originalsyn
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
[
bottom
]
1 INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNELS - NIGHT 1
Deepest, darkest underground. We're pushing slowly forward
through a man-sized, circular tunnel, passing jagged rock
formations and roots, with nothing but darkness ahead of us.
Suddenly, we hear a distant CLINK, the sound of metal
scraping against stone.
We continue pushing forward - and now, a dim LIGHT can be
seen, flickering like a torch flame in the distance.
BUFFY (V.O.)
I knew... Before we even set off,
back when we were still just making
the plans, even without that
prophecy, I just... I just knew.
Still pushing in, but the tunnel is starting to narrow,
tapering down into a crawlspace. We continue to progress
through the gloom, the dancing orange light cast by the torch
up ahead now illuminating what looks like a small, round
cavern up ahead of us.
2 INT. UNDERGROUND TUNNELS - CHAMBER - NIGHT 2
The circular room is about twenty metres across, but the
focus of our attention is a FIGURE, hunched over and with its
back to us, one thick, muscular arm holding the torch giving
us our light as we approach.
BUFFY (V.O.)
I didn't want to say anything to
the others - it doesn't really do
much good to have the people you're
about to trust with your life know
that you think... Well, I guess
that doesn't matter now.
The figure looks to be a tall, well built man, with long,
straggly grey hair, but as we draw closer we start to make
out more details - the man's skin is completely jet black,
and the hand holding the torch is made up of five thick,
taloned fingers.
The man appears to be hacking away at something out of sight,
hidden by his body, so our view starts to crane up, looking
down on the scene from above.
The man is trying to prise open a locked casket, a large,
square metal box that's coated with dirt, slime and rust.
A large hole dug out of the ground next to it shows where the
casket came from, and the man is now using the shovel to
batter the locks into submission.
BUFFY (V.O.) (cont'd)
I can't believe I'm not going to
get a chance to say goodbye.
With a sudden SNAP, the locks snap away and fall from the
box. The man pauses, and allows himself a brief, gruff
chuckle. He reaches out a cautious hand for the box,
tentatively lifting the lid.
After a beat, confident there are no traps, he THROWS the lid
open - and reveals an old, leather bound book, securely
wrapped and bound, the casket around it filled with dust.
BUFFY (V.O.) (cont'd)
After all we've been through
together, I owed them that.
The man reaches his free hand into the casket, and gingerly
lifts up the book.
BUFFY (V.O.) (cont'd)
But I guess most people don't have
the luxury of knowing they're about
to go into their last fight, do
they?
CRASH! There is a sudden, loud noise from behind us, and as
we rapidly pull back, the man starts to turn round.
We can't make out his features in the gloom, but what we do
see is a pair of glittering green eyes - GLOWING in the
darkness as it engulfs the figure again.
Still pulling back at increasing speed, the blackness of the
tunnel takes over again, and as it fills the screen, we black
out and cut to:
3 EXT. OUTSIDE CLEVELAND PD - NIGHT. 3
SLAM! We're staring at the door of a jet black van as it
slides shut, before the van's engine starts and it drives
away, out of frame.
The scene it reveals is one of utter mayhem - the most
prominent feature is the police station in ruins as the
backdrop, the once tall Cleveland Police Department smashed
down into a heap of rubble.
Red and blue emergency services lights dance across the
scene, which is filled with police cars and vans, ambulances,
fire engines, crowds of curious onlookers restrained by
yellow tickertape and plastic barriers, and lots of cops.
We start to pan left across the scene, and as we do two
paramedics pass us, with a body inside a half-zipped body bag
on a gurney between them.
The body is that of the unfortunate SHANNA, Jackson Shaw's
runaway little sister. The first paramedic pauses to finish
zipping up the bag, before the two of them heft the gurney up
into the back of a waiting ambulance.
Panning further across the scene, we pick up DAN and ANDREW,
the cop and the geek, sitting on one of the side steps of a
parked fire engine. Both men show signs of battle - cuts,
scratches and dust caking their clothes - and sip from foam
coffee cups as another paramedic drapes blankets round their
shoulders.
Both men are staring blankly ahead of them, still processing
all that went on to cause the devastation around them.
We pan further along, past a large flatbed truck piled up
with the corpses of a dozen different shades of ugly demon
warriors, along with two marines wearing masks against the
smell, tossing another body onto the rest of the pile.
Finally, we come to an old car. The old car that belongs to
GILES, in fact, with the man himself leaning against its
bonnet. His one arm is around BUFFY, and his other around
SOFIA, the two Slayers pressed close against Giles for some
kind of fatherly comfort.
GILES
Time we thought about heading home,
I think. We've all seen quite
enough excitement for one day.
Giles releases the girls and turns his attention to Buffy,
but he's distracted as a uniform COP strolls up to them.
COP
Are you in charge of these two?
GILES
I'm sorry? Oh, yes, yes, I'm their,
ah, uncle. I'll take them home.
COP
We'd appreciate that, sir. With all
these gang members' bodies still to
clean up, we're going to need all
the space we can get round here.
GILES
(puzzled)
Gang members?
Giles looks over as another flatbed truck loaded with dead
demon bodies rolls past, and he nods and looks back to the
Cop with a forced smile.
GILES (cont'd)
Bloody gangs, eh? Always causing
some kind of trouble.
The Cop eyes Giles for a beat - then turns and walks away.
Giles breathes a sigh of relief.
SOFIA
'Gang members'?
GILES
Believe me, we've heard flimsier
excuses. What was it Principal
Snyder used to say to cover up
vampire activity? PCP?
(shakes head)
Thoroughly unpleasant little man.
SOFIA
What happened to him?
GILES
(beat)
Come on, let's head home. Xander
and Hope are waiting to see you.
Sofia nods - you'd expect her to look overjoyed at the news
of Xander's safe return, but she's too worn out.
SOFIA
And still no word from Willow?
Giles shakes his head, then looks up as Dan and Andrew walk
over. Dan looks a little uncomfortable.
DAN
Uh, hi. You must be...
GILES
Giles. Rupert Giles.
He offers Dan his hand, and they shake.
DAN
You part of this whole 'hell demons
and vampires' thing too? Your girl
Buffy here promised me some answers
earlier, but I couldn't help but
notice she's been kinda spaced out
since Jackson... well, you know.
GILES
If you'd like to join us back at
Buffy's house, I'm sure we can fill
in any blanks you may still have.
DAN
Blanks? I'm thinking more like a
mosaic of missing pieces here! I
mean, what happened here tonight,
with the monsters, and fire, and
explosions... I just don't even
know where to start processing any
of it, you know?
Giles lays a fatherly arm round Dan's shoulders and motions
towards his car.
GILES
You're not the first person we've
had to give the summarised version
of Slayer history to, and I very
much doubt you'll be the last.
Giles opens his car door for Dan to step in. Dan looks Giles'
somewhat shaky car over and raises an eyebrow.
DAN
Uh... no offence, but I've got my
own ride.
GILES
(beat; sighs)
Please yourself.
Dan nods once to Buffy, then turns and heads away as an
ambulance siren starts up, and the vehicle rushes past the
group by the car, on its way to the hospital as Giles opens
the passenger door and turns to Buffy.
GILES (cont'd)
Shall we go?
Buffy stands still, staring ahead of her. Giles and Sofia
exchange a worried look, before Giles gently nudges Buffy and
guides her into the car.
As Sofia and Andrew clamber into the two back seats, Giles
starts the car's engine, and we cut to:
4 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT. 4
The gang are all here - almost, anyway. XANDER is cradling
the sleeping baby HOPE in his arms, sitting on the living
room sofa next to Sofia, who gazes fondly down at the
sleeping infant.
Curled up tightly on one of the armchairs is Buffy, her arms
wrapped round her knees. Andrew sits on the floor by the
sofa, still shivering slightly, as Giles walks in from the
kitchen and hands Andrew a large glass of water.
GILES
This should help with any smoke
left in your lungs.
ANDREW
Uh, thanks.
He GULPS a few mouthfuls down, then puts the glass on the
floor and scans his eyes across the room.
ANDREW (cont'd)
So, uh, how did Dan take
everything?
XANDER
You mean Giles' condensed history
of the last nine years in Buffy
World?
SOFIA
Pretty well, considering.
We quickly cut outside to:
5 EXT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - BACK GARDEN - NIGHT. 5
Dan is sitting on the back porch, staring out towards us.
There's a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.
After a beat, he takes a swing of beer, then a drag off the
cigarette, before resuming his staring.
DAN
Huh.
We cut back inside to:
6 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT. 6
Giles is watching the still silent Buffy with concern in his
eyes, when Sofia speaks up.
SOFIA
Giles, how's Marie?
GILES
Oh, she's fine, I spoke to her not
long ago.
She should be back on her feet in a
few days. Still no sign of Max,
however.
XANDER
That backstabbing bastard. I always
knew we couldn't trust him.
SOFIA
(tongue in cheek)
Oh, that's right, I forgot how you
were the one who warned us all that
he was going to turn on us.
XANDER
Well- I- I could have, if I'd had
the time to notice!
(gestures to Hope)
I did have other things on my mind.
Giles heads over to Buffy, crouches down next to her and
places a hand on her knee.
GILES
Buffy? Are you still with us?
Buffy's eyes flick to look at Giles, before she nods.
GILES (cont'd)
Would you like anything? Some food,
some more water perhaps?
Buffy shakes her head, child like, and Giles gets the message
to leave her be for now. He strolls back across the room,
lost in thought.
SOFIA
What do we all make of that Dan
chap, anyway? He seems very...
GILES
American?
SOFIA
I was going to say 'resilient,'
but, since you mention it...
XANDER
All comedy national stereotyping
aside, guys, we need a plan! We
need answers, and Willow.
GILES
Agreed. Let's go over what we know.
Giles finishes his tea and heads for a pile of reference
books heaped up on the coffee table, as Sofia, Xander and
Andrew spread out to take a book each.
GILES (cont'd)
Buffy, did I hear you say Kane told
you that somebody's planning to
open every Hellmouth in the world,
all at once?
BUFFY
He said 'he knows where they all
are, and you can't stop him.'
(to Giles)
I'd kinda like to prove him wrong.
XANDER
Woah there, Bat-Buffy. I'm as much
down for some payback against that
slick-haired creep as you are,
but... every Hellmouth? How many is
that?
GILES
At the last count?
(thinks)
A hundred and twelve. Recorded
ones, anyway.
A beat as the room processes the news.
SOFIA
Well, that's only...
(counts)
Eighteen each, if we get Dan to
help. We could manage that,
couldn't we?
The round of weary looks in the room tells Sofia no, they
couldn't manage that.
BUFFY
Kane also gave me something, might
have been a name. Just before he
died, he said he was only following
orders, and when I asked him whose,
he said 'the original sin.'
GILES
'Sin'? With an 'i' or a 'y'?
BUFFY
(impatient)
I don't know, Giles, it's not like
I was at a spelling bee!
GILES
It could help us work out what he
was on about, is all I meant.
XANDER
(snaps fingers)
Hey, didn't we fight somebody
called 'Syn' when we first came to
Cleveland? That biker guy,
possessed people's bodies?
BUFFY
Kennedy killed it. Broke its neck.
XANDER
Oh yeah. I'd say that rules him out
of our Most Wanted list.
GILES
Unless...
Giles gets a thought and reaches round for another book,
starting to leaf through it.
SOFIA
(curious)
Giles?
BUFFY
(louder)
Giles?
GILES
(looks up)
Sorry?
XANDER
You performed a classic.
(bad Giles impression)
'Unless...'
GILES
Oh, yes, sorry. Well, it's Kane's
use of the word 'original' that
just got me thinking.
XANDER
What, you think he should have used
'primary' instead?
GILES
No, just that perhaps the Syn we
faced may have been the latest in a
line of demons to bear that name,
or something similar.
It wouldn't be the first time a
demonic entity has referred to
itself as 'the original' something
or other.
Giles begins to get lost in his book, and sensing that he's
settling down for a night of research, Buffy stands.
BUFFY
Find out what you can. Andrew, help
him. Xander, I think you ought to
get yourself and Hope to bed.
XANDER
What about Willow?
BUFFY
Don't worry, we'll get to that. Now
go rest.
Xander nods, stands and heads for the stairs as Sofia gets up
and stands before Buffy.
SOFIA
What about me? I got the impression
you were in a 'giving out orders'
kind of mood.
BUFFY
(checks watch)
Grab a weapon. We're going out.
Buffy heads over to the weapons chest as Giles catches up
with what she just said.
GILES
Going back out? Buffy, I really
think you should-
BUFFY
(interrupts)
I really think I should hit every
demon bar, nest, apartment, hideout
and hole in the ground that I can
find in this town, and beat the
crap out of everybody until one of
them tells me who 'Syn' is, and
where we can find him.
Sofia smirks, impressed as always by Buffy's strength under
pressure, as Giles stands, taking off his glasses.
GILES
Really, Buffy, you've been through
a tremendous amount tonight
already. I'm concerned for your
well being.
BUFFY
(looking at Giles)
Sofia, you feel up to it?
SOFIA
I suppose so.
BUFFY
Then we're good. Don't wait up.
Buffy walks around Giles, tossing a sword to Sofia and
pausing to scoop the Scythe up from its place, propped up
next to the door.
Giles knows he won't be able to talk her down and lets her
go, watching the two Slayers leave.
The door closes, and there's a beat of silence before Andrew
finally speaks again.
ANDREW
Um, can I be excused to go to the
bathroom, please?
Giles sighs and nods his head. As Andrew stands and quickly
shuffles towards the bathroom, we cut to:
7 EXT. THE CIRCLE - FIELDS - DAY 7
Back up in the pocket dimension inhabited by the three
members of the Circle, we pan down across the snow-capped
trees of the thick forest surrounding the wooden village on
stilts that the Circle call home.
The volcanoes in the background RUMBLE ominously, but as we
pan across the fields of waist-high grass surrounding the
village, bathed in glorious sunshine, we pick out a figure in
amongst the grass, who appears to be DIGGING.
It's WILLOW, her red hair tied back in a loose ponytail,
wiping away the sweat before continuing to dig.
Lying next to her on the ground is a sealed cloth bag, human
sized - the body of the unfortunate Amy Madison, the witch
who fell at the hands of the Circle.
Willow is digging a grave for Amy's body into the ground,
wrapped up in her efforts and not noticing the shadow falling
across her.
Willow looks up, one hand shielding her eyes from the sun, to
see TRINKETS, one of the Circle members, squinting down at
her, his short, scruffy brown hair as rumpled as the rest of
his plain brown overalls.
TRINKETS
Are you really going to dig a whole
grave, just for her?
Willow ignores her and keeps on digging, and from her
expression we can see she's struggling to control her anger.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
She was just an ordinary witch, you
know. She didn't have anything like
your level of power.
WILLOW
She tried to save me. I owe it to
her to at least try and give her a
proper burial.
TRINKETS
You humans have a funny way of
doing things when it comes to
death.
Willow pauses, almost ready to unleash another barbed
comment, but she manages to restrain herself.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
Anyway, I just came out to tell you
what's going on down on Earth.
Willow doesn't stop digging, so Trinkets continues.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
Somebody's about to make things
very interesting for everyone down
there, really shake things up.
WILLOW
Am I supposed to care?
TRINKETS
Well, yeah, only because if you
don't help us make his job easier,
then you know what'll happen.
As if to prove his point, Willow hears a Snake Demon HISS
from just beyond the treeline, and she pauses to look up.
The Demon can just be seen past the edge of the forest
surrounding the village, slithering through the undergrowth.
TRINKETS (cont'd)
So will you help us? I shouldn't
give you another chance, but what
could happen may be more than just
the three of us can handle. We need
someone with your power.
Willow sighs, then tosses the shovel she was using to one
side and looks up at Trinkets.
WILLOW
I'll think about it. Right now, I
just want to bury my friend, and
then go back to the library. Can I
do that in peace?
Trinkets stares at her for a beat, then with another shrug
turns and wanders off, back to the village. Willow watches
him go, then turns back to the forest.
The snake demon is still there, and when it notices Willow
staring at it, it pauses and stares right back. A half grin
crosses Willow's lips, and she starts to walk over towards
the trees.
The snake demon waits, watching her as she approaches, its
tongue flickering but making no hostile moves at all.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Yeah, you're just like a big old
kitty cat, aren't you?
Willow moves ever closer, not afraid of the huge demon in the
slightest. The demon's eyes blink as it watches Willow - and
then it slowly slithers forward a few more feet, close enough
for Willow to stroke the top of its smooth, scaly head.
WILLOW (cont'd)
That's right. You'd do anything for
little old Willow, wouldn't you?
(more serious)
Because I know what you used to be.
And if you help me, I promise to
find a way to set you free.
The demon pauses, blinks its eyes and stares up at Willow.
WILLOW (cont'd)
(smiles; nods)
That's right.
We stay on the snake demon's almost hopeful expression for a
beat, before we cut to:
8 INT. HOSPITAL WARD - NIGHT. 8
We're walking along a row of beds, each one holding a
sleeping patient, passing a nurse making her nightly rounds.
The last bed in the row is occupied by MARIE, the brunette
Watcher resting peacefully despite the rain kicking up
outside.
A faint BUZZING sound break the quiet of the ward, and Marie
stirs. The buzzing continues, and after a beat, she comes to.
Blinking, she looks round to the bedside table and opens the
top drawer, taking out her cell phone. Marie checks to make
sure the nurse is nowhere in sight, then takes the call.
MARIE
Hello?
VOICE
(filtered; through phone)
How are you feeling?
The voice is male, gruff and deep. Marie smiles.
MARIE
Going out of my bloody mind stuck
in here! I must remember to make my
self-inflicted wounds a bit less
dramatic next time. As soon as I'm
out of here, I'll go back and look
for Max. I want to make sure I took
care of him.
VOICE
Disregard Max, you have a new
order. The Slayer is close to
discovering our plans. You must
eliminate her and her team before
they can find me. Leave no
survivors.
A beat. Marie takes a moment to process the information.
VOICE (cont'd)
Do you understand?
MARIE
I understand.
VOICE
Good. When the sun rises, leave the
hospital. We will speak again soon.
Marie nods, clicks the phone off and quickly places it back
in the bedside table as she hears the returning nurse's
footsteps approaching. As she feigns sleep, we cut back to:
9 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT. 9
Andrew is watching the television with interest as Giles
walks in from the kitchen, midway through a phone call.
GILES
(into phone)
Yes, that's right, also try
spelling it 's,' 'y,' 'n.' I think
it could be the name of a demon, or
some sort of entity, maybe even an
actual name. See what the databases
turn up and get back in touch as
soon as you can, would you?
Giles hangs up and takes a seat, taking off his glasses and
rubbing his weary eyes.
ANDREW
Any luck?
GILES
Not so far. I'm running at
something of a disadvantage - with
Marie out of action, Max missing
and Willow still trapped in the
Circle, I'm without my usual
research aides.
ANDREW
Can I help?
Giles leans forward and selects a thick book from the pile on
the coffee table before him.
GILES
Start working your way through
that. We're looking for something
that could unlock and open a series
of Hellmouths at once. It may be a
spell or incantation, or even a
demon of some kind. Keep your eye
out for the word 'syn' too.
Andrew nods and gets to work, and Giles takes a moment's
break to turn up the television volume.
TV
And with further reports coming in
of severe meteorological
disturbances around the world,
we're able now to bring you
pictures of a dramatic typhoon just
off the coast of Japan.
We focus on the TV screen as it shows some amateur video
footage, taken from the coast of Japan and showing a massive
collection of clouds, winds and rain lashing the ocean around
it, the cameraman struggling to stay on his feet as he's
buffeted by the strong winds.
TV (cont'd)
Apparently, the typhoon was not
forecast, catching the coastal
services totally off guard. At the
moment, it's at a safe distance
from the Japanese coast, but
evacuations of the nearby cities
have already begun, prompted by
nervous officials who want to avoid
another potential tsunami disaster.
There's a KNOCK at the door, and Giles heads over to open it.
He's surprised to see Dan there, who looks restless.
DAN
Okay. Here's the thing.
Dan steps past Giles and into the house. Giles blinks, then
closes the door as Dan starts to pace around the living room.
DAN (cont'd)
So I get back home, and I try to go
to sleep, only I can't, because
every time I close my eyes all I
can see are the faces of those...
those things, swarming out of the
police station, and then that giant
B-movie reject trashing the whole
precinct, and Jackson covered in
flames, and...
Dan trails off. Giles watches him for another beat.
GILES
Would you like some tea?
DAN
Tea?
GILES
English tea. I find it very
soothing whenever I have a lot on
my mind.
DAN
(beat; sighs)
Yeah, sure, whatever.
Giles heads into the kitchen, and we cut to:
[
top
| next
]
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.