ATS
4.05
Supersymmetry
Transcribed by:
CariCranberry
For:
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RECAP:
CORDELIA (V.O.)
Previously on Angel:
1 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Someone's holding a flyer advertising the disappearance of Fred. It reads:
Have You Seen
Me?
Winifred "Fred" Burkle
[picture]
MISSING!
Since May 7, 1996
Last seen at the Stewart Brunell Public Library
CORDELIA
Fred disappeared five years ago. They never found her.
Flashback to Fred in the library. Flashback to portal to Pylea opening.
WESLEY
...been sucked into the portal. She's in the Host's dimension.
Cut to:
2 INT. PYLEAN ROYAL
COURT - NIGHT
Fred is being manhandled by people dressed in medieval clothing.
FRED
...use you as a slave. (to Angel)
Cut to:
3 INT. CAVE IN PYLEA -
NIGHT
Fred is huddled up under a blanket in a cave. Angel comes to rescue her.
FRED
It's the man... saved me from the monsters.
Cut to:
4 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Angel, Fred, and Gunn have just discovered Cordelia's back, in the lobby of
Angel Investigations.
CORDELIA
So we know each other?
ANGEL
Yeah, really well.
FRED
Not to sound all "Movie of the Week", but I think you might have some kind of
amnesia.
Later...
ANGEL
I think there's a way we might be able to sort this out. Pick a song.
FRED
So Lorne can read you.
GUNN
You sing, he sees your future.
CORDELIA
(singing poorly) Because the greatest—
While Cordy's singing, Lorne looks shocked and upset.
LORNE
(interrupting Cordy) Great, enough. (leaves the room)
Cut to:
5 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Angel knocks on Lorne's door.
ANGEL
What'd you see?
LORNE (O.S.)
Go away.
ANGEL
If it's that bad, I need to know.
LORNE
(opens door) It's that bad. Evil's coming, Angel, and it's planning on staying.
Cut to:
6 INT. WESLEY'S
APARTMENT - NIGHT
Lilah's talking on her cell phone out in the hallway, with a partially closed
door behind her. Wesley is listening at the door.
LILAH
You're sure that it's her? Put an extraction team together.
Cut to:
7 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Wesley has come to give Angel some information.
WESLEY
Wolfram and Hart are planning to extract Cordelia. And I doubt your boy will be
able to stop them.
Cut to:
8 INT. ATTIC AT NATURAL
HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT
One of the intruders tries to escort Cordelia out of the room, but Angel kicks
down the door. He's come to the rescue with Gunn and Fred. Angel takes Cordelia
in his arms.
ANGEL
(to Cordy) We should probably get you back home.
CORDELIA
Actually, I'd like to stay here. With Connor. (walks to Connor's side)
Cut to:
9 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Angel, Fred and Gunn walk into the hotel only to find Lorne tied up in a chair,
bound and gagged, with a large bleeding hold in his head. He's passed out.
FRED
(goes to Lorne) Oh, my God!
ANGEL
Lorne? (Angel and Gunn start to untie him)
FRED
Is he alive?
ANGEL
Who did this?
LORNE
(too weak to speak) W...
ANGEL
Wolfram and Hart. (Lorne nods his head "yes")
GUNN
But why?
ANGEL
They must've known Lorne read her. They weren't after Cordy, they were after
what Lorne saw when she sang.
Cut to:
10 INT. LILAH'S
APARTMENT - NIGHT
Lilah and Wesley are talking.
WESLEY
You played me.
LILAH
Free will. Look it up.
WESLEY
Lilah...
LILAH
You're the one who decided to take what you overheard and give it to the
good-n-plentys.
Cut to:
11 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Resume Angel's conversation with the injured Lorne.
ANGEL
How much did they get?
LORNE
All of it.
Fade to black.
END RECAP.
The Start Of Episode
12 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
The sound of Fred screaming fills the halls. The tone is ambiguous at first, but
then turns out to be giddy. Close in on her bedroom, where she's jumping up and
down, holding a magazine. Gunn is with her.
FRED
Ah! Ah! Whoo-hoo! Oh!
GUNN
(hugs her) Aw, that's my girl! Ah! All right. Hand this thing over. Let me check
it out.
She hands him the copy of Modern Physics Review.
FRED
Page 19. I-it's not a big article. Not like it's featured, or anything.
GUNN
Got it. (pronouncing with difficulty) "Supersymmetry—"
FRED
—"and P-Dimensional Subspace" by Winifred Burkle. (beat) You don't have to read
it.
GUNN
Of course I'm gonna read it. Right now. (they go to sit on the bed, reading
aloud) "In multi-dimensional superstring theory, uh, distance scales inverted by
T-duality apply to heter- heterotic theories..." The pictures are... nice.
Fred starts kissing on Gunn while he reads her article aloud. Gunn puts down the magazine as they both fall back on the bed kissing and petting heavily.
Cut to:
13 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Lorne's lying in bed in a housecoat, while Angel brings him a meal on a bed tray.
LORNE
Oh, give it to me, sweetness. Right there.
ANGEL
Here you go. How's your head?
LORNE
Smashing. Listen, I know I've been a wee bit jumpy the last couple of days, but
did I hear a scream?
ANGEL
Oh, it's just Fred. I think it's a Texas thing.
LORNE
Hmm. (starts to eat) Mmm. (puts the food tray aside) Well it's all too much
sturm und drang for my appetite: Cordelia shacking up with your hell-spawn—no
offense. And the hole between my horns—
ANGEL
And you're probably a little on edge because of the whole "Slouching Toward
Bethlehem" thing...
LORNE
No.
ANGEL
No? That's good because uh...
LORNE
(laughs) Sorry. I jumped ahead. That "no" was the one that comes after you
asking me to read Cordy again.
ANGEL
I wasn't— gonna ask you that immediately. I was gonna build up to it subtly.
LORNE
I appreciate that, sugar pie, really. But the answer's no. I'm not a champion.
I'm just a regular old karaoke-singing empath demon.
ANGEL
You saw something. If we knew what it was—
LORNE
Then Wolfram and Hart would come after me again. And maybe they wouldn't stop
with a little gray matter.
ANGEL
(turns toward the door) I'm listening.
LORNE
Hey, death just doesn't look good on me. I wish I could tell you what was coming
and when, but— (notices Angel listening intently at the door) When you say "listening",
you don't mean to me. You heard something, didn't you?
ANGEL
It's probably just Fred. (Angel goes out of the room to investigate the sounds)
LORNE (O.S.)
(picks up an ax, but stays in bed) I got your back.
Cut to:
14 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Angel walks down the hallway and stops outside one of the doors. He opens it and
walks into the room to see a person rifling through boxes. Angel grabs the
intruder and pushes him against the wall, pinning his throat with his forearm.
The intruder is Connor.
ANGEL
Oh. Hi. Sorry.
CONNOR
I'm used to it. (picks up his box and continues putting things into it)
ANGEL
The front door's always open, Connor. You don't have to sneak in.
CONNOR
Cordy wanted some of her stuff.
ANGEL
How's she doing, Cordy. Anything coming back to her?
CONNOR
Nothing about you.
ANGEL
Is she alone right now, 'cause—
CONNOR
She's safe. I can take care of Cordelia. Can I go?
ANGEL
Sure. Sorry. Wait. You should take her fuzzy slippers. Her feet get cold.
CONNOR
I know. She's always stealing the covers.
Connor leaves through the window he came in. Angel stares after him, deadpan. He swallows his anger as he reads between the lines of Connor's remark.
Fade to black.
Opening credits and title sequence.
15 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Angel comes downstairs into the lobby, where Gunn is crashed on a sofa. Angel
starts to head to the office, where Fred is talking to Lorne, but Gunn warns him
off.
GUNN
You don't wanna go in there. (sighs) Girl kept me up all night. She is
un-stoppable.
ANGEL
More than I need to know.
Fred comes out of the office, grinning.
FRED
(excited) Did Charles tell you?
ANGEL
He-he didn't describe it...
FRED
I've been asked to present my article at the Physics Institute. P-Dimensional
Subspace has always been a fascinating area, but I had no idea there would be so
much interest. Can I practice my speech for you? I think Lorne's a little conked.
Fred goes back to the office.
Cut to:
16 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Lorne, still recovering from his injury, is sitting in a chair looking exhausted.
LORNE
(feigning) Oh, yay, we're back.
Cut to:
17 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Back in the lobby, Angel and Gunn are still talking.
GUNN
That. All night. Well, mostly that. (smiles)
ANGEL
I didn't know Fred was getting back into physics.
GUNN
Yeah, I don't think she wanted anyone to know. I think she was afraid she lost
the knack.
ANGEL
Huh. She seems over that.
They go to the office.
Cut to:
18 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Angel and Gunn join Lorne as the unwilling audience for Fred's speech. Fred's
standing behind the desk holding index cards and still grinning from ear to ear.
FRED
It's nothing big, really, just a little breakthrough in quantum particles.
Emphasis on little. Probably be disproven in no time. It's just I used to dream
I'd discover some revolutionary concept and— (smiles bashfully) Oh, it's silly.
ANGEL
Doesn't sound silly.
FRED
I-I guess I just wanted all those people I looked up to— I wanted 'em to see me
too. And then I got sucked into Pylea and, well, when you're a cow-slave, you
don't want anyone to see you at all.
GUNN
Everybody'll be watching you now.
FRED
I got to practice. Y—you'll be there?
Lorne sneers.
GUNN
Cheering you on! Right?
Angel and Lorne are silent.
LORNE
Well, the little nipper dropped in for a midnight visit last night.
FRED
Connor was here? (walks around to front of desk)
GUNN
I hope he doesn't want to kiss and make up, 'cause that—
ANGEL
He picked up some of Cordelia's things.
FRED
(sits on desk) She's just trying to put the pieces back together. It'll work
out, and it'll all be for the best. (Angel looks doubtful) It will. Five years
of unendurable torture and mental anguish aside, if I hadn't been sucked through
that portal, I never would have figured out my string compactification theory.
GUNN
(trying to be supportive) Exactly. 'Cause, you know, strings need... to
compactify.
Angel and Lorne roll their eyes.
Cut to:
19 INT. WESLEY'S
APARTMENT - DAY
Wesley's sitting on his couch reading a magazine when there's knock on his door.
He ignores it, but the knocker persists. He gets up to answer the door. It's
Lilah, carrying a large silver box, tied up with a pretty white ribbon.
LILAH
Surprise!
WESLEY
Well, look, a bribe. How thoughtful. (Lilah walks in and takes off her jacket)
No, it can't be a bribe. Must be a setup.
LILAH
Can't it just be... a gift? Open it.
He opens the package to find an antique helmet from a suit of armor. Wes is truly impressed.
LILAH
We seem to be butting heads lately. Now you'll have the advantage.
WESLEY
This must have cost a fortune.
LILAH
Yes. It'll take you hours to thank me properly. (kisses him) Fortunately, I've
taken the afternoon off.
WESLEY
(stops the kissing) I have to leave actually. But, thank you, Lilah, for the
gift.
Wesley leaves the apartment. Lilah starts putting the wrapping away, and notices the magazine Wes was reading is open to Fred's article.
Cut to:
20 INT. ATTIC AT
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - DAY
Cordelia is hanging pictures of her friends on the wall, labeling them by the
names of who is in each photo. There's one of Fred and Gunn, Wes and Cordy, her
parents, Lorne and Cordy.
CORDELIA
There. Almost done. (goes to the box of her things that's sitting on the bed)
Connor?
CONNOR
Yeah.
CORDELIA
(fresh from the shower, putting on his clothes) How come there's no picture of
Angel?
CONNOR
Uh, didn't see any.
CORDELIA
Oh. Well, it's OK. You got all the other important stuff. (gestures to her fuzzy
slippers) Apparently, I'm a nester, 'cause this place is starting to look not
entirely un-homey.
Cordelia takes a scarf from her box of things and lays it over a table. While she's laying out the scarf, bending over the table, Connor takes a moment to enjoy the view down Cordy's blouse. Cordy stands, looks around, and sighs.
CONNOR
What?
CORDELIA
Nothing. Except... Well, I— I thought I'd feel different. (sits on edge of bed)
I mean, I have my pictures and slippers and super-luscious peau de soie blouse,
but why does it still feel like something's missing?
Connor grabs a nearby battle-axe, walks toward Cordy, and hands it to her.
CONNOR
How does that feel?
CORDELIA
Uh, woodsy.
CONNOR
Maybe you miss the action. The thrill of the kill. You know, you used to be a
demon hunter. It's true; you're just out of practice. It'll come back fast,
though. I can train you.
CORDELIA
What should I wear?
Cut to:
21 INT. PHYSICS
INSTITUTE CONFERENCE HALL - DAY
Fred, Gunn, and Angel are riding the "up" escalator through the convention
center, heading for the auditorium where Fred's going to give her speech. Gunn's
arranging Fred's index cards, and hands them to her. Fred's wearing a white
button-up oxford shirt and a black cardigan over it.
FRED
Thank you. At least I remembered the uniform.
GUNN
All these people here to see you?
FRED
I'm just a minor speaker. (sees the agenda posted outside the auditorium) Oh,
God! I'm between Ed Witten and Brian Greene? (no reaction from Angel or Gunn)
Think Nomar Garciaparra and Sammy Sosa.
ANGEL
(Gunn whistles) Fred skipped the minors and went straight to the show.
FRED
This can't be right. Somebody must've made a mistake.
GUNN
Listen up, all that stuff about particles and... stuff— It's gonna blow 'em away.
Nothing to worry about.
FRED
Well, what if my theory's wrong? (sees someone she knows) Professor Seidel!
Professor Seidel is a middle-aged white man, balding, wearing an inexpensive suit. He's standing next to a nerdy blonde woman Fred's age.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Winifred. (to blonde) Laurie, I'll meet you back at the lab. (Laurie leaves. to
Fred) There you are. It's been, what, two years, or so.
FRED
Yeah, heavy on the "or so." Wow. It is great to see you. Are you—gonna be in
there?
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
I'm introducing you. I had to arm-wrestle the chair of the department for the
honor.
FRED
Oh.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Winifred, you have done some great work. You don't have anything to worry about.
Gunn clears throat to get her attention.
FRED
Oh, these are my friends. Charles and Angel.
GUNN
(shakes hand) Hey.
ANGEL
(shakes hand) Hello.
FRED
I was gonna be a history major, and then I took Professor Seidel's physics
class, and, well...
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Winifred's a natural. By the end of the semester, she was taking on W.I.M.P.s.
GUNN
You should see her now: killer left hook.
FRED
W.I.M.P.s are Weakly Interactive Massive Particles.
GUNN
Oh, yeah, uh... (nervous laugh) Just kidding.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Do you remember that Higgs Scalars tutorial? I still remember your take on
spontaneous symmetry breaking.
Angel and Gunn are having a hard time keeping up with this discussion. Angel decides to go into the auditorium.
ANGEL
You know, it's, uh, filling up. I'm gonna go, um, save some seats.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Why don't you stop by my office. I'd love to talk about your article.
FRED
Is tomorrow too soon?
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Tomorrow's perfect. I have some questions about how Kaluza-Klein models fit with
your theory.
FRED
Oh, OK, because string regularization is kinda vital to what I'm proposing...
Fred and the Professor walk off into the auditorium, leaving Gunn just standing there.
Cut to:
22 INT. AUDITORIUM AT
PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE - DAY
Angel grabs a seat and looks around the auditorium. Some kid with a t-shirt that
says "Thwack" bumps into Angel.
THWACK GUY
Oh, sorry about that.
Angel notices Wesley there, sitting in a back corner by himself. Fred and the Professor are walking into the room, still talking. Gunn is walking behind them, but Fred's not paying any attention to him.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Oh, Dr. Shepherd. I want you to meet one of my best students, Winifred Burkle.
FRED
Hi.
DR. SHEPHERD
Of course. I read your article. It was intriguing. Nice to meet you.
Gunn walks away from Fred and the Professor to sit by Angel.
GUNN
Listen, man, I'm gonna need simultaneous translating on this thing. You know,
like the President with the Russians. But just gimme the highlights.
ANGEL
No problem. Of course, I have no idea what she's talking about.
GUNN
Will you tell Fred that? If she thinks we're both stupid, I won't stand out as
much.
The auditorium lights go down, and the spotlight is on the podium, where Professor Seidel is introducing Fred.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
There have been many recent insights into string theory, but few have so
elegantly tied together the disparate threads as the one you will hear tonight.
As a student, Winifred Burkle showed outstanding intellectual rigor. Her work
continues to exemplify the highest standard of academic excellence. Ladies and
gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce Winifred Burkle.
While Fred was talking, Lilah entered the auditorium. After the introduction, the audience claps. Professor Seidel sits at the back of the stage, while Fred takes the podium. She puts on her reading glasses and takes out her index cards.
FRED
Thank you, Professor. (holding an index card) This one just says, "Open with
joke," but I forgot to think of one. Of course, it's possible my theory'll take
care of that. (audience laughs) There are, um... (starts to get nervous) There
are several competing dimensional theories.
Lilah looks around to see who's there and sees Wesley.
FRED
And, while each provide insights, physicists have long searched for a unifying
theory—one that can account for both the behavior of the smallest sub-atomic
particles and the largest forces of nature.
Lilah takes out her cell phone and dials it on her way out of the auditorium. Angel notices her leave.
FRED
If space-time can undergo massive rearrangement of its structure, which I
believe it can, tearing and reconnecting according to a pre-determined
disposition, then T-duality would allow for the compactification of extra space
dimensions. Consider the non-perturbitive properties of superstring theory. In
D-Branes, especially as applied to Dirichlet boundary conditions with dual open
strings that are T-transformed... This, in turn, leads to the conclusion that
strings can only end in P-dimensional dynamical—
A portal has opened overhead while Fred speaks. It gets wider and wider until a huge multi-headed snake-like creature with jaws like crab claws reaches through it. Audience members start to gasp. Professor Seidel gets out of the way. Fred goes on with her speech until the monster has wrapped itself around her and picked her up. Its heads are snapping at her as she struggles in vain to get free. Angel and Gunn head for the stage.
GUNN
Fred! No!
FRED
(screaming) Ah! Ahhh!
Fade to black.
23 INT. AUDITORIUM AT
PHYSICS INSTITUTE CONFERENCE - DAY
Resume. Fred is being clutched by the monster as Angel and Gunn rush to her aide.
Audience members are scrambling to get out. Wesley is trying to get by them to
go to the stage and help, but he's in the back of the room, going against the
flow of the exodus. One of the audience members is not leaving. It's the "Thwack"
guy, taking pictures. On stage, Gunn is trying to pull Fred away from the
monster.
GUNN
Hang on, baby. I got you.
Angel is trying to fight the monster with the microphone stand, but it grabs him up, wrapping itself around his neck.
GUNN
Hang on.
ANGEL
Yeah, vampire, strangling... not gonna happen.
Angel reaches for his ankle-holstered dagger and cuts off the part of the monster that's holding him. He falls to the floor. Wes has made it through the crowd, with dagger ready, as the monster drops Fred and retreats back through the portal. The portal closes. Fred landed on top of Gunn and is clinging to him, still terrified.
GUNN
It's over, baby. You're fine.
Cut to:
24 INT. PARKING GARAGE
- DAY
A Mercedes convertible goes through a gate in the parking garage. It's Lilah's
car; she's driving. Suddenly, the cloth roof is ripped in half. She stops the
car and sticks her head up through the damage to inspect it. Angel is standing
there.
ANGEL
That's cool. The top just comes right off. (opens her door, she gets out)
LILAH
Hey, if this is about the jolly green demon— I could've had him killed, but do I
hear a "thank you"?
ANGEL
Before we get to that, how 'bout you tell me why a portal happened to open up
over Fred's head right after you slithered out of the auditorium.
LILAH
Tragedy struck Gidget? Really? Did she go to that place in the big Texas sky?
ANGEL
Gunn and I took care of it. Of course, if we hadn't've been there, I'm sure your
good friend Wesley would've stepped right in.
LILAH
Come on. If I were gonna kill the twig, would I do it in a room full of people
and then make a conspicuous getaway so I looked extra suspicious?
ANGEL
Add videotape, sounds like vintage Wolfram and Hart. (Lilah shrugs) Except this
time somebody else deserves the credit.
LILAH
(gets into car) You're quick.
ANGEL
(holding door open, leaning down to eye level) About Lorne, there's gonna be a
conversation.
LILAH
You know, Angel, coming from you, idle threats are so.... well, idle.
ANGEL
You remember when I ripped your car in half?
LILAH
Yeah, yeah, hulk smash... (speeds off)
Cut to:
25 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
In Gunn and Fred's room, there's a muttering sound. Gunn wakes and realizes that
Fred's not in bed with him. He turns toward the muttering, and sees Fred sitting
near the wall, talking softly to herself and scribbling equations on the wall
like she did when they first brought her back from Pylea. Gunn gets up and goes
to her.
GUNN
Fred?
FRED
P versus NP, where NP is nondeterministic polynomial time. This is NP. Lost
time. Time spent.
GUNN
(looking concerned) Never liked the paint in here. Yeah, let's—let's redo the
place, really make it ours.
FRED
I-I was just... I couldn't sleep.
GUNN
Fred, demons, portals— that happens. Doesn't mean you're going back to Pylea.
FRED
Every time I close my eyes, I see it. Like it's happening all over again.
GUNN
I know, baby.
FRED
(pacing) Five years of hiding in caves and scrounging for food, (touches her
neck) wearing that collar— You don't know. You couldn't.
GUNN
You're never going back to that place. You're safe now.
FRED
I was safe in the library 'til I opened that book and read those words and
then—wham! I was hurling through dimensions.
GUNN
(goes to her) Come back to bed. All right? It'll all look different in the
morning.
FRED
Morning? As in tomorrow, which as of now is today, which means—
GUNN
You're gonna talk to your professor friend just like you planned 'cause nothing
has changed.
FRED
It has. He was there. He saw the— He probably thinks—
GUNN
That you're incredibly brilliant, just like I do.
FRED
(they get into bed) He can't see me. Not like this.
GUNN
There's nothing wrong with you, like this or any other way.
FRED
Yeah, to you, maybe.
GUNN
Look, go, OK? Forget about this and talk about strings and W.I.M.P.s and
whatever. Angel and I will take care of all the demony portal stuff. No problem.
(kisses her shoulder and holds her)
Cut to:
26 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
The next morning, Gunn comes down the stairs into the lobby. Angel has set up
lots of chairs in the lobby, and he's studying them.
GUNN
Great. My girl's not the only one redecorating.
ANGEL
You were there. (points to a chair)
GUNN
OK. (sits in chair) What are we doing? Playing musical chairs?
ANGEL
(points to a chair) Nerdy guy. (points to another chair) Older nerdy guy.
(points to another chair) Girl in black there.
While Angel lists off who was where, show flashbacks to the auditorium, showing on screen what he is remembering.
GUNN
OK. Catching on, sorta. How come you never pulled out this parlor trick before?
ANGEL
It's not an automatic reflex. It just kicked in when I saw Lilah.
GUNN
Hold up— Lilah was there? Not a huge leap thinking she opened the portal.
Flashback of Lilah in the auditorium, looking at Wesley.
ANGEL
She was just stalking Wesley.
GUNN
Wesley? He came to see—
ANGEL
He was waiting.
GUNN
Wesley?!
ANGEL
Guy in the second row, center seat. The guy wearing a tan t-shirt that said
"Thwack" He had a camera.
Flashback to Thwack guy taking pictures.
GUNN
I think I know where to find him.
ANGEL
Whoa oh oh oh oh. Hang on. Daylight. I need a coat.
GUNN
Well, get on it, 'cause when my girl's not happy—
Cut to:
27 INT. THWACK COMICS -
DAY
Gunn has grabbed the clerk by the shirt. The clerk is the same guy who was
taking pictures at Fred's speech.
GUNN
(yelling) —I'm not happy! (throws him into a rack of comics)
THWACK CLERK
(to Angel) Jeez! He gonna hurt me?
GUNN
Think Daredevil 181. I'm Bullseye, you're Electra. One wins, one dies. Get what
I'm saying?
THWACK CLERK
Yeah, but we're kinda crushing the dark horses.
GUNN
You were taking pictures of my girlfriend. Why?!
THWACK CLERK
'Cause the ceiling was, like, ripping apart.
ANGEL
Why were you there? You always hang with the physics crowd?
THWACK CLERK
I wanted to see if it was true—if she was really one of 'em. You know, one of
the students who disappeared.
GUNN
One of?
Cut to:
28 INT. LAB OUTSIDE
PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY
Fred is walking with Professor Seidel, talking. There's a laboratory in the
first room, and then his office is off the back of the lab area.
FRED
Pylea was a hell dimension, actually. Not as bad as Quor-Toth, but if Angel and
Gunn and the rest of 'em hadn't rescued me, I'd probably be dead by now.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Winifred, I'm a theoretical physicist, completely open to the idea of other
dimensions, but— you're naming them.
FRED
I know. It-it took me a while to believe it, too. And I was there.
Working at one of the lab desks is the blonde lady that was standing next to the professor at the conference. Professor Seidel introduces her to Fred.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
You know Laurie Drummond, don't you?
FRED
You were the T.A. for high-energy physics.
LAURIE
I still am. Not all of us are geniuses.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
I'd be lost without Laurie.
LAURIE
Welcome back.
Cut to:
29 INT. PROFESSOR
SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY
After walking through the lab, Fred and Professor Seidel come to his office. The
door is frosted glass with stenciling that says "Private" on the outside. Inside
the office is a coat rack with a white lab coat hanging on it, a couple of desks
cluttered with papers. One wall is completely covered in bookcases.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
I've been holding onto something for you. (closes door, goes to filing cabinet,
and takes out a blue book exam)
FRED
The last test I took before— (takes the exam, and frowns) A-minus?
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Well, I would have given another student an A+, but with you, I had to use a
different standard.
FRED
Huh. Now he tells me. (flips through exam)
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
(sits on desk) I'd love another crack at it—teaching you. You have a gift. It
shouldn't be wasted.
FRED
It's been so long. I-I mean, writing the article was great, but... I have
another life now.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Sounds like a life you've stumbled into, not one you chose.
FRED
I guess it kinda chose me.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
You know, I don't know what I saw yesterday. There are studies about
subconscious suggestion, mass hysteria—but I know what I see right now.
FRED
You do?
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
A very talented young woman who deserves to live in the world she was meant for.
Cut to:
30 INT. THWACK COMICS -
DAY
The Thwack clerk is still talking to Angel and Gunn. He walks behind the
counter.
THWACK CLERK
You guys know how it is: you hear things, like from a friend of a friend's
roommate. You don't know if they really happened.
GUNN
Like the story about the girl, the cat and peanut butter.
ANGEL
(reading a comic) That one's true. (Gunn glares in disbelief) Long story.
THWACK CLERK
(walks out from behind the counter) Like, yeah, you're Angel, right? There are
whole forums on you in chat rooms, man! Who knew you actually, like, existed?!
GUNN
(getting annoyed) The disappearances?
THWACK CLERK
Uh, supposedly there were three before your girlfriend and one since.
ANGEL
What do you know?
THWACK CLERK
Just rumors. They were all science types, and, like, these weren't your everyday
kidnappings. Hey, maybe I could help you guys, be your intern!
GUNN
We're full up on interns, but the decoder ring's in the mail. (walks off, Angel
follows)
ANGEL
(to Gunn) They talk about me in the chatty rooms?
Cut to:
31 INT. PROFESSOR
SEIDEL'S OFFICE - DAY
Fred and the Professor are still talking. The Professor is at the bookshelf.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
You really should read Quantum Cryptography.
LAURIE
(opens door and sticks her head in) Professor Seidel, the oscillator's tweaked
again.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
I'll have a look. (to Fred) Would you write down your numbers for me? (gets
paper and pen from his desk) I don't want to lose track of you for another six
years. (Fred giggles) You laugh. I do have a system. (leaves room).
Fred goes to his desk and writes down her numbers. When she's done, she looks through his bookcase. One book catches her eye.
FRED
Plasma and Fluid Turbulence in with neutrino books? (takes book off the
shelf) That's just wrong.
Fred starts flipping through the book, and there's something wrong. The pages are filled with strange symbols unrelated to science. She flips further into the book and sees a drawing of the exact same multi-headed snake monster that attacked her during her speech. Fred's face shows panic as she realizes the implications of her accidental discovery. Just then, she can hear the Professor heading back to the office. She hurriedly shoves the book back onto the shelf. When he enters the office again, Fred's face is one of sheer horror.
Cut to:
32 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Angel is sitting at the computer, typing, doing research on Professor Seidel as
Gunn paces behind him.
GUNN
I don't like this, man. I got a bad feeling. (Angel stops typing and sits back)
What?
ANGEL
Here. The thing all those students have in common.
GUNN
Oliver Seidel. As in the guy she's with right now. (starts to walk out, but
Fred's already there) Fred, thank God. Look, there's something we gotta tell
you. The portal—
FRED
(stern and calm) It was Professor Seidel.
GUNN
Yeah.
FRED
And he's done it before.
ANGEL
That's right. There were others.
FRED
No. To me. He's the son of a bitch that sent me to Pylea.
GUNN
What?
ANGEL
(stands) We're gonna get this guy.
GUNN
Count on it. He's gonna pay.
FRED
No. He's gonna die.
Fade to black.
33 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - DAY
Resume. Fred, Angel, and Gunn are discussing the repercussions for Professor
Seidel's portal problem.
GUNN
What do you mean, die?
FRED
I don't know yet. But it's gonna be about pain. (opens weapons cabinet, selects
a long-handled weapon with a curved blade at the top) The halberd could work.
(practicing using the weapon) Acting like I'm all addlebrained talking about
other dimensions. (mocking) Pylea? Never heard of it. (angry) Right. How 'bout a
flail-whipping? Would that take a nice long time? (picks out a flail whip from
the cabinet, practices using the whip)
ANGEL
Hours, if you do it right. Not that you should do it at all. (takes whip from
her) Ever.
FRED
He's a killer, and he's just sitting there smiling, telling me I'm so gifted and
how he wants to teach me. (swings the halberd) Oh, there's gonna be a lesson all
right.
GUNN
All right, Fred, let's calm down.
FRED
I idolized him, and he sent me to hell. Me and God knows how many others who
didn't make it back. So-so sure! I'll calm down when he's dead!
GUNN
Fred, a few years ago, I would've done in the guy myself. But this—it isn't what
we do. (tries to take the weapon away from her, but she steps back)
FRED
We kill monsters every day.
GUNN
We help people. Fred, if you do this, the demons you'll be living with won't be
the horned, fangy kind. They'll be the kind you can't get rid of.
FRED
You're wrong.
ANGEL
He's right. Whatever you do now it's nothing compared to how it'll be afterward.
GUNN
What you're talking about goes against everything you believe in. Everything we
believe in. Fred, you idolized him. But don't let him be defining what you are
now. Can I have the axe?
FRED
(hands over the axe) I'm sorry, Charles. I guess I kinda lost it.
GUNN
You want a drink? I could make you some cocoa.
FRED
No. Thanks. I'm just gonna go lie down. For a few days. (heads upstairs)
GUNN
(to Angel) So what are we gonna do to this guy?
ANGEL
No idea, but let's do it fast.
GUNN
We gotta get to him before Fred changes her mind. 'Cause vengeance—it can get
ugly.
Cut to:
34 INT. WESLEY'S
APARTMENT - DAY
Wesley is walking into the living room opening a bottle of beer.
WESLEY
Vengeance. Sounds good. (hands beer to Fred)
FRED
(sighs) Angel and Gunn want me to be all sweetness and light. Cute little Fred.
She'll turn the other cheek like a good girl. I mean, they saw what Professor
Seidel is capable of. (sits down on couch) He opened that portal right in front
of 'em.
WESLEY
They dealt with it handily enough. (sits on coffee table in front of her)
FRED
You were there?
WESLEY
I read your article. Saw you'd be speaking. It was an excellent piece. Although
I'm not sure I understand how Pauli repulsion is so readily reversed. (beat)
Layman's opinion.
FRED
You've been keeping track of me?
WESLEY
Yes. (looks away) Well, about this Professor Seidel, what did you have in mind?
FRED
Beyond pain, I'm not really sure. That's why I came to you.
WESLEY
(puts down his drink) Fred, you do know that everything Angel and Gunn have told
you is true. Vengeance will have a price. And once you've acted, you can't go
back. You have to live with your actions forever.
FRED
He's a serial killer.
WESLEY
All right, then. (stands, goes to bookcase) I'm sure we'll find an appropriate
solution.
With Fred looking over his shoulder, Wes flips through a large book he took off the shelf. He stops at an interesting page.
WESLEY
Oh, here's something interesting. Once practiced in ancient Egypt.
FRED
Is that his tongue?
Just then, Fred's cell phone rings. She picks it up to look at the screen, and instead of a Caller ID phone number, the screen is filled with symbols like those from Professor Seidel's book. The phone makes some strange noises. Then a sudden wind comes from out of nowhere, as Wes and Fred realize that yet another portal has been opened, right there in Wes's apartment. Wes grabs Fred, prevents her from being sucked into the portal vortex. They jump to hide behind the couch.
Cut to:
35 EXT. RANDOM STREET
IN LOS ANGELES - NIGHT
Falling to the ground together, Cordelia lands on top of Connor, facing him.
CORDELIA
Thanks.
CONNOR
Anytime.
A vampire growls and comes for them. Cordelia gets out of the way, and Connor pushes the vamp down. The vampire comes for him again, but Connor jumps ten feet in the air and grabs onto some pipes before letting go and landing in front of the vampire and pushing him away again.
CORDELIA
Can I help?
Connor continues to fight with the vampire, trying to stake him, with Cordelia on the sidelines. Connor gets pushed down, and Cordelia jumps in. She fights at first with a battle axe, but the vampire knocks it out of her hands. Then she uses her powerful karate moves on him, keeping him at bay while she picks up the stake that Connor dropped. She plunges the stake into the vampire's heart with precision, and the vampire turns into dust before her eyes.
CORDELIA
(out of breath) I did it. I did it.
Connor stands up, and Cordelia runs to him with a celebratory hug. He spins her around. When he puts her down, she gives him an innocent, friendly, quick kiss on the mouth.
CORDELIA
Mwa!
Connor seizes the opportunity, and pulls her to him, kissing her more passionately. When they stop, Cordelia looks confused. She puts her hand to her mouth and seems subtly to wipe it away. She smiles nervously, not knowing how to react.
Cut to:
36 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Angel and Gunn are standing in Fred's empty bedroom.
GUNN
And I'm asking her if she wants cocoa. Stupid!
ANGEL
She's gonna kill him.
GUNN
If he doesn't kill her first. You know where she went.
ANGEL
Look, I'm faster on my own.
GUNN
Go. I'll meet you there.
ANGEL
She'll be OK. (jumps out the window)
Cut to:
37 EXT. WESLEY'S CAR ON
THE STREET - NIGHT
Fred is riding in the passenger seat, loading a crossbow. Wes is driving,
watching her, concerned.
WESLEY
You remember everything we went over?
FRED
I do. And I'm gonna give him exactly what he deserves, (looks at Wes) thanks to
you. (beat) What?
WESLEY
I was just thinking, um—not that I don't get his point—but I'm surprised Gunn's
not here, no matter what the consequences.
FRED
Charles doesn't have it in him. It's part of what I love about him. (Wes looks
at her)
WESLEY
You can still back out, if you think Gunn's right.
FRED
It's not about what's right. Pull over there.
WESLEY
(stops car) I'd ask to tag along—
FRED
But you know what the answer would be. (gets out of the car)
Cut to:
38 INT. PROFESSOR
SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Professor Seidel is packing files in a storage box. Angel opens the door to the
office.
ANGEL
Going somewhere?
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
No. No. I— (hides behind desk)
ANGEL
(throws desk to the side) I hear Pelican Bay is nice this time of year. And I'm
sure the inmates'll just love your lectures.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Get out of here.
ANGEL
See, I can't do that. Fred's a friend of mine. And that little sabbatical you
had planned for her—not nice.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
You don't have any evidence on me. You can't. (grabs book off shelf)
ANGEL
Oh, but I can. And when I'm done, I'm guessing there's gonna be a full
confession—
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
(opens book, reading aloud) Barathrum copeo lacero. Increpito immanis barathrum
copeo lacero.
A portal opens beside the Professor, and a green scaly demon walks out of it. It goes after Angel.
ANGEL
Great.
As Angel tries to figure out how to deal with the demon, the Professor runs out of his office and into the lab area.
Cut to:
39 INT. LAB OUTSIDE
PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Professor Seidel is fleeing his office, going through the lab on his way out of
the building, but Fred's already there. She knocks him down to the ground with
the butt of her crossbow. She points the crossbow at him while he is helpless on
the ground.
FRED
You know what they say about payback? Well, I'm the bitch.
Fade to black.
40 INT. ATTIC AT
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM - NIGHT
Cordelia is folding her clothes and putting them away on an industrial shelving
unit that's already there in the attic. Connor walks up behind her, puts his
arms around her waist and his head on her shoulder where they're almost
cheek-to-cheek.
CONNOR
How 'bout some more training? Then tomorrow we can—
CORDELIA
(tenses up) Uh, Connor, (steps out of his embrace and faces him) we need to
talk.
CONNOR
OK.
CORDELIA
OK. (leads him to the bed) Sit down. (he sits on the edge, and she sits beside
him) (sighs) About what happened... earlier. The non-CPR mouth-to-mouth—
CONNOR
When you kissed me.
CORDELIA
Right. I shouldn't have.
CONNOR
(confused and upset) But—
CORDELIA
Connor, I don't know who I am, much less where I belong, or who with. And
there's a picture over there when you were a baby—it's only eight months old.
There's a lot I need to figure out. I'm sorry. (Connor looks down, visibly upset
and disappointed) So, I'm gonna—
CONNOR
(stands, angry) You're going back to him, aren't you?
CORDELIA
(stands) I just need some time to think, OK? (walks out)
Connor turns and punches a nearby post as hard as he can.
Cut to:
41 INT. PROFESSOR
SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Angel punches the demon across the room. The demon lands in the bookcase and
falls to the floor. Angel takes the desk phone and smashes the demon in the
head, splattering demon goo on his leather jacket.
ANGEL
Oh, man.
Angel starts to walk away, thinking the battle is over, when the demon's
clawed hand grabs him by the ankle, causing Angel to fall to the ground.
ANGEL
What?
The demon stands, and they begin to battle again.
Cut to:
42 INT. LAB OUTSIDE
PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Fred still has a crossbow pointed at Professor Seidel.
FRED
Stay right there.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Winifred. Fred. Please. (stands) Let's talk about this.
FRED
Talk? Sure, let's talk, 'cause you gave me the chance to— Oh, wait, no you
didn't. Oh well. No talking.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Fred, I know you. You're not capable of hurting anyone.
FRED
You don't know me. Not anymore. Five years of pain and suffering in a hell
dimension'll make a girl capable of a lot of things.
Cut to:
43 INT. PROFESSOR
SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Angel is holding the demon's head, while looking at the body across the room.
Angel appears to have defeated the demon again, but then his hand starts to move
again.
ANGEL
Come on. I'm holding your head.
The demon gets up, headless, and sprouts a new head. It attacks Angel, and they battle again.
Cut to:
44 INT. LAB OUTSIDE
PROFESSOR SEIDEL'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Fred still has a crossbow pointed at Professor Seidel, who's now standing
against one of the lab desks.
FRED
It's kind of funny, thinking how threatened you were by me back when I was a
grad student. That's why you sent me and the others away, isn't it? You couldn't
handle the competition.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Fred—
FRED
That's why Laurie's still around. She's not smart enough to overshadow you, is
she? Not like me. I'm special. Special on a Pylean platter with a side of you
make me sick!
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Why don't you just let me—
FRED
Go? Well, since you asked so nicely, sure. I've even practiced a goodbye speech.
Fred backs away and starts speaking in Egyptian.
FRED
Klyv mat chyvma, klvma chyt.
A portal has opened in the floor in front of the Professor, and it's sucking him in. He's clinging to the lab desk as Charles Gunn bursts into the lab.
GUNN
Fred, no! (edges toward her)
FRED
Go away, Charles! You asked me not to kill him, and I'm not. Not exactly.
GUNN
Sure you are. No way he could survive that. Fred, don't let him do this to you.
FRED
How dare you! You don't know— You don't know what it was like!
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Please, help me!
GUNN
I promise we'll stop him. We'll find some other way.
The desk that the professor is clinging to is loosening from its fixtures and starts to be pulled into the portal.
PROFESSOR SEIDEL
Fred! Winifred! Please! Help me!
FRED
Don't you see? He'll never stop! He'll do it again!
GUNN
If you kill him, I'm gonna lose you.
Gunn goes to the Professor, and grabs his arm, holding onto him as the desk gets pulled into the portal.
FRED
Charles, no!
Gunn breaks the Professor's neck, and pushes him into the portal. It closes behind the Professor. Fred and Gunn stare at each other, trying to absorb what just happened.
ANGEL
(comes out of the office into the lab) What happened to the professor?
GUNN
It's taken care of.
Cut to:
45 INT. HOTEL/ANGEL
INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
Fred, Gunn and Angel come into the lobby through the front door.
ANGEL
Sucked into his own portal. (shakes head) Wish I could have seen his face.
GUNN
Yeah. I'm gonna...(walks upstairs)
FRED
Good night. (walks upstairs)
Angel's a little perplexed as he watches them go upstairs seeming sad and exhausted. This isn't the usual behavior after a mission. He turns back to the lobby, and sees Cordelia standing at the door.
CORDELIA
Hi.
ANGEL
Cordelia.
CORDELIA
Can we... (gestures to the garden door)
Cut to:
46 EXT. GARDEN AT
HOTEL/ANGEL INVESTIGATIONS - NIGHT
They sit on the edge of the little pond. Cordelia sits first. Angel hesitates,
but sits beside her—just not too close. She reaches for his injured cheek.
CORDELIA
You should have somebody look at that.
ANGEL
(recoils from her touch) It'll be OK. Run-in with a Voynok demon. Turns out they
have nine lives.
CORDELIA
Like a cat?
ANGEL
(laughs) Only less stand-offish.
CORDELIA
We were friends. I know that. Not just from the pictures, but... And I know
that's why you lied before—to protect me. Well, I-I staked a vamp today—
ANGEL
Connor took you—?
CORDELIA
And what I realized is whoever I was before, I'm still her. She didn't need
protecting, and neither do I. So no more lies.
ANGEL
No more lies.
CORDELIA
OK. Because there's something I need to know. Were we in love?
Cut to:
Closing credits.