The cameras followed Buffy as she walked to her fight. She had just come out a wardrobe where they picked out leather pants, a tight fitting black tank top, and stilettos for her. Part of slayer training involved learning how to walk in stilettos because the producers thought they were sexier than conventional sneakers. Giles always complained when they put fashion over safety but Buffy was just happy to get free clothes. She knew she had the reflexes to handle herself in any type of footwear.
Her first match of the day was supposed to be against some vampire named Thomas. He had been dead for about a decade and when Buffy saw what he was wearing she thought he probably hadn't been out of the sewers since he first died. Like most fights on the show Buffy was meeting her opponent in a fake cemetery inside a sound stage. Security was tight in order to prevent vampire spectators from crashing the fight and risking the life of the slayer. The network couldn't let their number one star die—yet.
Buffy was given a factory manufactured stake and walked out in front of the cameras to meet Thomas. He vamped out his face for the camera and then turned his attention toward Buffy. The director walked out in front of them before the fight started. He spoke to Thomas. "Buffy already knows this, but I've got to make sure you know too. Make sure to make a show and spectacle out of this. Make the moves clean and dramatic and make sure they are in frame. If not, we'll have to stop the fight and start over. Fight lasts until one of you die. If you win then we let you go free…there may even be a TV contract in it for you."
The vampire stared blankly as the director talked then growled when the director finished. The director ran back behind the cameras and security and then called action.
The fight began. The vampire ran forward. Buffy stuck out her stake and pushed it in through his heart. He dusted.
Buffy turned to the camera. "Seriously?" She dropped the stake and stormed off the set.
After the fight Buffy went to record her statements about what happened.
"Buffy," the producer said as they waited for setup to finish with lighting and cameras, "You've got to make sure the fight lasts longer. Nobody wants to see you kill vampires with the flick of your wrists. They want to see you struggle. They want to watch from the edge of their seats. You're their hero, the protagonist of this story."
"Story?" Buffy said with a sneer, "This is reality TV. Sorry, but the reality is that vampire really sucked."
The producer folded his arms. "I don't care how much you think the vampires sucks. Pretend that they are a challenge or we'll find someone to replace you."
Buffy put her hands on her hips and smugly smiled. "The problem with being the Chosen One is that there's only one. Only way you can replace me is if you kill me. And the only legal way that'll be done is if you get vampire who actually knows what he's doing."
"I scheduled you to face that Master guy but your babysitter won't let you out to play."
Buffy rolled her eyes and started walking toward the camera. She ran her fingers through her hair. "How is it?" she asked the cameraman.
The cameraman gave her a thumbs up but she fiddled with her hair anyway. She turned back to the producer. "Sorry about the Master dude, but field trips costs extra. I'm not going into the sewers. They're gross, dirty, smell bad and no matter how much light we bring down there it still doesn't reflect good on me."
"Clear the stage for Summer's interview, take one," the director said.
The producer leaned in real close and whispered into Buffy's ear, "Don't think you're irreplaceable. You've got a dangerous job and you stupidly signed all the legal papers. Getting a new slayer is as easy as a casting shoot." He walked away but Buffy wasn't scared. She wouldn't let a bully like him scare her. No matter what he said he needed her. She was the star and the only one qualified. And he could think that he could kill her but she was the Goddamn slayer. Nothing could hurt her.