Whipped

I May Be Love’s Bitch, but at least 

I’m Man-Enough to admit it.

People in Love cannot be moved by Kindness,

and Opposition makes them feel like martyrs.

 Lesson The First :

A Slayer must always reach

for Her Weapon —

I’ve already got mine.

Lesson The Second : 

Ask The Right Questions. 

You want to know how I beat 'em?

Buffy releases him and steps back.

SPIKE

The Question isn't 

"How'd I win?". 

The Question is 

"Why'd they LOSE?".

BUFFY 

What's the difference?

Spike lunges at her, the pool cue aimed at her throat. 

Spike stops it inches from her skin. 

Buffy never even flinches.

SPIKE 

There's a big difference, love.

Buffy kicks the cue from his hands.

BUFFY 

How'd you kill the second one?

SPIKE

Hmm? A bit like this.

He sends a series of punches at her 

but Buffy easily ducks them all.

BUFFY

That didn't hurt?

SPIKE

I knew I couldn't touch you. If there's no intent to hurt you, then 

that chip they shoved up my brain never activates. 

If, on the other hand...

Spike's face changes and he lunges at her but he's 

brought up short by a crippling brain seizure.

SPIKE 

See, now that hurt.

BUFFY

Yeah? This hurt too?

Buffy gut-punches him, then pounds him to the ground.

BUFFY

How'd you kill 'em, Spike?

He jumps up and attacks but Buffy flips him over onto the ground again, 

whips out a stake and lands on top of him. Spike seizes her wrist before 

she can plunge it into his chest.

SPIKE

You're not ready to know.

BUFFY

I'm ready.

SPIKE

Okay, then. Went like this.

Spike flips Buffy up and off him as we —

SMASH CUT TO:

25 INT. NEW YORK CITY (1977)- SUBWAY CAR- NIGHT 25

A young black woman in dark leather lands hard on the floor of the train and rolls to her feet. Spike, looking very much like Billy Idol, squares off with the Slayer and throws a punch. The car is empty, save for the two combatants.

TITLE CARD: 

New York City, 1977

BEGIN INTERCUT

The fight on the subway car and Buffy and Spike outside the Bronze.

As Spike fights the Slayer in the past, he also fights Buffy in the present, 

the battles mirroring each other across time. 

Spike feels no pain from the chip, indicating the fight with Buffy 

is more demonstration than anything else.

SPIKE

(to Buffy)

The first was all business but the second, 

she had a touch of your style.

Spike and the Slayer trade blows. This Slayer does indeed fight much like Buffy. 

She runs Spike headfirst into the train car's window, smashing it. 

Spike looses a cry of delight and attacks again.

SPIKE

(to Buffy)

She was cunning, resourceful... oh, did I mention? Hot. 

I could have danced all night with that one.

BUFFY

You think we're dancing?

SPIKE

That's all we've ever done.

Spike breaks one of the subway car's hand rails and wields it as a weapon.

SPIKE

(v.o.)

And the thing about The Dance is, 

you never get to stop.

Spike flips the pool cue up and spins it like the hand rail.

SPIKE

(to Buffy)

Every day you wake up, it's the same bloody question 

that haunts you : Is today the day I die?

He brings the pool cue down in a vicious arc and Buffy counter-att*cks, enraged.

Spike cracks the Slayer across the face with the metal rail, 

sending her reeling to the floor and 

pounds her repeatedly with it.

SPIKE

(v.o.)

Death is on your heels, baby, and sooner 

or later it's gonna catch you.

Spike brings the rail down for another blow but 

the Slayer catches it and slams it back into his face.

SPIKE

(to Buffy)

And part of you wants it... not only to stop the fear and uncertainty, 

but because you're just a little bit in love with it.

Buffy has heard enough. She backhands Spike across the face.

On the subway, Spike falls to the floor and the Slayer jumps 

on his chest, straddling him. She pounds him repeatedly in the face 

as the train car's lights go out. When they come back on, the Slayer is 

on her back with Spike straddling her, his hands around her throat.

SPIKE

Death is Your Art. You make it 

with your hands, day after day.

Buffy stares at him, her face a blank mask.

The Slayer struggles beneath Spike.

SPIKE

That final gasp. That look of peace. Part of you is desperate to know : 

What's it like? Where does it lead you? And now you see, that's The Secret. 

Not the punches you didn't throw or the kicks you didn't land. 

Every Slayer... has a death wish.

Spike grips the Slayer's head between his hands and 

twists violently, snapping her neck and killing her.

SPIKE

(to Buffy)

Even you.

Spike stands up and faces Buffy.

In the subway, he walks to the end of 

the car and pulls the emergency cord. 

As the train grinds to a halt, 

he returns to the dead Slayer 

and pulls off her black leather coat.

SPIKE

The only reason you've lasted as long 

as you have is you've got ties to the world... 

Your mum, your brat kid sister, Scoobies. 

They all tie you here but you're 

just putting off The Inevitable.

Spike shrugs into the Slayer's coat.

SPIKE

Sooner or later, you're 

gonna want it. 

And the second - 

the second - 

that happens...

Spike claps his hands together inches from Buffy's face.

END INTERCUT

SPIKE

You know I'll be there. I'll slip in... 

have myself a real good day.

He stares intently into Buffy's 

eyes, then steps back.

SPIKE

Here endeth The Lesson. I just wonder if 

you'll like it as much as she did.