Bridge the Vampire Slayer: Season I Chapter 2: The Harvest, a power rangers fanfic

Disclaimer: See previous answer.

Episode Two: The Harvest

Luke leaned in to bite Bridge's neck when he felt a searing pain. He screamed in pain and Bridge took the opportunity to push-kick him out of the coffin before climbing out himself and running out of the mausoleum. He looked at his neck and let a small smile appear on his face at the sight of the cross around his neck. Vampires would sustain burns from crosses and holy water.

He heard a scream and ran off to see Z being pinned to the ground by a vamp.

"Get off!" she screamed.

"Hey!" Bridge yelled and then knocked the vamp off Z by launching a snap kick. The vamp ran off while he helped her up and then, the Slayer was on the hunt again.

Jack was being dragged away by two vamps when Z came up, "JACK!" While the vampires were distracted, Bridge kicked one behind the knee-cap before high-punching the other. He spotted a dry branch above head and snapped it off, using it to turn both vamps into dust.

"Where's Jesse?" Bridge asked.

"They had us surrounded. The girl took him," Jack muttered.

'Which way?" Bridge asked urgently.

"Don't know."

Bridge scanned the area and sighed when he came up blank, "Jesse . . ."

Cruger leafed through a book while walking down the stairs to where Bridge, Z and Jack were waiting, "This world is older than you know and contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For eons, demons ruled over the world. They made it their home, their . . . Hell. They lost their grip on this reality and way was made for mortals and man. All that remains of the old ones is certain magicks, vestiges, certain creatures-"

"Like vampires," Bridge butted in.

Jack looked in between both of them, "Okay this is where I have a problem. We're talking about vampires. We are having a talk with vampires in it."

"Isn't that what we saw last night?" Z spoke up.

Bridge stammered slightly as he spoke up, "No. No, th-those weren't vampires. Those were just men in desperate need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could be rabies. And that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light." Jack gave him a look and he shrugged, "That is exactly what I said the first time. When I was done with the screaming part."

"Oh, I need to sit down," Z sighed.

"You are sitting," Bridge pointed out.

"Oh, good for me."

"So vampires are demons?" Jack asked Cruger.

"The books say that the last demon to leave this world infected a human, mixing their blood. The human form, possessed, bit another and another and so they now walk the earth, killing some, turning others. Waiting for mortals to die out and the old ones to return."

Luke shoved Jesse into the Master's lair, which was the remains of an old church. The Master walked up to them and eyed the human.

"Is this for me?" he asked in a gravely tone.

"An offering," Luke bowed.

"He's a good one. His blood is pure!" Darla said from behind Luke. The Master drew the obvious conclusion.

"You've tasted it."

Darla looked down in shame and the Master continued in an anger filled voice, "I am your faithful dog. You bring me scraps?!"

"I didn't mean-" she started out, but the Master spoke over her voice.

"For three score years, I have been stuck in this house of 'worship'," he spat the word out, "while you can come and go as you please. My ascension is near at hand. When it comes," he grabbed Darla by the neck, "pray that I am in a better mood."

Darla spoke in a fearful voice, afraid of the strength of the Master, "We had more offerings, but there was trouble. A girl!"

"And there was a boy," Luke offered. "He fought well and knew of our breed. It is possible that he may be a . . ."

"A Slayer!" the Master growled.

"And that would be a what?" Jack crossed his arms.

"For as long as there have been vampires, there has been a Slayer. One boy or girl in the entire world, a Chosen One," Cruger in a slightly dramatic voice.

Bridge rolled his eyes, "He loves doing this part."

"All right, vampires are real, Bridge is a Slayer, don't tell anyone. That's all the vampire information you need," Cruger ushered them out of the door.

"Whoa! How do you kill them?" Jack asked, refusing to move.

"You don't. I do!" Bridge said, mirroring Jack's posture.

"Jesse's my-"

"Jesse's my responsibility," Bridge interrupted, feeling guilt at the thought, "I let him get taken."

"That's not true!" Z protested. "If it weren't for you, I would have been taken too and does anyone mind if I pass out?"

"Breathe," Bridge said with a small smile.

"Breathe," Z repeated, doing said action.

"Breathe," Bridge nodded and turned to Cruger. "Luke said that he needed offerings to the Master for the Harvest. There may be a chance that Jesse is still alive."

"Do you know where they took him?" Cruger put his hands on the table.

"Nope. I looked around, but if they got out of the graveyard, they could've 'voom'!"

Jack cocked his head, "They can fly?"

"They can drive."

"Oh."

"I didn't hear a car," Z offered.

"Let's take an enormous intuitive leap and say they went underground," Cruger said with a hint of sarcasm.

"There's an electric tunnel which runs throughout the town," Jack pointed out.

"Yes, but we'd need the building commission plans to find the route," Cruger argued.

"We so don't have time," Bridge sighed, head in his hands.

"Uh, guys, there may be another way," Z spoke up nervously.

"A Slayer? Do you have any proof?" the Master asked Luke.

"He fought me and lives to tell about it."

"Ah, I can't remember the last time that happened," the Master nodded.

"1843, Madrid. He caught me sleeping," Luke said defensively.

"He mustn't interfere with the Harvest!"

"We have something he wants," Luke pointed at Jesse and then grabbed his neck.

"Congratulations. You've been upgraded from a meal to bait."

"There it is," Bridge pointed out the route on the city plans Z had found on the computer.

"It runs under the graveyard, but I can't find access," Jack squinted at it.

"So, all city plans are open to public?" Cruger asked her skeptically.

"Not really. I . . . stumbled upon them when I accidentally decrypted the security code of the city council," she said sheepishly.

"Someone's been naughty," Jack quipped.

"There's nothing here! This is useless!" Bridge angrily exclaimed.

"You're being rather hard on yourself," Cruger noted.

"HELLO! You were the one who told me I wasn't ready for this. Understatement!" he ran a hand through his hair. "Then this Luke comes out of nowhere-" he suddenly stopped, flashing back to the fight.

"What?" Z asked warily.

"He didn't come out of nowhere," Bridge said softly, his blue eyes narrowed slightly. "He came from behind me while I was facing the entrance. He didn't follow me out either. The entrance is in the mausoleum! The girl must have double-backed with Jesse! God, I am so mentally challenged!"

"So we saddle up?" Jack asked.

"Not we. Me. Cause I'm the Slayer and you're not!"

"I knew you were going to throw that in my face!" Jack pouted.

"We want to help," Z stood next to Jack.

"Help me then," Cruger sighed. "I've been researching the Harvest. It's some sort of preordained massacre. Rivers of blood, Hell on earth, quite charmless. It may be you can wrest some information from that dreaded machine . . ." he trailed off, noticing the teens giving him odd looks. "That was rather, uh, British, wasn't it?"

"Welcome to the New World," Bridge gave him a slightly happy smile.

"Z, go on the Net," Cruger ordered.

"I can do that!" Z nodded.

"Then I'm going to get Jesse," Bridge headed to the door.

"Do I have to tell you to be careful?" Cruger asked him. Bridge turned

to give him a withering glare before leaving.

"You know, it's incredible how he can change moods like that," Jack commented. "Is it a Slayer thing?"

Bridge strode out towards the open school gate and was about to leave when the Principal's voice came from behind him.

"Where are we going?"

"Um, Mr. Cruger wants me to get a book for him since I have a free period," Bridge answered quickly.

"Mr. Cruger?" Flutie frowned.

"You can ask him!" Bridge said defensively.

"Ah, that's probably how they do things in England," Flutie closed and locked the gate, "but here, we don't allow students off campus until school's out."

Bridge nodded and managed to give him one of his innocent smiles which fooled everyone. Flutie smiled back, "That's the Bridge Carson I want in my school! Sensible boy with his feet on the ground," he left.

Bridge waited until Flutie was out of site before muttering, "Sucker," with an eye roll and gathered himself into a crouch. He easily scaled the ten foot tall gate and ran in the direction of the graveyard.

Jack and Z walked to their next class, comparing notes.

"Murder, death, disaster. What else?" Jack looked at Z's notes,

"Earthquake, flood," she peered at his, "Rain of toads?"

"Do you think they'd have that in the paper?" Jack pondered.

"I'll put it on computer search. Hopefully find me some vamps."

"While I will stand around like an idiot," Jack sulked.

"Not like an idiot, just . . . standing," Z tried to protest. "Bridge doesn't want you to get hurt. I don't want you to get hurt!"

"You should go to class," Jack motioned towards the classroom.

"We should go to class," Z said softly. Jack stiffly nodded and she sighed, "Bridge will be fine. He can handle it."

"I know that!" Jack protested.

"So do I!"

Bridge slowly crept into the mausoleum, looking about, keeping his senses at full alert. He walked down the stairs and walked to the back. He saw a barely noticeable door locked with a heavy chain. While examining the door, he didn't see a tall, dark and blonde man appear behind him. The man exhaled and Bridge spoke without looking back.

"Don't suppose you have a key?" the Slayer turned to look at him. He chuckled.

"They really don't like me dropping in."

"Why not?"

"They really don't like me."

"Can't imagine why," Bridge stated dryly. Sure he was attracted to the stranger, but it was because he was a stranger that he couldn't trust him.

"I figured you would find the entrance sooner or later. Though I expected it to be a little sooner," he held up his hand, keeping a small space between his thumb and index finger.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Bridge rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, if you're going to keep on popping about with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"

The blonde man's blue eyes pierced into his own, "Sky," he replied.

"Sky? That's a pretty name," Bridge turned his attention to the door.

"Don't . . . go down there," Sky spoke up.

"Deal with my going," Bridge said defiantly.

"You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. The Harvest is tonight and if you don't stop it, the Master will walk again."

"If the Harvest is such a suck-fest, why don't you stop it?" Bridge cocked his head with a raised eyebrow

"Because I'm afraid," Sky replied stoically. Bridge stared at him for another minute before spinning and kicking the door of the tunnel open.

"I've got a friend down there, or at least a potential friend. Do you know what it's like to have a friend?" he asked in a joking manner. Sky didn't respond, but instead looked down at the ground, his eyes filling with sadness.

"That wasn't supposed to be a stumper," Bridge spoke up and Sky looked at him to see the Slayer giving him a small comforting smile. Sky couldn't help but feel better by looking at it. Nonetheless, he became all business again.

"Once you reach the end, turn right. It should lead you to the lair."

Bridge nodded and then walked in, "Aren't you going to wish me luck?" Sky didn't respond as the Slayer walked off and then turned to go his own way, but not before whispering, "Good luck!"

Bridge walked down the flight of stairs and nearly yelped when a rat skittered over his shoe. He reached the intersection and was about to turn right when-

"Did you see anything?" Jack asked from behind him. Bridge let out a small yelp and jumped nearly a foot in the air before turning to give Jack a death-glare.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"Something stupid. I followed you," Jack responded blandly. "I couldn't

just sit at home and do nothing!"

"I understand. Now go away!" Bridge put his hands on his hips and glared up at Jack, who was easily two inches taller than him.

"No!"

"Jack . . ." Bridge added a warning tone into his voice.

"Look, Jesse is my buddy, okay? If I can help him, I want to."

Bridge sighed, biting his lower lip as he considered the situation. Jack couldn't help but feel slightly attracted to the Slayer, even if there was a danger of them being together. He didn't even know if Bridge was straight or not! Bridge then locked eyes with him and jerked his head slightly, indicating for Jack to follow him.

"Besides, it's this or chem class," Jack quipped. They walked up some of

the stairs up ahead and Jack broke the silence.

"Okay, so crosses, garlic, stake through the heart," Jack rattled off.

"That'll do it," Bridge nodded.

"Cool! Of course I have none of those things," Jack added. Bridge

sighed and then handed him the cross he had in his belt.

"Good thinking," he snorted.

"Well the part of my brain that would normally tell me to bring those things is currently screaming at me to not come down here. So, what else for vampire slayage?" Jack changed the subject. Mostly.

"Fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water, the usual," Bridge responded blandly.

"You've done any . . . beheading?" Jack asked nervously.

"Oh yeah. There was this one time I was pinned down by this guy who played left tackle for varsity . . . well, he used to before he became a vamp. He was always hitting on me," Bridge frowned.

"Y-You're-" Jack couldn't finish the thought and Bridge simply nodded and looked away shyly. He was clearly uncomfortable about telling someone about his sexuality.

"It's okay," Jack said in an assuring tone.

Bridge smiled at him slightly, "Anyway, he had this thick neck and I just had a small Exact-To knife . . ." he was interrupted by Jack's nervous laughter, "you're not enjoying this story."

"Actually, it's oddly comforting."

Cruger was reading one of his old volumes and speaking out loud, "For they will gather and be gathered. From the Vessel pours life," he recited and then flipped the page. "On the night of the crescent moon, the first past the solstice it will come," he paused and looked up. "Dear God, that's tonight!"

Syd was struggling with her computer project when her friend Aura came in. Z was sitting at one of the other computers, looking for information.

"Are we going to the Bronze tonight?" Aura asked.

"No! We're going to this other cool place in Sunnydale!" Syd snapped and then sighed at the confused look on Aura's face. "Of course, the Bronze. You should have been there last night. I ran into Bridge . . ."

Z began to listen into the conversation while keeping her eyes on her program.

"Can he be any weirder? He attacked me! Do you believe it?!" Syd ranted.

"You did this part wrong," Aura pointed out on the screen.

"Ugh, why do we have to devise these programs?! That's what the nerds are for! What did she do?" Syd whispered out the last part. Aura looked at Z's screen to see her looking through a newspaper archive.

"Something else," she sighed.

"Anyway, Bridge comes running at me with a stick, screaming 'I'm gonna kill you, I'm gonna kill you'!"

"Who?" a boy came in, the same age as Syd.

"Bridge!" Syd exclaimed.

"New guy?" Aura asked.

"What's his deal?" the guy asked.

"He got booted from his last school," Aura informed them.

"Why?" the guy asked again.

"Because he's a psycho loony!" Syd shouted in frustration. That hit a note with Z and she spoke up while turning around.

"No, he's not!" she responded.

"What?" Syd demanded.

"Bridge is not a loony. You don't even know him!" Z nearly yelled.

"Excuse me, who gave you permission to exist?" Syd asked snobbily. Z simply looked down, but Syd continued her rant, "Do I listen in on your conversations? No! Because you're boring!" Z simply got up quietly and took her printouts.

"The program's done!" Aura cheered.

"Finally, the nightmare ends," Syd sighed with relief. "Now, how do I save?"

"Deliver," Z called out while leaving.

"Deliver? Where's that?" she saw the 'Del' button and pressed it, causing her program to disappear. Syd stared at the screen with her mouth open in horror.

"They're close," Bridge murmured.

"How can you tell?" Jack whispered back.

"No more rats," Bridge pointed to the ground. Jack turned on his flashback and saw Jesse lying on the ground.

"Jesse!" Jack nearly shouted as he ran to his friend's side. The boy in question sat up and saw Jack, quickly embracing him. Bridge simply smiled at the fact that they weren't too late.

"Are you okay?" Bridge asked gently, which caused Jack to look at him in surprise. So far, he had only seen the spunky (A/N for lack of a better word) side of the Slayer and the denial of his responsibilities.

"I am so not, on an epic level!" Jesse responded as Jack helped him to his feet. Bridge shined the light on the shackle at Jesse's ankle.

"We gotta get out of here!" Jesse panicked.

"It's cool. Bridge is a superhero," Jack pointed out as Bridge easily broke the shackle.

"Think anyone heard that?" Jack asked as they ran out, not noticing vampires creeping out from the tunnel.

"They knew you were coming! They said I was bait!" Jesse informed them.

"Now you tell us," Jack rolled his eyes as they were surrounded by vamps.

"Oops," Bridge muttered. "Jesse, do you know another way out?"

"Follow me," he muttered back and they raced off to another intersection and Jesse led them to a chamber.

"I don't think this is the way out!" Bridge yelled.

"We can't fight all those things! What do we do now?!" Jack gritted out.

"I have an idea," Jesse's voice said with a dark undertone. The Slayer and human turned to see Jesse morph into his demon face, "You can die!"

Jack stared at him in disbelief, guilt in his eyes, "Jesse, man, I'm sorry."

Jesse smirked, "Sorry? I feel good, man. I feel connected to everything."

Bridge struggled to close the door as the vamps began piling onto it. Jesse devoted his attention to Jack, "I can hear the worms in the earth!"

Jack wrinkled his nose, "That's a plus."

"I know what the Master wants, what he needs. I'll serve his purpose. That means, you die and I feed." He advanced onto Jack and Bridge was too busy trying to close the door to help him.

"Jack, the cross," he yelled. Jack jerked a bit but held up the cross anyway, causing Jesse to stop advancing.

"Jesse, we're buds, remember?" Jack pleaded with him. The new vampire simply snarled at him.

"You're a shadow to me now."

"Then get outta my face!" Jack yelled.

Jesse hissed and then knocked his arm to the side, causing Jack to crash into the wall. Before he could bite him, Bridge grabbed from behind and threw him out of the chamber into the other vampires, knocking them all over. He attempted to shut the door again, "Help me!" Jack came over and they managed to shut and lock it. The vamps pounded at the door.

"We need to get out of here," Bridge said, breathlessly.

"There is no out of here!" Jack yelled. He used his flashlight to find a grate on the ceiling, "There!"

Bridge jumped on top of the barrel and then pried it out, while the vamps had nearly broken down the door. He then leaped down and gave Jack a boost up into the ventilation grate. The vamps broke down the door at the same time as Jack grabbed the Slayer's hand and pulled him behind him.

"That was close!" Jack let out a sigh of relief. Bridge hit him on the shoulder.

"We're not out of the woods yet!" he sighed and began crawling after Jack. They reached an open room and spotted a ladder leading out a manhole and Jack began climbing it, with Bridge following. A vampire ran in after them. Jack pushed open the manhole and climbed out into the daylight before turning to help Bridge.

"Jack, pull!" Bridge yelled as the vamp grabbed his ankle and tried to pull him back down. The human pulled and the vamp's hand was exposed to sunlight, forcing him to let go as Bridge and Jack tumbled to the ground.

"He escaped? He walks free when I could be drinking his heart's blood? How careless!" the Master said in a smooth calm voice.

The vampire who had grabbed Bridge, Colin, spoke up, "Master, we had her trapped!"

"Now, you'll make excuses?" he snarled. Colin remained silent and the Master continued. "You're all weak! You haven't faced off against the Slayer in a while. He will not stop the Harvest! Just means someone worth killing when I walk the surface. Is Luke ready?"

"He waits."

"Bring him to me." Colin turned to get Luke but the Master stopped him. "You failed me. Tell me you're sorry."

"I'm sorry Master!" Colin bowed.

"There, that wasn't so bad, was it? Hold on," he stabbed his fingers into Colin's face, "you have something in your eye."

Meanwhile, in the library, Cruger was researching when he saw Z come in.

"Any word?" she asked and Cruger shook his head. "I found some stuff," she offered.

"What did you find?" he asked, his interest piqued.

"Back in '37, there was a massive earthquake and several months before that, there were a rash of murders."

"Great!" Cruger exclaimed, taking the printouts from here and then winced. "I-I mean, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um, can we go on?"

"They sound like the kind you were looking for," Z tried to hide the amusement in her voice. "Throats, blood, ugh," she shuddered slightly.

"It's all coming together, though I wish it wasn't," Cruger sighed.

In the Master's lair, Luke knelt in front of the Master, who offered the underside of his wrist to him. Darla watched and smiled as Luke opened the cuff and sank his fangs into his wrist. After drinking a bit, he released the wrist and move back.

"My blood is your blood. My soul is your soul," the Master quoted.

"My body is your instrument," Luke finished, bowing. The Master drew a three-pointed star on Luke's forehead with the blood still flowing from his wrist.

"On this . . . most hallowed night . . .we are as one. Luke is the Vessel! Every soul he takes, feeds me. That will help me in attaining my freedom. Tonight I shall walk the earth and the stars will hide."

Z looked up as the door opened to reveal Bridge and Jack.

"Did you find Jesse?" she asked.

Bridge nodded with a sullen look, "Yeah."

"Was he . . . dead?" she asked hesitantly, walking up to them. Bridge bowed his head and sat down at the edge of the table.

"Worse. I'm sorry, Z. There were too many of them and they were expecting us."

"At least you two are okay," Z said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Jack chose this moment to kick a waste-basket, startling them.

"I hate vampires! I'm going to take a guess and say they aren't good!"

Bridge turned to Cruger who was walking down the stairs, "Any news that can make this worse?"

"How about the end of the world?" he asked blandly.

"Knew I could count on you," Bridge responded in the same tone.

"Years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire settled here-"

"Cause this town in a mystical who's it?"

"Um, yes, the Spanish who came here called it the Mouth of Hell. It's a portal between this reality and the next. This vampire hopes to open it."

"Bring the demons back," Bridge added.

"End of the world," Jack finished.

"But he failed!" Z tried to cheer them up, "There was an earthquake that swallowed half the town and him!"

"Opening portals is a tricky business," Cruger added, "he got himself stuck like a cork in a bottle."

"So this Harvest thing is for him to come out," Bridge pondered.

"Yes. The Master requires souls for strength and since he can't come out himself, he sends another vampire, the Vessel, instead. The Vessel has this symbol," he pointed to a three-pointed star."

"So I slay this Vessel and the Harvest fails?' Bridge looked at him.

"Yes," Cruger nodded.

"Where does it take place?"

"There are a number of possibilities."

"They're going to the Bronze," Jack said suddenly.

"How do you know?" Z asked.

"Come on! So many young, tasty morsels oblivious to danger? Jesse is gonna be there," Jack added bitterly.

"We should get over there. Sundown is soon," Cruger grab bed his coat and left the library with the others.

"I have to make a stop!" Bridge announced.

"Why?"

"Supplies."

Bridge grabbed a black jacket from his closet and headed to his drawers when Maya walked in.

"Mom?" Bridge questioned.

"You're not going out today," she said.

"Why?" Bridge exclaimed.

"I got a call from the principal. We haven't even started unpacking and you're cutting class!"

"Mr. Cruger asked me to run an errand," Bridge protested. It was true if you thought about it.

"No. The tapes say I should get used to saying it."

"Mom, this is really important! I have to go!" Bridge nearly yelled.

"It's important. The world depends upon you when you're a sixteen year old boy?" Maya shot back. Bridge remained silent and she continued, not knowing the how much her words affected her son. "If you want to stay up here, I understand. If you come down, I'll make us some dinner," she left.

Bridge stared at the closed door and then quietly locked it before opening his drawer and withdrawing the fake bottom, revealing crosses, stakes, holy water, garlic and other vampire slaying things. He donned his jacket after taking what he needed and then climbed out of the window, landing in a soft crouch outside. he looked back at his home.

Yes it does, mom, he thought. The world does depend upon you when you're a sixteen year old Slayer.

Meanwhile, in the Bronze, Syd was talking to a girl, "Senior boys are the ay to go. Guys from our grade, they're kids! Like Jesse. Did you see him? He was following me around all night like a puppy dog! You might wanna out him to sleep. But senior boys have mystery. They have . . . cars!"

The girl interrupted, "You know, I think-"

"Hello, Miss Motormouth? Can I get in a word?" Syd asked in disbelief, unaware that Jesse was watching her. The band began to play 'Ballad for Dead Friends'. Jesse took her hand and led to the dance floor.

"Hey, hello, Caveman Brain, what are you doing?" Syd protested.

"Shut up!" Jesse snarled at her, surprising her.

"Well, just one dance," she followed him.

Outside, Darla came out of the shadows with a bouncy walk. After looking about, she gestured behind her and the other vampires came out and walked towards the entrance, all in game-face.

(A/N vamp-face and game-face are the yellow eyes, ridges in the forehead and fangs. All vampires have that look)

"Need ID," the bouncer spoke without looking up. "Nobody gets inside unless I get some sorta-" he was silenced by Luke growling in his face.

"Get inside," the Vessel snarled.

The other vampires rushed in through the door, while another part came in through the back and cut the main power.

The lights went off inside the Bronze and the teenagers moaned and complained, but they were quickly silenced as Luke stepped up to the only lit area, the stage, and spoke into the mike.

"There is no need to panic," he said with a demonic grin, "Actually there is need to panic, but it won't do any good."

The a few people in the crowd screamed at his face, but Syd simply whispered to Jesse, "I thought there wasn't going to be a band tonight." She looked at him and gasped n fright as he morphed into his game-face.

"This is a glorious night," Luke continued, "also the last night you will ever see! Bring the first!" The bouncer was brought to him and Luke wrapped his hand around his throat and his other arm around his head.

"Watch me people," he roared. "Fear is like an elixir. It's almost like blood!" He bit on the doorman and began to feed. Meanwhile, the Master felt strength pouring into him as the first soul was taken. Luke dropped the doorman's body and turned to the crowd.

"Next!

Bridge and his team came running up to the door and he tried the door. "It's locked!" he hissed.

"We're too late!" Cruger sighed and Bridge looked over at him.

"I didn't know I was gonna get grounded!" he snapped.

"Can you break it down?" Jack interjected.

"No, not that thing," Bridge sighed. If nothing was done, all this would be his fault. "You guys try the back. I'll find my own way in."

"Right. Come on," Cruger ordered but was stopped by his Slayer.

"Here," he tossed the bag to them, "get the exit cleared and get the people out. That's it, don't go Wild Bunch on me!"

"See you inside," Cruger nodded and Bridge jumped up, grabbing a ledge and pulling himself up. The others ran to the back door and Z tried to turn it, to no avail.

"It's locked!" she cried.

"We got to get in there before Jesse does dumber than usual!" Jack's tone took on a desperate edge. Cruger turned to him, eyes blazing.

"You listen to me! Jesse is dead! You have to remember that when you're seeing him, you're not looking at your friend. You're looking at the thing that killed him!"

The Master tested his confines while Luke fed on another girl.

"Almost free!" the Master whispered.

Luke finished with the girl and dropped her. Darla attempted to pull Syd away from Jesse but he didn't allow her.

"This one's mine!" he snarled.

"They're all for the Master!" she hissed and pulled her away. Meanwhile, Bridge broke in through an upper window and crawled in, watching Luke from the rafters.

"The Master is nearly free! Give me another!" he grinned.

"The Vessel," Bridge whispered. He turned as he heard a growl and saw a vampire on the rafters behind him.

"Tonight is the ascension! Tonight will be history at it's end! Degradation most Holy!" Luke looked at the crowd, "No volunteers?"

Darla brought Syd up to him, "Here's a pretty one."

Syd screamed at his face and Luke caressed her face with his hand. He lowered his mouth to her neck and suddenly, a vampire landed near them with a thud. Bridge jumped down to the upper level of the Bronze and glared at Luke.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you in the middle of something?" he asked cluelessly.

"YOU!" Luke snarled.

"Didn't think I'd miss this, did you?"

"I hoped you'd come."

"Be right down!"

Bridge grabbed the railing with one hand and flipped over it to land on his feet on a pool table. A vampire attacked from the right and he did a cartwheel away from him, grabbing a pool cue on the way. He landed and thrust into the vampire's chest, turning to Luke as he turned to dust.

"Okay, Vessel boy, still want blood?" Bridge asked, taking off his jacket, exposing his neck in the t-shirt.

"I want yours!" he growled, releasing Syd.

"Works for me!" Bridge said with a shrug.

The Slayer flipped up onto the stage and launched a spinning roundhouse kick, causing Luke to stagger into a bunch of chairs. He roared and swung at him, only to have Bridge block and hold onto his arm while kneeing him in the abdomen three times. He grabbed his stake and lunged at him, only to have Luke stop him and throw him into the wall, causing him to lose his stake.

Cruger, Jack and Z managed to break into the Bronze and began ushering people out. Jack spotted Bridge being heaved against the wall and moved forward, only to stop as he got up again.

"Come on, let's go!" he yelled at some of the people.

Bridge spun and delivered a backhand to Luke's face, knocking him into a pile of boxes. He turned to see a vamp grab Jack and grabbed a cymbal from a drum set and threw at the vamp like a Frisbee. Jack saw it coming and ducked, causing it to decapitate the vampire.

"Heads up!" Jack quipped, earning a chuckle from Bridge. Luke grabbed the Slayer from behind.

Jesse pinned Syd to the floor and attempted to bite her while she struggled to get him off.

"Hold still! You're not making this easy!" Jesse snarled. Jack came up behind him, stake in hand.

"Jesse, don't make me do this!" he warned, unable to bring himself to kill his friend.

"Buddy!" Jesse sneered.

Luke held onto Bridge tightly as the Slayer attempted to free his arms.

"I always wanted to kill a Slayer," Luke whispered in his ear, causing him to shudder.

Cruger and Z ushered more people out and the Watcher headed to the stairs, Darla behind him.

"We're going to have to open the front as well," he managed to say before she attacked him from behind.

Jack faced off against Jesse, still trying to appeal to his friend, "Jesse, I know there's a part of you in there!"

"Okay, let's deal with this. Jesse was an excruciating loser who get a date with anyone in the sighted community. I'm a new man!" the vamp snarled.

Luke looked up, "Master, take a taste of this . . . and be free!" He roared and lowered his fangs to Bridge's neck. The Slayer snapped his head back, head-butting him in face, knocking him off. Bridge turned to him, winded.

"How'd it taste?" he smirked.

Cruger struggled with Darla and Z ran up to him, throwing holy water in her face, causing her to scream and she fled from the club.

Jesse grabbed Jack by the jacket and shoved him against the wall, the human having a stake pointed at his friend's chest.

"Ooo, put me out of my misery!" Jesse mocked and then smirked, "you don't have the guts."

A fleeing patron bumped into Jesse, causing him to surge forward into Jack's stake. Jack stared as his friend fell, ashes before he hit the floor.

Bridge grabbed a microphone stand and faced Luke, who chuckled.

"Metal can't hurt me!"

"There's something you forgot. Sunrise!" Bridge threw the stand at the window behind Luke and broke it, causing light to stream in. Bridge spotted the stake he dropped and grabbed it. Luke realised that the light was only a bright lamp and turned, only to be stabbed by Bridge.

"It's in about another nine hours, moron!" the Slayer smirked as Luke turned to dust. In the lair, the Master fell to his knees, feeling Luke's death.

"Nooooo!" he screamed.

Bridge glared at the remaining vamps which fled from the Bronze. They passed by Sky who was standing outside behind some crates. He watched them run and then looked back at where they came from.

"He did it! I'll be damned!" he chuckled and walked away.

Back in the Bronze, the others had regrouped.

"Did we win?" Z asked tentatively.

"Apocalypse averted. I'd say 'Hell yeah'!" Bridge grinned

"One's things for sure. Things are never going to be the same," Jack looked at the spot where he had inadvertently staked Jesse.

"Can you believe them?" Bridge shook his head as he walked with Jack, Z and Cruger.

"People tend to rationalize what they can and forget what they can't," Cruger nodded.

"Believe me, I've seen it happen," Bridge nodded.

"Well, I'll never forget what happened," Willow looked at Bridge and smiled at him.

"Good! Next time you'll be ready!" Cruger looked at them.

"Next time?" Z looked at him.

"Next time why?" Jack asked as well.

"Surely you don't think this is the end? we prevented the Master from being freed now, that doesn't mean he won't try again! I'd say the fun is just beginning," Cruger said distastefully.

"More vamps?" Bridge asked, groaning and running a hand through his sweaty hair, wincing as he touched a bruise from the fight.

"Not just vampires! The next threat may be quite different," he said mysteriously.

"I can hardly wait!' Jack rolled his eyes.

"We are on the mouth of Hell. We stand between the earth and destruction."

"Well, I gotta look on the bright side. Maybe I can still get kicked out of school!" Bridge said enthusiastically as he Jack and Z went on while Cruger stopped.

"Oh yeah, that's a plan! Because most schools aren't on Hellmouths!' Jack added, throwing an arm around Bridge's shoulders and the other around Z's.

"Maybe you could blow something up! They're rather strict about that!" Z interjected.

"I was thinking of a more subtle approach like excessive non-studying," Bridge said with mock-seriousness.

Cruger sighed and turned to go to the library, "The earth is doomed."

A/N Aaand The Harvest is finished! Sky had a bigger role and his relationship with Bridge will increase over time, as will Jack's attraction to the Slayer. Please review, good or bad, always appreciated!