06x13 - The Gauntlet

[bunniefuu]

Previously on Supergirl...

I know that you are
all trying to stop Nyxly

but we are supposed
to fight for everyone.

There's still time to
make a big difference.

You have your mother's witchcraft,

should you choose to embrace it.

Nyxly wants to capture you
in her crystal,

which she can use to find the seven

Totems that will give
her ultimate power.

You need to help me find
the Totem of Courage.

Because when you control courage,

you control fear.

[SIGHS] I wish Mxy's song had
given us just a little bit more info,

like, I don't know, where to
even start looking for the Totems.

Lena, you're back!

How was Newfoundland?

Um...

Very quiet.

Did you find anything else
about your mom?

Honestly, it was kind of a lot
to process,

so I'd prefer it if we could
just jump back into work

and maybe you could
bring me up to speed?

We're in a race against a vengeful

Fifth Dimensional Imp named Nyxly

to find seven Totems before she can

use them to wipe us out of existence.

I assume it's this Nyxly
that's responsible

for the giant cat I saw on the news?

She was, and we have to stop her.

I was just gonna go to the
Fortress to see what info I could find.

- Do you wanna come?
- Sure. Have portal, will travel.

Access all Kryptonian knowledge on

the Fifth Dimensional AllStone Totems.

Here we go.

Oh.

- You know her?
- Yeah, she's a Kryptonian witch.

A witch?

Well, the living memory of one.
Her name is Vita.

Well, what does a
Kryptonian witch have

to do with a Fifth Dimensional Totem?

Well, Fifth Dimensional energy
is magic.

Is the term "magic" really accurate?

I mean, it's energy.

There must be a scientific logic to

it. We just don't understand it yet.

[VITA] You seek the AllStone Totems?

I advise you to stay away from them.

Seeking them on Krypton led to
the demise of many in my coven.

Well, we really don't have
choice. So, how do we find them?

[VITA] Oh, if you choose
to seek the Totems,

there are a few rules you must know.

Rule one, there is a prescribed
order to the Totems.

The Courage Totem is first.

- That must be the one Nyxly is after.
- Rule two,

the Totems have been concealed
as artifacts, hidden over time.

Three. You must activate the
Totem before you can wield it.

To do so, you must speak the
word "Cgyrzyx."

Four.

To fully control the Totem,

you must submit yourself
to a test of character.

This trial will take
a deep emotional toll.

It will not be pleasant.

Yeah, but we don't want to
control the Totems.

We just want to protect them.

How did the witches in
your coven start their search?

On Krypton, we discovered that
over the eons,

these magical artifacts
had an effect on

the cultures that grew up around them.

An artifact? That could be anything.

Correct.

The Totems are formidable.

May you survive your quest.

Um, Dr. Lahr, this just came from
the museum's Grants department.

They terminated my funding.

Oh! This is all Frank's fault.

Your ex-partner?

If Dr. Gale hadn't told
the grant committee

that he was quitting Project Bolt

because he believed harvesting
lightning was too dangerous,

then I'd still have plans for
the laser with him.

Then we'd still have a project.

So why don't you get the plans
back from him?

I don't know.

Maybe he's right.

You don't know if you don't try.

- Zoinks!
- What took you so long?

The shipment was delayed.
But it arrived.

It did?

The Courage Totem is in National City.

Everything is in place.

You'll enter the museum
by this lab, undetected.

There's a gap in their security
when the shift change happens.

That's your opening.

Your target time is : p.m.
on the dot.

You'll have exactly eight
minutes to steal it.

Eight minutes?

[SIGHS] Oh!

What an annoyingly small window.

Do the people of Earth
have to go through these

ridiculously elaborate plans
every time they want something?

- Hmm?
- People.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

You know, I could always use
one of these bad boys and...

No!

I need to do it quietly.

The only chance Supergirl and

her friends have of finding the Totems

is if I give the game away.

But thanks to my Mxy-powered
Crystal Ball,

the Courage Totem is within my grasp.

And once I have it,

my revenge will be only a few
Totems away.

How'd you sleep?

Good.

Better than the last few nights.

Yeah.

I know that I've been processing,

well, everything the last few days.

I just...

I didn't realize how
much I had to process.

You don't have to talk about it
unless you want to.

I am starting to see things
more clearly,

and define what it is
that I want for myself.

So, thank you.

For the space.

And for the coffee.

Yes, coffee's good.

[CELL PHONE CHIMES]

Uh...

Oh, it's the Tower.

Kara has a lead on the AllStone
Totems that Nyxly's after, so...

Hey, do you want to come along?

I mean, we could really
use your shield on this.

Oh, I can't.

I have my own mission today.

We may have neutralized Rankin,

but the Ormfell
Building is still gone,

and a lot of people in the
Heights lost their home.

But Orlando has a plan.

It is gonna take a lot of
fighting the city,

and a lot of trust from the
neighborhood.

So I promised him
and Joey that Guardian

would be there to see this through.

You know, they are
very lucky to have you.

Do you need any help?
'Cause I can come.

No, you go to the Tower.

I got this.

- Okay.
- [LAUGHS]

Bye, babe.

I tasked you with covering
the Super friends.

You should have a sixth sense
when they're on the move by now.

I'm getting there as fast as I can.

And what about your story on
the Minetten crime syndicate's

latest move into National City?

You said you had an in to go
undercover?

I did.

I will.

What happened to the
prize-winning journalist I hired?

The one who went undercover
with drug lords in Colombia.

Embedded himself with rebels
in Kaznia.

Hell, you were even undercover
when you came here.

Where's that reporter?

I asked you to track the Super friends

and you have nothing to show for it.

Make it...

happen.

Nia.

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

We think that even if the Courage

Totem seemed like an innocuous object

before it was first hidden...

Because it's a magical power
source, it could have evolved

into a symbol of courage.

So, I have run searches for
every known artifact

having anything to do with courage,

from early human history to
present day.

And I've cross-referenced it with
items that are still in existence.

Coming to you... now, Brainy.

We apply my algorithm and we get...

, possible Totem locations.

Great.

So even at Supergirl's speed,
that would take us...

Thirty-two days, two hours and
minutes to check them all.

Unless, of course,
we hit the jackpot early.

There's a partial
facial recognition at

the Museum of Science and Technology.

There's a potential artifact there.

A slingshot.

And not just any slingshot,

the one David allegedly
used to k*ll Goliath.

Jackpot.

Hey.

I know Andrea has been hounding
you about the Super friends.

And I just got a tip
you may want to chase down

at the Museum of Science and
Technology.

[ALARM BLARING]

Mitch, you miscalculating moron.

Excuse me, excuse me miss.

- Right. Mitch?
- Stay right there.

- Stay right there.
- Mitch.

Nyxly, hand the Totem over.

[CHUCKLES]

No.

This one's mine.

Better luck next time.

Cgyrzyx.

The rest of the troops
are in the armory, sister.

No!

What have you done?

Mitch, now!

This is incredible.

Whatever the Totem is, it's radiating

concentrated Fifth Dimensional energy.

Man, that can't be good.

Well, maybe Vita can tell us more.

All right.

How does this work exactly?

- [ELECTRICAL BUZZING]
- [GASPS]

Brainy, are you okay?

Hush, child.

The Coluan...

is fine.

Vita, did you possess Brainy?

Hmm.

It's quite refreshing to be embodied.

[SCOFFS]

Don't fret.

I'll put him back the way I found him.

What are these?

His nipples?

- We need to get the witch out of him now.
- I'm on it.

Right. Hey, Vita?

- Hmm. Yes, child?
- Vita, we need your help.

We accidentally broke the
Courage Totem,

and now there's Fifth
Dimensional energy coming out of it.

Well, that wasn't wise.

Breaking the Totem
unleashes its magic.

[CHUCKLES]

Anyone within a close radius
when it broke will be given

a boost of raw, unfiltered courage.

All those people at the museum
have been affected.

We could see erratic, even
violent behavior all over the city.

We were there, too.
Why weren't we affected?

We'll monitor just to be safe.

Vita. Hey, Vita!

Hmm.

How do we reverse it?

By gaining control
of your half of the Totem.

You understand?

This will attract the other half.

You follow?

Unite them... and quell the magic.

And to gain control,
I have to pass that gauntlet?

Someone's paying attention
to what I've been saying.

Yeah, man. If you are successful,

you'll gain full command of the Totem.

So I have to pass my gauntlet
before Nyxly passes hers.

It will not be easy.

You'll pay a terrible emotional price.

And if you fail,

the Totem's erratic magic
will surge in everyone

who was near the Totem when it broke.

Hey... We're gonna help you.

Ha! Yeah, right. Rubbish!

She who broke the Totem
must run the gauntlet...

alone.

Oh, dear.

Got it. I've got it!

- [DEVICE WHIRRS]
- [ROARS]

- Brainy, are you okay?
- What happened?

- Where am I?
- You okay?

I did not like that.

I will go and make
sure that Vita can't

make any more unscheduled appearances.

Nia,

go help Alex and J'onn
try to find Nyxly. I'll go...

pay my emotional price.

Okay.

What was the word again?

Cgyrzyx.

[MAN] Face your past...
Face yourself...

Face the moment you lacked
true courage.

What does that mean?

Shortly after takeoff,
National City Airlines flight

bound for Geneva is
experiencing some loss of altitude.

The pilot seems to be circling the

city after apparent engine failure.

This is the night I became Supergirl.

Alex was on that plane.

[MAN] Help! Somebody, please help me!

I remember this.

I didn't go because I
was afraid I'd be seen.

I don't have any cash.

You're safe now.

I'll call the police.

[MAN] You have failed.

Ahem.

Dr. Lahr? What do you want?

I want you to give me the plans
for finishing the plasma ionizer.

I know you've got them on your
hard drive.

No. Project Bolt is too dangerous.

Now, if you can't see that,
then you leave me no choice.

I'm going to wipe
this hard drive clean,

and then no one can access the plans.

Then you leave me no choice.

Cgyrzyx.

[MAN] Face your past...
Face yourself...

Face the moment you lacked
true courage.

The rest of the troops
are in the armory, sister.

It's the day of the coup.

They await our command.

[MAN] Are you so sure about that?

I don't think these traitors
are in any condition to fight.

You... Thought you could pull
off a coup?

You know what that makes me?

Proud, son.

You've got spine.

But you...

For a daughter to betray
her father like this?

It's unforgivable.

Throw her in the dungeon.

Now, son.

Father!

[GRUNTS]

I should have k*lled you
when I had the chance.

[Kn*fe WITHDRAWS]

[VOICES WHISPER EERILY]

[MAN] You have failed.

No...

Give me the hard drive.

Now!

Put that bottle down, now.

Not until I get what I want!

[LOUD ROARING]

Sweet, another dragon!

Sweet?

Yeah.

This one's mine.

Alex, wait!

Go get him, Alex!

That dragon is gonna barbecue
her unless we stop it.

Can you calm it psychically?

I admire your concern
for your sister, Supergirl.

And can I just say how proud I am

to have watched you both grow

into the strong women you are today?

Hang in there, Alex!

Don't! I told you, harnessing
lightning is too dangerous.

Give it to me!

I didn't see that coming.

Good hit. Uh, Mr. Dragon, sir?

Two minutes of your time.
Just two minutes. Two minutes.

So, look.

I know you've got a lot of rage
going on inside of you,

but you don't really want
to hurt these people.

Nice catch.

Gotta go.

Alex, come back! What's going on?

[DRAGON SNARLS]

J'onn.

That looks like fire.

J'onn, are you trying
to reason with the dragon?

We need to save everyone.

So could you please just calm
them down?

You're right, you're right.
These people must be so scared.

- But they're being so brave...
- J'onn!

Right.

[DRAGON SNARLS]

[CHUCKLES] She got it.

I'm gonna get a coffee.

Get a coff...

What happened here?

Okay, I've confirmed it.

There was Fifth Dimensional
energy present at the coffee shop.

Which is in the museum. The Totem.

Everyone there must have been
affected, including some of you.

Us? How?

Well, Vita told us that anyone
around the Totem when it split

could be impacted.

So what if we were affected?

I mean, how bad can overly
courageous superheroes really be?

Alex, you ran into the dragon's fire.

Alex is such a courageous hero.

Yeah, who's usually a class-A,
glass-half-shattered realist.

And look at her now.

The Totem must've given her the
courage to be dangerously optimistic.

And you encouraged her!

I'm just so impressed by her
initiative.

I have to say,
I'm impressed by all of you.

You're inspirations,
each and every one of you.

How you handled yourselves,
you make me feel...

- Oh. I see.
- Yeah.

Having the courage to openly
express your feelings is...

Hurting your ability
to make quick decisions.

Well, at least you and Brainy
seem to be okay.

I can't wake Nia.

I think she's accessed a dream

state deeper than she ever has before.

Because she has the courage to.

Vita told me if I failed my
gauntlet, the effects would worsen.

Hey, go easy on yourself.
You will pass your test.

And Lena and I can contain the
Totem's energy until you do.

Alex, J'onn, you should
monitor the city.

There might be more incidents
like the coffee shop.

Brainy, he has turned into
such a wonderful leader.

[CHUCKLES]

See? Come on.

There's nothing to worry about.

- We got this.
- These guys...

I don't understand.

I know what this test is asking of me.

In real life, I didn't have the
courage

to k*ll my father when he betrayed me.

But this time I did.

So why didn't it work?

Why force me to go through this horrid

moment if I can't even have control

of this bloody Totem!

Well, maybe you k*lled the wrong guy.

Maybe you should've k*lled your
brother?

What? How dare you?

I'm sorry. I just thought... But
didn't you say he betrayed you, too?

He did...

but I could never k*ll him.

Well, maybe that's the test.

k*lling the thing you hate is
hard, but not nearly as hard as

k*lling the thing you love the most.

[ELEVATOR DOOR OPENS]

Hey.

Any luck with your trials?

Oh. [CHUCKLES WRYLY]

No, not even a little.

How about you and Brainy?

Have you managed
to contain the Totem's energy?

Not exactly.

I'm actually on my way
to talk to our friend Vita.

[SUPERGIRL] Hmm.

Well, at least you two haven't
been affected by the Totem.

I wish we had an explanation
for why I can't pass this gauntlet.

[SIGHS]

The test wants me to overcome a
moment where my courage failed.

It's the night I made my first save as

Supergirl, when I saved Alex's plane.

That doesn't sound like a
moment where you lacked courage.

Right? I feel like
I was most courageous then.

There's gotta be something more.

What do I do?

If I try again and fail,
people could get really hurt.

But then if I don't try...

The Imp could get the Totem
and all the magic it contains.

Do you really not believe in magic?

I believe in you.

And in all of us.

We'll defeat this,
no matter what it's called.

Now, if you'll excuse me,

I have to go interrogate
a Kryptonian witch.

Have fun.

[EXHALES]

Cgyrzyx.

The pilot seems to be circling the
city after apparent engine failure.

Let's try this again.

[MAN] You have failed.

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLING]

I can't believe Dr. Gale
was afraid this wouldn't work.

Shouldn't we run tests first?

Have a little courage.

If we know we can harness lightning...

[ELECTRICITY BUZZING]

[SIGHS] ...why wait?

[DEVICE POWERING UP]

Back to this, then.

Vita, we need your help containing

the Fifth Dimensional energy
from the broken Totem.

[VITA LAUGHS]

You mean Fifth Dimensional Magic.

Whatever you want to call it.

It's coming from the Totem, and you

have the knowledge to help me stop it.

I'm not the only one here
with access to magic.

Relax, child.

Your secrets are safe with me.

But I'm afraid I can't help you.

I don't have command
over Fifth Dimensional magic.

However, there are
powerful witches who do.

Even those oblivious to their
abilities.

If a reluctant Earth witch
was to accept her gift

and harness her magic,

her powers could be strong enough.

So, you mean, she could protect
herself from the Courage Totem

and help defeat the Fifth
Dimensional Imp?

Depends on how powerful the witch,

and how far she's willing to go.

Magic is unreliable. There are
safer alternatives like science.

Magic tramples universal laws
of science.

You saw it with your own eyes.

Now, where is that Coluan?

Oh, I'd love another trip into a body.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[THUNDERCLAP]

This storm came on fast.

It's not following any form of
normal weather pattern, either.

There's been ground lightning
strikes in the past six minutes.

If this storm clusters, we could
be looking at a single discharge

of over , megajoules.

It's times the strength
of an average strike.

It's enough to wipe out
every power grid in the city.

Do you think the Totem
has something to do with this?

Supergirl, I know you like to take
things all on your own shoulders.

But this is not your fault.

Actually, it might be.

Hold that thought.

At the coffee shop, I overheard
two scientists arguing about

something that could "harness
lightning."

If they had such a device,
it could trigger a mega-storm.

Find them. Cross-reference the
security cam footage at the museum

with facial recognition.

If they started this, they
can tell us how to stop it.

How do I pass you?

Throw her in the dungeon.

Come on.

Now, son.

I trusted you.

I trusted you.

And you betrayed me.

You were my baby brother.

There's nothing I wouldn't have
done to protect you.

I raised you.

I wasn't just your sister.

I was your most loyal friend.

And this is how you repay me?

You're going to just turn away
from me?

I would never have betrayed you.

I would never have hurt you.

I would never ever have turned
my back on you. Especially for him.

I would've d*ed for you.

I did die.

Right here.

You destroyed everything.

You destroyed me.

[GROANS]

What happened?

I broke down and told my brother

how his betrayal destroyed me.

I failed.

Must've been hard.

[DEVICE WHIRRING]

[MAN] You have performed admirably.

That was it.

The test.

That was what they meant by courage.

The courage to be vulnerable.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Nyxly passed her test.

[GRUNTING]

Do we have anything to contain this?

To keep it here?

This wasn't enough to hold its magic,

but it should be able to
contain the Totem physically.

I found the scientist.

Dr. Beatrice Lahr.

She was working on Project Bolt, an

attempt to harness lightning energy...

until she lost her funding this
morning.

It has to be her.

I've also dialed in
on the epicenter of the storm.

It's right above the Tower.

No, Brainy, it's not. It's not
even close.

That's your fourth
miscalculation today.

Brainy! You give us flawless
calculations every day.

You're allowed to make mistakes
from time to time.

No, he's not.

You've been affected by the Totem.

That's ridiculous.

What's the one thing a Coluan
doesn't have the courage to do?

Be wrong in his calculations.

Oh...

Have I just spent all day
guesstimating?

I appreciate your newfound
courage, but we need to have a plan.

Alex... Where's Alex?

She must have rushed out.

That is just like her.

Always thinking of others
before herself.

I've located the
epicenter of the storm.

It's clustering over the waterfront.

Let's go.

Hopefully, we can find
Dr. Lahr and Alex there.

[PEOPLE SCREAMING]

[LOUD THUDDING]

It's working.

[THUDDING]

Hey! It's not safe here.

Dr. Lahr!

You're going to electrocute
this whole city.

You sound just like my ex-partner,

and I will prove you both wrong.

[ELECTRICITY CRACKLING]

Tell us how to stop the storm.

You just ruined my life's work!

Bummer.

Look, I feel your frustration.

- Do you want to talk about it?
- [GRUNTS IN FRUSTRATION]

[LENA] Supergirl, that last
strike was megajoules.

At this rate, we're minutes away
from a strike that could electrify

the whole harbor and anyone nearby.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

Lena, release the Totem.

You can still pass the test.

But if I fail, it will get worse.

I need my team functional.
I need Dr. Lahr helpful.

And none of that will happen
unless the Totem was restored.

[THUMPING]

[LOUD WHIRRING]

That can't be good.

Welcome back.

I am so sorry.

I just had to prove
I could harness lightning.

But now that I've supercharged

this storm, it'll just keep growing.

There's got to be some way we
can stop it.

Um... If we had a negative ionizer,

that might prevent the storm
from getting bigger.

Sentinel, the hand of the
soldier can morph into that.

Be careful.

Don't worry, I've got her back.

Lena said you needed backup.

Glad you're here, Guardian.

Now for the remaining cloud cluster.

Brainy, if Supergirl circles
it, what's the probability

of creating an inverse function
to disperse it?

At Mach ? . %.

Well, what are the odds if you,
me and J'onn doing together?

Excellent thinking, I'm on my way.

All right, you'll be safer in the van.

- In the...
- Yes.

Let's go.

[THUNDER CRASHING]

Now that's what I call teamwork.

[MONITOR BEEPING STEADILY]

[GRUNTS]

It was Nyxly.

I don't know how,
but I could feel her emotions.

She was triumphant,
yet still vengeful.

Determined more than ever to
get her hands on the next Totem.

I couldn't begin to explain it,

but it is possible
that restoring the Totem

created a psychic connection
between you and Nyxly.

I can't find anything wrong.

And your vitals are normal.

Really? She just fainted due to a

psychic bond with
Fifth Dimensional Imp.

Exactly.

So whatever's happening between you

and Nyxly, our
monitors can't detect it.

So do you think Nyxly senses you, too?

I think so.

And I think to fight her,

I'm going to need every bit of
power I can find, and then some.

[NIA] What's with all the old stories?

This is actually the first time I've

been able to read
this article since...

Eve Tessmacher sh*t you.

Honestly, I almost didn't even
remember how it happened,

I buried so much.

I, um... just wanted to push past it.

And then today for some reason, I

had the courage to
get out there again.

Well, I heard that the artifact
that was stolen from the museum

came with a sort of curse.

It made everyone in the area
more courageous.

Maybe it was a curse,

but it forced me to
really face everything

I had gone through for the first time

and actually walk through it.

That's great, Will.

Yeah. And it's time
I get back on the horse.

I heard about your crime
syndicate b*at.

You going undercover?

- No, better.
- Do tell.

I am going to ask the Super friends

if I could be embedded with them.

I know, but think of the access.

And I know the hardest part is
getting them to agree to it...

but Kara knows Supergirl.

And you don't get anywhere
if you don't ask.

Thank you for the idea.

Here you go. You may have
a scar. But, I mean, I'm into it.

I know you are.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

- Yeah.
- I am really, really grateful

that you showed up tonight,
but you really didn't have to.

Just because you didn't call me for

help doesn't mean I won't be there.

I just, you know...

I know how important
today's work was for you

and I didn't want to take you
from that.

And honestly, I
really felt like I could

take on a lightning
storm all by myself.

Yes. Magic Totems, they are a bitch.

You know how this morning I
said that I was starting to define

what I wanted my life to look like?

I meant as Guardian and with
you, as partners on both fronts.

Alex, I love you.

You are a part of my life.

And I am a part of yours,
and that is never gonna change.

You are a part of my world
and a part of my team.

[KARA] I don't get it.

I always try to be courageous.

I don't understand why
I can't pass that trial.

I don't get it, either. You've
sacrificed yourself for so many people.

You literally went to the
Phantom Zone to save humanity.

And yet there was still
something I was doing wrong.

Well, I may have a way to fight Nyxly,

without your needing
to pass the gauntlet.

How?

So, you know I went to Newfoundland

to learn more about my mother.

Yeah.

Well, it's complicated,
but it turns out that...

That she's a witch,
and apparently, so am I.

What? That's...

[SIGHS IN DISBELIEF]

Seriously?

Yeah. I mean, as you can
imagine, this is hard for me.

I'm a scientist, but...

And I'm not sure
I'm ready to talk about it yet.

But there are things beyond
rational law.

And apparently my bloodline
is one of them.

Science might not be able to
defeat what we're up against,

but maybe a combination
of science and magic can.

And I feel like I owe it to
everyone to learn as much as I can.

And I thought I could start with seeing
if I could untether you from Nyxly.

Well, I will take all of your
help with magic...

but I want to stay connected to her.

It could be an asset.

If I can sense how Nyxly's feeling,

maybe I can sense what she's planning.

I mean, it could be painful and
dangerous.

Nyxly is unlike any villain
we've ever faced,

and if it gives us an advantage,
I'm willing to take that risk.

I don't know what that
gauntlet was about,

'cause you are the
epitome of courageous.

[METALLIC DING]

Kara! Kara, are you all right?
Is it happening again?

She's angry. Nyxly's angry.

Why does she not suffer?

My gauntlet brought me
nothing but unfiltered pain.

Supergirl went through the same

trials, and yet she's hopeful, happy.

Why?

Perhaps you suffer most
because you passed your test.

She didn't.

You're right.

[CHUCKLES]

I won.

My pain is the price of the power...

and with it, I will find the
rest of the Totems.