To Shanshu in L.A March 29, 2000 (Green) Written by: David Greenwalt Teaser EXT. THE CITY - NIGHT - STOCK Flashy stuff, then -- EXT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - NIGHT - STOCK INT. ANGEL'S INNER OFFICE - NIGHT THE SCROLL -- tight on the foreign lettering, pulling back, spread on Angel's desk. We hear: WESLEY (O.S) ... Shanshu... Shanshu We find WESLEY bent over the desk, various magnifying glasses, dictionaries, studying the scroll, making notes in a notebook. ANGEL is in a chair, reading an old book. CORDELIA is at her desk, reading the paper. Wesley turns a piece of the scroll upside down. WESLEY (deep in thought) ... or maybe it's...Shushan... CORDELIA Are you still trying to figure out that word? What's taking so long? WESLEY Gee I don't know, Cordelia, the prophecies of Aberjian were only written over the last four thousand years in a dozen different languages -- some of which aren't even human -- why don't we get a Falanjoid demon in here, suck the brain out of my skull, maybe that'll speed tühings up. CORDELIA He sure gets testy when he's translating. WESLEY This word is pivotal to what it prophesies about the vampire with a soul. CORDELIA Well hurry up and figure out what it says about Angel 'cause I want to know what it says about me. Is there torrid romance in my future, massive wealth? If I have to, I'll settle for enviable fame. WESLEY This is an ancient sacred text, not a magic eight ball. Cor turns a page in the newspaper. CORDELIA Nobody gets my humor. ANGEL (deadpan, engrossed in book) I thought it was funny. INT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - LOBBY - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS around, LOW. A dark silhouette moves past; we MOVE UP the figure: it's someone or something in a long (purplish or maroonish) cloak. Maybe slightly SLO MO. INT ANGEL'S INNER OFFICE - NIGHT As before. Cor turns a page in the BUSINESS SECTION, notes a PHOTO OF LINDSEY MCDONALD on page three and the HEADER: WOLFRAM AND HART PROMOTE MCDONALD. CORDELIA Hey guys, remember born again lawyer boy who wanted out ofü Wolfram and Hart so bad? Angel looks up. ANGEL Lindsey -- Cor turns the paper around, we see a PHOTO OF LINDSEY MCDONALD on page three and the HEADER: WOLFRAM AND HART PROMOTE MCDONALD. CORDELIA They just promoted him. Junior partner. Angel and Wes react. WESLEY After all you did for him -- he sells his soul for twelve pieces of silver. CORDELIA Actually he sold it for a six figure salary and full benefits package. WESLEY (to Angel) It's disappointing, he had an opportunity to change. ANGEL He didn't take it. Beat, then Angel goes back to his book, then suddenly looks up, hearing something neither Wes nor Cor can. WESLEY What? ANGEL (nearly to himself) Little late for visitors. INT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - LOBBY - NIGHT We're behind the CLOAKED FIGURE now as it edges closer and closer to Angel's office. Suddenly another FIGURE is moving up fast behind Cloaked Guy. It's Angel. Armed with a sword. ANGEL What do you -- The Cloaked Figure just about jumps out of his skin. CLOAøKED FIGURE Whoah! ANGEL -- want? The Cloaked Figure whirls around, tangled in his cloak, nearly falling over. Angel recognizes: ANGEL (cont'd) Mr. Nabbit? Cor and Wes, also armed, step out of the office. CORDELIA David? DAVID NABBIT grabs his throat, breathing hard. NABBIT Oh my god, heart in throat... ANGEL Sorry; I didn't mean to -- NABBIT That was awesome Can you do it again? WESLEY Are you... do you need help? NABBIT Me? No, just popped by to hang. I blew off my Board of Directors 'cause tonight was my turn to be Dungeon Master... what do you think of the cape? CORDELIA Shiny. NABBIT You guys want to hang? (looks to office) Oh, wow-ow... He heads for the office, they follow. INT. ANGEL'S OUTER OFFICE - NIGHT Nabbit enters; Cor, Wes, Angel follow. Nabbit whistles in awe: NABBIT .. this is where it all happens. They're helpless, in agony, they have no one else to turn to so they come here to you ... (re: coffee pot) .. they drink that coffee... they sit on this coucûh. (sits on couch) Unspeakable fiends of hell are hot on their heels... Wes leans against the file cabinet, Cor leans against the railing and Angel leans against the wall or door -- a still tableaux watching Nabbit. NABBIT (cont'd) What did I do today? Spun off my digital pager network, made a few more million... well alright, several. Big whoop, what does that mean? CORDELIA No more shopping in the Penny Saver? Nabbit smiles at that, then: NABBIT It's just you guys... your lives are so meaningful and exciting. You fight demons! At any moment one of them could walk through that very door. They all look to the door for a beat. NABBIT (cont'd) So exciting... (beat) I'd give anything to... (longer beat) You guys seen any cool demons lately? EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Only we don't know we're outside W and H because all we see are trees and grass. CAMERA CREEPS across the dark ground. We HEAR CHANTING. MONK #1 (O.S) This hallowed ground is made ready... MONK #2 ... his time is at handþ... We find a couple of MONKS in reddish robes tied at the waist with rope. They spread various herbs and powders on the ground in a large circle. And the ground (CAMERA) starts to tremble; there is a LOUD OTHERWORLDLY ROARING. MONK #1 For as it was written... MONK #2 ... he of pure darkness... MONK #1 ...shall come into the light... A BOLT OF LIGHTNING strikes the ground; a RING OF FIRE ignites where it hit -- the fire shoots up ten feet into the sky, when it dissipates, a terrifying BEING is standing there, having arisen from the charred ground. THIS IS VOCAH. He wears a long black robe, boots, black gloves; his bald head is the moldy lumpy green of death. A copper mask covers his eyes and mouth and upper lip -- his eyes (want to see pupils) and teeth are red. When the mask is torn off in the end we will see a horrible cavity (where his nose and upper lip should be) filled with writhing maggots. VOCAH rises to his full height and we HARD CUT TO: REVERSE ANGLE - THREE LAWYERS With briefcaseýs, standing in front of the Wolfram and Hart high rise: HOLLAND, LILAH, and LINDSEY, who have been watching respectfully. VOCAH - Strides like a medieval prince towards them, perhaps slightly SLO MO, his long black robe flowing in the night. His monks follow behind. Holland steps forward. HOLLAND Welcome to Wolfram and Hart. I hope you had a pleasant journey. Vocah moves past the lawyers, they fall obediently into step behind him. As they move down the lawn towards the building, and a couple of maintenance men begin sodding the burned ground, camera settles on the familiar sign: WOLFRAM AND HART. BLACK OUT END OF TEASER Act One INT. ANGEL'S OUTER OFFICE - NIGHT Exactly as we left them: Nabbit on couch, Wes, Cor, Angel leaning against their respective surfaces: a still tableaux. Long beat. Nabbit is bobbing his head up and down. NABBIT You guys... it's so... demon fighting...never know what's going to happen around here... (big beat) ...okay, good to see ya'... (gets up to go) ANGEL/COR/WES Youü too, it was fun, drop by again. NABBIT We'll hang soon. And he's out the door. The three of them stand there for a moment, then: WESLEY (concerned) I think I know what it means. CORDELIA That he's a very wealthy man with just no life at all? WESLEY (heading for inner office) No, the word in the scroll... We follow them: INT. ANGEL'S INNER OFFICE - NIGHT CORDELIA That shoe-shine thing? WESLEY Shanshu... Wesley flips open a dictionary, glancing at the Scroll, absorbed in his search; Angel returns to his chair and book. WESLEY (cont'd) ... if it isn't Phrygian but descends instead from the ancient Magyars then the root would be Proto-Ugaric... (paging through dictionary) ..in which case it would mean... (hesitates) CORDELIA ... we're waiting... WESLEY Death. CORDELIA But you said it was all about the vampire with a soul... They both look at Angel who looks up from his book. CORDELIA (cont'd) Angel's going to die? ANGEL Oh. Anything else? He goes back to his book. CORDELIáA He certainly took that well. Is this that opportune time to talk about my raise? WESLEY It's probably years off, after the coming battles -- CORDELIA My raise? WESLEY (shoots her a look) -- apocalyptic prophecies aren't exactly a science... and I could be way off the mark, so no reason to be concerned. ANGEL (without looking up) Hmmm. WESLEY So it's good you're not concerned...not even remotely concerned... Angel looks up calmly -- then suddenly becomes very concerned and leaping out of his chair. Wesley backs up, startled, but Angel rockets past Wes to catch Cordelia who is falling, her hand pressed to her forehead in agony. CORDELIA GYAHHHH! CAM RUSHES IN ON HER INSERT - COR'S VISION A HOMELESS WOMAN (plastic bags on head) cowers in horror. Some horrible thing (we see mostly its large shadow, maybe a piece of a slimy back) hovers over her. BACK TO SCENE Cor is breathing hard, gripping her head. Wes reads her every word like a game of Charades. CORDELIíA (cont'd) Pain... WESLEY Yes -- CORDELIA ...killer... WESLEY Right, it's a painful killer demon. CORDELIA Pain killer --! WESLEY Oh. Wes gets aspirin, glass of water, as: CORDELIA ...a woman, judging by the plastic bag on her head I'm guessing homeless ... versus a slime demon... ANGEL Where? Cor closes her eyes for a sec. CORDELIA I smelled something awful -- that would be the slim demon -- yuhg, who lives behind the waste treatment plant in El Segundo. ANGEL Got it. Angel bolts for the door. WESLEY Do you need...? ANGEL No, stay here, take care of her. Angel's gone. Wes hands her pain pills, water. WESLEY Here... CORDELIA Enough with the scratch-n-sniff visions. I ever meet those Powers That Be I'm gonna punch 'em in the nose. (downs the pills) You think they have a nose? EXT. STREET - NIGHT High shot -- from one direction a COP CAR pulls up, from another a Detective's car. TWO UNIS get out of the cop car, head towards the mouth of a dark alley. ñUNI #1 Told you she'd show. She listens for the nut calls on the scanner. Uni #2 looks to detective car -- KATE (wound tight these days, the strain of her father's death and demonic activity taking its toll -- her hair a little unkempt, her clothes a little more rumpled), exits car, heads for them. UNI #2 Sure she doesn't just pick up the radiowaves on her brainchip? They share a grin, then immediately get serious as Kate moves up. UNI #1 Detective. According to the report, neighbors said there was a lot of quote "otherworldly" howling and wailing. UNI #2 One of them claims "something slimy" dragged a homeless woman away. KATE I heard the call. Stay here. ANGLE - CLOSE ON KATE WALKING TO THE ALLEY We see the two cops behind her. UNI #1 Don't you want some back-up, Detective? UNI #2 (under his breath) Or a ouija board? Uni 1 elbows Uni 2. Kate's expression hardens even more from their bullshit. ANGLE - THE ALLEY Kate takes a few steps in, stops. Something is moving towñards her out of the shadows. Her hand goes to her gun -- then eases up as she sees: ANGEL WALKING THE HOMELESS WOMAN Out of the alley. Angel shows the signs of a recent fight, cuts, bruises, slime. HOMELESS WOMAN You see what they do? You turn your back and they come for you. ANGEL You're safe now. HOMELESS WOMAN Yeah, you killed him, sliced him up good. Homeless Woman notes Kate as they move up. HOMELESS WOMAN (cont'd) (to Kate) He saved me from one of their spies. And by the way, I don't appreciate the dental association watching me like that. Homeless Woman moves off. Angel acknowledges Kate. ANGEL Hi. KATE What was it? ANGEL It's okay, it won't hurt anyone else. KATE What was it? ANGEL Slime demon. KATE Gee, this town has everything doesn't it: demons, fiends, vampires... ANGEL Look, I know this hasn't been easy for you... it's okay, most people can't handle what's really out here, Kate, maybe you should think about -- Kate starts laughing. He stops speakingï. KATE Sorry, it's just someone who isn't even a person, lecturing me about "most people". It's kind of funny. Beat. Angel lets it slide. KATE (cont'd) I can handle it fine. And I don't care about most people or what they think of me. What I do care about is ridding this city of your kind. ANGEL My kind. KATE Your kind. The kind that killed my father. Did you think I was just going to forget about that? Angel, realizing she's gone around a dark bend, doesn't say anything. They HEAR some LAUGHTER in b.g. Angel glances at: THEIR POV - THE UNI'S LAUGHING As Homeless Woman moves past them. HOMELESS WOMAN Yeah, ha ha, wait 'til they want your teeth! BACK TO SCENE KATE I don't forget anything. She turns and walks back towards her car. Off Angel, EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT - STOCK INT. WOLFRAM AND HART - LINDSEY'S OFFICE - NIGHT CLOSE ON VOCAH - Angry. His monks stand behind him, heads bowed. VOCAH You lost the prophecy of Aberjian? Holland, Lindsey, Lilah all face ñhim. HOLLAND The scroll was stolen from our vault. VOCAH The Raising can not be performed without the sacred scroll. LILAH We understand that. Lindsey steps forward. LINDSEY It was my mistake. I'll rectify it. VOCAH You will do nothing! I will retrieve the scroll myself. (then) Who stole it? HOLLAND (knowing full well what this means) Angel... VOCAH Angel? I am summoned here for the Raising - the very thing that was to bring this creature down to us, tear him from The Powers That Be -- and he has the scroll?! LILAH We're not unaware of the irony -- VOCAH He is in possession of the prophecies, his connection to The Powers is complete. Or will be. LILAH He hasn't had time to make a full study of the text -- VOCAH No. And he won't. All avenues to The Powers shall be cut off from him. And the scroll returned to us. LINDSEY What can we do to help? VOCAH You can leave it to me. Beat. HOLLAND End of discussion. FLASHY CUTS TO: INT. ANGEL'S INNER OFFICE - NEXT DAY ó CLOSE ON THE SCROLL - Wesley still working on it, paging through various translating dictionaries. WESLEY Death...every source says it means death. Cordelia's visible through the slatted windows, filing stuff. CORDELIA Well, it's just a prophecy. It's not like it came from on high. WESLEY That's what a prophecy is, Cordelia. CORDELIA All right, yeah, but Angel faces death all the time. Just like a normal guy faces . . waffles or French fries, it's an everyday thing to him, like...lunch. Are you hungry? WESLEY The fact that his death is prophesied -- which isn't good news -- doesn't concern me nearly as much as the way he took that news. Cordelia's found a donut, munching on it as: CORDELIA What, he didn't scream like a girl as some of us would've? Angel's cool. WESLEY Angel's cut off -- death doesn't bother him because there's nothing in life he wants. It's our wants and desires that make us human. CORDELIA (munches donut) Angel's kinda human, he's got a soul. WESLEY Hõe's got a soul but he's not part of this world, he can never be part of this world. CORDELIA Because he doesn't want stuff? That's ridiculous. Wes takes the donut from her. CORDELIA (cont'd) Hey, I want that! WESLEY (waving donut) What connects us to life? CORDELIA Right now I'm going with donuts. WESLEY What connects us to life is the simple truth that we are a part of it. We live, we grow, we change. But Angel... CORDELIA (realizing) ...can't do any of those things. WESLEY No. (bites donut) CORDELIA Hey! (then:) What are you saying, Wesley, that Angel has nothing to look forward to? Wesley nods. She grows more upset. CORDELIA (cont'd) That he's just going to go on forever, the same, in the world but always cut off from it? WESLEY Yes. CORDELIA Well, that sucks! We have to do something, we have to help him. WESLEY I'm not sure we can. CORDELIA What is your deal?! You go around depressing everyone with your musty scroll and then you say there's nothing we can do? WESÀLEY He is what he is. CORDELIA He's Angel, he's good and he helps the helpless and...now he's one of them. Well he's gonna have to start wanting things from life whether he wants to or not! Angel appears from the stairwell. ANGEL Morning. Cor puts on the big smile, covering her big concern. CORDELIA Morning! Want some coffee? ANGEL No thanks. CORDELIA How bout a donut? (grabs box, coaxing with:) Choc-o-late... ANGEL No. CORDELIA Creamy fillings. ANGEL No, I don't want anything. Cordelia shoots Wesley a big, significant LOOK. Angel follows the look. ANGEL (cont'd) Am I supposed to know what this is about? WESLEY We were just discussing...how you don't you know, want that many things... CORDELIA You're cut off from life but don't worry, I'm gonna help you with that! ANGEL (so deadpan) Oh good. CORDELIA We'll start small, keep it simple. How would you like a puppy...? Angel just looks at her. CORDELIA (cont'd) RiÚght. A ficus, they're low maintenance...ant farm? WESLEY I have to go. ANGEL Where are you going? WESLEY Rare book shops, I need more references to translate the prophecy... (re: scroll) ...it's probably not a good idea to take this with me... ANGEL No. I'll lock it up in the weapons cabinet. Wesley slips on a jacket. WESLEY Angel, I hope I'm wrong about all this, but it might be a good time to consult the Oracles. ANGEL I don't need to see the Oracles about this. WESLEY Well, think about it. And Wesley goes. She turns to Angel, encouraging him to go: CORDELIA Oracles -- get out of the house, could be fun. INT. ORACLE CHAMBER - DAY The BROTHER and SISTER ORACLES stand facing someone we don't yet see. And they aren't happy. SISTER How dare you enter this sacred space? BROTHER Who do you think you are? SISTER We do not appreciate being summoned by a lower being... BROTHER ...who knows no better than to come here on a whim. REVERSE - It'sã VOCAH. VOCAH I am not here on a whim. SISTER We don't counsel your kind. The powers of darkness aren't allowed to cross this threshold, how did you get in? VOCAH The old order passes away, the new order is come... He that was first shall now be last, he that was dead shall now arise... SISTER Yes. And he that is trespassing shall now depart. BROTHER We shall speak no more. ANGLE - BEHIND VOCAH'S BACK - HIS HAND As he opens it, a handle appears. He closes his hand around the handle and his long killing scythe magically grows out of the handle. VOCAH Yes, I know. BLACK OUT END OF ACT ONE Act Two EXT. VENICE BOARDWALK - DAY A cool little street band plays. We TRACK past them, taking in the whole ocean-front scene -- skateboarders, couples, freakers, etc., finding Cordy moving among the throng towards a line of vendor carts selling all kinds of stuff. At the first cart Cor sees a bunch of little wind-up animals on display. She picks up a yapping dog, puts it backÃ, walks on to the next cart which is full of very bright, very loud Hawaiian-type shirts. She fingers a couple and moves on to... ANOTHER CART full of art supplies, brushes, pastels, clay, etc. Sign on the cart: ART ATTACK! Cor stops, intrigued. The WOMAN VENDOR moves up. VENDOR Do you paint? CORDELIA No, I'm looking for something for a friend. I thought maybe if he had a hobby... he's a little detached from things. VENDOR Well, art is the best therapy for that. CORDELIA Really? VENDOR Sure. They use it in mental institutions all the time, you get the patients drawing, working in clay, helps them get back in touch. CORDELIA He's not crazy or anything. He's just... different. VENDOR Depressed? CORDELIA Well... he wears a lot of black. VENDOR Mmmmm. CORDELIA How much are those pastels? CAMERA PUSHES OFF THEM BACK TOWARDS THE BOARDWALK VENDOR (O.S) They're on special: You get the large set, drawing paper, and a little pop up eÞasel all for thirty- four dollars... CAMERA LOCKS OFF THE BOARDWALK - SPECIAL FX SHOT Where we see the THRONGS (in the T.V. budget sense of the word "throngs") of people coming and going. And then we see VOCAH, long black cape flowing, moving amongst the people -- HE'S IN SLOW MOTION, THEY'RE NOT. CLOSER - VOCAH With his black cape and terrible red eyes, striding through like royalty on some terrible mission. No one sees him, no one knows he is there. ANGLE - FROM ABOVE The black cape strides purposefully through the crowd. BACK AT THE VENDOR'S Cor has purchased two large bags of art supplies. The vendor, handing Cor her change, is very pleased. VENDOR You've got everything he'll need and then some. You made my day, thanks. CORDELIA You're welcome. VENDOR He must be a good friend. Cor nods, picks up bags by their handles, moves off. TRACKING WITH CORDELIA Pleased with her purchase when we see VOCAH moving through the people behind her -- heading for her. ëVOCAH - CLOSE His eyes locked on Cordelia. INSERT - Vocah's gloved hand, as he removes the glove -- (his hand is greenish, mottled, like the dead looking skin on his forehead). CORDELIA - Oblivious as Vocah moves up right behind her. She is unaware of his presence. He reaches out with his hand. INSERT - His hand touches the back of one of her hands -- C.G.I we see a small SHOCK OF ENERGY enter her skin from his fingers. Perhaps something black and crawly momentarily appears -- in the pattern of the mark we'll see later. BACK TO SCENE Vocah is right next to her -- she doesn't know it -- but she felt his touch. She slows, looks around (and right through him) for the person who touched her. He moves on. Cordelia looks around, shrugs it off, moves on is and SUDDENLY BLINDED by a SEARING VISION. CAMERA RUSHES AT HER - SHE DROPS THE TWO BAGS, STAGGERING. PEDESTRIANS give her a wide berth. INSERT - COR'S VISION Someone in peril. BACK TO SCENE Cor comes out of it, looks around, embarraôssed to be seen in public like this. She takes a minute to get her bearings, then digs her cell phone out, starts to punch in a number when SHE IS HIT WITH ANOTHER VISION. This one is a doozy, she drops the phone, SCREAMS! Pedestrians avoid her like the plague. INSERT - THE VISIONS A slew of them coming fast and furious -- more than we've seen before and almost all of them featuring PEOPLE IN PAIN, TERROR, AND AGONY. We see: A terrified woman; a child screaming; a man in c.u running for his life, looking back over his shoulder; someone is hurled through a window; the ring of fire Vocah rose out of; two other children looking up in sorrow, arms outstretched; maggots in a corpse; another man crying; a demon calmly watching; another man holds a dead child in his arms; a woman with no expression in her eyes whatsoever -- widen to reveal her heart literally bleeding, etc. CORDELIA ON THE STREET Screaming and screaming and thrashing --- INTERCUT: THE TERRIBLE IMAGES flooding through her. The peoøple around her don't know what to do, some stare, most avoid her. Cor falls into a smaller cart, knocking a lot of stuff over. She hits the ground, never stops screaming. The Vendor lady comes running to her. Kneels down, takes her hand. VENDOR Somebody call nine one one! ANGLE - LOOKING STRAIGHT DOWN ON CORDELIA Lying in the street, screaming, completely out of her mind. PULLING UP HIGH AND WIDE. On the periphery of the chaotic scene, A GLIMPSE OF THE BLACK CAPE: Vocah moving out of frame. EXT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - NIGHT - STOCK INT. ANGEL'S APT. - STUDY - NIGHT Angel is at his weapons cabinet, the scroll and its container in front of him. He stares at the scroll for a long beat, then starts rolling it up. INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS around, finds the black boots and cape of Vocah moving through the space. ANGLE - VOCAH strides from outer office to inner office. INT. ANGEL'S APT - NIGHT Angel finishes rolling up the scroll, starts sliding it into the container. WIDE SHOT -÷ ANGEL - Someone is watching him. VOCAH - behind Angel, deep in the apartment near the bedroom, watching what Angel is doing. ANGEL - unaware, finishes putting the Scroll in its container, sets it in the weapons cabinet, locks the cabinet. VOCAH - watches. Angel walks away from the cabinet, then, sensing something, turns. HIS POV - He's looking right where Vocah was just standing, but he's not there now. ANGEL - his senses on alert, moves back to the weapons cabinet, is about to unlock it when the phone rings. He answers: ANGEL Hello? VOICE ON PHONE Hello, this is Saint Matthew's Hospital. Do you know a Cordelia Chase? ANGEL Yes. What's happened to her? VOICE ON PHONE Are you a relative? ANGEL I'm her employer. VOICE ON PHONE We need to speak to a relative. ANGEL She has no family in town. What happened? VOICE ON PHONE There's been an emergency... CAMERA DRIFTS OFF ANGEL, finds Vocah watching from the shadows. VOICE ON PHONE (O.S) Can you come to the hospital? ANGEL (O.S) òI'm on my way. We HEAR Angel hang up. PAN OFF VOCAH to Angel's back as he runs out his side door, heading for his underground parking. VOCAH - moves to the weapons cabinet. It takes little effort for him to pull the door open, breaking the lock. Vocah reaches in, takes the scroll container, deposits it inside his black cape. CAMERA PUSHES IN as Vocah removes something else from his cape, something we don't see but it seems heavy. Vocah places this thing in the weapons cabinet then closes the cabinet. EXT. HOSPITAL - STOCK - NIGHT INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT Angel moves fast down a hall, rounding a corner, past a sign with an arrow that reads NEURO-PSYCHIATRIC CENTER. Angel strides up to a desk where a NURSE is on duty. ANGEL I'm looking for Cordelia Chase. The Nurse looks at him, concerned. NURSE She's, uh... the Doctor is with her, if you'll just have a seat over there -- Angel HEARS Cordelia SCREAMING O.S. He bolts past the NURSE'S STATION. NURSE (cont'd) Wait! You have to let tÏhe doctor handle this -- We TRACK WITH HIM TO: INT. COR'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Cor lies in a bed, restraints hold her down, I.V drips in her arm, TWO OTHER NURSES and a DOCTOR trying to attend to her. She thrashes about, tears stream down her cheeks, still in the throes of her visions, occasionally SCREAMING. DOCTOR Try another five mils of Ativan... ONE of the nurses plunges a syringe into the I.V drip. ANGEL What happened? Doctor turns, sees Angel. DOCTOR Are you family? ANGEL Yes. Angel moves past Doctor, to Cor's side. DOCTOR They brought her in a few hours ago, I'm not sure what happened -- does she have any history of mental illness? ANGEL No. DOCTOR Does she use drugs? ANGEL No. DOCTOR Well, she's having a psychotic episode. We've done a CAT scan, there's no organic damage we can see -- but we can't seem to sedate her. Angel looks down at Cordelia. ANGEL Cordelia, can you hear me? CLOSE - CORDELIA - Oblivious to Angel çand her surroundings. She writhes in pain. INSERT - HER VISIONS A man on his knees, desperately praying; a woman sobs; an open grave; a child sits alone staring into the dark; a homeless man hollers madly on a street (we don't hear him); etc. BACK TO SCENE ANGEL (cont'd) Cordelia! DOCTOR We're trying a number of different drug therapies. Do you know if she has any allergies? ANGEL I don't think so, and drugs won't help her. DOCTOR Something better. I need to inform you, if we don't find a way to stop it... Off Angel -- INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT CAMERA CREEPS through office the way it did when Vocah arrived. We MOVE towards the door, glimpsing a shadow in the lobby. Someone opens the door. It's Wesley, a couple of old books under his arm. Wesley enters, moves through. We PUSH with him from behind. INT. ANGEL'S APT - NIGHT WIDE SHOT - Could be POV-ish -- Wesley moves downstairs. Is Vocah still here? CLOSER - Wesley heads for the weapons cabinet, pulling out a key. æHe starts to unlock the cabinet, stops. WES'S POV - The cabinet door, closed, but the lock clearly broken. Wesley sets down his books, looks around. HIS POV - Lot of dark, shadowy corners in here -- no Vocah. WESLEY turns back to the cabinet. Carefully opens the door. Looks in. We don't see what he sees (the heavy thing Vocah left) and it takes a moment for it to register with Wesley -- then he looks VERY concerned and steps back FAST out of frame. EXT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - NIGHT Angel's car pulls up and parks across the street from his building. Angel, worried about Cordelia, gets out, starts across the street towards his building. Not really looking at it until -- A HUGE EXPLOSION Blows the living shit out of it. The front door, all the front street level windows and great hunks of the brick walls blow out in a giant fireball. ANGEL Barely has time to react before he is blown off his feet. BLACK OUT END OF ACT TWO Act Three INT. ANGEL'S APT - NIGHT Or what's left of ìit: we HEAR approaching sirens, as we TRACK through the ruins -- several pillars have been blown out, a big hunk of the ceiling hangs down, everything is burned and broken and there's a lot of smoke and some post-bomb flames. We HEAR: ANGEL (O.S) Wesley! Angel comes bounding down the stairs, fighting his way through smoke and flame, searching for Wesley. ANGEL Wesley! WES! Angel looks around, doesn't see him. As he moves deeper into the room, a hunk of ceiling or a pillar cracks loose -- he jumps out of the way, it just misses him. He looks around, frantic, then sees: HIS POV - THE SLIDING DOOR To the hall, two feet ajar. ANGEL - plows through the rubble towards the door and into: THE HALL Where it's still smoky and there's flames but the damage is less. Angel sees WESLEY'S body on the stairs -- this is how far Wesley made it before the place blew. Angel runs to Wesley, whose clothes are burned and torn, turns him over. Wes's face is burned (a little) and bruised and cut -å- he's unconscious. Angel puts his ear to Wesley's mouth, listening for breath -- we can't tell if there is any. Then a horrible CRACKING noise O.S., Angel glances back towards his apartment where we hear the ceiling falling in. Angel gathers Wesley in his arms and carries him up the stairs as burned out stuff falls in the f.g. EXT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - NIGHT - LATER CLOSE - WESLEY On a stretcher, still out, as he's loaded into an ambulance. The paramedics close the back doors, revealing Angel watching this, the weight of losing both Cor and Wes in one day weighing heavily upon him. WIDER - A FIRE HOSE sprays water, putting out the fires in one of the blown out holes. Fire trucks, paramedics, ambulance, cop cars, street cordoned off. The fires are mostly out now, firemen come and go from the front entrance. The ambulance roars away. Angel stares after it then turns to leave and finds Kate standing in front of him. KATE Never a dull moment when you're around, is there? ANGELÜ I have to go. He starts to leave, she stops him. KATE Who the hell do you think you are? You're a major witness at a major crime scene -- you're not going anywhere. He looks at her, hard. ANGEL You want to try and stop me, Kate? KATE (beat) I'm glad we're not playing friends anymore. Cause I'm not your friend. And I am real sick and tired of your attitude. Let me explain something Angel, there's a little thing called the law, and I don't care what kind of midnight creature you are, you're not above it. ANGEL This isn't about the law, this is about a little thing called life. Now I'm sorry about your father, and I'm sorry about all the other ghosts in your head -- but I didn't kill your father and I didn't put those ghosts there and I'm sick and tired of you blaming me for everything you can't handle. You want to be enemies? Try me. She glares at him -- he blows past her, pushing her out of the way. Angel gets in his car, roars away. Off Kate, looking afãter him with pure hatred -- INT. HOSPITAL - I.C.U - NIGHT Wesley is in bed, hooked up to every machine in the place. He doesn't look good. DRIFT BACK to find Angel watching his friend. Angel stares long and hard at Wesley, then turns to go. STEADI WITH ANGEL through I.C.U, down a hall to some stairs. He enters the stairwell. INT. HOSPITAL - STAIRWELL - NIGHT CLOSE on Angel as he heads down the dark stairs. He's in a lot of pain over Cor and Wes, on the verge of falling apart. STEADI ANGEL out of the stairwell and into: INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT The neuro-psychiatric wing. The same NURSE that Angel spoke to before is there. She looks up at him, thinks better of saying anything as he moves past and into: INT. COR'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Cor is no longer screaming, she's still hooked up to the I.V.'s, etc. She stares off into space, she is long gone -- she doesn't know or register Angel, but the tears still roll down her cheeks -- wherever her mind has gone, it's a very sad plañce. He walks up to her bedside; looks down at her for a long beat. He bends down, picks up her hand. ANGEL Cordelia... I'm going to fix this, I promise, I'm going to get you back... Angel struggles with his emotions. ANGEL (cont'd) I need you back... He stands there, holding her hand, then he gently puts it back down on the sheets -- which is when he notices: INSERT - COR'S HAND The hand that Vocah touched -- on the back of it, a small dark mark, a symbol. ANGEL - stares at the symbol, an idea dawning. EXT. STREETS - NIGHT - STOCK Angel's car ROARS across town. INT. ORACLE ANTE-CHAMBER - NIGHT CLOSE on the same symbol now drawn on a piece of paper. Angel holds the paper in his hand, he's got some herbs smoking in the bowl, reciting the ritual to call forth the Oracles. ANGEL I beseech access to the knowing ones... Angel drops some more herbs in the bowl, there's a GREAT FLASH OF LIGHT and we are suddenly: INT. ORACLE CHAMBER - NIGHT Angel walks through the door, takes a m÷oment to get his bearings, then sees something awful: HIS POV - THE BROTHER AND SISTER ORACLES Dead on the floor. Hacked up, bloody, Vocah's magic scythe sticking out of the Sister's back. Angel moves to this gruesome sight, leans over them. He stands there, at a dead end, realizing he's been cut off at every turn. The GHOST of the Sister Oracle leans in next to him, looking down at her own dead body. SISTER It's unfortunate... He reacts, as: SISTER (cont'd) Things are unraveling, the dark ones broach our temples now... ANGEL Can you help me? SISTER I can't stay long, I've been dead a while... She fritzes or fades in and out a little. SISTER (cont'd) ...so far I don't like it... He shows her the drawing. ANGEL My friend who gets the visions -- SISTER -- is in trouble. It's his mark, the one who did this. ANGEL Who? Who did this? SISTER Vocah, Warrior of the Underworld. An agent of the coming darkness. She indicates her and her brother's bodies. SISTER (cont'd) He wants èyou weak, cut off from every source of help... she is a channel, so he opened her mind to all the ones who cry out in pain and need... She fades a little. SISER (cont'd) ...she doesn't have long either... ANGEL How can I stop it? SISTER The sacred scroll of Aberjian is now in Vocah's possession. The scroll is what you need. She fades out. ANGEL Wait -- SISTER Find the scroll -- She comes back again. SISTER (cont'd) The words of Anatole -- only they can remove the mark and save your friend. ANGEL Tell me where to find him and I'll repay him for what he did here. SISTER He is here for the Raising... ANGEL The Raising... SISTER Like so many of them, he hides behind man's laws -- and the ones who manipulate it. But this time she fritzes out -- SISTER (cont'd) Stop him. -- and she's gone. Angel takes a moment, then bends down and PULLS THE SCYTHE out of the dead Sister's back. ANGEL I will. PUSH IN on Angel as he leaves -- oh so ready for blood. 36 THîRU 41 OMITTED EXT. RESTAURANT LOADING DOCK - NIGHT Gunn's war wagon is parked out back. Gunn and three of his guys are getting food from a couple of BUSBOY/CHEF types in the back of the restaurant. GUNN You're doing God's work here. If God was a busboy, he'd look just like you, Jesus. They turn at the sound of an approaching car. HIGH SHOT - ANGEL'S CAR Roars into the area, going really fast. GUNN AND GUYS Grab weapons as -- ANGEL'S CAR Roars to a stop. Angel gets out of his car. GUNN (cont'd) (to his guys, re: weapons) Put 'em down. I know this fool. (to Angel, re: his car) That was entertaining, what do you got under that hood? ANGEL I need your help. GUNN I figured you didn't roar in here to ask after my health -- it's good by the way, you gettin' enough iron? You look a little pale... okay, it's traditional in the human world to humor people who've done favors for you in the past. ANGEL You're about to do another one. FUNN If it's tossing a vampire in with them lañwyers, I'm in. 'Cause that was my idea of a good time. ANGEL My people are in the hospital, Saint Matthews. One's in I.C.U., one's in the neuro-pyschiatric unit. They need protection while I hunt down the guy who put 'em there. Beat. Gunn shifts gears. GUNN He gonna come for 'em himself or send someone? ANGEL However he comes, he's not going to get them. These people mean a lot to me. GUNN I'm gettin' that. EXT. CEMETERY - NIGHT CAMERA CRANES through the night sky to several palm trees, THEN DOWN through the trees to the incongruous sight of a large cemetery surrounded by palm trees. CLOSER - In the middle of the cemetery is a large mausoleum. PUSHING IN on the mausoleum, we HEAR CHANTING. MONK #1 We have prepared a holy place in the darkness... MONK #2 And we have anointed it with oil... INT. MAUSOLEUM - NIGHT CLOSE - A FIERCE VAMPIRE, although I can't stress this enough, he's not HISSING! Let's have no more hissing vampires, who's with me? ANGELES - TIGHT - Two other véampires, one male, one female, also fierce and angry. WIDER - In fact there are five vampires in the mausoleum, all with their hands chained behind their backs and their feet and hands tethered to the floor. In front of each one, the floor is marked (similar to Vocah's mark on Cordelia but not the same) in large swaths of red blood. They form a wide circle, in the middle of which is a strange box, about five foot by five foot, thin barred windows cut into the sides, various metal and wood markings on it. On the edges of the circle, two fire urns, burning. Also, a couple of standing crosses. MONK #1 We have taken of the blood of the living... MONK #2 And we have gathered together the living dead... The monks, shaking smoking censers, come from either side of the box, moving through the circle towards VOCAH who stands at the far end of the room. One of them hands Vocah the scroll. They stand on either side and a little behind him, heads bowed. He removes his hood for the first Átime. VOCAH As it was written, they shall prepare the way and the very Gates of Hell shall open... The whole room starts shaking, the vampires strain at their tethers like wild beasts. CAMERA PUSHES IN ON VOCAH VOCAH (cont'd) ...that which is above shall tremble; for that which was below shall arise. As the room shakes and the vampires quake -- and we PUSH IN on that box built to hold some kind of terrible beast... VOCAH (cont'd) And the world shall know the beast; and the beast shall know the world... BLACK OUT END OF ACT THREE Act Four EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - STOCK - NIGHT Establishing the front of the building and sign. EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - NIGHT Another part of the building; we find Holland, Lilah and Lindsey heading towards a limo. A couple of other lawyers could be getting in a second limo. There is also a Ryder-sized small moving van (to transport the box at the Raising), TWO MOVER-TYPES in dark blue khaki next to it. ßLILAH (checking her watch) Aren't we going to be late? HOLLAND You never want to be on time for a Raising -- the chanting, blood rituals, they go on forever. LINDSEY (to the movers as they move past) You can follow us. The movers get in their truck. As Holland, Lindsey and Lilah arrive at their limo, the driver holding the door for them: HOLLAND (to Lindsey) I know you've covered all the bases here. LINDSEY Yes, sir. HOLLAND The Senior Partners are keeping a close watch on this, we don't want to let them down... LINDSEY We won't. Holland gets in the limo, leaving Lindsey and Lilah outside. She leans in. LILAH (chipper) Remember when Robert Price let the Senior Partners down and they made him eat his liver? I don't know what made me think of that. She enjoys the moment, then climbs in after Holland. As Lindsey gets in -- EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - ACROSS THE STREET - NIGHT CLOSE - The SCYTHE Vocah used to kill the Oracles. Still a little (dried) blood on íit. A hand absently toys with the handle. WIDER - Angel, in his car, watching the action across the street, his hand on the scythe next to him. ANGLE - the limos and the moving truck take off. ANGEL - in his car, well hidden, watching. After a moment, he starts the car, takes off after them. INT. MAUSOLEUM - NIGHT HIGH SHOT - The vamps tethered in their circle, the box in the middle. Vocah moves around the circle, scroll in hand, stopping before each vampire. VOCAH Five are without breath... MONKS 1 & 2 ...yet they live. CLOSER - As he moves to Vamp #2 VOCAH Five are without time... MONKS 1 & 2 ...yet they live. ANGLE - DOOR As the lawyers enter, Lilah, Lindsey and Holland, followed by the three extra lawyers. Vocah moves to Vamp 3. VOCAH Five are without soul... MONKS 1 & 2 ...yet they live. HOLLAND (checks his watch) They haven't even gotten to the Latin yet. Vocah moves to Vamp #4 VOCAH Five are without sun... MONKS 1 & 2 ...yet they live. Vocah moves toô Vamp #5. And suddenly stops speaking, lowers the scroll, turns in a slow circle, sensing something. HIS MONKS - Look up, concerned. THE LAWYERS - Also concerned. LILAH What is it? HOLLAND I don't know. Lindsey looks around, a little nervous. Everything is suddenly quiet, still. Vocah stops turning, having sensed something -- he heads for a window. Before he gets there it is shattered by Angel, blowing through, scythe in hand, heading for Vocah like, well, the Angel of Death. Angel swings the scythe -- Vocah, having sensed him, rolls under it, dropping the Scroll. HOLLAND (cont'd) (what the fuck) Lindsey...? Angel charges Vocah, swinging the scythe. Vocah coolly dodges and ducks with each swing, moving back. ANGEL - VOCAH'S HAND BEHIND HIS BACK (C.G.I) As he "creates" another scythe. Angel is very close as he swings again -- and Vocah comes up with his own scythe, blocking Angel's. They each put their considerable strength into pressing against the other, locked close as: VOCAHæ I am Vocah, bringer of Calamity, you can not defeat me! ANGEL Watch this. Angel smashes him in the face. They fight. We will isolate this fight from the Raising, intercutting them both as simultaneous action. LINDSEY - runs to the Scroll, picks it up. He takes Vocah's place in front of Vamp 5. LINDSEY Five are dead -- (yells at Monks) SAY IT! The monks are freaked, but they say: MONKS 1 & 2 ...yet they live. Lindsey searches the Scroll, finds what he's looking for. LINDSEY (in Latin) Et illi quinque sacrificum est... et ille qui est mortuus vivet... (And the five shall be a sacrifice...and the one who is dead shall live...) HOLLAND - turns to Lilah. HOLLAND Get the movers in here. LILAH Yes sir. She bolts for the door. ANGEL AND VOCAH Plow into the monks, knocking them down and out, never to be seen again. Angel and Vocah use the scythes like jousting sticks, butting each other with them. The fight is vicious and evenly matched. LILAH - returns with the móovers as -- LINDSEY - continues with the raising. LINDSEY (in Latin) ..dum vita et mors non duas res sed unas sunt...in tenebris lux Serge! Serge! Serge! (...even as life and death are not two things but one... in darkness is the light, in light is the darkness. Arise! Arise! Arise!) Things really start to shake and tremble and the wind starts now as -- the vamps all go to dust, one by one, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM, BAM! We'll see two or three of them in C.U. The last two or three we'll see from a WIDE SHOT and the FOLLOWING EFFECT: (C.G.I) The dust and bones of the five swirls in a whirlwind around the box. VARIOUS ANGLES of Angel and Vocah's fight, the lawyers, Lindsey -- the wind and light effects playing on them. THE SWIRLING DUST AND BONES - Are sucked inside the box through the small barred windows. A demi-beat of quiet then a huge EXPLOSION OF LIGHT from within the box -- should be mostly a practical effect -- but BIG WITH THE LIGHT. LINDSEY - Scroll in hand, the EXPLOSION OF LIGHT knoòcks him off his feet. HOLLAND - turns to the movers. HOLLAND (re: box) Get it out of here. THE MOVERS - RUN TO THE BOX, PUSH IT OUT THE DOOR Holland, Lilah, and the lawyers follow them out. ANGEL AND VOCAH Vocah sinks his scythe right next to Angel's head, possibly trashing some urns in the mausoleum wall. Angel knees him in the groin and starts getting the advantage, pushing him back with blow after vicious blow, kicking the shit out of him. EXT. MAUSOLEUM - NIGHT SECOND UNIT SHOT - We HEAR the first limo peel out (i.e. it's not here) and SEE the second limo and the moving van tear off into the night. INT. MAUSOLEUM - NIGHT LINDSEY - ON THE FLOOR - starts to come around. ANGEL - in close hand to hand with Vocah. Shoving the scythe handle (sideways) into Vocah's mouth. Vocah's hands locked on Angel's trying to push them back. One of Angel's hands is hooked beneath Vocah's mask. Vocah shoves Angel back -- Angel's hand takes the mask with it. CLOSE - VOCAH'S FACE - (this is a puppeót). Where the nose and upper lip should be, there is a cavity. A cavity filled with writhing maggots. ANGEL CHARGES, SINKS THE SCYTHE In Vocah's chest. He falls, dead; his maggot ridden face hit the floor, sending a few maggots flying, they scurry away. MEANWHILE LINDSEY Is on his feet. Scroll in hand. He sees Angel heading for him -- Lindsey grabs one of the standing crosses, uses it to keep Angel at bay. They slowly circle one another. ANGEL Give me the scroll. LINDSEY That's not gonna happen -- it belongs to us. ANGEL "Us". You're putting your faith in Wolfram and Hart. LINDSEY You said I had to make a choice... ANGEL And you did. LINDSEY Yeah. I had a crisis -- I wanna thank you for helping me with that -- but I'm seeing things more clearly now. ANGEL You don't see a thing. You don't know what faith is. LINDSEY I see that what happened here tonight was foretold... (holds up scroll) ...and that it doesn't bode well for you. I see that you're either the one with the power äor you're powerless. ANGEL Uh huh. Do you see what I'm gonna do to you if you don't give me that scroll? LINDSEY You need the words of Anatole to cure your friend, she's your connection to the Powers That Be. But since it's foretold that we sever all your connections...well, Lindsey holds the Scroll over one of the flaming urns, about to drop it. Angel suddenly flings his scythe through the air -- it slices Lindsey's hand clean off! Lindsey grabs his wrist in agony and falls to the ground. Angel leaned down, picks up-- INSERT - THE SCROLL And the briefest glance of the severed hand. BACK TO SCENE ANGEL (to Lindsey) Don't believe everything you're foretold. Angel goes. INT. HOSPITAL - NIGHT CLOSE - THE (slightly) BURNED PART OF THE SCROLL - IN WESLEY'S HAND PULLING BACK - We see Wesley is moving down the hall, in his hospital gown, looking quite worse for the wear, his arm around Angel who helps him walk. Angel also pulls Wesley's I.V. stand along. Wesley studies tïhe scroll. They approach Cordelia's room and are immediately stopped by a YOUNG TOUGH GUY and his FRIEND. At his side, discreetly, he holds a black jack. YOUNG TOUGH GUY Huh uh, nobody gets in here. Gunn shows up behind Angel and Wesley in the hall, another of his guys in tow. GUNN It's all right, they're cool. Young Tough Guy moves aside. Gunn looks at Angel. GUNN (cont'd) And I'm guessin' our work here is done. ANGEL (nods) I owe you. GUNN Hope your friend comes out of it. ANGEL Thanks. Gunn and his guys go. Wesley and Angel enter: INT. COR'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Cor stares at the ceiling, out of it. This is the first time Wesley's seen her. It affects him. WESLEY Oh my god... ANGEL (re: scroll) The words of Anatole. WESLEY Right. I found them... I just hope I can translate them. Wesley holds up the (slightly burned part of the) scroll. Angel takes Cor's hand, the one with the mark on it. Wes takes a breath and: WESLEY (cont'd) (translating) The beast shalt ïattack and cripple thee; and three times shalt thou say these words... ANGLE - HALL OUTSIDE As the Nurse walks past with an Orderly. We TRACK BACK with them, losing sight of Cor, Angel and Wes, but not the open door. Orderly does a double take on what he's seen, turns to Nurse. NURSE (to orderly) I don't get all that holistic stuff... Orderly peels off into a hall or a room. Nurse moves on. SUDDENLY there is a FLASH OF LIGHT exploding out of Cor's room behind her. She reacts, runs to Cor's door in time to see: INT. COR'S HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Cordelia opens her eyes, turns to Angel and Wesley, coming out of it. CORDELIA Angel? Angel looks down at her hand, the mark is gone. ANGEL Welcome back. Play the moment, then: ANGLE - DOORWAY, THE NUSE Nurse I'll get Dr. Evans. She runs off. ANGLE - COR, WES, ANGEL She looks at them for a long moment, still weak, still affected by the visions. CORDELIA I saw them all...there's so much pain... we have to help them. Angel tïenderly strokes her face, happy to have her back. ANGEL We will. Off the three of them -- DISSOLVE TO: EXT. COR'S APARTMENT - STOCK - DAY INT. COR'S APARTMENT - A FEW DAYS LATER WESLEY - a two day stubble on his face, looking somewhat but not totally recovered from his injuries, a couple or three scars on his face, hovers over Cor's dining room table, the scroll and lots of reference books, notebooks, etc., spread out in front of him. Angel paces nearby in the DARK part of the room. WESLEY ...here's something, the beast of Amalfie... Angel joins him, interested. In the b.g., Cor is in the kitchen, making a sandwich. ANGEL What is it? WESLEY ...razor-toothed, six eyed Harbinger of Death... no, wait, that's rising in two thousand three... in Reseda? He grabs a translating dictionary. WESLEY (cont'd) Better cross-reference that... (a little exhausted) Sorry, I don't know what they raised in that box, I'll keep looking. Cor opens the fridge, grabs a cup o' blood and an o.j.í CORDELIA You've been looking for two days, you need to relax and recharge the brain cells a little... Cor carries sandwich, blood and o.j. to the table. Puts sandwich and o.j. in front of Wesley, cup o' blood in front of Angel. CORDELIA (cont'd) Here. Eat. (to Angel, re: blood) You, too, don't be embarrassed, we're family. They look at her. CORDELIA (cont'd) What? WESLEY It's just I'm not used to, uh... (glances at Angel) ANGEL He's not used to the new you. CORDELIA I know what's out there now, we have a lot of evil to fight, a lot of people to help... She opens orange juice, hands it to Wesley. CORDELIA (cont'd) (to Angel) ...I just hope skin and bones here can figure out what those lawyers raised sometime before that prophecy kicks in and you croak. Beat. CORDELIA (cont'd) That was the old me, wasn't it? ANGEL I like them both. Wesley's found something in the dictionary. WESLEY Ooops. They look at him. WESLEY (cont'd) I may have made a tiny mistake... (to Angel) ...that word shanshu, that I said meant you were going to die... actually I think it means you're going to live. CORDELIA Okay, as tiny mistakes go, that's not one! WESLEY Shanshu has roots in so many different languages, and there's no precise word for it in English -- but the most ancient source is the Proto-Bantu, and they consider life and death the same thing. Part of a cycle. (looks up) Only a thing that is not alive never dies. Wesley looks back to the Scroll, getting excited. WESLEY (cont'd) It's saying you get to live until you die... (looks up at Angel) ...it's saying you become human. CORDELIA That's the Prophecy? WESLEY (re: scroll) ...the vampire with a soul, once he fulfills his destiny, will Shanshu...become human. It's his reward. CORDE]LIA Wow... Angel, human. PUSHING IN ON ANGEL, smiling distantly. ANGEL That'd be nice. A beat as they all take this in. She turns to Wes. CORDELIA What's that thing about him having to fulfill his destiny first? WESLEY Well... it means it won't happen tomorrow or the next day... he has to survive the coming darkness, the apocalyptic battles, a few plagues and some...several...not that many fiends that will be unleashed upon the world. ANGEL So don't break out the champagne just yet. Beat. CORDELIA (to Angel) Oh yeah break out the champagne, Pinocchio, this is a big deal. ANGEL I guess it is. CORDELIA Typical. I hook up with the only person in history who ever came to L.A. to get older. Off the three of them -- EXT. WOLFRAM AND HART - DAY - STOCK INT. WOLFRAM AND HART - VAULT - DAY It may be day but it's dark and creepy in\ here. Holland looks at Lindsey whose missing hand is thickly bandaged at the wrist. HOLLAND The Senior Partners were very impressed with your sacrifice... Nothing from Lindsey, he looks pretty grim. HOLLAND (cont'd) ...trust me, we'll even the score with him. LINDSEY Yes, we will. HOLLAND Beginning with what's in that box. They look towards -- THE BOX - sitting in the vault. Lilah approaches one of the barred windows, speaking in a calm, soothing voice to whatever's inside it. LILAH We're all very pleased you're here... I know it's a little confusing now, but you'll feel better soon... a lot better... CAMERA PUSHES in on the bars and for the first time we see what Vocah raised. Huddled in the corner of the box is a wild eyed woman, feral and half mad -- but clearly recognizable as: LILAH (O.S.) ...Darla. BLACK OUT THE END