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EXT. THE ALLEY NORTH OF THE HYPERION - PRE-DAWN Illyria knocks demons and vampires aside like bowling pins without breaking her stride. Two demons attack Illyria, who quickly and efficiently breaks their necks. One by one, the others emerge from the portal - Spike and Angel, then Gunn, and finally, the Shaman, clutching the DRAGON'S STONE. As soon as he steps through, the portal closes up behind them. The Shaman glances back at the wisp of swirling sand where the portal was. Then his hand flies to his chest. His eyes widen and his mouth gapes open as he takes in a ragged breath. He winces with pain. Quickly, he hurries over to Spike's side and grabs THE LIGHTER from Spike's pocket with his free hand. CLOSE-UP - Spike looks down in surprise. What...? Distracted, Spike is punched by a vampire. The Shaman unsuccessfully tries to light the lighter. His chants are weak and punctured with gasps for breath. Finally he flicks on the lighter's flame, but nothing happens. He shakes the lighter, then drops it. He falls to his knees, then to the ground. Gunn stakes a vampire knocked down by Illyria, and Spike stakes two more. Angel beheads the last demon with his sword. The Shaman LIES ON THE STREET, unable to move except for his attempts to force air into his chest. Gunn drops to his side and searches his body for injuries. Gunn speaks to him in Wa!Jani. The Shaman responds very briefly. Angel! The Shaman holds up the dragon's stone and manages to begin the portal-opening spell. The stone briefly GLOWS A FAINT RED as it flickers with power, then it fades to BLACK again. The Shaman utters a few weak words of his incantation; then his arm falls to his side. The rest of the gang surrounds the Shaman. What's wrong? Is he hurt? GUNN He says he can't breathe; he's too weak to move. What's happening to him? (he looks up and around) Is it the air? I could breathe on Fasach just fine. The Shaman opens his mouth to speak. Gunn bends over to listen to the faint words. The Shaman speaks urgently in Wa!Jani, shaking his head. Maybe it's something else, like pollution or radiation. We need to get him some help, maybe take him--somewhere. GUNN (anguished) Where? He's from another world, who's going to be be able to figure out what to do in time? (he frowns) ...And the doctors who could help him don't take orders from us anymore. Illyria, do you know what's happening? ILLYRIA Winifred Burkle has no memories that would be of assistance. Get another wizard to open the portal and return him to his world. ANGEL Yeah, there's got to be some wizards powerful enough to open a portal in LA. GUNN Not anymore. We ran most of them out of the business or out of town. And I doubt Sebassis' followers are eager to do us a favor right now--if we had the time to find them. Angel glances quickly up. The sky is now lighter than when they arrived. We need to get off the street. There were a lot more demons when we left, they could be anywhere. Spike, could you...? Spike picks up the Shaman. They all start walking rapidly down the alley towards the street. Illyria looks at the trashed alley. Your people wallow in their own filth. SPIKE You could use a wash yourself, Blue. Angel, we have to get indoors before we start to flame on. Then we can figure out how to help the Shaman here. ANGLE - The sky has lightened noticeably, although the sun still isn't up. Angel, Spike, and Illyria turn towards the next cross street, and a moment later we hear the sound of a HEAVY TRUCK ENGINE. Gunn turns towards the sound also. OFF SCREEN we hear the truck's doors open and slam shut and booted feet hit the street. Richmond, Green, you're on point. Check every alley for the source of the disturbance. Sunrise is at 6:49. Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn turn towards the other end of the alley and start to run to safety. Another truck squeals to an abrupt stop in front of the alley, blocking their escape. EXT. REAR OF HYPERION HOTEL - DAWN The gang retreats to the back of the hotel from the alley. ANGLE - In front of them is the EMPLOYEES' ENTRANCE, flanked by large delivery doors. The door has been spray-painted with graffiti. The four of them melt into the shadowy doorways of the Hyperion delivery entrance. REVERSE ANGLE - The end of the alley, with the truck visible. SIX SOLDIERS DRESSED IN MILITARY CAMOUFLAGE and carrying automatic weapons jump out of an unmarked vehicle. CLOSE-UP - Angel twists the doorknob quietly. We hear the lock snap. He pushes the door open and Spike, Illyria, and Gunn follow him into the hotel. INT. HYPERION HOTEL KITCHEN - DAWN TRACKING SHOT - Angel, Spike, Illyria, and Gunn walk past a row of refrigerators and storeroom doors to the hotel's food preparation tables. Spike lays the Shaman on one of the long tables. He is very still. Can you hear me? Gunn repeats the question in Wa!Jani. CLOSE-UP - The Shaman opens his eyes with difficulty. He whispers to Gunn, who replies to him in Wa!Jani, then in English. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. The Shaman closes his eyes. His breathing stops. His clenched fingers slowly uncurl, and the ebony dragon's stone drops onto the kitchen floor with a small clatter. (grief-stricken) This is all our fault. He never would have died if we hadn't insisted on taking that damned stone. What are the Wa!Jani going to do now? Without the Shaman, they probably won't be able to find their home, much less protect themselves getting to it! (Beat.) We've killed them all. SPIKE Charley, it was his choice. You didn't mean for him to die. GUNN (distraught) I never mean for anyone to die, but I keep killing them just the same. (he looks at the Shaman) He blamed himself; he said he failed his gods and his people. He begged for their forgiveness. ILLYRIA What did you say to him? GUNN I told him he was wrong, and that his faithfulness would be rewarded. ILLYRIA (thoughtfully) You lied. GUNN Maybe. (he looks at her) What would you have done? ANGEL Gunn, we might be next if we don't get out of here. There's nothing you can do for him now. We have to leave him. Gunn looks around the kitchen, sees a TABLECLOTH, and uses it to cover the Shaman's body. He picks up the dragon's stone and stares at it. Maybe we can figure out a way to get it back to the Wa!Jani. TRACKING SHOT - Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn quickly make their way through the kitchen and down a service hallway faintly lit with ambient daylight and strewn with trash, to the hotel offices and finally to the lobby. INT. HYPERION HOTEL LOBBY - DAY The Hyperion lobby is empty of furniture and covered with dust and debris. Angel sees notices pasted on the windows of the front office and quickly scans them. CLOSE-UP - The notices are standard orders for demolition. Angel looks grim as he joins the others across the lobby. They exit through the doors that lead to the basement. INT - THE TUNNELS UNDER THE HYPERION - DAY These are the same tunnels our heroes have used to escape from their enemies, or to get around underground, many times. We watch them enter the sewer under the Hyperion and finally stop. They look at each other. The four stand in a tight circle, their voices kept low. CLOSE-UP on ANGEL So who the hell were those guys? Wolfram and Hart black ops? CLOSE-UP on SPIKE (firmly) Government goons. CLOSE-UP on GUNN - Maybe they were vigilantes. CLOSE-UP on ILLYRIA Or mercenaries. Spike breaks ranks and paces the sewer, agitated. I'm telling you, they're a secret paramilitary demon squad! I know that look--the square jaw, the flat head, the huge penis-shaped weapons. I've been burned up, blown up, chopped up, and beaten up more times than I can remember. (Beat.) I can live with that. But I'll be damned if I let them shove another chip up my brain. ANGEL If they were sent by the Senior Partners we've got bigger things to worry about, like the end of the world. Illyria looks around the tunnels. I know this place. It is in the memories of Winifred Burkle. It is unsettling. (abruptly changing the subject) I will kill the humans hunting us and hang their bodies from the streetlamps to warn off any others. ANGEL Not so fast, Illyria. GUNN You can't kill men who might be just protecting the neighborhood. Gunn leans against one of the overhanging pipes, taking advantage of the brief rest. Let's get out of here now. GUNN (grimacing) We're back to running away through the rat-infested tunnels? Haven't we done this before? Suddenly, we hear faint shouts and shots being fired. The Gang turns towards the sounds coming from above. Run away now. Plan later. ANGEL Let's go. (to Gunn) We need to find a place where you can safely rest too. GUNN I can get my own damn self to safety, as soon as we figure out where that is. Angel, Spike, Illyria and Gunn walk dispiritedly down the tunnel. I sense fear and death. ANGEL We're probably not alone down here. There are a lot of people and demons who use the tunnels under L.A. to avoid enemies. And sunlight. SPIKE Where are we going? ANGEL (snaps) I have no idea, Spike. Would you like to lead? SPIKE I'd bloody well do a better job of it. You'll probably lead us straight into Sun Valley. I'm sick of being forced underground. ANGEL Here. The Fang Gang follow Angel down a narrower tunnel, and finally end up at a DEAD END. An old brick wall seals the end of the tunnel. Spike glares at Angel. Brilliant. Scowling, Angel punches the wall, pouring his frustration and anger into the blow. His fist goes straight through it. Shards of brick and mortar explode outward. He and Spike kick a hole big enough for them to pass through. INT. ANOTHER BASEMENT - DAY It is crammed with old school desks, chalkboards, and boxes of books. TRACKING SHOT - The gang threads their way through the room. They find the door to the stairs and continue up to the ground floor of a school. No one is in sight, although posters for various school activities show that the building is, or recently was, in use. They walk past the main office, which has a "Summer School 2004" banner draped above the glass doors. It must be the weekend. They reach the front doors of the school. Illyria throws open the doors. Gunn joins her in the doorway, while Angel and Spike hang back out of direct sunlight. WIDE SHOT - A CITY STREET IN RUINS. Dozens of ABANDONED CARS are scattered haphazardly across the street, as if strewn by a giant child. All have BROKEN WINDOWS, and most are GUTTED BY FIRE. All the shops are nothing but GAPING SHELLS, burned out, their metal frames TWISTED AND BENT. They are empty of merchandise, spilling broken boxes and packing material into the street like disemboweled intestines. The brick walls of some of the buildings are pockmarked with BULLET HOLES. Yellow police tape is stretched across the empty storefronts and office buildings. WEEKS' WORTH OF TRASH is scattered on the streets, as well as PAPER AND BROKEN FURNITURE, obviously tossed out of the SMASHED OFFICE WINDOWS. A shattered copy machine lies on its side, a pool of toner spread around it like blood. Far in the distance, thin plumes of smoke rise slowly in the stagnant air. We're too late. SPIKE Maybe it was an earthquake. GUNN I've seen parts of L.A. look like this before, when I was a kid. But not-- The gang exchange looks with each other, then Angel nods at Illyria and Gunn. Slowly, Illyria and Gunn walk onto the street in front of the school. They see CONCRETE HIGHWAY BARRIERS blocking off side streets. Water flows from a broken hydrant into the storm gutters. Broken walls spill BRICKS AND MORE DEBRIS onto the sidewalk. From far off in the distance, the muted sound of MULTIPLE SIRENS can be heard. Welcome home. CRANE SHOT - The camera pulls up for an aerial view, and we see street after street is ABANDONED AND DESTROYED, BUILDINGS BUCKLING, FIRES SMOLDERING. SMASH CUT - BLACK OUT. |
Comments?
| Written by | Arethusa |
| Executive Producer | Masquerade |
| Angel | David Boreanaz |
| Gunn | J. August Richards |
| Illyria | Amy Acker |
| Spike | James Marsters |
"Angel the Series" is the property of
Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
No copyright infringement intended.
