Chapter 5: Raging Waters Part 2: The Story for Metropolis

Each city on Earth possessed an aqueduct system similar to Ancient Rome as a means of easily having access to free water, one of the only good choices Lionel had made.
Lois' way of getting to Metropolis was taking the Smallville aqueduct to the adjacent Metropolis aqueduct.
"Captain Clark to the rescue!" Clark called out.
"I wanna be captain!" Bruce complained.
"Me too!" Conner called out happily.
"They'll be okay, won't they?" Martha asked Jonathan as they watched the children and Oliver head off.
"Of course." Jonathan said with a kind smile. "When I was a kid, we did it all the time."

Back on the aqueduct, Oliver jokingly bopped Bruce in the head with the bread that hid the Metropolis story.
"Stop with the splashing." Oliver said with a smile. "I've already had one bath today, and I'm not taking another."
"Oh yeah?" Lois smirked as they reached the end of the aqueduct, which turned out to be a foot away from the Metropolis aqueduct, and they all fell to the pool at the bottom as a guard was investigating a grate.
"That's three fish, seven rocks, one sandal-" The guard said as the kids splashed down. "And approximately 356 pounds of assorted children."
The guard helped the kids out as he said cockily, "No, no, this won't do at all. Children playing in the aqueduct. As aqueduct inspector, I'm afraid it's my duty to give you all a citation."
"Yes sir." Oliver said quickly as he took the new citation, not wanting to cause a ruckus when they had more important places to be. "Won't happen again, sir."
Oliver then turned to the kids and whispered, "Let's get out of here."
As Oliver turned, he bumped into a bald man slightly older than himself with purple armor and green eyes.
"A bit old to be playing in the aqueduct, aren't you, friend?" The man asked.
"Who me?" Oliver asked nervously. "We were uh..."
"We're not playing." Lois said quickly. This kid was fast on her feet. "We're junior Praetorian water scouts, and he's our troop leader."
Clark, Bruce, and Conner quickly followed suit and raised their hands.
"I am?" Oliver asked before quickly accepting the story. "I mean, I am!"
"Uh-huh." The man said. "What's that you've got behind your back?"
"Bread!" Cobblepot said as Oliver just noticed him. Cobblepot was sure to taste it if he let him, and Oliver knew their cover would be blown big time if that happened. "I'll take some of that."
"No!" Oliver said quickly as he pulled the bread away before Cobblepot took it and bit into it, revealing the scroll as Cobblepot rubbed his face.
"Wow. This bread's kinda stale." Cobblepot said as the man took the scroll out and looked at it.
"So you're one of those Christians." The man said. "I've never met one in person."
Oliver then rushed forward and grabbed the scroll.
"Halt!" The man called out.
"You'll never take me alive!" Oliver called out when several guards held several lasers to him. "Of course if you want to take me alive, we could work it that way too."
"Take him to the Imperial Palace in Metropolis." The man said. "My father will want to interrogate him."
"Of course he will." Cobblepot said plainly. "Just before he feeds him to the lions."

At the farm, Lois and Conner had rushed in and told Jonathan and Marta about Oliver being taken by the guards.
"And I think they took him to the palace." Lois said urgently. "Then Clark and Bruce went after him."
"Oh this is terrible!" Jonathan called out. "We've gotta cook up a way of getting Oliver out of the palace!"
Jonathan's use of the word "cook" suddenly caused something to snap in Martha's mind.
"Cook up a way." Martha said with a smile. "That's it!"
"Huh?" Jonathan asked.
"Don't just stand there!" Martha said as she quickly tossed aprons to Jonathan, Lois, and Conner. "We've got a lot of baking to do!"
"Martha, what does baking have to do with rescuing Oliver?" Jonathan asked.
"Don't you remember?" Martha asked. "Lionel Luthor's famous for his sweet tooth!"
"Of course!" Jonathan called out. "Come on everyone. You heard Martha. We've got a lot of baking to do."
"But what will we bake?" Lois asked. Jonathan and Martha were farmers, so she had a limited idea of what the two could make that would help get Oliver out of prison.
"A feast for a king, my dear." Jonathan said with a smile as he took out some dough and flour. "A feast for a king."

At Lionel's Metropolis palace, which he spent most of his time in, Dominic announced him to several senators.
"Live from Lionel's palace, it's the incredible, Lionel Lucas Luthor!" Dominic called out as Lionel walked out.
"Welcome to this meeting." Lionel said. "I have called you here for a rare treat. Dominic, call Lex."
"Lex!" Dominic called out as Lionel's son and favorite soldier, Lex Luthor, walked out holding Oliver.
"Now Lex, how did you capture this young man?" Lionel asked.
"We found this Christian near the aqueduct, Father." Lex said simply. "He was carrying this scroll."
"You know Christian; I never understood the logic in you people throwing away your lives for the sake of a Jewish carpenter who died 2,000 years ago." Lionel said plainly, which only made Oliver angry.
"He's not dead!" Oliver called out. "And all over the world, billions like me wait for the day he will return and your empire will end."
"You are in for a long wait." Lionel said with a sneer. "Lex, what's on the scroll?"
"Some kind of story, Father." Lex said. "About this Jesus of theirs."
"Well that should be entertaining." Lionel said. "Read us your little story, Christian. Who knows? Perhaps you'll convert us all."
Everyone laughed, and Oliver could feel the anger boiling inside of him like Lois' attempt of spaghetti a few weeks ago.
"You heard him." Lex said plainly. "Read."
"You don't wanna hear the story!" Oliver shouted out. "You just want to make fun of it! I will not dishonor my lord for your entertainment."
"I am your lord, Christian!" Lionel shouted, as angry as Oliver. "Read the story, I command you!"
"I'd rather die!" Oliver shouted back.
"As you wish." Lionel said with a smirk. "But first I must find out what you're dying for. Lex, what does it say?"
"It starts with Jesus and his disciples at the sea of Galilee, Father." Lex said as he unrolled the scroll.
"Well go on and read it." Lionel said.
"'That evening, Jesus turned to his disciples and said, "Come, let's cross over to the other side."'" Lex began. "'During the voyage, Jesus rested on the floor of the boat, but before long, a furious storm came up, and terrible waves began to break over the bow of the disciples' boat, filling it with water.
"'"Master!" One of the disciples called out. "Please wake up! Don't you care if we drown?"
"'Jesus awoke and went to the edge of the boat as he turned to the disciples and said, "Silence." Before he turned to the sea and shouted, "Be quiet!" And upon his command, the wind died down until the sea was completely calm.
"'Jesus then turned to his disciples and asked, "Why were you frightened? Do you still not trust me?"
"'And they turned to one another and said, "What sort of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?'"
Lex stopped reading and starred inquisitively at Oliver along with everyone else in the room. Oliver starred back at Lex and was surprised to see a spark in the center of his green eyes.
"Well what are you all staring at?" Lionel asked, obviously unmoved. "I never heard such a ridiculous, story in my entire life. It's completely absurd!"
"Oh yes, Lionel." Dominic said oily. "Absolutely absurd. No doubt about it. In fact, I'd have to say on a scale from one to-"
"Shut up, Dominic!" Lionel snapped.
"Yes sir." Domini said timidly.
"DESTROY THE SCROLL AT ONCE!" Lionel shouted.
"Yes Father." Lex said calmly.
"And as for this wretch, I want him thrown to the lions at the games tomorrow." Lionel said as he starred at Oliver. "He shall be an example to the entire planet of how we deal with Christians!"
Lionel laughed maniacally as Oliver was carried away.