Luthor stepped closer to Clark. More blood started running out of Clark’s nose and he wiped at it, smearing more blood on his free hand. Lois grabbed another tissue and started daubing his upper lip.
“You know, don’t you,” Luthor stated glaring at his prisoners.
Clark nodded. “Lord General Zod.” Lois saw Luthor’s eyes widen.
Recognition?“Jor-El said that Zod was locked up in something called the Phantom Zone,” Luthor said. Lois could hear the beginnings of panic in his voice.
“That’s who he said he was,” Clark told him. “He… he was looking for Jor-El’s son. He, um, wants to meet the human who killed him…” Clark winced in obvious pain, his breath catching in his throat as he brought his free hand to his temple. Then, his eyes rolled up and he slumped over. Lois caught his shoulder, keeping him from falling over as Jason slid off his lap. She scooted off the sofa, easing Clark onto the cushions. His breathing was ragged and he was sweating.
“How… Zod has some sort of mental communication?” Luthor murmured, eyeing Lois.
All Lois could do was shrug. Seeing Clark passed out on the worn upholstery was running spears of terror through her. He was still breathing, but the nosebleeds were scaring her. She pulled Jason to her, one arm over his shoulder, her hand protectively on his chest. “I don’t know. Superman never mentioned anything about it to me.”
Luthor had stopped listening to her. “A Kryptonian super criminal, here on Earth… and he wants to meet me…” He pulled the kryptonite shard from his pocket and showed it to Lois. “That’s Superman’s blood,” he said, indicating the dark brown spots on the crystal. “It tests out as human, until you look closely at it and you realize it isn’t. It’s alien."
“Wasn’t that supposed to be sent to STAR Labs?” Lois asked.
“The hospital kind of ‘lost’ it,” Baxter said with a smirk. “But how do you think we managed to put together the virus that killed your boyfriend?”
“Whatever it is, it’s right outside,” Smith warned.
“Open the door for him,” Luthor ordered, hurriedly placing the crystal in a heavy fabric envelope and dropping it back into his pocket.
Baxter had just taken a step toward the metal door to the bomb shelter when there was the sharp sound of tearing metal and the door seemed to implode in on them. A tall hooded figure was standing in the doorway. Heavy gauntlets covered the hands and in the right hand the figure held a staff a little taller than it was with ornate metal caps on each end.
Behind the hooded figure stood a second one, this one clearly a woman dressed in black leathers and thigh-high boots. A woman Lois recognized – Lois Joanne Lane-Kent. Her expression was cold, imperious as she moved in front of the cloaked figure and entered the room. She stopped and looked around, her eyes finally lighting on Luthor.
“Kneel before your master, Lord Zod,” she ordered, bringing the end of her own metal tipped staff down hard on the concrete floor. Luthor just stared at her and she swung the staff around, catching him at the knees, forcing him down. Wide-eyed in astonishment, the other three men followed suit. Clark was still lying on the sofa, eyes closed. Lois dropped to her knees as well holding the baby in one arm. She forced Jason down with the other.
“Mommy?” Jason whispered.
“Shh, honey,” Lois said. “Just stay quiet and it’ll be okay.”
“No, no, you don’t understand,” Luthor was protesting, looking up at Joanne. “I’m on your side. Luthor's the name. Lex Luthor. Maybe you've heard of me… The greatest criminal mind on earth?”
“They never change,” Joanne said turning to the cloaked figure. “Always bluster about nothing. He irritates me. Let me break his bones...”
“If it pleases you, my dear,” a deep voice said. Lois knew that voice too. The cloaked figure pushed back the hood – Jerome, sporting a dark beard streaked with gray and gray sideburns. But there was no humor in his face. This was a man who exuded power, authority. His brown eyes were hard, cold and calculating. This was a man to be feared. He pulled off the heavy gloves and handed them to Joanne. Joanne tucked them into her broad metal studded belt.
Lois discovered her mouth had dried up and it was hard to swallow.
Luthor’s eyes widened as Joanne took a step toward him. “Wait!” He smiled ingratiatingly. “Wait'll you get to know me better. Wait'll I give you exactly what you want… Unlimited freedom to kill, crush, maim, destroy – plus Lex Luthor's savvy. Lex Luthor's keen mind guiding your careers!”
“You have some interesting assumptions about us, but we have all of that without you. You cannot bargain with what you do not have...” Jerome stated. His tone was patronizing
“With respect, your Magnificence, I am bargaining with what you do not have – the heir of Jor-El.”
Jerome stared at him. “I have been informed that the Jor-El’s heir is dead and that you killed him. Was that information in error?”
Luthor climbed to his feet, watching leather garbed couple warily. “Oh, no. Just incomplete. Kal-El, Jor-El’s son, is dead and I killed him. But his son… Well, see that little lady over there was his mistress and the child with her is his son.”
Joanne raised one eyebrow. “Are you saying you claim Kal-El’s concubine and holdings on this world as right of victor?”
“Oh no. I wouldn’t dream of it,” Luthor protested. “Consider her a gift, your Excellency. A goodwill gesture, if you will.”
Joanne peered at Lois through narrowed eyes. “What an undemanding male Jor-El’s son must have been.”
“My dear, be charitable,” Jerome/Zod ordered. “Consider his options.”
Joanne huffed audibly, but helped Lois to her feet, taking her by the arm and leading her to the sofa. Lois saw that Clark’s eyes were open, watching the scene playing out in front of them. Clark managed to push himself upright, giving Lois and Jason room to sit. The baby’s eyes were still closed, but she was breathing easier.
Jerome stood, watching Luthor. “You claim you killed the son of Jor-El. How?”
“I created a little virus that attacked the energy storage organelles in his cells,” Luthor stated. “You see, your Immanence, your kind of people have a little problem with an element we call kryptonite – just a little bit of the old home planet.” As he spoke he pulled the heavy fabric envelope from his pocket and began to open it.
Jerome’s staff came down on his wrist. Luthor yelped in pain and dropped the envelope. He glowered at Joanne as she picked up the envelope and tucked it into a pocket in her tunic.
Luthor’s henchmen got to their feet, eyes narrowed dangerously, guns in their hands. “Boss…” Smith began. He began to curse and Lois realized she could see heat waves coming off the gun barrels. Within moments, all three guns were on the floor and Luthor’s men were blowing on their hands to cool them.
“Did you really think we were fools?” Jerome asked harshly, lifting Luthor off the ground by the neck.
“Lord Zod, I can help you…” Luthor choked out. “I know my way around… I even killed Superman for you…”
“The fact that such a cowardly animal claims to have taken the life of a member of a Kryptonian great house disturbs me greatly,” Jerome stated.
“Hey, around here we have a saying,” Luthor gasped. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Jor-El said you were an enemy of Krypton, mass murderer, whole nine yards.”
“Jor-El was a man of science, of peace. I am a warrior.
You were misinformed,” Jerome stated. He released his hand, allowing Luthor to drop to the ground gasping. “Where I come from, we have a different saying. ‘Never trust a traitor’. You disgust me. You attack and vilify your betters. You claim to have murdered your world’s protector and you wish to ingratiate yourself to me after you have robbed me of my ascension over the House of El? Pray tell me why I should not save your people the trouble of killing you?”
“Oh God,” Baxter muttered.
“No, Zod,” Jerome stated. There was a definite smirk on his face.
“Luthor isn’t worth the effort,” Clark said quietly.
Jerome looked to Lois. “And how say you? As mother of the heir to the House of El, you have the right to demand justice.”
Lois was silent for a long moment. It wasn’t that things were moving too fast, although she knew she wasn’t seeing the whole picture, but rather she sensed that if she asked, Jerome might well be willing to kill Luthor right here and now. She gazed at Clark and saw the troubled expression in his eyes as he watched his counterpart.
“Clark’s right. Luthor’s not worth the effort,” Lois stated. “And I’m sure Earth justice will suffice. We frown on kidnapping and murder.”
“As you wish, milady,” Jerome said with a tiny bow in her direction. He turned to say something to Joanne and suddenly Lois felt herself jerked off the sofa, a knife blade to her throat.
“Like hell I’m goin’ back to prison…” Smith grated, pulling Lois toward Baxter and the other man. “Do you know what they do to people like me?”
“I neither know, nor do I care,” Jerome stated.
Lois felt the blade pressing harder against her skin. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a motion and suddenly Smith was shoved hard against her back, his hand loosening its grip on the knife. She grabbed his arm with one hand, jabbing her other elbow into his gut. Smith dropped and she turned to see Clark standing beside her, glaring at the other two of Luthor’s henchmen.
“Don’t even think about touching them,” Clark hissed. He was shaking, fists clenched.
“Clark, it’s okay,” Lois told him, trying to calm him.
“No, it isn’t,” Clark told her.
“Sit. Down. Now,” Jerome ordered, glaring at Clark.
“And if I don’t?”
Jerome hefted the staff and Lois was suddenly fearful that Jerome was no longer simply playing the part of a Kryptonian warlord. Clark was glaring back at his counterpart, lips drawn thin in anger.
“Don’t you hurt my daddy!” a very young angry voice yelled. Jason launched himself at Jerome. Joanne stepped forward and intercepted him, the momentum swinging her around. In the confusion, Smith managed to get to his feet, knife still in his hand. He lunged at Clark who caught Smith’s knife hand by the wrist.
Lois watched as Clark’s expression turned as implacable as Jerome’s.
No doubts. No heart. No mercy. Just the kill. It wasn’t a side of Clark that she’d ever seen before and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. It wasn’t
Clark.Smith was down on the ground again, holding his wrist. His face was white with pain.
“It isn’t broken,” Jerome stated. Joanne pulled some cable ties from one of her pockets and tossed them to Clark.
Luthor’s eyes widened in sudden, horror-filled realization. “You’re not Zod.”
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