Zod Waits And Watches

"I'm a reporter," Lois Lane said. "Some women have gone missing lately. The last place they were seen is this club. What about you?"

Luma Lynai smiled...but her eyes showed more than casual interest. "I'm...not from around here. An unknown group of criminals stole a piece of technology. I tracked them down to this pla—ce. This place."

Now it was Lois' turn to be intrigued. She licked a bit of cocktail off of her lip, the strangely salty treat spreading a pleasant warmth throughout the reporter's body.

"What kind of technology?" She asked. "Maybe our cases are related."

"It's an...orange sunlight generator. You have heard, I guess, how Superman gets his powers from the yellow sun?" Luma said. One finger traced the rim of her glass. "Other frequencies of sunlight affect him differently. Red depowers him. Orange cuts his powers in half. It was never meant to be used that way, but in the hands of his enemies it could be...a terrible weapon."

There was real concern in Luma's voice. Lois was surprised to hear that note of worry and regret—as much as she was alarmed about a potential weapon to be used against the Man of Steel.

"We should contact him, right away!" Lois said, digging out her smartphone.

"No, don't!" Luma said, reaching out and grabbing the reporter's hand. Her fingers were warm, soft, and strong as she gripped Lois Lane's own. "It's too dangerous! If he shows up, and they turn the orange sunlight generator on him, I'll...I'll never forgive myself..."

The blue eyes were suddenly wet looking. The lower lip quibbled. Lois felt her heart skip a beat. There was something about Luma Lynai that was just so familiar, so achingly...right.

"Come with me!" Lois said, sliding off her stool and dragging Luma toward the bathroom. "Tell me everything!"

On Zod's Spaceship

"They're headed toward the collection point," Faora said. "Without an orange sun, the Starylian is ****...and the other is only an Earth-woman! Should we capture them as we did the others?"

Zod stroked his goatee, dark eyes brooding. He nodded to Ursa and Faora.

"Very well. But be careful. These are no ordinary women. Still, they could aid us in our plans..."