It's a beautiful day in Sunnydale, California—but then again, it always is, isn't it? The sun shines high above the high school as teenagers slip noisily into their classes.

In the library, Giles paces with a book, a little anxious. Then the doors burst open to reveal our hero: Buffy Summers, and she's met with delighted cheers from an invisible audience.

"Hey Giles," Buffy says, "Whatcha reading? Old book?"

Giles rolls his eyes, oozing sarcasm, "Seventeen Magazine."

Unheard laughter explodes from the ether as Buffy starts practicing some punches.

"No, um, actually," Giles continues, "The, erm, new computer teacher is picking up some textbooks for his class and I thought I'd… Well, it's some of the last I have of…"

"Oh, shoot. Sorry Giles," Buffy says, "I guess they can't keep Will teaching that class forever."

As if on cue—and it may very well have been—Willow enters the room, clutching some notebooks, with Xander in tow. Once again, cheers erupt.

Willow looks around the library, apparently bewildered, but Xander quickly announces: "Hey homies! Bro-mies. G-Man and Buffster." Laughter again, lighter this time and perhaps unwarranted, "I'm trying to be nickname guy. Is it working?"

"I'd prefer Mr. Giles, thank you," Giles says, placing his book atop a pile of others.

"No problem, G-Dawg," says Xander to more laughter.

Willow looks rather frazzled, "What is that?"

"You good, Wills?" Xander asks.

"Yeah, uh," Willow says, "I'm dandy! Yankee doodle dandy. Hey, what's that mean anyhow? 'Yankee doodle dandy'? We doodling now?" Another burst of laughter has Willow dropping her books—which incites yet more laughter. Her papers fly everywhere in a slapstick performance of futility. "Do you guys hear that?"

The other three turn to her, now bewildered in turn.

"Hear what?" Buffy asks.

At that moment in comes a rather handsome thirty-something fellow in a business-casual suit. He's met with raucous cheers, much more excited than those the others received, and Willow feels vaguely miffed at her colder greeting before her mind returns to the problem at hand, " That! Don't you guys hear it? The clapping?"

Eyebrows raise at her before all attention lands on the newcomer.

"Ah," Giles says, "You must be Mr. Vision."

"Just Vision is fine," says the man.

"Hey, I'd try to come up with a cool nickname but that name is already way cool," says Xander. More of that invisible laughter echoes through the library.

"I'm Mr. Giles," says Buffy's Watcher, "The librarian. Please come to me should you need any… books." Laughter echoes again.

"It's not even funny!" Willow mutters to herself, but no one seems to acknowledge her.

Vision smiles warmly at Mr. Giles, seeming almost guilty to ask, "I'm told you have some textbooks for my class?"

Buffy giggles, "Oh my god, you're like tech-Giles."

"Tech?" Vision squeaks, suddenly defensive, "I'm human. Flesh and bone."

"His voice even gets all high when he's nervous," says Xander.

The two British gentlemen at once respond with a pinch of the bridges of their noses and the words: "Stop it!"

There's a pause, and then more of that inexplicable laughter, which is joined by the chuckles of Buffy and Xander themselves.

"Jeeze," Buffy says, "It's like they make you guys in a factory."

"They most certainly do not!" Vision seems anxious to defend himself.

Giles furrows his eyebrows for a moment, and then shrugs. He hands Vision a big stack of books, "Careful, it's heavy."

Vision takes them easily. But then, as though to prove Giles' point, he stumbles slightly, "Ah, yes. So heavy indeed! Ahem, thank you, Mr. Giles. And nice meeting you all."

"You're the new computer teacher, right?" Willow pipes up just before he turns to leave.

"Yes!" Vision is not thankful for the delay, but smiles nevertheless.

"I, uh, I kinda subbed the class last year after…" Willow halts her words, certain that this stranger did not need to know anything of Miss Calendar, "Well, let me know if you need any after-school help or anything. I'm good with that stuff."

"I think I'll be quite alright," Vision says, "And you are?"

"Willow."

Vision nods, backing quite awkwardly out of the room. Once he is gone, Giles readily picks up a much more comfortable grimoire.

Willow is still rather concerned, though. "Guys, don't you think something… strange is going on?" she asks.

"Something strange is always going on," says Buffy, "I think there was a poll to rename the town 'Something Strange is Going On-ville.'"

Xander snickers, "I voted for 'This Place is Freaky-burg'".

Willow twitches as more laughter sounds throughout the room. "Don't you hear that?" Willow asks, "There's the laughter, and cheering and… And what kinda name is 'Vision'? That's not a real name!"

"Will," says Xander, "Did you stop by the Espresso Pump this morning? You know too much caffeine makes you a little 'Once Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.'"

Laughter again, and Willow grunts in frustration, "Usually you guys talk… you know, better! Wittier! Why are your jokes so lame? And Xander, I know you don't pay enough attention in English class to know the title of that book. It's out of character! Something's going on here… and I think that Vision guy has something to do with it."

"Will," Buffy says, "I know you are still upset about Miss Calendar and you don't want someone to replace her, and I know you liked subbing the computer class. But as far as any of us can tell, Vision is just a normal guy. Okay?" There's a beat, "I mean, maybe a Giles clone. But normal besides that."

That invisible audience cackles at Buffy's unfunny quip, and Willow barrels angrily from the room.

Buffy pouts as her friend leaves, "What's up with her?"