A woman walks down through a mall, texting, while a mother is driving with her children. She swerves to miss the inattentive woman, and a semi heads to them. Supergirl flies down and stops the truck, and sees an ad about Obsidian North's contact lenses bypassing an ad on the upcoming election. Disgusted, she flies off.
Alex makes Kelly blueberry pancakes, and Kelly says that she's allergic to blueberries. She assures a panicked Alex that she didn't almost kill her, and says that she likes Alex more than anything. They kiss and Kelly thanks Alex.
Querl serves Nia breakfast in bed, and she says that it's the best morning ever. When he considers what she means, Nia kisses her.
Kara talks to James about the ad, and James tells her that a group of people want to back him for senator. He also has an offer to be a media director at the Smithsonian, and figures that it's the universe telling him that he's on the right path. Kara explains that she feels a lot lighter since she told Lena the truth. They arrive at John's office and find him unconscious on the floor.
Alex and Querl arrive, and John tells them what happened. He explains that Malefic said he was John's brother, and he's suffering from a specific form of Martian agony. In the early days of Mars, the rivalry between Phobos and Deimos lead to the civil war between the White and Green Martians. A curse was placed on the Green Martians, Fa'ra'too'rik: the punishment for a brother attacking another brother. John wonders if Malefic's existence was hidden from him by his parents. Querl says that there is a cure for the pain with Q-waves that are used in the future. Alex knows that Kelly has been Q-waves as part of her brain computer interface at Obsidian. Nia calls Kara and says that she needs to get to CatCo because Andrea wants everyone present.
The shapechanged Malefic tells a White Martian that she wants a cure to her affliction. The White Martian says that he can't help her, and Malefic vows to tear apart John's new family.
Lena analyzes the Obsidian lenses and tells Hope that there's something in them that's going to allow her to change the course of humanity. She asks the AI if it could hurt someone, and says that its base code is morality, empathy, and logic. Humans are driven by emotions and lie to protect themselves because that's how they're programmed. She is going to make them "better" with Project Non Nocare by ridding them of their instinct to hurt others. Lena will use the VR lenses to "program" humans to do no harm, and tells Hope that she needs more resources. Hope warns that the subject is recovering consciousness, and Eve wakes up with an implant on her forehead.
Kara and Nia arrive at the staff meeting, and Andrea says that from now on all work will be filed through a tablet provided by Obsidian. Andrea tells Kara that she's on the fashion beat, and Kara says that it's not her style. She wants to see how "low" Kara can go, and Kara suggests that she could get an exclusive on a new senatorial candidate. Andrea tells her to do both stories, and the style story first by lunch.
Kelly treats John with the Q-waves.
Eve begs Lena to let her go, insisting that she'll be loyal to her. Lena says that she's not mad with her, and Eve says she can't say who made her do it. If she does say it then "they" will kill them both. Eve says that "they" recruited her when she was 16, and she hated betraying Lena. Unimpressed, Lena says that knows Eve would have shot her and tells Eve that she betrayed her because she liked the power it gave her. If Eve wants Lena to trust her, she should tell the truth for once and walks away.
Kara calls Alex and says that she's stuck at CatCo until she finishes the assignment. She goes to Nia's desk and finds dozens of bento boxes piled up on her desk. Nia explains that Querl brought her her favorite breakfast, and sent her the bento boxes. She worries that it's excessive and figures that she should tell Querl. Kara grabs a box and goes to work at her desk.
At the DEO, Querl tells Alex that he's on top of everything. Alex explains that she almost poisoned Kelly, and she is wondering what else Kelly hasn't told her that might accidentally kill her. She wonders when her feelings for Kelly got so strong, and Querl suggests that the heart is not logical.
John screams in pain, and tells Kelly and James that the pain has gotten worse. Kelly warns that the "rings" in his brain representing his memory are broken, and James suggests that his inheriting Myr'nn's memories might have caused breaks in John's own memories. Kelly prepares to enter the VR simulation with John, and tells John to imagine somewhere familiar. John "imagines" his office, and Kelly is there. She points out that the spines of some of the books are blank. He realizes that the missing memories are of battles in the Martian civil war. John is drawn to one book, and when he pulls on it a secret passage opens revealing a Martian portal. He opens the portal door and finds a white void beyond, representing John's erased memories.
John and Malefic both scream in pain.
Querl tells Alex that he's located Malefic, and Alex calls Supergirl.
William is working on an article, finds some information, and makes a call. Kara tells Alex not to make contact with him until she's there, tells William that she has a family emergency, and leaves. William then tells his NSA contact that he needs them to track down Kara.
Supergirl joins Alex and Querl in a sewer near an abandoned building. They follow Querl's tracker to Malefic.
John tells Kelly and John that wiping a Martian's mind is the greatest sin in Martian culture. He worries that he can't face what is inside the void, and James tells him that Kelly was at his side when he looked into his past... and he came back stronger. After a moment, John agrees.
Querl reports that there's interference with the signal. The White Martian drops down and speeds away from their shots.
William enters the sewer following Kara's signal. The White Martian confronts him, and Supergirl grabs it and tells William to get out. He climbs out as Supergirl throws the Martian across the tunnel.
Back in the office simulation, John says that the civil war ended their history. The White Martians sabotaged them on every front, including their minds, but he doesn't know how. Kelly prods him into remembering, and John sees Malefic poisoning the Martians with H'ronmeer's Curse. They took him to the High Council and presented the case that he worked with the White Martians, and he was sentenced to the Phantom Zone. "Malefic" tells John that he's still in the dark.
In the real world, John says that the pain is gone.
Malefic wakes up from the pain and thanks John for easing his pain.
Querl and Alex fight the White Martian. As Malefic arrives, the White Martian grabs him and phase through the walls. They leave the sewer and confirm that John is okay, and Querl reports that he's lost the signals. Querl drives back to the DEO, and Nia calls Supergirl to say that Andrea is furious. Supergirl apologizes to Alex and flies back to CatCo, and as Alex leaves a motorcyclist follows her.
Andrea tells Kara that William has filed Kara's article, and suggests that Kara work in copy editing. An assistant tells Andrea that something is broken, and then Andrea gives Kara her new assignment and leaves. Kara confronts William and tells him not to steal her work. William says that she should focus on her work, and Kara gives him the copy editing to do.
Eve tells Lena that she's right and she wasn't motivated by fear. Every decision that she made was what she wanted to do. Andrea comes in and Lena quickly blanks out the view from Eve's cell. The woman says that Lena tried to steal her technology, and wonders what the world will think of her. Eve is able to hear her talk, and Andrea tells Lena that she won't get another pair of lenses from her. She warns Lena that she'll be the story if she keeps screwing with her and leaves.
Lena restores the cell's view, and Eve points out that she could have called for help but didn't. She points out that Lena could trust her, and Lena agrees.
Querl tells Alex that he can't get a hit on Malefic. Nia calls him and he figures she's calling to thank her for the pizza deliveries. She tries to explain that he's overdoing it, and Querl agrees not to send any more food.
Kara and John meet at Kara's loft, and he says that what he's learned is unsettling. He wonders what else he doesn't know about himself, and Kara assures him that he has her and the others. Kara says that she caught William following her as Supergirl, and figures that he's trying to sabotage her. She wonders how much longer she can last at CatCo, and John tells her to spend her energy on being the best version of herself.
The motorcyclist phases into Alex's apartment and sees a photo of her and Kelly. When Alex comes in, the Martian shapeshifts into Kelly's form. Alex takes her for the real Kelly and the Martian plays along. They drink wine and Alex thanks Kelly for helping John. Kelly asks how the DEO managed to track Malefic, and Alex realizes that something is wrong and offers to make her blueberry pancakes. "Kelly" agrees, and Alex sends a signal to Kara. The Martian realizes that Alex is on to her and confronts her, and Alex goes for her hidden gun.
Supergirl arrives at the apartment and Alex comes out of the bedroom. She claims that she just bumped her signal watch, and Supergirl realizes that "Alex" is Malefic. Supergirl uses her heat vision on her, and Malefic flies down to the street. Supergirl goes after her and they fight, Supergirl slamming Malefic back. When Supergirl uses her heat vision, Malefic Martian grabs a rearview mirror from a SUV and reflects the blast back at her. John arrives in response to the signal, catches a truck that Malefic throws as a diversion, and tells Supergirl to go after his brother as the truck explodes.
Supergirl and Malefic fight, and Guardian arrives in response to the signal. Kelly shows up and goes to find Kelly, while Guardian evacuates the civilians. In the apartment, Kelly finds Alex unconscious in the closet and wakes her up. Alex realizes that it's the real Kelly and says that they have to get out.
Supergirl and Malefic fight, and Malefic flees as he hears police sirens. Supergirl flies after him and they fight in the sky, and Supergirl knocks Malefic down to the rooftop. Alex and Kelly have evacuated there, and Malefic takes on Kelly's form. One Kelly tells Alex to shoot the other, and Alex does. The wounded Malefic shoves Kelly off the roof and flies off, and Supergirl catches Kelly and flies back up.
That night, Supergirl confirms that the building is sound and meets with the others. John hopes to access more of his memories and uncover what Malefic's next move is, and suggests to Kelly that they up the power in the simulation. She warns that it could wipe his mind, and John agrees. Malefic, shapeshifted as a fly, listens and then flies off.
Kara goes to William's office and gets her assignment, and tells him that he's a saboteur. She'll be busy doing her job with integrity while he's undermining her and walks off.
Kelly and Alex have dinner, and Kelly gives Alex a list of her allergies. Alex says that she panicked over her feelings because they scared them, and when she touched the fake Kelly's hand, she knew it wasn't her because someone can't fake who they are. On the rooftop, Alex realized that Kelly made a selfless choice and she knew she was the real one, and they kiss.
Nia returns home and finds Querl waiting for her with a rose. He recites Shakespeare and he will venture to make each day the best day ever for her. Querl says that Nia wants him to do the impossible, and Nia tells him that sometimes he's the dumbest smartest person she knows. Puzzled, Querl thanks her.
Lena tells Eve that it's time for her to tell her what she's doing. She releases Eve and says that there are aspects of her brain that she needs. She tells Eve that she and Hope will be working closely together, and says that they need to "evolve" Eve. Lena promises that she won't feel anything, and Eve realizes that Lena has been mapping her mind. Hope projects into Eve's mind, mapping the centers of loyalty.
Kelly and Alex sit on the couch, embracing.
Querl reads poetry to Nia, who tries to sleep.
John meditates.
James considers his job choices.
Kara goes to Andrea and tells her that she's done everything that Andrea wants. Andrea merely tells her not to be late the next day and goes down to the Obsidian offices. Meanwhile, Kara notices that William has gone.
William goes to a homeless shelter and serves food.
Malefic says that without the power to incept, he can't defeat John and his friends. He then remembers what Kelly said about the power could reset a brain.
The "new" Eve approaches Lena, and Hope inside of her says that they need a new plan now that Andrea has taken the lenses. Lena tells Hope/Eve that with her help, they can rebuild humanity.
Written by Gadfly on Oct 14, 2019