Chapter Eight

We join the other group as Faith rouses the troops in Buffy's stead and marches them home after she and Giles share a bonding moment, after which he tells her Buffy can only be roused by the person who knocked her out - namely Willow, who is herself unconcious. She has to carry Willow back while Lorne and Gunn carry Buffy.

Back in the house Dawn broods and is interuppted by another visitation by Joyce, who tells her to get out of the house now because if she stays she and Buffy will fight and someone will get hurt really badly. But, she tells Dawn to not go unarmed. Dawn takes the object lying on the bed and flees the house.

Meanwhile, Angel's group discovers they're going around in circles and Andrew suggests that it might be the Erus Veneficus playing games with them. After discussing the fundamentals of magic usage, they decide he isn't attacking them openly because he is drained of power and needs time to recuperate, but also decide they might as well press on, because staying put would be as bad as walking into the wizard's trap - either way, he knows where they are, but now at least they know that he knows.

Faith and Gunn, once back at the house, go looking for Dawn but come across a lone Turok-Han, which they dispatch with relative (to Buffy's last encounter) ease.

The girl in question is encountered by Angel's group, and after they chase her (she's delusional and runs away) they are trapped in an alley - which the Erus Veneficus appears at the end of. He explodes the buildings surrounding them, burying them with rubble. Angel, Wes and even Xander try to attack him, but to no avail - all but Wes are knocked out cold. As he stares down the wizard, he asks simply, 'Why?' The Erus Veneficus smiles and grabs him by the neck.
'Very well, little man. I'll tell you.'