Superman sailed across the chamber and hit the rounded wall with a thunderous crash, the lead lined reinforced steel stretching and molding to his frame. He fell away from the wall and hovered in the air, looking down at his foe.
John Corben was a small-time con man who was fatally injured in a car crash, but to his luck Professor Emmet Vale, a pioneer in robotics, happened to pass by. Vale believed that Superman was the first in a wave of super-powered Kryptonian invaders; and in a hope to destroy the Man of Steel, Vale transplanted Corben's brain into a robotic body made of a super-dense metallic allow, Metallo. Powered by a two-pound chunk of kryptonite located in the center of the torso; his brain hermetically sealed inside a shielded alloy skull with its own power supply; Metallo's sheer strength and limitless endurance has allowed him to remain a constant thorn in Superman's side.
"You're not going to float up there all night, are you?" the metal monster asked, his slight British accent seeping into his electronically projected voice.
"Where's Lois!?" Superman shouted.
Metallo shrugged. "How should I know?"
"You kidnapped her!"
"Afraid not." Metallo admitted. "To be honest, I don't have anything to do with Lois, or anything else that's happened over the last few days."
"Then why are you here?"
"Are you kidding?" If the twisted metallic features of Metallo's face could move, they would have been spread wide in an evil smile. "When I heard that news that Metropolis was going to burn, how could I miss it? I knew that eventually, you would find your way to the reactors. I even tapped into the control room programs and help the progress along."
"You're behind the systems crash?"
Metallo raised a large metal hand. "Guilty as charged. You can't imagine how easy it was to sneak in here; the place was practically deserted when I arrived. One simple interface into the security terminals and the rest was a walk in the park. And after the power was cut, I though I was going to have to attack you directly, but low and behold, the power kicked back on and the reactors started running again. I saw a strange line of coding inside the restart program while I was crashing the system. Whoever put that there was pretty smart. I didn't really understand what it was for until I realized he had to know how you'd try to stop the melt down. Looks like he was one step ahead of you… I was a little worried at first; I though they would send one of the other technicians down here, but who else could lift such heavy fuel rods. And you did not disappoint me. And imagine me delight when I discovered that the fuel rod was made of Kryptonite! Not only will the core reach critical all the faster, but the errant radiation is giving me quite the power boost." He raised his hands and clinched them into fists.
"Metallo, if this reactor goes, millions of people will die." Superman pleaded.
"But not me. And not you. But let's see if I can change that last part." He crouched low, his servos and motors spinning frantically. "I don't even care if you beat me, just as long as I make sure you fail and Metropolis burns. Doesn't mean we can't have a little fun in the meantime, though."
Metallo launched himself forward like a missile. Superman dodged the attack easily, Metallo's immense fist slamming into the steel wall and severely denting it.
Superman was on the other side of the chamber then, hovering a few yards above the floor.
"You're not going to stop me, Metallo. That rock you call a heart isn't affecting me. I'm not going to lose my powers."
Metallo was hanging from the wall, his hand gripping the bent metal of the impression he had just created. His feet were against the wall and he was looking back at Superman. "You will once I peel that suit off you!"
And again, he launched himself across the room, covering the span of fifty feet in less than a second.
And again, Superman dodged easily.
Metallo chased him, clinging to the wall in a spider like fashion, clamoring after him on all fours, the barbed tips of his fingers and toes digging into the lead lined surface.
The two danced through the chamber; Metallo hurtling himself at Superman repeatedly, and every time, Superman dodging the attack.
"Are you planning on running from me all night?" Metallo asked. "I thought you were supposed to be a hero. Shouldn't you be trying to fight the bad guy?"
"This isn't you, Metallo. Mass destruction isn't your thing. What do you get from all this?
"Besides seeing your face after the city you love is reduced to ash and rubble, all the lives lost, all the destruction, and knowing I was all that stood between you and saving the city… that's pretty much it. I'm a simple man."
"But why? Why this? Why now?"
"Because I've still haven't beaten you yet. No matter what I do, or how strong I get, you still find a way to win; either with the help of your friends or through some random act of luck, you always get the better of me. I'm starting to think I can't beat you."
He lunged again and again Superman dodged.
"So I started thinking;" Metallo continued. "If I can't beat you, maybe I can help someone else beat you. We both know that a meltdown wouldn't kill you, but it would break you. It would destroy you if you failed to save this city. It would be like ripping your heart out, something I've dreamed of doing for a long time."
"Corben, please…" Superman began.
"My God!" Metallo snapped. "Are you really going to try to talk me into submission? I admit, if I have to listen to you beg, I may just rip out my auditory receptors." His robotic eyes scanned the room. "What we need is a little motivation."
And he launched himself forward again, but this time, not at Superman.
And Superman realized too late what he was aiming for.
Dr. Yamamoto.
The readings on Superman's HUD told him the technician was still alive, albeit, barely. His heart rate was extremely low, and skipped beats sporadically. He was dying. If Metallo got his metal hands on the small man, it would be all the sooner.
This time, Superman launched himself forward, faster than a speeding bullet.
He slammed into Metallo just as his barbed fingertips brushed the material of Dr. Yamamoto's protective suit.
The speed and force sent them both into the reactor wall, which actually cracked under the tremendous blow.
Superman pinned Metallo to the wall, his gloved hands wrapped around metal wrists, his legs pinning a metallic frame.
"Now this is more like it." Metallo laughed. "Up close and personal! How about a kiss?" and his head shot forward and his metal teeth snapped at the visor of Superman's helmet. Superman moved his head to one side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Give it up, Metallo." He barked. "I'm stronger and faster than you. As long as I'm inside this suit, you don't have a chance!"
"Well, then… We'll just have to fix that."
Metallo's ribcage morphed. The curved bars that made up his ribs pulled away from the center section, or sternum; revealing sharp tips. They shot forward.
Superman was forced to push away, least his suit be skewered. He was forced to release Metallo's wrist.
He was so focused on the pointed ribs, he didn't see the metallic fist flying towards his head.
The blow rocked his head back and cracked his helmet.
Superman was sent sailing again, but this time, Metallo launched himself forward and overtook him, grabbing his ankle and flinging him to the ground.
Superman crashed into raised forest of control rods, his weight and speed breaking and bending them as he slid across the curved floor.
Metallo was on top of him then, his metallic fist raining down frantically.
Cracks snaked across the helmet like spider webs. A few more blows, and it would shatter.
Superman's hand found one of the control rods. The other caught one of Metallo's fists as it rocketed towards his face. He then swung the rod and batted Metallo across the face, the force of the blow sending him flying.
Superman shot up after him, flying past him in a blur of speed, and used the rod to bat him back down.
Metallo smashed face first into the floor, sending rods flying in shattered chunks.
Superman dived, smashing his knee into the metallic spine of his advisory. He then grabbed one of Metallo's flailing arms and pinned it behind his back, quickly bending the control rob around his wrist. He then grabbed the other arm, pulled it to meet the other, and wrapped the rest of the control rod around the second wrist a la handcuffs.
Before his foe could protest, he grabbed another control rod and quickly bound his legs at the ankles.
Metallo struggled to free himself. "I didn't know you were into bondage, Superman. Kinky!"
Superman stood over him. "That should hold you long enough for me to remove the fuel rod."
He floated up to the platform. His visor was all but destroyed, the HUD flickered wildly. But even still, he could see that the temperature of the chamber was up to nearing two thousand degrees.
He knelt over the core and began twisting the casing.
The thudding sound of metal meeting metal made him look up and over his shoulder.
Metallo was hoping towards him. Fast.
Superman stood just in time for Metallo to slam into him with the force of a Mack truck. The power forced Superman back several feet before he regained his footing. He grabbed Metallo and flung him up into the roof of the chamber, the pipes and vents there crushed under his metal body.
Unfortunately, the force of the impact shattered the control rods that held Metallo bound, and as he fell back down, he cocked his arm back, posed to deliver a punch.
Superman saw it coming. He caught Metallo's fist and arm, twisted at the hips, and flung the metal man across the room like a Frisbee. Metallo hit the wall with a thud and before he could regain his footing, Superman was on him. He grabbed his ankle and lifted him, swung him over his head, and slammed him into the floor like a ragdoll. The entire chamber shook.
He lifted him again, twisted, and slammed Metallo into the wall like a hammer.
And again, the chamber shook.
Finally, he twisted once more, and flung Metallo across the room as hard as he could.
The metal of the wall seemed to mold to Metallo's frame like foam rubber as he collided.
There was the shrieking sound of metal tearing, and Superman shot across the room, the reactor door firmly in his grip. He snatched up a control rod as he went, and slammed into Metallo, and the wall, the door between them.
He reared back and slammed the control rod through the corner of the door and into the wall beneath. He then snapped it, and repeated the process in the doors other corner, then again in the lower corner, and a final time in the remaining corner.
He had effectively nailed Metallo to the wall.
Metallo looked at his restraints. "Impressive." He said. "But you know this won't hold me for long."
"It'll hold you long enough." Superman said, pushing away from him.
"You're forgetting one thing." Metallo mused.
Superman raised an eyebrow.
"My hand is free!"
Superman looked down and saw the metallic fist clutching the front of his protective suit. And before he could pry the cold fingers from his front, the fist rotated at the wrist seven hundred and twenty degrees.
The material tore away like tissue paper.
Superman staggered away from the wall, the nausea and dizziness hitting him like a wave. The room was suddenly spinning and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Superman fought the urge to vomit and tried to make his way back to the core.
"Hey, Superman…" Metallo called out. "You don't look so good. You should sit down and rest for a second." Shrill laughter followed.
Superman was walking in a zigzag. His legs felt heavy and far away, and the reactor chamber suddenly seemed ten times larger.
"Come on…" he pushed himself. "Almost… there…"
The core was beneath him. He didn't so much as kneel; rather he collapsed to his knees under his own weight.
He looked down at the glowing rod, bathed in its emerald shine.
He leaned forward and the world swam. He fell to his palms and was barely able to support his own weight. Sweat dripped from his face and pooled in his helmet.
He tried to take a deep breathe, and swallowed bile.
He reached for the casing, which suddenly seemed to be at the bottom of a well. His gloved fingers wrapped around the handle and he began to twist.
Nothing happened.
He tried again, and again, it didn't budge.
Superman took a breath, held it, and with everything in him, he twisted the casing. He managed a half-turn.
And Superman collapsed, his energy gone.
He laid there and tried to relearn how to move.
And faintly, as if from somewhere far away, he heard the sound of groaning metal, followed by a loud thud.
A few moments later, Superman was airborne, but not of his own accord.
Metallo held him a foot off the ground by the front of the remains of his protective suit. He slowly pulled him close, the metal skeleton he called a face and emerald eyes filling Superman's failing vision.
"Metropolis is about to be destroyed and you are about to die." His electronic voice echoed throughout the chamber. "Today is a good day!"