Chapter 29
Tess Mercer and John Corben overlooked Central City while lying down on a hill an hour before sunset. They could see the army setting up a simple camp but with defenses. "How could they have gotten here so fast? They should be still be lying seize to Hub City." Corben said.
"The cities must have surrendered without putting up a fight." Tess said when she really was thinking, they are ahead of schedule. Something must have gone wrong. "What can you see?" She asked.
Corben looked around the camp with his telescope. "Kryptonians, of course, and… Amazons." Corben said and double-checked to make sure he was not seeing things. "That is impossible. How did they get here? We destroyed their vessels so they could not follow us."
"They obviously found more." Tess said and pointed to the Atlantean ships anchored in the middle of the river. "An Atlantean flag ship is docked in port… the Queen Mera. And look, those are archers are from Star City." She said pointing to men in chain mail and green archer tunics.
"Those men in black armor, they are not Kryptonians. Those are Gotham soldiers. And over there are Thanagarian soldiers." Corben said pointing to the soldiers wearing only bronze chest armor. "This army is made up of soldiers from every realm. They greatly outnumber what is left of the Royal Army… this war is lost." Tess said, not meaning to say those last words out loud.
"Choose your next words carefully, Baroness, or they could be seen as treason." Corben said and put away his telescope. "When we retrieve the last stone from Kal-El, this war is ours."
"Forgive me. I was overwhelmed." Tess said as an excuse.
Corben scoffed. "Women." He muttered and Tess heard him. Corben army crawled backwards down the hill. She clenched her jaw shut to prevent herself from responding to his remark. She took a deep breath and then followed Corben.
They returned to their horses downhill. "They have the whole city surrounded. Do you believe General Lane has been captured?" Tess asked.
"No. Lane was once Lionel's best spy before he was a general. If anyone can evade capture, he can. Now we must find him and Kal-El before they march, most likely at daybreak." Corben said and mounted his horse.
Tess mounted her horse. "And how do we intend to find Lane and Kal-El in a city full of enemy soldiers? Scale the wall and hide in the shadows until we find where they hiding?" She asked sarcastically.
"My thoughts exactly but you will search for Lane and I will search for Kal-El. If Lane has been captured, kill him. We do not need him giving our enemies any kind of information." Corben said.
She nodded. "And if I do not find him?" Tess asked.
"I pray that you do find him dead or alive for the consequences would be severe… Alexander's sister or not." Tess turned her head to look at him. "I am His Majesty's protector. It is my duty to know what or who to protect him from, including his family." Tess flashed him an annoyed grin and they rode off using the hills as cover.
In the middle of the night, Corben snuck up behind a sentry and then broke his neck. Tess stepped out of the shadows as he laid the sentry's body quietly onto the ground. He hid the sentry's body in the shadows of the wall and then nodded that the coast was clear. They then attached grappling hooks to crossbows, aimed, and then fired.
The hooks grabbed the edge of the wall and they tugged on the ropes to make sure they were sturdy. They took another quick look around, saw that it was clear, and began to climb. They reached the top of the wall a few minutes later. Once they climbed over, they pulled up the ropes and put them and the hooks back under their cloaks so the sentries would not find them.
There were three sentries on the wall. Corben snuck up behind the first and broke his neck. Tess, on the other hand, scratched the other one on the neck with the tip of her dagger, which had been dipped in a powerful sleeping remedy. The sentry grabbed his face before passing out and she laid him down quietly. He would be unconscious for hours.
The last sentry saw them but before he could sound any alarm, Corben threw a dagger at him. The dagger penetrated the sentry's neck. The sentry grabbed his neck and Corben ran up to him. The sentry fell off the wall but Corben grabbed the back of his chest armor. Two sentries below looked around before moving to the next section of their patrol.
Corben slowly pulled the sentry back up and laid him down quietly. They then walked down the stairs and raised the hoods of their cloaks. "We will meet on the wall just before dawn. If one of us does not show, the other rides back to Metropolis with all haste." Tess said.
"Very well… Do not be late, then. Until we meet again, Baroness." Corben said and walked in the opposite direction from her.
Lois held Clark's hand. The pain was dimming so she removed the cloth she held over his mouth to muffle his screams. Every night as soon as the sun set, the poison would spread. The powers of the stone combined with the sun were the only reason he was still alive. Any other Kryptonian would have been dead days before.
Clark's right side, all the way down to his knee, was now covered in green veins. He was breathing heavily. "This is not how I pictured our wedding night, nor our marriage." He said weakly and out of breath.
"I admit, neither did I but the pain will not last for long, my love. We reach Metropolis in a few days time. And when you are well again and after we take the city, you are most definitely going to introduce me to your mother and your brother." Lois said and dabbed his forehead with the same cloth she used to muffle his screams.
Clark grinned. "She is going to be so upset that I married without her knowledge or her presence, especially since you two have never met." He chuckled but then started coughing.
"So would I if I were your mother." Lois said and he grinned. "And after I meet them, I would love to see Christopher again. Then you and I are going to go away together. I hear the islands off of Themyscira are beautiful." Lois said.
"They are. The water is so cool and the fruit so delicious. Although the islands have beautiful sunrises and sunsets, I prefer the sunsets in Krypton. They appear to last for hours, especially in our long winters." Clark said.
"Yes. I admit I enjoy Krypton's sunsets but it took me some time to adjust to its long winters. However, it is something to look forward to." Lois said. His breathing returned to normal and she could feel his heart slowing down.
Lois wiped the last of the sweat off his brow and put the cloth aside. She climbed into bed next to him and lay her head down on his chest listening to his heart beat. He wrapped his left arm around and began stroking her left arm. "I love you, Lois." Clark said.
Lois rubbed his smooth chest. Her thumb stroked his scar. "As I love you." She replied and kissed his jaw. "Now rest, my love. Close your eyes." She said softly and Clark closed his eyes. Soon the sound of his quiet breathing relaxed her to sleep.
Corben hid in the dark alley of two buildings observing all the soldiers. He did not have long until they discovered the dead sentries. He then spotted Red Shard knights guarding the Mayor's Manor. He smiled. "There you are." Corben whispered to himself.
A Red Shard knight on patrol was passing the alley. Corben quickly grabbed him and broke his neck while the knight was going for his dagger. He dragged the body down the alley. He stripped the knight of his chest armor, helm, and sword. He lowered the visor of the helm and stepped out of the alley.
Corben nodded to the other Red Shard knights and they nodded back as he entered the manor. He smiled underneath the helm. Each floor of the manor had guards from different realms and he saw two Red Shard knights on the top floor guarding the door to the only bedchamber up there.
The two knights nodded to Corben but before they could react, he stabbed them both in their throats with daggers. Their veins turned green and they took their last breaths. He quietly lowered the bodies to the floor. He removed the helm so he could see and then he entered the bedchamber.
Lois heard the door open and opened one eye. She caught a glimpse of a body on the floor. She moved her hand slowly to retrieve the dagger hidden under her pillow. She heard footsteps approach her side of the bed and she finally grabbed hold of the hilt of the dagger. Lois's heartbeat increased when she heard the quiet ring of a dagger being drawn.
Corben was shocked to see Commander Lois Lane in bed with Kal-El but he had been suspicion of her true allegiance since she returned to Metropolis from captivity. All that matter was that she was now a traitor and all traitors were sentenced to death.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his dagger and approached Lois. He would slit their throats, take the stone, and be long gone when they would find the bodies in the morning. Corben raised his dagger to strike.
Then, Lois shot up and smacked the dagger out of his hand. Clark shot up to but then he felt lightheaded and fell back down. Corben smacked Lois across the face and she fell out of the bed dropping her dagger. Clark grabbed Corben's arm but Corben easily shook out of his grip. Lois tried to crawl to his fallen dagger but he kicked her hard in the ribs causing her to grasp for breath.
Corben grabbed Lois by her hair and she struggled as he picked up his dagger. "I knew you were a wolf in sheep's clothing, Lane, but I ignored my instincts because Luthor had such high hopes for you. Now I am going to correct my mistake." Corben said and raised the dagger. Lois then stopped struggling.
"Then you should have trusted your instincts." A woman said. Corben then gasped as he felt a dagger penetrate his lower back. He dropped his dagger. "Then you would not have missed the other wolf." Tess said closer to his ear. He groaned as she twisted the dagger deeper into his back.
Sir John Corben fell down to his knees and then fell down onto his left side. His breathing was labored and he coughed up some blood. He stared at Tess's cold expression and Corben surprisingly smiled. He took his last breath and his head fell limp. Lois crawled to him, her breathing still labored from the kick to the ribs. "Dead." She said.
Tess held out her hand and helped Lois up. Lois leaned against the bed for support as she rubbed her sore ribs. Clark used the bed post to support him and climbed out of the bed. Then at that moment, knights barged into the bedchamber. Tess held her hands up with a smirk on her face. The knights grabbed her and forced her hands behind her back.
Clark then felt so weak. He collapsed and Lois rushed to his side. "What is the matter with him?" Tess asked but the knights forced her out of the room before Lois could answer. Bruce then rushed into the room almost slipping on the blood of the dead knights.
Tess was bound to a chair in a poorly lit room on one of the lower floors. Then the door opened and someone she was not expecting to see entered. She had to take a deep breath in order not to gasp. Oliver stood over the woman he had once loved but now the sight of her filled him with hatred.
Tess lifted her head high and looked into his eyes. She could see the pain and the hate. "Hello Oliver." She said softly and Oliver clamped his jaw shut. "Are going to speak to me? I remember you used to love talking to me." Tess said and he turned his head away from her.
"I have never laid a hand on a woman before… but today I will make an exception." Oliver said and raised his hand. Tess's breathing increased but she did not flinch. Oliver swung his hand but a hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
Oliver tried to pull free but Carter had a tight grip. "No student of mine will strike an unarmed prisoner, especially a woman." Carter said roughly and pushed Oliver away. Oliver landed hard on the floor but he stood back up and rubbed his wrist.
"She is no woman but a snake. Do you know what she has done to me?" Oliver snapped.
"Yes and I cannot imagine the pain she put you through but I will not allow you to touch her. Your rage is affecting all your thoughts of reason… Now leave and go compose yourself." Carter said fiercely pointing to the door. Oliver glared at Tess one last time before leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.
"I thank you but he had just cause to strike me. Even more cause to hate me." Tess said and Carter turned to look at her. "I used his love for me to my own advantage to spy for Lionel. I do not deserve his forgiveness… but I am content with Clark's forgiveness."
"Clark's forgiveness? I did not know that you knew one another." Carter asked.
"I used to sell information to the Duke of Kent but when he died I then starting giving the information to Clark. Soon the only payment I wanted from Clark was redemption for the sins of my family and in turn, Clark saved me from myself… Even when I grew tired of war, Clark understood and let me go to live for myself for once and for my daughter." Tess explained.
"That does sound like him. But what do you speak of when you say you want redemption for the sins of your family?" Carter asked.
Tess sighed. "I have many secrets. But there is no point in hiding this secret any longer… Lionel Luthor was my father." She noticed how sincere Carter's eyes became. "I know, Luthor blood is poison. Clark was more fortunate than I, the Duke and Duchess of Kent raised him.
Carter sighed. "Blood does not corrupt. It is the man himself." Carter said.
"Clark said that to me as well. You and the Duke have taught him well. I have yet to meet a man as noble and kind as Clark; and that is why I could not let Corben kill him tonight. I would not been able to live with myself knowing I could have prevented it." Tess said.
"And I thank you for that, Tess." Clark said and Carter turned around. He had quietly entered the room some minutes before and had heard half their conversation. Carter patted Clark on his left shoulder and left the room. "I will have someone remove your binds." He said.
"There is no need." Tess said. Clark saw the ropes fall behind the chair. Tess rubbed her wrists and then unbound her legs. "I could have escaped at anytime but I wanted to see if you were well."
"No, I am not, Tess, but I wish to thank you for saving Lois. I cannot even bear the thought of losing her… especially now." Clark said and looked at his wedding ring on his hand.
"I assume congratulations are in order for your unexpected nuptials. I must admit Lois Lane was the last woman I expected you to marry." Tess said and Clark chuckled. That is when Tess noticed the familiar green veins on the right side of his neck. "How long do you have?" She asked sympathetically.
"Four or five days at the most; six if I am fortunate enough. But I am dead unless I retrieve the two remaining stones from Lex." Clark said. "We march for Metropolis at daybreak and I may need your help, Tess. I am sorry that I must ask for it again when you have already given so much." Tess sighed.
"I love my brother, Clark. He has always protected me and has taken care of me and Mia since the death of my husband. But he is not the same man I once knew." Tess walked to a window to see the dawn approaching. "My brother may as well be dead. And I do not want my daughter and nephew turning into the same monster." She took a deep breath and turned to look at him. "I will do whatever you need me to do; however, I do require something in return."
"Baroness Mercer has told me that Luthor was sending all the people out of Metropolis to make way for General Wilson and his troops. His nobles have run to Thanagar. His wife and son, and the Baroness's daughter remain in the Metropolitan Palace with Luthor." Clark said. Clark took a quill and marked an area near Metropolis on their map of Genesis.
"The Baroness has told me as well of an abandoned escape tunnel once used by Lionel Luthor. Lex has no knowledge of it so we may use it to our advantage. Even better news is that it is hidden here…" Clark pointed to the area he marked. "…between these two hills in the lower valley outside Metropolis." He said.
"And I doubt she just gave you this information willingly. What does she want? What did you promise to give her?" Clark remained silent. "She is a Luthor, Clark! Everything they do or say has a hidden agenda behind it!" Oliver snapped.
"If you must know, the Baroness and I do have an agreement that I intend to honor. I will explain the terms to you later but for now let us focus on our attack instead of your vendetta!" Clark said. Oliver broke the arrow he was twirling in two and stormed out of the room. Clark sighed. Chloe started to move but Dinah held up her hand and left the room.
Oliver was pacing at the end of the hall when he felt his wife's hand rub his shoulder. He sighed at her touch and his tense shoulders loosened up. "My love, I loathe her for what she has done to you but this is a time we cannot let our personal feelings distract us. Especially since Clark's life depends on our success and to achieve that is to keep our calm." Dinah said.
He turned to face her and she caressed his face. He closed his eyes as the back of her fingers ran down his cheek. "Now take a deep breath and let us return to the important task at hand." Dinah said. Oliver took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and nodded to her. She took his hand and they went back inside to the war council.
Oliver nodded to Clark when he and Dinah returned to the table and Clark nodded back. "As I was saying, General Lane and the Baroness will return to Metropolis with our Genesis soldiers under the guise that they have returned with reinforcements. They are in fact reinforcements, just not for Luthor. Tess will then inform Lex that Corben has stayed behind to retrieve the stone from me." Clark said.
"How do we plan to attack the city if our allies are within the city walls? I hope you plan does not include sacrificing them." Carter said and everyone turned to look at Clark.
"Clark would never do such a thing and that is why we have been arranging a new battle plan ever since Baroness Mercer gave us this new information last night. Lane and Mercer's job is not to die but to assist the small force that will enter the city through the abandoned tunnel." Bruce said.
"If Lex has indeed unlocked the powers of the stones in his possession, then a head on attack would only end in slaughter and I do not know if Kara and I could defeat with only one stone so a small force will enter the city before we commence our attack. Luthor is expecting a large invasion force, not a small one. I would lead the force if I were able but I am not." Clark said raising his gloved right hand holding a cane in the same hand.
"So I will be leading this smaller invasion force into the city. Once I have retrieved the stones and hopefully have captured Luthor, General Lane will opened the city gates so that they army may enter to destroy what is left of Wilson's troops." Bruce said. "Is all this understood?"
Everyone nodded. "Good. Then we march at dawn." Clark said.
Clark was on the bottom floor of the manor. The three bodies of the Red Shard knights killed by Corben lay on top of sheets on the floor. They appeared sleeping with their hands wrapped around the hilts of their swords laying on top their chests.
He heard footsteps behind him but he did not turn to see who it was. "You knew them well, did you not?" Lois asked.
"Yes, they have been my protectors for as long as I can remember. The knights are more than my protectors; they are my friends, my brothers-in-arms. I have fought alongside them and bled with them ever since I took the throne. Losing just one of them is like losing a brother." Clark said somberly.
Lois got closer to Clark. She took his hand and kissed it. He grasped her hand and caressed her knuckles with his thumb. "If they truly were your brothers as you say, then they would not want you tearing yourself apart over mourning their deaths. They would want you out their fighting to end their war so the deaths of fellow knights and soldiers cease." She said.
Clark closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You are right."
"I know that I am right." She said and she got a small grin from him. "Now, come back to bed. We have a long journey ahead of us and you, most of all, need to rest." Lois said.
Clark nodded and Lois led him back up the stairs.