Chapter 4
Fade in Barren office
The room is dark except for a small light on a stand next to a phone. Xander is speaking into it while Gunn and Lorne watch.
Xander: I really didn't call for a lecture. I did what you asked ok? (pause) Maybe I just need a break. I mean, I'm just a carpenter remember? This whole chasing after bad guys on my own is kind of new to me! (pause) Listen Giles, you're not the boss of me!
Cut to Lorne and Gunn listening in.
Gunn: Did he just say he wasn't the boss of him?
Lorne: Yep.
Gunn: I thought Spike and Angel were bad.
Back to Xander.
Xander: I'll be in touch okay! I know how important it is. Kind of familiar with the life and death remember? (pause) Don't send Willow! I can handle it! (pause) Fine! Fine! Why don't you go back to your 'watching' and leave me alone. Don't do it Giles. (pause) Giles, if you call Buffy, she's just going to be distracted. Giles…Giles….
He slams the phone down and turns to the guys.
Lorne: That sounded like it went well.
Xander: Ya think?
Gunn: So does he suspect where you are?
Xander: Oh no. The only thing he suspects is that I'm incompetent. Oddly, he's not altogether wrong.
Lorne: You seem to have handled yourself well.
Xander: No, I mean look where I am. Smack dab in the heart of evil incorporated with Angel! Not how I imagined my life post Sunnydale would be.
Gunn: Is he going to send Willow looking for you?
Xander: You heard me tell him not to didn't you? (pause) Oh yeah, she's on it.
Gunn: Great.
Xander: Hey, I tried.
Lorne: We should get back. This place gives me the creeps.
Gunn looks around for a second and leads them out. When they exit the room, they enter the hallway through a wall which closes up behind them.
Xander: (looking back) How come the bad guys get all the cool toys?
Gunn: We're not bad guys.
Xander: Right. You just play one on TV.
Lorne: I need to go check in at the office. I'll meet you two at Angel's.
Gunn: Is everything okay?
Lorne: (smiling) The show must go on.
He walks away and the other two continue down the hall.
Xander: The show?
Gunn: Lorne heads our entertainment division.
Xander: Entertainment division? Big market for evil talent in LA?
Gunn: When are you going to get it man? Not everything or everyone here is evil. And if you knew how many people in Hollywood got a little help from the dark side…well, you don't want to know.
Xander: (shaking his head) It's amazing how much I really, really don't.
Cut to Angel's office
Angel: The strange part is I'm not even surprised.
Spike: Speak for yourself!
Angel: All the idiots that can't manage for themselves have to find a place like a hellmouth to steal power from. It's a sure sign of weakness.
Eve: Didn't think he was too weak when he was kicking your ass now did you?
Angel: He got a couple lucky shots in. That's all.
Spike: Whatever. How do we get him back?
Angel: It's not that simple.
Eve: Whatever the senior partners are doing with him, they won't be likely to give him up.
Angel: I run this firm. Not the senior partners. That was the deal. If I want him, I just take him.
Spike: You might want to rethink the wording on that one.
Angel gives him an exasperated look and buzzes Harmony as he leaves.
Angel: Harmony, where's the Shaman in charge?
Harmony: In charge of what?
Angel: Forget it, I'll find him myself. (To Spike) Go get Wes. Tell him to get the amulet and meet me in the recovery vestibule.
Eve: I'll go with him.
Angel: You'll stay with me. I may have to do this Eve, but I don't have to trust you. I want you where I can see you.
Eve: (suggestive) And what is it you want to see of me?
He grabs her by the arm and pushes her out of the office.
Cut to Wes' office
Illyria: You will not defeat Itley.
Wes: Seems I recall you saying the same thing about yourself.
Illyria: My power was nothing in comparison.
Wes: (still looking in book) We hear that a lot around here. Yet, we're still here. Go figure.
Illyria: (looking out window) Darkness is coming.
Wes: (mumbling) Every day about this time.
Illyria: You mock me.
Wes: (finally looking up) Not mocking. I simply don't believe you comprehend what we do here on a daily basis. You, and those like you, older than you, scarier than you, we do it every day. Xander actually helped defeat the First last year in Sunnydale.
Illyria: Impressive.
Wesley: Now, this Itley you spoke of. I found reference in a diary from a watcher in Africa several centuries ago. A Slayer was born in that village.
Illyria: She did not slay Itley.
Wes: No, it would seem she was killed. Her body was never found.
Illyria: Not surprising.
Wesley: Perhaps. But if this is as Xander suggested, her soul, the thing that Itley would have taken, it would have been good. A powerful vessel of good.
Illyria: And Itley would have consumed it.
Wes: Yes, leaving the bad. A dark soul left to be used in Itley's trials. The reward.
Illyria: Yes.
Wesley: (shuffles to another book) And here. Here is a record of the village. From the late 1700's. Something happened there. Something that warned them. It is here, they ceased speaking. A decree from the village chief. Anyone who spoke would be sacrificed. Something made him do this. It's here. In the writings of his people.
Illyria: What?
Wesley: My God.
Spike: (from doorway) That never means a good thing.
Wesley startles and looks up.
Wes: Spike! What are you doing here?
Spike: Angel's ready to get Doyle back.
Wesley: Lindsay?
Spike: Whatever. What'd you find?
Wesley: Hmmm? Oh, nothing. I mean, I don't know yet.
Spike: You got the amulet?
Wes: Amulet? Fred was keeping it. (glances over at the boxes in the corner) Here.
He goes over and starts rummaging through until he finds a box. He opens it and takes the amulet out.
Spike: Good then. Angel wants us in some recovery vestibule thing.
Wes: We'll need to hurry then.
Cut to Lobby
Gunn: They told you not to tell me didn't they?
Harmony: No Gunn, I swear. Angel asked about a shaman and then left. He didn't say where. I'm on your side this time.
Xander: Harmony on your side. Now there's something that was never a plus. Even before she got vampified.
Harmony: And you're still a dork trying to be part of the cool kids club. Just like before you got your eye poked out!
Xander: Is this where I'm supposed to be hurt?
Gunn: Do you two need a minute?
Harmony: God no!
Xander: Only if I want to gauge my only remaining eye out.
Gunn: Fair enough. So what about Wes? Have you seen him?
Harm: (shakes her head) Nope. I'm staying out of this one.
Xander: Harm avoiding conflict? Color me surprised.
Harmony sticks her tongue out at him and Gunn shakes his head.
Gunn: If they come by tell them we've gone to do some research.
Xander: You know, I volunteered for this so I could get away from research.
Gunn: Just come on.
As they walk away a huge shock reverberates through the building.
Xander: What the hell was that?
Gunn looks around but before he can answer another one comes. They both stumble and Harmony runs out from behind her desk.
Harmony: OK, that is seriously not cool!
Xander: So is this of the norm for these parts?
Gunn: No, this is…
They're all three thrown backwards by an invisible force and crash horribly across the room.
Cut to Recovery vestibule.
Eve: I'm thinking the Senior Partners just got wind.
Illyria: They show no fear.
Eve: Yeah, a little thing the do gooders have called blind faith.
Spike: You think you two could bloody well shut your mouths for a bit? Hmm?
Illyria: I don't like your tone.
Another crash from inside the room and the three fall silent and watch to see what happens next.
Cut to inside room
Bright light emenates from a sunken hole in the ground. Wesley shields his eyes and tries to stand his ground.
Angel: (straining) Wesley, keep hold!
They each hold a crystal while a Shaman pulls energy from the stones and deflects it thorough his own body, into a mirror and downwards towards the hole.
Wesley: (half yelling) I don't know how much longer I can manage!
Shaman: Quiet!
Angel looks up as another wave of energy crashes through the ceiling into the room, through everyone in it and forces its way into the hole. It reverberates unlike anything they've heard before.
Angel: (intently-to himself) Just a little longer.
The stones begin to burn in their hands and Wesley and Angel cry out in pain. Angel concentrates on the task at hand instead of the chance that at any moment his hand will burst into flames. The Shaman chants loudly and within seconds, the stones lift into the air, lightening appears from above and disintegrates them causing Wesley and Angel to dive for cover.
Cut to Lobby
Xander, Gunn, and Harmony huddle against a wall watching the empty room fill with smoke.
Xander: Are we on fire?
Harmony: Is this hell?
Gunn: I think its worse. I have to go.
Xander: Where?
Harmony: I don't think you should go off by yourself.
Xander: Yeah what she said! More importantly I don't think you should leave me with her!
Gunn: It won't take long. Stay here. I'll be back.
Cut to Vestibule
Spike and Illyria pick themselves off the floor and look around.
Illyria: Power.
Spike: Yes, seems to be. (looks in the corner) That looks like it smarts.
Illyria looks to see Eve lying unconscious in the corner. Spike goes to her and kneels down.
Spike: She's hurt.
Illyria: Human flesh is fragile.
Spike: (looking to the closed doors) You think they got what they came for?
Cut to Room
Angel picks himself up and looks to the Shaman.
Shaman: This door can not be closed.
Angel: What door?
The shaman moves aside and Angel sees the mirror. Lindsay's reflection stands in it bruised and bleeding.
Angel: Lindsay?
He turns and sees nothing behind him.
Wesley: Well this is interesting.
Angel: What are we supposed to do with this?
Shaman: I brought him from Them. You must get him to you.
With that the Shaman disappears and Wesley and Angel are left staring at the mirror.
Wesley: What now?
Angel: Only one choice.
Wesley: I'm listening.
Angel takes a step back before rushing to deliver a roundhouse kick to the mirror. Wesley seeds Lindsay's eyes widen in fear just before the glass shatters.
Cut to White room
Gunn strides in determined.
Gunn: Ok other me! Come on out and kick my ass or whatever you have to do for to get some information!
Fred: You just don't learn do you.
Gunn: You.
Fred: Not really, but close enough.
Gunn: What's happening?
Fred: The senior partners have tired of this game. You all have become liabilities. We don't like liabilities.
Gunn: So they're destroying the building from the inside? Take us all out in one fell swoop?
Fred: Even after all they did for you, all you took, you're still not the brightest star in the sky are you Charles?
Gunn: Don't call me that.
Fred: You people have rocked the boat one too many times. Angel thinks he is above us now. Thinks he can take our power and do what he'd like. Nothing in life is that simple.
Gunn: What are you talking about?
Fred: The partners have a system. It's worked quite well for centuries. And when they punish, it is final. No going back. Much the same for the other side. But you and yours, from Sunnydale to here and back, thinking you can beat the system. It stops now.
Gunn: How have we beat anything? Look at what's happened to us!
Fred: There will come a time very soon when you will pray to whatever God you choose to believe in that you could go back to these times. What you've seen, what you've felt, it's nothing. Do you get it?
Gunn: Not really.
Fred: The conduit will be gone. I will be gone. Just like before. Let's see how you do on your own. You've all grown lazy, taken things for granted; let's see how you do when you have nothing except this shell.
Gunn: Shell? (looks around) Wolfram & Hart?
Fred: Enjoy the quiet while you can, because… (walks closer to whisper in his ear) it's about to get deafening.
She leans back to smile before pushing him backwards across the room. He lands outside in the elevator and the button is gone. He'll never be in the white room again.