3rd Person's POV

Willow is busily bringing up relevant data from the Net, her brow furrowed in concentration. At the next terminal, Cordelia is struggling with a program while holding court. The door slams open and everyone looks up to see Laney running in.

"You're late..." the teacher stares at her with a deadly glare.

Laney smirks and holds up a piece of paper, "I have a pass from the new librarian. He needed help with something."

The teacher frowns and snatches the paper away mumbling 'I'll get you next time.'

Laney takes her seat beside Cordelia glancing at Willow. Willow frowns and looks at her as if saying 'No Buffy or Xander?'

Laney shakes her head and mouths, 'Had to leave them. Mom will kill me if I get another tardy.'

Willow makes an ohhh with her mouth then nods.

"Okay, and then "Pattern Run" right? Or "Go To End". That's it." Cordelia smiles as she clicks the last button.

"Maybe... I think..." Harmony frowns looking at her own screen.

"Well, what does the book say?"

Harmony opens her book and finds something to help herself and Cordelia.

"So anyway, I come out of the bathroom and she comes running at me with a stick, screaming, 'I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!' I swear."

A guy nearby leans closer, "Who?"

"Buffy." Cordelia says in a tone as if saying who else.

"The new girl." Harmony mimics.

The guy frowns, "What's her deal?"

"She's crazed!"

Laney chuckles as she looks at Cordelia's dramatic face.

"Did you hear about her old school? Booted."

"I exhibit no surprise."

"Why was she kicked out?"

The girls had the guys' full attention now.

"'Cause she's a psycho-loony."

"No, she's not."

Silence fills the room, as Cordelia registers the concept that Willow just contradicted her.

"Oh shit here it goes." Laney mumbles as she starts to mess with her computer.

"What?" Cordelia seems so mad that steam would be coming out of her ears if it were possible.

"She's not a psycho. You don't even know her."

"Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist? Do I horn in on your private discussions? No. Why? Because you're boring."

Laney doesn't even glance up as Willow looks down, hurt. She stands and takes some pages that have come up on the printer. The girls turn back to their project.

"There. I think the program's done." Harmony smiles clapping her hands together.

Cordelia groans in relief, "Finally, the nightmare ends. Now how do we save it?"

"Deliver." Willow replies as she leaves the room.

Laney looks up from her screen and smirks then looks at Cordelia stare at the keyboard.

"Deliver, where is that-- Oh!"

On the keyboard is a key marked "DEL" so Cordelia hits it. There's a long pause and the two girls stare at the screen for a moment. As the screen goes completely blank their smiles melt into perplexity.

"Ohhh dang. I think you pressed delete..."

Cordelia looks over at Laney who was smiling and then back at her screen.

Xander backs away from Jesse. Buffy looks from him to the entrance, not sure what to do. They hear approaching vampires then see shadows begin to move.

"Jesse... Man, I'm sorry..." Xander says sadly looking at Jesse.

"Sorry? I feel good, Xander. I feel strong."

Buffy grabs the door, tries to close it. But it's tick metal, rusted open.

"I'm connected, man. To everything. I can hear the worms in the earth."

"Well, that's a plus." Xander replies jokingly.

Jesse frowns, "I know what the Master wants. I'll serve his purpose. That means you die. And I feed."

"Xander! The cross!"

Xander holds up the cross and Jesse stops coming toward him. The smiles leaves his face. Buffy continues trying to shut the door, it's beginning to budge. Vampires make their way down the hall to the door.

"Jesse. Man, we're buds. Can't you remember?"

Jesse shrugs with a smirk, "You're like a shadow to me now."

Xander moves forward, cross in hand.

"Then get out of my face."

Jesse stumbles back, pissed. Xander backs him toward the door. Buffy continues to strain and the vampires approach closer.

Jesse lashes out and knocks the cross from Xander's grasp. He grins and then Buffy grabs him from behind and hurls him out of the room, knocking vampires over like bowling pins.

"Help me!"

Xander snaps out of his shock and comes to the door with her. With both their backs to it, they slam it shut but an arm shoots in, grasping for them. Buffy opens the door slightly and slams it again till the arm withdraws. She bolts the door, breathing heavily.

"I can't believe it... we were too late."

A resounding thud shudders the door. The vampires are trying to break it down.

"We need to get out of here." Buffy says as she looks around.

"There is no out of here!"

Another thud and the door begins to buckle on its hinges. Buffy looks around; there is some junk lying around. She throws it out of the way to see if there is a doorway behind it. No joy.

Xander also looks around. He spies an air vent.

"What's that?"

Buffy looks over and sees it too. She throws a box down, steps on it to reach the vent. Pulling away the metal sheet, she reveals the grate. It's big enough to climb through.

She begins trying to pry the grate open with her bare hands. Another thud. Xander looks from Buffy to the door. Buffy pulls behind a corner.

The door comes off its hinges enough for a vampire to put his fingers through, grip it.

Buffy finally rips the grating loose and throws it aside, "Come on!"

Suddenly, a vampire shoots out of the air vent at her, grabbing her head. The door comes out enough for a vampire to get its face in. Buffy pulls the vampire all the way out of the vent, throws it to the floor. She then jumps down on top of it.

"Go!"

Xander runs by and climbs on the box as Buffy sinks a stake into the vampire's back. He sticks the flashlight in to see nothing. It's clear.

He crawls in, starts worming his way down it.

The door breaks down and multiple vampires start to pile in. Buffy quickly pulls herself into the air vent. The two of them crawl along in the dark, the vampires at their heels.

They come to a wider space, with a ladder going up. Sunlight can be seen through the grating at the very top.

"Up?" Xander questions.

"UP!" Buffy hell's with a nod looking behind her.

He starts climbing, Buffy right behind him. He gets to the top and opens the grating, climbs into the empty street. Xander rolls out then reaches in to help Buffy up. She is almost out when a hand grabs her ankle and starts to pull her back down.

She pulls up, bringing the hand up into the sunlight. It beings to smoke and the vampire lets out a shriek then lets go of her leg. Buffy quickly rolls out and slams the grating shut.

For a moment both of them just lie there, catching their breath.