The black cloud from the Amphora spreads over Vega. Flowers wilt and electrical wiring shorts out.
In the control center, the lights flicker and Sanders draws a gun on Claire. After a moment he shoots himself in the head, and the Angel Corps soldiers attack each other and the technicians. Many of the participants kill themselves, and explosions rock the room. Claire takes cover and calls to Alex, who fights his way through the chaos. A man grabs Claire, and she manages to grab her gun and kill the man. She hears a baby crying in the distance and runs off, and Alex goes after her. Michael and Noma go after him, hitting the emergency lockdown on the door.
Claire follows the crying to a locked door and breaks in. The baby is standing in a crib, and Claire realizes that it's her unborn child Willow... who died. She hugs it and says that she's there.
The soldiers take David to the gallows and he begs them to spare him. The executioner pronounces sentence and asks if he has any last words. David insists that he did what he did for Vega, and the soldiers put the hood over his head. Suddenly a stay of execution is announced, and a solider removes the hood. She says that his presence has been requested and escorts him out. They take him to a door with the Whele sigil and lead him inside, and the soldier bows to David... who is now an eight-ball, speaks in demonic tongue, and laughs
Michael and Noma catch up to Alex, and the archangel explains that the mist is from the Amphora of Darkness. It unleashes the inner nightmares of those affected, nightmares that are inevitably fatal. Michael says that angels can resist the effects, but doesn't know why Alex is immune. He says that they have to find the Amphora, and only an angel can seal it. Noma senses it and follows it.
Arika wakes up chained to a slab, and Claire and the female eight-ball Rose come in. They refer to Arika as an eight-ball, and Rose says that they can train her. When Arika insists that she killed Rose, Rose slaps her and Claire repeats the words that she said to Arika when they used Rose to set David up. Arika tries to convince Claire that something is wrong, but Claire leaves with Rose.
William wakes up and finds himself chained in a basement cell, a gun lying on the floor nearby. Someone comes in and William discovers that the chains are just too short to let him get to the gun. Gabriel steps forward and tells William that he's in the basement he hid in after he was exiled. The gun was the one that David gave him with only six bullets and no reloads. Gabriel says that he knows the real William, the coward that secretly served him for years, and William insists that he was chosen by God. He says that he was tested in the desert and chosen by God. Gabriel tells him that God is gone and then walks away.
Alex and the others make their way through Vega to a hospital, and Michael figures that Alex isn't suffering the visions because he is the last pure heart. A dying woman grabs Alex's ankle and begs him for help before passing away. Michael says that they have to split up, and warns that the Amphora will choose a victim to protect it. They search the building separately, and Noma sees a light on a landing above. She goes up and stares at it.
Claire sings a lullaby to Willow, and Alex comes in to check on his wife and daughter. He takes the baby and says that it's their life now. Claire notices that her wrist is bleeding, but Alex can't see the blood. When she looks down again, the blood is gone.
Noma continues searching the hospital, and another light glows. She looks in a reflective glass surface and discovers that her wings are restored. Alex comes in and notices her staring, and she says that it's nothing. They continue on and Noma suggests that they split up, insisting that she can handle herself. Alex reluctantly agrees and once he leaves, another lights glows, leading Noma on. He looks back and sees her go off.
The soldiers remove David's handcuffs, and the eight-ball David says that it's time to talk about their destiny. He tells David that there's a bright future ahead of him as the Lord of the City. When David points out that his other self is an eight-ball, Eight-Ball David says that at the end of the day he's a survivor. He tells David to embrace what he's become and renounce his humanity. David refuses to give up his soul, and eight-ball David goes to a trophy case. He points out that they represent the souls of people that David killed on his way to power, and says that David has always been a monster.
Claire and Rose return to Arika and shows her a photo of Arika's mother in agony. When Arika objects, Rose punches her and Arika says that she doesn't want people to see her like that. She finally gives in and Rose smiles in satisfaction.
Michael sees something moving in the shadows, and finds a bloody Alex on an operating table. Noma comes in and stabs Alex in the chest, smiling, and Alex dies. She says that she's ending the war and now Father's markings are gone forever. Noma tells Michael that he's failed, and Michael clutches at his head as screams echo in his head. As he writhes in agony, Noma says that it's the death of all of god's creations. When he looks up, both she and Alex have disappeared, and Michael sets out to find her.
Noma continues following the lights.Meanwhile Alex is in another hallway, and a demented human charges at him. He's forced to knock the person out and continues on.
William is eating a dead rat when an eight-ball Claire charges into the cell and throws him to the floor. She says that she's his wife and says that she wants him, and kisses William. When he wonders if it's another test from God, Claire tells him that he's a false prophet. The heavenly light that killed the thief who attacked William wasn't God: it was his gun backfiring. Claire bites him and says that the voice he heard was William talking to himself. The eight-balls held William prisoner, fed him rats, and did unspeakable things to him. Claire grabs his crotch and figures that he missed her, and tells him that he's delusional and weak... and always were.
Noma finally locates the Amphora on the hospital roof. She says that it's safe now and sees her wings reflected in a puddle.
Rose has Arika confirm that they have no reason to show her, and then says that Arika's mother was diagnosed as a lunatic when Arika was young. Claire and Rose say that Arika was afraid of becoming like her and tell her to recite her lines. Arika breaks free and runs out, and finds herself back where she started. She has no choice but to recite her lines telling David that she doesn't want to fight anymore, and rose tells her to strip.
Eight-ball David puts the knife in front of David, and David refuses to become the Lord of the City at the price of his soul. His other self reminds him that he has killed innocents, and David insists that he did it to survive. Eight-ball David cuts his hand and says that they will be blood brothers, and says that when David's family was taken from him, it changed him. David's family appears and calls to David, and David remembers how they died during the Apocalypse War. He screams that it was William's fault that the angels found him, grabs the knife, and stabs his other self in the chest. Eight-ball David pulls it out and says that the war made David the man he was meant to be.
Willow continues to grow. Alex goes to get a bottle and when Claire checks the temperature of the bottle, she briefly sees the milk on her wrist as blood. It turns back into milk, and the crib disappears. Alex has no idea what she's talking about, and Claire says that they have to go. Willow starts crying, and when Claire turns back, Alex is gone. Willow disappears as well.
Alex finds Noma walking outside, and she claims that she didn't find the Amphora. He pulls a gun on her and says that something is wrong, and Noma slams him into the wall. Michael arrives and pulls Noma away, and accuses her of waiting to betray Alex. Alex separate them and warns that Noma is hiding something. Noma grabs her gun, says that they can't have it, and runs off. Alex says that he knows where she hid it and runs off, and Michael goes after him. However, there are two Alexes. Michael follows one of them, and Alex says that Michael only cares about the markings. The archangel admits that it was true at first, but as Alex grew, Michael saw that he was good and true and brave. Alex says that it's not enough and shoots himself in the head. Shocked, Michael collapses to the floor, sobbing.
Eight-ball David tells David that there's nothing left to fight for, and advises him to cut the final thread of his humanity. David admits that his other self is right about him, and eight-ball David asphyxiates him with a plastic bag.
Alex enters William's cell and tells him that he's been spreading lies. He tells William to admit who he is, and beats him when William refuses to say that he's the Chosen One. William finally says it when Alex threatens to shoot him, and Alex says that William's scars are just deformities that mean nothing. He pulls off William's wedding ring and says that his marriage to Claire means nothing, and the scars disappear. Alex tosses him the gun and says that William knows what to do, and then disappears.
A naked Arika visits David's chamber and recites the lines. She discovers that David isn't there, and Rose comes in. she says that the mission was killing Arika, not David, and draws a gun. She says that Arika is insane and tosses the photo on the floor. Arika picks it up and sees her mother writhing in agony, and begs for mercy. Rose refuses and cocks the gun, and orders Arika to her knees. Arika slowly drops down and admits that killing Rose was wrong. She begs for forgiveness, and Rose drops the gun and walks away. Arika grabs the gun and aims, but Rose asks if Arika is going to kill her again. After a moment, Arika lowers the gun and picks up the photo, and watches her mother scream in agony.
Alex goes to the roof and finds Noma crouched at the spot where the Amphora landed, holding it. She tells him to stay back, and Alex puts his gun down. Noma insists that her wings are real and she won't let Alex take them away again. She runs to the edge of the roof, and insists that she can fly. Alex tries to get through to her, but Noma insists that she needs her wings to return to Heaven. He says that she's a part of him and he needs her, and holds out his hand. Noma sees through the Amphora's vision and starts to step forward, and the edge breaks beneath her. Alex pulls her to safety and asks her to close it.
Michael runs up, shoves Alex aside, and starts choking Noma. She breaks free and runs to the Amphora, but Michael shoves her down and draws his sword. As he prepares to kill Noma, Alex grabs the Amphora. The markings move up his arms and Alex closes the Amphora... and the blackness disappears. Michael recovers and drops the sword, and the Amphora dissolves into dust. Alex runs to Noma and apologizes for costing her his wings, and holds her as she cries.
Arika puts the gun to the head and the vision ends.
David finds himself on the scaffold, choking. The soldiers around him are dead by their own hands. David takes a knife from one of them and cuts himself free.
Claire sees her wrist bleeding again and realizes that she cut it on a broken glass. She wakes up from the vision, lying in a pool of her own blood.
William picks up the gun and prepares to kill himself, and the vision fades. He confirms that the scars are still there and vows to kill them all.
Alex holds Noma, and Michael tells them that the Amphora should have been destroyed long ago. As Alex and Noma set out to find the survivors, Michael warns that whoever is responsible might still be near.
Gabriel stands on a roof outside Vega and realizes that the Amphora is destroyed. He says that it's time.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 18, 2015