DC: Rise Of The Kryptonian Tyrant

"Bardi!!"

Jenny's scream pierced the air, her voice laced with panic. According to her calculations, the reflex nerve flow guided by the pulse radiofrequency needle should have been connected seamlessly. There should have been no pain—none at all.

Bardi should have temporarily lost all nerve response in his limbs without experiencing any discomfort, let alone the intense pain and convulsions she had just witnessed.

Jenny's eyes darted to Bardi's sweat-drenched face. His weak and exhausted expression made her heart seize in fear. She reached out instinctively to wipe the sweat from his face, her hands trembling as panic set in.

"Jenny, check what's going on," Bori ordered calmly, halting her frantic movements. His voice carried a tone of authority as he stepped forward to examine the situation alongside her. His gaze met Slade's briefly, the exchange loaded with unspoken meaning.

Slade caught the subtle signal from Bori's eyes and slightly relaxed his tense stance. However, his hand remained firmly on the pistol at his waist, his eyes never leaving Bardi.

Slade couldn't shake the image of Bardi moments ago, veins bulging like coiled ropes as he gripped the wheelchair handles with enough force to dent the stainless steel. The sheer display of strength had sent shivers down his spine, every hair on his body standing on end.

Now, seeing Bardi panting and motionless, seemingly drained of all strength, Slade allowed himself a small measure of relief, but his wariness lingered.

Jenny, jolted back to her senses by Bori's command, immediately turned to the control console. Her hands trembled as she began tapping frantically at the keyboard, her eyes darting across the data on the screen.

"This… this doesn't make sense!"

"It shouldn't be like this!"

"Impossible! How could this happen?"

Her face drained of color, her wide eyes dull with shock. Jenny shook her head over and over, stiff and mechanical, as if in denial of what she was seeing.

She had handled every aspect of the operation herself, double- and triple-checking each detail. How could this have gone so wrong?

The screen displayed Bardi's condition in excruciating clarity: from the neck down, there were no detectable nerve responses. He was truly paralyzed, completely and permanently.

The pulse radiofrequency needle hadn't just severed the nerve signals; it had disrupted the transmission pathways in his body, causing catastrophic disarray in his nervous system. This disruption had resulted in the intense pain Bardi had experienced, and now, his nerve reception system was entirely destroyed.

Jenny stared blankly at the screen, the weight of the realization crashing down on her.

"Jenny," Bori's voice cut through her spiraling thoughts. "Didn't you calculate the action potential threshold? Bardi's body is far stronger than the average human's. You should have accounted for that. The action potential values for someone like him can be ten times higher than normal."

Bori's scolding tone pierced through her self-blame, but Jenny didn't react. She was already drowning in guilt, her mind replaying the operation over and over.

Her voice came out weak, almost detached, as she muttered to herself. "Did I miscalculate…?"

"The difference between high and low action potentials…"

"The nerve fiber signals… they went wrong…"

"The pulse radiofrequency needle… it disrupted the nerve signals…"

"The signals collided, and the feedback loop caused irreversible damage…"

Wave after wave of guilt and despair crashed over her, each more suffocating than the last. Her hands fell limply from the keyboard as she stared at Bardi, her vision growing hazy. The edges of her world darkened, and her legs threatened to give out beneath her.

It was her fault.

Because of her, Bardi would never walk again.

Her selfishness had done this.

Her desire to create a future with Bardi… her dreams of walking hand in hand with him… it was all her fault.

The abyss of despair opened beneath her, its cold grip pulling her deeper. The weight of her self-blame and remorse was unbearable. She began muttering incoherently, her voice hollow.

The room dimmed in her eyes as she teetered on the edge of collapse.

"Jenny!"

Bardi's voice broke through the haze like a lifeline, jolting her back from the brink.

The power of his call snapped her out of her downward spiral. His voice, strong and steady despite his exhaustion, shattered the darkness encroaching on her vision.

Jenny blinked rapidly, her focus returning. She saw Bardi clearly again, his presence anchoring her to reality.

Desperately, she stumbled toward him, her legs weak and unsteady. She fell to her knees at his side, clutching his large hand. The veins that had bulged with power moments earlier were now still, and his palm was damp with sweat.

"Bardi… I'm here!" Jenny choked out, her voice hoarse with emotion. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"

Kneeling beside his wheelchair, Jenny grasped his limp hand tightly, her cries of self-blame pouring out uncontrollably.

Bardi, still drenched in sweat, felt an itch to wipe his face. But his body refused to obey him. Through his sweat-streaked eyelashes, he looked at Jenny. Her once-confident and elegant demeanor had crumbled. Now, she looked like a lost child abandoned in the cold.

Bardi couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. He wanted to reach out, to stroke her hair, to comfort her. But his body remained lifeless.

Still, the sight of her emotional breakdown was reassuring. Her reaction was stronger than he'd anticipated and that worked in his favor.

"Jenny, I trust you," Bardi said softly, his voice weak from the ordeal.

His words cut through her despair like a knife.

Jenny's sobs intensified, her voice breaking as she cried, "Bardi, I've let you down. I… I caused this. I caused you to be paralyzed!"

Despite her anguish, Bardi's expression remained calm. He gave her a faint smile and repeated, "Jenny, I trust you."

Jenny's sobbing turned into gasps for breath, her tears falling onto his motionless hand.

"I don't deserve your trust!" she cried, shaking her head in despair.

Bardi's voice remained gentle as he replied, "Jenny, I believe in you. This is just another day in the wheelchair, no different from what I expected before."

"Jenny, I trust you. You're a brilliant biologist. One day, you'll find a way to make me walk again. I believe in you."

His words were steady and filled with quiet conviction.

He continued, "The confidence you show in your work is the real you, Jenny."

Bardi couldn't let her spiral any further. He still needed her, needed her brilliance and her dedication.

Slowly, his words began to calm her. The sobs faded, replaced by quiet sniffles. Jenny bit her lip, forcing herself to stop crying. Her emotions stabilized, and she clung to his reassurances like a lifeline.

Straightening herself, Jenny leaned closer to him, resting his head against her chest. Bardi could feel the faint warmth and smell the faint fragrance of her skin. She bent down, kissing the top of his head softly.

"I'll do it, Bardi. I'll fix this," Jenny whispered with determination.

Nearby, Bori and Slade watched the scene unfold, their expressions unreadable.

This was exactly what they had anticipated.

And Bardi knew it too.

The satisfaction on their faces mirrored his own. Everyone believed they'd achieved their goals.

Bardi was paralyzed.

He would contribute the knowledge in his mind.

Jenny would throw herself into her research, working tirelessly to "fix" him.

In this silent war of strategies, everyone thought they'd won.

But in truth, the only one who truly held the upper hand was Bardi.

Because even paralyzed, even imprisoned, he remained the one in control.