Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Season 8, Episode 12
Old Wounds
Chapter 4

1997

"Things are getting weird. Last night I dusted four vamps on campus and Giles just spends all his time in his office reading about the Master, I wish he'd just rise already, his minions are getting laughable. But I dunno, the dreams and the constant vamp action, maybe he is gunna rise, he's taken his time but how hard can another vampire be? Sure he's supposed to be like 1000 years old but I'm not to shaken up about it, he has this kid, goes by the anointed, as his right hand guy so he can't be all powerful like Giles makes out. At least I hope."

"Buffy we'll stay, we'll help and we'll fight," Xander offered in the manor. The thought of the master returning into their lives was daunting. He was one of the most powerful vampires known, talked about in mystical scripture and he was killed by a 16 year old girl above the High School library. He was going to be pissed and they all knew it.

"Who's The Master?" except Faith.

Giles began, "he-he's a vampire Buffy killed years ago he um-"

"He murdered me," Buffy chimed in. Faith's eyebrows shot above her hair line at the fear in Buffy's eyes.

"This is the guy? The guy who started all this?" Faith asked.

"You could say that," Xander replied.

"Buffy you can't go up against the Master, he'll kill you," Willow said emotionally and bluntly.

"Maybe, maybe I'll take him with me," Buffy replied blinking back tears.

1997

I guess this is it. I've heard the life of a Slayer is short lived but I guess I always thought I'd be the exception. What do I do here? Leave my mom and my friends a note? 'Hey guys, sorry couldn't come to brunch on the account of being dead and all.' I can't just leave, especially after she bought me that dress for the dance. It's beautiful. I should go by and see Willow, on the news vamps broke into the school and murdered a bunch of kids. Maybe I can convince mom to let us go away, never come back to this town, it's done nothing but add scars to my bruises.
Guess I know why Giles hadn't seemed to go home this last week, or why I haven't seen Angel. He got Giles a book with a prophecy in it about me and the Master. 'Tonight Buffy will face the Master, and she will die!' I heard Giles yell back in the library. I was so mean to them both, it's not their fault, I'm the Slayer, dying's in the job description. But that's the rule right, one Slayer dies and the next one's called.
Wonder who she is.

Faith began, "B I'm getting this guy's a big deal but you don't get it, you're not alone anymore, I'm here, red's here, Xander is…Xander-"

"Hey!" Xander hummed.

"Whatever, my point is we can take this bastard down just like any other vamp, you're not 16 anymore Buffy," Faith said. Faith only used Buffy's full name when she tried her hardest to get something through Buffy's skull. Buffy looked to the third Slayer in line.

"Get what you need to keep the girls away from here, I'm doing this alone," Buffy said.

Xander began, "Buff-"

"I mean it Xander, you can't be part of this," Buffy said, she turned to Faith, "the Master takes me down he's gonna try to open the Hellmouth, I'm counting on you to stop that," she ordered.

Faith began, "but B if we face him together-"

"He'll kill us both!" Buffy argued. Faith's eyes darted from the piercing gaze of the blonde. After long moments of silence the scoobies reached a compromise.

"The Master's smart Buffy, he won't come to you like the rest of them, he'll be expecting you, and by doing so you'll be walking into a trap. Why not let Willow try and get a lead on whoever cast the protection shield over your bedroom?" Giles suggested.

"I can't let anyone die just because we took the long way around," Buffy said and Faith and the gang couldn't help but agree. Buffy shot a glance at the afternoon sun.

"How're you gunna find him?" Willow asked.

"If the Master's back then I'm guessing his little friend is too," Buffy said.

"I'll grab Chris from the warehouse and snag the newbies on their way home," Faith said, "what do I tell em'?"

"Tell them, I dunno, think of something funny, tell them I said it," Buffy breathed.

"What about Dawn?" Xander asked.

"No, she stays in the dark and if worse comes to worse then you tell her, as for now she stays as she is," Buffy said.

"I should get going," Faith said as she grabbed her jacket from the couch and headed to the door. "And B? Be careful," Faith called over her shoulder. Buffy nodded as she left the house.

"What time's sundown?" Buffy asked.

"Sometime around six," Giles put in.

"Tell me why you dragged me out of bed to go for ice cream with all the other Slayer-ettes," Chris asked drowsily as they walked toward the school to intercept the girls on their way home.

"Just followin' orders," Faith replied.

"You don't look the type to be following anybody's orders," Chris guessed.

"Times comes when you've gotta fall in line," Faith mumbled. They reached a street corner and spotted the girls in groups walking in their direction. Faith spotted Dawn among the fray and shot a glance to the sun lit sky. She exhaled heavily.

"Faith what's goin' on to get you so spooked?" Chris asked.

"Just eat your ice cream Chris alright?" Faith ordered as she walked briskly to intercept the girls.

"I'm 17!" Chris called after her, "the last time I had ice cream was when my mom gave a damn!"

"Faith?" Dawn stopped as she spotted the advancing Slayer, the girls all stopped nervously. "What wrong?" Dawn asked seriously as Faith walked up to her.

"Nothin', B said you've all earned a night off from patrol so we're going shopping…and stuff," Faith smiled falsely.

"Where are Kate and Leash?" Chris asked looking in the crowd for her friends. Faith's eyes shifted at the question.

"They weren't in school," Joy replied.

"Forget that, I'm armed with Giles' credit card!" Faith beamed with thoughts of violence and blood. The girls changed direction and headed for the bus station. Dawn looked Faith up and down in disbelief, she knew something was up but if Faith was acting girly on somebody's orders but her own, something bad was going down.

The sun was setting on the Lake's water and the manor Cliffside. Buffy took a deep breath in and grabbed her leather jacket from the coat rack by the door. Xander, Giles, Andrew and Nicholas were sitting in the living room exchanging boring conversation to try and take their minds off things. They saw the room dim and chanced a glance at the Slayer. She placed her jacket around her and looked her watcher fearfully in the eye. He stood up and cleaned his glasses. "Where's Will?" Buffy asked.

Willow cautiously walked toward the door of Buffy's room. She placed her hand around the doorknob and tried childishly to open it, she pushed her hand toward the wood of the door and it began to shine red. Willow took out her (stolen) truth crystal from the magic shop and sprinkled it with a purple powder. She tossed the powder at the door and it merged. The crystal shone red. "Morsmorta Sayperio," Willow chanted. Her dark hair became apparent and only the tips of them stayed red. She felt the urge to unleash but pulled it back leaving her with a sting behind her eyes and pains in her stomach.
She held her stomach casually as she made her way to the entrance hall. "Got everything you need?" she asked Buffy.

"Just need one more thing," Buffy smiled. She jogged quickly down to the basement and opened a locked trunk in the corner of the room by the bookshelf. She couldn't remember where she'd hidden the key so she collided her shoe with the lock. It broke open and she flipped up the lid. She felt washed in power as she looked down at her most precious instrument. If anything was going to give her the edge over the Master, it was this. The scythe.

Buffy left the manor just as the sun set over the Cliffside. She strolled down the private roads and onto the busy street. She didn't give much thought to the staring people who gazed at the armed lady walking with purpose. The crimson shine of the Scythe shone in the street lights that had only just switched on. She turned a corner into the industrial estate when a voice called at her from an alley. "Help me," a boy's voice called.

"I didn't fall for it the first time kid, not gonna get me this time either. You're here to take me to him right?" Buffy asked the anointed. The boy held his hand high and Buffy took it willingly. His eyes gazed at the scythe but they darted away when Buffy nudged it towards him. The anointed lead her through back alleys and parking lots until they reached something called, "The Mariners Inn." Buffy looked at the creepy condemned Hotel and looked to the boy attached at her hip. He nodded in the direction of the hotel and Buffy released her hold on him. She pushed the broken chain open and headed toward the structure.

"Willow, what are you doing?" Giles asked the witch as she scurried around the kitchen looking for Giles's keys.

"I did a spell on the door to lead me to the witch or warlock who conjured the barrier," Willow said.

"Forgive me but I only see what I assume to be a truth crystal," Giles scrutinised.

"I know, I tinkered with it but it should work," Willow replied.

"Should?" Giles asked sceptically. Willow spotted the keys on top of the microwave and grasped them.

"Y'coming or not?" Willow asked.

"I suppose but Willow this might end in a fight and with what happened to you today, how can you be sure you're going to be able to keep…your other self…at bay?" Giles asked.

"Giles if we stand around thinking about the risks Buffy could die fighting the Master…again! Or we could floor it in you penis extension of a car and reach the person responsible before she even gets there!" Willow snapped. Giles' eyes shot above his retreating hairline. "Good, you drive."

Buffy stepped into the lobby of the hotel and found burning candles littered up the stairs and on shelves. The hotel itself reminded Buffy of the Hyperion but she knew her vampire lover was not in the building, but another vampire entirely. She gripped the Scythe closer to her chest as she stepped onto the cracked floor. Her heel echoed as she stepped. She remembered stepping into the Masters' lair under the High School, the candles, the dirty floor, the blood pool, the bodies and the damn leaky pipe that created the pool she drowned in. "Well," called an eerie familiar voice, "have to say, I prefer what you wore last time."

"Yeah well, you always were a sucker for the cliché," Buffy retaliated as she shot glances to the horror movie candles.

"Oh good, the witty banter portion of the fight, I seem to have lost my joke book," the Masters voice called. Buffy couldn't seem to locate the source of his voice.

"Yeah well did you check under the sofa in hell?" she replied.

"Funny," the Master said stepping into the light. His eyes glowed red as they stared at the back of Buffy's blond head. His skin was the palest shade of white that it seemed to reflect of his dusty black clothes. Buffy turned to the spot were the master was standing but saw only darkness, he'd disappeared.

"Stop!" Willow said as the red glow of the crystal strengthened. Giles pressed on the brakes heavily and the car skidded to a stop.

"Where are we?" Giles asked at the unfamiliar territory.

"I guess we found our villain of the week," Willow said as she nodded her head toward a sign. Giles twisted his head and met the bright sign.

Wolfram & Hart
Attorneys At Law.

Giles pulled his car into the lot and the witch and watcher walked side by side into evil incorporated.

"Next!" Amy called from her desk. A blue faced big toothed demon stepped aside angrily and made way for a man and woman. "How can I help you?" Amy asked. Suddenly she found herself being hoisted in the air by an invisible force before being tossed across the lobby like a paper bag. She hit the floor and spotted a dark rooted Willow and Giles standing in front of her desk. "Took ya long enough," Amy said as she wiped her bloody nose and spat on the floor. She attempted to raise herself to her feat.

"Stay down," Giles said. Amy crashed back to the floor.

"How do we reverse the spell?" Willow asked.

"I'm not telling you a thing," Amy said as she fought through Giles charm and got to her feat.

"You know I might have pointed this out before but for an all powerful guy you sure do like to hide," Buffy echoed herself.

"I want to savour this moment, I see you bring gifts," the Master replied.

"Why don't you come and unwrap it," Buffy replied as she twisted the Scythe thrice in her hand.

"I can see perfectly fine from here," the voice said loudly. Buffy spun around quickly with the Scythe. A white long nailed claw-like hand caught the hilt of the Scythe and the other caught Buffy by the neck. Buffy gazed into his eyes and shivered. Her fear was icy; no demon has ever made her feel so…inferior, meaningless, helpless.

"I dreamt of a moment like this while I slept, to taste you again, funny good only wins in the movies," the Master breathed baring his teeth.

She flashed back to the alley outside the Bronze back in Sunnydale, she had Spike knelt at her feet. "All we need is One…Good…Night," he had said. She felt a surge of power and as The Masters' cool breathe drew ever closer to her two half-moon scars, she broke his grasp on the Scythe and threw the spiked hilt into his face. He fell backward dazed and Buffy rolled backwards across the floor. "Keep dreamin'," Buffy spat at him as he lay on the floor wide-eyed.

The employees and clients of Wolfram and Hart fled the lobby leaving Amy, Giles and Willow alone. Amy's eyes turned black as she conjured a gust of wind that sent Giles tumbling over her desk and unconscious. Willow glanced at the letter opener on Amy's desk and floated it toward her, she shot it at the opposite witch but Amy deflected it with a counter spell. "Going straight in for the kill Willow, that's a new one…oh yeah that's right," Amy sniggered. Willow flashed her palms and the lights of Wolfram & Hart began to shatter. Amy looked around unfased. "Ooh scary earthquake, you've really got my blood going," Amy beamed. Amy raised her hand and a shot of electric dark light left it, it zoomed toward Willow but she matched it with a beam of her own. The two magics crackled and fizzed as they fought for dominance.
Amy's magic drew closer and closer to Willow. She was aware of her darkening roots and so didn't fight back to the best of her ability until Amy's light was in nose touching distance. Willow willingly gave herself over to the power, veins and all.

The fighting lights exploded and Amy was knocked back with fiery force. As the dust settled Amy's eyes met that of a Willow she barely recognised. Her hair dark, her eyes black, her veins eye catching and her essence…changed. Willow walked slowly toward Amy. Amy cast offensive spells at the witch but they just rebounded off her skin. Willow took the truth crystal from her pocket and shoved it inside Amy's mouth.

"How do I pass the barrier?" Willow asked politely as she held Amy's mouth tightly to prevent her vomiting all over her.

Buffy charged at the Master, his hypnotic stare caught her and she reluctantly tossed the Scythe aside into the darkness. He released his hold on her and she panicked at her weapon-less hands. "If we're going to do this, I think we should do it fairly," the Master announced.

"No problem; didn't have a weapon last time," Buffy winked.

The Master raged and charged for the Slayer delivering powerful attacks to her face and chest. His nails clawed into her face as she was sent tumbling into a wax drenched candle stand. He went for her again but she spun her legs and collided them with his ankles, he fell to the floor and before rolling free she delivered a hefty kick to his face. She rolled to the Scythe and brought it into the light. The two opponents rose to their feet once more. "I can dance all night, I've had eternity," the Master sniggered.

"And not a day more when I gut you in two," Buffy replied.

"Now what's with the gruesome remarks, it's just uncalled for," he frowned.

"Better come over here and teach me some manners," Buffy retaliated.

Willow relinquished her hold on Amy who spat the crystal out fiercely. Willow walked over to an unconscious Giles and placed a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't over!" Amy shouted with blood seeping from her ears, nose and mouth. Willow shot her a terrifying glance before teleporting back to the manor amongst Xander, Nicholas and Andrew who were pacing in the entrance hall eagerly awaiting their return. Xander and Nicholas back away from the powerful wicca in fear and shock. Willow ignored them and bounded for the steps to the third floor. Nicholas dropped to Giles' aid while Xander bolted after his best friend preparing to give the yellow crayon speech. He found Willow as she battled with the barrier on the door. However it proved no match for the witch as it melted from the door. Willow raised her leg to kick the door open.

Buffy charged at the Master with Scythe in hand. He made an attempt to grab the Slayer, to snap her neck, to tear her head from her shoulders but Buffy glided under his arms and spun around aiming for his neck. The Master turned just in time to feel the blade of the Scythe slice open his jugular. Buffy grunted as she pulled the Scythe toward her and away from him. The Master fell to the ground, grappling his neck as the ancient blood poured over his body.

"You…you're nothing," Buffy spat.

Willow's heel collided with the wood of the door and it swung open. The room flashed white and Willow fell to the ground with her eyes returning their usual shade, her hair doing the same and her veins retreating into her skin. Xander rushed to the threshold. Kate and Alicia picked their gaze up from the diary and shot it at Xander. "God Xander, knock much?" Kate exclaimed. Xander ran at the girls and grabbed the diary. He tore it in two and it flashed white. He tossed the book into the trash on his way to help his best friend.

Alicia and Kate exchanged confused looks.

The Masters gurgling body became a flash of white light before disappearing. Buffy exhaled in relief of the fact she was alone in the hotel. She looked to the candles and as she let her tears flow she unleashed herself on them. Knocking them down, tipping them over, crashing and burning filled the lobby. When all light was distinguished, Buffy dropped the Scythe and then dropped herself; she pulled her legs to her chest, and cried. But have you ever had the feeling that somebody was watching you? Buffy didn't, but boy did she wish she did because atop the lobby looking over the darkness of the hotel stood another blonde…Darla.

Amy began clearing up the mess in the lobby of Wolfram & Hart. She had tissues in her nose and bloodied ones in her blazer pocket from where she'd wiped her mouth and ears. "Amy?" called Hectors voice from inside his office.

"Yeah?" she gurgled in response.

"You're fired," Hector replied casually.

"What!" Amy asked furiously.

"I don't tolerate failure Amy, and fail we did, however the senior partners need a scapegoat so when the Slayers begin asking questions, we can play the innocent monster under the bed. Sorry love, it's nothing personal," Hector informed as he closed the doors to his office.

After various angry outbursts and explosive curse words, Amy packed up her desk, furious with herself and the firm but she was too exhausted to fight back.

Today's exhaustion will fuel tomorrow's war she thought as she made her way to her second-hand SUV. She climbed inside and turned the key in the ignition.

"So," said a voice from the backseat. Amy swirled around to see the mysterious man from the cemetery, "I heard a rumour you know the Slayer," the man asked.

Amy smirked.

Authors Note: So that's it, episode 12 complete. Did you enjoy? I hope you did.
Thank you to: Boris Yeltsin, PrincessAlica & Jeremy Shane for reviewing my latest chapters.

I have a CRAZY week of Exams in Math and Science so the next episode might take till this weekend or a smidge longer, but bare with me, it will be done, promise.

Thank you for reading.