"I implore you, Neesah, blessed goddess of chance and fortune, heed my call." "Send to me the heart I desire." "You know, magic at the poker table qualifies as cheating." "That wasn't magic." "I was praying." "Two, please." "Five." "An, I keep telling you, four's the max, and only if you have an ace." " OK, four." " Let's see the ace." "Three." "What a stupid game." "All these rules just to win little plastic discs." "Chips." "They're called chips." "They represent money, since none of us has any money." "But that'll change once my merchandise hits the street." "What ya got in the boxes?" "Drugs?" " It's not drugs, is it, Xander?" " Not drugs." "You are looking at the new local distributor for Boost bars." ""The natural food bar that provides a nutritional boost for active, health-conscious people."" " Want one?" " No." "Thanks." "Those things usually taste kinda tasteless, and then leave a bad after-tastelessness." "Don't let the healthy scare ya." "Check out the ingredients." "See?" "Loaded with fatty goodness." "Come on, somebody bet already." "I got three K cards." "Wish that Buff could've made it." "This three-hand poker is not quite the game." "Must be with Riley." "You know how it is with a spanking-new boyfriend." "Yes, we've enjoyed spanking." "Well, the thing is," "I think Riley is OK, in an oafish kind of way, but am I the only one with a question mark over his head about this Initiative thing?" "Well, they do seem to fall in the good-guy camp." "I mean, they are anti-demon." " Probably pro ex-demon." " Maybe." " I choose to feel threatened." " And why not?" "There's still heaps we don't know about these commandos." "What exactly are they up to?" "Riley." "It took the patrol team 42 minutes to track you, and you neutralised them in 28 seconds." "I was just lucky." "I see." "Well, still very impressive." "I was just being modest with the whole "lucky" thing." "You got that, right?" "I got it." "Awesome, Buffy." "See?" "You're a hit." "Everybody loves you." "Then Professor Walsh said I was as amazing as Riley had said." "Later, he said she couldn't stop talking about a move I made where I used a commando as a shield to block a Taser blast." "It was, like, 12,000 volts." "It took the guy almost two hours to recover." "How was your night?" "Like a normal person's." "Light on the action-packed." "Hope tonight's not too much of a letdown for ya, excitement-wise." "You do remember about tonight, right?" "Bronze." "The gang." "Are you kidding?" "I wouldn't be anywhere else." "I miss you guys." "We haven't spent much time together lately." "You've been busy." "Fighting armies and stuff." "Not to mention other distractions of a more romantic..." "Riley just walked in." "Do ya wanna let him know you're here?" "No." "Just enjoying a good stare." "Tell me about your night." "Well, spent most of it at Xander's teaching Anya to play poker." " That sounds like fun." " Except the Anya part and the poker part." "Will, I think you'd better get used to..." "A Twinkie?" "That's his lunch?" "Oh, he is so gonna be punished." " Everyone's gettin' spanked but me." " What?" "Nothing." "Hey, wipe your feet when you enter a person's home." "Oh, yes." "Careless of me." "Tracking mud all over your mud." "I admit, it's a bit of a fixer-upper." "Needs a woman's touch." "Care to have a crack at it?" "While I'd love to go on trading jabs with you, Spike, perhaps I'll come to the point." "Much as it pains me to say it," "I owe you a debt of gratitude for the help you provided me in my metamorphosis." "Stuff the gratitude." "You owe me more than that, mate." "There's 300 there." "Count it if you like." "I'll do that." "Thinking about your affliction and new-found discovery that you can fight only demons, it occurs to me that..." "I realise this is completely against your nature, but has it occurred to you there may be a higher purpose?" "You made me lose count." "What are you still doing here?" " Talking to myself, apparently." " Well, piss off, then." "This bit of business wraps up any I got with you and your slayerettes." "From now on, I want nothing to do with the lot of you." "Your choosing to remain in Sunnydale might make that a little difficult." "Well, you and yours'll just have to show a little restraint." "Now get out." "And I don't want you crawling back here knocking on my door pleading for help the second Teen Witch's magic goes all wonky or little Xander cuts a new tooth." "We're through." "Got it?" "Honeymoon is over." "We don't have to do this." "I know." "I mean, if you'd rather wait." "I'm ready." "I want to." "New retinal scan recorded:" "Summers, Buffy." "My God." "You said it was big." "You told me, but you never said it was huge." "I don't like to brag." "I had no idea." "This is incredible." "But not that I thought it was some fly-by-night operation." "Unless it is." "I mean, can you guys fly?" "At night." "With those jet-pack things?" "I can't really talk about it." "This is unreal." "So, you like our little operation?" "Yeah." "Yes." "It's very clean." "Your visitor's pass." "And I've assembled some reading material to bring you up to speed." "Oh." "And I thought I was never gonna get homework from you again." "You can't take that home." "That's classified material." "Highly sensitive." "When you're through reading those pages you'll have to eat them." " She's joking." " Don't worry, it doesn't happen very often." "Shall we?" "Much of our hands-on research with the HSTs is performed here." "We call this "The Pit"." "And what do you call those?" "Tough." "It took eight of us to bring 'em down." "They'll be under control soon." "Doctor Angleman." "Head of our science team." "A leader in the field of xenomorphic behaviour modification." "Behaviour modification?" "We've made advances in reconditioning the subterrestrials." "Bringing them to a point where they don't pose a threat." "So I've seen." "On the Discovery Channel." "With gorillas and sharks." "They made them all nice." "You haven't seen it?" "What's over there?" "The armoury." "You'll have to be cleared for use on each of these weapons." "The more advanced arsenal is complicated, but I'm certain, in time, you'll pick that up." " Don't pick that up." " What is it?" " About $20,000." " It's a prototype for a com-cam." "Communications camera." "Gives us a direct link to Control when we're out in the field." "Also monitors the heart rate of the wearer." "A good tool for research in stress in combat." "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the HST containment area." "We have a few more things to give you." " What's in there?" " Research area." "Very restricted for security reasons." "Here is your security card and your pager." " Been thinking about gettin' one." " We alone have the number," " and it stays that way." " Right." "Lose either one of them, there's hell to pay." "And down here we mean that literally." "Again, welcome to the team." "Wow." "I've been trying to find a doll's-eye crystal my entire life." "Well, since June, anyway." "Where'd you get it?" "It was my grandma's, I think." "I found it a long time ago in my attic." "I want you to have it." "Oh, no, Tara." "That's really sweet, but I can't." "It's like a family heirloom." "I just wouldn't feel comfortable." "But if you wanted to try out some spells with it sometime, I wouldn't say no." "Maybe tonight?" "If you're not doing something, you could come over and we could do something." "Tonight." "That sounds really nice, but tonight, I already have plans with people." "Other." "That's OK." "Another time." "Absolutely." "It's just tonight, it's kind of a specific crowd." "You might feel out of place." "I'd better get to class." "Well, I'll see ya later." "OK?" " How did the tour go?" " I'm not sure." "She's unpredictable." " She's an unnecessary risk." " Possibly." " How's our baby doing today?" " Adjusting nicely." " Reflexes, motor functions." "All off the charts." " That's what I like to hear." "Almost time to wake up, Adam, and take your first look at the world." "I know you're gonna make me proud." "Xander?" "You haven't been paying any attention to me tonight." "Just peddling those processed-food bricks." "I don't know why." "Well, let me put it in a way you'll understand." "Sell bars." "Make money." "Take Anya nice places." "Buy pretty things." "It does make sense." "All right, I support you." "Go sell more." "Well, this was the only one I had on me." "Besides, it's late." "Maybe we should go." "Go?" "You can't go." "Buffy hasn't gotten here yet." "Let's face it." "She's almost an hour late." "She's living the life of Riley." "I doubt she's coming." "She is." "She said she was looking forward to spending quality time with just us." "See?" "Here she comes." "With Riley and some other guys." " Hi, all." "Sorry about the late-itude." " Late?" "Really?" "Hadn't noticed." " Hope you don't mind us tagging along." " No, of course not." "The more the more." "This is Graham, this is Forrest, that's Kevin, and that's Jay in the back." " We'll grab some drinks." "Want anything?" " Coke, please." "I'm good." "No." " We're going away." "To dance." "Over there." " We are?" "Anya seems a bit on edge." "She's a little antsy around commando types." "Ex-demon issues." "I didn't think that you would mind." "Riley and the guys threw a celebration in my honour and it made it, like, impossible to not invite them." "Oh." "That's neat about the celebrating." "I just thought this was supposed to be, you know, us." "Just the Scooby Corps, you know." "I mean, I could have invited somebody else if I knew it was an open free-for-all." "I'm sorry." "I had no idea." "My total bad." " So, who did you wanna invite?" " What?" " You said you wanted to invite someone." " No, not..." "No one." "I mean, I meant a hypothetical someone, which is to say no one." " What are we celebrating?" " I'm in." "The Initiative." "Prof Walsh gave me the grand tour, and I mean grand as in Canyon." " You'd never believe the size of it." " That's really..." "Again, I say "neat"." "So, what do you mean, exactly?" "You've joined them?" "No." "Not exactly." "It means that when I patrol, I'll have a heavily armed team as backup." "Plus, boyfriend going to work with me." "Big extra perk." "Buffy, do you really think this is a good idea?" "I mean, don't you think you're rushing things a little?" " I thought you liked Riley." " Not with Riley." "With the Initiative." "I mean, there's a bunch of stuff about them we still don't know." "I know that." "Like what?" "Well, what's their ultimate agenda?" "I mean, OK, yeah, they neuter vampires and demons." "But then what?" "Will they reintegrate them into society?" "Get them jobs as bag boys at Wal-Mart?" "Does Wal-Mart have bag boys?" "Plus, don't forget that 314 thing that Ethan told Giles about." "Well, a man that worships chaos and tries to kill you is a man you can trust." "Bad info or not, certain questions should be asked before you go off and enlist." "That's us." "Let's go." " When did you get a pager?" "What's going...?" " That's our cue." "Mother wants us." " Will." " I know." "Talk later." "So what's the big emergency?" "This is your objective:" "Sub-T 67119." "Demon class:" "Polgara species." "Though visual confirmation has not been made, we're confident of its approximate position as it leaves behind a distinct protein marker." "Dr Angleman will brief you on its defences." "When threatened, bone skewers jut from the creature's forearms during battle." "It's imperative when ensnaring it not to damage its arms." "That's all you really need to know." "Question." "Buffy?" "Why exactly can't we damage this poker thing's arms?" "I mean, not that I want to, it's just in my experience when fighting, body parts get damaged, and better its bits than mine." "Or ours." "We wish to study the physiology of every subterrestrial's natural defences." "Part of the research we do here." "Yes?" " What do they want?" " Want?" "Why are they here?" "Sacrifices, treasure, or they just get rampagey?" " I find it's easier to predict their responses..." " They're not sentient." "Just destructive." "They do have keen eyesight, however." "You might wanna be suited up for this." "Oh." "You mean the camo and stuff?" "I thought about it, but, I mean, it's gonna look all Private Benjamin." "Don't worry, I've patrolled in this halter many times." "Let's give our attention to Dr Angleman and save questions till the end." "Actually, I'm finished." "Oh, well, Agent Finn, deploy the teams." "OK, listen up." "We'll be going in a four-squad setup." "Team leaders Gates, Taggart and Stavros." "Alpha team, you're with me." "Report to TLs for assignments and weapon requisitions." "Reminder: this is a zap 'n' trap, people." "Capture, not a kill." "Any questions?" "Buffy." "Willow." "A funny thing happened with my prior social engagement." "Pretty much ended when a friend of mine went off to do something with another crowd she hangs out with." "Irony is kind of ironic that way." "Anyway, I know it's late, but I thought maybe..." "I mean, if you still wanted to do something?" " So I guess she hates me now." " What?" "Professor Walsh." "Questions." "An Initiative faux pas, yes?" "It's a little unusual." "She's just not used to it." "You barely ever opened your mouth in her classroom." "But I know she likes you." "In fact, she liked you before I did." " Really?" " Told me so herself." " Maybe I should get her a present..." " Can we talk about this later?" "There's a dangerous hostile out here, and since I don't have your reflexes," "I kinda need to focus." "Right." "What do you mean, she liked me before you did?" "You didn't like me?" " Itjust isn't right." " He made you team leader, didn't he?" "That's not the point." "I've always been Riley's second in command." "Instead he picks a girl." " His girl." " Whatever." "Three guesses on what that boy's thinkin' with." "Maybe he just wanted to let you get out from under his shadow." "Hey, I'm not under anybody's shadow." "It was ajoke, man." "Don't get your panties in a bunch." "I'm just sayin'..." " Hang on." "Got somethin'." " Target?" "Negative." " Hello, Hostile 17." " You two, standard flanking." "Go." "Alert Control and Alpha team." "We've tagged Hostile 17 with a tracer and we're in pursuit." "Sir." "Graham's on the talkie for you." "Reception's not too good." "This is Alpha team, go ahead." "Say again." "You're breakin' up." "Riley." "So, what do you wanna do now?" "I don't know how many more ways I can say "I'm not interested"." "Check these flavours." "Cherry Berry." "Maple Walnut." "Almond Liquorice." "Eugh." "Anya, we don't say "Eugh" in front of potential customers." "Just skip this part and say you want money to buy me pretty things." "He'll understand." "Very well." "Maple Walnut." "An excellent choice." " Please leave my home now." " It's the gritty texture, isn't it?" "Maybe you're more of a Cherry Berry fellow." " Close the door." " Spike?" "You may wanna give up these morning jogs." "Soldiers are out." "I've been tryin' to keep 'em off my scent, run 'em in circles." "But they keep comin'." "And how is this our concern?" "You expressed the wish to have nothing more to do with us." "Spike said that?" " That hurts." " All right." "Whaddaya want me to say?" "I need help." "And no cheek from you." "Look." "The buggers shot me in the back." "Remind me." "Why should I help you?" "Because you do that." "You're the goody-good guys." "You're the bloody freaking cavalry." "No, you can come up with a better answer than that." "Why should I help you?" "Oh." "Because I helped you." "When you turned into that Fyarl demon, I helped you, didn't I?" "And that was out of the evilness of your heart?" "Oh, hell, no." "I made you pay me..." "You right bastard." "That's all that's left." "I spent the rest on blood and smokes, which I'll never see again." "Come on." "Circle the wagons." "Tend to the wounded here." "No time for layabouts." "Hey." "What's the matter?" "Weren't expecting to see me?" "I never know what to expect." "Your robot bird sounds hungry." " It's just a reminder to take my vitamins." " You're kidding." "I'm sorry." "Quite the regimental soldier." " I am how they trained me." " They?" " Who they?" " You know, the government." "Plucked me out of special op training for this." " What did they tell you it was for?" " Didn't." "In the military you learn to follow orders, not ask questions." "I don't understand." "Aren't you curious about all the science and research stuff they're doing?" "I know all I need to know." "We're doing good here." "Protecting the public." "Removing the subterrestrial threat." "It's work worth doing." "What's 314?" " Riley." " We have a situation." "You're needed." " On my way." " What is it?" "Don't know." "You're really not one for asking questions, are you?" "I'll leave that to you." "Lose your way, Agent?" "No, ma'am." "I've instructed Beta team to suspend pursuit of Hostile 17 until your arrival." "I didn't want slip-ups, that's why you're in charge." "You'll rendezvous with them at these coordinates." "Riley." "Make me proud." "Yes, ma'am." "I think we've got a situation." "The Slayer?" " She's becoming a liability." " We knew that was a danger." " Does she know about the project?" " She knows it exists." "She already holds too much influence over Riley - over Agent Finn." " We move to the contingency scenario?" " Right away." "That's too bad." " She could have been a powerful ally." " I know." " And Finn will take it hard." " That's why sooner is better." "It's better." "Watch it." "That hurts." "It doesn't appear to be a bullet." "It's too deeply embedded for a tranquilliser dart." "Also, not tranquil." "Some sort of illumination emanating from it." "It's blinking." "I don't care if it's playing "Rock the Casbah" on the bloody jew's-harp." "Get it out of me." "Anya, there's a bottle of Cognac in the cupboard by the sink." "Can you get it?" " What?" "Gonna get snockered now?" " It's not for me, you prat." "If I'm gonna operate, I need you anaesthetised." "This'll take time." "We don't have any." "That blinking thing?" "My pseudo-soldier memory bank tells me that's a tracer." " A what?" " A what?" "It's like a homing beacon." "And if commandos are reading the signal, they're comin' home." "Well, we need to buy some time." "It's in deep, and I'm no surgeon." " Oh, hi." " Hey." "Out all night, huh?" "You, too." "Yeah." "Sorry about bailing on you guys at the Bronze." "That's OK." "I..." "Don't worry about it." "OK." " They really keep ya hoppin', don't they?" " Yeah." "I gotta go." "I'll see ya?" " Hello?" " Willow." "You're there at last." "We have a problem." "Where's Buffy?" "Just left." "Beeped away by her new buds." "You want me to go after her?" "No, no." "It's your help I need, actually." "Really?" "What do you want me to do?" "It's a small job." "Reconnaissance." "Probably a waste of a slayer's abilities," " but my boys are on assignment, so I..." " No, it's OK." "I'm up for some action." "I doubt you'll get any on this one." "We've a class-three subterrestrial moving through the sewers" "just on the north edge of town." " Class three?" "It's a low-level threat." "Minimal aggression." "Meagre defences." "They barely show up on the scanner, and occasionally turn out to be raccoons." "Wow." "You're not crazy about raccoons, huh?" "We always take precautions." "All we need you to do is get a visual on this thing." "This will feed me back an image, and I can advise you from there." "I don't wanna put you in unnecessary danger." "That's OK." "Danger's my birthright." "Sorry." "Professor Walsh, there's still some stuff about all this that I'm not clear on." "Well, when you get back we can have a talk." "Good." "OK." "When I get back." "Am I supposed to salute you?" "No." "OK." ""Tropo, strato, meso, aero, iono, exo..."" "So, how does it work?" "If she succeeds, her spell will ionise the atmosphere, disrupting the tracer's signal." " It buys us time." " "Elements are brought to bear."" ""Wind, earth and water churned amidst the fire."" ""Let the air be burned."" "Did it work?" "Is the atmosphere ionised?" "I'd venture "Yes"." " What do you mean, "the signal's whacked"?" " The blip's a blob." " There's some interference with the tracer." " Try to lock it down." " We headed in the right direction?" " I think so." "It's gonna put us in populated areas." "OK, then." "We change into civvies then move out." "Maybe something' will turn up." "Professor Walsh, are you getting this?" "Possible HST?" "Make it a definite." "He's brought along a friend." "They seem..." "Talk to me, Forrest." "Signal's somewhere in this neighbourhood." "Estimate within a two-block radius." "It feels, and looks, like the spell's wearing off." " Giles?" " I've got it." "We wanna keep this hostile contained, so..." "Wait." "The signal's cleared up." " There." " Let's go." "Go." " What?" " It's on the move." " Heading?" " Straight at us. 40 metres and closing fast." " In broad daylight?" " Weapons at the ready." "25 metres... 20... 15." " Where?" " To the left." "Ten metres..." "Five..." " Anyone?" " I got nothing." "This doesn't make sense." "It went right past us." "Flushed." "The tracer's been flushed." "Regret to report Hostile 17's still at large." " I've left Beta team to comb..." " Riley, something's happened." "I don't know what to say." " It's about Buffy." " Buffy?" "Two of our hostiles broke free and escaped into the tunnels." "She went after them on her own." "She's dead, Riley." " What?" " I did everything I could to stop her." "I told her to wait for a backup team." "She insisted she didn't need one, she could handle it by herself." "I'm so sorry." " I don't understand." " I know what she meant to you." " How could this happen?" " She was a very special girl." "I didn't understand at first, but she had something." "I don't know, maybe I could have stopped her." "It's hard not to blame myself." "Professor Walsh?" "That simple little recon you sent me on?" "It wasn't a raccoon." "Turns out I was trapped in the sewers with a faulty weapon and two of your pet demons." "If you think that's enough to kill me, you really don't know what a slayer is." "Trust me when I say you're gonna find out." "Riley." "Agent Finn, I order you to stop." "Agent Finn." "Riley." "It will be dark soon." " It would be wise for you to leave Sunnydale." " I'm not going anywhere." "Not until those bastards undo whatever they did to me, put me back the way I was." "Sure." "Just explain to the nice scientist guys that you miss killing and torturing innocents." " You think that would work?" " Spike," "Lord knows why I'm telling you this." "It's for your own good." "As long as the Initiative is in operation, it's not safe for you here." "No." "It's not safe for any of us." "So..." "All right, fine." "If she wants a fight, we'll give her one." "Won't we, Adam?" "I've worked too long, too long to let some little bitch threaten this project." "Threaten me." "She has no idea who she's dealing with." "Once she's gone, Riley will come around." "He'll understand." "It's for the greater good." "He'll see that." "And if he doesn't..." "Well, first things first." "Remove the complication, and when she least expects it..." "Adam?" "Mommy."