Tal's Masterpiece

 Kal-El looked helplessly upon a man he both respected and pitied.

“I'll do whatever you ask, just leave her alone.”

“What is it about this creature that moves you almost to tears?”

“I'll tell you but, do I have your word that you will release her?”

“You have my word on that Kal. Now save her.”

Superman flew down and listed the bronze-skinned young woman out of the burning water. So the natural lake would have been called in her own language. Setting her on the grass near the shoreline, he put his hand to Aisha's left rib cage, feeling her heart. When he looked up, Tal-Rho was staring down at him, his face unreadable except for the concern shining in his eyes. Kal-El began speaking in Kryptonian. “You wanted to know who she is to me? She is my adopted daughter.” Tal-Rho took an almost unconscious step toward him. “I have a wife, her name is Lois Lane. We adopted Aisha when we learned we could not have children of our own. I want you to promise me you will leave them alone.” Tal looked surprised and pleased, but undecided. “I submit. I'll do whatever you ask I swear it. All I ask of you is that you leave my family – my human family – out of this. Will it help if I...”

Tal shook his head furiously. “No Kal. I don't want that of you. Quite the reverse.” He lowered his eyes for a moment. “Pledge to me that you truly submit and I promise to let them live unharmed.”

Clark looked down at his adopted daughter. “I submit.”

“Show me where you live.”

They landed in the front yard. Lois rushed out the door. “Clark, what is going on?”

Tal-Rho addressed himself to Clark's Family. “Take a good look at the man you knew. For it will likely be your last.”

“Clark I...” Clark cupped Lois' face with his hands.

“I love you. You and our daughter, you're all that matter to me. To know that you're safe, is all I need. I love you. I love you more than anything.” Aisha flung her arms around her father hugging him hard. “Doren-cal. Miso insharra toma-dai.”

“It's time to go Kal.”

Superman walked back to Tal-Rho. He stood a step behind his brother, looking with love and hope at his family. “Don't worry, I'll be fine.”

Tal Rho and Kal-El launched themselves into the air.

As he followed Tal-Rho, Clark couldn't help wondering what he would find, what Tal would be like. Until two weeks ago, he had thought that 'Morgan Edge' was running people off their land and taking them away from their families. Morgan Edge, as it had turned out was a Kryptonian named Tal-Rho, and his half-brother. The sincerity in Edges eyes as he'd pleaded 'join me__of your own free will.” was unquestionably genuine. By threatening Aisha, Tal had forced his hand, forced him to surrender. He understood Tal-Rho enough to know acting out for being circumvented was not in the man's nature. He couldn't imagine Tal would set him loose on the people of Metropolis. Beyond this, he could not even guess his brother's plans.

The first thing Tal-Rho did when they arrived inside his fortress was command Kal-El to remove the 'chosen one' symbol from his torso__and his shirt along with it. Kal-El sat on the ground and tore his uniform at the waist. Pulling the now loose cloth over his head, in this way he obeyed his brother. He straightened his back but did not stand up. Tal took a spire of Kryptonite and literally bound it to his brothers chest. “You'll get used to it eventually Ka-rean.” Tal said, stepping away.

“'Small one'. I should have expected that. If this is to make me compliant, it is not necessary. I wouldn't run from you if I hadn't just sworn to obey you.”

Tal Rho walked in a tight circle around his brother, gesturing with his hands as he went. “If you're worried about this crystal ending your life, don't be. It's not pure Kryptonite. Rather a graft of Nth metal infused with the radioactive substance which bears that name. And you will live a long life under its influence. The question Kal-El, is what are we to do with you? Kal-El is your true name, and probably the one thing I can still recognize in you. It's a twist of irony really. The last son of the noble and most ancient house of El, brought to heel by a bastard.”

“You're not as callous as you present yourself to be Tal.” Kal-El said with a firm jaw. “And you were never rejected. Not by our mother. And not by me.”

“What do you call joining with the humans rather than your own people?!”

“I call it choosing to protect humanity as I have always done. Replacing humans with Kryptonian minds, that is something I can never agree to. I will stand against any such plan if I have the choice. But I have not rejected YOU. And I never will.”

Strangely enough, Tal-Rho seemed genuinely pleased by this. He waved his hand over the spire of infused kryptonite. “Pretty soon I'll take that off. Pretty soon your word will be all I need. Until then, this stays on. And you stay down.”

“I don't understand why you're even doing this.”

“I need you weak enough that you can't interfere with our plans.”

“...OUR plans?”

“My father, Zeta-Rho.”

The pit in Clark's stomach grew about three sizes in that moment.

“You know the name?” Tal asked, genuinely curious.

“No. It's just, I surrendered to you. I didn't know any one else...”

“An easy mistake to fix.” A voice said from somewhere nearby.

“He has vowed his submission father.”

“So he is...no longer a danger to the plan.”

Tal looked down at his brother, who shook his head. “I promised Tal I wouldn't fight him. Whatever your plan is__TAL does not have to worry about me interfering.”

“So, it seems you've finally done something right for a change.”

“This is the last in a line of things I've done right.” Tal muttered.

“Yes but this is the one that matters!” Zeta Rho barked venomously.

“Of course father.” Tal replied with sincere respect.

This is more powerful and original in its design and execution.

“Pledge to me that you submit and I promise to let them live unharmed.”

Clark looked down at his adopted daughter. “I submit.”

“Show me where you live.”

Clark lifted himself into the air, Tal followed closely. In minutes they landed in Clark's front yard. Lois rushed out the front door. “Clark, what is going on?”

“I...have to go with Tal. You and Aisha will be fine.”

“Clark I...” Clark cupped Lois' face with his hands.

“I love you. You and Aisha are all that matter to me. I'll be fine.”

“It's time to go Kal.” Clark walked back and stood a step behind Tal-Rho. A moment later they launched themselves into the air. As he followed Tal-Rho, Clark couldn't help wondering what he would find, what Tal would be like. Until two weeks ago, he had thought that 'Morgan Edge' was running people off their land and taking them away from their families. Morgan Edge was a Kryptonian named Tal-Rho, and his half-brother. Tal's pleas to him 'join me__of your own free will.” had been unquestionably genuine. But he could not even guess at his brother's intentions.

“Tal-Rho, leave her out of this.” Superman put himself to the floor, set his palms on his thighs and looked up at a Kryptonian general he both respected and pitied. “I'll do whatever you ask, I swear it. Just leave her alone.”

“What is it about this creature that you humiliate yourself so willingly?”

“I'll tell you, but she's not like us, not even like humans for that matter, this lake is poison to her. Get her out of there, now.”

“Save her yourself.” Tal Rho replied without particular emotion, least of all sarcasm. Clark flew to Nikita, pulled her out of the Burning Lake, so the lake would have been called in Kryptonian, and lifted her to the shore. He put his hand to the left side of Nikita's torso. Where the Xavallen heart was. When he looked up, Tal-Rho was staring down at him, his face hard and unreadable, except for the concern shining in his eyes. Kal-El made a very respectful decision and began speaking in Kryptonian. “Grant me one favor – let me take her home. She is my adopted daughter.” Tal Rho started and took a single step closer to his captive. “I have a wife, a human wife her name is Lois. We adopted Nikita four years ago. Will you promise me you'll leave them alone?” Tal-Rho looked at him, surprised and moved but not entirely convinced. Superman resumed English. Kryptonian simply did not allow for the emotion he felt. “I'll do what you ask, I swear it. Just leave my family alone.”

“WE will take your daughter home. And you will follow me to my fortress. You have my promise I will let your human family live unharmed. I make no such promise for anyone else...including you brother.”

“I ask nothing else. And I submit.”

“Then follow me.”

Having said goodbye to his wife and daughter, Superman followed his brother through the desert. A new life and an unknown world awaited him. Tal-Rho was a stranger to him. Until 3 weeks ago he had not even known the man was Kryptonian let alone his half-brother. He was certain punishment for the sake of punishment, intentional cruelty was not in Tal's nature. But he knew little else about the man. Which left him in the dark about what was coming next. What would Tal-Rho force him to do? They came to a plateau in the badlands. Tal alighted just before it and disappeared within a holographic projection of a rock wall. Clark followed. And was greeted by the sight of an enormous cavern, bright, airy and natural. But without a breath of wind.

“Where are we?” Clark asked of his brother.

“This is my home. Yours as well Kal-El.”

“What will you have me do?”

“Relax brother I'm not going to launch you against the human race. You've promised me you won't resist us, that's enough for me.”

“And acknowledging that I ask you, what will you have me do?”

Tal-Rho nodded in recognition. “Take that self-righteous glyph off your chest.”

“Burn it off.” Clark said firmly. “If it offends you so much, burn it off. I won't stop you. But it still means something to me. I won't betray myself.”

“You understand our ways better than I thought.” Tal's eyes glowed red, heat shot from them like lasers. The crest on Superman's uniform melted away.

Tal-Rho looked thoughtfully on his brother for a long time. “I'm beginning to understand your devotion to them, humans I mean. I wish I had known sooner.”

“Forgive me, known what sooner?”

“That family is true power.” Tal admitted with what passed for sadness.

“Let's get out of here. We don't have to listen to anyone but ourselves.”

“You wouldn't want to return to your family?”

“I would want to, but I would not try to.” Tal cocked an eyebrow.

“I wouldn't. Lois and Aisha they are safe. That will have to be enough. But I truly hate to see you bow like a kow-towing peasant before someone who is your father by blood only!”

“You surprise me Kal.”

“You believe me?”

“I believe the sincerity of your words. I don't believe you could ever bring yourself to leave your family behind.”

Kal-El nodded in understanding. “No matter how dark your life has been Tal, you don't have to be alone anymore. We can be brothers.”

Tal-Rho looked doubtful but intrigued as he considered Kal-El's proposal. “What makes you think that even matters to me?”

“The fact that you have called me 'brother' 5 times in the last 2 days.”

“I'm surprised that you...Would be willing to go off with me. How could you trust me so far...after what I've done to you?”

Kal-El actually stumbled over his response. “Tal, one: I surrendered to you. If you order me not to go back to Smallville, I won't try to go back. Two: We're BROTHERS. I'm willing to do almost anything to have that chance.”