ACT I
FADE IN
"Tell me again why Perry wanted to see us?" Lois asked Jimmy as she still tried to process the news. Jimmy had sprung the news on Lois a few minutes earlier, as he scanned and printed pictures in the Daily Planet's archive and imaging room.
"The chief said he wanted us to meet your new partner," Jimmy explained as he transferred some printed photos into a folder.
Lois shook her head in frustration. "I still can't believe this. It was bad enough that I was stuck with a partner before. Now this new editor comes waltzing in and hooks me up with some rookie," Lois replied.
"Maybe it won't be so bad. You had one memorable story with John before everything went south," Jimmy tried to reassure her.
"Trust me, Jimmy, I don't share bylines. And knowing my luck, I really will be sitting across from the most bumbling reporter on the masthead this time. If the chief thinks he can stick me with another partner, he's got another thing coming," Lois insisted, "I don't care if he is Perry White."
"Lois, I don't think it's negotiable," Jimmy responded.
"You should listen to him, Lois," Melinda stated as she stepped into the archive room.
Melinda Pierce was career driven like Lois but without the heart that Lois hid beneath her tough veneer. She was slender, with blonde hair that barely concealed her brunette roots. She was beautiful but mean-spirited, and at times could be quite provocative.
"It's clear that Perry thinks you still need training wheels," Melinda continued.
"Don't you have a rock to slither under, Melinda?" Lois asked.
Melinda chose to ignore Lois for a moment. "Olsen: photos," she commanded.
Jimmy handed her the folder. "Here's everything I shot outside the court house," Jimmy explained.
"Excellent," Melinda stated.
Lois shot Jimmy a dirty look. "What, so now you are shooting photos for the enemy?" Lois asked.
"I'm sorry, Lois. But work is work," Jimmy countered as they followed Melinda out into the bullpen.
"Congratulations on the demotion by the way," Melinda commented. "The basement is appropriately subterranean for a career that's going in the toilet."
"You're about 30 seconds away from getting your ass kicked," Lois snapped.
"If you ask me, you never belonged on the 5th floor. Too much pressure for your pretty little head, and it got your partner killed," Melinda replied.
"That's it...," Lois began, ready to clock Melinda in the face.
"That's enough," Perry said as he attempted to diffuse the situation. Lois backed down, as did Melinda for the moment. Neither of them wanted to get fired for insubordination.
"Lois, what happened with John wasn't your fault. You were both at the mercy of a dangerous psychopath," Perry commented.
Lois nodded in acknowledgment and refocused herself. "Chief, you can't be serious in assigning me another partner so soon," Lois stated.
"I'm quite serious, Ms. Lane. And that's the end of it," Perry responded.
Lois looked frustrated and glared at Jimmy again. Jimmy gave her an innocent look and then replied, "Hey, don't look at me, I told you so."
"Lane, I would like you to meet your new partner," Perry stated.
An imposing figure walked into the bullpen. He was wearing a blue dress shirt and black dress pants, with a matching suit jacket and tie. For a second, Lois thought 'wow'. At first she didn't recognize him with the thin rimmed glasses on. Then it finally registered who she was staring at.
The only thing that came out of Lois' mouth next was, "You've got to be kidding me!" as she stared at her new partner, CLARK KENT?!
"Not bad," Melinda commented, ogling Clark. "I'm Melinda, and you are?"
"Clark, Clark Kent" he replied, adjusting his glasses. He extended his hand out to her, while also trying not to look nervous on his first day.
"If you need someone to show you around, let me know," she said provocatively.
"I…umm," Clark wasn't quite sure how to respond.
"Hose yourself off Melinda," Lois commented, obviously agitated. "I think Smallville can do a little bit better than you." There was a more than a hint of jealousy in those words.
Melinda brushed Clark, running her hand along his shoulder. Clark looked for a moment at the exiting Melinda. Clark turned around to see Lois glaring. He responded with a confused look.
"If you're finished acting like teenagers, I have a story for you two," Perry commented. He handed a file to Lois.
"A woman was just admitted to Metropolis General, rambling, incoherent. Doctors don't know what to make of it," Perry replied.
"Thanks, Chief," Lois stated as she took the file from Perry.
"Don't let me down, kid. I have high hopes for you," Perry said to Clark. Perry exited the bullpen and headed towards the elevators.
Before Clark could process all that happened, his thoughts were disrupted by Lois' voice. "I don't know what surprised me more: You being my new partner or how ridiculous you look."
Clark just looked down at his suit, feeling awkward.
"At least you didn't come dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, carrying a backpack. That would've been a total disaster," Lois added.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Clark replied sarcastically.
"Well, we better get going to Met Gen," Lois started. "I'm taking the lead on this one, rookie. Stick with me and you'll be fine," she said as Clark followed her out the door.
xxx
After getting out of stuffy board of directors meeting at Queen Industries, Oliver had decided to take a walk and get some air. At the moment, he was on his cell phone. "Hi Chloe, it's Oliver. I know you're probably really busy right now, but a lot has happened lately, and I thought you might need to talk about. Call me when you get this."
As he hung up the phone, Ollie came upon a gathering crowd in alleyway near the corner of 7th and Highland. Just beyond the crowd was a line of yellow tape that read "CAUTION: POLICE DO NOT CROSS LINE".
Crime scene investigators were attempting to collect evidence and take photographs of the scene. Surrounded by a chalk line was a young man dressed with his eyes eerily staring back at him, in a tight fitting orange jumpsuit.
Crouched over the body was a 40-something brunette female police officer. Getting up and turning around, she was revealed to be none other than Detective Maggie Sawyer. "What brings you to my crime scene, Mr. Queen," she asked.
"I'm a concerned citizen," Oliver replied. "What happened here?"
"At first it looked like your garden variety prison escape gone wrong, but this man didn't fit the description of the prisoner who escaped from Summerholt's custody last night", she stated. "The uniform is too tight, so that put up a red flag."
"Then who is he?" Oliver questioned the detective.
"He is a third year resident from St. Michael's Hospital. He didn't report to the start of the second half of a double shift last night," Sawyer responded. "We think the prisoner somehow overpowered the doctor here, and took his clothes."
"How did he die?"
"We've placed time of death at 12:37 AM this morning," the detective began. "The strange part is there are no physical signs of a struggle. If I didn't know any better, this man scared himself to death."
"Now Metro PD appreciates your financial support, but I have to get back to my crime scene," Detective Sawyer quashed any more follow-up questions, turning her back to him.
Oliver had a feeling there was more to this than meets the eye. Whatever they were dealing with, the police might not be able to stop it. He would be on the lookout for anyone suspicious on patrol tonight as Green Arrow.
xxx
Lois walked briskly into Metropolis General, Clark followed closely behind. She looked around the hospital. They were surrounded by a sea of patients and medical personnel, going every which way.
"Lois, you've barely said a word to me since we left the bullpen," he began, gently grabbing her arm. She didn't know whether to be angry or to be uncomfortable around him after her reaction in the bullpen.
Lois spun around to look at Clark. They both appeared tense. She had decided on angry, trying to bury any feelings that she convinced herself she didn't really have.
Clark tried to search her eyes. "You're still mad aren't you?" he reasoned, fixing his glasses on his nose.
"You think? Perry knew I wanted to fly solo, and he sticks me with another partner," she snapped.
"It won't be that bad," Clark assured her.
"Maybe you're right," she relented. "Besides, you anticipated number 2 on Lois Lane's rules of reporting—'Always make a good first impression'," Lois added, fixing his tie, her face becoming slightly flush as she looked up at him.
"What's the first?" Clark asked.
"Always know your source."
"Wait, I thought you said I looked ridiculous," Clark responded, confused.
"Come on," Lois began, brushing off her earlier comment. "You know how much I like to ride you." Realizing how that just sounded, Lois looked down for a moment, only to look up and see Clark turning red.
"Oh, get your mind out of the gutter, Smallville," Lois quickly quipped in order to deflect from her own embarrassment. "Where can we find someone to talk to around here," she wondered, changing the subject.
"Reception," Clark offered, pointing to their right.
Lois rolled her eyes and approached the desk. "Lois Lane, Daily Planet. I was wondering if you could tell us what room Penny Masterson is in."
"Room 523, but I'm not sure how much help she can be to you," the female nurse on duty a the desk commented.
"Thanks," Lois replied, Clark followed closely behind her.
As they approached the room, Lois promptly removed the chart from the plastic holder on the door.
"Hey, shouldn't we wait for a doctor? Isn't looking at a patient's chart illegal?" Clark wondered.
"Lighten up Smallville, we're just borrowing it," Lois argued. She scanned the chart. "She's been rambling, some nonsense about a guy doing his best Skeletor impression. Why is this worth our time?"
They walked into the room to see Penny laying there, seemingly docile—catatonic.
Clark pulled the chart away from Lois. "It says here she has no prior history of mental illness, and aside from elevated stress levels, there is nothing to explain her behavior."
"As much as I trust your judgment, Dr. Kent, I'm going to go find a real doctor," Lois added sarcastically. Clark smirked before Lois ran out of the room.
Suddenly, Penny began to stir, becoming very distraught, shifting around. "No, please stop, no…" She began thrashing in her hand restraints.
Clark concerned, tried to call out, "Someone come quickly, this patient needs help."
Davis rushed in, "Help me hold her while I prepare the syringe."
Clark held her while she continued thrash around distraught. Davis took the syringe and injected Penny with its contents. "No…John…no," she gasped before finally falling unconscious.
"Thanks," Davis stated.
"No problem," Clark replied. He realized that he had seen the paramedic before. "Haven't we met before?"
"Yeah…you're Clark, right?" Davis replied. Clark nodded. "Well..obviously," he added, looked down at Clark's press badge. "Davis…Davis Bloome," he properly introduced himself.
As they shook hands, Clark tried to bury the sound of Davis' odd heartbeat. 'I must be imagining things again,' Clark thought to himself. "Is it normal for an EMT to handle this sort of thing?"
"The hospital is busy, and I thought I'd stay and lend a hand," Davis explained. "I'm actually one of the people that brought her in."
"Is there anything you can tell me?" Clark questioned the paramedic.
"Ever since Sam and I brought her in, she's been going back and forth between catatonia and unfocused hysteria. She had to be restrained. And it's become harder and harder to sedate her. I've seen some strange things, but this is something else," Davis elaborated.
"Anyways, I gotta get back to work. Give my best to Chloe. Later Clark," he added.
"Hey Davis, one more thing," Clark began. Davis turned back. "Any idea who John is?"
"No, I don't, sorry," Davis replied. He nodded in recognition at his acquaintance, Lois as he left the room, and she came back in. Both of them were too focused on their work to exchange verbal pleasantries at the moment.
"I think I might be able to help with that," Lois commented. "While the attending physician was too busy to give me much insights, he did give me one little tidbit of information. Her ex-husband is John Dee."
"That name sounds familiar," Clark noted, thinking.
Lois confirmed Clark's suspicions, "It should, he's the Stryker's inmate that escaped Summerholt last night."
xxx
Tess once again found herself at the Luthor mansion, staring at a computer screen, trying to unlock the secrets of Lex Luthor. But this time it was for a purpose, a purpose that only her and a select few of her scientists knew at this very moment.
On her screen was a schematic that read 'SynTechnics file #2T6415 CYBERNETIC ENDOSKELETON-CLASSIFIED' with a diagram reminiscent of the robotic components embedded in Victor's Stone's body almost three years earlier.
Tess looked with interest at the schematic, just as she heard footsteps. She quickly closed the laptop and looked up to see an unfamiliar face in a blue hooded sweatshirt. "Excuse me, can I help you?"
"Who are you? Where's Lex Luthor?" John asked, angry.
The man before her appeared agitated, so Tess had to play it cool as a seasoned diplomat. She got up from behind her desk, extending her hand out to her guest. "Tess Mercer, Acting CEO of Luthorcorp."
"I don't understand," John responded.
"Lex is gone, I'm in charge of Luthorcorp now," she replied.
"You're lying," Dee snapped.
"I'm sorry I didn't catch your name," Tess commented, apparently unphased by the accusation.
"John Dee," he began. "Now tell me where I can find Lex Luthor."
Tess stepped back for a moment, pulling out a newspaper from her drawer, and handed it to John. "I wouldn't presume to lie to you, Mr. Dee."
John scanned the front of the Daily Planet, dated June 20, 2008. Lex's picture was featured prominently. The headline read, "LEX LUTHOR DECLARED OFFICIALLY DEAD, Reported by Perry White."
"How is this possible?" he wondered.
"Four months ago, Lex was involved with a very sensitive project in the Arctic, when he disappeared without a trace," Tess explained.
"No, this can't be," he felt it all slipping away.
"I'm afraid it's all too real, Mr. Dee," Tess started. "Why are you looking for Lex?"
"We have some…unfinished business," he cryptically responded. "What about Donovan Jamison?"
"You must have been gone for a long time. Dr. Jamison is dead —the victim of an unfortunate…accident," Tess answered back.
"Nothing's ever an accident with Lex," Dee scoffed. "Where are the rest of them?"
"Who?"
"The rest of the scientists involved with Project Ares," he explained. "They have to pay for what they did to me."
"I'm sorry, but I don't know what you're talking about. I've never heard of any project named Ares and the Lex you describe is not the man I knew," Tess appeared confused.
"Then maybe you didn't know him as well as you think you did."
"Perhaps not," Tess admitted in attempt to placate him. "But if you're looking for vengeance, you won't find it here."
Dee decided this was going nowhere, Mercer knew nothing. "If you can't help me, I guess I'll just have to find them myself," John added.
"I suggest you do," she commented. As she watched Dee storm out of the study, Tess realized that she might be condemning some of Lex's scientists to their deaths. For a moment she felt regret but she figured it was better them than her. Maybe Lex was rubbing off on her more than she thought.
Tess sighed, as she sunk back into the chair behind Lex's old desk. After a few moments, she picked up her phone. "Kat, it's Tess, I just received an interesting visit from the good doctor."
"I'm fine," she continued, assuring her assistant. "I think it's time we resurrected one of Lex's old projects." It was clear that she knew more than she had let on to Dee.
"Give me everything we have on Project Ares."
ACT BREAK
