“You're right!” Kal exploded. “You're right, I was a monster. Nikita helped me see that. But please, I beg of you, don't punish her for her loyalty.”
“Are you actually asking to take her place?”
“I'm asking you to do your will upon me alone. Whatever that looks like.”
“Submit. And I promise you I will leave your friend unharmed.”
“I submit.”
“Prove it!” The man demanded.
“How?!”
“Get on your knees.”
“You give me your word that you will release her?”
“I give you my word that she will suffer no further pain or injury from me. That I will take my satisfaction entirely from you.” Silently, Superman sank to his knees. “Give me your loyalty. Pledge me your obedience. Do it. Or watch the inhuman traitor put slowly to death.”
Superman actually fell on his face before the human general. “Milord, from this day on, you are my lord and my master. Whatever you ask I will do. Whatever laws you ordain, I will follow. I place myself at your humble service.”
“And if you ever break this oath, what fate befalls you?”
“If I ever betray you, I will search for a spire of kryptonite and hang it around my own neck. I swear this on my life and Nikita's.”
“You really do care for her.”
“She is...a shining jewel in an empty universe. And you are a worthy leader.”
“How do you mean?”
“ 'Humanity's fate belongs in human hands' I've heard the mantra a hundred times. Human governments require human leadership. This may surprise you but I don't entirely disagree. But who would lead? I never knew there were human's like you on this planet: Natural born leaders to inspire your people to greatness.”
“Humans, are strong when they are united. But without a leader they grow stagnate.”
“I thought I had to be that leader. My father sent me here to give your people an example to follow, an inspiration to rally behind. A leader, to pull them out of darkness.”
“In fairness that is a not unworthy aspiration.”
“I see now I chose an... incorrect way to accomplish it.”
“I'll do whatever you ask, Just leave Nikita alone.” Superman declared. With a look from his brother he put his head to his knees, palms flat on the floor. “I offer my surrender. I do so most humbly.”
“What is it about this simple creature that you humiliate yourself so willingly?”
Superman looked into the man's eyes. “I implore you, let me save her.”
At the man's curt nod, Superman stood from his knees and pulled the woman from the Burning Lake, as the natural wonder would have been called in English. He set her down just beyond the shoreline. Tal-Rho walked up and put his hand on the left side of her ribs, feeling her heartbeat. “She'll be alright, in a few hours.”
Superman made what he thought was a very respectful decision and began speaking in Kryptonian. “One favor please, let me take her home.”
“Where is home for her?” Tal inquired.
“My home. She's my adopted daughter. I, I have a wife, a human wife, named Lois Lane. She and I adopted Nikita 4 years ago. Promise me you'll leave them alone.” Tal-Rho looked hard at his brother, emotionally moved, but unconvinced. Kal resumed speaking in English, Kryptonian simply did not allow for such passionate emotion. “I submit. I'll do whatever you ask, I swear it. But I beg of you, leave my family alone.”
“I promise I will let them live unharmed. I make no promise for you...or anyone else.”
“I ask nothing else. And I submit.”
“Let's be gone from here. Follow me.” Tal-Rho lifted himself of the ground and flew away. Superman as he was known to most people, followed after him. It wasn't long before he realized he was following his brother to his fortress in the desert. He wasn't sure what would happen, what his brother would force him to do. They barely knew each-other.
Until a few week ago he'd not even known he had a brother. It was apparently a fairly new revelation for Tal Rho himself. To learn he'd had a brother on Earth for 25 years and had never been told of his existence had seemed incredible.
The one thing Kal-El could be certain of as he followed his brother to his fortress was the sincerity of his feelings. He understood his brother well enough to know that acting out for being slighted was not the man's style. Tal's pleas to him 'Join me – of your own free will.' had been entirely genuine. It must have pained him when he refused. Except in the broadest strokes, Clark could not guess his brother's intentions. --------------- One of the first things Tal did was strip off his shirt and literally tie a spire of Kryptonite to his chest. “You'll get used to it Ka-rean.”
“Ka-rean: Small one. I should have expected that. If this is to make me compliant, it is unnecessary. You know this amount of Kryptonite will kill me before it breaks me.”
“It is not Kryptonite brother. Rather Nth metal, infused with the substance which bears that name. You will live a long life under its influence. But doing what? Is the question.”
“Tal, why are you doing this?”
“I need you weak enough that you won't interfere with our plans.”
Kal-El stared up at his brother. “OUR plans?”
It turned out the one thing Tal-Rho was interested in was parading his defeated brother in front of the living memory of his father.
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