----------

Smallville High is out on a field trip to the forest, collecting rocks. It looks like a pretty cold day, and everyone is dressed appropriately. Clark uses his powers to help his teammate Pete find another rock (on my planet, that's called "cheating"). Lana comes over to say hi, and Clark backs away because her necklace is giving him the green squigglies.

Eric Summers, son of the teacher overseeing the expedition, finds a rock with a green center -- gee, I wonder what that might be. Eric puts the rock into his backpack. He asks a fellow classmate, Holly, if she needs a "meteor rock," but she replies that she's already got one. Clearly, Eric's got a thing for Holly. Holly's boyfriend, Brent, isn't too happy about this, and pulls a Whitney as he tells Eric to back off.

Mr. Summers asks Eric how many rocks Eric has collected, and Eric admits that he's only gotten a few -- his glasses keep fogging up. Mr. Summers is stern and unforgiving toward his son, and Pete pins down my sentiments exactly: "Glad he's not my dad."

It's getting darker and the clouds are moving in. It's going to rain, and everyone's back on the bus -- except Eric. Clark volunteers to go find his missing classmate. Clark finds him on the railway of a bridge. Eric's arms are spread wide, and he's listening to his headphones ("Fade" by Staind, one of my fave songs) with a smile on his face. Clark calls to him, concerned, but Eric doesn't hear him at first. As he gets closer Clark starts to feel pain, and we see that Eric is holding a piece of meteorite. Lightning strikes, causing Eric to lose balance, and he flails. Clark speeds over and catches him, but just then lightning strikes again, hitting Clark and spreading to Eric. Somehow, Clark still manages to get Eric to safety before he collapses.

Recovering slightly, Clark reaches over to Eric to make sure Eric's okay, but touches one of the orange hot spots on Eric's jacket and flinches in pain. He's shocked by this development.

***

Jonathan's having trouble with his truck, which is stuck in the mud. He calls to Clark to give him a hand. Clark tries to lift the truck to no avail, and is eventually knocked to the ground. When he gets up, we see that his nose is bleeding. (Oh, no!) Jonathan at first doesn't understand what's going on, but then he seems to realize that something's wrong. Clark's now pretty freaked out.

The Kents are in the kitchen, theorizing about what could possibly be wrong with poor weak Clark. Martha suggests that maybe it's part of his development, or maybe it had to do with the lightning, and then she really hits upon the answer: "I don't know."

Clark whines about not ever having been sick before, and Jonathan tells him to take things naturally -- go to school, etc. Translation: I really have no idea about any of this, but this is probably as good advice as any. Clark has missed the bus and starts to speed away, only ... he doesn't. Even that's gone.

***

Smallville High. Gym class. Clark sweating buckets.

PETE: Usually you run the bleachers without breaking a sweat. Today you look like you're about to die.

And Clark Kent's secret is out: It turns out that if he doesn't have his powers, he's a total weakling! A regular guy like Pete has more stamina. Yeah, yeah, he's never had to do it this way before, yadda yadda. Anyway, Clark gets a cramp in his leg and starts to freak out. I can only imagine what it must be like to feel these human aches and pains, never having felt them before. Yikes.

Clark spots Eric and goes over to talk to him. Eric seems fit as a fiddle, and tells Clark he feels great.

CLARK: But there's nothing different about you?
ERIC: Why? Should there be?

Clark's nose starts to bleed again.

***

Whitney drops Lana off in front of her aunt's flower shop and The Talon Theater, and it seems he's too busy to do anything with her. He's grousing about how he might as well kiss his scholarship goodbye when he notices the "For Sale" sign in the window of the flower shop. He asks Lana about it, who doesn't know a thing about it.

Lana confronts Nell about how Nell is selling the store. Lana wants to know why Nell didn't tell her, and is in general very upset, particularly after Nell says that she's selling the theater as well, given that it's part of the building.

***

On the Kent farm, Clark's doing his chores with Jonathan -- only now instead of taking five minutes, they take two hours.

CLARK: Hey, Dad?
JONATHAN: Yeah?
CLARK: How do you find the strength to do this every day?
JONATHAN: Years of practice.

***

Finally, we get to the person we care about. We're at the Luthor mansion, and Lex and Roger Nixon (the reporter Lex blackmailed early on) are viewing a computer simulation of the accident he had involving Clark. Nixon says that it is the only explanation, and he's consulted a team of experts.

NIXON: This could make one hell of a story.
LEX: Nobody's ever going to know about this. And if this story is accidentally leaked, you and I are going to have a serious trust issue.
NIXON: As opposed to the close personal relationship we enjoy now?

Bwahahaha, one point for Nixon. In any case, it's interesting that it seems all Lex wanted to know was the truth -- he wasn't planning to exploit Clark (at least, at the moment).

***

Clark's trying to repair a fence, and he accidentally smashes his thumb with the hammer. He seems totally miserable. A car pulls down the drive, and it is, of course, Lex. Clark needs some help lifting a bar of wood, and Lex seems bemused by this.

LEX: We're friends, right?
CLARK: Yeah, last time I checked. Why?
LEX: I want you to tell me what really happened that day my car went off that bridge.

Clark seems extremely put out by this turn in the conversation, though he tries to be casual at first. Lex tells Clark what he think happened, which is pretty much exactly what happened.

LEX: You're the closest I've had to a real friend my whole life. You don't have to hide anything from me.

Clark seems hurt that Lex thinks he's hiding something from him ... though given that he IS, I'm not sure he has much right to. But of course, it's more complicated than that. Clark hands Lex the hammer and tells him to hit him anywhere. He's really riled up now.

CLARK: Come on! If I can get hit by a car, you can't hurt me.
LEX: Clark, I just want the truth.
CLARK: The truth is, I'm just a guy who tried to do the right thing. Isn't that enough?

This entire confrontation is so layered with meaning that it's just wonderful. Clark and Lex are equally sympathetic, and they're both right, which makes the situation even more difficult.

***

Eric watches Brent and Holly from a distance. Pete and Chloe walk by, discussing Clark's recent bizarre behavior. An iffy-looking guy grabs Chloe's bag, which contains her laptop. She and Pete are trying to fight him off, which catches Eric's attention. He superspeeds to the rescue. The thief pulls a knife on him, but it splinters against Eric's hand. Everyone is shocked. Eric tosses the thief with superstrength, and returns Chloe's bag. He's grinning, having caught everyone's attention, including Holly's.

***

Martha reads about the incident in the newspaper, and remarks dryly that at least now they know where Clark's powers went. Jonathan comes to the correct conclusion that the lightning plus the meteorite transferred Clark's powers to Eric.

Clark says that maybe it won't be so bad, and then has an insecure moment, asking if they still feel the same about him.

MARTHA: Clark! You're our son, whether you can bench-press the tractor or not.

Jonathan gives a nice speech about how Clark's abilities were part of him, but they didn't define him. Clark gives a small smile, then walks away.

MARTHA: You're kind of relieved, aren't you?
JONATHAN: Well, he always said he wanted to be normal. Guess he got his wish.

***

At school, Pete and Chloe are gushing about the amazing performance Eric gave when he rescued Chloe's laptop. Chloe wrote an article about it, which gets her her first byline in the Smallville Ledger. Clark is unimpressed, and decidedly unhappy about the fact that no only did he lose his powers, but that they went to someone who's milking them for all they're worth.

Eric's signing autographs, and Lana and Whitney approach. Whitney is holding a basketball (and Lana's hand). Clark stares at Lana, and for the first time, he truly sees the benefit of having lost his powers -- he's not sick from her necklace.

Whitney invites Pete and Clark to play a game against him and Brent (Holly's boyfriend, if we'll remember, forgettable though he is). Pete is about to turn him down, saying that Clark doesn't play, when Clark jumps interrupts and says he's in.

During the game, Clark is in a great mood. He's all smiles, and it's clear that he's happy. After the game, Whitney says that they play every Tuesday and Thursday, leaving the invitation out there.

PETE: Why are you grinning? We lost.
CLARK: I know. Pretty cool, huh?

***

Lex is in an office building in Metropolis. The place is posh, and he's in a suit and tie. Victoria walks in with her father. Lex and Sir Harry shake hands. Lex is pissed because he's been kept waiting for 45 minutes, and I don't imagine that many people keep Lex waiting. The other shoe drops -- Sir Harry announces that their deal is off.

LEX: I'm sorry, I thought it was your life's ambition to crush my father.
SIR HARRY: No, that's your life's ambition. Mine is to take over LuthorCorp.

Lex wants to know how Sir Harry plans to do that without Lex's shares. Sir Harry announces that he's bought Cadmus Labs, and Lex guesses that Sir Harry plans to buy LuthorCorp outright from the money he'll make from the patents (I'm not sure how this would work, exactly, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they know what they're talking about).

I would be very concerned if I were Sir Harry and Victoria that Lex doesn't seem the least perplexed by this turn of events. As he exits, he whispers to Victoria that he hopes (her betrayal) was worth it.

***

Lana walks through The Talon, which looks decidedly unkempt. Clark enters (because of course he knows where she is at all times), and is happy again to notice that her necklace does nothing to him. Lana explains that her parents met in the theater, and that whatever tangible evidence she has of her parents' existence is slowly being chipped away.

CLARK: Sometimes, letting go is the only way to move forward.

Lana sighs and says there's nothing she can do to stop it, anyway. Clark wants to know if he can borrow her English notes, as he fell asleep in class. She asks if he's been feeling okay lately, and he replies that he's great.

LANA: You're just less ... Clark Kent-like. It's kind of nice. You seem more relaxed. Like you haven't got the weight of the world on your shoulders.

***

Eric enters his house, and he's in a right good mood. He's got a copy of the Smallville Ledger, which he shows to his mother. She expresses little enthusiasm, and he wants to know what's wrong.

ERIC: Are you afraid of me?

Mr. Summers enters, and says that they're concerned about where these powers came from. He wants to take Eric to see a doctor; Eric is against the idea. He tells his father that he's not a science experiment, and Mr. Summers gets angry with Eric's gall in talking back to him. Eric shoves his father up against the wall and says that he never has to listen to Mr. Summers again. Eric superspeeds out of the house.

***

At school, Brent and Holly are sitting at a table having lunch. Eric boldly approaches her and asks her out on a date. Brent is naturally pissed off by this, and goes off about how Eric making it into the paper means nothing, etc. Eric breaks the mirror on a truck next to Brent, and finally the guy starts to realize that he should be a bit nervous.

Of course, the whole school now turns out to see what's going on, including Chloe, Pete, and Clark. Brent tries to hide under the truck, but Eric picks it up and flips it over. Brent tries to get away, but Eric's two steps ahead of him. Finally, Eric picks Brent up and throws him superstrength into the tables. Clark tries to stop Eric, but Eric brushes Clark aside, causing Clark to crash on top of a car. Ouch.

Eric stalks over to Holly, who is with now-unconscious Brent. Holly is completely horrified, and looks at Eric with revulsion. She tells Eric to get away from them and calls him a freak. Eric looks from her to the students around him, and realizes that his behavior has made him more of an outsider than ever.

***

Clark's in a hospital getting treated for his injuries. He's got bandages across his ribs. His parents enter, and Martha is frantic. The doctor says that nothing appears to be broken, but maybe an X-ray is in order. Going off the look on Clark's face (though what would be wrong with his physiology?), Jonathan says that he's just going to take Clark home.

As Jonathan leaves to take care of the paperwork, Martha and Clark talk about what happened with Eric.

CLARK: I don't know what it is. Even though Eric has my abilities, I still think of them as my responsibility.

Clark and Martha leave the room, and Lex is standing outside. Martha leaves to go help Jonathan, but Clark continues to walk, not looking at Lex.

CLARK: So, did you come by to make sure I was hurt?
LEX: I wanted to make sure you were all right.
CLARK: Yeah. Never better. Maybe we can go out in the parking lot and you can hit me with your car.

Lex apologizes for his behavior the other day, saying that nothing appears to be what they seem lately. I can't help but feel sorry for Lex, given that Clark IS and HAS BEEN lying to him.

CLARK: You gonna stop snooping around my back now?
LEX: Listen, I had no right to question your honesty. All I can do is plead temporary insanity and hope we can find a way to put this behind us.
CLARK: Only temporary?

Okay, even I have to admit that this scene is kind of USTy. <g> But truly, their friendship is just touching, period. It's interesting that really, in this episode, Lex shows as much moral fiber as Clark does, and they also each have their not-so-shining moments.

***

Eric reenters his home, and pleads with his mother not to be afraid of him. She has heard about the incident at school. He seems scared and remorseful ... and then his father shows up, and police sirens can be heard in the distance.

***

Clark's in his house and Jonathan shows up, saying that he's just been to see Eric's parents, who are scared. Clark asks if Jonathan had ever been scared of him, and Jonathan replies that while Clark had a few temper tantrums, he was a good kid. Clark says that he doesn't think Eric's a bad kid, and Jonathan agrees. (Apparently, only Lex doesn't get the benefit of the doubt.)

CLARK: You know, when this first happened I was kind of freaked out. Now I'm kind of enjoying it. I played basketball for the first time without worrying if I'd hurt anyone. I can be around Lana without her necklace making me feel sick. Even this is better than being around the meteor rocks any day of the week.

Martha bursts in, saying that something has happened at Eric's house. The police arrived, but were unable to control Eric.

Clark says he has to stop Eric, and that perhaps if Eric has Clark's strength, he'll have his weakness, too.

***

Lex enters the same office room he was in before when he first met with Sir Harry and Victoria. The two of them are sitting on a couch, and Lex is casual and smug.

SIR HARRY: How did you do it, Lex?
LEX: Do what?
SIR HARRY: Cadmus Labs -- it's worthless.
LEX: I know. Maybe you should have done your homework before acquiring it so recklessly. Now you've left yourself open for hostile takeover.
VICTORIA: I read the report.
LEX: You mean that little piece of fiction you sole off my computer?

Sir Harry and Victoria are pole-axed. Lex is at his ruthless best. He tells Sir Harry that he and Lionel will be making an offer on Sir Harry's company in the morning. Victoria is in fine form, asking how he could do this to her, as if she hadn't tried to screw him over just the day before. And then she says that what she did was "just business" -- well, hello, what do you think he's doing? But Lex doesn't point out any of the obvious -- he gets in his own dig.

LEX: You call sleeping with me "business"? I'd hate to think what that makes you.

Bwahahahaha! Victoria then goes all girly and slaps him.

VICTORIA: We could have been great together.
LEX: I plan on being great all by myself.

OHMYGOD that he gets the best lines. Not to mention, it's absolutely true. Though, you know Lex, if you wanted to cut someone else in on that deal -- you know, like Lana, as an example -- it might be okay.

***

Clark shows up at The Talon, and Lana is there, looking like she's packing up. She and Clark make some small talk about Eric, and then Clark gets to the point. He asks to borrow it, knowing that it sounds like a very strange request. To her credit, Lana doesn't hesitate, and takes it off for him.

LANA: what do you need it for?
CLARK: It's complicated. whatever happens to me, I promise you'll get this back.
LANA: You're scaring me again. What is going on?
CLARK: Goodbye, Lana.

It's a very moving scene, and I found myself getting a bit choked up. Oh, as if you didn't.

***

Eric's home is a disaster area. There's a police car on the roof, another one is flipped over and on fire, and there's crap all over the yard. Clark goes up to Mr. and Mrs. Summers to find out where Eric went.

MR. SUMMERS: He talked about getting rid of "it." He said there was only one place where he could do that. Whatever that means.

Still, Mr. Summers is unrelenting and cold, though he's talking about his own son. Really, who can blame Eric, poor kid.

***

Clark arrives at the same bridge where the accident took place, and finds Eric in the same position. Clark is holding the lead box that holds Lana's necklace. He calls out to Eric, "Don't!" (Though I'm not sure why; Eric still has Clark's powers and it's not like falling off the bridge would kill him.) Eric just smiles and falls off.

Clark rushes off to where he thinks Eric might be, but Eric appears behind him. He tells Clark that Clark should have let Eric go the first time; it would have been better than living like this. Clark wants to know why Eric jumped; Eric replies that he was testing his limits, which apparently he has none. Clark tells him that he has to give himself time to adjust to the abilities; Eric seems bitter about this.

ERIC: Oh, so in time my parents won't be scared of me? The girl of my dreams won't think I'm a freak? The cops won't be after me?

Clark says that he can help, but Eric won't hear of it. He throws Clark against a fence, which causes the lead box to open. He looks for Lana's necklace and Eric comes ever closer. Eric is on edge, grabbing Clark by the shirt.

ERIC: Come on, Clark. If you had the power to do whatever you want, what would you do?
CLARK: I'd stop people like you.
ERIC: Nothing on this earth can stop me.
CLARK: You're wrong.

Eric grabs a power line and threatens Clark with it. Clark takes Eric's arm and holds Lana's necklace; the guys yell as a green light suffuses them both. They collapse to the ground, and we see that the cut on Clark's forehead gets healed instantaneously. Lana's necklace makes him sick, and he tosses it back into the lead box.

Later, Eric is carried away in a stretcher and Clark and Jonathan talk it out. Jonathan repeats the whole "they're part of you but they don't define you" speech, and says that seeing how destructive Eric got really brings home how special Clark really is.

CLARK: That's because Eric didn't get my two strongest gifts. You and Mom.

See, this is the type of thing that should be so cheesy it's unbearable, and yet I find myself touched by the sentiment. I think I'll just go with it.

***

Lex is on the phone with his father discussing their takeover bid of Sir Harry's company. Lionel tells Lex that he's proud of him. As they hang up, Roger Nixon enters. Lex tells him that his so-called experts were wrong; Clark is a regular kid.

NIXON: That's not possible. So how do you explain the accident?
LEX: I can't. But I'm closing the book and putting it behind me.
NIXON: There's something there, Lex.
LEX: I don't care. The Kents are off-limits, understand?

Nixon tosses an envelope to Lex; in it are pictures of Lionel and Victoria in a (gross) torrid sexual encounter. Nixon tells Lex that it was Lionel who initiated it. Ah, Dear Old Dad.

***

Clark shows up at The Talon just as Lana is about to lock up. He hands her the lead box that contains her necklace. Deah gott, is nothing sacred? He's regifting! This proves that Clark's true feelings lie with Lana and not Lex, sorry slashers. <eg>

LANA: Is this your way of telling me I shouldn't wear my necklace?
CLARK: I don't want it to hold you back. (And, like, I'd really like to be super close to you without feeling sick.)
LANA: Sometimes, letting go is the only way to move forward.

Oh, how touching that would be if only in the next episode she doesn't try to convince Lex to save The Talon.

LANA: Are you okay? You've got the weight of the world on your shoulders again.

Clark offers to walk Lana home, but rudely enough, she's got plans to meet Whitney. They agree on a rain check, and walk away in opposite directions.

The End