Chapter 5: Kryptonite and Lead
Metallo, meanwhile, had seized the other half of the crystal from the plant, jamming it into his chest, fusing it with his kryptonite heart. The effect was instantaneous and terrifying. Metallo's body surged with power, his eyes burning with an eerie green light. He turned towards Superman, a predatory grin spreading across his metallic face.
"Now, Superman," he hissed, his voice dripping with malice, "let's see how you fare against this!" He unleashed a barrage of kryptonite-enhanced energy blasts, each one more potent than the last. Superman, already weakened from his fight with Ivy and the initial exposure to kryptonite, staggered under the assault. The museum shook with the force of Metallo's attacks, debris raining down from the ceiling.
Batman, seeing the dire situation, knew he had to act fast. He launched himself at Metallo, attempting to distract the cyborg and give Superman a chance to recover. "Metallo!" he yelled, "We're not through yet!" But Metallo, empowered by the crystal, was unstoppable. He swatted Batman aside like a fly, sending him crashing into a wall. "Stay out of this, Bat!" Metallo snarled. "This is between me and Big Blue!"
Superman, struggling to his feet, knew he couldn't withstand this onslaught for long. His eyes darted around the room, desperately searching for a solution. He spotted the massive lead statue of a prehistoric mammoth.
With a determined look, Superman used his heat vision to quickly slice several thick sections from the mammoth's lead legs. Then, with incredible speed and precision, he maneuvered the lead sections around Metallo, his heat vision welding them together to form a solid lead cylinder. Metallo was trapped, his arms pinned to his sides, his kryptonite heart completely shielded.
Metallo roared in fury, his energy blasts useless against the lead prison. He strained and thrashed, but the lead held firm. Superman, though weakened, had effectively neutralized the threat.