Brave New World

Part Eleven:

Rescue

Thanks to the modifications Kal-El made to his jet, Bruce arrived at the Kent home the same time as Diana. He jumped out of his jet, keeping his cowl wrapped tightly against his body to protect him from the cold weather.

Bruce followed Diana inside the Kent home. The windows were shattered, the front door kicked open, and Bruce noticed various footprints in the snow before stepping inside the home. How many people did Sam Lane send to capture two people? Bruce wondered.

"What's going on here, Diana?" Bruce demanded. "You know more than you are letting on. Sam Lane kidnapped the Kents, tried to kidnap me, and distracted you to get Kal-El. Obviously, they have something that will handle Kal-El or they wouldn't be doing this."

"You're right. They do," Diana confirmed with a heavy sigh. "Kal and I didn't expect this to happen so fast. I didn't think they would go after the Kents. I thought they would come after me." Diana struggled with telling Bruce Kal-El's secret but in the end knew Bruce should know. "Kal has a weakness, Bruce, and Sam Lane and his insane task force know about it. I thought there was more time to get ready for it but there wasn't and I'm afraid Kal's in danger."

"If Kal-El wants to handle this alone and hurt himself in the process instead of trusting the Justice League to help him, that's his problem but we have two innocent people in the hands of that mad man, Sam Lane."

Bruce left Diana in the kitchen to inspect the rest of the house for any clue as to where the Kents and Kal-El were. "What did you mean about getting ready?" Bruce asked from the living room. He saw numbers written on the wall. He immediately recognized they were coordinates. Pulling out a mini computer from his belt, Bruce punched in the numbers.

"I thought I could prepare Kal to deal with his weakness with Themysciran techniques but we've only had a day and a half to prepare." Diana turned off the stove that was left on during the invasion. The kitchen was a mess. She didn't know Martha Kent but she knew she would be appalled at what was done to her kitchen. "There's no way Kal can fight off his weakness in that short amount of time. It takes Amazons weeks to master fighting off poisons to our system."

"How can Kal-El be poisoned?" Bruce could hear Diana's approaching footsteps as she stepped from the kitchen to the living room. She didn't answer his question. "Diana, you can't keep quiet about Kal-El's secret. Look what has happened already. I know you're worried I would use it against Kal-El, but I won't unless I absolutely have to."

Diana knew Bruce wouldn't but she also knew how much Kal-El didn't want anyone to know his secret. "He will be angry but in light of what has happened…" Diana struggled with telling Bruce and remaining faithful to Kal-El's promise. Her mind won out over her heart. "The green rocks from Kal's world, which he calls kryptonite, can kill him."

That revelation immediately answered questions Bruce had about Kal-El's behavior as of late. "Is that why Kal-El has been spending so much time at my home? He was looking for the piece I have?" Even though Diana confirmed it, something still didn't fit right with Bruce. "He's been in my cave the past four days. He should've found it the first day. Why hasn't he?"

"I answered your question about Kal-El's weakness. Anything else, you should take it up with Kal and we need to find him and the Kents." Diana noticed the numbers on the wall. She knew what they were before Bruce could tell her. "I know where this is." The blood drained from Diana's face. "This is where J'onn was tortured."

It was an odd transformation for Bruce to see on Diana. One moment, she was shocked and pale and in the next her color returned as her face was full of rage. "Where are you going?" he asked following Diana storm out of the Kent home.

"Where do you think?" Diana snapped at him.

While other allies took a step back from Diana when she was angry, Bruce was one of the few to stand up to her. "There are probably hundreds of soldiers at that facility and you want to storm the place?"

Diana wasn't going to let that stop her. "We have to get Kal and the Kents out of there."

"As much confidence I have in my abilities, we're going to need help. Kal-El went there alone knowing Sam Lane had enough of this kryptonite to capture him and the moron went anyway. Look where it got him."

Diana knew it wasn't the smartest thing for Kal-El to do but she defended his actions anyway. "His concern for the Kents outweighed his safety. Are you telling me you wouldn't willingly fall into a trap if it means you could save Alfred?"

"What good would that do Alfred when I am trying to rescue him?" Bruce spoke with reason. "The point is Kal-El didn't trust anyone other than himself and maybe you to rescue the Kents and it's gotten him captured. He could die because of his overconfidence. "

Kal-El should've waited but unlike Bruce, Diana understood Kal-El's actions. "He didn't want anyone to know his secret. He felt it would be used against him. He was worried you would use it against him."

"Why me?"

"Come on, Bruce. You want secrets on everyone. You're paranoid you will have to stop us though I do wonder who elected you to be the voice of reason or the one to take us out if necessary." As far as Diana was concerned, Bruce was a big a threat as the rest of them. "Who will take you out?"

"You're kidding." But Bruce saw Diana wasn't. "I'm human."

"Bruce, you have one of the most brilliants mind on this planet. You know how to defeat every member of the Justice League if one of us go rogue. You are as dangerous as the rest of us." Even Bruce didn't have a response to that one. "We're wasting time talking. Kal and the Kents need our help and the way I am feeling, I can take them all on but we may need extra incentive. We'll contact our friends but don't ask J'onn to come. That is a place he wouldn't want to see again."

"J'onn would want to come if he can help." Batman said, "You told me that place is a maze and if J'onn wasn't guiding you, you weren't sure when you would've found him. We need J'onn."

It only took Diana a moment to decide. "All right. Call, J'onn. See if Hal is available, too and if he's on a woman, tell him to get off her and get here immediately."

Steve Trevor entered Kal-El's cell. He got an odd sense of pleasure seeing Kal-El chained in kryptonite shackles around his wrists. The Kryptonian sat on the floor brooding. Kal-El looked up and narrowed his eyes at Steve. "If you think Diana will forgive you for this, you couldn't be more wrong."

"This isn't about Diana. This is about what's best for the world."

"Liar," Kal-El accused Steve as he struggled to rise to his feet. "This has everything to do with Diana. You're a fool to think by getting rid of me Diana will go back to you. Once she learns what you've done, Diana will want nothing to do with you."

Now that Kal-El was rendered weaker than the average human, Steve did something he longed to do to Kal-El for a long time. He punched him. "Shut up! It's all your fault! All of it! If you hadn't come.… If you'd only stayed and died on the planet of yours…."

"You still wouldn't have had Diana," Kal-El told him. "You just can't see or accept that truth. You and Diana didn't have a chance."

Steve punched Kal-El again. "Diana and I would've been together forever if it weren't for you."

This man was delusional, had a good right hook and needed to be put in his place. "Diana would be with you out of naiveté, not out of want and desire as she does with me."

Every time Kal-El opened his mouth about Diana, it infuriated Steve. How can this alien think he knew Diana better than him when Steve knew her longer? "Diana's confused. She's mixing lust with you over love with me."

"You insult Diana by insinuating she doesn't know the difference between lust and love. If you love Diana, you would want what's best for her. I was willing to step aside and let her be with you if that was what she wanted." Kal-El knew now Steve Trevor could never be that generous. "You can't handle Diana being with someone other than you. Whatever decency Diana saw in you has been killed by the jealousy that rages in you."

"I am not jealous!"

"You are jealous and you're selfish, too. You were never worthy of Diana. You didn't know her. I know Diana a lot better than you ever could."

"And how is that?" Steve challenged him.

"I know when Diana is aroused," Kal-El said proudly. "I doubt you've had that privilege."

Steve stared at Kal-El as his face turned red with rage. "You… you've touched her?"

"I don't have to touch Diana to know when she is aroused," Kal-El smirked at Steve. "I can smell her. It's a very sweet scent. A scent you've never smelled nor tasted and you never will."

Even imprisoned, Kal-El remained arrogant. Steve couldn't take it anymore. All he cared about was beating up this conceited alien. Steve lunged at Kal-El in a mad rage but Kal-El quickly got the upper hand and wrapped his shackles around Steve's neck. He pulled it tight, choking Steve but not with enough strength to kill him.

"You're…" Steve gagged. "You're supposed to be too weak to fight."

"I am weaker but I am strong and smart enough to outwit you. Tell me where Jonathan and Martha Kent are." Kal-El tightened the chains around Steve's neck. "Or I really will be the dangerous alien you fear."

Steve didn't know where the Kents were. He knew they were captured but assumed they were in a safe cell since Sam Lane promised to not bring any harm to them. "Wherever they are, they are safe from you."

"Safe?" Kal-El reiterated the words as his voice was laced with anger. "I saw what you did to their home. I can only imagine what you did to them. "

Their home? Steve wondered. "What's wrong with their home?"

"Don't play dumb with me." He dragged Steve out of his cell. "You and your people are cowards to kidnap two innocent people to lure me. What kind of protectors are you if you treat your own kind this way?"

What way? Steve wondered. What happened to the Kents? Steve struggled with Kal-El and to his embarrassment, Kal-El still overpowered him and dragged him down that hall.

"That's far enough, alien."

Kal-El turned and saw Sam Lane standing with two of his soldiers with guns trained on him. Kal-El knew the bullets in the guns were made of kryptonite. "You're willing to shoot me when I have one of your men captive?"

Sam Lane looked from Steve to Kal-El with no remorse in his eyes. "There are always sacrifices in war."

Steve felt a stab of betrayal in his stomach with Sam Lane twisting the knife with joy.

"I'm not surprised you treat your men with such disrespect," Kal-El told Sam Lane. "I know the Kents haven't been treated any better." He demanded, "What have you done to them?"

"Don't bother with them, alien. You won't be seeing them again." Sam Lane turned his head to his soldiers. "Fire."

Steve's eyes widened in horror as soldiers who had their guns aimed at Kal-El fired. Bullets hit Steve and Kal-El. Only the bullets pierced Kal-El's skin and bounced off Steve as if they were blanks. Kal-El's hold on Steve weakened and he broke away from him. Kal-El fell to his knees and the soldiers advanced on Kal-El.

"Take him to the torture room," Sam Lane advised his men. After Kal-El was dragged away, Sam Lane turned to Steve. "You don't have the authority or expertise to see the alien alone."

"I only wanted a few words with him," Steve said.

"You almost let our prisoner escape." Sam Lane was furious. "I won't let anyone, not even you, stop me from taking down the alien."

"I can't believe you ordered your men to shoot at me."

Sam Lane dismissed Steve Trevor's anger. "The bullets have no affect on a human."

"It would've been nice if you told me that," Steve argued. He didn't buy Sam Lane's excuse. Just seeing the look in his eyes earlier, Steve knew Sam Lane wouldn't have cared if the bullets did affect him. "And where are the Kents? I want to see them."

Sam Lane narrowed his eyes at Steve suspicious. "Why do you want to see them?"

"Why can't I?"

Sam Lane smirked. "You believe the alien? You think harm has been brought to the Kents?"

"I suspect something bad has happened to them since you are dodging my question. You promised no harm would come to them."

"Hmm," Lane scoffed. "If you wish to see the Kents, it doesn't matter to me but you can't see them until after we torture the alien. I know you don't want to miss that. Just know the Kents attacked and we retaliated."

"Retaliated how?" Steve asked.

"The Kents had to be subdued, especially Jonathan Kent after that bitch of wife of his attacked me."

Steve felt sick to his stomach as it was dawning on him, he made a terrible mistake aligning with Sam Lane. "You attacked them? It's natural the Kents would fight back but you didn't have to return it in force." Steve couldn't believe this. "This wasn't to be part of the plan. The Kents weren't to be harmed."

"Suck it up, you wuss," Sam Lane scolded Steve. "Civilians are caught in war all the time. If we are met with resistance, it's only natural we fight back."

"Not like this!" Steve argued. "This is crossing the line."

Sam Lane shook his head at Steve. Such a naïve, gullible fool. "We've crossed the line a long time ago, Trevor. We'll talk more about this after we punish the alien."

Steve reluctantly followed Sam Lane but vowed to find the Kents and get them away from this place. It was the least he could do for the error in judgment he made.

Diana, Batman, J'onn and Hal hovered outside the mountain facility where Kal-El and the Kents were held prisoner. J'onn and Hal immediately responded to Bruce's call. J'onn was visibly concerned with Kal-El's predicament while Hal, if he was concerned, hid his feelings behind his cocky smile.

"You and J'onn know this place," Hal said to Diana. "Which room would Kal-El and the Kents be in?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if Sam Lane has Kal in the same place he had J'onn."

"I concur with Diana," J'onn agreed. "While Diana goes after Kal-El, I will look for the Kents."

"Are you all right with doing this, J'onn?" Diana asked him. She appreciated J'onn's help but she was concerned for his well being going back to a place that was horrible to him.

"This place holds bad memories for me, Diana, but there are people who need our help. I won't let my feelings for this place prevent me from helping others."

Diana believed J'onn. "Bruce and I will get Kal. You and Hal will find the Kents."

"Not that I am against this," Hal said. "But you all do realize we are busting into a military facility. It won't be the best PR for the Justice League."

"I think Sam Lane will have more heat on him for kidnapping two civilians and Kal-El because of his bigotry than we will for breaking in and rescuing them," Diana explained. "You have anything else to say before we go?" The glare Diana sent Hal told her she had a sliver of patience for him. Hal knew then he should quit while he was ahead.

"No, I think that covers…." Hal stopped when he saw parts of the mountain open up. Fighter jets flew out coming their way. "Looks like we will have a fight on our hands." He grinned. "Cool."

"Hal and I will cover you and Batman." J'onn flew off first to meet the fighters. While J'onn phased into their planes to disable them and force the pilots to eject, Hal joined the fight and used his ring to disable the jets.

Bruce got in his jet and Diana flew ahead of him to the facility. While Hal and J'onn took most of the fight on them, Bruce and Diana still had to fight their way through the pilots firing on them as well as the military arsenal fired directly from the mountain facility. Bruce maneuvered his sleek jet to avoid being shot down and whatever hits his jet took were deflected by the defense shields on his jet. It was a modification Kal-El made on the jet. One Bruce greatly appreciated though he would never tell Kal-El that. Bruce let his jet hover near the entrance of the facility, deflecting attacks coming from Sam Lane's corrupted men. Bruce exited the jet from its belly and ran in zig zag directions, dodging bullets and lasers fired his way. Diana landed beside him as he reached the doors to the facility. She deflected the lasers and bullets fired on them while Bruce worked on cracking the code to open the doors.

"This system is complicated. It's gonna take more than a minute to override it," Bruce told Diana.

"Allow me to override it." Diana turned and punched the steel doors.

The thirty feet tall doors crumpled under Diana's strength. Alarms blared as Diana and Bruce ran inside. Less than twenty paces in, they were met with corrupted men in Sam Lane's taskforce firing their weapons on them. Diana deflected their arsenal with her bracelets while Bruce shot his grapping hook on the ceiling and pulled himself up. He tossed his batarang on his attackers and disarmed five of them. He jumped down to fight them all while Diana took out the rest. She kicked the guns out of their hands, knocked them down with her fists, legs and hard head. When it was over, a pile of fifteen men laid unconscious and writhing in pain at Diana's feet.

Diana was a one woman army and no one was stopping her.

Martha sat on the floor with Jonathan's head in her lap. Jonathan's breath came in heavy rasps. Martha stroked his hair and whispered words of encouragement to him. Martha knew her husband was in frail health due to the beating he got and there wasn't anything she could to help him and it broke her heart. The room they were in was empty. There wasn't a bed, no food, water or any medical supplies.

"It's okay, Jonathan," Martha whispered to him. "Just take it easy."

Jonathan coughed heavily. "I'm all right as long as I have you with me."

Tears glistened in Martha's eyes. "I'm never leaving you. Don't you leave me."

"I know," Jonathon said. "I can't die until I fix that banister. You've nagged me about it so much," Jonathan joked. "And I've put off doing it. I can't leave without doing that for you."

Martha laughed as the tears rolled down her face. "That's right. You can't leave me without fixing that banister. I'll make my famous apple pie for you if you do."

"That's something…" Jonathan groaned painfully, "…to look forward to."

Outside, Jonathan and Martha heard noises. It sounded like gunfire. Martha held Jonathan tighter. "Is that Kal-El? Has he come to help us?" Hope filled Jonathan. "You have another reason to hold on. Hold on and Kal-El will take care of you."

The fighting outside stopped and Martha held her breath as their cell door opened. Standing on the other side wasn't Kal-El but Martian Manhunter and Green Lantern. It wasn't Kal-El but helped had arrived.

"Please help us," Martha pleaded with the men. "My husband is badly injured."

J'onn examined Jonathan and came to a grim conclusion. Jonathon was badly injured. Jonathan had several broken bones, a collapsed lung and internal bleeding. J'onn wasn't sure how long Jonathan was in this condition. If they could save him, they had to move fast.

"Wonder Woman, it's Green Lantern," Hal connected to Diana through their comlink. "We found the Kents but Mr. Kent isn't looking too good. He was beaten pretty badly. Have you found Kal-El?" Hal nodded to what Diana was saying. "Gotcha. We're on our way."

"What's going on?" Martha asked. "Is Kal-El all right?"

"Wonder Woman and Batman are closing in on his location right now. She wants to meet them outside," Hal answered.

"We have to move Mr. Kent carefully," J'onn advised Hal.

"No problem." Green Lantern flashed the power of his ring over Jonathon, stabilizing him. J'onn picked up Martha Kent, citing it would be faster if he carried her. "Let's go."

This was Kal-El's worst nightmare. He laid on a cool steel table. His wrists and ankles were bound by metals with kryptonite in them. He made several failed attempts to break free as Sam Lane, Steve Trevor and Lex Luthor looked down on him. Kal-El was a mixture of emotions: anger, determination but most of all, he felt helpless and he had not felt that since he was thirteen when his father died. Looking up at his three captives, Kal-El wondered one thing:

Was it like this with my father when he was tortured on Krypton?

Sam Lane slapped Kal-El across his face. "You're not so cocky now that you are captured, are you?" Kal-El only responded with a fearsome glare. "You're going to tell me all I want to know, alien." Kal-El didn't give Sam Lane the pleasure in responding. "So, you're going the silent route."

Sam Lane picked up a sharp metallic instrument off a silver tray littered with instruments that was used on J'onn when he was held captive by Sam Lane. He flipped the switch on the slender piece of metal. It hummed as sparkles of electricity crackled around the head. Sam Lane jammed it into Kal-El's side. Kal-El gritted his teeth as currents of electricity tore through his body. Dealing with Livewire, the electric bolts she had sent at him tingled his skin. They didn't harm him at all. Now that he was without his powers, the pain was excruciating.

Sam Lane flipped to the next level. "I admire your silence, alien, but you will cry out. You will beg me to stop but I won't."

Kal-El bit his tongue as Sam Lane drove the instrument in his side again. The pain was unbearable. He was not going to give Sam Lane the satisfaction and cry out. Sweat formed on his forehead, veins popped on his skin and blood from his tongue trickled in his mouth.

Steve watched Sam Lane jam Kal-El again and again with a higher current of electricity. Each time Kal-El refused to cry out. The man had an indomitable spirit. Steve found himself flashing back to when the Martian Manhunter was on the same table as Kal-El, tortured over and over. Martian Manhunter was proven to be a good person and given what Kal-El said to him earlier about the Kents, Sam Lane's attitude towards them, and the fact Lex Luthor was in the same room as he, Steve wondered if this was a mistake. Was Kal-El really the villain in all of this or was it Sam Lane: a man he worked with for years, a man he admired for his desire to protect the people on Earth; a man who inadvertently put him at odds with his beloved Diana before Kal-El drove them further apart?

Thinking of Diana took Steve back to an hour earlier where he left Diana at the hands of Cheetah, Poison Ivy and Bane. The look on Diana's face when she realized he betrayed her, crushed him. His only justification for it was knowing Diana wouldn't be hurt but distanced from Kal-El so he could be captured. That was promised to him by Lex Luthor but now Steve wondered if the promise was held.

Steve turned his attention to Lex Luthor who held a black case in his hands. He had a sadistic smile on his twisted face as he saw the pain Kal-El was enduring. Steve felt it in his bones Lex Luthor had his own motives for being a part of this.

Kal-El's breath came in heavy rasps as he recovered from another dose of electricity. Sam Lane leaned close. "Have something to say to me, alien?"

Kal-El spat out the blood filling in his mouth. "You want me to say what is not true. That I've come to harm you. I haven't."

Sam Lane lowered the electrically charged instrument on the silver tray. "If you won't comply…" Sam Lane gestured Lex Luthor to him. He took the lead case from Lex and opened it in front of Kal-El. A green light illuminated over Kal-El's face and he winced as he fought the new, familiar pain coursing through him.

Inside the case, were ten large needles of liquefied kryptonite. "A dose of kryptonite will be poured into your system. The truth is, alien, no matter what you tell me, you're not leaving this place alive."

The doors burst open and a soldier rushed into the room. Sam Lane growled at the interruption. "You are not to come in here unless there is an emergency."

"There's trouble, sir. The special ops team sent to capture Bruce Wayne has been arrested."

"What?" Sam Lane was livid at the news. "You mean to tell me Bruce Wayne took out my men?"

"He wasn't alone." The solider pointed at Kal-El. "Superman was with him."

"I told you not to go after Wayne," Lex snapped at Lane. "If the police know about this then Commissioner Gordon does, too, and you know how tight he is with Batman. It's possible the Justice League knows about this and are on their way." Lex's cell phone rang. Lex knew this wasn't good. No one was to call him unless it was an emergency. He opened it and impatiently spat out, "What? How long ago was this? Dammit to hell." Lex closed his phone.

"Bad news?" Steve asked with a satisfied smile.

"Wonder Woman's escaped." He saw a smile on Steve's face widen. "I wouldn't be smiling if I were you. You betrayed her. Wonder Woman is no doubt aware of the situation and in less than an hour we may have the entire Justice League storming this place." Lex picked up a needled filled with kryptonite. "It's best we deal with him now."

Luthor jammed the needle into Kal-El's right arm. Kal-El gritted his teeth as he focused his weakening mind on fighting the poison entering his system. Luthor grabbed another needle, ready to jam it into Kal-El when he grasped Lex's wrist. Lex cried out as a bone in his wrist snapped. Lex felt himself being raised off his feet. His eyes locked with Kal-El and he saw pain in his eyes before he was thrown against the wall.

"You still have fight in you." Sam Lane jammed a needle in Kal-El's other arm. Kal-El turned his head to him. His eyes flickering red, revealing the rage building in him but it was clear Kal-El was losing the fight. "Grab a needle and help me deal with this alien, Trevor."

"No."

Sam Lane jammed a third needle in Kal-El and turned his head to Steve. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I…. I don't know if this is right." Everything was in doubt now. "You lied to me. You said the Kents wouldn't be physically harmed but they were. We are here to protect humanity and it's as if you're turning your back on that for your own cause."

"I told you the Kents wouldn't be harmed as long as they cooperated. They didn't."

While Steve and Sam Lane argued, Lex limped back to Kal-El. The wrist in his right arm was broken and his body was sore from being thrown into a wall. This was his only shot at his plan and he had to move fast with the Justice League on their way.

The third needle of kryptonite injected in Kal-El took a toll on his body. He battled with so much kryptonite that evening that mentally he couldn't fight off the affects anymore and that sped up his physical decline.

I'm dying. I'm going to die here.

Painful spasms struck his heart.

Oh, Rao. Am I having a heart attack?

Kal-El's vision started to blur and his eyelids grew heavy as his mind was losing consciousness. A painful spasm struck his heart again. Kal-El accepted his fate as he knew he was going to die here.

Jonathan. Martha. I'm so sorry.

To his right, he could see Steve and Sam Lane stopped arguing. To his left, he saw Lex Luthor creeping closer with a sadistic smile on his face. Kal-El saw Lex reveal a needle only it didn't have any kryptonite. It was empty until Lex jammed the needle in his skin and his poured into the needle.

Sam Lane and Steve stopped arguing to see what Lex was doing.

"What are you doing?" Sam Lane asked Lex.

"Taking what I need." Lex answered with a self satisfied smirk. "I held up my part. You put things in jeopardy going after Bruce Wayne." Lex pocketed the needle with Kal-El's blood.

My blood. What are you doing with my blood?

Kal-El felt a tremor pass over the room that caused Sam Lane, Steve and Lex look up.

Diana! My darling Diana.

It was getting harder to keep awake but Kal-El couldn't close his eyes. Not now. Not when Diana was nearby. If this was his end, so be it but before he died Kal-El wanted to see Diana one more time.

Kal-El couldn't move but he could see what was happening over him. He heard Lex make a remark against Sam Lane and Steve Trevor, calling them both fools. Steve tried to advance on him but a flash blinded him before an exotic looking woman stood in its place. His hearing was going but he could still read words and the exotic woman threatened them with her magic. In another flash, she and Lex were gone.

Kal-El could see Steve Trevor turned his anger back on Sam Lane. "I told you not to trust Lex. He had his own motives in this!"

The room rocked again. The sound of firearms was getting closer. The Justice League was getting closer. Steve's heart dropped at what this meant. Diana was getting closer.

Sam Lane was unperturbed with Lex Luthor's betrayal as he quickly head for a hidden exit while Steve foolishly kept his back to him. He knew he would be taken in if the Justice League caught him. "It's to be expected in his line of work." Sam Lane opened a side wall. "I have a back up plan."

"What back up…" Steve turned around and found Sam Lane gone. Where did he go? Sam Lane abandoned him? A loud boom at the door forced Steve to turn around. A fist imprinted itself on the steel door and it fell to the floor with a loud thud. Standing on the other side were an angry Wonder Woman and Batman.

"Diana," Steve breathed. "I…"

"How could you do this?" Diana screamed at Steve. "I know you hated Kal, but to do this. To kidnap the Kents and to hurt them? Two innocent people. Mr. Kent might not make it. How could you do it?"

"Diana," Steve tried to explain. "I knew the Kents would be captured but I didn't know about the physical harm on them until it was too late. I trusted Sam---"

"Stop it!" Diana snapped him. "You can blame Sam Lane all you want but this is as much your fault as his! You sold your soul. You became what you fought against all because of your hatred of Kal. You are not the man I thought you were. I never want to see you again but I will because you are going to pay for the crimes you have committed against Mr. and Mrs. Kent and Kal-El."

Diana left Steve and went to Kal-El. Her heart broke at the vision of Kal-El. This strong, proud man who she initially butted heads with and captured her heart looked so lifeless now. Diana blamed herself. She never thought Steve's hatred of Kal-El would go this far. She never thought he would turn wicked and allow humans, who he fought so hard to protect, to be hurt in his pursuit of getting Kal-El.

"Diana," Kal-El said weakly.

"I'm here," Diana said gently.

"The Kents… you have to save them." Kal-El struggled with his words. "Please. It's my fault."

"No, it's not your fault," Diana told him gently. "None of this is. J'onn and Hal have them," Diana whispered. "They will be all right and so will you."

Kal-El smiled wistfully at Diana. "I just needed to see your face one more time."

"Kal, don't talk like that." Diana fought back her tears. She wasn't going to cry because Kal-El wasn't leaving her.

"I never told you how much I love you…" Kal-El whispered before he submitted to the pain in his body.

"Kal?" Diana shook Kal-El but he didn't respond. "Kal."

Batman went to Diana's side immediately. Kal-El looked dead but he couldn't tell Diana that. It would break her heart. Also, Bruce didn't want to think Kal-El was dead. "We can take him back to the Watchtower."

"No." Diana told Bruce as she gently picked up Kal-El. "The Watchtower won't save him, but I know what will. Follow me."

Steve watched Diana fly away with Kal-El in her arms and Batman quickly following after her. Tucked under Batman's right arm was the case containing the unused kryptonite needles. "What have I done?" Steve fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands. "I've made a terrible mistake." It was all over. His career, everything he fought for gone because of his foolish decisions. He was going to lose his job, probably be court-martialed and imprisoned.

Sam Lane emerged from his hiding place. He heard the conversation between Wonder Woman and Steve. So, he was right. There was something between them until the alien came along. He shook his head in disgust at Steve looking like a broken man. "If you mean falling for Wonder Woman, then yes."

Steve rose to his feet and punched Sam Lane. He knocked the General flat on his back. "Coming out of hiding, you cowardly bastard! I should've done that a long time ago. Everything that has gone wrong in my life, you've had your scaly hand in it. I've lost the best thing that has entered my life. I'm going to lose my career. Seventeen years of service to my country, its people, gone because of you!"

Steve stormed out of the room as Sam Lane wiped the blood from his lips. He didn't think Trevor had the guts to do that. Even though Lex betrayed him, the Justice League captured Kal-El and the Kents, Sam Lane smiled. He had, after all, a back up plan.

Sam Lane pulled out his cell phone. "Captain Begoun. Plan A has fallen apart. Let's move on to Plan B."

Thanks for the reviews!

Shiro: Yep. Things got ugly here and it's not over. Bruce and Kal won't have the friendship as they do in the comics but they will be friends. Steve has come to his senses but it's a little too little, too late. Hopefully, he can do something that will put him on the path of redemption.

Unoaranya: Yes. Jonathan is the man! Since Diana can fight off toxins of all kinds due to her training, she might be able to resist Poison Ivy's even if she did spread her pores. Poor Kal. I really gave it to him in this one but it had to be done.

Wonderbee: Yes, you! :D Oh, yeah, Steve finally realized he goofed big time. I want to say more but I can't. It will spoil you. ;)

Ben: LOL! Great description! I did think about Diana hitting Steve but if she did, Steve would be in the hospital for weeks and he's still needed in the story. Sort of. I don't know if Kal has tried to find a cure for kryptonite in the comics. They try to make him like a dumb jock at times you wouldn't think he was the child of scientists.

Korrd: Very true and they are not being mind controlled. Sam Lane is a corrupt man with his own agenda so he chose men for his taskforce who are not the most honorable of soldiers, who believe in his stance against aliens and will do anything even harm civilians to get rid of aliens because from their POV, aliens are the bigger threat.

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