Kal-El sat with his arms folded in annoyance. "You were right about Earthlings."
"I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way," Jor-El said.
"I mean he breaks into my home and tries to steal one of my crystals, and I'm the bad guy? Just because I'm not from here originally."
"That's how they all are, son."
"And her? She looks at me as if I'm not even human." He tried not to sound hurt when he said it, but he couldn't help it. It did hurt.
"They don't tolerate differences even among their own. You wouldn't believe the genocides that have happened for as little a difference as a skin color or a different belief. You are not even from this planet and have powers that would scare them besides. What do think they'll try to do to you?"
He didn't respond. He'd always thought Jor-El was overreacting before. He'd watched them through satellite feed. They hadn't seemed so bad. At least, not all of them. He'd seen tender moments between families and friends. He'd even seen kindnesses to strangers such as currency passed to those without shelter or food. He'd even seen people who saved other lives at risk of their own.
Of course, he'd seen a lot of bad things too like parents shot in front of their child for the sake of their jewelry and wallet or crimes of passion. He'd wanted to intervene, but Jor-El insisted that he stay secluded because even powerless he was sure they were a threat to him.
Kal-El had wanted to argue many times and had, but Jor-El always reminded him that his parents had given their lives to make sure he grew up in safety, and he couldn't let their sacrifice be in vain.
"She wouldn't even eat with me. What am I going to do with her? I can't let her go."
"No, you must certainly not do that. Your presence has to remain a secret at all costs."
He agreed in theory, but he couldn't help feeling a bit sorry for the woman. She had only come to find her father and now she was paying the price for it. "I suppose we'll just have to get used to each other's company."
"My advice is let her stay in her room. She hates you. She is not going to be cooperative toward that end. Mark my words: she'll be trouble every minute and betray you the first chance she gets. It's what they do."
sss
Lois was bored, cut off completely from the outside world. As her teachers could well testify, she didn't do well with boredom. As long as she was stuck here, she might as well see what was so top secret in the back that he didn't want her back there.
She was expecting anything from more prisoners to dead bodies. That's why it surprised her when the forbidden room just seemed like another empty, overly white room at first glace until she noticed the hundreds of crystals that were everywhere, shining and glimmering with untold knowledge.
This was what her father had been after. What secrets were hidden here? Plans to take over the world? Create more clones in place of Earth's natural inhabitants? These crystals were likely a matter of international security or the General wouldn't have come here.
That made it her moral duty to discover what information was stored on them. She reached out slowly to take one, not sure how fragile they were.
"What are you doing?" he yelled.
She whirled around. Kal-El's nostrils had flared and his face was contorted in anger, making him seem very beast-like. His icy calm composure was completely gone. She had forgotten he would hear her in any part of the fortress. It was unsettling.
"Get out," he said, loud and firmly. He stepped toward her.
She immediately went into front position and put her guard up though she knew her karate would be futile if merely punching him had broken her father's hand. He could break every bone in her body if he wanted to and likely worse.
"Get out!" he repeated, having turned to yelling.
This time she ran. It was her only option though she knew he could easily outrun her long before she got to safety, but she had to try. She didn't even stop for her coat.
Lara stood near the door. "Where are you going?"
"Anywhere but here. Make no mistake, he is a beast!"