buffy9x22
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:: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER'S NOTE ::
Just a quick note to explain the continuity of this episode.
The 'Prologue' sequence below takes place immediately after
the events of 'Buffy' 9x21 'City Of Ruins.'
The 'Teaser' section that follows picks up the action twenty
four hours later on, after the events of 'Angel' 6x21 'And
Another Thing...'
- Lee A. Chrimes, 'Buffy' Executive Producer
PROLOGUE
FADE IN:
INT. MARIE'S CAR. NIGHT.
MARIE is heading back into Cleveland, fresh from her recent
revelation to Max.
She pulls the car over, still out beyond city limits and on a
dark, heavily wooded road.
She checks up and down the road, making sure there are no
approaching headlights, before taking the dagger she used to
stab Max out of her jacket.
After carefully wiping his blood off it, she takes a deep
breath and settles herself down - holding the knife out, a
few inches away from the left hand side of her abdomen.
She stares at the knife for a long beat, mentally psyching
herself up - and then PLUNGES it into herself, YELLING with
pain.
She carefully draws the knife back out, throwing it onto the
passenger seat.
With shaking hands, she starts the car again and pulls away,
biting her lip as she struggles to stay in control, before we
cut to:
INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. NIGHT.
The front door opens to reveal a weary-looking BUFFY and
SOFIA.
They've barely stepped over the threshold before they see
XANDER, sitting in one of the armchairs, and his wide-eyed,
desperate expression immediately tells the girls something is
very wrong.
Buffy rushes over to him, registering ANDREW, sitting on the
sofa with an ice pack pressed to an ugly red bruise across
his jaw, and GILES, standing with the phone receiver against
his ear.
BUFFY
What's going on?
GILES
Buffy, we've got-
XANDER
They took her...
BUFFY
Took who?
Buffy's jaw drops as she figures it all out.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Oh, no - Hope...
SOFIA
(alarmed)
Hope's gone? Who took her? Xander,
what happened?
Xander doesn't look in any state to form coherent sentences,
so Giles replaces the phone receiver and steps over, placing
a comforting hand on Xander's shoulder.
GILES
Vampires. Two of them. They got
past Andrew and into the house.
Sofia shoots a deadly glare at Andrew, who shrinks away.
BUFFY
How?
ANDREW
I'm sorry, they-
SOFIA
(sharp)
Apologise later, Andrew. How did
they get into the house?
ANDREW
They tricked me, they said they
were doing a survey, and I-
BUFFY
(interrupts)
Never mind. Fact is, they got in
and took Hope. How long ago?
GILES
Not long, less than an hour. A
third vampire was waiting outside
and drove them all away before
Xander got get any help.
BUFFY
(sighs)
That's not our only problem.
SOFIA
We think Mr. Kane kidnapped that
Amy Madison girl.
GILES
Amy? But what would Kane want with
her?
BUFFY
My guess, nothing good.
Buffy goes over to Xander, crouching in front of him and
taking his hands in her own.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(softly)
Xander?
He slowly looks up, his dejected eyes meeting hers.
BUFFY (cont'd)
We'll find her. I promise.
Xander manages to nod, clearly on the verge of tears. Buffy
stands, turning back to Giles, trying to get a handle on the
increasingly poor situation.
BUFFY (cont'd)
Okay, right. Plan.
She stalls. Giles waits a beat, then speaks.
GILES
What was that you mentioned to me
over the phone about going to Los
Angeles? Are you sure that's wise
at the moment?
BUFFY
We broke into Kane's office, and-
SOFIA
(interrupts)
I think the Keeper was right. Kane
had an analysis made of the energy
trail from when the Keeper copied
Buffy's powers.
GILES
(frowns)
How?
BUFFY
He's got this place and Jackson's
under surveillance. Probably has
done all along.
GILES
(darkly)
I see.
Sofia retrieves the printout she and Buffy took from Kane's
office and presents it to Giles.
SOFIA
If all this is right, then the
Keeper does have the power to help
Jackson!
GILES
(reads)
So it would seem... Even so, it's
too risky for you to leave
Cleveland right now.
BUFFY
I know...
She looks down to Xander, her heart breaking.
BUFFY (cont'd)
I can't leave Xander, not when-
XANDER
No. You have to go.
Buffy blinks, surprised, and exchanges a look with Giles
before kneeling in front of Xander again.
BUFFY
Xander, I can't go! Not now!
XANDER
No, Buffy, you have to.
(looks at Sofia)
Sofia can help me find Hope again.
(back to Buffy)
You have to save Jackson. We can't
lose another one of the good guys.
Buffy's face is a mess of conflicting emotions as she
struggles to work out what to say to him.
BUFFY
Xander, no! I can't leave you while
somebody has Hope, I-
XANDER
(stern)
Buffy! Jackson's going to die if
you don't do something! We can't
let anyone else die!
They lock gazes for a long beat, before Xander nods slowly.
XANDER (cont'd)
Sofia and Giles can help me track
down the guys who took Hope. If you
think you can save Jackson by going
to LA and kicking that Keeper guy's
ass, then...
(beat; deep breath)
Well, then you go do it.
Buffy opens her mouth to say 'no' again, but Xander shakes
his head urgently.
XANDER (cont'd)
Go. We'll find her. We have to.
Buffy stares back at him, then stands, turning to Giles.
GILES
Well, after you first mentioned
your planned trip, I took the
liberty of making a few phone
calls. The Council can have you on
the fastest plane we can find to LA
in less than an hour.
Buffy looks back round at the others, not sure if they're all
hating her for still wanting to go.
BUFFY
(to Sofia)
Will you-
SOFIA
(nods)
We'll be fine. By the time you get
back, Hope will be back here, and
I'll have three more vampire kills
under my belt!
Buffy manages a smile at Sofia's eternal optimism.
BUFFY
(to Giles)
Okay then, what do I-
SLAM! The front door flies open and Marie stumbles inside,
her hand pressed to the bloody wound in her gut.
Giles and Sofia race over, Giles hesitating for a beat as he
sees the dark red stain on Marie's blouse.
GILES
(to Sofia; urgent)
The medical kit, quickly!
Sofia dashes into the kitchen as Buffy joins Giles, helping
Marie sit up carefully.
GILES
What happened? Where have you been?
(beat; looks round)
And where's Max?
MARIE
(weakly)
He... stabbed me... made off... I
couldn't stop him... Giles, I'm...
sorry, I...
GILES
Ssh. It's alright.
Giles looks to Buffy, who now looks back in two minds about
staying or going. Giles registers the look and nods, as Sofia
hurries back into frame with the medical kit.
GILES (cont'd)
Take Andrew with you, just in case.
I'll get Marie to the hospital, and
then Xander, Sofia and I will start
our search for Hope.
BUFFY
What about Amy? Giles, you need me!
GILES
You have to! Buffy, you're
Jackson's only chance now, he won't
last much longer if we don't find
some way to either reverse
whatever's happening, or ease him
through it in one piece.
Buffy, desperate, looks down at the badly wounded Marie.
Giles reaches out and lays a hand on Buffy's shoulder.
GILES (cont'd)
We've managed without you before.
That helps. Buffy takes a deep breath, nods, and stands.
BUFFY
Andrew, get your jacket. Looks like
we're going to LA.
And from Andrew's shocked look, we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF PROLOGUE
TEASER
FADE IN:
1 EXT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE. DAY. 1
Establish shot. The Summers house is bathed in sunshine.
TITLE OVER - Twenty-Four Hours Later.
2 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. DAY. 2
The door opens to admit Buffy and Andrew back into the house,
Buffy's dark expression telling the whole story - the mission
to LA was not a success.
She looks around - the house is deserted, and Buffy drops her
backpack onto the sofa as Andrew heads into the kitchen,
checking for any signs of life.
ANDREW
Um, doesn't look like there's
anybody here.
BUFFY
Let's hope they're all out taking
care of things.
Buffy takes out her cell phone, dialling in Jackson's number.
BUFFY (cont'd)
(to Andrew)
I'm gonna check up on Jackson, you
see if Giles left us any messages,
and if not, try to call the others
and find out what's going on.
As Andrew picks up the house phone, we cut to:
3 INT. CLEVELAND PD - BASEMENT. DAY. 3
Down in one of the police department's long, drab basement
level corridors, we pick up IRWIN KANE, striding along with
two DEMONS following after him, skinny and grey-skinned, with
AMY MADISON held in between them.
She isn't struggling, and the bruises on her face show us
she's learned not to try to run away as Kane reaches the
magically sealed door hiding the newly-exposed Hellmouth.
He turns to Amy as he produces a small, glowing key from his
pocket.
KANE
Well, Miss Madison, I hope you're
as powerful as my sources tell me
you are, because if you're not up
to the task waiting on the other
side of this door, I'm not going to
be very happy at all.
Amy glares defiantly back at him, but it just makes Kane
CHUCKLE as he turns the key, swinging the door open.
4 INT. CLEVELAND PD - BASEMENT ROOM. CONTINUOUS. 4
Kane motions for Amy to be led into the room, and the two
Demons show her inside. Amy's eyes bulge at what she sees in
there, and her jaw drops as Kane steps inside and locks the
door behind them.
Erupting from the floor in the centre of the room, dislodging
soil and floor tiles, is the entrance to the CLEVELAND
HELLMOUTH, the silver seal open and a black, gaping hole
marking the Hellmouth itself.
Amy looks back to Kane as he walks round the Hellmouth.
AMY
You opened the Hellmouth?!? Are you
crazy?
KANE
No, just very, very well paid. Now,
here's what I want you to do, Amy.
AMY
(shakes head)
No, no way! I'm not doing it!
KANE
You haven't even let me tell you!
Would you rather I just let my
employees here take you outside and
kill you?
Amy falls silent, and Kane grins.
KANE (cont'd)
I thought not. Now then, as you can
see, what we have here is a
Hellmouth. The seal is open, so by
rights there should be an impatient
army of the underworld marching out
of here as we speak, laying waste
to the oh-so romantic city of
Cleveland.
Kane walks towards Amy, who still glares back at him.
KANE (cont'd)
So, question is, where are the
aforementioned hordes of darkness?
The answer is that there's a
magical barrier in place over the
Hellmouth, and it needs some
powerful magic to break it. That's
where you come in, Miss Madison.
Kane draws a very large handgun from inside his jacket, and
Amy stiffens as he causally loads it with a CLICK.
KANE (cont'd)
We'll remain undetected down here,
thanks to a few well-located
cloaking spells - nobody in the
precinct above us will hear or feel
a thing until it's too late. All
you have to do is break that
barrier.
Kane presses the gun squarely against Amy's forehead, and she
shivers, terrified.
KANE (cont'd)
If you don't, I'll put a bullet in
your brain and find somebody else
to do the job. So, the question you
should ask yourself is, are you
willing to die for your morals, or
are you prepared to bend the rules
in extreme circumstances? Because,
from where I'm standing, this
circumstance could be considered
pretty extreme.
Amy looks down at the Hellmouth, then back at Kane, obviously
agonising over the decision.
Finally, she closes her eyes and nods once. Kane smiles and
takes the gun away, and with a nod to the demons, they let
her go, shoving her forward and stepping back.
Amy rubs her sore wrists as she steps up to the Hellmouth,
looking panicked as she stares down into the chasm beyond.
AMY
I'm going to need some time.
KANE
Of course you are.
(check watch)
You've got five minutes. After
that, it's game over, and I go on a
witch hunt again.
Amy shoots Kane a seething glare, but he just LAUGHS.
KANE (cont'd)
Very spirited, Amy. I'd be
impressed, if it wasn't for the
fully loaded Beretta in my jacket.
(motions to Hellmouth)
Now, if you'd be so kind?
Amy turns back to the Hellmouth again, and as her face tells
us she's desperately trying to think of a way out of this
one, we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
5 INT. XANDER'S CAR. DAY. 5
Xander is at the wheel, the sun rising and filtering into the
car as he passes through what looks like a busy industrial
district. He looks like he hasn't slept since we last saw
him, dark bags under his eyes and a five o'clock shadow
adding to the fierce, driven look in his eyes.
Sofia dozes in the passenger seat, jolting to life as Xander
passes over a bump in the road. She blinks, getting her
bearings.
XANDER
Sorry.
SOFIA
That's alright...
(yawns)
Where are we?
XANDER
Remember that last demon we roughed
up? The one Tammazel helped us to
find?
SOFIA
(thinks)
Skinny chap with the lazy eye?
XANDER
(nods)
He gave us a tip that we should
find our baby-snatching friends
round here. Specifically...
Xander pulls the car to a stop, pointing towards an old
factory up ahead.
XANDER (cont'd)
Right there.
Sofia peers out through the windshield, assessing the area
with a few quick sweeps of her eyes.
SOFIA
Seems deserted. Plenty of ways in
or out.
(to Xander)
Shall we start making our plan of
attack?
XANDER
(nods)
I want to have Hope back in my arms
by ten o'clock. That's the plan.
Sofia glances at the clock on the dashboard - it's nine
fifteen. She grins at Xander.
SOFIA
No problem.
Grabbing a sword from the small arsenal of weapons on the
back seat, she steps out of the car. Xander selects an axe
and follows, and as he SLAMS the door shut, we cut to:
6 INT. THE CIRCLE - GRAND LIBRARY. DAY. 6
Standing with her back to us, looking up at the huge
bookshelves that seem to stretch off for miles in every
direction, is WILLOW.
She turns round, looking tired, and with a heavy sigh she
starts walking through the high-ceilinged library building,
books flitting from shelf to shelf overhead.
She's not been walking long when she comes across TATTLES,
her nose buried in a thick book. She puts it down and beams
happily as she sees Willow, but Willow doesn't return the
smile.
TATTLES
What's the matter, Teach?
WILLOW
The usual. I want to go home.
TATTLES
(sympathetic)
I know. I wish I could let you go
see your friends again, but, you
know...
Willow nods, taking a seat at the small table Tattles is at.
Tattles shoves the book she was reading away.
TATTLES (cont'd)
What's happening on Earth, anyway?
I know Trinkets was being all funny
about it when I asked him, he just
kept saying 'they're not doing it
right!' over and over again.
WILLOW
Trouble. And that's with a capital
'trub.' Somebody's trying to open
the Cleveland Hellmouth.
TATTLES
Oh.
(beat)
Is that bad?
Willow looks up at Tattles - then manages a small smile as
she sees that Tattles really doesn't comprehend how big a
deal that is.
WILLOW
Yeah, Tattles, that's bad.
TATTLES
Are you gonna help Trinkets do what
he wants to do?
WILLOW
(beat)
I don't know. It doesn't look like
I have any choice.
TATTLES
Well, you sort of do, I mean, you
could always-
WILLOW
(snaps)
Do what? Say 'no,' and get turned
into one of those snake demons
sneaking around in the jungle?
Tattles falls silent, shrinking away from Willow. Willow
stares sternly down at her.
WILLOW (cont'd)
Yeah, I finished all those diaries.
I thought after I saw what Trinkets
did to the last Teach, there wasn't
going to be anything to shock me,
but...
(beat)
How many have there been?
TATTLES
How many Teaches?
WILLOW
Yeah. Because I know there are a
lot of demons out there - are they
all former Teaches for you guys?
Is that what you do to them when
they start saying 'no' to you?
Tattles bites her lip, unsure of how to reply.
TATTLES
It was Trinkets' idea. He said it'd
make them see what it meant to try
and stand up to us.
WILLOW
How many are there?
Tattles shrugs, and with an angry huff, Willow stands,
glaring down at Tattles for a beat before turning and
starting to head out of the library.
TATTLES
(calls after her)
Teach! Where are you going?
WILLOW
(mutters)
Looks like I'm going nowhere.
(beat; thinks)
Unless...
Willow's look suddenly becomes more thoughtful as something
hits her, and off that look, we cut to:
7 INT. CLEVELAND PD - BASEMENT ROOM. DAY. 7
Amy is standing just over the lip of the Hellmouth's
entrance, arms outstretched, palms down, eyes closed. Kane
watches her carefully, checking his watch again.
KANE
Time's almost up, Amy. Are you
going to actually do anything, or
is standing there and meditating
how you want to be remembered?
AMY
(without looking round)
I'm almost done. I had to make a
few preparations first.
KANE
Good. Just bear in mind you're on a
deadline here.
Kane turns away, talking quietly to the two demons attending
him, and Amy steals a quick glance over her shoulder.
Once she's sure Kane isn't paying attention, she closes her
eyes again.
AMY
(mutters)
Buffy, I hope you're listening...
We quickly cut from Amy's mask of concentration to:
8 INT. SUMMERS RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM. DAY. 8
Buffy has gotten changed after her rapid plane journey back
from LA, and she heads back down the stairs, fresh from the
shower.
She suddenly pauses as she steps into the living room. Andrew
looks round from the sofa, the phone in his lap.
ANDREW
Uh, hi, I tried to call but
nobody's answering, so I guess
they're all, you know, busy or
something.
Buffy is still standing stock still, and Andrew frowns.
ANDREW (cont'd)
Buffy? Are you alright? Buffy?
We push in on Buffy, whose eyes are flicking from side to
side as though she's listening to somebody else, and as we
push in closer to her, we start to hear Amy's voice:
AMY (V.O.)
Buffy? Can you hear me? Amy's voice
gradually replaces Andrew's, as we
cut to:
9 INT. CLEVELAND PD - BASEMENT ROOM. DAY. 9
We're back in the basement, looking down at the Hellmouth
through Amy's eyes, the edges of the scene blurry and hazy,
as though we're in a dream.
AMY (V.O.)
Oh, good. Found you.
BUFFY (V.O.)
(confused)
What? Amy? What's going on? Are you
alright? Where are you?
AMY (V.O.)
I'm in the police station.
BUFFY (V.O.)
You are? Where's Kane?
(beat)
Wait, isn't that the-
AMY (V.O.)
Hellmouth, yeah. Buffy, I've gotta
make this quick, so listen
carefully. Kane has opened the
Hellmouth, and he's getting me to
finish the job, or he'll kill me.
BUFFY (V.O.)
(shocked)
What?!?
AMY (V.O.)
I'm sorry, but I have to do it!
He's already put a gun to my head,
he'll shoot me without even
blinking, I know it!
BUFFY (V.O.)
Alright, alright, it's okay. Have
you finished your spell yet?
AMY (V.O.)
Not yet. But we're talking minutes
here. Get everyone you can over
here right now, before-
KANE (V.O.)
Miss Madison?
Our viewpoint spins round to see Kane coming towards us,
frowning, and as we hear Amy GASP, we SMASH CUT back to:
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Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.