Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth or Superman.

She could not have said whether it was seconds, or years, that she lay there, when sound filtered through her half-conscious brain. The sound of water lapping against her followed by a whisper.

"Sarah…"

It called to her, in a way she was powerless to resist. Although there was no way for her to move towards it, she found the sound becoming clearer.

Still cradled in liquid, strangely warm, alive around her. She heard the voice again, calling out for her. Her mind recognized the voice, but her heart knew it not by the name, but by the emotions lacing through it.

A hand clamped over her wrist. She knew who it was instantly before she half-consciously began to reach for him.

In response to her waking, the hand pulled her slowly but firmly out of the liquid warmth. She allowed herself to be pulled, but her body instantly seized and panicked when it hit cold, freezing water. Opening her eyes, Sarah saw blurrily, Superman scooping her up into his arms. She blinked several times, trying to see clearly again. She suddenly realized she was without oxygen, and her body seized instantly again. Her mouth opened involuntarily and water suddenly filled her mouth and lungs. She was choking instantly.

Superman immediately clutched her to him and shot back up to the surface as fast as he could. They exploded through the surface of the water. Superman fought to get his breath back as he turned to Sarah, still in his arms. She gagged on the water still in her lungs. Her body was beginning to stiffen horribly.

"Hang on," he nearly shouted.

Sarah had seemed to give him back whatever little strength he had left in him, and he used it to his full advantage. He flew back to the shore as quick as he possibly could. Once he reached the rocky shoreline, he landed less than gracefully and stumbled unto his knees, fighting for oxygen. Sarah tumbled out of his grasp and turned her face to the side. She coughed violently before the water trapped in her pooled on the rocks beneath her.

They both took great gasps of air for a few moments before Superman reached out to her.

"Sarah," he murmured tenderly, resting his hand on her back. Her eyes were glazed for a moment as the world continued to spin around her. It finally settled as her lungs inflated for the first time in many minutes. Her wet hair stuck to her face and hung in dripping strands around her eyes. She saw full lips, a strong chin, and blue eyes. Without saying a word, Sarah pulled Superman into her, embracing him as fiercely as she knew how. Memory crashed into her mind - she remembered everything.

Superman was taken aback by how forcefully she clung to him, but his arms slid around her without hesitation, burying his face in the wet tangle of her hair. They held each other, both silently and overwhelmingly grateful that they were alive and safe.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked, pulling away with reluctance.

"I'm fine," Sarah answered breathlessly. "You… you came back for me."

"Did you think I wouldn't?" He smiled faintly and pushed her wet out of her eyes. "What happened out there?"

Sarah laughed softly and blinked. "It's a long story. I…" She stopped suddenly, her face slowly drawing shock. "I…" The lips, the chin, the piercing blue eyes… She studied Superman closer, and with each passing second it became more and more clear.

Superman's mouth dropped to a frown. "What is it?"

"Oh my god!" Sarah started back and nearly jumped to her feet. She was beyond shocked. She felt betrayed, embarrassed, foolish… she had never seen it until just now.

"Clark!"

Superman immediately reached out for her and grasped both of her arms, trying to calm her.

"Clark!" she screamed. "Clark Kent! Oh my god! I can't believe… this whole time!"

"Sarah, I had to!"

She struggled against him, despite his strength. "You didn't tell me! You've been hiding this the whole time, since the day I met you! I… I…" She opened and closed her mouth, too stunned and humiliated to even speak. Suddenly every single memory she had had with Clark came flooding back to her. Every moment she had with Clark, she had with Superman. And every moment she had with Superman, she had with Clark.

This was another revelation she had encountered in one night. It was beginning to be too much for her.

But Superman pulled her up to her full height, trying to restrain her. "Sarah," he stood over her, eyes boring into hers. They were Clark's eyes. "I had to do it. I had to keep another identity. My enemies as Superman would know who I cared about as Clark Kent. To keep them safe, to keep you safe, I had to be both."

Sarah trembled slightly, staring at him as if she had never seen him before. He seemed completely different to her now. He played his life in the part of two people and not just one. Two people Sarah cared deeply about.

"It's true, then?" she asked, her voice breaking on the last word.

"I'm sorry I kept this from you for so long, Sarah." He he placed her head in his hands and tilted her face back so she could better look up into his eyes. As he looked down at her, he had never felt so completely open in front of another human being. Not even Lois Lane. "You're the only one who knows. I don't know how you figured it out, but you did. You're the only one in the world who knows."

Sarah squeezed her eyes shut and brought her hands up to meet his that were wrapped around and in her hair, slowly taking this all in.

"I had to," he repeated, pleadingly. "I had to."

She finally nodded her head, understanding. "I know… I know you did." She exhaled a shaky breath and slowly opened her eyes. She saw both Clark Kent and Superman in front of her. This 'dream' had done more to her than she yet realized.

Superman silently ran his hands over her hair, trying his best to calm her as she took another quivering breath.

A crash of thunder suddenly filled the air. Sarah jumped back from Superman, horribly startled, but looked up and frowned as the sky darkened. The wind began to pick up sharply, blowing her hair away from her face. She half-covered her face with her arm as the wind became stronger and the ocean waves began to pound furiously at her feet. Superman's red cape began to whip in the rapidly rising wind.

It was the Goblin King, and he was still very angry at what Superman had done to him.

But Sarah remembered everything and she knew this was a different Jareth than who she had encountered in her dream. She was ready for this.

But Superman wasn't. He glanced up at the sky, his eyes widening in alarm at the dark clouds roiling overhead. He took her arms and began to pull her away. "We have to go," he declared solemnly.

"No," Sarah stood her ground, still facing the sea and the approaching storm.

"Sarah," his grip became stronger. "It's too dangerous..."

"For you!" she whipped her head around to face him. "You're not strong enough, can't you see? It's me he wants!"

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled ominously. The ocean water became more violent with each passing second.

Superman stared at her in disbelief. She couldn't have been serious. "No! You can't stay here, you're coming with me!"

Lightning struck with a sizzling crack. Thunder roared down from the skies. A great pillar of midnight black began to form in the sky. It twisted around itself and snaked throughout the great expanse of night.

But Sarah was not afraid. She turned back to Superman, desperation in her eyes. "You can still run! Just go! He's too powerful… please, just go! It will all be over if you just leave me here!"

She screamed out her pleas over the tremendous sound of the thunder and the wind that lashed at her face and whipped her hair behind her like a sail. But Superman refused to listen. Without another word, he roughly picked her up by the waist and took flight.

"No!" Sarah screamed out, frantically trying to claw her way out of his grasp.

As if in response to her screams, the pillar of black cloud suddenly imploded and spread out throughout the sky. A great crash of thunder sounded and the wind suddenly became a vicious gale.

Sarah suddenly stopped fighting and became very quiet as Superman tried with all his might to pick up speed. She realized they were about to become Jareth's prey, and despite Superman's courage and defiance of him, they were not going to get out of this one.

"He should have listened to me, trusted me," Sarah thought, a sick twist beginning to form in her stomach. Her knuckles were turning white with her fierce grasp at his shoulders; the increasing speed of their flight had the adrenaline pumping ferociously throughout her system. The pier of Metropolis swept past her in a blur of gray and blue as they approached the industrial outskirts of the city.

The Goblin King's rage was gaining on their flight, thunder crashed and lightning streaked across the sky directly above them. But Superman was unphased, fierce determination set in his intense gaze ahead of them.

He gained speed as quickly as possible, but not quickly enough. Sarah gasped in horror to hear a nauseating crack as something hit Superman square in the back. He jerked with the impact, but shakily regained his balance.

"Stop!" Sarah yelled. "You have to stop!"

But Superman did not respond. Sarah was suddenly aware that they were gliding downward, picking up speed. "Superman!" she screamed, bending her head to look at his face. His eyes were closed and he was gasping for air.

Sarah froze in terror when she realized that if he couldn't get his breath back, they were going to fly out of control.

Sarah looked down, and the twist in her stomach suddenly became a painful contortion of fear. They were about to land in the middle of a junkyard. She gripped his shoulders and tried to shake him.

"Superman!" she screamed again. "Clark!"

At the sound of his name, his eyes flew open. But he winced, as if beset by a horrible stabbing in his skull. Suddenly, he cried out horribly, slumping over. Sarah's heart began to beat frantically in horror, realizing he couldn't fight off the terrible pain. The strain of flying and holding Sarah in his arms suddenly became too much for his body to handle.

Sarah screamed when his limbs became limp and she fell to the ground below her. She had no last thoughts before the world became black.

Superman landed with a sick thud on his side. He coughed when he unwittingly inhaled dirt with his trembling breath. His eyes still half-closed, he nearly doubled over when he tried to rise to his feet, but only fell to his knees again, the stabbing pains in his head tormenting him.

He could barely make out the landscape before him – it looked like the end of the world. Dark piles of twisted metal, debris, small fires burning here and there. It could be hell. But it was, in fact, an automobile graveyard.

Sarah lay unconscious a few feet away from him.

He clutched his arm to his stomach and tried to stand once more. But he did not see Jareth transform back from the fierce thunderstorm to the vicious Goblin King.

Jareth's arm flew through the air and struck Superman on the side of the head, backhanded, hitting his temple with such impact that it knocked him to the ground nearly unconscious.

Jareth marched up to his weary body, grabbed a fistful of black hair, and pulled his head back violently. Superman snarled as he was brought up to his knees again.

"Fool!" Jareth hissed. "You thought a mere fire in my face would keep me away for long. You underestimate my power again!" He pushed aside Superman contemptuously, letting him fall back unto the dirt.

Jareth took slow, calculated steps around Superman, his eyes gleaming with mirth as he watched him struggle to rise. "You know," he began almost conversationally, absently tugging at his leather gloves, "I do not believe I am at fault for the present circumstances. You did this to yourself." He paused, smirking at the sound of Superman choking at the dirt clogged in his mouth. "It is your pride, your ego that has sealed your fate. It was bound to happen sooner or later. You care too much about being the hero, the savior, to let anything deter you. Even me." He stopped and cocked his head down at Superman, still struggling to his feet, but he was far too weak.

"You believe you are a self-righteous hero? One that could do no wrong. Always right, virtuous… never vengeful or unjust, even to your enemies." He snorted in contempt before he continued. "Admit it, your ego won't let you go down that path. You enjoy the cheering children, the swooning women." His eyes narrowed darkly when Superman raised his own piercing blue eyes to his defiantly. "You're not willing to give any of that up."

Superman tightened his fists, his face livid with something he never showed or believed in until now – hatred. He stole a glance at Sarah, still lying unconscious. His nostrils flared before he slowly raised his face to Jareth again, silently holding him entirely responsible for Sarah.

Jareth crossed his arms over his chest, aware of Superman's concern, and despising it just as much. "She is unharmed, and no longer your concern. She belongs to me. She always has." He began to walk away when Superman fought to stand on his feet again. "Deal with it."

His back turned to Superman, and facing the ravage and ruin of the automobile graveyard, he smiled again, producing a perfect crystal orb in his hand. Soon, another one appeared, shifting alongside the first. A third suddenly joined the twirling carousel.

He heard a deep, rasping voice as he brought his fluid hand up to his face. "She… she'll never join you…"

For answer, Jareth produced a fourth sphere. He gently picked up the orb with his free hand and released it, letting it hover. "I am not one for violence," he said more to himself than to Superman. "I never raised a hand to anyone. Well," he paused, reconsidering, "you would hardly count naturally."

The remaining crystals suddenly drifted to join the other one, all of them still spinning. They floated in the air for a moment before they shot out into the rusted piles of metal and debris.

"My goblins, on the other hand," Jareth continued darkly, "always do my dirty work for me."

As Jareth spoke, small pieces of metal debris began to fall individually from the disheveled piles. They snaked along the ground of their own accord until they began to take shape. Metal joints clanked together until they finally formed tall goblins, nearly five feet tall, completely covered in rusted armor.

There were at least ten of them, and Jareth gave a crooked smile, his back still turned, as he heard them bang their massive iron weapons against the ground and against their steel torsos. He rarely ordered these goblins for any deeds he needed done, for anything that needed to be taken care of. They were dangerous lot all their own. He kept them in the far reaches of his Labyrinth where none of the other goblins or creatures of his realm could venture.

To Jareth, this was an excellent way to bring his rival humility, degradation, pain… things he felt this man was long overdue for, without even lifting a finger. Sarah was deep into his spell of dreamless slumber. When she awoke, she would be safe in his arms and would finally see what a broken man Superman was after this, and what an immoral coward he always was.

The mercenary goblins began to circle the hunched figure of Superman. Their eyes, if you could call them that, were nothing more than tiny slits of golden light, glowing malevolently in the dark of their thick helmets. They glared and narrowed at the sight of their prey.

Jareth finally turned and sauntered toward the pack. He was their stark contrast in appearance. He stood tall, slender, and triumphant. His skin shone almost white in the stark, distant light, his hair like molten silver. But his eyes turned black with anticipation - full of shadows. The goblins stood ready, grunting and snarling greedily.

Superman looked up, his face like steel, eyes boring with barely concealed hatred.

He smiled again at the small trickle blood at Superman's temple. "Pride before the fall," he drawled almost lazily. "Oh, great hero."

He turned and walked away. This was the signal.

With one great, shrieking cry, the largest goblin raised his spiked mace club and crashed it against Superman's head. He fell back unto his side with a muffled roar of pain. Another goblin proceeded to kick him in the ribs with his metal foot, causing Superman to recoil violently, losing his very breath. The goblins laughed at his pain and the prospect of inflicting more on their victim.

They clawed him with their razor sharp claws, pushed him down into the dirt over and over again, trampled and kicked him, smashed his back with their maces and flails and clubs. They taunted him, hissed at him, tore his cape, jerked him by the black hair on his head, and shoved even more dirt into his mouth.

When Superman tried to fight back or defend himself, the goblins increased their strength and speed tenfold. And as they continued to claw and pound and mock, Superman's muffled cries barely echoed in the darkness as he struggled to crawl away from his tormenters. Something searing hot then touched his shoulder, and he finally screamed aloud.

His back turned to all of this, Jareth smirked, satisfied.

The goblins stopped momentarily, leering at Superman in glee as he tried in vain to catch his breath and crawl away. His limbs could barely support his body as they dragged in the dirt and grime. He grit his teeth at the sting of the fresh burn. Pain washed over him in waves as he lifted his head to Sarah's body, still laying unconscious.

"Sarah…"

He groaned heavily when he tried to lift himself to reach her. He choked on the dirt in his throat as he took harsh, rasping breaths to drag himself. He allowed the pain to consume him as he struggled to move his arms and legs, his torso, anything that would bring him to her.

A fierce blow to the back and a swift, vicious jerk of his cape sent him flying unto his back with a heavy and agonizing cry. Something white-hot swung out of the shadows and landed on his chest. Another roar of pain tore out of his raw throat.

The 'S' on his chest had been burned black.

Sarah did not dream. Her world was dark and the only sound that could barely break through was deeply muffled. She was so tired. She only wanted to sleep and finally dream of nothing, nothing but the dark and comforting warmth that surrounded her.

But she knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

Hesitating for only a moment, she finally began to force herself to awaken.

No… it was so easy to stay here. She could just let go and forget about everything, if only for a little while. What harm could it possibly do? To stay here in blissful and silent sleep…

She was strong, she could feel it. Her blood was warm and hot, like red wine flowing throughout every crimson vein. She could break away from the dark, if only she would allow herself to. She felt stronger and secure in the fact that she knew there was nothing that could hold her back…

But she refused and would not allow herself to sleep. She heard a deep scream of horrible pain and terror break through the darkness. The feeling was like shattering glass pouring over her when she recognized Clark's voice, screaming.

Her eyes cracked open warily. She moaned lightly as she felt a sharp pain on her temple. She was still numb from the neck down, but she made every effort to move her hands beneath her. Wincing, she pushed herself up and glanced up wearily.

A quick movement of a silhouette at the corner of her eye followed by a piercing shriek caused Sarah to flinch outwardly. Another agonizing howl nearly stopped her jaded heart.

Her head slowly turned in apprehension to the sound of it. She was too weak to cry out at the sight of Superman writhing in pain. His chest was smoldering from a recent burn, his eyes were closed as he fought for air.

Sarah saw tall, menacing goblins in heavy armor beat their chests in victory and then slowly slither away into the darkness. Then the sight of the Goblin King. Her blood ran cold when she realized that he had done this to Superman.

Anguish, pain - both in her body and her spirit, utter heartache and disappointment filled her. Only moments ago she finally accepted the fact that she loved him. And now this…

It was a painful, mental blow to see him like this. How could she love him now, to see him this cruel and vindictive? But she could not deny it anymore. She hated and doubted herself more than ever now for her feelings for Jareth. Regardless of the man she encountered in her dream, this was Jareth too – the Goblin King.

His back was turned to both of them, watching a perfect cystal orb in his hand, apparently biding his time before delivering a perhaps fatal blow to Superman.

She saw her chance. She forced herself to move despite the ache in her body. She suppressed every moan and wince of pain to keep herself silent. This was one decision she did not doubt.

For the first time in years Jareth was drawn to the rounded, glassy surface of the crystal. So perfect yet so simple. So beautiful yet no color to it. He stood gazing down into it for what seemed like hours after he silently ordered his goblin mercenaries to stand down.

He was going to finish this. Perhaps this would kill him, perhaps not. Nevertheless, this would permanently weaken Superman. He would become a broken and less-than ordinary man after this. Sarah would see the cowardice, the weakness in him and wonder why she ever felt any emotion for him at all. She would never see or remember the wonderful yet bittersweet torture he himself had ordered unto Superman. And she was so easy to forgive. It would take time, but without knowing the whole truth, she would forgive him and finally come to him…

Sighing deeply with anticipation and a strange kind of remorse, he turned, his arm poised for a throw. But he dropped the crystal orb from his gloved hand as his face fell in shock and finally, guilt.

Sarah was sprawled against Superman's chest. Her arms cradling his form, her long, dark hair splayed across the both of them resembling a black shroud. As her eyes crept up his languid figure, she gritted her teeth to suppress the tears.

"How could you…" he heard her suppress the waver in her voice, hiding it behind forceful tones.

His mis-matched eyes stared down into hers, and he took a step back. He could see the gold flecks glowing within the intensity of her emerald greens. She was changed. She did not have the power he had, but she was stronger now than she had been before. Still the same Sarah he had always known yet transformed into someone and something wiser. He had always seen the fear in her eyes, anxiety, and some piece of her spirit through them. He had never seen the raw power within her. It called out to him and forced him to submit to her.

Jareth's composure melted away. Her inner pain for seeing this seemed to go deeper than he could have ever imagined. It was he who was broken by this. He was not angry or jealous for seeing Sarah's protecting Superman's. He could no longer feel any satisfaction at the bleeding wounds, and was cursed with the wave of insurmountable guilt that consumed him as he saw her before him.

"You fool," she said, the tones in her voice as compelling as the feeling in her eyes. She trembled before him, and held her arms tightly around Superman's body. "Look what you have done!"

The quiet hush accompanied by the power in her voice shook him to the core. Without speaking, he tried to reach out to her for some kind of forgiveness.

"No!" she snarled, her teeth nearly bared. "Listen and listen well, Goblin King." She inhaled deeply as she stared up at him; her gaze was fiercely intense and composed. But inside she was struggling with the words she was about to say. She knew she would collapse out of heartache when she said them. But this was the only way to end this. She felt the power within her rising to a crescendo. She refused to back down when she saw the defeat and humiliation in his eyes. Her heart was twisting painfully in her chest.

He knew this was coming; it was happening all over again.

"Sarah…" he said, a painful regret evident in his voice.

She could clearly see the longing in his eyes and his voice. But she had made her choice.

Her breath caught for a moment. But her voice echoed, reverberated, and shook the very foundations of the earth.

"You have no power over me."

Jareth flinched noticeably and clutched his stomach as if he were struck with a painful blow. His face turned back into a cold mask after a moment, but his eyes burned cold ice.

She was his only worthy opponent. Not Superman.

He didn't say a word, only looked down at her one last time before he disappeared entirely.

Sarah sobbed quietly and squeezed her eyes shut, clearly devastated with the fact that she had just banished her love from her with a power she never knew she had.

She would have stayed letting her crystal tears flow. But a slight trembling underneath her brought her back to her surroundings. Superman's temple was spotted with blood, some of it already drying. He struggled to open his eyes and murmured something inaudible to Sarah.

Suppressing another sob, Sarah gently moved her body and placed Superman's head in her lap, her arms still cradling him. Her fingers lightly caressed his cheek as she whispered Clark's name soothingly.

His blue eyes finally opened and he met brilliant green-gold orbs. "Sarah," he rasped hoarsely. "Sarah…"

"Yes," she assured him. "Yes, I'm here, Clark."

He took several deep breaths, his chest heaving with the effort. "Sarah," he whispered. "You saved my life."

Smiling weakly, Sarah gently leaned over and kissed his forehead. They held each other until the morning broke. Both the young girl and the beaten warrior too weak to move.

Shalom y Amor