Because I"m the only one who can.
CLARK leans in, LANA closes her eyes and he gives her a long pa.s.sionate kiss.
While her eyes are closed, there is a burst of wind through the house that rattles the walls. She opens her eyes to see pictures shifting on their nails and the front door flung wide open flapping on its hinges.
She runs to the front lawn and looks skyward and he"s gone. CLARK"s POV: On her lawn, she looks tiny.
LANA.
(Shouting) BE CAREFUL, CLARK!.
CUT TO:.
INT. LEXCORP COMMUNICATIONS CENTER.
The center is in shambles after the METALLO incident. LUTHOR enters and a TECH is immediately at his side. LUTHOR Damage report.
TECH.
Metallo destroyed the majority of the Communication nerve center. We"ve lost contact with seventy-two percent of our affiliates.
LUTHOR.
Why wasn"t he shut down?
TECH.
He managed to destroy enough hardware including our links to LexSats eight, six, fifty-one, forty-seven, five, fifteen and ninety-one including the- LUTHOR.
--Satellite that monitors activity in Metropolis. He broke his leash.
(Beat) I need this online now.
TECH.
There"s a s.p.a.ce shuttle preparing for launch from a site in Corto Maltese to regrid the satellites signals to operating stations. They should be ready in fifteen minutes. NASA has been trying to block it as an unauthorized launch.
LUTHOR.
NASA can go to h.e.l.l.
TECH.
Fifty percent of the hardware should be back online within five hours.
LUTHOR.
If that"s your best, your best won"t do.
TECH.
Sir, we"ve already doubled our staff.
LUTHOR.
(Angry) Metallo is tearing up a city block and every COP in the state is about to take a shot at him. I"m not about to have my investment taken out by a bunch of grunts with cheap metal badges! Either this system is online within the hour or you answer to me!
LUTHOR walks away.
TECH.
We will triple our efforts, sir.
CUT TO:.
EXT. SUICIDE SLUM STREET DAWN.
Concrete chunks have been torn out of the street. Cars are over turned on their sides and on fire along with various other debris. Holes have been punched through buildings leaving their insides visible from the street.
Scattered along the streets are the bodies of fallen POLICE OFFICERS and CITIZENS who got in the way.
Among it all is METALLO. Barely worn and in a frenzy.
INT. SUBWAY BENEATH SUICIDE SLUM.
PEOPLE crush into the subway trying to escape the escalating damage above them. Fighting their way through the ma.s.s of PEOPLE are LOIS LANE with JIMMY OLSEN in tow. They are the only people fighting to get in SUICIDE SLUM. LOIS Come on, Jimmy!
JIMMY.
I don"t think this is a good idea, Miss Lane.
LOIS.
Front seat at the fight of the century is always a good idea!
JIMMY.
But n.o.body"s seen Superman in days.
LOIS.
What does that have to do with anything?
JIMMY.
If n.o.body"s seen Superman then who"s gonna save us if something goes wrong?
LOIS.
What are you talking about? Superman doesn"t always save us.
JIMMY.
Yes, he does. Especially you.
LOIS pauses. She"s never considered that.
LOIS.
Let"s go.
They force their way through the ma.s.ses.
EXT. STREETSIDE.
LOIS and JIMMY emerge onto the street and find themselves in the middle of a firefight.
LOIS ducks while JIMMY starts clicking away.
The METROPOLIS SPECIAL CRIMES UNIT (SCU) arrives.
Six HUMVEE-like RIOT VEHICLES roll onto the site. They have thick armor plates that extend the length of the vehicle attached their sides with hydraulic arms. Three barricade one side of the block and the other three the opposing side. The hydraulic arms lower the armored plates to the ground with a thud. A back door drops open forming a ramp and simultaneously SCU TROOPERS hustle from the transports and take cover behind the plates. The TROOPERS are dressed in SWAT/Military black uniforms with a large white "SCU" insignia and various technical modifications (radios, helmets, goggles).
Leading them is SCU Commander CAPTAIN MAGGIE SAWYER along with DAN TURPIN (her second in command). They are also dressed in black fatigues. SAWYER has short brown hair and a lack of femininity. TURPIN is a gruff, seasoned veteran of the force in his late 40s. TROOPER #1 (To SAWYER over the noise) Sir, ground force is in place and air support is standing by!
SAWYER.
Drop "em!
OVERHEAD, BLACK METROPOLIS SCU HELICOPTERS fly overhead and hover above the tenements as SCU TROOPERS repel to the rooftops. With their weapons strapped to their backs, they scurry into positions overlooking the street.
TROOPER #1.
The eye in the sky is armed and ready, sir!
SAWYER.
(In MEGAPHONE) METALLO! You"re surrounded! Throw down your weapons and step into the open!
METALLO looks around him and holds his arms out.
METALLO.
You see any weapons?!
TURPIN.
Jesus, he did all that by himself?
SAWYER.
(To METALLO) Surrender, Metallo! You don"t have a chance!
METALLO.
Then come and get me.
SAWYER.
(To METALLO) This is your last chance! I am counting to three!
(Beat) ONE!.
(Beat) TWO!.
METALLO picks up a motorcycle and hurls it through the air at SAWYER.
TURPIN.
INCOMING!.
TROOPERS scatter for their lives. The cycle crashes into a RIOT VEHICLE and EXPLODES.
METALLO.
(To himself) Three.
SAWYER.
(In radio) GROUND TROOPS! OPEN FIRE!.
TROOPERS pop up from behind their cover and begin a nonstop barrage of bullet fire that doesn"t phase him. He starts smiling.
TURPIN.
He ain"t droppin".
Several grenades are thrown and explode around him. He catches one and it explodes in his fist. METALLO walks to the barricade. TROOPERS fire furiously at him as he grabs one and lifts him over the four foot barricade, tossing the TROOPER into the middle of the street. METALLO pushes the barricade over and several TROOPERS run but one is caught under its falling weight.
FIRE TROOPER comes with a flame thrower.
FIRE TROOPER.
CLEAR!.
METALLO turns as the fire blast engulfs him. The sixty foot blast makes visibility almost zero. METALLO appears through the flames and crimps the flame thrower nozzle causing the fire to draw inside. The fuel tank on FIRE TROOPER"s back explodes, killing him.
When METALLO emerges from the fire his flesh is burned but is causing him no pain. Parts of it don"t even look attached to his face.