Chapter 8

As Clark stood alone in the fortress he felt like he had just been kicked in the stomach. He rarely lost his composure, and now was no exception, but he dreaded the thought of having to confront Diana. It's not fair, he thought, it's just not fair. He stood there for a moment longer, doubled over as if in physical pain.

"Do I not deserve more than this?" he shouted to no-one in particular. After a short moment there was a loud, booming voice that echoed through the fortress and suddenly Jor-El was standing in front of him. Clark's Kryptonian father was a fraction taller than his son. His hair was similar but instead of a jet-black it was completely white except for a single strand of grey at the front. His eyes too were a little less coloured than Clark's but they held no less intensity. It was from him that the voice had originated.

"Kal-El" he began, "I know what is going through your mind." He paused and looked at his son, the projection so magnificently constructed that, at least to Clark, it looked like there was even sadness in his eyes. Jor-El continued. "You are thinking of all of the lives that you have saved, and all of the lives that you have made better. In your head are images of families reunited, families full of joy because of the safe return of a husband, a wife or a child. You see lovers that you have pulled from a train-wreck and you hear the seven billion heartbeats that you have saved from invasions that they did not even know were taking place. You feel their happiness as if it were your own; that's the reason you've stayed". Clark looked at his father now, the father who spoke so wisely and yet with so little passion. For a moment Clark looked like tears were about to well up in his eyes. Finally he spoke back, not with anger or rage, but with frustration.

"But it's not my own, father!" he said, "They're happiness is not mine. My happiness is with Diana. I deserve it, don't I?" Silence. "Don't I!" Clark's eyes grew red now and his hands waved upwards, not with anger but with resignation. "You know I do" he said quietly. Jor-El waited a moment before speaking.

"You know what a hero is, Kal. If a hero worked only to ensure his own happiness, either directly or vicariously through others, then heroes would not be hard to come by." He paused before continuing. "But you are a hero, Kal. You can fight for other people's happiness when you know it means sacrificing your own. Heroes don't get rewarded, son; by definition there is no trophy for selflessness. When you speak of what you deserve…" Now came Jor-El's longest pause. "You are confusing a hero with a champion." And with that, the projection faded into the nothing from which it had come and Clark was left alone. His eyes glazed over for a moment as he thought about what his father had said. After a moment he regained his focus and slowly he began to stand up straight. He knew what to do. First he had to stop Diana, then he had to find a cure. After that, he thought, spaghetti. Superman was not a champion, he knew that. Superman would always be a hero. With a quick change into his red and blue he shot off out of the fortress. It would take Diana about four minutes to get from here back to Metropolis, he thought to himself, it's already been about three and a half. Which means she should be…" He sped up a little but didn't need to strain himself in order to catch up with Diana over North-Eastern North America, right here. He finished his sentence just as he overtook Wonder Woman and positioned himself, hovering, right in front of her, blocking her way.

"Diana!" he shouted, already feeling the Kryptonite from her body poisoning his cells, "Mara hasn't done anything. She's innocent! It's you; you're what's doing this to me!" Diana still had fury in her eyes and Clark was acutely aware of what she was capable of. She shouted back to him.

"What are you talking about?!" She screamed, "And how are you flying?"

"It's not my body that's been laced with Kryptonite, Di. It's yours". Diana looked down at her body. Yes she thought, that makes perfect sense. Diana's head was a jumble of thoughts but she knew that that was the only explanation. That's why she was able to break his hand after, but not before, their kiss. It's why he had been able to gather the strength to fly from the Fortress to here but was now beginning to strain himself just trying to stay above the ground. Then her frown worsened. And it's why, she thought, Mara had been so keen to talk to me whilst keeping Clark away. If anything Wonder Woman was now even more angry. What to Clark had proven Mara's innocence had now seemed to Diana to equally prove her guilt. Wonder Woman shot off now, straight into Clark as she made her way to Metropolis, determined to be stopped by no-one.

Diana arrived in Clark's apartment through the window and landed heavily.

"Where are you?" She screamed. Mara, who was still lying asleep on the couch, sat bolt upright at the sound of the warrior voice and Diana caught her eye. Initially Mara was pleased that Wonder Woman was back and she gave her a half-smile. As Diana started marching towards her, however, she sensed that something was wrong. She jumped up off of the couch and began backing into the corner, her eyes growing wider with panic.

"Diana!" she said, "Diana, what's wrong?" Wonder Woman said nothing and continued walking forcefully toward the now terrified Mara. Mara was about to back herself into a corner when she turned quickly and rushed to the door. Diana, however, was too quick and managed to get herself in the way. She found that she was now quite enjoying this sport.

"Tell me how to get the Kryptonite out of my body, woman, or I promise you will face the wrath of the champion of the Amazons!" Diana raised the sword above her head and shouted again. "Tell me!" Mara was now crouching, folded up against the wall and the floor in tears. Wonder Woman looked at her and then lowered the sword, taking two steps backwards. She ran her fingers up and down the flat side of the weapon, admiring the metal and not looking at Mara as she spoke this time. "If you don't tell me" she said, "I will kill you". Suddenly there was a rush of wind that entered the apartment and Superman crashed through, landing on his back and rolling across the floor. He looked up, saw Diana and Mara and used his super speed to get in between them. He struggled to stand upwards; he was holding his left side and his eyes looked dark and tired. Diana realised that he must have fallen to the ground when she had pushed him out of the sky.

"Clark," Diana said, starting to go over to him. "Get out of the way. You're hurt". Clark looked up at her.

"I'm not going to let you do this, Diana" he said slowly. Every cell in his body was starting to ache.

"But look at you! Look what she's done to you!" Diana screamed out, her eyes now red raw. Then she corrected herself, "What she's made me do to you." She looked down, nearly in tears.

"No, Diana. Don't look at me. Look at her". Clark signalled to Mara who was still curled up and crying. It took all his strength just to raise his arm to point at her. "You know she's innocent, Di. And even if she weren't, look at her. She's defenceless. Is this what we do now: executions?" Clark spoke slowly and with concern. Diana looked at Mara and saw the fear in her eyes and the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she looked at Clark, the man who, even as he was dying, was trying to do the right thing. As she finally came to see the sight in front of her it was Diana's turn to breakdown into tears. She dropped her sword and it made a sharp clatter as it hit the ground. She collapsed into Clark's arms, tears streaming down her face. All she could see was her body covered in blood; she could taste it on her tongue and the thick scent filled her nostrils. She could hardly breathe. Her eyes were clenched tight and she was almost bawling now.

"Clark!" she shouted out through the tears. When she didn't get a response she forced herself to open her eyes and she saw his body collapsed in a heap underneath her.

"No!" she shouted, recoiling from him quickly and backing into the opposite corner of the room. As soon as she moved away Clark began to wake again, slowly pushing himself up from the floor.

"Diana" he said softly, unable to raise his head to look at her.

"No! Clark, don't come near me!" Diana was crouched against the opposite wall, tear-tracks seemingly burned into her face as she cried out in hysteria for him to stay away from her. "You can't come near me! Stay back!"

"Diana" he said again, still unable to fully lift himself. Diana looked at Clark through the haze of her tears and then she looked at herself, trembling now. Still facing Clark she slowly turned to back out of the window, waving her outstretched arms erratically in an effort to keep him away. "Stay away from me!" she screamed again. Then she turned quickly and flew out of the window, straight upwards, the cold wind in her face nearly drying the tears from her skin.

Superman went to follow her out of the window, then he stopped. He looked up at the sky, then to Mara, then back up to the sky again; he didn't know who to save. Diana was distraught, but what could he do? If he went near her then he would surely fall from the sky. He'd never felt so distant from her. He was sure that they were falling in love. But she's a warrior, he thought, and with a deep, regretful breath he turned his back on the window. She'll be alright for now. Then he turned to Mara, doing his best to remove Diana temporarily from his thoughts as he focussed on the trembling young girl before him.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a deep, strong voice. When he got no response he went to sit next to her. She was sitting down on the floor, shaking and hugging her knees up against her chest, staring straight ahead. She's in shock he thought. Clark decided to speak. "I don't normally tell anybody this..." Superman said, his voice growing softer. Clark pulled his glasses out from a secret pocket in his Superman outfit and slowly put them on. "But it's me, Mara." He looked up at her. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It's Clark". Still there was silence. "When I found you on the street", Clark began, "you asked me if I knew anywhere where you could sleep. You were freezing cold and beaten half to death…" he continued, "...and still you called me 'sir' and refused my jacket. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from everything, Mara. Diana just… well there was a misunderstanding. She's a good person. She's strong and loving and passionate. She was hurting. Mara do you underst…" Clark was interrupted when Mara slowly turned her head, looked briefly into his eyes and then leant forward and kissed him. There was hardly any warning. Her tongue was cold and her lips were chapped but it felt like she communicated so much to Clark in that moment: all the isolation she'd felt, the mistrust she'd harboured, the fear of being close to anyone. Clark didn't pull away immediately; there was so much desperation behind her action that he couldn't. When their lips finally parted she just looked at him. She wasn't trembling anymore. Clark looked at Mara, the bruise on her face still visible against her pale skin, the clump of auburn hair cut so much shorter than the rest, her beautiful icy eyes looking right through him and her cheek bones sticking out from her thin, hollow cheeks. All he could think about was Diana.