Clark moved slowly, his eyes surveying the situation in front of him. His glare was focused straight on Zod, refusing to let his eyes move down to Lizzie. He could see her from the corner of his eye, her eyes closed as tears rolled down her cheeks and Zod held her tightly by her hair, refusing to let her go.
"Look at this," Zod spoke, bending down to pick up the dust off the floor, his grip increasing on Lizzie as she squirmed underneath him and he watched the dust flow through his fingers. "We could have rebuilt Krypton on this planet, but you chose the humans over us. I exist only to protect Krypton. That is the sole purpose for which I was born. And every action I take, no matter how violent or how cruel, is for the greater good of my people."
Clark dared to look down at Lizzie for a second, his gaze stern and trying to be reassuring as she looked back at him, her hand firmly attached around Zod's wrist, trying to take some pressure from the pain he was inflicting on her.
"And now, I have no people," Zod drawled otu to Clark. "My soul, that is what you have taken from me!"
Elizabeth winced as he hauled her to her feet, his hand gripping her neck as he turned her to face him. His grip slowly increased, his fingers making sure she could still breathe as her eyes widened.
"And now...I will kill every single human on earth. I shall destroy all that has been built whilst you watch on helplessly. I shall not allow you to get away with this, Kal-El...I will take the thing which you care most about and watch it burn."
Clark remained where he was as Zod released his grip on Lizzie, pushing her back to the ground as she gasped out in pain at the forceful contact.
"And I shall start with her," Zod spoke. "Your precious Elizabeth. I will kill her slowly whilst you watch on."
"She has done nothing wrong," Clark declared. "Your battle lies with me, Zod."
She began to crawl upwards, her hands holding her weight as Zod picked her up by the arm again, slapping her forcefully around the cheek as he turned her to face him. She groaned in pain, doing her best not to scream loudly at everything that was happening.
"It does, and she is the best way to you," Zod replied. "She watched on as you enjoyed your moment with the other women...crying in despair..."
Clark looked down to Lizzie as she knelt on the ground, her gaze looking to Clark as she said nothing. What could she say? Clark had always been able to see straight through her lies. He shook his head and clenched his hands into fists as Zod kicked Lizzie's back, pushing her face flat into the dirt. He stepped forwards, his eyes narrowed as he watched Clark with hatred.
"I'll give you her broken body before your feet," Zod promised Clark. "I'll let you comfort her with your lies before she passes, and then, Kal-El, you will suffer the same fate."
"No," Clark snarled back, rushing forwards and pushing Zod from his feet and back into the rubble behind them.
Lizzie sat up again, hearing the crashing sound before pushing her tired body to its feet. She ran forwards, trying to get away from the sight so that Zod couldn't use her against Clark. The one thing she should have known was that there was no use in escaping. She'd never be able to escape him. Zod was the first one back, Clark flying closely behind him. Zod reached down, grabbing Lizzie's wrist and pulling her higher into the air. She screamed in fear, dangling from his hand as she looked around, waiting for Clark to catch up.
Clark flew, pushing his body as fast as it could go until he could hold his hand out to her, urging for her to take hold of it. He saw the building which lay up ahead, knowing full well that Zod intended to smash straight through it. The impact alone would be enough to shatter Lizzie's bones.
Lizzie reached her hand out to Clark, trying to pull as far away as she could from Zod. Clark finally grabbed it as Zod rushed through the building's glass, releasing Lizzie from his grip. Clark acted quickly, dragging her into his arms and using his own body to shield her from the tumbling glass as he fell to the ground in the building.
"Stay behind me," Clark urged her, standing up again and pushing her behind his back. He kept one arm behind his body, Lizzie's hands wrapped around it as he saw Zod knelt in front him, his eyes changing colour as he burnt the ground they stood on. Clark changed his position with haste, grabbing Lizzie's thighs and forcing her to piggyback him. Zod's eyes continued to rip through everything in its path as Clark floated in the air.
"Hold on," Clark demanded as Zod finally cut through the wall, giving them an escape route. Lizzie did as Clark had commanded, both of her arms wrapping around his neck as he moved them out to the fresh air, flying as fast as he could through the skyline. Lizzie kept her eyes closed, wondering how Clark would ever defeat someone as enraged as Zod.
He lowered her to the ground, fully intent on going back to the air, but Zod was quicker. He was on the ground opposite Clark, lunging for him with his clenched fists. Clark nudged Lizzie in the shoulder, pushing her to the side and discarding her as she watched the two of them swing at each other. Clark carefully avoided some punches. But Zod soon gained the upper hand, kicking Clark down to the ground.
Lizzie moved without thinking, rushing to Clark's side. She didn't get far as Zod grabbed her by the wrist once again, his other hand moving to punch at Clark. Clark was quicker, managing to pick himself up from the floor and grab Lizzie too, snatching her from Zod's grasp before he moved up the side of the building. Lizzie kept her legs wrapped around Clark's waist, looking over his shoulder as Zod glared up at them.
"There's only one way this ends, Kal," Zod assured Clark. "Either you die, or I do."
He began to advance onto the building, scaling it as if it were no match for him. Clark flew away again then, moving from Zod and his anger as the General followed them. Clark went lower as they came to a construction site, looking around for Zod to make his move. He soon did, a metal beam in his hands as Lizzie buried her head into Clark's shoulder blade, unable to watch as he used the heat from his eyes to aim at Zod. It seemed to have no effect, for he kept coming at Clark until he hit him around his side with the end of the beam, missing Lizzie as she clung onto Clark. Kal felt himself turn through the air, swapping his position so that he was the one to land on his front, stopping Lizzie from bearing the impact of the weight. She rolled off of him, watching as he turned over and looked at her, his eyes holding something she had not seen in a long time.
Fear. He was scared that he wouldn't win.
"I was bred to be a warrior, Kal," Zod said as Clark pushed himself to sit up, helping Lizzie as he did so. "Trained my entire life to master my senses. Where did you train? On a farm?"
Kal watched in worry as Zod bent over, shedding his armour from his body as he became ready to finally finish the battle he was engaged in. Kal El could never win against him.
Clark saw what he was doing and acted quickly, pushing himself to his feet and taking hold of Lizzie's hand, dragging her to hover above the ground as he held her in his arms. Zod looked up at the pair of them, a smirk on his face as he shook his head back and forth.
"You can't protect her, Kal. You can't protect any of them."
Clark began to fly again, doing his best to get Lizzie somewhere safe. But nowhere seemed to come. He did his best to outdo Zod, flying with as much strength as he could muster. It wasn't long until he caught up with Clark, grabbing him by his cloak and twirling him around through the sky before he hurtled through a building. Lizzie screamed as Clark did his best to keep her in a ball in his arms, his back being the thing which carried the weight of the falling obstacles.
"Clark," Lizzie cried out as she felt herself slipping from his grip. "Clark...don't..."
"I've got you," Clark promised her as Zod came into view again, rushing towards him. He hit him with full force, pushing him off track as Clark juggled Lizzie in his grip. Zod kept hold of him by his back, hurtling the pair of them downwards until the crashed through a glass roof. Lizzie shrieked as she felt shards hit her skin, piercing it as she fell from Clark's hold. She rolled from his arms, hitting the ground and landing on her back with a sudden bang. She continued to roll until she hit the wall, only then stopping.
Clark jumped to his feet as Zod came rushing towards him. He saw Lizzie as he managed to grab Zod's neck in his hold. A group of people had huddled around her limp body, making sure she was breathing as Clark looked at her.
What had he done?
Zod's gaze was set firmly on her, his body struggling to get out of Kal's hold.
"If you love her so much," he snarled. "Then you can mourn for her."
"No!" Kal snapped, drawing the attention of the family who was knelt beside her. They stood with haste as they saw Zod's eyes change colour and his heat vision aimed straight for them. They huddled into the corner by Lizzie as Clark watched her slowly peel her eyes open, looking around for him. She tried to move. She tried to drag her body to safety as Zod continued to move for her.
"Zod...you don't need to do this...stop it..."
Zod ignored Kal, too intent on aiming for Lizzie as she struggled to move any further.
"No!" Clark roared as he took hold of Zod's neck and twisted it, the snapping sound echoing around the hall as Zod's limp body fell before Clark's feet. Clark knelt to the ground, dropping to his knees as he shouted out loud, his distress apparent to everyone around.
He looked at Zod's body, unable to believe that he had just killed someone. Clark was not like that. He was no killer. He was soon snapped from his thoughts as he saw Lizzie on the ground, laid on her side and turning to face him. He moved slowly then, pushing himself to stand up and move towards her. The family who had been watching her looked to him, clearly in shock at what they had just seen.
"Go," he told them. "I have her."
They looked at him with caution before disbanding. Clark knelt down by her side, using his vision to see if any bone had been broken. She looked as though she had managed a lucky escape. She was covered in cuts and bruises though; some shards of glass were poking out from her bare legs. Clark took a moment to wrap his arm around her waist, dragging her upwards so that he could rest her against his side. She laid her head on his chest, her breathing shallow as Clark kept his arm around her, his other hand pushing the dirt from her pale skin.
"You're going to be safe," Clark whispered to her, his fingers pulling her hair from her eyes as she nodded weakly against him. "I've got you now."
"Clark," Lizzie grunted out his name. "I...I was so scared..."
"I know," Clark said, but she shook her head.
"I was scared for you," she admitted after a moment. "I thought he was going to kill you."
"So did I," Clark admitted with a gulp. "But you're safe now. That is all that matters, Lizzie. You being safe."
She nodded and closed her eyes again, slow tears falling down her cheek as she felt her throat clench up.
"Clark!" a sudden voice snapped.
Lizzie didn't need to open her eyes to know who was stood in front of the pair of them. She kept them closed, pretending to be too exhausted to even contemplate opening them. She didn't want to look at her. She didn't want to see her face at that moment in time.
"Lois," Clark gasped her name, another pang of relief coming through in his tone. "You're safe."
"So are you," she agreed. "I...the family who left said that an ambulance would be needed. One is on the way now for her."
"I see," Clark replied vaguely. "I'll stay with her until it arrives."
"Are you sure that's a wise idea? I could stay-"
"-No," Clark cut her off, a solemn shake of his head. "I'll wait with her. I'm sure her husband will find her...I'll let him know where she is..."
"Oh God," Lizzie suddenly complained. "James is going to flip out."
"I'm sure he'll just be happy that you're safe," Clark replied in a mumble. He didn't feel like feigning enthusiasm at that moment in time. "I know I am."
"I'd be in a worse state if it wasn't for you."
"No," Clark disagreed with that analysis. "You wouldn't, Lizzie. You'd have been safe if it wasn't for me...Zod would never have come after you..."
"Shut up," Lizzie mumbled as Lois saw the paramedics draw closer to them. She waved her hands in the air, grabbing their attention. "You can't turn back time, Clark. You've known me for years. You've known me longer than Zod has."
"That's not the point," Clark reasoned with her. "The point is that I have hurt you again, haven't I? I've managed to drag you into my mess again."
"And what are you proposing?" Lizzie wondered. "Don't you dare say to stay away from me, Clark Kent, because I am not having that. I've gone too long without you. I'm not going any longer."
"I've been bad news for you all along," Clark contemplated as she looked up this blue orbs. "I always have been. I always will be, I assume."
"No," Lizzie found the strength to snap. "Don't leave me, Clark...not again...not now...please...I don't blame you for any of this."
"I blame myself," Clark assured her. "You have a husband, Lizzie. You could have a life...a safe life..."
"A miserable life," Lizzie complained as the paramedics came closer and her time began to run out. "Do you know how I felt on the morning of my wedding?"
Clark said nothing, knowing full well how she felt. He had been in her backyard.
"I sat there for hours, Clark, wondering if you would come back." She finally admitted to him. "I spent hours...wondering if I would have felt any different if you hadn't kissed me when I was seventeen...but...I knew that I wouldn't have..."
The paramedics regarded Clark for a moment as he stood up, resting Lizzie's back against the wall as she took hold of his hand refusing to let it go. Clark looked back down at her, watching as her eyes remained strong and adamant in his gaze.
"Don't you dare leave," she warned him. "Not again."
Clark said nothing as the paramedics watched him whilst tending to Lizzie. Clark looked over to where Lois stood; a small smile on her face as she folded her arms around her waist. He managed to force himself to smile back at her, the motion vague before he turned back to watch Lizzie being tended to. He listened with intent to her list of injuries before she was told that rest in a nearby hospital would be the key. They lifted her onto the stretcher they had brought as she looked at Clark before passing by him, silently urging him not to disappear again.
Lois said nothing as she moved closer to him, watching Lizzie being taken away for medical care. Clark would find somewhere to change before going to find where she had been taken. He didn't intend to leave her alone for long, not after her pleas. He never could deny her what she wanted. He doubted he would ever be able to.
"She's a tough girl," Lois said simply. "She must have been to withstand Zod."
"Yeah," Clark agreed limply.
Lois reached out and took hold of his hand, knowing full well that Clark Kent still had the same feelings for Lizzie that he had held sixteen years ago.
"I get it," Lois said. "You're still in love with her. I had an idea about that when I kissed you...well...before..."
Clark kept quiet then, not thinking about the kiss between them. He took a moment to compose his thoughts into coherence before he spoke.
"She will always be special to me," Clark said, "but...by me being close to her...she seems to end up hurt all the time. That isn't fair on her."
"Life isn't fair," Lois said. "Besides, how many more alien invasions are there going to be?"
"I don't know," Clark said. And he didn't know. He had no idea what was out there. "I need to change and go to her...make sure she's going to be alright..."
"Okay," Lois said back to him. "What will you do then?"
"Go home to my mom for a while," Clark shrugged. "Then I don't know."
"You'll look after yourself, won't you?"
"You too," Clark urged her, beginning to walk away to find a safe spot to fly from.
"Hey, Clark!" Lois called after him. He turned back around to see her smirk. "You always know where I am...if you need to talk..."
He nodded in gratitude before wandering off again, his mind too intent on visiting Lizzie in the hospital.
...
A/N: 100 follows! Thanks all so much for reading this and do let me know what you think so far!