There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (85/?)

[stillrose]

Title: There’s Always a Sneer in Vegas (85/?)
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.

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“I..” Willow started to say but then she paused. She took a deep breath and looked at Tara. The other witch was slumped over on the ground an unconscious. The blackness bled from Willow’s eyes. “Oh goddess! Tara!”

Willow quickly pulled the insensate woman to her. Only then did she realize the strange tingling pain in her extremities and the way it hurt to breathe. She looked back at Dawn the distress clearly showing on her face.

“It’s ok,” Dawn said as she crouched down next to her friends knife in hand. “I’m here. I’ll stay with you no matter what.”

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The fighting was even deadlier now that it was confined to the close quarters of the mansion. Spike and Xander fought back to back while Faith had somehow managed to force her way on point. Oz and Wesley were guarding the flank while the Mofo’s held the line outside.

Room by room they were sweeping the mansion facing Angelus’ minions. The floor was slick with demon blood. Still they fought. Their target not just to defeat their enemies but to find Angelus.

“You think he’s still here?” Faith yelled as she dodged left then brought her right kneed to slam into her opponent’s midsection sending it crashing through a window.

“There’s no where for him to go!” Spike yelled burying his blade into a Jhe demon’s throat.

“It is a rather expansive mansion,” Wes replied as he stumbled back a few steps from his latest attacker.

“I think that’s why it’s called...a mansion,” Oz interjected while slamming his fist into the blue chin of one of the Jhe. “They sorta are just...expansive.

“Well he’s running out of rooms to hide,” Faith replied rushing back to help Wesley.
“I doubt very much he is hiding,” Wesley cried before diving to his left to avoid being stuck by an axe. He let out a sharp cry as he crashed into a small wooden table shattering it.

“Then where is he?” Xander asked blocking a deadly strike with his club.

“Right here,” Angelus’ voice rang out from above.

Faith grabbed and twisted the head of the demon about to take another swing at her Watcher. There was a slight sound of bones crunching as she snapped its neck. It fell loose in her arms before she quickly dropped it.

“‘Gelus,” Spike greeted the other vampire as he hacked the head off the demon who’d been trying to kill Xander.

Faith helped Wes to his feet while Spike moved to stand slightly in front of Xander. Oz shook his wrists and rotated his shoulders. The remaining demons fighting with the Resistance closed ranks even as Angelus’ minions lay dying or scattered.  They all looked up to see from where the elder vampire’s voice was coming.

Angleus stood halfway down a sweeping staircase angled to the right. He was grinning.

“Sorry I’m late. I really wasn’t expecting company,” he chimed.

“That’s ok,” Spike answered. “We made ourselves comfortable.”

“I see,” Angelus said still grinning. “Ordinarily I’d be entertained by a bit of rampant carnage in my front room, but I am kinda on a schedule.”

“We won’t take up much of yer time,” Spike said stepping forward.

“Oh, Spikey!” Angelus said mocking a shiver. “I just love when you get all defiant. Reminds me of the good ole days when ya were just William..and I had ta break ya.”

Spike flinched. It was subtle. The others may not have seen it, but Xander did and his blood ran hot again.

“You never did and you never could, Captain Numbnuts!” Xander yelled.

Spike blinked and looked back at Xander. His brow was furrowed and his mouth was slightly ajar. Had his pet been hit on the head too hard?

“It’s all I had...on short notice,” Xander shrugged sheepishly. “I mean I could have gone for the easy shot, An-Gel-Head. Get it...Gel Head...hair…”

“Always the nutters,”  Spike muttered before turning to focus back on Angelus. While Xander looked to Faith and Oz for a little back up. They found a sudden need to inspect their weapons.

“It’s Ok, Spikey,” Angelus said taking step down the staircase. “He’ll find it difficult to speak with my cock down his throat.”

“Not gonna happen, Peaches!” Spike growled charging toward the stairs.

Angelus laughed and waved his hand. Suddenly the air was filled with a chittering sounds as large cockroach like demons began to swarm the ceiling, walls and stairs behind the dark-haired vampire. They were about five feet tall with large compound green eyes. Some stood erect on two of the four legs spouting from a long segregated torso. Also jutting out from under their carpass right at the juncture of their wings were two long appendages which folded and unfolded. The ends were tapered and looked like a long narrow bayonets with razor edges.

Spike came to a sudden stop and instinctively took a step back from the monsters on the stairs. He could hear the Voynok mutter nervously behind him.

“You didn’t think I didn’t I’d have some back up, did you?” Angelus said continuing to descend the stairs. “And these guys. They work so cheap. All they asks is for a few heads to lay where can they can lay their eggs.”

“Too bad we can give them yours,” Faith said stepping up to join Spike. “But I suspect they need more than a pile of ashes.”

“Spike! You brought me a slayer!” Angelus cried staring at the dark haired woman. The chittering demons continued to clambered down the walls and staircase. “I haven’t killed one of those in..what...seven years?”

“Buffy will be your last,” Oz growled as if he was fighting the urge to shift.

“And your only,” Spike taunted knowing he’d killed two slayers to his sire’s one.

Angelus hissed and leaned forward. The air was charged the tension of a battle about to begin when there was the sound of a footstep on glass. Everyone turned toward the noise to see a lone Jhe creeping out of a nearby room.

“Where are you going?” Angelus barked. “Where..are the witches?”

Witches? Xander thought. Willow! Tara!

“F..for..give me Lord...Angelus,” the Jhe stammered.

A Voynok screamed as one of the bug demons dropped from the ceiling and sliced through his stomach. Spike snarled and charged Angelus. Faith spun around and shoved Wesley back as she readied to ram her sword through a bug demon crawling off the wall.

Oz shifted. Xander began swinging his club and headed for the room where the Jhe had just exited.

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For a moment the sounds of fighting stopped and both Dawn and Willow held their breath. Then Dawn rose suddenly to her feet as a loud chittering sound started overhead and could be heard moving down the walls outside of the room. She looked to Willow whose face was still pale and pinched with pain. Willow swallowed and focused her attention on Tara who was still unconscious.
“We have to get out of here,” Dawn said urgently but calmly.

“I..I know,” Willow gasping in pain as she shifted to pull Tara into her lap.

“Can you do anything to help her?” Dawn asked?

“I..I’ll try,” Willow said. “I..think..my magic works..I just...my whole body feels..you know like when your legs fall asleep and you suddenly have to get up to answer the phone?”

“Oh...I hate that feeling,” Dawn said. “Its worse than hitting your funny bone.”

“Yeah..this feels like I did both...all over.”

There was another scream and the sounds of fighting began again.

Dawn looked at the exit readying her knife. Willow looked at Dawn. She took a deep breath, wiped long soft strands away from the sleeping witches face then dug down deep passed the pain.

“Resipiscis!” Willow commanded as she focused past the tingling pricking sensation in her body to call to tap into her magic. “Excitas!”

Briefly a soft golden glow surrounded Tara then it faded. Her body arched in Willow’s arms as she gasped then she moaned.

“Tara!” Willow called. “Please...wake up! Please!”

Tara moaned again. The chittering sounds grew louder. Dawn clenched the knife tightly in her hand while Willow gently stroked Tara’s cheek.

“Please,” the red haired witch whispered as she leaned close and pressed a soft kiss to Tara’s forehead. “We need you awake.”

“W...Willow?” Tara muttered as her eyes fluttered open.

“Goddess! Yes!” Willow cried happily.

“Ow!” Tara cried as she tried to sit up. “Wh..why...I feel like my whole body feel asleep.”
“I know...I think it’s a side affect of the spell.”

“Spell..?” Tara started to ask when Dawn let out a loud scream.

Both witches turned and stared in terror as a large cockroach looking demon crawled into the room on four legs. Impaled on it two front arms was a familiar looking Jhe demons. The Jhe looked to Dawn in terror.

“Help m…!” she started to cry only to fall abruptly silent as the bug demon spread its arms wide tearing the Jhe in half and feeling the pieces to opposite sides of the room.

Dawn stumbled back into the witches. Her face grey with terror. Tara struggled to roll off Willow’s lap while the other witch tried to get to her feet.

The bug demon chittered and turned it’s head towards the three women. It’s multitude of tiny green alien eyes forming two large compound eyes focused on the. It skittered forward trailing thick blue blood from it’s arm appendages.

Dawn stepped protectively in front of her two friends and held her knife in front of her. She wished she could think of something pithy to say the way she knew Xander would. However, even if she could think of something her mouth was so dry she would never be able to speak the words.

Just let me be able to hold it off long enough for Willow and Tara to get away, she silently prayed.

The bug reached out to strike when suddenly it let out a screech as stumbled as one of it’s back legs was knocked from under it.

“Hey, Dawn!” Xander’s voice called from behind the demon. “Is this guy bugging you?”

Dawn didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

“Xander!” Willow cried as she rose to her and the bug turned to face it’s surprise attacker. Xander swung his club again only it was blocked by one of the appendages.

Dawn rushed forward to help Xander. It was a blind rush borne of instinct. As she closed the distance she felt a sudden impact to her abdomen knocking off her feet and the breath from her. She flew across the room a feet as the bug demon hit her with one of her legs.

“DAWN!” Xander and the witches cried while Xander tried to swing again only to have the club sliced in two by one arm. The other arm swung it for an attack of it’s own. Xander tried to roll away. A searing hot pain shot across his back.

“NO!” Willow cried as she saw a red streak of blood blossom across his back. She saw Dawn on the floor flat on her back staring at the ceiling and gasping as if she was stunned and struggling to get her breath back.

“Hey...Hopper...Over..here!” Xander cried waving his arms trying to keep the demon’s attention.

Pain and fear were nearly overwhelming Willow. Her body hurt and her spirit was terrified. She didn’t feel like a leader of the Resistance. She didn’t feel like a powerful witch. She felt like scared young woman about to watch to of the people she loved in the world die.

Then she felt a warm soft touch on her hand. It brought a gently pressure. A squeeze of reassurance, trust and more. Willow looked to her side and Tara was standing there with her. Her blue eyes staring into to Willow’s brown.

Tara smiled. The pain didn’t slip away but the fear did. Willow looked back at the creature reading to strike Xander again. She felt connected, grounded and more importantly she felt magical!

“INCENDIS!” Willow commanded while raising her other hand to point toward the bug demon. A hot wind rose up from around her and Tara and blew towards the demon igniting it in a hot spray of blue and purple flame.

It let out a roar of agony and skittered back away from Xander but the flames did not retreat. They continued to engulf the monster until it crashed onto it stomach and lay still as smoldering heap. Only then did Tara release Willow’s hand.

Willow took a moment to look back at Tara and smile before they each limped forward as best they could. Tara went to help Dawn while Willow made her way to Xander.

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Spike was in a near panic. In his rush to get Angelus he had lost Xander. In the chaos which was quickly becoming blood spattered floor and body parts Spike could not find his pet nor could he reach his sire.

“Just die!” Spike roared as he twisted the second arm off the one bug demon he was fighting.

“FAITH!” he heard the Watcher cry off to his left before heard a high scream. He didn’t have the luxury of looking.

Spike the severed arm in his hands and used the bladed end to jab into the bug demon’s eye. It let out a scream of it’s own. Spike twisted the arms and buried the blade deep until the creature fell. Only then did he leap back and look.

Faith was down on one knee her hands to her right side while Wesley was fending off another bug demon with an axe. Around them were piled body of dead Voynok. In the far east corner Spike make out the form of the great ginger wolf whimpering stomaching and snapping its jaws at the appendages trying to stab it.

“Now this is what I call a party!” Spike heard from behind him. He turned to see Angelus surveying the carnage from his spot still on the stairs. “Ya know, Spikey? It’s almost enough ta make me forgive ya….almost.”

Wes cried out and Spike turned and ran to help the Watcher.

Pet, he thought as he leaped on the back of the demon and tried to get a hold on it head. Please be far from this nightmare! I’m so sorry I failed you!

Faith was tugging Wesley out from underneath the demon with one hand while the other was still trying to hold pressure to the gaping gash in her side. Tears and blood were running down her face as pulled and prayed. She had seen her watcher go down when the beast had sliced the back of his leg.

“F..Faith,” he moaned while struggling to lift the axe still in his hand.

“I”m getting you out of here! she snapped. “No arguments!”

“For Spike,” Wesley explained still shoving the axe towards her.

She stopped pulling and stared at.him. She looked into the eyes which were both his and not his.

“I love you,” she said simply as she grabbed the axe.

“I have wondered when you were going to say it,”  Wesley said as he smiled despite the pain.

“SPIKE!” Faith yelled as she grabbed the axe and then threw it toward the vampire.

He caught it with one hand. The other was holding on to the edge of the demon’s carapace. With a snarl he brought the axe down between the middle of the beasts strange insect eyes with the full force of his vampiric strength. Green ichor erupted all out of it’s head spraying over Spike. It reared back throwing the vampire off. The axe still embedded in it’s head.

It skittered forward a few steps then fell.

There was the sound of applause that could be heard of the din of the chittering dying. Spike stood and saw Angelus clapping his hands while the bug demons continued to slaughter his allies. He raced over to Faith and Wesley. Xander would never forgive him if he didn’t try to get them out of there. However, even as he got an arm around the Watcher and hefted him up he knew it was useless.

They were surrounded. They were unarmed. Both the Watcher and the Slayer were seriously injured. He could smell their blood pumping hot from their wounds.

I am sorry, Xander! he thought.

“When are ya gonna learn boy?” Angelus yellled.

Slowly the trio turned around to face the other vampire.

“I’m always gonna be two steps ahead of you? I’m always gonna win!”

“Not today, Deadboy,” Xander yelled.

Pet!  Spike thought turning in terror to see Xander, the witches and Dawn, standing in the doorway of the room where the Jhe demon had fled. The four of them seemed to be barely on their feet. Spike even thought he could see blood on Xander’s shirt. No! Run!

“XAN….” Spike started to shout.

Suddenly the room began to fill without hot wind and two voices rang out in unison.

“INCENDIS!” the witches shouted, Willow’s eyes black with power, “VOS INCENDITIS! INCENDIS! INCENDIS!”

The chittering noises changed to high pitch screeches as the one by one the demon bugs began to burst into flame. The air sizzled and crackled as their exoskeletons popped from the heat.

“It smells like my Uncle Bernie’s giant bug zapper in here,” Xander said watching the demon bugs die.
Faith, Wesley and Spike moved as one towards their friends. Spike didn’t know whether he which he wanted to do more, kiss Xander or turn him over his knee.

I’m gonna do both and more, Spike thought. Never gonna let him be in danger again!

There was a happy yelp as the large wolf version of Oz limped over on the three legs to the group. The survivors turned and looked at the Angelus.

“INCEN..” Willow and Tara started to cry again, this time their focus on Angelus who for the first time since the assault had begun seemed confused and unsure.

“WILLOW, NO!” Xander cried!

The witches stopped and looked at Xander. Black still staining his best friend’s eyes.

“Explain,” she said in a voice that was both cold and lilting.

“We need him,” Xander said quickly. “He’s the key. It’s him...his blood that seals the portal.”

“I can make him bleed,” dark Willow continued.

“No, Wills, please,” Xander begged.

They stared at each other. Spike noted a slight movement on the stairs.

“I wouldn’t if I were you, sire. She can cast quicker than you can move.”

Angelus went stock still.

“It..it’s ok, Willow,” Tara said softly squeezing her hand gently. “You...you can release the en..energy now.”

Willow looked back at Tara. The blonde witch smiled and suddenly Willow began to sag to the ground as the dark energy left her. Tara sank to the ground with her. Both of them completely drained.

“Guess, I don’t have anything to fear after all,” Angelus said with a grin.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Lindsey’s voice abruptly rang out just as a crossbolt sailed through the air sinking deep into the vampire’s sternum.

TBC