Barton's Been Compromised

That moment where you just look, think back and recollect over the whole of the Joss Whedon cannon and suddenly realise that it's all about Malignant Narcissism and Narcissistic Abuse.

All  of it. 
Including the Shakes-Spear.

 Because that's what not having a soul means, in the Neoplatonic sense of the word.

A total lack of personal empathy or concern for the welfare of others beyond the standard restrictions of social norms.

He and his writers even describe, directlty, the experience of someone with a normal, healthy empathic sense coming into contact with (or falling under the influence or control of) a pathological malignant narcissist ;

AND those moments when you are told by someone that the person who first opened your eyes, trusted in you and liberated you from the grip of Malignant Narcissim has fallen from Grace, gone off The Wagon, become lost and is in trouble :

Barton's been Compromised

Angelus is Back

Step Away From The Glass

 "Nothing but showy gypsy stuff... 

But you're not gonna catch him napping in a crypt. 

No, The Count has to have his luxury estate and his bug-eaters and his special dirt, don't he? "

Ethros Demon: 
I am Ethros. 

I corrupted the spirits of men before they had speech to name me. 

The child was but the last among tens of thousands. 
One more pure heart to corrupt, one more soul to suck dry.

Wesley Wyndam-Pryce: 

Well chalk up one exciting failure. 
You didn't get that boy's soul.

Ethros Demon: 

Hmph. What soul? 

Do you know what the most frightening thing in The World is? 

Nothing. 

That's what I found in the boy. 

No conscience, no fear, no humanity. 

Just a black void. 

I couldn't control him. 

I couldn't get out. 

I never even manifested until you brought me forth. 

I just sat there and watched as he destroyed everything around him, not for a belief in evil, not for any reason at all. 

That boy's mind was the blackest hell I've ever known.

Angel: 

The marbles. That was you.

Ethros Demon: 

When he slept, I could whisper in him. 

I tried to get him to end his life, even if it meant ending mine.

Angel: 

You sleepwalked him in front of the car.

Ethros Demon: 

I had given up... hope. 

I know you bring death, I do not fear it. 

The only thing I've ever feared is... in that house.

Cut to Xander rounding a corner on the dark street. 

He jumps in shock when he sees Dracula waiting for him.

XANDER: (sighing) 

Great. Perfect. 

(suddenly deciding he's not scared) 

You know what? You're not so big. 

(Looks Dracula up and down) 

One round of old-fashioned fisticuffs, you'd fold like a bitty baby.

Dracula scowls.

XANDER: (rolls up sleeves) 

Okay, let's do it. And no poofing. 

Come on, puffy shirt. 

Pucker on up, cause you can kiss your pale ass-

DRACULA: 

Silence. 

XANDER: 

Yes, Master. 

(Shakes head) 

No, that's not-

DRACULA: (lifts a hand) 

You will be my emissary, my eyes and ears in daylight. 

XANDER: 

Your emissary? 

DRACULA: 

Serve me well. You will be rewarded. 

I will make you an immortal. 

A child of darkness that feeds on life itself... on blood.

XANDER: (in Dracula's accent) 

"Blood"? (speaking very quickly) 

Yes! Yes! I will serve you, your excellent spookiness.

Dracula frowns.

XANDER: (still speaking too quickly)

Or Master. I'll just stick with Master. 

DRACULA: 

You are strange and off-putting. 

Go now.

Xander nods, turns to go, turns back.

XANDER: 

But Master, how can I find- 

(Sees Dracula is gone) 

Brilliant. What an exit! Guy's a genius! 

(Giggles crazily and walks off)

*****

XANDER: 

Got it! Got it. Mine, mine. 

(Note: throughout this scene Xander speaks each line very quickly and moves around a lot.)

WILLOW: 

Well, I think we have Dracula factoids. 

XANDER: 

(sitting on a stool eating the donut) 

Like any of that's enough to fight the Dark Master.

Everyone gives him a strange look.

...bator. 

WILLOW: 

A lot of it we already knew. (Riley walks to another chair opposite the couch) 

Turnoffs: 

wood, 

fire, 

crosses, 

garlic. 

Turnons: 

nice duds, 

minions, 

(wistful) long slow bites that last for days... 

RILEY: 

Yeah, I did a little research too. (Shot of Buffy looking distracted) Dracula likes to live in style. Which means we can rule out the usual dumps vampires haunt. 

XANDER: 

Ah! But he's smart enough to figure that we probably already know that. I'm guessing he's lying low. 

(Licks his donut. Giles comes out from the kitchen) 

WILLOW: 

Actually, my research backs Riley up. Drac isn't the lay-low type. 

GILES: 

(gives Riley a glass of milk) 

So we can, uh, check out the nicer places. Don't you think, Buffy?

GILES: 

Buffy?

Buffy blinks, tunes back in.

BUFFY: 

Yeah. We'll check all the swanky places first. 

What else did you guys get? 

GILES: 

Well, Willow has most of it, actually. 

WILLOW: (sits up) 

Only because you gave me super pointers! I never would have... 

GILES: 

(puts up hand to stop her) 

Just go ahead, Willow. 

WILLOW: 

OK. Dracula's modus operandi is different from other vampires. 

He will kill just to feed, but he'd rather have a connection with his victims. 

And he has all of these mental powers to draw them in.

Buffy looks thoughtful.

WILLOW: 

He, he can read and control minds... appear in dreams... 

BUFFY: (distracted) 

Uh huh. 

WILLOW: 

Makes sense. 

That stare ... he just kinda ... looked right through you. 

Didn't you feel it, Buffy?

Riley looks at Buffy.

BUFFY: (pause) No. (gets up) No, I didn't.

XANDER: 

See! Buffy didn't feel it. 

I think you're drawing a low of crazy conclusions about the unholy prince.

Everyone gives him a strange look.

XANDER: 

...bator. 

GILES: 

The point is, though he goes through the motions of an intimate seduction, the end result is the same. 

He turns them into a vampire.

XANDER: 

Well. That is intimate. 

Dracula's gifting these ladies with his own blood. 

And blood -- 

(He notices a spider on the desk next to him, glances around to see if anyone's looking) 

Blood is Life.

Everyone looks confused.

According to Them. 

(Slams his hand down on the spider) 

GILES:

 Um ... Just be aware that he, he tends to form a relationship with his prey. 

(When no one's looking, Xander scoops the spider into his mouth and chews) 

It's not enough for him to take her. She must want to be taken. She must ... burn for him. 

(Buffy looks uncomfortable, fiddling with her scarf.)