03x22 - Convenant

[bunniefuu]

"Convenant"

Original Air Date on May 19th, 2004

A woman, Kara, walks through the dark woods in Smallville. Night. At first, all we see are her bare legs and feet. She continues to walk and we see that she has blond hair down to just a few inches below her shoulders. We see her from the back and she isn't wearing a shirt. She is completely naked and continues to walk toward the edge of the woods.

When she emerges at the side of a road, we see that she is a young attractive woman. Her face is suddenly bathed in the headlights from an approaching truck. The driver of the truck immediately honks their horn as Kara is now in the middle of the road and the truck is coming too fast to stop.

The driver slams on the brakes causing the tires to screech on the road, but the truck continues to slide toward Kara. Instead of moving out of the way, she raises both arms into the air and pounds them down on the hood of the truck just as it gets to her. This causes the truck to do a front flip into the air, over Kara's head, and land on the other side of her on its roof. The impact causes the truck to burst into flames as Kara watches, completely indifferent.

She turns to walk away as the car burns.

Cut to Kara approaching the Kent farm house. A small smile forms on her face as she gets to the outer fence of the house. She walks up the steps onto the porch and knocks on the door. Clark answers it and is immediately shocked by Kara's nudity.

Kara: Hello, Clark. My name is Kara. I'm from Krypton.

Clark looks stunned.

[Opening credits]

---

Clark and Kara sit together in Clark's living room. Night. Kara is wearing a flannel shirt that is large enough to cover her upper thighs.

Clark: Kara, I don't know where you heard about Krypton, but an astronomer told me that planet was destroyed.

Kara: Its physical form is gone, but it still lives on through us.

Martha and Jonathan enter from the kitchen. Martha gives Kara a cup of tea.

Martha: Here, this will warm you up.

Kara holds the steaming cup of tea in her hands, staring at as though confused.

Martha: It's hot tea.

Kara smiles at Martha and puts the tea down on the coffee table.

Jonathan: Young lady, I'm sure that your parents are very worried about you. Why don't you let us call them?

Kara: There's no one to call.

Martha: Well, you can't sleep out in the field. You'll stay with us tonight.

Kara: Thank you. I heard you were very kind.

Clark: How exactly did you get here?

Kara: I came through a passage in the cave wall.

Clark: A passage from where?

Kara: A place where all your questions will be answered, where you don't have to hide your true self.

Jonathan: [Becoming irritated.] Look, if you really are from some distant planet, why don't you do us a favor, huh? Give us a display of all of your special abilities.

Clark: [Trying to stop Jonathan from pestering Kara.] Dad...

Jonathan walks around the couch, coming closer to Clark and Kara.

Jonathan: Clark, you told me yourself that Pete's being harassed by the FBI. How do we know that this isn't some sort of a ploy?

Kara stands up and speaks directly to Jonathan with authority in her voice.

Kara: Jonathan Kent, you have no place in this conversation. I will show Kal-El all he needs to see in due time.

Clark stands.

Clark: Where did you hear that name?

Kara turns to Clark, her expression softening.

Kara: It was given to you at birth.

Clark: Why are you here?

Kara takes Clark's hand.

Kara: To take you home.

Clark is shocked. There is a knock at the door and they hear Lex's voice.

Lex: Clark?

Clark steps in front of Kara as Lex enters the room.

Clark: Lex.

We hear a rush of air.

Lex: Hey, do you have a second?

Clark: [About to introduce Kara.] This is, um...

Clark turns around and realizes that Kara is gone. He, Jonathan, and Martha are all stunned. Clark looks back at Lex who waits for a response. Lex obviously didn't see Kara.

Clark: ...good a time as any.

Clark and Lex leave the house together. Jonathan and Martha look at each other quietly. Then Jonathan sits down next to the coffee table and looks down at Kara's discarded cup of tea.

Cut to Clark and Lex entering the loft.

Clark: I thought you'd be out celebrating. Your dad's finally behind bars.

Lex: My father has a battalion of lawyers more powerful than Caesar's army. He'll be out on bail in less than 48 hours.

Clark: I don't think the judge is gonna let a m*rder*r back out on the street.

Clark and Lex climb the stairs to the upper level.

Lex: Clark, the only way he'll be denied bail is if there's evidence at his bail hearing that he's an imminent thr*at to society.

Clark: What about Chloe's voicemail? The one with your dad's confession on it. That could be pretty damaging.

Lex: It will be for the grand jury. But in order to deny him bail, they need eyewitnesses, people who have seen my father actually inflict harm. Unfortunately, anyone who's been privy to his darkest moments is either dead or unwilling to come forward.

Clark lowers his eyes guiltily. Then he looks at Lex.

Clark: I'll come forward.

Lex: I appreciate the support, Clark, but they need an eyewitness.

Clark: I saw him at Belle Reve. I saw him order the doctor to increase your electroshock voltage. Even when the doctor said it could turn you into a vegetable.

Lex: [Shaken. He remains calm.] How could you have seen that?

Clark: I snuck in to try to save you, but I was too late.

Lex: [Stepping closer to Clark.] You knew all along my father m*rder*d his parents, didn't you? [Clark looks away.] And you never told me.

Clark: Lex ...

Lex: I always assumed there was a tacit agreement among friends to share that kind of information with each other.

Clark: Not when it can get your friend k*lled. Lex, your father threw you into a mental institution and fried your brain. If you found that out all over again, I thought he might k*ll you, and I couldn't live with that.

Clark looks at Lex pleadingly, and Lex is silent for a long moment. Then he puts a hand on Clark's arm.

Lex: You're a good friend, Clark. If you tell the judge what you just told me, my father will be exchanging his Armani for an orange jumpsuit.

Clark: [Smiling slightly, grateful.] I'll be there. You can count on it.

Lex nods.

---

A Metropolis prison. Night. There is a loud buzz as a guard opens a door and the lights turn on revealing a large white room with a cage-like prison cell in the center. Lionel enters, escorted by Agent Loder. Lionel is wearing an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, and leg irons. Another guard is unlocking the prison cage and opening the door for Lionel and Loder to enter.

Guard: 6-1, clear.

Lionel: I thought we had a deal, Loder.

Loder: I tipped you off on your son's wire, I made sure any incriminating recordings disappeared into the ether. I can't control some bleach-blond Pulitzer wannabe from dredging up evidence for a decades-old homicide.

Lionel: And our other investigation, Lex's friend. What's the status of that?

Loder: [Laughs.] You're a piece of work. In case you haven't noticed, you're a hop, skip, and a jump away from death row. And no hick farm kid's secret is gonna be able to save your ass.

A guard unlocks Lionel's cuffs and leg irons.

Lionel: This is just an inconvenience. I'll be out on bail in a couple of hours, and I expect you to send me the information you've gathered so far on Clark Kent.

Loder: You can expect to be waiting for a very long time. Our deal's over, Mr. Luthor.

Lionel: You're venturing into dangerous waters, Loder.

Loder: I'm a pretty decent swimmer. Night-night.

Loder leaves.

Guard: Opening 6-1.

---

Clark stands outside the barn watching Lex drive away. Night. Kara stands several paces away watching Clark. He doesn't see her until she speaks.

Kara: You shouldn't involve yourself in their problems.

Clark: Lex is my friend. I want to help him.

Kara: You can't trust him.

Clark: You don't know him.

Kara: I don't have to. It's human nature. It's just who they are.

Clark: They happen to be the people that I care about.

Kara: Which is why it'll be that much harder when they all betray you. [She walks toward him.] I can understand why you're scared. This is all you know. But you're not meant for this world, Kal-El. You were meant for mine.

Clark winces at the name Kal-El.

Clark: My name's Clark. And why should I believe anything you say?

Kara: Because it's the truth.

Clark: Really? Why don't you start by telling me where you've been for the last 14 years?

Kara: If you join me, all your questions will be answered.

Clark: That's not good enough.

Clark starts to walk back to the house, and Kara grabs his arm.

Kara: Kal-El, wait. Come with me.

Kara starts to walk backwards, and Clark allows himself to be led several steps. Then we see their feet leave the ground as they fly into the air next to the barn, rising above the basketball hoop.

Clark looks into Kara's eyes unsurely as the ground gets farther and farther away. Kara returns his gaze, confident and serene. Clark looks down.

Clark: How are you doing this?

Kara: You're doing it too.

Clark: I can't fly.

Kara: Not yet. This is just the beginning, Kal-El. You have no idea how powerful you'll become.

Clark looks around thoughtfully and then into Kara's eyes. The moon shines brightly behind them.

Fade to Clark and Kara in the Kawatche caves. Clark is touching a split in the cave wall. Kara stands behind him.

Clark: This fissure wasn't here last week.

Kara: It opened to release me. It'll open again when we go.

Clark: What makes you think I don't like this world?

Kara: I can sense how sad you are, Kal-El. Not a day goes by where you don't feel like an outsider.

Kara puts her hand on Clark's chest.

Kara: Even those closest to you will never truly understand you. But it doesn't have to be that way.

Clark is quiet, unable to argue. He backs away from Kara's touch and walks past her. He is shaken by what she has said, and he takes a couple of uneasy breaths before changing the subject.

Clark: You've been down here ever since the meteor shower?

Kara: Yes. Waiting for the time when he knew you'd be ready.

Clark: He?

Kara: Your birth father. Jor-El.

Clark: He d*ed on Krypton.

Kara: Yes, but his spirit and will live on inside these walls.

Clark: I should've known.

Kara: He's not the monster that you imagine. He saved your life.

Clark: [Raising his voice.] To turn me into something I never wanted to be.

Kara: You may think you know your destiny. But you have no idea what greatness lies ahead of you.

Clark: Then why don't you tell me?

Kara: I'm only here to help your transition. Everything that you want to know lies through there. [Kara looks at the cave wall.] But it has to be your choice.

Clark stares at the cave wall, afraid. Kara touches his face and he looks at her.

Kara: Come with me, Kal-El.

Clark: [Pause.] I can't do this.

Kara: Just know. When you're ready, I'll be waiting for you.

Clark looks at Kara. He is obviously torn.

Fade to black.

---

Lionel stands in the middle of his solitary prison cell, distressed. Day. Lex enters behind him. Lionel turns around when Lex speaks.

Lex: Orange is a good color for you, Dad. Although it might get a little old after 25 to life.

Lionel: [Chuckling quietly.] I, uh, didn't ask you here to trade insults. [He pauses, getting his thoughts together.] No matter how wide the, uh, chasm gets between us, son... I'm your father. I'll always be your father.

Lex: And the devil that's haunted me since the day I was born.

Lionel: Lex, this is not easy for me. As a father, I, uh... (Long pause.) I have failed you. I realize that now, and, uh, I'm sorry.

Lex listens silently, expressionless.

Lionel: Two years ago I was diagnosed with a, um, a degenerative liver disease. I've tried everything, everything imaginable, but, uh, there's nothing. It's too late. No amount of money can save me.

Lex lowers his eyes, refusing to meet his father's gaze. Lionel walks toward the edge of the cell and grabs onto the cage with his right hand. He whispers to Lex urgently.

Lionel: Lex, please. Don't let me die in prison.

With an expression of apology, Lex walks toward the cage and puts his hand on top of his Lionel's. Lionel grabs Lex's hand affectionately.

Lex: Dad... [Looking Lionel in the eye and suddenly turning cold.] This might have been more effective if you had a string quartet in the corner playing Barber's "Requiem".

Lionel is shocked. His eyes fill with tears and he pulls his hand away from Lex's, backing away from the edge of the cell.

Lionel: I understand. How could you trust me? I've asked my doctors to release my medical files to you. You can see for yourself.

Lex looks into Lionel's eyes for a long moment. Then he removes his hand from the cage and leaves the room.

---

Kara looks out the window of the Kent house. Day. She doesn't seem to be focusing on anything in particular. Martha stands in the doorway of the living room watching her, then returns to the dining room where Jonathan and Clark are standing.

Martha: She hasn't eaten anything since she's been here.

Jonathan: Martha, right now her appetite is the least of our problems.

Clark: I think she's for real. I think Jor-El sent her.

Martha: Are you sure?

Clark: How else can we explain her powers?

Jonathan: Clark, this is Smallville. Kryptonite's given a lot of people special abilities.

Clark: She knows my birth name. She knows everything about me.

Jonathan: She doesn't know anything more about you than Dr. Swann.

Martha: Do you think Swann sent Kara?

Jonathan: I have no idea what that man's agenda is. But wherever this girl is from, I just don't trust her.

A rush of air is heard and Kara is suddenly standing right behind Jonathan. He turns around when she speaks.

Kara: You're the one who cannot be trusted, Jonathan Kent. You broke the covenant. Jor-El gave you many warnings, but you chose not to listen to them.

Martha: What is she talking about, Jonathan?

Jonathan doesn't respond, and Kara walks closer.

Kara: Tell Kal-El what you did.

Clark: [Nervous.] What kind of deal did you make, Dad?

Jonathan looks at Kara for a long moment. He continues to look at her as he answers Clark's question.

Jonathan: [A deep breath.] I promised Jor-El that if he gave me the power to bring you back from Metropolis, that one day I would return you to him.

Martha: [Shocked.] Jonathan, you didn't do that.

Jonathan: Martha, I had no idea it was going to be this soon.

Martha: No...

Cut to FBI Agent Loder sitting in his car outside the Kent property. He has a listening device resembling a small satellite dish that he is pointing in the direction of the farm. He holds the speaker to his ear and listens to the conversation taking place inside.

Kara: I told you, Kal-El. They'll always betray you.

We return to the dining room.

Kara: Even the man you call your father.

Jonathan: (Angry.) I did not betray my son.

Kara: Quiet.

Kara turns her head toward the window.

Kara: Someone's listening.

Jonathan: What are you talking about?

Outside, Agent Loder continues to listen. Kara super speeds up to his car. He doesn't notice her until she is right next to his window. Startled, he flinches in his seat.

Loder: How'd you do that?

Kara looks at him silently in response. Then she reaches out and grabs his neck, cutting off his airway. Quickly, Loder puts his car into gear and speeds away. Kara watches the car drive away with a small smile.

Only a short drive down the road, and Kara is suddenly standing in front of Loder's car. He slams on his brakes.

Loder: Who are you?

Kara doesn't respond. She stares at Loder threateningly.

Loder: [Panicked.] Get out of my way!

Kara slaps both of her hands down on the hood of the car. From her hands, a fiery orange energy starts to spread all over the car, and within seconds, the car and Agent Loder disappear completely. Clark runs to Kara in the road.

Clark: What did you do to him?

Kara: That man feared you, Kal-El. He wanted to exploit you.

Clark: So you k*lled him?!

Kara: He didn't feel any pain.

Kara walks back toward the house. Clark remains in the road, too stunned to do anything.

Jonathan and Martha talk outside the front porch.

Martha: She k*lled a man, Jonathan. We have to call the sheriff.

Jonathan: What are we gonna tell the sheriff, sweetheart, that a Kryptonian girl vaporized a federal agent?

Martha: What have you invited into our lives?

Jonathan: Martha, I honestly don't believe I had another choice.

Martha: [Furious.] How could you make a decision like that about our son without talking to me?

Jonathan: It was the only way that I could get him back.

Too angry to face Jonathan, Martha walks past him.

Martha: Why would you keep it a secret?

Jonathan turns around.

Jonathan: Because I didn't want you to have to wait for the rest of your life worrying about something that might not ever come to pass.

Martha: Do you really think Jor-El will ever give up on Clark?

Jonathan: I can't just sit idly by while he tries to take away our son.

Martha: Well, we might not have a choice. That girl is more powerful than Clark.

---

Outside sh*t of Smallville High School. Day. Chloe is sitting at the computer in the Torch office. Jonathan enters.

Chloe: [Surprised.] Mr. Kent.

Jonathan: So this is the legendary Torch.

Chloe: Yeah. A little less glamorous than you imagined, huh? (She stands.) If you're looking for Clark, I haven't seen a trace of him.

Jonathan hold up a plastic bag with a teacup inside it.

Jonathan: I was looking for you.

Chloe: Something's telling me you're not here to throw a tea party.

Jonathan: Look, I understand that you're very good at getting to the bottom of things. Do you think you could run the fingerprints off of this for me?

Chloe takes the bag.

Chloe: No problem. Um, is there a name that's attached to the fingerprints?

Jonathan: That's actually what I need you to find out for me, Chloe. I need the identity of the last person that touched that cup.

Chloe: [Slightly confused.] Okay. Well, if I can get a little more info about the plot of this mystery, it might help to solve ...

Jonathan: Chloe, as a personal favor to me, please don't press the issue.

Chloe: Okay. Yeah. I'll call my guy right now.

Jonathan: Thank you.

Chloe picks up the phone and dials a number. Jonathan stands behind her and waits. She turns back to him as she waits for an answer.

Chloe: It's gonna take a little while.

Jonathan: Of course.

Jonathan leaves the office. Chloe watches him go strangely.

---

Lana drives up the road to the Kent farm where Clark is standing outside. Day. She parks her car and Clark comes over to her as she gets out.

Clark: I thought you'd be packing.

Lana: Well, if I squeeze anything else into my suitcases, I think they'd explode.

Clark: So when are you taking off?

Lana: Well, I have to be at the airport by noon tomorrow. [Clark nods.] That's sort of why I'm here. Um, I was wondering if you would mind being my super shuttle.

Clark: [Surprised at the request.] Sure.

Lana: I know it's been a strange year, but I hate leaving with the feeling that things aren't settled between us.

Clark: Lana, when I said I wanted you to be happy, I meant it.

Lana talks over the last few words of Clark's sentence. She obviously has something specific on her mind.

Lana: When you invited me over the other night and you had something important to tell me, that wasn't it, was it?

Clark doesn't answer. Lana suddenly speaks more quietly, her words becoming more urgent.

Lana: Clark, if you have something to say to me, say it before I'm gone.

Clark looks into her eyes deeply, as if making up his mind. Lana looks pleadingly back at him. He clearly makes the decision to tell her the truth.

Clark: Lana ...

Lana looks past Clark and sees something.

Lana: Who's that?

Clark turns around and sees Kara watching them from out in the field.

Clark: [Pause.] My cousin.

Lana: You've never mentioned her before. Where is she from?

Clark: Far away. California.

Lana: Well, you know, if you've got company, I should, um, I should find a ride from someone else.

Lana starts walking toward her car.

Clark: Lana. [Lana stops.] Even though it's gonna be hard to see you go, I want to be there for you.

Lana smiles gratefully and gets into her car.

Clark: We'll talk in the car tomorrow?

Lana smiles again and starts her car. Clark watches her drive away. Kara is suddenly standing right behind him. Clark turns around when she speaks.

Kara: She really does love you. But it's not meant to be, and you know that.

Clark: No one knows what's meant to be. Not you. Not even Jor-El.

Clark walks toward the house and Kara follows him.

Kara: Don't let it upset you, Kal-El. What you share with Lana is an earthly love filled with doubts and pain and sorrow.

Clark turns around to look at Kara.

Kara: The love between us will be stronger than anything you could imagine. You and I are the only ones left, Kal-El. We're the only ones who can preserve the Kryptonian race.

Clark looks at Kara coldly, not responding.

Kara: Come with me, Kal-El. Come home.

Clark: This is my home.

Kara: I know it seems that way. But sooner or later, everyone you know here will lie, betray, or leave you.

Clark starts to back away.

Clark: No matter what you say, I'll never go with you.

Kara watches Clark walk back to the house with a confident smirk on her face.

Inside, Clark leans against a table in the entryway, breathless. Kara's words affected him much more than he let her see. There is a knock at the door and Clark answers it. A young deliveryman stands on the porch.

Man: Clark Kent?

Clark nods.

Man: I have a package for you.

The man shows Clark a large envelope.

Clark: Who's it from?

Man: [Reading the envelope.] A Mr. Lionel Luthor.

The man holds the envelope out to Clark. Clark is momentarily surprised, then takes the envelope. The deliveryman leaves, and Clark rips open the envelope. He holds it above his hand and shakes it. What appears to be a normal house key falls out of the envelope and into his hand. He looks at it closely.

---

Outside sh*t of Lex's mansion. Night. Inside, Lex is seated at his desk in the study looking at a medical file. He talks to Chloe who is standing in front of the desk.

Lex: [Reading.] Johns Hopkins. The Mayo Clinic.

Lex closes the file and stands up, walking over to Chloe and handing her the file.

Lex: My father has knocked on the door of every major medical institution in the western world and was sent home each time without a cure.

Chloe looks inside the file.

Chloe: I'm sensing you're having second thoughts. Lex, I understand if you want to back out. I mean, he needs to be punished for what he did, but he's still your father. And he's dying.

Lex: Yeah. And he's gonna draw his last breath in prison, not the VIP suite at Metropolis General.

Chloe nods. Lex steps forward and puts his hands on her shoulders.

Lex: But only if you're still willing to go through with this.

Chloe: [Afraid.] I don't think I like the sound of this.

Lex lets go of Chloe's shoulders and walks over to the fireplace.

Lex: Chloe, a dying man has little to lose. My father used a bizarre blood platelet cocktail to raise the dead, then pinned the murders of the research team on his son. Who knows what tactics he'll use to avoid going to prison?

Chloe walks over to Lex.

Chloe: Yeah, but the FBI guaranteed our safety. I mean, they're putting me and my father in protective custody until after the trial.

Lex: Then what?

Chloe: Lex, are you trying to scare me?

Lex: I'm worried about you, Chloe. I want you to have all the facts before you walk into that courtroom.

Chloe thinks about it with a wrinkled brow.

Chloe: [Making up her mind.] Your father's intimidated me long enough. I'm not backing down.

Lex looks at Chloe unsurely.

---

Lionel sits on the thin cot in his cell at the prison. Night. Clark enters the large white room behind him and holds up the key angrily.

Clark: What is this?

Lionel doesn't turn around.

Lionel: A key. Unfortunately, not the one we're both looking for.

Clark: If you want to play games, I'll leave.

Lionel: Clark. [Lionel stands up.] My lawyers have told me that your name has appeared on the prosecution's witness list.

Lionel turns around and walks slowly toward the edge of the cell. But instead of coming to the edge, he paces from side to side slowly. Clark remains still.

Lionel: I can only assume that Lex has you buying into his version of our Oedipal struggle. I am a "poor misguided et cetera, et cetera."

Clark: Buy into this. You're a m*rder*r.

Lionel: I didn't k*ll my parents, Clark. I certainly didn't shed any tears at their funeral. You have no idea what it's like to grow up under the thumb of an abusive father, someone who'd stop at nothing to establish absolute control over you.

Clark: Your son does. Lex is an expert by now.

Lionel: An expert at lies and subterfuge. That key you're holding. It opens a door. Third floor, east wing, Luthor mansion. You'll be fascinated by what you find.

Clark: I'm not walking into some kind of trap. The last time I listened to you, I became a lab rat at Summerholt.

Lionel comes to the edge of the cell, almost touching the cage with his face.

Lionel: Clark, I don't want to harm you. I want to enlighten you. You want answers? You're gonna find them. Answers you won't believe.

Lionel watches Clark closely as Clark looks down at the key in his hand.

Fade to black.

---

Outside sh*t of Lex's mansion. Day. Inside, Clark inserts the key into a locked door and enters the room. The door closes behind him and he comes down the steps into the room with a look of shock on his face. He walks to one side of the room and sees a huge black and white framed picture of himself on the wall. Nearby, there are several marbles hanging in the air by string, presumably representing the planets.

On another wall, there are enlarged pictures of the paintings from the cave walls. In front of them is a computer screen with a rotating image of the octagonal spaceship key. Clark turns to his left and sees another computer screen with an animated simulation of Lex's car hitting Clark on the bridge and falling into the river.

Behind Clark, there are more pictures of him and also pictures of his parents. He suddenly becomes sick as a green light begins to illuminate his face. He sees a sample of meteor rock on display. He turns from the glass case covering the rock and starts toward the door. He finds Lex standing at the top of the stairs.

Lex: Before you jump to conclusions, Clark ...

Clark: [Angry.] You told me you stopped investigating me.

Lex: I did.

Clark: You did? Then what is this?

Lex comes down the stairs.

Lex: I understand how you can think all this is about you. But, in fact, it's about me.

Clark: More lies.

Lex walks past Clark and looks at the contents of the room.

Lex: There's so much of my own life I can't explain. I've survived countless brushes with death, and it all started with this car crash.

He looks at the computer screen.

Lex: If I'm guilty of anything, it's that I've inherited my father's eccentric curiosity for the unexplained.

Clark: You've inherited his dishonesty.

Lex turns to look at Clark, then walks toward him.

Lex: Clark, look me in the eye and tell me you don't have any hidden places of your own where you keep your deep, dark secrets.

Clark looks at Lex for a long time without saying anything.

Clark: Ever since I've met you, I've been defending you, making excuses for you to people like Pete, like my parents. Telling them, "You can trust Lex Luthor. He's a good guy. He's nothing like his father." I was wrong.

Lex is hurt by Clark's words. Clark turns away and walks toward the door.

Lex: Clark!

Clark leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.

---

Outside sh*t of the Kent farm. Day. Clark and Martha sit across from each other in the loft talking.

Clark: I can't believe he pretended to be my friend for three years just to investigate me.

Martha: I'm so sorry. I know how hard this must be for you.

Clark: Maybe Kara's right. She warned me that all my friends would betray me. Maybe I don't belong here. Maybe there's a better place for me.

Martha stands up and sits next to Clark, putting her hand on his back.

Martha: No, no.

Clark: I've done everything in my power to defy Jor-El. Mom, it's only made things worse.

Martha: Clark ...

Clark: Maybe I should go.

Martha: Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to decide anything right this minute, you know? It's been an incredibly difficult time for you with Pete gone and Lana leaving.

Clark nods his head, then suddenly remembers that he was supposed to take Lana to the airport.

Clark: Lana.

---

Outside sh*t of Metropolis International Airport. Day. Lana steps onto the sidewalk outside the airport with her bags. She passes a couple kissing passionately and looks away unhappily. She keeps walking along the sidewalk. She passes Lex without even noticing him until he touches her arm and she turns around.

Lana: [Surprised.] Lex.

Lex: I just wanted to say bon voyage.

Lana puts down her bags.

Lana: Shouldn't you be at the courthouse?

Lex: My father can wait. Lana, I couldn't let the last person you saw from Smallville be the shuttle driver looking for his tip.

Lana: [Smiling gratefully.] Lex, um, I can't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me.

Lex: It's pretty clear your destiny lies far beyond the Smallville city limits. I'm just trying to help you get there.

Lana: [Her smile grows.] I don't know what I did to deserve such a great friend, but I'm glad that you came into my life.

Lex: Maybe I'll bump into you on the Champs-Elysees.

Lana: You're gonna be in Paris?

Lex: I haven't been in a couple of years, but now I have a reason to go.

Lana smiles and hugs Lex tightly.

Across the street, Clark watches their embrace. Clark holds a white rose in his hand and is obviously there to say goodbye to Lana. But when he sees that Lex is already there, and Lana doesn't seem at all unhappy, he changes his mind. Clark lets the rose drop to the ground.

He watches Lana and Lex finish up their goodbyes, and then Lex walks away. Lana bends down to pick up her bags. She glances cross the busy street and catches a glimpse of Clark standing there.

Lana runs across the street to where Clark is standing. Just before she gets to the other side, a large shuttle bus drives by, blocking Clark from her view. When the bus is gone, Clark is nowhere to be seen. Lana finishes crossing the street and looks around for Clark.

All that she finds is the white rose lying on the ground. She bends over and picks it up, looking at it sadly.

---

Outside sh*t of the Metropolis courthouse. Day. Inside, Chloe is dressed nicely outside the courtroom. She checks her watch nervously as Lex walks up to her. He is dressed in a suit.

Chloe: Lex. Clark still isn't here, and the judge says that if he doesn't show up within the next five minutes, he's setting bail for your dad.

Lex: Did you try calling him?

Chloe: Yes, I called him at home and on his cell phone. There was no answer. Something big must've happened because he flaked on Lana too. [Lex looks away.] Lex, what's going on?

Lex: Nothing. I'm just hoping Clark didn't change his mind.

Chloe: [Not understanding.] You're his best friend. Why would he do that?

A sad expression crosses Lex's face. He doesn't answer. Chloe looks past Lex and sees Clark.

Chloe: [Relieved sigh.] There he is, just in time to save the day.

Clark walks to Lex and Chloe. He has come straight from the airport and is dressed informally.

Lex: Clark, hey...

Without even looking at Lex or Chloe, Clark brushes past coldly and keeps walking. Chloe looks at Lex, confused, then follows Clark. Lex stays where he is, unhappy.

Cut to Lionel Luthor exiting the courtroom after the hearing. He is surrounded by guards, and a flock of reporters waits for him outside the courtroom, flashing pictures and holding out microphones as they shout their questions.

Reporter: Mr. Luthor! How do you feel about facing prison now that you've been denied bail?

Lionel continues walking as he answers the reporter's question.

Lionel: [Calm.] You know, it's nothing new to be in prison and to be an innocent man. In the end, I have no doubt that justice will prevail.

Reporter #2: Are you filing an appeal, sir?

Lionel keeps walking toward the exit and the mass of reporters follows him. Clark walks after the crowd slowly, watching. Lex catches up with Clark and touches his shoulder. Clark stops walking.

Lex: Clark, thanks for showing up. It means a lot to me.

Clark doesn't turn to face Lex.

Clark: I didn't come here for you, Lex. I came here because it's the right thing to do.

Clark turns around and looks Lex straight in the eye.

Clark: This friendship's over.

Lex watches Clark as Clark turns away and leaves.

---

Outside sh*t of the Kent barn. Day. Inside, Clark leans against the railing in the loft, staring at the ground in stunned sadness. He speaks to Kara.

Clark: Everything you said has come true.

Kara: I take no pleasure in your anguish, Kal-El. I know that you have great feelings for these people, and they will miss you when you're gone.

Clark: Ever since the meteor shower, I've brought them nothing but pain.

Kara touches the back of Clark's head and runs her hand down his back.

Kara: Come with me, Kal-El, and she will ease your suffering.

Clark looks at Kara.

Clark: She?

Kara: Your birth mother.

Clark: [Hopeful.] Lara?

Kara: She's missed you so much.

Clark: But how could she? She d*ed.

Kara touches Clark's face.

Kara: Her love lives on and will embrace you all the days of your life.

Kara kisses Clark gently on the cheek. Clark closes his eyes. Kara then pulls Clark's face down and kisses him on the forehead. Clark looks at Kara.

Clark: I'm ready.

Kara kisses Clark on the lips.

Fade to black.

---

Outside sh*t of one of the fields on the Kent farm. Day. Jonathan and Martha walk out the front door.

Jonathan: How long has Clark been gone?

Martha: Since 3:00. I'm worried, Jonathan. The way he was talking...

Jonathan: Why don't you call the Talon? I'm gonna go check the caves.

Martha runs back inside the house as Jonathan goes down the front stairs. He hears a car approaching and runs toward the street as Chloe drives up, holding out an envelope to him even before her car completely stops. Jonathan takes the envelope from her.

Chloe: Mr. Kent, I found a match for your phantom fingerprints, and even for me, the keeper of the Wall of Weird... it's extremely weird.

Jonathan opens the envelope and pulls out a piece of paper. He reads the contents and looks at Chloe with growing concern.

Cut to Clark and Kara in the caves. They are holding hands in front of the split in the wall. They raise their joined hands into the air. The split in the wall begins to open as a blinding gold lights shimmers out of the wall. A strong wind blows through the caves.

Kara's eyes are closed, and Clark looks over at her nervously. As if sensing his gaze, Kara opens her eyes and looks at Clark, smiling confidently. Clark looks back at the wall, taking a deep breath and preparing himself for whatever is coming.

Jonathan runs into the cave behind them. He has to yell to be heard over the wind.

Jonathan: Clark! Wait!

Clark lets go of Kara's hand and turns around.

Jonathan: Her name is not Kara. Her name is Lindsay, and she's not from Krypton.

Clark: Dad, what are you talking about?

Kara grabs Clark's arm.

Kara: Ignore him, Kal-El!

Jonathan holds up the envelope.

Jonathan: Chloe matched her fingerprints to a young girl who was arrested for shoplifting 16 years ago.

Jonathan pulls the paper out of the envelope and hands it to Clark. It is a newspaper article with a picture of Kara, almost exactly as she appears now. We can't see the whole headline, but what we can see says "Woman k*lled in Smallville...Daughter Missing."

Behind Clark, the golden light continues to shimmer from the wall.

Jonathan: [To Kara.] Your name is Lindsay Harrison.

Kara: My name is Kara!

Jonathan: You were driving with your mother on the day of the meteor shower. Your car got a direct hit on Route 8. That's right here near the caves.

Kara glares at Jonathan angrily.

Jonathan: Clark, Lindsay's body was never found.

Clark looks from the picture to Kara.

Clark: You haven't aged a day!

Kara: Because I've been waiting for you! [She turns to the wall.] In there!

Jonathan: No, Lindsay! Jor-El used you! He stole away your life, he stripped you of your humanity, all so he could lure Clark to him! You two have to come with me right now!

Jor-El's voice bellows from the cave wall.

Jor-El: Go with Kara, Kal-El.

Clark turns to the wall.

Clark: [Furious.] I'm not going anywhere! I'll never be who you want me to be!

There are several flashes of bright white light, and Kara disappears from sight.

Clark: What did you do to her?!

Jor-El: She served her purpose... as has Jonathan Kent.

A yellow-orange line of energy, almost like a rope of fire sh**t out of the wall and wraps itself around Jonathan's neck, pulling tightly.

Jonathan: Aah!

Clark: Dad!

Jonathan falls to his knees, trying to pull the rope away from his neck. Clark turns back to the wall.

Clark: Leave my father alone!

Jor-El: Come forward or he will die.

Clark turns to Jonathan who is still struggling against the rope. Clark is looking from one side to the other, literally stuck between two fathers and faced with an impossible decision.

Jor-El: [More urgent.] Come to me, Kal-El.

Jonathan: Clark! I've lived a full life, son! Jor-El can do whatever he wants to do to me as long as you're free!

Clark: I'll never be free!

Jonathan: Clark! No!

Clark turns to the wall, ignoring Jonathan's words. A force begins to pull on him, stretching him toward the wall. He struggles against it, frightened, until his whole body becomes nothing but a disordered mass of molecules and is sucked into the wall.

The fiery rope around Jonathan's neck releases him, and Jonathan falls to the floor unconscious. The cave is suddenly dark and completely silent, and Jonathan lies on the ground motionless.

Clark is gone.

---

Lionel sits in a lonely chair in the middle of his prison cell. Day. The guard opens the door, and a large, muscled man with long hair, a beard, and several tattoos on his arm enters the cell. He is wearing a t*nk top, revealing his massive arms. The man walks to Lionel and the cell door closes behind him.

Lionel raises his eyes to the man.

Lionel: Do it.

The man walks toward Lionel and grabs a handful of Lionel's long hair, tilting his head to the side.

The following portion of the episode is a montage of different scenes that are all happening at the same time. They all happen in slow motion, and as they play out, we hear Mozart's Requiem playing.

Cut to Martha stepping out the front door of the farmhouse. She looks into the distance with a worried expression on her face. Something is wrong. She walks toward the porch steps and starts coming down them.

Lionel sits in his chair in the prison cell. All we see are his eyes staring straight ahead coldly.

A black car pulls into a driveway. When it parks, we see that the license plate says "US Government." Out of the car steps Chloe and her father Gabe. They have arrived at their new home in an unknown city under the protection of the FBI, as she mentioned earlier to Lex.

The large man in Lionel's cell pulls back a section of Lionel's hair and holds electrical clippers above Lionel's head, preparing to shave it.

In his study in the mansion, Lex pours a glass of brandy and raises it to his lips to drink.

A long strip of Lionel's hair is shaved away from the top of his head, leaving a wide line of baldness.

Martha gets to the bottom of the stairs and walks toward the field next to the farmhouse with an expression of shock on her face.

The man shaving Lionel's head lets a large clump of Lionel's long hair fall to the floor.

Chloe and Gabe carry their bags toward the house. Gabe reaches for the doorknob, and Chloe looks back at the government car nervously. The agent in the passenger seat grins at Chloe as the car drives away.

The right side of Lionel's head is almost completely bald. He is still staring forward calmly.

Lex puts the glass of brandy to his mouth and closes his eyes as he takes a long drink.

The hair is gone from the right side of Lionel's head, and the man begins working on the left.

Martha's walk toward the field at the side of the farmhouse turns into a panicked jog as she becomes more afraid.

Another large chunk of Lionel's hair falls in front of his face toward his lap.

Gabe opens the front door to his and Chloe's new house and peeks inside. Chloe turns her gaze from the street to her father who looks back at Chloe with a small smile and walks into the house. Chloe follows him in looking around curiously.

The chunk of Lionel's hair lands in his lap.

Chloe closes the door behind her, and through the decorated glass in the door, we see her suddenly engulfed in a blast of flames that shakes the ground. We watch from above as the entire house explodes violently.

Lionel looks forward with frightening coldness and quiet anger as the clippers shave another strip of hair from his head.

Martha stands mystified at the fence enclosing the field, staring at a fire burning on the ground.

Lex grabs his throat with a look of shock and pain on his face, and he begins to fall to the ground.

A lock of Lionel's hair falls to the ground in front of Lionel's feet.

Lex falls, landing on a glass coffee table and shattering it. He thumps to the floor.

Lionel tilts his face slightly as the clippers run up the back of his head.

Martha watches as the small fire in the middle of the field suddenly spreads out into an enormous Kryptonian symbol consisting of a line crossing through a circle and a triangle.

Jonathan remains motionless on the floor of the Kawatche caves. His eyes are shut and his mouth hangs open slightly.

The man continues to work on the back of Lionel's head, pulling large chunks of hair out of the way and letting them drop.

We see the Kryptonian symbol in the Kent field, burning brightly.

Lex lies on the floor of his study amid the broken shards of glass from the coffee table, holding his throat and writhing in pain.

The man brushes the remaining hair from Lionel's shoulders and back, then walks away. Lionel sits in the chair with his head bowed. He is completely bald. He runs one hand over his head, and then the other hand. A look of immense satisfaction saturates his features.

Lionel: Thank you.

Lionel smiles slightly.

Cut to the top of Clark's head. Our view of him is misty and shimmering, almost as if he is underwater. We hear the voice of Jor-El.

Jor-El: Kal-El, my son.

Clark raises his head and looks around. The sh*t widens and we see that Clark isn't wearing a shirt.

Jor-El: Now you shall be reborn.

The sh*t widens even more, and we see that Clark is completely naked and curled up in a fetal position. He shivers slightly.

We see that he is lying inside a large triangular womb. The sh*t gets bigger and the womb flies away into the distance, disappearing in a mass of smoke.

End