The House of the Earth Part 4 (3/8): Moving Forward
Title: Chapter Three: Moving Forward
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce, Selina
Notes: " The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and conquer its people.
Warnings: None needed
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2200
Summary: Kal and Bruce break into the Archives in the search for the blueprints that will make the final battle possible.
The heavy lead-lined steel door that guarded the archives swung open slowly and Kal caught his breath at the sight: a huge hall filled with rows of shelves, stretching into the distance.
Bruce was moving into the room, closing the door carefully behind him. A quick glance upward and a hand signal: The cameras. Kal glanced around and found them, moved to disable them. He frowned as he reached the first one.
"They're already offline," he whispered.
Bruce looked around the vast hall. "You might as well come out," he said conversationally. "You can't hide for long."
A whisper of sound and a shadow dropped from the ceiling to land in front of them, uncurling gracefully as it fell. Selina's glittering whip described lazy arabesques around her feet. "Well, well, well," she drawled. "It seems Lex wasn't the only one to plan on getting his hands on the schematics for that wand."
"Just how did you intend to find it, Selina? Unless you've learned to read Kryptonian fluently."
She made a brief hissing sound of disdain. "Luthor's got the cameras looping old footage. I have all night. I'll find it."
"We don't have time for this," Kal said. He started scanning the long rows of drawers--lead-lined, of course. The artifacts seemed to be filed by the date confiscated; a treasure trove of magic and science.
Selina was opening drawers, apparently at random. "You'll find it, and then what?" Bruce's voice echoed behind Kal as he searched. "They'll know if it's taken and it will alert them. Kal has the photographic memory and super-speed, he can steal without taking anything."
"I have a micro-camera, stupid," snarled Selina.
Bruce's sigh rustled through the archives. Kal's eyes flicked over the labels swiftly: rings, rods, helmets, blueprints for inventions of every kind. "And if you do find it and steal it, what then? Will you let Luthor poison Earth's atmosphere with Kryptonite? He could destroy the whole biosphere, Selina!"
"Your red-sun nanobots aren't fully tested. Luthor's is the only way. The only way to be sure."
"Don't do this, Selina." Bruce's voice was pained. "You're better than this. I know you are."
Selina responded only with something torn between a laugh and a snarl. Kal barely heard it: in front of him was the label indicating the blueprints for the weather wand were within. He said nothing, hoping to avoid alerting Selina, but his sharp inhalation was apparently all the sign she needed, for as he opened the drawer he heard her voice to his left:
"Step away from those, Kal-El."
There was a sheaf of papers in the drawer; ignoring her, he started to read the top one. A whip-crack echoed near his head and green after-images danced briefly in his eyes, but he didn't stop memorizing the schemata.
"Selina," said Bruce.
"He will step away from those papers or I'll scar his pretty face!" she cried. "I'm trying to free humanity!"
"So are we." Bruce's voice was both compassionate and warning. "Your price is too high."
There was a brief silence.
And into that silence all three of them heard the sounds of Kryptonian conversation coming toward the archives.
< You're insane to insist on looking that up on Festival night, Ala, > laughed one voice.
< I'm telling you, it was some kind of crazy vitamin that could make a human really strong for an hour. I read about it! >
< That's just silly, > said the other Kryptonian.
They were at the door now. The only exit. Desperately, Kal continued scanning the blueprints, using x-ray vision to read and memorize the ones underneath without disturbing them. If he could just finish memorizing them, maybe he could bluff his way out of this, somehow. Somehow.
The voices were getting closer. He wasn't done committing the information to memory. He couldn't forget any of it or all this would be useless. They were four rows away. Three.
Two.
There was a quiet hiss of annoyance behind him, and suddenly Selina's voice was at his ear. "You'd better make this worth it, Kal. You'd better make it work." And then there was a scrabbling down the aisle, the sound of a drawer opening and paper being snatched loudly from it, a desperate scramble along the marble floors.
< What the--by Rao! > yelled one of the Kryptonians. < An intruder! She's stolen something! After her! > There was a whip-crack and an agonized scream from one of the Kryptonians, then sounds of hot pursuit.
"Don't stop." Bruce's voice by his ear was tense; only then did Kal realize that he had almost moved after them. "We've got to get out of here with that information."
"They'll kill her," Kal whispered.
A long silence. "Only if they catch her."
Outside, sirens were starting to shatter the night. There were two more sheets of paper to memorize. The lines in Kal's vision blurred and wavered; he blinked hard, focusing.
"Done," he said at last. "Let's get out of here before more people come."
Outside the crowd was already starting to celebrate the capture of the human scum who had tried to steal secrets from the archive.
: : :
"When I saw her face on the vis-reels, I recognized her immediately," Kal said to the Kryptonian in charge of the jail. "She's escaped property of the House of El." Behind him he could sense Bruce radiating disapproval at his refusal to go somewhere safe and immediately write down the specifications for the weather wand from his memory. "I'd like to see her."
The jailer bowed, fawning. "Of course, sir. Of course. This way."
Kal and Bruce were ushered down a long cement corridor until Kal found himself in front of a cell. Inside was Selina, bruised and battered, dried blood streaking her face like tears. She looked up at him and fury contorted her features. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, jumping forward and grasping the bars.
"Hey there, scum," the jailer barked, reaching out to slap her hands away from the bars, "Don't you speak that way to your rightful master."
Kal found he couldn't muster the ability to act the part to her blood-stained face, so he just glared haughtily, his heart aching.
"He just wanted to get a last look at you," sneered the jailer.
"Well, he should go and not waste his time here," growled Selina. "I'm sure he has more valuable things to do."
Kal crossed his arms, ignoring her, and addressed himself to the jailer. "This human is El property. Release her to me and I shall take her home and...deal with her there." He put enough emphasis on deal with to make it sound truly ominous. "I'm sure you understand why the House of El would rather not have it known widely that one of our humans has been responsible for such actions."
The jailer's eyes widened and he swallowed nervously. "I would love, simply love, to oblige a member of the illustrious House of El--"
"--Heir," Kal cut in. "Not member," he clarified at the jailer's puzzled look. "Heir."
"Of course, of course," the jailer babbled. "So terribly sorry, so sorry!" But just as Kal began to hope he was going to make some headway, the man's jaw firmed. "But I'm afraid there's simply no question of releasing her to you, sir. If she had stolen from your family on your grounds, of course you could do with her as you willed, but this--this is a federal crime, a crime against Kryptonian culture itself. Besides..." He spread his hands out, "It's not in my power either way."
Kal put his hands on his hips and glowered angrily--it wasn't hard to do in this case, and he nearly managed to enjoy the way the hapless jailer cringed. "Then let me speak to your superior," he snapped. "I have no time to waste on minions."
Flushing, the man fumbled with a portable vis-screen. As he struggled to raise Commissioner Ril Azh-Mo, Bruce murmured behind him, all politeness and servility: "Master, if this one may speak?" At Kal's nod, he went on, "This one is saddened to think that the House of El may be held responsible for that unworthy one's ungrateful actions." He nodded toward the cell where Selina had turned her back on all of them, her spine rigid.
"Responsible?" Kal stared at him, wondering what Bruce was implying.
"Yes, of course. People--stupid and ill-informed people--could whisper that your honorable and worshipful uncle should have done more to catch her, that he was negligent. Some may even imply that he deliberately turned a blind eye to her activities, for surely if he had wished to capture her he could have at any time. It could be a terrible blot on your magnificent House's name, my master." Bruce cast his eyes down once more. "This one writhes in shame at voicing such a possibility even second-hand. Please forgive this one's presumption."
Kal nodded slowly. "I forgive your impertinence, but only because you are motivated by the purest loyalty to our House and my person." Behind the bars, Selina's shoulders twitched slightly as if she were suppressing a chuckle. Kal was about to say more, but the jailer held up his vis-screen, the austere lined face of Ril Azh-Mo filling it.
"Kal-El of the House of El," she intoned. "Of course I understand your desire to reclaim and dispose of your property. But this crime cannot go without a public punishment. The thief will suffer the fate of all human traitors to their benefactors: she shall be executed and her remains left in the public square unburied eight days, for all to see and witness the fate of rebels."
Kal swallowed the gorge rising in his throat. "Then I require she be given a full trial that lays out her crimes in detail."
The Commissioner looked surprised. "She was captured with evidence of her crimes in her hand, Heir of El. There is no need to--"
"--There is need," Kal cut her off with a snarl. Her features congealed somewhere between fury and respect as he continued, "The House of El will not permit our good name to be sullied by association with this bit of offal. We insist on a complete trial that fully investigates her history of thievery and exonerates us from any connection to her whatsoever." The woman on the vis-screen began to speak again and he waved one hand in a slicing motion, silencing her. "Our House has its rights, Commissioner, and it is unacceptable that she be executed without a detailed inquiry into her past that clears our good name."
Ril Azh-Mo sighed, her lips thin. "You are, of course, correct. You do understand a complete trial will take weeks and require a great deal of money--"
Extra weeks. Precious time. Kal waved a careless hand. "The House of El shall be glad to give a substantial donation to the Department of Justice, of course."
She shook her head slowly, a look of mingled disgust and admiration on her face. "As you wish. I shall call your uncle to make arrangements." As the vis-screen blinked out, Kal could only hope that his uncle would accept his reasoning as well.
The jailer shrugged. "Must be nice to have the power of the House of El behind you," he said. "Oh yes," he added as if something had just occurred to him, "Since she's technically your property and all, you'll want her properly collared." He opened a cabinet and took out a heavy steel collar. With heat vision, he quickly engraved the symbol of the House of El on it, then opened the cell door. "Slap that on her so she'll remember her place."
Kal took the collar and stepped into the cell, smelling blood and sweat. Selina raised her chin defiantly, but her jade-green eyes were resigned. For a long moment, they stared at each other.
Then Kal cast the collar aside with a clatter. "You misunderstand me. She is not our property. She belongs to no one, for she is unworthy to wear my family's sign," he said, lifting his lip in contempt. "Let her die as she lived, free of the protection of any decent Kryptonian House."
The livid bruises made Selina's expression difficult to read. "Your kindness touches me," she said sarcastically, voice dripping venom. Beneath the caked blood, her eyes gleamed.
"I hope you get the fate you deserve," Kal said loftily as he left the cell.
"Oh, she'll get that and no doubt about it," grinned the jailer, re-locking the door.
Kal left the jail with Bruce at his heels, walking through the public square. He stopped as a wave of dizziness swooped down upon him like a flock of ravens, staring at the marble block at the center of the square, swallowing sudden bile.
"Keep moving forward," came Bruce's voice behind him. "It's all we can do now."
They kept moving forward.
Pairing/Characters: Kal/Bruce, Selina
Notes: " The House of the Earth" is an AU in which a few thousand Kryptonians escaped the destruction of Krypton to flee to Earth and conquer its people.
Warnings: None needed
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2200
Summary: Kal and Bruce break into the Archives in the search for the blueprints that will make the final battle possible.
The heavy lead-lined steel door that guarded the archives swung open slowly and Kal caught his breath at the sight: a huge hall filled with rows of shelves, stretching into the distance.
Bruce was moving into the room, closing the door carefully behind him. A quick glance upward and a hand signal: The cameras. Kal glanced around and found them, moved to disable them. He frowned as he reached the first one.
"They're already offline," he whispered.
Bruce looked around the vast hall. "You might as well come out," he said conversationally. "You can't hide for long."
A whisper of sound and a shadow dropped from the ceiling to land in front of them, uncurling gracefully as it fell. Selina's glittering whip described lazy arabesques around her feet. "Well, well, well," she drawled. "It seems Lex wasn't the only one to plan on getting his hands on the schematics for that wand."
"Just how did you intend to find it, Selina? Unless you've learned to read Kryptonian fluently."
She made a brief hissing sound of disdain. "Luthor's got the cameras looping old footage. I have all night. I'll find it."
"We don't have time for this," Kal said. He started scanning the long rows of drawers--lead-lined, of course. The artifacts seemed to be filed by the date confiscated; a treasure trove of magic and science.
Selina was opening drawers, apparently at random. "You'll find it, and then what?" Bruce's voice echoed behind Kal as he searched. "They'll know if it's taken and it will alert them. Kal has the photographic memory and super-speed, he can steal without taking anything."
"I have a micro-camera, stupid," snarled Selina.
Bruce's sigh rustled through the archives. Kal's eyes flicked over the labels swiftly: rings, rods, helmets, blueprints for inventions of every kind. "And if you do find it and steal it, what then? Will you let Luthor poison Earth's atmosphere with Kryptonite? He could destroy the whole biosphere, Selina!"
"Your red-sun nanobots aren't fully tested. Luthor's is the only way. The only way to be sure."
"Don't do this, Selina." Bruce's voice was pained. "You're better than this. I know you are."
Selina responded only with something torn between a laugh and a snarl. Kal barely heard it: in front of him was the label indicating the blueprints for the weather wand were within. He said nothing, hoping to avoid alerting Selina, but his sharp inhalation was apparently all the sign she needed, for as he opened the drawer he heard her voice to his left:
"Step away from those, Kal-El."
There was a sheaf of papers in the drawer; ignoring her, he started to read the top one. A whip-crack echoed near his head and green after-images danced briefly in his eyes, but he didn't stop memorizing the schemata.
"Selina," said Bruce.
"He will step away from those papers or I'll scar his pretty face!" she cried. "I'm trying to free humanity!"
"So are we." Bruce's voice was both compassionate and warning. "Your price is too high."
There was a brief silence.
And into that silence all three of them heard the sounds of Kryptonian conversation coming toward the archives.
< You're insane to insist on looking that up on Festival night, Ala, > laughed one voice.
< I'm telling you, it was some kind of crazy vitamin that could make a human really strong for an hour. I read about it! >
< That's just silly, > said the other Kryptonian.
They were at the door now. The only exit. Desperately, Kal continued scanning the blueprints, using x-ray vision to read and memorize the ones underneath without disturbing them. If he could just finish memorizing them, maybe he could bluff his way out of this, somehow. Somehow.
The voices were getting closer. He wasn't done committing the information to memory. He couldn't forget any of it or all this would be useless. They were four rows away. Three.
Two.
There was a quiet hiss of annoyance behind him, and suddenly Selina's voice was at his ear. "You'd better make this worth it, Kal. You'd better make it work." And then there was a scrabbling down the aisle, the sound of a drawer opening and paper being snatched loudly from it, a desperate scramble along the marble floors.
< What the--by Rao! > yelled one of the Kryptonians. < An intruder! She's stolen something! After her! > There was a whip-crack and an agonized scream from one of the Kryptonians, then sounds of hot pursuit.
"Don't stop." Bruce's voice by his ear was tense; only then did Kal realize that he had almost moved after them. "We've got to get out of here with that information."
"They'll kill her," Kal whispered.
A long silence. "Only if they catch her."
Outside, sirens were starting to shatter the night. There were two more sheets of paper to memorize. The lines in Kal's vision blurred and wavered; he blinked hard, focusing.
"Done," he said at last. "Let's get out of here before more people come."
Outside the crowd was already starting to celebrate the capture of the human scum who had tried to steal secrets from the archive.
: : :
"When I saw her face on the vis-reels, I recognized her immediately," Kal said to the Kryptonian in charge of the jail. "She's escaped property of the House of El." Behind him he could sense Bruce radiating disapproval at his refusal to go somewhere safe and immediately write down the specifications for the weather wand from his memory. "I'd like to see her."
The jailer bowed, fawning. "Of course, sir. Of course. This way."
Kal and Bruce were ushered down a long cement corridor until Kal found himself in front of a cell. Inside was Selina, bruised and battered, dried blood streaking her face like tears. She looked up at him and fury contorted her features. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded, jumping forward and grasping the bars.
"Hey there, scum," the jailer barked, reaching out to slap her hands away from the bars, "Don't you speak that way to your rightful master."
Kal found he couldn't muster the ability to act the part to her blood-stained face, so he just glared haughtily, his heart aching.
"He just wanted to get a last look at you," sneered the jailer.
"Well, he should go and not waste his time here," growled Selina. "I'm sure he has more valuable things to do."
Kal crossed his arms, ignoring her, and addressed himself to the jailer. "This human is El property. Release her to me and I shall take her home and...deal with her there." He put enough emphasis on deal with to make it sound truly ominous. "I'm sure you understand why the House of El would rather not have it known widely that one of our humans has been responsible for such actions."
The jailer's eyes widened and he swallowed nervously. "I would love, simply love, to oblige a member of the illustrious House of El--"
"--Heir," Kal cut in. "Not member," he clarified at the jailer's puzzled look. "Heir."
"Of course, of course," the jailer babbled. "So terribly sorry, so sorry!" But just as Kal began to hope he was going to make some headway, the man's jaw firmed. "But I'm afraid there's simply no question of releasing her to you, sir. If she had stolen from your family on your grounds, of course you could do with her as you willed, but this--this is a federal crime, a crime against Kryptonian culture itself. Besides..." He spread his hands out, "It's not in my power either way."
Kal put his hands on his hips and glowered angrily--it wasn't hard to do in this case, and he nearly managed to enjoy the way the hapless jailer cringed. "Then let me speak to your superior," he snapped. "I have no time to waste on minions."
Flushing, the man fumbled with a portable vis-screen. As he struggled to raise Commissioner Ril Azh-Mo, Bruce murmured behind him, all politeness and servility: "Master, if this one may speak?" At Kal's nod, he went on, "This one is saddened to think that the House of El may be held responsible for that unworthy one's ungrateful actions." He nodded toward the cell where Selina had turned her back on all of them, her spine rigid.
"Responsible?" Kal stared at him, wondering what Bruce was implying.
"Yes, of course. People--stupid and ill-informed people--could whisper that your honorable and worshipful uncle should have done more to catch her, that he was negligent. Some may even imply that he deliberately turned a blind eye to her activities, for surely if he had wished to capture her he could have at any time. It could be a terrible blot on your magnificent House's name, my master." Bruce cast his eyes down once more. "This one writhes in shame at voicing such a possibility even second-hand. Please forgive this one's presumption."
Kal nodded slowly. "I forgive your impertinence, but only because you are motivated by the purest loyalty to our House and my person." Behind the bars, Selina's shoulders twitched slightly as if she were suppressing a chuckle. Kal was about to say more, but the jailer held up his vis-screen, the austere lined face of Ril Azh-Mo filling it.
"Kal-El of the House of El," she intoned. "Of course I understand your desire to reclaim and dispose of your property. But this crime cannot go without a public punishment. The thief will suffer the fate of all human traitors to their benefactors: she shall be executed and her remains left in the public square unburied eight days, for all to see and witness the fate of rebels."
Kal swallowed the gorge rising in his throat. "Then I require she be given a full trial that lays out her crimes in detail."
The Commissioner looked surprised. "She was captured with evidence of her crimes in her hand, Heir of El. There is no need to--"
"--There is need," Kal cut her off with a snarl. Her features congealed somewhere between fury and respect as he continued, "The House of El will not permit our good name to be sullied by association with this bit of offal. We insist on a complete trial that fully investigates her history of thievery and exonerates us from any connection to her whatsoever." The woman on the vis-screen began to speak again and he waved one hand in a slicing motion, silencing her. "Our House has its rights, Commissioner, and it is unacceptable that she be executed without a detailed inquiry into her past that clears our good name."
Ril Azh-Mo sighed, her lips thin. "You are, of course, correct. You do understand a complete trial will take weeks and require a great deal of money--"
Extra weeks. Precious time. Kal waved a careless hand. "The House of El shall be glad to give a substantial donation to the Department of Justice, of course."
She shook her head slowly, a look of mingled disgust and admiration on her face. "As you wish. I shall call your uncle to make arrangements." As the vis-screen blinked out, Kal could only hope that his uncle would accept his reasoning as well.
The jailer shrugged. "Must be nice to have the power of the House of El behind you," he said. "Oh yes," he added as if something had just occurred to him, "Since she's technically your property and all, you'll want her properly collared." He opened a cabinet and took out a heavy steel collar. With heat vision, he quickly engraved the symbol of the House of El on it, then opened the cell door. "Slap that on her so she'll remember her place."
Kal took the collar and stepped into the cell, smelling blood and sweat. Selina raised her chin defiantly, but her jade-green eyes were resigned. For a long moment, they stared at each other.
Then Kal cast the collar aside with a clatter. "You misunderstand me. She is not our property. She belongs to no one, for she is unworthy to wear my family's sign," he said, lifting his lip in contempt. "Let her die as she lived, free of the protection of any decent Kryptonian House."
The livid bruises made Selina's expression difficult to read. "Your kindness touches me," she said sarcastically, voice dripping venom. Beneath the caked blood, her eyes gleamed.
"I hope you get the fate you deserve," Kal said loftily as he left the cell.
"Oh, she'll get that and no doubt about it," grinned the jailer, re-locking the door.
Kal left the jail with Bruce at his heels, walking through the public square. He stopped as a wave of dizziness swooped down upon him like a flock of ravens, staring at the marble block at the center of the square, swallowing sudden bile.
"Keep moving forward," came Bruce's voice behind him. "It's all we can do now."
They kept moving forward.