
The gang, minus Angel, are fighting Connor and his band of Jasminites in the mantis demons lair. Angel and the blue orb are in the demon world, where heâs spotted a bridge to a city that holds a temple. Connor takes Wesley, Fred, Gunn, and Lorne captive and announces that he has to kill them. He says that the heroes are all alone and donât belong there. Gunn is happy not to belong, since everyone else is worshipping a false god. Before Connor can kill anyone, a guard speaks in Jasmineâs voice and tells him to bring the others back to the Hyperion. As Angel climbs a cliff to the temple, Jasmine thanks some of the Jasminites for being loyal followers. Connor brings in the gang and Jasmine tells them that theyâve caused themselves pain by abandoning her. She asks where Angel is and Wesley taunts her, saying she should know since sheâs omniscient. Wesley asks about mantis demon and she compares his past world to the humansâ world. She says that when she came along, she âkicked their evolution up a few ticks,â but it obviously didnât work out (also that she has a better chance in this world as it can be taken over quickly). She adds that Angel is wasting his time in the demon world, but Wesley says that if she really believed that, she would have killed them already. Jasmine tells a follower to tell the media that sheâll be down soon; Wesley realizes that sheâs about to beam out her âloveâ to everyone. Fred tries to get Connor to stop her, telling him that Jasmine will enslave everyone, but he says that sheâll bring everyone together. Fred says that they tried to show him what Jasmine really is; he tells her that he knows. He looks at Jasmine, and we see that he sees what they have been seeing - her maggot-infested flesh. âSheâs beautiful,â Connor says. Jasmine heads for her press interview, telling Connor that she wonât be able to keep an eye on everyone while itâs going on, so heâll have to do that for her. Connor asks what Angel has gone after and Jasmine replies, âThe unattainable.â
Angel makes it to the temple, where he encounters the high priest. The priest says that heâs come this far only to die. He calls himself âguardian of the word, caretaker of her most blessed templeâ and Angel notes that there donât seem to be any other followers. The high priest is sure that Jasmine will return when sheâs done with the human world. Angel tries to get the priest to say Jasmineâs real name, but the priest wonât say it. Angel tries to intimidate him and the priest tells him, âYou can take away her power, but youâve already lostâ¦everything.â Connor sticks Wesley and company in Angelusâ cage in the basement and Wesley notes that the blood ritual didnât work on Connor because heâs seen Jasmineâs true face all along. Connor says that appearance doesnât matter to him, since he grew up in Quor-toth. Fred tries to get Connor to feel badly about Cordelia; Connor tells her that Cordelia has been moved. Wesley asks Connor what Jasmine eats, since the demon called her âthe devourer.â Connor denies that he knows, but Wesley has already figured out that she eats her followers. Gunn worries that Cordelia has already been eaten. Angel demands that the priest give him Jasmineâs true name, but the priest reveals that he canât - only the Keeper of the name has it. The priest is the guardian of the word, but the guardian of the word is not the keeper of the name. The word is the name, so the priest is the guardian of the Keeper - the keeper of the Keeper. The Keeper happens to be in the corner of the room, but the priest warns that heâll only speak Jasmineâs real name with his last breath. Turns out heâs right, since the Keeperâs mouth is sewn shut.
Connor heads to the banquet hall, where Jasmine is chatting with some of her followers who have no idea that theyâre about to be eaten. He pulls her aside and asks where she took Cordelia. Jasmine assures him that she didnât eat Cordelia; Connor tries to pretend that he didnât think that, but heâs relieved. However, Jasmine wonât tell him where she took Cordelia. Angel fights the Keeper as the priest taunts that his friends are probably dead by now, so thereâs no reason for Angel to try to fight for his world. The priest points out that his world doesnât care about him or want him, but Angel counters that it needs him. The priest says that heâs actually fighting for Connor; heâs already lost Cordelia, and heâs going to lose Connor as well.
Meanwhile in the human world the press sets up for the conference, excited to be sharing Jasmine with the rest of the world. A reporter tries to get an interview with Connor, but heâs not up for it. He finds a couple of followers who moved Cordelia and demands to know where she is. Back at the temple, the priest wonders why Angel keeps trying to make things right with Connor. The priest points out that Connor was only brought about to bring Jasmine into the world. âHe will never love you,â the priest taunts. Angel says that it doesnât matter. He ducks a swing from the Keeper and lets the priest get knocked into a wall instead. In the basement of the Hyperion, Gunn is kicking the cage to try to break out of it, but heâs mostly just succeeding at annoying Lorne. Fred notes that Connor left them unguarded. Wesley wonders why Jasmine had Cordelia moved, since the gang were the only people using her blood to turn others. He asks why Jasmine doesnât just kill Cordelia. Fred thinks that she canât and Wesley agrees that Jasmine is dependent on Cordelia - she canât hurt her without hurting herself. However, Cordelia might be able to hurt Jasmine. The gang decide that they should figure out how to wake up Cordelia, though first theyâll have to find her.
Connor finds a church (with a sign reading, âGod is nowhere. Jasmine is the wayâ) and tries to get past the police officers outside. Connor knocks the cops out and goes into the church, where he finds Cordelia. Back at the banquet hall, Jasmine eats a large group of people and then prepares for her press conference. At the church, Connor gives a little impassioned speech to Cordelia about needing a reason to fight. He says that he doesnât have one now and wants to just stop. He admits that he never believed in Jasmine but went along because everyone else did and he wanted to belong. Sheâs bringing peace to everyone and helping them get rid of their hatred, but itâs not working for him. He says that his whole life has been built on lies, but he thought this one was better than the other ones. In the lobby of the Hyperion, the media prepares for the press conference. Upstairs, one of the men Connor attacked for info on Cordelia alerts Jasmine. Jasmine heads to the press conference and starts talking about love, her image broadcast around the world. From the basement, Wesley and company hear the audience cheering and realize that Jasmine has started her world broadcast. They realise that they really are alone now. Back at the conference, Jasmine tells everyone that they donât have to give her anything, just show her love along with a large temple to stand as a beacon of hope.
As Angel suddenly appears during her speech she orders her followers to attack him. They do but Angel cuts the sewn mouth of the Keeper and a long hissing sound is heard. With her name revealed, Jasmine glows and screams are heard as her face switches between her beauty and true form until it settles in the middle. Now with purple eyes and covered in boils Jasmine begs her followers to calm down as they erupt into chaos and despair. Convinced that something has gone terribly wrong Gunn kicks open the door to the cage and they head upstairs. Out in the streets of L.A., everything is chaotic and Jasmine is upset that no one is worshipping her anymore. She contacts Connor through one of the cops at the church; Connor runs off to find her. Angel catches up to Jasmine and tells her that she lost. She replies, âThere are no absolutes. No right and wrong. Havenât you learned anything working for the Powers? There are only choices. I offered paradise. You chose this!â He counters that he chose this world because he could; she had taken choice away from everyone. âAnd look what free will has gotten you,â Jasmine says. Angel responds that free will is what makes humans human; Jasmine points out that heâs not human. âWorking on it,â he says. She heads off, wanting to be alone, and Angel says that heâs not going to let her hurt anyone else. He lists the things sheâs done, pointing out that thousands of people are dead because of her. Jasmine asks how many people will die because Angel stopped world peace. She argues that she murdered thousands in order to save billions, but now the world has to fend for itself. âThe price was too high, Jasmine,â Angel says. âOur fate has to be our own, or weâre nothing.â He tells her that everyone has done horrible stuff, but they can make up for it; she doesnât have the world she wanted, but she can still try to make it better. Jasmine doesnât want to. She punches Angel off of a bridge and then uses a car as a weapon. She tells him that she loved the world and sacrificed everything to be there. Angel counters that she did so in order to run the world. Jasmine says that the other Powers That Be didnât care enough unlike her and he knows it.
The fighting continues and Jasmine reminds Angel of the prophecy that said he would play a role in the apocalypse. He never knew which side he would be on, but now he does - sheâs going to wipe out the human race with the last of her energy, and the blood will be on his hands. He tells her to go to hell; she replies, âYou first, baby,â then kisses him. Connor arrives, noting that once again Angel is involved with a girl who was Connorâs first. Jasmine is thrilled that Connor is finally there. Wesley, Gunn and Fred search the hotel but find that everyone has taken off. Lorne notes that all of the TV stations are off the air, which means that something big happened. Wesley realizes that Angel came back and that they need to find him and Cordelia before Jasmine does. Before the gang can get out the door, theyâre met by something - or someone - surprising. On the bridge, Jasmine tells Connor that Angel canât defeat both of them. âYou still believe in me, donât you?â she asks. âYou still love me?â âYes,â Connor replies, before punching her through her maggoty head and killing her. Angel tries to comfort Connor, but he runs off. Angel heads back to the Hyperion, where heâs shocked to see that the others are still alive. He tells them that Jasmine is dead and Connor killed her. As Wesley tries to interrupt and tell him something, Angel says that heâs never seen Connor like that before. âI think heâs gonna do something,â Angel says. âYou know, he might--.â âEnd world peace?â a woman replies. Angel looks over to see Lilah in the office doorway. âWell, you already took care of that,â she says. âCongratulations.â
Source: Wikipedia
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