Cori made his way down from the stacks, a book in hand, "All right, I've got something. It's Latin, so bear with me. Um, to revive the vampire, they need his bones," he glanced at Grids, "which they have... and, uh, the blood...this is very unclear... of the closest person, someone connected to the vampire."

"That'd be me," the girl responded from where she was draped in one of the chairs.

"Perhaps..."

"We were very close. Way close. We killed each other, okay? It really promotes togetherness."

"Well," Tugger said, a bit grudgingly, Mistoffelees silently looking through a book. "Is there anything on when this is going to take place?"

Cori shook his head, "Not as far as I can see with this translation at this-" he startled as a rock came smashing through one of the windows.

Grids scooped it up, studying the necklace wrapped around it, "This is Bombalurina's." She unwrapped the necklace and note from the rock, skimming over the missive.

"What does the note say?" Tugger asked.

"Come to the Bronze before it opens, or we make her a meal," Grids read, heading for the door.

"What do we do?" Tugger asked, gearing up already.

"I go to the Bronze and get her back," Grids replied, "There's no 'we'."

"When did that happen?" Tugger demanded, Mistoffelees turning another page. "I missed the memo we were booted off the island!"

"I can't be looking out for all of you while I'm fighting!"

"What about the rest of the note?" Mistoffelees asked softly.

She looked over the paper again, "What rest?"

"The part where it says, 'PS, This is a trap.'"

Cori finally spoke from where he was standing, "You're playing right into their hands."

"Then their hands are going to get slapped."

"We should at least go in force," Tugger protested.

"I can handle it," Grids replied firmly.

"God, what's gotten into you?" Mistoffelees demanded, all but slamming the book down.

Grids frowned at him, looking at the other two, "This is my fight." She left before they could say anything more.

Mistoffelees looked up at the other two. "What do we do?"

Cori sighed, "We pray she knows what she's doing, and that we can help when the time comes."

Grids had nearly reached the Bronze when she paused, "You know, being stalked isn't really a big turn-on."

"I just want to help. Give you someone to watch your back," Mac said, stepping from the shadows. "Besides, I live around here, remember?"

She looked him over skeptically, "You sure you don't mean my neck?"

"What's gotten you in such a twist?" Mac demanded.

"None of your business. Now back off!"

"You're always my business," Mac replied.

Her jaw dropped, "Excuse me?"

He took a step closer, plenty of space still between them. "Whether you like it or not? I'm always going to be at your back. I'm always going to care. Face it darling, you're sorta stuck with me."

"What if I don't want to be stuck with you?"

"I don't much care," he replied.

"If I really wanted you to go, do you think you'd be able to stop me from making you?"

"You could always try killing me," he replied. "But no, I don't think you'd be able to make me disappear."

"You know what? Screw you. I have somewhere to be."

"You're not as strong as you think."

"You think you could take me?" she demanded, posture hostile.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Come on, you must have wondered. A vampire, the Slayer. I know you've thought about it. If it came down to a fight, could you take me? Why don't we find out?"

"I refuse to fight you," he replied.

"No? Big strong vampire like yourself?"

"What? You trying to get me to question my manhood or something?" Mac asked, shaking his head.

"That would imply you're a man. You're not. You're a vampire. A monster."

"And one that has no interest in fighting you," he snapped. "What the hell has gotten into you?"

"Forget it." She snarled, turning on her heel, "I'm wasting time."

"Fine," he growled.

She headed toward the Bronze, entering it carefully, but with a good deal less caution than usual. She withdrew a stake, her gaze darting around the place.

Mac had padded after her quietly. A form was huddled on their knees by the stage, Bomba's coat around her shoulders.

Grids frowned, taking a careful step forward, "That's not Bomba..."

"Then who is it?" Mac asked.

The form turned, revealing a grinning vampire. "Sorry, Bomba couldn't come."

Grids tensed, "Where is she?"

"I'm not supposed to tell," the vampire replied, voice sing-song.

She took another step forward, "You're going to though."

"I don't like this," Mac said from behind her.

"What?" She didn't take her eyes off the vampire in front of her.

"There's the bait. Where's the hook?" he asked, glancing around.

Grids paused at that, looking around finally as well, frowning. The vampire jumped her as soon as the Slayer's eyes were off her. Grids moved instinctively, rolling under the lunge and catching the vamp's ankle to bring her to the ground. She was quickly on her feet, her foot on the Vampire's neck as she looked at Mac, "You're right. Why would they only send one?"

The vampire snarled at her before laughing.

o.o.o.o

Mistoffelees paced around the library, a book in hand. "I think we should have gone with her."

"She's about the lose it. I think should be trying to reach minimum safe distance," Tugger replied.

Cori moved over to the table, "I've got it here! The Latin is translated from the Sumerian, rather poorly too, which makes this difficult. But the person closest to the Master actually translates as the nearest - physically. The person or persons who," he paled drastically as he realized what he was saying, "were with him when..."

"When what?" Mistoffelees asked, frowning at Coricopat's expression.

He raised his gaze, "It is a trap." His grey eyes strayed to where a handful of vampires could be seen entering the library, "it just isn't for her."

Mistoffelees and Tugger both followed his gaze, their expressions draining of color.

o.o.o.o

At the Bronze, Grids finished tying the vampire up before shoving her in Mac's direction, "Watch her. Don't kill her if you don't have to."

"What's going on?" Mac asked.

"The trap isn't here. I'll be back." She took off. He watched her go before turning back to his prisoner.

Grids burst into the library, looking around in horror at the overturned tables and broken chairs. She turned to go, but stopped, moving quickly over toward a sound, "Tugger?" She reached for him, "Where are the others? What happened?"

He shoved her away from him as hard as he could manage with a head wound. "Vampires. The ones you said you were handling all by your lonesome."

She let him push her away, "Where did they take Cori and Misto?"

"I don't know!" Tugger yelled. "And I don't know what the hell you're problem is and I officially don't care. You could have taken five seconds to work with us! You could have stopped all this!"

She flinched at that, she knew she deserved that, that he was right. She drew a deep breath, "We have to think. Why did they take them?"

"Well, once you left Cori got a better translation, you arrogant bitch," he replied. "They needed the people physically close to the Master when he died. Sorry, you weren't close enough. But Cori, Misto, and Bomba all were."

Grids swallowed hard, "And Miss Calendar. They-they've probably got them all by now. We just have to find out where."

"How?" Tugger demanded, angry and scared.

"The bait." She answered, "If you can make it to the Bronze."

"I'll manage," Tugger replied shortly.

They reached the Bronze and Grids moved purposefully over, yanking the vampire away from Mac, "Let's try this again. Where are they?"

"You're too late, they're already dead," the vampire crooned.

The Slayer growled, "Tell me where they are."

"Whatcha gonna do? Kill me?"

"As a matter of fact? Yes." She hit the vampire hard enough to send the creature crashing back onto the pool table. Grids made her way around the pool table until she stood next to the vamp's head. Removing the cross Mac had given her from around her neck she dangled it over the vampire, "But since I'm not gonna kill you any time soon, how do we pass the time til then?"

Tugger and Mac stood to one side, both of them frowning. She dropped the cross into the creatures mouth, holding her jaw shut for a moment before withdrawing the necklace again, "So let's try this again. Where are they?"

o.o.o.o

The missing friends in question were at the time being strung up in an old factory warehouse, vampires swarming around the area as a small child, who was the Anointed One for the dead Master, sat and watched. Hanging upside down the four were positioned over the bones of said dead Master, one of the few vampires to leave such remains behind.

Grids slipped in through a window of the warehouse, holding it open for Mac and Tugger to follow her. She glanced around, "Not the nicest place..."

"These places seem not to be, as a rule," Tugger replied, glancing at Mac. "Is it a rule?"

"No," the vampire replied, shaking his head slightly, more focused on the semi-circle around the humans.

Grids gaze finally drifted in that direction and she froze at the sight of the Master's bones. This was not supposed to be happening. "We have to get them down," Mac said.

She nodded, "You two get them free."

"What will you be doing?" Tugger demanded, though Mac was already moving.

"Distracting them." She started toward the Vamps.

"Works for me," Tugger muttered, looking after her and hightailing it after Mac.

Grids slipped up behind one as the Vampire who was heading up the ritual finished his intoning. She slammed a stake through the one in front of her, dusting him. The slayer smirked at the others as they froze. A cry from the one in charge got the three remaining "adult" vampires moving. Two of them charged her and she found herself having to fend both off, while keeping half an eye on the third who was coming up behind her.

Scrambling up the staircase Mac and Tugger glanced over the floor, just as the vampire that seemed to be in charge of the ceremonies went after Mistoffelees' throat. However, they reached the chain that the four were suspended from, and started pulling on it hard, getting the unconscious humans out of the vampire's reach for the moment.

As the one in charge shrieked for one of the others to go after the sacrifices, Grids picked up a small crate, slamming it over the head of one of her opponents. She hit the now boxed vamp with a roundhouse kick, sending him stumbling back even as a second Vampire knocked her to the ground.

Up above, Tugger and Mac were working on getting all of the former sacrifices, having gotten Bomba and Demeter down, and working on pulling Cori off the line when a vampire charged up the stairs, engaging with Mac.

Grids scrambled to get the vampire she was grappling with off of her, her hand connecting with a box shard. She swung it up, stabbing it into the creature's back and managing to push it away before she was covered in dust. She got to her feet in time to see the other vampire-now free of the box-trying to escape. She took off after him, tripping him and knocking him to the ground.

The vampire facing off against Mac shoved a piece of wood toward his heart, only to have Mac overpower him, shoving the stake into the other vampire's heart. Mac shook his head and rolled his shoulders, glancing around as Tugger finally got Mistoffelees down, worry clear in the teen's face. "Come on, Misto, wake up."

Cori checked on Deme briefly, "Are you alright?" He glanced toward Tugger and Misto, wanting to check on Misto as well, but hesitating.

"Fine, m'head's fuzzy," she replied, sitting up.

"That should clear up shortly." He glanced at Tugger, "How is he? Where's Grids?"

"I don't know yet, and," he glanced over the floor. "Grids is currently working out her issues." Coricopat edged over, glancing down in time to see the vampire Grids had been fighting be hurled under the balcony.

"Enough!" the leader thundered, stepping forward with a sledgehammer. The anointed one watched him quietly.

Grids eyed the sledgehammer he carried and took a step back so she was beside a large, lit torch.

"Your day here is done," the vampire growled. I'll grind you into a sticky paste. And I'll hear you beg before I smash in your face."

"So, are you going to kill me? Or just continue with the odd rhyming?" Snarling, the vampire rushed at her, hammer raised.

Grids heard her former opponent charge her from behind at the same time. She kicked the base of the torch, splintering it, slamming it backward and then forward. The broken end spiked the vampire behind her and the flame lit the leader.

Both vampires dissolved, and the sledgehammer fell to the ground at her feet.

Grids breathed a soft sigh before she saw the Master's skeleton again. Her expression darkened and she picked up the sledgehammer, nearing the table. She considered it for a long moment before swinging the sledgehammer and smashing the skull before moving on to the rest of the skeleton. She was apparently trying to grind it to powder, the blows growing more and more frantic.

Mac slipped down behind her, finally embracing her. "Sh, sh, you're okay now." She shook, turning to bury her face against his chest, crying.

"Sh," he soothed again, the others started to come down. "It's okay."

"N-no it's not. I...G-god."

"You're okay," he insisted.

"I-I..."

Coricopat approached quietly, supporting Demeter, "You will be, Griddlebone."

She looked up, her cheeks tear-stained, but didn't draw away from Mac's embrace.

Mistoffelees and Tugger had followed the others down, the shorter of the pair hanging back slightly more. Grids looked toward them, swallowing, "I-I'm sorry."

Mac shrugged and shook his head, while Tugger just shrugged, brushing it off already. Mistoffelees glanced away. She dropped her gaze as Coricopat nodded a little.

Bombalurina spoke from where she was leaning on the railing of the stairs, "Can we get out of here?"

"That gets my vote," Mistoffelees offered.

Coricopat nodded, "Agreed. We should go."

The group trailed out, Mistoffelees turning all but instantly for home and Tugger jogging after him to catch up.

Coricopat glanced at the others, "I need to return to the school to pick up my car. Is anyone else headed in that direction?"

Bomba shook her head, "I was at the Bronze."

Deme nodded. "That's where my own car is after all."

Cori glanced at Mac, "Will you see Griddlebone home?"

"Of course," he said, almost sounding offended that he wouldn't. He glanced at Bomba. "And I can get you to your car too," he added, a bit more reluctantly, "If it's by the Bronze."

She nodded, "It is."

Coricopat glanced at Griddlebone who still wasn't meeting their eyes, "Well then, Demeter, we'd best return to the school." The teacher nodded, turning that way as Mac laid an arm over Griddlebone's shoulder.

Grids leaned against him, "I'd better get home before Mom starts worrying."

"Already getting you there," he murmured, leading the way into the night.

o.o.o.o

Bomba was walking across campus, chattering at Miss Calendar, "What an ordeal. And you know the worst part: It stays with you forever. No matter what they tell you, none of that rust and blood and grime comes out. You can dry-clean till judgment day; you're living with those stains."

"Yes," Deme said, watching her. "The worst part about being hung upside down by a vampire who wants to slit your throat-the stains. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because no one else thinks of these things. They leave it up to me." Her tone was long-suffering.

"You poor darling," Deme informed her, almost stopping when she saw Cori and Grids. But she continued along the quad instead, following the student into the school.

Grids sighed as she looked up at Coricopat, "I don't think I can face them. Ever."

"Nonsense. Of course you can. You have to at some point."

"I can't! What am I gonna say? 'Sorry I almost got your throats cut. What's the homework?'"

He looked at her for a long moment, "Well then what are you going to do, crawl into a dark cave for the rest of your life?"

"Would it have cable?"

Coricopat sighed, shaking his head, "Grids, you acted wrongly, I admit that, but believe me, that was hardly the worst mistake you'll ever make." He realized what he'd said after he said it, " That wasn't nearly as comforting as it was meant to be."

"Well, points for effort, I guess. I gotta get to class."

"Of course. Take care and good luck." He was still not sure how pleased he was with her, but since he was the one she had come to he would be quiet about that. He watched her leave for class, shaking his head again.

Entering the classroom, Mistoffelees and Tugger could be seen toward the back of the classroom. Still looking a bit stony faced, Mistoffelees glanced up when she entered, hesitating before gesturing to the seat next to him.

She managed a faint smile, sinking into the seat, "Hey..."

"Hey," he replied softly, Tugger nodding and grinning at her.

"How-how are you doing?"

"Well," he said, voice still quiet. "The only reason I didn't slap you last night was 'cause you looked like you were having a pretty bad time of it yourself. That being said," he took a breath, holding out something that looked suspiciously like fudge. "I'm sorry for not paying more attention earlier, before it got that bad."

She dropped her gaze to her desk and the glanced at the fudge, "I don't deserve that, Misto. I'm the one who should be bringing you fudge. And you Tugger."

"I won't hardly say not to fudge," Mistoffelees replied, with a smile smile.

"Seconded," Tugger added.

"But I think we all messed up a little," Mistoffelees continued. "Besides, we should know by now I feel guilty easy. Take the fudge, would you? Buy me some tomorrow."

Grids bit her lip and then took the fudge, "Okay. Any particular requests?"

The smaller teen shook his head, finally smiling easy. "Not really."

"Alright, so fudge. You Tugger?"

"I'm good with whatever he's having," he said.

"You have no originality," Mistoffelees told Tugger before turning to Grids. "Tugger would also accept horseflesh, if you can't find anything else," he continued, rolling his eyes. "He'll eat anything."

She laughed faintly, "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

Mistoffelees offered her a small smile. "So," Tugger said. "I hear Mr. Colson is possibly the most boring teacher on the planet."

Grids looked at him, "Oh? Lucky us."

"You just have no standards," Mistoffelees told Tugger.

"That's cos I'm not in your fancy AP classes."

"Well, guess we'll have to see if it's that bad or not." Grids shrugged.

"He is," Tugger protested over Mistoffelees' eyerolls.

"I wish us luck then," the girl smiled a bit.

"We need it in this town after all," Tugger pointed out.

"Guess that's true."

"We going to the Bronze tonight?" Mistoffelees asked.

"I'm up for it if you guys are." Grids answered.

"Well, we could grind our enemies into dust with a sledgehammer, but gee, we did that last night," Tugger said with a grin. "So I vote Bronze."

Griddlebone brushed her hair back away from her eyes, biting her lower lip, but managing a smile, "Bronze then." As the teacher entered the classroom, Mistoffelees reached out to pat her shoulder before turning his attention to the teacher. Griddlebone offered him another smile but turned back to the front of the classroom.

And so they have survived their first adventure of the year. Misto tends to be a bit more testy than Willow...