Story of Jor-El
Disclaimer: I own nothing (unfortunately). All rights and characters in this fic belong to DC Comics, Warner Brothers, and other respective owners and creators. I gain no profit from this. It's purely for fun. I only own my OC's.
Note: The following is a rough outline of what was to happen in this chapter. I apologise for not being able to write the full chapter as intended, however, life has proven hectic and along with my plans to start writing original stories, I don't have the time needed to finish all my stories. I didn't want to leave them abandoned, so I decided to give a rough outline of the story's events so that you could see how it would have progressed and ended. I hope that you understand. Maybe one day I might come back and fully finish them as intended, but as that's up in the air, I thought that I'd end things this way rather than leave unfinished. Thank you for your time.
Chapter 2 (Rough Outline)
As General Tran's team is assembled and making final preparations, he brushes off any attempt made by Jor-El to talk about their upcoming mission. All that matters to the towering Kryptonian is pleasing the Council, playing his role as an obedient soldier with relative ease by proclaiming his team to be more than up to the task.
Jor-El's frustration with the brutish warrior would have reached a tipping point if not for the second in command, Dru-Zod. Though Zod was young compared to his comrades, there was little doubt in Jor-El's mind that Zod's rising through the Warrior Guild ranks quicker than any other Kryptonian was a fluke. He was no simple-minded warrior and expressed distaste at the way others in his Guild would act like puppets for the Council. To him, the people of Krypton always came first. It is that way of thinking that led to Zod learning about Jor-El. He saw many similarities in the way Jor-El thought to expand what Krypton already has to reach new heights.
Though Jor-El finds some disagreements with Zod, he does appreciate the fact that he has met another Kryptonian who seems to understand his way of thinking.
Jor-El and Lara board the ship headed by General Tran and Commander Zod and set a course for the wreckage.
In the hours spent journeying towards their destination, Jor-El and Lara find an opportunity to talk amongst themselves. They ponder the possibility of studying the wreckage thoroughly before anyone from Tran's team notice. Before they can follow through with their idea, Commander Zod approaches them, claiming that he values what they want to do as he also has an interest in the wreckage of the scout ship. While Jor-El is hesitant over allowing Zod to help, he does feel that working with the Commander would present the best opportunity to discover all that he can.
However, by the time they reach the wreckage, it is being torn apart by scavengers and pirates for parts. General Tran orders his warriors to be ready for a fight, as the Council did not want any of their technology coming into the possession of other planets. As a small battalion of fighter ships, led by General Tran, try to stop the scavengers, Commander Zod is instructed to stay with Jor-El and Lara and keep them safe. Watching the stars light up under a barrage of firepower and destruction, Jor-El sees this as their chance to reach the wreckage before it is obliterated. He and Lara take one of the smaller pods and try to get to the scout ship before they are noticed. But, even with Commander Zod protecting them with the main ship, their pod is damaged and they are sent hurtling towards one of the planets nearby.
Barely able to keep the pod from burning up in the atmosphere, they crash on the barren planet's surface. Grabbing bodysuits before the pod cracks and breaks under the immense weight of the planet's gravity, Jor-El and Lara are left stranded. Lost in a strange world, with nothing but the light of the star above to keep them from being swallowed in darkness, the two venture onward in the hopes of finding shelter.
On their way, Jor-El begins to feel strange sensations throughout his body. His body convulses with pain. Lara is powerless to do anything as Jor-El's vision flickers and burns. He can hear Lara's racing heartbeat and the wind brushing against a dune from a far distance away. His mind is rattled, trying to make sense of what is happening to his body. The throbbing in his muscles intensifies to the point where it feels like his body is going to shatter and break. He gazes up at the yellow star above and that's when he notices a crack in his suit. Fearing that his death is imminent, Jor-El reflects on his life and orders Lara to continue without him. Lara refuses and manages to carry Jor-El to a cave nearby. Along the way, she notices how heavy he is becoming. Soon, she is unable to move him and all she can do is encourage Jor-El to keep fighting to survive.
Jor-El tries to clear his mind. One goal at a time, but always one step ahead. That is the saying he has always lived by. He crawls to the cave, guided by Lara until he can go on no more. He stares up once again at the yellow sun beating down on him. Despite the pain running throughout his body, he feels a warmth begin to blossom beneath his chest.
He slips in and out of consciousness as day and night pass him in the blink of an eye. Lara continues to watch over him and care for him, never resting until she knows he is not in pain. During the times where he hasn't lurched over in agonising pain, she would return to what was left of their escape pod and send a distress signal. She also notes the diminishing power of her bodysuit. If they were not found soon, she would be submitted to the same fate befallen on Jor-El.
After one trek to the pod and back to the cave, Lara finds Jor-El motionless on the ground…no longer breathing.
As she attempts to revive him, her suit loses its power and she is forced to endure the same pain, but she fights through it, trying to bring Jor-El back. Minutes go by, and Lara can get no response from Jor-El. With one desperate, final attempt, she presses down hard on his chest to restart his heart and Jor-El lets out a pained gasp. His body lifts from the ground and levitates before Lara's eyes. Riddled with pain and shock, Lara collapses beside him.
Before her eyes close, she sees the shadow of General Tran's ship cast over them. She smiles and slowly turns her head towards Jor-El, who is now breathing again and lying on the ground with her.
To Be Continued…