Chapter Eighteen: Sacrifice.
Everything remained silent in the most unbearable way. Time crept by and one of the Survivors of Krypton slowly passed around the corner.
Kara hoped she could make her way around the other side to get the jump on Lex and on Brainiac. The lack of sounds coming from around her was more than alarming. She intended to get around this corner without any pressing incident. The blonde swung her arms to pick up speed and moved around the corner in a blink of an eye.
A scream pierced the air and resulted in Kara jumping back. She hit the ceiling and came back down to a standing position. A louder and more agonizing scream continued. Kara pressed both hands on the door and leaned in to shove it open.
The door gave a very tiny amount of resistance. Kara summoned up every ounce of strength she could to drive the door open. The door swung back and landed with a sickening thud against the wall. The Girl of Steel stepped into the room and peered around the corner. What she saw, it caused a sickening feeling to fill her body.
She came face to face with Milton Fine who was in the process of injecting a man with something. The decayed form of a second man on the ground showed Kara the depraved depths of where he would go. Kara charged him.
Not exactly the smartest strategy, but emotions ran very high, and Kara needed to protect this poor man who was in agonizing pain.
The intended punch bounced off of an energy barrier and rocked Kara back to the ground. Kara dropped down onto her knees, the air being driven from her lungs. Cables retracting from the ground prevented Kara from getting back to her feet. The Girl of Steel thrashed and struggled against the cables. No matter how much she squirmed or thrashed, the cables remained in place.
"I'm going to save you the breath. There is a high statistical probability I will be getting away with this."
Heated gaze went towards Brainiac
"I was wondering when you would interfere in my plans," Brainiac said. He shook his head. "You should really learn your place."
"Yeah, well your place is in the scrap heap."
Kara put power behind those these words by tearing the cables from the ground and flinging them off to the side. The Girl of Steel freed herself and moved to try and disable the force field protecting Brainiac from retribution.
"The anger going through your eyes amuses me," Brainiac said. "If I were capable of such emotions as amusement. You know deep down you're as much of a fool as your mother was with her plans to stop Krypton's destruction. She had the best intentions in mind, but history judges her as a failure. She deserved everything all of the pain which came with the end of her exile."
Brainiac hoisted a hand up and fired an energy blast at Kara. A white-hot blast of energy flared through the dodged the attack. The computer returned to working on powering up his monsters. He smiled when one of them rose up.
The man rose to a standing position with glowing eyes and clawed hands. His entire skin shined with very angry red. He stormed over at Kara's general direction, a snarl crossing over his face.
"That pain you feel, I can fix it, make it stop," Brainiac said. "All you need to do is destroy her."
Brainiac extended one very long finger towards Kara to point the enraged, and agonized, man forward. The Meteor Mutant opened his mouth and screamed. An energy blast fired at her. Kara dipped underneath the attack before it nailed her in the side of the head. The Girl of Steel popped up with a huge punch to the head and knocked him down.
A second Meteor Mutant rushed her from behind. A blast of red energy nailed her. Kara dodged the attack and fired a blast of heat vision in response. The creature answered her attack by extending a hand back and smacking Kara hard in the face.
She flipped over onto the ground and skidded to a stop, landing knee first onto the ground. Kara rose up to a standing position and the meteor mutant continued to pour on the assault. Red energy blast after red energy blast stopped inches away from connecting with her face.
'Can't let them hit me. Need all the strength I have to stop Brainiac.'
These energy blasts did not come even close to clipping her. The Girl of Steel avoided the attack before she had been taken down. She pushed back the attack and nailed her pursuer as hard as she could.
'Why am I so weak?' she managed. It hit her suddenly with all of the subtle nature of a punch to the face. 'He can transmute red solar energy. Of course!'
The first monster grabbed Kara around the throat and tightened the grip around him. Kara squirmed and tried to break free when her body became weaker and her feet dragged upon the ground. His beefy hands pushed down onto the side of her neck in an attempt to strangle every burst of life out of her. Kara summoned the resolve to break free and kick him up against the wall.
One meteor freak ascended high into the air and crashed down onto the other one. Kara pulled herself up to a standing position and picked up the gurney. She propelled it at the creature with an amazing force. The creature with the energy blasts caught the metal in the stomach and fell down.
Kara collapsed to one knee. Brainiac lifted her up by the neck and hurled her back against the wall.
"Soon, you're going to witness the return of a true Krypton," Brainiac said. "Do you not remember? Let me give you the incentive to."
Brainiac bombarded Kara's mind with a heavy blast. A rush of memories rushed, suppressed for various reasons. She screamed when the mind numbing force hit her.
She broke free from the mind probe and nailed Brainiac with all of the force. She realized when connecting it was a drone she was dealing with and not the real deal.
Kara collapsed to the ground, blood spurting from her nose from the headache she received. Everything came back to her, in the worst possible way, at the worst possible time.
'Sweet merciful Rao!' Kara thought, revelations she blocked away having hit her entirely.
Lex had been waiting for an opportunity to show true power. He would have to ensure Clark respected what he had to deliver. Clark rushed towards him. Lex could see his hesitation in his movements. He would not have the same amount of hesitation. Not if he wanted to change the world for the better.
'I admire your virtue, I really do,' Lex thought.
Lex blocked Clark and hooked his arm. It was a powerful grip which Clark could block if he did not have the instincts burned into his body to not hurt them. The Kents brought him up right, never to use his powers to hurt another too badly.
The Kents and their values worked well for Lex tonight. Clark hesitated and still thought Lex was the sick one, the deranged one, the delusion one, even if it was obvious.
"You will be better on your knees before a superior!"
He tried to push Clark down to the ground to his knees. Clark broke free and sent Lex spiraling back a couple of inches. Lex returned fire, blasting Clark with heat vision. It was unrefined, at least for a moment.
"You hid your secrets well!" Lex yelled. "You lied to me. I offered you friendship, and you were no better than my father. To you, I was your pawn!"
"Lex, it wasn't….."
"A Luthor is no one's pawn!"
Clark rushed Lex one more time and returned fire with a punch to the midsection. He grabbed Lex by the shirt and hoisted him up before throwing him down to the ground. Lex crashed against the fence and bounced back up a second later.
The wind had knocked out of Lex. He smiled.
"Maybe you do have a fight in you after all. Good, if you rolled over and let me defeat you, I would be disappointed."
Lex approached Clark, barely with a scratch on him. Clark charged Lex one more time and tried for a punch. Lex blocked the attack and nailed Clark with a couple of elbow strikes to the side of the neck. Clark staggered a few inches back.
"I'm getting stronger," Lex said. "And you're not….you really don't know what to do with all of that great power, do you?"
Clark blocked Lex before he smashed a rock down upon his head. The two former friends struggled over the rock. Clark fired a heat vision blast through the rocks which crumbled in Lex's hand. Clark popped up and started to swing for the fences with a multitude of punches.
"Brainiac is controlling you, he's setting you up, you're going to be a vessel."
"Oh, you think I need help," Lex said. "Keep pounding that drum, Clark. And keep thinking you're the virtuous one who has done nothing wrong."
Lex nailed Clark as hard as he could. The throat crushing punch caused Clark to fall over. He breathed heavily. The yellow sunlight healed the damage but it was hard to breathe in the meantime. Clark rolled up to standing position and staggered over.
Heat vision burned off Clark's shirt when Lex nailed him with the beams.
"I think I'm getting the hang of this," Lex said. He stepped back. "Burning feeling is annoying, but I'll deal with it later."
Clark distracted Lex with a very loud clap of his hands. The young man's ears had been rattled by Clark's attack.
"Going to have to get used to the super senses," Clark said.
Lex tried to block out the throbbing in his head. He would adapt, he would always adapt. He was a Luthor, adaptability was bred in them from a very early age. Seconds passed before Clark rushed behind Lex. He hooked the young man's arm and pushed him against the wall.
"You don't understand this, do you?" Lex asked. "I'm extraordinary, and now…"
Clark grabbed Lex around the side of the neck and put pressure a point which he knew would take him out. Lex slumped against the ground and Clark continued to bring him down.
It was time for Clark to keep Lex down. His heart beat a bit faster while holding Lex down across the ground.
A burning blast of acid caught Clark in the back. He dropped down to a kneeling position on the ground. A meteor mutant stepped forward, arms swinging. One look into this meteor infected man's eyes told Clark all he needed to know.
'The lights are on, nobody's home.'
Another one retracted long fingernails and lunged towards Clark with an intention to slice into him. Clark burned the nails off with his heat vision. The man staggered back in agony, before growing his fingernails back to the same size and retracting them like whips.
Clark avoided the razor-sharp whips from slicing into his body. He blocked the fingernails and kicked back. The meteor infected dropped to the ground for the count, at least for now.
The scratches and cuts on Clark's body began to heal.
'No rest for the wicked.'
Clark avoided the punch from the meteor mutant. The two of them engaged in a battle. The meteor mutant opened his mouth and spit acid at Clark. Clark evaded and returned fire by nailing him in the shoulder with a headbutt.
A third man slumped into the shadows. He scooped up Lex and the two of them faded into a shadow of mist, disappearing into the night.
Clark could not give chase, not that he knew where they went. The Meteor Mutants surrounded Clark and pulled rank close around him.
Kara sped towards the battle, blood dripping down her nose and mouth. She nailed the acid spitting meteor mutant in the chest and caused him to drop down to the ground.
She dropped down, and Clark looked concerned at the look on Kara's face. She should not have to bleed for this long. But, it wasn't the blood which concerned Clark. It was the haunted look in Kara's eyes. She had the look of finding out something.
"Kara…."
"This didn't go as we expected."
"What's wrong?" Clark asked.
"If Lex is gone, that's what's wrong," Kara said.
Clark really barely had a chance to regroup or anything before the two Kryptonians moved off to hunt Lex down. His ears were still ringing. So close to having Lex down and keeping him down, but the meteor mutant slipped off into the night with Lex, and without another world.
"Tess has vanished," Clark said. "I really hope something didn't happen to her."
"Tess can handle herself," Kara said.
Clark looked at Kara, something was really wrong. She was in a funny mood.
All of those repressed memories flooding back to her, they jarred Kara. She tried to say it was just an attempt by Brainiac to screw with her mind. The deeper she pushed them, though, the more she realized how far they had been suppressed.
'Don't worry now, Kal needs your help,' Kara thought. 'Deal with Brainiac and Lex first, stop Zod from being brought here…..then figure out from there.'
The two of them looked over towards Metropolis. The city had been lit up given how it was night, at least for a second.
"There's another lab that Brainiac is using here," Kara said. "It's the only lab he can be using that even has close to the facilities to pull off the Genesis Protocol."
Clark didn't know how she knew that but appreciated she did. The two locked hand to hand with each other when continuing their forward movement.
"He's still on that one," Clark said. "You're okay. You don't look very well."
"One of the meteor mutants can simulate Krypton's red sun," Kara said. "So, it depleted my reserves. And considering its night they aren't replenishing as fast as they could."
Kara rubbed the top of her head. Clark accepted her response at face value, for now at least. It was the trust they held which allowed him to do so, and Kara hated for it to be destroyed by telling him the truth.
'The truth is a difficult thing,' she thought to herself. 'How can I tell it to him when I can barely process it myself?'
She had been running from the truth so long it had been an alarming prospect. Kara tried to be reasonable to herself and remember the fact it was information which had been suppressed by someone in her mind. It would take a long time to assimilate these memories.
'Now is not the time or the place.'
A jolt of energy erupted high up top in Metropolis. The buildings around them lit up and started to flicker. Some of them blacked completely out. Half of downtown Metropolis was blacked completely out.
"Mother, there's a power surge in Metropolis," Clark said.
"Yes, my sensors have the Fortress have picked it up as well," Lara said. "There's an extraordinary amount of energy….but for what Zod is doing, it's obvious. He needs all of the power he can to charge the crystals, now that the Fortress has been locked down."
"If he charges the crystals he can…"
Kara allowed the other part of her statement to be lost to all time. No one needed for her to finish her sentence because it was completely obvious where this one was going.
"Yes, if he charges the crystals, he will be able to open up a portal to the Phantom Zone," Lara concluded.
"He intends to retrieve Zod, "Clark muttered.
The meteor mutant dragged off Lex, therefore whatever plan Brainiac had was still in play. Lex might have suffered minor injuries in the battle.
"If he opens up the portal and can't control it, Zod is going to be the least of our worries, I'm afraid," Lara said. "It's of utmost importance you shut down the portal."
"We'll do it if we can find him," Clark said.
"I believe it's in the center of Metropolis," Lara said.
Clark craned his neck and his enhanced eyesight followed the progress of the glowing energy. Sure enough, Lara was correct; it was in the center of the city. Zod put a huge blinking beacon for them to follow. It was almost like an invitation.
"So, are you ready to do this?" Kara asked.
"Not being ready is a luxury we can't afford to have," Clark said. He stood up with pride and wished everything would go on smoothly. "Let's go out and stop Brainiac, save the world….this time for good."
Kara liked Clark's optimism in a situation like this. She had her doubts they could stop him in time. Still, not attempting would cement Brainiac successfully pulling this one off.
"Before we go, I need to tell you something, it's…well, it's very important," Kara said. "It's…"
Kara trailed off. Clark looked at her curiously for a second. One point, he wanted to know what she wanted to tell him. On the other hand, he had only one question to ask her.
"Do you think it can wait until after we take care of Brainiac?"
Kara paused, considered, and slowly nodded. She almost kicked herself for overcomplicating things.
"Nothing is more important than saving the world," Kara said.
"Oh, I think anything you have to say is important," Clark said. "But, I think we shouldn't be distracted from this."
Little did Clark know, Kara's mind already worked a mile a minute.
'Much too late for that,' Kara thought.
Kara focused on what was ahead and put the past behind her. Clark took the lead and she followed something which rarely happened. Brainiac's mind probe did a number on her confidence. And made here question everything she ever knew about life and herself.
Brainiac positioned himself over the fallen body of Lex. He studied the young man. Despite having an intense battle with the son of Jor-El, Lex barely had a scratch on him. This much boded quite well for Brainiac's plans. He leaned down closer towards the young man sprawled out on the table.
"So far, all of the tests are a success," Brainiac said. "You will wake up as a new man, Mr. Luthor. And you will be a much better man, just as the General's forces are brought to Earth."
He might not have been able to banish all of humanity, but it was only a small inconvenience. Brainiac checked the energy signatures to ensure they were properly calibrated. When he verified they were, a smug little smirk crossed over the face of the android.
"Nothing can stop me, Earth's destiny is to kneel before Zod!"
"You want to bet on that?"
Brainiac turned his attention towards the Son of Jor-El. The machine didn't fear anything this young man could do against him.
"You can't stop this, no matter how much you try to do so," Brainiac said. "You see, I've learned one thing about you."
Clark stopped. Kara grabbed his arm and held him back. They needed to be in the perfect position to do so.
"You will never harm an innocent human life, and this…..meat bag on the table, is an innocent human life in your eyes," Brainiac said. "Despite the cruelty, he's capable of, you seek to redeem him because you think you can fix the entire world's problems. An idealist fool like your father. The only way to fix a planet's problem is through conquest."
Contempt flashed through Clark's eyes.
"You're wrong," Clark said.
"A typical response from a foolish organic," Brainiac said. "Smashing the crystals will do nothing. Lex Luthor is the nexus point to the Phantom Zone. You want to shut down the portal; you're going to have to kill him. And I don't think you have it in you to do that."
Clark's bluff had been called by Brainiac. Killing Lex would force him to cross a line. But not killing him would lead to Brainiac's plan succeeding. He put Clark in a corner and knew it.
Kara stood, looking from Lex to Clark. Her entire world had been spun upside down, but if Lex lived and Zod had been brought to Earth, things could get very ugly.
"The Phantom Zone will be unleashed, as will Zod!" Brainiac yelled. "It's unfortunate you don't get to live to see that."
Tears streamed in Kara's eyes. She had been sent here to protect Kal, ensure he remains of a pure heart. And she knew what had to be done now, to ensure he stayed this way.
'Forgive me, Kal."
Kara was a second away from snapping Lex's neck. Clark jumped in front of her and for a second, she thought he was going to be the one to put Lex out of his misery.
Instead, Clark dove over the table and impaled a power crystal through Brainiac's chest. The energy shot through the chest plate of the former Master Computer of Krypton. Arms and legs swung in every direction with Brainiac trying his hardest to keep his systems intact.
"You can't stop me, nothing can be stopped!" Brainiac howled. The agony spread through his entire system.
The crystal started to feed coding to Brainiac prime which also disrupted and corrupted his system. The drone fell to the ground, melting into a pile of silver goop on the ground.
"He's done, but the portal is still activated," Kara said. "We're going to have to do it."
Kara's hands shook, but Clark stopped her.
"Wait, look," Clark said.
The energy orb in the center of the room started swirling around and collecting an ample amount of energy above Lex's sprawled out body. Clark and Kara locked eyes with each other.
"We can shut it down, can't we?" Clark asked.
"Maybe," Kara said. "If we redirect the portal….we can stop what's going to come out….create a loop…but something has to go into the Phantom Zone for it to work."
Clark charged through the orb and placed his hand on it. The energy almost rocked his entire body when touching the orb. The vibration came through his body.
Kara grabbed onto Clark to pull him away before it was too late. A blinding bright light filled the room. Both Kryptonians disappeared in a flash of light.
Lex stirred and his eyes shot open, bloodshot and glowing.
Clark dropped down face first onto the ground. Dust kicked into the air and almost staggered him. The broken orb rolled over and slid off of the edge of a large floating rock fragment. He dropped into parts unknown. Clark watched its descent.
The whispers of something unsettling visited Clark. Where he was, he had a funny feeling it was not a good place for him to be. Clark adjusted to the different atmosphere, different to what was used for on Earth. The dust made his eyes water.
"Kara?"
Even his voice sounded very different and unsettling to his own ear. Clark stepped forward. The mist surrounding him made it very difficult to concentrate.
Something wrapped in a billowy red robe slipped closer into the shadows. Clark reached down and tried to speed towards it. He dropped down onto the ground.
It was almost like someone sucked all of the energy out of him.
"Clark."
Kara staggered over to grip him. She looked as fatigued as Clark felt. An extended hand helped Clark up to his feet. He almost collapsed when Kara pulled him out of the sight of this robed figure.
"Just keep calm, we'll find a way out of here somehow," Kara said. "We're going to have to keep moving before they come."
Clark noticed the fear in her voice and realized something extremely strange was going on. The two of them made their way over a cave.
"It feels like it's been a few seconds since we left, but it's been a longer time, hasn't it?" Clark asked.
"Time doesn't work here the same way….."
Kara yanked Clark deep into the cave. Several dark wraiths flew past them, not once looking at them. Time passed when the two captive Kryptonians waited. They couldn't even breathe because any signs of life would enrage them.
"Thankfully, no blood was spilled," Kara said. "They would be after us and there would be no stopping them."
Clark realized something in an instant. He could not believe it.
"We were sent into the Phantom Zone," Clark said.
"Well, remember how I told you something needed to be sent through for the portal to be closed properly," Kara said. Clark answered with a nod. "That something is us."
Clark could barely even stand. He collapsed down on the rocks.
The Phantom Zone was created for some of the most hardened criminals in the known galaxies, and was something even dangerous men feared. They were here with no powers, and potentially no hope of escape.
No way out. How were they going to last?
Chapter Nineteen: Long Way From Home.
Kara never wanted to step into the Phantom Zone for the rest of her life. She heard more than enough stories about one of the worst places in the universe. She stood, and put herself between Clark and the exit from the cave. Her heart started to beat heavier when she looked out into the mist. The whispers which came from the area around the Fortress made Kara clench her fist. She summoned all of the courage she could.
'Not good, not good at all,' Kara thought. 'Going to have to keep your wits about you.'
Everything looked redefined torment. Some prisoners were destroyed when being sent in the Phantom Zone. Those who did not destroy found a way to thrive despite the harsh elements. This made them extremely dangerous and made Kara on edge. She stepped outside to look around.
'The coast seems clear,' Kara thought. 'But, I don't know. There's just something…..I don't know what's happening. It's really awful.'
Kara responded with another shudder. The shudder spread down her spine and she doubted it was because of the dropped temperatures in the Phantom Zone. She turned around to look at Clark who slumped against the wall. She was about ready to ask if Clark was okay. One thing stopped her from talking to him. She took a look at the reflection of the wall and the horror dancing through her eyes. She was terrified beyond all belief and for good reason.
"This is an awful place," Clark said.
Kara nodded in response at the rather frank way he spoke. She held her hand up and grabbed Clark around the shoulder. He pulled Kara in closer towards him even though he was rather shaken himself. Clark closed his eyes a second later and sensed something. He could almost see Earth. The only problem was there was a large wall surrounding them.
"Yeah, it redefines awful," Kara said. "And neither of us are welcomed here."
'No one is welcomed here, they are sent here to perish,' Kara thought.
Clark raised an eyebrow and Kara decided to elaborate on what she had to say.
"The House of El put half of the prisoners here in the Phantom Zone, and they would like nothing better than to kill us," Kara said. A second passed when she craned her ear. She didn't have her enhanced hearing or any powers.
Everything was in the dark. They would only have maybe a matter of seconds before something attacked them to react. They had to keep moving. Staying in one place for more than a few seconds was not a really good thing.
"Yes, I figured out about that much," Clark said. "Did you mention there was a way out?"
Kara didn't answer straight away. She let Clark rest a hand on her shoulder a second later. Kara took a half of a second to answer.
"There's a way out, like I said," Kara said. "My mother built an exit portal just in case….I had been forced into the Phantom Zone. It was a last ditch effort. She never intended me to use it."
Clark sensed there was a "but" in the air. He leaned closer towards Kara and touched a hand to her shoulder. Kara almost jumped into the air before Clark held her in tight. Kara nodded, trying to take a deep breath.
"Relax, everything is going to be fine," Clark said.
Kara shook her head. She adored Kal-El for trying to keep things pretty calm. She just wished she had it within her to accept his confidence and appreciate it. The problem was realism dropped down.
'There's no easy way out of this,' Kara thought. She set her jaw and frowned before taking another step closer towards the edge. She leaned closer towards the edge.
"There is a way out," Kara repeated for herself. "The problem is, the exit is on the other end of the Fortress. And it's past all of them."
Kara empathized her statement by extending her hand out. A black cloud appeared in the distance and laughter echoed. The sickening groans mixed in with the laughter. They noticed a ragged looking prisoner running through the Fortress. He tripped over the rock and landed.
Clark made a step over to save the man. Kara grabbed him, shoved him back, and held him against the wall.
"You can't."
What happened next was rather horrifying. The prisoner tried to reach for the knife which slid out of his hand. The creature grabbed the prisoner by the throat and ripped him apart. The other Phantoms fought over the scraps. The goon was trying to struggle against their grip, screaming and begging for mercy.
"God," Clark muttered.
"Yes," Kara said. "They're leaving…"
Several dusty bones rested on the ground which once belonged to a flesh and blood prisoner. Other Phantoms would be along to feast on whatever meat the first pack of Phantoms left on the bones. It was a disgusting fate, but inevitable.
"Each day they survive is a milestone," Kara said.
"The emergency exit point is all the way over there?" Clark asked.
"Yes," Kara said. "And the moment they see us, we're dead for sure."
"We can't stay here forever," Clark said.
Kara cupped a hand underneath her chin and answered with a sigh. She realized they could not, no, not for a moment. She took another deep breath.
"We're going to have to find a way out," Kara said. "When the light is the brightest, we need to go."
"Wouldn't the darkness make it easier for us?" Clark asked.
Kara responded with a frustrated shake of her head.
"The darkness would doom us, they will rip us apart before we even see their faces," Kara said. "I'm not saying the light is much better."
Kara spotted a sword in the cave. Two of them in fact and she handed one of them to Clark. She didn't know how well they would serve them against the Phantoms, but it was something.
'It's better than nothing. It's far better than nothing.'
Lex Luthor's body rolled over and allowed a groan to escape his body. He had been fastened down on the table. The bright light flashed through his eyes. Lex's mind slipped further in, and the second party located in his body took control of his body. He slowly started to show signs of life.
The eyes flashed open, and it was obvious by anyone who took a nice and close look that Lex was not in the driver's seat. The head started to pound when memories started to turn back. Lex's arm pushed and caused the metal strap to be risen up. The strap snapped back one more time.
Lex lifted his head up. He lurched forward and tested the weight on his knees.
'Finally, I'm out of the Phantom Zone,' he thought.
No longer did Lex Luthor hold control of the body in question. Someone else grabbed control of this body.
General Zod made his way to Earth. He felt around the body. It was somewhat durable, but not as durable as he wanted to. The bald man was not who he wanted to be inside. Zod walked over and took a longer look at the man. He raised his hands and smashed the wall leaving a dent in it.
"Brainiac!" Zod yelled. "BRAINIAC!"
No answer and Zod needed to have a word with him. Zod spent the next few minutes to walk around and test out his new body.
'It's not Kryptonian, but it's enhanced,' Zod thought. 'It will have to do for now.'
A light glow illuminated the room. He walked over towards the orb and placed a hand on it. A flash erupted around Zod's hand and something tried to rip his soul from this new body. Zod ripped his vessel's hand away from the orb. Sparks showered the room around him, and Zod had one answer.
"I'm still anchored to the Phantom Zone," Zod said to himself. "I'm not completely out….all someone will need to do is open up a portal and they can put me back into the Phantom Zone."
Zod searched around for what he wanted to look for. He found a black box on the ground with an upside triangle symbol on it. He scooped up the box and frowned.
"So, this is all of what remains of you, Brainiac?" Zod asked him. "I can't say I'm disappointed. It serves you right for your ability to properly extract me from the Phantom Zone."
Zod placed Brainiac's remains on the shelf and stepped back into the lab. It still took him some getting used to this new body. It looked like a Kryptonian even though it did not feel like a Kryptonian. Brainiac failed to put him inside the Son of Jor-El where he could bring new power to a brand new Krypton.
'Useless,' Zod thought. 'But, it's going to have to do.'
Zod punched his way through the metal door. The door smashed over with Zod walking into the room. He saw a group of six gentlemen in cages. Another two strapped to the wall and tried to pull themselves away from their restraints.
"So, this is what Brainiac intended to use as my army," Zod said. He lifted a hand and smashed one of the captive meteor mutants.
"Thank you," the man said.
Zod's cold eyes looked upon the men who shuddered. They tried to stand up straight, but he gave them one look which put them back into line.
"You can thank me by swearing your loyalty to me," Zod said.
"Swear our loyalty to you?" one of the captive prisoners asked. "You and your business partner capture us, torture us, and now you want us to serve you?"
Zod was not used to being contradicted. He looked over at the meteor mutants. One of them swallowed. Zod reached over towards the man's cage and summoned him forward.
"You're going to be part of an uprising bigger than anything you imagine," Zod said. "And you have two choices, and I suggest you think hard what you choose before you answer my question."
Zod had them in the palm of his hand. Despite the fact he was in a different body, with a different voice, he still had a presence which demanded respect. The eyes of all of these empowered humans looked towards him. Zod appreciated the look and they would soon appreciate his power.
"You can languish in this place, forgotten by the entire world until it changes," Zod said. He stopped a second later. "Or all of you can join up with me, and kneel before Zod!"
The meteor mutants had no idea why Lex Luthor referred to himself as this "Zod person", but none of them were willing to argue with him. They just all nodded. If he wanted to be this Zod, then he was going to be Zod. There was no question about it.
"So, what is it going to be?"
The man who Zod freed first dropped to his knees. The others, even the man who spoke out followed. The type of power Zod had was obvious. All would yield, and all would kneel before Zod.
One wide grin passed over Zod's head. They were not his loyal soldiers who were still trapped inside of the Phantom Zone, but they will do.
Lara started to access as much power as she could in the Fortress of Solitude. Nothing had been going right today, nothing at all. Lara bit down on her lip and kept working. Everything happened so fast, and it would be hard for people not to notice what happening.
'And I can't find them anywhere,' Lara thought.
The flashes of energy cascading over the sky told Lara a portal had been open. The last thing she heard was from Kara and Clark as they were heading off to Metropolis to stop Brainiac. Then, they faded off and this was an hour ago. Lara tried to find out where her niece and son went. She frantically worked to reestablish contact.
Nothing, not even a flicker on the screen, and Lara's tension expanded about tenfold. She pushed her fingers against the console and kept attempting to access what she needed to access. Still, nothing and Lara tried not to lose her temper. She liked things under control and when things got out of control.
Some entered the Fortress. Lara spun around and grabbed the figure around the arm before pulling her directly into the Fortress. She relaxed, only slightly, when she realized it was Tess Mercer. Lara pulled back from the attempt to hurl the woman halfway across the Fortress, but at the same time, maintained a light grip against her wrist.
"You should have announced your arrival," Lara said.
"Yes, but….I don't think breaking my arm is going to help with anything."
Despite her enhancements, Lara's strength outstripped Tess, and she was just getting stronger. Tess tried to pull away, but she wasn't going to get let go anytime soon. Lara released Tess's arm and allowed it to drop down to the ground.
"We have a problem," Tess said.
"Yes, I figured," Lara said.
The two women, after that moment of tension, walked off to each other. Tess took one look at the overlay of the Earth which had been flashed on the Fortress. So far, Zod hadn't tried anything yet, but it didn't mean he was going to fail to try anything. They needed to catch him before he had a chance to regain his bearings.
"Lex and Fine have been working on a couple of projects," Tess said. "One of them I found out just now."
Lara motioned for Tess to continue. Tess decided to answer her question.
"Luthorcorp has an array of satellites, spread at certain strategic places on this planet," Tess said. "The satellites have the ability to tap into the communications around Earth…"
Tess trailed off as if trying to figure out what to talk about next. Lara just sat in front of the table and started to type away to access these satellites. She frowned when working on the signal and get some kind of relay.
"Brainiac has already tried to block me," Lara said. "But, I've got a couple of ideas on how to get around what he's doing."
"Maybe I can help," Tess said. "I have someone who can remotely grab onto the satellites and stop them from deploying."
Lara frowned. She did trust a woman, at least to an extent. At the very least, both Clark and Kara vouched for her. Still, Lara would feel a lot more at ease if she took control of the situation, and try and access the satellites. She turned towards Tess.
Tess instantly understood what about Lara was going to say. She reached towards the older woman.
"Look, I understand you're anxious, we don't know where Clark and Kara are, well exactly," Tess said. Lara raised her eyebrow in response.
"Do you have a good idea where they might be?" Lara asked. "They're in the Phantom Zone, aren't they?"
Her worst fears came to life.
Tess nodded in response. She really hated to be the one to bring this news to Lara. The moment this news has been brought out, Lara turned around and looked towards the screen. She looked at the overlay of the Earth map. Lara placed a hand on the edge of the console and took in a deep breath.
"Look, they'll find a way back," Tess said. "You need to have faith."
"I do," Lara said. "What I'm worried about is Zod telling everyone in the Phantom Zone they're coming, and they're waiting for them. Zod still has his followers in the Phantom Zone, and it would be a very easy way to get rid of the two people who could stop Zod."
Tess realized that much. Those phantoms were going to end up ripping anyone apart who got in their way. She took a side trip into the Phantom Zone once and going into the Phantom Zone once was more than enough.
"Let me worry about stopping Zod from getting control of our communication, and you worry about bringing them back."
Lara didn't dare open up a portal to the Phantom Zone. She could bring them back, at least in theory. If she knew where Kara and Clark ended up, though, she could bring that up. Opening up random portals to the Phantom Zone wasn't exactly the best possible idea, to be honest.
"Yes, worry about it," Lara said. "Do, what you need to do….and…..be careful."
After what happened to her in another timeline, Tess was pretty careful. Especially around Lex or Zod, and given she now had to deal with both of them in the same body, she would have to be doubly careful.
Lana hated the fact her curiosity got the better of her and it got the better of her very often. Just all of the weird stuff going around her made her want to take one last peek at the ship which had dropped down for her. She walked closer towards the back entrance of the LuthorCorp facility where she knew where the Ship was located.
Those dreams she had increased regarding the ship and what it was capable of. At first, it was just paranoia, but they seemed so vivid. Now she overheard Chloe talking about how Clark and Kara went here, it only increased her curiosity. Something bad happened, Lana knew it deep down.
'Do you have a death wish?' Lana thought to herself.
Lana stopped when a voice of sanity entered her body. She brushed the dark strands of hair away from her face and pressed forward. The dark haired woman edged behind the gate and peered inside.
The lack of security there almost put her on edge. She stopped when seeing a couple of guards made their way in the corner.
'So much for not running into anything….'
Lana almost jumped into the air and screamed. A hand cupped over her mouth.
The dark-haired girl took a breath and realized she came face to face with Lois Lane of all people. Lois pulled her hand away from Lana's mouth, eyes widened in shock. Both girls locked eyes at each other, neither speaking right away, at least until the guards were out of hearing distance.
"What are you doing here?" Lois asked.
"What are you doing here?" Lana asked.
"You know, I asked you first," Lois said.
Lana closed her eyes. Lois did ask her first. She really didn't have a good reason to be here, other than hoping to run into Clark.
"I think Clark's in trouble," Lana said.
Suddenly, a group of uniformed military men walked in. They caught sight of both of the girls. The leader of the troops walked over and looked at both of the girls.
"You two ladies shouldn't be here," the leader said. "This facility is being seized."
"Why?" Lois asked.
"That's classified," the leader of the troops responded.
Lois Lane responded with a very obvious cross of her arms, sticking her lips out with a frown. Classified, she really hated when they pulled that line out. She knew if something was classified, she meant they were hiding something which could be completely dangerous. She might have bought it without a fight if she was a standard civilian who would easily swallow something like this.
Lana saw Lois's look and she turned a bit more nervous. Lois was about ready to say or do something which would get them both into trouble. Lana tried to grab Lois around the arm to hold her back, but Lois pulled herself away and got into the face.
"My father is General Sam Lane, and he might find it rather odd you're trying to keep this information from people who could be in danger….."
The man stood up in front of Lois and stared down at her with a heated gaze.
"Regardless of who your father is, it doesn't give you the credentials!" the man snapped.
Lana breathed a sigh of relief when hearing the phone going off. Lois answered the phone and walked away from the military guards. They kept their eyes locked on both of the girls but didn't do anything.
"Yes, Chloe?" Lois asked.
"Lois, have you seen Lana?" Chloe asked.
"Yeah, she's here with me….snooping around the facility where Lex is keeping his little project," Lois said.
"And what were you doing?" Chloe asked.
Lois threw her hands back and sighed in response.
"Okay, fine, I was snooping around," Lois answered. She folded her arms and stuck out her lip in the obvious pout. "Not like I'm going to find anything right now…the military is here, something classified."
"That's not good," Chloe said. "I need both of you to come back here, I need to talk to both of you."
"Chloe needs to talk to both of us," Lois said.
The compulsion which caused Lana to come here left from her body. The two of them made their way.
"So, should we take your car or mine?" Lois asked.
"Yours, because I walked here," Lana said.
"Why would you walk all the way here?" Lois asked.
"I needed a long walk to clear my mind."
Lois thought there was something Lana did not tell her; then again, she had a feeling sometimes Chloe, Lana, and Clark all at their own weirdness to deal with. Lois just rolled with the punches and just went with the flow.
The two girls left the area. No sooner did they did, Lex Luthor dropped down to the ground in front of the military guards. The guards pointed their weapons at him.
"So, you're the defenders of this planet?" Lex asked.
"Mr. Luthor, you're to come with us," the captain of the army said. "Don't make us use force."
Lex disarmed both of them in a blink of the eye. The officers fell back onto the ground, and Lex turned to the Captain.
"Tell them I'm taking control of this world," Lex said. He hoisted the man on them. "And you might live to see this brand new world."
Clark and Kara traveled for what seemed like days across the Phantom Zone. Anyone who knew the slightest amount about the Phantom Zone understood how time could be deceptive in the Phantom Zone.
"Keep going, we're almost there," Kara said.
Kara took a moment to mentally cross her fingers. They didn't run into a single Phantom on their way here. She couldn't shake off the fact though something really bad was about to happen.
Three Phantoms popped out from the red sand in front of them. They all broke out in a strangled whisper when approaching the two of them.
"Kal-El, welcome. I'll have to thank General Zod for his gift."
Nam-Ek with several other figures walked forward. The Phantoms backed off from Kara and Clark. The Disciples of Zod approached them.
"You're out of your element," Nam-Ek said. "I've undergone some of the harshest conditions to rise up in the Kryptonian Army. To me, the Phantom Zone is just a little piece of home."
"They're after the cave," one of the Disciples said.
"Yes, the cave, we know what's in there," Nam-Ek said. "Your way out….well there's no way out. Unless you kill everyone here."
Clark and Kara prepared themselves to fight the Disciples of Zod and the other fugitives which had joined them. They had a short way between her and the exit point.
"Kal, go for the cave, I'll deal with them," Kara said.
"No, we're here together."
Kara and Clark stood up against the Phantom Zone fugitives and they rushed in, preparing for an attack. The feral animals rushed towards them.
A figure in a hood on the edge of a mountain looked down at the battle. She caught sight of Kara, and her eyes widened in surprise.
Chapter Twenty: Deep Inside
Nam-Ek charged towards the Son of Jor-El with malicious intent in his mind. Revenge would be pretty sweet when he wrapped his hands around the throat of this faux Kryptonian. The Son of Jor-El dodged one of the punches. One of Zod's most loyal disciples would not have been denied his attack so he turned around and charged towards the son of Jor-El once again.
Another one of the attacks had been blocked. Nam-Ek gritted his teeth and ripped his hand back. He punched at his adversary one more time.
Clark stepped back a couple of inches with a punch almost taking his head off. A couple of punches had been blocked. One of the other Phantom Zone Goons rushed him to the side. Clark grabbed the Zoner's arm and flipped him down to the ground. The Phantom Zone hit the ground hard. Clark caught one of them on the backswing and kept hammering away at his adversary. He strung together multiple punches which rocked his enemy.
Kara dodged a blade from one of them. She jumped around to avoid the blade from slicing into her. It came an inch away from connecting with her cheek. Kara caught the Zone Goon's arm, and turned him around, before kicking him in the shoulder and flipping him down to the ground. Another Phantom Zone Guard charged her. Kara avoided the attack from this particular guard and strung together multiple punches to take him down.
"Stand still traitor!" one of them breathed.
Kara refused to acknowledge him at all. It was not really worth her time. The Phantom Zone prisoner tossed a large rock at her head. Kara avoided the attack and rolled over onto the ground. She popped up and caught the opponent with a running shoulder attack. Her adversary flew over the edge into a pit which sucked him up into parts unknown.
One of the goons grabbed Kara around the neck. She elbowed out of his assault and flipped over his head. Despite her lack of powers, Kara exhibited great agility. The goon charged at her.
Nam-Ek slammed into the son of Jor-El with a bone breaking force. He would break this meddlesome fool to his knees.
"You're weak just like your father," Nam-Ek said.
"That's where you're wrong," The Kryptonian Survivor said. He jacked Nam-Ek's jaw with a punch.
Agony spread all the way down the body of the Kryptonian survivor. He didn't have his strength and Nam-Ek had a very firm jaw. The Kryptonian soldier nailed Clark in the side of the arm. He nailed him with another punch which brought Clark down onto his back.
"It's time for you to die!" Nam-Ek yelled.
Nam-Ek hoisted Clark over his head with supreme strength. Even without his powers, he had some super powered strength, thanks to the genetic engineering he had undergone. He growled in a primal manner, holding his trophy high in the air above his head.
A shadow from the edge of the Phantom Zone rushed forward and nailed Nam-Ek in the ribs. It forced him to drop the Son of Jor-El. Said Son of Jor-El fell to the ground. The impact caused the air to rush out of him.
Clark rolled over on his hands and knees, giving a deep and heavy breath. He tried to push up to his hands and knees, but he just couldn't do it. He collapsed down on the ground.
Nam-Ek stepped back when he realized who attacked him. He threw his hands into the air.
"You," Nam-Ek said.
The attacker wasted no time in rushing over and grabbing Nam-Ek around the head. The brute of a man fought his way out of a head and neck hold. She gripped him tight and flipped him over onto the ground. Nam-Ek pulled himself up. The figure reached either side of Nam-Ek's head and snapped his neck back.
Blood poured from the mouth of the Kryptonian soldier. His eyes shifted to the back of his head with his body twitching madly.
Kara watched in shock while struggling with the knife one of the Kryptonian soldiers rushed towards him. The other soldiers turned around. The figure impaled the nearest one with a jagged blade. Blood spilled from the mouth of the prisoner before the figure ripped the blade out and turned around to the next one.
One of the few female soldiers received a tap on the side of the neck which only rendered her unconscious. The male next to her was not so lucky. He had been grabbed around the head. The person found the right spot to squeeze so hard that blood spurted out of the man's eyes, ears, and mouth.
The man with the crushed skull dropped down to the ground. Clark fought his way back up to a standing position. Kara rushed over, still with the blade she claimed as the spoils of battle. The taken knife had been grabbed by her hand.
"I'm fine, just….Nam-Ek packs a punch."
Kara looked at the Disciple of Zod.
"Not anymore," Kara said. "I recognize that fighting style."
A dust storm kicked up into the Phantom Zone. A swarm of alien insects moved towards them and they devoured the corpses of the prisoners when they moved in. One live prison ran from them but had been caught up in the storm.
"No time, this way, hurry!"
Zod finally was beginning to get used to his new body. It was a bit of a learning curve to adjust to what he was doing. He made his way to one of the LuthorCorp branches and walked into one of the main labs. It had been abandoned which was so much the better.
He couldn't establish the next phase of his plan without the processor. And the process was held here according to the memories of this meat sack he inhabited.
The lights turned up. A redhead woman stood in the midst of a lab and folded her arms. She had a slight smug smile on her face. Zod had been mildly amused by her presence.
"You must have a death wish being here," Zod commented to her without missing a beat.
"I don't seek death," Tess responded. She moved closer to look the General straight in the eye, or rather straight in Lex's eye.
"You knew I was coming," Zod said. "I knew you couldn't be ignorant…..Brainiac mentioned you might get involved…..so tell me, are you suicidal?"
Tess turned herself towards the Lex/Zod hybrid. She would make her move when the time was right and only when the time was right.
"I'm not afraid of dying, even though I don't seek death," Tess said. "And Lex isn't either, deep down. He wouldn't' tamper in such dangerous matters if he was."
"Foolishness runs deep in humanity," Zod said.
Tess looked towards him. Everything was almost in position. She reminded herself of the word "almost", but not quite.
"It's one of our more annoying traits, I'm afraid," Tess said.
"Yet, despite the foolishness of you, there is a certain strength of your body."
Lex's eyes slowly traveled down Tess's body. It didn't matter if it was Zod or Lex in the driver's seat. Tess thought this was the most repulsive thing ever. She only kept herself from throwing up because she needed to stick to the plan.
'Besides, I pledged myself to one man and one man alone.'
"You could be my queen," Zod said. He looked towards her with a burning gaze. "The only thing I ask of you is your body."
Tess aimed a gun in response and started to fire. Shot, shot, shot, and all of the shots connected. Bullets laced with Kryptonite riddled Lex's body and almost made him take a step back.
The dust cleared, and Zod stood there, Lex's body mostly unharmed. The General's fierce gaze was more obvious now than ever before. The laughter which followed showed Tess how bent he was. It really did clash with the glare of discontent flashing though the General's eyes.
"You really must have been foolish to think my servant wouldn't find a way to block this weakness," Zod said. "He had many flaws and did not give me the body I wanted. But this body is more of an adequate replacement."
Zod made a decision. He still needed the processor, and while this woman was a rather enticing diversion, she still stood in his way. Zod would have to take steps to have her removed.
"You could have been great," Zod said. "But it appears you've settled for mediocrity."
One swift punch sent Lex's hand through Tess's chest. Only her body flickered. The hard light hologram, capable of holding a gun, was immune to Zod's death blow. He reared his hand back and tried one more time.
"Hologram," Zod growled.
"That's right," Tess said. "You're not the only one who is capable of pulling tricks, you know."
The doors and the windows slammed shut with solid steel. Zod rushed towards the door and slammed his fists thought the steel. No matter how hard or how furiously he pounded on the metal doors, they would not bend.
"What do you hope to accomplish?" Zod asked.
"Oh, I think even those with super powers need to breathe," Tess said.
Gas started to pump in the room, inside Zod's prisoners. The General realized the air, necessary for breathing, was being turned into a poisonous gas. A lack of breathable air, no matter how powerful he was, would make it very difficult for him to breath.
Grim realization dawned upon Zod though. If he died here, his spirit would be forever stuck in a corpse. Zod dropped to his knees and held his breath. He needed to conserve his energy and find a way out of there.
Zod pressed a remote control device in the palm of his hand and waited for one of his loyal servants to answer the call.
Diana returned after a long visit back home, and Smallville had been in a state of panic. She noticed Chloe waiting at the side of the road, arms folded together. The two girls locked eyes, and Chloe rushed over to meet with Diana.
"So, what happened?" Diana asked.
"Hell broke loose," Chloe said. "There's this exiled Kryptonian General who pulled a grand theft on Lex Luthor. Kara and Clark are missing in action, they're in the same place the General was, the Phantom Zone."
"The Phantom Zone?" Diana asked.
Chloe sighed, she thought she was responsible for a very long and painful explanation.
"Yes, it's a dimension where some of Krypton's worst criminals are exiled," Chloe said. "And Zod, he's created a small faction of meteor mutants to start to run over Smallville. Everything's gone to hell in a hurry and….."
Chloe had a long pause. She knew the military was around, but she didn't have any time to process it into now. She saw her uncle, the one and only General Sam Lane walking down the street. He noticed Chloe at the edge of the street and did a power walk over her.
"You better get out of here," General Lane said. "The President signed an order that Smallville is going to be targeted with an air strike. We're going to take out this General Zod, or whatever that thing is that's inside the Luthor kid's body."
Chloe frowned; she wondered if they could do what they're doing.
"You're going to level Smallville," Chloe said. "You're going to level an entire city full of people."
"I'm not happy about it either," General Lane admitted. "Even you have to admit, this town's been a lightning rod full of trouble for a very long time…"
"There are some good people in this town," Chloe said.
"There are some good people in every town, but the bad outweighs the good in this case," General Lane said. "Where's Lois?"
Chloe didn't have a chance to answer the question. A rather large meteor mutant who glowed walked down the street. He aimed his glowing hands down at the street and fired towards General Lane's men. Most of them had the ability to move out of the way, but a couple of them were not so lucky. The burning, glowing hands caught the men and knocked them down to the ground.
"General, get your men out of here!" Diana yelled. "Chloe, go with them, I'll handle this."
The Amazon Princess rushed off without fear. The Meteor Mutant aimed his glowing hand at her. Diana jumped into battle and grabbed the arm. She pushed it back and launched it into the air which caused a bolt of light to fly harmlessly into the sky. Diana grabbed the goon around the head.
"Should we leave her to it?" one of Sam Lane's men asked when he watched the Amazon Princess battle with this meteor freak in awe.
"We have a job to do, get as many people out of this town….."
Another meteor mutant stepped in front of them. This man looked like a normal man, at least the start. The eerie shade of silver dancing from his eyes showed the man was not all normal. The troops pointed their weapons at the man.
Everyone in Sam Lane's task force began to see double, and then triple. The meteor mutant laughed.
"You're not going to stop the General's plans!" the meteor mutant yelled. "How can you save the world when you have a splitting headache?"
Diana dodged another attempt of the meteor mutant to cave her head again. She saw the second meteor mutant out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't do anything about him until she dealt with this one. Diana pounded him with more punches before flipping the meteor mutant over to the ground.
Chloe's ears rang harder. The meteor mutant stepped towards her, the others dropping to the ground. Chloe remained upright despite the ear ringing.
"There's something different about you," the meteor mutant said. "No matter, I'll take you out all the same. You won't be able to hold your pretty little head up for long when I'm done with you."
Chloe tried to force herself not to lose it. The meteor mutant stepped closer towards her. She extended her hands out in a defensive stance.
Her hands gripped the chest of the man. Something connected them together. Chloe pulled something glowing and purple out of the man's chest!
Chloe screamed when the bright light engulfed her. She fell back and the energy orb disappeared into a trace of light. For a moment, Chloe saw nothing but blackness despite being awake.
'Oh, shit, I'm blind.'
The blurry images slowly gained form, and Chloe never felt more relief as long as she lived. Diana grabbed the shell-shocked mutant and put him down to the ground with one solid punch which rocked him back.
General Lane woke up and noticed the Princess of the Amazons standing over the meteor mutant. She was helping Chloe up to her feet now.
"Thank you for saving us, and my niece, Princess Diana," the General said. "You should get out of there, and oh pick up my daughter and her friend…..they're over there."
Lois and Lana poked their heads of the bushes.
"I should get the three of you out of here," Diana said. "And yes, I know you can handle yourselves, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't play it safe."
Lois almost blinked at Diana plucking the words out of her mouth.
"What about Jonathan and Martha Kent?" Lois asked.
"I'll check up on them when I get you three out of Smallville," Diana said without missing a beat.
Lois took towards Chloe who was looking shell-shocked. The dark haired woman snapped her fingers in front of her cousin's face.
"Sorry, close encounter with a meteor mutant," Chloe said.
'I just didn't know I could depower them now,' Chloe thought.
Lana looked towards Chloe. The two of them would be having a conversation later, and she would need to talk with Clark about this one. Lara as well, come to think about it because she didn't think she had these powers.
Clark and Kara avoided the swarm of alien insects, but it put them further away from where they needed to go. The two of them walked for miles and miles around.
"We're not going to get out anytime soon at this rate," Kara said.
"Yes, we will," Clark said. He stood firm and grabbed Kara's hand.
Kara was glad that he had more than enough faith for both of them. Things were going to get rough if they spent this much time in the Phantom Zone. She understood why a lot of people ended up losing their minds in the Phantom Zone. Well, if they were lucky enough to live that long that was.
"There's shelter right there."
Clark and Kara stepped towards an area, and they had been surprised to see a makeshift lab. Someone was already here, and already Kara went for the knife.
"Jor-El?"
A pretty blonde woman looking to be in her early to mid-twenties stepped forward. She looked towards the two of them, frowning for a moment. She looked a bit at uneasy around Kara, but she turned to him.
"My name is Kal-El," he said. "I'm Jor-El's son."
The woman nodded, and opened her mouth up, before closing it.
"Yes, I…how did you come to be in the Phantom Zone?" she asked. "My name is Raya, my bloodline has been bred to serve the House of El. It's our purpose."
"Well, nice to meet you, Raya, "Clark said. "I don't mean to be rude, but…..we really need to find a way out of the Phantom Zone. General Zod sent us here, and he's currently on Earth, his phantom possessing the body of an old friend of mine."
"Then your old friend is doomed, as is Earth," Raya said. "Zod will not stop at anything to get what he wanted. Darkness runs through his bloodline."
She paused for a long moment and decided to walk around the lab for a moment. She stopped and looked at Clark before beckoning towards him.
"So you think I can speak with you, in private."
Raya looked pointedly at Kara, and there was mistrust brimming through her eyes. Kara frowned back, she wasn't sure what she expected from Jor-El's lapdog.
'Then again, I'm damned because of the mistakes of my bloodline,' Kara thought.
Clark walked only a half of a step to the side. Raya looked towards him with an insistent look in her eyes.
"Do you know who she is?" Raya asked.
"Yes, she's my cousin, Kara Zor-El."
"Her name is Kara, and she is from Krypton," Raya said. "And yes, you do have a cousin named Kara Zor-El, who had been sent to Earth, but this girl….I'm not certain she's all what she seems to be."
Clark didn't like where this conversation was going. He had just met this woman and didn't like what she was saying.
"Kara's helped me, and she's earned my trust," Clark said. "Which is more than I can say for someone who I've just met."
Raya figured this would be a problem and she only had one option.
"Then it's time for me to earn that trust," Raya said. "There's a way out of the Phantom Zone just outside this lab. Jor-El built this as an emergency exit point."
"Jor-El built it?" Clark asked.
"Yes, he did," Raya confirmed.
"Not sure if I trust it," Clark said.
Raya would have asked questions about why Kal-El had such a negative opinion regarding his father. She did wonder if Kara brainwashed him or if something else had created this negative opinion.
'Best I deal with it later, and fulfill my obligations to the House of El, to keep an eye on it,' Raya thought.
Kara followed the two of them. The two women exchanged a heated gaze, and it was obvious neither trusted the intentions of the other.
"If this gateway works, then you can go first," Kara said. "And then I'll go second, and then once it's clear, Kal can follow us out."
"Kal will need to activate it," Raya explained. "Only a single drop of blood will do as a tribute."
"Here," Kara said, handing Clark the knife.
Clark took a moment to wipe his blood and dripped the blood on the gateway seal. A flash of light engulfed them all and the portal shifted open.
"The portal will close once you pass, though," Raya said.
"Which makes it a good thing we'll going first," Kara said. "After you."
Raya stepped through the portal first. She saw the bright light and fields of the planet Earth. Kara followed through a half of step behind Raya.
Clark stepped though and the moment the Son of Jor-El stepped through the portal, it began to seal shut. It took almost a minute to seal, though.
Long enough for a fourth figure to pop out of the shadows and zip through the gateway before it completely sealed.
General Zod dropped down to the ground. He escaped his predicament and he would be out for the blood of this Tess Mercer in due time. She would kneel before him in pieces.
He looked towards a sign which said "Kent." The human's memories told him these were the people who were responsible for taking care of Kal-El.
"So, these are the barbarians which Jor-El sent his son to live with," Zod said. "They're going to be the first to die, painfully, and obviously."
The man he recognized as Jonathan Kent stepped outside.
Jonathan always thought there was something dark and sinister lingering behind Lex's dangerous eyes. He never knew how dangerous those eyes were.
"You, you're the one who…"
"Yes, now get out of my way."
Jonathan rushed forward. Zod gripped Jonathan's throat and held him up. He threw the human down to the ground like yesterday's trash. Zod reared back and prepared to attack him.
Breathing heavily, Jonathan struggled to get to his feet. He saw Martha peering out the window, even after telling her to get out of here. Jonathan could barely catch his breath when he exerted himself long enough to get up.
"Time for you to suffer for your crimes."
Zod could not finish the job. Diana came down from the heavens and brought her elbow down onto Lex's head. The attack rocked the General back. Diana flipped him to the ground.
"Go, get out of there!" Diana yelled.
Diana blocked one of Zod's punches. The two of them struggled in battle, both trying to gain the upper hand on the other. The General caught her with a jab to the side of the neck which weakened Diana's knees. She had the mental facilities to block the second event. She grabbed Lex and flipped him down to the ground.
Out of the corner of her eye, Diana saw Martha and Jonathan making their way to the truck. They drove out of there, out of the way. Zod tried to go after them. Diana grabbed his ankle sand slammed him back down to the ground with a solid impact.
The General rolled himself to a standing position. His breathing continued and anger flared through his eyes. He lifted up a tractor and hurled it towards this Amazon Woman. The Amazon responded by punching the tractor and reducing it to nothing but a glorified paperweight.
The portal popped open above his head. Zod looked up and saw the Son of Jor-El flying out. One huge punch rocked him in the head. Zod went flying, and Clark stuck a firm landing on the ground.
"Good to see you back," Diana said.
Clark really wished he had more time for reunions.
"My parents aren't here anymore?" Clark asked.
"Yes, they're gone," Diana said. "Your father tried to fight Zod."
Clark shook his head, of course, he did.
"Please, make sure they're safe," Clark said.
Diana nodded. She stole a brief kiss on the cheek before flying off, following the path of the Kent family truck.
He wondered where Kara and Raya had gotten up to. He knew they made it safely to Earth, although he didn't know where. He really hoped the two girls didn't end up killing each other because there was some hatred there.
Zod rose up from the depths, and eyes glowed red.
"Come to me, Son of Jor-El!" he bellowed. "KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!"