Time Bomb

Plot

Gunn is being tortured. Illyria bursts in and sends the torturer flying. She rips the medallion from Gunn who tells her he can't leave unless someone else puts it on. The next scene shows the torturer wearing the medallion and stabbing himself in the chest. Wesley is talking to Angel in the office, saying he didn't send Illyria to get Gunn. They were talking about Gunn, she opened a dimensional portal and disappeared. Angel questions Illyria's motives and wonders why she would help them suddenly. Wesley says she represents a resource, Angel scoffs at the idea of her joining the team. Illyria and Gunn materialize. She holds Gunn up and says he has great value to them. Wesley realizes she's talking about the debt they now owe her. She drops Gunn and walks out.

Gunn returns to his office to find a huge stack of documents piled on his desk. In Wesley's office, which is quite a mess, Wesley is researching everything he can think of which will tell him something about Illyria. Gunn enters. Wesley is acting pretty weird. He says he should apologize for stabbing Gunn but doesn't know how and it would just be awkward. Gunn says he's not looking for an apology and doesn't know if he'd take one. He says he just spent two weeks getting his heart cut out every day and a little stabbing seems insignificant. Gunn says he's confused. He doesn't know what's happening, why Illyria saved him. Wesley says it's all about adjustment. He says he can't look at Illyria without seeing Fred, but Illyria talks very differently. That they all seem so tiny to her. Gunn thinks he's controlling her, but he laughs at that idea. He says she still thinks she's the god king of the universe. Gunn compares her to a tv star, but Wesley says she's not that bad. But more violent.

Spike and Illyria are fighting. He's doing better than previously. She says he had affection for Fred. He says he knows she's not Fred. She says he's adapting and adaptation is compromise. He says it's called learning. She says when the world met her it shuddered. All they needed to know was Illyria. Spike mocks her. She says modern rulers have tiny fragments of the world. She says to never die and to conquer everything is winning. Spike attacks and she does her time warping thing. He says that's cheating, she slams him into the wall. Angel calls Spike. She says he can go.

Spike tells Angel he's starting to figure out Illyria's moves. Angel tells him to stop the sessions. Spike says he's just getting into it and Angel says they aren't testing her, she's testing them. Illyria suddenly pants. Spike thinks he's winded her. She looks startled. Gunn is going through the pile of papers on his desk. Lorne, in a hat and dark glasses, enters. He asks how Gunn's doing and says he's been assigned to tail Illyria by Angel, hence the disguise. He has a walkie talkie. They talk about Wesley and Lorne says he's acting crazy. He says he's like two people. One is almost catatonic and the other is obsessing over every tidbit he can find on Illyria. Angel calls them to a meeting.

In Angel's office, he says he wants Illyria dead. Wesley acts strangely, but seems to agree it's the best thing to do. Gunn asks about the apocalypse and Wesley says they are in the 1000 year war between good and evil and evil is winning. Spike says they're on the wrong side, unless you like winning. Angel says they have to figure out how to fight an invisible war. Angel says with all they've done, they are still Wolfram & Hart's number one earner. Marcus enters and says not anymore. He says Illyria did an enormous amount of damage freeing Gunn and it's being billed to the firm. They are now losing money. He says the partners have a task for them, he's sending Gunn the file. He says it's good to see Gunn again and Angel reacts slightly. Angel says that's not his priority. Marcus says it's about profits, that they are in a business not the batcave. He leaves.

Wesley is in his office sitting on the floor surrounded by books. Illyria enters and asks what day it is. He says Monday. She says they've had this conversation before. He says they have talked about their systems of measurement. She says he's her guide and her betrayer. She says when he shattered the Orlon he hoped to rewrite history and bring back Fred. He says instead he brought back more painful memories. He asks if his betrayal stings her and she says it was a neutral word in her day. But she is bothered that it bothers her. He says that sounds very human.

Gunn has the file from Marcus. It's a ceremonial demon pact. Angel asks how he met Marcus. Gunn explains and Angel asks how he answered when Marcus made his offer. Gunn seems upset at being asked, but answers. In walks a normal looking pregnant woman who says she's there about the demon pact. She explains that the Fell brethren found her through a seer and say her baby is a holy one. Gunn says demon contracts are tricky and as their client they have to advise her to be careful. Three Fell brethren enter and say she's not their client, they are. Cut to Wesley and Illyria in his office. Wesley says she doesn't look well. Illyria doubles over in pain. Angel shouts to Wesley to do it now. Wesley picks up a kind of gun to fire at her. Time bends and we're back at the point where Spike is commenting on Illyria being winded to Angel. Then we're back in Wesley's office. Illyria says he tried to murder her again and shoves him against the wall. He says he doesn't want her dead. She says she saw it and walks out. Lorne follows behind.

The Fell brethren are in the lobby. Harmony tells them Angel needs another minute and offers them their choice of refreshment: coffee, tea, blood, organic cola. They are worried about the holy vessel, but she assures them Angel will come through. They confer and ask for the organic cola. Angel and Gunn tell Amanda she can still get out of the deal. Lorne keeps calling on the walkie talkie and Angel just ignores it. She says they would look after the baby and worship him, give him things she never could. She says they can't afford the baby. Her husband was hurt at work, brain damaged. They're getting by on food stamps and disability. The brethren say they can make him whole again and she can't turn that down. Gunn leaves the table. Angel goes after him. Gunn says he's not feeling so good. Angel says it's not surprising given it's his first day back. Gunn says the worst part of his hell wasn't the basement, but the false life above. That it all was just hiding the horror. He asks if that is what they are doing and says he doesn't think he can stomach it. Angel says he has to. They have to figure out the big picture and plot their next move. Gunn says she is their next move. Harmony enters and says the brethren have finished their colas and are anxious. Angel tells her to send them in.

Wesley is in the lab. Marcus enters and asks if he's curing cancer. Wesley says it wouldn't be cost effective. Marcus agrees saying the patent holder is a client. He asks about Illyria, saying the partners have concerns about her. Wesley says they have common ground. Marcus calls her a walking nightmare. He says Wesley is her friend. Wesley says if he knew her, he'd realize how ridiculous that statement it. He says the partners know her, they go way back. They want her gone. He suggests Wesley look at low emanation scanner readouts. He leaves. Wesley looks.

Lorne is on the walkie talkie saying Illyria is wise to him tailing her. He's about 5 feet behind her in the hallway. The brethren enter the conference room and make a fuss about Amanda. Angel is ignoring the walkie talkie. The brethren sign the contract and give it to Amanda, but Gunn starts asking about some ritual which includes sacrifice. The brethren get mad. Illyria walks in and insists Angel speak to her. He takes her outside. Lorne is there trying to talk on the walkie talkie. When they come out he asks if Angel ever turns it on and Angel pushes him aside. He tells Illyria never to interrupt their work. She asks if he's using poison or magic. She says she's impressed but it won't save them. He says they aren't doing anything. She says he's jealous. She has a spasm. She grabs him and calls him an ape asking what he's done to her. She says he doesn't know yet, it's too early. She walks off. Lorne tells Angel he has to keep the walkie talkie on. Angel knocks off Lorne's hat. Harmony says it's getting shouty in the office. He says to let Gunn take care of it.

Angel goes to Wesley and Spike and says Illyria is crazy. Spike asks how can he tell. Wesley says Illyria is unstable, the human part of her cannot contain the demon essence. He says this can allow them to get to her. He pulls out the gun thing we saw before and says it's a mutari generator. He says it will kill her. They go to the training room where they've tracked her. Wesley says if she blows the damage will range from several city blocks to continental. They pass Lorne who asks Angel if he even knows how to use the walkie talkie. They enter the room but Illyria isn't there. Lorne says he didn't see her leave. She appears and stakes and slays Spike. Then she kills Wesley, then Lorne, and finally beheads and slays Angel. She has another spasm and finds herself back in the hallway conversation with Angel where she says he's jealous. She grabs Angel, as she did before, has another spasm and they both find themselves in the sequence in Wesley's office. Illyria realizes there is an aberration in the time line. She spasms again and she and Angel end up in the torture chamber with Gunn. She says they ripped her out of the normal time sequence. He says they didn't do it. She hits him. She says when she was young he was the muck at her feet. He tells her to shut up. He says he is trying to contain her and she'd do the same thing. It's his kingdom and she's a dangerous element.

Illyria spasms and they are back in the training room where she killed them all. The others are dead on the floor. She describes how she killed them. He asks why and she realizes he knows nothing about it. She says he's from an earlier point in the time line, a paradox and impossible. She says his morality makes it impossible for him to rule. That there is power there and he quibbles at the price. She has spasms through all this. She says you must serve nothing but your ambition. She realizes they aren't responsible. Angel says things can change. She explodes and he's hurled through the time line to when he was walking to the training room with Wesley and Spike. He tells them what happened. In the room, he realizes Spike is in danger and shoves him aside. Illyria misses Spike and stakes Angel in the gut instead.

Angel tells them all to stop. He explains what's happening and how the continent may be destroyed. Illyria says he's asking her to let herself be murdered. Spike says it's no murder if she consents. Wesley says the device won't kill her, he lied to Angel. It will just take her power away. She says she'd rather die and kicks Wesley away. Spike fights with her. She time warps, but spasms and the warp stops. Angel says she's fighting to hold on to what she was but has to be what she is. She starts to break up, Wesley uses the mutari generator and it works. She is lying on the ground. She says touch me and die. Spike says there isn't much of a difference. Wesley says everything is different.

Later, Angel and Wesley are observing Illyria, still on the floor. Wesley says she won't be stopping time or walking through dimensions and her physical strength has decreased. Angel says that's what he wanted to hear. He asks if Wesley will stay with her and he says yes. Angel says he doesn't like it. Wesley says he's not in love, but he needs Illyria. Angel says that's weird. Wesley agrees. He says Illyria will still try to conquer everything. Angel says Wesley was right about her being a resource and she might make the team.

Gunn and the brethren are arguing. Angel enters and takes the contract. He says the baby belongs to the brethren. Marcus is surprised. Gunn asks what he's doing. Angel says serving his clients.