President Baker announces that it has been a day since Supergirl attacked the U.S. in retaliation for the removal of the Alien Amnesty Act. He imposes a curfew, and at CatCo Jimmy insists that Supergirl didn't do it.
Supergirl, Alex, and Lena are at Lena's office, watching the broadcast. When Supergirl hears someone caught in a car crash, she flies there to rescue the man from his car. Three citizens try to arrest her and one of them shoots at her. Supergirl tries to catch the bullets but one of them hit the gas tank and Supergirl extinguishes the fire. She flies off with the passenger, and he wonders why she saved his life when she attacked the White House. The driver tells Supergirl that he crushed his daughter who saw the attack on TV and hobbles off.
Back at Lena's office, Supergirl complains to Lena and Alex about how people don't trust her. Alex says that most of the people are terrified after months of Ben's lies. They try to work out how the attack was faked, and Lena says that she has a lead from Lillian that Lex has been leaving Stryker's Prison for months with the warden's hospital.
Supergirl and Lena go to Stryker's and confront the warden. They reveal that they know the warden has been helping Lex and know the secret bank account number that Lex used to pay him. The warden admits that he may have taken some money but doesn't know where Lex went. He says that the DoD will be all over them, and Supergirl says that they'll search Lex's cell if the warden gives them access to it as long as they don't mentioned the warden's husband was involved.
The warden gives in and clears the guards out of the cell block. The prisoners sarcastically congratulate Supergirl and chant her name. In Lex's cell, Lena notices that Lex has the same chessboard and opens a secret compartment in one piece. There's a note inside with a dated photograph of the subject Lena experimented on with the serum. The date is the date that the Romanovs were executed in Russia, referring to how Lena considered Lena a princess. Lena realizes that the pieces are in a checkmate pattern and uses it to reveal a hidden compartment in the board. Lex's diaries are inside, and Lena figures that Lex left them to torment Lena.
Ben and his agents arrive at the DEO and Ben tells Haley and Alex that he's there to requisition any weapons that will contain Supergirl and then they'll summon Supergirl there so they can arrest her. Alex points out that they need a Presidential order per protocol, and Ben asks Haley if she wants to waste his time. Haley says that she does things by the book and Ben goes off to get the order. Haley sends a team to get the weapons, and tells Alex that Ben will be back with the order and tells Alex to hand over her signal watch so they can use it to summon Supergirl. After a moment, Alex does so and gives her instructions. Haley gets a call and leaves, and Braianiac-5 notes that Alex gave Haley the code to warn Supergirl that it's a trap. He then suggests that they should scrub the alien registry from their database because Ben will come for it.
Kelly drives James to Doctor Park, a trauma therapist, and tells her brother that she's seen soldiers paralyzed over what James is about to do. She tells James that she's proud of him and their father would be to, James thanks her for the support and goes inside. Kelly gets a call from Alex arranging a meeting. They meet at a diner and Alex tells Kelly about how something suspicious is going on at the DEO and she can't get through to her CO. Her friend gives an example of how her sergeant convinced her CO not to risk his men's life. Kelly tells Alex that even the toughest Cos care about someone. Alex tells Kelly that she's glad that she didn't leave National City.
Brainiac-5 goes to the computer vault containing the computer registry. He bypasses the security and enters the vault, and then considers whether deleting the registry will cause more problems than it solves. Braianiac-5 calculates that there's a 50/50 chance that what he's going to do is wrong so he should find a creative solution.
Supergirl and Lena go through Lex's journals and Lean finds entries about how the errors she's made since she's 4. She worries that she can't outthink Lex, and Supergirl notices that someone is watching them from another cell.
James talks to the therapist, Dr. Park, and says that he feels that he doesn't need help. Park tells him that she can give him a starting point to deal with negative feelings, bilateral stimulation, She talks him through the procedure and has him think of a place where he feels safe. James visualizes his office and then remembers being shot there and gasps in shock. Park has him use the bilateral stimulation and as he does so, black veins from the serum spread across his neck.
Supergirl goes to the prisoner, Steve Lomeli, and asks if he's seen anything suspicious. Steve figures that she wants him to rat Lex out and points out that she's a traitor and put a target on all of them. When the country nukes her, everyone around her will get nuked as well. Steve says that he exposed the truth about the government's illegal drone project, and points out that Supergirl has destroyed exculpatory information. He says that everything she touches she ruins.
Brainiac-5 goes to Nia and explains his conflict about deleting the alien registry. She asks him to use her powers to determine what happens if he destroys the registry. Nia points out that he doesn't want to tell her about her powers when it destroys the future, but agrees to help him. She tells Brainiac-5 that he doesn't destroy the registry. When Brainiac-5 protests, Nia says that she didn't dream anything and she gave him the wrong answer to come up with the right answer.
Alex approaches Haley and says that everything she does is for the goof of the country, but some orders are immoral. She asks Haley to consider her daughter, and Haley says that Alex is using her personal knowledge against her. She also knows that Alex gave her the wrong code and dismisses her.
Otis approaches the warden in his office and says that he got an alert that Supergirl is in Lex's cell.
Supergirl tells Lena that people hate her as a traitor, and Lena says that knows from personal experience that being falsely accused isn't fun. She wonders if Lex is just torturing her and starts to go, and Supergirl says that people like them don’t give up and they will stop Lex. Otis comes on the loudspeaker and says that the first prisoner to apprehend Supergirl will be released from prison. he opens the cells by remote and Steve is the first to run out.
Supergirl tells Lena that she's going to find Otis while Lena stays in the cell and finds out what Lex is hiding. Lena agrees and gives Supergirl a Kryptonite shield against Otis. Supergirl takes it, goes out, and welds the cell door shut with her heat vision. She easily fights her way past the prisoners, reimprisons them, and heads for the warden's office.
James is in his office listening to reports about the curfew when he imagines gunshots. He performs the relaxation procedure and the veins spread across his body. He flinches from all the noises in the office, and smashes his desk with superstrength.
Supergirl gets to the warden's office and finds him dead.
Lena continues going through the journals and finds a description of how Lex considered Lena pathetic but brilliant. She remembers the two of them as children, and Lex hiding Lena in his treehouse and saying that he'll build a fortress on a nearby mountain. Lena realizes that Lex drew the mountain on the cell wall and discovers that it's concealing a secret passageway leading away.
Supergirl goes back to the cell block and Otis confronts her. He reveals his Kryptonite heart and tries to blast her, but the shield protects her. Otis punches her with his enhanced strength and damages the shield. The National Guard arrives outside and the platoon captain tells his men to make sure Supergirl doesn't come out. Otis renews his attack and Supergirl pins him, but Otis blasts free and the two of them fight. He destroys the shield entirely and blasts Supergirl through a wall, and Supergirl runs off into the prison library. Otis goes after her and finds Kara, who says that she saw Supergirl go through a door. She says that she was doing an article on prison reform, and Otis disregards her and walks off.
Kara realizes that she needs exposure to sunlight to regain her powers and goes to a window. Steve and a prisoner grab her and Kara gives her identity. Steve tells the prisoner to hold off, saying that Kara is the one who writes the good stuff at CatCo. He explains that he's the editor of the prison newsletter and Kara says that she's writing a piece about Lex and asks if Steve knows anything about him. Steve says that he could give her some information on deep background. The platoon captain calls on Supergirl to surrender, and the two prisoners get down on the floor. Kara says that she needs to go and leaves. The soldiers break in and Supergirl tells the rioting prisoners to get down. When they ignore her, she slams her hands together to make a concussive wave. By the time the soldiers arrive, Supergirl is gone.
Supergirl goes to Lex's cell and enters the passageway, and then closes it behind her. Lena has found Lex's secret laboratory. They find Amertek equipment and schematics of the DEO desert facility. There's a live video of Otis going to Lex's cell and calling Lex. Lex tells him to stand in the middle of the cell, and Supergirl realizes that Lex has activated a self-destruct. She punches her way out through the wall and flies out with Lena as Otis explodes.
Nia has a vision of Agent Liberty and his men going to the DEO and arresting Braianiac-5. She calls him and says that he can't destroy the registry, and Braianiac-5 says that he did erase the list but downloaded a copy to his brain in case they need it in the future. Nia admits that she should have seen the future like he asked, and Brainiac-5 says that doing the right thing is an imperative. As he points out that she's not good at interpreting her dream, Ben, Sarah Walker, and his men arrive. They present the order and Haley hands over the weapons. Ben tells Haley to summon Supergirl, and she enters the "trap" signal as Alex and Brainiac-5 look on.
Supergirl doesn't come, and Haley tells Ben that she followed his orders. He tells his men to pack up the weapons and go. Afterward, Haley tells Alex that her daughter had a panic attack because of the martial law and curfew, and her favorite teacher has gone missing because he's an alien. She says that she doesn't like being manipulated by anyone, but worries about the people left behind like her daughter. Haley wonders how she can protect her daughter if she's party to the martial law, and walks off.
The news reports that Supergirl attempted to feel the prisoners. Supergirl, Alex, and Lena watch at Lena's office, and Supergirl admits that she is doing more harm than good so it's time for Supergirl to lay low.
James calls Kelly to his office and describes what happened to him. He says that they have to talk to Lena.
Ben tells Baker that he needs people he can trust to bring Supergirl down, and Baker tells him to deputize the Children of Liberty.
Otis wakes up and Eve tells him that they put him back together again.
Kara meets with Steve and he gives her Lex's flash drive. He tells Kara that he's grateful she's bringing Lex to justice, and they agree about the power of the press.
Written by Gadfly on Apr 22, 2019