buffy8x16 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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31 INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - NIGHT 31
Buffy hurries in. Kennedy and Jackson follow, the door
slamming shut behind them. Anya SNAPS awake, spilling her
popcorn. Dawn casually looks up from her book to find her
sister approaching.
DAWN
What's up, Buffy?
Buffy moves to the window. Quickly closes the curtain. Faith
looks in from the kitchen, a sandwich in hand.
FAITH
Something goin' on, B.? You look
freaked.
BUFFY
We're being followed.
DAWN
By who?
BUFFY
Some kind of twisted vampire
like...
(beat)
-- well, a vampire-like Vampire
Slayer.
ANDREW (O.S.)
A slayer of the Vampyres...
Andrew slowly makes his way down the stairs. He looks
regally, almost like Sherlock Holmes... but still very much
Andrew.
ANDREW (cont'd)
...who is also a Vampyre? Very
interesting, my dear fellow.
BUFFY
Andrew, go back up stairs and close
all the windows.
ANDREW
Why?
BUFFY
I just have a really bad feeling
about this. Skye said she was
connected to the First. And we all
know what the First thinks of Buffy
and the Household of Doom.
FAITH
Who's Skye?
BUFFY
The Slayer.
JACKSON
What's the First?
BUFFY
Pure evil. What else? Go, Andrew.
Andrew sighs. Then he turns around and heads up to the second
floor. Kennedy moves round to stand next to Buffy.
KENNEDY
So the First is back in business,
then? Big bad apocalypse?
BUFFY
I don't think so. A vampire in
Sunnydale sort of told me that
they're all connected to an all
powerful evil. Now, a Slayer who's
been turned into a vampire with
influence from the First Evil. How
do you think that's going to turn
out?
ANYA
She'll be almost as terrifying as
the Easter bunny.
BUFFY
Exactly.
(thinks)
What? Anyway, I'm pretty sure she's
acting on her own, but she has the
rundown on me... and all of you.
Stay on your guard till the sun
comes up.
A long beat. An almost terrifying silence. You could cut
through the undercurrent with a knife --
ANYA
I want more popcorn.
32 INT. UPSTAIRS - NIGHT 32
Andrew crosses through the hall. He pops open a door and
moves into Dawn's bedroom. The window is hanging open.
Curtains are caught up in the soothing nighttime WIND.
Andrew approaches cautiously, reaching his hand out...
An agonizing moment as his fingertips approach the window.
Finally he makes contact and closes it. Steps back and takes
a deep breath.
ANDREW
This is just like "Halloween IV."
Without the crappy sequel.
A bed spring SOUNDS. Andrew YELPS.
33 INT. DOWNSTAIRS - NIGHT 33
Buffy, Faith, Dawn, Anya, Kennedy, Xander, and Jackson are
sitting around the dinner table. Buffy looks very direct --
determined. Something has her going.
XANDER
So the plan, Buff, is to let this
Super-Slayer walk right in her, to
you, and then you kill her?
FAITH
It's more complicated than --
BUFFY
Pretty much, yeah.
KENNEDY
How are you planning this one? She
wasn't too affected by a stake to
the heart. We know damn well that
branch only slowed her down.
Exactly how are you going to kill
her?
BUFFY
I learned one thing in high school,
Kennedy. When you're faced with a
pretty challenging Pop Quiz --
improvise.
34 INT. UPSTAIRS - NIGHT 34
Andrew closes Dawn's door. Quickly makes the mark of the
cross across his chest. He turns down the hall -- And bumps
right into Skye. She grabs him by the throat.
SKYE
Y'know, if you're going to take an
hour to close each window, chances
are you aren't going to stop
anything, stud.
She lifts him into the air. He struggles... can't breathe.
She slowly moves him against the wall, her long fangs
desperate for the kill.
SKYE (cont'd)
(smiles)
Close your eyes and I might tell
you a story.
Skye draws close...
FLASH TO:
35 INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY (VISION) 35
The CAMERA ZOOMS IN and OUT in a RAPID MOVEMENT. The IMAGES
are distorted... blurred. But pools of blood stain the walls.
A dying hand reaches out. We HEAR a sickening THUNK and the
hand falls. Motionless.
BACK TO:
36 INT. UPSTAIRS - NIGHT (REALITY) 36
Skye stumbles backward in pain. Her grip on Andrew lessons
for a moment. He seizes the opportunity -- KICKS her away!
She releases him! Andrew backs off.
Skye, utterly enraged, charges at him. Fangs bared and ready
for blood. He DECKS her!
Before Skye can shake off the shock, Andrew is out of the
hallway and down the stairs.
37 INT. DOWNSTAIRS - CONTINUOUS 37
Andrew hurls himself down the staircase.
ANDREW
Buffy!
He rounds the corner. Our gang stands there, ready for blood
- Buffy the most of all. Her eyes are fixed on the bottom of
the staircase, waiting patiently for her enemy to approach.
Nothing... nothing...
Finally Skye appears. She moves into the living room and
pauses, taking in the sight of the group ready for action.
She smiles a horrible smile.
Buffy moves into attack position.
SKYE
Bring it, bitch.
Buffy charges forward -- and Skye BACKHANDS her across the
face! Buffy is launched across the room, unconscious!
The others look at Skye in disbelief. Even Faith is a bit
freaked.
SKYE (cont'd)
Now, who's next?
BLACK OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
38 INT. SUMMERS HOUSE - PREDAWN 38
We DOLLY around the area. The Scooby Gang are all laid out,
unconscious. Faith and Kennedy next to each other, slumped
against the wall. Dawn sprawled out behind Xander.
And Buffy tied up on the couch. A hand moves out and shakes
Buffy. It takes a moment, but finally she STIRS. Skye is
before her.
SKYE
Wake up. Come on, Slayer, wake up.
Buffy looks at Skye, her eyes hazed. They try to focus.
BUFFY
Is this hell?
SKYE
Not yet. But give it time.
BUFFY
What is it with you evil people?
You always have to gloat and taunt
to the tied-up would-be victim.
SKYE
I'm not going to gloat or taunt.
(beat)
Well, maybe a little. But that's
not the point.
BUFFY
What do you want?
SKYE
Answers.
BUFFY
What makes you think I have any?
SKYE
What makes you think you don't?
(beat)
You friends were... interesting.
The other two Slayers did well.
Your friend Xander? Not so well.
Dawn, on the other hand, put up a
fight.
BUFFY
What do you expect from a high
school student?
Skye stands and smiles. Looks at Buffy in a curious sort of
way.
SKYE
You think you know, don't you?
What's to come. What you are. You
haven't even begun.
(beat)
This little encounter isn't going
to go out with a bang. You won't
stake me, and I won't eat the
annoying nerd.
BUFFY
Funny. I'm used to fighting at
about this time each crisis.
SKYE
Things change. So will you. Don't
get me wrong. I fully intended to
kill you when I met you in the
graveyard. And when I entered your
house.
BUFFY
How exactly does that work, by the
way? Don't recall the sign out from
that said, "Enter All Ye Blood
Suckers."
SKYE
You might have missed the memo, but
typical vampire charms don't seem
to have much of an effect on me. I
wanted to kill you. I needed to
kill you.
(beat)
I don't hate you, Buffy. Hell, I
don't even know you. But I hate
what you are.
BUFFY
You hate what you are.
Skye begins to slowly pace.
SKYE
I've seen things in the last twenty
four hours. Images sent to me by a
higher power. One I know is evil.
BUFFY
Shouldn't that make you all warm
and fuzzy inside?
SKYE
Oh, it does. But it also feels...
wrong. Just so terribly wrong.
BUFFY
Slayer instincts take a little
getting used to, don't they?
SKYE
This wasn't meant to be. You know
that. A Slayer should never be a
demon. When a vampire is created, a
demon enters the human's body, but
the soul escapes.
(beat)
I feel. I enjoyed hitting you. I
enjoyed hurting the other two...
but I hated hurting Dawn.
Skye stops. She falls back and sits on the sofa next to
Buffy.
SKYE (cont'd)
Do I have a soul?
BUFFY
No vampires are born with souls.
SKYE
I'm not a vampire.
BUFFY
Then I guess I don't have any
answers.
SKYE
But you're sure intrigued by the
question.
BUFFY
I'm intrigued by the idea that I
can kill the first of whatever you
are.
SKYE
Liar. You could've broken free from
those ropes at any time and you
know it.
For the first time, Buffy is silent. She looks at the other
girl. Skye's right.
Finally, Buffy moves. Her arms shoot out and her bonds are
cut. The ropes peacefully fall to the carpet. But Buffy
doesn't advance on Skye.
BUFFY
What do you want from us?
SKYE
I... I don't know now. At first I
wanted death. But I know it's
wrong.
(beat)
What should I want?
BUFFY
A life.
(stands)
But that's something you have to
make for yourself on your own.
SKYE
Like this?
BUFFY
I take it you won't be too thrilled
to go back to mom and dad?
SKYE
They'd never understand.
BUFFY
Well then... if you can get there,
I have a friend. In Los Angeles. If
there's somebody who knows a thing
or two about existing with what you
are, it's him.
SKYE
Angel?
BUFFY
You've heard of him?
SKYE
I was given the Cliff Notes on
everything until last year.
BUFFY
Then Skye, find Angel. He's at
Wolfram & Hart. Not the most
trustworthy of places, but I trust
him more than anyone.
Skye rises. Looks around.
BUFFY (cont'd)
And you'd better hurry. Sunrise is
in twenty minutes.
SKYE
What if I can survive it?
BUFFY
What if you can't? Make for the
sewers. Not the most fashionable of
places, but you can move during the
daylight.
SKYE
And your friends?
BUFFY
They'll each have a hell of a
headache. God knows. But I should
be able to explain.
Buffy walks to the front door. Opens it for Skye, revealing
beautiful clouds pregnant with storm.
BUFFY (cont'd)
And good luck.
SKYE
Thank you.
Skye steps through the doorway. Takes her first steps
outside. Buffy slowly draws the door to a close --
SKYE (cont'd)
Buffy.
Buffy opens the door.
SKYE (cont'd)
I mean what I said. The power said
that I'd see things of the past,
present, and future. Beware the
inner circle, and remember this:
"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy
God and him only shalt thou serve."
And with that, Skye bolts away, ready to make for a new
beginning. Buffy turns away from the door. She examines her
friends -- who to wake first? How to tell the truth?
Instinctively she walks to Dawn and kneels. Buffy reaches her
hand out, ready to wake her sister. But Dawn's eyes open a
brief instant before Buffy touches her.
DISSOLVE TO:
39 EXT. HILLTOP - SUNRISE 39
The first few beams of sunlight burst over the horizon. Skye
stands next to a tree, its long shadow more than enough
protection. The rays stretch out over the hill and past the
tree.
Skye takes a deep breath. Then sets out one foot into the
light. And the other.
Soon she is fully bathed in sunlight with no ill effects. Her
eyes are a shallow blue, almost illuminated by the beautiful
sight. The first signs of a smile form on Skye's lips.
But then -- MS. COLLINS/THE FIRST steps into FRAME, right
beside her. Skye's face drops as she looks at one of her
first victims from a life that already seems so long ago.
MS. COLLINS/THE FIRST
You've been a very, very naughty
girl, Skye.
SKYE
What the-
MS. COLLINS
(grins)
You know what I am.
A beat. Skye's eyes narrow as she stares back at Ms. Collins,
who smiles warmly back at her.
SKYE
The First.
MS. COLLINS
And only. We've got a lot of work
to do, Skye, so let's start by-
SKYE
No!
Skye steps back and turns away from Ms. Collins. That warm
smile drops in a second, replaced by a look of utter
contempt.
MS. COLLINS
What did you say?
SKYE
I said 'no.' I'm not going to let
you turn me into...
MS. COLLINS
Something evil?
SKYE
I don't have to be like that. Buffy
told me, she said there are people
who can help me, people who-
MS. COLLINS
Oh, you mean Angel? Oh yes, he
knows all about what it feels like
to have killed another human. To
have felt their heart slowly stop
beating as you drain the lifeblood
from their veins.
Skye closes her eyes and shivers as Ms. Collins walks round
to face her.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
I mean, you've only killed three
people, Angel's quite a long way
ahead of you in that respect, but
he-
SKYE
(firm)
He can help. He has to.
MS. COLLINS
Face facts, Skye. You're not fully
a vampire or a Slayer. You're a
hybrid. A crossbreed. A mutant. By
rights, you should be staking
yourself!
SKYE
Yeah, tried that. Me and wooden
stakes seem to get on better than
you'd expect.
Ms. Collins chuckles - and Skye suddenly LASHES OUT, her fist
flying round at blinding speed.
But it passes straight through Ms. Collins, who bursts into
guffaws of mocking laughter.
MS. COLLINS
Oh, I'm afraid there's no way to
get rid of me, my dear.
Skye glares back at the First, then turns her back and
marches away, heading towards the city buildings down below.
Ms. Collins watches her walk, hands on hips as she calls out
after the departing Slayer.
MS. COLLINS (cont'd)
So is that what you're going to do?
Keep running? How long do you think
you can resist your true nature,
Skye? How long can you ignore what
you're meant to become?
SKYE
(quietly)
As long as it takes.
Skye's face is a mask of determination, and as she walks out
of frame, leaving Ms. Collins staring after her, we:
BLACK OUT.
END OF SHOW
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.