Willow's team finds Ethan.

Willow, Giles and Jenny cruised around the outskirts of Sunnydale checking out some of the disused factories and other potential lairs that Ethan could be hiding in. Unbeknownst to the three, Ethan Rayne had been informed that the scoobies had split up and were searching for him by a Wolfram and Hart surveilance team watching the house. Ethan chose Willow's group to target, with two women his chances of adjusting another scooby was doubled.

"No sign of any lights, and the gates still padlocked." Giles commented as the drew up outside a deserted flour mill. "A quick circle of the perimeter and we can check another site of the list of possibles."

"Wait Giles." Jenny said excitedly, looking past the gates and inspecting the building itself. "Look there, behind that wall."

The rear end of a black car could just be seen protuding from where it had been parked behind a partially demolished wall. From the little they could see of the car in this light it was impossible to tell if it was a burnt out wreck or brand new.

"It certainly deserves a closer look." Giles agreed. "Though it could just be a wreck that's been dumped."

"Let's see if we can get a closer look before we call it in." Willow suggested.

They parked Joyce's vehicle and hunted round until they found a spot in the chain link fence surrounding the mill that had already been cut by kids or vagrants. Hugging the shadows they crept closer to the car. Leaving Willow and Jenny in the cover of a mound of building rubble Giles dashed to the trunk of the car. It was a black cadillac with tinted windows and seemed to be brand new.

Before Giles could return and report his find a door in the main mill building opened and a familiar figure stepped out. Ethan Rayne seemed surprised to see Giles by the car and immediately dashed back into the mill.

"It's Ethan." Giles shouted to Willow and Jenny. "He's making a run for it."

As most people will do when an enemy appears to be fleeing all three rushed forward to the door, intent on preventing Ethan from escaping. Giles, having the shortest distance to run was first through the door. Inside the cavernous interior of the mill was gloomy, but gaping holes in the roof allowed enough moonlight in to see. Giles got through the door in time to see Ethan bolt down a corridor leading off this large room. He gave chase immediately. Willow and Jenny entered several seconds later, by which time both Giles and Ethan had disappeared, they started across the open space cautiously.

"Willow look out!" Jenny called.

A forty five gallon drum came sailing down from the shadows, where a metal walkway was fixed to the wall about twelve feet above ground level and running all the way around the room. The two women ducked behind a large rusted machine and the drum bounced off with a loud clatter, but a sporadic rain of rubbish followed the drum from the walkway. The trash seemed to be thrown from two separate locations.

"Fortis, spheria, illuminato." Willow intoned and stepped out into the open.

A glowing forcefield surrounded the witch, lighting up the room and revealing two large men dressed in black suits and sunglasses hurling the missiles at them. As they threw the next salvo Willow gestured and the pieces of trash froze in midair. Another gesture and they flew back the way they had come, striking a couple of direct hits and some near misses on the men in black.

Meanwhile Giles had continued to chase Ethan, following the sound of his footsteps through a couple of rooms and short corridors. Entering another room, Ethan could be seen attempting to shoulder open a fire escape in apparent panic.

"Give it up Ethan, there's nowhere to run." Giles said with grim menace. "I'm taking you back to undo whatever nasty little spell you cast on that poor girl. We can either do this the easy way or the hard way. Personally I'd prefer the latter."

"Ripper, long time no see." Ethan said, giving up on his escape attempt and turning slowly. "Still a bit cliched when it comes to making threats I see. I'm afraid under the circumstances I'll have to choose the hard way old friend."

Giles heard a step behind him and turned to see another of the MiBs step out of the shadows and advance towards him. The watcher snatched up a thick plank of wood from the ground and stepped forward swinging, the plank hit the MiB around the side of the head and snapped. The giant man seemed totally unhurt, only his dark glasses broken by a hit that should have floored any human.

"Ah, oh dear." Giles said.

Without expression he reached up and removed the shattered remains of the sunglasses. Behind the shades, the man's eyes were blank milky white pools. His face still emotionless, he continued his advance. With Giles preoccupied Ethan skirted around the room and headed back towards the entrance and the two female scoobies.