ONE YEAR LATER-
General Sam Lane was running things now. He was doing what he should have done when his wife lost her damned mind, married an alien and dragged his daughters into the gutter with her.
He took charge. Utter and complete charge.
Not without help, of course. Bruce Wayne and the scientists associated with what was known as 'The Justice League', came up with a toxin, made from the radioactive bits of what used to be the planet Krypton. It was dispersed into the air and was harmless to humans.
It paralyzed the Kryptonians long enough for General Lane, along with his men, in conjunction with other armies on the planet, to subdue the Kryptonians and put them in detention camps.
Sam Lane forced his niece to return everyone to full size. He then gave her the position of Warden of the Kryptonian Correctional Facility in Kansas! He knew that was probably a dangerous position to give to someone with so much power, but Sam Lane suspected that they had not seen the last of that beast known as Darkseid. And he fully suspected his niece's powers were temporary. Temporary, but useful, for now.
And Kal-El, that sly rapscallion, thought he could hide on his daughter's person! As soon as Lois was examined by military doctors, he was found, put into a jar with holes in the top of the covering, then returned to full size and imprisoned along with his father, Jor-El, Lara, Kara, Zod, Zor-El, Alura and any known enemy Kryptonian on the planet.
Some were allowed their freedom, since they were considered worthwhile people and had went against their own kind for the sake of all humanity-like Davis Bloom.
Davis was awarded a Medal of Honor and a Medal of Humanity. He was also named the Secretary of Defense by President Luthor and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Sam felt bad for the young lad, since he was estranged from his wife, Cat Grant, who had actually married some reporter named John Corbin.
Cat had given her baby up for adoption. No one knew if it had been a boy or girl.
Then there was Lois.
Sam didn't like thinking about what was done in her case, because he didn't believe in re-hashing the past, or what was best, even when it wasn't very nice. But Lois had a different future ahead of her. And he would not allow Ella's trampy mistake to destroy his girls.
He convinced Lois that she would be better off giving up the child to people that could protect his or her secret. Then, with the help of Lionel Luthor, he showed Lois the doctored recording of Ella 'screwing' Kal-El.
Lois at first refused to believe it, claiming Kal-El had told her it had been doctored, but unbeknownst to her, Sam had had it 'touched up', so that it really did seem like it was Kal-El his ex-wife was with. The result was so graphic, that Lois felt she had no choice but to agree. Kal-El was imprisoned and he had slept with her mother. Her baby deserved a fresh start elsewhere, not facing the stigma of being Kryptonian and being raised by a single mother.
Lois asked that the baby be taken away as soon as he or she were born. She had no idea if she had a girl or a boy.
Sam picked up the Daily Planet newspaper and smiled. Lois had made the front page again! The Black Manta serial killer had been caught, no thanks in part to Lois's articles. He nodded approvingly before setting down the paper again. THIS is what Lois could get accomplished when she didn't allow the likes Kal-El OR Bruce Wayne, to clutter her senses.
Sam liked Bruce, well enough, but he was actually on house arrest now! He would've gotten much worse for that melee in Gotham City Square but Sam had stepped forward and revealed Bruce's part in helping capture the Kryptonians. So he was on house arrest for a year. That also meant that Sam didn't think he would be good future husband material for Lois.
He was thinking along those lines, when Lucy got past his secretary and entered his office on the base. General Lane set the paper down and greeted his younger daughter.
"Lucy honey. What brings you by?" he asked casually, giving her a quick hug. But when he let her go, he could see that she was distinctly unhappy looking.
"Daddy," Lucy began slowly, "did you know that Lex and Lana Luthor adopted a child? A baby boy?"
"Really? Well I'll be damned! Good for them! How come we haven't heard about this?" Sam asked casually.
"The president and the first lady want to wait a bit. He's a 'special child'."
"Special needs?"
"No, Daddy, not quite. I doubt that there isn't much this child won't be able to do." Lucy said tartly. "He's Kryptonian."
"Oh. So the Luthors adopted a baby from one of the prisoners..."
"Daddy! Come on! That baby is like seven or eight months and he looks like Kal-El! You gave Lois's son to the Luthors! I get why you did this, making Lois give the baby up but to give an innocent child to Lex Luthor..."
"Tell me, Luce, why is it that you suddenly find the man so despicable? I mean suddenly he isn't even parent material. Don't you think Lana Luthor will be a good mother?" Sam asked knowingly.
Lucy folded her arms.
"Can we forget my association with Lex for a moment?"
"'Association'? You were the president's lover during one of the lowest points in the history of this country!" Sam hissed. "And don't think I don't know about that OTHER Kryptonian! What the hell is wrong with the women in this family? First your mother goes apeshit for one of these aliens, then you, then Lois, then we find out Moira was doing one while she was married to a good guy like Gabe Sullivan."
"To be fair, Daddy, Aunt Moira didn't 'do Zod' while she was married to Uncle Gabe. That was before."
"Gabe has asked me to look out for Chloe while he's away. No one has ever thought about how Moira's return from whatever the hell was wrong with her, has affected him."
"Where did he go?" Lucy asked.
"Off to the damned woods someplace to be alone. Look, I did what needed doing. So telling Lois about this isn't going to help her. She's finally back in the place she was before this Kal-El thing got out of control. And that I blame on your mother." Sam told her.
"Yes...about Mom...did you know that she's seeing Lionel Luthor?"
"Luce, I wouldn't be surprised if she had been 'seeing' him while she was married to Jor-El! Now I'm really busy honey..."
"Daddy...even if you don't think Lois should be raising this child, Kal-El deserves a chance to know his son."
"What the hell do you care what Kal-El deserves?!" Sam barked in a suspicious tone. Lucy looked kind of guilty.
"I visited him at the detention center, okay? Those Kryptonians are broken and horrified and..."
"What are you feeling sorry for them for? They're treated more humanely than they were going to treat us! And I don't want to hear about your visiting that place again! I'm surprised Chloe didn't tell me about it."
"Daddy, Chloe is crazy."
"That's not very nice, Lucy."
"Well I'm sorry! But she ordered the Kryptonians to only be served Alpo! Come on!"
"It's food, isn't it?" Sam countered just as his secretary buzzed and told him that Tess Mercer was waiting for him. Lucy raised a brow.
"Tess Mercer from LuthorCorp? Are you two dating?"
"Goodbye, Lucy." General Lane pointedly told her. Lucy turned and walked out of the office and past Tess without saying a word. Tess glanced after her, then stepped into Sam's office and closed the door.
"The test for Project K, is taking place in an undisclosed location, owned by LuthorCorp." Tess said.
"I know Did you get all of the bugs out?" Sam asked tensely.
"Mostly. The Kal-El clone still has some problems. Similar to what happened when Jor-El experimented on Davis Bloom."
"I think that''s probably a plus. I don't want Lois or anyone else seeing him and thinking he's Kal-El all over again. But they have the same strengths as the Kryptonians they are cloned after?"
"Yes. So now the military brass can get a look at what they are buying before you go to war with North Korea." Tess said.
"Whoa!" Sam said, walking over to her. "No one said we were 'going to war' and especially with them! Besides, that's up to President Luthor."
Tess grinned!
"You're forgetting how well I know Lex. I know more about him than his own wife. Lex wants to use those clones against North Korea. Your daughter, by the way, is very nosy. She's been sniffing around this story. She's also been sniffing around the new head of Wayne Enterprises."
Sam raised a brow. Yes, that was quite a tale. Shortly after Bruce Wayne was put on house arrest, some guy came out of nowhere claiming to be his older brother, Thomas Wayne Jr.! DNA was a match to the supposed stillborn older brother of Bruce. The details on what happened or how,were still sketchy, but what added even more credence to Thomas Wayne's story, was that he was raised by none other than a man named William Clark...Martha Kent's father!
Bruce didn't believe a word of it. And Lois was determined to prove this guy to be the con artist she knew he was! Thomas was also dating Tess and Tess didn't want Lois and Thomas interacting at all! That and she sensed that Thomas Wayne Jr., actually enjoyed being rudely interrogated by Lois.
That wasn't going to continue.
"Well make sure she doesn't find out anything." Sam said. "My daughter has worked hard to recover from that Kal-El business-and the Bruce Wayne misfortune. I'd like to see her cut the Wayne's out of her life for good."
Tess nodded. She planned to make sure of that. And an idea was forming. One that involved the Kal-El clone.
KANSAS DETENTION CENTER-
At least Chloe was providing saltines with the Alpo now. And unfortunately, a scathing article on an online site called 'Humane Watch', told the story of the dog food being fed to the Kryptonian prisoners in the state of Kansas AND that it was being done because Chloe Sullivan was bitter over losing a Kryptonian to her cousin.
Meanwhile, Kal-El, dressed in the gray prison garb that was allotted to all of the prisoners, and the tell tale radioactive collar, sat in the waiting room of Chloe's office. He glared at her 'secretary' who was none other than Zod!
Zod still wore his collar, but he had normal clothes on! And he was sipping some kind of berry looking smoothie, while using an Excel program on the computer...
"Where is she?!" Kal-El demanded. He eyed the berry smoothie. The rest of them were only given the Alpo and water.
Zod cleared his throat and dragged his eyes off of the computer screen.
"Kal-El? I didn't realize you were here."
"Right. You saw the guards bring me in here and then you proceeded to ignore me. Is Chloe hiding in that office?"
Zod shook his head.
"Kal-El, you are pitiful. The woman is angry. Scorned. All you have to do is show her some attention in a believable manner, and we could rise up and overtake this prison and the guards. Are you here to begin doing that? Or are you complaining about the Alpo?"
"It is DOG FOOD! My poor mother is eating that slop!"
"I am not." Zod said blithely. "I ate a nice breakfast of ham, eggs and toast. You could too if..."
"Shut up, you!" Kal-El hissed standing up. "What you're doing is seducing your way out of trouble here! You already turned Moira Sullivan half insane and now you plan on toying with Chloe! You will make this situation much worse if you proceed in this manner!"
"I don't know what you mean. Please sit down or I will call the guards and tell them that you threatened Chloe's life." Zod said somberly.
Meanwhile, Chloe hurried through a back entrance to the prison to avoid the press, wearing an off white, sleeveless, cowl neck sweater dress. Her blonde hair was shoulder length and rested under a scarf as she moved. How could anyone have gotten ahold of this? She suspected Lucy, to be honest. She had come here a few weeks back to see Kal-El and he must have bitched about it.
The Alpo Snafu, as she liked to call it, was just that! The person that orders the food supplies for the prison, clicked Alpo instead of a certain brand of chili that strongly resembles the Alpo packaging. And it wasn't like the prisoners would be eating this stuff forever. But she was not going to send back perfectly good(well maybe not 'good'), canned food, just because it was the wrong brand. And kind.
By the time she got to her office, Chloe found Kal-El fuming and Zod working on some spreadsheets on the computer. She dragged her eyes off of Zod and faced Kal-El.
"Did we have an appointment?"
"You know we did." Kal-El said. "I would like an explanation about the poor nourishment we are being given. We never treated you all like this when Kryptonians were in control. And we won't when we regain power."
"Oh nice, Kal-El! From where I'm standing, the chances of someone like yourself taking power again, are slim to none. Now if that's all..."
"No it is not all!" Kal-El snapped. "I know you know something about the whereabouts of my child. If you ever cared anything for me, you will tell me where my son or daughter is. You will also persuade Lois to come here and visit me. I will explain to her that her father came between us with that video and..."
Chloe just shook her head.
"I am just the warden here, Kal-El. Lois is your business. You have phone privileges. Call her and ask her to come and see you."
"She has changed her number. I need the correct one."
Chloe now folded her arms.
"Is that why you're here? This visit really isn't about dog food, is it? Uncle Sam wants things this way. I'm just following his wishes."
"And instructions." Kal-El said coldly. "It would behoove you to cooperate, Chloe. I would hate to see you eating cat food when the Kryptonians regain power."
Chloe looked over at Zod, who hit a buzzer. Two guards came in and one of them slammed a cattle prod into Kal-El's back and he buckled! The guards grabbed each one of his arms and dragged him from her office. Chloe closed the door behind them, walked past Zod and into her office. She walked to the window and stared down at the press vans below.
Zod walked into her office and closed her door. Chloe sensed his presence but did not look at him right away.
"I want to know who gave that website this story! It had to be someone that works here."
Zod moved so that he was standing next to her. He too stared out as Chloe reached up to remove the scarf from her head. The phone rang and instead of answering it right away, Zod slipped a possessive arm around the pinch of Chloe's waist, before picking it up.
"Warden Sullivan's office." Zod said. He listened for a moment then cut the caller off short.
"Miss Sullivan has no comment about an internet hoax concerning Alpo. Good day to you." he said coldly and hung up. Chloe inexplicably, found herself doing nothing to pull herself out of his hold. She didn't know how or why it began, this trust she had in General Zod. And considering that she had witnessed him trying to rape her mother at one time, Chloe didn't know if she had lost her senses in allowing him to work for her and touch her in a familiar manner, or was she curious about a Kryptonian her own mother had had an affair with at one time?
She was not stupid. The Kryptonians wanted the power and hold they had over the Earthlings of this planet, back. And Zod was probably the main one. But she sensed that his seeming sucking up to her was not feigned. He was attracted to her, probably for the wrong reasons, but it was attraction none the less. Chloe was also not blind to the fact that he was a man that had once held great power on his own planet. She could learn a lot from him.
"Thank you for handling that." Chloe breathed. Zod placed a light kiss on Chloe's bare shoulder, before tightening his hold on her.
"It is not the press that is bothering you, is it, my dear?" Chloe turned into his arms and Zod splayed both hands at her waist.
"You should let go of me and get back to work."
"Why? Because I told you the truth? Do you know where Kal-El and Lois's child is at this moment?"
Chloe pulled out of his embrace. Even thinking of getting involved with an old lover of her mother's, was not the smart thing to do. And she didn't even want to think about what Davis's reaction would be! She tossed some hair.
"I am not my mother. So don't think you can fool me, okay? And I've had enough of Kryptonians and their lies, to last a life time. My uncle is the only one that knows where that child is. Kal-El should deal with him."
"I agree. I admire how you have managed to stay out of this so far. You could have easily held this information over Kal-El's head in exchange for his attentions." Zod told her. Chloe began to protest that accusation, but Zod placed a finger on her lips.
"The child is better off, wherever he or she is. Kal-El could not parent." Zod said, then picked up a copy of the Daily Planet. "And it does not look as if Lois Lane wanted to."
Zod set the paper back down on the desk and then gave Chloe a lingering kiss upon her lips before walking out of her office and back to his own desk. Chloe stared after him, the taste of his mouth upon hers, still lingering upon her lips. She told herself SHE was in control here at this prison. And none of the prisoners would be touching or kissing her...
But then again, General Zod was much more than just a prisoner, wasn't he? Chloe walked to her office door and closed it. Maybe she should call her mother and see if they could have lunch?
Oddly, Lois Lane was hurrying in the same manner Chloe had been, wearing the same sort of dress only in the color black. She was also talking to Bruce on the phone while heading into LuthorCorp.
"You're sure he's in there?" Lois asked as she got into the lobby.
"I had Alfred plant a homing device on him, when he went to see him on his yacht." Bruce revealed.
"You sent Alfred to see Orin?"
"His wife was killed. I wanted to send a condolence package or something. Alfred planted the device on him, per my instruction. Once it was revealed a LuthorCorp tanker was the ship that hit Mera...I feel helpless here."
"Hey! None of that! I'll keep Orin from doing something he might regret, okay? And you won't be in this situation for long." Lois said, stopping in the lobby.
"But it did change things between us, didn't it?" Bruce asked softly.
"Bruce..."
"I couldn't be there for you. Maybe if I had been...maybe you would've made a different decision about the baby."
Lois felt anger well up within her!
"What are you saying, Bruce? That you would have married me if I had kept the baby?"
"I couldn't, Lois. Not with how my life is or my circumstances..."
"Would you have if the baby had been yours?"
"That's not fair, Lois! What I do with the Justice League and for Gotham City is not something I can give up."
"But there was a time when you thought you could balance that and myself, right? Look, there's no need in re-hashing this. My baby is with good people, I'm sure my father took care of that. Even if Kal-El wasn't in prison, I could never be with someone that slept with my mother."
"Lois..."
"How about we don't talk about this ever again? I'm going up to Tess's office. I'm sure that's where Orin would be if he's anywhere."
"You could stay on the line with me and I could tell you where he is?" Bruce countered.
"I'm not in the mood to hear that judgy tone of voice of yours. I'll find him myself." Lois said curtly before hanging up on him. She put her phone inside her purse and forced herself to calm down. She got onto an elevator and was relieved to have it all to herself as she headed towards the top floor.
There was a part of her that knew she should be thanking her father. Had her destiny really been to be with Kal-El and give him full blooded Kryptonian children, all because HE slept with two other...three, other members of her family?
But there was a part of her that knew that the whole debacle, wouldn't hurt so much, if she really believed that there hadn't been more between herself and Kal-El. She still thought about the moment he told her loved her. He had loved her 'more than love'.
Or had he? Since he lied right to her face about sleeping with her mother.
Then there was her mother, whom she stopped speaking to. Lois had asked her point blank if she had slept with Kal-El, back when she was hospitalized after Krypton first blew up. And she'd lied to her face and managed to snare Lionel Luthor in the process. If one could call going out with Lionel Luthor a coup.
She had spent much of her time after she gave up the baby, throwing herself into her work. Orin had specifically caught Black Manta and gave her pertinent details so that she could write front page stories. Concentrating on something else, even if it was murder and depravity, helped her forget the many losses she had endured in such a short amount of time.
The elevator reached the top floor. Lois took a deep breath and waited for the doors to open. She had not even been aware that Mera had died, much less had been killed by something related to LuthorCorp. Lois wondered if her mother would care that her new boyfriend's company had killed Orin's wife.
Somehow, Lois suspected Ella Lane would be able to overlook it.
She looked around and soon, heard shouting coming from a specific direction! Lois hurried towards the area where Lex Luthor's office was. His secretary was calmly sitting at her desk, looking at some files.
"Hey! What's all that shouting in that office?"
The secretary looked puzzled.
"There's always screaming coming from Tess's office. People hate her. It's not unusual." the secretary shrugged. Lois rolled her eyes and walked up to the office door, ignoring the protests of the secretary. She then flung the door open and found Orin inside, holding Tess up in the air by the throat!
The secretary screamed and began to call for security, but Tess rasped at her to do nothing! Lois eyed Tess, who seemed very sure that somehow she would get out of this.
"Orin, let go of her. I know she sucks..."
But Orin did not look at Lois. He kept his eyes on Tess.
"She has been in charge of LuthorCorp since Luthor took office. SHE is responsible for what happened to my wife!"
"Orin, you have your baby to consider! Little Orin will be a orphan if you end up in prison! Put her down and let her go, okay?"
"I have nothing now! Nothing!" Orin said, still holding Tess in the air.
"You have your son! You have to be strong for him!" Lois insisted. Tess was beginning to turn blue!
"That tanker just ran Mera down as if she was nothing! Just like LuthorCorp pollutes sea life as if they were nothing!"
"Orin," Lois said softly, "let her go. You have your baby son. And you have me. I will always be there. I will help you with your son...just don't do this. I've lost so much this year, and I don't think I could stand it if you suddenly left my life too." Lois said, realizing she meant every word of what she was saying.
Orin suddenly dropped Tess and she fell the ground, seemingly unconscious! The secretary got on the phone and called 911! Lois bent down and ascertained that Tess was still breathing before rising up again.
"Orin, the cops are going to want to know what happened! We have to get out of here!" Lois said and pulled on his hand.
But he did not budge.
"Orin!"
"Did you mean what you said? About how you will be there for me? And my son?"
"Yes! Of course I did! You know how I felt about you..."
Orin suddenly kissed Lois hungrily, his mouth savaging hers for a moment, before she started to push him away! But something in her gave in and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer into his warm embrace. He ended the kiss and spoke against her lips.
"Come with me now." he whispered. His need for Lois was great in this moment and he knew he was wrong to be thinking about making love to her during this time, but he could not help it. His cock throbbed at just the idea of it.
Lois nodded against him and he captured the nip of her waist, with his heavy, thick arm. They hurried out of the office, ignoring the shock of the secretary, as they attempted to make their way out of the building without Orin getting caught.
It was as the elevator doors closed, that Tess's color returned and she sat up, gasping! Her secretary looked stunned!
"Miss Mercer?! Oh my God! Why didn't you let me call security before?"
"Because," Tess rasped, "security is not how you deal with a problem like that. Hold my calls and tell the paramedics they aren't needed when they get here. I'm going to be out of the building."
Tess Mercer's secretary said nothing. She had learned not to quibble about little things like her boss being almost choked to death in full view of witnesses. Somehow, those things seemed to work themselves out.
Tess went to the rest room and straightened up. She was going to the special center where they held the clones. Orin Curry and Lois Lane were going to get a 'special surprise' in their lives soon.
Orin Curry had a yacht called 'Mera' that he stayed on when he dealt with surface dwellers.
Mera had never been on it.
But Lois had. But not as an overnight guest.
The Mera had set sail hours ago and Lois stared out of a large window into the blue of the sea, while on all fours. Handfuls of bed sheet were held tightly within each hand, as Orin's thick bulk see-sawed, uninterrupted, within her willing flesh. Her breasts bobbed to and fro rhythmically while Orin groaned with satisfaction and excitement. He gripped Lois's hips in a firm, possessive hold as he continued to hammer his searing length into her depths.
Lois was soon racked with spasms of pleasure and Orin, spent, released his grip on her hips and leaned forward over her back. He reached under Lois to cup her still jogging breasts within his large hands and squeeze them possessively. They then sank, as one, down onto the bed, sandwiched together. Lois could feel his bulbous sex still pulsating deeply within her. She had needed this, as had Orin. But as the room stopped spinning and reality set in, Mera was still dead and she had gotten involved with a man that she had told herself it was better to stay away from.
At least she had kept him from killing Tess and...
"I want you back in my life, Lois." Orin said softly.
"I never left your life. You know that."
"You know what I mean." Orin said pointedly. "I know what happened between us was something that needed to happen. From the moment you found out I was still alive. But there were complications..."
Lois managed to disentangle herself from him and stand up. She shook her hair out and found a robe to put on.
"Orin, I don't want to talk about Kal-El or what happened with him. I am trying to start a new life, okay?"
Before he could answer, the sound of a baby crying could be heard! Lois's mouth dropped open in horror!
"Your son is on this yacht? We did it on a boat where your son is?!"
Orin rose from the bed but did not cover himself.
"It will be fine, Lois. Come, I want you to meet him."
"I don't know if that's a good idea..." Lois trailed off. But Orin pulled on her hand and lead her out of the stateroom, down aways until they reached another room with a crib. Orin Jr. was very upset! His toy shark stuffed animal was no longer in the crib with him! Orin moved to pick him up, while Lois picked up the stuffed animal and handed it to the child. Orin Jr. took it, eyeing her with curiosity.
I shouldn't be here, Lois thought! Is someone holding my baby like this now?
Orin suddenly pushed Orin Jr. towards her and Lois had little choice but to take him. He just stared at her in wonder, not realizing that his real mother was dead. Lois pulled him closer and moved to sit in a rocking chair with him. He played with his toy shark as Lois slowly rocked in the chair with him. She never noticed Orin leave them alone so they could get to know one another better.
