Smallville (2001–2011): Season 9, Episode 16 - Checkmate - full transcript

Previously on Smallville:

You just listen. That's when you let go.

Dr. Fate's final act
was to restore my Martian abilities.

I will continue to protect and serve
using every tool I've got.

This blood confirms my suspicions.

These things are alien.

I need a blood sample analyzed.

- You're the one they call Watchtower.
- Who are you?

They came after us.
They'll come after all of you.

- Check...
- Check what?

Agent Mercer, we have a lot to catch up on.



There's an army of heroes growing.

Someone's collecting them.
It's just a question of who.

Welcome to the Suicide Squad.

Hey.

You could use some conflict resolution.

Rule number one,
you don't shoot your date.

Rule number two,
think about your wardrobe choices.

You're one to talk.

Don't get me wrong. I love black on black.
It's hard to pull off.

It's easier than you think.

And rule number three...

...you gotta know
when to say good night.

Checkmate.

- Did you try the power switch?
- Didn't you see my texts? I lost Oliver.



He was tracking some armed men,
followed them...

...and then it was like
a massive mute button went off.

No radio, no beacon, nothing.

It's fine.
Just because he doesn't check in...

You know, unlike some people,
Oliver actually follows protocol.

- What protocol?
- Exactly.

He and everyone else dial in
with Watchtower while on patrol.

You spend so much time
watching everybody else's back...

...you forget that we need
to watch each other's backs too.

This isn't about us.
Did you check the local security cameras?

Every surveillance feed is down.

ATMs, traffic lights, convenience stores.

It's like someone threw a big blanket
over the whole area.

You fixed it.

Or whoever did this
finished what they started.

- Where is that?
- That's where I saw Oliver last.

John Jones?

Well, your buddy system works.

I didn't call him.

Clark, what are you doing here?

Looking for any sign of Oliver.

You didn't know he was missing?

He was here on patrol
when Watchtower lost contact.

I'm here on police business.
But I'll keep an eye out.

It'll be faster if we work together.

Unless you've already found something.

You need to trust me, Clark.

You first.

What do you know, John?

You shouldn't have done that, Clark.

Radio ahead.

We're 20 minutes to the airfield.

Stand down, Agent Mercer.

You know the rules.

You don't have clearance
to peek under the hood.

I was just making sure that our acquisition
was still secure.

I'm sure you were.

Oh, congratulations.

You were able to re-engage so quickly
after being dormant so long.

Dismissed.

Green Arrow, welcome to Checkmate.

I think you got the wrong Green Arrow.

I don't remember signing up
for any chess club.

You are a guest of the U.S. government.

And the time has come for you
to do your patriotic duty.

I didn't know Uncle Sam
was into drugs and bondage.

Gives a new meaning
to the "I Want You" posters.

Well, I'm sorry you think
these tactics are crude.

But I fear for our country's security. That's
why I'm recruiting capable people like you.

Recruitment?

Well, I gotta tell you, it feels more like
kidnapping than a booth at a job fair.

Well, call it what you will.

It's time you elevated your service
to your country.

You have a long plane ride coming
to think it over.

What do you want?

I'm afraid you've made a critical error.

I believe this is yours.

Tell me the location
of Checkmate's headquarters.

The place you call the Castle.

Who are you working for?

Someone who will not hesitate
to expose your double life.

Clearly, you are rusty.

You think I didn't know
the second we lost him?

Did you properly secure the detainee?

He had a hidden lock pick.

The correct answer is,
"No, I did not properly secure the detainee."

I'm disappointed, Tess.

Green Arrow may not have been
the endgame...

...but he was our opening move.

I can get him back.

I'll set a new net myself.

You skipped...

...a few check-ins...

...the last few years.

Maybe your loyalties lie
with someone else.

I swear...

...I am fully committed to Checkmate.

You better be.

Or you're out.

And we both know
there is only one way out.

Seems to be taking longer than normal
to find an earwig serial number.

Someone's hidden it,
but after cross-referencing those digits...

...Clark, I think that the earpiece
in John's pocket was government-issued.

Why would the government
take Green Arrow?

Considering what I pay out every year,
it better not be for tax evasion.

Oh, my God. You're safe.

Of course I'm safe.

I'm glad you're safe too.

You wanna fill us in on what happened?

- Definitely.
- Absolutely.

So let's see. One minute,
I am saving someone's bacon.

Next thing I know, I'm the only pig
on a Pork Chop Express.

Some harpy gets on a monitor.

She starts telling me
this is a welcome wagon...

...and she's recruiting heroes
for the U.S. of A.

- You didn't get the Evite.
- No, someone else did.

And that explains why John Jones
was covering for them.

Did this woman give you her name?

Nope. No name. Just that her organization
was called Checkmate.

Wait a minute. Checkmate?

When Sylvester Pemberton
was murdered...

...he warned me that, "They came after us
and they'll come after you."

His dying word was check.

If he meant Checkmate, these are
the same people who took down the JSA.

I searched the footage that was taken
from the cameras across the city.

This was taken a few hours ago.

That was right after I confronted him.
Who's he talking to?

We got a hit from the passport agency.

Edward Lott.

He's the CEO
of a consumer manufacturing company.

He seems pretty high-profile
for a secret-agent man.

Maybe they recruit people
established in the private sector.

Or plant them there.

You're not gonna be happy
where he was planted next.

Within an hour
after this footage was taken...

...he was on the list
of Metropolis General morgue.

Whoa, slow down, guys.

You can't think John murdered this guy.
Come on.

Clark, I'll come with you. I can run....

Support on-site.

Looks like you got benched.

Sylvester Pemberton came to warn me
about Checkmate...

-...the moment that he was attacked by...
- Icicle.

Huh.

Either that's coincidental...

...or he's working for the same lovely lady
whose gaze wilts small trees.

Last I heard, he was in the psych ward
at Met Gen.

Let's go.

You know, Oliver, now that Green Arrow
is officially on Checkmate's radar...

...I think it might be a good idea for you
to just hang your tights for one night.

Go civilian.

Well, they're not tights.

They're not tights.

But I see your point. Yeah. Hm.

Unfortunately for me...

...that means attending
a LuthorCorp shareholder dinner, which....

Yeah, I'd rather be shot at.

Hey, Chloe. Um....

I was just gonna say,
be careful out there because it....

There's Checkmate agents everywhere...

...so be careful.

- You're late.
- Mm.

If you know what's good for you,
don't start.

Whatever kind of day you think you've had,
trust me, I've had it in spades.

Ohh.

What happened?
The jet late leaving Paris?

- The beluga not the right temperature?
- That's very funny.

You might wanna save the routine
for the shareholders...

...when you try to explain to them
the sketchy deal with China. It's terrible.

So that's what got you out of bed.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
Barely had time to change.

I can tell.

Black on black.

That's hard to pull off.

It's easier than you think.

Green Arrow.

Tess.

Thank you for coming, Detective Jones.

You know who I am.

Don't be so naive.

Where's the rest of your team?

I came alone.

Ah. All for the better.

I was hoping I would get the chance
to enlist you.

But I have the feeling
somebody already has.

Somebody with a very high level of intel.

You came for what's in there, didn't you?

That doesn't belong to you.

That blood traveled light-years
to get here.

And it's foreshadowing a threat
we will not take lightly.

Your preparations for war
are unnecessary.

You're simply reacting out of fear.

Fear?

Fear is what prompts us
to protect ourselves.

And studying fear gives us insight
to others' phobias.

A police detective
who won't go near fire.

Makes it hard to protect and serve,
doesn't it?

Excuse me.

Those are my charts.

Dr. Brenner.

I was looking for you.
You were the doctor on several patients...

...who came through the psych ward
in Met Gen who were special.

Unless you are directly related, I'm afraid
I can't discuss patient information.

None of them actually made it to Belle Reve
after you signed off on their transfer...

...including Cameron Mahkent.

Well, once I sign off,
those people belong to Belle Reve.

- Take it up with them.
- Well, that's the thing.

Belle Reve was never even notified
that they were coming.

Look, young lady, if you don't leave
immediately, I will call security.

No. That's not necessary.
I was just trying to get some answers.

I'm sorry. Perhaps I was a bit abrasive.

It's been a really long day.

I'll tell you what.

Why don't I walk you down to archives
and we'll see if we can't clear this up?

That's the bedside manner
they say has been missing.

Please follow me this way
to the dining room.

The only way you'd get me back in here
is by force.

Don't flatter yourself. The best thing
I ever did in this bed was kick you out of it.

That's something out of your mouth
I can believe.

So it's you.

Parading around in tacky green leather.

It was me.

I can't believe you wear tights.

They're not tights.

Hey.

They're not tights.

They look like tights.

You've been keeping more secrets
than Lex ever had. Isn?t that right?

Who knows how many deals
were sealed right here?

You buried an arrow
into my chest, Oliver.

Actually...

...it was a Taser.

- Well, it bruised.
- Well, better bruised than dead.

What, are you crazy?
Tess, this isn't a cartoon.

You're gonna hurt somebody.

That's the basic idea.

- All right, then.
- Don't you come near me.

Stop.

Stay out of this, Clark.

Our little lady here is a Checkmate agent.

She knows my identity.

Not just yours.
Tess, I need some answers.

I'm not telling you anything.

Maybe the view will change your mind.

Let me down from here.

Tell me about Checkmate. No lies.

A month after I started working
at LuthorCorp...

...I was approached by the White Queen.

It's Waller's code name.

She wanted information about Lex's alien
investigations. I thought she was crazy.

But then Lex's files changed your mind.

After I took over LuthorCorp,
I saw she knew a lot more than I did.

But I swear, I never told her
the Kryptonians were here.

I never told her about you.

I wouldn't believe your dying breath.

None of this should have happened.

Oliver wasn't even the real target.

- Then who was?
- I don't know.

Something they called Watchtower.

What the hell do you want?

Round two?

Oliver, Clark's in trouble.

If you wanted a rematch,
all you had to do was ask.

I'm serious.

He made me tell him
where Checkmate's headquarters are...

...after he found out they captured
something called Watchtower.

Somebody get in here.

Soldiers. I need your help.

Get me out of here.

The prisoner overpowered me.

No alarms have been reported yet.

There's no sign of Jones.

That's because I'm still here.

I must say, I liked your colors better
when they were more patriotic.

Kidnapping is illegal.

Even for the government.

I don't have time for polite requests.

I have reason to believe
there are aliens among us.

They have designs much bigger
than just getting green cards.

I need your help.

To do what?

Chase down rumors and UFO stories?

What if I have proof?

Actual alien blood?

The keystone to World War III.

Maybe these aliens aren't here
to start a war.

If you don't stand with us,
you stand against us.

It's time for you to pick a side.

Maybe this will help your indecisiveness.

Stand ready for immediate orders.

Let her go.

I'm not being unreasonable.

If you step forward, out of the shadows,
I will let Watchtower go.

Release her now.

You sure are nice to look at.

But I like to have my cake
and eat it too. Mm.

I want your loyalty to Checkmate.

Anything happens to me
and bye-bye, Blondie.

I know you're fast.

But you can't stop a bullet
when you don't know where she is.

That would be murder.

It's not murder. It's strategy.

Something you could have used more of
before coming here.

What more do you want?

The location
of Watchtower's central database.

You're after everyone
who's ever worked at Watchtower.

Names, faces, addresses.

The Black Canary, Impulse,
Aquaman, Cyborg.

I need people with the abilities
to end the war quickly and decisively.

It's your move.

Even if I gave you Watchtower's
database, you know I'll come after you.

The Blur.

He patrols the streets of Metropolis,
protecting every citizen he can.

But he lets the most valuable ally
fend for herself.

I did not abandon her.

Didn't you?

You left your greatest asset vulnerable.

All you have to do to save her life
is give one simple address.

Come in, White Queen.

Come in, White Queen.

I'm showing external power breach.

Am I clear to shoot? Over.

Boy, am I glad to see your friendly face.

Did you, uh...?

No. I didn't tell her anything.

At least we have that.

I'm sorry, Chloe.

I'm sorry for everything.

I think we're both a day late
and a dollar short in that department.

But I abandoned you.
I keep seeing you on the sidelines...

...but the truth is, with Watchtower,
you're right in the middle of the game.

You didn't abandon me, Clark.
You pushed me out of the way.

- Maybe I thought you'd be safer there.
- Maybe you just didn't trust me.

I've broken your confidence in me, Clark.

You saw Watchtower as Big Brother
and you turned away.

And the less you confided in me,
the less you have to depend on me.

It's smart...

...probably.

I didn't give you enough credit.

You're the one who brought us together.
You're the one who saw our potential.

That potential's gonna be short-lived.

Waller saw our faces
and she's not gonna stop coming after us.

Tell me you caught them.

I can't wait to see the defeat
on their faces.

I didn't think you were gonna show.

Well, you know,
I figure it's a public place.

There's only so many weapons
you can throw at me.

I'm sorry.

For everything I've done
that's destroyed your trust.

I don't think there's enough stationery
for that, Tess.

I told you how to shut down
the Castle's power grid.

That's worth something, isn't it?

What am I supposed to do here?
You want me to do handstands...

...because you helped solve a problem
that you created?

I never would have gone after you if I had
known that you were the Green Arrow.

So it's back on me?

This might be the last time
that I ever see you.

When I joined Checkmate, I took an oath.

An oath I wanna break.

But there's only one way
to leave Checkmate.

What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna go AWOL.

I'm gonna go underground.

That's good. You know,
I gotta ask you a question, though.

Did it hurt to do something moral
for once, Tess?

- Did it hurt you?
- Oliver....

I'm taking a chance just being out here
with you in the open.

I understand. We've gotten that far.

What is it that you want? You're asking me
for something. What do you want?

Forgive me, Oliver.

Oliver, I need your help.

Please.

There are times
when I wish I could go back...

...those Santorini sunsets...

...and your freckles
and your big dreams of changing the world.

Back when I could trust you.

Then you betrayed me, Tess.

You, of all people.

And if you ever...

...come near me
or my friends ever again...

...I will expose you to the world.
Do you understand?

Hi.

Hey.

- Thanks for keeping my seat warm.
- You're welcome. Don't get used to it.

Oh, but your timing is so good.

If you hadn't flipped
Castle's electric switch when you did...

- Chloe....
- I kind of liked being out in the field...

...knowing I had a warm bed
to come home to.

That's very, very funny.

It scared the life out of me.

You better be careful, Ollie.

I'm gonna start to think
you're falling for me.

Your identity's safe, for now.

She's not wrong, you know?

Waller.

How so?

When I saw the future, Zod and his people
had already started World War III...

...and we weren't winning.

She was right about being prepared.

As much as I wanna believe I've stopped
that day from happening, it still might.

You don't have to join her.

No.

But like she said, eventually,
I have to choose sides.

You can't.

You are here for something far greater,
Clark.

You will be the ambassador...

...who bridges all the sides together.

What were you doing, John?
Why not include the rest of us?

I would have told the team
what was going on.

But I wanted you and the rest of them
to stay off Checkmate's radar.

But you're not in this alone.

Who are you working for?

Let's just say...

...that there are more players on the board
than you think.

And when it comes to choosing sides...

...things aren't always black and white.

I want the report
of Agent Mercer's last physical.

When our system's back up, do you wanna
move forward with our operation?

Who's been in here?

No one. We're secured.

We won't be renewing the operation.

We've been blocked by a new player.

It's time for a new game.