In a hotel room, Team Spike are unpacking. Betta George is convinced Spike has duplicates of his outfit since he never seems to wear anything different. Spike is more interested in filling up the bath tub for the fish – even though he doesn’t need it. Spike reckons it would be bloody hilarious.

He is ready to clean up this town. His own way, on his own terms. No army of Slayers and no Angel Vamp-Detective. No, look out Vegas! There’s a new sheriff in town and his name is…

As he opens the curtains to look out at Las Vegas, and declare himself cooler than Angel, his voice catches in his throat. He recognises something on the skyline.

Later that night, the three decide to take a walk and end up taking in a show. It’s called ‘Cirque de No Slay’ and, as Spike sits there in the crowd, he immediately knows he’s made a mistake.

The story is one of a vampire and his victim, except it’s portrayed as a doomed love affair. Suddenly, as the vampire ‘bites’ his intended, a group of Slayers descend on wires and perform a scene involving his dusting. It’s a show, not real, but the crowd are enthralled, captivated by the story and the action, the dramatic romance. The woman sitting next to Spike waves her programme into his face. Why are you not enjoying the show, she asks him. She’s of the opinion that the Slayers are the villains of the story. Spike gets up and leaves, and the woman’s programme is reduced to ash by a wise-cracking Beck, who takes his place.

After the show, walking through the lobby halls of the hotel, Spike says that there’s a definite supernatural vibe here: the knick-knacks in the gift shop are real magical artifacts. George asks if they’re on a Hellmouth or a Hell-something to which Spike says no. It’s not a Hellmouth. It’s Wolfram & Hart!

A young man in a fine-cut suit walks over to them. It’s Jeremy Johns, the boy that Spike befriended in Hell. Spike knows that this is not Jeremy’s normal attire and his red glowing eyes confirm Spike’s suspicions: A demon has possessed his friend.

Spike is understandably angry, but ‘Jeremy’ simply wants to talk. In private. They used Jeremy as they knew Spike wouldn’t hurt him. Telling Beck to wait for a mysterious ‘him’, who he’s arranged as back-up, Spike enters a portal with ‘Jeremy’.

They take a wacky-trip through Spike’s recent past and soon arrive in the Penthouse Suite at the hotel. It’s completely white, the same as the room in LA – it even has a big black cat wandering around. ‘Jeremy’ is there to talk to Spike – if he doesn’t interfere with their plans, they won’t interfere with his. If he lets this all go, he can even stay in the hotel and report back to Angel. ‘Jeremy’ also introduces Spike to a man called John.

Spike immediately feels as if he should know John. His face. His features. His past. He can see John with a family. He can also see that family dead at John’s feet, with John covered in their blood, revelling in it. Spike can feel the rush John felt when he did that, the thrill of the bloodlust.

Spike thinks he’s an empath or a demon. ‘Jeremy’ asks Spike for an answer and it’s an easy one for Spike to make: he will not align himself with evil; after all, look what happened to Angel. ‘Jeremy’ tells him that Vegas was a natural draw for Wolfram & Hart – the darkness here is all human. All the ambivalence to suffering and pain.

Spike loses his cool, grabbing ‘Jeremy’ by the collar and ordering him and the rest of Wolfram & Hart out of Vegas, since he’s running the show now. John talks to a staff member, and arranges for a large package to be delivered to the suite whilst Spike and ‘Jeremy’ are arguing. It’s a large weapon, a gun, which he fires at an unexpecting Spike.

It fires a beam of bright blue energy at the vampire, and Spike is flown backwards, through the wall, blood everywhere. Frightened, he struggles to recover. What the Hell was that? He’s hanging out of the side of the building, by one hand. He’s defiant to the last as John threatens him again. ‘Jeremy’ is outraged that things have escalated. He threatens to possess ‘her’ instead, but John backs down. Spike lets go and falls to the street below and John is furious – he had his chance to be rid of the vampire and now he’s gone.

‘Jeremy’ looks over at him and says he’s going to get another chance. John looks back to the hole in the wall – the Groosalugg is there, sword in hand, Spike next to him, on the back of Cordelia the dragon.

And the dragon looks hungry…