Man of Steel: Darkness Within

by mistressbabette51

Batman v Superman (2016), also a sequel to Man of Steel: A Risk Worth Taking. I'll say upfront that if you haven't read the prior story, you will be completely lost. In that story, there were quite a few original characters, a few of them were crucial to the plot. As we begin, everyone is feeling the strain as Clark's search for Lex and clone-Lena has hit a dead end. Keep reading!

1. Strange Visitor

Summary: Lois and Clark, in a post-Zod world, realize that in spite of the darkness, joy comes in the morning.

Disclaimer: DC Comics/Warner Bros. Entertainment owns these characters. No profit is being made from this story. This is strictly for my own amusement.

Author's Notes: This story is my attempt to continue what I started in Man of Steel: A Risk Worth Taking. I wanted to write other things, of course, but this one refused to go away, not that I wanted it to. So, as the story continues, the search for Lex and clone-Lena has hit a dead end. Weeks have gone by, but then a startling realization has occurred … Clark is not alone after all. I hope you enjoy it guys. Please read and review. Thank you! :D

~o~o~

Chapter 1: Strange Visitor:

Somewhere over the Pacific:

Clone-Lena was at the end of the rope with her Father, Lex Luthor. After promising her that he would take her to her Mother, nothing had happened. Sitting on board his yacht in the middle of nowhere with nothing, but the vast ocean to keep them company, she thought back to their earlier conversation just this morning.

"Alright, Father, what now; another dead end?" Lena was fed up with him. How could he possibly locate her Mother when he was terrified of newspapers, magazines, and televisions? It made so sense, and of course, he couldn't believe it either. It appeared as if he had been brainwashed or hypnotized or something. He looked totally confused when she had asked him about it.

Lena had given him a week which had turned into a month. If they were to find her, it would be up to her. She was the one who was always reading online stories, watching newsfeeds, searching for something, anything that would take them to her Mother.

Lex did have the presence of mind to supply the yacht with food, clothing, and essentials for months, so that was not a problem. The news stories about them had died down somewhat, but they would have to be extremely careful. The Justice League was still searching for them. After what her Father had told her what he had done to them, specifically Superman, the chances of them getting caught, seemed inevitable at this point.

"Well, Father?" Lena asked him again when he just sat there staring into space.

"What did you just say?" Lex asked distracted by his thoughts.

Lena refrained from rolling her eyes. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about Lena, my daughter," Lex replied still distracted.

Lena sighed frustrated. I'm his daughter too, she thought. "What about her?"

"If we could find her, what school she's attending, well, maybe it would lead us to her," Lex replied.

"You may have something there. I'll get right on it." Lena headed below decks and pulled up the computer. After punching in Lena Luthor and her Mother's name into the search engine, a video of her Mother appeared and there beside her was her sister. Lena actually thought of her that way. "It's them."

Lex had come up behind her. "Yes, it's them."

"Where was this video shot?"

"In New York, as far as I know," Lex replied, staring at the video.

"But who shot this? It says here that the Daily Planet newspaper uploaded it."

"It was Clark Kent. He was the one who helped Erica escape the mental hospital. He shot the video."

"I see." Lena was getting offended. "You should have told me about this before." After watching the entire video, she turned to her Father with new eyes. "It's all true; isn't it." It was a statement. "You wanted my people dead."

"No, I didn't want them dead, just out of the way," Lex replied, getting worried.

"I don't believe you. Clark Kent was the one who found her and my sister. You wanted them dead. I know now that I can't believe anything you say. Clark Kent is the link to finding her."

Lex couldn't contradict her explanation about her family. He had no defense. "He won't help us. He's loyal to Superman."

"Well, if we have leverage, say someone who is close to him, he will help us." Lena was sure of this.

Lex liked her position and so they made their nefarious plans.

~o~o~

Meanwhile, in Metropolis:

The holiday season was just around the corner. Lois and Clark believed that, with Lex Luthor and clone-Lena still missing, they could find no joy in the holiday.

With the help of Bruce Wayne and a few other investors, reconstruction was slowly taking place. The Mayor had just today announced that a memorial park would be constructed where the world machine began its attack. The citizens of Metropolis would never forget that day or the thousands of lives that were lost.

One year ago, almost to the day, Lois and Clark had lived through the worst days of their lives. They both believed that General Zod would destroy the entire planet, but it was not to be.

They had found each other and after years of searching, he for the true reason for being on this planet, and her, for finding her true love and a commitment. They were now married and extremely happy. Their son, CJ, was now almost a month old, and it would be his first Christmas. Looking back over the past year, they had a lot to be thankful for, and it would take one close family member to remind them of that truth.

After finding it extremely hard not to see her grandson, Martha Kent returned to Metropolis for the holidays. She checked into a hotel because it was near the six-week time since CJ was born. The newlyweds needed this time alone, and she did not want to disturb them. After checking in, she gave them a call.

"Mom?!" Lois exclaimed, happy to hear from her mother-in-law.

"Yes, it's me honey. I'm in town and …"

Lois didn't let her finish. "But where are you? Are you at the airport?"

"No, honey, I'm at the hotel downtown and I …"

Lois interrupted again. "At a hotel, but we want you to stay here with us. CJ misses you."

Martha became emotional. "I miss him too."

"Well, then it's settled. Check-out and stay here where you belong," Lois said.

Martha wanted to be there more than anything. "Alright, I'll be there in a little while."

"Wonderful. We can't wait to see you Mom." In the background, CJ was getting restless seemingly excited to see his only grandmother.

Martha heard him; her eyes watered. She honestly couldn't wait to see him. "Bye, Lois."

"Bye, Mom."

~o~o~

Meanwhile, at Watchtower space station:

Clark was pacing back and forth, back and forth. He was making everyone uneasy with his pacing. He had been in a persistent foul mood ever since Lex had escaped with clone-Lena. There was no stopping him with the search. Almost every night he was out practically searching the entire planet and arriving back at Watchtower apparently even more determined to find them.

"Clark, stop pacing, and come take a look at this," Diana said. She had pulled up a city map on the monitors. Everyone else also came over to watch.

"What is Diana? Any leads?" Clark asked.

"No, nothing yet, but do you see this young woman? She reminds me of clone-Lena. She has her body, her hair, everything about her screams Lena, but it can't be her." Diana had pulled up several surveillance cameras around the city.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "Diana, I don't see anything unusual about her. She does seem a little taller than the clone, but I don't see it." He looked closer. "Her clothes seem a bit overly conservative as not to draw attention."

"I noticed that too." Diana said.

The camera followed her for several blocks and then she ducked into an alley.

"That's odd," Bruce commented. "Is she a criminal?"

"Bruce, she went into an alley. That is not a crime," Diana said.

"There she is!" Clark said. "It's the dead of winter, and she's wearing a short red skirt and …"

Stunned silence filled the room.

"Clark?!"

"I see it." Then he was gone.

Still watching the monitors, they saw as Clark reached the young woman in seconds. They stood toe-to-toe neither saying a word, too shocked to speak.

"It's you," Kara finally spoke up.

Clark narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

She held out her hand. "My name is Kara, Kara Zor-El, and I'm your cousin."

Clark looked at her hand, then back at her face. He did not want to continue their conversation in the street. "We should leave here and talk privately. Follow me."

Clark took off, and Kara wasn't so sure about this. She hadn't flown terribly often, but she managed to track him.

Luggage in hand, Martha had stood back and watched the whole scene, mouth hanging open. Hailing a cab, she headed to the condo.

~o~o~

At the condo, a little while later:

Lois opened the door to her mother-in-law, CJ in her arms and welcomed her with a hug. CJ squirmed but only for a moment. "Aww, sweetie, I'll take him," Martha said.

"Hi, Mom. I'll get your bag," Lois said. Martha went into the living room and sat down with her grandson. "Mom, I'm so glad you're here!" She hollered from the nursery.

"Me too, honey, me too," she whispered, cuddling her grandson on her shoulder. She rocked him a bit. "Is he hungry?"

"No, I just fed him," Lois replied as she sat down next to her. She watched Martha for a bit and knew what was happening. "So what brings you to Metropolis?"

Martha smiled at her daughter-in-law. "I told you over the phone. I missed my grandson."

"Oh, I see," Lois said and smiled at her. "No other reason?"

"No, except … Ummm …" She glanced around the living room. "No tree?"

Lois sighed. "No, not yet, but we will," she said not looking at her.

"It's Ok, honey. I know why Clark hasn't been around much."

Lois stood up and began to walk for a moment. "Are you thirsty? I could get some tea?" She asked not wanting to talk about Clark and his obsession with locating Lex.

"Sure, I'd love some." CJ was getting tired. "I'll put him down."

"Thanks, Mom," Lois said and went into the kitchen. A few minutes later, Martha came back and watched her for a moment.

"Honey, I saw something a little while ago, and I thought you should know," Martha began.

Lois frowned. She put the tea kettle on the stove and reached for the cups. "What is it?"

"Well, I was leaving the hotel and I saw Clark in the suit standing in the street, but he wasn't alone. There was a woman, with long blonde hair standing with him, and she was actually wearing red and blue. I couldn't hear what they were saying, and a few moments later, he took off into the sky and … so did she."

Lois dropped the cup into the sink, and it shattered into pieces. "Oh, no, I'm a klutz." She picked up a piece and cut a finger. "Dammit!"

"I'm, sorry honey, now let me clean that up. You go and get a band-aide for your hand," Martha instructed.

"Thanks, Mom," Lois said. She went into the master bathroom and took care of her finger. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she looked rundown and frazzled. She grabbed a hairbrush and ran it through her hair, hoping to look presentable.

She hadn't been sleeping well, with CJ waking up through the night and Clark being gone for days at a time. She was taking care of her son all alone, and it was wearing her down. She needed her husband in more ways than one. Her vision blurred.

"Honey, are you Ok?" Martha asked as she walked into the bathroom.

Lois pulled herself together and turned to face her. "No, I'm not Ok." She went into the bedroom, picked up her cellphone and dialed her husband. It went into voicemail. "Clark, call me, it's important." She hung up.

Martha was worried, truly concerned about them.

~o~o~

Meanwhile, in the Arctic:

Kara Zor-El slowly followed her cousin inside the scout ship still unbelieving that it was actually functioning. Her pod was just as she had left it over thirty years ago.

"I can't believe the ship is actually activated. Can it fly?"

"No, I wasn't able to fix that," Clark replied.

She turned to him. He did not look happy. "Let me explain."

"How is it that you're here? Jor-El said …" He began, becoming suspicious.

"You've spoken to him?" Kara was stunned.

"Yes, I have. His consciousness is present. I can call upon him anytime I want," Clark replied.

"I see, well, maybe he can explain it because I don't know how it happened. I woke up, and I was here. No one else was alive; that's all I know."

Clark shook his head. "Thirty-three years … you've been here for thirty-three years." It was a statement.

"It's true; I have," Kara responded.

Clark was still unsure. "But where have you been and how old were you when you arrived here?"

"I was a child, barely three years old."

He paced for a moment. "But how did you survive?"

"A couple found me days later. My powers were unknown to me until I reached ten years of age. My family sheltered me and kept my powers hidden until I realized that I wanted to help people in some way without revealing myself." She paused as she stared at him. "I saw the newsfeeds about the invasion and about … Zod."

Clark nodded not wanting to talk about that just yet. He looked her up and down. "Your suit; it was here on the ship." He stated the obvious.

"Yes, there were a lot of suits, but I liked this one," she replied.

"So I see," Clark said still unsure. "We are cousins, but in what way?"

"My Father and your Father were brothers," she replied.

Clark wanted so much to accept her. Jor-El never mentioned his brother or a cousin. Something was not right. But deep inside, his instincts told him that she was telling him the truth. He had so many questions … about her family here on Earth and on Krypton, how was she supporting herself, all of it.

His cellphone beeped with different messages from the League and one from Lois. "I have to take this," he said and listened to them. "I have to call my … Ummm … wife."

"You're married Kal?" Kara was thrilled for him.

"Yes, and I have a son," he told her proudly.

"That's fantastic news. I'm happy for you," Kara said meaning it.

"Thanks, Kara. We should head back. I have so much to tell you."

"Well, I have a job, and I have to check in," Kara said.

"Oh, where do you work?" Clark asked, intrigued.

She hesitated, but she couldn't keep anything from him. "LexCorp."

"What did you just say?" Clark was simply stunned.

"I've been working there for about three months. I've never even met Lex Luthor," Kara replied hoping he would understand. "You must know that Bruce Wayne bought the company months ago and …" She stopped at his glare.

He narrowed his eyes more suspicious than ever. He changed the subject. "We should talk more." He handed her his business card from the Planet. His cellphone number was also on the card. "Do you have a cellphone?"

"Of course," she replied and pulled it from her cape.

He wrote down the number. "Well, I'll see you later, Kara," Clark said.

"Bye, Kal."

"Bye, Kara," Clark said. He took off.

Kara watched him fly away, but then her eyes watered.

~o~o~

Back in Metropolis:

While in the sky, Clark returned Lois's phone call and she said she needed to see him right away. He told her he would be there later that evening. After making his way to the tower, the League was now asking him questions about the lady in red and blue and the fact that she could fly like him. Clark sensed that they had been concerned about him.

Once he had landed, Bruce was the first to speak up. "Well?" He crossed his arms.

"She's my cousin," Clark replied without preamble.

"Cousin!?" Everyone exclaimed shocked.

"Yes, she's been on this planet for thirty-three years, the same as me. She was raised in Canada, saw the news feeds about the invasion and went looking for me."

"And she's exactly like you, but she looks so much like Lena; it's uncanny," Diana stated.

"Yes she does, but she's not like her at all," Clark thoughtfully said.

"I hope not," Paul said.

"Why can't we find them? It's been almost a month," Clark asked, coming over to the monitors.

"Unless they're overseas, I don't know where they could be," J'onn stated.

"They haven't left the country. Lena wants her mother, nothing more," Paul said.

"But after she finds her … that is what has me worried," Clark said. He was musing about them traveling overseas. Overseas and they haven't left the country, he thought.

After a few more minutes of discussion and a few had left for assignments, Clark spoke to Bruce privately. "I have an idea."

"Go on," Bruce said.

"Lex has private jets, yachts, and various modes of transportation. I was thinking, he could stay at sea. I hadn't even thought to look for a boat or a yacht."

Bruce nodded. "You could be right. We should check it out." He turned to J'onn. "J'onn, pull up all satellite images concentrating on both oceans and eliminate the larger ocean liners."

J'onn nodded and went about searching the vast oceans of the Atlantic and the Pacific. "This could take a while. The ocean is full of cruise ships this time of year."

"I know it's a long shot. I will have to do this at night," Clark said as thoughts of his wife entered his mind. "I have to leave, but I'll be in touch, and J'onn, please send me anything you have on smaller vessels."

"Clark, I hope this idea pans out. The longer they're free, the more worried I am. He could be up to something, something far worse than you know." Bruce didn't feel the need to expand on that traumatic event.

Clark closed his eyes for a moment. "I know. There isn't a day that I don't think about it."

"Call us when you can," Bruce said. "Hey, I know, why don't you take the Pacific and I'll take the Atlantic. We can cover a lot of ground that way."

"I agree; I'll call when I can."

Then he was gone.

~o~o~

Later that night, at the condo:

It was close to midnight when Clark finally arrived home. He knew his Mom was in town, but he thought she would be at a hotel, but she was in the nursery. He peeked inside, and they were both asleep, CJ in his crib and his Mom was on the sofa bed.

Sighing, he went into the master bedroom and Lois was sitting up waiting for him. He didn't need x-ray eyes to see that she was upset about something.

"Go change and then we'll talk," she told him stiffly.

He frowned. "Ok," he said and went into the bathroom. After a quick shower, he came out toweling his hair with a towel around his hips. She was still frowning. He slipped on a pair of sleeping trousers. "Lois, what's wrong?"

"I don't believe you would ask me that." She picked up her cellphone and showed him a picture of him and a blonde woman on the street. "Who the hell is this?"

Was she jealous? "Lois, she's my cousin. Her name is Kara, Kara Zor-El."

She lowered the cellphone. "Your cousin?"

"Yes, my cousin," he replied and slipped into bed. "Lois, you weren't actually thinking…?" He raised an eyebrow.

"What am I supposed to think? You leave here for hours and hours with no phone calls, then I see you with another woman, and I …"

He touched her shoulder. "You know there's no one else for me."

"But she was wearing a Kryptonian costume, and she was beautiful." She looked down at herself then pushed her hair out of her eyes. "Look at me. I'm a mess and I'm not getting any sleep with taking care of CJ and worrying about you. I can't do this anymore." She turned from him, to hide her face.

"Oh, Lois, I'm so sorry." He tried to pull her close, but she was stiff as a board, but after a moment she relaxed against him. "I wanted to apologize for being distracted about finding Lex, leaving you here all alone with the baby. I knew it was wrong but ..."

She needed to hear it. "Go on."

"I'm so sorry about … about everything, searching for him, but I have to find him before anyone else gets hurt. I just … I just keep seeing you tied up in that chair, scared and alone and me unable to help you." He closed his eyes unable to proceed. He leaned back on a pillow and rubbed his eyes hoping to stem the tide of tears.

She should have realized he would think of that awful night when she was kidnapped and held at knifepoint. "Oh, Clark, I know this has been difficult for you, but it's been hard for me too. I want you here with me. Can't the League take over for a while?" He pulled her close against his chest.

"I have one more hunch about where they could be and if that doesn't pan out, I'll stop looking, and let the League take over." He kissed her hair. "Do you forgive me?"

"You know I do," she whispered and kissed his chest. She moved higher and kissed him; loving him to a distraction. He raised her up and then he kissed her deeply. They both moaned loving being together like this. It had been a while.

"Lois we shouldn't," he managed to say between kisses.

"I know, but there's nothing wrong with a few kisses and caresses." She paused. "I've missed you here. CJ misses you too."

Clark got the point. "I promise to help you, Ok. CJ is a handful, I know."

"He is a handful, just like his father," she murmured hoping to calm her racing heart. She knew she would have to wait but she as a patient woman, most of the time. "Let me just hold you for a while," she teased with a smile.

"Try and get some rest," he murmured and tamped down his feelings. He pulled her closer against him and soon Lois fell asleep. The next morning, Lois awakened, but Clark was gone.

She sat up in the bed, pushed her hair out of her eyes, and went to check on her son. It was the first full night's sleep she'd had in a while. She missed her husband, and she understood his need to find Lex, but it was obviously taking a toll on their marriage.

When she entered the nursery, Martha was sitting in a chair rocking her son. She held up the empty bottle and CJ appeared content and asleep.

"Good morning," Martha whispered.

"Morning, Mom," Lois whispered. "Thank you for last night. Clark came home and …"

"I know sweetie," Martha said, understanding. She watched her for a moment. "When was the last time you left this apartment, took a walk, and just enjoyed the outdoors for a while?"

Lois had to think about it. "It's been several weeks now."

"Honey, you have cabin fever. You need to get out of this apartment. Why don't you call Lucy and see if she can meet with you?"

"Sure, I'll call her." She called Lucy, but she wasn't available. A new client was giving her headaches about her new office space downtown, and she couldn't get away.

Lois hung up. "Actually, a few hours in the park may be what I need and it's only a few blocks away. The weather is unseasonably warm today."

Martha thought about that. "Alone, sweetie, I don't know."

"I'll be fine, Mom. I'll call when I get there, Ok?"

"Alright." Martha was still worried.

~o~o~

A neighborhood park, an hour later:

Lois left the apartment and headed for a walk. It did feel fantastic to be out for a while. Once reaching the park, she called Martha and walked around the park and listened to some music. Unaware of her surroundings someone was following her.

About a half-hour later, someone tapped her shoulder. She turned, and a young woman was staring at her. She removed her earbobs and frowned. She didn't recognize her at first, but then it dawned on her. She was wearing a black wig, but she was dressed in jeans, a turtleneck, sunglasses, and a jacket.

"Mrs. Kent?" Lena asked. She removed her sunglasses. "Please don't be alarmed. I'm not here to hurt you."

Lois backed up. "And why should I believe you?"

"You must know how I feel. You lost your Mother, but you see I've never even met mine. Please help me."

"I thought Lex was helping you," Lois said, hoping to continue the conversation. Inside she cautious and fearful, but if her instincts were correct, this woman only wanted one thing … to find her Mother.

"He's no help at all," Lena said. "He's afraid of everything."

Lois frowned. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

Lena came closer. Lois's heart rate accelerated.

"I don't believe you. Please help me." Lena was begging now.

A few minutes later, Clark showed up. He stepped between them, but before he could stop her, Lena took off into the sky.

Clark wanted to follow her, but he decided to stay with his wife. "Go after her. She can lead you to Lex."

"I know where she's headed. I'll find her, don't worry. Let me help you home first."

"But …" He didn't let her finish, but picked her up and took her home.

A few minutes later, they arrived at the condo. Lois held her tongue, but inside she was furious with him. Clark was also upset that she would leave the condo alone with Lex and clone-Lena still missing.

After dropping her at the condo, he spoke firmly and succinctly, "Don't leave this condo alone again. Do you understand?"

Lois' back went up. She did not want to argue with him, especially when he was right. "I understand."

Then he took off without a backward glance. Lois crossed her arms and watched him fly away.

~o~o~

Back in the Artic:

After watching her cousin fly away, Kara was torn. She wanted to be close to him, to help him in some way, but she got the impression that he didn't want her help. He seemed as if he didn't trust her. Kara sighed, it was because she was working at LexCorp, and she couldn't blame him. She walked over to the console, instinctively pulled out the El key from around her neck and placed it in the slot.

"Jor-El?" Kara exclaimed, happy to see him.

"Kara?" Jor-El was shocked. "You survived?"

"Yes, Uncle; I'm here on Earth. Well, you can see that, but how is that I can see you? I thought that this ship had been destroyed. I saw what happened during the invasion." She paused for a moment. "I know Kal killed General Zod."

Jor-El was not prepared to talk about Kal. "So many questions, Kara, but first let me look at you. Your parents would have been so thrilled that you made it and that you're alive."

"Is there no way at all that … maybe I could speak to them?" Kara wanted that more than anything.

"I'm sorry Kara, but this is all I have of your parents." A few moments later, different images appeared, and they were the last known images of her parents … Zor-El and Alura-El.

"That's all you have?" Kara asked, coming closer. They looked extremely young.

"Yes, Kara, that is all," Jor-El sadly replied. "You do realize that the Krypton is no more."

She turned from him feeling defeated and so terribly alone. "Yes, I know."

Jor-El came to the conclusion that Kara had escaped the pod when Krypton had exploded, and the connection had been lost. "Kara, is there anyone you can turn to … besides Kal?" He sensed what she was feeling.

She hesitated, but she decided to tell him the truth. "No, I'm all alone. My parents are dead. They were killed a few years ago in a landslide while on a ski trip. They were found weeks later." She bowed her head.

"Kara, I'm so sorry; what will you do now?" Jor-El asked.

"Metropolis is my home now. I've lived there for a little over a year since Kal-El appeared and now that we've met, I was hoping …" She hesitated.

"What did you hope?"

"I had hoped that we could be a family." She paused. "It will be hard for him to trust me after what happened with … with General Zod and why I never revealed myself." She paused again. "I guess … I guess it was too much to hope for."

"There's always hope Kara. You must understand that."

She turned to him as faith took root inside her heart. "I'll try." She stared at him for a moment. "Would be Ok if I come by and talk to you every now and then?"

"You don't have to ask. I'll look forward to it," Jor-El said, pleased she would ask.

"Thank you. Goodbye, Uncle."

"Goodbye, Kara."

She removed the key and then she was gone.

TBC!

~o~o~

Song inspiration: Distance and Time, Alicia Keys.

A/N: Ok, we're off to the crazy start. Let me pause and send out tight hugs for my OTP. I always enjoy writing Kara, and so I worked her into this story. I hope it made sense to everyone. Kara and clone-Lena are similar in appearance, but they are different. On the surface, it appears that Lena is prone to anger while Kara is subject to kindness and compassion. Stay tuned for more. Thank you and please tell me your thoughts. Reviews are love, guys.