6.12 Stealth

By &

Original TwoP air date 9.5.06 Clark must work behind the scenes to save Lana when Lex’s attempt to duplicate Kryptonian powers in humans goes horribly wrong. Lionel and Martha come to a mutual understanding. [ETA] Lois searches for information about Chloe's mom.

Lex on the phone while getting a physical, "Tell general Lane that if he's truly concerned about his daughter's safety perhaps he should encourage her to find alternate employment." A pause, "Practically the entire Pentagon is in my pocket. I'm not worried about some renegade general with an axe to grind. General Lane doesn't scare me. I'm not taking any of his calls." he hangs up. "So, what did you find?"

The doctor informs him the only thing he could find is low levels of meteor rock in Lex' bloodstream.

Lex remembers his ring being crushed. "Maybe the rock was absorbed into my blood stream. It must be responsible for my super strength returning. But why would it only work sometimes?"

The doctor speculates the meteor rock must somehow be activated by another agent. Perhaps adrenaline.

"The robots!"

The doctor gives him a quizzical look.

Lex explains that the robots are made of a compound similar to that of Dr. Fine and the ship. The meteor rock glows when it gets near Dr. Fine. The robots must be what activated the rock in his bloodstream. He looks at his hand. "It can even heal broken bones." Lex is overjoyed. "This is a major breakthrough! I have to go."

So Lex is thinking. Cool.

But so totally wrong.

So Chloe never jumped to the wrong conclusion about anything? I seem to remember her thinking she had a chance with Clark. About nine different times.

Shove it.

MetU campus. Lois and Chloe are walking to class. Lois wears a LuthorCorp ID badge. Her phone rings. She glances at the display which indicates it's her father calling and turns it off.

Chloe smiles, "By the way I was supposed to tell you your father is trying to get in touch with you."

Sarcastic, "Gee thanks. If he calls again tell him I've decided to finally live my own life."

They walk a few more feet. Chloe asks nervously, "Lois I have a favor to ask."

"Sure. Anything."

"I need information about a LuthorCorp project."

"Chloe, we've been over this. You know I can't do that!"

"I swear it's not for a news story. It's of purely personal interest."

"You're going to have to be more specific than that."

Lowering her voice, "It's about my mom."

Lois stops dead. They whisper the rest of the conversation. "What LuthorCorp project would have anything to do with your mom?"

"Sometime after my mom left she started working for LuthorCorp. I think if I could get the file on the program it might help me piece together what happened to her."

"You swear I won't be reading about it in the Planet next week?"

"I swear!"

Reluctant, "OK. I'll poke around a little and see what I can find. Do you have any details to help me get started?"

Chloe hands Lois a sheet of paper. "This is all I know. And Lois"

"Yes?"

"It is my mom. I'd really like to be the first one to read it if you are able to find anything."

Looking at the piece of paper, "OK, sure. But Chloe?"

"Yes."

"Don't you find it interesting that she was working at LuthorCorp and that Lionel was the one who mentioned her to me in the first place?"

"Interesting? I'd call it unnerving."

"That's why you're the writer and I'm the spokesperson."

"Lois, they really de-clawed you when you joined LuthorCorp, didn't they?"

"Don't worry cousin. My claws are fulling functioning. I merely have them retracted."

"So, what? Are you in stalking mode then?"

Pretending like she's in a press conference, "No comment. And no further questions."

Chloe has got to start putting the pieces together and figure out what Lois is doing.

Don't you wish.

I thought it was obvious she's starting to get suspicious.

She needs to be more than suspicious. She has to figure it out.

Kind of like she figured out Clark had powers? Maybe we could get another teleporter to plop Chloe right in front of a meeting between Lois and Perry. Then she'd figure it out.

Shut up Michael. It's not like Lex ever figures anything out.

He knows he doesn't like Chloe.

Lex in a lab showing a scientist the results of his physical.

The doctor objects. That level of radiation will kill a man in a matter of days. He has no idea how Lex didn't wind up in a morgue. Even though the rock is relatively inert when alien objects are not present Lex should have his body flushed of it immediately. Otherwise it could take weeks for his body to do it naturally. Who knows what damage it could do to his body in that time.

No. The doctor needs to start determining the most effective ratio of meteor rock and nano-goop injected directly into the blood stream for super strength.

The doctor objects again. They should test on animals first.

Lex tells him that if he doesn't do it Lex will find someone who will. "As far as I'm concerned the subjects we are using are animals."

Ouch. Tom, you've got him twirling his mustache.

Twirling his mustache is when he leans over Auquaman and denies him a glass of water. This is just his dad coming out.

No. Holding a glass over Aquaman is called HoYay. I'm sure there's a euphemism for it which involves the word twirling but I don't even want to guess what it is.

Maybe you can add the line "Bwahahah" there at the end. Then he'd be twirling his mustache.

Allison after what you did to my episode I'm not talking to you anymore.

Wow. I should have re-written one of your episodes sooner.

Lois in her office going through the contents of the folder. She finds a project with a picture of Chloe's mom and double checks against the sheet of paper Chloe gave her. She calls Lana, "We need to meet immediately."

"What's going on?"

"It has to do with our agreement."

"I'll meet you at the diner by the airport."

Diner by the airport. Lois is already there when Lana arrives. Lois tells her she needs access to the LuthorCorp archive room. She may have a lead on what Lionel is planning.

"What is it?"

Lois doesn't want to say anything until she knows for sure.

This isn't good enough for Lana. The last time she gave Lois access to a restricted area all hell broke loose.

"It might have something to do with Chloe."

"Chloe? How?"

"That's what I need to find out."

"Well don't say anything to Chloe until you check back with me, OK?"

Lois gulps. "She's my cousin, Lana. She's blood. Surely you understand family loyalty."

Lana lowers her eyes, "I wish I did."

"Look, Chloe doesn't care for Lionel any more than Lex. I'm sure she's a neutral party in this little battle you're having. Besides, if it turns out Lionel is using her I'm sure she won't take kindly to it."

Lana supposes Lois is right and lets Lois borrow her ID badge. She tells Lois to be careful this time. She doesn't think she could cover for her again.

"I understand. And thanks. I'll be careful."

Lana exits.

Lois waits until Lana walks away from the diner before pulling out her phone and dialing, "Clark. I need a really big favor."

Cut to a dark hallway. Lois and Clark are sneaking down it.

"Tell me again why you have me doing this instead of Chloe? This kind of thing is right up her alley."

"I know. It'd be like throwing a cat into a barrel of catnip. I need someone doesn't equate unfettered access to the LuthorCorp archive room with dieing and going to heaven."

"Well you choose the right person. I'll probably just feel like I'm in desperate need of a shower."

"You're talking about my place of employment here."

"Which ironically enough you've asked me to help you break into and steal documents from."

"We're not stealing." Pulling a portable scanner from her bag, "We're copying."

Sarcastic, "Great."

They reach the door and Lois scans Lana's card. The room is cavernous. "Whoa. This might take longer than I thought."

"I thought we just needed a file about Chloe's mom."

"There are a couple of other projects I'm interested in." She shows Clark the file folder Lionel gave her. Almost half of the pages are dog-eared.

"You've got to be kidding!"

"Coffee is on me. Start grabbing folders. I'll set everything up."

Jump forward a couple hours. Lois yawns as she feeds documents into the scanner. She can barely hold her head up. Clark looks at his watch and is annoyed by the time.

"Don't tell me I'm keeping you from a hot date."

"No. What about you?"

"No."

"Look Lois, we've got at least a several more hours to go. Why don't you take a quick nap. After you've had a rest we'll switch."

"Can I trust you not to skip anything just to get out of here faster?"

Clark looks annoyed. "How about if you tell me what you plan to do with all this information."

"How good are you at keeping secrets?"

"The best."

"You've got to promise me you won't tell anyone, especially Chloe."

Wait a second. She won't lie to Chloe for Lana but she asks Clark to lie for her? That's whacked.

The difference is that the first thing has to do with Chloe's mom so Lois doesn't feel comfortable keeping it from her.

But the research thing is Lois' own personal business.

Copying LuthorCorp documents is her personal business?

What Allison said.

Plus the whole reason Lois came to Lana is because Chloe asked her to dig up stuff about her mom.

It just seems a little two-faced and hypocritical.

You'll get over it. Chloe will find out soon enough.

I'm not looking for that scene. Lois will probably end up in the hospital again.

Come on, Chloe isn't that bad. You're starting to sound like Michael.

Not really because Chloe will just cry when she finds out her cousin lied to her.

The crying bit is getting really old, Michael.

Until I find something that annoys you nearly as much it remains my weapon of choice.

Clark hesitates, "Would it piss Chloe off if I knew and she didn't."

"Would anything you keep from her not piss her off? Do you want to know or not?"

Clark hesitates. "I can't keep it a secret if it puts Chloe in danger."

"The only one in danger will be me." She sighs, "I'm going to be a muckraker, OK? I'm writing a book on the shady being that is LuthorCorp."

"Lois, I didn't know you had it in you! You're treading dangerously close to journalism."

"Save the gloating until you actually see a book on the shelf. So far the ride has been bumpier than I anticipated."

"Chloe will be pissed you didn't include her in this."

"She knows as well as anyone you've got to fight for every single scoop. You think if we both take a nap little elves will finish all this while we're asleep?"

Clark smiles, "Like the shoemaker fairly tale?"

"Exactly."

"I thought you didn't believe in fairy tales."

"I don't."

"Get some sleep, Lois."

Clarks scans documents. He takes a surreptitious glace at Lois. He approaches her and notices she's drooling all over the table. He smiles to himself before zipping out of the archive room.

She's drooling?

It's funny, isn't it?

In a purely juvenile way.

Hey, it was my idea. Are you calling me juvenile?

If the cape fits.

Cut to an office supply warehouse. Clark zips through the isles until he finds the scanners. He loads up with about six boxes of scanners and zips away again.

Clark is going to go on a shoplifting spree? That's completely out of character.

He returns them.

It's wrong. It's something Lex would do.

I think it's OK. He boxes them all back up. No one is the wiser.

I guess it is kind of cute.

Did I just hear the words Lex and cute uttered dangerously close together?

I thought you weren't talking to me anymore.

I'm not. [Leans in towards ED] Tell Allison I'm not talking to her anymore.

Show Clark set up the scanners in super speed. He super speeds through the filing cabinets and fills each scanner with a stack of documents. Finally he speeds out of the archive room again for more.

Jump forward in time again. Lois raises her head. A string of drool goes from her chin to the table.

Oh gross! Clark is a petty thief and Lois is a dweeb. Let's chuck this scene and cut our losses.

Switch to her POV. In very fuzzy focus Clark is super speeding around feeding documents to two dozen different scanners. Lois rubs her eyes.

Clark sees she's up and super speeds the scanners out of the archive room. He returns the scanners to the warehouse boxed back up.

When Lois opens her eyes the room is empty except for a stack of about two dozen folders waiting to be scanned by her lone scanner.

"Clark?"

She does wipe her face off doesn't she?

[to TW] Should we let her wipe her face.

[rolls eyes at KK]

Yes, she can wipe her face off.

Clark enters carrying two cups of coffee. "Hope you like it black." Turning his attention to the scanner, "It didn't finish that last page while I was gone did it?"

Lois looks at the scanner. No papers are in the paper feed. "Yep. Looks like you've been slacking off big-time Smallville. Why don't you get some rest. I'll take care of the rest."

That was cute. Almost like a Chloe scene until Lois had to knock Clark for slacking.

If Clark would let Lois in on the secret she'd cut him a lot more slack.

Clark indicates the stack of folders, "That's it. We can finish together."

"You've got to be kidding! There's no way you finished scanning all those documents!"

"Lois, I'm a model of efficiency."

Lois smiles at Clark and takes a sip of her coffee. "Tell the truth. The elves came and helped you while I was out."

Clark smiles back and winks, "Nice try but I never reveal my secrets."

Smelling a challenge, "Is that a fact?"

The doctor is injecting goop into our freak. He notes in an audio log that it's trial 23. Options for injecting a combination serum are exhausted. So far meteor rock alone has proven fatal.

He's going to try pure nano-goop with this subject followed by an injection of meteor rock.

Two syringes are already taped to his body with the needles already inserted. One contains a kryptonite dust suspension while the other contains nano-goop. Next to the kryptonite the nana-goop seems to have a life of its own. The subject screams in pain as the nano-goop enters his body.

The monitor shows his pulse flat line.

The glow of kryptonite fades.

The doctor notes that this combination was a failure as well. He's going to try lowering the ratio.

Show the kryptonite suspension start glowing again faintly. If budget allows show the nana-goop collecting at the base of the subject's brain. The subject's heart starts back up. The doctor looks at the subject in amazement. "Change that. The trial was a success."

The freak strains against his bonds. He frees one arm and starts pulling at the bonds on his other. The doctor attempts to inject the subject with a sedative but the needle won't penetrate his skin. The doctor runs. Cut to outside the lab door. It comes flying out into the hallway. The subject strides down the hallway towards the camera dragging the unconscious doctor behind him.

That's goofy.

What?

That the Kryptonite makes Lex super and the nano-goop makes our freak super. It doesn't make any sense.

Sort of but in act IV we have Chloe explain exactly what happened to everyone.

[annoyed] Because Chloe knows fucking everything.

I hope it's better than her explanation from Void.

How could it be worse?

I'm not sure but I know I don't want to find out.

I think you'll be OK with it.

Can you tell us now?

Let's see if you can figure it out on your own first.

[rolling her eyes] Whatever.

Lois and Clark enter the LuthorCorp lobby from an interior door. Lois is thanking Clark for his help. She's got to go get a couple of things out of her office before going home and getting a shower. Checking her watch, "Work starts in twenty five minutes." She hopes Clark won't end up missing any classes because he was up all night helping.

Clark says he'll be fine.

Lana enters through the front doors. Lois greets her warmly and discreetly hands back her ID badge.

Lana looks at Clark who awkwardly steps back about ten feet and pretends to be admiring the Atlas statue. She is angry. Ignoring Clark, "You didn't let him in there did you?"

"Clark? He was just helping me."

"I can't believe I trusted you!"

"Lana, I'm sorry. I didn't know you and Clark were so... over."

"I've never been able to trust him. Obviously I can't trust you either."

Just then the door to the secure lab area comes hurtling into the lobby. The freak steps out still dragging the doctor. The glowing Kryptonite syringe is still taped to his upper arm. He shouts "Where is Lex Luthor!?"

Silence. No one moves. The freak scans the room slowly and spots Lois.

"You! I've seen you on TV. Where's Lex Luthor?"

Lana interjects, "He's not here."

The freak drops the doctor and walks toward the three of them. Barking at Lana, "I wasn't talking to you!" He pushes her aside. He gets into Lois' face. "I said where is Lex Luthor?!"

Lana interjects again, "He's not here. He's on a business trip."

Turning again to Lana, "Who the hell do you think you are?"

Lana sees that security has finally arrived and is sneaking up on the freak. "I'm his girlfriend." The freak smiles, "Is that so?"

"Freeze!"

The freak turns around. He picks up a desk and hurls it at the security guards. One avoids the desk and fires. The bullets bounce off him. Our freak thinks this is great. He turns back to Lana. "Missy, you're coming with me."

Clark, "Leave her alone!" He steps between the two of them and the kryptonite in both the syringe and Lana's necklace make him all wobbly.

The freak smiles, "You've got to be kidding!" He kicks Clark across the room.

Into the Atlas statue.

Lois steps in front of Lana and holds up a can of pepper spray.

He super speed knocks her across the room on top of Clark. He grabs Lana and flips her over his shoulder. "Girlie, if you're who you say you are I have a feeling as soon as Lex gets back I'll be set for life." He carries her out of the building and walks out in front of a car which skids to a stop. He pulls the driver out and flings him across the street, throws Lana in, and drives off.

Lois and Clark try to untangle themselves.

"I don't know if you saved my life, Smallville, but thanks for breaking my fall. Somebody needs to tell Lex he's got more split milk to clean up." Lois' breasts are inches from Clarks face. He tries not to look, "Yeah."

Kristen, that wasn't in the script.

I embellished while typing the final draft. It's funny.

It is funny. Boob jokes are always funny and this show needs more of it.

More boob jokes?

No, more funny. But you can't go wrong with a good boob joke.

So drool is juvenile but boob jokes aren't? This isn't "Red Neck TV", Erica.

Have you seen their ratings?

"What's the matter, Smallville? You look a little scared. So another one of Lex's terminator robots got loose. We can take it out with that black crystal stuff, right?"

Clark strains to get up, "This one didn't act like a robot."

"Either way that was pretty stupid stepping between them like that."

"I noticed you did the same."

"I had a can of pepper spray."

Clark looks at Lois like she's an idiot.

Outside LuthorCorp Lois is holding an impromptu news conference. When Lex arrives they swarm him, practically ignoring Lois. Lex refuses to answer any questions and pushes his way into the building.

As Lex enters the lobby Clark accosts him, "Lex, don't you ever learn?"

"I don't have time for a sermon Clark. If you want to help Lana get back to me after you've dug up some more of that black crystal."

"Another one of your robots has gone haywire?"

"Do you have more crystal or not, Clark?"

"I want to know what's going on."

"If I tell you will you get me more crystal?"

Clark hesitates.

"I see. Then there's nothing you can, or should I say 'will' do to help." Lex moves to go.

Clark grabs him by the arm and immediately looks like he's in pain and lets go. "Lana is in danger. I want to help."

Irritated, "I've told you how you can help. But I guess Lana's welfare isn't as important to you as you pretend." Lex turns and walks away, "Go home, Clark. There's nothing you can do here." We follow Lex into the elevator. He pulls out his phone. "Have someone tail Clark Kent. I want to know exactly what he's up to until this little fiasco is over."

Lana and freak interaction.

She begs him to let her go.

He wants her to know what it's like to have someone play with your life. It doesn't feel good does it? Does she have any idea how many other men he saw die in agony before they got to him? How he was sure he was about to breath his last breath. Lex Luthor and his 'doctors' are monsters the likes of which he never met in prison.

Cut back to the lobby. Clark spots the security door the freak busted open. He ducks behind Atlas and super speeds down the hall.

Pan to a guard by the front door on the phone, "Yes sir, I won't let him out of my sight." Looking around, "He's gone, sir." A pause. "No he didn't go by me." Another pause, "We're on it." Hanging up and motioning to another guard, "We have a problem."

Back to the elevator, Lex hangs up his phone.

"Dammit!" He Slams his fist against the wall of the elevator and looks in shock at the huge dent he's left in the metal.

Lex Luthor: a man who finds cause and effect a completely foreign concept.

Lex's office. Lionel tells Lex the freak has dubbed himself 'trial 23'. He wants $10 million and amnesty for all the other 'test' subject in exchange for Lana's life. Lionel asks if Lex will use what's left of the black crystal.

"No. The resulting explosion sent Lois to the hospital. It's not worth the risk to Lana."

"If we were able to get him far enough away from her a sniper could easily take him out. He thinks he's bullet proof. The advantage is ours, son."

"No. That's my final decision."

"You're not going to cave into his demands, are you?"

"Of course not."

"And why not!?!" Lois walks in. "I'm glad Lana wasn't here to hear that!"

Lex sneers, "No one asked for your opinion!"

"You're getting it anyway. I thought you cared about Lana. You risked you own life a week ago to save me for Pete's sake. What's a few million dollars to you?"

Condescending, "Lois, you can't give in to the demands of kidnappers. Everyone knows that."

"I know not giving in is likely to get Lana killed. He's not going to give her up for nothing."

"And if we do give in she'll be the target for every greedy psycho in Metropolis from now on!"

"Then you'd better figure out a way to keep her safe in the future. Either that or find a way to keep these 'accidents' from happening."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means exactly what you think it does," icy, "Mr. Luthor. Excuse me, but I have a friend I need save."

"Stay out of this, Lois. You'll just make things worse."

"I'd like to see you try stopping me!"

"I said stay out of it!" Lex pounds his fist on the desk, breaking through the top of it and causing its legs to break.

Lionel and Lois stare at him wide eyed. "So I was right. You are getting your alien strength back. Either you've been lying to Lana or she's been lying to me. I'm not sure which is worse." Lois exits.

Clark in the lab. He super speeds through while using his heat vision to knock out the surveillance cameras.

He sees a cart of nano-goop vials and stops.

Picking one up says to himself, "Silver."

Silver K?

No it's actual silver. Of course it's silver K.

There's shouting from an adjacent room but his x-ray vision won't penetrate the wall.

He comes up next to a cart containing vials of the kryptonite dust in suspension and falls. He struggles to get up but knocks over the cart sending vials of krypto-juice all over the floor around him.

Clark watches one of the vials roll up next to the nano-goop he was holding. It bubbles.

Spooky.

How the hell is that spooky?

I expect a mini-Fine to pop out of the vial any second.

That's not spooky. It's idiotic.

Erica, I want you to freeze this moment in time and come back to it when we write next week's episode.

You want mini-Fines in our episode?

[Exasperated] No!

Why not Allison? It'd be cute.

Cut to the security desk in the lobby, "Someone needs to check out lab 15 again."

A reply comes back, "We were just there."

"Check it out again. All the security feeds just went out."

"We're on it."

Cut back to Lex's office. Two security guards escort Clark in.

"You and Lois. Anyways have to try to be the hero, don't you?"

"I can't stand by while Lana is in danger."

Lex asks Clark how many times he needs to tell him to stay out of his business. Years ago Clark asked Lex not to pry into his personal business. Lex was able to do that for Clark. Could Clark extend him the same courtesy?

Clark says that when Lana is in danger it becomes his business.

Lex counters that he's starting to think that perhaps Clark's personal business put Lana's life in danger more times that Clark would like to admit. How many times did you have to come to her rescue? I wonder why she never seemed to notice that being close to Clark Kent was perhaps the most dangerous place to be in Smallville.

There's a pause because Clark doesn't' say anything.

Lex asks if Clark can find his own way out.

Clark says he can.

Lex doesn't want to see him involved in this again unless he can produce more black crystal.

Clark pretends to leave but uses his super hearing to listen in on Lex's conversations. Lex's people have traced the call from 'trial 23'. Clark over hears the address. He super speeds away.

The 'trail 23' with Lana in his 'hideout', a partially completed skyscraper. He rips the kryptonite filled syringe from his body and throws it away.

He talks paranoid to Lana about how he's got to be careful because Lex has been hunting him down for years just to do experiments on him. He tries to pick up something heavy but it won't budge and he starts cursing. He starts ranting that Lex has taken his powers away from him. He'll show Lex!

Lana edges towards the door.

He notices before she can get out so he runs and grabs her by the arm. Her necklace glows.

"You're hurting me!" She looks down and sees her necklace glowing. "You're.... you're not human!"

"Only because Lex made me that way!" he flings her across the room and is surprised his strength has returned.

Lana struggles to get up. She clutches her necklace tightly.

"What is that made of?"

"It's meteor rock."

He walks over and snatches it from her hand. "It glows."

"Because you're an alien. Or a robot."

He smiles wickedly and puts the necklace on himself, "I'm not alien or a robot but I have alien in me. Thanks to your boyfriend." He goes back to the heavy object he was trying to lift before and lifts it without effort. He smiles broadly. "And I know just how to thank him!" He throws the object through the wall.

Zoom into his brain show the nano-goop bubbling. A few of the particles turn black and embed themselves in the brain matter killing the surrounding cells.

Lex shows up and has a super fight with '23'. While they are fighting Lois shows up to help Lana escape. In his super powered exuberance Lex doesn't notice that several objects he throws at '23' nearly smash into Lana and or Lois.

Each time Clark is there to stop it either with his super speed or with his head vision.

At one point Lex sees Clark in super speed mode through the corner of his eye protecting Lois and Lana. When he turns his head to get a better look '23' cleans his clock forcing Lex has to refocus on the fight.

Lois is able to get Lana behind a huge concrete wall protecting from the fray.

Show the nano-goop continuing to eat into '23's brain. The amount of active goop has been greatly reduced. Both his and Lex's super strength are starting to wane though they are still much stronger than normal humans. '23's strength holds out longer than Lex's. He starts pounding Lex's head into walls and the floor. Both men are bruised and bleeding. Lex's face is barely recognizable.

Finally Lana can't stand watching anymore. Stepping out, "Kill me instead."

"Lana, don't."

'23' answers, "You're part of this too, aren't you? I will kill you, baby doll. Right after I kill your pathetic boyfriend!" Hesitating, "Or maybe I should kill you first so it's the last thing he ever sees!"

Lois steps out in front of Lana, "You don't need to do this. Take your money and go."

Advancing, "You again? Do you ever learn?"

Gulping, "I guess not."

"It's not about the money anymore. You're trying to kill me! You all are!"

Clark heat visions part of the ceiling which falls on '23'. Lex looks around but Clark hides behind a huge piece of debris. "Kal-El?" He tries to get up.

'23' breaks through the debris. Zoom in on his brain. Nearly one third of it has withered away. There's hardly any sliver/gray goop left. He strains to move at all. He takes a couple steps towards Lois and cries out in agony. "Look what you've done to me, Luthor! What you've all done to me!" He falls to his knees and picks up a large piece of debris. Zoom in on Lex's blood. One by one the particles of Kryptonite stop glowing. Zoom back out. Lex is almost standing now. '23' hurls the debris at Lex pinning underneath. Both Lex and '23' cry out in pain. On all fours '23' crawls towards Lex, "I'll kill you if it's the last thing I do. I'll kill all of you!"

Lana and Lois run to Lex. His left leg is nearly completely crushed.

'23' collapses. He starts convulsing. "Everyone... against me.... Everyone..." Lana averts her eyes. He starts twitching less frequently until finally stopping dead.

Clark frowns and jumps through a gapping whole in the wall to the ground below.

Lois turns her attention to the whole Clark jumped through.

"What is it, Lois?"

"I thought I saw.... I guess it was nothing." she starts helping Lana move the debris off Lex.

Once they move the debris they help Lex stand. He limps over to where Clark was hiding.

"Where are you going Lex?"

He struggles to get around the debris. Only some foot prints in the dust remain. Lana comes up next to him and puts his arm around her to help support his weight.

"Kal-El?"

Lex nods.

"Why was he watching us?"

"Biding time. Gathering information. Getting ready to strike."

Lois squats down and touches a foot print. She looks up at the ceiling from where the debris fell. There are burn marks on the ceiling. She interjects, "I think this 'Kal-El' may have saved your life, Lex. He may have saved us all." She takes a camera from her purse and snaps a couple shots of the foot prints and the ceiling.

"Don't let him lull you into a false sense of security, Lois. He'll strike when he feels the time is right. I'll guarantee you that." To Lana, "Lana, never try to trade your life for mine, ever again."

"But Lex..."

"Promise me."

Hesitation, then a nod.

Lois' apartment. She's going through the documents she and Clark scanned. As she clicks through a picture of Chloe's mom pops up. She clicks "print." and switches over to email. There's a message from Perry White with a subject "Progress?" She clicks reply and simply types "Jackpot. We need to meet. Soon."

If that's not the prose of a future Pulitzer winner I don't know what is.

It's email. At least she didn't type "l8terz".

I think Lois should be more eloquent that that.

Don't we all.

DP. Chloe is making copies while Clark watches. "You may be right, Clark. Lex's nano-technology could basically be a crude version of Silver-K but just like his robots it requires the presence of Kryptonite to actually work."

"And because it's a crude version it isn't stable. The more Kryptonite activates it the faster it degrades."

"But if Lex were ever able to perfect the nano-goop..."

"He could create a practically invincible army. Meanwhile there's another problem. The kryptonite in Lex's blood. Whenever I get near Lex it gives him super strength."

"Your body chemistry activates the Kryptonite restoring the super strength Zod gave him?"

"Maybe. And if my body chemistry can do that then..."

"Fine's might too... and therefore the nano-goop."

"If Lex ever perfects that stuff we'll have a big problem on our hands."

"On the bright side if Silver-K effects you and humans similarly it means our physiology may be more compatible than you thought. Which means there's a chance."

"A chance for what?"

"That you could have children. With a human."

"No, Chloe. The pregnancy would be way too dangerous."

"If your strength comes from the sun like you say there shouldn't be any problems with super strength until the child saw the light of day."

"That's a lot of ifs, Chloe. You wouldn't want to take that chance, would you?"

"Are you propositioning me, Mr. Kent?"

"No. I'm just throwing out hypotheticals."

"Then let me put it this way. For me having a child period is hypothetical."

Surprised, "You don't want to have children?"

"Having a child isn't exactly the easiest thing for a woman starting career a to deal with and B..." she trails off.

"What?"

"Unless he's been hiding some dark family secret all these years my dad's side of the family is pretty run of the mill. But my mom's? I'd really like to know what the deal is with her before I foist my DNA off on another human being."

"You think what happened to you mom could be hereditary?"

"I don't know what happened to my mom, Clark, much less whether it's hereditary or not."

They're talking about having children?

Yeah. Why not?

It just seems strange to me.

I thought the propositioning line was cute.

It is but there's something icky about it.

I agree the whole super-baby talk is icky.

We can cut it.

I liked it. Clark has always wanted children and now someone tells him maybe he can.

How about if he talks with Martha about it instead of Chloe?

Martha needs more lines anyway.

OK. Chloe will tell him the thing about similar physiology and then Clark and Martha can do the rest of the conversation another time.

Clark is going to proposition his mother?

What? Don't be ridiculous. We'll adjust the lines to make it more appropriate.

I can't say that's much of a relief. It wasn’t that appropriate to begin with.

LuthorCorp Lab. Lana helps Lex limp in and helps him sit. "I don't understand why you won't let me take you to the hospital."

"I wanted you to see this for yourself, Lana."

"See what?"

"The future. Bring me a silver vial."

Gritting his teeth Lex waves the vial over his leg. The nano-goop bubbles. Then as Lex waves it over his face it slowly returns to normal. Lana looks on in amazement.

He hands her the vial and gets up, his leg is as good as new. He crushes a piece of metal with his bare hands.

"Lex. That's amazing."

"It is. The applications are endless. Unfortunately my body is slowly flushing out the meteor rock. Every time I regain my strength I can tell I'm not as strong as the previous time."

"You not going to put more into you're system, are you?"

"It's very dangerous. No one else has survived the procedure and my doctors are concerned about the long the term effects. But whatever the risks if we can figure out the right treatment we will change the world."

"Maybe it didn't kill you because of what they did to you on the ship."

"You may be right, Lana. We may not ever get it to work in another human being. But that doesn't mean we can't try."

"Lex that man.. the way he suffered."

"Lana..."

Lana looks at the vial. Black dust has collected in the bottom. "Lex, it's turned black." She hands him the vial.

"Lana, if this is what I think it is Kal-El's days are numbered."

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