Library, early evening

Harmony screams very loudly as Andrew panics and Giles and Larry spring into action, dropping bags and grabbing weapons. Jonathan inhales sharply, and clutches desperately at the handle of a handy axe. He'll use it if he must. But he's not convinced he has any chance of surviving this. Patrolling is one thing. Getting attacked on supposedly safe turf – that's a whole different kettle of fish.

So…there is a fight, obviously.

The demon has come to create a spot of carnage; something it is very good at and enjoys all the more when it knows it's getting paid at the end of it. It is huge, and very powerful. Giles and Larry rush at it in a desperate, hopeless attempt at defence. The demon casually swipes at them, claws flashing, and both go down without even managing a strike.

The demon advances further into the library, and Harmony backs off, still screaming. The demon ignores her. She is weaponless. Defenceless. It concentrates on the males. Andrew and Jonathan, with barely any training behind them. Untried. Untested. Easy pickings.

Andrew is frantically searching through a pile of weaponry, as the demon gets ever closer, trying to find something suitable, discarding perfectly adequate weapons in his panic, while Jonathan clutches nervously at his axe. He swings at the demon in desperate self-defence as soon as it is close enough, and actually manages to connect, but there is not enough power behind the blow to cause any damage to the demon. It picks him up and tosses him at Andrew like a bowling ball. They both go down like ninepins.

The werewolf has started to howl furiously in his cage as the demon turns to Harmony, who hasn't stopped screaming. It moves toward her, and she starts throwing things at it – anything that comes to hand. Mostly books. And then the demon is distracted by a counter-attack from the rear. It swings around, and lashes out at Larry once more, needle-sharp claws raking across his chest and drawing blood. Larry stumbles backward, and Giles now attacks from another direction, sword in hand, only to receive similar treatment.

The pattern continues: Larry and Giles take turns to attack and retreat, both taking more damage than they manage to inflict.

LARRY (shouting): "Man, this thing's got, like, rhino hide."

He jumps backward to avoid another crushing blow.

"Dino hide, even."

Jonathan has now recovered, and attempts to imitate their method of assault. Giles sees him.

GILES: "No, get back!"

Too late, as the demon lifts and tosses Jonathan once again. This time he hits the wall hard and lies still. But Andrew takes his place, having finally found a weapon he feels comfortable with, a sword. It's too big and heavy for him to handle properly. Maybe that's the point: the bigger the better, and at least it's long enough to improve his reach considerably. He slashes at the demon, and manages to get in a slice or two before it knocks him aside and turns back to Giles and Larry. The demon is enjoying itself immensely, and is fast getting carried away. It picks up a table and throws it at them. They go down in a heap, and stay down.

The demon looks around. None of its opponents are moving, and ripping them apart won't be as much fun unless they are awake enough to really feel it. It looks at Harmony, who has backed off into a corner, trapped and whimpering. Nothing left to throw, and no weapons to defend herself. It growls deep in its throat, moving toward her once more.

And then the werewolf howls again, catching the demon's attention. It turns, sees Wolf-Oz howling and throwing himself at the cage door, enraged by what he can see, smell and sense.

The demon wasn't expecting a werewolf, but is fast going into something of a berserker rage and losing all sense of reason. It rips the door off the cage in order to get at this new opponent. The wolf springs at it, and another fight begins, this one all about teeth and claws.

The demon and the werewolf roll around, slashing and gnashing, and inflicting some hefty damage on one another, as Larry's senses start to return. He pushes the table off him, and checks on Giles, who is lying nearby – unconscious but alive. On the other side of the room, Jonathan is stirring, and Andrew pushes himself up onto all fours, groping for his lost sword.

Still down on the ground, staying as unobtrusive as possible, Larry anxiously studies the demon-werewolf fight as he reclaims his weapons – an axe in each hand – but can't see any opening to use them. He could just as easily hit Oz as the demon. Can't risk it. He crawls across to Harmony, who clutches at him, terrified.

HARMONY (whispering): "We're going to die. We're going to die!"

Larry gives her a little shake, points her to the counter.

LARRY: "Over there. There's a gun – tranquilliser. Go get it, quick."

He turns away, not waiting to see if she will obey, and pulls himself onto his feet. The demon now flings the werewolf aside and rounds on Larry with a vicious snarl. But it has been weakened by that tooth and claw fight with the werewolf, dripping blood from numerous wounds, and wavering on its feet a little.

Larry grips his axes firmly, steels himself, and then charges at the demon. It is becoming a little sluggish now, after expending so much effort, and Larry manages to avoid its claws and get in a couple telling blows with his axes, aided by Andrew, who launches a surprisingly effective attack on the demon's rear at the same time. The demon can't concentrate on them both at once. Enraged, it lashes out randomly, blindly.

The demon manages to knock Larry off his feet once more, and Andrew falls back as it rounds on him with a malicious snarl, charges toward him…

…And runs straight into an axe, hitting it right through the eyes. Jonathan, standing on a table, at full stretch. Eyes wide, lip curling in disgust, just about managing not to hyperventilate, he lets go of the axe. The demon totters, topples…and falls, the axe still sticking out of its head. Dead.

Wild-eyed, Jonathan stares at Andrew, who stares back, equally wild-eyed. Disbelieving. They've fought – and they've won, against all the odds. And then Andrew's eyes get wilder still as he notices the werewolf now back on his feet and lunging at him. Gasping, he takes a step backward, but finds the wall behind him. No escape. The sword is still in his hand, and he half-lifts it, not knowing what else to do. All he can see are the teeth, growing closer, fetid breath hot on his face …

But the werewolf doesn't reach him, falling instead to the ground at his feet, a tranquilliser dart sticking out of his back. Barely able to breath for fear, Andrew stares down at him for a moment, and then looks up, to see what happened.

Over by the counter, Harmony stands with the tranquilliser gun to her shoulder still in firing pose, her expression rigid with horror.

Larry now picks himself back up, and looks from Harmony to the downed werewolf, across to the dead demon, and back to Jonathan and Andrew, dazed and grim. Behind him, on the floor, Giles starts to stir.

HARMONY (tremulous): "I don't feel so safe in here anymore."

Library, evening

Andrew and Jonathan both whimper like girls under the none-so-gentle ministrations of a very reluctant Nurse Harmony – the only one not injured – as she tries very clumsily to clean and dress some of their wounds with the absolute opposite of a bedside manner.

ANDREW (louder and whinier than strictly necessary): "Owww!"

HARMONY: "Look, do you want me to do this or not? It wasn't my idea, you know. You should be grateful I'm generous enough to help."

ANDREW (sulky): "I'd be more grateful if you were generous enough to be gentle. It stings. Ow!"

HARMONY (contemptuous): "Such a baby."

Pan away to the other side of the room, where, still dripping blood from their own untreated injuries, Giles and Larry drag Wolf-Oz back into the cage – rather pointlessly, since there isn't a door any more. The werewolf is a mess, considerably more so than the rest of them having fought tooth and claw with the demon, bleeding from numerous wounds all over his body.

LARRY (stating the blindingly obvious): "He's gonna need patching up when he's awake and approachable."

GILES: "Yes."

(He takes his glasses off – one lens is cracked – and wipes blood out of his eye from a gash across his forehead)

"Patching up is something we could all use a little of right now."

Larry grimaces and pulls at his torn shirt, which is sticking to a deep and bloody laceration across his chest.

LARRY: "Sounds more than good to me."

(He glances across at Harmony's ministrations of the other two and grimaces again)

"But not by her – okay?"

Giles also glances at Harmony, and gives a tiny involuntary shudder.

GILES: "Agreed."

He crouches to check on the unrestrained werewolf at their feet again, thoughtful.

"We can't leave him like this till morning – we'll need to do something to stop the bleeding. But we, ah, we won't be able to do much more than that until he, uh, turns back."

LARRY (leaning against the wall, tired): "All that fur gets in the way, huh."

GILES (thoughtful): "Quite. We'll also need to find some way of restraining him before he wakes again. A-and we'll have to stand a guard until morning, to be on the safe side. He may need to be tranquillised again if he seems likely to break loose once more, although I'd like to avoid administering a second sedative if at all possible."

LARRY (sighing): "Because it had to break the cage door. Again, just when we really need the lock. What the hell was that thing, anyway?"

Giles looks over to the dead demon, puzzled and concerned.

GILES: "I wish I knew."

School corridor, following morning

An entirely random, and clearly very hardy school cleaner wheels a trolley along the hallway. She uses the trolley to push the double doors of the library open, and enters.

Library, morning

Inside the library, the cleaner stops dead in amazement.

Pan around the library to show that…the worst of the damage – and blood – has been cleared up. Most importantly, the dead demon has been removed, presumably disposed of in the school incinerator. But the room is still a mess, with broken or damaged furniture all around, books scattered every which way. And also sleeping bodies all around. So much for standing guard.

Andrew and Jonathan are sleeping contentedly on a table, top and tailed with their feet in each other's faces. Jonathan has rolled into the centre, pushing Andrew right to the edge. Larry is snoring heavily on the floor, Harmony lying at right angles to him using his stomach as a pillow – which he'd never allow if he knew – and twitching a little in her sleep. Possibly reliving the terror of last night in her dreams. And Giles is asleep bolt upright in a straight-backed chair, tranquilliser gun across his lap, facing the door-less book cage. All of their clothing is torn and bloody still, with bandages and band-aids visible in places.

Incredulous, and slightly appalled, the cleaner glances into the cage, perhaps wondering where the door has gone…only to find a naked Oz, bound hand and foot in chains, lying unconscious on the floor inside. Cleaned but un-bandaged demon-inflicted wounds are very clearly visible on his naked body and a few are still bleeding sluggishly. She screams very loudly.

Everyone wakes up with a start, and Andrew falls off the table, as the cleaner run screaming from the room, leaving her trolley behind. Larry and Harmony sit bolt upright, and gape at each other in disgust.

Giles stares worriedly – albeit still a trifle fuzzily – after the cleaner, and then glances up at the clock.

GILES: "Good Lord, is that the time?"

JONATHAN (getting up): "Is it late?"

He looks at the clock.

"Oh. It's late."

Larry rather stiffly stands up, grimacing as his numerous cuts and bruises protest the movement.

LARRY: "I guess we all kinda…slept."

He goes over to Giles and glances into the cage at Oz, frowns slightly.

"Doesn't he usually wake up at, like, sunrise?"

GILES (going into the cage): "Usually. But the last sedative had to be administered rather later than I'd have liked – it wouldn't have had time to clear his system before he turned back, and it was rather a, a hefty dose for a human. I imagine he'll sleep for a while yet."

He kneels to check on Oz, as Jonathan and Harmony come over to peer in at the seemingly lifeless form.

HARMONY (turning away quickly from the nakedness and blood): "Ew."

JONATHAN (wrinkling his nose): "Is he okay? He's kinda…still."

Giles starts to remove the chains from Oz's hands and feet.

GILES (reassuring): "Oh, yes. Yes, he'll be fine. Sore, but fine."

LARRY: "Aren't we all?"

GILES: "And we can dress these wounds now that he's, uh, human once more."

JONATHAN: "But what about the, uh…"

He nods toward the door and the trolley that the cleaner left behind, still concerned about her reaction.

LARRY (calm): "She'll repress."

He goes over to the counter and picks up the first aid box.

ANDREW (disbelieving) "You reckon?"

LARRY (matter-of-fact): "They always do."

He takes the first aid box over to the cage.

GILES: "Yes. Remarkable though it may seem."

(He takes the first aid box from Larry, opens it, peers inside)

"And now, ah, I'd say some, uh, breakfast was in order, wouldn't you?"

ANDREW (closing his eyes dreamily): "Ah. Food."

LARRY: "Breakfast right now would have to be your best idea all week. Donuts?"

He peers around until he spots Giles' jacket and casually helps himself to the wallet, then hands the jacket to Giles, who drapes it over the sleeping Oz and continues to rummage through the first aid box, assembling everything he needs.

GILES (not looking up): "Jelly for me."

JONATHAN: "We get donuts?"

ANDREW: "Of course we get donuts. Why wouldn't we get donuts? We're, like, heroes now!"

Larry rolls his eyes, but doesn't argue.

LARRY (grudging): "You did good."

Andrew nudges Jonathan, very excited.

ANDREW (grinning): "Hear that? We did good."

Jonathan smiles, quietly pleased.

HARMONY (sitting on the table, beaming from ear to ear): "I know. Even I helped, so you can't say mean things about me any more."

Larry shakes his head bemusedly, but looks amused, the anger he's been carrying around for so long lifted somewhat by the infectious enthusiasm of the new recruits, and perhaps also by the adrenaline rush of the unexpected but successful battle last night. The newcomers to the group might not have been welcomed with open arms and, in Harmony's case, might be rather reluctant still, but there's not much doubt about it after that battle the night before – they're all very much on the same team now. Fully adopted into the White Hat fold.

He heads out in search of donuts.

Library, later that morning

A very out of focus shot…

HARMONY (voice over, way too bright and bubbly): "Good morning, sleepy head."

Camera slowly comes into focus on a shot of the library from on the ground, sideways on. Then pans around, turning the right way up, to show Oz slowly waking on the floor inside the cage, stiff and sore. Still naked, with a blanket now covering him, wounds neatly dressed. The look in his eyes is troubled, anxious. Waking up injured and not knowing how it happened is not a pleasant sensation.

Out in the library proper, Giles and Larry are sat at the table surrounded by books, but surreptitiously watching Oz as he wakes. Harmony is with them, re-doing her nails, but Andrew and Jonathan aren't there – in class, perhaps.

LARRY (concern hidden behind an offhand manner): "You all right?"

Oz manages to sit up, wincing, and looks down at himself.

OZ: "Apparently not. I miss something?"

HARMONY (blithely, still working on her nails): "You missed heaps. Even though you had, like, a ringside seat, with hands on audience participation, and everything."

(Thinks, wrinkling her nose)

"That must suck."

Oz shifts again, uncomfortable.

OZ (under his breath): "Just a bit."

LARRY: "Someone out there really hates us. That's about as much as we've worked out so far."

(Picking up some clothing, he takes it over to Oz and helps him to his feet.)

"Need a hand?"

Oz shakes his head, taking the clothes with one hand and hanging onto the blanket to preserve his modesty with the other.

OZ: "No. Thanks."

With a nod, Larry leaves him to it and returns to the study table.

OZ (off screen): "So, what happened?"

Courteously enough, the others answer this question without turning to look at him, since he's dressing, even the tactless Harmony keeping her eyes averted. She's probably seen enough already.

GILES: "An attack. On the library – last night shortly before patrol."

LARRY: "The patrol that didn't happen, as it turns out."

GILES: "Yes, quite. We were, uh, rather sidetracked by a visit from a particularly vicious and destructive demon."

LARRY: "Quite a party."

GILES: "And according to these files,"

(He indicates the books open before him)

"Although this particular demon takes great pleasure in maiming and killing, it generally only does so for a price."

LARRY (in case the point was missed there): "Hired assassin. Like I said – someone out there really hates us."

Now clothed, Oz limps out of the cage and joins them at the table.

OZ: "So. Payback's started early, then."

GILES (grim): "Apparently so."