"Previously on Smallville..." "I've picked out a nice little font for my exposé." "I actually had another headline in mind." ""The Blur murders Lois Lane."" "Ugh!" "Ugh!" "Ugh!" "No!" "I know you're out there somewhere!" "I've been keeping an eye on you." "I have to see you." "How do you feel about phone booths?" "Hello?" "This is the Red-Blue Blur." "I received your letter." "What I've really been wondering is..." "What is it that you need?" "I need your help." "But you can't tell anyone about it." "I promise." "I wouldn't ask, Lois, if it weren't a matter of life or death." "Welcome to Checkmate." "We've been blocked by a new player." "How do you get yourself into these things, Lane?" "Good to see you." "Hey." "The guy's inside, boss." "Says he'll only show it to you." "Wants to collect the million-dollar reward." "Really." "Ladies." "Hey, dollface." "Ah, my old friend." "It's been too long." "Hey." "Glad to have you back, Ray." "Good to be back, darling." "Well..." "As your ex-district attorney..." "I'd like to thank you all for joining me in celebrating the national treasure that is our American justice system." "You know... they kicked me out of office... they charged me with attempted murder..." "They even tried to put me away for life, and yet... here I am." "So..." "I understand you have something for me." "What about my million dollars?" "Don't test me, son." "Lois!" "Clark?" "I told you to find the story." "Not be the story." "One of you want to tell me what happened?" "Let me guess." "You two have a lovers' spat?" "Clark and I don't spat." "There was no spatting." "What Lois is saying is that we try not to let our personal lives get in the way of our jobs." "Well, you don't have to "try" anymore." "Because you're both fired." "♪ Smallville 9x17 ♪ Upgrade Original Air Date on April 23, 2010" "♪ Somebody save me ♪" "♪ "Save Me" performed by Remy Zero ♪" "♪ let your warm hands break right through ♪" "♪ somebody save me ♪" "♪ I don't care how you do it ♪" "♪ just stay ♪" "♪ stay ♪" "♪ come on ♪" "♪ I've been waiting for you ♪" "♪ just stay with me ♪" "♪ I've made this whole world shine for you ♪" "♪ just stay ♪" "♪ stay ♪" "♪ come on ♪" "Chloe." "Can you believe it?" "I'm early." "No, Lois, "early" is when you arrive at your destination by a set time, not when you can see it from seven blocks away." "Unh-unh, nobody's raining on this girl's parade today." "Clark's taking me up to the roof tonight to do a little stargazing." "O-Kay." "That explains the 911 to the craigslist queen." "Long live the queen." "I can't believe you got one so fast." "I kind of noticed that Clark has this thing for telescopes." "Do you think he'll like it?" "But what is it exactly about a telescope that merits 76 trombones and big parade?" "Well..." "Tonight's the night." "In the words of the general... it's time to drop the L-bomb." "What?" "!" "You mean to tell me that you guys haven' volleyed the word yet?" "Among other significant relationship milestones." "I don't know -- things used to be easier with Clark, you know, back in the days when you'd wake up and the first thing you'd do is check for a text or an e-mail," "and it'd be there, waiting for you?" "Anyway, things have been different..." "Ever since we decided we could keep secrets from each other." "But that's all changing tonight." "Wait a minute." "Secrets?" "Uh, changing how?" "No more secrets." "It's time to take our baggage out of the closet." "I mean, if we "L" each other, then.." "nothing should come between us, right?" "Hey!" "Do you ever check your voicemail?" "Looks like somebody missed breakfast in bed with Oliver this morning." "I'm not here to talk about my love life." "That makes two of us." "I'm here to talk about yours." "Whoa." "Can't we just stick to a topic like aliens assimilating the earth?" "This isn't about assimilating, Clark." "Zod has powers now, and you told him all of your secrets." "This is not a good time to bring Lois in, too." "Lois?" "Yeah." "She told me about your big date tonight where you both are gonna come clean with everything." "I'm not gonna tell Lois anything." "I'm making Lois dinner tonight so she shares her secret." "She's been keeping something from me." "I didn't want to use my abilities to spy on her." "It's been driving me crazy." "So you're gonna seduce it out of her?" "Clark, you're the reason all of this is happening to begin with." "I have not called her as The Blur in months." "That doesn't matter, Clark." "The second that your back-in-black alter ego asked Lois to lie about the Blur was the day that you asked her to lie to the person that she loves, which is you." "And she did." "A relationship with secrets can never work." "Look at you and Oliver." "Everything's out in the open." "That is because we both understand that our relationship comes second to a higher calling." "Clark, you and Lois -- don't have to be any different." "Now, if Lois is gonna trust me tonight, maybe it's time I trusted her." "Hey." "Hey." "Did you, uh, get my message?" "Yep." "So, we're still on for tonight?" "Definitely." "What's in the box?" "A surprise." "It's gonna be a long day." "Yep." "How about a sneak preview?" "Sometimes, I swear you have more than two hands." "Either that kiss altered my sense of time and space or this place is busier than usual." "It's a big news day." "I think it has something to do with our new editor." "Another editor?" "They should just install a rotating door up there." "Obviously, our illustrious owner has just spun some big wheel of fortune in the sky to see who'd be steering the ship this week." "Well..." "I guess I pulled the lucky number this week." "Franklin Stern." "You must be the lovely and charming miss Lane, I presume." "Uh, miss Lane is an acquired taste." "I-it's just that ever since Tess went away, we've gone through a lot of editors." "Well, not for long." "The board just launched a global search for the next editor-in-chief." "And I intend to make their decision very easy." "And you decided to start your campaign by downsizing the desk inventory?" "Miss Lane I've been, uh, reading through the personnel files to identify any red flags, and I understand you two are entangled in an interoffice relationship." "No." "No, sir." "Yeah." "Right." "Well, for whatever reason, it seems you're both spending so much time out of the office trying to reel in the big fish, you're not delivering the daily catch." "To be fair, sir, we've both turned in some pretty big stories." "Here's a bigger one -- our fair city's disgraced D. A., Ray Sacks, just had is life sentence reversed." "He gets out o prison today." "Only one of these stays on the desk at the end of the day." "May the best reporter win." "Oliver gave you keys to his office." "He must trust you with just about all of his secrets." "Tess." "I thought you were supposed to be underground." "You know, if you're having a hard time finding your way there, I'm sure I could help." "So we're over the temporary truce and straight back to " fire at will."" "Okay." "Just remember, Chloe, that out there," "I might be M.I.A., but in here..." "I'm still C.E.O." "Where is Oliver?" "Out of town." "I was curious how you two... got into each other's orbit." "Mutual friends, which I understand you could use some help finding, considering the fact that you have to go to outer space to look for them." "The Kandorians?" "You'll see, Chloe, they're better as allies than enemies." "Clark gets that." "Why don't you and Oliver?" "Clark optimistically thinks that Zod will be happy wearing an apron and slinging coffees." "We don't..." "Especially now that he has powers." ""We"?" "As in, you and Green Arrow?" "Chloe..." "I get what you see in your heroes, but what do they see in you?" "I could ask Zod the same question about you, but I guess I don't have to anymore." "I've been watching you two, and it seems like Zod hasn't been home for dinner for quite a while." "Be careful, miss Mercer." "At this rate, you're gonna run out of people to betray." "I don't know what's worse, Clark -- that they freed the D.A. that threw me off the roof or that our editor threw us in the ring to wrestle for the same desk." "Don't worry -- if we land a big enough story, we can save both our jobs." "Now, in order for him to reverse his sentence," "Sacks must still have powerful friends down at City Hall." "And according to the underground blogs, he's having a "welcome home" party tonight at Maxwell's." "Crime kingpins like to keep out the outsiders." "It'd be easier to crash the White House than it would be to sneak into that party." "Look, we only have till the end of the day to get this done." "I think we'd cover more ground I we split the work." "That's a good idea." "Can't wait for tonight." "Hey, it's me " " Lois." "Guess you're out." "It's strange to think that I can leave a message for The Blur." "I mean, well, not strange/weird -- it's just -- you know what I mean." "It's hard to picture The Blur screening his calls -- not that you'd be screening my calls or anything, but I d" "Me again." "Got cut off." "You know, that's not lot of time for someone to leave a message." "That beep comes at you pretty fast." "Then again, you are The Blur, of course." "I'm sure you'd like it fast, but I just " "Here's the deal." "I'm on a story about our deadly ex-D.A." "Now, normally, I'd be working with my partner in reporting, but I want to keep him safe, secure, and as far away from Sacks and his murderous mob as I can." "Clark's not bulletproof, but you are." "Be my wingman?" "Lois will find a way to see Sacks before the party tonight." "Chloe, I have to find him first." "Look, I get it, Clark." "I'm spending a small fortune of Oliver's money to update the security system here at Watchtower." "Plus I have a satellite trained on your fortress at all times now that Zod knows your zip code." "I understand the instinct to protect the ones that you love." "You know, half of being in a relationship with Lois is protecting her from herself." "Actually, she's not the only one" "Sacks is gunning for right now." "According to the Internet, he's offering a million-dollar reward for anyone who can supply him with an image of The Blur." "Again?" "What's with this guy and his obsession with The Blur?" "Maybe it has something to do with the fact you publicly disgraced him and threw him in prison." "Since he's been out, I have a hard time tracking him down." "Well, Sacks is all about the V. I.P. treatment." "Maybe he's got a favorite bar or restaurant." "Someplace that he would want to go to after being locked down for eight months." "Ah." "Our paroled prosecutor does have a favorite haunt, but it isn't exactly five-star." "Mr. Sacks, Lois Lane from The Daily Planet." "You may remember me from the roof of The Daily Planet." "Oh, yes." "Yes, I remember you." "You have a nasty habit of always landing on your feet, don't you, Lane?" "And now I need to land a story." "So, who let you out of your cage?" "Since I'm the one that you sent skydiving without a parachute," "I figure I'm at least owed a quote." "You have too much faith in The Blur, Lane, to think you can meet with me like this alone." "My editor knows where I am." "Hurt me, and you'll be back behind bars before this pizza cools off." "Oh, I won't hurt you, no." "He will." "And this time, they won't find me guilty because they'll never find your body." "It's him!" "Come on!" "Go!" "Go!" "Wait!" "Thank you... for saving my bacon." "I'd be two strips of pain on the pavement if you hadn't gotten my call." "What call?" "You have no idea what it means that you trusted me enough to let me help you these past weeks." "I have never felt such a sense of purpose in my entire life." "Whatever you need... you can count on me." "Payday." "T-that million's mine." "I g" " I got a picture of The Blur!" "What you've got is two choices -- you either trash that photo, or I throw you in he trash!" "Ugh!" "Lois, stop!" "Who are you calling?" "It's not important, Clark." "No, that's The Blur, isn't it?" "Why would you think that?" "And what are you even doing here?" "Lois, you told me that you stopped talking to The Blur." "All those secrets that you've been keeping from me -- it's him, isn't it?" "Okay, this is between The Blur and me." "That's all I can tell you." "Lois, do you even know who you're really talking to?" "Okay, what's going on here?" "Clark, you don't need to be jealous." "No, I'm not." "I just " "Lois, I need to know who that is." "You did not just ask me that." "Is this about the story?" "You want me to give up The Blur just to save our job?" "Lois, I'm trying to save you." "Don't -- don't you think that, sometimes, you might have a little too much blind faith?" "Why?" "Because if he trusted me, he'd show himself?" "Is that it?" "Lois." "Okay, I need you to listen to me." "No, Clark..." "I am sure he is dyin tell me, but how could anyone who cares about me put me in that kind of position?" "I-if I knew his true identity, then every lowlife with high hopes of hurting him would come after me, and he would never put me in that kind of danger just to get a secret off his back." "That's why I trust him." "I take it your search for Sacks didn't go so well." "I found Sacks, but I may have lost Lois, or at least her trust." "Oh, no." "I know that look." "What happened?" "I did this to myself, Chloe." "I asked Lois to keep her calls with The Blur a secret, and she did... even from me and now someone else is calling her pretending to be The Blur." "Why?" "Who would want to Blur a mile your shoes?" "I don't know " " Checkmate, Zod, Tess." "They've all been circling my secret." "I stole her phone to see who she was calling." "She's already deleted the list." "You know, as much as I don't want to, I have to say... it's pretty impressive how committed Lois is to protecting The Blur." "From me." "Yeah, talk about a Kafkaesque nightmare." "I almost ended it all and told her everything till she reminded me why I can never put her in that kind of danger." "Look, I need to find whosever lying to Lois using my identity." "She said she had something to tell him." "And you want Watchtower to trace the call." "Got it." "I would have called you on my cell, but I can't find it." "Listen, someone photographed you on their phone, and they're about to sell it to Ray Sacks." "I don't know when you'll get this, so I'll blitz his bash at Maxwell's and try to run interference, but you need to get there as soon you can." "Piece of cake." "... with attempted murder." "They even tried to put me away for life, and yet... here I am." "So, uh..." "I understand you have something for me." "What about my million dollars?" "Don't test me, son." "Lois!" "Clark?" "Oops." "Sorry about your million dollars." "Oh, that's okay, kid." "We don't need that picture." "We just need you." "Three years of selfless service to this paper, and the new editor on the block just up and fires me." "Well, not just you, Lois." "Well, at least one of us would have kept their job if you hadn't been so obsessed with unmasking The Blur." "I don't know how you found out about that photo, but crashing Sacks' party?" "Just how many hurdles are you willing to jump to expose the person that I'm trying to protect?" "You jumped out of a cake, Lois, and you slugged me." "It was just a distraction." "I had to do something extreme to destroy that extremely dangerous picture, no thanks to you." "Lois." "No, save it." "I don't know why you suddenly have it in for The Blur, but whatever you're gonna tell me right now isn't gonna make a difference." "I'm seeing a whole other side of you, Clark, and for the first time..." "I'm not a fan of the view." "I take it this is the official invitation to join you -- the black king." "Your work on this operation has proven to be surprisingly invaluable." "They have all witnessed The Blur." "Pieces of his identity have been locked within their minds." "They simply need to be severed." "And you're extracting their memories with this whole "Jedi mind control" thing." "Very impressive interrogation skills." "Listen, Mr. Lord, I am no friend of The Blur, but why are you after him?" "You are aware, Sacks, that..." "Metahumans exist on the planet." "I assume this Checkmate agency wants to use them to protect and serve?" "That's the white queen's plan." "Waller barks orders from behind a desk." "I work in the real world, a world that needs the rule of law." "Anything outside the natural order is... unpredictable." "Now, correct me if I'm wrong -- you have powers..." "You're one of them." "Which is exactly why I know how dangerous they can be and why I plan... on eliminating them." "Chloe, when did you find this?" "Can't you get a clearer picture?" "Whoa, Clark, okay, one at a time." "I was following Lois just in case she found Sacks before you did, and I got the security footage from a camera 60 floors up." "Now, unfortunately, zoom technology isn't exactly on par with X-ray vision." "Where was Lois taken?" "I don't know." "I lost the car right after it went into Rombauer Tunnel." "This has to be Sacks." "I did some digging." "Right around the time that our devious D.A. walked, all his new little prison friends who were sent up the river were transferred off the grid." "Chloe, I know these guys." "I put every one of them behind bars." "They're all violent offenders, and the only person who can authorize their transfer is the Governor who did you say threw Sacks' little "welcome home" mobster ball?" "Some tycoon named Maxwell Lord." "Three guesses who the largest contributor to the governor's re-election fund was." "With that kind of influence," "Lord has some serious strings he can pull." "If Maxwell Lord wants The Blur, that's exactly who he'll get." "You should see Lord's setup downstairs." "This guy is a major player, and he has just given me... the key to the city." "Checkmate." "You're fighting it." "You know him, don't you?" "Get away from her!" "Ah." "I see we're past formal introductions." "Stop." "One wrong step... and I'll eviscerate every last thought in her head." "You're using their memories to learn my identity." "Let them go." "They don't know who I am." "True." "They've only seen glimpses of your face -- nothing more." "You've been careful." "Except for this one." "Even unconscious... her mind protects memories of you." "Maybe she doesn't have any." "Or maybe the connection between you two... is stronger." "Stronger than the fear that binds you with the others, stronger... because of love." "You're here." "I-I can't know who you are." "I'd give anything to see your face  to know your name." "But you can't protect us if we know who you are." "I understand that now." "Go." "Sorry, Max." "Little change of itinerary." "So it's true -- the red queen does exist." "I guess the upside to unemployment is you on't have to pick out a tie every morning." "You're beating yourself up, aren't you?" "Oh, which "me"?" "The Blur that Lois would die to protect or the boyfriend that Lois is protecting him from?" "Don't be so hard on yourself, Clark." "Not everyone with a press pass is also moonlighting as the city's greatest superhero." "And the whole phone/rooftop/blur thing -- at least give yourself creative points for trying to be as honest as you could with Lois." "I guess if half of me has Lois' trust and the other half gets the rest of her, it all works out in some weird way." "There's only one problem with that -- one of those halves has to say goodbye." "I finished tracing the number of our rogue blur... to R.A.O. Industries." "It was Zod." "Everything he said about brotherhood, it was all a lie." "Of course he's the one who's been using Lois." "I know you want to go and take your anger out on Zod right now, but you and I both know that there's something you have to take care of first." "Until you can tell Lois that you are the one and only Blur, anyone with a voice modulator and a calling plan can pretend to be you." "I know what I have to do." "Hello?" "Lois, thank you for coming." "Well, when The Blur leaves a handwritten message, you better believe I'm there." "Chalk it up to the curiosity of a recently unemployed reporter... but since we've been doing this cell to cell, why are we back to doing this old-school?" "I wanted to have this conversation in a place that meant something to both of us." "Wow." "Sounds awfully official." "But, hey you're the boss." "So, what's my next impossible mission?" "There won't be one, Lois." "I'm sorry." "This is our last conversation." "Last conversation today or for a while?" "If you have to go back on another hiatus, I understand." "I'll be there." "As in, our last talk..." "Forever." "No." "Our relationship put you at risk." "I know that we would do anything to protect each other." "What if, one day, I'm too late?" "But you don't understand." "I don't care about the risk." "When I'm working with you," "I'm doing something good, something right." "You don't need me for that." "But I do need you, and maybe I didn't realize it until it was too late, but this the most important part of my life." "Well, there must be... some other part that means more to you." "When I'm with you, it's about more than what I want, who I want." "It is something that is bigger than me." "I wish things could be different, Lois." "This is the only way I can protect you." "I won't call again." "If anyone calls claiming to -- to be me, don't believe them." "No matter what they say or what happens, you can't trust them" "no, please." "I will be watching over you." "I promise." "Goodbye, Lois." "Goodbye." "I'm glad you still came up after what we talked about on the street." "It's beautiful, Clark." "Thank you." "What is it, Lois?" "You know you can tell me anything." "Can I?" "Then, why did I lie to you?" "We both agreed we would keep some things to ourselves." "I've been talking to The Blur, Clark." "Doing things for him, sharing things with him that I couldn't share with you." "It's probably just the reporter blood in you, right?" "It was more than that." "But we..." "I talked to him, and it's over." "He doesn't want me in his life anymore." "Well, there's someone standing right here who still does." "It's okay." "You don't have to be okay with it, Clark." "It's not right for me to ask that of you, Clark." "He meant a lot to you, didn't he?" "It's not like this with you." "I wish you could understand what it felt like to have this..." "A calling..." "A duty to people in - in the world." "It.." "Made my feelings for you and everything else seem... selfish, like there's a whole world out there that needs you, but if you take anything from it for yourself, it's at someone else's expense." "Lois, I do understand." "How?" "I guess, with him gone, the question is... am i enough?"