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TRANSCRIPT:
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This one comes with a warning: Tonight's episode of Witchblade contains violent material and adult themes which may not be suitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.

 

Sara (voice over): The past few months have been tough. It all started when I encountered the Witchblade. Exactly what it is and why I was chosen to wield it, are still a mystery to me. But I do believe that Kenneth Irons, one of New York's fiercest power brokers, has the answers. Since I encountered the Witchblade, I have lost my partner, my lover, my mentor, and perhaps a bit of my sanity. My life is in danger. I no longer know who to trust. And I've had some experiences that can only be called supernatural. Hopefully, things will only get better. And with a little luck, I will learn why my father was killed. And why I was chosen to wield this damn thing called the Witchblade.

 

 

Act I

Open with Sara's face being shown on a TV or monitor with "REC" in red at the top.

Sara (on screen): Several months ago I discovered a renegade faction within the New York Police Department. This society is named the White Bulls.

Shift to see Sara live.

Sara (on screen): They act like crusaders for justice, but they're nothing more than profiteers.

Shift to see Sara's recording playing on a laptop.

Sara (on screen): I have a dead man's testimony and circumstantial evidence that they murdered my father when he was on to them 20 years ago.

Pull back to see a camera on a tripod near the laptop. Pull back further to see Sara and Gabriel looking at the laptop. Gabriel touches a key to stop the playback. They are in a large empty building.

Sara: This is too weird.

Gabriel: No, this is going straight to the 'net, baby. This time next week, you're going to be getting more hits than Napster used to.

Sara: Great.

 

 

Cut to Ian Nottingham in Kenneth Irons' den. Though he wears his gloves, his hair is loose, merely tucked behind his ears. He is carrying a sheathed katana whose hilt is wrapped in red. He shrugs his overcoat off his shoulders and unsheathes the katana. He spins the blade between his hands as we shift to see he is facing Irons, who is sitting, legs crossed at his knees, in his throne-like carved wooden chair. Ian stops, the sword resting point up along the back of his left arm.

Irons: How dramatic.

Ian approaches Irons, bringing the blade in front of him.

Ian: It is written that no man can serve two masters. I thought I could prove the exception. I was mistaken.

Irons: And now you agonize between your devotion to me and your ... passion for Sara Pezzini.

Ian kneels before Irons, head bowed, offering him the katana. Irons stands.

Ian (looking up): You gave me life. It's yours to take back. I would consider it a mercy.

Irons says nothing and just looks at Ian.

Ian (voice emotion-laden): If you don't, I shall.

He turns the katana in his hands so that the point is directed at himself. {Though the katana is really too long for hara-kiri.}

Irons moves to the side a bit and grabs the hilt with his right hand as he puts his left on the back of Ian's head, forcing it down. There is a fierce look on his face for a moment before he pulls Ian's head to his left leg. Ian reaches his right hand up to hold the leg.

Irons (also emotional): I am not a merciful man, Ian.

A tear trickles down Ian's nose.

Irons (almost sadly): And it is also written, "As for this worthless slave, throw him out into the darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

His hand in Ian's hair, he forces Ian to look up at him.

Irons (firmly, emotions closed off again): Be gone, Ian. Your darkness awaits.

Irons flings Ian's head from his grasp and walks away, leaving Ian kneeling on the floor.

 

 

Cut to Sara and Gabriel. They are looking at the latest portion of Sara's recorded testimony on the laptop.

Sara (recording): I also believe that the recent suicide of my retired boss, Captain Joseph Siri, was really a homicide perpetrated by the White Bulls in order to silence him.

Gabriel stops the playback.

Sara: If Jake really is a federal agent, I hope me going public with this won't devalue my testimony.

Gabriel: No, McCartey'll come through. He saved my life.

Sara: Grateful I am, trusting I'm not.

Gabriel: Well, yeah, me neither. That's why I've been keeping tabs on him.

Sara steps in front of the camera again.

Sara: How?

Gabriel picks up a small piece of equipment, about the size of a walkie-talkie.

Gabriel: It's a cell ripper. Let's me monitor cell phone calls. So far your pal Jake hasn't said anything incriminating.

Sara: Pretty devious.

Gabriel: Yeah, well, devious I am.

Gabriel gives her a little wink and then moves behind the camera, setting it to record. He points his finger at Sara to let her know she can start again.

Sara: The White Bulls are ruthless and extremely dangerous. I know first-hand that they curry favor in high government circles. Their leader is Captain Bruno Dante.

Evidently, Gabriel sees something behind Sara, because ...

Gabriel: Sara! Look out!

Sara turns to see Ian behind her. She raises her right arm and the Witchblade transforms into the gauntlet and then immediately changes back. Gabriel looks at Sara, quite plainly stunned. Ian's appears freer than at any other time we have seen him. His hair is loose, his coat open, and his movement is fluid and unguarded. And he maintains eye contact throughout. There are no hesitations, divided loyalties, or doubts to be seen.

Ian: You need protection, but not from me.

Sara: Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak up on people?

Ian: My mother. Strangely silent in all matters of import.

Sara: What are you doing here?

Ian: I'm saying good-bye to you, Sara.

Sara: Why? Where are you going?

Ian: Far, far away. But not as far as you.

Ian goes to one knee and holds out his right hand. Sara gives him her right hand. As Ian holds her hand in his gloved ones, the Witchblade glows. Ian places a swift kiss on the back of her hand.

Ian: You must leave quickly. Look how the Witchblade confirms danger.

Ian rises and runs across the large room.

Sara: Gabriel, we're out of here.

Sara grabs her coat.

Gabriel (gesturing to the camera): Yeah, just let me grab ...

Sara: No, now.

Gabriel: But ... your video ...

Sara: Gabriel, forget it.

They start running across the room opposite the direction Ian ran.

Sara: Move!

Shift to see Dante, gun out, leading several other men up the stairs to Sara and Gabriel's makeshift recording studio.

Dante: All right. Fan out, guys.

Halfway across the very large room, Ian is standing in plain sight.

Dante: Where is she? Where's Sara Pezzini?

Ian: She graces the intersection of primal cause and pervasive entropy.

Dante: What? Listen, freak. Now, I don't give a damn what Irons wants. She's here, or you wouldn't be.

All the men but Dante have their guns trained on Ian. {Seems his reputation precedes him.}

Dante: Now you tell me where she is or get the hell out of my way.

Ian: I believe there's a third option.

Dante: What's that?

Quick view of Sara peeking out from a niche. Her eyes widen slightly.

Ian reaches into his coat as if to cross-draw two guns. Instead, he turns towards the Bulls and spreads his coat wide. He is hit by multiple rounds. Sara watches, stunned and mouth agape. Ian drops to his knees and faces Sara.

Ian (telepathically): If you ever see me again, Sara ... run.

Sara makes a small move out of her hiding place, her mouth moving as if to say something.

Dante puts one more bullet into Ian's back, dropping him flat to the floor. Sara looks on.

Orlinsky: He was unarmed.

Dante: Who cares? Look around. I know she's around here somewhere.

Gabriel pulls a shocked Sara back around the corner of their hiding place.

 

 

Cut to Ken Irons. He answers a call coming in on his headset.

Irons: What is it?

 

 

Cut to Dante.

Dante: Mr. Irons, I have some bad news. I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else.

 

 

Cut between each as they speak.

Irons: Ian is dead. How did it happen?

Dante: Well, we were pursuing Sara Pezzini and, uh, he was trying to protect her.

Irons: Have his remains sent to my home immediately. And I want his head kept chilled.

Dante: I'm sorry, Mr. Irons, but we ...

Irons: On ice. Bring him yourself, Captain Dante.

Dante looks at Ian's body and shakes his head.

 

 

Cut to Irons looking down from the library level to his doctor in the den.

Irons: Doctor Immo. Ian is dead.

Immo: My profound condolences.

Irons: I don't need sympathy. (He taps his face.) I need another infusion.

Immo: The effects are starting to wear off. Kenneth, there's no more of Miss Pezzini's blood left.

Irons: I know that.

Immo: Unless you get some soon, you may experience a very rapid age reversal.

Irons walks away from the railing.

 

 

Cut to Sara and Gabriel running down an alley, Gabriel slightly in the lead. Sara looks behind her.

Sara: Here, Gabriel. It's OK. Slow down, slow down.

They walk quickly around the corner into another alley.

Gabriel: OK, what just happened?

Sara: We just escaped with our lives.

Gabriel: No, not that part. The part where your bracelet turned into armor and spikes.

Sara: You saw that?

Gabriel: Naw, I made it up. Jeez, how could I miss it?

Sara: I'm sorry. It's just ... nobody ever sees what this thing does, they just see the results, if they're still alive.

Gabriel: Well, yeah, I saw it and I'm alive. So why don't you use it to get us out of this mess?

Sara: Gabriel, this is what got us into this mess. Would it help you if I told you everything I know?

Gabriel: Yes! I don't know ... yes.

They stop walking when they come near a street.

Sara: Look, I promise I will give you a full download just as soon as all this is over.

Gabriel: This is never gonna be over, Sara.

Sara (closing her eyes): Gabriel ...

Gabriel: OK ... ah ... Look, {I can} probably get us some cash, a couple of passports. We really need to get out of Dodge.

Sara: That's a ... that's a good plan. You do that.

Gabriel: I said, "We." Look, I'm not leaving you alone, Sara.

Sara: You are if I say you are.

Gabriel: Oh, yeah? Wh-wh-what are you going to do? You gonna amp up your little Witchblade and cut me?

 

 

Cut to Dr. Immo. He's standing next to a table where Kenneth Irons is eating.

Immo: I'm sorry, but I can't proceed without more blood from Miss Pezzini.

Irons: And how do we get that blood? How did we get it last time?

Irons looks to Dr. Immo, who looks reluctant.

Irons: What are you afraid of? You said he was even better than his predecessor.

Immo: Physically speaking. Psychologically, we have no idea what he is. I have grave concerns about his aggression levels.

Irons: What better time to find out?

 

 

Cut to Gabriel and Sara.

Sara: OK, OK, get me a passport, too.

Gabriel: While you do what?

Sara: I'm gonna try to connect with Jake and then you and I can hook up tomorrow, OK?

Sara starts to walk toward the street but turns back when Gabriel speaks again.

Gabriel: Hey, Pez. You know, I didn't really like Nottingham, but ... uh ... I am sorry.

Sara: So am I. I just can't believe that he's really dead.

 

 

Cut to Irons putting on his suit coat in his den. Dr. Immo is standing next to him.

Irons (voiced raised): Ian, please come down.

A man approaches the railing on the library level. As he moves into the light, we can see that he indeed does look like Ian Nottingham, only clean-shaven except for a small triangular tuft just below his bottom lip. His hair is slicked back into a high club.

{Just to reduce confusion, this man I'll designate Ian2. Any reference to "Ian" will mean the Ian Nottingham we've seen previously this season.}

Ian2: Good afternoon, gentlemen.

Ian2 starts down the stairs. Irons looks at Ian2 with pride. Ian2 stops a few feet from the other two men.

 

Fade.

 

 

End Act I

 

 

 

Act II

Open with Sara getting on a city bus. She moves a few rows back from the door and takes a window seat. Head propped on her right hand, she starts remembering some of her encounters with Ian Nottingham.

The first was in her office, when Ian bared his soul briefly while sitting atop her filing cabinet.

Ian (memory): I love you ... in unguarded moments.

 

Next Sara remembers Ian giving her one more cryptic clue while she tended a thoroughly trounced Jake at a soccer stadium.

Ian (memory): Sara, you wouldn't lift the blade against your own flesh and blood, would you?

 

Her next memory of Ian comes from the time he spent at her precinct. She remembers him holding her hand in the interrogation room while something he said later rolls through her mind.

Ian (memory voice over): If you want to stay close to me, just ask, Sara. We can be inseparable.

Her last memory of Ian is very recent - when he reached to his coat while facing Dante and his crew.

Sara's reverie is broken by a familiar voice.

Danny (off camera): Boo!

Sara turns to see Danny walking down the aisle of the bus toward her from the back.

Danny: Ghost joke.

Danny sits in the seat beside her.

Danny: Don't act surprised or anything.

Sara: Nothing could surprise me any more.

Danny: Not true.

Sara: OK, maybe one thing. Sorting out who the hell I really am, where I came from, and why I get to ...

Sara notices a woman across the bus staring at her. (She is apparently talking to herself, after all.) The woman gives a small shake of her head.

Danny: Keep going.

Sara: Why I was chosen to wield this thing.

Danny looks out the opposite side of the bus at something that has caught his attention. Sara sees it, too, and looks ready to cry.

Sara: I know, Danny. I was trying not to look.

Danny: The place of my last earthly experience.

 

Flash to a memory of Sara and Danny sitting in their car outside the Rialto as Gallo and his men drive up.

Danny: Gallo and his posse.

Sara: Here we go.

Danny: Let's do it.

Sara puts the bracelet on her wrist. Sara and Danny get out of their car.

 

Flash to Gallo shooting Danny on the stage of the Rialto. Sara runs over to him.

 

Back to Sara and Danny.

Sara: I really wish things had come out differently that day.

Danny (nods, gently): I know.

Sara's eyes are filled with tears.

Sara: Can I trust Jake McCartey?

One tear rolls down her cheek.

Danny: You never truly know what someone's gonna do until they do it. Until the critical moment.

 

 

Cut to Ian2 being scrutinized by Irons and Dr. Immo.

Dr. Immo (off camera): How are you feeling today, Ian?

Ian2: Restless.

Immo walks around Ian2.

Immo: Do you remember how you spent your day?

Ian2: No, sir. I think I've been asleep for a while.

Irons: what do you remember?

Ian2: My primary mission is to protect you. Following that, I protect Sara Pezzini, the wielder of the Witchblade.

Irons: Do you know what she looks like?

Ian2 closes his eyes and sees Sara's face. He nods with a broad smile.

Ian2 (opening his eyes): Exactly.

Irons: What else do you know?

Ian2: That there have been others before me. That my immediate predecessor was defective in his emotional make-up. He was soft. This deficiency cost him his usefulness, and thus his life. I know I still have some of his memories. I know I only exist because you allow it.

Irons steps up to Ian2.

Irons: Do you feel capable of retrieving Sara Pezzini?

Ian2: Oh, I feel capable of anything.

Irons: Do you have the appropriate tools?

Ian2 raises his bare hands and looks at them. He then glances at Dr. Immo.

Irons: Bring me Sara Pezzini.

 

 

Cut to Sara cautiously approaching Jake's parked car. She opens the passenger side door and gets in, closing the door behind her. Jake is sitting in the driver's seat.

Sara: Dante almost got us this morning.

Jake: I heard. He sent me to a homicide scene. They didn't call to let me know he was coming after you.

Sara: Jake, I appreciate you knot asking, but we both know what you need.

Jake: We both need conclusive evidence. Using you as bait is not the answer.

Sara: Yeah? Then what is?

Jake turns away with a small shake of his head.

Sara: Jake, it wasn't just me today. They killed Nottingham. He saved my life, again. {I swear Jake actually smiled a little at that.}

Sara: Get me in a room with Dante. I promise I will get him to say more than enough to put his ass in the chair.

Jake: We keep a safehouse on the West Side for this kind of thing - 111 Richard Street. The place is already wired. I could have a crew there by dawn.

Sara: Like you always say, McCartey - go big or go home. Make it an hour. See ya there.

Sara gets out of Jake's car and starts walking away. She crosses paths with a familiar face - a man in his forties or fifties with longish blond hair. She takes note this time and stops to look back at him after he has passed. Shift to see Gabriel standing nearby watching Sara walk off.

 

 

Cut to Ken Irons' den. Dr. Immo wheels a body on a gurney across the floor.

Irons: It's not polite to stare, Captain.

Dante: Yeah. No, no ... I ... it's just you look, uh, you know, tired.

Irons is sitting on a small leather sofa, with some of Ian's effects while Dante paces.

Irons: You have no idea.

Irons picks up a thick silver chain.

Irons: Drop the case against Sara Pezzini.

He puts the chain back.

Dante: Are you forgetting that you and I already had this conversation, Mr. Irons? What I don't understand is why.

Irons holds up a photograph that has been torn in two. {I think it was of Irons and Ian.}

Dante: I mean, I know that I was a little hot the last time I was over here, but ... I mean ... she's a threat to my entire organization.

Irons: Which exists to serve me.

Irons sets the photo on an end table.

Dante: Listen, even if I do call off my men, I'm betting she self-destructs.

Dante's cell phone rings.

Dante: Excuse me.

Dante takes the phone out of his pocket and answers as he turns away.

 

 

Cut between each as they speak.

Dante: Yeah.

Jake: McCartey. I've got her. I've arranged a meet. Game on.

Shift to see Gabriel still at his observation post, now with his cell ripper.

Dante: Keep it simple, just you and me.

Jake: Figured you'd want to deliver the coup de grace.

Dante: Yeah.

Dante disconnects and looks over to Irons with a small smile.

 

 

Cut back to Jake putting away his phone and Gabriel looking at his cell ripper, which had given him only garbled sounds.

 

 

Cut back to Kenneth Irons. He throws one of Ian's black gloves at Dante's feet.

Irons: As you lay dying, Bruno, remember this - I warned you.

Dante: I understand, Mr. Irons. I understand.

Dante walks out of the room.

 

 

Cut to Gabriel walking along the street, putting his electronic equipment in an inner jacket pocket. He looks after a departing Jake McCartey. He turns and nearly bumps into someone - someone he shouldn't have been able to see.

Gabriel: Ah, excuse me.

Danny: All is not what it seems.

From the look on his face, Gabriel is thinking, "Crazy street person."

Gabriel (laughing): Yeah.

Gabriel moves to go around, but Danny moves to stay in front of him.

Danny: Concerned for Sara, aren't you, Gabriel?

Gabriel: Who are you?

Danny: A friend of Sara's ... and yours. Trust Detective McCartey. He saved your life.

Gabriel: Grateful I am, trusting I'm not.

Gabriel moves off down the sidewalk, glancing back after a few steps. Danny has disappeared.

 

 

Cut to an empty building. Sara and Jake are entering.

Jake: This is it. The safehouse.

Sara: You sure your FBI guys are here?

They start walking through the building.

Jake: They're pros, Sara. You're not supposed to see them.

Sara: No, Dante isn't supposed to see them. Don't you need to talk to them or anything?

Jake: Sara, they've been in position for an hour. They can't risk showing themselves. It's a good chance we were tailed here by the White Bulls.

Jake motions Sara through a doorway. He pulls a gun from the small of his back as he follows her.

Jake: Here, take this.

He offers her the gun.

Sara: I'm covered.

Jake: You never know till the critical moment.

Sara stares at Jake a moment, probably recalling just where she's heard those exact words not too long ago.

Sara: No, thanks. (nods)

Jake: All right, suit yourself.

He returns the gun to his back.

 

 

Cut to Dante opening the exterior door to the safehouse. He hears voices from a distant room. He starts walking slowly toward the voices.

Sara (off camera): I don't need your money, Jake. I need your help.

Jake (off camera): Think before you turn me down, Pez.

Sara (off camera): I can't believe you called me here to offer me money.

Jake (off camera): To get you out of town till this whole thing blows over.

Sara (off camera): Jake, this thing is never gonna blow over.

Jake (off camera): Sara, I know my timing on this sucks ...

Dante has reached the room where Jake and Sara are standing.

Jake: ... but I'm in love with you.

Sara raises her brows at McCartey.

Sara: You're right. Your timing on that does suck.

Dante: Boys, girls.

Dante stands in the doorway, gun drawn.

Sara starts to run to an exit. Jake catches her by the arm.

Jake: Pez. (shakes his head) Unh uh.

Sara looks to Dante and then back to Jake.

Sara: Son of a bitch, Jake.

Dante: Hey, McCartey, that was a good one. Pezzini, I love you, too.

Jake laughs softly.

Sara: I trusted you. You were my partner.

Jake: None of this had to happen. You brought it on yourself.

Dante: Penny for your thoughts, Sara.

Sara: You know, you pull that trigger, you'll be doing both of us a favor. But before you do, just tell me one thing. Why'd you kill my dad?

Dante: Oh ... 'cause he just pissed me off. Yeah, you know, e-every time he looked at me, he had this attitude, you know. Like he, uh, had x-ray vision or something. You know, like he could see right through me. Like he knew more than everybody else. Yeah, a real expert.

Sara: Well, if that's not a fine reason to kill someone, Captain, then I don't know what is.

Dante: You see that? That's the attitude I'm talking about. You know, Pezzini, a lot of people say you're adopted. But you know what? There's no mistaking who raised you.

Sara: Thank you.

Dante: Your old man looked me in the eye one time and told me he was gonna take me down like you did a few weeks ago. And guess what? He was wrong, too. McCartey ...

Dante goes to stand next to Jake and gives him his gun.

Dante: ... your honors.

Jake aims at Sara.

 

Fade.

 

 

End Act II

 

 

 

Act III

Open where we left off - Jake is pointing Dante's gun at Sara and Dante is standing just behind Jake.

Sara: Why don't you do it yourself, Bruno? Don't you have the stones?

Jake: I don't know, Cap. She's your beef. If you let me do this, you might always regret you missed out.

Dante: True. But what I will gain is the knowledge that I can trust you. We'll be bonded for life.

Sara shifts her eyes between Jake and Dante.

Danny (voice over): You never truly know what someone's gonna do until they do it. Till the critical moment.

She closes her eyes and swallows hard. Trusting Jake, she opens her eyes and lifts her chin.

Jake lowers the gun.

Jake: Can't do it, Captain.

Dante pulls the hammer back on a gun that he has pointed at Jake's back.

Dante: Why doesn't that surprise me?

He backs away a couple steps looking between Jake and Sara.

Dante: All right. You have two options here. You could, uh, shoot her and be done with it. Or you could not shoot her and you both die.

Dante gets a second gun from his behind his back.

Orlinsky (entering): That's the option I prefer.

Orlinsky has a gun in his right hand that he brings up to aim as he gets closer.

Dante: You know, Jake, at first I made you for a fed. But I figured a real pro wouldn't let his little head distract him from his work like you did.

Dante has a pistol in each hand, one pointed at Jake and one pointed at Sara.

Dante (to Orlinsky): You check the perimeter?

Orlinsky: It's clean, Bruno.

Dante nods. Sara gives Jake a "What's up with that?" kind of look. Jake shakes his head minimally.

Dante: Well, Sara Pezzini, at least you got to hear him say he loves you.

Dante pulls back the hammer on the revolver pointed at Sara. As he extends his arm toward her, a portion of the wall behind him is blown outward. Men in SWAT gear come out of the hole in the wall. Jake has used the distraction to pull his own gun.

Jake: Freeze! Don't move! Guns on the ground - now!

Orlinsky is already being subdued by a couple of Jake's team.

Dante: All right, all right. OK.

Dante lowers his left-hand gun to the floor.

Dante: Just relax. Everything's OK.

Dante lowers the other gun.

Orlinsky (off camera): I told you it was a set-up, Bruno.

Jake looks off the side. Dante uses his inattention to raise his gun again. Sara sees him and moves Jake's arm to point his gun at Dante. Jake fires one round into Dante's chest. The brass ejected from Jake's gun has a bull engraved on it. Dante falls to the floor. Sara takes Jake's gun and approaches Dante. She steps on his wrist and takes his gun away. He's having difficulty breathing.

Dante: What I said about your old man ... was a lie. I was just following orders.

Sara: From who? Who?!

Dante: You're gonna have to chew on that for the rest of your life. {Some mumbling here.}

The Witchblade glows and Sara sees a younger Dante shaking hands with Kenneth Irons. Sara drops the gun she had gotten from Jake.

 

 

Cut to Sara quickly exiting the safehouse. She runs to the street and immediately tries hailing a cab. One passes her by, but another right behind it stops. Sara gets in and gives the address of her destination.

Sara: 1111 Faust Street, fast.

Shift to see the driver in the rearview mirror. He's wearing sunglasses and the hood of his jacket is pulled up. The taxi takes off.

 

 

Cut to Jake exiting the safehouse. He's smiling and lets out a sigh. He looks around for Sara, but she's disappeared. Concerned, he gets in his car to go looking. He takes off with a loud squeal of his tires.

 

 

Cut to Sara's cab arriving at her destination. Sara gets out of the cab and approaches a double-door gate. She uses the Witchblade at a sensor near the doors and the right door swings open.

As Sara walks through the door, behind her we see the cabby get out of the taxi and remove his sunglasses and hooded jacket. It's Ian2.

 

 

Cut to Irons and Dr. Immo in Irons' den as Sara enters.

Irons: Hello, angel. I thought you'd never get here.

Sara: You and I are going to have a long heart-to-heart talk.

 

 

Cut to Gabriel's place. He's examining the tow passports he had commissioned. The forger is standing next to him.

Gabriel: It's good.

Forger: Happy?

Gabriel: Very happy.

The forger lightly punches Gabriel's arm.

Gabriel: $500, right?

Forger: Yep.

Gabriel hands over a bundle of bills.

Gabriel: OK, listen, I gotta go, so ...

Gabriel starts pushing him toward the door.

Forger: You know what? I have two more passports for $400 ...

Gabriel: No, listen, that's fine, just fine. I, uh ...

Jake walks through the open door just as Gabriel and the forger reach it. Jake holds up his badge to the forger.

Jake: 'Bye. Out, out, out.

Jake gives him a little shove out the door then closes the door. He then turns to Gabriel.

Jake: Where's Sara?

Gabriel: You ought to know.

Jake: Listen to me, Gabriel. We were working a sting on the White Bulls and Bruno Dante and we got him. But she walked away from the endgame. Now you know Sara better than anyone. What in the hell would make her do that?

Gabriel thinks for a minute.

Gabriel: Kenneth Irons. It's gotta be.

Jake nods his head to the side.

Jake: Let's do it.

They both leave Gabriel's shop.

 

 

Cut to Sara, Irons and Immo.

Sara: What's your connection to Bruno Dante?

Irons: A powerful police officer for sale to the highest bidder. He's come in handy a time or two.

Irons takes a drink from his wineglass.

Sara: Really? Did you order him to have my father killed?

Irons: Strictly speaking ... (puts a hand to his chest) ... you never had a father, Sara.

Irons waves his hand dismissively.

Sara: You know who I mean - James Pezzini.

Irons: Of course, I did not order your father killed. Nor did I order your lover or your partner killed. I am not the master of the universe, Sara.

Irons makes a move on his chessboard. It was knight takes queen {I think}.

Sara: Dante told me it was you.

Irons: Did he? I'm sure Captain Dante has told you many things. Do you believe them all? Honesty has never been one of his stronger traits.

Sara again sees the flash of then-Sergeant Dante shaking hands with Irons.

Sara: I don't believe you.

 

 

Cut to the exterior of Irons' home. Jake and Gabriel pull up behind Ian2's abandoned cab.

Jake: If I'm not out in ten minutes, dial 911 and report an officer down.

Jake gets out of the car and draws his gun.

 

 

Cut to Sara and Irons inside the house.

Sara: Why don't you just ell me exactly what you want?

Irons: Forget everything you think you know about the Witchblade. There's no harm in you knowing the truth. My contact with the Witchblade gave me a longer lifespan, but as of late the, uh, the effects have been wearing off.

Sara turns to look at Dr. Immo.

Sara: Yeah, I'm listening.

Irons: You remember the periculum, don't you? The trial you passed several weeks ago?

Flash of Sara bound in her bed by the vine-like extensions of the Witchblade. Flash of Sara talking to Elizabeth Bronte during the periculum.

Sara (memory): Are we alive ... or dead?

Elizabeth (memory): Oh, Sara. We've died a thousand times and are born a thousand and one.

 

Back to Sara and Irons.

Sara: Yeah.

Irons: Once you passed the periculum, you became the most special human being on the planet. The Witchblade bonded with you on a cellular level, making your body a veritable fountain of new genetic material.

Flash of the Witchblade's tendrils retracting after the periculum.

Irons: You are the most highly evolved life form on the planet. Your blood is invaluable, life-prolonging.

 

Flash of Ian holding a scalpel to her chin, then slashing her palm with that scalpel.

Ian pulls a white handkerchief out and presses it into her palm.

Sara: Damn! What are you ...

Ian holds her hands with the cloth in between them in his gloved ones.

Ian (looking regretful): I did it to save your life.

 

Back to Sara and Irons.

Sara: Lucky me.

 

 

Cut to Jake, gun drawn, approaching a back entrance into Irons' home. It is built into the side of a small hill. As he nears the double doors, he spies Ian2 standing atop the concrete doorframe.

Jake: I heard you were dead.

Ian2 steps off the top of the doors and drops to within a couple feet of Jake. Jake raises his gun. Ian2 grabs that arm and Jake's neck and flings him into the concrete around the doors.

Ian2: A slight exaggeration.

Ian2 walks casually up to Jake, who grabs Ian2's jacket with both hands and head-butts him in the face. Not only is Ian2 not bothered by this, he's smiling quite broadly. {Was it just me, or was it freaky seeing Ian smile at all, much less like a maniac?}

Jake then connects with a right cross to Ian2's face and knee to the groin - all accepted gleefully. Jake pushes him into the wall surrounding the doors and Ian2 bounces off and kicks Jake across the face.

 

 

Cut to Gabriel in the car looking at his watch. Instead of making the call, he looks in Jake's glovebox and pulls out a pistol. Gabriel gets out of the car.

 

 

Cut back to Jake and Ian2. Ian2 easily throws Jake several yards to land on a large metal storm grating. Jake lands hard and is stunned enough that he offers little resistance as Ian2 gathers Jake's wrists with his left hand. Ian2 holds Jake's wrists to the storm drain over Jake's head. Staring into Jake's eyes the whole time, Ian2 proceeds to choke him with his right hand.

In the next few moments, Jake sees a couple things that were important in his life. The first is his days of surfing the big waves in Hawaii. The other is Sara Pezzini.

Pull back to see Jake's body staring sightlessly up at the sky with Ian2 kneeling over him. Ian2 pulls Jake's body over his left shoulder and walks to the back entrance. He opens the right-hand door and walks through. He pushes the door wider with a smile and leaves it open.

 

 

Cut to Sara and Irons.

Irons: Elizabeth Bronte had a daughter who never wielded the blade. But she did give birth to you. And then someone kidnapped you in infancy.

Sara sees a baby being picked up by a man with longish blond hair {our "Bob"}.

Sara: Wait. I - I know his face.

Sara flashes to her most recent meeting with this man, on the street after meeting Jake in his car.

Sara: Who is he?

Irons: He is called Lazar. I'll tell you more about him later, but I will tell you that he placed you with James Pezzini.

Sara: Whom you later ordered killed.

Irons rolls his eyes.

Irons: Some women in your bloodline ... yourself, Elizabeth Bronte ... are born with certain biological anomalies. In fact ...

Irons turns and walks over to his chess table, picking up a knight lying to the side.

Irons: ... it is from the preserved stem cells of Elizabeth and the work of my well-financed researchers that I was able to create Ian Nottingham and then replicate and improve him.

Sara: "Flesh and blood."

Irons: Yes ...

Ian2 walks into the room with a large sheet-wrapped bundle over his right shoulder.

Irons: ... the perfect fighting machine.

Ian2 drops his bundle in front of the fire. It's obvious from the way it falls that it is a body. Sara stares at Ian2.

Sara: Oh, my God, Irons. What have you done?

Ian2 unwraps one end of the sheet to reveal Jake's face. Dr. Immo runs from the room.

Sara: Oh, my God.

She goes to kneel by Jake's body. She stares at Ian2 and Irons, now standing together.

Sara: You son of a bitch.

 

Fade.

 

 

End Act III

 

 

Act IV

Open with Gabriel finding Jake's badge outside the rear entrance to Irons' home. He goes in the door that Ian2 so conveniently left open.

 

 

Cut to Irons' den. Sara is still by Jake's body near the fire staring at Ian2 and Irons. Gabriel walks through the door.

Irons: Gabriel. How appropriate. The angelic herald. The messenger.

Gabriel walks into the middle of the room, looks at Sara, and raises his borrowed gun to point it at Irons and Ian2.

Gabriel: Don't move.

Moving incredibly fast, Ian2 holds Gabriel's gun out wide with his left hand while his right grabs Gabriel's throat.

Sara makes an abortive move toward Gabriel.

Sara: No ...

Irons: If you make one move, Sara ... the last of your friends will die.

Gabriel gasps in Ian2's grip.

Irons: And, yes, I did order James Pezzini killed. I could never let emotional attachments stand in the way of you fulfilling your ... well, my ... destiny.

Sara looks at Gabriel. He shakes his head at her.

Irons: So ...

He sits down in his wooden "throne."

Irons: ... shall we deal?

Sara: Let him go and then we'll deal.

Irons: Unfortunately, that is not an option. Your blood in exchange for his life.

Sara: I'll give you anything you want. Please, just let him go.

Sara turns to Ian2.

Sara: Nottingham, Ian, whoever you are ... please, just let him go.

Ian2: I would be happy to free him ...

Ian2 turns Gabriel's head so that they face each other. Irons leans forward in his chair, not liking what he's hearing.

Ian2: ... from his earthly bonds.

Irons nearly comes out of his seat, hands raised.

Irons (sharply): Ian!

Ian2 snaps Gabriel's neck and tosses him to the leather sofa to the side. He stares at Sara.

Sara: No!

Irons leans back, right hand clasped to his chest.

Sara looks at the Witchblade. The stone remains dead.

Ian2: Your little toy doesn't seem to work against me.

Sara runs across the room and jumps over a sofa. She grabs a katana from a stand on a table on the other side of the sofa. Ian2 leaps over the couch and ducks her first swing of the sword. He wrests the sword out of her hand and drops it to the floor. He forces her right arm behind her back and holds it there with his own right hand, standing behind her. His left arm he brings around her body, up between her breasts, to hold her chin with his left hand. His face is next to hers over her left shoulder.

Ian2: Flesh and blood, Sara.

He runs his tongue up the side of her face.

She rams the back of her head into his face. He throws her over the couch to the floor beyond.

Sara (looking at the Witchblade): Not this time.

The Witchblade transforms into the gauntlet. Sara stands and advances on Ian2. Using both hands, Sara strikes Ian2 across the face. He attempts a spinning back kick that she ducks. Standing again, Sara tries to hit Ian2 with the Witchblade gauntlet. Almost negligently, he pushes her out to the side and down to the floor. Ian2 turns and kicks her in the ribs. She lands on the leather couch. Ian2 picks her up by the throat using his right hand. With his left, he strikes her face and then backhands her in the same motion. Sara delivers a blow low to his abdomen {or perhaps lower} with the Witchblade, causing him to bend over momentarily. She then backhands him in the head with the Witchblade. He tumbles across the floor then flips to his feet. He starts circling Sara a little more warily. Sara loses patience and rushes him. He uses her own momentum against her and throws her to the floor then backs off and actually turns away from her. Behind him, Sara regains her feet. Ian2 jumps up and grasps the chandelier and kicks out with his right foot to Sara's face. She falls heavily back to the floor. Ian2 drops back to his feet.

Shift to see Irons in his chair. He is aging visibly. Ian2's eyes shift between Irons and Sara. Sara uses this one moment of distraction to extend the blade of the Witchblade gauntlet and to plunge it up through his abdomen into his heart. We see both Sara and Ian2 flash between normal and armored forms. Sara jerks the blade free and Ian2 falls to the floor dead.

Still in her armored form, Sara approaches Irons. She removes her helm and tosses it away. She places the tip of her blade at his heart.

Irons (weakly): I'm dying, Sara. Help me. I can help you. Sara, please.

Sara removes the sword from his chest. She turns from Irons, looking at Gabriel's body on the sofa opposite Irons' chair. Irons takes a dagger from the lower shelf of the table beside his chair. Sara looks at Jake's body lying beside the fire. Irons leans forward with all his remaining strength and drives the dagger between armor plates into Sara's back.

Sara: Ahh!

We see a flash of what looks like the universe expanding.

Irons is pulled from his chair, still trying to hold onto the dagger as Sara drops to her knees. He lets go as she moves to her hands and knees.

Sara hears a voice over by the stairs leading up to the library.

Elizabeth Bronte: Behold, Sara, time runs both ways. Remember everything you have learned, my dear. Time is elastic, fluid, flexible ... reversible. Use it.

She's interrupted by another voice, this one male and coming from the library level. Lazar {a.k.a. "Bob" or "Waldo"} stands there in stately robes.

Lazar: This is a power which can be used only once. It comes with a price of a great pain. If you choose to take this journey, you will remember very little.

Danny: Choose, Sara. Choose.

Danny touches her hair. Lazar leaves. When Sara turns to look for Elizabeth Bronte, she finds her gone as well.

Sara reaches behind her for the dagger.

Sara (pain): Ah ... ah!

Sara pulls the dagger out of her back and crawls to put her face over the prone Irons' face. She licks her own blood off the blade of the dagger as he watches. She lowers her face towards his.

Irons: Yes ... please.

Sara (low): Never.

Irons: I will tell you everything.

Sara (low): I will find out for myself.

Sara painfully stands and throws the dagger across the room. She activates the Witchblade and raises the blade high with a yell. Time runs backward and we see quite a few things "unhappen" - all the way back to just a couple days after Sara acquired the Witchblade.

Close up of Sara's face. She gasps and closes her eyes. She's in a car with Danny in the driver's seat.

Danny: You OK?

Sara: I don't know.

She reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out a bracelet with a large red stone and slips it onto her wrist. And it is not the simplified bracelet she found on her wrist after the fracas at the museum, but a more ornate one. {The one we've seen the past few months.}

Sara: You ever have one of those moments where you feel like something really big just happened?

Danny: Only you don't know what it was? Never. You must be nuts.

Sara punches him in the arm. She pauses to think about what she just did. Just then, Gallo and company arrive in front of the Rialto Theater.

Danny: Gallo and his posse. Let's do it.

Sara: Let's not.

She reaches over and turns the key in the ignition.

Danny: What are you doing?

Sara: Something feels off, Danny. Let's get outta here. We've got time on our side.

Danny frowns but puts the car in gear and drives off. Behind them, we see "Bob" sweeping at the curb. And Jake is still down the street at the phone watching. And Sara's ever-vigilant knight looks on from the corner of a building.

 

Fade.

 

End Act IV

END OF EPISODE

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