Chapter 2: Breakout Part 2: Bravery and Faith
At Brainiac's lair, Brainiac prepared for an overview of the games tomorrow, inspired by the stories of Nero throwing the Christians of old to lions. He couldn't understand the logic in following a dead Jewish carpenter who by all accounts shouldn't even exist in the first place if the stories of his virgin mother were true.
I'm that leader Brainiac One
I'm the empire's evil hero.
All these gods amount to zero.
Who would disagree?
Though my singing's much to middling,
I won't stop my fiddle-diddling.
Earth can burn, I'll just keep fiddling.
Glory be to me!
I'll take the glory.
Who'd disagree?
So dictator-y.
Glory be to me!
Follow me. Don't be a whiner.
Other leaders are so minor.
Next to my line, none's diviner.
In all modesty.
Though some ingrates may abhor me,
I insist all worlds adore me.
Thou shallt have no gods before me.
Glory be to me!
I'm full of glory…
And modesty!
No guts, no glory!
Glory be to me!
Yes I'm cruel and mean indeed.
I will tax you 'till you bleed!
And this week, breathing is free.
Christian tales, I don't enjoy,
And those who tell them. I destroy!
It's time they bowed to me…!
I'm Mr. Glory…
So glory be!
I've got your story!
Glory… Be to me…!
Brainiac chuckled as he walked to a 3D model of the stadium as he smirked.
"It's brilliant." Brainiac said with a smirk. "At the games tomorrow, the lions, dogs, and gladiators will come in through the South Entrance."
"Oh yes, Brainiac." Brainiac's servant, Ron Karr said oily. "It's brilliant!"
"Hold your tongue, fool." Brainiac said plainly. "I'm not finished for then my champion, Bane, shall come in from the North Entrance, and finally, the Christians will come in from the East Entrance and meet their doom… That reminds me. Ron Karr, call Imperiex at once."
"IMPERIEX!" Ron Karr said as Imperiex walked in and knelt down.
"Lord Brainiac." Imperiex said.
"Imperiex, where are the Christians?" Brainiac questioned.
"They're being unloaded now, sir." Imperiex said. "We captured scores of them in last night's raid."
"Excellent." Brainiac said. "Then have the sandbags placed in front of their cell. Bane shall break their spirits first… And then their bodies."
()()()()()
In a cell he shared with several other Christians, Dick watched as a gray-skinned man in a completely black mask made one swift kick at the sandbags, and they burst open, sand pouring out of them.
"Oh man." Dick groaned.
()()()()()
Lois panted as she followed Imra up the hill. When she and Clark had kids of their own, she hoped she was in better shape. Imra had told Clark and Lois about Dick's parents and hoped they could help.
"Imra, you're sure this is where they live?" Lois asked.
"Yup." Imra said as she took Lois' hand and helped her up the steep climb. "He said just behind this villa, and he said one time…"
Lois looked as Imra's eyes widened with shock, and she saw that the villa had been ruined, obviously by a fire.
()()()()()
Back at the farm, Clark heard about Lois and Imra's attempt to contact Dick's parents.
"And the neighbors said he lost his parents in the fire!" Lois finished.
"We're the only ones who can help him!" Imra insisted, and Clark agreed. It was like his father said, do what you can to help people.
"Help him?!" Kell snapped. "That little circus brat's probably spilling his guts to the guards right now!"
"Kell, he was taken from one of our meetings." Clark said plainly. "That makes him our responsibility. Imra's right. We've got to help him."
()()()()()
Clark drove up to the Metro-Dome where the games were played and brought out a large basket of produce and walked up to a guard.
"State your business." The guard said.
"Fruits and vegetables for the gladiators." Clark said as he pulled out a large juicy piece of melon. "And this for yourself."
Inside the corridors, Clark turned to Kell.
"Kell, you make a map of these corridors while we look for Dick." Clark said.
"On it, Kal." Kell said as he rushed off.
Meanwhile, Clark went with everyone else down the stairs as the children shouted in shock when they saw a skeleton hanging from the wall.
"What was that?!" Imra called out.
"A not so successful gladiator." Clark said calmly, though truth be told the skeleton had caught him off guard too.
At that point, they heard singing.
"Sounds like Dick isn't alone." Lois observed.
"Halt!" A rotund man with orange hair and a long nose called out. "Who goes there?!"
"It's Clark Kent with stale fruits and vegetables for the prisoners." Clark said as he held up a water melon. "Too bad guards can't eat on duty."
"Actually, it's just about time for my break." The rotund man said.
"Garth, take care of our friend while we feed the prisoners." Clark said with a smile.
Clark then headed to the cell with everyone except Garth and Ayla.
"Clark…" Barry said weakly. "Lois…"
"Shh!" Clark said quickly. "Barry, what are you doing here?"
"We were all rounded up in last night's raid." Barry explained.
"Back away you scavengers!" Clark called out in the direction of the guards' break room. "That's all the crumbs you get!"
Clark then turned to Barry and whispered, "Don't worry. There's enough food for all of you."
"Imra!" Dick called out in a whisper.
"Dick, are you okay?" Imra asked.
"Yeah, but tomorrow, they're going to throw us to some guy named Bane." Dick said urgently.
"Don't panic." Clark said. "We'll have you out before then. Just have courage."
"Courage?!" Dick whispered. "Have you seen the size of this guy?!"
"Size has nothing to do with courage, Dick." Clark explained.
"Right." Lois said kindly. "Remember David and Goliath? And Zachius?"
"Who?" Dick asked.
"Zachius." Lois said. "He wasn't much taller than you, but he had a lot of courage. You see the people where Jesus lived hated Zachius because he collected taxes for the Romans. Because he was so short, he liked to look down on everybody. He was also very rich and powerful, but what people most disliked was that Zachius was a cheat. But for all of his wealth, he had no friends and was alone.
"Now Zachius had heard a lot about Jesus, and really wanted to see him, so he left the house while Jesus was teaching only a few feet away, but Zachius couldn't get a good look at Jesus through the crowd as he was so short. Unfazed, Zachius climbed up a tree to take a look at Jesus when he looked up at him.
"'Zachius!' Jesus called out. 'Hurry and climb down for today I must stay in your house.'
"The people complained, calling Zachius a traitor and a thief for all the money he cheated even the Ceaser of Rome out of. Hearing these things, Zachius turned to Jesus.
"Lord,' Zachius said. 'I will give half of all I own to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times as much.'
"Zachius did so, and as he watched, Jesus said, 'Truly, God's forgiveness has come to this house today.'
"You see? It took a lot of courage for Zachius to be honest. You know what I mean?"
Clark smiled. Lois was a naturally born storyteller and Story Keeper.
()()()()()
In the dungeons, Ayla hid under the table while Garth handed the rotund man, Oswald Cobblepot, several fruits and vegetables.
"Uh… Mr. Cobblepot, party of one?" Garth asked.
While Mr. Cobblepot ate the food, Ayla snuck out from under the table, took some dough, and imprinted the key to the Christians' cell on the dough as she walked out quietly.
()()()()()
It took an hour to double check escape routes in case of any problems; Kell finished up his map and smiled.
"Perfect." Kell said when he ran into the guard at the door.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" The guard asked.
"Uh… Me?" Kell asked. "I'm… With the volunteers for arena improvement."
"Alright, carry on." The guard said as he walked off.
"I think getting Christians out of here would be a definite improvement." Kell said to himself as he went off.
()()()()()
Once the prisoners had finished their food, Clark smiled and shook Barry's hand.
"Now get some rest." Clark advised. "We'll be back for you all in the morning."
"Imra," Dick said. "Thanks."
"It's okay, Dick." Imra said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Imra then walked off as Dick gulped. He wasn't brave. He couldn't even tell his new best friend that he and his parents got separated in the Great Fire, and he wasn't sure where they were or if they were even alive. He sighed. Maybe he could pray for courage.
Poor Dick.