Clark closed his eyes, trying to ready himself. His hand trembled violently. After a minute, he pulled the blade away and sheathed it once more. An anguished cry bubbled up his throat. Tears pricked his eyes. For a long while, he just sat, cradling the dagger against his body, openly weeping.
After a while, he mastered his emotions once more. He sat back against the wall, hiding the dagger between the stone and his flesh. A new resolve hardened within him. He would fight, the next time someone came into his cell. He only hoped that he would have the strength to do so.
He allowed himself to sleep. For once, his rest was dreamless. He had long since stopped dreaming of Lois. General Zod and Nor had invaded his mind instead and Clark often relived the torture he'd received at their hands. He awoke hours later, feeling refreshed in ways that he had not felt since before he'd been taken prisoner.
Hours later, Lord Nor and General Zod reappeared. Clark held the dagger, unsheathed in the shelter of his body as he sat hugging his knees to his chest. A hidden reserve of strength and willpower boiled within him, reserves that he did not know that he had. He kept his eyes down, acting the part they expected to see. He kept his eyes as dull and lifeless as he could. The cell door creaked open. General Zod stepped in to collect Clark. He held a long knife in his hand.
Every muscle in Clark's body was as taut as a bowstring. His heart was beating wildly in his chest. Fear and hope dueled within his soul. Outwardly, though, he maintained the look of a weak wraith of a person. He looked wearily up at the approaching General.
General Zod grew nearer. Clark was ready. He gripped the hilt of his small dagger tightly. The General stooped to grab him. Clark sprang, ignoring the weight of the chains on his wrists and ankles. The dagger collided with General Zod's intestines. It sunk to the hilt. A look of shock and surprise covered his face. A roar of pain was all that he could get out before a bright red bubble of blood appeared in his gaping mouth and then burst, staining his lips. A glazed look covered his eyes as he died. The long knife he held clattered to the stone floor even as his body tipped to the side as he fell.
Clark quickly grabbed the knife that General Zod had held moments before. He advanced on Nor, making his way towards the cell door. Adrenaline kept his feet moving forward. Lord Nor screamed in rage. He reached to the holster at his side and withdrew his firearm.
"Just you and me now, Nor," Clark said, brandishing the weapon before him.
A look of mild fear flickered for one brief second in Nor's eyes as he caught the deadly gleam in Clark's eyes. He hadn't expected his prisoner to fight back. He raised the gun and aimed it at Clark's heart. Clark's momentum slowed. His energy reserves were flagging. Nor recognized that fact and grew confident once more. His finger slowly squeezed down the trigger.
"Goodbye, Kal-El," he sneered, venom dripping in his voice.
Two shots rang out, the sound reverberating off the dull gray walls.
Clark slumped to the floor as stinging pain ripped though his body. He cried out before he could stop himself. Before him, Nor sunk to his knees, as if in a daze. He was dead before he hit the floor. As he fell, Clark could see Ching and Jen Mai standing behind him. Ching held a gun in his hand, a cold look of disgust on his face. Clark gripped at his chest, trying to put pressure on the bullet hole in his own body, trying to hold his precious lifeblood inside. Bright spots of pain danced before his eyes. He fought to stay conscious.
He was dimly aware as Ching took the keys from General Zod's belt and released the shackles that he wore. He felt almost detached from his own body, as though he were looking down on the scene playing out in the dungeon. Ching bent over Clark as several soldiers swarmed into the room. One of the men grabbed Clark in his arms and held a blanket to his gunshot wound, providing the necessary pressure. Clark grunted in fresh agony. He locked eyes with Ching.
"We've got you," Ching reassured him. "Stay with us, Clark." He lightly draped a fresh blanket over Clark's naked, trembling body.
The meaning of Ching's words did not go unnoticed. He'd called him Clark. It was Ching's way of telling him that all was well. Or maybe it was meant to placate him before he died. Clark knew that his overall body condition was horrendous. And although he was alive now, who knew how bad his newest wound really was?
"Nor...pocket..." Clark gasped against the pain and fear that had suffused his body.
Ching moved to Nor's unmoving body and checked the dead man's pockets. From the front right pocket, he extracted Lois' ring. He quickly crossed over to Clark and pressed it into his hand. A thankful smile played over Clark's lips.
A medic arrived with a levitating stretcher. Clark was gently placed on top, then floated right out of the underground bunker. Clark fought to keep his eyes open as they came out into the open. It was sunset. Never before had he been grateful to see the red sun of New Krypton. He took a moment to revel in it before he was put into the back of a white vehicle that resembled an ambulance, though bigger. A team of medics was waiting inside. They fussed over him as they rode back to the palace. An IV line was placed into his left arm. His vital signs were taken. The painstaking cleaning of his various wounds was started, though they did not touch the gunshot wound.
Once they reached the palace, Clark was whisked into a private chamber. His team of physicians quickly sedated him and prepped him for surgery. Five hours later, the surgery was declared a success. The bullet had passed close to his heart but had miraculously failed to hit any vital veins or arteries, nor did it damage his lungs. Clark's broken nose was reset. All of his wounds were cleaned and the worst of them were bandaged. Not much could be done about his broken and fractured ribs. They would have to heal on their own.
When Clark awoke from his sedation, he found himself in his private bedchambers. His was laying in the plush bed, still nude beneath the sheets. A line of oxygen ran from a tank into his nostrils. The IV line was still firmly placed in his arm. He wasn't in much pain. He idly wondered what kind of pain killers they were giving him. He cautiously looked down at himself. He was clean. A thin leather cord hung about his neck, Lois' ring centered between his pectorals. A wave of relief flooded him. He clasped his right hand over the delicate golden band, holding it close.
"Lois," he murmured.
The door to the bedchamber opened. Ching and Zara strode into the room. Tight lines of worry were etched into their brows. Clark smiled, encouraging them to come in. They seemed relieved to see him awake.
"Kal-El," Zara breathed, as though still in disbelief.
"How are you feeling, my Lord?" Ching asked.
Clark managed a bitter laugh. "To be honest, I've been better. I've been a lot worse too. What happened? How'd you find me? Nor had that place shielded so I couldn't contact anyone."
Ching settled into a chair to the left of Clark's bed. "Jen Mai," he said simply.
Clark's eyes widened in disbelief. "Jen Mai?" he repeated, incredulous.
Ching saw the look, nodded, and continued. "He contacted us about sixteen hours after Nor's last transmission to the Elders. He said that he'd made a mistake. That you were right. He said that Nor was out of control. That he couldn't believe the brutality that he'd seen and that if Nor were to take the throne, he was sure New Krypton would die. He told us of Nor's plan to invade other planets. And, he told us where to find you. We assembled a task force and had to fight our way through Nor's renegades, otherwise we'd have been there sooner," he said apologetically.
"I'm just glad you made it in time. Another few minutes and I wouldn't be here. Thank you." He shook his head in wonder. "Jen Mai. I got through to him after all. I was right. There is goodness lurking in almost everyone." A sudden thought occurred to him. "He hasn't...I mean...the Elders haven't..."
Ching shook his head. "He is in holding but the Elders have not yet tried him."
"Good. Tell them not to do anything until I have the chance to talk to them."
Ching nodded and started to rise. Clark raised a hand to stop him. Ching sat.
"I also want the...mother ship...prepared for departure. I need to get to Earth's yellow sun. It'll heal me."
"It will be some days before you are strong enough for that," Zara said gently.
"I know. But the second that I can make the trip, I want to be on that ship. Once I am healed, the Elders can try Jen Mai. Zara, was Nor the only other noble in line for the throne after me?"
"Yes," Zara nodded.
What happens then if I step down, denounce my title? he thought to her, not knowing who else might be listening in on their conversation.
Zara hesitated. I don't know. I've checked every law and every scrap of recorded history. It's never happened before. If a ruler has been overthrown or died or deemed unfit to rule, then the second noble in line has always risen to the throne.
Okay, Clark thought back. Then it might be possible for me to convince the Elders to set up you and Ching as rulers.
And what if they refuse?
I have to find a way of convincing them. I have no intention of staying here on this planet. I never did. You know that. Not after all that's happened. Especially not when Lois is waiting for me on Earth. I came here with the promise of preventing war from breaking out if Nor succeeded to the throne. That threat is no longer there. I need to go back to my home now.
Ching nodded slowly. He'd been privy to the unspoken conversation. Clark suddenly gave a half smile as a plan began to form in his mind.
