YAY! Two more parts!
She angled her gaze downward to the Kryptonian who now rested on the floor. He didn't meet her gaze, instead staring at a spot in front of him, trying not to unnerve her with his presence. She fought back a bitter smile. This man would shrink himself down into the smallest possible footprint of space if doing so would alleviate her suffering, and yet she couldn't even concede to the gift he had just given her.
Clark (the alt-Clark from the show) is a decent guy. LL (from the alt-alt-world, the Lois who has been tortured by Clark's evil clone) - she can't show weakness. She dares not.
“So how did it happen?”
Her question startled him – he wanted to look her way, to gain more clarity but then he realized she meant his relationship with Lois. He knew how important a question it was, despite her attempt as disinterest.
LL would be terribly interested in this. Now that she knows that her counterparts are soul mates with their Kryptonians, surely she must wonder how and why such a horrible (to her) thing could happen. And, perhaps, late at night, when she's alone, does she wonder if she could ever have feelings for the Kryptonian on her Earth? I think that she would hate the very thought of that, and vigorously repress those feelings.
“When she came home, she started a series of articles designed to raise the alarm about my presence on earth. She claimed I was a conqueror at heart and eventually I'd show my true colors.”
“As I would have done. Brave, when you think about it -”
“Extremely brave.”
“Were you angry?” Her voice was very careful as she asked her question.
Don't make him angry. You wouldn't like him when he gets angry.
“Perry,” she whispered. “I miss him so much.”
Do we know what happened to the Perry in this world? I'm assuming the alien invaders killed him.
“Yes... Lex is … an interesting man. I suppose if not for the invasion he well could have skewed towards dangerous.”
Aargh! Lex is alive and well (of course!) on this alt-world. This doesn't bode well at all.
“I just want to see this world freed, and then go home – all of which can't happen if I throw hissy fits over how people treat me.”
I love Clark's sense of proportion and his ability to find humor in even the toughest circumstances.
“Do you think it's probable that (Lord) Kal-El wants to help us?”
Ah, that's the big question, it is. But we all know that a Clark, even a Clark raised on an alien world, will be a decent guy at heart.
LL wiped her palms on her pants, trying to gain some semblance of calm. Turning the door handle, she forced herself to walk through. She closed the door, her heart skipping in fear at the decisive 'click' – indicating her situation – she was closed off with someone who well could kill her, red-radiation not withstanding.
Showing again how brave LL is. At least this time she's checked the water level before jumping in. But it still takes a heck of a lot of courage for her to walk into that room.
Then what will you do to recompense my world?
I will fight for you. I will fight for your freedom. I will die if necessary for your freedom.
YES! We have a winner! Of course, just because Kal-El says he'll fight for her/the human resistance doesn't mean that it's going to be easy. The Resistance has three Clarks and a smattering of other Kryptonians on board. How many Kryptonians are on the planet? How many of them are with Clone-El? Are any of the average Kryptonians disgusted by Clone-El's actions, and will follow Kal-El? Getting Kryptonian support, or being able to neutralize the Kryptonians, will be of prime importance in the battles ahead.
Will you accept Zara as your bond-mate when this is over? If we win?
I will not. I will grant her dissolution of our union. I owe her that much. To let her find her happiness where she can.
She could be happy with you.
Maybe once. Now – it is no longer possible. She will see him in my eyes – and even if she could get past that, she will not be able to forgive herself for failing me.
You think she failed you?
She thinks she failed me.
So you find another bond-mate – doesn't the King need his Queen?
Gee, and we know who Kal-El would like that to be. Hey, can we see something from Kal-El's POV, like what he feels about LL? Was he instantly attracted, the way that Clark was to Lois in canon? How painful is it for him that LL detests and abhors him?
Whatever happens. I will not allow this invasion to continue. It will end and we will leave.
Oh no! Won't Kal-El stay on Earth? He and LL are destined to be together! (But the way things are right now, that's a pretty pie-in-the-sky proposition.) Can our two lovers ever be united?
More soon, please!
Michael