Nico asks who Tawny and Tyrone are, assuming that they're with Morgan. They have no idea who she's talking about, and Tawny argues with Nico until Tyrone tells them both to relax. Tyrone says that whatever Nico did caused a disturbance that he felt, and Nico explains that Alex is trapped in the Dark Dimension. He tells her that they've been there before, and Nico tells them about the Runaways and the Hostel. They're all impressed to find other kids like themselves.
The prisoners are unable to break their bonds, and Chase tips over his chair and edges his way over to Gert's hands so that they can untie each other. He frees Gert just as Geoffrey, a security team, and the acolytes come in.
Nico shows Tawny and Tyrone the projection from Robert's glasses. Tyrone warns that if Nico goes back to the Dark Dimension, it could cause more damage, but Nico insists. He suggests that he and Tawny help Nico, and warns that he can't do it alone. Tawny agrees to go for Tyrone, not for Nico. Janet's face comes up on the computer and tells Nico what happened to Chase and the others. She needs Nico to save them, and Nico heads to Wizard. Tyrone offers to get her there faster.
Geoffrey orders Gert back in her chair, and Nico, Tyrone, and Tandy teleport in. Gert frees Chase and Karolina, and Nico removes the spell binding Karolina's powers. The security team advance on the Runaways, and Nico binds them with a spell. She has Tyrone teleport the others out, and he takes them to the Hollywood sign before teleporting back.
The Runaways tell Tawny not to kill Geoffrey, and she knocks him back with a light ball. Tyrone teleports back in and teleports the Runaways away before Cassandra and Bronwyn can magically blast them. They arrive at the Hostel in the Dark Dimension, and Gert worries about Molly. Tyrone warns that he can't teleport them out right away, and Chase suggests that they keep going now that they're there. The Runaways admit that they don't have their powers and they look for Quinton.
The group goes into Quinton's stage room and find swords thrust into Quinton's blood-covered sword box. They open it but no one is inside, and they continue searching. They prepare to go outside to look for the prison Nico saw in Morgan's vision, and agree to go out in pairs. Karolina hesitantly takes Nico's hand, Tawny takes Tyrone's, and Gert agrees to just link arms with Chase. The group go out and find themselves still together. LA is in flames, and they go search for Alex.
In his cell, Alex mutters that they told him he would have to kill someone to escape. Catherine appears and tells him that he has to be strong and do it, and warns that doing so will break him. She lies down next to him and says that he's not a killer, and Darius comes in and tells Alex that it's time for him to kill and become one of them.
The group walks through the burning city and Tawny wonders if Alex will be the person they knew. Nico tells Karolina that everything she did was to find Alex, and Karolina warns that the burden is breaking her. She says that she loves Nico and asks her to let her help, and Tawny relives the explosion at the oil rig. Nico apologizes to Karolina for not discussing her plan with her, but wanted Karolina with her because she knew she couldn't do it alone.
They continue on Chase finds Victor's car. Gert asks if he's okay, and Chase insists that he's fine. A hummer drives up the street toward them and they run.
Darius tosses Alex back in his cell, and Alex tells Catherine that he couldn't do what they asked. Catherine assures him that he knows who he is, and Darius says that his men spotted the Runaways... and leaves Alex to think about what they're going to do to them.
The group run down the street and duck into an alleyway, and the hummer cuts them off. AWOL and his men get out, and a mystic barrier goes across the entryway. Nico says that it wasn't her spell, and Quinton comes out the back of the alley and says that it was his spell. Quinton opens a doorway in the wall and leads the group through, and he asks why they came back. He explains that he's a sorcerer and his "death" was an illusion to deceive AWOL and his men when they came for him. They're rounding everyone up because Morgan is pulling at the fabric between the Dark Dimension and the real world. Morgan particularly wants Nico to get the Staff, and if Morgan gets it then the Dark Dimension will swallow the real world whole. Morgan imprisons those who oppose her at the prison, and Nico insist that they need to get into the prison to rescue Alex. When Gert asks if he knows what it feels like to lose family, Quinton agrees to lead them to the prison and leads them through the shadows.
Everyone arrives outside the prison walls and Quinton leads them to a locked gate He explains that Alex is locked up on the top floor, the most protected area. Quinton breaks open the lock with a spell and they go into the basement past him. As they go, Quinton turns and stares in horror at what's come up behind him. As the group goes into the tunnel, they hear Quinton screaming. Nico says that they can't go back, and Chase tells Gert that he doesn't want to talk about the car they saw earlier. When he talks about what his coach used to tell him, Tyrone overhears him and they talk about their high school athletic experiences.
Tawny tells Karolina that she's worried about Nico because she's close with Morgan. Karolina figures it's still their best chance to save Alex, and Tawny notes that they're all blindly following Nico. Meanwhile, Gert hears someone calling and follows the voice. It's a young Molly, who asks Gert to help her. She then snarls and leaps at Gert, who falls back. Chase pulls her back, and Tyrone teleports them both away.
Tyrone teleports Chase and Gert to a different tower, and warns that he can't home in on Tawny to get them back. Gert figures that they should head to the other tower, and Tyrone and Chase agree.
Nico tells Tawny that they can't wait to rescue Alex, and Karolina side with Nico. When Nico starts to walk away, Tawny grabs her hand and Nico sees her greatest hope: she and Karolina getting married. When Tawny yanks back, Nico tells her that she had no right and leaves with Karolina. Tawny insists on coming with them, and Nico agrees as long as Tawny doesn't touch her again.
Gert tells Chase that "Molly" was the manifestation of her guilt about not saving her. She tells him that she's going to college if she escapes the Dark Dimension, and Chase assures her that "they" will figure it out. They find Darius in a room telling his men to search the towers, and the trio hide. Gert begs Tyrone to take her back while she's still alive so she can be with Molly. Tyrone warns that if he can't return, the others will never find their way out. When she grabs Tyrone's arm, she sees her greatest fear: birds attacking Molly and Old Lace at the Hostel. The vision fades and Gert jerks back, knocking over some items. The guards hear them and move in, and the trio duck into another room only to find more guards waiting for them. When Tyrone tries to teleport away, the guards grab him first and he teleports away with two of them.
Nico, Karolina, and Tawny head through the tower and Tawny tells Karolina that maybe she was wrong about Nico. She figures that they're light and dark, like Tyrone and Tawny are, and maybe they balance each other out in the same way. Nico finds a window showing them Chase and Gert in the other tower, and she creates a mystical bridge so they can cross to the other side.
"Quinton" comes in, a sign driven through his chest, and pulls the sign out. Nico drives the guards back with a spell, but Quinton mystically knocks the Staff out of her hand. Tawny throws light daggers into his chest but they have no effect, and Tyrone teleports back in. Quinton casts a spell and disappears.
Darius shoves Alex into a monitor room and brings up an image of Quinton reappearing and attacking the others. Alex's captor says that his friends are going to be slaughtered, Alex grabs Darius, while Tyrone and Chase start losing their memories of who they are. Alex slams Darius into a console, and Darius tells him that he should embrace the darkest part of him that he got from his parents. The teenager refuses, saying he'll never be his parents, and Darius tells him that he has to kill to save his friends. He asks if Alex is going to do what they've been asking him to, or will he stand by and watch the others die. Darius says that Alex has to choose between his mother or his family.
Alex goes back to his cell and tells Catherine that it will all be over soon... holding the knife behind his back.
Quinton chokes Karolina, and Nico's eyes turn black. She has Tawny throw her a light dagger, and then stabs Quinton in the chest. Quinton disappears, and Nico pockets the dagger.
Alex looks down at Catherine's body, and Darius tells him that he made a good choice.
The group realize that the Dark Dimension will never let them go.
Darius tells Alex that a deal is a deal and he's free.
The guards disappear and the group runs out of the room. They find Alex and Nico hugs him. He remembers them and claims that he escaped on his own, and Tyrone recovers enough of his memories to teleport them all out. When Tawny takes Alex's hand, she has a vision of him standing on a hilltop possessing the powers of all of the Runaways. They reappear in the real Hostel, and Tawny says that Alex's hopes weren't good and they have to go back. The Runaways refuse to send him back, and Alex suggests that Tawny saw a Dark Dimension version of him. He insists that he's fine and notices the Dark Dimension seeping through where it's "thin" in the Hostel.
Nico figures that Morgan knows they're back, and Gert confirms they were only gone for eight hours in the real world. Tawny tells Nico to keep her dagger close for protection, and Nico thanks her for coming with them and trusting Nico. The two women hug, and Tyrone tells Gert that it's clear all of the Runaways are her family, including Chase. He asks about Old Lace, and Gert summons the dinosaur and introduces her to Tyrone. Before they teleport away, Tawny suggests that the next time they can come help them.
Chase wonders what they do now, and Gert says that they should find Molly and then save the world.
At the hotel, Bronwyn, Cassandra, and the other witches look at the mesmerized Molly and figure that Morgan will be pleased as they put one of Morgan's necklaces on her.
Written by Gadfly on Dec 22, 2019