ACT IV

FADE IN

Green Arrow stared at his target through his dark sunglasses. He drew the bow and released, sending the arrow spiraling through the cold night air. THWACK! The arrow had hit Dee square in the shoulder. He appeared to lurch forward in pain. The woman just stood there, frozen. When Oliver got close enough, he would use a tranquilizer dart to put Dee out of commission until he could figure out what to do with him.

Pulling a grappling arrow out of his quiver, Ollie readied the bow again. Aiming for a nearby building, he shot a line across. Holding onto either side of bow, he began to ride the line down to the bottom. But as he reached the half way point, the line abruptly snapped, sending Oliver hurtling down to the hard cement.

Green Arrow winced from the impact. Disorientated, he turned towards Dee's direction-'Where did he go?' Oliver thought. He got up clumsily and looked around. Still no sign of Dee-he spotted the woman lying on the ground, with her cocker spaniel whimpering at her feet.

As the archer approached the body, something wasn't right. She appeared to have been shot with an arrow. It had gone cleanly straight through her heart. Oliver knelt down, confused. The arrow was one of his, in fact it appeared to be the very one meant for Dee-the one he was sure he saw hit Dee.

Feeling around the wound, Oliver looked at his hands, they were covered in blood. He noticed a steady pool of blood forming around the woman's body and his feet. He got up, back peddling slowly "What, what have I done?" he said in despair, staring at the blood on his hands.

"Help! Somebody help!" a girl screamed. "Murderer!"

Oliver turned to see the teenage girl, he was almost speechless. "I…I didn't…I mean I couldn't," he barely managed.

A crowd quickly formed around him. "He murdered that woman…" she told them.

"Murderer!" an older man yelled.

"You killed an innocent woman," a woman began. "How could you?"

"I…it wasn't. I saw a man, I was trying to save…," Green Arrow started.

"Liar!" a young man shot back.

"You're no hero, you're a villain," an older woman resentfully added.

"Vigilantes have no place in Metropolis, go home!" another man demanded.
Oliver didn't know what to say to defend himself. He had blood on his hands and had no idea what was going on. Dee was not anywhere in sight, he felt like he was losing his mind.

"Murderer!", "Vigilante!", "Villain!" a chorus of people exclaimed as the crowd stalked towards him menacingly.

As people started to pick up rocks and other make-shift weapons, Oliver knew had to get out of there. He turned on the balls of his feet and began to run as hard as he could away from them.

"Terrorist!", "Coward!" people called out as the lynch mob chased after him.

Ollie had trouble keeping up the pace. He tried to turn down an alley to evade the crowd, only to trip on a large rock. He could hear the crowd descending upon him.

"It's hard, isn't it?" a voice called out to him. Green Arrow turned to see a figure cloaked in blue. The figure's boney features sent a chill down his spine. "To be treated like a common criminal."

"I think you need a little more sun, you're looking a little pale," Oliver joked, trying to deflect from himself.

"You can joke all you want. You're only wasting your time," Dee coldly countered. "You'll be cast out. They'll lock you up in cage, and throw away the key."

"What do you want from me?" Oliver asked, agitated.

"Vengeance," Dee coolly began. "To make you suffer like I have."

Oliver realized who he was talking to. "When you get in bed with the Luthors, you're bound to get burned, John," he shot back.

"John Dee no longer exists, now there is only Dr. Destiny."

"Nice name, did you get that off a Cracker Jack Box?" Oliver sarcastically added.

"Do you really think you're worthy of being called hero?" Destiny questioned him, ignoring Oliver's jab.

"Worthy enough to save the world from freaks like you," Oliver managed, his voice wavering.

"You're a fraud," Destiny snapped. "You're just a scared little boy. You couldn't even save your own parents, let alone the world."

"What would you know about my parents?" Oliver asked.

"I know all about you, Oliver," Destiny hauntingly added.

Ollie looked down to find a newspaper at his feet. Taking off his glasses and pulling down his hood, Ollie knelt down to pick it up. It read "QUEEN INDUSTRIES CEO MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD" and included a picture of his parents and Oliver as a 9 year old boy.

"He never told you did he?" Destiny started, walking in a circle around Oliver as is he stared down at the newspaper. "That your parents were killed by Lionel Luthor. That they died because of him, for the secrets of Veritas."

"Clark never really trusted you. He doesn't need you, he's above you. He will abandon you just like all the rest," Destiny taunted. "You would've been better off dying in that plane crash with your parents.

Oliver swallowed hard, looking down again at the newspaper. He fell to his knees, horrified. The headline had changed to "QUEEN FAMILY MEETS TRAGIC END".

xxx

Still on the roof of the hospital, Clark grew impatient. Oliver had cut him off abruptly. He had dialed Oliver's number repeatedly, but there was no answer.

Clark focused with his super hearing, trying to find any indication of where Oliver was. A few blocks away, he heard something. "Help, somebody help!" a female voice screamed out. He had to get there fast. In one fluid motion, Clark made a controlled leap down to the ground, and disappeared in a blur of black and blue.

xxx

He arrived on the scene to see a teenage girl was trying to console a cocker spaniel. The girl looked up to see Clark. "Please help, there's something wrong with her," she pointed to an South Asian woman standing on the street, rigid.

"Don't worry, we'll get her the help she needs," he assured her.

He dialed 911. "Hello, I found a woman at 7th and Grand. She's unresponsive. I think she's catatonic. Please get here as quickly as…possible," Clark reported before hanging up as he spotted something.

Clark walked over to see one of Oliver's arrows. It was lying broken on the ground, the tip covered with blood. "Did you see anyone else?" he asked the girl.

"No," the girl responded.

"Stay here, help will be here soon," he told her.

The dog continued to whimper. "Shhh, shhh. It's going to be okay," the 19 year old girl said, stroking the dog in her arms.

Scanning the area with his eyes, Clark spotted a figure with his X-ray vision behind a dumpster in the distance. When the girl wasn't looking, he super sped away.

Arriving at the scene, he was troubled at what he found. "Oliver," he commented in recognition as he looked upon Green Arrow. Clark cradled his friend in his arms and disappeared in flash.

xxx

Lois paced around the hospital. 'Where could he be,' she thought. Her phone beeped. It was another text message. She dialed her cell phone. "Come on Clark, answer the phone," Lois muttered as she began to head out the door.

After a several rings, she finally got through. "Hello," he answered on the other end of the line.

"Smallville, I don't know where you've been, but another victim's been found a few blocks away. Paramedics are on their way," Lois stated.

"I know, I'm the one who called it in," Clark explained, as he sat Oliver back where he found him in the alley, now with street clothes on.

xxx

Minutes later, Lois waited eagerly at the front as the ambulance arrived. The paramedics brought out Oliver on a gurney. Lois gazed somberly at her friend. "Oh Ollie, how did you get yourself into this mess?" she commented as he was carted by.

"Lois," Clark called to her. Their eyes connected. For a moment, he saw the vulnerability she worked so hard to conceal. He needed to fix things somehow.

"Smallville, find out anything?" she asked, returning her focus.

Lois and Clark cleared the way for the EMTs as they brought in the second victim.
"The paramedics found her ID. Her name is Dr. Leela Kapoor," Clark stated. "The girl who found her says she saw nothing, she was still pretty shaken up when the police arrived.

"Kapoor…she was on the list of scientists that testified against Dee," Lois remembered.

"He's taking them out one by one," Clark feared. He should've known Oliver would chase after Dee. "But what does Oliver have to do with any of this?" he added, playing dumb. As confusing as it was, Lois still didn't know that Clark also knew Ollie's dual identity.

"Wrong place, wrong time I guess," Lois offered, trying to cover for Ollie. "What were you doing there anyways?" she asked, confused.

"I was getting some air, when I heard something down the street. I ran down the street to check it out," Clark explained.

"You must run faster than you drive," she joked. "I guess High School Football was good for something."

Clark smiled, shaking his head. "How do you do that?"

"What?"

"Manage to lighten the mood when no one else can," he continued, his glimmering gaze becoming interlocked with hers. To Clark, he was slowly realizing just how much Lois meant to him.

Maintaining his gaze, a sly grin crept up on her face. "I guess it's a gift," Lois playfully replied. She then quickly averted her gaze…to not let herself get too wrapped up in the moment again.

Clark re-focused on the situation. "There was something else…I found an arrow at the scene. The tip was covered in blood."

"I guess Green Arrow got in a few good licks, and chased after Dee," Lois suggested. 'But why would Ollie be in his street clothes,' she thought to herself.

Lois pushed those questions aside for the moment. "I'll stay here with Ollie. Maybe he will be able to tell us something that can help."

Clark nodded. "I'll go talk to the police again, see if they have any idea where Dee is or how to stop him.

xxx

Chloe packed away the final file for the day, satisfied. Blurry eyed, she grabbed her red coat. As she began to button up, her golden curls were blown aside by a sudden gust of wind.

"Clark, visiting twice in one day, I'm flattered," Chloe jokingly commented.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion but it's an emergency. Oliver and another scientist from Luthorcorp are in the hospital. We have to find this guy now."

"My god," Chloe responded as worry washed over her. She pressed the button on the remote to open up the computer room hidden behind the bookcase. "Forgive me for saying so, but if Dee got to Ollie, is it really the best idea to confront this guy?"

"Dee's ex-wife is dead…and a lot of other people could die too… including Oliver," Clark explained. "I'm different than everyone else. Maybe I can resist his power."

"I'll use Isis' uplink with Queen Industries to access their satellite system. Look for anything that might point us in the right direction," Chloe stated as she typed away.

"Dee has to have a home base, somewhere to go while he tries to track down his next target," Clark speculated.

"He could be just about anywhere, but maybe we can narrow down the search to old haunts," Chloe speculated as she continued to search.

"Well…it looks like there's been no unusual activity at his ex-wife's house or S.T.A.R. Labs since the attacks," she reported. "Where was the last attack?"

"The corner of 7th and Grand."

"No activity there as well," Chloe added, shaking her head. "It must not be his M.O. to return to the scene of the crime."

Something dawned on Clark. "Scene of the crime…that's it. Chloe, can you pull up the Ridge Facility?"

"The Ridge Facility is gone, remember? You guys blew it up," Chloe reminded him.

"Trust me."

Chloe's fingers danced on the keyboard. "The Ridge Facility is gone but Cain Software is building a warehouse there. They were recently acquired by…Luthorcorp." Her interest was definitely peaked, as was Clark's.

"Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"The warehouse is slated for completion in the next two weeks," she started as she tried to cross-reference her information. "There seems to have been an unusual spike in power in the last 24 hours, which is odd because no work crews were supposed to be working there tonight."

"He's there," Clark's instincts told him.

"Are you sure about this? For all we know, this could be a trap," Chloe wondered, wanting to protect her friend from going into Harm's way.

"It's the only chance we have left," Clark insisted.

"Good luck," Chloe told Clark.

Clark nodded, super speeding away.

xxx

Lois sat by Oliver's side as he lay motionless on the hospital bed. His eyes stared up at her, almost dead. It would be hard for anyone to see another person like this. But this was different, Oliver and Lois were close. Maybe not as close as they had been when they were dating, but Lois still cared a great deal for him.

"Come on, Ollie. You can fight this," she began. But nothing, she got nothing.

"Snap out of it!" Lois screamed.

She realized that was a little loud when a nurse came into the room. "Excuse me, Miss. But is there a problem?" the middle-aged nurse asked.

"No, no problem," she assured the woman. As the nurse exited, she buried her head in hands. 'Get a grip, Lois. You're just tired and frustrated. It's no use taking it out Ollie, he probably can't even hear you,' she thought.

Sighing, Lois looked back up to Ollie. "Please give me something, so we can help you," she whispered.

She needed to stretch her legs. Getting up, Lois looked out the window and into the Metropolis night. 'I hope Smallville is making better progress than I am,' she thought.

The heart monitor attached to Oliver started to beep like crazy. Lois turned around to find Ollie writhing, restless in emotional pain like Dr. Price had been. But this was a different pain.

"Mom…dad…mom…sorry," he rambled. "Didn't mean to…no hero…Destiny…why..Destiny..Ridge…sorry…alone…all alone."

"Ollie, what are you trying to say?" Lois asked as a doctor and nurse came in.

"Prepare the sedative," the doctor ordered the nurse.

"Code blue, code blue, all available personnel report to room 520," the voice said over the intercom. It was Dr. Price's room.

The nurse gave the doctor the syringe.

"Sorry…arrows…the start…hate…Ridge…villain…the start," Oliver continued rambling, trailing off as the sedative was injected into his blood stream.

As the health care workers left the room, Lois realized there was a clue hidden in there, albeit an unintentional one. On her smart phone, she looked up a location and information. Lois left the room, determined. Not having a plan wasn't going to stop her. Next stop: Cain Software.

xxx

WOOSH! Faster than a speeding bullet, Clark re-appeared near the docks, in front of the sign that read 'Future location of Cain Software'.

Normally, Clark would go grab his Boy Scout gear, but not today. Time was of the essence, and if he were to befall the same fate as Oliver, his secret identity would be out. He would have to tackle the situation as Clark Kent.

Clark made his way around the warehouse and broke the lock on the side door. As he stepped inside, he was overcome by a sudden bout of nausea and dizziness. He felt like he was falling.

xxx

Regaining his senses, Clark became disorientated and confused. He was outside in Downtown Metropolis, with no memory of how he got there, or what he was doing there. He was surrounded by a sea of people. They were all catatonic, the walking dead. Well more standing than walking.

Amongst the crowd, he watched helplessly as friend and foe had fallen victim: Perry, Jimmy, Oliver, Tess, were all there. It was like their minds had been emptied by someone or something. The sky had turned dark red, filled with ominous black clouds.

He stopped dead in his tracks by a store window, drawn there by an eerie green glow. Clark turned to see TV screens all showing the same thing, an alien symbol. Two green circles formed a semi-triangular shape with a third circle below. It was like they were connected by strands of energy.

Clark realized he recognized the symbol from his training. He took a deep breath. "Brainiac," he muttered aloud.

In the corner of his eye, he spotted Chloe. He jogged over to her, hoping she wasn't like the others. "Chloe, can you hear me?"

Flashing open, Chloe's eyes were an opaque white. He feared what had happened. Clark backed up a few steps. "Chloe…" he began.

"You're too late, Kal-El," her voice informed him in a cold, deliberate, almost mechanical manner.

Clark's heart started to race. "Chloe, if you're in there, fight it," he pleaded in desperation.

"Chloe Sullivan can't hear you. She's now under my control," Brainiac told him through Chloe's voice.

"What do you want?"

"This planet and its knowledge," Chloe's voice explained. "When I'm done, the destroyer will annihilate everyone, starting with you. The House of El will fall, and Zod will rise again, ushering in the rebirth of Krypton on Earth."

Her opaque eyes turned skyward, as did Clark's as the sound of thunder filled the air. Emerging from the dark clouds was an all too familiar site-the black ship, home to Brainiac.

xxx

Lois crept up to the side of Cain Software's new warehouse. She made sure to step lightly, as to not alert anyone to her presence. Seeing the side door already ajar, she slipped inside.

xxx

'How could this happen so fast,' Clark thought in disbelief. There had to be a way to stop this. Had he been too busy with other things to notice the urgency of the situation with Brainiac? A'ress had warned him, but he thought she was trying to get under his skin.

He looked around in desperation, overwhelmed. The TV screen nearby intermittently flickered to reveal the Kryptonian symbol for 'doom'. Clark's gaze caught another figure in the distance, apart from the group. "Davis?" he wondered aloud.

Before he could give it another thought, his super hearing was peaked. "Is there anyone out there? What the hell is going on?" the voice called out.

"Lois," Clark stated in recognition, leaving black and blue contrails behind as he sped away.

xxx

He reappeared just in time for Lois to look up and see him. She was making her way up the steps of the Daily Planet. "Hey Smallville, thank god you're here. Has the planet all gone nuts?"

"Something like that," Clark managed. "It's hard to explain. I'm just glad you're okay," he added, helping her up.

"Let's get you some place safe," he continued. "Maybe if we…"

In the blink of an eye, a black tendril wrapped around Lois' neck, pulling her forward. Her body was tossed like a rag doll against a brick wall.

Clark's heart sank. He super sped over to her, cradling her body. Blood trickled from her forehead and mouth. "Lois, stay with me. I need you to stay with me. I've only started to…"

"Clark, I…," she began, before passing out. His heart raced, he held her close, hoping to hear any sign of a heartbeat but it was no use. He'd lost her, the one good thing left in his life. He felt like his world was falling apart.

xxx

"It's time to give up, Kal-El, you've lost everything," a voice said from the darkness. It sounded like Brainiac.

"You know I can't do that," Clark shot back, still reeling from Lois' death.

"All your determination, all your strength, and you're still nothing," the voice taunted.

BEEP! BEEP! A faint sounded echoed in the distance.

"You're just like them, like the ones you swear to protect," the voice changed, but still cold. The figure emerged from the shadows, skull-faced, shrouded in a blue cloak.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! "Dr. Destiny, I presume," Clark said in recognition.

"I see my reputation precedes me," Destiny replied, coolly.

BEEP! BEEP! "Why go to the trouble of this charade, only to reveal yourself?" Clark wondered. There was that faint sound again.

"To show you it's hopeless," Destiny taunted. "You can't escape. I have the power…I have the control now."

"Clark?" a voice called out. Clark thought he was imagining things. "There is always another way, this isn't the answer."

"You're wrong. It's the only answer," Destiny snapped. "You and your super friends took my life away, now I'm going to take yours."

"Lex did this to you…" Clark started. "Are you there?" the voice echoed again.

"…we didn't," he finished. There was that voice again. It was so familiar. Was he going mad?

"You all set it in motion, you were the catalyst. You're just as guilty as Lex and the others," Destiny insisted. BEEP! "Give in to your fears, and I'll let you die quickly."

"Smallville?" the voice was now unmistakable-it was Lois. Dee's injury and Clark's unique physiology must have been preventing his opponent from taking hold of Lois as well. He was still in the warehouse, Dee must be nearby, if he could only get to him.

"I don't think so," Clark replied, appearing more confident moving forward. Though he was still in the dream state, he could sense the ability to move on some level. He could hear Dee's heart beat…and Lois'. "It's over John."

"So arrogant," Destiny continued. "Hubris will be your downfall."

Clark suddenly doubled over feeling weak. Kryptonite, Dee must have kryptonite. He tried to reach for Dr. Destiny, but he couldn't grab him.

"In another life I tested the abilities and weaknesses of freaks like you," Destiny added. "You may have taken away that life, but now I have found my true calling. You and your friends will fall prey to your weaknesses, your fear."

Despite being weak, Clark fought with every ounce of strength. "You may know your destiny, but I also know mine." With one final burst of energy, Clark grabbed hold of Dr Destiny. They began to struggle.

In reality, Clark was grappling with Destiny's true form, John Dee. Clark could feel the hold slipping. He could now see flashes of Dee trying to plunge a kryptonite laced syringe into his arm.

The man of steel tried his best to hold Dee at bay, as the presence of kryptonite caused his veins to turn green. The pair tumbled on the ground, still struggling. Clark couldn't take this much longer.

Suddenly, the weakness began to dissipate as they slammed back down onto the ground. Dee had stopped moving, his face becoming blank. Clark pulled back to see that Dee had inadvertently stabbed himself with the syringe as his opponent fell unconscious.

Lois finally spotted Clark lying on the ground. It was lucky that he had his cell phone still on, otherwise she wouldn't have known he was there. She had tried to text him when she got on the scene, and the beeping from his phone had led her to him. Lois rushed over to him, resting her hand gently on his shoulder. "Smallville, are you okay?"

Clark panted, his breath feeling heavy. They both looked over to Dee, and back to each other. He managed a smile, adding, "I am now."

ACT BREAK