.:: Transcript 7x11 - Showtime ::.

Written by David Fury
Original Air Date: January 7, 2003

Transcribed by: CariCranberry
For: http://www.buffyworld.com

NB: The content of this transcript, including the characters and the story, belongs to Mutant Enemy. This transcript was created based on the broadcast episode.

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TEASER (RECAP SEGMENT):
GILES (V.O.)
Previously on Buffy the Vampire Slayer

1 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Spike hands and feet chained to the wall. He lunges at Buffy, who stares him straight in the eyes.

BUFFY
(in his face) I believe in you, Spike.

Spike looks at her with a face full of hope and amazement. Just then, the lights flicker and go out. Someone bursts into the basement and pushes Buffy away from Spike. She falls to the ground.

Cut to:

2 INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Robed men break into the house from all angles, smashing windows and breaking down doors. Covered head to toe in long, black, hooded robes, these people have batons and no eyes

Cut to:

3 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Buffy goes down the stairs to the basement, followed by Xander. She stops dead in her tracks when she sees the empty shackles that Spike was supposed to be in.

BUFFY
They were after Spike all along.

Cut to:

4 INT. BASEMENT AT SUNNYDALE HIGH - NIGHT
Spike is tied to the wheel-like construct with all four corners of his body pulled in opposite directions. Spike's body has symbols carved into his chest. Spike/First morphs into Buffy's form. A Harbinger cranks a wheel attached to a mechanism that hoists the wheel Spike's tied to into the air. Spike is now hanging from the wheel about ten feet from the ground, bleeding steadily from his ritualized symbol-shaped cuts.

BUFFY (V.O.)
You know what we're up against. The First.

BUFFY/FIRST
Now, Spike, wanna see what a real vampire looks like?

Spike's blood is falling on the Seal of Danthazar that's right below him. It's pooling in the grooves and being absorbed into the seal. The seal starts to glow. One by one, the pointed tips of the pentagram at its center fold up, forming a pyramid. Light comes out from under it. The pyramid sinks into the ground. The remaining pieces of the seal follow suit. A monster climbs out wearing black leather. Pan up to show its horrible disfigured face. It's bald with a distinct vampire forehead and brows and trademark fanged teeth. It looks gaunt, with extremely hollow cheekbones. It raises its hands toward the sky and looks around the room, growling menacingly.

Cut to:

5 INT. DINING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Red light surrounds Willow then enters her body through her nostrils. She throws her head back and a demonic apparition (huge, with two horns on its head and glowy red eyes) escapes her mouth, lunging toward Buffy. The light disappears, and Willow collapses, crying and twitching, while Buffy kneels at her side, holding her head.

BUFFY
We won't use magic to fight this thing until we know what we're doing.

Cut to:

6 INT. BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Buffy opens the front door to leave, but sees Giles standing there on her front porch when she opens it.

BUFFY
Giles.

GILES
Buffy.

Buffy goes to hug Giles, but is cut off when three girls she's never met walk right into her house.

Cut to:

7 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Dawn's standing in front of the three girls Giles brought with him. The three girls are lined up against the wall, and Dawn's inspecting them, arms crossed in front of her.

DAWN
They're all slayers?

GILES
Potential slayers. Waiting for one to be called. There were many more like them all over the world, but, um, now there's just a handful, and they're all on their way to Sunnydale.

Cut to:

8 INT. KITCHEN AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Buffy and Giles are in the kitchen talking to the three slayers in training, who are already up and eating breakfast.

GILES
Uh, what you fought was a vampire, but it was, um, something more than that. It was a Turok-Han—ferociously powerful killing machines, as single-minded as animals. I think the Turok-Han is here as an agent of The First.

Cut to:

9 INT. DINING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Giles is pacing, talking. The slayers in training are sitting around the dining room table, along with Dawn and Anya. Xander and Willow are leaning against the wall. Buffy walks in, badly beaten from her encounter with the Turok-Han, and addresses the room.

BUFFY
They want an apocalypse? Oh, we'll give 'em one. 'Cause we just became an army. There is only one thing on this Earth more powerful than evil, and that's us.

Fade to black.

End Recap.

The Start Of Episode
PROLOGUE:
10 EXT. SUNNYDALE BUS STATION - NIGHT
A charter bus opens its doors, and a couple of people walk down the steps to exit the vehicle.

BUS DRIVER
Sunnydale. Watch your step. Next stop...

The last person to exit is a young African-American girl, wearing denim overalls and carrying a backpack. She looks around and walks forward between parked buses to the bus terminal building. The sign overhead reads "OVERLAND CHARTERS". The girl looks at the building, but the doors are closed and no lights are on.

She looks around anxiously, and goes to the nearby pay phone, grabs the phone book, and start flipping through it. The page she's searching reads "SUNNYDALE" along the side, and "S SOTER-SULLIVAN" across the top. The girl runs her finger down through the names, searching, before she realizes that the page she needs has been torn out of the book. When she looks up from the book, she sees a black-robed, hooded, eyeless man approaching her. She drops the phone book and turns to run, but sees two more of these men, the Bringers, coming toward her with knives in their hands. She backs up against the wall, panicked and breathing heavily, and sinks down to the ground.

Just then, the pair of Bringers between the buses are lifted off the ground and go flying apart, revealing Buffy, who had thrown them to the ground. The third Bringer runs away while the two Buffy attacked come back for more. One lunges at her with his knife, but Buffy grabs his hand and stabs the other Bringer with the knife he's holding. The stabbed Bringer doubles over in pain, and Buffy kicks him to the ground. Buffy continues to wrestle with the other Bringer, ultimately breaking his neck. Buffy then sees the one who started running away, and calls out to him.

BUFFY
(yells) Hey! (bends to pick up a Bringer's knife at her feet) Try picking on someone my own size.

Buffy hurls the knife at the fleeing Bringer, landing it in his back, stabbing him through the heart.

BRINGER
Ow! Uh! (falls to the ground)

Buffy walks up to Rona, who is still cowering on the ground.

BUFFY
Rona, right? (Rona nods) I just got word you were arriving. (offers Rona a hand to help her up)

RONA
(takes Buffy's hand, stands) You're her!

BUFFY
Her is me.

RONA
(still out of breath, looking around the parking lot) You know, I thought, uh—they told me I'd be safe here.

BUFFY
Right. Well, you are. I mean, you will be...safer...with me around.

RONA
That's good.

BUFFY
(starts to walk away) Next time you're attacked—

RONA
(follows Buffy, panicked) Whoa, whoa—next time? You saying I'm gonna get attacked again?

BUFFY
Welcome to the hellmouth.

Fade to black.

Opening credits.

ACT I:
11 INT. WILLOW'S BEDROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAYBREAK
Pan from window to the bedroom floor, where Willow's tossing and turning in a sleeping bag.

KENNEDY (O.S.)
You don't have to do this.

Pan up to show Kennedy is lying on the foot of the bed, with one arm bent at the elbow, propping her head up on her hand, talking to Willow.

KENNEDY
Flooring it. In the bag. 'Cause (pats the bed behind her) nice big comfy bed right here. I mean, you ought to know. Your bed.

WILLOW
(wide eyed and stiff, lying on her back) Yeah, but no. I'm OK. I just, I like it down here. (pats the sleeping bag) It's firm.

KENNEDY
(chuckles) Funny, you look a little uncomfortable. Or... is it just me?

WILLOW
No. I'm just, uh, uneasy 'cause Buffy's out.

KENNEDY
Right. How many girls arriving this time?

WILLOW
Just one. But since Giles has the coven searching for other slayers-in-waiting to send 'em our way, I bet we'll be seeing a lot more soon enough.

KENNEDY
(moves the arm that was propping her head, flips her long brown hair, and snuggles her face into her pillow, still looking at Willow) So, you're saying I should enjoy having this bed all to myself as long as I can?

WILLOW
It is starting to get crowded around here.

KENNEDY
(props her head on her hand again) Totally. And with this many girls, well, I'm just saying if we don't get another bathroom in this house soon, things are gonna get ugly.

WILLOW
Sounds like somebody had to share mirror time with a bunch of siblings.

KENNEDY
Somebody not me. I only got a half-sister and we didn't have to share. Her bedroom was in another wing of the house.

WILLOW
(staring) Wing? Your house had wings?

KENNEDY
Yeah. Just a couple. A few. Our summer home in the Hamptons didn't have any at all. Well, one, actually.

WILLOW
Huh. Well, that's—that's ... huh.

KENNEDY
But never mind my deal. What's your story, Willow, I mean, witchcraft? Wow, that sounds new-agey.

WILLOW
No, it's safe to say that what I practice is definitely old-agey.

KENNEDY
(nods) So, show me a trick.

WILLOW
A trick?

KENNEDY
You know, pull a rabbit out of something, or make something float.

WILLOW
Uh, yeah, listen, Kennedy, um, it's almost morning. We really need to get some sleep.

KENNEDY
Hey, if I wanted to sleep, I'd be downstairs catching Z's with the other girls.

Cut to:

12 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Molly's sitting on a chair, talking to three slayers-in-training, who are all lined up on the floor in front of her lying in sleeping bags on their bellies, heads propped up on their elbows, looking intently at her. There's a brunette Hispanic girl, a blonde girl with a southern accent, and a tall, skinny red-head girl.

MOLLY
Annabelle was all, "Control your fear, control your fear." Meanwhile, she's the one that goes scampering off, right into that Turok-Han vampire. Poor Annie.

BLONDE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
Great, so the slayer who's supposed to protect us let her get killed?

MOLLY
She didn't let her. Annabelle was foolish. Buffy can't be faulted by arriving too late.

BRUNETTE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
(sits up) It's not like she could've stopped it. I mean the super vampire messed her up pretty good.

RED-HEAD SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
(sits up) No lie, she still looked like a big bruise when I got here, and that was already like the day after.

BLONDE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
And why isn't she back yet? Buffy. She left to get the new girl over an hour ago. (Molly looks down contemplatively) Mabye she ran into trouble. (the red-head slayer-in-training shrugs) You don't think she was too late again.

MOLLY
Maybe—

XANDER
(sleeping on a couch in the background) Maybe we can save the maybes for a more dayish part of the day, girls. (turns on lamp) Potential slayers can function without sleep. Me, I'm no good without my usual 90 minutes.

ANDREW
(in the next room over, still tied to a chair, facing away from the group) I'm with him. Keep the chatter down! Or, speak up so I can hear you. (to himself) I'm bored. Episode I bored.

Buffy walks in the front door with Rona.

BUFFY
You guys are all still up?

XANDER
(sits up, fakes a smile) Ah! Who needs sleep?

BUFFY
Everybody, this is Rona. (gestures to Rona)

EVERYONE
Hi. Hi, Rona.

ANDREW
Hey, Rona.

XANDER
(leans forward and smiles) Hey, Rona.

RONA
(with her arms crossed, surveys the room, sees Andrew) Um... (to Buffy) why is that guy tied to a chair?

XANDER
The question you'll soon be asking is, "Why isn't he gagged?" (smirks)

Anya enters the room with a rolled up sleeping bag, and Giles follows her in.

GILES
Molly, why don't you show our new houseguest where the kitchen is. I'm sure she's hungry after her travels.

MOLLY
(holding a bag of potato chips, stands) Fair enough. I'm a bit peckish meself. (exits)

RONA
(to Anya) Bit what as well?

ANYA
That's English for "hungry." (unrolls the sleeping bag and arranges it on the floor)

RONA
(follows Molly, to herself) Oh, here I thought "hungry" was English for "hungry."

GILES
(to Buffy) Everything all right?

BUFFY
(helping Anya make a bed for Rona) She had a welcoming committee.

XANDER
So, The First knows potential slayers are making their way here?

GILES
(leans forward on the back of a chair) I must warn the coven to be cautious.

BUFFY
The First's always gonna be one step ahead of us, Giles. I need to know how to stop it. No, not stop it, hurt it. I want to hurt it real bad. Tell me how.

GILES
I—I don't know, Buffy. (takes off glasses, squats down to be on eye level with everyone in the room) I've exhausted all the sources I have left with little result. The Watcher's records are still really all we have to go on.

ANYA
I made the rounds myself. Tried to dig up anything useful from the demon community.

XANDER
They're a community now? What's next, the Ladies' Auxiliary?

ANYA
The ones that didn't attack me, didn't know anything or didn't talk. Either way, we've got squat.

BUFFY
Well, squat's not gonna cut it. What about the Turok-Han?

XANDER
The vampire time forgot?

BUFFY
Time may have forgotten him, but I sure won't. We know stakes don't kill it, but anything in those ancient books about what does? Sunlight, fire, germs?

ANDREW
(from the other room) So, Giles, with that thing guarding the entrance to The First's crib, how will Buffy get to Spike? (Giles's jaw drops, and he seems perplexed)

BUFFY
I really hate to admit this, but he's not wrong. There's no way we'll be able to help Spike until that thing is out of the way.

BLONDE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
Spike? Sorry, I'm confused. He's that vampire who's been killing people, right? He's the one you're worried about helping?

BUFFY
(stammering) Well, we need him to—he's the one that's been—it's complicated, Chloe.

BRUNETTE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING / CHLOE
I'm Chloe, she's Eve.

BLONDE SLAYER-IN-TRAINING / EVE
It's just, well, we've been talking, and do we have some kind of plan? You know, any kind of plan to keep us from dying?

BUFFY
(stands, sighs) We're working on it.

GILES
(stands, walks to Buffy) There is one avenue that we haven't tried yet—

ANYA
(stands) Giles!

GILES
Beljoxa's Eye.

XANDER
And exactly what part of town is that avenue in?

ANYA
(emphatically) I told you no.

BUFFY
Wh-what is Botox's eye?

GILES
Beljoxa's Eye. It's an oracle type creature that exists in a dark dimension.

ANYA
Internal vortex more like.

BUFFY
Fun.

ANYA
Not really, no.

GILES
The point is, only demons can open the gateway to it.

ANYA
(to Giles) Excuse me, ex-demon here.

GILES
You're still friends in the fold. Murderous acquaintances, anyway.

ANYA
(to Buffy) Look, there's no reason to think this Beljoxa's Eye will have any of the answers we're looking for.

BUFFY
I'll take anything I can get. Anya, please, we're running out of time. Spike's running out of time.

Cut to:

13 INT. UNDERGROUND CAVE - DAY
Spike, still beaten and scarred from his torture by The First, has his back to the rocky surface of the cave. From the close up shot, it looks as though he's lying on the ground with his hands on either side of his head. Pan out and rotate the angle to show that he is indeed chained upright to the rocky cave wall, his wrists shackled.

A Bringer comes toward Spike with a knife in hand. As the Bringer lunges at Spike with the knife, Spike shifts his body weight from his feet to his hands, as he lifts his legs up and uses his feet to break the neck of the Bringer. Spike seems strong and energetic compared to when last he appeared. Another Bringer approaches him, wielding a fiery torch, and Spike rips his hands free of his shackles, ducking the torch as the Bringer swings it at him. Spike kicks the Bringer, knocking him out, then starts to run out of the cave. As he gets halfway through the passageway, he sees someone ahead, walking toward him. He considers going back, but pauses to see who it is. It's Buffy—white-shirted, sweetly smiling Buffy. Spike smiles and leans forward—

Spike's head falls forward as a black-shirted Buffy addresses him. He's still shackled to the cave wall.

BUFFY/FIRST
(pacing in front of him) Dreaming of me again, aren't you? Poor Spike. He still thinks I believe in him. Be realistic. I don't even believe in myself. (stops pacing) At least not enough to risk my skin to save your ass. Not enough to face...(turns to the Turok-Han) that. (turns back to Spike) I'm sorry, Spike. But you need to accept this. You know it never would've worked out. You need to let go so we can both move on. I promise, soon it'll all be—

Buffy/First notices that Spike's eyes are closed, and he's muttering to himself. She walks up to him, getting right in his face.

SPIKE
She will come for me. She will come for me. She will come for me.

Buffy/First puts her hand up to Spike's face, and traces it without touching him, smiling sweetly. Then she stops, puts a finger in front of his lips, and stares him in the eye.

BUFFY
(matter-of-factly) No, I won't.

Cut to:

14 EXT. ALLEY BEHIND A STRIP MALL - DAY
Someone's emptying a garbage can into a dumpster.

ANYA
Why not?

TORG
You have the nerve to ask me that?

ANYA
Come on, Torg, that was like a lifetime ago.

Torg puts down the trash can he's holding to reveal his horribly disfigured demon face. He's built like a biker, with a large, muscular body, and long stringy hair. But his hairline is unusual—a long zigzag pattern along the crown of his head. He's also got a barbed wire tattoo over his ear where there's no hair. His eyes are an odd color, and his face is red and creased like he's been scarred from fights, his ears are oversized and pointed. He's pierced everywhere—nose, brow, ears. Plus, he's got a goatee and a few whiskers along his jaw line.

TORG
Three, but who's counting. You broke my heart, Anyanka.

ANYA
Don't be so dramatic, Torg. You don't even have a heart. (laughs) Six spleens, two stomachs, half a brain maybe, but no heart.

TORG
Don't mock this. The night we spent together was...important to me.

ANYA
It was one date. And it wasn't even a date. (Giles rolls his eyes) We just happened to be invited to the same massacre, and—and you hit on me after I had a few...

TORG
I remember, you wore pink.

ANYA
Those were entrails.

GILES
I'm sorry, perhaps we could skip the nostalgia— (Anya glares at him) Sorry, no, no, carry on.

ANYA
OK, Torg, look, you open this tiny little gateway to the Beljoxa's Eye for me, and I'll— You and I will go— (sighs) I'll have sex with you again.

TORG
Ugh, please, you're human. The way you look now, I wouldn't touch you for all the kittens in Korea.

ANYA
You're rejecting my offer of sexual bribery? (to Giles) What am I, a leper in this town? I can't even give it away!

TORG
(grabs his garbage can and starts walking back inside) Come back when you are a leper.

GILES
(steps in front of Torg) Um, perhaps this might change your mind. You help us, and the slayer won't kill your clientele and burn your establishment to the ground.

Torg glares at Anya, then at Giles. He puts his fist in front of Giles's face, then pulls on a claw sticking out of the back of his hand until it makes a crunching sound. He squeezes his fist, then flings blood from his wounded hand toward the back of the alley. A moment later, a portal appears, glowing white.

TORG
(toward the portal) Ek'vola mok't Beljoxa do'kar. (to Anya) There's your stinking gateway, Anyanka. (picks up his garbage can) Don't let it hit you on the way out. (walks back inside)

ANYA
(to Giles) It's the hair, right? Not attractive?

GILES
(walks toward the portal) Come on. (Anya follows)

ANYA
Buckle up.

Giles and Anya walk through the portal.

Cut to:

15 INT. BELJOXA'S EYE DIMENSION - DAY
It's pitch black and windy as Giles and Anya walk through the portal.

ANYA
(looking around) God, I hate this place.

GILES
(looking around) Where's the Beljoxa's Eye?

BELJOXA'S EYE
Here.

Giles and Anya walk toward the deep, echoing voice and discover a creature that's got many eyes covering its surface. It's shaped vaguely like a comet, or maybe a huge eyeball with the nerve endings streaming out behind it. The eyes covering it's pink body are of varied shapes, sizes, and colors. The round part of the creature is in a spherical metal cage suspended from the ceiling in by chains.

ANYA
Ah! Oh, (waves) Hi.

Cut to:

16 INT. KITCHEN AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
The telephone rings, and Willow picks up the cordless handset an answers it.

WILLOW
Hello? No, Giles isn't here right— Yeah, this is Willow. Althenea, hi! How's the coven? Oh, I miss you guys. Still working out that Pleiadian spirit conjuring? What? Oh, OK, when?

Cut to:

17 INT. DINING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Xander is squatting next to Andrew's chair, untying him.

ANDREW
Ow! Watch it! That's my joystick hand.

XANDER
(rolls eyes) I'm not gonna touch that one.

BUFFY
(standing on the other side of Andrew, with her arms crossed) OK, listen up, Andrew. I don't exactly know what to do with you, except that we don't have time to babysit a hostage.

XANDER
Especially a hostage that's gotten more than a little ripe.

BUFFY
(makes a face, and steps back a few feet away from Andrew) So, I'm here to tell you, if you try anything, try to run— Did you ever see the movie Misery?

ANDREW
Six times. But the book was scarier than the movie 'cause instead of crushing his foot with a sledge hammer, Kathy Bates chops it off with— (stops rambling, sees Buffy glaring at him, and swallows) I'll be good.

WILLOW
(comes in from the kitchen) Buffy—word from the underground. Another potential arrived in town the day before yesterday. She's at the Sun Spot Motel, near the highway.

XANDER
The day before yesterday? Why are we just finding out about it now?

WILLOW
Bringers killed her watcher before he could tell anyone he sent her. If it wasn't for a particularly powerful seer in the coven, we wouldn't even know about it now.

BUFFY
OK, I mean, (looks out the window) there's still a couple of hours of daylight left. You guys should be safe here. I'll get her and bring her back. (turns to leave)

XANDER
I'll go with you. (follows Buffy)

ANDREW
(stands) All right, retrieving a potential. Let's do it! (Buffy and Xander turn to glare at him) Or I could just go wash up.

Buffy and Xander leave through the front door. Dawn walks in from the kitchen.

DAWN
(to Willow) Where are they going?

WILLOW
Bring another newbie in from the cold.

DAWN
Another one?

WILLOW
Well, the more the better, I figure. We need all the help we can get.

DAWN
Help. Sure that's cool, but—

WILLOW
What?

DAWN
I'm just not sure more scared Slayer wannabes translates as help.

Cut to:

18 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
The slayers-in-training that are staying at Buffy's house are training in the basement. There's equipment there for them to use, and ample space for working out. The redheaded girl is stretching. Molly is juggling stakes. Kennedy is holding the punching bag for Chloe. Rona and Eve are standing on the sidelines watching them.

EVE
(shrugs) What—what are we all doing here?

KENNEDY
It's called training. Didn't your watcher ever teach you the word?

RONA
I never had a watcher. I only just found out what I was—or what I might be—after those crazy-ass monks came after me.

EVE
I meant why are we all bothering? It's not like we can make a difference. (Kennedy rolls her eyes)

MOLLY
We've gotta try. (juggling stakes) We gotta keep our reflexes sharp. (drops a stake)

KENNEDY
We have to be ready. If something comes down—

CHLOE
No, something's already come down.

EVE
She's right. And what are we supposed to do about it? I mean, I've never seen a real vampire in my whole life, much less slayed one.

RED-HEAD SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
I've seen one. (the girls turn to look at her) Well, my watcher once showed me a photograph of one. (beat) A blurry photograph.

EVE
(gestures toward her) That's what I'm saying. Not one of us is remotely prepared to be activated as a new chosen one.

KENNEDY
(shrugs, confidently) I feel pretty prepared.

RONA
Excuse the newness of me, but, uh, just so I understand, if a slayer dies—

EVE
Well, when the slayer dies. I mean, nobody lives forever, right?

RONA
Then one of us—

EVE
Get's activated. Uh-huh.

MOLLY
I prefer "called."

RED-HEAD SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
I heard there's more than one.

KENNEDY
More than one what?

RED-HEAD SLAYER-IN-TRAINING
Slayer. There's another one—somewhere.

MOLLY
That doesn't make any sense.

EVE
Like any of this does. No matter how many there are, one of us is gonna be the next slayer, with the weight of the world on her shoulders.

CHLOE
(shakes her head) It won't be me. I mean, not now. I mean, I'm too young.

KENNEDY
Doesn't work that way. In fact, the younger, the better. In fact, I'm starting to think it might be too late for me.

EVE
Never too late. It could be anyone. Especially since there's so few of us left. They'll just run through each one of us, one after the other. Kinda creepy, huh? All we do is wait around for each other to die.

Cut to:

19 EXT. SUN SPOT MOTEL - DAY
Buffy and Xander walk up to Room 25.

XANDER
You sure this is it?

BUFFY
The clerk said it's the only check-in they've had in a week. Tourism must be down.

XANDER
Right in the middle of apocalypse season.

BUFFY
(knocks) Hello. (knocks again) It's OK. We're friendly. And we have eyes.

XANDER
(peers in through the window) Buffy—kick the door down.

Cut to:

20 INT. SUN SPOT MOTEL - DAY
Buffy kicks the door in and enters, followed by Xander. She sees a girl lying on the floor, face down in a pool of blood. Buffy kneels to touch her, and looks back up at Xander.

BUFFY
She's cold. Been dead for days.

XANDER
Poor kid. She made it all the way to Sunnydale just to get herself killed. (Buffy rolls the girl over) If only we—

BUFFY
(looks at the girl's face) Eve.

XANDER
Eve, who's in our house?

Buffy and Xander stare at each other, wide-eyed and incredulous.

Cut to:

21 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
All the girls are all sitting on the floor in a circle, with despondent looks on their faces.

EVE
Just my personal opinion, but I don't think the slayer can protect us from The First.

Fade to black.

ACT II:
22 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Dawn's standing at a desk, looking through notebooks. Andrew is in the same room, standing and talking to her.

ANDREW
OK, here's another interesting thing: how come the slayer's always a girl?

DAWN
I dunno. 'Cause girls are cooler?

ANDREW
I think a guy slayer would be badass. Like—like if there was this ninja, a guy slayer would be like, (holds up his hand in a karate pose and puts on a voice) "you may be silent, but this'll shut you up." (does a karate move) Hiya.

DAWN
Buffy could stomp ninja ass. (walks to another desk)

ANDREW
The silent warrior? Ha ha—I think not. She can't even slay that special vampire. (Dawn glares, Andrew shrugs) Everyone's saying.

DAWN
Well everyone should shut up. And you should stop pretending anybody here is your friend.

ANDREW
And also, why's she so about saving Spike? He's a worse killer than me by... a way lot.

DAWN
Spike was being controlled by The First. And he has a soul now. Besides, we need his help.

ANDREW
What about me? Did it ever occur to anyone that I could be a lot more useful around here? I used to be an evil genius. Hello?

DAWN
(walks up to him) And what was your genius thing?

ANDREW
Well, um, raising demons mostly. (Dawn cocks her head and smirks) OK, so, not for now, but also there was planning. There were, um, blueprints. (Dawn glares) I can be in this, kicking it righteous. Yeah. Oh, oh, yeah.

DAWN
(glaring emotionless) Buffy said if you talked enough, I'm allowed to kill you.

ANDREW
(timidly) Not even.

DAWN
(cocks her head to the side) Even.

ANDREW
License to kill, huh? (nods) Pretty cool. You know, Timothy Dalton never got his props 'cause he came in at the end of an old regime, but he had it goin' on. He went rogue with the Broccolis. They were just treading water, stylistically.

DAWN
(shakes head) Is there a language that you're speaking?

ANDREW
(pouts and sits on the couch) I'm so alone.

DAWN
Then maybe you shouldn't've killed your only friend. (walks off)

ANDREW
I hate that. You don't even know.

DAWN
I don't plan to.

ANDREW
The slayer's not getting it done. (points to the ground) I have got my ear to the ground, and that's the word. (Dawn walks off, he calls after her) Do you wanna play "Kevin Bacon"? (pouts and leans back on the couch, propping his feet up on it)

Buffy walks in the front door in a huff and looks around. Willow and Dawn are at the dining room table.

WILLOW
Buffy.

DAWN
What is it?

Buffy looks at Andrew, who's on her couch. She glares at him, and he sits up and wipes off the part of the couch his feet were on. Buffy just rolls her eyes and goes into the next room. Xander, Willow, Dawn, and Andrew follow.

Cut to:

23 INT. BASEMENT AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Buffy rushes down the stairs to the basement.

BUFFY
Get away from them.

KENNEDY
(looks up from reading a book) Who? Get away from who?

EVE
(turns to look at Buffy) What's the problem, officer?

BUFFY
(firmly, through gritted teeth) I said get away from them now.

DAWN
Buffy, what did Eve do?

XANDER
That's not Eve.

BUFFY
Eve's dead.

RONA
(holds up her hands in confusion) I don't—I don't understand.

All the girls stand and back away from Eve. Eve stands and faces Buffy.

EVE
Oops! One more down. Oh, well, can't save 'em all, can ya, Buffy? (turns to face the slayers-in-training) Thanks for the slumber party, girls. It's been real fun the last couple of nights. I learned a whole lot—

BUFFY
Shut up, and get out!

EVE
(turns to face Buffy) Or you'll do what? I'll be sending a guest over to visit y'all later on tonight, after the sun goes down of course. Try and make him feel welcome before he rips y'all to pieces. Bye.

Eve disappears in a flash of light (like a television being turned off).

ANDREW
(quickly) I need to go wash up again. (runs back up the stairs)

Cut to:

24 INT. BELJOXA'S EYE DIMENSION - DAY
Beljoxa's Eye is addressing Giles and Anya.

BELJOXA'S EYE
It cannot be fought, it cannot be killed. The First Evil has been and always will be. Since before the universe was born, long after there is nothing else, it will go on.

GILES
I refuse to believe that. There must be some way to destroy it.

BELJOXA'S EYE
What, am I talking to myself here? There's no way.

ANYA
OK, we tried. Let's go, Giles. (starts to walk away)

GILES
Are you saying that The First will succeed in—in wiping out the line of slayers?

BELJOXA'S EYE
The eye sees not the future, only the truth of the now and before.

ANYA
Yes, we've all got that—it's called memory. Can you help us out with something a little bit more demony?

GILES
If The First has been around for all time, then why hasn't it attempted something like this before? Why now?

BELJOXA'S EYE
The opportunity has only recently presented itself.

GILES
Opportunity?

BELJOXA'S EYE
The mystical forces surrounding the chosen line have become irrevocably altered, become unstable, vulnerable.

ANYA
Something The First did?

BELJOXA'S EYE
The First Evil did not cause the disruption, only seized upon it to extinguish the lives of the chosen forever.

GILES
Then what has caused the disruption? What—what is responsible for letting this happen?

BELJOXA'S EYE
The slayer.

Cut to:

25 INT. DINING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
The slayers-in-training are sitting around the dining room table. Buffy's standing at the head of the table, and Willow's sitting at the end opposite her.

RED-HEAD SLAYER IN TRAINING
We should run.

KENNEDY
And go where, Vi?

DAWN
Annabelle ran. Look where it got her.

BUFFY
Safer in than out.

MOLLY
How can you say that? It was here, Buffy, in the house, living with us for days.

CHLOE
And you didn't even know it.

XANDER
Well, none of us knew it.

RED-HEAD SLAYER IN TRAINING / VI
It could still be here. It could be any one of us.

WILLOW
No, The First can only take the form of dead people.

RONA
Yeah, well there'll be plenty more of those soon enough. We're dropping like flies here.

All the girls start talking over one another.

BUFFY
Hey! (the girls stop talking) Look, I know you're all scared. You know what? I am too, but Giles and Anya will be back soon, and hopefully they will have the information that we need to stop The First. In the mean time, we need to stick together. OK, we're stronger that way. We cannot afford to fall apart now.

ANDREW
(steps up to the table) She's right. Where would the Justice League have been if they hadn't put their differences aside to stop the Imperium and his shape-shifting alien horde? (crosses his arms)

BUFFY
(sneers to Andrew) Don't help me.

XANDER
Buff, the sun goes down, and UberVamp's on its way. So a plan'd be good right about now.

BUFFY
Will, I'm sorry to ask, but—

WILLOW
I know, we need a barrier.

BUFFY
A major one. Something tells me this vampire doesn't need an invite to get into the house. Can you do it?

WILLOW
I'll try.

RONA
Try?

KENNEDY
You heard her.

XANDER
Buff, are you sure about Willow doing the hocus pocus again? I—I mean, last time she—

BUFFY
Xander, we don't have a lot of choices.

CHLOE
And what if that doesn't work? What if that monster gets through?

BUFFY
Then we'll deal.

RONA
Deal? Fight, you mean. How are we supposed to do that?

VI
And with what?

KENNEDY
(to the slayers-in-trianing) With whatever it takes! (looks at Buffy) Right?

MOLLY
Buffy, you fought the Turok-Han, and it almost killed you.

CHLOE
And you're the real slayer.

RONA
Wh-what chance do we have?

MOLLY
Honestly, you staked that thing, and it didn't die.

DAWN
No, but that doesn't—

VI
Maybe it can't be killed.

While the girls go on about this, Buffy's just staring straight ahead with her arms crossed. Willow's staring off into the distance, then looks at Buffy.

DAWN
That mean we shouldn't try?

RONA
There's that word again.

KENNEDY
Hey, it's a good word.

CHLOE
Give up. Can we do that? Surrender, I mean, so it won't kill us.

Buffy walks into the kitchen. Willow stands up to follow her, and walks past Xander.

XANDER
(jumps, stares at Willow) What?

KENNEDY
(to Xander) I said trying is good.

XANDER
I just thought it beared repeating. (leaves the room, follows Buffy and Willow into the kitchen)

Cut to:

26 INT. KITCHEN AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Buffy, Willow and Xander stand around looking at each other with stern and concerned faces while they listen to the girls bicker in the other room.

DAWN (O.S.)
Um, and exactly how many UberVamps were at the Geneva Convention?

KENNEDY (O.S.)
Come on, we're all potential slayers. You know how to fight even if you don't know how you know it.

VI (O.S.)
Fighting's one thing. Winning's another.

CHLOE (O.S.)
I don't want to die.

Cut to:

27 INT. UNDERGROUND CAVE - DUSK
As the sun sets above ground, The First sets its plans into motion from the cave.

EVE/FIRST
The time has come for all good children to say good night. (turns to the Turok-Han) Take 'em all, except for her. (the Turok-Han leaves, then to Spike) Well, alone again.

The First morphs form from Eve to Buffy.

BUFFY/FIRST
I just love having you all to myself. (walks toward Spike)

Cut to:

28 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Outside, Bringers are encircling the house. Dawn's peering out between the cracks of the boarded up window. Molly and Chloe are on the couch beside her, also looking out.

DAWN
There's more of them now.

XANDER
(walking into the room) And two more out back.

MOLLY
Why aren't they doing anything, attacking?

BUFFY
They don't want in. They're here to make sure we don't get out. (turns to the other window, where Rona, Vi, and Kennedy are looking outside) Rona. (holds up a sword)

RONA
(comes to Buffy, takes the sword) Like this'll do any good. I mean, what's the point?

KENNEDY
(points to the tip of Rona's sword) It's this end right here. Just stick that in the bad guys. Any more questions? (goes to the weapons chest and takes out a crossbow) This'll do me.

BUFFY
Are you sure you know how to use it?

KENNEDY
(practices loading and shooting the unloaded weapon) Since I was eight. (Buffy hands her a quiver of arrows)

ANDREW
(walks up to Buffy) Can I have something? Come on, the Turok-Han's coming for me too, you know. I have a right to defend myself— (Buffy raises her eyebrows) ...if you say so.

Buffy looks into the weapons chest and grabs a glass bottle of holy water and hands it to Andrew. He takes it and holds it close to his chest like a treasure.

Cut to:

29 INT. HALLWAY AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Willow's alone in the hallway off of the foyer, floating a lit votive candle a couple of inches above her hand.

WILLOW
(softly) Facing my fear. I'm facing my fear. Hear that, Fear? I'm facing you.

KENNEDY
(walks into the foyer and sees Willow) Wow. (breaks Willow's concentration, causing the candle to drop into her hand) You really can float stuff.

WILLOW
Just testing.

KENNEDY
Oh, right. Heard this voodoo once turned you into the big scary. (Willow blows out the candle) Big, scary Willow—that's something I'd almost like to see—

WILLOW
No, you wouldn't.

KENNEDY
I said "almost."

WILLOW
I needed to make sure. Last time I tried using magic, The First—it turned it around on me. Got inside. I felt it just surging through me, every fiber of my being. Pure, undiluted evil. I could taste it.

KENNEDY
How's evil taste?

WILLOW
(makes a face) A little chalky.

Cut to:

30 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Dawn's still watching out the window. Willow and Kennedy go back into the living room.

DAWN
Guys? Something's happening.

RONA
(looks out and sees the Turok-Han approaching the house) Oh, my God!

BUFFY
Here it comes.

The Turok-Han walks toward Buffy's front door, growling.

Fade to black.

ACT III:
31 INT. LIVING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Everyone's in the living room, gathered around Willow. The Turok-Han is beating on the door, trying to enter the house.

WILLOW
(concentrating) Caerimonia Minerva, saepio, saepire, saepsi.

ANDREW
Um, deflector shields—deflector shields up!

BUFFY
Willow—

The Turok-Han finally breaks the door down, and Willow finishes the spell as her eyes go black.

WILLOW
Saepio impedimentum!

A barrier goes up, keeping the Turok-Han at bay.

CHLOE
It's working.

VI
For the moment.

BUFFY
Will—

WILLOW
(struggling) It's—it's strong.

KENNEDY
It's hurting her.

BUFFY
Hang on, Willow.

WILLOW
I don't know.

DAWN
She can't hold it.

RONA
(panicking) What do we do? What do we do?

BUFFY
Run. Everybody run.

As the Turok-Han continues to try to penetrate the barrier, everyone runs out the back door of the house except for Buffy and Willow who stay to the very last possible moment.

Cut to:

32 EXT. BACK YARD AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Xander leads the gang outside, going after the Bringers with battle axe in hand. Kennedy uses her crossbow to take out a few of the Bringers herself. Hand-to-hand combat ensues as Xander fights a Bringer, but the Bringer overpowers him and takes the battle-axe away from him. Just as the Bringer is about to slice and dice Xander, Buffy stabs the Bringer from behind.

Finally the magical barrier inside the house falls, and the Turok-Han runs outside after them.

BUFFY
(to Xander) Come on!

Buffy and Xander run off after the others.

Cut to:

33 EXT. ALLEY BEHIND A STRIP MALL - NIGHT
Anya and Giles step back through the portal they created earlier and back into the alley where they opened it. Both are windblown.

GILES
Are you all right?

ANYA
(limping) Yeah, I just—I don't understand how Buffy's death mucked up the whole slayer mojo. You know, it's not like she hasn't died before.

GILES
It's not because she died. The Beljoxa's Eye was quite clear about that in its enigmatic way. It's because she lives. Again. Buffy's not responsible for that.

ANYA
Oh. Oh. Willow and me and Xander and Tara. We're the ones who brought Buffy back. We're—we're the reason The First is here, the reason those girls were murdered. No, it's our fault. The would would've been better off if Buffy had just stayed dead. (walks off)

Cut to:

34 EXT. STREET IN SUNNYDALE - NIGHT
The slayers-in-training, Dawn, Andrew, Willow, Xander and Buffy are running up the street, away from Buffy's house. They stop to talk.

XANDER
(looks over his shoulder) OK, no Bringers following. I guess they'll save us for old snaggletooth.

WILLOW
Where is the Turok-Han?

BUFFY
Right behind us. Time to split up.

MOLLY
(panicked) Split up? We're splittin' up? Is that wise?

BUFFY
Willow, take everyone and find a safe location.

XANDER
I know a place.

DAWN
What are you gonna do?

BUFFY
Gonna try to slow the Turok down. Lead him away from you guys. Get him to chase me.

DAWN
Buffy, you can't take that thing on yourself.

KENNEDY
I'll stay.

BUFFY
No! (takes the bottle of holy water from Andrew)

ANDREW
H-hey, I need that!

BUFFY
Willow, Xander, take everyone to a safe location. Get 'em out of here. Now!

Everyone but Buffy and Dawn follows Willow.

XANDER
(touches Dawn's arm) Have to go, Dawnie.

Dawn grudgingly goes with Xander. Buffy faces the Turok-Han, who is now on the street facing her as in a standoff. Buffy takes a running leap towards it, kicking it in the chest. It doesn't even move, but Buffy falls to the ground. As the Turok-Han comes closer to her, Buffy takes the bottle of holy water out of her pocket. When the Turok-Han is within arms reach, Buffy smashes the bottle in its face, causing it to roar and retreat. Buffy stands, but it grabs her by the throat and shoves her into a car window, shattering it. The holy water burned the Turok-Han's face, but doesn't appear to have slowed it down any. Buffy runs away, expecting the Turok-Han to give chase, which it does for a moment before stopping. Buffy turns around to see if it's still behind her, but it's gone.

Cut to:

35 EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - NIGHT
Xander is climbing down scaffolding, still carrying his battle-axe.

XANDER
Come on, people, we gotta move.

ANDREW
(also climbing down the scaffolding) I'm moving. Climbing's not my thing. I got a inner ear condition.

XANDER
Is falling your thing? 'Cause if you don't pick up the pace, I'm gonna come up there and drop your ass.

ANDREW
Way to keep up morale in a crisis. (jumps to the ground) No wonder Buffy's the leader.

Everyone else is climbing down the scaffolding too.

RONA
(under her breath) Some leader.

CHLOE
This is crazy.

RONA
You got that right. (to Xander) What are we doing down here?

XANDER
Quieter. Faster.

Cut to:

36 EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - NIGHT
The crew is following Xander around the site to a big open area.

MOLLY
Where are we?

XANDER
Future site of the new public library, opening up May 2003. If I ever get back to work, that is.

RONA
You call this a safe location?

VI
It's the middle of nothing.

WILLOW
This'll do. OK everyone. Spread out, take positions. (everyone spreads out, except Andrew)

ANDREW
(standing alone in the middle of the open area) Um, what's my position?

WILLOW
And don't make a sound.

RONA
That's the plan? Spread out? That thing is gonna kill Buffy, and then it's gonna come after us. For all we know, it's killing her right now.

KENNEDY
(staring at something) Or, it could just skip that part and come straight here.

Everyone turns to follow her gaze and sees the Turok-Han has found them, and he's growling.

Fade to black.

ACT IV:
37 EXT. CONSTRUCTION SITE - NIGHT
Resume. The Turok-Han walks menacingly toward them. Kennedy loads her crossbow and prepares to fight. The others walk up behind her.

CHLOE
(staring at the Turok-Han) Oh no no no no...

Suddenly, the flood lights come on, and everyone turns to look. Buffy's standing there, arms crossed, on a ledge overlooking the open area.

DAWN
Buffy?

MOLLY
What's she doing?

Kennedy aims her crossbow at the Turok-Han, but Willow waves her off.

WILLOW
Just watch. It's show time.

Willow leads the group away from the open area. They climb the scaffolding and watch. Andrew looks on eagerly, hanging on the outside of the bars.

BUFFY
(to the Turok-Han) Looks good, doesn't it? They're trapped in here. Terrified. Meat for the beast, and there's nothing they can do but wait. (forward somersaults down into the open area) That's all they've been doing for days. (walks toward the Turok-Han) Waiting to be picked off. Having nightmares about monsters that can't be killed. But I don't believe in that. I always find a way. I'm the thing that monsters have nightmares about. And right now, you and me are gonna show 'em why. It's time. Welcome to Thunderdome.

ANDREW
Two men enter. One man leaves.

The Turok-Han comes for Buffy. She's able to hold her own against it for a moment, but soon she's being beaten back. The onlookers grimace as the Turok-Han deals harsh blows to Buffy. Still, she manages to get in an offensive move here and there, punching and kicking it between its own moves.

DAWN
(watching the fight, to Willow) This—you planned this. Letting the barrier fail, bringing us here, you and Buffy.

Cut to:

37a INT. DINING ROOM AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
The slayers-in-training are sitting around the dining room table. Buffy's standing at the head of the table, and Willow's sitting at the other end of the table.

MOLLY
Honestly, you staked that thing, and it didn't die.

DAWN
No, but that doesn't—

VI
Maybe it can't be killed.

While the girls go on about this, Buffy's just staring straight ahead with her arms crossed.

BUFFY (V.O.)
(in an echoy voice, without moving her lips) Willow, can you hear me?

WILLOW (V.O.)
(looks at Buffy) Yeah.

BUFFY (V.O.)
We're losing them. We can't let that happen. I have an idea. Grab Xander.

Buffy walks into the kitchen. Willow stands up to follow her, and walks past Xander.

WILLOW (V.O.)
Xander.

XANDER
(jumps, stares at Willow) What?

KENNEDY
(to Xander) I said...

XANDER
I just thought it beared repeating. (leaves the room, follows Buffy and Willow into the kitchen)

Cut to:

37b INT. KITCHEN AT BUFFY'S HOUSE - DAY
Buffy, Willow and Xander stand around looking at each other with stern and concerned faces, communicating telepathically, while the girls bicker in the other room.

BUFFY (V.O.)
I gotta slay the NeanderVamp to get Spike outta that cave, but I need those girls to see me do it.

WILLOW (V.O.)
I get it, but this isn't the best venue for a smackdown.

KENNEDY (O.S.)
...we can whine like little wusses, or we can get off our asses and fight...

XANDER (V.O.)
I know just the place.

Cut to:

Back at the construction site, Buffy is still fighting the Turok-Han. It punches Buffy to the ground, but she gets back up to fight more. It throws her about 20 feet away, and she lands on the scaffolds, knocking the crossbow out of Kennedy's hands. Buffy picks up the weapon and aims it at the Turok-Han and fires as it runs toward her, hitting it right in the heart. It only pauses for a moment, then comes at her again.

Buffy grabs a nearby pipe from the scaffolding and uses it as a staff. She then uses it to propel herself away from the fight, but the Turok-Han is right behind her. She grabs a pickaxe and swings it at the Turok-Han, but it ducks and pushes her into the wall of the construction office trailer. Buffy falls to the ground, and the Turok-Han disarms her before throwing her back toward the center of the open area. It punches her again and again. She falls into a pile of cinder blocks, but picks one up to throw at the Turok-Han—but it crushes it before she can throw it. It punches her again, and kicks her under some scaffolding before throwing her a dozen feet into the air, through the scaffold platform. Buffy manages to stay on the platform, and the Turok-Han scales the scaffolding to get to her. He grabs her by the throat, lifting her off the ground and choking her as she struggles against him.

RONA
It's killing her.

MOLLY
We have to do something.

WILLOW
Wait!

Buffy reaches down, grabs the arrow in the Turok-Han's chest, pulls it out, and jabs its eye. It roars and drops Buffy. While it's dealing with its injury, Buffy starts punching it, and kicks it to the ground, where it lands in a pile of cinder blocks and boards. Weakly, it tries to punch her back, but she keeps punching and kicking it until finally she can bang its head into the metal scaffolding. Buffy grabs some nearby barbed wire and slips it around the Turok-Han's throat. It falls to the ground, and Buffy pulls on it hard enough to sever its head. The Turok-Han explodes in a cloud of dust in front of her.

BUFFY
See? Dust. Just like the rest of 'em. I don't know what's coming next, but I do know it's gonna be just like this. Hard. Painful. But in the end it's gonna be us. If we all do our parts, believe it, we'll be the ones left standing. Here endeth the lesson.

Buffy walks away as the slayers-in-training watch her. Kennedy smiles; the other girls look at each other. They all follow Buffy out of the construction site. Pan back to show Eve/First standing on the scaffolding, scowling and glaring as she watches them leave.

Cut to:

38 INT. UNDERGROUND CAVE - NIGHT
Still shackled to the rocky cave wall, Spike sees someone walking toward him.

SPIKE
(scoffs) A knife, now, is it?

White-shirted, cut and bruised Buffy is standing before him holding a Bringer's knife in her hand.

SPIKE
(weakly) What'll...what'll that...you—you can't hurt me. You're—you're just a bloody figment, you are. You're just...

Buffy approaches him slowly and cuts him loose of his tethers. He collapses forward and braces himself with his hand on her shoulder. When he touches her and realizes she's real, he smiles and squints, searching her face intently. She looks into his eyes, tapping an emotional connection between them.

SPIKE
You. Oh.

He puts his arm over her shoulder, and she puts her arm around his waist. Although Spike is weak and limping, they walk out of the cave together.

Cut to:

Closing credits.