Alex, Brainiac 5, Hank, James, and Lena stood over the unconscious Mara in her Iron-Man suit. "Only a matter of time before she becomes conscious," Alex judged.
"She's strong," James said.
"In what regard?" Brainiac 5 wondered.
"I mean, emotionally," James clarified.
"Not really," Brainiac 5 shut him down.
"The suit will continue to filter out the Kryptonite," Lena said confidently.
"Now, we have to see about getting the Kryptonite out of the air," Alex said to her. "So, start working on that," Alex ordered Brainiac 5.
"I might be able to find Mercy and Otis...as Guardian," James said enthusiastically.
"You can't. You'll be arrested," Lena objected.
"And then pardoned...again," James pointed out.
"You're being used as a tool by President Trump," Alex told him.
"I used to give a fuck about that but then I decided I care more about kicking ass than Trump's reelection," James said truthfully.
"Yeah, go ahead and bust some low-life criminals and reelect Mr. Cheeto," Alex said disdainfully.
"I'm actually quite cool with this," Lena said giving James a flirtatious look.
Hank frowned and left the room. Alex followed after him. "Hey, what's your deal?" she asked him.
"I hesitated, Alex. I hesitated and the Russians nearly got her. I was just so angry that she blamed me for Kara and Mon's death," Hank admitted.
"But you saved her. She's alive and free because of you," Alex pointed out.
"Consequences aren't everything, Alex. I can shit-talk all day towards others, but I wasn't able to take it myself. She struck a nerve against me, and I was weak," Hank admitted.
"What she said was unfair," Alex said to him.
"What she said was how she saw it through her own eyes. I keep forgetting that she was an unwilling participant in her parents' death. She was there the entire time even if she couldn't control herself. And she's only eight. I should have cut her some slack," Hank said.
"You're right. You fucked up. Is that what you want to hear?" Alex asked.
"Yeah," Hank nodded. "So, how are you managing here at the DEO?"
"Like shit, obviously," Alex said disappointed in herself. "If you want to help, use that Professor X power of yours and find them."
"Alright," Hank agreed and walked off.
A rogue DEO agent went to the real underground DEO facility outside Metropolis. Using an eye scan, he then inputted 15 into the code. "Really?" the rogue agent rolled his eyes and then deactivated two cells releasing two alien prisoners.
Meanwhile, Mara woke up and quickly realized she was inside a claustrophobic suit. "What's happening? Why am I in here? Get me out!" Mara said freaking out.
"It's okay. Just breathe," Alex told her.
Mara closed her eyes and centered herself. "Okay. Explain the situation."
"Otis and Mercy Graves fired Kryptonite in the atmosphere. The suit is protecting you from the air," Alex told her.
"When can I take it off?" Mara asked.
"When the air is one hundred percent Kryptonite free," Alex said. "This armor has the ability to filter out the Kryptonite from your system. If the suit is breached, you will die."
"Very well," Mara said and meditated on her circumstances.
Hank came to his apartment and noticed another mind already present. "Man, you picked the wrong house, mother-fucker," Hank said to him.
"Don't think so," Manchester Black said as he drank his coffee...black. "Tell me, J'onn J'onzz. How do you know Fiona?"
"Well, we fucked on our first date," Hank said to him.
"You're trying to anger me. It won't work," Black said calmly.
"You're the fiance," Hank realized.
"That I am. Luckiest man in the world," Black smiled. "Only Fiona stopped returning my calls. Not like her. She always manages to take a little time out of each day to bitch me out for something. You seem to be following her around a lot."
"We're just friends...with benefits," Hank antagonized.
"Where is she?" Black demanded, grabbing Hank.
Hank smiled and then proceeded to beat Black's Black ass. After Hank had his full of violence, Black was on the floor stunned. "Relax man," Hank said placing a pistol at Black's head. "We're on the same side. Fiona was looking into a cop that may be part of the Resistance. You should walk into the police station and personally investigate the matter," Hank told him.
"Maybe, I will," Black said getting back up.
"What's your name, scumbag?" Hank asked.
"It's Manchester Black. I'll be seeing you," he said exiting the apartment.
"That dumb son-of-a-bitch," Hank shook his head.
Alex gathered the DEO agents around her in a group huddle. "Alright, guys. The DEO has always stood for imprisoning and killing hostile aliens. Supergirl, the first one anyway, has killed more aliens than this entire room combined. Her daughter doesn't kill, but she has also apprehended her fair share. We have done more to isolate alien threats than any other government agency because it is our job. So, if you think we're getting soft, think again. Now, that said, we do not persecute the innocent alien residents residing here. We watch them like a hawk, but we are not the KGB. Am I being unreasonable?" Alex asked the group.
"No, ma'am," they all said.
"If any of you are wavering on this, you can always quit. It won't hurt my feelings one bit. But if you betray this organization, I will hunt you down and kill you. I have a Terminator on staff that feels no pain, no remorse, and cannot be bargained with. So, don't fuck with me. Is that understood?" Alex asked them
"Yes, ma'am," they all said.
"Where is Agent Barney?" Alex wondered.
Washington DC, White House
Brainiac 5 sat casually in the Oval Office with President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Defense Secretary Mattis. "Want a coke?" Trump asked him.
"Please," Brainiac 5 said taking the coke, opening it, and then pouring it into a cup.
"Does Director Danvers know you're here?" Pence asked confused.
"No, and you will understand why shortly. As you may know, a terrorist reprogrammed one of your nuclear missile satellites from the Cold War and nearly caused World War III by nearly nuking Moscow. The satellite was destroyed by this," Brainiac 5 said showing a blurry blue humanoid picture on a laptop.
"What is it?" Mattis asked.
"I think it's Supergirl, a copy of the original. In a desperate attempt to save her life, I used the Harun El, Black Kryptonite. I failed to save her, but it did create a copy. Since then, I have tested the Harun-El several times on animals. With an electrical current, it can form copies of anything it touches," Brainiac 5 said.
"That's good. Supergirl is alive," Trump said pleased.
"Not exactly. The copy shows traits that are the opposite of the original. The violent animals became docile and the docile ones became aggressive. I have yet to test it on humans but, according to Kryptonian legend, the copy is the opposite in soul from the original. In other words, a good person becomes bad and a bad becomes good," Brainiac 5 said.
"So, an evil Supergirl," Mattis realized gravely.
"I'm not entirely certain of that. The original Supergirl had serious character flaws. She was neither a true hero nor a true villain. She was...complicated. This copy will be equally complicated. Now, I assume the copy has lost all of her memories or she would already be here. I think she's enthusiastically working for the Russians," Brainiac 5 said gravely.
"Why Russia?" Trump asked curiously.
"The Harun-El duplication process may have created the copy in Russia because Russia is as bad as we are good. They are our perfect opposite," Brainiac 5 theorized.
"This radically shifts the balance of power towards the Russians," Mattis said concerned. "What kind of threat does Supergirl pose?"
"Everything you can imagine," Brainiac 5 said seriously. "I detected an explosion in Kazakhstan equivalent to a 200 megaton nuclear detonation. It's four times more powerful than the largest man-made explosion ever recorded. This is only a fraction of her power," Brainiac 5 said showing them a map of Kazakhstan where the explosion was detected.
"Who else knows this?" Pence asked seriously.
"I've hacked other intelligent services preventing them from knowing. Only the Russians and us know this," Brainiac 5 replied.
"We have to leave the INF treaty and start stockpiling nuclear weapons," Mattis said urgently.
"If we do that, the press will think we're giving the Russians what they want: another arms race," Pence said to Trump.
"Fuck the press. Let's do it," Trump said dismissively.
"I have a way to manufacture Kryptonite. It can be incorporated into your nuclear arsenal. Even so, I do not know if you can defeat her," Brainiac 5 said.
"What of our own Supergirl and the Justice League?" Trump asked.
"They'll be no match against her," Brainiac 5 replied bluntly.
"Can we get our own Supergirl up to speed?" Mattis asked.
"Not in a thousand years," Brainiac 5 said grimly. "The only reason the original Supergirl was killed was because she was fighting her own daughter possessed by an angel of Rao. Had the original Supergirl showed Reign no mercy, she wouldn't have died. We cannot expect this Supergirl copy to give us any mercy," Brainiac 5 said.
"My God," Mattis realized.
"I've also detected a new secret intelligence organization in Russia that is behind the recent misinformation campaign and hacks. It's called PATRIOT. I have no doubt that they're the ones that are hosting the Supergirl copy. They are equivalent to the DEO in many respects," Brainiac 5 said.
"We need you in charge of the DEO," Mattis said seriously.
"I already am in most respects but the men need a figurehead they can trust. That isn't my area. What I do know is that you must demote Director Alex Danvers. Director Danvers and the original Supergirl...were good friends. If confronted with the copy, she will hesitate due to her emotional attachment to the original," Brainiac 5 said.
"Who do we replace her with?" Trump asked.
"We can't demote a gay woman without there being some fallout," Pence said.
"It needs to be a military officer. I don't trust these bureaucrats," Trump said disdainfully.
"It needs to be a woman and a minority loyal to us," Pence said thoughtfully.
"I have one in mind: Colonel Lauren Haley. She can be your token," Mattis suggested.
"She must be willing to follow all of my orders," Brainiac 5 said.
"She's a Marine. She can follow orders," Mattis said confidently.
"We will need cause to demote Director Danvers," Pence considered.
"Give her an irrational order she can't follow. When she predictably disobeys, that will give you cause," Brainiac 5 suggested.
"I know exactly what you mean," Trump smiled.
Metropolis
At the DEO, Alex gathered the troops. "We have a situation at the MPD precinct. Get ready to move, people!" she barked out orders.
"I'll be there with you," Mara said still in the Iron-Man suit.
"The hell you are," Alex objected.
"I wasn't asking your permission," Mara said coldly.
"Where do you get off? I saved your ass. Now, get back in the medical bay where you belong," Alex ordered.
"You will need my help," Mara insisted.
"What I need is for you to do exactly as I say," Alex said to her and then took off with her troops.
Maggie was up late at night working on a case. She went over to get some coffee. "Howdy," a fellow officer said to her.
"It's late. Don't fuck with me," she told him off.
"Howdy," the same officer said coming in. He then replicated a few more times surrounding Maggie.
"Fuck my life," Maggie said bitterly and took out her pistol.
"We'll be providing the excessive force, tonight," the alien cop told her.
The DEO then barged in and a firefight ensued between them and the alien cops. "Nice hairstyle," Maggie said to Alex as they took cover.
"Thanks," Alex said appreciatively.
"Found a new girlfriend, yet?" Maggie asked as she shot off a few rounds.
"Not yet. Actually, I haven't dated at all since you," Alex said.
"That's sad," Maggie remarked.
"Yeah, well, I've been busy," Alex said to her.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about your sister," Maggie said.
"Yeah, we're getting through it," Alex said reloading her pistol.
Mara then blasted through the walls of the precinct in her Iron-Man suit. "I told you to stay put," Alex raged at her.
Mara ignored her and started beating on the alien cops punching and kicking them. The alien cops fired on her compromising the suit's integrity. Mara then weakened as she was exposed to the Kryptonite air. The alien cops gathered around her and started giving her a good beating.
Hank and Manchester Black then intervened against the alien cops as Alex dealt with the fallen Mara. "Barney, I need you now," Alex called.
Brainiac 5 was still in DC. He looked at his cell phone and ignored the call.
The fight continued until Hank determined the original alien cop wasn't even in the building. Brainiac 5 finally arrived wearing a black leather jacket and sunglasses. With an automatic rifle and shotgun, he entered the police precinct and fired on the alien cops killing them one-by-one. As they were killed, they faded into nothing. Brainiac 5 cleared each of the offices firing on alien cops. They tried to fire back at him, but it merely bounced off his metal frame. Brainiac 5 then tore through a circuit breaker turning the power off. With his night vision, Brainiac 5 continued to kill alien cops until he reached outside. The original alien cop got on his motorcycle and drove off. Brainiac 5 aimed his automatic rifle at the motorcycle but then realized he was out of bullets.
"Took your sweet time getting here," Alex said to Brainiac 5.
"You should inform me before you conduct an unnecessary movement," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.
"Hey, she saved our lives," Maggie said offended.
Brainiac 5 eyed Maggie. "As I said, unnecessary movement. You risked our greatest asset."
"I told her to stay behind," Alex told him.
"You shouldn't have told her anything, to begin with," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"I don't play chess with people's lives. I took the risk coming here," Alex said to him.
Brainiac 5 eyed Maggie. "Clearly," he said dismissively.
"And you are?" Alex asked Black.
"Manchester Black at your service," he said shaking her hand.
"Why do you think they have Fiona?" Alex asked him.
"She's a psychic," he answered.
"The Resistance is likely using her to control other aliens," Hank theorized.
"We should find her," Brainiac 5 said seriously.
"Exactly right," Black agreed.
"And terminate her if necessary," Brainiac 5 added.
"What the fuck did you just say?" Black asked outraged.
"We'll save her," Alex promised him.
"President on the line for you," an agent said to Alex.
Brainiac 5 eyed Alex as she went back to the DEO.
Alex activated her secure computer and took a call from President Trump. "Director Danvers, I was watching CNN and couldn't help but notice that Supergirl was out there fighting. As you know, she is our greatest asset. We can't risk her dying," Trump said to her.
"I completely agree, Mr. President," Alex said. "Supergirl is back at the DEO receiving treatment."
"Supergirl does not leave the DEO until I give the order," Trump said to her.
"Yes, Sir," Alex said.
"That will be all," Trump said to her and then signed off.
"Damn...it," Alex sighed.
Alex entered the medical clinic and raged on Mara. "I told you not to leave the premises."
"I saved your lives," Mara replied.
"You jeopardized your own," Alex pointed out.
"I don't care," Mara said simply.
"Do you have a death-wish? You work for the DEO," Alex said to her.
"I'm a volunteer. I can do whatever I want," Mara said getting off the bed.
"If it weren't for Hank, you would be in Russian hands, right now. If not for Lena, you would be dead!" Alex shouted at her.
"If it weren't for your rogue agent, Kryptonite wouldn't be in our atmosphere in the first place," Mara pointed out.
"Shit happens," Alex said dismissively. "You think you can just throw your life away? There are people here that care about you. Do you know what would happen to me if you were to die too?"
"You're being selfish. No one owes you their presence on this Earth," Mara said to her.
"You can't kill yourself. That's a mortal sin, remember?" Alex said using her own religion against her.
"I won't kill myself, but I don't have to save myself," Mara corrected.
Their argument was interrupted by the alarms going off. "What now?" Alex shook her head and rushed out.
DEO personnel stared stunned as water squeezed through the DEO doors, pooled on the floor, and then formed a kneeling woman. The water-woman then stood up and reformed into a human being dressed in a skintight black uniform. The DEO agents took out their pistols and fired on her. The bullets went through her body as if she were water. The bullet holes in her body then disappeared.
"Drop them," Alina ordered in English with a Russian accent.
The DEO agents were forced to lower their hands and drop their weapons. "Where's Supergirl?" she demanded of them.
"Fuck you," a squad leader said to her.
"Let's have a little fun, shall we," Alina smirked releasing them.
The DEO agents one-by-one tried to fight her. The first tried to punch her and then got stuck to the ceiling. The second fell to the floor and couldn't move. The third was thrown into the DEO TV screens. The fourth was slammed into a wall. Alina then confronted Alex who couldn't move a muscle.
"The human body is two-thirds water distributed over the entire body. I can tear your muscles off your bones. I can give you an instant stroke. I can stop your heart. I can make your eyes implode," Alina said to her.
Alex felt a painful sensation as Alina put slight pressure on her eyes. "I can increase the water pressure inside your very bones," Alina said to her.
Alex cried out in pain as she felt a slight increase in pressure. "Even a Kryptonian is powerless against me," Alina said to her.
"Fuck you," Alex spat at her.
"I have a few simple questions and then I will release you. Is Supergirl still alive?" Alina asked.
"Yes," Alex answered painfully.
"Is she dying?" Alina asked.
"No," Alex replied.
"How are you protecting her from the Kryptonite in the air?" Alina asked her.
"A...suit," Alex gasped.
"Are you working to get the Kryptonite out of the air?" Alina asked.
"Yes," Alex answered.
Mara then strolled into the room still wearing the suit. She saw the DEO guys stuck in their respective position. Alina stared at Mara in her suit. With her right hand still on Alex, she pointed her left palm at Mara stopping her. "Do you know why I am here?" Alina asked her in Russian.
"No, should I?" Mara asked back in Russian.
Alina couldn't judge Mara's facial reaction with her helmet on. "Join us or she dies," Alina said to Mara.
"No," Mara replied.
Brainiac 5 then entered the room with a laser pistol. Alina quickly dropped Alex to the floor and reached out with her hand to stop him, but her power had no effect on him. Realizing the danger she was in, she quickly retreated. Brainiac 5 fired on Alina blasting a baseball-sized hole in her back. Brainiac 5 continued shooting at her until she reached the doors and splattered on the doors. Brainiac 5 then noticed the water on the doors squeezing through the crack in the doors.
Brainiac 5 then attended to Alex who was on the floor. "That was really painful. Thanks," Alex said to him.
"You're very welcome," Brainiac 5 said to her.
"What the fuck was that?" Alex asked.
"PATRIOT," Brainiac 5 replied.
Moscow, PATRIOT
"We have received an encrypted message. Its source is unknown, but it has detailed instructions on how to remove Kryptonite from the atmosphere," an analyst said to Nikolai.
"This person knows we have Supergirl," Nokali realized. He then called up Alina still in Metropolis. "Did you find out anything?"
"The DEO has placed their Supergirl in a suit. I saw her with my own eyes. The DEO also has a cyborg immune to my powers. He also has weapons that could damage me," Alina said to Nikolai.
"We cannot afford to lose you, too. We've fulfilled our side of the bargain. Return to Moscow immediately," Nikolai ordered.
Metropolis
At the DEO, Brainiac 5 and Lena worked together to create nano-machines that could eat the Kryptonite in the air. Unknown to Lena or anyone else was that Brainiac 5 had leaked the technology to the Russians. "When will it be done?" Alex asked Brainiac 5.
"Unknown. This has never been attempted before," Brainiac 5 said honestly. As he worked on his computer, he noticed the Russians were starting their own attempt to remove the Kryptonite.
"So, she's alive," Brainiac 5 smiled.
At Catco, Nia came up to James once again to share her thoughts. "What's on your mind, kid?" James asked as she walked towards his balcony.
"You know what we do here is important, right?" she asked.
"Not as important as Guardian, but sure," James allowed.
"I've read up on the law, and it says you can be prosecuted for separate incidences of the same crime?" Nia said.
"Yep," James said unconcernedly.
"You shouldn't take up the shield again even with Supergirl down," Nia advised.
"Says the girl that tried to get me to write an editorial sympathetic to aliens regardless of the consequences," James pointed out.
"I know I don't sound like myself," Nia admitted.
"It's not your fault. It's the writers," James told her.
"These writers?" Nia asked referring to her busy co-workers.
"Nope," James smirked.
"If you go out there, I have a feeling something bad will happen," Nia warned.
"Can you use that ability to help me trade stocks?" James asked not taking her seriously.
"Err...no," Nia said.
"Badass people are heroes because they're badass. I wasn't planning to go out there as Guardian but now I totally am," James smiled.
At the DEO, Hank visited Alex to talk to her in the conference room. "I was able to get a little information on Fiona's whereabouts, but if she doesn't know then I can't know. I don't know who's holding her," Hank admitted. "Maybe my concentration is disrupted by my feelings of anger and guilt over Kara and Mon's death."
"Well, everything has gone to shit since you made me director," Alex said disappointed in herself.
"Don't you remember all the times things went bad under my watch? I mean, God damn," Hank recalled. "But I prevailed because I trusted my gut, and I didn't give a shit about my men. I must have lost hundreds of men."
"You realize that wisdom literally emanates from you?" Alex complimented.
"Well...no shit," Hank agreed.
"Pacifism doesn't mean inaction. It's just fighting without a sword," Alex said to him.
"What? Me? I'm not a pacifist. I still kick ass," Hank clarified.
"Wait...what? I thought that was why you left?" Alex asked confused.
"I left so I could be even more violent without the confines of DEO regulation, which I rarely followed, and the government's overwatch," Hank told her.
"One of these days, the president is going to order me to put you down," Alex warned.
"Good luck," Hank smiled.
Brainiac 5 looked over a map of Metropolis. "Based on the information you have given, I have come to the conclusion that Fiona is located the Metropolis Fair."
"Good work, Barney," Hank said impressed.
"Really?" Brainiac 5 wondered condescendingly.
"Get a strike team ready," Alex ordered one of her agents. "Hypothetically, what are our odds without Supergirl?"
"Actually, very good. Your weapons are powerful if used appropriately by trained personnel, which you have," Brainiac 5 said.
"What about the psychic?" Alex asked.
"That's what snipers are for," Brainiac 5 reminded her.
Brainiac 5 then entered the clinic to meet with Mara. "There is still Kryptonite in the air but the nanites are doing their job. You will be free of the suit soon."
"If I take off the suit now, it will kill me though?" Mara asked.
"Yes, it's still dangerous," Brainiac 5 told her. "However, we now know the location of Fiona. Alex has already sent a strike team to find her. There is a possibility Fiona's psychic abilities could be used against them. They could even turn their weapons on themselves."
"Why are you telling me this?" Mara asked.
"Be a hero, Mara. It's what you were born and designed to be," Brainiac 5 told her.
"What about Alex?" Mara asked.
"She will understand in time," Brainiac 5 assured her. "We do not take orders from Alex. We take orders from a higher authority."
"Alright then. If I should not make it back, you know what to do," Mara said to him.
"Of course," Brainiac 5 acknowledged.
Mara got off the bed and took off just as Brainiac 5 had hoped.
Alex, Hank, Black, and a DEO squad descended upon the fairgrounds looking for anything suspicious. As alien attacks occurred inside the fair, James took off from Catco and suited up. Mara then flew in and confronted one of the aliens who was attacking a little girl.
Taking a mallet from one of the fair games, he threw it at Mara bouncing off her suit. He then threw the second one. Mara caught it and threw it back at him breaking his ribs as he fell to the ground in a heap. Guardian then arrived on a motorcycle hitting the alien that could make copies of himself. All of the copies were thrown to the ground as they impacted his bike.
The first alien then leaped up and attacked the Ferris Wheel. Mara flew up towards him and punched him off it. The two landed on the ground together and began fighting hand-to-hand. Mara beat the alien down with her superior strength but then the alien threw darts at her suit damaging it. Mara's suit weakened as it focused on life-support systems. Alex then fired on the alien zapping him with electricity.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" Alex demanded of her.
"Leave me be," Mara said to her as her suit began to shutdown.
Hank used his telepathic powers to find Fiona in a black van. In a total cliche, Jenson suddenly wasn't able to get the van's engine started. Panicking, Jenson took out Fiona's parasite device deactivating her influence on the two aliens. Otis then put a gun to Mara's head.
"I call this the can opener," he said amused at his own wit.
Alex pointed her gun at Otis. "You do that and I'll kill you," she said to him.
"Why are you protecting her?" Mercy demanded of Alex.
"You're looking at the person most responsible for the apprehension and jailing of alien criminals," Alex pointed out.
"It's not enough. They must all be removed," Mercy insisted.
"And how the fuck are we going to do that? Build a wall around the planet? There will always be aliens among us. With our way, we can track them and imprison them when they fuck up," Alex argued.
"With our way, no alien will ever think to land on Earth again," Mercy said to her.
Mara cracked the suit off her as she moved to a standing position and then removed her helmet. As she breathed in the air, Mara felt sickly. Otis placed his pistol at her forehead. The crowd watched stunned as they saw the weak Supergirl on the verge of being killed.
"Fight me," Otis said to Mara.
"Kill me. End my pain," Mara said softly to him. "This will be your only chance."
"Kill her!" Mercy shouted at him.
Mara closed her eyes, bowed her head, and knelt before him. Otis became painfully aware that the crowd would see him executing a very human-looking Supergirl. "Fuck," he realized.
"What are you waiting for?" Mara asked him as she was on the verge of passing out.
"Don't do this, Supergirl," Alex called out to her.
"I won't make you a martyr," Otis said struggling to pull the trigger.
No longer under Fiona's control, the first alien fired darts at Mercy and Otis. In a flash, Mara shielded them taking the blows. Mara quickly felt her nervous system shutdown. Alex fired at the alien killing him instantly. Mara struggled to breathe and fell to the ground.
"Let's get out of here," Mercy said to Otis.
He nodded and then two ran off. Alex immediately went over to Mara. "You're fucked up," Alex realized.
"I know...I can hardly breathe," Mara nodded.
"No, in here," Alex said pointing to her head.
"Don't save me," Mara said as she collapsed.
"Don't tell me what to do, kid," Alex said scornfully and radioed for an ambulance.
The DEO squad took hold of the second alien and took him away.
Meanwhile, Hank and Black opened the van and found a weak Fiona inside. Black released her restraints and then took her hand. "We need to get her to a hospital," he said to Hank.
"I'm done for," she told Black.
"No, there must be something we can do," Black rejected.
"I can take away her pain," Hank offered.
"That's not good enough!" Black said grieved.
Hank used his power to dull Fiona's pain. "Promise me, you'll get the bastard that did this to me," Fiona requested of Black.
"On my honor," Black told her.
"Don't be angry or sad when you do it. Be glad as you slaughter him," Fiona told him.
"I will," Black promised her.
"I love you," Fiona said and then died in front of him.
Hank shook his head and walked off giving Black some space. "These Yankee mother-fuckers messed with the wrong Brit," Black said vengefully.
At the DEO, Mara was rushed to the clinic where she was given an antidote to the poisonous darts. Hank stayed by her side as she slept. "J'onn, make me dream," Mara asked weakly.
Hank nodded. Using his powers, Mara fell asleep and dreamed she was in a valley of wheat surrounded by snowy mountains. She was dressed in white with the S crest on her chest. "Mara, give mother a hug," Kara said reaching out to her.
Mara ran over to Kara and gave her a hug with Mon smiling nearby. "Let's walk together," Mon said to her.
"I would love to," Mara said filled with joy.
In the command center, Alex was greeted by Brainiac 5. "The Kryptonite has been completely neutralized world-wide," he reported.
"Good," Alex said disturbed by what she saw out there. "Did you know Supergirl would leave?"
"No. I was in the lab," Brainiac 5 lied.
Colonel Lauren Haley then entered the DEO unannounced with two Marines with her as an escort. "So...how can I help you?" Alex wondered.
"Hi, I'm Colonel Lauren Haley. POTUS sent me. Apparently, you went against direct orders to keep Supergirl inside the DEO until the air was clear," she said.
"I can't force her to stay here. She went on her own," Alex said defensively.
"Be it as it may, I'm here to provide some oversight," Col. Haley said.
"For how long will you be with us, Colonel?" Alex asked.
"As long as it takes," she smiled.
At Catco, James had a friendly conversation with Lena over drinks. "What if you had been arrested?" she asked him.
"No new charges. It's pointless really with President Trump promising to pardon me for anything I do," James said relieved. "The cops may even deputize Guardian."
"I'm so happy for you," Lena said pleased.
"You're trending," Nia reported giving him a pad. "In a bad way."
James looked over the news article. He was now a hero for the Resistance against the alien menace. "Damn," James realized.
"What are you going to do?" Lena asked.
"The only thing I can do. If the press thinks I favor humans, because I kick ass on aliens then obviously I need to start kicking ass on humans," James said.
"Is kicking ass the answer to everything?" Nia asked skeptically.
"Yes, yes it is," James replied.
Moscow, PATRIOT
Nikolai entered the interrogation cell and with a pad opened the stone casing around Kara. "The air is clear of Kryptonite," Nikolai told her.
"Finally, God damn. You could have given me a book to read," Kara said annoyed as she stood up.
"You don't need books. You need discipline," Nikolai told her.
"I knew you would be the type to burn books," Kara smirked.
"Russia doesn't need more intellectual nonsense. When you are in the forests of Siberia freezing to death, what would you do with a book?" he asked.
"Burn it to keep me warm," Kara rolled her eyes as she played along.
"Precisely. We are a nation in peril from communist China to the East and the socialists to the West. We don't need Marx or any other pseudo-intellectual garbage to divide us. All the Russian people need to remember is: Make Russia Great Again. Are you with us?" Nikolai asked her.
"Well, that depends. Did you check up on my niece like I asked you to?" Kara asked.
"We did at great risk to Major Alina's life. The Americans put her in a protective suit and used nanites to get rid of the Kryptonite in the air. We are now aware that the Americans have a cyborg working for them. This cyborg has been countering our every move," Nikolai told her.
"A cyborg? Like a robot? That sounds like bullshit," Kara doubted.
"Alina encountered the cyborg personally. It looks human but it's not. This cyborg is Russia's number one threat now," Nikolai said.
"Okay, I'll find it and destroy it," Kara agreed.
"No, we can't risk exposing you. I need you to train the Guardians," Nikolai told her.
"Because they're weak as fuck?" Kara wondered.
"Precisely," Nikolai grumbled.
"Alright, is Alina back, yet?" Kara asked.
"No," Nikolai said annoyed.
Metropolis
Alina followed Otis and Mercy down the street at night. "I can't believe you didn't kill her. He's going to have our asses," Mercy said bitterly.
"It would have made her a martyr. She was practically begging me to kill her," Otis rolled his eyes.
The two went into an alley. Alina followed them only to have the siblings pointing their guns at her. "We don't appreciate being followed," Mercy sneered at her.
The two suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground dead. "In Russia, you learn to tolerate it," Alina said and then walked off.