6.08 Arrow

by &

Original TwoP air date 8.8.2006

Chloe’s dashing new suitor’s keen interest in LuthorCorp further strains Chloe’s friendship with Lana. Clark approaches Lex in a spirit of reconciliation and with a warning.

Oliver on an archery range talking to Lex via headset as he practices. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Lex. At the end of the day I felt it was in my company's best interests to partner with another firm." Bullseye. "I assure you I wasn't stalling so I could lock you out of the deal. Well, maybe I was. Let me apologize. I'm sure you've never stooped that low." Another bullseye but Oliver is disappointed with the shot. "No, I found this trip very worthwhile. You've given me ample reason to keep a close eye on LuthorCorp from now on." The third arrow splits the first down the middle. Oliver smiles. "Let me give you a promise you can believe. If you try to muscle into Star City again I'll be there to make sure it's as painful as possible for you." He aims carefully, "I'm not stranger to pain, either, Lex." Another bullseye. He throws the headset down.

"What's the matter?" Chloe walks up, tape recorder in hand.

"I've lost my concentration."

"Looks like you're doing pretty well to me."

"Sometimes pretty good isn't good enough. I thought we'd decided you would come by this afternoon. There are a few things I still need to take care of."

Chloe is put off. "I'm coming up on a deadline. A profile on you isn't going to sell papers once the tournament is over and you've left town."

"I guarentee the stoy I give you will sell papers, if you're up for a little adventure that is."

"What are you talking about?"

"It will have to wait until this afternoon." He softens up slightly, "I'm sorry. That's all I can tell you for now."

"Oliver..."

"I said this afternoon." He walks off. Chloe looks mad.

So Chloe is supposed to fall for this guy? He comes off like a jerk.

He's the kind of guy you grow to love.

There's going to have to be a lot of growing.

Lex's bedroom. Lana is packing.

Excuse me? Lana has clothes a Lex's place?

Well, yeah.

Clark and Chloe can't have make up sex but Lana and Lex shacking up?

[bites her lip] Is that a problem?

I think there's a double standard.

Yes, it's called the good people don't have sex while evil screw like minx standard.

I don't have a problem with them shacking up.

Look, Lana comes to the castle a lot. Natuarally she'd have some clothes there.

It doesn't look good.

It's not supposed to.

I want her packing in a guest room.

Like it matters, we don't even know what Lex's bedroom looks like.

Of course we do. It's plastered with huge posters of Clark all over the wall.

It is not!

Oh, that's right, it's the 'secret' room that has the Clark posters.

Stop it. In a generic bedroom Lana is packing.

It has to be pink. I want people to know it's not Lex's.

Why can't Lex have a pink bedroom?

Get off it, Erica!

Just saying he could.

Especially if it had posters of Clark on the walls.

Fine, a pink bedroom, no pictures of Clark. Lex walks in, "Where are you headed?"

"There's been a lead on the ship. I wanted to check it out myself. Is something wrong?"

"Oliver Queen screwed us over on the Star City deal."

"Wasn't that deal supposed to create over 500 jobs?"

"He's partnering with another company. We put tens of thousands of dollars towards that project and he's going to take a loss to go with somebody else. It will cost the project at least 50 of those jobs."

"What's his problem?"

"Level 33.1 spooked him. I'm sure talking with Chloe didn't help."

Silence. "Lex, I told you I didn't..."

Pulls her towards him. "Lana, stop. If I can't trust you, who can I trust?"

Now theres a sad statment about Lex's state of affairs.

She smiles, "Is that a trick question?"

Lex smiles back. "Good luck finding the ship, and be careful." End teaser.

Lois' new Metropolis apartment. She, Martha, Clark, and Chloe are celebrating Lois' new job with a bottle of sparkling cider and pie. Things start off pretty jovially until Clark asks whey they don't celebrate out on the town. Lois and Martha's spirits fall. They really need to be careful about showing up in public together. It wouldn't be good if it got out in the press. Everyone instinctively looks at Chloe and then apoligizes.

Martha says they can't imagine her leaking anything. Chloe jokingly asks why are they looking at her like she's the enemy? She jokes about "family secrets" superceeding journalistic duties but you can tell her feelings are hurt.

Chloe's phone rings. It's the Planet. They want to know how the article on Oliver going.

Chloe tells them she was out with him practicing this morning but he sent her away because she was breaking his concentration. They're supposed to meet again this afternoon.

The person on the other end seems angry, Chloe apologizes several times and promises she'll have the story in on time.

She hangs up and forces a smile. "I guess I'd better be going."

Clark offers to help.

"I've got it under control."

Lois; "Hey cousin can you come by my office later? I've a favor to ask."

"I think I may have been banned from LuthorCorp property."

"Don't sweat it. Just tell the knuckle draggers at the front desk you're that hero of yours, Nellie Bly? I'll bring you up."

"OK. I'd love to see your new office. I'll drop by on the way back to meet Oliver." Chloe leaves.

Clark asks, "Are you going to show me your office?"

Lois gives him a look. "Why?"

Clark looks embarrassed.

And Lois looks like a bitch. What was that about?

She's just supprised Clark is interested in seeing her office.

So she's not being mean?

Not intentionally.

Clark mentions he has to go speak to Lex anyway. He thought Lois could show him the office while he was there.

She'd be happy to.

Lois' office. Clark looks out her window but stands about four feet from the glass. "Nice view."

"So, you know anything about computers? Spyware, keystroke recorders, that sort of thing?"

Turns and walks over to inspect a dart board on the wall, "It's not really my area."

"Yeah. What exactly is your area?"

Gives Lois an annoyed look.

"Well hopefully Chloe can hook me up. I bet you lunch I can beat you a putt-putt." Lois indicates an astro-turf green she's set up in the corner.

Clark smiles, "You're on!"

"Prepare for your doom, Smallville." They go up to the green and Lois hands him the putter. "Try not to embarrass yourself."

From offscreen, "Well if it isn't my two favorite people..." It's Lex standing in Lois' doorway. Clark eyes Lex's ring nervously.

"Just taking a little break, Mr. Luthor." she says "Mr. Luthor" as annoyingly as possible throughout the scene.

Lex cocks his head, "Just what I need. The person who represents LuthorCorp to the public happens to be it's most unmotivated employee."

Lois clenches her fists. "Actually, Mr. Luthor, Clark was here to see you." She heads for the door. Lex doesn't move so she has to squeeze by him. "I think I left some documents in the printer. Why don't I leave you two love birds alone." She's gone, Lex never took his eyes off Clark as Lois left. "So to what do I owe this pleasure?"

Love birds? That's great. Can you two write Lois more often?

"Is Lana you're messenger now?"

Lex smiles, "You made it pretty clear I wasn't welcome the last time I dropped in on you Clark. I was just trying to follow protocol."

"Why are you filling Lana's head with this garbage?"

Pause, "Garbage?" A pause, "I guess it's true what they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure. But then I've always valued the truth so much more than you have. Haven't I Clark?"

"You know me better than that, Lex. I'm more interested in helping people than in taking over the world. The truth is Fine burned you once and he'll do it again."

"Fine had me believing I was going to help people too. What lies has Kal-El feed you?

Clark doesn't answer.

"I have my own plans for Fine. But for the time being he and I want the same thing, Kal-El dead."

"And then what? What about Zod?"

"I'll deal with Zod the same way once I've dealt with Kal-El."

"You know you're only putting Lana in danger."

"I'm protecting Lana. It's you who's putting her in danger. Your association with Kal-El puts us all in danger."

"If it weren't for Jor-El Zod would rule this planet!"

A hint of triumph, "So you finally admit it, huh? You are on his side."

Clark goes into bad liar mode. "I'm just going by what I hear from my mom. She was there."

Lex moves a couple of steps into Lois' office. Clark backs up against the wall. Lex smiles, "Clark, are you afraid I'm going to punch you? You know me better than that. We can solve this problem like adults."

"Stay away from Fine or..."

"Or what? You'll try to convince Lana to leave me?", almost shouting, "I'm the best thing that ever happened to Lana! Is that why it hurts so much, because you know it's true?" From offscreen, "Backoff, Lex!" It's Lois. Lex turns around, shocked that anyone would talk to him like that. Lois stands just behind him, a stack of papers in her hands.

Lex composes himself and turns back to Clark. He smirks, "It looks like Lois is here to save you. Aren't you lucky." He exits the office with a condescending wink to Lois. In the doorway he turns once again. "Clark, I know what you're up to. Think about what Lana said and when you're ready we can talk. I know in the end you'll do the right thing. You always do. I'd be nice if for once you didn't wait until it all comes down to the wire." He walks off.

Lois looks at Clark, "You can step back off the wall now, Smallville. The scary man is gone." Clark ambles forward a few feet. "What's wrong with you? If you acted like that on the football field they would have eaten you alive."

You all rock.

"I, uh, just didn't want an altercation."

"Good luck with Lex. I think altercation is his middle name. I there's not a single person on this floor he hasn't yelled at yet today."

"What's going on?"

"Some deal feel through this morning and it's put him in a hell of a mood. Just past noon and it's already a two monitor day."

"A two monitor day?"

"That's the number of times tech support has to come and replace his montor because he's pictched everything off the desk. The all time record so far is four."

"What happened the four monitor day?"

"I was hired."

Only four that day?

Seriously, I want you guys writing my dialogue from now on.

Back at the tournament. "Well, I'm here. Can we get this going because I've got to turn the story in tonight."

"If you're up for that adventure I mentioned about you're probably not going to finish until tommorrow morning."

Chloe is put off. "Are you trying to get me fired?"

Oliver smiles, "No. With any luck I'll be helping career along. This is the sort of story they, what's the saying, stop the presses for. Though truth be told I'd like to have a word with you about your chosen profession once this is all over."

Unconvinced, "This adventure is going to help my career?"

"Most certainly. How'd you like to help me foil an assasination attempt?"

Slack jawed. "So the Level 33.1 thing wasn't a one time deal. You're a professional hero."

"Professionals get paid. I do it for the joy of it so technically I'm still an amatuer."

"Just like the 'amatuer' archer who can split his own arrow from fifty feet?"

"There's not a lot of money to be had in professional archery. Certainly not enough for the likes of me. There's a prince here at the tournament. Long story short is if he's out of the picture civil war is likely to break out in his home country. One of his body guards is a opposition sympathizer who is going to try to take him out today."

"How do you know this?"

Turns to his things, "If you don't want to help, fine. Let's get your silly interview over with."

"No, of course I want to help! I'm just curious as to how you know about this and why you don't just contact the police."

"It's an inside job but they haven't been as careful with there communication as they should have been. Unfortunately I don't know which body guard it's going to be. Security is already tighter than an heiress' weekend bag and that hasn't scared the killer off yet. Besides, have you ever tried dealing with the Metropolis PD?"

Skips a beat, "What do you need me to do?"

"I've heard you're pretty good with a computer."

"Where are you hearing all this stuff?"

"Around. I want you to be my eyes and ears. Can you tap into the security survellience system?"

"Sure but..."

"They'll have cameras everywhere. You'll be able to see everything."

"Do you think it's a good idea for us to do this alone?"

"You have someone in mind?"

"If have a friend, Clark."

"Clark? Yeah, that's a good idea."

"You know him?"

"The alien guy, right? I know of him."

Trying not to freak out, "What are you talking about?"

Oliver looks at her like she's dense, "The one Lex thinks is helping out the aliens?" He winks, "But the two of us know better than that, don't we?"

"How do you know so much?"

"That's a funny question coming from you, Chloe. It's scary enough how much a determined college student can find about about someone in her spare time. Can you image how much a determinied billionare can dig up? It scares the bejezus out of me. Good thing I've got money, it's costly as hell to cover stuff up these days."

"Instead of how, maybe I should be asking why you know all these things?"

"Ever the reporter, eh? If you're going to play a game it's not enough to know which players are on the board and where, you need to know where they're likely to go. A novice chess player who doesn't realize the knight can jump other peices is apt to loss his queen."

"That analogy is silly. No body plays chess without learning how all the players move first."

"It's too bad so many don't take the same percations when it comes to life. Wouldn't you agree, Chloe?"

OK, Green Arrow is officially starting to freak me out.

Lana lands in Western Africa. She gets to show off her French and bitch out a couple of locals.

That's the entire description for the scene?

You need more? Look, this isn't Lana's episode. She's just there to transistion between A plot scenes.

You don't care about Lana do you?

Do you?

[Squirrel face]

Chloe and Clark in Oliver's box at the tournament. She's hooking up all her equipment.

"Red to red, yellow to yellow... so why aren't I getting a signal?!?"

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Annoyed, "This is a one person job, Clark. One person and a lot of concentration."

"Do you think I hurt people carelessly?"

Engrossed with the equipment, "What are you talking about? Could you hand me one of those cables? No, the grey one. Thanks."

"Somebody told me I hurt people carelessly."

Stops fiddling and looks at Clark. "Why would anyone say that? Had you hurt them?"

"No." pause, "We were talking about things I had done to hurt you. Do you feel like I've hurt you carelessly."

Pauses. "As much as I'd love to have this conversation, Clark, right now is not a good time. Did you forget we're trying to prevent an assassination here?"

"It's just that the other day Lana came by by room and she said..."

"Clark!"

"What?"

"Would you please go find out if there's anything else Oliver needs you to do?"

"We've got a least a couple of hours."

"It'd be nice if I could have this set up by then."

"OK, I'm going." Clark leaves. Chloe is irritated. She goess back to connnecting wires. Her phone rings, she sees that the call if from the Planet and turns off her phone.

Oliver comes in with Clark. He explains he's 'dusted' the five body guards to make them easier to spot. They 'glow' in the survelience cameras and through some high tech glasses he's had created. He gives Clark a pair. They go over a brief rundown of how they are going to follow the guards around. Oliver has quick acting tranquillier in his arrows and Clark is going to run interference.

"You're going to shot these people with an arrow, are you?"

"Not just any arrow." Oliver pulls one from his quill. "These are designed a bit like an egg. High structural integrety in one direction" He draws the bow with the arrow in it and fires. The arrow appears to disentigrate when it hits the wall. "Almost none in the other." Oliver walks over to the wall an pulls out a traquilizer dart. "Don't worry Clark, these arrows aren't going to kill anybody."

Chloe is going to keep track of everything from the observation box. Clark pulls Chloe aside "That 'dust' interfers with my 'you know what' vision. I can't tell which guards are carrying guns."

Oliver apparently overhears. "They're bodygaurds, Clark. They all have guns."

Kent home. Martha is packing the last her things.

Lionel comes by and they talk about whether she's done the right thing.

Martha feels pretty bad about having Lois taking the fall.

Lionel compares Lois to the Pheniox. She'll rise to even greater heights.

Martha adds that it doesn't hurt that Lionel had a job waiting which pays three times what she was making as Martha's cheif of staff.

"She's worth every penny."

"Why do you tourture your son so?"

Lionel counters that unless Martha has stopped reading the papers she's as aware as anyone that for Clark's sake the more distractions Lex has to deal with the better.

Hold on, so now Lois is there just to be a thorn in Lex's side?

Well, no.

Good.

She's also keeping Chloe from writing really bad things about Luthorcrop.

What about being the PR person?

Stopping bad press is one of the most important functions of a PR person.

[suspicious] So why didn't they talk about that?

We covered that last episode. This gives us the why of hiring Lois to inritate Lex. It's not simply because she drives him crazy.

Yet it's a very welcome side benifit. You might say it's a win-win situation.

What do you mean win-win? Lionel is the only one winning here.

And your point is?

The tournament. They've given all the guards nicknames. Oliver is following 'big red'. Clark has his eyes on 'little shoes' and 'crocked nose'. Chloe relays the commings and goings of the other two and the prince. All the while we intercut with shots of the tournament.

A man quietly enters the viewing box, comes up behind Chloe and hits her over the head with his gun just as Oliver 'loses' 'big red' he asks Chloe to locate him but Chloe doesn't answer.

He tells Clark something has happened to Chloe and Clark needs to check on her. With his x-ray vision Clark can see the man talking into a cell phone and Chloe on the floor. He can can just make out that Chloe's heart is still beating. "She's OK for the time being. It's going down now, Oliver!"

"Somebody needs to check on Chloe!"

Clark answers, "I see big red, he's coming up the northwest stairwell."

That's nowhere near Clark, "How the...? I see him! He's moving pretty fast. He's the one Clark. I've got him. You go check on Chloe." The guard gets lost in the crowd again. "Damn, I've lost him again."

"I've got him."

"Where?"

"You check on Chloe, I can handle this!"

"I'm the one with the bow! What are you going to do, jump in front of the bullet?"

"Trust me!"

"Dammit! Tell me where 'big red' is."

"I said I've got it!".

Oliver pounds his fist agaist the wall, pulls off his wireless and starts running for the box.

Clark is shadowing 'big red'. Cut to 'crocked nose'. He pulls out a gun and starts leaning over the balcony.

Those are the best nicknames you could come up with?

Baldy was already taken.

"Lana is inspecting a site the ship recently laned. She touches the indendation on the ground and notices her necklace is glowing."

"It's not here."

Lana stands up, it's Fine.

"There's not way you'll ever find that ship unless I want you to. Even Kal-El can't find it." He points to her necklace, "Pretty clever. But it won't save you from him."

"Will you help us find Kal-El?"

"All in good time. There's no way you can defeat him witout the weapon. Maybe you could trap him with Kryptonite..."

"Kryptonite?"

"What you're neckalace is made of. But it won't kill him."

"You don't have the weapon?"

"If I did I wouldn't be standing here with you."

"Why are you here?"

"I need to know how attached you are to Clark."

Concerned, "Why?"

"Could you kill him if necessary to defeat Kal-El?" Pause, "Could Lex?"

"I don't know."

Didn't she already try to kill Clark, just because some college girls asked her to?

Yeah, but she doesn't remember that. When the time comes she'll be more than willing to stab him in the heart.

Or the back.

Where ever.

"When the time comes you may have to."

"Why should I believe a thing you say?"

"Clark isn't the person you think he is. I just want you to be prepared when the time comes." Brainiac zips off screen. In his wake a sheet of paper floats to the ground. Lana bends down to pick it up.

The box. The man with the walkie talkie is giving orders. One of Oliver's arrows hit him in the back of the neck. The grabs the dart out of his neck and falls to the ground. Oliver goes to Chloe and checks her pulse. In the monitor he see Crocked nose with the gun. Into the wireless, "Clark we have two hostile players on the field! Can you get to the prince? 'Crooked nose is on the hunt too."

Oliver and Clark argue a bit over strategy. Oliver orders Clark to get the prince. He doesn't have time to get back out of the box and take down both of the guards before one would able to get the prince. Clark says he's already taken care of 'big red' he just needs to know where 'Crooked nose' is.

Oliver tells Clark there is no time. He's all the way up on the second tier on the west side.

"I got him!" Oliver watches Clark tackle 'crooked nose' in the survelience cameras.

"So you do."

Chloe comes to, rubbing her head. "Did I miss anything?"

"Welcome back. It's over. Bringing your friend along was a good idea."

"He's alwasy been able to come through for me."

"I can see why." There's an ice machine in the box. Oliver fills a bag and hands it to Chloe who puts it on her head.

"It's not an adventure until somebody gets bumped or bruised."

"You seem to have come out of it pretty unscathed."

"You should see my ego. Your friend Clark took out both assassions single handedly without a weapon. All I did was get you hit over the head."

Chloe smiles, "I've had worse."

"I know. But I was hoping our 'fresh start' would go a little smoother."

"I've always heard the third time is a charm."

Oliver goes in for a kiss just as Clark bursts into the room. "Are you OK, Chloe?"

She looks at Clark back to Oliver and then back to Clark. "Yes. I'm fine."

Chloe and Lana's dorm room. It's the middle of the night. Lana comes in quietly and notices Chloe at her computer. "You're still up?"

"Lana, you wouldn't believe the story Oliver gave me!"

"Oliver!? That guy's a complete jerk!"

Sighs, I know he didn't seem very nice at dinner the other night but..."

"I'm not talking about that. This morning he backed out of a deal with Lex they'd been working on for months. It cost Lex thousands of dollars and it's going to put at least 50 people out of work!"

"I'm sure Oliver has a different version of the story."

"I don't care what he version is!"

"Fine, I won't mention it again. I've got to get this story finished anyway."

"You're going to see him again."

"I don't have time for this right now, Lana."

Pause, "Chloe, do you know where Clark was when Jor-El defeated Zod?"

Cautious, "No, why?"

"Just wondering." Facing away from Chloe, Lana turns her attention to the sheet of paper Brainiac left for her. It's a security photo immediately following the battle between Zod and Jor-El. Someone has circled a doorway in the background. Focus in on the picture. We can just make out Clark standing in the doorway.

That's the best fight you two could come up with?

We were running out of time. Besides Chloe has to finish the article.

Why is Chloe working on it in the dorm room anyway? Should she be at the Planet?

Then when is she going to run into Lana?

What if Chloe is the one that sneaks in after turning in her story and Lana is the one still awake? She's trying to figure out what to make of the picture of Clark.

Chloe is excited about the article Oliver helped her get.

Lana goes off on how horrible Oliver is.

Chloe says she needs to go to bed because she's got to meet someone tomorrow.

Lana guesses it's Oliver.

And she's right.

They go to bed in silence.

[pause] Yeah, that will work.

[stunned] You're actually going to take our suggestion?

Or once it doesn't involve an exploding woman or kissing a 50 year old. So Yes.

Wow. I'm going to write this down.

We took you're dancing suggestion too, you know.

Yeah, but you totally ruined it by adding the dream re-enactment so that doesn't count.

Morning, Chloe, Oliver, and Clark are sitting at a booth in a diner across from the airport. Oliver tells them it was nice of them to see him off.

Chloe tells Oliver he was right. They did stop the presses for her story.

Oliver comments that perhaps Chloe is in the wrong business. Wouldn't she rather be part of the action than just write about it?

Chloe pulls up her hair to reveal a small band aid. "Seems like I ended up being part of the action anyway. Besides, who says I can't do both?"

"Touche. But I see you failed to mention your good friend Clark in your article once."

Clark answers he's trying to keep a low profile.

"As well you should, Kal-El."

Both Chloe and Clark look at each other uncofortably.

"Look, your secret is safe with me. But you need to be a little more careful. It's quite convienent all the survelience tapes were wiped."

"I was wondering if you were the one we needed to thank for that."

"It's as much for my protection as Clark's."

Clark worries that if Oliver can figure out his secret Lex is bound to make the same connection.

Oliver admits that day may come. But Oliver had an advantage Lex doesn't. Lex is not looking for Kal-El, he's looking for a merciless alien conqueror he calls Kal-El. If Oliver made the same assumptions he would probably come to the same conclusion.

Clark jokes, "So you don't think I'm a merciless alien conqueror?"

"No. And neither does Lex. That's why it works. For now at least."

Clark is comptemplative.

"I'd better get going." Oliver and Chloe exchange significant looks. Clark tells Chloe the two of them should go. He'll catch up.

As they cross the street, "If you're ever in Star City look me up."

That's where Chloe is going to flee to at the end of the season?

We don't know that for sure yet. Chloe counters that he should drop in on her whenever he comes by Metropolis.

"You can count on it. Thanks for your help. If there's ever anything I can do for you."

"Actually there is."

They stop in front of the airport entrance. "Anything."

"This determined college student has hit a dead end. Could you use your "dedicated billionare resources" to track down some information for me?"

"A dead end? With you that's hard to believe. I'd be happy to look into it."

"It's about my mom. I give you the details later."

"Consider it done."

They kiss. Cut to Clark watching them from the booth in the diner. Play some angsty alt rock music and fade to black.

Hold on, if I ever wrote Chloe like that you'd rake me over the coals, Allison!

Yeah, what's up with that? Kissing Oliver in front of Clark like that?

Besides, Oliver was kind of a jerk on and off the entire time.

Maybe Chloe is wondering if jealously is what it takes to get Clark motivated.

I like that. That's even worse because she's using the Green Arrow. Pure evil.

[Switching gears] No, she likes Oliver.

So which is it? Is she hurting Clark for revenge or just to get his attention?

I guess that will be determined in the next episode. Oh look, I'm writing it!

I don't really care why she's doing it. I'm just thankful it didn't end with Lori pouring Clark a cup of coffee and asking him why he looks so sad.

Now there's an idea...

...that's completely clique.

Not to mention it takes away from Chloe's big moment.

I'd like to consider it.

Tom, trust me, if neither Allison nor I like something...

...then it's probably not a good idea.

OK, OK.

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