Summary- Angel loses his soul due to the contract with Wolfram and Hart. Lilah warns Wesley, and he, Fred and Knox escape from Angelus. Gunn has been possessed by the panther in the White Room. Robin Wood is offered a job at Barrington High, near Sunnydale, and the others decide that a new Watcher's Council is needed. Oz is sent to deal with Gunn. They decide that Lindsey may know how to destroy the contracts, and resolve to contact him. Drusilla visits Angelus, and he rejects her. A military group appears, and Buffy blackmails their general into meeting her. Angry and lonely Drusilla finds Connor and takes him to the warlock who originally altered his memories. Spike appears out of a portal intended to produce a Tarok-Han as a human, but exhibits superhuman strength in escaping from the disappointed cultists. The warlock requires an object from Connor's old life, and Drusilla goes to the Hyperion to get it. Buffy meets the general, who tells her that they are trying to create supersoldiers to fight Suvolte Demons (As You Were), who are becoming inexplicably smarter. Riley Finn is dead, and his wife Sam has gone on a vengeance mission against them. She says that someone may be controlling them, and takes him back to Willow. AI follow Drusilla, and try and fail to prevent her from restoring Connor. He runs away, and Drusilla follows him and tells him how Angelus abandoned her. They find themselves in harmony. Spike's reaction to his resurrection is to get very drunk, and is picked up by a Wolfram and Hart lawyer, and taken to see Angelus. Giles comes to LA to ask Wesley to be part of the new Council. He refuses, but tells him what has happened with Angelus and Drusilla. Drusilla has restored Connor's memories, but not their memories of him. Giles calls the new Watcher's Council, and is told that Buffy and Willow have gone to Belize in a helicopter with weapons, spell ingredients and the troll hammer. Lindsey arrives in LA. Connor and Drusilla launch an attack against Wolfram and Hart. Drusilla senses and rescues Spike, and Connor and Angelus fight. He nearly kills Angelus, but in the end Drusilla saves him by throwing Angelus out of the window. He takes his contract and one other thing, after having a conversation with the First. Angelus has the Order of Taraka sent after them both, and tells them to find Sahjhan. Lindsey tells them that the contracts are spells in physical form but he does not know exactly how to destroy them, and decides to call Gwen to retrieve them. Angelus finds and releases Sahjhan, then convinces him to try to kill Connor. Wesley and Fred go to collect Cordelia from hospital, but find that she has been taken by the thing Drusilla awoke (Connor). Gwen arrives and agrees to help them, and removes LISA. Angelus is contacted by the Order f Taraka, and he tells them to kill all his enemies, not just Dru and Connor, then leaves in a helicopter. In Belize, Buffy, Willow and Sam arrive at the lair of the creature controlling the Suvoltes, where it is sending them away by plane. Willow is telepathically attacked by the creature, and Buffy and Sam attack at once. Professor Walsh intends to find Buffy and Willow's power sources, and tap them. A person called the Master appears in Barrington. Buffy encounters Angelus in Belize. They fight, and he saves the Suvolte controller and flies away. Willow's magic doesn't seem to work on him. A Tarakan assassin attacks the Hyperion, killing the Slayer Giles brought. Spike appears at the Hyperion. Buffy calls and informs them about Angelus, saying she is returning home. Spike tells them that he has a place where they will be safer from the Tarakans, Drusilla's lair, and they agree to join him. Gunn, completely possessed, warns Angelus that he had better strike soon or he will be replaced. The Master attends the school Halloween party, and tries to kidnap Dawn. The student she is with, Jared, turns out to be a demonic servant of his, and prevents Amanda from interfering while he fights Faith. He beats and hospitalises her, but Buffy arrives back and he runs. At the Watcher's Headquarters a warlock attacks and steals the Scythe. Willow says she isn't sure she can beat him, and can't find him. Amanda suggests that he was trying to kidnap Dawn in an attempt to draw Buffy into one-on-one combat. Buffy orders that Dawn be guarded. Wood discovers that the press in Barrington aren't as gullible as those in Sunnydale. Jared claims that they can't kill him, because he appears human. Spike delivers AI and associates to Drusilla, then leaves to see Buffy. The Master tries to make Xander accept Anya's death, and says that when the time comes he will be on his side.

Wolfram and Hart-Angel's Office-Night

Angelus: You should just fight the brat yourself. You'll beat him.

Sahjhan: Oh, yeah, under normal circumstances I'd love to, but he has a slight advantage in that he's prophesied to kill me!

Angelus: This could backfire pretty easily.

Sahjhan: I doubt it.

Angelus: If they find out who he really is…

Sahjhan: They won't. She can't. And when they find him, he'll die before he gets a chance to explain. Anyway, you're the one who wants to hurry this up. I'd be just as happy to leave him alone for a while. After all, he is helping us, in a way.

Angelus: I would be less worried if you or anyone else had any idea what the Hell he thinks he's doing.

Sahjhan: At a guess, he's finally lost it completely. He's been going that way for a long while. Anyway, we are keeping an eye on him.

Angelus: I don't trust our eye. He's not telling us something.

Sahjhan: That's what psychics are for.

Angelus: Not if he's powerful enough to block them out.

Sahjhan: I promise you, Connor will be dead before the end of the week.

Barrington-Demon Bar-Night

Buffy: So, no-one's seen him? No-one at all. Why do I doubt that somehow?

(A demon walks up behind her)

Demon: Boo!

(She spins around, then hugs him)

Buffy: Hi Clem! Good to see you survived. How are you?

Clem: Oh not bad. I've still got the car, which is a good thing.  (Very quietly) But you wanted to hear about this guy they're calling the Master.

Buffy: You know something?

Clem: They all know something. This warlock that works for him, Keith Harrison wsa in here earlier. Gets real talkative when he's drunk. Just the Master has these little tendencies towards collecting bits of people that's putting them off.

Buffy: You're willing to tell me?

Clem: Well, way I see, the sooner you kill this guy, the faster the natural order of Slayer kills demon, demon kills Slayer comes back.

Buffy: And you're a real fan of that system.

Clem: This guy's making everyone nervous. All the demons want him dead, they're just too scared of him and his vampires to try. He's really got them whipped into frenzy. Anyway, I don't know much. But there is one thing.

Buffy: Which is?

Clem: He's not what he seems. Whatever it is he's after, it's not the usual apocalypse, destruction.

Buffy: Yeah, I know. He wants a reputation

Clem: No, that's not it. He trying to bring-(The bar goes very quiet.) I think I'll take a hike. (Buffy turns around. The Master is standing in front of her.)

The Master: Hi Buffy.

Buffy: Oh, it's the nothing like as scary as he thinks Master guy.

The Master: Can we talk?

Buffy: We, I don't know, I was kinda hoping we could exchange melodramatic threats, we fight, I kill you, end of story.

The Master: Well, you're in luck. Apart from the bit where you kill me that is.

Buffy: Let's go.

The Master: What here? I mean, y'know, we fight here, these guys help me, we rip you to shreds, you get to say that you died horribly outnumbered, trying to defend your family and the rest of humanity against the forces of evil. I mean, where's the fun in that?

Buffy: Oh, single combat. Wasn't that what you were trying to kidnap Dawn for?

The Master: Well yeah, but, well. Okay, let me break it down for you. I gather demonic hordes against you, we have big cataclysmic battle, loads of your Slayers die. And unless you're expecting a bumper crop of Slayerettes this year, you'll be in big trouble when the apocalypse comes. And I don't want that. If I did, I would've killed Faith an' Rona when I had the chance. But if you don't give me what I want, I will send them all against you. And I will ensure your sister dies with them.

Buffy: What do you want?

The Master: I wanna beat Buffy Summers. And kill too, but mostly just beat.

Buffy: Not destroy the world?

The Master: Would Jared be working for me if I was? You think he wouldn't figure it out? I mean, he's a genius. Really. With the IQ test an' everything.

Buffy: So what you're sayin is-

The Master: You've got two options. Your sister and who knows how many Slayers or friends of yours die, or we finish this now. One, neat, pretty short fight.

Buffy: Little arrogant aren't you?

The Master: I just know how our fight'll end.

Buffy: Let's do it. Any place in particular?

The Master: I have one in mind.

Buffy: Lead the way.

Watcher's Council-Night

(The phone rings and Willow picks it up.)

Willow: Hello?

Buffy: Hi Willow. Uh, I'm gonna be back a little late, okay. Something's come up.

Willow: Have you got a lead on the Master?

Buffy: Yeah, kinda.

Willow: What? What is it? Has something gone wrong?

Buffy: No, it's okay. I'm dealing with it.

Willow: You're not telling me something.

Buffy: It's okay. I'll see you later. (Hangs up)

Lookout Slayer: Um, enemy fighters at… uh, in front of us.

Willow: Wait! Buffy… heck.

(Willow and the other's hurry to the windows. A large group of the corpse things are gathered in front, with the warlock, Keith, at their head.)

Keith: Send her out. Or we come in.

Willow: Amanda, Rona, Kennedy, Vi, get out of here. Take Dawn out through the sewers. Xander, go with them. I'll hold him off.

Rona: You want us to go babysitting through the sewers.

Willow: Just do it!

Kennedy: No way. Someone else can look after her.

Willow: (Snaps) Fine. Hillary, go with Dawn.

Dawn: You don't have to send me away. I can look after myself.

Willow: Dawn, these people are dangerous.

Dawn: So are lots of things, you can't just hide me from everything.

Willow: No, but they're actually after you. That's different.

Dawn: So you're sending away all the most experienced Slayers? Come on-

Willow: I'm going to be someone here's Watcher someday, (Kennedy glares at her.) and when that day comes, you may wish you'd done what I said now!

Xander: Be careful. I don't want to lose you too.

(The door explodes and sends Willow flying back into the wall. Keith floats in, his eyes are black. He points at Dawn, who starts to fly towards him. Andrew hits him with an oven tray, and he is distracted for a moment before he gestures and sends him flying back into the next room. He looks towards Dawn again. Willow steps in front of him.)

Willow: Dawn, go!

(Xander, Dawn, Amanda, Hillary and Vi hurry towards the stairs down. Rona starts towards them for a moment, then dismisses them and turns back to the crowd outside. As the Slayers start to fight them off, Willow and Keith rise into the air out of reach. Her hair changes to white. He flicks his wrist at her, and a fireball shoots out. She deflects it, and sends back a lightning bolt. He turns it aside, but staggers back several feet. He rallies and a blue sphere encircles her, closing around her. She shatters it. He throws a cone of green light at her. She stumbles backwards, then stands straight and hurls three bolts of white energy at him. He deflects two, but the third one knocks him into the wall.)

Keith: Fine. You asked for this. I wasn't planning on doing it so soon, but oh well. You have one last chance. Let me pass.

Willow: Over my dead body.

Keith: No. Not yours.

(He falls to the ground and pushes his hand against Kennedy's forehead. A glow appears from his fingers and she screams momentarily. Every capillary, vein and artery in her bursts open simultaneously, and she collapses to the floor in a huge pool of blood. He dips one finger in it, and his eyes flash red, then pulls Willow down to the floor with a gesture. He sneers at her. She raises her head, revealing that her eyes have gone black.)

Willow: (Calmly) That was a mistake.

Keith: Prove it.

(She hurls a bolt of black fire at him. He staggers back into Kennedy's blood. He stares in alarm at his shoes, and floats slightly into the air. She takes advantage of this to claw him across the face telekinetically on both cheeks, and, hovering over the ground, steps forward. She batters at him steadily with her magic, forcing him backwards. After a short while, he no longer has the strength to block her. He raises his head to look at her. His nose is bleeding furiously, and is having trouble breathing. She lights a fireball around her hand.)

Keith: You'd kill a human?

Willow: You don't qualify.

(She plunges her hand towards his head. A green glow appears around his hand, and he catches her wrist. The flames wink out.)

Keith: Nor do you.

(He shoves her whole hand into the pool of blood. Willow screams as it flows into her. Her hair and eyes change to black.)

Keith: Welcome back.

Combat Room-Night

The Master: This do?

Buffy: Fine with me.

The Master: Good. You wanna warm up first?

Buffy: I want to get this over with.

The Master: Fair enough.

(He draws a rapier from his coat.)

Buffy: Isn't it a little unfair that you get a weapon when I don't?

The Master: Don't really care.

(He lunges at her. She turns the blade aside with her hand and throws a punch. He blocks it and steps back. She darts forward and ducks under his thrust, then grabs his sword hand and twists until he drops it. He hits her across the face and tries to kick her in the stomach. She blocks with one hand, and punches him backwards with the other. He stumbles backwards into the wall. She kicks at him, but he blocks and hits her in the stomach. She hits him twice in the chest. On the second blow she hears one of his ribs snap. She grabs him by the shoulders and throws him into the centre of the room.)

Buffy: (Scornfully) YOU beat Faith?

The Master: (Gasping for breath) He was, very, very surprised, and pleased. That is, before, the guilt, set in.

Buffy: You're just a lackey, aren't you? The Master isn't really the right term, is it?

The Master: You have, no idea. (Coughs) But then, we all serve, someone. And I think, my master, to be a, rather better one, than those that, you serve.

Buffy: Oh? I'll admit, didn't get on too well with the Shadowmen.

The Master: They're still just, servants, of the PTB.

Buffy: Parent Teacher…Board? Uh, help me out here?

The Master: The Powers That Be. Ancient beings, devoted to bring… order. They're not really that nice. You shoulda seen some of the things they get up to. I think I'd prefer to serve him.

Buffy: (Picks up the rapier.) Oh? And if we all serve someone, who's he working for?

The Master: Actually, that's quite a long story.

Buffy: Shorten or I start stabbing.

The Master: If I told you, he'd kill me.

Buffy: Well, I'm gonna kill ya if you don't so…

The Master: No. You won't.

Buffy: Wrong.

(She impales him on the rapier. A blue glow surrounds him, and his flesh seems to flow and melt away.)

Barrington-Sewers-Night

(They run along, turn a corner, and suddenly stop.)

The Master: Hi there.

Combat Room-Night

Jared: Right.

Buffy: Oh. Okay, the Master really isn't the right term for you.

Jared: Not even close.

Buffy: I thought he wanted to fight me.

Jared: Not really. He just, wanted you, to think that.

Buffy: What do you want from me then?

Jared: Something you'd, never give us, without the strongest, hold we could manage.

Buffy: What do you want?

Jared: That'd be telling.

Buffy: Tell me, or I'll-

Jared: Yeah? You'll what? Kill me?

Buffy: You really think just 'cause you can look human I'll let you live?

Jared: Nah. It's more, that, an' that the only, way to kill me, in here would be to, take out my brain, with your fingers, and y'know, there's the whole, eww factor, in that. And anyway, hurry, and you might, just get there, in time to save, your sister.

(She stabs him in the chest again before she runs.)

Barrington-Sewers-Night

(He raises a tranquilliser gun and shoots Vi. Amanda grabs the gun in both hands and pulls at it. He struggles against her, but she rips it out of his hands and hits him in the chest twice with the butt. Hillary kicks him across the face. He stumbles back shaking his head, then looks at them.)

The Master: Stupid. (He snarls)

(Amanda swings the gun at him again, but he ducks under it, then catches it as it goes past him and pulls her into the wall. He dodges Hillary's kick, and, dodging in, grabs her by the throat, then lifts her up and throws her into Amanda. Dawn kicks at him, but he grabs her leg and pulls her off balance so she falls. He blocks Xander's punch and shoves him about five feet backwards, where he falls to the floor. Hillary pushes herself off the wall and spins into a kick. He ducks and blocks Amanda's punch, then slams her head once into the wall. She slumps to the floor. Hillary goes on the offensive, but he easily blocks her blows, then stops her short with a blow to the face, sweeps his legs under him, and catches her by the neck as she falls. She grabs his scarf and starts to pull his head forward before she cries out in pain and lets go. He hits her behind the ear and she falls. He ignores Dawn as she shakily stands and pulls Xander up by his arms. He looks at him jealously, then pushes a tranquilliser dart into his wrist, and places him against the wall. He turns to look at Dawn and smirks.)

Watcher's Council-Night

Keith: Wolfram and Hart would like to offer you-

(Willow places a hand over his heart and tries to suck the power out of him. He decomposes until only his skeleton remains, but the power she took surrounds her as a red glow and she screams again. A purple-black portal is ripped open in front of her and she is sucked through.)

The Masters Lair-Night

(The Master opens the door and walks in, dragging Dawn by the wrist. He throws her into a chair, and hurries into the next room.)

Dawn: Hi Jared. You look terrible.

Jared: Feel it. Your sister has quite a, temper on her, you know that?

Dawn: What'd she do?

Jared: It was my job to, distract her long enough, for him to get you. She took it pretty badly, when she found out.

Dawn: She stab you or something?

Jared: Right through the lung.

Dawn: Good.

Jared: You're still not over that?

Dawn: Over what, getting me kidnapped by your evil Master? Well, as I'm still actually kidnapped, right now, as we speak, I don't think so. Where's he gone?

Jared: You prefer his company? I mean I guess, if you go for that type, but still. You would've thought that whole feral thing he's got going would be a bit of a turnoff.

Dawn: God, will you get through your thick spiny head-

(The Master walks back in)

The Master: Where's Keith?

Jared: Uh, he went to attack the council.

The Master: I'm not completely stupid! He should be back by now.

Jared: These things take time, and of course-

The Master: I don't give a flying slop what his excuse is! We're ready to start.

Jared: Well, we don't need him. It just means we don't, have a backup, if anything goes wrong.

The Master: True. You should go home. Get that stab wound seen to. I can deal with the rest.

Jared: If you're sure.

(Jared stands shakily and leaves, the Master turns to look at Dawn.)

Dawn: What? I'm just the hostage. Shouldn't you talk to Buffy about it?

The Master: No.

Dawn: You're just gonna let her worry for a while? 'Cause you should know, that just pisses her off. (He stays silent) Aren't you even going to talk to me?

The Master: I guess I should get back into practice. This isn't anything to do with Buffy. It's about you.

Dawn: What? Why me? Why do you want me?

The Master: 'Cause you're the Key.

Dawn: I'm not. I mean, I used to be, but-

The Master: Power doesn't just disappear because the reason it existed is gone. Look at me. I don't have a purpose, a place. Not anymore. And I have power. To change things.

 (He breathes out slowly, then goes into the next room and drags out something resembling an altar. The Scythe is attached to it so that the blade sticks into the air.)

Dawn: Oh. Oh God. Let me guess. I put my head in that hollow, the Scythe comes down and chops my head off, you use my blood to unleash hordes of demons on the earth. Right?

The Master: Not exactly. (He pulls a knife out of his coat and walks towards her.)

Dawn: No. No please. You don't have to do this.

(Grabs hold of her, and, pulling her to him, starts to slice)

The Master: I do. (Increasingly desperately) I can't go on like this. I lose more of myself everyday, nothing else matters. Even if the answer isn't the one I'm looking for, I want to know. I need to know.

Sorry it's been such an incredibly long time between updates. Our internet stopped working, and none of us know a thing about computers, and to find out how to fix our internet we had to check an internet site, and then we had to order a new router, and move furniture (Don't ask.), and the man who installed it was on holiday, and I'm actually updating this from the computer at the local library. Please review.