The Slayer and the Caster (Angel Love Story)

The Harvest Part 2

"They escaped?  They walk free when I should be drinking their heart's blood right now?  Careless..." the Master says.  "Master, we had them trapped!" Collins says.  "Oh, are you going to make excuses?"  "You are all weak.  It has been too long since you have faced the Slayer and the Caster.  Huh.  It is no matter to me.  They will not stop the Harvest.  Just means there'll be two people worth killing...when I reach the surface.  Is Luke ready?"  "He waits."  "It's time.  Bring him to me."  Collin turns to leave.  "Ah, Collin...You failed me.  Tell me you're sorry," the Master says to him.  "I'm sorry!"  "There.  That wasn't so bad, was it?"  Hold on..." The Master stabs his finger into Collin's face.  "You've got something in your eye."  

Willow walks into the library where Giles is still doing research.  "Buffy?  Lily?"  "It's just me.  So there's no word?" Willow asks.  "Ah, not as yet, no."  "Well, I-I'm sure they're...great."  "Did you find anything of interest?"  "I think, maybe...I surfed through the old newspapers around the time of that big earthquake back in '37?  And for several months before there were a rash of murders," Willow says handing him her printouts.  "Great!  I-I mean, well, not, not 'great' in a good way, uh, um, uh, go on?"  "Well, they sound like the kind you were looking for.  Throats, blood..."  "It's all coming together.  I rather wish it weren't."

Luke approaches the Master and kneels in front of him.  The Master offers his hand and Luke takes it, kissing it.  He releases his hand and the Master turns it over and offers his wrist.  Darla watches on smiling.  Luke opens the cuff of the Master's sleeve and pulls it back.  He takes his hand again and sinks his fangs in, drinking his blood.  "My blood is your blood.  My soul is your soul."  "My body is your instrument."  The Master steps down as he draws a three-pointed star on Lukes forehead. "On this...most hallowed night...we are as one.  Luke is the Vessel.  Every soul he takes will feed me.  And their souls will grant me the strength to free myself.  Tonight I shall walk the Earth, and the stars themselves will hide!"

The three of us walk into the library seeing Willow and Giles still reading.  "Did you find Jesse?" she asks.  "Yeah," Xander says.  "Was he dead?"  "Worse.  I'm sorry, Willow.  We were too late.  And they were waiting for us," I say sitting down.  "At least you three are ok."  Xander kicks the trash can startling us.  "I don't like vampires.  I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good."  "So, Giles!  Got anything that can make this day any worse?" Buffy asks.  He walks over to a whiteboard and puts down his pen.  "How about the end of the world?"  "Knew we could count on you," I say.  "This is what we know.  Some 60 years ago, a very old, very powerful vampire came to this shore, not just to feed."  "He came 'cause this town's a mystical who's it," Buffy says.  "Yes.  The Spanish who first settled here called it 'Boca del Infierno'.  Roughly translated, 'Hellmouth'.  It's a sort of, um, portal between this reality and the next.  This vampire hopes to open it."  "And bring the demons back," I say.  "End of the world," Xander says.  "But he blew it!  Or, I mean, there was an earthquake that swallowed half the town, and him, too," Willow says.  "You see, opening dimensional portals is a tricky business.  Odds are he got himself stuck, rather like a, cork in a bottle."  "And this Harvest thing is to get him out?" Xander asks.  "It comes once a century, on this night.  The Master can draw power from one of his minions while it feeds.  Enough power to break free and open the portal.  The minion is called the Vessel, and he bears this symbol," Giles says drawing a three-pointed star.  "So, we dust anyone sporting that symbol, and no Harvest," Buffy says.  "Simply put, yes."  "Any idea where this little get-together is being held?"  "There, there are a number of possibilities."  "They're goin' to the Bronze," Xander says.  "Are you sure?" Willow asks him.  "Come on.  All those tasty young morsels all over the place?"  Anyway, that's where Jesse's gonna be, trust me."  Giles grabs his coat and starts to leave and we follow.  "Then we should get there.  The sun will be down before long."  "We gotta make a stop.  Won't take long," Buffy says.  "What for?"  "Supplies," I say.  We get home and go to our rooms.  I change real quick grab my leather jacket and pack my supplies.  I go to Buffy's room and wait for her.  "Buffy?  Lily?" our mom says walking in.  "Mom!" Buffy says surprised.  "You two are going out?"  "We have to," I say.  "I didn't hear you guys come in last night."  "We were really quiet," Buffy says looking at me for some help.  "It's happening again, isn't it?  I got a call from your new principal.  Says you two missed some classes today?"  "We were running errands," I say.  "We haven't finished unpacking, and I'm getting calls from your principal."  "Mom, we promise, it is not gonna be like before.  But, we have to go," Buffy says.  "No."  "Mom?!" I ask.  "The tapes all say I should get used to saying it.  No."  "This is really, really important," I say.  "I know.  If you two don't go out it'll be the end of the world.  Everything is life or death when you're two sixteen-year-old girls."  "Look, we don't have time to talk about this..." Buffy says.  "Buffy, Lily, you've got all the time in the world, you two aren't going anywhere.  Now, if you wanna stay up here and sulk, I won't hold it against you.  But, if you wanna come down, I'll make us some dinner."  Our mom leaves the room and closes the door behind her.  I watch Buffy open her closet and pull out her trunk of weapons.  I check that mom isn't near and give her a nod to open the window.  We sneak out and onto the roof and climb down.