6.23 Switch III (AKA More Lies)

By &

Clark returns from the fortress when he learns that Chloe and Lois are in danger. But Lex, now in possession of the Kryptonian weapon, is convinced Clark has turned Lana against him and lies in wait with plans to use the weapon against his former friend.

Part I

A brief 'recap' and we're back. Lex to Clark, "It seems she has more love for the alien Kal-El than for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"She thought that maybe if I thought you were Kal-El I wouldn't kill him. She had no idea that it would just make things worse."

Yay! So Lex didn't believe her! So she didn't betray him after all!

Oh, honey. She totally did.

Does it count if Lex didn't believe her, though? Cause Pete did that like three or four times.

Pete was being a jerk.

Clark forgave him, though.

True, that.

Pete betrayed Clark? Multiple times?

He flat out told Chloe Clark was an alien. He also yelled it in the streets.

Pete doesn't sound like he was a very good friend.

Yeah and neither is Chloe. "Still, part of me wants to believe it." He puts his ring in front of Clark's face.

Crap!

The ring doesn't glow. Lex smiles.

Sweet! It's the fake ring! She's off the hook!

Dream on, sister. "How disappointing." He punches Clark in the face. "Chloe turned out to be one hell of a friend, didn't she?"

I never thought I'd say it but Lex is one magnificent bastard.

Did I hear you right?

I'm not going to say it again.

Yes! Lex is a magnificent bastard!

Contain yourself. Such behavior is unbecoming a... you know.

A-hem. Right. Sorry.

Chloe's cell. A guard reconnects the video feed as the other explains that Lex will want to talk to Chloe soon. In the monitor Clark is bargaining for Chloe's life, "Do what you want with me. Just don't hurt her!"

How sickening. They want to die for each other.

[Swooning] It's like Romeo and Juliet!

Get me my hankie, will ya?

Makes for a classic romance!

Except without the romance part.

Shut up.

Will Lex get Clark to betray Chloe as a way to save her life?

How cool would that be?

Not cool at all.

How would he betray her?

I don't know. I'm sure we could pull something out of our collective asses.

Oh! How about Clark tells him that Chloe is really a clone of Lillian! Killing Chloe would be like killing his mom!

That's got to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard.

Aside from the fact that I don't even want to contemplate the family tree where Chloe is both Lex's mom and his half sister.

I don't think it's technically possible.

Do you have something better?

Yeah. How how about Clark doesn't betray her?

I'm with Erica.

Tom, you have no sense of adventure. "It's too late for that, Clark." Lex speaks into a walkie talkie. "Did she see all that?"

One of the guards picks up the walkie talkie from guard on the floor. "Yes, sir."

We cut back to Lex, "Put her on."

"Yes sir"

Lex smiles with triumph, "Chloe?"

Silence.

Slightly irritated, "Chloe?!"

So after all this Chloe doesn't have anything to say? I call bullshit!

She's too ashamed. There's a pause.

The guard answers, "She's not speaking, sir."

"Don't you have a few last words for your dear friend Clark?"

Silence.

Lex smiles in triumph, "Of course you don't. Now that he knows how you betrayed him."

She should try to explain that she was just trying to save his life, don't you think?

If you insist. Finally we hear Chloe's voice, "I'm so sorry, Clark! It's not wh..." but Lex cuts off the walkie talkie before Clark gets to hear what she has to say.

Oh, that's low.

Despicable

Lex is a magnificent bastard!

[cast stares]

Did I say that out loud?

Lex, "Kill her."

Wow.

Wait!

What?

You're have her betray him and kill her too?

We were about to find out. But you yelled "Wait".

Right.

So are we waiting or are we reading?

I think Clark should hear what Chloe said with his super hearing!

Oh, I like that! He definitely should!

That would be a nice touch.

Except that since Clark is depowered his super hearing doesn't work.

I kind of like it. The idea that Clark did hear what she had to say even though she doesn't know it. It's kind of heart breaking that she thinks they'll both die without him knowing the real reason she told Lex his secret.

Yeah, my heart is all a twitter. Tom, it figures you'd fall for that sappy bullshit. But Clark's temporarily lost his powers so it can't happen.

Screw not having powers!

It think we should have a vote!

Tom, don't do this. Listen to reason.

Who thinks Clark should be able to hear Chloe?

[TW, AM, KK, AoT, & ED raise their hands]

So Clark hears what Chloe said.

No. No. No. It doesn't make any sense!

We voted. You lost.

Damn you, Tom!

So what did she say?

We don't know. We didn't write it because no one was going to hear it!

And frankly I don't care. It's not important. And since we didn't write it...

Let's write it now. I think she should say something like "Lex was going to kill Kal-El but I didn't think he would kill you."

Too cheesy. This isn't going to work. Clark shouldn't able hear anything.

How about "I didn't betray your secret to save my own life, Clark. I did it to save yours"?

That's not bad.

Let me get my violin.

"I betrayed you not to save my own life but to save yours."?

Perfect! [Writes on the script.]

[sighs] Whatever.

How about we leave the word betray out of it? "I did it to not to save my own life but yours."

I don't think so.

Forget the betrayal stuff. It should be about sacrifice! Chloe says something about how she'd sacrifice herself in a heartbeat to protect Clark's secret but she's not going to stand by and watch him die for it.

Not bad, actually.

Forget it. You're not re-writing any of my scripts again.

Michael...

Keep reading, Tom.

Maybe...

No. Clark says, "No!"

OK.

The guard, "Yes sir." We hear a gunshot. "It's been done."

Whoa.

Clark is devastated, "How could you!?!"

Yes. How could you?

"How could I? Clark, she betrayed you. I'm doing you a favor. If only you had placed your trust in someone worthy of it. Don't you wish you had placed your trust in me instead?"

This is all interesting, don't be me wrong, but frankly you're missing a major opportunity for some HoYay.

I thought depending on how I did the "placed your trust in me" line it would be full of sub text.

You're using the word "trust" as a euphemism for a penis?

It could also be a euphemism for...

Gross! I don't want to know.

[Makes a face] Too late. That's just bad.

"I did place my trust in you, Lex. It was the biggest mistake of my life."

Don't be so hard on yourself, Clark, lots of boys experiment with homosexuality.

"You took advantage of my trust so many times..."

I don't think it matters how you read it. It's going to sound dirty anyway.

"...I always hoped one day you would turn a new leaf."

And come out of the closet.

"I guess I had to learn my lesson the hard way!"

Wow. That is chock full of HoYay.

Only you two could make a conversation about trust sound dirty.

It's a gift.

And I applaud you.

But seriously, you didn't kill Chloe, did you?

It's all about Chloe, isn't it?

Oh, yeah. Did we?

You don't remember?!?

Part II

Cut to Chloe's cell. The guard holds his hand up to his lips. Pull back to show he didn't actually shoot Chloe. And here's where I have another problem with the super hearing. Clark should think she's dead but if he can hear her he'll know she's still alive.

Come on, he's too distraught to pay attention now. He's all "How could you?!?" and "I trusted you once!" You could drive a train through the room and he wouldn't notice.

Heh. I guess Lex did get him pretty good there, didn't he?

Shut up. Lana, to the guards, "I'm glad you're here. Get her someplace safe."

So now Lana has her own minions?

It just took her a while to figure out how to get them to kill for her instead of kill her.

They can't resist the pretty.

Shut up!

"Yes, mam."

Chloe, "Lana, we need to save Clark."

"No, we don't need to do anything. Clark thinks you're dead. After what you did to him you should keep it that way. I'm going to save Clark and if you're smart you're going to disappear."

Lana walks off.

So bitchy. Does Lana have to be so bitchy?

If there's one consistent thing about Lana Lang...

You're up to three things now.

And every single one is true.

You suck.

Lex, "Liar!" He shoots Clark in the leg. In his weakened condition the bullets goes right into his flesh. "You never trusted me!" Lex shoots him in the other leg. "No one ever trusted me! Not you, not my father, not even Lana."

Clark groans in pain.

"Clark, don't you ever wonder how things could have turned out between us if you had just given me a chance?"

Hot sweaty man-sex?

"I gave you plenty of chances."

For hot sweaty man-sex.

Lana appears in a near by door way.

Is she surrounded by a soft angelic light?

Shut up!

That's a good idea.

No Michael. Please don't do that.

Maybe we can play a song about how beautiful she is.

Michael...

You're right. We'll just put her in bitch mode.

I can't win, can I?

You're doing better than me.

True enough.

She sees Clark sprawled on the floor and runs to him. "Clark!" He's passed out. She looks up at Lex in disgust. "What have you done?"

"What I should have done, years ago."

Lana gets up walks towards him, "Lex, this has to end. You've gone too far."

So Lana is the one who stands up to Lex in the season finale?

What a surprise.

"On the contrary, I've only begun."

"You've killed Chloe. You're about to kill Clark! Am I next?"

One can only hope.

"You know I'd never hurt you, Lana."

Aw, smoopy is back!

Shut up.

And to think I actually called him magnificent. I'm so embarrassed.

He was magnificent.

Was. But he just blew it. Right there at the alter of the squirrel. There truly is no hope for him now, is there?

She puts her hand out, "Give me the weapon, Lex."

[Little girl's voice] Yes mommy!

Shut up! Lex hands over the weapon and begs her forgiveness.

What?

I called him magnificent? I feel like I need to wash my mouth out now.

Just kidding. That's what would happen if someone else were writing it. But since I am Lex says, "This weapon is the key to our salvation."

"No, Lex. It's done nothing but turn you into a monster."

It's the Lord of the Rings!

Actually he was pretty much a monster before.

So the weapon makes him a magnificent bastard?

I think it does.

That means he's no competition for his old man after all. Lionel comes by it naturally!

"Is that what Clark told you? That I'm a monster? Don't you see, Lana? Kal-El is the real monster."

"Kal-El hasn't killed anyone."

Suddenly Lex turns bitter.

Join millions of disgruntled Smallville fans world wide.

"Tell me, how did Clark turn you against me? You surely you don't believe his lies after all this time do you?"

"No. I finally know the truth." She grabs for the weapon and for a second or two they struggle over who will control it.

Dark street. Lionel hands a brief case to a man in a lab coat.

Setting up the Kryptonian artifacts plot contrivance for next season a little early, huh?

More like they didn't know how to resolve it this season so they're going to let someone else inherit the problem.

"We're to have no contact until you unlock everything there is to know about these crystals. It's absolutely essential no one finds out about them until we leverage their full potential."

"Yes, sir."

Lionel reluctantly relinquishes the case and watches it longingly as the scientist steps back into his car and drives away.

And there goes loose end number one.

It's a set up, not a loose end!

A rose by any other name...

Shut up!

Back to the struggle. Lex, full of anger, "Let go!" The weapon lights up and Lana writhes, her body encased in an eerie light. She goes limp and we enter a surreal slow motion sequence.

So that's it? Lana finally discovers the truth and she sacrifices herself for Clark? That's what we've been waiting for all this time? Martyr Lana? I want to vomit.

I half want to cry, half want to vomit, and half want to cheer.

That's three halves.

Don't mess with me, Tom. My character just died!

Lana's lifeless body begins to fall. Lex stares in shock and disbelief. He lets go of the weapon as he tries to catch her. The weapon tumbles to the floor and shatters.

So much for Lex being magnificent. Back to plain old bastardom.

Well that's a relief.

Yeah. Thank goodness Lex doesn't have the weapon anymore.

No, Lois isn't the one that dies.

We never said only one person dies.

What? More than one character is going to die?

We didn't say that either.

But more than one could.

You have no idea how much I want to smack the two of you right now, do you?

Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea.

[Jumps out of her chair suddenly and makes a faux lunge at MR]

[reflexively pushes back and falls head over heals out of his chair]

[Smiles in a self satisfied way, reaches over to the refreshment tray and picks up a cookie] You OK, Michael?

[Picking himself up off the floor, embarrassed] I'm fine.

[Sweet smile] Cookie?

No, thank you.

[To TW] Cookie?

[Uncomfortably] Um, no thanks.

[Sits back down]

[Clears throat] Lex cradles Lana's lifeless body, "Lana, no!" Tears stream down his face. "NO!"

Correction, not back to plain bastardom, back to pure unadulterated smoopiness.

Shut up!

Lex is actually crying? In an episode you wrote?

It seemed appropriate. Don't rub it in.

[snickers]

Clark stirs, "Lex, what's happened?"

"It's Lana. She's dead!"

"No. You... you killed her?"

Lex becomes angry, "No, Clark, you killed her. She's dead because of you!" He lays her body down and rises. "This is your fault!"

"Lex, what have you done?"

Lex shoots Clark in the leg again, "I haven't done anything, Clark! And now Chloe is dead. Because of you. Lana is dead because of you."

"No... not because of me."

As he empties the rest of his clip into Clark's chest, "Shut up!" Clark's body goes limp. Lex is covered in sweat. His whole body shakes.

I think it's safe to say there's no patching up that friendship.

Part III

Level 33.1 elevator. Chloe with minions on either side. Chloe glances at each guard then quickly stomps on one's insole and elbows the other. She leaps out of the elevator just as the doors close.

Miraculously the doors stay closed as she runs off. Quick shot of the keystone cops trying to get the doors to open but the elevator is already on the way up.

That is so lame.

OK. Chloe wrestles a gun away from one of the guards and shoots them both.

That's... terrible.

You are so hard to please.

No I'm not! The problem is You can't write a good scene to save your life.

OK, smarty pants. How would you do it?

Well level 33.1 is this ultra high security location right? So there's bound to be automatic security doors.

Yeah, Didn't they close in on Clark and Chloe back in Distrust?

Exactly! So when they pass by a security door Chloe moves so she's on the other side and she hits a panic button or something.

Brilliant except for one thing. The guards would have a key to get through.

She can either hack the hell out of the system or she can bust the control panel.

Busting the control panel always works in the movies.

Which makes it good enough for this show.

[Writing] That works. Thanks, Allison.

Show off.

Chloe sneaks along a few dark corridors until she stumbles upon Lex speaking with a security guard. The guard hands over a cell phone. Mercy is on the other end.

Lex wants her in Metropolis immediately. There's a problem, the weapon has been destroyed.

Quick shot of Chloe silently pumping her fist in victory.

Lex hands the phone back to the guard. "And the status of our two visitors?"

"Gone without a trace. It's as if they were never here."

Lex is melancholy. "Thank you."

Cut to show Chloe's face grow long. Clark and Lana left without her.

But they're dead. Or at least Lana is dead.

But based on the dialogue she thinks they left without her.

And now that Lana knows the secret Chloe is afraid those star crossed lovers will live happily ever after with scarcely a thought about that poor wretched girl who betrayed him.

Shut up!

Lex looks around as if Kal-El is hiding somewhere nearby. "This battle may be over but the war has just begun." He and the guard board an elevator together.

Chloe sinks to the floor sadly, trying to figure out her next move.

The next day. Chloe and Lois' apartment, a large suitcase sits by the door.

A brunette turned away from us watches the news. A police raid on the old LuthorCorp "Level 33.1" site has turned up empty. However there are reports that Lex Luthor and his girlfriend, second in command at LuthorCorp Lana Lang, are missing. They show a clip of Maggie Sawyer confirming that foul play has not yet been ruled out. Lois enters. The brunette turns off the TV.

Lois hands over an ID. When the brunette turns we see it is Chloe.

You're turning Chloe into a brunette? I'm not sure I like where this might be heading.

Observing Chloe's bags, "All this time I was clinging to the hope you wanted this ID to go bar hoping. So this is it? You're really leaving? Just like that? Oliver is worried sick about you."

"Believe me Lois, it's not just like that. I can't stay here." She looks at the ID and chuckles. "Interesting choice of name."

Interesting choice of name? You guys are milking this for all it's worth, aren't you?

"Easy to remember. You look good with dark hair. I could get used to it."

Oh, no you don't!

Chloe smiles and puts the ID in her wallet.

"I finally meet Kal-El and you're not even going to stick around long enough to compare notes?"

"You met Kal-El?"

"He saved us down at the search site. And wow. He's everything I imagined... and more!"

"Are you sure it was Kal-El?"

"Absolutely! He's super-fast, and super-strong, and super.... everything. Ollie can't stand him."

Not convinced, "What exactly did he look like?"

Embarrassed, "I didn't exactly get a good look at him. But wow."

That's enough with the wows. Lois sounds like a damn Superman groupie.

That's the point. "He's an all around super..."

"man?"

"Yeah. A Superman! That's good, Chloe."

Chloe smiles sadly.

"This isn't about getting away from Lex, is it? You've stood up to the Luthors before. It's about Clark, isn't it?" When Chloe doesn't answer, "It is."

"Lois, I can't explain. Please don't ask me to."

"He'll turn up Chloe. And when he does the two of you will make up. You always have and you always will."

"Not this time."

"If he hurt you he is so dead."

Why does Lois always have to threaten Clark's life?

Because she's a belligerent blow hard?

Sorry I asked.

She's very protective of Chloe.

Better.

"No, it was me. After all those years of pushing me away I finally, finally got him to trust me. Maybe more than he trusted anyone else. And when the chips were down I blew it. I completely blew it..."

Concerned, "What are you talking about?"

Chloe waves Lois off and grabs a tissue to wipe her eyes.

More crying? I expected better from you Rosenbaum!

Like for everyone to live happily ever after?

I knew better than that but I didn't think you would torture Chloe, make her betray Clark, change her name and move her away.

Petty cool, huh?

Yeah, right.

"It doesn't matter. He'll never forgive me much less ever trust me again. Ever." She pauses, "He may not trust anyone ever again and I wouldn't blame him."

She's beating herself up way too much.

She just betrayed her best friend. Give her a break!

Give me a break!

"Don't talk like this, Chloe. Running isn't the answer. Lex was going to kill you. He was going to kill all of us. Whatever you did, whatever you said, I'm sure Clark would understand. We should find him together."

Yes. Preach it Lois! Listen Chloe!

Lionel's office. Lex enters. "I thought I'd find you here, Dad."

"I have an appointment soon, son. What are you doing here?"

Lex raises his gun, "I'm clearing your schedule."

"Lex, put the gun down. Whatever it is, we can discuss it."

"It's too late for discussion, Dad. Everything I ever wanted, it's gone!"

"What are you talking about, son?"

"Because of you. Because of... Clark."

"Have I taught you nothing? You're a Luthor! Whatever it is, you can rebuild it."

Lex writhes with anger, "No, not this time!"

Lionel edges his way from behind the desk, "Calm down. I'm sure we can work things out."

"She's dead, Dad! Lana is dead!"

Doesn't he mean Clark?

I mean Clark is the one he's really upset about, right?

Real funny. "I'm sorry Lex. But what does that have to do with me?"

"Everything!"

"Surely..."

"Because you're going to take the fall."

Lionel chuckles, "Chloe won't let..."

"Chloe is dead!"

Shaken, "Chloe?"

"That's it Dad. Make it easier. Show me just how much more you love your bastard child more than me!"

"Lex, when Clark finds out you've..."

"Clark is dead too!"

Lionel pauses, in denial. "Clark." He shakes his head, "He can't be dead."

"I killed him myself!" Lex cocks his gun and aims, "Just like I'm going to kill you!"

Part IV

Lex has moved from magnificent bastard to criminally insane petty quickly.

I'm sorry you don't approve.

Lionel makes a move for the gun.

There's a lot of struggling over weapons this episode.

There was a lot of struggling over the script too.

But fortunately the visionaries won out.

Speak for your self.

The apartment. Chloe, "I need to be somewhere I can't hurt him anymore. And he cant' hurt..."

Bullshit!

"Chloe, this isn't you."

Damn straight! This sucks!

"I can't explain it, Lois. I'm just not the person I thought I was and I'm not the person I needed to be for Clark. I just have to go. I have to find my own way away from Smallville and away from Metropolis."

"You mean away from Clark Kent." Chloe nods. Lois hugs her, "God, this boy has you screwed up!" TW Chloe laughs in spite of herself.

"Don't do this Chloe. I need you here so we can set things right together. I need your help to make sure Lex gets what's coming to him."

"No, Lois, you don't. When you put your mind to it you have the makings of a great reporter. You don't need me. You never have." Then teasing, "Except maybe for the occasion spelling tip."

[gushes] Aw...

"Occasional?" She realizes Chloe isn't going to back down. "Is there anything I can do?"

"When Clark finally does turn up, watch out for him, will you?"

Lois nods.

Chloe tries to hand her an envelope. "And give him this."

Lois refuses. "Whatever is in there you need to tell him yourself."

"As far as Clark and the rest of the world know Chloe Sullivan is dead. Lois, I need you to swear to me that you'll keep it that way. Don't tell anyone you've seen me."

"Chloe, I..." But Lois can see the resolution in her cousins eyes. "OK." Lois pauses a second. "What am I going to tell Oliver?"

Chloe looks down, "I don't know."

This is pure character assassination!

No what we did to Lana was character assassination. "That Lex had you killed? Oliver will kill him."

Killing a character off is not the same as character assassination, Michael.

It isn't?

[rolls eye] No. What you're doing to Chloe is character assassination! She cares about Oliver.

She cares more about Clark. Oliver trumps Clark. Sorry.

Tom!

Sorry. That's how I see it.

[grits her teeth]

"Lois... just tell him you haven't seen me."

Disappointed, "Chloe."

Pleading, "Just let me handle it, OK?"

Lois isn't happy but she takes the envelope and pushes something into Chloe's hand. "I want you to have this."

Examining a heart shaped locket engraved with the initials LL, "Grandma's Locket? Lois, I can't..."

God, this is so sappy. It didn't seem so sappy when we were writing it.

Is that because you were drunk?

We were not drunk!

Were you high?

Shut up.

You hadn't been eating Allison's brownies, had you?

I think maybe we just wanted it to be over.

You aren't the only ones.

What? But there hasn't been a Martha scene yet!

"Take it. I don't agree with what you're doing but I want you to know that no matter what happens we're family. And I love you." I think I'm going to cry. Not!

But Chloe does. The cousins tearfully hug each other and say their goodbyes.

Train station. They announce the last call for the express for Star City. Chloe sadly looks back at the metropolis skyline. The Daily Planet globe rotates in the distance. She turns and boards.

I think I'm going to cry...

Shut up, will you?

LexCorp hallway. Lois comes out of the elevator and heads for Lionel's office. She mutters to herself, "Only a Luthor would insist on meeting on the weekend." At the doorway she stops. The lights are off. Lionel's chair faces away from her.

Tentative. "All right, I'm here. What is it you wanted to talk about?"

She's answered by a horse whisper, "Lois." Someone lies on the floor inside beside the desk, "Run while you still can."

River barge. A sailor notices something floating in the river. He finds a stick or something to bring it in closer to the boat.

God, you're going to show dead bodies, aren't you?

Why do you assume it's going to be a dead body.

What the hell else does anybody ever dig up out of a lake on TV?

It could be an old tire or something.

Or a meteor freak.

It could be Lori. Maybe she died after all.

It's not Lori.

Whoever it is, I bet her initials are LL.

You just have to be so damn smart, don't you?

Lois goes in to investigate.

Genius that she is.

It's Lex, "Lois, run and get help! He's gone crazy!"

"Who?"

Genius that she is.

Shut up.

"My father. He's shot me."

Ha! I knew Lex didn't have the cojones to go through with it!

"Let me help you up. You need to get you medical attention."

Lois is going to help Lex? That's so fucked up. He was going to have them killed.

Was?

Lana was a accident.

See, but even though Lex deserves to suffer and prolonged and painful death.

Hey!

Lois is going to make sure he lives.

So she can make sure he suffers a prolonged and painful stint in jail.

Dream on, Durance. Lex winces, "No time! Find security, now!"

"Lex, why would he shoot you?"

Aside from the obvious reasons.

Did you guys extract Lois' brain for this scene?

We pretended Chloe was Lois.

Real funny. We know Chloe is smarter than Lois.

Oh no you didn't!

"It's all about your book!"

"My book? But..."

"He's already killed Chloe! Lana and Clark tried to stop him... but..."

"Lex..."

"I came here confront him and... you're next Lois." When Lois continues to hesitate he implores her, "Run!"

Lois heads for the door.

Finally.

She but someone shoots her in the back just as she reaches the threshold. She falls halfway out into the hallway.

You guys are bastards.

Is that symbolic?

[Scoffing] No. But you can analyze the hell out of it if you want.

Don't tell me the only reason Lois isn't the one taking the secret to the grave is because she never figured it out!

Could be.

Bastards!

Chloe on the train. She holds Lois' locket in her hand. She pulls out her cell phone and pulls up Lois' number. She sits and stares at the display for a second or two. She toggles up to Clark's number. Again she hesitates. Finally she flips her phone back closed.

Is there a point to that scene?

Chloe is all alone.

Great.

She's going to live in a trailer with a bunch of cats and die an old maid.

Shut up, OK?

River barge. The sailor asks someone to help him pull a tarp onto the boat. They heave it on deck. When it hits the deck a pale arm sticks out. The two sailors exchanges looks. There's a krytonite ring that seems to be catching the sun just right.

You mean it's glowing.

No shit.

So when they uncover Lana's body will they be amazed by her preternatural beauty even when she's dead?

[rolls eyes]

Cut to a guard rounding a corner. He speaks into his walkie talkie. "There as been a shot on the executive floor. Requesting backup."

We hear another shot. "Correction, multiple shots!" He jogs down the hall, gun in hand. Seeing Lois, "We have a person down."

Part V

From inside, "Help."

The guard peers in, gun raised. Lex sits on the floor slumped up against the wall holding his abdomen. Blood stains his shirt. Lionel is seated, slumped over on his desk, pistol in hand. A pool of blood gathers by his head.

Holy crap! You killed the magnificent bastard!?!

He killed himself? That's ridiculous. He'd never kill himself!

I guess you forgot about the time he almost fed himself a handgun?

Oh yeah. But he doesn't have a hepatic liver disease...

Of the liver.

Anymore.

"Mr. Luthor!"

"Call an ambulance!"

Call three.

Bleak skies. Chloe's train pulls into Star City. She gets off and glances around the empty station. She drops her cell phone into the trash and heads towards the exit.

The barge. The sailor pulls off the ring and holds it up to the sun, puzzled that he can't get it to sparkle like before. He shrugs and pockets it.

The other sailor opens up the tarp. Clark and Lana's bodies are inside, "What a mess."

"Isn't that the chick that went missing?"

"Seems her boyfriend found the wrong end of a gun."

"Looks like a modern day Romeo and Juliet."

Hospital. Martha sits by Lois' bed.

Yay! Finally a Martha scene!

Lois is unconscious and hooked up to an IV.

A TV reporter announce breathlessly that "apparently" Lionel Luthor has shot himself after seriously injuring Lex and Lois in what authorities believe was a bungled murder-suicide attempt.

"Bungled?!?" That's not the MB!

Lionel is in critical condition, Lois in serious, and Lex is stable. Lex is expected to recover shortly.

She explains these events come on the heels of reports that the former LuthorCorp spokeswoman was about to release a scathing tell-all book which several sources claim is "extremely" damaging to LuthorCorp.

Chloe in Star City.

What?!? That's it? Martha doesn't even get a line?

Everybody is dead, gone, or unconscious. Who's she going to talk to?

It's a hospital. How about a doctor?

We hadn't thought about that.

How about instead of copping out with a television report the doctors tell Martha the condition of the other characters and the police ask her about the other stuff?

That's not a bad idea. Tom, you got it?

[Writing] Got it.

And Martha could talk to Lois.

She's unconscious.

People talk to unconscious people in the hospital all the time.

What's she going to say?

I don't know. Stuff like how Lois is like the daughter she never had and how she'd hate to lose her. Stuff like that.

Sappy stuff.

Yeah. Let Annette make 'em get the hankies out.

I could do that.

Can she talk to the MB too?

No!

She should! That would be great.

She talked to him last time he was in the hospital.

Oh, so Martha can't talk to someone in the hospital more than once?

I don't want Martha saying any sappy crap to Lionel. They're over.

Maybe she just thought they were over, but then seeing him at the edge of death...

Please spare me!

I'm with Tom. No sappy shit. Sorry.

Come on!

Maybe with Lois.

Tom!

I'll write it. You don't even have to be involved.

Fine. Where were we? Right. Chloe has run off, taking her sorry little Clark-betraying ass to Star City.

[sighs]

She signs into a hotel under the initials LL.

Oh, no she doesn't!

Oh, yes she does!

Michael, what the hell are you doing?

Setting up one hell of a finale!

You're setting yourself up for one hell of an ass kicking.

Relax girls.

Relax?!?

Yeah, what are we supposed to do if you get that pilot you auditioned for next year?

What am I supposed to do when this piece of crap doesn't get re-newed! Why? Did you hear something?

No.

You're auditioning for other shows?

I, uh, Michael!

Erica, I've had your back all this time and you've been trying to bail on us?

No! I'm just, you know, keeping my options open.

And so are we.

[To ED] Traitor.

[Angrily] Michael!

[Shrugs innocently]

One sailor starts checking out Clark's pockets. "Was there a reward for finding her?"

"Naw, not that I heard."

Pocketing Clark's wallet. "I wonder how this poor sap got involved with Luthor business."

"Who cares. Let's take what they got and dump 'em."

Taking Lana's diamond ear rings, "Nice."

"It's a shame. She was a pretty one."

I swear! Lana should be more than just a pretty face!

And finally she is.

What?

Now she's fish food too.

[Heavy sigh]

Back to the hospital. Martha exits Lois' room and stops in the hallway a few doors down to look through the window of another patient's room.

[unenthused] It's Lionel.

His head is bandaged and he's stuck full of IVs. Martha watches silently for a few seconds before continuing towards the vending machines.

Chloe's hotel room. She's about to delete her e-mail account but there is a message from Lois waiting.

Chloe opens it. She's asking for one more favor. "I was hoping I could get someone to proof read this before I turned it in to Perry. Here's hoping for my first front page by line! Good luck, cousin! I know you're do well no matter where you land. P.S. Say 'Hi' to Oliver for me.... or else!"

She opens the attached document. The headline is "Saved by Superman" Lois has included the fuzzy picture of Clark she stole from Jimmy.

Chloe is verklempt.

Cut back to the hospital. Martha is at the vending machine getting coffee.

Cut to show a close up of a hand opening a IV drip.

Then the door closing.

Cut to a nurse who notices the life signs have gone flat in one of their monitors. She gets up and rushes for the room.

As Martha walks down the hall with her coffee three other hospital personnel rush in.

Martha looks in through the window. We can see the stat monitor flat lined in the reflection.

The intercom announces a code blue.

Martha stands in disbelief. The dramatic dropping of coffee. "No."

So Lex killed his old man after all?

He could have killed Lois.

Why would he kill Lois?

Lois is the only loose string left in the whole kryptonian weapon debacle.

Except for Oliver.

Oh, yeah. Well Oliver won't be returning so we don't have to worry about him.

How can you be so sure?

Chloe dropped him like a hot potato. He's gone.

She moved to his home town. He'll be back.

Cut to Clark and Lana's bodies soaking up sun light.

Almost imperceptibly the wounds on Clark's chest start to heal. He gets some color back in his face.

Sailor, "All right. Let's dump 'em."

When the man with the krytonite ring in his pocket gets close to Clark again Clark's veins go black and he loses his color.

They dump some heavy rusty chains into the tarp. "They'll sink this time."

The sailors cover our "dead" lovers back up.

They're not lovers!

They slept together.

That only makes them former lovers.

Fine. The sailors cover our "dead" former lovers back up.

They dump the tarp back into the river.

An under water shot of it sinking as we go to black.

Cue card, "To be continued."

In season seven! Let's see what our replacement writers do with that!