Buffy (driving the streets of LA): "What's the address again?"
Oz: "You don't need it, we're here. It's that one right there."
Xander: "It looks like a police station."
Oz: "Well, it serves the purpose of a police station. Only really more effective at solving crimes."
Willow: "Police should have like a demonology handbook as a desk reference."
Xander: "You'd think the cops in LA would have an upper hand on crime, cause to them brutality isn't really a bad."
Buffy parks the car & everyone gets out. Buffy, with Xander, Willow, Oz, & Faith behind her, knocks on a door with a golden sign that reads: "Angel Investigations".
Cordelia answers the knock, "Oh my god. I'm feeling light headed. Am I tripping or is High School just coming back to haunt me."
Buffy (awkwardly with a smile): "Hey, Cordelia. Is Angel here?"
Cordelia: "Yeah, this is sort of where he lives. & see that big, round, bright thing in the sky? It's the sun. When the sun is out, Angel is usually where he lives. Which is here."
Willow (mocking): "Give me a moment to digest all this new information"
Cordelia gives her a wry look, widening the door in an invitation: "He's downstairs, asleep."
Xander (as passing threshold): "Good to see you as always, Cor."
Willow (eyes on Buffy): "Why don't you go & wake him, Buffy. We'll stay here."
Buffy looks up, "OK." Buffy traveled down the stairs to the lower level. Before she reached the bottom step she stopped & took in a long breath then entered the room. Angel was lying on his back, his face turned toward the direction she had come from.
Buffy: "Angel?"
When he didn't wake she came closer to the bed and sat beside the sleeping Angel. She touched his face & again said: "Angel."
His eyes opened. "Buffy," he said, his eyes taking in the vision of her. Then, he suddenly seemed to realize this wasn't a dream & sat up on the bed, "Buffy. Hi."
Buffy: "Hi."
For a second the two just looked at one another.
Angel: "It's, um, been a long time since I last saw you. You look well."
Buffy: "Well, things aren't well."
Some time later, everyone was upstairs discussing.
Angel: "Well, I don't know who Jerald Anderson is, but I doubt he's using his actual name. Maybe if I got a visual of him, I could recognize him, but it's a longshot."
Faith: "Angel, what about the spell Wesley mentioned."
Upon Angel's puzzled look, Buffy interjected, "Oh, sorry, I didn't get to that yet. It's called Rhubarb Loaf or something?"
Willow: "Rubare Lotta. It means 'to steal fight'."
Angel's expression became a look of shock, "Rubare Lotta?"
Buffy: "Yeah, that's what Wesley told us."
Oz: "Are you familiar with it?"
Xander: "Judging by Angel's expression I would say he is"
Angel (eyes on Buffy): "The spell to kill the spirit of the slayer."
Willow: "That's what I thought it was, but I was hoping I was wrong."
The door to the agency opened, "I'm back. Just got some burgers for us. Don't worry I got yours without mayo or-" Doyle stopped, seeing the people in the room.
Angel: "Oh, for those of you that don't know, this is Doyle."
Doyle: "Good to see ya, Oz. Buffy, Faith, always good to sense a slayer within range. Gives me a nice confortin' feelin'. Don't believe I've met you two."
Willow: "I'm Willow. & this is Xander."
Doyle: "So what's going on?"
Angel: "Well, there's been a corruption in the Watcher's Council, the organization that guides the slayer. The head of the council is a vampire calling himself Jerald Anderson. He's plotting against the slayers. He wants to use a spell called Rubare Lotta to rob them of their-" Angel stopped upon seeing Doyle turn red. Doyle cried out in pain. Buffy looked around, not understanding what was happening, but Cordelia was already rushing to Doyle's side, keeping him from falling to the ground.
When the pain seemed to stop Xander spoke, "What just happened?"
Cordelia: "He gets visions."
Angel: "Incites into wrongs I'm supposed to right. Doyle, what'd you see?"
Doyle: "A place. A powerful place. No life growin' on it."
Angel: "Anything else?"
Doyle: "It's flat. Like it has different sections of flat, smooth area. It was made for something, some purpose."
Cordelia: "What did you feel?"
Doyle: "I felt like someone was comin. It's been quiet there a long time, but that's about ta end."
After a moment Doyle calmed down a bit more, then he said: "Rubare Lotta. I know of it. But, those magics are dead & gone. Many vampires have spouted the words, I have yet to see any of 'em pull off the ritual. See, a long time ago- & I'm talkin' long, I'm talking like long before, long before recorded history- the evilest & most powerful sorcerers that ever existed in this world conjured up a spell to prevent the continuum of the protector race."
Angel: "Wait, I know what you're talking about. The legend about how the higher powers created a race of beings to protect the humans from the demons. But, that's just a legend. It's not real."
Oz: "In my experience some legends have historical merit."
Doyle: "Smart kid."
Angel: "I've heard the story before, but I've never believed it. This is the part of it I do believe. Legend goes that the first life, if you can call it that, the first whatever- force- on this earth was a force of pure evil. The second was a force of true good, what Doyle likes to call 'the powers that be'. Ever since the two forces have existed there has been a fight for which side has the controlling balance."
Doyle picked up- "Well, since Evil came first they created the first creatures, demons. Much later on, Good came up with the idea for humans. Frail creatures, full a' life & emotion. The higher powers of Good loved these beings, so much that when they were killed in vast numbers by demons, Good created another race of being similar to humans only different. They had special abilities, fighters created to even the balance between Good & Evil, & hopefully to shift the balance toward Good. Soon demons began to die, race after race, & evil could rarely triumph because whenever one of the fighters would die another was born, the very same day.
"That's when the sorcerers created a ritual to rob these special people of their powers instead of allowing another to be born. They robbed & killed hundreds of the race until only 1 was left. The one was the greatest of them all, they called her the vampire slayer because she was the greatest at killing demons of the vampire race. Now, these fighters not only had supernatural strength & ability, but they had other powers as well. They were extraordinarily intelligent, extremely psychic, & had fighting skills better than any kind of demon could even claim to possess. The last of the race used all of her attributes to kill the evil sorcerers & destroy their magic spell.
"Every being that knew how to perform the ritual was killed. Afterward, the girl lived, fought, & died. When she did, one new girl was called, her daughter. She became known as the vampire slayer. Now, because all the other's of the last special fighter race were killed, the last of the fighter race breed with a human. Because of such, as time passed the abilities of the slayer were weakened until she became what she is today. She has some special strength, some psychic ability, but not like those of the original race did. I'm gettin' off subject.
"Anyway, all slayers are related. The blood of a slayer scattered as time progressed, and became different races. Out of all the decedents today, only one girl is called to continue the legacy of the ancient race.
"Somewhere throughout time 'the powers that be' saw fit to create an organization that were taught the ancient knowledges. They were also to guide the slayer, set her on the right path, aid in her fight. These were just regular people ordained by 'the powers that be' to help out the slayer. So that's how the legend goes. That's how this all began."
Buffy & Faith looked at each other.
Faith: "Family, never really had, ah,..." Faith smile, then stopped herself- "So the evil watcher head wants to deprive the world of the last two slayers."
Willow: "Especially, now that there are two. Wesley said something about the balance between good & evil being shifted because of Buffy's temporary death and a new slayer called & all that."
Buffy: "OK, so we know what the bad guy plans to do, but how do we stop him? We don't even know who or where he is?"
Doyle: "Not so sure you need to. I mean, every being wit' ta knowledge ta perform Rubare Lotta is long dead."
Faith: "No, I'm not buying. If he's got plans to pull a slayer theft, I'm bettin' he has learned or is learning how to do this ritual."
Willow: "Faith's right, someone either transcribed the spell somewhere, or, well, he could have contacted the spirit world to get it, it's dangerous, but it's doable. We can't just say the ritual's an impossibility. I mean, we're talking about Buffy here, & Faith, too. & not only them, the world."
Angel: "OK, we've established that this ritual is a threat, but I think our main concern is finding out exactly who Anderson is, & how to can take him down."
Buffy: "Alright, we've got a plan. Except it's not really a plan yet. Ok, well, I think the first thing is we need to either contact some watchers in England, or better yet go to England & see what's what."
Angel: "Buffy, When I said 'our', I meant me & Doyle. I don't want you or Faith involved in this, it's far too dangerous."
Buffy: "No, this concerns me. Angel, together me & Faith are stronger then you alone. & Anderson could be stronger than anything any of us has ever faced. We need a full force here."
Angel: "Buffy, these visions of Doyle's are meant for me. Me alone. Obviously, I'm supposed to stop this. If you came along, you could die."
Buffy: "Angel, this is happening to me. It's my fight, Wesley said, & he might of known more about Anderson's actual plans then he got to tell us." After a beat she continues- "We didn't have to come here at all, but now, with Doyle's vision- I think it means we are all supposed to deal with this. I think it's all of our fight. & I won't- no- I can't turn away now."
Angel looked down, defeated. Buffy continued, "So, first, I think we should go to England. Or maybe it's too dangerous. Plus, Anderson is after me & Faith now, so he's probably on the move. We need to find out where this 'first place' is. I think Doyle's vision might have been of it."
Doyle: "I think so, too. It was so powerful, & it felt old, ancient."
Xander: "& this is all we know, folks. Our next destination on the path to save the world could be anywhere in the world. & the only clues we have of finding it are that it's flat."
Cordelia (softly): "It'll be enough. It always is."
In the Los Angeles Library, Buffy is sitting quietly looking through books. Willow approaches her.
Buffy: "Hey, Will. So, give me a recap. What do we know so far?"
Willow: "Well, we've narrowed down the area to the Egyptian region of Africa, mythology references say pretty much that it all began there."
Buffy: "What is 'it all'?"
Willow: "I'm not sure. Life, or, maybe, Earth. There was a symbol in a book I went through that contained that legend Doyle told us about. What we need to find is maybe a reference to that symbol existing somewhere where it's flat."
Buffy: "You really think that some ancient symbol will still be around from a time as old as the beginning of all everything?"
Willow: "Well, it's our best option."
Buffy: "What about trying to contact 'the powers that be'?"
Willow: "I tried myself, & again using Doyle because he's more attuned to them. Nothing. Either they weren't listening or they just won't talk to us."
Buffy: "Sucks."
Willow: "We'll turn up something." Willow turned to leave & accidentally knocked a book on the floor. She picked it up & handed it to Buffy, "Sorry. Here."
Buffy: "I haven't looked at that one yet." Buffy flipped through the book, stopped on a page, & pointed to a picture on the page. "What about this, it's flat & nothing's growing on it. & look there's a symbol at the center, looks old & magic-y."
Willow looked over, & then stopped still. "Oh my god. Buffy, that's the symbol. "
Some time later Doyle was on the phone with everyone in the detective agency.
Doyle (on phone): "Yeah, that's, ah, eight people. What's the total on that now? Holy shhh... no, I'm OK. Just, um, stubbed my toe. Yeah, we'll be payin' at the airport."
Oz: "So it's settled. We're off to 'the first place'?"
Xander: "All of us."
Buffy: "Last chance to back out here, guys."
Willow: "No, Buffy, I think you were right about this all being meant to be this way. Besides, I want to be there with you."
Xander: "So do I."
Cordelia: "Off we are."
Doyle: "Cord, I don't want ya ta-"
Cordelia: "I'm coming with you. So just shut up about it already. I always get my way, there's no point in arguing."
Angel was looking at Buffy & Faith. "When it comes time to fight, it may just be me & you two. We'll have to buy weapons after the plane ride. Even though we're going on a cargo plane, they still won't let us pass through customs with an arsenal."
Faith: "Got it covered. I dipped into your piggy bank, Angel, behind the bookcase. You shouldn't have put it back there after I left. But, honestly, I think I can swing some goodies without cash."
Buffy: "I don't know. Maybe we won't need weapons at all."
Faith: "You always need weapons, Buffy."
Buffy: "I just have this strong feeling. We won't need anything but ourselves."
Doyle: "Well, then, let's get ourselves to the airport before we miss the night flight & have to wait a week for the next one."
