(The scene is a spa. Dalix and Angela are sitting about, having a skin treatment with cucumbers on their eyes and everything. They’re chitchatting about their various plans.)
Dalix: So how’s your whatever-it-is with Annie going?
Angela: I don’t know. He’s been nice to me, but I don’t think I’m really gaining his trust.
Dalix: Not surprised. Giving up yet?
Angela: No.
Dalix: Man, can’t you come up with some other plan? I mean, this thing with Annie seems like such a clumsy solution.
Angela: I can’t think of anything else. The cult’s growing more splintered by the day, and I can’t say I’m popular enough to unify it on my own.
Dalix: I thought you said you had influence.
Angela: Who said I didn’t?
Dalix: I bet they all hate you, save for a couple guys with crushes on you.
Angela: It’s nothing of the sort.
Dalix: I’m sure it’s not, darling.
Angela (frowning and deciding to derail this part of the conversation): The best thing I can do is kill Omen. Obviously I can’t 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. That’d put me in a good position.
Dalix: Pfffft. You’re a barrel of laughs, you are.
(Angela’s 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, everyone’s starting to think that maybe we shouldn’t kill him. Now even the more violent factions are starting to give up.
Dalix: Oooh, sucks to be you.
Angela: I’ve got to speed things up before everyone’s 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) I’ll have Reza’s trust in no time.
(Scene change! We’re back at Dalix’s lair, and Annick’s 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? How’d 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: …
Stesha: So dad, did you get your memory back finally?
Annick: Hm? No. I’ve just kind of been winging it.
Angela: I’ll just leave you two alone. I wouldn’t 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. She’s hot and all, but you know my stance on you replacing mom.
Annick: I know.
Stesha: How far have you gotten?
Annick: Nowhere. You’re misinterpreting this.
Stesha: Ah. Should’ve known.
(The door opens and Adamo walks in. He notices Stesha and looks mildly interested.)
Adamo: Hm? You escaped again?
Stesha: You! You’re 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, isn’t that wonderful.
Stesha: Man dad, what’re you doing hanging out with these losers?
Dalix: Don’t talk about me like that, I helped him all the time back in the day.
Stesha: Doesn’t make you any less of a loser. And what’s this idiot doing here anyway?
Adamo: Hey.
Annick: Be nice. They’ve helped me a lot.
Stesha: Well, I’m out of prison now so you don’t need to hang out with them. Let’s go.
Annick: Go where? We’re both fugitives.
Stesha: I don’t know, somewhere. Let’s go find our fake IDs.
Annick: We’re going to stay here a while longer.
Stesha: What?
Dalix: Look, kid, you wouldn’t know, what with your amazing “getting-caught-by-the-police” skills and all, but sometimes you gotta stay where it’s safe. It’s pretty safe here. You and your dad are welcome as long as you need to be here.
Stesha: Dad’s the strongest person in the world! He doesn’t need your help!
Annick: No, Stesha… I really do.
Stesha: Dad?
Annick: I’m… I’m not that strong anymore. Not yet. And not only are the police after us, but some of the heroes are under the impression that I’m 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, we’re out of here!
Dalix: Yeah, yeah, I get the picture. C’mon Dwayne, let’s get back to work.
Adamo: Stop calling me that.
(The two walk into Dalix’s office, bickering the whole way.)
Stesha: Pfft, that guy’s name is Dwayne?
Annick: Yes. (He sits down) Get comfortable. We’ve 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