Announcement

**Alex** · 13-11-07, 01:33 AM

ACT II

Cut to the inside of the building, as Buffy walks into the hallway. It resembles a typical house, with a kitchen visible to the left and a furnished living room to the right.

Xander: Malachi's a fan of floral wallpaper. Who knew?

Voice OS: It was my father's home.

Everyone turns to see Rebecca standing in the kitchen with Giles and Heather. Giles and Heather smile at the group who smile back, but look awkward. There is a short pause.

Xander: I?love what he's done with the place.

There is another awkward silence as some of the group smile weakly.

Rebecca: You are here to investigate what occurred beneath the house.
Buffy nods.

Buffy: Right.

Buffy glances at Giles who realises he should explain.

Giles: Uh, Rebecca's been independently working against Malachi for a while now. She was the one to discover, or rather rediscover this place.

Kennedy: Good one.

Giles: Quite. And uh, welcome back, by the way.

Kennedy smiles.

Giles: I take it you've been filled in?

Kennedy: Oh yeah. All the fun apocalyptic details.

Heather: Well allow us to show you all a few more.

Heather looks at Alethea.

Heather: You can go, Alethea.

Alethea looks annoyed but turns around sharply and leaves. Everyone looks at Heather.

Dawn: You can say that to her?

Giles smiles.

Giles: Alethea's no longer the head of the GSPST. Heather is.

Heather looks pleased but modestly so. The others, minus Rebecca, look glad.

Kelly: How'd that happen?

Heather: Well, Alethea's hardly done an impressive job. For all their incompetence the government seem to have realised that much.

Willow: Wonders never cease.

Heather: Indeed.

Rebecca looks at Buffy.

Rebecca: Are you not eager to investigate the lower levels of the house?

Buffy: Oh, right, sorry. Lead the way.

Rebecca turns and the others follow her as she begins to climb down a ladder in a trap door, which appears to have been uncovered recently; anxiety is clear on all their faces.

Cut to Buffy and co. walking in a dimly lit room. Equipment is littered around the room, as several figures walk around investigating it. Vanessa and Joe appear from nearby.

Vanessa: Hey, you made it.

Buffy looks pleasantly surprised.

Buffy: Vanessa, Joe, what are you guys doing here?

Heather: I, uh, took the liberty of re-employing them. I thought that's what?what Julia, would have wanted.

Giles smiles at Heather. Buffy nods, looking pensive. Vanessa and Joe also look a little sad as Rebecca walks past them. The others look at her as she looks at some of the equipment.

Rebecca: Have you uncovered anything?

Joe: Uh, a few things actually.

Joe walks over to a table. The others follow.

Joe: There are plans for Malachi's Ascension here.

He lifts up a piece of paper.

Joe: He's taken the Rite of Gavrok. So this is gonna kick off within the next hundred days.

There is a look of anxiety amongst the group.

Dawn: What about the experimentation?

Rebecca's expression changes a little but no one notices as she is staring away from the others.

Vanessa: Well, it doesn't look like a lot of that happened here. As far as we can tell anyway.

Xander: I guess it makes sense he'd have one base for that and another to sort out the Ascension.

Something catches Buffy's eye and she walks away from the group.

Giles: Buffy?

Buffy kneels down. She picks up a piece of a broken test tube and examines it. She stands up, still looking away from the others.

Buffy: Something more happened here. I'm gonna find out what.

Rebecca turns and looks at Buffy, her eyes expressing a great deal of interest.

Cut to Alethea walking into her office. As she closes the door she holds the door handle for a few seconds. A green light emits from her hand and the door suddenly seems to become sealed. The green light bursts across the whole room. Alethea smiles in a satisfied way and flips open her phone. She puts it to her ear after dialling a number.

Alethea: They're inside?I see. How long will it take to?really?

She seems pleased. Her smile widens as she sits down.

Alethea: Wonderful.

Cut to Rebecca brushing her hand across a table in the basement of the house. Kelly appears next to her.

Kelly: Must be weird. This being your house, an' all.

Rebecca looks at her.

Rebecca: It is?disquieting.

Kelly: Right.

There is a pause.

Kelly: What was it like? I mean?Ethan Rayne, as a father?

Rebecca turns away.

Rebecca: I do not remember?

Rebecca says this with a poignant tone. Kelly looks confused, as Xander and Dawn appear next to them.

Xander: Think we're going.

Kelly: Oh, ok. Did you guys find anything else?

Dawn: GSPST are gonna keep looking. We can't do much more though, Heather thinks we might as well go.

Rebecca: I will stay.

Xander: I'm?sure that's fine.

Rebecca nods and walks away. The others stare at her.

Xander: I'm thinking childhood trauma.

Kelly: So am I?but I'm not sure what. Guess she'll tell us if she needs to.

Dawn: I don't think she's the type to spill out her life story.

Xander: Yeah there's a vibe.

Kelly smiles weakly.

Kelly: So let's go.

Xander and Dawn begin to walk over to the others. As they do Kelly rubs her left eye slightly. It glows bright blue for a second and she blinks.

Kelly: Sure is dusty down here.

Xander looks at her and smiles, putting his arm round her. The bright blue appears in his left eye also. As they join the others, flashes of blue light scatter across them. No one notices.

Cut to Giles, Heather, Buffy, Vanessa, Joe, Xander, Kelly and Dawn in the Summers' living room.

Heather: I don't see that we have any choice other than to wait for more information to come to us Buffy.

Buffy: I can tell something bad happened under that house. Malachi and Ethan could have been creating God knows what.

Vanessa: Well if so it's not there now.
Buffy: Malachi could have moved it anywhere with the teleportation gadgets.

Kelly: Um, I'm just thinking, if Malachi's gonna Ascend, then why would he need to experiment anyway? I mean, if he's all Pure Demon, then why would he even need to make Slayer Demons?

Giles: I don't think Malachi was necessarily behind that?

Buffy: Ethan?

Giles: Yes. The more chaos the better, as far as he was concerned.

Dawn: So now he's gone that's just?stopped?

There is a pause.

Kelly: What about Rebecca? Something is definitely up with her. She still has that wacky power thing going on, I don't think it's simply magic.

Giles: You think she was something to do with the experiments?

Kelly: I do.

Buffy looks worried.

Buffy: If so we need to talk to her.

Xander: What if she's not in the mood to answer.

Buffy: She helped us this much. It can't hurt to ask.

Heather: I'll get back to the scene, and see if anything else has been found. I'll do what I can to persuade Rebecca to come back.

Buffy: Thanks.

Vanessa: We'll come too.

Joe: Yeah. Nice to actually be working for a change. We'll do what we can.

Buffy smiles at him.

Buffy: Thank you.

Vanessa's expression stiffens slightly as she sees Buffy and Joe smiling at one another.

Cut to Willow walking into the kitchen, a little later. Buffy, Xander and Kelly are sat and stood around.

Buffy: Hey.

Willow: Hi. Have the others gone back?

Kelly: Yeah you know, wherever Heather goes Giles goes these days.

Kelly rolls her eyes. Willow continues to smile, but it is accompanied by a slight frown.

Kelly: Oh come on, they're like joined at the hip.

Buffy: Well?I guess she helps. She's kinda like Julia.

Xander: Only, half her age.

Willow: I don't think Giles is planning on anything above a G rating with Heather.

Kelly: Guys his age get lonely. But hey, who am I to judge?

Buffy: Mm?

Kelly sips from her glass. Buffy and Willow exchange a look.

Buffy: So?where's Kennedy?

Willow: Oh she's sleeping. Still kinda jetlagged I think.

Buffy: Right. You uh, haven't told her about?you know?

Willow sighs.

Willow: I've?tried. It's just been difficult with everything going on today.

Xander: She has a right to know Will.

Willow looks annoyed.

Willow: I know that!

Buffy: I think what Xander's trying to say is-

Kelly: That you should really let the woman that has the hots for you know that she might have to check her back up plans before the year is out.

Buffy shoots Kelly a look of horror. Xander looks surprised as well. Willow looks very hurt and runs upstairs.

Buffy: Will!

Buffy runs after Willow but stops at the foot of the stairs. She looks back at Kelly who don't really look all that bothered.

Buffy: What the hell is wrong with you?

Kelly: I just said what everyone's thinking.

Xander: Ya had to say it like that?

Kelly looks annoyed.

Kelly: Oh right, of course you'd jump at the chance to argue.

Buffy: How is there jumping? How is there even remote jumping!?

Kelly rolls her eyes.

Kelly: I don't have time for this.

Kelly gets up and walks past Buffy. Buffy grabs her arm.

Buffy: We're not done.

Kelly pulls her arm away looking threatened. She glares, staring Buffy in the eye.

Kelly: Oh really?

Xander stands up.

Xander: Uh, guys? Is acting crazy a new plan that no one told me about?

Buffy looks at him, annoyed.

Buffy: I'm acting crazy?

Xander realises this will get him nowhere and moves his hands to indicate he's finished. However Kelly walks towards him.

Kelly: This isn't the time you to play peacemaker Xander.

Xander: Someone has to. I'm not just gonna stand aside while you two fly off the handle.

Buffy: What are you gonna do?

Xander looks annoyed and stands up. Buffy laughs at him.

Buffy: Oh, tough guy huh?

Kelly: He doesn't mean it. Xander just sit down, stay outta this. You're no use.

Xander glares at her. Dawn walks in, but no one moves in any way.

Xander: You do whatever the hell you want.

Xander walks away. Kelly and Buffy glare at one another.

Buffy: What about you? All talk?

Kelly: Oh you wanna see how much non-talking I can muster? Wait?right here!

Kelly points at the ground and runs away. Buffy stares after her frowning. Dawn looks surprised.

Dawn: What'd I miss?

Cut to Willow looking tearful, sitting on her bed. Kennedy sits up behind her.

Kennedy: Will?

Willow turns round quickly. Kennedy can see that she has been crying and frowns.

Kennedy: What's happened?

Willow: It's nothing.

Kennedy: The kind of nothing that makes you cry?

Willow doesn't respond.

Kennedy: Will if you don't tell me then I can't help you.

Willow: I didn't ask for your help.

Kennedy looks annoyed. There is a pause.

Kennedy: You wanna cry on your own? Fine.

Kennedy gets up.

Kennedy: Just do it somewhere where you won't wake me up.

Willow: Where are you going?

Kennedy: Downstairs.

Kennedy slams the door behind her. Willow wipes her eyes. Her sadness is replaced by something else: anger.

Cut to Dawn on the phone in the living room.

Dawn: I don't know how to explain it really?

Kennedy appears at the bottom of the stairs. She pauses as she sees Dawn on the phone. Dawn doesn't notice her and continues her phone conversation.

Dawn: Just really angry?well Kelly, Xander, Buffy so far. Maybe Willow and Kennedy too. They're kinda?crazy.

Kennedy frowns and walks back upstairs, quickly. Cut to Giles on the other end, sitting in the front passenger seat of Heather's car. Heather is driving.

Giles: Well maybe tensions are rather high due the situation. We are dealing with an apocalypse Dawn.

Cut back to Dawn.

Dawn: When are we not?

Cut back to Giles.

Giles: Look, I'd appreciate it if you didn't call unless there's a real emergency. There may be other people trying to get through. More important people.

Cut back to Dawn.

Dawn: Ok?sorry.

She puts the phone down, looking confused. Cut to Giles also putting the phone down.

Heather: What did she want?

Giles: Lord knows.

Heather: Do they always rely on you like this? It's hardly flattering.

Giles looks at her.

Giles: Well it's hardly surprising they see me as somewhat of a mentor.

Heather: Because you're twice their age?

Giles frowns.

Giles: Well yes I am older, and?perhaps wiser.

Heather: You don't sound very sure of yourself.

Giles pauses.

Giles: Perhaps you should just?drive the car.

Heather rolls her eyes looking annoyed. She and Giles drive onwards.

Cut to Joe and Vanessa walking into the house above Malachi's base. They are arguing. There is an eerie silence, and lack of anyone else.

Vanessa: Why won't you just be honest?

Joe: I am!

Vanessa: I saw you!

Joe: You're just looking for an excuse to have a go at me.

Vanessa: Oh so this is my problem?

Joe: It usually is.

Joe begins climbing down the trap door. Vanessa looks angry.

Vanessa: What is that supposed to mean?

Cut to Joe jumping off the end of the ladder to the ground. Vanessa steps down next to him.

Joe: Well we haven't exactly been happy.

Vanessa: Maybe you'd be happy alone huh?

Joe: Fine.

Vanessa: Fine!

They glare at one another. Suddenly there is a crash from nearby. They both turn, looking concerned. They rush into the lair.

Rebecca is casually hitting a sledgehammer against the wall of the lair. Vanessa and Joe look around to see various people from the GSPST lying around unconscious?or worse. They look worried..

Vanessa: Rebecca?did you do this?

Rebecca hesitates for a second, in acknowledgement of their arrival and then continues to hit the wall.

Rebecca: There is a malevolent force at work.

Joe: What?

Rebecca: It controlled their minds causing them to act irrationally. I had to intervene.

She hits the wall, making a slight crack.

Joe: W-what are you doing?

Rebecca looks irritated.

Rebecca: Attempting to find it.

Vanessa looks worried.

Vanessa: Then we need to get the hell out of here!

Rebecca: You have been here too long. It's too late.

Vanessa and Joe look worried. Giles and Heather appear. They look shocked to see the scene. Heather puts her hands on her hips looking exasperated.

Heather: Honestly I leave the place for a few hours and look what happens-

Rebecca swiftly turns around and blasts energy at Heather and the others. They fly back and fall to the ground unconscious. Rebecca turns around and continues hitting the wall?getting closer.

**Alex** · 13-11-07, 01:34 AM

ACT III

Cut to Kennedy walking into Willow's room. Willow turns round from the bed. She looks angry.

Willow: What do you want?

Kennedy: Willow listen to me.

Willow: Oh you wanna apologise? Maybe you should've thought of that before you went like, all the way across the Atlantic and left me!

Kennedy: What? Shut up! Listen, Dawn thinks we're crazy. Maybe the others do too.

Willow looks shocked.

Willow: Well that's rude!

Kennedy: I know, she was telling Giles. I don't know what she's up to, but we can't trust her.

Willow looks at her suspiciously.

Willow: Why should I trust you?

Kennedy: Cause I have a plan.

Cut to Xander listening in the hallway. He frowns to herself and walks over to her and his and Kelly's room. Kelly is sorting through weapons.

Xander: Hey, listen-

Kelly: Which do you think's better?

She swings a sword.

Kelly: Broooooad sword? Or?

She stabs a dagger forwards a few times.

Kelly: Little stabbing dagger? It's quick and efficient?but I'm torn.

Xander: Uh, are you planning on killing somebody?

Kelly: You bet I am! Buffy wants to see what I got? I'll show her.

Kelly picks up jagged knife and looks intrigued. Xander stares at her.

Xander: Maybe there are better ways.

Kelly: Like what?

Xander: Like?non-fatal ways.

Kelly stares at him. She narrows her eyes slightly. Then she looks like she's realised something.

Kelly: Did Buffy get you to try and stop me? Cause she knows she'd lose?

Xander: No?no no no!

Kelly: Really?

Kelly walks towards Xander with the dagger in her hand. Xander eyes it.

Xander: Listen I was just coming to tell you! Dawn and Buffy are working against us. Kennedy overheard Dawn talking?

Kelly: Kennedy huh? And you trust her?

Xander: No?I just, you know, think she's better off than Buffy. Who's clearly evil.

Kelly narrows her eyes and holds the dagger around Xander's chest. She pauses for a second.

Kelly: Those little bitches?this ends now!

She turns round and puts the dagger on the bed. She looks at the broad sword and comes to a conclusion. She turns round but Xander is stood in her way.

Xander: We can take ?em out together.

Kelly laughs.

Kelly: Please?

She shoves Xander aside roughly. He hits the wall hard and looks in pain. Kelly walks down the hallway. Kennedy and Willow appear behind her.

Kennedy: That's a big sword. Where ya going with it?

Kelly turns round.

Kelly: I'm gonna kill Buffy. Problem?

Willow: What then? Are we next?

Kelly: Not if you do what I say.

Willow: I don't have to listen to this?

She raises her hand and throws a fireball at Kelly. Kelly narrowly dodges. Xander appears. The phone rings in the background.

Willow: You can't stop this Xander.

Xander: You're gonna have to come through me if you wanna get Kelly.

Willow: And that's five seconds of my life I'll never get back.

Kennedy: And we need to find Buffy!

Kennedy approaches Xander. Suddenly Buffy appears behind Kelly.

Buffy: Well here I am.

Kelly spins round. The camera quickly zooms in on Kelly's eyes narrowing, and then on Buffy's narrowing also. Epic battle music plays as Kelly lunges at Buffy and Buffy expertly dodges Kelly's sword swipe. Willow begins to create another fireball but Xander grabs her wrist. As he does, he, Willow and Kennedy are suddenly blasted back into the walls by the fireball. They fall unconscious. Buffy punches Kelly in the face. Kelly slams the sword horizontally at Buffy pushing her back into the wall next to the stairs. Buffy pushes her off and both of them tumble down the stairs. They land at the bottom, still fighting. Kelly pushes Buffy off of her and raises her sword, about to stab Buffy. However Kelly is suddenly hit over the head. She wavers a second and then falls unconscious. Dawn is stood behind Kelly, a statue in her hand. She and Buffy stare at one another for a second.

Dawn: So?Lauren called?

Cut to a pair of hands being handcuffed. The camera pans back to show that the hands are Kelly's. She, Xander, Willow and Kennedy lie unconscious in the living room and all of them are being handcuffed to the furniture by soldiers. Lauren and Dawn stand nearby.

Lauren: It's mystical, that's much is clear but, it's nothing we've ever come across before. It's not simply a spell?it's something else altogether.

Dawn: Is it contagious?

Lauren hesitates.

Lauren: No?

Dawn: But?

Lauren sighs.

Lauren: It doesn't spread from person to person. You need to be exposed first hand.

Dawn: Then what's the problem?

Lauren: Being exposed first hand is getting easier by the second. The sphere of influence is already about a twenty-mile radius from Malachi's base. It'll be here in less than an hour.

Dawn looks worried.

Dawn: And it won't stop?

Lauren: No. But, then again, you're not trying to kill me right now, so that's good news.

Dawn looks at her.

Dawn: I guess this is one of the perks about not being entirely human.

Lauren: Right. Dawn listen, this time next week this thing'll be a global problem; and there aren't gonna be many people left by then.

Dawn: What about a cure?

Lauren: Even if one does exist? There's no time. Dawn, you're the only one that hasn't gone all Jack Torrance after coming into direct contact with this thing.

Dawn: I can't fight alone.

Lauren: I'm not asking you to.

Dawn frowns and sees that Lauren is looking past her. Dawn turns too. They are staring at Buffy who is standing in the kitchen, staring out of the window. Dawn turns to Lauren.

Dawn: She's just like them Lauren, she can't-

Lauren: She might be our only hope. And you just saved her life, I mean she might be insane right now but that probably puts you in her good books.

Dawn sighs.

Lauren: You can get through to her. Or try, at least. There isn't another option right now, and soon, I'm not gonna be the nicest person to be around.

Dawn hesitates and then nods. She walks over to Buffy.

Dawn: Buffy?

Buffy turns sharply. She looks at Dawn and then looks past her.

Buffy: What do they want?

Dawn: They're trying to help. The others aren't gonna be a problem?for now. They're chained up.

Buffy pauses looking unconvinced and suspicious.

Buffy: We should kill them while we have the chance.

Dawn: Buffy listen to me, the way y?the way they're acting right now? It's not their fault. Something is making them crazy. And it's coming from Malachi's base.

Buffy frowns.

Buffy: How do you know? Lauren could be lying, she could be in on this whole thing!

Dawn: She's not. I trust her. And you have to trust me. Ok?

Dawn stares at Buffy. Buffy frowns.

Buffy: I guess you did stop Kelly from stabbing me to death?

Dawn: Yes. Yes I did. And she's gonna wake up and want a second shot if we don't go and stop whatever's at Malachi's base. We have to destroy it. You might be the only one who can.

Buffy looks at her. Dawn looks hopeful.

Buffy: How do we get there?

Cut to Dawn getting out of the driver's seat of a car into the street near Malachi's base. She looks around her worriedly. The yellow tape that was surrounding the area is ripped up. Cars are crashed, and glass and rubbish scatter the area. Even a few bodies can be made out in the distance. Raised voices can be heard inside some of the nearby houses, though many others are on fire. A gunshot is heard. Dawn screws up her eyes, looking horrified. She turns and sees Buffy standing on the other side of the car.

Buffy: You know sometimes I wish I'd just stayed in the ground. At least I wouldn't have to clean all this up.

Buffy looks unimpressed with the destruction around her. Dawn stares at her sadly.

Dawn: What about the other times? It can get better.

Buffy: And then it just gets worse again. How can I fight this Dawn?

Buffy sits back in the car. Dawn looks surprised and then angry. She walks around to the other side of the car. She pulls Buffy out, and caught off guard, Buffy doesn't retaliate.

Buffy: What are you doing!?

Dawn: You have to fight.

Buffy: Says who?

Dawn stares at her.

Dawn: You would have. Not long ago.

Buffy stares back, considering this.

Dawn: Malachi wants this. He wants chaos, and, giving up on hope. We can't afford to. He can't win. If you want me to make this easier for you, think about Kelly trying to kill you. Now think about Malachi trying to do it like this. Are you gonna stand for that? Are you gonna just let him?

Dawn stares at Buffy, hoping that she can get through to her. Buffy looks angry, but not with Dawn.

Buffy: Show me where he is.

Dawn turns towards the base looking relieved. Buffy follows; only one thought in her mind.

Cut to Dawn stepping off the last rung of the ladder into the underground area. A bullet hits the wall inches away from her. Dawn gasps as she sees Heather holding a gun a few feet away. Giles, Vanessa and Joe are stood nearby. They all look surprised to see Dawn.

Giles: What are you doing here?

Dawn: We came to stop this.

Buffy jumps down behind looking alert.

Buffy: I heard a bullet!

The others look at Heather who quietly drops the gun.

Heather: Well I didn't know who it was!

Buffy looks annoyed and starts to walk towards Heather menacingly.

Buffy: You tried to shoot my sister!?

Dawn grabs her arm.

Dawn: Guys! Focus!

Vanessa: On what?

Dawn: This is all happening because of something in this place.

Joe: Rebecca!

Heather: Yes! She attacked us all, totally unprovoked and then destroyed the wall and went down a tunnel and we don't know where she is now and we think she might be doing something very bad.

Dawn: You didn't think to follow her?

Giles: She blocked up the wall behind her.

Giles points at the far wall. Buffy frowns and walks towards it followed by the others. Sure enough, the passage that Rebecca created has been blocked by several rocks.

Heather: You see?

Buffy stares at the wall. She then walks up to one of the rocks and promptly pulls it off the pile. A fair sized hole is created. Heather sighs folding her arms.

Heather: And you expect to beat her?

Buffy: I have a better chance than any of you!

There is a pause.

Joe: Can't hurt to have back up.

Buffy: And while what I just said it a very, very important factor?Joe's gonna come with me.

Vanessa looks outraged.

Vanessa: What!?

Buffy: You heard.

Vanessa: You can't just tell people what to do.

Dawn: Look-

Buffy: No Dawn. Vanessa has something she wants to say.

Buffy folds her arms.

Buffy: Feeling threatened.

Vanessa: You bet I am!

Joe: Vanessa-

Vanessa: Joe if you don't support me on this God-help-me I will-

Buffy: Joe can decide what he wants!

Giles looks completely unimpressed by this situation, though Heather watches enthralled as if she's watching a soap-drama.

Vanessa: Joe wants me!

Joe: I want you to shut up!

Vanessa looks shocked. Buffy smiles triumphantly.

Buffy: Like I said.

Joe: Both of you!

Buffy looks angry. Dawn sighs putting her hand to her forehead. She turns to one of the rocks and tries to lift it, but has no luck.

Joe: Bloody women.

Heather: Oo one of you better punch him or I will!

Giles: I don't think that's going to help matters Heather.

Heather: Nobody asked your opinion Giles.

Giles looks frustrated as Buffy and Vanessa glare at one another.

Vanessa: Joe are you just gonna stand by and let her talk to me like this!?

Joe: What do you want me to do?

Vanessa pauses and then suddenly punches Buffy. Buffy is forced back and then looks up looking shocked.

Buffy: Did you just hit me!?

Vanessa: Yeah!

Buffy looks enraged. She pounces at Vanessa. Heather looks excited as Dawn looks worried and desperately tries to move one of the rocks. It is dislodged slightly.

Cut to Lauren looking out of the Summers' living room window, looking anxious.

Lauren: (to herself) What the hell are they doing?

The camera moves behind her and focuses on Willow. Her eyes snap open.

Cut to Vanessa and Buffy rolling around on the floor. Joe looks annoyed with them, but doesn't try and intervene. Heather runs next to him.

Heather: Looks like Buffy might have the upper hand here!

Joe looks at her dismissively. Cut to Dawn who is using all her strength to make an entrance in the rock pile. Giles notices.

Cut to Lauren turning around. Willow is behind her. She grabs Lauren by the neck.

Willow: Thought you could keep me tied up huh?

Lauren: It wasn't just me!

Willow: I don't wanna hear it!

She squeezes Lauren's neck. There is a sound of metal snapping from behind them. Willow turns round and sees that Kelly has woken up also, and Kennedy is stirring. Kelly looks at Willow and Lauren, her expression neutral. Willow releases her grip of Lauren slightly.

Lauren: It was?her!

Lauren points at Kelly. Kelly looks shocked at Lauren. Willow's eyes turn red and she releases Lauren who falls to the ground. Kelly's eyes widen and she runs away from Willow, into the kitchen. Kennedy's eyes open as Willow disappears into the hallway, following Kelly.

Cut to Buffy throwing Vanessa off of her. The two of them get up, ready to stand off once again.

"Map of the Problematique" by Muse starts to play. The camera zooms in on Buffy's eyes narrowing, and then on Vanessa's. The screen splits in two diagonally, showing both women ready to fight. Cut to Willow running towards the camera. Then Kelly running away from the camera, looking behind her, terrified. The screen splits in two diagonally once again showing the hunter and the hunted.

Cut to Buffy and Vanessa approaching one another. Buffy punches Vanessa in the face in semi slow motion. Time then speeds up as Vanessa recovers. It then slows once more as she kicks Buffy in the stomach. Buffy falls to the ground.

Cut to Kelly grabbing a wooden spoon from the kitchen sink. She throws it through the air in slow motion, narrowly missing Willow. It rebounds off the wall as Willow picks up a chair and throws it as Kelly in slow motion. Kelly ducks as the chair smashes through the kitchen window.

Cut to Kennedy running through the hallway as gunfire rains behind her. Lauren ducks to the ground as does Kennedy. Willow's attention moves from Kelly to outside where she sees soldiers firing at them. Kelly stares outside looking shocked. Willow's eyes narrow and she pulls her hands back and then blasts fire through the now broken window.

Cut to Buffy and Vanessa, now full on fighting. They trade blows quickly, neither showing signs of tiring. The screen minimizes to the top left. Cut to Dawn climbing through a small hole she has created in the rock pile. The screen minimizes to the top right. Cut to soldiers running around on fire outside of the Summers' house. The screen minimizes to the bottom left. Cut to Kelly running up the stairs to get away from Willow who is not far behind. The screen minimizes to the bottom right.

Cut to Alethea staring at a television screen, and on the telephone smiling darkly at what she is seeing.

Fear and panic in the air

Cut to Dawn running down the tunnel desperately, in slow motion. Giles squeezes through the gap she created, as she disappears around a corner.

I want to be free
From desolation and despair

Cut to Heather and Joe looking worried now as they watch the fight between Buffy and Vanessa get uglier.

And I feel like everything I saw
Is being swept away

Vanessa punches Buffy hard in the face,

When I refuse to let you go

Cut to Kennedy running up the stairs of the Summers' house in slow motion.

I can't get it right

Cut to the door of Kelly and Xander's bedroom blasting open as Kelly runs away from it.

Get it right

Cut to Willow behind the door; the cause of the explosion. She approaches Kelly looking furious. Kelly throws a shoe at her.

Since I met you

Cut to Dawn running further down the tunnel, which is going deep underground. Giles follows her, also running.

Loneliness be over

Cut to Vanessa and Buffy still struggling to fight one another.

When will this loneliness be over

Cut to series of fast shots of all the action taking place. The instrumental part of the song continues as Dawn runs round another corner and then suddenly stops. A bright blue glow is surrounding her. She stares at the figure in front of her. It's Rebecca, who is standing next to the source of the blue light; a fairly large sphere attached to the wall. It appears it was guarded by several metal grates but they appear to have been ripped from place by Rebecca. Giles appears next to Dawn and stares at Rebecca also. Rebecca, holding the sledge hammer from earlier, raises it in the air.

Cut to Buffy gaining the upper hand with Vanessa. Cut to Willow about to kill Kelly. Rebecca smashes the orb.

Announcement

Buffy Episode 9.18 184. A Slight Chance of Nausea

Buffy Episode 9.18 184. A Slight Chance of Nausea

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