Awakening

RECAP:

ANGEL (V.O.) Previously on Angel: 1    INT. CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY Cordelia's talking to Angel.

CORDELIA When I was a higher being, I could see everything you ever did as Angelus. I love you, Angel, but I can't be with you.

Cut to:

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

CORDELIA 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:

3    EXT. SKY TEMPLE CLUB ON KIMBALL BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT 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:

4    INT. CONNOR'S PLACE - 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 family or friends, or anything that's real, and if this is the end, I want you to have something that is.

Cut to:

5    INT. CONNOR'S PLACE - 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.

Cut to:

6    EXT. CONNOR'S PLACE - 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.

Cut to:

7    INT. CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY Smiling Connor wakes and leans over to her to rub her bare shoulder and look at her face. Cordelia, flat on her back, pulls the sheets up to cover her body, brushes Connor's hair from his face.

CORDELIA Last night will always be special, but it can't happen again.

Cut to:

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

ANGEL Take your new boyfriend, and get the hell out of here.

Cut to:

9    INT. ANGEL'S ROOM AT THE HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT Angel and Cordelia are talking.

CORDELIA Get over it.

ANGEL (incredulous) What?

CORDELIA There are bigger things at stake. Connor's scared that you think he's connected to the Beast.

ANGEL It does tend to show up whenever he's around.

Cut to:

10    INT. CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY Standing, holding the assembled artifact in front of him, the Beast breathes out black smoke into the orb which rests on two metal wings.

ANGEL (V.O.) We discovered the Beast's plan.

MANNY (V.O.) To blot out the sun for all of eternity.

Cut to:

11    EXT. STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY The sun becomes blocked out by blackness.

WESLEY The sun. It's gone.

Cut to:

12    EXT. STREET BEHIND CONNOR'S PLACE - DAY Cordelia and Connor are waiting anxiously by the car. Angel and crew come out of the building, and Cordelia runs to them.

CORDELIA I had a vision of you, long ago, standing in a field of bodies with the Beast.

GUNN This was never about Connor, it's about—

FRED Angelus.

ANGEL I don't know this beast.

WESLEY But Angelus might. We need Angelus.

Fade to black.

The Start Of Episode

Prologue:

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Since the sun is blotted out in metro Los Angeles, I will not describe the setting in terms of day or night as it's irrelevant until the plot point is resolved. Scenes that take place outside the affected area will be described appropriately.

13    EXT. STREETS AROUND LOS ANGELES A man holds his young daughter in his arms. A postal worker stops his mail delivery to look skyward. A young woman stares. The sun is blackened, showing only a reddish orange halo in the pitch-black sky.

NEWSCASTER (V.O.) Officials from the national weather service remain baffled as to the cause of this strange phenomenon. All that's being reported at this mid-afternoon hour is what meteorologists are calling quote: "a localized abnormality," confirming earlier reports that outlying areas remain unaffected. While the sun over Los Angeles has, for all intents and purposes, been blotted out from the sky.

Cut to:

14    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS A television is on, showing the newscaster as he reports.

NEWSCASTER The Mayor's office has scheduled a news conference for six'o'clock this evening regarding this bizarre development and what it may mean for the city.

GUNN I'll tell you what it means. (walks to the television and switches it off) Soon as vamps everywhere realize this town's open for business 24/7, there's gonna be a huge rise in undead tourism.

CORDELIA We just got to find a way to bring back the sun.

FRED (sitting at the front desk, pouring over piles of books and papers) Working on it. Failing miserably, but working on it. I could really use some help deciphering some of these symbols—or, all of them, really. (sighs) I need Wesley— (looks at Gunn, then away) his expertise.

GUNN Yeah, well Rogue Warrior took off without a word, right after Electro-Gwen decided to skip town when the going got tougher. Not big on the teamwork, either one of them.

CONNOR You're wasting your time. The answer is among us. (gestures to Angel, who's smiling and grooving in his office) He knows. He's part of the plan.

CORDELIA He doesn't remember.

CONNOR (scoffs) So he says. You saw him yourself—making a pact with the Beast.

CORDELIA It wasn't Angel in my vision, it was Angelus.

CONNOR He is Angelus.

CORDELIA Believe me, (in Connor's face) you've never met Angelus.

GUNN Me neither. (crosses his arms) But I'm starting to think maybe it's time we did. Maybe Wes is right. Big Beastie has got to be stopped, and I'm fresh out of ideas. If there's even a chance Angelus could have inside info we could use—

CORDELIA And you think he's willingly going to turn it over?

GUNN I think it's worth a try.

CORDELIA (pacing) Not gonna happen. The gypsies cursed him with a soul so he could feel remorse—to make him suffer for all the people he slaughtered. Removing that soul is the only way to change Angel back into Angelus.

FRED A lot easier said than done.

CORDELIA The gypsy curse was specific. For Angel to lose his soul, he would have to experience a moment of perfect, pure happiness. And right now, happiness of any kind is in... kind of short supply.

Cut to:

15    INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel's leaning over his desk, talking to Lorne, who's seated in front of it.

ANGEL You sure?

LORNE Sorry Bucko, I got nothing. Although your choice of "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia" might have thrown me a wee. I'm personally not huge with the Vicki Lawrence love.

ANGEL Doesn't make sense. I remember everything Angelus did, I did. Every family butchered, every child slaughtered, every throat ripped out. I remember every detail of all of it.

LORNE So how come you don't have a smidge of any recollection of a giant magma demon with ram horns and goat legs? Hey, alls I can tell you, stud, is if it's in there, it's buried deep—deep inside Angelus.

ANGEL Then that's where it stays. Even if I wanted it, there's no way to bring Angelus back.

Cut to:

16    INT. WORSHIP AREA A man prays in a sacred space lit by candles. Sounds come from a nearby room—sounds of people fighting, things breaking. Zoom in on the man's prayer space—it's painted red and black on the floor and animal bones are laid out in front of him. Someone throws a man through the curtain of beads that separates this room from the next; he lands in front of the praying man, out cold. The praying man, covered head to toe in purple cloth, except his eyes, looks up to see Wesley enter his room.

WESLEY Rumor has it, you possess certain skills I require. (wipes blood off his knuckles) I need a soul extracted.

Fade to black.

Opening credits.

ACT I:

17    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel and Lorne come out of Angel's office into the lobby.

CORDELIA Did Lorne help you remember?

ANGEL No.

CORDELIA Anything at all?

ANGEL Nothing. (to Fred) So what have we got?

FRED (looking through papers on her desk) A puzzle with missing pieces and some cryptic gibberish. (gestures to the object the Beast used in its sun-blocking ritual) Angel, whatever power this device had got swallowed up by the Beast. It won't bring back the sun. Without the orb, it's as useless as—

GUNN Us. Face it man, we're losing ground. Pretty much the only victory we can claim is that we're not dead yet.

ANGEL (looks around at everyone's worried faces) OK, look, I know things haven't been going our way lately, but... things change. And we're not down for the count yet. But the Beast is not our only concern right now. 'Til we figure out how to end eternal darkness, it's a devil's playground out there.

CONNOR (under his breath) Just the way you like it, huh?

ANGEL Something to say, Connor? You got a problem?

CONNOR You.

CORDELIA Hey, Connor.

CONNOR Acting like the big leader, like we don't already know what we know.

ANGEL And what do you know?

CONNOR Everybody thought it was me. Maybe even I was starting to, but it was you all along. You're the one who's working with the Beast.

ANGEL I'm not.

CONNOR Well, then, you're a puppet. Either way, everything's going to hell because of you. You're the reason that the sun is gone, that I don't have a home to go back to. You're the reason that she— It's you. (shakes his head, looks away) You're the reason my life sucks.

ANGEL Get over it.

LORNE Uh, not to be a buttinsky, but could we get back to the pep talky thing? (laughs nervously)

FRED I'm not one to turn down a little pep, but I'd much prefer we had a plan.

WESLEY (walks through the front door) Here's one. (brings in the purple-clad praying man from earlier) Him.

ANGEL Who's he?

WESLEY Wo-Pang. He can deliver Angelus to us.

GUNN I thought you said—

CORDELIA Me too.

WESLEY Fred, would you mind brewing some tea for our guest?

FRED Oh, um, sure. Right this way, Mr. Pang. (they walk away together) Any special tea you...

WO-PANG How about Orange Zinger?

FRED Ah. OK.

Cut to:

18    INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel takes Wesley into his office.

ANGEL What do you mean, deliver Angelus?

WESLEY Wo-Pang's a shaman, order of the Kun-Sun-Dai.

ANGEL (shuts the door) Dark mystics. You brought a dark mystic here without talking to me?

WESLEY Claims he has the power to extract souls.

ANGEL Claims?

WESLEY More importantly, he can restore them. Once we learn what it is Angelus knows about the Beast—

ANGEL We're not bringing Angelus.

WESLEY You don't have a choice.

ANGEL Actually I do. That was it. You want to hear it again? Not with the bringing.

WESLEY Don't make this harder than it has to be, Angel. There's no Plan B, and we're running out of time. People are in serious danger.

ANGEL Then unleashing Angelus is the last thing that we should do. If he's here, I'm not. I won't be able to protect anyone from the Beast or from me.

WESLEY It's only temporary. We'll take all the necessary precautions in the interim, contain you. I'm not blind to the risks. I know what Angelus—

ANGEL You have no idea what Angelus is, Wesley. All you know is what you've read in books. You've never had the pleasure of his company, and you're not going to. (walks out the door) Get rid of the shaman.

Angel walks out of the hotel to the gardens.

Cut to:

19    EXT. GARDEN AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel's sitting outside, staring blankly. Cordelia comes out to the garden to join him.

CORDELIA They're all going to die—the flowers, plants, trees—without sun. I'm just realizing... (Angel stands and walks away from her) I just came to say that I'm on your side. Angelus is the jumbo family-sized bad of bad ideas. He'd be a danger to all of us. You made the right call. Wesley, the others...they don't get it.

ANGEL But you do.

CORDELIA Well, if I didn't when Angelus was loose and killing in Sunnydale, then reliving his past horrors in virtual wide-screen sense surround during my tenure in floatyville pretty much makes me an expert.

ANGEL Right. (sits, sighs) Do you— Do you think Connor's right, that I'm being used by the Beast without even knowing?

CORDELIA (quickly) No.

ANGEL Are you just saying that?

CORDELIA Yes. I don't know, Angel. It's possible.

ANGEL Well, if I am, then I'm already a danger to you, all of you.

CORDELIA (shakes head) Well, not like Angelus would be. I mean, he's—he's smart.

ANGEL Excuse me?

CORDELIA (stammers) Well, you know what I mean...

ANGEL You're saying Angelus is smarter than me.

CORDELIA No, I mean....you're smart. He's just—

ANGEL Ingenious.

CORDELIA But in that twisted, sadistic, ruthless kind of way.

ANGEL (nods) Like the Beast.

CORDELIA Yes. Exactly. They think alike, always a step or two ahead of us. I mean, what is it about evil that jacks up the I.Q. points? It's like whenever...(notices Angel's resolute face) What? (Angel stands, walks back into the building) Angel. (follows him)

Cut to:

20    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel walks through the lobby, barking orders on the way to his office.

ANGEL We're going to need a cage.

LORNE Cage?

ANGEL Strong one. About 10 x 12, steel reinforced, 2-inch bars, maybe 3. I'll make some calls. (goes into his office and shuts the door)

GUNN What—do you think something like that's gonna hold the Beast?

WESLEY It's not for the Beast. It's for him.

Cut to:

21    INT. BASEMENT AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Wesley's welding parts of a large steel cage. Angel's inspecting it. Lorne, Gunn, and Connor are also working on the cage assembly.

WESLEY That's it then. (turns off the welding torch)

GUNN (holding the cage door while Connor tightens the bolts) You got it?

CONNOR (tightening bolts) Yeah. (finishes)

GUNN (closes the door; to Angel) Cage is solid, man.

ANGEL All right. (throws a wrench to Connor) Tell the shaman we're ready.

LORNE Hey, uh, listen, Angel cakes. If it's all the same with you, I think I might sit this one out upstairs, hm? You know how dark magic unleashing this unspeakable evil gives me the heebies.

ANGEL It's OK. Tell Cordy and Fred they don't need to be down here either.

LORNE Gotcha, chief. Break a leg. (walks upstairs)

ANGEL (calls after Connor, who's headed upstairs) Connor.

CONNOR (stops, turns, disdainfully) What?

ANGEL Look, I know you like to think that I'm the enemy, but if this works, I will be. I'm gonna become the one thing you were raised to believe I was. The thing I never—never wanted you to see.

CONNOR Yeah. I think I can handle it.

ANGEL Uh-huh. Well, just keep in mind that whatever Angelus says, whatever he does—remember, he's not your father. I am. No matter what happens—or, happened—I—I love you. (Connor heads up the stairs) Look, one more thing. (Connor stops) Since I'm gonna be out of commission for a while, I want you to, you know, take care of everybody. Keep 'em safe. That means, if anything should go wrong with Angelus, you're gonna have to kill me.

CONNOR (too quickly) OK.

ANGEL If... anything goes wrong.

CONNOR (nods) Right. I got it. (goes upstairs)

Cut to:

22    INT. BASEMENT AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Wesley and Gunn are strapping Angel to a table inside the cage. The shaman places a jar on a table, and Cordelia is curious about it.

CORDELIA What is that?

WO-PANG It's the Muo-Ping, the receptacle that will house his soul.

ANGEL (from the cage) Cordy, I don't want you here.

CORDELIA Yeah, tough.

The shaman goes inside the cage with Angel, shutting the door behind him. Connor, Cordy, Gunn and Wesley look on.

WO-PANG It would be wise for your safety to add the second lock to the door.

WESLEY Do as he says. (Gunn puts another lock on the door)

CORDELIA (walks up to the cage) Angel...(he looks at her) you don't have to do this.

ANGEL (looks up) Now she tells me.

WO-PANG Close your eyes and don't speak. (puts his hand on Angel's head) Wo qing qui wu xin zi li. Kun, zhen, xun, kan, li. Ci wo tong ling. Ji fao muo li. (opens his eyes, they're red) Wo hao zhao jue xin ze. Wan cheng ta de zi yuan. (whispers in Angel's ear) Time to say goodbye. (takes a sword from his side and swings it at Angel)

Fade to black.

ACT II:

23    INT. BASEMENT AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Resume. Angel's lying on a table in the cage where the shaman who was ministering to him suddenly swings a sword at him instead. Angel breaks one of his wrist restraints, and grabs the shaman's wrist, blocking his sword.

WESLEY Gunn! (Gunn tries to open the lock on the cage)

FRED Hurry!

WO-PANG Fool, why would I help you? I serve the awakened one.

ANGEL (straining to keep the blade from cutting off his head) A little help here, please!

Gunn enters the cage, and engages the shaman. Meanwhile, Angel undoes his other restraints. The shaman pushes Gunn out of the cage, knocking over the glass container for the soul. Then the shaman attacks Wesley, who jumps out of the way. The shaman goes for Connor, who defends himself well, knocking the sword out of his hand. The shaman is now face-to-face with Angel.

GUNN So this was all a set-up. This whole soul-colonic thing? For what?

ANGEL (walks slowly up to the shaman, who backs up, afraid) That's what I would like to know. Why does the Beast suddenly want me dead? Did Angelus welsh on our pact? Is that it? OK, well, maybe you can shed a little light as to what the Beast's plan is. (the shaman pulls a knife out) Maybe I should just start taking you apart now, piece— (with both hands, the shaman thrusts the knife into his heart; he falls over, dead) by piece.

CORDELIA Well, so much for that font of information.

WESLEY Gunn, see if he has anything on him.

Gunn kneels beside the shaman and uncovers his face. The shaman's bald head is covered in oriental characters, as is his jaw, chest...

GUNN He's got something on him, all right.

Later, Wesley is inspecting the shaman's body with a magnifying glass, reading the characters that are drawn all over his skin.

LORNE Is there any part of this guy that doesn't have writing all over it? Scratch that—I don't want to know.

ANGEL Can you translate it?

WESLEY Most of it. Definitely scripture. A recorded history of the Kun-Sun-Dai. (looks up) They're acolytes of the Beast, all right.

GUNN So that's why we couldn't find anything written about Beastie-boy in the books. These jokers are walking around with it on their asses.

WESLEY Hang on.

ANGEL What is it?

WESLEY (rolls down the shaman's clothing) There's a passage here. Difficult to— Fred, could you—? (Wesley moves Fred's wrist so that she's holding the flashlight at a better location)

FRED Oh. Uh-huh. (rolls her eyes)

WESLEY (reading from the shaman with the magnifying glass) It's detailing the acolyte's victory over the Bosh M'ad sometime in... I think in the third century.

CORDELIA What's a Bosh—whatever you said.

WESLEY The opposers of the Awakening. The Bosh M'ad forged something to destroy the Beast—the Tooth of Light.

FRED They made a tooth?

WESLEY To the best of my interpretation, a weapon of some kind.

GUNN How'd it work out for 'em?

WESLEY It was never used. The awakening was centuries away. In the mean time, every last one of the Bosh M'ad was wiped out by the Beast's acolytes.

FRED So this tooth thing must've had them worried. What happened to it?

WESLEY Never found. The opposers kept it hidden.

GUNN Great, so now we have to find a tooth in a haystack.

ANGEL We don't even know what the weapon is.

CORDELIA (Cordy's eyes turn white) It's a sword. The Sword of Bosh M'ad. I can see it. Pretty. (gasps, her eyes go back to normal) I know where it is.

ANGEL Where?

CORDELIA It's here. Under the city.

FRED Well, that's a break.

ANGEL (to Wesley) Did you hear that? There's a sword. A sword to kill the Beast. And you wanted to turn me into Angelus by having an evil shaman cut off my head, not that that wasn't a swell plan, too.

WESLEY Sorry. (stands, walks toward the exit)

ANGEL (follows Wesley) Was that—an apology?

WESLEY I was careless. Made a mistake that almost cost you your life. It would have made pulling you out of the ocean a big waste of my time.

ANGEL (smiles) Yeah, that would've been a drag. (walks up to Wesley) It's just the first time I ever heard you apologize. About anything. (Wes and Angel look into each other's eyes with an understanding)

CONNOR (walks up to Angel and Wesley) So, we gonna go get the sword, or what?

Cut to:

24    INT. SEWERS UNDER LOS ANGELES Cordelia's carrying a lantern, leading Angel, Wesley and Connor through the sewers.

ANGEL I don't get this.

WESLEY What?

ANGEL How is it a sword from the third century is conveniently located here in Los Angeles?

CORDELIA I don't think it is. I mean, I get the impression that somehow it's accessible from like 100 points all over the world.

CONNOR How's that work?

CORDELIA I don't know. I just get the visions, not the Cliff's Notes.

WESLEY (gestures to an opening in the wall) Over there. What's that?

CORDELIA (walks over with her lantern, stepping inside to investigate) A way down.

ANGEL It's a steep grade down there. Gonna have to take it a little slow...watch our steps and stay... (Connor walks forward between Angel and Cordelia and goes inside) together.

Cut to:

25    INT. UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY Cordelia jumps as Connor surprises her. Angel and Wesley are following her.

CORDELIA Connor.

CONNOR Found something.

ANGEL Easy. Easy.

Close-up of a ribbon hanging from the ceiling with a little bell attached to it. There's hundreds of them in the corridor ahead.

CORDELIA What are those? Holiday decorations left over from some S&M bondage party?

Angel jingles one of the bells, triggering a booby-trap: a dozen wooden stakes spring out from the walls.

ANGEL Wood. Why'd it have to be wood?

WESLEY We have to pass through the corridor without ringing any of the bells.

CORDELIA Oh, I knew you two would get me in trouble some day.

They proceed cautiously down the corridor, looking carefully to avoid pulling a ribbon and jingling the bells.

WESLEY Cordelia, freeze. (she stops) Your sleeve.

Wesley pulls a bell off of her where it had caught on her shirt. He straightens the ribbon so that the bell won't ring when he lets go of it. Angel is beside him, and they both breathe a sigh of relief when he lets it go. Connor is through first, then Cordelia. Near the end, Wesley taps a bell with his lantern.

ANGEL Move! (Angel's reflexes are so quick that he pushes Wes and himself to safety before the stakes spring out)

CORDELIA (looking around) Oh, no.

ANGEL Dead end.

CORDELIA Who booby-trapped a dead end? That's just not right.

WESLEY (holding his lantern near the wall) There's something here.

ANGEL Assyrian?

WESLEY Hebrew. Rashi script.

CONNOR Can you read it?

WESLEY Just random letters, one on each stone... unless... (presses a stone, which lifts the wall approximately a foot off the ground)

CORDELIA This is it, you did— (the wall lowers back down) You didn't.

WESLEY There's a pattern. Hebrew letters have numerical values. Aleph is one. The letter with the next highest numerical value would be...He. 5. (presses a stone, but his hand is pierced by a spike; Wesley groans in agony)

ANGEL What happened? What happened?

CONNOR He was wrong.

WESLEY I don't know. I don't know what else— (Cordelia bandages his hand with her shirt)

ANGEL 9 stones.

WESLEY Yes, that's it. It's not their numerical value. These are the first letters of the nine antediluvian patriarchs in Genesis.

CORDELIA That would've been my next guess.

ANGEL So which one do we press?

WESLEY Aleph was Adam, so in ascending order...Shin for Seth. (points) That one.

The wall lifts again, two feet off the ground this time, but it lowers again before they can get past it.

ANGEL (sighs) Now what?

WESLEY Kaf for Cainan.

ANGEL Which one's Kaf?

WESLEY (points) Maybe that one.

CORDELIA Maybe? I don't have enough shirt to bandage both of you.

Angel presses a stone, and the wall lifts higher this time, about three feet off the ground. He runs underneath to hold it up, and Connor does the same.

ANGEL (to Cordelia and Wesley) Come on. (nods) Connor, go.

CONNOR Both of us.

ANGEL Now.

Angel and Connor tumble under the wall, and it closes behind them.

Cut to:

26    INT. UNDERGROUND PASSAGEWAY The group finds itself in a room with two paths leading off of it.

ANGEL Which way now?

CORDELIA Don't look at me. I'm not a Thomas Guide.

WESLEY We should split up.

ANGEL Right. Connor, go with Wes. Cordy and I will take the one on the left.

CONNOR I'll go with Cordy.

CORDELIA Connor...

CONNOR I mean, what difference does it make? Why do I—

CORDELIA We don't have time for a discussion. Just—just go with Wesley. (Angel and Cordelia walk together down the passageway) I'm sorry about that. Back there. Connor. He's still confused about things. I've really made a mess of a messy situation, haven't I? (stops walking, faces Angel) Some really rotten decisions I'd love to take back, but... (looks down the path) I don't know if you ever could.

ANGEL Could?

CORDELIA Whoa. (goes into a room off the path)

ANGEL Could what? What could I ever? (follows Cordelia)

Cut to:

27    INT. UNDERGROUND ROOM They have found a large room with stone pillars and a huge stone pedestal in the middle of the room.

CORDELIA (walks around the room) This has got to be the place. So where is the sword? OK, great. It's gone.

ANGEL (looking around) Maybe.

CORDELIA What maybe? I don't see it. Do you?

ANGEL No. The light must be coming from somewhere. (Angel sticks his hand out over the stone pedestal and his hand disappears into rippling light as he reaches further inside)

CORDELIA Angel?

A sphere of rippling light appears over the stone pedestal as Angel reaches around inside it.

ANGEL It's some kind of dimensional hub. That's why the sword can be in a hundred places... (finds what he's looking for) at once. (pulls out the sword; admiring it) Ah. Ah. I'd say things are starting to look—

The sphere goes from faint white light to intense red light in a matter of seconds after he took the sword.

CORDELIA Uh, Angel... (The sphere shakes violently and then sinks down into the stone pedestal and disappears) Can we get out of here now?

Still lit with red light, the room is falling apart. The pillars are falling, fires are starting. Angel and Cordelia are on opposite sides of the room from each other.

ANGEL Cordy!

CORDELIA Angel! (screams)

Fade to black.

ACT III:

28    INT. UNDERGROUND ROOM Resume. Angel and Cordelia are in an underground room that's collapsing around them.

CORDELIA Angel!

ANGEL Hang on!

Cordelia screams. Angel leaps over the huge flames to get to where Cordelia's standing across the room. She's coughing, and he ushers her out of the room. The fires are getting more and more intense, and the room's collapsing and exploding as they leave. Angel and Cordelia fall to the ground as they get past the danger zone.

CORDELIA (lying on top of Angel, sees the sword behind him) Oh, my God! Are you—?

ANGEL No, no. I'm good. (sits up) I'm good. See? (lifts the sword off the ground) I missed the pointy end. (Cordy starts to cry and hugs him) What? Shh... hey... shh...

CORDELIA We could've died.

ANGEL But we didn't.

CORDELIA What if we had? (sits back to look in his eyes) What if we'd been deep fried trying to save the world again, and I—and I didn't have the chance to tell you.

ANGEL Tell me what?

CORDELIA I'm sorry for what happened, for what I let happen with Connor. I was lost and frightened, and I thought it was the end, and— (whispers) I wanted to be with you, but I couldn't. (cries) Oh, God. Angel, what I did—

ANGEL It's gonna be all right.

CORDELIA No, it's—you need to know that I can look back and see every horrible thing you've ever done as Angelus, and it doesn't matter anymore. Because when I'm with you, all I feel is the good you've done as Angel. I know I've hurt you. (lowers her head) I know I don't deserve forgiveness.

ANGEL (looks in her eyes) Cordy, I don't care what you've done in your past either.

CORDELIA (leans her face against his) I don't know if this is right, Angel.

ANGEL Stop talking.

CORDELIA OK.

Angel and Cordelia kiss. When they look up, Connor and Wesley are standing there, watching them.

CORDELIA Connor. (scowling, Connor runs away) Connor— (stands) Connor, wait.

Angel runs after Connor.

Cut to:

29    INT. UNDERGROUND ROOM When Angel catches up to Connor, they're in another room. This one has a sandy floor and is lit dimly by torches.

ANGEL Connor.

CONNOR Leave me alone.

ANGEL Can't we just talk about this? (Connor hears something, and stops in his tracks) Don't move.

CONNOR Don't tell me what to do.

Connor walks forward and triggers a booby trap; Connor ducks, but a dart flies into Angel's shoulder.

ANGEL Connor— Ow. (pulls the dart out of his shoulder) That hurt.

CONNOR Yeah, I can really see why she wants you.

ANGEL Connor, I know you're hurt—

CONNOR You don't know anything, Dad, except—except how to take things away from me. (walks around the room)

ANGEL Be careful.

CONNOR Why? Nothing in this world is the way it ought to be. It's harsh and cruel— (Connor triggers another dart, but Angel tackles him so he doesn't get hit) Because of you!

Connor throws Angel across the room.

ANGEL This isn't the place for this.

Connor and Angel fight, triggering darts everywhere they step. They duck and move, avoiding being hit by the darts as they fight.

CONNOR It's your fault. It's all your fault. (swings at Angel) I shouldn't have been born!

ANGEL Grow up! You think you're the only one who ever felt like that? Wished his father was dead?

CONNOR Yeah, but mine already is. (fights with Angel)

ANGEL (knocks Connor down) It's not all about you, Connor. What you want isn't always what other people need.

CONNOR (lunges at Angel) She's mine! (punches Angel across the room) She was mine.

CORDELIA (enters the room) No, she wasn't. I'm sorry, Connor, but you need to understand that.

Connor runs out of the room.

ANGEL (stands) Connor.

Cut to:

30    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Lorne, Gunn and Fred are waiting around in the lobby of the hotel when Angel, Cordelia and Wesley come through the front doors.

FRED Oh my God!

GUNN I thought you guys might be dead.

ANGEL Don't stop thinking it yet.

LORNE (looking at the sword Angel's carrying) Is that it?

CORDELIA The sword of the Bosh M'ad.

WESLEY The slayer of Beast.

GUNN Oh, can I play with it? (takes the sword from Angel, starts swinging it)

FRED Where's Connor?

WESLEY Patrolling. We have the sword. Now all we need—

GUNN (breaks a table in half with the sword, looks up at the others) My bad.

WESLEY All we need to do is locate the Beast.

LORNE Well, most of my connections have am-scrayed to dimensions a little lighter on the stomping-your-entrails-out. All I could Kolchak was a rumor of bad mojo rising down in the warehouse district.

ANGEL Then that's where we'll start.

FRED (brings Angel a book) Wait. We found some relevant passages in the Paranych Grimoire which we were able to cross-reference with Wo-Pang's, um... butt.

GUNN Either he's got one hell of a funky mole, or we figure there's only one way to kill the Beast.

WESLEY How?

FRED Piercing it's brain with the Bosh M'ad.

ANGEL (stands) Sounds like a plan to me.

CORDELIA What about the sun?

GUNN One good poke in the coconut should take care of that too.

FRED When the Beast is dead, the energies used to block the sun should be released.

WESLEY There's a catch, isn't there?

FRED One small intsy.

CORDELIA Always with the fine print.

GUNN It took a whole lot of power to pull off permanent midnight.

ANGEL (sighs, walks to the front stairs, sits) Which will all be released when I kill the Beast.

FRED As far as we can figure from the test, nothing human will survive at that close a range. I'm not even sure that you can.

ANGEL (stands) I'll let you know.

CORDELIA You're not going to fight this thing by yourself.

ANGEL There's no choice.

CORDELIA There's always a choice.

ANGEL Not for me. I have to do this. You made a difference. Each of you—not just to me, but to the world. We've been pushed to the edge so many times, done things we're sure can never be forgiven, but we're always there for each other when it counts. We've never let the darkness win. And it's not because of the Powers That Be, or the super-strength, or the magical weapons. It's because we believed in each other. Not just as friends or lovers, but as champions. All of us. Together. (walks away)

CORDELIA (goes after Angel) Angel, wait. You just said it. We're stronger together. You can't do this alone.

ANGEL I'm not.

CORDELIA Drop the Hallmark crap. That might placate the shiny-happys over there, but I'm working with a little more investment. (stands closer) I can't lose you. Not now. Not when we're just starting... whatever it is... or could be.

ANGEL We'll figure it out when I get back.

CORDELIA What if you don't?

ANGEL Not gonna happen.

CORDELIA (cries) You don't know that.

ANGEL (puts his hand on her shoulder) Hey, I've never been more sure of anything. I'll come back. Cordelia, I promise. For you. But first, I gotta do this. I gotta find the Beast— (the Beast bursts through the front door, shattering glass, and walks into the lobby) Oh, there it is.

Fade to black.

ACT IV:

31    INT. LOBBY AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Resume. The Beast is standing in the hotel lobby. Angel and gang are all there.

BEAST I grow weary of your cowardice, Angelus. If you will not stand with me, then suffer the agony of my wrath. (looks at the sword) Is that what I think it is?

ANGEL (to the others) Go. (the others bolt to the weapons chest) No! Get out of here!

CORDELIA No!

ANGEL (fighting the Beast) All of you. I can't do this with you here.

Gunn and Wesley grab Cordelia and leave the hotel.

CORDELIA (trying to stay and help) No, Angel. (is taken out of the building by Wesley)

BEAST (looking at where Angel cut him with the sword) That stings.

ANGEL Not as much as it's gonna.

BEAST We could rule this world. Why do you oppose me?

ANGEL Rain of fire, blocking out the sun, and you just kinda piss me off.

Angel charges at the Beast with the sword. They fight.

BEAST Doesn't have to be this way, Angelus.

ANGEL I'm thinking it does. (continues to fight)

The Beast grabs the blade in the palm of his hand and squeezes until he crushes the sword, breaking it in half. Then he grabs Angel by the throat, squeezing him and lifting him off the ground.

BEAST Did you really think you'd win?

From behind, someone hits the Beast with a battle-axe. It's Connor. The Beast turns to face him.

BEAST The boy joins the father in death.

CONNOR No, in kicking your stony ass.

Connor fights the Beast with only the battle-axe, but is not faring too well. While they fight, Angel reaches for the remnants of the sword's blade. The Beast knocks Connor to the ground.

BEAST Such arrogance. So much like Angelus.

CONNOR (turns to look up at the Beast) His name is Angel. (smiles)

Just as the Beast turns toward Angel, Angel thrusts the sword blade up through the Beast's head.

ANGEL Consider your ass kicked.

The Beast glows red and turns to dust before their eyes. The black magic blocking the sun dissipates, and the sky is back to normal.

CONNOR (stands, goes to Angel's side) Dad.

ANGEL You came back.

CONNOR Like I'd let you take all the credit for saving the world? You're right. It is harsh. And cruel. She was the only thing that made it hurt less.

ANGEL Connor...

CONNOR But it's not me. I could feel it in her touch, in her eyes. (looks down) She loves you. It's always been you.

ANGEL I'm sorry.

CONNOR (smirks) She was too old for me anyway. Is this what it feels like, being a champion?

ANGEL (smiles) Pretty much.

Cordelia, Lorne, Wesley, Fred and Gunn come back into the lobby.

CORDELIA Connor? Oh, my God! (hugs Angel) You did it.

ANGEL We did it. (looks around) All of us. (Wesley and Gun shake hands; Angel rubs his neck) Now, could one of you do me a favor and, uh, (points to the pile of dust that was the Beast) sweep that up?

Cut to:

32    EXT. ACROSS LOS ANGELES The skyline sparkles in the sunlight. People are stopped in the streets, staring at the sky.

Cut to:

33    INT. ANGEL'S ROOM AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel's staring out the window of his room at the daylight beyond it. Cordelia walks up behind him. She's dressed up fancy, with her hair curled, wearing a satin ball gown.

CORDELIA Must be hard. Seeing everyone so happy because of what you did. Bringing the light back, but not being able to go out into it.

ANGEL There's no place I'd rather be...(turns to face her) than here with you.

Angel and Cordelia kiss sweetly. She puts her arms around his neck, but he stops her.

ANGEL (looks away) Cordy...

CORDELIA (looks into his eyes) No. Whatever it is, whatever the reason or excuse or logic, we're here. Now. Together. Everything is the way it's supposed to be. For once. Angel, haven't we waited long enough?

Cordelia kisses Angel, and this time he responds with gentle passion. She unbuttons his shirt and slides it off. He unfastens her dress and slips it down her body.

Angel is lying on top of Cordelia, kissing her softly as they make love. Suddenly, his face goes from pleasure to pain.

ANGEL (gasps) Buffy? (falls off the bed, horrified) No! Oh, God! No!

Cut to:

34    INT. BASEMENT AT HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS Angel is lying on the table in the cage.

WO-PANG The vision becomes reality. It is done.

Angelus turns his head to look at Angel's gang as they watch him.

CORDELIA Angelus.

Angelus laughs maniacally. Pan out to show the jar for his soul now contains white smoke.

Cut to:

Closing credits.