An Ambush in the Tunnels
Buffy. They’re close.
Xander. How can you tell?
Buffy. No more rats.
Xander nods at something ahead. He shines his flashlight there, and they see Jesse lying on the floor. It’s unclear whether he’s dead or alive.
Xander. Jesse!
Buffy. Oh, no!
They rush over to their friend. Jesse jumps to his feet, holding a piece of pipe for self-defence.
Xander. Jesse!
Jesse. Xander. (Relief in his voice. Xander hugs his friend; both are very glad.)
Xander. Jesse, man, are you OK?
Jesse. I am not OK on an epic scale. (Fear and panic on Jesse’s face.) We have to get out of here.
Buffy lowers her flashlight and sees that Jesse’s leg is chained.
Xander. It’s cool. Buffy’s a superhero. (Jesse looks at Buffy in bewilderment.)
Buffy. Hold on. (She is already trying to break the shackles on Jesse’s leg. And she succeeds on the first try.)
Xander. Did anyone hear that? (Turning back.)
At the end of the tunnel, shadows are visible — someone is about to appear around the corner. Without hesitation, the friends run from where Jesse was chained. Two vampires emerge slowly from around the corner.
Jesse. They knew you were going to come. They said that I was… I was the bait.
Xander. Oh great. Now you tell us.
The friends reach another turn — and…
Buffy. Oops. (Around the turn vampires stand. They growl and flex their fingers, with satisfied grins on their faces.)
Jesse. Oh, no, no, no! (Fear and despair on Xander’s and Jesse’s faces.)
Buffy. Do you know another way out?
Jesse. I don’t know. Maybe.
Xander. Come on. (And the friends start running again.)
But around the next turn, eyes gleam in the darkness and the growl of vampires is heard. The friends stop.
Jesse. Wait! Wait! They brought me through here. (Pointing in a direction.) There should be a way up. I hope. (Buffy shakes her head in frustration, but there’s nothing to be done. They need to try this possible option.)
The friends run into some kind of technical room with valves and pipes. But it’s small and a dead end. There’s no way out, and running back is pointless — there are plenty of vampires there. Buffy looks around the room in despair; they’re trapped.
Buffy. I don’t think this is the way out.
Xander. We can’t fight our way back through those things. What do we do?
Jesse. I got an idea. (Xander turns to his friend — and to his horror:) You can die.
Jesse has already transformed his face into a vampire’s snout — he’s now a vampire! Buffy looks at him, and despair and regret are on her face.
Xander. Jesse, man. I’m sorry.
Jesse. “Sorry?” I feel good, Xander. I feel strong. I’m connected, man, to everything. I… I can hear the worms in the earth. (With a satisfied smile on his face — he’s truly happy to have become a vampire.)
Xander. That’s a plus. (Looking at his friend in disbelief and shaking his head.)
Jesse. I know what the Master wants. I’ll serve his purpose. That means you die. And I feed. (Meanwhile, Buffy is trying to close the iron door, whose hinges won’t give in.)
Buffy. Xander, the cross! (Xander holds the cross between himself and Jesse, at which the newly made vampire lets out an unpleasant growl.)
Xander. Jesse, man, we’re buds. Don’t you remember? (Sadness in his voice.)
Jesse. You’re like a shadow to me now. (Looking haughtily at Xander.)
Xander. Then get out of my face. (But Jesse hits Xander’s arm, and he drops the cross, falling against the wall.)
Buffy abandons the door — behind which a crowd of vampires is already visible — and grabs Jesse. She throws him out of the room, right into the crowd of his fellows and they fall from this impact. Buffy returns to the stubborn door.
Buffy. Help me.
Xander rushes to the door, and they almost close it, but one of the vampires manages to stick his hand into the room. But apparently it hurts — the hand is being squeezed. So the vampire pulls his hand back, and the friends close the door. Xander leans against it with his back. Buffy turns the handle, also leaning her back against it. The vampires are banging on the other side; it’s doubtless they’ll get in sooner or later.
Buffy. We need to get out of here.
Xander. There’s no out of here.
But then he shines his flashlight at the ceiling and sees a ventilation grate there.
Xander. Up there!
Buffy. Oh! (Immediately rushing towards the newfound hope.)
With difficulty, she tears off the metal ventilation grate and orders Xander to climb up. The vampires, however, aren’t fools either. They’ve already bent the top corner of the door and are trying to get inside the room.
As soon as Xander climbs into the ventilation shaft, Buffy follows him. As she pulls herself up, a vampire reaches for the door handle and opens it. The bloodsuckers burst inside — but Buffy is already up in the ventilation. She and Xander crawl as fast as possible through the horizontal shaft. Buffy looks back; you can see how scared she is. One of the pursuers is already crawling after them on all fours.
Xander reaches a vertical shaft and climbs up. He pushes the hatch cover aside and climbs out onto a concrete platform. It seems to be the territory of an electrical substation. He offers his hand to Buffy, who also climbs out into the saving daylight, and pulls her out. But at the last moment, a vampire grabs her by the ankle.
Buffy. Xander, pull. (Looking in fear at the dark maw of the hatch.)
Xander, wrapping his arms around Buffy from behind, pulls her with all his strength. They see the vampire’s hand starting to smoke in the sunlight. With a pained growl, he lets go of her leg, and friends fall to the ground.
They breathe out in relief and turn to face each other. They’ve just miraculously escaped — it’s clearly written on their faces.
In the Master’s Lair
Master. She escaped (in a displeased and nit-picking tone). She walks free when I should be drinking her heart’s blood right now. Careless (almost singing the last word, gazing at his retainers).
A vampire. Master, we had her trapped. (Unsuccessfully trying to find an excuse.)
Master. Ohh… are you going to make excuses? (Sarcastically.) You’re all weak. (Declaring in a serious, displeased tone.) It has been too long since you faced a slayer. Huh, it is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. (Stepping close to the guilty vampire.) It just means there’ll be someone worth killing when I reach the surface. Is Luke ready? (Addressing the guilty one.)
A vampire. He waits.
Master. It’s time. Bring him to me. (The vampire is already turning to go get Luke, but the Master calls him by name.) Oh, Colin… You failed me. Tell me you’re sorry.
Colin. I’m sorry.
Master. There. That wasn’t so bad, was it? Oh, hold on. (Raising his index finger, then with a sharp movement stabbing it into the acolyte’s eye.) You’ve got something in your eye. (A hideous smile appears on the Master’s face.)
The Master behaves at all times as if he were an actor on a theatre stage. He’s playing his own twisted play. Even after piercing the guilty vampire’s eye, he smiles a satisfied smile. No anger or irritation — only a theatrical smile and a melodious voice. The Master is a true maniac, whose mind has long ceased to be human. He is a terrible parody of a mad actor from a theatre troupe.
Willow brings "great" Information
Giles has surrounded himself with books and notes; there are also his writings on the whiteboard. He’s fully immersed in searching for information about this Harvest. A pen is clenched between his teeth, Giles is focused on his work. Someone enters the library — the sound of the doors closing can be heard. Giles turns around with a lost expression on his face.
Giles. Buffy?
Willow. It’s just me. So, there’s no word? (Concern on her face.)
Both of them are struggling to hide their anticipation of Buffy, Xander and Jesse’s return.
Giles. Uh, not as yet, no. (Taking off his glasses. His eyes are tired from reading, exhaustion on his face.)
Willow. Well. I’m sure they’re great. (Uncertainty in her body language and voice.)
Giles. Did you find anything of interest? (Turning to her with a smile.)
Willow. I think maybe. (Gaining confidence in her voice.)
Willow glances at the sheets of paper in her hands and approaches Giles. Indisputably, she hasn’t wasted her time either.
Willow. I surfed through the old newspapers, around the time of that big earthquake back in ’37, and for several months before, there were a rash of murders. (Laying the sheets — with what she’s dug up — in front of Giles.)
Giles. Great. (Enthusiastically peering at the information on the first sheet.) I… I mean, you know, not “great” in a good way…
He slightly raises his head to look at Willow. He feels awkward for having used such an inappropriate word in this context. But Willow nods understandingly. And Giles gets back to the matter at hand.
Giles. Uh, go on.
Willow. Well, they sound like the kind you were looking for: throats, blood… (Pointing at the sheet with her finger. Then she turns the page and stops the enumeration with a look of disgust.)
Giles. It’s all coming together. I rather wish it weren’t. (Looking up ahead.)
Willow briefly glances at Giles; she feels uneasy about what she’s found online. Giles, despite plainly enjoying this kind of work is also worried. Both of them realise they’re on the verge of a real upheaval — if not in the whole world, then at least in Sunnydale.
The Vessel
Darla, with anticipation on her face, lights another candle. The entire underground temple is flooded with the light of burning candles. The Master stands on a raised platform; candlesticks stand nearby, and the flames of the candles dance — flames that ought to be used for holy purposes. Luke approaches his master slowly, full of prospect and readiness. He takes off his jacket, left in a sleeveless T-shirt.
The Master offers him his hand with the grace of a ballet dancer. Luke, with devotion, takes the palm in his own and kisses his hand. The Master turns his palm face up, offering it to his devoted servant. And Luke, carefully unfastening the cuff on the master’s wrist, bites into its flesh.
After taking a small sip of blood, Luke pulls back. The Master withdraws his hand and begins his short sermon. He gazes at his most faithful follower with hope and trust.
Master. My blood is your blood. My soul is your soul.
Luke. My body is your instrument. (Replying with dedication.)
The Master descends one step, standing closer to his loyal subject. He dips the thumb of his left hand into the wound Luke left on his right wrist. Using his thumb as a brush, he begins to draw some kind of mark on Luke’s forehead with his own blood.
Master. On this most hallowed night we’re as one. Luke is the Vessel! Every soul he takes will feed me, and their souls will grant me the strength to free myself. Tonight I shall walk the Earth and the stars themselves will hide. (Switching to a sinister, furious tone and spreading his arms in a dominating gesture.)
Darla has been watching the whole scene with unconcealed joy all this time. She is eagerly waiting for her master to gain immense power.
Buffy Always Can Count on Giles
Willow is sitting in the library, flipping through some book. The library doors open; she turns and sees Buffy and Xander.
Willow. Did you find Jesse? (Full of hope for the best.)
Xander. Yeah. (Briefly, very upset.)
Willow. Was he dead?
Buffy. Worse. (Sitting down opposite Willow.) I’m sorry, Willow. We were too late, and they were waiting for us.
Willow. At least, you two are OK. (Looking first at Buffy, then at Xander.)
Suddenly, both of them flinch at a sharp, loud sound — it’s Xander kicking the trash can out of frustration and despair. Buffy sighs and holds her head; she understands Xander’s feelings. But this situation isn’t easy for anyone.
Xander. I don’t like vampires. I’m gonna take a stand and say they’re not good. (True dislike of vampires in his words.)
Buffy. So, Giles… got anything that can make this day any worse?
Giles calmly approaches the whiteboard and puts the marker down on it. He puts his hands in his trousers pockets and raises an unperturbed face to Buffy. But his look is serious — it’s clear he’s not in the mood for jokes.
Giles. How about the end of the World?
Buffy. I knew I can count on you. (With the look that she didn’t expect anything else.)
Giles. This is what we know. (Taking a step towards the table and starting a brief summary of everything they know.) Some sixty years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore — and not just to feed. (Leaning his hands on the table, standing in front of Buffy.)
Buffy. He came ’cause this town’s a mystical whoosit. (Clasping her hands together and resting her chin on them.)
Giles. Yes. The Spanish, who first settled here, called it “Boca del Infierno”, roughly translated, “Hellmouth” — sort of, um… a portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hoped to open it.
Buffy. Bring the demons back?
Xander. End of the World. (Hatred in his look. He doesn’t hate Giles, of course, but what he now knows: that the world is full of nastiness and evil that existed, exists, and will outlive everyone.)
Willow. But he blew it! (Starting enthusiastically, but then shifting to a less optimistic tone.) Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town — and him, too.
Giles. See, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business. (Sitting down on a chair next to Willow and Buffy.) Odds are, he got himself stuck, rather like a… a cork in a bottle.
Xander. And this Harvest thing is to get him out.
Giles. It comes once in a century. On this night. (Nodding at Xander.) A Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free and open the portal. (Standing up from the chair again and walking to the whiteboard.) The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol. (Drawing something like a three-pointed star on the board.)
Buffy. So… I dust anyone sporting that symbol and no Harvest. (Confidently walking up to Giles.)
Giles. Simply put, yes. (Eyes widening in surprise at such a simple interpretation of the situation.)
Buffy. Any ideas where this little get-together is being held? (Looking into Giles’s eyes, waiting.)
Giles. Well, there are… There are a number of possibilities. (Nervously, with a sigh, adjusting his glasses — there's no doubt he hasn’t figured out where it’s going to happen.)
Xander. They’re going to the Bronze. (Looking down at his feet, with absolute certainty.)
Giles and Buffy turn to Xander at the same time. Giles is surprised. Buffy, however, immediately sees the sense in it.
Willow. Are you sure?
Xander. Come on, all those tasty young morsels all over the place. Anyway, that’s where Jesse’s going to be. Trust me.
Giles. Then we should get there. (It becomes clear he has no better idea.) The sun will be down before long.
Giles immediately starts walking towards the exit, grabbing his jacket along the way. His decisive actions once again confirm that he’s not going to hide behind books when the world is in danger.
Buffy follows him — it’s understandable, she’s the Slayer. Xander, who’s already decided to go all the way, follows too. But Willow, who’d be better off staying behind a computer or books, also goes with them. And this says a lot — about all four of them.
Buffy. I got to make a stop. It won’t take long. (Looking at the back of Giles’s head.)
Giles. What for? (Turning around to Buffy in surprise.)
Buffy. Supplies.
The age-old problem of parents and children
An orange sunset — a red-hot ball inexorably sinks towards the mountain-ridged horizon. Buffy hurries into her room. She sighs heavily, the kind of sigh one usually gives in the morning before an exam. But she doesn’t have school exams ahead of her — only another battle. And the whole world is at stake. It’s not that the world is Paradise, but still, no one would want to complicate this inferno by the arrival of a demonic horde.
Buffy throws a denim jacket — or something like that — onto the bed, adjusts her hairpin, and walks to the wardrobe. She opens the door, focused on the upcoming fight, when suddenly…
Miss Summers. Buffy?
Buffy. Mom. (Closing the wardrobe door.)
Miss Summers. You’re going out? (A mix of disapproval and disappointment on her face.)
Buffy. I have to. (Smiling apologetically and going to put on a leather jacket.)
Miss Summers. I didn’t hear you come in last night. (Her voice takes on the tone of an approaching serious conversation.)
Buffy. I was really quiet. (Pulling her sleeves on.)
Miss Summers. It’s happening again, isn’t it? I got a call from your new principal — he says you missed some classes today.
Buffy. I was running an errand. (Trying to veil the truth.)
Miss Summers. We haven’t finished unpacking, and I’m getting calls from principals. (Her arms hang down, unsure how to deal with her daughter’s behaviour.)
Buffy. Mom, I promise. It is not going to be like before, but I have to go. (Trying to say this as convincingly as possible, actively using hand gestures.)
Miss Summers. No. (A firm tilt of the head, without raising her voice.)
Buffy. Mom! (“That’s not fair! I’m not a little girl anymore and I have the right to go out” — though in this case, she’s not going for a walk.)
Miss Summers. The tapes all say I should get used to saying it. No. (A tense sigh — it’s clearly not easy for her to behave this way with her only child.)
Buffy. This is really, really important! (Stepping closer to her mom.)
Miss Summers. I know. If you don’t go out, it’ll be the end of the world. (Switching to a warmer tone.) Everything is life or death when you’re a 16-year-old girl. (Leaning towards her daughter and gently taking her by the shoulders.)
Buffy. Look, I don’t have time to talk about it… (Barely holding back, not raising her voice.)
Miss Summers. Buffy, you’ve got all the time in the world. You’re not going anywhere. Now, if you want to stay up here and sulk, I won’t hold it against you. But if you want to come down, I’ll make us some dinner. (Turning around and leaving the room.)
Buffy listened to her mother’s last words with her mouth open and her arms hanging down in injustice. Despair in her eyes that her mom is doing this to her — the age-old problem of parents and children.
As soon as her mom closes the door behind her, Buffy, momentarily drained from such a conversation, leans her back against the wardrobe. Closing her eyes, she shakes her head, exhales heavily, and, pulling herself together, gets back to business.
She pulls a large chest out of the wardrobe and flips the lid open. Under it are many things one might find in the hiding place of any normal teenage girl. But, unfortunately, this is only the surface — a mask of her life. Buffy takes out a plastic box with all the girlish stuff and sets it aside. At the bottom of the chest lie her real “toys”: crosses, various containers of holy water, garlic, wooden stakes.
Buffy tosses a couple of stakes, a glass vial of holy water, and a couple of crosses into her bag. One of the stakes is rather elegantly made — she hides it in her sleeve. Zipping up her backpack and checking the door to make sure her mom isn’t behind it, Buffy walks to the window. She throws her bag onto the roof of the annex and climbs out herself.
Quiet Resignation
The sun begins to disappear below the horizon — Buffy and her friends have less and less time. And the evening at the Bronze is not going to be simple at all. More and more people are flocking to the town’s only club. Cordelia, with her friends, is naturally already in the club. She’s giving a “lecture” to her little suckerfishes — her sycophants. It’s no wonder that her monologue-lecture carries a tint of “dumbness”.
Cordelia. Senior boys are the only way to go. The guys from our grade? Forget about it. They’re children, you know? Like Jesse. Did you see him last night, following me around like a little puppy dog? You just want to put him to sleep. But senior boys? (An eloquent roar of a lioness, characterising the pleasure of interacting with them.) They have mystery. They have… What’s the word I’m searching for? (Theatrical facial expressions — as if she’s really looking for the right word.) Cars. I’m just so not the type to settle, you know? (Timely sycophantic laughter from her friends.) It’s like when I go shopping. I have to have the most expensive thing. Not because it’s expensive, but because it costs more.
One of the friends. You know…
Cordelia. Hello, miss motormouth, can I get a sentence finished? Oh, I love this song! Come on!
The charming queen of the school leads her entourage onto the dance floor. Joyful from basking in Cordelia’s rays, they gladly follow her. Cordelia doesn’t even notice what is natural for her — that the “subject” of her recent monologue is watching her. Jesse is standing a few steps away from her, leaning against a column.
But he’s changed quite a lot. A confident gaze, the absence of that simple smile that adorned his face not long ago. His look is the look of a predator. Cordelia is his prey. She laughed at him, even ignored him. But now she has no chance — he takes whatever he wants. At least, that’s what he thinks.
With the gaze of a methodical, cold-blooded maniac, he watches the dancing nymph. Slowly, he leaves the column and walks — but not directly towards Cordelia. He strides through the crowd so that the distance between them remains the same, deliberately coming into the victim’s field of vision.
And Cordelia notices him — the happy smile vanishes from her flawless face. Just as the song ends, she chooses to get off the dance floor. With a sigh full of displeasure that this fool is watching her, she turns and walks away. But on her way to the table — or wherever she was heading — Jesse stands in her path. He looks like a marble statue of Narcissus, carved by trapped in the flow of time an ancient Greek sculptor.
Cordelia stops dead in her tracks. Unexpected to meet him, knowing that just moments ago he was dozen of metres away from this spot. A confused smile lights up her face for a moment — the kind of smile that appears when you’re caught off guard, forced to take off your mask. Often, in such moments, people show their true selves. One would like to believe that’s true. For Cordelia, albeit for just a moment, smiled at him. And her smile was very warm, friendly — there was no reproach or contempt in it.
This smile disappears lightning-fast, cloaking Cordelia in her everyday mask of a haughty queen. But this fleeting moment is quite enough to suggest that she’s pleased Jesse has set his eyes on her. But now it’s indeed better to stay away from him.
Cordelia. Oh! What do you want?
Silently, Jesse takes her hand and leads her back onto the dance floor. There’s a winner’s smile on his face — a smile of someone who’s allowed to do anything.
Cordelia. Hey! Hello! Caveman-brain, what are you doing? (Her face shows genuine surprise and fear of being seen in his company.)
Jesse. Shut up. (Taking the stunned girl by the waist.)
Cordelia. Well… Just one dance. (The frightened doe utters briefly.)
One feels sorry for Cordelia, despite how she treats people. In the predator’s arms, she becomes completely stiff. She’s even uncomfortable looking him in the eyes. She simply lowers her head and dances with him in silence — a slow dance. Then Cordelia raises her head and turns to the side. It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for her at this moment. Her face is the face of a girl from a 17th–18th century painting. This painting could be called “Quiet Resignation” or “A Woman’s Lot”, with a strong negative tint.
The Vessel
A burly bouncer at the entrance to the Bronze is counting money, unaware that the evening promises to be long. From the darkness of the alley, Darla emerges, swirling in a dance, like an apsara. Behind her, out of the gloom, comes the darkness itself — Luke, leading the other vampires behind him.
Bouncer. Need ID. (Without looking up, but Darla doesn’t stop.) Hey! Nobody gets inside until I get some sort of… (Only now noticing that these people’s faces look very strange.)
Luke approaches the bouncer very close, letting out a guttural, lion-like roar. After sizing him up with a glance, he gestures for him to go inside.
Luke. Get inside.
Two vampires grab the bouncer — who doesn’t even think of resisting — and lead him into the club. But the menacing Luke walks ahead of everyone, paying no mind to the crowd. A delighted Darla, eager with anticipation of the coming mayhem, follows Luke with a skip in her step. Her transformed face, her essence, and her childlike carefree smile, combined with her little dance — it’s a frightening sight.
Only those who stood at the entrance noticed the strange faces of the newcomers. But most people are busy with themselves, their leisure, and their partners. Very quickly, the vampires disperse throughout the club. One of them swiftly reaches the circuit breaker and turns off the music and the lights. The dancers’ complaints can be heard.
Luke. Ladies and gentlemen… (He announces, now standing on the stage.) There’s no cause for alarm. Actually, there’s cause for alarm. It just won't do any good. (People start to panic and scream at the sight of Luke’s horrific face in the spotlight.)
Cordelia. I thought there wasn’t any band tonight. (She turns to Jesse and freezes at the sight of his diabolic grin.)
Luke. This is a glorious night. This is also the last one any of you shall ever see. Bring me the first. (Turning to his minions.)
One of the minions leads the club bouncer up to Luke.
Club Bouncer. What do you guys want? You want money? Man, what’s wrong with your faces? (After taking a closer look at Luke’s face.)
Without looking, Luke grabs the bouncer by the throat with his left hand. His grip is so strong that the burly bouncer starts to choke.
Luke. Watch me, people. The fear is like an elixir. It’s almost like blood. (A maniac’s philosophical musings.)
With a disgusting hiss, Luke sinks his teeth into the bouncer’s neck. Everyone screams in horror, drowning out the bouncer’s dying cry. At the same moment, something terrible is happening in the underground temple. The Master sits in silence, motionless, attentively perceiving the changes in the atmosphere, in his body, in the world above. He feels the strength returning to his weakened body.
With a roar, Luke throws the dead body onto the stage floor. The satisfaction doesn’t last long on his face. He’s immersed in carrying out his master’s orders.
“Next,” he says, looking at the crowd with an expression as if he expects to see many volunteers. Of course, there are no volunteers, so Luke turns back to his minion.
But Luke and his dim-witted dogs won’t be allowed to run amok in the club for much longer — Buffy and her friends are already nearby. They run up to the entrance, but the door is, naturally, locked.
Buffy and her friends arrive at the club
Buffy. It’s locked. (Turning to her friends in frustration.)
Giles. We’re too late. (Turning away from everyone.)
Buffy. I didn’t know I was going to get grounded!
The friends are frantically pacing in place — they need to do something urgently. At stake isn’t just the lives of those in the Bronze — the fate of the entire World is on the line.
Xander. Can you break it down?
Buffy. No, I don’t think so. You guys try the back entrance, and I’ll find my own way.
Giles. Right. Well, come on.
Buffy. Wait, guys! Here… (Handing them a bag with weapons.) You get the exit cleared and the people out. That’s all. Don’t go Wild Bunch on me. (Speaking directly to Xander, knowing that he hates vampires.)
Giles. Uh, see you inside, then.
Giles is breathing nervously out of fear. But it’s not the fear of a cowardly person, not at all. He’s afraid for the people inside the club, afraid that they’re too late. Willow’s face shows pure fear — she’s scared of the whole situation, which is only natural. She’s just an ordinary girl, a straight-A student. But now she has to face evil head-on. To take direct part in a dangerous operation to save people from killers. Even Buffy is afraid — she needs to think not only about fighting the vampires, but also about her friends’ safety.
The only one with no trace of fear on his face is Xander. He can’t wait to burst into the club and start acting.
Giles, Xander and Willow run to another door, but it’s locked too.
Willow. No joy.
Xander. We’ve got to get in there before Jesse does something stupider than usual.
Giles. You listen to me. Jesse is dead. You have to remember that. When you see him, you’re not looking at your friend. You’re looking at the thing that killed him.
Willow looks at Giles in horror; tears are almost welling up in her eyes. Giles, while saying this, seems irritated that Xander still doesn’t understand what happened to Jesse. In reality, he’s just very worried about him. He’s afraid that Xander will make a mistake — that he’ll approach the vampire like an old friend. It’s obvious how that would end.
With every victim feeding Luke, the Master gains more and more power. He keeps his hand on the invisible magical barrier separating him from freedom. He’s in anticipation, feeling how his strength is growing, how close he is to breaking the barrier.
Master. Almost free. Give me mooore!!!
Cordelia stands completely still, paralyzed by fear — she’s afraid to even breathe. On both sides of her stand Jesse and Darla, facing each other. It just won’t sink in for the foolish Jesse that he’s merely a slave.
Jesse. This one’s mine. (His face shows the same expression as a child who isn’t being given a toy.)
Darla. They’re all for the Master. (Laughing in the fool’s face.)
Darla grabs Cordelia by the arm and leads her toward Luke. For a moment, she pauses because Jesse hasn’t let go of Cordelia’s hand, still not realizing that he won’t get her — never. But he finally releases her, and Darla leads the queen away.
Jesse. I don’t get one? (It finally sinks in.)
Somewhere above, a window shatters. Buffy crawls into the dark room on all fours. Looking around warily, she gets to her feet. From below comes Luke’s triumphant speech. She slowly approaches the railing and looks down. Luke, intoxicated by his master’s near freedom, paces the stage and rants.
Luke. I can feel the Master’s strength growing! I feel him rising! Every soul brings him closer! I need another!
Buffy’s eyes widen at what she sees and hears. And not just because the Master is already gaining strength. Rather, it’s because she sees the mark that Giles drew — on Luke’s forehead. On the forehead of the one who nearly sent her to her ancestors, back in the crypt.
Buffy. The Vessel. (Whispering, with fear but resigned.)
In the library, everything seemed much simpler — kill the one with the Vessel mark on their forehead, and that’s it. But who knew that this mark would end up on the forehead of a hellhound?
Somewhere near Buffy, a quiet growl sounds — a vampire has noticed her. Interesting that these vampires aren’t acting completely chaotically. They’re not just killing; they’ve also made sure to put on a show for the forced audience. This vampire has his hands on the spotlight. He’s the one who turned off the main lights. He’s the one who then turned on the spotlight and aimed it at the stage. Instead of causing mayhem, he could’ve gone to work as a nighttime stage operator.
But Buffy hears the growl — she’s already on alert.
Luke. Tonight is his ascension. Tonight will be history at its end! (Almost crying. It’s clear how impatiently he’s waiting for the end of the world.) Yours is a glorious sacrifice! Degradation… most holy. (Adding the last part with a smile.) What? No volunteers? (Disappointed and irritated.)
Darla. Here’s a pretty one. (Revelling in the bloodshed, Darla leads Cordelia onto the stage.)
Buffy’s effective entrance
Luke grabs Cordelia by the waist and pulls her close. He runs his hand over her flawless face, like a damned maniac. Cordelia screams at the top of her lungs. Pleased with such a beauty, Luke presses closer, ready to sink his teeth into her neck. But…
A solid thud is heard. From above, with a cry, the spotlight operator comes flying down. Luke stops in astonishment, his gaze fixed on the fallen figure. Even in this situation, Cordelia is striking. Despite Luke holding her chin with his sausage-like fingers, she manages to turn her head so as not to miss anything. Her eyes are wide with surprise and interest.
Buffy approaches the second-floor railing — she knows how to make a great entrance.
Buffy. Oh, I’m sorry. Were you in the middle of something? (With theatricality in her voice.)
Luke. You! (Anger and displeasure in his voice.)
Buffy. You didn’t think I’d miss this, did you? (All irony has left her voice. Buffy looks Luke straight in the eyes. Absolute determination in her gaze — she’s ready to face him in battle.)
Luke. I hoped you’d come. (A pleased grimace.)
Buffy. Be right down. (And she jumps there.)
But Luke doesn’t release Cordelia. He’s in no hurry to engage himself in battle — that’s what the lower caste is for. One of the vampires rushes at Buffy with a menacing cry. But Buffy doesn’t even turn to face him. She jumps off the pool table, grabbing a cue stick in the process. Keeping her eyes fixed on Luke, she thrusts the cue into the vampire running up from the side. She has no intention of wasting time on trifles — she came here for him.
Buffy. OK, Vessel boy. (Shrugging off her leather jacket.) You want blood?
Luke. I want yours. Only yours. (Releasing Cordelia, a pleased smile on his face.)
Cordelia doesn’t waste a moment. She pushes off Luke’s chest and immediately flees the stage.
Buffy. Works for me. (Shrugging.)
Buffy jumps onto the stage, and a brutal fight with the beast begins. At this moment, the emergency exit door opens. Xander bursts inside; Willow and Giles stand outside. Giles has a metal barrel in his hands — apparently it served as the key to the door.
Xander. Hurry!
While Giles and Willow cross the threshold, Xander is already running deep inside. He stops for a moment, seeing Buffy rise from the floor. But he doesn’t waste time — he must get the people out of this horror.
Xander. Come on, let’s go! Come on. (Running up to the captives.)
He urges the people on, directing them toward the door. Near the door stand Giles and Willow. Giles guides them toward the exit so they don’t stop or crowd. Who knows where people will run when they’re panicking — they have to be nudged toward the open doors, no matter that they are hard to miss.
Giles. Hurry up. Come on. Through this door. Come on. This way. (Whispering, trying not to attract the predators’ attention.)
But their rescue operation doesn’t go unnoticed. A vampire runs up from behind and grabs Xander.
Buffy notices this and gets distracted from Luke. She grabs a music drum disc and hurls it. Xander sees it and bends his head. The disc takes off the vampire’s head.
Xander. Heads up. (Without any emotion.)
A few moments of helping Xander, and Buffy finds herself in a losing position. Luke grabs her from behind, pinning her with his powerful arms. He squeezes her so hard that Buffy can’t get enough air to breathe.
Jesse takes advantage of the chaos and throws Cordelia to the floor. She resists, but he pins her arms to the ground.
Jesse. Hold still! (Yelling at her in a rage.) You’re not making this easy.
Xander. Jesse, man… (Approaching from behind, a wooden stake in his hand.) Don’t make me do it.
Cordelia looks at Xander with hope. Jesse turns around; serpentine cunning in his yellow eyes.
Jesse. Buddy. (A sly smile distorts his already distorted face.)
Meanwhile, Buffy’s situation isn’t getting any easier. She can’t break free from Luke’s steel embrace.
Luke. I always wanted to kill a Slayer.
Giles and Willow continue to lead people out of the club.
Giles. One at a time! Quickly! Quickly! We’re gonna have to open the front as well. (Addressing Willow.)
But Darla is right there. She lunges at Giles from behind, and he falls to the floor with a cry.
Xander continues his dialogue with Jesse. The stake is still in his hand, but he hesitates — after all, it’s the image of his best friend standing before him.
Xander. Jesse, I know there’s still a part of you in there.
Jesse. OK. Let’s deal with this. (Getting up from Cordelia and facing Xander.) Jesse was an excruciating loser who couldn’t get a date with anyone in the sighted community. Look at me. I’m a new man!
While Jesse tries to convey to Xander the new possibilities opening up in vampire life, Buffy is on the verge of death.
Luke. Master, taste of this. And be free. (Opening his jaws and almost sinking his teeth into Buffy’s neck.)
But Buffy has been waiting for this moment. She understood she can’t break free while her opponent is focused. But now, when Luke has felt the taste of imminent victory, he’s relaxed a little. Buffy strikes the back of her head into his face, freeing herself.
Buffy. How’d it taste?
Giles, meanwhile, is trying not to die, writhing under Darla.
Willow. Get off of him! (Taking out a vial of holy water.)
Darla turns her face toward her, and Willow, without hesitation, splashes the holy water onto her. Darla runs away with a pained cry.
Jesse grabs Xander and pins him against the wall. The stake in Xander’s hand presses against Jesse’s chest. But he’s unable to kill his “friend”. Jesse mocks his helplessness.
Jesse. All right. Put me out of my misery. You don’t have the guts… (But he doesn’t finish his mocking speech.)
By a lucky twist of fate, a girl runs toward the exit and accidentally shoves Jesse. As a result, he impales himself on the stake, turning to dust. Xander exhales — he didn’t have to do what he wasn’t ready for. But there’s no time to relax: he’s immediately grabbed by two other vampires.
Buffy grabs the microphone stand and swings at her smirking opponent.
Luke. You forget, metal can’t hurt me. (With a smirk on his face.)
Buffy. There’s something you forgot about, too. Sunrise. (Throwing the stand at the painted window behind Luke.)
Luke turns around and, with a cry, covers his face as a stream of light pours onto it. But then he realizes it’s just the light of some lamp, not the sun.
Buffy. It’s in about nine hours, moron. (Thrusting a stake into the back of the fooled vampire.)
Luke falls, exploding into a pile of dust. The Master also collapses in the underground temple. A piercing wail escapes his chest.
Buffy, hands on hips, raises a murderously resolute gaze at the vampires holding Xander. They immediately understand it’s better not to mess with her. They simply release him and run away.
As they run down the alley, Angel steps out from behind the containers.
Angel. She did it. I’ll be damned. (Walking into the darkness.)
The friends approach each other — they’ve done it.
Giles. I take it it’s over. (With relief in his voice.)
Willow. Did we win? (Not believing they’ve managed to do it.)
Buffy. Well, we averted the apocalypse. (Accepting her jacket from the caring Xander.) I give us points for that. (Just like her friends, with no joy in her voice.)
Xander. One thing’s for sure: nothing’s ever going to be the same.
We only see what we’re ready to see
The next day at school. The students are basking in the rays of the bright sun. On such a bright, pleasant day, it’s hard to believe that they saw monsters last night. And, as always happens, our brain starts to adjust to our experience. If you’re used to thinking of vampires as fiction, then even when you meet them, you’ll only see another costume party. The same thing is happening at Sunnydale High.
Buffy walks across the schoolyard lawn and overhears Cordelia talking with her friend.
Cordelia. Well, I heard it was rival gangs, you know, fighting for turf. But all I can tell you is, they were an ugly way of looking. And Buffy, like, knew them, which is just too weird. I don’t remember that much, but I’m telling you, it was a freak show.
Friend. I wish I’d been there.
Cordelia. You should have been there. It was so creepy.
Cordelia and her friend walk away, and Buffy approaches a disconcerted Xander — he clearly heard Cordelia’s story.
Buffy. What exactly were you expecting?
Xander. I don’t know. Something. I mean, the dead rose. We should at least had an assembly. (Walking with Buffy into a semi-covered corridor separated from the inner courtyard by columns.)
There, Giles is waiting for them. He obviously saw Buffy and Xander walking across the yard. Willow, with a carefree smile on her face, joins the friends. And they continue walking as a group of four — they have plenty to talk about.
Giles. People have a tendency to rationalize what they can and forget what they can’t. (Replying Xander's puzzlement.)
Buffy. Believe me, I’ve seen it happen.
Willow. Well, I’ll never forget it. None of it.
Giles. Good, next time you’ll be prepared. (In a completely calm tone, as if they’re talking about trivial matters.)
Xander. Next time? (Even stopping for a moment in surprise.)
Willow. Next time is why? (Her carefreeness gives way to concern.)
Giles. We prevented the Master from freeing himself and opening the Mouth of Hell. That’s not to say he’s going to stop trying. I’d say the fun is just beginning.
Willow. More vampires? (Fear appears on her face.)
Giles stops and turns to them. The friends stop as well.
Giles. Not just vampires. (His tone grows serious, warning.) The next threat we face may be something quite different.
Buffy. I can hardly wait. (Shrugging carelessly, a child’s lollipop in her hand.)
Willow turns to Buffy in amazement, her mouth open. Xander keeps staring at Giles, hanging on his every word.
Giles. We’re at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction. (Looking down thoughtfully.)
Buffy. Well, I got to look on the bright side. (Addressing everyone, but looking first and foremost at the frightened Willow.) Maybe I can still get kicked out of school.
Xander. Oh, yeah. That’s a plan. ’Cause a lot of schools aren’t on Hellmouths. (And the three friends walk down the corridor, leaving Giles behind.)
Willow. Maybe you could blow something up. They’re really strict about that.
Buffy. I was thinking of a more subtle approach, you know, like, excessive not studying.
The friends move further and further away from Giles, who hears their entire conversation — foolish, from his point of view. He turns around and adjusts his glasses.
Giles. The Earth is doomed.