It is something that has never before happened in Clark's life. No one has ever asked him outright if he is Superman. Probably because no one has ever suspected, it explains why he is momentarily rendered speechless by Sakura's question. Before he can splutter out a negative answer, she moves closer to him. Her hands snap out and remove his glasses. Why was he too slow to stop her? That shouldn't have happened. But Clark doesn't get the chance to process that because she is staring into his eyes. He should look away or divert her attention, but Clark can't lie to himself. Sakura-El captivates him. While he knows she shouldn't, he can't seem to help it.

He hears her gasp and watches as her hands shake as she takes his face into her hands. Her body begins to tremble, and her eyes sparkle with unshed tears. Even in tears, Sakura-El can slay a man with her beauty. It should be a crime or perhaps a superpower. Maybe even both.

"You could render me deaf, dumb, and blind and I would know you anywhere. Have you come home to me? Kal, my Kal."

Her thumb traces his cheek reverentially. Clark closes his eyes and allows himself seconds to savor her touch before he reaches his hands up to his face and removes her hands. When he opens them it is only to see her gazing at him in confusion.

"I'm not him," Clark says firmly. She doesn't remark upon that statement. Instead, she stares at him before she reaches for him again, but this time he doesn't allow it. "I'm not him." He utters once more.

"I don't understand. You are Superman. Why else would you be here if you weren't? If he isn't inside you?"

"My name is Clark," he patiently explains. "And I am here for an interview."

She looks at him as if he has physically wounded her and a pain shoots through Clark's chest. All Clark can see is betrayal in her eyes, and yet she remains calm. Her hands shake, though, and he realizes she is close to losing her composure. Righteous indignation is seconds away from dancing on her tongue.

"So, then, I am to assume that if you have to ask these questions, then you have none of Kal's memories. He is well and truly lost to me." Her voice sounds hollow and dead. Hope, which she has valiantly been hiding within her, dies a swift and unjust death.

Sakura rises to her feet. Her eyes meet his, but it is as if she is looking through him. "Morbid curiosity brought you here. And my grieving is some joke to you."

"No—it's not like that."

"It's exactly like that." Sakura laughs bitterly. "You want to know what he saw in me. You want to know why he loved me. You want to know why he killed for me because you can't possibly imagine doing it yourself." Clark says nothing because he knows that anything that comes out of his mouth will be a lie and he doesn't want that. "So why don't I answer the question for you, Mr. Kent, so that you no longer feel the need to intrude in my life. I don't know why Kal loved me. I don't know why he asked me to be his wife. There is nothing in my memories that can help you ascertain why because it was something I never figured out. To be honest, I don't care why he loved me. I'm just glad that he did. I'm pleased that I got the opportunity to love him back. He killed for me because that's who he was-a killer. He had no qualms about killing to protect what was his and more than anything else I belonged to him. Now, I have to ask that you leave my home and please don't bother to return."

"Sakura—"

"No. Don't you dare use his voice and say my name. You don't get to mock me. You don't get to hurt me. Wasn't the divorce enough?" Clark flinches at her well-timed barbs. "You know, people say that Kal was a cruel man…but he never went out of his way to antagonize a widow. You're in a special class all on your own Superman. I wish the world knew you for who you are. A grade A asshole. Now get out!"

Clark feels his cheeks flush with embarrassment and moves swiftly to the door. He opens his mouth to apologize, but he can tell that any words that come out of his mouth will be cut off expeditiously. So he opens the door and steps out. She follows after him and slams the door shut behind him. The door reverberates from the force.

Clark stares at the door for a long time torn between walking away and breaking the door down. He goes with the former when the sound of Sakura-El weeping reaches his ears.

He has no right to comfort her.

Clark is well aware that he has screwed up royally. As he makes his way home, he tries to figure out where it all went wrong. He also tries to figure out how she uncovered his identity. No one has ever identified Clark Kent as Superman before, and Sakura did it in two days.

It is less than that.

Clark remembers the hope that was in her eyes as she gazed at him.

Kal, my Kal.

Clark runs a hand over his face. The longing in her voice he can't ignore. But he has to. The pain in her voice plagues him.

Kal, my Kal.

She wanted so desperately for him to be her husband. He isn't. He never will be.

Superman can never have a relationship with the Dictator's wife. The world already has issues trusting him, and he can't say that he blames them. The second he touched Sakura-El they will believe that he is the Dictator and they would take countermeasures.

He never will be her Kal. He knew that. But if he knew that why did he wish….

Clark, before making sure no one notices, changes into his Superman uniform and takes to the skies. His initial intention is to go home but finds he doesn't want to do so. Instead, Superman realizes that it has been some time since his last visit to the Fortress of Solitude. In fact, since he has regained his senses he hasn't been there, so he reroutes and stops a robbery here and there before making it to the Fortress.

He enters the Fortress and is barely able to take a handful of steps before he hears the computerized voice of Jor-El saying, "Activating protocol 625.12."

Clark frowns not recognizing the protocol. He opens his mouth to inquire as to what it is but doesn't get the chance because some unseen force is pushing him out of the Fortress. His eyes widen, and he struggles against what is pushing him out to no avail. All too soon Clark finds himself outside of the Fortress. He tries to go back inside, but a barrier meets him that is stronger than even him.

A knot settles in Clark's gut as he continues to try to force his way inside. Someone has taken over the Fortress. The things that someone could do with the technology inside of it is enough to give him chills. He has to do something, and of course, the first person his mind thinks to go to is Batman.