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EXT. L.A. ZOO FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING EXT. L.A. ZOO TEMPORARY RESEARCH FACILITY - NIGHT A LARGE TENT set up between empty exhibit areas. We can see colorful zoo signs indicating that lions and giraffes once inhabited these exhibits. INT. RESEARCH TENT - NIGHT SPIKE, still dressed in Suit Four's slick black suit, enters the tent and looks around. PAN AROUND THE ROOM. We see laboratory equipment and a number of cages. Medical equipment lines one side, with lights and meters; surgical tools are all laid out and prepared for use. On the other side lie a host of large cages like what you might see in a pet pound. Spike quickly peeks at the nearest cage and spots a small humanoid demon holding a bandaged arm. The humanoid demon looks up, and his arm writhes and squirms--a demon snake has been surgically added to him. Spike spots a door at the back of the tent that leads to one of the abandoned exhibits. It has a keypad locking mechanism on it. Near it is a man in a lab coat--BOB POLCHINSKI, our resident geneticist. His hair is a bit disheveled and he needs a shave. He pours a test tube of crimson liquid into a beaker sitting atop a blue-flamed Bunsen burner, then picks up a clipboard and jots down some notes. He doesn't look up as Spike enters the tent. Hello? Hi! Hold on, I'll be right with you. Got to finish up here. SPIKE (in character) Don't mind me. Just checking in. Midnight security detail. BOB No, it's all right. Stick around. I don't get that many visitors. (studies Spike more closely) Don't think I've seen you before. New here, aren't you, Mr.--? SPIKE Sanger. William T. BOB Good to meet you, William. My name is Bob-- SPIKE Polchinski. Yeah, I know. (he surveys the room again) Interesting set-up you've got, Doc. High-level medical research and all? BOB Please. It's just Bob. Feels weird when people call me "doctor"; just got my doctorate two years ago. And as for-- (he frowns) How high is your security clearance, Mr. Sanger? SPIKE I'm in here, aren't I? BOB Yes, I guess that's true. (beat) We're doing a lot of exciting work in genetic hybridization. SPIKE Heard all sorts of crazy rumors about it from the grapevine. Boys say you've got a private menagerie of magical beasties to work on out here. BOB Well...they're unique. They're indescribably valuable. I don't know about magical. SPIKE Mind if I take a look? The daily inspection of the "sensitive" room happens at four p.m. every day. Did the Project Director send you in for another one? SPIKE Uh...yes! Right. He wanted me to verify something for him. Something wrong, Bob? BOB Mr. Sanger, either you're suffering from severe hypothermia...or you're dead. SPIKE Now wait a minute-- BOB --and there is no Project Director. Illyria, still looking like Fred, stands half in the dark and half in the light. REVERSE ANGLE - Wesley slowly emerges from the shadows in the corner of the temple room. Only his face is illuminated. (in Illyria's voice, yet almost hopeful) W--Wesley? WESLEY I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else, mistress. You are not Wesley? WESLEY (shaking his head) My name, mistress, is Eurystheus. And I'm here to tell you about the labors you must endure to escape this vile and wretched existence. ILLYRIA-F You know of a way to escape this dream? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY A way, a path, a quest. ILLYRIA-F (irritably) Why do you speak in riddles? And why do you bear the appearance of Wesley? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY It is not my intention to confuse you, but rather to save you from this bleak and lonely place. ILLYRIA-F How can I get out of this dream? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY To get out, one must only find and eat one of the Apples of the Hesperides. It will give you your power back, and then you can leave! But they are hidden, and one can wander a thousand thousand years before finding them. Your childish allusions do not amuse me. If you know a way out of this place, then show it to me. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Like the Greek gods, you are no longer worshipped, Illyria, and not just because you have lost your power. You are tainted by the shell you inhabit. ILLYRIA-F No loss of power dims my glory! EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Were you not raised from the Well of Souls by your followers? They arranged your release, your loyal worshippers. But where are they now? Where is your new army, your new Qwa'Ha Xahn? Illyria-Fred tenses, listening to Eurystheus-Wesley, ready to unleash a furious assault on him, and yet captivated by his words. Eurystheus-Wesley walks around Illyria-Fred in a circle. In my day, people made sacrifices to the gods, sang their praises and cared for their temples. Now you hide in the basement of another god's temple. Your followers are gone, only a pathetic few holding a Bacchanal here, a little chaos-worshipping there. The only human on the planet who really cared if you lived or died is dead himself. He killed for her, and he would have died for her. ILLYRIA-F I was worshipped! My followers waited millennia for my return. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY One or two out of billions. Fred had more worshippers than you do, worshippers who did not forget her when she was gone. You have her dreams. (beat) You felt what she felt; you know I'm right. If you want to regain your place of worship you must regain your power. (beat) You're useless, you're forgotten. Without your power, you're nothing. You have no purpose, no identity. You're just another scared creature. ILLYRIA-F The stars in the heavens knew my name. Forests trembled at the sight of me, oceans obeyed my commands. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Now you obey the commands of a half-breed. ILLYRIA-F I will regain my power and place! They will all bow before me, I will never again-- EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Be afraid? And alone? The human weaknesses you assumed when you took human shape will kill you if you don't overcome them. The Apple will return you to your former glory (beat) I will tell you where they are. ILLYRIA-F No. You will show me. (then, almost sadly) You--you were my guide. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY I shall be no guide. I cannot leave this temple for fear of Heracles. So you must depart without-- Enough! EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY (eyes wide, choking out his words) I will be your guide. We're a vampire, aren't we, Mr. Sanger? SPIKE (smiling, amused) Why, yes, "we" are, Bob. What are you going to do to me? SPIKE (holding his hands up) Don't get all panicked. I'm not into the walking and talking cuisine anymore. Just want to visit your little private zoo out there and take care of some business. BOB What kind of business? SPIKE The Chimera. It's burrowed into the head of one of my friends. It needs killing. BOB That's absurd. SPIKE I don't have time to explain the rules of the game, Bob. I was hoping we could do this the nice and gentle way-- but violence is always an alternative. BOB (glancing back at the door) You want the code, don't you? Spike nods. (nervously) I--I can't. Even if I believed you, the work we're doing here is too important to be wasted anyone's personal "mission." (wagging a finger) Now, now, Bob. We don't want to do something stupid, do we? BOB Look, you of all...people...should appreciate what I'm doing. You're a vampire--half human and half demon. Haven't you ever wondered how that works? How two radically different types of creature can fit together in one body? If we can find out from the Chimera how these diverse physiologies work together-- SPIKE Blah blah blah. Bob, I don't give a damn about your "new age of medical science." You're gettin' it by stepping over the body of my friend, and by cutting into the guts of creatures who've got more heart than you and all your security monkeys put together. If that's the price to pay, I don't want it. BOB (swallows hard) You're going to kill me if I don't open the door. Am I right? (eyeing him with menace) No, but you might wish you were dead. Thanks. Remember--nothing stupid. Spike races through the now-open doorway. CUT TO - Bob watches as Spike runs off into the previously secured room, then turns and scrabbles for the phone. He's about to dial when a mild breeze rustles the hair on the back of his neck. He turns. TWO-SHOT of Bob and Spike, face-to-face. Spike snaps off a sharp backhand to Bob's jaw, knocking him unconscious. They never listen. Knock-knock. Spike whirls around, ready to fight. CUT TO - Lorne popping his head inside the tent. He looks down and sees - Bob on the ground, unconscious. Oh, and I wanted to say hi. Angel, Gunn, and Michael surround Illyria, who is unconscious and laid out on the couch. You should use that Ring thing on her. Now. We need to keep the Chimera's energy contained somewhere. It's only been a couple of hours--we still have a little time. We need to give Spike a chance to kill the Chimera's body. If he kills the Chimera's body! We still don't know if he's even found it. ANGEL Well, what do you suggest? Waking Illyria up, only to have the Chimera infect you again? MICHAEL Angel's right. We have to wait a little while longer. GUNN Angel, you were there, in that place with me. You can imagine what she must be going through. ANGEL Don't worry. I'm sure whatever it is, Illyria can handle it. Illyria-Fred and Eurystheus-Wesley are walking through what looks like Grecian countryside, all hilly green grass and tapering trees. Are you sure this is the way? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Positive, mistress. The Tree of the Hesperides lies this way. Though I must warn you that it is guarded by a most ferocious dragon named Ladon. ILLYRIA-F A dragon? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY A three-headed dragon. ILLYRIA-F It does not matter. I will do anything to wake up from this nightmare. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Is it that bad, mistress? ILLYRIA-F It is. WIDE SHOT of Spike and Lorne passing down the center aisle, with rows of more cages on either side of them. The cages look more secure and most have thicker bars, all to be sure what's inside doesn't get out. They look in each cage as they pass. Spike spots a three-headed Basilisk, covered in some sort of mesh cloak which appears be keeping it sedated. Lorne winces, looking at a glaring Intulo demon as the lizard-like creature bashes its head against the walls of its prison. This really isn't safe, Spikums. SPIKE Aw, now, Lorne, they're almost cute. Aren't ya, little fella--? You don't wanna take that lizard to the dog park-- looks like a Tatzlwurm. Nasty little devils. SPIKE These science types need a bloody new hobby 'sides collecting things that can eat them. LORNE (looking ahead and slowing) This is it. Lorne and Spike stop at a metal cage. From our angle, we can see the front bars, but not what is inside. Spike comes to a halt beside the cage and stares in at the Chimera. His determined expression fades. Something wrong? SPIKE (head tilt) Dunno. It's sort of.... Lorne gazes at the beast. Beautiful? SPIKE (nodding) Yeah. In its own way. Spike frowns thoughtfully, his eyes drifting as he searches his memory. Then his eyes go back to the Chimera. "What a chimera, then, is man. What a novelty, what a monster, what a chaos, what a subject of contradiction, uh.... He snaps fingers, trying to remember. Something something...the glory and the shame of the universe." Lorne eyes him uncertainly. Shakespeare? SPIKE (shrugging) Pascal. (off Lorne's nonplussed expression) What, I can only do the British classics? LORNE Is the "something something" part in there too? Spike grins. Then he frowns at the Chimera. (appraising, nods) Well, open the cage, mate. Still got a job to do. Lorne unlocks the cage and Spike enters. Five seconds later, Spike FLIES OUT AND HITS THE FLOOR. ANGLE ON - THE CHIMERA. It is SEVEN FEET OF TWISTED ANIMAL TRAITS, like some science project gone horribly wrong. Part of it is hidden in shadow, but we can see that it has the head of a lion and the tail of a dragon. It ROARS. Spike gets up and dusts off his suit. Bollocks! Least that magician coulda done is warn a bloke 'bout what he's gettin' into goin' after this bleedin' thing! LORNE Magician? SPIKE Never mind. 'First you don't succeed.... (strides back into the cage) ...kill, kill again. LORNE Kinda hard when we have no weapons and the opponent is, oh, seven feet of pissed-off carny sideshow delight! SPIKE Yeah, well, "there is no spoon".... (roaring sound, then crunching noises) Owwww! Dammit.... (getting back up, painfully, muttering) Bleedin' stupid Keanu Reeves.... ANGLE - The Chimera-body's tail SWINGS AT SPIKE'S HEAD. Spike dodges it. Then he grins and leaps at the creature again. EXT. GREEK COUNTRYSIDE - DAY Illyria-Fred and Eurystheus-Wesley have arrived at a clearing that has a large--very large--tree in the center of it. CUT TO - a bird's-eye-view POV from above the tree. We see golden apples hanging from its branches. We are here! ILLYRIA-F (skeptically) This is it? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Yes, the Tree of the Hesperides! Quite magnificent, isn't it? ILLYRIA-F Not in particular. And I thought you said there would be a dragon that guarded it. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY (with uncharacteristic humor) Ladon? Perhaps he's on holiday somewhere, or on his break. ILLYRIA-F (frowning) Very well. Illyria's POV - both of her hands are SHAKING VIOLENTLY. Or perhaps it's not a physical dragon. ILLYRIA-F What...have you done...to me? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY (blithely) Oh it's not me. It's Ladon, the three-headed dragon that guards the Tree. He's quite invisible and immaterial, but he does have this effect on people. ILLYRIA-F How...do I get out? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY You simply have to reach the Tree. He can only debilitate you, he can't stop you from moving. Oh, no, you've hit Ladon's second head. You have to keep fighting, though. It's the only way to wake up. INT. MONASTERY OFFICE - NIGHT Illyria cries out in pain from the couch. Gunn, Angel, and Michael gaze down at her with concern. (to Angel, in earnest) You have to go in now, man. She can't take it much longer. ANGEL (nodding) Fine. Illyria-Fred is still crying out in pain, but now her hands are almost on the Tree. She grasps the trunk and suddenly stops screaming. You've done it, mistress. You've done it! And now you must eat one of the Apples of the Hesperides. Illyria! ILLYRIA-F (the apple still near her lips) Angel? EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Angel? There are no angels here, mistress. Only apples. ILLYRIA-F No, I thought I heard Angel's voice. THREE-SHOT - Angel, Illyria-Fred and Eurystheus-Wesley around the Tree of Hesperides. Angel grasps Illyria-Fred's shoulder. It's me, Illyria. You have to wake up now. ILLYRIA-F That is what I am trying to do. If I eat the Apple.... ANGEL (eyeing "Wesley") Illyria, whatever he told you isn't true. That's not Wesley, you know that. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Do not listen to him, mistress. He seeks to tell you lies and keep you here for all eternity. ILLYRIA-F (blinking at Angel) Why are you here, Angel? ANGEL I told you, so I can wake you up. ILLYRIA-F But why would you want to wake me? Am I not better dead in your eyes? ANGEL Listen to me--the Chimera is trying to trick you. ILLYRIA-F (boldly) I would know if I were being tricked. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY Yes, my mistress would know, for she is God-King of the Primordium, Shaper of Things! Angel is right. I am being tricked. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY (dropping the accent) Oh, fine, it's obvious that you aren't buying this anymore. But I bet you'll never guess who I really am! ILLYRIA-F You are the Chimera. EURYSTHEUS-WESLEY (eyes wide) Nope, wrong. You don't see? I am Loki. I am the Coyote. I am you. ILLYRIA-F Lies. EXT. L.A. ZOO RESEARCH FACILITY - NIGHT Spike is still fighting the Chimera-body. And losing. He stands outside the cage, blood running down his nose. He wipes it and squares his shoulders to charge back into the cage. Lorne approaches him. You might want to try a different approach. SPIKE Kinda busy here. Anytime you want to, you know, help? Jump right in. LORNE (pointing) You know, improvise. Spike's POV - The metal gate that leads out to the open area of the Lion Exhibit. It is made of WROUGHT IRON, with POINTS tipping every other bar. Now, look at that. LORNE Yeah, look at it. Probably more effective if you used it. (smiles) This works. EXT. GREEK COUNTRYSIDE - DAY Illyria-Fred and Angel stand around Eurystheus-Wesley, who is still laughing. Then, suddenly, HE SCREAMS. It's the same high-pitched shriek we heard from the Chimera-body. Eurystheus-Wesley's eyes GLOW GREEN. He disappears. The Grecian scenery around Angel and Illyria-Fred twists and transforms and suddenly FADES TO BLACK. CLOSE-UP of Illyria's face, framed by blue hair, as she opens her eyes. She looks around - INT. MONASTERY OFFICE - NIGHT Gunn is crouching beside Illyria. Angel is standing beside her, his hand on her shoulder. Michael smiles at them from the corner. Angel pulls his hand away and tugs the Ring of Ragshiel off his finger. Is that it? Is it over? ANGEL Looks like it. I guess Spike came through after all. I think this calls for some sort of celebration. ANGEL (nodding, smiling) Yeah. When Spike comes back, we'll do that. EXT. ZOO MAIN ENTRANCE - NIGHT Lorne and Spike exit the zoo. Spike is back in his normal clothes. Good call on the gate there, mate. A-1, first-class kinda help a bloke needs in a pinch. LORNE Not exactly my brand of fun there, sweet cheeks. But all things considered, it was good. Look, Spike. When you tell the heroic tale of how you killed the Chimera..... SPIKE (grinning) How we killed it. LORNE Yeah, well, about that. I want you to leave me out of it. Just...don't mention I was there. SPIKE (puzzled) Why not? Credit due for services rendered, only fair. (firmly) Because I'm not coming back to join Angel. And I'm not ready for them to know I'm here. Can I count on you for that? SPIKE (nodding) Sure, mate. Your call. INT. MONASTERY OFFICE - NIGHT Spike enters and sees Gunn and Angel still standing there, talking. Michael is gone. (nods at Gunn) Back on your feet, eh? Was worried there, knew we.... I was cuttin' it pretty close. GUNN Right in the nick of it--to save Illyria. Illyria too? Well, then, bloody damn heroic of me! (beat; frowns) Uhh--why're you up in Fred mode, Blue? ILLYRIA-F (in Fred's voice) What? I.... Without a word, she leaves the room. What was that about? GUNN (also puzzled) No clue. Angel is sitting in one of the pews, examining the Ring of Ragshiel. We hear footsteps approaching. We need to discuss this. ANGEL There's nothing to discuss. MICHAEL You didn't pay for the ring, did you? ANGEL (irritated, standing up) I borrowed the ring, Michael--I'm going to give it back once I'm sure there aren't any more of these things lying under our pillows or in the fridge. I'm sorry, but my friends were in danger and we needed it. (beat) I'll give it back. (beat) Understand? I understand, indeed.... EXT. MONASTERY BASEMENT WORKSHOP/SITTING ROOM - NIGHT HOBBES, the silent monk, walks through the workshop/sitting room into the hallway, then mounts the stairs to the office/storeroom above. He passes through the front entranceway, then exits the monastery. He glances around nervously. We follow him along the sidewalk and near a darkened ALLEYWAY. He reaches into his robes, takes out the SILVER CHIMERA CYLINDER, and then kneels on the ground in front of the alleyway. POV - A DOWNWARD SHOT of Hobbes lifting the cylinder as a thin feminine hand reaches forward and takes it from his hands. We REVERSE THE ANGLE and see - DRUSILLA, clad in a flowing red velvet gown. Such a good boy. BLACK OUT. |
Comments?
| Written by | Alliterator |
| Director | El Linchador |
| Executive Producer | Masquerade |
| Senior Script Editor | Anom |
| Angel | David Boreanaz |
| Gunn | J. August Richards |
| Illyria | Amy Acker |
| Spike | James Marsters |
| "Alonna" | Michele Kelly |
| "Wesley" | Alexis Denisof |
| Lorne | Andy Hallett |
| Drusilla | Juliet Landau |
"Angel the Series" is the property of
Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.
No copyright infringement intended.
