned Jenny into the grotesque monster she had become.

He couldn't determine who was right or wrong.

If he hadn't acted decisively, hadn't shot her, hadn't left her behind, Jenny would likely have been killed during their desperate escape.

During their fight in the underground research institute, through the heavily fortified military base, and even during the climactic battle in the skies with fighter jets, Jenny would have faced death at every turn.

If she had been captured alive, her fate would have been no better. The military would have tortured her, dissected her, and turned her into nothing more than a pawn to use against him.

Bardi had acted out of necessity, not cruelty. He'd shot her to save her. But the despair in her eyes when she fell to the ground was something he could never forget.

Perhaps, at that moment, she'd felt a deep and irreversible betrayal.

"Jenny... why were you so foolish?"

If only she had waited, if she'd allowed him time to solidify his strength in Metropolis. He could have returned for her later, tearing her from the clutches of the military and rescuing her from their grip, no matter the odds.

But now...

Now she had condemned herself to this fate.

The unfairness of it all, the chaos of this world—it all gnawed at him.

In the suffocating darkness of the southern suburbs, a pair of crimson eyes blazed. They cut through the shadows like the embers of a feral beast, their presence suffocating and primal.

Even with his immense strength, there were still things beyond his control.

Memories surged forward, painful and raw.

The words "Thank you" echoed in his mind. The memory of humiliation clawed at his heart like a festering wound.

The helplessness of his past was seared into him, a reminder of his powerlessness.

The grief, the torment, and the anguish of that day still lingered. The day his family was broken apart, leaving him with nothing but pain.

And now, Jenny.

He liked loyalty. He valued trust. He needed people to believe in him, to follow him with unwavering faith.

Because as long as someone remained loyal, Bardi would protect them with everything he had.

He was a man tormented by his own mind, constantly battling the scars that defined him.

Suddenly, a soldier's panicked voice broke the stillness.

"What is that?!"

The crimson glow of Bardi's eyes had been spotted. To the soldiers stationed at the camp, those burning orbs were terrifying, like the gaze of a demon emerging from the abyss.

The air around the camp grew thick and suffocating. A heavy, invisible pressure settled over the area, causing the soldiers to sweat and struggle for breath.

The once-lively camp, brightly lit by strong floodlights, was now unnervingly silent. The usual hum of insects and rustle of the wind had ceased, as though the presence of something monstrous had silenced the world itself.

Though the camp was bathed in light, it felt isolated from the rest of the world, as if the darkness had cut it off entirely.

Then, deep within the ten-meter-tall steel cage, Jenny stirred.

Her eyes opened abruptly, the motion dragging her rough, horn-covered eyelids over her sensitive eyeballs. The sensation was painful, like sandpaper scraping against flesh.

Her massive, lantern-like eyes lit up in the dark, glowing with an eerie light.

Her labored breathing came to a halt, her body trembling as she gazed into the distance.

In that moment, something changed.

The pain that wracked her body, the constant tearing of her muscles and bones disappeared. Her suffering was drowned out by a flood of hormones: adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins surged through her system, washing away her agony.

All she felt now was a bittersweet rush of emotion.

Her glowing eyes locked onto the figure approaching from the darkness. She recognized him immediately.

Bardi.

Her heart swelled with happiness and sorrow in equal measure.

She stepped forward, her massive limbs trembling under her own weight. Each step shook the ground, sending ripples through the soil. The steel cage groaned as she grabbed the bars, her thick, clawed hands bending the metal with ease.

Standing upright, she reached her full height, thirteen meters of grotesque, misshapen muscle and bone. Her body radiated an intense heat, the air around her rippling like a mirage.

The soldiers in the camp were paralyzed with fear as she moved.

"Jenny's out!" one soldier screamed, sprinting to alert General Vic.

Jenny, however, ignored them all. Her glowing eyes remained fixed on Bardi.

Bardi's red eyes slowly dimmed, his anger receding. By the time he stepped into the camp's bright lights, his expression was once again calm and indifferent, every emotion carefully buried.

He approached, his white coat catching the light, his figure sharp and defined against the chaotic scene.

Finally, he stood before her.

"Are you still my slave?"