Lois races down the stairs and into the alley behind the coffee shop, calling for Clark, but he's already long gone. She hears a clattering coming from beyond a nearby door. She follows the sound into the Talon's basement storeroom. A man's voice grunts and whimpers. It's at this point I'd probably leave, because I'd be thinking someone was getting lucky. Lois is more persistent than I am, though, and eventually finds John Corben sprawled out on the floor. His hoodie is half unzipped so that the green glow of his mechanical heart shows beneath his T-shirt. Lois, recognizing him, grabs a wrench from a table and strikes a defensive pose. "I gotta hand it to you, Bright Eyes," he says, "you sure got a way of finding trouble." He gasps for breath as he speaks, every word a struggle. Lois isn't exactly happy to see him again. "I just wanted to get you home," he says. "I didn't mean for you to see me." Lois is confused by this, so he explains about waking up on a lab table, being "altered" by the scientists, and now his mind is almost back to normal. "Except for this upgrade," he says, gesturing at the back of his neck. Lois cautiously takes a few steps toward him. He twists his body so that he can show her the small, white input device that's been implanted in the nape of his neck. Lois is horrified. "John, who did this to you? Tess?" "Her scientists did," he says. "I heard them saying something about 'slamming a chip' in the back so they could control everything that I do." Luckily, Lois showed up before they could finish. John's mechanical heart starts whirring and beeping. He grabs at his chest and lets out a strained cry. Lois gets his to focus and he explains that his heart is going to stop if he doesn't refuel with more meteor rock. Lois gives him a determined nod. The next thing we see is Lois getting him into her car. "Thank you," he says, sounding weaker by the moment. They drive off together.

Streets of Metropolis. Clark is walking around while Chloe, back at the Watchtower, feeds him directions through his cell phone. "Vector ten-and-a-half feet north," she says. "Have I sunk Lois's battleship?" Clark looks around, but can't see reason why Lois would have been standing in the area for two hours the night before. What a creepy, creepy boyfriend you are, Clark. Chloe: "You know, not that I want to wade into the salty ocean of amour that is Lois and Clark, but if you two are playing Mr. & Mrs. Smith now, don't you think there might be a slight trust issue?" Horrible dialog, but a good point. Clark says he's worried that Lois is holding something back from him. Yeah, maybe she's from another planet and she has super powers, and she moonlights as a vigilante, while hypocritically lying to her significant other about who and what she really is. No, wait, that's you, ya jackass. "It's kind of different when the control is on the other foot," Chloe teases him. Clark looks like he thinks this is crazy talk. Chloe all-too-gently reminds him that Lois trusts him, so maybe he should trust her, too. "I do," Clark insists. Chloe scoffs. "Right, and that's why you had me lo-jack her key chain?" Clark says nothing to that, so Chloe gets back to the stalking at hand. She reaffirms that he's standing in the same spot as Lois the night before. Clark looks down and sees a manhole cover. A tiny light goes on above his head. With a glance around to make sure nobody's looking, he super-zips down for a look.