Nico and Karolina lie in bed, and wake up when they hear music playing in the distance. They go to investigate and find Molly and Gert. People in 1930s fancy dress are walking downstairs, and none of them remember how they got home the night before. Chase comes upstairs and suggests that they're suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. They go downstairs to investigate and Chase finds a stage where Quinton the Great, the Hostel's original owner, is rehearsing. He invites them to come forward, saying the show is just beginning.
Quinton comes over and tells them that the music lured away the weak-willed pleasure seekers, but not the Runaways. He invites Nico to get into his bloody cut-a-woman-in-half cabinet, and says Molly would be perfect for his knife-throwing routine. Molly shoves him away, and the others realize her eyes haven't turned yellow. Karolina's powers don't work, and Quinton says that magic is the only power there. He warns them that if they leave the protection of his home, they'll regret it.
The Runaways follow Quinton to his dressing room and ask for his help. He complains that no one stays to watch his show, and Molly asks if anyone else has been there. Quinton describes the family, and says that they went outside after one of them tried to steal his monocle. Nico figures that it's her fault and they have to find the family, and Quinton warns that it won't be easy. Quinton tells them that they stand in the thin place between that world and all others, and if they find their companions then they’ll be trapped in a moment that tortures them. The longer the Runaways stay there, the more they'll forget their real lives.
When they leave the dressing room, Karolina says that they have to stick together. They open a door and Nico walks into the light beyond... and finds herself in a grove by herself. Her grandmother and two other women wearing kimonos appear.
Chase finds himself on a near-deserted city street. He sees Victor's car, and inside Victor beats someone. Chase runs over, yelling at his father to stop.
Molly is in her childhood home. Her parents Alice and Gene come in and calls her to the dinner table.
Karolina is in a homeless settlement, and Destiny calls to her by name. Destiny begs Karolina to help them,
Gert is in a basement, and the door locks behind her. The lights flicker and something roars as it slams into a sealed door nearby. Approaching the door Gert sees a dinosaur similar to Old Lace inside through the window. Stacey comes in behind Gert and tells her daughter she was never meant to see it. Gert is surprised that Stacey is okay, and Stacey wonders why she wouldn't be. Stacey insists that she and Dale are a critical juncture, and wonders where Dale is. She turns on the lights, revealing that they're in the Yorkes' basement lab, and Stacey explains that the dinosaur is a flawed prototype of Old Lace. Gert realizes that she's in Stacey's nightmare, not hers, and Stacey tells her that it's kind of Gert's as well... and injects her with the memory-wiping serum.
Molly tells her parents that she loves them and notices a present on the table. It's the pink earring, and Molly points out that her parents got it for her when she was 4. Gene and Alice figure Molly is joking, and they say that she's going to pre-school. Molly realizes that her "parents" know her as before she left, and they never saw her grow up. They tell her that they're going to the Church of Gibborim and assure Molly that they're just doing charity work.
Destiny asks Karolina to talk to "her" and keep her from hurting them. The homeless teenagers advance on Karolina, and Destiny says that "she" already comes when it gets dark. Karolina insists that it isn't real, but Destiny tells her that they're all there because of Karolina. Her light led them to their destruction, and Karolina insists that she had no idea what PRIDE was doing. Destiny tells Karolina that her face was on the billboards and that's the reason they came. The teenagers grab Karolina and pile on her.
Chase tells the man in the car to stop, and realizes that it's his grandfather Curtis. Curtis swings a baseball bat at Chase and tells him to go, and Chase invites him to come at him. His grandfather does so and Chase runs. He climbs over a chained gate and Curtis pounds the chain links in frustration. Running back to the Curtis, Chase finds Victor in the passenger seat and gets in.
Nico's grandmother Atari introduces the other two women: Nico's aunts Judith and Tokio . They ask if Tina has the Staff, and are shocked when they learn Nico has it. Nico wonders if it's back inside of her, and the women gather to discuss the situation and then ask Nico what she means by the Staff being inside of her. They figure they should see for themselves, and the aunts grab Nico while Atari takes out a knife. Atari says that Nico is her ticket out, and then a hooded woman blasts her back with dark energy. The three women release energy at the hooded figure, who absorbs it and sends it back, causing them to dissipate. Nico thanks the figure, who addresses Nico by name and says that they have to go before the women regroup. The figure removes her hood, revealing that she's Amy, and Nico hugs her. After a moment, Amy hugs her back.
Amy tells Nico that she doesn't remember her, and Nico figures that Amy has forgotten her past just like Quinton said. Nico refuses to go without her friends, and Amy warns that it's not safe for her. Her sister asks her for her help, and realizes that Amy knows her despite her claims. Nico says that Tina will know how to help them, and Amy agrees to go with Nico to Tina's worst moment.
Chase tries to start the car, and Victor tells him that they're in Hell. Curtis pounds on the back of the car, and Victor tells Chase that it's his fight and he's sorry for all he did to Chase. He gets out and Curtis beats him, and Chase grabs the bat and hits Curtis. When he continues beating his grandfather, Victor stops him but then says that the abuse is always a choice and he hopes Chase chooses better than he did. Chase considers, lowers the bat, and says they should go. They get back in the car and drive off.
Molly and her parents go to the Gibborim church, and her parents look over the reports on the teenagers. They send one to medical, and Molly looks on in shock. Molly realizes that her parents are choosing the sacrifice for Jonah, and they congratulate her on her perception. They say that it's an honor that Jonah chose them, and they insist that Jonah never forced them. The teenagers start collapsing from the poisoned punch, and Molly yells at them to get out before the Church kills them. Alice and Gene offer punch to Molly, and Molly discovers the door out is locked. She jumps through the glass and when she looks back, the glass is restored and the Church room is empty.
Nico and Amy appear in the Minoru house, and Nico realizes that it's Tina's worst nightmare. She hides with Amy as Robert comes out following a crying younger Nico. The two girls go into the bedroom and find Tina standing over Amy's corpse. Tina sees Nico, who explains that the Nico who left is Tina's version of her and they need to leave. The older woman insists she has to stay and maybe she has a chance to bring Amy back to life. She can't remember the spell, but figures that Nico can and hands her the Staff. Nico says that she can't, but Tina insists and Nico takes the Staff. Amy's body disappears when Nico casts her spell, and Nico insists that none of it is real. Tina realizes that they're in the Dark Dimension and figures that it wants to destroy her, but she has to let Amy go. She says that Nico came for her when she didn't have to, and thanks her.
Tina and Nico leave the bedroom, and Nico realizes that Amy is gone. She says that she needs to find Karolina and goes to find a car.
Gert wakes up and realizes that Stacey mind-wiped her in the real world. Stacey wonders why it isn't working now when it worked perfectly the first time, and Gert tells her that they're not in the real world. She figures that Stacey caused her suffering, and realizes that her anxiety started after Stacey dosed her. Gert tells Stacey that she's the monster, not the prototype, and Stacey extracts fluid from a dinosaur claw and says that what matters is that they're together.
The teenagers tie Karolina to a fence and Destiny tells her that she's their sacrifice to the darkness. Something roars in the darkness and the teenagers hide. A masked black-robed Nico arrives, Jonah's corpse chained to her spine, and asks Karolina if she's glad to see her. Karolina refuses to kiss her when she asks, and Nico wonders if Karolina still loves her. After a moment, Karolina says that she will but says that she has to be untied to give it freely. Nico hesitates and Karolina say that she was surprised to see her there. The figure unties Karolina, and she grabs a pipe to break the chain. Karolina tells Nico that Jonah was her problem to solve and Nico doesn't have to carry him around. Nico says that her pain is loneliness and Karolina is the cure, but Karolina says that she can't be that and runs away.
Nico runs after Karolina, yelling that Karolina said she would love her no matter what. A glowing portal appears and the real Nico calls through it. Karolina goes through and finds herself on a street. The real Nico and Tina get out of the car they drove there, and Nico and Karolina hug.
Stacey tells Gert that everything she did is for her protection. Gert insists that she can take care of herself, and says that Stacey doesn't know her. Stacey hands Gert a raw chicken and says that since Gert doesn't need her, she can face the prototype, Number 33, on her own. Gert goes in and calls to 33, and insists that she's not Stacey. She figures that her Old Lace is in there somewhere and tosses it the chicken, and then lunges at the girl. Stacey shoots it with a tranq, and Gert runs out and Stacey locks the door behind her. Chase and Victor run in, and Gert hugs Chase. Chase drives off with the other three, and Gert ignores Stacey. They come to an overpass with three bodies hanging from it.
Molly sits on a park bench, and Nico, Karolina, and Tina find her. She tells them what happened, and Chase and the others arrive. Molly explains that she didn't want to believe the truth about her parents, that they were part of PRIDE and just as bad as Tina. Karolina assures her that all the family she needs is there, and Molly doesn't remember Stacey. They realize Molly is forgetting and Victor says that they need to go. The others figure that they can come back for Alex later.
The group appears in the Hostel and they look for Quinton. There's no trace of him, and Nico apologizes, telling them that it's all on her for bringing them into something terrible. Amy comes in and says that it isn't as bad as it thinks. Tina hugs her daughter but then realizes that the real Amy can't be there. Amy explains that she's an emissary of Morgan, and that Tina made a promise to turn Nico over to Morgan. Amy is reminded of her old life and can't turn them over to Morgan for fear of what she'll do them. She says that no one has the spell to take them back, and Tina says that she has it but will need Nico's help to cast it.
Nico takes one of Quinton's knives and cuts her palm, and then tells Nico to do the same. Nico finally does so and the Staff emerges from her chest. When Tina casts the spell, Nico will use the Staff to open the circle so they can all step through. The older woman recites the spell, and Nico opens the portal. They all go through except the Minorus, and Tina asks Amy if she's coming. Amy says that she's safer there, and reluctantly accepts Tina's hug. Tina whispers something in her ear, then tells Nico that it's time to go. Amy waves goodbye to Nico, and Nico waves to her before going through the portal. Once Nico is gone, "Amy" turns into Quinton.
Nico finds herself in the real Hostel with the others. Gert wonders where Old Lace is and that something is different. Chase goes to the monitor room, turns on a computer, and calls the others in to see what he's seeing. The computer shows that they've been gone for six months, and Alex has been trapped in the Dark Dimension the entire time.
In the Dark Dimension, Alex sits in a chair. AWOL comes in and puts a hood on Alex's head,
Written by Gadfly on Dec 16, 2019