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WARNING: This article may contain significant information from recent episodes that may be considered spoilers. |
"Why is everyone trying to kill me?"
"Why won't you die?!"
"Because I don't want to!" - Imogen Parker and Robert Davidson
Sinful War is the thirty-seventh episode of Layla the Vampire Slayer and the fifteenth episode of Season 2.
Synopsis[]
Robert's fast reaction times allow him to start the fight after Ned Phillips charges. He yells at Ned for messing up the plan and goes to shoot Imogen, thinking that his Staff of Anubis will negate Imogen's magic. Imogen shoves her hands up and her telekinesis, which is not technically magic, stops the the bolt in mid-air. The bolt drops to the ground. Rob is angered by the staff's lack of effect. Layla feels something in her stomach, a feeling of emptiness in her stomach. Bloodlust pushes at the back of her head. She resists these urges and slides and trips Robert down. He's faster, but not fast enough. She grabs the Staff of Anubis and says sorry. Robert orders Ned to eat them.
At the back of the lines, Violet turns to face Imogen and nods before turning back to Ned, throwing a feather out of her pocket. Her stomach then rumbles and she drops the feather. Violet's face contorts in anger, and she turns and punches Janet. Violet isn't the fastest, but she has some martial arts training and easily gets the hit in on Janet's face, breaking her nose. Imogen still feels the pull of hunger and anger, but just about resists it. She turns and makes eye contact with Ned, crushes something from her bag and orders him to stop. There is a spark and Imogen feels something in him that resists. She just about connects with his eyes and he stops, looking at her in the eye, hand lolling around. Imogen has to keep eye contact to stop him there. Robert yells at Ned to stop standing there. Ned tries to move, but is unable to focus.
Janet overcomes the hunger aura, but not the anger aura. In a rage, she throws a punch at Imogen and hits her in the arm. Imogen just about keeps concentration on Ned. Next to her, Barnaby is consumed by anger at Imogen's disregard of him, and how she's staring at Ned, of all people. He lamps her across the jaw. Imogen blinks, feels dizzy and breaks eye contact with Ned, who starts moving again. Charity goes to punch Layla, but it's slower than usual and Layla dodges. Charity tells Layla to stand still, and Layla snaps back at her. Charity repeats the same line as before. Robert gets up and shoots Imogen, who deflects the bolt into the wall telekinetically.
Layla throws the staff down the corridor. She tries to grapple him, but he just about dodges out of the way. Layla tries to appeal to Robert, but Robert is convinced she is powered by a demon. Violet snaps out of her trance, nervously apologises to Janet, picks up the feather and hurls it at Ned. Imogen yells "well done" at Violet, who casts "weightless" on Ned. In doing so, she quarters Ned's weight, and he rockets up into the ceiling as he applies four times the force needed to move. He dings his head and still runs forwards, but is like an astronaut on the moon and can't quite figure out how to move. Imogen is a touch miffed and is trying very hard to restrain herself. As everyone is hitting her because of Rob, and she tries to talk to him. She asks why he's trying to kill her, and he says that she's trying to kill him. She apologises that they were worried about him but didn't tell him, and that if anyone would have figured it out, it would have been him. She tells him there has to be some part of him that's still in there, for if he really wanted to, then he knew how to destroy her, and it would not have been with a railgun. She asks him to stop and think about who he is. He's their friend, and she's never tried to kill him.
Something in Robert stirs, and he remembers the Imogen who used to work with him in class, back before everything went wrong. The original Imogen (the slightly-less mean one), who was nice and kind and occasionally stood up for him. That gets through to him, but that Imogen hasn't been around for a while. She's been busy, self-possessed, mean and rude. Above all, she's been cruel and unfair. Wrath returns. Charity launches a kick at Layla and barely misses; it's a bad kick. Layla asks what Rob taught her. Ned grabs Violet and his triple rows of teeth move down as he tries to eat her, but she soves her hand to block him. Janet's eyes glitter orange and she bites Violet's ear, but Violet just about holds her off. Barnaby gets a bit peckish and looks at Violet, who is wearing short nylon shorts and a crop top with "Tasty" printed on it. He goes to bite for her waist, as his teeth become angular.
Rob tries again to shoot at Imogen. The true spirit of Rob throws off his aim, but Imogen lets it hit her. The railgun bolt turns to plasma and rips into Imogen's shoulder, throwing gore and bits of her shoulder blade over the others behind her. Her arm hangs limply. She drops to her knees, maintaining eye contact with Rob the whole time. "I know it's still. I know you're not trying to kill me. I know you're not trying to hurt any of us. I... am your friend, and I have always been your friend." She wheezes and drops to the ground. Robert surges within Wrathbert. Then, an aura of red surrounds Robert and bursts out of him. Dust is blown away, as is Imogen's blood. Rob slumps. Layla catches him before he hits the ground. Layla starts to say something, but then is then consumed by hunger. She examines Rob, who is armoured, and instead and goes for Charity, dropping Rob. Charity is all cocky and doesn't react in time for Layla to bite her - in the neck. Layla feels silicon, not flesh, then metal. "Charity" then discharges into Layla, and electricity pumps into the Slayer. Chari-bot's skin melts, exposing the metal framework of Janet-bot. Layla drops to the ground.
Violet panics and hopes they're only looking for human flesh. She clicks her feet together, and she turns into a lilac-tinted bunny. She immediately hops away as fast as she can. The three trying to eat her are confused, but Ned recovers quickly enough. His barbed, chittering tongue moves out towards Janet while his arms go for Janet. Barnaby just about shoves Ned away, and Glutton-Ned is just about distracted to miss Janet. Imogen just about regains consciousness and sits up, asking whether it worked. Janet finally breaks out of her hunger-trance and runs over to Rob. She tries to retract his armour. She pulls out a calculator and hacks his armour into being disabled. She stays and holds him.
Barnaby remembers the lovely ham sandwich he had last night, and breaks out. He goes to slamtackle Ned, and due to the weightless spell Ned bounces against the ground, then up against the ceiling and down again. He gets sent down the corridor. Barnaby asks if Ned is going to be alright, and Ned says he'll savour eating him. Rob curls into a ball with Janet holding helm, constantly apologising. Layla gets consumed by hunger and sinks her teeth into Janet's neck and rips out a chunk. Blood pours out of her neck, covering Rob. As bunnies can't Sin, Violet just hops around. Imogen rolls over and tries to lock eye contact with Ned, and fixes him. Barnaby calls out and tells him to listen. He says they were friends once and since then, they've been through "really weird shit". He apologises for being a dick, but they need to stick together. He promises they'll hang together like friends as they did in the past. He says he did actually like and his brother. He tells Ned he deserves better than this.
Ned suddenly freezes, but the Ned inside doesn't try to break out yet, biding his time. Robert doesn't quite understand what's going on, and is still cradled in a ball on the ground. Layla realises what's going on, feels sick and forces herself to throws up on the Charity-bot away from her hurt friends. Layla finds out she just about missed Janet's jugular and rips off part of her pyjamas to staunch the blood flow. Crying, she helps Robert apply pressure to staunch the blood flow. She then runs towards Ned. Imogen, ignorant of what is happening behind her, keeps staring forwards. She apologises to Ned for not being able to save his family. She tells him that he's currently doing what Charity did to his family. If he keeps going he'll hurt more people. She tells him she knows he is capable of fighting back, of holding back - like when he didn't eat the baby. She's sorry for his family being gone, and even if they never saw eye-to-eye she never wanted that top happen to him. She tells him he's stronger than he thinks he is, and that they're sorry for never bothering with him or fixing his problems.
Again Ned stops and an internal struggle rages again. Imogen tells Barnaby to get through to him. Barnaby tells Ned that the only way out is to fight it. He tells him rise above them, who have been awful. He tells him to be the best he has ever been, and then they can get justice for his family. He points at the Chari-bot and tells him they will take Charity down like the robot. He begs Ned to fight now, or it'll all be lost. He moves towards Ned and tries to hug him without breaking his eye contact with Imogen. Something strikes true with Ned, but also with the demon. It writhes. The shuddering increases before an aura of orange emerges, followed by a burst of energy. Dust flies into the air, there's a massive force of wind. Below Barnaby is the dishevelled form of Ned, covered in blood and food stains. Barnaby props him up. Imogen finally lies down, and with the break of eye contact Ned gasps for breath and throws up continuously. Layla stands next to them and tells Ned she knows how it feels.
Robert continues to apply pressure to Janet's wound, apologising and saying that she didn't betray him. Barnaby says they can talk about it later, but they need to get to hospital. Imogen asks whether they won and if it's done. Layla goes to hold and carry Imogen, who insists she can walk. Barnaby fixes the ad-hoc dressing on Janet's neck and gently tells Rob to help him as he lifts Janet up. Robert puts the minimum amount of strength and the dex-suit to apply pressure to the wound. Barnaby holds Robert's hand as he walks out. Barnaby remembers the staff and Layla finds it. A minor cold sensation runs up her arm. She tells the others about the sensation and Imogen recommends they break it. Layla says they'll talk it when Imogen's better, and she drops her off in the car before going back for Janet. Barnaby races to the hospital in 10 minutes. He's resisting the urge to have fun as he drifts.
They enter A&E and get everybody's attention. They take away an unconscious Janet, Imogen with her gaping wound, Ned who is still throwing up and Robert who is out of it. They look warily at Layla, who has dried blood caking her mouth and chest and looks like she's been electrocuted, and Barnaby, who also has blood smeared all over him. They ask them to sit down while they call the police. Before they get separated, Layla tells Barnaby to tell them that they needed resuscitation. Barnaby points out that bleeding as a cause, and Layla says they don't know why they're bleeding. Their excuse is that they found them bleeding outside the school and they may have been attacked by a gang. The cops buy their story and say that they probably saved their lives. They applaud them and recommends they call an ambulance next time before leaving. They wait there with a purple rabbit they found hiding under the stairwell back at school.
Imogen has been flown off elsewhere for surgery, while Janet is unconscious. Barnaby pets bunny-Violet. After an hour, they can see Ned, who has been through triage, and hide Violet to bring her with them. He's sitting on a bed with a distant look in his eyes. He recognises they're there. Layla asks how he's feeling. He hates to say it, but he's hungry. He apologises. He doesn't seem to be able to reconcile his hunger with what he did: his stomach's empty, but he doesn't want to eat again. Barnaby consoles him and offers to buy some mouth wash for all of them. Barnaby tells Ned not to be sorry, as it wasn't really him. They say they're glad he's back and they can talk through it later. He nods, and is confused about how it was him but not him. They offer to explain it to him later and recommend he rest.
Barnaby goes and buys mouthwash while they wait to for Rob to be cleared for visitation. Ned goes through two bottles of the stuff. Rob is in a foetal position on the bed, still apologising. Barnaby goes in first and tells Robert that everyone's fine. Robert mumbles to himself and Barnaby sits next to Robert. Layla puts down bunny-Violet, who hops onto Rob's neck. Barnaby tells Robert that it wasn't him, that they were all angry, and that he fought off a demon by himself. Robert denies this. Layla says that none of them were really themselves. Rob says he doesn't know what to do. Barnaby tells him to get better, and then they can all get back to normal. They can be friends again, have fun and deal with Charity. Robert apologises for putting Barnaby in that room. Barnaby tells him not to be sorry. It was a good plan, and it was rough motivating Rob, but says that Robert was being used. They came to save him because they knew there were risks. He insists that it's the best possible outcome.
Robert's guilty over nearly killing Imogen. Barnaby says she's pretty sturdy and says he'll make sure everyone's okay. Robert's reassured by that. Layla's by the side, looking down. Robert says they can go rest. Barnaby tells him to rest and they'll see him again as soon as possible and give him an update on the others. Robert tells Barnaby to tell the others he's sorry. Barnaby says he will if Robert wants to, but doesn't think he needs to, and that it wasn't his fault. Robert insists it was. Barnaby suggests that when Robert was angry, he said some things that were right, and suggests that when everyone's better they talk over all it when everyone's fine. It'll make them all feel better. Robert thanks him. Barnaby tells Robert he loves him and Robert nods. When Robert starts to nod off Barnaby leaves. Layla follows him with Violet. A blonde doctor outside stops them and asks for Robert's details, giving him their father's details.
Barnaby gets snacks and checks on Janet and Violet. The staff give him some patient's trousers as he is still in his boxers. Violet appears to still be a rabbit, and after Barnaby puts him down, the bunny moves inside Barnaby's gown. Barnaby is indignant and picks up Violet, who kicks Barnaby and looks a bit dejected. She gets given to Layla. After 25 minutes there's a squeal of wheels outside. George runs in and asks Barnaby if Robert's okay. Barnaby tells him what happened, and what he did. He insists they can help him now. George asks why he had to learn it from the hospital, and Barnaby says he's been rather preoccupied. George grounds Barnaby and goes off to find Robert. Layla explains what grounding is to Barnaby, who thinks it's a way of rewarding him. He says he'll go on patrol anyway.
George enters Robert's room, asks if he's okay and wraps his son in a hug. Robert says he hurt his friends, but George keeps hugging him. It goes on for an hour, and George says nothing. Robert explains how he was angry and how he wanted to hurt. George tells him he's the most ridiculously nice person around, but he's still human. The fact that he overcome Wrath itself means something at least. Robert says his friends nearly died and ruminates on what could have been. George says it's a part of the job and can't promise it won't happen again. He'd rather Robert become a librarian, but he's got too much of his mother in him. Robert admits he's afraid. George says he's with him, and Rob hugs back harder. George hugs him all night.
Hours later, Janet is awake after grafts and minor surgery. Violet's still a rabbit. Layla thinks Janet won't want to see her because she almost killed her. Barnaby says that in that case, she'll be there to say sorry. He grabs her and leads her to Janet's room. Layla reluctantly lets her be led and takes Violet with her. Janet sees them enter, but because of the gauze can't turn her head. Barnaby tells Janet they saved Rob, and that if she gets permission from the nurse she can see him. She says that they told her she needs to stay still for a bit longer. Janet asks them to sneak her over, but Layla is opposed to the idea. Janet thinks it's a good idea, and Layla herself is looking down. Layla is unreceptive, doesn't want Janet to be in more pain and goes to leave. As she does so, Janet tells Layla it wasn't her fault. Layla insists that it's her fault. Janet says that despite Layla's strength, she's really stupid sometimes.She points to Layla accidentally giving into the demon for fove seconds compared to months for herself, and Layla managed to attempt to remedy the wrong. Layla says that five seconds could have been their lives - anybody's lives. Layla's guilty over everyone but herself and Barnaby being hurt. She storms out, with Barnaby following and yelling that she's the strongest and has to remain the strongest so that nobody gets hurt in the future. Albert Khan pops his head out from between some curtains and is still in a funk.
Janet and Barnaby conspire to get her to Rob. Barnaby gets a set of scrubs and a convenient badge. He reads the badge, Jonathan Crinklebottom. He wheels her to Rob, bluffing his way through. A male doctor, John, flirts with him. They end up arranging a date and Barnaby learns that John stabilised Imogen earlier. The doctor gives Barnaby some forms to hand in to the aircrew who are airlifting Imogen off, but forgot to give them to the nurse. Barnaby wheels Janet off to Rob's room, where George and Rob are. Barnaby wheels Janet as close as possible before going off to do the orderly thing. Janet and Rob have an awkward conversation where they try and make amends with each other. Robert grabs her hand. George decides to leave the lovebirds alone. Robert says that they keep meeting in hospital beds. Janet suggests they break the habit and go to a coffee shop or have some pizza. Robert says he understands the thing she tried to tell him which Wrath accused her of betraying him.
Barnaby goes to the nurses' station to hand off the forms. He gets waved off in a general direction to the nurse he needs to deliver it to, with the nurse telling him this saying that two of the other nurses have gone missing. Barnaby hears something being knocked over, and someone being thrown against the wall. Stuff is heard falling to the ground. Barnaby sprints down a corridor to his left. The noise originates from a supply closet and he bursts in. There are two nurses in there and they're in the middle of something with a male nurse. He closes the door and goes and find the nurse he was looking for.
Imogen awakes, with massive pain across her entire body. She's barely conscious, and something's waking her up. Next to her is a nurse, and her fingers are pinched around the morphine drip. It is Charity. One arm around one drip, the other around Imogen's torn arm. Imogen asks whether Charity had sex with her while she's asleep and Charity said it was tempting. She kisses Imogen on her forehead. Imogen pushes back an urge to give in with ease, thinking of Layla. Charity says it's a disappointment, and Imogen asks if she's going to kill her now. At this point, Barnaby walks in. Barnaby finds Charity very attractive, but realises that Imogen is in mortal danger. Barnaby walks over to a cabinet and grabs a syringe of morphine. He tells Charity: "Nurse, I'm afraid you're needed somewhere else". Charity remarks that the cavalry's here and says, "thanks for the hand" and tears Imogen's hand off. Barnaby lunges at Charity with the syringe. Her other hand just grabs his arm in a vice-grip until he backs off. She disconnects Imogen's right arm as Barnaby roars at her. Imogen screams before the morphine puts her under. Charity runs and smashes through the window, escaping into the night.
Orderlies, nurses and later, security, charge in. In the waiting room, as security charge past Layla, Violet pops into human form on Layla's lap and asks for lettuce. She says the petting was nice, and asks if they beat the Sins. Layla says she doesn't know. One of the security guards passes by describing Charity, saying she is carrying an arm. Layla and Violet exchange looks. Violet asks to rest, but Layla gets up. Violet does so too. Layla tries to intimidate the guard into telling her where she was. She has the guard in the air and he chokes out that she was seen going west. Layla runs off. Violet attempts to apologise before Barnaby shows up and tells her to start running. They lose Violet, but Layla finds traces of blood and they follow it. The blood leads to a bin behind a supermarket; inside is Imogen's arm. Layla grabs the arm, and there are no signs of Charity. She takes it back to the hospital, jumping off a bin, through the broken window and into Imogen's room.
Security demands she put down the arm, and she explains she found it in a bin. One of the nurses pushes past and asks for the arm. The nurse thanks her and tells her to go. Imogen will be taken into surgery, and they will attempt to re-attach the arm. Barnaby finds out that the doctors don't think the arm will regain full mobility and remembers Imogen's healing spell and asks Violet to help to make the paste. Violet agrees in exchange for Imogen teaching her spells in the future and admits she's never done it before. She kisses Barnaby on the mouth and says good luck. Violet makes a very strong poultice with Barnaby's help. Barnaby decides to bluff the poultice in and apply the poultice.
Layla hasn't been taking part in all this because she wants Charity to heal properly. She breaks into the Davidsons' room to get Charity's phone and researches the locating spell. She has a spell to create divining rods to locate a person using an item precious to them. The more precious, the better. The phone would work, but would be weak. Violet pops in to let Layla know about the spell they did; the Slayer asks Violet what would happen if the poultice hurt Imogen even more. Layla is desperate and a mess. She ropes Violet into helping her make the divining rod. Violet questions the wisdom of the idea. Layla insists that she wants to go find Charity by herself, without anyone else getting in trouble. Violet agrees to help, but wants Layla to tell the others. Layla takes the lead and makes a stake into a divining rod. It points outside the boarding house and Layla swears. She tells Violet to stay out of her way and doesn't want her to be hurt. Layla follows the rod, kitted up and ready for war.
Back at the hospital, Barnaby waits and hears the nurses talk about a miracle with Imogen's arm. Imogen will be kept in for additional tests, however. Barnaby goes and tells Robert and Janet (who is still hiding out there due to the lack of attention from the nurses). As he walks in, his phone rings. Violet tells Barnaby about what Layla's doing. Violet makes him promise that nothing will backlash to her. Violet says she duplicated Layla's spell and her toothbrush now follows the same direction. Barnaby tells her she's brilliant and is on his way. He tells Rob that Layla's gone off to fight Charity. He brings Rob up to date and asks if he's fit to move, as he can't do it without him. Rob says he can, and comes with him. Barnaby writes a note for Imogen, but as they enter her room she's very awake and looks fine. She asks where Layla is before saying hi.
Barnaby pushes through everything to tell Imogen Layla's gone off to fight Charity. After some initial protest she does. Barnaby urges Violet to meet them in town but starts listing off stuff they need to fight Charity. They'll meet her at the boarding house. They bundle Violet and two suitcases worth of stuff into the car and go to the Davidsons'. Imogen gets changed from scrubs in the car using some clothes Violet was ordered to bring. On being offered a short pencil skirt she keeps the scrub bottoms. Janet, who has bundled in after hearing about Charity, takes the pencil skirt to spare Rob having to wear a dress, which Imogen grabs. Despite attempts to dissaude her, she can't be moved and Barnaby tells her to stay in the back and not get involved. She tells Rob that he owes her this. He ultimately agrees. Imogen tells Janet that Charity will kill her like her parents, but ultimately Barnaby lets her in the car.
They arrive at the Davidsons'. Baranby grabs the 12 gauge, Robert a change of clothes and they let George know, who gets gears up. George says he's got an axe to grind and gets in his own car. He asks Barnaby if he's alright with the shotgun. Barnaby says yeah. Imogen tries to text Layla, who has Charity's phone, saying that they're coming after her, but Layla tells her not to do that. After an exchange Layla tells her she's not going to Charity, and she tells them not to bother with her at all. As they're about to drive off Imogen relays the info. They drive back to the boarding house to get Layla's stuff for a location spell. Imogen imbues it into a HB pencil and they hurry off in pursuit of the Slayer "being stupidly Slayer-esque".