Mary awoke to the serene sound of running water, the droplets loud as they impacted on the ground. With a grunt, she peeled herself from the mattress, the covers rolling of her upper body, which was lacking any coverings. Once again, she was not in a bed of her own choosing. The pillows were not the ones she had chosen, nor were the sheets the ones that smelt of her favourite scent, Thomas's cologne, one he wore on their dates. He was dead now, his ashes scattered into the wind along with her 'love' for him, if you could even call it that.
Now was not the time for moping however, a new man had come along into her life. He was far stronger, far more capable even if he lacked the intelligent mind that Thomas had. His naivety was a refreshing breath of fresh in her life filled with crime. She grimaced however at the drab grey walls of the room, the lack of furniture or colour giving the room a spartan like feel. Even the bedsheets were bland in colour, a lifeless grey like the walls and ceiling.
A door opening caught her attention, causing her to turn to face its location. It was just her luck that she managed to catch Goku walking through a thick cloud of steam, a grey towel covering his modesty with his impressive upper body on display. With her cheeks turning scarlet as the blood rushed to her head, she licked her lips, eyeing the Saiyan like a piece of meat.
Throwing the cover of her impressive long legs, she swung them to side before pushing herself to stand, her toned body in full display for any prying eyes. She stretched with a yawn, the stiffness in her joints getting elevated slightly before she made her way to the oblivious Saiyan with his back to her. Her ample assets bounced in time to the swaying of her hips. Wrapping arms around her man, she leaned into his back, her assets pressing against his moist skin while her hands ran over his chest, small goose bumps rising on his skin under her touch.
"What are you doing?" quizzed Goku, water still dripping from his damp hair.
"Nooothing." Cooed Mary playfully, stretching the word in turn. The mixture of his natural scent and soap that wafted of his back made Mary dizzy with pent up lust. Her hands slunk lower until the edge of his towel was within grabbing distance. With a smirk she went to grab it, only to feel a larger hand fall on top of her own, pinning it underneath. "Damn you…" she whispered, as the taller male turned to face her. Leaning towards him on her toes she searched for a kiss, an action he stopped with a single finger resting on her lips. Unhappy with the sudden turn of events Mary pouted to show her displeasure at being stopped.
Goku however smiled lightly, an action that eased the pout from his partner before leaning in, an action the female expected to lead to a kiss. "You could have just told me you wanted to be the one in charge." She whispered; her words muffled somewhat by the invasive finger still on her lips.
"It's not that, what I want is for you to wake up." His warm breath tickled the sensitive nerve endings on her lips, the minty smell a bonus.
"W-What do you mean?" questioned a visibly confused Mary, her face scrunching up as she pondered what she heard.
"I asked you to wake up." Goku removed his finger from her lips to grab the exposed shoulders, shaking the female slightly in turn. This action caused her to stagger slightly, resulting in her grabbing her head within her hands as she winced. The world began to spin, the edges of her vision slowly fading to black, the warm embrace of her love fading away as she was pulled from him. Reaching out proved to be futile, a smiling Goku fading into the encroaching darkness before everything went dark.
Eyes fluttering to life, she grimaced in pain as she winced, the bright glare from the lighting in the room overpowering her vision momentarily. She however felt the room shaking, causing her to wonder just what was going on. "Waa…" she groaned out tiredly, trying to get her bearings when a smiling Goku shot into her field of view, frightening her. "Gah!" with fast reflexes she punched out in fear, her fist catching the Saiyan square in the jaw, sending him spiralling off the bed.
"Wahh!" cried out Goku, in a comical manner as he flew off the bed before greeting the floor with the back of his head.
"Goku!?" exclaimed Mary, throwing off the blanket to check up on the saiyan. Peeking over the edge of the bed on the side he had fallen over, a comical scene of Goku with his legs in the air while he lay on his back greeted her, causing her to cover her mouth as she stifled a laughter, her bare chest heaving in turn.
"Hi, haha." Responded the Saiyan, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head while laughing in turn.
"Need a hand?" Mary giggled while outstretching a hand for the Saiyan latch on, the other hand being used to cover her bare chest to give herself some form of modesty.
Goku however waved away her offer to help in typical fashion, using his own hands to vault off the floor back to his feet once more. Rearing up from the semi-kneeling position to his full height, he placed both hands behind his neck, gaze directed at his companion. Mary on the other hand, was sitting on her legs, waiting for the Saiyan to address her once more or even comment on her state of dress, or lack thereof to be more exact. Unfortunately for her increasing frustration he remained oblivious.
What followed was a pregnant pause, with Goku preoccupied with his own thoughts, more than likely thinking about either food or training. His companion gazed down at her body, feeling a cold breeze dance over her exposed skin, leaving a trail of goose bumps in its wake. With a groan she flopped backwards into the warm hands of the covers she had previously tossed aside, shivering in delight as the heat from before enveloped her frame.
"What?" she giggled, peeking over the edge of the material at an amused Saiyan.
"Nothing, you just reminded me of my youngest son. He used to do the same thing when it came time to sleep." Goku commented, reminiscing about his past experiences while a feeling of longing eased its way into his heart once more.
Her interest piqued, Mary reared up into a sitting position, one hand clutching the thin material of the cover close to her chest, giving her modesty. "Well, tell me more about him." She requested, offering her lover an easy smile which he reciprocated.
"You have my memories though; can't you see everything from them?" Goku inquired, wondering why she needed to know what she already more than likely knew. Besides there was not much to speak about regarding his youngest son since he had missed out on much of his life, leaving with Shenron for a considerable number of years having robbed him of more time with his family.
"Sure, I can just look through your memories, but I'd rather hear about him from you, from the source itself. Besides, I want to see your face lighting up again while speaking about your cute little doppelganger." Mary concluded with a giggle.
"Can it wait until after breakfast, I'm starving." Goku proclaimed sheepishly, eyes closed while meekly scratching his cheek.
With a light laugh once more, Mary flopped back on the mattress, covering herself beneath the blankets once more. "Go ahead, but don't take too long okay." Her words were muffled by the cloth but Goku heard, nonetheless.
"Sure, we still have to get some training done after as well."
xXx
"Well, did you get it on?"
Goku was now within his element, the kitchen of the League's Headquarters. The Flash had joined him soon after. As he busied himself rummaging through the sizeable fridge, various ingredients and condiments such as bread, cold meats and sauces littered the table occupied by the scarlet speedster.
The Saiyan had explained the curious state his companion had been in after waking her, much to the bemusement of his new colleague. Although confused by his response, the peculiar wiggling of his eyebrows had done nothing to ease the mounting confusion he was suffering. "Get what on exactly? Do you mean the bed or something?"
"Don't play dumb with me Goku, you know exactly what I mean." Barry laughed heartily in response, thinking he was being jested with. He was well known for loving a good joke, and if Goku was this willing to joke around then they would get along like a house on fire.
Goku wrenched himself from the depths of the fridge to peer around the edge of the door. A slice of meat disappeared into his waiting mouth before he responded. "I really don't though, I got up on the bed to wake her up, which she did, but then she just punched me off her."
Barry sputtered, chocking on his coffee amidst the odd revelation from the Saiyan. Coughing to the side cleared his throat of some of the residual bitter brew, allowing him to speak, albeit hoarsely "So there was something after all. Only one thing comes after that, if you know what I mean."
"I suppose, even though we didn't do anything." Goku proclaimed with uncertainty, unsure of what Barry was talking about anymore. The Saiyan had moved from the fridge to busy himself with crafting sandwiches on the table as Barry looked on in fascination and awe as he sipped his bitter brew.
"By the way, how did you get so strong? I always figured Superman was the pinnacle of being well, superhuman, yet you're something else entirely." Questioned Barry, hands wrapped around the warmth of his mug. He looked to their prisoner of sorts, even if the means to contain him were non-existent at best.
"It's pretty simple actually, I've spent as long as I can remember training to surpass myself, my limits and to prove myself against stronger opponents." Goku had stopped his culinary display to respond, the answer needing no deep thinking on his part. "Besides, the amount of times I have broken my limits in the middle of a battle is quite funny." He concluded by placing a finger on his chin in contemplation.
Barry nodded his head while sipping his coffee once more "You're so strong that I don't there's anyone out there as strong as you."
"While that may be true, that complacence can lead to your downfall. I have learned over the years that there will always be someone stronger than you, that's why even as strong as I am now, I never stop training to get stronger."
Barry looked at Goku with newfound respect. Here was an alien far stronger than was necessary to keep the planet safe, or whatever it was he had been doing in the other universe however he never stopped bettering himself. It was honestly inspiring to the scarlet speedster to try and better himself, much like Superman had inspired hope into him at the direst times in the past.
Barry then gazed at his mug with a small smile. Although the murky brown liquid was not the best at reflecting anything, he realised how complacent he and those around him had become complacent with Superman around. Having Krypton's last son around had inspired hope but also made everyone over reliant on him to fix most problems they struggled with.
The duo was joined by Green Lantern who was dressed in his hero attire like his colleague in red. Both had turned to look towards the kitchen entrance upon his arrival, before gazing away as he made his way to the coffee machine.
Goku ignored him, preoccupied with finishing the mountain of sandwiches he had crafted that stood before him. Barry on the other hand greeted his closest friend and ally.
"Hey, good morning."
Green Lantern grunted in response as the machine brewed his coffee. He felt his stomach lurch as their prisoner massacred his way through his mountain of sandwiches. Shuddering he turned to grab his mug from the machine as it finished up. Taking his steaming mug along with him to the table, he sat beside flash with a weary sigh.
"Rough night?" commented Barry with a chuckle, eyeing his friend from the corner of his eyes.
Hal sipped from his mug, sighing with satisfaction as it eased down his throat. "You have no idea. Batman ran me ragged trying to find out where both our off-world visitors came from." Barry raised an eyebrow at the odd choice of words but remained silent, choosing instead to allow his friend to finish his rant "I've searched my sector thoroughly but nothing has come up, although i feel the Guardians know more than they were letting on when I asked them."
The green mug meeting the lips of the green themed hero allowed Barry to add in his own thoughts to the conversation. "Sounds rough, have you told Bats yet?" commented Barry, offering some understanding.
Hal gazed at his mug "I was on my way but decided I needed to grab a coffee first, besides, I have to keep an eye on a certain someone."
The Flash brought his mug to his lips for the final time, downing what remained of his beverage. "Fair enough." He added, after setting his mug down. Pushing away from the table, he stood up to leave their impromptu gathering however he reached out and grabbed a sandwich from the top of Goku's pile, much to the chagrin of the Saiyan.
"Hey! That is mine!" cried out Goku, frustrated at someone taking food that was rightfully his without asking, not that he would have given permission in that scenario either.
"I'll pay you back for it." Responded Barry before taking a bite of the stolen sandwich. Dropping his empty mug into the sink, he leaned on the counter, facing the table.
"Have you seen Diana today?"
xXx
The large glistering office belonging to the United Nations in New York stood proudly, glistening underneath the light of the sunrise in the horizon.
The parking spaces reserved for the chauffeured cars belonging to Ambassadors that were oddly not present on this day. As a result, vans of varying size and colour littered the parking area, each representing various news teams. News casters littered the area before the entrance where a stage had been erected, white podium and all for the speaker.
Speaking of whom, Diana stood behind the podium, the stairs leading up the stage behind her back while she faced the entrance, or her wrist to be more specific. Dressed in her civilian attire, she was not Wonder Woman today, on this day she was addressing the public as Diana Prince, a member of the U.N and a spokesperson on behalf of the league. Colonel Steve Trevor would have normally done so however he was not available now, off on a secret mission for the government as usual.
"Are you ready to go?"
Diana blinked owlishly, a gentle voice belonging to a young female intern breaking her free of her musings. Noting the silver tablet, she clutched to her along with the mouthpiece made her conclude that she was here today as a stagehand. She was dressed smartly, then again, she was as well, both females sporting neat raven black business suits. Today was a momentous occasion after all, though it was close to being marred by none other than the main guest who was yet to arrive. 'I'm going to kill that Saiyan.'
How someone who had barely been on their world for 3 days had caused this much trouble for the League puzzled her greatly, even with the vast wisdom the blessing of Athena granted her.
"Can you give me a few more minutes, I'm still waiting for him." Pleaded Diana, sighing wearily at having to ask such a favour. While she wasn't certain what was keeping Goku, having thoroughly made sure to remind the Saiyan the previous day about the meeting, thoughts of her counterpart manipulating the naïve man child to forget this excursion did little to reign in her building frustration.
The female intern quirked an eyebrow, before pulling her tablet from the confines of her chest. Taking note of the time displayed on the screen, she frowned a little before addressing her superior. "We can't hold this for any longer Mrs Diana, we have to go ahead for the moment and hope he shows up during it. Worst case scenario, we can make an excuse if he doesn't."
Diana took a deep breath, pushing her mounting frustration to the back of her mind for the meantime. Dealing with the wench and the fool would have to come after. She was now in public, and as an ambassador for the U.N, she had an image to uphold within the public eye. "Alright then, let's go."
Falling silent, she followed the intern up the stairs, her appearance earning a chorus of shutter clicks of countless cameras located around the area before the stage. Once again, pushing her worries to the back of her mind, she took her place at the podium, ready to address and answer any burning questions the media had in store. She cleared her throat, a delicate fist over her ruby lips. Fixing her glasses, she steeled her resolved.
"Good morning everyone. Firstly, I would like to apologise for the small delay, but we can now go ahead with the press conference as planned." Diana spoke slowly, attempting to make sure every word was audible with no feedback from the mic. The small pause she allowed after her apology allowed to collect her thoughts in preparation for the ensuing questions. She did not have long to wait.
"Diana Prince, over here."
Turning to gaze in the direction where the voice originated from, her eyes fell on the figure of a tall male, dressed in a grey suit with black rimmed glasses. He had his hand in the air to catch her attention. Her features lit up at the familiar features of her closest friend and ally, Clark Kent, the alter ego to the well-known Man of Steel. Offering him an easy smile he reciprocated she answered his request. "Yes?"
"According to the briefing we received there were going to be two members of the league with you today. Yet only you made an appearance thus far, care to explain?" Clark questioned coolly, a knowing smile on his features.
Her mounting frustration that had been repressed earlier broke the surface briefly, her features darkening momentarily only for an easy smile to repress them once more. The country, no, the whole world was watching, now was not the time to let her frustrations get the better of her. "Due to unforeseen consequences he couldn't make it today, however I shall be answering on his behalf for the meantime."
"Could you tell us the origins of the saviours to the Justice League?" the question came from another source other than her good friend. To be fair though she had been expecting it, humans were a curious bunch, anything that was out of the norm would not stay that way for long, not if human curiosity persevered. Pity she was not going to satisfy their curiosity.
"Unfortunately, I can't divulge that information as both parties have requested to remain anonymous about their past. However, they do plan on cooperating further with the league." Diana could not help scoffing at the idea of her evil counterpart being labelled a hero, a title reserved for people like her friends and colleagues not wannabe villains from another dimension. However, these people did not need to know that, nor where they to ever discover the truth.
"When will they make their next appearance? We can't wait until the next sign of trouble to meet them."
Diana paused, wondering how she could even begin to answer the question. Goku was a guarantee with the promise of food being enough to entice the Saiyan into doing anything, however an obstacle in the shape of her evil counterpart loomed over her plans like a dark cloud over a picnic. "Uh, well… we'll try and see what we can do."
"Now see that's a shame because I was looking forward to meeting the one who killed my subordinate."
Diana glanced upwards, her keen eyes settling on a trio of individuals levitating above the water fountain. Averting her eyes towards the crowd, she scanned through it quickly, searching for her friend Clark however he had disappeared, meaning the man of steel was about to intrude on her press conference.
As if on cue, cries of "Superman!" filled the air, the familiar blue and red attire of Krypton's last son glistening in the morning sun, his gaze hard as he levitated before the invading trio. Diana on the other, worried that things might take an ugly turned her attention to evacuating the journalists gathered before her, their attention and cameras focused on the individuals breaking the laws of physics before their very eyes.
Tapping the microphone caused it to squeak loudly, an ear-splitting sound that caused all present to wince and cover their ears. Smiling sheepishly, Diana profusely apologised, the attack on everyone's ears not having been her intention however she now had their attention. "Ladies and gentleman of the press, as much as I would love to continue this press conference the situation has taken an unexpected turn and as such I suggest you evacuate the area for the time being until the situation has been resolved. Only then can we continue."
"I care not for the safety of these pitiful earthlings; my business is with the one who defeated and killed my subordinate." A male dressed in a black Kevlar like suit of armour whom she deduced to be the leader was the one to respond to her before anyone else could do so. His voice was deep yet carried an authoritative edge to it while he carried himself with an air of superiority.
Diana glanced over to her ally. He was silent, looking deep in thought yet everything about his body language came across as disturbed. It was not often she witnessed such a side to the normally upbeat and optimistic man of steel. "Who are you exactly?" her questioned was directed at the mysterious man, her curiosity echoing the thoughts of all those present.
The man sneered, his hard gaze lingering over her, strong killing intent flowing like waves from his body language, yet she stood her ground. Her resolve strong enough to repel the killing intent. "I am General Zod, leader of the now defunct Kryptonian army." He outstretched his arms at his sides, the palms of his gloved hands facing the sky. "…and these two behind me are the last remaining Kryptonian's along with you Kal-El." He finished by addressing Superman in his birth name, an action that stunned the earth raised Krypton.
"There were more survivors? I thought I was the only one." Superman exclaimed excitedly, his joy at discovering fellow members of his race palpable. Ignoring all warning signs about stranger danger, he levitated closer to the newly discovered members of his dwindling race.
"Indeed Kal-El, there were more survivors on that fateful day, however I am not here for you, not today at least. You see my target is the one who defeated Doomsday." Zod spat out the name, each syllable like acid on his tongue. "I have seen his defeat broadcast everywhere on this pathetic rock."
Superman frowned slightly, choosing his words carefully as to not anger the already volatile General. "He's not here right now."
General Zod snarled once more, eyes glowing red in tandem with his growing fury. His gloved fist clenched tightly; the other hand being used to threaten his earth raised compatriot. "Then bring him here!"
Superman raised both hands, the palms of his hands facing the Kryptonian General "There's no need to resort to violence, I'm sure this matter can be resolved peacefully."
Whether this was the straw that broke the camels back or something else entirely was to remain a mystery, with the General suddenly lunging towards the unsuspecting Superman, only to grab his face within his large gloved hand."
"Superman!" yelled out Diana in reaction, worried for her now entrapped friend.
Zod in turn tightened his grip on his Kryptonian brethren, earning grunts of exertion as his pray fought to escape his death grip. "We Kryptonian's are a proud race Kal-El. We do not show weakness. Weakness like yours makes me sick." He snarled, eyes glowing once more "But don't you worry, I'll make sure to beat it out of you."
In response Superman attempted to reach out and grab the General, an action which ultimately worked to further infuriate the already enraged Kryptonian who pulled him closer before ramming a knee into his exposed torso. Kal-El chocked back a cry of pain, gritting his teeth as he fought back the pain.
"I'm going to enjoy this." Gloated the smug General, his words overflowing with arrogance. "Jax, call the ship. There's been a slight change in plans."
"Yes General."
Diana watched in horror as her friend was carried into a large spaceship by the imposing General, his lackeys following behind him as they entered through the hold of the ship. it just had to happen today of all days, the day she was addressing the world as her civilian alter ego and not her hero alter ego. Too many questions would be raised if she suddenly started using her powers as Diana Prince since it would beat the point of an alter ego. "Damn it!" she cursed, slamming her fist into the podium with enough force to leave cracks on the polished wooden surface.
Her failure to help her friend was wearing on her mounting frustrations. The day had barely begun and yet her rage was reaching new heights. Different things were cooperating to try and make this a terrible day for her, from Goku not showing up, Superman's abduction by members of his own race to her being stuck on live tv as her civilian alter ego.
She would have called for help, but she knew there was no need to waste her breath with such a pointless endeavour, with both Batman and Cyborg more than likely having kept a watchful eye on the disastrous event. The rest of the League was more than likely on the way already. Ignoring the panicked screams of the journalists, she held her position on top of the podium, awaiting the arrival of her teammates with her eyes trained to the sky, precisely towards the direction the ship carrying her friend had departed in.
xXx
what was supposed to be a morning of monitoring the world, or Diana's press conference to be exact had morphed into a state of emergency. With his gaze fixed on the various monitors littering the wall before him, Cyborg browsed through the various news articles pouring in, each with the same grim headline 'Man of Steel abducted! What next for us?' he scoffed derisively at the absurd claim, yet deep down was worried for his friend. Without Superman what was next for them if Zod decided to attack a defenceless Earth.
With his human side preoccupied with his thoughts his mechanical side had already taken the necessary measures to alert the remaining members of the League present in the building. With luck they would all rush to the control centre although there was person, he knew would not need his call.
"Cyborg, do you have Superman's location? The tracking chip on his cloak should still be active even that high above the Earth."
Speaking of the devil, Cyborg remained silent, wordlessly pulling up a screen showing a digital replica of the Earth, a red dot bleeping constantly in place on the edge of the outer atmosphere. While he didn't agree with the drastic measures Batman would take to keep track of everyone at times like this when they proved useful all he could do was keep his mouth shut while being grateful for the overly cautious capped crusader.
The Dark Knight moved silently to stand beside Cyborg, eyes staring intensely at the various screens on display, no doubt taking in as much information as was possible, he was not one of the worlds most capable minds for nothing. "The ship appears to be stationary but for how long it will stay that way is a mystery. Main question I have is why do they keep demanding to meet Goku?"
Cyborg remained silent, unsure whether the question had been aimed at him specifically. He wanted to do some small talk to ease the building tension in the room, no doubt caused by the mood crushing brooding nature of Batman. There was only one thing stopping him however, he was not sure if Batman would appreciate the light mood breaker, thankfully though he was saved by the trio of Goku, Green Lantern and The Flash making an appearance through the sliding door.
Green Lantern and Flash moved to stand behind the capped crusader, only receiving a grunt in greeting from the bat themed hero. Goku however remained near the entrance, his eyes wide as they darted about the room, taking in all the bright lights and machinery. There was childlike wonder within his onyx orbs.
Mary's sudden appearance momentarily prevented the capped crusader from begin the meeting. Dressed in nothing else but her lover's blue undershirt, she yawned loudly as she made her way towards the Saiyan, who had turned to look at her, a gentle smile gracing his features that she reciprocated. Placing her hands flat on Goku's white t-shirt, she leaned up on her toes and graced the Saiyans lips with her own. "Hey handsome." She cooed while relaxing her stance.
"Hey Mary." Responded Goku, grinning widely.
Batman cleared his throat loudly, catching the attention of the duo. It earned him a glare from the former villain, but he did not care, effortlessly glaring back in turn. "If you two are done we have pressing matters to attend to." He declared, however without missing a beat he continued to address the main topic "I'm not going to waste time beating about the bush nor will I sugar coat this. Superman, the strongest amongst us has been captured by people claiming to be from the same race as him. Although from what I gathered they appear to be more capable and adept in combat than our comrade."
Batman then pressed a button on the centre console, a recording of the one-sided battle between Superman and General Zod began to play silently in the background. "The one I can assume is their leader judging by the way he carries himself managed to effortlessly overpower Superman, and with one hand to boot." He pressed a button once more, causing the recording to freeze, stuttering on a still of Zod's sneer while his gloved hand covered Superman's face.
"The plan is simple, we're going to…" Batman stopped, his gaze falling on a certain Saiyan once more. "What are you doing? This is no time for games."
The Saiyan, having been caught by the brooding crime fighter with two fingers on his forehead and eyes closed in concentration remained silent momentarily before speaking "I'm searching for Superman, well his Ki to be more accurate."
"We already know where he is so stop playing around and take this seriously!" snapped Batman, his eyes narrowing causing his glare to grow more intense.
"Great, meet you there then because I found him."
"What do you mean…" Batman never got finish his question, the Saiyan disappearing from the spot. This left Batman with the task of controlling his building rage, eyes twitching whilst he grits his teeth hard. He then slammed his fist into the centre console causing his colleagues to take a few cautionary steps backwards.
"Whoa there Bats, calm down now." Commented Barry, moving to place a comforting hand on his friends' shoulder, only to watch it get slapped coldly to the side.
"I am calm." Dryly responded Batman.
Laughter from the entrance caused the duo to look towards the door where a wheezing Mary was holding her sides in amusement, her back on the wall for support.
"What's so funny?" demanded the capped crusader.
Mary stopped laughing long enough to wipe a tear from her eye, taking a deep breath to ease her rushing breath. "Just that idiot being himself once again." Pushing herself off the grey wall, she moved towards the door, only to stop once again. Looking over her shoulder she addressed the glaring bat themed hero. "if I were you, I would put my efforts elsewhere. That idiot may have no proper knowledge in reading the room, but he knows what he is doing. If you need me, I'll be in bed."
"So, what now?" questioned The Flash, earning himself a glare from the brooding hero.
-FIN-
Edit: changing Jor-El to Kal-El