Runaways #5

(Los Angeles)

In the Majesdanian ship, vaRikk, deHalle and the General are set hunt the Runaways until vaRikk notices a major hot spot at the top of the Runaways' building, like an engine firing up... the Runaways have prepared to run away.

(Malibu road)

On his motor cycle, Chase rides towards the house spotting the Leapfrog leave without him. At first, Chase is angry - his anger then turns to shock when the upcomign Majesdanian ship shoots a gluttonous bubble which cocoons around him. In the Leapfrog, the Runaways have frantically prepared to make the leap away from the ship. Nico understands they can't go up, seeing as it would only make them closer to the Majesdanian's large ship. Before Karolina can inform them of the weapons they have on the ship, the Leapfrog is promptly hit with a solid blast.

The Leapfrog is rocked by the attack, but continues on its wayward path. The Majesdanians close in fast, so Victor pilots the ship quickly downwards. The Runaways are now getting annoyed with Victor's inability to drive the frog; Molly throws up over Klara.

Chase attempts to get him out of the bubble; this turns out to be pointless, as the bubble is very flexible. He gives up after a short while, realizing that it's never going to break. He reaches into the back part of his cycle and grabs the Fistigons; he uses one to blast the bubble, but the bubble simply warms up. Chase decides to get more juice... a second later, the bubble explodes, but so does Chase's motor cycle. As it turns out, Chase used both his Fistigons and "Footstigons" (feet versions of the gauntlets) to break out the bubble.

As the Leapfrog and the Majesdanian ship left without him, Chase rushes off into the garage to see what's in there. He tries to start an impressive Honda Civic, but nothing happens - he is out of gas. The Volks Wagen bus next to him, however, isn't. A short time later, Chase drives out of the garage in the VW bus wondering where the Runaways left. Before he can answer himself, the Leapfrog crash lands next to him in flames. The Leapfrog takes off again, heading into the sky with a plume of black smoke leaving a sorry trail behind it - this is closely followed by the Majesdanian ship. Chase is concerned for his friends, and gets ready to rock. He turns the key but the bus simply chugs into life, driving after the Leapfrog and the Majesdanian ship.

In the Leapfrog, Molly informs everyone that one of her fillings has fallen out. Nico is shocked - they don't have health care. Molly, however, apologizes and tells them she was just joking. Nico, frustrated, turns her head away from her.

Victor suddenly understands - they are no longer under the effect of the scatter spell; Molly had just apologized. Xavin assumes Victor is right; clearly, the Majesdanians are free of the spell. And, everyone did get into the Leapfrog when Nico ordered them to. Nico is stunned to realize they are correct; she asks everyone, after the count of three, to yell cheese. "One! Two!... three!" Everyone (including Old Lace) shouts cheese, and Nico clenches her fists in recognition that the team is back together, free of the scatter spell. Their joy is cut short as once again, the Majesdanian ship opens fire on them... in a hunt that takes place all night long.

(Los Angeles, the next morning)

Chase rumbles through traffic; having chased the Runaways all night, the VW bus is running out of gas. Frustrated, he punches the console of the bus and a dashboard pops out, revealing several hidden technical buttons. Chase is intrigued; he presses a button labelled "Steinbus". In an instant, the VW is transformed into a rocket-powered bus, with four engines popping out of the back. The engines kick into life, and the VW is instantly propelled forwards at high speed. Chase presses the button next to it; wings. Instantly, wings pop out of the back of the bus and the van becomes airborne. "Jackpottttttttttt!!!!" cries Chase as the bus surpasses all his expectations.

Elsewhere, the Leapfrog is still being chased by the far superior Majesdane ship. Nico realizes that they have little hope of losing them and asks for the cloaking device; this doesn't work, as the Majesdanians will still be able to find them through Karolina's energy signature. The only thing they must do is fight; Karolina is unwilling to fight the survivors of her planet. But it is Molly Hayes who has the idea; she raises her hand, but Nico doesn't want any more of her jokes. Molly, annoyed, sits back reminding them she is a member of the team as well. Molly's idea is for Karolina to put on her bracelet; if that was how her powers were kept hidden, it can hide her energy from the Majesdanian police.

Everyone is stunned with Molly's plan. It makes total sense. But a disappointed Karolina mentions she doesn't have it anymore... Xavin does, and had kept it all this time. Before she can put it onto her wrist, Nico asks them to wait. She has a plan.

(Long Beach)

In Long Beach, a tour guide informs a crowd of tourists of the RSM Queen Mary, moored nearby. The Leapfrog flies into one of the Queen Mary's large engines, activates the cloaking device and Karolina puts on her bracelet. They are in utter stealth mode. Sure enough, the Majesdanian ship, unable to find the Leapfrog, slowly flies away. As the Runaways celebrate their accomplishment, Nico, horrified, notices something out the window.

Chase Stein, in his VW bus is flying towards the Majesdanian ship, guns blazing.

Notes:

This issue features the RMS Queen Mary, a ship moored in Long Beach, California, after serving for thirty-one years as an ocean liner. Chase sings "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf. Chase also refers to the bus as "Woodstock", the so-called hippie era's famed 1969 festival. VW buses were very popular with the hippie crowd.