Final Thoughts by Cheri

Chapter Two

Fade in Hyperion

Cordelia:

I can't wait any longer. I have to get back.

Fred:

Is he going to be okay?

Cordy:

He was the appetizer for this thing before you guys met up with it.

He's

pretty banged up.

Gunn:

I know the feeling. (stands slowly) And you got nothing on what's

coming

next?

Cordy:

Aside from utter despair and complete destruction for all? Nothing.

She starts to head out and Lorne follows to speak quietly.

Lorne:

You sure you want to go back there so soon?

Cordy:

(surprised)

Why would you ask that?

Lorne:

(shakes head)

No reason. You know what you're doing.

She pauses but doesn't question him.

Cordy:

Find Angel.

Fred:

We will, don't worry.

Cordy:

That’s not an option.

She leaves and Fred looks down at the papers strewn about the floor.

Fred:

So what's all this mean?

Gunn:

It means nothing. Not anymore. Dude got what he wanted. His eye of

fire.

Lorne:

That was just the means of opening the gates kids. Now we get to see

what's

gonna come through.

Fred:

Wait. Eye of fire(thinks hard)...rain of fire? I've heard this. I know

this.

Lorne:

So you'll be sharing soon?

Fred:

I have to check something. One sec...

She rushes into the office and comes out with a book and holds it up.

Gunn:

What's that?

Fred:

The Aztec calendar. It's thousands of years old and people have

been

doing studies of it and releasing new theories almost as long. But the

rain

of fire is here. See?

She points to a symbol and Lorne and Gunn exchange a look.

Lorne:

Unless you want my opinion of their use of color, maybe you should

explain.

Fred:

(opening book)

Quiauhtonatiuh.

Gunn:

Cooahtonahwhat?

Fred:

(finds the page she's been searching for)

Here it is. The Aztecs had certain mythical beliefs. One of these included the four cosmogonic epochs demonstrated in their calendar. The jaguar,

winds, water and the rain of fire.

Lorne:

So an extinct race is coming back in the form of our new friend? Why?

Fred:

I didn't say that. But it can't be a coincidence that an ancient belief on how the world was destroyed four times over is prefacing what appears by all accounts to be that very thing.

Gunn:

Ok, why don't you tell us everything? Starting with what exactly a

cosmogonic epoch is?

Fred takes a deep breath and begins to talk.

Cut to Connor's

Connor is looking out the window.

Connor:

Taking a chance being out this time of day aren't you?

Angel:

(stepping from the shadows)

We all take risks.

Connor:

(turns around)

You look awful.

Angel:

I'm fine. What about you?

Connor:

(looks down at his bruised side)

Cordelia says they're broken.

Angel flinches when he says her name.

Angel:

I'm sorry.

Connor:

Why? You didn't do it.

Angel:

Things are about to get bad.

Connor:

Feels like home.

Angel:

Quortoth.

Connor:

I saw it rise. From where I was born.

Angel:

(a bit surprised)

The alley. How did you...?

Connor:

Cordy told me.

Angel:

Right. And why are you here alone?

Connor:

Why are you here at all? Shouldn't you be out saving us from whatever my being born brought forth.

Angel:

Is that what you think?

Cordelia:

(from behind him)

I tried to tell him he was wrong.

Angel startles and steps away to let her pass without touching him. She looks at him a bit strangely but moves to the middle of the room standing between the men.

Cordelia:

Everyone’s worried about you.

Angel:

There’s a lot more important things to be worried about.

Connor:

There’s no time to worry. There’s only fighting left.

Angel:

I’d like to know what I’m fighting before I go back up against that thing. And you can’t risk more broken bones.

Cordelia:

Maybe he’ll listen to you more than he listens to me.

Connor:

I always listen to you Cordy.

Angel catches the private tone and bristles. He turns to leave.

Cordy:

Where are you going?

Angel:

Away.

Cordy:

You wanna vague that up?

Connor:

He doesn’t want to stay. I think we should…

Cordy:

(turning to look at Connor)

Let me handle this okay? We all have to work together here. Now Angel…

She turns back but he’s already gone.

 

Cut to Wesleys

Wesley is bent over the coffee table studying several books.

Lilah:

So one little firestorm brought forth from middle earth’s version of Beelzabaub and it’s just wham, bam, thank you maam.

Wes:

(without looking up)

We didn’t need Beezlebaub for that.

Lilah:

(plops down smiling)

That’s my sweet talker. So what are we looking for?

Wes:

I’m looking for a way to save lives and I would expect you to be looking for the door.

Lilah:

Oh right. This is the part where we pretend like we don’t know exactly what the other one is really trying to do and we go back to our respective corners on opposite sides of the line.

Wes:

I’m sure you’ve been missed by now Lilah.

Lilah:

Fine. Stay here with your nose in your precious books. I’ve got some very evil coat tails to jump on.

Wes:

How charming.

Lilah:

So I guess this might be it. By this time tomorrow…well there may not even be a tomorrow.

Wes:

Right. So you can let yourself out then.

Lilah looks at him for a moment but when he doesn’t even glance her way she walks out of the apartment slamming the door behind her.

He waits only seconds before grabbing two of the volumes and his keys and opening the door. He runs right into Angel and drops them both on his foot.

Wes:

Bloody hell!

Angel bends to pick them up quickly.

Angel:

Sorry.

Wes:

It’s nothing really. I just wasn’t expecting you.

Angel:

Guess it’s been a while since I stopped by for a visit.

Wes scoffs at the absurdity of the statement.

Angel:

Everything I thought I knew isn’t real.

Wes:

Excuse me?

Angel:

I was sure all those months ago that you had betrayed me like no one ever could.

Wes:

Angel…

Angel:

Can you just listen Wesley? Please. Can you just let me talk?

Wesley frowns and leans against the locked door to look at him.

Angel:

(beginning to pace back and forth in the small hallway)

I never realized until tonight that the only people that can hurt you, the only ones who are capable of that kind of betrayal are the ones you give the power to. You knew that a long time ago. When I went to Darla, I betrayed everyone. You and Cordelia and Gunn. I didn’t deserve forgiveness. Gunn wasn’t ready. Cordelia didn’t want any part of me. But you, you were the first to come back. You gave me a chance.

Wes:

I appreciate the sentiment but…

Angel:

When Darla came back pregnant, there were so many questions. But you didn’t demand them of me. You just helped me find them. And then you took Connor. (pauses) I wanted you dead. I wanted you to feel the pain that I did. And I didn’t forgive, and I didn’t look for answers. I just turned my back…again. And this time I took everyone with me. You were left alone. Left with no choice but to turn to Lilah.

Wesley:

You don’t understand what’s happened with Lilah.

Angel:

No I don’t. And I don’t understand why you didn’t rest until you’d found me. You should have hated me. My son did. Another betrayal from someone I loved. He wanted me to suffer. But you searched until you found me. And now you’re stuck somewhere in the middle. Between us and Lilah. Between Watchers and Hunters. But you’re not alone now. What if everything is in that place now? What if what happened tonight has erased all the lines?

Wes:

I’m not following.

Angel:

That thing affected people. It’s distorted reality somehow. The things we saw, the things I saw, they weren’t right.

Wes:

The fire? What else did you see Angel? What’s happened?

Angel:

It doesn’t matter. You and I have both tasted the other side of the game Wes. The ones who can’t do that, who don’t know how. They won’t survive. And they won’t be able to fight what’s coming. It’s up to us. You don’t have to trust me, you don’t have to stand beside me. But you have to understand what it’s going to take. It’s not about atonement anymore or innocents. This world isn’t innocent. It hasn’t been for a very long time. And it’s time we accept it. There’s new rules and you and I might be the only ones who truly recognize them.

Wesley:

Angel, are you suggesting that we can’t depend on the others?

 

Cut to Hyperion

Gunn:

So, let me get this straight. If we’re going by this Aztec connection, then we’ve got three other epoch things to survive before the world ends and us along with it?

Fred:

I need to do some more research but yeah, it would appear so. The only problem is these were supposed to happen thousands of years apart. Entire civilizations were created and sustained in the time between each cosmogonic epoch. And if I’m not mistaken we’re currently in the fifth epoch, Nahui Olin or earthquakes sun.

Lorne:

Let me guess, our little baby quakes earlier in the evening was just the epochs way of saying hello to their new beast master?

Gunn:

So we’ve had the fire and the quakes. So winds, water and jaguars on the way?

Lorne:

I’m thinking not of the luxury car variety.

Gunn:

So what is it about this thing that’s getting all the epochs coming together? And why did he just disappear up there? Why didn’t he finish us off when he had the chance?

Cordelia:

(from landing)

That’s what we have to figure out…quickly.

They turn to see Connor and Cordy step down and join them in the center of the room.

Connor:

What have you found?

Lorne:

So far we know that thousands of years of badness is converging on us. That’s about it.

Gunn:

Fred thinks it might have something to do with this calendar thing from way back. Seems we might be getting what erased entire civilizations four times over all thrown at us at once. And this rain of fire dude is just the first to arrive at the party.

Cordy:

You mean there’s more like him coming?

Fred:

I don’t know anything for sure. All I have is a theory. I need Wesley to help me.

Gunn:

Cause he understands things the rest of us can’t, I’m not smart enough for that.

Fred:

I never said that Charles.

Gunn:

You never had to.

Lorne:

Come on guys. Don’t let the end of the world drive a wedge between you. That’s what they want.

Connor:

Who?

Cordy:

I remember!

Lorne:

What?

Cordy:

I just remembered. When I was away. I heard this. It’s all about equilibrium. Opposing divine forces are constantly struggling for power. But no one and nothing can ever have all the power. It’s the only way our world survives. Everything’s given a space and time of it’s own.

Fred:

You mean good and evil?

Cordy:

A day when the world and Gods will meet their end. The forces of evil will gather and battle against the Gods and their champions.

She stops and seems suddenly afraid to go on. The door to the atrium opens and Wesley walks in reading from a page in his text.

Wesley:

Every bond will be broken. Brother will slay brother and the son will not spare his own father.

Angel steps inside behind him and looks at Connor. No one moves or speaks for several seconds.

Wesley:

(continuing)

All will be destroyed. Only one man and one woman will survive. From these two, a reborn human race will arise and the cycle will begin anew.

Lorne:

Oh how sweet. It’s a happy ending. Not for me so much, but for someone…or some two.

Gunn:

So how do we stop it?

Wesley:

I don’t know that we can.

Fred:

So what does that mean? We just do nothing?

Angel:

We never do nothing Fred.

Cordy:

Angel’s right. It’s just a matter of finding out what we have to do. It’s about keeping the balance. This thing is calling forth every evil in existence. All the way down the line. It wants the balance to be erased.

Gunn:

Then what are the Powers doing? If the baddies are going all union, shouldn’t we be doing the same?

Connor:

I don’t understand that.

Wesley:

This isn’t just local. If this is indeed the ancient prophecies and mythological legends combining as one to signal the earth’s destruction, we’ve got to go bigger. We can’t find the strength needed to stop it here alone.

Lorne:

So what do we do? Last I checked there wasn’t a worldwide paging system for all the earth’s champions.

Fred:

And how do we know there aren’t other things like the one who brought this on all over the place? Cordy said it was all the forces of evil, not just one.

Angel:

They’ll all come here. Or at least somewhere close to us.

Connor:

How do you know that?

Angel:

Because it’s about the power.

 

Cut to Wolfram and Hart

Lilah:

Does that level of stupidity ever actually cause physical pain?

Gavin:

Don’t shoot the messenger.

Lilah:

Who else has seen this?

Gavin:

No one. I waited for you to get back from…where were you again?

Lilah:

Gather the things they requested. Tell no one of the order yet. The senior partners will be watching so I suggest you don’t hesitate.

Gavin:

So you plan to go along with it?

Lilah:

I plan to do what’s in my best interest. I suggest you do the same.

She picks up the phone to request two guards join her in the basement research facility.

Gavin:

What’s down there?

Lilah:

Are you still here?

Gavin sneers before turning to head out the door.

Gavin:

(over his shoulder)

I’ll return them here shortly.

Lilah:

(deadpan)

Go team.

She follows him out and heads down the hall.

Cut to Desk where keeper of records is sitting.

Woman:

I’ve been expecting you.

Lilah:

I take it I was right to assume you know of the latest events.

Woman:

I know everything. Its my job.

Her eyes begin flipping rapidly through the files as they did for Lilah once before. She begins speaking quickly.

Woman:

Five harbingers will arrive. Coming from places of rest to join at the point of power. Chosen ones. Tipping and spilling the balance. Once begun, there is only one end.

Lilah:

And the senior partners have issued a proclamation?

Woman:

You know they have. It came through just today. Choosing the field of battle and the weapons of choice. You will lead them to their destiny.

Her eyes finally stop and she smiles up at Lilah

Woman:

It’s exciting isn’t it? It appears you took the power just at the right time and place.

Lilah:

And anything that happens from here on out is automatically recorded here right? You receive the play by play courtesy of those spiffy rolodex eyes?

Woman:

That is correct. I receive it and will transcribe it to the files at will. There will be a testimony of your achievements and actions for all dimensions of darkness to study.

Lilah:

(crinkles her nose in faux excitement at the woman’s giddy tone)

Gee, there’s only one problem with that.

Woman:

Problem?

Lilah:

I didn’t get in this for the fame Darlin. In fact, I’m gonna have to insist on remaining safely off the radar of dark dimensions everywhere. Boys?

The two guards step forward and grab the woman.

Woman:

What are you doing?

Lilah:

Don’t worry, you just have something I need.

Shot of Lilah’s smiling face as the girls screams echo loudly. When it stops, the guards hold something out for Lilah to take and she waves them away.

Lilah:

Nasty. Just bring them and follow me.

Cut to Woman lying on ground with empty eye sockets.

Fade out…