(The scene is a spa. Dalix and Angela are sitting about, having a skin treatment with cucumbers on their eyes and everything. Theyāre chitchatting about their various plans.)
Dalix: So howās your whatever-it-is with Annie going?
Angela: I donāt know. Heās been nice to me, but I donāt think Iām really gaining his trust.
Dalix: Not surprised. Giving up yet?
Angela: No.
Dalix: Man, canāt you come up with some other plan? I mean, this thing with Annie seems like such a clumsy solution.
Angela: I canāt think of anything else. The cultās growing more splintered by the day, and I canāt say Iām popular enough to unify it on my own.
Dalix: I thought you said you had influence.
Angela: Who said I didnāt?
Dalix: I bet they all hate you, save for a couple guys with crushes on you.
Angela: Itās nothing of the sort.
Dalix: Iām sure itās not, darling.
Angela (frowning and deciding to derail this part of the conversation): The best thing I can do is kill Omen. Obviously I canāt do that, so I have to have someone else do it for me. (She sighs) And then I have to hope I can grab some credit for it. Maybe I can marry Reza. Thatād put me in a good position.
Dalix: Pfffft. Youāre a barrel of laughs, you are.
(Angelaās about to retort when her phone rings. She answers it, has a short conversation, then hangs up. She looks annoyed. Dalix briefly lifts a cucumber slice to look at her.)
Dalix: Something wrong, love?
Angela: Thanks to that interview with Omen that got aired, everyoneās starting to think that maybe we shouldnāt kill him. Now even the more violent factions are starting to give up.
Dalix: Oooh, sucks to be you.
Angela: Iāve got to speed things up before everyoneās turned into peaceful idiots.
(She thinks for a moment, then reaches for her phone. She talks for a few minutes and hangs up.)
Dalix: And that was?
Angela: Calling in a favor, is all. (She smiles) Iāll have Rezaās trust in no time.
(Scene change! Weāre back at Dalixās lair, and Annickās on the couch reading a book. Just then, the door opens and Angela walks in. Stesha is following behind her! Annick sees this and stands up, shocked. Stesha runs over, and the two have a touching father-son hug.)
Annick: Stesha! What happened? Howād you get out?
Stesha: One of the guards just opened my cell and snuck me out!
Annick (looking up at Angela): Did you have a hand in this?
Angela (nodding): I have a friend in the prison. I asked him to help your son out.
Annick: Thank you so much. But⦠why?
Angela: It pained me to think of a father and son being kept apart like that, especially at Christmastime. I had to do something.
Annick: Is that all?
Angela: Of course.
Annick: ā¦
Stesha: So dad, did you get your memory back finally?
Annick: Hm? No. Iāve just kind of been winging it.
Angela: Iāll just leave you two alone. I wouldnāt want to intrude on your reunion.
(She leaves. Annick watches her go, not sure what to make of this sudden act of kindness.)
Stesha: ⦠so is she a friend of yours?
Annick: Ah, sort of.
Stesha: Mmm. Sheās hot and all, but you know my stance on you replacing mom.
Annick: I know.
Stesha: How far have you gotten?
Annick: Nowhere. Youāre misinterpreting this.
Stesha: Ah. Shouldāve known.
(The door opens and Adamo walks in. He notices Stesha and looks mildly interested.)
Adamo: Hm? You escaped again?
Stesha: You! Youāre still around?
Annick: You two know each other?
Stesha: We broke out of prison together.
Adamo (talking as Dalix is entering from behind): Yeah. Me, him and Dalix.
Dalix: Yeah look, a reunion, isnāt that wonderful.
Stesha: Man dad, whatāre you doing hanging out with these losers?
Dalix: Donāt talk about me like that, I helped him all the time back in the day.
Stesha: Doesnāt make you any less of a loser. And whatās this idiot doing here anyway?
Adamo: Hey.
Annick: Be nice. Theyāve helped me a lot.
Stesha: Well, Iām out of prison now so you donāt need to hang out with them. Letās go.
Annick: Go where? Weāre both fugitives.
Stesha: I donāt know, somewhere. Letās go find our fake IDs.
Annick: Weāre going to stay here a while longer.
Stesha: What?
Dalix: Look, kid, you wouldnāt know, what with your amazing āgetting-caught-by-the-policeā skills and all, but sometimes you gotta stay where itās safe. Itās pretty safe here. You and your dad are welcome as long as you need to be here.
Stesha: Dadās the strongest person in the world! He doesnāt need your help!
Annick: No, Stesha⦠I really do.
Stesha: Dad?
Annick: Iām⦠Iām not that strong anymore. Not yet. And not only are the police after us, but some of the heroes are under the impression that Iām better off dead⦠we really need to stay under the radar.
Stesha: ⦠fine. Fine. (He glares at Dalix) But if I catch wind of any plots against dad, weāre out of here!
Dalix: Yeah, yeah, I get the picture. Cāmon Dwayne, letās get back to work.
Adamo: Stop calling me that.
(The two walk into Dalixās office, bickering the whole way.)
Stesha: Pfft, that guyās name is Dwayne?
Annick: Yes. (He sits down) Get comfortable. Weāve got a lot to talk about.
(Stesha nods and sits down on the couch next to Annick. The two of them start filling each other in on various matters.)
--End: Episode one hundred ninety-one