buffy9x14 Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
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8 INT. JACKSON'S CAR 8
Jackson is driving speedily through a suburban neighborhood
as both he and Buffy are steadily scouring the streets.
BUFFY
He could be anywhere by now.
JACKSON
No need for pessimism. We'll find
him. We always do.
BUFFY
Don't go all 'shiny, happy guy' on
me. Something is really up with
this one. Stopping by to drain
Willow of her powers? Not thinking
it can be a good sign.
JACKSON
What do you think he's up to?
BUFFY
Something that he doesn't want
disturbed by being sucked back into
a portal.
JACKSON
You think Marie's spell slowed him
down?
BUFFY
An axe buried in his back only
pissed him off last time. I think
being banished was just an
appetizer.
(beat)
But still... thanks for helping me
out. I know you've probably got
police stuff to be doing, and the
last thing you need is me dragging
you back into all my problems all
over again, but-
JACKSON
I'm always here to help, Buffy, you
know that.
BUFFY
(smiles)
Maybe there's someone out there who
wants me alive after all.
JACKSON
There is.
Buffy inquisitively looks back to him, waiting for a
response. Jackson glances across at her and grins.
JACKSON (cont'd)
Me.
Buffy can't help but crack a small smile at jackson's
comment, quickly turning away to look back out the window.
As we watch a warm smile spread across her face, we cut to:
9 INT. ITALY - CAFE - DAY 9
A small cafe is bustling with activity as workers hurry out
orders to their respective tables.
As we take notice of a cute waitress standing just on screen,
the front door opens and a stack of boxes emerge from the
daylight with legs carrying them in.
As the boxes continue toward us, a voice rings out to
redirect the packages.
GILES (O.S)
Xander!
Xander's head pokes out from behind one of the boxes, and he
spots Giles sitting with the Immortal in a corner booth.
He hurries over, sitting the boxes promptly on the ground
before sighing loudly and taking a seat. He looks over at the
Immortal, and then back to Giles.
XANDER
You hired a guide?
The Immortal motions to the stack of boxes with his head.
IMMORTAL
For Anya?
Xander forces a chuckle and quickly looks back to Giles.
XANDER
I think 'my friend Xander' would
have been an appropriate allowance
of information for a complete
stranger, not a full marital
history!
IMMORTAL
I often observe people complaining
that this world is void of justice,
but if a former demon can find a
husband as devoted as yourself
based on the goodness of her soul,
then those people must be nothing
more than whiny little bitches.
A beat, then Xander forces another quick laugh and turns
furiously to Giles.
XANDER
(to Immortal)
Excuse me.
(angrily to Giles)
You told the guide my life story?!
GILES
(annoyed)
He's not our guide - well in the
strictest sense of the word, I
suppose that he is, but he's also
got a slight case of omnipotence.
XANDER
So you tell him the story of your
friend Xander who's having a baby
to rub it in his face?
Jesus, Giles, you really can't be
left alone, can you?
GILES
(wearily)
Xander, the man's not sterile, he's
all knowing.
XANDER
Oh... omnipotent.
(beat)
Wait, what's the word for dead
tadpoles then?
The Immortal smiles and brings things back on topic.
IMMORTAL
My name is the Immortal.
XANDER
Of course it is. I'm 'Walks on
Water'...
(motioning to Giles)
...and this is my trusty sidekick
'he who can't tell a guide from a
crazy homeless man on the street'.
(to Immortal)
No offense.
IMMORTAL
None taken.
GILES
(to Xander)
If you're quite finished, I'd like
to be on our way. We are working on
somewhat of a time frame here.
XANDER
Fine, but when we end up in
Australia, I want you to remember
who hired the potentially sadistic
and most likely drug impaired
guide.
GILES
(to Immortal)
May we go now?
IMMORTAL
At your discretion.
The trio stand from the booth, and we cut to:
10 EXT. ITALY - STREETS. DAY. 10
The Immortal walks along the crowded streets, a few steps
ahead of Giles and Xander, as Xander interrogates Giles.
XANDER
Why didn't you tell me that the man
was some sort of a demi-god before
I insulted him countless times?
GILES
I'm not really certain what he is,
and besides, I did. If you were to
release your asinine sense of
sarcasm for a moment's time, you
might have heard it.
XANDER
He's going to kill me, isn't he?
He's luring us off to some remote
location so he can take his time in
doing it!
GILES
He's not going to kill you. He's
one of the good guys... as far as
I'm aware, anyhow.
XANDER
(beat; to Immortal)
Excuse me! Where did you say that
the book was located again?
IMMORTAL
In an underground labyrinth, well
outside of town.
XANDER
(quietly to Giles)
Labyrinth... he used the word
'labyrinth'!
(worried)
I'm so dead.
Off of Xander's pale expression, we cut to:
11 INT. JACKSON'S CAR - NIGHT 11
Buffy and Jackson are still on the lookout, but coming up
short, with each of them looking as though they are tiring.
JACKSON
Okay... I'm starting to think that
maybe your pessimistic attitude was
the way to go after all.
Not counting trees and your random
shrubberies, there hasn't been
anything resembling a six foot five
warlock roaming the streets.
BUFFY
I didn't need help with the 'not so
sure' attitude, Jackson. One of us
has to at least act like we believe
we're going to find him. And I, for
one, vote for that person to be
you.
JACKSON
(playfully)
Fine, but just know that I don't
like it.
BUFFY
Anyway, off topic for a second,
how's Shanna?
JACKSON
Honestly? I have no idea. Dan asked
me earlier, and I'll say what I
said to him. She's seen a lot more
of the world than I realised since
she's been gone.
BUFFY
No kidding! Recognising a demon
that had laid an egg in my stomach,
and then knowing how to get it out
without hurting me?
(sighs)
Has she spoken to you about it yet?
JACKSON
No, and I'm not going to push her
for an explanation 'till she's
ready. I don't want her running out
on me again just yet, at least not
till she's told me where she's
been!
Jackson concentrates on his driving, and there's a moment of
silence before Buffy speaks again.
BUFFY
(sighing)
Still, he's got to be out there
somewhere. Surely he didn't just
come to town to wreak vengeance on
Willow by taking her powers!
JEREKOV (O.S)
Maybe not, but don't call me
Shirley.
Buffy and Jackson whip around to see Jerekov sitting calmly
in the back seat, smiling.
Jackson instinctively goes for his gun, but before he can get
anywhere close Jerekov sends a patented RED FLASH through
him, leaving him unconscious and the car speeding toward a
street light.
The car CRASHES into the street light, the windscreen
SMASHING as Buffy and Jackson are thrown around by the
impact.
We stay inside the car for a second, looking in on the
stunned duo, cut and bloody from the smash, before we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
ACT THREE
12 INT. JACKSON'S CAR. NIGHT. 12
Shaking her head as she recovers from the impact, Buffy
quickly looks around. With Jerekov nowhere in sight, she
switches her attention quickly back to Jackson.
BUFFY
Jackson, are you alright? Jackson!!
After the outburst, Jackson slowly begins to stir, looking
helplessly around at his environment.
JACKSON
(groggy)
I'm fine.
(beat)
Where's the... thingy?
BUFFY
I don't know. He Houdinied out on
us again. Are you sure you're okay?
There's blood.
JACKSON
(smiling)
I'm good. Not the first time I've
wrecked into something.
Buffy forces a smile back, but concern is boldly present upon
her face. She starts to open her mouth again, but before she
can get a syllable out, she's interrupted by:
JEREKOV (O.S)
Just because I don't plan on
killing you just yet, doesn't mean
that we can't have a little fun
before it starts.
Buffy sighs, throws a last glance at the stunned Jackson and
then steps out of the car. Jerekov waits for her to make her
way over to him.
BUFFY
(angrily)
Before what starts?! The ass
kicking? You'd better make it
quick, because this time, I'm the
one who's really pissed off.
JEREKOV
Foolish-
Buffy doesn't give him time to finish an insult when she
jumps across the hood of the car and lands a heavy ROUNDHOUSE
to his face.
The warlock stumbles back a step, She quickly follows with a
combination of PUNCHES and a nasty KNEE to his groin,
actually allowing a yelp of pain from Jerekov's mouth.
Before he can recover from that, Buffy lands an almighty
UPPERCUT to the warlock's jaw, sending him sprawling, flat on
his back.
Buffy stands over his body for a moment's time, observing the
lifelessness before she quickly rushes back over to Jackson's
side of the smoking car.
BUFFY
Jackson!
JACKSON
(still dazed)
Yeah?
BUFFY
We've got to get Willow here, now!
He's out, but I don't know for how
long. If there's one thing that
I've learned from almost a decade
of slaying, it's that the bad guys
are never really dead until I see
dust, flames, or some kind of
dimensional portal.
JACKSON
(out of it)
I-
BUFFY
Jackson! We don't have time for
comas. Do you have your cell
phone?!
Jackson raises up all of a sudden, as though he'd been struck
by lightning.
JACKSON
Buffy!
Before Buffy can even turn around, a BOLT OF ENERGY hits her,
throwing her violently to the ground.
Jerekov walks slowly into view and takes his turn at standing
over Buffy.
JEREKOV
Had it not been for your arrogance,
you might have defeated me. Now
this world will be overran with
hell spawn from the gateway that
has laid beneath you all along!
Jerekov's dramatic moment is interrupted by close to a dozen
GUNSHOTS firing off, penetrating Jerekov's skin, one by one.
Though he looks affected, he closes his eyes for a moment and
is quickly overtaken by a red glow.
Moments later, the bullets slowly emerge from his body and
hover in front of him until he opens his eyes again, leaving
the bullets to fall the ground.
Jerekov turns to see Jackson standing uneasily, propped up in
the corner of the driver side door, and begins laughing.
JEREKOV (cont'd)
(shaking head)
Humans and your guns. Did you
honestly believe that something as
futile as a bullet could end my
life?
BUFFY (O.S)
No, but they got you to give up the
rest of your plan.
Jerekov falls as a recovered Buffy SWEEP KICKS him to the
ground.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Opening the Hellmouth? Why don't
you just build a giant laser to
blow up the world, Dr. Evil?
JEREKOV
You're going to-
BUFFY
Pay? Yeah, I get that a lot. I
never was the kind of girl to keep
her mouth shut. Some men just can't
handle that.
Jerekov raises his hand to use a spell, but as soon as he
does, another GUNSHOT cries out, leaving Jerekov's hand back
on the ground. Buffy turns back to Jackson with a smile.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(happily)
Thank you.
JACKSON
No problem.
BUFFY
(to Jerekov)
So, what we're going to do now is
wait for Willow to get here, and
when she does, you'll be sucked
back into that dimensional void.
Yay us!
Jerekov ducks his head, looking as though he's been defeated,
closing his eyes.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Oh, don't cry. You had to have saw
this coming. I'm the...
Before Buffy can finish, Jerekov DISAPPEARS before our eyes.
BUFFY (cont'd)
... Slayer.
(beat; blinks)
Great! He could be in Cambodia by
now!
JACKSON
Or, he could be stealing a car out
in front of the house.
There's a SMASH of breaking glass, and Buffy looks round to
see Jerekov breaking the window out of a car parked along the
street.
She starts to run over, but Jerekov touches the ignition to
magically start the car, speeding away in a cloud of tire
smoke.
Sirens begin to ring out in the distance and we see a fire
truck quickly approaching. Buffy turns back to Jackson.
BUFFY
Are you going to be-
JACKSON
I'm fine. Go. Someone's got to be
here to explain what happened.
Buffy forces a smile at him and takes off in a dead sprint
down the road, leaving Jackson leaning up against the car,
looking around at the scene.
JACKSON (cont'd)
(to himself)
Though I have no idea what I'm
going to tell them...
Off of Jackson's wondering gaze, we cut to:
13 INT. UNDERGROUND LABYRINTH - DAY 13
Xander and Giles are standing uneasily in front of a complex
maze, staring in disdain at what they know lies before them.
The place looks like a scene from Indiana Jones with walls
ten feet high, closing off the narrow corridors.
GILES
(to Immortal)
And you're certain that this is
where the Book of Garulah is
housed?
IMMORTAL
Utterly certain. I've seen it with
my own eyes, read from its pages,
and absorbed all of the knowledge
within.
XANDER
So, really, we don't even have to
go through this hell-like maze. I
mean, you could just tell us what
the book says and we could be on
our way... after I find a 13th
century Pendant of Teretnalum, that
is.
Giles looks curiously back to Xander.
XANDER (cont'd)
It's the last thing on the list.
IMMORTAL
It is not my place to divulge such
information. Only completion of the
journey may deem you worthy of the
riches that lie within.
XANDER
(excitedly)
Riches?
GILES
He means in the book.
XANDER
Like a treasure map?
IMMORTAL
Each section of the maze is based
on separate mental and physical
challenges. You should make certain
that you use each of your assets to
the utmost of your abilities.
XANDER
(beat; to Giles)
After you.
IMMORTAL
Good luck.
Giles and Xander step to the edge of the first section of the
maze and inspect the insignias etched into the wall.
GILES
It's a derivative of an ancient
Sumerian dialect...
(sighing)
... known best for the tricky
subtext that typically lies within
its passages.
(to Immortal)
Can you...
When Giles turns back, the Immortal is gone.
GILES (cont'd)
Well, that wasn't entirely
unexpected...
XANDER
Maybe the subtext is that we're
wasting our time. How do we know
that the book is even here? This
guy could be yanking our respective
chains!
GILES
It's the only lead that we've got
to go on. Until proven otherwise,
we'll treat this as the real thing.
(beat)
I'm not overly sure what this text
is trying to tell us.
XANDER
Maybe this isn't a mental test. The
guy said that there were mental and
physical tests. This one could be a
physical test, where we're supposed
to jump from that statue onto the
top of the walls.
GILES
I don't-
Xander gets anxious and takes a step into the corridor, but
no sooner has he done so, than a spear is released from a
hidden patch in the wall, missing Xander by inches.
XANDER
(beat)
Or... it could be a mental test.
From Xander's increasingly nervous look, we cut to:
14 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - KITCHEN - NIGHT 14
Willow is standing alone in the kitchen. She's leaned firmly
against the bar, focusing all her attentions on a large bowl
on the counter.
Anya enters the room and stops as she takes note of Willow's
concentration.
ANYA
Still no luck?
WILLOW
Unless you count bad luck. It's
useless, I've been trying for over
two hours and I can't even move a
piece of stupid tupperware. Look at
it, mocking me with its dumb little
handles.
ANYA
Huh...
(beat)
Marie! Willow's gone crazy.
Willow rolls her eyes as Marie enters the kitchen.
MARIE
Still nothing?
ANYA
She's talking to bowls... calling
them names.
WILLOW
I don't know what he did to me, but
I can't focus my energies onto
anything. It's like I've been
stripped of the very essence of
wicca. I'm wiccaless!
MARIE
There's got to be a way to reverse
the process. I've been scouring
every passage that I can think of
on the subject. I haven't found
anything yet, but I will.
ANYA
Until then, someone should keep an
eye on her because the last time
that she went all crazy, she
sprouted veins and got all fillet
happy with people.
WILLOW
I'm not going to turn evil!
ANYA
That's what you said last time!
Willow starts to retort, but Marie interrupts her.
MARIE
Anya, dear, come help me in the
living room.
Anya reluctantly follows Marie from the room, but turns back
to Willow before going to far.
ANYA
I'm watching you!
Anya and Marie disappear, leaving Willow alone again, staring
relentlessly at the bowl before her.
WILLOW
(angrily)
Stupid bowl...
15 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LOUNGE 15
Andrew is sitting alone in the lounge, watching his newly
acquired 'Lord of the Rings' DVDs, mouthing out all the words
along with the actors when the front door flies open.
Jackson rushes through the door and stops when he sees
Andrew.
JACKSON
Where is everyone?
ANDREW
(sighs; sulkily)
Seeing as none of them wanted to
listen to what I've got to tell
them, I'm sitting here and watching
my movies.
JACKSON
(urgent)
Andrew, where is everyone?
ANDREW
(agitated)
I don't know, I'm kind of on
crutches here! It's hard to get up
and down!
JACKSON
Are they in the house?
ANDREW
(looks up at last)
What happened to your head?
JACKSON
Andrew!!
ANDREW
Okay, fine! I think Willow's in the
kitchen but I'm not fetching her,
Frodo is trying to complete his
seemingly impossible quest and I'm
trying to watch him do so in 5.1
Dolby Digital Surround Sound, so
come back later!
Jackson angrily shakes his head and runs out of the room.
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.