Split Up

Split Up is the thirteenth and final episode of the second season of the television series Runaways.
==Synopsis==
Angry at his betrayal, the Runaways meet with Chase. He offers them a choice: surrender to PRIDE or face the consequences. As the kids attempt their escape, they're separated and forced to survive against an enemy far more pernicious than they expected.
==Plot==
Using her communication powers, Xavin explains their story to Karolina Dean: they arrived on Earth in the same spaceship as the Magistrate and his family, and they believes in a prophecy according to which they and Dean are supposed to marry to save the universe. The experience leaves Dean puzzled as Xavin expresses their wish to wed her, but their exchange is interrupted by the arrival of Nico Minoru. Together, the Runaways discuss this newcomer in addition to Leslie Dean, who is already sheltered at the Hostel.
Another issue requires the Runaways' attention: Alex Wilder is called by Chase Stein, who has been asked by PRIDE to convince his former teammates to peacefully return home, else they will not hesitate to force them to do so. Despite his teammates refusing to meet Chase, Alex still agrees to convene for a meeting. Once the call is ended, Victor Stein arrives and tells Chase that the specs of the weapons PRIDE had prepared have been changed and that the weapons are thus significantly more dangerous than intended.
The Runaways prepare for the meeting with Chase. Despite her insistence, Xavin is instructed to remain in the Hostel and to protect Leslie. The Runaways then meet with Chase in a discussion tainted with much hostility, especially from Chase's former girlfriend Gert Yorkes. Chase insists that the Runaways are in danger and that they cannot win against PRIDE, arguing that their parents promised to give them the reins of the organization if they come back home. This is not enough to persuade the Runaways, who declare themselves ready to battle against PRIDE.
As Chase leaves, the Runaways are immediately attacked by a flock of PRIDE Drones remotely controlled by Tina Minoru. The drones render much of the Runaways' powers and equipment useless: Karolina's powers are inefficient, Nico's mind is unable to focus on a spell and the Fistigons are disabled by an EMP. In order to make the fight easier for them, the Runaways decide to split up, leading to an intense chase across Los Angeles.
Going on his own, Alex manages to steal a car and is immediately chased by his parents Geoffrey and Catherine. Arriving in a street where he can no longer drive, Alex flees on foot and manages to hide from his parents. He then fires with the gun which had been used by Darius Davis for a previous crime and which had been given to Alex by Tamar. Alex then plants the gun in his parents' car and calls the LAPD. He is confronted by his parents and blames them for their crimes before escaping one more time as the LAPD arrive and arrest both Geoffrey and Catherine.
Gert and Molly Hernandez flee together, and manage to destroy the two drones chasing them thanks to Earl's scooter. They try to hide from Dale and Stacey Yorkes in a market. Hernandez manages to escape from Dale by pretending to the crowd that he is a pedophile. Gert is followed by Stacey, who loses control to the Magistrate's Wife, who brutally knocks Gert unconscious. Dale arrives and is instructed to bring Gert back, but since Dale has grown fearful of his wife's strange behavior, chooses to take both Gert and Old Lace away from PRIDE and the Runaways.
Initially, Karolina and Nico also run away together, but since there is only one drone chasing them, they decide to split up as well. Tina chooses to follow Karolina, who hides in an abandoned building while being seemingly chased by Victor, actually the Magistrate having taken full control of his body. Using Inhibitor Pods, the Magistrate manages to incapacitate Karolina, who understands that her father is still alive. Despite the arrival of Xavin, who left the Hostel after warning Leslie that the Magistrate would come for her baby, Karolina is captured.
Nico goes to the PRIDE Headquarters to put an end to the conflict, and soon has to fight both Tina and Robert Minoru. She manages to hold her own against her parents for a time, but they are far too powerful for her to defeat. Nico is knocked unconscious, but this only causes her Dark Dimension powers to manifest, and she uses them to shatter large panels of glass and to project the shards on her parents. This deeply wounds Robert, enabling Nico to leave and to return to the Hostel.
The Magistrate takes the unconscious Karolina to the Stein Mansion, where Chase and Janet Stein wait for him as they figured out that there is something wrong with Victor. They, in turn, understand that the Magistrate is still alive and attempt to stop him with an inhibitor, but they fail and are captured as well. The Magistrate then asks both his wife and his daughter (who now completely controls Tina) to join him, and explains that they will build another spaceship while using Karolina, Chase, and Janet as hosts if necessary. They also wonder where the Magistrate's Son is and hypothesize that he could be possessing a Runaway.
Only three Runaways manage to return to the Hostel: Alex, Nico, and Hernandez. They are soon joined by Xavin, who explains that Karolina was captured. Together, they understand that they still have to deal not only with the Magistrate but also with his family, and they contemplate their failure as half of their team is now missing, despite Alex trying to reassure them that they can work this out.
==Cast==
Main Cast:
*Rhenzy Feliz as Alex Wilder
*Lyrica Okano as Nico Minoru / Xavin (disguise)
*Virginia Gardner as Karolina Dean / Xavin (disguise)
*Ariela Barer as Gert Yorkes
*Gregg Sulkin as Chase Stein
*Allegra Acosta as Molly Hernandez
*Angel Parker as Catherine Wilder
*Ryan Sands as Geoffrey Wilder
*Annie Wersching as Leslie Dean
*Kip Pardue as Frank Dean (credit only)
*Ever Carradine as Janet Stein
*James Marsters as Victor Stein / Magistrate
*Brigid Brannagh as Stacey Yorkes / Magistrate's Wife
*Kevin Weisman as Dale Yorkes
*Brittany Ishibashi as Tina Minoru / Magistrate's Daughter
*James Yaegashi as Robert Minoru
*Julian McMahon as Jonah (credit only)
Guest Stars:
*Clarissa Thibeaux as Xavin
*Ryan Dorsey as Mike on a Bike / Xavin (disguise)
*Jorge Diaz as Earl
*Kate Mines as Vendor
*Shelly Das as Officer #1
*Bobby Foley as Officer #2
*Christian Torres Villalobos as Customer #1
*Peggy Lu as Customer #2
==Appearances==
===Locations===
*Los Angeles, California
**Hostel
**PRIDE Headquarters
**Stein Mansion
**Gower Car Wash
**Union Swapmeet
*Gibborim (projection)
*Alaska (mentioned)
*Crater (mentioned)
*Malaysia (mentioned)
===Events===
*Chase of the Runaways
*Rescue of Leslie Dean (mentioned)
*Battle at the PRIDE Construction Site (mentioned)
*Infiltration into the Minoru Mansion (mentioned)
*Rite of Blood (mentioned)
*Assassination of Darius Davis (mentioned)
===Items===
*Fistigons
*Staff of One
*PRIDE Drone
*Inhibitor Pods
*Subsonic Wave Generator
*Multidirectional Tranquilizer Dart
*Abstract (projection)
*Book of Gibborim (mentioned)
*Synnergy Serum (mentioned)
*Healing Algorithm (mentioned)
===Vehicles===
*Nemo Leapfrog
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*Magistrate's Ship (projection)
===Sentient Species===
*Humans
*Gibborim
*Xartans
===Creatures===
*Deinonychus
**Old Lace
===Organizations===
*Runaways
*PRIDE
*Geoffrey Wilder Construction Inc.
*Wizard
*Nemo
*Synnergy
*Los Angeles Police Department
*Forbes
*Church of Gibborim (mentioned)
===Mentioned===
*Elle Dean
*Darius Davis
*Tamar
*Amy Minoru
*Jonah
*Magistrate's Son
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==Music==
Song title	Artist 	Location(s)
Watch Me 	Jaden Smith 	
*Alex Wilder steals a car from a car wash, then ends up in a car chase with a drone and his parents.
Mi Gente 	J Balvin & Willy William	
*Molly Hernandez and Gert Yorkes split up at a market in an attempt to escape their parents.
Lapse 	Black Math 	
*Nico Minoru, Molly Hernandez and Alex Wilder reunite at the Hostel. Xavin informs the others that the Magistrate has Karolina Dean and there are others aliens with him. The Magistrate's family discuss who to eat first.
==Trivia==
*This episode includes an epitaph before the ending credits for the late Stan Lee.
*This episode is the first and so far only Runaways episode where Leslie Dean does not wear white clothes.
==References==
==External Links==
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Category:Runaways (TV series) Episodes