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From Dusk 'til Dawn II, Pt. 1 (Air date Dec. 8, 2004)

From Dusk 'til Dawn (Pt. II: Midnight to Dawn) Part 1 (December 15, 2004) Written by: Masquerade

Teaser

EXT. OLYMPIC BOULEVARD WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING

LONG SHOT of a commercial street. It's quiet and dark, with no traffic. Slowly, we start to DOLLY up the street. We pass a lock and key business, a dank alleyway, and a pawn shop. There's an old truck parked in front of the pawn shop, and behind it, a '70's model Chevy Impala.

We cross over into the next block, where we see several WAREHOUSES lining both sides of the street. Their features are relatively indistinct under the distantly-spaced street lights. At the end of the block of warehouses is a major thoroughfare. It's brightly-lit and we see a car pass by every few seconds, but none of the cars turn down this street.

Our DOLLY finally slows and stops in front of a TWO-STORY WAREHOUSE lit only by the glow of a security lamp. The faded sign on the outside wall reads - "Wright Refrigerated Storage."

FADE TO -

INT. REFRIGERATION ROOM - NIGHT

One wall of horizontal wood planks. Another wall of curving metal pipes. And in the corner between them, CONNOR in his black plastic and metal chair. His wrists are wrapped in CHAINS. His ankles are apart but shackled. And his chest is tied to the back of the chair by a thick coiled ROPE. His expression is pensive as he stares across the dim-lit room at -

DRUSILLA'S VAMPIRE MINIONS, one male, one female, standing on either side of the dark doorway to the adjacent room, WATCHING HIM RIGHT BACK.

CLOSE-UP on Connor's steady stare. And THEN on the minions again, watchful.

Finally, from the darkness beyond them -

Clack, clack, clack, clack.

Connor's shoulders stiffen. His eyes drop to his wrists.

DRUSILLA emerges from the doorway, her black satin dress clinging to her thin frame. She has a JEWEL-HANDLED HUNTING KNIFE clutched in her hand. She caresses the steel blade with her fingertips, taking in the sight of Connor with dark, steady eyes.

DRUSILLA
Families shatter like glass.
She glides towards Connor, her hips swaying smoothly. Then she slows and brings the knife blade up flat against her cheek, close to her lips.

DRUSILLA
But your blood is her blood.
She slides the blade down her cheek, eyes closed, lips parted.

DRUSILLA
I could taste it.
Connor's eyes rise. He gazes at her silently.

CLOSE-UP on his hands, bound at the wrists. His fingers are curled into his palms. The outside edge of his fingers brush against each other slowly.

Drusilla comes to a halt in front of him and brings down the knife to her side, her thin arm tensing. Then she raises her free hand and beckons the other vampires over with a finger.

DRUSILLA
Come, dears.
A tiny smile plays on her lips. The two minions walk over. Drusilla hands the knife to the female. The male walks behind Connor and clamps his hands on Connor's shoulders. Connor twists his shoulders away with a glare. The minion's fingers tighten.

Connor's eyes jump to the female. He scrutinizes her unblinkingly, as if sizing her up. The female peers at Drusilla, but Drusilla's attention is on Connor. Connor's eyes turn to Drusilla as well.

And then to the HUNTING KNIFE as the female minion brings it UP TO HIS CHEST. Connor tenses. In a movement almost too fast to see, she reaches over with her other hand and rips open his collar, then BRINGS THE BLADE DOWN across his breast bone.

CONNOR
(wincing)
Uhh!
Connor's hands squeeze into fists.

CLOSE-UP on the naked "V" of Connor's chest - BLOOD IS WELLING around a short, sharp slash in his skin.

The minion draws the knife back and with her free hand slides a metal chain out from under her collar. At the end of the chain is a TINY ORNAMENTAL BLUE VIAL swathed in a gothic-looking bronze metal weave. With the knife still in her hand, she unscrews the vial. Then she brings it up under the SLOW DRIBBLE OF BLOOD making its way down Connor's chest.

Connor's eyes drop to it. He winces.

Drusilla's face comes alive with expectation as she watches the vial slowly fill with Connor's blood. Finally, the minion draws back the vial and screws it back into its cap. Drusilla steps up to Connor's chair and reaches out one long, elegant hand to caress his jaw.

DRUSILLA
Don't worry, dear heart.
Soon you'll see your mummy again.
Connor gives her a grim smile. Then he GRABS HER WRIST AND JERKS HER FORWARD, his chains clinking. Drusilla cries out with surprise. Connor grips the base of her chin in one hand and the top of her head with the other.

The minion behind Connor raises his fingers to Connor's throat.

CONNOR
(glaring back at him)
Try anything and I'll rip her head off her shoulders.
Connor's eyes shoot up to the female minion.

CONNOR (cont.)
Think I can't?

BLACK OUT.

END OF TEASER

---

Opening Credits

The theme song plays as we see images of


CONNOR REILLY walking to classes, killing a vampire

starring

Vincent Kartheiser
FAITH THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, fighting in the SLAYER TRAINING ROOM with Connor

Eliza Dushku
and REPORTER AIDEN WALSH, pulling his CAMERA away from his face.

and

Sean Maher

Act One

with special guest stars

Randall Slavin
Juliet Landau

---

EXT. A STONE CHURCH - LONDON, ENGLAND - JUST BEFORE DAWN (FLASHBACK)

SUPER LEGEND:                                                                          1860

The church is gloomy and gothic-looking, with a wide stone COURTYARD around it and steps leading up to the front doors. We don't see anyone about, but we can hear a panicked, labored BREATHING drawing closer.

Suddenly, MORTAL DRUSILLA TEARS INTO THE FRAME. She dashes across the courtyard, the folds of her skirt in her hands, her eyes intent on the chapel. She leaps for the first step up into the church and trips, falling on one outstretched hand, then pushes herself back up and clacks up the steps.

INT. CHURCH - JUST BEFORE DAWN

Drusilla passes the flickering votive candles of the vestibule. Then we follow her up past the simple wooden chairs of the nave. Before she reaches the sanctuary, however, she slows and then stops. Her eyes widen and her thin hands rise up in front of her, shaking. She stumbles forward.

PAN DOWN until we see THE STONE FLOOR OF THE SANCTUARY, littered with BODIES.

We jump first to her father, lying face down, his hands out in front of him as if reaching for something; then her mother, a lump of flesh and skirts; her two teenaged sisters and uncle, scattered; her grandmother hunched up against a wall. Their necks have been torn open and the floor, the toppled alter table, and chairs are SPOTTED DARK WITH THEIR BLOOD.

Drusilla totters forward, her hands pressed to her temples, her eyes wide, her mouth gaping open in a silent wail. She steps over their bodies, tripping, gasping. Finally, she WAILS AUDIBLY and throws herself on the floor beside her mother's prone form.

We hear her muffled weeping for a long moment.

Then she sits up again and stares around, disoriented. Something registers on her face--like a stray thought seeping into a mind lost to coherent judgment. She rises shakily to her feet, looking around from body to body, and staggers forward.

DRUSILLA
Anne?
PAN THE BODIES in a jerking fashion as Drusilla stumbles over them looking for her youngest sister.

Drusilla's POV - the stone floor of the church, cracked and stained red.

DRUSILLA
Anne!
Her voice echoes against the stone walls.

PULL BACK as she continues to look from body to body, running over to each of them, touching them, shaking them.

DRUSILLA
Anne?!
Then, behind her at the font edge of the nave, we see an ELDERLY NUN dressed in a plain brown habit. A look of horror comes over the woman's face as she sees Drusilla standing there amidst the bodies of her slaughtered family. The nun rushes forward.

NUN
Come now, child. Come.
You shouldn't be here.
She places her hands on Drusilla's shoulders and tugs at her.

Drusilla jerks away.

DRUSILLA
No! I must find Anne!
The nun reaches for her again.

NUN
Your sister isn't here, child. Now come.
Drusilla looks up at her, confusion and hope rising in a face stunned by absolute loss.


EXT. WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - NIGHT (PRESENT)

ANGLE ON - a wide one-story warehouse with a pair of loading docks. The doors are down. The only light is coming from a security lamp near the roof. Into the frame walk FAITH and AIDEN. Faith's crossbow in dangling from her hand. Aiden has Connor's book bag slung over his shoulder. Except for the distant traffic sounds and their footsteps, the area around them is quiet. And there's not much to see, either--a dumpster, a few parked cars, a wisp of steam rising in a passing alleyway.

Faith glances at her watch.

FAITH
Shit, it's almost one a.m.

AIDEN
There's only three other buildings.

FAITH
Yeah, and I'm betting they won't have security
guards, either.
She raises her free hand and lets it drop to her side.

FAITH
I gotta say, dude. This neighborhood doesn't
look much like a "war zone."

AIDEN
(puzzled)
Yeah. It doesn't make much sense,
considering the police reports.
Faith gives him a frown.

FAITH
Where'd you get these police reports,
anyway?

AIDEN
I have a source in the department.
Faith is still frowning. Aiden chuckles and nods.

AIDEN
O.K.--
Technically, she's a cop.
Went to the academy and everything.
But in actuality, she's a glorified filing clerk--
data entry, records, that sort of thing.
When she comes across something interesting,
she sends it my way.
(he grins)
Just her way of "screwing the department" back,
you know?

FAITH
Sure she's not just screwing you?
Aiden glances at her with a flustered smile, then pauses and shakes his head.

AIDEN
No. And how can you say that?
You're a Slayer.

FAITH
(shrugging)
Just because demons exist,
doesn't make every story about them true.
I mean, look at that tabloid crap.

AIDEN
(defensively)
What about it?
Faith's eyes hone in on the warehouse they are approaching.

FAITH
Nothing, I'm just saying.
REVERSE ANGLE - a three-story warehouse with no windows except for a small round porthole in each of the doors. A blue logo at the top of the building reads, "BDF." Like the previous warehouse, this one is dark save for security lamps.

Faith stops and turns to Aiden.

FAITH
So what are you, some kind of amateur
"demon detective"?

AIDEN
(grinning nervously under her scrutiny)
Something like that.

FAITH
(eyes narrowing)
Who just happens to have a "source"
who feeds him internal police reports.

AIDEN
She's a friend.
He chuckles again.

AIDEN
O.K., a friend I made on purpose--
Suddenly, A SILVERY LIGHT plays across his face, drawing Aiden's attention over to the warehouse. He steps forward with a puzzled frown.

AIDEN
Hey, do you see that?
Faith whirls around.

Their POV - in one of the porthole windows, we can see a FAINT, PULSATING GLOW.

Instantly, Aiden starts toward it. With an aggravated frown, Faith dives after him, grabs him by the shirt and PITCHES him back. Aiden stumbles to a halt behind her.

FAITH
Whoa, Fox Mulder. Remember what I said in the car.
I'll let you help me look. But you're laying low.
I don't want to have to fight and cover you at the
same time.

AIDEN
There's nothing to fight.
...That we know of.
Faith shakes her head.

FAITH
You're the one who said this neighborhood was
"crawling with demons"--
Suddenly, there is a LOUD SHOT.

Aiden and Faith's heads both snap towards the sound.

AIDEN
Shit, that sounded like gunfire.
Another SHOT rings out.

FAITH
(voice edged with anxiety)
Stay here while I check it out.
Aiden starts to shrug the book bag off his shoulder.

AIDEN
But if--

FAITH
(eyes firm)
If I need anything from you, you'll be the first
to know.
Faith bolts towards the sound.

Ahead of her, we see SEVERAL INDISTINCT FIGURES emerge from the warehouse and race away, followed seconds later by another TWO FIGURES, giving chase. Their feet clatter loudly on the pavement.

REVERSE ANGLE on Aiden, who is taking all this in, eyes wide. He jerks the book bag strap up tight on his shoulder.

AIDEN
Yeah. I'll just hide over here and knit booties
or something.
(he scoffs)
Not a chance.
He starts after her.


INT. WRIGHT WAREHOUSE REFRIGERATION ROOM - NIGHT

SIDE SHOT, WIDE - Connor gazes grimly forward, GRIPPING DRUSILLA at the top of her head and the base of her jaw. Beside her, the female minion's fingers close tight around the VIAL OF BLOOD. But the male minion behind Connor just chuckles and SWINGS BACK A FIST.

Connor's eyes dart to the side.

CONNOR
(voice tight and trembling)
Sure you can do that before she's dust?
The male glances uneasily at Drusilla.

But Drusilla, who is doubled over and unable to kneel, is oblivious to him. She can do nothing more than stare directly at Connor, and she does, her dark eyes lit with enthusiasm. She grips the arms of his chair, her body quivering. Her lips purse as a low excited murmur rises up from her throat -

DRUSILLA
Ooo...oooo...ooo...ooh!
So like your daddy.
Connor's teeth clench. His shaking fingers tighten on her head.

CONNOR
Want to test that theory?
Drusilla laughs.

Connor looks quickly back towards the male minion.

CONNOR
(voice trembling but determined)
O.K...I--I want you to loosen these ropes.
Then he eyes the female minion in front of him.

CONNOR (cont.)
And you, get me the key that unlocks these shackles.
We hear their brief clinking.

Connor glances around the room again anxiously.

CONNOR
Where's that other guy? That Ortel guy?
WIDE SHOT over Connor's shoulder, PANNING the length of the artist's studio - furniture, art canvases, crates. A single glowing desk lamp and flickering candles. But no Trey.

CUT BACK TO the minions, standing frozen.

And then Connor. Fear edges around his eyes.

Drusilla cackles again, and "ooohs" ominously. Connor glances at her. Doe-eyes gaze back.

DRUSILLA
(guilelessly)
Send me to your mummy. I don't care.
I'll tell her what a good boy you are.
(whispering)
A killer.
Connor clenches his hands tight to her head, eyes intent.

CONNOR
I'll kill you.
He SNAPS HER JAW AWAY so she can no longer look at him. Drusilla grunts, then grins. Undaunted, her eyes rove back to him.

DRUSILLA
(huskily, biting out her words)
Angelus used to twist their necks.
Wouldn't even feed.
Connor's eyes flit away from her. We can see agitation in them.

DRUSILLA (cont.)
Liked to arrange their bodies to make pretty
pictures.
Quickly, Connor fastens his attention on the female minion. The vampire gazes back at him uneasily.

CONNOR
(low and threatening)
You know...and I know...she's not going to
kill me.
So if you don't help her and I...
(he glances at Drusilla, brows rising)
...let her go...who do you think she's going to
come after?
The minion's eyes edge towards Drusilla. She starts to back away.

The male minion laughs and WHACKS Connor across the back of his head. Connor's head jerks forward. He winces, but his grip remains firm.

MALE MINION
You think we're stupid? What's to stop you
from killing all of us once you're free?
Connor stares down, exasperation on his face.

CONNOR
I won't be free. Just loosen the ropes
and give me the key. Then you can all leave.
The female minion hesitates for a second, then bolts into the darkness of the adjacent room.

Drusilla's diagonal gaze remains on Connor. Slowly, she raises her hands to his. Her slim fingers brush over his skin.

DRUSILLA
We're both of us Daddy's art, we are.
His paint-brush strokes.
His hopeful monsters.
CLOSE-UP on Connor's face. His AGITATION IS RISING.

DRUSILLA (cont.)
Angelus' blood swims in us both.
Swims and burns, feeding the beast below.
Connor raises his head. His knuckles whiten as his fingers dig into her skull. He grits his teeth.

CONNOR
Shut up.
But Drusilla only laughs again, then SEIZES HIS WRISTS. Her feet shuffle for position and she KICKS AT HIM, hitting his knee with her pointed-toe shoe. Connor grimaces.

CONNOR
Uh!
His grip slackens for a second. Drusilla grasps his chair arms and yanks her head back around to face him. Her gaze bores into Connor's.

DRUSILLA
Your soul fights it, fights it--
Tells you you're not an evil thing.
(her voice lowers to a rasping whisper)
But you're the Devil's child, baby brother.
(murmuring)
The Devil's child--not one of God's own.
Connor lurches his chair back, dragging Drusilla with him. She stumbles.

CONNOR
Shut up!
(then, to the minion behind him)
Just loosen the ropes.
Loosen the ropes, and I'll kill her before
she kills you.
But the minion isn't listening. He's staring across the room where we can see, out of focus, a FIGURE STANDING IN THE DOORWAY. And it's not the female minion with the keys to Connor's freedom.

CLOSE-UP on Connor's face as he looks over and his expression of hope turns to HORROR.

Connor's POV - In the doorway is TREY, his arm wrapped around the neck of a TERRIFIED-LOOKING MIDDLE-AGED MAN.

CLOSE-UP on the man, who is obviously mortal - over-weight, balding, and wearing the causal jeans, stained T-shirt, and faded work apron of an ARTISAN. His hands are shackled together with metal chains. On his cheek is a FESTERING WOUND IN THE SHAPE OF A CROSS.

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT ONE

Act Two

EXT. THREE-STORY WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

ANGLE - approaching the north side of the warehouse.

We hear a loud thud, followed by a grunt.

FAITH (O.S.)
Don't even try it, bitch.
Aiden jogs forward around the corner.

His POV - Faith, her back to him, hovering over a LARGE SCALEY-LOOKING DEMON lying face-down on the pavement. Faith's crossbow is on the ground several meters away. She reaches for something at her waist, fumbling. As she does, the demon STRUGGLES OVER ONTO ITS BACK. Faith pauses and slugs it hard in the face, twice.

The demon rears up and GRABS AT HER HEAD. Lightening fast, Faith brings her arms up between the demon's arms, knocks them aside and aims another fist at its face. Then she steps back and KICKS it to the ground again. Quickly, she pulls a knife from a sheath strapped to her waist and STABS the demon HARD in the throat.

AIDEN
(wincing)
Jesus.
He chuckles nervously and walks over to where Faith is standing. He stares down at the dead demon.

AIDEN
Wow. That thing--

FAITH
(glancing at him)
Recognize it?

AIDEN
No.
He pats his chest absent-mindedly.

AIDEN
Damn, I wish I had my camera.
He slides Connor's book bag off his shoulder, unzips it, and yanks the NOTEBOOK out, then fumbles in the pocket for a pen.

Faith walks over and picks up her crossbow. She stands.

FAITH
The others got away.
CLOSE-UP on the notebook as Aiden grips it awkwardly and jots down a description of the demon - gray, scales, spinal column continuous with head ridge, no claws, approx. 6 ft.

Faith starts back around the building.

FAITH
Which is just as well, 'cause we need to find--
Her POV - the warehouse door. A PULSATING GLOW continues to radiate out of the round porthole window.

FAITH (cont.)
...out what the hell that is.
She starts forward.

AIDEN (O.S.)
So we're just going to leave the demon here?
Faith stops.

FAITH
What else would we do with it?
Aiden comes around the corner.

AIDEN
(shrugging)
I don't know. It just seems....
(he frowns at her)
Who the hell cleans up after you?
Faith continues towards the warehouse door, her crossbow tucked under her arm.

FAITH
Far as I know, no one.

INT. WRIGHT WAREHOUSE REFRIGERATION ROOM - NIGHT

Connor GAPES across the room.

Connor's POV - Trey stands in the doorway, gripping a MAN by the arm and neck. He pushes the man forward. The man's QUICK, FRANTIC PANTING fills the cramped room with his terror.

Drusilla cannot see them, but she seems to know who's there. She smiles at Connor.

DRUSILLA
Innocence found and lost.

CONNOR
(aghast, his eyes still on Trey)
What are you--
Trey shifts into vamp-face and jerks the man's head back, exposing his throat. The artist struggles, but his considerable bulk is still useless against a vampire.

DRUSILLA (O.S.)
The death of art, the art of death.
CLOSE-UP on Connor's fingers as they slacken, then tremble, then tighten again.

THEN on Drusilla. She gazes at Connor.

DRUSILLA
But you would never let an innocent die...
(her eyes narrow)
...would you.
Connor's POV - the artist's eyes roam the refrigeration room. Suddenly, he notices Connor looking at him. A bewildered expression comes to his face, aimed at Connor like an accusation.

DRUSILLA (O.S.)
Would never kill.
Connor's attention returns to Drusilla, and then to HIS OWN HANDS, clenching her jaw and the top back of her head.

DRUSILLA
Would never create installation art of death...
(biting her words out again)
just to impress Daddy.
Connor visibly sags.

QUICK-FLASH TO -

A longer-haired Connor, dragging a screaming girl across the refrigeration room floor.

The boy in tanned animal hides, a knife in his hand and a feral snarl on his face, stalking towards a man lying flat on a car-top.

Connor in a red shirt, his face haunted, kneeling to tape a makeshift explosive device to a man's chest.

Connor's eyes dip.

DRUSILLA
(brightly)
It's in your head all the time, singing.
...The boy you were.

CONNOR
Those things...what happened....
(his voice drops to a whisper)
That wasn't--that's not--me. I'm not him.
...Not anymore.
Drusilla gives Connor a smile.

DRUSILLA
(bright again)
That's what Daddy always says.
(then, ominous and biting)
But "Angel"'s just a shirt he's forced to wear.
Connor stiffens again. His teeth clench. His fingers dig into Drusilla's skin.

CONNOR
Would you just...stop saying that!
Angel is not your father!
Drusilla is quiet for a moment. She looks down at him. Her face slowly twists into a snarl.

DRUSILLA
No.
Angelus killed my father.
Her eyes are unrelenting on him.

DRUSILLA (cont.)
And my mother.
And my sisters.
And my grandmother.
And my uncle.
(beat)
...And then he killed me.
While your mummy watched.

EXT. THE THREE-STORY WAREHOUSE - NIGHT

ANGLE - approaching an open door. A SOFT GOLD PULSATING LIGHT fills the doorway. We DOLLY FORWARD through the door to find ourselves in a giant warehouse space illuminated by -

INT. WAREHOUSE

A BRILLIANT HOLE. It sits in the center of the room, its rippling edges bending and twisting the air, cardboard boxes, and wooden pallets around it like they were nothing more than a two-dimensional drawing. Energy flows continuously from its sunken center.

Standing frozen in front of it is Faith, gripping her crossbow. We hear footsteps behind her. She turns.

Her POV - Aiden enters the warehouse, gaping.

REVERSE ANGLE - the rippling hole pulsates and glows.

AIDEN (O.S.)
What the hell is it?
Faith steps back as Aiden comes forward.

FAITH
You tell me, you're the brains.
Faith gives the rippling hole another glance, then gazes around the room, her face twisted with distaste.

FAITH
Damn, something in here smells like burnt barbeque.
WIDE SHOT - the warehouse--floor-to-ceiling metal shelves filled with cardboard boxes, pallets on the floor with more boxes, a forklift, a mobile ladder. Faith steps around Aiden and starts moving cautiously through the tall stacked boxes, her crossbow at the ready.

AIDEN
(gawking)
It's like...it's like a tear, or something.
Like--like--someone gouged a hole out of the
center of the room.
He stares at it, almost hypnotized.

AIDEN
Or--or punched a hole through to...
somewhere else.
He drags his eyes away, then pulls his book bag around and unzips it.

AIDEN
Wait a minute.
There was something in that section on Granoks....
He pulls out the book, Bristow's Demon Index, opens it, and starts thumbing through it.

AIDEN
I was reading it to you in the car.
He stops and opens the book wider.

AIDEN
Here it is..."Portals."
"Granoks are gifted with magicks that enable
them to open and close portals to 'the demon
dimensions.'"
Faith paces around a forklift.

FAITH
"Granoks." Those were those incor-what-eal
demons you were talking about.

AIDEN
(frowning)
Well, according to the book, they are.
Although...like I said, it makes no sense that
the police witnesses would have seen Granoks
around here. I mean, how can you engage in a
turf war if you're incorporeal?
You couldn't hold a weapon.
(he shrugs)
It must have been some other demon.
Something that looked like Granoks--
Then he gazes back up at the portal.

AIDEN
(thoughtfully)
Except that for Granoks, magic is a weapon...
(he looks at Faith with excitement)
Jesus, if they were here, they could have
opened this--this "portal" to...somewhere.
He steps towards the portal, raising a trembling hand.

AIDEN
I wonder where it goes....

FAITH
(gazing around)
Better question. Why is it still here?
Those demons took off without seeing us.
It's not like we interrupted them in the
middle of whatever they were doing--
She looks over at Aiden and frowns.

FAITH
What are you doing?
Aiden is drifting towards the aperture, his eyes fixated on it.

Faith charges towards him. But before she can reach him, Aiden's fingertips SPARK against the surface of the ebbing anomaly. With a thunderous clap, he FLIES BACKWARD and LANDS in a heap on the concrete.

He groans.

Faith runs over to him.

FAITH
What are you, mental?!
That thing could have sucked you in!
Aiden slowly sits up, grasping the back of his head.

AIDEN
No, it couldn't.
He looks around.

His POV - Connor's book bag lying a few feet away.

Aiden crawls over to the bag and grabs it. He reaches inside and pulls out a pen. Then he tries to stand, groans, and slumps back down to sitting. Slowly, he sits tall and raises the pen. With a grunt, he tosses it at the portal.

Then ducks down quickly.

The pen HITS the aperture and FLIES BACK through air, whizzing over his head and bouncing off a stack of boxes.

AIDEN
If that's a portal, it's an exit, not an entrance.
Faith frowns briefly at the portal, then walks over and holds out her hand to Aiden.

FAITH
Which still doesn't explain why it's just
hanging here.
But Aiden doesn't look at her. He's staring across the room, his eyes at floor-level.

His POV - a CRATE about twenty meters away. Just beyond the crate we can see a LEG PROTRUDING, WEARING BLACK PANTS A BLACK BOOT.

AIDEN
(pointing)
There's somebody over there.
Faith turns to see where he is looking. She raises her crossbow and starts towards it. Aiden clambers to standing and follows, limping.

Faith arrives at the crate and looks down. She grimaces.

FAITH
Damn.
Her POV - A YOUNG MAN lying still, eyes closed. He is dressed in black pants, combat boots, and a black turtle-neck sweater. The sweater has been burnt away at his chest, and the skin beneath it blistered and charred. A few feet away is a black beret. And in the man's hands is a RIFLE.

Faith looks away. She rubs her fingers over her nostrils. Aiden joins her. He glances down.

And turns his head away quickly.

AIDEN
(gagging)
That...explains the smell.
He gazes over at the RIPPLING, GLOWING PORTAL.

AIDEN (cont.)
Whatever....
(he coughs)
...Whatever came through it must have killed him.
He turns back around and slowly kneels down next to the body, his face twisted with revulsion.

AIDEN
(strained, as if holding his breath)
I think...God...I think he's military.
Faith's face tenses with apprehension. Her eyes dart around the room.

FAITH
Great. Just what I need. The fucking Marines.
Aiden reaches for the dead man's collar.

FAITH
Dude, what are you doing?

AIDEN
There's some sort of insignia on his uniform....
CLOSE-UP - the soldier's COLLAR. We see a METAL PIN there. It is a black oval with a gold frame surrounding a gold spear tip.

Aiden touches the insignia with his fingertip and nods, then gasps, unable to hold his breath any longer. His nose wrinkles. He looks up at Faith.

AIDEN
He's not a Marine, he's Special Ops.
(off Faith's puzzled expression)
Probably Army.
Then Aiden looks back down at the soldier. And slowly SMILES.

AIDEN
(chuckling)
Oh. Oh, this is just--
He chuckles some more, then glances up at Faith, eyes wide.

AIDEN
The government knows. They know.

FAITH
(nodding grimly)
Yeah, I've seen these military types before.
There was a whole mess of them in Sunnydale a
few years ago.
She glances around the warehouse space again, her expression edgy.

FAITH
Man, we need to get out of here.
Aiden gapes up at her.

AIDEN
You've been to Sunnydale?
He looks back down at the insignia, then clinches his fingertips around it and starts tugging.

AIDEN
Did you know that town was supposedly sucked
into hell?
CLOSE-UP on Faith's feet, pacing.

FAITH
No "supposedly" about it. I barely got out
of there with my ass intact--
Now what are you doing?
Faith's eyes dart around the warehouse again.

FAITH
C'mon, Poindexter, we need to book!
The insignia SNAPS free of the cloth. Aiden palms it and stands, wincing. He grins at Faith.

AIDEN
Souvenir.
Faith gazes at him, unimpressed. She grabs his arm and stalks towards the exit. Aiden stumbles along, taking one more quick glance back at the portal. Then, to Faith -

AIDEN
You were in Sunnydale at the end?
What was that like?

BLACK OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

Part 2 (click here)