*huf *huf *huff

in what seemed to be an endless forest of trees a young bloody child no older than six was running, desperation was the expression written all over the child's wounded face, with his tattered skinsuit  and a knife upon his hand clenching tremblingly

as the child traversed the forest jumping and hopping over rocks and roots of the trees, wiping the meared blood on his cheeks, suddenly a sound of hooves coming from behind him yet the child with focus and determination didn't look back and continued to run forward

"THERE HE IS!" a loud shout from behind alerted the young child further

"CATCH HIM!!" another responded to the call 

as the boy saw a cliff blocking his path, he turned around to see the rider, riding an underdeveloped war kite that hadn't yet sheath its wings frowning a memory flashed the child's mind.

the smell of incense aired around the room, as Dana-Zod in her armor was teaching her child about the biology of the animals of Krypton, who are blessed with genetic modification of their great technology

"Now, my son... do you know why war kites generally dislike the idea of having their stifle joints touched upon in ancient times till now?" Dana-Zod asked her son, who tilted his head thinking of an answer

"No... I do not know mother, it isn't stored in the data bank of the Zer library." Kai-Zer replied anxiously afraid of disappointing his mother

but she just smiled warmly at him, she then puffed her chest and spoke "Well, then let Mother tell you, as everything I tell you now is based on your mother's experience together with your father, with the beast"

seeing his mother's affection expression he relaxed and listed carefully as if ready to absorb whatever she said, seeing his serious gaze she smiled as she spoke "There was a time when your father was still courting me from the house Zod, a time when I was known as the Queen of the battlefield, a time when what I know was only war"

her expression turned a bit solemn and distant but changed when she started to talk about his father  "At that time, everyone even I dislike... no, where I abhor, detest, and loathe your father for being a failure and smearing the honored name of the great house El"

regret then dawned on her face "but it all changed... there was an incident, that time when your father saved me, from my imminent death due to an experimental failure of genetic altering of a war kite" 

her expression then turned from regret to a teenager who fell in love for the first time "I still remember, your father's broad back shoulders, and his cold distant eyes as he stood against that giant beast of sharp jaws and claws... those cold-blooded blue orbs, those strong arms that protected me, even the deep condescending tone of his voice 'you're in the way' he said, me the Queen of the battlefield in the way, what a way to treat me as a joke, even after he slew that beast with ease *sigh" she told her child with a tone that shouldn't be told to children

her expression then turned from a teenager in love to a jealous wife in mere seconds "Then I found out that it wasn't just me who was smitten with him, who were enamored, captivated even with... those Vex, Lor, Em, & Ek sluts really tried their best, but it was me your Mother who won, in the end, *hmph" she then showed a smugged expression her fist on the house symbol of Zer as she continued to rant about how great the house Zod was and that it was right for Kye-Zer to choose her than the other women that chased after him

she then snapped out of it, when she saw her child's innocent and confused expression, as if trying to decode and deconstruct what she told him, but it seemed to be a failure as he only then frowned and became more confused, all her troubles then washed away when she saw Kai-Zer trying his best to understand half of his mother's rants

*cough *cough She then coughed to get his attention back on her, and when he did so she smiled as if her rant never happened "So where was I, oh yeah, how your father slew the beast, and so at that time, when your mother was near death, due to its impenetrable hides my beloved slew it by focusing his attack its stifle joints as its weak spot rendering it immobile due to its soft and full of nerves shutting down, and when it did your father then went for the head separating it from its body, finally ending its suffering" 

ending her statement of how awesome his father is and how a giant killer he was, how his mother fawns after him glorifying him with praises, as the scent of the incense faded, the boy took a knee and breath, his trembling hands no more and his grip tighten, as his body relaxed as he focused his senses to his surroundings  

a smile was brought on the boy's lips as he charged at the assailant, and when he was in range the rider thrust his spear, directly aiming at the child's head and within that split second the child bent his body downward looking directly at the sky, roughly avoiding the spear by the inch on his nose

using the momentum of his position the child then swang the dagger in his hand directly slashing the joint and weak spot of the war kite, in tremendous pain the war kite lost its control and wreaked havoc unmounting its rider

not letting the opportunity pass, the child used the huge bolder just lengths away as a propeller, and with a high enough jump he catapulted himself to the assailant's body as they both dropped to the ground the boy with his strength plunged the dagger onto the weak spot of the armor just right on their neck, to make sure he twist the dagger before pulling it out

after he was finished he heard another shout right behind them as other hooves trembled on the ground "YOU'VE DONE IT NOW BOY!" 

the child didn't even react and just ran to the nearest tree, using the same principle technique he ran on its trunk and catapulted himself just as the spear tip plunged itself into it 

The boy's emotionless gripped the bladed part of the dagger and with trust in his own skills he threw it he landed on the ground, just as the other assailant turned around to be hit in the middle of his temple 

"and that's why you should wear a helmet loser" Kai-Zer muttered silently on his lips as the horns blew and the simulation ended all the hard-light-constructs disappeared into multiple pixelated miniboxes

as he then heard a clap behind him *clap *clap *clap "You've done a great performance nephew, congratulations" a middle-aged man approached him with a smirk on his face

the middle-aged man, the child's uncle Dru-Zod the greatest General and protector of Krypton in the Kryptonian Warrior Guild of this era a serious military man who only knows war and conflict a megalomaniacal patriotic Kryptonian, strides towards the child in his armor suit, with a air of arrogance and indifference in his expressionless face

together with him is a woman known as Faora Hu-Ul, one of Dru Zod's greatest commanders and Sub-Commander in the Kryptonian Warrior Guild on his right, a woman known for her cruelty and destructive nature around man

and his mother on his left, the sister of Dru-Zod, Dana-Zod the Queen of the battlefield, with a proud smile on her face as if she won a bet, she then rubbed his hair showing her affection

as General Dru-Zod coughed cutting off the affectionate moment between mother and son "Once again, Kai-Zer, son of Kye-Zer, and Dana-Zod congratulations on passing the entrance exam of the Warriors Guild, do you solemnly swear to protect Krypton and its people and to do your best to serve whatever means necessary" he asked... no he commanded the child with a cold and bigot tone in his voice, which formed a bridge on Dana's temple, due to her frowning a bit

"yes, I-I solemnly swear to protect Krypton and its people, whatever means necessary" he replied gulping a bit of the saliva that was stuck in his throat

As the pressure that Zod emitted was released, a tug formed upward on his lips "Then I'll believe your words of ought boy"

he then walked out of the room with Faora Ha-Ul following him behind, not before scrutinizing the child up and down, a small smirk formed on her lips as if amused before she left, and with that Kai-Zer's day ended

not before long, they arrived back at their manor, with his mother a bit angry and annoyed at what her brother just did to her sweet bundle of innocent joy and smarts a small tick formed on her forehead as she stormed off and looked for her husband

the child spoken of was now in his bedroom staring at the looming horizon, where the blessed star Rao connected with Krypton, in other words, SUNSET, his cells energized still drinking its radiation like a starving gluttonous beast,

the child was so tranced at the sun that he didn't even hear his door open as both twins entered the room observing the environment for any and all out-of-place signifying their training, were stunned when they saw him  leaning on the balcony of the room staring at the sunset with one word rang on both their minds

'C.U.T.E'

they then stood there waiting for their master to recognize their existence, before they speak

for hours they stood there in comfortable silence basking in each other's presence, until night arrived