Revelations with kneel_majorzod

[have_no_mercy]

Tess has just put Alice back to bed and is looking forward to a quiet night in. As such, she's settled by the fire in the study, a book she'd picked up randomly earlier in the week on the table in front of her. If she's lucky, she might even get to start it.

Comments

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

From the lab, Zod wastes absolutely no time in getting to the mansion. And when he arrives, he'll blow right through security, not stopping once until he's at the study's entrance, where he enters abruptly.

Then he sees her by the fire, and his expression changes from one of urgency and worry to one that looks immensely relieved. And sort of like he might want to hug her. But he doesn't.

[have_no_mercy]

After pushing her hair out of her face, she glances over at him and sighs. "I knew it wouldn't last."

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

He's not sure what that means, but he's just going to stare at you for a moment, Tess.

Then, after a deep breath, "You're here."

[have_no_mercy]

"Yes?" She raises her eyebrows at him. "Am I supposed to be somewhere else?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

Zod shakes his head and, after another moment, moves to sit beside her. "I just saw you somewhere else."

[have_no_mercy]

Tess blinks at him. "I'm sorry?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"And she knew things," he continues hurriedly. "For a while, she almost had me convinced."

[have_no_mercy]

"Okay, slow down," she tells him, putting up a hand. "What are you talking about?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

He nods and takes a moment to collect his thoughts before answering. "I've been using Emil's report and findings of my own to try to track down the origin of my people's sickness," he starts slowly. "Today I managed to trace it back to a lab."

[have_no_mercy]

"On your own." Yeah, that will garner another eyebrow rise. "And you found.. me?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"Yes," he replies simply, searching her face. "And you had quite a bit to say."

[have_no_mercy]

She can't help it; she reaches a hand over to press against his forehead. "Are you sure you're feeling all right?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

He nods solemnly. "She was you. In appearance, in manner of speech."

[have_no_mercy]

She still doesn't get it, sighing quietly.

"Okay, where was this lab?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"Not far," he tells her, frowning. "You...she said she'd been working as a double agent, helping Darkseid create the virus in order to find the cure. And that she'd kept me in the dark in order to protect me."

[have_no_mercy]

"She said she was helping Darkseid and she was pretending to be me." Just so she has the facts right.

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"Yes." He nods again. "And she was convincing. But I know you better than she thought, and after a very...unpleasant conversation, I left to make sure you were here and safe and...well, you."

[have_no_mercy]

"She's a clone," Tess' first instinct answer is. "He cloned me."

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

Zod tilts his head at her. "Why would he do that?"

[have_no_mercy]

She shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. "I don't now, but I was at Cadmus. Why would I be at Cadmus?"

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"Maybe it was in my head," he suggests with a frown. "Darkseid could have put it there." But he doesn't think so.

[have_no_mercy]

"That would be something he'd do," she agrees with a nod.

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

"But everything felt real," he tells her, putting a hand on one of her arms almost experimentally. "Just as real as this."

[have_no_mercy]

She glances down at his hand. "I know. There are metahumans who can do the same thing."

[kneel-majorzod.livejournal.com]

He falls silent for a long moment and then shakes his head slowly. "It can't have been him. If he was in my head, the illusion would have been more foolproof. I tested her, and she failed."