The Storm Herald Series {#Wattys2018}

2.3

"Are you sure it will work?" John asks me. I nod,"don't worry, Mr. Kent. It will work." I remember Jor-El's words, telling me about how the Phantom Drives are the key to stopping Zod and his followers.

"It will work," I tell him, again, but I'm more telling myself than him. I'm telling myself because I'm scared. What if it doesn't send just Zod and his followers into the Phantom Zone? What if Clark is close, and he gets pulled in with them?

"Good luck, Mackenzie," Martha says, coming over to me. She hugs me, tightly. "Thank you for believing in my son."

"You're welcome," I whisper, hugging her back. "But you believed in him, too. You both did."

"Ms. Herald," a soldier says, coming up behind us. "You are needed." I nod, then follow the soldier.

"Dr. Hamilton," I say, with a curt nod.

"Ms. Herald," he replies.

"I was needed?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. Hamilton nods,"yes, you were." He gestures to the pod behind him,"you do know how to work this?"

"Yes, I do," I tell him. "Don't worry."

"Good. It is crucial to saving this world."

***

"Wait, they're what?" I ask Hamilton, over the howling wind and thunder.

"They're terraforming," he yells. "Making Earth into Krypton."

"The Hell they are! This has to stop them!" I shout, then yank the command key from around my neck. Hamilton takes it from my hand, then puts it in its port.

"It doesn't fit!" he tells me. I roll my eyes at him, then make my way over. Leave it to a scientist to mess things up.

I move Hamilton out of the way, and look at the port. The head isn't lined up with the port, so the 'S' is sideways.

"It does too fit!" I snap. "You just put it in wrong!" I take the command key out, and put it in the right way. "It's not like your house keys, Dr. Hamilton." Just as I'm about to press the key in, guess who shows up?

No, no, no, not Hera. Hera wouldn't do dirty work.

It's Faora-Ul. The dark haired female leaps into the plane, and starts throwing the soldiers out of the cargo hold. A flash of lightning illuminates her from behind, making the Kryptonian warrior even more menacing looking. She storms over to me, and grabs the back of my shirt.

"Kal-El will soon follow you in death," she hisses, before chucking me out the plane.

A scream issues from my mouth, as I'm stuck in the free fall. I struggle for a handhold, something that can stop me from falling, but it's hopeless. I can't stop the free fall.

"Good bye, Clark," I whisper. There's no use in prolonging the inevitable. This must be what Hera wants. For me to die and unglorified death. Splat on the pavement. Like a bird who's forgotten how to fly.

I watch the pod Clark came to Earth in fall from the plane, and then the plane itself explode. No more flying for that metal bird. A burst of green explodes from the pod, blinding me. Good. That means that the Kryptonians can be stopped. I shut my eyes, ready to hit the pavement, ready for the end to come.

But it doesn't.

Instead, my body slams into a chest enclothed in steel blue. The wind gets knocked out of me, but I hold on to him, my savior.

"Clark," I whisper, hoarsely. "You saved me."

"Of course I did," he says. "I'll always save you, Storm." We touch down on the ground, but I barely feel it. I'm so in shock from the events of today.

Has this all happened today? I ask myself. Has it? I shakily release my grasp on Clark, but I doubt he felt it.

I wish I could say I don't want to know what happens next. I wish the story would end here. With the Kryptonians gone there would be no one to continue terraforming.

"I have to go," Clark tells me. "Zod still needs to be defeated."

"Did you take out the other world engine?" I ask, breathlessly. He nods,"I did."

"Good," I whisper. I glance at his lips. There's a light sheen of sweat on his upper lip, but I can tell he doesn't care. I'm suddenly aware that I probably look like a mess, most likely with bruises on my face and my hair falling out of its braid.

Clark's lips meet mine, capturing me in a passionate kiss. More sloppy than any of our other kisses, but more passionate than any of them combined.

"They say it's all downhill after the first kiss," I mumble, remembering our first kiss in high school.

"That's only true when you're kissing a human," Clark tells me, in a rumbling tone.

"Well, good thing neither of us are human," I say, before leaning up and kissing him again. This goes on for a few seconds, before he pulls away.

"Go," I order him. "Be a hero. Stop Zod." With a nod, he steps back and flies off.

"Good luck," I say, as he flies off. I turn around, and see none other than my Gods awful Stepmother, Hera.

"You're afraid," she says, smirking.

"I'm not afraid," I snap, glaring at her. There's a pause from her, before she answers.

"Then prove it."