Xander called an emergency meeting of the group.

"We've got a really big problem. Giles translated a prophecy out of that Pergamum Codex book. He told Angel about the prophecy, while Buffy was eavesdropping."

"If she was close enough to hear what they were talking about, then she was close enough for the vampire to know she was there. They can sense Slayers, just like Slayers can sense vampires." Charles said.

"Which suggests two possibilities." Jessica said. "He knew and hid the fact that he knew she was there or he's been whammied too. Either one, suggests someone has an agenda."

"What's the prophecy?" Tony asked.

"That she will face the Master and die."

"She specifically?" Joshua asked.

"Yes, apparently the prophecy is specific to Buffy."

"That's quite a coincidence." Mary said.

"Too much of a coincidence." Coral said. "Did the Watcher do any tests to verify that this book is actually the Pergamum Codex? Because Joshua's research showed it had been destroyed."

"No, Giles didn't and he thought it had been lost. Angel told him it had just been misplaced."

"What is the Slayer doing about this prophecy?" Charles asked.

"Quiting. She doesn't want to die, who could blame her? So she's ignoring it." Xander answered.

"What do you want to bet something's going to happen to force her to deal with it?" Johnathan said.

"I won't take that bet. The coincidences just keep adding up." Aura said.

An emergency phone call from Xander at school the next day confirmed Johnathan's question.

"Vampires came on school grounds and killed several kids in the student lounge." He reported. "And Ms. Calendar says the earthquake earlier was a portent. She's found others. Also a global alert went out from some monk called Brother Luca about the Anointed One and a bible verse, which basically says the Anointed One may be a kid instead of that religious nutjob vampire. Giles decided he was going to face the Master himself and Buffy knocked him out. She's going to face him herself!"

"Jessica, the magical tracker, where is she right now?" Charles asked.

"Heading into the sewers."

"We need to stop her, not just because this jeopardizes our plans, but because it's most likely a trap. Its just too many coincidences." Tony said.

"Not to mention, we all know the Master wants to open the Hellmouth. It's what he was doing when he got trapped in the sewers in the first place." Coral said.

"The Hellmouth is under the school. Does the Watcher know that?" Charles asked.

"He didn't even know it was here when he got to Sunnydale." Xander said. "He found out when he was researching the Harvest."

"That doesn't make any sense. We know the Watchers Council knows it exists. Our contact in the Council has confirmed it." Madelyn said. "Why would they send the Watcher to a Slayer to the Hellmouth without telling him?"

"Maybe they did." Aura said. "Maybe forgetting is part of the whammy."

"Regardless, we have to try to help stop the Master. Xander, I want you get that vampire to go into the sewers with you and help her." Charles ordered. "The rest of us are going to the school. We have to hold the Hellmouth. The Master's followers will be heading there. We take out as many as we can. Load for bear, people."

Later, after the battle was done and the Master stopped, the group filled each other in on their separate adventures.

"If Angel is really in love with Buffy, I'll eat my socks." Xander said. "When I got there, he was reading a book and drinking a glass of wine, with his shoes off! When I asked him why he wasn't helping her, he said was too afraid. He didn't look or act afraid. And it was a trap. The Master fed on Buffy, her blood gave him the power to escape. Worse, he dropped her in a pool of water and she drowned. I did CPR and revived her."

"At least she was able to stop the Master." Charles said. "Cordelia drove over some vampires and saved Ms. Calendar and Willow. The Hellmouth did briefly open, but the Master's demise closed it again. We managed to dust several dozen vampires around the school. But there were injuries. Coral's in the hospital with a badly broken arm. She'll need surgery to repair it. The rest of us are beat up. But we held the Hellmouth, that's the important thing."

"I'd like to see this Pergamum Codex the Watcher has." Joshua said. "It should be tested to confirm it's authenticity."

"Xander, any chance you can get your hands on it?" Charles asked.

"Well, I would, if it hadn't disappeared. Giles can't find it anywhere."

"And yet another coincidence." Jessica said disgustedly.

"They just keep piling up, don't they?" Charles said. "Well, the school year will be done soon and summer is usually quiet. It'll give us time to finish working out some plans. There are a number of demons we can aim the Slayer at to weaken the Mayor. We're down to two years to stop hm, if it's at all possible to do it sooner, we have to try. Good work, mostly."

It was a fairly quiet summer, but the return of Buffy, who'd spent the summer with her father, didn't go so well. Buffy wasn't dealing well with the fact that she'd actually died and deliberately humiliated Xander. But worse, the Master's followers found a ritual to resurrect him. Which involved kidnapping and trying to sacrifice Cordelia, Willow, Giles and Ms. Calendar. There wasn't time for Xander to alert the group and he and Angel saved them together. Buffy was able to put some of her personal demons to rest by smashing the Master's bones.

It wasn't a great way to start the new school year.