A castle in Cortona, Italy, 1418.
Carlo is standing by a window looking into the room at his master.
"Carlo, my dear one," the demon calls.
Carlo comes into the room and over to Moloch, kneeling. Moloch steps over to him and puts his hand on his head.
"Do you love me?" Moloch asks, "I can give you everything. All I want is your love."
"You have my love."
Moloch growls and quickly twists Carlo's head, snapping his neck.
Inside a nearby church
The priest Thelonius is talking to a group of monks bearing torches, "He's out. It is the devil, Moloch. He is out in the world, doing such bad things. We need to form the circle."
The monks gather around him as he opens a large book, the pages of which are blank.
"By the power of the circle of Kayless..." Thelonius begins.
The castle
Elsewhere Moloch smiles as he straightens up and lets Carlo's body fall. His expression changes when he realizes something is wrong, and he looks up.
"No!"
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you! Come!" Thelonius continues.
Moloch screams angrily.
"I command you! Come!"
Moloch screams even more loudly, in terror.
"COME!"
Moloch continues to scream. Suddenly he bursts into millions of tiny particles. The particles fall into the book at the church.
"Come, demon! Come!"
As the particles fall into the book an ancient script appears. When the pages are filled, Thelonius closes the book. He steps over to a table and puts the book into a heavy wooden box, "Pray that this accursed book is never again read...lest the Demon Moloch be loosed upon the world."
He puts the lid on the box.
Centuries later the lid is lifted off of the box, and Buffy looks in, sarcastically declaring, "Oh, great! A book!
One week had passed since Joyce had been attacked. The Sunnydale Police of course had not found a suspect in the assault, and wouldn't. The week had been an interesting one in that Xander's relationship with Willow bordered on something of an almost-romantic nature. They both kept things moving slowly with more hugging, walking with arms around each, and occasionally staring into each others' eyes when conversation lapsed, but so far not even a first kiss. Willow vacillated between euphoria and angst because while she was finally getting noticed by Xander, it was overshadowed by the wolf-possession. Xander dropped the goof mask to most people, acting more-serious in mood when around the expanded Scooby Gang. The jokes were fewer, and comparatively mature in some ways because the need to be funny every moment no longer compared to taking care of the pack. Willow did smile at the looks of envy she seemed to be getting from more popular girls as Xander now tended to forego his trademark Hawaiian prints in favor of darker and better-fitting clothes he could also wear on his patrols with Angel at night.
As she scanned books into the system, the redheaded girl wondered how Xander go from hating vampires and Angel in the capacity of near-boyfriend of Buffy, then spend most nights patrolling with the darkly handsome figure. Her and Buffy had talked about the lack of male presence late nights, as Xander seemed determined to push the vampire's limits, making him hunt and kill the undead, not just warn against them. Buffy had expressed hope that whatever came of it was of the good, as she couldn't get her mind off of Angel, though the twin shocks of Angel's vampirism and the deep feelings for her and Willow Xander had revealed to Marcie left the young blonde emotionally unsteady.
While Willow and a few other computer science students are seated at the table undertaking a book-scanning project, Xander is also thinking about the last week, smiling at his almost-girlfriend, reflecting on the recent changes in his life, while half-listening to the talk around the library. He watched Willow, Marcie and Amy scanning the books into the library's computer system, and gazed thoughtfully at Buffy as she pulls an old tome from the box and blow some of the dust off of it.
Giles looks on as his Slayer unpacks the book, flustered as the activity is not completely ordered, "Oh, uh, Buffy, I, uh...haven't gone through the new arrivals. Uh, put it in, uh, in, in that pile.
"Here, I'll get it," Dave volunteers, getting up from his computer.
"Oh, thanks, Dave. Amy pile," she gestures, smiling, as he takes the book from Buffy and goes over to the pile of books next to the daughter of the witch Catherine Madison.
"Uh, when I've examined it, you can, uh, uh, skim it," Giles directs, feebly.
"Scan it, Rupert. That's scan it," Ms. Calendar, the twenty-five year old Computer Science teacher corrects, shaking her head.
"Of course," he retorts sarcastically.
"Oh, I know, our ways are strange to you, but soon you will join us in the 20th century. With three whole years to spare!" she responds grinning.
"Ms. Calendar, I'm sure your computer science class is fascinating, but I happen to believe that one can survive in modern society without being a slave to the, um, idiot box," he smugly counters.
Ms. Calendar, annoyed, "That's TV. The idiot box is TV. This," she emphasizes, pointing to a computer, "is the good box!"
"I still prefer a good book."
Fritz, an intense computer student, interrupts arrogantly, "the printed page is obsolete. Information isn't bound up anymore. It's an entity. The only reality is virtual. If you're not jacked in, you're not alive." The strange young man then grabs his books and leaves the library as the two faculty stare after him.
Ms. Calendar, wide-eyed and slightly exasperated, "Thank you, Fritz, for making us all sound like crazy people. Rupert, Fritz, Fritz comes on a little strong, but he does have a point. You know, for the last two years more e-mail was sent than regular mail.
"Oh..."
"More digitized information went across phone lines than conversation."
"That is a fact that I regard with genuine horror."
"I'll bet it is," she teases, turning to the students, "Alright, guys, let's wrap it up for today."
"I've just got a few more," Willow replies, "I'll hang for a bit."
"Cool! Thanks, Willow," the computer instructor responded.
Xander grabs his bag and pulls it onto his shoulder, Willow calling to him over her shoulder. "Xander, you wanna stay and help me?"
"Can't, Wills, I'm late as it is," giving her a quick peck on the cheek, "bye."
"Yeah, okay, sure," she dazedly replied, hand on cheek. "See you tomorrow!"
"I'm, I'm just gonna stay and clean up a little," Giles tells Ms. Calendar, "I'll, uh, I'll be back in the middle ages."
"Did you ever leave?"
Giles stops and looks back at her. She's smiles to herself, pleased with his reaction to her comment. He continues up the stairs, confused and bemused.
Sunnydale Animal Shelter
"Ms. Wells? Hello, anyone?" Xander called out as he found the place untended. He headed back into the kennel area to find the cages open, and both the Shelter owner and her son Andrew unconscious inside. Checking their pulses, he carefully smelled and scanned the area before calling for assistance. EMS and the Police showed up only ten minutes later, it being daylight. In the meantime, he had taken damp towels and wiped off the faces of his employer and Andrew. They began stirring as the paramedics arrived. Xander moved through the shelter, finding all of the non-reptiles gone, footprints rushing to the back alley and beyond. He relayed this to the police, and after they were finished, he locked the door behind him and headed over to the Flutie house early.
SHS Library
Willow is almost alone in the library scanning the last book, Amy and Marcie having left a few minutes earlier. Willow closes the last book, puts it in the pile with the others and leaves as Giles is about to do the same. The computer monitor Amy used goes blank and Moloch's words appear, "Where am I?"
Hallway Outside the Sunnydale High Library.
Giles walks with Willow out the doors as Angel's coming down the hall with a worried expression.
"We have a problem," Angel begins. "I managed to catch up with Darla and grabbed a minion near the lair before dawn. Apparently, Xander and Buffy will be visited by the Order of Taraka soon," Angel ends with a note close to despair.
"Who are the Order of Taraka," Willow asks Giles as Angel finds a shadier position, "and why does Angel seem so worried?"
"I'm afraid he's not overreacting, Willow," Giles lectures, "the Order of Taraka is a society of deadly assassins dating back to the time of King Solomon. Their credo is to sow discord and kill the unwary."
"These assassins, why are they after Xander?" Willow worries. "Buffy's the Slayer, scourge of the underworld..."
Angel explains to both, "Darla's been the favorite childe of the Master for the four centuries since her turning, and Xander has not only thwarted her twice, but defaced her badly. Even more dangerous for Xander, I stopped at a source on the way back, and apparently a pair of night-clad hunters have been attritioning independent vampires and a few of the Master's minions over the last two weeks, and I'm guessing Xander and I have been targeted by the Master for that even if he doesn't know we are the hunters. He's responsible for sending The Three, vampire assassins of some note, so Xander has been doubly target now."
"Tarakans and The Three," Giles sighed, looking stunned. "I-It seems Xander's forcing you to take a more active roll h-has stirred up an incredible amount of trouble."
"What are we going to do, Giles?" Willow asked, concern clearly showing.
"I don't know," responds Giles rubbing his glasses, then turning toward Angel. "I don't know. I think the best thing we can do is to find a secure location. Somewhere out of the way you can go until we decide on the best course of action. We'll gather in the Library tonight around 9PM, then go from there. Can you make it, Angel? Willow?"
"It's the best we can manage," the vampire replied, "so yes, I'll come in beforehand and bring what I have on Taraka, though it's not much."
Willow agrees to contact the Scoobies when she gets home.
Flutie House
Xander knocks on the door, and receives a friendly greeting from the recovering principal, "Alexander, you're early, come on in and save me from resorting to daytime television. So what brings you by now, it's shelter time isn't it?"
Xander relays the strange goings-on at the shelter, and thought he could come over earlier than usual for tutoring and feedback on his assignments for the coming week. It had surprised him when after a couple of weeks of what had started as guilt over the whole pack incident had surprisingly led to the principal taking an actual interest in the young man's life. Coming at a time when Xander had dropped his usual goofball mask, and with the boredom of convalescence pressing, the educator had begun to ask about homework, and generally engaged in talk about school, homework and teachers. Noting one day that Xander had homework in his pack, Flutie had insisted on giving him a hand with 'the math,' showing him the few shortcuts he'd learned back in the day. That, and the laptop Xander had purchased with vamp money for school purposes, made it easier to compare his drafts with suggestions and past homework assignments, which led Xander to his next question.
"Sir, I've been meaning to ask you, where did you get the homework samples we've been using the last couple of weeks? We never have more than a few small ideas tossed out in class. Don't get me wrong, it seems to be making me able to see what I'm supposed to be striving for, but..."
"Well, Xander, I let your teachers know that I would be tutoring you from now on, and that it would help us both to have the materials used previously. I also let them know that you'd been taking on responsibility...and that your homework would be completed... before you went home."
"Oh," Xander grimaced at the latter part, then caught himself, "So how am I doing? I think the fact that I finish the tests and don't nap in classes should count."
"Funny, but I'd just read my email, and your teachers have noticed definite progress, and believe that by the end of the year you'll be getting B's instead of D's. I sent back to them, Vice Principal Snyder, and the School Board Review committee, that I'm going to start running you harder through the material and past test material; at the end of the year you will be given make-up exams for the whole year IF you are doing B-level work, and that your final test grade will retroactively replace your recorded grades. So what do you say?"
"Wow, I don't know, sir," he faltered in shock, "I'm not really all that book-smart, an—"
"Alexander, listen to me. You remind me a bit of myself at your age. You have the ability. Period. The teachers and I agree it is all attitude that's kept you back. A principal hears things about the home lives of students, and once I got to know you these last weeks I asked some questions. I won't talk about your home situation unless you want to, but you are better than you've been told. So, let's cover your English assignments first...you're officially my project; it was a tie with the Springer show...but what the heck..."
"Oooooh, zinged by the tutor," Xander mused, then quieted. "English it is, sir...and thanks."
Later that Evening, around 9PM
"Oh god, not again," Xander exhaled angrily, "the Jessica and Tony Hour is in full swing...and it's early even for them." He gathered up his patrolling gear, laptop and money on a whim, 'Maybe I can bum the couch off of G-man or Joyce.'
He swings out the window and drops into the backyard, not hearing his father screaming at him to come to the door.
Sunnydale High School around 9:45 PM
"Hey guys, what's up? There's a meeting?"
"Xander! Are you okay?!" a red blur calls as she hugs him hard. Xander looks around to see everyone looking uncomfortable, Angel approaching.
"What now, Angel," Xander asks, too tired to use a nickname for the vampire.
"The Master has hired assassins from the Order of Taraka to eliminate you and Buffy for all of the difficulty you've offered."
Xander, exhaling in tired disgust, "Is it too much to ask for an opponent that would settle things with a bowling championship?"
"Some demon bowling leagues are a bit more vicious than you'd expect," Angel rebutted to the shocked amusement of the gathered Scoobies. "What, after a couple centuries a guy can't make a joke?"
"It's just that it was a good one."
"Three weeks patrolling with you, and you're surprised?"
"It's just I'm so damned proud, my little vampire man's all growed up," Xander fake-tears. The Scoobies laughed as Angel looked decidedly uncomfortable all of a sudden.
Giles, very annoyed and taking off his glasses to clean, "That's enough, both of you, this is serious!" He pauses, getting control of himself, "Sorry. It's just not the time for jokes. I need to think."
The vampire and the Xander both look only slightly abashed, somehow worrying Giles
Giles broaching the subject of hiding, "Hiding until we can come up with a way of canceling the contract would be best. The Order will send assassin after assassin until the job is done, otherwise."
"How does one cancel a contract?" Xander questioned, "As we don't have enough money to bribe our way out."
"You'd have to actually kill the individual putting out the contract, or otherwise forcing them to cancel it with the idea it cannot be reissued for a set amount of time," Angel answered.
"So we need a plan to get the Master to agree to cancel it? Wonderful," Xander sardonically exclaimed. "How do we do that without all dying anyway?"
"We'll have to find something he wants that we can afford to give up without freeing him," Giles adds.
"What does a centuries-old vampire need?!" Xander sighs, turning to ensouled vampire, staring at him for about ten seconds before nodding. "You said it yourself, the only thing he cares about is Darla, and she's damn slippery."
"Y-you may have our plan of last resort there, Xander," Giles responds. "Perhaps for his favorite childe's existence, he would cancel the contract. Until then, we need to relocate Buffy and Xander somewhere they can avoid most of their regular patterns. Perhaps, Xander, you could stay with Angel, and Buffy could stay with Willow's family for a few days?"
"My parents are out of town for the week; I could call them and we could have Buffy and her Mom stay over since no vampire-inviting has taken place," Willow contributed.
Buffy nodded, "But how do we convince my mom to go along with it?"
"How about I report spotting the 'fork guy' near your house, and that he seemed to have a friend?" Xander suggested.
"Very good thinking, Xander," Giles approved. "Willow, why don't you make the call to your parents now, in spite of the late hour as-as it would lend urgency to the matter. Buffy, why don't you head home and make sure your mother is alright, and await contact by police. Angel, please escort Willow to her house. Xander, in about ten minutes you'll need to make your call."
Xander called the number of the detective assigned to the case, and explained he'd followed the 'fork guy' a few blocks, past his own house earlier in the evening, then to Buffy's home and when he seemed to meet up with a blonde teenage girl, nearly to the High School before racing to the library to call him. The officer responded by directing Xander to remain where he was, and that a car would be around to pick him up shortly and bring him to the station. They had need of his assistance.
Twenty minutes passed, and Xander called the Summers house to 'warn' them, then waited. Two plainclothes officers entered the library, showing badges and asking for Alexander Harris. Fairly assured they weren't Tarakans, Xander showed himself, requesting Giles to follow him to the station as he'd need a ride home later.
In the lobby of the police station, they met up with Joyce, the Scoobies and a few grim-looking officers hovering nearby. A police lieutenant approached Xander, and asked him to follow them and make some identifications.
The others sat and waited, eventually two dark-haired, brown-eyed men showed up at the desk as Xander came out from the back, red-eyed and shocked, staring at the two new arrivals, "They're dead; they think 'fork guy' is a member of a pcp gang that butchered Mom and Dad about ten minutes after I left." Surging forth, the girls both hug and cling to him, breaking into tears, Joyce murmuring offers of help to the stricken teen.
"Xander, we'll take you my place and get you settled in there; Don'll retrieve any personal items they let us move from your room when their lab-guys are done," Uncle Rory Harris encourages.
"No. I'm going to stay with friends the next couple of nights; my...parents...were not... any good...but the rest of you left me...with them...the screaming (sob)...the hitting (sob) and the other stuff," Xander gasped out, then whispered to maintain control. "So tonight I'm not going with anyone with the last name Harris. Maybe...when I have a chance...to get some control I'll be over...okay?"
"What are you talking ab—"Rory began, to be stopped by Don "Hondo" Harris, who whispered into his brother's ear for a moment, as his brother's eyes widened and a gasp escaped him as he squatted in front of the boy, "Xander, I never noticed. I know I wasn't around much, and all, I'm...so...sorry. Is this friend you want to stay with here?" he added, looking the group over.
"He-he can stay with me for as long as he needs. I'm Rupert Giles, the school librarian, I-I've been helping him with his studies a bit."
"And if Mr. Giles is out of town or called away, Xander can stay at my place. I'm Angel, a friend of most of the people here. I've been helping Xander get into shape after school."
At this point the police lieutenant interrupted. "Would either of you uncles be willing to assume temporary legal custody of Alexander. You could then give him permission to stay over, and such, until things settle down for permanent choices."
"I'll do it," Don offered. "I'm mostly in town, so Xander could live at my place if he decides later, or at least most of the time, and it wouldn't be a financial burden; between my Outfitting business, and my two pensions, he'll be fine," the retired Special Forces Major, retired LAPD SWAT Captain assured everyone.
Both Rory and Xander nod, Don then indicating to Giles to go sit with Xander. Meanwhile the detectives approach Joyce, who is holding the two weeping girls tightly.
"Ms. Summers, I believe it mentioned that you've been offered temporary residence at the Rosenberg home?" She nods, so he continues, "For now, that's probably an excellent idea. We'll look into a better solution over the next couple of days. Just try to vary your routes in such a way as to notice any following vehicles."
The girls leave with Joyce, as Xander says good night to his uncles, exchanging contact info, before leaving with Giles and Angel.
"Well guys," the stone-faced teen asserts as they getting moving in Giles car, "It looks like we'll be hunting for Darla tomorrow night."
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Angel, recognizing the predator's look, asks before Giles can use logic to put him off, "We'll need you to be balanced when we go in."
"I'll be fine for now. Even...seeing them...it hasn't set in yet...I think the sooner we go, the better. And, besides, the other side is going after our loved ones, not just me and Buffy, either. We need to hit them while they'll expect us to be at our worst. Remember, we'll not just need Darla, but a Tarakan. The Master probably doesn't have great cell phone reception that deep in the ground."
"Any ideas, Xander? Giles?" Angel asks, trying to narrow down possibilities.
"None at the moment, I'm afraid, but I'll ask a few of my friends on the Council about possible go-betweens and such," Giles muses.
"Angel, if you get a chance, try using your vampiric senses at my house; maybe there'll be something we can track. Also, we'll ask Willow to check out motels and such tomorrow on the basis of anything you can come up with? Right now, I need to sleep before I start to think about what's happened."
Harris House, Noon the Next Day
Xander had managed to sleep, however uneasily, until nine the next morning, when he called his Uncle Don to arrange with the detectives for him to pick up personal effects, family paperwork and such from upstairs.
Xander asked his Uncle to clear out the kitchen while he went to the unbloodied upstairs. Xander quickly packed into his duffle bags, his darker clothes, his parents few valuables, the box of family paperwork, his father's never-used handguns from the closet, his comic book collection, caches of personal items and a few pictures. An old flare gun gave him an idea for later. Xander then went out to the backyard and dug up his 'camping fund, as the detectives and his uncle watched, frowning at the teen's caching.
"I needed to be ready to head out if Dad ever came after me again like he used to when I was...younger. I have everything I want. We'll sell off everything else and bank anything left over if there is anything."
The detective broached the subject as they approached his parent's station wagon, "I checked with the Social Services people, and there are some limited resources in situations like this; some education and support money, stuff like that until you turn eighteen or graduate high school, whichever's later. Here's the information. Good luck."
"Xander, when you're ready to come over to my place, your usual room's ready, and if you find you need anything there or at your friend's house, check by the hardware store first, okay?"
"Thanks, Uncle Don...but what I really need...is training."
"What kind are we talking about?"
"Martial arts, knives, that sort of thing. And before you worry about me going after anyone, remember that the police in Sunnydale don't seem the brightest, and the bad guys are after me. I'm not leaving what little I have left because some bastard doesn't like me, and I'm not going to hide at home nights with the lights off wondering if someone's going to break in. So?"
'The kid's got a point,' he thought, 'and at least I could keep an eye on him for a while to make sure he doesn't do something stupid.' "Okay, but it means a lot of running, weights and stuff until you're in shape for the rest, deal?"
"Deal, but no holding back. I'd rather over-train than be put off. And I'll still go out with friends at night."
"Good, I guess I'll see you later? Bye."
Angel's Apartment ten minutes later
Angel awoke and answered the door warily and with less than perfect hair. "Xander," the vampire grimaced, "I didn't expect you this early, is everything alright?"
"Yeah, but before I forget, I have a shopping list that will help us deal with the Darla-grabbing plan. Here's a list of things I'd like you to get, especially the flares and extra guns. Between the fire and water weaponry, and the shotgun blasts, I think we can at least once overwhelm the minions and get Darla if they leave the caves."
"You sure you're up to it?"
"So far, yeah. In a couple nights...maybe or not...who knows?"
"It'll probably take a few days to get all of this."
"In that case, get it, but we'll have to see how things go. Any luck at my house, I picked up the smell of a man and a woman, and I think it had been at the Animal Shelter earlier, but something's off about them, you?"
"The same, I think they are at least part demon, or wearing something magical to block detection. I suggest you stay in tonight and I'll lurk around this evening to see if I pick up anything. If you feel up to it, why don't you take a daytime stroll up and down the streets to see if you smell or see anything. If you do, I'll start with that tonight."
"Sounds like a plan. How 'bout we meet at Giles around 9? Good?"
Sunnydale High School Library after school
Buffy and Willow run to catch up with Amy as she slowly walks along, Buffy calling out, "Amy! Amy, hey, wait up!"
"Oh, Buffy," Amy replies, dazedly, "I didn't notice you. Sorry."
"What was up last night?" Buffy continued, "I tried your line, like, a million times."
"Oh, I was," Amy replied, "I was talking."
"Talking to...?" she replied, "Okay, that's it, you have a secret, and that's not allowed."
"Why not?"
"'Cause... there's a rule. And I don't know if you heard about Xander's folks."
Marcie, out of nowhere, speaks up, "What about them?" startling Buffy, "Sorry."
"It's okay, Marce, but...the thing is...Xander's folks were killed by some...psycho last night."
"Ohmigod," Marcie gasps, "Is he okay?"
"He's staying at Giles for now, but we haven't heard from him since last night, right Will?"
"Yeah, I'm heading over there now to check on him in a few minute," Willow responded.
Buffy looks at the sad group and tries to lighten things, "So, Amy...what's the secret?"
"Well, I sort of met someone," she smiles.
"I knew it!" Buffy exclaims excitedly, "This is so important! When did you meet?"
"Last night after we did the scanning project in the library. "
"Does he go here? What's his name? Have you kissed him? What's he like?"
"No, Malcolm, no, and very nice."
"You are a thing of evil for not telling us this right away! Right Willow?"
"Yeah, you're a Scooby now, so spilling is a must," the red-headed girl nodded, adding a half-powered 'resolve-face' for good measure.
"Well, I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. But last night, oh! We talked all night, it was amazing. He's so smart, Buffy, and, and he's romantic, and we agree about everything!"
"What's he look like?"
"I don't know!" she says continuing down the hall toward the computer, leaving Buffy and Willow confused.
Marcie clears her throat, "She's been that way all night. Hope it turns out. I have to get home and do the homework. Please let Xander know I'm thinking good thoughts for him, okay?"
The rest of the week passed uneventfully, Xander throwing himself into studying and waiting for a chance for payback. His daily walks had narrowed down the area of town, but no specific location could be determined. Vampire activity decreased as both sides awaited the outcome of the Tarakan efforts. Principal Flutie and the few others in the know had phoned their condolences, actually allowing Xander to grieve a little.
SHS Computer Lab
Fritz and Dave are there, typing away on their keyboards.
"Yes, I will. I promise," Dave mutters to the monitor as he types.
Amy and Buffy enter, Buffy engaging Amy in conversation, "So, you've been seeing a guy, and you don't know what he looks like? Okay, this is a puzzle. No, wait, I'm good at these. Does it involve a midget and a block of ice?"
"I met him online," the teen replies.
"On line for what?"
Amy indicates a computer.
"Oh!" Buffy exclaims in embarrassment as Ms. Calendar brushes by quickly into the room wearing dark glasses and holding a mug of coffee in one hand and her books in the other.
"Morning, kids!" the teacher calls out
Buffy turns to look at her. Ms. Calendar notices Buffy as she heads to her desk. She puts her mug down, "Sorry about the bump, Buffy...are you supposed to be somewhere?
"No, I have a free."
"Cool! But this is lab time, so let's make it a nice, short visit, okay?"
"Sure."
"You have mail," proclaims Amy's PC.
"It's him!" Amy declares, opening the message. 'I'm thinking of you.' "He's so sweet!"
"Amy, let's focus here, okay?" the Slayer asks, concerned. "What do you actually know about this guy?"
"Oh, see, I knew you'd react like this."
"Like what? I just wanna make sure you're careful, that's all."
"Buffy..."
"He could be different than you think."
Fritz's computer screen in the lab
Buffy's school records appear there. The monitor goes blank and a message appears, "Watch her." Fritz nods.
Amy's PC
"His name is Malcolm Black," the excited girl informs Buffy, "he's eighteen, he lives in Elmwood, which is about eighty miles from here, and he likes me!"
"Short, tall, skinny, fat?"
"Why does everything have to be about looks?"
"Not everything, but some stuff is. I mean, what if you guys get really, really intense, and then you find out that he... has... a hairy back?"
"Well, no! Uh, he doesn't talk like somebody who would have a hairy back. And anyways, that stuff doesn't matter when you really care about each other. Maybe I'm not his ideal either."
"Hey, I'm just trying to make sure that he's good enough for you. I think it's great that you met someone."
"Hey Fritz," Ms. Calendar gets up from her desk holding some papers and comes over to Fritz. "I'm lookin' at the logs. You and Dave are clockin' a pretty scary amount of computer time."
"New project."
"Ooo, will I be excited?"
"You'll die."
Outside in the quad a few minutes later
Amy's off in her own world and doesn't notice Xander coming from her right. He puts his hand on her shoulder, and she's forced to stop, nearly losing her balance.
"Hey, Aims," Xander greets, "Goin' to the Bronze tonight?"
"Not me," she smiles "I think I'm gonna call it an early night."
"Have you seen the others?"
"Only, Buffy, she'll be along in a minute. Bye!"
After a moment Buffy comes up, "She certainly looks perky."
"This Malcolm guy? What's his deal? I mean, tell me you're not slightly wigged."
"Okay, slightly. I mean, just not knowing what he's really like."
"Or who he really is. I mean, sure he says he's a high school student, but I can say I'm a high school student."
"You are."
"Okay, but I can also say that I'm an elderly Dutch woman. Get me? I mean, who's to say I'm not if I'm in the elderly Dutch chat room?"
"I get your point!" she laughs lightly, then really gets his meaning. "I get your point. Oh, this guy could be anybody. He could be weird, or crazy, or old, or... He could be a circus freak. He's probably a circus freak!"
"Yeah. I mean, we read about it all the time. Y'know, people meet on the 'Net, they talk, they get together, have dinner, a show, horrible ax murder."
"Amy ax murdered by a circus freak... Okay, okay, what do we do?" she asks, then realizes her paranoia. "What are we doing? Xander, you get me started! We are totally overreacting!"
"But it's fun, isn't it?" he smirks as they head off.
Girls' locker room the next day.
Amy comes barging in.
"Whoa! You're the Late Girl," declares Buffy.
"I overslept."
"Till fifth period? Talkin' to Malcolm last night?"
"Yeah..." she smiles, then notices the look she's receiving, "What?!"
"Nothing."
"You're having an expression."
"I'm not. But if I was, it'd be saying, 'This just isn't like you.'
"Not like me to have a boyfriend?"
"He's boyfriendly?"
"I don't understand why you don't want me to have this. I mean, boys don't chase me around all the time. I thought you'd be happy for me."
"I just want you to be sure. To meet him face to face. In daylight, in a crowded place with some friends. Y'know, before you become all... obsessive."
"Malcolm and I really care about each other. Big deal if I blow off a couple classes."
"I thought you said you overslept."
"Malcolm said you wouldn't understand."
"Malcolm was right."
Computer lab
Buffy comes in, sees Dave and goes over to him, "Dave? Hey there, Dave. Anybody home?"
He jumps in his seat when she puts her hand on his shoulder, "Oh, what do you want?"
"I wanted to ask you something if you have a minute."
"What is it?"
"Well, you're a computer geek... genius, and, uh, I sort of have a technical problem. If I wanted to find out something about someone, i-if someone e-mailed me, could I trace the letter?"
"Well, you could pull up somebody's profile based on their user name."
"But they write the profile themselves, right? And so they could say anything they wanted."
"True."
"Wow! I had knowledge! Well, is there a way to find out exactly where a letter, an e-letter came from? I mean, the actual location of the computer?"
"That's a challenge."
"'Cause, you see, Amy's got this boyfriend, Malcolm, and to tell you the truth, I think..."
"Leave Amy alone."
"What do you mean?"
"That's none of your business."
"Dave, are you Malcolm?"
"Of course not."
"Dave, what's going on?"
"Look, I'll talk to you later, okay? I've got work to do."
She gets up and leaves, sighing, "So do I."
Fritz watches her go as she passes him.
SHS Library
Buffy follows Giles down the stairs to the counter, "I'm telling you, something is going on. It's not just Willow. Dave, Fritz, they're all wicked jumpy."
"Those boys aren't sparklingly normal as it is."
"Giles, trust me."
"I-I do! I-I-I really don't know how to advise you. Things involved with a computer fill me with a childlike terror. Now, if it were a nice ogre or some such I'd be more in my element. Well, I-I suppose you could, um, tail Dave, see if he's up to something."
"Follow Dave? What, in dark glasses and a trench coat? Please. I can work this out myself."
After school in front view of the CRD building
Dave drives up and gets out. Cut to outside the fence, where Buffy is looking in. She sees Dave go up to a technician and start talking to him. After a moment Dave and the technician go inside as a security camera turns towards Buffy.
Fritz's PC at school
The monitor shows the security camera view as it stops on Buffy and pulls in for a close-up.
"She's too close," Fritz remarks, "What do I do?"
"Kill her," orders the demonic visage of Moloch on the monitor.
"Party."
SHS Library
Buffy is sitting on the study table as Giles questions her, "What was the name of this place?"
"It said CRD. But, I couldn't get close enough to see what it was."
"Calax Research and Development," Xander says, looking up from his books. "It's a computer research lab. Third largest employer in Sunnydale till it closed down last year." He pauses as he notes the looks the rest are giving him, "What, I can't have information sometimes?"
"Well, it-it's just somewhat unprecedented," Giles apologized, "even if your recent maturity lessons the shock somewhat."
"Point to the Librarian," Xander remarked, amused. "Well, my uncle used to work there. As a cleaner, I believed he termed it."
"But it closed?" Giles followed up.
"Uh-huh."
"Looked pretty functional from where I stood," Buffy continued. "I don't have a clue what they were doing."
"And what do they need Dave for?"
"Something about computers, right? I mean, he is off-the-chart smart."
"We still don't know an enormous amount," Giles cautioned. "Whatever is going on there may be on the up-and-up."
"No," Xander asserted, packing up the last of his books, "if CRD opened, it would've been on the news."
"Besides," Buffy inserted, "I can just tell something's wrong. My spider sense is tingling."
"Your... spider sense?" Giles questioned.
"Pop culture reference. Sorry."
"Yes, well, ahem, I think we're still at a stand still," Giles concluded. "U-uh, until we determine a course of action. Besides, we still have the assassi—"
Ms. Calendar enters the library, causing Giles to continue on a very different tact, "...data into the file so the book will be listed by title as well as by author.
"I just came by to check your new data base," Ms. Calendar remarks, watching Buffy and Xander leave, "make sure your cross reference table isn't glitching. 'Cause I'm guessing you haven't gone anywhere near it."
Giles: Uh, I'm still sorting through the chaos you left behind you.
Computer lab
Amy is chatting online with Malcolm.
"Amy, I've never felt this way about anyone before."
"I know what you mean. I feel like you know me better than anyone."
"I do."
"Do you think we should... meet?"
"I think we should soon."
"I'm nervous."
"I'm not. Isn't that strange?"
"That's what Buffy doesn't understand, how comfortable you can make me feel."
"Buffy just makes trouble. That's why she got kicked out of her old school."
She is puzzled and pauses for a moment, "How did you know that?"
"It's on her permanent record."
"I have to sign off. I'll talk to you later."
"Don't."
"Bye," she types, then turns off the monitor, gets up and leaves.
SHS Library
Ms. Calendar, exasperated at Giles, "You're a snob!"
"I am no such thing."
"Oh, you are a big snob. You, you think that knowledge should be kept in these carefully guarded repositories where only a handful of white guys can get at it."
"Nonsense! I simply don't adhere to a, a knee-jerk assumption that because something is new, it's better."
"This isn't a fad, Rupert! We are creating a new society here."
"A society in which human interaction is all but obsolete? In which people can be completely manipulated by technology, well, well... Thank you, I'll pass."
"Well, ahem, I think you'll be very happy here with your musty, old books," she says, opening Moloch's book.
"These musty old books have a great deal more to say than in any of your... fabulous web pages."
"Hmm..." she retorts as she pages through the book, "This one doesn't have a whole lot more to say."
Giles stares at the empty book and sees the etching of Moloch on the cover.
"What is it?" Ms. Calendar asks, noting his change of demeanor.
"Uh, nothing, um, a, a diary, yes," he stammers in confusion. "I imagine that's what it is. Well, it's been so nice talking to you."
"We were fighting."
"Must do it again sometime, yes..." he continues, heading toward his office, "Bye, now."
Buffy comes walking out of the school. Dave comes up to her.
"Buffy!" Dave calls out, nearing her.
"Dave! How're you doing?"
"Okay. Uh, look, I'm sorry about yesterday. I haven't been getting much sleep lately, y'know?"
"Don't sweat it."
"Willow was looking for you."
"Good, I need to talk to her. Do you know where she is?"
"She said she'd be in the, in the girls' locker room."
"Great. Thanks."
Girl's locker room
Buffy slowly walks down the aisle of the deserted locker room and into a row of lockers, "Will? Willow?"
Fritz is in the shower, turning the water on and leaving as Buffy approaches.
"Will?" she calls out, "You taking a shower?"
She goes to the shower and sees that it's on, but no one's there, "I guess not."
She turns the water off as the run-off creeps towards exposed wires leading down from the light above. Dave rushes in, "Buffy! Get out!"
She turns to him and notices the wires. They begin to spark. She leaps out of the shower. An arc of electricity follows her for an instant. She lands on a changing bench and rolls off onto the floor. Dave runs from the locker room as Buffy sits up and looks over toward the showers, stunned for the moment.
Computer lab
It's dark as Dave comes in and turns on a PC.
"I can't do it!" he types. "I'm not gonna do it."
"But you promised," Moloch responds.
"Buffy isn't a threat to you! Stop with it."
"The project is almost complete. You won't have to do it again."
"I can't!"
"I've shown you a new world, Dave. Knowledge, power... I can give you everything. All I want is your love."
"No. This isn't right. None of it is."
The scratch pad comes up on the monitor and Moloch writes a note:
I'm sorry. I've been a terrible person.
I'm a coward, and I can't go on living like this.
Forgive me, Mom and Dad. At least now I'll
have some peace. Remember me.
Love, Dave.
He backs away from the computer. Fritz is waiting behind him by the window. Xander enters the room feigning nonchalance as he turns on the lights, "Hey guys, what's up? Getting' kinda late isn't? "
Dave, suddenly aware of Fritz, yelps and dives away from the other computer geek, "Xander, it's not my fault. Help me!" as Fritz escapes out the other door.
SHS Library
Buffy is sitting at the table when Xander barges in with Dave in hand, yelling at the broken student, "I oughta kill you, Dave! Why shouldn't I?"
"He tried to warn me, Xander" Buffy interrupts.
"Warn you that he set you up?" he states, then turns to Giles, "Is she gonna be okay?"
"She was only grounded for a moment. Still, if you'd been anyone but the Slayer..."
"Tell me the truth: how's my hair?"
"It's great!" Xander exclaims with a smile, "It's your best hair ever!"
"Uh, oh, yes."
"I just... I don't understand...Dave why would you do a thing like that?"
"It was Moloch, he's forcing us," Dave sighs, "Fritz is the one that did it, I...I couldn't go through with it. I don't know what's going on!"
"I think perhaps I do," Giles responds, going over to get Moloch's book from the cage. He comes back holding it up. "Does this look familiar to either of you?"
"Yeah, sure," Buffy quips as Xander shakes his head, "Looks like a book."
"In the dark ages the 'souls' of demons were sometimes trapped in certain volumes," the Watcher begins. "They remained locked within the book, harmless, unless the pages were read aloud. Unless I'm mistaken, this is Moloch, the Corrupter. A very deadly and seductive demon. He draws people to him with promises of love, power, knowledge. Preys on impressionable minds."
"Like Dave's," Xander states, staring at the worried-looking computer geek.
"Dave, and who knows how many others." Giles says, also turning to look at the boy.
"Just me, Fritz, a couple guys at the lab, and two really scary funny-smelling guys with LOTS of guns and knives and such."
Xander presses close to Dave, staring intently at the student, "Did they smell like old pennies and a litter box?"
"Y-y-y-yeah, how'd you know? It's nasty," the boy responds shuddering.
Xander, looking angry at Dave and recalling a smell at his parents house, turns to the others, "Is Moloch still inside that book?"
"Not anymore," Giles replies.
"You released Moloch?"
"Way to go!" Buffy adds sarcastically.
"I didn't read it!" Giles nearly shouts, "That dreadful Calendar woman found it a-and it was already blank."
"Okay," Buffy observes, "so a powerful demon with horns is walking around Sunnydale, and nobody's noticed?"
Xander, shaking his head as he thinks, "I-if he's so big and strong, why bother with Dave? I mean, why didn't he just attack Buffy himself?"
"I don't know," Giles considered. "And I don't know who could've read that book. It wasn't even in English."
"Where was it?" Buffy asked.
"Uh, in a pile with others that were, um, uh, scanned."
They look over at the PC, Xander voicing their joint-suspicion, "And that released the demon?"
Willow, speaking up for the first time, from where she's finishing most of the homework assignments for the rest of the semester, "No, he's not out here." She then points to the PC. "He's in there."
Xander glares at Dave, who nods.
"The scanner read the book," Willow continues, pausing enough that Giles follows her line of thinking. "It brought Moloch out as information to be absorbed."
"Okay," Marcie interrupts, spooking Dave badly, "you guys are saying that Moloch is in this computer?"
"And every computer connected to it by a modem," Buffy replies.
"He's everywhere, then," Giles concludes.
"What are we gonna do?"
"Amy scanned him into her file," Giles noted. "It may be... a futile gesture, but I suggest we, um, uh, delete it."
"I'll try calling her at home," Marcie offers as Buffy walks over to the PC.
"Okay," Buffy exhales as she turns on the monitor. "So which file do you think it is? The 'Amy' file? That's probably it, right? I'll just delete the whole thing." She drags the file icon to the trash bin, and inhales in fright when Moloch's demonic face appears on the monitor, shouting, "Stay away from Amy! It is none of your business!"
The monitor returns to normal and Buffy turns to the others, "So that's what Malcolm looks like...So much for delete file."
"This is very bad." Giles mutters.
"Are we overreacting?" Xander asks, "He's in a computer! What can he do?"
"You mean besides convince a perfectly nice kid to try and kill me?" Buffy responds, "I don't know. How about mess up all the medical equipment in the world?"
"Randomize traffic signals," Giles contributes.
"Access launch codes for our nuclear missiles."
"Destroy the world's economy."
"I think I pretty much capped it with that nuclear missile thing."
"Right, yours was best, Buffy," Giles concedes.
Xander, nodding, "Okay, he's a threat, I'm on board with that now. But what can we do about it?"
Marcie comes over from the phone, "No answer at home."
"Damn it!" Giles curses.
"Well," Marcie continues, "it wasn't busy either, so she's not online."
"I think the first thing we do is find Amy," Buffy asserts. "She's probably talking to him right now. God, that creeps me out! Okay," she dictates to Willow and a to-her semi-visible Marcie, "you two and I are gonna go to Marcie and Amy's house. Giles, you need to come up with a way to get Moloch out of the 'Net."
Xander puts his jacket back on, heading toward the door, "I'm going to grab Dead-Boy and go sniff around the CRD, maybe we can get the jump on one of the Tarakans."
"Do you think th-that's a good idea Xander?" Giles replies.
"It might be the only time one of them is off his game enough for us to jump him, oh, and please tie up Dave or put him in the cage," he calls out as he quickly leaves.
"As to Moloch, I, I have records of the ceremonies, but, but that's for a creature of the flesh. Th-this could be something completely different."
"Then get Ms. Calendar," Buffy suggests. "Maybe she can help you."
"Well, even if she could," Giles allows, "how am I gonna convince her that there's a demon on the Internet?"
"Okay, fine, then you can stay here and come up with a better plan, Giles." Turning to Willow and Marcie, she continues, "C'mon."
Madison Residence
Amy unlocks the door and goes in, "Marcie? Dad? Hmmm, nobody's home yet."
Reaching her room, Amy dumps her book bag on the bed and looks at her PC. The mail icon is active. She goes over to her desk, logs on, clicks on the icon and opens the new message folder.
'No more waiting. I need you to see me.'
She turns off her monitor and goes back to her bag, planning to read ahead a few chapters like Willow suggested. The monitor comes back on by itself again, the computer asserting, 'You have mail.'
Amy stares at it in disbelief. The doorbell rings, and after another look at her computer she goes to answer it.
"Dad? Marcie?" Amy calls as she reaches the front door, "did you forget your keys again?"
She opens the door, but no one's there. She turns to go back in. As she starts to close the door behind her Fritz reaches around her head with a cloth splashed with chloroform. After a brief struggle Amy loses unconsciousness.
"No more waiting," Fritz intones.
SHS Library
Giles is researching and listening to the radio.
Radio: A spokesman for the archbishop denied the allegations, blaming computer error for the apparent financial discrepancy.
"Binding rituals..." Giles mutters to himself.
Radio: In Washington D.C., the FBI today reported that all of its serial killer profiles have been mysteriously downloaded from its central computer.
Ms. Calendar knocks on the door as she comes in, "Hi. I got your message. What's so urgent?"
Giles, turning off the radio and approaching her, "Um, thank you for coming. Uh, I need your help. But before that, um, I need you to believe something that, um, you may not want to. Uh, there's, uh... something's got into the, um... i-i-inside, um...There's a demon in the Internet.
"I know," she replies, surprising Giles.
Madison Residence
Buffy, Willow and Marcie arrive and find the door open, Buffy calling out without response.
"This isn't good," Marcie says, "let's try her room."
"Amy?" Buffy calls again as they walk into the room and see that Amy isn't there.
"Okay," Willow says, "any thoughts?"
Buffy looks around and sees the message on the computer, reads it aloud, "'No more waiting, I need you to see me'? See him how? Where?
"What about CRD?" Willow suggests. "I'm guessing that's Moloch central. Dave seemed to indicate that, and Xander's heading off to go after one of the Tarakans there."
"Guessing that's our best lead," Buffy considered. "Let's just hope Giles can back us up, come on you two."
SHS Library
Giles unfolds his arms and sits on the corner of the table, "You already know? How exactly is that?"
"Come on, there've been portents for days. I mean, power surges, online shutdowns... You should see the bones I've been casting. I knew this would happen sooner or later. I mean, it's probably a, a mischief demon, y'know, like Kelkor, or..."
"It's Moloch."
"The Corrupter? Oh, boy. I shoulda remembered, I just don't..."
"Uh... You don't seem exactly surprised by... Who are you?"
"I teach computer science at the local high school."
"A profession that hardly lends itself to the casting of bones."
"Wrong and wrong, snobby. You think the realm of the mystical is limited to ancient texts and relics? That bad old science made the magic go away? Mm. The divine exists in cyberspace same as out here."
"Are you a witch?"
"Mm. I don't have that kinda power. 'Technopagan' is the term."
Giles lets out a chuckle.
"There are more of us than you think."
"Well, uh, you can definitely help me. Um...What's in cyberspace at the moment is less than divine," he asserts as they go out into the main area. "I have the binding rituals at hand, but I'm completely out of my idiom."
"Well, I can help! I think... I hope, I mean, well, this is my first real... Do you know how he got in?"
"He was, uh, 'scanned' is the term, I believe."
"And you want him back in the book?"
The phone rings. Giles goes to get it, "Buffy!"
"Yeah."
"Amy?"
"Not at home. It looks like she was taken somewhere."
"Where are you?"
"CRD. Whatever Moloch wants Amy for, it's probably in there."
"Ms. Calendar and I are, uh, working to get Moloch offline."
"Here's a tip: hurry!" she shouts, hanging up.
CRD Lab
Amy is lying on a table unconscious. After a moment she awakes and sits up, looking around. She sees Fritz and a technician standing there, and beyond them a computer monitor, attached to a robot body...Moloch
"Welcome, my love," the metal-encased demon greets her, moving closer. "I can't tell you how good it is to see you...with my own two eyes."
Amy screams as a metal hand touches her shoulder
In Hallway outside CRD lab
The Tarakan stands guard at the door, awaiting orders from his new master, 'the kids will be given to me, and I'll collect doubly.'
The assassin braces and draws two 45s as a cocky-looking vampire in demonic visage strides toward him with an unconscious human over his shoulder. "The master told me you were looking for this one; I left the blood-bag alive in case the reward was greater. What do you want me to do with it?"
The Tarakan, smelling the same blood on the vampire's lips and the body on his back, relaxes for a moment and points a gun to the floor, "Just put him down he—"as Angel drops Xander and attacks.
The Tarakan, caught off guard for only a split second, opens fire, the shot going into the ceiling as a put-out Xander fires two rounds from a revolver into the assassin's left leg and knee. Screaming at the unexpected destruction of his leg the assassin leaves himself open long enough for Angel to use a wall to render the killer unconscious.
Xander picks himself up and moves toward the souled vampire and their prisoner, "You okay, Dead-Boy?"
"Barely winged me, but it hurt more than regular bullets. And could you not call me that?"
"Ummm, nope. I guess I'll be taking his weapons and such; maybe something we can use against the Master, huh?"
"What's with you and body-looting, any way?" the vampire grimaced while heading for the door to the lab.
"Too much D&D, and if they hurt you..." came the chuckled reply.
"Come on," Angel sighed, "let's get this over with...geek boy."
"Oooh, now I'm wounded. Leave the humor to me, I'm better at it."
"------"
The lab at CRD.
Fritz and the technician come to get her and take a terrified Amy by the arms. Moloch sends Fritz and the tech to check on the disturbance coming from the other side of the door. Turning back, the demon slowly comes closer, "Amy...This world is so new, so exciting. I can see all of it. Everything flows through me. I know the secrets of your kings. But nothing compares to having form again. To be able to walk, to touch, to kill.
Outside CRD
Buffy lands on the other side of the fence. Marcie and Willow scrunch through the hole Xander and Angel had cut earlier, to Buffy's embarrassment.
"Back way?" Willow asks.
"Back way," the slayer agreed.
Moments later they reach the back entry, Buffy kicking the doors open. She walks in determinedly.
CRD Lab
"Here they come," Moloch states.
SHS Library
Ms. Calendar is lighting candles, "The first thing we have to do is form the Circle of Kayless. Right?"
"Form a circle?" Giles queries. "But there's only two of us. That's really more of a line."
"You're not getting it, Rupert. We have to form the circle inside. (sits at the PC) I'm putting out a flash. I just hope enough of my group responds."
"Won't Moloch just shut you down?"
"Well, I'm betting he won't figure out what we're doing until it's too late."
"Hoping and betting, that's what we've got."
"You wanna throw in praying? Be my guest."
CRD Lab
"I don't understand," Amy states worriedly, "What do you want from me?"
"I want to give you the world," Moloch states.
"Why?" Amy asked, suspiciously.
"You created me," Moloch explained. "I brought these humans together to build me a body. But you gave me life. Took me out of the book that held me. I want to repay you.
"By lying to me?" Amy questions, exasperated. "By pretending to be a person? Pretending you loved me?
"I do!" the demon asserts.
CRD Rear Lobby
Buffy and Willow walk up to the guard. He gets up to stop them, but a large sign-in book levitates into his head, knocking him unconscious.
Buffy, "Good work, Marcie."
Willow notices the guard's monitor, "Uh, Buffy! It's her! And look! Xander and Angel are fighting some robot guy and those other two!"
CRD LAB
"Don't you see? I can give you everything, Amy!" Moloch states loudly, "I can control the world! Right now a man in Beijing is transferring money to a Swiss bank account for a contract on his mother's life. Good for him!"
Buffy and her team come through the doors into another hallway. They find the door to the lab and Buffy tries to force it open. "I can't bust it. It's heavy steel."
"Then let's find another way in," Marcie proposes. "I'll see if I can get to the security room..."
Willow starts toward the next set of doors when an alarm goes off and red lights flash. Willow jumps to the door to try it. Finding it locked, she returns. "What's goin' on?"
Buffy spies a security camera, "Building's security system is computerized."
A gas begins to spray into the hall.
SHS Library
Ms. Calendar, "Almost there."
"Couldn't you just stop Moloch b-by entering some computer virus?" Giles asks.
"You've seen way too many movies. Okay! We're up. You read, I type. Ready?"
"Uh, I am. By the power of the divine, by the essence of the word, I command you..."
CRD Lab
"Let me leave?" Amy begs.
"But I love you!"
"Don't say that! That's a joke! You don't love anything!"
"You are mine!"
"I'm not yours! I'm never gonna be yours! Never!"
Moloch lowers his head and considers for a moment while Amy just watches and waits. He raises his head again.
Pity. I'll miss you," he says, reaching up and puts his hand on her head.
Amy screams.
Buffy and the girls reach the door of the lab; Buffy punches the assassin as he groans.
They enter to find most of the fight ending, Xander taking out the last of five CRD employees, as Angel, suffering deep claw marks and singed clothes, rips the head off of an unknown type of demon in a black cloak. Fritz, trying to back away from the fight, turns to find the girls glaring at him.
"You hurt my friends, so I hurt you, fair?" Buffy asserts as she thumps him unconscious.
Angel slides down the wall to the floor, almost unconscious. Buffy is still recovering from a whiff of gas as she clears the doorway.
SHS Library
"By the power of the circle of Kayless, I command you..." Giles begins, then looks over Ms. Calendar's shoulder, "Kayless, with a 'K'."
CRD Lab
Buffy and a tiring Xander head toward Moloch
SHS Library
"Demon, come!" Giles bellows.
CRD Lab
Moloch screams and lifts his arms in pain, letting go of Amy. He begins to writhe in pain as Xander and Buffy pull Amy away.
SHS Library
"I command you!" shouts Giles.
CRD Lab
Buffy comes back through the door, Willow and Marcie carrying Amy to safety while Xander kneels next to a wincing Angel. "Dead Boy, brought you the vamp version of first-aid, drink up while I help Buff."
Angel looks to find two of his blood bank bags in his hand; he quickly drinks for the energy and the healing boost, going into 'game face' as he does.
Buffy leaps into a jumping side kick, making a dull thud when she connects with Moloch's chest, but he only staggers a bit, and she just falls to the floor.
"Ow!" Buffy exclaims, wincing, "Guy's made of metal!"
Buffy quickly gets up and looks at Xander coming forward from Angel's side as Moloch continues to writhe in pain.
"No!" Moloch screams, "I won't go back!"
SHS Library
"Demon, COME!" commands Giles, the computer sparking several times. Wind is blowing inside and the computer monitor is flashing.
CRD Lab
Moloch falls to his knees, screaming loudly.
SHS Library
The computer monitor stops flashing. Smoke comes out of the back of it.
"He's out of the 'Net. He's bound," determines Ms. Calendar.
Giles goes over to the book, picks it up and opens it to look, "He's not in the book."
"He's not in the book, she considers, "Well, where is he?"
CRD Lab
Moloch slowly raises his head as Buffy continues to kick him further back, where Xander is doing something with the hoist.
Moloch, angrily roaring, "I was omnipotent. I was everything! Now I'm trapped in this shell!"
The reaches out to grab Buffy by the head, but she drops, and kicks him back into the hoist hook. "Now, Xander!"
Suddenly, Moloch turns toward Xander, only to find itself dangling in the air, "No! I'll kill you all! This body's all I have left. But it's enough to crush you!"
Buffy looks around for a way to deal with him. She notices a power junction box on the wall. She faces him again and eases her way to the front of the box, ripping the cover off.
"Xander!" Buffy yells, "Over here!"
Moloch rears back for a punch and swings. Buffy ducks away, as Xander swings the demon robot into the box, shorting it out, and Moloch is enveloped by high voltage electricity. Moloch's circuitry overloads, and his body explodes. His head lands right in front of them. Amy and the rest star at it until she kicks it.
"Malcolm, Moloch... whatever he's called. The one boy that's really liked me, and he's a demon robot. What does that say about me?"
"It doesn't say anything about you," Marcie offers.
"I mean, I thought I was really falling..."
"Hey, did you forget? The one boy I've had the 'hots' for since I've moved here turned out to be a vampire."
"My almost-girlfriend's calling is to dust me in a non-housekeeping manner."
"Right, and the teacher I had a crush on? Giant praying mantis? Uncertainty by others over the Wolf-thing?"
"No boy'll be able to see the real me."
"And I've sorta ended up with Xander."
"Hey!"
"That's true," Amy agreed, smirking with a commiserating tone.
"Again, Hey!"
Angel's Apartment Later that Night
"Xander, how long do you expect me to keep him unconscious in my apartment?"
"Just a couple of days, I have the funeral tomorrow, and you said we'd have the rest of the equipment and supplies Monday morning. I'm hoping that wearing the amulet and ring that assassin was wearing will mask me from the other one until then. We'll handle it Monday evening, as soon as you can avoid the sunlight."
"What did you do with the Tarakan weapons and such?"
"I put them in a vent at Giles' place in case I want them later."
SHS Computer Lab Monday Morning
Ms. Calendar is standing at her desk and typing on her PC. Giles comes in, clears his
throat and knocks on the open door. She turns to see who's there and smiles, "Well, look who's here! Welcome to my world." Then with a bit of an attitude, "You scared?"
"I'm remaining calm, thank you. Uh, I just wanted to, uh, return this." He holds up a small curly earring. "I found it among the new books, and naturally I thought of you."
"Cool. Thanks," she responds, taking it.
"Uh, well, I'll, I'll see you anon."
"Can't get outta here fast enough, can you?"
"Truthfully, I'm even more anxious to be around computers than I used to be."
"Well, it was your book that started all the trouble, not a computer."
Giles is at a loss.
"Honestly, what is it about them that bothers you so much?"
"The smell."
"Computer's don't smell, Rupert."
"I know! Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is. A certain flower or a, a whiff of smoke can bring up experiences... long forgotten. Books smell. Musty a-and rich. The knowledge gained from a computer, is, uh, it... it has no, no texture, n-no context. It's, it's there and then it's gone. If it's to last, then, then the getting of knowledge should be, uh, tangible, it should be, um... smelly."
"Well! You really are an old-fashioned boy, aren't you?"
"Well, I-I don't dangle a corkscrew from my ear."
"That's not where I dangle it." She walks past him and smiles. Giles follows her with his gaze, looking confused and intrigued at the same time.
Don "Hondo" Harris is the Don "Hondo" Harrelson character from SWAT. In this variation, He looks like an older Robert Urich rather than Steve Forrest.