Ground State
(Thorpe Academy – Day)
(Gills Rock, Wisconsin. October 28, 1985)
(Going down a small road, a car passes a sign that reads "Thorpe's Academy." The car stops, and a man and woman and a child get out of the car to be greeted by the headmistress. The child is wearing a thick red snowsuit, complete with mittens and boots to match. Even her head is covered with a hood, but her face is showing. She's got wavy brown hair. Behind the headmistress is the academy, a large, white, Victorian house.)
Headmistress: Mr. and Mrs. Raiden, welcome to the Academy. I'm Lydia Thorpe.
Mrs. Raiden: We can't thank you enough—after all we've been through.
Headmistress: Honestly, I should be thanking you. Your gift to the school was quite generous. We've already invested a portion of it into the accommodations for Gwen's... special needs.
Mr. Raiden: When should we come back?
Headmistress: Classes end June third.
(Mr. and Mrs. Raiden exchange a glance and sigh. Gwen looks sad.)
Mr. Raiden: Well, here you go, Gwen. You're finally going to school. Exciting, isn't it?
Mrs. Raiden: You be a good girl, now. You hear me? Be good. And remember we love you.
Mr. Raiden: (to headmistress) Thanks again. We'll see you in June. (to Gwen) June, all right?
Headmistress: Hello, Gwen. I'm Miss Thorpe. I'm gonna take you up to class now. You must stay away from the other children, of course, but I'm confident you'll learn my other rules very quickly.
(The parents watch as the headmistress and Gwen walk up toward the school. The parents get in the car to leave as Gwen watches. When they're gone, she turns back to the headmistress and instinctively grabs her hand like a girl her age would when walking with an adult, but the headmistress smacks her hand away.)
Headmistress: No, Gwen.
(They walk side by side toward the school.)
(Playground – Day)
(Gwen is sitting by herself under a large tree, eating her lunch, while the other children play on the playground. She's very awkward, trying to use a spoon with her thick mittens, so she takes them off to eat. One of the boys is playing with his toy car and ends up near her. He stops to talk to her.)
Boy: Are you a freak?
Gwen: I don't know.
Boy: Guess you don't look like one.
Gwen: Thanks.
Headmistress: OK, kids, inside. Inside now.
(The boy holds out his toy car to Gwen.)
Boy: You can hold on to this if you want.
(The Headmistress looks over toward the boy and Gwen, and does a double-take. She realizes the danger.)
Headmistress: Oh! Gwen! No!
(The boy is shocked and knocked down. His toy car has been melted beyond recognition. The Headmistress runs over to him, and the children gather around to see what happened.)
Headmistress: Oh!
(Cordelia’s Apartment – Present Day)
(Fred and Angel are talking while packing up Cordelia's apartment. Gunn is in the other room packing as well.)
Fred: Smell anything?
Angel: Cordelia. Maybe some old incense or candles. Strangely enough—lemons. Lots and lots of lemons.
Fred: I might have gone a little nuts with the floor polish. Wanted the place to look nice for when the landlords start showing it.
Angel: It does. Look nice. Nice and empty.
Fred: You should've seen the size of the dust-bunnies under Cordy's bed. (laughs) More like dust sperm whales!
Angel: I can't believe it's been three months.
Fred: We paid the rent for the first couple, but then things got sorta tight, and, well, big apartment, no one living here...
Angel: Phantom Dennis! Does-does he know anything about Cordy, where she might be?
Fred: He's just ticked we haven't brought her home already.
Angel: We will, though. Soon.
Fred: Absolutely.
(Fred walks into the living room to continue packing. Angel follows. Gunn is there working on the television.)
Angel: You said you already tried talking to Lorne in Las Vegas.
Gunn: Yeah. Emphasis on the word "try." (He shocks himself on the television, hurting his hand.) Fancy-ass surround sound. Fred!
Fred: (to Gunn) Already packed the band-aids, buddy. (to Angel) From the exactly twice we've been able to get a hold of him, we know that Lorne is keeping his eyes peeled, but... so far all's quiet on the psychic front.
Gunn: Did you show him the box?
Fred: See that one, with the pictures? That stuff was on the table the night Cordy disappeared. It's mostly personal stuff. Didn't mean much to us, but you might see something.
(Angel flips through the items in the box.)
Angel: What about the police?
Gunn: Uh, let's see. Abandoned car. Empty apartment.
Fred: No signs of violence. No plans for travel.
Gunn: Please file a missing person's report.
Fred: And have a nice day.
Gunn: But, hey! That was only the first time. The next seven times, they left out the nice day part.
(In the box, Angel finds a picture frame with pictures: one of Angel and Cordelia, and one of Angel, Cordelia and Wesley.)
Angel: Something must've happened to her that night. Something big.
Gunn: Well, you guys were supposed to meet up.
Angel: I know why I wasn't there.
Fred: Sure. Banished to the ocean depths by your ungrateful snot of a son.
Gunn: Not that she's bitter.
(Fred takes the last three books off the mantel, and packs them in a box.)
Angel: I appreciate you guys looking out for Connor all summer. It's just—he's confused. He needs time. That's all.
Fred: Right. Time, and some corporal punishment with a large heavy mallet. Not that I'm bitter. (She looks back at the mantel, and the three books she just packed have reappeared on the mantel again.) Oh. Damn it, Dennis! She's not coming back! (pauses and catches herself). I'm sorry, Angel. I-I didn't…I meant the apartment. I…
Angel: It's OK, Fred. Anyway, we've got tons of room back at the hotel. We can keep everything safe.
Fred: It's just…you count on stuff, you know. Things being where you left them. What happens if you get back and they're not there?
(Angel's looking at the picture of him, Cordelia, and Wesley.)
Angel: You go find 'em.
(Factory)
(The factory is dimly lit, and there are pipes everywhere, connecting to each other like some kind of industrial system. It's noisy, like machines are running in the background. Wesley and some others are there fighting a demon. Wesley is barking orders to the others.)
Wesley: Jones, Brownstreet—left flank!
(During the fighting, a battle-axe slips out of someone's hands and slides across the floor. Angel steps on it, and addresses Wesley.)
Angel: Need help?
(Just then, Wesley slices the head and shoulders off of the demon he's fighting. Wesley is dirty, exhausted, and covered in blood and sweat.)
Wesley: No. Thanks. (He bends down to search the demon's body, and finds a motel key.) So, Mr. O'Leary's being kept in a motel. How original. (tosses the key to his cohorts) Free him. Report to base. Have Diana close out the file. Hawkins, back of my car.
(The guys fighting alongside Wesley leave.)
Angel: Running your own game now, huh? (Wesley stands, staring deadpan at Angel) I never got the chance to thank you. Finding me. Bringing me up. (Wesley walks away. Angel follows) Must've been hard for you. No map. All that water. Look what—what went down between us... I had a lot of time down there…to think. You know, about the way things went, the way they could've gone. I just want you to know, as far as I'm concerned, we're OK again. (Wesley picks up a chrome briefcase, opens it, and hands Angel a file from it. Angel looks confused.) What's this?
Wesley: What you came for. That's everything I have on Cordelia's disappearance.
(Angel flips through the thick file. There's a picture of Cordelia's Jeep, and a map of the area, with areas highlighted.)
Angel: Did your own investigation?
Wesley: I don't think she's dead. I can't say for certain, of course, but I don't believe she's in our dimension any longer. Beyond that... was a road I couldn't follow. No living thing can.
(Still flipping through the file, Angel comes across a print of a winged creature, labeled "DINZA." Wesley is packing up his gear.)
Angel: Who's Dinza?
Wesley: One of the Eleusian mysteries. A dark demi-goddess of the lost. Only the dead can enter her presence, and those that do, she often traps for eternity.
Angel: Sounds cheery.
Wesley: I managed to locate her lair, but obviously couldn't enter myself.
Angel: This Dinza can tell me where Cordy is.
Wesley: No. The most she'll tell you is where to look. Just beware. Dinza isn't remotely trustworthy. (He closes the briefcase and walks off.)
Angel: What should I do, then? Send her a gift? Sacrifice? (beat) Unholy fruit basket?
(Dizna’s Lair)
(Angel climbs down a ladder into a dimly lit tunnel with water on the floor, reminiscent of a sewer pipe. He walks up to an open doorway, and enters the lair. There is the constant sound of water dripping and people whispering faintly, but there is no one to be seen.)
Angel: Knock, knock. Door was open. (The door magically appears where it wasn't, closing him in the chamber.) Or it was a second ago.
(A grey hand with pointy fingers touches Angel's neck, followed by the sound of wings fluttering. He turns to look, but it's gone.)
Dinza: Are you lost?
(Again, the grey hand with pointy fingers touches Angel's neck.)
Angel: Keep it up, you're gonna make me seasick.
Dinza: I doubt it. (Fluttering sound again. Angel turns to look, and sees a thin grey figure crouching on a beam above him. It's Dinza. It has bony wings and a veil of cobwebs over its face.) I think it would've happened before now. Tell me, do you miss the sound of the waves?
Angel: You-you know who I am.
Dinza: I know you were lost. I know all the lost things.
Angel: Really? City of Atlantis? Holy Grail? Jimmy Hoffa.
Dinza: (fluttering) Lost love.
(Dinza lunges at Angel, touches his neck, and flutters away instantly, perching on another beam. Angel looks around, confused, and finds her again.)
Angel: So you know why I'm here, who I'm trying to find?
Dinza: She is far from you, champion, and needs you no longer.
Angel: I need her.
(The off screen whispers grow louder for a moment.)
Dinza: They think that you should join them. That I should never let you out. (chuckles) But who listens to the dead. The Axis of Pythia rests close by. What you seek can only be found inside the Axis.
Angel: The Axis?
Dinza: (stands) An ancient power bridging all dimensions. Find the Axis, and find your lost one.
Angel: Why should I trust you?
Dinza: (suddenly behind Angel, grabbing his throat) Because I'd love to keep you... but you have so much more to lose.
(Bar)
(A young woman walks in wearing red leather pants, black boots, a tight, skimpy, sleeveless, low-cut red leather top that shows her midriff, long, black satin gloves, and bright red lipstick. She has long brown wavy hair, streaked with red and white, and she's got an attitude. As she walks by, all the men at the bar look at her. She approaches a man shaking his head in disapproval, sitting at one of the tables. She joins him.)
Man: I thought I said discreet.
Young Woman: What? Do you see nipple?
Man: (looks at watch) You're late.
Young Woman: You're screwing me. The Axis of Pythia is worth 33 million dollars. You told me it was worth six.
Man: The Axis is merely a mystical object. It has no inherent monetary value…
Young Woman: Blah, blah, polysyllabic b-lah. I need a drink. Waiter, I'll take a redcoat, up, double the voddy, and can I get one of those swizzly things? (to Man) Just love those. You were saying?
Man: My appraiser priced the Axis at exact…
Young Woman: Eighteen percent of its true market value. And seeing as how I steal stuff on commission, that's like getting me for eighty percent off. Now, let's be honest, Elliot... (She reaches for Elliot's hand for conversational emphasis, but he recoils in a panic, shuddering.) Do I look like a blue-light special to you?
Elliot: The street value is irrelevant. I only want the Axis for my own private collection. Now, as I recall, we had already settled on a rather substantial fee.
Young Woman: Say it with me, big guy. Co-mis-sion. (looks at a packet on the table) This my stuff? Auction house perimeter. Security system. Vent work. Vaults.
Elliot: Make the delivery to a private high rise downtown. I'll be waiting in the penthouse, and then we'll transfer the balance of your fee.
Young Woman: Which we both know is gonna have a lot more zero's on the end of it, right?
Elliot: You know, Gwen, you came to me very highly recommended for your, uh... (pauses while the waiter brings Gwen's drink) for your talents. But I have to admit, I was expecting someone a bit more... professional.
Gwen: (stands and sighs) I am a professional, and we professionals don't like taking the bone. (She holds up Elliot's watch that she took from him without him noticing.)
Elliot: (reaches for it) Gwen, that is a twelve thousand dollar watch.
(Gwen smiles, zaps the watch in her fist, and tosses it on the table in front of him. It now resembles melted metal, like the toy car from the previous scene.)
Gwen: And now it's surrealism.
(Gwen licks the swizzle stick from her drink, and walks out of the bar.)
(Higher Dimension)
(Zoom in on Cordelia's face, bathed in soft blue-white light. Zoom in closer on her right eye. Zoom in further to show that she is watching over her friends at Angel Investigations, as though she has a view from a satellite. Zoom closer and closer to the Los Angeles landscape, to the hotel.)
(Hyperion – Night)
(Fred is standing in front of a presentation easel giving Angel and Gunn a briefing. Gunn is sitting down, watching her. Angel is in the back of the room, concentrating on an artist's sketchpad, using his knees as a support while he draws. Fred flips the chart, to show a simplistic drawing labeled "The Axis of Ptyhia.")
Fred: The Axis of Pythia. Forged from the tripod of the Delphic oracle, the Axis, a metal arch set into a marble base, stands approximately two feet high and weighs 18 pounds.
(Angel hands Gunn a sketch of the Axis that's highly detailed, complete with symbols etched into the metal arch.)
Angel: Here. To give you an idea.
Gunn: Wow.
Fred: Is that…you didn't draw that?
Angel: Huh? Yeah, I just, you know, scribbled it down out of one of the books.
Fred: Oh. Nice. (She goes back to her flip chart, and flips to the next simplistic drawing. Labeled "Mystical Qualities", the chart has a little simple drawing of a ghost, saying "Boo.") Um, the Axis is said to have been imbued with many mystical qualities, one of which is finding souls or entities across dimensions.
(Angel holds up another sketch from his pad. It's a skillful, detailed drawing of a smiling Cordelia.)
Angel: Entities, like...
Gunn: Cordelia.
Fred: Wow. That's just…
Gunn: Oh, hey, baby. I liked your little... your ghost guy.
Fred: I haven't slept, Charles.
Gunn: So, we need the Axis. How do we get it?
(Fred goes back to her chart, and flips to the next page. It shows a simple drawing of the front of a building, labeled "Chandler".)
Fred: Currently, the Axis is being held in the vault of Chandler's Auction House, an establishment firmly rooted in the black market. Black market means money. Money means security.
(Angel stands up, holding a tube of rolled up papers, the size of blueprints.)
Angel: But not to worry, 'cause I beat the building plans out of a snitch who thought I was dead.
Fred: The building plans are only half of it. Just because we know where it is, doesn't mean we can get to it.
(Fred flips the chart again to show a list labeled "Security Devices". The boys proceed to read off the list.)
Gunn: Surveillance cameras. Electric gates.
Angel: Laser sensors. Handprint Recognition.
Fred: Not to mention armed guards.
Gunn: Yeah, but if it's an auction house, can't we just, you know, E-Bay it? How much is it? (He takes a sip of coffee.)
Angel & Fred: 33 million dollars.
(Gunn chokes on his coffee.)
Gunn: I think my lungs (coughs) have coffee. (He coughs and then walks off to recover.)
Fred: We're still working on a plan, but so far, it involves being sent to prison and becoming somebody's bitch.
Angel: Nobody's going to jail, Fred. I told you, a heist like this, I've done it a million times. (beat) OK, maybe twice, but I'm good at it, I swear.
(Gunn walks back to sit down at his chair.)
Gunn: Uh, you're not counting the time we stole the crazy-making death shroud that nearly killed us right?
Angel: (blank stare) The point is, this is how we find Cordy, so this is what we're gonna do.
Fred: OK. (grabs rolled up papers from Angel) I'm just gonna take these and go over the details and see if I can, I don't know, whip something up... Say, a plan. OK. (walks off with Angel's building plans and her flip chart)
Angel: I'm really strong, if that helps.
Fred: (os) OK.
Gunn: That's my girl. Large and in charge. OK, teensy-weensy and in charge.
Angel: It's amazing how she stepped up when I was gone. Kinda reminds me of Cordy.
Gunn: Angel, say we use this Axis thing to find her. What then?
Angel: Then, we do whatever it takes to get her back home, where she belongs.
Gunn: OK, so what are we gonna need for "Operation Chance In Hell"?
Angel: Hmm. I can only guess. Probably some repelling hooks. Flashlights, obviously. Aerosols. What else?
(While Angel goes over the equipment list, interleave shots of someone preparing to use that same equipment.)
(Gwen’s Apartment)
(Gwen is the person preparing for her heist. She has additional equipment, such as lock-picking tools in a pouch. She puts a bag full of tools over her shoulder, and someone gloved brings her a small silver platter with a silver tube standing on it. Gwen takes it from her blonde maid.)
Gwen: Thanks, Nick.
(Nick smiles and leaves, while Gwen opens the tube to reveal that it is a tube of red lipstick, which she then applies, looking in the mirror/computer console. She smiles at herself.)
(Wesley’s Apartment)
(Wesley pushes Lilah against a wall, kissing on her neck, as Lilah smiles in ecstasy.)
Lilah: Ooh. I can't stay.
Wesley: You said you could?
Lilah: Big meeting in a couple hours... Potential client... First time as the new boss.
Wesley: Not interested.
(Lilah pushes Wesley back with her hands on his shoulders, and he lands sitting on a table. She climbs on his lap.)
Lilah: I just want you to know why I'm going first tonight. (She starts unbuttoning his shirt.)
Wesley: If I let you go at all.
Lilah: You mean, like you let your little slave girl go? Justine, is it?
Wesley: So, you finally heard about that?
Lilah: I heard. (whispers in his ear, then nibbles it) I'm betting she heard a few things, too.
Wesley: The walls are soundproofed. (grabs Lilah and reverses their situation, with her sitting and him pushing her back on the table) Though she did call you "impossibly loud."
Lilah: (breathing hard) And all this time, you're lying through your teeth. (mocking, takes off his belt) Wes is so apathetic. Wesley doesn't care. (folds and snaps his leather belt in front of her face)
Wesley: I had to raise him. Angel is…necessary.
Lilah: (puts his belt behind his neck to pull his face to hers) For what?
Wesley: Fighting people like you. (leans in for a kiss)
Lilah: (rolls off the table, onto the floor, lands on top of him) Good news is, you might've done me a favor. Soon as he dried off, Angel kicked Connor out of the hotel. Poor little guy, friendless, homeless... (bites Wesley's thumb) umm... (panting) looks like Connor's gonna need someone who cares, like a big sister, or a... Mrs. Robinson, if that's what he's into. (Wesley rolls over on top of her, glaring) I thought you liked the bad girls, Wes.
Wesley: I don't need to hear your evil plans.
Lilah: No, it just turns you on, knowing I have 'em.
Wesley: Shut up, Lilah.
Lilah: Make me.
(Wesley slides down her body off screen, and Lilah starts to writhe and moan.)
(Chandler’s Auction House – Night)
(Gwen climbs up to the roof on a rope. She's working alone, and wearing all black. She walks over to the wiring box labeled "Access Control Systems." She opens it, selects the exact wire necessary, and severs it with a special tool. Then she removes a glove and touches the wire with her bare hands to short it out. She closes the box's door, and goes to the roof access door to enter the building. It's got a key-card entry slot. Gwen touches it with her hand until the light turns green and unlocks the door. She enters.)
(Roof)
(Meanwhile, Angel, Gunn, and Fred are climbing the fire escape ladder to get to the roof.)
Angel: Come on.
Gunn: (panting) Man, this is so much harder than it looks on Batman.
(They finally get to the roof, and Angel goes to the wiring box labeled "Access Control Systems." He rips off the door to the box, and doesn't know which wire is which, so he pulls them all out, causing the building to lose electricity. Fred goes to the roof access door and uses a special device that, when inserted, simulates a key, and unlocks the door. The light turns green, and they all enter the building.)
(Stairwell)
(Angel, Gunn, and Fred walk down the stairs.)
(Basement)
(Fred is leaning over some blueprints that are laid on the ground, pointing to them and giving instructions to Angel and Gunn. Angel notices a security camera, but it's not on because the red light is not lit.)
Fred: ...and thirty yards west. This is the junction. All right, I'll be in here trying to hack into the vault's security system. Charles…
Gunn: Secure the escape route. Guard's station, one floor down.
Fred: Disarm and contain. Angel, hit the vault, wait for system shutdown, then steal the Axis.
Gunn: (to Fred) You are so hot right now.
Fred: Go. (Angel and Gunn head out in opposite directions. Fred stands, irritated) Guys! (Angel and Gunn turn around and switch directions, Fred sighs)
(The security camera Angel noticed before has a red light on it now.)
(Air Conditioning Duct)
(Close up of Gwen's eye, reflecting Fred carrying the blueprints away. Zoom out to show Gwen holding the wire for the security camera, somehow using it to see the image.)
Gwen: Yeah, that's not good.
(Central Computer Room)
(Fred sneaks into the room containing all the main servers. She seems concerned.)
Fred: (to herself) Please, let my cellmate be gentle.
(She takes the cover off of one of the computer systems.)
(Guard’s Station)
(Gunn sneaks up on the security guard who's looking around.)
Gunn: Look out! (punches guard) Tried to warn ya.
(Gunn drags the guard out of the middle of the room.)
(Vault)
(Angel walks into the vault room and sprays one of the aerosols to reveal dozens of green laser beams criss-crossing the room.)
Angel: Help me out here, Fred. (Just then, a thick metal gate drops down from the ceiling.) Not exactly what I had in mind.
(Angel bends down to try and lift the gate, but it shorts out. A hatch opens from the ceiling, and Gwen drops into the vault, inside the gate, while Angel is stuck outside. She's hanging upside down.)
Gwen: You know, I put that down for a reason.
(Angel stares in disbelief.)
(Central Computer Room)
(Fred's working at a computer terminal.)
Fred: (typing) No! (Her monitor's flashing a big red error message at her. "Vault Electrical Monitor. System Interference. Malfunction.") I haven't even gotten into the electrical system, so that…that means…
(Guard’s Station)
(Gunn carries the guard he punched into the back room, only to find there are four other guards there, bound, gagged, and passed out.)
Gunn: We got company.
(Vault)
(Angel is standing now, still on the outside of the vault, separated from Gwen by the gate.)
Angel: Who are you?
Gwen: Who are you?
Angel: I asked you first.
Gwen: What are you, seven?
Angel: Tell me you're not here for the Axis.
Gwen: I'm not here for the Axis.
Angel: You're lying.
Gwen: I'm fibbing. It's lying, only classier. (She motions with her hand, and the laser beams bend up, out of her way.)
Angel: What?
Gwen: (jumps down to the floor) Technically? I'm exciting the subatomic particles with electrical energy and then bouncing 'em off each other before they hit ground state. I just love that folks go for this hi-tech stuff. Electricity comforts 'em. (scoffs) Suckers.
Angel: What— are you?
Gwen: I'm a freak. (touches the handprint recognition panel, causes it to glow and beep before opening the vault doors) What'd you think?
(Gwen walks into the vault while Angel struggles in vain to lift the gate up.)
Angel: Um, yeah, you know, I'm sure there's lots of other nice expensive things that you could steal in there. It just doesn't have to be the one…
Gunn: (enters the vault area, panicked) Where's the bogey?
Angel: In there. She's after the Axis.
Gunn: She? As in she took out the four armed guards downstairs?
Angel: That's good to know.
Gwen: (returning from the vault, carrying a bag with the Axis in it) So long, handsome.
Angel: Listen, I need the Axis. It's an ancient mystical relic…
Gwen: (sing-songy) It's fun for a girl and a boy. I like to think of it as... mine.
Angel: Please.
Gwen: Please? Are you kidding me? (notices Gunn) Hey there, Denzel.
Angel: I'm trying to find someone. Someone very important to me, and the Axis there, it's my only shot.
Gunn: Come on, he's telling the truth.
Gwen: Oh, well, golly, if you say it's true... So what? You just wanna... borrow this thing?
Angel: You can do whatever you want with it, as soon as I find her.
Gwen: Her? Of course it's "her." Two questions, then. One: do you really love her?
Angel: Yeah, I do.
Gwen: Two: on a scale of one to ten, exactly how stupid do you think I am? (Gwen steps back to the rope to climb out, but the security system is tripped. Alarms sound.) Don't answer that.
Angel: Way to go, Fred.
(The gate starts to lift, as Gwen climbs up the rope. Gunn slides under the gate, and grabs Gwen by the legs. )
Gwen: Let go!
Gunn: A little help here! (Gwen pushes him away with her bare hand, causing a shock) Ahh!
(Fred is running into the vault room as this is happening. She sees Gunn falls over from the shock Gwen gave him. Angel goes to Gunn, and realizes there's something wrong when he doesn't get back up. He has no pulse.)
Angel: He's dead.
(Gwen is standing away from them, looking at what she did. Fred runs to Gunn's side.)
Fred: No. No. No.
(Gwen sighs, remembering back to the boy she hurt as a child.)
Gwen: Move! (goes to Gunn, shocks Angel, knocking him down, kicks Fred away from Gunn) Sorry, honey. (bends down and touches Gunn's chest, shocking it) Just like starting a Chevy. (Gunn gasps) There we go.
(Angel picks Gwen up off of Gunn and throws her against a wall. She kicks him, and they begin to fight. Fred interrupts his train of thought.)
Fred: Angel, we gotta get to a hospital.
(Angel decides to help Fred and Gunn, and Gwen scurries up the rope with the Axis.)
(Street)
(Connor is walking around the streets alone at night with nowhere to go. He sees a fenced area where other homeless people are camping, and decides to crash there tonight. Zoom out to show Lilah watching him with binoculars. There's a voice from behind her.)
Angel: Miss me?
Lilah: (startled, then laughs) Only in the sense of... no.
Angel: How's it going, Lilah? Still knocking 'em dead at Wolfram and Hart?
Lilah: (smiles) You could say that.
Angel: I wasn't sure, what, with all the charity work you seem to be doing down here.
Lilah: You know, I was just telling someone how deeply I care for the homeless. Let him off pretty easy, didn't you?
Angel: The kid messed up, he knows he messed up.
Lilah: Oh, God. The return of the moral high ground? This is that "guilt is it's own punishment" thing, isn't it?
Angel: Kind of my specialty.
Lilah: Whatever. I don't get it. Lemme guess. (shot of Connor sleeping on the bare ground, wrapped in a dirty blanket) You're just gonna bird-dog the kid 'til he gets weepy and... pulls a prodigal.
Angel: I'm not here for him, Lilah. I'm here for you. (beat) Earlier tonight, the Axis of Pythia was stolen from Chandler's Auction House.
Lilah: Black market. Upscale.
Angel: Thief was too. What you might call specialized. The kind only people like your clients can afford…
Lilah: And you want the name of the buyer. Look, Angel, I know you've been out of loop for a while, but I'm still evil. I don't do errands unless they're... (grins) evil errands.
Angel: I think you'll run this one.
Lilah: Why? What's in it for me?
Angel: Just this once, I'll ignore the fact that you were within 50 yards of my son. (beat. whispers) Just this once.
Lilah: So much for moral high ground, huh? It's interesting. You... coming to me for help.
Angel: You know what I find interesting? The fact that I can smell you and Wesley all over each other. (Lilah is taken aback) Start making calls. You got an hour.
(Angel walks away.)
(Hyperion – Gunn’s Room)
(Close up of a electrocardiogram (EKG) printout. Zoom out to show that Gunn is inspecting it, probably his own.)
Gunn: Kinda looks like art, doesn't it? I call it "takes more than that to kill me, punk." "Punk" is what makes it art.
Fred: (uptight) Did you take your pill?
(Fred's clearly affected from the events of the day. She's fidgety, constantly moving, putting things away, etc.)
Gunn: ‘S hard to believe these little pointy jobbies are the difference between life and death.
Fred: Did you?
Gunn: You handed it to me.
Fred: So, what was it like?
Gunn: What's what like?
Fred: Being dead. Gone. See anything interesting? White light? Shirley MacLaine?
Gunn: Nothing. I don't—I don't remember.
Fred: All it was was luck. If that woman hadn't come back again...
Gunn: Fred, we've been through this. You would've done CPR. I know you…
Fred: What if I hadn't been there?
Gunn: Then Angel would've picked me up and Flash Gordon'ed me to the ER.
Fred: Sure, but, then again, it could've been too late, and Angel would have had to swear blood-lusty vengeance on the woman that killed you, and we all know how well that one works out.
Gunn: Fred, what the hell?
Fred: I am so sick of holding everything up around here. First Wesley leaves, then Angel, and Cordy. I-I'm sick of taking care of everything and paying bills and making peace and plans and keeping my chin up…God, I am so sick of my chin being up!
Gunn: You know what, just electrocute me know, 'cause I don't know what kind of alien female thing…
Fred: I thought it would get better when Angel came back. I-I thought I would finally be able to breathe again.
Gunn: Fred, no one forced this responsibility on you…
Fred: Well, who else was gonna do it? Who else was gonna hold everything up after you left me all alone? (breaks down, crying) You died and left me all alone!
Gunn: (goes to hold her) Shh... It's OK, baby.
(Building Lobby)
(Gwen walks in, carrying a bag. She's wearing black leather hip-huggers, a red leather tank top showing her midriff, and long black satin gloves. She's walking purposefully. She presses the elevator button, and checks out her lipstick in the mirrored doors while she waits. Someone comes up behind her and startles her, because she didn't see anyone in the mirror.)
Angel: Nice color.
(Gwen does a double-take on the mirror and Angel's lack of reflection, and then takes an offensive stance. The elevator arrives, dings, and opens.)
Gwen: OK. After I kick your ass, I'm gonna ask about that. (She swings her bag at Angel's head, he ducks. She kicks him and throws her bag into the elevator.)
Angel: I don't wanna hurt you.
Gwen: That's what they all say. (She kicks Angel, and they begin to fight.) I don't usually enjoy the hand-to-hand this much.
(Angel pins her arm behind her.)
Angel: Maybe you haven't been doing it right.
(She breaks free and starts shocking him when she punches. He's not affected. She pushes his face into the wall, and zaps him repeatedly.)
Gwen: Why are you not toast?
(He turns the tables, and pushes her back against the wall.)
Angel: I'm not even warmed up.
Gwen: Oh, really. (She punches him, knocks him down, and takes off her gloves.) I can fix that. (They continue to trade punches and kicks until finally they're in the elevator, and she's sitting on top of him. She rips open his shirt, and presses both her bare hands to his chest, shocking him with electricity.) Warm enough?
(Zoom into Angel's chest cavity, and a brown-grey still heart is suddenly growing, turning red, and beating. Zoom back out to Angel and Gwen. When Angel felt his heart beat, he sits up with a start and kisses Gwen passionately. Suddenly a set of ten-inch-thick horizontal bars trap them in the elevator. They stop kissing.)
Gwen: You're alive.
Angel: You felt that? My heart...
Gwen: It was beating. It doesn't, does it?
Angel: Cordelia! I gotta get out of here.
Gwen: What the hell is going on?
(Elliot steps up to the elevator, on the other side of the bars.)
Elliot: Well, that should be obvious... to a professional like yourself.
Angel: It's a double-cross.
Gwen: I'm now slow. I know it's— Shut up! (to Elliot) Is he one of yours?
Elliot: No, I thought he was yours, what, with the... tonguing and all.
Gwen: In his dreams.
Angel: (self-consciously) Not even close.
Elliot: It doesn't matter.
Gwen: The job's done. Elliot, you don't have to do this.
Elliot: I have no choice. The job you did for me was a train wreck. The noise, the publicity, that little stunt you pulled in the bar…
Gwen: That was just a joke…
Elliot: Professionals are discreet, young lady. You, on the other hand, are a freak. A dangerous freak. Which is why I had them remodel the elevator you're standing in. More of a retrofit, really. Low-teched the whole thing with six inches of Plexiglas separating you from any available current. (Gwen goes for the bars, but they don't conduct) Tempered Lucite.
Angel: He's gonna seal us in and turn on the gas.
Gwen: (to Elliot) What are you, Lex Luthor?
Elliot: What do you think, I'm gonna stand here and duke it out with electro girl? No, don't worry. Uh, I'm told that the gas is very fast-acting. You'll be dead within... uh, whoops…where does the time go?
(The elevator doors shut, and gas comes in from ceiling vents.)
Angel: OK, there's gotta be something. (feels around) Get down! Now! Get low! (pushes her down)
Gwen: Ow! You jackass! You get low!
Angel: I don't need to. I don't breathe.
Gwen: Gee, must be a real turn-on for the girlfriend.
Angel: Utility panel…right about here, you think?
Gwen: Plastic's too thick, you lunk-head. I can't get through to blow the charge.
Angel: Simple question! It is here or not?
Gwen: Yes! It's there.
(Angel starts punching the same place over and over again, trying to break the Plexiglas.)
(Lobby)
(Elliot's on the phone.)
Elliot: We should be finished here any time now. (pause) Uh-huh. I see. (pause) Uh-huh. (pause) Well we had the tuna casserole last Thursday, Molly.
(Elevator)
(Angel's still trying to break through the Plexiglas. Gwen's coughing and gasping.)
Gwen: If I die…
Angel: You're not gonna die!
Gwen: Nice kiss.
(Angel finally breaks through the Plexiglas, and reaches for Gwen.)
Angel: OK.
(She grabs his hand and sends the charge through him into the utility panel, opening the elevator doors and the bars retract.)
(Lobby)
(Angel carries Gwen out of the elevator and puts her on the floor. Elliot sees them.)
Elliot: (to men) Get rid of him.
(Elliot's men attack Angel, and a brawl ensues. Angel knocks them all out, and notices that Gwen has recovered, and she's walking toward Elliot menacingly.)
Gwen: I expect to get screwed. Professional thief. Hazard of the biz.
Elliot: Just wait a second, please...
Gwen: What I don't appreciate, Elliot, is being called a freak! That's my word. And I get cranky when people like you use it.
Angel: Gwen, think about this...
Gwen: Ever been struck by lightning, Elliot? I've been struck by lightning 14 times. It's not my fault. I just attract it. You know what else attracts lightning? Maggoty little norms like you.
(Gwen puts her hand to Elliot's chest like she intends to shock him, but Angel interrupts.)
Angel: So you're a freak. Boo-hoo. So what?
Gwen: Excuse me?
Angel: I think you've already figured out I'm not the poster-boy for normal. Sometimes, you gotta let go.
(Angel punches Elliot in the face and knocks him over.)
Gwen: Hey! I wanted to do that.
Angel: You were gonna fry him.
Gwen: Was not.
Angel: Don't fib.
Gwen: Fine. Did you at least break his nose? (She reaches for Elliot, with electricity buzzing around her hand. Angel stops her.) You're really gonna use that Axis thing to find her, aren't you? It figures. Anyone that bad at stealing stuff has got to be doing it for love. (looks into Angel's eyes flirtatiously) Bummer. (She walks away.)
(Hyperion – Hallway)
(Fred and Gunn are standing outside a room that Angel's using. There's a bright orange light coming from the room. The light disappears.)
Fred: Do you think he found her?
(Angel comes out of the room, frowning, and doesn't say anything to them. He walks away.)
Gunn: Yeah.
(Lobby – Later)
Fred: But she was beautiful?
Angel: God! There was all this light around her, and the light seemed to be made up of ... pure joy. And warmth.
Gunn: You think higher beings get to take vacations?
Angel: The way I saw it, felt sorta permanent.
Gunn: Too bad. Could've all gone to Vegas.
Fred: Guess we should've known back when she started that glowy thing, the powers were up to something.
Gunn: Yeah, but who thought it would've been this?
Angel: To tell you the truth, it doesn't surprise me. In some small way, maybe it even makes it easier, knowing the good she's doing up there. Even if I can't see her or talk to her, it's like...she's still on my side.
Fred: Doesn't mean you miss her any less.
Angel: No. (sighs) All those months, under the water, I kept thinking to myself I gotta get home... to Cordelia. I get back and I find out that she's gone. I keep thinking, I gotta get Cordy back home. Finally I find her, and I realize she already is home. Where she belongs.
(Higher Dimension)
(Zoom up from the hotel, to the Los Angeles landscape, higher and higher, back to satellite height. Zoom in on Cordelia's face, bathed in soft blue-white light.)
Cordelia: What are you? Deficient? Get me out of here!
Season Four Guide