There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (82/?)

[stillrose]

Title: There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (82/?)
Fandom: BTVS; Spike/Xander
Warnings: Slash,AU, Post Apocalyptic, violence,non-con, slavery, tentacles,
Rating: NC-17
Summary: It’s been seven years since Angelus killed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Seven years after Angelus opened a portal to hell on Earth. Humans are food, slaves or on the run. There’s hope only in small band of resistance fighters. However, that’s a hope Xander Harris no longer has. It’s been six months since he was taken in a raid. At first Xander thought he was lucky the demons didn’t know who he was; but then that was before he became property to an Azora demon.


As always: Feedback makes my heart go pitter-patter.


UNBETAED


Previous parts here.

*********************************************************************************
“Pet?” Spike asked arching an eyebrow. Xander knew and understood that look well. Behave and play the part of the good Pet and everything will be explained in good time or don’t and get punished and then have everything explained.


“Please,” Xander ground out taking his clothes. There wasn’t time to drag this out with a punishment. “Explain.”


Spike arched his other brow.


“Master,” Xander added.


And this better be a good one or so help me you are gonna wish I’d left you at the bottom of the lake!


*********************************************************************************


“It’s all part of the plan,” Spike began.


Xander looked around at the motley group of demons, the surviving werewolves, the half drowned Wesley, the pissed off Slayer and the still soaking Spike. His pants made a weight squelching noise as he shimmied into them.


“This is according to plan...Master,” he asked arching an eyebrow and straining to pull the wet denim together at his waist to button it.


“More or less,” Spike answered.


Xander arched his other eyebrow.


“Oi! Don’t be doutin’ yer Master, Pet!”


“Then perhaps I should offer my misgivings regarding our present conditions,” chimed in Wesley.


Xander pulled his shirt across the back of his shoulders his collar glittering faintly in the starlight.


“A little gratitude…” Spike started to say.


“For what? Losing Dawn? Getting Larry killed? Adding Tara and Willow to Angelus’s toy box?” asked Faith.


“For getting Angelus right where we want him,” Spike snapped. A chorus of demon growls joined him ready to act on his obvious displeasure with the small band of humans. .


“And that’s him on the island protected by my little ponies from watery hell and us here,” Xander said pressing the issue.


“Tell them,” Lorne said quietly moving a half step closer to Spike.


“Lorne…” Spike answered softly.


“Yes,  I am sure. He would have loved being the center of attention of all of this,” Lorne said casually waving a hand at the circle. It was gesture that belied the pain underneath his words. “He always did have a flair for the dramatic.”


“Right,” Spike finally said turning back to what was left of the Scoobies. “I was given a prophecy…”


“Doyle, ” Wes and Xander whispered in unison.


“Who’s Doyle?” asked Oz after shifting back to human form.


“Oi! “ Spike growled a warning.


“I think we should save the Q&A for after the presentation,” Faith whispered to the werewolf.


Oz nodded then gestured to Spike to continue.


“Where was I?” Spike asked then before snapping his fingers. “Right. Prophecy. Doyle gave it to me. Well more accurately he left it for me. He wrote before he...before I killed him.”


Spike looked to Lorne.


“Our...last night together he left me a sealed envelope,” Lorne explained. “Made me swear recipe for a perfect Manhattan not peek. He said it was for the Master of Las Vegas. At the time I..well no one knew.”


Lorne looked back to Spike.


“Blood, torture, betrayal, foul language..we’ll skip that part of the story,” Spike continued. “What matters is  what Doyle wrote. It was the key to changing everything. It was a vision on how to turn it all back; to defeat Angelus.“


“How?” Xander blurted out growing cold and impatient in his wet clothes.


“It’s here, Pet. Back where it started. Back to how it  all started.”


“His blood!” Wesley said suddenly his eyes boring into Spike’s.


“Are you having a vision?” Faith asked quickly grabbing Wesley in concern.


“No, not exactly, but it is what makes sense,” Wes replied looking back at his slayer. “It was Angelus’s blood which opened the portal and it would be Angelus’s blood to close it.”


“You mean Dawn isn’t the key?” Xander squeaked.


“No, Pet,” Spike answered. “She is. Just…”


“Just not the key to closing the portal Angelus opened,” Wes said.


“Then what is she a Key to?” Faith asked.


“Other portals maybe,” Spike said with a shrug. “Doyle didn’t exactly detail everything.”


“I still don’t understand...how does that get us here?” Xander asked. “And more importantly how does it get us help us get the girls back?”


“Look around, Pet. I’ve been working and planning for this since the day Angelus gave me Vegas. I have assembled a group of demons who either owe me or want the same end I do. I’ve maneuvered Angelus back on the island with Acathla where we need him. Where we need his blood.”

“But the lies...the secrets…”


“To misdirect Angelus.”


“And Dawn? Willow and Tara? What are they misdirections too?”


“Sometimes there are casualties…” Spike began.


“CASUALTIES!” Xander snapped rushing up on Spike.  “They are not casualties! They are our friends! Family!”


There was another murmuring of low growls from the demons around the group and answering set of growls from the surviving werewolves as vampire and claimant stared each other down.


Someone’s in for a long punishment, Spike thought staring at Xander.


Pray we don’t survive this, Xander thought returning the gaze. Cuz you’re looking at hours of watching Andromeda over this!



“Well we could stand here and fight about it,” Oz said calmly before looking back at the island. “Or we could take this small army and go get them. I mean I don’t want to jump to any radical conclusions or anything but I did get the sense that’s where this whole big reveal  hasn’t changed anything? The plan is still a desperate, and most probably doomed, all out attack on Angelus and his perfect hair?”


“How?” Faith asked. “We still have the Usige in the water to deal with and the Tremblors along the shore.”


“The Oni can handle the Usige,” Spike said finally looking away from Xander to the leader of the gigantic ogre looking demons.


“Numfar and I will handle the Tremblors,” Lorne said.


“Numfar?” the scoobies asked in unison.


A green skinned demon with shoulder length reddish-pink hair and two small horns stepped forward and stood beside Lorne. He stretched out his arms and kicked his legs forward and back in a little jig. Behind him were several other green skinned demons all looking vaguely like Numfar and Lorne.


“Numfar and some folks from the old neighborhood,” Lorne said with a smile.


“How?” Xander asked remembering the awesome power of the Tremblors.


“Oh with something I like to call a high ‘C’. A really high C,” Lorne answered with a wink.


“Right,” Spike said looking to the other assembled demons. “We have a way over to the island?”


“We still have the canoes, Master Spike,” answered the chief of the Mofo demons.


“Then what are we waiting for?” the vampire asked his eyes locking once more on Xander. “I suppose if I ordered you to stay here with the lions and the wolves…”


“Let’s save you the wasted breath in ordering it and me the harsh public humiliation and punishment for disobedience,” Xander interrupted.


“Right then,” Spike said looking back at his motley army. “Let’s get moving.”


“And don’t think you’re getting out of further explanations, like how is Lorne alive, and where did all these demons come from,” Xander said.


“It’s a gonna be a long canoe trip across the lake,” Spike muttered.


***********************************************************************************


Lindsey had thought he’d known pain. He’d thought he’d endured the worst of Angelus’s games by now, but he was wrong. He was so wrong.


“Just a hint,” Angelus crooned in the lawyer’s ear. “Just a wee hint, Linds. Just something to really get this party started.”


“Not really in a partying mood,” Lindsey ground out before letting loose an agonizing scream as Angelus eased the handle in his hand forward another notch. There was a small ‘popping’ sound in Lindsey’s right knee. Tears rolled unbidden from his eyes and he took deep gulping breaths.


Angelus stared at Lindsey’s naked body stretched taut on the rectangular table tilted at thirty degree angle. Every muscle was stretched and corded. Joints and ligaments were just now at the breaking point. It was a thing of beauty.


“Call me sentimental,” the vampire said as he stroked a finger down Lindsey’s torso, “but I always did have a soft spot for the classics. You know what’s really great about the rack, Linds?”


“If I say...yes,” Lindsey panted trying to focus past the searing pain in his body now centered on his knee, “will you shut up?”


Angelus laughed.


“No,” he said moving down the table. “But if ya tell me what I want ta know, ya’ll never have ta hear me speak again.”


He studied Lindsey for a moment. The bound man only shook his head in defiance. Angelus sighed. He knew he was on a schedule if he wanted to open the portal tonight. Yet, he couldn’t deny he was enjoying himself.


“What’s great is that you can combine methods with the rack,” Angelus said. “A little bit of old…”


He tugged gently on the handle again. The rollers shifted pulling on the chains at Lindsey’s wrists and ankles forcing his body elongate. This time there was a ‘popping’ sound in his shoulder.


“..and a little bit of the new,” Angelus said before sinking his fangs deep into Lindsey’s vulnerable side. Instinctively, Lindsey’s body tried to arch away from the pain and bite but there it was stretched too tight. Still it tried causing a tearing sensation right oblique muscle. Blood welled up feeding the vampire.


“Bastard!” Lindsey yelled.


Anglus hummed and he nursed at the bite. He hated to admit it, but he would miss this annoying little pet of his. It never failed to to suffer so wonderfully for him.


“Now ta be fair,” Angelus said lifting his mouth away from Lindsey, “my mum may have been a bitch but she was a properly wedded one.”


He stood up and admired his work again. Blood was oozing now thick and red from Lindsay’s side. A heavy sheen of sweat glistened on his skin.


“Tell me where my son is,” Angelus ordered looking at Lindsey.


“Hell,” Lindsey grunted.


“Which one?” Angelus sing songed.


“Why don’t you go on a tour and find out?”


“Lindsey,” Angelus began once again tugging on the handle again. The air was rent with more popping sounds and Lindsey’s screams.


“STOP!” suddenly came a sobbing cry from the far west corner.


Angelus turned to look. Dawn was on her knees reaching out toward the rack. She was being held back by one of the Jhe demons, it’s blue talons tangled in Dawn’s thick brown hair.  Tears were streaming down her face.


“Please! Please, stop!" Dawn cried unable to witness the torture anymore.


“Ahh, hear that, Lindsey?” Angelus asked turning back to look at the bound lawyer. “Yer upsettin’ the fair young maiden.”


“You think I care?” Lindsey asked.


“I don’t know, Linds. Ya are weak.”


“Take me down off this damn thing and lets you and me see how weak I am!”


“Oh?” Angelus cried clasping his arms of his chest in mock distress. “Are ya not havin’ fun?”


He looks back to Dawn.


“Ya think we should play a different game with him...what was it Dim? Dumb? Dawn!” Angelus says snapping his fingers. “How about it? Do ya want ta play?”


“No! Just stop!” Dawn cried again traumatized from witnessing Lindsey's torture and scared not knowing what happened to her friends.


“I can’t, Sunrise, because Lindsey here won’t tell me what I need ta know.”


“What? What do you need to know?”


“Tsk! Haven’t ya been payin’ attention? I want ta know where my wee lad of a son is!”


“S..son..I don’t understa..”


“Shut up!” Lindsey yelled at the young woman.


“Lindsey!” Angelus cried looking back at him.  “Is that any way ta talk ta a young lady? If she were Darla would ya talk to her like that?”


“She isn’t…Darla!” Lindsey snarled.


“No, no she isn’t” Angelus said with a sigh as one again he pulled on lever.


“GAHHHHH!” Lindsey screamed out in agony.


“Lindsey, do ya really think she would have wanted this?”


“Fuck you!”


“Mmmm, now there’s an idea,” Angelus replied. “I’ve never tried that with anyone on the rack. We might have ta get inventive!”


“Whatever you got...I...can take,” Lindsey choked out with a forced smile. “Afterall, I took Darla and your son didn’t I?”


With a roar Angelus yanked on the handle forcing it to move up several notches. Lindsey let out a high pitch yowl of pure pain while more joints popped and corded muscled literally snapped under his skin.


“STOP IT!” Dawn yelled even as Lindsey’s cries choked off into silence as he fell unconscious.


“Damn!” Angelus muttered. “Cyvus! Wake him up!”


The bald red demon sidled forth and quickly examined the tortured man.


“He is badly damaged, my Lord,” he replied.


“Is that what I asked?” Angelus snapped. “I said, ‘Wake him up!’”


“Yes, my Lord. It may take some time,” Cyvus replied.


“Fine as long as it doesn’t take more than oh...say thirty minutes?” Angelus chirped. “Otherwise..I might have to put you on the rack!”


“Of course, my Lord,” Cyvus said bowing low before quickly moving over to Lindsay. He began chittering in a strange language. A dull red light began to suffuse Lindsay’s body causing it to tremble.


Angelus looked at Dawn as he walked over to her and crouched down. He waved a hand at the Jhe demon ordering her to let the young woman loose and move away from the human.


“Well, what are we gonna do until old Linds there wakes up?” he asks as he smiles at the terrified young woman.


***********************************************************************************


“All this time you let me belive Lorne was dead…” Xander hissed in a whisper. It was the twelfth time since they left shore.


“Pet...told ya…” Spike once again try to explain.


“I mean..was it all an act? You? The Big Bad falling apart when Angelus..killed...I mean lobbed off his head? Or was just another way to make me feel something for you? Toy with…?”


“NO!” Spike said fiercely raising his voice.


“Shh!” hissed the paddling slayer. Spike flashed two finger her direction.


“I was a wreck, Pet,” Spike explained in a whisper leaning closer to Xander. The canoe shifted and rocked under them at the disbursement of his weight. Wesley sighed but continued to paddle.


“Sure, Lorne had always said he’d be able ta survive a head chop but I’d never seen it,” Spike continued. “Plus he was very clear to survive it is his body had to remain intact. I..had no guarantee it was all going ta work out. And it wasn’t like in that moment I could hold his hand and reattach his noggin’ myself.”


“You could have told….”


“And what if it hadn’t of worked? Or what if Angelus had more plans for ya?”


“We’re talking about Lorne here,” Xander growled. “And more secrets! When were..are you going to trust me?”


“I’m trusting ya now,” Spike said peering at his Pet and all but begging him to understand. Xander looked away.


“Doyle warned me about Lorne’s ‘death,’” Spike whispered softly. “Neither one of us had wanted ta believe it but we had ta and we had to prepare for it. Doyle saw Angelus take his head. If he saw more’n that he didn’t write down so we came up with our own play and hoped the ‘death’ he saw wasn’t a permanent type. My job, when it happened, was ta make sure his head and body were intact, taken away and ta stay far far away from him until we made our final move.”


“So where has he been?” Xander asked trying to peer across the water to the shore which had gone eerily silent. Just before they’d left Oni had charged into the water disappearing among the waves while Lorne and his fellow green skinned demons had opened their mouths wide as if singing then stood still.


At that point Spike had rushed everyone into the canoes as all around them a strange vibration began to rise. At one point Xander thought it pushed right through him and caused his heart to stutter a beat.


He looked back at Spike for the answer to his question.


“Collecting my debts. Organizing the demons who were with me.”


“Against Angelus? They knew?” Xander asked his anger rising again.


“About as much as you, Pet. Less even,” Spike answered. “They knew I was planning ta make a play against Angelus and that was it.”


“And the lions?” Xander asked.


“Were a way to reach out to Lorne and guide him and our forces ta where ta meet up with us,” Spike answered.


“And you knew?” Xander turned and looked at Oz sitting next to him.


“Pack was picking up strange scents in the woods,” Oz said with a shrug.


“And you kept his secret rather than tell us,” Faith interjected.


“If he was lying,” Oz explained, “there were too many of them for us to take out alone. Figured to play it out until we had the advantage. If he was telling the truth….”


Oz shrugged again.


“‘Sides...the primals. Pretty rad!”


“So what are you not telling us now?” Xander asked focusing back on Spike.


“Oi!”


“I mean it, Spike!” Xander hissed. “No more! We are charging in on Angelus who’s got Willow, Dawn and Tara. I don’t want any more surprises.”


“You know everything I know, Pet,” Spike said gently staring back at Xander.


“How do we undo it?” Wesley asked. “Precisely? How do we close the portal Angelus opened?”


“Run Angelus through again. Bloody up on old Acathla with it,” Spike answered.


“And what do you get out of it?” Faith snapped. “I mean, I get you have daddy issues. And I get you want to one up Angelus but why not just take him out. Why return the world back to humans?”


Spike looked at Xander. He knew his pet was angry with him. He knew he’d felt betrayed again. If ever he was going to spill Spike biggest secret now would be it.


Xander returned the stare. He knew he could say something. He could say one little word but then he knew it would be a false lead. Spike wasn’t doing this just because he had a soul. He wasn’t just doing it for revenge. This was Spike. His heart twisted a little. Part of him wanted to spill the beans though. Wanted to out Spike but he knew he wouldn’t do it. Couldn’t do it. Because when all was said and done, they’d been through too much. He’d felt too much. He was tied to Spike in ways he couldn’t begin to describe. He was tied in ways that simply left him shaking his head to let his Spike know his secret was safe.


“World wasn’t so bad before,” Spike finally answered. “Still plenty of perks. Manchester United. Passions. All them happy meals.”


“And you think humans will just let you be?” Wesley asked.


“There’s always goin’ ta be demons, mate,” Spike said winking at Oz.  Oz sighed and looked away.


“Again how long do you think that’s going to last once the world’s returned from Angelus’ hell?” Faith asked.


“I think humans will be having their hands full just trying to rebuild,” Spike said. “And besides, I really don’t think one city out of the entire world is too much to ask for in return for saving the world.”


“What?” all the humans asked in unions.


“Vegas,” Spike said simply. “When this is all said and done, I still want Vegas. Oi, will still let humans visit, if they dare because it will be a demon run city with demon run rules but I don’t think most will really notice a difference.”


“And what makes you think we will agree to that?” Wesley asked.


“Because you are the good guys and you know it’s fair. Plus it won’t take too long for ya to see the advantages of it.”


“Advantages?” Faith snorted. “You know you’re seriously del…”


“Shh!” Oz hissed lifting his nose. “We’re getting close.”


Spike flashed a smile at Faith and fell silent. Xander’s mind whirled as he studied Spike in the dark, Vegas? A Demon city? What would that mean...for me?



TBC