Chapter Twenty Three
The padded cell walls weren't strong enough to contain the metallic man for very long but that wasn't a concern for the kryptonian as he watched John Corben sitting there powerless for the moment, "Come to gloat." The man said with a laugh.
"I came to make sure you were locked in your cage."
John looked deep into the eyes of the hero that had taken everything and just laughed, "I'll be out sooner then you think." He rises up from his seated position and walks towards the bulletproof glass that shielded him from wrapping his hands around the kryptonian's neck, "Everyone you've ever loved or cared about won't be safe as long as you're in their lives. You may have stopped me but there will be others in my place."
"And they'll be right were you are now." Superman replies in a serious yet threatening manner when suddenly there's a sudden change in emotion, "I have friends looking over what was done to you. With any luck they can reverse it."
The man of steel prepares to leave when Corben calls him back, "Why are you so willing to help me? Especially after I threatened your daughter's life."
"Sometimes people deserve a second chance." He pauses then continues, "It's up to you to choose if you want it or not." He gives the man one last look before disappearing in a red and blue blur leaving the man with the mechanical heart behind unaware of what would happen next.
Dr. Emil Hamilton walked out of the exam room to see Clark, Kara, Jonathan, Martha, Chloe and Lois rise up from their chairs simultaneously, "She's going to be okay." They each let out sigh of relief, "It could've been a lot worse though. She should stay off her feet for a couple days so I already took the liberty of writing a letter to her school." He hands Clark the note and gives his friend a nod of assurance before walking off.
Clark immediately walked through the door to wrap Maggie in his arms, "I'm so sorry baby." He kisses her head and tries to fight off the need to cry tears of joy that his daughter was okay after being attacked by another one of his alter-ego's enemies.
"Knock. Knock"
"Lois!" Maggie exclaimed wiggling out of her father's arms almost fell to her knees but luckily Clark was there to catch her and watched as she wrapped her tiny arms around his partner.
"I'm sorry your party got ruined. I know how much you were looking forward to it."
"That's okay. Last year daddy almost burnt down the barn trying to light the candles." Lois chuckled and ruffled the girl's head before she spotted the rest of the family waiting for her and immediately ran out to greet them, "She bounces back quickly. You'd never know anything happened today."
"Well she is a Kent" Clark replied as he sat down on the hospital bed and ran his hands through his hair, "This can't happen again. I refuse to have my daughter thrust in the middle of my problems."
Lois goes to sit at his side and places her hand over his as they just sat there watching Maggie interact with the rest of the family when the little one immediately ran off down the hall shouting, "Uncle John!" Clark looked up to see John Jones walking towards them with his daughter in his arms.
He rose up to see feet to greet his Martian friend who gave him a look he knew all to well, "Mom. Can you take Maggie back to the farm?" Martha nods and takes Maggie from John as they start to walk away all except for Lois and Kara.
"What's he doing here?" Kara asks with her arms crossed over her chest and gave the man a rather cold look.
"Now isn't the time for this Kara." Clark replied giving her a look and she immediately turned around to follow Jonathan and Martha shaking her head as she went.
Lois could tell that Clark wanted to be alone and went to grab her things but not before giving him a kiss goodbye, "Call me if you need anything."
He gave her a smile and watched her walk away, "I'm happy for you Kal-El. It's not everyday that people like us get second chances especially when it comes to love." He looked back towards the Martian.
"I thought you were searching for the other survivors."
"My search was unsuccessful. I'm afraid that I am all that is left of Mars just as you are what's left of Krypton." Despite the sadness reflected in the Martian's eyes there was no signs of it on his face, "I made a promise not only to your father but to you as well the day Margaret was born. She was in trouble and I came as quickly as I could."
"Well you don't have to worry any longer. The man that did this is locked in a reinforced cell at Belle Reeve, he won't be hurting anyone."
"No he won't. Which is why I took the liberty of erasing all memory of Margaret from his minds, however his hate for you was too strong to erase."
"Maggie's safe that's all that matters."
John notices something was wrong with the kryptonian and decided to voice his concern, "But you aren't well. This event has shaken your spirit in what you are doing."
Clark gave him a look that signaled he was right in his assumptions, "You are not to blame for this Kal-El." He went to place a hand on Clark's shoulder but decided against it, "When I lost my wife and daughter I felt that there wasn't strength left in me to survive but then I came here to this planet and saw the strength these creatures had even during their darkest times they persevered."
"That's just it John, we aren't human no matter how much we want to be." Clark just shakes his head, "I was stupid enough to think I could be like them."
He was about to say something but Clark disappeared leaving the Martian alone, "You'll choose the right path Kal-El. You always do." His eyes glow red and like that he vanishes as well.
When John Corben awoke his eyes immediately squinted at the intense bright light that was shined into his eyes and tried to shield his eyes only to see that he was strapped to a metallic table, "Good morning sleepyhead." A voice called out from the shadows as a figure moved in the darkness, "I didn't want you to miss this little party."
"Where am I?" he asked while struggling against the bonds only to have a pair of hands hold him down, "What do you want?"
The figure moved closer to reveal that it was in fact Lex Luthor, "The child you hurt was my goddaughter and you nearly killed her so I take that very personally." The bald billionaire immediately grabs his hair forcing his neck to arch as Lex loomed closer, "Superman may have spared you but I lack that kind of control and compassion." Lex pats him on the cheek and smirks, "Belle Reeve is too good for you. I have a place where no one will ever find you."
Lex steps back and turns to someone he could not see, "Remove the heart and send it to my specialist at SynTechnics."
"What about him?"
Lex looks at him briefly before turning back, "Put it in storage."
John begins to struggle against his bindings for fear of what Lex's people would do to him, "You can't do this to me!"
"I'm afraid I can."
The heart monitored flat lined a few minutes later and the light in John Corben's eyes faded away as the specialist took the kryptonite heart and handed it off towards the red headed woman that Lex was previously talking to, "Here you are Ms. Mercer."
She accepted and smiled at the device that contained so much potential with the right mind behind it and she had just the person in mind, "Make sure to clean up after you're done. I don't want anyone tracing this back to Mr. Luthor especially Superman." She slipped the device into a metallic briefcase and walked off with the only weapon on earth that could bring the man of steel to his knees.
TBC
I know it's a little short but I felt we needed a little break from what happened in the last chapter but the drama is still there. (Side note: I love drama)
Don't worry folks. Clark will be back to himself in no time after a much needed pep talk from Jonathan Kent but just so we're clear the only reason he doubts himself is because Maggie has been hurt twice and naturally he feels like he's a bad father even though he isn't and feels that he cant protect the world and Maggie while juggling his career at the Daily Planet as Clark Kent.
What did you guys think of the ending? Lex is showing his devious nature now and Tess is finally introduced (yay). Lex like Clark doesn't like when people threaten loved ones except Lex is willing to cross the line to end the threat while Clark takes the high road when it comes to fighting evil.
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