The Harvest
Prelude
In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand
against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the
Slayer.
Inside the mausoleum. Luke tries to bite Buffy, but
burns himself on the
cross hanging around her neck and jerks back. Buffy seizes the
opportunity and push kicks him out of the coffin. She climbs out of it
and races outside. Cut outside. Buffy runs to catch up with
Xander and Jesse. She hears a vampire roar and a girl screaming and
runs
toward the sounds. Cut to
Buffy: Hey!
The vampire looks up, and Buffy snap kicks him off of
and runs away.
the hunt again.
dragged away by two vampires.
The vampires are distracted. Buffy takes advantage of the opening
and
jumps in, high punches one and side kicks the other. She notices a dry
branch on a tree and breaks it off. As one of the vampires gets up she
plunges the stick into him.
the ground.
Xander: Man, something hit
me.
Buffy: Where's Jesse?
Xander: That girl grabbed
him and took off.
Buffy: Which way?
Xander: I don't know.
She stands up straight and slowly scans the cemetery.
Buffy: (whispers) Jesse!
Opening credits roll. Buffy's theme plays.
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 1 ~~~~~~~~~~
The library. The globe up on the stack level is spinning.
Giles stops it
while he lectures and makes his way down to where Buffy,
Xander are at the study table.
Giles: This world is older
than any of you know. Contrary to popular
mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked
the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time
they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal
animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges,
certain magicks, certain creatures...
Buffy: And vampires.
Xander: Okay, this is where
I have a problem. See, because we're
talking about vampires. We're having a *talk* with vampires in it.
Buffy: No. No, th-those
weren't vampires, those were just guys in
thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could have
been rabies. A-and that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light.
(Xander gives her a look) That's exactly what I said the first
time I
saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part.
Buffy: You are sitting
down.
Xander: So vampires are
demons?
Giles: The books tell the
last demon to leave this reality fed off a
human, mixed their blood. He was a human form possessed, infected by
the
demon's soul. He bit another, and another, and so they walk the Earth,
feeding... Killing some, mixing their blood with others to make more of
their kind. Waiting for the animals to die out, and the old ones to
return.
Cut to the sewers. Darla and Luke are forcing Jesse into the
Master's
lair.
Luke: Move!
They reach the lair, which is actually what remains of a church,
and
Luke forces Jesse down the slope to the floor below. The Master
approaches.
Master: Is this for me?
Luke: An offering, Master.
Darla: He's a good one! His
blood is pure!
Master: (draws the obvious
conclusion) You've tasted it.
Darla looks down in shame.
Master: I'm your...
faithful dog. You bring me scraps.
Darla: I, I didn't mean
it...
Master: I have waited. For
come and go I am stuck here, here in this house of... (with extreme
contempt) worship! My ascension is almost at hand. Pray that when it
comes... (takes Darla by the neck) I'm in a
better mood.
Darla: Master, forgive me!
We had more offerings, but there was
trouble. A girl!
Luke: And there was a girl.
She fought well and she knew of our breed.
It is possible that she may be...
Master:
...a Slayer!
Cut to the library.
Xander: And that would be a
what?
Giles: For as long as there
have been vampires, there's been the
Slayer. One girl in all the world, a Chosen One.
Buffy: He loves doing this
part.
Giles: Alright. The Slayer
hunts vampires, Buffy is a Slayer, don't
tell anyone. Well, I think that's all the vampire information you
need.
Xander: Except for one
thing: how do you kill them?
Buffy: *You* don't, *I* do.
Xander: Well, Jesse's my...
Buffy: (interrupts) Jesse
is *my* responsibility. I let him get taken.
Xander: That's not true.
anybody mind if I pass out?
Buffy: Breathe.
Buffy: Breathe. (to Giles) This big guy, Luke. He
talked about an
offering to the Master. Now, I don't know what or who, but if they
weren't just feeding then Jesse may still be alive. I'm gonna find him.
police?
Giles: And they'd believe
us, of course.
there's a, a bad man.
Buffy: They couldn't handle
it even of they did show up. They'd only
come with guns.
Giles: You have no idea
where they took Jesse?
Buffy: I looked around, but
soon's they got clear of the graveyard,
they could have just, voom!
Xander: They can fly?
Buffy: They can drive.
Xander: Oh.
Giles: Let's take an
enormous intuitive leap, shall we, and say they
went underground.
Buffy: Vampires really jam
on sewer systems. You can get anywhere in
the entire town without catching any rays. But I didn't see any
access
around there.
Xander: Well, there's an
electrical tunnel that runs under the whole
town.
Giles: If we had a
diagnostic of the tunnel system it might indicate a,
a meeting place, it would, uh... I suppose we could go to the
building
commission.
Buffy: We *so* don't have
time.
Cut to the Master's lair.
Master: A Slayer! Have you
any proof?
Luke: Only that she fought
me, and yet lives.
Master: Hmm, very nearly
proof enough. I can't remember the last time
that happened.
Luke: 1843.
Master: She mustn't be
allowed to interfere with the Harvest!
Luke: I would never let
that happen!
Master: Don't worry about
it. I believe she'll come to us. We have
something she wants.
Luke smiles at Jesse.
Master: If she is a Slayer,
and this boy lives, she'll try to save him.
Luke: I thought you nothing
more than a meal, boy.
He moves behind Jesse and takes his neck.
Luke: Congratulations.
You've just been upgraded. To bait.
Cut to the library.
Buffy: There it is.
Xander: I don't see any
access.
Giles: So, all the city plans
are just, uh, open to the public?
accidentally decrypted the city council's security system.
Xander: Someone's been
naughty.
Buffy: There's nothing
here, this is useless!
Giles: I think you're being
a bit hard on yourself.
Buffy: You're the one that
told me that I wasn't prepared enough.
Understatement! (exhales) I thought I was
on top of everything, and then
that monster, Luke, came out of nowhere...
She flashes back to the fight in the mausoleum.
Xander: What?
Buffy: He didn't come out
of nowhere. He came from behind me. I was
facing the entrance, he came from behind me, and he didn't follow me
out. The access to the tunnels is in the mausoleum! The girl must
have
doubled back with Jesse after I got out! God! I am so mentally
challenged!
Xander: So, what's the
plan? We saddle up, right?
Buffy: There's no 'we',
okay? I'm the Slayer, and you're not.
Xander: I knew you'd throw
that back in my face.
Buffy: Xander, this is
deeply dangerous.
Xander: I'm inadequate.
That's fine. I'm less than a man.
monsters. But I do want to help. I need to.
Giles: Well, then help me.
I've been researching this Harvest affair.
It seems to be some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood,
Hell
on Earth, quite charmless. I'm a bit
fuzzy, however, on the details. It
may be that you can wrest some information from that dread machine.
Everyone stares at him. He looks back at them all.
Giles: That was a bit, um,
British, wasn't it?
Buffy: (smiles) Welcome to
the
Giles: (to
Buffy: Then I'm outta here. If Jesse's alive, I'll bring him back.
(starts to leave)
Giles: Do I have to tell
you to be careful?
Buffy turns back, gives Giles a look and goes.
Cut outside. Buffy is making strides for a side gate. Mr. Flutie is
there and stops her.
Mr. Flutie: And where do we think we're going?
Buffy: We? (turns to face him) I... Me...
Mr. Flutie: We're not leaving school grounds, are we?
Buffy: No! No, I'm... just
admiring the fence. You know, this is
quality fence work.
Mr. Flutie: Because if we were leaving schools grounds on
our second
day at a new school, after getting kicked out of our old school for
delinquent behavior... Do you see where I'm going
with this?
Buffy: Mr. Giles...
Mr. Flutie: What?
Buffy: He asked me to get a
book for him. Uh, from the store, 'cause I
have a free period, and I'm a big reader. Did it mention that in my
transcripts?
Mr. Flutie: Mr. Giles?
Buffy: Ask him.
Mr. Flutie: (swings the gate closed) Well, maybe that's
how they do
things in *
problems, (locks it) but here at Sunnydale nobody leaves campus while
school's in session. Are we clear?
Buffy: We're clear.
Mr. Flutie: That's the Buffy Summers I want in my school.
Sensible girl
with her feet on the ground!
He turns and leaves. Buffy watches him go. When he's gone a ways
she
crouches and leaps the fence.
Cut to
Xander: Paranormal,
unexplained, did you get natural disasters?
Xander: Rain of Toads.
Xander: Rain of Toads! Do
you think they'd have anything like that in
the paper?
turn up. Anything that'll lead us to vampires.
Xander: And I, in the
meantime, will help by standing around like an
idiot.
getting hurt.
They stop in front of their next class.
Xander: This is just too
much. I mean, yesterday my life's like, 'Uh-
oh, pop quiz.' Today it's 'Rain of Toads'.
Xander: Nobody knows. It's
like we've got this big secret.
guys don't.
Xander: Right. Look, maybe
you should get to class. (indicates the
door)
Xander: Yeah.
it.
Xander: Yeah, I do, too.
Cut to inside the mausoleum. Buffy comes in slowly, looking and
listening. She scans around. Satisfied that no one's there, she walks
down the steps to the floor. She hears a rat behind her and twists to
look toward the sound. She continues and finds the tunnel access. It's
locked with a chain. She lifts the lock. Angel appears behind her.
Angel: (exhales)
Buffy: I don't suppose
you've got a key on you?
Angel: They really don't
like me dropping in.
Buffy: (faces him) Why not?
Angel: They really don't
like me.
Buffy: How could that
possibly be?
Angel: I knew you'd figure
out this entryway sooner or later. Actually,
I thought it was gonna be a *little*
sooner.
Buffy: Sorry you had to
wait. (exhales) Okay. Look, if you're gonna be
popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at
least tell me your name?
Angel: Angel.
Buffy: Angel. It's a pretty
name.
She turns to the tunnel entrance.
Angel: Don't... go down
there.
Buffy: (turns back) Deal
with my going.
Angel: You shouldn't be
putting yourself at risk. Tonight is the
Harvest. Unless you can prevent it, the Master walks.
Buffy: Well, if this
Harvest thing is such a suckfest, why don't *you*
stop it?
Angel: 'Cause I'm afraid.
She looks at him for a moment and then spins around quickly,
kicking
open the doors to the tunnel. She turns back to him.
Angel: They'll be expecting
you.
Buffy: I've got a friend
down there. Or at least a potential friend. Do
you know what it's like to have a friend?
He lowers his eyes as a look of sadness fills them.
Buffy: That wasn't supposed
to be a stumper.
They look at each other a moment longer.
Angel: When you hit the
tunnels head east towards the school. That's
where you're likely to find them.
Buffy: You gonna wish me luck?
Angel says nothing. They look at each other for another moment,
then
Buffy turns and heads into the tunnels. He watches her go.
Angel: (whispers) Good
luck!
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2 ~~~~~~~~~~
Inside the tunnels. Buffy comes down a flight of
stairs. She looks
around. She hears rats. One crawls across her shoes. She slowly starts
down the tunnels. There are lights at regular intervals. When she
reaches an intersection, Xander surprises her from behind.
Xander: Did you see
anything?
Buffy: (exhales in fright)
Xander, what are you doing here?!
Xander: Something stupid. I
followed you.
Buffy: Well, you...
Xander: (interrupts) I
couldn't just sit at home and do nothing.
Buffy: I understand. Now,
go away!
Xander: No!
Buffy: Xander, you're gonna have to.
Xander: Look, Jesse's my
bud, okay? If I can help him out, that's what
I gotta do.
Buffy considers, then nods her head for
him to follow. She starts down
the tunnel again.
Xander: Besides, it's this
or chem class.
Cut to them reaching the top of some stairs.
Xander: Okay, so, crosses,
garlic, stake through the heart.
Buffy: That'll get it done.
Xander: Cool! Of course, I
don't actually have any of those things.
Buffy: (hands him a cross)
Good thinking.
Xander: Well, the part of
my brain that would tell me to bring that
stuff is still busy telling me not to come down here. I have this,
though. (turns on a flashlight)
Buffy: Turn that off!
Xander: (turns it off)
Okay! Okay! So, what else?
Buffy: What else what?
Xander: For vampire slayage.
Buffy: Oh, fire, beheading,
sunlight, holy water, the usual.
Xander: You've done some
beheading in your time?
Buffy: Oh, yeah. There was
this time I was pinned down by this guy that
played left tackle for varsity... Well, at least he used to before he
was a vampire... Anyway, he had this really, really thick neck, and
all
I had was a little, little Exact-O
knife...
Xander laughs nervously.
Buffy: You're
not loving this story.
Xander: No, actually, I
find it oddly comforting.
Cut to the library. Giles is reading from a volume.
Giles: 'For they will
gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours
life.' P... Pours life...
He turns the page back to the picture of Satan feeding power to a
man.
Giles: 'On the night of the
crescent moon, the first past the solstice
it will come...' Of course. That's tonight!
Cut to the computer lab. Cordelia is struggling with her computer
programming assignment.
Cordelia: No! It's supposed
to find the syntax and match it. Or wait...
Harmony: Are we going to
the Bronze tonight?
Cordelia: No, we're going
to the other cool place in Sunnydale.
Harmony looks confused.
Cordelia: Of course we're
going to the Bronze. Friday night? No cover?
But you should have been there last night. 'Cause
I ran into Buffy...
Cordelia:
...and can she be any weirder? She attacked me! Do you
believe it?
Harmony: (exhales) I think
we did this part wrong.
Cordelia: Why do we have to
devise these programs, isn't that what
nerds are for? (whispers, indicating
Harmony looks at
website.
Harmony: (to Cordelia) Uh, she's doing something else.
Cordelia: Okay, and then pattern run, right? Or go to end? That's it!
Harmony: Maybe!
Cordelia: So anyway, I come outta the bathroom, and she
comes running
at me. Screaming! With a stick! 'I'm gonna
kill you! I'm gonna kill
you!' I swear!
Boy: Who?
Cordelia: Buffy!
Harmony: The new girl?
Boy: What's her deal?
Cordelia: Well, she's
crazed.
Harmony: Did you hear about
her old school?
Cordelia and the boy both shake their heads.
Harmony: Booted.
Cordelia: Well, I exhibit
no surprise.
Boy: Why was she kicked
out?
Cordelia: Uh, because she's
a psycho loony!
Cordelia: What?
Cordelia: Excuse me? Who
gave you permission to exist?
Cordelia: Do I horn in on
your private discussions? No. Why? Because
you're boring.
Harmony: Okay, I think the
program's done.
Cordelia: Finally the
nightmare ends! Okay, so how do we save it?
Cordelia: Deliver? Where's
that? (searches the keyboard) Oh!
She hits the "
screen in wide-eyed, open-mouthed horror.
Cut to the tunnels.
Buffy: They're close.
Xander: How can you tell?
Buffy: No more rats.
Xander turns on his flashlight and spots Jesse on the ground.
Xander: Jesse!
Buffy: Oh, no!
Jesse reacts and jumps up.
Xander: J-J-Jesse!
Jesse: Xander!
The two boys embrace.
Xander: Jesse, man, are you okay?
Jesse: I am not okay, on an
*epic* scale.
Buffy shines the light on the shackles around Jesse's ankle.
Jesse: We gotta get outta here!
Xander: It's cool, Buffy's
a superhero.
Buffy: Hold on... (breaks the shackles)
Xander: Do you think anyone
heard that?
They see shadows moving on the walls and start to run down the
tunnel.
Vampires come around the corner. Cut to Xander, Buffy and Jesse in
another part of the tunnel.
Jesse: They knew you were gonna come. They said that I... I was the
bait.
Xander: Oh, great, now you
tell us.
They round a corner and are met by vampires.
Buffy: Oops!
Jesse: Oh, no, no, no, no!
Buffy: Do you know another
way out?
Jesse: I dunno. Maybe. C'mon!
They run. At another intersection they see glowing eyes to their
right.
Jesse: Wait, wait. They
brought me through here, there, there should be
a way up. I hope!
Jesse leads them into a chamber.
Buffy: I don't think this
is the way out!
Xander: We can't fight our
way back through those things. What do we
do?
Jesse: I got an idea. (vamps out) You can die!
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3 ~~~~~~~~~~
In the chamber.
Xander: Jesse, man. I'm
sorry.
Jesse: Sorry? I feel good,
Xander! I feel strong! I'm connected, man,
to everything!
Buffy begins struggling with the door, trying to close it.
Jesse: I, I can hear the
worms in the earth!
Xander: That's a plus.
Jesse: I know what the
Master wants. I'll serve his purpose. That means
you die. And I feed.
Buffy: (looks back at them)
Xander, the cross!
He holds the cross up to Jesse's face. Jesse steps back and
growls.
Xander: Jesse, man. We're
buds, don't you remember?
Jesse: You're like a shadow
to me now.
Xander: Then get outta my face.
Jesse knocks Xander's arm to the side, making him hit the wall. He
jumps
to the other side of the room, facing Xander. Buffy grabs him from
behind and throws him out of the chamber into the advancing vampires,
knocking them all down, and goes back to trying to close the door.
Buffy: (to Xander) Help me!
Xander jumps up to help, and together they get it to move. They
close it
on a vampire's arm. The vampire pulls its arm back out of the door,
and
Buffy slams it shut and closes the latch. The vampires begin
pounding on
the door.
Buffy: We need to get out
of here!
Xander: There is no out of
here!
He uses his flashlight to look around and spots a grate in the
ceiling.
Xander: Up there!
Buffy leaps on top of a barrel and begins to pry the grate open.
The
vampires have started to bend in a corner of the door. They twist it and
push it in further. Buffy gets the grate open.
Buffy: Go!
She helps Xander crawl up into a ventilation duct. A vampire
starts to
struggle through the bent corner of the door. He reaches in and pulls
the latch open as Xander gets through the grate. Buffy follows him
quickly as the first vampire enters the chamber. He follows them through
the grate into the duct. Xander and Buffy crawl like mad. He finds a
ladder up to a manhole and starts climbing the rungs. Buffy follows. The
vampire is right behind them. Xander pushes open the manhole cover and
climbs out into daylight. He turns to help Buffy out. The vampire grabs
her ankle and tries to pull her back down.
Buffy: Xander, pull!
He pulls on her, and the vampire's hand is exposed to the sunlight
and
burns. The vampire lets go, and they tumble backward to the ground.
Cut to the Master's lair.
Master: She escaped? She
walks free when I should be drinking her
heart's blood right now? Careless...
Colin: Master, we had her
trapped!
Master: Oh, are you going
to make excuses?
Colin remains silent.
Master: You are all weak.
It has been too long since you have faced the
Slayer. Huh. It is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. Just
means there'll be someone worth killing... when I reach the surface. Is
Luke ready?
Colin: He waits.
Master: It's time. Bring
him to me.
Colin turns to go get Luke.
Master: Ah, Colin... (Colin
turns back) You failed me. Tell me you're
sorry.
Colin: I'm sorry!
Master: There. That wasn't
so bad, was it? Hold on...
He stabs his finger into Colin's face.
Master: You've got
something in your eye.
Cut to the library where Giles is still doing his research. He
hears
someone come in.
Giles: Buffy?
Giles: Ah, not as yet, no.
Giles: Did you find
anything of interest?
the time of that big earthquake back in '37? And for several months
before there were a rash of murders. (hands him
her printouts)
Giles: Great! I-I mean,
well, not, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um,
uh, go on?
through the pages) Throats, blood... (looks
squeamish)
Giles: It's all coming together. I rather wish it weren't.
Cut to the Master's lair. Luke approaches the Master and kneels
before
him. The Master offers his hand. Luke takes it and kisses it. He
releases it and the Master turns it over to offer the underside of his
wrist. Darla is watching and smiles. Luke opens the cuff of the
Master's
sleeve and pulls it back. He takes his hand again, sinks his fangs into
the wrist above it and drinks of the blood. He releases the hand, and
the Master takes it back.
Master: My blood is your
blood. My soul is your soul.
Luke: My body is your
instrument.
The Master steps down to Luke and begins to draw a three-pointed
star on
Luke's forehead with the blood still flowing from his wrist.
Master: On this... most
hallowed night... we are as one. Luke is the
Vessel!
Darla's smile widens.
Master: Every soul he takes
will feed me. And their souls will grant me
the strength to free myself. Tonight I shall walk the Earth, and the
stars themselves will hide!
Cut to the library.
hears the door open and looks up to see Xander and Buffy come in.
Xander: Yeah.
Buffy: Worse. (sits at the end of the table) I'm sorry, Willow. We were
too late. And they were waiting for us.
Xander violently kicks a waste basket. Buffy is startled.
Xander: I don't like
vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're
not good.
Buffy: (turns to Giles) So,
Giles! Got anything that can make this day
any worse?
He goes over to the whiteboard and puts down his pen.
Giles: How about the end of
the world?
Buffy: Knew I could count
on you.
Giles: This is what we
know. Some sixty years ago, a very old, very
powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed.
Buffy: He came 'cause this
town's a mystical who's it.
Giles: Yes. The Spanish who
first settled here called it 'Boca del
Infierno'. Roughly
translated, 'Hellmouth'. It's a sort of, um, portal
between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it.
Buffy: Bring the demons
back.
Xander: End of the world.
swallowed half the town, and him, too.
Giles: You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. Odds
are he got himself stuck, rather like a, uh, cork in a bottle.
Xander: And this Harvest
thing is to get him out.
Giles: It comes once in a
century, on this night. The Master can draw
power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break
free
and open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears
this
symbol.
He draws a three-pointed star on the whiteboard.
Buffy: So, I dust anyone
sporting that symbol, and no Harvest.
Giles: Simply put, yes.
Buffy: Any idea where this
little get-together is being held?
Giles: There, there are a
number of possibilities.
Xander: They're goin' to the Bronze.
Xander: Come on. All those tasty young morsels all over the place?
Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be,
trust me.
Giles grabs his coat and starts out of the library. The others
begin to
follow.
Giles: Then we should get
there. The sun will be down before long.
Buffy: I gotta make a stop. Won't take long.
Giles: What for?
Buffy: Supplies.
Cut to a view of the sun setting above a ridge. Cut to Buffy in
her
room. She goes to her closet and pulls out a heavy, black jacket. Her
mother walks into the room.
Joyce: Buffy?
Buffy: Mom!
Joyce: You're going out?
Buffy: I have to. (puts on her jacket)
Joyce: I didn't hear you
come in last night.
Buffy: I was really quiet.
Joyce: It's happening
again, isn't it? I got a call from your new
principal. Says you missed some classes today?
Buffy: I was running an
errand.
Joyce: We haven't finished
unpacking, and I'm getting calls from the
principal.
Buffy: Mom, I promise, it
is *not* gonna be like before. But I *have*
to go.
Joyce: No.
Buffy: Mom?!
Joyce: The tapes all say I
should get used to saying it. No.
Buffy: This is really,
really important.
Joyce: I know. If you don't
go out it'll be the end of the world.
Everything is life or death when you're a sixteen-year-old girl.
Buffy: Look, I don't have
time to talk about this...
Joyce: Buffy, you've got
all the time in the world, you're not going
anywhere. Now, if you wanna stay up here and
sulk, I won't hold it
against you. But if you wanna come down, I'll
make us some dinner.
She leaves the room, pulling the door closed behind her. Buffy
can't
believe what just happened. She leans against the closet door, takes a
deep breath and exhales. Then she turns and opens the closet again and
pulls out a large chest. It has a flat box in it full of her stuff. She
lifts out the box to reveal what's underneath. Stakes, crosses, garlic,
bottles of holy water. She pulls a bunch out and puts it in her sports
bag. She takes a particularly sharp stake and conceals it in her
jacket
sleeve. She closes the chest, zips the bag closed and goes over to her
door to make sure her mother isn't nearby. Then she grabs the bag,
slides it out of the window onto the roof and climbs out after it.
Cut to the sun going down over a hill. Cut to the Bronze. The
doorman is
checking ID's. Cut inside to the upper level. Cordelia and her friends
find a table.
Cordelia: Senior boys are
the only way to go. Guys from our grade,
forget about it, they're children. Y'know? (they sit) Like Jesse. Did
you see him last night, following me around like a little puppy dog.
(they all giggle) You just wanna put him to sleep. But senior boys, hmm,
they have mystery. They have... What's the word I'm searching for?
Cars!
I just am not the type to settle. Y'know?
It's like when I go shopping.
I have to have the most expensive thing. Not because it's
expensive, but
because it costs more.
Girl: You know, I...
Cordelia: Hello, Miss Motormouth, can I get a sentence finished? Oh, I
love this song! Come on!
Cordelia and her gang make their way to the dance floor and start
to
move to the sound of "Wearing Me Down" by the Dashboard
Prophets.
Lyrics: You fight the good
fight / You fight the good war / You fight
to be right / You fight to restore / Why should I believe a word
that
you say / It was just a game that you don't wanna
play / And I say /
It's wearing me down, I realize / It's all in my head now, now,
and I
realize / It's not what you've done / As much as what you've said / As
what you've said / As what you've said / As what you've said
Jesse watches Cordelia from the side. He walks onto the dance
floor. The
song is over, and Cordelia stops dancing. She starts to leave, but
Jesse
is standing in front of her, fingers on his lips.
Cordelia: Uh, what do you
want?
Another song, "Ballad For Dead
Friends", starts. Jesse lowers his hand,
takes hers and leads her back onto the dance floor.
Cordelia: Hey! Hello!
Caveman brain! What are you doing?
Jesse: Shut up!
He begins to dance with her.
Cordelia: Well, just one
dance.
They dance close. Cut to outside where the doorman is counting
money.
Darla comes out of the shadows in a bouncy walk. She turns around
and
walks backward while other vampires come into the light behind her. She
turns back again and approaches the doorman. They're all sporting their
game faces.
Lyrics: How are you feelin'? / Do you feel okay? / 'Cause I don't!
~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4 ~~~~~~~~~~
Outside the Bronze. The vampires head in.
Doorman: Need ID. (looks up) Hey! Nobody gets inside until I get some
sorta...
Luke: (growls in the
doorman's face) Get inside.
Cut inside. The vampires come in, pushing the doorman in with
them. The
last one shuts the door and stands guard.
Lyrics: How are you feelin'? / Do you feel okay? / 'Cause I don't!
One of the vampires makes his way to the upper level. Another one
finds
the main power switch and shuts it off. The people start complaining
and
wondering what happened. Luke gets up on the stage.
Luke: Ladies and Gentlemen!
There is no cause for alarm. Actually,
there is cause for alarm. It just won't do any good.
There are screams from the crowd as they see Luke's face. He
laughs.
Cordelia: I thought there
wasn't any band tonight.
She looks at Jesse next to her. He's got his game face on, and she
inhales in fright.
Luke: This is a glorious
night! It is also the last one any of you
shall ever see. Bring me the first.
A vampire brings the doorman to Luke.
Doorman: What do you guys
want, man, huh? You want money? Man, what's
wrong with your faces?
Luke grabs him by the throat. He wraps his other arm around the
doorman's head.
Luke: Watch me, people.
Fear is like an elixir. It's almost like blood.
He bites the doorman and feeds on him. The doorman screams. Cut to
the
Master in his lair. He raises his head as he feels
the first of the
souls that will be taken for him. Cut to Luke. He drops the doorman's
body.
Luke: Next!
Cut outside. The team arrives running. Buffy tries the door.
Buffy: It's locked!
Giles: We're too late!
Buffy: I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!
Xander: Can you break it
down?
Buffy: No, not that thing. Um... You guys try the back entrance, and
I'll find my own way.
Giles: Right. Come on.
Buffy: Uh, wait! Guys!
Here! (hands Willow her bag) You get the exit
cleared and the people out. That's all! Don't go Wild Bunch on me.
Giles: Uh, see you inside,
then.
Giles, Xander and
tries the door. It's locked, too.
Xander: We've gotta get in there before Jesse does something stupider
that usual.
Giles: You listen to me!
Jesse is dead! You have to remember that when
you see him, you're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the
thing that killed him.
Cut to the Master, testing his confines. Cut to Luke, feeding on a
girl.
Cut to the Master.
Master: Almost free!
Cut to Luke, still feeding on the girl. Cut to the Master.
Master: Give me moooooore!
Cut to Luke. He's finished with the girl and drops her body. Cut
to
Darla and Jesse. She wants to take Cordelia to Luke.
Jesse: This one's mine!
Darla: They're all for the
Master.
She pulls on Cordelia. Jesse lets go of her.
Jesse: I don't get one?
Cut to Buffy breaking an upper window and crawling in.
Luke: I feel the Master's
strength growing!
Buffy sees Luke on the stage.
Luke: I feel him rising.
Every soul brings him closer! I need another!
Buffy: (to herself) The
Vessel.
The vampire on the upper level sees Buffy and growls. She looks
over at
him.
Luke: Tonight is his
ascension. Tonight will be history at its end!
Yours is a glorious sacrifice! Degradation most
holy. (no one in the
crowd stirs) What? No volunteers?!
Darla: (brings him
Cordelia) Here's a pretty one.
Cordelia screams when she sees Luke up close. He caresses her
face. He's
about to bite her when Buffy kicks the vampire down from above them.
Luke watches him land with a thud. Buffy approaches the railing.
Buffy: Oh, I'm sorry, were
you in the middle of something?
Luke: You!
Buffy: You didn't think I'd
miss this. Did you?
Luke: I hoped you'd come.
Buffy: Be right down!
She steps away from the railing and executes a roundoff
to get down. She
lands on a pool table. A vampire attacks from her right. Buffy does a
front walkover off of the table, grabbing a pool cue on the way. When
she lands she thrusts it into her attacker and lets go. He begins to
fall and burst into ashes.
Buffy: Okay, Vessel boy. (removes her jacket) You want blood?
Luke: I want yours! (releases Cordelia) Only yours!
Buffy: (shrugs) Works for
me.
She runs and cartwheels up onto the stage, and immediately
launches into
a full spinning hook kick. Luke staggers into a pile of chairs.
Buffy
assumes a fighting position. Luke gets up and growls. He comes at her
and swings, but she ducks the punch and comes up behind him. He tries
a
backhand punch, but she blocks him, holds onto his arm and gives him
three roundhouse kicks to his stomach before he shakes loose. She takes
her stake and lunges at him. He blocks the lunge, knocking the stake
from her grip. He lifts her up and throws her into a pile of boxes.
Cut to the back of the Bronze. Giles,
Giles: Hurry!
Xander runs in to see what's going on. He sees Buffy is down. She
gets
up, so Xander turns his attention to the crowd.
Xander: (in a low voice)
C'mon! Let's go! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon! C'mon!
Cut to the back. Giles guides the people to the back door.
Giles: (whispers) Hurry up! Come on! Through this door! Come on! This
way!
Cut to the main room. Buffy spins around and lands a backhand
punch on
Luke's face, knocking him into another pile of stuff. He's dazed. Buffy
turns to see a vampire grab Xander. She grabs a cymbal from a drum set
and throws it at the vampire like a Frisbee. Xander sees it coming
and
ducks. The cymbal decapitates the vampire.
Xander: Head's up!
Buffy can't resist a chuckle. Luke grabs her from behind. Cut to
Cordelia on the floor with Jesse above her. She struggles and
he grabs
her arms.
Jesse: Hold still! You're
not making this easy!
Xander comes up behind him, stake in hand.
Xander: Jesse, man! Don't
make me do it.
Jesse turns to look up at Xander.
Jesse: Buddy!
Cut to Buffy being held tightly from behind by Luke.
Luke: I always wanted to
kill a Slayer!
Cut to the back where Giles and
Giles: One at a time!
Quickly! Quickly!
He crosses to the other side of the room in front of some stairs.
Darla
is standing on the steps above him.
Giles: We're going to have
to open the front as well!
Darla leaps onto him from behind, knocking him to the floor. Cut
to
Xander and Jesse.
Xander: Jesse! I know
there's still a part of you in there.
Jesse: (jumps up) Okay...
Let's deal with this. Jesse was an
excruciating loser who couldn't get a date with anyone in the
sighted
community! Look at me. I'm a new man!
Cut to Buffy and Luke.
Luke: Master! Taste of
this... and be free!
He roars and moves in to bite Buffy. She senses his proximity and
snaps
her head back to land a headbutt on his
face, knocking him off of her
and back to the wall. She turns to him, winded.
Buffy: How'd it taste?
Cut to Giles and Darla struggling on the floor.
while taking out a jar of holy water.
Darla is distracted and looks up.
It burns her face and steams. She gets up and runs from the club,
screaming. Cut to Jesse and Xander. Jesse grabs Xander by the jacket and
lifts him around against a wall. Xander has the stake pointed at
Jesse's
chest.
Jesse: Ooo!
Alright. Put me out of my misery. You don't have the
guts.
A fleeing patron bumps into Jesse, impaling him on the stake.
Xander
lets go of the stake, and Jesse begins to fall. He turns to ashes
before
he even hits the floor. Two vampires grab Xander. Cut to Buffy. She
grabs a microphone stand and holds it like a javelin.
Luke: You forget, metal
can't hurt me.
Buffy: There's something
you forgot about, too.
She throws the stand at the window behind Luke. He ducks, and it
breaks
the window behind him. A bright light pours in through it. Buffy
spies
the stake she dropped on the stage and picks it up. Luke gets up and
shields his face with his hands, expecting to be burned. He stops when
he realizes it's only a bright lamp. Buffy lunges at him from behind
and
jams the stake home.
Buffy: It's in about nine
hours, moron!
Luke begins to stagger off of the stage. Cut to the Master. He's
testing
the strength of his confines. Cut to Luke. He continues to stagger.
Cut
to the Master. Still testing. Cut to Luke.
He falls from the stage and
explodes into ash. Cut to the Master. He feels Luke's death and falls to
his knees.
Master: Noooooooo!
Noooooooo!
Cut to Buffy. She stares at Luke's ashes. The two vampires still
have
Xander. She lifts her gaze to meet theirs. The vampires panic and run.
Cut outside. The vampires run past Angel standing behind some
crates
stacked against a wall. He watches them run, then looks back the other
way.
Angel: She did it! I'll be
damned!
He walks away. Cut inside to the stage. Buffy hops down to the
floor.
Giles and
Giles: I take it it's over.
Buffy: Well, we averted the
Apocalypse. I give us points for that.
Xander: One thing's for
sure: nothing's ever gonna be the same.
Cut to Sunnydale High the next Monday. Everything appears normal.
Buffy
walks along and overhears Cordelia talking to a friend.
Cordelia: Well, I heard it
was rival gangs. You know, fighting for
turf? But all I can tell you is they were an ugly way of looking. And
Buffy, like, knew them! Which is just too weird.
I mean, I don't even
remember that much, but I'm telling you, it was a freak show!
Girl: Oh, I wish I'd been
there!
Cordelia: You should have
been there. It was so creepy...
She and her friend walk off. Buffy meets Xander.
Buffy: What exactly were
you expecting?
Xander: I don't know, something. I mean, the dead rose. We should at
least have an assembly.
They run into Giles and
Giles: People have a
tendency to rationalize what they can and forget
what they can't.
Buffy: Believe me, I've
seen it happen.
Giles: Good! Next time
you'll be prepared.
Xander: Next time?
Giles: We've prevented the Master
from freeing himself and opening the
Mouth of Hell. That's not to say he's going to stop trying. I'd
say the
fun is just beginning.
They stop walking.
Giles: Not just vampires.
The next threat we face may be something
quite different.
Buffy: I can hardly wait!
Giles: We're at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in
fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction.
Buffy: Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get
kicked out of school!
The three students continue to class. Giles stays behind and
watches
them go.
Xander: Oh, yeah, that's a
plan. 'Cause lots of schools aren't on
Hellmouths.
that.
Buffy: I was thinking of a
more subtle approach, y'know, like excessive
not studying.
Giles turns to go back to his library.
Giles: The Earth is doomed!