General Zod thought he had heard wrong.
"Second uncle? How come I never knew you had a second uncle?! And I was the one closest to your father!" he said, clearly confused.
Clark was also confused, not sure what to believe.
Zod focused on Superman again. "Son of Jor-El, Krypton is gone. As the last of our kind, we must rebuild. The Codex within you is the key to our future! If you agree, Earth can become a new Krypton."
Rebuilding Krypton was Zod's mission as leader, and he couldn't understand why the Kryptonian before him would refuse.
Clark's expression hardened. "And if Earth is transformed into Krypton, what will happen to humanity?"
Zod hesitated. "The people of Earth will not survive the environmental change. They will be... eliminated." He tried to phrase it carefully.
"So they're all going to die?" Clark asked, his face heavy with worry.
Faora scoffed. "Why do you care about these 'ants'? Krypton's strength lies in its ability to rule the cosmos without mercy!"
Zod's frustration grew. He had not expected the Son of Jor-El to care about such 'insignificant' beings.
Clark's voice was firm. "I refuse. Earth is my home - everything I have, including my adoptive mother, is here. I will not allow you to turn Earth into Krypton!"
Zod rose slowly, his face darkening.
"Then we have nothing more to discuss."
Faora and the other Kryptonians surrounded Superman, waiting for Zod's command.
Zod met Clark's gaze and declared, "I will give you one day to reconsider. If you still refuse, we will go to war."
Clark look at Zod, then turned and walked toward the exit. One of Zod's men raised an arm to stop him, but Zod motioned for him to stand down.
"Let him go," Zod ordered, narrowing his eyes as he watched Superman's retreating form.
The Kryptonian beside him made a throat-slitting gesture as Clark walked away.
Outside, a crowd of reporters swarmed Superman, bombarding him with questions.
"Superman, what are the aliens like? Are they like us?"
"Is their arrival friendly or hostile?"
"What is their purpose here?"
Clark, overwhelmed and frustrated by Zod's ultimatum, simply leaped into the sky with a mighty thud, scattering dust into the crowd below.
"Arrogant show-off!" a reporter muttered, brushing himself off.
Chu Mo, watching from a distance, muttered to himself, "Human nature... born with selfishness."
He wasn't surprised. Despite Superman's efforts to protect Earth, human nature remained unchanged.
After his experiences in a past life, Chu Mo had decided he'd rather be selfish than sacrifice himself for the ungrateful.
Suddenly, Superman landed on the roof of the Daily Planet. Lois and Nora tensed, unsure why he was there.
"Nephew, you made it!" Chu Mo greeted him with a grin.
Clark grimaced at the word 'nephew' but held back his irritation.
"They want to turn Earth into Krypton. I may not be strong enough to stop them," Clark admitted humbly.
Chu Mo raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking for my help?"
Superman sighed and nodded. "Yes, I need your help."
Chu Mo's response was curt. "Sorry, that's none of my business."
Clark started to protest, but Chu Mo waved him off. "Protecting Earth is your responsibility, not mine."
Lois and Nora watched the interaction with unsure expressions.
Clark looked at the two women, sighed in frustration, and then took off into the sky.
Lois looked at Chu Mo in confusion. "Are you really okay with this?"
Chu Mo turned to her. "You think I'm cold-hearted?"
Nora looked down, disappointed. Lois remained silent.
Chu Mo continued, "It's not that I don't care about Earth. I'm just more interested in protecting our territory."
Lois furrowed her brow. "Our territory? You mean... the Daily Planet?"
Chu Mo smiled. "No. Our territory is all of Earth."
Nora and Lois exchanged puzzled looks.
"Then why did you turn down Superman's offer to join forces?" Lois asked.
Chu Mo chuckled and looked toward the ship. "I have my reasons," he replied.
"These Kryptonians... I am determined to have them. Not even God could stop me."
Inside the ship, Fora frowned. "Why not just kill him?"
Zod shook his head. "Not yet. We still need the Codex in him."
"When do we strike?" asked one of Zod's men.
"Patience," Zod said, looking at his team. "If he were the only one, we would have acted already. But there's another - a powerful one."
"You mean the other Kryptonian?" Fora asked.
"Yes," Zod confirmed, crossing his arms. "I sensed a formidable presence within him, perhaps even stronger than mine."