[Third Person Pov]
Golden Darkness stared down at the plate of food resting on the table in front of her, the warm and inviting aroma rising up to meet her face as she looked at it with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. The scent was rich and comforting, something unfamiliar yet strangely appealing, and it made her hesitate as she tried to process the situation she found herself in.
Her stomach suddenly let out a low, audible growl, breaking the quiet and causing her face to instantly heat up with embarrassment. She quickly turned her head away, far too ashamed to meet Clark or the others' gazes as they watched her with faint, knowing smiles that only made her feel more self-conscious.
"We'll leave you be and give you some privacy, we'll be back once you're finished," Clark said, already turning around as he began walking away, with Momo and Lala following closely behind him without protest.
Before he fully stepped out, he paused just enough to add, "If you want more, simply tell the Superman Robots, they'll be sure to get you sorted."
As their footsteps grew more distant, the tension that had been tightly wound within Golden Darkness's body began to ease. The last thing she wanted was to be watched while eating, and she found herself quietly grateful for the small bit of consideration they had shown her.
As the three of them walked away, Momo glanced at Clark with a strange look, her brows knitting together slightly as she spoke. "You know you're being strangely considerate of her. I get that she was mind controlled or whatever, but she's still an assassin, no?"
"I suppose you can say that I pity her," Clark replied, running a hand through his hair as he let out a quiet breath. "From what I can tell, she's only 14 years old. Just what kind of 14 year old is an assassin?"
"And what kind of 15 year old goes out of his way to become a world class superhero?" Momo countered, nudging him lightly with her elbow as she gave him a pointed look.
"The awesome kind," Clark shot back with a small smirk, the two siblings broke out into soft chuckles as the tension in their conversation lightened.
"Golden Darkness… Golden Darkness…" Lala repeated to herself, her fingers idly twisting near her temple as she searched her memory, clearly trying to place where she had heard that name before.
"Lala?" Momo questioned, glancing at her curiously as she noticed her distracted behavior.
"Sorry, it's just… I think I've heard of her before," Lala said after a moment, her expression turning more thoughtful. "If I'm not mistaken, Golden Darkness is the name of a renowned assassin known throughout five star galaxies. I'm pretty sure my father once wanted to recruit her into one of his special forces."
"That's exactly my point," Clark replied with a sigh, his expression turning more serious. "Just what kind of 14 year old is renowned for anything, much less being an assassin? For someone to reach that level, they'd need years of experience or an incredible track record under their belt."
He slowed slightly, glancing back over his shoulder in the direction they had come from. "I just can't help but wonder what kind of life she's lived to be considered renowned."
Back at the table, Golden Darkness sat quietly, the voices of their conversation fading into the background as her thoughts drifted elsewhere. She remembered how Superman had gone out of his way to save those people on the train, how he had used his own body without hesitation to ensure they made it safely across the tracks. The memory lingered in her mind longer than she expected, stirring something unfamiliar within her chest.
Letting out a soft breath, she reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before leaning slightly forward. She gently blew on the food to cool it before taking a cautious bite.
She chewed slowly, her expression shifting as the warmth spread across her tongue, the flavor settling in a way she hadn't anticipated. A small, almost imperceptible smile began to form on her lips as she continued chewing.
"It's warm…" she muttered quietly to herself.
…
When Clark and the girls returned, they were immediately met with the sight of five empty plates stacked neatly around Golden Darkness, with an empty pitcher and glass set off to the side. The evidence of her appetite was impossible to miss.
Clark scoffed lightly, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Glad to see you enjoyed it," he said as he walked over and took a seat across from her.
"It was alright, nothing too great," she replied casually with a small shrug, her tone indifferent despite the scene in front of them.
Clark let out an amused huff at that, clearly not buying it, while the Superman robots moved in without a word. They efficiently cleared the table of the dishes and empty containers before turning and walking away just as quietly as they had come.
"Now that your stomach's full and your energy is recuperated, I hope you don't mind if I start asking you some questions," Clark said, his tone shifting slightly as the atmosphere in the room grew more tense.
Golden Darkness gave a small nod, signaling for him to continue.
"The first question that's been bugging me for a minute now… did you know I was on that train, or was that just a coincidence?" Clark asked, leaning forward slightly as he watched her closely.
"It was a coincidence," Golden Darkness replied without hesitation. "I work by carefully observing my target. I was testing out your speed, strength, and response time in order to set up a trap. However, I was discovered."
Clark let out a quiet sigh of relief at that, reassured that his identity hadn't been compromised.
Her expression shifted then, her usual calm giving way to something more subdued. "I… it was never my intention to put innocent people in danger. They were not my target. I didn't mean to get them implicated in my task."
"It's alright. No one is blaming you," Clark said gently, his voice softening in an attempt to reassure her. "Not to mention no one was hurt, so it's okay."
"No… not no one… some did," Golden Darkness said, her gaze lowering to the table, her half-lidded eyes masking what seemed like indifference.
But Clark could tell there was more beneath the surface.
"Before sending me out to come after you," she continued, "my contractor wanted to test just how much he could influence me, and to see if my skills were affected by his control. So he set me against his enemies and those who had wronged him in the past… some of them were innocent, others were not."
The atmosphere in the room grew heavier, the weight of her words settling over them.
Momo's expression shifted into one of clear surprise, while both Lala and Clark looked tense, their displeasure evident.
"And who's he? This contractor of yours. I want a name and a location of where I can find him," Clark pressed, leaning forward more firmly now.
"I can't tell you," Golden Darkness replied, closing her eyes fully.
"And why the hell not?" Momo stepped forward, her frustration showing. "Are you seriously trying to defend him after what he made you do?!"
"It's a code all assassins follow," Golden Darkness said as she leaned back in her chair. "We aren't allowed to share who our contractor is or his location once we've taken a contract."
"He broke that contract the moment he started messing with your mind. You don't owe him anything," Clark said, frowning as he fixed her with a steady glare.
"I'm sorry, but a contract is a contract. I can't tell you that his name is Cranis Axiom Draal or that he's from the planet Cortexive Prime within the Glaupunk Quadrant. Once I've taken a job, that information becomes private. It's our most guarded secret," Golden Darkness said, lifting her boot and resting it against the table as she crossed her leg, making her stance clear.
Clark blinked, then slowly turned to look at Lala and Momo. Both of them were already looking back at him with the same realization. A moment later, the three of them began to chuckle, their laughter building as the situation fully clicked.
Golden Darkness cracked one eye open at them, a small, fleeting smirk appearing on her lips before it disappeared again.
"Okay then, don't worry," Clark said, resting an arm casually on the table as he leaned back slightly. "You don't have to tell us a thing. I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out on our own…"
He turned his head toward Lala, a knowing look on his face. "Say, Lala, would you perhaps be interested in having another date?"
Lala let out a soft chuckle, immediately catching on. "Absolutely. I would never say no to you, Cla— Kal-El. Did you have a specific place in mind?" she asked, correcting herself smoothly.
Clark smirked. "You know, I heard the Glaupunk Quadrant is lovely this time of year. Specifically, planet Cortexive Prime. I've heard a lot of great things about it."
Lala's smile widened as she began to giggle. "So have I. It's a date then."
Clark's expression sharpened just slightly, his smile taking on a more dangerous edge. "It's a date."
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