Lex hires some thugs to bug Lionel's office but things get out of control when Lionel and Martha are taken hostage, and Clark must rescue them without revealing his secrets.

Under the influence of red kryptonite, Clark is following a life of crime in Metropolis while his friends and parents desperately try to find him. Lex is forced to confront his personal demons on a desert island, while Lionel holds a funeral for his presumed-dead son. And Jonathan Kent must pay a high price for the power necessary to bring his son back home.

Jonathan's oldest friend, Senator Jack Jennings, comes to Smallville looking for support in his re-election campaign, but is framed for the murder of his mistress, requiring Lois to go undercover as a stripper.

No one is safe when Lex seeks the secret of Veritas, and Clark tries to stop him.