Part 3
"The Master's dead?" asked the Doctor intently, "Are you sure?"
"As a doornail," answered Buffy, "What exactly is a doornail?"
"It's very nice of you to worry about me," came a voice from the back of the library, "But I can assure you all that I'm very much alive."
"The Master," exclaimed Romana.
The group turned to look at the group that had entered the library.
"Ahh Romanadvoratrelundar," said the man with an evil grin, "How lovely to finally make your acquaintance."
"And I thought Buffy was a weird name," quirked the slayer, "Hey, wait one stinkin' minute here. You aren't the Master."
"I most certainly am the Master you imbecile," returned the man. He was dressed in a dark suit with a long, black cape. Around him stood a group of six vampires, who were acting as bodyguards.
"Excuse me," said Angel as he stood up straight and looked up at the man with pride, "I knew the Master. The Master was a friend of mine. And mister...you're no Master."
"Yeah," shouted Willow, "You tell him, Angel! That'll teach him to come in here impersonating our most-hated evil-doers."
"That was uncalled for, vampire!" returned the man angrily.
"Uhh, boss?" said one of the vampires rather sheepishly.
"What is it," answered the man sharply.
The vampire moved to him and whispered a short message into his ear. The man stopped for a moment, then a smile began to grow on his face. He slowly stepped away from the vampire and cleared his throat.
"It seems," said the man, "that we have a little confusion here. It's perfectly understandable considering the circumstances."
The group stared at this man who called himself the Master. None more intently than the Doctor, who looked at the man with anger and contempt that had grown deeper and deeper over their long relationship.
"Hank here," said the man as he pointed to the vampire on his left, "has just informed me of a great old vampire who also called himself the Master. He also tells me that a certain vampire slayer named Buffy ended his existence."
"So what's you're point," asked an annoyed Buffy.
"My point," said the Master, "is that I am not he. I am much greater and much more powerful than he ever was, and you will all be defeated."
The Master smiled and began to laugh.
"You're as pathetic as ever," replied the Doctor, "Tell me, what has the Black Guardian promised you in exchange for my death?"
The Master smiled.
"Now, Doctor," he answered, "Don't you think you're flattering yourself just a bit? I've been in this miserable town for quite some time now."
"So your presence in Sunnydale," added Romana, "coupled with our random arrival, coupled with the Black Guardian's price on our head is just"
"An extraordinary, yet quite delightful, coincidence," the Master interrupted, smiling.
"So what are you exactly doing here in Sunnydale?" asked Buffy, "Vacationing? Because there are lots of better vacation spots in sunny California. Ever been to San Diego?"
The Master paused, in an attempt to add drama to his upcoming speech.
"Doctor, you love the Earth," he began, "I can see it in your eyes. Your fondness, compassion and love for the people of Earth exceeds that of even your home planet, Gallifrey."
"Master, there are aspects of Skaro that make it more redeeming than Gallifrey," the Doctor returned, "you'll have to do better than that."
The Master smiled and nodded.
"As I was traveling, I began thinking to myself," continued the Master, "What place in this vast universe would I most enjoy oppressively ruling. It only took a few seconds to come up with my answer. Earth was the only choice. Well, Earth and Vasshilon Major, but their winters are just unbearable."
"Why Earth," asked Romana.
"For all the same reasons that the Doctor loves Earth, I despise it," replied the Master, "Humans are arrogant, hypocritical and stupid. They think they have all of the answers to the mysteries of the universe. Yet, as civilizations go, they are laughably far behind similarly evolving races such as the Cryptilians and the Puhleezians. They are just begging to be overtaken."
"I'll never allow you to," said the Doctor angrily, "You know I'll fight you with every last live I have to stop you."
"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way, Doctor," replied the Master, "Of course, once my plan begins, neither you nor anyone on this earth will be able to stop my great army of the underworld."
"Doctor, you're right," said Romana, "He is insane."
"You're planning on opening the Hellmouth," responded Angel.
"No, not the Hellmouth, certainly not that!" added the Doctor with great force. Then a look of confusion grew on his face. "What's the Hellmouth?"
Giles took the Doctor aside and gave him the 15-second explanation of the Hellmouth and the town of Sunnydale.
"We'll stop you," said Buffy emphatically, "The last fool that tried to open the Hellmouth, oh yeah, the Master was his name too. What happened to him? Well, you already know that part."
"Also, it's lunacy to think that thralls of demons, vampires and other creatures will all fall in line and bow down to you as their great leader," stated Giles, "They'll never serve you or any other human."
"Please do not insult me," replied the Master, "I am certainly not human"
Giles looked over at the Doctor and Romana, neither of them said a word. The Master clutched a large green gemstone that hung from his neck. The stone glowed as his hand came into contact with it.
"With this, all creatures of the darkness will bow to me," said the Master in his most overdramatic voice, "I will be all powerful."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Angel, clearly annoyed, "I've lived a long time and I've seen a lot. Do you think you're the first delusional alien from an advanced civilization who's come to take over the world? I can think of six since World War II alone. They were all thwarted because they clearly underestimated the potential and the spirit of the human race."
"Angel, did the bad man make you crazy too?" asked Buffy.
Angel motioned for her to allow him to finish.
"You will be stopped too," he continued, while transforming into his vampire persona, "Only it's gonna be sooner than you think."
Angel lunged forward and grabbed one of the vampires, quickly staking him and turning him to dust.
"You may want to stop right there," said the Master, motioning to one of the vampires in the back.
The vampire moved out from behind a bookcase revealing a tall brunette girl in his clutches. He moved closer, preparing to sink his sharp fangs into her soft neck.
"Cordy," Willow said with shock.
"Let her go right now or you'll be cleaning your friends up with a dustpan," said Buffy in a tough voice.
"I'm sorry, my dear," said the Master, "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."
"I'm not so sure about that," said a voice from behind the bad guys. Before the vampire holding Cordelia had a chance to turn around, he was a pile of dust on the floor."
"Xander, oh thank God," said Cordelia.
Xander grabbed her arm and led her to the back of the library. Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel began to fight the group of vampires, which had now grown slightly in number. In the scuffle, the Master slipped out the back door of the library.
"Giles, what is that stone that the Master's wearing," asked Willow.
The group of vampires had diminished to just four.
"I don't know, I'll need to research it," answered Giles.
The group of vampires was down to two.
"Don't bother," said the Doctor, "You won't find it in any of your books."
There was now just one vampire remaining.
"How can you be sure," asked Giles.
Angel and Buffy approached them as the last vampire floated to the ground in a cloud of dust behind them.
"It's from Gallifrey," said the Doctor.
"Your home planet," said Angel, unsurprised.
"Home planet?" asked Buffy, quite confused.
"They're not from here, Buffy," Angel said, "The Doctor, Romana, the Master, they aren't human. They each have two hearts."
"Oh," replied Buffy.
No one else uttered a word. Giles' facial expression seemed to indicate frustration that he had never guessed it before.
"So what is it then Doctor," asked Willow.
"The Gem of Marison," replied the Doctor.
"Not long after the end of Rassillon's reign," added Romana, "a man named Marison came to power on Gallifrey. Marison was a simple man. He came from a meager House in a very remote region. It was never known for how he managed to amass so much power so quickly, but he always wore that gemstone around his neck. Legend has it that its magnetic properties allowed him to force his will on millions of Gallifreyan citizens."
"So why doesn't he just use it to force his will upon the people of earth, rather than waste his time on vamps and demons?" asked Willow.
"Yeah, and why didn't he use it on us?" asked Buffy.
"He tried," answered the Doctor, "I could feel him trying to break my will. Romana, did you feel it too?"
Romana nodded her head in affirmation. "It was all I could do to keep from letting him into my head."
"I didn't feel anything," said Xander as he and Cordelia approached the group for the first time.
"Well I sure did," added Cordelia, "Do you know how hard it is to conceal teeth marks, and you can forget ever seeing me in a turtle neck."
"It mustn't have any affect on human physiology," added Romana, "but it must work on these demons and vampires judging by the company he's keeping."
"It does," Angel said, "I could feel it too."
"So the gem is the key to his entire plan," said Giles, "If we can manage to separate it from him, he won't dare open the Hellmouth."
"How very astute of you," said the Master, who had just reentered the library, "Unfortunately for you, I have taken every necessary precaution to make sure everything goes exactly according to my plan. Lock them up."
Three vampires surrounded them, each holding a small electronic device. As they switched the devices on, a green glowing field of energy surrounded them.
End of Part III
"The Master's dead?" asked the Doctor intently, "Are you sure?"
"As a doornail," answered Buffy, "What exactly is a doornail?"
"It's very nice of you to worry about me," came a voice from the back of the library, "But I can assure you all that I'm very much alive."
"The Master," exclaimed Romana.
The group turned to look at the group that had entered the library.
"Ahh Romanadvoratrelundar," said the man with an evil grin, "How lovely to finally make your acquaintance."
"And I thought Buffy was a weird name," quirked the slayer, "Hey, wait one stinkin' minute here. You aren't the Master."
"I most certainly am the Master you imbecile," returned the man. He was dressed in a dark suit with a long, black cape. Around him stood a group of six vampires, who were acting as bodyguards.
"Excuse me," said Angel as he stood up straight and looked up at the man with pride, "I knew the Master. The Master was a friend of mine. And mister...you're no Master."
"Yeah," shouted Willow, "You tell him, Angel! That'll teach him to come in here impersonating our most-hated evil-doers."
"That was uncalled for, vampire!" returned the man angrily.
"Uhh, boss?" said one of the vampires rather sheepishly.
"What is it," answered the man sharply.
The vampire moved to him and whispered a short message into his ear. The man stopped for a moment, then a smile began to grow on his face. He slowly stepped away from the vampire and cleared his throat.
"It seems," said the man, "that we have a little confusion here. It's perfectly understandable considering the circumstances."
The group stared at this man who called himself the Master. None more intently than the Doctor, who looked at the man with anger and contempt that had grown deeper and deeper over their long relationship.
"Hank here," said the man as he pointed to the vampire on his left, "has just informed me of a great old vampire who also called himself the Master. He also tells me that a certain vampire slayer named Buffy ended his existence."
"So what's you're point," asked an annoyed Buffy.
"My point," said the Master, "is that I am not he. I am much greater and much more powerful than he ever was, and you will all be defeated."
The Master smiled and began to laugh.
"You're as pathetic as ever," replied the Doctor, "Tell me, what has the Black Guardian promised you in exchange for my death?"
The Master smiled.
"Now, Doctor," he answered, "Don't you think you're flattering yourself just a bit? I've been in this miserable town for quite some time now."
"So your presence in Sunnydale," added Romana, "coupled with our random arrival, coupled with the Black Guardian's price on our head is just"
"An extraordinary, yet quite delightful, coincidence," the Master interrupted, smiling.
"So what are you exactly doing here in Sunnydale?" asked Buffy, "Vacationing? Because there are lots of better vacation spots in sunny California. Ever been to San Diego?"
The Master paused, in an attempt to add drama to his upcoming speech.
"Doctor, you love the Earth," he began, "I can see it in your eyes. Your fondness, compassion and love for the people of Earth exceeds that of even your home planet, Gallifrey."
"Master, there are aspects of Skaro that make it more redeeming than Gallifrey," the Doctor returned, "you'll have to do better than that."
The Master smiled and nodded.
"As I was traveling, I began thinking to myself," continued the Master, "What place in this vast universe would I most enjoy oppressively ruling. It only took a few seconds to come up with my answer. Earth was the only choice. Well, Earth and Vasshilon Major, but their winters are just unbearable."
"Why Earth," asked Romana.
"For all the same reasons that the Doctor loves Earth, I despise it," replied the Master, "Humans are arrogant, hypocritical and stupid. They think they have all of the answers to the mysteries of the universe. Yet, as civilizations go, they are laughably far behind similarly evolving races such as the Cryptilians and the Puhleezians. They are just begging to be overtaken."
"I'll never allow you to," said the Doctor angrily, "You know I'll fight you with every last live I have to stop you."
"Oh, I wouldn't have it any other way, Doctor," replied the Master, "Of course, once my plan begins, neither you nor anyone on this earth will be able to stop my great army of the underworld."
"Doctor, you're right," said Romana, "He is insane."
"You're planning on opening the Hellmouth," responded Angel.
"No, not the Hellmouth, certainly not that!" added the Doctor with great force. Then a look of confusion grew on his face. "What's the Hellmouth?"
Giles took the Doctor aside and gave him the 15-second explanation of the Hellmouth and the town of Sunnydale.
"We'll stop you," said Buffy emphatically, "The last fool that tried to open the Hellmouth, oh yeah, the Master was his name too. What happened to him? Well, you already know that part."
"Also, it's lunacy to think that thralls of demons, vampires and other creatures will all fall in line and bow down to you as their great leader," stated Giles, "They'll never serve you or any other human."
"Please do not insult me," replied the Master, "I am certainly not human"
Giles looked over at the Doctor and Romana, neither of them said a word. The Master clutched a large green gemstone that hung from his neck. The stone glowed as his hand came into contact with it.
"With this, all creatures of the darkness will bow to me," said the Master in his most overdramatic voice, "I will be all powerful."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Angel, clearly annoyed, "I've lived a long time and I've seen a lot. Do you think you're the first delusional alien from an advanced civilization who's come to take over the world? I can think of six since World War II alone. They were all thwarted because they clearly underestimated the potential and the spirit of the human race."
"Angel, did the bad man make you crazy too?" asked Buffy.
Angel motioned for her to allow him to finish.
"You will be stopped too," he continued, while transforming into his vampire persona, "Only it's gonna be sooner than you think."
Angel lunged forward and grabbed one of the vampires, quickly staking him and turning him to dust.
"You may want to stop right there," said the Master, motioning to one of the vampires in the back.
The vampire moved out from behind a bookcase revealing a tall brunette girl in his clutches. He moved closer, preparing to sink his sharp fangs into her soft neck.
"Cordy," Willow said with shock.
"Let her go right now or you'll be cleaning your friends up with a dustpan," said Buffy in a tough voice.
"I'm sorry, my dear," said the Master, "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way."
"I'm not so sure about that," said a voice from behind the bad guys. Before the vampire holding Cordelia had a chance to turn around, he was a pile of dust on the floor."
"Xander, oh thank God," said Cordelia.
Xander grabbed her arm and led her to the back of the library. Meanwhile, Buffy and Angel began to fight the group of vampires, which had now grown slightly in number. In the scuffle, the Master slipped out the back door of the library.
"Giles, what is that stone that the Master's wearing," asked Willow.
The group of vampires had diminished to just four.
"I don't know, I'll need to research it," answered Giles.
The group of vampires was down to two.
"Don't bother," said the Doctor, "You won't find it in any of your books."
There was now just one vampire remaining.
"How can you be sure," asked Giles.
Angel and Buffy approached them as the last vampire floated to the ground in a cloud of dust behind them.
"It's from Gallifrey," said the Doctor.
"Your home planet," said Angel, unsurprised.
"Home planet?" asked Buffy, quite confused.
"They're not from here, Buffy," Angel said, "The Doctor, Romana, the Master, they aren't human. They each have two hearts."
"Oh," replied Buffy.
No one else uttered a word. Giles' facial expression seemed to indicate frustration that he had never guessed it before.
"So what is it then Doctor," asked Willow.
"The Gem of Marison," replied the Doctor.
"Not long after the end of Rassillon's reign," added Romana, "a man named Marison came to power on Gallifrey. Marison was a simple man. He came from a meager House in a very remote region. It was never known for how he managed to amass so much power so quickly, but he always wore that gemstone around his neck. Legend has it that its magnetic properties allowed him to force his will on millions of Gallifreyan citizens."
"So why doesn't he just use it to force his will upon the people of earth, rather than waste his time on vamps and demons?" asked Willow.
"Yeah, and why didn't he use it on us?" asked Buffy.
"He tried," answered the Doctor, "I could feel him trying to break my will. Romana, did you feel it too?"
Romana nodded her head in affirmation. "It was all I could do to keep from letting him into my head."
"I didn't feel anything," said Xander as he and Cordelia approached the group for the first time.
"Well I sure did," added Cordelia, "Do you know how hard it is to conceal teeth marks, and you can forget ever seeing me in a turtle neck."
"It mustn't have any affect on human physiology," added Romana, "but it must work on these demons and vampires judging by the company he's keeping."
"It does," Angel said, "I could feel it too."
"So the gem is the key to his entire plan," said Giles, "If we can manage to separate it from him, he won't dare open the Hellmouth."
"How very astute of you," said the Master, who had just reentered the library, "Unfortunately for you, I have taken every necessary precaution to make sure everything goes exactly according to my plan. Lock them up."
Three vampires surrounded them, each holding a small electronic device. As they switched the devices on, a green glowing field of energy surrounded them.
End of Part III