A dangerous sorcerer named Felix Faust has come to Sunnydale, intent on raising an ancient demon to subjugate all of humankind. To succeed, he must perform a powerful curse to displace his enemies, transporting them from one time and place and exch...
Buffy kept her back pressed against the wall as Willow tried to reason with her. While just around the corner at the other end of the hall, Angel continued tugging at the doorknob to get at Xander.
"Buffy, you've got to snap out of it," Willow urged. "You can face Angel."
Buffy shook her head. "I can't. If I face him, I have to be ready to kill him. And I'm not ready. I still love him, Will. I keep hoping he'll come back somehow."
Willow gave her a sympathetic frown. "But you know he can't."
"I know," she nodded miserably. "But I can't stop hoping."
Batman and Helena entered and crept toward them, seeing Buffy pinned against the wall. "What's happening?" Angel whispered.
Willow nodded toward the corner. "Angel's got Xander trapped down there, and Buffy's ... kinda lost it."
"I can't kill him," Buffy moaned. "He's going to kill us all."
Batman gripped her shoulders. "Buffy, snap out of it!" he ordered. He raised his hand back, ready to slap her.
"Wait!" Helena said, seizing his arm. "I don't think that's going to help her. You said she has to make the choice to face Angel herself."
Batman relented. "Correct. All we can do is guide her."
"I'm sorry, guys," Buffy said. "I just can't."
Batman peered around the corner. The smug vampire continued to rattle the doorknob of the classroom, where he apparently had Xander trapped. Batman would have expected such a powerful vampire to simply break through the wooden door or at least the glass window, but to each his own.
He returned to the girls and pulled the sonic whistle from his utility belt. "Everyone cover your ears and get ready to rescue Xander," he said, fastening his own special earmuffs to his temples.
"Oh, no," Buffy whimpered. "Not the bat-torture-whistle again!"
The three of them clamped their palms over their ears as Batman set off the amplified whistle. He watched Angel shriek and cover his own ears, throwing his head back in agony. Batman hurled smoke grenades, clouding the entire school corridor, then hurled his Batarang and attached rope around Angel. Looping it quickly to secure his arms, he drew a rubber-tipped screwdriver and used it to stuff the other end of the rope into an electrical outlet.
Angel snickered as the electrical charge surged through him, while Batman stored the sonic whistle and ear coverings in his belt. "Trying to shock me, Bats? You'll have to do better than that. This barely even tickles."
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Batman stared at him with cold eyes. "Thanks for the advice." He pulled the fire alarm, setting off the sprinkler system that began dousing Angel with water. The small downpour continued to electrocute the arrogant vampire, keeping him at bay while the girls hurried to join Batman at the classroom door. He grabbed his acetylene torch, he burned through part of the bolt within the door frame, then stepped back, extending his arm toward the door. "Buffy?"
