"Hurry up Lois, we gotta go", said Jimmy. "Hold on, I need to try again", said Lois. "Lois, come on. He's not gonna answer", said Jimmy. "Just let me try one more time", said Lois. She picked up the phone and dialled Clark's number. "Please Clark, answer", she said. Thirty seconds past. Nothing. No answer at all. Lois had been trying to contact Clark since she was worried about him. The city was no in control of Metallo, which made Lois all the more worried for Clark. As for Clark, well, he was having problems of his own. He was far away from Metropolis. The danger might have been far, but he was definitely not ready to go out and save the city again. John Corben, who had become the machine known as Metallo, had used a large chunk of Kryptonite on him. He was completely weakened, and needed some help urgently. But as hours past, no help came to him.
"Get up my son", said a voice. Superman immediately awoke, and looked around the cave. "Hello?", he asked. "Kal-El, it is nice to see you again", said the voice, who had appeared to him in the form of his father. "Dad? How is this possible?", asked Superman. "I made it so, so that you could see him", said the voice. "I know what you're doing, but it ain't gonna work", said Superman. "Kal-El, i know that you failed, but that doesn't mean it's over", said the voice. "I couldn't stop him and you know that", said Superman. "But he's just man, in a machine, said the voice, you're a Kryptonian". "But do I have what it takes? Can i actually destroy him?", asked Superman. "It doesn't matter what you do to him Kal-El, you just need to get rid of him, for good", said the voice. "So you're saying, that I shouldn't kill him?", asked Superman. "If that's what you want, then so be it", said the voice.
Superman knew that Metallo couldn't be contained in some normal jail cell. There was no place to keep a man, or now monster, like that. He started walking out the cave, but was stopped the voice who said, "If you are to kill him, then you'll go down a dark path". "But you said get rid of him", said Superman. "I said get rid of him, I didn't say kill him. Find a way, to change him back, or better, keep contained, for good", said the voice. "But I cant! He'll break out eventually! I have to kill him!", said Superman. "Killing him will make you different from your father. Your father dreaded it. He only killed Zod, because he had no other option, said the voice, you do now". Superman was once again put in a tight spot. If he killed John, he would be looked at as a killer. But he found a way to redeem him, he would be seen as a saviour. He wanted to make his father proud. He wanted to save and not kill. But the sudden urge to kill was there. It had always been there. Even though he hid it.
He flew out of the cave, thinking about the two choices he had in front of him. Killer or saviour? God or demon? He didn't want to become John. There was already a devil walking around the streets. Metropolis didn't need one, who was there all the time. As he kept flying, he started thinking about Lois. He missed her, but he also missed being Clark Kent. When he finally arrived at Metropolis, he was totally shocked to see what was in front of him. The whole city was burning, and more buildings were being destroyed. "When there's no Superman, there's no peace", he said. He flew down and looked for anyone that needed help. "Hello!, he called out, does anyone need help?!". He heard someone walking towards him, but then immediately falling on the ground. He flew towards them and asked, "Are you ok?". "Please Superman, only you can stop him", said the civilian. Superman's eyes had an enraged look to them. He flew away from the destruction, and to the centre of the city, where he thought he might find John.
When he arrived, he looked down and noticed a large crowd of people watching a machine outside of a building. "Metropolis. I am Metallo, and I am here to help" said Metallo. "You're not here to help, you're here to destroy", said a civilian. "If you resist, then I destroy. Otherwise, I am here to help", said Metallo. "Why do you want to help us? We already have Superman", said another civilian. "Superman is gone. You don't an alien to help you", said Metallo. "Wait, you killed him, didn't you?", asked a civilian. "No, he's stronger than I ever will be. But I could've killed him, but then what's the point? I want to be a hero, not a villain", said Metallo. "You are villain John", said Superman, slowly flying down to the ground, while facing him. Metallo stared at Superman and said, "How? How did you recover so fast?". "That's not important anymore, said Superman, what is important is stopping you", said Superman.
