7.05 Threats by MR & ED (Part V)

as retold by RepairmanBob

MR: Back at Lex’s lab.
AoT: And nipple clamp factory.
(AM walks in, and sits down without saying a word.)
TW: Allison, are you –
AM: I am fine, Tom. I am calm. I am a leaf on the wind.
AoT: I have always felt meditation was very calming, Allison. I am glad you read that book I lent you.
AM: Yes, Zen and the Art of Kicking Ass was very fulfilling, Annette. (Looks around the table with a serene expression.) Very fulfilling.
ED: The gang members rush inside the warehouse, using high-tech weapons to kill security guards and scientists. One member corners a woman, who begs for mercy. He smirks, lifts his gun - and flies into the air.
JG: 30 feet?
MR: Probably 15 – cheaper to shoot. Clark offers the woman his hand. “Get out of here and call the police, ma’am.”
ED: Cut to Lex, Hope and Dr. Richards in the main lab. Hope and Lex are working frantically on computer systems.
MR: “Hope, have you finished downloading all of the back-up files?”
ED: “Yes sir.”
MR: “Then start the data wipe program.”
ED: Dr. Richards – “Data wipe?”
MR: Lex has a frustrated smirk. “After my recent setbacks, all LuthorCorp facilities have procedures to delete evidence of any projects that are being conducted. It helps prevent industrial espionage and accidental leaks to the press.”
ED: “But my work –“
MR: “Will be continued at an alternate site. It is time to go, Dr, Richards.”
ED: Two gang members rush into the room. One of them throws Dr. Richards into a stationary lab unit. We see a container of light orange liquid fall over and flow into other samples.
MR: The gang members point their guns at Lex and Hope. “Looks like we have a bonus. Tell the Boss.” One of them picks up a cell phone, while the other smiles at Lex.
ED: Kahloe appears. “Wait for the right moment.”
MR: As soon as they take their eyes off Hope, she pulls out a gun and starts firing. The bullets bounce off force fields.
ED: Cut to the lab unit. A display screen lights up. “Experiment Two Initiated.” We see the orange liquid mixing with the other samples, and start to bubble.
MR: The guard who was holding watching Lex slaps Hope. “Stupid move, bitch.” He lifts her into the air with one arm and starts to choke her – we see he is wearing the same metal gloves from earlier in the episode.
ED: Hope makes eye contact with Lex. Sex says, “She can take it. You only have one chance.”
MR: Lex moves behind the second guard, who has the cell phone and has turned to watch Hope being choked. Lex pulls out his own pistol and presses it against the man’s back and fires twice. The first guard turns and pulls his gun. He shoots at Lex, who uses the dead guard as a shield.
JG: More quality use of minions.
KK: Since when is Lex such a good shot? Shouldn’t a paper airplane or something have knocked him out?
MR: Since I am writing the episode.
ED: Hope stretches out her right arm, and a knife falls into her palm. She slashes the arm of the first guard, who drops her.
MR: Lex shoots twice. The force field flashes, and the man looks at Lex. He starts to raise the gun again, and Hope slashes his throat. He falls to the ground. Lex walks over, and shoots him in the head. He looks calmly at Hope. "Well done. Dr. Richards, lock and secure the door. Hope, help me get the security cameras back on line - I want a look at the Boss these two mentioned."
JG: I believe I like this version of Lex. He just executed two people in cold blood. Finally, a son Lionel can be proud of.

ED: Daily Planet. Kahn brings Lois to the office she will be sharing with Bittleman, while he helps her get used to working at the Planet.
MR: Bittleman. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It is bad enough you stuck me with this clueless rookie who fell” (Looks at Lois’s chest) “tits first by the look of her into the luckiest story of all time, but there no way she is going to be sharing my office!”
ED: Lois – “Can I just –“
MR: “Zip it, Cinderella, and I call you Cinderella because this has to be a Disney movie where a young, blond ditz magically gets to work at greatest paper in the world with the greatest reporter in the world because her fairy godmother heard her secret dream while she pole danced at the local strip club.” Bittleman looks at Kahn. “Then again, maybe it was your Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Fairy Godmother who helped you, since Kahn is showing the age lines these days.”
TW: Erica, you let this into the script?
ED: I liked the snappy dialogue.
MR: And I have been watching House and Scrubs.
ED: Kahn ignores Bittleman’s tantrum. “Are you finished yet?”
MR: “No, I have not yet begun to –“
ED: “That was a rhetorical question. Lane has the front page tomorrow. Get her up to speed on how the Planet works, get her set up, and get me some replies from Luthor.”
MR: “Why should I –“
ED: “Because you pissed me off, and it amuses me to make you unhappy. Lane – good first story. I expect the next one to be better. Get to it!” Kahn leaves. Bittleman looks pissed, glares at Kahn, then at Lois, then storm out and slams the door. Lois looks around the office slightly shell-shocked. “Hurray?”

MR: The lab. Clark overpowers the rest of the gang, then is shot in the chest. He flies back, then dodges three more shots. He uses his heat vision to knock the gun out of someone’s hands. He runs up and grabs the last man – the Boss. “Hello, Kal-El. I was wondering when you would show up.”
ED: Clark looks surprised. “How do you know that name? What are you doing here?”
MR: The Boss smiles. “You can call me Mr. Hassad. I know all about you, Kal-El. What you have done, what you will do in the future. What the Kryptonians have been doing to the people of this world for centuries.”
ED: Clark looks shocked “What do you know about Krypton?”
MR: “I could answer your questions, Kal-El, but what fun would that be?” Mr. Hassad lifts his arms, and liquid fire pours out. It moves around Clark, and sets the lab on fire. “Simple choice, Kal-El. Stop the villain, or save the primates who attacked you. They are killers, one and all, and they deserve to burn – but you make the choice. I am leaving.” Mr. Hassad smiles and backs away, never turning his back on Clark.
ED: Clark glares, the runs through the building, picking up the bodies of the gang members. Cut to outside the building, where a pile of unconscious bodies quickly grows. Cut to Clark hearing Mr. Hassad speaking.
MR: “I will see you soon, Kal-El.”

MR: Inside the main lab, Lex sees a video of Mr. Hassad setting the building on fire. “I believe it is time to go. Hope – get all of the equipment off of these men. Dr. Richards – make sure all the remaining samples are set to self-destruct. I need to download these video files.”
ED: Dr. Richards moves to the lab station we have been watching. His eyes light up. “Mr. Luthor, you need to see this.”
MR: “This is not a good time, Dr. Richards.”
ED: “But Mr. Luthor –“ Kahloe says “Lex, this is important.”
MR: Lex turns around, rips open the front of the lab station and pulls out the CPU. The machines smoking and sparking – Lex’s hands are burned when he pulls it out. “We are leaving.”
AM: Looks like Lex has been taking tips from Clark about computer repair.

continued...