Final Thoughts by Cheri

Chapter Four

Fade in Wolfram & Hart

Gavin watches terrified as the tiger raises up on its hind legs. He tries to press himself further against the wall hoping to disappear.

Lilah takes a step back without realizing and finds herself against Angel’s chest.

Angel:

What’s up Lilah? Isn’t this what you were after?

Lilah:

It’s what the senior partners asked me to do.

The tiger drops to all fours suddenly and spots Gavin. It leaps toward him.

Gavin:

Lilah.

Angel steps around her.

Lilah:

You don’t want to do that.

He hesitates just long enough for the animal to swat Gavin aside like a rag doll. He hits his head on a marble statue and is knocked unconscious.

A rumbling begins and the building shakes. Angel and Lilah wait.

The tiger begins clawing at the carpet and soon, it’s scraped away leaving a symbol exposed.

Angel:

Your firm really plans ahead don’t they?

Before she can answer, a strong wind blasts out and upward from the spot knocking them both backwards. The jaguar is swept up and the winds begin to rotate spinning the animal and debris in a loud cylinder above the symbol.

Angel shields his face while trying to keep sight of what’s in front of him. With a final wail the animal seems to burst apart and the wind tunnel expands outward with violent force.

Angel and Lilah both duck and cover their heads with their hands. After a few seconds Angel slowly lifts his head and sees Lilah doing the same. She looks past him and he turns.

The beast is in front of them looking smug and ugly.

Beast:

Did you enjoy the show?

Angel recognizes the double meaning and practically growls in a rage as he rushes to confront him. The beast raises a finger and Angel stops short of contact.

Beast:

You’re not ready.

Angel:

(menacing)

Try me.

Beast:

Not until you’re pure.

Angel seems confused and the beast smirks before disappearing into a ball of fire.

Lilah slowly gets to her feet brushing off her skirt absentmindedly. She sees Angel with his back to her still staring where the beast had been.

Lilah:

Now that’s gotta smart. Being told you’re not worth the fight. Ouch.

Angel ignores her sarcasm.

Lilah:

You may wanna head back and spend what little time you have left with your loved ones. Oh wait, you don’t have any of those do you? Not truly anyway.

Angel:

Shut up Lilah.

Gavin groans in the corner.

Lilah:

Pure. Man was that guy in the wrong building or what?

Angel:

(turns to her)

So this is the side you’ve chosen? You think you’re gonna survive? You’re a fool.

Lilah:

What does that make you?

He strides to grab her by the shoulders and pull her face close to his.

Angel:

Determined.

They face off for several seconds.

Gavin:

What the…?

Angel:

Speaking of loved ones.

He releases her abruptly and she barely keeps from falling.

Gavin:

Lilah?

Lilah:

Go back to sleep Gavin!

She turns to say something but Angel is already gone.

 

Cut to Hyperion

Cordelia and Lorne sit outside in the atrium.

Lorne:

You know me, I don’t like to get in people’s business.

Cordelia:

(rolls eyes)

That’s what you live for Lorne.

Lorne:

Oh right. Well, only when I’m asked. And I know you’re not. But…

Cordelia:

What is it about apocalypses that make everyone go all Oprah Winfrey?

Lorne:

What are you doing Cordy?

Cordy:

Right now?

Lorne:

You belong in the hotel. You’ve got your memory back.

Cordy:

You don’t understand.

Lorne:

Then help me.

Cordy:

He needs me.

Lorne:

And the rest of us don’t?

Cordy:

You all have each other.

Lorne:

He could have had us too. But he chose vengeance as his family. Do you even know what he did to Angel? Did you not see it?

Cordy:

(frowns)

What are you…oh God. Oh God why didn’t I see him?

Connor walks into the shadows from the alley and stops to listen.

Lorne:

So you know?

Cordy:

They wouldn’t let me help. Oh Lorne, I wanted to help. When I came back, I didn’t remember and then when I remembered, I didn’t think.

Lorne:

Ok, so we’re all cleared up now. And you see you belong here now right? You should be here in the hotel…with Angel.

Cordy:

I never belonged here. I had my own home. This was never my home.

Lorne:

Not technically but…

Cordy:

Lorne, I have to tell you something. Tell you what I did. I don’t know why I…well yes I do, but now it all seems so distant. I feel like I’m not me anymore. Does that make any sense?

Connor swallows hard and clinches his hands waiting for what’s coming next.

Lorne:

Everybody’s a little off sweetie. There isn’t enough sea breeze in the world to make what’s happened in the last 24 hours even in the same realm as normal.

Cordy:

I can’t leave Connor Lorne. I won’t.

Lorne:

Nobody said anything about leaving. I was thinking more like coming.

Connor:

(stepping forward)

There you are.

Cordy:

Connor! Where did you come from? Are you okay?

Lorne:

(peering over his shoulder)

Where’s Angel?

Connor:

He’s behind me. Said he had something to take care of.

Lorne:

So you just sent him on his way?

Connor:

I wanted to check on…(looks at Cordy) the rest of you.

Lorne:

Right. Yeah, I’m fine. (leans to get Connor’s attention) I’m over here though. And the others are inside. Might have to break the gaze long enough to do that checking.

Cordy:

Give us a minute Lorne.

Lorne:

Take two.

He shakes his head in irritation and heads back inside.

Cut to Lobby

Lorne closes the door to see Gunn and Fred arguing.

Fred:

Why are we doing this again?

Gunn:

Maybe because you’re trippin again.

Fred:

I don’t think you’re getting the big picture here Charles.

Gunn:

I think I am. You’re taking off in the middle of whatever the hell we’ve stepped into now and headed straight into the only place that might be worse off than we are.

Fred:

I’m the only one that can pull this off and you know it.

Gunn:

And why is that?

Fred:

Because I have a face that anyone can trust.

Gunn:

And I’d like to keep that face intact.

Fred:

(smiles)

That’s at the top of my priority list too. Please let me do this.

Gunn:

Then let me come with you.

Fred:

You know you won’t walk away from a fight.

Gunn:

(pauses)

Well it’d be nice if you asked anyway.

Fred:

(takes his hand and holds it to her chest)

Please come with me and protect me and love me like only you can.

Gunn:

(looks at her for a long moment)

Woman, I told you I’m a warrior. I can’t leave my team to fight alone. I have to stay.

They exchange a smile and a quick kiss.

Lorne:

Sorry to interrupt Bad Actors Anonymous but what’s with the role play? Where’s everyone going…or not going?

Fred:

It’s a secret.

Lorne:

Great. Thos always work wonderfully.

Gunn:

Don’t worry. She’s got it covered.

Wesley:

Here are my keys Fred. You better leave now. You have my instructions?

Fred:

(holds up paper)

Right here. Are you sure this is what you want?

Wes:

It’s what we all need. Just do exactly as I said.

Fred:

I got it. And you all do me a favor and don’t let the world end before I get back okay?

Wes:

We’ll do our best.

Lorne:

Do I get to know what’s happening? Can the green guy please get the 411?

Fred looks at Wes once before turning into Gunn’s arms one last time and heading out the side door.

Gunn:

You better be right man.

Wes:

If I’m not, we won’t be here to know it.

Lorne:

Great. That’s comforting.

Gunn:

Now what do we do?

Angel:

(from doorway)

We make me pure.

Wesley:

Beg your pardon?

Angel steps down off the landing and joins the others in the middle of the room.

Angel:

I just ran into our friend.

Gunn:

No stakes through the jugular this time?

Angel:

Not even close. He wouldn’t fight me.

Lorne:

You mean, he gave up?

Angel:

No, I mean he wouldn’t fight me…yet.

Gunn:

So when is halftime over?

Angel:

We’ll never beat him.

Wesley:

Still begging over here.

Angel:

He’s too much. I just saw some kind of freak tiger, tornado thing go bam and then he was there.

The others just stare at him dumbfounded.

Angel:

At Wolfram and Hart. Lilah and her minions were doing some kind of ritual thing and there were women chanting, then they were dead, then they were ash, then there was wind, then they were snake, then they turned inside out into a jaguar that spun around in a huge dust devil looking thing and imploded into Beastie boy.

Gunn:

Huh?

Angel:

I’m telling you, this isn’t anything that’s ever been on this earth or in this world before. Not in this form anyway. He can control things…people. Trust me, we will never beat him.

Lorne:

You’re not saying this. Check the door Friend. We help the helpless. We can’t be the helpless. This is like the stopping place for the world when all is lost.

Gunn:

We get it Lorne. Chill.

Wesley:

Angel, what’s happened. Why are you saying this?

Angel:

Because it’s the truth. We will never beat this. Do you hear me Wesley?

Wesley pauses and then seems to realize what’s happening. He takes a deep breath.

Wesley:

They won’t know what it takes.

Gunn:

Who won’t know what what takes?

Lorne:

Did we all just get sucked into a whacky ‘everybody’s crazy’ dimension without telling me?

Angel:

Some things can not be decided in a simple battle. We’ve all fought our own battles all of our lives and we’ve always managed to come out on top. We found each other and we got stronger because of it. But this thing isn’t like anything else we’ve ever known. And being together isn’t enough.

Gunn:

So we fight alone?

Wesley:

Angel is saying we can’t go at this thing straight on.

Lorne:

So where does that leave us?

Angel:

At the bottom.

The men just stare at him.

Angel:

This thing only knows evil. It only recognizes evil as something worthy of it’s time. We were all just tinker toys last night.

Wesley:

But Angel, having a dark side within one self and unleashing it full force is still nothing compared to the dark forces surrounding this beast.

Angel:

You’re right. Everything and everyone we are and we know is too weak and too human to pose a threat.

Lorne:

So again I ask, where does that leave us?

Angel:

You have two choices. You stay and fight against whatever gets in your way. Even if it’s got a face you recognize. Or you leave. You get the hell out until it’s either safe to come back or there’s nothing to come back to.

Gunn:

And what’s your choice?

Angel:

I don’t get two.

Lorne:

You just don’t like making it easy on yourself do you?

Wesley:

What are you going to do Angel?

Angel:

It said it won’t fight me until I’m pure. Right now I’m just a half breed. If I want a chance to beat it, I have to join it.

Gunn:

How you gonna do that?

Wesley:

You can’t be serious.

Angel:

Do you have any better ideas?

Lorne:

What was the first idea? I missed the first idea.

Wesley:

Angel wants to even that playing field.

Gunn:

Will somebody just say it already?

Angel:

I can’t beat him. Not like this. Not with a soul.

Lorne:

Are you saying you plan on giving up your soul to fight this thing?

Angel:

I…

Cordy:

(from back door)

The hell you are!