"Where is my daughter?" General Lane asked between clenched teeth. Lucy clasped Lor-Zod's hand as Zal-El gave him a deadly stare. He did not answer his 'father-in-law's' question, but instead addressed the man that he now knew was a traitor.

"If you think there will be anywhere in this galaxy, you will be safe from me, Lor-Zod, you are profoundly mistaken." Zal-El told him. One of the guards walked up to Kal-El.

"One of the emergency pods has been ejected." he informed him. Kal-El turned to his brother.

"Your manifest says that there are two passengers. Where is Miss Lane?" Kal-El asked curtly. A guard took Lois's laptop from Zal-El.

"It is not my manifest. It is the owner's. I cannot help it if some woman was named as a passenger and never showed up." Zal-El said calmly.

"You fuck...WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?" General Lane screamed at Zal-El. Zal-El decided he didn't like his father-in-law, but still said nothing in response to his question. Kal-El pulled General Lane aside.

"There is a second pod. The only place Lois could be is Space Station 12. I will go there, retrieve her and get another ship to bring her back to Krypton." Kal-El told him.

"I think you need to return my daughter to Earth. You can question her there." General Lane said firmly. Kal-El was about to disagree, when his eyes fell upon his brother. Maybe he had been wrong in his thinking. Zal-El had helped Lois Lane escape this search. Why? He himself did not think she was anything but a pawn in Zod and Zal-El's sick game. And it also seemed odd that Zal-El would protect anyone else but himself in this matter.

Maybe Zal-El cared for Lois Lane. Maybe it went even further than that. Kal-El dragged his eyes off of his twin and looked at General Lane.

"I agree with you. Maybe Lois would be better off on Earth. I can question her there about certain matters." Kal-El said but Zal-El heard that, just as Kal-El had hoped!

"Lois and I are married! She will be where I am!" Zal-El snapped.

General Lane almost choked and Lucy ran over to him! Lor-Zod gaped at Zal-El!

"You married Lois? Where?" Lor-Zod asked.

"On Earth." Zal-El said shortly, now openly glaring at Kal-El. Kal-El could barely repress a grin!

"You are not really married then, are you, brother? You know that you have to be married on Krypton for it to be valid. I will inform your 'wife' of this when I find her. You do want me to find her, don't you, Zal-El?"

Lor-Zod folded his arms, still staring at Zal-El in wonder.

"I doubt my parents instructed you to marry Lois when you began this charade. Somehow, I don't think my father will be pleased."

"I think having a traitor for a son will weigh on his mind more." Zal-El said blithely, not even looking at Lor-Zod.

"What Lois and I have is real. We ARE married..."

"Shut the hell up, you!" General Lane snapped. "You have a criminal record a mile long and there is no way my daughter willingly agreed to this! And if Kal-El doesn't find Lois at that space station, then we'll know that you disposed of her just like you did Tess Mercer!"

Zal-El raised a brow and looked from General Lane to Kal-El.

"What is he talking about, brother?"

Kal-El's expression darkened.

"You will pay for killing the woman I loved. You will pay for your part in the abduction of your sister-in-law and the murder of that pawn broker. You will pay...along with Zod and Faora."

"The woman you loved? The illegitimate one that you saw in secret? Maybe she would not be deceased if you hadn't been ashamed of her low birth. She is deceased, isn't she, Kal-El? That is what you are trying to say?" Zal-El asked with feigned innocence.

Zal-El had as much as admitted to killing Tess, as far as Kal-El was concerned. He turned from him and faced General Lane and Lucy.

"This ship will be returning to Earth with the three of you. The guards will take Zal-El in the ship we came in, back to Krypton to face his crimes. I will bring Lois to you." Kal-El said and looked from General Lane and Lucy and over to Lor-Zod. They nodded at one another before Kal-El walked to the compartment that housed the remaining escape pod, got into it and jettisoned out of the ship.

Zal-El did not bother to struggle as the guards took him to the other ship. There was nothing he could do at the moment, but hope that whatever plans Kal-El had to turn Lois against him, would not succeed. And he knew his brother would indeed try to do just that.

SPACE STATION 12

Lois was not having fun.

Besides being worried to death about Zal-El, she had the really bad luck of running into Joker and Harley Quinn! And she could not help but think that it was no accident that she was seeing them...

"So where's Zal?" Harley asked, sipping a gin and tonic.

"Not here." Lois said, now looking at her wedding ring. Joker noticed the ring and his eyes sparkled.

"My dear, can we cut the shit? We know you're not Cera-Zod."

"Not that we care," Harley Quinn said, "I never liked her much. But did Zal and you off her and then come up with this scam?"

"Is that ring from him?" Joker asked.

Lois turned to face them. It didn't matter anymore. Zal-El had sent her here to escape the authorities. They had been found out and she didn't know when she would be seeing her husband again. The story she was going to write for Perry had changed again-along with her own life.

"It was never a scam. At least not on my part. It doesn't matter anymore. Zal-El has been caught. Our ship was boarded and he insisted I leave on an escape pod." Lois said glumly, looking around in hopes that she would catch sight of her husband coming in the bar.

Joker and Harley exchanged looks. It was clear that this Lois Lane woman(Joker thought her stories were atrocious, Harley only read romances) was part of some plot to make sure the House of Zod kept their fortune. Joker suspected that Cera-Zod had dropped off of the radar and with time running out, they needed someone to be her. But obviously, things had went wrong.

Harley eyed Lois's ring. She doubted Zal marrying this chick was part of Zod's plan either. Still, a part of her felt for Lois. Whenever her 'Puddin' was grabbed up by that damned Bat, a part of her died.

Lois suddenly turned back to them.

"I'm actually surprised to see you both alive. How did you get away from those clones?"

Harley began to explain but Joker tuned her out. The clones! Yes, they might be the answer here. Their 'Benefactor' desperately wanted the real Cera-Zod and Zal-El in their group. Cera-Zod would have to wait, of course. But from Joker's understanding, they were meant to have their powers, despite a yellow sun.

Which meant they would be super powered on Krypton...

Joker grabbed Harley's arm when he spied Kal-El walking up to them. Lois's back was to him and when she saw the expression on Joker and Harley's faces, she turned and refrained from jumping out of her skin! She had seen him on the phone the other day, but looking at him in the flesh gave Lois a weird feeling. She didn't quite know how to describe it.

Kal-El looked from Lois to Joker and Harley.

"You both are Earth criminals. I should report you to the authorities there." he said coldly. Ordinarily, Joker would have hit him with dose of acid from his lapel, but Space Station 12 was within the distance of a yellow sun.

"Uh, I think that's a bit harsh, don't you think?" Harley asked.

"My dear, I am not surprised by his snotty attitude. He mistreats his own brother because he has one eye." Joker sniffed. "Let's get out of here, baby."

"Take care." Harley said, touching Lois's shoulder. Lois felt like she actually meant that and nodded. Kal-El gave them the evil eye as they walked off and sat in a booth, before addressing Lois.

"You are associated with that filth?"

"Zal-El knows them."

"Of course he does. Let me formally introduce myself. I am Kal-El from Krypton..."

But Lois interrupted him!

"I know who you are. And I guess you know who I really am. Where is Zal-El?" Lois asked in a no-nonsense tone. Kal-El's eyes roamed over her before he sat down beside her at the bar.

"He has been detained. Zod and Faora, the people that were going to pretend to be your 'parents' are being held as well. Your real father and your sister, are headed back to Earth now."

"Lucy is okay? Oh thank God!" Lois said with relief. The bartender asked Kal-El if he wanted anything and he shook his head no. He then asked to refill Lois's drink and Kal-El answered for her.

"She will be leaving. I will take care of the bill." Kal-El told him.

Lois felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up in fury!

"Look, I'll leave here with you to go to Krypton to be with my HUSBAND!"

Kal-El grinned at her.

"What are you talking about, Miss Lane?" Kal-El asked. Yes, Zal-El had said some nonsense about a marriage, but he really hadn't believed him. He figured he just said that to upset everyone.

Lois wagged her ring finger in front of his face!

"Zal-El and I are married," she said as she pulled out the House of El credits that were now in her name, "and I'll pay my own bill, thank you very much!"

Kal-El took the credits from her and looked them over, while glancing at her ring. That was made from a Kryptonian diamond! Zal-El had been telling the truth-for once! He handed her back the credits.

"Miss Lane..."

"Call me, Lois, since we're family now. Look, I'm sorry about my part in trying to fool you. But that was the deal that was offered to me to save my sister."

"I realize that." Kal-El replied.

"Zal-El was sent to me to coach me to become Cera-Zod. Only I didn't really become her. I was too busy falling in love with your brother."

Kal-El gave her a look of disdain mixed with pity.

"Lois, nothing good can come of being married to my brother. Surely, you must know this?"

"I know I am married to a wonderful man that gets treated like dirt by his own family! I could see why you hate him. It's jealousy. But your parents should be ashamed of themselves!"

Kal-El blinked.

"Did I just hear you correctly? Did you accuse me of being jealous of my own brother?"

"A lot of women would love to be me." Lois sniffed. "And I don't think that detaining him is right. Yes, we tried to fool you. So the House of Zod loses their fortune-why is Zal-El in all of this trouble over that?"

"Lois, Tess Mercer's body was found. On a Gotham river front. I have every reason to believe that Zal-El killed her. The pawn broker that held the item your sister, stole, was killed as well. He was killed on Krypton. I have every reason to believe Zal-El killed him as well, since the House of Zod has the tiara back."

Lois slowly stood up.

"Whh...whhh...wait a minute! You're saying that Zod had the item back that Lucy took? When did he get it back?"

"Long before now." Kal-El replied blithely.

Lois's mind was spinning! Zal-El couldn't have known about this! And as for Tess Mercer...

"Kal-El, Zal-El didn't know about the tiara. He wouldn't lie to me about that. Just like he had nothing to do with Tess."

"You know this how?" Kal-El asked, now standing up himself.

"Because she left."

"Left where?"

"The apartment! She broke in and Zal-El spoke to her and then she left!"

Kal-El reached down and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You saw her leave?"

Lois sighed.

"No. Zal-El told me she left. He wouldn't do anything to her! I know him! He wouldn't!"

Kal-El heard sincerity and naiveté in Lois Lane's tone. She believed in his wretch of a brother because he was good at fooling people. And she had no true idea what had happened to Tess after she left the room.

"Kal-El, I'm sorry about Tess. You know, Zal-El harped on about how she was illegitimate. That doesn't stop people on Earth from getting married. I know that one day the two of you would have been together like Zal-El and I are."

Kal-El said nothing to that since his own mind was spinning as well. Tess and himself were nothing like Zal-El and Lois. For Lois had no true idea about the man she had married. She couldn't have in such a short amount of time.

"I need to get a transport to Krypton. Zal-El needs me. I can help tell whoever that this is all a mistake." Lois told him. Kal-El reached for her chin and cupped it.

"Your father did not take the news well of your marriage. Zal-El told him. It looked as if he were having chest pains." Kal-El lied.

"What?! Oh my God!"

"We had a medic come on board," Kal-El continued to lie, "since we were unsure as to whether you were on the ship under duress, or whether Zal-El had hurt you in anyway. But you need to see to him on Earth. He is a good man."

"I know that." Lois said sadly, upset that he had to learn the news of her marriage in that way. Kal-El released her chin.

"I will take you to Earth. Once you ascertain that your father is alright, then we can return to Krypton. The transport ship is ready now."

Lois still seemed hesitant.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I appreciate what you're doing. But it would be nice if you could give your brother the benefit of the doubt here. Someone else killed Tess Mercer and that pawn broker. We just have to find out who."

"We?"

"I'm going to help you clear my husband's name! I know you think he's guilty but with my help, we can find Tess's real killer. You can then get some sort of justice and peace." Lois said, smiling wanly up at him.

Kal-El nodded and Lois paid the bill. Together they started to walk towards the docking area. Yes, Kal-El thought, he would find justice and peace with Lois Lane. Zal-El had cost him his woman. He planned to make damned sure that Zal-El lost Lois.

As they moved towards the ship Kal-El had procured, he slipped one of his hulking arms around Lois's waist, absorbing it. A woman such is this was far too good for his brother. He had been lucky. Lucky that Lucy Lane had stolen from the House of Zod and brought this woman into Zal-El's life.

They moved quickly up the plank and Lois's breasts bounced within the sweater dress she was wearing, with every step. Kal-El instinctively tightened his hold around her middle, as they hurried up the ramp. He planned to make sure that Lois would not want to return to Krypton, or his brother, again.