Supersymmetry

TEASER:

RECAP:

CORDELIA (V.O.) Previously on Angel:

1    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Someone's holding a flyer advertising the disappearance of Fred. It reads:

Have You Seen Me? Winifred "Fred" Burkle [picture] MISSING! Since May 7, 1996 Last seen at the Stewart Brunell Public Library

CORDELIA Fred disappeared five years ago. They never found her.

Flashback to Fred in the library. Flashback to portal to Pylea opening.

WESLEY ...been sucked into the portal. She's in the Host's dimension.

Cut to:

2    INT. PYLEAN ROYAL COURT - NIGHT Fred is being manhandled by people dressed in medieval clothing.

FRED ...use you as a slave. (to Angel)

Cut to:

3    INT. CAVE IN PYLEA - NIGHT Fred is huddled up under a blanket in a cave. Angel comes to rescue her.

FRED It's the man... saved me from the monsters.

Cut to:

4    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel, Fred, and Gunn have just discovered Cordelia's back, in the lobby of Angel Investigations.

CORDELIA So we know each other?

ANGEL Yeah, really well.

FRED Not to sound all "Movie of the Week", but I think you might have some kind of amnesia.

Later...

ANGEL I think there's a way we might be able to sort this out. Pick a song.

FRED So Lorne can read you.

GUNN You sing, he sees your future.

CORDELIA (singing poorly) Because the greatest—

While Cordy's singing, Lorne looks shocked and upset.

LORNE (interrupting Cordy) Great, enough. (leaves the room)

Cut to:

5    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel knocks on Lorne's door.

ANGEL What'd you see?

LORNE (O.S.) Go away.

ANGEL If it's that bad, I need to know.

LORNE (opens door) It's that bad. Evil's coming, Angel, and it's planning on staying.

Cut to:

6    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Lilah's talking on her cell phone out in the hallway, with a partially closed door behind her. Wesley is listening at the door.

LILAH You're sure that it's her? Put an extraction team together.

Cut to:

7    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Wesley has come to give Angel some information.

WESLEY Wolfram and Hart are planning to extract Cordelia. And I doubt your boy will be able to stop them.

Cut to:

8    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT One of the intruders tries to escort Cordelia out of the room, but Angel kicks down the door. He's come to the rescue with Gunn and Fred. Angel takes Cordelia in his arms.

ANGEL (to Cordy) We should probably get you back home.

CORDELIA Actually, I'd like to stay here. With Connor. (walks to Connor's side)

Cut to:

9    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel, Fred and Gunn walk into the hotel only to find Lorne tied up in a chair, bound and gagged, with a large bleeding hold in his head. He's passed out.

FRED (goes to Lorne) Oh, my God!

ANGEL Lorne? (Angel and Gunn start to untie him)

FRED Is he alive?

ANGEL Who did this?

LORNE (too weak to speak) W...

ANGEL Wolfram and Hart. (Lorne nods his head "yes")

GUNN But why?

ANGEL They must've known Lorne read her. They weren't after Cordy, they were after what Lorne saw when she sang.

Cut to:

10    INT. LILAH'S APARTMENT - NIGHT Lilah and Wesley are talking.

WESLEY You played me.

LILAH Free will. Look it up.

WESLEY Lilah...

LILAH You're the one who decided to take what you overheard and give it to the good-n-plentys.

Cut to:

11    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Resume Angel's conversation with the injured Lorne.

ANGEL How much did they get?

LORNE All of it.

Fade to black.

END RECAP.

The Start Of Episode

PROLOGUE:

12    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT The sound of Fred screaming fills the halls. The tone is ambiguous at first, but then turns out to be giddy. Close in on her bedroom, where she's jumping up and down, holding a magazine. Gunn is with her.

FRED Ah! Ah! Whoo-hoo! Oh!

GUNN (hugs her) Aw, that's my girl! Ah! All right. Hand this thing over. Let me check it out.

She hands him the copy of Modern Physics Review.

FRED Page 19. I-it's not a big article. Not like it's featured, or anything.

GUNN Got it. (pronouncing with difficulty) "Supersymmetry—"

FRED —"and P-Dimensional Subspace" by Winifred Burkle. (beat) You don't have to read it.

GUNN Of course I'm gonna read it. Right now. (they go to sit on the bed, reading aloud) "In multi-dimensional superstring theory, uh, distance scales inverted by T-duality apply to heter- heterotic theories..." The pictures are... nice.

Fred starts kissing on Gunn while he reads her article aloud. Gunn puts down the magazine as they both fall back on the bed kissing and petting heavily.

Cut to:

13    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Lorne's lying in bed in a housecoat, while Angel brings him a meal on a bed tray.

LORNE Oh, give it to me, sweetness. Right there.

ANGEL Here you go. How's your head?

LORNE Smashing. Listen, I know I've been a wee bit jumpy the last couple of days, but did I hear a scream?

ANGEL Oh, it's just Fred. I think it's a Texas thing.

LORNE Hmm. (starts to eat) Mmm. (puts the food tray aside) Well it's all too much sturm und drang for my appetite: Cordelia shacking up with your hell-spawn—no offense. And the hole between my horns—

ANGEL And you're probably a little on edge because of the whole "Slouching Toward Bethlehem" thing...

LORNE No.

ANGEL No? That's good because uh...

LORNE (laughs) Sorry. I jumped ahead. That "no" was the one that comes after you asking me to read Cordy again.

ANGEL I wasn't— gonna ask you that immediately. I was gonna build up to it subtly.

LORNE I appreciate that, sugar pie, really. But the answer's no. I'm not a champion. I'm just a regular old karaoke-singing empath demon.

ANGEL You saw something. If we knew what it was—

LORNE Then Wolfram and Hart would come after me again. And maybe they wouldn't stop with a little gray matter.

ANGEL (turns toward the door) I'm listening.

LORNE Hey, death just doesn't look good on me. I wish I could tell you what was coming and when, but— (notices Angel listening intently at the door) When you say "listening", you don't mean to me. You heard something, didn't you?

ANGEL It's probably just Fred. (Angel goes out of the room to investigate the sounds)

LORNE (O.S.) (picks up an ax, but stays in bed) I got your back.

Cut to:

14    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel walks down the hallway and stops outside one of the doors. He opens it and walks into the room to see a person rifling through boxes. Angel grabs the intruder and pushes him against the wall, pinning his throat with his forearm. The intruder is Connor.

ANGEL Oh. Hi. Sorry.

CONNOR I'm used to it. (picks up his box and continues putting things into it)

ANGEL The front door's always open, Connor. You don't have to sneak in.

CONNOR Cordy wanted some of her stuff.

ANGEL How's she doing, Cordy. Anything coming back to her?

CONNOR Nothing about you.

ANGEL Is she alone right now, 'cause—

CONNOR She's safe. I can take care of Cordelia. Can I go?

ANGEL Sure. Sorry. Wait. You should take her fuzzy slippers. Her feet get cold.

CONNOR I know. She's always stealing the covers.

Connor leaves through the window he came in. Angel stares after him, deadpan. He swallows his anger as he reads between the lines of Connor's remark.

Fade to black.

Opening credits and title sequence.

ACT I:

15    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Angel comes downstairs into the lobby, where Gunn is crashed on a sofa. Angel starts to head to the office, where Fred is talking to Lorne, but Gunn warns him off.

GUNN You don't wanna go in there. (sighs) Girl kept me up all night. She is un-stoppable.

ANGEL More than I need to know.

Fred comes out of the office, grinning.

FRED (excited) Did Charles tell you?

ANGEL He-he didn't describe it...

FRED I've been asked to present my article at the Physics Institute. P-Dimensional Subspace has always been a fascinating area, but I had no idea there would be so much interest. Can I practice my speech for you? I think Lorne's a little conked.

Fred goes back to the office.

Cut to:

16    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Lorne, still recovering from his injury, is sitting in a chair looking exhausted.

LORNE (feigning) Oh, yay, we're back.

Cut to:

17    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Back in the lobby, Angel and Gunn are still talking.

GUNN That. All night. Well, mostly that. (smiles)

ANGEL I didn't know Fred was getting back into physics.

GUNN Yeah, I don't think she wanted anyone to know. I think she was afraid she lost the knack.

ANGEL Huh. She seems over that.

They go to the office.

Cut to:

18    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Angel and Gunn join Lorne as the unwilling audience for Fred's speech. Fred's standing behind the desk holding index cards and still grinning from ear to ear.

FRED It's nothing big, really, just a little breakthrough in quantum particles. Emphasis on little. Probably be disproven in no time. It's just I used to dream I'd discover some revolutionary concept and— (smiles bashfully) Oh, it's silly.

ANGEL Doesn't sound silly.

FRED I-I guess I just wanted all those people I looked up to— I wanted 'em to see me too. And then I got sucked into Pylea and, well, when you're a cow-slave, you don't want anyone to see you at all.

GUNN Everybody'll be watching you now.

FRED I got to practice. Y—you'll be there?

Lorne sneers.

GUNN Cheering you on! Right?

Angel and Lorne are silent.

LORNE Well, the little nipper dropped in for a midnight visit last night.

FRED Connor was here? (walks around to front of desk)

GUNN I hope he doesn't want to kiss and make up, 'cause that—

ANGEL He picked up some of Cordelia's things.

FRED (sits on desk) She's just trying to put the pieces back together. It'll work out, and it'll all be for the best. (Angel looks doubtful) It will. Five years of unendurable torture and mental anguish aside, if I hadn't been sucked through that portal, I never would have figured out my string compactification theory.

GUNN (trying to be supportive) Exactly. 'Cause, you know, strings need... to compactify.

Angel and Lorne roll their eyes.

Cut to:

19    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - DAY Wesley's sitting on his couch reading a magazine when there's knock on his door. He ignores it, but the knocker persists. He gets up to answer the door. It's Lilah, carrying a large silver box, tied up with a pretty white ribbon.

LILAH Surprise!

WESLEY Well, look, a bribe. How thoughtful. (Lilah walks in and takes off her jacket) No, it can't be a bribe. Must be a setup.

LILAH Can't it just be... a gift? Open it.

He opens the package to find an antique helmet from a suit of armor. Wes is truly impressed.

LILAH We seem to be butting heads lately. Now you'll have the advantage.

WESLEY This must have cost a fortune.

LILAH Yes. It'll take you hours to thank me properly. (kisses him) Fortunately, I've taken the afternoon off.

WESLEY (stops the kissing) I have to leave actually. But, thank you, Lilah, for the gift.

Wesley leaves the apartment. Lilah starts putting the wrapping away, and notices the magazine Wes was reading is open to Fred's article.

Cut to:

20    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - DAY Cordelia is hanging pictures of her friends on the wall, labeling them by the names of who is in each photo. There's one of Fred and Gunn, Wes and Cordy, her parents, Lorne and Cordy.

CORDELIA There. Almost done. (goes to the box of her things that's sitting on the bed) Connor?

CONNOR Yeah.

CORDELIA (fresh from the shower, putting on his clothes) How come there's no picture of Angel?

CONNOR Uh, didn't see any.

CORDELIA Oh. Well, it's OK. You got all the other important stuff. (gestures to her fuzzy slippers) Apparently, I'm a nester, 'cause this place is starting to look not entirely un-homey.

Cordelia takes a scarf from her box of things and lays it over a table. While she's laying out the scarf, bending over the table, Connor takes a moment to enjoy the view down Cordy's blouse. Cordy stands, looks around, and sighs.

CONNOR What?

CORDELIA Nothing. Except... Well, I— I thought I'd feel different. (sits on edge of bed) I mean, I have my pictures and slippers and super-luscious peau de soie blouse, but why does it still feel like something's missing?

Connor grabs a nearby battle-axe, walks toward Cordy, and hands it to her.

CONNOR How does that feel?

CORDELIA Uh, woodsy.

CONNOR Maybe you miss the action. The thrill of the kill. You know, you used to be a demon hunter. It's true; you're just out of practice. It'll come back fast, though. I can train you.

CORDELIA What should I wear?

Cut to:

21    INT. PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE HALL - DAY Fred, Gunn, and Angel are riding the "up" escalator through the convention center, heading for the auditorium where Fred's going to give her speech. Gunn's arranging Fred's index cards, and hands them to her. Fred's wearing a white button-up oxford shirt and a black cardigan over it.

FRED Thank you. At least I remembered the uniform.

GUNN All these people here to see you?

FRED I'm just a minor speaker. (sees the agenda posted outside the auditorium) Oh, God! I'm between Ed Witten and Brian Greene? (no reaction from Angel or Gunn) Think Nomar Garciaparra and Sammy Sosa.

ANGEL (Gunn whistles) Fred skipped the minors and went straight to the show.

FRED This can't be right. Somebody must've made a mistake.

GUNN Listen up, all that stuff about particles and... stuff— It's gonna blow 'em away. Nothing to worry about.

FRED Well, what if my theory's wrong? (sees someone she knows) Professor Seidel!

Professor Seidel is a middle-aged white man, balding, wearing an inexpensive suit. He's standing next to a nerdy blonde woman Fred's age.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred. (to blonde) Laurie, I'll meet you back at the lab. (Laurie leaves. to Fred) There you are. It's been, what, two years, or so.

FRED Yeah, heavy on the "or so." Wow. It is great to see you. Are you—gonna be in there?

PROFESSOR SEIDEL I'm introducing you. I had to arm-wrestle the chair of the department for the honor.

FRED Oh.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred, you have done some great work. You don't have anything to worry about.

Gunn clears throat to get her attention.

FRED Oh, these are my friends. Charles and Angel.

GUNN (shakes hand) Hey.

ANGEL (shakes hand) Hello.

FRED I was gonna be a history major, and then I took Professor Seidel's physics class, and, well...

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred's a natural. By the end of the semester, she was taking on W.I.M.P.s.

GUNN You should see her now: killer left hook.

FRED W.I.M.P.s are Weakly Interactive Massive Particles.

GUNN Oh, yeah, uh... (nervous laugh) Just kidding.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Do you remember that Higgs Scalars tutorial? I still remember your take on spontaneous symmetry breaking.

Angel and Gunn are having a hard time keeping up with this discussion. Angel decides to go into the auditorium.

ANGEL You know, it's, uh, filling up. I'm gonna go, um, save some seats.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Why don't you stop by my office. I'd love to talk about your article.

FRED Is tomorrow too soon?

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Tomorrow's perfect. I have some questions about how Kaluza-Klein models fit with your theory.

FRED Oh, OK, because string regularization is kinda vital to what I'm proposing...

Fred and the Professor walk off into the auditorium, leaving Gunn just standing there.

Cut to:

22    INT. AUDITORIUM AT PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE - DAY Angel grabs a seat and looks around the auditorium. Some kid with a t-shirt that says "Thwack" bumps into Angel.

THWACK GUY Oh, sorry about that.

Angel notices Wesley there, sitting in a back corner by himself. Fred and the Professor are walking into the room, still talking. Gunn is walking behind them, but Fred's not paying any attention to him.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Oh, Dr. Shepherd. I want you to meet one of my best students, Winifred Burkle.

FRED Hi.

DR. SHEPHERD Of course. I read your article. It was intriguing. Nice to meet you.

Gunn walks away from Fred and the Professor to sit by Angel.

GUNN Listen, man, I'm gonna need simultaneous translating on this thing. You know, like the President with the Russians. But just gimme the highlights.

ANGEL No problem. Of course, I have no idea what she's talking about.

GUNN Will you tell Fred that? If she thinks we're both stupid, I won't stand out as much.

The auditorium lights go down, and the spotlight is on the podium, where Professor Seidel is introducing Fred.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL There have been many recent insights into string theory, but few have so elegantly tied together the disparate threads as the one you will hear tonight. As a student, Winifred Burkle showed outstanding intellectual rigor. Her work continues to exemplify the highest standard of academic excellence. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce Winifred Burkle.

While Fred was talking, Lilah entered the auditorium. After the introduction, the audience claps. Professor Seidel sits at the back of the stage, while Fred takes the podium. She puts on her reading glasses and takes out her index cards.

FRED Thank you, Professor. (holding an index card) This one just says, "Open with joke," but I forgot to think of one. Of course, it's possible my theory'll take care of that. (audience laughs) There are, um... (starts to get nervous) There are several competing dimensional theories.

Lilah looks around to see who's there and sees Wesley.

FRED And, while each provide insights, physicists have long searched for a unifying theory—one that can account for both the behavior of the smallest sub-atomic particles and the largest forces of nature.

Lilah takes out her cell phone and dials it on her way out of the auditorium. Angel notices her leave.

FRED If space-time can undergo massive rearrangement of its structure, which I believe it can, tearing and reconnecting according to a pre-determined disposition, then T-duality would allow for the compactification of extra space dimensions. Consider the non-perturbitive properties of superstring theory. In D-Branes, especially as applied to Dirichlet boundary conditions with dual open strings that are T-transformed... This, in turn, leads to the conclusion that strings can only end in P-dimensional dynamical—

A portal has opened overhead while Fred speaks. It gets wider and wider until a huge multi-headed snake-like creature with jaws like crab claws reaches through it. Audience members start to gasp. Professor Seidel gets out of the way. Fred goes on with her speech until the monster has wrapped itself around her and picked her up. Its heads are snapping at her as she struggles in vain to get free. Angel and Gunn head for the stage.

GUNN Fred! No!

FRED (screaming) Ah! Ahhh!

Fade to black.

ACT II:

23    INT. AUDITORIUM AT PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE - DAY Resume. Fred is being clutched by the monster as Angel and Gunn rush to her aide. Audience members are scrambling to get out. Wesley is trying to get by them to go to the stage and help, but he's in the back of the room, going against the flow of the exodus. One of the audience members is not leaving. It's the "Thwack" guy, taking pictures. On stage, Gunn is trying to pull Fred away from the monster.

GUNN Hang on, baby. I got you.

Angel is trying to fight the monster with the microphone stand, but it grabs him up, wrapping itself around his neck.

GUNN Hang on.

ANGEL Yeah, vampire, strangling... not gonna happen.

Angel reaches for his ankle-holstered dagger and cuts off the part of the monster that's holding him. He falls to the floor. Wes has made it through the crowd, with dagger ready, as the monster drops Fred and retreats back through the portal. The portal closes. Fred landed on top of Gunn and is clinging to him, still terrified.

GUNN It's over, baby. You're fine.

Cut to:

24    INT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY A Mercedes convertible goes through a gate in the parking garage. It's Lilah's car; she's driving. Suddenly, the cloth roof is ripped in half. She stops the car and sticks her head up through the damage to inspect it. Angel is standing there.

ANGEL That's cool. The top just comes right off. (opens her door, she gets out)

LILAH Hey, if this is about the jolly green demon— I could've had him killed, but do I hear a "thank you"?

ANGEL Before we get to that, how 'bout you tell me why a portal happened to open up over Fred's head right after you slithered out of the auditorium.

LILAH Tragedy struck Gidget? Really? Did she go to that place in the big Texas sky?

ANGEL Gunn and I took care of it. Of course, if we hadn't've been there, I'm sure your good friend Wesley would've stepped right in.

LILAH Come on. If I were gonna kill the twig, would I do it in a room full of people and then make a conspicuous getaway so I looked extra suspicious?

ANGEL Add videotape, sounds like vintage Wolfram and Hart. (Lilah shrugs) Except this time somebody else deserves the credit.

LILAH (gets into car) You're quick.

ANGEL (holding door open, leaning down to eye level) About Lorne, there's gonna be a conversation.

LILAH You know, Angel, coming from you, idle threats are so.... well, idle.

ANGEL You remember when I ripped your car in half?

LILAH Yeah, yeah, hulk smash... (speeds off)

Cut to:

25    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT In Gunn and Fred's room, there's a muttering sound. Gunn wakes and realizes that Fred's not in bed with him. He turns toward the muttering, and sees Fred sitting near the wall, talking softly to herself and scribbling equations on the wall like she did when they first brought her back from Pylea. Gunn gets up and goes to her.

GUNN Fred?

FRED P versus NP, where NP is nondeterministic polynomial time. This is NP. Lost time. Time spent.

GUNN (looking concerned) Never liked the paint in here. Yeah, let's—let's redo the place, really make it ours.

FRED I-I was just... I couldn't sleep.

GUNN Fred, demons, portals— that happens. Doesn't mean you're going back to Pylea.

FRED Every time I close my eyes, I see it. Like it's happening all over again.

GUNN I know, baby.

FRED (pacing) Five years of hiding in caves and scrounging for food, (touches her neck) wearing that collar— You don't know. You couldn't.

GUNN You're never going back to that place. You're safe now.

FRED I was safe in the library 'til I opened that book and read those words and then—wham! I was hurling through dimensions.

GUNN (goes to her) Come back to bed. All right? It'll all look different in the morning.

FRED Morning? As in tomorrow, which as of now is today, which means—

GUNN You're gonna talk to your professor friend just like you planned 'cause nothing has changed.

FRED It has. He was there. He saw the— He probably thinks—

GUNN That you're incredibly brilliant, just like I do.

FRED (they get into bed) He can't see me. Not like this.

GUNN There's nothing wrong with you, like this or any other way.

FRED Yeah, to you, maybe.

GUNN Look, go, OK? Forget about this and talk about strings and W.I.M.P.s and whatever. Angel and I will take care of all the demony portal stuff. No problem. (kisses her shoulder and holds her)

Cut to:

26    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY The next morning, Gunn comes down the stairs into the lobby. Angel has set up lots of chairs in the lobby, and he's studying them.

GUNN Great. My girl's not the only one redecorating.

ANGEL You were there. (points to a chair)

GUNN OK. (sits in chair) What are we doing? Playing musical chairs?

ANGEL (points to a chair) Nerdy guy. (points to another chair) Older nerdy guy. (points to another chair) Girl in black there.

While Angel lists off who was where, show flashbacks to the auditorium, showing on screen what he is remembering.

GUNN OK. Catching on, sorta. How come you never pulled out this parlor trick before?

ANGEL It's not an automatic reflex. It just kicked in when I saw Lilah.

GUNN Hold up— Lilah was there? Not a huge leap thinking she opened the portal.

Flashback of Lilah in the auditorium, looking at Wesley.

ANGEL She was just stalking Wesley.

GUNN Wesley? He came to see—

ANGEL He was waiting.

GUNN Wesley?!

ANGEL Guy in the second row, center seat. The guy wearing a tan t-shirt that said "Thwack" He had a camera.

Flashback to Thwack guy taking pictures.

GUNN I think I know where to find him.

ANGEL Whoa oh oh oh oh. Hang on. Daylight. I need a coat.

GUNN Well, get on it, 'cause when my girl's not happy—

Cut to:

27    INT. THWACK COMICS - DAY Gunn has grabbed the clerk by the shirt. The clerk is the same guy who was taking pictures at Fred's speech.

GUNN (yelling) —I'm not happy! (throws him into a rack of comics)

THWACK CLERK (to Angel) Jeez! He gonna hurt me?

GUNN Think Daredevil 181. I'm Bullseye, you're Electra. One wins, one dies. Get what I'm saying?

THWACK CLERK Yeah, but we're kinda crushing the dark horses.

GUNN You were taking pictures of my girlfriend. Why?!

THWACK CLERK 'Cause the ceiling was, like, ripping apart.

ANGEL Why were you there? You always hang with the physics crowd?

THWACK CLERK I wanted to see if it was true—if she was really one of 'em. You know, one of the students who disappeared.

GUNN One of?

Cut to:

28    INT. LAB OUTSIDE PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY Fred is walking with Professor Seidel, talking. There's a laboratory in the first room, and then his office is off the back of the lab area.

FRED Pylea was a hell dimension, actually. Not as bad as Quor-Toth, but if Angel and Gunn and the rest of 'em hadn't rescued me, I'd probably be dead by now.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred, I'm a theoretical physicist, completely open to the idea of other dimensions, but— you're naming them.

FRED I know. It-it took me a while to believe it, too. And I was there.

Working at one of the lab desks is the blonde lady that was standing next to the professor at the conference. Professor Seidel introduces her to Fred.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL You know Laurie Drummond, don't you?

FRED You were the T.A. for high-energy physics.

LAURIE I still am. Not all of us are geniuses.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL I'd be lost without Laurie.

LAURIE Welcome back.

Cut to:

29    INT. PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY After walking through the lab, Fred and Professor Seidel come to his office. The door is frosted glass with stenciling that says "Private" on the outside. Inside the office is a coat rack with a white lab coat hanging on it, a couple of desks cluttered with papers. One wall is completely covered in bookcases.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL I've been holding onto something for you. (closes door, goes to filing cabinet, and takes out a blue book exam)

FRED The last test I took before— (takes the exam, and frowns) A-minus?

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Well, I would have given another student an A+, but with you, I had to use a different standard.

FRED Huh. Now he tells me. (flips through exam)

PROFESSOR SEIDEL (sits on desk) I'd love another crack at it—teaching you. You have a gift. It shouldn't be wasted.

FRED It's been so long. I-I mean, writing the article was great, but... I have another life now.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Sounds like a life you've stumbled into, not one you chose.

FRED I guess it kinda chose me.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL You know, I don't know what I saw yesterday. There are studies about subconscious suggestion, mass hysteria—but I know what I see right now.

FRED You do?

PROFESSOR SEIDEL A very talented young woman who deserves to live in the world she was meant for.

Cut to:

30    INT. THWACK COMICS - DAY The Thwack clerk is still talking to Angel and Gunn. He walks behind the counter.

THWACK CLERK You guys know how it is: you hear things, like from a friend of a friend's roommate. You don't know if they really happened.

GUNN Like the story about the girl, the cat and peanut butter.

ANGEL (reading a comic) That one's true. (Gunn glares in disbelief) Long story.

THWACK CLERK (walks out from behind the counter) Like, yeah, you're Angel, right? There are whole forums on you in chat rooms, man! Who knew you actually, like, existed?!

GUNN (getting annoyed) The disappearances?

THWACK CLERK Uh, supposedly there were three before your girlfriend and one since.

ANGEL What do you know?

THWACK CLERK Just rumors. They were all science types, and, like, these weren't your everyday kidnappings. Hey, maybe I could help you guys, be your intern!

GUNN We're full up on interns, but the decoder ring's in the mail. (walks off, Angel follows)

ANGEL (to Gunn) They talk about me in the chatty rooms?

Cut to:

31    INT. PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY Fred and the Professor are still talking. The Professor is at the bookshelf.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL You really should read Quantum Cryptography.

LAURIE (opens door and sticks her head in) Professor Seidel, the oscillator's tweaked again.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL I'll have a look. (to Fred) Would you write down your numbers for me? (gets paper and pen from his desk) I don't want to lose track of you for another six years. (Fred giggles) You laugh. I do have a system. (leaves room).

Fred goes to his desk and writes down her numbers. When she's done, she looks through his bookcase. One book catches her eye.

FRED Plasma and Fluid Turbulence in with neutrino books? (takes book off the shelf) That's just wrong.

Fred starts flipping through the book, and there's something wrong. The pages are filled with strange symbols unrelated to science. She flips further into the book and sees a drawing of the exact same multi-headed snake monster that attacked her during her speech. Fred's face shows panic as she realizes the implications of her accidental discovery. Just then, she can hear the Professor heading back to the office. She hurriedly shoves the book back onto the shelf. When he enters the office again, Fred's face is one of sheer horror.

Cut to:

32    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Angel is sitting at the computer, typing, doing research on Professor Seidel as Gunn paces behind him.

GUNN I don't like this, man. I got a bad feeling. (Angel stops typing and sits back) What?

ANGEL Here. The thing all those students have in common.

GUNN Oliver Seidel. As in the guy she's with right now. (starts to walk out, but Fred's already there) Fred, thank God. Look, there's something we gotta tell you. The portal—

FRED (stern and calm) It was Professor Seidel.

GUNN Yeah.

FRED And he's done it before.

ANGEL That's right. There were others.

FRED No. To me. He's the son of a bitch that sent me to Pylea.

GUNN What?

ANGEL (stands) We're gonna get this guy.

GUNN Count on it. He's gonna pay.

FRED No. He's gonna die.

Fade to black.

ACT III:

33    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Resume. Fred, Angel, and Gunn are discussing the repercussions for Professor Seidel's portal problem.

GUNN What do you mean, die?

FRED I don't know yet. But it's gonna be about pain. (opens weapons cabinet, selects a long-handled weapon with a curved blade at the top) The halberd could work. (practicing using the weapon) Acting like I'm all addlebrained talking about other dimensions. (mocking) Pylea? Never heard of it. (angry) Right. How 'bout a flail-whipping? Would that take a nice long time? (picks out a flail whip from the cabinet, practices using the whip)

ANGEL Hours, if you do it right. Not that you should do it at all. (takes whip from her) Ever.

FRED He's a killer, and he's just sitting there smiling, telling me I'm so gifted and how he wants to teach me. (swings the halberd) Oh, there's gonna be a lesson all right.

GUNN All right, Fred, let's calm down.

FRED I idolized him, and he sent me to hell. Me and God knows how many others who didn't make it back. So-so sure! I'll calm down when he's dead!

GUNN Fred, a few years ago, I would've done in the guy myself. But this—it isn't what we do. (tries to take the weapon away from her, but she steps back)

FRED We kill monsters every day.

GUNN We help people. Fred, if you do this, the demons you'll be living with won't be the horned, fangy kind. They'll be the kind you can't get rid of.

FRED You're wrong.

ANGEL He's right. Whatever you do now it's nothing compared to how it'll be afterward.

GUNN What you're talking about goes against everything you believe in. Everything we believe in. Fred, you idolized him. But don't let him be defining what you are now. Can I have the axe?

FRED (hands over the axe) I'm sorry, Charles. I guess I kinda lost it.

GUNN You want a drink? I could make you some cocoa.

FRED No. Thanks. I'm just gonna go lie down. For a few days. (heads upstairs)

GUNN (to Angel) So what are we gonna do to this guy?

ANGEL No idea, but let's do it fast.

GUNN We gotta get to him before Fred changes her mind. 'Cause vengeance—it can get ugly.

Cut to:

34    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - DAY Wesley is walking into the living room opening a bottle of beer.

WESLEY Vengeance. Sounds good. (hands beer to Fred)

FRED (sighs) Angel and Gunn want me to be all sweetness and light. Cute little Fred. She'll turn the other cheek like a good girl. I mean, they saw what Professor Seidel is capable of. (sits down on couch) He opened that portal right in front of 'em.

WESLEY They dealt with it handily enough. (sits on coffee table in front of her)

FRED You were there?

WESLEY I read your article. Saw you'd be speaking. It was an excellent piece. Although I'm not sure I understand how Pauli repulsion is so readily reversed. (beat) Layman's opinion.

FRED You've been keeping track of me?

WESLEY Yes. (looks away) Well, about this Professor Seidel, what did you have in mind?

FRED Beyond pain, I'm not really sure. That's why I came to you.

WESLEY (puts down his drink) Fred, you do know that everything Angel and Gunn have told you is true. Vengeance will have a price. And once you've acted, you can't go back. You have to live with your actions forever.

FRED He's a serial killer.

WESLEY All right, then. (stands, goes to bookcase) I'm sure we'll find an appropriate solution.

With Fred looking over his shoulder, Wes flips through a large book he took off the shelf. He stops at an interesting page.

WESLEY Oh, here's something interesting. Once practiced in ancient Egypt.

FRED Is that his tongue?

Just then, Fred's cell phone rings. She picks it up to look at the screen, and instead of a Caller ID phone number, the screen is filled with symbols like those from Professor Seidel's book. The phone makes some strange noises. Then a sudden wind comes from out of nowhere, as Wes and Fred realize that yet another portal has been opened, right there in Wes's apartment. Wes grabs Fred, prevents her from being sucked into the portal vortex. They jump to hide behind the couch.

Cut to:

35    EXT. RANDOM STREET IN LOS ANGELES - NIGHT Falling to the ground together, Cordelia lands on top of Connor, facing him.

CORDELIA Thanks.

CONNOR Anytime.

A vampire growls and comes for them. Cordelia gets out of the way, and Connor pushes the vamp down. The vampire comes for him again, but Connor jumps ten feet in the air and grabs onto some pipes before letting go and landing in front of the vampire and pushing him away again.

CORDELIA Can I help?

Connor continues to fight with the vampire, trying to stake him, with Cordelia on the sidelines. Connor gets pushed down, and Cordelia jumps in. She fights at first with a battle axe, but the vampire knocks it out of her hands. Then she uses her powerful karate moves on him, keeping him at bay while she picks up the stake that Connor dropped. She plunges the stake into the vampire's heart with precision, and the vampire turns into dust before her eyes.

CORDELIA (out of breath) I did it. I did it.

Connor stands up, and Cordelia runs to him with a celebratory hug. He spins her around. When he puts her down, she gives him an innocent, friendly, quick kiss on the mouth.

CORDELIA Mwa!

Connor seizes the opportunity, and pulls her to him, kissing her more passionately. When they stop, Cordelia looks confused. She puts her hand to her mouth and seems subtly to wipe it away. She smiles nervously, not knowing how to react.

Cut to:

36    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel and Gunn are standing in Fred's empty bedroom.

GUNN And I'm asking her if she wants cocoa. Stupid!

ANGEL She's gonna kill him.

GUNN If he doesn't kill her first. You know where she went.

ANGEL Look, I'm faster on my own.

GUNN Go. I'll meet you there.

ANGEL She'll be OK. (jumps out the window)

Cut to:

37    EXT. WESLEY'S CAR ON THE STREET - NIGHT Fred is riding in the passenger seat, loading a crossbow. Wes is driving, watching her, concerned.

WESLEY You remember everything we went over?

FRED I do. And I'm gonna give him exactly what he deserves, (looks at Wes) thanks to you. (beat) What?

WESLEY I was just thinking, um—not that I don't get his point—but I'm surprised Gunn's not here, no matter what the consequences.

FRED Charles doesn't have it in him. It's part of what I love about him. (Wes looks at her)

WESLEY You can still back out, if you think Gunn's right.

FRED It's not about what's right. Pull over there.

WESLEY (stops car) I'd ask to tag along—

FRED But you know what the answer would be. (gets out of the car)

Cut to:

38    INT. PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Professor Seidel is packing files in a storage box. Angel opens the door to the office.

ANGEL Going somewhere?

PROFESSOR SEIDEL No. No. I— (hides behind desk)

ANGEL (throws desk to the side) I hear Pelican Bay is nice this time of year. And I'm sure the inmates'll just love your lectures.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Get out of here.

ANGEL See, I can't do that. Fred's a friend of mine. And that little sabbatical you had planned for her—not nice.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL You don't have any evidence on me. You can't. (grabs book off shelf)

ANGEL Oh, but I can. And when I'm done, I'm guessing there's gonna be a full confession—

PROFESSOR SEIDEL (opens book, reading aloud) Barathrum copeo lacero. Increpito immanis barathrum copeo lacero.

A portal opens beside the Professor, and a green scaly demon walks out of it. It goes after Angel.

ANGEL Great.

As Angel tries to figure out how to deal with the demon, the Professor runs out of his office and into the lab area.

Cut to:

39    INT. LAB OUTSIDE PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Professor Seidel is fleeing his office, going through the lab on his way out of the building, but Fred's already there. She knocks him down to the ground with the butt of her crossbow. She points the crossbow at him while he is helpless on the ground.

FRED You know what they say about payback? Well, I'm the bitch.

Fade to black.

ACT IV:

40    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT Cordelia is folding her clothes and putting them away on an industrial shelving unit that's already there in the attic. Connor walks up behind her, puts his arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder where they're almost cheek-to-cheek.

CONNOR How 'bout some more training? Then tomorrow we can—

CORDELIA (tenses up) Uh, Connor, (steps out of his embrace and faces him) we need to talk.

CONNOR OK.

CORDELIA OK. (leads him to the bed) Sit down. (he sits on the edge, and she sits beside him) (sighs) About what happened... earlier. The non-CPR mouth-to-mouth—

CONNOR When you kissed me.

CORDELIA Right. I shouldn't have.

CONNOR (confused and upset) But—

CORDELIA Connor, I don't know who I am, much less where I belong, or who with. And there's a picture over there when you were a baby—it's only eight months old. There's a lot I need to figure out. I'm sorry. (Connor looks down, visibly upset and disappointed) So, I'm gonna—

CONNOR (stands, angry) You're going back to him, aren't you?

CORDELIA (stands) I just need some time to think, OK? (walks out)

Connor turns and punches a nearby post as hard as he can.

Cut to:

41    INT. PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Angel punches the demon across the room. The demon lands in the bookcase and falls to the floor. Angel takes the desk phone and smashes the demon in the head, splattering demon goo on his leather jacket.

ANGEL Oh, man.

Angel starts to walk away, thinking the battle is over, when the demon's clawed hand grabs him by the ankle, causing Angel to fall to the ground.

ANGEL What?

The demon stands, and they begin to battle again.

Cut to:

42    INT. LAB OUTSIDE PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Fred still has a crossbow pointed at Professor Seidel.

FRED Stay right there.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred. Fred. Please. (stands) Let's talk about this.

FRED Talk? Sure, let's talk, 'cause you gave me the chance to— Oh, wait, no you didn't. Oh well. No talking.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Fred, I know you. You're not capable of hurting anyone.

FRED You don't know me. Not anymore. Five years of pain and suffering in a hell dimension'll make a girl capable of a lot of things.

Cut to:

43    INT. PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Angel is holding the demon's head, while looking at the body across the room. Angel appears to have defeated the demon again, but then his hand starts to move again.

ANGEL Come on. I'm holding your head.

The demon gets up, headless, and sprouts a new head. It attacks Angel, and they battle again.

Cut to:

44    INT. LAB OUTSIDE PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT Fred still has a crossbow pointed at Professor Seidel, who's now standing against one of the lab desks.

FRED It's kind of funny, thinking how threatened you were by me back when I was a grad student. That's why you sent me and the others away, isn't it? You couldn't handle the competition.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Fred—

FRED That's why Laurie's still around. She's not smart enough to overshadow you, is she? Not like me. I'm special. Special on a Pylean platter with a side of you make me sick!

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Why don't you just let me—

FRED Go? Well, since you asked so nicely, sure. I've even practiced a goodbye speech.

Fred backs away and starts speaking in Egyptian.

FRED Klyv mat chyvma, klvma chyt.

A portal has opened in the floor in front of the Professor, and it's sucking him in. He's clinging to the lab desk as Charles Gunn bursts into the lab.

GUNN Fred, no! (edges toward her)

FRED Go away, Charles! You asked me not to kill him, and I'm not. Not exactly.

GUNN Sure you are. No way he could survive that. Fred, don't let him do this to you.

FRED How dare you! You don't know— You don't know what it was like!

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Please, help me!

GUNN I promise we'll stop him. We'll find some other way.

The desk that the professor is clinging to is loosening from its fixtures and starts to be pulled into the portal.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Fred! Winifred! Please! Help me!

FRED Don't you see? He'll never stop! He'll do it again!

GUNN If you kill him, I'm gonna lose you.

Gunn goes to the Professor, and grabs his arm, holding onto him as the desk gets pulled into the portal.

FRED Charles, no!

Gunn breaks the Professor's neck, and pushes him into the portal. It closes behind the Professor. Fred and Gunn stare at each other, trying to absorb what just happened.

ANGEL (comes out of the office into the lab) What happened to the professor?

GUNN It's taken care of.

Cut to:

45    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Fred, Gunn and Angel come into the lobby through the front door.

ANGEL Sucked into his own portal. (shakes head) Wish I could have seen his face.

GUNN Yeah. I'm gonna...(walks upstairs)

FRED Good night. (walks upstairs)

Angel's a little perplexed as he watches them go upstairs seeming sad and exhausted. This isn't the usual behavior after a mission. He turns back to the lobby, and sees Cordelia standing at the door.

CORDELIA Hi.

ANGEL Cordelia.

CORDELIA Can we... (gestures to the garden door)

Cut to:

46    EXT. GARDEN AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT They sit on the edge of the little pond. Cordelia sits first. Angel hesitates, but sits beside her—just not too close. She reaches for his injured cheek.

CORDELIA You should have somebody look at that.

ANGEL (recoils from her touch) It'll be OK. Run-in with a Voynok demon. Turns out they have nine lives.

CORDELIA Like a cat?

ANGEL (laughs) Only less stand-offish.

CORDELIA We were friends. I know that. Not just from the pictures, but... And I know that's why you lied before—to protect me. Well, I-I staked a vamp today—

ANGEL Connor took you—?

CORDELIA And what I realized is whoever I was before, I'm still her. She didn't need protecting, and neither do I. So no more lies.

ANGEL No more lies.

CORDELIA OK. Because there's something I need to know. Were we in love?

Cut to:

Closing credits.