For Hope.

He awoke to a blinding light, and winced, trying to put his hand to his face and failing, because his wrists were tied behind him around a pole. “What the fuck...” he tried to growl, but all that came out was a throaty whisper. He swallowed and blinked in the unnatural light. Squinting, he began to try and make sense of his surroundings. Everything felt fuzzy. And before him stood the most hideous demon he’d ever seen.

Slime and pus dripped form ragged holes in its cracked and reddened skin. Horns erupted from every joint on his arms and legs. Watery, yellow eyes gleamed malevolently from a ravaged, scarred face, bearing the lines from many fights. Spike reeled back in disgust at the sight, and curled his lip.

He moved his head painfully to the right and saw hundreds of the little demons, hanging around at the edge of the light, waiting for a feast, he supposed. He could smell the filth of the sewer on him, mixed with his own blood. His gut wrenched, but there was nothing to bring back up.

The demon laughed, a deep, reverberating growl that echoed off the walls, causing the others to set up a high pitched keening wail that rang horribly in Spike’s sensitive ears. Finally, it spoke.

“Vampire! You know why we have brought you here.”

Spike licked his lips and replied, “Actually, mate, I don’t. And if I were you, I’d sort out that skin irritation before it gets to be a problem with your friends.”

It came out as a quiet statement, but the demon was incensed and Spike received a stunning blow to the head that sent the room spinning.

“Insolent bloodsucker! You are here at our mercy, do you not see that?”

“I aint...at anyone’s soddin’ mercy, poof,” Spike panted, tensing as the next blow hit him. He swallowed his blood and smiled crookedly.

“I’m getting some insecurities in your sexuality here, mate.”

The kick to the stomach was almost more than he could stand in his weakened state, but he clung to sanity and laughed at the demon.

“Stupid fool. You are here because we need your service.”

“Oh yeah? In what exactly?” he sniffed painfully.

“We want the Slayer.”

A terrible cold sank down his beaten body towards his stomach and settled there.

“No.”

“We knew you’d say that, Vampire. You being her pet and everything.”

He glared as best he could. “I’m not her pet.”

The demon didn’t even entertain that thought. “Of course you are. Why else would you follow her around like a little lost puppy. She has you well trained.”

“I don’t...” he began but got no further as a stake was plunged into his shoulder from seemingly nowhere. He screamed in agony, his eyes rolling back in his head.

When he managed to control his thoughts again, he glared insolently at the demon. “In a fair fight, you’d be demon steaklets by now.”

“Not much chance of having a fair fight. Now. The Slayer. We want you to bring her here, lead her by whatever means you know, assuming you’re of at least average intelligence.”

“What are you going to do to her?”

“Kill her, of course, you fool! What else could anyone want to do to the Slayer?”

His eyes held a knowing look which Spike didn’t really like. He shrugged non-committally. “You know I wont do it.”

“Not yet, maybe. But give me a few hours, and I’m sure we can come to some....arrangement.”

Spike laughed weakly. “Alright then. Lets see.”

*****

Buffy paced restlessly around her house. She was still royally pissed off with Spike, plus slightly embarrassed at what they’d done- I started it, remember. Don’t blame him for everything, for a change.

And there was something else, a nagging feeling that she didn’t quite know, a feeling of impending doom. She had tried to ignore it, but it kept coming back, sneaking into her thoughts every few minutes and making her nervous and irritable. Her friends had long since left her to go on with their own lives, casting worried glances over their shoulders as they filed out to work.

She sighed and twirled a stake absently as she paced. What the hell’s the matter with you today, luv? said the voice in her head, the one starting to sound increasingly like Spike. Spike. Where was he? Usually the blonde was here, steaming from a daylight blanket run and looking nonchalantly around the room as she researched or insulted him. But he was nowhere to be found. “Probably hiding after his little speech last night,” she reasoned. But the words sounded hollow in her head. She groaned and sat down heavily, deciding to get some sleep. She needed it.

*****

Spike screamed again as the demon pushed a red hot poker into his side, before withdrawing it to survey the damage. Spike was riddled with cuts and burns, all over his once-perfect body. His T-shirt had long since been ripped from him, followed by his jeans not long afterwards, and he stood, still bound to the pole, naked and shivering as the demon tortured him. He could smell his own burning flesh, could taste his blood, and he felt sick. But he refused to even give them information on the Slayer, much less help them.

He wouldn’t be that weak, would give in to them. He was better, stronger than this. He was a soddin’ master Vampire, and they’d soon remember it. He clung to consciousness with the savage determination which characterised him, using his love for Buffy, lust for life and blood as his weapons with which to fight sleep.

As the demon moved towards him again, asking once more if Spike would do as they asked, promising healing, rest, fresh human blood, Spike smiled, opening his lips slowly. The demon moved closer, straining to catch all he said, and Spike spat in his deformed face, receiving another blow to the head and also a whiplash to the chest. He gritted his teeth against the pain and hoped for death. He had no hope of rescue, not for him, the evil soulless thing.

*****

Buffy awoke with a start, jolting to her feet, stake in hand, as she felt a wave of shudders go through her. She stood still, trying to find the disturbance, and feeling another shock go through her body. Something was happening in Sunnydale. Something demon-related. She knew it as surely as if Giles had phoned and told her. She crossed quickly to her weapons chest and picked out a battle axe. Testing the weight, she nodded once and stepped out the back door into the alleys, trusting her senses to lead her.

*****

Spike gasped again as the whip smashed against his stomach once more. He felt the tears running silently down his face and hated himself for the show of weakness.

The demon stepped forward.

“You have been very brave, Vampire fool. But now, let us help you. All you must do is agree to our terms, get us the Slayer, and you can feast upon fresh blood as you are healed by our warlocks.”

Spike looked into the huge demon’s watery eyes, feeling all the pain and anger flowing through his system. He snarled silently and vamped out, growling, “Never, you poof. Not if you tortured me till the end of the world.”

“Why, you insolent leech? What is it that keeps you clinging to this world?”

Spike smirked, closed his eyes and ground out, “Her.”

“The Slayer?” the demon laughed mockingly. “She will never love you, Vampire! You are dead to this world, a thing not worthy of her affection. You are forever beneath her.”

Spike sighed softly, knowing all that the demon said was true. He hung his head, defeated. “Then kill me. But I will never tell you anything that might hurt her.”

“Very well. Death it is.” The demon motioned for the smaller monsters to leave, and they filed out slowly, eyes fixed on the blond.

*****