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Scene: The same white room as before. ANGEL still chained, hanging unconscious. The same VOICE as before speaks, but this time it emanates from speakers in the corner of the room.

 

VOICE (crooning, singsong): Angel.

 

ANGEL stirs, groaning.

 

VOICE: A-ngelll

 

ANGEL stirs again and we focus in on his nose. His nostrils twitch – he’s smelt something.

 

The VOICE suddenly metamorphoses into that of LORNE.

 

LORNE-VOICE (sharp): Time to wake up buckaroo.

 

ANGEL’s eyes snap open and he looks around bewildered.

 

ANGEL: Lorne? <yelling> LORNE!

VOICE (back to normal, slightly mocking): No, only me. Just a private conversation, you and me, together over some dinner.

 

ANGEL looks down and looks horrified and disgusted. His nostrils twitch again. The VOICE changes to WESLEY.

 

VOICE-WESLEY: If you wanted to be picky, you could say that dinner is in on the conversation as well. But then again, I don’t expect she’ll be around to hear the end of it.

 

The camera pans down from ANGEL’s revolted expression to show a girl kneeling on the floor in front of him. She’s awake, whimpering through a gag and has blood running down the side of her neck from what appears to be two holes from a vampire bite. She’s only about 15 or so, wearing only a nightdress and bears a striking resemblance to Elise (she’s very definitely not though).

 

ANGEL looks disgusted, but he can definitely smell the blood. And it’s making him hungry. He’s trying to control himself, but every second he’s getting hungrier.

 

ANGEL: Get her out of here. Let her go.

VOICE-CONNOR (angry, like Season 4 angry): Why?

ANGEL (unable to cope, stunned): Connor…

VOICE-CONNOR: It’s what you are. What you do. Isn’t it?

 

The VOICE changes back to normal again.

 

VOICE: Kelly, won’t you stand up? Show my guest what a table I’ve laid out.

 

The girl is crying, but she stands, her movement awkward and obviously involuntary, as though she is being hauled to her feet by unseen arms. ANGEL can now see the fresh blood glinting on her neck and it’s all he can do not to salivate. She’s whimpering still, but ANGEL can’t take his eyes off her neck.

 

Suddenly the manacles spring free from ANGEL’s arms and he falls, unprepared for the sudden movement. He catches himself, his arms on the girl’s shoulders and then realises what position he’s in, just inches away from fresh human blood. He vamps, dragging her close to him, his fingers now gripping tightly into her flesh.

 

He holds for a second, the only sound being the girl’s stifled whimpering. He bends his head closer and closer…

 

Then at the last minute he hurls her away, pushing her across the room, away from him. Then he goes to the opposite corner to be as far away from temptation as possible, turning his head away to the wall.

 

VOICE: Disappointing.

 

The room is silent. ANGEL whips his head around, but the girl isn’t there anymore. The only evidence that she ever was is a small splatter of blood in the corner where he threw her.

 

VOICE: Yet interesting.

 

ANGEL staggers around, looking vainly for the girl who has vanished out of this small white cell with no doors.

 

VOICE: I always find it so enthralling to watch something go against its natural state, don’t you?

ANGEL (cross and confused): Where did she go?

VOICE: A vampire with a soul, with an urge to do good, to obey the moral construct of ‘right.’ Such a fascinating dichotomy, isn’t it?

ANGEL: What did you do to her?

VOICE: Well that depends. What if I told you that I killed her? That she was dead whether you fed on her or not?

 

ANGEL reels.

 

VOICE: Or maybe I could tell you that I let her go and that by not feeding on her you’ve saved her life?

ANGEL (small voice): Stop it.

VOICE: Would you feel better about yourself, knowing that you’ve saved a life?

ANGEL (louder): Stop it.

VOICE: <small chuckle> Maybe her life wasn’t worth saving Angel, did you consider that? What if I released her so that she could go back to a life of excruciating torment and agony? What if you could’ve released her from that?

ANGEL (screaming): STOP IT!

 

He runs at the wall, slamming his hands into it in one violent catharsis. The VOICE chuckles and the chuckle develops into an evil laugh, mocking and smug at the same time.

 

VOICE: Oh that’s something I do enjoy seeing. Chaos. If you force something to go against its natural instincts, then you produce chaos. And I am interested in chaos.

 

ANGEL whirls, looking around for the voice, for something he can hit.

 

ANGEL: Where are you?

VOICE: Still looking for a target Angel? <beat> You want something you can sink your teeth into. You know these things always come at a price.

 

ANGEL reacts to hearing exactly the same words that the little girl in The White Room said to him in Season 3.

 

ANGEL: Wolfram and Hart. <whirls round, staring at the white décor> The little girl, she said that. <beat> Is this the White Room?

 

The VOICE guffaws, sounding genuinely tickled by what ANGEL has said, in the kind of way you’d laugh if a pet does something amusing.

 

ANGEL: So this isn’t the White Room?

 

The wall in front of him shimmers and a message and an icon fades into view.

 

YOU’RE                                                [Circle of the Black Thorn symbol]

LOOKING

IN THE

WRONG

PLACE

 

Just as in the message ANGEL sent to Wesley in 5x21 - Power Play. ANGEL reacts.

 

 

Scene: A dark alleyway in London. It’s quiet, tranquil, empty for a moment. Then a fire door in one of the buildings slams open and a figure comes flying out, arse first, and slams into the opposite wall. It’s LORNE and he’s not looking good. He’s still wearing the ragged clothes from earlier and looks more dishevelled than before – hair mussed, hat and shades missing, bruises and scars littering his face.

 

He picks himself up gingerly, wincing with every motion and turns to the still open fire exit.

 

LORNE (indignant): Jess! Come on. What did I do to get that?

 

JESS steps out onto the step outside the door. She is diminutive, the very picture of petite, maybe 4 ft 11 and slenderly built with it. She speaks in a central London accent and is chewing something throughout the whole conversation.

 

JESS: You’ve pissed off the big noise Lorne. They’re looking for ya and they’re gonna find ya.. And it’d be absolutely sterling if, when they do find you, they find you somewhere a long way away from me.

LORNE: So, what? You’re chucking me out, forgetting our friendship, abandoning all loyalty when times get tough?

JESS: Pretty much, yeah.

 

She steps down the set of steps and stands next to LORNE looking up at him.

 

JESS: I run a simple business, full of very simple customers. You, on the other hand, are not simple. You are complicated and will not cease being complicated until you stop pissing people off. I don’t need that.

 

She places both hands on LORNE’s chest and launches him 6ft down the alleyway.

 

JESS: Now, piss off.

 

She turns and walks back into her building. LORNE gets up and calls after her.

 

LORNE: Can I at least have my hat back?

 

The Homburg comes frisbeeing out of the fire exit to land on the floor. LORNE limps over and picks it up, muttering under his breath. He looks up and sees a large shadow standing in the mouth of the alleyway towards which he’s facing. LORNE jams the hat on his head and starts to head in the other direction, only to stop after a couple of seconds as the other end of the alley is blocked by an imposing-looking silhouette.

 

He turns to see that the first demon is now walking down the alleyway towards him. He turns to the fire exit he just came out of only to see it slammed very sharply.

 

LORNE: Jess!

 

He runs up the step and begins banging on the door.

 

LORNE: Jess, Jess, sweetie, honeybunch, you’ve got to let me back in!

 

He’s getting more and more panicked as the two demons converge on him from either side. LORNE turns with his back to the door to see both demons standing next to him, on the ground below the steps he’s standing on.

 

LORNE (attempt at bravado in hope that they’ve not come for him): Hi, fellas. How… er How can I help you two guys?

FIRST DEMON: Pylean.

LORNE: Actually, no. He’s just inside here. If you hurry, you might catch him… (sinking face) You’re not gonna buy that one are you?

 

The SECOND DEMON pulls a knife that looks as though a Neanderthal made it in Technology to bring home for Mum. Very blunt, very rough, very brutal. LORNE eyes it with fear and gulps.

 

LORNE: Guess not.

 

SECOND DEMON raises the knife. LORNE closes his eyes. There is a whickering sound of a knife flying through the air. SECOND DEMON suddenly has a Bowie knife embedded in its forearm. It grunts slightly, in confusion, rather than in pain and turns to see who attacked it.

 

As it turns, a figure lands a flying kick on it, sending it flying into FIRST DEMON and leaving LORNE unmolested. He opens his eyes and looks around him in disbelief at still being in one piece.

 

FIRST DEMON gets up and launches a punch at the, as yet unseen figure who blocks it and drops the demon with an elbow to the ribcage. SECOND DEMON gets up and the figure punches it in the throat, unleashing a combo that strikes each demon twice without either of them touching him.

 

LORNE watches this, frozen for a second and then decides it’s time for him to make the most of his good fortune and run. The figure lets go of the two demons and grabs his arm, swinging him gently, but firmly against the wall and for the first time we see who it is. It’s CONNOR.

 

CONNOR turns back to the reeling demons, delivering a kick to both of their heads that sends them down and keeps them there. He then turns back to LORNE, who is quailing where he was flung.

 

CONNOR: It’s okay Lorne. I’m here to rescue you.

LORNE: Oh, well that’s great, and thank you, but I just have to go…

 

He makes an attempt to go for the end of the alley, but CONNOR grips his arm and pushes him against the wall again.

 

CONNOR: You don’t remember me?

 

LORNE just looks confused.

 

CONNOR: Huh. Guess the spell didn’t work on everyone. Come on.

 

He hold LORNE’s arm and pulls his forcefully to walk with him.

 

CONNOR (as they leave): I need your help.

 

 

Scene: A small suburban house in Manchester. BUFFY is talking to VI in a cosily attired living room, full of knackered furniture and worn out carpet.

 

VI: Where’s Mr Giles?

BUFFY: He’s still gathering the troops, getting as many slayers as he can here.

 

She sighs and sits down on a settee.

 

BUFFY: He still thinks this is a bad idea.

VI: I’m not sure it’s not not a bad idea. <flummoxes herself, then recomposes> This thing managed to put two slayers in the hospital.

BUFFY: All the more reason it needs to be put down now. All we need to know is where it’s going and what it’s going to do.

VI: Do you want some tea?

BUFFY (surprised by the non-sequiter): No… no I’m okay.

VI: Sorry, it’s just something you do in England. Everyone offers tea. <leans in conspiratorially to BUFFY> I’m not quite used to it yet.

 

GILES enters.

 

VI: Mr Giles! <as though painstakingly rehearsed> Would you like a cup of tea?

GILES: Oh, well yes please.

 

VI gives a conspiratorial smile to BUFFY and goes to the kitchen.

 

BUFFY: Did you find it?

GILES: I’ve made some enquirie…

BUFFY: Did you find it?

GILES: Apparently it’s come to a stop in London, in an area called Peckham. But Buffy, I really do think…

BUFFY: This thing needs to be killed Giles, before it does any more killing. How many slayers have we got?

 

VI comes back in with tea.

 

GILES: Four, including yourself.

BUFFY: More than enough. We should get going. 

GILES sighs and sips his tea.

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