The Five

"" is the seventh episode of the first season of Sanctuary, and the seventh episode overall in the series.

Synopsis
While leading a covert meeting in Rome, Magnus encounters an old friend from her past who confides that the Cabal has come to exact revenge on her for the events in "". Ashley Magnus learns the truth about her father when an old friend makes an appearance.

Cold Open
In Rome, Magnus is giving a speech about abnormals to a group of people from around the world. She shows them a brain scan of a young woman who apparently has the ability to lower her body temperature below life sustaining levels, explaining that such brain scans are useful when starting the treatment of an abnormal patient and also mentioning that abnormal abilities are on the rise. While she is speaking, a dark-haired man in a black suit enters the room and has a note handed to her, which says she will be killed in less than three minutes unless she meets him outside.

Outside the room, he calls Magnus over by name and tells her "Kiss me and I will save your life". She initially refuses until he mentions that it's been 60 years since they have last seen each other and to just plant one on him already to which she reluctantly relents and moves in to kiss him on the cheek. At the last second, he turns his face so she kisses him on the lips instead, much to her annoyance. Pulling away, she says "Nikola Tesla, you always did know how to get attention." Tesla then pulls her down the corridor telling her they have to leave, as the building is swarming with Cabal agents. Magnus does not bite, but changes her mind when a group of armed men enter the lecture room she was just in, hoping that Tesla has a plan. Further along in the building, they enter a set of catacombs that Tesla found out about from the concierge of his hotel. Moments later, the Cabal break in, led by the Cabal Team Leader who retrieved The Morrígan from the Old City Sanctuary. He tells his men to lock the place down.

Act I
Back at the Sanctuary, Will asks Bigfoot if there was a staff meeting scheduled. Bigfoot says it was canceled by Ashley. Will does not like this, saying there is much to do, but Bigfoot just gives his and everyone else's opinion by saying "meetings are boring". Will smiles and asks what everyone does for fun while Magnus is gone. Bigfoot states that everyone is busy with their own "projects". Will realizes that he is not really in charge, and that Magnus expects everyone to continue as usual until she returns. The power suddenly spikes, confusing Will, but Bigfoot says he will look into it while Will wanders off to his own work.

Elsewhere on the streets, Ashley pulls up to an abandoned building were she is supposed to be meeting Squid, who is in disguise as a squatter. He seems to acknowledge her presence, but just sits there until she gets closer. Suddenly, without warning, he shoots her with a dart gun. As the shocked Ashley falls to the ground, Squid lowers his hood and removes his glasses, revealing that he is actually Druitt. Ashley passes out and Druitt teleports them both away.

Meanwhile, in the catacombs of Rome, Magnus and Tesla run down a corridor, narrowly avoiding being spotted by the Cabal soldiers. Magnus believes that she's being hunted by the Cabal resulting from the incident with The Morrígan. Moments later, when they confront nearby Cabal soldiers, Tesla is revealed to be a vampire. At his sudden outburst, Magnus becomes defensive. Tesla however assures her that he still takes his medication and continues to uphold his promise that he doesn't feed on humans. As they make their way forward, Tesla demonstrates the ability to spark electricity through physical contact.

Back at the Sanctuary, Will and Bigfoot observe a wrecked console on the wall, the source of the power failure, which looks like something has clawed and scratched at it. They realize that one of the abnormal in the facility must be responsible. Will orders Bigfoot to round up the patients for interviews while Henry, who does not seem to be feeling well, is to check the security systems.

Back in the Catacombs, Tesla and Magnus rehash a little over their past history together, particularly about when Magnus helped to fake Tesla's death in order to help him hide from government agencies hunting him down. As the conversation shifts toward the their current similar situation running away from the Cabal, Magnus figures out that she isn't actually their target, Tesla is.

Elsewhere Ashley regains consciousness in an abandoned warehouse handcuffed to a chair. Druitt walks in shortly after and informs her that he needs her help much to Ashley's confusion.

Act II
Ashley is naturally skeptical after their last encounter and refuses to cooperate with him in his quest to find her mother, even after Druitt apologizes for his past actions. Druitt inquires if Magnus ever told Ashley about who he was, but Ashley admits that she is still in the dark, relaying her mother's vague explanation to him. From the distraught look on his face, this was something Druitt didn't want to hear. Druitt then continues to press Ashley about the urgency of the matter at hand. Behind her back, Ashley pulls out a lock-pick she had concealed.

Back in the catacombs, the Cabal agents continue to stalk Magnus and Tesla who are just out of sight while Magnus berates Tesla for being so reckless as to contact her while he was being hunted. The topic of Tesla's faked death then comes up, as well as the the experiment they performed back at Oxford, changing them. The conversation then focuses on why the Cabal would be hunting Tesla, as they only go after what they see as being of value or a threat. Elsewhere, the head soldier finds the fallen guards and tells one of his men he wants a specific device down here asap.

At the Sanctuary Will walks down a corridor to find Bigfoot tending to Two Faced Guy who look badly beaten up, and he isn't the only one and there have been several other attacks in the past two hours. Will and Bigfoot worry if the creature is in the elevator system as it could be anywhere or get anywhere in the Sanctuary. They take Two Face to the med lab and agree to meet at Henry's lab.

Henry, who has been getting sicker, passes out. Bigfoot insists that he must rest and drags him away to his room. Tesla, meanwhile, reveals a seething anger when asked why the Cabal viewed him as a threat. He is part vampire and resents his kind's demise : "Humans were conquered because we were smarter and stronger. And when vampires ruled the world, it was a golden age … now people think that we're allergic to garlic and that we can turn into bats at will. It's beyond insulting". Suddenly the 'L-Rad' sends out a shock wave. Tesla pushes Magnus out of the way and is impaled upon the wall.

Act III
He reawakens momentarily and pulls himself away from the stake which has been driven thru his chest, joking in the voice of Dracula. Magnus, ignoring that Tesla protected her, is angry at being "put in the line of fire". However she is shocked into silence when he tells her that he has always loved her - "more than that lunatic Druitt ever did".

Druitt, meanwhile, is explaining to Ashley that he knew her mother in London "when we were young". Suddenly, the disbelieving daughter breaks free of her bonds and attacks. Druitt teleports both of them to a series of dangerous locales before Ashley is forced to stop fighting. Back at the Sanctuary, Will and Bigfoot discover that the motion detectors have been disabled. They also find a reptilian-like scale and a box of Diazepam (a sedative) which has been clawed open.

As Tesla is admitting to Magnus how he always admired her, Druitt continues explaining to Ashley just how close he was to her mother. He tells her that they were members of a group called '' - "dedicated to expanding our knowledge of the physical world … by the most unconventional means". Druitt explains that their longevity was not genetic but rather the result of a choice each made to 'evolve'. The other members of the group were Nigel Griffin, Sir James Watson and Nikola Tesla - the famous scientist who Druitt claims "leeched off Edison and cheated Marconi". He then inquires as to whether Ashley has ever heard of the species 'Sanguine vampiris'. He tells her that her mother was able to procure a sample of pure ancient vampire blood, a sample which dated from before the time when vampires were killed off or sterilized. Magnus Magnus derived a serum from the blood and insisted on being the first to experiment with it. In time, each of the five injected the serum and each received unique 'gifts' as a result.

''We flash back again to the same underground study has before though in more detail. Magnus is seated in the middle of the room with Druitt by her side while another man (James) stands behind her and Nigel is off screen. Tesla approaches with the syringe but from his movements and voice and the worried looks on the others faces this is something they don't want to do. Magnus eventually convinces them to proceed and Tesla injects her which produces a painful reaction.''

Back in the present Druitt explains after Magnus the rest of the Five all received the same injection but vastly different abilities; Ashley though still unsure about the former madman but allows her curiosity to get the better of her and asks about the powers of the other three. With a smile Druitt recounts how Nigel develops invisibility and James gained increased intelligence and with a sneer says "But Tesla's reaction was the most... dramatic". Explaining that the young scientist had unknowingly carried dormant vampiric genes that the source blood injection activated.

Will begins to suspect that Henry is involved in the strange goings on at the Sanctuary when he sees Diazepam laying about his room and notices a cut on his leg. But Bigfoot gets angry and won't let Will question Henry. He also can't access Henry's personnel file in the computer. Strange things are happening in the catacombs as well. Tesla is almost giddy with excitement when, in the distance, the Cabal team comes under attack. He tells Magnus that "the playing field just got leveled". The Cabal Team Leader is suddenly struck down by a vampire. "My God, Nikola, what have you done?", asks Magnus when two growling vampires appear before them. "Welcome to the future", crows Tesla.

Act IV
Druitt frees Ashley and tells her that Tesla is the imminent danger her mother is facing. He challenges her to think, not just to act. There is little time, he says. At that very moment Tesla is explaining to Magnus how he created these new vampires. A little of his blood and a little of his electrical charge mixed with a dead body and, voila, instant vampire. Druitt explains how Tesla revived him after his last encounter with Magnus and then tortured him when he refused to join forces. He tells Ashley that her mother will undoubtedly also refuse and that Tesla will certainly kill her. Druitt claims that the electric shock purged him of his violent rage and made him whole again. "Together", he says, "we can save her". Concurrently, Tesla is trying to convince Magnus to join him. His new creations are fast, vicious and strong, but virtually mindless. He believes that she could help make them intelligent as well. "You and I could usher in a new golden age", he tells her. Tesla becomes angry when Magnus looks horrified and calls him mad.

We know "abnormals are on the rise", argues Tesla, and together we can lead them. He is imagining an army of his "mini-me's" conquering the world when Magnus shoots him several times and runs away. Tesla orders his creations to get her. Earlier, back at the Sanctuary, Henry ordered Will out of his room when Will pressed him about the attacks.

Act V
Now, when the elevator door opens, Will is confronted by a large snake creature. He flees down the hall as Magnus is fleeing down corridors of the catacombs. Suddenly, a missing-link-like creature crashes into the large reptile and drives it out the window, saving Will. As the wounded reptile slithers away, the hairy creature quickly 'evolves' back into Henry as an astonished Will watches from the broken window above.

In the catacombs, the creatures close in as Magnus runs out of ammunition, only to be ordered back by Tesla. With what is presumed to be her last breath, Magnus advances, bitterly insulting and taunting him. Suddenly, Druitt's fist rams through Tesla's abdomen and he teleports Magnus and Ashley to safety. Magnus is angry and unappreciative so Druitt teleports out, leaving Ashley to explain.

In the Sanctuary, Will humbly apologizes to Henry and thanks him for "saving my ass" from the big snake.

Ashley now knows the truth. "He's my father, isn't he?", she asks her mother. "Yes. He is", answers Magnus. As they stare out at the city, Magnus guiltily admits to the fact that she has never shown her daughter Rome. Ashley responds that "there was never time", to which her mother adds that she has "a lot to make up for". Magnus then extends her hand out to Ashley in an effort to make amends, and after a brief pause, Ashley accepts her gesture.

Extras

 * This episode has a DVD commentary track. Commentators: Damian Kindler, Amanda Tapping, and Martin Wood.