Episode 13: "I am the Greatest"
First Aired 1/28/00

Michael nearly swoons when Dr. Theo has a TV brought in, but Dr. Theo warns Michael that "it's only temporary." The Doctor shows Michael boxing footage. Dr. Theo explains that 10 years ago, a "black budget government program," which "existed but it never existed, transformed a young soldier, Private First Class Timothy Foster, from a casualty of a Gulf War nerve gas incident into a biologically altered warrior. Swift, powerful, immune to disease and chemical warfare, with feline reflexes." Michael is a little stunned to find out that he’s not one of a kind. But Dr. Theo swiftly reminds him that the technology that created Foster is outdated compared to Michael.

Dr. Theo explains that Foster was cunning and managed to escape. Foster’s been missing for years, but the Doc feels they now know where he is. When Michael wonders what this has to do with boxing, Dr. Theo says that they suspect the man who is currently contending for the heavyweight title, Maceo T. Jones. Dr. Theo shows a skeptical Michael a satellite image of Jones chopping down a tree on his million-dollar estate -- with his bare hands.

The government thinks Jones *is* Foster, before anything can be done, they have to have proof. Which is where Michael comes in.

Morning comes and Lisa is excited about her first day at work. She’s also a little worried. Heather is a little less than supportive and is basically her sarcastic self.

Meanwhile, at Michael’s townhouse, Dr. Theo and Michael are having a conversation about PFC Foster and Maceo T. Jones, while the Doctor is trying to hit Michael and Michael's dodging. Dr. Theo explains how Maceo’s birth records had burnt in a convenient fire years ago. The other suspicious coincidence is that Maceo has a tattoo on his shoulder, right where Private Foster’s tracking device would have once been and removed. The government can’t just go in and arrest him, since Maceo is so famous and popular. Dr. Theo wants Michael to get close to Maceo so he can get the needed proof. They need a DNA sample. Michael’s a little wary about this.

At Lisa’s new job, Janet is showing Lisa the ropes. All walk-in clients are handled in a "rotation system," as Janet explains to Lisa: "You're the fourth desk. I'm the first desk. Bob is the second. Carla's got the third desk. What this means is that any business that comes through the door or over the phone is assigned on that rotation. First me, then Bob, then Carla, then you. Every day is a new day; we don't pick up where we left off -- we start all over again."

Lisa fills out the information for her business cards. Janet asks if Lisa is married and Lisa tells her that she lost her husband last year. Janet replies that she is no longer married either and then the two go get coffee.

Janet warns Lisa that the hardest part is waiting for a client. That is takes a long time for a realtor to establish herself. Lisa replies that, "In this last year or so I have become very accomplished at waiting. I have no idea for what -- maybe this. But rest assured, I can wait with the best of them."

Heather comes home to an empty house. When she remembers that Lisa is not there, she takes the opportunity to go a little crazy. She cranks up the music and dances around. She digs through Lisa’s lingerie drawer. Finally, she settles down to watch TV with a big bowl of cereal. When Lisa calls to check up on her, Heather replies that she’s doing her homework.

At Maceo’s training camp, King Street Gym, in Harlem, New York, Maceo is going through all his sparring partners, quickly. Fed up, he calls out that he wants a real challenge. Michael, who’s in the audience watching, raises his hand. Maceo calls for Michael to come into the ring "for his beating."

Dr. Theo remarks that Maceo’s mouthpiece would be covered with Maceo’s DNA (hint, hint). Once both men are ready and in the ring, Maceo begins to make fun of Michael’s weight (175) and his pretty-boy looks ("Didn't I see you in a Banana Republic ad?"). They start sparring, with Michael warming up quickly.

Michael gets in a good punch. Maceo’s mouthpiece falls out of his mouth, flying toward Dr. Theo. The Doctor, who’s already got surgical gloves on, discreetly takes the mouthpiece and hides it away.

Maceo, respecting Michael’s ability, invites him out to get food.

Lisa, after a boring day, goes home and falls on her bed. Heather comes in and gets on the bed, besibe her mother. She informs Lisa that Roger called. Lisa’s not in the mood to talk to him or anyone else. Heather asks how many houses Lisa sold. Lisa replies she sold none because she didn’t have her business cards yet. She won’t have them until tomorrow. Also, she didn’t have any clients. Discouraged by her first day at a new job, she half-jokingly asks Heather to write her a note so she won’t have to go in to work the next day. They both laugh.

At a restaurant, Maceo and Michael begin to get to know each other over fattening food. Maceo tells Michael that he hates boxing and the entire life. When Michael wonders why Maceo does it, Maceo replies, "Well, I was strong. What was I going to do, join the circus?" He tells Michael that boxing "fills the void."

Then Maceo asks about Michael ’s life. Michael says that he’s currently separated and has one daughter that he doesn’t get to see very often. Maceo says that he’s life is too complicated right now to have a family, but that he wants one someday.

Back in the limo with Dr. Theo, Michael says that Maceo invited Michael to run with him the next day at Central Park. As the Doctor contemplates this information, Michael takes great pride in belching. The doctor is less than thrilled at the amount of junk food Michael consumed that night.

The Doctor is worried that Michael may have developed a soft spot for Maceo, but Michael admits that he doesn’t know him well enough. Also, Michael’s feeling is that Maceo is not Foster.

At work again, Lisa is doodling when she realized that a client has walked in and is standing in front of her. He expresses an interest in working with her, but Lisa explains about the "rotation system" and directs him to Janet. The client heads to Janet, insults her kindly and then says that he’s not sure she’s the right realtor for him.

He walks outside, makes a U-turn and heads back in and goes straight to Lisa. Janet stops him and points him to Bob. Bob immediately picks up the phone. Next Janet points him to Carla. Carla points the client to Lisa.

Later, in the car with the client, Lisa asks "what that was all about at the office?" The client responds that he thought she looked pleasant and that he wants to work with her. Lisa cautions him that this is her second day at work, but he seems unfazed by that. At the house she takes him to, he tells her that this isn’t what he’s looking for, but then asks Lisa to have dinner with him. He wants Lisa to "assemble some brochures, photographs, whatever and come into the city tomorrow night." Lisa accepts and the client tells Lisa he’ll call the next day to discuss "the particulars."

The next morning, Dr. Theo is sitting at Michael’s townhouse, waiting for Michael to awaken. When Michael gets up, Dr. Theo informs him that the DNA matches. Maceo T. Jones is PFC Timothy Foster.

Dr. Theo explains the plan to capture Maceo/Foster during the morning run through Central Park. The media will announce that it’s an abduction. Michael wonders why anything has to be done at all, since Maceo/Foster seems like a nice guy. Dr. Theo does not welcome this line of thought. He explains to Michael some outcomes that aren’t very pleasant. Bottom Line: Foster has to disappear.

Michael wonders what will happen to Foster. Dr. Theo says his interior will be altered and his memory removed. Michael is not happy with this.

At 110th Street and Central Park West, in New York City, Michael is waiting for Foster, while Dr. Theo is keeping Michael under surveillance in a truck nearby. As usually, they are connected via a mic. As Foster drives up, Dr. Theo reminds Michael about the plan.

Foster dismisses his bodyguards and entourage in favor of running alone with Michael. Dr. Theo is excited by this break. As soon as they begin to jog, Foster pushes Michael and begins to run – really fast – in the opposite direction from where all of Dr. Theo's troops are. Michael takes off after him. Dr. Theo, monitoring Michael in the truck, tries to get Michael to tell him what’s going on, but Michael’s saying nothing.

Michael catches Foster and pins him to the ground. Foster finds the mic on Michael and throws it away.

Dr. Theo, cut off from Michael, gets his troops moving and heads for the helicopter to find Michael himself.

Meanwhile, Michael and Foster are talking. Foster offers Michael a chance to get away with him. Michael tells him that the government found him once, they’ll find him again. Foster says he doesn’t care. At least this way, he *has* a life. But Michael can’t leave. Because he has a family. He knows that if he ever runs away, they'd get to Lisa and Heather.

Also, Michael tells Foster that when Dr. Theo and company get here, Foster’s memories will be all gone.

Realizing that Dr. Theo is closing in, he tells Foster to hit him, allowing Foster a fight chance to escape. Foster thanks Michael before belting him.

When Michael comes to, Dr. Theo is standing over him, very unsatisfied with his billion-dollar "fighting-machine." Michael groans about his bruises, but Dr. Theo unsympathetically tells Michael that it’ll all heal in 15 minutes. He then tells Michael that they’ll catch Foster one day. Michael agrees.

The client calls Lisa and sets up dinner at Clementine's at 8:00 that night. Lisa gets into the city and takes a cab from Grand Central. In the cab, Lisa hears that the once heavyweight-contender, Maceo T. Jones, has disappeared, without a trace. Lisa wonders aloud how a famous person could just disappear. The cabbie agrees with her. As the camera moves, the audience sees that the cabbie is Maceo/Foster.

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