Wolves at the Gate part 2
15 minutes before the end of the last issue, Dracula was an old and depressed dude. His servant, Butterfield, tries to entice him into a hunt for an Albanian boy at loose in the hedge maze, but it's no go. Apparently Dracula's been sitting in his own stink for months. But he sees the helicopter approaching and snaps out of it.
Xander says they need his help, while Dracula plays it coy. He insults Renee, calling her a Moor, insinuating she's a slave -- why do they need this douche's help again? Dracula relents and lets them in, saying Xander will want a nice snack of mealworms before he dons his manservant bloomers. Obviously some history there we haven't seen. I'm not sure if I ever want to or not.
Cut to Andrew, dressed as the count, giving a class to the slayers about the dark master...bator. On the chalkboard, Dracula's known powers include: Romantic Undertones (technically not a power). Very reminiscent of season 7.
The girls know about Dracula, they want to know what's up with him and Xandman. Andrew says they stayed in touch after Dracula visited Sunnydale. Whether that's true or not is unclear. After all, this is the man who taught that Faith fought a Vulcan once upon a time. But can't you just see Xander's face when he opens up that letter? Anyway, apparently, for whatever reason, Xander spent time with Dracula after Anya's death. There's a whole story about their weird buddy movie hijinks still to be written I guess. It includes a motorbike, which Andrew adds to the chalkboard as another power.
Meanwhile, real work is being done. The slayers have found out that the vampires are from Tokyo, the leader is Toru. Slayer local field op Aiko found them. She confabs with Buffy from a scene of carnage, having just taken out at least five ugly Kabuki demons. Buffy is impressed, but tells Aiko to surveil, not approach until reinforcements arrive.
We get some awkward drama as Satsu questions Buffy's plan to take every last one of them with her to Japan, and Buffy snaps at her all general-style. I guess the honeymoon is over.
Xander and Renee take tea with Dracula. Renee watches as they make polite talk in an ersatz homosexual marriage kind of way, wondering why she came no doubt. They finally get down to business, explaining the sitch, and Renee gets up in his face about him selling his powers to the highest bidder. Dracula is offended, saying he's the worldly guardian of these ancient magics. Hmmm. Wonder if that's significant at all. Ancient magics. Highlight that. Then Dracula seems to remember something painful. "Oh, balls."
Tokyo. Toru and Raidon discuss how Kumiko wants the kill (of Buffy I thought at first, but now I assume Willow). Toru wants her to concentrate on the spell. Aiko follows them. They notice and know why, decide to give Buffy something to see. Toru pulls out a red-tinted lens and twirls his nonexistent mustache as we...
...cut back to Dracula freaking out and being all racist against East Asians. He apparently got wasted at a Tibetan speakeasy and gambled some knowledge of his powers away in a game of pai gow poker, trying for a Kawasaki Z1000. Andrew knows all. Dracula says he was cheated and mentions a witch with them (Kumiko). He's so pissed off he agrees to join their battle even though he loathes Buffy and her crew and wants to see them all destroyed. Great ally.
While flying the troops in a big transport plane to Japan, Willow talks with Satsu. She gives her the deal on Buffy, how she's the general, has to be separate, that won't change. Oh and BTW, not gay, so don't get your hopes up. Then she wants to dish on Buffy's prowess in bed, but Satsu stays mum, a true gentlelady.
Aiko checks in with Buffy, then finds Toru's lens on the ground and picks it up. She's hit through the lens with a blast of light from the scythe in Kumiko's hand, and her powers are gone. !! Toru taunts her and then eats her. Another one down. And they're planning to do this spell on a larger scale with a big old lens to reverse the spell on all the slayers. Crap.
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