Chapter 28
Lex threw a vase against a wall and yelled out of frustration. Corben watched him. He had his left arm in a sling and had just informed Lex of the invading army. Lex took a deep breath and leaned over a table. "How large is this army?" He asked demandingly.
"I cannot be certain, Your Majesty. I do know that it includes Krypton and Gotham for it was King Bruce who wounded me." Corben replied motioning to his wounded arm.
"Then we can assume that Star City and what is left of the Thanagarian army is not far behind." Lex said and straightened his tunic. He took a deep breath. "No news from General Lane?"
"No, Sire. Do you wish for me to go and collect him from Central City?" Corben asked.
"Yes! I need him here and I need you to find Kal-El. I need his stone. Bring it back to me… On second thought, there is one thing I need you to do before you look for Kal-El." Lex said and whispered something in Corben's ear. "Take care of it." Lex ordered and motioned for him to leave. "Have Baroness Mercer brought to me!" He ordered a page.
Tess entered the private parlor a few minutes later wearing a black gown. She could see that he was furious. "Calm yourself, Alexander, for I will not once again listen to your angry ranting." She said and he forced a grin. "Better. Now, what is on your mind, dearest brother?" She asked.
"You will address me as Your Majesty or my lord." Lex said roughly and she rolled her eyes. She was the only person in Genesis who could get away with it. "And I require your skills. I have just been informed of an incoming invasion." Tess wiped the smirk off her face. "I want you to journey with Sir John to find the Kryptonian king."
"May I ask why?" Tess asked.
"Kal-El possesses a precious object that I want, that I need. I need you and Sir John to go and get it for me. Now, time is of the essence so you must leave immediately." Lex said.
Tess nodded. "And just what is this precious object?" She asked.
"A stone bearing the Kryptonian symbol for fire. I have it on good authority that Kal-El wears it around his neck at all times. I do not care how you get it done but you will return here with the stone. Am I understood?" Lex asked.
"Yes, my lord. Just give me some time to prepare for the journey and bid farewell to Mia, and we shall be gone by midday." Tess said.
"Good. Upon your success, you will be richly rewarded for your services and unwavering loyalty to me." Lex said and Tess bowed. He nodded and motioned for her to leave.
"Central City is in sight, my king." A sailor said to Arthur on board the Queen Mera. Arthur nodded to the sailor and left the deck heading for the ship quarters. The flag ship was docking while the rest of the fleet kept a considerable distance.
Clark was still unconscious from last night's painful ordeal. The poison had now spread down most of his right leg. Arthur knocked on the door. "Yes?" Lois said from within. Arthur entered the room.
Lois was sitting on the edge of the bed dabbing Clark's forehead with a wet cloth. "We have arrived at Central City. The docks are being opened to us." Arthur said. Lois nodded and kissed Clark's forehead. She was already dressed in a pair of black trousers and a maroon shirt.
The anchor was lowered and a group of people were waiting for them at the dock. Arthur and Lois descended the ramp. "Welcome to Central City." Chloe said. She wore trousers and a black gambeson over her white shirt.
Lois embraced her cousin. "What are you doing here? What if someone recognizes you?" Lois asked worried.
"All the troops have been recalled to Metropolis and we have captured the spy Luthor sent here. It appears that Sir John has already informed Luthor of the invasion. We must move fast if we are to still catch him off guard." Chloe said and Arthur stepped forward.
"Milady, King Orin of Atlantis. Your Majesty, Chloe Sullivan, commander of the Resistance." Lois introduced her and then her lieutenants. Arthur greeted them all. Lois then pulled Chloe away from the group. "Do you have everything prepared for this evening?" Lois asked.
Chloe gave her a reassuring smile. "Yes, all is prepared. Now, how is he?" Chloe asked concerned.
"Bedridden… he is very weak." Lois answered.
"Are you sure about that?" Chloe asked and motioned with her eyes to the deck of the Queen Mera. Lois turned and saw Clark on the deck putting on his blue gambeson over his white shirt. He was pale but he closed his eyes as he soaked up the sun's rays. He took a deep breath and then put on a leather glove to hide the green veins covering his right hand.
"Just give us a moment." Lois said to Chloe and then went back up the ramp to Clark. "What are you doing? You should be resting!" She protested. Clark merely grinned at her. "What?" She asked.
"I just now realized how beautiful you are when you are upset." Clark said grinning and Lois rolled her eyes.
"Well prepare to say farewell to the beauty and to greet the beast I will become if you do not go back to bed and rest. You need to save your strength." Lois said the last sentence sympathetically.
Lois then motioned to a Red Shard knight, who held out a cane to Clark. Clark sighed and shook his head to the cane. "I am not crippled, Lois. And I have more than enough strength to walk, especially in the day." Lois sighed and Clark took her hand. They then proceeded to walk down the ramp holding hands.
Chloe stepped forward and the two old friends grinned nervously at each other. Clark let go of Lois's hand and embraced Chloe. Chloe patted him on the back. They pulled away and Chloe put her hand on Clark's cheek concerned. "Oh, Clark." She said somberly.
"I am not dead yet so do not give up on me, Chloe." Clark said and she nodded. She caressed his cheek and then lowered her hand. "So these are the rest of your lieutenants."
"Yes. You already are acquainted with Bart Allen, Victor Stone, and Jimmy Olsen." Bart, Victor, and Jimmy greeted Clark with a nod. "I do not believe you have met Kent Nelson and Theodore Grant." Chloe said and the men greeted each other with a nod.
Kent and Grant both had gray streaks in their hair but Clark could tell they were hardened and experience soldiers. Victor now had a beard and Bart had grown a few inches since he saw them last. Jimmy looked the same but he had obviously not shaved in weeks.
The group then began walking into the city. "The rest of us will arrive in no more than an hour." Clark said and Chloe nodded.
"Lodgings have already been prepared for you and what men you bring into the city. All my men are prepared to march at dawn for Metropolis." Chloe said and Clark nodded. "General Lane has agreed to aid us in the battle as well."
"I am glad to hear it… Can you take us to my father? We need to speak with him immediately." Lois said and Chloe nodded.
Samuel Lane was lead into a parlor. He guessed he was in the mayor's manor based on the view of the city streets from the window. Then, the door behind him opened and three people entered the parlor. "Papa…" He heard behind him.
Lane turned around and smiled when he saw Lois. She ran into his arms and he stroked her hair as they embraced. They parted and he caressed her face. He then looked at the two people accompanying her. He nodded at Chloe and he recognized the young man with them. "King Kal-El!" Lane exclaimed.
Clark took a step forward. "General Lane…" He bowed his head. "…it is an honor to officially meet you; although, I wish it had been under better circumstances." Clark said.
Lane nodded in return. "Lois, can I speak with you privately?" Lane asked and she nodded. Chloe then grabbed Clark's arm and lead him out of the room. Clark looked back and Lois mouthed 'Leave." They closed the door behind them. Lois turned and faced her father. "So it is true, then… you are a soldier of the Resistance." Lane said.
"Yes, father. I joined the Resistance just about one year ago." Lois answered and Samuel sighed. "I know you must be disappointed, father, but just know that I am not sorry for my actions." She said.
"I am only disappointed that you could not come to me with the truth. Instead you kept me in the dark of the true nature of the murders of my wife's, your mother, kin." Samuel said.
"I am sorry but I could not tell you. I know you, papa. You would have slew Lionel Luthor in his sleep if you had found out the truth and would have suffered greatly under Alexander's reign. I only meant to protect you." Lois argued.
"Yet, I am suffering under Alexander's reign for his ruthlessness attacks my conscience daily. And now I being told that the king I pledged my loyalty to is responsible for the murder of our kin and that my own daughter is a traitor! I would not call this protection." Samuel argued.
"And yet, you do not deny that you would have exacted vengeance by murdering Lionel." Lois said and Samuel sighed. "Papa, I did not come here to argue with you on this matter." She said. She went over and opened the door. Clark came back into the parlor.
Clark took a deep breath and both he and Lane put their hands behind their back. "General Lane… I consider myself a traditional Kryptonian and it is a tradition in Krypton to ask the head of the house to approve all life unions. General, I come before you to ask for your permission to begin a life bond with your daughter." Clark said.
"Life bond?" Samuel asked roughly and then crossed his arms.
Lois rolled her eyes and took Clark's left hand. "Papa, he is asking you for your permission to marry me this evening." Lois said bluntly and Clark nodded. Samuel's eyes widen and he uncrossed his arms.
"What?" Samuel demanded fiercely. "But, but he is a Kryptonian and… and this evening! Why so soon?" Samuel ranted.
"Clark, please step outside for a moment." Lois said but he stood his ground so she turned to face him. "You do not need to prove yourself to me but I need to speak to my father privately just for a movement." She caressed his face and he nodded. The two men stared at each other down as Clark left the room.
"Are you mad? There has not been a union between our peoples for centuries. Not to mention, the oath you swore that Krypton was your mortal enemy… This is likely nothing more than an infatuation or you are with child! Are you with child?" Samuel protested.
"No! I am not with child and this is no simple infatuation. I was wrong, Papa. I love him and he loves me. We wish, we are going to be married this evening but like a traditional Kryptonian he seeks your permission." Samuel scoffed. "I am marrying him, Papa… because I may not have another chance to." Lois said.
"What are you talking about?" Samuel asked.
"He is dying… poisoned by Sir John." Samuel's eyes became sympathetic. He was aware of the poison and had seen the poison kill firsthand. No one should die such an excruciating death. "He has four days at the most… and for the four days I want to call him my husband." Lois said and wiped the tears forming in her eyes.
Samuel took a step to his daughter and began rubbing her shoulders. "And if he lives, what then? How do I know he will not abandon you?" He asked.
"He will not, just as I will not abandon him. We would want your blessing whether or not he was dying." Lois said. Samuel embraced Lois and stroked her hair. They parted.
"Send him in." He said and Lois went to open the door. Clark reentered the parlor and took her hand. Samuel put his hands behind his back. "I have always considered myself a man of principle so I must admit that I am impressed that you did not just run off to be married without my permission."
Lois scoffed. "I was young and naïve, Papa. Yet you never forgive or forget my mistakes." She said and Samuel held his hand up. Lois closed her mouth and he put his hands back behind his back.
"However, it takes a man to come before me and respectively ask for my daughter's hand." Samuel took a step toward them and the couple took deep breaths. "Yes, you have my permission to marry my daughter." Samuel said.
Lois immediately threw her arms around her father and squealed. "Thank you, Papa!" She exclaimed and kissed his cheek. He chuckled and then kissed her forehead. Lois pulled away and took Clark's hand. The two men nodded at each other.
Later that night, Bruce helped Clark dress for his wedding. They both had shaved and trimmed their hair as best as they could. Bruce helped him button up his tunic for it was difficult for Clark with one good hand. Clark's right hand was numb and he could only do so many things with it, especially at night. "Thank you for this, Bruce." Clark said.
"You would do the same for me, old friend." Bruce said and straightened Clark's black tunic. In Genesis, it is traditional for the bridegroom to be in black and the bride in white. There was a knock on the door. "Enter." Bruce said and Samuel Lane entered the room.
"General Lane!" Clark was surprised to see him. Samuel then looked at Clark's right hand. Clark then grabbed a black leather glove and put it on his right hand.
"General Lane." Bruce bowed his head to him.
Samuel bowed in return. "It is good to see you, my lord. How are your wife and daughter?" Samuel asked warmly.
"They are well. In fact, my wife is with child again." Bruce said with a grin, a rare moment. Samuel patted him on the shoulder.
"I am truly happy for you. May I speak with Kal-El privately for a moment?" Samuel asked. Bruce turned to look at Clark, who nodded. Bruce nodded to Samuel and left the room. Clark was having difficulty fastening his sword belt with one hand. Samuel step forward and helped him.
"Thank you, General." Clark said and Samuel nodded.
"I came to apologize for my rude behavior earlier. You came to me out of respect and I showed you none in return. Forgive me." Samuel said.
"Well, I was asking you for permission to marry your eldest daughter this evening." Clark said with a grin and Samuel could not help but grin as well.
"I can see why she loves you. Since my wife passed on, I have not always been the best father. And since her passing, you are one of the few people to ever hold your ground with me." Samuel said.
"Lois loves you and adores you, sir." Clark said and Lane nodded.
"Just today, I saw in her eyes how happy you make her. It reminded me of how happy my wife made me for sixteen years. May I offer you some advice? Soldier to soldier, man to man." Clark nodded and the two men sat down at a table in the room.
"Being a soldier rushing into the heat of battle made coming home and doing the simple things difficult unfortunately. However, it is these simple tasks like taking a walk, dancing with your wife, putting the children to bed that define who we are. I have loved and loathed my years as a soldier but I wish I had spent all that time with family." Samuel said.
"You must miss your wife dearly." Clark said sympathetically. "I miss my mother and father, and the man who raised me. Jonathan Kent was the only father I had truly ever known." Lane admired Ella's wedding ring. Clark had taken it off his neck and put it down on the table so he could dress.
"I know how you feel for my wife was my true love and no woman will ever replace her. Fortunately, I get to see my Ella in our daughters… Kal-El, you are the first man that Lois has ever fought me badly to be with so I know she truly loves you." Samuel said.
"And I truly love her, sir. With her by my side, I will do all I can to fight this poison so I can build a life with her and make her as happy as she has made me." Clark said.
"I will hold you to that." Lane said and patted Clark's shoulder roughly. Clark grinned. Lane picked up his wife's wedding ring. "I gave this ring to Ella back when I was only a simple cavalry soldier and no one knew my name. She loved me and I loved her, and only that mattered." Lane stood and put the ring in Clark's hand. "It only seems fitting that my daughter is given this ring on her wedding day."
Clark stood as well. He hesitated, thinking of what to say. "Thank you, sir." Clark said. The men then grabbed each others' forearms and nodded at each other.
The men shaved their faces and trimmed their hair. Chloe was able to get the men tunics and the women gowns. Everyone sat in the pews with the Resistance leaders in a small church.
Clark limped down the aisle and when he reached the altar, he kept straightening his tunic. "Enough. You look fine." Bruce said next to him. Clark had asked Bruce to be his best man.
"Do you have them?" Clark asked. Bruce made an annoyed look and opened his hand to reveal two wedding rings. Clark's was just a simple silver wedding ring that Bart had bought earlier that day. Clark took a deep breath and Bruce patted him on the shoulder.
The musicians began to play a light melody and the congregation stood. Lois entered the sanctuary on the arm of her father. Lois took a deep breath and Samuel caressed her hand. Lois nodded and they proceeded to walk down the aisle with everyone grinning.
The music stopped when they reached the altar. "Please be seated." The priest said and everyone in the pews sat down. "Who gives this woman to this man?"
"I do." Samuel said. He grabbed Clark's left hand and joined it with Lois's right hand. Samuel kissed Lois's forehead and went to sit in the first pew with Chloe, Kara, and Milton. Lois and Clark smiled at each other and turned to face the priest.
"Dearly beloved, we have come together in the sight of the gods and these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. If there are any among you who may imagine some impediment of why these two should not be joined, let them speak out now or forever hold thy tongue." There was silence and the priest nodded to Lois and Clark. They then turned to face each other and held each other's hands.
"I take you, Lois Lane, to be my companion for life and with you by my side I shall never be alone. The world may see a strong and independent woman; yet, I have never known a woman with such gentle grace and more pure heart. When I have been lost, you have always been there to guide me back. From this day and this moment, I pledge the rest of my life to you. You have always believed in me and I believe in you. And when you believe in someone, it is not for a moment but for life."
They smiled at each other and then the priest nodded to Lois. Lois took a deep breath.
"I wanted these vows to be perfect but perfection is hard to come by but life is meant to be a little chaotic. When it comes to love, I think of it as what my father says of the army, you only join when it is the only thing you can imagine doing and I cannot imagine spending a moment of my life without you. I promise to stand beside you and you besides me always. You are my best friend, my home, and my true love. I am yours and will be for life."
And I am yours. Clark mouthed to Lois and she smiled. The priest then nodded to Bruce, who stepped forward with the rings. Clark picked up her ring. "With this ring, I thee wed…" He slid the ring onto her left ring finger. "…and with my body, I thee worship." Clark said and she smiled radiantly when she saw her it was her mother's wedding ring.
Lois picked up his ring. "With this ring, I thee wed…" She slid it onto his left ring finger. "…and with my body, I thee worship." Lois said and he grinned.
The priest placed his hand over theirs. "What the gods have brought together, let no man put asunder. I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." The priest said.
Lois and Clark smiled at each other and leaned in for a tender, passionate kiss. Everyone began clapping but they did not seem to notice.