Chapter 2: Breakout Part 2: Bravery and Faith

At Lionel Luthor's mansion, Lionel prepared for an overview of the games tomorrow, inspired by the stories of Nero throwing the Christians of old to lions. He couldn't understand the logic in following a dead Jewish carpenter.
I'm that leader Lionel Luthor
I'm the empire's true blue ruler.
All these gods amount to rubber.
Who would disagree?
Though my singing's much to middling,
I won't stop my fiddle-diddling.
Earth can burn, I'll just keep fiddling.
Glory be to me!
I'll take the glory.
Who'd disagree?
So dictator-y.
Glory be to me!
Follow me. Don't be a whiner.
Other leaders are so minor.
Next to my line, none's diviner.
In all modesty.
Though some ingrates may abhor me,
I insist all Earth adore me.
Thou shallt have no gods before me.
Glory be to me!
I'm full of glory...
And modesty!
No guts, no glory!
Glory be to me!
Yes I'm cruel and mean indeed.
I will tax you 'till you bleed!
And this week, breathing is free.
Christian tales, I don't enjoy,
And those who tell them. I destroy!
It's time they bowed to me...!
I'm Mr. Glory...
So glory be!
I've got your story!
Glory... Be to me...!
Lionel chuckled as he walked to a 3D model of the stadium as he smirked.
"It's brilliant." Lionel said with a smirk. "At the games tomorrow, the lions, dogs, and gladiators will come in through the South Entrance."
"Oh yes, Mr. Luthor." Lionel's aid, Dominic said oily. "It's brilliant!"
"Hold your tongue" Lionel said plainly. "I'm not finished for then my champion, Bane, shall come in from the North Entrance, and finally, the Christians will come in from the East Entrance and meet their doom... That reminds me. Dominic, call Brainiac at once."
"BRAINIAC!" Dominic said as Brainiac walked in and knelt down.
"Emperor Luthor." Brainiac said.
"Brainiac, where are the Christians?" Lionel questioned.
"They're being unloaded now, sir." Brainiac said. "We captured scores of them in last night's raid."
"Excellent." Lionel said. "Then have the sandbags placed in front of their cell. Bane shall break their spirits first... And then their bodies."

In a cell he shared with several other Christians, Bruce watched as a pale-skinned man in a completely black mask with an odd breathing apparatus made one swift kick at the sandbags, and they burst open, sand pouring out of them.
"Oh man." Bruce groaned.

Martha panted as she followed Lois up the hill. When she and Jonathan had kids of their own, she hoped she was in better shape. Lois had told Jonathan and Martha about Bruce's parents and hoped they could help.
"Lois, you're sure this is where they live?" Martha asked.
"Yup." Lois said as she took Martha's hand and helped her up the steep climb. "He said just behind this villa, and he said one time..."
Martha looked as Lois' eyes widened with shock, and she saw that the villa had been ruined, obviously by a fire.

Back at the farm, Jonathan heard about Lois and Martha's attempt to contact Bruce's parents.
"And the neighbors said he lost his parents in the fire!" Martha finished.
"We're the only ones who can help him!" Lois insisted, and Jonathan agreed. It was like his father said, do what you can to help people.
"Help him?!" Oliver snapped. "That little circus brat's probably spilling his guts to the guards right now!"
"Oliver, he was taken from one of our meetings." Jonathan said plainly. "That makes him our responsibility. Lois' right. We've got to help him."

Jonathan drove up to the Metro-Dome where the games were played and brought out a large basket of produce and walked up to a guard.
"State your business." The guard said.
"Fruits and vegetables for the gladiators." Jonathan said as he pulled out a large juicy piece of melon. "And this for yourself."
Inside the corridors, Jonathan turned to Oliver.
"Ollie, you make a map of these corridors while we look for Bruce." Jonathan said.
"On it, Jonathan." Oliver said as he rushed off.
Meanwhile, Jonathan went with everyone else down the stairs as the children shouted in shock when they saw a skeleton hanging from the wall.
"What was that?!" Lois called out.
"A not so successful gladiator." Jonathan said calmly, though truth be told the skeleton had caught him off guard too.
At that point, they heard singing.
"Sounds like Bruce isn't alone." Martha observed.
"Halt!" A rotund man with black hair and a long nose called out. "Who goes there?!"
"It's Jonathan Kent with stale fruits and vegetables for the prisoners." Jonathan said as he held up a water melon. "Too bad guards can't eat on duty."
"Actually, it's just about time for my break." The rotund man said.
"Clark, take care of our friend while we feed the prisoners." Jonathan said with a smile.
Jonathan then headed to the cell with everyone except Clark and Conner.
"Jonathan..." Jonathan's friend Ben said weakly. "Martha..."
"Shh!" Jonathan said quickly. "Ben, what are you doing here?"
"We were all rounded up in last night's raid." Ben explained.
"Back away you scavengers!" Jonathan called out in the direction of the guards' break room. "That's all the crumbs you get!"
Jonathan then turned to Ben and whispered, "Don't worry. There's enough food for all of you."
"Lois!" Bruce called out in a whisper.
"Bruce, are you okay?" Lois asked.
"Yeah, but tomorrow, they're going to throw us to some guy named Bane." Bruce said urgently.
"Don't panic." Jonathan said. "We'll have you out before then. Just have courage."
"Courage?!" Bruce whispered. "Have you seen the size of this guy?!"
"Size has nothing to do with courage, Bruce." Jonathan explained.
"Right." Martha said kindly. "Remember David and Goliath? And Zachius?"
"Who?" Bruce asked.
"Zachius." Martha said. "He wasn't much taller than you, but he had a lot of courage. You see the people where Jesus lived hated Zachius because he collected taxes for the Romans. Because he was so short, he liked to look down on everybody. He was also very rich and powerful, but what people most disliked was that Zachius was a cheat. But for all of his wealth, he had no friends and was alone.
"Now Zachius had heard a lot about Jesus, and really wanted to see him, so he left the house while Jesus was teaching only a few feet away, but Zachius couldn't get a good look at Jesus through the crowd as he was so short. Unfazed, Zachius climbed up a tree to take a look at Jesus when Jesus looked up at him.
"'Zachius!' Jesus called out. 'Hurry and climb down for today I must stay in your house.'
"The people complained, calling Zachius a traitor and a thief for all the money he cheated even the Ceaser of Rome out of. Hearing these things, Zachius turned to Jesus.
"Lord,' Zachius said. 'I will give half of all I own to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I'll pay them back four times as much.'
"Zachius did so, and as he watched, Jesus said, 'Truly, God's forgiveness has come to this house today.'
"You see? It took a lot of courage for Zachius to be honest. You know what I mean?"
Jonathan smiled. Martha was a naturally born storyteller and Story Keeper.

In the dungeons, Conner hid under the table while Clark handed the rotund man, Oswald Cobblepot, several fruits and vegetables.
"Uh... Mr. Cobblepot, party of one?" Clark asked.
While Mr. Cobblepot ate the food, Conner snuck out from under the table, took some dough, and imprinted the key to the Christians' cell on the dough as he walked out quietly.

It took an hour to double check escape routes in case of any problems; Oliver finished up his map and smiled.
"Perfect." Oliver said when he ran into the guard at the door.
"Hey, what are you doing in here?" The guard asked.
"Uh... Me?" Oliver asked. "I'm... With the volunteers for arena improvement."
"Alright, carry on." The guard said as he walked off.
"I think getting Christians out of here would be a definite improvement." Oliver said to himself as he went off.

Once the prisoners had finished their food, Jonathan smiled and shook Ben's hand.
"Now get some rest." Jonathan advised. "We'll be back for you all in the morning."
"Lois," Bruce said. "Thanks."
"It's okay, Bruce." Lois said with a smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Lois then walked off as Bruce gulped. He wasn't brave. He couldn't even tell his new best friend that he and his parents got separated in the Great Fire, and he wasn't sure where they were or if they were even alive. He sighed. Maybe he could pray for courage.

Poor Bruce.