INT. BUFFY’S HOUSE – NIGHT

CLOSE ON XANDER – Concerned

BUFFY AND WILLOW

Flank him on the couch. Slumped down in high teen boredom, sodas and junk food pilfered from Buffy’s kitchen scattered about, watching T.V. –

ANGLE – THE T.V.

An EAST INDIAN soap opera on an obscure cable channel: an INDIAN WOMAN sings (in a foreign language) something very heartfelt into a telephone.

BUFFY, WILLOW & XANDER

They stare at the screen for a beat. The PIERCING SINGING continues under:

EXT. ANOTHER HOUSE – BACK YARD – NIGHT

Shooting the back of the house, preferably a classic Colonial, preferably no neighboring homes in sight.

PUSHING IN on the quiet affluent house and then –

AN UPSTAIRS WINDOW IS SHATTERED

And a PRETTY GIRL (17, wearing a ceremonial-type dress) bursts through the glass, hits the ground and runs for her life.

A moment later, several dark figures in hooded robes emerge from other windows and doors like malevolent ghosts and give chase.

She vaults a fence, heading for the woods. She’s fast.

They’re faster.

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

She tears through running for all she’s worth.

The hooded figures close the gap behind her.

She cuts right, sees a couple of the hoods gaining on that flank.

She cuts sharp to the left and sees a break in the trees, a not so distant road with cars – freedom.

She glances behind her – she’s ten yards ahead of her closest pursuer – three trees between her and the open space that leads to the road, then two, then one –

As she passes the last tree, a HOODED FIGURE coolly steps out and grabs her. She SCREAMS, he purrs:

The girl, her eyes wild with fear, claws at him, pulling his hood off revealing the face of a handsome twenty year old sadist. He deflects her blows and grabs her wrists, puts his face close to hers.

And, not without charm, the Figure smiles at Callie. Then nods at the brethren. Several of them hustle Callie back towards the house.

The Figure takes a deep breath of the bracing night air and walks out of frame.

Cordelia show s the Cordette a magazine (TEEN TIME). Pretty girl on the cover holding a fishing rod and big lure; headline: HOW TO LAND HIM AND KEEP HIM.

ANOTHER ANGLE – BUFFY AND WILLOW

Heading up the steps.

Xander slides into step with them.

As they pass Cordelia and the Cordette.

Buffy, Xander and Willow move off as a bell RINGS O.S.

INT. LIBRARY – DAY – GILES IS UPSET

Faces Buffy, circles her as:

Without warning, Giles swings at her from behind. Without turning, Buffy’s hand shoots backwards, grabs Giles’ wrist. Buffy pivots and whips Giles’ hand around behind his back, in a painful arm lock.

She does. He massages his wrist.

Giles sighs, he tried.

Buffy just stands there pouting.

She pouts. He lies.

EXT. SUNNYDALE HIGH – DAY

After school. Cars pulling up, KIDS taking off. Buffy dawdles on a wall near the street. Xander and Willow move up.

Buffy tips forward on the wall like she’s going to fall – catches herself by draping her arms over Xander’s shoulders.

ANOTHER ANGLE – FRONT OF THE SCHOOL – CORDELIA

Looking luscious, waits expectantly as a sleek, dark BMW (tinted windows, we can’t see who’s inside) pulls to the curb.

She moves to the car. The dark window rolls down revealing RICHARD (the twenty year old sadist from the teaser) in expensive slacks and sport coat. As are the other two DELTA ZETAS in back.

In the passenger seat is TOM, also 20, but dressed casually. Tom is rich, too, but he’s not a prick, he’s a low key, decent guy.

As instructed by her teen magazine, Cordelia never takes her eyes off Richard.

We PUSH PAST Richard to Tom, totally engaged by:

TOM’S POV – BUFFY

Dawdling with Xander and Willow.

TOM

Takes a breath. Something about Buffy…

RICHARD

Richard sees the look on Tom’s face, follows it to Buffy, never skipping a beat with Cordelia

Cordelia turns, sees Buffy behind her on the wall clowning with Xander and Willow.

BUFFY, XANDER AND WILLOW

Cordelia walks up, grabs Buffy.

Buffy is dragged away.

Cordelia drags Buffy to Richard who has now gotten out of his car. Confident, cool, he flashes his perfect smile at Buffy.

Cordelia hits Buffy who is about to turn away when Tom appears behind Richard.

Buffy hesitates, this guy seems okay.

XANDER AND WILLOW

BUFFY AND TOM

Buffy smiles, not smitten but charmed. Behind them, Richard, with other frat guys looking on, says something to Cordelia. We HEAR her “Ha ha ha ha”.

XANDER AND WILLOW

Xander shakes his head, disgusted.

BUFFY AND TOM

Tom smiles.

Buffy turns, sees Giles near the front door of school, pointing to his watch.

Buffy takes off. Tom watches her, intrigued.

INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT

Buffy practices her hand to hand with Giles (who wears much protective gear). There’s a certain not-so-sub-text here: they’re pissed at each other.

He comes at her with the short sword – she kicks it out of his hand. He immediately counters with a wooden rod – she chops it in half.

He charges her, she sidesteps, flips him over her shoulder and slams him down on the ground. Hard.

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

Dark, empty dangerous. We might recognize them as the woods from the teaser.

Buffy moves through the dark shadows, her hand instinctively checking the stakes in her belt.

ANGLE – A LARGE TREE

As Buffy moves past. Something moves in the dark – a FIGURE, watching Buffy.

THE FIGURE’S POV

Buffy moves through the trees. The Figure follows.

BUFFY

Stops, sees something glinting in the leaves at her feet. She kneels down.

INSERT – BUFFY’S HAND

Picks up a BROKEN SILVER PIECE of an I.D. bracelet. Three letters, E, N and T, can be seen, inscribed in the delicate bracelet.

BUFFY

Studies the bracelet, then:

Startled, Buffy jumps to her feet, sees ANGEL.

Angel glances around the woods.

Buffy laughs. He looks back.

Nothing from Angel.

Buffy makes a “that’s ridiculous” sound.

She turns to walk away. He grabs her.

Angel just shakes his head.

She holds his gaze – then she walks out of frame.

INT. CLASSROOM – DAY

Buffy is gathering her stuff as students head out.

Cordelia moves up.

Buffy shakes her head.

And Cordelia happily moves off. Off Buffy’s expression, pre-lap:

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

PUSHING SLOWLY IN. Hearing RICHARD’S voice intoning:

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT

SHOOTING HIGH ABOVE AN ALTER that’s built up around a dark circle, like a well – and apparently bottomless pit.

ANOTHER ANGLE – Richard and other frat minions, in robes (no Tom) are gathered before the alter which has eyes, fangs, diamond shape carvings – an abstract but frightening representation of some horrible thing they worship. Possibly a thing that lives in the bottomless pit.

The basement is cut into the bed rock – cave-like out-croppings of stone add an ancient touch to the décor.

A YOUNG MAN is naked from the waist up and Richard holds the sword to his chest, carving a large diamond shaped SCAR into his flesh. (Yes, we’ll be tasteful.)

Richard finishes carving the diamond shape.

The others reply: “In His Name!”

Someone opens a cooler – beers are flung about. Someone turns on a boom box. Suddenly it’s a bunch of college guys in robes guzzling beer and listening to loud music.

The various brethren congratulate the Young Man. Richard sees something O.S., moves to:

CALLIE

The girl from the teaser. Chained to the rock wall.

She cries. He laughs.

Richard sips his beer, tapping his head to the music, digging his world.

INT. SCHOOL – HALL – DAY

Buffy, Xander, Willow walk ‘n talk. Buffy in the middle.

They wheel into:

INT. LIBRARY – DAY

Giles, his back to the doors, short sword in hand, deals with an unseen opponent.

Giles swings the sword to the left while ducking and jumping to the right.

TRACK WITH Buffy, Xander and Willow as they move into the room and see there is no opponent, Giles is refining the move he tried on Buffy yesterday.

Giles twists, cuts high, then low –

-- and then sees the three of them, quickly straightens up with as much dignity as he can muster.

He puts the sword down, turns to Buffy.

Buffy nods, pulling out the piece of the bracelet she found.

INSERT BRACELET – as she holds it out.

Willow looks at it as Giles takes it.

Buffy touches her forehead. Willow and Xander exchange a look.

Buffy nods.

INT. HALL OUTSIDE LIBRARY – DAY

As Xander, Buffy and Willow exit. They walk in silence for a beat.

INT. SCHOOL LOUNGE – DAY – CORDELIA

Lectures Buffy.

Willow and Xander, carrying food trays, pass by.

Xander and Willow move off. Cordelia studies Buffy, tapping her fingers, thinking hard.

ANGLE – WILLOW AND XANDER

As they sit some distance away.

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

Lots of cars, young folks arriving, MUSIC blasting. Those little white lights strung in trees and along the roof line.

A CAR ROARS UP to CAMERA. We read the personalized license plate: QUEEN C.

Cordelia squeezes her car into a parking place (smashing the car behind and in front if we can afford). Cordelia and Buffy get out. Oh yeah, they look fantastic.

Cordelia charges ahead. Buffy reluctantly follows.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

This ain’t Animal House. This is a well furnished, wealthy home. But still being partied in by a gaggle of rich young snobs. The men wear coats and ties. The women are sexy but not cheap. WAITERS (actually pathetic guys, some in their underwear, some with fruit hats, all with a big sign PLEDGE hung around their necks) serve drinks and hors d’oeuvres.

CORDELIA AND BUFFY

In a far corner of the room. Standing alone, perhaps a little awkwardly.

Richard approaches, hands them each a drink.

Richard toasts, drinks. Cordelia follows suit.

Buffy gives him a look. He turns to Cordelia.

As they head off:

BUFFY

Watches them go. Looks around for a friendly face. Doesn’t find one.

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – FRONT PORCH – NIGHT

Xander is dressed in preppy gear, trying to look nonchalant. At the front door a big LINEBACKER checks names on a list as partiers enter. The linebacker turns his back, Xander coolly slides in.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

A huge TACKLE downs a HUGE GLASS STEIN O’ BEER. Xander moves past him. The Tackle’s huge hand comes down on Xander’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

The Linebacker has joined the Tackle now, list in hand. Xander glances at list, trying to read it upside down.

Linebacker nods at Tackle who reluctantly lets Xander go. The Tackle watches Xander’s departing back, suspicious.

BUFFY

Still standing off by herself, unaware of Xander’s entrance. Buffy looks at that drink. Picks it up. Puts it back. Clasps her hands awkwardly together. Looks around for a friendly face. Sees:

A COOL GUY across the way. He toasts her with his glass. Buffy picks her glass up, toasts back, not wanting to appear unsophisticated, takes a polite sip – it’s strong. Then she sees the BIG TACKLE, hammered, heading her way.

Buffy looks left and right for an avenue of escape as the Tackle lumbers in for a landing. Just as he’s upon her, Tom steps between them, takes Buffy’s hand –

-- and pulls her to the dance floor. Perhaps we hear a crash of plates O.S.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

BUFFY AND TOM

Dance to a cool slow song.

He starts to step back – she doesn’t let him go.

BUFFY
He might come back.

He smiles. And she puts her head on his shoulder. And they dance for a couple of beats.

ANGLE: XANDER CHATS WITH TWO CO-EDS

He swipes the air with a couple of crab claws.

The co-eds laugh.

ANOTHER ANGLE – THE TACKLE AND RICHARD

Watch him.

Richard smiles unpleasantly. Moves off towards Xander. The Tackle waves the Linebacker over and they follow.

XANDER AND CO-EDS

Richard, the Tackle and the Linebacker suddenly surround him.

The Tackle grabs one shoulder, the Linebacker the other.

And they drag him away from the co-eds, other Delta Zetas gathering around, chanting “new pledge!”, blotting poor Xander out of sight.

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – BACK PATIO – NIGHT

Buffy wanders out to get some air. We see the party through the large windows or French doors behind her. She looks off into the woods beyond the back fence. Something CRUNCHES beneath her feet. She bends down.

INSERT – BUFFY’S HAND

Picks up some broken glass.

BACK TO SCENE

Buffy straightens up and looks up at the second story. We see the broken and partially patched window the girl burst out of in the teaser.

Buffy looks off to the woods where she found the bracelet: is there some connection here?

She turns back towards the house, startled to find:

From inside we hear the party and the music crank up. Richard hurries out, tipsy, thrusts a drink in each of their hands. Clinks their glasses with his own.

He holds up his glass and drinks merrily. Tom looks at Buffy, embarrassed by Richard.

Tom clinks her glass.

She downs the whole drink. Tom’s a little surprised.

Tom smiles.

Giles follows Willow’s gaze to her computer.

Giles reaches for the phone.

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – FRONT PORCH – NIGHT

We see the last few partiers stumble out, then Xander, still in wig and bra, is hurled out by the Tackle and Linebacker.

They shut the door, Xander stops it with his hand.

The Tackle slams the door in his face. Xander stands there steaming, HEARING their laughter from inside. He rips off wig and big bra, storms off the porch.

Xander, brushing himself off, in a foul mood, heads up the sidewalk away from frat house.

He stops, something catches his eye. A car. With the license plate: QUEEN C.

Xander looks back towards the house, concerned.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT

Tom, stripped to the waist, kneels before the alter which surrounds the dark pit.

Several ROBED BRETHREN keep a respectful distance from Tom whose arms and chest sport a dozen or more of the sword-carved diamond shapes. Tom is pretty much the high priest around here.

He finishes whatever silent prayer he was offering, picks up the long sword, holds it over the pit as a form of blessing, then hands it to a brethren.

The brethren begins carving yet another diamond on Tom as we (discreetly) PAN AWAY to:

CORDELIA – COMING TO

Chained to a rock wall. Now dressed in the same ceremonial garb as the girl in the teaser. Her hair is mussed and as she takes in her surroundings, her eyes fill with fear. She looks to

BUFFY

Chained next to her. Also in ceremonial dress. Buffy is already awake and alert, gazing around the basement, taking everything in. From this angle she can only see Tom from the back (i.e. she doesn’t know it’s Tom.)

They turn and see Callie as she leans out of the shadows: a once pretty girl who’s been chained in a basement for a week.

Callie stares at them with the look of the condemned.

And Tom turns around on the alter. His eyes meet Buffy’s.

Callie leans back into the shadows. Tom gazes at Buffy for a long, creepy beat.

Tom turns back to his priestly duties. He picks up three round stones, holds them over the pit in a ritual blessing.

INT. LIBRARY – NIGHT – ANGEL

Moves INTO FRAME, the glass window of Giles’ office behind him.

REVERSE – WILLOW AND GILES

Willow leans forward, staring hard at something behind Angel.

Willow nods, unable to speak.

Willow nods again, petrified.

Willow finally blurts out:

Losing it, she turns on them both in a sudden Willow-fury.

Willow takes a breath, no less surprised by her outburst than they are.

Willow runs for the door. They follow.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT

Buffy, Cordelia and Callie watch as the brethren (including Richard) gather around the alter.

The others murmur “Machida” (pronounced Ma-Kee-Da).

Again the others murmur “Machida”.

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

Buffy tests her chains (secured to metal eyes sunk in the wall). They hold her fast.

TOM AND THE BRETHREN

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

Callie peers out of the shadows.

TOM AND THE BRETHREN

Tom drops the stones into the pit. A long silent beat, followed by the sound of the stones PLOPPING into water far, far below.

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

TOM AND BRETHREN

A substantial RUMBLING is heard far below, gathering power and speed. It fills the chamber, growing ever nearer.

BUFFY AND CORDELIA

Cordelia is terrified.

AT THE ALTER

The rumbling grows louder and more fierce. The brethren are all glass-eyed, murmuring “Machida” feverishly. And suddenly, with a great explosion, the HORRIBLE THING bursts out of the big black pit.

MACHIDA is half man, half snake. He has a muscular body (from the waist up) and the enlarged and frightening head of a man with the fangs and horrible eyes of a snake. His skin has the diamond pattern of a snake – thus the diamond carvings on his “people”. From the waist down he is all snake – and a big ‘un, too, his snake body trails behind him into the depths of the pit: God knows how long this guy is.

Machida towards over the brethren and stretches his glistening body so he can look down on Buffy, Cordelia and Callie.

Off Buffy, looking up at the hideous Delta Zeta deity, and Cordelia screaming for all she’s worth.

Richard and a brethren start to unlock Cordelia’s chains.

Buffy pulls like hell at her own chains. They hold fast. Richard and brethren drag Cordelia, whimpering now, before Machida. Cordelia looks like she’s about to lose her mind. Buffy struggles with her chains.

Machida rises up, ready to dive for Cordelia.

Machida turns his gaze to Buffy.

And Tom backhands her viciously, nearly knocking her out. Brandishes his sword.

EXT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

Angel, Willow and Giles exit the Giles-mobile and head for the darkened frat house.

As they approach, a robed figure steps out of the shadows behind them. Angel senses the intruder, slows his pace and suddenly leaps on him.

It’s Xander, in one of the D.Z robes. He pulls the hood back. There’s a tear in the front of the robe.

Angel looks to the house, his anger mounting, and MORPHS into a vampire with a fierce growl. Willow and the others take a step back.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – NIGHT

The Tackle and the Linebacker keep a watch in the darkened rooms. They hear someone KNOCKING, move to one of the doors in back, see a dark figure in a robe outside.

The Tackle peers hard at the robed figure, unlatches the door. The minute he does, Xander kicks open the door and hits him as hard as he can in the face.

The Tackle staggers back. Angel, Giles, Willow rush in.

The Tackle charges Xander who sidesteps him and helps run his head into a banister. The Linebacker charges Angel – sees Angel’s face – screams!

INT. FRAT BASEMENT – SAME TIME

Tom Stands behind Cordelia, beneath Machida.

They hear fighting and bodies crashing to the floor above.

Go!

Richard charges upstairs with several of the brethren.

Machida rises to his full height.

Cordelia cowers beneath him.

Machida dives.

DIVING POV – WE SWOOP DOWN TOWARDS CORDELIA

Who screams bloody murder.

Buffy uses all her strength and rips her chain and eye hooks right out of the wall.

Buffy whips the chain and hits Machida with it. He rears back, screaming.

Cordelia scampers back to relative safety as –

Buffy whips her chain into two attacking brethren, knocking them down.

Tom picks up the sword and charges Buffy who ducks and backs away as he attacks, nearly taking her head off.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – UPSTAIRS – NIGHT

Angel throws a guy across the room. Xander is on the Tackle, piggy back, hitting him on the head from behind.

Willow and Giles weave their way through the carnage to the basement door. Willow manages to get the door open as Giles is blind sided by a brethren. Giles holds him off and decks him.

Willow runs down a couple of steps into the basement, runs back up, yells to the gang:

Xander gives him one last good wallop and leaps off. The tackle falls forward, out of frame, we HEAR him crash through the French doors. Xander stands there, pretty darn satisfied with himself for half a beat until Richard hits him like a train from the side.

Angel drops Richard like a stone.

They all charge toward the basement door.

INT. FRAT HOUSE – BASEMENT – NIGHT

Buffy scrambles away from Tom and his attacking sword.

He swings hard. Buffy ducks and counters with the chain, wraps it around the sword, rips it out of Tom’s hands.

And Buffy hits him with a right, then a left, then she spin-kicks him in the side of the head – he flies back, trips on the alter, falls on his ass. Down and out.

Angel, Xander, Willow and Giles tear downstairs as Machida gatheres Cordelia in his arms.

Buffy suddenly looms up with the sword.

Machida ROARS at her. Buffy raises the sword and brings it down hard and fast on the middle of Machida’s snake body, cutting him in half.

XANDER, GILES, WILLOW

And Angel react.

CORDELIA

Falls to the floor, safe.

THE PIT

As what’s left of the severed snake jiggles and lies still a couple of feet from the upper torso.

BUFFY

Helps Cordelia up. Willow and Xander un-chain a very freaked out Callie.

Cordelia walks right past Buffy and hurls herself into Angel’s arms.

Tom comes to near the alter. And, unbeknownst to any of our heroes, the snake body begins slowly moving. Until it joins up with the torso. A squooshy sound of flesh and protoplasm meeting and the two halves re-join!

That’s when Machida, re-joined, suddenly pops up again.

Angel takes a threatening step forward next to Buffy and growls.

Machida towers over Tom:

Machida slides back down. Cordelia is afraid to breathe. With good reason. Machida pops back up, grabs Tom.

Machida disappears into the pit with Tom. We hear Tom’s screams, a quick couple of chomps and then silence.

Willow and Xander help Callie toward the stairs.

Buffy moves to Giles.

Buffy smiles.

Off them,

INT. BRONZE – NIGHT

A high school freshman, a real young looking one, moves up to Cordelia, hands her a coffee and a muffin. He looks up at her (being so much shorter and all) adoringly.

Leslie grabs the coffee and hurries out of frame. Cordelia turns to

BUFFY, WILLOW, XANDER

Sitting at a nearby table. Xander studies a newspaper.

CLOSE ON NEWSPAPER – We see a picture of the Delta Zeta house and the headline: FRATERNITY ARRESTED.

She shakes her head.

Xander notices Angel standing right next to him. Doesn’t skip a beat.

Beat.

Beat.

Buffy considers him for a long moment, then:

Angel brightens.

And she gets up and goes. Xander, Willow, Angel stare at her departing back. Xander kind of respects what she just did. So does Angel.

ANGLE – BUFFY – WALKING AWAY

Tracking backwards with her. Letting her grow into a tight close-up. So we can see how pleased she is. Then she walks out of frame and we –