- Lois Lane: You know how Clark and I have this side job hosting "Good Morning Metropolis"?
- Oliver Queen: Uh... Clark Kent's hosting morning television? I can't wait to watch him show me how to bake a cake.
- Lois Lane: Well, our first report does have some heat, but it's not about baking. They've set us both up for blind dates.
- Oliver Queen: [chuckles] Clark's on a blind date? Talk about footage of a train wreck.
- Chloe Sullivan: Hey. From the look on your face, I'm guessing "Good Morning, Metropolis" wasn't so good. Did Lois get the job?
- Clark Kent: Yeah. So did I. They'd only hire us as a team.
- [Chloe looks shocked, then laughs]
- Clark Kent: How do I get myself into these things?
- Chloe Sullivan: So what's your first story?
- Clark Kent: Online dating. They want us to tape ourselves on dates set up through the internet, then coffee-talk about them on the show.
- Chloe Sullivan: Wow. Tackling morning television to get back into Lois' good graces. You know, this has got to be one of your bravest moves yet.
- Stuart Campbell: Look, I can handle any hacker, okay, but I think you should know someone's trying to get through to us right now, and I think they're pretty good, so...
- Tess Mercer: Then be better. Fix the situation, Stuart. Or I'll have you terminated.
- Stuart Campbell: Okay. By terminated, though, you mean fired right? Right?
- Clark Kent: Let's see what you wrote. All right. Under "likes" you have the theater. You mean movie theater.
- Lois Lane: Details.
- Clark Kent: Favorite drinks, you have "bubbly". Yeah, if it comes in a six-pack.
- Lois Lane: I do like a six-pack.
- Clark Kent: There's nothing about monster trucks. You love monster-truck rallies.
- Lois Lane: This is morning television, Clark. Monster trucks are not gonna guarantee me a guy who will impress the home viewers.
- Clark Kent: There are a lot of things about you that would attract a lot of great guys.
- Lois Lane: Really? Like what?
- Clark Kent: Well... Uh...
- [Struggles]
- Clark Kent: ... You're Lois.
- Lois Lane: Thanks, Clark, but I already filled out my name.
- Clark Kent: Lois?
- Lois Lane: Did you hear? The brilliant brass over at KZXP have decided to go with someone else for their morning show.
- Clark Kent: Lois.
- Lois Lane: After everything that happened, after Ollie and I almost got killed, guess who they've decided to go with.
- [showing him a print ad for "Good Morning, Metropolis" with Cat Grant, Clark's blind date]
- Lois Lane: Apparently blondes test better with morning viewers.
- Clark Kent: Lois.
- Lois Lane: I'm sorry. I never should have tried out in the first place, or dragged you there with me, and I just...
- [he kisses her]
- Lois Lane: What are these?
- Clark Kent: Release forms from KZXP. They want us to fill them out before we go on our dates.
- Clark Kent: I have to get a date before I can go on one, Clark. I'm still filling out my online profile.
- [Clark raises his eyebrow]
- Clark Kent: If you want these mainframe matchmakers to pick a winner, you really have to be careful to choose just the right words.
- Clark Kent: I filled mine out in ten minutes this morning.
- Lois Lane: I guarantee you that's the only ten you're getting out of it.
- Lois Lane: Look, I appreciate you helping me audition. I'm still angry you didn't tell me how badly Oliver was doing. But you're here anyway, so please don't make me wish you weren't.
- Clark Kent: It's okay, Lois, just... you don't need to get all worked up like you usually do.
- Lois Lane: Well, excuse me, Mr. I'm Slow and Steady and Know What's Best For Everyone. This happens to be important to me. With newspapers on the endangered species list, news television is my one and only backup plan.
- Clark Kent: Don't you think you can be a little less dramatic with this whole thing?
- Lois Lane: You could be a little more passionate with this wole thing. But not you, not mild-mannered Clark Kent.
- Lois Lane: Do you even care if I get this job?
- Clark Kent: Of course I care. I bought a new tie.
- Lois Lane: Oh. Well, I bought a whole new outfit.
- Clark Kent: Yeah, you look great.
- Lois Lane: Don't do that.
- Clark Kent: Do what?
- Lois Lane: Don't you dare reassure me right now.
- Clark Kent: Lois... I'm only doing this for you. How else am I gonna get that second date?
- Lois Lane: Well, you should have thought about that before you stood me up the first time.
- TV Producer: What do you say you come in bright and early Monday morning and give it another whirl? You got the job. Congratulations.
- Lois Lane: Great. Ah!
- Clark Kent: [she hugs him in excitement] I guess this means you forgive me.
- Lois Lane: Well, let's just say I won't forget about you when I go national.
- Clark Kent: As much as I care about Lois, there's nothing more important than finding the Kandorians.
- Chloe Sullivan: Clark, you've been galloping around the globe tracking down every Kryptonian crop circle we've found. And every time, the Kandorian who came with it was long gone.
- Clark Kent: That doesn't mean I'm gonna stop looking.
- Chloe Sullivan: I think it's time to start looking a little closer to home. Tess has been reinforcing her firewalls, and she's cut the feed to all her security cameras. Now, given her attraction to all things alien...
- Clark Kent: You think she's building her own Area 51.
- Chloe Sullivan: Let me use Watchtower to take a sneak peek at her files.
- Clark Kent: All right, I'll see what I can find on my end.
- Chloe Sullivan: Clark, you've done everything you can. You chose to come back to your Daily Planet double life as a cover. That's what you need to focus on. Just for today, leave the Kandorians to me.
- Chloe Sullivan: [trying to hack into LuthorCorp] Finally.
- [seeing she's been denied access]
- Chloe Sullivan: Another firewall?
- Stuart Campbell: [at the Luthor mansion] That's right, my hapless hacker. You have been served.
- [seeing she's broken through]
- Stuart Campbell: What? Already? Damn. You are fast. Okay. I see your anonymous proxy filter with your reinforced protocol encryption, and I raise you one rewritten ACL. Denied.
- Chloe Sullivan: [seeing another firewall has been put up] Okay. Now you made me angry.
- Clark Kent: Chloe, did you find a lead on the Kandorian?
- Chloe Sullivan: I've run every play in my playbook to try and access Tess' files, but she's got one hell of a defensive line. The good news is that I've only counted 100 firewalls, so I think I'm actually about to score.
- Stuart Campbell: [she breaks through, and a video file begins] Greetings, esteemable foe, whoever you are. Now, I'm guessing since you've made it this far, you probably haven't slept and your fingers are getting really cramped up, so I thought I would take it upon myself to do you a big favor and just say give up. I can do this all day and all night. I'm sure you already get the picture, so...
- [holding up his hand]
- Stuart Campbell: ...talk to the hand.
- Chloe Sullivan: [pausing the video] Hello, hand.
- [running a fingerprint analysis]
- Chloe Sullivan: Stuart Campbell, graduate of MIT. Talk to these hands.
- Clark Kent: Nice work, Chloe.
- Tess Mercer: Leave me alone.
- Kandorian Guard: I'm afraid I can't do that.
- Tess Mercer: Excuse me?
- Kandorian Guard: [closing the doors] I had to wait until we were locked down for the night, so we wouldn't be interrupted.
- Tess Mercer: [he reveals his Kryptonian dog tag] You're Kandorian.
- Kandorian Guard: And I have a message from Major Zod. Tell me where the Blur is... or you die.
- Chloe Sullivan: So it looks like Stuart Campbell is Tess' tech boy wonder, and he has done some pretty heavyweight hacking of his own. Government databases, corporations. Wow. We could do a lot with this kind of leverage. Maybe even get him to join us.
- Clark Kent: It'll be an even match.
- Chloe Sullivan: Clark, this guy is so good, every time I'd get close, he'd show up and block me.
- Clark Kent: I know the feeling. Lois and Oliver. Seeing him with her. It's been a long time since he looked that happy.
- Chloe Sullivan: Clark, just stop, okay? I mean, your willingness to sacrifice yourself for others is a great strength, for sure. But when it comes to your own happiness, it's definitely a weakness.
- Clark Kent: But Oliver's been through a lot lately, and we're all friends.
- Chloe Sullivan: Lois is not up for auction. Look, for once, try not to second-guess things. All you have to do is ask yourself what do you want?
- TV Producer: Great work today. Have you seen the new marketing ad?
- [showing him a mock-up cardboard cutout]
- TV Producer: I have high hopes for you two.
- Clark Kent: So did I.
- Lois Lane: I said I was your friend, and I meant it. I am not going to let you wander down any more dark alleys.
- Oliver Queen: Thank you. But you don't have to worry about me, Lois. I'm all about embracing life right now. I'm not trying to end it.
- Lois Lane: Good.
- Oliver Queen: You know what I mean? Trying to take the right kind of chances. And you, my friend, were definitely a chance worth taking.
- Lois Lane: Couldn't this heart-to-heart have waited until the cameras were off?
- Oliver Queen: No. I'm not hiding my feelings anymore, Lois. And I kind of figured by saying all that stuff with the cameras on, I can prove that to you.
- Lois Lane: I had no idea you still had such strong feelings.
- Oliver Queen: You know, I went to a really dark place, Lois. And I think it took going there and coming back to realize... you're the best part of my life.
- Lois Lane: I love you, Oliver. As a dear friend. Which is why I have to be totally honest with you.
- Oliver Queen: [understanding] Clark.
- Lois Lane: Yes.
- Oliver Queen: Um...
- [clearing his throat]
- Oliver Queen: Well, I'm happy you know what you want. I guess it just hurts knowing it's not me.
- Rick: I wasn't sure you'd show up, princess.
- Mia Dearden: Should finish paying off what I owe you. It belongs to Oliver Queen.
- Rick: He's probably got twenty of these things. Guy's richer than the Luthors. A safe bet says he's got a safe stuffed with cash someplace. Which is why I want you to show us where you dropped him off tonight.
- Mia Dearden: Rick...
- Rick: [grabbing her around the throat] Did you honestly think I would let you go? Hmm? Mia, honey, you're my top earner, baby. So you remember... if you run, I will find you. You move to another city, my friends will hunt you down. No second chances.
- Mia Dearden: I thought you said no strings attached.
- Oliver Queen: I'm not trying to sleep with you, kid. But if you think a pebble in your shoe is painful, wait 'til you feel what a $50,000 watch'll do.
- [she reluctantly hands the watch back]
- Oliver Queen: Thank you. Why don't you look around? Why would you wanna go back out on the streets?
- Mia Dearden: You don't get it. If I can finish paying off what I owe Rick, I'm done. I'm free.
- Oliver Queen: Well, how much do you owe Rick? I'll cover it.
- Mia Dearden: And then I'd owe you. I don't think so.
- Oliver Queen: I'm not that kind of guy.
- Mia Dearden: Don't tell me about types, okay? I know them all. Rick's type, your type, political types, twisted types. And I'm sick of all of you.
- Oliver Queen: Well, I'm not gonna trap you here, Mia. I would just like to see you do something with your life that you can actually be proud of.
- Mia Dearden: Why would you help someone like me?
- Oliver Queen: Because I know what it feels like to be stuck in a place that you feel there's no escape from. And my friends... helped me find the way out.
- Mia Dearden: If I stay... it's gonna cost you.
- Oliver Queen: Way ahead of you.
- [taking out shopping bags]
- Oliver Queen: I went ahead and had my staff buy you some clothes. I'm sure you'll find something in there that you like. Oh, and, hey.
- [tossing her his car keys]
- Oliver Queen: I hope you dress as fast as you drive, 'cause I'm gonna need you to drop me off somewhere.
- Lois Lane: You got anything stronger?
- Waiter: Of course.
- Clark Kent: [in her earpiece] Last thing you need is a drink, Lois.
- Lois Lane: Thanks, Clark. You sound like my mother on prom night.
- Lois Lane: How do I look?
- Clark Kent: If this were a prom, you'd be crowned queen. Your date's a lucky man.
- Lois Lane: Do I detect a note of jealousy from the notoriously nice Clark Kent? Careful my date doesn't hear you. He might just have to take you down.
- Clark Kent: [snickering to himself] I'd like to see him try.
- Lois Lane: You know what they say. All's fair in love and war.
- Clark Kent: And what's it gonna be for us, Lois? Love or war?
- Lois Lane: Clark. Sounds like you're asking me out on another date.
- Clark Kent: If I was, would you say yes?
- Lois Lane: I'll tell you what I'd say.
- [surprised to see Oliver approaching]
- Lois Lane: Oliver?
- Lois Lane: I need you to tell me my red flags.
- Oliver Queen: Red flags?
- Lois Lane: You know, anything about me that annoyed you while we were together. I bought a killer dress, I reserved the entire Ace of Clubs. But if I don't identify my deal-breakers, they're gonna cancel this date before it even gets to air.
- Oliver Queen: Well, call it selective memory or a short attention span, but I only remember the good things. Like how you used to, uh, brush your hair back when you were nervous, or... used to call out football players in your sleep.
- Mia Dearden: [entering from the steam room] Thanks for the workout, Ollie, but time's up. Do you think you could pay me in smaller bills?
- Lois Lane: Nice towel, honey.
- [turning to Oliver]
- Lois Lane: Where *will* she put the money?
- Oliver Queen: Um... see, see, the thing is, we were, were just sparring.
- Lois Lane: Don't worry, Ollie, I'm not here to judge. I just kinda hoped you'd spend more than one week clean before you got back in the gutter.
- Oliver Queen: Uh...
- Lois Lane: Sorry I interrupted your... sparring.
- Zod: You're welcome.
- Tess Mercer: I didn't thank you.
- Zod: Well, you should. Because while your teams were out scouring the globe failing to find us, I was using our considerably evolved intelligence to make LuthorCorp the most technologically advanced company on Earth.
- Tess Mercer: And the question is, what do you want in return?
- Zod: Someone who betrayed us. The one you call the Blur.
- Tess Mercer: I'm flattered you think of all the people on this planet that I'd know how to find the Blur, but, uh...
- Zod: Hmm-m-m, you disappoint me, Tess. But I'll play your game. The Blur's blood was used as an antidote to a virus that swept through Metropolis weeks ago. We were able to get a sample of that blood. We took it to the lab to be tested. Instead... every last drop had been destroyed. At your request.
- Tess Mercer: What are you talking about?
- Zod: Since you chose to destroy the Blur's blood samples, I'm guessing you're trying to protect him. Maybe for some altruistic reasons, or maybe you wanted to use him as a bargaining chip.
- Tess Mercer: I helped free your people from that orb because I'd hoped you'd save humanity from itself. But the only way I can make sure that happens is if we're equal partners.
- Zod: No human will ever stand on equal footing with a Kandorian.
- Lois Lane: Wow, Smallville, talk about green. It's like your first day at the Daily Planet all over again.
- Clark Kent: Does this mean I'm about to hear Lois Lane's rules of online dating?
- Lois Lane: There really is only one rule when it comes to dating, Clark. Show up. Like after you ask someone to a monster truck rally, it's a good idea to show up to the date.
- Clark Kent: Maybe we should talk about this when we're not being taped.
- Lois Lane: Okay, Clark. Let's talk about something else. Like your online dating profile.
- Clark Kent: But that was supposed to be private.
- Lois Lane: Well, I'll give you this. You definitely were honest. But admitting that you grew up on a farm is either going to get you a date with a country mouse or a cougar looking for her next meal.
- Catherine Grant: Hi, Clark. Uh, I'm Catherine.
- Lois Lane: [seeing how gorgeous she is] Or not.
- Catherine Grant: I've seen these blind date shows on television before, but I never actually thought I would... go on one. This isn't live, is it?
- Clark Kent: Uh, they're taping it to air at some other time.
- Lois Lane: [in his earpiece] If you can't take the heat, sister, get out of the cafe.
- Clark Kent: Sorry, I have this, uh, really annoying ringing in my ear.
- Catherine Grant: Oh. I understand. I'm nervous, too. I-I can barely hear anything over my own heartbeat.
- Lois Lane: Oh, please.
- Clark Kent: Well, just try to treat this like any other date.
- Catherine Grant: That's the problem. I'm kind of busy, so I don't go on... dates much.
- Clark Kent: Well, what is it that keeps you so busy?
- Catherine Grant: Well, until recently, I was overseas...
- Lois Lane: [in a high-pitched mimicky voice] Skiing in Switzerland, modeling in Milan.
- Catherine Grant: ...where I was working in the Peace Corps. But then I decided to come to Metropolis to take my PhD. I couldn't decide between sociology or social justice, so... I'm doing both.
- Lois Lane: Is she for real? Congratulations, Clark. You're dating Mother Teresa in six-inch heels.
- Tess Mercer: For years, I've tried to steer LuthorCorp towards more environmentally conscious projects. I just had to prove that going green also meant going up on the stock exchange. Because, thanks to the cutting-edge technology we've acquired through our new partnership with RAO Incorporated, I believe this project will put LuthorCorp on top, Metropolis on the map, and our planet back on course.
- [activating a hologram]
- Tess Mercer: I give you the world's first completely self-sustaining solar tower. This one tower will generate enough clean energy to power all of Metropolis.
- [applause; she's taken aback when Zod steps forward]
- Zod: Bravo, Tess. Congratulations on an exceptionally well-realized effort.
- Tess Mercer: Mr... Zod. I never expected to see you here.
- Zod: Oh, interesting. Seeing as I am now chairman and CEO of RAO.
- [applause]
- Zod: Please, please, please. Hold your applause. Save it for the real hero, our stunning hostess, Tess Mercer. And by taking on this project, she is making my simple dream of harnessing the powers of the sun a reality.
- [raising his drink]
- Zod: So here's to Tess Mercer. Our savior.
- Mia Dearden: Nice wheels.
- Oliver Queen: Nice leather.
- Mia Dearden: Still, nothing compares to Aston Martin's original V8 Vantage.
- Oliver Queen: You know your cars.
- Oliver Queen: Why don't you take it easy there, speedy? I'm trying to stay away from life in the fast lane.
- Mia Dearden: So why are you cruising for company?
- Oliver Queen: Well, I'm not cruising for company, actually. I was looking for you. I've seen you fight. You got speed, strength. You're talented.
- Mia Dearden: Why do you care?
- Oliver Queen: I'm just, uh, someobody trying to help you fix your life. That last guy was twice your size. He kept on beating you down and you just kept coming back after him.
- Mia Dearden: I don't bruise that easily.
- Oliver Queen: Well, maybe not on the outside. I know what I'm talking about, Mia, because I used to fight for the same reasons that you do. It never mattered who was standing across from me because the real battle was with myself. I can train you. I can teach you how to overcome your fear, all that hate in your heart, and get you off the streets.
- Mia Dearden: Oh... my hero. So what's this help gonna cost me... hero?
- Oliver Queen: Just a little time. Time enough for me to prove to you that you can trust me.
- Rick: Why you gotta keep making me hunt you down, Mia? Besides, how are you supposed to pay me back if you keep running away?
- Mia Dearden: Rick.
- Rick: [leading her out] Now, come on. Besides, we wouldn't want anything to happen to that pretty little face of yours. That's your money-maker, baby.