Darkness. That's all she saw. The moment Zod's goons had manhandled her in the middle of the bazaar they put a hood over her head. She could hear the crowd clamoring and yelling. She waited for shouts of "off with her head!" or "burn the witch!" as she was roughly led through. They had shackled her hands together, of course not using Earthly handcuffs she had better knowledge of. She had no way of escape. She was officially their prisoner.
Next, she was in a vehicle being transported to God only knew where. The hand of one of Zod's men landed on her upper thigh. She hadn't spoken or moved in resistance since her capture, but damned if she saw was going to let this arrogant creature put his paws on her. Taking control of her bound hands she swiftly crashed then down, the bulky cuffs making contact with his hand, crushing it.
"Ahh!" The owner of the hand exclaimed as he removed it.
Her body was pushed with force as he then said, "Human wench."
Eh, she had been called worse.
"Earth girl is feisty." Another voice snickered.
A third voice then chimed in, reprimanding the others. "Stop it! Zod gave strict orders. Hands off."
Hands off. Should she be relieved? This somehow bought her time, since it seemed she was wanted more alive than dead with rules of laissez faire. Maybe there was hope.
Hope. That's what she latched on to. She held it dearly within herself as she was once again whisked away. Held onto it as the hood was removed and she was in a cell just as dark. Held onto it as the larger goon nursing a broken hand, she dubbed Jabba the Hutt, winked at her before closing the door.
Hope started to wane as she was left alone with her thoughts. What the hell had happened? Her day had started magnificently. She guessed that should have been the first red flag.
Then Kara wanted to make amends. Dressing her in pants (with pockets!) and dangling the carrot of freedom outside the palace walls. Red flag number two.
Was she set up? Had Kara led her to this point intentionally, knowing what would happen? Yet, what was to be gained in such a malicious action? She would be putting her family and the planet in jeopardy and she couldn't see Kara weighing the risk because of petty feelings. Though, if she was a double agent…
No, she wanted to believe that this wasn't her doing. What if she was captured with her? Or killed because she had been with her? Lois felt sadness and anger begin to overtake her, dueling it out within herself.
The odds didn't seem to be in her favor. No one knew she left or where she was going. She had really stepped in it this time. She had to get out of this place no matter what.
It was a great determined thought, but it suddenly fell flat as she took in the dungeon-like room and looked down at her wrists.
There was no window, so no possible escape that way. No vents either. The door was her point of entry and exit. Then there was the matter of the handcuffs. Dislocating thumbs wasn't going to work.
She held her breath for a moment then exhaled. She blew her bangs out of her face and readied herself for her fate. But she was a General's daughter, she was the wife of a soldier, her hero, and that meant never accepting defeat.
She thought of him, of Kal-El. It warmed her heart when his face came into view in her thoughts. She wondered if he knew she was missing. She held back tears thinking of his reaction, remembering how he acted when she had left the palace the previous time. That had been different, though. She had been trying to get home and now…
She shook her head. What if she never saw him again? They were married, he was her husband, and while they had acted on their feelings for each other physically she hadn't uttered the words her heart felt to him. She was worried she would never get to.
The palms of her hands fell above her lap, trying to rub it comfortingly. The smooth action soon hit a bump. She realized there was something in her pocket. She maneuvered her hand enough to dig into it and retrieved the object. She lifted it up to her eyeline and smiled.
"Hello, old friend."
Her trusted paperclip. She studied the tech cuffs and saw a spot where there was a pinhole. She stretched out the metal and fit it in. She jiggled the wire of the clip around until she heard a click. There was a light hissing sound as the cuffs opened up. She quickly rid herself of them and analyzed the room again.
The door was still the only way she was going to make it out. She closed her eyes and tried to retrace her steps. In the depths of her memory banks she could remember her father blindfolding her and making her do an obstacle course when she was seven.
"When the enemy covers your eyes, you have to see with your other senses," he had said.
Stumbling through the recalled path she relied on her hearing, touch, and smell. When they were approaching the destination the feel of the road had changed. There was a smell in the air that was familiar. What was it? Sulfur? But there was saltiness in the air, too. She searched her brain and thought of the salt water marshes when she had been on assignment on the Gulf Coast writing her story on Lexcorp's corrupt deal with big oil. They were by water. It would make sense if the structure was surrounded by it. She was imprisoned on an island, possibly. This would be her own Escape from Alcatraz.
That was a daunting realization. Thankfully, she could swim. She had swum with Navy Seals, the best of the best. She was confident in her skills. All those abandon ship drills her father put her through with his ex Navy captain friend had prepared her, of all things. She just needed an exit strategy.
When she left the vehicle upon arrival and had been brought inside she had been dragged up stairs. She replayed the moments. One, two, three-four flights. She could be as high up as a hundred feet. It was still a doable jump as she thought over the technique. But she needed a window and her current accommodations didn't have one.
She opened her eyes and walked over to the steel door. When Jabba the Hutt threw her in he had locked the door from the outside. Luckily the place was old enough that it wasn't fashioned with the technology of the ice fortress. This was old school. She examined the handle and wasn't sure if her trusted paperclip could do the trick.
Just then she heard footsteps on the other side. She ran back to the wall with the attached bench and sat down. She put the cuffs over her hands slightly to make it seem like they were still bound together. The door swung open, Jabba the Hutt returning.
He snarled as he looked at her. "Zod will be arriving shortly." He took a step closer. "But until then…"
There was a nasty glimmer in his eye. She looked down and mumbled something under her breath.
"What was that?" He asked, taking another step.
She did it again and elicited the same reaction.
"You have to speak louder, Earth wench!" He demanded and took the step forward she needed.
The cuffs fell off and she grabbed his upper arms. She gave him a headbutt and then her knee connected to his groin. He moaned in pain and she landed a punch to his face, her wedding band on her left hand marking his cheek, knocking him out.
"That's Mrs. Earth-wench to you."
The door was still wide open, her escape within grasp. But what if there were other doors? Plus, she needed to keep Jabba from alerting anyone else.
"Keys." She whispered and then searched him. "Keys, keys, keys." She found them and held them victoriously. "Ha! Yes."
She used the cuffs on him and then jumped over his body for the door. She poked her head out and the hallway was desolate. She closed the door and it clicked, locking behind her.
"One down." She sighed.
She crept out further and surveyed her surroundings. The hallway was long and gray with other doors, or cells she presumed. It reminded her of a tour of the medieval castles in Europe. Whoever had built the structure must have been inspired by the same architecture. However where the stones had crumbled or were missing the crystals of Krypton repaired and filled the cracks and illuminated the areas. There was a set of stairs that spiraled and she decided to take her chances moving down a level.
She walked slowly and kept her body against the cold wall. She held her breath as she moved down each step. As she almost made it to the next floor she stopped and listened for footsteps. She didn't hear anything, but that didn't mean someone wasn't stationed in the hall. She wished she had a mirror to use to see her rearview, but she would have to carefully take a look.
She bent her knees and let the side of her face slide out and take a peek. To her dismay there was a guard. She looked in the other direction and saw another one. Two guards total and they were stationed on either side of the hallway. Of course, she was unarmed. These weren't good odds. She needed a diversion or a distraction.
Like a prayer from above had been answered there was a loud noise that reverberated through the structure. She held her hands over her ears as the piercing sound took its toll. She peeked around again and saw the two guards on the floor holding their own heads. She spotted an open door and made the split decision to run for it. She tumbled inside, the sound fading away, and thankfully saw it was a meeting room of sorts. There were bookcases, a long table and a desk. Most important of all there was an open window.
Just as she was about to scramble and climb out, a body filled the gap of her desired escape route. She held her breath as he didn't look like the others. He wore armor and a helmet over his head. Red material hung from his back and swayed as he crouched in the window frame. She started to back up and put the table between them. She turned around only to find one of the guards from the hall in the doorway. She was trapped.
The opposing soldier's eyes burned with anger as he stared at her. He lunged for her only to be stunned by whatever weapon the armored man held outward. She then punched the dazed sentry in the face and he slumped to the floor. She saw a tool that almost resembled a letter opener on the long table and grabbed it.
She turned and jumped over the body on the floor. As she was about to exit, more soldiers in Zod's army could be heard running up the stairs.
"Damn it."
As the helmeted individual climbed in further she held up her weapon in front of her, her other hand extended out to keep distance.
"There might be a bounty on my head, but I'm not going with you, Mandalorian."
But there really was nowhere else to go. The person before her was silent as he entered and put his feet on the ground. They had immobilized the guard, so they couldn't be working for Zod. She wanted to believe they were there to possibly help her, but she was currently having trust issues since following Kara and getting into this mess.
Another one of Zod's soldiers came in through the doorway and a second in through the window from where the Mandalorian character had entered. The bounty hunter was hit from behind and fell to the ground while she was grabbed forcefully by the arm by the other guard from the hall. She grunted as she tried to pull back and fight against the trooper.
He sneered at her. "Zod said you need to stay alive," He hit her in the stomach and she doubled over, dropping her sharp object. "But he didn't say that you needed to be upright."
The armored figure bounced up off the ground and punched the soldier that had hit him, sending him flying over the desk. The goon holding her was so mesmerized by the action, and a bit terrified by the look in his eye, that he loosened his grip. Lois saw her chance and stomped his foot and then punched him square in the nose. Blood flowed out heavily and he instinctively cupped his hands over the fracture.
She smirked at him and his eyes widened as he anticipated her next move. She punched him as hard as she could in the stomach, sending him back into the bookcase and yelping in pain and staining the floor in the process.
She was about to run for it when she was once again manhandled, this time by the bounty hunter. She had been able to lower herself to the ground enough to fetch the weapon she had lost and secure it behind her using the belt she wore.
"Let go, Boba Fett." She said, trying to pull away, but his pull was too strong-or was it that it was familiar?
She stopped fighting it and let him lead her away. She stared at the red material and her eyes searched for the symbol of hope she longed to find embroidered. Her heart pounded beneath her chest, echoing in her ears and assuring her what she felt was true.
They were in the hallway as footsteps were getting closer and there was a roar that echoed.
"KNEEL!"
Her breath hitched and she froze. Zod was closing in.
Instead of going down they headed back up the stairs where she had been imprisoned in a cell.
"Every horror movie says this is a bad idea," she argued.
The grip on her tightened as they rounded the corner and went the opposite way from the room she had first been held. They seemed to know where they were going and the hope that had started to spring inside of her was beginning to taper off. If they knew these walls and this building, what if they had been allied with Zod? Though she would have given right to him, right? She couldn't keep it straight in her mind. She knew what she wanted to believe but she wasn't sure of what was.
As the two entered the last room she could see the hunter's chest heaving. She saw an opportunity and pushed them to the wall next to the window. She reached behind her and retrieved the sharp object and poked it into the side the armor missed.
"Terran, it's me!" He finally made it known. The voice. The stance. It was Kal-El.
Lois immediately let him go, dropping the weapon once again, tears forming in her eyes. Her heart had been right. She knew better now to trust it. He quickly pulled off the helmet and revealed his identity completely. His face was flushed, hair mussed from the headgear. He was a sight for her sore eyes.
"It's you." She cried, her arms looping around Kal-El's neck.
He grabbed hold of her tightly, his face buried in her hair.
"I was afraid I was never going to see you again." She murmured into the metal on his chest.
"We have to go. Now!" The intensity in his voice alarmed her.
She nodded fervently and the both of them went for the window. Lois could feel his hands on her waist, hoisting her up onto the sill. She held onto the edges and finally looked down. Just as she had surmised there was water down below. How deep it was she didn't know, but she was hoping it was deep enough if they had to jump. The current looked strong and it was moving toward the edge where clouds hung low. Her mind started to connect the dots.
He was right behind her, ready to go when a voice entered the room.
"Leaving so soon, Kal-El?"
She turned her head to see Zod smirking from the doorway. Kal glared at the man. She could see hatred in his eyes. She was sure if they could produce fire they would have at that moment.
"Just like old times."
She wondered what he meant by that. Had Kal-El been at the place before?
Zod took another step forward into the room.
"Even if you escape, I will have what I want eventually," he leered at Lois, "and you won't be able to stop me."
"I won't ever let that happen." Kal-El swore. "You go near her again and I will destroy you all." As his words sent a shiver up her spine, he then dug for something behind his armor and rolled it on the floor. He swung around to her and commanded, "Go!"
She turned and moved out and onto a ledge. From there she was confused on where to go. There was a bang and then a flash behind her.
Soon Kal-El was on the ledge pushing her along. Once they reached the corner she felt him pull her closely to him. She crossed her ankles and watched as he did the same. She looked in his eyes and he gave her a tiny nod. They were going to jump. Her hands wrapped around his body and clung to his red cape for dear life. In one motion they moved off the ledge and started to plummet straight down toward the water. It seemed like forever as they fell. Kal's eyes never left hers as they stared at each other. He communicated to her the next step. With breaths held, their arms retracted from each other, one held tightly to the chest and the other covering their mouth and nose. Then they sharply hit the water.
The force broke them apart. She was sinking further and further. When she went to move her arms and legs to swim and follow the bubbles to the top she felt something holding her back. It was dark and hard to see, but her right foot was definitely caught and she couldn't maneuver. She began to flail desperately as panic set in. She was losing the ability to hold her breath and she feared that this was officially the end. The water would fill her lungs and she would drown.
The water consumed her and she closed her eyes as her arms fell to her side. She started to sway with the current and waited. She suddenly felt a pressure on her mouth and air entering into her lungs. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Kal-El. It was a breath of life. His mouth left hers and he swam down and tugged at what was around her foot and she was freed. He then guided her up to the surface where she gasped for air.
"Can you swim?"
Her teeth were chattering as the temperature of the water began to affect her. The adrenaline in her body however was more powerful and motivating. She confirmed she could and followed him.
As they kept going she realized they were heading toward the edge. He turned and stopped her.
"Let the current take us." He took hold of her arms and raised his voice as the waterfall started to overpower with noise, "When we go over, put your arms over your head and put your nose into your elbow. Keep your body tense. Then swim."
He had done this before. He had been The Fugitive once and made it. She trusted him no matter what, but that fact was reassuring. Or was it?
"Deep breath, over, then swim away from the raging falls," she told him.
He gave her a tiny smile as the water dripped over his face. He knew about some of the boot camp lessons of her life. She could tell by his face he was confident they could survive this.
They drifted closer and she prepared herself. Kal-El removed the rest of his armor and did the same. She took a deep breath as she neared the edge and could hear her father's voice ringing in her ears, but his voice then became Kal-El's. She let the current take her and had her feet go first.
'It's just like a slide, Lois. You love slides.' She shut her eyes tightly and wrapped her arms around her face and put her nose into her elbow like she was told. 'I hate slides.'
That was her last thought before going over.
Her brain didn't need to tell her body to tense up, it already had. She felt the rush of air and water around her, the roaring sound it created, and then the splash. She was under the water yet again. She felt someone lock their hand with hers and knew it was Kal-El. They swam under the water away from the falls for as long as their lungs would allow. They broke the surface at the same time and took in a gulp of air.
She watched as Kal-El's head whipped around, searching for something. He whistled and a boat drifted their way, occupied with a couple of men she recognized from the fortress. When it reached them, hands extended out and pulled them aboard.
Kal-El immediately had her in his arms as the others covered them with blankets. Kal-El pulled the material over their heads. She assumed they were still hiding and she was too exhausted to care. Her husband must have sensed it as he hugged her. It felt so good to be in his arms again. She had feared that she would never get the chance to experience it one last time. She had never got to express everything that he meant to her. With their crazy whirlwind relationship and marriage, she knew in her heart what she felt and she needed him to know, too. What she had just been through urged it to be confessed.
She felt his forehead touch hers and his breathing settle. She followed, letting his embrace calm her down and also warm her up. With her eyes closed, tears still escaped. She couldn't stop them. She had no strength left.
"You're safe now, Lois. I'm here." He whispered.
Instead of quelling the tears, she broke down further. She let her guard down completely. She hoped the blankets muffled the sound to the ears of the other rescuers, for the sound was only meant for her and Kal-El. He was part of her, half of a whole. He stroked the top of her head and rested his chin on her. He let her have her moment while he remained strong for the both of them.
"Did they...did they hurt you?" He asked, trying to find the words. "When that one...when he punched your stomach…"
She shook her head and felt his body tense as he recalled the moment. She shifted back and looked up at him. Even in the darkness under the blankets his ocean eyes still shined. They were filled with so many different emotions. She could see relief and concern mixed with a fire and fury for Zod. She wondered what he saw in hers.
"That was a first. Not that they didn't allude to wanting to do more. I immobilized one giant slug in my cell. He looked at me like I was about to be fitted for my gold bikini. So, I took him down." She shrugged.
Then she saw him smile more fully. She had once again made a pop culture reference, her mind fixated on Star Wars, and he listened, not understanding, but smiling all the same.
"I knew that you would." He chuckled.
The guilt of leaving the fortress started to rise within her.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." She apologized.
"Hey, hey…" he cooed and stroked her hair again. "Don't. Okay?"
She nodded, but still couldn't suppress the guilt she felt. The fear of never seeing him again because she had wandered out in his world. The risk he had taken once again to find and rescue her from the clutches of Zod. He had come in masked for a reason and had revealed his identity.
His head shifted down and his lips captured hers. She could feel his own fear for her. The air around them heightened as she deepened the kiss, her mouth opening wider and enveloping over his top lip. He returned with passion, pressing his body into hers. She momentarily forgot that beyond the coverings were two warriors of the House of El and not the walls of their room. It always seemed that way, that his kiss altered the world around her.
When they broke apart she stared into his eyes and let her hand brush against his cheek.
"You saved me."
"I always will." He promised.
"I was afraid I was never going to be able to tell you…" her words drifted as she touched his face again.
"Tell me what?"
"How I feel about you." She specified.
She heard him suck in his breath in anticipation of her next words.
Her heart felt like it was about to burst as she admitted, "I love you."
His face was still, his eyes boring into hers. "I know."
He had known. It was a relief. But her head cocked to the side and she smirked at his choice of response. "Are you sure you haven't seen those movies?"
His eyes were innocent as he shook his head. He cleared his throat and his chest moved more firmly against hers.
"I love you." He echoed.
She smiled. "I know."
Their foreheads touched again and they just leaned into each other. The light through the blankets was starting to dissipate and she could tell that night was falling upon them. She didn't know how far they were from Zod's castle or exactly where they were heading next. She had so many questions to ask and didn't know when the right time would be to bombard Kal-El with them. She only knew that she was with the man she loved, the man who loved her and proved it time and time again. She was safe in his arms. She was protected. She had told Kal-El she loved him, but she hoped he knew that she would reciprocate his heroic endeavors if the time ever came.
Zod was still out there and had declared he would not stop until he had achieved his goal. In Kal-El's arms she felt unperturbed by the threat. As long as they were together they could make it through anything.
She knew that best of all.