Previously on Marvel's Runaways...
Will you help me? I already have.
When the ship blew up...
the Magistrate's family took new bodies.
You think that the aliens are inside our parents?
Daughter is right about your arm.
You have three specimens downstairs. You should pick one and eat.
The Magistrate's family is ruthless.
That looks wonderful, don't you think?
I'm in the Algorithm. Did you just say I'm in a tube?
None of this is real.
I'm gonna give you the biggest can of pepper spray a girl could ever dream of.
Holy shit! I'm driving Old Lace!
We need to acquire The Magistrate's own weapon.
Kill or be killed.
Xavin!
It's me, Molly. Oh, my God.
- What do I do? - We can only leave through a door
that needs to be opened from the outside with a code.
It's in The Abstract.
Alex?
How are you there and here?
It's complicated. I'll come back for you.
Over here!
Something's not right here.
Mom!
Chase, please! Where are you? We need you!
No, you really don't.
They're trying to get Gert!
They catch her.
Chase! Chase, I'm so scared!
Please, I need you to protect me! Without you, I'm so lost!
The outcome of the battle is predetermined,
so it doesn't matter what I do now.
Watch. This is when Alex comes crashing in.
Right...
here.
See? We need you!
Chase, you're a hero. Heroes fight!
Heroes fight... heroes fight...
Gert, you're not real.
I'd know that even without this weird thing happening to you,
because you haven't talked about patriarchy or gender bias
or microaggression once since I got here.
I need you to save me!
See, that's exactly how I know you're not real.
Real Gert never needed saving.
Chase, I am so scared!
I need you to protect me!
Without you, I am lost!
Where are you, Chase? Save us!
Everyone just leave me alone!
Whoa.
Chase... Chase!
Honey, are you there?
Mom?
Thank God you're okay!
"Okay" may be overstating it, but I'm alive.
Wait, are you hurt?
No. I'm fine, I'm fine.
There was a whole battle thing going on, but none of it's real.
Okay.
The glitching's getting worse.
If these virtual worlds collapse while we're inside of them‐‐.
We die in the real one?
Our bodies do.
I don't know if our consciousness can survive in here.
It's actually a fascinating scientific question.
Except for the dying part.
I'm looking for a way to save us. Have you seen any sign of Karolina?
Janet, you're being foolish.
Come si‐sit down, sit down.
Mom, I have an idea.
Everything we're seeing is just electrical impulses in our brains.
The Algorithm is just mining our thoughts for details.
What if we just stopped thinking?
Something real Gert accused me of on more than one occasion.
But if you can clear your mind, well then maybe you can get rid of Dad.
Like when you realize you're dreaming.
You have the power to change it.
Stop listening to that nonsense and come eat your crepes.
Victor...
I don't want any more goddamn crepes!
It worked.
Which means...
Janet. Honey‐‐.
We got off to a bad start.
But there's still so much love in here. Is there?
Remember when we fell in love?
Before Pride and Jonah?
It was just the two of us.
And then Chase came.
That's so messed up.
That you'd weaponize the few good memories I have about my marriage.
Victor, or whatever the hell you are, get out!
Chase, you're a genius. Ah, thanks, Mom.
Hey, don't get cocky. You get it from me.
I think I know what we need to do now.
No sign of Xavin's friends.
Why was she leading us away from the house?
Maybe the primitive security system stopped them from entering.
What I want to know is where is your mother?
Why is she not responding to my calls?
You think she's up to something.
I was so excited to have my family reunited,
I don't think I realized how much we've all changed.
She's so...
different.
She thinks you're different.
Far too human.
Well, I...
I've had a thousand other lives she wasn't a part of, so...
perhaps I am.
Maybe she's reacting to the level of human sentiment
you feel for your daughter.
Not me. Your other daughter.
Blondie.
The hybrid in the tube.
How did you find out?
From Mom.
You should've just told her.
You know how much she hates secrets.
I know how much you love them.
Wait. What are you keeping from me?
What can you offer me in exchange? Information first, then we bargain.
She's not gonna wait for you to build a ship.
She already hailed the extraction team
and got me started on the rendezvous platform.
Is she planning on me coming too?
It'll take all four of us to power it up, so yes.
What if those four were you, me, your brother, and...
your new half‐sister?
You'd really leave mother behind?
She's forcing me to choose.
And what do I get for my loyalty? What do you want?
My brother stripped of his power.
I'm tired of living in his shadow.
He should get what he deserves.
Nothing.
And I take over when you step down.
Something your mother would never agree to.
I think you will.
That's my girl.
Go to Wizard and finish the platform.
Your host runs the entire place. You won't be denied anything.
Sweetie, can you come inside for a second?
I've got something to give you.
Don't worry, Lacey. It's just for your safety on the road.
I really don't need any more bootleg Phish tapes for the road, Dale.
Oh, come on! You love Phish! Some "Bouncing Around the Room"?
Used to play that for you when you were‐‐.
Listen, this was supposed to be our road trip cash.
I want you to take it.
Find Molly. Make sure she's safe.
Unless you change your mind about me
coming with you. Okay. No, I got this.
Thanks to you, I am leveled up with Old Lace
and up for anything that comes my way.
Which is mostly just gonna be like
freeway traffic gridlock and convenient store burritos.
Don't eat those.
You gonna be okay? Me? Yeah!
I'm just gonna commit to some full‐time homesteading.
You know, grow my own food, home brew kombucha.
Love the 'buch.
Oh, I did pick up some Guangxi Horned Goat powder.
You know, it's for digestion. I'll get you some.
I don't need that. Gert, IBS is genetic.
And stress makes it worse. So, I will get the goat powder.
Gert! Mom? How did you find us?
I knew he would bring you and Old Lace here where we created her.
Gert, run. She'll attack.
No, no, no, that wasn't me. That was the alien inside me.
She's really dangerous, and she could come back at any moment.
Okay, I'm sorry. What? That's so much worse!
I got to agree with Dale on this one.
Okay. Listen, listen. The aliens are gonna be extracted through a portal.
They wanna leave but then something else is gonna come through and clean up.
And when I say clean up, I mean kill everybody that knows that they were here.
And that's only after they've sucked the life out of Chase, Karolina, and Janet.
Because the one inside Victor Stein?
He's flaking really badly. It's, ugh‐it's so gross, ugh.
Where's my tranq gun? No, no! You don't need your tranq gun.
I stole it in case you tried to do something stupid
like mind‐wipe me before I left.
What?! That actually does sound like you, Honeybee.
I'm so offended you think I could do that!
Um, maybe you guys should be writing some of this down,
because I don't know how much longer I can hold her back.
She's really strong. But you guys need to know one thing‐‐.
The only way to defeat them is to‐‐.
What's happening? Ugh.
These are so uncomfortable.
They really pinch that little space between the optical organs.
Hello. It's nice to formally meet you.
Prepare to die.
Gert. Tranq her!
Oh, God!
I forgot. I hid the cartridges in case you stole it!
Now would be a good time to get them! All right.
What the...?
The old rules no longer apply.
Seriously? I'm sorry.
I got this.
You know, you don't have to do this.
I know that somewhere inside of you, my mother still exists.
From what I can tell, that woman was great at killing humans.
You know, I'd love to stay and play, but I've got a thing with a portal.
And traffic's gonna be brutal.
Clever girl.
Get her, Old Lace! Bite her! Now!
Okay. Headbutt. Interesting choice.
Bye, Dale. Get out of here before she wakes up.
I guess I'm not a killer.
You did good, too, Old Lace.
Let's go find Molly.
Wake up, Nico.
Wake up! Hey! You nodded off.
Your snoring almost gave us away.
Conceal.
God, he hasn't moved for hours.
He doesn't eat or sleep or pee. All of which I kinda need to do right now.
Better hold it. We've still got the element of surprise.
If I can make it to that Fistigons prototype, we can fight him.
You hold him off with the Staff, I boot up The Abstract.
We play to our strengths. You kick ass, I do the techie stuff.
This rescue mission is finally over.
Look at my eyes.
I could lose control if I fight. I can feel it.
Okay.
Dammit. He took The Abstract.
You know what? To be fair, so long as he was down here,
we never really had a chance. We said, "Kill or be killed."
So what if you lost control?
I could have killed you, okay? Or them.
Nico, we can't win without the Staff. You can't be afraid to use it.
Oh, easy for you to say. You've never had to wield anything this powerful.
Oh, because someone has to handle the nerdy shit.
Then handle it. Okay?
Just focus on how to get these three out of the tubes without The Abstract.
Fine.
Let me know if something happens outside on this side.
What's wrong?
I don't know.
I think I'm locked out.
Which means we're on our own.
So are they.
We can't just keep doing nothing.
We are doing something.
Why am I even out here? I'm the strongest.
I should be inside helping with the rescue, fighting the bad guys.
But once again, everyone's underestimating me like they always do.
And it's such bullshit!
I'm sensing self‐pitying anger.
Just anger, actually.
But there's a whining quality.
Let's not do the "what emotion am I feeling right now" thing, okay?
We got to go inside.
I understand your desire.
But like I said...
emotions lead a warrior‐‐ To defeat, I know.
And yet, I still really wanna punch something.
Preferably something alien.
No offense.
Even for a soldier, fighting is the riskiest course of action, Molly.
And fighting without the weapons we need...
is certain defeat.
So, we just sit out here and keep doing nothing?
The weapons we need may be inside.
I was hoping Nico and Alex would emerge victorious on their own by now.
But since they haven't, perhaps it's worth the risk.
Getting in there and kicking alien ass?
Again, no offense. None taken.
Let's go.
Gotta be here somewhere.
Xavin is the key to finding your brother.
Hide.
She'll lead us to the rest of the kids.
If your brother won't reveal himself,
well, we'll torture them until we all find out who's inside.
Then we kill Xavin and the rest.
No loose ends when we leave.
Agree, but Karolina can never know.
You can count on me, Father.
Wow.
She's actually worse than my mom.
We've got to warn Xavin and the others.
Wait. Why on Earth are you smiling right now?
Because...
it's showtime.
The inhibitor pods are in the land transit unit.
They're unguarded. Let's get them out now.
We don't know how to get them out.
Pretty sure at some point it involves breaking the glass.
That would alert the Gibbs.
Without weapons‐‐ I'll die, I know.
Just get the weapons.
Locked. Can you open them? Molly?
Molly, someone is in the elevator.
Can you even drive that thing?
The host's body memory is strong, and this species' technology is primitive.
If the platform isn't built exactly to specifications,
none of us are gonna make it back home.
Mom said the exact same thing.
She knows we're here. Otherwise, why the barbaric sound torture?
Prepare to battle. Shhh! It's just K‐Pop.
User identified.
Whoa. That's weird.
I think I can read this.
I mean, kind of. It's‐‐.
It's math‐based. It's amazing!
Okay, put a pin in your nerdgasm and find the code Janet mentioned.
Yeah, it's not organized like a normal book or a computer file.
I'm gonna try using a cryptographic algorithm.
It's this theory I have on quantum key distribution.
I understood four of those words.
It means I'm gonna wing it.
Remember, nerdy shit, me.
Protecting us from evil aliens, all you.
Shroud.
Mrs. Minoru.
Hey, boys!
Move fast, get the pods.
Does this vehicle have a weapons hold? Nope.
It does have a glove compartment.
Inhibitor pods. Now we get to the Stein house and we fight.
Yes! We did it! We did.
Hey!
What are you doing in Mrs. Minoru's car?
I... I was just, um...
She's an ally. Stand down, soldier.
She calls everyone that.
How did you...?
I thought you‐‐ I just came back down.
I left my keys upstairs.
I suppose we set off the alarm trying to get in.
Well, we have your spare at valet, Mrs. Minoru.
Oh, great! Go get it!
Right away. Let me drive.
Gert let me drive her Volvo once in the parking lot.
I get my permit next year.
Thank you... Adrian.
Uh, my pleasure.
Have you ever even driven before?
Molly, I'm a certified interstellar galactic pilot.
I think I can handle a tiny rolling vessel.
Uh, I feel like maybe I should drive.
I just need to find the stabilizer button. Is it this?
You're gonna get us killed!
No, that's it. I'm driving. Get out.
There's a message from your sister.
Gert? Oh! Finally, she's texting me back.
Um, is she okay? What's she saying? Where is she?
We have backup.
Let's do this.
Tell Gert to meet us at the Stein house.
And to definitely bring Old Lace.
I‐I understand that our 5G rollout has been problematic, Mrs. Minoru.
And I take full responsibility. But, in my defense,
the regulatory hurdles we've faced from carriers were unforeseen.
And, uh‐and the third quarter issue with wave device battery drainage
was also, uh, uh‐‐.
It‐well...
It was‐It was also, uh... Mmmm.
Unexpected.
We're canceling the 5G program and starting something new.
In the area of... transportation.
So, I'll need you...
you...
and definitely you!
Uhh...
Uh, I'm the GrubMates guy.
I don't know what that means,
but I am intrigued by the word "mate" in your title.
I just deliver dinner.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Minoru. By transportation, do you mean...
you mean, like, trucks?
If a truck can guide a spacecraft through an intergalactic wormhole...
then yes.
Let's go.
Nico?
I'm so cold.
They're hurting you to punish me.
I'm so sorry.
But don't worry.
I'm gonna stay with you, okay?
I don't want to leave you.
You're gonna be fine.
Really falling apart in here, huh?
So are you, apparently.
I've seen that before.
I'll feed soon.
Is that a threat?
I guess it is.
When we first talked about you coming home with me,
you weren't my prisoner.
Now you are.
Is your wife fine with that plan?
Because she seemed pretty surprised to learn that I was your daughter.
And definitely not happy.
She did that to Nico.
Wow.
Well, that's my fault.
I haven't, uh, handled things well with her.
Especially the depth of my feelings for you.
You will love Gibborim.
You don't need this body. I am this body.
Then I am fine dragging it home with me.
Once we get there, you'll have a million years to talk about your feelings.
But if you make it easy for me...
I'll make sure that your friends don't turn into digital dust
when this algorithm collapses.
It's your choice.
I'll find another way.
Think it over.
Time is short.
Alex! Hurry up!
Stop fighting it, Nico.
Your fear's holding you back.
There is no need to be afraid of the dark.
I can't control it.
Control is overrated.
Trust yourself. You have the power to save your friends right now.
You just have to let it in.
Alex, shut it down!
We have to fight now.
Wish it all away.
It's working.
Are you okay? I'm sure it was hard to say goodbye to Gert.
Are you kidding? That version of Gert was so nice and complimentary.
It kind of freaked me out.
Thanks.
If we can just imagine people away in here,
then can't we just imagine a way out?
All we're changing in here is our perception of things.
But to open the door on the outside,
we need someone to manipulate the tech in the lab.
I haven't figured out how to do that yet.
Yeah, well, not that I'm opposed to some quality mother‐son bonding time,
but we got to find Karolina and get the hell out of here.
All right, I'm sure she's close. Look for any crack in the wall.
- Karolina! - Where are you?
If I'm not even real...
why do you look so sad?
Because this might be as‐as close as I ever get to the real Nico again.
I'm just happy to spend
whatever time I can with you.
Karolina!
Chase?
Follow my voice.
‐ Is it really you?
Are you at your wedding?
Your algorithm isn't your wedding to Gert?
Not exactly.
We need to get you in here.
It's the only way to stop this glitching and escape.
- How? - That's what's cool.
All right, just close your eyes and wish it all away.
I can't.
What if this is all there is? Karolina, none of it is real.
If you want to see the real Nico again, you've got to try.
Okay.
I'm here and she's gone. Is it weird that I don't know how to feel?
Everything about this is weird. There's no time for survivor's guilt.
We're all still in jeopardy, and who knows how long this place will hold
or what Jonah has planned.
I saw him. He'll have to feed soon.
He's not gonna kill you. He's your dad. He's kind of your dad too.
Yeah, but there's not enough Victor in there to save me.
Well, he'll kill me first.
But when I visited Victor in the algorithm, there was a door‐‐
a way to pass through from the physical world to this one and then back again.
If we can find that door, we might be able to push through.
And if we can't? CHASE: Well, then we find a way to break it down.
I got it!
Let's see if Alex unlocked it.
Classic Wilder. I'm sure he's trying.
Chase?
I thought that being in one place would stop the glitching.
This isn't a glitch. He's suffocating!
Nico!
I know you're in here.
And I know your weakness...
is these friends of yours.
How many do I have to kill...
before you reveal yourself?
Can you just wish for more air?
This is happening in the real world! Somebody's manipulating the controls!
If something out there can affect what's happening in here,
then maybe the opposite is also true.
Yes! Use the energy of your light to turn up the oxygen in the tube.
Do it! Now!
I found the controls. I'm merging with them.
Focus on the lab. Chase's tube.
Wait. Something‐‐ Something bad is happening.
I feel like I'm vaporizing into mist. It's pulling me apart.
Turn the air on now or Chase dies!
I think I got it.
Karolina!
It took you long enough.
Not this time, Witch.
You're not strong enough to take it from me.
I don't have to take it.
Let me connect again. I can try to open the door from the outside.
No, it's too dangerous. You almost didn't come back.
But maybe you can give me a boost.
Wait, wait.
If it's too dangerous for her, then it's too dangerous for you.
Every time I get close, the combination changes. I need more time!
Working on it!
Oh, my God.
It's just as you said. I can feel Alex unlocking the door.
I'm in!
I did it. It's unlocked!
Karolina, you need to go.
Kinda wished I hadn't destroyed that Staff.
It'd be real justice to drive it through your body like you did mine.
Hey!
You were right. It didn't take long.
No, Mom. I won't leave you.
What's happening?
It already happened, Chase.
I'm already part of it.
Part of what?
The Algorithm.
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
No, no. You have to come with us. Through the door.
No, if I take my hands off the door, it will become solid again.
I need to hold it open.
But that means...
I'm staying here.
Wait...
Where is here exactly?
This is where we'd come when you were little.
Just the two of us.
When your dad was away on work trips.
We'd camp out and look at the stars spread across the sky.
You taught me the constellations here.
And you knew them all.
Even then, I could tell the potential that you had.
You're everything I ever hoped you'd be.
And now we're here.
No, no, no. We're not anywhere. All right? We've got to get back.
And I've seen you be brave and...
brilliant...
and loving with your friends. I couldn't be more proud.
And I want you to know how hard it is for me to let you go.
But trust me...
you're all set.
And I chose this perfect place...
for us to say goodbye.
What is happening?
Mom, how can I save you?
I don't need to be saved.
Don't be sad.
No. I'm not ready.
Yes, you are.
They're free!
What happened to Janet? Is she‐‐.
She's gone.
Well, kinda not. It's hard to explain.
Ow!
Come on.
Guys, wait.
Hey, you want me to drive? Not even a little bit.
Hey.
I know that I made it rough on you when you killed Jonah.
But now that I've been there, I get it.
Sometimes you have to do a terrible thing for one good thing to happen.
All right, everyone, get some sleep. We'll reconvene in the morning.
Can I just say what we're all thinking?
No one else is thinking it.
It's all you.
We're really just welcoming him back after everything?
I'm standing right here. You don't have to third person me.
- He's been through a lot. - Yeah, and so have we.
And Gert's right. Most of it's been his fault.
Okay, I guess we're sticking with the third person.
He just lost his mom and his dad.
Okay. I feel bad about that for sure.
The more parents we lose, the safer we get.
One night. MOLLY: Wait.
I was pissed at Chase too for betraying us and being a coward‐‐.
Still right here, guys.
But this is our moment of victory.
And we're all here together.
I've basically lost two sets of parents,
and I'll be damned if I lose any more family members.
Yeah. Chase is family.
Even if he's a cowardly betrayer. Which he definitely is.
All I'm saying is...
I think he should stay.
And you all can just get over it.
Because we're a family.
So, say your "sorrys" to each other, and let's celebrate!
Yeah, um... One night.
I'm pretty beat.
I tried.
I appreciate it.
Wait.
What about the fourth member of the Gibb family?
We're not safe until he's discovered and destroyed.
Well... We'll, uh‐‐ we'll be on high alert tonight.
In the morning, we can try and figure out a way to draw him out.
No. You don't understand.
Karolina cannot be alone with Nico.
She's not safe.
Wait, are you saying that Nico is the alien?
No. Honestly, that's probably just your jealousy talking, Xavin.
That's kinda not cool, X.
I know that it's hard for you to see Nico and I together,
especially because you believe in your prophesy,
but now that we're both back‐‐ No.
No, I‐‐.
I think she's right.
I, uh...
I've been having these waking dreams.
Hallucinations.
I think that thing is inside of me.
And if it is, then none of you are safe.