Note: the Evil Overlord Rules belong to Peter Anspach and can be found at:
***
"Xander?" Tara called from the back of his car. "Can we stop by the Summers place before we go to the Magic Box? I want to check on Amanda."
"No prob," said Xander.
In a few minutes, they were there. Tara hopped out and ran inside.
"Hey, Tara," said Dawn from the couch. She was dressed and ready to go out.
"Hey, Dawn. Is Amanda up yet?" asked the witch.
"I'm here." Amanda was descending the stairs, wearing one of Buffy's shirts. She was a little pale, but definitely recovered. "What's the word?"
There was something in Amanda's eyes that Tara wasn't sure about. She approached the tall girl. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Are we going to the Magic Box or what?"
"Magic Box," said Tara. "We need to talk strategy."
"Good." Amanda put on her jacket. "I wanna get this over with and go home." She brushed past Tara and out the door. Tara watched her retreat, confused and more than a little worried by Amanda's attitude.
"Don't ask me," said Dawn, clicking off the TV and putting on her own jacket. "She's been like that since she got up."
Tara reasoned to herself that Amanda was upset because she'd gotten beaten so badly. She and Dawn followed Amanda to the car and left to rendezvous with the rest of the gang.
There was little change in Amanda's behavior when they got to the Magic Box. Books were brought out as the group continued to research the portal, but Tara could see that the young Slayer had no interest in and less patience with the subject. When Amanda retreated to the workout room, Tara finally decided enough was enough and followed her.
When the witch got to the workout room, she just watched Amanda for a moment. The young Slayer was beating the heavy bag within an inch of its life. Tara studied her, thinking about how to approach this. She felt a sudden pang in her heart as she thought about helping Amanda train, healing her, and helping her decompress after a night of slaying. Amanda always got so keyed up after a successful mission that she'd do nothing but eat and talk a mile a minute for hours afterward, then crash into bed and sleep for fourteen hours. Nine times out of ten, it was Tara whose ears got talked off, and Tara who finally persuaded Amanda to go to bed. And Tara suddenly realized how much she would miss it.
"What's up, Amanda?" the witch asked. Amanda continued pounding on the heavy bag, apparently oblivious. Tara pressed on. "Amanda, talk to me. What's wrong?"
The young Slayer finally let up on the bag, but she didn't turn around. "Nothing. I just want to get this over with."
"There's no shame in being scared, Amanda," Tara said softly, sitting down. "Adrienne's tough, tougher than any vampire you've faced so far. She gave Faith a hard time in our world. You just need to be prepared, and you'll beat her next time you face her."
Amanda shook her head. "Buffy had to rescue me. She beat the Master, too. She's twice the Slayer I am."
"She had a lot of help when she faced the Master," Tara pointed out. "You've got a lot of help, too, especially now. We'll figure this out, get it done. This is a perfect chance-for all of us."
"Really?" Amanda turned to face Tara. "And what about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, when all this is over, are we still going to have you?" Amanda was holding herself tightly, not quite looking at Tara. "Tell me the truth: are you going to stay here when we're done?"
"Amanda . . ." Tara didn't know what to say.
Amanda's eyes were wet with tears. "You want to stay, don't you?"
Tara sagged a little. "I've thought about it," she admitted.
"You don't want to be with us? With me?" The Slayer's voice quivered, making her sound much younger than her sixteen years.
"Oh, no, sweetie, it's not that." Tara stood and crossed to Amanda, who'd started crying. "It's not that at all. It's just . . . it's this world, this life. I keep looking at what the Tara here had, what I could've had, and it's all good. I've lost so much--"
"And what about me?" Amanda demanded through her tears. "I can't stay here! Buffy's 21. Me? I'm gonna die before I'm 18! I'll go back to our dimension, and I'll die . . ." She choked. "And don't say it won't happen, because you know it will, and it's not something I can walk away from because of this damned Calling I have! The only thing I've got is you, and Giles, and Jonathan. You guys are the only thing that makes it okay sometimes. Tara-I can't do this without you."
"Oh, sweetie," Tara breathed, drawing the girl close. "Oh, baby, don't cry." The witch murmured soft words in Amanda's ear until the teen's sobs abated. Something broke inside Tara, and she knew she'd just been kidding herself about staying. Amanda needed mothering just as desperately as Dawn did. The difference was that Amanda didn't have a Buffy and a Willow-she just had Tara.
And it wasn't just Amanda. Rupert, Jonathan, Larry, Oz-they'd become Tara's family, closer than her blood relations had ever been to her. Tara thought about those who had died over the years trying to save their world. She owed it to them to go on. Should the tide of battle turn in their favor because of what was happening now, Tara owed it to them to go back, make their world better, and remember the fallen ones.
"Hush now," she told Amanda gently. "It's all right. I'm not leaving you." Tara pushed Amanda back so she could look at the teen's face. "I'll admit I was tempted, but I could never let you go on fighting without me."
Amanda wiped her face with her hands, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being selfish--"
"Sweetie, you're a Slayer. That's as not-selfish as you can get. I was the one being selfish." Tara fetched a tissue from a nearby box and gave it to Amanda. "I think we're all a little weirded out by this dimension."
Amanda gave a soggy laugh and blew her nose. "Well, yeah."
"Tara!" Jonathan's voice was followed by Jonathan's body as he skidded into the workout room. "We just figured something out about the portal. It isn't good."
In the main room, Rupert and Giles were polishing their glasses in concert. This looks bad, thought Tara. "What is it?"
"It's as I feared," said Rupert. "The balance between the universes must be corrected, or the portal will never completely close."
"Well, none of us is staying behind," said Tara with exaggerated casualness. Rupert gave her a hard look, and she gave him a slight smile. His shoulders relaxed a bit.
"We're not the problem," he explained. "The Master is."
"No. Don't tell me," said Amanda.
"We have to take him back to our own dimension," Rupert went on.
"I told you not to tell me!" griped Amanda. "What good is that? He's here, we've got two Slayers and a great chance to kill him, and now we've got to get him back to our dimension so the fun can go on there?"
"I could always go back with you," Buffy offered.
"Bad idea," said Dawn.
"Very," agreed Giles. "We can't take that kind of chance."
"How're we even going to get him back?" asked Willow.
Xander flipped a book shut. "I vote we tie 'im up and toss him in the portal."
"Xander, don't be facetious," said Giles tiredly.
Jonathan raised his hand. "Actually, I don't think that's a half-bad idea." Seeing the looks he got, the amateur warlock hastily added, "I mean, capturing him. If we could capture him somehow, you know, get him immobilized, then take him across, we could kill him in our world as soon as we got back."
"You know what?" said Buffy. "I think the Y-chromosome contingent might be onto something here. First things first, though-we need to figure out how to get to the Master."
"We already know where his lair is," Amanda pointed out.
"Question is: how do we get in?" Buffy thought a moment. "Or do we even need to?"
Giles was following her. "You think he might be enticed to leave his lair, then?"
"Adrienne and the walking wall were on a hunt-gather mission last night," Buffy said. "Probably bringing snacks or future vampires back to the Master. Amanda and I put a stop to that, so I'm thinking that the Master, being who he is, might decide to lead the next mission himself."
"That is a distinct possibility," agreed Rupert. "He's shown little patience in the past for minions who fail him. We mightn't even need to worry about Adrienne anymore."
"You think he might've killed her?" asked Amanda. "Damn! I wanted a rematch."
"The Master, not that clear on the Evil Overlord Rules," said Xander.
Jonathan snorted. "You can say that again. Especially when it comes to Trusted Lieutenants."
"Most of our Big Bads needed to read up on 'em," put in Willow. "Except maybe the Mayor. He was pretty good, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, he was," said Xander. "Except he fell prey to the classic number 34: 'I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.'"
"Oh, yeah. Forgot that one," said Willow.
"As enlightening as this has been," said Giles, "might we return to the subject?"
"As I was saying," said Buffy, "the Master wanted those kids for a reason. I'm thinking if he's wanting to start up the Order of Aurelius again, he'll want to make more vampires, and probably soon."
"So how do we predict where he'll show?" asked Tara.
"We should look at his past habits," said Rupert. "The Master has shown an overwhelming preference for turning young people in their prime. Where do teenagers congregate here?"
"So, the Bronze it is," Xander said. "Wonder if my company can get a contract for the repairs?"
"But won't he know we'll be expecting him?" asked Dawn.
"Very likely," said Giles. "I doubt that will make a difference in his modus operandi."
"He wants a confrontation with the Slayers," elaborated Rupert. "Especially after they put an end to the operation last night. He'll want to prove to his people that the Slayers aren't a threat to him."
"Good," said Buffy. "We won't disappoint him. We're Bronzing tonight." She turned to Anya. "Anya, when you teleport, can you carry things with you?"
"Of course," said the vengeance demon. "Otherwise, I'd show up everywhere naked. Can't be too big, though."
"Like-how big?"
***
Adrienne hurt. Her throat felt like it was on fire. She couldn't imagine having to breathe or swallow, and fortunately, she didn't have to. The pain was bad enough as it was.
The Master had given her this one chance to redeem herself by killing Amanda, and Adrienne was determined to do just that. Her fury at the girl had only increased, fed by the unrelenting pain not only in her throat, but in her heart. Paulo would be avenged, and soon. As for the other Slayer, the one who'd done this to Adrienne, the one Angelus had betrayed Darla for, Adrienne looked forward to watching the Master kill her.
Adrienne pulled a white cashmere turtleneck over her head, wincing at the pain it caused her. The Master had chosen to punish her by not allowing her any blood, which would have sped her healing. It was fitting, Adrienne decided, that a Slayer's blood would heal the wound caused by a Slayer.
"Adrienne," called Rocque from the doorway of Adrienne's chamber. Adrienne turned to face her old friend. "It is time, Adrienne."
Her only reply was a hungry smile.
***
The Scooby Gang and its new friends gathered about a block down from the Bronze. It was busy, far too busy for Buffy's liking.
"You say the Master usually prefers to start operations at sundown?" she asked Rupert.
"That is his pattern, yes," said the Watcher.
Buffy's brow furrowed as she looked up at the darkening sky. "Then he and his vamp squad ought to be here anytime. All these people are going to get caught in the crossfire. I wish we could find some way to get them out of there."
"Fire alarm?" suggested Xander.
"That wouldn't get them far enough away," said Willow.
"I've got an idea," said Jonathan. He quickly laid it out for the others.
As he finished, Buffy looked at Tara. "What do you think?"
"He's done it before," she said. "Willow and I can handle the rest."
"Given our time constraints, I think Jonathan's plan is the best we can hope for," added Rupert.
Buffy nodded at Jonathan. "Okay. Go for it."
Jonathan passed his crossbow off to Dawn and started walking, alone, to the Bronze. The others waited and watched.
Buffy drew alongside her sister, who'd been quiet all afternoon. The Slayer had an idea of why.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Buffy said softly. Dawn looked at her. "Having Tara back, and having to say goodbye again. It's hard."
Dawn looked down quickly, eyes watering. "Yeah," she managed through a tight throat. "I guess-part of me was kinda hoping that she could stay."
"I know," said Buffy. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah." Dawn blinked away a tear or so. "It's actually kind of good, you know, knowing she's alive somewhere, even if it's not here. And we're helping her, aren't we?"
"Yeah, we are." Buffy gave her sister a little squeeze, and they both continued to watch the Bronze.
Inside, the place was packed and loud. The band played, people danced and ate and drank and talked-they were young and alive, and they seemed to own the world.
Until a large demon that rather resembled the Balrog from The Lord of the Rings suddenly erupted in their midst, roaring fearsomely. Bronze patrons screamed and ran as the beast roared and stomped, pausing only to chase the band from the dais. Teenagers and college students burst out of every exit, fleeing into the streets of Sunnydale. None of them were there when the demon suddenly shrank down to the very short form of Jonathan.
"That's our cue," Buffy said as she watched the chaos from a distance. "Willow, Tara, it's your show."
The witches joined hands and chanted softly, and a moment later, a crowd of teens materialized just outside the Bronze's door. Music wafted out from within. Everything looked normal a few minutes later when the Master led his troops up the street and into the club. As they entered, the Scoobies and their friends sprang out of their hiding place and ran for the Bronze.
It didn't take long for the Master to realize something was wrong. None of the "patrons" so much as looked his direction. When Rocque put his hand through one of them, the Master snarled, "We've been tricked!"
"Pretty perceptive for an old guy," said Buffy from the doorway. The vampires whirled to face her as the phantoms dissolved around them. "Mind if we crash the party?"
"Be my guest," said the Master. He gestured, and the vampires charged.
Buffy took point, throwing down the first vampire to reach her. As he hit the floor, Xander's axe came down and sheared through his neck. A second vampire dissolved to dust on Buffy's stake as she drove it into his heart. Amanda, a pace behind Buffy, took down a third, grabbing him, breaking his neck with a quick twist, and staking him when he went down.
There were too many, though, and even the Slayers couldn't keep them at bay. The Scoobies fanned out, instinctively covering each other's backs. Jonathan darted out of the shadows. Dawn gave him his crossbow, and the two of them ran up the stairs to the balcony. From that vantage point, they were able to pick off several vampires at the edges of the fray with arrows.
Amanda kicked a vampire in the gut, then slammed a stake through his back into his heart. She looked up and into Adrienne's dark, rage-filled eyes.
"You ready for a rematch?" the Slayer asked the vampire. The only answer was a harsh, gurgling growl from Adrienne's ruined throat. "What's the matter? Cat got your neck?"
Adrienne charged, and the fight was on.
Buffy, meanwhile, had a different opponent in mind. The vampires obligingly parted, leaving her facing the Master.
"Been a long time since I killed you," said the Slayer.
"I could say the same about you," said the Master.
"Guess it's best two out of three for the win." Buffy relaxed into her fighting stance. "Winner takes all."
"And the loser," proclaimed the Master, "loses all."
The fight raged on all sides as Buffy battled the Master. Tara couldn't effectively use fire at such close quarters, but she'd long since learned the use of the short sword she held. She and Xander were fighting back-to- back when Xander suddenly shouted, "Whoa! Big vampire! Big, big vampire!"
Tara whipped around and saw Rocque. "Big vampire," she agreed.
"Little snacks," rumbled Rocque.
Xander swung his axe, aiming for Rocque's legs, but the huge vampire easily caught the shaft and wrested it from Xander's grip. He smashed the young man in the face with the butt of the shaft. Xander went down. Rocque swung the axe down at him-
--and Tara's sword caught the blade. It deflected the axe head just enough to make it miss Xander. It also nearly broke Tara's wrist. She cried out in pain.
Rocque didn't waste time taking advantage of Tara's momentary disablement. Xander was still struggling to gain his feet as the big vampire swung his axe back, readying the swing that could kill or disable at least one of them. Just as he put that swing into action, however, a crossbow bolt hit him in the shoulder. Another one hit his neck. His yellow eyes found Dawn and Jonathan in the balcony, and he bellowed. Two vampires headed up the stairs.
That moment of distraction was what undid Rocque. Tara thrust her bent sword into his side, and Xander stood, grabbed the shaft of the axe, thrust his shoulder into Rocque's wounded arm, and wrested the axe from the vampire's grip.
"Mine," said the carpenter. It took two swings to completely sever the giant vampire's head. When the job was done, Xander and Tara took a quick look at what was happening elsewhere.
Dawn and Jonathan were fighting the vampires who'd found them, and Rupert was heading up the stairs to aid them. Giles and Willow had each other's backs. Willow's stake was knocked from her hand and went skittering away, but she called it back magically, hardly missing a beat. Buffy was taking on the Master, and Amanda was holding her own against Adrienne. Tara and Xander didn't have to be told where they were needed most. They ran to help Willow and Giles.
Adrienne and Amanda's fight was the most passionate. Pure hatred flowed between them as freely as their blows did. Neither of them had gained the advantage yet, though both were battered and bruised. Adrienne's foot smashed into Amanda's midsection and sent her sprawling. Amanda was almost instantly on her feet again-and had to dodge quickly, as Adrienne had recovered a throwing axe that Giles had lost. The small axe thudded into the wall by Amanda's head.
The next moment, the enraged vampiress had her throat, lifting her against the wall. Amanda struggled, her air cut off. Dimly, she saw Buffy fighting the Master. Buffy was all grace and flowing movement, as if this fight didn't really matter to her one way or the other. No: it was as if the outcome of the fight was foreordained, and Buffy was simply following what she knew she had to do. No desperation, no hatred, just simple determination.
Looking into Adrienne's maddened eyes, Amanda realized what her advantage was. Adrienne's form was terrible; in this fight, it was only her passion that made her so formidable a foe. Anger had been Amanda's friend at times, but in this fight, it would do her no good. Adrienne's anger was greater.
Amanda's hands were wrapped around Adrienne's wrists, trying to keep the vampire from throttling her. The Slayer took her attention briefly from her hands and used her legs. Adrienne had left her stance wide open, and it was all too easy for Amanda's foot to connect with Adrienne's knee. The vampire's grip loosened. Amanda tore one hand away and grabbed the throwing axe, yanking it free from the wall and hitting Adrienne in the face with the blunt side.
Then the Slayer was free and on her feet. The blow she'd dealt Adrienne had shattered the bone over the vampire's left eye, blinding her on one side. A single, powerful roundhouse kick to the head broke Adrienne's neck, and she fell to the ground, defeated. Amanda was bending over her, stake in hand, in barely a moment.
"Say hi to your boyfriend for me," Amanda hissed, and rammed the stake home.
Fighting the Master felt familiar to Buffy. Strange-all those years ago, he'd embodied every nightmare to her. He had been fear personified. Now, after fighting her own lover, another Slayer, and a god, the Master was . . . nothing. Buffy felt no fear, no anger, no hatred. She had nothing to prove in this fight. But he did. And that was what would defeat him.
"It's kinda Zen-like," she said aloud, ducking a blow. "See, what your problem is, is that you can't lose face in front of your people." She deflected another blow and threw a punch, which was deflected by him. "You're going for the kill."
"And you are not?" the Master asked, not understanding her musings in the least.
"No, actually, I'm not." Buffy found an opening and slammed her foot into the Master's chest, driving him back. Rather than following it up, though, she handspringed back a few feet. "Anyanka!" she yelled.
The vengeance demon materialized between Buffy and the Master, tranq gun in hand. She fired a dart directly into the Master's chest, then quickly reloaded as he realized what it was. A second dart followed the first, bringing the Master down.
The last few vampires either ran or were dusted, and the fighters gathered around the fallen Master.
"Evil Overlord Rule number 4," said Xander. " 'Shooting is not too good for my enemies.'"
***
***
"Xander?" Tara called from the back of his car. "Can we stop by the Summers place before we go to the Magic Box? I want to check on Amanda."
"No prob," said Xander.
In a few minutes, they were there. Tara hopped out and ran inside.
"Hey, Tara," said Dawn from the couch. She was dressed and ready to go out.
"Hey, Dawn. Is Amanda up yet?" asked the witch.
"I'm here." Amanda was descending the stairs, wearing one of Buffy's shirts. She was a little pale, but definitely recovered. "What's the word?"
There was something in Amanda's eyes that Tara wasn't sure about. She approached the tall girl. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine. Are we going to the Magic Box or what?"
"Magic Box," said Tara. "We need to talk strategy."
"Good." Amanda put on her jacket. "I wanna get this over with and go home." She brushed past Tara and out the door. Tara watched her retreat, confused and more than a little worried by Amanda's attitude.
"Don't ask me," said Dawn, clicking off the TV and putting on her own jacket. "She's been like that since she got up."
Tara reasoned to herself that Amanda was upset because she'd gotten beaten so badly. She and Dawn followed Amanda to the car and left to rendezvous with the rest of the gang.
There was little change in Amanda's behavior when they got to the Magic Box. Books were brought out as the group continued to research the portal, but Tara could see that the young Slayer had no interest in and less patience with the subject. When Amanda retreated to the workout room, Tara finally decided enough was enough and followed her.
When the witch got to the workout room, she just watched Amanda for a moment. The young Slayer was beating the heavy bag within an inch of its life. Tara studied her, thinking about how to approach this. She felt a sudden pang in her heart as she thought about helping Amanda train, healing her, and helping her decompress after a night of slaying. Amanda always got so keyed up after a successful mission that she'd do nothing but eat and talk a mile a minute for hours afterward, then crash into bed and sleep for fourteen hours. Nine times out of ten, it was Tara whose ears got talked off, and Tara who finally persuaded Amanda to go to bed. And Tara suddenly realized how much she would miss it.
"What's up, Amanda?" the witch asked. Amanda continued pounding on the heavy bag, apparently oblivious. Tara pressed on. "Amanda, talk to me. What's wrong?"
The young Slayer finally let up on the bag, but she didn't turn around. "Nothing. I just want to get this over with."
"There's no shame in being scared, Amanda," Tara said softly, sitting down. "Adrienne's tough, tougher than any vampire you've faced so far. She gave Faith a hard time in our world. You just need to be prepared, and you'll beat her next time you face her."
Amanda shook her head. "Buffy had to rescue me. She beat the Master, too. She's twice the Slayer I am."
"She had a lot of help when she faced the Master," Tara pointed out. "You've got a lot of help, too, especially now. We'll figure this out, get it done. This is a perfect chance-for all of us."
"Really?" Amanda turned to face Tara. "And what about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, when all this is over, are we still going to have you?" Amanda was holding herself tightly, not quite looking at Tara. "Tell me the truth: are you going to stay here when we're done?"
"Amanda . . ." Tara didn't know what to say.
Amanda's eyes were wet with tears. "You want to stay, don't you?"
Tara sagged a little. "I've thought about it," she admitted.
"You don't want to be with us? With me?" The Slayer's voice quivered, making her sound much younger than her sixteen years.
"Oh, no, sweetie, it's not that." Tara stood and crossed to Amanda, who'd started crying. "It's not that at all. It's just . . . it's this world, this life. I keep looking at what the Tara here had, what I could've had, and it's all good. I've lost so much--"
"And what about me?" Amanda demanded through her tears. "I can't stay here! Buffy's 21. Me? I'm gonna die before I'm 18! I'll go back to our dimension, and I'll die . . ." She choked. "And don't say it won't happen, because you know it will, and it's not something I can walk away from because of this damned Calling I have! The only thing I've got is you, and Giles, and Jonathan. You guys are the only thing that makes it okay sometimes. Tara-I can't do this without you."
"Oh, sweetie," Tara breathed, drawing the girl close. "Oh, baby, don't cry." The witch murmured soft words in Amanda's ear until the teen's sobs abated. Something broke inside Tara, and she knew she'd just been kidding herself about staying. Amanda needed mothering just as desperately as Dawn did. The difference was that Amanda didn't have a Buffy and a Willow-she just had Tara.
And it wasn't just Amanda. Rupert, Jonathan, Larry, Oz-they'd become Tara's family, closer than her blood relations had ever been to her. Tara thought about those who had died over the years trying to save their world. She owed it to them to go on. Should the tide of battle turn in their favor because of what was happening now, Tara owed it to them to go back, make their world better, and remember the fallen ones.
"Hush now," she told Amanda gently. "It's all right. I'm not leaving you." Tara pushed Amanda back so she could look at the teen's face. "I'll admit I was tempted, but I could never let you go on fighting without me."
Amanda wiped her face with her hands, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being selfish--"
"Sweetie, you're a Slayer. That's as not-selfish as you can get. I was the one being selfish." Tara fetched a tissue from a nearby box and gave it to Amanda. "I think we're all a little weirded out by this dimension."
Amanda gave a soggy laugh and blew her nose. "Well, yeah."
"Tara!" Jonathan's voice was followed by Jonathan's body as he skidded into the workout room. "We just figured something out about the portal. It isn't good."
In the main room, Rupert and Giles were polishing their glasses in concert. This looks bad, thought Tara. "What is it?"
"It's as I feared," said Rupert. "The balance between the universes must be corrected, or the portal will never completely close."
"Well, none of us is staying behind," said Tara with exaggerated casualness. Rupert gave her a hard look, and she gave him a slight smile. His shoulders relaxed a bit.
"We're not the problem," he explained. "The Master is."
"No. Don't tell me," said Amanda.
"We have to take him back to our own dimension," Rupert went on.
"I told you not to tell me!" griped Amanda. "What good is that? He's here, we've got two Slayers and a great chance to kill him, and now we've got to get him back to our dimension so the fun can go on there?"
"I could always go back with you," Buffy offered.
"Bad idea," said Dawn.
"Very," agreed Giles. "We can't take that kind of chance."
"How're we even going to get him back?" asked Willow.
Xander flipped a book shut. "I vote we tie 'im up and toss him in the portal."
"Xander, don't be facetious," said Giles tiredly.
Jonathan raised his hand. "Actually, I don't think that's a half-bad idea." Seeing the looks he got, the amateur warlock hastily added, "I mean, capturing him. If we could capture him somehow, you know, get him immobilized, then take him across, we could kill him in our world as soon as we got back."
"You know what?" said Buffy. "I think the Y-chromosome contingent might be onto something here. First things first, though-we need to figure out how to get to the Master."
"We already know where his lair is," Amanda pointed out.
"Question is: how do we get in?" Buffy thought a moment. "Or do we even need to?"
Giles was following her. "You think he might be enticed to leave his lair, then?"
"Adrienne and the walking wall were on a hunt-gather mission last night," Buffy said. "Probably bringing snacks or future vampires back to the Master. Amanda and I put a stop to that, so I'm thinking that the Master, being who he is, might decide to lead the next mission himself."
"That is a distinct possibility," agreed Rupert. "He's shown little patience in the past for minions who fail him. We mightn't even need to worry about Adrienne anymore."
"You think he might've killed her?" asked Amanda. "Damn! I wanted a rematch."
"The Master, not that clear on the Evil Overlord Rules," said Xander.
Jonathan snorted. "You can say that again. Especially when it comes to Trusted Lieutenants."
"Most of our Big Bads needed to read up on 'em," put in Willow. "Except maybe the Mayor. He was pretty good, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, he was," said Xander. "Except he fell prey to the classic number 34: 'I will not turn into a snake. It never helps.'"
"Oh, yeah. Forgot that one," said Willow.
"As enlightening as this has been," said Giles, "might we return to the subject?"
"As I was saying," said Buffy, "the Master wanted those kids for a reason. I'm thinking if he's wanting to start up the Order of Aurelius again, he'll want to make more vampires, and probably soon."
"So how do we predict where he'll show?" asked Tara.
"We should look at his past habits," said Rupert. "The Master has shown an overwhelming preference for turning young people in their prime. Where do teenagers congregate here?"
"So, the Bronze it is," Xander said. "Wonder if my company can get a contract for the repairs?"
"But won't he know we'll be expecting him?" asked Dawn.
"Very likely," said Giles. "I doubt that will make a difference in his modus operandi."
"He wants a confrontation with the Slayers," elaborated Rupert. "Especially after they put an end to the operation last night. He'll want to prove to his people that the Slayers aren't a threat to him."
"Good," said Buffy. "We won't disappoint him. We're Bronzing tonight." She turned to Anya. "Anya, when you teleport, can you carry things with you?"
"Of course," said the vengeance demon. "Otherwise, I'd show up everywhere naked. Can't be too big, though."
"Like-how big?"
***
Adrienne hurt. Her throat felt like it was on fire. She couldn't imagine having to breathe or swallow, and fortunately, she didn't have to. The pain was bad enough as it was.
The Master had given her this one chance to redeem herself by killing Amanda, and Adrienne was determined to do just that. Her fury at the girl had only increased, fed by the unrelenting pain not only in her throat, but in her heart. Paulo would be avenged, and soon. As for the other Slayer, the one who'd done this to Adrienne, the one Angelus had betrayed Darla for, Adrienne looked forward to watching the Master kill her.
Adrienne pulled a white cashmere turtleneck over her head, wincing at the pain it caused her. The Master had chosen to punish her by not allowing her any blood, which would have sped her healing. It was fitting, Adrienne decided, that a Slayer's blood would heal the wound caused by a Slayer.
"Adrienne," called Rocque from the doorway of Adrienne's chamber. Adrienne turned to face her old friend. "It is time, Adrienne."
Her only reply was a hungry smile.
***
The Scooby Gang and its new friends gathered about a block down from the Bronze. It was busy, far too busy for Buffy's liking.
"You say the Master usually prefers to start operations at sundown?" she asked Rupert.
"That is his pattern, yes," said the Watcher.
Buffy's brow furrowed as she looked up at the darkening sky. "Then he and his vamp squad ought to be here anytime. All these people are going to get caught in the crossfire. I wish we could find some way to get them out of there."
"Fire alarm?" suggested Xander.
"That wouldn't get them far enough away," said Willow.
"I've got an idea," said Jonathan. He quickly laid it out for the others.
As he finished, Buffy looked at Tara. "What do you think?"
"He's done it before," she said. "Willow and I can handle the rest."
"Given our time constraints, I think Jonathan's plan is the best we can hope for," added Rupert.
Buffy nodded at Jonathan. "Okay. Go for it."
Jonathan passed his crossbow off to Dawn and started walking, alone, to the Bronze. The others waited and watched.
Buffy drew alongside her sister, who'd been quiet all afternoon. The Slayer had an idea of why.
"It's hard, isn't it?" Buffy said softly. Dawn looked at her. "Having Tara back, and having to say goodbye again. It's hard."
Dawn looked down quickly, eyes watering. "Yeah," she managed through a tight throat. "I guess-part of me was kinda hoping that she could stay."
"I know," said Buffy. "You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah." Dawn blinked away a tear or so. "It's actually kind of good, you know, knowing she's alive somewhere, even if it's not here. And we're helping her, aren't we?"
"Yeah, we are." Buffy gave her sister a little squeeze, and they both continued to watch the Bronze.
Inside, the place was packed and loud. The band played, people danced and ate and drank and talked-they were young and alive, and they seemed to own the world.
Until a large demon that rather resembled the Balrog from The Lord of the Rings suddenly erupted in their midst, roaring fearsomely. Bronze patrons screamed and ran as the beast roared and stomped, pausing only to chase the band from the dais. Teenagers and college students burst out of every exit, fleeing into the streets of Sunnydale. None of them were there when the demon suddenly shrank down to the very short form of Jonathan.
"That's our cue," Buffy said as she watched the chaos from a distance. "Willow, Tara, it's your show."
The witches joined hands and chanted softly, and a moment later, a crowd of teens materialized just outside the Bronze's door. Music wafted out from within. Everything looked normal a few minutes later when the Master led his troops up the street and into the club. As they entered, the Scoobies and their friends sprang out of their hiding place and ran for the Bronze.
It didn't take long for the Master to realize something was wrong. None of the "patrons" so much as looked his direction. When Rocque put his hand through one of them, the Master snarled, "We've been tricked!"
"Pretty perceptive for an old guy," said Buffy from the doorway. The vampires whirled to face her as the phantoms dissolved around them. "Mind if we crash the party?"
"Be my guest," said the Master. He gestured, and the vampires charged.
Buffy took point, throwing down the first vampire to reach her. As he hit the floor, Xander's axe came down and sheared through his neck. A second vampire dissolved to dust on Buffy's stake as she drove it into his heart. Amanda, a pace behind Buffy, took down a third, grabbing him, breaking his neck with a quick twist, and staking him when he went down.
There were too many, though, and even the Slayers couldn't keep them at bay. The Scoobies fanned out, instinctively covering each other's backs. Jonathan darted out of the shadows. Dawn gave him his crossbow, and the two of them ran up the stairs to the balcony. From that vantage point, they were able to pick off several vampires at the edges of the fray with arrows.
Amanda kicked a vampire in the gut, then slammed a stake through his back into his heart. She looked up and into Adrienne's dark, rage-filled eyes.
"You ready for a rematch?" the Slayer asked the vampire. The only answer was a harsh, gurgling growl from Adrienne's ruined throat. "What's the matter? Cat got your neck?"
Adrienne charged, and the fight was on.
Buffy, meanwhile, had a different opponent in mind. The vampires obligingly parted, leaving her facing the Master.
"Been a long time since I killed you," said the Slayer.
"I could say the same about you," said the Master.
"Guess it's best two out of three for the win." Buffy relaxed into her fighting stance. "Winner takes all."
"And the loser," proclaimed the Master, "loses all."
The fight raged on all sides as Buffy battled the Master. Tara couldn't effectively use fire at such close quarters, but she'd long since learned the use of the short sword she held. She and Xander were fighting back-to- back when Xander suddenly shouted, "Whoa! Big vampire! Big, big vampire!"
Tara whipped around and saw Rocque. "Big vampire," she agreed.
"Little snacks," rumbled Rocque.
Xander swung his axe, aiming for Rocque's legs, but the huge vampire easily caught the shaft and wrested it from Xander's grip. He smashed the young man in the face with the butt of the shaft. Xander went down. Rocque swung the axe down at him-
--and Tara's sword caught the blade. It deflected the axe head just enough to make it miss Xander. It also nearly broke Tara's wrist. She cried out in pain.
Rocque didn't waste time taking advantage of Tara's momentary disablement. Xander was still struggling to gain his feet as the big vampire swung his axe back, readying the swing that could kill or disable at least one of them. Just as he put that swing into action, however, a crossbow bolt hit him in the shoulder. Another one hit his neck. His yellow eyes found Dawn and Jonathan in the balcony, and he bellowed. Two vampires headed up the stairs.
That moment of distraction was what undid Rocque. Tara thrust her bent sword into his side, and Xander stood, grabbed the shaft of the axe, thrust his shoulder into Rocque's wounded arm, and wrested the axe from the vampire's grip.
"Mine," said the carpenter. It took two swings to completely sever the giant vampire's head. When the job was done, Xander and Tara took a quick look at what was happening elsewhere.
Dawn and Jonathan were fighting the vampires who'd found them, and Rupert was heading up the stairs to aid them. Giles and Willow had each other's backs. Willow's stake was knocked from her hand and went skittering away, but she called it back magically, hardly missing a beat. Buffy was taking on the Master, and Amanda was holding her own against Adrienne. Tara and Xander didn't have to be told where they were needed most. They ran to help Willow and Giles.
Adrienne and Amanda's fight was the most passionate. Pure hatred flowed between them as freely as their blows did. Neither of them had gained the advantage yet, though both were battered and bruised. Adrienne's foot smashed into Amanda's midsection and sent her sprawling. Amanda was almost instantly on her feet again-and had to dodge quickly, as Adrienne had recovered a throwing axe that Giles had lost. The small axe thudded into the wall by Amanda's head.
The next moment, the enraged vampiress had her throat, lifting her against the wall. Amanda struggled, her air cut off. Dimly, she saw Buffy fighting the Master. Buffy was all grace and flowing movement, as if this fight didn't really matter to her one way or the other. No: it was as if the outcome of the fight was foreordained, and Buffy was simply following what she knew she had to do. No desperation, no hatred, just simple determination.
Looking into Adrienne's maddened eyes, Amanda realized what her advantage was. Adrienne's form was terrible; in this fight, it was only her passion that made her so formidable a foe. Anger had been Amanda's friend at times, but in this fight, it would do her no good. Adrienne's anger was greater.
Amanda's hands were wrapped around Adrienne's wrists, trying to keep the vampire from throttling her. The Slayer took her attention briefly from her hands and used her legs. Adrienne had left her stance wide open, and it was all too easy for Amanda's foot to connect with Adrienne's knee. The vampire's grip loosened. Amanda tore one hand away and grabbed the throwing axe, yanking it free from the wall and hitting Adrienne in the face with the blunt side.
Then the Slayer was free and on her feet. The blow she'd dealt Adrienne had shattered the bone over the vampire's left eye, blinding her on one side. A single, powerful roundhouse kick to the head broke Adrienne's neck, and she fell to the ground, defeated. Amanda was bending over her, stake in hand, in barely a moment.
"Say hi to your boyfriend for me," Amanda hissed, and rammed the stake home.
Fighting the Master felt familiar to Buffy. Strange-all those years ago, he'd embodied every nightmare to her. He had been fear personified. Now, after fighting her own lover, another Slayer, and a god, the Master was . . . nothing. Buffy felt no fear, no anger, no hatred. She had nothing to prove in this fight. But he did. And that was what would defeat him.
"It's kinda Zen-like," she said aloud, ducking a blow. "See, what your problem is, is that you can't lose face in front of your people." She deflected another blow and threw a punch, which was deflected by him. "You're going for the kill."
"And you are not?" the Master asked, not understanding her musings in the least.
"No, actually, I'm not." Buffy found an opening and slammed her foot into the Master's chest, driving him back. Rather than following it up, though, she handspringed back a few feet. "Anyanka!" she yelled.
The vengeance demon materialized between Buffy and the Master, tranq gun in hand. She fired a dart directly into the Master's chest, then quickly reloaded as he realized what it was. A second dart followed the first, bringing the Master down.
The last few vampires either ran or were dusted, and the fighters gathered around the fallen Master.
"Evil Overlord Rule number 4," said Xander. " 'Shooting is not too good for my enemies.'"
***