Act 1
Starring:
Lacey Chabert as Skye Talisker, Gale Harold as Jim Pollan, Caroline Dhavernas as Grace Hatherley, Elijah Woods as Jeff Lindquist, Laura Pyper as Casey Pierce, Alexis Bledel as Denise, Tessa Thompson as Chamique, Steffani Brass as Shannon Matthewson, Rachel Hurd-Wood as Lorinda Sheparton, Mandy Musgrave as Hadley Ramirez, Freema Agyeman as Siobhan Hartley, Helen Shaver as Becca Giles, Laura Prepon as Lori Carew, Thora Birch as Tracey Hausser, Cote de Pablo as Amira Aziz, Norika Fujiwara as Mia Nakata and Gary Oldman as Mr. Jason Felix
Guest Starring:
Marcia Cross as Autumn O’Mara, Morena Baccarin as The Voice of Hell, Jessica Beals as Miss Sanger, Kristy Swanson as Joan Arkham, David Tennant as Lenore Shopkeeper, Sheila Larken as O’Mara’s Mother and Morris Chapdelaine as Kosh
Fade In:
Int.
Federal Detention Center – Visitation Room – Day
Five Hours Before the Battle of the Turnpike
Elizabeth Giles sat on her father’s lap.
“When are you coming home?” Liz asked Willow, who sat on the other side of the security glass.
“I wish I knew, Sweetie, but I don’t,” Willow answered honestly.
“Aunt Ro doesn’t smile much. I think she doesn’t like you living here now,” Liz said. “I don’t like to see Aunt Ro sad.”
“You and me both,” Willow replied.
The four-year-old paused for a moment. “That’s an ugly shirt,” Liz said with deep sincerity.
“Elizabeth,” Giles chastised.
Willow chuckled. “It’s okay, Giles,” she told him. “That’s the best laugh I’ve had in a while.” She then looked at Liz. “It is really ugly, isn’t it? They make us all wear the same thing here.”
“Who’s making you wear it? Is it the bloody bastards who locked you up?” Liz asked.
Again, Willow was unable to hold back her laughter.
“Elizabeth,” Giles corrected again. “It’s not proper to call anyone ‘bloody bastards.’”
“But that’s what you called the people who took Aunt Will away,” she replied.
Willow still giggled as Giles fumbled through an explanation. “R-regardless of what I said, those aren’t nice words t-to use.”
“You really oughta be careful what you say around this one, Giles,” Willow told him.
“I thought she was asleep at the time,” he contended. He then looked at Elizabeth. “But apparently not.”
“I’m not allowed to say ‘bloody hell’ either,” the girl told Willow. “But he says it allllll the time.”
Willow snorted. “Yeah, he used to say it a lot around me, too, but when you’re as old as us, then you can say that stuff, okay?”
“Okay,” Liz nodded.
A guard entered the room. “Time’s up, Rosenberg.”
“Okay,” she said. “Just let me say goodbye.” The guard nodded, and Willow turned back around. “I gotta go, Sport, but you look after your mom and dad for me, okay?” she told Elizabeth, who nodded. “And keep your Aunt Ro company when you can until I get back, all right? Maybe she won’t feel so lonely then.”
“All right,” Elizabeth agreed. “Love you, Aunt Will.”
“Love you too, Sweetie.”
“Take care,” Giles told her. “I’m sorry about…” He motioned toward Elizabeth.
“Are you kidding? This was the high point of my week.” Willow began to chuckle a bit remembering what Elizabeth had said. “Are you guys driving back tonight?”
“Yes,” Giles replied.
“Then be careful okay? Hopefully I’ll see you guys soon on the other side of the jail house.”
“Again, take care of yourself. We love you, Willow.”
“You too, Giles.”
Willow blew Elizabeth a kiss, and the young girl caught it with much enthusiasm, making Willow smile.
Cut To:
Int.
Federal Detention Center – Outside Willow’s Cell – Day
As the guard escorted Willow back inside, he motioned to the television on the other side of the wall.
“I know you can’t change the channels yourself, but would you like to watch something else?” he asked. “This C-SPAN channel is pretty boring.”
Willow grinned as she stepped inside. “I like boring,” she told him.
“Hey, suit yourself,” he told her as he hit the controls, putting up the barrier.
She walked to the back of the cell and took a seat at the edge of her bed. She absently looked at the Congressional meeting in process on the screen and then sighed deeply.
Cut To:
Int.
O’Mara’s Home – Living Room – Late Afternoon
O’Mara danced around in her demon form, the Voice of Hell, to a quiet, piano version of the Shaker hymn, “Simple Gifts.” Surprisingly, she was really good. Her arms moved slowly in arcs over her head. Her stocking feet were perfectly pointed and moved over the parquet floor as if tracing arcane designs. Her eyes were closed in concentration, her breathing smooth. Her movements were completely controlled.
Her home was exquisite, with expensive-looking, mostly wood furnishings and a wide bay window overlooking the wide expanse of Lake Erie. The sky was pink with the sunset.
She brought one hand forward, extending her fingers as if reaching out desperately for something unseen. Then, suddenly, she was overwhelmed by the sound of people screaming. Her eyes snapped open to briefly see a flash of a crowd of humans cowering in terror. She gripped her head for a few seconds. Once the screaming stopped, she resumed her steps again, only to stop a few moments later.
Smash Cut To:
Unknown Location – Unknown Time
Terrified people stampeded in a panic as a fireball closed in behind them.
Smash Cut To:
Int.
O’Mara’s Home – Living Room – Afternoon
Once more the Voice of Hell stopped and gripped her head. But before she could resume her dance steps, her intercom buzzed.
“Yes,” she replied. She had suddenly shifted into O’Mara’s form and voice. But was still holding her head.
“Your car is now ready, ma’am,” he told her. “Will you be heading out alone again?”
“Thank you, yes,” she said, as she walked over and turned off the CD. She picked up her purse and walked over to her desk. Resting the purse on the top of the desk, she opened a drawer and pulled out a dagger, putting it inside the purse along with a voice recorder and a pen. After closing it, she touched the Loathestone around her neck. Then she made her way toward the door.
Cut To:
Int.
O’Mara’s Car – Later that Afternoon
She turned her Mercedes off an inner city street and into a parking structure. Weezer’s “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived” was cut off when she turned off the radio.
Cut To:
Int.
Parking Structure – Moments Later
O’Mara squeezed into a spot and exited the vehicle. She then walked to the stairwell.
As she continued to walk past the first floor landing, she came to a door that said, ‘Staff – Do Not Enter.’ She pushed open the rusty door. She quickly shifted into demon form before she stepped inside.
Rather than a staff area, the place looked more like a bunker. Boxes lined the wall, but so did notes and diagrams. Photos of Council members hung on the wall, note cards under each one.
The Voice of Hellmade her way to the desk and tossed her purse on top of it as she leaned down to turn on her computer. When she looked back up, she saw her mother there.
“Hello Autumn,” the old woman said. “I’ve been trying to reach you, but having no luck. I thought perhaps I should follow you, instead.”
“I’ve been busy, Mother,” she replied. “You’ll have to go.”
Her mother didn’t move, and she said nothing at first, but then she stepped further into the small room.
“I’ve seen you on television. The things you’ve been saying about the Watchers Council. Although I’ve never had any personal love for slayers, I’ve never seen them as an enemy. They don’t harm our people because we don’t harm them. So tell me, what’s this all about?”
“No!” the Voice shouted and then whimpered slightly, gripping the stone around her neck.
“No?” her mother asked. “Autumn,” she sighed in frustration. “I know I said the world would never accept you as a demon, and although that might be true…I hoped deep-down that I was wrong. I hoped you could make a difference, show the world that ‘monsters’ can exist here in the humans’ world.”
“It’s not the humans’ world to have,” the Voice of Hell replied, her voice dropping a few octaves.
Her mother took a few steps closer. “Autumn, please. You need to call this off. I don’t want to go to the Council with the truth, but if I must…”
The Voice began to cry, shifting from her demon form to her human form and then back again.
“I can’t control it anymore,” she told her mother.
A look of understanding came over her mothers’s face as she came even closer.
“Then stop hiding,” her mother replied as she opened her arms and pulled her daughter into an embrace. “If you came out to the world and told them how you’re truly trying to help, to make things better for everyone, it’s possible they’ll understand. You can be yourself, in your true form.” The old woman grinned at her. “My little girl who’s going to change the world.”
“I’m sorry,” the Voice said as she pulled away. “I’m so sorry…I’m so sorry…” she began to repeat over and over.
“Shuush,” her mother said, stepping closer again. “We can fix this, it’s not too late.”
In a lightning-fast move, the Voice of Hell snatched the dagger from her purse and slashed out with it.
Her mother stumbled back, grabbing her throat as orange blood poured from between her fingers. She gagged, unable to form any words as she fell to the ground.
VOH walked around the desk to where the old woman had fallen. Repeatedly, she raised the dagger and lowered it, stabbing her mother countless times. With each swing of the blade, she continued to say, “I’m so sorry. Orange tears streamed down her face.
Cut To:
Int.
Voice of Hell Meeting Space – Moments Later
The Voice of Hell walked into the adjoining room to see a host of demons playing cards. They came to attention when she walked inside, covered in orange blood.
She turned to the two closest demons. “There’s a mess in my office you two need to clean up,” she told them.
They nodded obediently and left the room quickly. She then turned to face the rest of the gathering.
“We must prepare for our next assault,” she announced.
“Another blood bank heist?” one of them asked hopefully. “The last one shook ’em up pretty good.”
“No, something more than just a shakeup,” she told them. “A military convoy will be coming along the I-80 turnpike. A general by the name of Voll is transporting something extremely importantly, something we’ll need.”
“Weapons?” one of them asked.
“In a way,” she grinned at him. “He is one of only a handful of people with authorization to transport nuclear launch codes.”
The demons all began to look at one another. Finally, one of them spoke up. “Pardon my ignorance, powerful one,” he began, “but wouldn’t a nuclear weapon kill humans and demons both? How is that going to help our cause, exactly?”
The Voice of Hell locked eyes with the demon.
“May I talk to you privately, Kosh?” she asked, although it came off as more of a command than a question. With haste, the other demons cleared the room until the Voice and Kosh were alone. “You’ve been having serious doubts about our mission for some time, haven’t you?”
“No, ma’am,” he replied. “I want to be victorious, but how can we claim victory if there’s only a handful of us left?”
She smiled and took a step closer until they were nearly nose-to-nose. She lifted his hand and put it on top of the Loathestone, allowing him to touch it.
“This is the plan,” she told him. His face held shock as his fingertips touched the stone. “Beautiful, isn’t it? It’s a perfect future you’re seeing…Isn’t it grand?”
The demon’s lips curled into a smile, and she pushed his hand away before she began to pace the room.
“We need to discuss strategy because…if we do this right…well, let’s just say we can kill two birds with one…enormous…stone.”
The demon grinned and then nodded in agreement.
Fade In:
Ext.
Suburban Woods Along Turnpike – Day
Kosh held a radio control in his hands as he stood near the woods along Interstate 80. Between the trees above the small ridge, he pushed the button. “Report,” he ordered.
“They just passed us,” a voice replied. “ETA two minutes or less.”
“Very good.”
At that moment, a demon crashed into Kosh’s command post at full speed. He nearly crashed into Kosh due to his momentum.
“My lord Kosh!” the demon cried in a breathless voice.
The demon picked the smaller one up in both arms and held him out at arm’s length. “What, you worthless worm?”
“Slayers, my lord,” he replied with fear in his voice. “We’ve been followed by slayers!”
“Good work, Markium,” he told him. “You’ve been quite helpful.”
Markium grinned, but his expression didn’t last long as Kosh took him by his upper arms and tossed him over the embankment.
Cut To:
Ext.
I-80 Turnpike – Same Time
Markium landed in the middle of the expressway with a thud and looked up in time to see a military truck barreling toward him. He screamed.
Upon seeing Markium, the soldier driving the lead vehicle slammed on his brakes, but he wasn’t able to stop. His body jerked forward at the impact of hitting the demon, and he tried to steer left, then right, then left again.
The truck was now in a skid as the other vehicles behind it also applied their brakes, trying to avoid a collision. The lead truck fishtailed, but wasn’t able to regain control and ended up on its side, blocking the convoy.
Cut To:
Ext.
Suburban Woods Along Turnpike – Same Time
Kosh smiled.
“Charge!” he yelled to his troops, and they began to race forward.
Cut To:
Ext.
I-80 Turnpike – Same Time
The demons tore out of the woods, running up to the stopped vehicles, killing anyone standing in their way. From further down the embankment, a sight made Kosh smile.
Slayers began to emerge, too, rushing toward the stopped convoy. Kosh continued his steps, anothrtdemon tagged along behind him.
“The slayers…” his assistant said in a worried tone.
“…aren’t our concern,” he told him. “Bring me Voll.”
The other demon nodded and then broke into a run.
Kennedy was among the slayers now inthe roadway. “You know what to do, ladies,” Kennedy she told her squad. They broke into three groups, while Kennedy marched directly toward Kosh.
Suddenly, an explosion went off in both directions – her front and rear – yet she continued walking on, unaffected by the noise or commotion around her. Her face showed an intense look of determination.
Fade To:
Ext.
I-80 Turnpike – Later
Kennedy, with one eye swollen shut and a gash bleeding in her side, released a deep sigh as she looked at General Voll. He was lying on the ground, obviously dead, though a medic still attempted to work on him.
“One more strike to the Council,” Kennedy muttered.
“Could be worse,” Shannon told her. “You could be that guy,” she said, pointing to the general.
“How bad is it, Shannon, that my first thought is how this is going to look to the press?”
“Maybe you just need a vacation?” Shannon offered.
Kennedy gave her a small grin and patted her shoulder. “Maybe someday I’ll do that,” she replied.
Marie ran over toward Kennedy, waving something in the air.
“I got it!” she exclaimed.
Kennedy’s eyebrows scrunched at her lieutenant..
“Got what?” she asked.
Marie came to a stop in front of her.
“A list of numbers and stuff,” she said as she tried to catch her breath. She handed a pocket folder to Kennedy, who looked inside.
“What is this and what do they want with it?” Kennedy asked as she thumbed through it.
Marie shrugged.
“Can’t say, but it was enough to kill a general over, or at least it seems that way.”
“Guess we saved the day after all,” Shannon remarked. “Good job,” she told Marie, who nodded her thanks.
Kennedy looked up toward the embankment. “I’m not ready to say we’ve won anything yet.”
Fade To:
Int.
Voice of Hell Office – Later that Day
The Voice of Hell was sitting in her underground office, typing something on her computer, when her radio chirped. She picked it up and pressed the button.
“Go ahead,” she said.
“We don’t have the codes,” a voice told her. “The damn slayers showed up, and all hell broke loose.”
The Voice was silent for a moment, and then she pushed the button. “Where are the slayers now?” she asked.
“Tailing what’s left of the group,” he replied.
“Fine then, put stage two into motion,” she told him.
“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” he replied.
“Do it, or die,” the Voice of Hell replied. “It’s your choice.”
“It’ll be done, ma’am.”
VOH smiled. “Good answer.” She tossed the radio back onto the desk. She looked to the doorway to see the two demons she sent away early had returned. “Is it done?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am – properly disposed of. No one will ever find her, no matter how hard her family might look.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” the Voice of Hell answered. “But thank you for your thoroughness. It will be rewarded.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” they both said with a nod before leaving.
VOH casually turned back to her computer and began to hum “Simple Gifts.”
Black Out
End of Act One