Clark looked at the person before him. He had already expected it, but the confirmation still shocked him.
"You're a Kryptonian."
"DON'T DODGE THE QUESTION!"
Clark took a step back. Their anger was getting to them. Given his fights with Zod, he knew he had to calm them down, and quickly. The revelation of another free Kryptonian could wait.
"I have been trying to unshrink them, but if you've been through my systems, you should know I have other duties. People rely on me. I am a symbol of hope to people. I have to protect them. I can't just stand by and let people get hurt. It's not how I was raised."
Unfortunately, if the increasing red glow behind the visor was any indication, his words had the opposite effect.
"Rely on you?! Who do you think they are relying on? There is an entire community of guardians that could take your place! You've left this planet for weeks before with your cousin picking up for you! They don't rely on you. And people ARE getting hurt! Brainiac had drones to stop his test subjects from killing themselves, and the people in those bottles have no idea what goes on outside of them! WHAT HOPE DO PEOPLE STUCK IN A BOTTLE HAVE, KAL-EL?! WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO LIVE FOR?!"
Superman's hand flew to his mouth, as the horror of what they said settled into his mind and heart. His stomach twisted in knots as what had been happening on his watch consumed him.
"I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"Of course you didn't," they said, disgust in their tone. "Because whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not, you've fallen for the same self-imposed trap as your adversaries. You think you're the most important person, and it blinds you to the flaws in yourself and your beliefs.
You're not a hero, Clark Kent. Not this time."
Their piece said, the armored Kryptonian turned back to the monitor, shutting it down.
"Who... who are you," Clark said, the defeat in his tone obvious to even the least observant.
"My name is Vahl-Or," they said as they flew past him towards the door, "and I'm taking Kandor with me."
"Wait, w-what?!"
"Did I stutter, Son of El?" Vahl-Or said as they turned their head back towards him, voice blank. "You have clearly shown that you care more for your adopted homeworld than the inhabitants of Kandor. If you and your cousin won't make the time to help them, and the only other Kryptonians are Phantom Zone residents, it is up to me to rescue the survivors."
"No, please, I can still help, just give me a chance to-"
"You are too focused on trying to help everyone on this planet at once, Kal-El, and you have had plenty of chance."
"Please, it's my respons-"
"Shut. Up."
Superman froze at the edge in their tone. The air felt thin enough to cut with a dull butterknife.
"'Responsibility to help them.' Is that what you were going to say?"
Superman never got the chance to answer, before he felt pain across his jaw, and blacked out.