CHOSEN Episode 1.16 "The Message" (Season Finale)

[Heather]

CHOSEN
Episode 1.16 "The Message"
Written by: Me
Produced by: Me

*Disclaimer: This is the fine print. The universe that "Chosen" takes place in was created by Joss Whedon and structured by his TV children "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Angel." Those two shows and this universe/Buffyverse is property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, Sandollar Television, Kuzui Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television, and the WB and UPN television networks. All characters that are not directly from the Buffyverse are all property of me. Ask before using.

~ ~ ~

PREVIOUSLY ON?

FADE IN

We fade in on a black screen.

ANDY (VO): This Season on "Chosen?"

FADE TO:

STOCK IMAGE ? NEW YORK CITY ? NIGHT

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY - ALLEY ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.01. ANDY stakes a vampire, saving NATALIE.

NATALIE: So who are you again?

ANDY steps up to her and holds out her hand which NATALIE openly accepts.

ANDY: I'm Andrea Sullivan.

NATALIE: Can I call you ?Andy?'

ANDY: That'd be great, actually.

NATALIE: I'm Natalie Price. Just don't call me ?Nat' yet considering I just met you.

NATALIE grabs ANDY by the hand and the two exit the alley.

CUT TO:

INT. APARTMENT ? ANDY'S ROOM ? MORNING

Scene from 1.01. BRETT holds out his hand to ANDY.

BRETT: The name's Brett.

CUT TO:

INT. THE SHED ? MAIN ROOM ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.01. BRETT stands in the doorway, crossbow raised and aimed at GREG.

BRETT (VO): Brett Stewart if you want to be all formal and whatnot.

He fires the crossbow at GREG and it passes right through him.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? MORNING

Scene from 1.01. ELIZABETH and GREG are standing at the end of a long table, staring at a telephone that appears to be on speaker-phone.

BRETT (VO): I work for Celestial Center. Or should I say "worked" for them.

VOICE: Congratulations, Mr. Carlisle. You are hereby appointed to second Vice President of Celestial Center and replacing Mr. Stewart.

ELIZABETH leans in and kisses GREG.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? HALLWAY ? MORNING

Scene from 1.06. Five men wheel a large crate down the hallway as ELIZABETH and DIANNA watch.

BRETT (VO): They're a black ops agency set below the CIA by hundreds of miles, literally.

CUT TO:

EXT. CAVERNS ? OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAVERNS ? EVENING

Scene from 1.09. ELIZABETH stands tall on a rock. Behind her is a large group of soldiers wearing only black and carrying large weapons.

BRETT (VO): They create Operations for their workers to follow through with and it's headed by some guy on the other side of the world.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? AFTERNOON

Scene from 1.05. DIANNA PRESTON sits alone at the end of the long conference table. She pours herself a glass of champagne and sips from it.

VOICE (VO): I have hired a second president, myself being the first, of Celestial Center to care for it in my absence.

ELIZABETH (VO): When will this guy be here?

VOICE (VO): Very shortly?

CUT TO:

EXT. CENTRAL PARK ? PATHWAY ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.01. ANDY and NATALIE are confronted by a vampire while patrolling the park.

VAMPIRE: My Queen has sent me to give you fair warning. She's been watching you rather closely. Though she also wanted me to give you the offer of joining her in the battle that will soon ensue.

ANDY looks at the business card the vampire hands her and we see the logo of a heart with a stake through it.

FLASH TO:

INT. APARTMENT ? ANDY'S BEDROOM ? MORNING

Scene from 1.01. BRETT hands ANDY a Celestial Center business card. We see the same logo with a heart and a stake running diagonally through it.

FLASH TO:

INT. UNKNOWN LOCATION ? DARK ROOM ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.13. LYNN is tied to a chair as a heart with a stake through it is tattooed into her skin just between her shoulder blades.

FLASH TO:

EXT. PLANETARIUM ? ALLEY ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.14. We see KAYLA's birthmark that looks like a heart with a long stake through it on her shoulder. She pulls up her shirt sleeve to cover it.

CUT TO:

INT. WATCHER'S COUNCIL ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? AFTERNOON

Scene from 1.02. ANDY faces QUENTIN TRAVERS. Behind her is NATALIE and BRETT.

QUENTIN: For none of you will this be an easy choice or a task that will be so simple. What you are proposing is dangerous, yet extremely responsible. Are you completely sure that this is what you want to do with your power?

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? DAY

The scene is from no specific episode. We see shots of the young Slayers training with each other. Some practice fighting while others stretch.

ANDY (VO): This is what I have to do. You know as well as I do that the Queen is gonna hit us hard and without these Slayers all trained and prepared, we'll fall apart and likely die. Everyone will. I can't let that happen.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.03. BRETT, NATALIE, and ANDY turn to see SPIKE and ILLYRIA standing in the doorway with a horde of young girls behind them.

SPIKE: I think these belong to you.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? AFTERNOON

Scene from 1.05. FRED/ILLYRIA is standing in the corner of the room, slowly transforming into her normal appearance. ANDY walks up and flicks her in the back of hair, where a streak of brown hair is meshing with the normally blue hair.

ANDY: You missed a spot.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE END ? LIGHTHOUSE ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.05. A group of witches move in on ANDY and ILLYRIA. ANDY is thrown through the air and smashes into a wooden building. ILLYRIA, however, cannot move. A glowing circle appears around ILLYRIA and she writhes in pain. CARLA BROOKS and SUSAN SIDELL are the leaders of the witches.

CARLA: Osiris, Keeper of the Dead, I ask that you commune with us on this darkest night to bring retribution to the one who seeks it most. She has murdered many and does not deserve to walk this Earth anymore. Take back what has been given and return this world to the way it should.

There's a flash of light. When the light fades away, we see two figures now in the circle ? ILLYRIA and WINIFRED BURKLE.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY ? STREET ? DAY

Scene from 1.05. FRED drives NATALIE's car down the street as the camera pans up into the air. As FRED passes through an intersection, another vehicle slams into the side of her and kills her instantly.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE END ? LIGHTHOUSE ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.05. ILLYRIA faces CARLA and SUSAN.

ILLYRIA: Thank you for freeing me from my suppression.

She raises both hands and incinerates the witches with blue energy emitting from her palms.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY ? ALLEY ? DAY

FAITH and ANDY are fighting while ROBIN and NATALIE watch from the sidelines.

FAITH (VO): I'm Faith.

ANDY (VO): So you're the murderer on the loose, huh?

CUT TO:

INT. HILLSIDE MANSION ? BEDROOM ? DAY

ROBIN stands before a brunette woman who turns around to reveal she is BUFFY. The shot widens and we see WILLOW standing just a few feet from ROBIN.

ROBIN (VO): Thought you should probably know about Faith. She's in New York training Slayers.

BUFFY (VO): Why am I not surprised?

CUT TO:

INT. NEWARK AIRPORT ? BAGGAGE CLAIM - DAY

Scene from 1.07. We find BUFFY and WILLOW leaving baggage claim, heading out of the airport and into New York City.

CUT TO:

INT. PARKING GARRAGE ? LEVEL 12 ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.07. ELIZABETH fights ANDY, FAITH, and BUFFY.

MARIONO (VO): A skin walker, shape shifter, whatever you want to call her.

CUT TO:

EXT. GRAVEYARD ? FIELD ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.07. FAITH and ANDY fight an assassin that disappears from the sight. As the two walk off, the camera pans down and we see a black cat purring and rolling around in the grass right where the assassin stood.

MARIONO (VO): She can turn into anybody she wants and make anyone or anything else look like whatever she wants.

CUT TO:

INT. COLSTON CORP ? CEO'S OFFICE ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.14. We see the BUTLER standing in the doorway as the camera pans to the around AURORA's head. As it the doors come into sight again, ELIZABETH now stands in the BUTLER'S place.

MARIONO (VO): Blood to blood is the only way to counteract her Changeling blood. It'll mutate her into her true form and you can kill her from that point on.

CUT TO:

INT. GALE INDUSTRIES ? LYNN'S OFFICE ? MORNING

Scene from 1.09. LYNN's office is cast into darkness and she look around nervously. From the shadows, FAITH cuts LYNN with a knife and pulls back into the shadows.

ANDY (VO): How do we get the blood that we need?

CUT TO:

EXT. GALE INDUSTRIES ? STREET ? MORNING

Scene from 1.09. FAITH holds up a bloody knife for BUFFY and ANDY to see.

MARIONO (VO): The family.

CUT TO:

INT. CAVERNS ? WEAPONRY ROOM ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.09. ELIZABETH and ANDY fight each other brutally, swinging their weapons, kicking, and punching. Swiftly, ANDY throws the same bloody dagger that FAITH was holding and it plunges into ELIZABETH's chest. ELIZABETH falls to her knees, her appearance constantly changing.

ANDY: Blood to blood.

ELIZABETH looks up at her as her appearance returns to its normal self. She then falls to the ground, dead.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? NATALIE'S ROOM ? DAY

Scene from 1.09. NATALIE reaches into a drawer and pulls out a silver tiara. She smiles at it.

WILLOW (VO): Project Psyche dealt with hypnosis. The media thought that the government was trying to find a way to reverse mental illnesses such as paranoia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, etcetera, etcetera. But that was just on the surface.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY ? ALLEY ? DAY

Scene from 1.12. NATALIE corners WILLOW in an alley.

WILLOW (VO): Celestial Center was apparently planning on using Project Psyche for their own private uses rather than for global benefits.

CUT TO:

INT. THE SHED ? BAR ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.12. GREG pulls out a magnificent dagger with a red jewel in the center of the hilt. NATALIE is seated on the bar, watching him.

WILLOW (VO): Here's the main part of our lead: guess who headed this project? Dianna Preston.

CUT TO:

INT. THE SHED ? BAR ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.12. ANDY and NATALIE fight while BRETT and GREG attack each other in the background.

ANDY (VO): So wait, our new theory is that Dianna is hypnotizing Natalie into believing she's the Queen?

ANDY slides across the floor and grabs the dagger from off a table.

ANDY (VO): We find Natalie and reverse the hypnosis. How do we do that?

She smashes the red jewel and NATALIE collapses into her arms. BRETT fires his crossbow at GREG, who disappears in a cloud of smoke before the arrow ever touches him.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? MARKETPLACE ? DAY

Scene from 1.10. FAITH enters Pectus Malum and walks down the pathway and through the busy shops.

BRETT (VO): Pectus Malum?. Heart of Evil. It's a black market, apparently.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? MARKETPLACE ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.12. FAITH stands over PAIGE, ELLA, and the young Slayer, SUMMER. FAITH has her crossbow aimed at the three women. Bolts of red energy hit and kill SUMMER and ELLA as PAIGE walks off.

SUMMER (VO): The Queen runs this place. She bought it out from a group of demons back during the Los Angeles apocalypse.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.15. Slayers train all around the chambers as KAYLA approaches JARED, who is leaning against the balcony.

SUMMER (VO): Every move she makes is made through here, though no one's seen her in person. Not except for Jared Satyr.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY ? ALLEY ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.11. ANDY stakes a vampire with BUFFY close behind her as a cop car pulls into the alley. Two officers exit the vehicle.

OFFICER 1: Put your hands up and nobody gets hurt.

BUFFY and ANDY begin to panic.

CUT TO:

INT. NYPD STATION ? JAIL CELL ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.11. BUFFY and ANDY are sitting in the jail as GRANT MORISSON approaches them.

GRANT: We have surveillance footage of the two of you, along with two unknown people, attacking Elizabeth Holloway only a week before she was murdered. We can also link her to the death of a man in Rome a few months ago.

CUT TO:

INT. NYPD STATION ? OFFICES ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.11. ANDY and BUFFY come out of the backroom where the cells are located and see LYNN talking to an officer.

GUARD (VO): Miss Lynn Holloway brought evidence to us that we didn't have previously. You two are off the case.

CUT TO:

INT. NYPD STATION ? INTERROGATION ROOM ? DAY

Scene from 1.10. KAYLA sits at a silver, metal table underneath a single light. Across from her is INSPECTOR TRAVIS DELANEY ? blonde hair, mid-20's, muscular build, and dressed to kill. He has an open file before him.

GRANT (VO): What has happened with the Kaas case?

TRAVIS (VO): Nothing has happened. She refuses to talk.

CUT TO:

INT. NYPD STATION ? JAIL CELLS ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.14. The guards protecting the cells fall to the ground unconscious as a group of girls walk into the scene. They stop in front of KAYLA's cell. We see KRIS as the leader of the pack. She tosses a bag of clothes through the bars and at KAYLA's feet.

KAYLA: It's about time.

KRIS: We hit traffic.

CUT TO:

INT. SEWER TUNNELS ? MAIN TUNNEL ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.13. ANDY unties DAWN and KENNEDY and looks up as she finds their captor. It is JOHN SULLIVAN, ANDY's thought-to-be-dead brother. She then chases him down the tunnel and raises her flare gun after she runs out of bullets. ANDY fires it and the enter tunnel ignites with light, smoke, and fire. To ensure JOHN is dead, ANDY grabs a metal pole and stabs him with it. The camera pans down and we see half of JOHN's face has melted away to reveal INSPECTOR TRAVIS DELANEY's underneath.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? OFFICE ? MORNING

ANDY is staring at the wall behind her desk, which is now full of papers with an intricate symbol printed on it along with a good sum of text beneath it.

ANDY (VO): It's not like we didn't just find out about a whole apocalyptic trio of prophecies.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEWHART ORPHANAGE ? PORCH ? NIGHT

ANDY and AURORA, previously fighting, stop and stare at the field as it catches fire after ELIZABETH kicks a lighter out of NATALIE's hand. AURORA disappears in a blur as ANDY stares at ELIZABETH in disbelief. The fire explodes, sending ELIZAZBETH, NATALIE, and ANDY flying backwards.

BRETT (VO): There's the Pillar?

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? OFFICE ? MORNING

ANDY holds up a picture from a satellite in space that took a photograph of a large fiery symbol burning on the edge of New York City.

CUT TO:

EXT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? BALCONY ? NIGHT

DIANNA stands on the balcony, ELIZABETH and GREG standing right behind her. All three of them are staring up at the sky in awe as a meteor shower occurs.

BRETT (VO): Then the Shower?

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

KAYLA, KRIS, and JARED are among those standing around the symbol, which is painted in black on the concrete floor. It begins to glow.

CUT TO:

INT. WATCHER'S COUNCIL ? CAINSBRIDGE'S OFFICE ? NIGHT

SEAN is working on the computer and ISOBEL is seemingly waiting for him. An explosion rocks the entire building. SEAN pops a disc out of the computer, sticks it in his pocket, and the two leave the office.

BRETT (VO): And then the Massacre.

CUT TO:

INT. WATCHER'S COUNCIL ? HALLWAY ? NIGHT

SEAN and ISOBEL dash through the crowd as more explosions send the building into chaos. They turn down the elevator hallway and enter a mall passage that SEAN opens.

CUT TO:

INT. WATCHER'S COUNCIL ? LOBBY ? NIGHT

ISOBEL and SEAN come out of a similar vent right behind the front desk where the secretaries' bodies are lying in pools of their own blood. ISOBEL and SEAN quickly and silently crawl out a side door.

The camera pans up over the desk and we see ILLYRIA, arms extended, firing off blasts of blue energy and causing more explosions to occur. A group of girls come out of a hallway.

YOUNG WOMAN #1: The top floor's secured. 37 are dead.

YOUNG WOMAN #2: This makes the current death toll 328.

ILLYRIA smiles.

ILLYRIA: This will do.

ILLYRIA heads out of the building as more and more young women come out of the woodwork to follow her out of the Watcher's Council.

CUT TO:

INT. WATCHER'S COUNCIL ? HALLWAY ? EVENING

Scene from 1.15. ANDY takes BRETT's cell phone and heads down the hallway to get a better reception. She's scrolling through his list of phone numbers, stops on ?Elizabeth' and curiously looks to see how often he's called her. She's shocked to see multiple dates, all late at night and all recently ? including that day. She covers her mouth in shock.

BARTENDER (VO): Boy troubles?

ANDY (VO): The biggest.

CUT TO:

INT. ELIZABETH'S CONDO ? LIVING ROOM ? NIGHT

Scene from 1.15. ELIZABETH answers the door when there's a knock and finds BRETT on the other side, holding flowers in one hand.

BARTENDER (VO): He cheatin' on you?

ANDY (VO): I don't know.

They lean in to kiss but before their lips touch we?

CUT TO BLACK

END OF PREVIOUSLY ON

[Heather]

TEASER

FADE IN

INT. BAR ? COUNTERTOP ? NIGHT

ANDY is still sipping from her beer, propping her head up with her free hand. She appears to be drunk. The bar around her is nearly empty except for a few stragglers. ANDY seems to be talking to herself, too, mumbling on in nearly incoherent sentences.

ANDY: And you know what just gets me going even more? It's the fact that he lied to me all this time. I mean, why would you do that to somebody you love? I mean seriously! Am I right or am I right, Suzy?

A male bartender wipes the countertop around ANDY.

MALE BARTENDER: Suzy left an hour ago.

ANDY looks up at him and places her chin in her palm. She giggles like a child.

ANDY: You don't look like Suzy.

The bartender sighs and wipes underneath ANDY. ANDY gasps in mock surprise, giggling..

ANDY (Cont'd): You almost touched my boobies! Naughty mister!

The man rolls his eyes.

MALE BARTENDER: We're closing in fifteen minutes. You want me to call you a cab?

ANDY: Pfft! I don't need a?

ANDY looks at her hair as it flies up as she makes the "Pfft!" sound. She giggles and does it again.

ANDY (Cont'd): Look at that! Pfft! Oh that is so cool! Pfft!

MALE BARTENDER: I'll take that as a yes.

He turns around and goes to get the phone. ANDY, still giggling, rolls her head from side to side. She looks down the bar at a small mirror hanging on the wall. She sees how messed up one side of her hair is and starts to smooth it down. Her giggling slowly comes to a stop as her smile falls into a frown. We hear the sound of air quickly gushing out from a pipe or something similar.

CUT TO:

INT. BAR ? GRILL ? NIGHT

We see a pipe break loose from behind the grill, letting gas out into the air.

CUT TO:

INT. BAR ? BAR ? NIGHT

ANDY turns her head to the side and watches a good looking young man approach the bar and pull out a cigarette.

ANDY: Smoking kills.

YOUNG MAN: Crack kills, smoking makes life interesting.

ANDY: Yes, until you get killed because of cigarette related issues. How interesting is that?

She giggles to herself as the man lights his cigarette.

CUT TO:

EXT. BAR ? PARKING LOT ? NIGHT

The parking lot is nearly empty as we get an aerial shot of the building. The front doors open and a woman starts to exit the building?When it explodes, sending fire and debris up into the night sky

CUT TO:

EXT. BAR ? PARKING LOT ? MORNING

A coroner zips up a black bag holding ANDY's body as we see NATALIE and BRETT sobbing in the background.

CUT TO:

INT. GRAVEYARD ? ANDY'S GRAVE ? DAY

We find ANDY's headstone right on the edge of a small lake, surrounded by trees and flowers.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? NIGHT

NATALIE and BRETT, among everyone else, are mourning as the front door is ripped from the warehouse. An army of Slayers rush inside, brandishing weapons. Quickly, they kill everyone. We see BRETT get run through with a sword twice, SPIKE is dusted, WILLOW's throat is sliced with a small dagger, BUFFY's neck is snapped, FAITH is smashed over the head with a mace, DAWN is thrown up into the balcony, breaking her neck, and NATALIE is beheaded.

From behind the crowd of Slayers steps ELIZABETH, grinning devilishly and holding a sword.

ELIZABETH: It's all over now.

She jams the sword down into BRETT and smiles.

CUT TO:

INT. CAB ? BACKSEAT ? NIGHT

ANDY lurches forwards, gasping for breath as the cab comes to a stop at a red light. The cabdriver turns around to look at her.

CABDRIVER: You alright, ma'am?

ANDY, speechless, stares blankly at the window.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? NIGHT

Somebody slams on the metal door repeatedly, eagerly wanting to get inside. NATALIE, her hair messed up and dressed in her pajamas and fuzzy slippers, comes down stairs, rubbing her eyes.

NATALIE (Yawns): Who is it?

SEAN (OS): Sean Cainsbridge and Isobel Gaines. From the Watcher's Council?

NATALIE unlocks the door and slides it open. We see the dirty faces of SEAN and ISOBEL staring at her, panicked and scared.

NATALIE: Why are you here so late?or early?? What time is it anyway?

ISOBEL: We think the Massacre just happened.

NATALIE appears to have been suddenly jolted out of her tired state upon hearing this. SEAN shakes his head.

SEAN: No, we know the Massacre just happened. The Power Transfer has begun.

NATALIE's eyes widen and her jaw clenches as SEAN and ISOBEL take a step inside.

THUNDER RUMBLES
THEME, "UNINVITED" BY ALANIS MORRISETTE PLAYS

OPENING CREDITS ROLL

Starring:

Jennifer Garner as Andrea "Andy" Sullivan
Maggie Grace as Natalie Price
Aubrey Dollar as Elizabeth Holloway
Ryan Reynolds as Brett Stewart
James Marsters as Spike
And Eliza Dushku as Faith

Special Guest Stars:

Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers
Alyson Hannigan as Willow Rosenberg
Michelle Trachtenberg as Dawn Summers
Amy Acker as Illyria

Guest Starring:

Dina Meyer as Lynn Holloway
Chandra Wilson as Dianna Preston
David Anders as Gregory Carlisle
Tina Majorino as Kayla Kaas
Justin Theroux as Jared Satyr
Idina Menzel as Paige Santos
Ellen Pompeo as Isobel Gaines
Jonathan Bennett as Sean Cainsbridge

**CHOSEN is officially affiliated with RAVEN, created by Alex (Master Brown) and Travis (DigitalLeonardo), and SORCERESS OF CRIMSON FALLS, created by Travis (DigitalLeonardo).

Edited by: QueenC (Amber)

[Heather]

ACT I

FADE IN

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? OFFICE ? NIGHT

NATALIE hands ISOBEL and SEAN both a cup of coffee. Behind the desk is WILLOW, doing something on the computer, with BUFFY standing over her shoulder. FAITH is leaning against a wall, silent but listening intently.

NATALIE: So, what happened? I mean?God, no matter how I phrase this it'll sound really morbid.

ISOBEL: No, we understand completely. It was an unfortunate event but there was nothing anyone could do to stop it.

BUFFY: But you knew people, didn't you?

WILLOW, not looking up from the computer, comments.

WILLOW: Hamster balls are ?In' these days?

SEAN: Of course we knew people but there was never an opportunity to really form friendships with them. It was more of a?mutual relationship since we all shared the Council.

SEAN takes a sip from his coffee mug.

SEAN (Cont'd): As for how it happened? We know it was part of the Prophecies but who actually killed all those people?That's the curveball.

BUFFY: Who was it?

SEAN motions towards the computer.

SEAN: It was the same person that attacked in Rome.

WILLOW clicks the mouse and we see the security video start playing. We see ILLYRIA walk into the scene as chaos and panic ensues throughout the room. A crowd of girls in black charge out from behind ILLYRIA and start fighting with the room's occupants ? among them is ANDREW. ILLYRIA fires a blast of blue energy and ANDREW is sent flying. The room is engulfed in a bright, white glow that fades away to reveal everyone but the intruders standing perfectly still.

ILLYRIA leads everyone out of the room, leaving two intruders behind with ANDREW. As they begin the ritual ? similar to how KENNEDY was killed ? the intruders are blasted in different directions by green energy. GILES dashes up to ANDREW and lies him down on the ground, checking for a pulse and quickly performing CPR. Just on the edge of the computer screen is two young women. BUFFY recognizes them.

BUFFY: Dawn?

WILLOW: And Kennedy.

SEAN: I'm still baffled as to why she turned on us.

ISOBEL: She did sign the contract and agree that she was good but there she is, working for the Queen.

NATALIE: Okay, hello? Yeah, I can't see the computer screen. Who attacked in Rome?

SEAN looks down at the ground, partly ashamed.

ISOBEL: Illyria. The Old One that took control of Winifred Burkle's?

NATALIE glares at her and her tone lowers.

NATALIE: I know who Illyria is.

SEAN: I saw her on the tape and just?Couldn't believe it. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

ANDY (OS): The body splitting might have had something to do with it.

The group looks up at ANDY, who is leaning against the doorway. She doesn't look well.

NATALIE: Are you alright?

ANDY: I'm fine. It's tomorrow morning that'll be a bitch. But that doesn't matter. What happened? Why are they here?

WILLOW: The Massacre. It was at the Watcher's Council.

ANDY: When? Tonight?

SEAN nods.

ISOBEL: And it was Illyria who?

ANDY holds up her hand to silence her.

ANDY: I got that, thanks.

ISOBEL mumbles under her breath and brushes a strand of hair off her face and behind her ear.

ISOBEL: I was just trying to help.

ANDY: Yeah, well we don't need your help. We can handle all of this just fine, thank you very much.

NATALIE, shocked at ANDY's snap, stares at her, partially afraid.

NATALIE: Andy, she was just?

ANDY: No, they're not just trying to help. This is all part of the Council's manipulative plan, isn't it?

FAITH: Hey! Back off, Andy!

ANDY whirls around to face her.

ANDY: Huh? Let me guess, you didn't think about this? Don't you realize that this is way to pull our puppet strings?

FAITH: You really need to back off the beer.

ANDY: How do we know that they aren't involved in all of this somehow? Am I the only one who finds it slightly coincidental that the Queen wants control over the Slayers and that, surprise, surprise, here is the Watcher's Council swooping in to take control of our operations.

BUFFY: You're kidding me. You don't seriously think that, do you?

ANDY shrugs and laughs.

ANDY: Wouldn't be the first time we've gotten betrayed by one of our own. Seems like that's the hip thing to do nowadays.

NATALIE ruffles her brow and shakes her head.

NATALIE: What are you talking about?

ANDY: You wouldn't believe me if I told you. (To Sean and Isobel) You two? You're not staying here and I hope that that wasn't what your plan was.

SEAN: You think we're the bad guys? You're kicking us out after all that we've done?

ANDY: Well apparently you don't need a hearing aid.

SEAN: I lost my father because of all this. And now tonight? Tonight I lost the one thing I had left. The one good thing I had left in my life. Yet I'm the villain you've been trying to fight?

ANDY: Creating stories seems to be evil's main talent.

ISOBEL stands up abruptly and holds out her hand. It nearly touches ANDY's forehead.

ISOBEL: Dormito!

Yellow energy pulses from ISOBEL's palm and into ANDY's forehead. Slowly, ANDY's eyes shut and she slumps to the floor, fast asleep. NATALIE rushes to ANDY's side to make sure she's okay. She glances up at ISOBEL, slightly angry with her for casting the spell.

NATALIE: It's always the quiet ones who snap.

ISOBEL: She was getting carried away. I didn't have a choice.

FAITH: I hear that. If you didn't do anything then at least I would've gotten a new punching bag.

NATALIE turns her head away from ANDY, smelling the alcohol on her breath.

NATALIE: Icky?Dear lord. It's like she swallowed a freakin' Irish pub.

BUFFY comes out from behind the desk, rubbing her forehead in thought, and crouches down opposite NATALIE.

BUFFY: I'll help you get her upstairs.

NATALIE nods in thanks and stands up at BUFFY picks ANDY's unconscious body up off the ground. Stepping aside, NATALIE follows BUFFY out into the main room and towards the stairs. FAITH glances around the office and then looks out the door towards the couch in the main room.

FAITH: There's a couch out there and the two chairs in here. Pick a bed.

She then heads out of the office, leaving WILLOW, ISOBEL, and SEAN in an awkward silence.

CUT TO:

STOCK IMAGES ? NEW YORK CITY ? NIGHT

CUT TO:

STOCK IMAGES ? NEW YORK CITY ? MORNING

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? ANDY'S ROOM ? MORNING

ANDY is slowly waking up. She is lying on top of the blankets and is still fully dressed. Her eyes are bloodshot and her eyeliner is smudged. ANDY rubs her eyes and blinks a few times before sitting up completely. She glances over her shoulder at the bed and sees that the blankets are completely untouched on the other side of the bed. She frowns.

ANDY stands up and walks over to the dresser that is pressed against the wall. She opens a drawer and pulls out a tanktop. After opening another two drawers, she has a pair of jeans and underwear in her hands. As she heads towards the bathroom, she trips on her shoe and gasps with surprise. ANDY then angrily kicks the shoe across the room and it slams into the wall. She drops her clothes on the bed and puts a hand to her forehead. There's a knock on the door and NATALIE enters.

NATALIE: You're awake. That's?umm?good. (Beat) Are you okay?

ANDY shakes her head, hand rubbing just above her eyes.

ANDY: He didn't come home last night at all, did he?

NATALIE doesn't answer and looks away. ANDY laughs.

ANDY (Cont'd): Don't answer that. You don't have to.

NATALIE: What's going on, Andy?

ANDY: Nothing.

NATALIE: I'm not stupid.

ANDY: I didn't say you were.

NATALIE: It's between the lines. I know there's something going on between you and Brett and I know it's not good. What I don't know is why you won't tell me about it! I thought we were gonna play the nice and honest game from now on, Andy? What happened to that?

ANDY shakes her head and stifles a laugh. She picks up her clothes and starts walking to the bathroom.

ANDY: What happened to that?

NATALIE: You were drinking last night.

ANDY: Oh, so that's why I have this killer hangover?

NATALIE: Andy, you don't drink like that. At least, you never used to. Now, I know that your relationship with Brett is personal but there are still some things that you can talk to me about.

Neither of the two speak or move or make eye contact. After a long moment of silence, ANDY gestures towards the door.

ANDY: They're still here, I guess?

NATALIE sighs and rolls her eyes.

NATALIE: Yeah. Isobel was on the couch and Sean was in the office.

ANDY: God I hate the morning after.

NATALIE: Who doesn't?

ANDY: I'll talk to them after I clean myself up.

NATALIE nods and starts to leave. As she's halfway out the door, ANDY speaks again.

ANDY (Cont'd): You know I'd tell you anything, Nat. I just?I don't know how to put the situation into words without breaking down all over again. I'm sorry.

NATALIE nods and leaves. ANDY stands alone, looks around, and goes into the bathroom.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? MORNING

We get a close shot of ELIZABETH, showing only from her shoulders and up. She's staring at something in the conference, seemingly disgusted.

DIANNA (OS): We need to get the janitorial staff in here.

DIANNA appears over ELIZABETH's shoulder as she leaves the room. The shot widens and we see that ELIZABETH has her arms folded across her chest and that she is holding a bloody knife in one hand.

ELIZABETH: I didn't think it'd be that bloody.

The camera turns around and we see a woman pressed against the wall and slowly sliding to the floor with a trail of blood being left behind her against the wall. It's evident that she's dead, killed by a slash across her throat with ELIZABETH's knife. The camera continues to move and we find GREG sitting at the end of the table with two folders only several inches away from him.

GREG: She was a liability.

ELIZABETH glares at him.

ELIZABETH: Please stop agreeing with me.

DIANNA pushes into the office again, this time with a janitor close behind.

DIANNA: You didn't have to kill her in here.

ELIZABETH: You're the one who's pushing to get Celestial Center ready for the wonderful President. With Suzy Q. over there still living, we wouldn't be ready.

DIANNA shoots a dirty look at ELIZABETH.

DIANNA: That's beside the point. Right now all I'm worried about is getting our files up to date.

ELIZABETH: She worked in filing?

GREG: When did we ever fall behind with our records?

DIANNA: The last few weeks. Files have been missing from the archives and we can't seem to find out where they went.

ELIZABETH: What are the chances of theft in this situation?

DIANNA: The chances are theft are damn near impossible. No one is getting in there without the right clearance.

ELIZABETH: Just checking. You don't want your security slacking off when the Big Boss is coming to town, now do you?

DIANNA grabs one of the folders from the center of the table and slides it down to GREG. She picks up the other and hands it to ELIZABETH.

DIANNA: Those are your responsibilities. If you disobey these orders, you will be dealt with accordingly. Is that understood?

ELIZABETH glances over the papers inside the folder.

ELIZABETH: So I guess this means no autographs, right?

DIANNA: Or any smartass remarks. Miss Holloway, you should bare in mind that you are still, and will be, under close surveillance until your mysterious fake death is figured out. Keep that in mind before you take anymore ridiculous actions.

ELIZABETH appears confused by what DIANNA is implying. GREG, still reading over the paperwork in front of him, is about to speak but stops himself when he remembers that the janitor is still in the room.

GREG: Would it be terribly inconvenient to request a bit of privacy for a moment?

The janitor looks around at the three occupants of the room, all of whom are staring at him. He shrugs, sticks his bloody mop back in the cart, and starts to leave.

DIANNA: Excuse me?

The janitor turns around and locks eye contact with DIANNA. She suddenly becomes tense and furious. ELIZABETH grins slightly.

ELIZABETH (To the janitor): Smooth move, Jose.

DIANNA: I think you are forgetting something.

The janitor quickly turns his attention to the body.

JANITOR: But what am I supposed to do with it?

DIANNA takes a step closer to the janitor.

DIANNA: Get rid of it. You act like you have never done it before.

The janitor sighs and picks the dead body up, slinging it over his shoulder. With his freehand, he pushes the cart out of the room. ELIZABETH shuts the door behind him.

DIANNA (Cont'd): That floor better not be stained.

GREG places the folder down on the table again.

GREG: Do we have the slightest idea as to when he will be arriving?

DIANNA: No, we don't. Which is why I need you two to get on your jobs right away.

ELIZABETH: No rest for the wicked.

ELIZABETH rolls her eyes, glances over at the bloody stain, and leaves.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? MORNING

ANDY comes downstairs and looks over at the couch. SEAN's tie is draped over the arm. She closes her eyes for a minute and takes a deep breath. Then, she continues walking towards the office and enters.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? OFFICE ? MORNING

ANDY enters the office and finds nearly everyone inside. Only BRETT and SPIKE are missing. SEAN doesn't look at ANDY, though he knows that she is now in the room. WILLOW is sitting behind the computer again, FAITH is leaning against a wall, NATALIE is seated on the floor next to FAITH, and BUFFY and DAWN are both standing next to the desk though DAWN is watching the news on the TV. Nervously, ANDY speaks.

ANDY: Hi.

ISOBEL, not wanting to look at ANDY, responds.

ISOBEL: Good morning.

ANDY: I just?I just wanted to say that I'm sorry and that I have no excuse for?

SEAN interrupts her.

SEAN: You don't have to apologize.

ANDY: No, I do. I was out of line. I could just say that I was drunk and that that was the alcohol talking but what I said had to have come from somewhere in my mind and I'm sorry for that. I know that you've been through a lot, Sean, and I respect you greatly for getting through it all. I had no right to say the things I did, let alone think them in the first place.

SEAN nods solemnly and looks ANDY in the eyes.

SEAN: Thank you.

ANDY: Don't thank me.

SEAN: I already did.

SEAN smiles at her and ANDY returns the gesture. ANDY's attention then turns towards WILLOW and the others.

ANDY: So, I have this nagging feeling that I interrupted something important last night when I came in and shot my mouth off. What'd I miss?

NATALIE: It was Illyria.

ANDY: What was Illyria?

WILLOW: She killed everybody at the Watcher's Council and was the one who kidnapped the girls in Rome.

BUFFY: Spike is starting to remember her being here when Kennedy? (Beat) When the girls were taken from us.

ANDY: I don't get it. Illyria's good now. She was almost human except for the whole demon-look to her.

ISOBEL: She was almost human when Winifred Burkle's soul was repressing Illyria's?essence. When Miss Burkle was taken completely out of the body, Illyria took full control and became entirely evil.

SEAN: And her much stronger powers came to the top of the barrel.

DAWN: It made the news, too. The Watcher's Council. Not Illyria. Well, not directly Illyria but? You get my point.

DAWN points to the TV, where we see a shot of the nearly destroyed Watcher's Council building with firefighters and paramedics rushing in and out of the flames.

NATALIE: I guess this means that it's starting, right? We're officially screwed now that we didn't stop the Queen from getting the power?

ANDY: We're not screwed yet. We've just got a lot more pressure on us now to find out who she is and to stop her.

NATALIE: Oh so it just pushed us back to the beginning? That's why I hate Monopoly.

FAITH: We're not at the beginning. We've got some leads.

NATALIE shrugs and stands up, brushing off the back of her legs. WILLOW grabs a notepad from the side of the desk and snatches up a pen.

WILLOW: So what do we have so far?

ANDY starts pacing at the front of the room.

ANDY: Well, we know for a fact that Gregory Carlisle and Kayla Kaas are directly linked to the Queen. There's also the chance that Dianna Preston has something to do with all of this.

WILLOW is writing down the clues as ANDY talks.

SEAN: How does each of them come into the picture?

ANDY: Carlisle was the one hypnotizing Natalie into believing she was the Queen. Kayla Kaas has been working side by side with the Queen for as long as we've known her. Dianna Preston led the research on Project Psyche, which was how Celestial Center first tested hypnosis.

BUFFY: Now we look into the three of them. Find out who they are, why they would be involved with the Queen or be the Queen, and then take action.

ANDY nods and WILLOW begins typing something into the computer.

WILLOW: I'm already ahead of ya. I'm pulling up Gregory Carlisle information now. (Beat) Okay, I've got a phone number and an address. Your choice.

ANDY: Give me the address.

WILLOW quickly writes down the address on the notepad, rips the page from the binding, and hands it to ANDY.

NATALIE: I'm going with you.

ANDY: It might not be the safest place to go, Nat.

NATALIE pushes past ANDY and out the door.

NATALIE: Exactly.

ANDY rolls her eyes.

ANDY: Look into the other two while we're gone. We'll try to make this as quick as possible.

FAITH: No problem.

ANDY takes a deep breath and leaves the office as WILLOW returns to the computer and DAWN, ISOBEL, and SEAN start to watch the news.

CUT TO:

STOCK IMAGES ? NEW YORK CITY ? MORNING

CUT TO:

STOCK IMAGES ? LONG ISLAND ? MORNING

CUT TO:

EXT. CARLISLE RESIDENCE ? STREET ? MORNING

NATALIE's car pulls up alongside the curb. We see that the area is a suburban area. It is homely with small, old houses dotting the street. The occasional car is parked in the driveway out front of each house but most are lining the street. ANDY gets out of the car via the passenger side and NATALIE exits out the driver's side. The two meet up on the sidewalk and stare at the house in front of them.

ANDY: Willow wouldn't joke about something like this, right?

NATALIE: Or would she?

NATALIE and ANDY stare at each other for a moment before pushing through the metal-chain gate and heading towards the house. They move quickly and knock on the door. There is no answer. ANDY knocks again while NATALIE looks in a window.

NATALIE (Cont'd): Who hangs curtains?

ANDY: People who have houses, not warehouses.

NATALIE shrugs and continues to try and see inside. ANDY pounds on the door even harder than before. NATALIE cups her hands on the sides of her eyes to try and get a better view.

NATALIE: Doesn't look like anybody's?

ANDY kicks the door down forcefully.

NATALIE (Cont'd): ?Home. See, now that's a solution to every problem.

ANDY storms inside with NATALIE close behind.

CUT TO:

INT. CARLISLE RESIDENCE ? HALLWAY ? MORNING

ANDY and NATALIE breeze inside. They look around and see nobody. NATALIE wanders over towards a fireplace in the living room to examine framed photos on the mantelpiece. ANDY moves towards a briefcase on the table in the kitchen and flips it open. There is nothing inside but a pen and a notepad. ANDY flips through the notepad but finds nothing.

In the other room, the pictures NATALIE is looking at show GREG graduating high school, GREG on a farm with his parents, and one of him working at a supermarket getting "Employee of the Month."

ANDY: Okay, this is really weird.

NATALIE: Does Greg seem like the kind of person to work at a supermarket? Do they even let British men work there? And what's with the farm?

ANDY: There's nothing in his briefcase at all. This makes absolutely no sense.

NATALIE: My questions still stand.

MAN (OS): What are you doin' in my house?

The voice is thick with a New York accent. ANDY and NATALIE spin around and see GREG. But it's not really GREG. This man is dressed in a flannel shirt and blue jeans with a Yankees' baseball cap on his head.

NATALIE: Nice act, Greg. The cover-up accent doesn't fool us.

GREG: What are you talkin' about? Who are you people?

NATALIE: Quite the crap, Greg.

ANDY: Natalie?

NATALIE: We know you're just trying to play some game with us.

GREG: I have no clue what you're talkin' about! I'm callin' the cops!

ANDY: Natalie?

NATALIE: You, you call the cops. See what good that does for you.

ANDY: Natalie, shut up!

NATALIE whirls around and stares at ANDY, shocked.

ANDY: T-that's not the Greg we're looking for.

NATALIE: What are you talking about?

GREG: Not the Greg you're lookin' for? Why are you lookin' for him anyway?

NATALIE glares at GREG and then returns her focus to ANDY.

NATALIE: Andy, are you thinking straight right now? You know he's lying. This part of some big scheme!

ANDY: Yeah, it's part of a scheme. But nothing to do with Celestial Center.

NATALIE: What?

ANDY rubs her forehead and shakes her head.

ANDY: No?This is much bigger than Celestial Center.

NATALIE: I'm not seeing your point, Andy, and, to be honest, you're kinda freaking me out right now.

ANDY looks NATALIE in the eyes.

ANDY: Elizabeth.

It's at that moment that NATALIE realizes what ANDY is thinking and they both realize the QUEEN's identity.

CUT TO BLACK

END OF ACT I

[Heather]

ACT II

FADE IN

INT. CARLISLE RESIDENCE ? HALLWAY ? MORNING

ANDY and NATALIE are standing perfectly still, shocked at their revelation. GREG, however, remains completely oblivious to what is going on.

GREG: Who's Elizabeth? I swear I'm gonna call the cops if you people don't leave right now!

ANDY doesn't look at NATALIE as she talks.

ANDY: It's Elizabeth. It always was. (Looking at Natalie now) She kidnapped you. Brett and Elizabeth were both in on the plan to kidnap you to get me to join them. She knocked him unconscious to make it look real.

NATALIE: And she turned someone else into a duplicate of Greg, gave him an accent?

ANDY: And created a completely new identity. The Gregory Carlisle we know doesn't exist at all.

NATALIE: That explains the smokey disappearing act whenever someone tries to kill Greg. You can't kill a duplicate.

ANDY rubs her forehead.

GREG: I'm serious! Get out of my freakin' house!

ANDY snaps. She grabs an ashtray from the coffee table between the two couches and throws it at GREG. It smashes into the side of his head and he spins, falling to the ground unconscious. NATALIE stares at her, wide-eyed.

NATALIE: Andy??

ANDY begins to pace, rubbing her temples.

ANDY: Why didn't we see it before?

She shakes her head in aggravation.

FLASH TO:

FLASHBACK

INT. THE SHED ? ROOM ? NIGHT

It is a missing scene from 1.01 "Pilot"/"The Shed." NATALIE is tied down to the table, completely knocked out. The camera slowly moves around and we see a figure, dressed completely in black, standing by a sink with a set of sharpened knives next to them. The figure turns around and we see that it is ELIZABETH. She is wiping off a butcher's knife.

ANDY (VO): The moment we found out she was the shape shifter; we should've picked up on it.

Slowly, NATALIE comes to. Noticing this, ELIZABETH's image begins to change into that of GREGORY CARLISLE.

CUT TO:

INT. THE SHED ? DANCE FLOOR ? NIGHT

The scene is from 1.12 "Natalie." ANDY smashes the dagger on the table and NATALIE collapses into her arms. Meanwhile, BRETT stands over GREG and fires an arrow at him. GREG, however, disappears in a puff of smoke before the arrow strikes him. The camera pans up and towards a dark corner of the room as BRETT dashes to ANDY's side. We see ELIZABETH standing halfway in the shadows, grinning. The camera zooms in on the spot where GREG was nearly killed and we see a rat scurry off into the darkness of the club.

END OF FLASHBACKS

FLASH TO:

INT. CARLISLE RESIDENCE ? HALLWAY ? MORNING

ANDY stops pacing and looks up at NATALIE again.

ANDY: She was able to access Celestial Center's records and bring up all information on Project Psyche. She disguised herself as Greg because she knows that we know that he's Dianna's right hand man. She thought we'd think that Greg was covering up for Dianna.

NATALIE: We did think that. But why would she fake her death?

ANDY: To prevent us from figuring her out. If she was believed to be dead, she could operate as the Queen without anybody finding her and stopping her.

NATALIE: So she fed us a lie about how to kill a shape shifter, had you attempt to kill her, and then she ran off during the big showdown.

ANDY starts pacing again.

ANDY: What I don't understand is why she's working for Celestial Center? If she's the Queen of the Slayers, with an unlimited supply of resources and soldiers, why does she need to take orders from someone else?

NATALIE: Resources. Celestial Center isn't what's keeping Elizabeth in power. It was just the building block that got her started. That's how she finds her Slayers and allies. She worked up the Celestial Center ladder to get as high as she could so she could get more access to the evil world.

ANDY nods in agreement.

ANDY: And we already know that she's power-mad. She killed her own stepdad and stepbrother in order for Gale Industries to be passed down to her in the long run.

NATALIE: It really was in front of us all along?

ANDY takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair...when she makes another revelation.

ANDY: Oh my god.

NATALIE: What? What is it?

ANDY: B-Brett?He?

NATALIE snaps her fingers and motions for ANDY to continue.

NATALIE: What about Brett?

ANDY looks up at NATALIE, wide-eyed with fear and disappointment.

ANDY: He's the catalyst. He?He's been seeing her every night. Even back when we thought she was dead. He knew. He?

NATALIE: Oh no...

ANDY closes her eyes are her breaths become short and fast. NATALIE shakes her head in disbelief.

NATALIE (Cont'd): He has to have some explanation, right? I mean?Right?

ANDY: He worked for the devil that is trying to kill us. You don't walk away from that without some sort of baggage.

NATALIE: And he was in a relationship with Elizabeth before he came to us.

ANDY: The other day?The other day he was telling me about how powerless he feels around me because?I'm a Slayer and he's just a mortal.

NATALIE: No?

ANDY: I don't want to believe it either...

NATALIE: No, he's our friend!

ANDY: Natalie, he has more secrets than anyone else?

NATALIE: He loves you!

ANDY: That's what I thought, too?

She looks away, saddened. NATALIE looks around the room, trying to distract herself. She spots GREG's body and walks over to it.

NATALIE: He's not dead is he?

ANDY shakes her head.

ANDY: No. I tried to miss his right temple. The ashtray barely grazed right about his ear.

NATALIE: You could've killed him.

ANDY starts to walk out of the house with NATALIE close behind.

ANDY: He should've called the cops.

The two leave the house and GREG remains unconscious on the floor.

CUT TO:

INT. ELIZABETH'S CONDO ? DINING ROOM ? DAY

A folder drops onto the table. We see that it was ELIZABETH who dropped it in the first place. Seated on either side of the table are AURORA and BRETT.

AURORA: How far along are we?

ELIZABETH: Everything's looking just fine. I fixed the leak in our plan and made it look like she was a liability for Celestial Center.

BRETT: She technically was.

ELIZABETH: Yeah but that's different.

She grins at BRETT, who stares down at his cup of coffee. AURORA leans back in her chair and folds her arms across her chest.

AURORA: So we've got thumbs up, right? This is gonna work?

BRETT straightens up in his chair and opens the folder, pulling out security photos of what appears to be a conference room, a security room with a high tech panel, and several shots of fully armed officers.

BRETT: Security's gonna be tight but we've got something that they don't.

AURORA smiles.

AURORA: That's what I like to hear.

BRETT: And since we do have you, the chances of us pulling through all of this and coming out on top are looking pretty good.

ELIZABETH: Pretty good? That's an understatement.

BRETT avoids making eye contact with ELIZABETH again. She frowns in disappointment.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): As far as I can tell, nobody suspects a thing. The second the target arrives, you come in and take them out and Brett and I will pick up the pieces.

AURORA starts to speak again but ELIZABETH cuts her off.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): And, yes, you will be paid in full. Your precious orphanage will be out of debt and you can build a nice and big new house and take in plenty more little Annie's, I swear.

AURORA rolls her eyes.

AURORA: Is it wrong that not all of us are in it for the power? Some of us have good intentions, you know?

BRETT raises an eyebrow, subtly, as he stares at his drink. ELIZABETH laughs.

ELIZABETH: Please. We all get something big out of this. You get money, I get power, and Brett gets some serious satisfaction. Don't tell me that we have good intentions. People will lose their jobs, they will be in debt, and some may even be killed. If you can go through all of that and still have good intentions, then we sure as hell need a Saint's day for you.

The group falls into silence, taking in the truth behind ELIZABETH's speech. ELIZABETH reaches across the table and steals the folder and its contents from BRETT. She then proceeds to lay everything out flat on the tabletop for everyone to see.

AURORA: What are you doing now?

ELIZABETH glares at her but don't stop what she's doing. BRETT is now staring at her curiously, too.

BRETT: We don't need placemats when we eat?

He lifts up his coffee mug as ELIZABETH places another sheet of information where it was. After laying out the last piece of paper, ELIZABETH stands up and stares at it with satisfaction.

ELIZABETH: I'm going over this one more time. If you have a problem with that then please, by all means, leave.

AURORA and BRETT both stand up but don't leave. Instead, they position themselves so they have a better view of the table.

ELIZABETH: The Power Cell is located in a storage facility in the center of the basement. There are demonic guards, bullet proofed and completely armed with any weapon you could even think of, surrounding it. No one's getting in or out without the right protection. Which we will have, correct?

She looks at BRETT, who nods.

BRETT: I should be getting the books tonight.

ELIZABETH: Good. So once everything's ready and the guard's magical security is torn down, Aurora will come in and take them out while Brett makes his move to drain the Power Cell. I, in the meantime, will be upstairs keeping everybody busy. Once the Power Cell is drained and the guards are all knocked out, Aurora will come up to the top floor and take out the target.

ELIZABETH looks at the two of them.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): Everybody understand?

BRETT: Definitely.

AURORA nods.

ELIZABETH: Good. Then the second the President arrives, Celestial Center will be ripped to shreds.

She grins, BRETT nods, and AURORA seems emotionless.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? DAY

Two swords clash together. The shot widens and we see DAWN at one end and BUFFY on the other, both gripping their weapons tightly.

BUFFY: Keep a firm grip on your?

DAWN spins the sword in a quick circle, twists her body just slightly and lashes out at BUFFY with the point of her sword nearly grazing BUFFY's stomach. Taking advantage of the opportunity, DAWN locks the two swords together again and throws all of her force into the opposite direction. The momentum causes BUFFY to release her sword and it crashes to the ground.

BUFFY (Cont'd): Keep a firm grip on your sword. Yeah I am so hypocritical.

DAWN: No, you're just teaching the ABC's to a college sophomore.

BUFFY nods to herself and rubs her forehead, smiling.

BUFFY: I keep forgetting that, don't I?

DAWN: It comes with the wrinkles.

BUFFY glares at DAWN, who shrugs it off and raises an eyebrow teasingly.

DAWN (Cont'd): At least you're aging gracefully.

BUFFY: I am not old!

DAWN: You're getting there?

BUFFY: I so am not getting to the point of being old! I'm not even cynical yet! (Beat) Am I? Oh no, Dawny! I'm not cynical yet am I?

DAWN laughs and drops her sword on the blue mats, wrapping an arm around sister's shoulders.

DAWN: Not yet. You become cynical when your butt drops.

BUFFY glares at DAWN again.

BUFFY: I really don't like you right now.

DAWN smiles, childishly.

DAWN: You could never dislike me.

BUFFY: If you get hurt during this fight, I swear I'll hate you for forever.

DAWN: Is that even proper English?

BUFFY rolls her eyes and pulls away from DAWN.

BUFFY: You know what I mean. This isn't gonna be just a gang of vampires against us. It's slayer versus slayer.

DAWN: I know. It's not gonna pretty.

BUFFY: "Not gonna be pretty?" Dawn, this is gonna be bad. Really bad.

DAWN: Nothing compares to Sunnydale caving in. That was just horrific.

BUFFY sighs places her hands on her hips.

BUFFY: Dawn, seriously. These girls have the same powers that I do. You know that. You also know how dangerous it is if you get caught up in the middle of a Slayer fight. That's why I never let you train with the other girls.

DAWN: Really? I thought it was because you thought they'd mess up my pretty face...? (Beat) Kidding.

BUFFY: Just promise that you'll think of this as a real deal because it is. And hopefully, if everything goes right, this will also be our last real deal.

DAWN: That's what you said last time?

BUFFY stares at DAWN, disapprovingly.

BUFFY: Dawn?

DAWN: Okay, I promise I will take this seriously. I promise that I will make sure I'm safe and I promise that if we get out of this alive?

BUFFY: When we get out of this alive.

DAWN: Okay, I promise that when we get out of this alive, I will stay far away from any danger. I will dress up in bubble wrap if I have to.

BUFFY: And orthopedic shoes.

DAWN: What?

BUFFY: You don't wanna have problems with your feet when you get to be my age, now do you?

DAWN shakes her head and BUFFY laughs.

BUFFY (Cont'd): There has to be ice cream somewhere in this place, right?

DAWN: There might be some in that refrigerator in the office. I've never looked in it.

BUFFY: Then we'll check.

The two of them smile. The camera remains stationary, however, giving us a view of the backs of the two Summers girls. Out of curiosity and fear, BUFFY's hand gropes her butt and we see her smile with pride and satisfaction.

CUT TO:

EXT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? PARKING LOT ? DAY

NATALIE's car pulls into a parking spot as BRETT walks towards the door after climbing off of ANDY's motorcycle, which he borrowed. NATALIE gets out of the car, followed by ANDY. Spotting BRETT walking over to the car, she glances at ANDY nervously and heads inside, leaving the two of them alone.

BRETT: Where were you two?

ANDY: Out.

BRETT: Out where?

ANDY spins around.

ANDY: Has it really come down to this?

BRETT: What are you talking about?

BRETT tries to smile but it falls into a frown just as fast.

ANDY: Small talk. Has it really come down to small talk? I mean, we've had our conversations already and now I've found out that all of those were just lies so you could get inside my life and Natalie's life and everybody else's.

BRETT: I'm gonna admit to a little bit of confusion right now?

ANDY: Don't act stupid. I know. I've known for days now. You knew Elizabeth was alive. You've been seeing her every night for the past few months. You lied to us.

BRETT: How did you?? Oh god. You think I'm cheating on you?

ANDY: It's technically not cheating when our relationship was never real in the first place.

BRETT: What?

ANDY: You've been working with Elizabeth. You two want the power from the Prophecies for yourselves.

BRETT: What? No! You don't understand?

ANDY: Elizabeth is the Queen. She always was and we never figured it out because you knew it before we did and wouldn't let us find out.

BRETT: Wait, what? It's Elizabeth?

ANDY: You were covering her tracks so that we wouldn't stumble on them and put two and two together. You got close to us so you could help slip her the Slayers she needed to build an army.

BRETT: I swear that that's not how it is!

ANDY reaches onto the back of her belt and raises her gun so the end presses against BRETT's forehead.

ANDY: Lie to me one more time and I swear I will put a bullet so far through your head you won't even see me touch the trigger.

BRETT doesn't respond. He just stares at ANDY, shocked at the situation.

ANDY (Cont'd): Natalie and I figured it out. We went to the real Gregory Carlisle's house. Celestial Center's Carlisle is a fake. The real one's not even British. When we found that out, everything else came together and fit perfectly. Now I want to hear your side of it all to find out whether or not Natalie and I have it straight. You get this one chance to talk. Blow it and I'll blow your brains out. Don't care if it's the middle of the day. Don't care who sees me do it, either. Now talk.

BRETT closes his eyes for a minute, taking in the situation.

BRETT: You have it all wrong. I didn't even know Elizabeth was the Queen.

ANDY: Wrong thing to say.

She cocks the gun and begins to lace her finger around the trigger.

BRETT: W-wait! I swear to god I would never work with someone as evil as the Queen! I swear to you I would never do that! I love you! That's why I wouldn't do it! I could never betray you like that!

ANDY: Then why the hell didn't you tell me Elizabeth was alive? Why the hell didn't you tell me that you were seeing her every night?

BRETT: Because I couldn't! Celestial Center has the warehouse bugged! They have me bugged! The only place I can go to even talk about what Elizabeth and I are doing is Elizabeth's apartment. She has the place protected from any kind of surveillance. There are cameras all over the place in her house but they do nothing. They just transmit false feedback to Celestial Center.

ANDY: So then what are you doing with her?!

BRETT: I just told you that I can't say?!

ANDY presses the gun even harder against BRETT's forehead.

BRETT (Cont'd): We're tearing the place down from the inside out! Everything will be gone because of us! We're going to make the world a better place and if you kill me now, we won't be able to do it! You'll have to live with the fact that you killed me and let Celestial Center murder thousands more people everyday!

There's another moment of silence between the two of them.

ANDY: You swear on your life that you had no idea about Elizabeth?

BRETT nods.

BRETT: I swear on my life that I had no idea. I never even thought of it. I thought she was just interested in the bigger picture and was just thinking about humanity's best interest but wanting to rip the place apart. I promise you that I would never do anything to hurt you, Andy.

ANDY: Then why did you lie to me!? Why didn't you find a way to tell me all of this so I didn't have to find it out on my own and freak out about it? The past two days wouldn't have happened as badly as they did if you had told me!

BRETT: I didn't think you'd understand.

ANDY: You didn't think I'd understand? You thought I'd understand better by just finding it out by myself and by thinking the worst? Let me tell you how wrong you were about that!

BRETT: I wasn't thinking straight. I was stressed out and scared of what was going to happen. I love you, Andy. Don't you know that?

They both become quiet yet again. Slowly, ANDY lowers the gun and puts it back on her belt.

ANDY: Just because I'm not thinking about killing you right now, doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to be forgiving you anytime soon.

BRETT nods and ANDY gestures towards the door with her gun.

ANDY (Cont'd): We have to go in there. We have a war to plan.

BRETT slides open the door and ANDY enters the warehouse. BRETT then goes inside and slams the door shut behind him.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

Two young Slayers drag a large net across the floor and towards the holding cell. Whatever is inside the net is covered by a thick black blanket. One of the young slayers opens the net and removes the blanket, though we don't see the trap's contents. The camera moves over to focus on the other girl as she grabs a pair of shackles and walks over to the other girl. We see a pair of pale arms reach up into the scene as the same girl clamps them onto the wrists of each arm.

YOUNG SLAYER #1: Dumbass vampires. What is there purpose? Seriously!

The vampire that was just chained up is still out of sight. The first young Slayer is chewing bubblegum, which she snaps occasionally, and blows a bubble with it.

ANDY (VO): We know who the Queen is. Elizabeth Holloway. Celestial Center's golden girl. Natalie and I have figured it out and have evidence to back us up. Now it's matter of taking her down.

BUFFY (VO): And how are we going to do that?

The other Slayer picks up the net and blanket and folds them slightly over her arm and starts to walk off with the bubblegum-girl.

YOUNG SLAYER #2: Without them, we wouldn't be able to train, right?

YOUNG SLAYER #1: Right.

YOUNG SLAYER #2: So they have a purpose. (Beat) Maybe we should bleach your hair. It'd be much more fitting for you.

The first young Slayers gives the other a dirty look as they disappear from the shot. As they pass the camera, we see that the newly captured vampire is SPIKE. He is bleeding from the corner of his lip and is wearing is vamp-face.

ANDY (VO): We'll do it from the inside out. Give Elizabeth a taste of her own medicine.

The camera pans over towards another side of the room as another young Slayer enters the cell with somebody following her.

YOUNG SLAYER #3: So this is the Holding Cell where we keep all our vampires that we train against. (Looking behind) Don't be afraid! Come on in!

ANDY (VO): Spike will get captured by the Slayers. We'll make sure that they take him alive.

FAITH (VO): How will that work?

The other person walks out of the shadowy hallway and into the light of the holding cell and we see that it is DAWN.

ANDY (VO): Because Dawn will be the Slayer that catches him.

DAWN: I-I dunno?V-vampires still k-kinda creep me out?

YOUNG SLAYER #3: I get that. I was the same way. But you'll get used to it. I promise.

The young Slayer smiles at DAWN, who nervously smiles back and follows the other girl deeper into the room. DAWN glances over at SPIKE, who nods subtly. DAWN nods back. SPIKE wraps his feet around a crowbar that is resting just a few feet away from him. Swiftly, he kicks it through the air and DAWN catches it. The young Slayer spins around just in time for DAWN to crack her across the neck with the weapon.

ANDY (VO): She'll insist that they don't kill him and once she's inside, she'll break him out.

DAWN (Whispering): Sorry! You were really nice too!

DAWN kneels down and reaches into the young Slayer's pockets. She pulls out a ring of keys. Dashing over to SPIKE's side, she thumbs through the keys and eventually finds the one that unlocks the shackles that are restraining SPIKE.

SPIKE (Whispering): Good job, lil bit.

He wipes the corner of his mouth and pulls a tiny flashlight out of his pocket.

DAWN (Whispering): It's that small?

SPIKE (Whispering): Well I sure as hell ain't gonna carry a big flashlight in here!

DAWN giggles to herself and SPIKE huffs. He steps under one of the several skylights. He holds the small flashlight in the air and flicks it on and off three times.

ANDY (VO): Spike will then give the signal. That's when you come in, Willow.

There's a slight purple glow in the corner of the room as black strands of energy swirl around it. The magical lightshow disappears and we see that WILLOW is standing in place of it.

WILLOW (Whispering): Whoa?That was nifty?

Quickly, WILLOW rushes over to DAWN and SPIKE.

DAWN (Whispering): Can you do the spell?

WILLOW (Whispering): It's just a jiffy away.

She smiles at DAWN, who doesn't smile back.

SPIKE (Whispering): Just a get a move on it already.

He starts to pace around the two women, guarding them should anything go wrong.

ANDY (VO): Willow will get inside and cast a spell.

WILLOW (VO): What kind of spell?

WILLOW's hands begin to glow as she turns her palms outwards. The glowing energy blasts into two rays of light that begin to thicken until they consume the walls around them.

ANDY (VO): One that will prevent the Slayers from interfering. Knock them unconscious or put some kind of mind control mojo on them. That way we don't have to try and fight them.

The energy disappears and WILLOW gets to her feet, dusting her legs off.

WILLOW (Whispering): Done. That was faster than a jiffy, wasn't it?

SPIKE pulls the flashlight out again and flashes it two more times. Three of the skylights overhead become blacked out as something covers them, casting the room into partial darkness.

ANDY (VO): Once that's done, the fun really begins.

Suddenly, the three darkened skylights crash as glass rains down to the floor with ANDY, FAITH, and BUFFY falling to the ground while holding onto a long strand of rope. Each of them have a black duffle bug slung over their shoulders. All three Slayers land on their feet, drop to their knees, and hold the rope taught. NATALIE, BRETT, and ISOBEL are the first to climb down to the ground. SEAN comes down after ISOBEL. They then huddle together.

The three Slayers drop their bags on the ground and unzip them, revealing mass amounts of weapons. Everybody reaches in and retrieves one or two weapons, depending on their level of strength. NATALIE, DAWN, and ISOBEL all choose one weapon while the rest grab two. The group breaks apart and stands in a circle. ANDY steps forward.

ANDY: Everybody know the drill?

The group nods in response.

ANDY (Cont'd): Start with the vampires and any demons they might have in here. If Willow's spell worked like it should, then we shouldn't have to worry about fighting or hurting the Slayers.

ELIZABETH (OS): You're still caring about the little people, Andrea?

ANDY slowly turns around and sees ELIZABETH stalking towards the group with a gun aimed on her.

ELIZABETH (Cont'd): You'd think that in a situation like this, you'd change your moral values.

ANDY: Well, you wouldn't understand the art of being a good person. You never had morals to begin with.

ELIZABETH: Right. Because I'm the heartless bitch. I almost forget about that for a minute. (Beat) So which of you wants to get killed first?

ANDY: I was hoping you'd volunteer before any of us, actually.

ELIZABETH: When did you figure it out, Andy?

ANDY: When we found out that Celestial Center had a fake Gregory Carlisle. Then it was like a finished jigsaw puzzle. We figured out that you were the Queen in blink of an eye once we had the right spark to get us thinking.

ELIZABETH stifles a laugh.

ELIZABETH: Wait a minute; you think I'm the Queen of the Slayers? You think I give a damn about power? Honey, I've already got power and eventually, I'll have all the power I need from Celestial Center. Brett knows all about that.

ANDY: Lying won't save your life.

ELIZABETH: That's good. Especially since I'm not lying. I'm not the Queen, Andy. You're fighting the wrong person.

A gunshot rings through the room. In the background of the scene, which is out of focus and blurry, we see FAITH fall to the ground and that there is a figure standing behind her. The scene becomes focused and clear and we see LYNN HOLLOWAY standing behind FAITH with her gun aimed on the place where FAITH once stood.

ELIZABETH: She's the Queen.

ANDY slowly turns around and sees LYNN. LYNN aims the gun at ANDY.

LYNN: How are you, Miss Sullivan?

LYNN smiles and cocks the gun.

CUT TO BLACK

END OF ACT II

[Heather]

ACT III

FADE IN

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL - NIGHT

The group stands perfectly still as LYNN keeps the gun aimed at ANDY. DAWN glances down at FAITH. She appears to still be breathing but a great amount of blood is pouring out of the bullet wound in her lower abdomen. LYNN notices DAWN's glances.

LYNN: She'll die of blood loss if she dies at all. I missed any vital organs but made sure that enough damage was done to keep her out of the picture for a while.

DAWN glares at LYNN coldly. BUFFY rests a hand on DAWN's shoulder and pulls her sister closer to her. She begins to whisper something into DAWN's ear but nobody notices or hears what she's saying. LYNN points the gun at WILLOW.

LYNN (Cont'd): You're the witch, I take it?

WILLOW stares down at the floor.

LYNN (Cont'd): I'm talking to you. You're supposed to show me some respect.

WILLOW continues to ignore her. Tilts her head to the side slightly and motions her free hand towards NATALIE, BRETT, and SPIKE. ELIZABETH seemingly appears out of nowhere and instantly has the gun pressed against NATALIE's head.

LYNN (Cont'd): You're going to listen to me or else my daughter will blow her head off.

WILLOW throws her head back and stares LYNN down with dark eyes, her pupils having expanded to the full size of her eye.

WILLOW: I'm listening.

LYNN smiles to herself and nods slightly.

LYNN: Good, good. Now take down this wall you've put up around the room. Same price stands if you fail to do so. I promise.

WILLOW looks from BUFFY to ANDY, who both nod solemnly. She then continues to hold up both her palms so they face the walls to either side of the group. There's a faint glow before the energy that WILLOW previously put into place is sucked back into her hands. The force of the spell sends WILLOW reeling. She stumbles backwards, clutching at her head.

BUFFY (Softly): Willow??

LYNN: What's wrong with her?

WILLOW screams with pain as she collapses to her knees, hands still pulling at her hair and her eyes still black as night.

BUFFY (Softly): Will, c'mon. Get up.

LYNN: What the hell is going on?

Everything suddenly falls quiet. WILLOW has stopped screaming and there is no talking at all. Just perfect silence. WILLOW raises her head slowly and stares LYNN right in the eyes with the darkness seemingly swirling in her eyes as they slowly change to pure white.

WILLOW: You took my baby away from me.

With a flick of her wrist, ELIZABETH's gun is sent flying through the air, though WILLOW never takes her eyes off LYNN. WILLOW swipes her arm through the air and LYNN's gun is magically thrown into the air, too.

WILLOW (Cont'd): I won't kill you for it.

WILLOW drops the long sword in her hands on the floor. She glances at ANDY, who nods nervously.

WILLOW (Cont'd): But they just might?

She spins around, throwing all of her weight into her back, which forces her to slide across the floor and barreling into ELIZABETH and NATALIE. WILLOW twists her hands in two different direction and a clicking sounds are heard echoing through the room. LYNN stares nervously at the vampires and demons that were chained on the wall. She notices that their shackles have all magically unlocked and now they stand free.

LYNN: You are all suicidal.

Another flick of her wrist and WILLOW sends her sword spinning through the air. The flying weapon slices the heads of several vampires off before clanging to a stop against the wall. On the floor next to ELIZABETH and WILLOW, NATALIE throws a fist backwards, smashing into ELIZABETH's nose. ELIZABETH rolls onto her other side and stands up.

ELIZABETH: Oh you bitch!

NATALIE quickly gets to her feet.

NATALIE: No, I'm just your karma.

NATALIE slices through the air with the dagger as ELIZABETH dodges.

NATALIE (Cont'd): You screwed with me. Tortured me. Brainwashed me.

It's then that she slices ELIZABETH across the stomach.

NATALIE (Cont'd): How does it feel being on the other side of the knife?

ELIZABETH kicks NATALIE in the stomach, knocking her down to the floor.

ELIZABETH: It feels pretty damn good.

BRETT quickly helps NATALIE to her feet again. ELIZABETH, however, dashes over to her mother and quickly guides her out of harms way. ANDY is quickly on their tails.

ANDY (Shouting): Get rid of the vampires!

BRETT: Where are you going?

ANDY doesn't respond, though she doesn't have to. BRETT turns and faces a swarm of vampires and demons as they start to attack. BUFFY, holding a broad sword and a shorter blade in either hand, spins in a circle, beheading two vampires at once. DAWN and DAWN quickly tend to FAITH and starts to drag her off into the shadows while SPIKE steps in front of her to block both FAITH, ISOBEL, and DAWN from being attacked. SEAN fires an arrow into the center of a demon's forehead and stabs a vampire in the chest with a stake, dusting him. NATALIE throws a punch and stakes a vampire but pulls her hand away, shaking it furiously with pain.

A demon spins around and smashes his arm into BUFFY's face, sending her flying across the room. DAWN turns and stares at her sister's limp body in shock.

DAWN: Buffy!

She starts to scurry across the floor, only to be caught and kicked up into the air by a vampire. DAWN screams again upon hitting the floor and crawls away from the vampire quickly.

BRETT stabs a demon as WILLOW disintegrates another with a fiery beam of energy. SPIKE gets a running leap across the room and takes out demons, snapping their necks in the process. SEAN fires an arrow out of his crossbow and watches it pass through one vampire's chest before flying straight into another. He is then caught off guard as fist smashes across his face.

NATALIE kicks a vampire in the groin and brings her stake down into his back swiftly. She isn't paying attention, however, to the second vamp as he grabs her by the back of her shirt and throws her across the room. NATALIE slides on the floor before coming to a rough stop next to ISOBEL and FAITH.

ISOBEL: This plan isn't working. Where are the Slayers?

NATALIE: I don't think they're coming.

"Starts With One" by Shiny Toy Guns begins to play in the background.

NATALIE slowly gets to her feet as we get shots of BRETT, SPIKE, and DAWN being attacked and another shot of WILLOW as she clutches her head, screaming in pain, before collapsing to the ground. The camera gets a shot of SEAN and BUFFY as they lay on the ground unconscious before panning in on the vampires and demons as they close in on NATALIE, ISOBEL, and an unconscious FAITH.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

ANDY chases after ELIZABETH and LYNN as they make their way toward safety. The camera pans to the side so we get a side shot of them as they run. Occasionally, they are blocked by the pillars ? which block them from sight. Upon passing behind a column, only LYNN is left running from ANDY while ELIZABETH appears to be missing. ANDY notices this but doesn't care.

ANDY begins to move in on LYNN when a hand reaches out of the shadows and tosses her into a pillar effortlessly. The camera pans around and we see that the hand belongs to ELIZABETH. LYNN stops running and turns slowly to watch as ELIZABETH attacks ANDY, kicking and punching ANDY without any reaction from the Slayer.

ANDY: You kick like a girl.

ELIZABETH throws all her energy into another kick, this time causing ANDY to smash into the stone pillar behind her. ANDY moans with pain as LYNN motions her hand through the air. Suddenly, a horde of young women flow out into the chambers and start for the holding cells. KAYLA is in the lead of them all.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

BRETT flies through the air and slams into the wall. BUFFY slowly gets to her feet as SPIKE snaps the necks of two different demons. BUFFY now appears to be back on her feet, punching out and staking demons and vampires as they attack her. NATALIE looks around, visibly scared and shaken, while ISOBEL attempts to drag FAITH out of the center of the fight. The camera locks onto a headshot of NATALIE, eyes wide with fear, as a vampire appears in the shot just behind her. It growls and dusts. NATALIE spins around and sees KAYLA standing in the entrance to the holding cell, crossbow trained on her.

KAYLA: You don't belong here.

NATALIE stands perfectly still, eyes darting from the crossbow and back to KAYLA. Across the room, SEAN helps SPIKE dust several vampires and the two turn to watch the spectacle before them. KAYLA notices them watching and reloads her weapon.

NATALIE: Where're the rest of the girls?

KAYLA raises the crossbow again. NATALIE takes a deep breath.

KAYLA: They're already here.

BRETT pushes himself to his feet and spots a large number of young Slayers coming out of the woodwork. It's BUFFY, however, who is attacked first. Several pairs of hands fly out of the shadows and grab her, pulling her into the darkness

NATALIE is still standing perfectly still as the camera pans down to her hand as it reaches for something in her back pocket. She pulls out a small dagger. The camera then cuts back to KAYLA as she laces her finger around the trigger of her crossbow.

Back across the room, SPIKE is thrown to the ground and dragged into the darkness like BUFFY previously was. SEAN is hit square in the back, sending him flying across the ground to where WILLOW remains on the floor, screaming and writhing in pain.

Back to NATALIE and KAYLA. KAYLA begins to pull the trigger as the scene falls into a slow-mo shot. NATALIE flicks her wrist, releasing the dagger into the air.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

Everything is still in slow-motion. ELIZABETH pulls her leg back and kicks ANDY across the face. ANDY spits blood out of her mouth as LYNN smiles approvingly. ELIZABETH rears her leg back for another blow.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

Still in slow-motion, the knife spins through the air as BRETT smashes the crossbow out of KAYLA's hands. The blade then sinks into KAYLA's shoulder and she falls to the ground. Suddenly, everything cuts out of slow-motion and the young slayers in the shadows begin to scream a battle cry.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

The slow-motion cuts out and ELIZABETH throws all of her force into her foot. ANDY, however, snaps her arm out and catches her by the ankle. ANDY winces, painfully, while lifting ELIZABETH's leg up into the air and pushing her backwards, causing ELIZABETH to flip backwards and onto the ground. LYNN's eyes widen.

ANDY: You can't keep me down for long.

ANDY gets to her feet and LYNN grins.

The song, "Starts With One" by Shiny Toy Guns, comes to an end along with the slow-mo shot.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

BRETT pushes KAYLA to the ground as she clutches at her wound. NATALIE rushes over to the two and glances down at ISOBEL as she applies a good amount of pressure on FAITH's wound.

ISOBEL: I-I can't stop the bleeding!

NATALIE, panic-stricken, glares at KAYLA. She presses her foot down between KAYLA's ribcage, putting extra pressure on her heel as she pushes into KAYLA's solar plexus. KAYLA struggles to breathe.

NATALIE: Where do you keep the first aide kit, Kayla?

NATALIE lifts her foot only slightly but enough for KAYLA to respond.

KAYLA: Go to hell.

BRETT interferes this time and pushes his foot down on the handle of the knife in KAYLA's shoulder. She screams.

NATALIE: You get one more chance.

The Slayers scream again from the shadows and BRETT slowly glances in all directions.

BRETT: Make it fast.

KAYLA coughs and NATALIE pushes down even harder.

NATALIE: Tell me!

KAYLA sputters out the words, slowly.

KAYLA: D-down t-the h-hall. N-Necromancers' c-chambers.

NATALIE glances up at BRETT and he nods.

BRETT: I'll go.

NATALIE: No. No you won't go. I'm going.

BRETT: What, are you insane? Natalie, you can't fight through those girls.

NATALIE's jaw clenches and she looks away briefly.

NATALIE: But if I stay here I'll be just as good as dead. Elizabeth won't let them kill you. She needs you remember?

With that, she takes a second glance at ISOBEL and FAITH and then yanks her dagger out of KAYLA.

BRETT: Natalie, don't!

But NATALIE's already gone, slashing through the Slayers in the shadows in order to leave the room.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

ANDY kicks LYNN in the stomach and she doubles over. A roundhouse kick to LYNN's face sends her to the floor and ANDY stands over her defiantly. She begins to kick LYNN once more as a whip lashes out from behind ANDY and strikes her across the back. ANDY screams and stumbles forward. ELIZABETH is revealed to be behind her, cracking the whip and smiling devilishly.

ELIZABETH: Don't get too cocky, Andy.

ELIZABETH twirls the whip around her head and snaps it out into the air, wrapping it around ANDY's neck. ANDY clutches at the leather rope as it chokes her. Swiftly, ELIZABETH yanks on her end and ANDY falls to her knees. Another flick of her wrist and the whip is yanked free. LYNN is now getting back to her feet and stalks around to stand next to her daughter.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HALLWAY ? NIGHT

NATALIE charges out of the holding cells and down the long, seemingly never-ending hallway. Behind her is a swarm of young Slayers. NATALIE nervously glances back over her shoulder at them as arrows whiz just near her head. She spots another hallway making an intersection up ahead and stops running in order to slide even faster across the tile. As she slides, a blast of blue energy flies down the hallway and explodes and wall behind her. NATALIE is blown to the ground. She looks up slowly and spots a familiar face walking towards her.

It is ILLYRIA.

CUT TO:

INT PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

BRETT punches out a young Slayer as another charges at him. He head butts her and knees another in the stomach. SEAN fires his crossbow warningly at the girls who try to attack him while DAWN attempts to find some off by kicking and hitting them. ISOBEL remains helpless with FAITH in the center of the room as the fighting continues.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

ELIZABETH whips ANDY across the back once more and ANDY winces with pain. LYNN leans against one of the pillars, arms folded across her chest and smiling pleasurably.

LYNN: You're really not that powerful, Andrea.

ELIZABETH whips ANDY again.

LYNN (Cont'd): You keep fighting me. You keep denying me.

ELIZABETH whips ANDY yet again. LYNN squats down in front of ANDY, lifting ANDY's head up by her chin.

LYNN (Cont'd): You have nothing against me, Andrea. Why do you bother?

ANDY stares LYNN in the eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek, as silence falls upon the room. Suddenly, ANDY spits blood across LYNN's seemingly glowing white pantsuit. LYNN closes her eyes and shakes her head.

LYNN (Cont'd): Stupid girl.

LYNN looks up at ELIZABETH and nods. ELIZABETH pulls the whip back and strikes ANDY across the back again. ANDY screams.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HALLWAY ? NIGHT

NATALIE dashes down the hallway, limping slightly. She looks back over her shoulder and spots ILLYRIA and a few young Slayers stalking after her. ILLYRIA fires another blast at NATALIE, who cuts down a hallway and into a room, slamming the wooden door shut behind her. Carved on the door is the intricate symbol from the previous episodes.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? NECROMANCER'S QUARTERS ? NIGHT

NATALIE leans all her weight against the door as her eyes dart around the room, looking for something to protect herself with. She hears the sound of rummaging amongst a pile of books on the floor. Slowly, she walks over to the pile and finds a young man, LEX, scrimmaging through them. He's wearing a long black robe and has the symbol carved into his forehead. Suddenly, he notices NATALIE and jumps to his feet.

LEX: Who are you? What are you doing here?

NATALIE: Are you a Necromancer?

LEX: What's it to you, Blondie?

NATALIE pulls the knife out of her pocket again and points it at LEX.

NATALIE: It's a lot to me.

LEX's eyes widen with shock as the door is blown open and both he and NATALIE are blasted into the wall.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

The camera locks onto ANDY's hand as she reaches to her belt and wraps her fingers around her gun. ELIZABETH whips her again and she screams, fingers stumbling away from the gun.

LYNN: You're pathetic.

ELIZABETH whips ANDY again as ANDY loosens the gun from it's holder.

LYNN (Cont'd): Absolutely pathetic.

ANDY sobs miserably as ELIZABETH cracks the whip.

ELIZABETH: I told you she'd be easy to take out, Mother.

LYNN raises an eyebrow and grins. ELIZABETH strikes ANDY yet again as ANDY gets the gun completely off her belt. Quickly, she aims it at the ground behind her, taking the chance that she'll shoot ELIZABETH, and fires. Suddenly, the camera cuts away from ANDY's hand and gets a wide shot of the scene. ELIZABETH falls backwards in slow-motion as LYNN's eyes widen and ANDY scrambles to get to her feet. Suddenly, everything snaps back into normal time and ELIZABETH smashes into the ground while ANDY raises the gun on LYNN.

ANDY: Nice crown, bitch.

ANDY cocks the gun and smiles weakly, another tear falling down her face.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? NECROMANCER'S QUARTERS ? NIGHT

NATALIE and LEX dash through a back door and into another room. LEX slams another door behind them.

LEX: What do you people want from me?

NATALIE: My friend is hurt. She was shot. I need anything you have that will make her better.

LEX: I'm not a doctor. I just toy around with spirits.

NATALIE points the end of the dagger at LEX again.

LEX (Cont'd): But I'll give you what I have.

Quickly, LEX opens a cupboard and pulls out a white box. He hands it to NATALIE.

NATALIE: This'll help?

LEX: It better. Otherwise, I've been given really half-ass supplies to work my mojo.

NATALIE: What do I do with it?

LEX: You'll figure it out.

Suddenly, a blast of pure blue energy rips through the wooden door and incinerates LEX. He screams in pain as his body explodes, sending a ripple of power through the room and knocking NATALIE off her feet.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

LYNN kicks ANDY in the stomach and she stumbles backwards. ANDY throws a punch and hits LYNN across the jaw. ANDY spins and whips the gun out, allowing it to strike LYNN on the side of the neck. Quickly, ANDY has the upper hand and traps LYNN against the wall.

ANDY: You screwed up a lot of lives, Lynn. I don't know, nor do I care, how you sleep at night. I hope you realize that.

ANDY presses the gun against LYNN's forehead.

LYNN: Can you do it? Can you kill me?

ANDY doesn't blink.

LYNN (Cont'd): It goes against your code of conduct, doesn't it? Honey, you don't have it in you to kill me. You want to but you can't.

ANDY: Wanna bet?

The camera zooms in on ANDY's finger as it laces around the trigger.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HALLWAY ? NIGHT

NATALIE bursts out of back room and into the same hallway as before, several blasts of blue energy blowing chunks out of the ground behind her. She's running faster than she's ever run before but she doesn't seem to be running out breath. Her adrenaline carries her down the hallway, ILLYRIA and the Slayers right on her tail, and dashes into the holding cell, right back into the battle-zone.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

BRETT takes out two more Slayers as it is revealed that he is the only one left standing besides ISOBEL. SEAN is now unconscious on the floor beside WILLOW. NATALIE threatens the Slayers who try to attack her with the knife in her hands. She then drops to her knees beside FAITH and opens the box.

BRETT: Hurry up!

NATALIE looks inside and her eyes widen.

NATALIE: ?Figure it out,' my ass!

She reaches inside the box.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM ? CHAMBERS ? NIGHT

ELIZABETH is on the ground, groping at her bullet-wound, while ANDY still has LYNN pinned against the pillar.

LYNN: Do it, Andrea.

ANDY stares LYNN in the eyes.

LYNN (Cont'd): C'mon, Andrea! Just shoot me.

ANDY looks away.

ANDY: Call them off. Call your Slayers off.

LYNN: You're kidding me.

ANDY glares at LYNN.

ANDY: Do I look like I'm kidding?

LYNN: There's a cell phone in my pocket. First number on speed dial.

ANDY reaches into LYNN's pocket with her free hand and pulls out the phone and punches in ?1' before calling the number. She puts the phone to LYNN's ear.

LYNN (Into the Phone): Pull out.

ANDY takes the phone away and hangs up, dropping the phone on the ground and stomping down on it.

LYNN (Cont'd): Now what?

ANDY shrugs.

ANDY: I thought I'd start with good ol' retribution.

She pulls her arm back and begins to lower the back of the gun down on LYNN as the scene falls back into slow-motion. A blurry figure rushes through the scene, grabbing LYNN by the arm and pulling her out of ANDY's line of attack. The blurs of LYNN and her rescuer disappear as ELIZABETH transforms into a black raven and flies off after them. Time resumes and ANDY hits the stone pillar, instead of LYNN. She looks around, panicked and shocked at LYNN's sudden disappearance. She then takes off towards the holding cell.

CUT TO:

INT. PECTUS MALUM CHAMBERS ? HOLDING CELL ? NIGHT

BRETT kicks a girl in the stomach as another smashes him across the neck. In the corner of the room, we see KAYLA on the phone. She snaps it closed and rolls her eyes, letting loose a shrill whistle.

KAYLA: Pull out, ladies. That's it.

The girls stop attacking and turn to stare at her.

SLAYER 1: You're kidding me!

KAYLA: It's a direct order. Fallback.

The group steps away from BRETT, ISOBEL, NATALIE, and the unconscious bodies of SEAN, DAWN, and WILLOW. BRETT coughs and wipes blood from the corner of his mouth.

BRETT: Where's Buffy and Spike?

KAYLA claps her hands twice and BUFFY and SPIKE are slid across the floor, both of whom are bloody and completely beaten. NATALIE looks up from the box and glares at KAYLA.

NATALIE: You wouldn't, by any chance, happen to know how to work this, would you?

KAYLA turns her back and leads the girls out of the holding cell. NATALIE huffs, aggravated, and pulls a long piece of metal and a bottle of orange gel from the box.

NATALIE (Cont'd): Seriously. What is this?

BRETT squats down next to NATALIE and checks FAITH's pulse.

BRETT: We can get her to a hospital if we move quickly.

ISOBEL: She'll be fine?

BRETT: We just have to hurry. Try to wake them up.

BRETT motions towards the group of knocked out bodies on the ground.

ANDY (OS): Oh my god.

BRETT and NATALIE look up to see ANDY running into the holding cell.

ANDY (Cont'd): Are they alright? Are you alright?

NATALIE: They're just knocked out.

BRETT: Faith'll be fine if we hurry out of here.

ANDY moves towards WILLOW and kneels down next to her. She rolls her over gently and shakes her by the arm.

ANDY: Willow? Wake up.

WILLOW slowly comes to, eyes fluttering as they open.

ANDY (Cont'd): Did you do it?

WILLOW responds weakly.

WILLOW: Y-yup. It's d-done.

NATALIE, who is slowly bringing BUFFY back to consciousness, looks over at ANDY and smiles weakly. ANDY doesn't return the gesture. BRETT lifts FAITH up and holds her in his arms.

BRETT: Where're Lynn and Elizabeth?

ANDY shrugs.

ANDY: They're gone.

She frowns.

CUT TO:

INT. SAFE HOUSE ? ROOM ? NIGHT

It appears that the safe house was previously lived in. There is a suitcase on the bed and food on the table. The door opens and AURORA leads LYNN and ELIZABETH inside.

ANDY (VO): They just disappeared.

ELIZABETH sits down on a couch as AURORA runs a rag under a faucet. LYNN makes her way into the bathroom and shuts the door behind her.

CUT TO:

INT. SAFE HOUSE ? BATHROOM ? NIGHT

LYNN turns on the shower and looks in the mirror, slowly removing her blood-stained jacket and dropping it on the floor. She turns away and walks back to the shower, taking off her shirt. The camera zooms in on the black tattoo of a heart with a stake running through it placed directly between her shoulder blades.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? NIGHT

We get a close up shot of the same symbol of a heart and stake except this time it is on someone's forearm. The camera zooms out and we see it is KAYLA sitting in a leather conference chair at the end of the table. She is still wearing the tanktop and jeans she was wearing during the battle but her stab wound is being mystically tended to by a woman covered completely in black.

DIANNA (OS): It's amazing what some Mystics can do, isn't it?

KAYLA smiles as the MYSTIC finishes healing her wound. She looks down the table and we see DIANNA sitting at the opposite end.

KAYLA: It really is.

The MYSTIC doesn't need to be dismissed and leaves on her own.

KAYLA (Cont'd): Tell me more about what you've been doing with my company.

She grins and DIANNA opens a manila folder.

FADE TO BLACK

END OF ACT III

[Heather]

ACT IV

FADE IN

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? NIGHT

KAYLA props her head up with her hand as she reviews a folder in front of her. DIANNA notices her fatigue.

DIANNA: Are you alright?

KAYLA: Umm?Y-yeah I'm fine. I just feel?weird.

DIANNA: Do you want me to get the Mystic back in here?

KAYLA shakes her head and sits up straight.

KAYLA: No. I don't think it has anything to do with the stabbing. I've felt like this since I got here.

DIANNA: Felt what?

KAYLA: This nagging feeling that something's wrong. Like part of me?part of my life is missing?or was missing.

DIANNA: I should get the Mystics in here to make sure you are alright.

KAYLA slams her fist down on the table.

KAYLA: No, what you should be doing right now is getting some perspective on the bigger picture. You don't seem to understand my orders to you, Preston. I hire you with the expectations that any normal employer has but you've let me down on more than one occasion. I come here, to my own office, and find everything in disarray. Perspective. Get some now.

The two fall silent, each of them staring down at the documents before them.

KAYLA (Cont'd): Aren't there other workers here besides yourself, Preston?

DIANNA looks up at KAYLA.

DIANNA: Gregory Carlisle has dropped off our radar somehow. We haven't seen nor heard from him for nearly 48 hours now. Elizabeth Holloway?I have no excuse for her absence.

KAYLA nods.

KAYLA: She doesn't matter. I know where she is anyway.

DIANNA looks at her curiously but doesn't bother questioning her superior.

DIANNA: Is there anything else you would like to see or hear?

KAYLA shakes her head.

KAYLA: No. This is everything. You can leave.

DIANNA nods, stands up, and leaves. KAYLA continues to pawn through the documents before her.

CUT TO:

INT. SAFE HOUSE ? ROOM ? NIGHT

LYNN is now seated, wearing new, black clothes. AURORA is staring out the window while ELIZABETH is simply standing and reviewing a set of documents.

AURORA: This will work, right?

ELIZABETH doesn't both looking at her.

ELIZABETH: Of course it will. There's no reason why it wouldn't.

AURORA turns around and ELIZABETH looks up at her.

AURORA: Are you sure about that?

ELIZABETH: You're paranoid. I get that.

AURORA: No, you don't get that. You get caught by the cops and you can get out of any charges. Me? If I get caught by the cops, the best situation has me running half way ?round the world and even then I won't be safe. You don't get paranoia.

LYNN: The plan is flawless. I've made sure of it. Elizabeth has made sure of it. You've even made sure of it. Get over your fear.

AURORA: I don't have another option?

LYNN: No, you don't. If you decide to back out now, I'll blow the bombs beneath the orphanage. You don't get anymore options.

AURORA turns back towards the window. LYNN stands up.

LYNN (Cont'd): I'm beginning to doubt that Brett Stewart will be holding up his end of the bargain.

ELIZABETH: He'll be here.

LYNN: He better.

She straightens up in her seat as ELIZABETH returns to her paperwork.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? NIGHT

NATALIE places a strip of bandage on the bleeding slashes across ANDY's back. BUFFY is tending to DAWN's relatively minor cuts while SPIKE is busy with his own injuries. SEAN and BRETT are putting away the weaponry from the battle and ISOBEL is helping WILLOW sit up on the couch.

WILLOW (Weakly): Wasn't that a doozy?

ISOBEL: Can I get you something? A-an aspirin, maybe?

WILLOW: A handful of Excedrin would be nice.

ISOBEL looks at her curiously and WILLOW smiles faintly.

WILLOW (Cont'd): Just playing.

ISOBEL: I'll get you and aspirin, then. (Beat) If I knew where it was?

NATALIE looks up at ISOBEL and motions towards the second floor with her free hand.

NATALIE: Fourth room on the left side of the warehouse. Should be on the shelves somewhere.

ISOBEL nods and heads upstairs. ANDY winces with pain as NATALIE presses down on the bandage to make it stick.

NATALIE (Cont'd): Sorry, sorry. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to?

ANDY: N-no it's alright.

She takes a sweatshirt from NATALIE and slowly pulls it over her head. She then glances over at WILLOW and the two make eye contact. Seemingly reading ANDY's mind, WILLOW answers her question before ANDY ever asks it.

WILLOW: It's going to stick.

ANDY: You're sure?

WILLOW: The killer migraine is proof that it's going to hold.

SPIKE: I still don't see the bloody point in wasting energy on that spell. We could've used it in the fight.

ANDY: We had to reverse whatever kind of hold Lynn had on those girls. We did what we had to do. Aside from that, everyone's fine?

DAWN (Faintly): Faith's in the hospital.

ANDY looks over at her and frowns.

ANDY: I know she is. I also know that she's going to be fine.

BUFFY: It was still a reckless plan.

BRETT: It wasn't reckless. It was necessary.

ANDY glares at BRETT.

ANDY: I don't need you to stand up for me.

BRETT looks down at the ground and backs off.

ANDY (Cont'd): Even though Faith was shot, that's one casualty as opposed to a hundred. If we had left those girls under Lynn's control, they would've lost their lives one way or another. At least Faith isn't dead.

The group falls silent. ANDY stands up slowly and starts off towards the office.

ANDY (Cont'd): Get some sleep. Or?Or try to at least. I dunno. But don't worry about all of this. We'll find Lynn and Elizabeth. We'll take them out, I promise. Tonight wasn't for nothing.

She enters the office and slams the door shut behind her.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? OFFICE ? NIGHT

ANDY enters the office and closes her eyes. A tear rolls down her cheek. She wipes it away and takes a few more steps into the office, beginning to cry more. Quickly, she's in complete tears, everything from the night catching up with her. With a sudden burst of anger, ANDY grabs a stapler from the desk and beams it across the room. She swipes her arm out and sends a vase smashing to the floor. ANDY then kicks the chair behind the desk, shattering it into several pieces. The door opens and NATALIE and BRETT rush inside.

BRETT tries to take ANDY into his arms but she pushes him away. NATALIE glares at him and holds ANDY. The two slowly sink to the floor, ANDY sobbing as NATALIE tries to calm her down.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? OFFICES ? DAY

"Gone Daddy Gone" by Gnarls Barkley plays in the background of all Celestial Center scenes.

ELIZABETH stalks into the offices, taking off her dark sunglasses and handing off her jacket and purse to an assistant that is waiting for her by the door. The ASSISSTANT follows her.

ELIZABETH: Is he here?

ASSISSTANT: Is who here?

ELIZABETH: The Big Boss. Is he here?

ASSISSTANT: Oh, you mean ?she.' She's here, yes.

ELIZABETH stops and turns to stare at her ASSISSTANT.

ELIZABETH: Seriously?

ASSISSTANT: Seriously.

ELIZABETH: Give me my purse back. Give it to me.

She rips the small bag from the ASSISSTANT's arms and motions for her to go away. ELIZABETH opens her purse, grabs a small stick of lipstick, and runs it along her lips. She closes it and puts it back in the bag, slinging her purse back over her arm. She then pushes open the doors to the conference room and enters.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? BASEMENT ? DAY

A blur flashes through the room as two security guards are knocked off their feet. They fall in slow motion as the blur takes on the shape and details of AURORA. Time resumes and AURORA is no longer running at high speeds. Three more guards rush into the room, pulling out batons and guns. She grins and takes off running.

Suddenly, the first guard is taken out as AURORA stops running and smashes him into the wall, snapping his neck. She spins around and kicks the second in the gut before forcing her arm down on the back of his neck. He's instantly knocked out. Moving at high speeds again, she steals the second guard's baton and hits the third guard at full force. He's killed by the first blow to the head.

AURORA quickly comes out of high speed and looks around the room. It's then that she notices a tall tube at the back of room. Inside the tube is a swirling cloud of blue energy with the occasional bolt of white lightning cutting through it. She knows what this is and stalks towards it, baton still in hand. Reaching to her belt, AURORA retrieves a long dagger and holds it in her other hand. She rests the tip of the blade on the edge of the glass and pushes only slightly. A crack begins to run up and down the tube as the energy inside flows out and into the knife. She continues to smile at her success.

As soon as the tube is emptied, five more guards flow out into the room from different entrances and pull out a variety of weapons. She doesn't even view them as a threat. AURROA puts the knife back on her belt and twirls the baton between her fingers. The guards advance.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? DAY

ELIZABETH now enters the conference room and turns towards the table?only to stop dead in her tracks.

ELIZABETH: Oh you have got to be kidding me.

The camera pans around the room and we find KAYLA, now dressed in sophisticated pantsuit. KAYLA smiles at ELIZABETH.

KAYLA: Shocking, isn't it?

ELIZABETH shuffles her feet and looks towards the window.

CUT TO:

EXT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? ENTRANCE ? DAY

The scene is in slow-motion. A white stretch limo pulls up in front of the building and dark robed figure exits the driver's side of the vehicle and dashes around to the opposite side. He opens the door and LYNN gets out of the car. She's wearing her tiara, now, with an open-back halter-top, revealing her tattoo. She then walks towards the front doors of Celestial Center.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? DAY

ELIZABETH takes a few more steps into the room. KAYLA remains seated.

ELIZABETH: What is this? Some kind of grand scheme? Infiltrate the Queen's Army for Celestial Center's own success?

KAYLA: I could ask you the same question, couldn't I? The Queen's your mother yet you work for the people who are trying to bring her down? Suspicious, right?

ELIZABETH rolls her eyes and props herself up against the back of a chair.

ELIZABETH: Very suspicious, yes. But I guess I just had to stick with this place in order for me to have you killed.

She laughs while KAYLA remains completely serious.

KAYLA: You wouldn't be able to lay a hand on me.

ELIZABETH: You're right. I wouldn't.

Her smile fades away.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? OFFICES ? DAY

LYNN enters the building with her dark driver right behind her. Two security guards step in front of her to stop her from going any further but she simply motions towards her head. Swiftly, she throws out her fist, punching one guard, and kicks the other. They slam into the walls and fall to the ground. LYNN then continues to move deeper into Celestial Center.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? DAY

KAYLA begins to stand up as a blur flashes behind her chair. The blur stops moving and forms into AURORA. KAYLA whips her head around and stares at AURORA in shock.

ELIZABETH: She might be able to do it, though.

KAYLA: Where did you come from?

AURORA: That's a long story.

AURORA turns into a blur again, only to reappear across the room with her back to KAYLA. The camera gets a close up shot of KAYLA's face. Her eyes are wide with shock. The camera pans down and we see that her throat has been cut, blood pouring from the gash. The conference room doors are thrown open as LYNN enters.

LYNN: Didn't think you'd have to be that messy.

"Gone Daddy Gone" by Gnarls Barkley comes to an end.

As LYNN stalks into the conference room, DIANNA appears in the doorway.

DIANNA: Oh my god.

She notices the others in the room.

DIANNA (Cont'd): What the hell happened? Who are you? I'll have your ass for this one, Holloway.

LYNN looks back over her shoulder at DIANNA.

LYNN: Don't talk to your superiors like that. Dianna Preston, right?

DIANNA: My superiors?

LYNN motions towards KAYLA's dead body on the ground.

LYNN: She was the President of Celestial Center, right? Shame. She was a great general for my army.

DIANNA: Your army? What are you talking about?

LYNN: Don't think so much, Missus Preston. Just know that there's been a change of power at Celestial Center today.

DIANNA: How so?

LYNN runs a finger down her back and stops at the tattoo.

LYNN: According to myth preceding any of us here, Missus Preston, the President of Celestial Center will come to power should they bare the mark of a heart being penetrated by a stake.

LYNN pulls her hand away from her back and sits down in one of the chairs.

LYNN (Cont'd): I've been branded. If all the records Celestial Center has are correct, then I am the only person with the mark and, thus, am the only person capable of taking the seat of power should the President of Celestial Center die. (Beat) Kayla Kaas got the power from her father. She's now dead. That just leaves me.

DIANNA rubs her forehead.

DIANNA: There must be some mistake.

ELIZABETH: There isn't. Guess your precious plans didn't fall through, Dianna.

She grins as DIANNA glares at her.

DIANNA: I never should've let you live from the moment I came here.

ELIZABETH: But you did. Do you know why? Because you liked the challenge.

DIANNA turns her back on ELIZABETH and faces LYNN.

DIANNA: Why do you want to take over Celestial Center, anyway? It's a dangerous lifestyle, one that leads to many deaths.

LYNN sits up straight in her chair and smiles.

LYNN: I've already lost one source of power in the past 24 hours, Missus Preston. I just want more.

DIANNA: More what?

LYNN: More power.

She sits back in her chair and looks around the conference room.

LYNN (Cont'd): And we'll make this infamous day in Celestial Center history as the day that this conference room met a real interior designer.

DIANNA takes a deep breath as LYNN continues to smile.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? AFTERNOON

NATALIE walks down the balcony and begins to make her way down the stairs. BRETT is sitting on the couch. He looks up at her.

BRETT: How is she?

NATALIE: She's fine. Just?shaken up a bit.

BRETT nods and looks down at the floor.

NATALIE (Cont'd): She doesn't want to see you, either.

BRETT glances up again, taken back a bit.

BRETT: What?

NATALIE: She doesn't want to see you.

BRETT: You're kidding me?

NATALIE: Can you blame her? (Suddenly furious) Oh my god, Brett, do you not get what you've done? You lied to her. You betrayed her. Lord knows what else you've been doing behind Andy's back and, in all honesty, only God should know.

BRETT: You don't know what you're talking about?

NATALIE: Dear god, just shut up! How can you be so blind to what is going on? Andy doesn't want you. She doesn't want you to talk to her. She doesn't want you to hold her. She doesn't need you anymore, Brett. You took a perfectly good relationship and tore it apart because you thought you were doing the right thing. Well guess what, wise guy, you screwed up.

BRETT: No, you shut up! You think you have all the facts? You think that because Andy told you gist of what's been going on that you suddenly know it all? You don't get to judge me, Natalie. I was with Elizabeth, yeah, but not in the way that you're thinking. I was helping her destroy Celestial Center. I was helping her take down a major source of problems. We were gonna save thousands of lives if everything fell through like it was supposed. I swear to you, I had no idea Lynn was the Queen. I couldn't have known.

NATALIE: It should've been obvious. You were in here house. You were part of her life.

BRETT: There was nothing for me to pick up on. No one knew Lynn was the one person we were fighting against.

NATALIE: Elizabeth knew.

BRETT: That's different.

NATALIE: How so? Because she was working with her mother? Because Elizabeth is evil, that makes it different? Can you seriously justify what you've done like that? Just by saying that you couldn't have known? That doesn't make it right.

BRETT: I know it doesn't.

NATALIE: Then stop trying! Give it up, Brett. Leave. Just leave.

The two of them fall silent, soaking in the argument that just took place. BRETT slowly turns around and heads off towards the front door.

BRETT: I'm sorry.

NATALIE: Sorry doesn't make it right.

With that, BRETT slides open the door and leaves. NATALIE puts both hands to her face and cries.

CUT TO:

INT. HOSPITAL ? FAITH'S ROOM ? EVENING

"Don't Confess" by Tegan and Sara plays from now until the end of the episode.

FAITH is sleeping in her hospital bad. A cut on her head is bandage and she is hooked up to a heart monitor and an IV runs into her arm. BUFFY enters the room and sits down in the chair next to FAITH. She takes FAITH's hand in her's and closes her eyes.

BUFFY: I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything.

FAITH's eyes slowly open and she looks at BUFFY, smiling weakly.

CUT TO:

INT. CELESTIAL CENTER ? CONFERENCE ROOM ? EVENING

LYNN is seated at the end of the long conference table, drumming her fingers along the edge of the desk. ELIZABETH knocks on the door and enters.

ELIZABETH: How does it feel?

LYNN: Honey, it feels great. So much power.

ELIZABETH: And to think that this is just the beginning. (Beat) Can I get you anything?

LYNN nods and smiles.

LYNN: Actually, there is something. Now's the time to do it. To finish this?this fight.

ELIZABETH looks at her mother curiously.

CUT TO:

INT. BAR ? COUNTERTOP ? EVENING

ANDY is drinking a beer at the bar. The place is busy with people. She stares at the mirror on the wall opposite her.

LYNN (VO): Send the Message.

The camera pans in on the mirror and slowly begins to go lower, getting a shot of the floor. We see a small black box attached to the wall with wires running out of it. The wires continue to run along the floor and into the kitchen, where we find that the wires run into a larger black box in the corner of the room. On the box is a timer that's starts counting backwards from 60 seconds.

CUT TO:

INT. STORE ? DRESSING ROOMS ? EVENING

WILLOW and DAWN head into the dressing rooms, both are carrying handful of clothing on hangers. They each go into two rooms next to each other and shut the doors. The camera pans down so we see their feet. The sounds of struggling and muffled screams come from behind one of the doors. Suddenly, DAWN is yanked upwards while WILLOW is knocked to the ground, unconscious. The camera pans up towards the ceiling as a pair of black boots disappear into an air vent. The metal grating snaps closed and DAWN is gone.

CUT TO:

INT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? MAIN ROOM ? EVENING

SPIKE enters the main room, pulling on his leather jacket. He takes a cigarette from his jacket pocket but drops it. He looks down at his hand as it begins to shake furiously. Suddenly, his entire arm begins to be affected by this sudden tremor. SPIKE throws his head back and screams as pain rips through his entire body. A warm green glow surrounds his body as rays of the same light shoot around the room. Everything is suddenly consumed in the light.
CUT TO:

EXT. SLAYER CENTRAL ? ROAD ? EVENING

BRETT pulls out of Slayer Central in a red pick-up truck and starts off down the road. He appears thoroughly aggravated, propping his head up with his one hand while the other steers the car. He looks out towards the river and takes a deep breath. His attention turns back towards the front window?

And the truck explodes.

CUT TO:

EXT. NEW YORK CITY ? TIMES SQUARE ? EVENING

A black van drives recklessly down the road and onto the sidewalk, cutting off pedestrians and taking out benches and trash cans. The car skids to a stop and the side door opens. A body, wearing a tattered white dress and wrapped with something black around their waist, is thrown onto the sidewalk. The body rolls until it slams into a bench. Slowly, they stand up, with their head down. We hear them crying. They turn around and we see?

NATALIE.

She's sobbing, her mascara running down her cheeks and her hair messed and ratty. The camera pans down and we see that the black item wrapped around her waist is a bomb that's ticking down from 57 seconds. The camera pans out to get a shot of innocent bystanders screaming and running amok as NATALIE remains crying in the center of the chaos.

CUT TO:

INT. BAR ? COUNTERTOP ? EVENING

ANDY gets up from her seat and heads towards the door.

CUT TO:

EXT. BAR ? PARKING LOT ? EVENING

The front door opens and a brunette woman, presumably ANDY, steps out?

The bar explodes.

"Don't Confess" by Tegan and Sara comes to an end.

CUT TO BLACK

END OF EPISODE

END OF SEASON 1