Four weeks had passed without any great change in the status quo of school and Sunnydale. The meeting with Giles and the Uncles had gone far smoother than Xander had believed possible. The two officers had asked many questions, and had insisted on regular training of all participants and no one would 'patrol' without at least a black belt in Aikido, and passage of a gun safety course. And no one, including The Slayer, would patrol alone.
Uncle 'Street' had returned to LA, where his SWAT duties resumed, but he had come back at least one night per week to help out. Uncle 'Hondo' has set aside range time and made Xander use nest lootings to pay for Aikido lessons. Atop homework and everything else, this used up an extra 3 hours per day, but proved a great team building exercise. Night-time sweeps and skirmishes against the Master's minions and a recovering Darla had kept the Master's numbers down to about thirty, but no real progress against such a foe was possible until they were willing to head underground.
The big difference in the group dynamic occurred when Marcy tried on the medallion that they'd taken from one of the Tarakans. The medallion seemed to cause magic and magical forces to bend around her like light/perception had done before. Though the magic of the hellmouth pressed hard, the medallion was able to counter it for eight hours daily before recharging. Able to be seen, Marcie came to the notice of the 'crushing' Andrew Wells, who, vaguely aware of goings-on, thought it great that either magicians or a super heroes used their 'secret identities' as students to do even more good.
Xander's routine continued to include being tutored by Flutey and volunteering at the animal shelter. Amy and Marcy sometimes helped out as well, both having developed minor crushes on the young knight and liking the compassionate work he'd assumed. With the help and presence of his uncles and friends, Xander had also managed to shake some of the darkness of the last couple of months. To the surprise of many, he'd started pseudo-dating Willow, Amy Yip and even Amy Madison, taking them out to dinner and then the Bronze for dancing. The change to better clothes, the dropping of the goofball mask, and the courage from already having bared his soul once and not having it crushed, allowed the young man to venture further socially, and his general popularity had risen without being associated with a particular group.
SHS Library
Xander and Angel had just finished their randomized patrol, dusting four 'local' vampires, and eight Angeleno vamps in ones and twos. Phoning in two license plates, registrations, six firearm serial numbers and four identification sets to Fritz and Dave, Xander was about to drop off Angel when he hit the automatic locks on the car doors.
"Hey, Angel...I've been thinking," Xander Harris began. "You and I have been at this what? A couple of months without a break?" Angel nodded. "And I know you and Buffy still seem to have 'the eyes' for each other." Xander waved him down from interrupting. "You the soul seem alright, but the body is still a vampire. I'll never be comfortable with that. And there's the age difference. You were 26 when turned, so even ignoring the rest that's significant...she's not moving on, but she hasn't made a move to go around and see you, has she?" Angel shakes his head, a confused look on his face. "What I'm saying is, ask her to the dance. No sex. No stolen moments. A simple date. A tux. Some flowers. Maybe it'll work. I doubt it, but you've proven yourself to me, and to a considerable extent, Giles. Anything beyond that..." With that said, Xander unlocked the car and handed him a set of business cards with XLH initialing on the back. "I already have accounts set up; they're expecting you. They'll deliver it to the Library in a couple of days. Later."
Angel stood on the sidewalk for five minutes pondering the implications of Harris' words. 'I never thought I'd pass the Xander Test' the vampire chuckled to himself. 'The wolf cub is full of surprises. Ah, well time to see Rupert about the prophecy.'
Park near the Bronze
A car is parked in the distance with its windows all fogged up. Buffy comes falling into the field of view in slow motion and hits the ground hard on her back and exhales. Inside the car Cordelia breaks off her kiss with Kevin.
"What was that?" Cordelia asks.
"What was what?" the teen asks, not caring.
Outside the car, Buffy props herself up from the hood, facing four vamps as a large vampire approaches her, growling, from the side.
"Someone's out there, Kevin," Cordelia asserts.
"That's silly! Who would be out there?" the youth asks, starting to clear a window to see Buffy roll in a reverse somersault and come up standing, ready to fight. Kevin and Cordelia watch as a car approaches their car and the other four figures without really slowing.
The vampire growls at Buffy as she pulls a stake out from under her jacket behind her back and holds it pointing out from her hips
so the vampire can see. He frowns at the sight of it as Buffy puts on an evil smile that enrages the walking corpse. It charges and –
The other car screeches in a swinging halt, Cordelia and Kevin bolting from the car as four bodies fly over and onto the theirs –
Buffy lunges at her opponent with an out-to-in crescent kick, and then follows up with throwing the stake into its unbeating heart. Looking around at the backlit Xander figure alighting from his sedan to silently pump crippling head shots into three vampires, she notices the last vamp is crawling atop Cordelia as Kevin flees in terror, his torso bleeding from claw marks.
Buffy and Xander race over, the young man kicking the vampire in the face hard enough to lift it off of his school nemesis. Buffy effortlessly stakes the exposed chest, dusting the vampire.
"Cordy," Xander asks, actually concerned, "you okay?"
Buffy helps him check Cordelia for injuries, setting her on the hood of the car. Cordelia responds. "Yeah, I'm okay. Where's Kevin?! And what were those things?!"
"Those were, uh, gang members on pcp, Cordelia," Xander demurred. "As soon the car screeched, they ran off...and so did Kevin."
"Don't hand me that load of crap, Xander Harris!" Cordelia Chase replied. "I'm not some sheep to believe anything you say, Loser. What were those things that interrupted my date!"
"Okay, fine," Xander said sighing as he helped her to her feet and then looted a vampire. "Those were vampires. They are real. We get rid of them. It's what we do." He staked the vampire, dusting it, "Any questions?"
"Who's going to pay my dry cleaning bill for this?" the girl complained as she tried to remove the last of the dirt.
"No problem with vampires?" Buffy asked.
"Of course I have problems with vampires," Cordelia smarted off. "They've ruined a perfectly good dress."
"It's hardly noticeable, Cordy," Xander promised, looting a second vampire and handing Cordelia thirty dollars. "Here's for your dry cleaning. Do you need a ride home or an escort to the Bronze? Kevin seems to have run off with his keys."
"Bronze," she replied. "I can call a cab from there."
"Okay, I just need another minute," Xander replied, looting and finishing the last vampire.
"That's disgusting, you know," Cordelia remarked.
"You want to give the money back? It disappears when they dust?" Xander smirked. "Also, part of everything retrieved from these evil bastards, I donate to the various victim assistance missions and churches throughout the county."
"Wow, no," Cordelia replied without an insult or scathing word. She'd definitely not expected the response he'd given, "So do you two do this every night?"
"Almost every night," Buffy explained. "But nearly...oh, Xan... three in one blow...with a car. Giles would be so proud."
"The librarian's in on this?" Cordelia exclaimed. "Who else knows about this? Why doesn't everybody?"
"Well," Buffy began. "We do it because somebody has to. And people really don't want to know about this stuff. And there are only a few who fight."
"And we'd appreciate it if you didn't tell any one what we do," Xander said. "Vampires have a way of finding out information, and keeping quiet about who we are gives us an advantage to match their strength and speed. And besides, if you tell, people will think you're crazy."
They reached the Bronze and went inside, Cordelia turning to them, "Thank you for helping me tonight. If you two hadn't been there, they'd have eaten me and Kevin...and I'm not used to thanking people so that's it." With that said, she headed over to her herd, complaining about the robbery attempt and that Harris and that Summers of all people had bailed her out.
SHS Library
Angel had learned through sources that the Master was planning a big attack the night of his prophesied rising, hiring nearly one hundred vampires and four 'masters' from Los Angeles and the coastal communities, paying them with treasure hoarded away and not given to Taraka.
"A-A hundred vampires," Giles stuttered. "A-are you sure, Angel?"
"I'm afraid so," the vampire replied. "And that doesn't count the ones attracted just to jump on the bandwagon should the Master open the hellmouth. My guess is another hundred are lurking about, and a few other demon types as well. But none of them are likely to join in until they know the Master is free. The two demon bars are packed, the to-go orders for...blood have nearly drained the reserves of the town. And half the blood stocks of the hospital were stolen early this morning."
"I-I haven't finished translating the Codex passages yet, probably tomorrow. Tea?" Giles asks, getting up to make some.
"Sure," Angel replies, going over the translations on the desk. They sit down at Giles' desk and the librarian reads the next part of the Codex, "Ho korias phanaytie toutay... tay nuktee. 'The Master shall rise...' Yes, yes, this is it! 'The Master shall rise, and the Slayer...' My God!"
They consider what Giles has just read for a moment and then reaches for his tea. The cups begin to jiggle, and they look at them curiously. A few seconds later the whole building begins to shake, and they realize it's an earthquake.
Bronze
Xander walks up to Buffy, Amy Madison and Willow with drinks; Marcy is at home studying.
"Hey, how about the four of us dance?" Xander suggests, then adds with a particularly bad Zorro accent, "I've a-managed to a-vanquish 5 ½ vamps tonight and feel...manly."
Amy and Willow smile and start to get up, but Buffy waves at her somewhat dusty appearance. Amy and Willow each grab her by the hand, Amy joking, "Don't hurt the alpha-wolf's feelings, Buff. We don't want to bring out the puppy-dog eyes."
"And besides, Buff," Xander added. "I wanted to dance with the three loveliest gals ever to grace the floor of the Bronze..." the girls 'aaaahed' then he added when they were half-way to the floor, "but Cordelia and the Cordettes were busy...OW! Ow! And Ow?!"
They'd been dancing for two fast songs, Xander far less-spastic than usual and the Cordelia herd was passing by when all of a sudden Xander stopped and yelled, "Earthquake coming! Everybody to safety!"
Xander quickly grabbed Cordelia and Willow, heading for under the stairs, shouting at the others to join them as the world shook. People panic. Xander They get under the stairs, and both Willow and Cordelia grab onto a step from underneath to steady themselves. Seeing the idiot Cordettes out on the dance floor milling around in panic like sheep as their athlete boyfriends abandon them to race for the doors, Xander pulls them toward the staircase as a skylight drops to the dance floor. Seven pairs of eyes gawk at the be-muscled Xander Harris as he rips up his shirt to bandage their small hurts.
SHS Library
Giles comes out of his office and sees several bookshelves fall over as the walls and the floor sustain severe damage. Angel is taking cover in the main doorway.
SHS Library the Next Morning
Giles comes out of his office and walks over to the cage. Buffy comes in and greets him, "Good morning!"
She looks around at all the damage. Giles looks at her like he's just
seen a ghost, a dazed look in his eyes.
"Wow. The damage looks fairly structural," she remarks. "Are we safe in here?"
"No! Uh, and, and yes, we're, we're safe," Giles responds, coming out of his haze. "Uh, but probably best not to go up there."
"How're you doin' there, Giles?" she continued. "Get much sleep last night?"
"Um... I-I-I've been working."
"I went hunting last night, and it is awfully sweet of you to ask. It's getting hairy out there, Giles. I killed three vampires last night, and one of them was practically on school grounds. Xander got three with his car," she dead-panned.
"Their numbers are increasing," he replied distractedly, then, "with his c-car?"
"Yep, it was different," she replied, chuckling. "I guess vamps really can fly!" With that she headed to class.
SHS at Night
Cut outside the school at night. Cut to the girls' locker room. Buffy
shuts her gym locker. Two girls walk by chatting. Buffy plays with a
stake as she heads to the sinks and puts it down on one. She looks at
herself in the mirror and absently turns on the water. After looking in
the mirror another moment she looks down and sees that blood is pouring from the faucet.
SHS Library
Buffy enters the library, mumbling about the faucet when she hears Giles talking and looks into his office, "It's clear. It's what's gonna happen. Uh, it's happening now!"
Angel moves into the light to read the Codex, and Buffy sees him. She quietly moves to listen.
"It can't be. You've gotta be wrong," the souled vampire declares, pained.
"I've checked it against all my other volumes, Angel" Giles replies, "It's very real."
"Well, there's gotta be some way around it," Angel dismisses, "especially when we have so many of the master's mercenary vampires coming in to help him.
"Listen. Some prophecies are, are a bit dodgy. They're, they're
mutable. Buffy herself has, has thwarted them time and time again, but this is the Codex. There is nothing in it that does not come to pass."
"Then you're reading it wrong," Angel asserts. "Maybe we should read it to Xander? He seems to interpret things like a killer or a wolf. Maybe we're missing some simple loophole?"
"I wish to God I were unsure! But it's very plain! Tomorrow night Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." Buffy, stunned.remains quiet.
"Well, have you verified the text?" Angel asks as Buffy begins to laugh. Angel and Giles see her and exchange a look as she slowly starts to walk away from the office door. Angel comes out of the
office after her. She stops by the table and faces them. Giles stands in his office doorway.
"So that's it, huh?" she starts with a whisper, gaining in volume. "I remember the drill. One Slayer dies, next one's called! Wonder who she is. Will you train her? Or will they send someone else?"
"Buffy, I..."
"They say how he's gonna kill me? Do you think it'll hurt?" Tears are flowing freely from her eyes. Angel tries to hug her, but she puts up her hands and quickly steps away.
"Don't touch me!" she yells, then to Giles, "Were you even gonna tell me?"
"I was hoping that I wouldn't have to," he replied quietly. "That there was... some way around it. I..."
"I've got a way around it." She decided, "I quit!"
"It's not that simple." Angel sighs.
"I'm making it that simple! I quit!" she asserts loudly. "I resign, I-I'm fired, you can find someone else to stop the Master from taking over!
"I'm not sure that anyone else can," Giles began, "All the... the signs
indicate..."
"The signs?" she disbelieves, throwing a book at him. "READ ME THE SIGNS! TELL ME MY FORTUNE! YOU'RE SO USEFUL SITTING HERE WITH ALL YOUR BOOKS! YOU'RE REALLY A LOTTA HELP!"
"No, I don't suppose I am," Giles conceded.
"I know this is hard..." Angel attempted.
"What do you know about this Angel?" she glared, "You're never gonna die!"
"You think I want anything to happen to you?" Angel choked. "Do you think I could stand it? We just gotta figure out a way..."
"I already did. I quit, remember?" she replied, angry. "Pay attention!"
"Buffy, if the Master rises..." Giles started.
"I don't care!" she yells, yanking her cross from her neck. "I
don't care. Giles, I'm sixteen years old. I don't wanna die."
Giles is at a loss as Buffy throws her cross down. Angel doesn't know what to say as she backs away. She turns around to walk out of the library when Xander, standing in the doorway, stops her with his left hand to her right shoulder.
"You're not going to die, Buff," the young man said, looking her directly in the eyes. "I intend for you to stick around to be the first slayer to become a grandma."
"B-but..." the girl began, then burst into sobbing. "H-how can you (sob) p-promise that?"
"I'll make some calls," Xander demurred, then glared at the older males, "we'll look at it simplistically than kill every vampire that threatens you. Come on, I'll drive you home why the geezers keep looking.
SHS Halls, Next Day
Cordelia and Willow are coming down the stairs, Cordelia going on about every little thing, "Oh, Kevin said that he'd bring everything to the Bronze last night. He promised! We'll never get everything ready in time."
"He probably forgot. We can get it done," Willow assured her, "It's not that big a deal."
"Uh, you don't understand. I'm not mad! He totally flaked on me. On me! And I don't even care. God help me, I think it's cute! Oh..."
Willow smiles as they reach the Audio-Visual room to see Kevin and his friends through the windows.
"There they are! They're watching cartoons. That's so cu..." Cordelia begins, then catches herself, "That's not cute. That's annoying. I'm annoyed."
"Right," Willow agrees. "I'm furious."
"Men. I don't know why we put up with them."
"I hear ya."
"Obviously, Kevin has underestimated the power of my icy stare," Cordelia asserts as she opens the door. Kevin's body falls out into the hall with a vampire bite on his neck. He and all his friends are dead.
"Oh, my God! Kevin!" Cordelia screams, kneeling next to his body. "No!"
Willow looks up and slowly goes into the room. She sees the death and devastation, a bloody handprint on the TV screen.
Summers House. Buffy's Room.
She's wearing her new white prom gown, and is looking at herself in the mirror. Her mom comes rushing in, "Buffy?! There's something on the news. Willow."
Willows room, facing the Sunset.
"I've seen so much," Willow cried, on her bed hugging her knees, "too much. I thought I could take anything. But, Buffy, this... this was different."
"It'll be alright," Buffy assured her friend.
"I'm trying to think how to say it..." Willow continued, "to explain it so you understand."
"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay."
"I'm not okay. I knew those guys. I go to that room every day. And when I walked in there today, it... it wasn't our world anymore. Those...things...made it theirs. And they had fun. What are we
gonna do?"
"What we have to," Buffy assures her, quietly exhaling. "Promise me you'll stay in tonight, okay?" Willow nods. Buffy starts to go.
"Buffy?" Willow calls out, causing Buffy to stop and turns back, "I like your dress." Buffy looks down at it and smiles weakly, then looks back up.
"Take care, Willow," Buffy smiles sadly and leaves as Willow looks down sadly and stays on her bed.
Master's lair
The Master tests his confines as Collin watches, heading off to retrieve Buffy for his Master.
"Soon," the large evil vampire lord asserts, "Soon."
SHS Library fifteen minutes before Sunset
Giles is getting weapons out of the cage and prepares them as Ms. Calendar discusses the situation with him.
"Okay, so this Master guy tried to open the Hellmouth," she reiterates. "But he got stuck in it, and now all the signs are reading that he's gonna get out, which opens the Hellmouth, which brings the demons, which ends the world."
"Yes," he nods, "That about sums it up, yes."
"The part that gets me, though, is where Buffy is the Vampire Slayer. She's so little."
"You know how to get in touch with this, uh, brother Luca chap?"
"Hmm. As far as I can tell, no one can. He's disappeared. Did send out one last global though. A short one."
"What did it say?"
"Isaiah 11:6, which I dutifully looked up."
"'The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down
with the kid, the calf, the lion and the fatling together, and the
little child to lead them.'"
"That's kinda warm and fuzzy for a message of doom."
"Well, that depends where he's leading them to. Aurelius wrote of
the Anointed One, 'The Slayer will not know him, and he will lead her into Hell.'"
"So Luca thinks the Anointed is a kid."
"If the vampire that Buffy killed was in fact not the Anointed,
then it may well be."
"Well, then we need to warn her."
"I don't intend involving her at all."
"What do you mean?"
"Buffy's not gonna face the Master. I am."
"No, you're not." Buffy interrupts with emphasis. They turn to look over and see her approaching.
"So, I'm looking for a kid, huh? And he'll lead me to the Master?"
"Buffy, I'm not gonna send you out there to die. Now, you were
right. I-I've waded around in these old books for so long, I've
forgotten what the real world is like. I-it's time I found out. A-And besides, Xander is rounding up some firepower. He figured you'd go without him, and is 'planning to clear a way so wide the high school would fit in it.'"
"You're still not going up against the Master, Giles."
"I've made up my mind. I c-can't let you throw your life away."
"That's not how it goes. I'm the Slayer."
"I don't care what the books say. I defy prophecy, and I am
going. There's nothing you can say will change my mind."
"I know," she pretends to turn to go, but then throws a hard punch to his face, knocking him out. He falls backward to the floor. Ms. Calendar scrambles to his aid. Buffy sees her cross on the table and puts it back on. Ms. Calendar lifts Giles' head in her hands and gets under it with her knees, looking up at Buffy.
"When he wakes up tell him... I don't know. Think of something
cool, tell him I said it."
"You fight the Master, and you'll die, Buffy," Ms. Calendar said. "At least wait for Xander, see what's up that underhanded sleeve of his."
"No, I won't let him die, too," Buffy replied sadly, picking up a crossbow. "Maybe I'll take the Master down with me." She leaves the library. Ms. Calendar turns her attention to Giles.
Outside the school
Buffy walks a short distance, looking all around, when she comes upon Collin. She lowers the crossbow and walks over to him.
"It's okay," She tells he small vampire. "I know who you are."
Collin holds out his hand. She takes it, and he starts to lead her away
to the Master.
Angel's apartment.
The door of Angel's apartment is kicked open; the ensouled vampire who'd reverted to moping looked up in shock as Alexander Harris in full fighting regalia entered the room. Walking over to a now-standing Angel, Xander looks the vampire straight in the eye, "You know about this prophecy about Buffy going to fight the Master? Even knowing there's going to be a hundred vampires charging around the streets?"
"He'll kill her..." Angel responded, starting to put on his duster and arm up.
"Rumor has it. Only we're not gonna let it happen."
"Well, what do you propose we do about it?"
"Look, I know you can find this Master guy. He's underground, right? WE kill everything that moves between us and him...Darla, the vampires, whatever. Buffy lives."
"You're way outta your league, Xander. The Master'll kill you before
you can even breathe. If you're lucky."
"How can I say this clearly? We're going. I still don't know if I even like you. At the end of the day, I pretty much think you're a vampire. But Buffy's got this big old yen for you. She thinks you're a real person. And right now I need you to prove her right.
"You're in love with her."
"The real question is...aren't you?"
Angel finished gearing up, even grabbing the extra firearms and ammunition Xander kept stored. Reaching the street, Angel in a big cloak as the sun was just beginning to set, a large black step van pulled up, two familiar Xander relatives visible. Opening the rear panels, four more SWAT-armored black-clothed figures helped them to the front.
"Where to, Xan?" Hondo asked his nephew. "We got your 'Brando Signal' and called in some back up. They're taking our word for it, so you better have a few vamps for us to dust."
"Brando Signal?" Amy asked from under her SWAT-outfitting.
"Apocalypse Now," Angel chuckled, regaining his equilibrium for the fight. Then, seriously, "about a hundred vampires, some of them might be armed like street gangs. Xander's thinking we kill everything that's not a short blonde cheerleader."
"We're going in as a single force from the entry point in the most direct line between the Master and the most numerous victims," Xander announced. "The plan is to blast through to the lair, obliterate the Master and as many minions as possible, then exit the second-most direct way. If Buffy is en route either way, we'll get her out of there. Neither her nor Giles listened to my suggestion of not going in the first place and ignoring the prophecy. Once we exit, we'll split into two teams, one to the Bronze and the other to the library. Using radios we'll keep in contact. Any questions?"
"Why are we taking orders from a kid?" Sanchez asked, looking over at Street and Hondo.
"You're not," Hondo answered. "He's giving you the mission briefing, and hunts these things which are 4-5 times stronger and twice as fast as humans. We'll split into two teams one behind the other. They tell us our route, we handle the getting there. Any other questions?" None were asked. Angel gave directions and ten minutes later they debarked.
The tunnels
Collin guides Buffy in. She has the crossbow up and
ready. He leads her down some stairs and into a round side tunnel.
SHS Library
Giles comes out of the stacks with an armful of books, "The Master is as old as any vampire on record. There's no telling how powerful he'll be if he reaches the surface."
"Okay," Ms. Calendar poses, "here's my question: the Hellmouth opens...Where? If he's underground, and it's right where he is,
where's it gonna open?"
"Good point. Uh, well, look, you have a look through the Black
Chronicles..." he says, handing her a book, then turns to Willow.
"Uh, Willow? Willow?"
"Huh?" she says, coming out of her own world.
"Could you look through the local histories, please," the librarian directed. "Check for any common denominators, uh, locations of incidences and such."
"Right, okay."
Master's lair
Collin stops, and Buffy looks at him. He points down below, inviting her to enter, and leaves the way they came. Buffy watches him go. Then she turns and makes her way down to the floor below. She looks around. There are hundreds of candles burning everywhere.
"Welcome," The Master's voice seems to be coming from all directions.
"Thanks for having me," she retorts as The Master steps into the light to look at her. "Y'know, you really oughtta talk to your contractor. Looks like you got some water damage."
"Oh, good. The feeble banter portion of the fight. Why don't we just cut to the..."
Buffy spins around and launches a bolt in the direction of his voice.
With his lightning reflexes the Master catches it in mid-flight right in
front of him at chest level. Buffy quickly reloads the bow.
"Nice shot," the Master retorts.
The tunnels
Xander and Angel reach an intersection and stop, Angel looks in both directions, trying to remember the way. He remembers and walks past Xander, gunfire and vampire poofing the sounds in the background.
Master's lair
"You're not going to kill me with that thing," the Master 'assures' her confidently.
"Don't be so sure," she replies to the darkness.
"You still don't understand your part in all this, do you? You
are not the hunter. You are the lamb."
SHS Library
Giles and Ms. Calendar are at the table studying their volumes, Willow at the computer. "Well, let's think about this, then," Giles considers aloud. "The vampires have been gathering, they know he's coming, they will be his army."
"Do you think they'll gather at the Hellmouth?" Ms. Calendar asks.
"Well," Willow recollected, "the last time the Master tried to rise was the Harvest. He sent a bunch of vampires to get him fresh blood."
"Well, where did that go down?" the computer teacher asked.
"T-That club, The Bronze" Giles replied.
"The Prom!" Willow exclaimed. "We have to warn them."
"We'll go, Willow," the teacher asserted. "Rupert, you have to concentrate on demon killing. My car's in the lot." Willow and Ms. Calendar start out of the library.
"Stay close together," Giles calls after them with concern, "and for goodness' sake, be careful!"
"We will," they both call back over their shoulders.
Master's lair
Buffy is slowly walking around, searching for the Master, still hearing the reports and echoes of gunfire getting closer. She comes upon a dead and rotted body. She continues her search, hoping that her unplanned backup shows up soon.
"You know, for someone who's all powerful, you sure do like to hide," she complains to the unseen vampire lord.
"I'm waiting for you," the undead creature responded facetiously. "I want this moment to last." The intermittent gunfire and shouts grew slowly closer.
She searches for a few moments longer, then the Master suddenly comes to stand right behind her, "I understand."
The Master knocks the crossbow out of her hands as she tries to turn around. He grabs her by the neck.
SHS Parking Lot
Ms. Calendar digs in her bag for her keys as she and Willow head for her car, Willow beginning to worry aloud. "What if they get to the Bronze before we do?" the red headed teen asked, looking behind them.
"Don't need to worry about that!" the teacher exclaimed as she looked up.
"Why not?" the teen asked, confused.
"'Cause they're not goin' to the Bronze." She said as they look out onto the field and see a hoard of vampires approaching. They look across the parking lot and see more of them. They turn to go back and see even more of them blocking their way. They're surrounded by dozens, though most don't look in their direction.
Master's lair
He has his hand around Buffy's throat. She swings usp with her arm, knocks his hand away and starts to run. He holds his hand out toward her and she freezes, caught by his hypnotic powers. She looks back at him and can't move. He approaches her, making slow twisting motions with his hand. He comes up behind her, gently takes off
her leather jacket and lets it fall to the ground. Buffy is panting hard
with fear. The gunfire and screams are getting closer.
"You tried. It was noble of you," the Master consoled the Slayer. "You heard the prophecy that I was about to break free and you came to stop me. But prophecies are tricky creatures. They don't tell you everything." He leans close to whisper during a lull in the noise of nearby combat, "You're the one that sets me free! If you hadn't come, I couldn't go. Think about that!"
Buffy is frozen with fear, realizing her 'quitting' and Xander's telling her not to come here were the right decisions...and she'd failed. The Master waits a moment longer and then bends down and bites her at the base of her neck, only drinking a few sips and lets her go, anxious to depart his prison.
"Oh, God! The power!" he shouts, letting her drop to her knees. "And by the way...I like your dress." She falls face down into the pool of water.
He steps over to the edge of his confines and pushes against the field. He forces his hand through, and his confines break down in a burst of light and energy. He starts up and out of his lair. Just outside he hears a great deal of gunfire, and exits in a different direction.
The tunnels
Angel and Xander see the light coming out of an adjoining tunnel.
"What was that?" Xander presses Angel, hoping his expectations wouldn't be met.
"It's too late, Buffy was here," Angel sighs. "He's gone up."
They break into a run for the Master's lair, Angel gets there first, and scrambles down to the floor and rushes to her as Xander reaches the lair's entrance. Xander stops and stares at Buffy in the pool. Angel reaches her and quickly pulls her out of the water. He holds her and tries to listen for breathing. Nothing. He looks up at Xander as he approaches, "She's dead!"
"No, she's not dead yet," Xander looks down at them and swallows hard. "If she drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR!"
"You have to do it. I have no breath," Angel stated.
Xander kneels down by her and puts his mouth on hers and blows
into her lungs. He lets go and begins to pump her chest. "Okay, do you remember the chest pumping I showed you and the others?"
"Yeah," Angel nodded, taking over that part. "I'm sure."
For three minutes the two keep up the CPR, as finally the other team members finish securing the nearest chambers. After another moment Xander stops pumping. Angel believes her lost. A second later Buffy opens her eyes wide and draws a breath as she lies recovering. Turning to cough out a bunch of water, she notices Xander and Angel looking at each other smiling. Xander puts his hand on Buffy's forehead and strokes it gently. She looks up at him, surprised to see him.
"Buffy," Xander says as Hondo comes over.
"Xander?" she replies stunned, hugging him.
"Welcome back," he replies, smelling her hair before passing her off to Angel. As the two made eyes at each other and kissed, Xander noticed the body of a child on the far side of the lair, and the rage built as he heard the tally only reach forty-five known dustings.
"It hurt the Pack," Xander began, eyes and face expressionless with cold berserker rage, but eyes shining green-gold. "It ends tonight!" With that and two Eagles drawn, Xander raced out of the chamber, hot on the scent of the Master and his gathering hoard.
"Angel! Buffy!" Hondo shouted as the team readied to race after. "Xander's gone berserk on us, like he can bloodhound this guy!"
"He can," Angel replied, checking his weapons to suddenly see Buffy determinedly rush by. "Let's hurry."
"How do you know which way he's heading?" Street asked.
"Listen to the gunfire and just keep up with me," Angel called over his shoulder as they raced after him mostly in formation.
School parking lot
Ms. Calendar and Willow rush to get in Cordelia's car and away from the vampires.
"I was on my way to find you guys when all of a sudden these things are coming at me!" Cordelia exclaimed, all three then screaming as a vampire jumps on top of the car.
"What do we do now?" Ms. Calendar asks.
"We've gotta get to the library!"
"Library! Great!" shouts Cordelia, "But first I'm pulling a Harris on these...THINGS!" She burns rubber and swerves back and forth at high speed to crash into and run over as many vampires as possible. As she makes a fast U-turn, throwing the vampire off of the roof of her car, she heads toward the school building having gained them a few seconds of leeway. The car's engine roars as Cordelia guns it toward the doors.
"Of course, we generally walk there." Willow added weakly, as they raced through the halls and toward the library.
Vampires are running into the hall as the girls reach the library screaming, and just manage to push the doors closed just as two dozen vampires get there. They lean against the door gasping as Giles comes out of his office.
"What's happening?!" he asks above the noise of vampires in the halls.
"Guess!" Ms. Calendar retorts as a vampire punches through the small round window in one of the doors and grabs at them, "Vampires and lots of them!"
Giles grabs a bookcase and begins to carry it over to the door when they hear activity from the stacks. Willow grabs a sign and starts hitting the vampire's arm with it. Giles hands Cordelia a super-soaker and then calls to the others, "Why are they coming here?! Everybody except Cordelia, help me move the tables near the French doors. It'll delay the other vampires from getting in!"
In the back of the library, a green tentacle is worming its way up through the cracks in the floor.
SHS Library Roof
The Master opens the roof access door and walks out. He looks at the view around him of the town at night and smiles. He walks to the edge of the roof and holds his arms out as he surveys the scene, "My world! Oh, my beautiful world!"
Outside the Library
Buffy, with an ammo and soaker-depleted Xander close on her heels, hurls herself into a mob of milling vampires blocking her access to the roof. Staking, punching and kicking, she forces her way through the press of dead flesh, Xander using a mop stick with broken ends to stab left and right in her wake as she breaks 'em and he dusts 'em while they're stunned. Ten of twenty vampires dust in half a minute, the others leaping away in fear at the surprise that any mortls would attack such a large grouping. Blood and scent in the air, and seeing another bunch of 'fresh' vamps racing up, Xander's eyes glow green-gold, "Buffy! I got your back, you get melt-face!"
Nodding, she races upward as Xander pulls out his shotgun and loses the last of his control, opening up as seventeen undead briefly pause, then leap forward. Holding the trigger down, shot after shot punch into the corpses, screams of pain and outrage filling the halls as Xander Harris rolls low and to the right, never stopping his shooting, but managing to have the charging undead continue to attack the spot he'd been defending. Eight shots face-high, eight eruptions of silvered and wood pellets at point-blank range, sixteen seconds and it came down to a clawed and bruised Xander staring at the back of a lone and seemingly unaware vampire reaching through a window.
Inside the Library.
The French doors are giving way under the wait of twenty vampires, a vengeful scar-faced Darla urging them on. "Get in there!" the vampires shrieks. "They must all die now!"
"Retreat to the weapons cage, hurry!" Giles calls out over the noise as the vampires begin to break in, "Miss Chase! Hurry now!"
Cordelia alone at the main doors, makes to comply as another vampire punches through the other library door window and grabs Cordelia's arm. "Somebody help!" Cordelia screams as she hits the vampire's hand and then bites it. The vampire screams and lets go.
"See how you like it!" she yells watching the arm turn to dust, and backs away from the main doors a minute later as they're wrenched aside.
Outside the Main Library Doors
The last of the eighteen vampires die as Xander's munitions and holy water run out. Adrenalized and fighting for his pack, he wasted no time quickly using a broken mop handle to dust the vampire bodies he'd grounded. A minute later he pushes into the library, eyes flashing a dark green and gold as he sees his pack assaulted by animate corpses...and Darla...
"DARLA!" the teen bellows as he charges, police baton and mop stick in hand.
"HARRIS!" the vampire shrieks and races with vampiric speed directly at him, claws and fury her weapons as she loses all sentience with the need to kill. Her score of vampires pause briefly at schock of an old one unleashing so completely on a mere mortal, and awed at the speed and insanity. As the two blurs meet, the mortal hurls thebaton at the face, for a fraction of a second distracting the vampires as with both hands he lances her full-force into her torso.
Giles and the girls fired crossbows and used the last of their holy water in a futile attempt to keep their opponents off guard as they retreated into the cage and locked it. Of the ten vampires attacking they'd killed two and enraged four more, all of whom were ripping at the metal encasement.
Bottom of the Hallway Stairs
Six vampires race against Hondo, Street and Sanchez, the three tired and bleeding fighters, opening up with their last few rounds. Two vampires dust instantly, and three more are taken down with head shots. The last vampire in bloodlust rages forward to have its body pierced with three sharpened and bloodied police batons...turning to dust in confusion as Sanchez is knocked to the ground.
SHS Library Rear Entrance
Angel and the other five members of his group reach the library back door, finding it forced aside and vampires pushing inward. Two turn and attack Angel, while four go after the visible members. Marcy's invisibility lets her stake one, then another vamp as Amy rolls free and uses the last of her holy water. Angel dusts one, and knocks another back into the library. The souled vampire turns and stakes a vampire in the back, narrowly missing the heart, but allowing a cop to finish the job. Angel shouts over, "You help the rest! I'm heading in to help the people inside!"
Inside the Library
The incredible shriek of agony as the wood forces itself from her front right collarbone down through her insides until it pierces out her left kidney silences the fight in the library as all watch in awe as Xander and Darla fight all-out, Human/Nature-Spirit versus Vampire so-enraged that the black demonic energy radiates from the energized corpse. Angel now in the room goes wide-eyed at the sight and Darla's shriek, the smell of the very blood magic that turns a vampire radiating hotly and hitting himself and the other vampires with a wave of nausea from the intensity, and the power in the shocked voice of the Master as he looks down on his Childe's plight distracting all as the huge, green, multi-headed and tentacled demon bursts through the floor, grabbing two injured minions.
"The Hellmouth!" Giles gasps loudly as the caged group of humansa can't believe their eyes. The creature has three heads and reaches all the way to the ceiling.
SHS Library Roof Skylight
The Master looks in through the skylight and claps his hands in anticipation as the demon's presence might avenge his favorite childe should she fall, "Yes. Come forth, my child. Come into my world."
"I don't think it's yours just yet," Buffy interrupts, dusting the last of his four guards. The Master turns his head and stares at her in surprise.
"You're dead!" the evil vampire shouts in angered disbelief.
"I may be dead, but I'm still pretty," she retorts, staking a minion trying to sneak up on her. "Which is more than I can say for you."
"You were destined to die! It was written!"
"What can I say? I flunked the written," she quipped, positioning herself for an attack. "And I have friends who brought me back for the make-up exam."
The Master growls and reaches his arm out to try his hypnosis on her
Again, "Come here!"
Entrances to the Library
The remaining cops and scoobies block the exits with their tired bodies as they stop in stunned silence as the Hellmouth creature tries
to drag away two more vampires. Three remaining vampires notice Angel and lunge forward intent on his demise. "Angelus! Die!"
Angel braces for the sudden impact, when two stakes flash out in front of him and stab forward, dusting two vampires as the third and the currently-invisible Marcie Ross tumble into a heap atop him, the vampire confused and the girl screaming.
"GIIILES!" Ms. Calendar screams. "We have to help Marcie!" Giles grabs an ax from the table and rushes out of the cage to the aid of Marcie and Angel as Amy and the police find themselves fending off the advances of the hell-beast.
"Mr. Giles," shouts Marcy as he gets up close, "I'm clear!" He swings it into the soulless vampire's head, and the creature roars in agony as it turns to dust.
The Hellmouth
The last of the rounds empty and the hell-beast smacks away the cops and the scoobies as they try to stab it with whatever is on hand. Xander and Darla face off, again, her swipes ineffectual with a mopstick through her body and pressing the spine. Xander reclaims his baton and proceeds to wail on her head repeatedly, letting out all the pain he's ever felt as one of the heads of the hell-beast lowers close to revel in the waves of pain and anger the two radiate. Darla flings herself toward a Xander fallen to his back, only to have him curl his legs under her and push her off into the open maw of the demon. He leaps to his feet and pulls at the mop-stick, lancing the beast in the main eye as it dusts the wrecked and shrieking vampiress. The demon writhes in pain, tentacle lifting him up but allowing the others to take unblocked swipes that caused the tentacles to loosen again. Xander stands below the skylight atop an overturned table, spear upright and ready.
Roof
Buffy slowly approaches the Master, apparently hypnotized. He grabs her by the throat again, scornfully addressing her, "Did you really think you could best me here when you couldn't below?"
She skips the banter, hearing the battle below, taking advantage as they hear Darla's shrieking suddenly ends. As the Master screams in loss, Buffy swings a wide hard punch to his mouth, and he falls down, then follows up with kick that connects squarely with his face.
Buffy launches herself into a front tuck over his head and lands between him and the skylight. She kicks him in the side with a side snap kick, but he quickly turns around and grabs her by the neck again, "Where are your jibes now?"
She looks behind her and sees the upended tables and Xander with his bloodied 'spear' pointing up toward the skylight, and lets out a chuckle.
"You laugh when my Hell is on Earth?"
"You're that amped about Hell..." she says, flipping him over herself and through the skylight. "Go there!" He falls down and is impaled...
Library Main Floor
...on Xander's mop handle, knocking the exhausted youth to the floor. The Master slowly turns to ash until only his skeleton is left. Buffy watches from above, as the others brace themselves for more pain when the Hellmouth creature quickly disappears back into the floor. The vampires are all gone.
Xander gets out from under the nasty remains of the undead lord, shucking himself of nearly every item into the cage as the others check themselves over. Xander reaches the cage, hangs his coat over the front of it and his other clothes, strips down to his boxers and upends, rubs some cleaner on himself, particularly his face and hair, as Buffy makes her way into the Library. Angel glances to see the youth up-end a five gallon container of drinking water over his head and head into the covered cage, waving him over. Angel gives Buffy a quick side-hug and disappears.
"The vampires?" Giles asks after a minute.
"Gone," Hondo responds. "The ones we didn't kill here or in the tunnels have had enough now that the leader's gone."
"The Master?" Sanchez asked, entering the conversation.
"Dead. The Hellmouth is closed," the librarian said, Ms. Calendar leaning against him comfortably, "Buffy...Buffy?"
"Oh, sorry. It's just been a really weird day," she replies with a smile. "I didn't really expect to be here, with the dying and all."
"I should have known that a prophecy wouldn't stop you," Giles responded affectionately.
Buffy smiles up at him again, "It did, but friends started me up again."
"Well, what do we do now?" Ms. Calendar asks as they all gather.
"I don't know about the rest of you," Giles sighed. "but I'd like to get out of this place. I don't like the library very much anymore."
"Hey! I hear there's a dance at the Bronze tonight," Xander calls out and heads turn. Angel, also attired in formal wear adds, "Could be fun." The others look at the two clean-looking fighters, and in spite of exhaustion smile.
"Yeah!" Cordelia exclaimed. "Xander, you're with me."
"Me, too!" Willow and Amy exclaim, Willow realizing she's suitably attired, and Amy running into the office. "Five minutes, my dress is in here!"
Marcie calls out, "Not me, I'm too tired. Cocoa, a book and a trashy romance for me."
"We'll handle scene clean-up," Street says, "If you kids still have energy, go have fun. We'll talk tomorrow at Hondo's place since he has this custom twelve-person hot tob and I think us 'old people' will be soaking in it."
"Buffy?" Angel asks, elbow out.
"Sure! We saved the world. I say we party!" she declares, then looks at her smudged dress. "I mean, I got all pretty."
Cordelia interrupts, handing her some large wipes, "Here, these'll get everything but rust and blood out, then use the dry ones to wick up the moisture so it doesn't sow the wet mark."
"And what about him?" Ms. Calendar asks, indicating the Master as they all file out, Amy dressed and touching up make up with the expected never-ending advice of Cordelia.
"He's not going anywhere," Buffy stated, "Loser."