He moves her aside and follows after Frost. KRIEGER Frost. It's about Jehonas. He was waiting for me. Frost nods, in deep brooding contemplation. They pass a little BLONDE GIRL who sits by herself on the floor near Quinn's couch. QUINN Hey, man. I was just telling these bitches all about you, man! Frost glares at Quinn. The smile immediately disappears. QUINN Deke? Oh, man. Frost is mad. You don't want to fuck with him when he's mad. It's a bad idea. Frost again leaves and disappears into another doorway leading back to the pool. Krieger is nervous. He follows. KRIEGER There wasn't anything I could do. He used the girl as bait. MERCURY And you were stupid enough to fall for it. KRIEGER Shut up, bitch. I didn't know he was gonna be there. But don't worry. All we have to do is get the girl -- FROST Tell me something, Krieger, what blood type are you? Krieger hesitates. Is this a trick question? KRIEGER I don't really know -- FROST Take a wild stab. A? B? O, perhaps? I'm interested in the antigens here, the agglutination reaction -- Krieger stammers as Frost turns. In the blink of an eye, Frost lifts Krieger from the floor, dangling the Officer over the deep end of the pool by his throat. FROST I'm going to guess AB positive. Krieger GURGLES as Frost's fingernails pierce his flesh, drawing blood. Then Frost releases him -- Krieger plunges into the pool. Mercury dives and is on him in a heartbeat, tearing him apart like a Great White consuming a piece of chum. The water churns violently around them, clouding with red. When it's over, Mercury rises from the pool, dripping wet, covered from head to toe in a crimson sheen. She kisses Frost hungrily, letting Krieger's blood flow from her mouth to his. Frost flicks a tongue over his lips. FROST AB positive. Give the man a prize. A vampire goon walks up to the couple and hands Frost a cell phone. VAMPIRE GOON #1 It's Riven. Frost takes it, and listens. RIVEN (V.O.) He's headed toward the archives with the girl. FROST (beat) We're coming. Frost snaps the cell phone closed. We see Quinn approaching the two. FROST Un-fucking-believable. I want you two to go there. MERCURY What about the girl? FROST Forget the girl. I want Jehonas only. (to Quinn) You hear me, Quinn? I want him alive. Mercury nods compliantly. They both kiss and move off, leaving Quinn hardly believing his ears. QUINN What? Wait a minute. You want him alive? CUT TO: INT. THE VAMPIRE ARCHIVES - NIGHT Jehonas pulls a CD-ROM from the shelves, its spine labeled in indecipherable vampire glyphs. BUFFY So what exactly are we looking for down here? JEHONAS Frost's been spending some time in the archives alone even though he's been warned not to. Time to find out why. He pauses, hearing a DISTANT WHISPER. Jehonas signals quiet, silently leading Buffy through the stacks towards -- PEARL'S LAIR A vestibule of sorts, leading to a larger bed chamber constructed of rice paper shoji screens and tatami mats. Candles glow within, illuminating a MONSTROUSLY OBESE SHADOW beyond the translucent rice paper walls. Buffy makes a face as they get closer. BUFFY What's that smell? The shadow speaks in a tremulous, bird-like voice. PEARL'S VOICE (O.S.) You need twelve elders to make the ritual work. As Jehonas draw his sword, the massive shadow freezes. PEARL'S VOICE (O.S.) Lorca, is that you? Jehonas slides open the nearest shoji screen. INT. PEARL'S BED CHAMBER - NIGHT No vampire Buffy's seen up until this point could prepare her for the archive's curator -- PEARL, a nine-hundred-pound androgynous vampire of Asian origin, lounging amidst pillowed rice mats, wearing a communications headset. Think of a cross between Divine and Jabba The Hutt. Skin the complexion of buttermilk, so corpulent he can barely move, so engorged with blood that he's actually sweating it from the pores of his skin. Pearl is surrounded by a nest of monitors and keyboards which have been affixed to counter-balanced arms - this way, Pearl can access information without leaving bed. At the sight of Jehonas, Pearl's eyes widen in fear -- PEARL (into a speakerphone) He's here! Jehonas is here! FROST'S VOICE (from a nearby laptop screen) Congratulations, Day-Walker. JEHONAS Frost. INT. FROST'S PENTHOUSE - POOL - NIGHT Frost stands near his pool, looking down on the video cam, grinning. The camera is hooked up to the laptop which serves as a monitor for video feed. A two-way visual communication between Pearl's chamber and his penthouse. FROST In the flesh, Jehonas. I understand you've been looking for me. I'm flattered. INT. PEARL'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT As Jehonas listens, Pearl reaches for his trackball, attempting to delete the document currently on his monitors -- but Jehonas lunges forward, sinking the tip of his sword into Pearl's fleshy throat. Pearl freezes. JEHONAS (eyeballing Pearl) It'll pass. Frost's DEEP LAUGHTER drifts from the speakerphone. INT. FROST'S PENTHOUSE - POOL - NIGHT Frost settles into his chair, enjoying the cat and mouse. FROST You're quick, Jehonas. Your legend never dies. In the space of an hour you've crossed my familiar, destroyed a blood run -- (beat) Now somehow here you are in the heart of our archives, terrorizing our curator. PEARL'S VOICE He has a knife to my throat, Frost! You need me! You -- FROST You're history, Pearl. Have the good grace to die with some dignity. INT. PEARL'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT Pearl is shivering under its blubbering mass. JEHONAS Frost? Jehonas pulls out his Eagle .44 from his off hand and points it down towards the screen -- the barrel straight at Frost's face. JEHONAS Be ready. INT. FROST'S PENTHOUSE - POOL - NIGHT Frost stares down at the barrel of the gun then -- BANG -- Nothing but static on his laptop screen. Just at that moment, the blonde siren appears at his side. Frost glowers over Jehonas' penetration of the archives. He turns off the laptop. FROST Shit. FEMALE VAMPIRE ELDER Don't worry. We have the translations complete. Pearl is no longer of any use to us. (beat) There are forces working against us, my childe, even within our own kind. We need to act quickly. INT. PEARL'S BEDCHAMBER - NIGHT Jehonas tosses his satchel on the bed, opens it. Inside is a hand-held UV lamp hooked up to a nine-volt battery. Pearl eyes the device, fearful. PEARL What is that? JEHONAS This, biscuit boy, is a sun lamp. We're gonna play a little game of twenty questions. Depending on your answers, you might leave with just a small tanning session. Jehonas looks to Pearl's monitor and SEES a digitized image, the SAME MANUSCRIPT Deacon had been studying earlier. JEHONAS First, what were you in such a big hurry to delete just now? PEARL Oh that's nothing. Routine research. Actually, it's a video game -- Jehonas turns on the lamp. Pearl HOWLS as the harsh light falls upon him. Jehonas flicks the light off. Pearl cringes, GROWLING, his face smoking profusely. Exposure to the UV rays, even for one short second, has made his face blister like a plague victim's. JEHONAS That must've hurt. PEARL (relenting) It's an epistle, a letter Frost has been translating -- it prophesizes LaMagra's return. JEHONAS And who is LaMagra? PEARL I'm not really sure. So many names to keep track of -- Jehonas turns on the lamp for a longer time. Pearl thrashes, covering his face. His hands blacken, the skin sizzling away to expose the finger bones beneath. Buffy has to avert her gaze. Jehonas turns off the lamp. Pearl SNARLS, his body quivering with poisonous rage. He starts to spew out some sort of religious cant in the vampire tongue. PEARL (subtitled, vampire tongue) LaMagra is the Sleeper! The Spirits of the Twelve will awaken the Sleeper! LaMagra is coming! LaMagra is coming! Jehonas listens attentively. BUFFY What the heck did he just say? PEARL And there's nothing you can do about it, Day-walker! Jehonas stares down at Pearl with a cold gaze. Pearl goes whiter than white. JEHONAS Is that so? PEARL (nervously) Well that's what Frost says. JEHONAS You don't mind if we borrowed this then? Jehonas hits the eject button and a golden like colored computer disc pops out. Buffy takes it and places it into one of her pockets. Jehonas leans in close so he's eye to eye with Pearl. JEHONAS I have a hidden passion for history as well. So tell me, Pearl. Where else can I find out more about this LaMagra Frost is so excited over? Pearl sweats blood, his flaking, slug-like lips quivering. PEARL The vault -- Jehonas follows Pearl's eyes to an armored door, then he stands back, handing the UV rig to Buffy. JEHONAS If he moves, fry him. Jehonas approaches the vault door, sizing up its locking mechanism. He pulls an explosive charge from his combat belt and secures it to the door, arming it with a BEEP! PEARL Please, I'll give you the combination! You'll damage the documents! Our history! JEHONAS All good things must come to an end. Enraged, Pearl LUNGES from his bed. Buffy triggers the UV rig, flash-frying him to a blackened crisp. Pearl quivers, his enormous body smoking like a piece of charred meat. Jehonas looks back at Buffy with newfound respect. She shrugs. BUFFY He moved. Jehonas turns back to the vault, setting off the charge. BOOM! Jehonas kicks the damaged door in, knocking it clear off its hinges -- inside the vault, ancient papers flutter through the smoky air like wind-borne leaves. Jehonas and Buffy SEE giant lucite-encased documents -- fragments of a ancient, calligraphied papyrus -- suspended by high strength cables from the ceiling. BUFFY Wow. Completely mystical. What are they? Jehonas moves by Buffy and carefully looks over one of the giant fragments. JEHONAS Pages from the Book of Erebus. It's like a bible, but for vampires. They were written well over a thousand years ago by one of the sons of Caine, Erebus. It dictates everything that he's done and his kin, years and centuries after, have done. ON BUFFY as she studies one of the fragments herself. Each one of the giant parchments is written over with countless symbols and hieroglyphics. Lines and lines flowing one after another. BUFFY That's one really big diary. JEHONAS You can call it that. LaMagra must be one of their legends. He moves off, checking the area, leaving Buffy behind. BUFFY Well can you translate any of them? I don't speak vampire too well. No answer. Then she sees him coming around one of the glass panels. He looks a bit ill at ease, keeping an eye on the blown doorway. BUFFY What now? JEHONAS We need to work fast. Split up and look for the page about this LaMagra. BUFFY Okay, where did I lose you on that whole I can't read vampire words thing? Jehonas frowns then pauses, hearing faint FOOTSTEPS. Buffy moves over to one of the displays, examines it. BUFFY I'd never pay much attention to stuff like this anyway. Guess Giles never made it interesting. Jehonas signals Buffy to be quiet and listens. CUTTING BACK AND FORTH between a figure we can't quite see running around and Jehonas looking left and right, trying to anticipate where its running to -- Jehonas moves off and looks behind one of the giant displays, nothing. More FOOTSTEPS. Jehonas quickly moves after it, homing in the noise. He turns a corner. Nothing. He turns another. Nothing. FOOTSTEPS a little louder now. ON JEHONAS AND BUFFY as they arrive at the center of the giant display room. They do not expect to see a little blonde girl sitting in the center, knees drawn up to her chin. She's the same girl from Frost's place. Jehonas looks her over and extends his hand. JEHONAS Give me your hand -- QUINN (O.S.) Curiosity killed the cat. Jehonas and Buffy spin to -- QUINN, Mercury, and a number of other vampires stand at the entrance to the vault. QUINN (grins) Hola, amigo. Remember me? JEHONAS Oh yes. Quick hands, Jehonas reaches for his handgun then suddenly the little blonde girl gets to her feet and lands a hard jump kick on his back. Jehonas stumbles forward and spins around, but the girl, with astounding strength, sends a kick into his torso and then another jump kick to his face, throwing him back into one of the giant displays. -CRASH- GLASS shatters from the weight of his fall. Buffy triggers the UV light blinding and burning one unlucky vampire, but Mercury ducks under it, ripping it from her hands, crushing it. In a split-second, the she-demon has her claws around Buffy's throat. Buffy reacts and swings her arm up, throwing off Mercury's hand. BUFFY ducks under a slashing attack from Mercury, she uses her position to kick out Mercury's legs from under her. Mercury easily jumps over the attack. One of the vampires wraps his arms around her, effectively pinning her arms, and lifts her up. She throws her head back, catching the vampire square in the jaw, and he drops her. JEHONAS gets back on one knee and sees the little girl barreling down on him with another jump kick. This time, he shifts his weight to the side and catches her leg as she goes by. He holds firm as she twists and falls on the floor. Several vampires converge on him. A wild SWING, Jehonas parries and snaps his fists forward, knocking away one. The little blonde gets back to her feet and attacks. She sends a continuous series of high kicks without slowing down. Jehonas parries, and parries, and grabs hold of her ankle. She looks with innocent eyes. Jehonas backhands her and she spins to the floor. A vampire tries to kick, Jehonas knocks his leg out of the way and punches hard into the gut. He gets TWO VAMPIRES from his sides. Jehonas snaps his fists forward in lightning fashion, catching one in the face, and then in time grabs hold of an arm as it tries to swing. A series of punches from abdomen, to chest and finally an uppercut to the chin. The vampire falls back into glass and more displays are SHATTERED. BUFFY is busy fending off an asian martial arts vampire. He strikes quick, sending his fists in all directions. Buffy is keeping her own, matching blow with parry. Then a spinning punch by the vampire. Buffy ducks under and sweeps his legs. The vampire falls and Buffy is instantly on top, sending down a hard stamping kick to the face. Buffy runs off to find Jehonas. BUFFY Jehonas!! She turns a corner of a display and CRACK!! A kick from out of nowhere catches her in the face. Buffy staggers back from the blow and instantly Mercury grabs her. ON JEHONAS as he is finishing off another pair of vampires when he hears her scream his name. He also hears the quick movement of legs and feet, and turns to -- ANGLE ON JEHONAS A figure spins out from the higher level and down to Jehonas landing a devastating kick down to his face. Jehonas is knocked to the floor, hard. ON RIVEN He glares down at Jehonas and readies his stance. Jehonas gets back to his feet. He is startled to see him, face-to-face. JEHONAS Riven. (beat) So after all these years, you end up with someone like Frost. Then, Mercury shows up with BUFFY in her grasp. The other surviving vampires quickly surround the inner circle, trapping Jehonas with Riven inside. They circle each other, keeping eye contact, watching for the first flinch. Riven watches Jehonas closely, responding in his native Mandarin tongue. RIVEN (subtitled, Mandarin) He has a path which is right for our people. You know we cannot hide in this world forever. JEHONAS (subtitled, Mandarin) It's being done now, you fool. Riven sneers, stops, and adopts into a fighting stance. RIVEN (subtitled, Mandarin) You're the fool for going against your own kind. You have power in your hands to help us, not to fight us. JEHONAS (subtitled, Mandarin) Power comes ambition which brings blindness. You know that. (beat) Or have you totally lost your mind when you decided to turn traitor against the human race? Riven attacks Jehonas. The Riven-Jehonas combat scene is spectacular. Both of them are on the full offensive, displaying punches, kicks, dodges, and strikes as evidence to their years of intensive training. RIVEN dodges a swing, and kicks hard down to the back of Jehonas' leg. His leg bends forward. Riven kicks again and Jehonas blocks with his forearm. Jehonas goes on the attack. Riven blocks and swats away his fists and throws several punches, forcing Jehonas to stagger back. A sudden twist and Riven roundhouse kicks him. Jehonas gets thrown back through the bedchamber -- PEARL'S BEDCHAMBER Jehonas lands with a thud and tries to get back up, but Riven using the distance lands a hard jump kick. Jehonas flies back to a large pillar. The vampires converge and grab him, pinning him. QUINN Hey, hey! Nice footwork, man. You gotta teach me that step one of these days. Riven eyes him to back off and moves to one side to dust himself off. Quinn makes a face at him and goes back to Jehonas. QUINN You took my arm, man. But that's cool, I'm growing a new one -- Quinn lifts up his "arm". A skeletal forearm has grown from the stump. Its got cartilage, sinew, and muscle, but no flesh yet.
