A/N: The narration refers to Clark as "Kal" in the back half of this chapter for narrative purposes. Hopefully it's clear why.
Clark tossed his phone onto the command console in the Fortress with a sigh. He knew Lana was having a girl's night in with her roommates and felt guilty for intruding, but still hoped she'd pick up. Ever since they'd talked about amending his actions in public, their conversations had gotten shorter and less involved than they used to be, and he'd seen less of her than usual. Calling her now just to talk was a bit of a desperate move, but he'd gotten more and more worried over the last few weeks.
He hoped he was overreacting, but Clark wasn't sure what to think. Lana wasn't exactly forthcoming with explicit information regarding her feelings. Even if something was wrong and Clark tried to get it out of her, it likely wouldn't happen until things got much worse. That's just how it was with her.
Still, he'd have to make the effort to talk to her about it, at least once. Silent worrying never got anyone anywhere. But it was probably nothing. Lana was just getting busier with LuthorCorp, that's all. The Fellowship was near its end and almost all teams were working with the R&D Department to prepare for the coming expo. In the last five years, LuthorCorp and its subsidiaries had churned out so many initiatives that the annual expo had become a two day event. This year was no different, so Clark knew Lana would have to prepare.
Kelex was currently streaming news broadcasts on the console's holographic projector. Clark appreciated that the AI could pick up any radio signal in the world. It was a good way to keep up with current events that didn't specifically have to do with immediate danger or his own exploits. However, Clark had been the subject of broadcasts more and more often. He supposed it was his own fault. In the last couple of weeks he'd increased his time in public drastically. The first broadcast had a political analyst on a talk show.
"This is uncharted territory. It's unprecedented. What are we to do when a powerful figure shows up out of nowhere? No matter what he does, he will be met with conflicting opinions. His mere existence incites controversy, and the fact that he acts unilaterally all over the world only stirs the pot further."
The second was a correspondent speaking outside the White House.
"–two months since the first sighting of him where he rescued the passengers of the L707. In a press conference this afternoon, the president expressed that she would like a meeting with this man as soon as possible. She is the fourth leader of a sovereign nation to call upon him for a meeting so far..."
Clark expected mixed reactions and diplomatic responses to his coming out, but was so preoccupied with the average citizen that he willfully ignored the political and social implications of his actions. He wanted to avoid being seen as a threat. But maybe he was taking too long to get in front of the narratives that individuals and collectives were sure to put on him. Clark begrudgingly accepted the realization that no matter what he does, he will be seen as a threat by many just for existing.
Clark cut the streaming and had Kelex run security scans. His eyes were drawn to his phone, silent on the console. Lana was more important in the short term. The expo was tomorrow. The world could wait.
The night before the expo saw a quiet night for Lana, Lena, and Takeia. Card games were played and stories were shared with liberal amounts of take-out and wine. Lena, despite being underage, was somehow quite the connoisseur and suggested wines that she figured the others would enjoy based on their favorite foods and drinks. Takeia didn't question it, but instead volunteered to make the run since Lena obviously could not. Lana wasn't a big wine drinker but did appreciate Lena's choices. She definitely drank more than she should have.
Getting up to refill on wine after losing six rounds of poker to Lena, Lana checked her phone. There was one missed call from Clark, but not much else of import. She stared at the notification. No voicemail and no follow-up text from him. It couldn't have been an emergency then, right? He probably just wanted to talk.
It wasn't out of the ordinary. Lana would sometimes call him out of the blue as well. But she felt awkward. They hadn't talked much in the last couple of weeks. Both of them had been busy doing their own things. Yet even though she did want to talk to him, something made her hesitate. Another sip of wine solidified the knot in her stomach. After a moment, she tossed her phone onto the couch and went back to the game. Guilt crept into her thoughts, but she did her best to ignore it. Clark knew she had stay-in plans with her roommates. It could wait till tomorrow. She was going to see him in person anyway.
Thinking of the expo, Lana was bummed that the fellowship seemed to be over so quickly. Still, she was proud of the work they'd done. A lot of the projects scheduled to be showcased were ones with which most to all the fellows helped directly. She would miss working and hanging out with the others very much if they ended up separating and following paths elsewhere. There was a good chance of that happening, too. LuthorCorp may or may not continue to have them as partners following the expo, and who was to say everyone would stay if they did?
There was a palpable split between the two sets of roommates (except for Gerry, who would be best friends with anyone who'd let him). Those that lived together worked best together, and working across apartment set-ups engendered a few snags here and there.
Lana wasn't surprised that some were jealous of Lena. Despite being the youngest, Lena was by far the most versatile and creative of the bunch. If she had noticed any envy, though, she never let on. Always cordial and professional, Lena communicated well in the lab and chatted amiably in equal measure. Lana felt protective of Lena even though she knew the young woman didn't need it. They'd gotten along well as both roommates and partners, and Lana's instinct was to look out for her like she would a younger sister. She never had experience in that regard, being an only child, but she assumed that's what it would feel like.
Lena was up and out so early the next morning that neither of her roommates were awake by the time she left. The sun was just fully coming up as she took the walk to LuthorCorp Tower, squinting through the slight hangover.
Even when talking and playing games the night before, her mind had been mostly on LuthorCorp. During the back half of the fellowship, Lena spent a lot of her downtime with Lionel on the xeno-mineral project, which so far hadn't been as fruitful as she hoped. Maybe that was a good thing. She didn't want to be even more reclusive than she had a habit of being, especially when living with two people she'd come to regard as decently good acquaintances.
Lionel had flown back from Japan last night for the expo and would be going over more data gathered about the Flying Man with Lex and Lillian. Though Lena was the least involved, she did check in from time to time. It was more out of curiosity than anything (certainly not the borderline obsession that Lex seemed to be getting himself into), and there were tons of questions that Lena would like answered. It was fascinating.
She wanted to figure out how this man's powers worked and catalog the differences in his biology compared to a normal human's. It was surely a longshot, however, since that would require his consent and it was unlikely he'd give it since he hardly interacted with anyone at length. They'd probably never meet him anyway.
The last time she'd heard anything was on the news two days before. He'd stopped a tornado in Quinton, Oklahoma. Of course, someone had taken a blurry, shaky video of the incident instead of getting to safety, but to Lena it was as informative as it was imprudent. The video showed high winds and lots of dark gray, but in the distance around the funnel was a streak of red circling upward and against the winds. Lena had already inferred his minimum strength and speed implications from the plane incident's aftermath, but it was another thing to actually see him in action. She wondered what material his costume was made out of, since even his cape held up easily against the winds and pressure of the storm.
Lena and her roommates never really talked about him together, which was fine with her. It would be best to focus on him in the context of Lionel's project. But as curious as she was, Lena couldn't devote as much time as she wanted to until after the expo.
Lena strolled through the deserted lobby and down to the main lab in a sleepy haze, but was soon broken out of her reverie as she entered the hallway just off the entrance. The sounds coming from inside stopped her before she met the threshold, and she recognized them immediately. Lionel and Lex's voices filled the room with thin, venomous tones, forcing a spell of uneasiness through her. Lena remained out of sight, listening. She knew better than to put herself in the sights of an angry Luthor.
"– goddamn weak," came Lex's voice. "You didn't get to where you are by taking the moral high road so why start now?"
"This needs to be handled with caution, Lex! I raised you to use your brain, not act on every damn impulse you have."
Lionel's voice was calmer than Lex's, but just barely. Lex dropped the volume but replaced it with more ice. "At least I'm not sitting on my ass waiting for something to happen at his leisure. I'm taking action. The reward outweighs the risk."
"You sound just like your mother," Lionel spat in sharp disappointment.
"And that's a bad thing, is it?"
The haughtiness of Lex's tone unnerved Lena the most. It was detached, with an air of superiority and a little too much grandeur.
"When it comes to going unnoticed, your mother is a maven. But you, on the other hand, crave attention for that silly little ego of yours. When it all goes south, and it will, you'll be dealing a blow to all of our reputations, and LuthorCorp's as well. And for what? The slim chance he'll actually show up?"
"It will work if all of us are on board together. Had she come to you with this, you would be!"
"Lillian's risks are calculated, never shortsighted. It's not only ridiculous that you would assume she'd think of something so asinine, it's an insult to her intelligence."
Lena could feel her heartbeat in her ears. Lionel certainly wasn't pulling any punches today. She could imagine the anger bubbling up inside her brother right now. But he didn't respond. Lena heard her father give a heavy sigh.
"This isn't some backroom deal or private project. You're talking of tampering with an established on-the-books operation. The necessary steps needed to maintain deniability have not been taken. Everything in this initiative points back to LuthorCorp."
"Accidents happen all the time," said Lex in a tight voice. "Our plane is a prime example, and any negative information involving LuthorCorp would be hearsay. The media -"
"Who cares about the media? It's about what that man in the sky can do! There are too many variables involved to know if you'll actually get the outcome you want, but let's say you do. If he does show up and discovers what you've done, could you predict how he'll react? We have no idea who he is, what he wants, how he thinks, or what this man is truly capable of, but you want to poke a sleeping bear!"
The younger Luthor scoffed, a low, supercilious sound that reminded Lena of Lillian. "You're afraid. The mighty lion is really nothing more than a terrified lamb."
"Life is a game of chess, Lex - the right moves at the right times. Neglecting your pieces, moving with haste...it always spells defeat. You never understood that. It's why you've never beaten me. Or Lena for that matter."
Lena's breath caught in her throat, attention focusing even more at the sound of her name.
"Oh, of course," drawled Lex contemptuously. "Precious Lena can do no wrong. You'd love it if it were her in line to be at the helm, wouldn't you?"
There was silence. Lionel gave a mirthless chuckle.
"So that's what this is really about. You reek of desperation, son. It's unbecoming."
The younger Luthor snarled. "Answer the question."
"Don't be dramatic, Lex. She's not ready for that and even if she were she doesn't want the company. Or the Luthor name, for that matter."
"If the roles were reversed would you have given me that choice?"
All the patience in Lionel's voice disappeared. Lena was frozen in place. "The roles aren't reversed so that is inconsequential. The fact is you've shown me time and time again that you don't have the right judgment to be in a position of that much power. Your arrogance will land you in prison or worse, and I will not have that tied to my name."
Lex huffed in obvious anger. "History will remember the Luthor name because of me, not you, Father."
The low snarl seemed almost inhuman to Lena. The more she heard, the more confused became. This didn't sound like the brother she knew at all.
"All you'll be remembered for are your futile attempts to turn delusion into reality. If you had put half that energy into learning and growing, you would actually be the man you think you are," said Lionel in an even tone. He sighed again. "I will not be stepping down any time soon, and certainly not for you. All of LuthorCorp's dealings are mine to control, and this harebrained measure will never come to fruition. It's not happening, Lex."
A long silence ensued. Lena backtracked down the hall the way she came and waited farther from the door.
"I guess we'll see," said Lex in a much calmer tone.
The sound of footsteps approaching put Lena on alert. The brunette turned around and immediately relaxed her body, starting forward at an unhurried pace. She rubbed her eyes just as Lex appeared in the hallway. His body jerked to a stop upon noticing her coming forward. Then he started toward her.
Lena made herself yawn. "Hey," she said thickly. "You're here early."
A small smile played at her brother's lips. His expression was nothing like the tone she'd heard him use a minute before. It seemed untrustworthy now.
"Just rolled out of bed?" he asked. Lena chuckled.
"Rude." Lex smiled wider. "Anyone else in the lab?"
Lex's eyes flickered, not unnoticed by Lena. She waited.
"Just Dad," he said flatly. Lex bumped her arm affectionately. Lena's brow creased imperceptibly. The gesture stood out now. Did he always do that? "I'll be back later in time for the expo. Good luck."
Lena nodded, not looking at him as he walked past and down the hall. She stayed rooted to the spot and let everything she overheard catch up with her conscious mind.
Lex and Lionel must have been referencing the Flying Man, which would make sense considering their side project, but Lena was not privy to the subject of the disagreement. It obviously involved more than just her family and it had the potential to be very dangerous. She definitely wouldn't put it past Lillian to place people in danger or use them as bait to meet her own ends, but up until now she was so sure that Lex wouldn't do that. The Lex she knew would never be so callous. This had to be his mother's fault. Not for the first time, rage flared through Lena in condemnation of Lillian's influence and continued corruption of her older brother.
Lionel didn't have to be so hard on him though. It was true that Lex was more reckless than Lena was – he always had been – but he was the obvious choice as Lionel's successor. Lex was much better equipped to run LuthorCorp better than she ever could and Lillian wouldn't take Lionel's place even if given the opportunity. But it was an odd thing to talk about regardless. It's not like Lionel had any reason to relinquish his position. Lena knew that it was Lex's dream for him to take his father's place, but Lionel was a healthy 55 year-old man that was more than capable.
Still, there was something else about the conversation that bothered Lena. Lionel was no saint, but he definitely wasn't as cold-hearted as his wife. It wasn't beneath Lionel to manipulate people and situations to his advantage, but he wasn't cruel. Yet Lionel's basis for disagreement left a lot to be desired. Lena got the impression that Lionel wouldn't have minded the potential damage if Lex had a better plan. Her stomach tightened, an empty feeling permeating her core. She knew her family wasn't great by any means, but this was so fucked up.
Lena pursed her lips and took a breath. She finally entered the lab to find Lionel checking his phone. His head snapped up at the sound of her heels clicking on the floor. Lena's face was a passive mask betraying nothing, as Lillian had taught her so well.
"Ah, Lena! I didn't realize you'd be up so early."
"What's up?" Lena gave her father a sleepy smile. "Everything good with the expo?"
"Security's already in and the crew went down to start setting up fifteen minutes ago. But never mind that. I've got important news."
Lionel waved her over excitedly. If Lena hadn't been eavesdropping, she never would've guessed he'd just been in a heated argument. Now she wondered about all the times he'd argued with Lex that she didn't know about.
Lena took stock of the room. It was mostly bare, all the prototypes having been cleared out for the showcase. There were going to be lots of important people coming to witness what LuthorCorp had to offer – the fruits of the projects in which she had been directly involved. That idea alone was almost enough to distract her from her newfound stress.
"We're wrapping up the mining project," said Lionel, leaning more comfortably on the table now. "We have enough to start the real testing, but we'll continue mining for spares the next couple of days. Most of the pieces were small, as you know, but last night they found a rather large fragment of crystal embedded in the rock. It's 8.6 kilograms, and seems to be fully intact."
Lena's eyes went wide, momentarily lost in the news. "That's huge! When can we see it?"
The elder Luthor chuckled. "In time. None of the further testing will be here, of course. I've set up another lab across the bay and moved our hardware over, but we can only really dig in once the expo and subsequent proposals are through. The team has been assembled and briefed, so they'll be doing preliminary assessments until we get there for the big stuff."
"Awesome," Lena beamed, eliciting a fond smile from Lionel. She appreciated that it was only him here. Lillian would have berated her on the use of such a so-called "childish" interjection.
"Awesome, indeed," he said. Lionel's phone beeped and his attention switched to the device. He made a face and pocketed it. "Looks like they need help downstairs."
Lionel exited the room swiftly and with purpose, leaving Lena standing in the middle of the lab with a whirlwind of warring thoughts. She frowned, lamenting the loss of peace of mind during what would have been a fantastic day.
The expo started at noon with a short speech from Lionel Luthor. The hall was packed with business owners, investors, organization representatives, college students, and common folk, all engrossed in some invention or experiment displayed in cases or on tables. Clark had gotten there before everything was set to begin, milling about with the other early ones. As a civilian, he couldn't hang out with the moderators or anyone else involved with the expo in an official capacity so seeing Lana before that was an impossibility. Even after it started, he didn't really see much of her at first. Admittedly, he spent most of the first hour checking out other stuff on his own. He was mostly there for support, but a lot of what was on display piqued his interest.
Lana manned tables and talked with attendees for most of the presentation portion of the expo. The LuthorCorp fellows had been introduced briefly during the opening speech, so she and the others had received significantly more attention than the other participants. Lana didn't mind. It felt good to be recognized. She'd been chatting with Gerry while wheeling him around when she was asked for a picture by a tall, lanky red-haired man who looked to be about her age, if not a little younger. He had freckles, and she could tell that unlike her he was quite shy. His voice, surprisingly, was strong and clear.
"Hi, I'm Jimmy. Jimmy Olsen," he said with a small wave of his hand and readjustment of his camera. "I'm with the Daily Planet. Mind if I take a picture of you two? My boss'll kill me if I don't get photos of the fellows."
"Of course!" answered Gerry, wriggling in his wheelchair with a broad smile. "Make sure you get my good side, though. This one doesn't have a bad side so whichever angle you get me should be fine for her."
Lana chuckled. Her eyes roamed over the crowd behind the photographer and fell on the most familiar face in the crowd. Clark was at the back of a group of people listening to a woman talking beside a table full of different types of batteries. He'd recently developed a facial tick to adjust his glasses without his hands, and seeing him do it now made Lana smile. Lena showed up not too long after that, checking up on them. Lana could tell the other girl was much more comfortable in these types of settings and was grateful for her presence.
Jimmy took a few pictures and asked for all their names before being interrupted by a woman with long, straightened black hair and high heels. The Daily Planet press pass clipped to her short-sleeved blue button-up swung back and forth as she gestured with her hands and gave Jimmy a stern talking-to.
"You're supposed to be shadowing me, gingerbread. That means follow . How do you plan on following if you're constantly walking off?"
Jimmy had the decency to look sheepish, but still met her eyes. "Sorry, Lois. But I had to get pictures of the fellows, right? Kind of just saw my chance and took it."
Lois looked them up and down and then nodded, introducing herself and effectively letting Jimmy off the hook. She retrieved a small notepad and a voice recorder from her breast and pants pockets, respectively.
"The Daily Planet would like to interview you on your experiences as LuthorCorp fellows. I have questions for each of you if that's okay."
"No thank you," said Lena with a polite smile. Lois quirked an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. Lana didn't answer.
"Ask away, Miss Lane," said Gerry, wheeling himself behind their table and gesturing for the reporter to follow. Jimmy wandered off again, camera in hand.
Lena and Lana exchanged a look of understanding. "Not a fan of interviews?" asked Lana.
Lena shrugged. "Interviews are fine in general. But news outlets that big can't be trusted."
"What do you mean?" Lana leaned back to half-sit on her presenting table, angled toward the other woman. Lena's hands came together, turning over one another, fingertips tapping. Lana would see her do it every now and then. She wondered what it signified about the brunette's state of mind.
Lena sighed, then gave Lana an amiable smirk. "If anyone or anything has power, it always has an agenda. Remember that."
Lana blinked, marveling at the confusion that came with knowing Lena was six years younger than her but feeling like she was ten years older. Before she could answer, Lena spoke again.
"Judging by the pictures you've shown me I'd say that's your boyfriend coming over. He's taller than I thought he'd be."
Lana bolted upright and looked around, searching. Her eyes fell on him just as he came up from the left, smiling and greeting them.
"Hey you," said Clark, hands in his pockets. Lana gently pulled him down by his shirt collar and kissed him. Lena chuckled beside them.
"Hi. Enjoying the expo?"
"Even more now. Everything I've seen is so cool! Y'all are awesome."
"Thank you very much," said Lana with an exaggerated bow. She turned and thrust her hands out in a presentation pose. "This is Lena, the amazing roommate and lab partner I've told you so much about."
Clark gave an impressed look and held out his hand to Lena. She shook it.
"So she talks about me?" repeated Lena. "What did she tell you?"
"That you snore like a chainsaw." Clark answered with a neutral expression. Lena raised her eyebrows and looked at her roommate.
"That is not what I told you, you ass," laughed Lana, slapping her boyfriend's arm.
"Okay. I was told that you are 'badass, smart as hell, incredibly considerate, and wise beyond your years.' Did I leave anything out, Lana?"
Clark gave his girlfriend a smug look. She offered an unamused one in return. "No, that about covers it. She's a perfect human being."
"Quite the exaggeration, but thank you," smiled Lena. "She's told me a lot about you, too, Clark."
"Not too much, I hope."
Clark gave Lana a knowing look.
"Well, I've heard you're not terrible to be around," said Lena, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. Clark chuckled.
"Yeah, Lana is quite generous with her compliments. I'll put that on my resume."
"Wise decision. A recommendation from this lovely redhead is the highest honor and should be treated as such."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
Lana wedged herself against her boyfriend with a shaky laugh. "Alrighty then! I think that's enough with all the compliments. I'm gonna be nauseous soon and will definitely chuck on the both of you if you don't stop."
The redhead gave them both a cheesy grin. Lena wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Fantastic visual," said Lena. "On that note, I'll get out of your hair and check on Daron and Margaret. It was nice meeting you, Clark."
"You too," he said. Lena quickly disappeared into the crowd. "She seems nice."
Lana stood on her toes and kissed Clark, more enthusiastically than she probably should have in a public setting. But he wasn't complaining.
He laughed instead. "Okay good."
Lana gave him a quizzical look. "What?"
Clark mentally chastised himself. He hadn't meant for that to slip out.
"Nothing, nothing," he said, waving her off. Lana grabbed his arm and pulled him firmly to face her. Her face now held a worried look.
"No, something's up. You can't hide it from me. What is it?"
Clark looked at Lana and sighed in surrender. After sharing his biggest secret with her, this paled in comparison. There was no point in trying to lie to her, especially when he was so bad at it.
"I...I just feel there's been some distance between us lately," said Clark, words rushing and falling over each other. "We've barely talked in the last couple weeks. I know for years we didn't communicate often, but ever since I got back in March…"
Hearing himself out loud, Clark felt absurdly foolish. Until now, he hadn't been aware of how much he'd been worrying about their relationship as a whole. He and Lana had only been back in each other's lives for four months, and everything had changed so quickly. Part of him still feared that Lana wasn't completely comfortable with who he was, or what he could do. Maybe he was using this as an excuse to get some kind of external reassurance.
He let himself trail off and watched Lana's reaction. She looked at him with a soft, unreadable expression, but didn't answer.
"I know we've both been a lot busier lately," continued Clark, "and I'm probably just overreacting and jumping to conclusions, but I wanted to get this out before I drive myself insane overanalyzing things."
Lana gave a mildly incredulous chuckle. "That's healthy of you."
Clark followed the tug of her hands as she pulled him to kiss her again.
"So...we're good?"
"Everything's fine, Clark. What brought this on?"
The noise of the expo around them only served to accentuate the silence between them. Lana's searching, almost amused look gave Clark some calm.
"So there's nothing about what I've been doing that bothers you? Nothing about me?"
Lana flinched, a miniscule movement that did not go unnoticed. Her brow creased and she shook her head, not looking at him.
"I don't care that you're different, Clark. You're amazing exactly as you are. Finding out everything took some getting used to, but it didn't change how I felt about you. How I feel about you." Lana met his eyes with intense focus. "You have to know that."
Clark nodded, a tiny smile touching his face. He took her hands in his and she responded with a firmer grip. "Okay. Okay. I just want to make sure I'm not pushing you away."
Lana smiled at him, relaxing. "You've always been there for me. It's only right that I stick by you too. I'm not going anywhere."
"Okay." He nodded again, more to himself than in response to his girlfriend. "I wasn't planning on telling you this until later but I guess now's a good time. I want to publicly address my existence, the way I keep being called to do. I want to do it soon."
Lana's grip slackened as she drew back, her face slowly slipping into a mask of trepidation. Everything about her demeanor changed, sending Clark into a growing state of panic. "Um...already? Are you sure?"
Clark let go of Lana's hands. She drew them around herself and took a step back.
"Lana -"
"Don't you think it's too soon? I-I mean, there's still so much to plan for." Lana looked around conspiratorially and dropped her voice. Her tone was unmistakably serious with an intensity Clark had not expected. "I don't think it's a good idea."
Clark was afraid of saying anything more, but the conversation obviously wasn't over.
"I've been the subject of the news more and more often," he spoke tentatively. "Even the president is calling for a meeting with me, and it hasn't even been two months. Things are progressing way faster than we thought they would. I have to do something."
"They want you to come out in an official capacity so that they can monitor and control you somehow. You know that, right? But you have full autonomy right now. You dictate how you interact with everyone. Please don't do this just to appease them." Lana seemed increasingly agitated the more she spoke. "We don't have a full game plan yet, and catering to them so soon is not gonna work in your favor."
"If I don't, they're going to say whatever they want about me before I get the chance to," said Clark. "That won't work in my favor either."
"Clark, you can't."
Clark saw the anxious, pleading look Lana gave, and it startled him. His brow furrowed in confusion. "Why are you so bothered by this? We always knew this would have to happen sooner or later. I talked with you and Ma about it before. I don't get it."
"I..." Lana wouldn't meet his eyes. Her brow creased and her jaw clenched, head shaking. "Can we not talk about this right now? There's a lot going on. I shouldn't be away from the table for too long."
Clark felt like he'd been slapped. Lana looked at him edgily but couldn't hold eye contact. After a moment of silence between them, Clark nodded.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. I'll let you get back to it."
He turned and awkwardly walked away, settling back into the crowd of people. The nervousness he'd held molded itself into dread. Eventually he took to wading listlessly from table to table, looking at what was on display but never really taking it in. His thoughts rolled over each other, flitting from worrying over Lana to fear of truly being in the public eye.
But he'd barely had time to form a plan regarding either of those things before he was caught off guard by a deafening high-pitched ringing sound. Clark squeezed his eyes shut and covered his ears, but the sound disappeared just as quickly as it came. Heart pounding in his chest and blood rushing in his head, Clark searched for the source of the sound. The only thing he found was a cause of confusion. Nobody else inside the hall seemed to have heard it.
Before he could do anything else, Clark heard something familiar. It was like he was picking up a broadcast or some kind of magnified sound from far away, but the voice he heard undoubtedly belonged to Kelex. "This is the security alarm, Kal. Sensors have picked up a large object descending into low earth orbit amidst a flash of interdimensional energy."
Clark was already moving, weaving his way through the crowd toward the back exit. It was too congested to move at the speed he wanted, but it gave him time to think. Whatever Kelex had picked up must have teleported, because if it had come merely by propulsion then it would have been detected long before it got that close. That meant that whatever Clark was about to deal with was definitely alien or at least a result of alien technology more advanced than anything on Earth besides the Fortress. When he finally got outside he changed and took off into the sky at breakneck speed.
Clark had taken the security protocols at a glance, which in hindsight was an obvious, stupid mistake. He knew Kelex would be able to contact him anywhere in the world, but he hadn't gone over how or what it would be like. He didn't even know if he could contact Kelex without any technological assistance. It would make sense that he could, given how advanced everything else from the Fortress was, but Clark mentally kicked himself nonetheless. Then he gave it a try.
"Kelex?" he called against the wind whistling in his ears.
"Yes, Kal."
Relieved, Clark continued. "Update on the object?"
"Still moving and will soon enter the upper atmosphere at its current course, but it's slowing down."
Clark himself slowed considerably in confusion, now only going hypersonic. "Can you see what it is?"
A few seconds passed before Kelex responded. That wasn't like Kelex. The AI could easily perform billions of calculations a second, but for some reason it seemed like it was stopping to think.
"It is a Kryptonian warship. It seems to be on course for the Atlantic Ocean about 1500 miles northeast of Metropolis."
Clark stopped fully this time, floating high above the cumulus clouds blanketing the sky. He must have heard Kelex wrong. It couldn't be a Kryptonian warship, right? Krypton was destroyed, gone, and nobody but him had survived. The archives said that nobody on Krypton had been out in deep space on a warship for centuries, as all military forces were grounded and poised to protect Krypton against invading forces. It had to be a mistake.
"Are you sure it's Kryptonian, Kelex?" said Clark, his voice wavering a bit. He searched the skies, trying to find the large object. Unfortunately, he didn't have Kelex's ability to hijack satellite imaging. The keeper of the Fortress answered before he found it.
"Quite. The archives in the Fortress contain all Kryptonian military standards, including vehicle models and designs. This one is a grand warship of the most recent class."
Clark's eyes finally fell on the colossal object. It had fully stopped, hovering only a couple thousand miles away at the upper edge of the troposphere. He was buzzing with energy. If it was a Kryptonian warship, there had to be Kryptonians on it, right? If that turned out to be true, then he was no longer the sole survivor of Krypton. Clark let out a shaky breath. "How is that possible?"
"The interdimensional energy is telling. Given Krypton's limited means of travel, it could only be the result of a phantom drive."
Clark began flying toward the ship again, gaining speed all the while. Two possibilities bounced their way through his mind: either somebody had made it off Krypton with an entire warship well before it had exploded, or non-Kryptonian alien(s) had made off with a Kryptonian warship. At this point, both seemed disbelievingly plausible. Clark hoped it was the former. The prospect of meeting another Kryptonian in the flesh was anxiety-inducing, but ever since he'd learned of his birth planet Clark had wished he wasn't alone.
Zod stood at the bridge, looking out through the reinforced one-way crystal window at the front of the ship. Descending into this strange planet's atmosphere was less taxing on the ship than he'd expected; the gravity wasn't as strong here as it had been on Krypton. The sky was an interesting color. Zod had never seen one so bright with a color that wasn't a bit harsh on the eyes. It was pleasant.
The general relished the quietude of the moment. He'd sent Faora to prepare, as well as keep an eye on Dev and Jax. He had considered killing them both after using the phantom drive, but then decided that it was rather unnecessary. Dev had proven useful in that regard, and Zod figured he could still be useful (even if not exactly trustworthy) in building a new Krypton. It was a gamble of sorts, but not one of too high a risk. If he should get out of hand, Zod and Faora would make short work of him together, especially with the powers they would have. There was a chance that, as a Daxamite, Dev would become more powerful as well, but the general was not particularly worried.
Admittedly, Zod did not have comprehensive knowledge on that subject. As a result of partaking in Jor-El's illicit studies of outside worlds and phenomena, Zod was aware of a Kryptonian's potential physical changes when imbibed with the radiation from a yellow or potentially even blue star. Superior strength, speed, and senses were the gist of what Zod expected, but he had no real reference. What would his limits be? What exactly would he be able to do? Zod was itching to find out. But he would not make a move until everything was ready.
A flash of color forced its way into Zod's line of sight. He focused to see a man on the other side of the window, suspended in the air with no assistance. Zod walked around the edge of the bridge to come closer to the window, and was surprised to see that the man's gaze followed him the entire time he did so. He shouldn't be able to see through the window. Interesting, thought Zod. He took a good look at the stranger.
His garb was colorful and definitely Kryptonian-esque. The design had elements both foreign and familiar, but what caught Zod's attention was the large symbol emblazoned on the man's chest. The general frowned, eliciting a look of wariness from the other man watching him through the crystal. He had not expected to meet any other Kryptonians on this planet, especially not one from the house of El.
Zod stared, his mind calculating. He'd had Kelor run scans for deep space upon leaving the Phantom Zone and found a few differences from before they'd been imprisoned. Some planets were desolate now, and some moons and other planets had been completely destroyed. His assumption had been correct. There was now only empty space where Krypton had been. Zod had no time frame for when this had occurred (and had no idea when he was now, relative to time on Krypton), but his instincts told him it was odd to see another Kryptonian now, especially one this old.
The house of El had only five members, and the man floating outside had not been one of them. The seismic activity on Krypton had been getting worse and worse too quickly for it to have survived long enough to nurture a whole other life. This Kryptonian could not have grown up on Krypton.
Perhaps Jor finally had a son. Or maybe Zor had another child. Either way, they must have found a way to get off of Krypton without the Council's knowledge before it was destroyed. Zod was ambivalent. The bitterness of Jor's betrayal had not abated even slightly, but there was still a small part of the general that hoped he and his family were alive even if it would most certainly ruin his plans.
Zod pushed the thought out of his mind. There were other pressing matters. One obvious power of Kryptonians under a yellow star was self-sustained flight. A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. The man on the other side of the window did not seem hostile, but merely curious, so Zod figured a diplomatic approach was a prudent first step. Specifically because he had not yet had a chance to drink in any solar radiation.
Zod made his way off the bridge and down to the scout ship hangar. [Kelor, open the hangar doors at the front. Give Faora an update.]
The doors opened and the floor ramp extended as Zod walked down to greet the stranger. He didn't see him at first, but then the man floated down into his line of sight. He touched down at the edge of the ramp and it ascended back up to his original position. The two Kryptonians stood in silence at first, eying each other.
Zod forced his face to stay neutral. The difference in pressure from the inside of the ship to the outside was palpable, and the air was different. The whiff he'd gotten had burned his eyes and made him a bit light-headed. Shaking the feeling off, the general opened his mouth to speak. The other man beat him to it.
[Hello,] he said awkwardly.
Zod raised an eyebrow, both in curiosity and exasperation. [Who are you?]
[My name is Kal-El,] the caped man responded after taking a breath. [Yours?]
[Are you Lara's or Alura's son? ] Now that Kal was close, Zod got a much better look at him. He looked like both Jor and Zor.
[Lara's,] replied Kal.
The general's mouth twitched slightly. There was silence again.
[How did you survive Krypton's destruction?] asked Zod, keeping his tone and body language detached and professional. Kal was not doing the same. Zod figured it would be easy to get answers out of him. If he was not on his guard physically, he probably wasn't on guard mentally either.
[I was sent here when I was a baby ,] said Kal a bit shyly. [I thought I was the only one left.]
[Jor and the others are not with you?] blurted Zod incredulously before he could stop it. He could not fathom that both Jor and Lara would elect to send their only son away without accompanying him. Kal shook his head. Zod wasn't sure what the gesture itself meant, but judging by the sad look on Kal's face it seemed like a "no."
Zod's eyes stared, unfocused. He'd expected most of Krypton to have died with the planet, but somehow the resilience for which he'd known Jor-El hadn't truly allowed him to think he died too. The general pursed his lips. He had sympathy for Kal, who looked lost and unsure of himself in this situation. Zod was more than curious about this young man's life sans Kryptonian family than he'd expected to be, and figured a gentle approach would be beneficial to both in the long run. [I am Dru-Zod. Welcome, Kal-El.]
Zod did not wait for Kal's answer, but instead turned back to walk the way he'd come. If the other Kryptonian had any sense, he would follow.
Kal followed with a tightness in his chest. Taking shallow breaths, he realized that the air was different inside the ship than it was outside. It wasn't too drastic a change, but it would take some getting used to.
Kal was glad that Zod had turned away so quickly. He would not have been able to look unreactive for long. Kal had heard that name before, months ago in the Fortress, when Kelex had been giving an abridged history of Krypton and how it related to him. Having only been given a handful of proper names, Kal remembered them all.
How had he gotten out of the Phantom Zone? Kal ran through the tale of Zod's imprisonment in his head as he walked. Zod had been one of seven prisoners, so the other six were likely out as well. He considered himself lucky, though. Coming up on the ship, he'd x-rayed it completely and had found only four people on board. He wasn't sure what he'd do if he had to come face to face with seven people deemed worthy enough for imprisonment in a separate dimension. Still, four was plenty.
[What are you doing here? On Earth?] asked Kal lightly, falling in step beside Zod but leaving some space between them. He figured it wouldn't do much good to let on he had an idea of who the general was, since it seemed Zod hadn't had an idea that he existed until recently, at least not directly. The meekness he presented was as much a ruse as it was a true extension of his personality.
[Seeking refuge,] the general responded, choosing his words carefully.
At the end of the long corridor he and Zod had just turned into, Kal saw a woman in garb similar to Zod's. She didn't seem to be surprised to find a stranger on board. The woman's eyes flickered to the symbol on his chest, and then over to meet Zod's gaze. Her brow furrowed.
[Meet our guest,] said Zod. [Kal-El, son of Jor and Lara.]
Kal suddenly felt more out of place than he had so far. Here he was, clad in a colorful suit on board an alien spaceship of mostly blacks and grays in the middle of an awkward meeting. The woman offered no conversation, and Zod continued to lead.
[Walk with us, Faora,] said Zod in a soft tone that did not hide the reality of the order.
Kal and Faora followed Zod back to the bridge, and just off the entrance he stopped. Zod faced him directly, and Faora came to rest at their sides between them.
[Is this world...receptive to foreigners?]
Faora looked at her general incredulously. Zod held a passive look. Kal didn't notice.
[Sometimes,] Kal answered truthfully. [But not always.]
[Your pronunciation needs work,] Faora cut in suddenly. Zod gave her side-eye. Kal held a sheepish look.
[Sorry. This isn't my first language. I learned it a short while ago.]
Zod cocked his head and then nodded. [It seems this planet has been home to you for some time. My hope is that it can be ours as well. We are all survivors, and I believe we must stick together.]
Kal considered his words. Kelex's description of the Phantom Zone prisoners weren't very in-depth, but it was hard to reconcile his original idea of them with the people in front of him. Faora, admittedly, had the cold, harsh look Kal had expected, but even then she didn't appear to be malicious.
From the archives, Kal knew that the two of them had wanted to overthrow the High Council's oppressive rule. Judging by what he knew of the High Council he would have welcomed an end to their reign as well (though would probably disagree on method), but everything else regarding Zod and Faora was murky at best. He could understand the desire to find a home, but he had no evidence suggesting they were anything other than self-serving. Kal steeled himself, opting for confidence and calculation in lieu of caution and passivity.
[What do you really want ?] he asked, looking Zod directly in the eye. Faora angled herself against him just slightly, responding to his change in turn. It did not go unnoticed.
[I have just told you, Kal.]
Kal continued to stare. [There is something you're omitting. Why bring a warship if war is not your intention? You could have arrived in something less threatening.]
Faora's expression hardened. Zod's did not change despite the tension. [Options were limited.]
[You don't seem lost. You came here willingly and intentionally, so I'm assuming you're aware of the benefits of this planet to people like us. There is no need for the added protection, especially not from natives. What would you need protection from?]
Kal offered no hostility, but did not give any ground. Zod remained mostly unfazed, but his mouth set a bit. [Our liberator.]
[General!] Faora hissed, whipping her head around to face her superior with a look of cold confusion.
[Silence.] Zod spoke to her but continued to look at Kal. Faora pursed her lips and held her tongue, looking away from both men.
[So you didn't escape the Phantom Zone on your own,] surmised Kal. Zod gave an impressed look. Faora's was downright hostile.
[I see you know more than I originally gave you credit for. Unfortunately, that is correct. A…powerful figure set us free and bade us conquer this planet, but instead I choose to gather my defenses and prepare to make a stand should he come find us again. He seems formidable, so I deemed it appropriate to make a stand under a yellow star.]
Kal took a moment to swallow this information. Great, now he had to worry about a new player. [If he sent you here, don't you think he would have accounted for that?]
[I assume as much, though I do not see how he could account for the rest of my plans.]
[What else are you planning?]
[To recruit you and the people of this planet. Surely you will all be willing to defend your home?]
Kal's expression darkened. Whatever course of action was taken here, one fact remained: no matter which side he was on, Zod was bringing a war to Earth. [If you need to be as powerful as we are here to face him, then the rest of Earth doesn't stand a chance. You're putting the planet's entire population at risk.]
[As they are now, it's true. But with a little adjustment…]
Kal's eyes narrowed. [What are you saying?]
Faora folded her arms, her disgruntled expression deepening as she stayed quiet. Zod answered with conviction. [If they were more like us, then they will also have the power to defend this planet.]
Kal mulled over Zod's words. If the Fortress's archives were anything to go by, genetic engineering had been the backbone of Kryptonian society in many ways. Zod's implication made him angry.
[No. They would never agree to that, and I won't let you force it on them.] Kal's jaw clenched as he looked between the two other Kryptonians. Faora's expression matched his own. [I want to help you, but you'll have to find a different approach.]
Zod placed a calming hand on Faora's arm and returned Kal's gaze. After a moment he made to respond, but was interrupted. Kelor's disembodied voice came from what felt like everywhere.
[General, there are seven small aircraft coming this way from the right. The possibility of friendliness is doubtful.]
Kal pursed his lips. The ship was high up enough that no one on the ground would be able to make out what it was, but they were obviously on someone's radar. For a warship, their cloaking capabilities didn't seem to be working very well. Kal looked past Zod and through the right side of the ship. There were seven small single-passenger jets coming in fast a ways away. Remembering that they were probably in or somewhere close to American airspace, Kal cursed mentally.
[I'll take care of it,] said Kal. [Don't retaliate, and don't antagonize.]
In a blur of color Kal was gone, eliciting an impressed look from Zod. That speed was really something. He turned to Faora, now that they were alone. He reached out to stroke her face gently, and then slipped his hand down to wrap around her throat and squeeze. She froze.
[I do not enjoy when my subordinates question me in front of my adversaries. You would do well to remember that.]
The general eased his grip on her throat but left his fingers there, allowing some air.
[Yes, General,] Faora responded breathily. She remained standing tall, but with closed body language. Zod removed his hand from her neck.
[Jax will be the first. Administer his punishment, then deploy the drones.]
Faora nodded. [Dev as well?]
[No. He is still of use as he is. Take them with you to get in the sunlight. Defend the devices against Kal-El if necessary.]
Faora took to the corridor again at a brisk pace. Zod continued to give orders. [Kelor, scan for the most populous areas and set the drones. Get the weapons systems online as well.]
All measures had to be taken if his plan would come to fruition. He could not fail.