ISSUE 203: Monster Problem

This article reveals details from **Season 1** or **Season 2**. Read at your own discretion.

## ISSUE #203: Monster Problem

### Air date

February 1, 2022

**ISSUE #203: Monster Problem** is the third episode of *Season 2 of* Raising Dion*.*

## Plot

### Overview

Using their powers, Dion and Brayden ditch school - sort of. David takes an interest in Pat's potential. Esperanza battles nerves at the auditions.

### Full Plot Summary

Dion meets up with Brayden at school, and is thrilled to have met another kid his age with powers. Brayden however wants Dion to keep this fact a secret from Esperanza and Jonathan. He also reaveals he likes villains more than heroes. Meanwhile, Bioana scientists are still investigating the Sinkhole following the huge spike in activity. Unbeknown to them, Gary, still infected by the spores, returns to the hole. In there, his infection speeds up and begins to mutate him into something else. Elswhere, Kat visits Nicole during her boxing lessons, and keeps pushing her to get closer to Tevin. Nicole finally gives in, answers his phone call, and even invites him to visit her at the gym, where they proceed to have a good talk.

When in class Dion tells Jonathan and Esperanza about the glowing flowers in the sinkhole, but Esperanza has a hard time believing such flowers exist. As their teacher hands her students a test, Brayden uses his powers to pull Dion into his mind and show him the farm he grew up on and his parents. The vision ends when Dion spots Brayden's aunt Joan, who angrily berates Brayden for "letting the devil in". At Biona, David tells Suzanne that Pat's tests show he has no more powers, but Suzanne wants the tests to be run again. Her suspisions are correct since David was lying; Pat still has some Crooked Man energy left in him. David secretly tells Pat this news, who is surprised to find out he still has power, and convinces him to help investigate the sinkhole without Suzanne's knowledge. Pat is reluctant, but agrees.

After school, Dion, Esperanza and Jonathan head to the musical auditions, which are overseen by Kwame. Most auditionees are clearly not cut out for the role. Esperanza is getting cold feet now that the auditions are here, but proceeds with encouragement from her friends. Her first attempt is not quite succesful, but Dion convinces Kwame to let Esperanza try again, and with succes this time. Outside the school, David, Pat and some Biona guards arrive at the sinkhole. Pat is able to sense that the ground at the sinkhole holds a lot of hate and blind anger, but it was there long before the Crooked Energy came along. The Crooked Energy is using it for something now hower. Things go south when first, at Biona, Suzanne notices Pat is gone and orders to have him brought back, and next Brayden notices Pat at the sinkhole and warns Dion. Dion angrily confronts Pat, who tries in vain to convince the boy he is no longer dangerous. Nicole arrives just in time to calm Dion down, while Biona agents led by Suzanne bring Pat back to his cell.

That night, at their home, Nicole apologizes to Dion for what he had to go through today with Pat. Then she gets a phonecall from Suzanne, who wants her to come to the sinkhole, where Biona is once again detecting high levels of activity. Suzanne fears something is down there and that Pat is not the cause. Nicole refuses first, but agrees after Dion admits he went to Biona to get his phone and overheard Suzanne and David talk about the sinkhole. However, as Nicole is looking in the sinkhole, the ground below her collapses and she falls inside. Down in the hole, she comes face to face with Gary, who has fully mutated into some sort of plant monster. Thanks to her boxing lessons, Nicole is able to hold him off, but Gary manages to scratch her. When Biona agents help Nicole out of the hole, Gary escapes, leaving a baffled Suzanne and Nicole behind.

## Cast

### Main cast

* Alisha Wainwright as Nicole Warren
* Ja'Siah Young as Dion Warren
* Jazmyn Simon as Kat Neese
* Sammi Haney as Esperanza Jimenez
* Ali Ahn as Suzanne Wu
* Griffin Robert Faulkner as Brayden Mills
* Josh Ventura as David Marsh
* Jason Ritter as Pat Rollins

### Guest roles

* Aubriana Davis as Janelle Carr
* Tracey Bonner as Simone Carr
* Rome Flynn as Tevin Wakefield
* Gavin Munn as Jonathan King
* Marc Menchaca as Walter Mills
* Rebecca Harris as Joan
* J Harrison Ghee as Kwame
* Suehyla El-Attar as Ms. Burnett
* Kimberly Maxwell as Brayden's Mom
* Sharon Blackwood as Mrs. Bonnie
* Emerson Bennett as Young Brayden
* Cade Tropeano as Dubious Boy

## Trivia

* When Dion and Brayden discuss their dads, Dion wonders if they knew each other, which Brayden can't answer. A flashback in "ISSUE 105: Days of Mark's Future Past" showed the two indeed met and talked in Iceland.