Angel

As the medieval demon tortures Gunn yet again, Illyria bursts in, grabs the necklace that keeps Gunn there, and pins it on the demon, who then begins to cut out his own heart. Later Illyria and Gunn return through a mystical portal to Angel’s office, where Illyria notes that she retrieved Gunn because he seems important to Wesley. The next day Gunn returns to work, still a bit shaky, and Wes apologizes for stabbing him a few weeks ago. Gunn accepts the apology, saying having his heart cut out day after day has put things in perspective. He notes, though, that Illyria must take some getting used to, and Wes agrees it’s not easy dealing with her “God-King” ego. At the same time, Spike takes another beating from Illyria in the Wolfram and Hart training room. Angel asks him to stop the sessions, since it’s likely she’s training Spike, not the other way around. Then, as they talk, Illyria suffers a sudden pain in her gut, but recovers quickly. A bit later Angel gathers Wes, Spike, and Gunn in his office to say that he doesn’t trust Illyria. Then Hamilton tells them that Illyria has been destroying company assets, and the Senior Partners insist she be removed. A bit later Illyria goes to Wes’ office and accuses him of betraying and trying to kill her when he smashed the Orlon Window. He insists he was just trying to get Fred back. Meanwhile Gunn reviews a new case file, and one of the parties involved - a pregnant woman named Amanda - enters. Three scaly demons follow, and Gunn and Angel learn the demons have come to sign a contract, which would turn over Amanda’s unborn child to the Fell Brethern: a demon cult. Finally, back in Wes’ office, Illyria suffers another cramp and is transported several hours into the future, where Angel urges Wesley to aim a mystical device at her. As he does, she suffers another cramp and winds up back in the training room, where she and Spike re-live their last fight.

A moment later Illyria cramps again and winds up back in Wes’ office where she started. Recalling her glimpse of the future in the training room, though, she accuses Wes of trying to kill her. He has no idea what she’s talking about. Meanwhile Angel and Gunn consult with Amanda. While Gunn tries to find a loophole in Amanda’s contract, Angel tries to talk her into giving up her child to the demons, and asks Gunn to go along until they can figure out their next move. About the same time, Hamilton visits Wesley and makes it clear that the Senior Partners are expecting him to deal with Illyria personally. Wes has no solutions, so Hamilton tells him to look at Illyria’s energy readouts on a low-emanation scanner. Wes calls up the data on his computer, which shows very erratic readings as Illyria moves through the building. Back in Angel’s office, Angel presents the contract to Amanda, but as she’s about to sign it, Gunn questions a clause that calls for her child to become a ritual sacrifice. Before Angel can react, however, Illyria enters and pulls Angel away. She demands to know what he and Wesley have done to her, but then she realizes their actions are still in the future and he has no idea what she’s talking about. After Illyria leaves, Angel consults with Wes, Spike, and Lorne, who say Illyria is on the verge of self-destruction. Wes shows them a mystical hand cannon, which he says could blast her leaking energy into another dimension, killing her. Seeing a monitor indicating Illyria’s back in the training room, they head there, but then don’t see her. Then Spike dusts as Illyria stabs him with a piece of a wooden desk. Wes aims his hand cannon, but Illyria stabs and kills him before he can fire. Then she slams a fist through Lorne, killing him, and cuts off Angel’s head, dusting him too.

Then Illyria cramps again, and winds up a few minutes in the past, talking to Angel in the lobby. Yet another cramp transports both of them in time and space to Wes’ office. As they all register surprise, still another cramp sends Illyria and Angel back to the suburban basement, where Gunn is about to have his heart ripped out by the medieval demon. The demon charges, and after Illyria deflects it, she asks Angel how he’s doing these things to her. He says they’ve been looking for a way to control her. As she reminds him she’s the God-King, she cramps again and they wind up back in the training room, where Wes and Spike are already dead and Illyria is about to swing the axe at Angel. Then he sees his own pile of dust and realizes he too is dead. He asks Illyria how this can be, and she says he’s now a paradox, transported here from earlier in time. Then, as she tries to explain that he’s been caught up in paradoxes for a long time, she’s wracked by more pains and a crack opens in her face, emitting a beam of light. Another spasm rips her apart, and Angel is blown back in a white-hot burst of energy. A moment later Angel, Wes, Spike, and Lorne are once again on their way to find Illyria in the training room. This time, though, when they enter, Angel anticipates Illyria flying at them with the desk shard, shoves Spike out of the way, and takes the hit himself.

Angel pulls the shard out of his chest and tells Illyria that he knows she’s about to explode, but he can’t let it happen because it will destroy his world. Wes says if she lets him use the mystical cannon, it will withdraw the harmful energy from her and let her live in a less powerful form. Illyria says she’d rather be a crater than have as little power as a mere human. She lunges at Wes, but Spike deflects her as she spasms in pain again. Angel gives her another chance to decide, and Wes steps forward with the cannon. Finally she relents, and as the fault line opens in her face, Wes shoots. The cannon opens a black hole, and a pillar of fire streams from Illyria’s chest into it. Then, as the hole closes, Illyria collapses. Later Wes tells Angel that Illyria can no longer stop time or walk through dimensions, but her ego still rages unchecked. Angel asks if Wes is going to stay with her, and Wes says caring for her is something he needs to do. Finally Angel returns to his office, where Gunn and a Fell demon are still fighting over Amanda’s contract. Gunn tries to throw the demon out, but Angel grabs the contract and says Amanda’s baby belongs to the demons. Gunn protests, saying they can win this fight, but Angel says it’s not the one he wants to win. When Gunn asks what he’s doing, Angel says he’s just serving their clients... and then he walks away, leaving Gunn alone.