Chapter 3 Barrington High-Day

Dawn and Amanda are opening lockers, preparing for class. A guy, Jared, comes up to them.

Jared: Hi Amanda. Auditioning for the choir tomorrow?

Amanda: Huh? Oh uh, maybe. Do I stand a chance?

Jared: They're a little short of people, Y'know, if you wanted I could talk to Mr. Mundy for you.

Amanda: Oh yeah that'd be great. Thanks.

Jared: No problem. I mean us former Sunnydalians should stick together right? As we're obviously cursed.

Amanda: Does seem that way.

Jared: Though it could just be because the school was evil.

Dawn: What? How do you-

Jared: Well 'cause it's pretty rare for meteors to wipe out towns I was sorta curious to know just where it hit, and the blast radius was like, perfect circle, and it was centred right on the school. And that's what happened to the last one too. Maybe it's some kind of psychosomatic thing. Y'know the students want it to be destroyed so much, that…

Amanda: And you worked this out how?

Jared: I got a map of Sunnydale, and, well I asked these weird army guys who showed up what the radius was, worked out the centre and compared them. Anyway, I've got to get to class. See ya.

Amanda: To Dawn. Apparently he's in the chess club too.

Dawn: You've gotta kind of admire that much determination to be a geek.

Amanda: Yeah, it's weird, 'cause it doesn't fit the body.

Dawn: Noticed. I think we'd better tell Buffy about the army people. Just in case.

Amanda: In case what? It's not like they're going to find anything, or open it up again.

Dawn: No but there used to be this thing called the Initiative, sort of a government conspiracy to scapture and study demons.

Amanda: Shouldn't they be on our side?

Dawn: Yeah, but last time they messed around with this sort of thing they unleashed a kind of cross between Robocop and Frankenstein, that tried to create a new master race out of dead bodies. Wasn't fun.

The bell rings and they head off to class. Wesley's House- Night Fred, Wesley and Lorne are gathered there. Knox is in hospital.

Fred: Okay, we're in trouble.

Lorne: That doesn't even begin to cover it sweetheart.

Fred: They've done something to Gunn. He would never, ever do something like that. It's not- it can't be him.

Wesley: It's our deal with Wolfram and Hart that has done this. If we can take that back we may be able to fix this.

Lorne: And how do we do that? If we destroyed the contracts would that work?

Wesley: We can't just physically destroy them. They're not so easily broken.

Fred: But what if that is all it needs? It's worth a try.

Wesley: I've already tried. Maybe some sort of spell would undo them, but it would take someone with a lot of power, and we'll need to get hold of the contracts first. For that we need-

Fred: Muscle.

Lorne: Yeah, and I'm not really a muscle kind of guy.

Wesley: We'll contact Sunnydale, ask for their help.

Lorne: Uh. Maybe you guys haven't been watching the news lately, but Sunnydale's sort of past it. Kind of wiped off the face of the earth past it.

Wesley: If they hadn't been successful we wouldn't be here at all.

Fred: That doesn't necessarily mean they survived.

Wesley: Someone will have to go in person, and search the surrounding area.

Fred: They know where we live. It won't be easy to get past Wolfram and Hart's goons.

Wesley: We can't stay here either, but Angelus hadn't been invited, so it was the closest, safest place. We need somewhere a little more defensible. The Hyperion will do.

Lorne: Yeah, we can put up the anti-violence spell.

Wesley: Lorne, he has Wolfram and Hart. He doesn't need to send demons.

Fred: Isn't there any way to uninvite him?

Lorne: I'll try and find one.

Wesley: But that will only keep him out. In the meantime, they could be coming for us right- The doorbell rings.

Wesley hurries over to the closet and takes out his shotgun, loads it, and tosses pistols to the others. They walk to the door.

Wesley: On three. One, two, three! Fred jerks open the door, and they all stick guns into the face of the person standing there.

Oz: Hi.

Wolfram and Hart- Night

Angelus is having a meeting with the special projects department.

Angelus: Now, Wesley, Lorne, Fred. I want them found, not killed, and brought to me. Then we deal with the Slayers.

Mr. Gyre: New Head of Special Projects. You are aware of how many there are now aren't you sir?

Angelus: Of course. We can deal with them. But it would be easier if we could arrange for no more of them to reach her, understand? I want them found, I want them killed. Things are going are going to change around here. So, Buffy has made herself a little army? We'll destroy it. No matter how many there are, we still outnumber them, and they are new, and weak. My friends, we start recruiting now.

Mr. Gyre: Sir, we are not an army. We are lawyers, no matter what else, and this is not how we operate. The Senior Partners have given you this branch of Wolfram and Hart. That does not mean you rule us. Stands.  I have worked long and hard to get where I am today, and I will not see this department turned into some kind-

Angelus grabs him and snaps his neck, then drops him onto the table.

Angelus: Anyone else have any objections?

They frantically agree.

Angelus: Dismissed.

They hurry to the door, then stop and edge backwards. Drusilla walks past them.

Drusilla: Hello Daddy.

Angelus: Drusilla. Smiles.

Drusilla: I sensed you were back, but then you went away again before I got there. And now, we're family again! I want a tea party! My Spoike's gone all away. Because of her. Let's make her say her sorrys . Then we- As she speaks the smile fades from his face.

Angelus: Oh Dru, shut up. She stares at him.

Drusilla: Daddy?

Angelus: You're boring me. See Dru, thing is, I have a whole building of people doing what I say, getting me the things I need, and you, mostly just stand around talking to the stars. You're getting really annoying. I don't need you. And I don't want you. Kill her.

Angelus and Gunn leave the room as security closes around her.

Gunn: They're gonna fail. A human scream erupts from behind the door.

Angelus: I know that. The point is she knows I don't want her anymore. Her pain is far more satisfying than just killing her. I can make myself a new… family.

They walk away as the screams stop, to be replaced by a hysterical weeping.