[Spike materializes in Angel's office at Wolfram & Hart, and bends over in pain, then realizes he's facing some familiar faces and some strangers.]
What the hell are you doing here, Spike?
This is Spike? *The* Spike?
[calmly, to Spike] Easy, slim. Easy. No one's gonna hurt you.
Speak for yourself, Green Jeans.
OK, would somebody please tell me who...
William the Bloody. He's a vampire. One of the worst recorded. Second only to...
Well, yeah. Who here isn't? [looks around] Besides him and him and her and... [to Lorne] What are you, again?
[lunges at Angel in game-face, but goes right through him and winds up standing in Angel's desk] Bugger.
Just since you're all soulful now, I thought maybe, just maybe, you might've learned to open up a little. You know, talk? But I guess a leopard can't change his stripes.
Spots, you dink. Leopards have spots.
Oh! Excuse me, Mr. Brainy. Thank you so much for sharing. Wow. What a breakthrough.
[Incorporeal Spike walks through a gray wall to follow Angel.]
Angel turns around and keeps walking, Spike not too far behind.
Nice new M.O. I can see why heros like you get rewarded with the shiny new glass and chrome. Why didn't I think of that?
[Still walking] I'm not responsible for what happened to you.
Angel it's almost 3:00 you have a meeting...
[interrupting with a hand out and still walking] Not now, Harmony.
And here you've even managed to get my ex-tumble, the littlest vampire, fetching coffee for you. Nice perks for the sell-out.
[Stops walking but still not facing Spike] A little tip, Spike. Try not to talk about things you don't understand.
[walks in front of Angel] I'm not the prat here. I know you Angel. What do you think you're doing? Made some devil's bargain to take over this company. Thought you'd use it to fight the evil of the world from inside the belly of the beast. Trouble is you're too busy fighting to see you and yours are getting digested.
Not gonna happen. [Moves to walk away again]
What? You think you're in control here? Guess again, mate. You're no more in control than I am. Except I'm not going to bloody stand for it while you're just a blind...Groxlar Beast.
[Spikes stares behind Angel. Angel sees the Groxlar walking out of the elevator. He fights it. During the fight Spike punches the Groxlar's head but his arm goes through it.]
[The fight continues and Angel kills the beast.]
[sighs] Okay. Somebody want to tell me how a Groxlar Beast got past security? I don't have time for this.
'Course not. Man's gotta stay focused on profit margins and power lunches.
Yeah, Spike. I got a business to run. That means responsibilities, appointments to keep.
[Pointing at the fallen Groxlar] That was your 3:00
[Spike laughs.]
I'm meeting with Groxlars? They eat babies!
Just their heads. You were supposed to open negotations with this clan.
[Walking in wearing a suit and briefcase in hand] Get them to stop eating baby heads.
Oh, so that's good. [looking down at the Groxlar] So this...this is bad.
No, actually the Groxlar Clan respects someone who takes a strong opening position. Wolfram and Hart didn't just jack me up with the human laws, also demons laws from every demension. Probably should have briefed you about the Groxlar, but [looks at Spike] we got a little... sidetracked.
And this, bloody hell, wasn't mine. I'm not you. I don't give a piss about atonement or destiny. Just because I've got me a soul doesn't mean I'm gonna let myself be led around by...
Did - Did you just say - Spike has a soul? You never said.
Didn't seem worth mentioning, you know.
Seems to be a lot of that.
Or maybe Captain Forehead was feeling a little less special. Didn't like me crashing his exclusive club. Another vampire with a soul in the world.
You're not *in* the world, Casper.
A bit reckless. Well, if Spike's going to be sticking around, it'd be prudent of him to share his plans with the rest of us in future.
Yeah, well, sharing's not something Spike does very well.
Preaching to the horse's mouth.
