Chapter 8: Catacomb Rescue: Part 2: The Search

While searching for Kent Nelson, Brainiac 5 watched as Imperiex had his men break down a door and ransack the house to look for the Christian.

"Sometimes I don't understand." Brainiac 5 said to Oswald, who was busy with some chicken he'd grabbed, which equated to talking to himself. "Even if they are different, these Christians don't seem so bad. Still Brainiac is my god, and I do as he commands. Guards, search that house!"

Brainiac 5's men entered a house across from where Imperiex was.

()()()()()

Garth was walking down the street with some bread when he noticed all the soldiers, led by Imperiex.

"You there!" Imperiex snapped. "What are you doing?"

"I was just making deliveries." Garth said nervously.

"Deliver this!" Imperiex called out as he cracked his whip at the cart Garth was pulling as it tumbled over. Avoiding the whip from Imperiex, Garth ran into Brainiac 5, the soldier who had captured Kell last week.

"Hey, watch where you're going, boy!" Brainiac 5 called out.

"Why don't you get your hands off of me?!" Garth shouted as he wrenched himself free.

"And why don't you get off the streets." Brainiac 5 retorted calmly.

Garth rushed off.

"One day, you're going to pay for this!" Garth called out. "You're all gonna pay!"

()()()()()

At the farm, everyone had finished eating, and the children crowded around Kent.

"Tell us a story!" Imra pleaded.

"Yeah, a story about Jesus!" Ayla said as well.

"Kent will tell another story tonight." Clark said with a smile. "Right now, we have to discuss our plans to get him off of Earth."

"Does he have to leave?" Imra asked sadly.

"I'm afraid so, Imra." Kent said. "There are many people on Thanagar who have never heard the stories of Christ, and I have to plant the seeds."

Kent then left with Clark to talk as Lois sat down.

"He's gonna plant seeds on Thanagar?" Ayla asked.

"I thought he was a Story Keeper. Not a farmer." Dick said.

"Well Dick, telling the stories of Jesus is like planting a seed in someone's heart." Lois explained.

"Lois!" Clark called from the staircase. "Tell them about the sewer!"

"Ah, yes." Lois said with a smile. "One day, Jesus was teaching a crowd by the sea.

"'Listen to this!' Jesus said. 'A farmer went to plant his crop. Now some seeds fell on the path, and the birds ate them. Some seeds fell on rocky ground. These shot up quickly because the soil was thin, but they were scorched by the sun. Some seeds fell among the thorn bushes, and the thorns grew up and choked them, so that they never ripened, but some seeds fell into good soil and made thirty times more grain. Some up to sixty, and others up to a hundred times more grain.'

"And Jesus then said, 'He who has ears, let them hear.'"

"Hear what?" Dick asked. "I don't get it."

"Well, neither did his Disciples." Lois said. "At least, not at first. You see, after the story, Peter turned to Jesus and asked, 'Master, why do you speak in stories. Why not say what you mean, like you do with us?'

"Jesus responded, 'When I'm talking to you, I can talk about God's way plainly, about how God cares for everyone everywhere, but those who see me as I pass through their villages don't know me as well. I put things into stories. That way, those who want to hear me can, but those whose hearts are closed never do. Like the scriptures say, they look, but they don't really see what's there. They listen, but they don't understand.'

"Because if they did understand, they'd change their ways." Lois finished.

Just then, Garth burst in.

"Clark, Clark!" Garth shouted out. "The soldiers are coming! We've gotta hide Kent!"

"Garth, you and Imra take Kent to the catacombs and wait for me." Clark said quickly. "I'll keep the guards busy."

There was a knock on the door.

"Open up in the name of Brainiac!" A voice called out.

"Hurry!" Clark asked.

As Garth and Imra took Kent to the kitchen to get him out by the window, the children and Lois quickly cleaned up.

"I said open this door!" The soldier called out again.

"I'm coming." Clark said. "I'm coming."

Clark opened the door to find Cobblepot.

"Oswald!" Clark called out with a smile.

"Oh, Clark." Cobblepot said in shock. "I didn't realize this was your farm."

"Come in." Clark said kindly. "Come in."

"I'm afraid I'll have to." Oswald said. "Brainiac's orders. We're searching the whole district."

()()()()()

In the kitchen, Garth tried to push Kent out while Imra pulled.

"Come on, Mr. Nelson!" Imra groaned.

()()()()()

"So, are you searching for anyone in particular?" Lois asked.

"Well actually…" Cobblepot began before he turned to some bread Lois had just pulled out of the oven. "Wow, those look good."

"By all means, help yourself." Clark said kindly.

Cobblepot began to eat a loaf of the bread when Imperiex came in.

"Well Cobblepot, hoping to find a Christian beneath that crust?!" Imperiex asked.

"No." Cobblepot said nervously. "Sorry sir. I was just about to-"

Imperiex shoved the bread into Cobblepot's mouth when he turned to the others.

"Search this place!" Imperiex called out, and the guards pounded through the whole mansion as Lois held Ayla and Dick close to her.

After their searches turned up nothing, there was a loud thump.

"What was that?" Imperiex asked as he went into the kitchen to find a portrait of Clark kneeling before Brainiac.

"Brainiac's farmer, eh?" Imperiex asked as he turned to Clark. "If I find you've been hiding that Story Keeper, I'll harvest you."

()()()()()

Outside of a rundown road, Imra helped Garth and Kent sneak into the catacombs that ran throughout New Metropolis and New Smallville.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Garth asked.

"I know these tunnels like the back of my hand." Imra said offhandedly. "I had to live down here for a month after the fire."

They then walked on.

()()()()()

Back at the farm, Clark, Lois, Dick, and Ayla cleaned up.

"At least the children are safe." Clark said reassuringly. "And they didn't find Kent."

"Clark." A voice whispered.

"What was that?" Dick asked.

"Clark." The voice whispered again as Ayla noticed it was coming from the picture in the kitchen.

"The picture's talking." Ayla said in awe.

"Ayla, it's just Kell-El." Clark said good naturedly as he lifted the picture as Kell hopped in.

"Clark, you won't believe it!" Kell said excitedly. "We've gathered a whole cartful of food and clothing for Kent to take to our friends on Thanagar!"

"That's wonderful!" Lois said.

"Yeah, and I've got these!" Kell said as he pulled out a piece of paper with Brainiac's seal on it. "Traveling papers."

"Traveling papers?" Ayla asked.

"Brainiac set up check points all over the city, but with these, once Kent's off of Earth, he can travel anywhere in the empire!"

"Excellent." Clark said. "Kell, tell everyone to bring their gifts to the Thanagar Christians to J'onn's cave, here. We'll meet you there tonight."

"But that's outside the city." Dick said confusedly. "How will you get Kent there?"

"Catacombs, my boy." Clark said with a laugh. "They don't call us underground Christians for nothing."

Oh, now that was a good stroke of luck for the gang.