Chosen, Chapter One
Happy Birthday to lilbreck!! I know it's kinda the last possible minute, but at least it's still on time. :)
And since Lilbreck requested Kal-El for her birthday, here's a short AU Kaloe ficlet [ETA: which is now a 12-chapter fic!], set in a world where the meteor showers happened years later, and Kal didn't come alone.....
Chosen, Chapter One
Chloe Sullivan, former star reporter of the Daily Planet, nervously followed her escort up the ramp into the ship that had appeared so suddenly over the skies of Metropolis a few months earlier. In spite of her fear, she instinctively took in every detail of her surroundings, from the soft glow of the vessel’s sleek corridors, to the coldly beautiful faces of the tall beings assembled to greet her, to the excited chittering of the small robots that levitated nearby over the heads of the reception committee.
It was too bad, she reflected, that the Planet had been shut down. This would have been a hell of a story,
The only problem was that no one would dare to read it. The aliens hadn’t just taken over the Planet; they’d taken over the world. And all in the space of a few weeks.
At least, she thought grimly as she ignored the shaking in her knees and obeyed her guides’ command to move further into the ship, she knew now that she’d been right. The meteor showers that had rained down destruction on a small town outside the city last year had been much more than an astronomical fluke. She’d written a column about possible First Contact that had been mocked by practically everyone except Dr. Virgil Swann, but now she realized that her only mistake had been that she hadn’t gone far enough. Because the rocks hadn’t only been First Contact.
They’d been the vanguard of Apocalypse.
Doors slid open soundlessly in front of her, and she gulped, scanning the curious crowd of alien dignitaries and sensing that she’d arrived at her destination: The audience chamber of the new Lord of Earth, Kal-El.
Holding her chin high, she stepped forward, and the sea of haughty stares parted, revealing an imposing figure seated on a dais at the far end of the chamber against a panoramic image of a cityscape under a red sun. Only a few news feeds had managed to capture blurry images of him up to now, but she’d heard accounts of his power from terrified eyewitnesses to the assaults on Washington, London, New York, Tokyo, and Moscow. The weapons of the elite troops massed against him had melted like snow in springtime at a single glance from his fiery eyes, or so they'd, said. His attacks had been so fearsome, and his victories so decisive, that surrender had been immediate, before even a single life had been lost.
Looking at him now, she had to admit that she hadn’t been prepared to meet a tyrant quite so handsome. Dark curls framed a square-jawed face set with a pair of striking hazel eyes. As they blinked down at her, they brightened with interest, and she watched their color deepen until they seemed like twin emeralds. His imposing figure was clad all in black except for a silver sigil on his broad chest.
She flushed under that intense scrutiny, while her guides’ strong hands forced her to her knees. No one had bothered to explain to her the reason she’d been summoned, but she felt sure, staring as steadily as she could into those eyes, that this was no ordinary arrest. His expression of single-minded fascination reminded her of the way Perry sometimes looked when he lectured her about journalism.
His voice, when he spoke, was surprisingly gentle. “Welcome, Chloe Sull-I-Van,” he said in English that was stilted but perfect, except for the funny way he mispronounced her name. “I have looked forward to our meeting.”
She met his gaze defiantly. “Great. Now tell me why I’m here.”
Bending down, he took her hand in his own large palm. “You have been chosen.”
His other hand blurred forward too quickly for her to follow. When her vision cleared, she saw that a large silver and turquoise bracelet was clasped around her wrist.
“My father and mother, may Rao keep them, called me the hope of our people. They perished with our world, but they sent me here to continue, and to find a mate from the world I now rule. Our Kawatchee descendants have led me to you.”
Chloe’s heart pounded as she stared up at those large, luminous eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
His head tilted inquisitively, but his gaze never left her. “Why would I lie, Sull-I-Van? I assure you, I did not rest my decision only on the dreams of the Kawatchees. I have watched you for a long time, and I have seen your intelligence, resourcefulness, and courage, which far surpass that of most of the primitives living on this planet. If I must select a human bride, I could do far worse.”
“Gee, thanks,” she snarked, trying to hide the guilty thrill of pleasure she felt that an all-powerful, gorgeous demigod would take such an interest in her. Demigod or not, she reminded herself sharply, he’d just conquered Earth. Her home.
“You’re welcome,” he replied at once, graciously.
Chloe sighed inwardly, and gave up. If higher intelligence didn’t understand sarcasm, she was in more trouble than she’d thought.
He still held her hand lightly but firmly, and she realized, uncomfortably, that his touch was making her tremble slightly. Annoyed, she tried to jerk her hand free of his grip, but found she couldn’t budge. Strangely, this wasn’t as disturbing as she’d thought it would be. “Don’t I get a say in this?” she demanded angrily.
All of a sudden, he broke into a grin, and Chloe blinked at its brightness. “Very well,” she heard him say indulgently. “What would you like? Besides, of course, your freedom.” He released her hand and leaned back expectantly, as the crowd around them murmured in surprised tones.
Chloe spoke without hesitation. “Give me the Daily Planet and let me run it the way I want.”
She heard a few shocked intakes of breath around them, and some official or other whispered urgently in Kal-El’s ear. He laughed and waved them away, never taking his eyes off Chloe. “I see I have chosen my mate well,” he said appreciatively. “Your loyalty to your friends does you credit. And it is a small price to pay for my chosen mate.”
"After all" he added, with a chuckle, "what harm can one human newspaper do?”
Kneeling at the feet of the Earth’s new overlord, Chloe’s lips curled into a slow smile. "I guess we'll see."
Chapter Two is here.
ETA: Last night I was in so much of a hurry to get this up that I forgot to give credit to the talented and lovely tobywolf13 for inspiring me to write this! She is writing an amazing WiP on the events in Season 4 "Crusade" featuring a completely original, and adorable, version of Kal-El, and equally adorable Kaloe. I stole borrowed the name "Sull-I-Van" from her. *Blushes* Here's the link to the story so far, and I *highly* recommend it: Crusade.
And since Lilbreck requested Kal-El for her birthday, here's a short AU Kaloe ficlet [ETA: which is now a 12-chapter fic!], set in a world where the meteor showers happened years later, and Kal didn't come alone.....
Chosen, Chapter One
Chloe Sullivan, former star reporter of the Daily Planet, nervously followed her escort up the ramp into the ship that had appeared so suddenly over the skies of Metropolis a few months earlier. In spite of her fear, she instinctively took in every detail of her surroundings, from the soft glow of the vessel’s sleek corridors, to the coldly beautiful faces of the tall beings assembled to greet her, to the excited chittering of the small robots that levitated nearby over the heads of the reception committee.
It was too bad, she reflected, that the Planet had been shut down. This would have been a hell of a story,
The only problem was that no one would dare to read it. The aliens hadn’t just taken over the Planet; they’d taken over the world. And all in the space of a few weeks.
At least, she thought grimly as she ignored the shaking in her knees and obeyed her guides’ command to move further into the ship, she knew now that she’d been right. The meteor showers that had rained down destruction on a small town outside the city last year had been much more than an astronomical fluke. She’d written a column about possible First Contact that had been mocked by practically everyone except Dr. Virgil Swann, but now she realized that her only mistake had been that she hadn’t gone far enough. Because the rocks hadn’t only been First Contact.
They’d been the vanguard of Apocalypse.
Doors slid open soundlessly in front of her, and she gulped, scanning the curious crowd of alien dignitaries and sensing that she’d arrived at her destination: The audience chamber of the new Lord of Earth, Kal-El.
Holding her chin high, she stepped forward, and the sea of haughty stares parted, revealing an imposing figure seated on a dais at the far end of the chamber against a panoramic image of a cityscape under a red sun. Only a few news feeds had managed to capture blurry images of him up to now, but she’d heard accounts of his power from terrified eyewitnesses to the assaults on Washington, London, New York, Tokyo, and Moscow. The weapons of the elite troops massed against him had melted like snow in springtime at a single glance from his fiery eyes, or so they'd, said. His attacks had been so fearsome, and his victories so decisive, that surrender had been immediate, before even a single life had been lost.
Looking at him now, she had to admit that she hadn’t been prepared to meet a tyrant quite so handsome. Dark curls framed a square-jawed face set with a pair of striking hazel eyes. As they blinked down at her, they brightened with interest, and she watched their color deepen until they seemed like twin emeralds. His imposing figure was clad all in black except for a silver sigil on his broad chest.
She flushed under that intense scrutiny, while her guides’ strong hands forced her to her knees. No one had bothered to explain to her the reason she’d been summoned, but she felt sure, staring as steadily as she could into those eyes, that this was no ordinary arrest. His expression of single-minded fascination reminded her of the way Perry sometimes looked when he lectured her about journalism.
His voice, when he spoke, was surprisingly gentle. “Welcome, Chloe Sull-I-Van,” he said in English that was stilted but perfect, except for the funny way he mispronounced her name. “I have looked forward to our meeting.”
She met his gaze defiantly. “Great. Now tell me why I’m here.”
Bending down, he took her hand in his own large palm. “You have been chosen.”
His other hand blurred forward too quickly for her to follow. When her vision cleared, she saw that a large silver and turquoise bracelet was clasped around her wrist.
“My father and mother, may Rao keep them, called me the hope of our people. They perished with our world, but they sent me here to continue, and to find a mate from the world I now rule. Our Kawatchee descendants have led me to you.”
Chloe’s heart pounded as she stared up at those large, luminous eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
His head tilted inquisitively, but his gaze never left her. “Why would I lie, Sull-I-Van? I assure you, I did not rest my decision only on the dreams of the Kawatchees. I have watched you for a long time, and I have seen your intelligence, resourcefulness, and courage, which far surpass that of most of the primitives living on this planet. If I must select a human bride, I could do far worse.”
“Gee, thanks,” she snarked, trying to hide the guilty thrill of pleasure she felt that an all-powerful, gorgeous demigod would take such an interest in her. Demigod or not, she reminded herself sharply, he’d just conquered Earth. Her home.
“You’re welcome,” he replied at once, graciously.
Chloe sighed inwardly, and gave up. If higher intelligence didn’t understand sarcasm, she was in more trouble than she’d thought.
He still held her hand lightly but firmly, and she realized, uncomfortably, that his touch was making her tremble slightly. Annoyed, she tried to jerk her hand free of his grip, but found she couldn’t budge. Strangely, this wasn’t as disturbing as she’d thought it would be. “Don’t I get a say in this?” she demanded angrily.
All of a sudden, he broke into a grin, and Chloe blinked at its brightness. “Very well,” she heard him say indulgently. “What would you like? Besides, of course, your freedom.” He released her hand and leaned back expectantly, as the crowd around them murmured in surprised tones.
Chloe spoke without hesitation. “Give me the Daily Planet and let me run it the way I want.”
She heard a few shocked intakes of breath around them, and some official or other whispered urgently in Kal-El’s ear. He laughed and waved them away, never taking his eyes off Chloe. “I see I have chosen my mate well,” he said appreciatively. “Your loyalty to your friends does you credit. And it is a small price to pay for my chosen mate.”
"After all" he added, with a chuckle, "what harm can one human newspaper do?”
Kneeling at the feet of the Earth’s new overlord, Chloe’s lips curled into a slow smile. "I guess we'll see."
Chapter Two is here.
ETA: Last night I was in so much of a hurry to get this up that I forgot to give credit to the talented and lovely tobywolf13 for inspiring me to write this! She is writing an amazing WiP on the events in Season 4 "Crusade" featuring a completely original, and adorable, version of Kal-El, and equally adorable Kaloe. I stole borrowed the name "Sull-I-Van" from her. *Blushes* Here's the link to the story so far, and I *highly* recommend it: Crusade.