It's not an S // Superman

Chapter 26

Closing in on where I needed to be I stopped in my tracks when I saw three people I recognised, three people I worked with. They were covered in grey dust, blood and dirt. I thought they would have been out of the city by now.

"Perry? Jenny? Steve?" I called out to my boss and colleagues with a raspy and pained voice.

"Lauren? What are you doing here?" Jenny asked, a timid and scared edge in her words.

"That doesn't matter. You need to get out of the city right now. All three of you do."

"Don't you mean all four of us?" Perry questioned, taking note of exactly what I'd said. I really don't have time for this.

"No...I...I need to carry on. You need to go. Please just go." Why won't people ever listen to me? For once I wish people would just do what I asked them.

There wasn't much time. The engine collapsing to the ground had caused even more destruction. The buildings that had somehow stayed up so far were starting to creak, to rumble. It wasn't over just yet.

"Are you stupid Lake? Do you really think I'm just going to leave you here?" Perry bellowed in anger.

Taking a deep breath, I got as close to Perry as the rubble around us would allow. I wiped my face of any fear and stared directly into his eyes, determination the only thing I let seep through. "You don't have a choice cause I'm not going."

"It's because of him isn't it? The alien?"

"I don't have time for this Perry."

He looked so angry. I'd never seen him so frustrated. Over the years we have fought like crazy, always butting heads, never agreeing. At the centre of it all though was respect, understanding, a friendship. He didn't want anything to happen to me, just as much as I didn't want anything to happen to him.

"Well then you better make some time. He's not worth it."

"HE'S WORTH IT TO ME," I screamed, salty tears cascading all over my grief stricken face as I started to fall apart.

For the first time Perry quietened down. He saw how serious I was, how much this meant to me. "Fine, go." Was he serious?

"Thank you Pe..."

"But I'm coming with you."

Steve, who had been silent up until this point decided to step in, protesting to either of us staying.

Blocking out everything both of them was saying, my eyes glanced over to a shaking Jenny just off to the left of me. She was usually so vibrant, always a huge smile on her face. Now, she was like a shell. She was like a ghost.

Spotting me looking over at her, she tried to hold her composure, tried to be strong. You could still see it though, the fear.

A rumbling noise started up again, this time right under our feet. All of our arguing stopped. Our attention now concentrated on trying to determine what was causing the earth shattering crushing sound around us.

When I worked out what building it was coming from it was too late, it had already started to fall. Jenny was right underneath it, she didn't stand a chance.

It all happened so quickly. I didn't think. I didn't process. I just ran. I ran right at her, right at Jenny. Luckily I managed to push her out of the way just in time, and even luckier for me my own personal hero decided to make a last minute appearance. Clark had stopped the rubble. Clark had saved me.

Wrapped securely in his arms as the rubble rained down around us, Clark's body encapsulated mine, a protective barrier from the danger that could have sealed my fate.

As silence fell, the building now laying in ash around us, the only thing I could focus on was the man trembling at my side.

Turning in Clark's arms, both of us on our knees on the ground, I placed my palm on his face. The look on it being one that took my breath away, and not for the right reasons.

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?" I worried, Clark pulling us to our feet as his blood shot eyes roamed all over my body.

The last time I'd seen him like this was just after his Dad had died. He was distraught. In shock. Heartbroken. Oh no.

"Is it your Mom?"

He just shook his head, couldn't get his words out. He was a total mess.

"Clark please tell me what's wrong? Look at me?" I whispered so only the two of us could hear. "You're scaring me Clark."

"You...I almost...you're alive," he stuttered, finally looking into my eyes, his hands shaking as they started to stroke the ash and dust from my face.

"Of course I'm alive. I'm right here....."

Clark cut me off, his towering body pulling me into a tight hug. "It worked....it actually worked," he laughed almost manically, beginning to tremble with sobs as he did so.

"What worked?" I was seriously confused. Something had shaken him, something to do with me. What the hell was it?

"Don't worry about it... You're here. That's all that matters," he spoke softly, his attention suddenly caught by something, or should I say someone behind me.

"I need to get you out of here. I need to make you safe," Clark added as he pulled me behind him, seemingly talking to himself more than me.

I didn't have a chance to work out what else had scared him. It had all happened so fast, so suddenly.

God knows what Perry and the others must be thinking. Some flying alien man comes bolting through the sky and is now clinging to me for dear life, the city falling down around us as it happens. It's like something out of a drug induced dream.

"KAL-EL," a familiar and eerie voice made itself known threw the ash and smog. It was Zod, the man determined to destroy us all.

"Clark?" I worried, melting into his side as I peered from behind him, the menacing figure slowly closing in.

Turning to look at me once more, paying Zod no attention whatsoever, Clark placed his shaky palms on either side of face, then staring into my eyes as if logging them into his memory. Why was he looking at me like that?

"Lauren, you need to get out of here. All of you need to get out of here now," he trembled with a tensed jaw.

"I can't leave you....I can't....I won't...."

"I can survive a lot of things Lauren, but believe me when I say I know I can't handle anything happening to you. Please, I'm begging you, just get as far away from here as possible."

Clark looked frantic, traumatised.

In that moment I decided that for the first time in my life I would do as I was told. Zod was growing ever closer, Clark was growing more and more frantic, and my work mates were in mortal danger the worse it got. I'd make it my mission to keep them safe, just like Clark had made it his to save everyone else.

"Okay...I'll...I'll go."