Chapter 10

Clark rushed back to Watchtower at supersonic speed. He found his friends sitting on the couch. Oliver had his arm around Chloe. Tess looked like she had been crying. Clark relaxed a little. His friends were okay. He x-rayed the placed from top to bottom. Kal-El was gone. Along with someone else. "Where's Lois?"

Chloe didn't look him in the eye. "He took her Clark."

"He what?" Clark looked like he ready to level a mountain, and in his case, he probably could. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"I had a shot," said Oliver sadly "But I couldn't take it."

"You're the best marksman in world," Clark snapped. "You have an arsenal that can literally bring him to his knees when you're in range of him, and you're telling me you couldn't find a way to take Kal-El down?"

"Not when's he's using my wife as a human shield."

Ten minutes ago

Chloe's fingers fluttered away at the keyboards of Watchtower. After the trip to DC, the Kandorian had disappeared once again. Chloe had to give Kal-El credit; he sure knew how to hide.

"It's been a long time since I've seen Chloe Sullivan at Watchtower's computers." Chloe's blood ran cold. "I remember when we started the League, just you me and Oliver. Back then I felt there wasn't anything we couldn't accomplish together."

She turned around slowly. "You always this nostalgic?" Chloe asked.

"Only during the holidays," said Kal-El.

Chloe kept her eyes locked on him as she pressed the silent alarm on the bottom of her keyboard. His eyes were painful and hollow. Lois was right. He didn't look all that dangerous. But that didn't mean she shouldn't her guard up.

"Do you mind?" Kal-El looked wistfully at Chloe's fresh pot of coffee.

"Help yourself," she offered.

Kal-El poured himself a cup and took a long sip. "Columbian," he said "only the best for Oliver's sidekick." Chloe felt her heart stop when Kal-El noticed the Christmas photo of her and Oliver with a two year-old boy in her lap next to the pot. "Conner."

Chloe winced as he said her son's name.

"He's twelve in my world," Kal-El informed "with a nine year-old sister, Thea. He likes to call her Speedy. She's always chasing after him everywhere. If my math is right, you should be expecting her very soon."

"Clark's pretty upset with you," Chloe said quickly. She needed to get Kal-El off the topic of her children. It made her stomach churn. "He says you took his father's watch."

"He didn't deserve it," Kal-El pulled up the sleeve of his coat to show it wrapped on his wrist. "If he knew how precious it was, he wouldn't have buried it."

"That's a pretty bold statement."

"This watch makes my dad feel closer to me," Kal-El stated. "I just have to look at it, and it reminds me of the times we shared. Clearly, Jonathan Kent meant nothing to him."

Chloe nodded. She needed to keep him talking, buy herself some time until Oliver got here. "Why'd you go and visit Martha?" she asked.

"I missed her," said Kal-El plainly.

"After all that talk about Clark and Jonathan, and you can't make time for your sweet old mother?"

Kal-El winced. "My mother… died… last summer."

Chloe felt a tug on her heartstrings. "I'm sorry," she said honestly.

"I should've saved her," he said guiltily "should've spotted the cancer growing inside of her before the doctors did. I'm the one with an x-ray machine built into my eyes." His voice cracked. "Why is it that I can dozens of strangers with ease, but I can't save the people I love?"

The gun hidden behind Chloe's back felt heavy in her hand. A second ago she was ready to shoot Kal-El, now she wanted to give him a hug. "Why are you here?"

"I need your help, Lois needs your help."

"Lois?"

"My Lois," he corrected. "She's been infected with a toxin created by LexCorp to use on the Kandorians. There's no cure on my world," Kal-El's voice was trembling. "The Chloe Sullivan that I know can cure cancer with a single teardrop. Now I know how vulnerable using your ability makes you," he admitted " But I was hoping that you could do the same."

"I'm sorry, you've got the wrong Chloe Sullivan," her heart truly bled for the Kandorian Commander. "The only viruses I can cure are on a mainframe."

Kal-El looked like someone had ripped the floor out from under him. He fumbled with wedding ring. "I can't lose her Chloe. I don't want to be alone. I can't," he took a shaky breath. "I don't know how."

Chloe realized how vulnerable Kal-El really was. He wasn't some cold military leader. He reminded Chloe more of a scared child with a sick parent. "If your Chloe can still heal, why can't she save Lois?"

"She can only heal so much at a time. She's still recovering from bringing a construction worker out of a coma."

"There has to be another," said Chloe "Can't you find another Earth, with a Chloe that can still heal?"

"Maybe I don't have to," said Kal-El "There's another way to save my wife. If I can-"

"Hey Major." Oliver stood on the balcony of the indoor staircase, his bow loaded with a kryptonite arrow.

"Commander," Kal-El corrected.

"Whatever," Oliver snapped. "Get away from my wife."

Tess rushed in behind him, her kryptonite loaded gun in hand. She pulled back the hammer. "Stand down soldier."

Kal-El looked at Chloe. "You tricked me."

Chloe felt her insides churn. "Kal-El I-,"

"You're my oldest friend," Kal-El looked like he had been stabbed in the back "I thought I could trust you."

"Last chance," Oliver commanded "Leave now or we'll bury you."

"Ollie, calm down," said Chloe. "It's not what you think."

"You're not going to shoot me Oliver," said Kal-El certainly.

"How do you figure?"

"Because Tess is going to disarm you," his voice had gained a touch of steel as he spoke "right now."

Oliver laughed. "You know I think that box messed with your head," He barely got that last word out before Tess pounced.

She kicked Oliver Square in the abdomen, making him bend over as he gasped for air. She twisted his arm to make him drop his bow and swept his legs out from under him. Tess pinned down the hand that held the arrow with her foot, and pointed her gun at Oliver's head. "Don't move, Oliver." Her voice was cold as ice.

"Mercy!" Oliver shouted.

"Tess what are you doing?" said Chloe.

"What I've been doing all day," said Tess "Helping the Commander find his Christmas miracle."

"What?"

"Tess has been my eyes and ears on the inside," Kal-El informed "She's been putting your satellites on a loop, warning me when your Superman was closing in. By the time you had seen me meet Martha Kent at the Mall; I was already out the door."

"Tess, this isn't you," said Oliver "Kal-El is using you. He's playing you, Mercy. Don't do this."

"I want him back Oliver," said Tess.

"Who?"

"Alexander."

"Connor?" Oliver asked.

"No," Tess' voice was full of sadness and anger. "Conner Kent is Clark's brother. He's Martha's son now. He deserted me the minute better came along. I don't blame him though, I can't compete with Martha Kent," Her voice trembled. "But Alexander was mine. My son. My little boy. The only person who has ever loved me." Tears formed in her eyes "And now he's gone, all grown up, with no memory of the time that we shared together. You and Chloe have a lifetime with your son, I barely had a year!" Tess growled. "I want my son back."

Oliver was stunned. "Tess, I'm sorry. I didn't know you felt like that. But I understand what you're going through, Mercy"

Tess scoffed. "You have no idea-,"

"I have a son too, remember?" Oliver countered. "If I were to Conner, I'd just fall apart.

"We both would," said Chloe.

"He may not be Alexander anymore," said Oliver. "But Connor is still your son. Even if he doesn't remember it"

"Don't move Oliver," said Tess shakily.

"He's lying to you Mercy. Think about it, how is this guy going to turn Connor back into Alexander?"

Tess blinked, as if the though just occurred to her. "Turn Connor… back into…?"

"Tess." Kal-El held in his hand a small photo of her with a small red-headed boy with green eyes.

She gasped. "Alexander."

"He's five years old," said Kal-El. "In my world, He and Connor are two separate people. That's how I'm going to do give you your son back. By taking you with me."

"Take me with you?" the tone in Tess's voice sounded more like it was a plea than a need for clarification.

"Tess you can't," Oliver insisted. "It's a trap."

"Do you remember what I asked you Tess?" said Kal-El "After you told me everything I needed to know about this world?"

Tess nodded. "You asked if I was happy with my life."

"And then what?"

"I told you that I was proud of what I was doing here at Watchtower, but it wasn't enough."

"And when I asked you what would make you happy,"

"I said that I wished that I still had Alexander," Tess finished "so that I would some sort of family. So I wouldn't be so alone."

"No one should alone, especially at Christmas," said Kal-El "and you're no exception. You don't have to be alone. If you let me, I can give your son and so much more. I can give you a family, one that will protect you and never leave you Tess."

"Protect me," Tess repeated "Never leave me." Her voice was sleepy and her eyes were glassed over.

"But that all depends on you," said Kal-El "I can't take you with me until you uphold your part of the bargain. Do remember your part of the bargain?"

"I remember," said Tess dreamily. "I help you find you Christmas miracle, and I get my Christmas wish."

"You said Kal-El brainwashed you with the gemstone kryptonite," said Chloe.

Kal-El winced.

Chloe's eyes widened. "You're still are controlling her."

Kal-El glanced shamefully at the floor "Like I said before, I'm a desperate man."

"But the blue kryptonite-,"

"Has no effect on gemstone kryptonite," explained Kal-El. "Only green can flush it out of my system."

"Good to know," said Chloe. She pulled out her gun from behind her back and pointed at him. Kal-El staggered back as he felt the kryptonite course through his veins. His eyes flashed a purplish blue as he covered himself with the side of his coat.

Tess gasped as her green eyes flashed indigo. "Oliver."

"Guess that means you're back to normal," he guessed.

"I'm sorry," she looked at her hands and back at him. "I didn't," she glared at the Kryptonian. "You." Tess aimed her gun at Kal-El's head.

"I'm sorry Tess," he said honestly.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't right now."

"I'm not a monster."

"You lied to me, you manipulated me, you drugged me," Tess's voice rose with every statement. "And then you were about to have me shoot Oliver. You're no better than Zod."

"You're right, I am like Zod," Kal-El admitted "He trained me, made me a Commander and his second-in-command, then I took his place as leader of the Kandorians. But there's a big difference between me and him. Zod lost the one person he can't live without, the love of his life. I won't make the same mistake." His voice grew hard and steely. "I thought I knew you people. I thought you were my friends, but I was wrong. You're not allies; you're hypocrites, wearing the masks of my family," he glared at Chloe, making sure that she got the message. "You know Oliver; I never understood why you would go public with your secret identity."

"Yeah, why's that?"

"Because now any punk with a gun can do this," Kal-El fired a quick burst of heat vision at Chloe's gun. She screamed as the metal began to burn the skin on her palm and dropped it. Kal-El sent Tess and Green Arrow flying with his super breath as they fired at him. He super sped across the room, grabbed Chloe by her waist, and pressed a glowing red crystal against her neck. "I'm sorry Chloe," he whispered "truly. But I'm out of options."

"Let her go." Oliver stood on the balcony with a loaded crossbow. Tess found and aimed her gun.

"We all know that none of you will pull the trigger while I have Chloe," said Kal-El "If Tess does then she's no better than Lex. And Oliver, do honestly expect me to believe that you'd be willing to take such a risk with your little sidekick?" Kal-El watched a wave of fear pass over them. "Of course not," he said "Because she's too precious to you. Because she's apart of you, Oliver. Just like Lois is a part of me. That's why I came here."

"What are you talking about?"

"She's dying Oliver," Kal-El's voice trembled. "I've been looking for a cure for months. Nothing works!" His voice echoed through the halls of Watchtower. "I came here looking for a cure, and all you people have done is try to kill me for it. For trying to save my wife. And you say I'm the monster?" he accused. "I just lost my mother Oliver," Kal-El snarled "I'm not going to lose Lois too. I've buried enough wives and I am done losing the people I care about."

"Don't do this," Chloe pleaded. "We can work together."

"Long enough for your husband to put an arrow in me?" Kal-El challenged.

"Let Chloe go," Oliver pleaded "And you have my word, that we will do everything we can to find a cure for your wife."

"I'm through playing nice old friend," said Kal-El darkly. He dug the crystal deeper into Chloe's throat. "Unless you want your wife to take a one-way trip to the Phantom Zone, you're going to tell me where to find Lois. Right now."

"I'm right here." She stood on the opposite staircase, looking down at the man holding her cousin hostage. Kal-El looked at her like she was an angel, or a ghost.

"Lois, what are you doing?" Oliver demanded.

"Putting a stop to this before somebody gets hurt," she said. Lois walked slowly down the stairs. "Alright Kal-El, I'm right here. Now what do you want?"

His voice faltered. "I need your help," Kal-El stuttered. "You are only one that can save her now, the only one that can give us our Christmas miracle. I need you to come with me, you alone."

Oliver scoffed. "Now I know you're crazy. If you think-,"

"I'll go," Lois said.

"What?"

"Lois, don't," Chloe begged.

"It's okay Chloe," she said "I'll go with you," her eyes went cold. "But you have to promise me that you'll let Chloe go."

"I promise," said Kal-El.

Lois walked down the stairs stopped three feet away from him. "Now let my cousin go."

Kal-El let his hands around Chloe drop. She ran up and hugged her cousin. "Are you sure about this?" she asked Lois.

"He's not going to hurt me Chloe," she said strongly.

"How can you be so sure?"

Lois glanced up at Kal-El and looked in his eyes. Hidden beneath all that pain, she saw some of that familiar light. "I just know." She let go of Chloe and approached him. "Okay, let's go," she told him.

"You'll need this." Kal-El took off his trench coat and wrapped around Lois. "It's cold out, especially where we're going." He picked her up in bridal fashion, and in a burst of wind, they were gone.