Title: Lake of Fire
Part 12 of the ABC series
Author: Frau Hunter Ash
Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash@sti.net Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy : www.hunterash.com
Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon , Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui , and God only knows who else. The storyline, however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.
F/F romance : the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship between people of the same gender, different genders, and may even include 3 at the same time <G>. If this offends or is illegal for you, then please leave. Come back when you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws.
Spoilers: Sometime after Wrecked
Summary: Giles has been kidnapped by Amy and Rack but why? What do
they need or want from the former Watcher, now vampire? The gang
rush to find their friend and answers.
Rating: Strong 15 for vague description of torture.
Author's Note: Pairings: W/G, B/F, A/C, X/An
Sunnydale's demon community didn't know what hit them when Faith and Buffy started looking for answers. Willie ended up with a broken nose, another bartender required a couple of stitches in the back of his head, and a bouncer lost two teeth, both of them fangs.
Unfortunately for the vampires and demons hanging in the graveyards, the Slayers hadn't received any answers they liked and they were taking it out on the undead and demons later that night.
“Damnit,” Buffy grumbled as she dusted another vampire and moved to place herself back to back with the other Slayer. “Where the hell can they be keeping him?”
“Anywhere in Sunnydale,” Faith responded, kicking a vampire in the teeth. “It's not exactly Mayberry, B.”
“ Willow is going to go crazy if we don't find him,” Buffy commented.
“Yeah, they seem to have it bad, even for vampires with souls,” Faith nodded to herself and dusted two more vampires.
“Why don't you ask me?” a voice called to the Slayers.
Both Buffy and Faith spun, stakes raised. On top of a crypt stood Amy with her hands on her hips and she was smirking at them.
“Alright, where the hell is Giles?” Buffy growled as she and Faith began splitting apart to circle the witch.
“He's with Rack,” Amy shrugged, her eyes shifting to magic black. “He loves draining the magic from unwilling victims, causes a lot of pain. Amazing how much pain vampires can feel and stand. Especially when you use Holy Water or crosses.”
“You bitch,” Buffy said lowly, her voice dropping an octave in anger. “Why him? Why not Willow?”
“Oh, we'll get to her eventually,” Amy laughed and turned and shot an energy bolt at Faith's feet as the dark Slayer attempted to circle behind her. “By the way, we don't play fair.”
Buffy was about to jump up on the crypt to face Amy when she felt something stinging her thigh. “Faith!” The blonde pulled the tranquilizer dart out of her leg and fell back onto the graveyard grass, her vision beginning to blur.
Faith changed her direction and dashed around the crypt to find Buffy falling back into the waiting arms of a vampire as four others stood, obviously waiting for Faith.
The dark-eyed Slayer glanced over her shoulder and grinned as four other vampires surrounded her. “Cool, full party.”
# # #
“Over here!” a voice sounded distant to Faith as she fought against the darkness. First awareness was pain, it felt like everything hurt, some places more than others.
“Easy, Faith,” Xander's voice cut through the pain. “We've got an ambulance coming.”
“No… ambulance… Slayer healing,” she muttered. “Where's B?”
Faith opened her eyes slowly and wondered why she was only seeing through one as Xander knelt beside her, holding his shirt against her shoulder. “W-what?”
“You were stabbed with your stake,” he explained. “Slayer healing isn't going to cover this one. We don't know where Buffy is. Her stake was sticking in the ground beside your head.”
“Gotta find B,” Faith muttered as footsteps sounded close and excited voices crowded in.
“We'll find her, Faith,” Xander assured her.
# # #
“I really hate waking up with a headache,” Buffy muttered as she raised her head. A quick assessment revealed she was chained to a foundation post in the middle of a warehouse. It was small, with blacked out windows and a curtained off area near the one-time office area.
What troubled the Slayer was a table nearby with its brazier of hot coals, and another covered with various instruments. On another table was her Watcher and he wasn't moving and seemed unconscious.
“Giles!” Buffy yelled, testing the strength of the chains.
Buffy whimpered as she stood up and got a better view of the vampire. He was apparently unconscious and had numerous burn marks on his body, most in the shape of a cross. “Giles!”
“He probably won't wake up for awhile,” Rack smirked as he stepped out from the office. “Poor vampire hasn't had his feeding and the torture has zapped him. Oh yeah, I drained his magic too.”
“What do you want?” Buffy snapped, pulling at the chains.
“He asked the same thing,” Rack smiled as he walked over to the vampire. “Let's wake him up, what d'you say?”
“No! Leave him alone!” Buffy shouted as Rack picked up a cross and held it above Giles' chest.
Rack laughed as he placed it on the vampire's chest and Giles woke up screaming and struggling in his chains.
Buffy shouted in anger and pulled at the column but it wouldn't budge.
Rack removed the cross and Giles' body fell back from a painful arch. “Good evening, vampire. You have a visitor.”
Buffy winced when Rack moved aside for her and Giles to see each other and he was in game-face. Giles shook his head and snarled.
“B-Buffy? W-why her?” Giles asked around his fangs.
“Oh, don't worry,” Amy said, closing the office door behind her. “You two are just the first. We'll get to the others in time.”
“First, you have information, Watcher,” Rack said calmly. “Where is the ritual?”
“Sod off, you bastard!” Giles growled, snapping his fangs at the sorcerer.
Rack dropped the cross on Giles' stomach and left it there for several moments. When he pulled back the vampire's lips were bloody from where his fangs had gnashed and cut them, tears streaked Giles' cheeks as he turned his head away from Buffy's direction.
“Stop it!” Buffy shouted, the chains cutting into her wrists.
“Oh don't worry,” Rack smiled evilly as he turned to look at the Slayer. “If he won't crack from his own pain, maybe he will when he watches you screaming.”
“No,” Giles whispered, shifting back to human face.
“Whatever it is, Giles, do not give it to them!” Buffy said firmly as Amy picked up an iron bar from the coals, the tip now a bright red.
“Buffy… I…” Giles whimpered.
“No, whatever it is, don't give it! Not if they're working this hard for it,” Buffy snapped.
The vampire closed his eyes as Buffy's firm voice turned to a scream.
# # #
“Where is the ritual?” Rack repeated as Giles hung by ropes from a rafter, his feet not quite touching the floor. Giles shook his head, panting in response to the pain even though as a vampire he didn't need to breathe.
Giles winced as the knife sliced across his chest. It felt almost familiar. He remembered similar cuts from Angelus. He hadn't cracked then, either. Watching Rack torture Buffy and listening to her scream had been the hardest.
The vampire glanced over, seeing Buffy curled up against the post, watching his torture. In a way it strengthened him.
What was getting hard was the hunger. His own blood loss was making his nightly hunger extreme.
“Well, I'm bored,” Rack declared, tossing the knife onto the table with the other instruments of torture. “Come on, Amy, let's get something to eat.”
Amy smiled and sent a zap of magic through Buffy as she passed the Slayer.
The Slayer waited until she heard the warehouse door slam shut and the locks being clicked into place before she turned to Giles.
“Giles,” she called softly. “Giles!”
The vampire raised his head, his vampire game face still startling the Slayer.
“I'll never get used to that on you,” she muttered.
“Sometimes I'm glad I can't see myself in a mirror,” he muttered. “I can see the disgust in your eyes. That hurts enough.”
“Giles,” Buffy began to protest but he shook his head.
“I know what I am now and what you will always be,” he said softly.
“What you are is my friend, my mentor and my Watcher,” Buffy said firmly. “I don't care about the vampire stuff. I dated a vampire for crying out loud.”
“I'm sorry,” Giles sighed. “I'm tired, worried, in a lot of pain and getting damned… well…”
“Hungry,” Buffy supplied. “Giles, you're a vampire. You need blood and you haven't had it. I need a hamburger and I don't think I'm getting it soon either.”
“Don't go getting soft on vampires, young lady,” Giles tried to smile.
“Only for you, Willow , and Angel,” Buffy assured him. “What ritual do they want, Giles?”
“One that could bring about the ultimate destruction of mankind,” Giles said softly.
“Again?”
“This would make Acathla look tame,” Giles said as he tensed and relaxed his muscles. “I've explained some of this, before mankind ruled the earth there was darkness and chaos and that was ruled by demon gods and goddesses.”
“And then the beings of Light came along and the Old Ones were banished to other dimensions or below the ocean and ground,” Buffy continued.
Giles raised his eyebrows. “You did pay attention,” he said, surprised.
“Sometimes, yeah,” Buffy managed to smile.
“Well, some of those Old Gods have followers among humans and demons,” Giles continued. “They want to open those dimensions and wake the sleeping ones. If that happens darkness returns to the earth and mankind will be enslaved.”
“So what would their worshippers get out of the deal?” Buffy asked with a frown.
“Those that worship the Old Ones would obtain Godhood themselves and reign over mankind,” Giles explained.
“Let me guess, the Old Ones are creepy and you can't reason with them, right?”
Giles nodded. “Ninety percent of humans who have ever seen even the Lesser Gods have gone insane.”
“You know, I really can't see Amy and Rack trying to open the dimensions and bring back the Old Ones,” Buffy said thoughtfully. “Rack was always low rent type stuff. I mean he preys on kids for what little magic he could get from them.”
“You are perceptive for a Slayer,” a voice joined them and both vampire and Slayer looked over towards the curtained off area.
A handsome tall man stepped out and walked over between Giles and Buffy. He looked something like the description of a classic Greek God, Buffy decided. Blonde hair, tanned skin, strong features, well built body and blue eyes.
“Yo, surfer dude, who are you?” Buffy quipped.
“In this realm you may call me Victor,” he smiled, revealing perfect teeth. “You are right about Rack and Amy, they are low level thugs. They are contracted to me, actually. I'm the one who is going to open the gates.”
“Why?” Giles asked.
“Because I want revenge on your miserable realm and, in particular, on you and your little band of warriors,” Victor said, continuing to smile.
“You're not human,” Buffy frowned.
“Here I thought you were keeping up,” Victor smirked. “You two are the first to feel my vengeance.”
“Revenge for what?” Giles asked.
“For killing the host for my sister and trapping her soul in this miserable dimension!” Victor snapped, his shining with anger.
“Glory,” Buffy whispered as a cold chill ran through her body.
“Yes, you stopped the gate from opening and this one killed her human,” Victor nodded, grabbing the knife from the table and burying it into Giles' stomach, causing both vampire and Slayer to scream. “Don't worry, it won't kill him. He's already dead, remember?”
“Then I'll handle the witches, the ex-demon and her mate and last, I'll track down the Key and spill her blood and energy,” Victor continued, twisting the knife as Giles writhed in pain.
“Stop it!” Buffy shouted.
“I'm just getting started,” Victor smirked. “Where is the ritual?”
“Go… back… to hell!” Giles panted.
“Been there, I enjoy it and I'm going to bring it right to you,” Victor promised.
# # #
Willow 's head dropped forward and Tara wrapped an arm around her ex-girlfriend, pulling Willow close. It had been three days since Rack and Amy had taken Giles and Willow had refused to sleep, even during the day. She couldn't believe that Amy and Rack could block her tracking spell but even with the combination of Willow , Tara and Tracy , the group was unable to find the missing Scooby members.
“So this guy that's with Rack and Amy is drop-dead gorgeous and threw you across the graveyard with one hand?” Tara asked, her voice low.
Tracy gently applied an ice pack to Faith's knee as the dark haired Slayer hissed in pain. Tara had seen Buffy and Faith come in fairly battered before, especially when Buffy was kidnapped but this was the worst yet.
“Yeah, tossed me around like I was straw or something,” Faith complained. “One handed as that bitch laughed.”
Willow opened her eyes and frowned. “Was he insane?”
“Huh?” Faith blinked. “Fruit loops? Nah, just kinda seemed bored with me.”
“What are you thinking, Will?” Tara asked softly.
“Very gorgeous person who can throw a Slayer around, puts said Slayer in the hospital and laughs at everything we throw at him or her,” Willow shrugged. “Just sounded familiar.”
“Glory,” Tara whispered, her eyes widening. “C-can't be G-Glory, can it? G-Giles killed Ben, killed her host and… and the ritual didn't work… Buffy died to stop it.”
“ Tara ?” Tracy was kneeling in front of her lover in a flash, her concern obvious.
“Glory hurt her very badly,” Willow said softly. “She hurt everybody. Only way we stopped her was to stop the ritual and Giles killed her human host.”
“You think Greek God is Glory in drag?” Faith asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Maybe something close, another Hell God?” Willow suggested.
“If that's true, we are in serious trouble,” Tara whimpered. “Why isn't he after Dawn? She's the Key.”
“Key to what? Being a pain in the ass?” Faith asked with a typical smirk.
“No, to opening the dimension gates,” Willow said, rolling her eyes. “Her blood during the ritual opens the gate. It causes all the walls between the dimensions to collapse. Chaos, darkness, death, destruction, etc.”
“Gotcha,” Faith shrugged. “So we find Apollo in his human form and kill them?”
“Problem with that is the host is human, a separate human being sharing their body with the Hell God,” Willow sighed.
“And Slayers don't kill humans,” Tracy finished, her voice slightly bitter.
“If it saves mankind and gets B and G-Man back, I'll make an exception,” Faith grumbled. Willow caught the Slayer's troubled eyes and frowned, she made a mental note that it wouldn't be Faith to kill Rack, Amy or the Hell God's host.
“If he has a human form,” Tara said softly.
# # #
Willow snarled and snapped the neck of a vampire as it reached for Tara . Another vampire started to protest one vampire killing another when Tracy cut off his protests with a stake to his chest.
Xander turned, keeping his back to Tara 's and fired his crossbow, taking out another vampire as the remaining two decided to run.
“Is it my imagination or are there more vampires than usual?” he asked, breathing heavily from the intense fight the small group had just been through. He refrained from glancing over at Willow , her vampire face still making him uncomfortable.
“There's more,” Tara nodded. She watched as Willow growled in anger and kicked at a tree. “I think someone is sending them at us.”
“We have to find Buffy and Giles or Willow and Faith are going to do something stupid,” Tracy added.
# # #
Faith found Willow sitting on the back porch of the Summers house. The vampire quickly wiped tears from her eyes and glanced away. “Hey, Faith.”
“Hey, Red, you hanging in there?” the dark haired Slayer asked softly, sitting down on the railing. “You okay?”
“I miss him. I spent two years going through hell,” Willow said slowly. “The thought of seeing him kept me going. Seeing all of them but especially Ru got me through.”
“Yeah,” Faith nodded. “I admit I thought about pounding Buffy the entire time I was locked away but when I saw her, it was like the first time I saw her.”
“Faith, you hurt everyone bad when you turned and when you switched bodies with Buffy,” Willow frowned. “Tell me the truth, you love her? After losing Riley and everything that's happened, I'll rip your throat out if you hurt her.”
“Point taken,” Faith grinned. “Think I want to risk those fangs of yours, Red?” then the Slayer grew serious. “Yeah, I love her, maybe the first time I ever really cared about anyone like this. I can't explain what happened but I'll do anything to make it up to you guys. What about you? You've been spending most of your sleep time in T&T's bed, anything happening there, girlfriend?”
Willow blushed slightly, livening up her pale skin. “No, just helping me sleep and relax. I love Tara , always will but… it's like a distant feeling. With Giles its'… a smoldering fire that flares frequently now.”
“I understand that,” Faith nodded thoughtfully. “I've been with a few but none of them compare to just one touch from B.”
“How do we get them back?” Willow complained.
“I got an idea on that. Use you as bait,” Faith grinned. “They love tormenting you. We put you out there, you fight with them and we have Tracy and Tara follow them, put a magic tracking device or something on them.”
Willow nodded. “Let's do it. I need both of them.”
# # #
Buffy raised her head slowly from the floor. Rack and Amy had taken extra delight in seeing how badly they could beat Buffy before she passed out. Being the Slayer, that took awhile and required implements.
Giles was swaying gently and appeared to be unconscious again. He was suspended from a rafter upside down with a rope around his feet and his hands cuffed behind his back. The vampire had been tortured almost non-stop since Victor had revealed his presence and his plans.
The vampire's skin was stretched tightly over his bones, he was in continual game-face, and Buffy could see his veins through the almost transparent pale skin. The Slayer wasn't sure how much more Giles could take before lapsing into a vampiric coma or dying a final death.
Buffy tried to sit up and it took three tries around a probable concussion and broken arm. “Giles? Can you hear me?”
The blonde Slayer looked down and saw they had left her untied but not unrestrained, a shackle encased her ankle with a thick logging chain around one of the warehouse foundations. “Terrific.” It did, however, give her enough slack to reach Giles.
Buffy moved to where the rope was tied and undid it after some struggle with one hand and gently lowered the vampire to the floor. The Slayer stumbled over to her former Watcher and hesitated, unsure what to do to help him. It wasn't like he had a pulse she could check.
“Giles, I can't lose you again,” Buffy said softly as she moved to lean against a wall, dragging him with her. After some effort she was able to pull him into her one good arm, wrapping it around him.
She raised her wrist to his lips.
“Come on, vamp!” she said sharply. “Dinner time!” Buffy knew if there was any way he would regain consciousness, he would smell the blood from the beating she had taken and probably go into a frenzy and Buffy wasn't sure she could hold him off.
Buffy tried to force her wrist into his jaws but it seemed every muscle in the vampire was tightened beyond belief. She swore under her breath in frustration and raked her wrist over his fangs until she got through the skin and blood began to flow into his mouth.
The Slayer squeaked when, after several moments, Giles responded by sinking his fangs into her wrist, grabbing her arm and holding tightly as he growled.
“Easy, Giles, easy,” Buffy urged, wincing from the pain. “Fight through this. Come on, Watcher, think! You gotta stop in time, Giles.”
Buffy's head fell back against the wall after several minutes as the blood loss weakened her and made her vision cloudy.
“Giles, gotta stop… please,” she whispered as darkness crowded in.
# # #
Buffy shook her head and opened her eyes slowly. She had no idea how long she had been out but it didn't feel long. She quickly looked around and found Giles huddled against a column, his hands still cuffed behind his back and he was weeping.
“Giles?” Buffy called softly. “You okay?”
The vampire looked up and Buffy had to admit that he looked better, still too thin and weak but better and almost human. “No, I bit you! I almost killed you!”
“And you didn't,” Buffy countered. “I cut my wrist and forced the blood down your throat, Giles. Give yourself a break, okay?”
Giles shook his head, still weeping.
“Giles, come on, please! You've fed from me before, remember?” Buffy reminded the vampire. “I was willing both times! You're not acting like a soulless vampire! Look at yourself, that's my Giles, not a monster.”
Giles nodded and leaned against the column for several moments before nodding and looking around. “Alright, I'll try,” he said softly. “You remember that time everyone got caught up in nightmares? Yours was turning into a vampire? It's a common fear among Slayers but also Watchers. We're terrified of being turned and then going after our Slayers. Many young women have fallen to Watcher fangs because they hesitated to kill their former trainers. Seeing you like that, tasting your blood… I was frightened.”
“I can understand that,” Buffy said softly. “It's the real reason the Council doesn't want Slayers to have family and friends, right? Not the distraction thingy but because our family die around us, sometimes being turned.”
“Yes,” Giles nodded, looking down at the chain around his ankle. “I'm not strong enough to break this yet. Where are they? They normally don't leave us alone for long.”
“I don't know. Amy and Rack beat the hell out of me and Victor tortured you almost to death,” Buffy sighed. “You can't take another round with him, Giles. Even with my blood, he'll kill you.”
“Then I die, I can't tell him what he wants to know,” Giles said softly.
“Really?” a strong voice asked. Slayer and vampire looked up and found Victor, Amy and Rack standing just inside the door. Victor smiled and held up a butane torch and a cross. “You sure about that, vampire?”
Giles whimpered and tried to draw away.
“Just think, I heat this cross up and then burn it into your body, all over,” Victor smiled, moving closer to his target. “With Slayer blood, you should last a few more days and each minute will be in pain, I promise you. Fire is one of the most painful injuries for a vampire. Even if you live, you'll be scarred for your eternal life. Maybe I'll take your hands tomorrow. Then your eyes. Hard to be a Watcher with no eyes to watch with.”
“Giles, tell him!” Buffy begged. “We can fight anything he calls up!”
Giles shook his head but whimpered as Rack and Amy pulled him to his feet. Victor smiled and lit the torch.
Next: Meltdown