New Order

Angel struggled to concentrate on the vision in the aftermath of his intense release with Spike. The images were strange and in his sated state they were more difficult to comprehend. As the pictures forming in his mind began to clear, Angel watched carefully for the clues he would need to act as the power’s champion.



Several demons that he didn’t recognize entered a large room with an alter. The room appeared to be built into some kind of rock and was probably underground. They seemed to be preparing for a ritual; lighting candles around the room and moving around the base of the stone alter. The location was unfamiliar to him but Angel felt an urgency to jump into the room himself that he didn’t usually feel with his visions.



Spike looked on as Angel’s face continued to demonstrate the pain of the vision. There was also a look of confusion that he normally didn’t see during the visions. His Sire remained perfectly still as he watched the vision playing out in his mind. Spike moved from his position on the bed to be closer to his Sire. He could sense that something different was going on with this one.



Angel was unaware of Spike’s movements as he kept his attention focused on the images swirling in his mind. The demons were still moving around the alter, preparing for something but he still couldn’t tell what. He continued to watch for clues, paying attention to the details that could aid them later as his team looked for information.



The image shifted and Angel was now looking into a hallway where more demons were approaching carrying a large object between them. Angel began to understand the purpose of the vision as he realized the object being carried was a human, apparently unconscious.



Only a foot was showing, the rest of the body wrapped in a large piece of material, possibly some form of tapestry. The foot was large and booted and Angel surmised that the person being carried was a man.



The demons entered the room containing the alter and began to unwrap the man from the tapestry. They surrounded him and Angel couldn’t really make out anything about the person. He didn’t really care who it was, but he needed some sort of clue as to where he was.



Suddenly the man came to awareness and Angel saw the demons grabbing onto the swinging limbs to contain the man. He could hear the sound of ripping fabric and realized that the demons were removing the man’s shirt while he struggled. He was no match for six demons however and the shirt was thrown out of the way while the demons continued to hold the man hostage.



Spike continued to watch Angel’s face as the vision played out in his head. Normally the visions were quick, in flashes. This one was taking longer than the average few seconds but Angel no longer seemed to be in pain so Spike continued to wait by his Sire’s side for the vision to end.



Angel watched as the demons dragged the man towards the alter. No more hints were coming about the location. The man was draped face down across the alter and his arms were shackled out from his sides and to the edges of the large stone. Angel caught a glimpse of a tan and muscular back before his attention was drawn back to the demons and their preparations. One of the demons approached the man with a strip of leather and Angel continued to hope that something would give him the clue he needed to the man’s location.



As the leather snapped through the air and onto the man’s back, Angel tensed as if waiting for the blow himself. When the strap connected, Angel flinched as the man’s roar of pain filled his ears. The demon continued to mark the exposed flesh and his painful screams were beginning to grate on Angel’s nerves. He wanted to be there, ripping the leather from the demon’s clawed hand and giving him a taste of his own medicine.



Angel swore as the leather broke skin and blood began to trickle down the human’s back. The demons then began to work at the man’s pants dragging them and boxers down his legs. One demon knelt to remove the man’s boots and caught a kick to the face as his reward.



Angel chuckled at the gumption of the man. He may be shackled to a rock and beaten but he wasn’t giving up without a fight. Other demons knelt to hold the man’s legs in place and the boots were jerked free along with his pants and boxers.



Once he was naked, they demons surrounded him again and Angel could tell that they were stroking his flesh. Then they grabbed his legs and spread them wide before attaching shackles to the ankles, trapping the man’s body to the alter. They continued to rub the man’s skin, almost massaging his legs, arms and buttocks.



Angel could see the man struggling and wished again for the clue to his whereabouts. Nothing was changing though; he was just shown the interior of the room. As the demons explored his flesh the man’s body was tense and he struggled against his restraints.



The demons moved back from the body as a group and Angel got his first full glimpse of the man he was supposed to rescue. His body was incredibly fit, tight lean muscles covered by tanned skin. The skin on his back was trickling blood and his arms were clenched as he pulled at the chains.



The man raised his head to get a better view of the restraints holding him and Angel caught a glimpse of dark hair before the face turned to look towards the arm Angel was facing.



Angel couldn’t withhold his gasp of horror as the face came into view. It was one he knew well and thought of often in the past few years.



He was looking at the face of Xander Harris.