Mal gets involved with one of Angel's super-human female friends. Dawn's friends find Giles hot and Spike cold. Angel's friends decide to crash Mal's pad. Plus, Mal liberates Sahjhan, and is pleasantly surprised to learn they have something in common.

On Tuesday morning, Mal finds himself at a Palm Springs spa. Six Oden Tal females lie in pools of ice along the back of the room. Strewn on the floor are twelve zealously-mutilated male Vigaries who came to reclaim the women and "tame" them. The attendant makes sure the women are all right, then runs out of the room, terrified by Mal. Tyah does not know what to make of the vampire. He's intrigued by the super-powered Chinese-looking woman with the scales on the back of her neck.

"Someone will have to clean up this mess," she jokes to him about the entrails on the floor.

"If that is your worst problem, you are quite fortunate."

"Did he send you?"

"Who is he?"

"That other vampire. The good one." Mal laughs.

"Sorry baby. I'm not good. Just great."

"Why are you here?"

"I like killing. It was a slow morning, and I was bored. Then I heard of demons arriving in Los Angeles and setting up a colony out here. The demons need to learn to stay in their own worlds."

"These men are not demons."

"Yes they are. But yourself, and these women, you are all humans. They should be the slaves, and you should be the masters. When I have a chance, I will head to your world, free the women, crush the demon men, and bring in human men who are worthy of you. Then you will no longer need to hide in this world."

"What kind of men do you have in mind? Men like yourself? Men like Angel?" Mal chuckles.

"Like him. There are plenty of decent men like him. However, there is no man like me anywhere in the universe."

Tyah has trouble figuring out Mal's motivation. She can tell he isn't good. And yet he didn't attempt to hurt the beautiful, defenseless women. "Why do you fight?"

"Because I like nothing better."

"And yet you demand money."

"I would be a slave if I did not."

"No. You would be a hero." Mal doesn't take kindly to this insult. He fears that he hasn't established his prowess.

"Sixty thousand. Ten per woman. Surely you believe their free will is worth far more than that."

"You chose to fight. I did not send for you. I owe you nothing, vampire."

"You owe me your life. Or, you will." Mal grabs Tyah and throws her face-first into one of the concrete columns. She smiles. Poor vampire doesn't know what he's gotten himself into. Mal lands a right jab. Tyah puts her right hand to Mal's chest and pushes him fifteen feet back and onto the ground. He smiles as he vaults to his feet. This was going to be more fun than he expected. Mal tries a leaping right kick. Tyah moves to her left and eludes the blow. Mal lands his feet on the ground, spins and sweeps out her legs with his left foot. He puts his right hand on her chest, holding her down, and goes bumpy. She grabs his right forearm, pushes him ten feet back and stands up. Tyah charges, but Mal leaps over her. They close and size each other up. Mal decides her power's in her hands. So he grabs them. Their fingers interlace. Both fighters squeeze down, trying to crush the other's bones. Mal holds his ground, but only with great effort. Since her body is unprotected, Mal leans in and bites the right side of her neck. Tyah's never been bitten before, so this is quite frightening. She cries out. Mal gets his giant fangs in nice and deep before her starts drinking. Tyah cries out louder, summons all her strength and pushes Mal thirty feet across the room. He lands next to one of the girls in an ice bath, his right arm less than a foot from direct sunlight. Mal quickly stands up and moves away from the windows. Tyah is shaken by the bite. Mal notices that his little test of strength with Tyah had left his palms red-hot and smoldering. Also, her blood didn't go down that well. Mal grimaces as he goes back to his human face. Then Mal rolls his eyes and manages a sublime grin. It's so rare at his advanced age to experience something new.

"Your blood boils. It scalded the lining of my throat on the way down. Like curry, or gumbo, but filled with the vitality of human life." Mal slowly walks towards Tyah, who's a little frightened by this strange creature. "I would love to drain you, slowly, over the course of an entire day. Coming back every few hours for another taste. Sinking my teeth into your neck, arms, thighs, back, stomach. But I would love it even more if you were alive, and at full strength. Something you are not at right now." Tyah shoots her right hand to his chest. Mal grabs her right wrist with his left hand and twists her arm back as he lands three right jabs to her face. She tries a straight left kick and a right roundhouse kick, both of which be blocks. Mal responds with a right hook kick and a left roundhouse to her chest, then adds a right hook to her ribs and a left hook to her face. That last blow puts Tyah on her back. Mal reaches his right hand down and helps her up. She grabs her neck wound.

"Sixty," he demands.

"Cash?," she asks.

"What else is there? They don't seem to like gold too much around here." Tyah turns around and starts to walk away. Mal stops her, grabs her right hand and kisses it. "It was an honor."

"Sure. Thanks," she responds suspiciously. "It was an . . . experience meeting you." Mal puts his left hand on the back of her neck and holds it there for five seconds, until smoke starts to rise. Then he removes it, smiling and sighing.

"I look forward to seeing your world, and helping you and your sisters return to it. I have done these things many times before."

"We can take care of ourselves," Tyah proudly and stubbornly responds to this would-be Black Moses.

"And I can take care of your enemies," Mal responds. Tyah leaves to get the money. She understands the benefits of having such a fierce killer on her side, as well as the detriments of having Mal as an enemy. After getting his bag full of money, Mal walks out to his car with dark-tinted windows that he parked under the portico and drives back to the city. He liked the spicy aftertaste of Tyah's blood in his mouth. Not to mention the elevated body temperature caused by his extended contact with her. For that, Angel took a cold shower. Mal prefers to simmer and sweat the heat out.

Dawn, Kit, Elijah, Carlos and Denise walk down the school hall in between classes.

DENISE: It's good that the game was official and you got your win.

CARLOS: And I didn't get hurt. How long did the trainer say you'd be rehabing?

DENISE: Two weeks.

CARLOS: At least no one through a javelin at you. That was one wackass afternoon.

DENISE: Strange how everything's back to normal and everyone pretends nothing happened.

DAWN: Welcome to the Hellmouth.

KIT: Everyone was effected. Everyone did things they regret. So everyone has a reason to live in denial.

DAWN: It's more than just embarrassment. People don't want to live in a world with killer vampires and principal-eating pigs. You feel a lot safer in a normal, fake, demon-free, magic-free world.

CARLOS: Until one day when you're killed cause you didn't know how to defend yourself against the monsters you refused to believe in.

ELIJAH: Hell, I probably wouldn't believe in them if I didn't know people were out there to protect me.

DENISE: Speaking of those people, I wish that English guy taught here.

DAWN: Giles?

DENISE: Yeah. He seemed cool. And he was good at explaining things. Plus, he's probably really smart.

KIT: He went to Oxford or something. And he can read in like six dead languages.

ELIJAH: You mean languages no one speaks anymore? Not, you know, languages spoken by zombies and other dead people?

DAWN: I don't think we have courses in Sumerian, or demonology, or spells. [smiles] Though that last one could be kinda fun. As long as they screened out the bad people who could use what they learn to hurt people.

DENISE: I'm sure he could teach English or history or Latin or something normal like that.

ELIJAH: Or music. I know he sings and plays guitar. [Kit and Denise smile]

KIT: Really?

DENISE: Handsome AND musically-talented?

CARLOS: Excuse me? What was that? Cause ya know I just ate lunch.

ELIJAH: Spike also sings and plays. Plus, he knew the Sex Pistols and Patti Smith and Iggy Pop.

DENISE: He scared me. No man his age should have hair like that. It's just creepy.

KIT: And that Johnny Rotten accent. It's so cliched. News flash: this isn't 1977.

ELIJAH: He's from England! And Spike was punk before punk even existed.

DAWN: Denise, what's wrong with his hair? [after all, Dawny used to kinda like it]

CARLOS: Spike's a vampire, right? A guilty vampire who works for your sister?

DAWN: That's pretty much all you need to know about him. [And all she wants to tell them.]

CARLOS: So what's with my girl having the hots for an old guy?

DENISE: Carlos, quit buggin'.

ELIJAH: I was wondering about that too, Kit. Don't think I missed your mini-swoon.

KIT: What swoon?

ELIJAH: He sings? [Eli does a mock sigh]

DAWN: It's okay. Willow had a crush on him when she was our age.

KIT: I thought Willow's a lesbian?

DAWN: She is. But she wasn't. Not back then.

DENISE: So Dawny. Looks like you're the odd girl out.

DAWN: Please. He was, like, my sister's teacher. [She doesn't want to get into the concept of Watchers. Besides, Dawny had been busy with other crushes.]

DENISE: That's the cool thing about him. He's smart. But he's involved in all this exciting, dangerous stuff.

KIT: Like Indiana Jones.

CARLOS: More like Indy's father.

KIT: He's killed demons, right Dawny?

DAWN: Sure. But so has Xander. And he never had any training or practice. Giles had like thirty years to prepare.

ELIJAH: You know me and Carlos could kill a demon, if that's what it takes to impress you ladies.

CARLOS: I think I could stake a vamp on my own if I had to.

DAWN: You guys have it all wrong.

ELIJAH: This from the girl who's dating Superboy.

DAWN: That's not why I love him.

DENISE: Dawn's right. If we liked guys who could kill things, well, then we'd all have the hots for Spike. [Denise and Kit laugh. Dawn doesn't. She doesn't find that idea quite so ridiculous.]

ELIJAH: By the way, in case you ever feel the need to impress us, you should know that for guys, life-saving's a total turn-on.

CARLOS: Just ask Preston and Clarence. [Eli and Carlos laugh about Amanda's and Rona's boyfriends.]

ELIJAH: So in case I'm ever in trouble, and you happen to be around.

KIT: Maybe once. If you're really good to me.

ELIJAH: Aren't I always?

KIT: Just make sure to keep it up.

Eli smiles and kisses Kit. He goes off to class, as do Denise and Carlos. The bell rings. Kit grabs Dawn's arm. "Think you can miss the first ten minutes?"

"Of math? Maybe. Why?"

"To check out that Hellmouth thing. It's still doing stuff. I get a chill up my spine each time I pass the Principal's office."

"That's probably because of what happened yesterday. And don't you also have class?

"I can be late to art. And it's not just nerves. Do these Hellmouths ever close themselves?"

"No. But it wasn't opening. Just letting loose some extra energy because something was being brought forth. But that's already happened."

"What was brought forth?," a concerned Kit asks.

"Nothing you should worry about. It's only after Buffy. And the Potential Slayers. And Faith. Plus, maybe also Spike. But not us."

"Then why are you scared of the basement? Let's go."

"You're not just doing this cause you're curious and want an excuse to cut class?"

"Dawn, please. You know me better than that. I'm serious about this." Dawn thinks for a few seconds and then decides to trust her best friend. They head into the basement and turn on the lights in the area where the Hellmouth is. The two of them stand around the spot, which is covered by a crude etching of intersecting infinities on a shiny, polished stone seal, just as it was the night before. Dawn leans over to get a closer look.

"It's nothing like what was here before."

"Get away. It's dangerous." Kit picks up some dirt tosses it onto the seal. The dirt is vaporized in a white hot flame. Dawn takes several big steps back.

"Do you feel anything?," she asks Kit.

"It's stronger that yesterday. But more focused. Like, a room full of methane that explodes, versus a red-hot piece of steel. The steel's hotter. It holds more energy. But you don't feel it if you're a hundred feet away. God," Kit says as she backs up fifteen feet. "I've never felt anything like this. It's scary."

"I'll tell Buffy."

"You won't tell her about me? Or Willow? Please don't tell Willow."

"Kit, I would never betray you like that. Especially over something this important to you."

"I know. But I worry, what if things get really tough, and you think they need my help? Because, hey, maybe I could be a big help that one time. But then I'd have to deal with the aftermath."

"Willow is way too powerful to need anyone else's power."

"I wasn't strong enough," Willow tells Kennedy. They're lying in bed, not by choice, but because they're too hurt to walk. They are also too hurt to fool around, which takes most of the fun out of being in bed together. Besides, after what happened the night before, that's the last thing they're in the mood for.

"Yes you are. Different spells for different bad guys, right? You just need to find the right weapons for that bitch."

"I've never heard you use that word, sweetie."

"Well, that's what she is."

"I'd go with homicidal maniac. Calling her a bitch is the understatement of the millennium."

"I've never seen Buffy like this," Kennedy points out, though her experience with Buffy is rather limited. "Not even with the uber-vamp."

"It's happened twice now: a Big Bad came she couldn't save you girls from. And on top of that, everything that worked against the guy didn't work against the girl. Though, that's more my own demoralization than hers."

"You know a lot more tricks than you used last night. She just blind-sided us."

"I don't like feeling helpless."

"No one does. And you're anything but."

"Not with her. It was like being back in high school, except, back then, maybe I coulda floated a couple pencils into her."

"She's going to get what she deserves. And you're gonna help give it to her."

"It sounds simple enough, but say I have to go to that bad, apocalyptic place to get the job done? Going evil to defeat the Ultimate Evil isn't a very workable option."

"You won't be alone. You'll have your friends. And you'll have me. We'll keep you from falling."

"Sweetie, I know you care about me, and I love that you do, but when I'm working my magic, I am always alone. And there's nothing you or anyone else can do to change that."

Around the middle of the afternoon, Mal leads a half-dozen other vampires through the tunnels. "It has been a very long while since I smelled one of these," an excited Mal tells his followers. "I used to love killing these demons, until some cowardly magician took away their bodies. This one must have already been trapped, so he missed out on losing his flesh." They enter Justine's old dive. In the back corner of the room is an urn. Mal walks over and picks it up. He holds the vessel in front of him and removes the top. Smoke bellows out, and a few seconds later Sahjhan emerges.

"Free at last!," Sahjhan exclaims. He sees the six vampires in front of him. "And I have something to pound on." Sahjhan smiles as the vampires charge. One-by-one, he hurls them into the walls, ceiling and floor like stuffed animals. Now that the demon has proven his strength, Mal grabs him from behind, picks Sahjhan up and slams him down face-first. The demon stands up. Mal goes bumpy. "Can't we all just get along?," Sahjhan jokes. Mal lands a left hook which doesn't appear to hurt the demon. Sahjhan responds with a powerful right chop to the left side of Mal's head. That usually suffices to knock a vampire down. Mal pushes the demon ten feet back. Sahjhan lands big left and right hooks to the charging vampire's face. "Seriously. I think I can help you."

"Like I just helped you?"

"What year is it?"

Mal thinks about this. "I don't know. And which calendar?"

"Two thousand three," one of the vampires yells out. This pleases Sahjhan.

"I've hardly been gone at all. You are vampires. We have a common enemy. Another vampire. One who protects humans and kills demons."

"Sorry. I have Angel imprisoned in another dimension. But he will be dead before long."

"Which dimension?," the dimension-hopping Sahjhan asks.

"Mine. Well, one of mine. I call it Number Eight. If you want, I could let you watch me knock around his son. I've done that the past two nights. He can take more punishment that any human I've ever had the pleasure to strike."

Sahjhan can't believe what he's hearing. "Connor is here!? This child is in this dimension?"

"More of a young man than a child. Body's fully grown. Mind hasn't quite caught up yet. Why are looking scared?" Sahjhan chuckles nervously.

"Nothing scares me." Sahjhan can't figure out how Connor survived Quor Toth and returned. If Holtz is still around, Sahjhan is going to have a few words – and more-than-a-few punches – for him.

"I mention the father, no reaction. I mention the son, you look shocked. Tell me why."

"You fought Connor twice. Why didn't you kill him?"

"I kill the son when I kill the father. That will take place very soon." Naturally, Sahjhan wants to be a part of this.

"Angel has friends. They could try to interfere. I can take care of them for you."

"I'm sure you could, big, tough and wrinkly. But I would prefer to have them watch their protector die. You may watch, too."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mal. If you have not heard of me, then you have been gone for a very long time."

Sahjhan takes a good look. Red eyes. Black skin. Unusually long fangs. Yep. He'd heard of this guy all right. "I was going to say it would be very hard for a single vampire to kill those two. Perhaps you can pull it off. But it would be far easier if you had backup."

"Never needed it. You have a connection to the son. It surprised you that he is here. There were prophecies about the vampire child. Lists of demons he was supposed to slay. Were you one of those demons?"

"Only fools believe in prophesies," Sahjhan fibs.

"I know. But you believe in them," Mal responds with a disdainful grin. "To be fair, I do not think the son is strong enough to kill a demon of your abilities. Not yet. In ten years, perhaps. If I were you, I would kill him before he gets too strong. But, since I'm me, I am going to do that for you. As well as the father. When you next awake, they will be no more."

"Next?," Sahjhan asks with a laugh. Sure, Mal was a strong vampire, but he also seemed to be a tad full of himself.

"Get back in," Mal commands. Sahjhan laughs even louder. He looks for the urn, and spots it thirty feet behind Mal. Knock him down, sweep aside the other vampires, smash the pottery and he walks the streets a free man. "On the count of three," Mal warns. "Three!"

Sahjhan reaches his right arm out and grabs Mal's sweatshirt. He spins Mal 180 degrees around and tries to throw him into he back wall. Mal reverses the move and throws Sahjhan into the wall. He kicks the demon's face with his right foot. Sahjhan lands a right hook kick to Mal's ribs that knocks him back ten feet. The blow would have crushed a human's rib cage and lung. The demon moves out and attacks, but Mal dodges left and right hooks, then blocks a left jab. He connects with a left cross, two right jabs and a right hook. Mal ducks under Sahjhan's right hook and hits him with a left hook. Sahjhan brings his arms together and boxes Mal's ears. The move usually knocks a vampire out or crushes a human's skull. Mal is shaken, but standing. Sahjhan connects with a right uppercut to his stomach and tries to sweep Mal's legs out. The vampire leaps in the air and lands a flying left kick to the demon's face. Mal follows this up with a right kick to the demon's left knee. Sahjhan winces. He grabs Mal round the throat with his right hand and begins to squeeze. Mal lands two right kicks to Sahjhan's stomach, but they don't get him free. Sahjhan finds it odd that he hasn't already crushed this vampire's neck. It felt like squeezing a lead pipe. Finally, Mal puts both arms on Sahjhan's right arm and dislocates his elbow. The demon grunts and lets go. The vampires cheer. Mal lands a right kick, right jab and left hook. Sahjhan hits Mal's nose with a right cross. Mal roars. It echoes throughout the concrete room. Mal blocks a left uppercut, lands a left cross and two right jabs, throws Sahjhan fifteen feet back into the wall, leaps at the demon and head-butts him. Mal finishes off with three jabs to the heart before stepping back. The vampires toss him the urn and the lid. Sahjhan groans. He's not used to feeling physical pain. And he doesn't want to risk physical death.

"In you go," Mal tells him condescendingly. "Come on. Best to stay off the streets until your nemesis is dead." Sahjhan contemptuously averts eye contact and wills himself back into the urn. Mal puts on the lid, places the urn in his satchel and leaves the building. The vampires, now even more impressed by their leader, take the tunnels home. Mal decides to explore the town some more.

Wes has a large map of Los Angeles County on the wall. He's put pins in the map, each one signifying the location of a probably kill by Mal. The pins for Sunday's kills are red. Those for Monday's are green. In his hands is a clipboard with a list of all the victims, as well as their age and gender. He tallies them on the bulletin board according to these two variables.

"Are you looking for a pattern?," Fred asks.

"More of a profile. Over eighty kills. Most of them men. All of them adults in the prime of life. No children."

"Well, it is hard to find a lotta them out at night."

"But he's had opportunities. One of the cars he attacked contained two parents and two children. He killed the parents and left the children in the vehicle, untouched. That's highly unusual in a vampire."

"They usually like the kinder?"

"Love it. And considering how much blood Mal consumes, it makes no sense for him to be finicky."

"How do ya know he drains all his victims?"

"I have a source down at the coroner's office."

"They must be busy."

"The sheer magnitude. For them, it's like a war, or a natural disaster. Now do you notice anything about the locations of the attacks?"

"They seem to be random. Widely distributed. He can cover a lotta ground, and he ain't territorial."

"Notice how there are no killings in downtown. And yet, the median point for this data set would be right in the middle of downtown Los Angeles."

"So you think that's where he's nesting?"

"The lack of killings would ensure that he didn't draw attention to himself. And center city is full of abandoned buildings."

"Easy access to subways. Lotsa tall buildings to look down from and spot your enemies – or your meal, from a mile away."

"Our information indicates that Mal prefers to live in style."

"Like Angel?"

"But with less attention to gardens and more attention to security. He would want something large and without windows. Such as a theater."

"An abandoned theater."

"I did a little research and discovered that there are twelve abandoned movie theaters in downtown Los Angeles alone."

"That many? And no one's tried to do anything with 'em?"

"There's a surplus of downtown office space, and the preservation groups are against turning all those fine, old art-deco buildings into parking lots."

"Think of all the vampires who could live in those buildings. It's a threat to public health."

"Actually, vampires rarely nest in them. At least not since Angel came to town. No direct sewer access. A handful of exits which can be easily blocked. It's an ideal trap."

"Unless you're not afraid of your enemies."

"I suspect Mal would actually welcome a surprise attack."

"Which is one very good argument against trying one."

"I would like to know exactly where he resides, if only because it will make it easier to track him."

"Lemme get this straight. A surprise daylight attack is too dangerous. But chasing him down at night, out in the open, is just fine and dandy?"

"We have to do something. I would also like to know how many other vampires are with him."

"Have you tried anything else to open the portal?"

"All yesterday. And again all this morning. There are no spells, no codes, no magic words to open a nodal dimension. It requires blood magic. The blood of the creature that controls the dimension."

"So we don't gotta kill Mal, just get a couple drops of his blood?"

"It might take more than that."

"But to find out, all we hafta do is stab him with some swords or daggers. Or maybe even just put a bullet through him."

"Through who?," Cordelia asks as she enters the office.

"Mal," Fred answers. "Wesley says it's his blood that opens the portal to where Angel is."

"I guess that qualifies as good news at this point."

Clayton walks into Daniel's office.

"You wanted to talk?"

"Your city's falling apart."

"Things have been worse. Look out your window. The sun's still shining."

"It's not just the police officers. Or the massacring of scores of civilians. But the chaos that is causing isn't helpful. On top of that, he's killing demons. Demons who work for us."

"Ever get the feeling we're working for them?"

"Your point?"

"The fewer demons we have to kow-tow to, the better."

"You actually believe this vampire is doing us a favor?"

"Possibly. We can't be sure yet."

"He's also going after organized criminals with impunity. I just had the Crips leader in St. Louis on the phone. He was livid. Usually Lamont's a great guy, but you do not want to deal with him when he's angry."

"You two hang out?," Clayton asks with a chuckle, imagining Daniel the diminutive nebbish palling around with gangstas.

"Lawyers and criminals go together like, well, insert the scatological metaphor of your choice. They drum up fantastic amounts of billable hours for this branch and many others."

"Mal is killing our human clients? Now that is a problem," Clayton conceded, finally sounding serious. "Do we know why he is doing this?"

"Not really. This vampire's a kill-for-the-sake-of-killing type."

"Aren't they all?"

"Yes. But he's far more prolific."

Clayton paces back and forth, thinking over the situation. "If a well-organized, heavily-armed gang can't handle this vampire, what am I supposed to do?"

"We have people trained to handle this sort of situation."

"People who can't even subdue Angel. How are they supposed to take down someone Angel can't stop?"

"You could always try and make a deal with him. Let him know you are on his side."

"He doesn't need us. What's to stop him from tearing out my insides?" Daniel ponders this possibility and manages a small grin.

"That is always a risk. But so is letting this guy strip you of your power."

"I'm a patient man. That's why I've gotten this far. This vampire has been in town for two days. If he's still here in another four, I'll deal with him."

"It's your career, Clay."

"Monsters come and go. We endure. Nature will take its course, and we will end up ahead. I don't know how just yet, but we will. You watch, Danny. Where others see trouble, I see opportunity."

"All I see is a guy fiddling while his city burns," Daniel shoots back.

"Nothing's getting burnt," Clayton glibly responds before leaving. Clay thinks that Daniel is trying to be proactive, just like Lindsey and Lilah and Gavin. And Clayton knows how successful they were. Thus, he's decided that Wolfram & Hart should be reactive for a change - wait for the right pitch rather than swing at everything within two feet of the plate.

Gunn, Wes, Cordy and Fred checked the abandoned theaters one-by-one. The first four were empty, though there was evidence of recent vampire habitation in two of them. The Orpheum is fifth on their list. Cordelia takes an ax to the plywood covering one of the doors. She breaks through the wood, but hits a sheet of aluminum nailed to the inside of the door. This is new. It indicates that vampires had reinforced the doors to prevent a surprise blast of sunshine from finding its way inside. Gunn takes the ax and bashes open a large pad lock. Fred opens the door, and the light floods in. The other three enter, making sure to remain in the light. To their right, near the stairs to the balcony, are fifteen vampires, pointing and laughing at the human intruders. Fred props the door open with a doorstop and enters. To her left is Wesley, to his left is Gunn, and to his left is Cordelia. Fred and Cordy point their crossbows at the vampires. They leap ten feet forward, then stop cold, twenty feet from the humans. The quick burst was to remind these demon fighters that they can easily be overwhelmed. At the same time, Cordy and Fred know that none of the vamps wants to die. So mutual fear ensures a standoff.

Around the same time, Mal is standing up on the subway. He wears white shoes, white slacks and a white hooded sweatshirt. The train stops, and he walks out. As he heads up the stairs, Mal pulls the hood over his head and puts his hands in the muffler. He emerges onto the street and walks towards the theater, always looking downwards to ensure that the sunlight does not strike his face. The white clothing reflects the light and absorbs less of the light's energy than darker colors. This provides a little extra security against burning. He also makes sure to stay whenever possible in the shadows of the buildings.

Back in the lobby, Gunn opens the door to the theater itself while still remaining in the light. A film was being shown. Gunn didn't get a chance to notice which one, or how many vampires were watching it, because at the moment he looked in, Lou walked out through the doors to Gunn's right. He was black, six foot one, somewhat lighter-skinned than Gunn, and a little thinner. His hair was in corn rows, and his vampire face was nice-and-bumpy. Gunn rejoins the other three. They stand shoulder-to-shoulder perpendicular to the open door. Lou stands twelve feet away, in front of the other vampires. When he arrives, they back up. It's clear to everyone that Lou's some sort of leader.

"We you invited?," Lou asks with a smirk.

"To this dusty, rat-infested, run-down dive?," Cordelia responds. "We wouldn't accept the invitation. This is a real choice piece of property. To get it, you probably had to what? Kill one, two, maybe three homeless guys? Were all the subway stations and abandoned warehouses already taken?"

Lou takes a few small steps towards Cordy, stopping six feet away. He looks over Wes and Gunn. "So the ladies protect your ass? What do you think this is, Sunnydale?" The fifteen vampires on the other side of the lobby laugh.

"No," Cordelia flatly responds. "Because a cocky loser like you wouldn't last one night in that town."

Lou strokes his chin with his right hand. "So you and Angel go way back. Some guys don't know a good thing when they see it. His loss. Cause you're pretty fine for a white girl." Lou walks behind her, then comes back around. "Damn fine. And I can tell you got a nice, sweet vicious streak. Real promising material. So why didn't he sire you when he was evil? The first time around. Small town like Sunnydale, couldn't have been that many choicer pieces than yourself." He sees that she's about to fire. Lou snaps his fingers. The fifteen vampires rush up so they're ten feet in front of Cordy and friends. She doesn't want to find out if they'll risk their lives for Lou. Meanwhile, Lou decides to move on. "Mista Charlie! The man, the myth - in my house."

"You mean Mal's house," Gunn curtly responds. "Glad you know my name. To bad I don't know yours. Hard to keep track of the lackeys in this town."

"You're one to talk, Charlie. Though you do seem to have toughened up these two jokers," Lou tells him before glancing at Wes and Fred, whom he doesn't know, and who don't look like fighters to Lou. "You four got ganas, busting in here like this. Now you can leave before Mal comes out, and go running home to tell your buddies how brave you were." Lou and all the other vampires back up. When he's twenty feet away and still backtracking, Cordy fires her crossbow. Fred shoots hers a second later. While still moving away from then, Lou grabs Cordy's arrow in his right hand and Fred's in his left. When he is thirty feet away, Lou tosses them back. Gunn parries one with his ax, and Wesley blocks the other with his sword. Fred and Cordy quickly reload. Lou stands in front of what was the concessions stand, while the other vampires sit and recline on the stairs. Lou checks his watch. Mal appears to be running a few minutes late.

Fred turns to her right and steps towards the open door, only to see a man dressed in white entering the building. He grabs her crossbow, tosses it into the middle of the street and throws Fred out on the sidewalk. Cordy aims and fires. Mal puts his right elbow out in front of his chest. The arrow bounces off the elbow. Cordy sees the vampires to her left closing in. She fears a trap. Mal is too close for Gunn to swing his ax, so he hits Mal in the chest with the butt end. Wesley stabs for his chest, which surprises Mal. He moves to his right and turns sideways, then watches the sword move by. Before he can pull the sword back, Mal knocks Wesley down with a right jab. Gunn takes a dagger in his left hand and goes for Mal's stomach. The vampire grabs Gunn's left wrist with his right hand, decks him with a left cross, grabs Charles before he falls down and tosses him into Fred, who was running at Mal from behind. The vampires cheer. Cordy helps Wesley up and they charge Mal simultaneously.

"Ole!," Mal shouts out to more cheers. He ducks under Wesley's sword and beneath the front of Cordy's crossbow. With his right hand, he grabs Wesley's legs. With his left, he takes hold of Cordy's. Mal flips both of them forward, and they land on their backs at the same moment. The vampires yell out their approval. Mal kicks both of them in the back with his right foot as they try to get up. Wes and Cordy roll out into the sidewalk, joining Fred and Gunn. Mal faces them, in the sunlight, with his head looking at the floor.

"Please wait your turn to die. No cutting in line!," Mal jokes to the humans. They run away. Mal removes the doorstop and closes the door. Only then does he pull back his hood. The vampires stand and applaud.

"Please, please," Mal pleads. "That was a mere skirmish. The real battles will be tonight."

NEXT: Nina hangs with Buffy at the Bronze. Mal takes on Gunn's army, Wesley's crew - and Gwen. Connor reverts to Destroyer Mode. And Angel bravely fights his way through exotic and bizarre dimensions.