Angel is forced to help Wolfram and Hart free a man being held by the Powers That Be after the law firm hires a demon who can cause Cordelia to experience terrifying visions and pain.
[PREVIOUSLY_ON] "You know Lilah Morgan in Special Projects." Park: "I'm Gavin Park." Angel: "Already bored." Fred: "They use you as a slave and then your body gives." Constable: "Fugitive!" Fred: "Oh, no!" Fred: "Handsome man - saved me from the monsters." Cordy gets hit with a vision. Angel: "Are you gonna be alright?" Cordy: "Yeah. I'm fine. I'm fine. Go. Go!" Cordy: "These visions are killing me." Angel and Darla making out. Angel: "Get dressed and get out. Because the next time I see you, I will have to kill you." Pregnant Darla gets up from the bar. Man: "He's a very difficult Shaman to find." Darla: "You know what they say: life's full of surprises." Wes and Gunn are standing at the counter of the Hyperion, eating Chinese take-out right out of the boxes with chopsticks. Wes: "No, Gunn, you misunderstand. - I mean - I'm not saying that we act differently. I just think we should be gentle in our inter... (sees Cordy coming in) Evening, Cordy." Gunn waves at her with his chopsticks and gives her a big smile: "Hey, Cordelia." Cordy looks at them as she walks by. Gunn to Wes: "How was that?" Wesley: "I felt quite genuine." Fred: "B plus. C minus." Gunn and Wes turn to look at Fred, who is sitting cross-legged under the folding table the gang put up for Angel as a desk last season with her own box of Chinese takeout. Fred: "A girl can tell." Wesley: "Fred - if you feel comfortable enough grading our sincerity (crouches down in front of the table) how about joining us for the rest of the meal? - Isn't that the point of coming downstairs?" Fred swallows hard: "I guess that'd be okay." Fred crawls out from under the table and joins them at the counter, picking at the food in her box with her fingers. Gunn: "Ah, I-I don't mean to rush you back into the twenty first century, but how about using some chopsticks. Or a fork, maybe. (Picks up a fork and offers it to her) You remember forks, don't you?" Fred takes it: "Sure. Who could forget? Fork, pitch fork, fork it over, fork in the road - one I'm not ready to take yet." Cordy walks back through the lobby. Wesley: "Hello again." Gunn: "Nice day." Cordy: "I know what you're doing." Gunn: "You do?" Fred: "Told you." Cordy: "You're being all fake nice and super-sensitive like 'poor Cordelia, she's on edge, because she hasn't had a vision in while.' Well, I have information for you. I look forward to my next vision." Wesley: "You do?" Cordy: "Well, why shouldn't I? I mean, the Powers That Be have seen fit to choose me - who am I to refuse?" Fred: "Great. How about if you use that vision thing to find out where Angel's at right now." Cordy: "Cause I don't care?" Gunn: "Ah, what Cordelia means is that she doesn't choose to have a vision. The Powers send them to her when they got info to share." Wesley: "Think of them as gifts." Cordy: "Yes, having-my-head torn-open-and-hot-lava-poured-into-my-skull gifts." Fred looks from Cordy to Wes and Gunn. Park: "Excuse me." They all turn as Gavin Park walks into the lobby carrying his briefcase. Cordy: "Oh. Hi. I'm sorry I didn't hear you sneak up on us. (Looks down at his shoes) Must be those tastefully expensive Gucci Loafers. Totally our fault." Wesley: "He's not a client. He's Gavin Park, attorney with Wolfram and Hart." Park: "Pleased to meet you. (Sees Fred) New player?" Wes walks over to stand in front of Gavin, blocking his view of Fred. Wesley: "Well, now that we've had this lovely reintroduction - I suggest you piss off." Angel walking in: "Is there a problem?" Wesley: "No, no problem. Mr. Park was just leaving." Park: "No. Actually, I just arrived. (Pulls out some papers) This is a list of fifty-seven city code violations for your hotel, including earthquake proofing, asbestos and termites. (Tosses the papers on a chair) Be advised I filed a copy of this with the city planning office." Angel: "Gee, fifty-seven - is that a lot?" Park after a moment: "I'll be in touch." Park walks up the stairs to leave. Cordy: "Yeah, okay - minion of darkness - Satan's toady - but that is a *nice* suit. Did you see that suit?" Angel: "Fred! Good to see you out and about." Fred: "It is, isn't it? Out and about. (Leans towards Angel) I've been forking with Gunn." Angel and looks at Gunn, eyebrows slightly raised. Cordy starts screaming as she gets hit with a vision of some clawed demon thing. Angel and Wesley manage to catch her before she falls to the floor. Angel: "Are you alright. -Talk to me." Cordy, gasping: "There is a coin and, uhm, two clawed things, it's in China town I think. An herbalist's shop." Wes and Gunn head for the books. Angel: "Come on." Angel helps Cordy up, but when he puts a hand on her left shoulder, Cordy jerks away with a gasp. Cordy: "I'm okay. I'm fine. It just caught me off guard a little. (Angel just looks at her) Ah, go find the coin. (Starts to walk away) It has a hole in it." Angel just stands there, looking after her. Cordy enters the bathroom at the Hyperion and closes the door behind her. Goes to lean on the sink. There is a knock on the door. Cordy: "Yes?" Wes is standing outside the closed door, holding an open book. Wesley: "Cordelia, that beast you saw - did it have four or five claws?" Cordy: "Five." Wesley: "You're certain?" Cordy pulls up her shirt and counts the claw marks decorating her belly. Cordy: "Pretty certain." Intro Wes is standing in front of a table loaded down with books. Fred is pacing behind him reading a thick phone book. Wesley: "Anything of interest yet, Fred?" Fred: "Oh, sure. Lots. 'H' is a fascinating letter. Helicopters, helium, helmets, hernias...' Wesley: "Did you happen to notice 'herbs' in your wanderings?" Fred with a big grin: "I did. (Wes just looks at her) Oh, right. There are, ah, lets see... five herbalist shops in Chinatown." Angel comes walking in. Angel: "We got a name or face for these things yet?" Wesley: "Circling. I think we might be looking either at a Wan Shan Dhole or a Cantonese Fook-beast." Gunn walks in carrying a baseball bat and with a backpack slung over one shoulder. Gunn: "I say we figure out what these things are after we find that coin. We're burning moonlight." Wesley: "Sounds like a plan." Angel: "Hey, Fred? I need you to do something for me." Fred gives him a huge smile. Cordy is in the bathroom taking a couple of aspirins. She's taken her shirt off and turns to look at her left shoulder blade in the mirror. There are three more claw marks there. Angel knocks on the closed door of the bathroom. Cordy: "I told you, it's about finding the coin." Angel: "It's me." Cordy: "I'm fine!" Angel: "I'm not leaving until you open the door. I mean it, Cordelia, open up." Cordy opens the door, shirt back on, hiding the scratches, and gives him a bright smile. Cordy: "See? Fine!" Angel stops her from closing the door again. Angel: "They're getting worse, aren't they?" Cordy: "I'm feeling better. Once I get a little protein in me, I'll be good as new. Honest. Now, go declaw those things!" Angel: "I've asked Fred to take you home." Cordy: "I don't need to go home." Angel: "There is nothing else you can do here. Just - get some rest, okay?" Cordy: "No..." Angel: "O-kay?" Cordy sighs: "Okay." Closes the door. Angel is sitting in the back of the convertible, with Gunn driving and Wes in the passenger seat as they're driving down the dark streets of LA Gunn: "Five herb shops in Chinatown and we've been to four. How come whatever we're searching for is always in the last place we look?" Wesley: "I supposed it is one of the unwritten laws of being a 'dick.' (Gunn give Wes a look) Ah, a sleuth, a gumshoe, Sherlock." Gunn: "All I know is you use the word 'dick' again and we're gonna have a problem. - So what is the name of this place anyway?" Wesley: "Van Hoa Dong. - It should be up there on the left. (Turns around to face Angel) How was Cordelia when you spoke to her." Angel: "She said she was fine." Wesley: "You don't believe her?" Gunn: "Alright, here we go. Next time we're hitting the last place first." Gunn stops the car just down the street from the herb shop. In the shop a white-haired older gentleman is measuring out some powder. A woman brings him another jar as Angel, Gunn and Wes walk into the store. Woman: "Your kind not welcome here!" Gunn: "Since when can't a brother buy some ginseng tea?" Man: "Not you. (Points at Angel) Him! Vampire not welcome!" Wesley: "This is a public facility and any being may enter. We're looking for an ancient coin." The Chinese couple exchanges a look - then both let out a scream and flip over the counter, landing in a martial arts stance. Gunn: "Ah, so you think some fancy flipping and a little hollering can intimidate guys like us? (Suddenly their hands turn into long, gray claws) Okay, that creeps me out." Angel: "You two take grandma. I'll take the old man." A big fight ensues during which (miraculously) all three of our heroes manage to avoid getting more than superficially cut by the couple razor-sharp metal claws. In the end, Wesley manages to knock grandma over the head while Gunn keeps her distracted with his wooden baseball bat (sharpened to a point for easier stake action). Angel takes a hold of the scarf the old man wears wrapped around his waist and with a sudden hard pull sends the man spinning through the air. The old man crashes into the shelves covering the wall and drops to land in a heap on the floor. Gunn, panting: "Damn. Grandma and grandpa got game." Wesley: "Yeah, I know. Now if we could just find that coin before they come to." Angel: "Guys. Over here." Angel reaches down and snaps the leather necklace holding the coin from around the old man's neck. At Wolfram and Hart Lilah picks up the page a printer has just finished printing out and looks at it. Lilah: "Asbestos disposal? What?" Gavin Park comes up and takes the page from her. Park: "I think that's mine. Yeah, my printer is down so I had the I.T. guy network me into yours." Lilah: "Thanks for asking." Park: "This hasn't been announced yet - but I've been moved into Special Projects." Lilah: "From Real Estate?" Park: "With so much karmicly damaged property in LA, not to mention the demon infestation, the Partners felt that I would be more useful here." Lilah: "Hmm..." Park: "I'm working on a little something aimed at Angel Investigations. If you're interested, I'd love to have you on my team." Lilah: "Your team?" The door of her office pops open and a guy wearing a fez sticks his head out. Lilah: "I'll be right in." The guy withdraws and closes the door just as quickly. Lilah: "Let me tell you a little something about your team. - You don't have one." Park: "Look, just because they gave you Lindsey's old office doesn't mean..." Lilah: "I have this office because I earned it. As did Lindsey. He sacrificed his flesh and blood for this company, literally had his hand cut off - fighting against Angel. (Holds up the printout) What are you doing? Building code violations." Park: "I'm fighting Angel in my *own* way." Lilah, entering her office: "Yeah. I bet he's really terrified." Cordy walks out of her bedroom stretching. Cordy: "Okay! All ready for bed. Face washed, teeth brushed, tired, tired! (Fake yawns) You can go now!" Looks around the living room and notices the lack of an audience for her performance. Cordy: "Fred? - Okay, you can go now Fred." Walks over to the kitchen and sees Fred sitting on the floor eating peanut butter straight out of the jar. Fred: "Sorry. It's been so long." Cordy helps her up and puts the lid back on the jar. Cordy: "Not a problem. Here. Take it with you. Enjoy that peanutty goodness in the comfort of your *own* home." Fred: "Hey. Wait. Angel said..." Cordy: "I know. He said that you should wait until he calls (Fred nods) but as you can see, I'm fine. In fact I'm better than fine. I'm - right as rain." Fred: "I-I never understood that saying 'right as rain.' How is rain right? Or wrong, for that matter. Okay, I suppose if there's a flood it's wrong. And speaking of floods, or maybe just being overwhelmed - what's it like to have a vision?" Cordy: "Wow. You know, next to you, I am downright linear." Fred: "Do you see things or smell them or just know - 'in your stomach' know. Like in fifth grade when I saw Grayson Wells and I just knew we'd go steady and even though we never did, looking back on it, it feels like we did. Is it like that?" Cordy after a beat: "Okay. Time to go." Starts ushering Fed towards the door. Fred: "Has - has anyone ever told you you're exactly like Lassie? Yeah. You're like Angel's Lassie. Sure, he does most of the saving but it's your visions that tell him that Timmy is trapped in the well, or the robbers are hiding in the barn. He really needs and depends on you." Cordy: "Well, thanks. I'd be flattered except for the Lassie being a *dog* part. Dennis, a little help here?" The door of Cordy's apartment swings open. Cordy: "See? I'm not alone, I have a ghost. (Pushes Fred out the door) Bye. We'll have to - to..." Cordy gets hit by another visions and drops to the floor. Fred crouches down beside her. Fred: "Are you alright?" Fred gently turns an unconscious Cordy over onto her back. Suddenly boils appear all along the side of Cordy's face. Break Cordy: "A demon. An icky, boil-covered demon." Cordy is sitting next to Angel on the edge of her bed with Gunn, Fred and Wes standing by the door, looking at her. Cordy: "A storefront downtown on the corner of fifth and something. And there was a key. I should probably draw you a picture of the key." Angel: "Cordy." Cordy starts to get up, but Angel pulls her back down and gently pushes the hair back from her face to reveal the boils she'd been trying to hide. Wesley: "Oh, god." Angel: "Cordy, we should talk about this. You can't ignore what's happening." Cordy sounding slightly hoarse: "I don't wanna talk. What's there to say? Except 'gross' 'yuck' and 'unclean.' (Cordy looks at the others, who avoid meeting her eye) Like you're not thinking it." Angel: "Has this ever happened before?" After a beat Cordy pulls the sleeve of her sweater up to reveal one set of claw marks. Cordy: "Earlier tonight." Wes crouches down for a closer look: "Oh, whoah! Are you saying your vision had a physical manifestation?" Cordy: "Yeah." Wesley: "And did this new one have anything to do with..." Cordy: "The yuck monster (points at her face) Yeah." Cordy looks past Angel, catches sight of herself in the mirror and gets up to take a closer look. Cordy: "This must be a mistake. The Powers wouldn't do this to me on purpose, I mean, I'm a part of their team. Why would anybody do this on purpose?" Angel comes out of Cordy's bedroom closing the door behind him and joins the others waiting for him in Cordy's living room. Angel: "We have to figure this out and now. Anybody? Gunn?" Gunn: "I had this auntie who used to get this nasty crusty stuff on the back of her neck every summer - turns out she was allergic to shellfish." Angel after a beat: "That was helpful." Wesley: "Why would the Powers choose to communicate with Cordy in this way?" Fred: "Maybe we could ask them. (Everyone turns to look at her) Y-you used the word 'communicate' which got me thinking - everything's made of energy, right? Light waves, radio waves, x-rays, even brain waves are all electric energy. If Cordelia is receiving visions from the Powers That Be they're being communicated somehow. Maybe we could figure out the frequency and trace the calls." Wesley: "Yes. Of course. Well done, Fred. - Gunn, I need you and Fred to go to the hotel and get me some books. I'll make a list. We need to research that Chinese coin. Angel, you find that demon and get the key." Angel: "I'm not going anywhere." Wesley: "Cordy's had two visions in the same night. You see what it's doing to her. If the Powers That Be are taking such extreme measures we have to assume that the coin and the key are of great significance." Angel: "And so is Cordelia. If I go out and find that key, how can I help her?" Wesley: "By trusting me. I have an idea." Angel brings his convertible to a stop at a street corner and gets out. Sword in hand, he kicks open the door to the store and walks in. Angel: "I want the key and I want it now." Man: "Oh, w-which key might that be?" The man turns on some more light and Angel looks around the store at walls covered with keys and blanks used in the duplication of keys. Man: "Did you lose the original?" Angel pulls out Cordy's drawing of the key and hands it to the man behind the counter. Angel: "Ah, it looks like this." Man: "Ah. Yes, of course. This should only take a moment." The man reaches one hand under the counter - like a bank clerk reaching for the hidden alarm button. A buzzer sounds and a boil covered demon drops down behind Angel swinging a sword. Angel blocks the sword and turns to engage the demon. Gunn and Fred walk into the Hyperion's courtyard. Fred: "I know that you're probably disappointed that you couldn't go fight that thing with Angel." Gunn: "Right. Because why would I wanna walk with a cute, young woman on a beautiful night when I could be out hacking and slaying an ugly, boil-covered demon monster and getting myself killed." Fred: "I can't apologize enough." Gunn: "Hey, I just follow orders. No matter how tough the job." Fred: "It's just that I'm still so jumpy, and I hate being jumpy, but I guess that's why you're here. Because you don't..." Gunn: "Whoa." Gunn has opened the door to the lobby and they find themselves facing a guy wearing a breathing mask. The lobby behind him is filled with gray smoke. Gunn: "Who the hell are you?" The guy pulls up his mask: "Surekill Exterminators. You can't come in. We're fumigating." Gunn: "In the middle of the night? I don't think so. (To Fred) I need you to get some of them books out of Wes' offices, okay? (Fred looks at him) You'll be okay. I just need to talk to this nice man." Fred walks past the two guys into the hotel. Gunn: "Alright. You got thirty seconds to show me your work order before I start doing some exterminating my damn self." Wesley opens the door of Cordy's apartment to let Angel in. Angel: "How is she?" Wesley: "Ah. We're finding out right now. Did you get the... (Angel hands him the key as he walks past Wes) Great." Angel walks into Cordy's bedroom to see her lying on the bed with Lorne sitting beside her. Lorne: "Ah. His royal badness. Just in time. Would you talk to this young lady? She's resisting the process." Angel: "Process?" Wesley: "Oh, my idea. The host reads people's auras to set them on their path. In some shape or form that connects him to the Powers That Be. I'm thinking..." Angel: "Sure. He might be able to reverse the process. That he might be able to use Cordelia in order to trace the call back to the Powers." Lorne: "Way outside of my area of expertise, I should caution. But hey? Who knew William Shatner could sing? (Laughs) - Okay, bad example." Lorne gets up to make room and Angel takes his place on the bed. Cordy: "Was it there? Because I'm gonna be really ticked off if I'm all (points at her face) Phantom of the Opera and there wasn't a key." Angel: "It was right where you said." Cordy: "Oh, good." Angel: "Why don't you want Lorne to try and trace the visions?" Cordy: "It's not like I'm morally against letting a demon into my subconscious for a quick lookee-loo. Hey, might be fun. But with the Powers That Be doing this whole 'book of Job' thing, the last thing I want is more noise in my head." Angel: "Maybe he can make the noise stop." Cordy sighs: "Yeah." Angel: "Isn't that what you want?" Cordy: "Yes! No. Well, no. Sure I hate looking and feeling like this, but - if I lose the visions, I wouldn't be able to help you anymore. You wouldn't need me." Angel: "That's not why I need you. *You're* important. - And the visions are just after market extras like Hurst shift or Krager wheels." Cordy: "Did you just compare me to a car?" Angel: "It was a very nice car." Cordy: "I guess that's better than a dog." Angel: "Cordy, let us try and help. Okay?" Cordy: "Okay." Angel and Lorne change places again. Lorne: "Alright, princess, like I told you earlier. You shouldn't even feel a thing. You ready?" Cordy lies back into her pillow and closes her eyes with a sigh. Lorne puts his hands on her temples and closes his eyes, too. Lorne: "Now, I want you to relax. Picture yourself outdoors, in a field, or on a mountain." Cordy: "I like the mountains." Lorne: "Beautiful. Say you're on a mountaintop, and it's warm. The sky is blue, full of big, fluffy clouds. You're Julie Andrews in 'The Sound of Music.' And you're relaxed and you're spinning and the camera is swirling and - ouch! (Lorne recoils from Cordy) Careful, honey, you've got some power of your own!" Cordy: "Sorry. All the spinning and swirling was freaking me out." Lorne: "My fault, my fault. I just love that movie so much!- Okay. Ready to try again? (Cordy sits up a little higher in her bed) Okay. Now let's go looking for the Powers That Be. See if we can reach out and touch someone." Lilah is pacing her office impatiently, checking her watch. The fez-guy from earlier is writing on a paper. Lilah: "How many times did I tell you that if we don't have your ten-ninety-nine on file that payroll can't cut you a check." Fez: "I know, I know! - Hey, you know a good tax-guy?" Lilah: "Let's just finish the job, then we'll talk about taxes." Fez: "You're the boss. (Signs the paper) John Hancock and - done!" Lilah: "You remember what we talked about?" Fez: "All that fire? (Laughs) How could I forget?" Fez guy sits down cross-legged on a table, closes his eyes, takes a deep breath and starts to levitate. Lilah smiles as Fez-guy reaches up to take his hat off, revealing an exposed, glistening, gray brain, pulsing and flexing in a weird rhythm. Lorne is massaging Cordy's temples with his fingers. Suddenly Cordy jerks as she is hit with another vision. Next we get a shot of fez-guy's face and his pulsing, exposed brain. Then a blurry vision shot of a person engulfed in flames. Blend back to Cordy and Lorne getting blasted backwards through the air until he impacts with the wall to the sound of shattering glass as he smashes a floor lamp. Cordy is still in the throws of the vision as we blend from her jerking around on the bed to the burning guy and some bronze demon. Cordy screams and Angel hurries over to her. Angel: "Cordy? Cordy!" Wesley looks down at Cordy's arms that now look to be severely burned in the aftermath of the vision. Fez-guy is slowly settling back down on the table in Lilah's office. He puts his hat back on and opens his eyes to grin at Lilah. Lilah: "Well?" Fez: "I think she got the message." Break [SCENE_BREAK] Cordy: "Is Lorne gonna be okay?" Angel: "He's fine. He's unconscious, but he's fine. You're the one I'm worried about." Cordy: "Am I a bad person? Am I just a horrible person? Because I know I can be snippy sometimes." Angel: "This isn't happening because you're bad. - If anything it's because you're strong. Stronger than you realize." Cordy: "I'm not. - I know what I said earlier. - But I don't want the visions anymore. I tried to be brave. I did. But I'm just scared now. I'm scared all the time. (Does her best not to cry) I mean look at me! (Holds out her arms, then takes a deep breath and wipes her eyes) What could be *so* important that the Powers would do this? I don't understand." Angel: "I don't either. Hey..." Angel reaches to take a hold of her hand. The door opens and Wesley sticks his head in. Wesley motions for Angel to come out. Angel hesitates looking back at Cordy. Wesley: "Angel. I really think you should hear this." Angel looks back and forth between Wes and Cordy, then gets up. Angel steps out into the hall, closing the door behind him. Angel: "This better be important." Wes cocks his head towards the living room. Angel walks over to see Lorne lying on the couch, with Fred crouching beside it and Gunn sitting on the arm of it. Angel: "What? Did you make contact?" Fred: "The visions aren't from the Powers!" Lorne: "Oh, sure, sweetheart. Steal my thunder. Next time *you* can be the one that gets thrown across the room." Angel: "Who's sending the visions?" Lorne: "I don't know. (Winces as he tries to sit up) But it's local. Earthbound, and pretty authentic. I can see how a layperson might mistake it for the real deal." Gunn: "Are you saying someone's hacked into Cordy's head?" Lorne: "Transmitting false data through the celestial pipeline. I know it's probably a mile long list, but I'd start looking at enemies. Who wants to get to you, who has the sizable resources, and who'd be willing to mess up a pretty face like Cordelia's?" Lilah is sitting in front of her computer in her office. Lilah: "Concentrate!" She clicks the mouse. We see the golfer on the screen hit the ball into a water hazard. Lilah: "Ah, damn it." Angel: "Gosh. (Lilah jumps in her chair) Jeez, I hate traps. Don't' you? I was gonna knock, but you seemed to focused, I hated to interrupt." Lilah: "How-how did you get in here?" Angel goes to sit down in the chair on the other side of her desk. Angel: "Oh, you mean, why didn't the vampire alarms go off? Your college, Gavin, he - helped me out. College, mortal enemy, however you guys play it around here. So, can we get down to business? I think you might be looking for these." Angel holds up the Chinese coin and the key, then tosses them on Lilah's desk. Angel: "What do you think?" Lilah: "I think - you might be right." Angel: "Good. Then we're done here. (Gets up and leans on Lilah's desk) You got what you wanted. Now it's over." Angel turns to go. Lilah: "Actually - it's not over. (Slides the key and coin across the desk) And you'll be needing these to complete your mission." Angel: "There is no mission. You and me - we're through." Lilah gets up: "That's where you're wrong. We're just getting started. There's a young man who's been unfairly imprisoned and - you're gonna save him. Isn't that what you do? Save people? (Indicates the key and coin with her chin) You'll need those to complete your mission." Angel: "I see. I do this for you and you stop sending Cordy the killer visions." Lilah: "No. You'll do this for me because I tell you to." Lilah walks up to Angel with a smile, glides a hand from his chest around to his back as she circles him. Lilah: "I know what you're thinking. Yes. You could kill me now, but then you'll never be able to stop the visions. Just for the record, those little skin problems on what's-her-name weren't intended. Just an unfortunate little side effect." Angel's right hand suddenly shoots out and he grabs her by the throat, pulling her face close to his. Angel: "Her name is Cordelia, and you *will* help her." Angel lets go of Lilah and Lilah puts a hand up to her throat, breathing hard and shaking slightly. Angel has taken a step away and turned his back to her. He lets out a deep breath. Angel: "So, where is this jail?" Lilah smiles and walks up behind him. Lilah: "This is exactly why I chose you for the mission, Angel. I needed a man of character, a champion of good, a warrior, and I needed someone who could travel in and out of a fortressed demon dimension." Wesley is sitting at his desk looking at the markings on the coin through a magnifying glass. Angel walks in. Wesley: "How is Cordelia?" Angel: "Fred and Gunn are looking after her. You figured it out?" Wesley: "I think so. Something you probably won't like to hear is that both artifacts are considered objects of good." Angel: "Oh. So the Chinese guy and the boil guy..." Wesley: "Were also aligned with the forces of good." Angel: "Damn! *So* hard to tell these days. You know, they should wear lapel pins or something." Wesley: "Well. In the meantime: the inscriptions on the key and the coin match. They actually work together to transport you in and out of the other dimension." Angel: "I don't suppose we know what this other dimension is like - I mean, besides fortress-y and demon-y." Wesley: "Well, based on the burn scars Cordy received from the last vision, I'd imagine fire is not out of the question." Angel: "Fire." Wesley: "And if the young man is imprisoned, I'd imagine there may be guards." Angel: "Guards." Angel turns to leave the room. Wesley: "I don't need to explain to you that if Wolfram and Hart are behind this mission it can't be good." Angel stops to look back at Wesley, then continues out of the office. Wesley gets up to follow him. Angel is looking through the contents of the weapons cabinet. Wesley: "Just because Lilah tells you that this man is wrongly imprisoned doesn't make it so." Angel: "You're right." Wesley: "Nor do I have to explain to you that helping them violates everything you stand for." Angel grabbing some weapons: "Right again." Wesley: "Good. Then I don't need to convince you to let me go with you." Angel: "Right. No! Wesley, I need you to stay here in case anything goes wrong. - Now (holds up the coin) show me how it works." Wesley takes the coin: "I believe it's fairly simple. Ready?" Angel nods. Wes inserts the key into the hole in the center of the coin. Wesley: "This should take you there and bring you back." Wes turns the key and little metal bars spring out from the ends to lock against the coin. Giving it a good twist, Wesley tosses it to the floor where it spins on one end like a top, creating a swirling little vortex of smoke and light. Wesley: "You sure I can't come with you?" Angel: "Take care of Cordy." Taking a deep breath Angel takes a step closer to the spinning key. The ring of light and smoke expands to include Angel. Angel's image becomes smeared and translucent then he and the spinning key disappear with a small flash of light - while the sword, dagger and mace that Angel had just armed himself with clatter to the floor. Break Angel materializes in a darkened chamber. There are skulls worked into the stone walls behind him. Angel looks at his empty hands then checks his belt. Angel: "Sure. Because it would be too easy if I could actually defend myself." He takes a step forward and his foot kicks the key. Angel bends down to pick it up. Angel: "At least I got the key." Angel sticks the key in the inside pocket of his jacket. He spots a doorway to a room lit by fire at the bottom of a fight of steps and slowly walks towards it. As he enters the room he sees a man engulfed in flames inside a burning cube. A bronze-skinned demon steps up behind Angel. Angel turns to face it. Angel: "Hi." Demon: "Hi. - You know you're not supposed to be here, right?" Angel: "Yeah. What about him?" Angel looks over to the guy inside the burning cage. Demon: "Oh, him? Oh, he's supposed to be here. Do you have any idea how monstrous a guy has to be before he gets sent to us? We're a *very* high-end institution." Angel: "And it's your job to keep him here." Demon: "Yeah. (Offers his hand) I'm Skip." Angel takes the offered hand and they shake. Angel: "Angel. - So, ah, you live in here, Skip?" Skip: "No. I commute. It's not too bad - about twenty minutes." Angel: "Uh, what keeps him in the fire?" Skip: "My will." Angel: "How come he's not screaming in pain?" Skip: "Oh, he is. My will prevents him from being heard. I mean there is only so many 'oh my god! The pain! Please make it stop!' that you can listen to before it starts to bug the crap out of you." Angel: "I see your point." Skip sniffs: "You're a vampire, right? (Angel nods) How come it smells like you work for the Powers That Be?" Angel: "Cause I do." Skip: "And you're here to try to - rescue this guy? (Angel nods) But we're on the same side. Shouldn't you be helping to keep him in here?" Angel: "I know. I know. Long story. Involves a girl. I don't like it any better than you do." Skip: "So I really can't talk you out of this." Angel: "Sorry. I wish you could. I guess we just have to agree to..." Angel staggers back as Skip hits him full in the face. Angel: "...disagree." The two of them fight. Skip knocks Angel to the ground, and Angel vamps out, jumps back up and resumes the fight. Angel manages to kick Skip backwards towards the burning cage. The burning guy inside reaches out and grabs a hold of Skip's shoulders, trying to pull Skip into the cage with him. Flames lick at Skip's back as he struggles to get free. Angel, in vamp face stands there watching. Suddenly he morphs back to human and runs forward, pulls the hands off Skip's shoulders and swings Skip away from the cage. Angel: "Skip, are you okay? (Skip nods) Good. Sorry about this." With that Angel hauls back and knocks Skip out. The flames and the burning cage disappear, revealing the naked, soot smeared man at its center. Los Angeles, night, two limousines are parked in a spillway. Lilah is pacing between them, checking her watch occasionally. The headlights of a car come towards her and she smiles as she recognizes Angel's convertible. Angel and Wes are sitting in the front, Gunn and the guy Angel rescued are in the back. Angel: "You know what to do if anything goes wrong?" Gunn: "Pop goes the weasel." Angel gets out of the car and walks towards Lilah. Lilah motions towards the limousines and five or six burly bodyguards step out. Lilah: "To be honest, nobody at the firm thought that you could do it - except me. You're a remarkable man, Angel." Angel: "Yeah, and you're an evil bitch. Let's finish this. Take care of Cordelia - you get your guy." Lilah walks to the back of one of the limos. The window slides down revealing Fez-guy in the backseat. Lilah talks to him and the window slides back up. Lilah turns back to Angel. Lilah: "This should only take a moment." Angel turns to look towards his car and Wes pulls out his cell phone. The phone rings at Cordy's apartment, where Cordy is lying in bed, sleeping. Fred get up from where she was sitting on the end of the bed and goes to answer the phone. Fred: "Hello?" In the back of the limo Fez-guy is sitting hat-less, his eyes closed, brain pulsing. Fred turns to look at Cordy and sees the boils and blemishes melt away. Fred: "Wesley, it worked. She's okay." Wesley opens the car door and gets out. He motions to Angel with the phone. Gunn gets out as well as the guy Angel rescued, his hands bound with thick rope in front of him. Angel watches as the guy walk past him and to the open door of one of the limos. The guy props his arms on the open door to let one of the bodyguards cut the rope while smirking at Angel, then gets in the car. Lilah: "It's just business." Angel: "Right. Just business." Lilah walks towards the limo on the right. Angel bends down to pick up a piece of rebar lying in a pile of other thrash and sends it hurtling through the air. The metal bar whistles past Lilah to smash through the back window of the limo and through Fe-guy's head. Lilah looks back at Angel then takes a couple of steps closer to the car to look at the Fez-guy slumping dead in the backseat. She jumps when Angel is suddenly right there speaking softly into her ear. Angel: "Don't you came at me through Cordelia ever again. You play that card a second time and I'll kill you." Lilah watches as Gunn drives the convertible over and Angel gets into the passenger seat (Wes is now sitting in the back) then drives away. Then sun rises over the skyscrapers of the city. Cordy pours Angel a cup of coffee. Angel: "Cordy, I'm glad you're feeling better and all but..." Cordy: "...you're not really a foodie. I know. But - I saw this great, big industrial kitchen that we have, and never use and I thought that (both of the jump a little as two round waffles pop up from the toaster) one of these days we should get someone in here that can cook." Cordy takes the waffles out of the toaster and puts one on Angel's plate the other on her own and pours syrup over them. Cordy: "Here we are." Angel looking at his plate: "Heh. Here we are." Cordy: "Angel (he looks up at her) - what you did for me was unbelievably selfless - and brave, and amazing. (Angel looks back down) And it's so great to know that the next vision I have will just be blindingly painful and not turn me into Elephant-man or anything." Angel: "I hear a big 'but' coming." Cordy: "What if that guy you freed is someone or something that's truly terrible? Wolfram and Hart won this time and it's all *my* fault." Angel: "It's not about winning, Cordelia, it's about what's at stake. And in this particular scenario you were way more important than winning. - I can't worry about that guy I set free. I did what I had to do. I'll just deal with the consequences when they happen." They smile at each other, but the smiles disappear as soon as the other one is no longer looking. The Yoro Mountains of Honduras, a thunderstorm is lighting up the night sky. And old man is throwing bones on a little mat on the low table in front of him. He turns around as Darla walks in from the rain. Darla: "You're a difficult man to find, Senor. Do you know why I'm here? (The man nods) You are my last hope. I've been told you're very powerful, very wise. I tried everything and I can't get rid of it, so I ask you: what is this thing - growing inside of me? And how's it possible?" The man gets up. Shaman: "The father is also a..." Darla: "Vampire? Yes! Though - not a very good one." Shaman: "I will need some blood." Darla: "Well, I'll show you mine if - you show me yours." The shaman picks up a knife and a cup. Darla holds her hand over the cup but the shaman hesitates. With a sigh Darla takes the knife away from him and makes the cut herself. Darla: "Men are such babies." The Shaman mixes some powders and herbs with the blood in the cup. Shaman: "This has never failed me." The rubs the contents of the bowl onto his hands then lays them on Darla's swollen belly. After a moment he is blasted backwards away from her. Shaman: "I can not help you. No man can. This is not meant to be known." Darla: "Yeah, yeah. Like I haven't heard *that* before. (Looks down at her belly as she strokes it with her hands) I guess there is only one thing left to do. Time to go visit daddy."
That Vision Thing