Some time ago on a lonely highway. A bar, more specifically a biker bar, which looks rather innocent from the outside. The inside on the other hand, is slightly more deadly. It’s a demon bar, the kind where everyone is welcome, as long as the violence stays outside and the beer flows freely. The place had never had any trouble before – until that one dark night.

A demon in a uniform walked into the bar, but this one was no punchline for a joke. He was a member of the Scourge, a para-military group who see any other than their kind as a waste of resources on the planet. They are pure blood demons and any other demon, tainted with the stink of humanity, is marked by them for execution. The bar patrons told him to leave, that they knew of his kind. But that didn’t matter. The Scourge soldier was their leader – and he was called Embre. It was not difficult to understand why, concludes D’Rel, as he tells Gunn and Illyria how he and his family escaped the burning bar that night. And how the Scourge kept following them.

Now they’re here, in a barn in Texas. The Scourge have not let up – they have followed them across America without obstacle, relentlessly. Gunn promises to help them, although Illyria could not be less interested: she struggles to see why it is any of their business.

At the funeral of Fred’s uncle Morton, Gunn stands there, wishing it would end. He spies Illyria, all decked out in black, veil covering her face and watches as a young gentleman approaches her. Since she doesn’t tear his limbs off for touching her, Charles leaves them be.

It seems her admirer, Jason, took Fred to Prom. Of course, Illyria has no idea what the words mean, but they go for a walk alone – closely shadowed by Gunn, curious about Illyria’s reactions than anything else.

Settling by a large tree, Jason recalls being there with Fred. He plays it cool, suggesting he regrets not making a move back then, but is stunned when Illyria, remembering a moment with Wesley through Fred’s memories, suddenly kisses him. He’s left stunned and petrified and dutifully runs off in confusion! As Gunn emerges from his hiding place, the Old One insists that she will never understand humans.

Gunn has a lead on the Scourge in an abandoned warehouse nearby. Illyria still doesn’t see why it concerns them, but Gunn tells her that he’s doing it because it’s right. These demons call themselves pure, but what is an Old One? Doesn’t she trump them? He feels like he was defending her honour in a way. She punches the tree in anger: he has appealed to her – again.

The two former Angel Investigations members arrive at the warehouse and find a way inside rather easily. They find Embre, atop an elevated platform, addressing hundreds of soldiers, all in the same ghastly Nazi-esque uniforms. Embre speaks to his troops, declaring that their time has come: finally, their saviour will rise and the impure will be cleansed from the face of the world in his fiery blaze!

As Gunn starts looking worried, Embre declares how he will raise their saviour from his slumber: somehow, he has the Mutari generator, recovered from the Fall of Wolfram & Hart Los Angeles. He tells his followers that it still contains essence energies of the Old One it was used upon – and now the Old One energy will release their ruler.

Illyria stands. Gunn tells her that they need a strategy, but the Goddess looks at him – she will kill them all. A sigh escapes Charles’ lips: well, that is A strategy…

Suddenly the energy unleashed by the generator wipes out most of the soldiers, leaving Gunn stunned – why would he do that? Illyria points downward – the smoke clears, revealing that the soldiers’ sacrifice have uncovered a sarcophagus. Before Illyria can explain what she knows is happening, the sarcophagus shatters open, and a huge serpent-like Old One emerges, causing the remaining Scourge soldiers to flee.

As the creature roars to life, it approaches Illyria and Gunn. Illyria stops in front of it’s giant, gaping mouth, seemingly preparing to be swallowed, when the creature stops.

“Illyria. It’s been a while,” the titan bellows.

Gunn is almost speechless as he looks at Illyria in surprise: “You know each other?”