have_no_mercy | Reunion with kneel

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Reunion with kneel_majorzod

For any other reason, Tess wouldn't do this. She's tired, fat, cranky and moody and the last thing she wants right now is company and a potentially stressful conversation, but she needs to know what happened. And that means she needs to talk to Zod in person. Right now.

That doesn't mean she has to be happy about it, even if she is somewhat relieved that he isn't dead after all. Not that she ever really thought he was and wasn't worried at all about him. No.

She suspects he'll remember their usual conduct for these types of meetings and waits for him to arrive in the mansions's study, resting on her chaise, an arm over her forehead.

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Zod does remember. And he shows up at the proper meeting place fairly quickly, entering her study wordlessly and closing the doors behind him.

He likely looks about the same as he did last she saw him. At least, he should. All signs of physical injuries healed almost immediately after he was rescued. Yet something about him has changed. Being kept more or less in a constant state of pain, both physically and emotionally, for weeks isn't something one can come back from so quickly, injuries aside, and something about him reflects as much.

He doesn't speak to announce his presence as he enters, which really isn't anything new, and instead comes to a silent stop in front of her desk to study her with a rather unreadable expression.

Tess glances over at him, but doesn't move from her position. She's far too comfortable for that and these days, comfort wins over just about anything else.

"You look like hell," she says quietly.

Zod remains silent for a little while longer, giving her a quick glance up and down, before giving her a soft reply.

"I can't say I'm surprised."

Neither is she, frankly. She can well imagine what he's been through.

"Your people must be pleased to finally have you back. They were quite concerned."

"I disappoint them," he mutters, averting his gaze and moving to claim a seat vaguely near hers without waiting for an invitation. "They'd never say it, but I see it in their eyes. I wasn't exactly the valiant leader they remembered when they found me."

"I doubt they hold it against you." And if they do, she may just have to teach them a lesson. But he doesn't need to know that.

"But how about we skip over all this..." she waves a hand vaguely, whatever all this is, "and you just fill me in on the important details, hmm?"

He shifts his gaze back to her as he takes his seat and then half nods. "I assume you'd like me to start from your departure on your little vacation."

Tess turns to look at him again, eyebrow raised. "That does seem to be when all this began, yes."

"Just before, actually," Zod corrects, meeting her gaze indifferently. "When you brought me back from death, you did a bit more than that." He pauses to regard her curiously. "Or did you already know that?"

There's a brief silence before she answers. "I didn't, at the time. But I've since been able to figure it out. It's one of the reasons I was able to locate you."

"I thought as much. I was going to tell you, but I had no chance before you left. I was...busy. Which, as it happens, is where our story continues," he tells her, allowing his eyes to wander as he continues. "As I grew accustomed to these abilities, I immediately put them to good use. I kept an eye out. And an ear, as it were. My powers made conducting a search somewhat simpler, and since no one else was really looking for him...well, I took it upon myself."

Tess closes her eyes and sighs. "So you did go after him." And for the time being, that's all she'll say, lest she get him too far off base of his story.

Zod recognizes that look, and he shakes his head at her. "My abilities allowed me to search from a distance. I was looking for him, yes, but I would have alerted you before making a move had I found him. That was what we agreed on. Unfortunately, he found me first."

"Of course he did," she all but snaps back at him. "Or had you forgotten he was telepathic?" There's another sigh as she presses her fingers to her temples, attempting to stave off a headache she should have known was coming.

"I suppose the rest is self-explanatory."

"Did you really expect me to sit around and do nothing?" he all but snaps right back. "Perhaps take a vacation of my own? I'm afraid some of us don't have that luxury."

He pauses and continues a little less sharply. "And it wasn't a complete waste. I saw things." He looks away again thoughtfully. "There were others."

"He had just killed you. Had I not been able to do what I did you would have stayed that way, so yes, for once in your life I expected you might just think and lay low for the few days I was gone." At this point, Tess is going to make the effort to sit up, because she's just that ticked off.

"Well, good. You saw things. Was it worth being tortured all this time just for that?"

"He'd have known what you had, and he would've known you'd use it. Or had you forgotten he was telepathic? If he really wanted me dead, he wouldn't have been so sloppy." He makes some attempt to keep his voice even, at least. "There were risks, yes, but I did what I thought was necessary."

At her question, he shrugs. "This is hardly the first time I've been tortured." Possibly the most severe, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Which is why the smart thing would have been to lay low. Especially as I told you I didn't know how long it would last to start with. You got lucky it gave you your powers."

She has to stop talking for a moment, catch her breath. There's a glass of water on a nearby table which she makes quick work of before continuing. "You knew. As soon as I brought you back, you knew. And I was here a full week before I left and you didn't tell me either that you had your powers, or what you were using them for."

"I didn't know whether or not it was permanent, and I didn't want to involve anyone else," Zod sighs. "I was going to keep it to myself until I knew more. You of all people should understand that. You're practically an expert."

"Not for something like this," she replies and if he listens very closely, there might be hint of hurt in her tone. "This is what we've been trying to achieve, you getting your powers. I was the one who pushed for more to be done on the matter for you specifically." And when he got them, he didn't tell her. Tess really doesn't know how to take that.

"As for the rest, you knew I wouldn't be hurt. He's left me unharmed every single time I've been near him."

"I was going to tell you," he says softly, averting his gaze again. "But I was...obsessed. I thought my people were next on his list. And if anything happened to them, what we've been trying to achieve would be lost."

Then he glances up at her. "Regardless of whether or not he would have harmed you, you wouldn't have been able to scour the globe with me, Tess. It was something I had to do alone."

"You could have at least told me. I know my limits and I know I couldn't have gone with you, but I could have put appropriate back up in place."

Tess leans back against the cushions and sighs once more, a hand going to her stomach. "You just didn't trust me."

"I don't think your back up would have made much difference," he tells her, a bit more delicately. "It wasn't an issue of trust. As I said, I didn't want to involve anyone else. And why would I stop trusting you now?"

He watches her a moment and then sighs as well, though leaning forward in his seat rather than back. "But I'm not without information now. There's more to the story. More you need to know. Darkseid isn't alone."

"I know. His pets. His minions. I haven't seen them myself, but I never thought he was here by himself."

She studies him for a moment. "He really, truly wanted me to think you were dead."

He turns to stare at the wall bitterly. "I heard them laughing, saw glimpses of them between the bars of my cage. They came to watch. And participate, sometimes."

There's a long pause, and then he gives her a brief glance. "Why do you think he wanted that so badly?"

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Reunion with kneel_majorzod

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