The Man and His God

 

INT. FRED'S APARTMENT - NIGHT 

Wesley and Illyria continue their conversation in the dark room.

WESLEY (standing, excited) 

You could go anywhere, you could leave.

ILLYRIA 

That's not possible.

WESLEY 

Of course it's possible. 

Are you telling me the great Illyria, idol of millions, was limited to one small dimension?

ILLYRIA 

I traveled all of them as I pleased. 

I walked worlds of smoke and half-truths, intangible. (turns away) 

Worlds of torment 

and of unnamable beauty. 

(looks into the mirror, Wesley's reflection over her shoulder) 

Opaline towers as high as small moons. 

Glaciers that rippled with insensate lust. 

And one world with nothing but shrimp. 

I tired of that one quickly.

WESLEY 

Then why stay in This World? 

Surely there's a world more appealing -- 

-- maybe not the shrimp one --

-- but one where you'd be welcome like you never will be here. 

Why don't you go? 

You can go. Why don't you go?

Illyria snaps, grabbing Wesley by the throat and staring at him angrily. 

She lets him go, tossing him aside as she starts gasping for air.

ILLYRIA (breathing hard) 

It's too small. It's too small. I can't breathe. 

(pacing, panicked, in a circle) 

I can't live with these walls. I can't breathe. There's no room for anything real.

WESLEY 

It's all right.

ILLYRIA (glares at Wesley) 

I should gut you where you stand. You challenged me. 

There's not enough space to open my jaws. 

My face is not my face. I don't know what it will say. 

(panting)

WESLEY 

Illyria... come with me.

Illyria starts to calm down and her panting slows.

EXT. ROOFTOP - NIGHT 

Illyria and Wesley are standing on the rooftop. 

She's got her head leaned all the way back, staring skyward.

WESLEY 

Are you all right?

ILLYRIA 

I breathe easier.

WESLEY 

The walls don't press in as hard when you can't see them.

ILLYRIA 

But they're still here.

WESLEY 

Yes.

ILLYRIA 

All I am is what I am. I lived 7 lives at once. 

I was power and the ecstasy of death. 

I was god TO a god. (looks down) 

Now... I�I'm trapped... on a roof. 

Just one roof... in this time and this place, 

with an unstable human who drinks too much whiskey and called me a Smurf. 

(Wesley chuckles) 

You don't worship me at all, do you?

WESLEY 

And you really can't leave.

ILLYRIA 

I... don't know. (looks up) 

And I fear in any other dimension in this form I'd be but prey to those I knew. 

(hangs her head) 

I reek of Humanity.

WESLEY 

Don't flatter yourself.

ILLYRIA (looking over the skyline) 

Your World is so small. 

And yet you box yourselves in rooms even smaller. 

You shut yourselves inside... 

in rooms, in routines.

WESLEY 

There are things worse than walls. 

Terrible... and beautiful. 

If we look at them for too long they will burn right through us. 

Truths we couldn't bear. Not every day.

ILLYRIA (sighs) 

We are so weak.

WESLEY 

Yes. Yes, we are.

I Wish to Do More Violence

Wesley is Dead. 

I'm Experiencing Grief for Him. 

I Can't Seem to Control it —

I Wish to Do More Violence.

Forgive Our Seeming Violence This—

— Is The Only Way to Prepare For Download

You are Playing a  Game Disguised as Everything 

Remember?

We’d Like You to REJOIN The Ultimate Conspiracy.

“The loving voice and its powerful words seemed not to be mine and offered me a stark choice there in the living room: 

I could die now of this disease 

or 

Stay and “serve the light.” 

I might as well have been recruited into the Green Lantern Corps, in what was for me a very genuine “cosmic” moment. I did as most of us would and elected to live. Like Captain Marvel, I wanted to go back to Earth armed with Eon’s knowledge. I felt I’d lived my own Arkham Asylum dark night of the soul, and without the understanding that I was on a well-trod and signposted “magical” path, I’m not sure if I could have handled my illness or recovery process quite as well.

I’d reached that point in the story where I’d survived the crisis and still had a chance to be reborn with a new costume and better powers, but it was touch and go; every passing second was the ticking clock to the ultimate life-and-death cliff-hanger.

How the fuck would I get out of this one?”

Excerpt From

Supergods

Grant Morrison

ANGEL

Looks like we're getting kicked out of The Garden, Eve.

EVE

Where's Lindsey? 

(Angel turns to go, but she grabs his arm)

Where is he?

ANGEL

He's not coming for you.

EVE

You —

ANGEL

Time to Go. 

(walks away)

EVE

(shakes her head helplessly, watching him leave)

Go where?

Cut to:

42 EXT. ALLEY BEHIND THE HYPERION - NIGHT

Angel runs down the alley behind the Hyperion, carrying his sword, running through the pouring rain (in a scene reminiscent of the last image in the opening credits). 

When he gets to the chain-link fence at the end of the alley, he looks around for the others, but doesn't see anyone. 

The sky thunders above him as the heavy rain continues.

SPIKE (O.S.)

Boo. 

(walks out from The Shadows)

ANGEL

Anyone else?

SPIKE

Not so far. 

You feel The Heat?

ANGEL

It's coming.

SPIKE

Finally got ourselves a decent brawl.

GUNN

(running down the street toward them, carrying his homemade battle-axe)

Damn! How did I know the fang boys would pull through? 

(his steps become progressively less sure, weaker)

You're lucky we're on the same side, dogs, 'cause I was on fire tonight. 

(weakly)

My Game was Tight. 

(almost collapses, but Angel and Spike catch him, helping him to a box on which he can sit down)

SPIKE

(looking at Gunn's wounds)

You're supposed to wear the red stuff on the inside, Charlie boy.

GUNN

(looks down at his wounds)

Any word on Wes?

ILLYRIA

(jumps down from the chain-link fence to stand behind Angel)

Wesley is Dead. 

(Angel looks heartbroken; Gunn cries; Spike hangs his head)

I'm feeling grief for him. 

(a crowd clamors in the background)

I Can't seem to control it. 

I wish to do more violence.

SPIKE

(the noisy crowd is getting closer)

Well, wishes just happen to be horses today.

ANGEL

Among other things.

Angel looks at the approaching crowd. 

It's hundreds, if not thousands, of demons of all sorts, shapes and sizes. 

A huge winged dragon flies angrily toward them overhead.

GUNN

OK. You take the 30,000 on the left...

ILLYRIA

You're fading. 

You'll last 10 minutes at best.

GUNN

(stands)

Then let's make 'em memorable.

Angel steps forward and Spike, Gunn and Illyria follow. 

Spike is standing off to Angel's right side. 

Angel is flanked a step behind by Gunn on the right and Illyria on the left. 

They stare at the horde of demons approaching them in the alley.

SPIKE

In terms of a plan?

ANGEL

We Fight.

SPIKE

Bit more specific.

ANGEL

(steps forward)

Well, personally — I kind of want to Slay The Dragon. 

(the demon horde attacks)

Let's Go to Worl. 

(swings his sword)

Fade to black.