UndeadScare2

Disclaimer: All characters, except for Johnny York, are property of BTVS. Johnny York is my own creation. I have fictionalized much of the worship of Cybele and Attis; no offense is meant to those who actually profess that religion.

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[Cut to the park just after dusk on the 4th of July, the next day. Willow and Oz sit on their afghan in the grass. Instead of pleasant postcoital glow, Willow displays a particularly dour expression. Oz� expression remains inscrutable.]

Oz: Would you like a hot dog?

Willow: Thanks, but not right now. I�m sorry I�m not much fun. It�s just my first 4th of July without him. I miss him.

Oz: He�ll come back.

Willow: I know. But, just about now, he would jump around and chant, �We want the fireworks� over and over until the park commissioner would scream �Someone, slap that kid.�

Oz: (starts jumping) We want the fireworks! We want the fireworks! We want the fireworks! We want the fireworks! We want the fireworks!

[The park commissioner steps up to the podium now set up on the speaker�s platform.]

Park commissioner: Someone, slap that�wait, it�s a different kid.

[Willow squeals with laughter as Oz sits back down.]

Oz: Now, that�s the Willow face I like to see.

Willow: (still giggling) You didn�t have to do that.

Oz: I know, but I would be anything or anyone you want me to be, even if it�s occasionally Xander. I just wanted to let you know that.

Willow: (sweetly) Where do you come from? And were can I get one for Buffy? (suddenly worried) She�s been gone a long time; do you think she�s alright?

[The city council president takes the podium and taps on the microphone.]

CC President: Attention. If we could have your attention, ladies and gentlemen, we are about to begin.

[Buffy and Giles return to the afghan. They are covered in slime. Buffy carries a furry, green head by its horn.]

Oz: Baby, you got the bull by the horn.

Willow: Was beheading necessary?

Buffy: He asked for it.

Willow: What did he do?

Buffy: Ask for it. He wants me to burn in; I figured it was the least I could do since I did kill him and all.

CC President: Citizens of Sunnydale, the task of choosing a new mayor in this dire time for our community should have been a difficult one. But it was not. When we interviewed the candidates, one stood out among the rest�a man of vision and ability. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud and honored to present Mayor Jonathan York.

[Johnny takes his place at the podium, with Joyce at his side.]

Johnny: Citizens of Sunnydale, although I am a stranger here, I know the last year has been a trying one for the city and for each individual. Nothing can change the loss of so many children at graduation, what should have been a day of joy and celebration. Yet, as a community, we need to move on and rebuild our Sunnydale. And we can only do this as a community. No longer can we be afraid. No longer can we be blind, deaf, and dumb. I have chosen Joyce Summers, founder of Mothers Opposed to the Occult, to head the newly-found Mayor�s Undead Activities Committee, or MUAC. MUAC will investigate the forces that have brought so much destruction to Sunnydale. As a community, we will send a message to the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness that we are taking back the night, that a new sun is rising up angry in the sky, that supernatural activity will no longer be tolerated in our city. Sunnydale will belong to us again. It will be a safe place to raise a family. To this end, the city of Sunnydale has purchased several abandoned warehouses on the waterfront and converted them to containment facilities for the pernicious elements in our community, those individuals who threaten the safety and livelihood of the community as a whole. The city council and I have instituted a citizens militia to take control of Sunnydale. Anyone who wishes to volunteer should report to city hall tomorrow. Today, America celebrates its freedom. From now on, I promise the people of Sunnydale that we will bring the light back to Sunnydale. Our dreams for tomorrow will eradicate our old reality. Sunnydale will rise again.

PART THREE
[Willow�s room the next day. Oz and Willow lay fully-clothed on the bed, thumb-wrestling. Willow wins.]

Willow: I�m sorry.

Oz: That�s okay. It really doesn�t bother me.

Willow: Most guys would be bothered losing ten matches in a row. Of course, you�re not most guys, and I do have strong thumbs for a girl, all that typing. I use the spacebar a lot.

[Buffy enters through the French doors with her best pouty face.]

Buffy: Can you get over Mayor Johnny�s speech yesterday?

Willow: Kinda scary.

Oz: It had definite echoes of Triumph of the Will.

Buffy: I�m worried. Normally, I would say, �getting rid of demons�never a bad thing.� But this whole thing with Johnny has spirit of Salem written all over it.

Willow: Do you think anyone will really go for it?

Buffy: They�ve been through a lot, and you should have seen the crowd at city hall this morning. I went there to see my mom because I lost that damn coin toss, and I couldn�t get through the line around the block. And it was strictly B.Y.O.F.

Willow: Huh?

Buffy: Bring Your Own Firearm.

Oz: Your mom�s with Johnny in this whole thing?

Buffy: Yeah, she stayed at Angel�s�Johnny�s mansion last night. (shuddering) My mom is Johnny�s love-slave.

[Willow and Oz shudder in unison.]

Buffy: (cont�d) No matter what, I�m not calling him �Daddy.� Anyhow, Giles is kind of AWOL on this whole thing. Will, I need your help if we�re going to stop Johnny.

Willow: Maybe we�re jumping the gun. After all, Johnny hasn�t done anything evil yet.

Buffy: Willow, do me a favor. Go find some wood and knock on it�NOW.

[Before Willow can respond, there�s a knock in the distance.]

Buffy: (cont�d) Hey, that was great. Can you do that again?

Willow: That wasn�t me. That was the door. Ack. I don�t wanna get up.

[Cut to Willow opening the front door, Oz and Buffy standing behind her. Four stern-looking fiftyish men in trench coats with yellow armbands stand outside.

1st Man: Willow Rosenberg?

Willow: Yes.

2nd Man: You�ve been summoned to appear before MUAC today at three PM.

Willow: Why?

[The first man lifts up a clipboard and glances through a list of names.]

1st man: Rosenberg, Rosenberg, Rosenberg. Here we go: Willow Rosenberg�suspicion of witchcraft. I�m afraid you�ll have to come with us.

[The phone rings.]

Buffy: I�ll get it.

2nd Man: If you come quietly, Miss Rosenberg, there�ll be no trouble.

Oz: You can�t do this.

2nd man: We are agents of MUAC. If you have a complaint, you�ll have to take it up with the committee.

Willow: Oz, I�m scared.

[They kiss as the first two men grab Willow by the arms and pull her through the doorway.]

Oz: I�ll be right behind you.

Buffy: (holding the phone) Oz, it�s your mom.

[Oz jogs t the phone, and Buffy takes his place at the door. She can see the first two men load Willow into a car with the City of Sunnydale seal on the door. The other two men remain in the doorway.]

Buffy: Is there something else you want?

Oz: (on phone) What is it, Marie? Now�s not a good time.

3rd Man: We have a warrant to search the premises for demonic paraphernalia.

Oz: (on phone) What do they mean �register?�

[The two remaining men push in past a dumbfounded Buffy.)

Oz: (on phone, cont�d) I know. Love you too.

[He hangs up as the two men disappear up the stairs.]

Buffy: This is crazy. We have to find Giles.

Oz: I can�t. I have to go to city hall. Agents from MUAC came to my house. As a known lycanthrope, I have to register.

Buffy: For what? Obedience school?

Oz: No, with MUAC. Look, go find Giles. I�ll meet you at Willow�s hearing.

[Cut to outside city hall. Two lines form outside the door. A bright yellow sign above the right hand line reads �New Sun Brigade Volunteers.� Among the people in that line are Larry, Nancy, Jonathan (the little guy), and Percy. The sign above the line on the left reads, �Demon Registration.� Among the creatures that can be glimpsed in that line are a slimy, antlered chaos demon, a spiny-headed member of the Kulak clan, a Yeti, Anya, four scaly former members of the Sunnydale High swim team, one partially decayed corpse flipping through a copy of Psychology Today, and Oz. Anya turns to him and strikes up a conversation.]

Anya: What are you in for? You�re not a demon. Or, at least, not a very good one. I haven�t heard of you.

Oz: Werewolf.

Anya: (making a tsk sound) I hope you�re housebroken.

[Cut to the hearing room. Joyce and the other members of the committee, wearing purple armbands that say �MUAC,� are seated at a table in the front of the room. They are interrogating Michael. Willow and the other witches, with duct tape over their mouths, sit in a roped off section in the front of the gallery. Buffy sits in the gallery with her hand on the empty seat next to her. Johnny stands quietly in the back of the room.]

Committee member in need of a shave: (to Michael) Were you in a coven?

Michael: I wouldn�t call it a coven.

Committee member in need of a shave: What would you call it?

Michael: A peer group, I guess.

Committee member with helmet hair: And who was in this �peer group?�

Michael: I cannot answer for others.

[Oz sneaks in and sits in the seat Buffy has been saving.]

Oz: Where�s Willow? Has she been up yet?

Buffy: Don�t get upset, but she�s over there. I think she�s next.

[Oz looks over at Willow. Seeing her gagged, he develops an expression. He looks as if he wishes it were a full moon, so could rip a few people to shreds. Buffy puts a reassuring hand on his arm and notices he�s wearing a red armband.]

Buffy: (cont�d) What�s this? Don�t tell me you�ve joined the Hitler youth?

Oz: I have to wear it. That way the unsuspecting populace can identify me as a threat.

Buffy: Oh, Oz, I�m sorry.

Joyce: (to Michael) Failure to cooperate with MUAC can have dire consequences, young man.

Oz: (to Buffy) Where�s Giles?

Buffy: At his place, working on a way to stop Johnny.

Oz: Johnny isn�t doing this all by himself.

Buffy: I know. He�s turned my mom into Roy Cohn.

Oz: That�s not what I mean. He couldn�t do this without Sunnydale behind him.

Joyce: (to Michael) MUAC has ruled that you, Michael John Huss, light of your demonic activities and refusal to cooperate with the committee, are a danger to the safety of the greater Sunnydale population. You will be taken from this place to Paradise #4.

[The crowd gasps, and Michael is removed.]

Oz: (to Buffy) What�s Paradise #4?

Buffy: I�m not sure. But I think it�s bad. The crowd boos at one and two and cheers at three. This is the first four.

Joyce: Will Willow Rosenberg please step forward?

[Willow is brought to the seat Michael has just vacated, and her gag is removed.]

Joyce: (cont�d) I realize asking someone of your persuasion to take an oath on the Bible may be a pointless gesture. Nevertheless, the bailiff shall swear you in.

[As the bailiff administers the oath, Oz grabs Buffy�s hand for support.]

Joyce: (cont�d) Please state your name and address for this committee.

Willow: Willow Rosenberg. 369 Trumbo Parkway.

Joyce: Miss Rosenberg, do you know or have you ever practiced witchcraft?

Willow: Shouldn�t I have a lawyer?

Joyce: Do you feel you need a lawyer?

Willow: I think so.

Joyce: Then, you admit you have something to hide.

Willow: I didn�t say that.

Joyce: Miss Rosenberg, MUAC will look upon you more favorably if you cooperate. Are you now or were you ever a witch?

Willow: Well, I dabbled.

Joyce: What, exactly, do you mean by �dabbled?� Do you perform spells?

Willow: (meekly) Occasionally.

Joyce: By yourself?

Willow: What do you mean?

Joyce: Did anyone help you with your spells?

Willow: No.

Joyce: Miss Rosenberg, Willow, do you mean to tell us that you never had any help in your endeavor into the demonic arts?

Willow: (even more meekly) No.

Joyce: Unless you reveal the names of your associates, the committee cannot help but conclude that you are a malevolent force in Sunnydale, cannot allow you to take the loyalty oath, and, thus, cannot offer you clemency.

Willow: (thinking quickly) Amy helped me.

[Joyce leans over to whisper to helmet hair on her left. A bailiff approaches Oz.]

Bailiff: Sir, I noticed your armband.

Oz: Yeah. You can get your own downstairs. The designer is MUAC.

Bailiff: Of course, I just wished to remind you about the curfew for demons, lycanthropes, and vampires. It�s almost five o�clock. I shall have to ask you to return to your crypt, den, or domicile.

Oz: Please. I want to see the end of this case. (pause) Please.

Bailiff: I�m sorry, but if you violate curfew, I will have to take you into custody.

Oz: (to Buffy) I�d should go�you may need me later. Let me know as soon as anything happens.

[The bailiff leads Oz out of the hearing room.]

Joyce: (to Willow) And who is Amy?

Willow: Amy Madison.

Joyce: Excuse me, but isn�t she a rat?

Willow: Temporarily.

Joyce: Are you telling this committee that you don�t have any human or subhuman associates?

Willow: I cannot name names.

Joyce: I�m afraid in view of your lack of cooperation MUAC will have to consider you a threat to the human population of Sunnydale. You will be taken from city hall to Paradise #5.

[As Willow is taken away, Joyce leans over to the committee member who needs a shave.]

Joyce: (sub rosa to committee member) Confiscate the rat.

PART FOUR
[Oz walks toward his home, the usual inscrutable look on his face. The sun still shines brightly in the western sky. As he rounds a corner, a rock flies into view hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him down. Three squealing yellow-armbanded children run towards him.]

1st child: You filthy dog, why don�t you go back to Hell where you belong.

[Oz sits up.]

2nd child: Yeah, we don�t want your kind here.

[The third child remains silent. Instead of words, he just spits on Oz, who stands up to his full, albeit minimal, height. Still, he towers over the children, who run away in fear. Oz rips off his armband and runs home.]

[Cut to Giles� house. He�s plowing through a mass of books, which, were they stacke,d would form a pile taller than the watcher himself. The doorbell rings.]

Buffy: (off) Giles! It�s me. Open up.

Giles: (opening the door) Yes, how did the hearing turn out?

Buffy: They�re holding Willow prisoner at Paradise #5, which I learned is the highest level of containment.

Giles: Good lord.

Buffy: Did you find anything to stop Johnny?

Giles: Possibly, but I had some time to think and�why don�t we sit down. (after they sit) I�m not sure defeating Johnny will solve our problems.

Buffy: Why not? We turn off Johnny�s mind control, and everyone goes back to normal.

Giles: I�m not sure Johnny is controlling anyone�s mind.

Buffy: I�m sure. I was at that hearing today. People don�t act like that unless are possessed or something.

Giles: But they are possessed. Fear is a powerful force. The massacre at graduation and the demon war brought everyone�s worst fears to the forefront of their minds. The people of Sunnydale want to feel that they are safe walking the streets at night and sending their kids to school in the morning, that they are safe to live their lives. That�s all Johnny is promising them.

Buffy: By locking up half the town?

Giles: It�s one of the great difficulties of civilization that the sacrifice of freedom is the price of security.

Buffy: So who do I have to beat up to get Willow back? To get my mom back to normal?

Giles: Well, if Johnny is controlling anyone in Sunnydale, it�s your mother. Her mind is easily open to suggestion, and she holds prominent position in the community. Both qualities together make her ideal for Johnny�s purposes.

Buffy: Which are? What does he have to gain by all this?

Giles: I have no idea. I wish I did. I can�t help feeling that I, of anyone, should know. A parent should understand his child.

Buffy: The way my mom understands me?

[The doorbell rings.]

Giles: (getting the door) I�m afraid that thought will have to remain unanswered.

[Giles open the door to reveal an unkempt young man of medium height and build with dark shaggy hair and a Van Dyke.]

Giles: (cont�d) Yes?

Xander: What is going on? I come back to find it dark out, and kids are playing in the street; people are barbecuing; and there�s something going on on my street called a block party, whatever that is. What happened? Did Buffy finally slay all the vampires?

Giles: Not exactly. Uh, Xander, I didn�t recognize you at first. Do come in.

[Xander enters and flops down on the sofa.]

Xander: So what�s up? Where�s Will? She wasn�t home, and neither were you, young lady. C�mon, don�t you have anything better to do on a summer night than hang out with a librarian?

Buffy: Unfortunately, we have a situation here. Digest form: it seems that Giles� son, Johnny, the god, has been named mayor, made my mother his willing minion, imprisoned Willow and every demon in town, and convinced everyone in Sunnydale that this is good thing.

Xander: When did this happen?

Buffy: In the last few days.

Xander: So quickly?

Buffy: He�s a god. I guess there�s not much he can�t do.

Xander: But he can�t do this. This is America; it�s a free country.

Buffy: This may look like America, but it�s Johnnyland, and he�s the evil king.

Xander: We have to bust her out. So what do we do?

Buffy: Giles?

Giles: We should get the plans for these Paradise Camps. Beyond that, I�m not sure. Our best bet is to convince Johnny to change his policy.

Buffy: That�s our best bet? Somehow, I don�t picture that happening.

Giles: His power is too great to fight.

Xander: But he�s mortal, right? I mean, even though he is a god?

Giles: Yes.

Xander: We could take him out before he has a chance to use his godpowers against us.

Buffy: (looking at Giles) I don�t think that�s an option.

Xander: Too bad we can�t make our own god.

Giles: What did you say?

Xander: You know fight god with god.

Giles: Buffy, Xander, go report what happened to Oz. I have work to do.

[Cut to an abandoned lot where Sunnydale High used to be. The field has been converted into a training ground for the New Sun Brigade. Droves of people are doing calisthenics.]

[Cut to Paradise #5. Blindfolded and gagged, Willow is led into a closet-sized cement cell. Although cramped, the cell�s furnishings look sturdy and functional. Two guards strap Willow to the bed as a woman in a white coat and yellow armband wheels into the room a machine with a complicated array of dial and tubes. The woman takes the end of one of the tubes and attaches a needle to it.]

Woman: (to Willow) Just relax. This won�t hurt, and soon you�ll be happier than you�ve ever been before.

[She slides the needle into Willow�s wrist.]

Woman: (cont�d) It�ll be paradise.

TO BE CONTINUED�.

Read the sequel- "Paradise City"
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