JEHONAS Thanks, Kam. KAM Anytime. They both grasp each others' hand in mutual respect. A brotherly-like exchange. They hug and Jehonas moves off to the exit. ON KAM as he looks over a checklist of medicine, herbs and such. Then he remembers something. KAM Jehonas -- Jehonas walks back into the backroom. KAM Thought you'd be interested to know, there are some rumors here and around Chinatown that the gurn-sei is here -- CLOSE ON JEHONAS, as he stares at his friend. His ever-longing adamant expression of calm faltering a bit upon hearing that word. He knows it. KAM -- and he's looking for you. Jehonas removes his shades as he carefully considers the ramifications of that. JEHONAS Rumors? From where? KAM You know the old people around here. They've got that special knack of knowing what's what. Even if the young and naïve like myself don't understand. You pick up gossip like that around here. He shifts his eyes away. JEHONAS Stay cool, Kam. KAM You know me. INT. WHISTLER'S WORKSHOP - JEHONAS' CELL - DAY ON BUFFY as she comes to. Her wounds have been bandaged. She rises, a little shaky, takes in her surroundings--She's in a spartan room, like a monk's cell. Shelves of books line a small portion of one wall. On the far wall is a collection of knives and daggers. Some of them wooden, their hilts inscribed with bizarre-looking runes. In the center of these weapons rests -- JEHONAS' BLADE, resting in a display, dominating all else. Buffy touches it. Feels the grip. Then her eyes drop to a silver heart-shaped pendant which dangles from the cross-shaped pommel by a tarnished chain. She reaches for it, feels it. The pendant features a small golden cross on its front side. Tiny symbols run along the heart shaped length, etched in gold. A work of beauty. Suddenly, the hilt starts to rotate slowly. Buffy looks closer in curiosity at this sudden movement. There are symbols and runes engraved in the hilt and they seem to be matching then, SHINK! Several sharp blades spring from their holds within the hilt. Buffy jumps back, startled. The blades look menacing, then quickly as they sprung, -SHINK- return back to the hilt. She shakes her head, Buffy moves away and notices a peculiar setting on the corner of the room. A large white cushion in front of an OAK WOODEN DISPLAY case with a large vase and red rose inside. On top is a LARGE PORTRAIT of a blonde woman sitting, young and beautiful and standing behind her with his hands to her shoulders, a handsome dark-haired man with a sharp black goatee. Buffy moves towards the door, cautious -- INT. WHISTLER'S WORKSHOP - KAREN'S LAB - DAY We hear VOICES now, coming from somewhere below, out the door. She moves towards the exit cautiously as we, CUT TO: We see KAREN working on something on a lab table. We can also hear Whistler talking in the b.g. WHISTLER (O.S.) You bringing home a stray like that, it's a bad habit. But I think you may have lucked out again -- ON BUFFY now as she reaches the bottom of the stairs. She hides behind some of the equipment and SEES -- JEHONAS strapped into some kind of Inquisition-esque restraint chair. His shirt is off, his body slick with sweat. Whistler finishes strapping Jehonas in, then stands back, preparing a gas- powered pistol injector -- WHISTLER I did some inside checking on that young lady. She's more than she appears to be, Jehonas. JEHONAS She's not from around here. WHISTLER Besides that. Her father works in forensics at that hospital you found her in. Might be something. JEHONAS Might be nothing. She's a Slayer. That's all. Karen fills a tube with some form of reddish liquid and the serum that was picked up in Chinatown. She picks up into the light and jiggles to mix -- WHISTLER You have a way with women, don't you? He looks up at Whistler and gives his best light-hearted facial expression without a smile. Whistler laughs and holds up the INJECTOR. WHISTLER So what is this you're telling me about this new friend of yours. JEHONAS He's in New York somewhere. Probably going his ways to locate my whereabouts. WHISTLER Sounds like a lost love. Karen finishes her work and goes over with the tube. Whistler takes it and connects it to the injector -- KAREN I had to increase the dose this time. Compensate for your growing resistance to the serum. It's over fifty milligrams now. WHISTLER (hesitant) That's getting dangerous. JEHONAS Just do it -- old man. Whistler nods, fitting Jehonas with a bite guard. Then he presses the pistol-injector against Jehonas' carotid artery. Jehonas shakes violently, grinding his teeth through the bite guard, veins cording in his neck. He clutches Whistler's hand, holding it tightly as he fights his way through the hellish seizure. To his credit, Whistler never lets go. Comrade-in-arms stare at one another as the mysterious serum runs its violent course. We understand that these shared moments, oddly private in their horror, are the glue which binds the two vampire hunters together. Finally, Jehonas slumps forward in his restraints, exhausted. TIGHT ON BUFFY, drawing back, instinctively knowing that she's just witnessed something she shouldn't have. ON JEHONAS, Karen comes over and massages the shoulder muscles of Jehonas -- trying to soothe his ordeal. His body is still physically exhausted from accepting the serum. However, this doesn't prevent him from feeling a presence nearby aside from Whistler and Karen. Jehonas looks up and catches -- JEHONAS' POV: BUFFY Startled, she looks for an exit, SEES another doorway. She makes for it -- ON WHISTLER instinctively, he jumps after Buffy showing remarkable agility for one his condition. Jehonas looks on in silence at the ensuing chase. INT. WHISTLER'S LAB - DAY Buffy darts through an open gate, taking a brief moment to slam it shut behind her. Whistler appears on the other side of a shelf and sees where she is heading. He takes off and, A CLOSED GATE blocks Buffy's path. A dead-end. Buffy groans in dismay, turning and running right into -- WHISTLER, who now blocks the path. Buffy retreats a step, wary and in combat stance. WHISTLER Wandered off the beaten path, little lady? Buffy tries to run past him but he is quick and side-steps to block off her route. WHISTLER Whoa, whoa. We're not going to hurt you. BUFFY Where am I? Who are you people? She's really tensed. So much so she doesn't even notice a figure land right behind her. Buffy can't be blamed, though. The landing was as quiet as a feather on a pillow. WHISTLER My name is Abraham Whistler. (the man from behind) And you've met Jehonas. ANGLE ON BUFFY as she turns and sees Jehonas right behind her with a large glimmering knife in hand. He stands attentively and watches her. WHISTLER You were attacked by a vampire last night. Jehonas rescued you and brought you here for precautionary reasons. You'll be safe for now. Buffy brings a hand to her bandaged neck, recalling the events of the previous night. BUFFY I was with a guy also last night. What about -- JEHONAS I only had time to save one of you. Pray he didn't turn. Jehonas eyes Buffy, sees she's about to burst into tears, then looks to Whistler. As far as he's concerned, there's no more conversation. JEHONAS We've got work to do, Whistler. Jehonas turns and EXITS. INT. WHISTLER'S WORKSHOP - DAY Beyond the grimy outer windows, we can see that the day is closing -- long shadows, amber light. Buffy lingers in the doorway, reeling from information overload. Whistler is busy with the '69 Olds. He yanks out the nose of the fuel tank roughly and inserts it into the car; not at all minding that fuel is being spilled here and there. A quick flick of the wrist and he LIGHTS up a smoke. Jehonas begins suiting up for his nightly hunt -- strapping on body armor, loading ammunition. He strings the tarnished locket around his neck as if it were an amulet that could ward off evil, then pauses to inspect a modified pistol, sighting down the length of it. Buffy leaves the doorway and approaches the group. She looks nervous, watching them go about their business as if this were any normal day. BUFFY So the guy who attacked me at the hospital, he's some kind of vampire, right? WHISTLER He is a vampire. The homines nocturna. As you can figure, we hunt them, moving from one city to the next, tracking their migrations. They're hard to kill though. They tend to regenerate quickly. BUFFY He doesn't look anything like the ones -- JEHONAS Like humans, vampires come in many different flavors. They have their own sub-races, their own cultures, their own blends. BUFFY Oh. KAREN However, they all share the same genetic heritage. Their DNA are all alike to each other. BUFFY Oh. I guess the usual stake is still the boss, huh? WHISTLER (nodding) Some of the old wives' tales are true -- they're severely allergic to various types of wood. Ones we hunt here, the Erebus clan, they have a special vulnerability to silver -- We SEE Jehonas slapping in a fresh clip of the special silver bullets, chambers a round. Music to his ears. WHISTLER (CONT'D) Feed them garlic and they'll go into anaphylactic shock -- Whistler goes under one of the cabinets and picks up a black heavy duty flashlight. He hefts it, and flicks on the beam. WHISTLER (CONT'D) -- and of course there's always sunlight, ultra-violet rays. He waves it playfully at Jehonas, shining on his youthful face, soliciting a chuckle from Karen. Jehonas gives Whistler a brief look and returns to his weapons. BUFFY I know the deal. WHISTLER I'm sure you do. You're a Slayer, correct? BUFFY Yeah. Yeah, I am. JEHONAS (O.S.) There was a Slayer here a couple of years back. Buffy turns to regard Jehonas. He is busy looking over a map of the city now. BUFFY Well, where is she now? JEHONAS Dead. A vampire seduced her into submission. Apparently, youth got the better of her senses. We see Buffy becoming distraught. She shifts her eyes away to nowhere in particular on the floor -- Karen gives Jehonas a minor scolding look. JEHONAS Slayers were meant to patrol the countryside. Not run around in cities dominated by real Clans thinking the same life applies there also. WHISTLER You know. JEHONAS (pointedly) I know. Jehonas folds up his map and hops off on to the floor. BUFFY Well if it'll make you feel any better, I didn't come here with slaying on my mind. WHISTLER Don't mind him. He gets a little moody before work. We just want you to be cautious. We both know you're a Slayer. However, you've been exposed to them now. JEHONAS You've seen one of them. You won't be allowed to live after that. Jehonas takes the flashlight from Whistler and feels the weight. JEHONAS (shaking head) It's still too heavy. WHISTLER Well, you're so big. INT. WHISTLER'S LAB - THE DRIVEWAY - DAY Jehonas shoves open the chain-linked gate, leads Buffy out -- JEHONAS If you want to live to see another day, you'll be out of town by nightfall. BUFFY So where's a 17-year old without a driver's license suppose to go? JEHONAS Better start using that brain then. They know you're here. Worse yet, you're a Slayer, making you a hot commodity. BUFFY Oh, that's great. I'm in town for a few hours and I'm already Miss Popular. JEHONAS Price to pay for what you do. ANGLE ON THE OLDS Jehonas moves up near the back and tosses a bag in along with the heavy flashlight. He unbuckles his blade and with an expert twist of the shaft, throws it into the backseat. ON DOORWAY Whistler emerges behind Buffy -- WHISTLER There's a war going on out there in the city. Jehonas, Karen, myself, a few others -- we've tried to keep it from spilling over onto the streets. (beat) Sometimes people, even like yourself, get caught in the cross-fire. Like you said, you know the deal. Whistler shrugs. As far as he's concerned, there's nothing else to say. Buffy is still protesting, though. BUFFY That's it? You're just gonna patch me up and send me on my way? (off Whistler's shrug) Wait. You know I'm a Slayer. I can -- Whistler raises his hand, then turns to Jehonas for an answer. JEHONAS We'd better get going. An uneasy grunt. Whistler reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small metallic canister and hands it to Buffy. WHISTLER Here, take this. Vampire mace -- silver nitrate, essence of garlic. If you're ever in a skinny. Buffy looks down at the item. WHISTLER One more thing. Something you should pay careful attention to. If you start becoming sensitive to the daylight, if you start becoming thirsty regardless of how much you've had to drink -- then I suggest you do yourself in. Any way. Better that, than the alternative. Buffy stares at Whistler, distressed, before looking back to Jehonas. He stands there, patient, poised, waiting, and ready, as we -- CUT TO: EXT. CITY FREEWAY - DAY The Olds roars along the quiet highway, heading back towards the city. INT. JEHONAS' OLDS - DAY Buffy watches in silence as the morning sun creeps past the skyscrapers of old New York. The light washes over her and the car, causing her to turn her head away. CUT TO: INT. THE VAMPIRE ARCHIVES - DAY We are deep in the narrow stacks of a sepulchral archive. Exactly what and where this place is will become more clearer later on. But for now, the CAMERA DRIFTS through the warren of aisles. Along the way, we catch a glimpse of a HULKING SILHOUETTE cowering behind a series of Japanese shoji screens. Later on, we find -- FROST tucked away in a carrel, surrounded by books and scriptures, with only the SICKLY GLOW of his laptop to provide light. In his ears, he has head phones plugged in to a nearby portable CD player. Dragonetti emerges from the shadows -- DRAGONETTI You have been warned before. These archives are restricted to the elders of the House of Erebus. Frost doesn't reply. Dragonetti approaches and looks at the screen of the laptop, and SEES what he is working on -- a myriad of symbols and words flashing quickly. DRAGONETTI You're wasting your time, Frost. Far greater scholars than you have tried to decipher these words. Whatever secrets they hold have been lost. Still no answer. DRAGONETTI Dammit, Frost! I'm talking to you! Frost looks up at Dragonetti with a slight smirk and unplugs his earphones. FROST Sshh. Keep your voice down -- Frost turns off the CD player, rising, approaching casually to Dragonetti. FROST We're in a library. There's no need to shout. Dragonetti's had it. SMACK! He slaps Frost hard across the face. DRAGONETTI What are you up to, Frost? Tell me! Frost feels the stinging sensation from his cheek. Then turns back to Dragonetti, taking a moment to readjust his shirt. FROST What are you gonna do? Hmm? Frost studies Dragonetti, a self-satisfied grin on his face. If the act was intended to unnerve Dragonetti, it succeeded, though the ancient vampire would never admit it. FROST What are you gonna do? A beat as the young turk stares his elder down. Dragonetti is the first to lose his nerve. DRAGONETTI You bore me. He turns and exits, making sure to look back once. CAMERA DRIFTS back to the hulking silhouette, which has been eavesdropping on the conversation. It quivers in fear. INT. JEHONAS' OLDS (ON THE HOSPITAL STREET CORNER) - DAY Jehonas brings the car to a stop. Buffy looks at him. His eyes are hidden behind his glasses, his expression calm. EXT. STREET CORNER - DAY As Buffy climbs out, Jehonas swings the door shut behind her. JEHONAS Remember what we told you. You're in a new world. Keep your eyes open. They're everywhere. The Olds ROARS off down the empty alleyway. BUFFY But it's day time! To no avail. The Olds speed off, leaving a small whirlwind of litter and paper. Then suddenly, Buffy gets real cautious and looks around. Does day and night not matter in New York City? INT. HOSPITAL - LOBBY - DAY Buffy enters the hospital through the SLIDING DOORS and approaches a counter. The area is bustling with activity as paramedics, nurses, janitors, etc. move to and from places. A nurse/receptionist in casual clothes sits there fingering away at the computer in front. She notices Buffy and gives a bright, warm receptionist's smile. BUFFY Hi. I'm looking for my dad. He works here. NURSE And the name, please? BUFFY Summers, Hank.
