Wesley is still busy diciphering the scroll that Angel brought back from the vault of Wolfram and Hart. They are the Prophrcies of Aberjian, believed lost for many hundreds of years. He has found a section that refers to Angel but can not decipher a key word 'Shanshu'. Angel senses someone in the building and goes to investigate.

He discovers David Nabbit (the man being blackmailed in War Zone). He's lonely and looking to hang with Angel and the others. Then follows a stilted conversation in the office about how cool Angel's job is before David goes back home to play Dungeons and Dragons (or something)

Outside the Wolfram and Hart building the lawyers summon a demon called Vocah, he is to prefrom a Raising, but to do it he needs the scroll back from Angel. Angel is also and integral part of this Raising (although he doesn't know it) and the demon is determined to break Angel's link to the Powers that Be.

Wesley discovers the root meaning of the word Shanshu in an obscure text. it means 'death'. Andgel's going to die. Cordelia has a vision that sends Angel to help a homeless woman being attacked by a slime demon. After he's saved her he has a confrontation with Kate, who is being particularly arsey with him. She tells him that she is determined to rid her city of 'his kind'.

while waiting for Angel to get back, Cordy and Wesley talk about thier boss and how he is cut off from life.

Vocah angers the Oracles by going to them, but he is not after guidance and kills them so Angel is cut off from the Powers That Be.

Cordelia decides to go and get Angel a hobby so that he'll feel less cut of from the rest of the world. She is walking through an open air market when she spots a woman selling art materials and buys Angel a lot of pastels and paper with the idea of him taking up drawing again. She doesn't see Vocah walk past her and brush her hand. Suddenly her bags are gone and she gets a vision. Clutching her head she tries to control it so no one notices but she is suddenly bomarded by the faces of everyone in LA who are crying out for help. Screaming she falls to the ground, in absolute agony.

Unknowing, Angel studies the scroll while Vocah makes his way to Angel's apartment.

Angel gets a phone call from the hospital telling him that Cordelia has been admitted. He locks the scroll away in the weapons cupboard and grabbing his coat runs to the underground garage. He doesn't realise that Voach is already in the apartment. Angel runs into the hospital, telling the nurses that he is family and into Cordelia's room, a number of orderlies and nurses are trying to hold her down whil they inject her with sedatives, but nothing they have is helping. They tell Angel that Cordelia is suffering from a pyschotic epsiode and they don't know whether or not she'll come out of it.

Wesley returns to the apartment with some rare books and is surprised to find it deserted. He goes over the the weapons cupboard and finds the lock broken. Gingerly he opens it a crack and his eyes widen when he sees what is inside. Outdside, Angel pulls up in the Angelmobile and is walking across the road to the front of his building when it explodes throwing him across the road. Angel goes into the wreckage of his building and finds a dazed and seriously injured Wesley in the ruins of his apartment.

Outside the ruined building Angel makes sure that Wesley is safely aboard the ambulance before heading towards his car. Kate tries to stop him, but he tells her that he hasn't got time for her shouting at him and walks past her.

After checking on Wesley, he goes to see Cordelia and notices a strange symbol on her hand. He decides to go to the Oracles for help but when he gets her he finds them murdered. The spirit of the female Oracle appears and tells him that to save Cordelia he needs to get the scroll back. After coming back from visiting the Oracles he goes to see Gunn and tells him that his friends are in the hospital and asks the young man to watch them and keep them safe.

Somewhere else Vocah is reading from the scrolls, starting the ritual of the Raising. In front of him are five vampires chained to a large wooden box with small barred openings.

Angel then goes to the Wolfram and Hart building and spies on Lindsey and the other lawyers as the leave for the ritual. He waits for them to pull off and follows them. Angel smashes in through the window of the ritual room and distracts Vocah from performing the ritual by fighting him. Lindsey picks up the scroll and carries on the ritual. A white light shockwave eminates from the box and the five vampires are dusted. The senior partner orders the box removed while Angel kills the demon. Lindsey still has the scroll. He taunts Angel about his coming death. Angel tells him not to belive everything that is fortold as he throws his axe neatly severing Lindsey's hand. He takes the scroll and leaves.

Wesley finds the section of the scroll that will cure Cordy and performs the ritual. She comes out of her vision, very weak but also upset that there are so many people that need her help.

A few days later, Angel is staying at Cordelia's apartment and Wesley is still busy translating the scroll. He realises that he has translated 'Shanshu' wring, it doesn't mean death it means life. Angel will become human once he has fulfilled his duties.

The lawyers study the cage from the ritual, there is something inside it. Lilah goes up to the cage and tells the creature inside it not to be scared. The camera pans inside to reveal a very scared Darla.