N.A.T.A.L.I.E. continues to struggle with understanding the fallout between Riri and Xavier. In a quiet, reflective moment, she wanders to the top of a building and gazes into memories of the real Natalie and Riri. She tries to mimic a smile but is reminded that she’s merely a replica. This tender scene is abruptly interrupted when Parker’s crew steals Riri’s Ironheart suit, continuing their deadly mission to eliminate her.

Meanwhile, Riri meets with Zelma at a diner to dig deeper into the dark forces behind Parker’s magical cloak. Zelma reveals that Dormammu may be the source of the cloak’s power and warns Riri that she’s facing interdimensional threats. The cloak is revealed to be manipulating Parker—and the only way to stop him might be to eliminate him for good.

Their conversation is cut short when Parker’s crew locates Riri and attacks. Thanks to her intellect and quick thinking, she escapes, though her suit is damaged in the process. On the run, Riri is intercepted by Zeke—now a powerful cyborg enhanced by Parker’s team. After a brutal battle, Zeke defeats her and nearly finishes the job, but ultimately spares her life, warning her to leave town before Parker finds out she’s still alive.

Riri returns home and finally opens up to her mom. In a heartfelt moment, she reveals that she built the suit to protect them both after witnessing the deaths of her best friend and stepfather. Her mother urges her to stop running and fight back. Together, they visit Riri’s late father’s old garage. Though once a place of loss, the garage also symbolizes resilience. There, N.A.T.A.L.I.E. triggers a childhood memory projection that inspires Riri to create a new suit. Her mother offers the last car Gary worked on, providing parts to help bring the armor to life.

Back at Parker’s headquarters, the crew lies to him about Riri’s fate. Zeke remains vague, prompting suspicion. Clown backs Zeke up by fabricating a story about her death. The crew then confronts Parker about Rampage’s mysterious demise. Still under the influence of the cloak, Parker fires them all and exerts further control over Zeke, forcing him to help seize assets from Parker’s estranged father.

With her new suit nearly complete, Riri faces a major hurdle: finding a power source capable of fighting magic. She decides to fight magic with magic. With help from Zelma, Ronnie, and Xavier, they blend tech and sorcery to power the suit. Zelma warns that magic always comes at a cost. As she casts the final spell, the AI N.A.T.A.L.I.E. is deleted—unable to survive the magical surge.

This was easily the strongest episode of the series to date. It masterfully balances emotional depth with escalating stakes. The touching scenes between Riri and her mother ground the story in heart, while the action and supernatural elements keep the tension high. By building on every thread from earlier episodes and ending on an emotional cliffhanger, this episode sets the stage for an exciting and poignant finale.

Rating: 8/10