Bus Station, Day after the Pack Experience
"Hey guys, where're you heading?"
"Uh, we're kinda heading to LA," Heidi hedged.
"It wasn't your fault. I'm on my way to tell the police exactly what happened?"
"Are you nuts, Harris?" Kyle reacted, "Who'll believe us?"
Xander, looking hard at them and rolling his eyes back over the shoulder he's leaning on the building corner, "What, that a group of pcp gang members forced you to take a hit, then decided it was a great idea to push you into that whole wolf-pack craziness of his? Come on, if I hadn't smacked you guys around, you'd've ended up either helping those freaks, or ended up dead like the zookeeper. I hear the wolves were stolen as well."
Kyle, catching on, "But, Xander, we all talked about it, and after leaving the Bronze last night, nothing until we woke up in the park. Then, overhearing some freshman talking about the police lookin'..."
"Maybe we should listen to Xander," Rhonda, playing along, "I kinda remember him pulling me away from an angry guy with a big knife, and someone shooting at him with a gun."
"Luckily, I'm still here. Come on, let's go see the police, then the hospital to explain things to Pri—"
The police officers rounded Xander, "that's quite alright. If you'd please come with us, we'll settle it at the station."
"Here, I'll take the tickets and get the refund, then meet you at the station, okay officers?"
"Yeah, we'll need your statement, and we heard you talking, so you're still not a suspect. When can we expect you?"
"If you wait, they can cash in their own tickets, otherwise however long it takes for the bus."
The officers decided to keep track of everyone, and at the station gathered statements. The gang's parents are called, while Xander and a detective drive over to the hospital where a recovering Flutie has the situation explained to him. Xander suggests making the students improve their grades by one level for the remainder of the year, do community service after school rather than detention or jail, and the parents to assume equal share of medical and property damages. Flutie comments on Alexander's mature solution, and directs the detective to recommend it to the DA.
The Master's lair, One week later
Darla comes into the lair and sees Colin is tossing stones into the pool. He takes a few more from the Master's hand. The Master looks up at his favorite.
"Zachary didn't return from the hunt last night," the old vampire comments.
"The Slayer, or the new hunters in town," Darla considers, "They're starting to be felt."
"Zachary was strong, and he was careful," the Master continued, "And still the Slayer takes him... as she has taken so many of my family. It wears thin. Colin, what would you do about it?"
"I'd annihilate her."
"Out of the mouths of babes..." the Master grins, always enjoying a good quote.
"Let me do it, Master," Darla nearly pleads, "Let me kill her for you."
"You have a personal interest in this."
"I don't get to have any fun. Can I go after the new hunters then?"
"I will send the Three. You, my dear, will take some of the minions and deal with these 'hunters.'"
"Thank you, Master, but who are The Three?"
Sunnydale Animal Shelter, 3 days later
"Alexander, have you finished cleaning out the dog kennel?"
"Yeah, Boss, and topped off the food and water for 'em. Anything else before I go, Ms. Wells."
"No, that's it. Thanks again for your help. You seem to have a way with the dogs, even better than Tucker does when he helps during the summer. I'm really glad Bob Flutie recommended you."
"Well, I just felt the need to volunteer, and maybe pick up some ideas for what I'm going to do after graduation. Any way, gotta run."
Master's Lair same afternoon
"I'm thinking the Three might not be enough if the new hunters in town and the Slayer are working together," Darla broached again. "You've gotta let me take care of the Slayer when they fail."
"Oh! You're giving me orders now!"
"Okay, then, we'll just do nothing while she takes us out one by one, even if I get the hunters," she sulks, turning away.
"Do I sense a plan, Darla? Share..."
Darla walks back to the Master, "Angel kills her and comes back to the fold."
"Angel! He was the most vicious creature I ever met. I miss him."
"So do I."
"Why would he kill her if he feels for her?
"To keep her from killing him. I'm working a few ideas."
"Hmm," he muses, turning to Colin, "You see how we all work together for the
common good? That's how a family is supposed to function!"
Angel's Apartment just before dusk
Angel from his bedroom hears someone come through the door and senses a
presence, "Angel: Who's here?"
"A friend."
He quickly enters the room to face the voice. Darla comes out of the shadows wearing a
Catholic schoolgirl uniform.
"Hi. It's been a while," Darla begins.
"A lifetime," Angel replies
"Or two, but who's counting?"
"What's with the Catholic schoolgirl look? Last time I saw you it was kimonos."
"And last time I saw you it wasn't high school girls. Don't cha like? Remember Budapest? Turn of the century? You were such a bad boy during that earthquake."
"You did some damage yourself."
"Is there anything better than a natural disaster? The panic. The people lost in the streets. It's like picking fruit off the vine." She sits on the bed, "Nice! You're living above ground, like one of them. You and your new friend are attacking us, like one of them. But guess what, precious? You're not one of them."
She draws the window blinds open, letting in a stream of sunlight. Angel is blinded, and he stumbles backward to get out of the light.
Darla presses, "Are you?"
"No. But I'm not exactly one of you either," Angel retorts mildly.
She opens the refrigerator and sees the bags and bottles of human blood, "Is that what you tell yourself these days? You're not exactly living off quiche. You and I both know what you hunger for. What you need. Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's who we are. It's what makes eternal life worth living." She smiles and touches his cheek, "Mm. You can only suppress your real nature for so long. You can feel it brewing inside of you. I hope I'm around when it explodes."
"Maybe you don't wanna be."
Darla pushes him harder, "I'm not afraid of you. I bet she is, though. (starts to leave) Or maybe I'm underestimating her. Talk to her. Maybe she'll come around. And if she still doesn't trust you, you know where I'll be."
Leaving an angry Angel behind, she exits the apartment, screaming and grabbing at her face as Xander hits her with his super-soaker holy-water-filled gun. Her scream freezes Angel in place and draws her four minions from down the hall where they'd lurked. Xander stabs out, striking deeply in the throat as she writhes in the hall, then as he turns to face the new threat, Darla drops her purse and pushes by and races into the evening.
Holy-water spraying down the surprised vampires, Xander lunges forward to stake the undead in the eyes as Angel breaks out of his trance and draws a stake.
"Grab their wallets and weapons first DB!"
"DB?" Angel questions as he punches two of the downed vampires and complying.
"Yeah, Dead Boy, I overheard your conversation. I'm not too thrilled with you, but if Vamp Girl thinks you're on our side, I won't taunt you too bad for now." He strips off two really nice leather coats and a pair of boots before dusting all four.
"What's with the looting, Xander?"
"Well, since it all goes 'poof' why not ease the burdens of the hunt at the same time? Besides, this looks like a slightly better set of boots and jacket than the ones of yours I'm still wearing...and they look your size."
"Urmm, ah, thanks I think."
"Come on, we're going to the Bronze. It might be best for you not to be here in case she brings back the whole bunch, and if she finds me somewhere else, you might use your vampo-super-speed to dust her while I taunt and squirt. I may have the whole strong and fast thing for a human...but I'm not chancing dealing with a wounded vampiress right now," he says, handing nearly a grand to Angel. "You helped with half the effort; it's your share. If it makes you uncomfortable, donate it somewhere."
"No, I just never expected you to be so..."
"Wolfish? I learned salvage and scrap detail at home long ago if I wanted to get by; the wolf just charged me up enough to realize that to do more means applying those lessons to this as well. Maybe by Christmas I can move out into my own place, but I'll need the cash to do it. You ready, good. Let's go."
Alley near the Bronze
Three tough guys are lighting up cigarettes. The Three come around a corner at a steady, deliberate pace. The men see them and leave.
The Bronze
"Free drink, please," the girl says, holding the roach up to the bartender and drops it into his jar. The bartender nods his head and goes to get the drink.
"Ah, the fumigation party," Willow notes as they sit at a table.
"Hmm?"
"It's an annual tradition. The closing of the Bronze for a few days to nuke the cockroaches?"
"Oh," Buffy responds, not really paying attention.
"It's a lot of fun... What's it like where you are?"
"I'm... sorry," she responds, smiling, "I was just... thinking about things..."
"So, we're talking about a guy?"
"Not exactly a guy. For us to have a conversation about a guy, there'd have to be a guy for us to have a conversation about. Is that a sentence?"
"You lack a guy."
"I do. Which is fine with me, most of the time, but..."
"What about Angel? I know that Xander kicked him out of the library, but that whole tragedy thing's kinda romantic, er, in a weird sort of way. And it is kinda novel how he'll stay young and handsome forever, although you'll still get wrinkly and die, and... Oh, and what about the children? I'll be quiet now.
"No, it's okay. I need to hear this. I need to get over him so I can...move on. And besides, Angel? I can just see him in a relationship. 'Hi, honey, you're in grave danger. I'll see you next month.' Besides, I haven't really seen him much the last couple of weeks, or Xander for that matter."
"Both haven't been around much, it's true."
"When he is around..." she continues, dreamily, "it's like the lights dim everywhere else. You know how it's like that with some guys? He's never done anything to hurt me..." She sits more upright, collecting herself. "Okay, no, I need to stop thinking about this. Okay, let's give itanother half an hour and maybe something will happen or sink in. And then I'm going home for some major moping."
"Oh, there they are," looking over at Xander, still wearing the vampire's old duster, approaching the table with Angel, a pair in black)
Xander makes his way through the teens dancing but bumps into Cordelia.
"Ouch!" the girl complains, "Please get your extreme oafishness off my two-hundred-dollar shoes!
"I'm sorry, Cordelia, I was just..."
"Being a big klutz?"
"Oh, so you noticed."
"Uh-huh."
"Yeah, thanks for being so understanding."
"Sure."
"Y'know, hey, I don't know what everyone's talking about. That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker!" He leaves the dance floor and goes over to Buffy and Willow, where Angel is lurking, "Xander: Boy, that Cordelia is a regular breath of vile air. What are you vixens up to?"
"Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by," Willow responds, then sees a bug, "Oh, look, a cockroach." She stomps it and turns the shoe over.
Buffy lifts her eyes to see and then turns them back down, "So what are the two of you up to? Together?"
"We did an early patrol to thin the herd," Xander rplied.
"Huh?"
"We ran into each other, and I invited him along."
Awkward silence.
"Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!" Xander mocks.
"Alright, now I'm infecting those nearest and dear to me. I'm gonna call it a night," Buffy sighs, getting up to leave.
"Oh, don't go!" Willow exclaims.
"Uh, yeah! It's early!" Xander adds, "We could, um, all go on a patrol if you need to...patrol."
"Rain check?" Buffy sadly smiles, "Good night."
Xander lets out a breath. Willow holds her shoe up to him.
"Want a free drink?"
"No, come on you two," Xander asserts, "the way she's acting, she's easy prey."
Buffy makes her way out of the Bronze looking bummed. Down the street, Buffy senses something and stops to look behind her. She sees Angel and her friends walking quickly to catch up, otherwise nothing. She continues and walks past an alley. She hears a breath and stops.
"It's late, I'm tired, and I don't wanna play games. Show yourself."
One of the Three roars and drops down to the sidewalk behind her. She reaches into her coat, pulls out a stake and quickly spins around to stake the vampire. Another of the Three grabs her arm as she swings.
"Wuh!" she sounds in surprise as the third member comes up on her other side and grabs her other arm, "Ooo! Okay, okay, nice..."
They pull her into the alley and up against a fence. The first one approaches her.
"Okay, okay... Look, I really don't wanna fight all three of you... unless I have to." She says, snap-kicking him in the crotch, elbows the third, and tries to punch the second. He blocks her swing and thrusts his knee into her gut, slamming her into the fence. The other two recover and grab her again. The second one slowly approaches her with death in his eyes. Buffy is terrified and struggles to get away. The vampire comes up to Buffy, grabs her head and moves in to bite.
Angel comes up behind him, grabs him by the hair and pulls him off of her, "Good dogs don't... (punches the vampire) ...bite!"
At the same time, Xander flies by and tears a vampire off of Buffy, wailing into the undead without restraint, "Hey...Dead Boy...I resemble... that... remark... oh cold one."
Buffy is surprised at her rescue and the banter, but quickly regains her head. Using the surprise of the remaining vampire holding onto her arm, she kicks up with both feet and hits it in the face with a kick to the chin. She quickly kicks it in the crotch before looking for a stake. Angel continues to fight the first, gaining an edge when Willow shoots it in the ear with a holy-water squirt gun before racing to help Buffy. Helped by the timely distraction, Angel and Buffy finish their opponents to find Xander, not only done, but stabbing crosses into the last one, taking something off of it, then dusting.
"Xander!" Buffy exclaims, "What was that about?"
"Apparently, we just defeated three vampires known as The Three, set by the Master because the Slayer and her friends have corrupted Angelus and have taken a toll of his minions," he responds while going through the wallet and pocketing some of the cash.
"What's that?" she asks he hands them each some bills.
"I was looking for information also, but it had cash, so 4 fighters of the good divide, plus an extra share because I actually had the idea, so $500 each share, and I'm compensating Angel a little extra toward the coat I've made my own."
Angel, "It cost me $800"
"Minus wear, and the boots and coat I dropped off."
"Sure, okay."
"Are you friends, now," Buffy asks, confused, "because this seems a bit of a turn-around."
Both look disturbed and put off by the remark, both replying, "No!" to both girls' amusement
Angel looks at Xander before giving an edited version of Darla's approach, leaving off the conversation and the Xander-looting.
"What were you doing at Angel's any way?" Willow asked.
"Checking up, and thinking about returning the jacket. How about a quick patrol, then we call it a night?"
The Master's Lair
The Master comforts his favorite as her face finally recovers from the burns and throat stabbing, "I will have to send for Taraka; your taunting of Angelus and the Three failed, and you, my childe, were defeated by a mortal. Their blood will flow if it costs my entire hoard to destroy them."
Sunnydale High School Library the Next Afternoon.
Giles sets out a sign on the door stating that reads 'Library CLOSED for filing. Please come back tomorrow.' Inside Buffy is checking out the weapons cabinet.
"Cool! Crossbow!" Buffy gushes, "Huh. Check out these babies. Hmm. Goodbye stakes, hello flying fatality. What can I shoot?"
"Um, nothing. The crossbow comes later," Giles responds, taking the crossbow from her and goes to put it back. Buffy is disappointed.
"You must first become proficient with the basic tools of combat," Giles continues to a bored-looking Buffy. "And let's begin...with the quarterstaff. Which, incidentally, will uh, require countless hours of vigorous training. I speak from experience."
"Giles, 20th Century? I'm not gonna be fighting Friar Tuck."
"You never know with whom or what you'll be fighting," he replies, putting on his head pads, "and these traditions have been handed down through the ages. Now, you show me good, steady progress with the quarterstaff, and in due course we'll discuss the crossbow. Put on your pads."
"I'm not gonna need pads to fight you," she laughs.
"Well, we'll see about that. En garde!"
He makes several thrusts and she parries them all. She takes the offensive, pushes his staff to the floor and punches him in the face. She comes around with the staff into his back, and again to knock his legs out from under him. He falls onto his back. She stands over him.
"Good," Giles responds, stunned, "Let's move on to the crossbow."
Elsewhere at Lunch Time.
"Okay, and we're in the door, sir. I'll just go get your things from the cab, and you're all set."
Principal Flutie moved to the recliner with help from his wife as his surprise helper brought in the suitcase and closed the door. "Thank you, Ale—Xander, you've been a great help since the incident; I never would have expected you of all people to volunteer like you have."
"I just feel glad to help; wish I'd've been there sooner."
"Well, it's appreciated. And I hear from Mrs. Wells you're doing excellent work at the kennel. At this rate, all we'll have to do is find you a sport and improve your grades to get you into a college."
"Well, sir, there'd also be the matter of paying for it."
"We'll worry about that later, but for now, thank you again, Xander. You run along to the kennel. Just don't be tardy."
Summers House
Inside the kitchen, Joyce is doing her taxes and having coffee. She hears creaking on the porch outside and gets up to investigate. She looks out the door window and sees nothing. She opens the door a bit and still there's nothing. She closes the door and heads to the front. Darla looks in, sporting her game face. Joyce walks slowly through the living room and hears a knocking on the door. She looks out, sees Darla in her human guise and opens the door.
"Hello?" Joyce addresses the girl.
"Hi! I'm Darla? A friend of Buffy's?"
"Oh!" Joyce exhales, "Nice to meet you."
"She didn't mention anything about me coming over for a study date, did she?"
"No, I thought she was studying with Willow at the library."
"She is. Willow's the Civil War expert, but then I was supposed to help her with the War of Independence. My family kinda goes back to those days."
"Well, I, I know she's supposed to be home soon. Would you like to come in and wait?"
"It's very nice of you to invite me into your home," Darla smiles.
"You're welcome. I've been wrestling with the IRS all night. Would you like something to eat?" Joyce invites, heading to the kitchen.
"Yes, I would!" She looks at Joyce's neck.
"Let's see what we have. Do you feel like something little or something big?"
"Something big!" she responds, vamping out.
Angel and Xander comes walking by the house. Xander picks up something in the air, "Do you smell that? It's familiar and recent."
Angel, beginning to worry, looks up at the Summers house, and lets out in a rasping whisper as he pushes Xander below fence level, "Get down...there are two vampires heading around back...and that scent is Darla's."
"What's she doin—oh, I'll charge in the front and you go 'roun—" Xander replies as Joyce's scream pierces the quiet.
Angel runs toward the back, tackling the two minions as they turn at the sound of his approach. Without much pause he stabs one into dust, and whirls to kick another, his speed blurring as he desperately pushes to his goal. The minion hits once, before being thrown atop the picket fence and oblivion.
Meanwhile Xander, stake and super soaker in hand, bursts through the front door, the scents of Joyce and Darla drawing him into the kitchen. As the sounds of a fight in the backyard can be heard, he sees Darla biting Joyce.
"Let her go!"
"Oh, and what are you going to do about it? I'll finish her off before you can get me."
"If you set her down gently on the floor, I'll be too busy calling for help. We'll settle this next time, Old Woman."
"Hmmm, maybe," she replies, backing up to the door, the sounds of a fight still ensuing beyond. At that moment, the door erupts, Angel causing Darla, to turn to face him. Xander lunges forward, spraying holy water, but is slammed hard in the face and across
the kitchen table, stunned for the moment.
Darla, picking up Joyce, "I just had a little, there's plenty more. Aren't you hungry for something warm after all this time? Come on, Angel. Just say 'Yes'!"
She shoves Joyce into Angel's arms so he can see the bite and smell the blood. He struggles with himself and looks away from the bite. Darla watches with a big smile. Angel looks up at her again with his game face on.
"Welcome home!" she sneers, pressing around them and leaves the house. Angel continues to struggle with himself. Angel looks up in game face, growling asBuffy comes in from the dining room declaring, "Hey! I'm home. Willow's with me."
She turns toward him and freezes with fear, him holding her mother on the back stoop and Xander getting up slowly from the floor.
"How could you—"she stats, eyes tearing up.
"I did—"Angel begins.
"Enough, you two, Willow, get a kitchen towel to stop the bleeding; Buffy, Angel was with me when we passed by and discovered Darla and her minions trying to get your mom. Angel...check around to make sure she's really gone. Buffy, carefully move your mom back in the kitchen and call an ambulance. If they ask, tell them some crazy guy with a barbecue fork ran in, then fled after we showed up. I'm going to sit here a minute until my vision clears."
Angel heads back into the darkness, through bushes and the lawn for the next several minutes. Buffy grabs the phone, dials 911 and goes over to kneel by her mother.
"Mom! Mom, can you hear me?!" The operator answers. "Yes, I need an ambulance, 1630 Revello Drive! My mother was stabbed with a fork by a freaky guy, she lost a lot of blood! Please, please hurry!" She drops the phone, "Mom!"
Willow lets Buffy hold the compress while they wait.
"Xander, are you okay?" Willow says, hugging her friend fiercely as he gets up from the table.
"Yeah, Wills, I'm fine. Where's DB?"
"I'm here, Xander, it seems clear. I think it was only the four I staked plus Darla. I'm going to track her to make sure she's gone to ground for the night."
"Angel!" Buffy calls out, causing him to turn, "Thank you."
Looking surprised, he smiles a little as he disappears into the night.
Sunnydale Memorial Hospital
Giles rushes down the corridor trying to find Joyce's room.
"Do you remember anything, Mom?" Buffy asks.
Joyce: Just, um, your friend came over... I was gonna make a snack...
"My friend?" she asks as Giles, Xander and Willow come in, the latter two from giving statements.
"I guess I slipped and cut my neck on... The doctor said it looked like a barbecue fork. We don't have a barbecue fork," she considers, then notices Giles, "Are you another doctor?"
"Oh! Um... No, Mom, this is Mr. Giles, and you remember Xander and Willow. Xander, ah, saved you from a freaky guy with the barbecue fork. Scared him off, so when we came in we could call for help."
"Oh, the librarian from your school! What's he doing here"?
"Uh, I-I just came to pay my respects, wish you a speedy recovery."
"Boy, the teachers really do care in this town," Joyce remarks, then starting to yawn, "And Xander, thank you. If you hadn't shown up, Buffy and Willow would have been in danger as well."
"Get some rest now," Buffy tells her, gives her mom a kiss, and they all go outside the room.
"She's gonna be okay," Buffy exhales. "They, they gave her some iron... Her, uh, blood count was a, a little..."
"...a little low," Giles helps, "It presents itself like mild anemia. Uh, you, you were, uh, lucky you got to her as soon as you did."
"Lucky? It was Xander and Angel," Buffy exasperates.
Xander, managing to ease from a still-attached and concerned Willow, places his hands on both of Buffy's shoulders, looking her in the eyes, "Buff, it's not your fault."
"No? I should have convinced her and told her about the Slaying, or figured some way to at least protect my own home."
Willow, "If you care about somebody you care about them. You can't be there every minute, Buffy."
"But I wouldn't have to if she knew. Maybe when we get her home, we'll tell her the truth."
"We shall discuss this again tomorrow, though I disagree strongly, Buffy," Giles asserted, "and as to this Darla, this is no ordinary vampiress. If there is such a thing. Now, she knows you, she, she's the one who sired Angelus. And she managed to escape from Angel...a-and Xander with his enhancements. I think this is gonna take more than a simple stake."
"So do I," she agrees tiredly, starting to move toward the door. Giles heads back into Joyce's room to make sure all is in order.
"Buffy, wait," Xander interjects, placing a hand gently on her forearm, "she's probably back in the Master's lair by now, and Angel would've been back by now if it were different. Right now, Darla has four targets, you as the Slayer, Angel with their 'history,' me as the boy that keeps thwarting her efforts and burning her face each time, and your mother. You should stay here and protect her, since Darla could come back just out of spite."
Hospital Room.
"She talks about you all the time, Mr. Giles. It's important to have teachers who make an impression," Joyce told the librarian.
"She makes quite an impression herself," he allowed.
"I-I know she's having trouble with history. I-is it too difficult for her or is she not applying herself?"
"She lives very much in the 'now', um, and, uh, history, of course, is, is very much about the, uh... the 'then'. B-b-but there's no reason..."
"She's studying with Willow, she's studying with Darla, I-I mean, she is trying."
"Darla? I-I-I don't believe I know, uh..."
"Her friend, the one who came over tonight."
"Darla came to your house tonight? Sh-she's the friend that you mentioned earlier?"
"Poor thing, I must've frightened her half to death when I fainted. Someone should really check and make sure she's alright."
"Yes, someone should, right away. I'll do it," he replies, grabbing his coat and leaving.
"That school is amazing!" Joyce notes to Buffy as she reenters the room and sits.
Hallway.
Angel shows up again after about twenty minutes, "How's Buffy's mother?"
"She'll recover, and she seems to have invited Darla in believeing her a schoolmate of Buffy," Giles replies, "Any word on Darla?"
"She made it back into the lair; Xander seems to have gotten her again. Hopefully we'll have a few days or weeks with the recent losses to the Master's numbers."
"Y-yes, that will be fine," Giles adds, then turns to Willow and Xander, "I'll drop you two off on the way home."
Later, in the Hallway
Buffy and Angel see each other through the doorway, as the others exit, and Joyce soundly sleeps.
"I just wanted to see if you were okay," Angel said, "And your mother."
"We're both good. You?"
"If I can go a little while without getting punched or stabbed I'll be alright. Look, this can't..."
"...ever be anything. I know. For one thing, you're, like, two hundred and twenty-four years older than I am."
"I just gotta... I gotta walk away from this."
"I know, me, too. One of us has to go here."
"I know," he whispers.
They look at each other a moment longer and then close in to kiss, tentatively. They stare at each other, not knowing what to do, say or think. Moments pass. They separate.
"You okay?"
"It's just..."
"...painful. I know. See you around?" Buffy walks back to her mother's room. Angel watches her then goes, his handing reaching down to his chest where her cross has left a deep burn.