With the god Glory now possessing knowledge that Dawn is the Key, Buffy and Dawn narrowly escape and gather with the rest of their friends in Xander's apartment to discuss possible plans of action, where Buffy surprises everyone by declaring that they will never be able to defeat Glory and the only way to stay alive is to leave Sunnydale, to which the group reluctantly agrees.
Though Giles and Xander are displeased by this, Buffy informs them that she and Spike are now the only ones who stand a chance at protecting Dawn in the event that Glory catches up to them.
Spike suggests to Xander that they run, with some (notably himself) sacrificing their lives so the others can escape, but Buffy refuses to let anyone die.
The Knights, arriving too late to prevent the monks' deaths, remained in Sunnydale, where they, like Glory, sought to wrest the Key from Buffy's control.
Glory's goal is to use Dawn's blood in a ritual to open a portal, allowing her to return to her home dimension and reclaim power.
Exuberant that Ben has "finally [done] something right," she kills Gregor, fights off the Scooby Gang to take Dawn, and bursts through the forcefield.