Chapter 6
Fade in Hallway
Harmony and Lorne are walking through the corridors headed for Angel's.
Lorne: So they pulled it off huh?
Harmony: Yep. Lindsey is in there now giving them his version of events. Why they would ever believe him is beyond me though.
Lorne: If we went by gut feelings on people, I'd still be singing people's future's away in Vegas, Fred would still be in Pylea, and you my dear would probably be walking the streets of Hollywood hoping to taste a bit of celebrity in your next drink of blood.
Harmony: Eeww.
Lorne: Exactly. Sometimes we have to look away from the glaringly obvious long enough to see the big picture. Take me for example. I mean, sure we've got big trouble comin, but I know the best thing I can do is keep things running smooth. Unfortunately, my entire division seems to be MIA at the moment and that doesn't exactly give me the calm.
Harmony: Gunn tried to warn the others but Wesley's all, 'Listen to me, not him!' and Gunn's all, 'Can't I do anything right anymore?' And Angel's all, 'Guys, we're a team, blah, blah, blah.' But no one's listening and now we seem to be alone in here and all anyone cares about is how Spike got here instead of how we're all going to get out! (She stops suddenly and sniffs) Do you smell something?
Lorne leans back to lift his jacket lapel to sniff himself.
Lorne: No, why? Do you?
Harm: It's coming from up there.
She points to a vent and Lorne looks up.
Lorne: Okay, so where does that go?
She shrugs her shoulders as they both stare up at it.
Cut to inside vent, camera shot moving through the air ducts, getting smokier and smokier until it reaches light.
Cut to shot of Lab
Gunn and Wesley are crawling on the floor. Gunn is trying to get the door open while Wesley looks desperately for the source of the gas. Illyria coughs suddenly and Wes looks to see her standing up confused by what's happening. Wesley rushes on his hands and knees to yank her down by the arm.
Wes: Get down!
Illyria: This feels odd.
Wes: It's some sort of toxic gas. It's not meant to feel odd, it's meant to kill us!
Illyria: Who is responsible for this?
Gunn: (from across the room) I'll give you one guess! (cough) I can't get the door!
Wesley: (looks around) There! Into the observation room!
He grabs Illyria and Gunn runs up the few stairs behind them. Wesley closes the glass door and they watch as the room outside fills with the gas more and more.
Gunn: It's not gonna hold.
He points to the gas creeping in slowly under the door. Wesley grabs a lab coat and shoves it againt the base of the door.
Wes: There has to be a fail safe or other exit hidden somewhere.
Gunn: In here?
Illyria: My skin tingles.
Gunn: Can you shut her up?
Wes: DO you want to argue or do you want to live Charles?
Gunn: Right.
The two men begin searching for anything that will help.
Cut to Angel's office
Angel stands straighter as Willow enters the room.
Willow: This is interesting.
Xander: I can explain.
Willow: I'm sure. Let me see, you were ready for a break so you thought, 'I know, I'll just go visit my old pal Angel, cause we were always so close! And since he's batting for the other team now, I'll just go ahead and tell him everything I know about everything!'
Xander: (puts his hand around his throat) Wait…give me a minute. (clears throat) Trying to stop choking on the sarcasm.
Willow: (ignoring him) Hi there Spike.
Spike: (nods slightly) Willow.
Angel: Willow, I…
Willow: I'm not done yet. (looks at Lindsey) So you're responsible for Spike?
Lindsey: Responsible is probably not the best word.
Willow: And who is she?
Eve: I'm with him.
Willow: Of course you are.
Xander: Willow, will you just listen to me?
Willow: Sure.
Xander: (Exasperated) Why won't you ever give me the benefit of the…what?
Willow: I said, go ahead. Tell me what's going on. To be honest with you, when Giles told me what you had done and that he had no idea where you were, I figured it wasn't going to end well. It took me a bit to find you. LA is the last place I would have thought to check. Oh and here with Angel? Yeah, last place in LA. So Giles of course went all crazy guy and nothing I could say would calm him down. And just when I thought it couldn't get any worse, he told Buffy.
Angel/Spike: Buffy?
Willow: Oh that's cute. Have you guys been practicing?
The guys scowl at each other.
Willow: Yeah, Buffy knows you're here Xander.
Xander: Great. Why didn't Giles just get a billboard?
Angel: So why isn't she here?
Willow: Well, it takes a bit of time to fly across the ocean. I have a distinct advantage.
Spike: I get it!
He reaches out to put his hand through her but hits solid flesh.
Willow: Ow! What is…
Spike: I thought you were doing that floating, flying thing!
Angel: Astral projection.
Spike: Yeah, that!
Willow: (rubbing arm) No, I figured it might actually require full body Willow, so a tiny, except for the big part, transfer spell and voila!
Lindsey: So now that back up has arrived, are we done here?
Angel: Sit down and shut up Lindsey!
Xander: You're not even off the hook Buster!
Willow: So who's going to tell me what's happening?
Xander: Ok, so this Itley is like supersoulman and I figured who better to know about the giving and the taking of souls than Angel. So I came to see if we could help each other because if Itley is as bad as he felt and sounded, then the headquarters of bad might just know what to do next. And before I got everyone in the mother country all worried, I figured I could do a little recon. But then I get here, and there's Spike! I mean, can a guy get a little heads up when the people come back from the dead?
Willow: And did it help?
Xander: What?
Willow: Seeing Angel.
Xander: Well there were a couple of snags, but we were about to get to the helping part.
Willow: So you have nothing? And instead of giving us the information so we can turn it over to the slayers and the council, you chose to come here?
Xander: How come when you say it, it sounds bad?
Angel: He was right to come here.
Willow: And why is that?
Angel: Because we do have the inside information on this. Or we were getting it before you interrupted.
Willow: Right. Lindsey. And why did you bring Spike back?
Lindsey: Revenge.
Willow: Nice.
Spike: I don't mean to interrupt or anything, but what did Buffy say about me?
Angel: Spike, that is not important right now!
Spike: Like you weren't wondering yourself.
Willow: I don't think either of you should be looking forward to a visit from Buffy right now. She doesn't like being forced into coming here.
Angel: Nobody forced her to do anything.
Xander: I specifically said for her not to come here. When will you people learn to listen to me?
Willow: Angel, I do have a question.
Angel: What's that?
Willow: How come I'm not feeling your power.
Angel: Excuse me.
Willow: Something's not right here. I feel the energy of evil. I feel the power. But it's not yours. Are you sure you still have control here?
Angel: There's a chance I ruffled some feathers.
Xander: He had to bring Lindsey back from some sort of torture place.
Willow: And who put him there?
Angel: The senior partners.
Willow: So you went against the ones that gave you all this?
Angel: Not really against. I just exercised the power they gave me.
Spike: What exactly do you feel Red?
Willow: I feel dark energy.
Xander: Not exactly a news flash.
Willow: And it's all moving inward.
Lindsey: What does that mean?
Angel: It means Gunn was right.
Willow: About what?
Spike: He means he upset Mummy and Daddy with his Lindsey trick and now they're going to punish us.
Lorne: (from doorway) You have no idea how right you are!
Cut to Lab
Gunn and Wesley are coughing hysterically and Illyria is slumping against the wall.
Illyria: Weak. This shell is so weak.
Gunn: That shell had more strength than any of us…(cough) until you sucked it dry.
Wes: No way out.
Gunn coughs up a little blood and Wes sees the pain he's in.
Wes: Gunn.
Gunn: Pretty fitting then isn't it?
Wesley: (coughs) What's that?
Gunn: You and me. Together in the end.
Wes nods solemnly when they hear something. At that moment Illyria grows angry and stands determinedly.
Cut to Hallway
Harmony rushes the door and bounces back.
Harm: Ouch! Hey! I'm a vampire! I'm supposed to be able to break down doors and stuff!
She tries again and this time the wood splinters a bit. She takes a step back and kicks it one last time seeing it shatter.
Spike: That's my Harmony.
Harmony: Geez! Why do you always have to sneak up on people?
Spike: Sorry, Lorne came with the scary talk and Angel asked me to check it out. Don't worry I brought reinforcements.
Harmony looks behind him to see Willow.
Harmony: Willow! Wow, you look so…mature!
Willow: And you haven't aged a day.
Spike: So what's the what?
Harmony: There's some kind of gas.
Spike: And where's Gunn and Wes?
Harmony: Hello? Did you see me just kick the door?
Spike: Willow, stay back.. You can't breathe this stuff in. We'll be back.
They disappear into the lab and Willow looks around.
Willow: This place isn't so scary.
Cut to Lab
Spike: Do you see anything?
Harmony: There!
Spike looks up to see Illyria. He rushes the stairs and kicks in the glass. Gunn and Wesley are unconscious on the floor. He picks Wes up and throws him over his shoulders.
Spike: Harm, get the girl!
Harm reaches to help Illyria but she swats her away. When Harmony steps aside to let her pass, she takes one step and collapses against her. Harm barely stays upright and then starts dragging her out by the arms. She passes Spike coming back in.
Harm: She's deceptively heavy!
Spike ignores her and grabs Gunn to drag him out. They get all three to the end of the hall and wait for clean oxygen to take effect.
Harmony: Look at us saving the day!
Spike: Yes, look at us.
Harmony: Except…
Spike: What?
Harmony: Where's Willow?
Cut to Angel's office
Lindsey: Well, thanks Angel. You've managed to take me from the place the senior partners were torturing me to a new place to be tortured. How can I ever show my gratitude?
Xander: Try finishing the Itley story. I know this guy takes and gives souls like it's nothing and he toys with them in the interim. So when Spike came back, did he or did he not have his soul?
Lindsey: (pauses for a moment) Yes.
Angel: So when Itley got wind of what you were doing, he gave the soul back?
Lindsey: No. Itley was pissed because when Spike went martyr, he screwed him. Spike was supposed to be selfish and not part with that soul for anything.
Xander: So when Spike died, you brought him back without Itley's help?
Lindsey: Yeah.
Angel: And he was okay with that?
Lindsey: What do you think?
Xander: So I don't get it? Why did he let you get away with it?
Lindsey: Everybody has a price.
Angel: You cut a deal.
Lindsey: Pretty cool deal if you ask me. You went to hell with a soul. I was pretty happy not to go that route.
Eve: What?
Lorne: Oh.
Angel: You gave up your soul for Spike's.
Lindsey: I wasn't using it for much.
He smiles as the others stare in surprise.