05x14 - The Bodyguard

[bunniefuu]

Foul beast. Plague of my family.

Today your life ends.

End simulation.

These new Obsidian Platinum lenses are amazing!

Well, Kelly said the upgrade is so realistic that people can actually touch and taste and smell things in the VR.

I mean, look at that guy. He's actually feeling like he's going that fast.

He must be fearless.

That would make even me dizzy.

Oh, hardly.

But fearless is definitely something I wish I was feeling, 'cause right now, being out in this crowd, I don't like it without my sidearm.

I can't believe Lex made you give up your g*n when you left the DEO.

This is the first time in eight years I've been out without it.

You know what? I love it. You and J'onn, The Tower, without bureaucracy.

Without an evil overlord holding you back.

I think it's great.

Hi. Hi. Oh, my gosh!

Look at this place. It's amazing! It's all Andrea.

Well, okay, sure. Maybe the pizzazz part, but I mean, not the upgraded 150 petaflop bio-link interface.

She has never said words like that.

Oh, you are paying attention to my late night ramblings.

I do listen. Yes. More importantly, what's in the box?

This is a first day gift for my awesome girlfriend.

Hot pockets, macaroni and cheese and your favorite dumplings from Wang Foo's.

Dumplings? Oh, no. Hey. Uh-uh.

This is comfort food for me.

I might share with J'onn. Maybe. If he asks.

What?

I've been listen... Um, don't look now but the co-worker you rejected is coming this way.

Don't look now. Oh.

Oh. You should do your thing. I gotta go to The Tower.

We have a thing that we have to do. Traitors. Traitors!

Hi! Morning!

Hello.

I come bearing lattes. Oh.

Sugar-free vanilla latte. Thank you.

And for you, double caff, double foam with caramel and mocha.

How did you know that?

I'm an investigative journalist.

But don't we all know our friends' orders by heart?

This was very thoughtful of you, thank you.

It was nothing. See you guys there. Bye.

Bye. Wow.

Rejection never looked so good or was so cool about it.

Why am I so bad at this?

At 9:00 p.m. tonight, Obsidian will change the way you think and feel and experience life.

The countdown to your dreams starts now.

Eleven hours and counting. Exclamation point, exclamation point.

Help! Help!

Are you okay?

I am now.

Thank you for saving me.

What the hell happened?

Someone tried to k*ll you.

How did you know? Because of this.

It was delivered five minutes ago.

It's an Anti-Obsidian manifesto.

"Obsidian North is technological genocide.

With Andrea Rojas now dead, consider this your final warning.

Cancel the Obsidian Platinum launch or more will die."

He can thr*aten whatever he wants. I will not postpone.

Well, isn't that cute?

I wasn't aware a Maladorian Dendroasp could show any restraint.

And you two share a lot in common. Hmm.

Non Nocere does what God couldn't.

Turns the most ferocious animal instincts into "do no harm."

So far, all of your animal trials have produced perfect results.

Yeah, but the human brain is far more complex and I've yet to test it to see that it's working just as perfectly.

Can't have any critics pouncing on any mistakes.

Hmm. That has a bit of a personal ring to it.

Let me guess. Your biggest critic is a Kryptonian?

Before Crisis, when I tried to use Myriad, she assumed that I was trying to mind control people.

Her and her friends think I'm going down a dark path.

They think you've turned into me.

Or at least, Mother.

But you haven't... tragically.

Can you imagine what it would be like if humanity didn't succumb to terror, rage and worry?

We would be the best versions of ourselves.

Be creative. Be free... Utopia.

Exactly. But Supergirl and her friends just can't accept that I don't want to puppet master humanity.

Since I anticipated you being ready for the next phase of testing, I took the liberty of setting up a trial at that cute little prison we own.

Willing subjects waiting for a chance to be better people.

There's a car waiting for you downstairs.

Gotta go. Duty calls.

Got your text.

Good news on inverting Toyman's Immortality Code for use against Leviathan?

Yes. I'm nearly done re-purposing the code to render Leviathan vulnerable, but seeing as how they are a techno-organic species from the same solar system as Krypton, I've calculated that it would be next to impossible to inject the code into their skin without first, somehow, weakening them.

So, are you saying we would need to find their version of Kryptonite?

In so many words, yes.

Then no.

I've been down that road and let's just say, I didn't win.

There is one intriguing possibility.

But that would require access to Leviathan's base of operations.

Which we don't even know the location of.

Sir.

There's been an att*ck on Andrea Rojas.

Despite a vicious att*ck, Andrea Rojas promised that the launch will proceed as planned at 9:00 p.m. tonight...

This is terrible.

Or fortuitous.

We need to get closer to Leviathan so that we can find their home base to administer the Mortality Code.

Gemma Cooper is heavily invested in both Andrea and the launch, which will need protection.

What better way to get in with Leviathan than to protect their favorite child?

Call Supergirl.

I am not a bodyguard, Lex.

With you guarding her, there is a 99.7% chance that Andrea survives and her assailant is captured.

Well, instead, why doesn't the DEO track the t*rrorists before they att*ck again?

When I rescued her this morning, there was pink energy surrounding the elevator.

Pink energy would suggest a Chlorophyllian.

And their energy is impossible to track.

Finding them before the launch tonight seems unlikely.

And if you refuse, you know the leverage I have.

Not to mention you'll have the blood of a poor, innocent billionaire on your hands.

Platinum lets you be whomever you want, whenever you want.

We have more cases than I care to count.

Runaway aliens, missing persons, and... the odd wayward spouse.

And still no leads on what Lex is up to.

We will get to the bottom of that, I promise you.

Are you okay?

I've had a clear mission and a boss to answer to every day of my life since medical school.

And now, with all this freedom, I'm just starting to feel a little... Discombobulated.

Yes.

Hey. Hey.

Lex just personally assigned me to bodyguard Andrea Rojas until Platinum's launch tonight.

Bodyguard?

Why does Lex care so much about the launch?

Exactly. He must have an ulterior motive against Obsidian.

Or it's a trap.

Well, either way, I'll investigate when I'm with Andrea, but I came here first to see if you guys could help.

Do you have any idea who att*cked Andrea?

I saw pink energy in the elevator while it was falling.

And Brainy says it could be Chlorophyllian, but he also said their energy is impossible to track, so...

Chlorophyllians are a peaceful race.

They absorb sunlight through their dermis in order to super-grow crops.

They shouldn't be able to siphon off electrical energy.

Still, it's a lead.

We'll get on it.

Well, if you need me I'll be glued to Andrea's side.

You're a difficult woman to track down.

You being here blocking my way would suggest otherwise.

I heard the terrible news.

How perplexing that t*rrorists were able to breach your security.

And you want to "help" me.

How thoughtful.

On such a momentous day for your company I feel it's my civic duty.

What could you possibly give us that we can't give ourselves?

Supergirl...

For Andrea Rojas's protection.

I don't need your Supergirl, nor do I want her.

Oh, I think you do.

I know you prefer your people to not be in the public eye, and, well, this launch... Wow. Talk about the headlines.

And if you know my people, you know what I can do to a yappy little dog that nips at my heel.

That's why I adore you.

I can give you something you value above all else... anonymity.

The entire world will be watching and recording Andrea Rojas' every move until the launch at 9:00 p.m.

Given the high-profile nature of the situation, I'm the easy choice.

I do admire your confidence, Mr. Luthor.

Always the over-achiever.

I'll call off my friends.

But be forewarned, we don't give second chances.

So don't make promises you can't keep.

All of these men volunteered?

They did.

It's a cross section of inmates from the most violent to those who are afraid of their own shadow.

What are you looking at?

Nothing, nothing. I'm sorry, Toby.

Guards!

Are you all right?

It's nothing.

That was practically a high five, considering what he does to me most days.

How do you cope?

It's prison.

Guys like me don't stand a chance.

Five years in here taught me that.

But maybe after your trials, I won't have to worry.

I've heard you're trying to turn them peaceful as Quakers.

If you succeed, that'd be a real godsend for guys like me, Lena Luthor.

Let's get started.

Thank you for seeing how important this is and having my back.

With you by my side, people will be even more amped for the launch.

Selfie?

Uh...

Hashtag SuperGuard.

When is everyone getting here?

I cancelled the live audience.

I won't risk innocent lives.

And I won't give in to terror.

Andrea!

Natalia.

Oh, my God, how are you?

You must still be shaking.

Oh, better now that I'm here.

Pleasure to meet you, Supergirl.

William Dey.

We crossed paths this morning. Uh, yeah, yes.

It's very nice to meet you... formally.

What are you doing here?

I'm covering the Obsidian North Platinum launch, and this is the first stop on the press tour.

You're following Andrea around all day?

Well, if someone att*cks, you could get hurt, or k*lled.

I'm a journalist.

We put ourselves in harm's way to show our readers the truth.

How can I shy away from danger when the people I cover can't?

That's very heroic.

Ah, I don't know about that, but thank you.

It's also a huge story.

For better or worse, this launch is the biggest thing since the invention of the computer.

Harry!

J'onn J'onzz! Hey, man.

It's been a while. Yeah.

What are you up to?

We're looking for a Chlorophyllian.

You know any?

Can't say that I do.

But Dmitry over there, he knows everybody. Might be worth a sh*t.

Thanks, man. Thanks.

Hey, man.

You!

Get away from me.

You two know each other?

I might've roughed him up once or twice while tracking a lead.

It's not the arm-twisting I'm worried about, it's the jail time I did afterward that I'd like to avoid.

Look, we're not here to arrest you. Okay?

I don't work for the government anymore.

We're gonna need your help.

Look, we're looking for a Chlorophyllian.

Somebody with tech issues or possibly an anger management problem.

I have a buddy who engages in certain... less than legal weapons transactions.

He mentioned a Chlorophyllian asking about some m*llitary-grade tech.

The Chlorophyllian... any ideas where we can find him?

My buddy was complaining about making the trek out to a farmhouse on Route 89.

Thank you.

And I... I'm sorry about last time.

She's sorry. Thanks. Yeah.

This sounds really bad, J'onn.

I'm gonna call Brainy and see what he can find.

You sure that's wise?

If Lex finds out Brainy's using DEO resources for you, it could put him in Lex's crosshairs.

He's family. He'll let us know if he can't.

Brainy, hey. We got a lead.

That's excellent news.

Can you see if there's a Chlorophyllian living off of Route 89?

It's some kind of farm.

I just need a name, address... anything you can get.

Unfortunately, I see no record of any Chlorophyllians living in that vicinity.

In fact, the only farm off Route 89 has been liquidated with no proof of asset dispersion.

Okay, thanks, Brainy.

No dice.

Ah, look, I still want to track down that farm.

Yeah, agreed.

I apologize for the intrusion.

I'm here to help.

Lex must ingratiate himself with Gemma Cooper in order to defeat Leviathan.

For that to happen, Supergirl must save Andrea Rojas.

Therefore, Alex Danvers and J'onn J'onzz need to be left in the dark.

I've done the calculations.

There is a 93.2% probability that none will invite me to Thanksgiving... after I do what must be done.

Yes, well, that is a quite the conundrum, Querl.

Alas, in a moment like this, there is only one thing you can do.

Trust the math.

Your ultimate allegiance must remain with Lex.

Only then, will the future unfold the way we need it to.

Trust that your friends are strong.

I mean, they are heroes, after all.

And that is quantifiable.

I desperately hope you're right.

Man, that is a nice haircut.

Shut up.

Non Nocere program uploading.

Let's see if this works.

Gentlemen, stand and remove your lenses.

Yo, Steve, come here.

Do you wanna grab some grub?

Uh, sure, Toby...

That would be lovely.

Yeah.

You're a genius.

...as a testament to the people who are standing up to these threats.

What do you make of all this?

How do you mean?

The culprit, the manifesto, the whole situation?

Off the record, of course.

I think it's horrible. People should never resort to v*olence.

But... I hate to say it, but I think the manifesto makes some slightly decent points.

I mean, not that "Obsidian Lenses will take our sentient minds hostage."

But that people disconnecting from the real world could backfire in unforeseen ways, creating irreparable damage.

What do you think?

The way I look at it, Obsidian North's biggest appeal is that it taps into people's desire to feel connected.

And when you only live in that VR world, you end up getting further and further away from the real world.

You've thought a lot about this.

When the first generation lenses dropped, I was buzzing.

I thought about being able to hang with my buddy who I lost a few years ago.

But it wasn't until I hung out with my friend, or, co-worker, Kara, that I remembered what being really connected feels like.

All it took was some karaoke and a game night.

But I realized I didn't want to live in some perfect VR world, I just wanted to be with the people I care about.

Andrea Rojas!

Ms. Rojas, we need to get you to a secure location.

I am not running away.

You were just att*cked by someone who can travel through light.

Then it's good that saving people is what you do best.

And Obsidian... It's what I do best.

It's my life.

It was my father's, too.

This company is his life's work.

Mi papa built it from the ground up.

He sacrificed everything, and...

...and so did I.

I've done things to help him restore Obsidian to glory.

Things I'm not proud of, and things I can never undo.

I pushed away friends for my own gain...

But I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I will not stop just because someone is threatening me.

Your next appearance is downtown at the Obsidian store pop-up.

I will have to do a sweep of the area, twice, and I'm not letting you out of my sight.

Thank you, Supergirl.

Hi, Steve.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry... for whatever I did.

Everything okay?

No, it's not.

I'm not okay!

Steve! Steve!

Get a medic!

Steve?

Can you hear me?

You had a reaction.

It caused a grand mal seizure.

Do you remember what happened?

It was Toby.

I thought he was going to hit me.

When he asked me if I was okay...

I felt something I'd never felt before.

For...

For the first time... ever, I wanted to be the bully.

Fear is the only emotion I've known for most of my life, but then you came along and I... finally felt hope.

But now, all I feel is a hunger for revenge, for v*olence...

It's trapped inside me, it's trying to claw its way out, I can't get rid of it.

It's so much worse than anything that Toby ever did to me.

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

You fixed those monsters, but what about me? Why didn't you fix me?

I will fix it, okay? I promise. I promise!

You know, I could have phased us both through.

Yeah, but I really missed kicking doors in.

Whoever this belongs to has himself a green thumb.

Just like a Chlorophyllian.

Walden Pond... an idealized return to nature.

Certainly jives with the manifesto.

"Our inventions are want to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things."

Look at these schematics.

Looks like he has a pretty toy all of his own.

These are weapons-grade components.

This is what he must've been trying to buy on the black market.

Some kind of gauntlet.

I want you by my side at all times. Got it?

You're the boss.

Hello, everyone!

Which of you is ready to change your life?

You shouldn't be here.

Watch out!

Hey...

Supergirl.

We need to go, now.

What? Wait, you can't leave me here!

Are you okay?

I think so. What happened?

Whoever it was, they were able to take my powers and use them against me.

Is that something Chlorophyllians can even do?

Not at all. Must be those gauntlets.

They're enhancing their abilities, allowing them to harness any form of energy, including the powers of other aliens.

Well, Andrea is safe at the DEO.

Let's see if we can salvage something.

Right.

I'd say go easy on that thing, but if it takes the pressure off, you may as well.

Do you remember when you turned the sun red, what you told me?

You told me that you were doing it for the good of the human race.

You deluded yourself into thinking you were saving us, when you were really k*lling us.

And maybe I'm just as deluded as you are.

I haven't been deluded a day in my life.

You want to know what I remember?

You showed up at my office with the Man of Tomorrow award.

It was the last time you were ever proud of me.

We had just made first contact with an alien race and you didn't care.

You didn't see the thr*at.

You just wanted to focus on the more philanthropic efforts of Luthor Corp.

And I fired you for it.

Why are you telling me this?

Because you're going down the same path I did, and you are better than that.

Superman was my downfall.

I let my obsession with destroying him drive me off-course, but now I have a second chance to do things the right way, with you.

Non Nocere was supposed to liberate people, not take away their free will.

But all I've managed to do is to trap people in their own bodies with their ugliest inclinations.

Maybe I have gone down a dark path.

Don't let your obsession with what Supergirl thinks get in your way.

You can't change what's in her heart any more than you can change mine.

But unlike her, I believe in what you're doing.

We'll figure this out together, and I'm not leaving until we do.

Pull up the algorithm.

You wanna talk?

We almost d*ed today because I couldn't save us.

I don't have freeze breath and I can't phase through things.

But it didn't even matter before then because I had this entire team that was behind me.

I turned in my g*n and my badge so that I could stop Lex from the outside.

I thought the DEO was holding me back, but what if it was holding me up?

Alex, when I left the DEO, I was lost, too.

But you came to me at a real low point and you reminded me that sometimes it takes a while to grow into the new version of yourself.

It's a process, Alex.

And today is the first day.

Give yourself time to recalibrate.

And in the meantime, just know that we all have your back.

I found something.

What'd you get?

"Todd Sapphire." He worked for Obsidian?

Looks like Sapphire had someone he cared deeply about.

What happened to him?

According to Obsidian HR, he became addicted to the virtual reality lenses and was terminated because he stole a pair for an all-night binge.

Could the att*ck on Andrea be retaliation for getting fired?

This is a su1c1de note.

Addressed to "My darling Amy.

I'm sorry I could not be stronger for you, my love, but ever since we left our home world I have felt lost and the only relief I've found is in VR.

I'm so homesick I can't think of anything else. I can't go on."

Wait a minute.

He d*ed a year ago.

So if he's dead, then he couldn't have att*cked Andrea...

Then was it his wife?

She blames Obsidian for his death.

And the manifesto warned against making VR a new paradise...

Amy is trying to stop the launch to save people from her husband's fate.

The launch is in 27 minutes.

I have to get to CatCo.

Get out if you wanna live!

You!

Where is Andrea Rojas?

She's not here.

Leave these people alone.

I'm stopping the launch.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

This ends now.

I'm sorry. I can't let you stop me.

It's time to put your toys to bed.

Are you okay? I will be.

Get everyone out of here.

I'll go after Amy.

Director Dox, we're receiving reports of a t*rror1st event at Obsidian.

And a massive power outage that seems to be spreading across the city.

The launch, the whole Platinum cloud, has a failsafe.

If power is drained from our generators, the failsafe pulls power from the city's grid to ensure the launch.

The Luthor PowerCore?

That system reacquires energy as rapidly as it is lost.

If power continues to deplete at this rate...

It could not only cause a massive blackout to National City, but could also cause the majority of its transformers to explode.

Fire, chaos...

I have to get to CatCo and take the failsafe offline.

No. It's too dangerous. I'll go.

Please, take me with you.

Supergirl promised Mr. Luthor that you would stay out of danger.

Put her in a holding cell.

Come on. Come on.

Go! Go!

Please stop!

If you destroy the processor it will explode.

I don't intend to destroy it.

I just need it to stop.

Hi.

Hi.

Follow me, I'll get you all to safety.

Now, quickly. Let's go! Let's go!

Amy, no!

No, no, no, no. This can't be right!

Let me go!

Please. I need to get to CatCo.

Amy, please, you can't go through with this.

You don't have any power to stop me.

You're right. I'm powerless.

So blast me again if you want to.

But I know about Todd.

I know how much you loved each other.

And I know what dark spiral he went down after he got addicted to Obsidian's VR.

But Amy, just as Todd became obsessed with a virtual world, you have become obsessed with finding justice for him.

No one else should suffer the way I did.

Oh, my God.

You shouldn't be here.

Who released you from custody?

It's not working.

It seems we built a failsafe into the failsafe to secure the launch.

I read your manifesto...

Your point that people would rather live in a virtual world than actually help the real world, I hear that.

I hear you.

It's built to trap you.

An addiction. That's what it did to Todd.

I know.

But if you go through with what you're doing, it won't just shut down the launch.

Innocent people will die.

I know you don't want that.

What you want is for people to engage.

For people to know what it's like to be in the outside world.

To be a partner, to love, to have friends.

Nothing can change the past.

Believe me, I've tried.

But you are in control of your own future.

Todd may not be here anymore, but you are.

Just look deep inside yourself and think, is this what Todd would have really wanted?

I miss him every day.

How did you get back here so fast from the DEO?

I convinced some agents to bring me.

Todd Sapphire became addicted to a proto version of Obsidian VR.

Maybe you should slow down the rollout.

Todd's story was tragic, but he's not the only story out there.

After the att*ck tonight, do you know what happened?

Our employees used our VR to cope with the trauma they'd just experienced.

Bottom line, Supergirl, I'm here to help people.

Remember that.

Acrata... power through shadows.

Well, Alex, you made it through your first day.

Still no leads on Lex though.

This is gonna be a long road, Alex.

And I think...

...you are gonna need... some backup.

My g*n.

Not quite.

Back on Mars we called this...

...or "hand of the soldier."

It can transform into any w*apon.

What? You just have to picture it in your mind's eye.

Look, I know you don't have a badge, but today you proved you didn't need one.

J'onn, this is amazing.

I don't know what to say.

Thank you.

With a little practice you'll learn to control it.

Yeah.

It's gone.

All that pain...

The hunger.

Those feelings, it's as if...

I never had them.

How did you do that?

My brother, of all people, helped me focus on what really mattered.

I had accounted for violent tendencies, but not the feelings of injustice which activate a different part of the brain.

So it was just a matter of tweaking the algorithm to account for that.

Well, whatever you did, it worked.

For the first time in maybe... ever...

I feel safe.

You really are the hero people say you are.

If this works, the world won't need heroes.

That's so cool. So, it's Martian? Yeah.

Well, I mean, it's really a g*n though.

Or I mean, whatever w*apon I want it to be.

J'onn just has to train me how to use it.

Well, even without it today you were pretty badass.

Who says you need a badge and the DEO?

That's right.

Oh! William.

"I couldn't find you after the att*ck. Are you okay?"

That is none of your business.

I really need to text him back.

I mean, it sounds like he still really likes you.

Are you regretting saying no?

I don't know.

I've been so preoccupied with people using VR to escape the real world, when that's exactly what I'm doing with William.

I'm avoiding my own reality.

Well, it sounds like you know what you need to do.

It's just one dinner, right?

Yeah.

I'm alive.

Kara! Oh, thank God.

I heard you got out but it's much better to...

...see for myself.

Yeah. By the time I had gotten your messages, I figured it was easier to just show you proof of life.

Yeah, I'm sure.

So how did you know I was here?

Well, it's common knowledge you're a night owl and a workaholic, and one of the most dedicated reporters I know.

I think you give me a run for my money there.

Oh, God, this is too much, isn't it?

The coffee, the texts, the compliments.

I'm sorry, you asked to be friends and I should be respecting that, but instead I've been overstepping all day.

No, no, no. Not at all.

It's fine.

That's actually why I'm here.

I made a mistake last week because I was scared.

You're a great guy.

More than a great guy.

And... And I would love to go out.

I would love that.

There's my favorite Coluan.

The progress you've made inverting the code, looks like a real k*ller.

Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?

What? You don't love it?

I encountered your Luthor PowerCore this evening and was unable to take it offline.

I texted you for assistance and I got no reply.

That failsafe endangered 67% of National City's population.

So a few houses could've b*rned down.

Small price for progress.

People could have d*ed.

If Supergirl hadn't...

But she did.

Have you forgotten, Director Dox?

Supergirl always saves the day.

Saving Obsidian Platinum solidified our worth to our new friends.

Gotta go. Time to close.

Forgive me for keeping you waiting.

You should be more considerate.

When you make promises, those around you expect you to keep them.

I know that to the untrained eye, today did not seem ideal. Oh.

Fires, police, superheroes.

Which part of this do you consider not ideal?

I believe that a woman with your wisdom and foresight would see that we delivered the results you desired, we just did it with panache.

And without you having to stick out your pretty neck.

But I believe fate has thrown us together.

Me, the most trusted and beloved man on Earth...

Who better to represent Obsidian Platinum in its worldwide rollout than Lex Luthor?

I'm the chocolate to your peanut butter.

With me as your global ambassador, there won't be an eyeball from Tokyo to Tajikistan without Obsidian lenses on it.

You make a persuasive case, Lex.

Hmm, as I told you, I can be an excellent friend when I want to be.

And I want to be very good friends.

So tell me this...

As a friend, do you expect something in return?

It would be lovely to meet your friends.

Make good on your word, and we can discuss.