As Non and Kara's fight took them into the sky, Ben found himself being tackled down by Annihilus.
Annihilus: You are the Spider-Man's spawn, are you not?
Scarlet Spider: Dude, you need a mint. Your breath smells like death.
Ben webbed him in the face and kicked him off of him.
Annihilus: Where is it?!
Scarlet Spider: No idea what you're talking about.
Annihilus: LIES! YOUR FATHER TOOK IT FROM ME! I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO STEAL IT! WHERE IS IT?!
Scarlet Spider: Calm down!
Annihilus extended his wings and flew to attack Ben. He got several powerful hits off.
Annihilus: MY ULTIMATE WEAPON!
Scarlet Spider: I don't even know what that is!
Annihilus: Where is it?! Where is... THE COSMIC CONTROL ROD?!
Ben snickered after hearing the name.
Scarlet Spider: Sorry, one more time?
Annihilus: The Cosmic Control Rod!
Scarlet Spider: The Cosmic Control...
Annihilus: Rod! The Cosmic Control Rod!
Ben tried his best to not break out laughing. This was quickly broken by Annihilus trying to attack him. He tried his best to fight back but it was clear that Annihilus had the upper hand. Annihilus had him pinned to the floor but retreated as he saw Non take off into the sky. Ben went outside to meet with Alex and Kara.
Scarlet Spider: What happened?
Alex: They got Hank.
They headed back inside.
Supergirl: I'm sorry I couldn't stop them.
Lord stopped a DEO agent from going upstairs.
Lord: Stay away from up there.
Alex: Max, we need to secure the area. This is an active crime scene.
Lord: No, this is my property.
Alex: This attack has been traumatic for all of us. They kidnapped my commanding officer.
Lord: I think the days of us partnering up are over, Agent Danvers.
Alex: At least tell me what the aliens were looking for. They could at least help us locate our man.
Lord: Why don't you ask your pet alien? As for me, I'll protect myself in the future. Now, get your jackboots off my grounds.
———
Alex, Kara, and Ben returned to the DEO.
Supergirl: Who's in charge now?
Alex: I don't know. Hank classified the line of succession. We're implementing the emergency protocols now.
Vasquez: Agent Danvers. Look.
The screen revealed that Alex was the Emergency Director-in-Charge.
Scarlet Spider: Congrats, Alex. Moving up in the world.
Supergirl: You two really did bury the hatchet, didn't you?
Alex: I want every satellite we have pointed at this city. Scan it block by block. And I want status updates every ten minutes.
Vasquez: Yes, Director Danvers.
———
The next day at CatCo, Ben, Winn, James, and Kara watched the news broadcast of Lord.
Lord: <I'd like to address the rumors of an incident at Lord Technologies.>
Kara: Oh, this is going to be ugly.
Lord: <We were the target of industrial espionage. Thankfully, there were no casualties and those responsible have been apprehended.>
James: He's covering up the attack.
Ben: That man confuses me.
Kara: What is he up to?
James: Well, let me see what I can find out.
Kara: No way. No. Max Lord is way too dangerous.
James: Hey, I've dusted off my press credentials. Let me just talk to him, see what I can dig up.
Kara used her superhearing to notice Cat's arrival.
Kara: Ms. Grant's on her way up. Okay, um... Uh, today, we have to seem really, really normal. Like, like not just normal-normal, but super-normal. Only, no... No super.
Winn: Are you having a stroke? Is this what a stroke looks like?
Ben: Or the Kryptonian version at least?
Kara: Ms. Grant thinks I'm Supergirl.
James, Winn, and Ben: What?!
Kara: I will handle it.
Ben: What about me? Does she suspect me? Because if she suspects you, she's gonna suspect me eventually, right?
Kara: I've got this. But if she sees us acting weird, it's gonna blow everything. I just need to heat up her coffee...
She removed her glasses and used her heat-vision. The coffee was blasted out of the cup.
Kara: What do we do?
Winn: That go everywhere.
James: Alright, alright. Round 2.
James handed her a cup of coffee.
Kara: Good idea. Hurry. I gotta hurry.
Kara took the cup and went to greet Cat. Winn picked up her glasses which she'd forgotten.
Ben: Oh, she's screwed.
Ben grabbed the glasses and went to catch up with Kara.
Ben: Kara, glasses.
Kara: Oh, God.
Ben put them on her face just as Cat's personal elevator opened.
Kara: Ms. Grant, they were out of lattes, so here's a coffee.
Cat: And here you are, delivering it to me like a normal, boring person.
Kara: Well, that's what I am.
Ben: That's true, we all describe her exactly like that. All the time.
Kara: Yeah, so, um, I'll just get out of your hair.
Cat: Why? Have a building to leap in a single bound?
Kara: Hahaha. So we're still going with that joke? Which is great 'cause it's hilarious.
Cat: Kira, there are many topics that I find appropriate for humor. English cuisine, black lipstick, but I will never make a joke about a good story.
Kara: Ms. Grant, I'm sorry you think what you think, but it's not true. I'm not Supergirl.
Ben: Kara Danvers? Supergirl? I mean, what's next? Is Winn the Hulk?
Cat: One time at a party, Paul McCartney swore to me that he and Yoko were the closest of friends. He was more convincing.
Kara: I just... I don't want you to be embarrassed when you realize how wrong you are.
Cat: Fine. We'll just keep playing this silly charade. You may go. I'm sure there's a phone in need of answering or a plane in need of catching.
Ben and Kara left the office.
Ben: You have got to become a better liar.
———
Ben and Kara went to the DEO.
Supergirl: Hey. I know you forget to eat when you're stressed, so I stopped by that food truck you like.
Alex: The one in Chicago? You are my favorite person.
A video broadcast of Non appeared on the screens.
Non: <This is Lieutenant Non of Krypton. We each possess someone of great value to the other I propose a trade.>
Alex: This is Acting Director Alex Danvers. Excuse me if I don't take you at your word. I need proof of life. I need to hear from Henshaw himself.
Non moved to show Henshaw in captivity behind him.
Hank: <Director Danvers. Congratulations on your promotion.>
Alex: I will bring you back safe, sir.
Non: <Which will only happen if you do exactly as I say. I will return Henshaw unharmed if you return General Astra safely to me. You have 48 hours or your man dies.>
The broadcast shut off.
————
The three discussed their situation as they walked through the halls.
Alex: Now we know why Non took Hank.
Supergirl: So, what are you gonna do?
Alex: If I turn down the deal, Non kills Hank. If I go through with it, I free a criminal with the strength of you.
Scarlet Spider: I don't envy you, Alex.
They entered the command room to see Army Intelligence setting up led by Sam Lane.
Alex: General Lane.
Lane: Well, pleasure to see you again, Agent Danvers.
Supergirl: Wish we could say the same, and it's Director Danvers.
Scarlet Spider: Nice.
Ben high-fived Kara.
Lane: Not anymore. I've been granted authority over the DEO by order of the President.
He handed over the legal documents to Alex.
Alex: This feels like a coup.
Lane: Nothing so nefarious. Considering the stakes, Washington wants a commander in place without any personal ties to the hostage.
Scarlet Spider: And here I thought Washington had been dead for 200 years.
Lane: I'm ignoring the moron. My orders are to locate the alien garrison and return Director Henshaw safely to his post.
Alex: The base is yours, sir.
Lane: If you'll excuse me, ladies.
———
Ben entered Cat's office.
Ben: You asked for me, Ms. Grant?
Cat: Yes, please have a seat.
Ben sat down at her desk.
Cat: As you know, I have ascertained that Kara is Supegirl.
Ben: "Ascertained" implies that it's true. Which it isn't.
Cat: Since then, I have also noticed an emerging pattern when it comes to the other side of National City's dynamic duo. The Scarlet Spider.
Ben: What about him?
Cat: You're his personal photographer, correct?
Ben: By your request, yes.
Cat: Something I requested as you were seemingly the only photographer able to get picture.
Ben: It's a talent.
Cat: Yes, a talent that seems to run in the family. See, loathed as I was to do it, I called J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle. It turns out that he had the exact same situation with your father, Peter Parker.
Ben: He was a great photographer. So am I. Is that all?
Cat: No. I had a look at your grades from Midtown High and Astoria Middle.
Ben: That seems incredibly illegal.
Cat: Would you care to guess what I found?
Ben: I feel like you're gonna tell me.
Cat: Your gym grades were consistently terrible until you were in the 9th grade.
Ben: And?
Cat: The same is true for Peter.
Ben: How did you get his?
Cat: Peter Parker's sudden increase in physical ability matches up with the first time Spider-Man was sighted in New York.
Ben: I don't like where this is going.
Cat: And in 2005, when you were 15, there were sightings of a "Spider-Boy." Until 2012, when you moved to National City to attend CalTech after already receiving your first 13 PhDs at MIT. Kudos for managing to get into both schools. Very few people manage to do that.
Ben: So, what are you saying?
Cat: I'm saying that not only are you the Scarlet Spider. But you are the son of Spider-Man.
Ben: Ms. Grant, you couldn't be further from the truth.
Cat: Spider-Man hasn't been seen since 2006. Neither has Peter Parker. According to some unconfirmed sources, Spider-Man was sent on a covert mission in space, so Peter Parker-
Ben: Is dead.
Cat: I'm sorry?
Ben: Ms. Grant, my dad died.
Cat: Oh, I... I apologize. I didn't know.
Ben: No-one does. We didn't tell anyone. It's only in legal documents that you can see he's dead. We just... we didn't want anyone to do us any favors.
Cat: How did he die?
Ben: Plane crash. It's ironic. My grandparents died the same way.
Cat: Well, I'm sorry to have swept you up in my theories. You may leave.
———
Annihilus and Non watched on as one of the aliens they had recruited tried to read Hank's mind.
Annihilus: What is taking so long?!
Telepath: I don't understand. I can't read his mind.
Non: I thought that's what your race was famous for.
Hank: Maybe he's playing you for a fool, Non. Wouldn't be hard to do.
Telepath: I would never do that to you! The humans must have developed some type of technology that blocks me.
Hank: What are you so desperate to find out? The location of the DEO? Thinking of launching a pre-emptive strike?
Non: Perhaps I should pre-emptively snap your neck.
Hank: You kill me, you kill your wife. You're nothing but a barking dog on a chain. No threat at all.
Non grabbed the telepath by the throat and snapped his neck.
Hank: Now I see how much more advanced you are than us savages.
———
Kara spoke to Ben, James, and Winn about how General Lane tortured Astra for information.
Kara: If Alex hadn't of stepped in, I don't know what I would've done. I know Astra's made bad decisions, but...
James: She's still family.
Kara: Right. That's my problem. Anyway, did you find out anything when you talked to Max?
James: Uh, no. Ah, it's just a dead end. I mean, there's nothing there really.
Kara: Well, at least there's some good news.
Cat: Kira!
Kara: I gotta go.
Kara left to go see Cat.
Winn: Yeah. Kara's a little too trusting to notice when you're lying, but I am definitely not. What did you actually find out about Max?
James: Close the door. He's planning a countermove against the Kryptonians.
Winn: Including Kara.
Ben: Of course, he is. The Rolex-wearing weasel.
James: Yeah, and I don't want to give him a chance to hurt her. So, we need to find out what he's up to and fast. Which is why I didn't just talk to him when I went down there. I took surveillance shots, so you could help me find a way inside.
Winn: I'm sorry, you want to break into Max Lord's facility?
James: Mhm.
Winn: I knew you picking up that camera again was a bad idea. You're like one of those crazy war correspondents who can't just stay home.
James: Okay. Would you really want Kara to find out that you let me do this all alone?
Winn: Fine, fine! I'll find you a way in.
Ben: James, I can't come with you. The DEO is already on thin ice with Lord. If he finds me there, he'll unleash hell.
James: That's fine. You can just stay here and run point with Winn.
———
Ben sat with Winn in the secret office as they helped James get into the facility.
James: <How we doing, guys? Feeling kind of exposed out here.>
Winn: Okay, okay. The alarms are disabled. But I'm just gonna need a little bit more time with this lock, bud.
James: <You're sure about the alarms?>
Winn: Yeah, of course I'm sure. Why?
They heard as James broke the lock off the door.
James: <No reason.>
Winn: Oh, okay. Okay.
Ben: This is now officially breaking and entering, James.
James: <Okay, um... We may have a problem here.>
They saw as James's photos came through of the laser grid.
Winn: Aw. You can't kick lasers, can you?
James: <Come on, Winn. Help me out here.>
Winn: Okay, okay. Only 'cause you asked so politely.
Winn deactivated the laser grid allowing James to continue.
James: <Gotta say, Winn, I'm pretty impressed.>
They watched as James's surveillance photos came through. One in particular caught their eye.
Ben: Hang on. Go back. Room 52. You see that?
Winn: That's interesting.
James: <What's interesting?>
Winn: Well, all the other locks in Max's facility use a keypad system, but this one's a bio-diagnostic.
James: <Can you hack that?>
Winn: No, no, James. That's, like, kind of the whole point. It's better than a finger print, a voice print, a retinal scan...
There was a loud crash and then James's feed went dead.
Winn: James, are you still there?
Ben: I knew this was a bad idea.
Ben got a phone call from Kara.
Ben: Uh, hey, Kara... what's up?
Kara: <Astra gave up Hank's location, we're heading there now.>
Ben: Okay, I'll suit up and meet you there.
Ben hung up.
Ben: This is y'all's mess. I'll let you deal with it.
———
Ben and Kara joined with the Army and DEO as they approached the location.
Soldier: General, Supergirl and Scarlet Spider are on site.
Lane: <What the hell are they doing there? This is a human recovery mission.>
Alex: I called them.
Supergirl: The containers are lined with lead. I can't see through them.
Soldier: Alright, Echo Team. Search those containers and check your six.
The soldiers spread out in the yard. Kara, Ben, and Alex approached the nearest container. Kara opened it with her heat-vision. She opened it up to see Hank sitting inside.
Supergirl: Hank.
They went further inside. Ben's spider-sense went off. It was revealed to be a hologram disguising a bomb.
Alex: Bomb!
Ben grabbed a soldier and pulled him out of the way as Kara protected Alex with her cape from the blast as it detonated. The entire yard detonated and killed the other soldiers.
Soldier: My men...
Alex: It was a trap. Astra played us.
———
The next day, Ben and Kara entered the secret office to see a bruised James.
Kara: James! What happened to you?
James: It looks much worse than it is.
Kara: That's not what I asked.
James: I don't want you getting upset. That's why I didn't tell you in the first place.
Kara: Max Lord did this to you.
Winn entered with an ice pack for James.
Kara: You were in on this, too?
Ben: I said it was a bad idea.
Kara: You knew about this? You all lied to me?
Winn: Hey, we were trying to help you.
Kara: By taking him on yourselves? Max Lord is evil. I see it now, and I will do whatever it takes to stop him.
James: Wait. Kara, you're sounding an awful lot like Astra.
Kara: Yeah, what if she's not so wrong?
James: Hey, Kara, don't do this. Come on.
Kara: You can't stop me!
Ben blocked the doorway to stop Kara from leaving.
Kara: Get out of my way!
Ben: No. Kara, you're not helping anyone like this. If you go after Lord right now, you're proving his point. You lose any credibility and you will be no different than Non or Astra.
Kara: What if I'm not so different?
Winn: You have to be, Kara. Because if you aren't, then we lose.
Kara: No, you don't understand. I feel like I lost everything. I can't stop Max. Or get through to Astra. I can't rescue Hank or salvage what I had with Cat. Even the memory of my own mother, one thing that I could always count on, is ruined. I have nothing left. I don't know what to do anymore. I have all these powers, but I've never felt more powerless.
James: Hey. Kara, it's going to be okay. Even when things look the bleakest, heroes find a way.
———
Later at the DEO, Ben, Kara, and Alex prepared Astra for the trade-off. They walked her into the command center with kryptonite handcuffs.
Lane: What do you think you're doing?
Supergirl: Making a prisoner exchange.
Lane: The hell you are.
The Army raised their weapons at them. The DEO agents aimed back at them.
Alex: Let us pass, General.
Lane: That alien is the enemy, Agent Danvers.
Alex: Your orders were to bring Director Henshaw home. That's what I'm doing.
Lane: You take one more step and my men will put you down.
Scarlet Spider: I mean, they're free to try.
The soldier from the container yard put down his gun.
Soldier: He saved my life, sir.
The other soldiers lowered their weapons.
Scarlet Spider: And that's karma. Put good out into the universe and it will come back to you. See you, Sammy.
They walked past him with Astra.
Lane: How do you know Non and his army won't betray you?
Supergirl: I don't. But I have faith.
———
They arrived at the docks for the exchange.
Astra: Despite your earlier bravado, you're clearly conflicted about this deal.
Alex: If it were up to me, I'd leave you rotting in that cell. But I want your people to see that we're better than General Lane, because maybe then we'll find a way to end this war.
Astra: You sound just like my niece.
Alex: She has a powerful effect on people.
Kara landed in front of them after doing reconnaissance.
Supergirl: They're here.
Non landed with Hank. Alex took off Astra's handcuffs.
Non: Go.
Hank went over to them as Astra returned to Non.
Scarlet Spider: Alright, great rescue mission, guys.
Hank: When I get out of here, I'll remind you about our policy against negotiating with terrorists. Until then, I'll just say thanks.
Ben's spider sense went off.
Scarlet Spider: Oh, something tells me we're not out of this yet.
Astra's Kryptonian army surrounded them. Alex talks quietly to Hank.
Alex: We're surrounded, you have to transform.
Scarlet Spider: Wait, what?
Non: Prepare to attack!
Astra: Stop! Stand down!
Non: We must strike now, General. We have them at our mercy.
Astra: Honor the agreement, Non. There will be no more battles today.
Non: Withdraw!
With that command, the army flew away followed by Non.
Astra: Do not mistake my compassion for weakness. This is not a truce.
Supergirl: Then let's call it a start.
Astra flew away.
———
They returned to the DEO.
Lane: You've only delayed the inevitable. This enemy cannot be reasoned with.
Hank: We prefer a more thoughtful approach here at the DEO, General. Which reminds me... Your presence here is no longer required.
Hank handed him the legal documents.
Hank: You can thank my agents for completing your mission.
Lane: Their idealism will doom this planet.
Hank: No. That's what will save it.
The Army packed up and moved out.
Supergirl: So... What did Alex mean when she said you had to "transform?" Or did you forget I had super-hearing?
Scarlet Spider: I have regular hearing and I caught that. Y'all were not quiet.
———
With their explanation of Hank actually being J'onn J'onzz of Mars disguised as the real Hank Henshaw, they went to a private room to discuss.
Supergirl: You're from Mars?
J'onn: You're from Krypton.
Ben: This is making so much sense, it's insane. Like, no wonder you never high-five me, it must be against Martian customs.
J'onn: It's not. I just don't want to high-five you.
Supergirl: But why stay hidden?
J'onn: I'm trying to make the world a safe place for everyone. Humans and aliens alike. I failed Alex's father before I assumed the identity of Hank Henshaw. I won't fail again.
Alex: And you saw what the DEO is like under General Lane. So, we need Hank, J'onn, at the top.
Supergirl: You know, you guys could've told me. I can keep a secret.
Both: No, you can't.
Ben: Danvers, you're a terrible liar.
Supergirl: Wait, you can shapeshift?
J'onn: Yes.
Supergirl: You can fly?
J'onn: Yes, I can.
Supergirl: Can you help me?
J'onn: Excuse me?
Ben: That's a great idea.
Supergirl: It's just that my boss is convinced that I'm Supergirl and I can't convince her otherwise.
Ben: But if you and Supergirl were in the same room at the same time?
Supergirl: She'd have to believe me.
Ben: Genius.
J'onn: I don't know.
Supergirl: Please?
Ben: We did just save your life.
J'onn: Hmm... Fine, but just this once.
EPISODE END