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.