Angel's apartment, Sunnydale
Twenty minutes ago
Amy sat across the circle from Angel, the crystal between them glowing. The Harvest was taking place at Bronze, but Amy and Angel were performing a spell that would dissipate the Hellmouth's energy. A side effect of the spell meant that both Amy and Angel would mentally view a few of the other's memories.
Amy was deep in a magical trance, her eyes closed as she convulsed in horror as she telepathically experienced Angel destroying the virtue and sanity of a devout young woman.
Amy saw Angel sitting in a confessional booth after feeding from the priest. "Forgive me father for I have sinned," said the timid voice of young woman. Amy instantly knew that her name was Drusilla and that Angel had been stalking her. "It's been two days since my last confession."
"That's not very long." Angel replied in a lilting Irish accent.
"Oh Father, I'm so afraid," Drusilla trembled
"The lord can be very forgiving," the Irish vampire mocked, "Tell me your sins."
Amy saw Drusilla explain to Angel a vision that she had, some workers were trapped in a mine, and that the next day, the mine had collapsed in on them. Drusilla had the amazing ability to see things before they happened. In her time, this was seen as witchcraft –one of the more disgusting sins. Considering her own abilities, Amy deeply resented this mindset.
"Oh hush child," Angelus said to Drusilla. "The lord has a plan for all creatures. Even a devil child like you."
Drusilla gasped "A devil!"
"Yes!" Angelus continued. You're a spawn of Satan. All the Hail Mary's in the world aren't going to help. The lord will use you and smite you down. He's like that."
Everything around Amy blurred. Suddenly she was re-living a different memory of Angel's. She recognized Drusilla's face again, this time whimpering on her knees in front of Angel and a blonde woman. Various family members of Drusilla were also on their knees, lined up next to her. They were in a house, and several corpses were littered on the ground.
"Who do ye think should be next, Darla?" Angel asked the blonde woman.
"How about this one?" Darla suggested with a cold smile, stroking the cheek of a crying little girl.
"Please no!" screamed a woman, presumably the girl's mother.
"Well," Angelus smiled. "I think we know who's next on the menu." He grabbed the woman roughly by the throat and bit deeply into her neck as the child sobbed.
Amy watched Darla and Angel destroy every last member of the family until only Drusilla remained. Angelus knelt and kissed Drusilla on the cheek, then whispered into her ear. "If I still had me human soul, I'd no doubt be feelin' pretty guilty about this whole afair."
"Guilty?" Darla asked.
"Aye, surely I would," Angelus replied with mock remorse. "Killin' your own family is one of the finest joys a vampire can know. And now I've gone an' deprived this fine lady of the opportunity to do it herself. Curse me black, evil heart." Angelus grinned as a look of horror and comprehension passed over Drusilla's face. "That's right, lass," he whispered. "You're comin' with us. I'm going to put a demon -and a few other things, inside that fine body of yours."
Amy gasped in horror as her eyes opened, she was once again sitting across from Angel, the crystal between them glowing as it dissipated mystical energies. She started hyperventilating.
Meanwhile, Angel was also in a trance, experiencing memories of Amy's. The memory of Amy was standing barefoot, staring sadly into a bathroom mirror. From the mirror, a middle aged woman stared sadly back at Amy. Angel knew that the body Amy was trapped in was not her own. Amy traced a razor blade over her wrist, blood seeping into the bathroom sink. "Wh-witch…" Amy said with lips that were not her own.
The memory shifted and Amy was sitting in a living room doing homework. A girl walked into the room and spoke. The girl appeared to be Amy, but Angel knew that it wasn't.
"That essay is due tomorrow Amy" the young girl said. "I hope you did a better job on this one than the last B-minus piece of shit."
"It was a B-plus mom," the older Amy said.
Angel was struck with a horrific realization. Amy's mother had switched bodies with her, and was using Amy's body to re-live youth, while forcing Amy into her own middle aged body.
"Don't talk back to me you skank!" Amy's teenage mother screamed at the middle-aged Amy. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Amy's mother walked over to the door and opened it. Behind the door was a surly man with pale skin and dark long hair. "Hello Rack." Amy's mother greeted the man.
"Hello Catherine," Rack greeted Amy's mother. "I'm here on behalf of the mayor. May I come in?"
"Of course," Catherine said to the man. She turned and glared at Amy. "Amy, make us some snacks."
"No," said Rack as he stepped into the lounge room. "I won't be staying long."
"Okay," Catherine replied. "What does the Mayor want."
"In a week's time, the vampire known as the Master is going rise from the Hellmouth," Rack explained. "The slayer was due in town to stop him… but things don't always work out as planned." Rack smirked.
"And the mayor wants me to stop the Master?" scoffed Catherine. "What's the reward?"
"There is none," hissed Rack. "If the Mayor intended for the Master to be destroyed by magick, he would have gone directly to me rather send me here. He know's I'm the real power of this town."
Catherine sneered. "Well then, Rack. Don't keep me in suspense. What does bring you here? And since when do you do work for the mayor?"
"The mayor has offered to... turn a blind eye to my dealings, in exchange for a few small favours. You see, the Mayor doesn't want the Hellmouth to open. Mr. Wilkins plans on Ascending, and an early apocolypse would intefere with that."
"Well all that would require," said Catherine "is a phlabotnum crystal and a simple ritual. Why come here for that? The ritual is simple."
"Yes." Rack grinned sadistically. "So simple that a child could perform it." Rack leered at Amy.
Realization dawned on Catherine's face and she raised her hand to attack Rack. However, Rack was much faster; a dark bolt of energy was released from his hand, slamming Catherine across the room. Catherine rose to her feet and cast a large fireball from her hands at Rack.
The warlock screamed as the fireball grazed the side of his face, scorching skin and hair. He clenched his hand into a tightening fist and gestured towards Catherine who began to choke. "It's nothing personal Catherine," Rack said to the choking teenager. "I've been paid handsomely for this." He walked over to the choking girl and punched her hard in the face. He relaxed his fist and Catherine dropped to the floor gasping for air. "Besides, the mayor thinks that you're too much of a loose canon. He's afraid you might, 'rock the boat' so to speak." He turned to the middle-aged woman. "Come here Amy."
Terrified, Amy obeyed. Rack reached into his pocket and produced a small green gemstone. He forced the stone into Catherine's hand. "Touch the stone Amy. It's time for you to be restored to your real body."
"Thank you!" Amy cried as she clutched the stone. "Don't thank me," said Rack sleazily. "Thank the mayor. You'd be surprised at how paternal he is."
In an instant Amy was once again a teenager, and Catherine was back in her middle-aged body. "You bastard," Catherine seethed at Rack. She fired a dark energy bolt at Rack, but the warlock easily deflected it with his own.
Behind Catherine, a red hot poker began to float away from the fireplace. Catherine began muttering an incantation, and within moments, a dark, rapidly widening vortex appeared in the center of the room. "Enjoy hell Rack," hissed Catherine.
"I suppose I'll see you there," smirked Rack as the fire-poker flew forward impaling Catherine from behind, its red hot tip searing out from her chest. The portal closed as Catherine's corpse dropped to the floor.
Angel's eyes shot open as the vision ended. "Is it done?"
Now.
Outside the Bronze, Sunnydale
The Master made his way through the streets, a huge grin plastered across his ancient, demonic face. It had been far too long since he'd enjoyed the simple pleasure of the kill. As he made his way towards the Bronze he noticed that the doors were open and that a few people were fleeing. A scowl crossed his face as he saw a van full of teenagers rumble past. He approached the door to the club where a few vampires were chasing down several escaping humans.
Darla approached him. "Welcome to the above world my Master," she beamed. "It's ours for the taking!"
"Indeed." Agreed the Master. "And yet I cannot help but wonder why the world is still here. Why did the Old Ones not rise when I was freed?"
Luke made his way over to the Master. He dropped to his knees in respect and admiration. "It is possible that somebody has interfered, my lord."
The Master frowned at Luke. "I notice that several people have escaped the Harvest. I am most disappointed Luke, such a thing has never happened before."
"There were several armed humans," said Luke looking downward in shame. "They were able to secure an exit. At least three of our numbers were slain."
"I see the human race has evolved since I last walked the earth," the Master observed. "Perhaps it time we did the same."
A redhead in a dark corset approached the trio of vampires, holding a struggling teenager. The Master smiled at the girl. "Willow! Did you enjoy the Harvest?"
"It was nifty!" Willow said. "Can't wait for the next one. I brought you a gift." She said shoving the teenager at the Master's feet. The Master clutched the boy's throat and gazed into his eyes.
"You are learning quickly child," the Master observed, ignoring Darla's look of jealousy.
"His name's Devon!" Willow gushed. "All the girl's at school think he's really cute and he's the lead singer of Dingoes, so I thought you should have him personally."
The Master continued to gaze into Devon's eyes and within moments Devon was completely mesmerized, he stood there of his own accord, completely dumbstruck.
"Dingoes?" the Master asked, not understanding.
"I believe it's a human pop culture reference," Luke said.
"They're a pathetic high school band." Darla said. "In our new order, crappy bands like theirs will not be allowed to exist. In fact, I suggest we take the Bronze as our new base of operations. It would be very symbolic." Willow shot Darla a dark look.
"This Bronze place… it means a lot to the humans?"
"Yes." Willow said.
"Then it shall be ours." The Master said. He leaned forward and sunk his fangs into Devon's neck, taking a deep mouthful of blood. Devon faltered slightly, but continued to stand there. "Your gift is greatly appreciated Willow. His flavor is exquisite."
"He's got a great voice too!" said Willow. She turned to Darla. "Lead singer… duh! Their guitarist is even hotter. Can I sire him?"
"You wanna sire the whole freaking band?" Darla sneered.
Willow opened her mouth to point out that Oz the guitarist was the only one she was interested in, but then realized that maybe a vampire band would be kinda cool.