Chapter 5: Raging Waters Part 2: The Story for New Metropolis
Each city on Earth possessed an aqueduct system similar to Ancient Rome as a means of easily having access to free water, one of the only good choices Brainiac had made.
Imra's way of getting to New Metropolis was taking the New Smallville aqueduct to the adjacent New Metropolis aqueduct.
"Captain Garth to the rescue!" Garth called out.
"I wanna be captain!" Dick complained.
"Me too!" Ayla called out happily.
"They'll be okay, won't they?" Lois asked Clark as they watched the children and Kell head off.
"Of course." Clark said with a kind smile. "When Kell and I were kids, we did it all the time."
()()()()()
Back on the aqueduct, Kell jokingly bopped Dick in the head with the bread that hid the New Metropolis story.
"Stop with the splashing." Kell said with a smile. "I've already had one bath today, and I'm not taking another."
"Oh yeah?" Imra smirked as they reached the end of the aqueduct, which turned out to be a foot away from the New Metropolis aqueduct, and they all fell to the pool at the bottom as a guard was investigating a grate.
"That's three fish, seven rocks, one sandal-" The guard said as the kids splashed down. "And approximately 356 pounds of assorted children."
The guard helped the kids out as he said cockily, "No, no, this won't do at all. Children playing in the aqueduct. As aqueduct inspector, I'm afraid it's my duty to give you all a citation."
"Yes sir." Kell said quickly as he took the new citation, not wanting to cause a ruckus when they had more important places to be. "Won't happen again, sir."
Kell then turned to the kids and whispered, "Let's get out of here."
As Kell turned, he bumped into a green skinned Coluan like Brainiac with bright purple, almost pink armor that matched his eyes.
"A bit old to be playing in the aqueduct, aren't you, friend?" The Coluan asked.
"Who me?" Kell asked nervously. "We were uh…"
"We're not playing." Imra said quickly. This kid was fast on her feet. "We're junior Praetorian water scouts, and he's our troop leader."
Garth, Dick, and Ayla quickly followed suit and raised their hands.
"I am?" Kell asked before quickly accepting the story. "I mean, I am!"
"Uh-huh." The Coluan said. "What's that you've got behind your back?"
"Bread!" Cobblepot said as Kell just noticed him. Cobblepot was sure to taste it if he let him, and Kell knew their cover would be blown big time if that happened. "I'll take some of that."
"No!" Kell said quickly as he pulled the bread away before Cobblepot took it and bit into it, revealing the scroll as Cobblepot rubbed his face.
"Wow. This bread's kinda stale." Cobblepot said as the Coluan took the scroll out and looked at it.
"So you're one of those Christians." The Coluan said. "I've never met one in person."
Kell then rushed forward and grabbed the scroll.
"Halt!" The Coluan called out.
"You'll never take me alive!" Kell called out when several guards bathed Kell in red sunlight energy. "Of course if you want to take me alive, we could work it that way too."
"Take him to the Imperial Palace in New Metropolis." The Coluan said. "Brainiac 1 will want to interrogate him."
"Of course he will." Cobblepot said plainly. "Just before he feeds him to the lions."
()()()()()
At the farm, Imra and Ayla had rushed in and told Clark and Lois about Kell being taken by the guards.
"And I think they took him to the palace." Imra said urgently. "Then Garth and Dick went after him."
"Oh this is terrible!" Clark called out. "We've gotta cook up a way of getting Kell-El out of the palace!"
Clark's use of the word "cook" suddenly caused something to snap in Lois' mind.
"Cook up a way." Lois said with a smile. "That's it!"
"Huh?" Clark asked.
"Don't just stand there!" Lois said as she quickly tossed aprons to Clark, Imra, and Ayla. "We've got a lot of baking to do!"
"Lois, what does baking have to do with rescuing Kell-El?" Clark asked.
"Don't you remember?" Lois asked. "Brainiac's famous for his sweet tooth!"
"Of course!" Clark called out. "Come on everyone. You heard Lois. We've got a lot of baking to do."
"But what will we bake?" Imra asked. Clark and Lois were farmers, so she had a limited idea of what the two could make that would help get Kell out of prison.
"A feast for a king, my dear." Clark said with a smile as he took out some dough and flour. "A feast for a king."
()()()()()
At Brainiac's New Metropolis palace, which he spent most of his time in, Ron Karr announced him to several senators.
"Live from Brainiac's palace, it's the incredible, Brainiac 1.0!" Ron Karr called out as Brainiac walked out.
"Welcome to this meeting." Brainiac said. "I have called you here for a rare treat. Ron Karr, call Brainiac 5."
"Brainiac 5!" Ron Karr called out as Brainiac's favorite soldier, Brainiac 5 walked out holding Kell, who'd been bound up with ropes that sent red sun light energy through his body, stopping him from escaping.
"Now Brainiac 5, how did you capture this young man?" Brainiac asked.
"We found this Christian near the aqueduct, Brainiac." Brainiac 5 said simply. "He was carrying this scroll."
"You know Christian; I never understood the logic in you people throwing away your lives for the sake of a Jewish carpenter who died 3,000 years ago." Brainiac said plainly, which only made Kell angry.
"He's not dead!" Kell called out. "And all over the galaxy, trillions like me wait for the day he will return and your empire will end."
"You are in for a long wait." Brainiac said with a sneer. "Brainiac 5, what's on the scroll?"
"Some kind of story, Brainiac." Brainiac 5 said plainly and in the same tone as Brainiac. "About this Jesus of theirs."
"Well that should be entertaining." Brainiac said. "Read us your little story, Christian. Who knows? Perhaps you'll convert us all."
Everyone laughed, and Kell could feel the anger boiling inside of him like Lois' spaghetti.
"You heard Brainiac." Brainiac 5 said plainly. "Read."
"You don't wanna hear the story!" Kell shouted out. "You just want to make fun of it! I will not dishonor my lord for your entertainment."
"I am your lord, Christian!" Brainiac shouted, as angry as Kell. "Read the story, I command you!"
"I'd rather die!" Kell shouted back.
"As you wish." Brainiac said with a smirk. "But first I must find out what you're dying for. Brainiac 5, what does it say?"
"It starts with Jesus and his disciples at the sea of Galilee, Brainiac." Brainiac 5 said as he unrolled the scroll.
"Well go on and read it." Brainiac said.
"'That evening, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Come, let's cross over to the other side."'" Brainiac 5 began. "'During the voyage, Jesus rested on the floor of the boat, but before long, a furious storm came up, and terrible waves began to break over the bow of the disciples' boat, filling it with water.
"'"Master!" One of the disciples called out. "Please wake up! Don't you care if we drown?"
"'Jesus awoke and went to the edge of the boat as he turned to the disciples and said, "Silence." Before he turned to the sea and shouted, "Be quiet!" And upon his command, the wind died down until the sea was completely calm.
"'Jesus then turned to his disciples and asked, "Why were you frightened? Do you still not trust me?"
"'And they turned to one another and said, "What sort of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"
Brainiac 5 stopped reading and starred inquisitively at Kell along with everyone else in the room. Kell starred back at Brainiac 5 and was surprised to see a spark in the center of his hot pink eyes.
"Well what are you all staring at?" Brainiac asked, obviously unmoved. "I never heard such a ridiculous, illogical story in my entire life. It's completely absurd!"
"Oh yes, Brainiac." Ron Karr said oily. "Absolutely absurd. No doubt about it. In fact, I'd have to say on a scale from one to-"
"Shut up, Ron Karr!" Brainiac snapped.
"Yes sir." Ron Karr said timidly.
"DESTROY THE SCROLL AT ONCE!" Brainiac shouted.
"Yes Brainiac." Brainiac 5 said calmly.
"And as for this wretch, I want him thrown to the lions at the games tomorrow." Brainiac said as he starred at Kell. "He shall be an example to the entire galaxy of how we deal with Christians!"
Brainiac laughed maniacally as Kell was carried away.