The Vegemite Chronicles (2/?)
***
THE EPISODE: The Harvest
The quotes:
BUFFY: That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire.
THE MASTER: You've tasted it.
THE MASTER: Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants.
WILLOW: And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day.
CORDELIA: Well, I exhibit no surprise.
GILES: The Master can draw power from one of its minions while it feeds.
JOYCE: It's happening again, isn't it?
DARLA: They're all for the Master.
BUFFY: How'd it taste?
GILES: The next threat we face may be something quite different.
***
CHAPTER 2 - The Vegemite Harvest
***
Willow's house. Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander are coming in the front door, moving quickly.
BUFFY: OK, Willow, you and Giles go and get your Vegemite. Xander, you stay here and keep an eye out for any vamps. I'll check round the back.
Suddenly, Willow's bedroom door down the hall slams open, and a vampire bursts out, carrying a large cardboard box with Willow's Vegemite jars in it.
WILLOW: Hey! Get your hands off my Vegemite!
BUFFY: That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire.
XANDER: Really?
BUFFY: Long story.
Buffy pulls out a stake, and charges at the vampire. Seeing her coming towards him, the vamp growls, and takes off in the other direction. Before Buffy can catch him, he dives out through a window, shattering the glass, and lands on the grass in the backyard. Getting up again, he starts running, still carrying the box with both hands, jumping the back fence and disappearing from view.
WILLOW: Oh, no!
XANDER: Hey, why didn't he burn up? It's daylight out there.
BUFFY: I didn't get much of a look at his face, but did he have Vegemite smothered all over him?
GILES: Uh, I believe he did. It blocks out direct sunlight remarkably.
XANDER: (sarcastically) Great. So now what do we do?
***
The Master's lair. Angel and Luke are trading blows. Suddenly, Luke sends Angel flying across the room. Angel lands heavily on the ground, then crawls to his feet and disappears behind a corner.
THE MASTER: After him, Luke!
Luke immediately runs after Angel, disappearing around the corner and out of the Master's sight. The sound of fighting can be heard for a few more moments, then suddenly, the sound of a vampire being staked. The Master stares intently for a moment, then Angel walks out from around the corner, grinning, one arm held behind his back.
THE MASTER: (stunned) But ... how? Luke was my strongest warrior. He ...
Still grinning, Angel holds out the arm he had hidden behind his back to reveal a jar of Vegemite in his hand. It's the same jar the Master was eating from earlier.
THE MASTER: My Vegemite. You've tasted it.
ANGEL: You were right about this stuff. Really strengthening.
THE MASTER: Give that back!
ANGEL: Oh, yeah? Or what, batnose?
DARLA: Or I'll kill your little friend, Angelus.
Angel spins around to see Darla, vamped out, holding Cordelia in front of her like a hostage, clutching her tightly around the throat.
ANGEL: Cordelia?! What are you doing here?
CORDELIA: (grunting, having trouble talking) I followed you down here.
Angel gives Cordy a disbelieving look.
CORDELIA: They took my Vegemite! I have to get it back!
DARLA: (to Angel) Now, give the Master back his Vegemite, or I rip this one's throat out.
Angel considers for a moment, then realizes he has no choice. He turns back to face the Master, and throws the jar of Vegemite at him with incredible force.
ANGEL: Catch!
The Master instinctively ducks, and the jar goes flying over his head. As he chases after it, Angel runs over to Darla, grabs Cordy by the arm, and the two of them quickly run out. Cordy can't resist a parting shot as they flee.
CORDELIA: You freaks won't get away with this! Once the Slayer finds out, she'll kill you all!
Darla is worried by this, and looks back down at the Master, who is cradling the Vegemite jar lovingly in both hands, smiling down at it.
DARLA: This could be trouble. The Slayer? I'll kill her. As soon as the sun sets.
THE MASTER: Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants.
Just then, the vampire who ran from the Scoobies at Willow's house appears, carrying the box with Willow's Vegemite jars in it.
THE MASTER: It's only a matter of time now.
Darla smiles evilly.
***
Willow's street. The gang is heading back toward the school.
XANDER: This can't be happening! No more Vegemite?
GILES: This isn't good. If the Master gets his hands on the Vegemite, there's no telling what he might do.
BUFFY: But he can use the Vegemite to open the Hellmouth?
GILES: Apparently so. And if he is allowed to open the Hellmouth, we're looking at, well, quite a nasty apocalypse.
WILLOW: And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day.
***
Later at the SHS library. Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, Angel and Cordelia are gathered.
ANGEL: So the Master has all the Vegemite in Sunnydale now?
GILES: Yes, I'm afraid so.
CORDELIA: Well, I exhibit no surprise.
WILLOW: Neither do I. Knowing you have all the Vegemite in town is a pretty powerful feeling. I should know. Well, I used to.
One can almost see the lightbulb over Angel's head as Willow's last comment causes him to realize something.
ANGEL: But you didn't!
BUFFY: Huh?
ANGEL: Willow didn't have all the Vegemite! The Master already had some!
GILES: He had Vegemite?
ANGEL: When I was down there, he had a jar. That's how I got the better of Luke. I swiped it when the Master wasn't looking, then I ate some of it. Gave me a real power boost.
GILES: Oh, yes, I've heard that can happen. Vegemite is like a performance- enhancing drug to a vampire. The effects normally last for at least a couple of days before they begin to wear off.
BUFFY: Which begs the question, if the Vegemite the Master had didn't come from Willow, where did it come from? And who gave it to him?
CORDELIA: Well, whoever it was, they're totally stupid for giving their Vegemite away to somebody else.
XANDER: I'm with you on that. If I have a jar of Vegemite, and I die before I can finish eating it, it gets buried with me.
ANGEL: (to himself) Why didn't Darla ever tell me?
BUFFY: What?
ANGEL: Oh, nothing.
Buffy stares at Angel for a moment, then looks at Giles.
BUFFY: So, this ritual the Master's gonna use. How does it work?
GILES: The Master can draw power from one of its minions while it feeds.
WILLOW: Feeds? On Vegemite?
GILES: Yes. The Vegemite has to be eaten in an open area for the ritual to work, so the Master's underground lair is of no use. And with the Master unable to leave his lair, he will select one of his minions to go above and feed for him.
ANGEL: Darla. It has to Darla. With Luke out of the picture, she's the strongest now.
BUFFY: So, we find Darla, and kill her before she can eat enough Vegemite for the Master to break free and open the Hellmouth.
GILES: Simply put, yes.
***
The Summers house, night. Buffy is upstairs in her room, gathering weapons and putting them in a bag. Joyce comes in, whittling a stake.
JOYCE: It's happening again, isn't it?
She hands the stake to her daughter. Buffy adds it to the bag.
BUFFY: Yep. Vampires plus Vegemite equals end of the world.
Buffy slings the bag over her shoulder, and heads out.
JOYCE: (calling) Have a nice time!
***
The Sunnydale High football field. Darla is kneeling in the centre of the field, the box of Vegemite beside her. There are now thirty-one jars in the box, the jar the Master had earlier among them. She is just about to open the first jar when she hears footsteps behind her. Turning around, she sees Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander and Cordelia approaching her.
BUFFY: Fun's over, Grandma. Give Willow her Vegemite back.
Darla starts grabbing jars from the box and slipping them into her pockets.
DARLA: They're all for the Master.
WILLOW: Tell him to get his own Vegemite!
ANGEL: Doesn't look like you've eaten any Vegemite yet, Darla. I had some earlier. Which means I'm stronger than you.
BUFFY: How'd it taste?
ANGEL: Pretty good, actually. I had no idea. (looks at Darla) Somebody didn't know how to share.
Darla considers taking the Vegemite and running for it, but the sight of the Slayer with her stake poised and a vampire jacked up on Vegemite and looking for action changes her mind. She drops all the Vegemite she was carrying back into the box, and takes off. Angel moves to start running after her, but Buffy grabs his shoulder.
BUFFY: Let her go. We can deal with her another time.
She looks down at the Vegemite.
BUFFY: We got what we came for.
GILES: Yes, and we've prevented the Master from opening the Hellmouth. I'd say we've done pretty well. Now, let's get this Vegemite somewhere safe.
WILLOW: Like my house?
XANDER: No, it'd be too easy to find there. The vamps found it there once, they'll find it again. We should keep it at my house!
GILES: It's too dangerous to leave this stuff just lying around where anybody or anything can get to it, Xander. All the Vegemite in Sunnydale is in this box. And everybody is going to be after it because of that very fact. Vampires, demons, monsters, ghouls ... probably even humans. The next threat we face may be something quite different.
Angel picks up the box, and the group starts heading home. Cordelia remains behind for a moment, watching the others with an angry look on her face. Then she follows after them.
T.B.C.
***
THE EPISODE: The Harvest
The quotes:
BUFFY: That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire.
THE MASTER: You've tasted it.
THE MASTER: Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants.
WILLOW: And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day.
CORDELIA: Well, I exhibit no surprise.
GILES: The Master can draw power from one of its minions while it feeds.
JOYCE: It's happening again, isn't it?
DARLA: They're all for the Master.
BUFFY: How'd it taste?
GILES: The next threat we face may be something quite different.
***
CHAPTER 2 - The Vegemite Harvest
***
Willow's house. Buffy, Giles, Willow and Xander are coming in the front door, moving quickly.
BUFFY: OK, Willow, you and Giles go and get your Vegemite. Xander, you stay here and keep an eye out for any vamps. I'll check round the back.
Suddenly, Willow's bedroom door down the hall slams open, and a vampire bursts out, carrying a large cardboard box with Willow's Vegemite jars in it.
WILLOW: Hey! Get your hands off my Vegemite!
BUFFY: That's exactly what I said the first time I saw a vampire.
XANDER: Really?
BUFFY: Long story.
Buffy pulls out a stake, and charges at the vampire. Seeing her coming towards him, the vamp growls, and takes off in the other direction. Before Buffy can catch him, he dives out through a window, shattering the glass, and lands on the grass in the backyard. Getting up again, he starts running, still carrying the box with both hands, jumping the back fence and disappearing from view.
WILLOW: Oh, no!
XANDER: Hey, why didn't he burn up? It's daylight out there.
BUFFY: I didn't get much of a look at his face, but did he have Vegemite smothered all over him?
GILES: Uh, I believe he did. It blocks out direct sunlight remarkably.
XANDER: (sarcastically) Great. So now what do we do?
***
The Master's lair. Angel and Luke are trading blows. Suddenly, Luke sends Angel flying across the room. Angel lands heavily on the ground, then crawls to his feet and disappears behind a corner.
THE MASTER: After him, Luke!
Luke immediately runs after Angel, disappearing around the corner and out of the Master's sight. The sound of fighting can be heard for a few more moments, then suddenly, the sound of a vampire being staked. The Master stares intently for a moment, then Angel walks out from around the corner, grinning, one arm held behind his back.
THE MASTER: (stunned) But ... how? Luke was my strongest warrior. He ...
Still grinning, Angel holds out the arm he had hidden behind his back to reveal a jar of Vegemite in his hand. It's the same jar the Master was eating from earlier.
THE MASTER: My Vegemite. You've tasted it.
ANGEL: You were right about this stuff. Really strengthening.
THE MASTER: Give that back!
ANGEL: Oh, yeah? Or what, batnose?
DARLA: Or I'll kill your little friend, Angelus.
Angel spins around to see Darla, vamped out, holding Cordelia in front of her like a hostage, clutching her tightly around the throat.
ANGEL: Cordelia?! What are you doing here?
CORDELIA: (grunting, having trouble talking) I followed you down here.
Angel gives Cordy a disbelieving look.
CORDELIA: They took my Vegemite! I have to get it back!
DARLA: (to Angel) Now, give the Master back his Vegemite, or I rip this one's throat out.
Angel considers for a moment, then realizes he has no choice. He turns back to face the Master, and throws the jar of Vegemite at him with incredible force.
ANGEL: Catch!
The Master instinctively ducks, and the jar goes flying over his head. As he chases after it, Angel runs over to Darla, grabs Cordy by the arm, and the two of them quickly run out. Cordy can't resist a parting shot as they flee.
CORDELIA: You freaks won't get away with this! Once the Slayer finds out, she'll kill you all!
Darla is worried by this, and looks back down at the Master, who is cradling the Vegemite jar lovingly in both hands, smiling down at it.
DARLA: This could be trouble. The Slayer? I'll kill her. As soon as the sun sets.
THE MASTER: Don't worry about it. I believe she'll come to us. We have something she wants.
Just then, the vampire who ran from the Scoobies at Willow's house appears, carrying the box with Willow's Vegemite jars in it.
THE MASTER: It's only a matter of time now.
Darla smiles evilly.
***
Willow's street. The gang is heading back toward the school.
XANDER: This can't be happening! No more Vegemite?
GILES: This isn't good. If the Master gets his hands on the Vegemite, there's no telling what he might do.
BUFFY: But he can use the Vegemite to open the Hellmouth?
GILES: Apparently so. And if he is allowed to open the Hellmouth, we're looking at, well, quite a nasty apocalypse.
WILLOW: And everyone else thinks it's just a normal day.
***
Later at the SHS library. Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, Angel and Cordelia are gathered.
ANGEL: So the Master has all the Vegemite in Sunnydale now?
GILES: Yes, I'm afraid so.
CORDELIA: Well, I exhibit no surprise.
WILLOW: Neither do I. Knowing you have all the Vegemite in town is a pretty powerful feeling. I should know. Well, I used to.
One can almost see the lightbulb over Angel's head as Willow's last comment causes him to realize something.
ANGEL: But you didn't!
BUFFY: Huh?
ANGEL: Willow didn't have all the Vegemite! The Master already had some!
GILES: He had Vegemite?
ANGEL: When I was down there, he had a jar. That's how I got the better of Luke. I swiped it when the Master wasn't looking, then I ate some of it. Gave me a real power boost.
GILES: Oh, yes, I've heard that can happen. Vegemite is like a performance- enhancing drug to a vampire. The effects normally last for at least a couple of days before they begin to wear off.
BUFFY: Which begs the question, if the Vegemite the Master had didn't come from Willow, where did it come from? And who gave it to him?
CORDELIA: Well, whoever it was, they're totally stupid for giving their Vegemite away to somebody else.
XANDER: I'm with you on that. If I have a jar of Vegemite, and I die before I can finish eating it, it gets buried with me.
ANGEL: (to himself) Why didn't Darla ever tell me?
BUFFY: What?
ANGEL: Oh, nothing.
Buffy stares at Angel for a moment, then looks at Giles.
BUFFY: So, this ritual the Master's gonna use. How does it work?
GILES: The Master can draw power from one of its minions while it feeds.
WILLOW: Feeds? On Vegemite?
GILES: Yes. The Vegemite has to be eaten in an open area for the ritual to work, so the Master's underground lair is of no use. And with the Master unable to leave his lair, he will select one of his minions to go above and feed for him.
ANGEL: Darla. It has to Darla. With Luke out of the picture, she's the strongest now.
BUFFY: So, we find Darla, and kill her before she can eat enough Vegemite for the Master to break free and open the Hellmouth.
GILES: Simply put, yes.
***
The Summers house, night. Buffy is upstairs in her room, gathering weapons and putting them in a bag. Joyce comes in, whittling a stake.
JOYCE: It's happening again, isn't it?
She hands the stake to her daughter. Buffy adds it to the bag.
BUFFY: Yep. Vampires plus Vegemite equals end of the world.
Buffy slings the bag over her shoulder, and heads out.
JOYCE: (calling) Have a nice time!
***
The Sunnydale High football field. Darla is kneeling in the centre of the field, the box of Vegemite beside her. There are now thirty-one jars in the box, the jar the Master had earlier among them. She is just about to open the first jar when she hears footsteps behind her. Turning around, she sees Buffy, Angel, Giles, Willow, Xander and Cordelia approaching her.
BUFFY: Fun's over, Grandma. Give Willow her Vegemite back.
Darla starts grabbing jars from the box and slipping them into her pockets.
DARLA: They're all for the Master.
WILLOW: Tell him to get his own Vegemite!
ANGEL: Doesn't look like you've eaten any Vegemite yet, Darla. I had some earlier. Which means I'm stronger than you.
BUFFY: How'd it taste?
ANGEL: Pretty good, actually. I had no idea. (looks at Darla) Somebody didn't know how to share.
Darla considers taking the Vegemite and running for it, but the sight of the Slayer with her stake poised and a vampire jacked up on Vegemite and looking for action changes her mind. She drops all the Vegemite she was carrying back into the box, and takes off. Angel moves to start running after her, but Buffy grabs his shoulder.
BUFFY: Let her go. We can deal with her another time.
She looks down at the Vegemite.
BUFFY: We got what we came for.
GILES: Yes, and we've prevented the Master from opening the Hellmouth. I'd say we've done pretty well. Now, let's get this Vegemite somewhere safe.
WILLOW: Like my house?
XANDER: No, it'd be too easy to find there. The vamps found it there once, they'll find it again. We should keep it at my house!
GILES: It's too dangerous to leave this stuff just lying around where anybody or anything can get to it, Xander. All the Vegemite in Sunnydale is in this box. And everybody is going to be after it because of that very fact. Vampires, demons, monsters, ghouls ... probably even humans. The next threat we face may be something quite different.
Angel picks up the box, and the group starts heading home. Cordelia remains behind for a moment, watching the others with an angry look on her face. Then she follows after them.
T.B.C.