Superman woke up in the rubble of the streets. He felt like a train just passed over him(not that he had ever felt pain or numbness before). He slowely stood up. The fight! This Metallo guy was attacking them and he remembered a green light. That was what hurt him. He remembered. He also remembered Mark going through a building right before he passed out. Where is he? Superman flew up into the air. He felt the warmth of the solar rays upon him. He looked around. Around him emergency rescue where busy getting people off the streets and into ambulances. No need, the fight is not here anymore Superman thought. His super hearing caught a fight going on in the distance too the West. He flew over there as fast as he could. When he arrived he looked in horror as a 70 feet great ape stood towering over trees stomping on the ground and roaring. He noticed the ape was holding something in his hands. With his super vision he saw it was Metallo, unconcious and pretty tore up. The creature threw Metallo onto the ground and stepped on him. Its power was incredible. Every time it set its foot on the ground it shook heavily. It picked up metallo again and held it up its face. It opened its mouth and a huge beam of pure, violent energy shot out from it right in Metallo's face. Metallo's face revealed it now to be a helmet and a man's head underneath it. This was not a robot! The ape threw Metallo down again. In its left hand it held a small green rock that emmitted the green light that hurt Superman. It crushed the rock like it was nothing and threw it behind its back.

"You can't hurt me, Monkey boy. You are like Superman and can't kill anyone. I heard you say it. Now that you see i'm not a robot you will stop." The ape paid little attention too the talking insect at his feet. It stomped around, it was furious. It snatched trees up and blasted it with it mouth ray. It stomped onto the ground and roared too all directions. Metallo raised his hands and shot a flash of lightning at the ape. A little zat was heard onto the fur of the ape and it noticed it. It turned around, looking even more pissed.

"Bad move." Thought Superman who slowely went down towards the ground to go unnoticed. The ape now took position to punch Metallo into oblivion but before he could swing Superman got between him and the ape.

"Stop creature! There is no need for anybody to get hurt. Too many people have already been hurt this day, lets not make it worse." The ape didn't listen and with full strength punched at Superman. Superman blocked the punch. He had little trouble and managed to punch the ape's arm away. The ape was very surprised and punched again and again. Superman blocked them all. It then opened its mouth and from it shot the beam of light. Superman took it full and came out totally unharmed.

"I know it is you Mark. Stop this nonsense." The ape looked confused. It looked up towards the moon and roared again.

"Please... help me." Superman looked at his feet. Metallo, a blond white male in his late 30's was holding his legs. "I don't want to die. Certainly not by the hands of this monkey boy, ape."

"Why did you attack us?" He noticed the man was crying.

"I was ordered, by a strange man in a large office building in Metropolis. He told me he would hurt my family if i didn't do what he told me."

"Metropolis? Then why did you attack Pittsburgh?" Meanwhile the ape was tearing and punching and screaming at superman, he didn't even look up again.

"I live in Pittsburgh. I put the suit on there but it somehow took over control and started attacking people." An airplane flew over. The ape noticed and pointed at it in disbelieve. It didn't like the sound of it though Superman noticed as it got angry and opened its mouth. Superman rushed into its path and took the full blast of energy.

"Time to go home brother. I don't know what has happened but i'll bet it has something to do wih that tail." Superman went slowely(for him) too the back of the ape but the ape noticed and punched Superman. It got him off guard and Superman fell onto the ground, making a crater.

"alright, we'll play it that way." Superman got up and went too Metallo. "First lets get you out of here." He grabbed the man who seemed very gratefull and swung his arms around him. Superman then suddenly felt very weak again is if somebody took away his powers again like... like before.

"Die Superman!" The man took a small green shard from his sleeve and stabbed Superman into his shoulder with it. Superman felt something he had never felt before. Pain. He dropped the man and grabbed the shard. Pulling it seemed to make it worse and make him grow weaker. He fell onto the ground and screamed. The ape heard that. He also heard the laughing of the other man. The ape looked down at Superman and saw him laying there in blood and screaming in pain. It looked sad, then it changed too angry and moved his eyes over the ground. It then found its target, Metallo. As Metallo saw the ape looking at him he startled and crawled away as fast as he could.

"No, stay away from me you monster." But the ape didn't listen. It lifted its foot and stomped on Metallo, now unprotected by its armor as hard as it could. Metallo was killed instantly. In the mean time, well before Metallo was killed a large group of people had gathered around. They watched in awe as Metallo was killed by a gigantic ape and Superman(who they had grown to respect) dying. Then, a large cloud appeared in front of the moon. When the moon was completely gone the ape looked up and seemed to start to calm down. Then, it started shrinking and shrinking and its fur disappeared(it shed off rather then vanish) and what was left was a man, naked with a large brown monkey tail. When people got closer(rescuers, army, ambulance) they finally recognized Mark, the mysterious ally of Superman though now with a tail. They did immediately rush in to help both superheroes who just saved Pittsburgh from Metallo. Even though some people started mumbling things about that tail and some people shouted that he was not human the rescuers paid little attention to that and aided both superheroes as best they could. First thing they did was pull out the shard of green from Superman's body and carried it away in a large, thick, lead container. They put him on a stretcher and into the ambulance. Mark was in worse shape and could not be moved just yet. His tail was glowing and they all suspected that once the moon would return, he would change again. One of the ambulance personell grabbed the tail as it was wiggling around and in the way. Mark's muscles suddenly tensed and he trembled in pain. The man immediately let go and mark seemed to calm down. As the cloud was about to disappear they covered him up and build a tent over him. They mended his major wounds and tried to stop the internal bleeding. They avoided touching the tail because they didn't want him to shake or move in any way. With all the broken bones and a heavy concussion he could die any second. About 15 minutes had passed in the tent when Aquaman came into the tent.

"Mark!.. uh, i mean... Monkey boy..." He looked around. People where staring at him wonderously.

"We will now call him monkey boy. If you don't tell his real name i would greatly appreciate it." The people all nodded with a smile. Aquaman was relieved. The sat down beside him.

"Mark, dude. Look at you. You are a mess. Even more then Superman. Don't worry, i was taken here by the Flash, he is getting Superman too sunlight fast." Mark seemed to slowely wake up and turned his head too Aquaman. "Monkey boy? Seriously? Don't use names villains came up with."

Aquaman laughed. "Sorry, its the first thing that i could think of." He then spotted the tail. "Wow, so it is true. You told us once about being born with a tail. I just thought you where joking around. Wild. And you turned into a great ape?" Monkey boy suddenly lifted his head.

"I what?"

"What you don't remember? Yeah, you got wild and killed Metallo. Sorry we couldn't be there sooner, I was helping the Batman stopping the Joker from releasing a nerve agent into the atmosphere. The Flash was busy fighting Turtle man" Aquaman reached for the tail. One of the rescuers rushed over and grabbed Aquaman's hand.

"Wait! Don't do that please, i don't think Monkey boy would like that." Aquaman ignored it and grabbed the tail anyway. Monkey boy suddenly felt numb all over his body. He couldn't move, not even his mouth to speak. When Aquaman saw how he responded he let go of the tail immediately. The sudden shock and numbness almost immediately washed away.

"Holy, that felt really terrible. Like i was paralyzed and somebody squeezed my throat."

"Sorry about that. Seems your new tail is a little sensitive." Monkey boy looked puzzled.

"Wait a minute. Get back too the part where you where telling me i transformed into a giant ape. Get real."

"No, i'm serious. They got you on camera and all. Probably that tail makes you go all ape when there is a full moon. Unlucky for Metallo the moon disappeared just a tad too late." Monkey boy put his head down again and passed out. Suddenly Superman walked into the tent. Though his suit was still stained in blood he was fully healed. The Flash walked in behind him. Superman scanned his brothers anatomy.

"He has all his ribs broken and his back on 2 places. You did a great job at stopping the internal bleeding, my thanks too all present. My brother is strong he will fight through this. Take it from me. When he recovers he will be stronger and better then ever before." He lifted his brother up gently. He looked at Aquaman. "Dont touch the tail, its a little sensitive." He nodded. "Thank you Aquaman and Flash, always appreciate your assistance. This time you saved our lives and we will owe you forever. I will take him too the hospital, alert them of our coming and his condition." He walked slowely out of the tent. The full moon was still gone. He suddenly lifted up and shot off into the distance.