Chapter 9
Clark moved backwards slowly.
"Mara", he said quietly, "you shouldn't have done that". He paused a little, looking down at the ground before continuing. "I'm in love with Diana". He looked up at Mara. Her eyes were still fixed on his and she looked ever so fragile huddled up against the wall. She made no effort to say anything. "Mara" Clark said again, slowly and calmly. "You can talk to me. I promise I won't hurt you". He reached out his hand and gently held hers, making a conscious effort not to put any pressure in his grip at all. Mara slowly looked at their hands before turning her head to look back up at him. Something seemed to switch in her mind and she gently pulled her hand from underneath his. After much deliberation she managed to mutter a few words.
"I'm… I'm sorry". She looked to the ground shyly, the effort that it had taken her to speak to him clear on her face. Clark was delighted to hear her talk but was conscious not to let his excitement show.
"That's alright" he said slowly, "I understand why you did it". Mara looked up and appeared to momentarily forget her fear of speech.
"You do?" she asked. If Clark hadn't have known any better he would have said that he even saw a smile begin to form on Mara's face. He continued.
"Of course" he said. "I can tell from your eyes. You saw the passion that I have with Diana and a small part of you wanted to share in it". He spoke his words slowly and chose each one with great care. "But you are not alone, Mara. You live in a world full of people like you". As he said those last words he found his thoughts turn momentarily to his home planet, Krypton. He never experienced what it was like to live there but many times he had dreamed about how it would feel. He wouldn't fly or lift cars; there would be no responsibility or heroism; he wouldn't have to cover his ears to sleep at night. A world full of people like me, he thought. He held himself in that moment for a little while.
After a minute he snapped out of it and noticed that Mara was hugging him. He thought he even saw small tears forming in her eyes. She held him tightly, her head pressed hard against his broad chest.
"You're our Guardian Angel, aren't you?" she asked him, not moving from her position. "We must seem so small to you". Superman just stared softly at the window that was dead ahead of him. He kept picturing himself holding Diana: her smooth skin, her gentle warmth, her soothing heartbeat. He didn't even try not to think of her. He wanted her to be beside him; he wanted to hold her.
"No", he said, unsure as to which line of thought he was responding, "you're the reason I'm alive".
"What do you mean?" Mara replied. Clark tore his gaze from the window and was forced to stop thinking about Diana for the moment. He looked down at Mara; she looked so small and fragile, like a baby.
"Well" he began, "My spaceship crashed here when I was very young. I landed in a field in Kansas. My whole planet was destroyed, my whole race gone. I should have been dead too. The only reason I'm alive is because I was found by two people who represented the very best that humanity had to offer. They raised me as their own." Clark looked at Mara a little closer. She was still tightly wound around him but he could see that the bruise on her face was starting to fade. He continued. "My father had a dream; for most of his life he had little else. He was the one that created Superman: an ideal towards which we should all strive. I learnt so much from my parents, but there's one thing on which we always disagreed. See, my father was convinced that the ideal that Superman represents is an asymptote, a symbol of perfection towards which humanity should tend but could never reach. I believe something different. Superman isn't a savior from another world. Superman is a reflection of a couple from Kansas; he's a reflection of all the good of which humanity is capable. People trust Superman because they see parts of themselves in him". He paused briefly. "You don't seem small to me, Mara. I know your past; I can see your future. Every time I fly I hear your loss, your laughter and your pain. I can see Superman in all of you and I am in awe of you. I'm not your savior, Mara. I'm just a man. If you need saving, just lift your chin up and look around you: you live in a world full of people who know how it feels to be you". As he finished he saw that Mara was looking up at him, wide-eyed but sad.
"And what does it feel like to be you?" She asked. Clark paused for a moment.
"I don't live in a world full of people like me, Mara. But there is somebody here who knows how I feel. There's one other person who's like me." Clark was silent. Mara was quiet too before slowly muttering
"Diana".
Diana flew swiftly, allowing her invulnerable skin to be buffeted by the rain. She was going to the only place where she felt safe now. As she reached the area over the ocean where Themyscira was hidden she charged downwards, effortlessly avoiding the obstacles posed by the magical shield that had concealed the island for thousands of years. She landed heavily on the beach and as soon as she was on the ground she noticed the weather change immediately to bright, sun-filled skies. I've missed you she thought as she picked up a handful of the sand, only to let it fall slowly through the gaps in her fingers like an hourglass. She continued walking inland, through the thick tropical jungle until she reached the city. As she got closer she started hearing familiar voices talking up ahead and she started moving faster: first into a fast walk, then a run, until finally she took off and flew forwards, a huge smile on her face. As she passed through the clearing the first Amazon she saw was Donna and she flew straight into her, both of them tumbling over one another until they finally came to rest about fifteen metres from where they had started.
"Diana!" Donna shouted from underneath her. Soon the two were surrounded by other Amazons who were all equally pleased to see her.
"Diana!" They all shouted, "Diana's back!" They all jumped in and embraced her in a large hug. It didn't matter what she did, Diana realised, she would always have her family here to protect her. She wasn't really alone as long as she had them. As she was held tightly by all of her sisters her mind drifted quickly to Clark, growing up with only Jonathan and Martha Kent. Now they were gone, she thought, he really was alone. After a few minutes the Amazons began to disperse and Diana caught sight of Hippolyta on the edge of the crowd. She got up and walked slowly over to her.
"Mother" she said, suddenly using a deeper and more serious voice. "There is something very important that I must discuss with you". Hippolyta looked at her daughter with a stiff frown, gave a nod and walked toward the nearest hut. She shut the door behind them. Hippolyta too had something to share with Diana and she walked over to the far corner with her hands held firmly behind her back. She adopted a rather formal air and raised her chin slightly as she spoke. She was a woman who looked in her late thirties, older than the majority of the Amazons, with dark brown hair and a commanding gaze. She was, like everyone else on the island, stunningly beautiful.
"Daughter" she said. "Tell me what is wrong". Diana was used to the cold formality with which her mother spoke.
"Something terrible has happened. It involves Clark" Diana told her mother solemnly.
"Clark?" Hippolyta said, turning her nose up even more. She would never see any man as fit for Diana; and the way that Clark had been described to her, so closely resembling the Hercules that had invaded Themyscira and assaulted her personally, made her even sicker inside. "I warned you, Diana. Men are only after one thing".
"What?!" Diana said, disgusted. "Clark's not like that! Not all men in the world are like that. This isn't what this is about". Hippolyta gave a small smile; her daughter had played directly into her hands.
"Do you really believe that, Diana?" As soon as Hippolyta had said those words her right hand woman, Phillipus, walked in through the entrance to the hut. Hippolyta's smile widened. "Do you have it, Phillipus?" Hippolyta asked.
"Yes, my queen" came the reply.
"What is this?" Diana said. "Phillipus, what are you doing? What are you up to, mother?" Diana asked, a look of anger and confusion growing on her face. After seeking permission from Hippolyta, which was quickly granted, Phillipus walked over to Diana and presented her with a small metal box, a rectangle, with a screen on the upper side.
"When you're ready to see what your super man thinks of you" Phillipus began, "press here". She walked slowly over to Hippolyta's side. Diana's anger was growing and she almost flung the box from her hand. How can they be so ignorant? she thought to herself, but her curiosity got the better of her. After a quick glance up to Phillipus and her mother, she looked down at the box and pressed the button. What she saw on the screen would stay with her forever. It was a moving video of the inside of Clark's apartment, a view from the window.
"This must have been taken today" Diana said, her eyes still glued to the screen. Suddenly, Clark and Mara came into the shot. They were huddled up against the wall with Mara sitting in his arms.
"This won't work, mother." Diana said, "I long ago came to terms with the fact that Superman was in love with all humanity". Although Diana's words sounded strong her voice started to falter.
"Keep watching" Hippolyta said confidently. Diana turned back to the screen. All of a sudden she saw Mara move slowly back, look Clark in the eyes, and then lean in to kiss him. Diana's eyes opened in disbelief as he didn't pull away and she saw them linger as their lips intertwined. Her heart started to beat a little faster and it felt like it dropped in her chest. She just stood, motionless and staring.
"Now you see" Hippolyta said, walking over to her and placing her hand on her shoulder, "that is what you mean to Clark. It's why we had to keep you away from him". Diana's disbelief started to turn to anger towards the man she trusted. Then she stopped.
"What did you say?" Diana asked, turning swiftly to her mother. "You had to keep me away from him?"
"Yes" the queen said stoically. Diana's face transformed as the truth began to make itself apparent.
"You were the ones who put the Kryptonite in me?" Diana said slowly, edging backwards as she started to figure everything out; she slowly reached for her sword. Everything suddenly seemed to make sense.
"Yes" Hippolyta said, raising her chin even more. "And may I remind you who you are speaking to when you reach for your weapon".
"Who I am speaking to?!" Diana was furious. "How could you do this, mother?" She advanced quickly but Phillipus stepped in between the queen and her daughter with a challenging stare.
"But don't you see, Diana", Hippolyta continued calmly, "it was for the best. Look at what he has done". Diana slowly put her weapon away. She thought of Clark.
"Yes, mother" Diana said slowly. "And I am furious". She paused. "But I will not show fury. I am devastated, mother; but I will not show devastation. These are the things that I have learnt from Clark. I trust him. He has taught me to have faith and modesty and restraint. And now I look at you, and I know you mean well, but in this moment look around. You are teaching betrayal, fear and contempt. Those are the things that I am learning from you. I will get this Kryptonite out of me, mother. I will be with Clark". Diana pulled out her sword and threw it to the ground. She looked at Hippolyta and Phillipus, their faces lined with shock. She turned and walked away towards the door. As she reached it she briefly stopped and looked back.
"I love him mother" she said. And then Diana flew upwards, leaving Themyscira - and her mother and Phillipus' shocked, embarrassed and furious faces - to grow smaller and smaller, shrinking into the irrelevance of the bright blue background of the sea.
