Épisode Stress S04E14 - Buffy, The Vampire Slayer Saison 4

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 dead Riley.
Riley: I don't understand.
On the monitors behind them.
Buffy: Professor Walsh if you think that's enough to kill 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 guns 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 gun 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 dead
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 gang 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 kill
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 weapon. 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 kill 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 wankers.

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 kill 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 dead 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 dead? 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 stabbed with
what looks like some kind of large skewer and his body was then
mutilated. Police have not named a suspect and the killer 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 killed. 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 kill Buffy, maybe Buffy needed killing.

Graham enters.

Graham: Guys.

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

Graham doesn't leave.

Forrest: What is it?

Graham: Professor Walsh is dead.

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
guns, 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 gun 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 dead. 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 killing 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 blowing 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 killing 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 pistol pointed at the woman.
Riley: No leaving til I say so!

His hand is trembling.

Willy: Hey! We got new rules here, no killing.

Riley: Right. Except rules don't seem to apply much these days do
they? Like if I shot 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 gun 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 kill.

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 blowing 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 goons.

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 killed
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 killed.

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 stabilized 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 shot 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 kill 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
dead, 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 attack 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 kill 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 pistol 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,
dead. Riley grabs Adam around the throat from behind. Adam breaks
the hold, turns and stabs 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. Shots 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 killed 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 rifle weapons and aim them at Buffy. Two more are
beside them.

Xander: Buffy.

They stop aiming their weapons. 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 war on the demon world.

Spike: War?

Demon: With the slayer. You kill 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 shot.

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 threat?

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' weapons 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-guns. 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
gun 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 dead" 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 Gang 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 kill
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 shot 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 weapons.

Buffy: Okay, everybody grab a weapon. We gotta move.

She hands Xan