[Transcript of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" episode Bring On The Night at buffyology.com.]
XANDER sweeps the broken glass on the living room floor while BUFFY, WILLOW, ANYA and DAWN research The First. ANDREW sits nearby, unconscious and tied to a chair.
It's a loop... like the mummy hand. I'm doomed to replace these windows for all eternity. You know, maybe we should just board these up until things are less Hellmouthy.
Anya holds up several books.
Nothing and nothing, Cliff Notes to nothing, nothing abridged...
Yeah, my search isn't turning anything up either. (to Buffy) Are you sure this thing called itself The First?
Pretty sure. It claimed to be the original evil, the one that came before anything else.
Please, how many times have I heard that line in my demon days? "I'm so rotten, they don't even have a word for it. I'm bad. Baddy bad bad bad. Does it make you horny?" (off their looks) Or terrified. Whatever.
It wasn't a line. When I came up against this thing, I felt it. It was ancient and enormous. It nearly got Angel to kill himself. And if we don't rescue Spike soon, god only knows what The First will get him to do.
I wish Sleeping Ugly would come to. He's been out all night.
Yes, he was just starting to squeal when the spooky SWAT attacked. Said The First was held up at the Seal of... Danzar something?
Dawn stands and crosses over to Andrew.
Hmm. Maybe he's just faking so he doesn't have to answer any more questions.
She punches him in the face and stands back to observe.
Hmm. Or maybe he's in a fugue state.
She raises her hand to punch him again but Buffy stops her.
Dawn.
What?
He'll come to when he comes to. Keep reading. If we're going to rescue Spike, we need to figure out how to fight this thing.
Anya gets to hit him.
Willow looks up from her computer screen, excited.
Hey! Here, the First... Bank of Delaware. Sorry.
Hand me the Watchers' Codex again.
Willow hands her an ancient leather-bound book.
Can I get you anything else, baby? How about some tea?
Buffy looks up in shock to find her mother JOYCE standing next to her, smiling.
Mom? (closes her eyes) You're not real.
Okay, is that slang, like you're not for real or--
You're The First.
Oh, baby, you're so tired, you're not making sense. Maybe you should get some sleep.
No.
You can't win against this thing. Not if you don't rest.
Stop. Stop being like this. It's a lie.
I don't want to scare you but I want you to take care. You need to wake up.
What?
You're dreaming. Buff, wake up.
She starts awake. Her mother is gone.
Did you see it?
There's nothing to see. You were just doing a little dream talking, that's all.
Oh.
You okay? What'd you see?
Nothing. It was nothing.
The Bringers chant in Latin in the background as the TUROK-HAN drags SPIKE along the dirt floor of the cavern. The runic wounds carved into his chest still bleed profusely. He looks around, disoriented, as the Turok-han lets go of him and steps back as THE FIRST enters, appearing as Spike himself.
Go on. Give it a kick, then. (to Spike) You always liked that, didn't you?
The First morphs and turns into Spike's former lover, the insane vampire DRUSILLA.
Kick a dolly when he's down. That was always your style.
She kneels to watch as the Turok-han kicks Spike in the ribs. He glares angrily at the Turok-han. The ancient creature hisses and growls in return.
Has buckets of energy, poor dear. He's been laying in wait for his moment since before the bug walked. (to Turok-han) There, there, pet. Soon as the moon comes, you'll have your carnage. Little girls tear so easily, like pink paper. Till then, we'll have our way with this one. Got it coming, he does.
The Turok-han goes back to kicking Spike unmercifully. Spike screams in agony.
Opening credit sequence.
Water splashes in Andrew's face. He stirs but doesn't come around. Dawn and Anya look down on him; Anya holds an empty cup.
That was something.
Maybe if you threw hot water on him?
Good thinking.
They head for the kitchen but detour to the sofa when Buffy enters.
Whoa! Hey.
Hi. (beat) Nothing.
What?
Oh, I thought you were going to ask us what we were doing.
No, was going to ask--
Andrew coughs and sputters.
Oh! Look who's awake.
Silly Andrew, you drooled all over yourself.
I'm... I was about to be dead. You saved me.
For the time being. But if you don't tell us what we need to know, then I'm going to offer you to The First on a platter and let him chop you into tiny pieces.
The first what?
The name of the evil thing that pretended to be Warren to get you to kill Jonathan.
Oh. Not very ominous sounding.
No, it is if you understand the context.
No, an evil name should be like Lex or Voldemort or--
Hey, I was intimidating here!
Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
Forget it. Where's the seal?
Buffy, Dawn and Xander follow Andrew through the catacombs of the school basement.
It's around this corner, I think.
You better be right this time.
I told you, I'm not sure.
Andrew leads Buffy, Dawn, and Xander into the boiler room. The Seal of Danthazar lies exposed in the center of the room.
Maybe you should get sure. I'm sick of all the runaround with you-- (re: seal) Whoa. Check out the goat-heady badness.
What's it do?
I don't know. Something not good. It didn't work 'cause there wasn't enough blood. Okay...
He turns to leave but Buffy stops him. Dawn walks over to the torture wheel hanging from the ceiling.
There's blood on this. Lots. Looks like The First made another sacrifice. Or a music video.
The seal could have been activated. I bet that's what The First needed Spike for.
That wasn't there before. I had nothing to do with that.
Thanks for clearing that up 'cause otherwise we might've thought you were up to no good here at the satanic manhole cover. You killed your best friend!
He's in a place of joy and peace. He told me.
Buffy rolls her eyes in exasperation.
No, nobody told you. You got tricked by a fake ghost.
Boys, can we save the encounter session? We need to cover this thing up.
She finds shovels stacked against the wall and passes one to each of them.
Whatever it does, we can't leave it exposed like this.
They all begin shoveling dirt into the hole over the seal.
Later. The group heads out of the basement, Xander and Andrew in the lead, followed by Buffy and Dawn.
Man, this place gives me the creeps. It's like in Wonder Woman, issue 297/299.
"Catacombs"... yeah, with the skeletons.
ANDREW & XANDER
That was cool.
Xander suddenly frowns and shoves Andrew, not happy that they share the same tastes.
Move it. This way.
So what next? We found the seal but no Spike.
I don't know. The First was camped underground last time I found him but--
PRINCIPAL WOOD suddenly appears in a cross corridor, holding a shovel, his suit rumpled and tie askew.
Buffy?
Hey.
Hey. I thought that you were...
Sick? She was. Vomiting and oozing from various places and--
Yeah, I remember so please don't go on.
Oh, but now, it's amazing. The doctor gave her some cream--
Pills. (covers) And a cream. And I'm all better.
She looks pointedly at Wood's shovel.
Oh, yeah... apparently somebody left this in the courtyard and I was just returning it.
That's some full-service principaling.
I try.
He looks just as pointedly at the shovel in Buffy's hands.
Oh, I was down here helping Dawn with a school project.
For science.
We buried a... time capsule.
"Hello, people of the future. Kids of today like Red Bull and Jackass."
We better go.
Buffy? You know, if you are feeling better, I could really use you back at work. I've been wait-listing kids who really want to see you.
Oh, yeah. I'm sorry, you know, I was just-- I've been ill and stuff.
No, no, it's fine and I understand. It's just things are starting to back up.
Well I'll be there tomorrow. No problem. One hundred percent ooze-free.
Good.
Okay.
Buffy and Dawn head off in one direction, Principal Wood in the other. Buffy glances back over her shoulder suspiciously only to find Wood doing the same.
Anya sets a candle down on the dining room table in front of Willow and Willow lights it. Dawn sits at the other end of the table using Willow's laptop. Buffy and Xander watch anxiously.
How's it going?
Dawn's trying to find out anything she can about the Seal of Danthazar. Will's about to do a locator spell, see if we can find The First.
She stifles a yawn.
Why don't you go get some rest. You haven't slept for like two days. We'll call you if we find anything.
No, I couldn't sleep. Too much going on.
It'll be okay, Buff. We've faced this kind of stuff before.
Willow pours a sandy mixture on the table before her.
You didn't see The First. I did. I felt it. It was like--
Magickal energy suddenly radiates outward, hurling Anya backward against the wall. Willow's spell bowl glows red as Dawn shrieks and leaps away from the table. The eldritch light surrounds Willow and slips easily into her body.
Her eyes go jet black and her head snaps backward. An apparition of The First shoots out of Willow's mouth and lunges for Buffy. It's a huge, horned demon with baleful red eyes and razor-sharp teeth.
Will!
Buffy rushes forward as the demon retreats back into Willow. She stands and energy bolts leap from her mouth and slam into Buffy, throwing her back across the room and out into the foyer.
A deep guttural voice booms from inside Willow.
You only make me stronger!
Xander seizes the glowing bowl from the table and throws it against the dining room wall, shattering it. Willow collapses in a moaning, twitching heap. While Xander checks Anya, Buffy kneels at Willow's side, holding her head in her lap.
Will!
It's still in me. I feel it!
No, it's not. It's gone. You're okay.
I don't want to hurt anybody. Please, Buffy, don't let it make me. Oh, god!
We won't. I promise, okay? I promise. We won't use magick to fight this thing until we know what we're doing.
I can't... I can't. I'm sorry.
Anya and Dawn sit on the couch with Willow while Buffy shrugs on her coat on, preparing to leave.
At least let me come with you.
I'm going alone.
You said yourself, you don't know how to fight The First, or even where it is.
It's out there. It's hurting my friends. I'll find it.
Buffy opens the front door but stops short when she finds GILES standing on the threshold.
Buffy.
Giles?
Buffy moves to hug Giles but is pushed back by three girls, ANNABELLE, MOLLY and KENNEDY, as they step around Giles and walk into the house. Annabelle looks around critically. She speaks with a heavy British accent.
Nice place. Bit of a mess.
Kennedy stops in front of Buffy and looks her up and down appraisingly.
This is a Slayer? Huh...
Sorry to barge in. We have a slight apocalypse.
The three new girls stand in a row against the wall while Dawn looks them up and down.
They're all Slayers?
Potential Slayers. Waiting for one to be called. There were many more like them all over the world, but now there's just a handful and they're all on their way to Sunnydale.
The others were murdered.
A young girl is attacked by several Bringers. They hold her down while one stabs her to death with a ceremonial dagger.
A beautiful teenage girl dressed in black leather with candy-apple red hair runs desperately through the deserted hallways of the office building over a bustling night club. The First's Bringers attack her. She puts up a valiant fight but she's outnumbered and ultimately killed.
In cold blood. As well as their Watchers. We always feared that this day would come, when there would be an attack against not just an individual Slayer but against the whole line.
Giles looks around for Robson and finds him slumped against a chair in the next room. He kneels beside the man, checking for a pulse.
You too? Dear god, I thought you--
The Watcher's eyes snap open. He speaks in a strangled whisper with the last of his strength.
Gather them. It's started.
The First. That's what it wants.
Yes, to erase all the Slayers in training and their Watchers along with their methods.
And then Faith, and then me. And with all the potentials gone and no way of making another, it's the end. No more Slayer. Ever.
But we haven't found any information on The First. No documentation--
That's because it predates any written history and it rarely shows its true face. The only record I know was in the Council library.
What about the Council? What do they say about this?
Gone.
Buffy recoils in shock.
What?
Obliterated. They were in session, and there was an explosion.
That means all the Council's records are destroyed?
Giles looks to one of the girls.
Annabelle?
She unzips her bag and removes several books and a stack of files and sets them on the coffee table in front of Willow.
That's what's left.
Willow, Anya, Dawn and Buffy each take some of the new material and look through it.
The mystic secrets of the Watchers and whatever I could find on The First. When I learned what was happening, I... I stole them.
And you blew the Council up? See? This is what happens when you're all stuffy and repressed. You overreact.
No! I didn't. It must have been an agent of The First. After my little burglary session. The knowledge contained in these files had to be protected and there wasn't time for bureaucracy or debate. The Council knows no other way.
And it cost them their lives! (off their looks) Go on.
Can we gag him?
Xander nods and goes to where Andrew is tied to the chair and duct tapes his mouth.
But what do these records say about The First?
Very little. It can change form. It only appears in the guise of someone who has passed away.
Our ghosts.
Also it's not corporeal. It can't touch or fight on it's own. It only works through those it manipulates. And its followers, the Bringers.
Those freaks in the black robes.
Yeah, with the hoodies and the crazy alphabet eyes. I never saw 'em, I just heard--
Shh! Molly, Mr. Giles doesn't need us prattling on.
The First is unlike anything we've faced before. I mean, there's evil and then there's the thing that created evil, the source.
And that's what this thing claims to be?
That's what it is. It has eternities to act, endless resources. How to defeat it... (sighs) I honestly don't know. But we have to find a way. If the Slayer line is eliminated, then the Hellmouth has no guardian. The balance is destroyed. I'm afraid it falls to you, Buffy. Sorry. I mean, we'll do what we can but you're the only one who has the strength to protect these girls-- and the world-- against what's coming.
But no pressure.
That's it? That's the plan? I don't see how one person, even a Slayer, could protect us. I saw what those Bringer guys can do. They tore apart my Watcher!
Of course we'll use all our resources--
And if this thing is the root of all evil, isn't the Hellmouth its number one vacation spot? I mean, don't you think we should be hiding our asses on the other side of the globe?
Kennedy!
No, she's not wrong. We need more muscle. That's why we need to find Spike.
Yeah, he'll help. You know, if he's not crazy or off killing people or dead. Or, you know, all of the above.
The Turok-han thrusts Spike's head underwater and he struggles ineffectually against the ancient vampire's overwhelming strength.
The First paces nearby, still in the form of Drusilla. When Spike stops struggling, the Turok-han pulls him out of the pool and throws him to the ground. He coughs up a lungful of water and lies on his back, gasping.
That's why our kind make such good dollies. Hard to kill. Tried to enlighten little Buffy, didn't you? Spilled, spilled, spilled our secrets like seed.
She pulls up her skirt, tantalizing him.
But you forgot, I say what you tell and what you know. I say when this is over. And I'm not done with you yet. Not nearly.
On her command, the Turok-han lifts up Spike and slams his head into the pool again.
Pan across store windows filled with Christmas decorations to Buffy and Giles walking side-by-side down the street.
This place you originally saw The First-- you say it was in a Christmas tree lot?
Under it. There was a hidden cavern. Just happened to be under a tree lot. The Bringers were doing some kind of ritual. Giles, this is bad, isn't it? A new kind of bad.
Just in time for Christmas.
You know, I didn't even realize it was December. Maybe when we get home, we should decorate the rubble. (smiles) Think you'll ever show up for a real visit? The kind where the world isn't about to end?
If we survive this, I promise.
Good. 'Cause I miss you.
I miss you, too.
Andrew, still tied to the chair, talks with Xander.
So how long have you followed Buffy?
I don't follow her. She's my best friend.
Huh. She seems like a good leader. Her hair is shiny. Does she make you stab things?
Kennedy follows Willow around while she makes up the couch for one of the proto-Slayers. She grabs a stack of bed sheets and heads for the stairs.
Okay, so Annabelle can sleep down here, Molly can sleep in Dawn's room--
Not if Dawn actually wants to sleep. Molly will talk her ear off.
Okay, then Molly down here, you with Dawn and Annabelle in my room.
Bad idea. Annabelle snores.
Willow hands the sheets to Kennedy.
You want to do the sleeping arrangements?
Kennedy starts up the stairs then turns to face Willow with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
Okay. You better not hog the covers.
She winks then disappears up the stairs, leaving Willow uncharacteristically flustered.
Dawn enters from the kitchen.
Does she want to eat?
What? Huh? Oh, she's... she's new.
Well, Annabelle and Molly are starved and I totally burnt the mac and cheese. Oh, I'll put hot sauce on it, tell 'em it's an American thing, say it's blackened.
They both go back into the kitchen.
Anya scrapes the burnt mac and cheese out of the pot into the garbage can.
Actually, it's not blackened so much as ruined.
Or we can order pizza.
As long as it's plain. I'm veggie.
Cracked, you mean.
Just because you'll eat any kind of trash--
Molly comes across a box of cookies.
Brill! Biscuits! (to Dawn) You don't mind do you? I've got a case of the nerves after Mr. Giles's lecture.
Knock yourself out. I feel a cookie problem coming on myself.
Dawn, Annabelle, Willow and Molly share the cookies while Anya cleans the dishes and mutters in the background.
Buffy and Giles enter the empty tree lot. Lights are strung but there are no trees and the lot is deserted.
So the entrance to the cave was above ground here?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was around here somewhere.
Well, we'll just keep--
A crunch of wood breaking. Giles turns to find Buffy has disappeared.
Ah! Found it!
Giles looks down to find Buffy standing about 30 feet down in an underground cavern.
Good lord. Are you all right?
Buffy stands and dusts herself off while talking to Giles up above.
Peachy, except my knees bend backward now. Okay, Giles, stay up there. I'm going to check it out.
She cautiously walks deeper into the cave.
Right.
As Buffy moves among the rock formations, as shadowy figure passes back and forth behind her, stalking her. She spins around but there's nothing there. When she turns back, the Turok-han hisses in her face. Buffy recoils and the Turok-han punches her so hard she flies across the cavern and impacts the far wall where she lands in a crumpled heap. The creature presses its attack, putting Buffy on the defensive. It's all she can do to block its mighty blows and it forces her backward, keeping her off-balance.
She retreats around a rock formation and regains her composure. She launches an attack of her own but the creature easily blocks or avoids all her blows. It punches her again, sending her reeling. She jumps to her feet, readies a stake and, with a lightning-quick move, slams it into the Turok-han's heart.
Rather than explode into dust, it merely looks down at the stake, rips it free with a bellowing cry. Buffy's eyes go wide with shock and fear.
Resume. As Buffy stares at the Turok-han in shock, it decks her and attacks her with her own stake. Buffy barely manages to avoids its blows. She is clearly outmatched she bravely tries to fight back. She throws a punch but the ancient vampire seizes her fist in mid-swing and crushes her hand. It twists her arm down and around and seizes her by the throat, lifting her off her feet. She gasps and looks around desperately for anything to use as a weapon. Her flailing arms find a stalactite hanging from the cave's ceiling and she snaps it off and slams it into the Turok-han's head. The blow momentarily stuns it and she drops to the ground.
Before it can attack again, Buffy makes a run for it. She scales the cave wall and pulls herself up and out the hole in the tree lot. Before she can pull her legs free, the Turok-han seizes her ankle and starts dragging her back down. She kicks it in the head as Giles appears, backlit by the rising sun. When the sunlight strikes the Turok-han it hisses and releases Buffy, then drops back down into the darkness.
Buffy and Giles enter through the back door and find the three potential Slayers already up and eating breakfast.
... the others just yet. It'll give us a chance to--
Sorry about the British invasion.
We've been up for hours.
Four P.M. London time.
Are you all right? You look...
Oh. Yeah, I'm okay. I just got into a fight is all. (to Giles) You want to tell me with what?
Yes, Buffy, but don't you think we should discuss this privately?
You mean not in front of the next generation? No time to coddle them, Giles. (to girls) Welcome to the war room, guys.
Annabelle takes out a notepad, her pen poised and ready.
What you fought was a vampire but it was something more than that. It was a Turok-han. As Neanderthals are to human beings, the Turok-han are to vampires. Primordial, ferociously powerful killing machines, as single-minded as animals. They are the vampires that vampires fear. An ancient and entirely different race and, until this morning, I thought they were a myth.
So The First shows up and now this? You think it's a coincidence?
I think it's more likely that the Turok-han is here as an agent of The First.
Did you slay it?
No, it's still out there, somewhere.
What's it want?
All of us dead. But for now it looks like sunlight is keeping this Turok-han at bay.
So until sunset I suggest you get some rest. A few hours sleep will do a world of difference.
No sleep today. Can't.
Oh, come on. You're exhausted.
It comes with the gig. Somehow I don't think taking on prehistoric evil comes with nap time. Sorry, potential guys. I know you came a long way and you want to get into it but the best thing you can do right now is just sit tight, wait it out. I'm going to go to work, see what I can find out. I'll be back before sunset.
How do you plan to research something as ill-defined as The First?
I have the best plan ever.
Buffy sits at her desk, talking on the phone and working on her computer. She types evil into her web browser's search engine.
Yeah, well, I already re-checked the basement. Wait, hold on, I'm going to try something. Maybe The First isn't ready for modern technology. (beat) Displaying results 1 through 10 of 900,517. Okay, I gotta narrow this down. I'll call you back? Yeah.
She hangs up then re-enters her search as Principal Wood approaches and looks over the wall of the cubicle at her screen.
Manifestations of evil...
Buffy quickly types more in the search field to cover.
...in the movies. You're searching for evil movies?
I know it's not the all-time most kosher use of my office hours but, you know, looking at some down time. And what can I say? I just love those evil, evil movies. Like Exorcist, Blair Witch...
Hmm. As opposed to Rob Schneider's oeuvre?
Different kind of evil.
He steps into her cubicle and sits down.
Yeah. Buffy, you know I'm not that big a fan of scary movies, even the hokie ones. Sometimes they go to a place that I think kids could stand to avoid.
Well, it's not for the kids.
Yeah, yeah, I'm only saying that once you see true evil, it can have some serious afterburn and then you can't unsee what you saw. Ever. That's just one opinion. I better get back to work.
He stands and leaves.
What kind of movies do you like?
Oh, me? Mysteries. I love finding out what's underneath it all at the very end.
Spike sits propped against a rock, beaten and haggard. One of his eyes is swollen shut. The First stands over him, leering.
Think of it as a game. A fun, funny game. Without all the rules or any of the bothersome winning part. But still, there are sides. You have to choose a side, Spike. Then we can fly, be free and visit all our friends as they come squirming up from out the earth. I know you like a good wriggle and a giggle and a squiggle.
You're not Drusilla.
No, I'm really not.
She was crazier than you.
Oh, daddy. No kicking. It's almost Christmas day today and you've gone spoiling it. I've been so very good all year. But I could be bad if you like.
Spike looks away but the Turok-han punches him in the head.
Bad daddy. Needs a caning. Never learned his headmaster's lesson while all the school bells ring and ring and ring and ring and ring... (whispers) Choose a side. Choose our side. You know that it's delicious. What do you say?
Dru, luv...
Hmm?
Get bent.
Stupid, stubborn daddy.
She walks away as the Turok-han begins beating Spike again.
Ringing, ringing, ringing...
The school bell rings as Buffy washes her face in the sink. She touches a sore spot on her face, then inspects bruises on her arms as well.
She looks up as her mother helps her with her wounds.
Buffy, what happened?
Oh, it's okay, mom.
I tried to warn you but... right. The last thing you need now is one of Helpful Mom's guilt trips. I'll get you some ice.
No. Mom, I can't.
Buffy, you have to heal.
I don't have time.
Are you worried about the sun going down? Because there's some things you can't control. The sun always goes down, the sun always comes up.
Everyone's counting on me.
Well, they do that and I'm sorry, Buffy, but these friends of yours put too much pressure on you. They always have.
Something evil is coming.
Buffy, evil isn't coming. It's already here. Evil is always here. Don't you know? It's everywhere.
And I have to stop it.
How are you going to do that?
I don't know yet but--
Buffy, no matter what your friends expect of you, evil is a part of us. All of us. It's natural. And no one can stop that. No one can stop nature, not even--
The school bell rings and Buffy starts awake at her desk with a student sitting across from her.
Oh... I'm sorry. What were we talking about?
Only my life. You're just like all the others.
No. No, I'm different. I'm hip. I relate to the young people.
He stands to leave.
No, don't go... umm...
Roger.
Roger. See? I knew that!
He just glares at her and leaves. She slumps back down, her head in her hands. Unnoticed by her, Principal Wood watches through his office window.
Dawn and Willow take weapons from the chest while Giles paces. Xander nails plywood across the living room window behind the proto-Slayers who are huddled on the couch.
This day's almost over and the sun will go down in 17 minutes.
Hey, junior Slayers, don't look so worried. I mean, sure, we don't know where Spike is or how to fight The First or if and when the super-style vampire is going to attack us all. However, house: boarded up. Now all we gotta do is trap this Turok-han in a pantry and it's game over.
Xander, newbies. Let's ease them in to the whole "jokes in the face of death" thing.
Who's joking? That pantry thing could work. Are you saying M. Night Shyamalan lied to us?
You'll be okay.
Willow hefts a mace and tries to put on a brave front.
Okay or even better. It's like our guarantee. (to Buffy) Buffy, I just want you to know that I'm really sorry for letting you down. You know, here before with the magick going all aah and me going all eeee and everything getting all rrrr. I wish I could help out.
No one expects you to make everything right.
So I can't do everything but I should at least be able to do something. I have so much power but when I try to use it--
Don't, okay?
Okay but you need help, Buffy. I know you and I know you'll never admit it but you need help.
I'll be okay. Okay or better. It's like my guarantee.
Hey, are we getting weapons? Trained fighters? Patton is coming? I've heard worse ideas.
We'll be armed when the Slayer feels we're ready.
I feel ready.
You're frightened. You must learn to control your fear.
Hey, you know what would help with that? (to Buffy) Weapons.
I don't know about that--
We're sitting ducks without them.
We're with the Slayer. Safe as houses.
Do you see the house we're in?
It'll come straight for us, won't it?
We should load them up, Giles.
Andrew calls to Xander as he passes through the dining room.
Listen to me, man. I've got a bad feeling about this.
Of course you've got a bad feeling, dude. You're tied to a chair.
No. Yeah, but above and beyond that. I'm telling you that my spider-sense is tingling. This is going to get hairy. I'm talking weird with a beard. Better untie me.
And that'll help us how?
Okay, I know what you're thinking. Andrew, bad guy. You think I'm a super-villain like Dr. Doom or Apocalypse or The Riddler. But I admit I went over to the dark side but just to pick up a few things and now I'm back. I've learned. I'm good again.
And when were you good before?
She and Xander don't even wait for the answer; they turn and walk out of the room.
Okay, technically, never. TouchÈ. But I'm like Vader in the last 5 minutes of Jedi with redemptive powers minus a redemptive struggle of epic redemption which chronicles... (beat) These ropes itch.
Buffy stares pensively out the window. She turns as Giles approaches.
How're we doing on time?
Sunset should be any minute now. Done everything we can. And don't worry, everyone here understands that you're calling the shots.
I just hope I'm calling the right ones.
You have all my faith. And they're depending on you.
Giles, that's not exactly what I needed to hear right now.
Molly pokes her head in the room.
Guys? Annabelle split.
Annabelle runs down the dark alley, glancing fearfully over her shoulder. As she passes a garbage dumpster, the Turok-han leaps out and seizes her by the throat, lifting her off the ground. Her cross pendant falls to the ground as her neck snaps like kindling.
Tracking Annabelle, Buffy enters the alley and finds Annabelle's corpse lying next to the garbage bin.
Visibly upset, she takes a moment to gather her thoughts. The moment she's distracted, the Turok-han attacks her from behind, knocking her to the ground. She crawls away, crouching beside the dumpster, then leaps up and attacks. She kicks, it ducks. She punches, it blocks. Then it decks her, sending her reeling to the ground. It lifts her up by the neck and chokes her but she spits blood in its face and breaks its hold. She takes off running with a limp toward a nearby factory. The Turok-han eagerly licks the blood off its face and pursues her.
Inside the factory, Buffy desperately looks for somewhere to hide.
The Turok-han makes its way between the pipes and catwalks, searching for her. Buffy springs from the shadows and wallops it in the head with a steel pipe but the blow barely fazes it. The creature rips the pipe from her grasp and tosses it aside.
The Turok-han lays into her with a devastating series of blows. She flies backward into a metal support beam. Stunned, she's nearly helpless as the ancient vampire punches and kicks her with punishing force. Her head snaps back, her ribs break. The beast picks her up, backhands her in the face, then punches her so hard she flies 25 feet and impacts the cement wall with a thud, where she collapses in a broken heap.
As the Turok-han stalks toward her, Buffy looks up and notices a pulley connected to a pallet of steel bars. She kicks the control lever, freeing the pulley and sending the tons of steel crashing down on the Turok-han, flattening it. Buffy stands up and limps slowly away. She stops and turns at the sound of the metal clanking against metal. Her eyes widen in shock as the Turok-han rises from the pile of steel bars unscathed. It leaps out of the rubble and sprints after her.
She tries to run but it's too quick. It seizes her from behind and throws her into the wall again. Then it uses the wall to slingshot a kick to her head, sending her reeling to the ground. The creature hauls her up by the arm, semi-conscious, and whips her around and through a cinderblock wall. The blocks collapse on top of her and the ceiling caves in, burying her in rubble.
Later. Blackness. Xander's voice coming as if from a great distance.
Buffy!
He lifts a piece of sheet metal revealing Buffy's still form. Her face is covered in blood and bruises. Horrified, Xander turns to Willow and Giles.
Oh, god almighty...
The First is still with Spike, growing rather impatient with him.
Do you know why you're alive?
Never figured you for existential thought, luv. I mean, you hated Paris.
You're alive for one reason and one reason only. Because I wish it. Do you know why I wish it? Because I'm not done with you.
Give it up. Whatever you are, whatever you got planned, I'm out. You can't pull this puppet's strings anymore.
And what makes you think you have a choice? What makes you think you will ever be any good at all in this world?
She does. Because she believes in me.
Bruised and battered, Buffy sits curled in a fetal position, staring blankly and listening to the others talk in the dining room.
We could make plans as we always do but the truth is, Buffy was our plan. There is no back up.
Giles, she looks bad.
She does. I'm afraid there may be internal bleeding.
What does that mean? Will she--
Die? I don't think so. I don't know.
What do we do if she can't fight, if she can't beat this thing?
Giles paces while he talks. The mood is somber, everyone is gathered: Dawn, Anya, Willow, Xander, Molly and Kennedy.
We're back at square one.
Which square would that be, exactly?
I'm not sure. The First predates everything we've ever known or can know. It's everywhere. It's pure. I don't know if we can fight it.
Everyone looks up surprised as Buffy appears in the doorway.
You're right. We don't know how to fight it. We don't know when it'll come. We can't run, can't hide, can't pretend it's not the end, because it is. Something's always been there to try and destroy the world. We've beaten them back but we're not dealing with them anymore. We're dealing with the reason they exist. Evil. The strongest. The First.
Buffy, I know you're tired...
I'm beyond tired. I'm beyond scared. I'm standing on the mouth of hell and it is going to swallow me whole. (beat; hard) And it'll choke on me. We're not ready? They're not ready. They think we're going to wait for the end to come, like we always do. I'm done waiting. They want an apocalypse? Oh, we'll give 'em one. Anyone else who wants to run, do it now because we just became an army. We just declared war. From now on, we won't just face our worst fears, we will seek them out. We will find them and cut out their hearts one by one until The First shows itself for what it really is. And I'll kill it myself. There is only one thing on this earth more powerful than evil and that's us. Any questions?