Susan helps a young Leslie pack, after a meeting with her husband David where she says that he can't stop them from leaving. David insisted that Leslie isn't going anywhere but Susan is.
Leslie looks down at her infant self, and turns into her younger self. Susan tells David that Leslie is just a child, and a young Leslie picks up her infant self and turns into her adult self. The baby glows with light and Leslie stares at her in horror.
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Waking up from her hallucination, Leslie and sits up, gasping.
Alex studies his computers and gathers photos of Flores and AWOL. Nico comes in and tells him that they're having a house meeting in five minutes, and Alex stores the photos in a file labeled "Catherine Wilder". At the meeting, Nico, Alex, Gert, and Molly eat takeout and Gert says that Chase has made his choice and they have to move on. Molly suggests that Chase may be trapped, and Alex says that he may not be the last to go. Nico wonders if Chase will tell his parents where the Hostel is, and Gert doesn't believe that he's turn traitor.
Karolina comes in and says that Leslie is being held at the Church compound at the Crater. Alex objects, saying that they intend to have their parents put away, not rescued. Someone watches from the other room, and Karolina points out that some people who go to the Crater don’t come back. She refuses to lose her mother as well as her father, and Molly points out that they rescued Geoffrey when he was in trouble. Nico says that they all go or none of them do, and Alex refuses and walks away.
Megan and Mary are sent by the Church to the Stein manor, and Megan figures that they're getting promotions. The leader shoots Mary with a beam from a gun, and then the others shoot them with tranq darts. Once they're unconscious, Victor removes his mask and says that the neurodisruptor still isn't working as intended and they need to make sure it works before they use it on the Runaways. The other parents remove their masks and Robert wonders if it's really necessary. They mindwipe the two women and do the entire thing again.
The next morning, Chase comes downstairs to the kitchen. Janet has made him breakfast and says that it's a big adjustment for all of them but Chase did the right thing. He wonders if he did, admitting that he feels like he abandoned his friends. Janet says that if he tells them where the other kids are then they can get them home, but Chase refuses to betray his friends. Victor comes in and says that it will be a few days until Chase can reenroll at Chase, and suggests that Chase learn about PRIDE's philanthropy. Chase reluctantly agrees and accepts when Victor comes out when he invites him. As they go out, Victor says that he's trying to be fatherly and Chase asks him how sick he is. His father tells him that he's blacking out and building tech that he doesn't remember, and shows him the white scales on his arm that he figures is an infection from Jonah. He says that he's glad to spend what time he has left with his family.
The guards take Leslie to Frank, who says that Leslie has lost sight of the path. He insists that he's protecting the Church from her, and insists that all he ever wanted was his family. Leslie tells him that he wanted to be part of his family to be close to the Church, and warns that the congregation won't want to be part of the church once they know what he's done. Frank says that things have changed, but Leslie tells him that he's missing what was right in front of him: the fact that she's pregnant and it's his. She offers to take a pre-natal test if he wants but won't go back to the White Room where she was held.
Alex goes to meet Livvie on the street, but Tamar drives up instead in Darius' car and says that Livvie is at home. Tamar tells Alex to leave Livvie alone, and Alex says that he wants to help. Tamar already has the gun Darius took from Alex with Alex's fingerprints on it, and explains that he's going to get justice for Darius' murder just like he promised Livvie. Tamar gives Alex the gun and advises him to just shoot his parents instead of scheming against them. She then tells him that if he comes around again then she'll shoot him herself rather than let him meet with Livvie.
At the Hostel, Nico tries to summon the Staff to her but it doesn't respond. She concentrates and her eye sockets turn black, and she smiles and the Staff comes to her hand. Nico then goes to Karolina's room and tells her that she'll go as well to rescue Leslie. Molly joins them while the same someone as before watches them through hidden eyeholes in a portrait.
They drive in the Rolls and pick up Vaughn, and he hopes that Leslie will forgive him for the reconditioning. He has snack bags and Church garb, and tells Nico that she'll have to lose the Goth makeup. Nico refuses but Karolina agrees with Vaughn, pointing out that she'll need Nico with her. Vaughn says that he'll handle any rough stuff.
Victor takes Chase to PRIDE and one of the workers, Wendy, tells Chase about their philanthropic projects around the world. She says that the parents are so inspiring, and Chase points out a locked door. Wendy says that it's for the PRIDE board only, and points out that Chase acts like he doesn't want to be there. Chase admits that he was thrown into it and suggests that they start over, and Wendy sends him to sort some paperwork. As he goes to work, he overhears Wendy and Mary talking about how they don't remember anything from the night before.
Catherine comes into the board room and tells the others that Chase is outside. Geoffrey points out that having their kids nearby hasn't worked out well in the past, and Robert notes that Dale and Stacey are out of control, drugging Chase, poisoned Old Lace, and imprisoned Tina briefly. They don’t figure that Leslie is on a pilgrimage as the Church claims, and Stacey suggests that they use the neurodisruptor on Chase to get him to reveal where the others are. Victor refuses to let them "torture" his son, and Geoffrey points out that Victor helped develop the team's weapons. He points out that he was successful getting his son back so they'll follow his plans, and no one disagrees with him. Victor then begins describing his plan.
Vaughn and the girls arrive near the Crater and Vaughn shows them the map that he stole. They get up to the fence and they spot Frank going in with some guards. Karolina sees him and says that she'll confront Frank alone, and Nico and Molly reluctantly agree.
In his office, Frank studies the pregnancy test, which reveals that the results concerning the father were inconclusive. Karolina comes in and says that Frank is the man who raised her, not Jonah, and Frank is her father. Frank figures that they can lead the Church into the father, and Karolina asks to see Leslie. Her father tells her that Leslie turned her back on the church and may be beyond reach, but Karolina doesn't believe it. She says that she believes in the Church and their family, but warns that keeping Leslie imprisoned will only drive her further away from the Church. Frank agrees but says that they'll see her together.
Frank takes Karolina to a wooden shed and locks her in. He calls through the door that he knows Karolina is lying and he has no choice but to imprison her. Frank says that there's nothing electronic so nothing for her powers to hijack. He tells his daughter that he's who Leslie and Karolina have forced him to become and leaves.
Later, Susan comes to see Karolina and explains that Leslie reminded her of who she is. She explains that decades ago Jonah arrived and had darkness inside, and Susan saw it. Jonah poisoned everything that David and Susan built, and then swayed Leslie to his cause. When Susan tried to protect her, they sent Susan to the Crater. Karolina realizes that Susan is her grandmother, and Susan says that they have to help Leslie.
Vaughn scouts the compound and then reports back to Nico and Molly where Frank took Karolina. Molly tells Nico to use the Staff, and wonders if Nico is worried about turning to the darkness. Nico agrees to do it once they're closer but they'll wait until Karolina sends a signal that she needs help.
Leslie is locked up in Frank's office, and Susan and Karolina arrive. They come in and Leslie and Karolina hug. Susan apologies for before, but says that she's helping them to stay there because they're the rightful heirs to the church and she wants them to take over from Frank. Karolina and Leslie refuse, and Susan warns that they'll never get out without her. Leslie asks her mother to help them.
At the Hostel, Gert finds Alex cleaning the fingerprints off of the gun and he assures her that it won't be there for long. She tells him that revenge won't make him feel better, and Alex says that he's going for justice. Gert wishes that Alex could convince Chase to come back, and wonders if Alex cares about any of them. Alex says that caring hasn't worked out well for him, and Gert's stomach rumbles. She tells him that she just got really hungry.
At the Yorkes' lab, Old Lace growls from within his cell. They feed the dinosaur Gert's favorite food.
Gert tastes the food and figures that Old Lace is alive and they're still connected, which means that Gert isn't alone in the universe. She cheerfully walks out, leaving Alex to his work.
Susan leads Karolina and Leslie outside, and they see Frank preaching to initiates. Karolina suggests that she call in her friends, but Susan warns that if they fight they lose. When they get to the gate, the head guard asks to see their release papers signed by Frank. Susan gives him some papers, while on the other side Nico and the others see them. Molly wants to rush in and take out the guards, but Nico figures that they can wait and see if they can get out on their own so no one gets hurt.
The head guard lets the trio through the gate, but Frank runs up and yells at Karolina to stop. He says that they're escaping and the guards close the gates, and the guards approach them tasers drawn. Nico and Molly charge forward and Vaughn faints from the shock. Karolina says that no one has to get hurt, and Frank tells them to surrender so no one will. After a moment, Karolina glows and floats into the air, and the initiates kneel in reverence. Frank tells Karolina to stop, and Karolina says that the light will lead the believers to their destiny. She drifts back down to the ground and tells the head guard to open the gates. He does so, and Leslie asks Susan to come with them. Susan says that everything that she's learned is real, and insists that David was right about the Church and Leslie's destiny. Leslie says that she needs her mother more than ever, but Susan says that she's needed there to purify the Church from Frank's corruption. They hug and then Susan and Karolina hug, and Karolina and Leslie leave together.
Nico and Molly go back and wake Vaughn up, and tell him that it's over. Karolina and Leslie arrive and Molly tells Karolina that she's an angel, and they drive away. In the compound, Susan says that Frank tried to steal the Church from his daughter and granddaughter. The guards take him away as Susan declares him a heretic. They throw him into the shed and lock him in.
The girls take Leslie to the Hostel, and Karolina tells Alex that Leslie needs them. Leslie explains that she's pregnant and doesn't have anywhere else to go, and Molly figures that they need Leslie there if the baby is anything like Karolina. Nico tells Alex that Leslie is a Runaway like them, and an angry Alex walks off. Molly takes Leslie to a room, and Gert tells Karolina and Nico to take her along the next time they go on a road trip. Nico admits that what Karolina did was breathtaking, and says that her lover was brilliant. She explains that she stayed outside of the gates because she was scared of what she might do with the Staff. Nico wonders how she can lead the group if she's afraid of her powers, Karolina suggests that Nico's darkness is her power, and Karolina's true power comes from being both alien and human. She tells Nico that that maybe she'll find her true power as well, and they kiss.
At PRIDE, Chase finds the empty vials of the mind-wipe serum. Wendy comes in and says that she was hazing him, and invites him to come with some of the workers. Chase passes and Wendy gives him the address in case he changes his mind. Once she leaves, Chase starts to text the Runaways asking if he can come back. A light comes on in the surveillance room and Chase goes over to investigate. Victor comes in behind him and asks what he's found, figuring Chase came there to snoop. Chase tells his father that he hasn't found anything, but figures that the criminal stuff is helping in the surveillance room. Victor takes him inside and says that it's Chase's future. The other parents are there, and Victor and Janet tell Chase that it's his birthright. They admit that they've done a lot wrong, but they did right with the kids. Catherine offers to let the Runaways change the world.
Chase wonders if they'll just walk away from the power, and Janet says that most of them just want to be parents again. Robert tells Chase that he has to take the first step and lead the rest, and all he has to do is join them at the table. Victor promises that none of the Runaways will be hurt. After a moment, Chase comes in and the parents greet him.
One of the initiates tags a wall with an image of the glowing Karolina.
Karolina sits in her room and looks at the sketch Nico did of her. "Gert" comes out of the closet and says that she wants to be her friend, and took Gert's image. She explains that she's not Gert and reverts to Xavin's baseline body, and says that she's waited her entire time to be there with Karolina. Xavin tells Karolina that she's been watching her and the other kids, and she's Karolina's betrothed and her destiny.
Written by Gadfly on Jan 7, 2019