Thank you to all reviewers, all of them mean so much to me. They just keep me and other appreciative writers going! I'm having so much fun with this, and even I'm surprised at all of the little details that go so well with both worlds. For some reason, it's impossible for me to get into Jareth's head; it's easier to tell almost everything through a third-person perspective. Superman is just not as complex as the Goblin King. And just as a heads-up, there will be NO Lex Luthor or any other villain besides General Zod in this story, and even he plays a very small part, but significant nonetheless. And sadly, I won't be dropping any hints to anyone as to who ends up with whom. However, if you would like to get the full back story before I get to it in later chapters, please rent or dig or whatever and watch Superman 2. It's a wonderful movie and I highly recommend it. As a strong supporter of stem-cell research (my 2 cents, sorry), I guarantee (or I hope) you'll be moved by Christopher Reeve. It sounds super cheesy but he really is my superhero. Moving on. This is the longest chapter yet because of the battle that takes place in Metropolis. We start with a flashback before Superman went 'missing'.

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or Superman. I wouldn't be much use to DC anyway.

His laugh lines spread across his handsome face as Sarah struggled to keep her drink in her mouth.

"Ok," she said, finally swallowing, "no more jokes while I'm drinking."

"Sorry," he was laughing more at Sarah than at the actual joke he told.

She let her laughter subside and after a few moments of comfortable silence, Superman rose from the window seat and turned to look back up at the night-lit sky from her window, his blue eyes glowing in the near-dark. Sarah never did have adequate lighting in her apartment.

She looked up at the sky with him and sighed, "What's it like?"

"What's what like?" he turned his gaze to her.

"To fly." She said this with almost child-like innocence, and he smiled at that.

"It's complete freedom," he answered without hesitating, "to feel the wind all around you, the sun on your face… the power to fly as high or as fast as you want." He stopped and shifted his feet, and turned away from the window.

"What is it?" Sarah asked.

He looked back to her and with a proud face said, "Then I remember who I am and what I have to do."

She rose from her seat and walked to his side. "But," she paused, "but you don't resent being who you are, do you?"

"No, of course I don't." His face brightened when he turned back to look at her and Sarah noticed he squared his shoulders back just slightly. "I'm here for a reason, Sarah."

Sarah smiled slightly as they both turned back to the soft haze of the sky. She tilted her head and without thinking she blurted out, "will you promise me something?"

Still looking to the sky he answered, "Anything." He truly meant it.

Sarah's cheeks flamed at his answer and she ducked her head ever so slightly to hide it. But she continued, speaking softly, "promise me I'll fly with you again soon."

He whipped his head around, his mouth slightly ajar. She shrunk back at the look in his blue eyes. She didn't mean to be so forward; it was what she truly wanted. But the look on his face… confusion, hurt, longing. They came and went so quickly. He may have been the strongest man on Earth, but he was the worst at hiding his emotions.

"I'm sorry," she nearly exclaimed in embarrassment, putting her fist to her forehead and turning away. "I put you on the spot, I didn't mean to."

Superman held his hand out and assured her, "no, I just didn't think that's what you would have asked."

Sarah continued to rant and pace around the living room. "It just came out like that."

"Sarah, it's fine, really. You don't have to-"

"I always do that, I always speak before I actually think."

"Maybe you could stop for a minute and-"

"You know what, no, forget it. It's dangerous, I shouldn't even be thinking about it."

"Sarah." A calm, but resounding tremble echoed throughout the room after he spoke her name. She stopped suddenly and turned her face to him, keeping her stance frozen mid-pace. He stood looking at her, his face was gentle yet firm, and lowering his face, but never tearing her gaze from her, he uttered, "don't ever be sorry for anything you say to me. You'll never need a reason to."

Sarah was speechless. She still stood with only her gaze turned to the brilliant blue of his eyes. They really were beautiful, like clear crystal orbs… She mentally shook herself.

How long they had stood like that regarding each other, it was probably only three seconds, but she felt as if it were three hours of them studying each other from head to foot without even moving their eyes. His words seemed to echo around her as she took in the kindness of his perfect face, the raven hair almost as dark as her own, the muscular body that was underneath that suit… She shook herself again but reveled in the thought that he could be studying her porcelain features, her long, sable locks that he would love to run those fingers of his through…

He finally broke the silence between them and Sarah blinked several times before adjusting back to reality again. "That is, if you asked me to do something illegal, I would have to question your motives for our friendship." He crossed his arms over his chest. "That's where I draw the line."

So he still considered them as friends. Sarah was a little bit more than disappointed, but she hid it well. "What will it take to change that?" she thought with a mental sigh and a pang in her heart.

What would it take? She had never initiated anything before. All of her previous so-called boyfriends and dates had always crossed that line between acquaintances and friends to something more.

"I hope someday soon you'll cross that same line. Because I know I won't be able to with someone like you."

Sarah smirked and slowly began walking back to her window. "You don't know have to worry about that." She walked right beside him and shoved his shoulder playfully with hers as she went by. Her grin became even wider when he actually did stumble back a bit. She believed to have caught him off guard, but she missed the troubled look on his face.

Superman turned away from her to hide the quick yet visible discomfort that shook his entire being.

"I promise," he said softly.

Sarah flipped her hair over her shoulder, still a little miffed, but still smiled up at him. "Good."

Superman dropped his gaze to the hardwood floor. Now the silence had become awkward, but only for him. Arms still crossed, he shifted his feet, seemed to make up his mind and made his way to the window. He reached out and opened it hesitantly.

Sarah knew he was leaving. But before he went, he turned to her, "soon." This was the only time he didn't smile to her before leaving.

He noticed a defiant little pout that was forming on her face when he placed his foot on the window ledge. Was she really pouting? "Good night, Sarah."

She didn't reply, only closed the window behind him when he flew up and away.

But he heard the muffled 'goodnight' that was on her lips before she locked her window tightly. Sarah didn't know. She didn't know that she was physically able to knock him off balance when she playfully nudged him. That was not supposed to happen. How could she have done it? No human had ever done that before now. It chilled him more than the night air.

All the same, he flew off towards the Daily Planet and whispered to the wind, "I'll always promise you everything, Sarah."

The sharp click-clack of his boots echoed throughout the enormous expanse of crystal and ice. This so-called Fortress of Solitude was amazing really. Slanted, cylindrical shapes of thousands of massive crystals extended throughout the wide open space. Pure white icebergs and snowcaps held up the massive crystals. And if one wasn't careful, they could easily fall into the cracks of an icy abyss.

Jareth stood on what seemed to be a platform made of snow and ice. It once held crystals as clear and as powerful as his own. But these crystals were similar to the architecture of this place, whereas the round, cylindrical crystals were once held in small, icy tubes. He could still feel something powerful here. This power throbbed deep below the surface of this place, but it was slowly dying. He picked up a burnt fragment, but it was useless to him and he tossed it aside.

Superman destroyed it. He had destroyed the source of power of this place; this marvelous, crystal palace. And for whom? A woman he had brought here days ago. He had pleaded, no that man begged this place to become a mortal, only to be with her.

Jareth snorted mentally as he remembered the look on his face when it was finally done. He finally became a mortal, and in the process he destroyed these crystals. Jareth remembered the woman and winced inwardly. She was nothing compared to his Sarah. She had no beauty, no charm, and no compassion or the innocent grace that Sarah had. This Superman was a fool to give up his powers for a horrid, mortal woman.

Would he do the same for Sarah?

He cast the thought away for now. To give up a power like he had and destroy the source of it as well… Superman was a damned fool. But he was finally gone and he had nothing to do with it. This was why Superman had not shown up in the past few days. He had not known about the past events because he had holed himself here to be with that... woman. And he was mortal. There was nothing he could do about it.

But now something was settling within him, and he was disgusted with it. It was pity for Sarah. She became enamored with this Superman and he was in love with someone else. He became a mortal for her; he gave up everything for her. Sarah would be heartbroken if and when she ever found out. Perhaps she never would after tonight. But to have pity for the one he adored, to have her heart broken by another man… it should have been him all along. She would never have to shed a tear if she were with him.

But for now Jareth let go of all resentment toward the once powerful Superman and took pleasure in the thought that Sarah would now finally come to him.

Sarah sat at her window seat taking in the gloomy skies of Metropolis. Even the weather felt the sullen mood of the whole city. For three days it had been like this. The city had been able to continue about its business, but not as if nothing had happened. People milled about as usual - running their errands, working their jobs, raising their kids – but everyone could feel the anxious fear that still lingered above all their heads.

General Zod still ruled the world underneath his iron fist. Granted he hadn't had a reason to use force yet, but it was only because everyone knew that even the most powerful army in the world couldn't go up against three people with the same crushing powers as Superman. Everyone had seen that first hand when they destroyed that small town in Idaho.

The dark woman identified herself as Ursa and proclaimed herself as co-ruler. Non was the enormous man that seemed to work as their bodyguard.

Despite the 'formalities', the question that still hung over everyone's heads was, where was Superman?

Sarah still believed that he would come. When people were starting to lose hope or doubt Superman's intentions here on Earth, she still believed he would come and fight for their freedom… or die trying. That's who he was. And Sarah still had faith in that.

But on a dreary, overcast day like today, it was hard to be the slightest bit optimistic. Instead, she stayed indoors and looked upon the darkening city and its people.

She pressed her fingertips against the cold glass of her window and traced circles with detached interest. Almost as if on cue, lightning cracked and thunder rolled outside. She sighed as she sensed another presence with her. But she continued tracing circles and noticed that for every circle she drew, a bubble formed in its place. She watched them float from the glass, and pricked with her finger those that came within her reach. Suddenly losing interest, she rested her forehead on the glass of the window and closed her eyes.

A sudden gust of wind blew and threw the far window open. A slight rain drifted in and quickly dampened the living room floor. A flapping of wings followed, then after a while, the steady click-click of boots. Her hair flew from her face but she didn't mind it.

The soft sound of a body plopping down unto her sofa broke the steady rhythm of his entrance.

"Close the window," she said absently without moving.

She heard the window close with a tiny whine and the latch lock up.

A few moments of silence passed before Sarah wearily raised her head and opened her eyes. "That's the first time you've flown in." She turned to look at him sitting comfortably on her sofa. "Usually you just appear in front of me." He sat motionless, eyes staring straight ahead, his gloved forefinger on his thin lips as if contemplating something. "Or behind me, whichever one you choose to prefer." She turned back to the gray city laid out before her.

"I took it all for granted," she suddenly said softly to herself, as if Jareth weren't in the same room with her. But she knew he was listening. "I received a great gift of talent and I had the opportunity to come here. I would have been great on the stage, renowned in the city… but I nearly threw it all away." She heard his body shift slightly; she had meant that to be a personal jab to him. "I had a chance to redeem myself, to prove that neither you nor no one else in this world could have power or control over me. But now my dreams, the dreams I knew could only be real if I made them so, have been taken away from me again. Now we live in this world of fear." She turned to him again, and her breath was nearly taken away by the nearness of him. He had a habit of changing places without her knowing. He hovered just above her, his arms crossed over his chest, studying her while he still listened intently. "How are people supposed to live like that everyday?"

"You don't have to," he offered.

"What about everyone else?" She feared her voice would fail her if she kept looking up at his otherworldly form, and looked away again. "I can't live like that, knowing I would be living a life everyone else would kill to have again. Even the thought of having it again… no, Jareth, I'm not selfish like you."

"But you are," he grinned as her head snapped back up. "You are selfish. Admit it. You would consider leaving this world, which has turned quite brutal almost overnight. You would want for nothing if you came back with me."

Sarah shook her head and ran her hands through her black hair. "That's not what I want, it's not…"

"You belong in my world, Sarah," he said matter-of-factly. "You always have, ever since you were a child."

"I'm not a child anymore."

"I beg to differ," he said, walking away. But he stopped in the middle of her room, and she was compelled to watch his darkly beautiful form standing, staring at her in a way that made her heart stop. She absolutely hated that. "Sarah," his voice strangely echoed throughout the room. "You must not stay here. It is no longer safe…"

"Stop," she said, exasperated by his efforts.

"You cannot stay in the city, in this very world, you must…"

"Stop it!" she screamed, jumping out of her seat. "Just stop! Stop trying to beg me to come back with you! I will never come back with you! Don't you understand? I don't belong with you! I am needed here with normal people who are not nagged to death by an egotistical jerk like you!"

Jareth's nostrils flared and his face went white. No one had ever spoken to him like that in his entire life. No one. He was king and expected obedience and respect from his subjects - even from Sarah. His tone was deadly quiet as he fixed Sarah with his gaze. "Don't do anything stupid, Sarah. You know it's not safe. It will only become worse..."

"Stop it," she snarled back. Bristling with anger, she grabbed her coat and headed straight for her door. But Jareth would have none of it. He grabbed her arm and twisted her back to him roughly. His face darkened, but she would not be intimidated by him, and she lifted her chin defiantly to him, matching his own burning gaze.

"Sarah," his clipped voice was deathly quiet. She could feel his sweet breath on her neck. But she stood her ground and waited for him to speak again. His eyes darted across her face before he said, "I'm warning you. It is no longer safe after tonight."

"Why?" she asked breathlessly.

Releasing his grip on her arm he quickly wrapped one arm around her waist and the other hand came up behind her neck. Sarah immediately writhed within his grasp, but he held her firmly, clasping the dark mass of hair to keep her head still and her gaze fixed on him. Sarah froze when she noticed his mouth was only mere centimeters from her forehead. She took a few breaths of air before she hissed, "Still looking for something, are you?" Her lips trembled as she spoke, she could feel her will breaking within his warm grip. "You'll never find it."

"We will see," he whispered back.

Sarah refused to look up into his eyes, but instead had a clear view of his lips, which were moving closer to own. She struggled again, but stopped just as quickly when she felt his grip become even tighter. She froze, not even breathing as she felt the warmth of his mouth on hers.

At first, Jareth simply allowed his lips to covers hers, drinking in the softness of her. Unable to stop, his hand suddenly moved and found the swell of her hip, smoothed it over once and fiercely swung it about her waist again pulling her to him with a growl.

Sarah gasped. The result was the sudden intrusion of Jareth's tongue as it explored the velvet inside of her mouth.

"No." She could feel her resolve breaking… this perfect, passionate kiss… she had never been kissed like this before. It was everything she had wanted a kiss to be. Protective, loving, and dark as night.

Jareth's hand stayed at her neck, caressing the mass of dark locks there and then locking her in place as he deepened the kiss even more. He had not expected her to submit to this, much less respond. He savored this moment and the feel of her body and will completely molding to him. Finally. After years of torment and anger and hate. After years of loneliness, it was pure rapture to have her submit to him completely. If only she knew how pleasurable this really was to him. If only Sarah could forget about everything he told her, everything that was happening outside of her window…

But he felt her freeze again in his arms…

"No!" Sarah tore away from the searing kiss and his grasp, violently returning to her senses. "What have I done?"

She only caught a glimpse of the proud Goblin King regaining his composure again, his face twisting into his usual mask of indifference before she whipped around and bolted for the door. She raced down the flight of stairs and out of the apartment building, desperately trying to outrun what she had just done, what she allowed to happen. She ran down the rain-slicked streets, ignoring the people that were giving her odd looks as she ran nearly eight blocks to the safest place she knew of – the Academy.

She felt shame and humiliation rise within her, and she knew the harder and further she ran, she would not be able to escape it. "What the hell did I do?" she screamed to herself.

But another part of her brain whispered, "You liked it. It was the best kiss you've ever had…"

Her face flushed red with shame but she nearly choked on her tears when she remembered what she had seen in her mind during that one wonderful, shameful moment. The sudden image of a man in blue and red had appeared in Sarah's mind. He flew up to her window and she was heartbroken by the pain in his blue eyes.

That kiss wasn't supposed to mean to her. It wasn't supposed to make her feel this way. Her body wasn't supposed to respond like it had.

But it did.

Night had fallen. The sudden storm had passed, but that ominous feeling of dread still hung in the city. Ever since her classes had been cancelled until further notice, the halls of the Academy were empty. But Sarah did not want to be alone in empty hallways and dark rooms. She found her way to the roof just above the third story and stayed up there for hours, remembering everything that had happened during the past few days.

She remembered the first time she came out here. It was one of the magical nights of her life. She remembered being asked to stay for the remainder of the year, and becoming airborne with Superman. They shared their life-stories with each other that night. Well, almost everything about their life.

She tried to keep Jareth out of her mind, but it was impossible. Especially when he was perched atop an antenna in his owl form, silently watching her from a distance.

Maybe he was telling her the truth. Maybe something horrible was going to happen. It wouldn't be the first time he told her the truth. But she just couldn't bring herself to leave and return to that realm of fantasy, that realm of her childhood. She wasn't a child anymore, she had told him that, but he refused to believe it.

A stray sheet of paper floated in front of her and dropped at her feet. It was the front page of the Daily Planet, "White House Surrenders". A photo of General Zod was depicted next to the headline. She ran her hands over her weary face and locked them around her neck, suddenly thinking of her good-natured but timid friend, Clark.

Where was he? She hadn't heard from him in days. She had grown used to seeing him almost every week since Christmas. They would grab a quick cup of coffee and catch up, but for only minutes, he was always in such a hurry. She hoped he was alright too, but she only assumed he must be very busy working on the recent events of the now totalitarian-run world.

She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself, and briefly looked up at the owl before she began to pace nervously.

If only Superman could be here. If only he would return to the people that needed him so desperately now.

Perhaps Jareth had been right. Perhaps nothing here would change and he really had gone. Finally, doubt began to grow inside of her, and with it she began to feel something in the air, something was going to happen very soon, perhaps even tonight. She wasn't quite sure if she was still slightly angry with her body for betraying her hours before or if it was the palpable tension that hung in the air, but she felt she would jump out of her skin in a nervous frenzy at any moment. She needed to stop; she needed to calm down before she threw herself into a panic. But she just couldn't, not with this growing fear that kept growing all around her.

She finally stopped pacing and squared her shoulders back, facing the white owl. She looked up at him defiantly as she had done so many times before and clenched her fists tightly. "You know something, don't you?" she nearly screamed. "Why don't you just tell me already?"

No answer. Only a slight tilt of the head.

Her voice lowered to a whisper. "You do know something…"

The stray sheet of newspaper that had flown down to her feet moments before had floated up to her side once again, now carried on a light wind. Her brow furrowed as her hair began to fly about head and in front of her eyes. She tossed her head, and as she did she heard something above her… in the sky.

Sarah's heart began to throb, but this time with a swell of hope. She heard that sound nearly hundreds of times before. She ran to the ledge of the building and looked up into the dark sky, desperately trying to find the source of that beautiful sound. She faced the growing wind head-on as she pulled her billowing hair away from her line of sight. It had to be… she couldn't lose hope now… she had to find him to be sure…

A blaze of blue and red sped across the night sky almost directly above her. She nearly cried in relief when she saw him fly almost proudly across the city. She knew he would come back. Superman would have never left her.

Sarah followed his flight to the skyscraper that was nearly across the street - the Daily Planet. She froze almost instantly and waited. Why was he flying there? Shouldn't he be going to Washington D.C. That's where General Zod and the others were. He stopped in front of a high window and crossed his arms, clearly addressing someone inside. She waited for something to happen as Superman stayed floating of that window, his red cape hovering beside him.

"What is he doing?" Sarah thought impatiently. "Who is he talking to? Why is he-"

Sarah nearly ran to the other side of the building when she saw Superman flying away, as if someone were about come after him. But she started violently when she heard an explosion come from the very same window Superman had just flown away from. She would have fallen to her knees if it weren't for Jareth.

He held her up against him, grasping her arms tightly. But she was far too intent on the sight of Superman to pay any attention to the Goblin King now. She rushed to the corner of the roof's ledge to follow Superman. But he wasn't alone. Three dark figures flew after him.

It was them. They were here in Metropolis.

She saw them all fly around the corner of a skyscraper and out of sight. "Where are they going?" she asked frantically. "What are they doing?"

And even though she knew Jareth was with her now, she barely acknowledged him. She only faintly heard the impatient sound of his boots on the gravel behind her. He also waited for them to come back into their line of sight. Perhaps he was just as anxious as Sarah was.

They both knew it was the beginning of the battle, and the winners would ultimately decide Sarah's fate.

The gravel crunched under his boots as he paced back and forth. She only kept her eyes to the towers of the skyscrapers. They both waited anxiously as they heard people shouting on the streets below, cheering Superman on. She flinched every time she heard an explosion from afar. He would only raise his head slightly.

If Sarah could only see what was happening she wouldn't be wringing her hands so nervously, nor feel like she would die of heartache at any moment.

Her wish was granted when she caught sight of Superman flying above the Daily Planet. But she stifled a horrified gasp when the enormous man, Non, flew right into Superman and pummeled him with both fists; sending Superman crashing into the far side of a building. She saw him struggle for a moment to regain himself, then blasted off again to smash into Non.

But no sooner had Superman knocked Non aside did Ursa come up behind him, clutching his neck and distracting him enough for Non to fly up again right behind him. Non grabbed him from behind and twisted Superman's arms to hold him up while Ursa took a metal pole from a nearby ledge.

Sarah watched wide-eyed and frozen as Ursa flew up to them, intending to strike Superman with the pole. But Superman was able to duck out of Non's grasp just in time. Ursa ended up striking Non instead with deadly force hurling him straight into an enormous metal spire.

Jareth immediately came to Sarah's side as the spire began to tilt downward. Screams of the people in the streets ensued as the spire came tumbling down from the highest building in Metropolis. Jareth gripped Sarah's arms and pulled her away from the ledge as they both watched the spire come ever closer to the street full of panicked bystanders.

Sarah was able to peer over the ledge to see people running in all directions and screaming hysterically as they did so. But she saw one woman trapped between two cars and a crowd of people. She halted immediately in Jareth's grasp as she caught sight of a small baby in a stroller the woman was pushing.

"Jareth," she cried, "do something!"

"I can't," he replied calmly. "I am not allowed to interfere."

The woman screamed when she saw the spire come down ever closer to her and her baby.

"Jareth!" she pleaded.

The woman was trapped. "Oh my god! Oh my baby!"

Sarah sank into Jareth's grasp. "Please!"

His grip only became tighter. "I can only protect you."

The woman had no way of breaking out of the crowd of people. All she could do was fling herself over the stroller and scream.

The colossal spire that may have killed the woman, her baby, and dozens of others was suddenly lifted and carried away. Superman brought it back up easily to its respective tower, effectively caging Non within it.

Sarah sighed with relief and relaxed her body slightly. Jareth let her go but stayed by her side as she ran back to the edge of the roof.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you?" Sarah kept her eyes fixed on Superman adjusting the spire back on the high tower.

"It was only a matter of time." Jareth crossed his arms casually and leant his body against the roof's ledge.

"And you won't do anything?" Sarah asked, casting him an accusatory look.

He sighed and twisted his body around, leaning forward he rested his hands on the stone ledge. "Nothing gets through that pretty head of yours, does it?"

Jareth was spared a potentially nasty outburst when another explosion sounded below them. A car exploded in flames. Another car. And another car erupted in a fiery inferno. Soon, nearly every car parked on the street below them went up in a blazing explosion and continued to burn like giant bonfires.

Jareth reached out and took her arm again when yet another car explosion. It was just one after another before the fire department finally showed up.

They both watched people scrambling to for the sidewalks before another car would explode. Sarah saw a group of women racing across the street before she caught sight of Superman in front of a giant diesel truck. He stood beside what looked a laser penetrating the engine. She flinched and took several steps back. That explosion would surely kill everyone within a 100 foot radius. Superman whipped off the side-view mirror and pointed it straight at the source – General Zod atop a high billboard. The blinding light Superman reflected back disintegrated the billboard, but it left Zod only dazed.

Superman threw the mirror aside when he saw General Zod trying to regain his balance. He stepped back and inhaled deeply, bringing his hands to his hips. He paused for a second and exhaled a cloud of icy breath straight at the truck's engine to keep it from overheating.

Sarah drew another sigh of relief.

Paramedics and fire trucks began pouring into the chaotic scene, attending to those that had been burned from the blazing cars. No sooner did Superman stop to inspect the fiery scene did Non dive from the air and pound him straight under the pavement of the street.

Sarah fell against Jareth as a great shaking of the earth knocked her off balance. Superman was fighting one on one with Non underneath the streets causing massive tremors throughout the streets. It threw people off balance and unto their knees. Even Jareth had to steady himself as wave after wave of constant earth-trembles shook nearly everything above their brawl. Sewer lids came flying up from the streets in steamy explosions nearly striking people who came close enough. Windows shattered and streetlights began to topple as the earth continued to shake mercilessly.

With one audible blow to the gut, Non exploded out of the pavement and into the air. Both Jareth and Sarah ducked as Non flew over their heads and straight into the side of a tall office building.

Sarah turned back to the scene below her and saw Superman crawling out of a hole shaking out his fist. Just as he regained his balance and straightened his weary body, a woman's silky voice cut through the screams and sirens. "Superman!"

Superman turned in time to see Ursa flinging a sewer lid like a frisbee right at him, which ended up straight into his center. Superman flew back with the sewer lid in his gut into a parked car, effectively smashing him into the windshield. He shook his head out and turned over flinging the cap aside.

A pale man in dark clothes landed squarely on the roof of the car facing Superman in a fighting stance.

Sarah instinctively drew away from the unnerving nearness of General Zod. This was the first time she had ever seen him up close. He was more terrible and frightening in person than he had ever been on the television screen. Even Jareth's eyes narrowed darkly at the sight of him.

Superman leapt onto the car's roof and raised his fist to deliver a raw blow. Zod quickly grabbed his arms and struggled to hold them both behind Superman's back. When Zod lost his grip, he quickly ducked and struck Superman square in the gut. Superman keeled over in pain and was thrown aside into the side of Marlboro truck. Zod leapt to the side of the truck intending to hit him while he was down, but Superman quickly regained his senses and kicked him in the jaw. Zod fell with a sickening thud onto the slick pavement and struggled to his knees. Superman jumped his side and kicked him in the jaw for the second time. Zod was down and Superman took all advantage of it. He grabbed one arm and one leg, raising him up like a rag doll. He turned around in circles lifting Zod's body just slightly.

The people in the streets loved what they were seeing. The laughed and cheered Superman on as he kept turning in circles trying to gain some leverage. The shouts and cheers had finally reached a crescendo when Superman threw Zod up into the air and sent him flying high above the city. He had hit his target. General Zod crashed into the gigantic Coca-Cola sign; it exploded into brilliant sparks of white and red.

Sarah's breathing came in heavy gasps, relieved to see Superman had come out the winner in that fight. But Jareth merely crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head. He watched the Coca-Cola sign become a destructive fireworks show for a few moments. "I never thought this thing would go the distance," he remarked dryly.

Sarah ignored him. But in a sense, Jareth was right. Even though the odds were against Superman, he was putting up a hell of a fight. But how much more could he withstand? He was just one, while there were three trying to bring him to his knees. Superman was invincible which meant they were too. How do you destroy three super beings without destroying yourself?

"Get back." Jareth suddenly grabbed pulled her back away from the ledge.

"Wha-" Sarah turned her head, confused. Then saw why Jareth wanted her to come away. "Oh my god…"

A massive transit bus was being lifted into the air, Ursa held one end, Non held the other. They let the screams of the innocent people inside the bus catch Superman's attention.

Superman whipped around, and Sarah could clearly see the distress written all over him. "No!" he cried. "Don't do it! The people!"

Men and women started to bang on the windows screaming for help, a few even tried to squeeze out of the windows. But Non and Ursa held the bus aloft, taunting him with their prey.

Sarah held her breath, waiting. They wouldn't do it… but they would, of course would.

As if on cue, a deep, rasping cut through the air and into her skin. "Do it! Throw it!"

They did as they were told.

Jareth pulled her back with such force she nearly fell over. She screamed as he collected her in his arms and lifted her off her feet. He carried her back away from the scene and away from the bus that was now on its side and spinning out of control right for Superman.

The last thing she saw of Superman was of him holding his hands out and waiting for the impending collision. He was going to stop that bus and save as many people as he could, even if the chances were next to nothing.

The sound of metal against pavement grated against her ears, and she screamed aloud when she saw the bus slam into Superman, and couldn't stop it from crushing him into a near building.

AN: Reviews are always welcome, even critical ones. But I mean it when it keeps authors going, even first timers like me. Like I mentioned before - no hints! Only angst for the time being. Because really, that's what love really is.

Shalom y Amor