Alex couldn't speak or control her body—she felt like a marionette, her actions dictated by someone else.
The prison door of the DEO slowly opened, allowing the nuclear man to step out and regain his freedom.
"Remember my request. If you can't do it, I don't mind coming after you. However, it won't be as simple as being locked up here!" Su Sheng said lightly, glancing at the nuclear man.
The nuclear man grunted and walked away, leaving the DEO without any obstacles since Su Sheng had already incapacitated the agents.
Su Sheng had just exited the prison with the controlled Alex when Hank Henshaw, along with several agents, rushed over.
Swish, swish!
The agents instantly aimed their guns at Su Sheng.
"Who is he?" Hank Henshaw asked, frowning at Alex, but she couldn't respond.
"Don't bother asking her; she can't answer you. Mind control, psychic abilities—you should be familiar with this, shouldn't you?" Su Sheng chuckled. Alex, under Su Sheng's control, slowly raised her gun and pressed the muzzle against her temple.
"What are you doing?" Hank Henshaw panicked.
"What do you think? Using her to threaten you all to put down your guns and let me go? No, I'm just giving you a choice." As Su Sheng spoke, the other agents around Hank Henshaw also raised their guns, aiming them at themselves.
Using Hank Henshaw's psychic abilities—those of the Martian Manhunter—Su Sheng connected the minds of the agents and activated mind control, causing them to move in unison, without hesitation or deviation.
"What do you want?" Hank Henshaw asked after a moment of silence.
"Save them, or continue to hide your identity."
Click, click!
Bullets were loaded.
"I'll give you three seconds to decide, or they'll die because of you."
"Three..."
"Two..."
Hank Henshaw didn't know how his identity had been exposed or why Su Sheng was forcing him to reveal the secret he'd kept hidden for so many years. But he couldn't let these people die. The choice was difficult, but it was one he had to make in an instant.
Hank Henshaw's eyes glowed red as his appearance began to change. In a blink, he reverted to his original form: dark green skin, a bald head, and a black uniform with a large red "X" symbol on his chest.
Although Alex and the other agents were still unable to move or speak, they could see everything. The revelation that their beloved DEO director was actually an alien was a shock they hadn't expected. The irony was overwhelming—an alien leading the DEO, the very organization tasked with dealing with extraterrestrial threats.
The Martian Manhunter had long anticipated what they might think and how they would react to this revelation. Activating his psychic abilities, he tried to save them.
Boom!
Just as his psychic ability activated, the Martian Manhunter was stunned.
Su Sheng had already released his mental control over them!
"Isn't this reversal interesting?" Su Sheng patted Alex on the shoulder and chuckled.
"How... how is this possible? Why!" Alex shouted at the Martian Manhunter, angry and heartbroken, feeling utterly betrayed.
"I..." The Martian Manhunter wanted to explain, but the words failed him.
For so many years, he had carefully hidden his identity, protecting the Earth in secret. But he was still an alien, and in this situation, any explanation seemed weak. He didn't know how to explain himself.
"Go! Just go!" The Martian Manhunter commanded, desperately wanting to ensure their safety and deal with Su Sheng on his own.
But this time, the agents who had always followed orders without question did not obey.
Anger flashed across the Martian Manhunter's face as he gritted his teeth and charged at Su Sheng.
Boom!
The Martian Manhunter slammed into the wall.
"You're too slow!" Su Sheng taunted. "Instead of thinking about how to deal with me, you should be worrying about what's going to happen next." The eyes on Su Sheng's new battle suit suddenly flashed open, and he locked eyes with the agents and Alex. A wave of red light flickered through their eyes, fueling their anger.
Bang, bang, bang!
One by one, they raised their guns and fired at the Martian Manhunter in rage and fury.
"This should be just a minor inconvenience for you. Take your time sorting it out," Su Sheng said, and with a flash of blue light, he was gone.
Su Sheng had forced the Martian Manhunter to reveal his identity not just for Alex's sake, but also because of her father. The real Hank Henshaw, not the Martian Manhunter who had taken his place, was involved in her father's fate. In truth, the Martian Manhunter had done a better job leading the DEO than the real Hank Henshaw ever could.
In the original storyline, after his identity was revealed, the Martian Manhunter was eventually accepted by his colleagues after some initial friction. They forgave him, allowing him to continue serving as director and to fight alongside Supergirl against various threats.
But that reconciliation took time, and Su Sheng wasn't about to let things unfold as expected.
If Astra and her forces learned of the chaos within the DEO, they wouldn't hesitate to exploit it. Astra might even call on Indigo for assistance. And if Superman was compromised because of Lois Lane, Indigo would surely appear at that moment.
Su Sheng was creating multiple layers of chaos, ensuring that his plan would come to fruition.
Most importantly, it was all fun for him.
After all, what's the point of just following the script?
After dealing with Electro, Zoom, and now the Martian Manhunter, Su Sheng decided to be the ultimate plot disruptor.
Not long after Su Sheng left the DEO, the Martian Manhunter used his powerful psychic abilities to restore Alex and the others to normal. Then, without a word, he disappeared. Alex and the others were left to process the revelation and the fallout.
Alex called Supergirl, explaining everything that had happened with the Martian Manhunter. The news shocked Kara as well.
For others, it might just be a betrayal. But for Alex, it was deeply personal. The Martian Manhunter had discovered and nurtured her talents, and the possibility that he was involved in her father's death was a bitter pill to swallow.
"I'll help you find him and get to the bottom of what happened with Dad," Kara promised, determined to support her sister in any way she could.