buffy8x15
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TEASER
FADE IN:
1 EXT. JUNGLE. DAY 1
We're following a river, whooshing by beneath us, powerful
torrents. Sailing along it, then pulling up and above to
start whishing along the treetops, blurred green. It gives
way to rocks, charred, jagged.
Zooming up the slope till the rocks break into a crevice.
Lava boils within. Hovering a moment, floating across the
waves of heat.
Then shooting down the other side of the mountain at ground
level. Faster and faster, breaking into the jungle on the
other side, leaves smacking against the view, we emerge into:
2 EXT. DESERTED VILLAGE. DAY. 2
Floating in the quiet. Crude wood houses on stilts,
weatherworn, haggard. We snake through the tall grass. A
twinge of red up ahead. Moving faster again, grass knocking
out of our way. The grass ends in a scorched area.
Swoop up and over WILLOW, curled on her side in the foetal
position. She's asleep inside the wide charred circle sucking
on her thumb.
She twitches awake. Lifts her head, looks around groggy.
Notices she still has her thumb in her mouth. Yanks it out,
makes a face.
She stands and surveys her surroundings. Cautiously she
approaches one of the ladders that leads up to a house. She
reaches out to grab the ladder.
A loud SCREECH! reverberates through, a THUMP shakes her and
everything around her. BRANCHES BREAK nearby. Willow
scrambles back. A massive demonic SNAKE HEAD crests the
jungle canopy by the village.
Willow gawks in mute shock at the enormous creature.
WILLOW
Woah! Uh, Expedium!
She tears off into the jungle hyper-fast. The snake ROARS and
SMASHES into the trees after her.
3 EXT. JUNGLE. DAY. 3
Willow struggles to dodge trees and branches as her speed
builds. The more she fights it the faster she gets.
She trips with a shout and goes tumbling across the jungle
floor, coming to a stop in an undignified heap.
WILLOW
Okay magic, little too much around
here to run through..
She finds herself underneath a massive oak tree, the base
over fifty feet across. Willow gazes along the trunk that
stretches beyond sight past the jungle canopy.
Another SCREECH comes from somewhere behind. Willow scrambles
to the trunk base. Grips into the thick divots of the tree's
bark. Starts to climb.
CONTINUOUS:
4 EXT. JUNGLE - TREE. DAY. 4
She's a good forty feet up along the trunk as we hear normal
size trees TIMBER down somewhere beneath her.
The demon snake slithers into view.
Panicky, Willow tries to climb faster, but she gets sloppy,
not gaining solid footholds, and the going is slower. The
demon snake coils itself around the trunk and climbs.
Going much faster, it catches up to her in no time. Its head
reaches her level. It pulls back ready to pounce.
The snake almost looks like its smiling, but before it can
bite an apple thrown from below bops the snake on the nose.
It lets out a WHIMPER, shifts it head and looks down.
TATTLES, a little girl with tangled brown hair and scuffed
overalls stands with hands on her hips at the trunk base. She
glowers at the demon beast.
TATTLES
What are you doing up there?
The demon makes a hurt noise that sounds surprisingly like
"Who me?"
TATTLES (cont'd)
Get right down here. You know your
place.
The demon lowers its head and skulks back down the trunk. It
sidles up near her like an obsequious puppy.
TATTLES (cont'd)
My brother drew this page, and you
aren't about to change it!
(stomps her foot and
points)
Go back to the village and wait.
Sullen, the snake slithers back into the jungle, more
CRASHING TREES accompany its departure.
TATTLES (cont'd)
Sorry about her. She gets uppity
sometimes, like Ascending makes her
all that or something.
WILLOW
(still very confused)
That wasn't the Mayor of Sunnydale?
TATTLES
(giggles)
Gosh no, we're way before that. I'm
Tattles. Come down, Teach. I'll
tell you all about it.
WILLOW
Big snake afraid of little girl?
Feeling kind of safer in the tree.
Tattles skips over to where her apple fell. Dusts it off.
Holds it up in Willow's direction, shakes it.
TATTLES
I got a shiny apple for you..
A MASSIVE ERUPTION echoes from a few miles away. Wind RUSTLES
the trees.
TATTLES (cont'd)
Besides, it'd be sad if the lava
ate you too.
WILLOW
Lava?!?
(beat)
What about the snake?
TATTLES
She's going to take a nap. She did
eat a whole village. That much red
meat would make anybody sleepy! But
the lava gobbles her every time.
WILLOW
You're not going to eat me.. are
you?
TATTLES
Golly no, you're way too stringy.
(off Willow's look)
Just kidding, you're plump and
juicy.
(off Willow's even more
wiggy look)
Geez, humanity must have no sense
of humor anymore. Come on, hurry
up!
Tattles skips off into the jungle. Willow watches her go, a
look of extreme confusion on her face. She glances upwards,
and the camera pans up to take in the beautiful sunny sky of
wherever this place is, and we DISSOLVE TO:
5 INT. HOTEL ROOM. DAY. 5
INSERT: THREE HOURS EARLIER
The room is an organised mess. We're looking through a window
on a similarly sunny sky, but as we pan across and into the
room we can tell we're back on Earth. The door to the
bathroom is ajar, and we can hear the tap running.
6 INT. BATHROOM. DAY 6
FAITH stands above the sink. Her arms either side, she stares
down at the slowly rising water.
Then, like a flash, she strikes out, SMASHING her fist into
the mirror. Her hand bloody, she stops, and starts to breathe
heavily. A small voice from behind startles her.
VI (O.S.)
Faith? You okay in there?
Faith turns around and we see VI, a redheaded ex-Potential,
now a fully fledged Slayer, poke her head into the bathroom.
VI (cont'd)
Is everything alright? It sounded
like you were-
FAITH
(snaps)
Just having a moment, kid. I'm
fine.
(beat)
Sorry, I just..
VI
I miss him too, you know.
Faith looks round and straight at Vi. It's not a subject that
gets raised too often.
VI (cont'd)
Robin was.. he was really cool, but
right now we've got the plan to
stick to. We need to find those
girls before they get to Dawn or
we're all in big trouble.
Faith nods and splashes some water carefully on her face.
VI (cont'd)
Are you sure you're okay?
FAITH
(turns to Vi; grins)
Five by five.
BLACK OUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
7 EXT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE. DAY. 7
8 INSERT: ONE HOUR EARLIER 8
A BMW parks in front. AMBROSIA, the blondest rich girl you
might ever see, sits in the drivers seat gabbing away on her
cell.
AMBROSIA
Yes daddy, I know.
(beat)
Yes, you told me. Look we're here.
I gotta go.
(beat)
Okay, yes, daddy we'll be careful.
Daddy, I gotta go.
(beat)
Okay, love you too.
She flips the phone closed and heaves a big sigh.
AMBROSIA (cont'd)
It's like he thinks I've never been
out of the country before.
XIA, a cat muscled African, sits in the back seat along with
MAGDA, a mousy little Polish girl.
XIA
I'm glad my father not my Watcher.
He be bicker all day.
AMBROSIA
Tell me about it.
Magda opens her door and gets out.
AMBROSIA (cont'd)
He's put me through the ropes. We
even designed this whole mission
plan together!
XIA
You not show me plan..
AMBROSIA
(sarcastic)
Well, sweetie, I know just how much
you like to wing it!
Magda pounds on the trunk, and Ambrosia sighs.
AMBROSIA (cont'd)
That girl needs some social skills.
She pulls the trunk lever and they both get out.
XIA
How you crossbow aiming? It pretty
good?
AMBROSIA
My dad makes me practice that one a
lot. He always says, 'why mess the
hair when you can slay from a
distance?'
XIA
He said that?
AMBROSIA
Well, I added the hair part.
Magda pulls a katana sword from the trunk, shoves it into her
belt. Slings a satchel over her shoulder. Heads up the walk.
AMBROISIA
Hey, wait for us!
Ambrosia quickly grabs her crossbow. Xia pulls out a
quarterstaff with the two ends widdled into points. Ambrosia
runs to catch Magda.
XIA
I check back.
Ambrosia stumbles up the steps as Magda knocks.
AMBROSIA
Hold on, I thought we were going to
go over the plan one more time?
Magda shakes her head. The door opens to reveal ANDREW,
standing in flour covered apron.
ANDREW
Hello girls.. with weapons.. Uh,
can I-
Magda sucker punches him out, and as he falls off screen she
steps through into:
CONTINUOUS:
9 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - FRONT DOOR. DAY. 9
She drags Andrew out of the way so she can close the door.
Which she almost does on Ambrosia who just slips inside.
AMBROSIA
You could at least have asked if
anyone else is home!
Magda gives her a withering look.
AMBROSIA (cont'd)
I mean, if you're not going to
follow the plan..
They step into:
10 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. DAY. 10
Just as Anya enters from the other direction.
ANYA
Andrew, who was-
Stops dead seeing the two with the weapons. Anya takes a step
back towards where she came from. In one fluid motion two
throwing daggers zip out of Magda's satchel and embed in the
floor near Anya's feet.
ANYA (cont'd)
(quickly)
I don't really live here. I
wandered into the wrong house. I
can just go and you can rob.
Magda draws her sword and holds it trained on Anya.
ANYA (cont'd)
(panicked)
I don't want to be a ghost again!!
Ambrosia steps in between the sword and Anya.
AMBROSIA
Hi, sorry, my friend's a little
cranky. I'm Ambrosia and this here
is Magda.
XIA (O.S.)
Hi-yaa!
Somewhere off screen the back door CRASHES in.
AMBROSIA
Oh, and that's Xia. We kinda need
to know where Dawn Summers is.
ANYA
She's at school, something you
young people do.
Ambrosia smacks her head with her palm.
AMBROSIA
The home schooling really throws me
sometimes..
Magda's lip twitches.
AMBROSIA (cont'd)
Come on, you have a sword on her,
she's not lying!
ANYA
For the record, I don't even like
Dawn! She's kind of whiny.
Magda sheathes her sword. Xia enters from where Anya came in.
XIA
Back all clear.
Magda steps past Ambrosia and sucker punches Anya out.
AMBROSIA
You and all the punching..
Magda ticks her head toward the door and marches to it. The
others follow.
CUT TO:
11 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - FRONT DOOR. DAY. 11
JACKSON finds himself knocking on air when the door opens in
front of him. He doesn't look up at first as it swings open
and starts talking.
JACKSON
Hey I know Buffy isn't...
(seeing the weapons)
...home. Uh, are you girls
Potentials?
Magda rolls her eyes.
XIA
(clearly taken with him)
We, yes, no, well, we are Slayer.
Slayers. Plural form. Yes.
JACKSON
(puzzled)
Nice.. Well then I was hoping-
Drawing her sword, Magda clunks him in the head with the
hilt, stunning him.
Before the other girls can react the point enters his abdomen
and sticks out his back. He gurgles in shock.
Magda puts her heel on his chest and kicks him off her
weapon. He crumples back on the steps. Ambrosia drops to her
knees.
AMBROSIA
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.
We're racist murderers! We're KKK!
If this gets back to daddy I'm so
not dating for months.
XIA
What you do?!
Magda wipes the blood from her sword with a brown stained
cloth and sheathes her sword. She grabs Jackson's ankles and
drags him inside:
12 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. DAY. 12
Ambrosia wrings her hands as she looks down at the injured
Jackson.
AMBROSIA
Oh.. covering this up is so going
to cost Daddy money!
XIA
Answer us. Why you kill this man?
Magda grabs Jackson's hand and holds it up to the girls,
showing them the Guardian ring.
AMBROSIA
Oh... that's a pretty good reason.
XIA
Such a shame. Pretty man.
Magda drops his hand and marches out. The other girls follow
leaving the door wide open. Jackson spits blood, still
breathing.
13 INT. HIGH SCHOOL HALLS. DAY. 13
Silent and empty. BELL RINGS and teenagers pour into the
hallways.
We weave through the crowd and come up on DAWN coming out of
class, shoving a book into her bag. She heads down the hall
and JODY pops into step behind her.
JODY
Hey cutie, how was the excitement
of study hall?
DAWN
On a scale of nots, about not not
not.. and not.
Falling back from them through the crowd to where Xia follows
having not the best time.
XIA
Excuse me. Sorry. Excuse me. Sorry.
A group of plastics cut in front of her. Leaving her swooping
over heads down past Dawn and Jody to:
Ambrosia is chatting it up with a LETTERJACKET JOCK.
AMBROSIA
So, you're on the football team
then? I'm in love with organized
sports..
LETTERJACKET JOCK
Hey, you should come to a game!
She looks past the jock's shoulder to see Dawn turn a corner
down another hallway.
AMBROSIA
I'd love that, but got to go,
honey.
She kisses him on cheek and slips into the crowd. The jock
opens his mouth to speak but can only stare after her as she
darts away.
14 INT. HIGH SCHOOL - OTHER HALLWAY. DAY. 14
Magda's sneer parts the crowd around her sure and steady
stride. Dawn stops at her locker further down. Magda stands a
good thirty feet away in the middle of the hall, watching.
JODY
Lots of might and magic planned for
the weekend?
DAWN
Why, you need an excuse now to come
see Andrew?
JODY
(blushes a little)
Boy, I just love being a window.
DAWN
(grins)
Aw, you're sweet when you're
embarrassed!
Jody notices Magda past Dawn. He leans up next to Dawn's ear.
JODY
I don't want to wig you, but some
creepy girl's checking us out.
Ambrosia walks up from the other direction.
AMBROSIA
Hey, Dawn Summers and...
(taking Jody in)
Heeellllooooo..
Jody isn't sure how to respond.
JODY
Um, yeah, I'm gay.
AMBROSIA
Shucks.
DAWN
Sorry, do I know you?
AMBROSIA
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Ambrosia, that's
Magda over there. I think she's
kind of permanently on the rag.
Xia squeezes her shoulders through the crowd and walks up.
She's clearly flustered.
XIA
American school crazy! These big
hair girls made demon faces.
AMBROSIA
This is Xia.
XIA
What you learn here?
DAWN
(suspiciously)
Um, English, History, Math
sometimes.
XIA
Anything useful?
DAWN
Look, who are you guys?
AMBROSIA
We're Slayers. We need your help.
DAWN
Me?
AMBROSIA
You are the Key and all, right?
Gateway between worlds and that
mystical stuff?
Jody raises an eyebrow and looks across at Dawn, who looks
like she wants to quickly change the subject.
DAWN
Uh, I'm not sure that's even me
anymore..
AMBROSIA
My Watcher's pretty sure and he
says you're the gal we need. So
come on.
DAWN
Wait, does Buffy know about this?
AMBROSIA
(beat; broad smile)
Sure!
15 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE. DAY. 15
Buffy, in her work clothes, strolls up the walk, grimacing
and pressing a hand to her stomach as though in pain.
Notices the door open. Wary, she reaches into her case and
draws a stake. Tiptoes toward the door. She sees Jackson's
feet. Rushes into:
16 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - FRONT ROOM. DAY. 16
Kneels down by him into the pool of his blood.
BUFFY
Oh my god, Jackson!
She presses her hands to the wound in his stomach. He coughs
a little and tears break from her eyes.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Jackson, look at me! You're going
to be okay, who did this?
His head lolls and his eyes flutter but he doesn't answer.
Buffy looks round and sees Anya, still unconscious on the
floor. Buffy scrabbles over to her and tries to rouse her
with a few shakes, but Anya's still out cold.
Exasperated, Buffy grabs Andrew's feet and yanks him to her.
Slaps him across the face.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Wake up, you little nerdling!
He comes to with a start, covered in flour.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Keep pressure on Jackson's wound,
and call an ambulance, quickly!
He sees what's going on. Puts his hands to Jackson's stomach.
ANDREW
(still dazed)
I got it, Buffy.
BUFFY
What happened?
ANYA (O.S.)
Three girls came after Dawn.
Buffy spins round - Anya has come to, pressing a hand to her
jaw and scowling.
ANYA (cont'd)
And look what they did to me!
BUFFY
Anya! Did you say somebody was here
after Dawn?
ANYA
(nods)
Yes, three girls. Very brash and
offensive, so most likely new
Slayers. At first, I thought they
were just robbers but then they
asked me where Dawn was.
BUFFY
And did you tell them?
ANYA
Of course! They had a sword on me,
I wasn't about to let them
perforate me after Xander went
through so much effort to bring me
back!
Buffy stands up, glares at Anya.
BUFFY
I'm going to save Dawn.
ANYA
She's not really your sister, you
know. Technically, she's just a
ball of energy with legs and a face
that keeps pouting, and besides...
Anya looks over - but Buffy is already out the door and
running. Anya sighs, as we cut back to:
17 EXT. HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. DAY 17
The four girls walk together, Jody kind of hangs back,
nervous. With a wide arc of her arm Ambrosia motions to the
BMW.
AMBROSIA
Pretty swish, don't you think?
Daddy's sixteenth birthday present.
DAWN
Sure, it's nice. Where are we going
anyway?
AMBROSIA
(grins)
Over the river, and through the
woods.
DAWN
(playing along)
To Grandma's house? I hope there
are no wolves, me and mean stray
dogs have history.
XIA
You're with the wolves. No need to
worry.
Jody catches on up and puts his arm around Dawn.
JODY
Hey Dawn, you know we got that
whole big English assignment to do.
Maybe we should be library bound on
the bus.
DAWN
What English assignment? I didn't
miss an assignment, did I?
JODY
No, remember it's the one we were
going to have your sister double
check for us.
DAWN
(blinks)
Buffy? Buffy and school, are like
peanut butter and tomatoes.
JODY
Normally, but in this particular
assignment I think she could really
help.
DAWN
Jody, have you been sniffing glue
again?
AMBROSIA
What he's trying to say, dearie, is
you're a sucker and he's not.
The girls surround them by the car. Dawn suddenly realises
that things have gone wrong.
JODY
(exasperated)
I hate that my people-dar is always
right!
Jody puts himself between Dawn and the Slayers, his eyes
flicking between them. They don't look worried at all.
AMBROSIA
(claps hands)
Aw, look! He's so gallant I could
just eat him right up.
DAWN
What do we do?
JODY
Working on the plan thing..
Magda punches Jody out cold. Ambrosia huffs.
AMBROSIA
Magda, can I once be allowed to
reason with somebody?
XIA
His plan not very good.
Dawn SCREAMS. Magda punches her out too and catches her as
she slumps.
AMBROSIA
Guess not.
XIA
Her's neither.
FADE OUT:
FADE UP:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.