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Date Posted: 17:34:43 05/14/03 Wed
Author: First aired Wednesday 14th May 2003
Subject: Episode 8.14 - "MINIME PERCURSUM ITER" by anyas_butt_monkey (Part II)

##################################################

*CUT TO: THE HELLMOUTH*

FAITH: Aaaaargh!
BUFFY: Faith! Faith! It's ok!

(Faith whips her eyes open, to see Buffy and Spike standing over her.)

BUFFY: Faith, it's ok, everything's ok. You were unconscious.

FAITH: But....the fire.... my God...

BUFFY: You must have been having a bad dream or something. We don't know how long you guys have been out for.

(Faith sits up, and sees Giles trying to wake Kennedy up.)

FAITH: Wha...what happened?

BUFFY: You mean you don't remember?

SPIKE: Giles doesn't either.

BUFFY: It's a bad sign when there are no demons in the Hellmouth, and my friends are unconscious....

FAITH: *to herself* He was here...

BUFFY: Who was here?

FAITH: Oh....no one, it was just.... *collecting herself* you know, you're run-of-the-mill wicked-bad dream, standard nightmare fare.

SPIKE: Can you stand?

FAITH: I'm a Slayer, aren't I?

(Faith gets up, brushes herself off. She looks around - no fire marks, no chains on the wall, and no Mayor.)

BUFFY: What went on here? Was it Raven?

GILES: No, she....she left. Before it happened.

BUFFY: You mean she was here, and you didn't try to stop her?

FAITH: Kinda pre-occupied, B, what with the Horsemen....

BUFFY: They were here too?

FAITH: Yeah, it was their ritual.... but that's one good thing about it.

BUFFY: What?

GILES: They died completing the ritual, Buffy. I don't know how, the ritual needed Raven's blood... of course! It only needed her blood to *start* it....once the initial process had begun, all it needed was a power source....

BUFFY: So they died? And then Raven left?

FAITH: Other way around, B - at least I think it was, I don't remember seeing her...


(Giles looks down.)

BUFFY: Well, we still need to find out what happened, and who caused it. This no-demon thing is really freaking me out.

FAITH: Join the club. This is too strange.

SPIKE: Something made you three fall unconscious.

GILES: Let's not get too suspicious here. It could've just been the back-breaking fall into the Hellmouth.

FAITH: There was that....

GILES: She's waking up!

(Faith, Buffy and Spike rush over to where Giles & Kennedy are. Kennedy starts to open her eyes.)

KENNEDY: What....

GILES: You were unconscious, so were Faith and myself. Do you remember anything?

KENNEDY: No....

FAITH: Why would she? We don't.

GILES: It was worth a shot, Faith.

BUFFY: Did you guys find anything before you took a siesta?

FAITH: Not a thing. Just.... darkness.

SPIKE: We should start exploring these caverns.

BUFFY: And risk running into a Hellmouthy demon? Or worse? I don't think so.

SPIKE: Well we have to do something, Buffy. Besides bringing in the big guns...

GILES: Big guns? What's he talking about, Buffy?

(Giles stands up, and moves to face Buffy.)

BUFFY: We're summoning D'Hoffryn, he knows something, and we're determined to find out what he knows.

GILES: You're what?! Buffy, D'Hoffryn is an immensly powerful demon. Summoning him is not something you do lightly!

BUFFY: We've run out of options, Giles! He visited Anya earlier, mentioned something about this thing....a she....that's coming. To kill us. I'm guessing it's connected to the lack of Hell in the Hellmouth.

GILES: But still, Buffy, this is an incredibly dangerous manouver, you could wind up getting people - getting yourself - killed.

BUFFY: Willow has the power to hold him, Giles, you've seen the stuff she can do. And we only need to talk to him, that's all.

GILES: And you think he'll give you the answers? He knows as well as you do that Willow's powers won't hold out for long enough, and as soon as they run dry people are going to die.

BUFFY: That's why we should be back at the house, to fight him if things get nasty.

FAITH: What, and just forget the fact that there's an open Hellmouth here?

BUFFY: There doesn't seem to be any major threat....

KENNEDY: Something made us fall asleep, and something has gotten rid of the demons that should be here. I think that qualifies as a major threat.

SPIKE: She's right, Buffy.

(Buffy thinks for a moment.)

BUFFY: *slightly bitter* Fine. You guys stay here, explore away.

(Buffy heads over to the rock face, and starts climbing up to the basement.)

BUFFY: I'm going to get some answers.

##################################################

*CUT TO: THE KITCHEN*

(Andrew is at the oven, fiddling with the timer. Anya walks in, and sits at the breakfast bar, a plate of freshly-baked cookies in front of her. She picks one up, and starts chewing.)

ANYA: Bleurgh! *spitting out cookie* God, that is the foulest thing I've ever had in my mouth!! Andrew, what is this?!

(Andrew turns around, having been startled by Anya. He moves the plate away from her, and turns away from her again, still hurt by her cookie-ist comments earlier.)

ANDREW: Not demon-killing cookies, thats for sure.

ANYA: Are you still hung up about that? God, geeks can be so testy. I should know, I dated one for 3 years...

(Anya gets up to get a Coke(TM) from the Zanussi(TM) fridge, while checking her Nokia(TM) phone for messages.)

ANDREW: I'm not a geek! *pause* I'm a nerd. There's a difference.

ANYA: There is? Well, doesn't really matter, you're all the same. Men.

ANDREW: Are you sure you're not a vengeance demon again? Coz Dawn told me you can't really make up your mind on that - first you are, then you're not, then you are again, then you're not... *off Anya's glare* Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, if you wanna be a demon again, that's fine...

ANYA: Relax, Nerdboy. I'm still human. I can tell by all the stupid emotions I'm feeling.

ANDREW: You know, you sound like a demon, maybe I should just go get Buffy.... *turns to leave*

ANYA: Oh, for the love of Aquaman, or whoever it is you idolise...

(Andrew whips round to face Anya, angered by her statement.)

ANDREW: I do *not* idolise Aquaman! He was lame! All he could do was ride starfish and talk to the fishes!

ANYA: Whatever, Andrew, just make me some chocolate chip cookies and I'll be out of your way...

ANDREW: I don't make them to demand.

ANYA: If you don't, I'll eviscerate you like I did to this one guy in Mexico...

(Andrew leaps towards a cupboard, and pulls out a bag of chocolate chips. He turns to face Anya, and smiles.)

ANDREW: On it!

(Andrew gets making cookies. Anya just sits at the breakfast bar, looking out the window. While mixing the dough, Andrew tries to strike up a conversation with Anya.)

ANDREW: So, what's with the bunny phobia?

ANYA: Long story. Don't wanna relive it.

ANDREW: Oh. *pause* Soooo.....what else did you do as a demon?

ANYA: Sorry?

ANDREW: You said you eviscerated a guy in Mexico - I always wondered what an evisceration looked like. Is it icky?

ANYA: Oh, yes, very. Lots of blood. And strangely some goo...

ANDREW: So what else have you done? Anything that beats evisceration?

ANYA: *getting into it* Oh, I've done lots. Men over the world have feared me coming for them. *pause* Well, thats not actually true, a lot of them probably haven't heard of me, but if they did know about me, they'd fear me.

ANDREW: Of course they would.

ANYA: Well, there was that one time I made a guy cannabilise himself. That was.....fun and also slightly sickening.

(Andrew goes pale, thinking about a person eating their own flesh.)

ANDREW: You wouldn't.....ever....?

ANYA: For the last time, I'm not a vengeance demon!!

ANDREW: But D'Hoffryn offered you...

ANYA: And I turned him down! Honestly, do you people all think I'd switch sides again at the flick of a switch?!

ANDREW: You've done it before.

ANYA: *pause* Well, yes, thats true, but that was different.

ANDREW: *agreeing* With the wedding, and the breakup...

ANYA: Let's not get into that. Look, do you wanna hear more stories? I can tell you about the stuff I got up to in St Petersburg... god, I'd forgotten how much fun I had. If only fighting alongside Buffy were that fun, honestly, she'd have much less trouble conscripting people. So you wanna hear about me & Halfrek, back in the day?

ANDREW: Nah, I'm ok. That cannibalism thing really is enough for....

ANYA: Oh come on! The Russian stories are the best!! We got up to all sorts, God, I remember that dinner... they didn't know what had hit them...

ANDREW: *backing away slightly* I think I hear Xander calling...

ANYA: Oh, when that man was walking around on fire, I thought Halfrek would never stop laughing!!

ANDREW: You know, now that I think about, Xander definetly wants me.....uh, to help him.

ANYA: Oh, and you know myself & Halfrek were partially - well, mostly - responsible for the whole Russian Revolution thing...

ANDREW: My God!

ANYA: *pausing* What?

ANDREW: You remind me of a Batman storyline, editions 476 through 482, where he remembers his dark past and tries to relive it....

ANYA: I do? I remind you of Batman? I don't have a breastplate...

ANDREW: That's not what I mean. And, you know, Batman was a misunderstood character sometimes...

ANYA: *lost in her own train of thought* Dark past?

ANDREW: What did you say? Oh, right, dark past. Yeh, Batman totally had one.

ANYA: Shut up about Batman!! You think I have a dark past?

ANDREW: Yeah. Maybe you're not as over this whole vengeance demon thing as you thought you were...

(Andrew goes back to preparing the cookie tray.)


ANYA: Huh. Well, maybe D'Hoffryn...

(At hearing D'Hoffryn's name, Andrew gets scared and slams the cookie pan down.)

ANDREW: XANDER!!

(Xander comes rushing in to the kitchen. He sees Anya sitting on a stool.)

XANDER: Oh, thank god, I thought you had...

ANYA: Switched sides again? Gimme some credit, Harris....I'd give you at least 5 minutes warning.

ANDREW: Xander?

XANDER: *without looking away from Anya* Yuh-huh?

ANDREW: Do you need help with your thing?

XANDER: *now looking up* Huh?

##################################################

*CUT TO: THE SUMMERS HOUSE*

(There's a knock on the door. Xander comes out of the living room, opens the door - it's Willow and Dawn.

DAWN: Sorry, in all the hubbub we forgot out keys!

XANDER: That's fine. You get everything?

WILLOW: Yeh, now all that's left to do is....well, you know.

XANDER: Yeh.

WILLOW: Is the basement set up like I asked you?

XANDER: Yep. Everything's cleared out, garage-bound. Lots of space for the magicks. Andrew and Anya are just trying to find the candles.

DAWN: Candles? Why, I didn't think Willow needed candles...

WILLOW: I don't.

XANDER: Yeah, but, Andrew has this whole big thing....he likes the mood.

(At that, Anya comes traipsing down the stairs, a small box in her hands. Xander turns around, and looks at Anya. She simply dismisses him, and hands the box over to Willow.)

ANYA: Here ya go. There's even scented ones, and one shaped like a penis.

(Willow just looks at Anya, half shocked. Dawn starts rooting through the box. Xander catches her.)


XANDER: Dawn...

DAWN: *looking up* What? I'm looking for the....scented ones. *off their looks* Fine!

(Dawn stops looking, and walks past them down to the basement, with the box of stuff that they took from the Magic Box. Willow turns to Anya.)

WILLOW: Where's Andrew?

ANYA: Oh. I sent him to the basement. He was annoying me, kept talking about how Daredevil isn't worthy enough to get a movie. Like I give a crap, Ben Affleck is hot in that suit.

XANDER: Oh, really? Wish you would've told me you liked guys in leather...

WILLOW: Can we *not* talk about this right now? We have things to do.

(Willow walks off, downstairs to the basement with the candles. As Anya moves to follow, Xander grabs her arm.)

XANDER: You OK?

ANYA: *shrugging his hand off* Fine, Xander, I'm fine. Would be nice if you stopped asking me that.

(Anya walks away. After a moment just watching her go, Xander follows.)

(They traipse down into the basement, as Dawn finishes the forming a circle with the Tagus Root, a powder of light red colour. Andrew is standing in the corner, silently. There's a few weapons lying on the ground - a crossbow, sword, and a longbow.)

XANDER: What's that do?

DAWN: Oh, that'll....actually, I'm not really sure. Willow?

WILLOW: It's just something to focus the magicks - when I call D'Hoffryn, the Tagus Root will 'pull' him into the circle, and keep him there. Sort of like an anchor.

ANDREW: Cool. So we can force him into doing our will and stuff?

WILLOW: Uh...not exactly, Andrew. It's just so I can put the whammy on him, bind him without him disappearing.

ANDREW: Oh. That's boring.

ANYA: Not really looking for your validation, Andrew.

(Andrew glares at Anya, then takes the box of candles off Willow. He starts placing them around the basement, and lighting them. Dawn backs off from the circle, as Willow goes in and stands at the edge of it. Xander turns to Dawn.)

XANDER: What's she doing now?

DAWN: Oh, she has to activate the Tagus Root. Otherwise it's just as effective as salt. In theory, once it's been magickally-charged, people can go into the circle, but not out of it.

XANDER: Did you swallow one of Giles' books or something?

DAWN: No, I've just been reading through Tara's Book of Shadows, thats all.

XANDER: Instead of concentrating on college applications?

DAWN: I see that as more of a "work in progress."

(Willow puts her arms out in front of her, and her eyes start to glow white. As she begins to chant, the Tagus Root begins to grow, forming a circular wall around the patch of floor. Pretty soon, the wall has reached the ceiling. Willow's eyes have stopped glowing, but she is still concentrating on the wall.)

XANDER: Pretty sure you can stop now Willow.

WILLOW: I don't think I can. D'Hoffryn's power is huge, I'm going to have to keep holding this barrier up. Someone else will have to use the talisman.

ANYA: I will.

(Xander and Dawn turn to look at her. Even Andrew is temporarily distracted from his candle-lighting.)

ANYA: Well, it makes sense, D'Hoffryn wants to speak to me anyway.

XANDER: Yes, but the point of this is to interrogate D'Hoffryn, not to engage in sprightly conversation. Maybe it's best if I...

WILLOW: Anya's right, Xander. She's had experience with D'Hoffryn, and the magicks involved.

XANDER: I just think that -

(Xander is interrupted by Anya.)

ANYA: Where is the talisman, Will?

WILLOW: There's a box, on my dresser. It has an emerald on it. It's in there.

ANYA: Back in a minute.

(Anya heads upstairs to get the talisman. Xander watches her leave.)

XANDER: I don't think this is such a good idea.

DAWN: What's not a good idea?

XANDER: All of it. I just don't think that summoning D'Hoffryn, when we have an open Hellmouth and a vamped Slayer in town, is a good plan of action.

WILLOW: We don't have much choice. We don't know much of what's happening in Sunnydale, we need answers. And D'Hoffryn may have them.

XANDER: Even so, I just think there are other ways of going about it.

DAWN: Why? Willow has the power to control D'Hoffryn, I say we get the information and then send him away again.

XANDER: It's not so much that, but....Anya.

DAWN: What about Anya?

XANDER: We kinda....had a talk.

WILLOW: It didn't end in sex again, did it?

XANDER: Not that kinda talk, Willl....just about D'Hoffryn, and stuff.

DAWN: And?

XANDER: Well, she said something to me...God, I don't think I should be talking about this, well....it's just that...uh...

(Upstairs, Anya is looking around Willow's room. She finds the talisman, but something falls out of her pocket. When she looks down, its a small jewelry box. She sits on the bed, and opens the box - inside, is her engagement ring. A tear forms in one eye, she quickly wipes it away, and puts the ring back in her
pocket.)

(Back in the basement, Anya comes down the stairs, all action.)

ANYA: I've got it.

(Xander turns to see Anya, walking up to Willow.)

ANYA: You know, it's been a while since I used one of these....

WILLOW: Need a little reminder?

ANYA: Wouldn't hurt...

(As the two girls talk, Dawn leans in closer to Xander.)

DAWN: What did Anya say to you?

XANDER: Oh, well....uh, it was about D'Hoffryn...um, look, maybe I shouldn't bring this up right now...

DAWN: Xander, you can't not say anything now. If things get bad...

XANDER: You're right, you're right. Damn, when did you get so insightful? It's almost scary...

DAWN: I live in a house with 2 Slayers, an immensely powerful witch and her Potential-Slayer girlfriend. *smiles* I've gotta compete somehow. But you were saying, about Anya.

XANDER: Yeah, well, she said that, uh, maybe, she wasn't quite as over her whole Vengeance Demon phase as we all thought she was...

DAWN: What?!


(Willow, Andrew and Anya are all distracted by Dawn's sudden outcry.)

DAWN: Sorry, sorry, just Xander talking about things he shouldn't. Things that are illegal in 27 states...

ANDREW: Dude - ew.

ANYA: She's a little out of your league, Xander...not to mention, total jailbait.

XANDER: Getting back to the point of this whole exercise...you almost ready?

WILLOW: Just waiting for Buffy.

DAWN: Should we be waiting for her? She didn't say if she was coming back or not...

ANDREW: Maybe she thinks we can handle D'Hoffryn on our own?

(The gang stand around for a second.)

XANDER: We should definitely wait for Buffy.

ANYA: Oh, screw Buffy, I'm doing it now...

(Anya sits on the ground, and starts to draw the Enchantment Circle using some other ingredients Dawn liberated from the Magic Box.)

DAWN: Anya, uh, I really don't think....

(Before Dawn can finish, Buffy comes walking down the basement stairs.)

BUFFY: What's happening down here?

XANDER: Buff, hey. What happened at Ground Hellmouth?

BUFFY: Oh, it was wierd. There were no demons or anything, just...caverns.

DAWN: I thought the Hellmouth was supposed to be chock-full of demons.

BUFFY: Not this time.

XANDER: Well that's....comforting.

ANYA: Beatum sit in nomine D'hoffrynis.

(The gang all turn to look at Anya.)

BUFFY: Is she doing what I think she's doing?

ANYA: *continuing* Fiat hoc spatium porta ad nundum Arashmaharris.

(A bright flash of light fills the room. When the light clears, D'Hoffryn is standing inside the circle of Tagus Root. Willow instantly stretches out her hands.)

WILLOW: Vincire!


(A flow of green energy surrounds D'Hoffryn's body and arms, locking him in position.)

D'HOFFRYN: Well, now, isn't this nice.

##################################################

*CUT TO: THE HELLMOUTH*

Giles, Faith, Spike and Kennedy are searching through the darkness, in teams - Spike with Faith, Giles with Kennedy.

GILES: Anything over there?

FAITH: Nothing yet.

KENNEDY: This is getting pointless, we should be trying to find Raven.

SPIKE: I thought you wanted to look around here?

KENNEDY: Yeah, I did. But since all we've found is the big nothing...

GILES: And besides, I don't think we could find Raven, even if we tried. She's a vampire in a Slayer's body, Faith - virtually unstoppable.

FAITH: B was right, it's our own fault, letting her slip off. If we hadn't have been distracted by that...

(Faith's voice trails off as she's a shadow fleeting past her flashlight-beam)

KENNEDY: That what? The spell? Well, it was hard not to be...

FAITH: Did anybody else see that?

SPIKE: See what? The darkness? Can't really miss it, pet...

FAITH: No, that....thing. In the distance.

(Faith points with her flashlight at the direction she means, and the others all point their flashlights that way. But there's nothing there.)

MAYOR: (VO) I'm over here.

FAITH: What?

MAYOR: (VO) Silly girl, thinking she could see me.

FAITH: Do any of you guys hear that?

KENNEDY: Hear what?

FAITH: It's...

MAYOR: (VO) They'll never believe you, Faith.

FAITH: *covering* It's nothing, just me being jumpy, 's all.

MAYOR: (VO) You want me to come out Faith? Into the open? It won't be pretty - *I* won't be pretty. Be careful what you wish for, it may just come true...

GILES: Are you OK, Faith?

FAITH: *more covering* Yeah, fine, just -

(Faith is interrupted by the sound of a body hitting the floor. She whirls around, pointing her flashlight...to reveal Kennedy, who has fallen over. Giles runs over, and helps her up. Faith just rolls her eyes.)

FAITH: Get it together, Ken.

KENNEDY: I tripped over something....oh my god...

FAITH: What?

(Faith and Spike go over to where Giles and Kennedy are.)

FAITH: What is it?

KENNEDY: Just look down...

(They all point their flashlights down. The body of a demon, charred and bloody, is lying on the ground, ripped to shreds.)

##################################################

*CUT TO: THE SUMMERS BASEMENT*

D'Hoffryn is standing inside the circle of Tagus Root, staring straight at Anya.

D'HOFFRYN: Anyanka, what a pleasant surprise. Although I take it this isn't a social call...

BUFFY: Not really, no.

(Buffy walks to the other side of the basement, and picks up the sword.)

BUFFY: Now, Anya tells us you two had a bit of a catch-up session earlier.

D'HOFFRYN: That we did. You know how it is, when you're both busy people, you just lose touch...

ANYA: Through choice. On my part, anyway.

D'HOFFRYN: Yes, well, I thought I'd extend an olive branch. Take the high ground, that sort of cliche.

XANDER: By telling her she'd die horribly if she didn't become a demon again? Some olive branch.

BUFFY: Xander, Anya - I can handle this alone.

D'HOFFRYN: Oh, my yes - lets see the wonderful Slayer handle this. Should be fun.

BUFFY: And what's that supposed to mean?

ANYA: He's just trying to taunt you Buffy.

DAWN: It's working.

ANDREW: Look, Big D, just get to the point already!!

(Everyone looks in surprise at Andrew, even D'Hoffryn. Andrew looks back at D'Hoffryn.)

ANDREW: Please don't incinerate me.

BUFFY: Look, D'Hoffryn, you mentioned to Anya that something was coming. Something big, and powerful. Care to expand on that?

D'HOFFRYN: Not really, no.

BUFFY: You don't really have a choice in the matter.

D'HOFFRYN: I don't? Oh, well, I guess I should just tell everything then. Or, I could not. In my opinion, that's the better option.

DAWN: This isn't getting us anywhere, I say we kill him.

BUFFY: Hey, Mini-Faith, simmer down. Just let me take care of this.

(Buffy turns to face D'Hoffryn, and points the sword at him.)

BUFFY: Now, I want answers.

D'HOFFRYN: But I haven't had the questions yet. This is hardly a fair test...

BUFFY: What's coming? What does it want?

D'HOFFRYN: What every other bad guy wants - to see you and yours dead. And, of course, the end of the civilised world, reign of darkness and terror, firestorms, the usual.

XANDER: Because they've always gotten that far in the past.

BUFFY: Xander, I told you, stay out of this.

D'HOFFRYN: He doesn't have to. Get involved as much as you want, boy – only makes your death that much sweeter.

BUFFY: Alright, that's enough! Just give us the answers, D'Hoffryn.

D'HOFFRYN: Fine, fine. *pause* Actually, I'd like to talk you for a minute - Superfriend to superfriend. Have you ever noticed how even the smallest action can have it's consequences?

BUFFY: Sorry? Of course, that's the way it works.

D'HOFFRYN: Interesting you should say that... you obviously haven't been paying attention then.

WILLOW: What are you getting at?

D'HOFFRYN: Oh, nothing, nothing really. I just wanted to make a point – that even if it takes a while, every action you **camera cuts to Willow, then back to D'Hoffryn** make will have consequences. Cause and effect.

(The Scoobies just stand around, looking vaguely confused.)

BUFFY: I'm getting bored of all the cryptic...

D'HOFFRYN: So you should strap yourselves in, as those consequences are about to come back and bite you in the ass. Hard, and violently. It's gonna be a heck of a ride!

BUFFY: This is verging on nonsensical...

D'HOFFRYN: You know, you might be able to save your sorry little world if you actually listened for once, Slayer.

BUFFY: Look, frankly we have more important things to worry about than some vague references from a Vengeance Demon. The Hellmouth's opening. Opened.

D'HOFFRYN: You think I don't know that? Thats exactly what I'm getting at. But you're looking at this from the wrong angle.

ANYA: What do you mean, "wrong angle"?

D'HOFFRYN: Yes, The Hellmouth's opening. But that isn't the bad news. The bad news is what will come from it. Something so huge, you won't be able to stop it, and you'll be resigned to sitting by, watching those you love die horribly, all because you don't have the power to stop this. And I'll be watching it all. *sigh* But you will still fight, because thats what you "champions" do.

BUFFY: We will. And we'll win.

D'HOFFRYN: *smiles* You all think you know how this is going to end, how its all going to play out. But you don't have a clue. She's coming, and when she arrives you're gonna be in a whole lot of trouble. Death and destruction are gonna plague this town, and you'll be powerless to stop it.

BUFFY: Powerless, huh? Well, WE summoned YOU, if I remember, and YOU'RE the one currently under a binding spell. So whose powerless now?

D'HOFFRYN: Willow's power is indeed strong. Why'd you think I tried to hire her? But it doesn't matter. 10 Willows won't be enough to stop what's coming. And the sad truth is - Buffy - that I am more powerful than you, or your Slayerettes, could ever hope to be.

(D'Hoffryn casually moves his arms out from his sides, where they've been held, and suddenly the magickal binds around him disintegrate, and the wall around him crumbles back into powder form. Buffy immediately plunges the sword she's been holding into his chest, but with no effect. D'Hoffryn looks down, and pulls the sword out. During all of this, Willow has been blasted into a corner by the effects of D'Hoffryn's outburst, Xander rushing over to help her.)

D'HOFFRYN: My god, Slayer! Have you learned nothing? Both Halfrek and Anyanka have had swords through their chests and they both survived! When will you learn that it Just. Doesn't. Kill. Us.

(D'Hoffryn throws the sword across the room, clattering into the wall next to Dawn and Andrew. Dawn grabs Kennedy's crossbow, and fires it at D'Hoffryn, but he simply waves his hand and the projectile fired at him disappears. Dawn goes to fire again but Buffy motions her not to. D'Hoffryn looks at Anya, then at Buffy. The whole gang are visibly shaken, scared by what might happen.)

BUFFY: What are you going to do to us?

D'HOFFRYN: Oh, that depends. Mostly, I'm going to leave you to it. Whats coming from that Hellmouth will take care of the rest of you, of that I'm sure. But you *motioning to Buffy*, I have plans for. Well, one plan, very short. The crux of it being - me killing you.

BUFFY: You'll have to get close enough first.

D'HOFFRYN: *chuckles* Won't have to.

(He motions his hand towards Buffy, and suddenly Buffy is telekinetically pulled off the ground, a pyschic hand obviously strangling her. Her body is in some kind of strange paralysis. Xander gets up to rush D'Hoffryn, but Willow grabs him and sternly shakes her head.)

ANYA: No! Let her go, D'Hoffryn!

D'HOFFRYN: And why should I do that?

ANYA: Because you don't want her. You want me.

D'HOFFRYN: Now that's simply not true, Anyanka. I want the both of you, just for different reasons.

ANYA: Just let her go!

D'HOFFRYN: Why do you care so much for this girl? It's not because she's The Slayer, you've already got one of those. And she tried to kill you, Anyanka, have you forgotten that? Why would you want her to be saved?

ANYA: Just put her down!

D'HOFFRYN: Look at you, Anyanka. You're a shell of what you used to be. You were a superior being, a Vengeance Demon of the highest order, tormenting men for a 1000 years. And now you're a snivelling, weak human. Pleading for the life of a girl you can barely stand. Why would you want this?

ANYA: *softly, visibly shaken by the words of D'Hoffryn* Just let Buffy go, and then...

D'HOFFRYN: And then what, Anyanka? What have you got to offer me in exchange for the life of The Slayer? *pause* Ah, I see. Would you do it? For her *motioning to Buffy, who is now simply paralysed in mid-air*? Would you do it for Jack?


(D'Hoffryn clicks his fingers on his free hand and suddenly Jack's mangled body appears, suspended in mid-air. It's covered in blood, and the neck has obviously been snapped. Dawn gets a shocked look on her face, and turns her head away. Andrew goes pale and looks as if he's about to vomit. Anya simply stands there, staring at Jack's body, a single tear falling from her eye. D'Hoffryn notices the tear.)

D'HOFFRYN: Don't cry for him, Anyanka, he was weak. Even for a human. Killing him was too easy, it was like snapping a twig. And look at you, what you've been overcome with. Disgusting, human emotion. You see what you've been reduced to Anyanka? You were better than this. You are better than this. Come back with me. Come back to the fold, and you can return to your former glory. And you can live. Forever. On the side of vengeance, of darkness. The side that's going to
win.

XANDER: Don't listen to him, Anya. He's just got a bug up his ass 'coz he lost his favourite to the "White Hats".

D'HOFFRYN: Oh, would you just shut up?!

(D'Hoffryn waves a hand at Xander, and he suddenly flies into the air, then straight back down onto the ground. His nose starts to bleed.)

D'HOFFRYN: Shall I kill him too? Is that what it'll take to convince you, Anyanka?

(Anya simply looks at D'Hoffryn, a strange look coming over her face. She wipes away the tear, looks at Jack, then at the nearly-unconscious Buffy, turns to look at Xander and Willow, then finally looks back at D'Hoffryn. She raises a hand to her pocket, and reaches inside, feeling the box. She pulls her hand out.)

ANYA: What do I have to do?

D'HOFFRYN: *smiling* Simple, my girl. Simple. Just kill the Slayer, thats all I want you to do. Take the life of the girl who wanted to take yours. Its more justice than vengeance, but whose nitpicking?

XANDER: No....

(D'Hoffryn waves his hand, and Jack's body falls to the ground. The sword flies across the room into Anya's hands. Anya looks at it.)

D'HOFFRYN: That's all you have to do, Anyanka, and you can regain your rightful position.

(Anya takes a quick look around the room. Tears well up in her eyes again.)

XANDER: You don't want to do this, Anya. You'd be leaving this....us....behind.

(Pause, as silence fills the basement.)

ANYA: I'm sorry. So sorry. But I just wanna live.

(She looks at Buffy. She's still paralysed in mid-air, and her body has started convulsing. D'Hoffryn's smile is growing ever-wider. Anya walks towards Buffy, who is looking at Anya, trying to talk with her, but she can't move her mouth much. Suddenly her eyes grow wide. D'Hoffryn looks even happier, if its possible.)

ANYA: I'm sorry.

(With that, Anya swings the blade.)

(Right round, through D'Hoffryn's neck.)

(Buffy falls to the ground, free of D'Hoffryn's grasp. She's clutching at her throat. Xander helps Willow to her feet, and they make their way over to Buffy and Anya. Andrew, still pale, slides to the floor in the corner of the room. Dawn looks down at D'Hoffryns body. Anya drops the sword, and it falls to the ground. She's still in shock. Xander helps Buffy up, and all 3 of them turn to
Anya.)

WILLOW: You did it, Anya.

ANYA: Yeah, I did.

BUFFY: Thank you. Really, thank you.

WILLOW: Wow, you really had us going there. For a few seconds, I actually thought you were going to.....kill Buffy.

*slight pause*

ANYA: That's because I was.

BUFFY: What?

ANYA: For a few moments there, D'Hoffryn seemed to be making perfect sense. And in those moments, I would've done anything to live. Anything. After all this time as a human, you think I would've grasped the idea of my own death.

WILLOW: Its hard for us all to deal with, Anya, its not just you.

ANYA: Then I looked round at you guys, and I realised. That we've faced this kind of thing before - the battles, the apocalypses, the Big Bads. And we've always won. Why should this one be any different just because D'Hoffryn says so? And thats when I knew, that I wanna fight.

(Xander steps towards Anya, and takes her in his arms. She collapses into him, tired from the evening's events.)

XANDER: It's ok.

ANYA: Is it really?

XANDER: You bet. I'm here.

ANYA: That's good to know.

(Anya pulls away from him, and takes out the ring from her pocket.)

XANDER: Is that...?

ANYA: Yeah.

XANDER: You kept it?

(Anya just stands there. She opens up the box, takes the ring out. She looks at it for a second, before Xander takes it and slides it onto her index finger. Anya looks up at him.)

XANDER: For luck.

ANYA: *smiling* Thank you.

(At the same time, Dawn walks past them, over to Jack's body.)

DAWN: Is he dead?

(The others all turn to look at Jack too. Buffy walks up to Dawn. She looks down at Jack, then turns her head.)

BUFFY: Uh-huh.

XANDER: Shouldn't we do something about D'Hoffryn?

(Buffy turns back to her friends)

BUFFY: Will, any way you can....

WILLOW: I know the perfect spell, Buffy.

(Willow looks down at D'Hoffryn's body. She raises her hands, and begins to chant.)

WILLOW: Let the conjuring be undone. Return the beast to native form. Keep it far from us and ours as long as my voice shall sound.

*pause*

WILLOW: Let the transposition be complete.

D'Hoffryn's body is surrounded by a yellow glow, then disappears. His head remains though.

DAWN: What did you do?

WILLOW: Transposition spell. I moved his body into an alternate universe. I used it once on Olaf.

ANDREW: Olaf?

ANYA: Just don't, Andrew.

(Buffy picks up the sword, and sticks it through D'Hoffryn's head. The gang look at her, puzzled.)

BUFFY: Just to make sure.

(The gang all turn away. Buffy looks around at her basement.)

BUFFY: Well, glad we had the fight down here. Wouldn't wanna be washing blood out of the carpet for 5 weeks straight.

WILLOW: We probably could've soaked it up with all the nachos *off looks* OK, not one of my best ideas...

ANDREW: Oh, that reminds me, did anyone see where I put my nacho hat?

DAWN: *guiltily* No, no don't think I have...

XANDER: Oh, hey! No windows for me to fix! That's a bonus.

(The gang all troop upstairs, leaving behind the body of Jack and D'Hoffryn's head. At the top, Anya takes one last look at the two dead men. Then switches the basement light off.)

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