KRYPTON-
Kal-El sat in the family study and looked over the marriage documents that would tie Cera-Zod's and his own fortune, together for life. But he found he could not concentrate and he tossed the papers down, his eyes now focused on the portrait of his wife-to-be, that now hung on the wall.
He had spent most of his life hating Cera-Zod and the idea of one day having to marry her. And yet, after one brief call, his feelings were now conflicted. Especially after speaking to her. She seemed different but not different, and in his mind, he did not know how to explain the difference. Clearly though, she had spent far too much time on Earth.
Kal-El was about to call Tess to see if she had learned anything at all, when Lor-Zod suddenly walked into the room. Kal-El blinked, somewhat surprised to see him.
Lor-Zod closed the door.
"I'm sorry to come here unannounced, but we need to talk."
Kal-El stood up from behind the desk he was sitting at. He and Lor-Zod did not run around in the same circles. And he considered Zod's REAL son, to be a bit too political for his tastes.
"Alright. It is good to see you. I spoke to Cera-Zod the other day. Earth has done wonders for her." Kal-El noted.
Lor-Zod folded his arms.
"You did NOT speak with my sister. And before I say anything else, we need to come to some kind of arrangement."
"What do you mean by that? She is on Earth with Zal-El."
Lor-Zod hesitated. He was taking a big chance here. But for his and Lucy's sakes, he had to make sure that they got out of this alive. And he didn't like what was being planned here. It would end well for no one.
"I have been seeing a woman from Earth."
Kal-El moved closer to him.
"Yes, I had heard that. I am seeing someone from Earth as well. I take it your father does not approve?"
"Her name is Lucy Lane. And she made the mistake of stealing from my mother. Father found out and has her under house arrest. He is threatening imprisonment in the Phantom Zone for her."
Kal-El would have burst out laughing, if he thought there was time for it. No one was put in the Phantom Zone for stealing! But Lor-Zod had just told him that the woman he had spoken to recently, was not Cera-Zod. It would explain her more civilized behavior. He decided to hear him out.
"Go on." Kal-El urged him.
"Lucy has an older sister that my father saw a picture of. She looks like Cera-Zod-vaguely. My father saw a picture of her on Lucy's phone and came up with a plan. One that involved Lois impersonating my sister." Lor-Zod confessed.
Kal-El smiled. He had KNOWN something was wrong but he could not quite ascertain what it was! He now looked from Lor-Zod, and up at the portrait of 'Cera-Zod'.
"So this woman in the portrait up there is this Lois? Lois what?"
"Her name is Lois Lane. Her sister, who I care for deeply, is named Lucy."
Kal-El said nothing to that and he dragged his eyes off of the portrait.
"Why are you telling me this now, Lor-Zod?"
But Lor-Zod eyed Kal-El.
"Why are you so calm, Kal-El?" he asked instead. "I have just told you that my family has planned to deceive you concerning the betrothal. And you don't seem angry."
"Oh I'm angry. But I am also relieved. I knew something was wrong and my sense about this whole thing has now been confirmed. Now, Lor-Zod, answer my question: why now?"
"Because the item Lucy stole was the tiara my sister was supposed to wear when she married you. I saw it on our premises and made some discreet inquiries. The pawn broker that had it was killed recently. Probably by your brother." Lor-Zod said grimly.
"Why does that not surprise me? So Lucy is being held prisoner anyway, even though the property has been returned?" Kal-El asked.
"Yes and that is why I am coming to you. I don't think my father is going to allow Lucy to leave freely. I also don't think that Lois will be allowed to live after she marries you. The plan is for the two of you to live separate lives, thus you won't detect the deception. Kal-El, I am risking much here by telling you all of this. Lucy and I will need safe passage off of Krypton."
"I can arrange a transport. But how do you plan to get her out of your family compound?" Kal-El asked.
"I have help. That is all I'm willing to divulge right now." Lor-Zod said in a rather shifty manner. Kal-El let that go, since it really was beside the point. As he was thinking on how he should proceed, his mother entered the study looking stricken! She stopped short when she saw Lor-Zod.
"Lor-Zod? I did not know you were here?"
"Hello, Lara. You look pale. Is something wrong?" Lor-Zod asked.
"Mother? What is it?" Kal-El asked, walking up to her.
Lara clasped Kal-El's hands.
"Your grandfather, Yar-El, has passed on."
Lor-Zod bowed his head slightly. Everyone knew that Yar-El, father of both Jor-El and Zor-El, had what was called on Krypton 'The Forgetting Disease'. On Earth, it was known as Alzheimer's. And it was one of the few illnesses, that Kryptonian doctors and researchers, could not cure.
He then lifted his head. Mother of Krypton! Yar-El was dead so that meant...
"Lor-Zod, your sister must return to Krypton at once! It will be a state funeral. She has to be by Kal-El's side." Lara told him firmly.
"Of course! And I'm sure my parents know that." Lor-Zod said, sneaking Kal-El a look. But for Kal-El, while this was indeed sad, it was also an opportunity.
"I will call Zal-El and tell him the sad news of our grandfather's passing. Then I will tell him to return here with 'Cera-Zod' at once." Kal-El said solemnly.
Lara gave Kal-El a hard look.
"Zal-El is still a member of this family, Kal-El. I want you to make it clear to him that he has to attend as well."
"Of course, Mother." Kal-El murmured, then watched as she turned and left the room. Once gone, Kal-El turned to Lor-Zod.
"I will have a transport ship ready for Miss Lane and yourself tomorrow. I will be going with you."
Lor-Zod looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean, is that the transport ship will meet Zal-El's. Lucy Lane and yourself will continue on back to Earth in Zal-El's ship. I will be taking Zal-El and this Lois Lane back with me."
"So you plan to confront them?" Lor-Zod asked, confused.
"I plan to tell them that I am in control of this farce now." Kal-El replied coolly. His mind suddenly focused on Tess Mercer. He had to call her and let her know that she need not investigate any further. He now had most of the answers he had sought.
EARTH-
"Tell me, Zal-El, how was this scam going to work? Lois Lane just pretends to be Cera-Zod, then comes back to Earth with you and you two screw behind Kal-El's back?" Tess asked, smirking.
"Something like that, yes." Zal-El replied.
"Wow! I never expected you to admit it." Tess replied, now folding her arms. Zal-El picked up the phone and asked someone on the other end to 'get up here quickly', before hanging up.
"So you're going to have security escort me out now?"
"Something like that, yes." Zal-El repeated.
"Don't bother. I'm leaving. And I plan to tell Kal-El what I found out here."
"What you THINK you found out." Zal-El argued.
Tess grinned!
"You don't know where Cera-Zod is. I was suspicious of that from the beginning. And I noticed that there is a thick file on the precious dear, sitting out on the table over there. I looked through it myself. Lois...if she darkened her hair a bit, could pass for some hellion Kal-El hadn't seen in years. You could excuse any slip ups Lois would make by saying what? That she'd been on Earth too long? Something like that?"
Zal-El said nothing but Tess saw that the look in his one eye, was malevolent. She decided to tone it down a bit. Zal-El now spoke.
"What is your true interest in any of this, Miss Mercer? You will expose this fraud to my brother and what? He'll be free to marry you? Surely you have more sense than to believe that would ever happen?"
Tess gritted her teeth before responding.
"You have no one for him to marry, Zal-El! And in order to cover that up, Zod and yourself are dragging some woman into this that has nothing to do with anything! How do you see this ending? Seriously? Let's say that Lois Lane married Kal-El, returns here and what? Just disappears? She has to give Kal-El children. What are you going to do about that?"
"That is none of your concern."
"Oh I think it is! Because I think that once Miss Lane does what you're asking, you're going to kill her. Then Zod keeps his money and it LOOKS like he's kept his word." Tess sniffed.
Zal-El flinched slightly, something Tess noted.
"That would bother you, wouldn't it? If you had to kill her for Zod like you've killed before? I saw how cozy the two of you looked when you came in here..."
Tess was interrupted by her phone. She pulled it out of her purse and saw it was Kal-El. She waved the phone at Zal-El.
"This is over. I don't know why Lois agreed to this but that doesn't matter anymore. I'm going to tell Kal-El what I've learned. And as to why I would do any of this? Because I love him. And even if he can't marry me, I won't stand for him being deceived." Tess told Zal-El coldly, before turning away from him to answer Kal-El's phone call.
That would be a mistake.
Zal-El calmly walked up behind her and snapped her neck! She dropped to the floor just as he heard Kal-El saying Tess's name. Zal-El picked up the phone, hung it up and looked over as the men he'd called to come up, entered through a private, stairway door.
"Get her out of here. Make sure she is found in Gotham. Preferably by the river front." Zal-El told them. The men nodded and one picked up Tess's dead body and flung her over his shoulder, while the other one took her purse and looked around for any other signs that she was here. There were none.
Once they left, Zal-El snapped Tess's phone in half and walked over to the fireplace. He threw it into the flames, staring intently into the fire. He closed his eyes briefly, before opening them and looking up the staircase. Lois had finished her shower and was heading towards the landing...
He saw her peek over the railing, wearing nothing but a towel.
"Is she gone?" Lois asked, her eyes leaving his and looking around the lower floor.
"She is indeed." Zal-El smiled and began removing his clothing. Lois smiled back and walked down the stairs and over to him. He removed her towel and it dropped in a heap next to them.
"What happened? Is she going to tell Kal-El? If she says anything Lucy could..."
But Zal-El interrupted by cupping her face within his hands, and lowering his lips to hers to kiss her with an almost feverish passion. Lois found herself going limp within his arms as she responded to his kisses with fervor. As she had showered, Lois has thought about what the hell she was doing here? What kind of life could she have with this man? Would she just wait for him to come to Earth whenever he wanted? Back at the abandoned barn, they had been so consumed with one another, that Lois had decided that those kind of decisions could wait.
But seeing Tess Mercer here, was like being hit with a horrible, splash of cold water. Lucy could die if they weren't careful. But Zal-El had apparently taken care of things.
He suddenly stopped kissing her and pulled her towards a couch. Zal-El sat down quickly and proceeded to grasp Lois's hips and spear her upon his waiting girth! Lois's moan was smothered by Zal-El lips as they found hers again, his kisses now more hungry and demanding.
Moments later, her thoughts turned foggy and incoherent as she clung to Zal-El while straddling his thick penetration. His hands engulfed her buttocks, while she tirelessly bounced up and town on his pulsing member, feeling every nuance of him. Her breasts jogged lusciously in front of Zal-El's mouth, tempting him.
Zal-El felt a familiar itching in his loins and soon found himself helplessly riding a wave of spasms and ferocious passion that left him spent. He buried his bearded face between Lois's young breasts, moaning her name as he came back to the here and now. Zal-El had decided something. And that was that he had no intention of letting Lois Lane go. He wanted to marry her BEFORE they traveled to Krypton.
Now all he had to do was ask her.
Meanwhile, back on Krypton, Kal-El suddenly felt a chill. That always happened when Zal-El killed someone. Worry flooded his senses. He had called Tess and she answered but never spoke.
Then he felt the chill.
Now, Tess's phone did not even ring.
He decided to call Alexander Luthor on Earth. Something was wrong. And he feared Zal-El was responsible.
