Chapter 2
Fade in
W&H Lobby
Spike and Angel stand facing Xander still unmoving.
Xander: Spike.
The doors start to close and Spike grabs the side.
Spike: Are you coming out or not?
Angel walks up from behind him and looks at Xander.
Angel: This is beyond a surprise.
Xander finally regains composure and steps out as the doors close behind him.
Xander: (still looking at Spike) I had an appointment.
Angel: Right. Why don't we go into my office?
He steps aside to let Xander move forward but he still stares at Spike.
Xander: You're ashes at the bottom of the hellmouth.
Spike: Funny thing happened on the way to hell.
Xander: This changes everything.
Spike: Changes what?
Angel: Xander? My office?
Xander: (shakes head as if to clear it) Right.
Spike begins to walk behind him. Angel puts out an arm to stop him.
Spike: What?
Angel: Recon?
Spike: It can keep.
Angel: Spike. I need you out there. We'll be here when you get back. Right?
Xander: Oh yeah. Gonna wait for the story on this one believe me.
Spike: (To Angel) No story about me, without me. Got it?
Angel: We'll try and manage.
Spike strides off and Xander follows Angel to his office. Harmony waves with a smile when he walks by. He just stares seemingly overwhelmed and follows Angel into the office and watches him close the door.
Angel: So…
Xander looks around the office.
Xander: It's times like these I really wish I still had two eyes.
Angel shifts uncomfortably.
Angel: Yeah, about that…
Xander: Oh hey, don't worry. I'm to the joking stage. I'm fine. Beside, I have that mysterious eye patch guy thing going for me now. The ladies dig it.
Angel: I'm sure they do. So you wanna tell me what brings you here?
Xander: Oh right. I guess you're busy. Lots of appointments with demons and other evil doers?
Angel: If you came here to give me grief, Giles already has that market cornered. I lost someone really important because of it.
Xander: Hey, you won't hear any of that from me. I mean, you pinch hitting for the other team? Not a big surprise to me.
Angel: I'm not! (clears his throat) What do you want Xander?
Xander: We're in trouble.
Cut to Lab
Wesley stands stoically watching several people in lab coats cleaning up the mess on the floor. They keep looking over their shoulder and the camera pans up to see Illyria sitting atop her coffin watching them.
Wesley: Until we find a suitable replacement for those we have lost, I will be here to ensure you all continue with the work that was set before you. Wolfram and Hart chooses who runs what here, not any of you. Am I making myself clear?
They glance back to Wesley and nod.
Wesley: Projects will continue, deadlines will still be met. And as a reminder of what might happen should you choose to rise up against those of us that remain. You will each report to me at the beginning and end of every day. The work Fred did here will not be for nothing.
Labcoat1: We're not children.
Wesley: Your actions indicate otherwise.
Labcoat2: You trust her over those who have served Wolfram & Hart loyally?
Illyria: (To the workers) You should not trust me.
Wesley: I guess that's your answer.
Labcoat1: Fred would never understand what you're doing.
Illyria: (Fred's voice) I just want you to understand… that in a few hours a virus is gonna start spreading in this city that'll kill every person in it, and when blood starts streaming out of our noses, eye sockets, and fingernails, I'll have the intense satisfaction of knowing that I'm dying with the only people in the world that actually deserve it! Now, focus, people!
One of the labcoats drops something and glass shatters on the floor as everyone looks at Illyria.
Illyria: She was strong. She was superior to all of you. As am I.
Wesley: Any questions?
He exchanges a look with Illyria as the others pick up the pace in the sleaning.
Cut to Interior
Hospital Bed
Gunn: (singing) Is it right to be
treated so bad
When you've given everything you had?
Even tossin' in my sleep
'Cause I haven't seen my baby all week
Now, you chicks do agree
That this ain't the way love's supposed to be
Let me hear, let me hear you say yeah, yeah
Lorne: OK!
Gunn stops and looks at him.
Gunn: What?
Lorne: Hey, I've never been one to dis Marvin Gaye, so why do you want to?
Gunn frowns and Lorne smiles.
Lorne: Just kidding sweetie. Sort-of. Anyway, that's quite the Tasmanian you'ge got inside you there isn't it?
Gunn: What?
Lorne: You know, the cartoon? Little fella means well, but he gets excited and off he goes spinning around knocking everyone and everything around him on it's tush and bam! He's in trouble again.
Gunn: You saw all that?
Lorne: Everyone has 2 sides to them Gunn, you always handled both yours well. Did what you had to.. Now our kindly senior partners have given you another one to deal with. Even the best jugglers can only keep three balls in the air for so long. You just finally dropped one. Unfortunately, it was us.
Gunn shakes his head and looks down.
Lorne: Now don't go getting all pouty. We've got Angel for that. No, it's time for you to get out of this bed and get back to work.
Gunn: I don't have any work to go back to.
Lorne: What? Come on now. Just cause you don't get to bark orders doesn't mean you can't still be part of the team! We were getting too many barkers anyway if you ask me. It's time we play nice. And someone has to take the first step. So what do you say?
Gunn looks at him for a long time before finally reaching over to pull the IV from his arm. Lorne sucks in a breath and looks away.
Lorne: There's my boy!
Cut to Exterior
Sewer line
Spike walks along talking to himself.
Spike: Sodding Angel. He planned this. He set me up. Hoped I'd be gone when Xander arrived so he could keep all the news to himself. Send him back with some flowery message to her. Never even mention me! Bleeding selfish! That's what he is!
He stops suddenly and looks straight ahead.
Spike: Didn't your sire teach you anything? You don't just walk up behind someone all noisy and such?
He turns around to face the vamp behind him.
Spike: I mean, there I was walking along completely wrapped up in my own issues and you still managed to announce yourself like the bloody Calgary!
The vamp growls and lunges for Spike. He easily steps aside and the vamp falls forward into the puddle on the ground.
Spike: So tell me, were you on your way in or out?
The vamp jumps up and springs at Spike's throat. He manages to scrape the skin with his teeth before Spike pushes him off and against the wall.
Spike: (wiping at his neck) Are you mad? We don't drink dead blood Ponce!
The vamp tries to struggle free and Spike makes short work of him and stakes him.
Spike: (stepping through the dust) I guess you're out then.
He takes only a few more steps before seeing what he had been looking for. A blocked off corridor housing the nest he was to scout. But the adrenaline is pumping and he charges in.
Several vamps wake up and scurry, two stand facing Spike.
Vamp: You shouldn't be here.
Spike: You don't know right you are.
The first charges and tackles Spike to the ground. He rolls over and straddles him, raising a stake to strike. But it's knocked loose by one from behind and he's kicked off. He grunts and picks himself up quickly to see the group now gaining courage and cornering him.
Spike: So is this supposed to scare me?
Voice: (O.S.) Not likely.
The group turns to look at the entrance blocked by someone they don't recognize. Spike can't see over them.
Woman: Come look. It's the latest in vamp warfare. You might want to step out of the way though.
Vamp: I smell lunch.
Woman: Do you now? Well, come get it then.
They look at one another for a bit as Spike still strains to stand on his tip toes and see over the crowd.
Spike: Hey watch it!
Woman: Why don't you take your own advice Spike?
The group closes in on her and she pushes a button on the box she's holding. Sudden;y the room fills with sunlight and the vamps yell out as Spike ducks under his own jacket in the corner. One by one, they burst into flames until all that is left is the light. She closes the lid and the room returns to dark. Spike's coat bursts into flames and he jumps up to throw it to the ground. He stomps until it's out and the finally sees the girl in front of him.
Spike: You.
Eve: (smiles slightly) Me.
She seems proud of herself until Spike growls and rushes her causing her to drop the box as his hands encircle her throat and he picks her up off the ground to slam her against the wall.
Spike: What the hell was that?
She's struggling for air and can't answer.
Spike: You cmae ot finish me off for your little boy Doyle or whatever the hell his name is did ya? Well I'm not some everyday sewer sleeping creature of the night little Missy. You have to come up with something a bit better than sun in a box.
He sniffs and looks back to his jacket laying on the ground smoldering.
Spike: Do you have any idea what you've done?
She claws at him, face turning red.
Spike: I have worn that jacket, with extreme style I might add, for over 30 years. Do you know how hard it is to get that worn look? Now I have the burnt look! I should watch your eyes pop out of that pea sized brain of yours.
Eve: (clawing and trying desperately to speak) H…He….He-lp.
Spike drops her and she falls to the ground sucking in deep breaths. He walks away to pick up his jacket and put it back on. Scraps of leather fall off when he straightens it. He grinds his teeth at the sight.
Eve: (hands and knees looking up) I was trying to help you.
Spike: Really? Well little tip you might want to keep in mind with other vampires you want to "help". (yells) Sunlight not known to do it! (stops and looks at the box) Hey, how did you do that anyway?
Cut to Interior
Angel's office
Angel: And you're sure this is all true?
Xander: As sure as I can be. I've spent months in Africa following the information that Giles had available. He wanted to keep Buffy out of the loop for obvious reasons.
Angel: And you've told no one else?
Xander: No. I told Giles I thought you might be of some use but he's on his 'no one who works for the largest evil law firm in the world should be someone we should ever trust' thing.
Angel: Yeah, I'm familiar. And Buffy agrees with him?
Xander: Well obviously for different reasons, but yeah.
Angel takes a moment to let it sink in and Xander notices.
Xander: Listen Angel, I know you and I have never really been…close. And I'm not here to mend fences or anything, but this is what I do now. All of us are scattered around the world and it seems like this might end up being one of those times when all of us need to be not…scattered. But I can't go to Giles or Buffy or anyone with anything until I found out if I'm right. And there's only one way I know to do that.
Angel: You did the right thing Xander. Believe it or not. This is what I do still too. We came here to help. However much that's blowing up in our faces right now, I'm not going to lose sight of that. And I'm glad to hear you're not either.
Xander: Ok, well we don't have much time. Giles is going to know something's up and soon. I was never a good liar, but it seems like all the lying powers I had were held in my missing eye. Cause now I just suck. There's just one question.
Angel: What's that?
Xander: What are we going to do about Spike?
Wesley: What do you mean, 'do with Spike'?
Xander turns around and sees him standing there.
Wesley: Xander Harris.
Xander: Wesley Wyndham Price.
Wesley: How…nice to see you.
Xander: Who's Blue girl?
Illyria: (To Wesley) Perhaps you were right about the look.
Angel: Wesley, Xander came to us for help. He's found something in Africa.
Wesley: A problem?
Xander: Ya think? And a safe bet would be it's a big one to make me come here. There's a problem with Spike. And it was a problem before I saw him alive and well. Now I'm thinking, cataclysmic.
Angel: And we'll figure it out. We just have to do it quietly and with as little leaking out as possible.
Wesley: Can someone please tell me what exactly the problem is?
Xander: What's always the problem? The balance is being threatened. And all the slayers in the world might not stand a chance against this one.
Illyria: Slayers?