Summary- Angel loses his soul due to the contract with Wolfram and Hart. Lilah warns Wesley, and he, Fred and Knox escape from Angelus. Gunn has been possessed by the panther in the White Room. Robin Wood is offered a job at Barrington High, near Sunnydale, and the others decide that a new Watcher's Council is needed. Oz is sent to deal with Gunn. They decide that Lindsey may know how to destroy the contracts, and resolve to contact him. Drusilla visits Angelus, and he rejects her. A military group appears, and Buffy blackmails their general into meeting her. Angry and lonely Drusilla finds Connor and takes him to the warlock who originally altered his memories. Spike appears out of a portal intended to produce a Tarok-Han as a human, but exhibits superhuman strength in escaping from the disappointed cultists. The warlock requires an object from Connor's old life, and Drusilla goes to the Hyperion to get it. Buffy meets the general, who tells her that they are trying to create supersoldiers to fight Suvolte Demons (As You Were), who are becoming inexplicably smarter. Riley Finn is dead, and his wife Sam has gone on a vengeance mission against them. She says that someone may be controlling them, and takes him back to Willow. AI follow Drusilla, and try and fail to prevent her from restoring Connor. He runs away, and Drusilla follows him and tells him how Angelus abandoned her. They find themselves in harmony. Spike's reaction to his resurrection is to get very drunk, and is picked up by a Wolfram and Hart lawyer, and taken to see Angelus. Giles comes to LA to ask Wesley to be part of the new Council. He refuses, but tells him what has happened with Angelus and Drusilla. Drusilla has restored Connor's memories, but not their memories of him. Giles calls the new Watcher's Council, and is told that Buffy and Willow have gone to Belize in a helicopter with weapons, spell ingredients and the troll hammer. Lindsey arrives in LA. Connor and Drusilla launch an attack against Wolfram and Hart. Drusilla senses and rescues Spike, and Connor and Angelus fight. He nearly kills Angelus, but in the end Drusilla saves him by throwing Angelus out of the window. He takes his contract and one other thing, after having a conversation with the First. Angelus has the Order of Taraka sent after them both, and tells them to find Sahjhan. Lindsey tells them that the contracts are spells in physical form but he does not know exactly how to destroy them, and decides to call Gwen to retrieve them. Angelus finds and releases Sahjhan, then convinces him to try to kill Connor. Wesley and Fred go to collect Cordelia from hospital, but find that she has been taken by the thing Drusilla awoke (Connor). Gwen arrives and agrees to help them, and removes LISA. Angelus is contacted by the Order f Taraka, and he tells them to kill all his enemies, not just Dru and Connor, then leaves in a helicopter. In Belize, Buffy, Willow and Sam arrive at the lair of the creature controlling the Suvoltes, where it is sending them away by plane. Willow is telepathically attacked by the creature, and Buffy and Sam attack at once. Professor Walsh intends to find Buffy and Willow's power sources, and tap them. A person called the Master appears in Barrington. Buffy encounters Angelus in Belize. They fight, and he saves the Suvolte controller and flies away. Willow's magic doesn't seem to work on him. A Tarakan assassin attacks the Hyperion, killing the Slayer Giles brought. Spike appears at the Hyperion. Buffy calls and informs them about Angelus, saying she is returning home. Spike tells them that he has a place where they will be safer from the Tarakans, Drusilla's lair, and they agree to join him. Gunn, completely possessed, warns Angelus that he had better strike soon or he will be replaced. The Master attends the school Halloween party, and tries to kidnap Dawn. The student she is with, Jared, turns out to be a demonic servant of his, and prevents Amanda from interfering while he fights Faith. He beats and hospitalises her, but Buffy arrives back and he runs. At the Watcher's Headquarters a warlock attacks and steals the Scythe. Willow says she isn't sure she can beat him, and can't find him. Amanda suggests that he was trying to kidnap Dawn in an attempt to draw Buffy into one-on-one combat. Buffy orders that Dawn be guarded. Wood discovers that the press in Barrington aren't as gullible as those in Sunnydale. Jared claims that they can't kill him, because he appears human. Spike delivers AI and associates to Drusilla, then leaves to see Buffy. The Master tries to make Xander accept Anya's death, and says that when the time comes he will be on his side. Sahjhan leaves to kill Connor. Buffy meets the Master in a demon bar, who offers to fight to avoid their conflict killing lots of Slayers. They fight and she defeats him easily. It turns out to have been Jared, magically disguised, making sure she isn't at the Council building. The Master sets his warlock to attack the Watcher's Council. He fights Willow, and when she appears to be beating him, kills Kennedy, and uses some of her blood to power him. Her eyes turn black and she beats him easily. She tries to kill him, but he manages to push her hand into Kennedy's blood, changing her hair and eyes to black and red. He reveals he works for Wolfram and Hart before she drains his power, kills him and is sucked through a portal. Dawn, with Xander and three Slayers escape through the sewers. They are intercepted by the real Master, who kidnaps Dawn and leaves the others unconscious. He tells Jared to go home, and Dawn that they were never after Buffy, it was her, because she is the Key. He starts to bleed her. A black ops group including Matthew Walsh contacts AI. The Master uses the Scythe, which is left on the ground afterwards, and Dawn's blood in a ritual to bring in a being from another world, leaving her to be rescued. As a result of this she gains the ability to see into other dimensions. The Master is Connor, and the ritual was to awaken Cordelia. Sahjhan comes to Buffy claiming to have been sent by the PTB, and offering to help her fight The Master.
Xatkriath-Unclassified-Throne room of Saligan
(Dark Willow appears in the room, and glares up at the demon underlord.)
Saligan: It was a mistake to try to steal my power, witch. There will be a price.
Willow: I'm terrified.
Saligan: I see your mind is not entirely your own. And what is that? Ah. Interesting. Rather cruder than I have come to expect, but I suppose they were in a hurry.
Willow: Enjoying the view?
Saligan: Your defiance is tiresome. You fail to understand your situation.
Willow: I'm being mind read on a demon dimension by Saligan, Underlord of Rage. If you were going to kill or torture me, you'd already be doing it
Saligan: You have more power than is natural. But the arrogance it brings with it is tiresome. Let us dispense with it.
Willow: Oh, you think you can just-
(There's a flash of light and she collapses to the floor, her hair and eyes returning to normal.)
Saligan: No, I know I can.
Willow: How did you do that?
Saligan: You cannot comprehend the extent of my power. But we're not here to talk about me. You slew my oldest and most faithful worshipper, my agent in the conflict which is to come. I need another champion.
Willow: No. I won't.
Saligan: You assume you have a choice.
Willow: You can't force me to use my magic.
Saligan: I can provide power of my own.
Willow: I won't take your power. Not deliberately, not as myself.
Saligan: At least listen to what I want you to do. That is all I ask of yet.
Willow: Okay, I'll listen.
Saligan: You of course, are not aware of the full extent of my servant's work. What he was doing there was only a single strand in his weaving.
Willow: Couldn't you just tell me what you were trying to do?
Saligan: He kept a foot in several camps, strengthening one side then the other, changing and adding players. All designed to make the sides strong, but also, what shall we say, disjointed? So that there can be no plans, merely carnage until we are ready.
Willow: You're trying to make our fight as bloody as possible. That way you can just sweep in and take control of the remnants.
Saligan: And by the end, with any luck no one will have any idea which side they were on in the first place.
Willow: Right, I've now heard what you want me to do. Betray everyone. I won't do that.
Saligan: Times have changed. The impetuous fool Sahjhan, who doesn't seem to know the meaning of the words self-fulfilling prophecy, has acted too soon.
Willow: I have no idea what you're talking about.
Saligan: Of course not. But the fact remains that things are moving forward, and I think a lack of guidance on both sides would be advisable. So you may go.
Willow: I can go back to Barrington?
Saligan: No. But you will return to earth, in the place where I think you can be of most use. Or, you may remain here and I can torture you for the rest of eternity.
Willow: I think I'll stick with the going back to Earth to possibly inadvertently perform some service to you then.
Saligan: Very well. Ayagaltor.
(A portal opens in front of Willow and sucks her through. She falls about five feet down to the floor and lies there for a moment, disorientated. A group of people surround her. One offers her a hand up, and she stands.)
Willow: Thanks. OZ?
Matthew Walsh: (Delighted) Ms. Rosenberg. This is a pleasant surprise.
The Master's Lair-Night
Dawn: This is so cool. It's like having thousands of really weird reality TV shows in my head. Click. Weird bug creatures arguing over food. Click. Cuh-lick! Really could've done without seeing that.
Xander: Stop that! For all you know you could be summoning those.
Dawn: Don't think so. But okay, until we find out what's happened.
Xander: Okay, people? Have a quick look around to see if we can find out anything about the Master while we're here.
Slayer #1: He likes stuffed animal heads?
Xander: Weird file lady? Do you know who he is?
Gwen: Of course Mr. Harris. I'm Files and Records. It's my job.
Xander: Well then who is he?
Gwen: You're not authorised to know that.
Xander: Why not?
Gwen: Your name's on the list.
Xander: Don't you mean because my name isn't on the list?
Gwen: No Mr. Harris. If it wasn't on the list then I could tell you.
Xander: (Very slowly) O-kay. (Normally) Has anyone else got anything?
Slayer #1: Snack food?
Dawn: Uh, I've got something.
Xander: What?
Dawn: Well, while he was ensuring I'm going to get sent to counsellors for the next few years by teachers who think I tried to commit suicide, I took this out of his coat.
Xander: You can pickpocket?!
Dawn: (Defensively) Not well. He was distracted. It's not like I ever made a habit of it. But when you're a, uh, kleptomaniac, you learn how to grab things without making a lot of noise or attracting attention. Here. (It's a picture of the high school Scooby gang.)
Xander: Huh. Well, let's go.
Slayer #2: Why? If he comes back then we can kill him. He can't fight us all.
Xander: No, but he can shoot you, or set zombie things on you, or just lock the doors and burn this place down. He seems to avoid fighting when he can't win.
Warehouse-Night
Cordelia: Uh…Apparently not. Okay my life just got a whole lot more complicated. We have to go.
Connor: (Using one hand to conceal his throat.) Wait. Can we talk about this? Why does it make things complicated?
Cordelia: This is SO not the time. We have to find out who survived, what's coming next if this isn't the end,-
Connor: He survived. They all did. WHY?
Cordelia: Okay okay. Because of us, and the things I said to Angel and how the Hell do you know?
Connor: I saw it. About the things you said.
Cordelia: You're not gonna let up, are ya? I mean, (Stops and thinks for a moment) I was gonna tell him the night I ascended, and didn't that work out well. But-
Connor: Tell him what?
Cordelia: That nothing could ever happen. I mean, duh, nothing can ever happen, but also that there can't ever be anything that could happen?
Connor: Huh?
Cordelia: Connor, I saw-
Connor: Yeah, what he did as Angelus with your special higher being vision.
Cordelia: No, I saw with my special high school student vision just what Buffy and Angel's relationship did to them. It nearly killed them both. Actually in a way it did kill Angel. What with the going to Hell and all. I was going to tell him that we couldn't ever be more than friends, and then I ascended and almost as soon as I got my memory back he asked me, and… and I don't know. I said we were. I don't even know why I said that. It was just like these words coming out of my mouth, words I hadn't said. And then you brought him over, and I tried to tell him that I'd always love him as a friend, but that with what I'd seen I just couldn't be around him for a while, but it came out all wrong, like someone else was talking for me. Everything I tried to say just made things worse. Though come to think of it, making things worse by talking isn't exactly a novel-
Connor: So I'm like him, but not cursed.
Cordelia: Yeah, you're identical 'cause you both move quietly and can say the right thing. Connor,- (Reaches out and brushes his hair out of his eyes. He takes his hand away from his throat and knocks her hand away)
Connor: Don't touch me.
Cordelia: Okay that's new.
Connor: I don't- I'm not- I'm something- foul. I don't deserve to walk the earth. You shouldn't touch me.
Cordelia: Connor, I know, that this isn't you're fault. You're not- Connor since when did you follow Wesley in the throat department? And why are you dressed like that? And why am I dressed like this? And, actually, where are we? And what the HELL has happened to my HAIR?!
Watcher's Council-Morning
Sahjhan: It's not a surprise you haven't managed to find out anything about him. He appeared only recently, otherwise unmentioned apart from a few ancient obscure prophecies. He is the child of the Tro-Clon, one of a confluence of events designed to bring about apocalypse.
Buffy: So he really is a teenager?
Sahjhan: Yes, in a sense. In another he's just over three years old.
Faith: Great, so a toddler beat me. When he's gone can we never mention him ever again?
Sahjhan: Been done.
Wood: Are you sure you shouldn't still be in hospital?
Faith: Slayer healin, Robin. Anyway, once the bandages came off they might've realised who I was, and I'm enjoying my dead by meteor strike status.
Xander: So what's the connection between him and me?
Sahjhan: What makes you think there's a connection?
Xander: Well, whenever we meet he always looks at me like he wants to tear my head off, but has never actually hit me, when I talked to him a couple of nights ago he said I'd be on his side, and out of the six people on this photo here, it was my face he chose to rip out. (It's probably the only existing photograph of him and Cordelia being publicly affectionate.)
Sahjhan: I have no idea. May I see that? (Xander hands it over and he looks at it for a moment.) Oh. Ah. (His eyes widen as a revelation hits him) Oh.
Xander: What is it?
Sahjhan: I don't know.
Xander: But you just made an "Ah, now I understand noise".
Sahjhan: No I didn't.
Xander: Well what was that then?
Sahjhan: That was an "Ah, he truly is insane noise".
Amanda: I just find it kinda hard to believe he wasn't interested in Slayers at all. I mean when he fought Faith there was definite rage there.
Buffy: I think we're getting off the point here, the point being that somewhere out there is some unidentified creature destined to destroy the world. But also which could've done it last night and didn't. What's with that?
Sahjhan: Breaking down the barriers between the dimensions doesn't destroy the world, merely the world as we know it. He doesn't want the domination of demon kind, he wants total destruction.
Buffy: So the plan is, we find him and the thing he summoned and kill them both.
Sahjhan: That's preferable.
Buffy: What's the backup plan then?
Sahjhan: To send him back to where he came from. Quor-Toth.
Buffy: That being?
Sahjhan: A demon dimension. It was intended that he live out his mortal years there, and never return. Unfortunately, some meathead tried to bring him back. Didn't work out, but there was a crack left in the fabric of the dimensions that allowed him to return.
Dawn: Fabric can crack?
Sahjhan: You know what I mean.
Buffy: So how do you send him back?
Sahjhan: Merely distract him for long enough and I can myself. Now that he's brought through his ally he may try to leave the town. That. Must. Not. Happen.
Buffy: We're not letting him get away. Not after what he did to Dawn.
Xander: We should've seen this coming. He went right after Dawn as soon as he got here, we should've guarded her better.
Buffy: You couldn't of known three Slayers wouldn't be enough.
Xander: Three…
Buffy: Oh yeah. Why three years old?
Sahjhan: Time travels differently on demon dimensions. In only a few weeks here some eighteen years passed on Quor-Toth.
Buffy: You said "bring him back". He was born here?
Sahjhan: Yes. But that doesn't make him any less soulless and evil. On the darkest of dark dimensions he was know as the Destroyer. Don't underestimate him, and Buffy, don't let what he did put you on some kind of vengeance quest. Just kill him and have done with it.
Buffy: Okay, so what? We can't barricade the roads.
Sahjhan: No, you shouldn't have to. Not for a while at least. Block off the docks, the bus stations.
Buffy: (Trying to contain laughter) Bus stations? You think the evil apocalypse guy is going out on the bus?
Sahjhan: It's quite likely.
Buffy: WHY? He you'd of thought he could get a car.
Sahjhan: Yes. He just can't drive very well. Short distances perhaps, but he won't undertake a long journey. Or if he did, we could just rush to the site of the nearest car crash and get him. I doubt he'll use anything but public transport for at least, oh maybe a week. It will take time for the summoned to grow strong again.
Outside Wolfram and Hart-Day
Willow: So let's get this straight. I attack the Suvolte controller, they all go insane and start to tear up Wolfram and Hart, in the confusion she steals the contracts from the newly put in incredibly high-tech security system with the magic wards.
Gwen: Just so long as you do your bit and this weird protection amulet Lin bought off E-bay works like it's supposed to you don't have to worry about me.
Lorne: Hate to be the little fly in the ointment here, but what when something goes wrong?
Lindsey: You mean if something goes wrong.
Lorne: No, trust me on this, I mean when.
Wesley: The first priority is to get Angel's contract. After that, Gunn's. The rest of us are still alive and unchanged, we're only endangered by them if we die. Gwen, are you ready?
Gwen: All set.
Wesley: I'd like a word.
(They walk a little way away from the others.)
Wesley: This isn't a priority, so if you're in danger, leave it be. But if you have time, there's a file marked Morgan, Lilah. I'd like that to be retrieved as well.
Gwen: Any reason you're not telling your friends about this?
Wesley: It's a personal matter. There's no need for them to be involved.
Gwen: Alright, if I have time I will.
Wesley: Thank you.
(They walk back to the others, including Lindsey, Fred, Lorne, Willow, Professor Walsh and a team of special ops intended to cover their escape.)
Wesley: Willow? Has it happened yet?
Walsh: This plan is insane. You're basing the whole thing on something that doesn't even exist. (The rest ignore him)
Willow: There's a Suvolte in the lobby. I'm ready.
(She telepathically reaches out and contacts the demon)
Willow: (Telepathically) Hey, you great big tentacly thing that tried to mess up my mind. Wannna rematch?
Demon: (Tele) Witch. I have been looking forward to crushing your mind.
(Willow lashes out mentally, startling it to the extent that it has to focus all it's energy upon protecting itself. Suvoltes previously being controlled go wild. Alarms begin to blare throughout Wolfram and Hart)
Cut to:
Angelus: Oh not again.
Cut to:
(Gwen quickly uses suction pads to scale the side of the building to the right floor. She pulls out a diamond pointed knife and slowly cuts through the glass. She catches the piece before it hits the floor, then extends her hand into the room, disabling the alarms. The amulet around her neck starts to glow. She swings her legs in to shatter the rest of the glass, and clambers inside. She goes to one of the cabinets, and quickly sorts through until she finds the file marked Angel. She pulls it out and starts to go the next cabinet)
Voice: (OS) Now you look like a freak.
(She spins around horrified. It's the young boy she accidentally killed in school.)
Boy/The First: Maybe it just took a while to show up on the outside.
Gwen: You can't be here.
Boy/The First: (Sadly) No, I can't. (Accusingly) You made sure of that.
Gwen: It was an accident.
Boy/The First: You think that makes me any less dead? You're a killer. You always will be. With every touch. You killed him too. (It morphs into Gunn)
Gwen: Not anymore. I have LISA.
Gunn/The First: I remember. Sort of thing ya do. Also notice you gave it up pretty fast when you got the excuse.
Gwen: It wasn't an excuse. They needed me.
Gunn/The First: Yeah, sure. Let's face it, you just couldn't wait to turn back into Electro Girl. Doesn't matter how much you try to tell yourself you don't want it, you know. You just gotta have it. (Morphs into Angel)
Angel/The First: It's your nature. Part of you. To kill with a touch. You can never stop wanting it, even if you want to. Trust me on this one. I know all about looking for something you don't want. But you're a killer, and you'll always be a killer.
Gwen: I don't-
Angel/The First: (Laughs) Though you do have a way to get out of it. Die. That's the only escape. For people like you and me.
Gwen: Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.
Angel/The First: Very mature. (Morphs into the Headmistress at her academy)
Headmistress/The First: Silly girl. You've broken the rules. You must be punished. (It vanishes)
(Her eyes widen as she her heavy footsteps outside and realises she's been kept talking long enough for someone to get to her. She moves to the door, and when it opens places her hand on the chest of the person coming in.)
Angelus: Ooh, that hits the spot. Wonder if you'd still do that if I turned you.
(She pulls her glass-cutting knife out of her pocket and drives it towards his head. He catches her wrist and twists her around so she facing away from him, holding her head to the side to expose her neck.)
Angelus: Only one way to find out.
(As his fangs descend she pulls out a small vial of holy water and smashes it into his stomach. He staggers back clawing at his shirt and she leaps towards the window. She is just turning round to climb down as Angelus rushes forward ignoring the burns on his stomach and kicks her into space. On the ground they see her start to fall and Lindsey slaps Willow across the face. Her eyes open and she lets out a short cry of pain before she furiously smashes at the creature again. It retreats to restore order to the Suvoltes)
Lindsey: Help her!
(She looks at Gwen and gestures.)
Willow: Thicken!
(She stops in midair.)
Lindsey: It's an improvement, I'll say that much for it.
Willow: Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? I could've died!
Lindsey: Yes, but on the other hand, she definitely would have.
(Willow looks at him angrily for a moment before bringing her in, then collapsing, almost completely drained from her fight.)
Gwen: Well, that was fun.
Wesley: What did you get?
Gwen: Just the first one. I'm sorry. There was… I let myself get distracted on the job. I ought to know better than that.
Wesley: This is the most important one. I'm sure you did your best.
Lorne: Uh, guys? Hate to break up the Kodak moment here, but we should go.
(A number of Wolfram and Hart security guards are running outside. Oz starts his van, a soldier starts the other military van. They pile into it, Willow lagging behind slightly due to her exhaustion. Suddenly Professor Walsh appears behind her with three soldiers and injects tranquilliser into her. In her already tired state she slumps almost immediately and they bundle her into the van before the others can get to her and drive off. Oz starts to leap out of the van and Wesley pushes him back, more to jolt him back to his senses than for the physical effect it would have.)
Wesley: You can't run after them! Drive!
(For a second Oz's eyes change to yellow and he snarls, nearly transforming. Then he gets back control and slams his foot down, throwing the van backwards and scattering their pursuers, then after the military van, but which is too far ahead and is quickly lost in traffic.)
Angel's Office-Day
Angelus: They have contracts! And Lindsey knows how to destroy them. How many did they get?
Lawyer: Uh, well, the Angel file.
Angelus: Oh.
Drusilla's Lair-Day
Wesley: We can deal with Walsh's perfidy as soon as we can find him.
Oz: (His hands, eyes and teeth are changing to wolf form and back again uncontrollably. He's more upset than they've ever seen him.) I want him dead.
Gwen: Didn't you break up about four years ago? Incidentally, you actually use words like perfidy in normal conversation?
Wesley: I'd like to see the contract.
(She hands it to Lindsey, who opens it triumphantly and takes out the contract.)
Lindsey: Uh, people?
Cut to:
Angelus: Well that's alright then.
Cut to:
Lindsey: Since when was Angel's first name Jasmine?
Wesley: Oh shit.
