Hellraiser: The Angels Beneath

They crept closer. The darkness proved to be no obstacle as terror and fear alone drove them to their destination. Up the stairs and into the room. Upstairs and into an ending.

An ending for Xander?

For Riley?

For all of them?

They glanced over their shoulders as they crept, watching and checking on the proximity of the Cenobites. They were close enough to watch with curiosity and anticipation, but far enough away to give their toys the illusion of possible freedom and escape.

The toys stopped just before the bedroom door and waited patiently while the younger one collected himself by drawing a pointless deep breath.

“Ready?” Spike whispered.

Xander nodded and Spike directed the question silently to Wesley with a raised eyebrow.

Wesley swallowed and nodded.

“Right.” Spike wasted no more time. They had a confession to get out of Riley. He marched forward with all the confidence and arrogance of a rock star, and strode into the room. “Riley Finn. What a fucking surprise.”

**

Buffy ran. It was all falling apart. Giles was dead. Faith. Anya. Willow. Andrew; well, he didn’t really count. She’d hurt Xander. And to top it all off, Dawn was afraid of her.

She’d lost her sister.

How had this happened? How had she come to this? This rage, this hate, this urge to kill and hurt; it had crept in from somewhere and hadn’t left.

Was it her? Was it Riley? Was it The Box? What was it that had leaked out and poisoned her with such hatred and fury?

She ran towards home. She had to see Riley, take comfort in his arms and hear the words that would reassure and calm her, make her see who the dark ones were.

Because she was the innocent one. She was the victim, the beaten and abused victim that never had any choice. She was the Chosen One, the one Slayer in all the world, burdened with saving the world from evil and darkness. She’d fought and she’d given away her life for the cause, for the good fight, but still it wasn’t good enough, apparently. No, the powers had obviously considered her a failure. That was the real reason that Faith had been called.

So now Faith was gone. At least that was one wrong that had been set to right. Faith was careless, heartless, all acid mouth and burning rage. She was a liability. The world was safer without her.

No, Faith was a dark one, not her. And Spike; he was poison. He’d used and abused her at her most vulnerable time. And when he was bored with that he thought he would try something new. So he’d tried out Xander for size. And he’d fitted. So, what did that tell you? A soulless demon and his useless, crappy sidekick? That was so wrong it was untrue. Xander’s soul had to be tainted for him to be with such a creature. She’d been right when she’d said that Xander was going to hell. He deserved it…

No, he didn’t.

Did he?

Maybe.

Maybe, maybe.

Yes.

No.

Buffy stopped and screamed. “Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!!” She grabbed at her hair and pulled, long, stringy strands coming away in great tufts. “SHUT UP!!!”

Have to make them stop. Have to make them stop. Have to make them stop.

That was it. That was the answer. Kill them all and stop the voices. Kill them all and blessed silence would be her final gift to herself.

Kill them all.

She ran again, her goal now to seek approval from her love. Then, she would hunt them down. One by one, they would be punished and they would know the hell that they’d created for themselves.

Evil never wins.

**

Xander and Wesley stood back and waited. This was Spike’s moment, something that he had to do, something to help give him at least some closure.

He rained brutal blows onto Riley’s body, slamming punch after punch into his face, his gut and his back. He kicked and he tore and he ripped. He grabbed at delicate flesh and pulled until it peeled away from muscle and bone.

Riley alternated between screaming, crying and laughing. The pain, it was unbelievable. To have your body ripped apart was a major ouchie. He dimly wondered if Spike would actually stop. Not that it really mattered. Even if he was reduced to a pile of innards and a single bone, he would one day regenerate. Just a few splashes of blood was all he needed to kick start the process. A patient man would eventually get his reward.

Riley fell back against the far wall, a sudden coolness attacking his chest. He looked down and saw bones again. Damn, that hurt like a bitch.

Spike looked down at the tattered flesh in his hands. He pulled a face of disgust and flapped his hands to get rid of the sodden skin. “What the fuck are you?”

Riley laughed. “So much more than you.”

“Really? What, you’re better than me? Immortal, are you?”

“Yes. You can tear me to pieces, but I’ll always come back. You can’t ever win. I’ll regenerate and I’ll kill you all.” Riley’s voice was slurred and his one eyelid was half shut in near unconsciousness. “I’ll…killyouall.”

Spike resisted a smile. “Well, don’t want that, do we?” he asked, throwing a glance over his shoulder at Xander and Wesley. Two heads obediently shook.

“I’llkillyouall.”

“Nope, don’t want that. Tell you what, consider the beating my way of payback for you being such a prick for your entire life, and for scaring my Xan half to death. Now, perhaps if there is anything that we can do for you? Something to make us truly even?”

Xander stepped forward and kept The Box in plain view at his side. As predicted, Riley noticed.

“The Box! Give it to me!”

“What, this?” Xander asked. “What’s so special about this?” He waved it about and tossed it up and down. Wesley snatched it.

“It’s what made me what I am,” Riley explained. “You must know what it is, Watcher?”

“Yes, indeed. But I must confess to being rather confused. I assume by your immortal state that have indeed solved The Box. And if that is true, what are you doing here?”

Riley smiled and both Xander and Wesley tried to avoid taking noticeable, deep breaths. “I escaped them.”

Spike held on to Xander’s hand and closed his eyes. “Thank you.”

The room darkened further and light streamed in through newly made slats in the walls. The sweet tinkle of a twisted lullaby played softly from The Box and, in the distance, a bell tolled in sombre celebration.

Riley pushed himself up from the floor, grimacing as the skin from his back stayed on the carpet. “What…? What…? No, no, what have…?”

The Cenobites walked into the room, ghostly spectres that fully materialised only as they turned and stared.

“RILEY,” greeted Pinhead.

“I…No, how…?”

“WE HAD TO HEAR IT FROM YOUR OWN LIPS,” the female explained. “NOW WE CAN CLAIM YOU BACK.”

Riley turned hateful eyes to Spike. “You set me up!”

“Yep. That I did. Nothing you didn’t deserve, mate.”

The Cenobites moved closer and Spike backed away, pulling Wesley and Xander with him.

Pinhead turned again and faced Xander with an unreadable expression. “THIS IS NOT FOR YOUR EYES.”

Xander nodded and backed up faster.

But Riley was not going to give up without a fight. He’d escaped the Cenobites and now, armed with a full knowledge of pain and torture, he was ready to pass on his teachings and preach his new religion to the world.

In a way, he was grateful to Xander. It had been his blood that had brought him back. Before that, Riley had been waiting on the edge of the corridors, just out of sight of Leviathan. He’d waited, just behind the wall, watching Buffy sleep and dress herself and cry herself into a sickly state. And all that time he’d bided his time and waited for the doorway to open and let him back in. It was Xander that had eventually done that for him. And Riley was eternally grateful.

But now? Now the pathetic loser had run to Spike and the Cenobites to tell tales on him. He would pay.

Riley roared and charged, easily bypassing The Female, Chatterbox, Pinhead and Lazlo, who were happy to let him try his hardest. Bless him. It was fun to watch the toys believe that they had choices.

Xander braced himself and he felt Spike bouncing beside him, more than ready to take Riley down and throw him back to The Angels Beneath.

But Riley never made it. As if caught by an invisible barrier, he stopped in his tracks at the door. Frozen like a statue, he was pulled back into the arms of Angelus.

“I DON’T THINK SO, RILEY.” Angelus looked up into Spike’s face. “WILLIAM.”

“Fuck, Angelus. What…? Jesus.”

Angelus grinned and tore into Riley’s throat with grossly elongated fangs. He kept the eye contact, mesmerising Spike with a stare that was full of passion, hate, memories and wishes.

“Angelus…”

“Spike, we should go. Please let's go.”

Spike looked down at the hand tugging on his arm and he shook his head to release himself from his hypnosis. Thoughts about Angelus would have to wait. There was so much more at stake here.

“The infamous Angelus,” Wesley noted. “Well, he certainly doesn’t look anything like I'd imagined. Is that really him?”

Xander nodded. “In the flesh. Can we talk about this later? I really don’t…” Xander trailed off and his whole body slumped slightly in defeat as he noticed the figure at the top of the stairs. “Buffy.”

Buffy pointed at the open door. “Angel?” she asked.

Spike felt Xander tensing beside him and he held to him tighter in case his lover decided that throwing himself headfirst at the Slayer was a good idea. Spike had one goal on his mind now; get out, get away and escape the Cenobites. Buffy? Hopefully she would be taken and shown what pain was really about. And if not? There would be time later to give her a beginner’s lesson.

Spike shrugged at Buffy’s question. “Better go look, eh? See for yourself.”

Buffy nodded and entered the room.

By the time the screaming started, they were out the house and halfway down the road. Buffy’s cries were constant, ear splitting and horrifying.

Wesley stumbled and held his hands to his ears. “God, make it stop. Make it stop.”

Spike stopped them and held tightly to Wesley’s shoulder. “Won’t be long, mate. Not for us. She’ll be screaming forever, but we won’t hear it.”

Xander looked back towards the house. He clamped his jaw shut tight and tried to stop all the awful thoughts that were spiralling around his brain.

She deserves it. She asked for it. She killed Giles. She killed Anya. She killed Andrew. I’m glad. I’m glad. I hope she rots with Riley. And Angel. They all deserve each other.

One last scream filled the air, a cry of pure agony, misery and ecstasy. It echoed down the darkened street and bounced off the firmly closed and silent houses.

Then, she was gone.

**

“Angel?”

Angelus threw Riley aside, barely noticing as his victim was ensnared by hooks and chains.

“ANGELUS, REMEMBER?”

“Oh, my god. What have they done to you?”

“NOTHING I DIDN’T WANT.”

Buffy looked down and finally registered Riley’s suffering. “Oh, no, no, no. Riley, Riley, no.” She knelt by his side and hovered her hands over his body, not quite knowing where to touch without knocking a hook or brushing a bone. Euuww.

“Please…leave him alone. Hasn’t he suffered enough!?”

Pinhead laughed. “THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THERE IS SO MUCH MORE FOR HIM TO KNOW.”

“Why, why, why…”

“BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE DO. HE CALLED US AND WE CAME. HE ASKED US AND WE SHOWED HIM.”

“Please, just leave him alone. Take…take me. Take me instead. Please.”

Pinhead laughed again. “OH, CHILD. WE FULLY INTEND TO TAKE YOU; BOTH OF YOU.”

Buffy was yanked up from the ground and lifted into the air. “YOU SENT ME TO THIS, BUFFY. YOU SENT ME TO HELL.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“SHHH,” Angelus comforted, pulling her close and running his fingers through her hair. “I’VE ENJOYED MY TIME HERE. I WANT TO THANK YOU.”

“Y-You’ll let me go?”

“OF COURSE…NOT,” Angelus said with a mighty laugh. “MY GIFT TO YOU IS PAIN AND SUFFERING, PLEASURE AND NEED. FEEL IT, BUFFY. FEEL IT START.”

And Buffy did. She felt her senses flood with smell. The rot from Riley’s skin. The leather that was sewn tightly into the Cenobites’ bodies. She smelt her own perfume like she’d fallen into a vat of it, and the stench from Riley’s emptied bowels made her heave and choke.

The sounds around her grew, her own harsh breath slamming into her ears and the clink of chains that sounded like an express train was hammering past her. Just as she was about to clamp her hands to her ears, she felt the trickle between her legs. Sweet pleasure crept through her and she could not help but touch. It throbbed, her whole body thrumming as her senses burned and tortured. She rubbed frantically at herself, wanting to release and expel the overwhelming pleasure and pain.

She screamed. The orgasm took over and it jerked and racked her body. But where it should have ended, it grew and grew, escalating until it consumed her, keeping her on that very edge until all that remained was the feeling of total need.

She rubbed harder, her fingernails scraping at her clit to rid herself of the greatest pleasure yet the greatest pain that she’d ever felt.

Buffy fell to her knees and ignored the blood that flowed, ignored that she’d scratched off lips and clit, yet somehow the painful orgasm still remained.

“FOEREVER,” the female whispered.

Riley moaned, his underdeveloped cock somehow painfully hard inside his pants. He longed to touch, longed to feel what Buffy felt. But the chains stretched him further, pulling what was left of his skin and muscles to their very limits. He watched and listened intently as Buffy clawed at herself, reaching to touch and rip at breasts and plunging her fingers inside herself to scoop out the pain. But it was the half smile on her face that accompanied her screaming that sent Riley over the edge. As he came, without even the need to touch, the chains yanked once more and he was pulled apart.

Then, from the other side, he waited.

Buffy screamed louder as she was coated in her lover. Blood, bile, piss, shit; it covered her from head to toe.

The smell was putrid, there was no doubt about that, but to her it was overwhelming and she vomited as still her orgasm reigned over her.

Angelus pulled her up and held her wrists. “FEEL GOOD?”

Her instinct was to say no. Her instinct was to turn around and mourn Riley. But the feeling in her body and the feeling of Angelus licking at her neck and inserting his cock into her made her moan instead. Suddenly, she felt more complete that she had ever done since she’d given her innocence to Angel.

Yes, she felt good. Yes, she wanted this. She wanted eternity surrounded by these angels.

Angelus plunged faster and faster, his length growing inside her with every push. Her back hit the wall and she wrapped her legs tighter around Angelus’ hips, as he slammed into her and sank his teeth into her offered flesh.

His fangs sank deeper and his cock thrust harder, both threatening to meet somewhere in the middle. Buffy felt her blood draining away and she rocked her hips harder, seeking release before she knew no more.

And finally, with a scream that echoed into another dimension, Buffy felt Angelus come her, spurting burning, hot poison into her body.

It was beautiful.

It was Angel.

Buffy and Angel forever.

As the poison quickly worked its way through her system and, organ by organ, it shut down her body, Buffy sighed.

It was all over now.

**

Tara swerved as Dawn screamed. She stopped the car and shot a worried look to Doyle before she tried to place a concerned hand on Dawn’s shoulder. “Dawnie?”

Dawn screamed once more and then let her body relax. She felt a sudden power coursing through her body and instinct told her exactly what it was.

She looked out the windscreen and could see Spike, Xander and Wesley in the distance. Behind them were six Cenobites, closing in. She looked closely at the demons’ faces, studying and observing them.

One face made her draw a sharp breath: Angelus.

But another made her heart nearly stop: Buffy. Her hair was gone and instead of hands she had long metal stakes. Buffy was smiling, her face permanently contorted into a painful and magnificent look of pure pleasure; an undying expression of being right on the edge of something wonderful, but not quite able to tip over into it.

She could clearly see the fear in her friends' eyes. And she could feel Tara and Doyle shaking next to her.

They needed her help. She was the Chosen One now and she had a job to do.

With little effort, Dawn kicked open her door and started towards the Cenobites.

They would not hurt her friends.

**

Two bodies. One Witch; one Slayer.

They lay still, unmoving, one in death and one in blackness.

Her eyes popped open and all they saw was rage. She could feel the evil in the air now. She’d been blind to it before. She could feel the space where Giles, Andrew, Faith and Anya should be. She could feel the calling of Dawn, the total demise of Riley and the change of Buffy; Slayer to Cenobite.

But mostly, she could feel the Cenobites and the disease of fear that they spread around them.

She sat up and felt herself charging up, her body filling with dark magic and power and her rage stilling from blind fury to controlled knowledge that she could stop it all and save her friends.

Willow tucked silky, black hair behind her ears and carefully draped a coat over Faith’s lifeless body. She couldn’t help but chuckle fondly at the look of disgust and displeasure on her face. She’d always joked that Faith would die wearing that look.

Without a glance back, Willow stepped out of the house and followed the stench of death and decay.

The Cenobites wouldn’t be hard to find.

TBC…