The Master sat on a makeshift throne made of earth and stone. He watched his vampire army train in the wide open underground lair that spread out before him, breaking off into various caves. He was disgusted with what he saw.

"Weaklings," he spat. "All of them."

Xavier looked at the ground. "I apologize, master."

The Master looked at his servant. "You apologize? Xavier, we used to be feared. Now look at us." He motioned to the training vampires. "We are now a mockery of what we once were."

"Once word of your return gets out others will flock to your side, master," Xavier rambled. "Better, stronger vampires will join our cause."

"Our cause, yes." The Master stood from his throne. "So tell me, Xavier, where is this hellmouth that I seek to open?"

Damien walked into the White Room, a look of concern across his face. "I know where The Master is," he announced, getting the attention of Network and Paul.

"Where?" asked Network.

"Apparently in a cave beneath north New Roanoke. About ten miles from the Grand Hotel."

Paul cocked his head in his trademark fashion. "So close to the Stycker family?"

"Yeah, and they have to be running scared from it, also."

"So any indication as to what the return favor is?" Network asked Damien.

Damien answered, "Not yet. But he assured me it isn't going to be something that we're abhorrent to."

"That is good," Paul said. "So what is our course of action against The Master?"

"I say we send the bastard back to the grave," Damien stated with a look of resolve on his face. "And the sooner we do that, the better."

Montoya stood in front of a mirror, fully dressed in a long, dark skirt and matching blouse. Her hair had grown some in the past couple weeks and hung just over her shoulders. She brushed it back from her face and took a deep breath, sucking in her stomach and sticking her chest out. She turned to the side, taking in the view of her curves, and smiling.

I am a hottie, huh?

You know it, girlfriend.

Montoya let the breath out and ran her hands over her blouse and skirt, unconsciously straightening out any folds or wrinkles. She closed her eyes and imagined Network kissing her and running his hands over her body. Instantly, she opened them.

What was that?

Are you feeling okay, Montoya?

This is one of your tricks, isn't it.

Ha! You're horny and lonely, girl. You're doing this all on your own.

Montoya didn't believe that. But it was somewhat true. Ever since almost being eaten alive by the Ogrellan, she had started looking at the situation differently. She changed her mind about not wanting to work along side Network and Damien and Paul fighting monsters and such, and suddenly the idea of occasionally having company at night was sounding better, as well.

Occasionally? As in casually?

Something wasn't right. She was starting to sound more like her "other." And her "other" seemed as confused about this as she was. What was going on?

Montoya closed her eyes again and this time she saw Network, Nathan, laying her on the bed, her blouse open, running a hand up her skirt. They kissed passionately and when his hand finally reached where it was going, she let out a quiet moan.

MONTOYA!

Montoya opened her eyes again. "I need to go see if they need help," she said out loud. She quickly left her apartment and headed towards the White Room. Inside, Damien, Network, and Paul were looking at a map of New Roanoke on the large monitor against the back of the room.

"What's up, guys?" she asked as entered.

Network turned around. His glasses rested on the top of his head, and Montoya smiled at how cute he looked. "We know where The Master is and are currently working on a strategy to take him out."

"Want to help?" Damien said, glancing back at her.

Damn! He's so hot! She thought. She knew she was attracted to his brother back in Cleveland, and Damien was his identical twin. She wondered why she never saw it before.

"Sure," she stammered. Her mind wandered back to her and Network on the bed and suddenly Damien was there as well.

"Are you feeling well, Montoya?" Paul's cold and monotonous voice broke through her fantasy.

Montoya shook her head, "Yeah, yes. Sorry."

Network smiled at her. "You look gorgeous, Montoya. Any reason?"

Montoya laughed. "I just thought you guys wouldn't mind seeing a beautiful woman while we worked.

"Not at all," Network said, his face now beaming.

Damien looked at Montoya with a concerned expression across his face. Montoya felt uncomfortable under his gaze and slightly shrunk from it, then turned her attention to the monitor on the wall.

"What do we have here?" she asked.

"A map of the city with The Master's cave lair marked by the red dot," Paul answered.

Damien studied the map. "Is there a back way in that we could sneak into maybe?"

"We?" Montoya sounded concerned.

"Damien, Paul, and I are going in to kill The Master," network answered. "You don't have to come. It's going to be dangerous."

Montoya looked everyone over. "Maybe I'll be of more help here, helping you with information?"

"That would be most logical," Paul said. "And efficient, also."

"I agree," from Damien. "That keeps you out of harm's way and if we need to know anything on the fly then you can access it for us. Good idea, Montoya." Montoya could still feel Damien's gaze on her. "So when do we do this?"

Network grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and put it on. "Tonight," he said.

"You aren't going to help them, are you?" Monica asked her father.

Roland glanced up from his book and looked at his daughter. "No. I made a deal with Mr. Thatcher. I helped him out and he's going to help us out."

"And if he should die?"

Roland smiled. "Well, then, that would eliminate that problem before it could really become one."

"How can you say that?" Monica yelled. "Damien could die!"

Roland studied his daughter. He was silent for a long moment while he did this. Finally, he asked, "Do you have feelings for him, Monica?"

Monica was stunned by this question. "What? No. He's like ten years older than me."

"Actually, it's more like seven."

"Anyway," Monica said, irritation dripping from her voice. "I just think that he could be potentially useful to the Family."

Roland smiled at this. "And he will be, sweetheart. Should he survive. I know you are still new to all this and were inducted early to the Family, but trust me when I say I know what is best for us."

"Sure, father," Monica stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

"She was not ready," said an unearthly voice from the shadows of the room. Knartook emerged from the shadows behind Roland.

Roland stared at his book. "No, but she will learn the way of things soon. She was only recently inducted into the Family. She has yet to be 'made'."
The vampire army stood before The Master, all kneeling on one knee, heads lowered. The Master looked over them. One thing that could be said for Xavier, he knew how to inspire severe loyalty. The Master glanced back to his faithful servant.

"They are ready, master," Xavier informed his lord. "They will die for the cause." "Will they?" The Master asked, uncertainty filling his voice. He put his hand under one vampire's chin and raised her head so he could look into her eyes. Her face wore the hideous visage of the vampire breed. "Will you die for the cause?"

"Without hesitation, master," she said.

"And would you die for me?"

"I would stake myself if you but asked it, master."

The Master wrapped his fingers together. "And what is your name, my loyal servant?"

"Penelope," she answered.

"Such a pretty name, Penelope," The Master mused. "Stand."

Penelope stood without hesitation. The Master studied her for a moment. "Go stand by Xavier," he finally told her.

"If any of you feel that you can not devote yourself to me such as Penelope has, then stand now."

There was silence, and then a lone vampire stood. The Master eyed this young pup.

"Come," The Master told him, motioning with fingers. "Do not be afraid."

The vampire approached The Master, standing before him.

The Master asked, "You do not believe you could sacrifice yourself for me?" The vampire looked uneasy. "You may speak openly," The Master assured him.

"I mean no offense, but you have been dead for almost ten years," the vampire said. "Your history is marked with mistakes. First getting trapped in the Sunnydale hellmouth, and then being slain by the Slayer."

The Master recoiled from the bluntness of the young vampire before him. "What you say is true. Yet I stand before you know. And do you know why?"

"Because we brought you back."

"Yes. But also because I have faithful children who are loyal to me. And do you know why they are loyal to me?"

The vampire shook his head. With blinding speed, The Master slashed his sharp fingernails across the vampire's neck, severing it completely from his body. As they vampire's head fell from its body, he exploded into so much ash. "Because I kill those who aren't," The Master said. He looked out at the army of still kneeling vampires, some of them shaking from fear. "Anyone else wish to leave?"

No one made a sound or moved. The Master told them to stand and they all did.

Reaching his arms out before the army, The Master said, "Then from this point on, you are all my children."
Damien, Paul, and Network stood before the open mouth of The Master's cave. Behind them, the sea crashed into the rocks of the cove. Damien adjusted his sword on his shoulder and glanced over to Network, holding a crossbow he modified so it could fire several bolts without being reloaded. He had a battleaxe strapped to the back of his jacket. Paul stood a little behind them, his servos humming quietly.

"Are we ready to do this?" Network asked already knowing the answer.

A light flicked on from behind, surprising both Damien and Network. "My apologies," Paul said, dimming the spotlight built into his frame. "Although my visual sensors can see in perfect darkness, I remember that humans do not have such capabilities."

"You used to be human, once," Damien said.

"But no longer," Paul retorted.

Damien smiled. "Well, Paul, tonight we'll see what you can really do with that robotic body of yours."

The three entered the cave, ready and looking for any sign of trouble. They were so tense that when Montoya broke through over their radios, that Damien and Network almost yelled out.

"How's it going guys?" she asked.

"It'd be better if you weren't scaring the hell out of us, Montoya," Damien shot.

They heard her chuckle. "Sorry. I was studying a very rough sketch of the cave from the city archives. There is a large opening straight ahead that branches off into several smaller caves. That could be the best place to start looking."

'Thank you, Montoya," Network said, tightening the grip on his crossbow. "Keep us updated."

Paul took the lead, lighting the way for Damien and Network. They walked for what seemed like a mile and then started to see what looked like candlelight around a bend. Paul turned off his spotlight and the group stopped right before the bend, Damien glancing around the corner. Not more than fifty yards ahead of them was an open chamber with what had to be close to forty vampires looking as though they were gearing up for war. Sitting in a makeshift throne of earth and stone sat a vampire way uglier than what Damien was used to seeing. On his right stood a dark skinned vampire with long black hair and wearing an expensive looking suit. Damien remembered Packard's description of Xavier and figured this to be him. On the left of the throne was a female vampire with dark hair and dressed like she was from the set of "The Matrix."

"This could be bad," Network said.

"Nonsense," Paul said. "We dispose of as many as we can from here, then take them on as they approach."

Damien shook his head. "That would buy The Master time to escape. I'm not as worried about all these others vamps as I am him. Network, can you take him out from here?"

"Maybe," Network answered. "But there's a lot of vampires between us and him. If one walks by at the wrong moment, then he would be aware of us."

Paul said, "I can walk in as a diversion. Most likely they will not be able to harm me and that should buy the time needed to eliminate The Master."

"What the hell is going on here," said a low, growling voice from behind the group. Simultaneously, they all turned around. A very large and built vampire stood between two other vampires. They all glared and hissed at the three hunters.

With surprise speed and a metal against metal sound, Paul's larger arm shot out and the large vampire turned to dust. After the dust settled, Network and Damien saw that he was holding a wooden stake. The other two vampires looked at each other in shock. Network dusted one with his crossbow, and Damien swung his sword in a downward arc, taking the head of the remaining vamp.

"There's something going on in the tunnels," the three heard someone from the chamber yelled.

"Okay, then," Damien said. "I guess there's no getting around this. Remember, The Master is the priority."

Turning back to the chamber, Damien, Network, and Paul entered, holding their weapons to their side as though they weren't worried about being attacked.

"Hello," Damien said. He pointed his sword at the vampire sitting in the chair. "We've come to kill ugly there. If you wish to live, or whatever, I recommend you stay out of our way."

"What are you waiting for?" Xavier yelled to the vampire army. "Kill them!"

"Wait!" The Master stuck his hand up. He stood from his throne. "And who might you be?"

"Damien Thatcher," Damien answered. "I'm the guy that's going to remove your pug ugly head."

A vampire jumped at Damien, but Network shot a bolt straight into his heart, turning him to instant dust.

"Is that so?" The Master asked. "I have killed Slayers in my lifetime, young Mr. Thatcher. Do you think you, your friend, and your robot are going to succeed where many have failed?"

"You died once," Damien shot back. "I'm going to assume that I'll kill you this time."

Damien noticed a group of vampires sneaking up on the side and spoke a spell, sending a large fireball into the center of them. They all burst into flame and, eventually, dust.

"A sorcerer?" Xavier muttered.

"No," The Master corrected. "He has power. Very well." He motioned to his army. "Kill them."

The army of vampires surrounded the three hunters. Network glanced at his crossbows. He still had four shot before he had to reload the cartridge. And he only had one other cartridge with him.

"You guys doing okay?" Montoya's voice broke over the radio.

"Now's not a good time, Montoya," Damien said, watching the army of vampires closely.

"Paul," Network said. "You said before something about housing weaponry?"

"Correct," Paul's hollow voice sounded strange against the current tension Network was feeling.

"What kind?" Network asked.

Paul's eyes flickered. "I am currently equipped with three wooden stakes, a built-in bolt launcher, 10 bolts, and a flame thrower with enough fuel to sustain a flame for 20 seconds."

"How good are you with that blot launcher?" Damien asked.

"I have an updated targeting system linked to it. Also, I can fire them in rapid motion."

Damien tightened his grip on his sword. "Well, then, maybe we should start killing these bloodsuckers before they kill us."

"Affirmative," Paul said. He extended his bulkier arm forward and launched all ten bolts in rapid succession, each one hitting their mark and turning ten advancing vampires to dust.

"Kill them!" a vampire yelled and they army charged the three hunters.