Rose-

I was ready for it- death, that is. I had all but practically embraced it. Surely I couldn't be so lucky as to avoid it another time. I only hoped that the pain was instant and that the aftermath rewarding as I closed my eyes and waited for the bright light at the end of the tunnel. But clearly fate had another idea.

I opened my eyes when I felt a pair of incredibly strong arms wrap around me as Clark swooped in and plucked me from the falling debris. It took a moment to register that I was no longer free falling, plummeting dangerously to the ground- but rather I was flying.

Clark flashed me a million dollar smile before gently placing me back on solid ground. He released me from his arms, but I wrapped my own tightly around his neck, not ready to let go of him just yet.

"Can you just hold me for a few minutes and pretend like we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" I asked.

His chest rumbled slightly with laughter as he bent down, placing his forehead against mine.

"But we are boyfriend and girlfriend," he smiled.

With one muscled arm, he lifted and spun me around, seconds before crushing his lips to mine. Maybe it was from all of the adrenalin of the day, or maybe it was from the relief of finally seeing him again-- whatever it was, the kiss was possibly the most amazing one ever.

"You know they say it's all downhill after the first kiss," I teased. "But with you, Smallville, they just keep getting better and better."

He smiled against my lips before going in for another. I sighed into his arms. But the relief was short lived, when a building suddenly collapsed behind us in the distance. I looked up to see Clark frowning as he pulled away from me. I quickly grabbed a hold of his large hand with both of mine, tugging him to a stop as he moved towards that direction.

He turned back around to face me but my eyes widened in sudden horror as I stared over his broad shoulder.

"No," I gasped as Clark hesitantly, spun to followed my gaze. But there, emerging ever so slowly from the debris was the ominous figure of Zod.

"Stay put this time," Clark warned as he attempted to remove my hands from his. But I wasn't going to let him go so easily.

I dug my heels in as he dragged me towards him.

"Clark, no-" I began, my voice breaking as a tear ran down my face.

Strong fingers wrapped around my neck as he pulled my face forward pressing a chaste kiss to my forehead. He easily wrestled his hand from mine and flew off before I had a chance to voice another protest.

I know it probably wasn't what he would have wanted, but I quickly jogged closer to the duo just as Zod stooped to the ground.

"Look at this," Zod said as he held out his hand.

Burnt rubble sifted through his fingers as he spoke.

"We could have built a new Krypton in this squalor," he said. "But you chose the humans over us."

"I exist only to protect Krypton, that is the sole purpose for which I was born. Every action I take, no matter how violent, or cruel, is for the greater good of my people. And now, I have no people. My soul, that is what you have taken from me!"

In a motion that was too quick for my eyes to register, Zod suddenly attacked Clark, tossing him aside. Clark skid across the ground, landing inches away from my feet. His face a mix of emotions when he saw me.

As Zod approached us, I threw myself on top of Clark but he quickly tried to push me away.

"Rose, NO! Run!"

But as I looked up at Clark, in the reflection of his eyes I could see it was already too late.

"Let her go!" Clark screamed as I squirmed in Zod's painful grip.

"I'm going to take them all from you, one by one," Zod promised. "I'm going to make them suffer, Kal- these humans you've adopted."

His arms tightened around me as he taunted Clark and as hard as I tried, I couldn't keep from crying out.

"But first, I'm going to take your soul."

***

Clark-

And just like that Zod vanished- taking my precious Rose with him. I flew after them as Zod bounded forward- Rose's screams running through my veins. I followed in hot pursuit, pausing only once when my heart froze as Zod crashed through a building with Rose still in his arms. As I entered behind them, Rose tumbled to the ground just as Zod dropped to his knees screaming in pain. I rushed to her side, scooping her up into my arms as Zod lost control of his senses. Beams of searing hot energy shot out of his eyes in an uncontrolled fury and the building began crumbling around us.

I attempted to protect Rose with my body as we flew out of the collapsing building. Her tiny fists held on to me tightly as we shot out just in time. I flew up high into the sky, unsure of what to do next but knew that I needed to get Rose to safety. The humans below screamed in fear as Zod threw a fuel tank into a parking garage. I set Rose down on the roof of a Wayne Enterprise building and rushed back to deal with Zod.

"You're a monster, Zod," I said bringing his attention back to me. "And I'm going to stop you."

For a split second I allowed my eyes to divert from him as the parking garage behind me exploded. Seeing this advantage, Zod ran at me, getting a cheap shot in before we exchanged a few blows. Neither of us ever seemed to gain the upper hand. Suddenly, Zod delivered a powerful uppercut to my chin that I was unable to block and I flew up into the sky. I finally came to a screeching halt but to my horror Zod had launched himself towards Rose.

I took off at record speed and pulled Rose into my arms just as Zod lunged at us with a construction beam. Much to his disapointment, however, lasers shot out of my eyes and disintegrated the metal before it even neared us.

"There's only one way this ends, Kal!" Zod exclaimed as he dropped to a knee, heaving with anger. "Either you die, or I do!"

I stood by, cradling Rose to my chest and watched as Zod ripped off his armor.

"I was bred to be a warrior, Kal. Trained my entire life to master my senses. Where did you train? On a farm!"

As she peered out from the security of my arms, I heard Rose let out a gasp as Zod slowly lifted up from the ground. I tried to ignore her grimace as I held her in my arms and flashed off with Zod hot on our tail. As he grabbed hold of my cape, I feared Rose would pass out as Zod spun us around multiple times. We crashed through the Wayne building that we had been standing on top of just moments ago, slamming completely through and reemerging on the other side. Zod seemed fixated on watching the building crumble to the ground and I took the opportunity to hide Rose deep within the city.

As I reluctantly flew away from her, it didn't take long for Zod to find me. I was growing frustrated and angry and I needed to somehow put an end to this quickly. I turned around, deciding to play a deadly game of chicken and our bodies collided in a powerful atomic boom. As another building collapsed to the ground, I grabbed ahold of Zod and flung him as hard as I could out of the stratosphere. His body slowed as it struck against a satellite but I was right on top of him, delivering more blows.

Zod quickly shoved me off of him, delivering a powerful punch to my abdomen before he flashed off back down into the city. I tried to follow closely behind him, but as I frantically searched amongst the skyscrapers it became clear that I had lost him. Suddenly my heart skipped a beat as I heard the hysterical screams of my Rose. Her cries for help spurred me forward and I soon found myself crashing into a subway station behind them.

I arrived in time to see Rose thrust both of her thumbs into Zod's eyes. Releasing her from his grasp, he cursed her as he cradled his head. As Rose scurried away, I seized the moment to grab hold of the momentarily disabled Zod but it seemed somehow once again he had the upperhand.

"If you love this pathetic human so much, you can mourn her," Zod screamed.

I looked up at Rose, backed against the wall with no where to go, trapped in by large chunks of wreckage. I could feel the energy leaving his body as blasts of his heat vision closed in on my Rose.

"Zod, stop!" I yelled- my heart beating rapidly in my chest as it took all of my strength to control him. As the laser beams neared her, I watched as she squeezed her eyes shut, trembling as she turned away.

"Don't do this!" I screamed at Zod again, but his decision was obvious as he gave his terrifying answer of 'Never'.

There was nothing more I could say or do. Zod's actions were clear. With an agonizing twist of his head, I snapped Zod's neck. His lifeless body crumpled to the floor and I followed shortly behind on my knees. An overwhelming guilt consumed my entire being and I let out a horrific scream of regret.

What had I done?

My head slumped forward into my hands as my vision blurred with the tears that fell down my face. I looked up, in shame when I heard Rose approach me, but her face was one of forgiveness and understanding. I opened my arms for her as she collapsed against me and immediately I sobbed into her chest. She held me tightly in a loving embrace and as I stared into her beautiful eyes, I knew I had made the right decision. This woman truly was my soul.