Morning Glories 23

Morning Glories 23 is the 23rd issue of Morning Glories, and part 4 in the "Truants" arc. It was originally solicited for September 26, 2012, but was released two months later on November 28, 2012.
==Solicitation==
Tagline: "Promises, Promises."
==Synopsis==
===Flashback===
Two Years Ago: As night falls, shots are fired and Irina is tossed out the wall of the seemingly-empty greenhouse with a rifle strapped to her back. Inside, Georgina Daramount and Nine are gloating over Vanessa and Akiko's failed attempt to rescue Fortunato. Daramount plots their punishment when Lara Hodge runs in shouting her name in distress. She tells her to hurry, it's about their father. As they run up to the greenhouse, Daramount demands answers from the guards, but none are forthcoming. Hodge tries to shield Daramount from the contents of the greenhouse, but she looks in anyways. She is aghast at what she sees and wonders who did this while a cut and bloody Irina hides behind the greenhouse.
A group of guards enter the forest hunting Irina when a large explosion scatters them. Irina takes a walkie talkie off one of the eviscerated guards, listens, and disappears into the woods.
A few days later, Fortunato finds an injured and weak Irina in the dark woods. He builds a fire and tells her that the school is scared and has locked everyone away. They are asking questions about her but the others are unharmed. Irina admits that she had failed. Fortunato's surprise suggests that the students were told otherwise. Irina says that "he" is too powerful and he deceived her. Fortunato fears that they are out of options but Irina corrects him: there is another way, they have to kill the son of Abraham.
===Now===
Fortunato runs into the basement of the academy to a room full of doors. He opens one with a set of keys to find a drugged Akiko in the padded room. He helps her out and tells her that she's been in there for nearly a month. He helps her up the stairs, rifles through someone's desk, and fires a flare out the window. Akiko comments that this is the "weirdest first date ever" as they descend another set of stairs back into the basement. She asks if there are any more big surprises. Fortunato replies "just one" as they turn the corner and see Jun Fukayama and his four robed friends performing the The Ceremony by the altar. Akiko recognizes the ceremony and wants to help. Fortunato tells her that they will pray and they hold hands.
Hisao regains consciousness. He was bound and being carried through the woods by Vanessa, Irina, Guillaume, and Ian (who complains about how heavy he is). Irina orders him to be dropped and tries to reason with him. Hisao angrily retorts that if she wanted to reason with him, his hands would not be tied. Irina sighs that he was always so emotional and prepares to strike him again, but Guillaume leaps to his defense. He thinks that they are asking too much of Hisao and that they owe him an explanation.
He unties Hisao and Irina explains that there is a price for entering and using the power of The Tower, A Sacrifice is Always Demanded. Hisao is furious that they used his brother. Irina retorts that it had to be him, since he wasn't one of them. Hisao accuses Irina of forgetting all that Abraham had taught them, but Irina claims that everything she does is for him and is shocked that Hisao would endanger "all that is worth saving" for his brother since he should consider them his family now. Hisao rejects this and tells her they are nothing to him and walks away.
Irina raises her rifle and prepares to shoot. Vanessa protests and Guillaume calls for Hisao to wait. Irina warns Vanessa not to interfere and Hisao derides Irina for threatening another member of her "family". She claims she does what must be done and Hisao dares her to pull the trigger, he is not afraid of her. She claims that both of them know that is not true.
Unimpressed, Hisao vows to find his brother, his friend (Hunter), and fix all the damage that Irina has done. Challenging her to shoot him if she must, Hisao runs and walks away. Irina shouts at him in frustration, but lowers her gun and lets him leave. Ian sneers at her for having her bluff called and Irina says that it doesn't matter. When Guillaume asks if he should follow Hisao, Irina orders him to stay with the group; Hisao is too late to change anything anyways.
As Akiko and Fortunato close their eyes and hold hands, David descends the stairs behind them. The two truants open their eyes and start away just as David passes in between them. As David approaches the altar, all the other students except for Jun recognize him and flee. Jun is either unaware of David or is too consumed by the ceremony and does not move until David sticks his ephemeral fingers through Jun's head.
As Hisao is running back to the school, Fortunato and Akiko look on in horror as Jun slowly sinks the ground, David's hand still in his head. Akiko, seeming to become more lucid, declares that this "isn't what we're supposed to do". Before he can protest, she kisses Fortunato, thanks him for a lovely first date, and confronts David. She tells David to leave Jun alone, Jun isn't who he wants but Akiko is. Fortunato tries to stop her but Akiko says it's ok, she has faith. David touches her in the forehead and a bright light shines out of her. Fortunato is temporarily blinded, Jun is lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, Hisao is racing towards the school as a pillar of light shoots out of it, and Akiko passes out among flashes of light as the floor collapses around her.
Having left The Cave, Ike and Jade are walking through the sunlit forest. They discuss the fact that Ike's father is locked up in the academy. Jade claims that he is lucky, the rest of the student's parents don't remember them. Ike remarks that his situation does seem reversed: Abraham ignored him during his childhood,and now seems to be a constant influence. Just as Ike comments on how no one has ever been happy to see him, they are surrounded by academy guards pointing guns, proving his point.
==Characters==
===Featured Characters===
*The Truants
**Irina
**Guillaume
**Vanessa Richmond
**Fortunato
**Akiko
**Ian
*The Glories
**Hisao Fukayama
**Jade Ellsworth
**Ike
*Jun Fukayama
===Supporting Characters===
*Ms. Daramount
*Nine
==Continuity==
*
==Trivia==
*The rooms that Fortunato rescues Akiko from are the same rooms where Jade found Megan in Issue 10. Megan can be seen watching quizzically from one of the cells.
*When Zoe was about to stab Hunter in Morning Glories 19, she told him to "close [his] eyes...and have faith". When Akiko waits for David, she closes her eyes and says she has faith.
===Cover===
The cover depicts a bloody hand protruding from the head of a screaming individual, a direct reference to Jun Fukayama's death by the hands of David.
==Goofs==
==Cultural References==
* When talking about his father, Ike claims that Harry Chapin would understand. Harry Chapin wrote Cat's in the Cradle, a song about an awkward father-son relationship.
==Questions==
===Answered Questions===
*Which son does Irina want to kill, Ike or David? Answer
===Unanswered Questions===
*Whose desk did Fortunato rifle through? What was the purpose?
*Why did the school lie about the Headmaster's death?
==Quotes==
==References==
==External links==
*Morning Glories Study Hall #23 at Multiversity Comics
*Morning Glories #23 (Digital Comics) at Imagecomics.com
*MG 23 Tiny Chat
Category:Issue
Category:Irina/Appearances
Category:Georgina Daramount/Appearances
Category:Nine/Appearances
Category:Vanessa Richmond/Appearances
Category:Akiko/Appearances
Category:Lara Hodge/Appearances
Category:Jun Fukayama/Appearances
Category:Guillaume Sorel/Appearances
Category:Ian Simon/Appearances
Category:David/Appearances
Category:Ike/Appearances
Category:Megan/Appearances
Category:Greenhouse/Appearances
Category:Hisao Fukayama/Appearances
Category:Fortunato Medeiros/Appearances
Category:Jade Ellsworth/Appearances