Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, sadly. That feels so
familiar.
Chapter 8
"The Master had been resurrected," Giles repeated. "And you can close your mouth, Buffy."
Buffy closed her mouth, but continued staring at Giles as though he had sprouted a second head.
"But-how-I mean-his bones-" Willow sputtered, not being able to finish one sentence.
"His minions," Giles spat the word 'minions', "gathered his bones and must have used some spell to bring him back." He hesitated. "Of course, there is a side effect."
"Th-that's good, right?" Xander asked.
"Usually, yes. Now, no." He sighed, seeing the look of disappointment on the trio's faces. "The Master has been brought back to life by mystical forces, and somehow he has-what's the word?-absorbed, some of the power. Which makes him almost undefeatable."
Buffy's books dropped to the floor with a loud clatter. She bent down to pick them up. "So. The Master is back and he's undefeatable? Great. Just what I need to brighten up my evenings," she said sarcastically.
Giles sighed again and took off his glasses, wiping them fervently. "However, there is one way."
"And you left that till now," Buffy interrupted.
Giles ignored the interruption and continued on. "I was told that only a Slayer bent on true vengeance can defeat him. That is, provided she's trained and supported by the best."
All heads whipped towards Buffy, who shrugged.
"What?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer.
"Buffy, you're the one. You're trained and supported by the best," Xander said.
"But. . . I'm not exactly bent on vengeance, you know," she replied.
"I think you are," Giles spoke up. Willow remained quiet, lost in her thoughts.
"Yeah. I mean, when Angel turned Angelus, then, well, when he threatened to kill me, I guess that would be a grudge against vamps, right?" Willow asked.
Buffy walked over to Willow and put a hand on her shoulder. "I guess it might have been. So. You really think I'm the one?" she asked, the question directed to Giles.
Giles nodded. "Yes. I think you are."
Inside, though, he wasn't so sure.
Buffy nodded once. "So. Willow, could you somehow find the Master's new lair?"
Willow nodded and got up, headed for the computer. "I'm on it, Buff."
The bell rang, but none of them moved.
"Work on it," Giles said. With that, he turned and went into his office.
Xander and Buffy automatically moved towards Willow.
"Whatcha got so far?" Xander asked.
Willow's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I'm working on it! Don't rush me!"
Chapter 8
"The Master had been resurrected," Giles repeated. "And you can close your mouth, Buffy."
Buffy closed her mouth, but continued staring at Giles as though he had sprouted a second head.
"But-how-I mean-his bones-" Willow sputtered, not being able to finish one sentence.
"His minions," Giles spat the word 'minions', "gathered his bones and must have used some spell to bring him back." He hesitated. "Of course, there is a side effect."
"Th-that's good, right?" Xander asked.
"Usually, yes. Now, no." He sighed, seeing the look of disappointment on the trio's faces. "The Master has been brought back to life by mystical forces, and somehow he has-what's the word?-absorbed, some of the power. Which makes him almost undefeatable."
Buffy's books dropped to the floor with a loud clatter. She bent down to pick them up. "So. The Master is back and he's undefeatable? Great. Just what I need to brighten up my evenings," she said sarcastically.
Giles sighed again and took off his glasses, wiping them fervently. "However, there is one way."
"And you left that till now," Buffy interrupted.
Giles ignored the interruption and continued on. "I was told that only a Slayer bent on true vengeance can defeat him. That is, provided she's trained and supported by the best."
All heads whipped towards Buffy, who shrugged.
"What?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer.
"Buffy, you're the one. You're trained and supported by the best," Xander said.
"But. . . I'm not exactly bent on vengeance, you know," she replied.
"I think you are," Giles spoke up. Willow remained quiet, lost in her thoughts.
"Yeah. I mean, when Angel turned Angelus, then, well, when he threatened to kill me, I guess that would be a grudge against vamps, right?" Willow asked.
Buffy walked over to Willow and put a hand on her shoulder. "I guess it might have been. So. You really think I'm the one?" she asked, the question directed to Giles.
Giles nodded. "Yes. I think you are."
Inside, though, he wasn't so sure.
Buffy nodded once. "So. Willow, could you somehow find the Master's new lair?"
Willow nodded and got up, headed for the computer. "I'm on it, Buff."
The bell rang, but none of them moved.
"Work on it," Giles said. With that, he turned and went into his office.
Xander and Buffy automatically moved towards Willow.
"Whatcha got so far?" Xander asked.
Willow's fingers flew over the keyboard. "I'm working on it! Don't rush me!"