At Randy's Donuts, Leslie is in the Volvo and Alex gives her the thumbs up. On the phone he asks Victor if they have a deal, and assures him that Leslie is bearing his child. Victor tells Alex to bring her to the jump site, and warns that they're leaving that night. He assures Alex that he'll get what he wants if he delivers Leslie and the child safely and keeps it between them.
Xavin suggests that the Son was dormant when Alex helped them get Karolina and Chase out of the tubes. Molly figures that the Son won't hurt Leslie because she's pregnant with Jonah's baby, and Xavin warns that the Son can put people at ease, but under the surface he has a legendary cruelty.
Alex kills the clerk at the donut shop, and then takes the donuts to Leslie. He claims that he called the Runaways, and Leslie tells him that her water just broke and he needs to get her to a hospital.
Karolina figures that Alex took Leslie to the Stein house where Jonah is, saying that they should have killed him when they had the chance. Xavin refuses to let Karolina face the family alone, and everyone but Chase starts to go with her. Chase reminds them that they barely escaped just Victor, and now there's four Gibberim. Gert reluctantly agrees with Chase, and Nico notes that if Alex were with them then he'd have a plan. She figures that Alex wouldn’t have taken Leslie to the Stein house because he'd figure they would go there after him, and suggests that they search the Hostel to see if Alex left a clue.
Alex drives Leslie to the hospital and says that once she has the baby, they'll go back on the road before the doctors ask questions. He refuses to let her out and says that he knows where they can go, and drives off.
Chase takes apart the inhibitor pods and tells Gert that he's seeing how they work. He wants to turn their defensive capabilities to offense, and says that they rig the tech to something they can strike with. Gert has an idea and goes to get a prop mace and knife that the Hostel's original owner, Quinton the Great, used.
Karolina finds Leslie's phone and realizes she can't call them. Molly tells Xavin that Karolina is mad that she can't save Leslie, and Xavin says that she cares about Karolina's well-being. The girl asks if Xavin loves Karolina, and tries to explain "love" to the alien. Molly suggests that if Xavin doesn't feel that right, the prophecy might be wrong. Xavin insists that she devoted her life to the prophecy, and if Karolina isn't her great love... and wonders why her face is leaking. Molly hugs her.
Nico hears Morgan calling to her from a room and goes in. A cloth drops from a mirror, revealing Morgan, and Morgan says that she wants to help. She says that their fates are intertwined and Nico needs to embrace the true power of the Staff. Nico points out that she destroyed the staff, and Morgan reaches through the mirror and puts her hand on Nico's chest. Nico backs away and realizes that Morgan is gone, and Gert calls her to the surveillance room. The others are watching a news report about Catherine's death.
At home Tamar sees the news report, and Alex pulls up outside. The girl takes a gun out of a drawer and goes to the door, and Alex says that he needs her help. Alex tells Tamar that they can't go to a hospital and figures that she can help deliver the baby since Tamar has one. Leslie begs Tamar for help and Tamar reluctantly lets them in. Inside, Leslie asks Alex to get her bag. Once he leaves, Leslie asks for Tamar's phone and says that Alex is a danger to them. She gives Tamar a written message and asks her to relay it to Karolina, then get out with her baby. Alex returns with the bag and Tamar has him take Leslie to the bedroom and hold her hand. She says that she's going to get on the Internet and find out how to deliver a baby, and Alex takes Leslie to the bedroom. Once she's alone, Tamar gets her phone.
Chase explains that he's going to melt down the inhibitor material and coat the weapons with it. As Gert holds the broadsword he's coating, their hands touch As they look at each other, Karolina and Nico come in and ask for a status report. Chase says that they'll need at least another hour.
Alex calls to Tamar to come in but gets no response. He finally goes despite Leslie's protests and discovers that Tamar and her baby are gone. Alex goes to the bedroom and figures Leslie knows why Tamar left with her baby Xerxes. He admits that he had to be careful because Victor wants the baby, and says that no one makes him do anything but it’s the smart play. Alex wonders why Victor is fond of Leslie, and says that Victor will be sad that Leslie died in childbirth. Tamar comes in and hits Alex with a baseball bat, knocking him out. As Tamar helps Leslie up, Alex recovers and knocks Tamar out.
When Tamar wakes up, she discovers Alex has tied her to a chair. She promises to beat his ass, and Alex tells her that she has no idea who she's messing with. Alex lights up his hand, and Leslie calls out telling him not to hurt Tamar. He circles Tamar's neck with an energy tendril and chokes her, but Leslie's yells interrupt him. Alex runs as Karolina and the others break in. They free Tamar and she gives them his gun, saying that it's not the real Alex.
Alex runs down the street with Karolina and Nico in pursuit. Meanwhile, Tamar prepares to deliver Leslie's baby following instructions on the Internet, telling Molly and Xavin what to do to help.
When he comes to a locked gate, Alex uses a discarded dresser as a makeshift ladder. Nico arrives and tells him to stop, aiming the gun at him, and says that if he raises his hand then she'll shoot him. Alex points out that would mean killing the real Alex, and Nico says that she can just hurt him bad. Advancing, Alex invites her to do it because he enjoys the pain. He suggests that he could jump into her body and would shoot Karolina. After a moment, Nico lowers the gun and Alex climbs over the fence and leaves. Karolina arrives and Nico tells her that Alex got away.
Leslie holds her baby girl and gives her to Karolina when she and Nico arrive. Xavin offers to take her, and Karolina gives her the baby and watches with Leslie. Leslie assures Xavin that she's a natural and Xavin smiles. Alex's duffel shakes, and Molly opens it to find the Abstract inside, shaking. it opens, projecting alien writing, and Xavin says that it's recognizing the next royal heir. Tamar suggests that they never come back there again.
The Runaways tell Tamar that Alex is possessed, and Molly says that Xavin and the baby are also aliens. Tamar goes to get Leslie some water, and Xavin reads the writing and says that the usage history shows that a beacon to the Gibborim homeworld has been activated. The family plans to open an interstellar gateway between Earth and Gibbor, and says that the alignment will happen that night at the Marine Vivarium Desalination Plant: PRIDE's clean-water project. The family could use the seawater to turn the place into a nuclear reactor, and they'll send back a "scrub squad": elite soldiers who will eliminate anyone the Magistrate's family has come in contact with. Leslie warns that Jonah is too dangerous, but Karolina tells her mother that they don’t have a choice. Xavin will watch over Leslie and the baby while the Runaways go to the plant.
At the Hostel, Chase and Gert show the others the coated weapons. Chase has put a coated blade into one of his Fistigons, and Karolina suggests that he's overcompensating. Gert warns that they only have one chance at defeating the family, and Chase explains that the coating will weaken the family as long as it's in contact with them. Molly wonders if they're really going to kill their parents and Alex, and Nico says that they'll do what they have to.
At Tamar's house, Leslie tells Xavin that there's something she needs to see. She has Xavin take out her father's journal and read the entry about the prophecy. It says that Leslie's child will lead a world far away and save countless lives, and the child will be raised by a noble warrior. Leslie realizes that Xavin is the warrior and the baby has a greater destiny with Xavin. She asks if Xavin will protect their child, and Xavin takes the baby.
Nico practices with her new sword as Karolina watches. She explains that she watched "Nico" die in the Algorithm, and never wants to feel that again. They kiss, and Nico figure that they have just enough time to make leave.
Chase starts to knock on Gert's door but thinks better of it. Gert comes out and Chase says that he came to see if she had any questions about the tech. She points out that she helped him build the tech, and admits that she didn't call him "jackass" the most recent time. Chase tells her that she's amazing and stands by her beliefs, and the most incredible person he's ever met. He admits that he loves her and has for a long time, but been too stupid and weak to tell her that before. Chase figured he'd say it in case he never got another chance, and suggests that she say an insult or a quip. Gert tells him to get ready and goes back into her room.
Tamar is in the living room with the baby when she sees an emergency vehicle pull up outside and a medic get out.
Leslie tells Xavin that she has to do it to protect the baby. Xavin promises she'll lay down her life if she has to. Tamar comes in and says the medics Leslie called have the baby, and Leslie tells her that they didn't call any medics. They hear screams and Xavin runs out to find the medics dead on the lawn. The vehicle driver leaves, and Xavin runs back inside.
Gert tells Old Lace that she couldn't tell Chase how she fells because they're too different, and complains that the dinosaur is taking Chase's side. Karolina comes in and tells Gert that Alex has the baby, and Gert goes with them.
That night at the plant, Alex arrives with the baby. Meanwhile, Stacey slaps Victor, who says that his last body was particularly virile. Alex notes that the baby goes back to Gibbor while he stays in Earth, per his bargain with Victor. Stacey refuses to hear of it, insisting that they return from exile together. Victor reminds Stacey that Alex can't return after what he did, and Tina comes in after killing the engineers who built the portal. Alex offers to lead the kill team, and Tina tells them the gravitational alignment is optimal. Stacey confirms that Alex will stay to initiate the sequence and joins the others on the portal, and Alex warns that afterward he's staying.
The four Gibborims power up the portal, and the Runaways come in as Alex finishes and steps off the portal. Stacey warns that they can't risk a fight there until the gateway fully opens, and Victor and Tina split up to draw the Runaways off while Alex hides the baby. Molly wonders why they run, and Karolina stays behind in case the family circles back while the others search for the Gibborim.
Chase goes after Victor, finds, and blasts him with the Fistigons. He tries to stab Victor, who catches his hand.
Gert confronts Stacey and throws a coated dagger into her mother's chest. Stacey discovers that her powers don't work, and Gert draws another knife and advances on Stacey.
Tina taunts Nico from the shadows, saying that she smothered the real Tina. Nico swings at her with her sword and Tina ducks. She fights back with the real Tina's muscle memory, grabs a pipe, and blocks Nico's strikes.
A black hole forms on the portal, opening the gateway to Gibbor.
Victor asks Chase if getting revenge on his father feels good. He offers to let him live as long as he watches the light goes out in his eyes, then breaks Chase's grip and kicks him before running off.
Stacey knocks Gert down and tells her that she doesn't stand a chance alone. Molly steps out of the shadows and says that Gert isn't alone, and Stacey runs as Molly helps Gert up.
Tina blasts Nico with her energy, knocking her back, and runs off.
Xavin arrives at the portal and tells Karolina that Leslie has a mission for her but they don't have much time.
Victor finds Alex and takes the baby, and tells Alex to go help Stacey and Tina. As Victor runs off, Gert and Molly confront him. "Victor" drops his disguise, revealing that "he" is really Xavin, and says that they must hurry as Chase and Nico arrive. They go to the portal and Xavin says that she's taking the baby back to her home planet because her destiny is written. The "great love of the prophecy is Xavin's love for a child, and repeats Molly's words about just knowing. Molly hugs Xavin, who says that she needs Molly to protect Leslie. The girl promises, and Xavin enters the portal and disappears.
The family arrive and unleash their energy blasts, and Karolina blocks them, shielding the portals and the Runaways. When Karolina falters, the teenagers go down. Nico sees her friends, and Morgan tells her to call on the power inside her or her friends die. Nico's eyes turn black and she pulls the Staff from her chest. She says "Tenebrae" and unleashes a cloud of dark mystical energy, causing the family to disappear.
The Runaways recover and Nico says that the Gibborim aren't dead but "gone".
Morgan goes to the hospital, mesmerizes the nurse when she objects, and goes into Robert's room. She casts a spell and Robert wakes up, and Morgan tells him that it's time to get up because they have a lot of work to do.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 15, 2019