If Clark’s crystalline retreat was a fortress, what Chloe was now standing in was a citadel. The room alone she was standing in was at least as long, wide, and tall as a football field. On the far side of the room, atop a large pyramid were two highly ornate thrones. On the right side, partway down the pyramid were two more thrones.
“What is this place?” Chloe said breathily, hearing her voice echo.
“Zod converted the Fortress into a palace. He was going to rule from here.”
“Clark, we’re in the middle of the Arctic. Was he planning on ruling over a bunch of polar bears and timber wolves?”
“Something tells me he wasn’t planning to keep much Earth life around at all. He wanted to recreate Krypton.”
Chloe didn’t respond to that. “By the way, why isn’t it cold?”
“It turns out that the crystals can radiate heat if you ask them to.”
“Now you figure that out. What’s with the thrones? There’re two sets of them.”
“The upper set was for Zod and his queen. I think he intended it for Lana. The other set’s for me. He gave me my choice of a queen.”
“Too bad he claimed Lana.”
“I chose you.” He turned his head to her.
“Of all the people on the planet, you picked me over Scarlett Johannsen? Halle Barry? Kristen Bell?”
After briefly scoffing at the last suggestion, Clark took Chloe’s hands in his own, and, facing her, confessed, “Chloe, I didn’t know if I would have been able to defeat Zod so quickly. If there was one person I would need by my side for that fight, it’d be you.” He smiled down at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Plus,” he added, “that was one hell of kiss you gave me before I left.”
Chloe gulped, “It was the end of the world, Clark. It’s not like I expected us to hook up… or you know, rule the world together.” She nervously stepped back and leaned her hand against one of the many crystal panels lining the wall. After a second, she jerked it away. “Ow. I got shocked.”
A deep voice boomed through the halls, “Kal-El. I have deemed her worthy. She is parthil.”
“Parthil?” Chloe asked.
Clark blushed. “Roughly translated: virginal.”
“Well, um, that’s not exactly… um…”
Jor-El responded, “A state of parthil indicates that one has yet to perform a successful life-bonded ritual. The sensors show that you once attempted to perform the ritual, but your mate was incapable of bringing you to completion.”
“It was his first time!” Chloe defended.
“There was also a polymer barrier that prevented genital contact.”
“It’s called safe sex! And it didn’t count because I didn’t… orgasm?”
“Yeah,” Clark replied, face blazing red, “you see, there’s this… technique… that Kryptonians have. If it’s done right…” He trailed off.
Her mouth agape, Chloe commented coyly, “So, are you sure Krypton was a planet of scientists, and not, you know, highly-successful prostitutes?” She looked Clark up and down for good measure.
Jor-El answered, “The life-bonding ceremony is a unique event that occurs between two Kryptonians with a very powerful emotional connection. It would be highly impossible for the act to be commercialized for the pleasure of lower beings.”
“Did I ever tell you your bio-dad is a real barrel of fun?” Chloe’s brow lowered and her head tilted pensively, “Wait a second. Clark, did you… bring me here… to life-bond… since that’s what we’re calling it these days.”
Clark hesitated, “Yes, but it’s not what you think.”
“Look, Clark, I know I laid one on you back there. And not that I’m not touched that you’d choose me for your queen if you were made second banana to a megalomaniacal extraterrestrial dictator and Lana was taken, but… you’ve got some nerve—”
“Zod jump-started my biological imperative,” Clark jumped in.
“Come again?”
Jor-El answered for Clark, “Kryptonians who decide to life-bond are overcome with strong biological urges to mate. Emperor Dru-Zod, in what I can only assume he thought was a thoughtful gesture…” Normally, the AI was very neutral and objective, but Chloe could not mistake the sarcasm in Jor-El’s voice. “…used one of the crystals to artificially begin Kal-El’s life-bonding urges.”
“Usually,” Clark continued, “Kryptonians who are going to life-bond take a retreat to…” He blushed before he could finish. Chloe giggled in understanding. “Pretty soon, the biological imperative is going to overpower all my other functions. Either I might try to life-bond with the nearest female… or it’s possible that I might try to… forcibly life-bond with you.” He took a step back and Chloe for the first time noticed Clark’s brow furrowed by tension. She also began to notice that he had become restless and was squeezing his hands into fists.
Jor-El’s voice echoed again, “Friend of Kal-El, I do not understand why you hesitate. My sensors detect that you are highly sexually attracted to my son. Most being would consider it an honor to mate with a member of one of the high houses of Krypton.”
Chloe laughed, “Kind of cocky, isn’t he?”
Through gritted teeth, Clark responded, “Really don’t need the double entendres right now, Chlo.”
“Well, since it’s an honor.”
Looking up as if to glare at Jor-El, Clark responded, “It’s an honor for me, too… logistically.” Chloe smirked at his description. He explained, “If you were a Kryptonian woman, you would definitely be highly prized: devoted and successful her occupation. Our ideal woman is ‘tough but feminine, strong but compassionate, aggressive but tender.’”
“So let me get this straight, you’re going to go crazy if I don’t have sex with you, the guy I’ve had a thing for forever, using your Kryptonian guaranteed-orgasm technique? There’s a downside, right?”
“I figured you said something about it threatening our friendship.”
“Oh, everybody needs a roll in the hay.”
Clark was obviously struggling now, but he kept talking, “Chloe, I know it seemed to you like I was only gone a few hours, but for me, it seemed like ages. I don’t want you to think that I’m using you. I’m asking you because this is a big deal for me and I think you’re worthy of it.”
Chloe just replied stoically, “You just had to make this worth my while, didn’t you?” She deliberately strolled over to him, grabbed him by the back of the head and pulled him down. He was quick, lacing his arms under hers as their lips met.
Part 3 coming soon...
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