06x22 - Phantom

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"Phantom"

Original Air Date on May 17, 2007

In a small house in Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec, a distraught young woman is boiling linens. She hears someone at the door and when she opens it, the Martian Manhunter, Jonn Johns, is standing there with glowing red eyes. She tries to shut the door but he begins speaking to her in French.

Young woman: [ In French ] Leave us alone!

Martian Manhunter: [ In French ] I've come to save your father.

Young woman: [ In French ] I think he's dying.

Young woman: [ In French ]

Martian Manhunter: [ In French ]

Young woman: [ In French ]

Martian Manhunter: [ In French ]

Young woman: [ In French ]

In a bedroom of the house, an elderly man - her father - is lying on his back staring at the ceiling as a priest attempts an exorcism on him.

Martian Manhunter: [ In French ] Back away!

He walks up to the elderly man, and the man's eyes suddenly open, completely black. He sits up in bed, and suddenly reaches out, shoving his hand into Jonn's side and ripping out a piece of his organs. Jonn reals from the wound but keeps his feet, striking the man across the face. The man lashes back at him, sending him flying through the ceiling and off into the sky. At this, the Priest grabs the woman and they both flee the room.

Young woman: No, papa! No! Papa, no!

They run from the room but before they can escape the man speeds in front of them, blocking their exit. Suddenly, the room turns white with lights and a team of soldiers pours into the house, g*ns trained on the man, who remains still. After a moment, Bartlett and Lex stride into the room.

Lex: No b*ll*ts! It's inside him. We need the man alive.

Backed into a corner, the man seizes suddenly and a wraith from the Phantom Zone bursts from inside him, k*lling the man, and flies through the roof and into the night. Lex can only look up into the night at the fleeing wraith.

Elderly man: Aah!

Cut to Lex is on the phone in the study when Lana enters.

Lex: [ On the phone ] The entity can't survive out of the human body. I want you to check the eyes of every man, woman, and child until you find it.

Lex gets off the phone and sees Lionel and looks at him uneasily, unsure how much of that conversation his father has overheard.

Lionel: Lex. You look worried, son. Is everything okay?

Lex: You tell me, dad. Ever since the day I put on this wedding ring, you seem to have an uncanny knack for being one step ahead of me.

Lionel: I don't have time for this. I have things to do.

Lex: Like have a private screening of that dvd? You know, the documentary ... the one Lana stole from me and gave to you.

Lionel: Oh, dear. I'd hoped married life had lessened some of your paranoia.

Lex: I have security footage of Lana in this library forcing open my briefcase and pocketing the dvd. Lana would never, ever do something like that unless she was being coerced. [ Lionel chuckles at this ] As hard as it is for you to believe, Lana actually loves me.

As Lionel speaks, Lex's bravado melts away, his face growing stricken.

Lionel: Oh, you know so little about women, Lex. I suppose losing your mother at such an early age didn't help matters. Lana does not love you. The only reason she agreed to marry you was that I gave her a gentle, yet very firm, nudge.

Lex now speaks quietly, trying to process, his anger growing.

Lex: Using my wife against me... that's deplorable, even for you. Whatever debts you think I still owe you, we are even. I want you out of my life.

Lionel: I don't think you're gonna get rid of me that easily.

Cut to Clark walks in the front door of the house, where Martha is standing, looking at old photos of Jonathan and Clark.

Clark: Car's ready. You know, I was thinking, if you're half the senator that you are a mom, this country's in really good hands.

Martha: I always thought you'd be the one to leave the farm first.

Clark: Washington, D.C., is no different than Topeka. It's only a few seconds more away for me.

Martha: That's not what I mean. I know this has been a really difficult year for you, especially since Lana and Lex got married.

Clark: Like you always tell me, somethings are just meant to be.

Martha: Clark, if you feel it would be better to have some distance from them by moving away from Smallville, I don't want you to let this farm keep you from doing that.

Clark: This farm, it's my home. And it's been in our family for over 100 years. Someone has to take care of it.

Martha: But that someone doesn't have to be you. Just because I'm leaving doesn't mean you have to stay.

There is a knock on the door and one of Martha's assistants pokes her head inside.

Assistant: Excuse me. Senator, it's time to go. Your plane to Washington is waiting.

Martha: I'll be right there. [ To Clark ] I love you.

Clark: I love you, too, mom.

They share a long hug, and Martha leaves the house.

Cut to Chloe comes home to the apartment to find Lois pouring over a table full of papers, her laptop open.

Chloe: Hey. Is that the look of a reporter on the trail of a hot story or is someone trying to pick good lottery numbers?

Lois: Right before Wes haywired, he kept repeating these numbers over and over again. They have to mean something.

Lois shows her a sequence of numbers she's written down.

Chloe: Well, Wes was a soldier. I mean, maybe it was his serial number.

Lois: Not in any branch of the armed forces I've ever heard of. And I've run the numbers through every search engine on the web. I got diddly-squat.

Chloe: Good. Let's keep it that way. Look, Lois, take it from someone who's gone up against the Lex Luthor army more than once. Not only will victory remain elusive, but you're almost certain to step on a land mine in the process.

Lois: I'm the general's daughter, remember? I live for battle.

Chloe: Not the kind of battles you can't win, Lois. You remember what he did to my mother. I don't want him to hurt someone else that I care about. Now, please, back off.

Lois: You know what? You're right. Why would I knowingly walk straight into enemy fire? He'll get his. It's only a matter of time.

Lois tears the paper with the numbers in half. Chloe looks relieved.

Chloe: Good. You can thank me later. Now, I got to rocket to the Planet.

Chloe leaves and Lois smiles coyly, picking up the two halves of paper again. She puts them together, then makes the symbols for minutes and degrees, separating the sequence of numbers into a set of longitude/latitude coordinates.

Lois: Longitude and latitude. No duh.

Cut to The scientist wheels a man's bloody body through the lab.

Bartlett: He's a mail carrier from a nearby village. We found his body in his truck the day after the incident.

Lex: Did his blood get us anywhere?

33.1 Scientist: No abnormalities. And definitely no alien peptide sequences. Whatever that creature was on the dvd, it's not inside this guy anymore.

Lex: Wes Keenan was a subpar prototype because the peptides we used came from a dead specimen. We need the entity to be in a living host.

Bartlett: We're trying, sir, but we discovered this thing only lasts in a human for 24 hours before it needs to find a new victim.

Lex: Then you better set your stopwatch. That alien DNA is the only way to get my army combat ready.

Lex looks into the large chamber of test subjects in suspended animation.

Cut to Lana stands in loft, waiting for Clark to return.

Clark: Lana?

Lana: I'm leaving Lex.

Clark looks shocked at first, but almost immediately his shock turns to joy as he can't keep the smile from his face.

Clark: Lana, I know this is where I'm supposed to say I'm sorry, but I can't.

Lana: Clark, I came here to say goodbye. Lex is going to be very angry. It's too dangerous. I have to leave Smallville.

Clark: Lana, you don't have to worry about Lex. You don't have to be afraid. I can protect you from him. I can protect you from anything.

Lana: You can't this time. Clark, I'm sorry. Just know that I will always love you.

Lana walks down the steps as Clark looks after her. After a moment of indecision, he speeds down and around her.

Clark: Wait, Lana. I can't lose you again... not without telling you the truth about me.

Lana: Clark, I already know about your powers.

He hesitates again, the continues slowly. As he speaks, Lana's surprise is evident but she is calm as she takes it in.

Clark: There's more. I'm from another planet. It's called Krypton. It's light-years away, and my parents sent me here to save me. They sent me to Earth just before Krypton was destroyed.

Clark finishes, practically holding his breath waiting for her to respond.

Clark: Please say something.

Lana just smiles and walks to him, pulling him into a kiss.

Lana: You're still the same Clark Kent to me.

Clark: I guess there's no reason for you to go. We can be together now. You'd be safe.

Lana: You won't be.

Clark: There's not many things that can hurt me.

Lana: But you're not invincible. You have a weakness.

Lana walks away, her back to him.

Clark: How do you know that? Did someone tell you that? It was Lionel, wasn't it? Lana, you need to tell me everything you know.

Lana winces at Lionel's name, not wanting to lie to Clark anymore. After a moment, she continues.

Lana: Clark, Lionel threatened to k*ll you if I didn't marry Lex.

Clark is shocked, and pulls Lana into his arms. Over her shoulder, Clark's face hardens into a mask of rage.

Cut to Lionel is riding the elevator to his office at Luthorcorp Headquarters, talking on the phone.

Lionel: [ On the phone ] Martha, I am calling to congratulate the newest United States Senator. I have no doubt that Capitol Hill will never be the same now that you are ...

The elevator door opens and Lionel can see Clark standing there, with murderous intent on his face, and ends his call. Lionel tries to keep his voice calm as he speaks.

Lionel: Clark, what are you doing here?

As Clark starts to speak he grabs Lionel and throws him across the room where he lands heavily on the ground.

Clark: What I should have done a long time ago. You come into my life pretending to be some kind of guardian angel. You're exactly the opposite.

Lionel: No, Clark, you got it wrong, I swear.

Clark drags him off the ground and pins him against the wall.

Clark: Your words mean nothing to me!

Lionel: Clark, if Lana's spoken to you, I know what you must be thinking, but you've got to listen to me.

Clark: I've listened to you for too long!

Clark holds his hand around Lionel's throat, constricting Lionel's speech.

Lionel: Lex is tracking a wraith from the Phantom Zone. I had to force Lana to marry him. It was the only way she could get close to him to get the information I needed to help you.

Clark: No. I never asked for your help, and I never will.

Clark pulls his other fist, intent on putting it through Lionel's skull.

Lionel: You're not a m*rder*r. You're Kal-El.

Clark: Don't call me by that name.

Clark starts to swing, but Jonn Johns stops him.

Martian Manhunter: Stop. This man is on our side. He is an emissary of Jor-El.

Cut to Lex is sitting in the study, on the phone.

Bartlett: [ On the phone ] Subject en route and fully anesthetized.

Lex: [ On the phone ] Meet you at base.

Lana: Lex, we have to talk.

Lex: We most certainly do, but it will have to wait. I'll be back tonight.

Lana: I won't be. Lex, I can't live like this anymore.

Lex: Yeah, I don't blame you ... living a lie in a marriage you never wanted. It must take its toll after a while.

Lana: [ Coldly ] You're the expert ... setting up a nursery, an heirloom crib, the tears of joy in your eyes when you saw that ultrasound. What kind of a toll does that take, Lex?

Lex: What in God's name are you talking about?

Lana: I'm talking about the massive amounts of hormones that you injected into my veins to make me believe I was pregnant. What kind of a monster are you?

Lex: I don't know where you're getting your information from, Lana, but it's nothing but slander. You know I would never ...

Lana: Don't lie, Lex. It's too late for all that. This marriage is over.

Lex: Lana, I know I'm far from perfect... but you can't deny what we had between us.

Lana: Lex, all there is between us are lies on top of lies.

Lex: Lana, everything I've ever done ... it's because I love you.

Lana: You aren't capable of love, Lex. You never were.

Looking broken, Lex closes the doors to the study.

Lex: It's Clark, isn't it? You never could get over him... even if he is the greatest liar of them all.

Lana: Clark means more to me than you ever will.

At this Lex lashes out at her, striking her across the face with a vicious slap.

Lex: Lana.

Lana: That's the last time you'll ever touch me.

He steps into her path, leaning in very close to her and speaking in a whisper.

Lex: Do you really think I could just let you walk away?

Lana: What are you going to do, Lex... k*ll me? Because that's the only way you're gonna keep me in this mansion.

She gives him a final look and leaves the study.

Cut to Lionel is desperately trying to plead his case to Clark.

Lionel: I know. I know. The methods I have to use seem cruel, heartless, but the truth is, I am using them to protect you.

Clark: I don't understand. None of this makes any sense.

Lionel: It was when Lex was possessed with Zod. I became possessed with all your father's knowledge. I found myself writing, in Kryptonian, the symbol for power.

Martian Manhunter: It was a beacon ... the same beacon Jor-El used when he needed me.

Clark: You knew my father?

Martian Manhunter: I worked for Jor-El, bringing criminals to justice. When Krypton was on the verge of annihilation, he asked me to keep an eye out for you.

Clark: Where have you been all these years?

Martian Manhunter: Watching from a distance.

Lionel: Your father wanted you to pass the test without any help. He wasn't to interfere unless it was absolutely necessary.

Martian Manhunter: When you unleashed those phantoms, your life was at stake. I didn't have a choice.

Lionel: Like what happened at the docks in Seattle.

Clark: When that phantom infected my mind.

Martian Manhunter: That's right. Unfortunately, I've lost a step since then.

Clark: What happened?

Martian Manhunter: Nothing.

He opens his jacket and there is a gaping wound in his side.

Clark: That's not nothing.

Martian Manhunter: I had a run-in with the last phantom. I have to leave Earth's atmosphere to heal, but first I must complete the job I started.

Clark: I'll go after the phantom, I have the crystal that Raya gave me.

Martian Manhunter: I doubt that crystal will work.

Lionel: It's not an ordinary phantom, Clark. It's the product of a Kryptonian lab experiment. It's been destroying one human being after the other, desperately searching for the only host that will ensure its survival ... a Kryptonian body.

Clark: Where's the phantom?

Martian Manhunter: If you were to get infected, it could k*ll you.

Clark: People are being k*lled every day. If anyone's gonna stop this phantom, it's gonna be me.

Cut to Lois pulls up as close as she can get in her car to Reeves Dam, then checks her GPS position on her phone, looking confused.

Lois: Reeves Dam. I don't get it.

She gets out of her car and looks over the dam below, then sees a small maintenance door on the side of a hill into the inner complex, and smiles to herself.

Cut to At the Planet, Chloe and Clark are sitting with their computers back-to-back, both doing research.

Chloe: So, you said the symptoms were black eyes and a high fever, right?

Clark: That and a bad temper. Your hack worked. I'm into the QPP database.

Chloe: I'll start searching police records. Here we go. There was an 8-year-old boy admitted to a hospital 13 miles away from that cabin. Blackened corneas, high fever, expl*sive tendencies. And the doctors didn't know what was wrong with him.

Clark: What hospital is he at?

Chloe: St. Mary's, but that's not gonna get us anywhere because it says here the boy disappeared.

Clark types into his laptop and pulls up a police report.

Clark: I have the police report. A maintenance worker said he saw the boy being loaded in an unmarked helicopter. This has got to be Lex.

Chloe: So, Lex is tracking a wraith from the Phantom Zone, and Lionel Luthor is your new father figure? This is a lot of excitement for one day.

Chloe gets up from her chair.

Clark: Yeah, there's more. Lana's leaving him.

Chloe: That's a happy headline. Why didn't you say anything?

Clark: Chloe, I told Lana my secret. She knows everything. She knows that I'm... an alien.

Chloe: Wow. So, I guess we have a new charter member of the Clark Kent secret-keeping club. What did she say?

Clark: She kissed me.

Chloe tries to control her look of surprise and disappointment but it is unmistakable. She tries her best to sound upbeat for Clark revelation.

Chloe: That's fantastic. You've been wanting this forever. You just ... you must be on cloud 99.

Clark: I will be... as soon as I deal with this phantom.

Cut to Lois is wandering around the tunnels below Reeves Dam when a security guard steps out behind her.

Security Guard: What are you doing down here?

She smiles and launches into her cover story.

Lois: I'm an engineering major at Met U, and I'm doing a paper on hydroelectric power. The man on the phone said that ...

Security Guard: Go back the way you came and get out of here.

Too impatient to go the indirect route, she gets right to the point.

Lois: I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's really going on at this dam.

[ The guard pulls out a p*stol.]

Security Guard: You're not a student. Come on. Let's go for a walk.

Lois: Okay, you got it. You're the guy with the g*n.

Lois starts walking back where she came, then lashes out at the guard, knocking the g*n from his hand.

Security Guard: Looks like we got ourselves a wild one.

Lois: Wait until you see my claws.

They struggle some more before the guard pulls out a huge hunting Kn*fe. Lois fights him off as best she can, but he works her into a corner and with a final thrust he plunges the Kn*fe into her abdomen. With a last burst of energy, she headbutts the guard and he reels backward, losing his feet and hitting his head on a pipe as he falls to the ground, unconscious. Lois looks down at her wound and sees the Kn*fe buried to the hilt in her abdomen. Her breathing frantic but shallow, she grabs the Kn*fe and pulls it out of her with a scream. Dropping the Kn*fe she wanders the tunnels, trying to find a way out. She grabs her phone and makes a call to Chloe.

Lois: Chloe...

Lois weaves around a corner but drops the phone and loses her balance, finally falling to the ground, unable to move any further.

Cut to Lana talks on her cell phone as she walks outside.

Lana: I'm through with you Luthors. I'm leaving Smallville.

Lionel is in his car, driving to meet with Lana.

Lionel: Lana, I'm minutes away. Just stay where ...

Lana: [ Speaking quickly ] I don't trust you. I don't trust anyone anymore.

Lionel: Lana, stay calm, please.

Lana: It's too late. Lex hit me.

Lionel: All right, I'm here. I'm pulling up right now.

Lionel arrives and gets out of the car.

Lana: I'm getting out of here, and I'm never coming back. [ She hangs up the phone]

Lana's car alarm beeps and gets Lionel's attention. He sees Lana getting into her car.

Lionel: Lana!

As he runs toward her car, the car erupts in a huge expl*si*n, throwing him back and completely engulfing the car in flames.

Cut to Clark walks into the study of the mansion to find Lionel sitting quietly, sipping a drink.

Clark: Lex has the phantom. He used an unmarked helicopter to kidnap a boy from the same village in Quebec.

Clark notices the scrapes and scratches on Lionel's face and stops quickly.

Clark: What happened to you?

Lionel rises slowly, setting down his drink, and speaks slowly.

Lionel: Clark, I, uh... I don't know how to tell you this.

Clark: Tell me what?

Lionel: It's, uh... Lana. She's... she, uh...

Clark: She what?

Lionel: She's gone.

Clark: She's gone? What do you mean "gone"?

Lionel: She's dead, son.

Clark: No.

Lionel: It was a b*mb in her car.

Clark: I don't believe you.

Lionel: I was there, Clark. I saw it happen.

Clark looks lost, then breaks down. Lionel puts his hand on Clark's shoulder.

Lionel: I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.

Clark: She was gonna leave him. He didn't let her leave. Where's Lex?

Lionel: Clark...

Clark: Tell me where Lex is.

Lionel: I can't let you do something you'll regret for the rest of your life.

Cut to Chloe has tracked Lois to Reeves Dam from her cell call and is wandering in the tunnels. She finds the unconscious guard lying next to a bloody Kn*fe and a pool of blood that didn't come from the guard. She rounds a couple of corners and finds Lois' phone, still open, and then finds Lois unconscious on the ground.

Chloe: No. Oh, God. Lois, you're gonna be all right, okay? I'm gonna get you out ... oh, my God.

She turns Lois' lifeless body over and sees the horrendous wound in her side and starts to break down in tears, yelling in vain at Lois.

Chloe: Oh, my God. Lois. Come on, Lois. You're a fighter. Come on. Come on, Lois. Come on. You're the strongest girl I know. Come on! Please! You can't die. I can't lose you. I love you too much. Please.

As she speaks, it's clear that Lois is not coming back. Chloe begins to cry, holding Lois to her. She stops yelling at Lois and sobs quietly, a tear falling from her eye and onto Lois. As it does, there is a white light that swirls around them both and when it recedes, Lois opens her eyes. She reaches down to her wound and finds that it has healed completely. She looks up to see Chloe slumped against the wall, unconscious.

Lois: Chloe? Chloe? Wake up. Honey, wake up.

Lois tries to wake her but Chloe has an ashen face, a deathly face, and does not stir.

Cut to Lex walks into the Ares nerve center.

33.1 Scientist: No discernable activity from the subject.

In a glass containment chamber, a young boy is strapped to a table, unconscious.

Lex: 24 hours are almost up. Let's move. Draw the blood.

The doctor presses a button and blood is drawn from the boy through a long tube to the outer chamber.

Lex: This better be it.

The scientist removes a vial of the blood and prepares a slide for the microscope.

33.1 Scientist: Yes, well, it looks perfectly normal. Let's hope it isn't.

Lex: "Hope" isn't a word in my vocabulary, doctor. I need results.

Lex: Do we have what we need?

He looks into the microscope, then back up at Lex.

33.1 Scientist: It looks like your fleet of fighters are about to get their jet fuel.

Inside the chamber, the boy opens his eyes, and burts from his restraints and through the glass into the outer chamber, attacking Bartlett and k*lling him instantly. Lex runs for the door but the scientist isn't as quick.

33.1 Scientist: Wait! Wait! Wait!

Lex closes the outer door as the scientist runs toward him, locking him inside. There is a series of crashes and screams from inside the room as Lex looks at the closed metal door. Inside the room, the boy pulls the dead doctor by the arm over to the door and uses his thumbprint on the security pad to open the door.

Outside the dam complex, Lionel's car pulls up. Inside, he is holding a lead box with a chunk of Kryptonite inside. The car stops close to an entrance to the complex, and Clark appears behind the car - he has been following Lionel hoping he would lead to Lex. Before Lionel can reach the door, Clark speeds past him, stopping at the door where Lionel sees him.

Lionel: Clark! Clark, wait!

Clark pauses, then continues inside.

Inside the corridors below the dam, Lex is running for the exit but before he can escape Clark speeds in, grabs him and pins him up against the wall.

Clark: [ Breathless, frantic with rage ] She was your wife, Lex.

Lex: Now is not the time to lecture me about my marriage, Clark.

Clark: Why did you do it? Just tell me.

Lex: Get your hands off me!

Clark: You afraid she was gonna bring you down, or was it just too humiliating for you that she was gonna leave you? Why'd you have to k*ll her? Why?

Lex: What are you talking about?

Clark: You already know. Lana is dead.

Lex looks genuinely shocked at this.

Lex: No.

Clark: No. You don't need to act so surprised. You're the one who k*lled her. You put a b*mb in her car. You're the one who k*lled her!

The boy appears at the end of a long corridor behind where Clark is holding Lex.

Lex: Get out of here. He'll k*ll us both.

Clark lets Lex go and he runs for the exit.

Wraith: He is right. At last... a Kryptonian.

The wraith frees itself from the boy and rushes at Clark. Clark holds up Raya's crystal, but when they collide, Clark is thrown back through several walls into a huge power generating chamber. Stunned, he struggles to get back to his feet. Before he can, someone is standing over him. Clark looks up to see a version of himself, in a guise reminiscent of Red-K Clark.

Bizarro: Thanks for sharing. I feel a lot better now.

Clark: What just happened?

Bizarro: I took a little piece of your DNA.

[ Bizarro Clark grabs Clark around the neck and holds him up ] And now I'm gonna take your life.

Bizarro hits Clark, sending him flying into the power generator, which explodes in a shower of sparks.

Outside the dam, Lex is leaving in his car, but before he can escape a group of police cars pull up. The officers advance on his car, g*ns pulled.

Police Officer: Put your hands up.

Lex: My wife ... something's happened to her.

Police Officer: Hands up now.

Lex: You're making a mistake.

Police Officer: You're under arrest for the m*rder of Lana Luthor.

Inside the dam, Bizarro throws Clark across the chamber again, then follows after him, but Clark is gone. After a moment, Clark appears behind Bizarro and decks him, sending him flying into the outer walls of the complex. The collision causes massive reverberations throughout the complex as the entire infrastructure begins to collapse. In the corridors, Lois is trying to carry Chloe's still-lifeless body out, and this reverberation collapses part of the corridor around them, throwing her to the ground. Elsewhere, Lionel is trying to make his way into the complex. He runs into Bizarro and thinks it is Clark, and tries to help him up.

Lionel: Clark. Son, what is it?

Clark: That's not me. It's the phantom.

Bizarro: How do you like my new look?

Lionel takes out the Kryptonite and thrusts it at the Phantom's chest. He screams in apparent pain, and the Kryptonite glows with a bright white light.

Bizarro: Aah!

When the light subsides, the Phantom looks rejuvenated and triumphant.

Bizarro: Thanks. That's just what I needed.

He strikes out at Lionel, sending him flying against a wall and collapsing to the floor, unconscious.

Clark: What the hell are you?

Bizarro: I'm you, only a little more bizarre.

Again they rush at each other and this time when they collide, Clark is thrown so violently that he crashes through the outer wall of the dam and off into the distance. The Dam is gushing water from the huge hole that Clark has made, then a second hole erupts with water as the Phantom bursts out into the air, flying like Kal-El. As he flies towards the camera, his face changes, transforming into the haggard, ashen visage of Bizarro.

End