Chapter Nine: Catacomb Rescue: The Good of the Story

Jonathan quietly sped to the catacomb entrance and lit a light to make sure he could see inside the dark passages as it was already eight in the evening.

"But we've looked everywhere." A guard said to Brainiac.
"I don't want excuses!" Brainiac snapped. "I want that Christian! And if I want your opinion, I'll give it to you! NOW GO!"
After that, Brainiac noticed a light near an abandoned road as he smirked.
"Oh Alexander, I think I've found our man." Brainiac said with a sneer as Lex walked up. "Come. I'll show you how to deal with these Christians."
The two then walked off.

In the catacombs, Jonathan met up with Kent, Clark, and Lois as they all smiled at the sight of each other.
As they were about to rush off, Jonathan noticed Kent clutch his chest.
"Lois slow down!" Jonathan called out.
"Sorry." Lois said weakly.
"Are you okay, Kent?" Jonathan asked.
"Yeah." Kent sighed. "These old bones aren't what they used to be, though. I need a minute to catch my breath."
Suddenly, Clark's super hearing picked up something.
"Listen." Clark whispered.
Now they all heard footsteps.
"We're being followed." Jonathan said. "Run!"
They all rushed off when Kent began breathing hard.
"Jonathan, it's me they want." Kent breathed. "You and the children go on. You've got a better chance of making it without me."
"No, Kent." Jonathan said. "Lois, hold onto the traveling papers Oliver got for Kent. Kent, hop on my back. The lord will give me the strength of two men."
Kent hopped on as Jonathan fell over.
"I thought you said the lord would give you the strength of two men." Kent said.
"Well, they must have been two very small men." Jonathan said.
After that, they sped off.

Lex and Brainiac were walking when Brainiac heard hastened footsteps to their left.
"Come!" Brainiac said and rushed after them.

At a bridge, everyone crossed single file for fear of over loading it as Lois slipped before Clark caught her, and a rock fell into the chasm.
"I wonder how deep this goes." Lois wondered.
"I don't intend to find out." Kent said plainly.
"They're getting closer." Jonathan pointed out.
"I've got an idea!" Lois said.
"Oh no." Clark groaned.
"Just help me with this beam!" Lois said as she and Clark grabbed a beam and pulled.
"What are you doing?" Jonathan asked.
"If we pull out the support, we can pull the roof in behind us." Lois explained. "I've seen it happen before."
"Oh yeah." Clark said sarcastically. "That'll stop them."
They pulled out the support beam, but the cave stood in perfect condition.
"I don't understand." Lois said. "Maybe the foundation needs to be loosened.
Lois kicked the area where the beam was, and the whole tunnel began shaking.
"Okay, sorry about earlier." Clark said.

As Lex and Brainiac began crossing a plank over a chasm, there was a slight tremor, and Brainiac lost his footing, barely holding onto the plank.
"Lex!" Brainiac called out, and Lex quickly helped him up.

Unfortunately, Lois' plain worked too well, and the cave in separated Clark and Lois from Kent and Jonathan.
"Lois, Clark, are you two alright?" Jonathan called out.
"We're fine!" Clark shouted back.
"You and Mr. Nelson go onto the cave!" Lois called out. "We'll meet you there! I know another way!"
"Lois!" Jonathan called out, but there was no response. "Lois?"
With no answer, Jonathan was forced to continue onward with Kent.

As Clark and Lois rushed on, they stopped to listen.
"I don't hear the guards anymore." Lois said.
"Maybe they were buried alive." Clark said bitterly. "That's what they deserve."
Suddenly, there was another cave-in.
"Uh-oh." Clark groaned.

As Lex and Brainiac continued on, the tunnel began shaking even worse than before.
"The tunnel is collapsing!" Brainiac called out as they rushed off, and both men got on the plank at the same time, causing it to break, and Lex was barely able to hold onto the edge.
"Brainiac!" Lex called out. "Help me!"
"Help yourself." Brainiac said plainly as he rushed out.
Lex fell and landed on an outstretching rock. Then, everything was darkness.

Brainiac rushed out of the cavern. The role of the soldier was survival of the fittest, and he was more fit to be a soldier than Lex Luthor.

The cave-in stopped without any more of the tunnel falling in on them.
"Are you okay?" Clark asked.
"Yeah." Lois replied when they heard a groan. "What's that?"
They went to the chasm, which had lost the plank as they saw Lex Luthor lying there small and weak, clutching at his leg.
"It's him!" Clark said. "He's one of the soldiers that-"
"Brainiac, is that you?" Lex asked. "Here, grab my whip!"
Lex tossed a dusty whip at the edge of the cavern for them to grab hold of.
"What do we do?" Lois asked.
"Nothing!" Clark said angrily. He was about to walk off when Lois stopped him.
"We've gotta help him!" Lois called out. "He'll die!"
"So?" Clark asked. "Leave him there!"
"Clark, it's not right!" Lois argued.
"What they did to our families wasn't right!" Clark snapped back when he heard Lex's voice again.
"Brainiac?" Lex pleaded. "Please help me!"
Lois rushed at the whip as Clark sighed and knew Lois was right about helping Lex, and he helped her pull the whip up when it suddenly gave a little, and the traveling papers for Kent fell into blackness.
"Oh, that's just perfect!" Clark groaned, but he and Lois continued pulling.

At J'onn's cave, Martha rushed up to Jonathan and Kent as they arrived.
"Thank goodness you're here!" Martha sighed. "We were so... Where are the children?"
"There was a cave-in." Jonathan explained. "We got separated, and they're trying to find another way. Ollie, some of you search the catacombs for them."
"Right." Oliver said calmly as he and a few others headed off.

Eventually, Clark and Lois managed to pull Lex up as he collapses on the floor breathing heavily.
"Oh Brainiac, I didn't think you'd come ba-" Lex said before he noticed Clark and Lois. "You? You saved me?"
"Yup." Lois said plainly.
"But... You're Christians." Lex said confusedly.
"Uh-huh." Lois agreed again.
"Lois!" Clark shouted.
"I came here to arrest you." Lex continued in shock. "Why would you risk your lives for me?"
"We were just doing what the Samaritan did." Lois explained.
"What Samaritan?" Lex asked.
"The one in the story Mr. Nelson told us." Lois explained.
"Ah... Kent Nelson." Lex said. "The Story Keeper. He's the man I'm after."
"Well you shouldn't have any trouble now!" Clark said moodily. "Thanks to you, we just lost his traveling papers."
"Please take me to him." Lex said without any hesitation in his voice.

In J'onn's cave, the Christians were getting restless.
"First they burn our houses, now they take our children!" A woman shouted.
"How much more are we supposed to take from Luthor's thugs?!" A man called out.
"Please!" Jonathan said, trying to calm everyone down. "Ollie and the others will find them!"
"There are only two soldiers there, and there are fifty of us!" J'onn shouted. "I say we go in there and get some revenge!"
"Friends!" Kent called out. "Friends, we mustn't be like other people! We must learn to forgive!"
"Yes, but how many times do we have to forgive them?!" J'onn asked.
"Disciple Peter asked the same thing!" Kent called out before calming down. "Come and listen. They were walking in the hillside, and Peter said, 'But lord, when someone treats me badly, how many times do I have to forgive them? Is seven times enough?'
"'No.' Jesus responded. 'Not seven times or seventy, but seven times seventy.'
"Jesus then told his disciples a story to explain his point.
"'There once was a king who wanted to settle the accounts for the men who worked for him. One man owed him thousands of silver coins, but he didn't have any money to pay him.
"'"Then everything you own will be sold to pay your debt." The king said. "Even your wife and children."
"'"Give me time!" The man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."
"'The king felt sorry for the man, crossed out his debt, and let him go, but on the way home, the man met another of the king's servants who owed him a small amount.
"'"Pay me what you owe me!" The man said.
"'"Give me time!" The other man pleaded. "I'll pay you back. I promise."
"'However, the man tossed the other into prison. When the king found out what the man had done, he was furious and brought both men before him.
"'"You wicked man!" The king snapped. "I wiped out your debt when you begged for time to pay! You should have done the same for this man! Guards, take him to prison until he pays all of his debt!"
"You see what Jesus was saying?" Kent asked. "We must forgive those who wrong us just as God has forgiven us."

"Are you Kent Nelson, the Story Keeper?!" Lex asked as he walked up to Kent with Lois and Clark behind him.
"I am Kent Nelson." Kent said calmly.
"Are you the one who told these children the stories of Jesus?" Lex asked.
At that moment, Oliver and several others walked up and held out their swords when Jonathan stopped them.
"If the people who hear your stories become like these children," Lex began. "Then all of the galaxy should hear about your Jesus."
Lex then handed Kent his traveling papers.
"Here." Lex said. "You'll be needing these papers."
Kent took them and smiled.
"You're drawn to him, aren't you?" Kent asked.
"A fellow soldier left me to die, but these children saved my life because of Jesus." Lex said as he smiled.
"Come." Kent said. "We'll talk."
"No." Lex said plainly. "It isn't safe now, and my men will be looking for me."
"Then I leave you in the hands of my friend, Jonathan." Kent said.
Jonathan walked up and made the sign of the fish on the ground as Lex memorized it.
"Look for me at my farm in Smallville, Mr. Luthor." Clark said.
"Please." Lex said as he shook Jonathan's hand. "My friends call me, Lex."
"Definitely easier to say." Kent said with a smile as Lex smiled too.
"May your god go with you, Mr. Nelson." Lex said.
"He will, my brother." Kent said with a smile. "And also with you."
Kent then walked off as Lex turned to Clark and Lois.
"And as for you," Lex said. "I don't know how to thank you, but I promise you, I will find a way."
"Hey, don't mention it." Clark said with a smile as he and Lex shook hands before Lex headed out.

Hooray for Lex, Clark, and Lois!