I am so very very sorry for the long wait. I just got lost in trying to figure out how to do this. And this isn't even the whole of what I wanted to post! Lol. This basically just a tease of what's to come for you guys. Sorry for the butt-load of exposition here, as well. But still, I hope you like it!
INT. MOUNTAIN CHAMBER-CELL.
Granny Goodness stands outside of Tess' cell, staring at her unconscious body through the bars... fondly. Tess begins coughing, waking up, and turning over, puking up the green liquid. She gasps, taking in breath, then breathing normally.
GRANNY (OS): Welcome home Tess.
Tess' head JERKS in the direction of Granny's voice, who continues to stare at her.
GRANNY: I apologize for the vomiting. It's a side-effect of the pit.
TESS: What...? I...
Tess reaches up to touch the side of her face, the shackles on her wrists limiting her arms. She lowers her face to her hands instead feeling the now completely healed skin. She grabs up a small mirror sitting next to her and looks at her face in the reflection.
TESS: What happened? (looks back to Granny) What did you do to me?
Granny looks at Tess in slight confusion, then resumes her eerily calm smile.
GRANNY (matter-of-factly): I saved your life dear.
TESS (regaining her sense of control): Where am I? (becoming angry) Tell me where I am!
GRANNY: That's not important. What is, is that you're alive. And safe.
TESS (partially amused): Safe? (raising her shackled hands and becoming angry again, yelling) You call this safe?!
Granny just smiles.
GRANNY: In time you'll know that to be true.
Tess defiantly stands up, trying to maintain her visage of strength.
TESS (worry beginning to come to her again): You'll never get away with this. I have friends, (voice cracking with a hint of sadness) people who care about me, and if anything happens-
GRANNY (interrupting): Don't try and fool yourself, Tess. We both know that if you vanished off the face of this earth there would be no one that would even care.
This truth visibly crushes Tess. She tries to keep herself steady, but her belief in Granny's words is written all over her crestfallen face. She blinks back her teary eyes, as Granny easily holds her smile, without an ounce of remorse.
TESS (choking back sadness): Why'd you save me, if I'm so worthless?
Granny lets out a small laugh.
GRANNY: My sweet Tess... You're not to me.
Granny turns, and walks away from the cell, leaving Tess alone, her words resonating with her.
INT. WATCHTOWER.
Chloe holds the gun on a barely concerned Adam, as Oliver and Dinah stare in confusion. Oliver steps over to Chloe in alarm.
OLIVER: Chloe, what the hell are you doing?!
CHLOE: What are you doing with HIM?!
DINAH: He saved our lives. He got us out of there.
CHLOE: I bet he did. Probably to get himself out, or he's working for who took you.
ADAM: I'm not.
CHLOE: Shut up!
OLIVER: How do you know him?
CHLOE: He tried to kill Lana. He held me hostage. He can't be trusted.
ADAM: I'm sorry. More than anything. Believe me.
DINAH: I'm pretty sure she just said we shouldn't.
ADAM: I wasn't myself. That stuff, what they shot me up with, it decayed my brain, made me crazy.
CHLOE: Is that supposed to be an excuse?! After what you did?! The people you killed?! Those scientists? Dr. Teng?
That catches Adam off guard. The sadness of Teng's death showing in his eyes.
ADAM: Why would I kill Dr. Teng? She tried to help me. I wouldn't, I couldn't. I got angry because she couldn't help me and I attacked her, but that was it. I swear.
CHLOE: Well then how- (realization dawning) Lionel. I've never actually thought about it before. How you could take out all those scientists by yourself... And why Lionel would frame Lex for their murder, when he didn't need to. But that still doesn't mean I can trust you.
ADAM: You can't. I don't expect forgiveness. I don't deserve it. And you can't trust that I won't turn on you, so...(taking in a loaded pause as he takes a deep breath, then finally concluding with) kill me.
Chloe almost jerks away in shock at the suggestion, disgusted by it.
ADAM: It's the only way to permanently ensure your safety.
Oliver's horrified by this. Dinah can only watch, frozen by the tension. Emil is particularly on edge.
OLIVER: You can't be serious. Chloe, tell me you're not considering this!
Chloe's finger ever-so-slightly tightens on the guns trigger, as she almost appears to consider it, a cold blankness taking over her features.
ADAM: Do it. I shouldn't be alive anyway.
Oliver carefully starts to step over to Chloe, a battle stance ready. Emil cautiously moves a bit closer as well.
EMIL (tense): Chloe.
Chloe stares right into Adam's eyes, eyes of complete and utter resolve. He's not bluffing. He means every word. And that resolve snaps Chloe out of her trance like state. She steps away from Adam, shaking her head.
CHLOE: No.
Chloe lowers the gun. Oliver smiles in strong relief, stepping back away from her. Dinah's relief more subtlely emanates through a single exhalation of breath that she was previously holding. Emil relaxes a bit more, but still holds clear tension.
CHLOE (voice raw with emotion, choking it back): That's not... (determined) I'm not that.
Adam lets out a sigh of disappointment, as Chloe turns away from him. Dinah's completely lost in all this.
DINAH: Okay, I'm confused. Should I knock him out or not?
Chloe takes in a deep breath and closes her eyes for a second to calm herself. She lets out the breath and opens her eyes, clarity coming back to her.
CHLOE: Not. (remembering her mission, as she tosses the gun onto the table and looks over at Clark's body) None of this matters anyway. We have to-
Chloe stops in her tracks, as it practically hits her over the head. Oliver notices, a hint of concern as he steps toward her.
OLIVER: What is it, Chloe?
Chloe turns back to Adam, understanding striking her.
CHLOE: How are you?
ADAM (Not really understanding): Not great. I-
CHLOE: No. You said you shouldn't be alive. How are you alive?
ADAM (taken aback): I...
CHLOE: You were dead. Me, Clark, Lana and Mr. Kent identified your body to Sheriff Adams. Are you a clone?
ADAM (a little amused at the idea): What? Is that a thing?
CHLOE: You'd be surprised.
ADAM (now becoming serious again): I'm not. I... (walking past Chloe into the main area, head down) It's hard to explain...
CHLOE (her unyielding eyes follow Adam, as her agitation grows): I'll manage.
Adam looks up, his line of vision falling squarely on Clark. He's clearly caught off guard by the sight
ADAM: Is this why you need to know?
Chloe, losing more of her self-control, makes her way over to Adam.
CHLOE: Tell me.
ADAM: There's no guarantee-.
CHLOE (snapping): Tell me!
Adam takes a breath.
ADAM: All I remember was drowning, and then I was back, in this pool of green liquid, in a... mountain cavern. I got out and a man was waiting for me. He told me that he used the pool to save my life. I don't even know if he was telling the truth.
CHLOE: Can you take us there?
ADAM: Someone helped me escape after five years of being held there...
OLIVER: Is that a yes?
ADAM: It depends.
EMIL: On what?
ADAM: On whether or not the guys that had us (gestures to himself and Oliver) have destroyed it. That's the reason they took me: To tell them where it is.
CHLOE: Then we better hurry up. Where is it?
ADAM: Not in Kansas.
INT. NANDA PARBAT–MOUNTAIN–TESS' CELL.
Tess brings a rock down onto the chain connected linking her shackles to the floor. She brings the rock down again and again, finally breaking the chain. Tess lets out a breath of relief.
INT. MOUNTAIN–OPENING IN UPPER LEVEL CAVERN.
CLOSE ON: A running generator, as it powers a series of life support systems that are connected to a completely bandaged man lying on a slab with a breathing tube down his throat, while a few of the female soldiers check his readings on a heart rate monitor.
Granny Goodness and Dessad watch, intently.
DESSAD: If this fails, Master will have your head. Without one, the other is useless.
Granny, ignoring Dessad's rambling, turns to the female soldiers.
GRANNY: Do it.
The soldiers nod in understanding, and begin shutting off ALL of the bandaged man's life support systems. There is silence. Nothing happens as Granny and Dessad wait. Tension fills the air. An arrogant smarmy grin begins to spread across Dessad's face. He starts to speak, when suddenly the bandaged man GASPS FOR AIR! Dessad jerks in surprise, but Granny remains confident. She even smirks. The bandaged man then begins choking on the breathing tube down his throat, as the female soldiers check the reading on his heart rate monitor.
DESSAD (not expecting that): He's stabilized...
GRANNY (almost arrogantly still smirking): Don't be so surprised. Your lack of faith has always been your most defining flaw Dessad.
Dessad, defiant, walks up to the bandaged man and snaps his fingers over his face as he chokes on the breathing tube. The bandaged man doesn't respond at all. Dessad gives a self-satisfied smirk to Granny.
DESSAD: Your "great messiah" is still under.
GRANNY (not at all discouraged in her confidence): Despite his survivability, he's only human. He won't remain stabilized for long. That's why we needed the pit. I just wanted to be certain.
Granny looks to the female soldiers.
GRANNY: Now.
The soldiers nod in unison, carefully pull the tube out of the bandaged man's mouth, and take a position on opposite ends of the slab he lies on. They then proceed to lift him up off of it.
EXT. SKY–QUEEN INDUSTRIES JET–ESTABLISHING–TWILIGHT HOUR.
The Queen Industries jet speeds throughout the darkening skies.
INT. QUEEN INDUSTRIES JET–CABIN.
Oliver prepares for a fight. He places his arrows in his quiver, zips up his outfit, and takes his bow out of its case. Oliver sits down across from Adam, who is downing a glass of scotch.
ADAM: You better hope this jet is fast enough.
Adam stands up out of his chair, walks up to a bottle of scotch, and picks it up.
OLIVER: It is.
ADAM (as he pours more scotch into his glass): A smaller and sleeker one would move faster. And not advertising your company on it wouldn't hurt.
Adam walks back over to his chair and sits back down in it.
OLIVER: Where do I know you from?
Adam takes a sip of the scotch, and then takes in a deep breath.
ADAM (swirling around the contents in his glass, thoroughly not invested or interested in the question): I don't know. Somewhere.
OLIVER: You want something to defend yourself with? Like a gun or-
THAT catches Adam's attention.
ADAM (harshly interrupting Oliver): NO. (taking a second to regain composure) (voice calmer with still a harsh tint) I'm never touching one of those things again.
Oliver's eyes squint curiously at Adam.
OLIVER: You're gonna get yourself killed.
ADAM: It doesn't matter.
Oliver takes in a breath.
OLIVER: It does. If we're gonna save Clark, we're gonna need your help. So, if you got any ulterior motive in this, we can't go in blind to this. Especially if you've got a death wish.
Adam takes in another swallow of scotch, then lingering for a bit on it, before exhaling a small breath.
ADAM: My parents died when I was young.
Oliver leans back in his chair at that, a solemn look taking over his face.
OLIVER (voice raw with sympathy): I'm sorry. I know what that's like.
ADAM: They died right front of me. And I lived. And for so long after that I convinced myself that there must've been a reason for it. And that if I lived long enough, I would find out what that was and my parents death could mean something. So, I fought for my life. Hard. Tooth and nail. Even after I died the first time. I let myself be controlled... I nearly murdered someone. All to save my own ass. Because I was that much of an idiot to think I deserved to live for some higher purpose... But I don't. Because I realized something after being brought back again: I'm not alive for anything. I'm a selfish, worthless, piece of garbage. There is no reason why I'm alive. It's just a random event. So, I figured I might as well die saving someone who actually has a destiny.
Oliver nods, as Adam turns to look out the window of the jet. Oliver stands up out of his chair and to walk past Adam, before stopping right next to him.
OLIVER: Ya know, coming back from the dead... twice... that doesn't sound random to me.
Again, I'm so VERY sorry for how long it's taken! PLEASE review, everyone!