Clark is stunned at what he is coming to believe. Kal-El, his evil counterpart, had loved this woman. He had loved her at first sight. Clark doesn't even believe in love at first sight. So how had this happened?

"I'm sorry, but are you out of questions?"

Her head tilts to the side, as she studies him. Clark blinks as his mind comes back into focus because for a moment he feels like he is the one being interviewed. Her eyes say that he has no secrets from her. It is alarming because there are things about himself that he doesn't want her to know.

"Yes, I mean no. I do have more questions. I was just processing." Clark clears his throat. "So you speak Kryptonian?"

"Kal insisted and eventually it was useful to us both."

"In what way?"

"For me? I often had to limit what I said so as not to appear disrespectful of Kal in front of others. But with the two of us only knowing Kryptonian and his hearing being what it was, with a few whispered words he knew what was on my mind."

"And for him?"

"Kal ruled the world, Mr. Kent. Knowledge is power." Clark starts to question her on that line of thought but is distracted again by her finger slowly tapping in a steady rhythm. The song continues to play on, and he has to ask, "Favorite song?"

She shrugs. "Favorite? Not really. I like background noise. When Kal was alive, there was always something going on. Being alone is…difficult." Clark continues to feel guilty, and he doesn't understand why. He shouldn't. What happened to her isn't his fault.

"When he was…Superman is still alive."

"Yes, he is. But my husband was not Superman. I think you and I both know that."

Clark knows so he moves on.

"How long was it before you officially agreed to marry Kal-El?"

"Three months."

"That's a short amount of time."

"I thought so too, but I gave in because I knew he was different." Clark nearly scowls. Homicidal maniacs are different from the general populace. Her eyes narrow on his face, and he knows she senses his distaste, and he works to cover it.

"Your wedding, it wasn't a big one. There's not a picture anywhere of it."

Sakura laughs. "No. There wouldn't be. I didn't want a huge wedding. It was my first fight with Kal. He wanted to proclaim to the world that I was his. And I felt that our marriage was no one's business but our own."

"And how was it resolved?"

"Kal and I made the first of many compromises. A small wedding, but when he decided to present me to the world it was a big thing."

Kal hands Sakura a small jewelry box. She looks at him with delight and surprise that he presents her with a gift. It is the first one he has given her. He hasn't even given her an engagement ring. She has never thought to ask for one. Trinkets are something that she has no use for. He has already given her the one thing she values more than anything.

Freedom.

When she opens it, though, she frowns. Inside the box is a choker and from it dangles the symbol of his house.

"What is this?" Sakura murmurs.

"It's the symbol of my house. You know that. You'll wear it when I present you to the world as my wife." Sakura scoffs. Her eyes flash angrily, and she spits out, "You want to introduce me to the world as your collared dog."

Kal narrows his eyes. "You're about to make a big deal out of nothing."

"I'm not wearing this Kal."

"You will wear it Sakura. You belong to the House of El now. Be proud of it."

Sakura shook her head. "It has nothing to do with whether or not I'm proud to be your wife. If I go out wearing this in front of everyone, there will never be any respect for me."

"They'll respect you, or they'll die." Sakura stares at Kal for a moment trying to gauge whether or not he is serious. He is. Sakura feels hard pressed not to laugh. Sakura runs her hands through her hair. Just as she drops her hand to her side, he approaches her and runs his fingers through her hair. She musses it a little, and he sought to straighten it. Sakura remains still and quiet allowing him to finish.

He steps back and surveys her appearance and nods to himself as if pleased by what he'd done. Sakura wants to run her fingers through her hair again to tease him, but she doesn't because they are fighting. She can always mess with him later.

"Respect isn't won that way."

"If they won't respect you then they'll fear you. I'll make sure of it." Sakura shakes her head. She can't believe that he doesn't understand this one undeniable truth.

"No. They'll fear you. I will be nothing more than the woman that hangs from your arm."

Sakura knows from his facial expression that her words hit home, but Kal isn't one to back down.

"You're wearing the damned choker Sakura and that's the end of it."

"No, Kal I'm not."

"Did you really feel that strongly about the choker?" Sakura nods.

"You have to realize, Mr. Kent, the people that Kal dealt with only understood power. In their eyes, Kal had all of it, and I had none. All I was to them was a woman—and a lot of those men didn't treat their women well.

If I wore that collar, then they would think I was something that could be used against him. They would believe they had finally found the weakness in the House of El. The House of El is many things, but weak is not one of them."

Clark has to work to keep the frown off his face. It is very difficult to hear her speak of his House as if he is no part of it and never will be. It is also hard to understand that even though his counterpart tried to collar her like a dog, her tone still held nothing but respect for him.

"How did the two of you resolve the issue?"

It is the night of their wedding reception. It takes place three weeks after their actual wedding. Sakura wanted them to have some time to acclimate themselves to each other before bringing others into their business.

People from all over were coming to see her presented as Sakura-El, wife of Kal-El Ruler of the world. It is the night of their event and Kal has been rather pissy and short tempered because she hasn't rolled over and complied with his demands. Sakura is slightly surprised that he hasn't tried to kill her yet. He promised that he would never harm her physically, and he had given her no reason not to believe him. She resolves in her mind that she will not wear his collar, but she will compromise with him on the issue.

She hasn't told him she is willing to compromise which explains why he has killed three people within the day. Sakura can still hear their screams in her ears; they were so loud. Sakura rubs at her ears in annoyance. Kal has been trying to provoke a reaction out of her, but she felt no sympathy nor any connection to those who have died. In fact, Sakura feels very little for the people of this world. None of them helped her when she had been held prisoner, so why should she help any of them?

Let them die.

She is well aware that there is something very broken in her thought process, but she doesn't care to fix it. Her only concern, her only priority is Kal-El, her husband. The man who had saved her. The man who is giving her the cold shoulder.

Sakura rolls her eyes. Sometimes he is so childish. That she knows this, and they have only been married three weeks should have been worrisome, but Sakura finds it slightly endearing.

In the three months preceding her wedding to the Superbad Sakura has learned a very vital piece of information. The man will never harm her. It is like something within him is programmed so that he isn't allowed to. Her recent past has made her bitter and caustic, and he never once raises a hand to her nor does he scold her. He lets her spit out her vitriol and more than occasionally offers to destroy the ones who caused her pain.

She never takes him up on the offer.

She didn't know why that is, but she suspects that because he is willing to do it, that is enough for her.

Sakura stands in her bedroom and looks down at the box that Kal had given her. She opens it and fingers the S inside for several moments before closing the box and getting dressed. Kal is waiting for her.

"Ladies and gentlemen may I present to you, Sakura-El."

She didn't know the person who announced her. All she knows is that he is a famous person in this world. Everyone rises to their feet, and polite applause lit up the room. They are inside a large ballroom. Tables are scattered about and are filled with people. The lights are dimmed, and candles littered the tables, but Sakura can see Kal across the room clearly. He has fashioned a throne for himself that he sat in front of everyone. He has one for her too at his side, a smaller one and Sakura found herself vaguely amused at the flashy things that pleased Kal.

She crosses the room and keeps her eyes on Kal. No other person in the room is important to her, so she doesn't spare them a glance. She knows the minute he realizes that she has disobeyed him. She sees his eyes glow red, but she lets a smile play on her lips and the secret she has dance in her eyes. Sakura notices the pause in his gaze and the narrowing of his eyes. He suspects she is up to something and he isn't wrong.

With every step, she takes she hears the startled murmurs from the crowd as she passes.

With Kal's eyes on her, he will see that the dress she is wearing is somewhat modest. The white dress did cling to her hips accentuating every curve, but it came up to her neck not even showing the slightest swell of cleavage.

She wears no undergarments beneath it because the dress wouldn't allow it. It is a backless dress that dipped down so low that if she moved the right way you could see the swell of her buttocks. It was a dress that would haunt the dreams of many a man. It is a dress that would lead to the death of others.

When she approaches Kal who sits upon his throne looking disapproving, Sakura sinks to her knees before him, bows her head, and murmurs, "My Lord Kal-El." She extends her hand to him in supplication. She waits that way and notes that the crowd quiets waiting to see what his reaction would be too.

Sakura herself is anxious to see what he will do now that she had defied him.

"You were testing him," Clark states.

She shakes her head. "I didn't look at it that way."

"And yet, that is exactly what it was."

Her hands clench tightly in her lap before they relax. She lets out a soft laugh. "Kal wasn't the type to have friends, Mr. Kent. But I think he would have found you tolerable for your reasoning alone."

Her words make him uncomfortable but then again everything about talking to her is going in that direction.