Topher tells the Runaways that his rich parents threw him out, and asks about their secrets. They refuse, and when Topher goes Molly says that she doesn't want him to go. Topher warns that his answers might let her down, but Molly tells him to do it and Topher claims that he found a lizard terrarium on top of a dumpster and it held glowing rocks. When he grabbed one, he felt incredible and his eyes turned yellow. He discovered that he had super-strength and agility, and felt that everything was right with the world. Molly knows what it feels like, and Topher says that he took the rocks ground them up, and has been stretching them out. Molly points out that he said he got at the same age that she did, and Topher admits that he didn't want to tell her the truth and have her think he was a dumpster-diving junkie. He says that the vial is all that he has and when he uses it up, he'll go cold turkey. Until then, Topher promises that he won't cause any trouble. Nico tosses him the vial back.
Alex wonders how the rocks ended up in a terrarium, and Molly points out that they seem to be okay with Toper staying. Gert warns that Old Lace is watching Topher, and the others leave. Molly sits with Topher and shows him a map of the dig site where the rocks came from.
Jonah and Karolina arrive at the bottom of the shaft Jonah says that her grandfather viewed his kid as divine beings. He invites Karolina to stick her hand in a crevasse, and when she does the rocks light up. Jonah says that they're standing on his ship and it fell from the sky before prerecorded history. He explains that Karolina is an alien just like the energy beings in the ship, and that he was able to eject right before the ship crashed. He's been trying to save his people, and introduces Karolina to her "brother". A glowing hand appears in the rock that Karolina is touching, reaching out to her hand.
At the Hostel, Topher finds Gert brushing her teeth. She says that she's Molly's sister, not Topher's, but Topher insists that they live together and that makes them relatives on the street. He offers to help her with her anxiety, getting her what she needs to take the edge off. Topher assures Gert that he'd do it for her as the sister of his sister and walks off, and Gert nervously continues brushing her teeth.
Karolina returns and goes to the computer rooms, and sees Alex sleeping nearby. She touches the processor and her hand glows, and Nico comes in. Nico asks Karolina what she was doing, and Karolina claims that she was trying to help, and Alex assures her that he doesn't need help.
The parents call in Eiffel after her selfie of her and Chase goes viral. She's brought her lawyers with her, and her parents assure her that she's not under arrest. The lawyers advise Eiffel to ask for immunity, and the parents agree. She explains that the kids wanted her key to get into the computer lab.
Frances and Aura escort Frank to Jonah, and Jonah dismisses the two women. Once they're alone, Jonah asks Frank if he knows his place in the Church. He says that he needs something from Frank, and takes him to the chamber holding Victor. Jonah talks about how the Church preaches that energy cannot be destroyed, only converted, and explains that he's giving Frank the program that Leslie created to save Jonah's life. Frank doesn't understand, but Jonah says that he's taught him all that he needs to know and to get him a runaway or not to come back.
Once Eiffel and her attorneys leave, Geoffrey figures that Alex could do some real damage with the computer he stole. Leslie mentions the dig site, and the Yorkes say that Jonah and Karolina was there. Leslie didn't know that they were there, and the Yorkes admits that Jonah saw them. She figures that Jonah left them alive for a reason, and Robert says that he'll take care of Jonah. The others don't think that he can do it, but Robert points out that his advantage is that people underestimate him. He tells them that he's been working on something and it will be on him alone, and he's doing it as Amy's father. Tina agrees and tells everyone to change the passwords.
Molly tells Nico that Topher cleaned out his room and left, and blames Nico. Nico figures that Topher just wants to get high, but Molly doesn't believe it. Karolina discovers that he took the map to the dig site, and Molly confirms that Topher asked her a lot of questions about the site. She warns that it's not safe for Topher to get into the hole, and Alex figures that Topher can't screw up their plans. Gert starts to panic, and Nico notices that Karolina is a little spun out but Karolina dismisses it as nothing. The Runaways head for the dig site.
Topher follows the map to the site and dabs a little of the remaining rock on his wrist. He uses his enhanced strength to break in through a side wall and climbs into a bin to search for the rocks. Topher finds one, and a worker spots him and comes over.
Leslie approaches Jonah in his office and confronts him about talking to Karolina behind her back. He says that he didn't want to get Leslie's hopes up, but he's been opening up to Karolina about everything. Leslie wishes that she wanted to be the one to tell Karolina that she was safe, and Jonah says that he's the one to lead Karolina on her journey. Unsatisfied, Leslie demands to know who Jonah is and what his plans are for Karolina.
The Runaways arrive outside the site and see the police recovering the worker's body. They see Topher down the street picking up the rocks that he stole, and carjacks a passing driver. Gert panics but the others tell her that she can do it and she drives after Topher.
In the lab, Janet continues deciphering the Abstract. She discovers that Jonah's ship has an anti-gravity engine and leaves.
Gert and the others chase Topher through traffic, and Gert worries that what she's doing is illegal. They spot Topher's car parked in the driveway of a home with the front door torn off the hinges. Gert stays in the car while the others go in.
Topher begs his sister Sofia and his parents to let him come home. Joseph is in a wheelchair, and Topher swears that he'll be different. The Runaways come in, and Topher tells them that it's his house. Molly realizes that it's not what he described to her, and Topher's parents say that he's never been the same since the explosion at the lab. Topher insists that he's not a monster. Molly demands answers, and Sofia says that Topher worked at the university and two people died. The girl realizes that the two people were her parents and that Topher was there.
Topher, working as a security guard, comes to investigate the explosion and sees the glowing rock.
Molly is furious that Topher lied to her, and Sofia tells him that he lied and stole and is no longer a part of the family. Topher's eyes glow and he shoves Sofia, and when Chase tries to interfere Topher shoves him back. Molly tries to get through to Topher, but he insists that he's not leaving. Her eyes glow yellow and she says that she can make her leave.
Topher throws Molly out the front door, and the others run out as Molly gets to her feet. Molly tells them that it's the rocks, and Chase warns that out in public isn't a good place to fight. She attacks Topher, saying that he's one of them. Topher shoves her off and Nico gets a clear shot to blast him. He recovers and throws a dumpster at the Runaways, and Chase blasts it. It falls toward the Rolls, and Topher shoves Gert and the car out of the way. The dumpster lands on him, and the Runaways run over and Molly lifts the dumpster off of him. Police sirens approach, and Sofia tells them to go while she tends to go and bury the rocks where no one can find them. They run off as Topher dies.
At the Church worship center, Frank watches as a new bus of runaways arrives. Leslie approaches Frank and asks if he's all right, and he says that he has to choose someone. She realizes that Jonah sent him there and wonders why he needs another sacrifice, and Frank asks her how she did it. Leslie explains that all life consumes other life to survive, and it's necessary for Jonah's survival. She then tells Frank that Jonah has been seeing Karolina behind her back, and says that Frank is a great parent. Frank has faith in Karolina, and tells Leslie that he's not picking a sacrifice for Jonah. Leslie smiles and takes his hand.
Janet goes to the healing chamber, enters Victor's mindscape, and goes to the diner. She asks if he could design a way to destroy an anti-gravity engine that is going to destroy California. After Janet leaves, Victor goes to work making out equations.
The Runaways return to the Hostel and Nico says that she wanted to protect Molly from losing someone else that she cared about. Molly says that Topher needed help, not an attack, and points out that he sacrificed his life to save Gert. Nico tells Molly that she was looking out for her family, not Topher, and Molly tells her that Nico sounds just like Tina before walking out.
Jonah finds Robert in his office drinking, and Robert admits that he broke in. He tells Jonah that he couldn't stop him from killing Amy, and Jonah starts coughing. He collapses to the floor and Robert sees a metal decahedron on the floor. Robert explains that he looked into the tech in Karolina' inhibitor bracelet, and realized that if he expanded the field radius then it would make Jonah ill. He says that he's flooding the room with the neutralization energy and will increase the intensity if Jonah doesn't tell him where the kids are. When Jonah doesn't speak, Robert kicks him and says that it was Amy. As he prepares to finish off Jonah, Frances and Aura come in and knock him out. Jonah assures them that what they did was okay and they just went Ultra.
That night, Karolina goes to their room and tells Nico that Molly overreacted. Nico says that Molly wasn't completely wrong, and Karolina tells her love that Molly wanted a connection. When Topher turned out to be scary, Molly is worried that she'll turn out the same way. Karolina assures Nico that she'll never be scary to her, and Nico tells her that the warmth and openness inside of Karolina is everything that Nico likes about her and what makes Karolina who she is. They kiss and Karolina glows.
Alex and Chase see the light from Karolina and Nico's room and hear them giggling, and Alex says that love appears to be in the air. He asks Chase if everything is okay with Chase and Gert, and suggests that he's in a relationship. Chase asks if he wishes Alex was in a relationship, and Alex says that his computer is his girlfriend now and it's going to help him take down the construction site once and for all.
Gert approaches Molly and says that she doesn't have to take back what she said to Nico. Her foster sister tells her how proud she was of Molly because she saw Topher as a human being and another kid, and stood by him. Gert says that it's about Molly, not Nico or Topher, and Molly isn't a kid anymore but a woman with strength and integrity. She tells Molly that she admires that, and Molly says that she just wanted a family so bad. Molly breaks into tears, and Gert hugs her and says that her family will take her back no matter what and they're in the Hostel right now and they love each other unconditionally.
Later, Gert tells Old Lace that she'll explain later and sneaks out on her own.
Karolina sneaks out on her own.
A teenager from Topher's neighborhood goes to a wall and starts tagging it.
Jonah brings Robert to the PRIDE parents and dumps it on the table, and says that he belongs to them. Tina runs to her husband.
As Leslie goes to her car, Karolina approaches her and says that she needs to know the truth about her father.The teenager finishes his drawing of a girl with yellow eyes and leaves.
At a hospital, a nurse checks on Gert to make sure that she's feeling better. He says that her parents should be there to pick her up in a little while.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 29, 2018