Season Four
UC Sunnydale, Day
Glory and Amy got up and left their first class of the day.
AM: Well, that was quite an interesting lecture. Didn't you think?
GD: (Wearily) The insides of my eyeballs weren't that interesting to me.
AM: I can tell you what you missed. I can lend you my notes, too.
GD: Yeah, thanks-whoops!
She had bumped into someone who she recognized as the Teacher Aide from their class.
GD: I'm so sorry, I didn't . . .
TA: It's okay, no problem. Hey, you two are from the class, right?
AM: Yeah. I'm Amy, and this is my friend Glory.
AW: Nice to meet you both. I'm Adam Walsh.
AM: Well, we'd better go. We have another class to attend. Good to meet you.
AW: Same here.
Glory and Amy walked downstairs as Adam went the other way.
AM: He was cute, wasn't he?
GD: I dunno, maybe.
They continued to gossip about Adam until they reached their next class.
The Master's Lair
M: So, how is she adjusting?
XH: Pretty well, actually. She's a little . . . strange right now, but she's really enjoying the whole killing thing.
The Master scrutinized Xander.
M: That's wonderful. Do you know why I let you do this?
XH: I thought it was to give me the opportunity to train someone.
M: Partly. But also because I need more help. You've never sired anyone before. It is an important quality of being a vampire. She will have a connection to you, just as you do toward Willow.
XH: Yeah, but I'm not into Willow like that.
M: That's not how you used to think.
XH: I was only just turned! I've been a vampire for four years now. I've wised up since then.
M: That's true. You are now one of my strongest minions.
XH: Can you say 'accomplice' or 'warrior' instead of 'minion'? It makes me sound so . . . unimpressive.
M: You are my minion. You all are. I have allowed you to sire someone of your own. I am allowing you to guide and train her. You should be grateful I allowed you even that much.
Xander looked like he wanted to punch her, but thought better of it and simply nodded.
M: Now, why don't you take her outside? Do some killing?
UC Sunnydale, Night
Heinrich wandered around the darkened campus. According to Caleb, this was as big of a hot spot for vampires as the high school.
A scream made Heinrich stop. It sounded like someone was being attacked. He ran in the direction of the screaming. Sure enough, a girl was struggling to get out of the grip of a black haired female vampire. Heinrich ran up and kicked the vampire away from the girl. The girl screamed again, seeing Heinrich's face, horrified.
H: Go. Get out of here. Now!
The girl wasted no time in running away from what would probably be the most terrifying night of her life. The female vampire got up and pointed at Heinrich.
FL: (Sounding like a five-year-old) Xander! That guy ruined my kill!
Heinrich turned. Standing next to the vampire girl was another vampire he recognized immediately: The spiky haired one that had attacked him and Glory when they had first met.
XH: Well, well, look who decided to turn up.
H: So, training a new recruit, are you?
XH: Something like that, yeah. Now I'll show her how to kill a wrinkled old vampire with a soul.
Xander lunged forward, but Heinrich shoved him away and onto the ground.
H: I don't know. You sure she's ready for something like that?
XH: Hey, Faith! Now would be a good time to pitch in here!
The female vampire, Faith, came forward eagerly. But before she reached him, something impacted Heinrich from behind. An electric charge surged up his body and he fell backward. He was stunned and couldn't move. He saw a man dressed in military garb standing above him holding a taser before passing out. Xander laughed with pleasure.
XH: Whoa! Hey, thanks guys! That was-agghhhh!
Before Xander could finish, the guy he was in the middle of thanking shot him with a taser too. As he fell twitching to the ground next to Heinrich, Faith wimpered, backed away, and ran off. Then the military dressed guys dragged Heinrich and Xander off into the darkness.
The Master's Lair
The Master and Willow were discussing something when Faith burst into the room.
M: Faith? Where's Xander?
FL: He's been taken away!
M: What?
WR: By who?
FL: Men with guns. Army men.
WR: Army people?
FL: They kidnapped my prince and took them both away!
M: Wait: them?
FL: My dark prince and Honey-Rick, the one who ruined my fun kill!
M: You mean Heinrich? Wow, that guy just can't stay out of trouble, can he?
WR: What about these army guys? Who are they and what do they want with vampires?
FL: Who cares? We need to get my Xander back!
Willow gave Faith a scathing and jealous look.
M: In order to get him back, Faith, we need to know where he is first.
The Initiative Containment Chamber
Heinrich woke up inside a sterile room. He stood up and looked around. It looked like he was inside a small containment cell with a shield barrier preventing him exit. Across the room, he saw other containment cells with other vampires and demons inside them. What was this place?
XH: So, how's it hanging?
Heinrich looked sideways and saw that Xander was in the cell next to him.
H: So you don't know these guys?
XH: No! If I knew these guys, I wouldn't be locked up, you dummy!
There was a pause, in which the snarling of the other captive demons filled the room.
H: It looks like some government installation that captures demonic creatures.
XH: They can do that?
At that moment, two men dressed in lab coats entered the room through a sliding door at the end of the hallway. Heinrich lay down on the floor, feigning unconsciousness. Xander quickly mimicked him. Heinrich felt one of the lab coats dragging him out of his cell and lifting him onto a stretcher. The second one moved Xander out of his cell as well.
LC#1: These two were caught recently, right?
LC#2: Yeah. Wow! Look at this one.
LC#1: Yeah, he's an ugly sucker, isn't he?
Xander snickered. He couldn't control himself.
LC#1: Mine's awake! Get the serum!
Heinrich launched himself off his stretcher and shoved his lab coat into the wall, knocking him out. He turned to the other lab coat, who was sprinting toward the door. Heinrich leapt forward and knocked him out too. He turned to look at Xander as alarm klaxons blared around them.
H: Look what you did! We've been caught!
XH: (Gesturing around the room) Hel-lo! We've already been caught!
H: We've got to find a way out of here.
XH: We? I'm sorry, are you suggesting a partnership?
H: You want to get out without being killed or locked up? We'll have to help each other.
Xander sighed and followed Heinrich toward the door out of the room. It split open before they reached it, revealing a group of those commandos in military garb on the other side. Heinrich shoved his way through them, knocking several down onto the ground. Xander shot after him, with the remaining commandos not far behind. They ran down the corridors, passing other people in lab coats, who froze and dove out of the vampires' way. They reached a dead end. Looking around hurriedly, Heinrich saw an air vent in the wall.
H: In there!
As Heinrich started to climb through, the other commandos had caught up. Xander turned as one of them grabbed his leg and punched him in the face. But even as the commando released him, Xander yelled and clutched his head in pain. The commando tried to grab him again, but he ducked and hastily followed Heinrich through the vent and out into the open which, thankfully, was night. Looking around, he saw that Heinrich had already run off. Getting to his feet, Xander rubbed his head again. It had felt like there had been an electric charge inside his brain. What had those stupid army people done to him?
UC Sunnydale, Day
AM: Go on! Ask him out!
GD: I can't. I'm not sure if I even want to.
AM: Well, if you won't I will.
GD: Okay, fine.
They waited outside the classroom until Adam walked out.
GD: Adam? Can I talk to you?
AW: Sure.
Glory cleared her throat.
GD: So . . . I was wondering, um, do you, maybe, want to . . . go out with me?
Adam looked slightly surprised.
AW: Really?
GD: Yeah. Just to get to know you.
AW: Uh . . . yeah. Sure. Where do you want to go?
GD: (Taken aback that he had agreed so quickly) Oh, um, how about my place for dinner?
AW: You mean your dorm room?
GD: No, actually, I was thinking of a friend's house outside the campus.
AW: Alright. I'll just go with you then.
Caleb's Apartment, Day
Caleb sat on his couch, watching one of those fictional television programs about vampires.
C: Oh, come on! A fork killed him? Really.
He was bored out of his mind since he had lost his librarian job. He was still Glory's Watcher, but it had gotten very slow since she had gone off to college. Then someone banged at his door rapidly. Caleb stood up and opened it. Heinrich burst in, covered in a blanket that was smoking heavily.
C: Heinrich! What are you . . . ?
Heinrich tossed the blanket aside as Caleb shut the drapes.
H: Something really odd happened to me last night.
C: What are you talking about?
H: I was wandering the campus last night, saw a vampire attack, saved the victim, but then I got tased.
C: I'm sorry?
H: I was captured by some army looking guys and was held in containment underground in a science lab. It looked like a government installation.
C: The government involved in capturing demons? I didn't think they knew about vampires and the supernatural. Did you say there were other demons in there too?
H: Yeah. Myself, Xander, a couple of other vampires, some demons, and-
C: Xander?
H: Oh, yeah: That guy with the spiky hair who works for The Master.
C: You were both captured?
H: Yeah. Did I mention he was the vampire I ran into on campus?
C: No, you didn't.
The door opened again. Glory and Amy came in, followed by a tall, burly man who looked somewhat familiar to Heinrich.
C: Glory? Do come in, please. (Seeing Adam) Um, who's this?
GD: His name's Adam. I wanted to-ah, oops.
Heinrich had not dodged for cover when he saw the newcomer. He was staring hard at him, trying to remember where he'd seen him before. Then it clicked. He pointed accusingly at Adam.
H: You!
Adam stared at Heinrich too, but not in fear or revulsion, but intently. Glory looked quickly from Heinrich to Adam, struggling to think of some story about Heinrich's appearance.
C: What's going on here?
H: He's one of those guys who captured me! I saw him!
GD: What are you talking about?
AW: (To Heinrich) What are you doing here in public?
GD: You know him? (To Heinrich) You know him?
C: He's one of the commandos?
H: Yeah. I recognize him.
GD&AM: Commandos?
H: Last night, I was ambushed by a bunch of army guys and captured underground. I barely got out. That guy is one of the ones who tried to recapture me.
Glory and Amy looked at Adam in shock. He looked slightly embarrassed, but cleared his throat.
AW: Yes. I am a member of The Initiative.
C: The Initiative?
AW: It's an army installation devoted to capturing demonic creatures and studying them.
C: Good God. I never knew that existed.
AW: You're not supposed to. That's why it's a secret organization. So, now that my secret is out, how do you all know about demons and why are you hiding that vampire from us?
Glory looked over at Caleb, who shrugged helplessly.
GD: I'm the Vampire Slayer; Amy's a witch; Caleb is my Watcher, and Heinrich is a friend of ours. He was cursed with a soul.
Adam looked around at them all.
AW: Well, that's an interesting story.
H: So you captured me just because I'm a vampire, is that it?
AW: Well, yeah. I had no idea vampires could have souls.
C: It's an extremely rare case.
GD: (To Adam) I'm still not sure where you stand in this.
AW: I'm one of the good guys, if that's what you mean. Our mission is to take down the demons. We've even found ways to condition them.
AM: How do you mean?
AW: Well, (To Heinrich) by the way, that other guy who was with you, was he also a friend of yours?
H: No way.
GD: What other guy?
H: Xander, The Master's minion.
GD: They got him too?
H: Yeah, but he escaped with me.
AW: Anyway, about that guy, we implanted a chip in his head. It'll go off if he attempts to harm a human.
There was a stunned silence. Then Glory and Heinrich burst out laughing.
AM: You put a chip in his head?
AW: It was an experiment. I told you, that's what we do.
H: (Dangerously) You didn't happen to put a chip in my head, did you?
AW: No. We were going to, but you escaped before we could.
There was another silence.
AW: I'd better go. No one can know I've just told you all this.
He turned and left. Glory and Amy looked over at Caleb.
AM: I don't know about this. Can we trust him?
C: I wouldn't get to comfortable around him. We need to figure out exactly what he and The Initiative are up to first.
The Initiative, Day
Inside lab room 413, lying on a table, was a mixture of human, demon, and mechanical parts combined into a single form. This being was a project of The Initiative's: Project 413. Several transparent tubes were attached to the body from a machine next to the table on which it lay. A lab coat entered the room with a clipboard.
LC: Good morning, Riley. How are we doing today?
He walked around the table to the machine next to it and pressed some buttons on it. The machine sent an electric current into the body, causing it to twitch. The lab coat scribbled on his clipboard.
LC: Hm. Doing well so far. Let's see, the Uranium was installed yesterday, so all that's left to do now is to restrain him down before he-
He was cut off by a skewer jamming through his chest.
LC: -wakes . . . up.
He fell off the skewer and down to the ground. The cyborg, Riley, looked down at the doctor's body, then around the room in curiosity.
R: Interesting . . .
The Master's Lair
Faith paced around the chamber anxiously. The Master and Willow were still discussing what could have happened to Xander, when he came hurrying into the room.
FL: Xander! You're back!
As Faith ran forward and embraced him, Willow seethed with anger. She hated the fact that Xander had started shifting his attention from her to Faith. He wasn't supposed to do this to her! She made him! But . . . priorities first; Where Xander had been was more important now than his pathetic change of affection.
M: What happened to you? Faith said you had been taken away by the army?
XH: (Angrily) Not only that. They did something to me! I can't kill anyone!
WR: What?
XH: Every time I've tried to hit or bite anyone, this pain goes off in my head!
Willow approached Xander and examined his skull.
WR: Well, I'm no expert, but there are stitches here. It looks like they put something in your head that must activate on violent actions, like a chip or something.
XH: Then get it out of me!
WR: I'm not a surgeon, Xander. I can't do anything.
M: Well, you'd better think of something. I won't have my strongest minion unable to fight.
Caleb's Apartment, Day
Caleb was preparing a cup of tea for himself when his door burst open with a bang, nearly making him drop the cup. He placed it on the counter and looked up at Glory and Amy standing in the living room.
C: Knocking is courteous, you know.
GD: Caleb, Adam just came back from The Initiative. Something in there killed someone and escaped.
C: Oh my. Where is Adam, anyway? Is he with you?
AM: No, he's out trying to find whatever did it.
The Master's Lair
Xander stood in the center of the chamber. Willow was chanting and moving her arms around, while The Master, Giles, and Faith watched. Finally, Willow put her hands down.
WR: Nope. Nothing I can do. It can't be removed magically. It would risk turning you into a vegetable.
XH: So what then? I have to go back to those army people and ask them politely to remove the chip they shoved up my brain?
R: Perhaps I can be of assistance.
The new, deep voice made them all jump and turn around. A grotesque being that looked like a mixture of human, demon, and machine parts stood in the entrance to the chamber.
M: What the hell are you?
R: I am a kinematically redundant, bio-mechanical demonoid. My creators called me Riley.
M: O-kay. What are you doing in here then, Riley?
R: You are vampires: Part demon and part human, like myself. I trust you understand the confusion and hopelessness that I feel.
M: No, we don't. We're not walking dead body parts.
R: On the contrary, you are dead bodies with consciousness. The only contrast between yourselves and I is that I am consisted of multiple organic components. I was created to kill living beings to create an army of others like myself, to take on the human and demonic life forms of this world.
M: Good for you. Now, why are you here?
R: I thought we could come to an agreement in collaboration.
M: Did you? Why should we help you?
R: Because I can help remove the behavior modification chip from your minion's brain.
XH: (Hopefully) Really? (Then skeptical) You can do that? You're a botched up science experiment!
R: In addition to organic material and advanced weaponry, I also have the technology and knowledge to perform the required dissection.
XH: (Slowly, uncertain) Alright . . . what do I have to do then?
UC Sunnydale, Night
Glory, Amy, Heinrich, Caleb, and Adam walked around the campus.
H: So, what exactly are we looking for?
AW: The Initiative is underneath the campus. So the thing that escaped must be close to here.
R: A very accurate theorem.
They all jumped. Riley had suddenly appeared in front of them. They stared at the thing, repulsed.
R: You will make a fine addition to my army.
C: Sweet lord of heaven.
R: Adam. You must come with us.
AW: What?
GD: Us?
Xander appeared at Riley's shoulder.
XH: Teamed up with those commandos, Slayer?
H: How's that chip in your head, Xander? Keeping you all behaved?
XH: For your information, I'm about to be rid of it soon.
R: Adam. You must come with us.
AW: Why? What are you?
R: My creators had specific instructions for you.
AW: You mean The Initiative?
R: Certainly. In order to preserve life on this planet and convert the misguided life forms of humanity and demonology into one perfect race. Now come.
AW: No.
R: I gave you the chance to abide willingly. Now, I must resort to the final option.
He pressed a button on his mechanical chest plate. Adam stiffened, then walked obediently to stand next to Riley.
GD: What did you do to him?
R: Nothing. A behavior modifier was implanted inside him by my creators long before I was conceived, in order to prepare him for his destiny by my side.
XH: Can we go now? I really want this damn chip out of my head!
Riley turned and, without another word or confrontation-ending taunt, walked toward the college building behind him. Xander and Adam followed him. But Adam turned his head back to Glory and the others as he walked away. He mouthed "Help me" before turning back ahead and following Riley and Xander into the building.
GD: We've got to save him!
H: I don't get it. He's conditioned, and yet he still has some control of his actions?
C: It seems so. That could be pivotal later, if Riley's control over him is minimal . . .
AM: What do we do about this?
C: Well, it seems that Riley is going to create an army of 'perfect' beings to release upon humanity and . . . Oh lord . . .
GD: What?
AM: I hate it when you say 'oh lord'. It always means something bad.
C: Heinrich said that the containment cells were full of demons. There must be tons of soldiers and scientists working in The Initiative . . .
H: The Trojan horse technique.
C: (Nodding) He's going to release the demons contained in there upon the humans inside.
AM: So they can savage each other?
GD: And give Riley a big pile of body parts from both sides to start creating his army of cyborgs.
H: So the question is, how do we stop it?
GD: Maybe . . . I'll just kick his ass?
C: No. Riley was made out of several different breeds of demon, plus the mechanical installations. He's going to be physically unbeatable in a fight, even for you, Glory.
They stood in silence for a while.
AM: Well, I don't know about the massacre, but I have an idea about how to stop that Riley guy.
The Initiative
Riley, Xander, and Adam stood in a secret room deep within The Initiative. Riley had explained that this room would be the foundation of the new race of Bio-Mechanical demonoids.
XH: So, when do I get the chip out?
R: When the battle is done and my army has risen.
AW: I won't let you do this!
R: Yes you will. You have no power of your own. Not yet. Once you embrace your destiny and forget your old life, you will know power you've never dreamed of.
AW: Do you mean . . . turn me into something like you?
R: It is and always has been your destiny. Sit.
Adam unwillingly sat down in the chair behind him. Riley turned to Xander.
R: Come with me, vampire. I have a job for you.
XH: Is it going to be hard? I want this chip out now if it's going to be hard.
R: It will be removed when everything is in order. Come.
Xander sighed with irritation and followed Riley out of the room, leaving Adam alone. They entered a control room, full of video screens showing every room of the complex. Riley sat down and pressed buttons until alarm klaxons went off.
R: This certainly will be interesting.
Xander saw through the view screens that the demons in containment had been released. They raced out of the room and into the hallways, leaping onto people and ripping them to shreds.
XH: Whoa, that's heavy.
Meanwhile, Glory, Caleb, Amy, and Heinrich had just entered the complex using Adam's instructions. It was total chaos inside. Humans and demons were firing guns and tearing flesh apart on all sides.
C: We need to find a place near Riley and quiet for the spell to work!
H: (Indicating the fighting in front of them) Quiet?
GD: Come on! We need to find them!
They dove into the battle, dodging bullets and claws.
GD: Amy! Try to sense Adam!
Amy ducked behind a crate and closed her eyes. After a minute, her eyes snapped open again.
AM: This way!
She led them down a corridor full of mutilated bodies of human and demon alike until they reached a restricted lab labeled 413, whose door was ajar. They saw a piece of wall across the room that had a line down it, indicating a secret door.
GD: Okay, you guys stay here and do the spell while I go in there?
AM: Yeah. If it works, it will take about five minutes to take effect.
GD: I'll move quickly, then.
C: Good luck.
GD: You guys too.
Glory pulled the wall aside and entered the room behind it. When the wall closed shut behind her, Caleb, Amy, and Heinrich sat in a circle on the floor.
In the secret construction lab, Glory saw Adam sitting in a chair in the middle of the room. She ran down to him.
GD: Adam.
AW: Glory?
GD: Where's Riley?
AW: (With difficulty, owing to the chip's influence) Control . . . room.
GD: Hold on, I'll come back for you once I finish him off.
She ran past him and into the control room. Adam looked next to him and saw some surgery equipment on a table.
In the control room, Riley and Xander spun around as Glory kicked the door open.
XH: Aw geez!
R: You are foolish. You cannot defeat me on your own.
Glory moved forward, but Riley easily threw her back into the wall.
Outside, Adam heard the sounds of fighting. Judging by the sounds of the person being thrown around, he knew it couldn't be going well. He looked over at the line of utensils next to him and somehow managed to inch his hand toward a scalpel and seized it. With another burst of willpower, he shoved the scalpel into his chest and grimaced with pain . . .
Back in the control room, Riley bore down on Glory, who was slumped on the ground.
R: You humans are all weak. Not worthy of life.
Riley extended his right arm, and the bone skewer of the Polgara demon the arm had once belonged to emerged.
R: This is you? Is this really all the infamous Vampire Slayer has?
Then someone else burst into the room, grabbed Riley's skewer and snapped the end off. It was Adam. There was a bloody stain around his heart.
AW: Nope, she's got me too.
R: How is this possible? Your chip-?
Adam held out his hand, which was covered in his own blood. A small metal chip sat in his hand.
AW: I guess my desire to stop you and help Glory overcame the effects of your chip.
XH: You dug out your chip? Hey, can you do mine too?
R: Even two for you are no match for me.
AW: If we were fighting blind, yeah. But we know your weakness.
R: That is absurd. I have no weakness.
Adam took out a small hand held grenade.
R: What is that?
Adam put the grenade on the floor, grabbed Glory's hand, and tugged her back out of the room, hurriedly shutting the door behind them. Riley bent down and looked closely at the grenade. Just as he realized what it was, it exploded.
Outside the room, Adam and Glory heard the explosion from behind the closed door.
GD: What was that?
AW: Electromagnetic Pulse Grenade.
GD: Electro-Huh?
AW: Riley had a Uranium Power Core keeping him alive. His hide was too tough to penetrate, so I set off an EMP grenade. The energy reacted to the Uranium and exploded.
GD: Do you always carry those around with you?
AW: They trained me to be prepared for anything. And it paid off.
They walked out of the room and into the smaller lab, where Caleb, Heinrich, and Amy still sat.
AM: Did it work? The Enjoining spell?
GD: Uh . . . no. We finished him with an EMP grenade.
AM: (Disappointed) It . . . didn't work?
GD: Sorry. But we did win.
AW: Not yet. There is still a war going on between the demons and soldiers here. We have to withdraw the soldiers and seal off The Initiative.
GD: Then let's do it.
The Master's Lair
As The Master sat in her throne, deep in thought, Xander staggered in, covered in suit and looking as though he'd just escaped from a fire.
M: What happened to you?
X: (Hysterically) You wanna know what happened? Fine! I did what that stupid robot said, then the Slayer turned up!
M: Did she kill him?
X: Yep! Blew him up! With me in the room with him!
M: I could tell as soon as he walked in that he would be no help to us at all. His ambition was to get rid of not only humanity, but ourselves as well. You do realize now that had you helped him, you would have died too? Humans, demons, and vampires would have all been wiped out. Plus, he wasn't interested in opening the Hellmouth anyway.
As Xander grunted and left the chamber, The Master felt something in the air change, like a ripple or current; like something had been dramatically changed . . .
She shrugged it off. It was probably nothing.
Nothing had changed . . .