Belonging

Previously on Angel:

Rondell: "Well, if it isn't Charles Gunn." Gunn: "Anne, meet Rondell and George."

Gunn: "Somebody could have filled me in." George: "You ain't been around to tell nothing to." Rondell: "You been moving on up, dog.  Playing demon detective with your new family."

Zombie cop: "Put your hands on the wall, step back and spread your feet apart." Wesley: "Wait!  Officer, wait!" Zombie cop shoots Wesley.

Gunn: "This man took a bullet for me!" Wesley: "And it was nothing." They do the elaborate handshake routine. Angel: "Ah, I see you guys have bonded."

Wesley: "We've all discussed it and none of us are ready just yet..." Angel: "It's okay, Wesley.  I don't want you to came back and work for me.  I wanna work for you."

Cordy's reaction during the vision from "Dead End" Angel: "Cordy! - What did you see?"

Gunn: "Is it me or are these vision hangovers getting longer and longer."

Cordy: "I wish it would stop hurting."

Night. Inside a fancy restaurant Wesley, Cordy and Gunn at a table with an empty forth chair, eating dinner. Cordy: "You wanna try some of this sashimi?" Gunn: "That's the raw fish?  Maybe when hell freezes over." Cordy cranes her neck to look around the restaurant. Wesley: "What are you looking for?" Cordy: "Celebrities.  They wouldn't put them out here in the 'B' section.  They put them back in the dark." Angel: "Not like here - where it's brightly lit and - open and everyone could stare at you and..." Camera pans from what we now realize was a mirror to show that the forth chair at the table is actually occupied by Angel. Angel: "It's a little exposed.  Kind of public." Gunn: "Oh, yeah, that public thing.  It happens when you go where the people are." Gunn claps him on the arm as Angel looks around the restaurant. Angel: "Oh, no, no, no.  I-I-I like the people.  Normal people.  I wanna get out and be one of them.  You know.  Celebrate Cordy's good news." Cordy: "Oh, it's just a commercial." Wesley lifting his wine glass: "Just a *national* commercial.  Here is to you." They all clink glasses. Cordy: "Guys, I can't drink.  I have to be up at four thirty in the morning for the shoot. But please, continue with the toasting and the praising." Gunn: "You're gonna knock 'em dead, and make a ton of cash." Angel: "What he said, but-but don't leave us when you get famous." Cordy: "I'm touched.  But don't worry.  I *can't* leave you guys while I'm still the proud owner of the mind-shattering, ever more debilitating visions." Takes a sip from her wineglass that holds water then goes back to eating. Cordy: "I feel a little guilty." Angel: "Don't. - I mean, nineteen dollars for a - sashimi couscous appetizer is money well spent.  How was it anyway?  Pretty good?  I mean, it ought to be pretty..." Cordy: "It's delicious but that's not what I feel guilty about." Angel: "Oh. (Sees Wesley looking at him) I 'm not cheap, I-I'm just old. (Slipping into a slight Irish accent) I-I remember when a few bob got you a good meal, a bottle *and* a tavern wench. - You were saying?" Cordy: "I was saying, I feel guilty leaving you guys in the middle of a case to go do this commercial." Wesley: "Mhmm, we have it under control.  Angel will get hold of his informant first thing in the morning." Gunn: "And he (to Angel) - well, is it a he or an it?" Angel: "Actually both." Gunn: "Well, then he slash it points us to the big bloated thing in your vision." Wesley: "The Haklar demon.  In fact Angel's informant will lead us to the demon's feeding grounds where we manly men will gather round and kill it to death." Wesley holds out his fist and Gunn bumps it with his own. Angel, just a beat too slow, puts his fist out as well. The others obligingly repeat the gesture. Cordy: "Ooh, sounds like fun.  - If you guys want more wine, don't let me stop you." Angel: "Oh, no more wine for me.  That imported stuff goes right to your head." Gunn: "You think we should get a flame thrower?" Wesley: "For the Haklar?  I hadn't thought of that." Angel: "I mean, if you guys want to order another bottle..." Gunn: "Of course if we wound up in a tight space we could burn each other." Wesley: "Right.  Right." Gunn: "Well, you're the boss.  You'll decide." Wesley taking a deep breath: "A flame thrower is big and loud.  Might call attention where we don't want it.  Stealth, you know being a large part of..." Angel notices a shorthaired woman wearing a cape walking through the restaurant and jumps out of his seat with vampire speed to grab a hold of her. Angel: "Isn't this interesting?" Woman: "Wha-what?  My shawl?" Angel: "No, your Brahenian (?) Battle-shroud, woven from the skin of dead children." Wesley at the table: "What's he doing?" Angel: "You think I don't know a Voltar Witch when I see one?  You don't think I can't see the markings of a... (trails of as he takes a closer look at the shawl) Looks a little different up close." Cordy: "It's a beautiful shawl ma'am.  It's a beautiful, thousand dollar, Laura Mina original. (Laughs) My friend just loves beautiful things so much he can't control himself.  Because he's - ahm, from France?  - We're so sorry.  So sorry." Pulls Angel back towards the table. Angel with French accent: "Pardon." Gunn as they all sit back down: "If we had a flame-thrower we could set the table on fire.  Draw a little *more* attention to us." Angel: "I'm telling you those markings, from a distance they really looked..." Wesley: "Let's just eat and be on our way without any more..." Cordy: "Oh god." Cordy scrunches up her face. Gunn: "What is it?  What do you see?" Cordy: "Moo..." Wesley: "Moo?  Some sort of cow monster?" Cordy: "Move.  I think the sashimi is coming up." The guys jump up off their chairs as Cordy doubles over, pulling the tablecloth and dishes off the table as she is violently sick. Angel: "They'll take that off the bill, right?"

Intro

Hyperion day. Wesley is sitting in his office talking on the phone. Wesley: "Yes, mum.  Yes, well, put him on. - Right.  You too. - Hello father.  Happy Birthday. - How are you? - Good. - No!  It's going quite well actually. - Yes.  I have news. - I've been put in charge of our group. - Yes, as their leader.  No, it's a permanent position.  Well as permanent as these things... - (the smile on Wesley's face fades away into nothing) - No, I certainly won't be fired. - Ah. Well, yes, I was that one time, yes.  - Again... No, you're right.  I see how... - Yes, I'd forgotten, thank you.  - Yes. -  Ah, just recently. Uhm, it's going quite well so far. - - No, I think this time... - I hope it will be different. - No.  No, you're right.  I see how... - I just thought you'd be... I thought you'd want to know, that's all. - Right.  Well - again, happy birthday. - Okay." Hangs up and looks down at the desk. Gunn comes in munching on some chips. Gunn: "You talking to someone?" Wesley closing the folder in front of him: "Yes, my father." Gunn: "English senior?  How is he?" Wesley: "Well.  It's his birthday." Gunn: "Nice." Wesley still moving stuff around on his desk: "He sends his greetings to everyone in Tinsel Town."

Day, big, white warehouse with Stage 6 stenciled on it. Inside Angel makes his way through the people getting ready to shoot Cordy's commercial. Angel: "Sorry." He spots the stage made up to look like a sunlit beach and a girl in a bikini waiting for the shoot to start. He slowly walks out on the beach. The girl gives him a brilliant smile when she sees him coming towards her, but he passes her by without even a look and the smile vanishes. He turns and blinks at the fake sunlight. Letting out a deep breath he closes his eyes and turns his head to face the fake sun, a slight smile spreading across his face. Cordy, wearing a heavy, white bathrobe steps up to him. Cordy: "What are you doing here?" Angel smiles at her: "Getting a tan. Ha. Not bursting into flames?" Cordy: "So - what are you doing here?" Angel: "I have to ask you a question.  In your vision did the Haklar demon..." Cordy grabs him by the arms as she sees someone coming. Cordy whispering: "Shut up.  The director's come in.  (To the director)  Hi.  I just wanna say thanks for casting me." Director: "You're welcome.  Lose the bathrobe." Cordy: "Excuse me?" Director: "What's wrong?  You don't speak English?  The wardrobe.  I need to *see* it.  Lose the robe, princess." Cordy stares at him for a moment and he snaps his fingers a few times. Cordy: "Sure.  Sure." She slowly takes the robe off to reveal that she's wearing a very skimpy bikini dotted with seashells. Angel looks over, blinks, takes a second look, his eyes widening a little. Looks away. Sneaks another quick glance then keeps his eyes on the director. Director: "Turn around. (Cordy does so, slowly)  Well, nothing wrong there. Okay, turn.  (Cordy turns to face him again)  When does she go to makeup?" His assistant looks at his notebook. Cordy: "I've already been to makeup." Director: "Really. (To assistant) Then take her back.  Tell David to get rid of those circles under her eyes.  She looks like a refugee from an abused women's shelter." Cordy: "I had food poisoning." Director: "Yeah, right.  You eat.  Good one. (To assistant) Tell David I'm supposed to wanna sleep with this woman.  I don't.  Do you wanna sleep with her?  Of course you don't." Angel: "You're out of line. (The director turns and stares) Apologize to her." Director: "Oh, let me guess. Wanna-be rocker or part-time male model.  I could go either way on this one." Angel takes a step closer to him: "I said apologize to her." Director: "Really? (Aside to assistant) Get security." Cordy: "Angel..." Angel: "Who the hell do you think you are, huh?" Director: "I think I'm the director.  (To Cordy) And I think you're real smart for bringing your unemployed boyfriend onto *my* set, telling me how to film my commercial.  That's really helping your career." Cordy, back in her bathrobe, takes a hold of Angel arm and pulls him away from the director. Cordy: "I'm sorry. Ah. He won't bother you anymore." Director: "Oh, I know he won't.  Because security is gonna toss his ass in about two minutes.  Now get into makeup and hope they can work miracles." The director leaves and Cordy turns to face Angel. Angel: "Do you want me to rip that guy's head of for you?  Because, you know, I can.  I can actually just rip his head right off his body.  I can do that." Cordy: "Are you *trying* to ruin my career?  I mean, is this like a conscious effort on your part?" Angel: "No.  I just..." Cordy: "You need to go.  Now.  (Angel lets out a deep breath)  Why are you still here?  Go!" Angel: "Look, I have to ask you a question." Cordy lets out a deep breath and folds her arms in front of her. Cordy: "What?" Angel: "In your vision - the Haklar demon that you saw, did he eat his victim whole or did he just rip out the liver? - 'cause, I mean, it's a funny story, according to my informant, liver-eating Haklar's have different feeding grounds then people-eaters, and I need to know what kind it was so I can track it down and kill it." Cordy nods, then shakes her head and turns to walk away. Cordy quietly: "I hate my whole life."

Gunn is sitting on the round bench in the lobby of the Hyperion watching Wesley pace. Gunn: "So - this Heckler demon we're supposed to kill..." Wesley: "Haklar.  Two 'a's." Gunn: "This Haklar with two 'a's' we're supposed to kill.  Give me the specs.  What I need to know?" Wesley stops pacing: "The Haklar, descended for the Klensan order demons, can weigh as much as three tons as an adult male. It awakes from its hibernation during alternating full moons only to feed and mate - often simultaneously.  Incapable of traditional speech the Haklar has learned to communicate with each other via a pattern of carefully timed facial ticks, not dissimilar to our own Morse code.  The Haklar prefers a warm moist clime where it can..." Gunn: "Wesley." Wesley: "Yes?" Gunn: "I meant, how do we go about killing it." Wesley: "Oh.  - Your standard slice and dice." The door opens and George and Rondell walk in. Gunn gets up to greet them. Gunn: "Hey.  What are y'all doing here?" George: "Got a situation." Gunn: "Wesley, you remember Rondell and George?" Wesley shakes their hands: "Certainly.  I never got the chance to thank you both properly.  I think it's fair to say I owe you men my life." George: "It's cool.  Only reason you got shot is 'cause you got our backs." Rondell: "Hey, how you feeling?" Wesley: "Better, thank you." Gunn: "The situation, what is it?" Rondell: "What else?  Vamps." George: "Pack of them making McKenzie park their new personal restaurant." Gunn: "Got a lot of homeless sleeping there." Rondell: "They be the meals." Gunn: "Sounds like what we need to do is set a trap." George: "Traps already set." Gunn: "It is?" George: "We know the drill.  Everything's in motion." Gunn: "Oh. Alright.  You just need me to..." Rondell: "Lend us your truck." Gunn: "You want my ride?" George: "It's still tricked out for dusting, ain't it?" Gunn: "Well, yeah.  But..." Rondell: "We wanna go in with everything we got." Gunn throws a quick look at Wesley. Gunn: "Count me in then." Wesley: "What about the Haklar?" Gunn: "Angel gets a lock on its crib, page me." Angel comes in: "Haklar is living on the North Shore of Lake Hollywood.  We better hurry.  They've got a five K race starting there in half an hour." Wesley: "Consider yourself paged." Gunn looks from Wesley to George and Rondell. Gunn: "I got to take this.  Wait for me though.  I'm through, I hook up with you guys at base camp, we head out together. Rondell:  "Yeah, whatever, G. (Bumps George) Lets roll man." The two of them leave with Gunn looking after them.

Wesley walks up to Angel. Wesley: "Angel, is everything alright?" Angel hands Gunn an ax, then picks up another one and tosses it to Wesley before getting one for himself. Angel with a sigh: "I-It's Cordy." Wesley: "What about her?" Gunn: "Headaches getting worse?" Wesley: "What happened?" Angel: "Nothing happened.  It - it's just... Heh. Acting is her dream job?  I mean, that's the world she really wants to live in?  With people like that?  I don't get it." Wesley: "Who are you talking about?" Angel: "Mr. 'Hey, I'm an L.A. director, you know, shooting a commercial (snaps his fingers) so I must be the center of the universe' guy?  It's just like, (?) if you wanna make it in show business you just pretend you're on the food chain(?).  I mean, all we do is save the world.   And the way he talks to her.  It's like she's his commodity.  Like she's his slave or something. And you know what the worst part is?  She took it.  When was the last time Cordy took crap from any of us?" Gunn: "Never.  And the day after never." Angel: "Exactly!  He's also got her wearing this - flimsy swimsuit that covers like (twists the ax handle between his hands as he looks up at the ceiling) nothing." For a moment all three guys' eyes unfocus, then they glance at each other. Wesley: "Appalling." Gunn: "Disgusting." Angel: "Right." All three guys stare at the floor for a moment, then Gunn shakes his head slightly. Gunn: "Well, shouldn't we be off killing something?" Wesley: "Absolutely." Angel: "Good.  Let's get this show on the road." The three of them head out.

The host is singing "Superstition" up on the stage of Caritas. The club is jamming as the host dances to his own music. Suddenly there is a shimmering in the air behind him. Not noticing the host keeps on singing. The host turns as shimmering condenses into a portal and stares as a gray skinned monster jumps through it onto the stage.

Break

The gray monster jumps off the stage, smashes into a table and breaks some glasses, hits a couple of the patrons to get them out of its way, then spots the exit and heads on out up the stairs. Host in normal voice: "It's alright.  Everything's fine. (Licks his lips)  Nothing to worry about. - It's all part of the show."

Cordy is on the fake beach on Stage 6 Spreading suntan lotion on the guy lying on his stomach between her and the other girl. Cordy: "Goes on smooth like a lovers kiss.  It's the only suntan lotion good enough for our man." Director: "Cut.  Cut.  (Steps up to Cordy)  You're in his light." Cordy: "Still?" Director: "I told you twice, you have to bend over more." Cordy: "If I bend over any more I'm gonna fall out of my top." Director: "And then you'll be out of his light.  See?  Everybody wins." Cordy motions towards the lights: "But isn't there something we could do..." Director: "I didn't hire you to play Ophelia. -  Show the cleavage, save the line.  Got it?  Or you wanna waste more of our time?" Cordy, after a beat: "Got it." The director leaves and Cordy looks down.

Wesley follows Angel into the Hyperion dabbing at his brow with a handkerchief. Wesley: "Has it..." Angel: "Stopped bleeding?  Yeah." They stop as they spot Cordy sitting hunched over on one of the seats in the looby. Wesley: "Cordelia." Angel: "Hi." Cordy looks up at them, then back down at the floor. Angel takes a step closer: "Look, I just wanna say - if I was out of line today..." Cordy straightening up: "*If* you were out of *line*?  *If*?  (Gets up)  You're comfortable with your use of the word 'if' here, are you?" Angel throws a look at Wesley then turns around as Cordy walks past him. Angel: "I'm sorry I embarrassed you." Cordy lets out a breath: "Who am I kidding.  I embarrassed myself.  -  I just wanted to act, that's all. - For them to like me because I was good. - I never wanted to feel like this. - I thought Gunn was with you guys?" Wesley: "He was.  After the fight he had to go home to take care of some vampire business." Cordy: "How was the big fight?  All big and - fighty?" Wesley: "We managed to kill the Haklar just as it was about to devour a group of power walkers." Angel: "Horrible." Cordy: "I know.  I saw it in my stupid vision, remember?" Angel: "No, not the Haklar, the power walkers. I mean, walking I get, but power walking?  Why not just run for a shorter time? - Weird. - Plus one of them hit him." Cordy: "A power walker did that?" Wesley: "Apparently she felt that I disrespected the Haklar's culture by killing it." Cordy: "This town sucks." The door opens and the host comes in. Host: "Am I happy to see you.  You're still a knight for hire, yeah?  Well, I'm hiring.  I need you to kill something.  I suppose you want the particulars, so here they are: it's called a Drokken." Wesley: "Drokken?" Host: "Ah, you won't find it in your books.  It's not from any world you ever heard of." Angel folding his arms: "How did it get here?" Host: "Portal.  Right in the middle of my Steve Wonder tune.  Totally threw me off, and you know how I hate to disappoint an audience.  But I digress.  What-what's important is that you kill this Drokken, and-and this part I can't stress enough: kill it you must." Angel: "Where is it?" Host: "No idea. But I imagine it's getting pretty hungry by now."

Two guys are walking down a street at night. The Drokken attacks them, quickly knocks them down and begins to eat, amking some real disgusting noises. A blonde woman walks down a sidewalk, uses her remote to unlock her car, looks up and sees the Drokken, mouth still smeared with blood and screams.

Angel: "That's all you got for us?" Wesley sitting beside Cordy: "What is it doing here?  What does it want?  What is it capable of?" Host: "Who cares?  It trashed my club, my clientele." Angel: "I thought violence wasn't possible in Caritas.  Isn't it supposed to be a sanctuary?" Host: "I didn't say the Drokken *killed* anyone. I mean, knocked over a couple of my regulars.  (Looks from Angel to Wes and back) There were a couple of angry glances.  -  I sensed some bad intentions. - Not a nice fellow. Bad, bad beast.  Did I mention the teeth?" Angel: "You mentioned the teeth." Host: "Are you gonna help me or do I have to break out my champion rolodex?" Angel: "Okay.  We can start at Caritas, do a circular search, say one mile in diameter, keep moving out and hope we get lucky, huh?" Cordy: "Angel." Angel looks over at her and she tips her head towards Wesley. Angel unfolds his arms and backs up. Angel: "Sorry.  I didn't mean to step on your toes, Wesley." Wesley: "Quite alright." Cordy with a bright smile: "Wesley is kind of our new leader now." Host: "Well, it's been a long time coming. Congrats. (To Angel)  And kudos to you.  Nice choice of conductor to lead your symphony. (To Wes)  So, what do we do now?" Wesley gets up: "Well, ah... - Angel's right.  Barring more promising leads a circular search pattern for the beast seems best." Host: "I like it." Angel and Wesley start to head out, but the host notices that Cordy is scrunching up her face and putting a hand up to her head. Host: "Hey.  What's with her?" Cordy doubles over groaning. Wesley: "Food poisoning." Angel: "From a very expensive appetizer." Cordy straightens back up, still clutching her head and Angel hurries over. Angel: "Or possibly a vision." We get blurry images of a girl wearing a locket taking a book off a shelf and opening it. Suddenly a portal like the one we saw in Caritas opens behind her and she is sucked into it, screaming. Angel: "You're okay?" Cordy: "Why does everyone *always* ask me that?  Do I *look* okay?!" Angel backs a few steps away. Wesley: "What did you see?" Cordy: "A woman.  She was at the public library.  I think she works there.  She was reading a book." Host: "A-as scary as *that* sounds... Crazed, rabid Drokken on the loose here?  Kind of in first position." Cordy to Wesley: "There was an opening behind her.  Something magical - a - portal." Angel: "A portal." Host: "A portal?" Wesley: "Like the one from which this Drokken beast materialized in Caritas?" Host: "We-we don't know that for a fact." Wesley: "There is our connection. (Checks his watch) We better get to the library.  They'll be closing soon." Angel: "Right." The three of them get ready to head out. Host: "How fortunate that the Powers That Be haven taken an interest in my... I mean, in the problem I brought to your... Ah, it's really quite a break." Angel as he walks past the host: "You coming?" Host: "Right. - I thought you'd never ask." The host stands there, just looking after them for a moment.

Gunn walks into the gang's quiet base camp, sees one of them standing guard. Gunn: "Junior, where is everybody?" Junior won't answer or even look at Gunn. Gunn: "What's wrong?" When he still doesn't get an answer Gunn moves on to find the whole group standing silently together in another room. They part to let Gunn through to the front where he finds Rondell laid out on a pallet. Gunn crouches down next to George. Gunn: "What..." George turns Rondell's head to the side, exposing a vampire's fang marks on his neck. Gunn: "Did they make him drink?" George: "We don't know." Gunn closes his eyes and turns his face to the side.

The host and Angel follow Wesley and Cordy into the public library. Host: "Call me crazy, but I'm getting the weirdest sense of deja vue here.  How come every time you and me hit the big city we end up in a library? Snoresville.  Next time why don't we do something fun?" Angel: "Like what?" Host: "Elton's in town next month.  What do you say, you and me, back row seats?" Angel: "I don't do big and crowed." Host: "Mr. Elton John hits the first few keys of 'yellow brick road' I defy you not to feel like the only other person in the room." An older librarian almost runs into the host and both of them such their breath in loudly. Host: "Hi.  How are you?" Librarian: "You...  You're... (starts to smile in relief)  You're for the children's reading program!" Host smiles back: "Yes.  Yes, I am." Librarian: "It's not until tomorrow morning." Host: "Yes, I know. I never perform without checking out the space first.  Get a feel for the room." Librarian: "Oh.  (Looks him up and down)  Wow.  The kids will flip over your costume.  It looks so authentic." Host: "Thank you." Librarian: "Except for the horns. - But those are probably hard to fake." Host: "If you only knew." Librarian: "The reading area is down that way.  Just take a left." Host: "Toodles.  See you and the munchkins in the morning." Librarian: "Right." The host walks past the others taking a left down the next corridor as instructed. Librarian to the other: "If you're planning on checking out anything you've got about five minutes." Cordy: "Actually we're looking for someone who works here." Librarian: "Who's that?" Cordy: "Okay, she's - tall.  She's brown hair about down to here (indicates her waist on her back), wears glasses, pretty..." Librarian: "Sorry." Cordy: "She wears a locket, shaped like a ball or-or an apple, I think?" Librarian: "An apple?  Fred wore one of those." Angel: "Fred?" Librarian: "Winifred.  Everyone called her Fred." Angel: "Do you know where we can find her?" The librarian stares at them for a moment.

The librarian pulls a folded flyer from under the desk counter and hands it to Cordy. Librarian: "Fred disappeared five years ago.  They never found her.  Police said if she didn't show up in the first week... Well, we all stopped hoping a while ago." Cordy hands the flyer to Angel: "This is her." Wesley: "Can you tell us anything about her?" Librarian: "She worked here in the library with me.  She was studying to be a physicist." Wesley: "The day she disappeared..." Librarian: "Oh - it was creepy. One minute she is cataloguing in the foreign language section and the next minute she's gone!"

Wesley, Angel and Cordy enter the Foreign Language Section. Wesley: "Angel, why don't you look over there, I'll look over here and... what exactly are we looking for?" Cordy: "I don't know.  But this is where I saw the portal in my vision." Host comes in: "This reading room - to die for.  Great stage, rocking chair, fabulous colors.  I'm tempted to just show up tomorrow morning with Harry Potter." Angel: "If you don't mind, we're working here.  You know, on that thing you wanted us working on?" Host: "I really liked that circular search pattern you pitched. Has there been any talk of going back to that?" Cordy pulls a book from a shelf. Cordy: "Here it is.  This is the book that Fred was holding in my vision." She opens it to the title page. Wesley reads: "SCRQWRN.  What kind of language is that?" The host eyes the book wearily. Cordy: "Last checked out May 6th of 1996 - and returned May 7th of 1996." Angel pulls out the missing person flyer the librarian gave them. Angel: "The date she disappeared." Cordy: "(?)Crv dr pff lr ploos pls...(?)" The host lifts a hand as if to stop her but remains quiet. Cordy: "(?)Vos strp umpt pls plsrts in uft frm pltz(?). - Yeah, Pat, I'd like to buy a vowel." The host begins to scream as a blinding light and wind suddenly whips around them. Angel grabs a hold of Cordelia and tries to shield her, while the host looking straight at the emerging portal keeps holding that one screaming note.

Break

Right where we left off. Suddenly the host's scream is joined by a second as a green-skinned, red-eyed, longhaired and armored demon flies headfirst out through the portal, rolls to his feet and draws a sword. Pushing Cordy behind him, Angel attacks the demon. Ducking the demon's sword he punches and kicks it in the gut a few times then manages to knock the sword out of its hands. Angel grabs it and pushes it up against of the stacks and for the first time we see that it bears a remarkable resemblance in appearance to the host. Host: "Landok? Is that you?" Wes and Cordy look at each other and Angel lowers the fist he had raised to hit the demon again. Angel: "You know him?" Host: "Yeah.  But just because I know his name doesn't mean you can't knock him unconscious.  Please continue." Landok to host: "Can it really be you? Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan?" Host: "It's clearly rabid.  (To Angel) Do your thing, Angel." Angel: "Krevlorneswath?" Cordy: "Of the Deathwok Clan?" Host: "Eh, ah, - I-I prefer Lorne." Angel: "Lorne." Host: "Yes.  Lorne, if you must.  Though I generally don't go by that because (indicates his face) green?" Cordy: "Huh?" Angel smiles: "Right.  Lorne Greene.  (Cordy and Wes turn to stare at him)  Bonanza? (Cordy and Wes look at each other then back at Angel) Fifteen years on the air not mean anything to anyone here? (Drops his hands as the others still just stare) Okay.  *Now* I feel old." Landok: "What is this place?" Host: "It's called Los Angeles, and this isn't exactly one of the hot spots." Landok: "Is it a prison? (Raises his sword)  Are these your captors?" Host: "Whoa, big fella.  Put the sharp piece of metal down.  These are my friends.  Angel, Cordelia, Wesley - Everybody this is Landok." Landok holds the sword tip down in front of himself and gives them a slight bow. Landok: "Landokmar of the Deathwok clan." Cordy: "There is that Deathwok clan thing again.  Does that mean that the two of you are..." Host: "Yeah.  Cousins." Angel: "Cousins?" Landok sheathes his sword. Landok: "Your vanishing was a great mystery to our clan." Everyone looks at Lorne. Host: "Long story, boring ending, really it wouldn't interest you at all." Landok: "It was hoped that you had sought atonement by forfeiting your life in the sacrificial canyons of Trelinsk." Host: "Well, it's been fun, Landok, but we have to skeedadle.  You'll be just fine.  New people come to L.A. all the time and manage to find their way around." Landok: "Where you abducted into this world as I was?" Host: "Ah, I came through a portal, yes." Landok: "Then we will find a path back to our home Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan.  We will return together." Host: "Don't know about you, but my ticket was strictly one way." Landok: "You will not return home to remove the shame that you have visited upon your life-giver?" Host: "Is anyone else getting a little peckish?  (Laughs)  How does Italian sound, hm?" Landok: "Your mother's burden is terrible." Host: "Misses her little green boo, does she?" Landok: "She rips your images into tiny pieces, feeds them to the swine, butchers the pigs and has their remains scattered for the dogs." Host: "Sounds like ma.  Tell you what, you pick the spot.  I'm game for anything, so..." Landok: "Does your cowardice really know no limits?" Host: "The nice people really don't wanna hear about our family issues." Cordy: "Sure we do." Wesley: "Yes.  Let's hear about the cowardice and shame." Host: "Okay.  For your information: not a coward. In fact, my friends and I were just partaking in a Drokken hunt which, regrettably, we must now return to.  Now, if you'll excuse us..." Landok: "There is a Drokken near by? I will assist in the kill." Host: "Find your own Drokken." Wesley: "You know how we can kill it?" Landok: "All that is required is to pierce it with a weapon dipped in thromite." Host: "Sorry, cus, thromite?  Not exactly existing in this world.  Thanks anyway." Landok: "Then killing the Drokken will be most difficult.  It is impervious to most wounds." Angel: "What if you chop its head off?" Wesley: "Or run it through with a sword?" Angel: "Or electrocute it with, oh, lets say about a fifty thousand volt charge?" Cordy: "Yeah, we've had a lot of luck with those things in the past." Landok: "Without thromite it will take a mighty blow to destroy the Drokken.  It is quite strong and fast, very difficult to hit." Angel: "Well, in order to hit it, we've got to find it first." Landok: "I can track the Drokken for you." Wesley: "You can?" Landok: "Wherever it roams it leaves behind waves of hostility." Wesley: "And you can *read* these waves? - Amazing!  All your people do this?" Landok: "Those who are willing to submit to training." Host: "Oh, everyone on board. Guilt trip leaving this station." Landok: "Lead me to where the Drokken entered this world.  (Pulls his sword) I will help you slay it." Wesley: "We'd welcome your help." The host watches as they all file past him, then finally follows them.

Gunn's truck pulls up and Gunn gets out. There is old wood furniture in the bed of it. Gunn grabs a hold of George as he steps closer and slams him up against the back of the truck. Gunn: "You should have waited for me." George: "We've been waiting on you for months, bro." Gunn pushes him to the side and grabs a chair from the back of the truck to add it to a pile of other broken furniture laid out a little ways away, then stands there staring at it.

Landok is crouched at the foot of the body the Drokken killed earlier. Landok: "Our path is true, but our arrival untimely.  The Drokken has consumed.  It will be at maximum power." He straightens up and waves a hand slowly back and forth in front of his face. Angel quietly to host: "What's he doing?" Host: "He's channeling his mind to identify the Drokken's aura.  I use that sense to help people find their destinies and I'm a freak.  He uses it to hunt, he's considered the golden spawn.  Go figure." Angel: "So, he's like some big hero back home." Host: "Talk about screwed up values.  A world of only good and evil, black and white, no gray.  No music, no art, just champions roaming the countryside, fighting for justice. Bo-ring. You got a problem, solve it with a sword. No one ever admits to having actual feelings and emotions, let alone talks about them.  Can you imagine living in place like that?" Angel lost in thought: "Not really." Wesley puts down his cell phone. Wesley: "Why isn't Gunn answering our pages?  What if he's in some kind of trouble?" Cordy is sitting on a bench flipping through the book she found at the library. Cordy: "Or maybe he's in the middle of his stake-o-rama.  Besides, last time we went chasing after him on a hunt you got shot.  Remember?" Wesley: "Point taken. - What are you doing?" Cordy: "I don't know. - We're missing something here, Wesley." Wesley: "When we get back to the office I'll see what I can do about deciphering it." Cordy: "I mean something bigger." Wesley: "Like what?" Cordy: "I don't know.  I just feel like we're chasing after this monster, which is good and all, but - we're missing something." Landok: "The Drokken goes this way.  The aura is strong.  It's not far." Host: "What do you want?  A medal?" Landok takes step closer to the host: "Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan mocks me?" Host: "Just the LA in me coming out, I guess." Landok: "The same Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan who refused the ancient tradition of hunting and gathering." Host: "I'll let you in on a little secret, Landok. While the rest of you boys were out hunting I was down at the waterhole chatting up the senioritas, gathering a little love." Landok: "Your cowardice even extended to the sacred joust." Host: "For the last time: not a coward. I just saw both sides of the joust. (To Angel) How you're supposed to joust someone when you partially agree with their point of view?" Landok: "The Drokken has taken more food to consume later." Cordy: "More food? - Oh, you mean people? - Oh!  You mean *people*."

Angel's convertible pulls up in front of a warehouse with stacks of wooden pallets forming a veritable labyrinth around it. Landok rises up in the back seat and looks around. Angel: "You're sure this is where the Drokken came." Just then the Drokken comes into view for a moment, carrying the woman from earlier under one arm. It stops to growl in their direction then disappears into the maze. Landok: "I am sure." Angel: "What do we do, Wesley?" Wesley: "Ah, we don't have Gunn.  Uhm, if it's as strong as Landok says..." Angel: "Yeah?" Wesley: "Perhaps a diversion. I-I have some flares maybe the light will distract him long enough for us to be able to..." Landok: "Enough of your words!" Landok jumps out of the car and charges into the maze of stacks. Host: "Patience not really a virtue with my people." Angel gets out of the car and walks towards the stacks, sword in hand. Wesley: "Angel, what are you... What are you... (Wesley gets out as well and looks after them) We don't have a plan."

Landok comes upon the Drokken and it leaves the frightened woman to charge him. Landok attacks the monster with his sword without doing any visible damage. After a few swings the Drokken gets a hold of him and bites him in the arm and Landok screams as it throws him aside. Angel comes up behind it and kicks it in the side. The two of them fight and seem pretty evenly matched.

Wesley and the host come up and see Landok sitting against one of the stack, his arm bleeding. Landok: "Where is my sword?" Host: "You're hurt." Landok: "Fetch my sword." Host: "You've been poisoned." Landok: "There is time to die *after* the Drokken is slain." Wesley: "Poisoned?" Host watching Angel and the Drokken fight: "The Drokken's bite contains a powerful venom deadly to my people." Wesley: "Is there an antidote?" Host: "Only back in our world." The Drokken manages to get a solid kick in at Angel and sends him flying through the air then scuttles off between the stacks. Wesley comes up next to Angel as he picks himself back up. Angel: "It's going after the woman." Angel starts to follow the Drokken. Wesley pulls out a flare and lights it then follows after. The Drokken jumps from the top of one stack to another, watching them. Angel quietly to Wesley: "Find the woman.  Get her out.  I'll find the Drokken." Wesley nods and the two of them split up.

Landok: "Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan, my sword!" Host: "Hello!  Martyr complex?  You can't even lift your arm for crying out loud."

We cut back and forth between Wesley with his flare in hand, and Angel making his way among them in the dark with his sword out.

Angel: "Hey.  You want food? - I can be food. - Pretty tasty here. (Quietly) Come on, where are you? - (Louder) Here kitty, kitty, kitty. - Here kitty, kitty, kitty."

Wesley hears the woman's sobs and hurries after the sound. Wesley: "It's alright.  It's alright.  I'm gonna get you out of here.  Don't be scared." The woman looks past him and screams at the top of her lungs. Wesley spins around to find the Drokken charging straight at him, knocking him backwards to the ground.

Break

Wesley pushes himself partway up and tries to fend off the Drokken with his flare. The Drokken bites off the top of it and swallows it, leaving Wesley staring at the bitten off stump left in his hand. Before the Drokken can do anything else, Angel is there, attacking it with feet, hands and sword at a furious speed. The Drokken manages to send Angel flying backwards to the ground but Angel throws his sword as he gets back up, and it hits the Drokken's throat dead center, sticking halfway out the back. The Drokken makes a gurgling sound then collapses to the ground. Wesley and Angel look at each other. Angel glances over at the woman then back at Wesley. Angel: "That was fun."

Cordy has the book open on the hood of Angel's car and is reading in it as the other come back out of the stacks, the host supporting his cousin. Landok: "If I am to perish this night..." Host: "Stop right here.  No perishables allowed here." Landok: "If I perish, you will perform the rituals!" Host: "I certainly will not." Landok: "I will not receive glory unless you perform the rituals." Host: "Then glory you will not have." Landok: "You are the only one here who can officiate." Wesley: "We have to get him back to his world now or he's gonna die." Cordy: "I think I understand." Angel: "Understand what?" Cordy: "The vision.  This book.  I think it's how we send him back!" Wesley: "What do you mean?" Cordy: "If he reads from the book where we know a portal exists I think it'll send him back.  My vision was telling me that that's what happened to that girl Fred.  The portal works both ways." Angel: "What if instead of sending him back it the portal sends something here?" Cordy: "It won't." Wesley: "How can you be sure?" Cordy: "I can't. I-I just am. - Don't ask me how I know.  I just know." Cordy looks at Angel who just looks over at Wesley. Wesley after a moment: "Lets go." They all pile into the front seat of Angel's car. The host and his cousin are already in the back. Landok: "Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan, give me your pledge. Will you perform the rituals?" Host: "I won't have to.  No one's dying."

Gunn stares at Rondell laid out on the pile of broken furniture. George throws a match and lights the pyre. The whole gang watches in silence as the flames lick into the night sky.

Angel and the host are supporting Landok between them as they enter Caritas. Host: "Put the portal up here before.  Right there.  Talk about upstaging me." Angel: "I got him." Helps Landok on stage then turns to Cordy for the book. Angel: "Cordy?  (Hands the book to Landok)  All you have to do is read aloud from it. (Turns to look at Cordy, who has her fingers crossed, then back at Landok) Well, that's the theory anyway." Landok: "To defeat the Drokken, you must be a great and noble warrior." Angel: "Well, you know - I try." Landok: "I am happy to know you." Grips Angel's wrist. Host: "Landok, be safe." Landok: "Goodbye, Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan." Host: "Tell my mother I... - Tell her I threw myself into the sacrificial canyons of Trelinsk." Landok: "I feel we will meet again some day." Host: "Oh, god.  I hope not." Landok begins to read form the book. The ground begins to shake slightly. The others flinch as the portal opens with a sudden bright light and a gust of wind and sucks Landok backwards into it, then closes again. They all stand and stare at the empty stage. Host: "Wha-what's say we all forget this ever happened." Angel: "I'm down with that. Wesley?" Wesley: "Fine with me.  Cordy?" There is no answer and he turns to see that there is no Cordy anywhere in sight. Wesley: "Cordy!?" They all look around. Angel: "Cordy!"

Cordy is lying in a patch of sunshine on the ground. She opens her eyes and gets up to look at the wood filled with strange animal noises all around her. Looks up at the sky and sees that there are two suns in it. Spots what looks like stick puppets draped with animal skins a little ways away. Cordy: "Oh - crap!"

FADE TO BLACK