Smallville, Season 3

Morgan Edge:
You've made quite a reputation for yourself. I set up this test so I could see with my own eyes if you were man or myth. And clearly, you're both.

Clark:
Well, I'm glad I could clear it up for you... Mr. Edge.

Edge:
I'd like to talk about a job opportunity.

Clark:
Thanks. But I'm really not looking for work right now. I like to fly solo.

Edge:
No matter how many bullets bounce off you, Kal, you're still a kid, and I'm the biggest crime boss in Metropolis.

Clark:
Well, I would think you could afford better help.

Edge:
That's why we're talking. I got this one job. It'll make you Midas rich. So when you are tired of playing the little league, you know where to find me.

Lex:
You killed your father.

Louis:
Yeah, it was inevitable. I had to do it. Only one of us could survive. See, back there, he was a rich and powerful guy. He was always criticizing me, never thinking I was good enough. And it just kept chipping away, chipping away till there was nothing left... I thought you and I were kindred spirits.

Lex:
No, Louis. You're a psychopath.

Louis:
Well, there's one in all of us. I just let mine out.

Jonathan:
Clark, it's me.

Clark:
Jonathan. How's the farm?

Jonathan:
Clark, your mother and I love you very much and we want you to come home.

Clark:
Is that right? Hey, what about not dwelling on the past and making a fresh new start? Come on, you can admit it. You're happier I'm gone.

Jonathan:
Son, that's not true.

Clark:
I'm not your son! And you're not my parents, you never have been! You never will be!

Lana:
Clark, what is the matter with you? Your parents love you! I love you.

Clark:
Do you always betray the people you love?

Edge:
I need you to break into a secure building. The office on the 60th floor has a very valuable package. It's in a titanium-reinforced steel safe. Not a job for mere mortals.

Clark:
Sounds like easy money.

Edge:
I haven't told you where you're going yet.

Clark:
[reads a card] LuthorCorp Plaza. You want me to break into Lionel Luthor's office?

Edge:
Will that be a problem?

Clark:
No. It'll be my pleasure.

Jonathan:
Hello, Clark.

Clark:
Jonathan Kent. Isn't it a little past your bedtime? How'd you find me?

Jonathan:
Your biological father.

Clark:
You two are working together now, huh? That's cute. But I didn't listen to him and I'm certainly not gonna listen to you.

Jonathan:
You don't realize how dangerous you are when you're wearing that ring!

Clark:
It's not the ring. I was born that way. You just can't accept it.

[Jonathan sees the Kryptonian symbol burned on Clarks chest]

Jonathan:
What in the hell did Jor-El do to you, Clark?

Clark:
He made sure I'd never forget who my real father is.

Lana:
You warned me there were things about you that I wouldn't understand. I guess I just didn't want to believe it.

Clark:
I was protecting you.

Lana:
From what? That's the part I can't figure out because, Clark, the only thing that keeps hurting me is you.

Lex:
It's ironic. In the most remote solitude I still managed to find an enemy. I suppose I was just hallucinating from malaria, but the enemy I found was real. I got a good look at myself, or at least the part I've always tried to ignore.

Clark:
Lex, I guess we all got to take a look at our dark side sooner or later.

Lex:
The problem is if you stare at it long enough, it can get hard to tell the two sides apart.

Lana:
How could you let everyone worry like that?

Chloe:
Because the more pressure I put on him, the more he pulled away. I mean, you saw him, Lana. He wasn't exactly the charming flannel king we all know and love. It was like he was a...

Lana:
A different person.

Chloe:
Yeah. Let's face it, Lana. Clark has more issues than "Rolling Stone."

Jonathan:
We can't accept this.

Lex:
There's nothing to accept but my gratitude. After the plane went down, I made my way into one of the broken wings. This compass, your wedding present, guided me to safe harbor. The least I can do is help you keep your farm.

Jonathan:
We will find a way to pay you back.

Lex:
I'm not worried about that, Mr. Kent. If it's not too presumptuous, I hope you'll just consider me part of the family.

Clark:
Look, I know this is gonna sound bizarre, but this kid Van, he's convinced that the meteor rocks in Smallville have altered certain people.

Lex:
What do you mean by altered?

Clark:
He thinks they've developed different abilities than the rest of us, and he's hunting them. Lex, he had a hit list. They found it in his cabin, and you're on it.

Lex:
Clark, the only abilities I have are playing the market and falling for the wrong women.

Lex:
I wouldn't worry about it, Dad. I'm insured now.

Lionel:
Not yet. There's some difficulty getting you underwritten by Lloyd's of London.

Lex:
On what grounds?

Lionel:
Your tendency to attract near-death experiences has made you too great a liability.

Lex:
I would think surviving would count for something.

Lana:
Clark, I really thought I was going to die.

Clark:
You've been through worse.

Lana:
Because you've been there to protect me, but I knew you weren't coming this time, so when Van showed up I guess I was just relieved that there were others like you out there.

Clark:
He's not like me. You have to see him for what he is. He's a killer. Lana, it's okay to be mad at people who try to hurt you, but it's not fair to take it out on everyone who's been affected by the meteors. It's not their fault. No one asks to be different.

Lana:
Life would just be so much better for everybody if the meteor shower never happened.

Lex:
How many times have I come face to face with death and walked away without a scratch? I've practically lost count.

Clark:
Weirder things have happened.

Lex:
All this time I thought the reason I survived that Porsche accident was because of you, Clark. Now I'm not so sure. See, I've always tried to explain everything by looking outside myself. But maybe the truth lies inside my own physiology. Maybe I am a freak.

Lana:
What I don't understand is you're willing to walk into bullets for me, but you won't share what's going on inside. Clark, if you don't open up to the people that love you, you'll always be alone. I can't believe you want to spend your life like that.

Clark:
I may not have a choice.

Lana:
You always have a choice.

Clark:
Pete, did you see that guy?

Pete:
What guy?

Clark:
How could you miss him? He had a big red cape on!

Lex:
Interesting theory, Clark.

Clark:
I know it sounds crazy, but that's what happened.

Lex:
Now you're saving people in your dreams, too. I bet a shrink would have a field day with that scenario.

Lex:
Legend has it this sword was forged in the fires of Mount Fuji. The blade can cut through anything. The Katai never took it into battle. They never had to, till the day the strongest Katai turned on his own. One by one, the Katai fell at his hand. Nothing left to lose, the last of the Katai lunged at the warrior with this sword. The blade cut him clean in two. But when the warrior's armor fell away, the Katai saw he wasn't even human.

[Lex strikes Clark with the sword, shattering it]

Lex:
Just like you, Clark. See, I've always been honest with you. But it turns out you've been lying to me from the first day I laid eyes on you.

Clark:
No, Lex, I can explain!

Lex:
It's too late! The irony is all you had to do was come to me, Clark. I was your friend. I would've protected your secret. I would've protected you. But I couldn't be trusted because I'm a Luthor.

Clark:
No, that's not it!

Lex:
I don't care! I'm going to dedicate myself to ensuring the whole world knows who Clark Kent really is. Life as you know it is over.

Lana:
Well, it's been like an oven outside, so I was thinking we could go swimming at Crater Lake.

Clark:
Yeah... I really don't think skinny-dipping is a good idea.

Lana:
Who said anything about skinny-dipping? Maybe in your dreams, Clark.

Clark:
According to NASA the sun took a direct hit from a comet today, causing one of the biggest solar flares ever to be recorded.

Martha:
Oh, you sound intrigued.

Clark:
Actually it's a relief to be researching a cosmic disaster that has nothing to do with me.

Perry White:
I finally found my story.

Clark:
For some insane reason, it's me. Chloe told me. I don't think it's funny.

Perry White:
Oh, it's not a joke, Clark. I got the facts to back it up.

Clark:
What kind of facts are those?

Perry White:
The accident, the power lines, your magical appearance as your family tractor drops out of the sky.

Clark:
I explained that.

Perry White:
"It fell off a truck." That's not an explanation, that's a punch line. I spent the morning combing through police records and newspaper stories. You're Johnny on the Spot, Clark. You're Smallville's own hero on deck.

Clark:
Trust me, Mr. White, there's nothing special about me.

Perry White:
Oh, that's where you're wrong, kid. So far I got you pegged as really strong and shock-resistant. The question is, what other tricks have you got up your sleeve?

Clark:
Mr. White, don't do this.

Perry White:
See, the way I figure it, you're strong, you're shockproof, you're incredibly fast. Plus you're cursed with this hero complex.

Clark:
Yeah, why don't you come back down on the deck and we'll talk about that.

Perry White:
No. Not till I have my story.

Clark:
Wait, Mr. White? Look, you're wrong about me.

Perry White:
I'm betting you'll save me, Clark.

Perry White:
Thanks again for the ride.

Clark:
It's the only way I could be sure you'd get on the bus.

Perry White:
You really are kind of a freak, you know that?

Clark:
Mr. White...

Perry White:
I'm serious. You try to help people, even fools like me, and you never ask for anything in return. When I saw your face up there after it was all over, I suddenly realized I was about to tear down a good person. I just couldn't believe there was actually anyone like you out there.

Clark:
Trust me, Mr. White, I'm not that good.

Clark:
Something tells me the world hasn't seen the last of Perry White.

Perry White:
Something tells me you're right. Rumor has it I still have a friend or two on the Daily Planet. Oh, by the way, I went over a couple more of your Torch stories.

Clark:
And?

Perry White:
Well, they're rough, and half the time you buried the lead, but I see a glimmer of hope. If you ever make it to Metropolis, look me up. I owe you one.

Lana:
Why would he lie to me? It's not like he's gonna get the last 40 years of his life back.

Clark:
Lana, convicted murderers spend half their day trying to convince people they're innocent.

Lana:
Clark, that drawing looks exactly like you. So unless Dexter could've predicted the future, there's a pretty good chance that drifter was real. It could've been your grandfather. Even your father.

Clark:
That's impossible.

Lana:
Why? You must've come from somewhere. It's not like you just fell out of the sky.

Clark:
Since when can you take police records out of City Hall?

Chloe:
Since I caught the clerk and his girlfriend playing cops and robbers while on the job.

Lex:
So you took the liberty of rewriting our family history?

Lionel:
That's right. Why should I have to pay for the sins of my father?

Lex:
Sounds familiar.

Joe:
When I said I wasn't from here, I wasn't talking about Smallville. Where I'm from we have colors that you've never seen. Our moons are so close they fill up half the sky. We have sunsets that last for hours.

Clark:
I think Jor-El was sent here as some kind of rite of passage. Grandpa Kent was down here too. He told Joe that if there was anything he needed...

Jonathan:
What is it, Clark?

Clark:
I don't think you and Mom found me by accident... I think you were chosen.

Chloe:
The American version of closure. You can only get over your grief when you figure out how to merchandise your tragedy.

Jonathan:
Oh, something must be wrong if he stuck his head in the refrigerator and didn't eat the last piece of cherry pie.

Clark:
It's nothing. It's just Lana. Seth Nelson asked her out.

Martha:
What did she say?

Clark:
She said yes so fast it gave me whiplash.

Jonathan:
Look, Clark, jealousy is a tough emotion.

Clark:
Dad, I'm not jealous!

Jonathan:
Ah...

Clark:
Well, maybe a little bit.

Chloe:
Finally. I didn't think you were gonna show. Not that Clark Kent ever operates on the same speed as the rest of the world.

Chloe:
You're a Luthor, so it's a given that you're unscrupulous, but I really thought that petty larceny was beneath you, Lex.

Lex:
Can you be a little more specific with the charge?

Chloe:
I caught some creep in my office trying steal one of my computers. I figured either you or your father hired him.

Lex:
But you're accusing me.

Chloe:
You're what they euphemistically call the lesser of two evils.

Lex:
I admire your take-charge attitude. Barging in here and accusing me took guts... or sheer stupidity.

Chloe:
How did he die?

Lex:
Natural causes. Apparently his heart just gave out.

Chloe:
And you believe that?

Lex:
Given what he was looking into, I doubt there was anything natural about his death.

Chloe:
How do I know you're not just playing me here?

Lex:
[sarcastic] You're right, Chloe. I could be. I often bring high school girls to the morgue to show them what happens when trained professionals cross my father.

Chloe:
Well, there's nothing in my files worth killing for.

Lex:
We've got a corpse here that says you're wrong.

Lionel:
How did you get in here, Lex?

Lex:
Well, when people think you're insane and you're holding a rifle to their head, they, uh, tend to do what you ask.

Lex:
You know what disappoints me, Dad?

Lionel:
All right, tell me.

Lex:
You hired pros to kill me. You always taught me, "If you want something done right, son, do it yourself!"

Edge:
If we'd done it my way, you'd be dead by now.

Lex:
What are you talking about?

Edge:
You really believe you could have escaped if I wanted to kill you? It was your father's idea to make you look crazy instead.

Lex:
You're lying!

Edge:
It's true, Lex. Lionel's gone soft in his old age. He was willing to lose his parents, but he said he couldn't bear to lose another child.

Clark:
Thank you.

Lex:
Don't thank me, Clark. You're part of this. I have to kill you too.

Lionel:
You know, I was never quite sure which of them was more out of touch with reality - Don Quixote, jousting with imaginary enemies, or his loyal lackey Sancho Panza, indulging his master's fantasies in spite of the danger to everyone else.

Adam:
I think you're getting off way too easily.

Lana:
Excuse me?

Adam:
You have to learn to push through the pain. If we all sat down every time it hurt, this country never would've been built.

Lana:
Well, I doubt the founding fathers broke their legs in four places.

Adam:
What happened, bad pileup at cheerleading practice?

Lionel:
When your attempt to escape failed, you sabotaged my efforts to have you released, to be cared for at home.

Lex:
But I told you. I'm cured. A cured patient doesn't belong in a hospital.

Lionel:
Oh, it's painful to see you like this. You know I have your best interest at heart, don't you?

Lex:
The only interest you have... is staying out of prison. I'm not insane, and you know it.

Lionel:
It's sad to see a man who's lost his mind. But it's tragic when he's convinced himself that he's sane.

Clark:
How is Lana?

Chloe:
It's been really tough. She could use some moral support.

Clark:
I sent her a card.

Chloe:
Nothing says "I love you" more than a $1.50 piece of cardboard.

Pete:
Clark, he knows your secret.

Clark:
I can't let him turn Lex into a vegetable just for that.

Pete:
You can't trust him.

Clark:
And you've never given him a chance.

Pete:
And you give him too many. You think it's easy keeping a lid on your secret? I've got to think about it every time we're around other people to make sure I don't slip. I've got to remember to say "meteor rock" instead of "kryptonite." And I always got to cover your unexplained exits.

Clark:
Pete, I'm sorry. You've never said anything.

Pete:
Clark, that's not the point. The point is that I got your back. But Lex won't.

Eric:
Welcome back to being normal, Clark. Kind of sucks, doesn't it?

Lana:
One thing I learned from my accident is that you can't go through something like this alone.

Clark:
Lana, just because I'm blind doesn't mean the issues between us have disappeared. This doesn't change anything.

Lana:
I was just offering a helping hand, Clark. But I won't make that mistake again.

Pete:
Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder obviously hasn't met the two of you.

Chloe:
Believe it or not, Clark, I was trying to help you.

Clark:
Oh, by spying on me.

Chloe:
No, by just trying to understand why he's so intrigued with you.

Clark:
And if the Torch got a few new computers and you made a name for yourself at the Daily Planet, that was okay too. For all the times you accused me of keeping secrets, how could you do this to me?!

Chloe:
He just... he caught me at an especially bad time. And I caved. I've been trying to get out of it ever since, but when people like Lionel Luthor have you, they don't want to let go. You know, I thought that you out of all people would understand making a stupid decision in a moment of weakness. But I guess I was wrong.

Pete:
Clark. Your parents are ready to start gluing your picture to milk cartons. How'd you get out here, anyhow?

Clark:
I walked. Turns out I do know every inch of this farm. I really didn't mean to scare them, but I couldn't take all the noise.

Pete:
So your mega-hearing thing's back.

Clark:
Suddenly I'm the ultimate eavesdropper.

Pete:
You know, what can I say? Chicks dig a hero.

Clark:
Uh-huh.

Pete:
Hope you don't mind I'm bending the truth a little bit.

Clark:
Pete, look who you're talking to. The master truth-bender.

Clark:
You're not the same person you used to be.

Chloe:
Kind of like if I moved to Metropolis and became a motorcycle-riding party animal and told you to get out of my life. Kind of like that, right?

Chloe:
Well, I obviously didn't know what I was getting myself into. Just seems to be a nasty habit that I've picked up lately.

Lex:
I'm starting to get a complex. It seems all the women I find even remotely appealing turn out to be psychopaths.

Molly:
Birds of a feather.

Molly:
You don't understand. You don't know what it's like to be so different, to see things other kids can't see, to feel and to think about things they can't even imagine.

Clark:
Molly, Garner's not helping you.

Molly:
He made me feel normal, and I never thought that could happen. Now, if someone gave you that chance, wouldn't you protect them, too?

Lana:
Freaky Ninja Girls and all!

Lana:
What do you think?

Adam:
I think Norman Bates would be right at home here.

Jordan:
I had a vision of you too when you grabbed me in the hallway.

Clark:
What do you mean? What'd you see?

Jordan:
Like you don't have an end like other people. It's like you live forever.

Lana:
Jordan, I brought your homework.

Clark:
[to Jordan] Why do I get the feeling you've replaced me as your mentor?

Lana:
I've offered to help Jordan get back on his feet, and he is going to help me become faster on mine.

Clark:
I think you're getting the hang of this high school thing.

Martha:
You're awfully quiet today.

Clark:
Having someone tell you you can change destiny is a lot to handle.

Martha:
Clark, what's this really about?

Clark:
I'm just wondering if that's why I was really sent here. To change destiny. What if I make a wrong choice and I'm not there to make it right?

Martha:
It's a huge responsibility. You have to concentrate on the good that you do. Think of all the people you've saved. Your dad and me and Lex. He's turned out to be a really good friend. Sweetheart, you just have to do the best you can. You can't save everybody.

Lex:
They say music hath charms to sooth the savage breast.

Adam:
Don't count on it.

Pete:
I'm okay at hoops. I'm a decent photographer. But you saw that crowd last night. You heard them chanting my name. And for once in my life, I finally get to feel what you feel like every single day. I get to feel special.

Clark:
Pete, I'm not special. I'm different.

Pete:
Clark, who do you think you're kidding? You can do things that I could never even dream of. And ever since we were kids, even before I knew your secret, I've always been walking in your shadow.

Clark:
Pete, that's not true.

Pete:
Clark, don't get me wrong. It's not a bad place to be. But I'm growing up. I'm realizing that I got my own talents.

Clark:
Everything's taken care of. What you need to concentrate on is feeling better and your checkers strategy, not necessarily in that order.

Jonathan:
Clark, you've been here every night. Why don't you go out with your friends, have some fun.

Clark:
Why would I go out with my friends when I can beat my dad at checkers?

Adams:
Good work, Mr. Kent. It only took eight deputies and four cruisers to discover that that barn was as clean as my grandma's pantry.

Clark:
That couldn't be. I saw those license plates.

Adams:
The only plates in that barn were the ones in the kitchen sink. And none of the cars in there had VIN numbers even remotely similar to the ones you gave me.

Clark:
Sheriff, that's impossible.

Adams:
As usual, Mr. Kent, your information is about as accurate as the local weatherman. But I'm cutting you some slack this time because I've had my eye on Jason Dante for a while now, and he is one slippery fish. Next time you say there's a storm a-brewing, Mr. Kent, I better see some rain.

Clark:
Lex, you've done so much already, but I need a big favor.

Lex:
Name it.

Clark:
I need $20,000 dollars, cash.

Lex:
You're right. That is big. You mind telling me what it's for?

Clark:
My friend got mixed up with the wrong crowd, and now they're making him pay for it.

Lex:
Is this the old proverbial friend who happens to be you?

Jonathan:
In the world, things aren't always black and white. Sometimes you gotta wander out into the gray areas and do what you think is best.

Lionel:
[to a class] Now, you're all here to learn something about business. The most important element in anything to do with economic theory is the individual. Yes, you. Traditional rules, supply and demand--they're secondary. But to rise above those rules, to know when to break them, requires absolute personal commitment. I consider it a prerequisite for success.

Chloe:
[to Clark, quietly] And I consider it despicable, immoral, and possibly illegal.

Chloe:
What do you say we make a break for the fire escape?

Clark:
I could crawl down all 39 stories if this fieldtrip didn't count toward our final grade.

Chloe:
Welcome to the Lionel Luthor exhibit. Next floor: Victims, sycophants, and hatchet men.

Clark:
She's gone.

Jonathan:
What did she do, Clark, climb out the window?

Clark:
Actually, she teleported.

Jonathan:
You're gonna have to run that by me one more time.

Clark:
I just think that maybe we need to set some boundaries. You know, maybe some limitations.

Alicia:
We're special, Clark. People like us don't need boundaries and limitations.

Lex:
You go on one date with this girl, and already she's sneaking into your bedroom, putting sexy pictures of herself in your locker, and practically asking your parents to book the wedding chapel. What's your secret, Clark?

Clark:
You know, I always thought of my dad as a man of steel. I guess I was wrong.

Lex:
My father's been strangely stubborn about liquidating that property. Every market indicator says to sell, but he insists the neighborhood's about to be revitalized.

Chloe:
The only thing being revitalized in that neighborhood is the graffiti.

Lex:
Chloe, I think I should take it from here.

Chloe:
Lex, I'm perfectly capable--

Lex:
This has nothing to do with your capability. I'm worried about your safety. When my father's involved with covert research, people tend to get hurt.

Clark:
Dad, when that serum got close to the kryptonite bomb, it reacted the same way as my blood.

Martha:
So you're saying the serum...

Clark:
I know. It sounds crazy, but I think that Lionel Luthor has found a way to use my blood to bring people back to life. If my blood can save lives, maybe I should come forward. What if there's something inside me that can repair dad's heart permanently?

Jonathan:
Clark, your mother and I both know that you are gonna save a lot of lives in this world, even more than you have any idea.

Clark:
The only life I'm interested in saving is yours.

Jonathan:
You do. You save my life every day that you're with us. And we wouldn't trade that for a single moment without you.

Lana:
I should've said something about Adam sooner. I feel so guilty.

Clark:
None of this was your fault.

Lana:
Still, I let him threaten me into silence.

Clark:
Because you knew it would put people in danger. I understand keeping secrets for that reason.

Clark:
Pete, I think it's great that you spend so much time volunteering here.

Pete:
Well, someone's always been there for me when I've been in trouble. Seems like a good way to give something back.

Pretty Girl:
[flirty] Hi, Pete.

Clark:
And to hone your sensitive guy skills.

Clark:
We think it's some sort of a prank, Sheriff.

Adams:
You know, usually these situations originate a little closer to home than you'd expect. Any reason you might want to goose these boys with a little crank call, Miss Lang?

Clark:
Lana didn't have anything to do with this.

Adams:
You know, unless Miss Lang has grown several inches and developed an affinity for plaid, this would be a good time for you to pipe down.

Chloe:
Clark, how did you hear that?

Clark:
I guess I missed too many Linkin Park concerts.

Lex:
Tell the cops to drop the charges and give me immunity, and I'll give you the biggest arrest of your career.

FBI Agent:
What are we talking about?

Lex:
I'll help you bring down my father.

Lana:
Clark, there's still something I don't understand. How did you get from the hotline to the storage unit in a split second?

Clark:
It took me more than a few seconds... maybe it had something to do with the weird time anomaly. You know, there's something that I don't understand either. Why did you call the hotline instead of the police?

Lana:
Because I knew you'd be there.

Lex:
You know, Dad, they say mental illness is hereditary. I'm willing to accept my break with reality. Are you?

Lionel:
Oh, Lex, men of vision have so often been mocked. Galileo knew it was the earth that orbited the sun, and he was sentenced to death for that discovery.

Lex:
Where's the Inquisition when you need it?

Jonathan:
How'd you know to find me out here?

Clark:
When I'm searching for answers, I turn to my dad. I guess it runs in the family.

Jonathan:
Your grandfather was the stubbornest man I ever knew. And believe me, Clark, I wasn't nearly the son you are. My mother used to say that he and I were like watching two sides of the same coin duking it out. And I see the way you and Jor-El fight and I wonder if maybe fathers and sons were the same on Krypton.

Clark:
Except he's not my father. You are.

Jonathan:
Yeah... I am your father who turns his back on you when you need him the most. I am your father who forces you to run away. My father never would've done that.

Lex:
Look, I'm afraid I'm a little jaded in the romance department. The only thing I know about relationships is that someone usually winds up getting hurt.

Lana:
And you don't think I can trust Clark to not do that.

Lex:
I don't think it's about trust. It's like the German poet Rilke said, "A person isn't who they are during the last conversation you had with them. They're who they've been throughout your whole relationship."

Swann:
Fathers often want futures that their sons reject. That struggle is as old as the human race.

Clark:
Except I'm not human.

Swann:
Humanity is not only about biology.

Jonathan:
This is your last warning. Stay away from my son.

Lionel:
If you'd raised your son the way I raised mine, maybe you wouldn't have to protect him. You know, weakness isn't something you're born with. You learn it. And Clark learned his from you.

Clark:
You broke into the LuthorCorp plant the other night, didn't you? Something happened?

Chloe:
Wow. There may be some journalistic genes behind those baby blues after all.

Clark:
Chloe, for some reason, people are telling you things they don't want you to know, and it's not a joke.

Chloe:
No. But it is every reporter's dream.

Chloe:
My God, Clark, this is amazing! Can you imagine the kinds of stories I could break? I mean, I could crack the mystery that is Clark Kent! [pause] What do you keep hiding from me?

Clark:
I can't believe you just asked me that.

Chloe:
And you didn't answer. Everyone else would have. What are you so afraid of? That I'll get behind that armor and finally uncover your secret?

Chloe:
I do know that because of you, my dad can't get a job. So why would I help you?

Lex:
Because my father's the one who ordered his dismissal. You know that's the truth, don't you?

Chloe:
Meaning that my family's future is just one chess move in the endless game of one-upmanship played by you and your dad.

Lex:
It's not a game, Chloe. You're the only one who can get me the truth.

Chloe:
Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Why can't you just walk away from your father?

Lex:
Because he won't give me the only thing I've ever wanted from him.

Chloe:
And that would be?

Lex:
I want him to love me.

Lionel:
I'm impressed but unfortunately, I don't respond to blackmail. But you know, this isn't what's going to get your father's job back.

Chloe:
Then what would?

Lionel:
Information from an especially intransigent source.

Chloe:
Does this source have a name?

Lionel:
Two, actually. Jonathan and Martha Kent. But you need only ask one question.

Chloe:
Why would I ever do that?

Lionel:
Because I know that you have a special place in your heart for their son, and it's killing you that he's hiding something from you. And we both know that this may be the only opportunity you'll ever have to find out what that is.

Chloe:
And what exactly is it that you want to know?

Lionel:
Where did Clark Kent come from?

Chloe:
When you found me on the bridge, I was on my way here. I was gonna ask your parents all the questions you would never answer... look, I know "I'm sorry" has become a recurring motif in our relationship, but--

Clark:
No, Chloe, look, I appreciate your honesty, but you weren't yourself.

Chloe:
I really wish I could believe that. But there have been so many times when my curiosity has gotten the best of me. Maybe this is just who I am.

Clark:
No. You're going after the truth. Chloe, there's nothing wrong with that.

Chloe:
Unless it hurts the people you care most about. I'm just afraid that one day I'm gonna push too hard, and I'm not gonna get the chance to say I'm sorry.

Clark:
Today's not that day.

Martha:
[Concerned] You've hardly said anything about what happened at Summerholt.

Clark:
[Distracted] Don't worry Mom, my secret is still safe.

Martha:
Well, let me know if you want to talk about it.

[Martha goes to leave]

Clark:
Lara.

[Martha stops, she looks back at Clark]

Clark:
That was my biological mother's real name. She was my earliest memory. She sounded so scared. Her only fear was that nobody would love me.

Martha:
I can't imagine the feeling of sending my baby in a lifeboat across the stars.

Clark:
Because of Jor-El, I always thought that my biological parents were monsters. But she wasn't.... I just can't believe I forgot about her.

Martha:
[Comforting] You didn't, Clark; your first word was "Lara". Your father and I could never figure out what it meant, but now we know.

Clark:
I wish she could have met you, to see what a great mom I have.

Martha:
She knows, Clark. A mother's love never dies.

[They embrace]

Lex:
Lana told you about my nocturnal adventure, didn't she? I can see I spooked her. That usually sends her running to you.

Clark:
Are you okay?

Lex:
Well, I haven't lost my mind, Clark, if that's what you mean. I just indulged in a little harmless sleepwalking, that's all.

Clark:
Lex, you were on a ledge yelling Julian's name. You could've killed yourself.

Lex:
You know, when I found you asleep in the middle of Route 8 last year, I don't remember questioning your mental health.

Clark:
I hadn't just spent seven weeks at Belle Reve.

Lex:
According to my doctors I'm cured. But apparently, a clean bill of health isn't good enough for Clark Kent.

Lex:
Summerholt is a highly respected institution.

Lionel:
Respected? Lex, this Garner character operates on the outer fringes of accepted science.

Lex:
Well, then you should feel right at home.

Lillian:
I don't want to hold him.

Lionel:
Lillian, it's unnatural for a mother not to want to bond with her child. Please... I will not let you inflict psychological scars on my children.

Lillian:
That's why they have you, Lionel.

Lex:
I told you to let it go, but you kept pursuing it. You even involved my father.

Clark:
Yeah, well, believe me, Lex. He's the last person I'd ask for help, but I didn't have any other options.

Lex:
He betrayed you, Clark. He stopped my sessions with Garner by offering you up as a lab rat. I've tried to keep my father away from you, but he's obsessed. If I'd got back those seven weeks, I could've finally stopped him.

Clark:
Maybe, Lex. Or maybe you'd make it worse. You're always telling me how you don't want to turn into your father, and I truly believe that. But the more you two go at each other, the more like him you become. And the more people get hurt.

Lex:
I will never become my father. I would never sacrifice you or anybody I cared about to bring him down.

Clark:
Lex.... why does your father hate you so much?

Pete:
[on the phone] Why won't you listen to me? I told you I don't want to talk about it!

Chloe:
Note to self: Forward all telemarketing calls to Pete.

Clark:
Did you do this?

Lex:
What possible reason would I have to ransack the office of an obscure teaching assistant?

Clark:
Then tell me why you're here.

Lex:
You first.

Clark:
Jeremiah was gonna help me with a term paper.

Lex:
Term paper. So your visit doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he went ballistic in the caves last night and absconded with a sacred Kawatche artifact.

Clark:
I didn't know.

Lex:
I'm surprised. I mean, you usually keep such a close eye on everything that happens in the caves... for those term papers you're always writing.

Clark:
I know you want to believe it, but I'm not your savior. I mean, did you ever think that Jeremiah really is Naman? He has all the abilities foretold in the prophecy, and he's gonna try and kill Segeeth.

Willowbrook:
True. But he did not fall from the sky in a rain of fire. Jeremiah's desperate to be someone he's not. And you are desperate not be someone you are.

Clark:
Professor, I may be confused about who I am, but one thing I'm not is a killer.

Willowbrook:
You'd be surprised what you're capable of when the time comes.

Clark:
It also means the prophecy came true. The blade glowed and disintegrated when they touched it, which means either Lionel or Lex is my greatest enemy.

Martha:
Did you see which one grabbed it first?

Clark:
No. But I don't need a blade to tell me that Lionel Luthor is a bad person.

Martha:
If you're going to believe this legend, you have to face the possibility that it could be Lex.

Clark:
I'm not ready to do that.

Jonathan:
Clark, the Kawatche think that you're a savior. Jor-El wants you to be a conqueror. Now, knife or not, you can't let other people tell you what to be.

Clark:
Who do you think I'll become?

Jonathan:
I don't know. You can be the world's greatest hero or its most mild-mannered citizen, but the only person who can write your story, is you.

Clark:
You sound like Lex. He thinks I'm the reason Lana's leaving.

Pete:
Well, I hate to agree with Uncle Fester, but I don't think Lana's going to Paris just to see the Mona Lisa.

Lana:
Emily, you can't just force someone to be your friend. It's something that happens over time when you trust each other.

Emily:
I know what a friend is. A friend is someone who would stand up for you and protect you. A friend is someone who would jump in a river to save you from drowning, even if it meant they had to give up their own life for you. You don't need to tell me what it means to be a friend.

Lana:
Then you know that a friend would never keep me locked up in here.

Emily:
Get used to it. I did.

Clark:
What happened to you?

Pete:
FBI agent decided to go off payroll, wanted to know about you. Don't worry, I didn't tell him anything.

Clark:
I should have been there.

Pete:
That's just it. You can't always be there. I gotta look out for myself. I just thought you should know they're onto you.

Clark:
Thanks for the warning.

Pete:
Clark, the FBI isn't who I'm really warning you about. Lex was there. He's the one who pulled the Fed off me.

Clark:
He's investigating his father, not me.

Pete:
That doesn't matter. He knows. Now, I'm not exactly sure how much, but he's not gonna stop until he's got everything. Clark you've got to keep an eye on him. Look out for yourself.

Pete:
I'm moving to Wichita with my mom.

Clark:
No, Pete. I thought that... What about senior year? Pete, you can't do this because of me.

Pete:
I know that I told you keeping your secret wasn't hard. But I lied. I walk around every day afraid that I'm gonna slip up.

Clark:
Well, why didn't you tell me sooner?

Pete:
Because you needed a friend. And so did I.

Clark:
You don't have to move away. You don't have to change your whole life. There's got to be a way. No one even has to know we're friends.

Pete:
There's a lot of things that I can handle. But I could never live with myself if I betrayed you.

Lionel:
"Forgive them for they know not what they do." Is that what you expect from me? Forgiveness?

Lex:
Don't try to make me out as your own personal Judas. I didn't come here for forgiveness. I came here to congratulate you on sweeping another mishap under the rug. Emily Dinsmore.

Lionel:
Ah, yes, Emily Dinsmore. I should've remembered. You should've warned them. Belle Reve has a habit of misplacing its patients. The details. I've always tried to teach you, Lex. The devil is in the details. If you don't pay attention to the details, he'll win.

Lex:
Then it's a good thing I'm a fast learner. You went through all the trouble of having your own son committed to an asylum and shooting 600 volts of electricity through his body just to cover up your trespasses, but like I said, Dad, you've gotten careless.

Lex:
You knew all along my father murdered his parents, didn't you? And you never told me... 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 killed. 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 kill you, and I couldn't live with that.

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.

Kara:
[to Jonathan] Tell Kal-El what you did.

Clark:
What kind of deal did you make, Dad?

Jonathan:
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:
Jonathan, you didn't do that...

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

Kara:
I told you, Kal-El. They'll always betray you. Even the man you call your father.

Martha:
She killed 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?

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

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. 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:
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:
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.

[A wooden sign appears in a gathering of trees with the words Crater Lake painted in yellow. Day. Past the sign, Clark comes out of the trees and looks out at the lake. The lake is massive and blue. The sun shines down on it brightly and heavily wooded hills can be seen in the background. Clark smiles and walks out onto the narrow dock, stopping about halfway to the end and takes off his shirt. He starts to unbutton his pants and take off his shoes when he hears Lana's voice behind him]

Lana Lang:
Hi, Clark.

[Clark turns around as Lana walks up, smiling]

Clark Kent:
Lana. I didn't think anybody else was out here.

Lana Lang:
Well, it looks like we had the same idea for cooling off.

Clark Kent:
Yeah, it's a scorcher. [Lana's smile fades as she lowers her eyes to Clark's bare chest, hardly bothering to hide her desire] You know, I'll come back.

Lana Lang:
Oh, no, why? It's a big lake. There's enough room for both of us. [Clark doesn't answer] I'm game if you are. [Clark raises his eyebrows, surprised. Lana walks past him to the edge of the dock, behind Clark] No peeking.

[She turns toward Clark and takes off her shirt, dropping it onto the dock. A smile starts to form on Clark's face as Lana takes off her bra. She tosses it forward where it lands on Clark's foot. Lana takes off her pants and underwear and drops them, then jogs to the end of the dock. Clark turns around just in time to see her dive naked into the lake. Moments later, her head pokes out of the water]

Lana Lang:
Your turn, Clark. I promise I won't peek.

[Lana turns around in the water so she is facing away from Clark. He smiles as he quickly pulls his pants and underwear off and dives into the water. Lana turns around, looking for him, but doesn't see him anywhere]

Lana Lang:
Clark? [No response. She turns around in the water, searching] Clark! [The fear in her eyes grows as she continues to scan the water for Clark. His head suddenly pops out of the water behind her]

Clark Kent:
Boo.

[Lana splashes water in his face]

Lana Lang:
Don't do that! [Clark laughs and splashes back. They get into a brief splash fight and soon Lana is laughing too] You're ... it's not funny. [Lana wipes the water from her face and they take a moment to look at each other, inching closer together] [quietly] I always said there should be nothing between us.

Clark Kent:
Now there's not.

Chloe Sullivan:
There is a theory that telepathic receptivity is increased during REM sleep. It has to do with frontal lobe activity... I've never seen a case this dramatic, but we all know that your brain is wired a little differently than the rest of ours. Add that the river where she crashed is a known source for our favorite green stuff and you have the perfect Smallville cocktail for weirdness.

Chloe Sullivan:
Mr. Luthor, what's this about?

Lionel Luthor:
We had what I assumed was a private conversation, but imagine my surprise to have Lex throw my very own words right back in my face. You led me to believe, Miss Sullivan, that, uh, you were no longer in communication with Lex.

Chloe Sullivan:
Well, I'm not. But thank you for the wildly offensive insinuation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm on a deadline.

Lionel Luthor:
Not anymore. Your column at the Daily Planet's been cancelled.

Chloe Sullivan:
What?

Lionel Luthor:
All right, all right. Here's the deal. You tell me everything you fed to Lex, I'll let things stand.

Chloe Sullivan:
I told you I'm not Lex's source. And while I'm sure you could kill my column, this is not the only piece I'm working on for the Daily Planet. I know I could interest them in a story about an eccentric billionaire with an obsessive interest in a Kansas farm boy.

Lionel Luthor:
You threatening me? I'd be careful, Miss Sullivan. Very careful.

Chloe Sullivan:
I'll be whatever I want. Apparently, I don't work for you anymore.