20 Years Ago
Lillian is playing chess with her son Lex when Lionel brings in a young Lena. He says that they're adopting Lena despite Lillian's objections, and Lex introduces himself. Lex invites Lena to play, and she sits down and they start a game. Lionel thanks Lillian for accepting the situation, and she says that Lex having a sister will be good for him.
Now
At the bar, Kara is watching a newscast about Lillian's upcoming trial. Mon-El comes by and points out that he hasn't seen Kara in a while. She claims that she's been busy chasing villains, and Mon-El insists that things are great between him and Eve. Kara goes back to the table where Hank, James, and Winn are seated. Hank is uncomfortable with being back at the bar for the first time since Cadmus unleashed the plague, and Winn is eager to see Alex's new boyfriend.
Alex comes in with Maggie and they realize that she's Alex's new partner. Mon-El drops off drinks and doesn't care that Alex and Maggie are dating. Maggie invites Winn to play pool, and he goes to a table with her. James privately asks Kara if Maggie knows that he is Guardian, and Kara assures him that he doesn't. On the news, the anchor says that Lena testified against her mother, and Kara insists that Lena is trying to do the right thing and offers to go see her.
Kara goes to LexCorp and assures Lena that she's there as a friend. Lena says that it felt good to testify and distance herself from the Luthor name. Lillian wants to see Lena, and Lena asks Kara if she should feel guilty about not wanting to see her foster mother. Kara points out that Lena still has her mother when she doesn't, and she wishes she could talk to her parents again.
The next day, Lena visits Lillian. Lillian says that Lena did a number on her in court, and then apologizes. Lena sits and Lillian tells her daughter that she forgives her and still loves her. She insists that she did the best that she could and always tried to protect her, and warns Lena that Lionel never told Lena the truth. Lillian finally says that after Lex was born, Lionel had an affair with Lena's birth mother. They paid her off and Lionel came back to rebuild their marriage. When Lena was 4, they heard that Lena's mother died and they adopted Lena when she was 4. Lionel didn't Lillian spend time with Lena so she spent more time with Lex to protect herself and Lena. Lillian says that they are the only two Luthors left and they need to be there for each other, and asks for a second chance. After a moment, Lena takes her hands.
John Corben is in his jail cell when the guard drops off a package. When Corben opens it, he finds a piece of kryptonite inside.
Later in court, Corben testifies that Lillian saved his life. He testifies that he worked voluntarily for Cadmus to wipe aliens out. Kara, Alex, and Lena are in the audience, and listen as Corben explains Cadmus' goals. He says that the trial is a conspiracy to condemn humanity's savior, and fires a blast of kryptonite energy from his chest. Everyone runs out, and Corben frees Lillian and walks out with her.
Supergirl flies down outside to stop them, and avoids Metallo's first blast. When Lillian tries to run, Supergirl cuts her off with her heat vision, and Metallo brings the Kryptonian down. He fires a blast at a nearby crane, and Lillian tells Supergirl that she can stop her or save the people. Supergirl flies up and catches the crane, but Lillian and Metallo have escaped.
When Supergirl arrives at the DEO, Alex assures her foster sister that she made the right choice. Maggie has learned that Corben hasn't had any visitors and there was no kryptonite in his cell the previous day. Lena was the only visitor to the jail the night before. Kara goes to tell Lena so she can be prepared when people suspect that she gave the kryptonite to Corben. Lena takes offense, just as Maggie and two unis come in. She plays surveillance footage of Lena taking kryptonite from her desk and arrests her, and when Kara objects, Lena tells her to stay out of it.
Back at CatCo, James tells Kara that they're crashing the cover with Lena. Snapper points out that Lena is the big story. When Kara objects, Snapper wonders if she's letting her friendship corrupt her judgment. He agrees to let Kara keep digging, but Kara says that by then everyone will think Lena is guilty. James sides with Snapper and says that Kara should as well, and Kara walks out. He goes after her and suggests that Lena might be running a long con on Kara. James vows to prove to Kara that Lena is guilty and leaves. Kara bumps into Eve, who asks if Kara is okay. When Kara asks how things are going with Mon-El, Eve says that they went out once and it was the worst date of her life. All he did was talk about Kara. Eve assumes that Kara was Mon-El's ex-girlfriend, and doesn't believe Kara's denial.
That night, two guards go by Lena's cell and taunt her. Metallo comes in and takes them down, and Guardian comes in behind him. The cyborg blasts Guardian, who shields himself, and the two fight. Lena hears the noise and watches as the two men spar. Metallo manages to blast Guardian unconscious and then rips Lena's cell door off and apologizes for the delay.
The next day, James goes to the DEO and Alex treats his injuries. He says that Metallo's kryptonite isn't right and it's hurting the cyborg. Kara is there and insists that they have to rescue Lena, and doesn't believe that Lena set up the entire thing. The others aren't convinced, and Hank says that they have to treat Lena like a hostile. Winn says that the video is clean, and Kara asks him to find something to prove Lena's innocence. She says that she believe in Lena and walks off. James goes after her and reminds her that Clark and Lex used to be best friends and Clark believed in him despite all of the proof against Lex. He wonders why it's so hard to get Kara's trust, and an exasperated Kara walks off.
Later, a frustrated Kata is punching a machine in the training room. Mon-El comes in as she destroys the machine, and says that he misses training with her. He points out that she believes in him, and Kara apologizes for being cold and distant. She explains that she thought Mon-El was dating Eve, Mon-El wonders why Kara is mad about it when he figures that she doesn't like him. Kara is unable and goes to check with her teammates.
That night, Lena and Lillian meet with Lillian's men and drive through Metropolis in a van. Lena says that Metallo's rescue made her look more guilty when she isn't, and Lillian says that no one would change their minds even if they found out the truth. Her mother warns that Luthors don't get second chances, and they drove Lex insane. Lillian warns that Lena has no one on her side and is one the run, and invites her daughter to join Cadmus and do everything Lena always wanted... and to be the mother Lena always wanted now that the Luthor men are out of the way. In the front cab, Metallo sees his arm glowing green.
The Cadmus agents drive to one of Lex's mountain bases. They monitor for incoming aliens and have enough supplies to live there for years. Lillian says that Lex also kept arsenals around the world, including one in the base. Any Luthor can open the biometric lock, and Lena figures that Lillian needs her to open the vault for her. Lillian insists that she loves Lena, but Lena says that she'll take her chances. Cyborg Superman grabs Lena and forces her hand onto the biometric panel.
At the DEO, Winn hacks into LexCorp's computers to get the raw footage, He discovers that someone has already hacked in, using the same code that Cyborg Superman used. Winn decrypts the file and recovers the uncorrupted footage, and it shows that Cyborg Superman took the kryptonite. The computers pick up a kryptonite signal and Winn discovers that the element is breaking down. They figure that the kryptonite is synthetic and will soon explode, and Kara goes to save her friend. As Supergirl flies there, Alex tells her to come back before the kryptonite explodes, releasing a cloud of lethal gas.
Lillian shows Lena the equipment that Lex collected to wipe out the aliens. She insists that she'll be on the right side of history, and assures Lena that she'll always be her mother. Lillian opens a box of sonic grenade that Lex developed, just as Supergirl smashes in and tells Lena that Kara believes in her. Lillian uses a sonic grenade on Supergirl, and as the Cadmus agents take Supergirl to the vault, Winn warns her that Metallo's heart is going to explode. Lillian and Corbin don't believe Supergirl's warning, and Supergirl heat-visions the grenade.
Winn warns Supergirl that the more Metallo uses the synthetic kryptonite, the faster it will decay. Metallo blasts Supergirl back, while Lillian escapes with Cyborg Superman. Fighting, Supergirl tells Metallo to take the kryptonite out of his chest before it explodes, but he doesn't believe her. J'onn arrives and throws Metallo away, and Supergirl goes to Lena. Metallo's heart goes critical and explodes, and Supergirl flies clear with Lena just ahead of the cloud.
The next day at CatCo, Kara and Snapper watch a newscast reporting that Lena has been cleared. Kara points out that she was right, but Snapper says that it's just the news game. He tells her to get an exclusive on Lena. After Snapper leaves, Kara tells James that Lillian and Cyborg Superman got away in a helicopter. He admits that Kara was right and he was wrong, and apologizes. Kara figures that he was trying to protect her, and suggests that they stop trying to protect each other and just be friends. James agrees and they hug.
Later, Kara shows Lena the article that she wrote about her. Lena sent Kara flowers to thank her for standing by her, and admits that no one has ever stood up for her before. She says that Kara is her hero and they hug. Once Lena is alone, she looks at a chess piece and remembers.
Lena beats Lex at chess, and Lillian admits that she might really be a Luthor after all.
That night, Kara calls Mon-El to her apartment and apologizes for not answering his question earlier. She admits that she doesn't like being vulnerable, and admits that they're different. A year ago Kara chose being Supergirl over having a relationship, but then Mon-El came along and she thought Mon-el was selfish and thoughtful. He kept proving her wrong, and now Kara wonders if she can have it all. They say "Hi" to each other and start to kiss. However, a burst of white light comes in and materializes into a man. He introduces himself as Mr. Mxyzptlk and says that he loves Kara.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 14, 2017