07x15 - Veritas

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"Veritas"

Original Air Date on March 27, 2008

[ Screeching ]

[ Food rattling ] Hey.

[ Chirping ]

[ Dog barking ]

[ Barking continues ]

[ Wings flapping ]

[ Barking continues ]

[ Barking continues ]

[ Barking continues ]

[ Bird shrieks ]

[ Barking ]

[ Barking viciously ]

[ Vicious barking continues ]

[ Door opens ]

Quiet morning.

It's cold, still ...

bleak.

Almost reminds you of Krypton, doesn't it?

Who are you?

The answer to many of your unanswered questions.

I seriously think you have the wrong farmhouse.

I would have expected a girl raised by such a stoic race to be a better liar.

But you're just as transparent as Kal-El.

How do you know Kal-El?

I've been watching.

I don't know what you want, but that life is in my past.

Only because you have no option to return, but you would wouldn't you?

You have to miss the way things used to be.

Getting memory back must have been ...

a disappointment.

I like my life here.

And I think you should leave.

That's a valiant effort, but it's not the truth.

What if I told you, that there was a way to go back ...

To save everyone you loved?

I'd say you weren't the first Kryptonian to use those memories against me.

And it won't work.

That's unfortunate, because I need you.

Sorry.

That's not my problem.

At least you can't say I didn't ask nicely.

Just remember, if we'd have done this my way, no one would have gotten hurt.

---

Why didn't you tell me there was another Kryptonian on earth?

You were halfway across the country with no memory. He's not a guy.

He's a machine.

He's a computer.

Brainiac.

The last time I went up against this thing, he wanted me to release Zod.

But you destroyed Zod, right?

What is he after now?

Me.

Your father.

He made a lot of bad choices toward the end. Is it possible that he and, Zod were allies?

Never.

If there's one thing that our fathers agreed on, it was their hatred for Zod.

Then why has he turned his attention toward you?

I don't know.

But when we go up against him, it would be helpful if we were all on the same playing field.

Or should I say "sky"?

[ Sighs ]

Aren't articles supposed to have words?

[ Chuckles ]

I just start with the best part and work backwards.

My photo card has an equally big blank spot that's dying to be filled, and I was, just wondering if ...

If you needed some eye candy to complement those pros, but it looks like ...

Don't they put you guys on assignment?

The little stuff.

But now that the news is brought to you by Luthorcorp, I need something really big to stay off the gallows.

Don't worry. Lex couldn't hate you more than he hates me.

So why not give him a double whammy?

Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen in their big debut.

What about Chloe?

I know this will shock you, but Clark called, and, Chloe ran off on some big secret project.

[ Computer beeps ]

[ Sighs ]

[ Keyboard keys clacking ]

Better make sure that camera is loaded with a*mo, 'cause I got tomorrow's headline.

"Daughter of nobel-winning astronomer m*rder*d."

That Swann woman they fished out of the lake last night?

I thought that she drowned.

More like sank.

Kind of hard to swim after you've been sh*t.

All the tracks have been covered, Mr. Luthor.

No one will ever be able to trace the locket back to you.

I don't need to remind you.

Absolute secrecy.

After this many years, trust me, I understand the magnitude of this moment.

It's funny.

All those global treasure hunts and cave excavations, and the secret of Veritas was so much closer than I thought.

I suppose it's poetic in a way.

Most things we spend our lives searching for, usually are right in front of us.

There is one thing I don't quite understand.

You say you've been searching your whole life.

But I thought you didn't learn about Veritas until recently.

I've always known my father was covering a secret.

A secret of cryptic symbols and mystic stones.

I just didn't know it had a name.

And what was it?

The final piece?

My own memory.

After the first meteor shower, there were years I blocked out.

But ever since I was sh*t in Detroit, I keep having flashes of things that I'd forgotten.

And that's how you remembered that.

Come on, Patty. It's your turn.

But, I just went.

Okay. I'll go.

Ready or not, here I come.

[ Breathing heavily ]

[ Indistinct talking ]

[ Muffled ]

Dr. Swann has been very open about the traveler.

Has he?

I feel like I'm trying to solve a puzzle fill with a few pieces, he's keeping things from us. He's being cautious.

From the mutiny you're suggesting, he should be.

Swann only tells us what we need to know. It's safer that way.

[ Distinctly ]

I understand, but suppose it's all been a trick, a ruse?

If we don't open that envelope, Dr. Swann's conclusions could be as mythical as the gods of mount Olympus.

Virgil's gonna be here any minute. I suggest you don't, refer to his life's work as mythology.

Veritas ... is the greatest secret the world will ever know.

We form this group to use our wealth and power to protect that secret, - not expose it.

Is that Robert Queen talking, or Virgil Swann?

You're sounding more like him every day.

[ Scoffs ]

Yes.

Dr. Swann made the discovery alone, but that does not give him the right to keep it to himself.

Just give me the envelope, please.

We promised that we would meet the traveler before we decided to pursue a way to control him.

Don't talk to me about promises.

You've been working in secret with Dr. Swann, haven't you?

And you, Edward, you and Genevieve gallivanting around the world, you've been searching for those magical stones.

This is bigger than the Queens or the Teagues or the Luthors!

Long before our families united, men d*ed protecting the secret of Veritas.

If Edward's ancestors are right, they've been sacrificing themselves to protect it for centuries.

If Dr. Swann's prediction is correct, the traveler is coming now. We can't wait.

That envelope and the secret inside it, will give us ultimate power.

You're afraid. You don't trust yourself with that, do you?

There isn't one among us, who could resist that temptation.

We agreed, we would not open that envelope unless the traveler proved to be a thr*at.

That's why Swann and I are flying to Zurich, to make sure that the secret is kept locked safely away, and ultimate power is left in the hands of the gods.

Find the bank this key belongs to.

That could take months.

Try 24 hours. It's in Zurich.

[ Door closes [ Sighs ]

---

Do you have any comment on the death of Patricia Swann?

Put the camera down.

Put it down.

Very resourseful.

I realize that an appointment or a press conference would be too, "Conventional" for you, miss Lane, but ...

You wouldn't take an interview with me if your life depended on it.

So what makes you think I'll respond to an ambush?

Here's your chance to tell the truth.

Before you're hauled away for m*rder.

[ Laughs ]

I can't decide.

Is it boundless courage you have, or is it incorrigible stupidity?

Potato, "po-tah-to."

You were the last person to speak with Swann, before the poor woman ended up sucking pond water.

All right.

This clever conversation is now over.

Suit yourself, but I'm not gonna be the only one asking questions.

According phone records, you had five calls in one day from a woman who was previously sequestered overseas.

Same day that she ended up dead.

Business calls, evidence of a business transaction, which it was.

I don't doubt that.

Look.

Every photo ever taken of Patricia Swann, shows her wearing this locket.

Not only was this locket missing when they fished her out of the lake, but there was a burn, right here on her neck, where the chain was forcibly removed.

Very sad.

My heart goes out to her family.

If that is all from the dynamic duo, security will be very happy to help you find your way out. .

[ Air whooshing ]

Easy as pie.

I know you sent Lana off to !sis so she wouldn't see your maiden voyage.

When are you gonna stop stalling?

Not helping.

I'm sorry.

But it's just really easy.

Just up, up, and away.

I don't have time for this.

You saw Brainiac fly away.

How do you plan on catching him?

It won't matter if we don't find him first.

Instead, we're wasting time with abilities that I don't have yet.

Fine. You cover the land, and I'll cover the sky.

I wish it were that easy.

Chloe's been working overtime trying to help me locate Brainiac.

Then he just shows up with no warning.

There's got to be some way to track him.

Power.

Everyone needs to be fueled by something.

He's not affected by the sun like we are.

So what does he run on?

Maybe energy.

He's a computer.

[ Electrical zappingand zzing ]

Hello, lana.

[ Gasps ]

[ Chuckles ]

Let me go.

[ Chuckles ]

[ Electrical buzzing ]

Aah!

---

[ Elevator bell dings ]

Hello, Lana.

Let me go.

Why didn't you tell me they found her last night?

I just walked through the door.

Another member of the Veritas clan silenced.

Do you think Lionel's behind this?

I know he was throwing suspicion onto Lex when you were captured, but nothing I dug up reveals any links, between Lex and the Veritas clan other than his father.

Looks like all the roads leads to Lionel.

What if she d*ed ...

protecting me, Chloe?

Protecting my secret.

We don't have time for guilt right now.

I spent the entire morning, sweet-talking the centurion at the department of water and power.

He finally agreed to fast-track my password approval, so that we could scan the power grids for any unusual surges.

Brazil, Honduras ...

Florida.

Brainiac really gets around.

Oh, my god.

What is it?

A massive power surge flared up in Metropolis, right near the !sis foundation.

[ Air whooshes ]

Save it for the police.

I came to see Lana.

I'd hoped that she could talk some sense into you, but we're running out of time, son.

You must listen to me.

You've already destroyed the life of one son. You don't get a second chance.

The only real son you have hates you just as much as I do.

That doesn't matter.

You've got to listen to me. Please!

It doesn't, cause you're just gonna wash your hands in it, aren't you?

Just like you did when you m*rder*d Dr. Swann?

And the Queens?

You haven't changed.

Patricia told me, and you k*lled her.

I'd never ...

But it's not important.

What you think of me, but ...

There are some things that you should know.

I have kept your secret hidden longer than you imagine.

I should have listened to my father.

I was stupid to think you could care about anyone other than yourself.

You're less human than I am.

There's something, I must give you. Here, take this. Please!

There's nothing you have that I want. Where's Lana?

I don't know. The receptionist, said she had a visitor, and then she left.

A visitor.

[ Air whooshes ]

Thank god you weren't at !sis!

I was afraid Brainiac had gone there to find you.

Lana, your hand.

[ Water bubbling ]

So much for teamwork.

Why'd you disappear on me?

I thought you were gonna check in with me when you and Chloe found Brainiac.

What's wrong?

What happened?

It's Brainiac. He's done something.

It was supposed to be me.

"Deliver Kara."

"Daily planet."

[ Air whooshes ]

Lana, please.

---

It kind of takes the intrigue out of breaking and entering.

Why do you think that Lionel share his deep, dark, murderous secret with Lana?

He left his office and came straight here. Just look around.

[ Whistles ]

I am sorry, but this is really, creepy.

Sexy.

No way.

Who is that?

Patricia Swann's driver/suspected k*ller who's vanished.

Right.

And that's significant because ... ?

"Lana, I'm innocent. You have to believe me. I need your help. Lionel."

[ Sighs ]

The guy who k*lled Patricia Swann wasn't hired by Lionel. He was working for Lex.

[ Policeman's whistle blows ]

They're preparing the jet.

I hope you found the bank.

We traced the key to the national depository of Switzerland, but we hit a roadblock.

When we're this close, I think it's fair to say, that persuading a glorified teller should be the least of our worries.

If someone's holding out, - pay them whatever they're asking.

This bank held off the Third Reich, the Sicilian Mafia, and Al-Qaeda. With all due respect, I'm fairly certain they won't bow to you.

I don't understand.

If they're requiring authorization, that's not an issue.

We have the key.

We have one key.

Each safety-deposit box in the high-security vault requires two.

Two?

We've already started trying to track down the other, but ...

we don't have any leads.

[ Whooshing noises ]

[ Imitating explosions ]

[ Door opens ]

Lionel: Hold on a minute, will you?

The divers, did they find find anyone who survived?

No, sir.

The Queens have been confirmed dead.

And their son, Oliver?

Away at boarding school.

Their key, do you have the key?

Your helicopter's waiting, sir.

Thank you.

I've got it.

We just need Dr. Swann's.

Listen to me one more time.

The traveler is useless to us unless we can control him.

The answer to that, is sitting in a safety-deposit box in Zurich.

[ Sighs ]

We'll talk later, all right?

Are you ready for an adventure, son?

Where's your tie?

Here we go.

We are gonna fly in a helicopter, to a friendly little town, just outside the city, called Smallville.

[ Chuckles ]

Let's go.

I'm not sure we need to look that far for the key.

Sir?

Like you said, most things we're searching for are closer than we realize.

[ Air whooshes ]

I can't let you do this.

What happened to Lana, it's my fault.

Brainiac wants me.

But we don't know what for.

And I won't lose you and Lana.

You won't have to.

What did you do to Lana?

A little adjustment to her central nervous system.

Absolutely irreversible by any human standards, completely reversible by me.

Whatever you want me to do.

Just don't let Lana suffer.

I'm afraid that she is suffering.

There's part of Lana that is completely aware of what's happening around her, but she has no control over her body.

Her motor skills, her speech, every breath she takes, is controlled by me.

Leave her out of this.

Did I mention that Lana is in excruciating pain?

She just can't express it.

But you can end this.

Just come with me.

It's a trap!

You can't trust him!

It's the only way to save Lana.

[ Air whooshes ]

[ Air whooshing ]

[ expl*si*n ]

---

Miss sullivan, you must talk to Clark.

I need you to talk to Clark.

A little late to mend that fence.

Amazing how a couple of cold-blooded murders can come between people.

I have taken moral responsibility, for every atrocity I committed in the past.

Past?! Try last week!

Maybe even today. Who knows with you?

I did not k*ll Patricia Swann.

After you knocked off her father and the rest of the Veritas coven of yours, I'm supposed to believe you why?

Because I was given a gift.

I was chosen by Jor-El to serve him, to be his vessel, his emissary.

And that changed me.

That made me a different man.

We're not stupid.

You preyed on Clark's inherent need to find good in all people, and his constant willingness for forgiveness.

But now you have cried wolf one too many times.

Pease.

I'm begging you to listen.

Clark won't talk to me.

He's turned away from Jor-El, and now he is vulnerable.

He is in terrible danger.

If he's in any danger, it's only from you.

I've repented!

That's right. You're an intensely spiritual man.

You amassed all the power a human could until you found out about Clark.

Befriending him is the closest thing you'll ever get to seeing god.

Protecting him is the only way I found to pay for my sins.

And isn't that what we all want?

To repent, and be forgiven.

But none of that matters.

Because what's coming, is so terrible.

Another false warning. You seriously need to come up with a new line.

How is she?

I'm so sorry.

I really need to find Brainiac Please tell me that you've got a lead.

I wish I did, but it's like Kara and Brainiac vanished off the map.

[ Door opens ]

You can see her now.

I'll wait here for you.

It's me, Clark.

You're too late, Kal-El.

[ Clark crying ]