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- "Since we defeated her, we can't disrupt any of what we did. We just need to pull Gert out so she doesn't get killed."
- ―Chase Stein[src]
The Infiltration into the Hostel was a plan executed by a future Chase Stein from 2028 and the Runaways from 2021, who traveled back in time in order to save Gert Yorkes before she died during the Battle at the Hostel.
Background[]
- "I'm gonna save Gert. That was always the plan. My entire purpose behind building the time machine."
- ―Chase Stein[src]
During the Battle at the Hostel, Gert Yorkes died from the wounds she had suffered at the hands of Morgan le Fay, who had projected her against a crystal chandelier.[4] Although Yorkes enabled the Runaways to defeat le Fay, her friends were deeply devastated by this loss. Most notably, Chase Stein, Yorkes' boyfriend, was unable to move on and dedicated his life to building a time machine with help from Alex Wilder and the Abstract. In 2028, he finally achieved the design of the time machine. However, he also had to deal with the fact that Wilder had gone rogue due to believing that one of his former teammates had tried to kill him.
Therefore, when Wilder traveled back in time in year 2021 to attack Nico Minoru before she could gather again the Runaways, he was stopped by Stein who had time traveled as well. Stein and the Runaways were able to capture Wilder, but when Stein explained that he intended to jump back into year 2018 to prevent Yorkes from dying in the battle, the 2021 Runaways decided to go and help him, despite Wilder warning them that altering the timeline to such extent would mean that they would get erased from existence.[5]
Infiltration[]
- "You're just a bunch of stupid pathetic children."
"But we aren't children, are we? Not anymore. Because adults like you took that away from us. Always making decisions in our "best interest"." - ―Morgan le Fay and Chase Stein[src]
Using the time machines provided by Chase Stein, the future Runaways transported themselves inside the Hostel, moments before the battle against Morgan le Fay began. Hiding from the past Runaways and the members of PRIDE, they discussed their plan, with Stein insisting that they should not interact with their past selves. Stein then explained that he would be the one to draw the circle of salt instead of Gert Yorkes while the others would cover him. However, the future Alex Wilder managed to escape from the group.
Nico Minoru talks with her future self
Nico Minoru and Karolina Dean made their way to the first floor of the mansion, but had to hide on the way to prevent their past selves to see them, enabling them to hear the conversation Minoru and Dean had had before the battle. Minoru, who remembered that she had chosen to leave Dean despite what they had said, decided to break the rule set by Stein and went to see her past self, explaining who she was and urging her to do everything to keep Dean close to her while not giving up on her powers. The future Minoru then erased the encounter from her past counterpart's memories.
The future Runaways remained hidden from most of the first part of the confrontation between le Fay and their past selves. When the past version of Stein was knocked back by Bronwyn, the future Stein approached him and incapacitated him in order to take the Fistigons from him. Meanwhile, while the past Minoru was taken between le Fay's magic and Dean's light beams, the future Wilder left a note meant for his past counterpart. The future Stein went to see Yorkes, who prepared to get the salt meant to stop le Fay.
The future Chase Stein meets Gert Yorkes
Explaining that he came from a future in which she had perished while confronting le Fay, he took the magical salt to draw the circle himself and left to confront le Fay who had defeated the past versions of Minoru, Dean and Molly Hernandez, and began to form the circle. Le Fay attacked Stein, but he was protected by a shielding spell cast by the future Minoru, as pointed out by the future Wilder who ended knocked out by the future Hernandez. Having incapacitated Minoru and Dean, le Fay prepared to attack Stein but they were joined by Yorkes, much to Stein's horror as he feared that she would get killed once again.
Morgan le Fay mortally wounds Chase Stein
Yorkes was knocked unconscious by le Fay, who then telekinetically projected glass shards on Stein, mortally wounding him. However, even after falling on the floor, Stein was able to close the circle of salt, thus blocking le Fay and enabling Tina Minoru to banish the enchantress back to the Dark Dimension. Once the battle was over, the past Runaways, who had regained consciousness, were horrified to see Stein dying on the floor, just like the members of PRIDE present at the Hostel. However, the past Stein, who had also regained consciousness, joined them and explained that he had been knocked out by another version of himself.[5]
Aftermath[]
- "We did it."
- ―Chase Stein[src]
Thanks to the intervention from the future Runaways, Chase Stein's objective was completed: Gert Yorkes' life was saved, with the future Stein dying in her place. Due to this major change in the timeline of events, the lives the Runaways had lived from this defining and tragic moment were erased. As a result, the body of Stein, as well as the future Alex Wilder, Nico Minoru, Karolina Dean and Molly Hernandez, slowly faded out from existence under the bewildered eyes of the present Runaways and members of PRIDE, who did not understand how there could be two versions of Stein. Before vanishing, Minoru promised Dean that she would not let her behind and make the same mistake that had ended their relationship.
Once the battle was ended, the Runaways decided to go and celebrate their victory by enjoying a breakfast meal together. Before leaving, Wilder found the note which had been left by his future counterpart, mentioning a man named Victor Mancha and containing an instruction to kill Minoru. Wilder did not understand what the note was despite it bearing his handwriting, and left it on the table before leaving the Hostel with his friends.[5]