Clark and Tess

From Smallville Wiki

"I have this feeling that you'll never fulfill your great destiny until you meet your greatest challenge." - Tess Mercer to Clark Kent (Eternal)

The relationship between Clark Kent and Tess Mercer is known as "Cless" to fans. ^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Season Eight

Tess first met Clark when he saved her from a bus explosion caused by Bette Sans Souci. After Tess was taken to the paramedics, she insisted that she was fine and went back to the Daily Planet where she introduced herself to Clark as the new CEO of LuthorCorp. During their conversation, Tess revealed to Clark that Lex Luthor had told her all about him. She wondered if Clark had any suggestions on where to find Lex, but Clark claimed he had no idea. Tess refused to believe him and planned to keep a close eye on him. Clark was instantly able to see the Luthor-like traits in Tess and warned her not to let her life be consumed by the job like Lex did.

When Oliver Queen was poisoned, Clark investigated what could be the cause. Clark's investigation led him to Tess when he discovered that Oliver and Tess had met before and that LuthorCorp may have the antidote. When Clark pleaded with Tess for help, she seemed to want to be of assistance but told Clark that the antidote was in Brazil and it would not be able to get to Metropolis in time to save Oliver. At this point, it is clear that Tess did not know about Clark's powers, as he was able to superspeed to Brazil to get the antidote. Clark then realized that the person that had poisoned Oliver was also after Tess, so Clark supersped to her rescue without Tess' knowledge.

Tess and Clark crossed paths again, as Tess became interested in the Crystal of Knowledge that was found in the Arctic Circle. Tess asked Clark if he had ever seen it but he lied to her. Tess was very distrustful of Clark at this point and was becoming increasingly intrigued by him. Tess eventually revealed to Clark that she knew that he was the last person to see Lex alive. This made Clark even more cautious of Tess. Clark became angry with Tess when he found her at Lana Lang's ransacked apartment. He suspected Tess was behind it but she quickly explained everything from Lana’s awakening from her Brainiac-induced coma: Tess and other LuthorCorp employees under Lex's orders, forced Lana to break-up with Clark at gunpoint. This only increased Clark's anger and he pushed her her against a wall. Tess was clearly shaken by this and apologized, saying Lex had claimed it was for Lana's own good. Tess was clearly driven by Lex's orders and, due to Clark's irreparable relationship with Lex, Tess and Clark's relationship was clearly strained. Tess, after reading Lex's journal on Clark, tried to learn exactly what made Lex so obsessed with him. She requested that Clark join her on a business trip and during their flight Tess began to reveal parts of her past in the hope that Clark would also open up. However, Clark was more interested in finding out what Tess had read about him in Lex's journal and tried to get her drunk. Their heart-to-heart was interrupted by an explosion on the plane, which Tess had orchestrated to force Clark into exposing his powers. Clark managed to knock Tess out and jump to safety without exposing his secret, much to Tess annoyance. She remained suspicious of Clark's account of the events, as he claimed to have found a parachute. Clark on the otherhand seemed to have softened to Tess and promised not to tell anyone of what she told him on the plane. Tess replied that Lex was right about Clark not having "a bad bone in his body". Tess felt that Clark was the "prince who came to [her] rescue". Tess eventually revealed to Clark that she knew his secret, having read Lionel's journal. Clark continued to deny it despite Tess' insistence, reawakening Clark's distrust of Tess. She attempted to reassure him by insisting that she was not like Lex. It was only when Tess' assistant Eva Greer disguised herself as Chloe Sullivan and witnessed Clark's powers that Clark was more open about his abilities to Tess. She clearly admired him, although she disagreed with his approach to stopping Doomsday and tried to manipulate him into becoming the hero she knew he could be.

[edit] Season Nine

Please add plot summary here.

[edit] Notes

• Tess and Clark's first interaction mirrors Lex and Clark's first interaction. In Pilot, Clark rescued Lex from his Porsche, which he had driven off a bridge, while in Plastique Clark rescued Tess from a bus, which had just exploded.
• Producers originally intended for Tess to develop a romantic interest in Clark. ^{[citation needed]}