Morning Glories 28

Morning Glories 28 is the 28th issue of Morning Glories.
==Solicitation==
The double-sized conclusion to the Season 2 Premiere!
Tagline: "... And There Is No End."
==Synopsis==
===Flashback===
One Year Ago: Clarkson and Lara Hodge are in front of the school during the parent-teacher meeting. Clarkson shouts at Lara for abandoning her for twelve years. Lara protests that she had been keeping in touch. Clarkson rants about what the last twelve years have been like for her, and how she's still uncertain if her actions will save her parents. Hodge reminds her of their agreement, and the importance of keeping one's word. Clarkson asks if Lara is here to bring her back; Lara wasn't.  She's there to make sure that Clarkson is fully aware of the cost that will be demanded, and whether Clarkson will be willing to pay it. Clarkson is incensed; after all the things she's done at Lara's orders, she has the nerve to ask? There is nothing Clarkson won't do to "end this."
After Lara leaves, Clarkson is visibly shaken. Tom Reed comes out and asks who she was talking to. She denies talking to anybod,y and asks if she can borrow his car to go home. As she's driving down the street, a Christian broadcast comes up on the radio. At first, Clarkson is bemused at her boyfriend's choice of station. However, the broadcast starts reading from Psalm 116, and Clarkson tries turning off the radio without success.  As soon as she hears "The sorrows of Death compassed me" read out, she starts becoming increasingly agitated and distracted. She doesn't notice a bright light ahead of her until it's too late and her windshield is shattered.
===Now===
Casey Blevins is standing in front of the activated Cylinder while Lara watches from the doorway. Lara asks if she's ready. Casey talks about how she would dream about the Cylinder. Lara expresses sympathy, but reminds her that they're running our of time.
Outside the school walls, Georgina Daramount is interrogating The Truants about Irina's whereabouts. They all deny that Irina told them anything, she just ran off. When Vanessa says that Irina planned to kill "the son of Abraham", Daramount becomes extremely concerned and orders the guards to sweep the grounds. However, at this moment, Irina exits the school, surrounded by tame guards, and with Abraham, Jade and unconscious Ike in custody.
Dr. Ellsworth and Hunter are walking through the ruins of the academy. Dr. Ellsworth wants to show him something. As they approach the front door, they are suddenly surrounded by figures in Brown robes. Hunter asks if they should be worried, but she replies "not at the moment". A strong headwind blows Hunter back, but leaves Ellsworth unaffected. Hunter asks about it, but Ellsworth says to keep going, it will pass. As Hunter slowly makes his way against the wind, he spots a familiar face in one of the robes: Reginald Gribbs. Hunter mentions it to Ellsworth and she replies "I know". Another hooded figure (Fortunato) takes off his hood, calls Hunter's name, and asks if he's ok. Hunter replies yeah, he's just got this weird pain. Fortunato replies "Oh sure. Well, if you're still going to see Mr. N, can you give him something for me?" and hands Hunter a melon. Hunter narrates all this to Ellsworth who watches in a bemused manner. Hunter collapses onto the ground, surrounded by hooded figures, the melon by his side, and asks "why doesn't anyone else feel this?"
Hunter wakes up screaming in Nine's office. Ellsworth tells him to relax, he passed out. Hunter is suddenly nauseated and vomits into a garbage can held by Ellsworth. He has a premonition of something bad happening.
Daramount marches up to confront Irina; she wants to know why the guards are not taking her into custody. Irina replies that they no longer answer to Daramount. Dramount ignores this and continues to chide Irina. Irina tells her that she was always annoyed by Daramount, but didn't have the opportunity to tell her so until now. At Irina's command, Daramount suddenly loses the ability to breathe. She collapses, suffocating as Vanessa tells Irina to stop this, it isn't what they came here to do. Irina smirks and releases Daramount so she can observe what Irina's going to do.
Irina turns and faces the crowd of students. She says that they might remember her as the one who liberated herself from the academy and now she is back to enlighten them as to the cause of their suffering. She claims to have brought "him" in front of the students to face their judgement and has Ike dropped at her feet.
Lara reminds Casey of the urgency of their task, and that Irina is about to cause significant damage from being "an angry little girl playing god ". Casey reminds her that Lara had no problem letting her play god, but Lara says that the two of them are nothing alike, at this age all the kids are convinced they know a lot more than they do. Lara assures Casey that despite appearances, Lara has always been on her side. Casey is angered, but Lara reminds her that this was their agreement and she's the only one who can set things right.
Hunter is woken up my a thunderous noise. Ellsworth tells him he fell asleep again and asks if he feels better. Hunter says he thinks so as bright lights suddenly appear before him. Ellsworth asks what he sees and he responds "little sparks of light" and that he had seen them before. They have some significance, but he cannot remember and falls back asleep. Ellsworth says he's almost ready.
Hunter and Ellsworth are in a ruined library. Hunter asks why they are there and Ellsworth says it's for answers and gestures to a book titled "Morning Glories Academy Test Answers Book ". Hunter opens the book and is amazed at what he's reading. As he's reading, Ellsworth tells him about the three dreams of Descartes, dreams that echo what Hunter is going through at the moment. Hunter finds another book hidden under the test manual. It's a Latinbook of poetry and he starts reading aloud from it. The Library Guy appears, offers him a book, and starts discussing the readings with Hunter. He then points Hunter towards another book on the table: "The Morning Glories Academy Yearbook ". Hunter observes that it's the yearbook for his class, but when he opens it, it's not The Glories, but a picture of Julie Hayes titled "Most Likely to Succeed".
Ellsworth tells Hunter to follow and they leave the library. As they descend the stairs, Hunter tells Ellsworth how the story of Descartes reminded him of a story about Philip K. Dick where he had a recurring dream about re-finding a story that had all the answers of the universe. Ellsworth tells him about how Descartes spent his whole life trying to find the secret truth that hid behind all things. She also tells him that the answers are not for her to give, they're for him to find. Hunter asks why him, and Ellsworth replies that Hunter's mother was right, he is going to do the most amazing things. Hunter is momentarily stunned that Ellsworth knows about his mother, but she reminds him about the "chess game": What Casey is about to do will put all the pieces back, but will cost her dearly. She tells Hunter that he can help her by being there when Casey needs him, opens a door, and reveals Casey walking up to the Cylinder.
Casey walks up to the cylinder as Hunter runs towards her. Ellsworth turns and leaves out the door she came from and Lara averts her eyes. Casey, with tears in her eyes, touches the cylinder and there are a series of scenes.
Meanwhile, Irina is giving a speech to the students, telling them that they are being used by the teachers when it is the students that have the power. The teachers failed their own test and are the ones responsible for the student's pain. Irina proclaims that the students have given enough and that this must end.
==Characters==
===Featured===
*The Glories
**Casey Blevins
**Jade Ellsworth
**Hunter
*Irina
*Lara Hodge
*Georgina Daramount
===Supporting Characters===
*Vanessa Richmond
*Ian
*Fortunato Medeiros
*Guillaume
*Tom Reed
==Continuity==
*It's been "twelve years" since Casey last saw Lara at the army base.
*The "Hair and glasses thing" is how Lara instructed Casey to disguise herself as Daramount.
*Some of what Casey had to do on Lara's orders was depicted in Morning Glories 26.
*Lara told Casey to "pretend you're god" in Morning Glories 16.
*The flashes when Casey is in the car all follow the images seen in Morning Glories 13, when she first time-travels.
==Trivia==
*The variant cover by Joe Eisma is a tribute to The Walking Dead #33.
==Goofs==
*
==Cultural References==
*Philip K. Dick's dream search for the story was later incorporated into his VALIS trilogy. This postulated that Dick had been contacted by a "transcendental, mystical mind" linking back to the theme in this series of a secret truth behind all things.
==Questions==
===Unanswered questions===
*How was Lara keeping in touch with Casey? Were notes passed back and forth or was Casey's notebook a communication device (e.g. psychic paper)?
*What does Clarkson mean by "end this"?
==Quotes==
==Variant Covers==
MG28- C-Eisma.png|Variant "A" by Rodin Esquejo
MG28- A-Esquejo.png|Variant "B" by Medhi Cheggour
MG28- B-Cheggour.png|Variant "C" by Joe Eisma
MG28- D-Forbes.png|Variant "D" by Scott Forbes
MG28- E-Irving.png|Variant "E" by Frazer Irving
MG28- 0002 F-Moore.png|Variant "F" by Tradd Moore
MG28-G-Rosmo.png|Variant "G" by Riley Rossmo
MG28- H-Wilson-III.png|Variant "H" by Charles Paul Wilson III
==References==
==External links==
*MGA Study hall
*MG Tinychat 28
Category:Issue
Category:Casey Blevins/Appearances
Category:Lara Hodge/Appearances
Category:Georgina Daramount/Appearances
Category:Guillaume Sorel/Appearances
Category:Vanessa Richmond/Appearances
Category:Ian Simon/Appearances
Category:Cylinder/Appearances
Category:Irina/Appearances
Category:Abraham/Appearances
Category:Ike/Appearances
Category:Hunter/Appearances
Category:Reginald Gribbs/Appearances
Category:Tom Reed/Appearances
Category:Professor Meylikhov/Appearances
Category:The Library Guy/Appearances
Category:Julie Hayes/Appearances
Category:Fortunato Medeiros/Appearances
Category:Jade Ellsworth/Appearances
Category:The Scientist/Appearances
Category:The Headmaster/Appearances