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[anchor=six]Episode 8.06
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You, Part 1
Season 8, Issue #6
Script by Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jo Chen
Slayers named in this issue:
Faith Lehane
Lady Genevieve Savidge
Buffy Summers
Renee
"'Oh, the places you'll go.'
Mom used to read me that book before she tucked me in"¦nights she was sober enough, anyway."
The opening scene shows Faith sitting atop a statue in Cleveland smoking and griping about being in the city. Her cell phone rings. It's Robin Wood, who is now, apparently, her ex. She makes a joke about ex's and late night booty calls, and he tells her he is calling for business. Slayers can be seen in the background, fighting vampires as he talks to Faith.
Robin tells Faith that one of the vampires in the nest he and his squad are dealing with used to be a single mom. Faith says she can take care of it and asks him to text the address. Robin thanks her and proceeds to ask her how she has been. She hangs up on him. Then, using something she obviously stole from Batman's utility belt, she creates a zip line to get back to ground level.
Faith finds the house of the vampire-mom and lets herself inside. She calls out and her reply is a strangled sob from a child, a girl. Faith tries to reassure the girl as she moves forward. The girl looks up, in full vamp-face.
"Damn."
The other kids come out to play, all of them sporting fangs. Faith does her job and stakes the kids. Family photos can be seen as she gets to work.
It's early in the morning when Faith gets home, and she looks tired and depressed. She slams her stake into the wall of her apartment, possibly showing how much staking the children upset her. There are five other holes in the wall, suggesting five other incidents that bothered her.
A voice draws her attention and Faith turns to find Giles in her kitchen with a cup of what is apparently chamomile tea. He's wearing a sweater with the Yellow Submarine on it.
Giles, as usual, stands on the wrong side of the generation gap as he and the Slayer talk. Faith takes offence at his attempts to be nice and asks him to get straight to the point and tell her what he needs killed. He tells her that things aren't that simple this time and informs her that he knows she tried to buy a fake passport at least twice. Faith grows embarrassed at having been caught. Giles tells her that if he accepts his assignment, he can get her to any place she wants, with spending money for the rest of her life. Faith is skeptical and asks him what kind of target deserves rewards like these.
Giles tells her that the target is a Slayer.
Faith wonders what this girl could have possibly have done for Giles to call for her death and he tells her that all of his augers, including the Great Bearded Wizard of Northampton, that unless she is stopped before the fall's end, she'll bring on the apocalypse. Faith decides to take the job and Giles reminds her that he's talking about killing a human being.
"Heard you the first time. So, who is this evil bitch, anyway?"
The next scene shows a happy young woman on horseback, discussing with her tutor what kind of dog she would like. Her tutor refers to her as Lady Genevieve and her father is apparently the Duke. She tells her tutor, Roden, to wait, because she can "˜sense her'. Jumping down from her horse, Lady Genevieve makes her way over to a patch of trees as Roden tells her to "˜finish it before she goes to ground'.
Hiding in the trees is a girl. Her clothes are muddy and torn and her mascara has run as though she's been crying. Lady Genevieve looks at her in disgust and the girl looks terrified, right before she lifts her right foots and kicks Lady Genevieve solidly in the chest.
Lady Genevieve looks outraged.
"You filthy little commoner! I loved that shirt."
She calmly backhands the girl, who falls awkwardly and lands on her head. Lady Genevieve looks on in horror at the now dead girl and her broken neck. She panics as Roden dismounts behind her, and worries about the body. Roden tells her than "˜the boys' will take care of it as he conjures two huge demons that look like gargoyles. Lady Genevieve grows angry and takes it out on Roden, who she calls a "˜sad Irish witch' and demands what is hers. Roden corrects her, calling himself a warlock, and telling her to be patient. The book he is carrying in his arms has the Twilight symbol on the cover.
Back with Faith and Giles, Faith confirms that her target is in England, and asks why they are still in America. Giles tells her that they will leave as soon as her training is finished. She asks what he can possibly teach her about the "˜wonderful world of wet works' and Giles tells her that her target, Lady Genevieve Savidge, is one of the wealthiest heiresses in the British Isles and has her home mystically protected from conventional attack.
"The only chance you have at finishing this Slayer is by getting close to her through subterfuge and cunning."
Faith tells Giles she won't be going "˜down town' on this chick.
Giles explains what she must learn to fit into Lady Genevieve's life. Faith wonders why Giles chose her for this job when others are probably better suited. Giles puts a hand on her arm. Suddenly, Faith flashes back on the vamp-kids and she lifts a fork and stabs Giles in the arm. She comes back to reality and instantly apologizes, but insists she doesn't like to be touched unless she touches first. She notices Giles' tattoo as he rolls up his sleeve. Giles insists that the two of them aren't as different as Faith might think. Faith looks ashamed and asks if it was a salad fork she stabbed him with.
"Er, no, actually. The salad fork has a shorter handle and a wider tine base. But that's as good a place to start as any."
The story moves to the castle in Scotland, and to Xander, who is working out in the gym, shirtless and taunting the heavy bag. Buffy startles him and he hides behind the bag. Buffy asks him why he's working out and he tells her Renee asked him to be her sparring partner. Buffy teases him a little before growing silent. Xander asks her if she's okay, as she draws the Twilight symbol in the condensation on the window. She asks if there's been any word from Giles, and Xander tells her they haven't heard from him in a few weeks as he pulls on a Sunnydale High Swim team shirt.
Buffy tells him about the dream she just had, one that has her running from what appears to be a Gryphon, that says to her "˜The Queen is dead.'
"Long live the Queen."
The Doctor and Rose can be seen walking past an old red telephone box in the front of Giles' building.
Inside, Giles asks who takes seating preference at a formal dinner. He's answered in a near perfect English accent, which we learn is actually Faith, although she has no idea what the answer is. Giles assures her she'll do fine, before asking if her "˜selection' works alright. Faith replies in the positive, but she feels like an idiot, and she walks down the stairs in a full length, green formal dress, complete with long gloves and jewelry. Her hair is swept back from her face.
"So, how we doing here?"
Giles takes off his glasses and stares at her.
"Five by five."
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=seven]Episode 8.07
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You, Part 2
Season 8, Issue #7
Script by Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jo Chen
Slayers named in this issue:
Faith Lehane
Lady Genevieve Savidge
Renee
Buffy Summers
"This is friendship."
We open on a flashback to the scene from "˜Graduation Day' when Buffy stabbed Faith. Faith thinks back on that time with Buffy as if she's wondering where it all went wrong. The scene ends with a close up on Faith's eyes the moment Buffy sinks the knife in, before we return to the present as Faith waits to enter Lady Genevieve's estate.
"Anyway, live and learn. Almost die and learn way more."
Giles is communicating with Faith via an earpiece, which she quickly removes and tosses away, explaining that she has enough voices in her head already.
She waits in line for security to search her with a metal detector, before an usher asks for her invitation. She launches into her character, a well-bred English girl, and the usher seems to believe her and lets her through, although he apparently does not like Genevieve.
Faith waits in line to greet Genevieve, and she is sweating, nervous. She tries to tell herself to relax, because she has done worse than killing an evil girl. However, she is still shaking badly. There are three people in front of her and she pulls out a small dagger she has been using as a hair accessory.
The scene switches to Roden as he watches Lady Genevieve with his two gargoyle demons. He tells them to keep an eye on the girl fourth in line to greet Genevieve. Faith.
The story moves to the castle and we see Dawn and Willow picking apples and talking. Dawn is about to tell Willow the truth about how she "˜blossomed' so that the witch can un-embiggen her when they are interrupted by Renee, who tells "˜Ms. Rosenberg' that Buffy needs her. Willow reminds Renee that she will turn her into a baby goat if she keeps calling Willow by her mother's name, then reminds US that they've added G.I Joe to the list of people who want them dead, and Dawn explains that "˜all's fair in love and war.'
Back at Lady Genevieve's estate, Faith is out on the balcony, smoking and telling herself that she will take Lady Genevieve out just as soon as she has polished of the pack.
"Mind if I bum a fag?"
Faith turns to find the target of her assignment standing behind her requesting a cigarette. Faith hands her the pack before they chat about Amy Winehouse. Faith introduces herself as Hope Lyonne, and Lady Genevieve refers to herself as "˜Gigi'. Gigi asks about "˜Hope's' parents and Faith seems to draw on her life experiences as she tells Gigi that her father may as well be a ghost and her mother in a filthy drunk. Gigi jokingly asks if they are sisters. Faith starts to respond, again pulling the dagger from her hair, but is literally lifted off her feet by Roden's gargoyles.
"Frickin' gargoyles? I hate Europe."
Faith uses her dagger and stabs one of them in the eye and it lets her go. She clings to the other one, forcing it to the ground where it explodes in a shower of rock.
The other one comes back for her and she hurts her hand trying to punch it. It pulls back and goes for the dive-bomb technique. At the last second, Faith jumps out of the way and the demon hits the ground head first, exploding on contact.
"Yo, rock. Meet hard place."
Faith seems happy at her victory over the demons, but it is short lived as her injuries take their toll as she collapses.
Sometime later, Faith comes to, and overhears part of a conversation between Gigi and Roden. He urges her to kill Faith, but she says no because "˜Hope' is just like her.
"She isn't one of your disposable street urchins. This Slayer is a fellow blue blood."
Gigi introduces Roden, and tells Faith that he is from Belfast, though, she has not to hold that against him. (The cheek, lol)
Gigi tries to explain to "˜Hope' that she is a Slayer, obviously unaware that Faith knows all about it.
She tells Faith that Roden believes that she, Gigi, is going to lead the Slayers to take their place at the head of society, but first she has to destroy the woman who is holding them back"¦and taker her place as queen.
Obviously confused, Faith thinks she is talking about the Queen of England, before Gigi opens her closet and dozens of pictures of a blonde woman can be seen, the Twilight symbol scrawled across one photograph.
The woman in the photos is Buffy Summers.
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=eight]Episode 8.08
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You, Part 3
Season 8, Issue #8
Script by Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Albert
Cover Art by Jo Chen
Slayers named in this issue:
Faith Lehane
Lady Genevieve Savidge
Buffy Summers
"Her. It's always about her."
Again, we open on a flashback, this time of Buffy slaying a vampire, before Faith's focus returns to the present. She and Gigi are in some sort of surveillance room. Images of girls, most likely Slayers can be seen on numerous television screen, although most of the images are of Buffy.
There's a map of Europe on the wall behind, with more pictures of girls taped to different locations.
Gigi tells "˜Hope' that she wants to "˜assassinate' Buffy, take her place as Queen, and bring the Slayers to their rightful place as head of society. Roden interrupts, telling Lady Genevieve not to get ahead of herself as they still have a lot to do. Gigi tells Roden that HE has a lot to do, while she and "˜Hope' take it easy.
Meanwhile, Giles is still trying to contact Faith via the earpiece she threw away. He's waiting for her at their prearranged meeting point, which seems to be somewhere just outside of Gigi's estate's mystical defences. Trafalgar, a troll, is trying to break through the barriers, but he's not having much luck. Trafalgar points out that, because Giles can't contact Faith, she might have "˜gone native'.
Back at Lady Genevieve's house, she and Faith are, strangely, sharing a bathtub, and wondering what kind of music they should have a Gigi's coronation. They also discover they have the same taste in music. Gigi assures "˜Hope' that they are kindred spirits. They discuss the fact that they both suffer from horrible nightmares, and Gigi confesses that she hasn't had a decent nights sleep since her "˜first tampon' which could be an indication that a girl must reach puberty before she can become a Slayer.
Gigi tells Faith that Roden is the one who's going to show her the way, in order to lead the Slayers. He promises her that the nightmares will stop as soon as Buffy is dead. Faith grows worried at that statement and asks Gigi if she's sure that Roden is telling her the truth.
"One way to find out, yeah?"
Faith urges Gigi to reconsider and not to go after this girl, Buffy. Gigi replies, "What makes you think I'm going anywhere?"
At the castle in Scotland, Willow is working on the magical defences as Buffy looks on. Willow asks why Buffy is getting the money for their new security measures, and Buffy tells her that they have "˜friends' with pockets deeper than the ones in Dawnie's giant pants. Willow then asks what's going to happen when the soldier types break through their defences, is she really ready to kill humans? But before she can answer, Buffy disappears.
""¦did I do that?"
Roden has teleported Buffy to Gigi's estate with a spell that refers to her as "˜the first of the last'.
The sudden motion causes Buffy to be sick, before she promises Roden that he's going to pay.
Gigi and "˜Hope' watch from a balcony as Buffy confronts Roden. Faith is horrified that they brought Buffy here, but Gigi assures her that everything is going to be fine, even as she takes a sword from a nearby suit of armor.
Buffy advances on Roden, who she refers to as "˜Red'. Gigi comes up from behind her.
"Have you forgotten your manners, colonist? When in the presence of royalty, you belong on your knees."
Gigi catches Buffy with a hard sidekick to the face, but Buffy doesn't go down. Gigi calls Buffy a "˜pretender to the throne' as she attacks, introducing herself as Lady Genevieve Savidge at the same time. Buffy tells Gigi that her sense of sisterhood sucks, before head butting her in the face, breaking her nose. Gigi grins through the blood.
Buffy is shocked to learn that Gigi has killed other Slayers. She gains the upper hand and holds Gigi's sword over her head, and prepares to deliver the final blow. Roden can be seen in the background, reading from his "˜guide book', magical energy crackling around his fingers. Faith comes running out of nowhere, calling Buffy's name. Both Slayers look shocked, Buffy because Faith is here, and Gigi because Buffy called her "˜Faith'. Faith tackles Buffy and they both crash through a window and fall into the shallow end of the swimming pool.
Buffy jumps to the wrong conclusion and thinks that Faith is working for Gigi, starting their own Evil Slayers Club. She doesn't believe Faith when she tells her Giles sent her to take out Gigi, and the two of them fight. Faith holds Buffy under the water, her hands around Buffy's throat, but she pulls her out before she can do anything she might regret. Faith tells her to shut up, and then repeats the same words quietly to herself. Buffy asks her who she's talking to.
"I wish you'd just go away."
Before Buffy can ask her what she means, she disappears again.
A black-eyed and angry Willow teleports Buffy back to the castle. The witch asks Buffy who took her and Buffy throws up again, before asking for Giles.
Back at Gigi's, Faith stares at the spot Buffy has just been.
"Buffy"¦? All alone, same as always."
Wearily, she drags herself out of the pool and sits on the side, looking dejected.
A voice calls out from behind her, asking if she let Buffy go.
"I thought you were my friend."
Gigi stands behind Faith, mascara running down her face, a double bladed battle-axe in her hands.
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=nine]Episode 8.09
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You, Part 4
Season 8, Issue #9
Script by Brian K. Vaughan
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jo Chen
Slayers named in this issue:
Faith Lehane
Lady Genevieve Savidge
Buffy Summers
"Oh, one more thing before you go."
Flashback to Faith and the Mayor, the day he gave her the pretty pink dress. Faith looks back on that time with fondness and it's obvious that there was genuine love and respect between the two of them. The Mayor even goes so far as to say that he thinks of Faith as a daughter.
"Even today it's still hard to look back at my time with that guy and feel anything but loved."
Back to the present and Roden is urging Genevieve on, telling her to "˜murder this backstabbing slag'.
Gigi is enraged over Faith's lies. Faith tries to talk to her, but Gigi hits her with the hilt of the axe. Gigi realizes that Faith isn't English, which must mean that her fake accent was pretty good, and she asks Faith if she's from New York. Faith climbs to her feet and tells Gigi "˜that hurts' but it's not clear if she's talking about the blow from the axe or the accusation that she's a New Yorker. She hits Gigi with a hard sidekick that sends her flying off the balcony and into the greenhouse. Glass smashes everywhere but Gigi still has a grip on her axe.
Faith follows after the other slayer and Gigi climbs onto that pedestal she's created for herself and tells Faith she's not worthy to be a slain by a Slayer, must less to be one. She swings her axe, and Faith jumps high into the air. The blade gets embedded into a statue and Faith lands, balancing precariously on the hilt.
"You think I asked for this?"
She kicks Gigi under the chin and Gigi makes a tasteless crack about the Princess of Wales as Faith flips herself into the air and somersaults to land on her feet. She tells Gigi that Roden will get her killed if she sticks with him.
"He may push me, but Roden's my best mate. Something I doubt you've ever had."
Gigi launches herself at Faith, anger taking all coordination out of her attack.
The story moves to Giles and Trafalgar and the little troll says he can't get into the estate. Giles asks him not to give up. Trafalgar tells him that darker arts than his are needed.
Giles' cell phone rings. It's Willow.
"Speaking of witch"¦"
Giles answers, expecting Willow, but instead a very irate Buffy tells him to shut up. She asks why Giles is working with "˜her' without telling her. Giles tells her not to worry, but Buffy yells that his "˜Femme Nikita' just tried to drown her in a pool drain. She explains about the teleportation and Giles marvels at the fact that Buffy left Faith behind. He asks for Willow to be put on the phone.
"Not until you tell me what the hell is going on."
Giles tells Buffy that he doesn't want her to be any part of this operation.
Numb, Buffy hands the phone to Willow, who takes it and asks if everything's okay. Xander suggests that she just needs some time alone.
"What other kind is there?"
Back at Gigi's, she and Faith are still fighting. Gigi punches Faith and she lands in Gigi's mom's rosebushes, which Gigi takes offence at. She throws a pair of garden shears at Faith, who catches them in that very special way that all Slayers seem to have. She tells Gigi that she doesn't deserve to be loved by anybody. Gigi's spoiled nature and her "˜I'm so amazing' attitude rears it's ugly head and she declares that she deserves anything and everything she wants. Her real plan comes out as she tells Faith that as soon as she's wrung every drop of blood from "˜your kind,' her nightmares will end, meaning that she and Roden were possibly planning to kill ALL Slayers, and not just Buffy.
Gigi rushes Faith again and the more experienced Slayer uses her hands for leverage and kicks out with both feet. She realizes too late where Gigi's trajectory takes her and she can only watch helplessly as the younger girl is impaled on the axe blade that's still embedded in the statue. Faith is horrified at what she's done as she watches Gigi die, even though she knows that she has succeeded in her mission to kill the girl.
Roden sees everything, but isn't exactly upset as he decides he "˜backed the wrong filly'. Faith orders him to heal Gigi, but Roden declines, telling Faith that his orders were to train the Slayer to kill all Slayers, and that he knew Gigi was a dead end, and he decides that Faith is the Slayer he was looking for all along. Faith tells him where to go and borrows Buffy's nickname of "˜Red'.
He uses the fact that he could get rid of Buffy for good as bait and for a second, Faith seems tempted. Roden gives her the Twilight guidebook and Faith smiles, before she uses the book to smack him across the face.
Roden grows angry and his eyes turn black as he blasts Faith with power. He conjures a giant fist from the ground and it captures Faith and squeezes, squeezing the life from her.
Suddenly, Faith smiles, and behind Roden stands Giles with the garden shears raised. Obviously, Willow got past the magical defences. He stabs Roden and the fist holding Faith collapses. Roden turns his magic on Giles.
"They're all gonna die, you know. Every last one of your bitches."
Faith throws the Twilight book at Giles and he catches it easily, opens it to a spell and starts to chant. Roden laughs at Giles, telling him that his, Roden's, own spells are useless against him as he can break out of any mystical field ever enchanted.
"I know. That's why I put one inside you."
Roden's face bulges grotesquely until Giles orders him to "˜burst' and Roden's head explodes.
Faith tells the Watcher that they're done.
Back at Giles' home, Faith has changed into her normal street clothes and her wounds have been bandaged. Giles hands her a passport, complete with a new identity, and congratulates her on her honorable discharge.
"Thanks, but I'm not ready to punch out yet."
Faith explains that there are gonna be other Gigi's out there and that it might be up to her to bring them back from the brink. Giles asks if he could join Faith on her new mission and Faith says she won't be taking orders again, even from guys she digs. Giles proposes a partnership and says that they could take care of the missions no one else wants. Faith asks how Buffy would feel about that, and Giles reveals that he and Buffy are not on speaking terms.
"Then I guess we're on our own."
"It would appear so. But perhaps we can be on our own together."
The story moves to a helicopter flying over a volcano. It lands and a female army lieutenant climbs out.
"Twilight? You there? "˜I humbly request your presence' and all that crap."
She holds up her hand, showing that Twilight's symbol is etched on her left palm. Someone speaks "˜off screen' and Lieutenant Melter turns to see the floating feet of someone floating. Twilight is revealed, but his face is hidden behind a black and red mask. Twilight reveals that Gigi and Roden were pawns in his little game to get Faith and Giles to remove themselves from Buffy and the rest of her team. Twilight calls this mission a victory. The Lieutenant asks how it can be a victory when Buffy lives to fight another day.
"Let her have the day, Lieutenant.
Night falls soon enough."
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=ten]Episode 8.10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Anywhere But Here
Season 8, Issue #10
Script by Joss Whedon
Pencils by Cliff Richards
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jo Chen
Slayers named in this issue:
Buffy Summers
Kennedy
Faith Lehane
"Buffy Summers?"
"Depends. If you're anyone other than Daniel Craig, then no, never heard of her."[/B]
Luckily for Buffy, it is Daniel Craig, complete in his blue swimming trunks, who had stopped by to apply some sun block to the Slayer, as she's apparently turning a bit red.
Unfortunately, it's just a fantasy as at the present moment, Buffy is with Willow and they are literally flying over the countryside. Or, according to Buffy, Willow is flying while she is dangling. Buffy is freaking slightly and Willow asks her why, when she's jumped out of helicopters. Buffy insists that helicopters are lower down. Willow tells her flying companion that they are close to their destination and she's going to bring them down a bit. Buffy insists that's not better.
Back in Scotland, Xander has a surprise for Dawn. He's gotten some of the junior magic users to cast a spell on Dawn's luggage, enlarging it to her giant size. Dawn is delighted and dives in, searching through her clothes. Xander gets caught up in Dawn's excitement and he gets lost in her things.
Back with the Slayer and the witch, and Willow's fantasy involves Tina Fey and a blizzard on the Alps. Buffy asks why Kennedy isn't a part of Willow's fantasy and Willow insists that significant others aren't allowed. Buffy deduces that Kennedy is still Willow's significant, even though she hasn't seen her around a lot. She can tell the witch isn't interested and changes the subject, asking if they're there yet. Willow replies in the positive and lands gracefully on her feet. Buffy crashes on her ass.
They land in front of a run down house.
"THIS is the lair of Sephrilian? It's not the guest lair or something? I thought he was big noise."
Willow explains that Sephrilian walks between worlds and reality buckles around him. She insists that his "˜lair' is probably bigger on the inside.
Buffy inquires about the lady sitting on the lawn and Willow guesses that she's the minder, watching over the reality field. Willow tells Buffy that she's never met the woman, but she calls her Robin and Robin knows her name is Willow.
"I thought you never met."
"We do later on."
"And I'm just gonna ride with that."
Willow says she can feel "˜him' in there, thrashing, and Robin tells the girls that he's not in a very good mood. Buffy hopes they can make things better, "˜one way or another.'
Robin urges them not to use any magic within the field, even if things get dicey.
"If things get dicey, then I get Slay-ey. But that's not what we came for."
Robin tells them that the important thing is that they rescue the prince. Neither Buffy nor Willow understand what she means. Buffy wonders aloud if being the "˜minder' has caused problems in Robin's head, and asks who choose a gig like that. Willow tells her than no one volunteers to be a minder.
"You get chosen."
The door to Sephrilian's lair closes behind them and they are faced with an endless staircase. Buffy inquires about escalators in Hell as they start to make their descent. They wonder about time loops and Buffy reveals the evens of the last few weeks, and Faith trying to kill her. Again. Willow says that she's never been a fan of Faith, but tells Buffy she has her back on this trip. She also wants to play a game.
Back with Xander and Dawn, Xander has resurfaced in Dawn's suitcase, wrapped in something silky, lacey and frilly. He panics, loosing his footing and disappearing into the clothes again as Dawn tells him it's a camisole. He finds something hidden underneath the clothes. A picture of Dawn and Kenny, the Thrisewise.
Buffy and Willow are playing Anywhere But Here again, and this time, Buffy has gone back in time to Little Women Christian Bale Era, but Reign of Fire Christian Bale is also present. Willow is more impressed with this fantasy and tries to think of one of her own, but Buffy changes the subject and says that she likes Kennedy. Willow doesn't seem as though she wants to talk about it but Buffy seems concerned that Willow doesn't bring Kennedy to visit, and about where Willow went for quiet sometime previously. Before Willow can answer, the rope bridge they've been standing on suddenly gives way. Buffy seems glad about the distraction. Both women land hard and Willow apologizes because she can't fly in here. Buffy insists that she's "˜spine.'
There's a demon before them, hideous, with huge teeth and wings and some sort of televisions screens in its tail. It tells Buffy and Willow that they reek of lies, even though they haven't said anything yet, but the demon says it's heard it all before. Buffy insists that she's gonna say it anyway. The truth.
"We need your help."
Buffy says that the demon, Sephrilian, walks the human reality and the other ones, and that makes it Tichajt, one of the demon elite, which means Sephrilian must know what's going on, the imbalance between the worlds. Sephrilian knows she is talking about Twilight. Willow wants to know what it is and what it truly means.
"The end, of course. Of the struggle, of the Hellmouths"¦the final triumph of the base humans over the demons. It's your life goal achieved, Slayer. The death of magic."
Willow doesn't look happy.
In Dawn's barn, the giant gazes at the photo Xander uncovered and tells him that it's all her fault. Xander tries to reassure her, telling her that guys aren't trustworthy and that Kenny took advantage of her and that Willow's inability to shrink her back to normal size is Kenny's fault, not hers. Dawn reveals she lied to Willow. She didn't sleep with Kenny.
She slept with his roommate.
Back with Buffy and Willow, Sephrilian tells them they can't handle the terrible beauty of fatal awareness and that they all hide behind their lies and secrets, even from each other and offers to show them. Buffy doesn't want to be there anymore as a bright light floods their vision and Willow says she doesn't think they are.
The light disappears and a vision of a bank vault appears instead. Inside, the vault, they can see at least seven girls, filling bags with gold bars and cold hard cash. Another woman appears in the vision, holding a huge diamond. The woman is Buffy and the girls robbing the vault are Slayers. Looking closer, three of the girls bare a remarkable resemblance to Satsu, Leah and Rowena.
Willow realizes that the mysterious benefactors bankrolling the Slayer army is in fact Buffy herself, robbing the rich to feed the poor Slayers. Buffy insists that everything they stole was ensured and that it was a victimless crime. She even says she found a Watteau the Nazis had and sent it to the Tate.
"It's only money."
Willow tells her that money changes everything and concludes that Buffy and her girls robbing bank vaults was probably what their enemies saw. Slayers acting above the law.
It's Willow's turn to be seen doing a bad thing, and a vision appears of a naked Willow wrapped in the arms and tail/tentacles of a green woman with flowing white hair. Buffy says that Willow's bad thing is way better than hers.
Dawn confesses all to Xander. The boy she slept with was called Nick and it happened at a house party. Kenny was apparently heartbroken and now Dawn's a giant. She says she's too embarrassed to tell Willow the truth. Xander deducts that Nick was a bad boy, and in a band, and finds Dawn guilty of being a cliché. He informs Dawn that the first person Buffy slept with in college was just as bad a Nick. He feels special because Dawn opened up to him and is certain that now they know the truth, Willow can get Dawn back to her normal size.
Dawn doesn't look happy.
Back with Willow and Buffy, Robin had joined them, but the Slayer and the witch have no idea where they are. Willow is sure she was never naughty here and asks Robin if this has happened yet.
"Oh, I didn't think he'd show you this."
An image of Buffy appears. She's lying on the ground, her clothes are torn and she's got scratches and bruises all over her body. She's crying. Buffy asks what happens to her here.
"Betrayal. The closest and most unexpected."
Buffy is about to ask who would betray her, but Robin tells them she has to be outside as they are about to cause a disruption. Willow insists that they have to get out, but Buffy interrupts her.
"Is it you? Is that why we're both in this?"
Willow tells her that she won't betray her anymore than she already has.
Flashback to a bitter argument between Willow and Kennedy. The Slayer assumes that Willow is ashamed of her and that's why Willow keeps her away from Buffy and the others. Kennedy insists that she would die for Willow, and in fact, she has, albeit a mystical death. Willow assures Kennedy that she is not ashamed of her, that her problems are from before and Kennedy realizes she's talking about Tara. However, Willow admits that she HAS kept Kennedy away from Buffy and she has stayed away herself. She explains that when Buffy died, she and Tara were happy, and Buffy was happy. We see Willow telling the story to Buffy.
"But I had to bring you back."
Willow confesses that she saw no other option. She says that Buffy coming back led to misery and violence, and Warren F$%&ing Mears, who tried to shoot Buffy and hit Tara instead. Willow realizes that she and Tara could have moved on after Buffy's death and raised Dawnie. But she chose to put Tara in the path of a bullet. And willow tells Buffy that she chose her over Tara and reveals that she told Kennedy that she couldn't do that again to the woman she loved.
Buffy and Willow turn their backs on each other, both women upset by the revelations and Sephrilian returns, assuring them that all his faces are there to see, but humans have too many. He says he welcomes the coming war so that he can be rid of "˜their kind.'
Buffy grows angry and attacks Sephrilian, and Willow aids her with magic and together they separate Sephrilian from his "˜faces.' As Sephrilian dies, Willow realizes that the place isn't stable a second before it explodes, sending Buffy and Willow hurtling through the air. Robin controls the explosion before helping Willow to her feet.
Willow apologized about the explosion, but Robin seems grateful for being able to have some time off before she's reassigned.
Buffy asks Robin if she remembers what happened when they were in there, but Robin says that it was a projection of her, and it went down when the field collapsed, but she can't imagine it was anything fun.
Buffy tells her it was demons playing games, before she and Willow walk away in opposite directions.
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=eleven]Episode 8.11
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: A Beautiful Sunset
Season 8, Issue #11
Script by Joss Whedon
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Michelle Madsen
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jon Foster
Slayers named in this issue:
Buffy Summers
Satsu
Simone Doffler
"Once upon a time, I did a good thing."
The opening page, and Buffy speaks in voice over as we see images of Willow and the Scythe, casting the Spell. We also see some of the girls affected by the spell. Baseball Girl, Vi and Rona, and Satsu. We can see Buffy training with the new girls.
Cut to CCTV footage of a girl with a pink Mohawk and sporting a very large gun. Three other girls can be seen in the background, as can two security guards, who are unconscious.
We learn that it is Buffy and Xander watching the footage and Buffy is far from happy. The Mohawk girl is named as Simone Doffler, and she was originally part of the Chicago squad with Rona before she was shipped to Andrew's team. One of the other girls was also with Andrew's team, and the others remain unidentified.
"If they're Slayers, they're not ours."
Xander knows that news of Slayers with guns would be bad for them, but Buffy's too focused on her own guilt to worry about what the army people think. She blames herself for Simone's smash and grab idea, as it was she who started it by raiding bank vaults to fund their operation.
Xander tells her that he thinks the idea of her being an international jewel thief is incredibly sexy, and at the same time he asks if Buffy's smash and grab was the reason Willow left so suddenly. Buffy says the Willow thing is complicated.
Buffy asks if there's any more pressing matters and Xander informs her that they've located vampire nest. Buffy gets excited and asks if she can handle it solo or if she needs a squad. Xander tells her to "˜bring a date.'
She chooses Satsu, explaining that she wants to talk to the young Slayer anyway. Xander tells her they can head out in the morning, though probably not too early, as they join the party Dawn and the Slayers are throwing. Dawn is drinking out of a beer keg. Buffy asks if her little sister is getting drunk. Xander laughs.
"A) She is in fact of legal age in Scotland. B) WE couldn't afford enough beer to get her drunk if we stole the YANKEES. And C) "˜Little'?"
The young Slayers are climbing all over Dawn. Renee, Satsu and Leah can bee seen dancing and Xander asks Buffy if she's going to join them, and insists that she spends too much time alone.
The scene switches to what is obviously the next morning, and Buffy is racing across rooftops, her Scythe in her hand. She dives off one roof, flips and lands on her feet. She looks at her watch and waits as Satsu lands in the mud beside her. Buffy asks her what she's learned.
"Scotland is slippery?"
Satsu insists she's not as fast as Buffy and the older Slayer assures her that she will be, before wiping the mud off her face and telling her that she's her best fighter, and insisting she could lead the Scottish crew one day. Satsu asks if she's leaving.
"You could lead this crew or you could be a corpse if you don't figure out a few key rules. Of which number two is not landing on your face."
Rule number one is apparently that you're always in danger.
Buffy tells Satsu that, right now, she's in terrible danger. Satsu asks why, obviously confused.
"You're in love with me."
As Buffy speaks, she kicks Satsu into the nest of vamps that are returning to a crypt.
"Stupid lip gloss."
Satsu jumps into the fight, pulling a Japanese style sword from a sheath on her back and decapitating a vampire that is sneaking up behind her. As the same time, she asks Buffy is she's kicking her out. Buffy tells her that she's missing the point, because she thinks it's the sweetest thing ever. Satsu tells her not to make fun of her and Buffy says she's not. Satsu's kiss wouldn't have woken her up is her feelings for Buffy weren't real. She tells Satsu she knows how much being in love can hurt. She admits that she thinks Satsu is hot, she has great taste in clothes and she's a hell of a Slayer. But Satsu knows that Buffy isn't gay.
"Not so much you'd notice."
Buffy tells Satsu that knowing someone feels that way about her makes her feel a little less lonely, but says that Satsu's feelings are good for her, but bad for Satsu herself. She admits that people who love her tend to have bad things happen to them, and then they all leave. She starts crying and says she didn't mean to end up in "˜this place.'
Someone comes up from behind Buffy and smashes her into a sarcophagus.
It's Twilight.
"The Chosen One. Always in pain and always complaining. Just like a girl."
Satsu attacks Twilight from behind with her sword, but Twilight snaps the blade without looking, punches Satsu in the face and kicks her away.
Buffy gets back to her feet and tries to slice Twilight in half with her Scythe, just like she did with Caleb. Twilight tells her he knows that move and she asks him to show her some of his. He grabs hold of Buffy and flies straight up into the air. He tells Buffy she cannot fight him. Buffy pulls herself out of his grip, kicks him in the face and uses her Scythe to grab hold of his feet to stop her from falling. She somersaults behind him and presses the blade of the Scythe to his throat, telling him she'll probably try to fight him anyway.
Twilight flies with Buffy holding onto him. He crashes through a water tower, then heads for the spire of a church. Buffy lets go and drops to a rooftop. Twilight lifts the church spire and aims it at Buffy.
"Go ahead. Church me. Plenty more where I came from."
Buffy uses the spire as leverage to attack as Twilight tells her that the world will suffer because it can't contain all the Slayers. Buffy sees the symbol on his chest and realizes who she's fighting.
"Have you made a difference? Have your Slayers helped you change anything in this world? Have they helped you?"
Twilight flies away and Buffy, looking defeated, returns to Satsu, who thinks she let the older Slayer down.
Twilight returns to his people, including demons and military personnel, who ask Twilight why he didn't kill Buffy.
"That's been done. To little effect. The trick is to strip her of her greatest amour. Her moral certainty."
Twilight reasons that Buffy may be confused about her personal life, but she is always certain she is fighting on the right side of the war.
Twilight pulls up his mask to scratch his neck, revealing a strong jaw line.
Buffy is visiting Satsu in the hospital. Both of them are covered in bandages. Satsu repeats what Buffy told her, about people who love the older Slayer getting hurt, and asks if she should look out for that. She asks Buffy if she's okay, as "˜that creep' really did a number on her. Buffy says she'll heal.
"We'll heal."
The scene moves to Buffy and Xander, walking the walls of the castle. Buffy is telling Xander about Twilight.
"Are we doing any good? We've been fighting more demons, but it just seems like there's more demons to fight, and what? Is that because of us?"
Xander tells her to look around. Below them, dozens of girls are working out and training.
"I live with a bunch of Slayers. Dozens of Slayers who are"¦so filled up with purpose, with confidence they didn't have before, the walls are vibrating with it. I can't sleep, this place is so charged."
Buffy tells him he needs to ask Renee out already, and he tells her to stop changing the subject. He tells her that, maybe now, they're only cleaning up messes, but she's created a lot more than monster fighters.
"It's"¦you know"¦ah"¦"
"Connection."
Buffy asks why she can't feel the connection and Xander decides that maybe she doesn't get to, because as she's the leader, the girl who brings them all together, she's the one who has to give that connection up.
Buffy watches the girls as they play fight and laugh.
"Yay me."
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=twelve]Episode 8.12
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 1
Season 8, Issue #12
Script by Joss Whedon
Pencils by Cliff Richards
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jon Foster
Slayers named in this issue:
Renee
Buffy Summers
Satsu
Leah
Rowena
""¦or maybe they're panthers?"
Xander and Renee are on the castle walls. Xander is looking through binoculars at something obviously in the distance and declares that they definitely have wolves at the gates.
Renee thinks she knows why Xander is patrolling with her, as the last time she had sentry duty, zombies attacked. She insists that it is not going to happen again, and says that she does not need a babysitter. Xander assures her that he is here on his own time, and not because he was made to be.
""¦who wants to be alone on a night like this?"
The wolves are creeping closer to the gate.
The scene moves to what appears to be Buffy's bedroom, Mr. Gordo, who apparently made it out of Sunnydale in one piece, can be seen lying on the floor.
In bed, very much naked and sweaty, are Buffy and Satsu. Buffy is apparently speechless, as it seems she can only say one word.
"Wow."
Satsu tells her that that pretty much covers it.
Willow is flying into the castle grounds with Andrew under one arm. He's gone into super-nerd mode, referencing Superman, and Willow seems surprised that he's so calm. Andrew informs her that he took a Dramamine.
Dawn's legs, clad in pink pajama pants, can be seen sticking out of a barn, and Willow reveals that the teenage giant sleeps in the barn only when it looks like it might rain.
The witch drops Andrew at the door, and he skips the guided tour in order to go straight to bed. Willow gets ready to fly out again when she's suddenly attacked from behind by an Asian girl wearing a top hat. She's smiling as she clamps her hand over Willow's mouth.
Back with Xander and Renee, and the Slayer has finally figured out what Xander is up to. She knows he wants to spend time with her, and tells him there are better ways to do it than sentry duty.
"I mean, off the top of my head, you could, you know"¦take me out."
Xander mistakes her meaning before she clarifies that she means a date, not assassination.
He does ask her out, but Renee says they need to deal with the wolf problem first. Xander wonders if the wolves escaped from the zoo, before asking if Scotland even have zoos. Renee jokes that Scotland is a primitive society, with no zoos, and that their men hunt with clubs and that women wear corsets to bed. Xander says he doesn't want to go out with her anymore.
Buffy and Satsu are still in bed, and Satsu wonders how tomorrow is going to go, and Buffy freaks out, thinking she did something wrong. Satsu says she did nothing wrong, and soothes her fears, telling her that she as amazing.
"I can live with amazing."
Buffy tells Satsu that she had a wonderful time, and tomorrow she is going to blush and smile about their night together, but she's not sure it goes any further than that.
Satsu says she gets it, and gets ready to leave, but Buffy tells her she wants her to stay "˜til morning.
However, she doesn't want anyone to know about their night together and Satsu promises not to say a word. Buffy insists that she's not ashamed of what they did, but she'd rather keep it between the two of them.
Xander choose that moment to come into the room to inform Buffy of the wolves' problem. He stares at Buffy and Satsu for several seconds before he slaps a hand over her eye.
"I didn't see anything! I swear!"
Buffy yells at Xander to get out, but before he can, Renee joins them in the room, and spots Satsu. Buffy falls out of bed as she asks them to shut the door, but Andrew enters, in a nightcap, and declares that a dozen wolves just ran past him in the hall. He sees Buffy and the "˜nude Asian girl'. Xander and Renee look uncomfortable as he connects the dots. He asks how much Dramamine he took.
Buffy grows even more embarrassed as she hunts for her clothes and urges everyone to get out of her room. Satsu cringes in the bed, but makes no move to leave or get dressed.
Dawn's face can be seen at the window. She's come to inform Buffy that her barn is filled with bees, but her problem dissolves when she sees what's going on.
Xander is sure this is a dream, even as Renee assures him that it isn't. But Xander is convinced, and says he's going to going to go sit in the corner and wait for Willow to arrive.
At that point, the ceiling explodes, and Willow lands hard on Buffy's floor, battered and bleeding. She says she thinks they're under attack, before asking why Buffy is in bed with Satsu.
Buffy's embarrassment turns to anger as she pulls on her clothes.
"Where exactly are these wolves?"
A wolf can be seen in a hallway and it stands before the door to the armory. The wolf dissolves into mist and slips under the door.
On the other side, the mist coalesces into the form of an Asian man. The man walks towards the Scythe, which hangs on the wall, and lifts it down. More mist can be seen behind him, and another Asian man appears.
The new comer says that "˜Kumiko' brought the witch down and that they have engaged the Slayer at the perimeter. Although their side has suffered no casualties yet, the man admits that Buffy's side is stronger than they had expected. The man with the Scythe refers to the other as Raidon and tells him that the future is bright.
Buffy appears at the door of the armory and says she really doesn't like it when people touch her stuff. Slayers can be seen in the background, fighting wolves, bees and bats.
The man with the Scythe simply points to it and shrugs. Buffy attacks and a punch knocks him to the ground. Raidon turns into panther form. Buffy is shocked.
"Did your friend just turn into a kitty?"
The man she knocked down morphs into the visage of a vampire and grins. He gets to his feet and backhands Buffy into a stand of weapons. He gives the Scythe to the panther and orders it to go. He says "˜bye' to Buffy before vanishing into mist.
Buffy is left looking shocked.
"Okay. That was new."
The panther runs past the fighting Slayers unnoticed and dives through a window. Kumiko, the witch who attacked Willow, flies up from below, takes the Scythe and heads for the sky.
Buffy reports what happened to her in the armory with the vampires turning into fog and Xander reveals that they've had similar reports from the front line. Leah agrees.
"Yeah, definite transfiguration abilities."
Rowena says that she saw them change between wolves, panthers and bees.
Buffy wonders when they changed the rules, because vampires can't do that. Willow says nothing is making sense, and it's clear she's talking about Buffy and Satsu. The red head is holding an ice pack to the back of her head.
Buffy reveals that they took "˜her' Scythe, convinced that they know about the Spell. Xander says they'll track them down.
"How many Japanese vampire Goth gangs can there be out there?"
Willow wonders if they really where vampires, because she doesn't know of a time when they'd seen vampires turning into a swarm of bees, or wolves, or panthers, or fog"¦Buffy and Willow grow silent and turn to look at Xander.
"What? What's everybody staring at-"
Xander cuts himself off as he thinks about what they just said and the answer pops into his head. He doesn't seem happy as he realizes what's going on.
"Aw, crap."
Xander and Renee are in a helicopter and Renee says that this isn't what she meant by a date. Xander insists that he'll make it up to her. The Slayer asks why she was asked to come alone with him, and Xander tells her he needs her to keep an eye on him, and make sure he doesn't do anything strange. She asks what he means, and he says it's nothing to worry about, he just starts acting a bit wonky around "˜this guy'.
They stand in front of a huge wooden door, and Renee asks what he means by "˜wonky', but Xander doesn't answer as the door creaks open.
Standing in the doorway is Dracula.
He refers to Xander as "˜manservant'.
Xander reverts to babble mode, and asks Dracula "˜how it's going', before he lowers his head and calls him:
"Master."
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=thirteen]Episode 8.13
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate Part 2
Season 8, Issue #13
Script by Joss Whedon
Pencils by Cliff Richards
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Dave Stewart
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jon Foster
Slayers named in this issue:
Renee
Aiko
Satsu
Buffy Summers
"I'm so alone."
Fifteen minutes prior to the ending of the previous "˜episode' and we see an old man, sitting in a huge room, looking sad and depressed. A little purple demon, seemingly a butler, tells the old man that he might like to get out.
"I took the liberty of loosing an Albanian boy in the hedge maze. I thought we might have a hunt."
The old man declines, calling the little demon "˜Butterfield', and asks for the curtains to be closed. Butterfield asks if he can launder the old man's bathrobe, as he has been wearing it for a month and has vomited all over it. The old man tells the little demon to leave.
Butterfield informs his "˜Master' that the servants are concerned and are wondering what happened to the mighty Dracula.
The old man is Dracula.
Dracula moves to the window to look out. He assures Butterfield that he is fine. Then changes his mind and asks for a razor. Through the window, a helicopter can be seen.
Back to the present, and Dracula is standing in the doorway, looking down on Xander and Renee. He asks his "˜manservant' what he wants, and Xander says they need his help.
Dracula says he's busy, and tells him to come back next month and tries to close the door. Xander steps between the door and pleads with the vampire, calling him "˜Master' once again.
Dracula gives in and offers Xander to come inside.
"Your moor can wait out in the stables."
Both Xander and Renee are shocked my his words and Xander babbles before confirming that Renee is with him.
Dracula seems surprised by this and Xander tells him that anything Dracula needs to tell him, he can say in front of Renee. Dracula asks them both to enter.
Dracula says he will inform the kitchen and ask them to prepare a plate of mealworms for his manservant before Xander changes into his manservant bloomers. Xander decides Renee should actually wait outside.
"Absolutely not."
Renee tells Xander she is not leaving him alone with Dracula and Xander insists he has never worn manservant bloomers.
The story moves to Andrew, dressed in full Dracula costume. He's giving the Slayers a lesson on Dracula. The girls seem bored with his lesson however, and want to know if Xander is under Dracula's spell. Andrew says it's not as simple as that. He tells the girls that Dracula and Xander met when the vampire came to Sunnydale, then reveals that they became "˜fast friends'. He tells the Slayers that Dracula and Xander kept in touch by letter at first, and then Xander went to stay with Dracula for a few months after Anya's death. Xander taught Dracula to ride a motorcycle.
Two Slayers are whispering to each other, and one of them says that this lesson is worse than one Andrew gave on that weapon from "˜Krull'.
"Hey, I heard that! And it's called The Glaive, thank you very much."
Inside the castle, Buffy and Willow are walking with another Slayer, who is explaining to them that they "˜got a hit'. A vampire sect in Tokyo has been making waves in the demon underground, and are known for turning into wolves. The leader's name is Toru, and he matches the description of the guy in the armory.
Buffy asks who found him, and the Slayer tells her that it was Aiko, a Slayer assigned to field ops in Japan. Buffy says she wants to talk to her.
On a large screen, the same one Xander was seen to be using in issue #1, the face of an Asian girl appears. Aiko seems a little star struck at speaking to Buffy directly. Buffy asks how Aiko got the Intel on the vampires.
The scene moves to Aiko, standing in a room filled with demon corpses, blood dripping from an axe she's holding in one hand, while she uses the other to speak into a video phone.
"Oh, you know. I asked around."
Buffy recognizes the demons as Kabuki demons and reveals that they are vicious, obviously praising her for a good job. Aiko says that she has a location on the vamps they're looking for, and Buffy tells her to keep up her surveillance, but warns her not to approach.
Buffy yells at Satsu to prep the others. She wants them suited up and ready to go in less than an hour. Satsu asks how many girls she wants to bring, and Buffy says she wants all of them. Satsu questions this, and suggests they leave a squad behind as a safeguard.
"This isn't up for discussion, Satsu. I gave you an order. Get moving."
Satsu looks frustrated and returns to calling Buffy "˜ma'am'. Willow looks at her sadly, before her attention is pulled back to Buffy, who asks if they have heard from Xander. Willow says he's not responding and Buffy wonders if he's in trouble. Willow says that it depends on your definition of trouble.
In Dracula's castle, Dracula, Xander and Renee are having tea. Dracula tries to make Xander jealous by telling him that Butterfield is the best manservant he's ever had. Xander tries not to let it get to him, and says he's glad Dracula is doing well. They fall into a cycle of telling the other how well they look. Renee buries her head in her hands and groans at the display.
"Will you two knock it off? We have business to discuss."
Dracula refers to Renee as a "˜moor' again and Xander defends her again, but not before he to calls her a moor. Xander gets down to business and tells Dracula they think someone stole his powers. Dracula says they're wrong, blaming it on a spell or glamour after Xander describes the vamps that attacked them. But Xander is adamant. Renee accuses Dracula of selling his powers to the highest bidder and Dracula threatens her with a swarm of bees.
Dracula is convinced that no one stole his powers, revealing that he risked his "˜soul' to get them, and he is their worldly guardian. He grows angry that some "˜two-bit-run-of-the-mill-vampires could take them from the Lord of Darkness'. He trails off.
"Oh, balls."
He asks if the vampires they're talking about are "˜Orientals'.
In Japan, Toru and Raidon are walking down a busy street. Raidon states that Kumiko wants "˜the kill'. Toru says she can't have it. He says that he needs Kumiko focused on the spell. Raidon says Toru should tell Kumiko what he thinks. Toru calls him a coward. Raidon agrees completely.
"Kumiko can have the body when I'm done. That should keep her happy for now."
The vampires stop at the edge of the street. Toru asks where the Slayer is, and Raidon tells him she is one block back on the south side of the street. He says she's good.
Aiko is mingling with the crowd some distance behind the vampires. She's wearing sunglasses and sucking on a lollipop.
Toru says he wants to give her something to see.
Back at Dracula's castle and the Lord of Darkness is angry. Xander asks what happened, and Dracula reveals that the details are fuzzy, but he remembers a Tibetan Speakeasy, a copious amount of rubbing alcohol, a game of pai-gow and the pink slips to a Kawasaki Z1000. Xander is outraged.
"You sold your secrets for a motorcycle?"
Dracula says no.
"I lost my secrets gambling for a motorcycle."
He says he's certain he was cheated. He refers to the other vampires as "˜filthy yellow swine'.
"You know, I really don't remember you being this racist."
Dracula makes his way to a closet and asks Xander if they've located the vampires. Xander asks if he's coming with them.
"Let's be clear about this, manservant, I don't owe you anything, I'm not interested in your cause, and the next time your moor smarts off at me, I will slit her throat.
"I loath Buffy Summers, her whole army makes me want to retch, and I'd just as soon see them wiped off the face of the earth.
"However,
"No body steals from Dracula."
The vampire pulls an elaborate sword from the closet.
On a cargo plane, packed full to bursting with Slayers and a witch, Willow is telling Satsu that Buffy is vulnerable, which leads to a bad idea for a one night stand. Satsu wonders if Willow thinks she took advantage of Buffy, and Willow insists there was definitely some two-way advantage taking, but reminds Satsu that Buffy isn't like them, because she's the general and they are the army. And because Buffy isn't, to use Satsu's word, a dyke. Willow tells Satsu not to get her hopes up, and the young Slayer says she understands. Willow smiles.
"Good. Now, what's she like in the sack?"
Satsu is shocked by Willow's question, but the witch tells her she's always wanted to know and not to hold out on her. Satsu says she's not telling her anything.
"Oh, yes you are! Did she make that high-pitched squeal? I call it her shoe-sale noise"¦"
Back in Japan, Aiko is on the phone to someone, presumably Buffy, who tells her that they'll be touching down at around oh-five-hundred and asks in Aiko can stay on the vampires she's tailing until they get there.
"If I can't, you should take away my Slayer card."
Aiko follows Toru and Raidon into a dark alley, where she finds a glowing red coin. Kumiko flies in above and behind her, with Buffy's Scythe in her hands.
She says something in Japanese and a bolt of red energy escapes from the Scythe and hit's the red coin, and the energy is directed towards Aiko's face.
The light vanishes and Toru blindsides Aiko with a punch to the face, breaking her jaw. She chokes on the blood and the pain, and Toru grabs her and pulls her to her feet.
"I just broke your jaw, didn't I? That's unfortunate. I was hoping you could tell me what it feels like to be a regular girl again."
Apparently, Kumiko's spell and the glowing red coin, combined with the power from the Scythe, can strip a Slayer of her powers
Toru sinks his fangs into Aiko and drains her blood.
He tells Raidon that their beta test was successful and says it's time to take the technology global.
Kumiko flies upward, the Scythe clasped firmly in her fist.
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=fourteen]Episode 8.14
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate, Part 3
Season 8, Issue #14
Script by Drew Goddard
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Michelle Madsen
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jon Foster
Slayers named in this issue:
Aiko
Buffy Summers
Renee
Satsu
Leah
"That's her blood, isn't it?"
The opening page shows a close up of Aiko's eyes. There's blood running down her face, and two people are talking "˜off screen'.
The next page shows Aiko strung up on a building. There is Japanese writing below her, apparently written in her blood. Someone asks for a translation.
"Welcome to Tokyo."
Buffy, Willow and the other Slayers are standing below the gruesome sight. One girl looks as though she's about to vomit. Buffy looks over her shoulder.
"Help me cut her down."
A Japanese palace is seen. Four girls, one with an axe and another with a quarter staff, are guarding the entrance. One of them points and they watch as Buffy silently approaches, carrying Aiko's body into the Slayer Camp. They open the gates for her, and the other Slayers appear, most of them crying.
Buffy ignores them all and carries Aiko's body into a prayer room, and lays her before a statue of the Buddha. Buffy then moves to sit in the corner of the room, her head in her hands.
She stays there for sometime, and night has fallen when Willow comes to her. The witch asks her how long she's going to stay there.
"Just till I figure out what to do next."
Willow offers help and blankets, because she didn't know Japan could be so cold.
Buffy decides she needs to get a hold of one of "˜those' vampires. Willow tells her that it might be hard, but Buffy insists.
"Then it's just a matter of getting "˜em to hold still."
Buffy says its gonna be hard when they can turn into fog, and Willow cracks a joke about Giles.
Someone "˜off-screen' mentions something called "˜Carolina's Grasp'. That person is revealed to be Dracula. Xander is hurrying behind him carrying the legendary vampire's luggage. Buffy asks what Carolina's Grasp is, and Dracula says it's a rudimentary spell, and asks Buffy if she still has a witch in her employ. Willow exclaims that she's standing right there.
"Ah, yes. I should have recognized your acrid stench."
Dracula gives Willow the ingredients for the spell and says he'll teach her the incantation as soon as "˜someone removes her nighties from the master bedroom' as he needs to get his coffin installed before the sun comes up. Buffy tells him it's only 8pm, and Dracula grows embarrassed. Apparently, he never understood time zones.
Buffy tells Xander he looks terrible, and Xander says it was a long flight, as Dracula doesn't travel well.
Dracula asks if anyone is going to finish eating Aiko.
Toru and Raidon are looking out over Tokyo. A glowing sphere4 can be seen on the top of the building. Raidon says that tech support tells them that they will be online in twelve hours. Toru asks about countermeasures, and Raidon reveals that the robotics division is up and running, but he thinks they are wasting their time. Toru accuses Raidon of having no sense of imagination.
"I'm fairly certain it died with my soul."
Raidon asks what Kumiko is doing, and Toru thinks she's praying. Both vampires look up to see the witch hanging by her feet from the ceiling.
Toru tells Raidon to inform their soldiers to be ready for anything, as he's guessing the girls won't hit from the front.
In another part of Tokyo, a man can be seen lighting a cigarette. He's startled by a girl, screaming for help in English. She's crying and the man asks her what's wrong. She tells him she wandered away from her parochial school and now she's lost. He offers the girl his jacket and leads her into a park. He warns the girl to be careful, as she never knows what she could run into, then he vamps.
The girl smiles and takes off his jacket as she looks up into the tree above them, where Willow, Xander and Buffy are waiting.
"Boy, you're telling me."
The girl is Renee, and she steps aside as Willow casts the spell, trapping the vampire in a magical box. Buffy, Willow and Xander jump down from the tree and together with Renee, they surround the trapped vampire.
Buffy taunts the vampire and Willow pours gasoline over him. Buffy questions him, and he reveals that Toru has her Scythe, and he wants to use it to reverse the spell, to turn all the Slayer back into regular little girls. Willow asks how, and the vampire tells her that Kumiko can cast a spell, using a lens to amplify it. Xander asks how long they have, and the vampire says they are on alert as it's supposed to happen before dawn.
Buffy says that they need to get moving as she reaches inside her jacket. The vampire urges her to let him go as he told her everything.
Buffy flicks a lighter.
"I never agreed to that."
She sets the vampire alight and the four of them walk away.
Back at the Slayer camp, Buffy is talking to Satsu as the other girls get ready. Buffy tells Satsu that, although she might not understand, she needs the younger girl to follow her orders anyway.
"You want me to stand down?!"
Buffy insists that she wants Satsu to lead. She says that the girls who knew Aiko are pretty shook up, and she's not taking them into the fight, and she wants Satsu to stay behind and look after them, and to help them bury Aiko. But Satsu is still adamant that Buffy wants her to step down. She yells at Buffy that she is her best fighter, and Buffy explains that that is not what this is about. Satsu accuses Buffy of either leaving her behind to either avoid her or protect her, and says she doesn't know if she should be hurt or touched, but either way, she's not following Buffy's orders.
"I'll see you on the battle field, ma'am."
Buffy thinks it's sexy when Satsu called her "˜ma'am'.
In what appears to be the armory, Xander and Renee are discussing their first date, and whether or not the battle should be counted as their first date.
"So let me get this straight. When people ask what we did on our first date, you want me to tell them we dressed me up as a school girl, used me as bait on the streets of Japan, lit a vampire on fire, then, geared up to go into battle with several hundred other girls and Dracula."
Dracula says he resents that as he would never go on a date with them. Not even if they begged.
Renee ignores the vampire and tells Xander she's not letting him away with it, as it is absolutely not a date, but she will make one thing easier for him. She kisses him, then says he doesn't have to worry about the end of the night. Xander kisses her again, and continues to kiss her while ignoring Dracula.
"Ahem, we have to go to war now. Please stop that. Hello?"
On the streets of Japan, the Slayers are all in position. Buffy, along with Xander, Renee, Dracula, Satsu, Andrew and Leah, are waiting for their cue. Renee and Dracula are bickering and Buffy tells them to be quiet. She mentions that they are going to need a really big distraction so that they can sneak into the building. Willow, who has been levitating above their heads, tells her she knows this, and if they would all stop talking she'd be able to concentrate on her mojo. She says something in Latin, and below, a bright light surrounds the vampires. When it vanishes, they all point and stare in horror.
Giant!Dawn is standing among them on the streets of Tokyo.
"Hi. Or, I mean"¦roar?"
Dawn roars loudly and attacks the buildings, making the vampires flee. Andrew points out that that is not something even they see every day.
Buffy tells them the doors are open. They let themselves into the building and find Toru watching the scene below from a window.
"Yep, that is, in fact, a giant Godzilla woman wreaking havoc on your minions."
The team make their way across the room, with Buffy leading and Renee bringing up the rear. Willow grabs Xander, one hand on her head, and says that something is wrong, just as Buffy tries to grab for the Scythe, and realizes that Toru is a glamour.
There is a squelching sound, and blood spatters on Xander's face.
"I believe the word you're looking for is "˜trap'."
They turn to see Toru holding Renee in the air by the back of her neck.
The wooden end of the Scythe is protruding from her chest.
The End.[/anchor]
[anchor=fifteen]Episode 8.15
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Wolves at the Gate, Part 4
Season 8, Issue #15
Script by Drew Goddard
Pencils by Georges Jeanty
Inks by Andy Owens
Colours by Michelle Madsen
Letters by Richard Starkings and Comicraft's Jimmy
Cover Art by Jon Foster
Slayers named in this issue:
Renee
Buffy Summers
Leah
Rowena
Satsu
"Oh, God."
Toru pulls the Scythe out of Renee's body, and we can see everyone from her perspective and "˜hear' what she's thinking as she falls. She blames herself, calls herself stupid, and asks herself what rule number one is. She urges herself not to fall as there are so many of them as she watches the vampires materialize out of the fog. Renee sees Xander as he reaches for her and she tries to call out for him, but she realizes she's not speaking out loud. She urges Xander not to let her fall, but she can't hear what she's saying. Everything fades to white as Renee's "˜voice' grows smaller, and the last thing she sees is Xander's face.
"Xander, I'm not ready."
Xander screams and rushes to Renee as her body lies in a pool of blood. Dracula watches.
Buffy realizes what has happened and informs the others that they have a "˜man down' and orders everyone to close ranks around Xander.
Dracula tells Buffy that he can stop them, but he needs her witch, and tells her to get Willow. Buffy says she will not leave Xander alone. Dracula vamps.
"He's not alone."
Dracula tears through the vampires.
Buffy gives command to Satsu, despite originally wanting her to stay back at the Slayer camp, and tells her that she is going to get Willow. She walks to the window Willow has been tackled out of by Kumiko. Buffy can see them falling through the air below.
Kumiko introduces herself to Willow as they battle in mid air. Kumiko tells Willow she has been following the red headed witch for some time, and asks Willow if she thought she was Saga Vashuki's only student. Kumiko tells Willow that they speak the same language.
"Good. Talk to me."
Willow uses magic to read Kumiko's mind. She sees a vision of Manhattan, surrounded by flames and Saga Vashuki, the green-skinned demon woman we saw in "˜Anywhere But Here'. There is also an image of the Scythe. The demonic woman asks Willow if she thought she would not find her, or if she thought she could hide from what was to come.
Willow is staggered by what she sees, and Kumiko regains control.
Buffy stands on the window ledge with her eyes closed and a dagger in her hand.
""¦it's just like a diving board, it's just like a diving board, it's just like a diving board"¦"
Kumiko holds Willow by the throat and tells her not to pass out or she will miss the best part. Buffy falls from above, and stabs Kumiko through the back with the dagger. She tosses Kumiko aside and grabs Willow.
"Not like a diving board! Not like a diving board at all!"
She shakes Willow, trying to wake her up as they plummet towards the ground.
On the ground, the Slayers are fighting the vampires. Rowena has command of her section and orders the girls to fall back as there are too many of them. She falls onto her behind as a panther moves in on her. A large sneaker squashes the panther, and Rowena looks up at Giant!Dawn.
"We don't run."
Dawn takes command and tells the Slayers they are taking that building.
On top of "˜that building' two people, one with the Scythe, are watching the interaction. One of them says to wait until Dawn reaches the intersection, then deploy the countermeasures.
Rowena watches as the "˜countermeasures' attack Dawn.
It is a Mecha Dawn.
Toru and Raidon stand before the lens, ready to cast the spell. Raidon says that Kumiko is not responding. He thinks that they need Kumiko to do the spell, but Toru declares that he can do the incantation himself. He orders the lens to be powered up, and begins the spell. Raidon stands behind the technician and is the first to notice a strange sound. The technician says it's the lens powering up, but Raidon is sure it's something else.
"It almost sounds like"¦screaming."
Dracula, Satsu, Leah and the rest of their squad burst through the door and onto the roof.
Dracula tackles Toru, sending the Scythe flying into the air. Satsu goes after it, standing on vampires to get enough leverage to leap into the air to grab the ancient weapon. But she miscalculates and ends up hurtling over the side of the building.
"Oh, hell."
On the street below, with Dawn and Mecha!Dawn fighting in the background, Buffy and Willow pull themselves out of a lake the witch has conjured for them to land in. looking up, they can see Satsu falling from the building. Buffy insists that the younger Slayer is not her girlfriend and Willow tells her to be careful with her, as she, Willow, has to look after her "˜Sisters'. Buffy says she understands, but Willow confesses that she never wanted to sleep with Buffy and Buffy explains that Willow wasn't even on her list, which includes Judi Dench and Eleanor Roosevelt and "˜other people too'. Willow decides that they should probably go catch Satsu now.
On top of the building, Toru is running towards the edge, apparently after the Scythe, yelling at Raidon through an earpiece.
Willow files up in the air, with a Buffy and a Satsu under each arm. Buffy is back in possession of the Scythe. She attacks Toru, who vanishes into fog.
Dracula yells at Willow "˜To me, witch', which Willow doesn't understand.
"It means, come over here."
Dracula instructs Willow to take his sword and use its magical essence to remove the vampires' abilities with a reverse incantation of Augustine's Curse through the portal. When Willow asks why he can't do the spell himself, Dracula tells her it is because he is one of the vampires.
Willow flies away, angles the sword towards the lens, and begins to chant. Toru spots her and orders her to be stopped.. But with a blast of light, the spell is cast. Buffy notices the difference.
"Scales are balanced again, girls. They're vampires. We're Vampire Slayers. Time to do what we do."
Back on the ground, Dawn is still fighting her robotic twin, and griping about how much it doesn't sound like her. Andrew speaks to her, either through an earpiece or a spell, "˜cause how can they find an earpiece that that? He tells her how to defeat the Mecha!Dawn by decapitating it. Dawn asks him how he knows all that he is telling her.
"Hi. Have you met me?"
Andrew dives into geek mode as Dawn goes after her doppelganger again.
"I often let boys take advantage of my weak emotional state."
Growing angry, Dawn grabs the Mecha had and pulls it straight off its shoulders, defeating it.
Back on the roof, Raidon orders the vampires to stand their ground, insisting they don't have to be wolves to drink their blood. He comes after Buffy, grabbing her by the throat, and guessing that she would taste good. A voice behind him tells him he has no idea a second before Satsu appears through his ashes.
"I can't believe I said that out loud."
Dracula takes his sword back from Willow and confronts Toru, who sneers at him about needing his cane to stand, calling him an old man.
"He doesn't know what to do with himself, now that he's an ordinary vampire again. Like the rest of us."
The spell took Dracula's powers, too.
Dracula tells Toru that he was never an ordinary vampire. He chops Toru's right hand off with his sword.
"Did you forget who I used to be? I've killed more men than God's plagues combined. And that was BEFORE I started eating."
He chops off Toru's right leg, below the knee.
"The fields of Europe used to scream with the blood of my enemies. Trust me"¦"
Toru's other hand goes the way of the first as Dracula stands over him, sword dripping with blood.
"The vampire is the least of your concerns. It's the old man you need to worry about."
Toru tries to get Dracula to finish it, to kill him. But Dracula turns away.
"You can't leave me like this. You owe me that honor."
Dracula says that it is not his place to kill Toru.
Xander appears out of the battle, blood on his face and vamp dust in his wake. He accepts the sword from Dracula and, with sad eyes, he decapitates Toru.
On the other side of the roof, Buffy watches, Satsu and Leah behind her. She hears a voice in her ear, informing her that the vampires are fleeing.
"So chase them."
Buffy orders the streets to be sealed off. No prisoners. She crosses the roof to Xander, and Satsu and Leah watch as he collapses into her arms, before they turn back to the fight with determined looks on their faces.
"You heard her girls, go go go! Not one leaves. Not one. Nobody gets out of here alive."
Later, Xander is sitting on a bench in the park. He looks tired and withdrawn, stubble covering his face. Dracula stands behind him, explaining that his ship is in port, but asks if Xander would like help with his ceremony. Xander insists he wants to do this by himself.
"Very well. Goodbye, Manservant."
Xander informs Dracula that if he calls him "˜manservant' again, he'll kill him in his sleep. Dracula seems intrigued and tries out "˜lackey', "˜minion' and "˜houseboy'.
"Still getting killed."
In Buffy's room, she and Satsu are sitting on her bed talking about their night together. Satsu declares that she thought everything would be fine when they woke up.
"But everything's not fine."
She says she can't be around Buffy right now, and Buffy knows that she's the problem.
"I can be less"¦enticing. In a lesbian sense."
Satsu admits that Buffy is part of the problem, but it's because she, Satsu, is in love with Buffy, and she needs to not be, and that won't happen when they are right in front of each other.
Buffy asks if Satsu wants her to leave.
"More like I should stay. Here. In Japan."
Satsu realizes that she's asking for a promotion, as the Japan office needs a field leader, which maybe vacant because it was Aiko's job.
Buffy informs Satsu that the Japan girls will need a lot of work and the job will be hard. Satsu insists she won't let Buffy down.
Buffy agrees and hopes that she didn't hurt Satsu.
"Nah, I'm tough. And for what it's worth, it was one of the best nights of my life."
Buffy replies that it was one of the best nights of her life, too.
Buffy wonders what they do now, if they should say goodbye and go their separate ways. Satsu leans closer and says they could always leave goodbye until tomorrow.
On the deck of his ship, Dracula's captain asks if they can go below deck, if he doesn't need any further assistance.
"No, captain, that won't be necessary."
Willow can be seen meditating in a room, the form of the green-skinned Saga Vashuki floating before her.
"Find what warmth you can for now"¦"
Buffy and Satsu are in bed, kissing, sheets pooled around their waists, candle light burning.
"And I'll stand watch."
Xander scatters Renee's ashes sadly in the garden.
The End.[/anchor]
