- Alex Danvers: Esme, these are my co-workers. This is Lena, and this is William, and this is Brainy. Everyone, meet Esme.
- Lena Luthor: Hello, Esme. It's very good to meet you.
- Esme: You're very pretty.
- Lena Luthor: Thank you. So are you.
- Alex Danvers: Hey, uh, I was wondering, Brainy, if you could spare a little bit of time to help me out. Um, Esme is a Dyralian, and Kelly and I are looking to get her to feel a little more comfortable with her mimic powers. Um, off the record.
- William Dey: Of course.
- Brainiac-5: Well, lucky for you, I used to be old friends with a Dyralian. This one time, the Dyralian and I were socializing with a Winathian friend of ours, and the Dyralian unknowingly taps into the Winathian's ability to de-power the gravity in the room. It took us three hours to get down from the ceiling.
- Esme: He's funny.
- Brainiac-5: [leading her and Alex onto the elevator] Tell me, how familiar are you with Coluan quantum mechanics? Hmm? Have you been trained in hand-to-hand combat?
- Esme: But I'm still tired.
- Alex Danvers: I-I know that you're tired, Esme, I do. But I really think if we try again and you just pushed through, you're gonna feel a lot better about yourself, okay? And then you won't feel so overwhelmed by your powers. And so, look, I even brought you Supergirl to mimc.
- Esme: [looking at her curiously] She has the same powers as your sister Kara. You're the same person, aren't you?
- Alex Danvers: Um, listen, Esme. Sit down, sit down. Listen, um, not everybody can know that. Okay? So... so, that's a private matter that we don't really talk about, all right?
- Esme: Am I in trouble?
- Alex Danvers: No. No, no, no, no. Of course not, of course not. Now, since you're going to be seeing Kara... well, Supergirl, a lot more, I want you to feel more comfortable around her powers. All right? So, what do you say? Will you give it a go?
- Alex Danvers: That was awful. Oh, my God, she was so embarrassed and so scared.
- Kelly Olsen: I mean, she's just coming into her powers and-and doesn't know how they work. Must be so overwhelming.
- Alex Danvers: I just... all I want to do is just protect her. You know what, I feel like I'm completely out of my depth here. I don't want to say the wrong thing. And I-I don't want to make her feel worse.
- Kelly Olsen: Yeah, I'm on pins and needles, too. But being able to have a family with you is such a blessing. And being able to bring that little girl into our family... I just want to give her everything that she's missed in her life.
- Alex Danvers: Yeah.
- Kelly Olsen: And I think that she's especially lucky that we are the ones who are adopting her. And you can help her figure out her powers and help her feel comfortable experiencing them.
- Alex Danvers: Yeah. Yeah, I can do that.
- J'onn J'onnz: The Hand of the Flower, carved out of the throne that once belonged to Elpis, the Greek goddess of hope. It must have been placed here at the Hague as a talisman of peace.
- Supergirl: Well, I received my gauntlet. It said to inspire a lasting hope.
- J'onn J'onnz: Luckily for you, Supergirl, that's kind of on brand.
- Supergirl: Yeah, but the flower won't budge for me. If Nxyly's able to figure out the gauntlet and get this Hope totem out of the rock first...
- Supergirl: So, remember, Esme, I'm an alien just like you, only I'm a Kryptonian, and the thing about Kryptonians is we get our powers when there's a yellow sun around, like there is here on Earth. We can fly. We have heat vision, which some people might think is scary, but let me tell you a secret. It really comes in handy when you want to make a cup of hot chocolate. We also have this thing called super-hearing, which can get a little overwhelming, but you just have to take it slow. Do you want to try?
- [Esme nods]
- Supergirl: All right. Okay, I want you to close your eyes...
- [Esme does]
- Supergirl: ...take a big, deep breath...
- [demonstrating]
- Supergirl: ... and listen really closely to Alex's heartbeat. Do you hear that?
- Esme: Yes, her heart is beating so fast.
- [hearing a jackhammer drilling]
- Esme: Ow! That hurt!
- Alex Danvers: Oh, hey, it's... it's okay. You're okay, you're okay.
- Supergirl: It's just some construction outside. It's all right.
- Alex Danvers: Just... just don't let it distract you, okay? Just keep breathing...
- [inhaling]
- Alex Danvers: ... and search for something new. Okay? Okay.
- Supergirl: [listening to wings flapping] Do you hear that?
- Esme: Yes.
- Supergirl: That is the sound of a butterfly flapping its wings. That's one of my favorites.
- Esme: [hearing a car crash] What was that? Make it stop.
- Alex Danvers: Just relax. All right? I just want you to just, um, push through and focus on what you want to hear, okay? You-you really need to be able to control these powers. And-And I feel like if you... if really try, you're gonna get it. Okay?
- [Esme nods]
- Alex Danvers: Okay, okay. You're doing great.
- Supergirl: Deep breath, try again.
- Esme: [to Alex after hearing various scary noises] Why'd you make me listen to that? You're horrible!
- [she runs out]
- Alex Danvers: I, uh... I'll-I'll go after her.
- Nxylgsptinz: "The Truth Behind Chaos." Huh. What a curious world this is, that this journalist William Dey would spin a narrative that Supergirl and her colleagues are trying to protect people... from me. If they would just leave me alone, I'd be free to collect all the totems, and I'd get out of their hair.
- [tinkering, Mitch isn't really listening]
- Nxylgsptinz: But that's what people in power, like Supergirl, do. They tell tales to make themselves look like the hero. That's what my father did. Mitch.
- Mitch: [starting] Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I-I was just trying to help.
- [showing her a metallic wristband]
- Mitch: Naxim stole it from an Almeraci he once imprisoned. It's designed to absorb and repel energy. I-I refashioned it to hold the Courage totem and affixed to the cuff Mxyzptlk put on you.
- Nxylgsptinz: To what end?
- Mitch: Well, I hate seeing your powers diminished by these superheroes. And I thought with this, maybe it'll give you some of your magic back and allow you to use the one totem you have the way it was meant to be used, to get the rest of the totems, starting with the Hope totem.
- [as he puts it on her wrist, she manages to conjure a ball of energy]
- Nxylgsptinz: It works. You just gave me Courage. So now I think I should go and take Hope.
- Supergirl: Any luck finding Nxyly or the next totem?
- Brainiac-5: Still scanning. Nia hasn't had any luck in Parthas finding the Dream totem, either.
- Lena Luthor: [Brainy gets an alert on his computer] Well, it looks like you just got lucky.
- Brainiac-5: Indeed. It appears that three days ago, Nxyly broke into the Hague while we were dealing with the chaos caused by the Humanity totem. Although, she barely entered and walked away with nothing.
- William Dey: Why are you only getting the match now?
- Brainiac-5: The system scans every available public camera worldwide. That's billions of bits of data, and unfortunately, I'm beholden to 21st-century upload speeds. I'm accessing the Hague's security system now for more information.
- Supergirl: Still, it's surprising there was no news report.
- Lena Luthor: Well, with things escalating between Kaznia and Corto Maltese and the setting up of the peace talks, a non-robbery at the Hague was probably the least newsworthy item.
- Supergirl: Hmm.
- Brainiac-5: Well, a totem must be there. According to their security feed, Nxyly just returned.
- Supergirl: I don't know what I'm gonna do. When I accessed the totem's gauntlet at the Hague, it said I needed to inspire a hope that burns longer and brighter than the sun. But it didn't give me a starting point like last time, and I can't afford to try and fail. I mean, you saw how bad things got when I didn't pass the Courage gauntlet. I-I try to provide people with hope all the time, and what can I do differently now?
- Lena Luthor: Well, on the bright side, if it's a race between you and Nxyly to prove hope for a Hope totem, I know where my money is going.
- [Alex gets off the elevator]
- Lena Luthor: Is Esme all right?
- Alex Danvers: Uh, yeah. Yeah, she's okay. Um, I had her mimic Brainy, and then I asked her to solve the Coluan equivalent of Einstein's theory of relativity, but she got a little overwhelmed with the calculation, so we stopped. Do you think maybe you could give a little hope to some little girl who's down in the dumps? I mean, I know if she just keeps trying, she's gonna get it.
- Supergirl: Well, for that little girl, anything.
- Lena Luthor: El mayara.
- Supergirl: Where is everyone?
- Lena Luthor: Oh, uh, downstairs. Alex is using Brainy to help Esme get used to her powers.
- Supergirl: Oh. I see you have your mother's grimoire out. Does that mean you're getting more comfortable with it?
- Lena Luthor: I just pretend it's Newton's "Principia", and that makes it slightly easier to open. There's still no luck in finding Nxyly or that ship, so I thought maybe, in the meantime, I could try and find a charm that could help secure the Humanity totem against any magic that Nxyly still may have access to, just in case she comes to find it here.
- Kelly Olsen: [Esme accidentally phases through a wall] Sweetie, are you okay?
- Alex Danvers: Hey, hey. It's okay. It's okay. It's just your powers. Listen, so you can mimic other aliens' powers, and sometimes without even knowing it. Well, this time you mimicked J'onn's powers, and-and... he's a Martian. And I-I'm so sorry that I didn't tell you he was an alien. I-I-I'm so sorry, Esme.
- J'onn J'onnz: Esme, what you just did is called phasing.
- Esme: I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I promise.
- Kelly Olsen: Oh, sweetie, you're not in trouble.
- Kara Danvers: Esme's not here yet, right? I didn't miss it?
- J'onn J'onnz: Uh, no, no, you're safe.
- Kara Danvers: Okay.
- Alex Danvers: No, Kelly's still on her way. Did you really have to bring the whole store? I mean, she's just one little girl. One really little girl. God, she's so cute.
- Kara Danvers: I had to make a good impression. And don't judge me. You guys are painting an entire wall.
- J'onn J'onnz: Uh, excuse me, that mural represents hope and dreams, with a guardian protector to keep all who enter safe. My father painted something similar in my daughter's room back on Mars. I thought it was important to continue the family tradition.
- Kara Danvers: Well, so do I. I stopped by Eliza's and this is every stuffed animal and blanket she ever got me to make me feel more comfortable when I first landed.
- [holding up an animal in adoration]
- Kara Danvers: Look!
- J'onn J'onnz: You're gonna make a great Aunt Kara.
- Kara Danvers: Thank you, Grandpa J'onn. And Mama Alex. I can't believe this is actually happening.
- Alex Danvers: I know. I mean, I'm just... it's like I can't breathe. You know, I'm so excited, and then I'm just terrified, you know? I-I... I just can't believe it happened so quickly with Esme. It's emergency hearing, and then it's provisional custody, and six months fostering and she's... she's ours, permanently.
- Alex Danvers: Hey, Esme. Um... I am really sorry that I pushed you to practice so hard today.
- Kelly Olsen: We got you another present, but you have to come with us to see it. Do you want to?
- Alex Danvers: [Esme nods] Okay.
- [leading her a few feet away]
- Alex Danvers: Here.
- Kelly Olsen: I'll hold your hand, too.
- Alex Danvers: So, he's more like a pet, really. He's called a Truth Seeker. Anyone who touches it, they can only tell the truth. So that means when you're around him, you have his powers, too. So you can be 100% absolutely certain that everything we say to you is the truth.
- Kelly Olsen: We have something important to tell you. Do you want to try it out?
- Alex Danvers: [Esme nods again] We are never, ever gonna send you away. Okay?
- Kelly Olsen: No matter what you do, no matter what you say. Even if your powers get big and confusing, even if you never want to use your powers again. We're your family now, Esme.
- Alex Danvers: And we're gonna grow together. And you're gonna make some mistakes, and we're gonna make mistakes. And I've... I made mistakes earlier today. But we're gonna learn from one another.
- Kelly Olsen: And the most important thing... through it all, we'll do it together.
- Esme: I had a family before, but bad things happened to them... and I was alone.
- Kelly Olsen: [sharing a glance with Alex] Do you wanna know what new your family does for a living?
- Alex Danvers: [Esme nods] We're superheroes. Yeah. So that means that you don't have to worry about us. 'Cause it's our job to face all the bad things. And you know what? We're really good at it.
- Alex Danvers: Mm-hmm.
- Esme: [glancing at the Truth Seeker] I believe you.
- Secretary Brown: Remove this energy field and stand down or these soldiers will fire.
- Nxylgsptinz: You know, I hate to be rude, I really don't like things being pointed at me.
- [as she knocks the soldiers backward with a blast of energy, Supergirl and J'onn whoosh in to catch them]
- Nxylgsptinz: [freezing them] Ooh, look at that. Frozen in fear. Seems I'm a match for you once again. And with the totem's power I can give courage and... I can take it away.
- Supergirl: I guess that depends who you hit it with.
- J'onn J'onnz: [Kara uses her freeze breath] Keep her distracted. I'm going over the force field.
- Lena Luthor: Do I smell chocolate chip cookies?
- William Dey: Actually, chocolate roulade, Jaffa cakes, and hobnobs, my Aunt Millicent's specialty. And they're not for you. They're for Alex to give to Esme.
- Brainiac-5: Oh, yes, the young liege. Tell me, do either of you have any sense what her preference for building block sets might be? Castle, theme park, or train?
- Lena Luthor, Supergirl: [Kara flies in at just the right moment] Train.
- Supergirl: Sorry. Super-hearing.
- Brainiac-5: Was the answer really that obvious?
- Lena Luthor: Well, the castle and the theme park are great, Brainy, but once she builds the train, she can take it on any adventure she likes.
- Supergirl: The words right out of my mouth.
- Supergirl: All right, let's see what gauntlet you have for me this time. Cgyrzyx.
- Totem Oracle: [the totem activates] To obtain the totem, inspire a hope that burns longer and brighter than the sun.
- Don: I know it's my first day on Andrea's desk, but I just got to say I loved your article on Martian Manhunter keeping the peace talks safe.
- Kara Danvers: [modestly] Oh.
- Don: Ms. Rojas is reading it right now.
- Kara Danvers: Thanks, Don.
- [giving him another article]
- Kara Danvers: Here.
- Andrea Rojas: And Ms. Rojas is returning it right to sender.
- Kara Danvers: Is there a problem?
- Andrea Rojas: Well, firstly, I don't know why you're suddenly doing stories on the Super Friends, which is William's exclusive. You never struck me as so catty or competitive.
- Kara Danvers: Just for the record, this story was not meant to step on William's beat. William's stories have been focusing more on the threat, and I was more interested in reporting on the positive developments happening in National City and around the world.
- Andrea Rojas: Why? The world isn't good, Kara.
- Kara Danvers: That's not true. Sure, bad things are happening, but if we only report on the negative stuff, then people will start to see and believe that the world is worse than it actually is. There are good things happening, and-and our readers deserve that positive perspective.
- [seeing Nxyly teleport into the bullpen]
- Kara Danvers: Nxyly.
- Mitch: It's beautiful, watching you control the totem's magic that way.
- Nxylgsptinz: Yes, but it's not quite enough, is it, to pass the Hope totem's gauntlet?
- [snapping to conjure a ball of energy]
- Nxylgsptinz: If only I had access to all of my magic, I can pass this gauntlet with the snap of my fingers.
- Mitch: You know, when I was locked up, I always found myself most hopeful on Monday nights. Because... Tuesdays meant tacos.
- Nxylgsptinz: Right. The point is, I'm never going to complete the Hope gauntlet before Supergirl does. Hope is her expertise. It's not mine.
- [a thought strikes her]
- Nxylgsptinz: I should let Supergirl pass the gauntlet for me.
- Mitch: I'm not following.
- Nxylgsptinz: If I let her obtain the Hope totem, I can barter it and the Humanity totem from her. I just need... leverage.
- [glancing at William's article]
- Nxylgsptinz: Oh. William Dey.
- Supergirl: Oh, it was awful. Oh, the look on Esme's face, the fear in her eyes only hearing this... frightening, horrible stuff. If I can't help inspire hope in one little girl, how am I supposed to do it for the whole world and pass the Hope gauntlet?
- [indicating the news on TV]
- Supergirl: And-And this world? How is any of this hopeful?
- Lena Luthor: Things escalating at the Hague, maybe you should just wipe those countries of their nuclear weapons. That'll bring out lasting peace and hope.
- Supergirl: Yeah, I wish I could, but unfortunately, I am forbidden from interfering in human history.
- Lena Luthor: Weren't you the person that convinced me to use magic to make people just a little bit violent in order to draw out Nxyly and the Humanity totem?
- Supergirl: Yeah, but that was different. That was in pursuit of stopping a villain. And it was temporary. Unilaterally changing the world stage, getting involved at that level, that is not for me to do. People, nations should be self-determining; that's freedom. That's what we're fighting for.
- Kasznian President: Kaznia is merely defending itself against Corto Maltese's incursion!
- Corto Maltesian Prime Minister: Incursion? We are not the aggressors here! They are!
- Secretary Brown: President, Prime Minister, you're misinterpreting one another.
- Corto Maltesian Prime Minister: [as J'onn calms their moods down, they then flare back up] Keep lying and we will retaliate!
- Kasznian President: Retaliate and we'll finish you!
- Secretary Brown, J'onn J'onnz: Gentlemen, gentlemen.
- Secretary Brown: Gentlemen. Uh, I think it's wise for us to take a brief recess. Let's return in half an hour.
- [the delegates leave]
- Secretary Brown: You said you'd be able to keep them calm.
- J'onn J'onnz: Yes, I did. But my psychic energy cannot undo the magic that's been used. And unfortunately, that magic is still growing.
- William Dey: Supergirl won't give you those totems. She'll find another way.
- Nxylgsptinz: I've never seen a planet so driven by naivete. And, you know, you're quite the worst of them, with your devotion to the free press.
- William Dey: You don't believe in free press?
- Nxylgsptinz: Mm-mm.
- William Dey: Journalism shines a light on people in power. It ensures no authoritarian impulse goes unchecked. Much like yourself.
- Nxylgsptinz: If you think your little newspaper has any impact on those with real power, you're more delusional than I thought. No, the powerful will always believe their way is righteous. I would know. My father was the most powerful being in my dimension. The more power he gained, the more corrupt he became. I tried to show him the error of his ways... and he decimated me. But soon... I will reunite the AllStone... and I will finally set things right.
- William Dey: After everything you've done... all of the chaos you've wrought... you really think you're delivering justice?
- Nxylgsptinz: Yeah.
- Secretary Brown: If you can't calm them anymore, why don't you just end-run the problem? Just make them agree with each other and sign a treaty.
- J'onn J'onnz: You mean brainwash them? That, Secretary, is a great overreach of power.
- Secretary Brown: You would only be pushing through the peace deal I'm sure I would have brokered if that alien attack had never happened.
- J'onn J'onnz: With all due respect, you do not, in fact, know you would have accomplished that. Imposing a will on others can lead to dire consequences.
- Secretary Brown: Your team has done its fair share of intervening since the dissolution of the DEO. And, now, I haven't always agreed with your actions. But today, you asked me to let you help, so help.
- J'onn J'onnz: Okay. I will continue to keep things calm while you can do your job. But if things get out of hand and those missiles launch, I and my friends will stop them.
- Secretary Brown: Hopefully, it's enough.
- Alex Danvers: I really screwed up, Kelly. When Kara's powers overwhelmed Esme, I should have realized that she needed a break, but I just kept pushing her to keep going. It was like these instincts took over, and all of a sudden I'm acting more like a DEO drill sergeant than I am a mother. And it was exactly the wrong thing to do. Growing up, my mom with Kara, she was so kind and-and understanding, and it was exactly the mom that Kara needed. And that's everything that I want to be.
- Kelly Olsen: You're being really hard on yourself. Your mom and Kara fought all the time. You even told me that once, Kara got so angry with Eliza that she almost burned the house down with her heat vision.
- Alex Danvers: Well, Kara was a teenager, okay? Not some innocent little ball of cuteness.
- Kelly Olsen: My point is, they worked it out and Kara thrived. And even your mother needed that grace period. So cut yourself some slack. And this morning, when Esme was scared, I... I wanted it to be about her powers, because that would have been an easier fix. But it's not about that. It's... it's us.
- Alex Danvers: Okay, so I was right.
- Kelly Olsen: No. She just told me that she thinks it's best if we take her back. And it wasn't because you pushed her. I think she is terrified of getting close to us because she thinks we're gonna abandon her like everyone else did. And I'm a therapist. I should have realized that this morning.
- Alex Danvers: [taking her hands] Hey. Mm-mm.
- Kelly Olsen: I just... I want to do better for Esme.
- Alex Danvers: I know you do. I just wish we could make her see that.
- Kelly Olsen: We can figure this out. We just gotta figure out a way to get her to see the truth.
- Alex Danvers: [getting an idea] The truth.
- Kelly Olsen: I know what happened earlier must have been scary. But we're here for you. Getting comfortable mimicking other aliens' powers, it's... it's gonna take some time. And I know that Alex is sorry that she pushed you. Hey, when we get home, why don't we finish decorating your room?
- Esme: I think it's better if we don't. I think it's better if you just take me back to the group home... before my powers hurt you, too.
- Nxylgsptinz: William Dey. Hmm. It's so good to finally meet you. You know, I'm a big fan of your work.
- Andrea Rojas: [she freezes him in place] Can someone get a camera on this?
- Kara Danvers: Andrea!
- Nxylgsptinz: Filming this? That's a good idea. Because I need to get a message out to Supergirl. I will kill this man unless she brings me the Hope totem and the Humanity totem right here by sunset.
- Don: [holding a stapler open like a gun] Don't you hurt him.
- [laughing, she knocks him backward with a blast of energy; as a distraction, Kara subtly flicks a paperclip to break a glass display and sneaks away, whooshing in through another window]
- Nxylgsptinz: [freezing her] I'm not going to play this game with you, Supergirl. Bring me the totems by sunset or he dies. And after that, I will use the totem to make swathes of people feel fear until there's no hope left. Kind of like this.
- [she knocks Andrea backward with a blast of energy]
- Supergirl: It's Nxyly. She's happy about something. Maybe she's already figured out how to pass the gauntlet. If you find a repel charm, maybe we should sprinkle some of that on the Hand of the Flower to buy me some more time.
- Lena Luthor: I'm working on it.
- Supergirl: [glancing at the news on TV] Well, that news is not helping me think of a way to pass the gauntlet.
- Lena Luthor: [turning the monitor off] Maybe that's the answer.
- Supergirl: What, turning off the news? I don't think so.
- Lena Luthor: No, no, no, no. So, Supergirl does hopeful things, but it's people like Kara that help frame the news in a way that makes it not scary and helps get the message out. It makes people hopeful. Maybe it's time for Kara to try this gauntlet instead of Supergirl.
- J'onn J'onnz: [collecting the nuclear arsenals of Kaznia and Corto Maltese] Brainy and I will fly the missiles into the sun, where they won't be able to hurt anyone.
- Supergirl: I hope this is enough to get the totem.
- [flying to the Hague]
- Supergirl: Cgyrzyx.
- Totem Oracle: [she manages to free the totem] You have performed admirably.
- Supergirl: Lena, I'm heading your way now.
- Nxylgsptinz: Supergirl just destroyed the Hope totem. Now the AllStone will never be whole.
- [a portal opens and a wrapped present drops through]
- Mitch: W-What is it?
- Nxylgsptinz: [inside is a watch with a note reading "Don't lose hope. Devotedly, your secret admirer"] Secret admirer?
- [she touches a dial on the side and a LexoSuit forms around her]
- Kasznian Boy: [Supergirl catches a missile just before impact] Thank you, Supergirl. You saved us!
- Supergirl: [in Kaznian] You're welcome!
- Kelly Olsen: No one tells you how being a mom brings up all of your past struggles.
- Alex Danvers: Yeah. Or your worst insecurities. But... well, the truth is... it's so much better than I ever would have imagined.
- J'onn J'onnz: Humanity, Hope, and Courage.
- Lena Luthor: We now have three of the seven totems in our possession, and Nxyly has none.
- Supergirl: We keep doing the same thing over and over again. Going from totem to totem, trying to beat Nxyly at her own game. Maybe that's a mistake. Today, we were able to keep the totems safe from Nxyly, but we might not be so lucky next time. And she's never gonna give up. As long as we hold on to these totems, we run the risk of her eventually being able to assemble the AllStone.
- Brainiac-5: Certainly it's a risk, but what alternative do we have?
- J'onn J'onnz: Destroy the totems, just like we did the nukes.
- Lena Luthor: The totems possess an ancient, deeply ingrained magic that we don't really understand. But what we do know is that each totem is related to an element. It's Courage, Hope, Humanity. If we destroy the totems, that could affect the elements in the real world.
- Brainiac-5: That may be true, but we don't have to destroy all three totems. So long as we destroy one, the AllStone will never be complete. But how do we decide which to risk, courage, humanity, or hope?
- Lena Luthor: We've seen what happens when humanity's compromised. That is not an option.
- J'onn J'onnz: And watching those diplomats today, with their courage stripped away. I don't want to see what that looks like on a global scale.
- Supergirl: It has to be hope. We proved that... even when the world has lost all hope, we can be the example to bring it back. Even if there are consequences to destroying the Hope totem, we can do it again.
- Alex Danvers: [tucking Esme into bed] Okay, so we showed you the Truth Seeker so that you would know that we're always telling you the truth. But we also know that he didn't solve everything.
- Kelly Olsen: We're here to help you. We want you to work through all the feelings you're feeling.
- Esme: [looking around] I love my room.
- Supergirl: [stopping nuclear missiles from detonating] Nice.
- Brainiac-5: I'll hold them while you disarm the arsenals.
- Supergirl: [to J'onn] You take Corto Maltese. I've got a soft spot for Kaznia.
- Supergirl: I have what you want, Nxyly. Let him go.
- Nxylgsptinz: Give me what I want first.
- Supergirl: Suit yourself.
- [she tosses the crystal over]
- Nxylgsptinz: [reacting in pain to Lena's spell] Ah!
- Supergirl: Run!
- Nxylgsptinz: [catching William as he tries to escape] You tried to use magic against me.
- Supergirl: Don't hurt him.
- Nxylgsptinz: I'm not hurting him. You are.
- William Dey: [choking] You talk about me like I don't... get a say.
- [he trips Nxyly and removes the Courage totem from her gauntlet]
- William Dey: But I do.
- Nxylgsptinz: [realizing their connection is broken] You're not in my head anymore.
- Supergirl: I guess hope does trump fear.
- Nxylgsptinz: No. I won't be undone.
- Brainiac-5: [Lena tries to create a protective spell for the humanity totem] The charm is very short-term. Am I correct in assuming that wasn't your intention?
- Supergirl: [flying in] I tried the articles. I couldn't get the totem. I saved cats from trees and people from crime. I flew over Kaznia and Corto Maltese, telling the people I wouldn't let them down. Couldn't get the totem. I have no idea if trying and failing is making things worse for Secretary Brown. The situation at the Hague is devolving. We need to find Nxyly, or come up with some way to save William without giving her either totem. Please tell me you two have some good news.
- Brainiac-5: I'm sorry, Kara. I wish I did, but... I haven't been able to locate Nxyly, William, or Naxim's ship anywhere.
- Lena Luthor: And my protective charm is more of a practice zap at the moment. It's not gonna be enough to protect either the Humanity of the Hope totem from Nxyly.
- J'onn J'onnz: The talks broke down completely. The Corto Maltesian prime minister said he felt threatened.
- Supergirl: [looking at the news on TV] This morning, I was so hopeful. Thinking about Esme, about... a future that was so much brighter than yesterday, and now this. This is what lies ahead of us. I can't have it. I won't have it.
- J'onn J'onnz: If they launch those missiles, we will stop them.
- Supergirl: We have to do more than that, J'onn.
- Lena Luthor: Didn't you say you weren't supposed to interfere?
- Supergirl: I did, but someone is interfering with human history who doesn't care about humanity or hope. And I will do whatever it takes to protect this planet, including disarming those countries, so that the people don't have to fear tomorrow or the next day or the next.
- J'onn J'onnz: You'll inspire a hope that burns longer and brighter than the sun. And get that totem.
- Brainiac-5: I'm accessing Kaznian and Corto Maltese military data and downloading the location of their missile silos, so Lena can direct you to them over comms. I calculate you should have all the missiles removed and the Hope totem in your hands with several minutes to spare before Nxyly's clock runs out.
- Lena Luthor: And then you can use the totems against Nxyly.
- J'onn J'onnz: No. No, absolutely not. Even if Supergirl can wield the totems' power, it's too risky. Every time a totem's been used, we've had untold consequences.
- Lena Luthor: But trading the totems for William... my protective charm isn't enough to stop Nxyly from using it for herself.
- Supergirl: Your charm may be weak, but it could be what we need to turn the tide.
- Brainiac-5: Unfortunately, the tide did just turn. Corto Maltese just fired the first missile.
- Secretary Brown: Half hour ago, they were finally starting to talk. Now they can't stop sniping at each other.
- J'onn J'onnz: I can understand Kaznia's anger. Corto Maltese did build an island in the Kaznian Sea without permission and started drilling for oil.
- Secretary Brown: That doesn't warrant either country aiming their nuclear arsenal at the other. The United States just needs the region to remain stable, which is what I've been trying to convince them both of.
- J'onn J'onnz: It appears that when that alien transported out of here, the leaders were hit with her energy.
- Supergirl: It has the power to deplete people's courage.
- Secretary Brown: Well, they don't look afraid of each other to me.
- J'onn J'onnz: Yeah, I think you're right. But in this case, it's made them distrustful, paranoid. That's why they're arguing.
- Supergirl: J'onn, maybe you should stay here and guard the peace talks in case they deteriorate or Nxyly comes back.
- Secretary Brown: I will talk them down again so you superheroes can focus on capturing that alien and stay in your lane.
- J'onn J'onnz: With all due respect, Secretary, you're dealing with a magical energy source. My psychic abilities can keep things calm. Besides, if she comes back, I'm the best defense you'll have.
- Secretary Brown: Fine. Just don't get in my way. And change into something so you don't upstage me.
- Esme: This is really my room?
- Alex Danvers: Yes, and, um, and we hope you like it. But, you know, if-if-if you don't, we-we can... we can change anything, or we can change everything. You know, if there's a game that you don't like, we'll just ditch it. You don't like the bedspread? Totally fine. The-the desk and...
- Kara Danvers: Alex.
- Alex Danvers: ...the rocket ship, if there's...
- Kara Danvers: Alex, I think she's got it.
- Alex Danvers: Of course she does. Um, Esme... this right here is my sister Kara.
- Kara Danvers: Hi, Esme. It's very nice to meet you. You know, I was adopted, too, by Alex's mom and dad. And look, I actually brought you the things they got me to make me feel more at home when they took me in. Do you like stuffed animals?
- Esme: [nodding, she takes a stuffed zebra from her backpack] I already have one. Her name is Lovey.
- Alex Danvers: Well, our home is Lovey's home, too. Very cute.
- Kelly Olsen: And this is J'onn. He's been like a dad to Alex since forever.
- J'onn J'onnz: Hi.
- Esme: It's very nice to meet you, J'onn.
- J'onn J'onnz: It's wonderful to meet you, too, Esme. Um, would you like me to help you find a spot for your Lovey?
- Esme: I think I can find a place for her myself.