Habeas Corpses

RECAP:

ANGEL (V.O.) Previously on Angel:

1    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - DAY After Wesley leaves, Lilah notices the magazine Wes was reading is open to an article entitled "Super Symmetry and P-Dimensional Subspace" by Winifred Burkle.

Cut to:

2    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Fred is talking to Angel and Gunn in the hotel lobby.

FRED I've been asked to present my article at the Physics Institute.

Cut to:

3    INT. AUDITORIUM AT PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE - DAY Fred's old college professor introduces her as a speaker.

PROFESSOR SEIDEL Winifred Burkle.

FRED Thank you, Professor.

Lilah enters the auditorium and looks around to see who's there. She sees Wesley.

Cut to:

4    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - DAY Wesley comes home to his apartment, finding Lilah there.

WESLEY Why are you dressed like that?

Lilah's sitting on his desk near the window. She's done her hair in two pigtail braids with little white bows, she's wearing glasses, a short skirt, a white oxford shirt and a blue cardigan sweater. She's swinging her feet like a schoolgirl, acting coy.

LILAH (in Southern accent) Isn't this what you like?

Wesley kisses her passionately, and they go over to the couch. Wes pulls up Lilah's skirt and sits down on the couch with her on his lap, facing him. She unbuttons her shirt, revealing her red bra. She starts to take off her glasses, but Wes stops her.

WESLEY Leave them on.

Lilah puts the glasses back on, and they continue with their lovemaking.

Cut to:

5    EXT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Fred and Gunn come in through the garden on their way back from the client's house. They go up the stairs, Fred first, to the front door.

FRED (sighs) Can we not do this?

GUNN We haven't even touched each other since—

FRED (they both look down, avoid eye contact) Since we murdered Professor Seidel.

GUNN No, since I did.

FRED (starts to cry, runs back down the stairs) I'm sorry.

Fred leaves the garden; Gunn doesn't follow, but just watches her go.

Cut to:

6    EXT. ALLEY SOMEWHERE IN LOS ANGELES - NIGHT Connor and Cordelia are walking beside each other.

CORDELIA I've been here before. Oh, my God. Connor, this is where you were born.

Something bursts up from the ground in front of them, surrounded in red light. It's got two enormous horns on top of its head, and it's a hulking beast—the one Cordelia saw in her visions.

Cut to:

7    INT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Gunn and Lorne start toward the exit, but Wesley has just come in the front doors.

WESLEY You've noticed the increase in paranormal activities?

LORNE Yeah, you stepped in some on your way in.

Cut to:

8    INT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel's pacing.

ANGEL That's everything Wolfram and Hart could decipher from what they took outta Lorne.

Zoom out to show that, when arranged properly, the papers form a symbol that looks like a square with diagonal lines connecting opposite corners (forming an "X" pattern within the square). Wes, Angel and Gunn stand and stare at it.

ANGEL The Eye of Fire.

WESLEY Ancient alchemical symbol for fire.

ANGEL And destruction.

LORNE (holds up map) I hate to be the little demon that cried apocalypse nowish, but uh...

Lorne gestures to the map with a marker. He's plotted the locations of the disturbances with a red dot for each call, and the dots have formed a square.

ANGEL Whatever's coming, that's where we'll find it.

GUNN The old Kimball building's down there.

Cut to:

9    EXT. SKY TEMPLE CLUB ON KIMBALL BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT Angel hoists his sword and runs toward the beast. Gunn flanks him on the right, while Wesley and Lorne are on the left with crossbows aimed. Angel swings the sword at the beast, but it has no effect—when the sword contacts the beast's skin, there's a pinging sound, but it doesn't cut or penetrate the skin. Angel continues to try using the sword on the beast, but to no avail.

CORDELIA (V.O.) No one's safe. It's coming, and no one can stop it.

Angel lunges for the beast, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. Angel grabs a dagger from his leg-holster and points it at the beast's strange yellow eyes. It's eyes widen, and Angel hesitates, unable to plunge the dagger into its eyes because it's got a grip on Angel's arm now. The tables are turned as the beast stabs Angel in the right shoulder. Angel groans in agony, blood dribbling down his mouth, as he involuntarily reverts to human face. The beast looks knowingly at Angel.

BEAST Do you really think she's safe with him?

The beast takes Angel and hurls him out into the city, well beyond the edge of the building they're on now.

The beast kneels on one knee, punching the floor at the center of his human square, sending a trail of fire out along the floor in the shape of the Eye of Fire symbol. A shock wave emanates from the area, knocking everyone back a few feet. The fire is tall now, taller than the beast. The Beast leaps straight up into the sky, riding the fire that he created.

Cut to:

10    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT Connor and Cordelia are standing next to each other, looking out the window at a shaft of fire that's shooting straight up into a red circular cloud in the sky right over downtown. The column of fire is sucked up into the cloud where it disappears and the clouds close. Still glowing, the clouds now rain tiny fireballs all over the city. They stare in disbelief.

CORDELIA (touches his face tenderly) You never had a childhood, or a family or friends or anything that's real, and if this is the end, I want you to have something that is.

Cut to:

11    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT Connor and Cordelia are in bed together, making love. Lying on top of Cordelia, Connor kisses her tenderly amid gentle undulations under the sheets.

The Start Of Episode

Cut to:

12    EXT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT Zoom outside through the window. Fire rain is falling down all around, and Angel's there, on the roof of a nearby building, looking into the attic, where he can see Connor and Cordelia in bed together making love.

Zoom in to Angel's face to show an expressionless, almost stoic, look as he watches them. A few seconds later, he turns to exit via the stairwell, but instead of opening the door, he punches it so hard it comes off the hinges and falls down the stairs, banging loudly as it crashes. He lets out grunts of angst as he takes out his feelings on the door.

Fade to black.

Opening credits.

ACT I:

13    INT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT A newscaster's voice is coming over the radio. Pan out to show Fred leaning on the front desk and listening worriedly to the radio.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.) 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. (Fred turns up the radio volume, hides her face in her hands) As fire and rescue teams assess the ongoing threat, government officials are asking people to stay in their homes and off the streets.

A telephone on the desk in front of her rings, and Fred rushes to answer before the first ring is finished sounding.

FRED (to phone) This is Fred. No, that's right. Yes ma'am. Angel Inves— I know, it is scary, but— 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— (the sound of someone at the door causes Fred to turn) Oh, my God! (drops the phone)

Fred runs over to greet Gunn, Lorne, and Wesley who are walking in the front door. She gives Gunn a heartfelt hug while Lorne and Wesley walk past them. Wes watches her greet Gunn.

FRED Oh! I thought you were dead. (pulls back from the embrace, but Gunn's arms are still around her waist) I got back here, and it was empty and I panicked and the radio and the fires—

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 (hugs Gunn again) You're safe now, (looks at Wes) all of you.

WESLEY Yes, all safe.

FRED (pulls away from Gunn, worried) What about Angel? Where's Angel?

GUNN We got separated. I'm sure he'll be here soon. (softly) What about you? You OK?

FRED I'm fine. I just needed some air. I didn't know I'd be gone so long. (sighs, gestures to the papers on the floor, aligned to form the Eye of Fire alchemical symbol) Looks like there's some other things I didn't know either.

GUNN Yeah. 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. (sits down)

WESLEY (arms crossed, staring at the floor) That's not what Angel would do.

GUNN Thanks for your opinion, and I don't remember asking. (Wes glares at him)

FRED Uh, what demony thing?

LORNE (stirring his drink) Oh, I believe he's referring to the big bad, possibly invincible, demony thing that nearly killed us all before he ring-mastered tonight's Cirque du Flambe.

FRED Is 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—I mean, if he couldn't stop him—

GUNN So we just wait 'cause we don't know what Angel would or wouldn't do?

ANGEL (O.S.) Would I do what?

Everyone turns to see Angel has just walked in the front door. Fred runs up to him to greet him, but he's stand-offish, stopping at the edge of the lobby.

FRED Angel, you're hurt.

ANGEL I'll be— Let's talk about it in the morning. (starts walking upstairs)

FRED (turns to the others) What about Cordelia and Connor? Has anyone checked in on 'em? (Lorne shakes his head "no" and Fred turns to Angel) Angel?

ANGEL (still walking upstairs, without stopping or turning to face them) They're fine.

LORNE (to Angel) You saw them? (no response, then to others) The man looks like he was hit by a tank.

GUNN I don't remember seeing him that down after a fight.

WESLEY Can't blame him. No one likes to lose, whatever the circumstance. (glances at Fred)

Cut to:

14    INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - DAY Across town and after the sun rises, show Connor and Cordelia in bed together. Cordelia wakes first, facing Connor, then her eyes grow wide as she stares at him. She turns over with a shocked look on her face, now facing away from him. Smiling, Connor wakes and leans over to her to rub her bare shoulder and look at her face.

CONNOR Mornin'. Did the world end?

CORDELIA Not exactly.

CONNOR (kisses her shoulder) That's a good thing.

Still with her back to him, Cordelia looks up at Connor's beaming face.

CORDELIA Don't do that.

CONNOR (smiles and cuddles to her shoulder) Do what?

CORDELIA That. The look. The happy puppy look. Makes it harder.

CONNOR (runs his fingers through her hair) Makes what harder?

CORDELIA (turns to be flat on her back, pulls the sheets up to cover her body, brushes his hair from his face) You're very special, Connor. Last night will always be special, and something we both needed, but it happened because of unusual circumstances. You understand what I'm saying?

CONNOR (smiles) Yeah, that it was special.

CORDELIA That it can't happen again.

CONNOR B— (the smile fades from his face) Why?

CORDELIA (sighs, sits up) 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 (glares at her) You think it's my fault?

CORDELIA No. I told you last night I didn't. I said—

CONNOR (sits up, turns his back to her) Yeah, you said a lot of things last night. (grabs his clothes) You said it didn't matter anymore, that we were real— (starts getting dressed)

CORDELIA And I meant them.

CONNOR (angrily) Yeah, then. Today it's all my fault. You know, the fire demon—all of it! (stands)

CORDELIA Don't be— Look, all I said was—

CONNOR That I can't be with you. (grabs his shirt and storms out)

CORDELIA Connor...

Cut to:

15    INT. WESLEY'S APARTMENT - DAY Show three swords arranged on the wall. Pan down to Wesley, sitting on his couch working on papers, when there's a knock at the door. He stands and answers it. When he opens the door, Lilah has a worried look on her face that fades when she sees him. She lets out a big sigh of relief and leans against the door jamb.

LILAH OK. (smiles) I was just checking.

WESLEY I'm alive.

LILAH (walks in) Not by much from the looks of it. (hugs him) I left you a couple hundred messages last night. Don't feel obligated to return any of them.

WESLEY Then you're all right. (shuts door)

LILAH Fine. Slept at Wolfram and Hart. FYI, safest place to be in case of an apocalypse. You on the other hand— Hmm. I bet I could make you feel better. (leans in to kiss him, but he turns and walks away) 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, walks to him) Yeah, yeah, I've heard that a million times, cowboy. We both know how this song ends. (sweetly, in his face) You, me, broken furniture...

WESLEY It's over, Lilah.

LILAH (blinks, steps back) You're serious.

WESLEY (turns, walks away) After what I saw last night, I believe a day of reckoning has arrived.

LILAH (flippantly) And you just reckon you'll toss in with the good guys? (crosses her arms)

WESLEY (faces her) I'm choosing a side.

LILAH And the girl of your dreams just happens to be on it. (cocks her head) Hmm. 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 (lowly, earnestly) You're making a big one now. (softens, walks up to him, puts her arms around his neck) I could wear the glasses again.

WESLEY Don't embarrass yourself. (she pulls away) There is a line, Lilah. Black and white, good and evil.

LILAH Funny thing about black and white— (walks away) you mix it together and you get gray. (faces him) And it doesn't matter how much white you try and put back in, you're never gonna get anything but gray. And I don't see your Texas-gal-pal wearing that color. Come to think of it, she prefers black. (walks out of the apartment)

Cut to:

16    INT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Gunn leaning over the front desk, working on research. Fred's there with him, using the laptop computer.

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. The problem is the trail guide was drawn by a crack-head. (someone walks in through the front door, Fred and Gunn turn to see Cordelia) Hey, Cordelia, you guys survive the night all right?

CORDELIA (walks toward them) Yeah, you know, it was, uh—

FRED Scary, nasty and nervous making?

CORDELIA The sky should not be made of fire. Angel around?

FRED Hibernating in his cave.

Cordelia walks to Angel's office door and knocks.

Cut to:

17    INT. HOTEL / ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Cordelia opens the door to Angel's office and leans in.

CORDELIA You have a minute? (he doesn't answer, she walks up to his desk) I was hoping we could...talk. About, uh, well, about Connor.

ANGEL (stands) I already know. (walks out of the office)

CORDELIA You do? Really. (follows him) Well then you're handling it a lot better than me.

ANGEL (looks at Fred and Gunn in the lobby, then quietly to Cordelia) Can we not do this right now? (walks back into his office)

CORDELIA (follows him) 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.

ANGEL Same spot? Really?

CORDELIA You said you already knew.

ANGEL Of course I knew. Doesn't mean anything. Could just be a, you know—

CORDELIA Coincidence.

ANGEL Strange things happen.

CORDELIA Like a vampire giving birth? (Angel sits down at his desk) Oh wait, that thing happened in the exact same spot too.

ANGEL What are you— (leans forward) You think Connor's connected to this evil thing?

CORDELIA Me? God, no. He's a sweetie pie.

ANGEL (leans back) Then why're you telling me?

CORDELIA Because your son stormed out this morning, and he really does believe it.

Cut to:

18    INT. LILAH'S OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah is sitting at her desk, talking on the phone. Gavin brings her a cup of coffee and sets it on the desk in front of her.

LILAH (to phone) Listen, Frank, I don't care if you have to lojack the damn thing—

GAVIN (whispers to Lilah, holding up a sugar packet) Sugar?

LILAH (glares at Gavin, then to phone) Find that beast, or I swear to God, I will—

GAVIN (whispers to Lilah) Boil you alive.

LILAH (whispers to Gavin) Shut up! (to phone, slowly) Boil you alive. (hangs up, sighs, then to Gavin) How hard can it be to find a giant horned thing. (drinks the coffee, makes a face) Or a decent cup of coffee. (throws coffee away, sighs) Why are you still here?

GAVIN (holds up a report) 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 he can. It's the 800 pound gorilla—it can do whatever the hell it wants. I get that. But other than charbroiling everything in sight, I don't think it has an agenda. And that makes our job tricky.

GAVIN What job?

LILAH The senior partners want us to try and cut a deal with it.

GAVIN (chuckles) You can't be serious.

LILAH Why? It wants the same things we do. An apocalypse, end of the world, yadda yadda yadda. Partners feel it might speed things along and save a few bucks.

GAVIN But what if it's not interested?

LILAH I'll change it's mind. I'm not losing this one.

Gavin swallows, then nods and walks out the door. Moments later, he walks in backwards, with Connor staring him in the face. Connor pushes Gavin out of the way, and speaks to Lilah.

CONNOR I have questions.

LILAH Connor. Huh. (stands, walks to the front of her desk) If the last few hours haven't brought enough surprises. (sits on her desk, facing Connor, crosses her arms) You really 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 (raises eyebrows, interested) 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. (leans back on her desk, and secretly presses a silent alarm button) We have an in-house lab. We'll do a few easy work-ups: psychological, physiological, neurological. And focus on exactly who or what you are. (security men enter behind Connor, Lilah stands and grins) And we'll slice you open and start poking around.

Connor punches out the guards and grabs Lilah by the throat, pinning her against the wall.

CONNOR (angrily, in her face) I have a different idea.

LILAH I'm open to any suggestions.

CONNOR That demon you're seeking, I think I'm connected to it. I wanna find out how.

LILAH Sure, no problem. Gavin, why don't you get our young friend a copy of your report, and we'll sit down and have a nice, non-violent conversation.

The lights dim and the building starts shaking. Connor releases Lilah and looks around.

CONNOR It's here.

Fade to black.

ACT II:

19    INT. LILAH'S OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Resume. Connor, Gavin and Lilah are in Lilah's office as the building shakes and the power goes out.

CONNOR It's here. The beast.

LILAH It's probably just an after-shock. They sometimes make the power go out. (picks up the phone, presses buttons, hangs up. to Gavin) Try a walkie.

Gavin walks over to one of the guards Connor knocked out earlier and grabs a walkie-talkie two-way radio off of him.

GAVIN (to walkie-talkie) This is Gavin Park to the front desk. Over. Come in front desk.

GUARD (O.S.) Ah, this is the front desk Mr. Park, we're kinda— Oh, no! Oh, my God!

LILAH (staring, arms crossed) Tell him to stop whining and make a report.

GUARD (O.S.) Send backup! Oh, God! Somebody please—No!

CONNOR (to Lilah) Told you.

LILAH (to Gavin) Go downstairs, and check it out. (stands, shakes his head "no") Gavin, ask yourself this question: what are you more afraid of, a giant murderous demon or me?

GAVIN (grins nervously) Be right back. (leaves the office)

LILAH (to Connor) Have any idea what this thing wants?

CONNOR Everybody dead.

Connor walks out of the office. Lilah grabs a pistol from her desk, loads and cocks it before following him.

Cut to:

20    INT. LOBBY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY A man screams as he's thrown across the room, crashing into the "Wolfram & Hart, Attorneys at Law" sign. As similar sounds of people screaming and hitting things are played, pan across the floor to show it's literally covered with bloody bodies. Finally the camera reaches the Beast, showing his hoofed feet, then panning up his body. He's holding a man's severed head in his hand. Pan up to show the Beast's face, framed by the hideous horns coming from his head.

Cut to:

21    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY A woman is pressing the elevator button frantically. A man is helping organize the exit, directing people down the stairwell. Amid the chaos in the crowded halls, Connor walks purposefully, with Lilah following closely behind.

LILAH What exactly is this thing?

CONNOR I don't know, but I think it's following me around.

LILAH And you're gonna kill it?

CONNOR Gonna try.

LILAH And we're heading towards it right now... (stops in her tracks, and waves to Connor has he continues walking) Best of luck.

Cut to:

22    INT. STAIRWELL AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY The stairs are crowded as people are trying to flee the building.

Cut to:

23    INT. LOBBY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY As the people reach the ground floor, they exit into the lobby where the Beast is still on his murderous rampage. He throws people across the room on his way to the stairwell, where finally he enters and shuts the door behind him.

Cut to:

24    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY The Beast is now on an office floor, walking through the hallways, killing people he encounters. As he walks down the hall, he hears someone in a room behind a closed door. He opens the door and reveals that Gavin is rummaging around in the supply closet, searching through the shelves of toilet paper. The Beast growls as he sees Gavin.

GAVIN (freezes) Uh...hi.

The Beast grabs Gavin by the throat, lifting him into the air, and pulls him out of the room.

BEAST (looks at Gavin, cocks his head) Oh....

The Beast snaps Gavin's neck and drops him on the ground amid rolls of toilet paper.

Cut to:

25    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Connor walks stealthily through the hallway, tip-toeing around the dead bodies that litter the floor. He notices the wall is streaked with blood. Then he hears gunshots from another room nearby and goes to investigate.

Cut to:

26    INT. CONFERENCE ROOM AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah is shooting at the Beast, but it's not phased by the gunshots. It walks toward her as she backs away. The Beast wrenches the gun out of her hands and pushes Lilah onto her back on a conference table.

LILAH (struggling) I could help you. Anything you need.

The Beast plunges it's forefinger into Lilah's abdomen. She screams in agony as he wiggles it around. He pulls the finger out of her and pushes her off the table; she lands on the floor. The Beast stares at Connor, who's just come into the room. Connor runs at the Beast with sword in hand, but the blade breaks on the Beast's skin.

BEAST Connor...

Connor throws a punch at the Beast, but he's unfazed. The Beast then punches Connor so hard that he flies across the room, where his body hits a pillar, causing it to crumble on top of him, burying him in debris.

Cut to:

27    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah has fled the conference room and, though badly wounded, sneaks down the hallway. Holding one hand to her wound, she steadies herself against the wall with the other as she walks. She looks around and sees the Beast following her, so she quickens the pace. As she walks past office after office, she moans in pain.

Cut to:

28    INT. OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah gasps with fright as someone grabs her and pulls her into one of the offices, helps her to a desk where she can sit, and closes the door. It's Wesley.

LILAH Uh, oh, I don't understand. (weakened, she falls forward)

WESLEY (catches Lilah and holds her up) Stay with me, Lilah.

LILAH Why are you here?

WESLEY I have a man on the inside. (sounds of metal clanging can be heard outside) What's that?

LILAH (her head falls back) Oh, it's the fat lady singing.

WESLEY (shakes her gently) Lilah.

LILAH The building automatically shuts down under full scale attack.

WESLEY (bends to inspect her wound) When you say "shuts down..."

Through the office's windows, metal shutters can be seen closing over the outside of the building.

LILAH Windows, doors, air vents. Nobody gets in or out. Oh...

The Beast knocks down the door to the office Wesley and Lilah are in. Wesley picks up Lilah and carries her out of the room in his arms.

Cut to:

29    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Carrying Lilah in his arms, Wesley hustles down the hallway, careful not to trip on the bodies.

WESLEY Stay with me. Come on, Lilah, there must be a way out for someone like you. Think. A back door, something.

The Beast is following them down the hallway.

LILAH Around the corner, a supply closet. (Wes puts her down on her feet) Why are you stopping for? (Wesley grabs a grenade from his bag) You gotta be kidding me. (Wes pulls the pin, and throws the grenade down the hallway toward the Beast, where it explodes.) Will it kill him?

WESLEY (puts Lilah's arm over his shoulder to help her walk) No, it might distract him for a moment.

LILAH (stops when she sees Gavin's body on the floor) Gavin. Poor bastard.

WESLEY (looking around) Lilah?

LILAH It's in here. (points)

Wes and Lilah go into the closet and shut the door behind them.

Cut to:

30    INT. SUPPLY CLOSET AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah's rifling through the rolls of toilet paper like Gavin was earlier.

LILAH Come on, where is it?

WESLEY Are you sure this is the right closet?

LILAH Yes. Third floor and lobby. (Wes helps look for the exit, but Lilah finds the lever) OK, here it is.

The lever opens the door to a chute. When the Beast rips off the door to the closet, the room is empty. He walks away groaning.

Cut to:

31    INT. SEWER UNDER WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Lilah and Wesley slide down the chute and land in a sewer. Lilah moans and coughs as she lands. They sit up.

LILAH Now what?

WESLEY Now you disappear. You get patched up and leave town. (stands, helps her stand)

LILAH Turn tail and run?

WESLEY That thing won't quit 'til everyone at Wolfram and Hart is dead. Go underground, change your name. (turns, walks away) Don't make its job easy.

LILAH (calls after him) Wesley...

Wesley stops and turns to face her. Lilah has a worried look on her face. She starts to say something, but stops and sighs before finally telling him what she wants to say.

LILAH Connor's trapped up inside.

WESLEY What?

LILAH I don't know if he's alive. He's in the third floor conference room. Not that there's a way back in, I just thought you should know.

Without saying anything, Wesley looks her in the eyes, then turns and walks away. Lilah walks away in the opposite direction, weakened and leaning against the sewer walls for support. Above them, a pipe drips drops down into a puddle below.

Cut to:

32    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - DAY Fred's working on the laptop and Gunn's reading from a book, tapping his pencil on it nervously.

FRED (sighs, looks up from her computer) Can you not do that?

GUNN (stops tapping) Oh, sorry, it helps me think.

FRED I didn't mean to snap.

CORDELIA (sitting on the couch) I'm ready to crackle-pop myself. The last 24 haven't exactly been normal. We're all tired.

ANGEL (pacing, reading, walks past Cordelia. without looking up) Wonder why.

LORNE (sleeping on the couch beside Cordy, Angel brushes Lorne's leg as he walks by, startling him awake) Huh? Oh. Mmm. Just, uh, meditating on the problem. Yeah. Asking the inner Lorne for a little backup. Heh.

GUNN (walks out from behind the front desk) We're assuming it's a big connect-the-dot that Connor and the devily guy have this alley in common, but isn't this alley right behind Caritas, or at least what's left of it?

LORNE Yeah, that whole block is a big fat inter-dimensional happenin' hot spot.

CORDELIA Except this thing didn't emerge from a portal so much as a pothole.

A grim-faced Wesley walks through the front door, and the others turn to look.

GUNN (crosses his arms, rolls his eyes at Wes) Oh, good. More bad news.

FRED (quietly to Gunn) Can you just try to get along? He was your friend.

GUNN (quietly) Heavy on the "was."

Wes walks forward to where the others are.

ANGEL You know where it is. The Beast.

WESLEY Inside Wolfram and Hart. And so is—

GUNN Well, that answers a lot of questions. They're probably having a big sit-down, breaking bread.

WESLEY It's killing everything that moves in there.

GUNN I've heard worse news.

WESLEY (to Angel) Your son is trapped inside.

ANGEL What?

CORDELIA (stands, walks to Wesley) Oh my God! Connor? Why would he be in there? I don't understand.

ANGEL Lots of things I don't understand. We're going in after him.

WESLEY Won't be easy. The building's locked tight. There's no way out.

ANGEL But I bet there's a way in.

Cut to:

33    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY Connor's sneaking around the hallways and walks past Gavin's dead body. Connor walks by him, and suddenly Gavin's eyes open.

Fade to black.

ACT III:

34    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel's got a sword, and Gunn's picking a weapon out of the weapons cabinet. Wesley is standing behind the front desk packing a bag, and Fred's talking to him.

FRED I mean, I know you run your own shop, but inside data on Wolfram and Hart—pretty amazing.

WESLEY Yes, well, uh, (zips the bag) part of the job. (walks away)

ANGEL (to Fred) Flashlight?

FRED Yes, please.

CORDELIA (walks up to Angel, touches his arm) It's gonna be fine, you know. (Angel turns to face her) Connor's a champion, like you. He's special.

ANGEL Right. Like me. Special. (walks away) Somebody should stay here and mind the store.

LORNE Me! Me me me. Sargeant Stay-At-Home, volunteering for duty, sir.

ANGEL Gunn, Let's go.

GUNN Angel, uh, assuming we can even get inside the evil empire, same big beastie's in there who spanked our asses six ways to Sunday. What's gonna be different this time?

ANGEL What's different is we're not going for the monster, we're going for Connor.

GUNN So, you phoned ahead so the big bad understand that?

ANGEL Look, I don't know the answers. Don't even know most of the questions. But what I do know is that I have to go into Wolfram and Hart and find my son. Now as far as us versus the big bad's concerned, there's only one smart way to play it: You see it, you run like hell. (turns to leave)

CORDELIA (grabs a knife, follows Angel) Works for me. (Angel takes the knife from her and puts it back where she got it) Excuse me.

ANGEL Stay here with Lorne.

CORDELIA Uh-uh. Connor's in danger, and I— (goes for the knife again, but Angel stops her)

ANGEL Cordelia, I don't want you there. It's too dangerous. Way too dangerous. I can't risk it. (walks away) Fred, get a move on.

Angel, Gunn and Fred walk out the front door.

LORNE (waves) Happy hunting! (to Cordy) We'll, uh, stay here and keep the home fires burning. Bake some nice healing muffins, hm?

Cordelia glares at them as they leave.

Cut to:

35    INT. SEWER UNDER WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Wesley leads Angel, Gunn, and Fred through the sewer.

WESLEY (stops walking, shines his light up the chute) This is it. I believe there's a door about 30 meters up.

GUNN You believe or you know? 'Cause every time you show up believing something seems somebody gets their head drilled or falls into a portal.

FRED Charles—

GUNN I'm just saying.

WESLEY Yes, well I'm doing—

ANGEL (snaps at Gunn and Wesley) Will you guys shut up? I don't give a rat's ass about what's going on between you two. Put it away. We're here for Connor.

GUNN I still don't see how you plan on getting us up there. (Angel jumps up the chute) Show off.

Angel drops a line down the chute. Wes grabs onto it.

Cut to:

36    INT. LOBBY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Angel, Fred, Gunn and Wesley enter the lobby and look around at the death and destruction. They shine their flashlights down as they slowly walk over the bodies crowding the floor.

FRED Oh my God... I know they all worked for an evil company, but this is— (Gunn is startled) What?

GUNN Heard something.

ANGEL Power's down. We'll have to take the stairs.

GUNN Just so I'm clear on the plan—

ANGEL Third floor—get Connor, get out.

FRED (gasps) Sorry. Feeling a little goosey.

WESLEY For good reason.

Cut to:

37    INT. STAIRWELL AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Angel leads the gang up the staircase, still walking over the dead bodies that are everywhere.

ANGEL Be quick, be quiet. As far as we know, that thing's still around.

After they walk by one of the dead bodies, it's eyes flash open, unnoticed by Angel's team.

Cut to:

38    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT The gang walks through the darkened hallway.

GUNN I don't get it. Wolfram and Hart is evil, the big bad is evil... why go all Terminator on your own team?

ANGEL Maybe all it wants... is to eliminate the competition.

FRED Doesn't give us much to look forward to, does it?

As they round the corner, they come close to the supply closet. Wesley shines his light in it, then on the floor where he sees a pool of blood near a roll of toilet paper.

WESLEY (to himself) Wasn't Gavin...?

ANGEL (gestures to a nearby room) Over here!

Cut to:

39    INT. CONFERENCE ROOM AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT The team digs through the debris where Connor was last seen.

FRED He's not in here.

WESLEY Let's be certain.

ANGEL No, she's right. He's not. (everyone stops removing debris) That's good, means he's still alive.

GUNN (glares at Wesley) Or that Sherlock got his facts wrong again.

ANGEL No, I can smell him. Connor was here. We should split up. (grabs his sword) You three, take one stairwell. Sweep each floor, we'll meet up top. (walks out of the room)

Cut to:

40    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT The sign reads "7th Floor" as Angel steps out of the stairwell. He walks slowly, stealthily through the corridor, and something passes by behind him. Angel turns to look, but it's already gone. Sword ready, he continues walking. When someone jumps him from behind, Angel grabs him and pushes him against the wall. It's Connor.

ANGEL Connor. Jesus. (hugs Connor) Thank God you're alive.

CONNOR (pulls back from the hug) Hey, how'd you know where to find me?

ANGEL It's a long story. (grabs Connor's arm and starts walking away) We got to get you out of here first.

CONNOR (stands firm) Wait, first I have to kill that thing. This is my fault.

ANGEL We can't kill it, and no it's not. We've thrown everything we can at it—it's not enough. We need to go.

Angel turns to walk away, only to find himself face to face with Gavin. Gavin grabs Angel, but Angel punches him and throws him across the hall into the wall. Gavin lands on the floor and stays put.

ANGEL Gavin—how did—?

CONNOR He looks dead.

ANGEL He is dead. Technically, 's undead. It's a zombie.

Gavin stands up.

CONNOR What's a zombie?

Angel grabs Gavin and throws him across the hall again.

ANGEL It's an undead thing.

CONNOR Like you?

ANGEL No, zombies are slow-moving, dimwitted things that crave human flesh.

CONNOR Like you.

ANGEL (points at Connor) No! It's different. Trust me.

Gavin wakes again, but Angel kicks hm in the face.

ANGEL (to Connor) Come on. (Angel walks down the hall, and Connor follows)

CONNOR Why are they doing this? Why are they zombies?

ANGEL I don't know, but we need to find the others.

While they walk away, other zombies in the hallway behind them rise.

Cut to:

41    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Gunn, Fred and Wes are walking through a hallway, checking every room. Fred opens one door and looks in. Wes goes in the next one, shining his flashlight on the floor in front of him so he won't trip over the body. When he comes out, he stops cold, looking at the floor.

WESLEY That's odd.

Pan down to show his flashlight shining on empty floor space where the was a body a moment ago.

FRED What is?

GUNN Shouldn't Angel be swooping in any minute now?

FRED (her eyes widen and she rushes toward Gunn) Charles!

A zombie grabbed and bit Gunn's forearm. He punches her and she backs off. Meanwhile zombies are coming at them from all directions. Wesley and Fred are fighting them off too. Gunn comes to Fred's assistance, punching a zombie and grabbing Fred, leading her into a nearby office.

GUNN (calls out) Wesley, come on!

Cut to:

42    INT. OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Wesley follows them into the office, and they shut the door behind them. Gunn, Fred, and Wesley stand with their backs against the door.

Fade to black.

ACT IV:

43    INT. OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Resume. A horde of zombies are beating on their office door as Gunn, Fred, and Wesley hide inside the office.

GUNN What the hell was that?

WESLEY Zombies.

GUNN Yeah, thanks for the newsflash, Captain Obvious. (goes to try another door) It's locked.

Gunn returns to the door the zombies are beating on, and braces it with his hand between Fred and Wesley. Fred looks at Gunn's forearm and shines her flashlight on it.

FRED Charles, you're bleeding.

GUNN Zombie broad tried to snack on me.

WESLEY (looks at Gunn) She bit you?

GUNN (concerned) You worried I'm gonna turn into one of those mindless meatbags?

WESLEY No, I don't think it works that way here.

GUNN Good to know, but if it is, don't let me be one for long.

WESLEY You'll do the same for me?

GUNN (eagerly) Oh yeah. (Wes rolls his eyes)

A zombie breaks through part of the door and grabs Fred's hair. She screams, and Gunn cuts off the zombie's arm with his axe. Fred goes to the other door to try the lock again.

FRED (jiggles the handle, but it doesn't budge) Dammit!

As the zombies finally beat down the door, Fred beats on the door handle with the hilt of her sword. The crowd of zombies enter the room just as Fred breaks the door handle off the door..

FRED Got it! Come on!

Fred and Wesley are going through the doorway as Gunn holds back the mob.

WESLEY Gunn...?

GUNN (to Wesley) Get her out of here!

FRED Charles!

GUNN Go!

The door closes, separating Fred and Wesley from Gunn and the zombies.

Cut to:

44    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Hiding in an area of the seventh floor hall away from the zombies, Angel talks to Connor.

ANGEL The only way to kill a zombie is to stop its brain activity. Cut off it's head, smash it's skull... luckily, they're slow and stupid so we have a decent chance of beating them.. (peeks around the corner at a throng of zombies heading toward them) Unless, of course, there's hundreds of 'em.

Connor peeks around the corner too.

Cut to:

45    INT. OFFICE AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Wesley tries to lead Fred out of the office, but Fred resists, panicked about leaving Gunn behind.

FRED We gotta go back for Charles!

WESLEY (touches her face) Not an option. We need to get you to safety.

Wes turns over an desk to barricade the door, then unlocks the exit door. When he opens it, he finds a crowd of zombies waiting on the other side. He immediately closes it and steps back.

FRED Now what?

WESLEY We wait, then we fight.

FRED Why are they doing this?

WESLEY I don't know. Perhaps its some building lockdown protocol. Or some security voodoo.

FRED You don't think it's something the big beast can do, do you? Reanimate the dead?

WESLEY Anything's possible. All I know for sure is that he wants us dead.

Something breaks through the barricaded door.

FRED (screams, startled) Aah!

It's Gunn on the other side of the door.

GUNN Fred? (comes into the office)

FRED (goes to his side) Charles.

GUNN Zombies my ass.

Angel and Connor bust in through the other door.

FRED Connor.

ANGEL We got what we came for. Let's go. Wes?

WESLEY Only two exits I know of. Third floor and lobby.

FRED That's too far.

CONNOR We can make it.

ANGEL Not all of us. Too many dead men walking. All right, look, there is one other way. The white room. It's an inter-dimensional space here in Wolfram and Hart.

GUNN Sounds kinda portaly.

ANGEL Not exactly. More like a gateway. And there's a little girl there. Or something old and evil that likes to pretend she's a little girl.

CONNOR You've seen her?

ANGEL I met her once when I was trying to find you. She might be able to help us.

GUNN So, fight seven floors of evil lawyer zombies or sweet talk a nasty little girl? You know where my heart's at.

FRED Yeah, I gotta disagree. I vote for the white room. How do we get there.

ANGEL Gonna need your help.

Cut to:

46    INT. HALLWAY AT WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT The gang follows Angel out into the hallway where there's still zombies everywhere. Angel pries open the elevator doors, and Fred goes into the elevator.

ANGEL Do what you can.

Angel runs back out to the hallway to help Connor, Gunn, and Wes fend off the zombies while Fred works. Fred's looking at the control panel for the elevator.

ANGEL Fred!

FRED (out loud) Working on it! (to herself) Come on, Fred, think. Bypass switch for a shutdown command.

ANGEL Come on, Fred.

FRED (she disconnects and reconnects wires, followed by the sound of circuitry powering up) Angel!

ANGEL Guys, let's go. (Angel and Wesley get into the elevator)

WESLEY You remember the code?

ANGEL Hello, photographic memory.

Presses the elevator buttons for different floors. 18-23-20... Connor and Gunn get into the elevator. ...28-27. Nothing happens.

ANGEL (to the elevator) What?

CONNOR Maybe you forgot.

ANGEL I didn't forget. Lemme try again. (Presses elevator buttons again: 18-23-20-28-27)

GUNN (looking out into the approaching crowd of zombies) That's Gavin. I know that guy. Hold up. (steps out of the elevator to cut off Gavin's head with the axe, returns to the elevator) I hate seeing someone I know like that, even someone I know I hate.

WESLEY No time like the present, Angel.

The elevator doors close and another button magically appears above the regular elevator buttons.

ANGEL Here's hoping she's in a good mood. (presses the new button)

Fade to white.

47    INT. WHITE ROOM - NIGHT The gang finds themselves in a huge empty white space. They look around, trying to orient themselves, and Fred spots the Beast kneeling over a girl who's lying on the floor on her back. The little girl is wearing a knee-length red dress with a white lace collar, white stockings, and black patent leather shoes.

FRED Oh no!

GUNN It was waitin' for us all along.

ANGEL No, I don't think so. He wanted this. The girl—whatever she is—it came for her.

WESLEY Is there a way out of here?

LITTLE GIRL (turns and points at Angel's gang) The answer is among you.

The Beast is holding his right hand out over the little girl's body, and some black smoke is going from her body into his hand. When there's no more black smoke coming from her, the Beast stands and starts walking toward Angel's gang menacingly. Before it gets to them, the little girl reaches her hand out toward them and mumbles something. Angel's gang raises their weapons, preparing to fight the Beast, but they fade away before he gets there.

Fade to white.

48    INT. HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT When the gang reappears, they find themselves in the middle of the hotel lobby. Lorne's reading a book and sipping a martini. When he looks up and sees the gang standing there, his eyes go wide and he looks suspiciously at his drink.

ANGEL (looking around) Home. She sent us. (sees Cordelia) Oh. (looks away)

CONNOR (walks up to Angel) Dad?

Cordelia gets up and walks out from behind the front desk. Angel ignores Connor and walks to his office, props his sword in the corner and starts to go in.

CORDELIA (to Connor) You're safe.

Angel turns around to see Cordelia's talking to Connor, hugging him. Angel turns and goes into his office.

FRED (looking at Gunn's arm) Does it hurt?

GUNN It's OK.

LORNE Well, hail the conquering heroes, and how the hell did you just do that?

FRED That was awful what it did to that little girl.

LORNE (heartbroken) Oh, i-it killed a girl?

WESLEY (leaning against a column) Not really a girl. Something ancient and evil dressed like a girl.

GUNN So, what's it say about the Big Bad Wolf if he can just stride right in and suck the energy out of Evil Red Riding Hood?

WESLEY I don't know, other than it's gonna take a force far smarter and stronger than us to defeat it.

LORNE Oh, like there's a lot of that just lying around.

Cut to:

48    INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel's standing behind his paper-covered desk, sorting through documents. Cordelia comes into his office and walks up to his desk.

CORDELIA Hey. I was...really worried.

ANGEL (doesn't look at her) I bet.

CORDELIA The folks out there are feeling pretty discouraged.

ANGEL (doesn't look at her) Yep.

CORDELIA I'm just glad that everyone's safe and together again.

ANGEL (looks her in the eyes) Me too. (she smiles sweetly, but he does not, he leans forward) Now, take your new boyfriend, and get the hell out of here. (walks out of the office)

CORDELIA (eyes widen and a look of shock comes over her face) Oh, God!

Cut to:

Closing credits.