Nothing. There’s just… nothing.

Buffy Summers is thinking, as she puts down another book and adds it to the pile she’s already gone through. She never missed this part – researching. She always sucked at it. She’s found nothing in the Watcher Diaries – nothing of note, nothing useful: sure, there were a couple of references that, at a stretch, might be her or her friends, but there’s really nothing much in them that survived whatever happened at that final battle of the 21st Century. I created a race of Slayers. To tip the scales, to beat back the darkness. To make the world better. But they’re not in the books. Not a mention. Nothing. And the better world turns out like this. She looks out of the window of Melaka Fray’s abode: it’s a filthy, technological dystopia, smog strangling the fresh air, hover cars racing by, with neon flashing lights in every language imaginable, some Buffy even recognises. But it’s not a haven – it’s been forgotten, left to rot in the dirt, piling up on agony and desperation, breaking humanity like nothing before it. The Darkness rules here.

As Melaka drops in through the skylight, Buffy wipes away a tear. Mel tells her that they’ve got a hit: Gunther has heard that Lurks are humming in the Uppers and they don’t usually truck that high. Buffy asks if that means she can hit something, which Mel nods at. “Include me in,” she states as they go to prepare for battle. Mel asks her if she found anything in the books, but Buffy says she doesn’t know – she didn’t see the ending.

In 21st Century Manhattan, Willow wants answers. Frak! She’s furious at being played and she’s sat on her bed and, much like Buffy, hitting the books. Kennedy tells her to stop getting stressed out – it will come to her, but Willow is resistant: she won’t rest until Buffy is back where she belongs. Kennedy suggests that Kumiko’s vision was a trap, right? Then why not just contact her source, whatever or whoever it is? Willow hasn’t told Kennedy about the snake-demon lady, but knows it’s the only way. She holds Kennedy by the shoulders and asks her to trust her. Can you do that? Kennedy nods – what do they need to do? Willow looks sheepish: “Frak,” she says.

In the woods surrounding the former Slayer HQ, Dawn is still galloping away – Xander clinging on for dear life! He slips off her and falls backwards, and she finally stops. They’re both exhausted, but they appear to be safe. Dawn asks what they’re next plan is, but Xander’s not sure. He’s pretty sure that the magic soldiers are not going to stop and the evacuation tunnel is in the opposite direction – so no Slayers to aid them. Dawn asks what happened: she just heard a bang. Xander sounds it out: “Bomb, plus magic equals…”. Dawn finishes his sentence. “Warren and Amy.”

Xander insists they need to regroup with the Slayers before more trouble finds them – but the words barely leave his mouth before tall creatures rise from the ground around them. A humanoid, with leafy green hair, made of wood, roots for legs and branches sticking out of him: a living tree? “This place is forbidden to humans,” he declares. “To gaze upon the Forest Souls is inevitable death. Thus swears Lorelahn!”

Dawn looks at him, non-plussed. “Do I look human to you tree-boy?” Xander asks if he really just used the words ‘thus swears’ in a sentence. Dawn asks the creature what his deal is and, after correcting them on the correct pronunciation of his name, Lorelahn (with an ‘ah’ sound) and Xander tells them that somethings are coming after them. Lorelahn asks them, point blank: “What was scarier than us?”

In the 23rd Century, Gunther is in his home when he hears a faint noise coming from above him. Curious, he asks for the lights – and soon wishes he hadn’t. There’s a human body atop his tank, dripping with blood. And the Lurks surrounding him clearly took their time and had ‘fun’ with their kill. In the centre of them, is Harth Fray. He tells Gunther that he thinks they have a problem.

He tells Gunther that he is aware of him passing information onto Melaka and, quite frankly, that’s not very helpful to his plans right now, so, regrettably, he explains, he must do something about it. Gunther threatens to kill them all. If they so much as even chip at the glass, his sunlight generators will fill the room they’re in – instant ash. He smiles at Harth. “You don’t bring muscle to talk business.” He goes right up to the glass, peering into Harth’s soulless, dead eyes through those thick spectacles he wears. “You want me scared or dead. And neither’s on the menu.”

He moves even closer, eye-ball to eye-ball with the Lurk. “I was born in the gutter,” the fish explains, defiantly. “Not near. In. I have worked, and killed, and dodged, or bought the laws till I control half of Haddyn and I have done it without even breathing air. Don’t think to outbeast me.”

Harth shrugs. He tells Gunther than they are the same – one of a kind. In fact, he can prove it. He points behind Gunther. “Lurks don’t breathe either.” Gunther realises what’s happening when the water currents shift around him. Three Lurks come up behind him in the water, preparing to strike.

Across the sky lanes, Buffy is driving a hover car – at great speed. She is not enjoying the experience, especially as she starts to plummet down. She asks Mel where the brake is, to which she replies “What’s a brake?” She knew Buffy would get the hang of it, she yells, as the car starts to move upwards again. Buffy is relieved. “Okay, okay. This is good. Up is good.” Melaka laughs at her. “Summers, you drive like a spaz!” she declares. And that phrase stood the test of time? Buffy groans.

Buffy asks what they’re looking for, but Melaka has it. There’s an ambulance parked where there’s no medical store and, upon closer inspection, blood-seeking Lurks. Buffy tells her they need to move – this is designed to distract them – if they want to stop Harth then they have to look at the big picture. Melaka is not impressed and jumps form the car, heading straight for the Lurks and the people they’re attacking. As soon as the Lurks see her, their job is done, and they move out. Before they can, Mel slays them all. As she bends down to help a victim, she rants about Buffy out loud: “Big picture? That’s spin’s for Govvers, not Slayers. Something’s skew with that girl.”

A voice from behind her grabs her attention. “Anger won’t help. You have to understand Buffy.” Mel turns towards the soft, but unfamiliar voice. It’s the Black Hope, Willow Rosenberg, the darkest she’s ever been. She strides, hands behind her back toward Mel. “If you hate her, she’ll be harder to kill.”

In the spirit realm, Willow has reached the point where her snake-lady, Saga Vasuki can be reached. Vasuki greets Willow’s astral self warmly: “I was wondering when you’d be back.” Willow doesn’t have time for pleasantries and stares at her lover. “You lied to me. Just tell me how to get Buffy back.”

Vasuki seems confused: “You cannot do it yourself?” Willow shakes her head: she doesn’t have that kind of power. Whoever has done this is crossing time – which is dangerous and wrong. Only someone deep and dark could want to mess with it. So, all Willow wants to know from her mentor, is who told her? Who asked her to contact Willow, to put Buffy in the right place, at the right time? Vasuki looks at her and simply tells her the truth: “Someone I trusted.”

Willow apologises. “I’m sorry. You know how grateful I am for what for… what you taught me. But this is Buffy. I need her back. We all do.” Vasuki turns to her and tells her that the portal will open again that night, at the same time as the previous evening. She tells Willow that she’ll figure it out. Or she won’t. Either way, Vasuki wants – no, she demands – a promise. Willow agrees. Saga Vasuki takes Willow into her arms. “Reach across. Bring her back. But do not look.” Willow questions why, but her lover simply says, “Because I ask.” She bemoans that Willow has only stayed a short time, but Willow is grateful: she’ll be back. Saga Vasuki tells her to come back any time.

In the real world, Willow thinks she knows what she needs to do.

In the future, Melaka asks Willow if she’s the madwoman, raising her Scythe. Willow says she supposes she is, but asks Mel not to hold it against her. “Though I’m fairly certain I earned it,” she whispers. Mel figured she’d be a Lurk, but Willow says she’s not. She’s not quite human either. Not for quite some time.

Mel tells her that no matter what she says, she’s not going to hate Buffy, or kill her. Willow tells her that she’ll have to, to survive, because Buffy won’t show her mercy. They’ll turn on each other because, ultimately, they have different goals. Mel tells her that ridding the world of the Lurks is what they want. Willow questions her sincerity: “Yet, the most important men in both your lives are Lurks. You really think it’s that simple?” Mel knows she’s being played by Harth, but Willow says her concerns are more personal. She conjures up an image in her palm, flickering and forming in a little green light, putting Mel in action mode, but Willow tells her to relax – she wants to show Melaka something, something she should see.

Elsewhere, and to her complete surprise, Buffy has managed to park the hover car. Well, better than she thought. Okay, so it’s crashed into the side of a building, smoke billowing from the energy matrix. It won’t fly again.

Buffy has returned back to Fray’s apartment and as soon as she walks in, Erin pulls a gun on the stranger. Buffy immediately puts her hands up. “Could you not ray-gun me?” She explains to Erin who she is, but Erin is concerned about Mel. Her sister should have reported in to her by now.  Buffy explains that they split up: they’ve found Lurk central, but they’re gonna need back-up. Erin asks after Mel, and Buffy tells her that Mel just did her thing and went after some Lurks. Erin is not surprised her little sister didn’t listen. Buffy asks her if they ever do.

Buffy is impressed by Erin’s uniform and her position. Erin wants more information on Puffy. “It’s Buffy,” the Slayer corrects her: “Sorry. With a B. Don’t want future history calling me ‘Puffy’.” Erin asks her if she’s a Slayer and then asks why? Buffy asks Erin why she wants to be a cop.

Before another word, Buffy is suddenly electrocuted, a string of lightning sparking around her. Melaka is behind her, stun gun drawn and fired. Erin bends down to check Buffy’s pulse. “Are you sure about this?” she asks her sister. She has always trusted her sister’s instincts. But this? This feels different. Are they sure this is the right thing to do? What are they even doing? “I’m sure,” Mel says. “It’s what we do. Saving the world.”