Chapter 135: Bargaining Pt. 2
The Buffybot, though damaged, gamely tries to fight off a couple of the demon bikers, as they circle, striking at her from behind. "I'm dangerously close- Uhh! -to system failure. I have to to disengage from- Uhh! -combat until Willow can service me."
Razor, comes at the Buffybot, swinging a thick chain. "I'll service you, toygirl."
The chain wraps around the Buffybot and yanks her off her feet. As the other Bikers move in...
In the woods Xander is about to pick up Willow, who's fallen unconscious again, when he hears something coming at him from behind. He whips around, ready to fight, when he sees it's Tara and Anya, emerging from the brush. He exhales, relieved.
A pained Tara moves to her girlfriend. "Willow?"
"I'm pretty sure she's okay." Xander says. "Or as okay as anyone who just had snakes coming out of their mouth and what the hell was up with that, Tara?!"
Tara looks up at him but doesn't answer.
"Less talk, more running away." Anya says.
"The woods should give us some cover. Their motorcycles can't follow us in here." Xander says.
With that, motorcycle headlights sweep across their faces and they hear a couple of motorbikes approaching.
"Somebody should tell them that." Anya says.
Xander crosses to Willow. Tara helps him lift her. "New plan: We split up."
"No! Bad plan!" Anya says.
"I'll take Willow—" Tara says.
"No. I can carry her." Xander says. "I'll keep her safe, Tara."
Tara nods, "We should meet up somewhere."
"The Magic Box. And whoever gets there first should call Piper and let her know what is happening if they don't already." Xander says.
Tara nods and moves off.
Anya hesitates. "But ... The Buffybot ..."
Xander's turns, hesitating and then regretfully he says, "We can't. She's— It's lost." He glances over his shoulder as he hears the cycles setting closer. "Go!"
Reluctantly, Anya hurries off. Xander lifts Willow over his shoulder and, carrying her, stumbles off in another direction.
Inside Buffy's coffin, Buffy is wild-eyed, panicking, realizing she's entombed, buried alive. She begins to thrash around. Holding the sides of the casket as if they're closing in on her, her mouth widens to emit a scream, but the only sound that escapes is a horrid dry rasp...
Buffy pushes and kicks at the side of the coffin gasping for what little stale air might be trapped inside here with her. She frantically claws and pounds at the coffin lid, tearing at the lining.
Deep in the woods Xander, still carrying Willow, has reached a small clearing, Willow stirs...
"X-Xander... Where-?" Willow says.
"Shhh. We're using our quiet voice, Wil." Xander lowers her to sit, kneels down beside her.
"Why... Why are- Where's Tara?" Willow asks.
"Off and running. Like we need to be. We gotta keep moving." Xander says.
"Moving." Willow says. "Oh. Right. Demons. On bikes."
Xander nods, "Yep. We got trouble. Right here in Hellmouth City. And our very own Robo-Buffy led them right to us."
"Buffy! The ritual! We have to go back!" Willow says.
Xander shakes his head, "Wil, I told you—"
"We need to try again." Willow says.
"We can't—" Xander says.
"We have to, Xander! She's ... She's waiting, counting on us. On me." Willow says. "I can't leave her there anymore. I won't. We have to finish—"
A motorcycle engine is revved nearby, with the accompanying howl of its rider. Xander gently, but firmly, puts his hand to Willow's lips to quiet her, calm her down. They wait like that for a few moments, as the sound of the engine moves off. "The Urn of Cirrhosis ..."
"Osiris." Willow says.
Xander nods, "Yeah. It got ... kinda..."
Willow's face goes ashen as she remembers. "Broken. It's broken. I remember."
Xander tries to ease the blow. "So, we'll find another one. Better made. Ahn and I'll jump back into the web and—"
"There is no other one." Willow says.
"'Kay. Then we'll fix this one. A little tape, dab o' Krazy Glue ..." Xander says.
Willow shakes her head, "No. It's no good. The urn's defiled. It's gone. Nothing." The words catch in her throat as the pain of the reality sinks in. "All for nothing. Buffy's gone. She's ... she's really gone."
Inside Buffy's coffin… BAM!
Buffy, her knuckles and fingernails now raw and bloody, manages to smash through the coffin lid. Pulling her fist out, dirt begins to stream in.
Buffy with all her might pulls down on the splintered wood around the hole she's made, and the dirt stream becomes torrential. She she spits and coughs, then, holding her breath, pulls herself up through the opening and starts to dig her way out.
Outside the Manor the demons roar past, bashing garbage cans, smashing the windshield on a parked car. A demon lights the fuse on a Molotov cocktail. He flings the bottle at the front door of a house.
There is an explosion as a house across the street catches on fire.
Inside the Manor… Piper, Leo, Paige, Phoebe and Dawn are talking over what's going on.
"The Elders says someone got wind of Buffy's death or supposed death and have come to make sure the town is without a Slayer." Leo says.
Piper nods, "Okay. I think we should split up. Try and find out what's going on out there and how to get rid of these guys. I'll go with Dawn. Phoebe your with Paige. Leo will you take Celia and Wyatt…"
Leo nods, "I'll make sure their safe."
At Buffy's gravesite a fist punches through, and feverishly claws at the ground, then another hand appears, then Buffy pulls herself up out of her grave, wild-eyed, wheezily gasping for breath. She gets to her feet - Dirty, bleeding, thoroughly freaked. Her gravestone catches her eye. She slowly looks over at it and freezes... She squints at it with abject horror.
Moments later Buffy is numbly wandering down the middle of the street, looking around. A San Francisco police car burns at the side of the road, its tires slashed, windows and taillights broken.
Buffy stares, incredulously, at a blazing fire for a beat, almost hypnotized by it, when...
RRROOOAR! Seemingly from nowhere, a Hellion, gunning his motorcycle, roars up behind her.
Buffy spins around and flinches as he goes by, smashing his beer bottle on the ground at her feet, spraying her with glass and beer, cackling. She watches the Demon Biker make a screeching turn at the corner, disappearing, the sound of his engine fading away.
At the Magic Box Tara and Anya scramble inside from the back alley side entrance and slam the door shut behind them.
"Willow? Xander?" Tara calls out.
Anya steps toward the front of the shop, looking around, as Tara moves toward the back area.
"They're not here." Tara says, concerned
"Thank God..." Anya says as Tara shoots her a look. Anya realizes. "My store hasn't been looted."
They hear a crash outside.
"Yet." Tara says.
They move to the front window and peek out to see a demon biker smashing the display window of the bookstore across the street with a trash can, simply for the sheer pleasure of it.
A few other Hellions, over by the Espresso Pump, terrorize an unfortunate couple caught outside. One Demon holds the guy as another beats him up. The third paws the girl, despite her cries of protest.
"Xander..." Anya says with concern.
"They're all right." Tara says.
"Then where are they? Why aren't they here yet?" Anya asks.
"I don't—" Tara says.
Anya turns to Tara, panic setting in. "What if they're hurt? Xander could be lying somewhere. All broken and bleeding. Calling my name—"
"Anya—" Tara says.
"Like that! Or - oh –" Anya says as she moves back into the room, holding her stomach. Tara follows. "Oh - what if they're already dead?! Oh God!"
"They're not." Tara says.
"How do you—" Anya says.
Tara grabs Anya by the shoulders, trying to calm her. "He's with Willow. If something ... happened... I'd know. And so would you."
Anya searches her feelings for a moment, "You think?"
Tara nods and pulls her into an embrace. A look of relief comes over Anya. "I'm sure of it ... They're fine. They're both fine. They..." An idea occurs to her, she separates from Anya and moves to the table. "Maybe they just got lost. In the woods."
"The woods? We're going back to the woods? I hate the woods. All those woodsy trees—" Anya says.
Tara shakes her head, "No. It's okay. Lost is good..." She sweeps the table clear and climbs on top of it. "Willow and I always know now to find each other." She sits cross-legged on the table and closes her eyes.
"With yoga?" Anya asks.
"Shh." Tara says. "Aradia... Hear my words ..."
On a residential street Buffy is trudging along on the sidewalk. She looks around trying to get her bearings; then pauses to rest, leaning against a car at the end of a driveway. Suddenly a car alarm is tripped and blares loudly. As Buffy backs away from the noise, a bright beam porch light comes on.
Buffy snaps her eyes shut, trying to blink away the momentary blindness.
Amid the harsh glare of the porch light, a man appears, pointing a shotgun at her, though we can't make out what it is. "What are you doing? Get away from there! I said, get off my property!"
Buffy hesitates, shaking her head as if to say she means no harm. Taking it as a refusal to his demand...
"You hear me?!" Man swings the gun around and wields it like a club, intending to bash her brains in. "Leave us alone!" Buffy staggers away. "GET OUT OF HERE!"
At the Magic Box the alley side door is being pounded upon from outside.
Anya approaches, apprehensively, talking through the door. "Already been looted! Sorry! Try the appliance store at the end of the block! They've got pretty... um, toasters—"
A familiar voice interrupts her from the other side of the door. "Anya…"
"Xander!" Anya says as Tara crosses to Anya as she excitedly unbolts the door, admitting Xander and Willow. "I knew you weren't dead!" She throws her arms around him and they hold each other.
"Well, then, what was I so worried about?" Xander asks.
Willow goes to Tara and falls into her arms.
Tara holds her, strokes her hair, kisses her head. "Are you-?"
"Not yet." Willow says with a weak smile. "But I will be." She gently pulls away and sits down, aided by Tara. "Where's Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Dawn?
"We've been calling the Manor, but..." Tara says and she shrugs and shakes her head.
"Maybe they're on their way here. I mean, this place, or theirs, is NORAD when we're at DefCon One." Xander says as the three girls turn and look at him blankly. "I so need male friends."
"We have to go out and look for them." Willow says.
"Well, there's a guy at work I kinda hit it off with. Tito. I mean, he seems like a good—" Xander says. "And you meant Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Dawn, of course."
"Um. Question. You want us to go back out there?" Anya says.
"Well, yeah. Unless someone's got a better idea." Willow says, a little unsure.
"It's just ... Well, we're minus one Buffybot. And the Charmed Ones are missing in action somewhere. And Giles flew away. And you look a little magicked out ..." Anya says.
"Ahn, honey, we're nearing your point, right?" Xander asks.
"Just ... How are we supposed to fight these guys?" Anya asks as the others share a look. Good question. "I mean, we can handle a vampire or two, sure, but, we've got a cavalcade of demons here. This is... It takes... I mean, we need..."
"Buffy." Xander says.
Invoking her name causes Willow to react brusquely. "Buffy... is not coming back. We failed." A weighty silence falls among them. "So... We're it, gang. Xander, grab some weapons. We're going to find Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Dawn.
A loud crash is heard outside, perhaps another front window being smashed, followed by howls of laughter.
"If we're going, we should go now. They seem to be getting more and more worked up by the minute." Tara says.
"Well, they can't keep it up forever. I mean, maybe they'll party themselves out, tire of this place and move on." Xander says.
In a parking lot… "Say hello to your new home, boys!" Razor says.
Razor stands amid cheering demons, a demon biker takes a swig of whiskey then brings a burning torch to his mouth and blows fire high into the air.
They cheer Razor's words and those on bikes gun their engines. All around, fires burn in steel barrels lined about the area. It's all very pagan, savage, post-apocalyptic.
"This here is a momentous occasion. The beginning of a new era. Now, no question the open backroads and highways have been good to us, but we got ourselves a juicy little burg just ripe for picking..." Razor says.
Buffy is walking numbly in the middle of the street.
"And I ain't in no hurry to leave. Are you?" Razor says.
Buffy glances over at the biker crowd in the parking lot. She moves toward it.
"So I figured what better way to kick off our semi-settling down than with a little christening ..." Razor says as Mag ties the end of a chain to the back of a motorcycle. "A symbolic act commemorating the new order around here..."
Klyed is also tying a chain to the back of a cycle facing the opposite direction.
"And ridding ourselves of any not so pleasant reminders of the old..." Razor says as he brings up a 38-caliber REVOLVER into view. He loads a bullet as he speaks. "All in one, quick, really REALLY violent, fell swoop..." He slaps the chamber closed.
Buffy approaches the demon bikers from behind, unnoticed by anyone.
"Gentlemen, start your engines." Razor says.
Klyed and Mag kick start their motorcycles alond with two other motorcycles being kick started.
Buffy peers through a break in the crowd. She sees the Buffybot and her eyes widen.
The Buffybot is standing in the middle of the lot. It's scuffed, clothes are torn... It's been abused. From a few damaged points, errant wires stick out, and a spark or two sputters. It seems confused, though not scared, as each of its limbs is chained to the back of four different motorcycles.
Razor holds up the revolver... "Bye-bye, Slayer." ... and fires into the air.
The Bikers take off as Buffy watches with mounting horror.
The Buffybot glances over and sees Buffy. They lock eyes for a moment. The robot's expression is impassive. Buffy's eyes widen in anticipation of what's to come. The Buffybot opens its mouth to say something to Buffy when the chains go taut and the robot is suddenly and really REALLY violently, torn apart. Drawn and quartered. The crowd HOWLS its delight.
Buffy screams at seeing her own horrific death, "Nooooooooo!"
The crowd quiets and turns to look at her.
Razor scrutinizes her for a moment. "Another one for the fire, boys ... Tear it up!"
The biker mob, crazed with blood lust, rush at Buffy.
Buffy stares back, wide-eyed with fear, and recoiling. She turns and runs from the Hellions chasing her - most on foot, some on motorcycles.
Two bikers zoom past her, then swerve their bikes around, cutting off her escape. Buffy skids to a halt, than sprints off in another direction, the Hellions on wheels on her tail.
Another comes at her, dangling a chain. As it reaches her, the Demon swings the chain, Buffy ducks and the chain wraps around the throat of the Hellion chasing her. Both Bikers fall off their motorcycles.
Buffy tears off down another road…
In an alley Willow and Tara, followed by Xander and Anya, make their way down the alley. Willow's armed with a crossbow, Xander with a battle-ax.
Tara watches Willow a beat as they walk. "It wasn't your fault." Willow doesn't look at her, just keeps walking. "We don't know that the spell would've worked even if those demons hadn't—"
"It would've worked." Willow says. "
"Well maybe ..." Tara says.
"What?" Willow asks.
"Maybe it wasn't supposed to. I mean, those d-demons coming just at the exact wrong time ... M-maybe we really were in over our heads. Invoking forces that we have no right to... Maybe the fates sent all this destruction down on us to stop us. I mean –" Tara says.
"You mean maybe it's my fault." Willow says.
Tara starts to protest, but Willow stops her by putting a hand on her arm, clearly not resentful, just mournful and guilty. Tara folds her into her arms.
On the street Buffy's being chased by Klyed and Mag, who gun their engines, converging on her. She makes a dash for a dumpster by an industrial looking building. She leaps onto it, and flips over a fence ...
In the Alley Xander and Anya are whispering to each other so Tara and Willow don't hear.
"I'm not saying we announce it this second..." Anya says.
"Anya..." Xander says.
"I think it will please them to know we're engaged. And I think Willow, in particular, could use a morale booster right now." Anya says.
"Can we talk about this later?" Xander asks.
"It's just that... Well, all the excuses for not telling anyone we're engaged are gone now. I mean, apart from hell-bikers, there's nothing hanging over us anymore. This is it. No more surprises." Anya says.
Suddenly something shadowy jumps out, landing in front of them.
"Watch it!" Xander says as he instinctively pushes Anya back, protectively.
Willow raises up her crossbow, pointing it at the filthy thing in front of them as it rises up and they see Buffy.
"It's ... the Buffybot." Tara says.
"Oh, peachy. No doubt here to lead the Wild Bunch right to us again." Xander says as Buffy just looks at them, eyes darting around, feral. "Wil, next time it's damaged, couldn't you program it to find the nearest Radio Shack or—"
Willow takes a step forward, the first to realize ... "Buffy?"
Buffy focuses on Willow for a half beat, then suddenly turns and runs away from them.
Stunned, the others share a look. Then tear after her.
"Where did-?" Anya asks.
"Here." Tara says as they come around a corner to find Buffy at a dead end. She crouches like a caged animal, looking around her.
"Buffy... Buffy, are you...?" Willow says. "It's Willow. Can you hear me?"
Buffy doesn't look or answer, only searches for some escape.
"What's wrong with her?" Anya asks.
"Nothing. She's ... she's in shock." Willow says.
"Her hands are bleeding. Her fingernails ..." Tara says.
Xander begins to understand as his face shows the horror of the realization of what happened.
"And she's filthy." Anya says.
"Aw no..." Xander says with a look of shock at what they did.
"What?" Willow asks.
"No! How could we... Ugh! So stupid." Xander says, angrily.
"Xander?!" Willow says.
"The spell. Our little resurrection spell worked like a magic charm." Xander says before he looks to Buffy. "We brought you back to life, Buffy." He looks back to Tara, Willow and Anya. "Right where we left her... In her coffin."
Willow cups a hand over her mouth. "oh... God..."
They look back at Buffy, huddled up in the corner of the alley.
"She had to dig out of her own grave." Tara says. "Why didn't she just flame out?"
Willow turns away, devastatingly affected by this revelation as Xander takes a step toward Buffy. "Her powers, like mine, like Piper's are based on her emotions. If she is not in the right emotional state…"
"Oh god." Tara says. "She couldn't flame out. Coming back to life in her coffin she had to be scared out of her wits."
"Buffy? Buffy, it's Xander. We're ... sorry. We didn't know..." Xander says. "Buffy?"
"You're not reaching her. She's too traumatized." Tara says.
They're stumped as to what to do. Then, Anya carefully moves toward Buffy. "Hey, Buffy, here's some good news that might perk you right up. Xander and I have an announcement—"
Xander pulls Anya back, "Anya!"
"What?! I'm trying to help." Anya says.
"Buffy. It's going to be all right. We ... We brought you back. You're home now." Xander says as Buffy seems to peer up at that. "Yes! That s right. You're home."
Buffy's face goes hard as she's looking past Xander at Razor.
"Yeah..." Razor says behind them.
There are six other Hellions with Razor. Most armed with chains, bats, pipes. The gang is cornered.
"Welcome home, Slayer. Alive and kicking after all." Razor says.
Buffy peers at the demons through the matted hair hanging in her face.
"Well, alive, anyway. Not looking too good though, is she?" Razor says.
Xander puts up a brave front. "Don't see you winning any beauty contests, unless the Miss My-Face-Fell-off Pageant gets going..."
Razor turns to Xander, eyeing him threateningly. "Big axe you got there."
"The better to cut you down to size, grandma." Xander says.
Razor makes a move toward Xander.
Tara whispers, "Incendire"
And a jet of flame erupts between them, starting Razor back. But it's gone as soon as it appeared, like a magician's trick. Razor is still superior, but more cautious now. "So you got a witch in the mix."
"More than one." Tara says.
"I happen to be a very powerful Manwitch myself. Or... male... is it 'warlock'?" Xander says.
Willow shakes her head and whispers, "Witch. Warlocks are evil. There are no possessive pronouns for a witch."
"Plus we have a Slayer here…" Anya says looking at feral Buffy. "…who might actually be looking to eat some brains so, I think a quiet moseying, no hard feelings and I'm sure your demon horde won't think any the less of you..."
"Now, my boys, see ... that's tricky. They came looking for a massacre. And I think you got exactly enough magic between you for a kiddies birthday party." Razor says.
"You'd be wrong." Willow says.
"Whoah. I better back off or you might pull a rabbit out of a hat." Razor says.
"Don't do that! Why would you do that?" Anya says.
"Look. We don't want trouble. And you don't want trouble." Willow says.
"Of course we want trouble." Razor says. "We're demons. We're really all about trouble."
"Not this kind." Willow says.
"I get your point." Razor says as he back hands her in the face. She goes flying back, lands in a clatter pile of trash cans. Xander moves forward but Razor clips him before he can even swing his axe.
Tara and Anya both move to their mates, terrified.
Buffy slowly rises.
"Let me tell you something, children. We're not gonna fight you. We're just gonna hold you down, enjoy ourselves for a few hours. You might even live through it, 'cept that certain of my boys got some anatomical incompatibilities that, uh, tend to tear up little girls." Razor says.
Buffy is slowly moving toward him. Her face getting less confused, more focused as she powers up a fireball.
"So, who wants to go first?" Razor says as he notices Buffy finally, who steps right in front of him. "I was really hoping it'd be you." He punches her in the face.
Buffy takes the blow hard but doesn't so much as rock back. Looks at him, feeling the bit of blood on her lip. Her eyes narrow on Razor as long dormant instincts kick in. She throws the fireball at Razor who dodges it.
Razor takes another swing at Buffy. She blocks it, then cracks him across the jaw. And again. Then slams him in the face with her heel, snapping his head back.
Razor hits the ground hard, out cold.
Both gangs are stunned, taking in what just happened. our guys look at Buffy, who stands over Razor's prone body, breathing hard.
"Does this mean we win?" Anya asks.
They engage. Willow fires the crossbow, Xander swings the ax.
Buffy, ferocity building as she leaps into the fray, taking on most of the Hellions single-handedly. She is throwing fireballs left and right.
Back at the parking lot, Piper and Dawn shimmer in.
"There! What's that?" Dawn says having spotted the Buffybot.
They walk over to it.
"Just the machine, Dawn." Piper says.
"I know." Dawn says as she tears up, kneeling by the robot.
Piper looks off then walks a short distance away.
Dawn reaches to touch the robot's face, perhaps to close its eyes, when suddenly... The Buffybot unexpectedly turns its head to look at Dawn. Dawn gasps and yanks her hand back.
"Dawn. You're my sister Dawn. Where did I go?" Buffybot says.
"What?" Dawn asks.
"Where did I go? I was here. Here. But then I ran away." Buffybot says.
"I don't ..." Dawn says.
"No. Not me. The other Buffy." Buffybot says as Dawn's eyes go wide as realization sinks in. "Yes. The other Buffy."
"Buffy...?" Dawn says softly.
"I don't- I don't know where she went. Maybe—" Buffybot says as sparks sputter from one of its "wound" and it falls into a dead, suspended state again.
Dawn rises, contemplating the robot's words, and then shimmers out.
Piper looks at the Buffybot's mangled legs. "So much for the demons thinking she's still alive. Willow's not going to be able to fix it this time." She looks up and notices for the first time that Dawn's not there. "Dawn!"
In the alley way most of the Hellions lay dead. As the rest of the gang finish off their opponents, Buffy battles the two remaining Hellions, one armed with a pipe, the other a knife.
In mid-tussle, the pipe-wielding Hellion raises his weapon to strike, Buffy grabs the arm of the knife-wielder, snapping it, and manages to jab her attacker, killing him.
Xander gets up in time to see Buffy finish off the other Hellion by breaking his neck.
As the dust settles, everyone comes together near Buffy, surveying the carnage.
"Well, they wanted a massacre." Tara says.
Xander stares at Buffy, who's looking off. "She's Buffy. She's herself again." Buffy's head snaps up to look at him. "You're back, Buf. You really are ..." Buffy backs away. "... whoah, whoah..."
Buffy suddenly turns and runs down the alley.
"Buffy!" Willow calls out.
"Where's she going?" Anya asks.
Razor's eyes snap open.
"Should we follow?" Tara asks.
"I don't know... I ..." Willow says.
Unseen by anyone, Razor rises up behind them, looking around at his slain brethren.
"She just ... needs some time, is all. The important thing is she's back... She'll be fine ..." Xander says as Razor brings up his fist and the switchblade claws snap open. "Everything's gonna be fine."
Anya catches sight of Razor about to strike. "Xander! Look out!"
Xander jumps out of the way, tripping, as Razor swipes at him, missing. Razor glares at Anya and the others who back away. Then he turns back to Xander and moves in on him. Xander scrambles and crawls out of reach... "Now what kind of a Slayer is it runs out on her buddies ... just when they need her most."
On the street Buffy Is running towards a wrought iron fence. She hesitates, holding her breath. Something occurs to her or she senses something. She looks off as a thought seeps into her consciousness.
As she straightens, about to act on this new idea ...
A hellion jumps out from the darkness and attacks her.
Buffy wails on him. She jams her foot into his kneecap, smashing it, then slams him down onto the spikes of the iron fence, impaling him.
She takes off as the Hellion exhales his last breath and dies.
Back in the alley Razor swats at Xander catching him slightly across the shoulder. Xander stumbles back and falls.
As Razor moves in, Xander spies a metal garbage pail lid. He picks it up and holds it in front of himself as a shield.
Razor's claw slices through it like paper. "You're next. First you. Then those bitch friends of—"
WHAM! Razor's hit in the head with a pipe. He snarls in pain and turns to see Anya wielding the pipe. Willow and Tara standing next to her, holding a bat and chain.
Razor starts to converge on the women, when, suddenly, and somewhat surprisingly, they charge him. They get in a few sharp blows before he manages to throw them off.
Willow looks up, willing her strength to return. "Obfuscate!" She tosses out her empty hand and a grayish glob of energy appears, turning solid and viscous, as it hits Razor in the face, sticking there like fly paper.
Razor blinded and enraged, tries to pull the energy glob off ...
At the construction site Buffy is staring up at the tower. So much pain and confusion creasing her brow. Buffy, crosses to the stairs and starts to climb...
In the alley Anya pounds away at Razor with the pipe as he struggles to break free of the energy glob.
"Wrap the chain around his legs. Maybe we can restrain—" Xander says.
Tara moves in to do just that, but Razor manages to break free of the energy blob and grab Tara. Xander rushes in to help her, but gets an elbow in the face and goes down, unconscious.
"Xander!" Anya says moving to Xander.
Razor brings up his claw to slice Tara open.
"Fragilis!" Willow calls out as Razor's switchblade fingers tear across Tara, but the blades shatter to pieces on contact.
Enraged, Razor tosses Tara d side and moves in on Willow. Before she can get another word out... He grabs her by the throat and lifts her off her feet. "So. Witch. Got a little power after all." He starts to squeeze. Willow struggles, to no avail. "Let's see what tricks you can manage while I choke the life out of y—"
SHUNK!
He suddenly freezes, drops Willow, then falls forward, dead, Xander's battle-ax buried deeply in his back.
Willow coughs, catching her breath. She looks up to see Tara, standing over her. She offers Willow her hand and pulls her to her feet. "T-Tara?"
"Nobody messes with my girl." Tara says.
Xander comes over, propped up by Anya. "Tara. Nice axing."
"My first." Tara says.
They share a look of prideful accomplishment, until they remember Buffy.
"Buffy." Willow says.
Up on the platform Buffy stands at the edge of the platform of the tower, looking down. The sky is quiet and still. She is remembering things from the night she was last on this tower. The night she sacrificed herself for Dawn. She closes her eyes.
Buffy mouths as she speaks remembered words, "Dawnie... I have to –"
Dawn shimmers in behind Buffy on the tower, "Buffy...?"
Buffy's eyes open. That was no memory.
"Buffy?" Dawn says again.
Buffy slowly turns around to look at Dawn. When she sees her, she doesn't appear to react, doesn't attempt to answer. Her eyes drift off Dawn as if this is all some hallucination.
"Buffy. How—" Dawn starts as the words catch in her throat, as waves of mixed emotions flood her brain: fear, elation, confusion... "Is it you? I mean, really? What are you—?"
Buffy has turned back around again, to stare into the abyss off the platform.
"No! Don't! Don't jump, Buffy! Don't move! Just ... walk or flame to me. Please?" Dawn says.
Buffy still doesn't move - she looks back and forth from Dawn to the edge.
"I'm your sister. Dawn. We were up here together and then you went away... and you don't want to do that again. I don't know how you're back but you are and please, just stay still." Dawn says as she inches herself closer; the platform suddenly groans and sways a little under her feet. Dawn looks down, grabs a rail to support herself. "Or move, but towards me. Because the tower was built by crazy people and I don't think it's holding up very well ..."
Buffy doesn't answer, just continues looking down.
"Talk to me! Say something! I don't know what you're doing here." Dawn says as tears begin to fall. "No! I- I don't care what or why. I just need to know that you're—"
"Is this hell?" Buffy asks.
Dawn stops, what did she say? "What?"
Buffy turns to face Dawn. Her expression almost childlike in its desire to understand. "Is this hell?"
"No. Buffy, no. You're here. With me. Whatever happened to you...? Whatever you've been through... It's-It's over now. You're—" Dawn says as she takes a step toward Buffy. The tower elicits another more pronounced groan. "We have to get off this tower."
"It was so clear here. On this spot. I remember how... shiny and clear everything was. But now, now it's ..."
"Buffy, please..." Dawn says as Buffy closes her eyes again. "Listen to me. You told me I had to be strong. I had to be strong for myself and Celia. And I've tried." She cries freely now. "It's been so hard without you, but I try to be brave. I'm sorry. I promise I'll do better. I will. If you're with me. Stay with me. Please. I need you to live. Live. For—"
Suddenly there is a screech of grinding metal. Dawn looks up to see a steel girder break away from the tower. She screams as it misses her by inches.
A large section of the platform breaks away as the girder slams into it on its descent.
Buffy turns to look back as the impact causes the tower to shudder violently, and the platform starts to separate from it, banking to the side.
Dawn loses her footing and is about to slide off. She reaches for a support rail on the tower, but it's too far. "Buffy!"
Clarity comes to Buffy. "Dawn… Dawn! I'm coming!" She flames out and back in next to Dawn and grabs her flaming out a second time.
Buffy flames in with Dawn down at the base of the tower. Behind them the tower collapses. She sits against the fence, exhausted, spent. She closes her eyes.
Dawn goes to Buffy and touches her face. "Buffy..." Buffy's eyes open and go to her. "Buffy..." She wraps her arms around Buffy, hugging her sister, fiercely. "You... You're really here. You're alive and you're home ... You're home."