Season 2 | Episode 17 | Reptile Boy

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Episode Summary

A young woman is chased to a cemetery by a bunch of men wearing monk’s robes. But Buffy and her merry band are unaware of this, and are delighted about the recent lull of activity on the Hellmouth. Giles frets about this, telling Buffy she shouldn’t get lax about her
training, but Buffy is ready to let her hair down a little.

Meanwhile, Cordelia is dating a fraternity man, Richard — intrigued mostly by his wealth and society connections. When smarmy Richard comes to pick her up at school, his sweet frat brother, Tom, charms Buffy. But Buffy doesn’t want to go to their frat party. As far as she’s concerned, she’s “seeing” Angel — if only in the dark.

When Buffy tries to get Angel to go out with her, he says their difference in age is a problem, as well as the fact that his demon side tends to take over when he becomes passionate. Dejected, she decides to join Cordelia at the frat party, which requires lying to ever-vigilant Giles about her evening’s activities.

Buffy and Cordelia are both drugged at the party and chained in the basement with the young woman from the cemetery. Back at school, a broken, bloody bracelet Buffy found at the cemetery is traced by Willow and Giles to the woman who had been chased. Willow’s hacking skills lead to more info — a year earlier to the day, three other women disappeared and were never found.

They go to the frat party with Angel and Xander just as the three women are about to be offered up as a sacrifice to Machida, a snake-like demon who arises every year and is worshipped by the frat boys. Buffy manages to break loose and a scuffle ensues. Tom, who turns out to be way wicked, is about to cut Buffy’s throat, but she grabs the sword and defeats Machida.

Cordelia, messy but undaunted, chides Tom as he is led away with a typically pithy remark: “You’re going to jail for fifteen thousand years!” Giles forgives Buffy for her lie, and Angel shows up at the Bronze and asks Buffy out for coffee. She grins and takes a rain check, as any self-especting slayer would, and all is well again at the unpredictable Hellmouth.

Shooting Scripts

Teaser

EXT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – NIGHT
After a beat we HEAR a STRANGE, HIGH PITCHED WAILING –

CUT TO:

INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – NIGHT
CLOSE ON XANDER – Concerned

XANDER
Is she dying?

BUFFY AND WILLOW
Flank him on the couch. Slumped down in high teen boredom, sodas and junk food pilfered from
Buffy’s kitchen scattered about, watching T.V. –
BUFFY
She’s singing.

ANGLE – THE T.V.
An EAST INDIAN soap opera on an obscure cable channel: an INDIAN WOMAN sings (in a foreign
language) something very heartfelt into a telephone.
BUFFY, WILLOW & XANDER

XANDER

To a telephone, in Urdu… now that’s
entertainment. Why is she singing?

WILLOW

She’s sad because her lover gave her a
dozen gold coins but then the wizard
cut open the bag of salt and the dancing
minions had no place to put their big

Maypole…
(gestures)
…fish thing.
XANDER

Uh huh. And why is she singing?

BUFFY

Her lover? I thought he was her chiropractor.

WILLOW

Because of that thing he did with her
feet? No, that was personal.

They stare at the screen for a beat. The PIERCING SINGING continues under:

XANDER

And we thought just ‘cause we didn’t have
any money or anywhere to go this’d be a

lackluster evening.

WILLOW

Hey, I know – we could go to the Bronze,
sneak in our own tea bags and ask for…

hot water.
XANDER

Hop off that outlaw train, Will, before
you land us all in jail.
BUFFY

I for one am giddy and up. There’s a kind
of hush all over Sunnydale, no vampires
or demons to slay, I’m here with my

friends and—
(re: T.V.)

— where does the water buffalo fit in again?

CUT TO:

EXT. ANOTHER HOUSE – BACK YARD – NIGHT
Shooting the back of the house, preferably a classic Colonial, preferably no neighboring homes in
sight.
PUSHING IN on the quiet affluent house and then –
AN UPSTAIRS WINDOW IS SHATTERED
And a PRETTY GIRL (17, wearing a ceremonial-type dress) bursts through the glass, hits the ground
and runs for her life.
A moment later, several dark figures in hooded robes emerge from other windows and doors like
malevolent ghosts and give chase.
She vaults a fence, heading for the woods. She’s fast.
They’re faster.
EXT. WOODS – NIGHT
She tears through running for all she’s worth.
The hooded figures close the gap behind her.
She cuts right, sees a couple of the hoods gaining on that flank.
She cuts sharp to the left and sees a break in the trees, a not so distant road with cars – freedom.
She glances behind her – she’s ten yards ahead of her closest pursuer – three trees between her and
the open space that leads to the road, then two, then one –
As she passes the last tree, a HOODED FIGURE coolly steps out and grabs her. She SCREAMS, he
purrs:

HOODED FIGURE
Callie… Where are you going?

The girl, her eyes wild with fear, claws at him, pulling his hood off revealing the face of a handsome
twenty year old sadist. He deflects her blows and grabs her wrists, puts his face close to hers.

FIGURE

The party ain’t even started yet.

And, not without charm, the Figure smiles at Callie. Then nods at the brethren. Several of them
hustle Callie back towards the house.

CALLIE
No! No!

The Figure takes a deep breath of the bracing night air and walks out of frame.

BLACK OUT.

END OF TEASER
Act One

INT. SCHOOL HALL – DAY – CORDELIA
laughs in a HIGHLY AMUSED if somewhat forced manner. She’s with a Cordette. KIDS are arriving for
school.

CORDELIA
Ha ha ha ha ha.

Cordelia show s the Cordette a magazine (TEEN TIME). Pretty girl on the cover holding a fishing rod
and big lure; headline: HOW TO LAND HIM AND KEEP HIM.
CORDELIA (cont’d)

Doctor Debbi says when a man is speaking
you make serious eye contact and really,
really listen. And you laugh at everything
he says… ha ha ha ha…

ANOTHER ANGLE – BUFFY AND WILLOW
Heading up the steps.

WILLOW

You dreamed about Angel again?

BUFFY
Third night in a row.
WILLOW

What did he do in the dream?

BUFFY
Stuff.
WILLOW

Ooh, stuff. Was it one of those vivid
dreams where you could feel his lips
and smell his hair?
BUFFY
(nods)

It had surround sound. I’m just thinking
about him so much lately.
WILLOW

Well you guys are so right for each
other, except for the, uh…
BUFFY
Vampire thing?
WILLOW

That doesn’t make him a bad person.

Necessarily.
BUFFY

I’m brainsick, I can’t have a relationship

with him.
WILLOW

Well maybe not in the day time… but you
could ask him for coffee some night.
(off Buffy’s look)

It’s the non-relationship drink of choice.
It’s not a date, it’s a caffeinated beverage –
okay it’s hot and bitter, like a relationship

that way but —

Xander slides into step with them.

XANDER
What’s like a relationship?
BUFFY
Nothing I have.
(mulling, to Willow)
Coffee.
XANDER
Huh?

As they pass Cordelia and the Cordette.

CORDELIA

There’s really no comparison between
college men and high school boys –

(re: Xander)
— I mean look at that.
XANDER

Cor, you datin’ a college guy now?

CORDELIA

Not that it’s any of your business, but I
happen to be seeing a Delta Zeta Kappa.

XANDER

Oh, an extra-terrestrial, so that’s how you
get a date once you’ve exhausted all the

human guys.
CORDEDLIA

You’ll go to college some day, Xander.
I just know your pizza delivery career
will take you so many exciting places.

Ha ha ha ha.
Buffy, Xander and Willow move off as a bell RINGS O.S.
BUFFY

Oops, I told Giles I’d met him in the
Library ten minutes ago –
(moving off)

— there hasn’t been much paranormal
activity lately, he won’t be upset.

CUT TO:

INT. LIBRARY – DAY – GILES IS UPSET
Faces Buffy, circles her as:

GILES

Just because the paranormal has been more
normal and less… para lately, that is no excuse
for tardiness or letting your guard down.

BUFFY

I haven’t let my guard down.

GILES

Oh really? You yawned your way through

weapons training last week, you skipped
hand to hand entirely – I suppose you’re
prepared if some demon springs up behind

you and does this!?

Without warning, Giles swings at her from behind. Without turning, Buffy’s hand shoots backwards,
grabs Giles’ wrist. Buffy pivots and whips Giles’ hand around behind his back, in a painful arm lock.

GILES (cont’d)
Yes, well, I’m no demon…
(beat)

…which is why you should let go now.

She does. He massages his wrist.

GILES (cont’d)

When you live atop a mystical convergence
it’s only a matter of time before a fresh hell
breaks loose. Now is the time to train more
strictly, hunt and patrol more keenly, hone
your skills day and night –
BUFFY

And the little scrap of my life that still belongs
to me – say from seven to seven oh five in the
morning – can I do what I want to then?

GILES
(beat)

Buffy, you think I don’t know what
it’s like to be sixteen?
BUFFY

No, I think you don’t know what it’s like
to be sixteen and a girl and a Slayer.

GILES

I may not know precisely –

BUFFY

Or what it’s like to exterminate vampires
while you’re having fuzzy feelings

towards one.
GILES

You’re still…? That is dicey.
BUFFY

Yeah, digging on the undead doesn’t
exactly bolster your social life.

GILES

Ahh, but you see that’s just where being
different comes in handy.
BUFFY

Can’t have a social life anyway, too busy
killing fiends from hell?
GILES

Yes! You have a duty, a purpose, you have
a life long commitment. How many people
your age do you think can say that?

BUFFY

We talkin’ foreign or domestic – how

‘bout none.

Giles sighs, he tried.

GILES

Well here’s a hard fact of life: we all
have to do things we don’t like. You
have hand to hand this afternoon and
patrol tonight. You’d best come right
here after sixth period and get your
homework done. Don’t dawdle with

your friends.

Buffy just stands there pouting.

GILES (cont’d)

And don’t think standing there pouting
is going to get to me. It doesn’t.

She pouts. He lies.

GILES (cont’d)
Not getting to me.

CUT TO:

EXT. SUNNYDALE HIGH – DAY
After school. Cars pulling up, KIDS taking off. Buffy dawdles on a wall near the street. Xander and
Willow move up.

XANDER
Wow, what a long day.
WILLOW
You cut three periods.
XANDER

Yeah, and of course they flew by.

Buffy!
WILLOW

Aren’t you s’posed to be doing your
homework in the library –
BUFFY

I’m dawdling. With my friends.

Buffy tips forward on the wall like she’s going to fall – catches herself by draping her arms over
Xander’s shoulders.

XANDER
Works for me.
ANOTHER ANGLE – FRONT OF THE SCHOOL – CORDELIA
Looking luscious, waits expectantly as a sleek, dark BMW (tinted windows, we can’t see who’s inside)
pulls to the curb.
She moves to the car. The dark window rolls down revealing RICHARD (the twenty year old sadist
from the teaser) in expensive slacks and sport coat. As are the other two DELTA ZETAS in back.
In the passenger seat is TOM, also 20, but dressed casually. Tom is rich, too, but he’s not a prick,
he’s a low key, decent guy.

RICHARD
Cordelia.
CORDELIA
Hi Richard. Nice car.

As instructed by her teen magazine, Cordelia never takes her eyes off Richard.
We PUSH PAST Richard to Tom, totally engaged by:

TOM’S POV – BUFFY
Dawdling with Xander and Willow.

BUFFY

Dawdle, dawdle, dawdle… I’m a rebel
and I’ll never ever be any good…

TOM
Takes a breath. Something about Buffy…
RICHARD

RICHARD

So we’re having a little get together
at the house tomorrow night…

Richard sees the look on Tom’s face, follows it to Buffy, never skipping a beat with Cordelia

RICHARD (cont’d)

… it’s going to be a really special evening…

CORDELIA
(recovering)
Oh I’d love to –
RICHARD
Who’s your friend?

Cordelia turns, sees Buffy behind her on the wall clowning with Xander and Willow.

CORDELIA
Her? She’s not my friend.

TOM
She’s amazing.
CORDELIA

She’s more like a sister, really.
We’re that close.
RICHARD
Why don’t you introduce us?

BUFFY, XANDER AND WILLOW

XANDER

Okay so tonight, Channel fifty nine, Indian
T.V. – sex, lies and incomprehensible story
lines – I’ll bring the beetle nuts.

Cordelia walks up, grabs Buffy.

CORDELIA

Come on, Richard and his fraternity
brothers want to meet you.

BUFFY

I don’t really want to meet any fraternity –

CORDELIA

And if there was a God, don’tcha’
think He’d keep it that way?

Buffy is dragged away.

XANDER

Hey, I believe we were hanging here…

Cordelia drags Buffy to Richard who has now gotten out of his car. Confident, cool, he flashes his
perfect smile at Buffy.

RICHARD

Hi, sweet thing. I’m Richard. And

you are?
BUFFY
So not interested.
CORDELIA
She’s such a little comedienne!

Cordelia hits Buffy who is about to turn away when Tom appears behind Richard.

RICHARD

What, is she playing hard to get?

TOM

No Richard, I think you’re playing easy

to resist.
(to Buffy)

Feel free to ignore him. I do all the time.

Buffy hesitates, this guy seems okay.

TOM (cont’d)

I’m Tom Janson. I’m a Senior at Crestwood
College and I feel like a complete dolt meeting
you this way – so here I stand in all my

doltishness…

XANDER AND WILLOW

XANDER

She’s gonna walk away… now.
(snaps fingers)
Okay boots, start walkin’…

BUFFY AND TOM

BUFFY
I’m Buffy Summers.
TOM

Nice to meet you. Are you a Senior?

BUFFY
Junior.
TOM

Me too, except I’m a Senior, and in

college.
(beat)

So, we have that in common.

(beat)
I major in History.
BUFFY

History stumps me. I have a hard enough
time remembering what happened last week.

TOM

Nothing happened last week, don’t worry,

I was there.

Buffy smiles, not smitten but charmed. Behind them, Richard, with other frat guys looking on, says
something to Cordelia. We HEAR her “Ha ha ha ha”.

XANDER AND WILLOW
Xander shakes his head, disgusted.

XANDER

I hate these guys. Whatever they want
just falls into their laps. Don’t you
hate these guys?
WILLOW

Yeah, with their charmed lives and their
movie star good looks and more money
than you can count…
(off his look)
I’m hating.

BUFFY AND TOM

TOM

(re: Richard and Cordelia)
So my friend asked your friend to this
party we’re having tomorrow night…

(lowers voice)

… actually he’s not really my friend –
I only joined the fraternity ‘cause my
father and grampa were in it before me.
It meant a lot to them. I know, I talk
too much. Anyway, they’re really dull
parties full of really dull people so, uh,
how would you like to come and save
me from a really dull fate?
BUFFY
(beat)

I wish I could but… I’m sort of seeing

someone.
TOM

Oh. Sure, of course you are. Well,
thanks for letting me ramble…

BUFFY

People underestimate the value of a

good ramble.

Tom smiles.

GILES (O.S.)
Buffy!

Buffy turns, sees Giles near the front door of school, pointing to his watch.

BUFFY
I gotta… nice to meet you

TOM
Same here.

Buffy takes off. Tom watches her, intrigued.

CUT TO:

INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT

Buffy practices her hand to hand with Giles (who wears much protective gear). There’s a certain not-
so-sub-text here: they’re pissed at each other.

GILES

I’m going to attack you. Word of caution:

for your own good, I won’t be pulling any

punches.
BUFFY
Please don’t.

He comes at her with the short sword – she kicks it out of his hand. He immediately counters with a
wooden rod – she chops it in half.
He charges her, she sidesteps, flips him over her shoulder and slams him down on the ground. Hard.

GILES

Good. So you’re on patrol and I’ll see
you in the morning.
(she offers him a hand up)
Thanks, no, I’ll just rest here for a while.

CUT TO:

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT
Dark, empty dangerous. We might recognize them as the woods from the teaser.
Buffy moves through the dark shadows, her hand instinctively checking the stakes in her belt.
ANGLE – A LARGE TREE
As Buffy moves past. Something moves in the dark – a FIGURE, watching Buffy.
THE FIGURE’S POV
Buffy moves through the trees. The Figure follows.
BUFFY
Stops, sees something glinting in the leaves at her feet. She kneels down.
INSERT – BUFFY’S HAND
Picks up a BROKEN SILVER PIECE of an I.D. bracelet. Three letters, E, N and T, can be seen,
inscribed in the delicate bracelet.
BUFFY
Studies the bracelet, then:

ANGEL (O.S.)
There’s blood on it.

Startled, Buffy jumps to her feet, sees ANGEL.
BUFFY
Oh… hi. Nice to… blood?
(studies bracelet)
ANGEL
I can smell it.
BUFFY
(beat)

It’s pretty thin, probably belonged

to a girl.

Angel glances around the woods.

ANGEL
Probably.

Buffy laughs. He looks back.

BUFFY

I was just mulling, wouldn’t it be funny
to see each other some time when it
wasn’t a blood thing?

Nothing from Angel.

BUFFY (cont’d)
Not funny ha ha.
ANGEL

What are you saying, you want to have

a date?
BUFFY
No –
ANGEL

You don’t want to have a date.

BUFFY

Who said date? I never said date.

ANGEL

Right, you just want to have coffee or

something.
BUFFY
Coffee?

Buffy makes a “that’s ridiculous” sound.

ANGEL
I knew this would happen.
BUFFY

Really? And what do you think is happening?

ANGEL

You’re sixteen years old, I’m two
hundred and forty.
BUFFY
I’ve done the math.
ANGEL

You don’t know what you’re doing, you
don’t know what you want.

BUFFY

Oh I think I do: I want out of this

conversation.

She turns to walk away. He grabs her.

ANGEL

Listen. If we date you and I both know
one thing’s going to lead to another.

Then what?
BUFFY

Then… whatever, I don’t know, might be
nice to find out. But you want to end it
before it’s begun. Fine.

Angel just shakes his head.

ANGEL

It’s a Fairy Tale. Only when I kiss you

you don’t wake up from a deep sleep
and live happily ever after.
BUFFY

No. When you kiss me I want to die.

She holds his gaze – then she walks out of frame.

CUT TO:

INT. CLASSROOM – DAY
Buffy is gathering her stuff as students head out.

CORDELIA (O.S.)
Buffy!

Cordelia moves up.

CORDELIA

Did you lose weight? And your hair…
(Buffy ignores her)

All right, I respect you too much to be
dishonest, the hair’s…
(makes a face)

…well that’s not the point here, is it.
The Delta Zetas have to have a certain
balance at their party – Richard explained
it all to me but I was so busy REALLY
LISTENING to him that I didn’t hear much –
anyway, the deal is they need you to go.

And if you don’t go…
(her eyes moisten)

…I can’t! I’m talking about Richard Anderson,
okay? As in Anderson Farms, Anderson

Textiles…

(she can no longer hold back the tears)
… and Anderson Cosmetics! Do you have a

hankie?

Buffy shakes her head.

CORDELIA (cont’d)

Well you can see why I have to go. These
men are rich, Buffy, and I’m not being
shallow – think of the poor people I could
help with all my money.
BUFFY
I’ll go.
CORDELIA

I’m not going to beg you – please, oh
please – you’ll go? Great! We’ll just take
my car. Oh Buffy, we’re just like sisters…
with really different hair.
And Cordelia happily moves off. Off Buffy’s expression, pre-lap:
RICHARD (O.S.)
I pledge my life…

CUT TO:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
PUSHING SLOWLY IN. Hearing RICHARD’S voice intoning:

RICHARD (O.S.)
… and my death…

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT
SHOOTING HIGH ABOVE AN ALTER that’s built up around a dark circle, like a well – and apparently
bottomless pit.
ANOTHER ANGLE – Richard and other frat minions, in robes (no Tom) are gathered before the alter
which has eyes, fangs, diamond shape carvings – an abstract but frightening representation of some
horrible thing they worship. Possibly a thing that lives in the bottomless pit.
The basement is cut into the bed rock – cave-like out-croppings of stone add an ancient touch to the
décor.
A YOUNG MAN is naked from the waist up and Richard holds the sword to his chest, carving a large
diamond shaped SCAR into his flesh. (Yes, we’ll be tasteful.)
YOUNG MAN
I pledge my life and my death…

RICHARD

To the Delta Zetas and to Machida
whom we serve.
YOUNG MAN

To the Delta Zetas and to Machida
whom we serve.
RICHARD

In blood I was baptized, in blood I
shall reign, in His Name!
YOUNG MAN

In blood I was baptized, in blood I
shall reign, in His Name!

Richard finishes carving the diamond shape.

RICHARD
You are now one of us.
YOUNG MAN
In His Name!

The others reply: “In His Name!”

RICHARD
Brewski time!

Someone opens a cooler – beers are flung about. Someone turns on a boom box. Suddenly it’s a
bunch of college guys in robes guzzling beer and listening to loud music.
The various brethren congratulate the Young Man. Richard sees something O.S., moves to:
CALLIE
The girl from the teaser. Chained to the rock wall.
RICHARD

So what’s a girl like you doing in a

place like this?
CALLIE
Please, let me go.
RICHARD

Let you go. Okay, let me think –

uhhh, no.

She cries. He laughs.

RICHARD (cont’d)
Gawd I love high school girls.
Richard sips his beer, tapping his head to the music, digging his world.

END OF ACT ONE
Act Two
EXT. SUNNYDALE HIGH – MORNING – ESTABLISHING
WILLOW (O.S.)

You’re going to the Delta Zeta party?

INT. SCHOOL – HALL – DAY
Buffy, Xander, Willow walk ‘n talk. Buffy in the middle.
WILLOW

What made you change your mind?

BUFFY
Angel.
WILLOW
He’s going with you?
(to Xander)

She’s got a date with Angel. Isn’t that

exciting?
XANDER
I’m elated.
BUFFY

I’m not going with Angel. I’m going
with… ye gods, Cordelia.
WILLOW
(a little jealous)

Cordelia? Did I sound a little jealous
just then? Cause I’m not really… Cordelia?

XANDER

Cordelia’s much better for you than Angel.

WILLOW
What happened with Angel?

BUFFY

Nothing. As usual. A whole lot of
nothing with Angel.
XANDER
(hot diggity)
Bummer.
WILLOW

I don’t understand. He likes you.
More than likes.
BUFFY

The guy hardly ever says two words to me…

XANDER
Don’t you hate that.

BUFFY

… and he treats me like a child.

XANDER
That bastard!
BUFFY

At least Tom can carry on a conversation.

XANDER
Yeah, Tom – who’s Tom?
WILLOW
The frat guy.
XANDER

Oh, I don’t think so, Buffy, frying pan
and the fire, know what I’m saying?

They wheel into:
INT. LIBRARY – DAY
Giles, his back to the doors, short sword in hand, deals with an unseen opponent.

GILES

What if a vampire came up behind you

and did that!

Giles swings the sword to the left while ducking and jumping to the right.
TRACK WITH Buffy, Xander and Willow as they move into the room and see there is no opponent,
Giles is refining the move he tried on Buffy yesterday.
GILES (cont’d)
Or this!

Giles twists, cuts high, then low –

GILES (cont’d)
Hah!

— and then sees the three of them, quickly straightens up with as much dignity as he can muster.

GILES (cont’d)
Oh, didn’t see you three…
(under his breath)
…sneaking up like that.

He puts the sword down, turns to Buffy.

GILES (cont’d)
All went well last night?
Buffy nods, pulling out the piece of the bracelet she found.
BUFFY
I found this.

INSERT BRACELET – as she holds it out.
Willow looks at it as Giles takes it.

GILES
(read letters on it)
“E” “n”, “t”…
WILLOW

I’ve seen something like that somewhere…

BUFFY

It’s broken in two, I don’t know what the
other letters might have spelled… and
there’s blood on it.
GILES
I don’t see –
BUFFY

Angel showed up. Said he could smell it.

XANDER
The blood.
(Buffy nods)

There’s a guy you want to party with.

GILES
Blood…
WILLOW

Yeah, in Sunnydale, what a surprise.

XANDER
(re: Buffy)

She should probably make the rounds
again tonight while we try and figure out
who that bracelet belongs to.

GILES
(nods)

Good idea. She’ll patrol, we’ll reconvene

after school –
BUFFY

Hello, “she’s” standing right here. And
she’s not available tonight.

GILES
Why not?
XANDER

Buff, this is a little more important than –

BUFFY
(shut up, Xander)

–I’ve got a mountain of homework, my
mom’s sick and she needs me to take
care of her, and I’m starting to feel a
little woozy myself.
Buffy touches her forehead. Willow and Xander exchange a look.

GILES
Oh, if you’re not feeling…
BUFFY

I’ll make a quick pass early this evening,
and another one later on, but for the bulk

of the evening…
GILES

You need to be home with your mother.

Buffy nods.

CUT TO:

INT. HALL OUTSIDE LIBRARY – DAY

As Xander, Buffy and Willow exit. They walk in silence for a beat.

BUFFY
Well, say it.
XANDER

I’m not going to say it ‘cause –

WILLOW
You lied to Giles.
XANDER
(re: Willow)
— she will.
BUFFY

I wasn’t lying. I was protecting him.
From information he wouldn’t be able
to… digest properly.
XANDER
Like a corn dog.
WILLOW

Like you don’t have a sick mother but
you’d rather go to a Fraternity party where
there’ll be drinking and older boys and

probably an orgy?
XANDER

Enh! Rewind, when did they start having orgies
and how come I’m not on the mailing list?

BUFFY
There’s no orgy.
WILLOW

I’ve heard some really wild things go on at

the Delta Zeta parties.
BUFFY

Look, six days a week I’m busy saving the
world. Once in a great while I want to have
some fun. And that’s what I’m going to have

tonight… fun.

CUT TO:

INT. SCHOOL LOUNGE – DAY – CORDELIA
Lectures Buffy.

CORDELIA

This isn’t about fun tonight. It’s about duty:
your duty to help me achieve permanent
prosperity. Okay, do’s and don’ts. Don’t
wear black, silk, chiffon, or spandex – these
are my trademarks – don’t do that weird

thing to your hair.
BUFFY
What weird…?
CORDELIA

Don’t interrupt. Do be interested if someone
should speak to you – may or may not happen –
do be polite, do laugh at appropriate intervals –
ha ha ha ha – and do lie to your mother about

where we’re going: it’s a fraternity, there’ll be

drinking.
Willow and Xander, carrying food trays, pass by.
XANDER

So Cor, are you printing up business cards
with your pager number and hours of
operation or just going with the halter

top tonight?
CORDELIA

Ahh, are we a little envious? Don’t be, you
could join a fraternity of rich, powerful
men… in the Bizarro world.

BUFFY
You guys want to…
(gestures: join us?)
XANDER
Nah, I gotta digest and all.

Xander and Willow move off. Cordelia studies Buffy, tapping her fingers, thinking hard.

CORDELIA

Make-up, make-up… well, just give it your
all and keep to the shadows. We are going to

have a blast!

ANGLE – WILLOW AND XANDER
As they sit some distance away.

WILLOW

I can’t believe she lied to Giles. My world

is all askew.
XANDER

Buffy lying? Buffy going to frat parties?
That’s not askew, that’s cockeyed!

WILLOW
Askew means cockeyed.
XANDER
Oh.
WILLOW

Well, there’s nothing we can do about it.

We’ll help Giles –
XANDER
I’m going to the party.
WILLOW
What?
XANDER

I want to keep an eye on Buffy, those
frat guys creep me.
WILLOW
You want to protect her.
(he nods)

And you want to prove you’re as good
as those rich, snotty guys.
(he nods)
And maybe catch an orgy.

XANDER
If it’s on early.

CUT TO:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
Lots of cars, young folks arriving, MUSIC blasting. Those little white lights strung in trees and along
the roof line.
A CAR ROARS UP to CAMERA. We read the personalized license plate: QUEEN C.
Cordelia squeezes her car into a parking place (smashing the car behind and in front if we can
afford). Cordelia and Buffy get out. Oh yeah, they look fantastic.
CORDELIA

Why do they park so darn close to you?

(to Buffy)
You up for this?
BUFFY

I don’t know… maybe it isn’t such a good

idea—
CORDELIA
Me too, let’s do it!

Cordelia charges ahead. Buffy reluctantly follows.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
This ain’t Animal House. This is a well furnished, wealthy home. But still being partied in by a gaggle
of rich young snobs. The men wear coats and ties. The women are sexy but not cheap. WAITERS
(actually pathetic guys, some in their underwear, some with fruit hats, all with a big sign PLEDGE
hung around their necks) serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
CORDELIA AND BUFFY
In a far corner of the room. Standing alone, perhaps a little awkwardly.

CORDELIA

You know what’s so cool about college?
The diversity. You’ve got rich people
and you’ve got… all the other people. Richard!

Richard approaches, hands them each a drink.
RICHARD
Welcome, ladies.
CORDELIA
Thank you.

Richard toasts, drinks. Cordelia follows suit.

BUFFY
(re: drink)
Is there alcohol in this?
RICHARD
Just a smidge.
CORDELIA

C’mon Buffy, it’s just a smidge.

BUFFY
I’ll just…
(setting drink down)

RICHARD

I understand. When I was your age I
wasn’t into grown-up things, either.

Buffy gives him a look. He turns to Cordelia.

RICHARD (cont’d)

Have you seen our multi-media room?

CORDELIA

The one with the cherry walnut paneling
and the two forty-eight inch televisions on
satellite feed? No, why don’t you show me?

As they head off:

RICHARD
(re: Buffy)
What about — ?
CORDELIA
She’s happiest by herself.

BUFFY
Watches them go. Looks around for a friendly face. Doesn’t find one.
EXT. FRAT HOUSE – FRONT PORCH – NIGHT
Xander is dressed in preppy gear, trying to look nonchalant. At the front door a big LINEBACKER
checks names on a list as partiers enter. The linebacker turns his back, Xander coolly slides in.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
A huge TACKLE downs a HUGE GLASS STEIN O’ BEER. Xander moves past him. The Tackle’s huge
hand comes down on Xander’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

TACKLE
Who…
(burp)
the heck…
(burp)
…are you.

The Linebacker has joined the Tackle now, list in hand. Xander glances at list, trying to read it upside
down.

XANDER

Stewart L. Huntington, Junior. The third.
My people have been Delta since… a
time that was in the past. Hunting –

(glances at list)
Hunsinger.

Linebacker nods at Tackle who reluctantly lets Xander go. The Tackle watches Xander’s departing
back, suspicious.
BUFFY
Still standing off by herself, unaware of Xander’s entrance. Buffy looks at that drink. Picks it up. Puts
it back. Clasps her hands awkwardly together. Looks around for a friendly face. Sees:
A COOL GUY across the way. He toasts her with his glass. Buffy picks her glass up, toasts back, not
wanting to appear unsophisticated, takes a polite sip – it’s strong. Then she sees the BIG TACKLE,
hammered, heading her way.

TACKLE

New girl. Dance. Ahhhyeeahh.

Buffy looks left and right for an avenue of escape as the Tackle lumbers in for a landing. Just as he’s
upon her, Tom steps between them, takes Buffy’s hand –
TOM
Could I have this dance?

— and pulls her to the dance floor. Perhaps we hear a crash of plates O.S.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
BUFFY AND TOM
Dance to a cool slow song.

BUFFY
(re: tackle)
Thanks for…
TOM

We’re not all a bunch of drunken louts.
Some of us are sober louts.
(Buffy smiles)

I’m really glad you decided to come.
(nothing from Buffy)
And you’re not.
BUFFY

No. It’s just… I shouldn’t be here.

TOM

Because you’re seeing someone.

BUFFY
No.
TOM

You’re not seeing someone.

BUFFY
Someone’s not seeing me.

TOM

So why shouldn’t you be here?

BUFFY

I have obligations, people I’m responsible
to… or for… or with, it’s complex.

TOM

You’re big on responsibility. I like that.
But there’s such a thing as too mature.
You should relax and enjoy yourself
once in a while. You think I’m too mature.

TOM

I talk too much. Have you picked up on that
yet? Anyway, the Hulk is gone so you
don’t have to dance with me any –

He starts to step back – she doesn’t let him go.
BUFFY
He might come back.
He smiles. And she puts her head on his shoulder. And they dance for a couple of beats.
ANGLE: XANDER CHATS WITH TWO CO-EDS
He swipes the air with a couple of crab claws.

XANDER

Godzilla is attacking downtown Tokyo!

Argh! Argh!

The co-eds laugh.
ANOTHER ANGLE – THE TACKLE AND RICHARD
Watch him.

TACKLE

You went to Cold Springs with Donny
Hunsinger. Is that his kid brother Stewy?

RICHARD

Stewy’s blond and six four. We got us

a crasher.

Richard smiles unpleasantly. Moves off towards Xander. The Tackle waves the Linebacker over and
they follow.
XANDER AND CO-EDS

XANDER

So have either of you seen a pair of girls
Here? One is about so high –
Richard, the Tackle and the Linebacker suddenly surround him.
XANDER (cont’d)
Hey guys.
The Tackle grabs one shoulder, the Linebacker the other.
RICHARD
New Pledge!
TACKLE
New Pledge!

And they drag him away from the co-eds, other Delta Zetas gathering around, chanting “new
pledge!”, blotting poor Xander out of sight.
EXT. FRAT HOUSE – BACK PATIO – NIGHT
Buffy wanders out to get some air. We see the party through the large windows or French doors
behind her. She looks off into the woods beyond the back fence. Something CRUNCHES beneath her
feet. She bends down.
INSERT – BUFFY’S HAND
Picks up some broken glass.
BACK TO SCENE
Buffy straightens up and looks up at the second story. We see the broken and partially patched
window the girl burst out of in the teaser.
Buffy looks off to the woods where she found the bracelet: is there some connection here?
She turns back towards the house, startled to find:
TOM
You okay?
BUFFY

Yeah. I was just… thinking.

From inside we hear the party and the music crank up. Richard hurries out, tipsy, thrusts a drink in
each of their hands. Clinks their glasses with his own.

RICHARD

To my Argentinean junk bonds which just
matured in double digits!

He holds up his glass and drinks merrily. Tom looks at Buffy, embarrassed by Richard.

TOM
To… maturity.

Tom clinks her glass.

BUFFY
(re: drink)
Ahhh, what the hell.
She downs the whole drink. Tom’s a little surprised.
BUFFY (cont’d)
I’m tired of being mature.

Tom smiles.

CUT TO:

CLOSE on the bracelet fragment, the letters “N”, “T”.
Willow is typing a list of possibilities on the computer. Giles stands behind her, helping.

WILLOW
Bent.
GILES
Sent.
WILLOW
Rent.
GILES
Lent.
WILLOW
Kent – Kent, that’s it!
GILES

Her boyfriend’s name is Kent.

WILLOW
(typing)

No. Kent Preparatory School. Just outside
town. That’s where I’ve seen those bracelets.

GILES
What are you doing?
WILLOW

Pulling up their school newsletter for the
last few months, to see if there’s anything about…

She stops speaking. Giles sees it on the computer.
GILES
A missing girl…

INSERT COMPUTER
KENT SCHOOL NEWS — a picture of a pretty girl, the girl from the teaser. Headline: CALLIE, OUR
HEARTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

We see two lines of people facing one another. Dancing down the middle of the gauntlet (all hope of
escape barred by the Tackle and the Linebacker) is:
XANDER
A hideous wig of long dark curls parked on his head; an (extremely) large bra strapped over his
shirt; a painful party smile plastered on his face.
XANDER
Okay, big fun… who’s next?
He tries to walk away. The big Tackle shoves him back.
TACKLE
Dance, stranger.

Xander dances.
BUFFY
comes out of a bathroom looking a little wobbly. She touches her head.
BUFFY-CAM
Her pov of the party. Distorted, a macabre Mardi Gras.
BUFFY
(looking around)
Tom?

BUFFY WEAVES HER WAY
To the stairs, moves up.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – TOP OF THE STAIRS – NIGHT
Buffy clears the top, getting woozier by the step, and stumbles down a dark hall.
BUFFY-CAM
Worse than before. She’s losing it.
INT. FRAT BEDROOM – NIGHT
Buffy stumbles in. A big bed. Looks so inviting.
BUFFY

Okay. Just need to stop spinning for a…

Buffy collapses on the bed. Out cold. A figure appears silhouetted in the doorway. Moves to her. Rolls
her over. It’s Richard. He admires her unconscious form for a beat then reaches for her blouse.
Undoes the top button. Reaches for the next button when
A HAND
Grabs his hand. Spins him around. It’s Tom.
TOM
Get away from her.
And Tom hits Richard, hard. Richard is flung back against the wall.

RICHARD
I wasn’t doing anything.
TOM

I saw what you were doing.
RICHARD

I just wanted to have a little fun.

TOM

She’s not here for your fun you pervert!

PUSH IN on Tom.

TOM (cont’d)

She’s here for the pleasure of the one

we serve.
RICHARD
(obediently)
In His Name.
TOM

And that goes for the other one, too.

We now see Cordelia, passed out in a dark corner of the floor. Off Tom’s eyes, the eyes of the zealot
and true believer.

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT TWO
Act Three

INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT
Willow types at the computer. Giles reads a print-out of the Kent School News.

GILES

Callie Megan Anderson… missing for
over a week. No one’s seen her, no one
knows what happened to her…

WILLOW

This being Sunnydale and all, I guess we
can rule out something good.

GILES
(nods, grabs phone)
I’m calling Buffy.
WILLOW
No!
GILES
Why not?
WILLOW

Because Buffy… and her mother…

GILES

Are sick. You’re right, we shouldn’t
disturb them until we know more.

WILLOW
(re: computer, alarmed)
You mean like if there are others…?

Giles follows Willow’s gaze to her computer.

WILLOW
(cont’d)

Brittany Oswald, Junior at St. Michael’s,
disappeared a year ago… so did Kelly
Percell, sophomore at Grant…

GILES
A year ago…

WILLOW
Almost to the day.
GILES
(piecing it together)
An anniversary… or some other event
that has significance for the killer.

WILLOW

Killer? Now there’s a killer? We don’t

know there’s a…
GILES

No. But this being Sunnydale and all…

WILLOW
Gulp.
GILES

We need to know where Buffy found that
bracelet – and begin a search from there.

WILLOW
Angel.

Giles reaches for the phone.

WILLOW (cont’d)
(as Giles dials)

He was there when Buffy found it – we’re
gonna need all the help we can get.

CUT TO:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – FRONT PORCH – NIGHT
We see the last few partiers stumble out, then Xander, still in wig and bra, is hurled out by the Tackle
and Linebacker.
They shut the door, Xander stops it with his hand.
XANDER
A friend of mine was here –
TACKLE

Party’s over, jerkwater. You know, in that
light, with the wig and all, you’re still

butt ugly.

The Tackle slams the door in his face. Xander stands there steaming, HEARING their laughter from
inside. He rips off wig and big bra, storms off the porch.
Xander, brushing himself off, in a foul mood, heads up the sidewalk away from frat house.

XANDER

One day I will have money and power.

And on that day…
(glances back at frat house)
…they’ll still have more.

He stops, something catches his eye. A car. With the license plate: QUEEN C.
Xander looks back towards the house, concerned.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT
Tom, stripped to the waist, kneels before the alter which surrounds the dark pit.

Several ROBED BRETHREN keep a respectful distance from Tom whose arms and chest sport a dozen
or more of the sword-carved diamond shapes. Tom is pretty much the high priest around here.
He finishes whatever silent prayer he was offering, picks up the long sword, holds it over the pit as a
form of blessing, then hands it to a brethren.
The brethren begins carving yet another diamond on Tom as we (discreetly) PAN AWAY to:
CORDELIA – COMING TO
Chained to a rock wall. Now dressed in the same ceremonial garb as the girl in the teaser. Her hair is
mussed and as she takes in her surroundings, her eyes fill with fear. She looks to
BUFFY
Chained next to her. Also in ceremonial dress. Buffy is already awake and alert, gazing around the
basement, taking everything in. From this angle she can only see Tom from the back (i.e. she doesn’t
know it’s Tom.)

CORDELIA
Buffy… where are we?
BUFFY

In the basement, far as I can tell.

CORDELIA

What’s happening? What did they…?

BUFFY
They drugged us.
CORDELIA

Why? What are they gonna do?

BUFFY
I don’t know…
CORDELIA
(really scared)
I want to go home.
CALLIE (O.S.)
No one’s going home.

They turn and see Callie as she leans out of the shadows: a once pretty girl who’s been chained in a
basement for a week.

CALLIE
Ever.
Callie stares at them with the look of the condemned.
CALLIE (cont’d)
One of them’s different from the
others, nicer…
BUFFY
Tom.
And Tom turns around on the alter. His eyes meet Buffy’s.
CALLIE

He’s the one to watch out for.

Callie leans back into the shadows. Tom gazes at Buffy for a long, creepy beat.

TOM
She’s last.

CORDELIA
Last for what? Who’s first?

Tom turns back to his priestly duties. He picks up three round stones, holds them over the pit in a
ritual blessing.

BUFFY
Three stones… three of us.
CORDELIA
Buffy…
BUFFY

Stay calm. We’ll get out of this.

CORDELIA

Why’d I ever let you talk me into

coming here!

CUT TO:

INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT – ANGEL
Moves INTO FRAME, the glass window of Giles’ office behind him.

ANGEL

She found the bracelet in Miner’s Woods.

REVERSE – WILLOW AND GILES
Willow leans forward, staring hard at something behind Angel.
GILES
Miner’s Woods, which is…?
(to Willow)
— what are you doing?
WILLOW

Oh. Sorry. The reflection thing, that you
don’t have. Angel, how do you shave?
— Miner’s Woods. That’s out by the college,

right behind…
(realizing)
… the Delta Zeta house.
GILES
A fraternity?

Willow nods, unable to speak.

ANGEL

Could they be taking these girls?

Willow nods again, petrified.

ANGEL (cont’d)
Let’s get out there.

Willow finally blurts out:

WILLOW
Buffy — !
GILES

We don’t know this is concrete, let’s
not disturb her until –
WILLOW

— is there. With Cordelia. They went to a
party at the Delta Zeta house!

GILES
She… lied to me?
WILLOW
Well…
ANGEL
Did she… have a date?
WILLOW
Well…
Losing it, she turns on them both in a sudden Willow-fury.
WILLOW (cont’d)
(to Angel)

Why do you think she went to that party?
Because you gave her the brush off…

(to Giles)

…and you never let her do anything except
work and patrol and – I know she’s the
Chosen One but you’re killing her with the
pressure, she’s sixteen going on forty –

(to Angel)

— and you, I mean you’re gonna live forever,
you don’t have time for a cup of coffee?
Willow takes a breath, no less surprised by her outburst than they are.

WILLOW (cont’d)

Okay. I don’t feel better now and we

gotta help Buffy.

Willow runs for the door. They follow.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT
Buffy, Cordelia and Callie watch as the brethren (including Richard) gather around the alter.

TOM
Machida…
The others murmur “Machida” (pronounced Ma-Kee-Da).
TOM (cont’d)

We who serve you, we who receive all that
you bestow, call upon you in this holy hour.

Again the others murmur “Machida”.

TOM (cont’d)

We have no wealth, no possession, except
that which you give us. We have no power,
no place in the world, except that which

you give us.
OTHERS

Except that which you give us.

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

CORDELIA

What are they, some kind of cult?

BUFFY
A psycho-cult.

CORDELIA
You gotta do something.

Buffy tests her chains (secured to metal eyes sunk in the wall). They hold her fast.
TOM AND THE BRETHREN

TOM

It has been a year since our last offerings…
a year in which our bounty overflowed…
We come before you with fresh offerings…
we hope you find them worthy.

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

CORDELIA

Offerings… he’s talking about us?

Callie peers out of the shadows.

CALLIE

You see anyone else chained up in here?

TOM AND THE BRETHREN

TOM

Accept our offering, dark lord, bless us
with your power, Machida!!
OTHERS
Machida!

Tom drops the stones into the pit. A long silent beat, followed by the sound of the stones PLOPPING
into water far, far below.
BUFFY AND CORDELIA

CORDELIA
What… what’s down there?

TOM AND BRETHREN

TOM

Come forth, let your terrible countenance
look upon your servants and their humble
offerings! We call you, Machida!

OTHERS
In his name! Machida!

A substantial RUMBLING is heard far below, gathering power and speed. It fills the chamber, growing
ever nearer.
BUFFY AND CORDELIA
Cordelia is terrified.

CORDELIA
There’s something down there.
(Buffy nods)

And they’re gonna throw us down there

with it!
BUFFY
I don’t think so.
CORDELIA
(grasping at straws)
No? Well that’s good, that’s…

BUFFY

I don’t think we go to it, I think
it comes to us…

AT THE ALTER
The rumbling grows louder and more fierce. The brethren are all glass-eyed, murmuring “Machida”
feverishly. And suddenly, with a great explosion, the HORRIBLE THING bursts out of the big black pit.
MACHIDA is half man, half snake. He has a muscular body (from the waist up) and the enlarged and
frightening head of a man with the fangs and horrible eyes of a snake. His skin has the diamond
pattern of a snake – thus the diamond carvings on his “people”. From the waist down he is all snake
– and a big ‘un, too, his snake body trails behind him into the depths of the pit: God knows how long
this guy is.
Machida towards over the brethren and stretches his glistening body so he can look down on Buffy,
Cordelia and Callie.
Off Buffy, looking up at the hideous Delta Zeta deity, and Cordelia screaming for all she’s worth.

END OF ACT THREE
Act Four

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT
As before. Machida hovers over the girls.

TOM

For he shall rise from the depths and we
shall tremble before him. He who is the
source of all we inherit and all we
possess. MACHIDA!
OTHERS
Machida!
TOM

And if he is pleased with our offerings,
then our fortunes shall increase.

OTHERS

Machida, let our fortunes increase.

TOM

And on the tenth day of the tenth month he
shall be en-hungered and we shall feed him.

Richard and a brethren start to unlock Cordelia’s chains.
CORDELIA
Feed him. FEED HIM?!

Buffy pulls like hell at her own chains. They hold fast. Richard and brethren drag Cordelia,
whimpering now, before Machida. Cordelia looks like she’s about to lose her mind. Buffy struggles
with her chains.
Machida rises up, ready to dive for Cordelia.

BUFFY
Hey, Reptile Boy!

Machida turns his gaze to Buffy.

TOM

No woman speaks to him!
BUFFY

You don’t want her. She’s all skin and

bones. Half hour later you’ll be hungry
again. Why don’t you try me –

And Tom backhands her viciously, nearly knocking her out. Brandishes his sword.

TOM

Speak again and I’ll cut your throat.

CUT TO:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT
Angel, Willow and Giles exit the Giles-mobile and head for the darkened frat house.

WILLOW
Looks like everyone’s gone.

As they approach, a robed figure steps out of the shadows behind them. Angel senses the intruder,
slows his pace and suddenly leaps on him.
ANGEL
Hey!

XANDER
Hey!

It’s Xander, in one of the D.Z robes. He pulls the hood back. There’s a tear in the front of the robe.

XANDER
What are you doing here?
WILLOW

There’s a bunch of girls missing, the
Delta Zetas may be involved and
Buffy – are you wearing make-up?

XANDER
(rubs at his face)
No. I think Buffy’s still inside
somewhere with Cordelia.
(points to car)
That’s her car.
GILES

Why are you wearing that…?
XANDER
I found it in their trash.
(re: house)

I saw them through the windows, wearing
robes, going down to the basement. I was
going to use it to sneak in.

GILES

They may be involved in some kind of ritual.

WILLOW
With the missing girls.
ANGEL
With Buffy.

Angel looks to the house, his anger mounting, and MORPHS into a vampire with a fierce growl.
Willow and the others take a step back.

XANDER

Okay, that is the guy you want to party with.

CUT TO:

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

The Tackle and the Linebacker keep a watch in the darkened rooms. They hear someone KNOCKING,
move to one of the doors in back, see a dark figure in a robe outside.

XANDER
(in robe)

Got locked out dumping the trash. Let
me in, I don’t want to miss the “you

know what…”

The Tackle peers hard at the robed figure, unlatches the door. The minute he does, Xander kicks
open the door and hits him as hard as he can in the face.
The Tackle staggers back. Angel, Giles, Willow rush in.
XANDER (cont’d)
(to Tackle)
Where are they?!

The Tackle charges Xander who sidesteps him and helps run his head into a banister. The Linebacker
charges Angel – sees Angel’s face – screams!
INT. FRAT BASEMENT – SAME TIME
Tom Stands behind Cordelia, beneath Machida.
TOM
Receive our offering!
They hear fighting and bodies crashing to the floor above.
Go!
Richard charges upstairs with several of the brethren.
Machida rises to his full height.
Cordelia cowers beneath him.
Machida dives.
DIVING POV – WE SWOOP DOWN TOWARDS CORDELIA
Who screams bloody murder.
Buffy uses all her strength and rips her chain and eye hooks right out of the wall.
Buffy whips the chain and hits Machida with it. He rears back, screaming.
Cordelia scampers back to relative safety as –
Buffy whips her chain into two attacking brethren, knocking them down.
Tom picks up the sword and charges Buffy who ducks and backs away as he attacks, nearly taking
her head off.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – UPSTAIRS – NIGHT
Angel throws a guy across the room. Xander is on the Tackle, piggy back, hitting him on the head
from behind.

XANDER

That’s for the wig, and that’s for the bra…

Willow and Giles weave their way through the carnage to the basement door. Willow manages to get
the door open as Giles is blind sided by a brethren. Giles holds him off and decks him.
Willow runs down a couple of steps into the basement, runs back up, yells to the gang:

WILLOW

Some guy’s attacking Buffy with a sword!

(beat, realizes: )
Also, there’s a really big snake.

XANDER

… that’s for the make-up and that’s for
the last sixteen and a half years!

Xander gives him one last good wallop and leaps off. The tackle falls forward, out of frame, we HEAR
him crash through the French doors. Xander stands there, pretty darn satisfied with himself for half a
beat until Richard hits him like a train from the side.
Angel drops Richard like a stone.

WILLOW

Guys, Buffy, snake, basement, now!

They all charge toward the basement door.
INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT
Buffy scrambles away from Tom and his attacking sword.
TOM

You… bitch. I’ll serve you to him in pieces!

He swings hard. Buffy ducks and counters with the chain, wraps it around the sword, rips it out of
Tom’s hands.

BUFFY
Tom…

And Buffy hits him with a right, then a left, then she spin-kicks him in the side of the head – he flies
back, trips on the alter, falls on his ass. Down and out.
BUFFY (cont’d)
You talk too much.

Angel, Xander, Willow and Giles tear downstairs as Machida gatheres Cordelia in his arms.

CORDELIA
Hellllppppp!!!

Buffy suddenly looms up with the sword.

BUFFY
Back off, wormy!

Machida ROARS at her. Buffy raises the sword and brings it down hard and fast on the middle of
Machida’s snake body, cutting him in half.
XANDER, GILES, WILLOW
And Angel react.
CORDELIA
Falls to the floor, safe.
THE PIT
As what’s left of the severed snake jiggles and lies still a couple of feet from the upper torso.
BUFFY
Helps Cordelia up. Willow and Xander un-chain a very freaked out Callie.

CORDELIA
You did it, you saved us.
Cordelia walks right past Buffy and hurls herself into Angel’s arms.

CORDELIA (cont’d)

I’ve never been so happy to see anyone

in my whole…
(fights the tears)

You guys, I just really… hate you guys, the
weirdest things always happen around you!

Tom comes to near the alter. And, unbeknownst to any of our heroes, the snake body begins slowly
moving. Until it joins up with the torso. A squooshy sound of flesh and protoplasm meeting and the
two halves re-join!

CORDELIA (cont’d)
(to Tom)

You’re going to jail for about fifteen
thousand years. Oh god, it’s over…

it’s really…
That’s when Machida, re-joined, suddenly pops up again.
Angel takes a threatening step forward next to Buffy and growls.
Machida towers over Tom:

MACHIDA

For a hundred years I have given your forebearers
wealth and power. And this is how you repay me.
From this day forth you are alone in the world.

Machida slides back down. Cordelia is afraid to breathe. With good reason. Machida pops back up,
grabs Tom.

MACHIDA (cont’d)
Lil’ somethin’ for the road.

Machida disappears into the pit with Tom. We hear Tom’s screams, a quick couple of chomps and
then silence.
Willow and Xander help Callie toward the stairs.
Buffy moves to Giles.

BUFFY

I told one lie, I had one drink…

GILES

And you nearly got devoured by a giant
demon-snake. I think the words “let that be
a lesson” are a tad redundant at this juncture.

BUFFY
Sorry, Giles.
GILES

I am, too. I drive you too hard, because I
know what you have to face… from now
on no more pushing, no more prodding…

Buffy smiles.

GILES (cont’d)

Just… an extraordinary amount of nudging.

Off them,

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. BRONZE – NIGHT

A high school freshman, a real young looking one, moves up to Cordelia, hands her a coffee and a
muffin. He looks up at her (being so much shorter and all) adoringly.

CORDELIA

Thank you, Leslie. Did we forget the

extra foam?
Leslie grabs the coffee and hurries out of frame. Cordelia turns to
BUFFY, WILLOW, XANDER
Sitting at a nearby table. Xander studies a newspaper.
CORDELIA

Young men. The only way to go.

CLOSE ON NEWSPAPER – We see a picture of the Delta Zeta house and the headline: FRATERNITY
ARRESTED.

XANDER

Says here they’ll all get consecutive life
sentences: investigators found bones of the
missing girls in a huge cavern beneath the
D.Z house… and other bones dating back

fifty years…
WILLOW

They didn’t find the snake? (Xander shakes his head)
Which means we probably will some

day. Oh goody.
XANDER
(reads)

“A surprising number of corporations whose
Chairmen and Founders are former Delta
Zetas are suffering falling profits, I.R.S raids
and suicides in the board room…“
(to Buffy and Willow)

Starve a snake, lose a fortune. Boy, the rich

really are different.
WILLOW
(to Buffy)
Have you heard from Angel?

She shakes her head.

WILLOW (cont’d)

When he got so mad about you being in
danger and changed into…
(makes a face)

…grrrr… it was the most amazing thing
I ever saw. I mean how many guys can –

XANDER

Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every
conversation always have to come
around to that freak?
Xander notices Angel standing right next to him. Doesn’t skip a beat.
XANDER (cont’d)
Hey man, how ya’ doin’?
ANGEL
Buffy.

Beat.

BUFFY
Angel.

Beat.

XANDER
Xander…
ANGEL

I hear this place serves coffee. Thought
maybe you and I should get some…
(nothing from Buffy)
…sometime.
(nothing from Buffy)
If you want.

Buffy considers him for a long moment, then:
BUFFY
Yeah.

Angel brightens.

BUFFY (cont’d)
Sometime. I’ll let you know.

And she gets up and goes. Xander, Willow, Angel stare at her departing back. Xander kind of respects
what she just did. So does Angel.
ANGLE – BUFFY – WALKING AWAY
Tracking backwards with her. Letting her grow into a tight close-up. So we can see how pleased she
is. Then she walks out of frame and we –

FADE OUT:

END OF ACT FOUR

Transcripts

Prologue

In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against
the vampires, the demons and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.
The Summers house at night. Cut to Xander in Buffy’s room. Weird Hindi
music and singing is coming from the TV.
Xander: Is she dying?
The camera pans past Willow over to Buffy. She and Xander are lying on
the bed. Willow is sitting on the floor letting them braid her hair.
Buffy: I think she’s singing.
Xander: To a telephone in Hindi. Now that’s entertainment!
The Hindi woman on TV dances around the room while singing into the
phone.
Xander: Why is she singing?
Willow: She’s sad because her lover gave her twelve gold coins, but
then the wizard cut open the bag of salt, and now the dancing minions
have nowhere to put their big maypole… fish thing. (takes a sip of her
drink)
Xander: Uh-huh. Why is she singing?
Buffy: Her lover? I thought that was her chiropractor.
Willow: Because of that thing he did with her feet? No, that was
personal.
Xander: Hmm. And we thought just because we didn’t have any money or
anyplace to go this would be a lackluster evening.
Willow: I know! We could go to the Bronze and sneak in our own tea bags
and ask for hot water. (smiles)

Xander: Hop off the outlaw train, Will, before you land us all in jail.
Buffy: I, for one, am giddy and up. There’s a kinda hush all over
Sunnydale. No demons or vampires to slay, I’m here with my friends…
(tilts her head at the TV) So, how does the water buffalo fit in again?
Xander shakes his head.
Cut to the lawn in front of the Delta Zeta Kappa fraternity house. The
camera pans along the grass and then up to the house.
Cut to the balcony. A girl crashes through the glass door. She rolls
over the balcony railing and doesn’t hesitate to drop to the ground
below. A fraternity brother in a dark hooded robe rushes out onto the
balcony after her. When he sees that she jumped he quickly goes back
inside.
Cut to the girl on the ground now. She gets up, apparently not hurt in
the fall, and begins to run as fast as she can. Five brothers, all
wearing robes, come streaming out of the house after her. She runs into
the trees, looks around for which way to go and makes tracks for the
wall to the north. Just as she reaches it she trips and falls, but
quickly gets up, climbs a low tree branch and jumps over to the wall.
She shimmies over the top and drops down the other side into the
cemetery. The fraternity brothers follow her over the wall one by one.
She runs through the cemetery for all she’s worth as the boys give
chase. One of the brothers is waiting ahead of her, and she runs into
him and screams.
Richard: Callie! Callie, where’re you going? The party’s just getting
started.
She sobs uncontrollably as he shoves her over to the others, and they
take her away. He has a look around to make sure no one saw, pulls his
hood over his head and follows them back to the house.
Opening credits roll. Buffy’s theme plays.
~~ Part 1 ~~
Sunnydale High School. Cut to the hall. Cordelia is demonstrating her
fake laugh to another girl.
Cordelia: (fake laughter) See? Dr. Debi says when a man is speaking you
make serious eye contact, and you really, really listen, and you laugh
at everything he says. (laughs again)
Cut to the stairs. Willow and Buffy come down and head down the hall.
Willow: You dreamed about Angel again?
Buffy: Third night in a row.
Willow: What did he do in the dream?
Buffy: Stuff.
Willow: (smiles wide) Oh! Stuff! (Buffy smiles) Was it one of those
vivid dreams where you could feel his lips and smell his hair?
Buffy: It had surroundsound. I’m just thinking about him so much
lately.
Willow: You two are so right for each other. Except for the, uh…
Buffy: Vampire thing.
Willow: That doesn’t make him a bad person. Necessarily.

Buffy: I’m brainsick. I can’t have a relationship with him.
Willow: Not during the day, but you could ask him for coffee some
night. It’s the non-relationship drink of choice.
Xander comes out of a classroom, sees them and hurries to catch up.
Willow: It’s not a date, it’s a caffeinated beverage. Okay, sure, it’s
hot and bitter like a relationship that way, but…
Xander: What’s like a relationship?
Buffy: Nothing I have. Coffee?
Xander: Huh?
He stops by Cordelia as Willow and Buffy get a drink at the fountain.
Cordelia: (to the girl) There’s really no comparison between college
men and high school boys. (looks up at Xander) I mean, look at that.
Xander: So, Cor, you’re datin’ college guys now.
Cordelia: Well, not that it’s any of your business, but I happen to be
dating a Delta Zeta Kappa.
Xander: Oh! An extra-terrestrial. So that’s how you get a date after
you exhausted all the human guys.
Cordelia: You’ll go to college someday, Xander. I just know your pizza
delivery career will take you so many exciting places.
Xander has no comeback for that, and joins the girls at the drinking
fountain. Buffy and Willow have smiles on their faces from overhearing.
The bell rings.
Buffy: (remembering) Oh! I told Giles I’d meet him in the library ten
minutes ago! Aw, he won’t be upset. There hasn’t been much paranormal
activity lately.
She heads for the library.
Cut to the library. Giles paces while he lectures her.
Giles: Just because the paranormal is more normal and less… para of
late is no excuse for tardiness or letting your guard down.
Buffy: I haven’t let my guard down.
Giles: Oh, really? You yawned your way through weapons training last
week, you, you, you, you skipped hand-to-hand entirely… Are you gonna
be prepared if a demon springs up behind you and does this?
He swings his arm over her shoulder from behind, but she grabs it and
pulls it behind his back, forcing him to bend over and wince in pain.
She has a bored look on her face.
Giles: (in pain) Yeah, well, I’m, I’m not a demon. Which is why you
should let go now.
She lets him go.
Giles: (quietly) Thank you.
He straightens up and rubs his wrist.
Giles: When you live on top of a… a mystical convergence it’s only a
matter of time before a fresh hell breaks loose. Now is the time that
you should train more strictly, you should hunt and patrol more keenly,
you should hone your skills day and night.

Buffy: And the little slice of life that still belongs to me from, I
don’t know, seven to seven-oh-five in the morning, can I do what I want
then?
Giles: Buffy, you think I don’t know what it’s like to be sixteen?
Buffy: No. I think you don’t know what it’s like to be sixteen. And a
girl. And the Slayer.
Giles: Fair enough, no, no, I-I don’t.
Buffy: Or what it’s like to have to stake vampires while you’re having
fuzzy feelings towards one?
Giles: Uh…
Buffy: Digging on the undead doesn’t exactly do wonders for your social
life.
Giles: That’s exactly where, where being… different, uh, comes in
handy.
Buffy: Right! Who needs a social life when you’ve got your very own
Hellmouth?
Giles: Yes! Y-you, you, you have a duty, a-a-a purpose, y-y-you have a
commitment in life. Now how many people your age can say that?
Buffy: We talkin’ foreign or domestic? How ’bout none?
Giles: (he’s had enough) Well, here’s a hard fact of life: we all have
to do things we don’t like! And you have hand-to-hand this afternoon and
patrol tonight. So I, I suggest you come straight here at the end of, of
period six a-and you get your homework done. And don’t dawdle with your
friends. (Buffy pouts) And, and don’t think sitting there pouting is
gonna get to me, because it won’t.
She gives him her best pouty look.
Giles: (looks away) It’s not getting to me.
Cut to the front of the building after school. Buffy is sitting on the
railing of the stairs to the street. Xander and Willow are walking
toward her.
Xander: Boy, what a long day.
Willow: And you skipped three classes.
Xander: Yeah, and, of course, they flew by. (they reach Buffy) Buffy!
Willow: Aren’t you supposed to be doing your homework in the library?
Buffy: I’m dawdling (takes Xander’s arm) with my friends.
Cordelia comes walking by and bumps into Willow. She continues down the
stairs without so much as an acknowledgment.
Xander: Works for me.
A black BMW pulls up to the curb. The windows are all darkly tinted.
Buffy: (to Willow) You okay?
Willow: Jeez.
They all watch Cordelia. Cut to her reflection in the car window. She
pushes her sunglasses on top of her head as the driver’s window lowers.

Richard: Cordelia.
Cordelia: Hi, Richard. Nice car.
Tom in the passenger’s seat notices Buffy sitting on the railing and
points her out to Richard.
Richard: So, uh, we’re having a little get-together tomorrow night at
the house, and it’s gonna be a really special evening.
Cordelia does her fake laugh. Richard and Tom don’t get it.
Richard: Excuse me?
Cordelia: Oh! I would, I would love, love to go!
Richard: So, who’s your friend? (indicates Buffy)
Cordelia: (looks) Her? Oh, she’s not my friend.
Tom: She’s amazing!
Cordelia: She’s more like a sister, really! We’re that close.
Richard: Well, why don’t you introduce us?
Cordelia: (realizes she’s trapped herself) Okay. (goes to get Buffy)
Cut to Buffy, Xander and Willow.
Xander: Okay, so tonight, channel fifty-nine, Indian TV, sex, lies,
incomprehensible story lines. I’ll bring the betel nuts.
Cordelia: (reaches for Buffy’s hand) Come on. Richard and his
fraternity brother wanna meet you.
Buffy: Well, I don’t really wanna meet any fraternity boys.
Cordelia: (pulls her) And if there was a God, don’t you think he’d keep
it that way?
Willow and Xander watch as Cordelia drags Buffy away.
Xander: Uh, I-I believe we were dawdling here!
Cordelia brings Buffy up to Richard.
Richard: Hi, sweetheart. I’m Richard. And you are?
Buffy: So not interested. (tries to leave)
Cordelia: (grabs Buffy’s hand) Heh, she’s such a little comedienne.
Richard: What, she likes to play hard to get?
Tom: No, Richard. I think you’re playing easy to resist.
Buffy starts to leave again. Tom paces her.
Tom: Ah, feel free to ignore him. I do all the time. (she stops) I’m
Tom Warner. I’m a senior at Crestwood College, and I… and I just feel
like a complete dolt meeting you this way, so… (crosses his arms) here
I stand in all my doltishness.
Willow and Xander are within earshot of Tom and Buffy and overhear the
conversation.
Xander: Huh-huh-huh, right. Like she’s gonna fall for that.
Buffy: I’m Buffy Summers.

Tom: Oh, nice to meet you. Are you a senior here?
Buffy: Junior.
Tom: Oh, me, too. Except that I’m a senior and I’m in college. So we
have that in common, and… I major in history.
Buffy: Mm. History stumps me. I have a hard enough time remembering
what happened last week.
Tom: No, nothin’ happened last week, don’t worry, I was there.
Xander: She’s gonna walk away. (pauses) Now.
Tom: So, uh, my friend invited your friend to a party we’re having this
weekend.
Cordelia does her fake laugh loudly for Richard.
Tom: You know, actually he’s not even really my friend. I only joined
the fraternity because my father and grandpa were in it before me.
Y’know, it meant a lot to them.
Xander: Okay, boots, start a-walking.
Tom: Oh, I know, I talk too much anyway. They’re really dull parties
full of really dull people, so… would you like to come and save me
from a really dull fate?
Buffy: Oh, I wish I could, but I’m sort of involved.
Tom: Well, sure, of course you are. Well, thanks for letting me ramble.
Buffy: Y’know, people underestimate the value of a good ramble.
Giles spots her talking to Tom and calls out to her.
Giles: Buffy!
She turns to look and sees him pointing at his watch and walk off to the
library.
Buffy: Oh, I gotta go. (turns to go but stops and smiles) It was nice
to meet you.
Tom: Oh. Same here.
Buffy hops up the stairs. Xander hands her bag to her, and she runs off
to the library. Tom watches her go.
Xander: I hate these guys. Whatever they want just falls into their
laps. Don’t you hate these guys?
Willow: Yeah, with their charmed lives and their movie star good looks
and more money than you can count? I’m hating.
Cut to the library. Giles comes out of the cage holding a sword in one
hand and a stick in the other.
Giles: I’m going to attack you. A word of warning: for your own good, I
won’t be pulling any punches. (adopts a fighting stance)
Buffy: Please don’t.
She kicks the sword out of his left hand. He looks at her a bit
dismayed, but quickly swings the stick at her. She sidesteps him, and
the end of the stick hits the floor. She pins his arm down and stomps on
the stick, breaking it. He tries to lunge at her, but she sidesteps
again, and he runs into the table and slides across the top.

Giles: Good. So, um, you’re on patrol and, uh, I’ll see you in the
morning.
Cut to the cemetery at night. Buffy strolls through, keeping a careful
watch. She spots a bracelet on the ground and bends down to pick it up.
Angel suddenly appears behind her.
Angel: There’s blood on it.
Buffy: (gets up startled and faces him) Hi. It’s nice to… Blood?
Angel: I can smell it.
Buffy: Oh. (looks at the bracelet) It’s pretty thin. It probably
belonged to a girl.
Angel: Probably.
Buffy: (exhales) I-I was… just thinking, wouldn’t it be funny some
time to see each other when it wasn’t a blood thing. (smiles briefly)
Not funny ha, ha.
Angel: What are you sayin’, you wanna have a date?
Buffy: No.
Angel: You don’t wanna have a date?
Buffy: Who said ‘date’? I-I-I never said ‘date’.
Angel: Right. You just wanna have coffee or somethin’.
Buffy: (hopefully) Coffee?
Angel: I knew this was gonna happen.
Buffy: What? What do you think is happening?
Angel: You’re sixteen years old. I’m two hundred and forty-one.
Buffy: I’ve done the math.
Angel: You don’t know what you’re doing, you don’t know what you
want…
Buffy: Oh. No, I, I think I do. I want out of this conversation.
(starts to walk past him)
Angel: (bumps into her) Listen, if we date you and I both know one
thing’s gonna lead to another.
Buffy: One thing already has led to another. You think it’s a little
late to be reading me a warning label?
Angel: I’m just tryin’ to protect you. This could get outta control.
Buffy: Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?
He grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her closer. She draws a startled
breath.
Angel: This isn’t some fairy tale. When I kiss you, you don’t wake up
from a deep sleep and live happily ever after.
Buffy: No. When you kiss me I wanna die.
She pulls herself free and runs off.
Cut to school the next morning. Cut to a classroom. Class is over and

the students are leaving. Buffy slowly gets up from her desk and gathers
her things. Cordelia comes into the room.
Cordelia: Buffy! Did you lose weight? And your hair… Alright, I
respect you too much to be dishonest. The hair’s a little… (smiles
widely) Well, that really isn’t the point here, is it? The Zeta Kappas
have to have a certain balance at their party, and Richard explained it
all to me, but I was so busy really listening that I didn’t hear much.
Anyway, the deal is they need you to go. And if you don’t go, I can’t.
And I’m talking about Richard Anderson, okay? As in Anderson Farms,
Anderson Aeronautics (becomes emotional) and Anderson Cosmetics. (sobs)
Well, you see why I have to go. Buffy, these men are rich. And I am
not being shallow. Think of all the poor people I could help with all
my money!
Buffy: (off in her own world) I’ll go.
Cordelia: (surprised) You’ll go? (huge smile) Great! I’ll drive. Oh,
Buffy, it’s like we’re sisters! With really different hair.
She turns to leave and can’t believe she just said what she did. Buffy
can’t believe it either.
Cut to the fraternity house basement. A pledge is taking the oath of
brotherhood.
Richard: I pledge my life and my death…
Pledge: I pledge my life and my death…
Richard: To the Delta Zeta Kappas, and to Machida whom we serve…
Pledge: To the Delta Zeta Kappas, and to Machida whom we serve…
Richard: On my oath before my assembled brethren…
He starts to carve a symbol into the pledge’s chest with the tip of a
sword.
Pledge: (ignores the pain) On my oath before my assembled brethren…
Richard: I promise to keep our secret from this day until my death.
Pledge: I promise to keep our secret from this day until my death.
Richard is finished carving and lowers the sword.
Richard: In blood I was baptized. In blood I shall reign. In his name.
Pledge: In blood I was baptized, and in blood I shall reign. In his
name.
Richard: You are now one of us.
Pledge: In his name!
Brothers: In his name.
Richard puts the sword aside and shakes the pledge’s hand.
Richard: Brewski time!
A brother tosses him a beer. As he opens it he walks over to Callie, who
is shackled to the wall.
Richard: So what’s a girl like you doing in a place like this?
Callie: (begs) Let me go.
Richard: Let you go? Okay, let me think. Um, no! (laughs) God, I love

high school girls. Mm!
He walks off to join the party. Callie lowers her head and weeps.
~~ Part 2 ~~
The lounge. Willow gathers her things to go to class.
Willow: You’re going to the fraternity party? What made you change your
mind?
Buffy: Angel.
Willow: He’s going with you? (to Xander) She’s got a date with Angel!
Isn’t that exciting?
Xander: I’m elated. (gets up from the couch)
Buffy: I-I’m not going with Angel. I’m going with — ye gods —
Cordelia. (starts out of the lounge)
Willow: Cordelia?! (to Xander) Did I sound a little jealous just then,
’cause I’m not really… (runs after Buffy) Cordelia?!
Xander: Cordelia’s much better for you than Angel. (hurries after them)
Willow: (catches up) What happened with Angel?
Buffy: Nothing, as usual. A whole lotta nothing with Angel.
Xander: Bummer.
They head down the hall.
Willow: I don’t understand. I mean, he likes you. More than likes.
Buffy: Angel barely says two words to me.
Xander: Don’t you hate that?
Buffy: And when he does, he treats me like I’m a child.
Xander: That bastard!
Buffy: You know, at least Tom can carry on a conversation.
Xander: Yeah! Tom? Who’s Tom?
Willow: The frat guy.
Xander: Oh, Buffy, I don’t think so. Frying pan, fire? You know what
I’m sayin’.
Cut to the library. Giles comes out of his office carrying a sword
behind his back and looks around. Seeing there’s no one there he starts
practicing a few thrusts to his front and back. He spins around and
thrusts again.
Giles: Will you be ready if a vampire’s behind you?
He thrusts the sword behind him, pretending he just jabbed one. He
raises the sword above his head to stab his pretend fallen victim.
Buffy, Willow and Xander come in through the door and see him. He hears
the door and looks back. When he sees it’s them he tries to make like
nothing’s going on.
Giles: I didn’t see you three… creeping about.
He tosses the sword through the open cage door and kicks the door shut.

Giles: Um, how did it go last night?
Buffy: Found this. (gives him the bracelet)
Giles: (reads the inscription) E-N-T.
Willow: I’ve seen something like that before.
Buffy: It’s broken in two. I don’t know what the rest of the letters
might have spelled. And there’s blood on it.
Giles: Uh, I didn’t see any.
Buffy: Angel showed up. He could smell it.
Xander: The blood? There’s a guy you wanna party with.
Giles: Blood.
Willow: In Sunnydale. What a surprise.
Xander: Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do: she should probably make the
rounds again tonight, and we should try to figure out who that bracelet
belongs to.
Giles: Yes, good idea, yes. She’ll patrol, and, and we’ll reconvene…
Buffy: (interrupting) Uh, hello? She’s standing right here? And she’s
not available.
Giles: Why not?
Xander: Buffy, this is a little more important than…
Buffy: I’ve got a mountain of homework to do, and, um… my mom’s not
really feeling well, and she could probably use my help, and, um, to be
truthful I’m not really feeling all that well myself.
Willow can’t believe what she’s hearing and stares at Buffy.
Giles: Oh, w-w-well, um, sorry, of course. If-if-if you’re not well.
Buffy: Oh, I’ll take an early pass this evening, and, um, one later on,
but for the bulk of the evening…
Giles: Oh, you should stay home with your mother.
Cut to the halls. The three of them come out of the library. Xander
gives Buffy a stern look.
Buffy: Well, say it.
Xander: I’m not gonna say it.
Willow: You lied to Giles.
Xander: ‘Cause she will.
Buffy: Look, I wasn’t lying. I was just… protecting him from
information that he wouldn’t be able to… digest properly.
Xander: Like a corn dog.
Willow: Like you don’t have a sick mother, but you’d rather go to a
frat party where there’s gonna be drinking and older guys and probably
an orgy.
Xander: Whoa! Whoa-ho-ho, rewind. Since when do they have orgies, and
why aren’t I on the mailing list?

Buffy: There’s no orgies!
Willow: I heard a lot of wild things go on at frat parties.
Buffy: Okay, you know what? Look, seven days a week I am busy saving
the world. Once in a great while I wanna have some fun. And that’s what
I’m gonna have tonight. Fun!
Cut to later in the lounge. Buffy and Cordelia are sitting at a table.
Cordelia: This isn’t about fun. This is about duty, your duty, to help
me achieve permanent prosperity. Okay? Do’s and dont’s: don’t wear
black, silk, chiffon or spandex. These are my trademarks. And don’t do
that weird thing with your hair.
Buffy: What weird thing with my…
Cordelia: Don’t interrupt. Do be interested if someone should speak to
you. It may or may not happen, but do be polite. And laugh at the
appropriate intervals. (demonstrates) Do lie to your mom about where
we’re going. It’s a fraternity, and there will be drinking.
Xander and Willow come over to the table. Xander is munching on a power
bar. Willow has a Coke.
Xander: So, Cor, you printing up business cards with your pager number
and hours of operation, or just going with a halter top tonight?
Cordelia: Oh, are we feeling a little envious? You could belong to a
fraternity of rich and powerful men. In the Bizarro world.
Xander has no comeback again.
Buffy: Do you guys wanna join us?
Xander: Nah, I gotta… digest and all.
He and Willow go up to the couches and sit down.
Cordelia: Makeup, makeup… Well, give it your all, and keep to the
shadows. We’re gonna have a blast! (smiles)
Buffy lets her head fall to the table. Cut to Xander and Willow on the
couch.
Willow: I can’t believe she lied to Giles. My world is all askew.
Xander: Buffy’s lying, Buffy’s going to frat parties… That’s not
askew, that’s cockeyed.
Willow: Askew means cockeyed.
Xander: Oh.
He grabs her Coke and takes a swig. She grabs his bar and breaks off a
piece.
Willow: Well, there’s nothing we can do about it. We’ll help Giles.
Xander: I’m goin’ to the party.
Willow: What?
Xander: I gotta keep an eye on Buffy. Those frat guys creep me.
Willow: You wanna protect her?
Xander: Mm-hm.
Willow: And prove that you’re just as good as those rich, snotty guys?

Xander: Mm-hm.
Willow: Maybe catch an orgy?
Xander: If it’s on early.
Willow nods her head and pops the piece of power bar into her mouth.
Xander takes another swig of her Coke.
Cut to the street in front of the fraternity house that night. Cordelia
comes screeching in to park and smacks the car in front of her. Cut
inside the car.
Cordelia: Ohh! Why do they park so darn close to you? Are you ready for
this? (checks her hair)
Buffy: I dunno. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.
Cordelia: Me, too. Let’s go!
She gets out of the car and closes the door.
Cordelia: C’mon!
Cut inside the fraternity house. Two girls come in through the door and
walk through the room. A couple of fraternity brothers watch them walk
by.
Tackle: Beaucoup babes!
Linebacker: Ooo, yeah!
The camera slowly pans across the room to Buffy and Cordelia.
Cordelia: You know what’s so cool about college? The diversity. You’ve
got all the rich people, and all the other people. (spots Richard)
Richard!
Richard: Welcome, ladies. (hands them drinks)
Cordelia: Thank you.
Buffy: Oh, i-is there alcohol in this?
Richard: Just a smidge.
Cordelia: C’mon, Buffy, it’s just a smidge.
Buffy: I’ll just… (sets the drink down)
Richard: I understand. When I was your age I wasn’t into grownup things
either. Have you seen our multi-media room?
Cordelia: Oh, the one with the cherry walnut paneling and the two
forty-eight-inch televisions on satellite feed? No. Wanna show me?
(smiles)
Richard: What about…
Cordelia: Oh, her? She’s happiest by herself.
They go off and leave Buffy standing there by herself.
Cut to a side window. Xander pokes his head in, looks around and climbs
in. “Wolves”, by Shawn K. Clement and Sean W. Murray, plays on the
stereo.
Lyrics: Her name is Alexandra / She walks into the room

He loses his balance and falls through the window onto the floor.
Lyrics: All the eyes, eyes, are upon her
He hops back up and takes a drink from a tray that’s being passed around
by a half-naked pledge.
Xander: Cheers!
Lyrics: Well the girl / I think she’s got her hungry eyes on you
Xander walks into the room and has a look around.
Lyrics: Yeah, on you, you
He looks at a girl as she walks by. He continues through the room.
Lyrics: She says she runs with the wolves
He comes into the next room, but doesn’t notice Buffy behind him. She’s
looking the other way and doesn’t see him either. He looks at another
girl passing by, but is distracted by a tray of hors-d’oeuvres being
carried around by another pledge in drag. He reaches for the tray and
follows it away.
Lyrics: She thinks she runs with the wolves
Buffy turns around. She’s bored and lonely and fidgets with her hands.
She looks down at her drink and picks it up again.
Lyrics: Love is in the air
She stirs it idly for a moment, then realizes she really doesn’t want it
and puts it back down. She looks around the room at the people dancing.
A new song starts, “She”, by Louie Says.
Lyrics: Bend and I’ll break you
The dance crowd separates for a moment and a handsome Young Man on the
other side of the room looks at her. He raises his drink to her. Tackle
and Linebacker are standing behind him, watching.
Lyrics: Leave and I’ll take you back again
She notices him, picks up her drink again and raises it to him. She
takes a small sip as he raises his drink for a sip also. Tackle is
drunk. He notices Buffy and starts to stagger toward her.
Tackle: New girl!
He grabs the Young Man for balance and pulls him away before he even
gets his drink to his lips.
Young Man: Easy, man!
Tackle: Dance!
Lyrics: So bend and I’ll break you
Buffy looks up from putting her drink back down and stares at him in
wide-eyed surprise when she sees him coming for her.
Tackle: (laughs and staggers over to her) C’mon, sweetheart, ha, ha,
yeah!
Lyrics: Leave and I’ll take you back again
Tom appears in the nick of time and takes her arm.
Tom: Can I have this dance?

Tackle: C’mon!
Tom pulls her away to the dance area just as Tackle is about to crash
into her. He looks up surprised at her disappearance. He sees another
girl walk by and follows her instead.
Lyrics: If she bends, then she breaks
Buffy: Thanks.
Lyrics: She loves you, but then she takes it away
Tom: No. We’re not all a bunch of drunken louts. Some of us are sober
louts.
Lyrics: She bends and she bows
Tom: I’m really glad that you decided to come.
Lyrics: She’s cold, but she melts like snow
Buffy looks down.
Tom: And you’re not.
Buffy: No, it’s… I shouldn’t be here.
Lyrics: Bend and I’ll break you
Tom: Because you’re seeing someone.
Buffy: No.
Tom: You’re not seeing someone?
Lyrics: Sleep and I’ll wake you tonight
Buffy: Someone’s not seeing me.
Tom: So, why shouldn’t you be here?
Lyrics: Hey, don’t you want to understand / Understand that
Buffy: Because I have obligations. People that I’m responsible for, or
to, or… (Tom laughs and so does she) with, or… It’s complicated.
Lyrics: If she bends, then she breaks
Tom: You’re big on responsibility. I like that. But there’s such a
thing as being too mature.
Lyrics: She loves you, but then she takes it away
Tom: You should relax. Enjoy yourself once in a while.
Lyrics: She bends and she bows
Buffy: You think I’m too mature?
Tom: (chuckles) I talk too much. Have you picked up on that yet?
Lyrics: She’s cold, but she melts like snow
Tom: Anyway, the, uh, the Hulk is gone, so you don’t have to dance with
me.
Lyrics: She bends, she breaks
Buffy: He might come back.

Lyrics: She hates you, but then she makes a mistake
She continues dancing with Tom. Cut to Xander talking to two girls.
Another hors-d’oeuvre tray passes by, and he grabs another one.
Lyrics: Confused and a lot to take / And where to fall out and when
Xander: (playing with his hors-d’oeuvres) Godzilla’s attacking downtown
Tokyo! Argh! Argh!
Richard is watching Xander. Tackle and Linebacker join him.
Lyrics: Hey, yes
Tackle: Who’s this dork?
Lyrics: She won’t be good to you
Richard: Never seen him before in my life.
Lyrics: And I hate the way that I am
Linebacker: We got us a crasher!
The three of them come up to Xander.
Lyrics: I hate the way I am
Xander: (to the girls) So, have either of you seen a pair of girls
here? One’s about so high… (notices the guys) Hey, guys!
Tackle: New pledge.
Linebacker: New pledge!
Tackle: (grabs Xander and yells) New pledge!
Together: (dragging him off) New pledge! New pledge! New pledge! New
pledge! New pledge!
Cut outside to the patio. Buffy strolls out of the house alone. It’s
chilly, and she rubs her arms a bit and crosses them. She steps on a
piece of glass and looks down. There are several small pieces there and
she crouches to pick one up. She looks up above her and notices the door
to the balcony has been boarded up. Tom is outside now, too, and notices
her as she stands back up.
Tom: You okay?
Buffy: (drops the piece of glass and exhales) Yeah. I was… just
thinking.
Richard finds them there, too, and hands them both drinks.
Richard: To my Argentinean junk bonds that just matured into double
digits!
Tom: Uh, to maturity.
Buffy: What the hell. I’m tired of being mature.
She gulps the drink. The two boys raise their eyebrows and drink theirs
also.
Cut to the library. Willow and Giles are playing word games, trying to
figure out what the word on the bracelet might be. Willow types the
words as they think of them.
Willow: Bent.

Giles: Sent.
Willow: Rent.
Giles: Uh, Lent. Dent.
Willow: Went. Kent. Kent! That’s it!
Giles: Her boyfriend’s name was Kent?
Willow: No! Kent Preparatory School. Just outside of town. That’s where
I’ve seen these bracelets.
Giles: Wh-what are you doing?
Willow: Pulling up their school newsletter for the past few months. See
if there’s anything about…
Giles: A missing girl.
The most recent issue of the newsletter has a picture of Callie on the
front page. The title of the article reads ‘Callie Our Hearts & Prayers
Are With You’.
Cut to the fraternity house. Xander is being hazed. Linebacker grabs his
cheeks to pucker his lips and smears lipstick on them. Everyone is
laughing hysterically. “Bring Me On”, by Act of Faith, is playing on the
sound system.
Lyrics: Say what you say when you say what you’ve gotta say / Do you
fear what you hear are you gonna fear / Do you know what you know when
you gotta know / No, No, No
Tackle: C’mon, dance, pretty boy!
The camera pulls back from Xander’s face. They’ve put a skirt and a huge
bra on him. He does his usual lame dancing while the party guests cheer
him on.
Tackle: Keep it movin’! (laughs) C’mon! Shake it, don’t break it! Wrap
it up and I’ll take it!
Xander: (nervous) Okay, big fun guys. Uhhh, who’s next?
Tackle puts a blonde wig on his head.
Tackle: You are, doll face! Keep on dancin’! Ah, alright!
Cut to Buffy at the front door. She’s woozy from the drink and steadies
herself against the wall.
Tackle: Oh! Keep it up! Yes! C’mon! Keep it goin’! Ah, ha!
Buffy makes her way over to the stairs. She knocks down a drink, but
can’t react fast enough to catch it. She looks up at the commotion in
the next room.
Buffy: Tom?
Through hazy eyes and a wobbly head she sees Xander dancing with his
back to her. Slowly she starts to make her way up the stairs to find a
place to rest. In the other room Tackle and Linebacker continue to goad
Xander on. Cut upstairs to a bedroom. Buffy pushes open the door, comes
in and bumps into a sculpture.
Buffy: Ooo! Ooo, sorry…
She steadies herself and heads for the bed.

Buffy: Okay. (crawls onto the bed) Nice bed. Just need to stop spinning
for at least…
She lies down and falls asleep. Richard shows up at the door. He pushes
it open and peeks in. He comes in when he sees Buffy asleep on the bed.
He rolls her over onto her back and smiles as he brushes his hand along
her neck. He’s suddenly pulled away from her and shoved against the
wall.
Tom: Get away from her!
Richard: I wasn’t doing anything!
Tom: I saw what you were doing.
Richard: I was just having a little fun.
Tom: Well, she’s not here for your fun, you pervert. She’s here for the
pleasure of the one we serve.
Richard: (ashamed) In his name.
Tom: And that goes for the other one, too.
The camera pans from Tom down to Buffy on the bed and continues to
Cordelia on the floor.
~~ Part 3 ~~
The library. Giles picks up the printout of the Newsletter’s front page.
Giles: Callie Megan Anderson. Missing for over a week. No one’s seen
her, no one knows what happened to her.
Willow: This being Sunnydale and all I guess we can rule out something
good.
Giles: I’m calling Buffy.
Willow: No!
Giles: Why not?
Willow: (nervous) Because Buffy… a-a-and her mother…
Giles: Are sick. No, you’re quite right. No, there’s no point in
disturbing them until we know more.
Willow turns her attention back to the PC. Some more information comes
up.
Willow: You mean, like, if there’re others? Brittany Oswald, junior at
St. Michael’s, disappeared a year ago. So did Kelly Percell, sophomore
at Grant.
Giles: A year.
Willow: Almost to the day.
Giles: An anniversary or perhaps some other event significant to the
killer.
Willow: Killer? Now there’s a killer? We don’t know that there’s a…
Giles: No, but this being Sunnydale and all.
Willow: Gulp.
Giles: (exhales) We need to know where Buffy found that bracelet, and
then we can begin our search there. (reaches for the phone)

Willow: Good idea. Call Angel. (gets a confused look from Giles) Uh, he
was there when Buffy found it. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.
Giles agrees with her logic.
Cut to the fraternity house front door. The party is over. Tackle shoves
Xander out of the house. Linebacker throws him his clothes.
Linebacker: Party’s over, jerkwater.
Xander: Wait, a friend of mine was here.
Tackle: Y’know, in that light, with that wig on and all… you’re still
butt-ugly!
They laugh and close the door in Xander’s face. He drops his clothes,
pulls off the wig, and throws it down. He undoes the bra, takes it off
and throws it down, too.
Cut to the basement. Richard takes a sword and walks behind a kneeling
Tom. Tom has a series of symbols carved onto his chest. Richard begins
to carve another one on Tom’s back. The camera pans over to the three
girls shackled to the wall.
Cordelia: Buffy? Where are we?
Buffy: In the basement, far as I can tell.
Cordelia: What’s happening? What did they do to us?
Buffy: They drugged us.
Cordelia: Why? What are they gonna do to us?
Buffy: I don’t know.
Cordelia: (whines) I wanna go home.
Callie: No one’s going home. Ever. Look, one of them’s different than
the others. (looks at Tom) Nicer.
Buffy: (whispers) Tom.
Richard is finished carving Tom’s new symbol. He gets up and turns to
the girls. Two brothers help him on with his robe.
Callie: He’s the one to watch out for.
Buffy shakes her chain a bit and looks up where it’s anchored. Tom looks
at her.
Tom: She’s last.
Cordelia: Last? For what?
Tom walks over to the well and picks up a bag.
Cordelia: Who’s first?! Answer me! Who’s first?!
Tom lets three stones drop out of the bag and into his hand.
Buffy: Three stones. (looks at Cordelia and Callie) Three of us.
Cordelia: (beginning to panic) Buffy…
Buffy: Stay calm. We’ll get outta this.
Tom pours water over the stones.

Cordelia: Why’d I ever let you talk me into coming here?
Buffy can’t believe her ears. Tom is done with his stone-cleansing
ritual and faces the girls. He stares at Buffy.
Cut to the library.
Angel: She found the bracelet in the cemetery. Near the south wall.
Giles: South wall.
Willow stares at the window in fascination. Angel casts no reflection in
it.
Giles: (to Willow) What are you doing?
Willow: Oh! Sorry. The reflection thing that you don’t have. Angel, how
do you shave? (the men exchange a look) South wall. That’s near the
college and… the fraternity house!
Giles: A fraternity?
Willow nods nervously.
Angel: Could they be taking these girls? (Willow nods again) Let’s get
out there!
Giles and Angel start to go. Willow holds back.
Willow: Buffy!
Giles: Wwwe don’t know that it’s concrete. Uh, let’s not disturb her
until…
Willow: Is there! With Cordelia. They went to a party at the Zeta Kappa
house.
Giles: She lied to me?
Willow: (nervous) Well…
Angel: Did… she have a date?
Willow: Well… (Angel huffs) Well, why do you think she went to that
party? Because you gave her the brush-off! (to Giles) And you never let
her do anything except work and patrol! And I know she’s the Chosen One,
but you’re killing her with the pressure! I mean, she’s sixteen going on
forty! (to Angel) And you! I mean, you’re gonna live forever! You don’t
have time for a cup of coffee?!
Angel and Giles are speechless.
Willow: Okay, I don’t feel better now, and we’ve gotta help Buffy.
She hurries out of the library. Giles and Angel follow shortly behind.
Cut to the street in front of the fraternity house. Xander walks past a
few cars. He’s still wearing the skirt and carries his clothes in a
bundle.
Xander: One day I’ll have money. Prestige. Power. And on that day
they’ll still have more.
He walks past Cordelia’s car, and it looks familiar to him. He checks
the license plate and it reads ‘QUEEN C’. It’s Cordelia’s car, alright.
He looks back up at the house a moment, and then makes his way back to
it.
Cut to the basement. The ritual is continuing. Tom is standing on the
basement stairs holding the sword.

Tom: Machida. (starts down)
Brothers: In his name.
Tom: We who serve you, we who receive all that you bestow, call upon
you in this holy hour.
Brothers: In this holy hour.
He turns to walk toward Richard, holding the sword horizontally in both
hands.
Tom: We have no wealth, no possession… except that which you give us.
Brothers: Except that which you give us.
He places the sword on Richard’s arms.
Tom: We have no power, no place in the world… except that which you
give us.
Brothers: Except that which you give us.
Richard hugs the sword to his chest, crossing his hands over his heart.
Cordelia: What are they, some kind of cult or something?
Buffy: Yeah, a psycho cult.
Cordelia: You’ve gotta do something.
Tom: It’s been a year since our last offering.
Richard lowers the sword and rests the tip on the floor.
Tom: A year in which our bounty overflowed. We come before you with
fresh offerings.
Cordelia: Offerings? He’s talking about us?
Callie: Do you see anyone else chained up in here?
Tom: Accept our offering, Dark Lord, and bless us with your power.
Machida!
Brothers: Machida!
Tom tosses the stones into the well at the center of the basement one at
a time.
Cordelia: (frightened) What’s down there?
Tom: Come forth, and let your terrible countenance look upon your
servants, and their humble offering. We call you, Machida.
Brothers: In his name. Machida.
Cordelia: There’s something down there and he’s gonna throw us down
there with it.
Buffy: I don’t think so.
Cordelia: No? Well, that’s good! That, that’s…
Buffy: I don’t think we go to it. I think it comes to us.
Cordelia: (terrified) Ooohhhhhhh! No!
Tom looks up, awaiting Machida’s arrival. The camera closes in on the

well, and suddenly Machida rises out of it.
Cordelia: Oh, my God! (screams)
It’s a half-man, half-snake, green and scaly. He growls as he looks at
the girls. Cordelia keeps screaming at the top of her lungs. Buffy
stares at Machida in wide-eyed horror.
~~ Part 4 ~~
The basement. Buffy tries to yank her chains from the ceiling.
Cordelia: C’mon, Buffy! Oh, my God! Oh, c’mon! Oh!
Machida remains stationary and spreads his arms.
Tom: For he shall rise from the depths, and we shall tremble before
him.
The camera pans down and over to Tom.
Tom: He who is the source of all we inherit and all we possess.
Machida.
Brothers: Machida.
Tom: And if he is pleased with our offerings, then our fortune shall
increase.
Brothers: Machida. Let our fortunes increase.
Tom: And on the tenth day of the tenth month he shall be enhungered.
And we shall feed him.
Machida gazes over at the girls.
Cordelia: Feed him?
Machida rises before her.
Cordelia: Feed him?!
Buffy renews her efforts to break the chains from the ceiling.
Cordelia: Oh, no!
Cut outside. Angel, Willow and Giles walk through the bushes from the
street to the lawn.
Willow: Looks like everyone’s gone.
They look up at the house as a robed figure comes up behind them. The
figure steps on some foliage, and Angel instantly spins around to
confront him.
Angel: Hey!
Xander: Hey! (lifts the hood from his eyes) What are you guys doing
here?
Willow: A bunch of girls are missing, and the Zeta Kappas may be
involved, and Buffy. Are you wearing makeup?
Xander smears the lipstick off with his fingers.
Xander: No. I think Buffy’s still inside somewhere with Cordelia. Her
car’s still here.
Giles: Why are you wearing that? (indicates the robe)

Xander: Oh, I found it in their trash. I saw them through the window.
They were wearing robes and went down to the basement. I was gonna use
it to sneak in.
Giles: They may be involved in some kind of ritual.
Willow: With the missing girls.
Angel: (growls, vamped out) With Buffy!
Xander: Okay, that is the guy you wanna party with.
Cut to the basement. Machida closes in on Cordelia and she screams.
Buffy: Hey, reptile boy! (gets his attention)
Tom: No woman speaks to him!
Buffy: You don’t want her. Look at her. She’s all skin and bones. Half
an hour later you’ll be hungry.
Tom: (comes over to Buffy) I told you to shut up!
He backhand punches her and holds up his sword.
Tom: You speak again and I’ll cut your throat.
Cut upstairs. Xander steps up to the door holding his head down and
knocks. Tackle comes to the door to answer.
Xander: Got locked out dumping the trash. Let me in. I don’t wanna miss
the, uh…
Tackle opens the door and waves him in.
Tackle: Come on.
Xander: …you know what. (throws back his hood) Where are they?!
He punches Tackle in the face and knocks him down, but has really hurt
his hand doing it. Angel comes in behind him and punches out Linebacker.
Willow and Giles follow them in.
Cut to the basement. Two brothers unchain Cordelia and hold her. Tom
hears the commotion upstairs.
Tom: Something’s going on upstairs. (to the brothers) Go. Go!
Several of them rush upstairs to see what’s going on. Buffy looks up at
her chains again, then back at Machida.
Tom: Feed, Dark Lord!
Machida rises above Cordelia, then moves in to take her from the
brothers’ grip. She screams loudly and struggles. Buffy yanks hard at
her chains again, and they finally break loose from the ceiling. She
quickly steps over to Machida and punches him in the face. He pulls back
away from them, holding the side of his face. Buffy starts fighting the
brothers. Tom takes a swing at her with his sword.
Cut upstairs. Angel throws a brother to the floor. Willow jumps over
him, runs to the basement door and goes in. Xander is on Tackle’s back,
punching him.
Xander: That’s for the wig! (punches again) That’s for the bra!
Giles struggles with a door. A brother tries to grab him from behind,
but he elbow-punches him and knocks him out. Willow comes back out of
the basement door.

Willow: Some guy’s attacking Buffy with a sword! Also there’s a really
big snake!
Angel punches another brother and sends him reeling into the sill of an
opening in the wall. Willow screams and backs off as the brother falls
to the floor. Xander keeps punching Tackle.
Xander: That’s for the makeup! (punches again, knocking him out) And
that’s for the last sixteen and a half years!
Willow: Guys! Buffy! Snake! Basement! Now!
She heads back into the basement as the others jump to follow. Angel
punches out a brother who is giving chase. Cut to the basement.
Tom: You bitch! I’ll serve you to him in pieces.
He attacks her with the sword, but she catches the blade in her chains,
throws a loop of it around his neck and pulls him in.
Buffy: Tom, you talk too much.
She shoves him away, and he rolls over a table, knocking everything off
of it. Machida grabs Cordelia and starts to drag her away as the others
come down the stairs. Buffy picks up the sword and jumps up onto the
edge of the well. She holds the sword above her head, ready to strike.
Buffy: Let her go, wormy!
Machida doesn’t heed her warning and continues to hold on to Cordelia,
so Buffy wields back the sword and slashes it into him. He drops
Cordelia and rears back, screaming in pain. A moment later he drops to
the floor dead. Buffy makes a face at the grossness of it. Willow comes
down the rest of the steps and goes over to free Callie. Buffy comes
down to look at what’s left of Machida. Angel is behind her. Giles helps
Cordelia up.
Cordelia: You did it! You saved us! (grabs Angel in a tight hug) I’ve
never been so happy to see anyone in my whole… (lets go) You guys.
(cries) I just… hate you guys! The weirdest things always happen when
you’re around!
Angel brings Tom over. Cordelia grabs him by the shirt.
Cordelia: And you! You’re going to jail for fifteen thousand years!
She lets go of him and starts up the stairs. Angel shoves Tom up the
stairs ahead of him. Giles puts his fists on his hips and gives Buffy a
stern look. She looks down in shame.
Buffy: I told one lie, I had one drink.
Giles: Yes, and you were very nearly devoured by a giant demon snake.
The words ‘let that be a lesson’ are a tad redundant at this juncture.
Buffy: I’m sorry. (looks at him for forgiveness)
Giles: So am I. I… I drive you too hard because I-I know what you
have to face. From now on no, no more pushing, no more prodding. Just,
uh, an inordinate amount of nudging.
Buffy smiles up at him and then starts up the stairs. Giles takes her
arm and goes up with her.
Cut to the Bronze. Jonathon is at the bar anxiously waiting for a large
cup of cappuccino.
Jonathon: C’mon, hurry!
Barmaid: Here you go.

She hands him the large cup and saucer and he takes it and a plate with
a muffin over to Cordelia.
Cordelia: Thank you, Jonathon. (looks at the cappuccino) Did we forget
something?
Jonathon: Um… Cinnamon, chocolate, half-caf, nonfat.
Cordelia just looks at him. He realizes his mistake.
Jonathon: Extra foam!
Cordelia grabs the muffin and waves the cappuccino away. She steps over
to Xander, Willow and Buffy at their table. Xander is reading the
Sunnydale Press.
Cordelia: Young men are the only way to go. (leaves)
Xander: Says here that they’ve all been sentenced to consecutive life
sentences. Investigators found the bones of missing girls in a huge
cavern beneath the frat house. And older bones dating back fifty years.
Buffy and Willow exchange a grossed-out look.
Xander: A surprising number of corporations whose chairmen and founders
are former Delta Zeta Kappas are suffering from falling profits, IRS
raids… Ooo, and suicides in the boardroom. Hmm. Starve a snake, lose a
fortune. Boy, I guess the rich really are different, huh?
Willow: (to Buffy) Have you heard from Angel? When he got so mad about
you being in danger, and changed into a (makes a face) grr, it was the
most amazing thing I ever saw. I mean, how many guys can…
Angel comes down the stairs and over to stand behind Xander.
Xander: Angel, Angel, Angel. Does every conversation we have have to
come around to that freak? (notices Angel) Hey, man, how you doin’?
Angel: Buffy.
Buffy: Angel.
Xander: (in a deep voice) Xander! (shakes his head)
Angel: I hear this place, uh, serves coffee. (Xander looks up at him) I
thought maybe you and I should get some. Sometime. If you want.
Buffy permits herself a bit of a smile.
Buffy: Yeah. Sometime. I’ll let you know.
Angel eyes her suspiciously. Buffy gets up and leaves with a smile on
her face.