Seniority 1.01 "The Fading Line"
Seniority 1.01 “The Fading Line”

Teaser

The episode opens to a reddish-brunette WOMAN. She’s standing in an old room with weapons and armour on different tables and racks, and is standing in front of a full length mirror.

A drum-heavy fast music track begins to play behind the action.

The BRUNETTE WOMAN grabs a thin shirt of silver chain mail and fits it over her shirt, pulling it down to cover down to her waist.

CUT TO a blonde WOMAN with shorter hair then the other, in a similar but darker room. She pulls a sword from a rack and swings it around, staring at the end of the blade.

CUT TO the BRUNETTE WOMAN, who pulls a medieval shield from a table and stares at it, tapping it with her hand. Shaking her head, she discards it.

CUT TO the BLONDE WOMAN, who picks up two small daggers and slides them down into sheaths on her belt.

CUT TO the BRUNETTE WOMAN, who grabs a bright silver sword from a rack expertly and moves towards the door. As she opens the door, she stops, staring out in front of her, sword at the ready.

CUT TO the BLONDE WOMAN, standing in the doorway of her own room, sword held ready but low. She smiles coldly to herself.

BLONDE WOMAN: My enemy.

CUT TO BLACK, AND FADE IN TO a dark raining alley. The sounds of yelling and roaring can be heard in the distance as the camera moves through the alley, and a new woman begins to talk.

WOMAN V.O.: Life changes.

We pan past the body of a dead human, a homeless man by his clothes.

WOMAN V.O.: Situations change. Alliances change.

We pan past the mangled body of a woman, her legs twisted out of shape.

WOMAN V.O.: Everything changes.

The camera continues to pan until it reveals ANGEL, SPIKE, ILLYRIA and GUNN standing in the alley, facing the source of the roaring. ANGEL is holding a sword and GUNN is clutching at his stomach, pouring blood.

WOMAN V.O.: And some things stay the same after years and years.

SPIKE: In terms of a plan…

ANGEL stares out in front of as him as the roars increase in volume. His face hardens into a determined gaze.

ANGEL: We fight.

WOMAN V.O.: Change is never a constant.

SENIORITY

Starring:
Claudia Karvan -- Julia Illery
Tricia Helfer -- Elsria Atral
Bebe Neuwirth -- Triahlla
Christopher Meloni -- Larrak
Mehcad Brooks -- Assad Merangan
Tygh Runyan -- Raoul Marks
and Tilda Swinton as Madam Geier

Special Guest Starring:
David Boreanaz -- Angel
James Marsters -- Spike
Amy Acker -- Illyria
J August Richards -- Charles Gunn

Guest Starring:
Stephanie March -- Laelyan
Wayne Pygram -- Demon Leader
and Rita Moreno -- Gywnnda

Written By: Andrew Sutherland

Created By: Andrew Sutherland

Seniority, and all original characters within Seniority, are property of Andrew Sutherland AKA Kold and may not be used without his express permission. Lore and universe is copyright to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. Some characters may belong to him.




ACT I

The Act opens to the BRUNETTE WOMAN – JULIA – walking into a furnished room and sitting down on a chair.

WOMAN V.O.: To understand, we have to see what came first.

JULIA (Australian accent, calling out): Raoul! Er, Assad! Anyone here?

An older, weathered and darker WOMAN teleports into the room with a subtle flash.

JULIA: Gwynnda. What is it?

GWYNNDA: I’m checking. Any problems with that?

JULIA: No, just… I’m not sure about this arrangement. And where are they when I call them?

GWYNNDA: Can YOU hear when you’re half a city away from the caller?

JULIA gives her a confused look, and GWYNNDA smiles calmly.

GWYNNDA: They’re on a job away from here.

JULIA: Oh.

CUT TO an empty playground. The calm silence is broken as a dark-skinned MAN is thrown backwards onto the swing set and stumbles to the ground.

MAN: Oh God…

OTHER MAN: Christ! Look out Assad!

The camera pans out to show the other MAN, white-skinned and looking worried, holding a young GIRL. The source of his anxiety is a large spined DEMON that is advancing on ASSAD, who is getting up painfully.

ASSAD (annoyed): Well do you want to help?

OTHER MAN: You’re the fighter, I have to protect the girl!

ASSAD (sarcastically): Excellent reason!

He ducks a punch from the DEMON and reciprocates with a kick then an elbow to its face, grazing his elbow slightly. He gasps in pain and is grabbed by the DEMON and thrown to the side. The other MAN looks indecisive and shakes his head repeatedly, before sighing and grabbing the GIRL’s hand and running back to an elevated platform of the playground.

OTHER MAN: Stay here, okay?

The GIRL nods, very frightened, and the other MAN yells out something unintelligible to ASSAD, throwing a dagger to him. ASSAD catches it while on the ground, and flips up as the DEMON looms over him.

ASSAD: Finally, Raoul…

Sweeping in, ASSAD stabs the DEMON between the eyes, letting it drop and pulling out the dagger.

ASSAD: There.

He passes the dagger back to RAOUL and the two start to walk away from the playground, RAOUL grabbing the GIRL in his arms as they pass her.

ASSAD: If you had decided to help from the beginning, there wouldn’t have been such a middle.

RAOUL: That’s great, very deep.

ASSAD gives him an exasperated look.

RAOUL: Oh, please. We’ve only been working together for about five days, we’re not in the rhythm yet. Besides, you’re not my boss.

ASSAD: I should be.

RAOUL: But you’re not. (muttering under his breath) That Australian bird is.

CUT TO JULIA and GWYNNDA in the room they were in before.

GWYNNDA: Not sure about this… arrangement, did you call it?

JULIA: Exactly.

GWYNNDA: The Powers that Be have seen fit to create this arrangement.

JULIA: Yes, that’s… good. But why now? And why am I in charge of people that came before me?

GWYNNDA: Don’t ask me, dear. Obviously the Powers believed you to be the most capable in this situation. And believe me, this is a situation.

JULIA: Go on.

GWYNNDA: The Powers strive for balance. The enemy… the Senior Partners, as they call themselves… they attempt to achieve power. They have created a power play, and now the Powers have to balance it. Or weaken it in their own favour.

JULIA: You’re saying that the Senior Partners have created a unit like this?

GWYNNDA: I’m also saying that they’re your enemy.

CUT TO a darker room, looking more like part of a warehouse. There are several chairs and a table in the room, where there are also several racks of weapons and such. The BLONDE WOMAN – ELSRIA – seats herself down on one of the chairs next to a slightly older, dark brunette WOMAN.

ELSRIA: Good morning, Triahlla.

TRIAHLLA says nothing, staring bitterly ahead of her.

ELSRIA: Triahlla, you know why we’re back here. She wanted us back together, and through some infinite wisdom I appear to be in charge.

TRIAHLLA continues to stare out in front of her.

ELSRIA (snapping): Triahlla!

TRIAHLLA (in a sudden outburst): They’ve answered, oh leader. The Powers that Be have created an institution to contest ours.

ELSRIA looks shocked and then calms herself.

ELSRIA: Oh, you knew that it would happen. Two weeks ago she reformed us, of course they were going to answer.

TRIAHLLA: Everything is going to be harder now, Elsria. Are you sure that you can cut it?

ELSRIA: Don’t be so scared. Keep your bitch in, witch.

TRIAHLLA seems to expand with anger but ELSRIA laughs.

ELSRIA: You don’t want the challenge, Triahlla? Too old for all of this?

TRIAHLLA: I’m still older and wiser then you, Elsria.

ELSRIA: Oh I’ve been to Niflheim and back, and I’ve suffered there for eternities of pain, the burning and the cold, and the horrors I’ve witnessed, and I don’t take kindly to being called unwise for it.

TRIAHLLA: Well… why do you think you were there in the first place?

ELSRIA sits back silently in her chair as TRIAHLLA leans forward, smiling.

TRIAHLLA: She left me a message. We have our assignment soon. Why we were all brought back two weeks ago.

ELSRIA: Our only assignment?

TRIAHLLA: You really think that it will be the only? This is permanent, Elsria. Things have been shaken up and this is big to her.

ELSRIA: Well, what’s the assignment?

TRIAHLLA: I don’t know. We have to wait for Larrak.

ELSRIA shudders.

ELSRIA: Sometimes I’d rather go back to Hell.

TRIAHLLA: Too bad that that’s just the kind of thing that would attract him.

CUT TO the furnished room with JULIA and GWYNNDA in it. ASSAD and RAOUL knock and open the door, walking in.

GWYNNDA: Did you save the girl?

RAOUL: She’s fine.

ASSAD: Demon’s dead on top of that.

GWYNNDA: Good.

JULIA: So why did nobody think to inform me of this mission?

GWYNNDA: Because you weren’t necessary, dear. You have bigger things on your plate.

As JULIA looks like she is about to respond, GWYNNDA puts a finger in the air to silence them.

GWYNNDA: Now… you have all been doing this for quite some time. Not long enough, but a considerable time to human perceptions.

ASSAD: And me?

GWYNNDA: You’re a toddler, Assad. The only good thing about that is that these two are babies. So… you’re all here for very important reasons, I hope you understand. Even more strongly, you all died for very important things. You’re Higher Beings.

JULIA: Yes, Gwynnda. We’re Higher Beings. We understand.

GWYNNDA: Except that now you have purpose. You are now a team, and you’re here to change things. You are not aloof. You are not untouchable.

RAOUL: Why us? Surely there has to be somebody else who did more-

GWYNNDA: You’re important. And sometimes the Powers aren’t the ones to govern their own choices.

ASSAD: So all we are…

GWYNNDA: You’re heroes, but nobody is going to know your names.

They stand in silence as GWYNNDA smiles brightly and claps her hands.

JULIA: Well, great, but I need to take a bit of alone time for now. I’ll be back soon?

GWYNNDA gives her a knowing smile and nods her head, and JULIA walks out the door.

CUT TO a young blonde GIRL, possibly 8-10, sitting in the grass in a park, reading. JULIA materialises beneath some trees in the park unnoticed, and sits in the shadows watching the girl intently.

JULIA (whispering): Maria…

WOMAN V.O.: When things change, we don’t want to go with them. When we lose the things we most need, we take whatever we can.

JULIA (whispering): Mummy loves you, sweetie, she wishes she could be with you right now…

WOMAN V.O.: Even heroes have their weaknesses.

JULIA (whispering): I need you, baby. All the time, every day.

She sniffs and turns away with a last lingering glance at MARIA.

CUT TO ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA in their warehouse room. They are both seated, TRIAHLLA leaning back and ELSRIA with her head rested on her arms, which are leaning on the table.

ELSRIA: When did you say?

TRIAHLLA (snapping): I’m not in charge of her appearances.

ELSRIA: Obviously. She’s got us waiting here like lost little lambs. In fact, so has Larrak.

TRIAHLLA: He’s not better then us. Not anymore

ELSRIA: Well, I’ll give him that little memo.

TRIAHLLA bares her teeth at ELSRIA, but then sits forward suddenly.

TRIAHLLA: She’s coming.

CUT TO RAOUL and ASSAD sitting in the furnished room. JULIA knocks and enters, and the two turn to look.

RAOUL: Julia. Hi.

He looks like he is about to continue, when he suddenly gasps in pain and doubles over, clutching his head. ASSAD and JULIA look alarmed.

ASSAD: What’s going on?

RAOUL gasps and falls to the floor, relaxing, as JULIA and ASSAD stare at him with wide eyes.

JULIA (alarmed): What the hell was that?

RAOUL: Visions. I… had them when I was alive.

JULIA: Visions?

RAOUL: Of people in danger.

ASSAD: And now you need them again?

JULIA: What did you see?

RAOUL: Four people… in an alley, wet and raining. The woman has blue hair… she’s not human. Neither are two of the men. They’re vampires…

ASSAD: We need to kill these things?

RAOUL (forcefully): No! The intuition attached to these visions is very specific. They’re good. We need to help them. We’re supposed to save them.

JULIA: This is the big thing?

She looks to RAOUL in supplication. He shrugs helplessly.

RAOUL: I don’t know!

JULIA (calling out): Gwynnda! Gwynnda!!

GWYNNDA teleports in with a subtle flash, called by JULIA.

GWYNNDA (gravely): You’ve received your first vision, Raoul?

RAOUL: Not my first.

GWYNNDA: You get the picture. Listen, you have to take these. These are your tasks, sent by the Powers. I can help out with the paperwork, but most of the time you’ll have to figure it out.

JULIA: Just give us a hint?

GWYNNDA: In the next few hours there will be a major fallout in the balance, the one we’ve been preparing for. You have to save the survivors from the Senior Partners’ army. Angel and Spike are vampires with souls, Illyria is a moderately redeemed Old One, Charles Gunn is human. Keep them in your minds.

JULIA: What… exactly do we do?

GWYNNDA: The details will emerge in Raoul’s mind. There is greater mastery over the visions after life. Just be ready to fight.

GWYNNDA teleports away, leaving JULIA and ASSAD to exchange solemn glances.

CUT TO the warehouse room with ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA.

TRIAHLLA (urgently): Quickly, get your amulet!

ELSRIA pulls an amulet out from her pocket and places it in the palm of her hand.

ELSRIA: What about Larrak’s?

TRIAHLLA: I have it.

She pulls out two amulets and puts them on the table. ELSRIA quickly drops her on the table to form a rough triangular shape, and light forms between the three amulets to manifest a figure behind where ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA are sitting. They turn to see her and bow their heads.

TRIAHLLA: Madam Geier.

MADAM GEIER is tall and grey, misty and not really all there, with pale inhuman skin and cold eyes.

MADAM GEIER: Elsria. Triahlla. Larrak is not apparent?

ELSRIA: Not as yet.

MADAM GEIER: Larrak will be here. He was once a Senior Partner as I and knows the importance of what we do.

ELSRIA: What is our mission?

MADAM GEIER: Of the gravest importance, my dear. One of the other Partners has his own institution, high profile, but that is all coming to a close. Now we’re all involved, and that’s brought in the Powers that Be. And that’s where you’re included…

MADAM GEIER smiles darkly as the sound fades out.

WOMAN V.O.: My name is Laelyan, and I can see what Gods and Powers see.

END OF ACT I


ACT II

The Act opens to JULIA, ASSAD and RAOUL in their furnished room. RAOUL pulls out his dagger and wipes it as JULIA and ASSAD sit.

ASSAD: Ready to fight?

RAOUL: No.

JULIA: I am.

ASSAD (sceptically): Can you fight?

JULIA looks offended.

JULIA: I can. I’ve been imbued with the power to.

ASSAD: I was just asking.

JULIA rolls her eyes and walks over to one of the doors.

JULIA: Hey, you know we have an armoury in here.

She taps the door lightly to indicate it and walks back to her seat.

RAOUL: Good. Good.

He sits down next to JULIA. She looks at him.

JULIA: Oh. Not going to get your weapons?

RAOUL: It’s not like you are yet.

ASSAD sighs and sits down next to the two.

ASSAD (bluntly): So. How did you die?

JULIA (taken aback): Er… I’m not really comfortable talking about that, Assad.

RAOUL: Neither am I, for that matter.

ASSAD sighs.

ASSAD: Sorry. I forget that you might not want to talk about it, since I don’t mind. I’ve been gone a while, it doesn’t hurt me to talk about it.

JULIA: So then… how DID you die?

ASSAD: Demons attacked my tribe, and I died stopping them from getting the children.

JULIA: Your… tribe?

RAOUL: He’s native African.

JULIA: Native African? But you’ve kinda got an American accent

ASSAD: Well, that was about 3000 years ago. I pick things up.

JULIA: Right. (pause) Listen, get your weapons, I need to stake out the territory, or so they say. I’ll be back.

ASSAD nods as JULIA stands up to walk to the door.

CUT TO a dark raining street, empty but for a few parked cars on the side of the road. The buildings look old and for the most part abandoned. A loud rushing sound can be heard and a huge red light appears in the centre of the street and a DEMON steps out, with huge spikes and large armour, holding a metal spiked club.

DEMON: Los Angeles.

He turns back towards the portal as similar, but slightly smaller and less armoured DEMONS run out, roaring. The DEMON LEADER points his club forward into the sky as a DRAGON flies out above them.

DEMON LEADER (yelling above the roars): The Senior Partners have instructed us where to go! We shall not pillage this city! Not until we have killed the vampire with a soul and all who help him!

CUT TO the darker warehouse, where ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA are facing MADAM GEIER, still in the mist before them.

ELSRIA: What would you have us do?

MADAM GEIER smiles faux warmly at her.

MADAM GEIER: Kill them all. What did you think I wanted you to do?

ELSRIA: We have a good track record.

TRIAHLLA: What about Larrak?

MADAM GEIER: Larrak will join you on his own. Do not wait for him, he will be right behind you. Now… do not disappoint me. You were reformed for this very purpose.

ELSRIA: We won’t disappoint you.

MADAM GEIER: Then prepare yourselves.

She fades away into the mist, and with a hissing sound, the mist disappears back into the amulets. ELSRIA moves to pick hers up as TRIAHLLA sits.

TRIAHLLA: There. We’d better prepare ourselves.

ELSRIA: Just make sure your magic is working.

She stands and starts to walk out.

TRIAHLLA: Where are you going?

ELSRIA: Away.

CUT TO the alley outside the Hyperion. It is night and raining, and JULIA steps out into the alley, trying to stay in the shade so as to not get herself wet.

JULIA: Here?

She shakes her head.

JULIA: Not a good place for a to-the-death battle.

She continues walking and passes ELSRIA, walking down the other side of the alley away from the rain. Suddenly stopping, ELSRIA turns to stare at JULIA. JULIA, noticing her gaze, turns to stare back, her eyes widening suddenly. ELSRIA smiles.

ELSRIA: I can feel you.

JULIA: You’re one of them.

ELSRIA: And you’re one of them.

ELSRIA lets out a cry and leaps into the rain at JULIA, who steps out into the rain to dodge ELSRIA’s punch.

ELSRIA: I can finish your side before we even get to the job.

JULIA: Thanks for the information.

As she says it, JULIA catches ELSRIA’s fist and hits her in the face with it. ELSRIA kicks at JULIA’s knee, forcing her backwards, then continues in the rhythm with a jumping back kick to JULIA’s chest. JULIA stumbles backwards as ELSRIA grins.

ELSRIA: I can tell you whatever I want to, it’s not like you’ll survive to pass it on.

JULIA punches ELSRIA in the face and kicks her in the chest.

JULIA: I’ve heard all this before.

She punches at ELSRIA, who blocks the punch and reciprocates with an elbow to the nose. JULIA stumbles backwards and compensates with a side kick. ELSRIA moves a little too late and the kick lands on her thigh, but she brushes it off to pull a knife out from her sheath. JULIA looks slightly frightened and steps backwards into a defensive position.

ELSRIA (mocking): Where’s yours?

JULIA: Unlike you, I feel no need to pull a knife on every woman I meet in a dark alley.

ELSRIA laughs and lunges forward with the knife. JULIA dodges backwards and stumbles slightly as she does so.

ELSRIA: Come on, give me your best.

JULIA lunges with a kick and lands it on ELSRIA, who stumbles but compensates quickly, grabbing JULIA and holding her from behind, the knife at her neck. JULIA breathes out deeply, her eyes wide.

ELSRIA: See, I’m not too clear… since you’ve already died and you’re technically, well, something like an angel, what happens when I slit your throat?

JULIA yells and elbows ELSRIA in the face, managing to get out of her grasp and duck under the knife as ELSRIA falls backwards.

JULIA: Like you’ll have the chance to find out.

She turns and runs away into the rain as ELSRIA gets up, shaking her head.

ELSRIA: That bitch has some nerve.

CUT TO the Higher Beings’ room. ASSAD and RAOUL aren’t in there as JULIA rushes through the door, wet. However, as the water drips off her clothes and hair, it dissolves away before touching anything. She looks down.

JULIA: That’s nifty.

Remembering what she was doing, JULIA looks up.

JULIA (calling): Gwynnda!

GWYNNDA teleports into the room and looks JULIA up and down.

GWYNNDA: You’re all wet.

JULIA (sarcastically): But thank God the room isn’t.

GWYNNDA (cutting through it): I know where you’ve been. Good idea, but it didn’t end so well, did it?

JULIA: It could have been worse. I know that they’re going to be coming up directly against us for this assignment.

GWYNNDA: Oh that was a given, dear. But at least you’ve met her now. Her name is Elsria. She’s essentially your counterpart, meaning that for now, she’s their leader.

JULIA: She took me. How am I going to beat her?

GWYNNDA: She DID have a knife. In any regard, it’s what you have to do, and we’re expecting you to survive this assignment and bring your charges out with you.

JULIA: That could be harder then it sounds.

GWYNNDA: It’s always going to be hard, Julia. But what did you expect?

She raises her eyebrows and teleports away as JULIA opens her mouth again. JULIA sighs.

JULIA: Ugh, so helpful.

CUT TO the Agents’ room. ELSRIA, also wet, opens the door to the armoury and lets TRIAHLLA enter in first, then walks in, shutting it behind her. TRIAHLLA grabs several charms and magical devices as well as a large dagger, and leaves, as ELSRIA starts to put on chain mail and grab her sword.

CUT TO the Higher Beings’ room. JULIA walks into the armoury room (that we saw in the teaser) to find ASSAD and RAOUL gearing up, ASSAD with armour and a sword and RAOUL with thin chain mail, several knives and an axe.

JULIA: Hey.

ASSAD: What happened to you?

JULIA: I ran into one of the Senior Partners’ people.

RAOUL and ASSAD perk up to stare at her.

ASSAD: How did it go?

JULIA: She nearly got me. I got away. Gwynnda says that she’s their leader, my… counterpart.

ASSAD: Well, get ready. We have to be there soon, and you can have a rematch.

CUT TO the Hyperion Alley. It is dark and raining, and the roaring can be heard as ANGEL, SPIKE, ILLYRIA and a wounded GUNN stare out at them.

SPIKE: Bit more specific.

ANGEL steps forward, with sword in hand.

ANGEL: Well, personally I want to slay the dragon. Let’s go to work.

He swings his sword to block the strike of an approaching DEMON as SPIKE leaps into battle too, grabbing the sword from a DEMON’s hand and beheading it with it. ILLYRIA pushes GUNN backwards against the wall, removing a large club from a DEMON’s hands and passing it to him, before leaping into the air to kick several DEMONS approaching them.

GUNN (weakly): Thanks.

ILLYRIA: I do not wish to see you die before your time.

GUNN smiles to himself and swings weakly at a DEMON, pushing it away before ILLYRIA grabs it and snaps its neck.

ILLYRIA: We must take a better defensive position.

GUNN: What about Angel and Spike?

ILLYRIA: This is not a battle any of us are going to win.

ANGEL spins, stabbing a DEMON behind him and is pushed back to the ground, a cut on his arm. SPIKE beheads the DEMON that did it and helps ANGEL up, the two of them backing away. The DRAGON above them swoops down and the two dive out of the way.

SPIKE: Oh, boy.

A bright light pushes the DEMONS back from ANGEL, SPIKE, ILLYRIA and GUNN as JULIA, ASSAD and RAOUL teleport in behind them.

JULIA (muttering): Thankyou, Gwynnda.

The Angel Team turn to see them, confused.

JULIA (to SPIKE): Angel, is it?

SPIKE: No! He’s Angel.

He points to ANGEL, looking hurt. ANGEL looks just as annoyed.

JULIA: We’re here to help.

ANGEL (childishly): Well, you can’t be very good.

JULIA rolls her eyes.

JULIA: Sorry, Angel.

The DEMONS start to run at them again, the DEMON LEADER at the head.

ASSAD: Better start fighting again.

ANGEL swings his sword at a DEMON, cutting its arm off, as SPIKE leaps into the battle with a cry. JULIA starts to parry with a DEMON as ASSAD kicks one back and stabs another. RAOUL moves over to help protect GUNN, sticking his axe into a DEMON’s neck on the way.

RAOUL (to ILLYRIA): I’ll help.

ILLYRIA (critically): Not efficiently.

She kicks a DEMON back and takes RAOUL’s axe.

ILLYRIA: I will use this.

RAOUL sighs and pulls out his daggers, ducking a DEMON’s sword and managing to stab it in the leg. As JULIA and ANGEL are forced back to back by DEMONS, another flash is let out as ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA enter the fight.

JULIA (calling to ASSAD): There!

She manages to point at the advancing figures of ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA as she stabs a DEMON.

ANGEL: Who are they?

ASSAD (grimly): More people trying to kill you.

ANGEL: All I needed to hear.

ELSRIA runs through the crowd to leap at JULIA, who blocks her strike with her own sword. The two of them parry before JULIA manages to slice ELSRIA’s hand slightly.

JULIA: Ha!

ELSRIA (sarcastically): Great achievement.

ANGEL keeps several DEMONS off JULIA as ELSRIA slams her sword against JULIA’s hard.

ANGEL (calling out): Get over here, Spike!

SPIKE leaps over a DEMON, stabbing it as he comes down, and runs to ANGEL.

SPIKE: We have to deal with that dragon.

CUT TO another angle of the alley, where little can be seen except the feet of DEMONS. A more human looking foot stamps down in a puddle, splashing around it. A change of angle shows his back, a tall man walking imposingly through the DEMONS, pushing them away as he walks through to where ANGEL, SPIKE, JULIA and ELSRIA are. The camera pans around to show that his face is scarred and lined so that is isn’t quite human. TRIAHLLA turns her head slowly to see him.

TRIAHLLA (quietly): Larrak.

LARRAK reaches ANGEL, SPIKE, JULIA and ELSRIA as they turn to see him. SPIKE dives at ELSRIA, pushing her away with a punch to the face, and JULIA lifts her sword at LARRAK. He smiles and punches her in the chest, sending her flying away into the wall of the alley, crashing through several of the bricks.

END OF ACT II


ACT III

The Act opens to the alley, where LARRAK smiles down at ANGEL. ANGEL punches him in the chest hard, his hand jarring, and LARRAK pushes him away into a crowd of DEMONS.

ANGEL (to himself): It’s just like Hamilton all over again.

ANGEL punches out of the DEMONS, grabbing a sword and beheading several, as DEMONS close in on ILLYRIA, RAOUL and GUNN. ELSRIA kicks SPIKE off her and LARRAK grabs him by the neck, starting to squeeze. JULIA, weak among the breaks, stares with a pained look in her eyes.

JULIA (calling out): Gwynnda! We need the Powers’ help!

A fast flash washes over the alley, then the screen fades to white.

LAELYAN V.O.: People fight for many different reasons. Some are pushed to it. Others are bound to it. The greatest are drawn to it, with ideology and conscience keeping them fighting. Nobody should ever stop fighting.

FADE TO a dry terrain of rocks and the like. JULIA, ASSAD, RAOUL, ANGEL, SPIKE, ILLYRIA and GUNN are all there, many of them, on the ground in positions that they were in before. SPIKE drops to the ground, after he was held up by LARRAK.

ANGEL: What the hell just happened?

ILLYRIA: We appear to have jumped dimension.

SPIKE looks up at the sun, then at his hand.

SPIKE: No burning? Good.

GWYNNDA teleports into view, starting ANGEL, SPIKE and GUNN.

GWYNNDA: Of course.

JULIA: Gwynnda. Thank God.

GWYNNDA: The Powers removed you into another dimension for a time.

ANGEL (anxiously): And them?

GWYNNDA: Also them. However, that’s all they can really do right now, at least through me. You have to deal with the army.

RAOUL: Oh, that’s gonna be peaches…

SPIKE: Exactly what I was going to say.

GWYNNDA: There’s a compound a little to your east. There’s a map of this place in there, with the general location of the army there. They’re not far. Be careful.

JULIA: We will.

CUT TO another part of that dimension, where the army, ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA, LARRAK and the DEMON LEADER are, the DRAGON flying restlessly above.

ELSRIA: Ugh… what happened?

TRIAHLLA: The Powers that Be moved us into another dimension.

ELSRIA: What about the targets? And the Higher Beings?

TRIAHLLA: They’re all here… I can feel them.

ELSRIA: Good.

LARRAK: It was a sneaky trick.

ELSRIA: Then why don’t you go and join them?

LARRAK glares at her and moves over to the DEMON LEADER.

LARRAK: We have to organise your army to take them out.

DEMON LEADER: The dragon should be enough.

LARRAK: It will not be enough. But send it. It will weaken them.

The DEMON LEADER looks up into the sky and cries out in a guttural language. The DRAGON roars and swoops away, flapping its large wings madly as it flies into the distance.

ELSRIA: Good.

TRIAHLLA: Now what?

ELSRIA: We plan. Isn’t that right, Larrak?

LARRAK: We plan, and then we kill.

CUT TO a small rooved structure in the other dimension, appearing to be made of some similar alternative to bricks. The door opens and JULIA enters, followed by ANGEL, SPIKE, ASSAD, RAOUL and ILLYRIA carrying GUNN. She lays him on the table as ANGEL removes the map from its surface.

ANGEL: She was right. They really aren’t far from here.

RAOUL: What are we going to do if they attack?

ASSAD: We need a plan.

JULIA: Yes, we really do. I don’t think we can beat them all. Especially not with that big guy…

SPIKE: He almost sent me to the happy dusted place. And you look pretty sore.

JULIA: I’m feeling that.

ANGEL: Who are you, exactly?

JULIA: We’re Higher Beings.

ANGEL starts, and GUNN looks up slowly to stare at them.

ILLYRIA (slowly): That… stirs images within Winifred Burkle. Grief, and anger.

ANGEL: Damn right it does.

JULIA (confused): What?

ANGEL: Do you have anything to do with Cordelia Chase?

JULIA: Who?

ASSAD: Obviously a no.

SPIKE: Let it go, Angel. Now’s not the time.

ANGEL sighs and sits at a crude chair.

JULIA: Who’s Cordelia?

SPIKE: The woman he was in love with. Let’s leave it at that.

RAOUL: Well, that’s all well and good… or, sad, but it’s not exactly helping us now.

SPIKE: What IS going to help us now?

GUNN: Those Powers didn’t exactly give us much to work with.

ANGEL (brooding): At least they saved the city. That’s all that matters.

JULIA: Unfortunately, it’s not all. We were sent to save all of you. High importance.

SPIKE: Well I don’t see how it’s going to work, except stranding them here and sending us back to Earth.

ASSAD: Won’t work. They can follow.

GUNN: So who are they? I mean, I know who the army belongs to, but…

JULIA: They’re Agents of the Senior Partners.

ANGEL: Of course.

JULIA: Listen, we need to think of a plan. They’re going to come at us very strong, and-

She is interrupted by the sound of the DRAGON roaring loudly.

RAOUL: Oh no.

They all start to rush outside, grabbing their weapons again. GUNN tries to get up, but JULIA forces him back down.

JULIA: You need to stay here.

ANGEL: Listen to her.

GUNN flops back down with a sigh.

GUNN: I couldn’t take it anyway.

The others rush outside to see the DRAGON flying towards them, rage in its eyes.

ASSAD: At least it’s just the dragon.

SPIKE: Dragon’s enough.

The DRAGON gets closer as the group raise their weapons higher, taking a more defensive stance.

ILLYRIA: I will enjoy this.

JULIA looks at her incredulously as ILLYRIA leaps onto the DRAGON as it passes, stabbing down with her axe, which barely makes a cut.

ASSAD: Now SHE’S a warrior.

The DRAGON roars and rears around, causing ILLYRIA to hold on tightly. ANGEL and SPIKE move around as the DRAGON swoops, both of them stabbing up ineffectually at its underbelly. RAOUL dives out of the way as ASSAD leaps at the DRAGON, grabbing it by its claws and managing to dodge the nails as he scrambles up the hand. The DRAGON shakes him and he falls, JULIA managing to break his fall, falling to the ground in the process herself.

JULIA: This really isn’t going well.

ILLYRIA stabs down again at the DRAGON’s neck, causing a greater cut this time. The DRAGON roars and tosses violently, sending her to the ground. It swoops around, striking down at JULIA and ASSAD, when JULIA grabs a knife from her sheath and throws it with deadly accuracy at the DRAGON, stabbing it in the eye. Blood spurts and the DRAGON roars in pain, rearing back, as ANGEL takes the opportunity to leap up onto the DRAGON as it flies low. Clambering up the bucking DRAGON, ANGEL grips his sword tightly and stabs the DRAGON’s head several times, before managing to push it down through the skull. The DRAGON roars pitifully and bucks, sending ANGEL flying off, and collapses to the ground.

RAOUL: Is it dead?

SPIKE: I think that counts as dead.

ASSAD (to ANGEL): Well done.

JULIA coughs.

ANGEL: Excellent aim.

JULIA: Thankyou.

CUT TO the inside of the structure, where the sounds of the roaring can be heard outside. GUNN sits up, listening to the fight that’s still happening outside. As he listens, a red portal appears and TRIAHLLA steps out, smiling at him, holding a charm. GUNN starts at seeing her and looks to the outside.

GUNN (calling out): Angel!

TRIAHLLA: You think he’s going to hear you?

GUNN: Angel!

GUNN grabs his club, swiping weakly at TRIAHLLA, but she grabs it and pulls it out of his reach, red energy flowing from her hand as she does so. Pulling a knife from her belt, TRIAHLLA holds it above GUNN and smiles.

GUNN: Angel!!

TRIAHLLA stabs down, getting GUNN clean in the chest. TRIAHLLA pulls the knife out and steps backwards.

GUNN (incoherently): Fred…

TRIAHLLA (gloating): Whoever he is, I hope he doesn’t miss you too much.

TRIAHLLA steps back into the red portal as GUNN’s head falls to the side, bleeding heavily from his chest.

LAELYAN V.O.: The true hero fights because he has to, and the people around him pay that price… even when they have become the hero themselves, nobody will know them…

CUT TO BLACK, AND FADE IN TO the demon army area of the other dimension. The red portal appears and TRIAHLLA steps out, blood dropping from the knife and a smug smile on her face.

ELSRIA: Did you kill him?

TRIAHLLA: I killed him.

DEMON LEADER: The dragon will have got the rest.

LARRAK: If we’re lucky.

TRIAHLLA: Whatever the dragon does, they’re one soldier down.

CUT TO the inside of the structure that the Higher Beings are using. The door opens and ANGEL steps in, blood on his sword, and stops dead to see GUNN lying motionless.

SPIKE O.S.: Angel, what are you doing? Get out of the way.

SPIKE pushes past him and stops too when he sees GUNN, and JULIA, ASSAD, RAOUL and ILLYRIA also enter, all seeing GUNN’s body. JULIA rushes over to feel for a pulse, and her face drops.

JULIA: He’s dead, Angel.

SPIKE: We know.

ASSAD: He must have bled out.

ANGEL: No… look at that wound. He’s just been given a fresh one.

SPIKE: They tricked us…

ILLYRIA: I am feeling grief again. I am feeling grief and anger, and it is not just Winifred Burkle’s.

ANGEL: You’re not the only one.

JULIA: Oh God.

RAOUL: What happens now? We’ve failed, haven’t we?

ANGEL (angry): You’ve FAILED?! Excuse me? I’ve just lost one of the people that I trusted most, one of my last true friends, and all you can say is that you’ve FAILED?!

RAOUL (uncomfortably): I’m sorry…

JULIA: We haven’t failed. We can still keep Angel, Spike and Illyria alive.

ANGEL (bitterly): Keep us alive… what have I really got, anyway?

SPIKE (firmly): A lot of things. Snap out of it, Angel.

ILLYRIA: My wish for violence has not been sated by the dragon’s death!

SPIKE: Yeah, we get that.

RAOUL: What are we going to do now?

ASSAD: We still have to come up with a plan.

JULIA: Not much has really changed, except that we’re a wounded man down and now we’re all sad and angry. We still have to fight this thing.

ANGEL: Of course we’re going to fight it. We just won’t win it.

CUT TO the Agents and army encampment. ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA and LARRAK all pull out their amulets, holding them in a triangular shape. MADAM GEIER forms in the mist between them, observing the army and terrain around her.

MADAM GEIER: Well, it’s not unexpected.

LARRAK: We can deal with it.

MADAM GEIER: Of course you can, my dear Larrak. Then, you hope, you’ll regain your position, am I correct?

LARRAK: That is my hope.

MADAM GEIER (coldly): Then you’d be wrong. You shall continue to serve until we see fit to reward you.

LARRAK looks down, holding his anger.

MADAM GEIER: You will attack them soon, with all the might of this army behind you. They have already slain the dragon, but they will stand as nothing against this kind of might. There is no way that you can disappoint me.

ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA bow their heads, smiling respectfully.

MADAM GEIER (coldly): However, should you somehow fail… my disappointment is not something to incur lightly.

She smiles and fades away into the mist and back into the amulets, as ELSRIA and TRIAHLLA give each other a frightened look.

CUT TO the outside of the structure the Higher Beings are in. ANGEL is sitting outside grimly, and SPIKE walks out to sit next to him.

ANGEL: I don’t want to talk to you, Spike.

SPIKE: That’s too bad. You always seem to get the short straw, Angel, it can amuse a guy like me.

ANGEL: That’s very inspiring.

SPIKE: But you keep on fighting. You’ve lost people, Angel. Cordelia, and Fred, and Wesley. And now Gunn. But you always have to keep on fighting.

ANGEL: Why? I’ve signed away any chance I have at Shanshu, and I’m losing the people that matter to me.

SPIKE: You signed away the Shanshu? Wow. Good luck to me then.

ANGEL: Yeah. Good luck to you.

SPIKE: So, what was it you asked again? Why? For the fight. For the ones who need protecting. You should be the one telling me that, not the other way around.

ANGEL smiles grimly and the two sit in silence.

CUT TO the Agents and the army in the other part of the dimension.

DEMON LEADER (roaring): Stand tall!

The various DEMONS cease their roaring and stand in semi-formations, facing the DEMON LEADER, ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA and LARRAK.

DEMON LEADER: That’s all we need to be ready.

ELSRIA: Then stay ready. We’re moving out.

DEMON LEADER (roaring): Move!

The DEMONS start to march, the DEMON LEADER and the Agents walking quickly ahead.

LARRAK: We’ll kill them all.

ELSRIA (to herself): I’m coming for you, my enemy.

END OF ACT III


ACT IV

The Act opens to the outside of the structure that the Higher Beings are in. ANGEL suddenly looks up into the distance.

ANGEL: They’re coming. (calling out) They’re coming!

JULIA, ASSAD, RAOUL and ILLYRIA run out, weapons in hand, and pass ANGEL and SPIKE’s weapons to them.

ASSAD: We don’t exactly have a plan.

JULIA: Just get ready.

She holds up her sword as the forms of ELSRIA and LARRAK can be seen climbing up the hill and into view, followed by the DEMON LEADER and TRIAHLLA and then the massive army itself.

SPIKE: That’s still a whole lot of army.

ASSAD: Fight as best you can. Stick together and stay defensive. Avoid the big guy.

JULIA: Or take him on in two’s and three’s.

RAOUL: I think I’ll just avoid him.

ILLYRIA (anticipating): I will make him mew like a broken kitten.

JULIA (conversationally): You know, I used to own a kitten.

SPIKE: Bit off-topic there, but okay.

JULIA: Just making it all seem trivial.

SPIKE: Won’t be trivia in a second.

The army starts to run as it gets closer and ELSRIA and LARRAK fall back in with a crowd a bit more.

ANGEL: Get ready.

They all raise their weapons as the army reaches them and begin to hack away. RAOUL backs up with ASSAD and SPIKE to fight a concentrated group of more heavily armoured DEMONS, as ANGEL beheads a DEMON and is kicked backwards away from the main army by the DEMON LEADER, who grins at him. JULIA leaps at ELSRIA, who fights back with as much energy, the two of them clashing swords violently. ILLYRIA spots LARRAK and smiles, walking up to him and pushing a DEMON out of the way as she reaches him.

LARRAK: Illyria. An Old One.

ILLYRIA: I have memory of you.

ILLYRIA punches him hard in the face but he is only just fazed, punching her hard back and sending her stumbling backwards. She compensates to spin kick him and drive her axe at him, but he grabs it and snaps it. Meanwhile, ANGEL parries a blow from the DEMON LEADER, being driven back by his club.

ANGEL: This your army?

DEMON LEADER: A whole lot bigger then yours.

ANGEL smiles and kicks the DEMON LEADER in the knee, forcing him down before beheading him.

ANGEL: Mine has quality.

He dives into the mass of DEMONS, fighting with everything he has. TRIAHLLA smirks and throws some dust in the air, forming to create a red light that hits ASSAD, knocking him to the ground. RAOUL sees and tackles TRIAHLLA before she can do it again, grappling for his dagger. SPIKE, left alone against the rest of the armoured DEMONS, is swarmed under, hacking for his life. JULIA is kicked backwards by ELSRIA and runs backwards away, hacking at DEMONS as she moves away from ELSRIA, while ILLYRIA is sent spinning away from a punch by LARRAK.

LAELYAN V.O.: People fight and people die. But sometimes…

The sound of ANGEL yelling loudly in pain can be heard, and he kicks DEMONS off him to reveal that there is a sword sticking out of his chest.

LAELYAN V.O. (continuing): Someone’s there to save them.

OTHER WOMAN V.O. (screaming): STOP!

There’s a white flash and the whole of the DEMON army is swept away by a white wave, burning into nothing, as ELSRIA, LARRAK and TRIAHLLA are pushed away from the group.

JULIA: What’s going on? Gwynnda?

OTHER WOMAN V.O. (much more calmly): No.

A while light forms to become CORDELIA, dressed in a white dress and glowing. ANGEL gets up, his eyes wide. CORDELIA smiles and pulls the sword from his chest and drops it on the floor. He grunts in pain as she does so but then stares at her.

CORDELIA: Angel.

ANGEL: Cordelia… how…?

CORDELIA: One more mission. There’s no way I’d let you out of my sight, and the Powers know that.

JULIA: This is… Cordelia?

CORDELIA turns to JULIA.

CORDELIA: I am. You’ve done well, and you’ve won this round. With my help.

JULIA: Yes. Thankyou.

CORDELIA laughs and turns back to ANGEL, putting her hand on his cheek.

CORDELIA: We’ll send you back to LA. Then you, and Spike, and Illyria, have to get out. Find Buffy… maybe she can help you.

ANGEL: But… Cordelia…

CORDELIA smiles serenely at him, giving him a quick kiss on his lips before drawing away.

CORDELIA: It’s over, champ. I’ll be waiting for you.

Saying this, CORDELIA fades away, and a tear falls down ANGEL’s cheek.

SPIKE: Don’t see that often.

ILLYRIA stares at where CORDELIA was, saying nothing. JULIA looks at ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA and LARRAK, all suspended.

JULIA: So. What n-

She is interrupted by a flash as the Agents disappear in a red light, and a further white flash that covers the screen.

FADE IN TO the Agents’ warehouse room, where ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA and LARRAK all materialise, falling to the ground. The amulets in their varied pockets or sheaths start glowing and vibrating powerfully, forming the mist to show an electrically angry MADAM GEIER.

MADAM GEIER (crackling with fury): You’ve failed me.

ELSRIA: We couldn’t have foreseen…

MADAM GEIER: You should have foreseen! This was an abysmal failure.

TRIAHLLA: We killed one of them!

MADAM GEIER (disgusted): One of them? If I were to give a percentage on the importance of each one of the targets, what do you think I would give him?

TRIAHLLA: 25 percent?

MADAM GEIER (screaming): I would give that worthless, weak, already mortally wounded HUMAN 5 percent if he were LUCKY!!!

ELSRIA, TRIAHLLA and even LARRAK stumble backwards from the force of her fury.

LARRAK: We will not fail you again.

MADAM GEIER: Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Larrak. You’ll be lucky if you’re ever in our good books again.

With crackling energy that throws all of the Agents backwards to the ground, MADAM GEIER fades into the mist, which goes back into the amulets.

CUT TO the Higher Beings’ room, where JULIA, ASSAD and RAOUL materialise with a white flash. They all look around, disoriented.

ASSAD: Where are Angel, Spike and Illyria?

RAOUL: She sent them somewhere else… they’ll be fine.

JULIA: You know that.

RAOUL: I’m sure of it.

JULIA: Well, I guess we can celebrate. We – sort of – succeeded in our first mission.

ASSAD: Sort of.

JULIA: Well, we’re here. And three of them are alive.

ASSAD: And now we know who our enemies are.

JULIA: Yeah. Now we know.

JULIA sighs and seats herself, followed by ASSAD and RAOUL.

LAELYAN V.O.: We all fight. Whether for petty reasons, or for the bigger things, fighting is what we do. Fighting is what keeps us alive, even when some call us dead.


END EPISODE

Surprise Guest Star:
Charisma Charpenter as Cordelia Chase

Co-Starring:
Alex Cook -- Maria Illery