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Written by: Jeffrey Bell Directed by: Skip Schoolnik ~~~~~~~~~~ Prologue ~~~~~~~~~~ The Los Angeles night sky is filled with flaming meteors as they plummet to earth. Angel stands on the rooftop amidst the fiery spectacle and looks down through the windows of the building next door, watching in stunned silence as Cordelia and Connor make love. His rage silently builds and, after a moment, he turns away and walks to the stairwell. With a cry of rage, he punches the door off its hinges and walks in. Sounds of destruction emanate from within as he takes his anger out on the building itself. Opening credit sequence. ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~~~~~~ Fred sits at the counter listening to the radio reports of the supernatural events occurring all over the city. News Announcer: A series of earthquakes and what authorities are now calling “meteor showers” have ravaged the Southland tonight, igniting fires and explosions throughout the L.A. basin. As fire and rescue teams assess the ongoing threat, government officials are asking people to stay in their homes and off the street. The telephone rings and she snatches up the receiver. Fred: (into phone) This is Fred. No, that’s right. Yes, ma’am. Angel Invest— I know. It is scary but… if she’s only an hour late… I’m just saying maybe it’s a bit early to panic. A little fire falling from the sky doesn’t necessarily mean the end— She looks up as Wesley, Lorne and Gunn enter, bruised, bleeding and battered. Fred: Oh, my god… She drops the phone and runs to Gunn, throwing herself into his arms. Fred: I thought you were dead. I got back here and it was empty and I panicked and the radio and the fires… Wesley walks past and eyes Fred’s embrace of Gunn with a sour look. Gunn: I know, baby, I know. Me, too. It was like the end of the world out there and all I wanted was you. Fred: You’re safe now. All of you. Wesley: (deadpan) Yes. All safe. Fred: What about Angel? Where’s Angel? Gunn: We got separated. I’m sure he’ll be here soon. What about you? You okay? Fred: I’m fine. I just needed some air. I didn’t know I’d be gone so long. (re: diagram on floor) Looks like there’s some other things I didn’t know, either. Gunn: Plenty of time for updates later. Right now we need to regroup, think about getting back out there and mixing it up with that demony thing. Wesley: That’s not what Angel would do. Gunn: Thanks for your opinion and I don’t remember asking. Fred: (confused) What demony thing? Lorne: Oh, I believe he’s referring to the big, bad and possibly invincible demony thing that nearly killed us all before he ringmastered tonight’s Cirque de Flambé. Fred: Was that the pain and suffering and despair thing you saw when you read Cordelia? Lorne: ’Fraid so, peanut. And if there was ever truth in advertising… Fred: Charles, if he’s really that big and bad, maybe we should wait for Angel. I mean, if he couldn’t stop him… Gunn: So we just wait because we don’t know what Angel would or wouldn’t do? Angel enters through the front door. Angel: Would I do what? Fred: Angel, you’re hurt! Angel: I’ll be… let’s talk about it in the morning. He heads for the stairs. Fred: What about Cordelia and Connor? Has anyone checked in on them? (the guys shake their heads) Angel? Angel pauses on the stairs. Angel: They’re fine. Lorne: You saw them? Angel doesn’t answer, just keeps walking. Lorne: Man looks like he was hit by a tank. Gunn: I don’t remember ever seeing him that down after a fight. Wesley: Can’t really blame him. No one likes to lose, whatever the circumstance. Wesley looks pointedly at Fred. Cut to Connor's attic. Sun streams in the windows. Cordelia and Connor lie in bed, sound asleep. Cordelia’s eyes open and go wide with shock when she sees Connor sleeping next to her. She turns away from him, realizing the implications of what they did the night before. Connor wakes up a moment later and snuggles up next to her. He kisses her shoulder and smiles. Connor: Morning. Did the world end? Cordelia: Not exactly. Connor: So that’s a good thing. Cordelia: Don’t do that. Connor: Do what? Cordelia: That. The look. The happy puppy look. Makes it harder. Connor: Makes what harder? Cordelia: You’re very special, Connor. Last night will always be special. It’s something we both needed… but it happened because of unusual circumstances. You understand what I’m saying? Connor: Yeah, that it was special. Cordelia: That it can’t happen again. Connor: But… why? Cordelia sighs and sits up, holding the sheets up to cover her nakedness. Cordelia: You’re Angel’s son. It rained fire last night— never a good sign— and a giant demony beast crawled out from the earth where you were born. Connor: You think it’s my fault. Cordelia: No! I told you last night I didn’t. I said— Connor gets out of bed, angry, and starts dressing. Connor: Yeah, you said a lot of things last night. You said that it didn’t matter anymore… that we were real. Cordelia: And I meant them. Connor: Yeah, then. Today it’s all my fault. The fire, demon… all of it! Cordelia: Don’t be… look, all I said was— Connor: That I can’t be with you. He stares at her for a beat, then grabs his shirt and leaves. Cordelia: Connor… The door slams shut. Wesley sits on the couch in his apartment, researching the material from Wolfram & Hart. A knock at the door. He gets up to answer it to find Lilah waiting for him. When she sees him, she sighs and smiles. Lilah: Okay, I was just checking. Wesley: I’m alive. Lilah: Not by much from the looks of it. She walks in and hugs him. Lilah: I left you a couple hundred messages last night. Don’t feel obligated to return any of them. Wesley: And you’re all right? Lilah: I’m fine. Slept at Wolfram & Hart. FYI— safest place to be in case of an apocalypse. You, on the other hand… bet I can make you feel better. She leans in to kiss him but he turns his head aside and moves away from her. Lilah: You know, it’s weird. Rain of fire, whole city burning… why do I feel a chill? Wesley: I can’t do this anymore. Lilah: (smiles) Yeah, yeah. I heard it a million times, cowboy. We both know how this song ends. You. Me. Broken furniture. Wesley: It’s over, Lilah. She looks at him a beat and sees something in his eyes that hasn’t been there before. Lilah: You’re serious. Wesley: After what I saw last night, I believe a day of reckoning has arrived. Lilah: And you just reckon you’ll toss in with the good guys? Wesley: I’m choosing a side. Lilah: And the girl of your dreams just happens to be on it. What are the odds? Wesley: This isn’t about Fred. Or anyone else, for that matter. It’s about right and wrong. Lilah: And you have such a clear grip on those concepts. Wesley: I’ve made mistakes. Lilah: You’re making a big one now. She thinks for a beat, then walks up to him and puts her arms around him seductively. Lilah: I could wear the glasses again. Wesley: Don’t embarrass yourself. She finally realizes he means it and steps back. Wesley: There is a line, Lilah. Black and white, good and evil. Lilah: (nods) Funny thing about black and white… you mix it together and you get gray. And it doesn’t matter how much white you try and put back in. You’re never going to get anything but gray. And I don’t see your Texas gal-pal wearing that color. Come to think of it, she prefers black. Lilah turns and walks out. Cut to the hotel. Fred works on the laptop while Gunn watches. Fred: I don’t get it. I’ve run its stats through every possible database, cross-checked against prophecies, and still come up with squat. How can a creature with that much firepower not leave behind some kind of parchment trail? Gunn: There is a trail. Problem is the trail guide was drawn by a crackhead. He hands her one of the runic pieces of paper as Cordelia enters the hotel. Gunn: Hey, Cordelia. You guys survive the night all right? Cordelia: Yeah, you know, it was… Fred: Scary, nasty and nervous-making? Cordelia: The sky should not be made of fire. Angel around? Fred looks at the office. Fred: Hibernating in his cave. Cordelia nods and walks over to the door, knocks and goes inside. She finds Angel working at his desk. Cordelia: You have a minute? He glances at her but doesn’t say anything. Cordelia: I was hoping we could… talk. About… well, about Connor. Angel: I already know. He gets up and heads out into the lobby. Cordelia follows, surprised. Cordelia: You do? Really? Well, then you’re handling it a lot better than me. When Angel sees Gunn and Fred at the counter, he turns and goes back into the office. Angel: Can we not do this right now? Cordelia: Listen up, daddy dearest, the fact that this hell-beast you’re all looking for crawled up out of the ground in the exact spot where your son was born seems precisely what we should be talking about right now. That gets Angel’s attention. Angel: Same spot? Really? Cordelia: You said you already knew. Angel: (covers) Of course I knew. Doesn’t mean anything. It could just be a, you know… Cordelia: Coincidence? Angel: Strange things happen. Cordelia: Like a vampire giving birth? Oh, wait! That happened in the exact same spot, too. Angel: What are you… you think Connor’s connected to this evil thing? Cordelia: Me? God no. He’s a sweetie pie. Angel: Then why are you telling me? Cordelia: Because your son stormed out this morning and he really does believe it. Cut to Wolfram & Hart. Gavin Park sets a cup of coffee down on Lilah’s desk for her while she talks on the phone. Lilah: (into phone) Listen, Frank, I don’t care if you have to Lojack the damn thing— Park: (sotto) Sugar? Lilah glares at him. Lilah: (into phone) —find that beast or I swear to god I will… Park: (sotto) Boil you alive. Lilah: (sotto) Shut up! (louder; into phone) …boil you alive. She hangs up and stares at Park. Lilah: How hard can it be to find a giant horned thing? (drinks coffee) Or a decent cup of coffee? (dumps it in trash) Why are you still here? Park: Intel confirms that it was the creature that triggered the pyrotechnics last night. They’re just not sure why he did it. Lilah: I’ll tell you why. Because it can. It’s the 800-pound gorilla. It can do whatever the hell it wants. I get that. But other than char-broiling everything in sight, I don’t think it has an agenda and that makes our job tricky. Park: What job? Lilah: The senior partners want us to try and cut a deal with it. Park: You can’t be serious. Lilah: Well, it wants the same things we do. An apocalypse, an end to the world, yadda, yadda, yadda. The partners feel it might speed things along and save a few bucks. Park: But what if it’s not interested? Lilah: I’ll change its mind. I’m not losing this one. Park nods and heads for the door. He leaves, then immediately backs inside the office again, followed by Connor. Connor pushes him aside and strides over to Lilah. Connor: I have questions. Lilah: (smiles) Connor. As if the last few hours haven’t brought enough surprises. She stands up and sits on the edge of her desk. Lilah: You nearly threw us for a loop here, kiddo. Sneaking in the building,… you really are like your old man, aren’t you? Connor: It’s time to find out. Lilah: Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Connor: I want to know why I’m here. What I am. Lilah: Timeless question. And one we’re more than happy to help answer. She surreptitiously pushes a button on the underside of her desk. Lilah: We have an in-house lab. We’ll do a few easy workups— psychological, physiological, neurological— and focus on exactly who or what you are. Two security guards enter behind Connor. Lilah: Then we’ll slice you open and start poking around. Connor whirls and drops both guards with one punch, then seizes Lilah by the throat and slams her up against the wall. Connor: I’ve got a different idea. Lilah: I’m open to any suggestions. Connor: That demon you’re seeking— I think I’m connected to it. I want to find out how. Lilah: Sure. No problem. Gavin, why don’t you get our young friend a copy of your report, then we’ll sit down and have a nice non-violent conversation. The lights suddenly go out and the building trembles on its foundation. Connor: It’s here. FADE OUT ~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~~~~~~ Continued from previous scene. Lilah grabs the phone and dials security. Lilah: (to Connor) It’s probably just an aftershock. They sometimes make the power go out. The phone is dead and she looks over at Park. Lilah: Try a walkie. He takes a radio from one of the unconscious guards. Park: (into radio) This is Gavin Park to the front desk, over. Come in, front desk. Security: (over radio) This is the front desk, Mr. Park. We’ve got some kind of… oh, no! Oh, my god! Lilah: Tell him to stop whining and make a report. Security: (over radio) Send backup! Somebody, please… His words cut off as the guard screams in agony. Connor: I told you. He heads for the wall and takes a short sword from a display case. Lilah: (to Park) Go downstairs and check it out. (off his look) Gavin, ask yourself this question: what are you more afraid of? A giant murderous demon… or me? She stares icily at him and he heads for the door. Park: I’ll be right back. Lilah: (to Connor) You have any idea what this thing wants? Connor: Everybody dead. Connor takes the sword and walks out, leaving Lilah alone. After a moment, she reaches into her desk drawer and removes a semi-automatic pistol. She slaps in a magazine and chambers a round. In the corridors a lawyer flies through the air with a scream, slams into the wall and collapses to the floor. All around him are the bloody and mangled corpses of other Wolfram & Hart employees. The law firm has been turned into a slaughterhouse. Screams and moans echo through the hallways as, one by one, the firm’s personnel are executed. Pan up to reveal The Beast holding a decapitated lawyer’s head in its hand. It surveys the carnage, then turns and heads deeper into the building. A pretty young blonde lawyer punches the call button desperately. She glances back over her shoulder as screams of terror come from the darkness. All around her, people flee for their lives through the shadowy corridors. She finally gives up and heads for the stairs with the others as Lilah strides out into the chaos with Connor. Lilah: What exactly is this thing? Connor: I don’t know but I think it’s been following me around. Lilah: And you’re just going to kill it? Connor: Gonna try. Lilah stops but Connor keeps walking. Lilah: And we’re heading towards it right now? (waves) Best of luck. She heads off in the opposite direction. The pretty blonde lawyer merges with the flow of people making a mass exodus from the building. As she passes one of the landings, the door slams open and terrified people push past her. One man barely makes it through the doorway before he’s yanked violently backward by the Beast. The creature quickly kills him and moves on, dealing death at every turn. The Beast strides down the corridor, looking for victims. It pauses at the door to a janitor’s closet when it hears muffled sounds coming from within. It pushes the door open to find Gavin Park frantically searching the shelves of the supply closet. He looks up, terrified. Park: Uh… hi. The Beast reaches out and seizes him by throat, lifts him up off the floor, and snaps his neck. It drops Park’s corpse in the hall and moves on. A different corridor. Connor moves silently and cautiously among the dozens of dead Wolfram & Hart employees, looking for the Beast. He pauses and surveys the carnage: eviscerated people lying where they were killed, draped across furniture and countertops; great swaths of blood dripping from the walls. Suddenly he hears gunshots coming from close by and heads in that direction. Lilah backs into her office, away from the approaching Beast, firing her gun as she goes. The rounds strike the creature point-blank but it doesn’t even flinch. She empties the magazine into the creature which strides forward, lifts her up slams her down on the conference table, and wraps its massive hand around her neck. She looks up at the thing and for the first time in a long time she feels real fear. Lilah: I can help you… anything you need. It ignores her and sinks one of its claws deep into her abdomen. She gasps and chokes in pain as the Beast’s talon works its way deep into her gut. Suddenly it stops and pulls the claw out of her. It hurls her off the table and onto the floor and turns to face a terrified lawyer who stands up from his hiding place nearby. At the same moment, Connor enters the room, sword held high, and attacks. He brings the sword down on the Beast’s back but the blade snaps in two. The Beast turns to him, smiling. Beast: Connor… It punches Connor with one massive blow to the chest and sends him rocketing across the room where he impacts one of the building’s cement central support columns. He hits with such force that the column shatters and buries Connor under chunks of concrete and steel re-bar. Moaning in pain and holding her bleeding belly, Lilah staggers down the shadowy corridor. She looks back as the Beast turns the corner behind her and strides purposefully after her. She tries to go faster but her strength is failing. As she passes one of the shattered offices, hands reach out and yank her inside. She gasps as Wesley sets her down and goes back to close the door. Lilah: I don’t understand… She starts to fall over and he catches her. Lilah: Why are you here? Wesley: I have a man on the inside. He looks up as heavy rhythmic thumps resonate throughout the building. Wesley: What’s that? Lilah: (ironic smile) That’s the fat lady singing. She starts to swoon again. Wesley: Lilah! Lilah: The building automatically shuts down under full-scale attack. Wesley: When you say “shuts down”…? Suddenly a massive steel shutter slams down over the window in the office behind them. Lilah: All windows, doors, air vents… nobody gets in— The office door slams off its hinges and the Beast stands silhouetted in the entrance, snarling. Wesley picks Lilah up and runs out the side door and into the corridor. Wesley runs down the corridor with Lilah in his arms. Wesley: Stay with me! Come on, Lilah, there must be a way out for someone like you. Think! A back door, something. The Beast strides out into the corridor behind them as an unconscious lawyer starts to come to and stand up. Lilah: Around the corner, supply closet. The Beast seizes the hapless man and starts ripping him to pieces. Wesley ducks around the corner and sets Lilah down, then reaches into his supply bag. Lilah: What are you stopping for? Wesley holds up a fragmentation grenade. Lilah: You’ve gotta be kidding me. He pulls the pin and tosses the grenade at the feet of the approaching Beast. The creature looks down at it curiously as the grenade detonates with a tremendous blast. Wesley drapes Lilah’s arm around his shoulders and they stagger off down the corridor. Lilah: Will it kill him? Wesley: No, but it might distract him for a moment. They come to supply closet and Lilah looks down at Park’s body. Lilah: Gavin. Poor bastard. Wesley: Lilah? Lilah: It’s in here. He drags her inside the small room and shuts the door as the Beast strides out of the wreckage further down the corridor. Lilah frantically pulls paper, pens and rolls of toilet tissue off the shelves, searching for something. Lilah:
Come on, where is it? |
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