Cut to:

An Initiative briefing.

Maggie: This is your objective.

Narrator: Previously on Buffy the vampire slayer.

Walsh: .. demon classed as the Polgara species

Engelman: ...bone skewers jut from the creature's forearms during battle. It's imperative not to damage its arms.

Buffy: Why exactly can't we damage this polka thing's arms?

Cut to Engelman and Walsh in a lab.

Engelman: She's an unnecessary risk.

Cut to Walsh speaking to Buffy.

Walsh: Two of our hostiles broke free

Cut to Buffy faces the two demons

Walsh: and escaped into the tunnels

Cut to Walsh and Riley in the Initiative.

Walsh: She's d*ad Riley.

Riley: I don't understand.

On the monitors behind them.

Buffy: Professor Walsh if you think that's enough to k*ll me.

you really don't know what a slayer is.

Cut to Walsh musing in lab.

Walsh: She wants a fight we'll give her one.

Cut to Buffy talking.

Buffy: It's not safe for any of us.

Cut to Walsh musing in lab.

Walsh: And then when she least expects it, ahhh.

She is impaled by a skewer.

Walsh: Adam.

Adam: Mommy.

cut to

Giles apt. This scene is a direct continuation of the previous episode with a time gap of perhaps one to five minutes.

Buffy is talking to Giles, Willow, Xander, Anya and Spike.

Buffy: So Maggie sends me down into the sewers with one of those blasto g*n and the next thing I know it's raining monsters.

Xander: Hallelujah.

Buffy: And then this gate slams down behind me and I-I try to use the g*n but it goes pfft.

Giles: You're saying that Maggie Walsh set you up?

Buffy: That's exactly what I'm saying. She sent me on a one way recon.

Spike: Got to hand it to you goldilocks -

you do have bleeding tragic taste in men.

I've got a cousin married to a regurgitating

{{frovilops}} demon {that's} got better instincts than you.

Buffy: What does my taste in men have to do with this?

Spike: You think Riley was out knitting booties for your future offspring while Maggie stringing you up?

Anya, Xander and Giles are silent.

Buffy: You guys think Riley had something to do with this.

Giles: Um, probably not but we, uh, be remiss if we didn't think all the possibilities {through}.

Buffy: {Great./Right.} Remiss. No! No, Maggie made sure that he was nowhere around when she sent me on this very special make Buffy d*ad assignment.

Willow: Plus Riley he seems like he wouldn't tell a little white lie let alone a whole bunch of big dirty ones.

Xander: That's why they call it the secret forces Will, cause they kinda keep the whole lying thing to themselves.

Buffy: All I know is that Maggie has it in for me which means the

Initiative has it in for me.

Xander: I'm guessing the mad scientist isn't too keen on the fact that the entire scooby g*ng knows that the Initiative is up to no good.

Buffy: Which brings us back to the not safe for any of us concept.

Giles: What could have happened to make Professor Walsh want to k*ll you?

Buffy: I don't know, uh. She wasn't keen on the fact that I was asking a lot of questions that's for sure.

Anya: So you were getting too close to something.

Giles: Clearly. Although one can only imagine what she'd be so desperate to hide.

cut to An Initiative exit.

A being exits.

Adam is sewn together from parts of different demons. He has a metal brace on his left leg, there are metal parts on the left side of his face and the back of his head, his right breast, his right shoulder and forearm of his right arm. The only recognizably human portion is the right upper side of his face and his hair. His left eye is red.

He had green and grey-pink demon parts sewn together and there is a huge scar or seam with what could be links of a large chain reinforcing it running down the middle of his chest. He is a mix of demon, Frankenstein monster and Terminator/Borg.

It smiles.

roll credits

Buffy: Everybody grab a w*apon. We've gotta move.

Buffy hands Xander an ax and Anya a grappling hook (like a fisherman might use.)

Xander: Storm the Initiative. Yeah let's take on those suckers.

Buffy: I was thinking more that we'd hide.

Xander: Oh thank God.

Giles: I think perhaps we should talk about this.

Buffy: We need to relocate someplace we're less likely to be found.

We need to come up with a plan.

Willow: We could go to my place.

Buffy: The Initiative guys know how close we are. They'll automatically check the places that you hang out. Xander, what about your basement? The guys haven't seen us together that much and there's enough room.

Willow: Ooh Plus mirrored ball.

Xander: Cool! Come on down and boogie at Xander's hideaway.

Anya (less happy): Yes, come boogie.

Giles: Absolutely not! I will not squat in that dank hole.

Spike: What, it was good enough for me, but you're above it all?

Giles: Precisely. Besides I-I don't see why we can't stay right where we are. Pfft. It's very unlikely that those Initiative boys are going to come round here to look for uh_

Door bangs open. Riley enters.

Riley: Buffy! God Buffy are you ok? What happened?

Buffy: You know?

Riley: I know something went down. umph. Tell me.

Buffy: Maggie tried to k*ll me.

Anya: It didn't work, but they're all upset anyway.

Riley: Ok listen I need you to go over everything step by step. There has to be..has to be some kind of mistake

Xander: There was no mistake. And how do you know something happened?

Riley: I was on a mission but I came back and... I'm not sure.. Look let's just keep her heads and not jump to any _

Riley stops and is staring.

Buffy: What?

Riley: That's hostile 17.

Spike: No, I'm just a friend of Xaannderr's. Pfftt.

Spike drops his drawl.

Spike: Bugger it. I'm your guy.

Buffy: This is Spike. He's um.. It's a really long story b-but he's not bad anymore.

Spike jumps up.

Spike: Hey! What am I, a bleeding broken record? I'm bad it's just I

can't bite anymore. Thanks to you w*nk*r.

Spike indicates Riley with a head movement.

Riley: We've been looking all over the place for him - but you've known where's he's been all along.

Buffy: It's not like that.

Riley: Then what is it like?.. What's he doing here?

Spike: Leaving you swabs to your dramatics, thanks. I've got my stories on the telly for that.

Spike puts on his black leather coat

Spike: By the by. If you're trying to k*ll her.

Spike leans back with a big grin and two thumbs up. (His Fonzie imitation?)

Buffy and Willow roll their eyes.

Spike runs out the door into the sunlight covering his head and arms with his coat.

Riley: Buffy, what is this? You're hiding an H.S.T.?

Xander: Why don't you just back off and let her ask the questions,

Jack? Your boss just tried to make monster food out of her.

Riley looks around. Giles crosses his arms. Riley: I-I didn't see much, I wasn't there unnhhh. All I know is that Professor Walsh told me you were d*ad but then I saw you on the monitors. Ummph. {look}

This isn't Professor Walsh. Ummph. There must be something making her act this way. Something ummph I don't know, controlling her.

Giles (softly): We think Buffy may have been becoming too inquisitive.

That she was getting close to something that Professor Walsh was trying to hide. Do you have any idea what that might be?

Buffy: What about 314? Maybe that's it.

Riley: Maybe she was trying to test you. What if it was only a drill?

Buffy: Then why did she tell you I was d*ad? Riley it wasn't a test.

Giles (softly): See I've heard rumors that the Initiative isn't all that we've been told. That, um, secretly they're working toward some darker purpose, something that might harm us all.

Riley: No! That's - that's not what happens there.

Buffy: Riley!

Riley: I would know!

Buffy: No one is sure of anything, ok? We're were just trying to sort it out.

Riley: I can't be here. I'll sort it out on my own.

Buffy: Riley.

Riley: No. Just, umph, I'm sorry.

Riley leaves.

Cut to

A forested area. A small boy, perhaps 7 to 9, is squatting and playing with a silver armored doll. His bike is beside him. Adam sees the boy and approaches.

Adam: What am I?

The boy stands.

Boy: You're a monster.

Adam (resigned?): I thought so. Adam (curious?): What are you?

Boy: Me? I'm a boy.

Adam: A boy. How do you work?

Boy: I don' know. I just do.

Boy points to bone skewer/spur coming of Adam's wrist.

Boy: What's that for?

Adam raises his wrist to look at the skewer, then looks at the boy. Adam smiles.

Cut to

Riley wandering the campus at night. He passes a couple on a bench.

A solitary student passes him.

Cut to

Engelman entering darkened lab. He flicks the light switch several times but nothing happens.

Engelman: Dr Walsh?

Engelman closes the door slowly.

Engelman: Adam?

Engelman slips and falls. He sees red on his hands and realizes it is blood. He looks to see the puddle leads to a body. He trembles and scrambles back.

Cut to Mirrored ball in Xander's basement. Zooming and engine sounds are heard. Reflected light from the ball strikes Giles in the eye waking him. He is sleeping in plastic furniture. Pan past a makeshift curtain to Willow, Anya and Buffy in bed watching television. Wiley Coyote drops a wrecking ball on a chain. The ball misses the Roadrunner and instead of stopping halfway up, continues in a full circle, taking out Wiley Coyote.

Buffy: That would never happen.

Willow: Well, no Buff, that's why they call them cartoons, not documentaries.

Giles: Must we have the noise. My head is splitting.

Giles is standing and turns off the tv.

Willow: Well, look who's cranky bear in the morning.

Giles: Yes I can't imagine why I didn't sleep well in my beach ball.

Anya: Every time you moved it made squeaky noises. It was irritating.

Giles: Really. I'm surprised you could hear it over your Wagnerian snoring.

Buffy: Ok you guys, could we not please? Everything's screwed up enough without you two doing scenes from my parent's marriage.

Anya (to Giles): Sorry.

Giles (to Anya): {Sorry/Sallright.}

Buffy: Thank you.

Willow: It'll be ok Buffy, Riley's just confused, that's all.

Buffy: I don't know. It just seems like things could get heavier.

His whole world's falling apart.

Anya: And after everything you've been through with Angel. You really should get yourself a boring boyfriend. Like Xander. You can't have

Xander!

Buffy: That was the idea. Riley was supposed to be Mr. {{Joe Guy.}} 

We were going to do dumb things like hold hands through the daises going tra-la-la.

Willow: Poor Buffy. Your life resists all things average.

Anya: So dump him. But you can't have Xander!

Buffy: I'll try and remember that. It's too late anyway - I'm already at the I hurt when he hurts, I smile when he smiles stage.

Anya: I hate that part.

Buffy: I'll just have to make it work.

Xander comes down the stairs carrying a breakfast tray with orange juice and some food.

Xander: Turn on the tv. Now!

Willow does so and lays down again.

TV Announcer: Sunnydale is still reeling from news of the crime. A

source in the coroner's office tells us that the boy was s*ab with what looks like some kind of large skewer and his body was then mutilated. Police have not named a suspect and the k*ller is still at large.

Buffy: The Polgara demon had a skewer in its arm. That's the one that

Maggie insisted we bring back alive. Giles: She must have sent it after you.

Buffy: And it got distracted... God.

Willow: Buffy, its not your fault.

Anya shakes head.

Willow: How could you know?

Giles: She's right. You mustn't blame yourself.

Xander shakes head.

Buffy: I'm not going to. I'm going to the crime scene to see what I

can find out.

Buffy stands.

Buffy: You guys research the Polgara demon. I want to know where it is. When I find it I'm going to make him pay for taking that kid's life, I'll make him die in ways he can't even imagine.

Anya's eyes lower. Buffy: That probably would have sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas.

Cut to

Frat house. Riley starts walking up the stairs. Forest sees him and catches up.

Forrest: Hey. Where've you been all night? Well, congratulations. I

see you and Buffy have finally gotten past the shy phase.

Riley: I wasn't with Buffy. I had to be alone, think some things through.

Forrest: What things?

Riley enters his room and closes the door behind Forest.

Forrest: This is mighty ominous. Forrest: What's up man?

Riley: Professor Walsh tried to have Buffy k*lled. Forrest: What?

Did Buffy tell you that, I mean do you have any proof?

Riley: I saw enough to know it's true.

Forrest: I don't get it. Why?

Riley: I dunno. Buffy thinks that she's getting too close to something - that Professor Walsh has some secret.

Forrest: I wouldn't put it past Buffy to get on Professor Walsh's bad side. She tends to put her nose where it doesn't belong.

Riley: What?

Forrest: She's a pain. Always wanting to know why this and why that?

Riley: And you're saying she should die because of that?

Forrest: I don't know. Maybe Professor Walsh found out that Buffy was up to something bad. That ever cross your mind?

Riley: Why does it bug you so much that I'm hanging with her? Is it because she's a better soldier than you?

Forrest: It bugs me that she's using you to infiltrate our operation.

Riley: So you saying that she's a spy? Hmpph You're crazy.

Forrest: Riley think about it. The professor's not stupid, she tried to k*ll Buffy, maybe Buffy needed k*lling.

Graham enters.

Graham: Guys.

Riley: Not now {Brian/Graham/Brad}.

Graham doesn't leave.

Forrest: What is it?

Graham: Professor Walsh is d*ad.

Cut to Initiative lab.

Riley goes to see Walsh's body. Two scientists kneel over it.

Military garbed types are standing guard. Forrest arrives moments later.

Forrest: Look at that wound. She's been staked, wouldn't you say brother?

Riley: What?

Forrest: Only one person I can think of that who could do something like that.

Riley: You better not be saying what I think you're saying. When we don't know a person did this - the Polgara demon has skewers.

Riley walks off. Forrest walks after him.

Forrest: {No way } man that's your girlfriend's m.o.

Riley grabs Forest's shirt.

Riley: That's a serious accusation. You better be ready to deal with the consequences.

Forrest shoves Riley back.

Forrest: Bring em on. That supernatural freak has blinded you and I'm sick of it.

Riley: That's enough.

Engelman: Stand back {man/Finn}. Show some respect. Listen, everybody's upset but arguing isn't going to help anything and it's certainly not what Professor Walsh would want.

Riley: No sir.

Engelman: Alright, good. Now Washington is sending in a team to do an internal investigation. I've been told we have to wait for their word.

Riley: What do you mean wait? This has to be the work of the Polgara demon we captured last week.

Engelman: Probably. It looks like last night the Polgara escaped through tunnel 72. Riley: It's out loose somewhere?

Engelman: I'm afraid so.

Riley: Then we have to go after it.

Engelman: My orders from Washington are for a total lock down until they arrive. I'm sorry. Now, return to your quarters. There's nothing you can do here.

cut to Riley and some commandos alone.

Riley: Listen. Engelman can talk all he wants, but I'm still in charge

'til the brass gets here and tells me otherwise and I say we've got a demon to hunt. Now suit up for armed patrol And by that I mean loaded g*n, men. Target practice is over. We're {going} for blood.

Cut to daylight. The Initiative is entering mausoleums or burial crypts.

various voices: Move. Let's go inside. Establish a perimeter.

{unintelligible} back.

Forrest and Graham enter a crypt.

Forrest: Somebody's been staying here.

Graham: What do you think, a homeless guy?

Forrest: Could be - or a squatter of the demon variety.

Graham: Not the Polgara.

Forrest: Who cares? I see a demon - it dies.

Graham puts his hand on the tv.

Graham: It's warm.

Both remove cover of a fixed stone coffin only to find bones and a black shroud/dress.

Forrest: Damn.

Forrest smashes the tv with the butt of his g*n as he leaves.

Forrest: Animals!

Spike peeks out from beneath the bones and the black dress or shroud.

He exhales.

cut to

The crime scene. Buffy looks from a distance. Yellow tape surround a policeman, someone in plain clothes and two ambulance personnel.

Behind Buffy Riley approaches past a policeman dressed in commando garb.

Riley: Buffy. Hey. Buffy: Hey.

Buffy: Look I'm sorry about earlier. I know that {{au burn?}} came on pretty strong. And the Spike thing isn't as tweaked as it looks.

Ok maybe it is but there's an explanation that almost makes sense.

Hello. I'm apologizing here. And I-I think that's pretty big of me considering I'm the one who was almost made a demon sandwich. This is the part where you throw me a bone.

Riley: Maggie's d*ad. silence

Riley: Happy now?

Buffy: How can you ask me that? Of course I'm not happy. What happened?

Riley: That's classified.

Buffy: Classifie_ The Polgara. It got her and escaped. Didn't it?

Buffy: I'm gonna find it. I'm gonna find it and destroy it. And then you can stop asking me how happy all this death makes me.

She walks away

Cut to knocks

Tara opens her door.

Willow: Howdy.

Tara: I just got your message a minute ago. I was in class. But I was about to call you.

Willow: I had so much fun the other night, those spells.

Tara: Yeah, that was nice.

Willow: I hope you don't think that I just come over for the spells and everything. I mean ,I really like just talking and hanging out with you and stuff.

Tara: I know that. But you wanna do a spell.

Willow: Yeah.

Tara giggles.

Willow: But only because it's really important. There's this..

Tara: No you don't have to explain I don't mind really. I've been uh thinking about that last spell we did... all day.

Willow: You have?

Tara: Mmmhmmm.

Willow: Well this one should be really fun too. We conjure the goddess Thespia to help us locate demonic energy in the area.

Tara: The goddess Thespia. Are you sure we're ready for that?

Willow: You and me! This is beneath us.

Tara: Ok. exhales Tara: If you say so.

cut to bar

Buffy enters. Willy cringes and moves down to the end of the bar after tilting his head to tell Buffy to move down there. Demons are drinking, hanging out.

Willy: You're k*lling me here.

Buffy: Oh missed you too. Joint's jumping.

Willy: Yeah ya know. I'm making some changes with my life. Getting away from my old image.

Buffy: You mean as a double dealing snitch.

Willy: Uh Hunh. I know you're going think I'm bl*wing smoke, but after those Apocalypse demons nearly did me in I had an experience of the spiritual variety.

Buffy: That's swell really. But I need to know if you've heard anything about a Polgara demon doing some killings in the last few days.

Willy: You see that's the thing. I don't talk behind people's backs no more. And I'm bringing some class to the joint, ya know. It's

Willy's Place now, see. Brings in a better clientele. I got one of those deep fryers. These demons just go crazy for chicken fingers.

Look - if they see me dealing with you then I'm just the same old

Willy working both sides of the street.

Buffy: I'm going to have to punch you aren't I?

Willow: Just once and it don't have to hurt, just make it look good.

Buffy cocks her arm.

Willy: Ohhh. Oww.

Buffy: Not yet. I haven't touched you Willy: Sorry right, right, g-go ahead. Wait. Willy (loudly): No! I can't talk to you!

Buffy punches him. She doesn't seem to have held back. Willy grabs his nose.

Willy: Ohhh! Owwww!

Buffy: What have you heard about the Polgara?

Willy: Heard there was one around a week or two back. Word was you got him. You and those army guys.

Buffy: And that was the last you heard?

Willy: Yeah as far as I know he's off the streets.

Buffy: What about those army guys? What do you know? You heard anything about 314?

Beads rattle as Riley enters.

Buffy: What are you doing here? Following me?

Riley: You told me you were tracking the Polgara demon, I thought I'd help. But now I see you're not hunting demons you're socializing with them. Again! I thought you were supposed to be k*lling these things not buying them drinks.

Buffy: Oh that's smooth, officer Riley. They teach you those undercover moves in special forces?

Riley: No I'm serious Buffy. What are you doing here?

Willy: Just cooling her dogs like the rest of us. Why don't you sit down, relax?

Riley: I want you to tell me. Who are you?

Willy: No kidding. How about I get you some chicken fingers on the house?

Riley: Hey think you could shut up!

Willy: Look I'm just saying.

Riley: I said shut up! Or maybe you'd like to go back to the lab with me. I'm sure the coats would love to classify a - whatever you are.

Buffy: Leave him alone Riley, he's human.

Riley: So he's human.

Riley is trembling.

Buffy: You're shaking.

Riley: He just harbors demons. Which makes him a good guy like you?

Riley grabs Buffy's arms.

Riley: The truth, Buffy, now!

Buffy: You have the truth. You are just screwed up because of what happened to Professor Walsh to see it. Now let go of me.

Buffy breaks his grip. An old woman starts to leave. Riley: Hold it you! Riley turns with drawn p*stol pointed at the woman.

Riley: No leaving til I say so!

His hand is trembling.

Willy: Hey! We got new rules here, no k*lling.

Riley: Right. Except rules don't seem to apply much these days do they? Like if I sh*t you right now I don't know if I'd have a corpse on my hands or one pissed off vampire.

Buffy: Riley.

Riley: I mean who do you believe? First it sounds like lies, then it sounds like truth. Buffy (softly): Riley.

Silence. The old woman starts crying. Perhaps she says please in between sobs. Riley's hand continues to shake. Riley puts g*n down on bar, smashing glasses.

Riley trembles and Buffy steps closer.

Riley: Oh what's happening to me?

=3D=3D=3D

cut to Xander's basement

Riley sits on a bed holding his head in his hands. The makeshift curtain is closed to allow some privacy. Buffy sits next to him and puts a shawl on his back. He sets it down.

Buffy: Riley why don't you lie down? You'll be more comfortable.

Riley is shaking. And he is scratching his hand bloody.

Buffy: Stop it.

Buffy grabs his hand.

Riley: I can't. It's like something's growing inside of me.

Buffy: No. You're hurting yourself. Ok shhh.

Buffy takes off her bandana and wraps it around his hand.

Riley: I thought I knew, but I don't. I don't know anything.

Buffy (softly): Sshhh. You're sick. Once you get some rest...

Riley trembles and shakes during this.

Riley: No. Buffy. I don't know... anything. I don't know what's going on. Who the bad guys are. Maybe I'm the bad guy. Maybe I'm the thing you should k*ll.

Buffy: No! Don't you even think that.

Buffy strokes Riley's cheek.

Buffy (softly): Ok listen to me. You're sick. You just need to get some sleep. Please. Lie down for me. Come on.

Riley curls up in a fetal position. Shaking. Buffy strokes his forehead. Buffy: {It'll} be ok.

Riley seems to calm and shake less. His breathing calms. Perhaps he is asleep. Buffy exits through the makeshift curtains.

Cut to:

On the other side.

Giles: How is he?

Buffy: It isn't just grief making him act this way. Something's affecting him physically and its getting worse.

Anya: {Do} you think Professor Walsh did something to him?

Buffy: I don't know, but I'm ready to find out.

Xander: That's gonna be tough, what with Maggie's deadness and all.

Buffy: She must have kept records somewhere. A-about Riley, about

314, about all of it. And I'm sure she wasn't the only person that knew what she was up to.

Xander: So what's the plan?

Buffy: Giles, Anya keep researching. Xander, you and I are going undercover.

Anya: Hey! Remember before. No Xander! Not in a boyfriend way or a lead him to a certain death way.

Buffy: He's the only one with military experience.

Anya: It's not like he was in the 'Nam. He was GI Joe for one night.

Xander: It's ok Anya. I've backed up Buffy before.

Anya: Can't you do something else to help them? Like... Xerox handouts or something?

Xander holds Anya's arms.

Xander: I'll be careful. Promise.

Xander goes off.

Giles: It's a minor point but how do you plan to get in to the

Initiative? I sure their, uh, security system's almost impenetrable.

Buffy: I have my clearance. I'm hoping she didn't have time to revoke it.

Giles: {Ok}. As to the whereabouts of this Polgara demon... I'm afraid we've-we've not turned up much. There's been no reports since its original capture.

Buffy: Then we'll just have to keep looking.

cut to A square of twine with the points held down by four different colored crystals. Pull back to reveal Willow and Tara sitting.

Tara: So the square is Sunnydale.

Willow: Right it's like a map. We both take different parts of the potion and when we do the incantation we both blow it onto the square at the exact same time.

Tara: But hown does it work?

Willow: Well that's the cool part. When the potion mixes and Thespia is called it creates this mist over the parts where the demons are.

I-It even makes different colors for different breeds.

Tara: Wow. Tara nodds.

Willow: You ready?

Tara nodds. Willow pours some green powder into Tara's hand from a grey stone bowl or mortar, then some white powder into her own hand from a green mortar.

Willow: Let's do it.

Willow closes her eyes. Tara closes her eyes.

Tara: Thespia, we walk in shadow, walk in blindness. You are the protector of the night.

Willow: Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness, we implore you, open a window to the world of the underbeing.

Both blow but Tara surreptitiously lowers her hand and dumps her powder under the bed/table cloth? while Willow is actually bl*wing her powder.

Willow: With your knowledge may we go in safety. With your grace may we speak of your benevolence.

Willow opens her eyes to see no effect.

Willow: Or not.

Willow looks confused.

Tara looks down and looks back a Willow.

Cut to

Frat house. Buffy is wearing glasses with her hair up in a bun and carrying a white cloth bag. Xander is dressed in green military style gear. But he has a white t-shirt showing.

Xander: Seems pretty quite.

Buffy: It usually is this time of _

A man goes past them. They continue on. Buffy touches a panel and then stands in front of the full length mirror.

Xander: Buff, maybe You should check the look later.

Buffy: Shhh.

Buffy pushes Xander so he is not in front of the mirror.

Xander: Oww! What'd you do that for?

Buffy: Sorry, I'm the only one that can pass the retinal scan.

Xander: The. Ewww. I don't wanna see that.

Buffy: Retinal. Scan. Xander.

Buffy: Well we'll know in a few seconds if my clearance is still good.

Xander: Or if we're about to die at the hands of fifty grief filled military g*ons.

Voice: Retinal scan recorded. Summers, Buffy.

Elevator opens and Buffy steps in.

Xander: Why am I not entirely comforted by the arrival of the man-sized microwave?

Xander steps in. The doors close behind them. View of the elevator from below as it descends. They exit as the doors open.

Cut to The Iniative.

Xander: Holy moley. Buffy: I know.

Speaker voice: {____} Xander: I totally get it now. Can I have sex with Riley too?

Buffy looks at Xander.

Speaker voice: Dr Forman {to the examining area} Xander: Quick pretend to make out with me.

Buffy: Wait, what are you talking about?

Xander: Well I uh, you know. In the movies the guy and the girl have to hide.

Speaker voice: {Doctor _} Buffy: Please, could you possibly draw more attention to us.

The two guys Xander saw coming up the stairs pass them as Buffy looks at her clipboard.

Speaker voice: Agent Owens to interrogation.

Buffy: This is the Initiative Xander. Military guys and scientists do not make out with each other.

Xander: Well maybe that's wrong with the world. Ever think about that?

Cut to Xander's basement.

Willow: It totally failed. It wasn't even like the spell went wrong.

It just wouldn't.

Giles: If it's any consolation, we haven't fared much better here.

Willow: Really. Is Riley ok?

Giles: Well he's asleep finally. {But} he doesn't look good. And the, uh, research is troubling as well. I mean, this-this demon we're after seems highly atypical for a Polgara. This child that it k*lled is mutilated. There's no recorded cases of a Polgara ever having done such a thing.

Anya: Also the Polgara have to eat every two hours. Factor in the low

I.Q. and you have a demon who's not exactly low profile.

Willow: So how had he been hiding in Sunnydale for the last two days without anyone seeing him?

Giles: Exactly.

Willow pulls back the curtain surrounding the bed. Riley is standing there, no longer lying down.

Willow: Riley!

Riley: Where's Buffy?

Willow: She went out. Can-can I get you something?

Riley: Just tell me where she is.

Giles: You're not well Riley you need to rest.

Riley puts on his boots.

Riley: Did she find the Polgara? Hunh? Is that it?

Giles: Well, no, we're still looking.

Riley: Well what?

Willow: She went to find out what's making you sick.

Riley: I'm not sick. Are you're telling me she went to the

Initiative.

Riley goes to grab his stuff.

Willow: Riley she's just trying to help you.

Willow moves between Riley and the stairs.

Riley: She doesn't belong there. Willow: Riley listen/

Riley: Stand away from the stairs.

Willow: No, you're gonna get Buffy k*lled.

Riley tosses Willow behind him and she falls. Giles: Hey. Riley goes up the stairs. Giles and Anya go to a fallen Willow. They help her up.

Giles: You alright?

cut to Initiative.

Buffy eavedrops on a conversation while Xander stands by her.

Engelman: how many of the men are still out the longer they go without their meds

Scientist: Everyone's off their schedules because of the professors'

death.

Engleman: It's dangerous I don't want to think about the damage out guys could do under the stress of withdrawal especially since they won't understand what's happening to them. These guys don't know they've been getting meds in their food so we better get them in here stat

Scientist: we've located all but a few. the last ones were in pretty bad shape but we s*ab them

Engleman: but Finn wasn't one of them, right.

Scientist: no

Engleman: Find him. He's the one I care about. He's too important to our work to lose now.

Scientist: indeed.

cut to bar music: I had said it time and time again spike: double sh*t of {{verneg}}, keep. Make it the good stuff don't want no freaking orangutan willy: got ya

Spike: been a real pisser of a day isn't it? Those army blokes are on a tear. They ran me out of my place. And all over town.

A demon places a hand on his shoulder

Spike: Yeah what's that.

Spike gets punched in the face

Engleman: Keep me posted. I'll be in records

Engleman enters a room with his card and Buffy manages to follow him before the door shuts.

Buffy grabs Engelman's shirt.

Buffy: Now I don't generally like to k*ll humans. But I've learned that it pays to be flexible in life.

Engleman: I was wondering when you'd turn up.

Buffy: Oh darn! She takes off the glasses. Buffy: So this isn't a surprise. She sets the glasses down. Buffy: Now you can tell me what you did to Riley and after that we can take a tour of room 314.

Engleman: Somebody's coming, you know. I'm sure they've already seen you on the security monitors.

Riley enters.

Riley: Monitors are non-functional at this time, sir. Went down about ten minutes ago.

Buffy: What! I didn't do that.

Xander: Thank god for small favors and we'll worry about the details later, hunh, Buff?

Engleman: Finn take this girl to the stockade immediately.

Buffy: Riley, he can tell us what we need to know. Maggie wanted me d*ad, didn't she?

Engleman: She did. He looks at Riley Engleman: But understand the

Initiative has no interest in eliminating the slayer. He looks back at Buffy. Engleman: It was her own vendetta.

Buffy: Why? Spell it out for me! I feel an att*ck of dumb blonde coming on.

Engleman: I don't know.

{Buffy grabs a little tighter.}

Buffy: Well think harder!

Engleman: It was the project.

Buffy: Project? 314.

Engleman: It...

He looks at Riley and back.

Engleman: It escaped.

Riley steps closer.

Riley: That's enough! You're making her sound like some psychopath.

She wasn't like that! she was a brillant woman!

Engleman is looking at Riley. Engleman moves his hand downward in a take it easy gesture.

Engleman: She was. It's not..

Riley: All she was doing was trying to help people and this is the way you want them to remember her!

Buffy: Engleman said Walsh was feeding you drugs.

Riley moves within arm's reach. Buffy lets Engelman go.

Riley (pointing to Buffy): You're doing this to me, aren't you?

Engleman slips back.

Riley: This all started because of you.

Buffy: If you will just listen to me, I am trying to help you get to the truth.

Riley: You want truth then tell me, what did you do to her Buffy?

Riley grabs Buffy and she breaks the grip.

Buffy: Stop it! I didn't do anything.

Again Riley grabs Buffy and she breaks the grip.

Buffy: Riley stop! This isn't about us, everything that we need to know is here, we just need to find out what was in 314.

An commando's body drops from a raised platform. On the platform is

Adam.

Adam: Me.

=3D=3D=3D=3D

Adam paces on the platform.

Adam: I've been thinking about the world. I wanted to see it, learn it.

Adam: I saw the inside of that boy... and it was beautiful, but it didn't tell me about the world. It just made me feel. So now I want to learn about me. Why I feel? What I am?

Adam simply steps off the platform and drops about 3 yards/meters.

Adam: So I came home.

Adam inserts a thick disk from a pouch on his right waist into his chest. The letters Ad__ were on it.

Adam: I'm a kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid designed by Maggie Walsh. She called me Adam and I called her mother.

Engleman: Adam. Maggie would want you to stand down.

Adam: Yes. But I seem to have a design flaw.

Engleman pales.

Adam: In addition to organic material I'm equipped with GP-2, D-11

Infrared Detectors, A Harmonic Decelerator, plus D.C. Servo.

Buffy: She pieced you together from parts of other demons.

Adam: And man. And machine. Which tells me what I am, but not who I

am. Mother wrote things down. Hard data, but also her feelings.

That's how I learned that I have a job here. And that she loved me.

Riley: She wasn't your mother and she didn't love you!

Xander: Is that really the issue?

Riley: She made you because she was a scientist!

Xander: Riley!

Adam pulls another disk from a pouch on his waist and inserts it in his chest. It has the letters FI__ on it.

Adam: Riley Finn.

Riley: Stop! Those files...

Adam: Oh! Mother created you too.

Riley: Maggie's not my mother! I have a mother! A real _

Adam: A birth mother. Yes. But after you met Maggie, she was the one who shaped your basic operating system. She taught you how to think, how to feel. She fed you chemicals to make you stronger - your mind and body. She said that you and I were her favorite children. Her art. That makes us brothers. Family.

Riley steps forward.

Riley: No! I'm not like you.

Adam: That's pain isn't it? Why? Because your feeding schedule - the chemicals have been interupted? Or do you miss her? Tell me.

Riley: I'll k*ll you!

Adam: You won't. You haven't been programmed to.

Riley: I cannot be programmed! I'm a man!

Adam: It's here. {He holds a diskette up.}

Adam: The plan she had for us. What happens. How it ends.

Riley: No.

Adam Do you want to hear?

Riley: No!

Riley pulls his p*stol and Adam disarms Riley. Buffy steps in and a punch downs her. Riley punches Adam's face and Adam responds with an uppercut sending Riley flying up in the air over a table. Xander runs in to push Adam and is pushed and thrown back into a wall. Buffy throws a kick to Adam's chest. Adam punches Buffy's face. Buffy punches Adam's stomach and Adam chops at her shoulder and she falls.

Engelman starts to run. Adam's skewer comes out. Engelman passes

Adam.

Adam: Doctor.

Adam skewers Engelman in the middle of his chest and Engelman falls, d*ad. Riley grabs Adam around the throat from behind. Adam breaks the hold, turns and s*ab Riley with his skewer on his left side, and

Riley falls clutching his wound. Buffy kicks Adam in the back. Adam spins and Buffy dodges the skewer. Adam knock Buffy to the floor.

Adam picks up Buffy who is holding the skewer and throws her about 3

yards or meters into a steel door. She doesn't rise. The commandos are pounding on the door. Adam looks around.

Adam: Thank you. This has been... very interesting.

Adam walks up some stairs towards the platform he started from.

Unseen military guy: Back away from the door

Adam reaches up towards a vent. sh*ts pierce the door. Buffy moves to Riley's side. The commandos break open the door.

Buffy: Riley. Are you ok?

Unseen military guy: Secure the {room.}

Xander: {We} got a demon in here. It escaped through that vent.

Buffy: It's not the Polgara - it looks sort of half man.

Forrest: Right and you just happened to be in the neighborhood.

Riley: She's telling the truth. I saw it. It k*lled Engelman.

Go.. now.

Buffy: He needs to go to a hospital.

Forrest: We'll take it from here.

Buffy: I'm going with him.

Forrest: It's a military hospital.

Buffy: No.

Forrest {growls}: Back off. Forrest: We take care of our own around here, understand!

Two commandos lower r*fle w*apon and aim them at Buffy. Two more are beside them.

Xander: Buffy.

They stop aiming their w*apon. Forest and Graham each take one of

Riley's arms and help him up.

Forrest: "Escort them out."

Riley turns his head slightly to look back.

Riley (weakly): Buffy.

Cut to alley.

Smacking sounds. Spike rolls and falls on his back, his face is bloody, but not from feeding. A demon walks and looks down at a prone

Spike.

Demon: What did you expect spike - a welcome party?

Two other demons look on from the door.

Demon: Word's out - you've been making w*r on the demon world.

Spike: w*r?

Demon: With the slayer. You k*ll other demons and the rest of us don't hold with that.

The two demons in a doorway who were watching turn around to go back inside.

Demon: Still, if I see you around again, I'll be inclined break that code. Do you understand?

The demon leaves. Spike has still not moved since falling.

Cut to Campus, daylight.

Buffy and Willow are walking.

Willow: No word from Riley?

Buffy: Nothing. The Initiative probably has him locked in some medical ward. {There's} no way I can get near him until I come up with a better plan than just storming in and getting us all sh*t.

Willow: Yeah, you might want to work the kinks out of that one.

Buffy: What am I going to do? He needs me and I can't get near him.

Willow: You'll find a way.

Buffy: It's not like I can spend all of my energy going after the

Initiative. Not while Adam's out there.

Willow: He's really that big of a thr*at?

They sit on a bench.

Buffy: I could barely fight him. It's like Maggie designed him to be the ultimate warrior. He's smart and fast. He gave the commando guys the slip with no problem.

Willow: There's gotta be a flaw.

Buffy: I think the part where he's pure evil and kills randomly was an oversight

Buffy: I never should have let them take Riley. I need to be with him.

Willow: I'm sure he's ok.

Buffy: There's no way he can be. Everything's he's ever believed in has been taken away. He's alone. He has nothing to hold on to.

Cut to

Initiative hallway with three scientist and military types.

Cut to

Room and a bed with Riley on it. He has bandages wrapped around his midsection. Riley raises his hand, which was in shadow and looks at

Buffy's bandanna which he has wrapped around it and is clasping.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

Buffy the vampire slayer

"Goodbye Iowa"

Transcribed by Joseph B

Written by: Marti Noxon

Directed by: David Solomon

Disclaimer: This is a transcript intended for anyone who cannot watch

BTVS for whatever reason, to enjoy, as well as those who think transcripts are just cool, and as reference material for fanfic writers. Buffy and all copyrighted characters are the product of Joss

Whedon and I have nothing but respect for him and those whose hard work is put into bringing us a great show. I did this of my own free time and will never make a dime from it.

Now let me add. If you are looking at this transcript, save it, copy it, send it to your friends. Unlike other transcribers, who I have nothing but respect for, if you see any mistakes that might be in this transcript, feel free to correct them, or if you just want to personalize it to suit yourself, by all means. Hell I do it.

~~~~~~~~~~ Prologue ~~~~~~~~~~~

Fade-in. Giles' apartment. Just the way we left things from "The `I'

in Team." Buffy is pacing, Giles is standing close by, Willow is sitting at his desk, Spike is sitting on the bottom steps of the stairs, and Anya and Xander are sitting on Giles' w*apon trunk against the wall. Buffy is in the middle of telling them what just happened.

Buffy: So Maggie sends me down into the sewers with one of those

Blasto-g*n. And the next thing I know, it's raining monsters.

Xander: (without humor) Hallelujah.

Buffy: And then this gate slams down behind me and I try to use the g*n but it goes "phitt!"

Giles: You're saying that Maggie Walsh set you up?

Buffy: That's exactly what I'm saying. She sent me on a way-one recon.

Spike: Gotta hand it to you, Goldilocks. You do have bleeding, tragic taste in men. I got a cousin married to a regurgitating Frovalox demon that's got better instincts than you.

Buffy: (glaring at him) What does my taste in men have to do with this?

Spike: Do you think Riley was out knitting booties for your future off-spring while Maggie was stringing you up?

Buffy looks at everyone else's expressions. They don't say anything, but she can see from their faces . . .

Buffy: You guys think Riley had something to do with this?

Giles: Probably not. But, uh . . . we'd be remiss if we didn't think of all the possibilities.

Buffy: (softly) Right. "Remiss."

She's turning away, then suddenly faces him again.

Buffy: No. No. Maggie made sure he was no where around when she sent me on this very special "make Buffy d*ad" assignment.

Willow: And plus, Riley? He seems like he wouldn't tell a little white lie, let alone a whole bunch of big, dirty ones.

Xander: That's why they call it the "secret forces," Will. 'Cause they kinda keep the whole lying thing to themselves.

Buffy: All I know is that Maggie has it in for me. Which means the

Initiative has it in for me.

Xander: I'm guessing the mad scientist isn't too keen on the fact that the entire Scooby g*ng knows that the Initiative is up to no good.

Buffy: Which brings us back to the "not safe for any of us" concept.

Giles: What could have happened to make Professor Walsh want to k*ll you?

Buffy: (at a loss) I don't know. Uh . . . She wasn't keen on the fact that I was asking a lot of questions, that's for sure.

Anya: So you were getting too close to something?

Giles: Clearly. Although, one can only imagine what she'd be so desperate to hide.

Cut to deep in the woods. All is quiet with the peaceful sounds of birds and other forest noises. Pan to a concrete access tunnel just visible from the side of the hill. It doesn't look as if it's been used for sometime as the metal doors screech as they are opened from the inside. Close up on a pair of army boots walking down the steps from the entrance. As the sh*t pans up we see legs clad in camouflage commando pants and the left leg is in a metal brace (jointed at the knee) from ankle to mid-thigh. He's not wearing a shirt, and his flesh is a jigsaw of different skin types and there is an electronic metal plate over the left side of his chest. His face is mostly green except for the patch of pale human flesh around his right blue eye and ear. His left eye is a demonic red color. His short hair is a normal brown, but there is a metal plating that frames the left green side of his face and wraps around to the back of his head.

Outside for the first time, Adam looks at his surroundings.

Wolf's wolf. Buffy theme and credits roll.

~~~~~~~~~~ Part One ~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in to Giles' apartment. Buffy has Giles' trunk opened and is taking out w*apon.

Buffy: Okay, everybody grab a w*apon. We gotta move.

She hands Xander a battle ax and gives Anya a bat with a fisherman's hook attached to the head.

Xander: And storm the Initiative? (bravado) Yeah, let's take on those suckers!

Buffy: I was thinking more that we'd hide.

Xander: (relieved) Oh, thank God.

Giles: Buffy, I think perhaps we should talk about this.

Buffy: We need to relocate some place where we're less likely to be found. We need to come up with a plan.

Willow: We could go to my place. (she is holding a wicked looking flail = think spiked mace on a chain)

Buffy: The Initiative guys know how close we are. They'll automatically check the places you hang out. Xander, what about your basement. The guys haven't seen us together that much and there's enough room.

Willow: (smiles) Oh, plus: mirror ball.

Xander: Cool! Come on down and boogie at Xander's hideaway.

Anya: (not happy) Yes. Come boogie.

Giles: Absolutely not. I will not squat in that dank whole.

Spike: What? It was good enough for me but you're above it all?

Giles: Precisely. (sits down at his desk) Besides, I don't see why we can't stay right where we are. (chuckles) Because it's very unlikely those Initiative boys are gonna come around here looking for--

The front door opens and Riley steps inside.

Riley: Buffy!

Everybody looks at him in surprise. Riley closes the door and rushes over to Buffy.

Riley: God, Buffy. Are you okay? What happened?

Buffy: (a b*at) You know?

Riley: I know something went down. (pause) Tell me.

Buffy: Maggie tried to k*ll me.

No one says anything for a moment.

Anya: (helpfully) It didn't work, but they're all upset anyway.

Riley: Okay, listen. I need you to go over everything. Step by step.

There has-- has to be some kind of mistake.

Xander: There was no mistake! And how do you know something happened?

Riley: I was on a mission. But I came back and . . . I'm not sure.

Look, let's just keep our heads and not jump to any--

He looks over his shoulder and sees Spike sitting on the stairs.

Spike looks away. Riley takes a step back in surprise as he faces the vampire.

Buffy: What?

Riley: That's Hostile 17.

Spike: Uh, no! I'm (bad American accent) just a friend of

Xanderrr's-- (sighs) Bugger it. I'm your guy.

Buffy: This is Spike. He's, uh . . . It's a really long story. But he's not bad anymore.

Spike: Hey! (stands) What I am, a bleeding broken record? I'm bad!

It's just . . . I can't bite anymore. Thanks to you w*nk*r.

Riley: (exasperated) We've been looking all over the place for him but you've known where he's been all along?

Buffy: It's not like that.

Riley: Then what is it like? What's he doing here?

Spike: Leaving you swabs to your dramatics. Thanks.

He walks over to the door and grabs his leather duster.

Spike: (putting it on) I've got my stories on the telly for that. By the by, if you're trying to k*ll her . . .

Spike gives Riley two very enthusiastic thumbs up. Buffy rolls her eyes. He turns and pulls his coat over his head. He opens the door and runs outside.

Riley: Buffy . . . what is this? You're hiding an HST?

Xander: Why don't you just back off and let her ask the questions,

Jack? Your boss just tried to make monster food out of her.

Riley sees everyone looking at him and calms down.

Riley: I-I didn't see much. I wasn't there. I . . . All I know is

Professor Walsh told me you were d*ad. But then I saw you on the monitors . . . Look this isn't Professor Walsh-- There must be something making her act this way. Something I-- I don't know.

Controlling her.

Giles: We think Buffy may have been becoming too in inquisitive. That she was getting close to something that Professor Walsh was trying to hide. Any idea what that might be?

Buffy: What about 314? Maybe that's it?

Riley: Maybe she was trying to test you. What if it was only a drill?

Buffy: Then why did she tell you I was d*ad? Riley, it wasn't a test.

Giles: See, I've heard rumors that the Initiative wasn't all that we've been told. That, uh, secretly they're working towards some darker purpose. Something that might harm us all--

Riley: No! That's . . . that's not what happens there.

Buffy: Riley.

Riley: I would know!

Buffy: Look, no one is sure of anything. Okay? We're just trying to sort it out.

Riley: I can't be here. I'll sort it out on my own. (heads for the door)

Buffy: (going after him) Riley.

Riley: No! Just-- I'm sorry.

He opens the door and is gone.

Cut to the woods again. Close up of a small boy sitting next to his bike. He is playing with a cyborg, soldier action figure. On the rise behind him, the back of a house can be seen not far away but it appears as if he's the only one outside right now. Until Adam sees the him. Despite his size, the boy doesn't notice Adam until he is standing just a few feet away. The boy looks up and smiles with a

"cool!" expression on his face.

ADAM: What am I?

Boy: (standing) You're a monster.

ADAM: (nodding) I thought so. What are you?

Boy: Me? I'm a boy.

ADAM: (curious) A boy. How do you work?

Boy: I don't know, I just do.

The boy sees something and points.

Boy: What's that for?

Adam looks down and raises his Polgara left arm where just the sharp tip of the bone skewer (sheathed inside the forearm) is visible under his wrist. Adam looks at the boy and a "let me show you" smile slowly spreads across his grotesque face.

Cut to UC Sunnydale at night. Riley is walking across campus without a clear destination. Probably the first real brooding he's done in his entire life. On that depressing note we--

Cut to the Initiative. Lab 314. Dr. Angleman opens the door to the dark lab and flips the light switch. The lights stay off and he flips it on and off a couple times, but they remain off.

Angleman: Dr. Walsh? (worried whisper) Adam?

Slowly, he starts walking across the lab but his feet slip out from under him and he falls to the floor. He's pushing himself up when he notices something wet on his hands. He sees they're covered with blood, then notices the trail of blood leading to the body of

Professor Walsh lying face down on the floor.

Angleman freaks, scrambles to his feet, and runs out of the lab.

We go to Xander's basement. It is morning. Close up of the disco mirror ball hanging from the ceiling. Cut to Giles lying on an inflated beach chair. He's waking up and squints his eyes against the dots of light the mirror ball is shining in his face. He rubs a hand on his forehead. Obviously a good night's sleep he didn't get.

Sounds of the Road Runner can be heard as the camera pans the basement. There is an empty sleeping bag on the floor next to Giles.

Two blankets hanging from the clothesline divides the basement in half. On the other half we see Willow, Anya, and Buffy (in that order) still under the covers in the fold-out bed watching TV, where the self-proclaimed "super genius" (AKA Wile E. Coyote) is k*lling himself again with another one of his shoddy Acme traps that backfires on him. Willow finds this funny.

Buffy: (unmoved) That would never happen.

Willow: Well, no, Buff. That's why they call them cartoons not documentaries.

Giles steps through the draped blankets and shuts off the TV.

Giles: Must we have the noise? My head is splitting.

He's returning to the other side of the basement.

Willow: (smiling) Well, look who's cranky bear in the morning.

Giles: Yes. I can't imagine why I didn't sleep well in my beach ball.

Anya: Every time you moved it made squeaky noises. It was irritating.

Giles: Really? I'm surprised you could hear it over your Wagnerian snoring.

Buffy: Okay, you guys, could we not, please. Everything's screwed up enough without you two doing scenes from my parents' marriage.

Anya: (a b*at) Sorry.

Giles: Sorry.

Buffy: Thank you.

Giles disappears through the blankets.

Willow: It'll be okay, Buffy. Riley's just confused, that's all.

Buffy: I don't know. It just seems like things can get heavier. His whole world's falling apart.

Anya: And after everything you've been through with Angel. You know, you really should get yourself a boring boyfriend. (smiles) Like

Xander. (then) You can't have Xander.

Buffy: That was the idea. Riley was supposed to be Mr. Joe Guy. We were gonna do dumb things like hold hands through the daisies going

"tra la la."

Willow: Poor Buffy. Your life resists all things average.

Anya: So dump him! (sternly) But you can't have Xander.

Buffy: I'll try and remember that. (pause) It's too late, anyway. I'm already at the "I hurt when he hurts. I smile when he smiles" stage.

Anya: (whispers) I hate that part.

Buffy: I'll just have to make it work.

Xander hurries down the stairs into the basement, carrying a breakfast tray.

Xander: Turn on the TV. Now!

Willow gets up to switch the TV back on. The news is on.

Newswoman: Sunnydale is still reeling from news of the crime. (Giles peeks out from the blankets brushing his teeth) A source in the coroner's office tells us that the boy was s*ab with what looks like some kind of large skewer. And his body was then mutilated.

Police have not named a suspect and the k*ller is still at large.

Realization fills Buffy's expression as she listens.

Buffy: The Polgara demon had a skewer in its arm. That's the one

Maggie insisted we bring back alive.

Giles: (mouthful of toothpaste) She must have sent it after you.

Buffy: And it got distracted. (looks away) God.

Willow: Buffy, it's not your fault. How could you know?

Giles: She's right. You mustn't blame yourself.

Buffy: (a b*at) I'm not going to.

As she gets out of bed, cue "bad-ass" Chris Beck score. She faces them with a determined expression.

Buffy: I'm going to the crime scene to see what I can find out. You guys research the Polgara demon. I want to know where it is. When I

find it, I am going to make him pay for taking that kid's life. I'll make him die in ways he can't even imagine.

Bad-ass score dies and everyone just looks at her, seemingly, unmoved by her passionate speech. Buffy notices their looks and glances down at the weird pattern on her pajamas.

Buffy: That probably would have sounded more commanding if I wasn't wearing my yummy sushi pajamas.

Cut to Lowell House. Riley has just walked in and is heading for his room. Forrest Gates spots him and catches up with him on the stairs.

Forrest: Hey! Where you been all night?

Riley doesn't answer.

Forrest: (smiles) Well. Congratulations. I see you and Buffy have finally gotten past the shy phase.

Forrest raises a fist for Riley to knuckle but Riley leaves him hanging. He's still in brooding mode.

Riley: I wasn't with Buffy. I needed to be alone. Think some things through.

Forrest: What things?

In the hall now, Riley turns to face him. Then reconsiders and motions him to follow him into his room.

Forrest: (stepping inside) This is mighty ominous. What's up, man?

Riley: Professor Walsh tried to have Buffy k*lled.

Forrest: What? Did Buffy tell you that? I mean, do you have any proof?

Riley: I saw enough to know it's true.

Forrest: I don't get it. Why?

Riley: I don't know. (paces across the room) Buffy thinks that she's getting too close to something. That Professor Walsh has some secret.

Forrest: I wouldn't put it past Buffy to get on Professor Walsh's bad side. She tends to put her nose where it doesn't belong.

Riley: What?

Forrest: (angry) She's a pain. Always wanting to know "why this?" and

"why that?"

Riley: (exasperated) And you're saying she should die because of that?

Forrest: I don't know. Maybe Professor Walsh found out that Buffy was up to something bad. That ever cross your mind?

Riley: Why does it bug you so much that I'm hanging with her? Is it because she's a better soldier than you?

Forrest: It bugs me that she's using you to infiltrate our operations.

Riley: (raising voice) So you're saying she's a spy? You're crazy!

(turns away)

Forrest: Riley, think about it. The professor is not stupid. If she tried to k*ll Buffy, maybe Buffy needed k*lling.

Behind Forrest, the door opens and Graham Miller steps inside.

Graham: Guys.

Riley: Not now, Graham.

Graham's usually calm, stoic face seems a bit forced.

Forrest: What is it?

Graham: (deep breath) Professor Walsh is d*ad.

Forrest takes this news and looks at Riley. Off Riley's shocked expression, we fade to commercial.

~~~~~~~~~~ Part Two ~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in on the Initiative. Riley rounds a corner quickly and pushes his way to the open door of lab 314. He sees Professor Walsh lying on the floor while two other scientists are looking over her body.

Forrest steps up besides him and sees this and has to look away for a moment.

Forrest: (steely) Look at that wound. She's been staked, wouldn't you say, brother?

Riley: What?

Forrest: Only one person I can think of who could do something like that.

Riley: (warning tone) You better not be saying what I think you're saying.

Riley steps out into the corridor. Forrest follows him and Riley faces him.

Riley: We-we don't know that a person did this. The Polgara demon has a skewer that comes right out of--

Forrest: (angrily) No way! That's your girlfriend's MO!

Riley: (grabs a fistful of Forrest's shirt) Hey, that's a serious accusation! You better be ready to deal with the consequences.

Forrest: (shoves Riley back) Then bring `em on! That supernatural freak has blinded you and I'm sick of it!

Riley: (advancing) That's enough!

Angleman steps in between them.

Angleman: Stand back! Show some respect! Listen, everybody's upset.

But arguing isn't going to help anything. And it's certainly not what

Professor Walsh would want.

Riley and Forrest keep "I'm gonna kick your ass" eye contact for a few more seconds then break off.

Riley: No, sir. (takes a couple of steps back)

Angleman: All right. Good. Now Washington is sending in a team to do an internal investigation. I've been told we have to wait for their word.

Riley: What do you mean "wait?" This has to be the work of the

Polgara demon we captured last week!

Angleman: Probably. Looks like, last night, the Polgara escaped through tunnel seventy-two.

Riley: It's out loose somewhere?!

Angleman: I'm afraid so.

Riley: Then we have to go after it.

Riley starts to walk off but Angleman stops him.

Angleman: My orders from Washington are for a total lock-down until they arrive. I'm sorry. Now, return to your quarters. There's nothing you can do here.

Riley is silent then nods. Satisfied, Angleman walks off. When he disappears around the corner Riley turns to Graham and a few other commandos standing nearby.

Riley: Listen. Angleman can talk all he wants, but I'm still in charge until the brass gets here and tells me otherwise. I say we got a demon to hunt. (absently scratches the back of his right hand) Now suit up for armed patrol. And by that I mean loaded g*n, man.

Target practice is over. We're going for blood.

They head off to follow their orders. Forrest looks at Riley but doesn't say anything as he walks past him to follow the others. Riley glances once more into the lab before following as well.

Cut to cemetery. Daylight. Two humvees pull up and commandos, fully armed, start storming the mausoleums. We see Forrest and Graham head toward a mausoleum.

Cut to interior of Spike's place. We don't see him inside and Forrest and Graham enter, r*fles ready.

Forrest: Somebody's been staying here.

Graham: What do think, a homeless guy?

Forrest: (moving deeper into the chamber) Could be. Or a squatter of the demon variety.

Graham: But not the Polgara.

Forrest: (faces him) Who cares!? I see a demon, it dies.

There is a TV set up on a stone bench. Graham puts a palm on top of it.

Graham: It's warm.

Forrest glances at the sarcophagus and he and Graham move to either end, slinging their r*fles. Together they raise the stone lid and lean it against the side. Inside they see an old decayed skeleton with its arms folded over its chest, covered in an old blanket.

Unslinging there r*fles they head for the door again.

Forrest: Damn.

Forrest is passing the TV and he shatters the screen with the stock of his r*fle.

Forrest: Animals.

We hear them leave and we cut to a close up of inside the sarcophagus.

The blanket is folded up and we see Spike's head poke out from between the skeleton's feet. He sits up, the skeleton's knees draping over his shoulders, and sighs in relief.

Cut to the dry hills on the outskirts of Sunnydale. Buffy is walking down a dirt road. Behind her, up the road, a police car is parked.

Below and ahead of her, she sees the crime scene. Another police car is parked and a detective is talking with a uniformed cop as two coroner's people carry a gurney with a small zipped bodybag on it under the crime scene tape.

Riley: Buffy.

She turns and sees Riley walking down the road towards her. He's in full commando attire. He's scratching the back of his right hand again.

Riley: Hey.

Buffy: Hey. Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I know everyone came on pretty strong. And the Spike thing isn't as tweaked as it looked.

Okay, maybe it is. But there's an explanation that almost makes sense. (sees that he's looking off to the hills) Hello? I'm apologizing here. And I think that's pretty big of me, considering

I'm the one who was almost made a demon sandwich.

He doesn't say anything.

Buffy: This is the part where you throw me a bone.

Riley: Maggie's d*ad.

Buffy absorbs this news. But before she can say anything--

Riley: Happy now?

Buffy: (eyes narrowing) How can you ask me that? Of course I'm not happy. What happened?

Riley: (coldly) That's classified.

Buffy: Classifi-- (realizes) The Polgara. It got her and escaped.

Didn't it?

Riley just nods.

Buffy: I'm gonna find it. I'm gonna find it and destroy it. (angry)

And then you can stop asking me how happy all this death makes me!

She steps around him and marches quickly back up the road. Riley turns as if to say something, but doesn't. Sighing, he faces the crime scene again.

Cut to someone knocking on a door. Tara walks up and opens it to see

Willow in the hall.

Willow: (smiling) Howdy.

Tara: (smiles) I just got your message a minute ago. I was in class.

But I was about to call you.

She steps back to let Willow inside.

Willow: I had so much fun the other night. The spells.

Tara: Yeah, that was nice.

Willow: I hope you don't think that I just come over for the spells and everything. I mean, I really like just talking and hanging out with you and stuff.

Tara: I know that. (knowingly) But you want to do a spell.

Willow: Yeah. But only because it's really important. There's this--

Tara: No. You don't have to explain. I don't mind. Really.

(smiles) I've been, um, thinking about that last spell we did all day.

Willow: (excited) You have? Well this one should be fun, too. We conjure the goddess Thespia to help us locate demonic energy in the area. It shouldn't be too tricky.

Tara: The goddess Thespia? Are you sure we're ready for that?

Willow: You and me? (gamely) This is beneath us.

Tara: (considers) . . . Okay. If you say so.

Cut to Willy's bar. Buffy makes her entrance by pushing aside the beaded string curtains and quickly spots Willy behind the bar. Willy sees her and doesn't bother to hide a "God must hate me" sigh. He motions her to the other end of the bar. Buffy follows and leans on the bar.

Willy: You're k*lling me here.

Buffy: Oh, I missed you, too. The joint's jumping.

Willy: Yeah. You know. (the vampire sitting nearby sees Buffy looking at him and takes his leave, forgetting his beer) Making some changes with my life. I'm getting away from my old image.

Buffy: You mean as a double-dealing snitch?

Willy: Uh-huh. I know you gonna think I'm bl*wing smoke, but after those apocalypse demons nearly did me in, I had an experience of the spiritual variety.

Buffy: (not caring) That's swell, really. But I need to know if you've heard anything about a Polgara demon doing some killings in the last few of days.

Willy: See, uh, that's the think. I don't talk behind people's backs no more. And I'm bringing some class to the joint. You know? It's

"Willy's Place" now. See? (indicates neon sign on the wall) Brings in a better clientele. I got one of those deep friers. These demons just go crazy for chicken fingers. (off Buffy's expression) Look, if they see me dealing with you, then I'm just the same old Willy working both sides of the street.

Buffy: I'm gonna have to punch you, aren't I?

Willy: (not missing a b*at) Just once and it don't have to hurt. Just make it look good.

Buffy straightens and raises her fist. Willy instantly clutches his nose.

Willy: Oww! Oh!

Buffy: (whispering) Not yet, I haven't touched you!

Willy: Oh, sorry. Right. Right. G-go ahead. Wait. (louder voice)

No. I can't talk to you--oww!

Buffy straight-jabs him in the nose and now he's really hurting.

Willy: Ohhhh!

Buffy: What have you heard about the Polgara?

Willy: (still in pain) Heard there was one about a week or two back.

Word was you got him. You and those army guys.

Buffy: And that was the last you heard?

Willy: Yeah. As far as I know, he's off the streets.

Buffy: What about those army guys? What do you know? You heard anything about 314?

Riley walks through the stringed curtains. Looking the place over he realizes it's filled with demons. As he approaches Buffy we notice there is a thin sheen of sweat on his face. He doesn't look happy at what he's seeing.

Buffy: (faces him) What are you doing here? Following me?

Riley: (a tad pissed) You told me you were tracking the Polgara demon.

I thought I'd help. But now I see you're not hunting demons, you're socializing with them. *Again.* I thought you were supposed to be k*lling these things not buying them drinks?

By this point he's become the center of attention.

Buffy: (sarcastic) Oh, that's smooth, officer Riley. They teach you those undercover moves in special forces?

Riley: I'm serious, Buffy. What are you doing here?

Willy: Just cooling her dogs, like the rest of us. Why don't you sit down. Relax.

Riley: (ignores him) I want you to tell me. Who are you? (seething)

Really?

Buffy glares at him, becoming a little pissed herself.

Willy: No kidding. Why don't I get you some chicken fingers, on the house.

Riley: (to Willy) Hey, you think you can shut up?

Willy: Look, I'm just saying--

Riley: I said shut up! Or maybe you would like to go back to the lab with me. I'm sure the coats would love to classify a . . . whatever you are.

Buffy: Leave him alone, Riley. He's human.

Riley: So he's human.

She looks at his arms.

Buffy: You're shaking.

Riley: (looking at Buffy) He just harbors demons. Which makes him a good guy like you? (grabs her roughly by the shoulders) The truth,

Buffy. Now!

Buffy: You have the truth. You are just too screwed up because of what happened to Professor Walsh to see it. (raises voice) Now let go of me! (knocks his hands off her shoulders)

A middle-age looking woman gets up from the bar and walks quickly towards the door. Riley spots her over his shoulder.

Riley: Hold it! You!

She stops in her tracks as he draws his Barretta and aims it at her.

The g*n is trembling in his hand.

Riley: No leaving until I say so. Got it?

Willy: Hey. We got new rules here. No k*lling.

Riley: (looking over his shoulder) Right! Except the rules don't seem to apply much these days. Do they?

The woman is now facing Riley and looks terrified. Riley's breathing is becoming heavier and his shaking is getting worse.

Riley: (to the woman) Like if I sh*t you right now, I don't know if

I'd have a corpse on my hands or one pissed off vampire.

Buffy: Riley--

Riley: (to Buffy) I mean, who do you believe? First it sounds like lies. Then it sounds like truth.

Looks at the woman. She's starting to whimper.

Buffy: Riley. . .

He glances at Buffy and seems to realize what he's doing. He suddenly turns to the bar, sweeping his g*n across the surface smashing several glasses. The woman flees. Buffy slowly approaches him. Concerned.

He has his hands pressed to the bar as he leans against it, shaking uncontrollably.

Riley: What's happening to me?

~~~~~~~~~~ Part Three ~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in. Xander's basement. It seems to be night. Riley is sitting on the bed with his head in his hands. He's no longer wearing his commando vest, g*n, nor his boots. Buffy brings him a blanket and drapes it around his shoulders as she sits down next to him. He looks up and pushes the blanket off. He's still sweating and shaking.

Buffy rubs a soothing hand on his back.

Buffy: (soft voice) Riley, why don't you lie down? You'll be more comfortable.

She sees him furiously scratching the back of his right hand. He's broken the surface and there's a patch of red on his skin. She grabs his hands.

Buffy: Stop it.

Riley: (shaky voice) I can't. It's like . . . something's growing inside.

He starts scratching and she takes his hand again.

Buffy: No. You're hurting yourself. C'mere. (she reaches up and pulls off the red scarf she had wrapped around her hair) Okay, shh. (gently wraps it around his hand)

Riley: I thought I knew . . . but I don't. I don't know anything.

Buffy: (soothingly) Shh. You're sick. Once you get some rest--

Riley: No. Buffy. I don't know . . . anything. I don't know which team I'm on. Who the bad guys are. (looks into her eyes) Maybe I'm the bad guy. Maybe I'm the thing you should k*ll.

Buffy: No. Don't you even think that. (puts a hand on his cheek)

Okay, listen to me. You're sick. You just need to get some sleep.

Please. Lie down for me. Come on.

He pushes himself onto the bed and lays his head on the pillow. He curls his arms and legs in close as if cold and continues to shiver.

Buffy walks around to the side and leans down to caress his cheek.

Buffy: (quietly) You're gonna be okay.

His eyes are closed and he seems to calm down a little. Buffy turns and steps through the draped blankets to the other side of the basement. Giles, Xander, and Anya are there researching. Giles is bringing a box of old books they haven't looked through to the others.

Giles: How is he?

Buffy: This isn't just grief making him act this way. Something's effecting him physically and it's getting worse.

Anya: You think Professor Walsh did something to him?

Buffy: I don't know, but I'm ready to find out.

Xander: That's gonna be tough, what with Maggie's deadness and all.

Buffy: She must have kept records somewhere. A-about Riley, about

314, about all of it. And I'm sure she wasn't the only person that knew what she was up to.

Xander: So what's the plan?

Buffy: Giles, Anya, keep researching. Xander, you and I are going undercover.

Anya: Hey! (steps closer to Xander) Remember before? No Xander! Not in a "boyfriend" way or a "lead him to a certain death" way.

Buffy: He's the only one with military experience.

Anya: It's not like he was in the 'Nam. He was GI Joe for one night.

Xander: It's okay, Anya. I've backed up Buffy before.

Anya: (concerned) Can't you do something else to help them? Like

Xerox handouts or something?

Xander: I'll be careful. (puts his hands on her shoulders) Promise.

She concedes but is not happy about it and Xander goes to get ready.

Giles stands up from the box of books he was going through and faces

Buffy.

Giles: It's a minor point but how do you plan to get in to the

Initiative? I'm sure their security system's almost impenetrable.

Buffy: I have my clearance. I'm hoping she didn't have time to revoke it.

Giles: Okay. Well as for the whereabouts of this Polgara demon, I'm afraid we've . . we've not turned up much. There've been no reports since its original capture.

Buffy: Then we'll just have to keep looking.

Cut to Tara's room. There is a bundle of string shaped into a square on the floor with four different color crystals weighing down each corner. Willow and Tara are sitting on either side of the square.

Willow is grounding something in a small bowl.

Tara: So . . the square is Sunnydale?

Willow: Right. It's like a map. We both take different parts of the potion and when we do the incantation we both blow it onto the square at the exact same time.

Tara: But how does it work?

Willow: Well that's the cool part. When the potion mixes and

Thespia's called it creates this mist over the parts where the demons are. I-It even makes different colors for different breeds.

Tara: Wow.

Willow: You ready?

Tara nods. Willow pours some of the powdered contents of the bowl into Tara's palm, then pours some into her own hand from a second bowl.

Willow: Let's do it.

She closes her eyes and Tara does the same.

Tara: Thespia, we walk in shadow. Walk in blindness. You are the protector of the night.

Willow: Thespia, goddess, ruler of all darkness, we implore you

. . . open a window to the world of the underbeing.

Willow blows the powder out of her hand over the square. Tara blows over her hand, not disturbing her powder, and leans toward her bed to dump the potion underneath it. Willow still has her eyes closed and did not see this.

Willow: With your knowledge may we go in safety. With your grace may we speak of your benevolence.

Willow opens her eyes and looks down at the square, where nothing is happening. She frowns.

Willow: Or not.

She looks at Tara. Tara gives her a disappointed look.

Cut to Lowell House. Buffy and Xander are quietly walking through the deserted lobby. Xander is wearing military garb similar to that of the Initiative commandos. He even has a g*n belt with a sidearm in the holster (don't know if it's a real g*n). Buffy is wearing a turtle-neck sweater, wire-rimmed glasses (got them from Giles?), and has her hair pulled back in a small bun. She is carrying a white lab coat wrapped around a clipboard.

Xander: Seems pretty quite.

Buffy: It usually is this time of--

A young man suddenly brushes past her but doesn't even act as if he notices them and continues on. Buffy and Xander continue into the central hallway of the building and Buffy pushes the hidden switch in the wall next to the floor to ceiling mirror and stands in front of it.

Xander: (stepping up next to her) Buff, maybe you should check the look later.

Buffy: Shh! (she shoves him away none too gently)

Xander: Oww! (surprised and a little hurt) What'd you do that for?

Buffy: Sorry. I'm the only one that can pass the retinal scan.

Xander: The re-- eww! I don't wanna see that.

Buffy: (glares) *Retinal* scan, Xander. (looks into the mirror again)

Well, we'll know in a few seconds if my clearance is still good.

A horizontal green light emits from the mirror and slides down over her body.

Xander: Or if we're about to die at the hands of fifty grief-filled military g*ons.

Female computer voice: Retinal scan recorded. Summers. Buffy.

The mirror slides to the side and Buffy steps into the very white elevator. Xander follows her.

Xander: Why am I not entirely comforted by the arrival of the man-sized microwave?

Cut to Initiative. The elevator door slides open and Buffy is now wearing the lab coat and she and Xander step out onto the catwalk overlooking the huge hangar of the Initiative complex. His eyes widen as he gapes.

Xander: (awed) Holy moly!

Buffy: I know.

Xander: I totally get it now. Can I have sex with Riley, too?

Buffy glares at him but he's still staring and doesn't see it. She takes his arm and leads him towards the stairs. When they descend to the first landing they see a couple of commandos climbing the stairs towards them. Xander turns to Buffy and pulls her close to him.

Xander: (whispers) Quick pretend to make out with me!

Buffy: (whispers) What!? What are you talking about? (pushes away)

Xander: (whispers) Well, I, uh, you know, in the movies, the guy and the girl have to hide.

They pretend to be looking at her clipboard as the commandos pass them and continue up the stairs.

Buffy: (whispers) Please! Could you possibly draw more attention to us?

When the commandos are gone, they continue down to stairs.

Buffy: (whispers) This is the Initiative, Xander. Military guys and scientists do not make out with each other.

Xander: (whispers) Well maybe that's what's wrong with the world.

Ever think about that?

Back at Xander's basement. Riley is still in bed and is sleeping.

Cut to the other side of the basement. Willow is pacing. Anya is sitting in a large beanbag, looking through a book, and Giles is fixing tea on the washing machine.

Willow: It totally failed. It wasn't even like the spell went wrong.

It just . . . wouldn't.

Giles: If it's any consolation, we haven't fared much better here.

Willow: Really. Is Riley okay?

Giles: Well, h-he's asleep. Finally. But he doesn't look good. (hands Anya a cup) And the, uh, research is troubling as well.

I mean, this-this demon we're after seems highly atypical for a

Polgara. This child that it k*lled . . was mutilated. There's no recorded cases of a Polgara ever having done such a thing.

Anya: (fidgeting with the string of her tea bag) Also the Polgara have to eat every two hours. Factor in the low IQ and you have a demon who's not exactly low profile.

Willow: So how has he been hiding out in Sunnydale for the last two days without anyone seeing him?

Giles: Exactly.

Willow pushes aside the blanket to check on Riley. She finds him standing just a foot in front of her. His eyes look a little sunken.

Willow: (surprised) Riley.

Riley: (agitated) Where's Buffy?

Willow: She went out. Can-can I get you something?

He sits on the bed to pull on his boots.

Riley: Just tell me where she is.

Giles: You're not well, Riley. Y-you need to rest.

Riley: Did she find the Polgara? (stands, rubbing his arm as if cold)

Huh? Is that it?

Giles: Well, no, we're still looking. But--

Riley: But what?

Willow: She went to find out what's making you sick.

Riley: (sharply) I'm not sick! (more agitated) You're telling me she went to the Initiative?!

Willow: Riley, she's just trying to help you.

Riley: (crosses the basement to grab his gear) She doesn't belong there.

Willow hurries to stand in front of the stairs to block his way.

Willow: Riley, listen--

Riley: Stand away from the stairs.

Willow: No! You're gonna get Buffy k*lled--

He shoves her hard to the ground.

Giles: Hey!

He and Anya rush to Willow as Riley dashes up the stairs.

Giles: You all right?

Willow is shakened but doesn't seemed to be hurt. As they help her we--

Cut to Initiative. Buffy and Xander are rounding a corner when they hear someone coming from down the corridor.

Angleman: How many of the men are still out?

They return to the corner and try to look inconspicuous as

Dr. Angleman enters the corridor with another scientist. They eavesdrop.

Angleman: The longer they go without their meds . . .

Scientist #1: Everyone's off their schedules because of the professor's death.

Angleman: It's dangerous. I don't want to think about the damage our guys could do under the stress of withdrawal. Especially since they won't understand what's happening to them. These guys don't know they've been getting meds in their food, so we better get them in here

STAT.

Scientist #1: We've located all but a few. The last ones were in pretty bad shape but we s*ab them.

Angleman: But Finn wasn't one of them, right?

Scientist #1: No.

Angleman: Find him. He's the one I care about. He's too important to the work to lose now.

Scientist #1: Indeed.

Cut to Willy's Place. Spike walks in through the beaded curtains and heads to the bar.

Spike: Double-sh*t of O-neg, 'keep. And make it the good stuff. I

don't want no freaking orangutan. (puts a few dollars on the bar)

Willy: Got ya.

Willy grabs a sh*t glass and a bottle of thick, red liquid.

Spike: (as drink is being poured) Been a pisser of a day, isn't it?

Those army blokes are on a tear. They ran me outta my place. And all over town.

Willy moves on and before Spike can take a drink, a large demon hand falls on his shoulder.

Spike: Yeah, what's that?

Spike turns his head to look at the demon. Spike's POV: the demon raises his other clawed hand in a closed fist and punches the camera out. (fade out)

Back to the Initiative. Buffy and Xander are still eavesdropping on

Angleman.

Angleman: Keep me posted. I'll be in records

He walks away and the other scientist heads in the other direction.

Buffy keeps her back turned as Angleman passes behind her to a door at the end of the hall. He slips a keycard through an electronic lock and steps through the door. It's swinging close behind him but Buffy shoves the clipboard inside before it can and walks in. She hands the clipboard to Xander and marches up behind Angleman who is unaware until she spins him around to face her and shoves him against a counter, getting a fistful of his shirt.

Buffy: (pissed) Now I don't generally like to k*ll humans, but I've learned that it pays to be flexible in life.

Angleman: I was wondering when you'd turn up.

Buffy: (mock disappointment) Oh darn! (takes off her glasses) So this isn't a surprise? Now you can tell me what you did to Riley and after that we can take a tour of room 314.

Angleman: Somebody's coming, you know? I'm sure they've already seen you on the security monitors.

Riley: (stepping from around a the corner) Monitors are non-functional at this time, sir. Went down about ten minutes ago.

Buffy: (looks to Xander) What? I didn't do that.

Xander: Thank god for small favors and we'll worry about details later, huh, Buff?

Angleman: Finn take this girl to the stockade immediately.

Buffy: Riley, he can tell us what we need to know. (to Angleman)

Maggie wanted me d*ad, didn't she?

Angleman: (a b*at) She did. (to Riley) But understand the Initiative has no interest in eliminating the Slayer. It was her own vendetta.

Buffy: Why? Spell it out for me. I feel an att*ck of "dumb blonde" coming on.

Angleman: I don't know.

Buffy: (jerks him closer) Well. Think. Harder.

Angleman: It was . . . the project.

Buffy: Project? 314.

Angleman: It . . .

Glances at Riley who is paying close attention.

Angleman: (to Buffy) It escaped.

Riley: (stepping closer) That's enough! You're making her sound like some psychopath. She wasn't like that! She was a brilliant woman!

Angleman: She was. I--it's not--

Riley: (angry) All she was doing was trying to help people . . . and this is the way you want them to remember her?!

Buffy: (to Riley) Angleman said Walsh was feeding you drugs.

Riley: You're doing this to me, aren't you?

He advances on her and Buffy lets go of Angleman to face him.

Angleman starts slinking away towards a nearby door.

Riley: (glaring) This all started because of you!

Buffy: Look, if you will just listen to me, okay? I am trying to help you get to the truth.

Riley: You want truth? Then tell me . . . (grabs her arm) what did you do to her, Buffy?

Buffy: (breaks the hold) Stop it! I didn't do anything!

Riley tries to grab her again and she has to push him back.

Buffy: Riley, stop! This isn't about us! Everything that we need to know is here. We just need to find out what was in 314.

A commando's body suddenly drops to the floor behind them. They all turn and look up. On a catwalk Adam is looking down at them.

ADAM: Me.

~~~~~~~~~~ Part Four ~~~~~~~~~~~

Fade in. Exactly how we left everything. Adam starts to pace across the catwalk.

ADAM: I've been thinking about the world. I wanted to see it. Learn it. I saw the inside of that boy and it was beautiful. But it didn't tell me about the world. It just made me feel. So now . . . I want to learn about me. Why I feel? What I am?

He stops pacing and turns to face them. He takes a step forward and drops to the floor, landing on his feet. He's looking at Riley.

ADAM: So I came home.

He pulls out a computer disk from the cargo pocket of his camouflage pants. Its labeled "ADAM" and he slides it into the drive slot of the metal plate on his chest. The disk loads itself with a soft whirring.

ADAM: (pacing again) I'm a kinematically redundant, biomechanical demonoid. Designed by Maggie Walsh. She called me Adam and I called her mother.

Angleman: Adam. Maggie would want you to stand down.

ADAM: (looks at him) Yes. But I seem to have a design flaw.

Angleman looks as if he's ready to bolt. Buffy has a "Oh, shit" look on her face.

ADAM: (pacing) In addition to organic material, I'm equipped with

GP-2/D-11 Infrared Detectors. A Harmonic Decelerator, plus DC Servo.

Buffy: She pieced you together from parts of other demons.

Adam looks down at his green Polgara arm, and his dark tan demon right arm, which is plated with metal on the forearm and shoulder.

ADAM: And man. And machine. Which tells me what I am . . but not who

I am. Mother wrote things down. Hard data, but also her feelings. That's how I learned that I have a job here. And that she loved me.

Riley: She wasn't your mother! And she didn't love you!

Xander: (not taking eyes off Adam) Is that really the issue?

Riley: She made you because she was a scientist!

Xander: (warningly) Rileeey.

ADAM: Riley Finn.

He pulls out another disk, this one labeled "FINN," and loads it into his chest.

Riley: Stop! Those files--

ADAM: Oh! Mother created you, too.

Riley: Maggie is not my mother! (to Buffy) I have a mother! A real--

ADAM: A birth mother. Yes. But after you met Maggie, she was the one who shaped your basic operating system. She taught you how to think.

How to feel. She fed you chemicals to make you stronger. Your mind and body. She said that you and I were her favorite children. Her art. That makes us brothers. Family.

Riley: No! (taking a step forward) I'm not like you!

ADAM: That's pain, isn't it? Why? Because your feeding schedule

--the chemicals-- have been interrupted? Or do you miss her? Tell me.

Riley: I'll k*ll you!

ADAM: (calmly) You won't. You haven't been programmed to.

Riley: I cannot be programmed! I'm a man!

ADAM: It's here.

He's pulled out another disk and his holding it up for Riley to see.

ADAM: The plan she had for us. What happens. How it ends.

Riley: (quietly) No.

ADAM: Do you want to hear?

Riley: No!

Riley draws his Barretta and aims it at Adam. Before he can pull the trigger, Adam grabs his arm and forces him to drop it. Buffy rushes forward and Adam backhands her in the face, sending her to the floor.

Riley frees himself and punches Adam across the metal side of his face. Adam, unfazed, hits him with an uppercut that sends him flying high across the room over a middle work table. He hits the floor in a tumble, stunned.

Xander rushes forward but Adam just shoves him back against the wall and he goes down.

Buffy is on her feet and sends a powerful roundkick to Adam's chest.

Adam just looks at her and smashes a fist across her face. She retaliates with a punch to his midsection. Adam responds by slamming the same fist down on her shoulder this time driving her to the floor.

Angleman decides it's time to get the hell out of there and runs past

Adam, heading for the door. Adam sees him and his Polgara skewer juts out of his arm.

ADAM: Doctor.

Adam steps forward and plunges the skewer into Angleman's back. He gasps and shudders in pain for a few seconds then falls to the floor, sliding off the spear. Riley runs up behind Adam and jumps on his back, wrapping an arm around his neck. Adam just turns on him and s*ab him in the left side of his abdomen. Riley falls back, hitting the metal railing of the stairs, and drops to the floor clutching his side.

Buffy gets to her feet and slams a side kick into Adam's back, this time making him stumble. He quickly turns and she ducks a slash aimed at her head. He grabs her around the neck with his other hand and shoves her to the floor.

Cut to the door. Graham and Forrest can be seen through the small wired-glass window. They are pounding on the door, trying to get in.

Adam grabs Buffy again, lifting her off the floor, and throws her against the wall. She hits hard and falls, unmoving. Adam just stands and looks down at his fallen opponents.

There are now more commandos outside the door, trying to break through.

ADAM: Thank you. This has been . . . very interesting.

He walks to the stairs and heads back up to the catwalk. Riley is lying against the wall, in pain and Buffy, nearby, is starting to move again.

Commando: (OS) Back away from the door!

Finally, one of the commandos figured out that one of the very big g*n their holding would be very helpful right now, and sends a circle of sh*ts through the metal door around the handle. Adam walks under an airvent and reaches for the grated cover.

Buffy moves to Riley's side.

Buffy: Riley. Are you okay?

The door gives way and two commandos rush in, g*n ready. Forrest and

Graham are right behind them and another half dozen commandos follow.

They see Angleman's body as they walk inside.

Commando: (OS) Secure the room! Go! Go!

Xander: (still on the floor) We got a demon in here. It escaped through that vent.

Buffy: It's not the Polgara. It looks sort of half man.

Forrest: Right! And you just happened to be in the neighborhood.

Riley: (painfilled) She's telling the truth. I saw it. It k*lled

Angleman. Go. Now!

Commando: Yes, sir.

Several commandos rush up the stairs to the vent. Forrest steps closer to Riley.

Buffy: He needs to go to a hospital.

Forrest: We'll take it from here.

Buffy: I'm going with him.

Forrest: It's a military hospital.

Buffy: No.

Forrest kneels beside Riley.

Forrest: Back off! We take care of our own around here, understand?

Two of the commandos standing next to Graham aim their r*fles at

Buffy. Xander, not liking where this is going, moves closer to her and reaches a hand down to her.

Xander: (concerned) Buffy.

Forrest motions Graham forward and Buffy has to move as he and Forrest lift Riley to his feet.

Forrest: (to commandos) Escort them out.

Riley looks back at Buffy.

Riley: (weakly) Buffy

Buffy can only stand and watch them take him away and tears start to fill her eyes. And we cut to--

The door of Willy's Place swings open and Spike is ejected, tumbling into the alley in a broken, bloody mess. As he lies on his back, a large bad-ass demon walks out and stands over him.

Bad-ass Demon: What did you expect, Spike? A welcome party?

Quick sh*t of two more mean looking demons standing in the doorway.

Bad-ass Demon: Word's out: you've been making w*r on the demon world.

Spike: (dazed) w*r?

Bad-ass Demon: With the Slayer! You k*ll other demons and the rest of us don't hold with that.

The other two demons, growling, duck back inside where the jukebox can be heard playing loudly.

Bad-ass Demon: Still . . . if I see you around here again, *I'll* be inclined to break that code. Do you understand?

Spike doesn't, or can't, say anything and the demon turns and walks back inside. Leaving Spike alone.

Cut to UC Sunnydale. Next day. Willow and Buffy are outside, walking across campus.

Willow: No word from Riley?

Buffy: Nothing. The Initiative probably has him locked in some medical ward. There's no way I can get near him until I come up with a better plan than just storming in and getting us all sh*t.

Willow: Yeah, you might want to work the kinks out of that one.

Buffy: What am I going to do? He needs me and I can't get near him.

Willow: You'll find a way.

Buffy: It's not like I can spend all of my energy going after the

Initiative. Not while Adam's out there.

Willow: He's really that big of a thr*at?

They move to the side of the walkway and sit down on a wooden bench.

Buffy: (sighs) I could barely fight him. I-it was like Maggie designed him to be the ultimate warrior. He's smart and fast. He gave the commando guys the slip with no problem.

Willow: There's gotta be a flaw.

Buffy: I think the part where he's pure evil and kills randomly was an oversight.

She lets herself sit back as her thoughts return to Riley.

Buffy: I never should have let them take Riley. I need to be with him.

Willow: I'm sure he's okay.

Buffy: There's no way he can be. Everything he's ever believed in has been taken away or . . . He's alone. He has nothing to hold on to.

Dissolve to the corridors of the Initiative. Commandos and Scientists are going about business as usual. One commando is standing guard at a closed door. Dissolve to interior and the camera pans across the medical room where we see Riley lying on a bed. his abdomen is wrapped heavily in bandages, a small red stain over his wound. He's still sweating a little but no longer seems agitated. He's staring at the wall.

He lifts his right hand and looks at Buffy's scarf still wrapped around his hand.
{"type": "series", "show": "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "episode": "04x14 - Goodbye Iowa"}