Clark couldn't wait to return to the clones. It could be they had discovered a way to flush the blue kryptonite from his system.
"I should go with you," Sam said.
He shook his head. "You have the monitor on me. You'll know where I am. If I have a top general accompany me from one of the most powerful nations on Earth, of course, they're going to expect betrayal."
He reluctantly agreed, while Lois looked at him with her razor sharp gaze that had probably caused many a confession or at least some uncomfortable squirming.
They were waiting on him when he got to their location. The head clone, who he had since learned was named Zod, greeted him. "We have studied your cells closely. The blue kryptonite is indeed most unfortunately bonded, but there may be a way to reverse it."
His heart thrummed in excitement. Revenge was so close that he could taste its sweetness on his tongue. "Well? Don't keep me in suspense."
"If you had a blood transfusion with another Krytonian, it would weaken and lessen the kryptonite in your blood stream."
"That's easy enough. There are all of you."
"Regretfully for you, as I mentioned before, our DNA has been manipulated to thrive under a red sun rather than a yellow one. Our blood would do you no good."
"Well, then it's hopeless. There are no other survivors."
"It is just as well, brother, you would lose them again under a red sun. We cannot have it both ways, and if our people are to thrive again, it must be this way, but you are still one of us. Anything you wish, you only have to ask."
"Understandable.. I suppose you will have to accomplish my revenge for me. There are some people I'd like to bring down."
"Trust me, all the humans here will suffer in time. The tower we build that will change the physiology of the the sun's rays is almost complete. Then they will all be at our mercy, and I will personally deliver the heads of your enemies to you."
He smiled at the pleasurable image that conjured, not having to manufacture that smile at all. However, they were foolish if they thought he was going to let them go through with Krypton on Earth, leaving him vulnerable, powerless and also at their mercy. Did he look that gullible? Good thing they seemed to be taking his loyalty for granted.
sss
Lois had snuck in for which her father would have had a cow both because he didn't want press interference to compromise anything and because he would be concerned about her personal safety. But she knew when a story smelled fishy, and this one smelled fishy.
She'd heard it all, hidden behind some boxes. He was in league with them.
Tears gathered in her eyes, unbidden, at this obvious betrayal. When would she ever learn not to get her hopes up where he was concerned? Any capacity for good within him had long been extinguished. She had to get out of here. She'd heard enough to warn the General.
Unluckily, he caught her fleeing the scene outside. "Lois!" he called.
She tried to ignore his calls. She even started to run, but superpowers or not, he could still outrun her.
He grabbed her arm and heat rushed through her from the touch, but she recognized it for what it was this time, toxic. If only she knew what the anecdote for her infatuation for him was. He forced her to turn around.
"Did someone hurt you?" he asked angrily, looking ready to go on another murdering spree in her honor despite his false loyalties. His gaze looked her up and down, looking for bruises or torn clothing that would show she'd been violated.
The damage done couldn't be seen. "Yeah, someone did. You," she accused with as much venom as she could muster.
"I don't understand."
"I heard everything. You know Ollie tried to warn me you'd join with your people, but I defended you. I put my own credibility on the line for you, and this is how you repay that trust."
"It's not like that," he said quietly, returning her glare for glare.
"I know what I heard. You were looking out for your own self interest, but so what else is new, right?"
"Okay, yes," he finally admitted. "Maybe I was, but only to discover if there was a way to reverse my power loss, not to hand them Earth. I was preparing to report everything I learned."
"And why should I believe you?"
"Because of this," he said, pulling her to him and pressing his lips to hers.
And just like that the poison was in her veins: speeding up her heart, stealing her breath away, and numbing her mind. And it was painful beyond belief that something so wrong could feel so right.