1.16 Power Play

Chase : "Do you know how many calories are in that?"
Deaver: "Do you know how many micro-give-a-cares I have?"
Gabe: "It’s ok. According to Strella, it won’t matter anyway..."

Raveena: "I’m gonna flash you, but it’s just to show you my tools.”

Raveena is on campus patrolling on a Sunday night. Ethan has come along. He's not looking too worried, though. In fact, he's clearly not buying into this whole vampires thing. Raveena explains vampire dusting 101, and he nods, smirking. Then there's a noise in the bushes. Raveena tenses and tells Ethan to get behind her. A growl... and a dog jumps out. Ethan wonders whether vampires come in canine form.

Monday – Devon Boyd–Townsend is out for his morning jog with his entourage near Phillipi campus. He spies a flyer, reading "Boyd-Townsend. The dynasty is over." The mayor is getting frustrated with the growing dissension at the college. McKay needs to be ‘removed’ from office…

Nikki frantically calls Raveena, stating that she hasn't seen Chase all weekend and is getting really worried. They talk about backsliding and the potential for trouble with Kevin. Eventually, they decide to call Geoff, since that's what Chase told them to do if they were stumped. Raveena makes the call.

Nikki: "I was so worried about my little missing element. Turns out she's been in a fusion reactor all weekend."

Geoff strolls into his living room, shirtless and disheveled and very, very happy. He answers the ringing phone, greets Raveena, and tries to play casual about Chase being at his place all weekend. Raveena starts harassing him, and he quickly hands the phone to Chase. She hangs up. Raveena calls back. They playfully argue for a bit, Raveena hangs up, and word spreads like wildfire through our gang that Chase and Geoff are finally shacking.

Jade and Gabe attend a campus rally protesting the Boyd-Townsends and McKennit's crime rate. Gabe notices that at one point, several faces in the crowd, including Jade, get that mystic "on call" sort of look. Strella, at the front, is unmoved. Kyp is in attendance at the rally, going along with the crowd. Gabe is getting nervous.

Geoff bounces around the front of his classroom and turns to the group of agape students. "Any questions?" He then announces that there will be no reading for Wednesday.

Nikki's hand shoots up. "Dr. VanGarren, that was an excellent lecture. Whatever chemistry you worked on this weekend to prepare, you should do much, much more of." Geoff dismisses the class.

Nikki approaches and continues to harass him. As the class dwindles, she tells him that Strella appeared in class today for the first time in weeks (she'd been sending her double), and asks him to be careful. Geoff tells her not to worry. Unless he doesn't show up for lunch. And they part.

Ethan: "What's this about everybody getting killed?"
Raveena (with a dismissive gesture): "It's just the apocalypse; I'll tell you later."

Ethan, Chase, and Deaver have gathered for lunch. Ethan asks them if they are all in the vampire hunting club, and is slightly weirded out when they admit they are. The pair tries to convince him of the existence of vamps. No go. Raveena shows up. Geoff shows up...

Strella wasn't there for Geoff. As Nikki steps outside the classroom, Strella asks her about her little bout with Jade. Nikki gives a brief hello and continues walking. Strella keeps pace with her and continues talking. Finally, Nikki stops.

"What do you want, Strella?" [She pronounces it with a hard l, like in the English Ella. Before, she pronounced it a 'y', like Spanish ll.]

Strella glares at her, "Strella? Strella. Nikki, you of all people, can say it right." Then Strella purrs, "Llámeme su Estrellita." ["Call me your little star"]

Nikki sighs. "¿Qué quiere, La Estrellita?" ["What does the little star want?"]

Strella looks slightly offended, then says, "Close enough. I just wanted to let you know what dumbasses you and your friends are being." Nikki rolls her eyes and starts walking again, but Strella continues, "You can't stop the inevitable. People are going to die. Who do you want those people to be? You? Alex?" Nikki stops, her back to Strella. Strella doesn't smile as she says, "If Zolor rose tonight, who would be the first to die? Believe me, I don't want that. I just want to get out of this damn town."

Nikki is the last to show at the lunch spot, and when they ask what's got her down, she tells them that Strella approached her and gave the "stay out of the way or die" speech. But she's hungry and doesn't want to think about Strella. The gang eats.

Raveena : "This is freedom of silence, now shut up!”

Heading back to campus, the gang passes by the rally. Kyp has taken charge of the podium, spouting vicious commentary about the Boyd-Townsends. As they watch, Allie Perkins makes her way to the stage and drags Kyp away from the mike. She retracts the statements Kyp has made on behalf of the student government and encourages the agitators to work with the existing government to find a peaceful solution. The students accuse her of not listening to their needs, and paper starts to fly at her. Our fearless heroes make their way to the stage and usher Allie and Kyp off. The gang gets Allie safely into the admin building behind the rally, where she explains that McKay and Boyd-Townsend have not been getting along in their usual swimming fashion.

Deaver spots a demon in the crowd, but it disappears. He draws a sketch which Nikki recognizes from her perusing of Doc’s books. Deaver takes Ethan to research while Raveena, Gabe, and Geoff walk back to the crowd to search for the demon, wondering if it may be inciting the crowd. Chase takes Ally to get some coffee away from the strange talk of demons.

Raveena, Gabe, and Geoff search the perimeter of the crowd to no avail. Gabe begins to hear voices in his head, like Jade. The voice tells him that he can’t trust Jade, and that she may not have told him everything she knows. He asks for who is ‘talking’ to him. There is no answer. He relates this to the others, and explains as best as he can about the strange ‘witch mental chatroom.’ Raveena’s phone rings. It’s Deaver – everyone must gather NOW. The demon is bad news.

Allie: "Strella's... interesting."
Chase: "Strella's a bitch."

Allie & Chase talk over coffee. Allie makes several remarks about Phillipi & McKennit. McKay actually graduated from Phillipi, moved elsewhere for a time, then returned to take the post here. The Mayor must have thought he had a good ‘yes man’ in McKay. They discuss Strella’s background. No doubt she has daddy wrapped around her finger. Funny how Allie had never heard of a daughter before this year. Also interesting that no one has ever run for Mayor against a Boyd-Townsend. Ever…

At Cauldron & Kettle, Deaver shows the storekeeper what he needs – the Orb of Romjarin. The salesclerk says it may take some time, but when the gang flashes a few bills, he goes back to make a phone call. Deaver explains to the group that the creature is a Thesulac demon. It feeds on hatred, paranoia, and guilt. The orb must be used to force the demon to become corporeal, so that the gang can try to vanquish it [hard to beat the crap out of something you can't touch]. The salesclerk returns, announcing that he should have everything necessary by midnight (of course…) if they can come by then.

Raveena: "Any moves and I’ll smoke ya."

Later that night, around 8:00, Allie studies at the library. She's tired, with shoes off and books covering her study area. Looking around, she realizes there's one more she needs. Now, among the stacks, she hears someone calling her name. As she turns to ask who's there, a bunch of books falls from a shelf, nearly hitting her. From behind, a sharp object grazes her on the shoulder and sticks into the far wall. She spins in time to see a black glove past the stack she's in.

She hurries in the opposite direction and turns towards the elevator. She has to move in the same direction the hand was going, but behind her is a dead end. Taking a deep breath, she runs. Ten feet from the elevators, a display case shudders. She jumps back just in time as it crashes at her bare feet. Glass scatters across her path to the elevators. Looking around for the attacker, she spies an emergency staircase with only a little broken glass blocking her path. She runs, fumbling in her pocket for her school keys. Tries the lock. Wrong one.

The voice calls her name again. Right key. She slams the door shut behind her, shaking. Footsteps. Somebody thuds up the stairs. Her name hisses up the staircase. Nearly crying, she turns up the stairs, coming out on the roof. Strella calmly waits. Shaking, Allie tells Strella that she's being followed. The rooftop door opens, and Kyp comes out. Allie breathes a sigh of relief and jumps his case about scaring her like that. Strella, however, wishes to discuss the Student Government’s policies with her...

Raveena’s room; she and Ethan have fallen asleep. Raveena is dreaming. She, Gabe, Chase, and Deaver are in a graveyard. The graveyard. A hand reaches out from the ground. Raveena helps the new vampire up, then stakes it. More vampires arrive. The gang makes quick work of the first wave. Gabe takes two vicious punches and falls on the second wave. Chase and Deaver are hurt badly. Chase falls, and more vamps close in on the slayer. Deaver moves to open his trusty box-o-sunlight. The nearby vamps are dusted, and Doc is quite proud. From behind them, a huge vampire looms over a gravestone. It swings a huge sword, and the slayer’s head rolls. Raveena awakens with a jump.

Deaver: "You guys gonna be safe going home?"
Raveena: "Yeah. He's got hairspray."

Midnight – the Scoobs meet at the Cauldron & Kettle. Deaver has everything he needs to ‘raise’ this demon. Raveena gives Ethan a lighter and some hairspray for self-defense. They make their way to where the rally was staged earlier that day. Deaver reads the incantation, and the orb begins to glow. The demon arrives! The monster asks, “Who has summoned me?” Raveena responds with a snide remark (imagine that) and combat ensues. Tentacles fly, and the Scooby Gang is in action. Raveena cuts off a tentacle. Gabe unleashes a spell that slams the creature against the far building. The demon manages to mutter: “More will come..." before expiring.

As Raveena, Gabe, and a shell-shocked Ethan make their way back to the dorm, Gabe notices a body on the ground by the library. It's Allie. She's taken a fall. From about five stories up. The gang reconvenes at the site as the police arrive. Geoff tells everyone to go home. He'll make sure this one is handled right. Chase gives him a hug and promises to wait up for him; he looks like he'll need a friend.

Chase: "The vamp on the left? He looks like a sucker. No pun intended."

Back at home, Raveena gets an interesting phone call. She calls Chase, and they meet at the Lone Star. There’s a tap on Raveena’s shoulder. It’s Bannon! He wants to speak with them. Raveena decides that the day has been weird enough already, and sure, why not? Bannon has finally remembered where (when?) he recalls them from. 1693 – when Zolor, who should not have been defeated, was somehow defeated. He has decided to cast his lot with a different group this time around.

Bannon promises to help them out once Zolor comes, provided they slack off the patrols for the next month or so. He offers to provide info on locating the book Deaver has been seeking, the great book of all things Zolor. The girls say they will ponder his offer. As Bannon turns to leave, he says to be careful about whom this information is shared with. Other friends of theirs may not have the same agenda...

Raveena [to Geoff]: "By the way, Ethan knows. Not about you and Chase doing it."
Gabe [looking from Geoff to Ethan]: "No, now he knows that, too."