Disclaimer: I own none of the characters from Superman or Man of Steel, because if I did the movie would have been a VERY DIFFERENT STORY. This also has spoilers, so if you have not seen the film, hit the back button.

Man of Steel: A Alternate Take

They met after the battle in a Metropolis cafe, one of several spared by Superman's heroic efforts to contain the damage. A newscaster had estimated there was millions in damage done, but everyone agreed it would have been much worse if Superman hadn't managed to corral the fighters and force them out of the city.

"What was the final casualty count?" Superman asked grimly, wearing a battered trenchcoat over his bodysuit. With that and his hair mussed he didn't stand out TOO much.

'Maybe if we add some glasses?' Lois mused then shook her head. "Less than expected. Maybe a hundred or so."

"Still far too many," Superman shook his head, "I should have been faster."

"You did everything you could," Lois patted his arm gently. She looked up as a waitress hovered nearby, "Two coffee. Black for me."

"Cream and sugar," Superman smiled faintly.

"Wimp," Lois teased.

"Damn right," Superman shrugged.

After they got their coffees Lois looked at him thoughtfully, then asked the question that had been bugging her since the battle ended. "Why didn't you kill Zod?" she wondered.

"You don't ask the easy questions, do you?" Superman answered wryly.

"Goes with the job, farm boy," Lois shrugged.

Superman drank a bit of his coffee. "Because killing Zod wouldn't have solved things, ultimately," he decided.

"I would have thought that'd solve the Zod problem," Lois countered.

"Then what?" Superman shrugged. "Faora would have come after me, then whomever was under her. It wouldn't have stopped."

"So instead by defeating him in battle and sending him to the Zone...," Lois mused.

"I undermined him in front of his followers and showed them they were wrong," Superman shrugged. "It's the only way you can really defeat a threat like that."

"You're right," Lois agreed. She noticed people gathering outside and pointing into the cafe. "Looks like you've been spotted," she said.

Superman sighed slightly. "I'll meet up with you again later," he said as he got up, "and thanks for the talk."

"Good luck," Lois nodded as he headed out, then simply took off into the sky...

End

Notes: Yeah, short piece. Look, in my opinion Superman SHOULD NOT KILL. Period. I can fancy up the argument any number of ways, including how kids are supposed to look up to him and yada yada yada. Nor should he be staging a fight downtown and kill (possibly) thousands of people. It's destruction porn and in my opinion BAD WRITING.