Grids entered the mausoleum carefully, her senses on alert as she made her way across the building. There was something else in there with her, she was sure of that, but it hadn't attacked yet...She placed her hand on the iron door opposite the main entrance. It was locked. She sighed, "I don't suppose you've got a key on you?"
"They really don't like me dropping in," the same auburn haired man from the alley said where he was leaning against the wall in the shadows.
She arched an eyebrow, turning to face him, "Why not?"
"They reaaaally don't like me," he drawled with a smirk.
"How could that possibly be?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
He shrugged. "I knew you'd figure this entryway out sooner or later. Actually, I thought it was gonna be a little sooner."
"Sorry you had to wait." She looked him over for a moment, "Okay. Look, if you're gonna be popping up with this Cryptic Wise Man act on a regular basis, can you at least tell me your name?"
He blinked and readjusted his coat. "Mac," he said.
"Mac? Interesting name," she turned toward the entrance again.
"Don't go down there," he said, taking half a step forward.
She turned again, her hand still resting on the iron door, "I have to."
"Don't," he repeated. "Tonight's the Harvest. Unless you can prevent that, the Master walks. Getting yourself caught in a trap isn't going to help anyone."
"I'm not going to get caught in a trap. I know what I'm doing."
"They know more," he replied. "They've been at this for hundreds of years. And they know the tunnels down there better than you could hope to."
"Look, I'm going down there. So you've got a couple options, one I go and you stay here or I go and you come with me, but I am going to go."
"Why?" he asked softly. "Why risk yourself now?"
"It's what I do." She sighed, "Besides, they came really close to killing two of my friends...or potential friends."
"You think you can protect them by walking into a trap?"
"Come with me if you're so worried about that."
"I'm afraid."
She looked at him for a long moment, surprised by that answer, "I..." Grids shook her head, "I have to do this."
"What's down there you have to find?"
"That...I..."
"Save your strength," he murmured. "You're not ready to face the Master himself yet."
"I..." She looked toward the entrance again, "What can you tell me about this 'Harvest'?"
"It's when the Master sends out another vampire to eat for him. He's been trapped down in that church for over seventy years... he's just waiting for the chance to get enough power to get out."
"And...I'm supposed to stop it?"
"Yes. But you'll be dead going down there."
"So I'm just supposed to wait for them to come out and feed. To kill people I'm starting to care about?"
"You're supposed to be waiting for them to stop it."
"A-and if I can't?"
"You have a better chance there than here," Mac said, leaning against the back of the wall and crossing his arms over his chest.
Her hand strayed up to her throat and she finally nodded. Her fingers brushed the chain of the necklace, "Oh...thank you, by the way."
He arched a brow. "You're welcome," he said, voice softening. "Has it helped?"
She dropped her gaze, nodding very slightly, "Y-yeah."
"I'm glad."
"So was I." Grids glanced toward the entrance to the mausoleum, "I...should get going."
"Alright," he said, voice still soft.
"Stay safe." She slipped out, heading back to the school.
He watched her go, murmured softly, "Good luck."
o.o.o.o
Bombalurina stared at the computer screen before flopping back in her chair in a huff, "No! It's supposed to find the syntax and match it. Or wait..."
Electra glanced over from where she was sitting next to the other. "So, are we going to the Bronze tonight?" she asked, typing slowly through the program.
"No, we're going to the other cool place in Sunnydale." She rolled her eyes, "Of course we're going to the Bronze. Friday night? No cover? But you should have been there last night. 'Cause I ran into Griddlebone and can she be any weirder? She attacked me! Do you believe it?"
"Really?" Electra asked and frowned. "I think we did this part wrong..."
"Why do we have to devise these programs, isn't that what nerds are for?" She glanced over at where Mistoffelees was sitting, "What'd he do?"
Electra craned her neck to see what he was working on, blinking as he scrolled through the old newspapers. She could vaguely make out the search term "deaths" at the top of the box. "... He's working on something else."
Bomba rolled her eyes, well that was no good. "Okay, and then pattern run, right? Or go to end? That's it!"
"Maybe," Electra said, bringing her attention back. "I think..."
"So anyway, I come outta the bathroom, and she comes running at me. Screaming! With a stick! 'I'm gonna kill you! I'm gonna kill you!' I swear! It was the freakiest thing!"
A boy next to them leaned in. "Really? Who?"
"Grids!"
"The new girl," Electra added.
"What's her deal?" the boy asked.
Bomba shook her head, "Well, she's crazed."
"Did you hear about her old school? She got booted out!" Electra declared, proud of having that information.
Bomba shrugged, "Well, I exhibit no surprise."
"Why was she kicked out?" the boy asked.
"Uh...because she's a psycho loony," Bomba's tone held a very obvious 'no, duh' note.
"No she's not," Mistoffelees said from where he was sitting to the side, though he was still clicking through old articles.
The redhead looked at him, something akin to shock in her eyes that someone would disagree with her, "What?"
"She's not a psycho. You don't even know her," Mistoffelees said, finally glancing up at her.
"Excuse me? Who gave you permission to exist? Do I horn in on your private discussions? No. Why? Because you're boring."
Mistoffelees gave her a hurt look for a moment before shrugging and standing, going over to the printer rather than continue the conversation. He glanced up at the computer teacher who was still busy with what she was working on.
"I think the program's done," Electra declared.
"Finally, the nightmare ends! Okay, so how do we save it?" Bomba leaned forward again.
"Deliver," Mistoffelees replied, taking the pages off the printer and going to the front of the room, quietly asking Demeter Calendar if he could leave a couple minutes early since he was already done. The blonde teacher waved him out with a smile.
Bomba turned back to the keyboard, "Deliver...where's that? Oh! Found it!" She hit the "del" key and watched in horror as the program deleted itself before her eyes.
o.o.o.o
Grids wove her way quickly out of the graveyard, heading toward the school. She startled, her hand instinctively going for a stake when she saw an approaching figure, before registering that it was still daylight. "Tugger! What are you doing here?"
The taller teen boy hooked his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "I wanted to make sure you were doing okay and didn't need help."
"I thought I told you to stay at the school?"
"You may have implied it... alright, you out right said it but I still... I couldn't just sit around. Misto? He can just sit around, but I've never been able to do that."
She frowned up at him, "You've got no idea what you're up against."
"Vampires?" he said with a shrug. "I mean, alright, so maybe I'm not the biggest or manliest, but I can help!"
"Well, I'm on my way back to the school regardless." She glanced at him, "How would you deal with a vampire?"
He blinked. "I don't know. Garlic? I mean, they don't like crosses right? Is that why you wear that big silver one?" he asked, pointing to the piece of jewelry.
Her hand moved up to cover the necklace, "...Yeah, that's why." At least partially.
"Alright, so crosses work. Why, how are we supposed to deal with vampires?"
"A stake through the heart is the fastest way in close quarters, and the easiest thing to carry concealed."
"Stakes. Alright, that sounds pretty traditional," Tugger said.
"Then of course there's fire, beheading, sunlight, holy water, the usual."
"Alright, so Dracula really is a 'how to manual' then."
"Pretty much, yes."
"Good to know. I'll set Misto on reading the book and I'll find the cliff notes."
"Because cliff notes are so accurate..."
"Well," Tugger shrugged with a grin. "That's why I get Misto to read the full book to make sure I got everything. He can tell stories better than most books anyway."
"…I see."
"You disapprove?" Tugger asked, looking at her sideways.
"Not really, just wondering if you get as much that way."
"Usually. I don't know, I've never been big on books. They're not my best friends. Or acquaintances even. We more know of each other in passing."
She nodded, "I hear you there. Dracula though, that one was useful."
He shrugged as the school came back into sight. "I'll keep that in mind then. So, why'd you decide not to go down the tunnels then?"
"I...figured I should rest up if I'm supposed to stop whatever this Harvest thing is…"
"Probably a good plan," he said, not noticing the pauses.
"Yeah, probably. Well, let's see if we can get back into the school like we got out of it, huh?"
"Sounds good," he said with a grin.
o.o.o.o
Printed articles in hand, Mistoffelees pushed open one of the library doors. Cori looked up at the sound, "Griddlebone? Oh, Mistoffelees."
"Sorry," Mistoffelees said. "So there's no word?"
He sighed, "Not yet..."
"I'm sure she's okay," Mistoffelees said, coming further in and sitting down at the table next to the librarian.
"I certainly hope so," he shook his head, brushing the thoughts aside, "So, did you find anything of use?"
"I think so," he said, running a hand through his thick black hair and showing Coricopat the articles he found. "I looked through the old papers, around the time of that big earthquake back in '37. And for several months before it, there was a rash of murders."
The librarian glanced at the articles, setting his book aside, "Great! I-I mean, well, not, not 'great' in a good way, uh..." He stammered for a moment, "Go on?"
Mistoffelees smiled at him faintly. "They sound like the kind you were looking for. Throats, blood. Months, and not even a clue."
"It's all starting to come together, and I do rather wish it weren't..."
"Yeah," Mistoffelees said softly, looking down at the articles and swallowing.
Coricopat glanced at him, "Are you going to be alright?"
"Yeah," he said nodding. "I'm still adjusting. It's a lot to take in and deal with. And... it's harsh. I mean, you find out crazy stuff all the times but vampires are a particularly terrifying thing to realize is real." He paused. "How did you find out they were real?"
"I...I was raised knowing it. Watchers have a long legacy in my family."
"Oh," Mistoffelees said softly. "I suppose that makes sense. It just means you've probably never been terrified like this either."
He shook his head, "No, but it did mean I was rather a good deal more reckless when I was younger."
That got a glance from the younger teen. "Oh? Sorry, that's prying. I shouldn't pry."
"It's in the past. Nothing that matters now."
He nodded. "Yeah," he said, though he didn't much believe that. "You hardly seem the reckless type now," he added with a smile, hoping to make light of something.
Coricopat managed a bit of a smile at that, as he picked up some of the articles, reading over them, "No, I'm really not."
Eyes dropping, Mistoffelees starting going through the articles as well.
Coricopat looked up a while later when the library doors opened again. He breathed a sigh of relief when Grids entered.
Mistoffelees looked up as well. "Did you find anything out?"
"I...maybe. Did you?"
Mistoffelees nodded.
She glanced at Coricopat who motioned for her to explain first, "Alright then. This 'Harvest' thing is when the Master, who ever that is, sends another vampire out to eat for him. Apparently this Master guy has been trapped in some church for something like seventy years."
"Sounds about right," Mistoffelees said, holding up the articles. "Sixty some years ago a very old and powerful vampire came here, and tried to open the... Boca Del Ingierno? Hellmouth? But there was this big earthquake that swallowed about half the town and probably him too. The rash of murders stopped after that." He looked down at his research. "I was really hoping he died then..."
"Why did he come here? That whole mystical whoosit business?" Grids glanced at Coricopat who nodded.
"A Hellmouth is a sort of portal from this reality to the next. This vampire hoped to open it." He was staring at her a bit oddly.
She ignored his expression, "So...he wanted to bring the demons back?"
"Apparently," Misto said and paused. "Wait, where'd you get all that info on the Harvest? I've been researching forever to just get this much."
"I..." She glanced at Coricopat, "You remember that guy I mentioned?"
"The...how did you put it, annoyingly gorgeous one?"
"Yeah, that one. He was waiting for me at the mausoleum. He told me."
Both Mistoffelees and Tugger looked at her at the description. "Wait, who?" Tugger asked a little too quickly and Mistoffelees' eyebrows had gone up toward his hairline.
She shrugged, "His name's Mac. He told me last night that the 'mouth of hell' was opening and that I needed to be careful."
"So, he's been what, stalking you?" Tugger asked.
"...No?"
Mistoffelees blinked and returned his attention to the articles. "Alright, so, Harvest. Is it to get him out of where he trapped himself then?"
Coricopat nodded, "As far as I can tell. And it's happening tonight. Apparently, a Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds. Enough power to break free, and to open the portal. The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol." He set the book down, his finger tapping the page above a drawing of a three-point star.
"So, I dust anyone sporting this look, and it's done?"
"As far as I can tell."
"Any idea where?" She looked at her watcher.
"The Bronze," Tugger said.
"You sure?" Mistoffelees asked, looking up at him
Coricopat considered before nodding, "It certainly makes sense. That many people gathered in one place would give the Vessel easily enough to feed off of."
"Then we need to get there," Mistoffelees said, looking up. "The sun will be going down before long."
Grids nodded, "I need to stop for my supplies on the way."
Shortly therefore, Grids slipped into her bedroom, glancing out the window at the sun setting as she went to her closet, digging through for what she would need that wouldn't get in the way.
Jennyanydots heard her daughter moving around and approached the doorway. "Grids? I didn't hear you come in last night."
She froze, turning, "I...was really quiet."
Jenny's brows furrowed. "It's not happening again, is it?" her mother asked softly.
Grids blinked in confusion, "What?"
"I got a call from your principal. Already. He said you missed some classes today."
"I was...running an errand. For the librarian."
"We haven't unfinished packing and I'm already getting calls from your principal."
Grids knelt down and pulled an old trunk out of her closet, "Mom, I promise you, it's not gonna be like before. But I have to go…"
"Or what? It's not the end of the world is it? I mean, I know everything feels like it when you're sixteen but...
Grids glanced out her window at the rapidly lengthening shadows, "Mom, this is really important. I don't have time to talk about it, but-"
"But what?" Jenny asked.
"But I have to go. It's really important."
For a long moment her mother just stared at her. "I'll let you go tonight. But Grids, don't let this turn out like last time. I won't' be nearly as willing to let you go out if it turns into something like that. Try to hang around the right crowd."
"I promise, Mom. I'll be careful, and I'll hang with the living." She paused as she realized what she'd said, "As in no dead-beats."
"Alright," Jenny said softly, rising and going to the door. "Just be careful, and you can you can always talk to me, right?"
She offered her mom a smile, "I know. Thanks. I'll be careful."
"I'll leave something out for when you get back," her mom said, heading back down the stairs.
As soon as her mom was out of her room and headed down the stairs, Grids removed the false bottom from the chest, sliding a stake up her sleeve and making sure she had the other supplies she'd need. She replaced the bottom and closed the chest again before slipping out of the house to meet the others.
Meanwhile, the vampires were advancing on the Bronze, Luke and Darla in the lead, the symbol of the Vessel proudly displaced on Luke's forehead.
Dun dun dun. Dramatic music goes here. And yes, "Mac" is in fact Macavity just in case there was any confusion, but his name is split between Mac and Macavity for a particular plot point later. Besides, he thinks Mac might be a bit more dashing.