Chapter 7
Fade in Hallway
Wesley is sitting up leaning against the wall taking deep breaths. Harmony is leaning next to Gunn who is pushing himself up on his elbows still coughing.
Spike: Why don't you get them back to Angel and I'll meet you back there after I find Willow.
Wesley: Willow?
Harmony: She was with us. Then we went in to get you and now she's gone.
Wesley: She can't be alone in here. None of us can.
Spike: What happened in there anyway?
Illyria: Someone tried to kill us.
Gunn: Or something.
Wesley: I don't think Wolfram and Hart is safe for any of us anymore.
Spike: It never was! I've tried to tell you people that for months!
Harmony: Alright Mr Smarty pants, then instead of the I told you so, maybe you could help figure out how to fix this!
Spike: It's not a matter of fixing Pet, it's a matter of bloody surviving!
Gunn: He's right. (stands up) We should find Willow and then tell Angel.
Wesley: We should do both.
Harmony: Huh?
Wesley: Spike, take Illyria and go find Willow.
Harmony: You're supposed to watch her.
Wesley: I will take full responsibility. Spike, can you watch her?
Spike: (looks at Illyira) I think I can handle it.
Illyria: I am not to be 'handled'.
Wesley: Right then, just go with him to find the witch.
Cut to Angel's office
Angel: You gave up your soul?
Lindsey nods.
Angel: (in disbelief) For Spike?
Lindsey: Now don't be jealous. It wasn't like I thought the guy was worth saving, I just thought you were worth killing.
Angel: Well that just makes you all kinds of morally superior now doesn't it?
Xander: Ok, ok, as much as this brings back memories, if I can interject here.
Lorne: The more the merrier.
Xander: So this would be to say that Itley got to drink up the part of you he wanted and gave the rest to Spike? But I don't get it.
Angel: Which part?
Xander: This thing takes one or the other. If Spike got to come back good, and Itley took all your bad, what are you then?
Lindsey: You're not paying attention.
Angel: Spike didn't come back with a soul.
Xander: Ok, I'm just going to stand here and listen until I can actually understand you people.
Angel: Lindsey made the deal with Itley before Spike came back. When he did, he was a ghost. No soul, no body.
Lindsey: You always did catch on quick.
Angel: So you gave up your soul for nothing. That must have stung.
Lindsey: I wasn't thrilled. I'll admit. But once Eve told me how diligently Fred was working on making Spike a real boy again, I knew it was only a matter of time.
Xander: This just keeps getting better. I shouldn't have come here.
He turns to leave.
Angel: Xander!
Xander: (turning around) What?
Angel: You did the right thing okay? If you had gone back to Giles with what you knew, that's all you'd have. Here, you've found a first hand example of what Itley can do. And if we work through this we might be able to figure out how to use it against him. We just need time.
Xander: Right, except now Buffy's coming…possibly to kick my ass…Willow is roaming around here barely speaking to me, not to mention Giles probably has the entire Council and Slayers team readying for a Xander hunt! So excuse me if I don't see the good in combining the mess you've made of things here with the mess of things I've made there!
Lorne: I couldn't have said it better myself.
Cut to Hallway-Harmony, Gunn and Wesley stride purposefully. Harmony trying a bit harder to keep up.
Harmony: You know, I just think this is so great. You two working together again, not even a stab wound can break up your friendship. This is what I was trying to tell Angel earlier.
Gunn: Harmony, can you shut up now?
Harmony: Don't get grouchy with me Gunn!
Wesley: Shhh.
Harmony: Did you hear what I just said to…
Wesley shoves a hand across her mouth and stops walking. Gunn watches her struggle briefly and then hears something.
Gunn: What was that?
Wesley: I'm not sure.
Harmony mumbles underneath the hand once and then falls silent. A knocking is heard through the walls. Gunn looks around them and sees nothing.
Gunn: I bet we're going to find that noise before we find the others ain't we?
Wesley: (slowly removes his hand) Harmony, go back and tell Angel what's happening. Tell him Spike and Illyria went after Willow and we're on the fifth floor investigating this…sound.
Harmony: I don't think you should…
Wesley: Go!
He pushes her forward and she stumbles a bit before glaring at him and spinning on her heel to take off down the hall.
Gunn: You know we don't have any weapons right?
Wesley: I'm aware.
Gunn: So unless this is a door to door salesman, we're screwed.
Wesley: It would seem.
Gunn: Just so we're clear.
Cut to Lab
Spike and Illyria look around.
Spike: I thought for sure Red would be here. She had a thing for science back in the day before her wanton witchiness shone through.
Illyria: If she is so powerful, why are we looking for her? She should sustain her health on her own.
Spike: Because we're not machines. And neither are you. Might do you good to remember that. All for one always worked best for us.
Illyria: Not always. You once lived only for yourself. This place, it tainted you. Made you weak.
Spike: You're still not getting it. What this place and Sunnydale before that gave me, was a reason. Life's not much fun when you can't find one of those. See demons, gods, vampires, they all live for the kill. The power. But there's no reason behind it. Just what they do. You get bored easily. But this…
Illyria: This is frustration. Feeling…things. It only clouds judgement.
Spike: Well you go on believing that then. We better get out of here before the boys in charge decide to send us another message.
Illyria: We waste time with this.
Spike: What? Your dance card filled without me knowing it?
Illyria: Sarcasm does not amuse me.
Spike: Not much does.
Illyria: I wish to find Wesley.
Spike: Well Wesley wishes us to find Willow.
Illyria: And they wish us to be delayed.
Spike turns around to see several people running past the lab in the hallway. He heads out after them leaving Illyria to follow.
Cut to Dark room.
Willow is in the center of the room in enormous pain. She cries out once before being knocked by an invisible force against the wall.
Cut to other side of door
Wesley: That was Willow!
He struggles to open the door but can't get it to budge.
Gunn: Move!
Gunn backs up a step and kicks the door hard enough to splinter it. A forceful gust of wind knocks them both backwards. They struggle to their feet.
Cut to inside of room.
Willow lays face down on the floor barely moving. She rolls over onto her back.
Willow: Xander.
She's picked up and dangled in mid air like a rag doll.
Wesley and Gunn enter the room and see her there.
Gunn: This can't be good.
Wesley: Willow?
Willow lifts her head and raises a hand weakly.
Willow: Desturum.
She's dropped from the hold and crashes to the floor. Wesley rushes to her side and Gunn looks around.
Gunn: What the hell is going on?
Willow: Power. (sits up) It's trying to take my power.
Wesley: Can you stand?
Willow: Yes.
Gunn: Ok, well we should get of here now. We have to find our way back and regroup.
Wesley: I think you're right Gunn.
Willow: We're not getting out of here. There's no way we're all getting out of here.
Wesley: Angel will know what to do.
Willow: Angel knows nothing. What he thought he knew is what got you all here.
Wesley: You don't understand the circumstances.
Willow: And I don't think I ever will.
Gunn: Guys….
Wesley: Let's go.
Just as they turn to leave the room they see several people running down the hall. They look at eachother and then see Spike and Illyria striding purposefully after them.
Gunn: Let me guess….
Willow closes her eyes.
Cut to Hallway, Spike hears a voice in his head.
Willow: (OS) Spike Stop!
Spike stops and looks behind him.
Spike: Willow?
Illyria: Why did you stop?
Spike: Sshh.
Willow: (OS) Let them go.
Spike: Where are you?
Illyria: I'm right here.
Spike: Ssh.
Illyria: I do not like you.
Willow: Try to get out. Find an exit. We're going to tell the others.
Spike: And when I find a way out?
Willow: Chances are you won't.
Spike: Right then. Here we go.
He takes Illyria by the arm and proceeds down the hall.
Cut to Willow
Gunn: What was that about?
Willow: There was a reason I'm a threat. I wasn't supposed to be here. This place is trying to kill you all, here. So it can have free reign out there.
Wesley: But everyone left the building earlier. Most everyone. There was no trouble.
Willow: Only because they wanted them out. Angel is who they want. And anyone who came here with him.
Gunn: So we go now?
Willow: Wait.
She recited a brief spell and a wave comes over the three standing in the room.
Wesley: What did you do?
Willow: Bought us some time. Come on.
Cut to Angel's office
Harmony runs into the room.
Harmony: Angel, something really strange is happening.
Everyone looks at one another in disbelief.
Xander: (shaking his head) It's just too easy. You take all the fun out of it Harm.
Angel: What is it?
Harmony: Well, I was going to run out and see if anyone had noticed anything going on in the building so I tried to go out the front doors. I wasn't running away or anything okay? I was just…
Angel: Harmony!
Harmony: Right. Well, it's just that they're not there.
Lorne: What's that?
Harmony: The front doors. They're gone!
Lindsey: Ooh, someone has been a very, very bad CEO. Looks like there might be a takeover in the works.
Xander: Kind of funny to come with the gloating when you're stuck here too.
Eve: Lindsey?
Angel: OK, so it looks like the gloves might have come off. The senior partners probably got wind of what we were doing here. I would presume that this Itley isn't high on even their list.
Lorne: Who exactly is high on their list?
Xander: I'm a dead man.
Harmony: Don't worry, I'm sure they'll go after Angel and the rest of us first. It's not like you even measure on the evil richtor scale.
Lorne: What about the basement? The garage? Have we tried everything?
Wesley: We are now.
Xander: Willow? Are you okay?
Willow: I'm fine.
Angel: Where's Gunn?
Wesley: He went to check the exits. As did Spike and Illyria. Willow was attacked for her power.
Lorne: You left Gunn alone?
Willow: He'll be fine. I cast aprotection spell over the three of us. It should hold for an hour or so.
Wesley: Angel we need to talk.
Lindsey: Yes, talking always works out when being hunted down.
Wesley: The research. I found something and haven't had time to tell you anything.
Angel: What is it?
Wesley: The village, the village where Itley resides. Centuries ago, there was a slayer there. The wanted to save his village. The watcher's journals tell that the Slayer was killed, but the body never found.
Xander: And this means?
Wesley: The chief decreed there would be no speaking but it was conditional. The villagers would not be in danger if they agreed to the deal. The chief accepted and the village has been safe since. Even while Itley lives there, does his worst there. Why?
Lorne: Please tell me that's rhetorical.
Wesley: I believe there is only one way that much power could have been wielded. Only one way to abate Itley.
Xander: A sacrifice.
Wesley: Yes.
Angel: The Slayer.
Xander: He gave Itley the Slayer.
Wesley: It's what I propose.
Willow: But that couldn't be. That would mean… I mean, this thing wants souls, power…
Lindsey: Not much bigger power in this dimension than a Slayer.
Xander: But if it took what it wanted, if the Slayer died, then it wouldn't get it.
Wesley: Precisely. The Slayer would need to remain alive.
Angel: It's tainted.
Lorne: What's tainted?
Eve: Oh wow. This could be huge. The senior partners couldn't have known about this. They would have played it all differently.
Willow: No. (She sits down in a chair) No.
Xander: Willow?
Lindsey: And you said Buffy's on the way right? Oh now this could be fun.
Angel: Shut up Lindsey.
Xander: What's happening? Somebody tell me what's happening.
Angel: The slayer line is tainted Xander. For centuries, it has been tainted. And Itley has only been gaining more power since in order to take advantage. Take control.
Willow: Of the Slayers.
Xander: Oh God. (stumbles back a step) Oh God no.