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| Episode 2, Season 4 Title: "Ground State" Written by: Mere Smith Directed by: Michael Grossman Original Air Date: 13 October 2002 Teaser: 
Mr. and Mrs. Raiden drop off their little girl Gwen at a private, isolated
academy. Lydia Thorpe, the school representative, thanks them for their
generous donation; part of which has been used for Gwen's special accommodations.
Gwen looks sad and it is obvious her parents are somewhat relieved to
be rid of their daughter. Miss Thorpe warns Gwen about not touching any
of the students and takes her to class. During recess, Gwen keeps apart from the other children. A little boy visits her as she sits under a tree and asks if she is a freak. He offers her his little toy car and hands it to her but as she touches it, an electric current flows from her body to the little boy and shocks him severely. He falls to the ground and Miss Thorpe comes running to help. The aluminum toy car is reduced to a smoldering, black, mass of metal. Act I: 
At Cordelia's apartment, Angel, Fred and Gunn are packing up their missing
friend's belongings. It seems that our Cordy has not been at home for
quite a while. Angel thinks perhaps Phantom Dennis might know where she
is but he in return, is upset that the crew hasn't brought her home. Angel
finds out that Lorne has been too busy singing in Las Vegas to offer his
services as Angel goes through her pictures, one of the things found on
the kitchen table. The police have also not been much help. Beneath Los Angeles, Wesley is fighting a demon with the help of two men. Angel shows up just as Wesley finishes his work and orders the two men to return to base. Apparently Wesley has gone into business himself and Angel explains that he considers things between them to be "okay" again, but Wesley is not so accepting. He gives Angel what he came for, a file he’s been compiling on Cordy's disappearance and shares that he feels that she is not dead but perhaps in another dimension. To find Cordy, Angel must visit Dinza, one of the Elusian mysteries, a dark demi-Goddess of the Lost. Only the dead can visit her, but she likes to trap them in her lair for all eternity. Wes warns that this creature is not to be trusted but most importantly, he has located her. Angel follows the trail. In the sewers Angel enters into a dark chamber and is greeted by Dinza. She tells him that Cordy needs him no longer, as sounds of the people trapped with her echo through the chamber. She directs him to the "Axis of Pythia", an ancient power that bridges all dimensions. She surrounds his neck with her wrinkly gray hands and relishes the thought of keeping him. Instead, she reveals, "But you have so much more to lose." She covers him with her wings. In an upscale bar, a red leather clad beauty with full-length, black gloves sits in front of a man in a tie and jacket. She is there to settle her fee for stealing the "Axis" for Elliot, a collector of mystical objects. He hands her schematics for the auction house perimeter and plans for the security system and asks her to deliver the item at a private downtown high-rise penthouse. Her attitude is a bit laxed and he questions her skills required for this job. She replies by asking him if he's ever been struck by lightning. She has – 14 times. "It's not my fault. I just attract it. You know what else attracts lightning? Maggoty little norms like you." And with that she takes off her glove and electrocutes Elliot's $12,000 watch that she picked from his wrist and throws it on the table. Act II: 
From the heavens, Cordelia is watching down on the crew at the Hyperion
hotel where Fred is giving the our heroes a class on Axis 101. She has
done the background on breaking into the auction house because bidding
for it on Ebay is not an option, since the item is worth $33 million dollars.
The Axis is the only way to find Cordy and Fred takes the blueprints from
Angel and heads to the main office to whip up a plan. Angel is determined
to get Cordy back home as he and Gunn create a list of items needed for
the job. At her special abode, Gwen is preparing with all the gear needed for the heist. The final touch is red lipstick handed to her by her female assistant, Nick. She applies it and smiles, ready to go. Across town at Wesley's apartment, our research expert and the she-evil lawyer are getting it on all over again. She has found out that Wes had lied to her all along about knowing Angel's location and keeping Justine in the closet as they were enjoying themselves. His lies seem to arouse Lilah to new heights and reveals that Angel has thrown Connor out of his home. She smiles at the possibility of Connor needing a new ‘big sister’ but Wes can't bear to hear more and prefers to distract her in other ways. At the auction house, Gwen arrives first and quickly disables the security controls and easily enters. Next, come Fred, Gunn and Angel and he simply tears out the wires in the security control box. They sneak inside and Fred directs them where to go via the vents. Already inside a vent, Gwen sees she has been joined by others. Angel makes it to the location of the Axis vault but Gwen is one step ahead and closes a safety door to keep him out. She breaks into the vault, via the ceiling, as Angel looks on and witnesses her electrical talents. She steps out with the axis and he begs her that he ‘really, really needs the Axis’ to find someone important to him. The alarm suddenly goes off as Angel and Gunn manage to open the door. They try to slow Gwen down but she electrocutes Gunn and he falls dead to the ground. Act III: 
In the secure room, Gwen sees Angel and Fred's concern over Gunn. She
has a flashback of her childhood and the little boy that tried to be her
friend. She shoves Angel and Fred aside and uses her hand to restart Gunn's
heart. She succeeds and Angel attacks keeping away from her hands, but
Gunn must be taken to a hospital and she escapes as Angel turns his attention
to his fallen friend. Later that night, Lilah is using binoculars to watch some homeless people near a bridge, in particular, Connor trying to grab some shut eye on the ground with only a thin blanket for warmth. Angel sneaks up on her, he is not there for Connor but to find out what client is in need of the Axis. In exchange, Angel will ignore the fact that she is within 50 yards of his son, a threat well received. He gives her an hour to find the info he needs. Back at the Hyperion, Gunn is resting in Fred's bed and she is dealing with the fact that Gunn died that night. She came very close to losing him and the responsibilities of the past few months have drained her, she loses her mild-mannered composure and angrily vents her frustration, but then she begins to sob. Gunn holds her in his arms. At the high-rise, Angel surprises Gwen as she tries to get on the elevator. Lilah came through for him. She notices that he doesn't have a reflection but the next second she attacks and they fight. She uses her powers on him several times but they don't slow him down. They fight in the elevator and she opens his shirt and uses her hands directly on his chest, using all her power. Inside his rib cage, Angel's aged, dried heart comes to life, red and pumping like a live heart. He then passionately kisses Gwen as the electricity surges through him. Act IV: 
Still inside the elevator, Gwen kisses Angel back but steel bars locking
them inside startle them apart. Elliot appears with his goons and she
realizes he is double crossing her. She wants her money but Elliot considers
her a freak and her style a little too indiscreet for his taste. She is
very upset but Elliot has thought it through and refitted the elevator
with plexi-glass to keep her from using her powers. He steps back and
the elevator seals as gas begins to fill it. Angel punches through the
glass near the utility panel and takes a weakened Gwen’s hand to blow
the charge with her power. The doors open and he carries her out. Angel
fights Elliot's men and quickly brings them down. Gwen recovers and focuses
her attention on Elliott but Angel punches him out before she can kill
him. She realizes that Angel was serious about using the Axis to find
his love and walks away. At the Hyperion, Fred and Gunn wait outside Angel's bedrooms while he uses the Axis inside. He walks out with a brooding look on his face. Gunn knows that our champion has found Cordelia. Moments later, they are all downstairs and Angel recalls where he found her. In the other dimension, Cordy was full of light surrounded by joy. He has to let her go because Cordy is doing a whole lot of good in the other dimension, high above them. He has realized that Cordy is home, "where she belongs." From above, Cordy is watching them, "What are you? Deficient?! Get me out of here!"
Summary by CoA Council member, Raciella
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