Superman's Sacrifice

Superman followed Lex 96 paces to the north end of the building. Lex turned to the left and entered an elevator and stood respectfully beside him. “May I ask our destination?”

“Sub-level 13.”

“Am I supposed to guess what's going on?”

“What did you just say?” Lex said sharply.

“I wondered what was going on?” Elias replied, nonplussed.
“And what did we establish around 3 pm today?”

“Forgive me master.” Eli said humbly. “May I know, with clarity, what is coming for me?”

“You will find out soon enough.”

Superman, or Eli as we will call him from this point on, half-closed his eyes. He didn't know what Lex would do to him, what his master would have him do. Outright torture, that is 'punishment for the hell of it' did not feel like something the man was into. But beyond that, he had no real understanding of the man.

“Please Mr. Luthor, I implore you, do not make her suffer for her loyalties. Spare her life and I will be your prisoner. Let her go free and I will be your Slave.” He spoke the last word without disgust or anger. He knew what it meant, what he was offering to become, and thought nothing of making the offer. “Sir, if it's me you want, then take me. You can do whatever you want with me I swear it. Just don't hurt her anymore.”

A metal claw reached into the swimming pool of death and lifted Nikita out. Superman lifted himself into the air, to fly to his friend. “Stay Back!” Lex warned fiercely.

Superman walked up to Lex, his hands apart his face open and sad. When he was still 12 feet away, he fell to his knees. “Sir, I swear on my life, whatever I have to do I WILL DO. Just let me take Nikita home first. She is the most compassionate being I have ever known. It would break her heart to see me chained, to see me, helpless and I couldn't bear that. A man named Hank Henshaw and a Daxamite named Mon-El have become her family here on Earth. I will take her back to them. And then I am yours.”

Lex simply nodded. 

“Assa-tae Mikal.” Superman said with a deep bow of his head.

“I assume that means 'it is agreed, thank you'.”

“...'My humble thanks, Master'.” Superman corrected mildly.

Scene 3 page 2:

Superman flew directly to the Luthor mansion. He could hear Lex's voice, dictating a letter. He followed the voice to the fourth floor library and knocked on the window.

“Come in.” Lex said congenially.

Superman opened the window and moved to stand in front of Lex. The man stood beside his desk, light from the floor to ceiling window pouring in behind him. “Mr. Luthor, I surrender myself to your dispensation. For now, and for all time I submit to your authority and your authority alone, I am your prisoner.”

“You are honoring your promise. You bargained for your friend's freedom and now you are making good on that promise.” Lex's intention was masked, Superman simply nodded deeply. “You offered to be something more than my prisoner, did you not?”

Superman instantly caught his meaning. “Yes___my master.”

“That is good. And come nightfall I will begin to show you what that means. For now get on the floor, hide yourself in a corner and do not trouble me.”

Superman actually dropped to the floor and crawled on his hands and knees to the back corner of the room, where Lex could see him but easily ignore his presence. Positioned so that anyone coming through the door would not immediately notice his presence. The sun had almost finished setting when Lex addressed his alien subjugate.

“Eli, come here.” Superman stood and walked to stand in front of Lex, his head level, his eyes down. “Do you know why I called you Eli just now?”

“Your will is not to be questioned, but to be obeyed master. It follows like night and day that what you do and why you do it is no business of mine.”

“Entirely correct. Still, what do you believe is the reason I called you 'Eli' just now?”

“You wanted to call me something other than Superman. You know my human name is Elias. And so you called me a shortened version of a name I already respond to.”

“Are you playing, Superman?”

“I am trying to be what you want me to be. And...surrender to you is no different than surrendering to man-kind. I will not fight you. As I have promised to be your slave, I am not permitted to hurt you and will not choose to lie to you. I'm not pretending anything.”

“So, you are being as passive as possible until I tell you what is expected of you.”

“I suppose that is a good way to put it, yes. Also...I am not arrogant. People seem to think I arrived here on Earth only a few months before I revealed myself to the world as Superman. I was raised here. My parents, my adopted parents raised me with humility and justice. And along with that justice, came a fierce demand for honesty. I say this so you will know where I'm coming from. Which is simply I gave my promise and I'll keep it, regardless of how I personally feel. It isn't because I agreed to be your slave. It's because I gave my promise and as long as you honor your end of our agreement, I have no reluctance in honoring mine.”

“Follow me.. Stay at a respectful distance but follow me.” Lex ordered.

Superman followed two steps behind Lex. Until the came to a guest bedroom.

“Your room now. I suggest you get some rest.”

“Thank you...Sire?”

“Serviceable.”

Page one scene 5:

Superman glided to stand only a few feet away from Lex Luthor. He dropped to his knees and bowed his head. “Sir, I implore you, do not make her suffer for our history. Enforce your will upon me alone, whatever that is.” As if struck by a sudden thought, he raised his head. “What DO you want from me?”

“Your submission, your surrender, as always.”

“I submit. I...I will do whatever you ask, I swear it. All I ask is that__ no I BEG of you__ let her go.” Superman put his head to his knees, his hands on the floor, palms flat, fingers spread. “This is all I can offer, and I do so most sincerely.”

“Why do you humiliate yourself for her? Explain your willing humiliation. Why do you think nothing of this sacrifice?”

“I will tell you, but it will take longer than she has. Please, let me save her.”

At Lex's nodded consent, Superman flew to Nikita and lifted her gently out of the phosphorus pit. He flew Nikita to the far wall of the cavernous lair. Lex Luthor walked up and pressed his palm against the left side of Nikita's rib-cage. He was taking her pulse. “She'll be alright...in a few hours.”

"Will you let me take her home?"

"That depends, where is home for her?"

"The Department of Extra-normal Operations. They will care for her."

"Mercy will drop her off there."

"They won't trust her! Please I...I want to say goodbye to my father."

“Then you should have started with that.”

“I know, and I am sorry. But I only offered to be your slave if you let her GO. Is that not enough reason to allow it?”

“You make a frustrating amount of sense. Alright Superman.”

(I'm pretty sure that's the first time that line has ever been spoken between the two)

Superman looked in stunned silence. Nikita was suspended in front of him, dangling over a vat of some phosphorus liquid. A man stood on the other side of, a control device in his hand. There was a look of unrestrained satisfaction on the bald man's face and yet there was also__ anticipation.

“Is this a game to you?” Superman said effusively.

“You should know I take my games deadly seriously. And it is not just a game.”

“Okay let me take this another way, do you know what this will do to her?”

“You mean that she'll react to the sulfur/phosphorus as if it were a pot of boiling tar, yes of course.” A look seemed to pass over his face. “Why do you care?”

“She's done nothing to you and you use her as a pawn in your game? And you expect me to just be fine with this?”

“That's not what I mean. You would go out of your way to save a total stranger. That is perfectly to be expected. But why do you care so intensely for some random alien girl? I've had that reporter Lois Lane here in these exact same proverbial shoes and you didn't debase yourself like this. Why is she different?”

“Because beyond the people she's introduced me to in the last eight weeks, I have no clue about anything. I woke up fifty miles past nowhere and she was at my side. She's been lock step with me for two months.” Superman paused to take a second look at the situation. “I assumed you knew who she was. Or why abduct her? And you dont' believe me do you?

“Did you really expect me to?”

“Sir, I realize I have no way to convince you of that. I don't know if I'd believe it either if our positions were reversed. What do you want from me?”

“Perhaps this will clarify things for you.” The man turned a dial and the claws which held Nikita by her shoulders lowered until her legs were submerged in the liquid. Nikita struggled weakly but it was obvious she was barely conscious.

“Wait please! Why are you doing this? Please at least tell me that?”

“You really don't want to know, Kryptonian.”

“Nikita says I'm a hero to your people. That the only criminal - You're Lex Luthor.”

“Indeed I am.” The man said with a bow of his head. “And you really *don't remember do you? Well that will almost take the fun out of this. But not all of it.”

A mechanism that resembled nothing so much as a pair of industrial pliers reached out to 'clasp' Nikita at the waist. A moment later the apparatus at her shoulders retreated. Superman understood what was happening, though he could scarcely believe it. When the claw at her waist was released, instead of being lowered down a bit at a time by the mechanism at her shoulders, she would be dropped free-fall into what might have been a vat of boiling tar. And there would be no time to change Luthor's mind or try to save her.

“Sir please! I don't understand what's going on. But whatever happened between us, don't hold my arrogance against her. She is true innocence if such a thing exists on this planet. Whatever you want from me, you have it. Whatever I have to do to make this right I will do it. Just PLEASE stop hurting her.” Superman put his hand to his mouth and bit into his own palm. “You say I'm a monster. Well you haven't SAID that but you treat me like one. So be it. I'm telling the truth, I don't know why you hate me. Min Gud I barely know who I am.” Superman flew directly to Lex, his demeanor anything but threatening. “Mr. Luthor, I appeal to the humanity I am certain you have, whatever I did to you, or even if I did nothing, don't make her suffer for it. Take your revenge upon me alone. There must be something that can penetrate my flesh.”

“Short of using Kryptonite on you nothing will. I take it you don't remember but if I get you around that stuff, a normal medical needle would penetrate your skin. It's about 30 kinds of painful for you.”
“Then why do you not...” Superman said, sincerely confused.

“It's not the most accessible substance in the world. Being from 7 galaxies away and all of that.

“If you were to find some, I would happily endure it. I submit. I'll do whatever you want, I swear it. All I ask is that you let her go.” Lex gazed down, unable to keep a look of shock from his face.“I swear to you I don't understand what's going on. But whatever happened between us, please do not hold my arrogance against her. She is true innocence if such a thing exists on this planet. Whatever you want from me I'll do it. Whatever I have to do to make this right, I will do it. Just stop hurting her!” Superman put his hand to his mouth and bit into his own palm. “You say I'm a monster. Well you haven't said that but you treat me like one. I accept it. Whatever you want from me. Whatever I did to you, don't make her suffer for my sins. Take your revenge on me alone. There must be something that can penetrate my iron flesh. I'll happily endure it.” Lex raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. Superman clutched Lex's hand desperately. “Sir please, whatever I could have done to deserve this, punish me not her! She is innocent of any wrongdoing between us. On that I would stake my life. If all you want out of this is my surrender, you have it. But I beg you, don't hurt her anymore!”