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Chapter 36
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Spike clung tenaciously to alertness. He would have loved to slip into the bliss of unconsciousness while his vampire healing did a bit of work, but he feared greatly that Buffy might need him.

The man-like creature with the ram’s head looked anything but man-like, thanks to the orb sewn into Spike’s magicked clothes. The leathery wings he kept tucked close to his well-muscled, albeit thin, body gave him an appearance that would give a Satanist the willies.

The "fingers" of those bat-like wings had protuberances that were effective as claws. Spike’s ripped chest, arms and thighs gave eloquent testimony to their power. Even Willow’s best magic hadn’t held up to them for long.

"Not gonna want to see what happens to you when the Bit sees what you’ve done to her first design. You have no idea how the chit can make your eardrums bleed," Spike said to the Ram during a brief lull in the torture session. Spike was not about to let this glorified demon think he had managed to break the spirit of a master vampire.

"You sleep hangin’ upside down in a cave? ‘Cause I gotta tell you, the whole bat/sheep look is just not workin for me. Be a bit more terrifyin’ if your face didn’t make me crave mint jelly." The taunts earned another round of Spike playing the role of pinata for the insulted demon. Pain could keep one awake after all.


"You are rude and insolent, vampire. I shall be most pleased to see to your ending at last. The abomination that brought you back from dust will be rectified. Those idiots Morgan and McDonald tampered with things beyond their understanding. That amulet was intended for Angelus, a vampire worthy of my notice.

"Now, my twice dead friend, you shall reveal to me the reason you are able to gaze upon my greatness without the shields to my appearance." The Ram punctuated his demand with a nod towards the minion who was administering the torture of the reticent vampire.

"Tellin’ you sod all. You claim to be all powerful, figure it out on your own." Spike had resisted all the questions put to him about the rescue force and what knowledge they might have about the Senior Partners and their doings. He had also managed to keep the involvement of their eternal employee, Lilah Morgan, from his interrogator.

The minion demon used his still-hot poker on the exposed soles of Spike’s feet to encourage a change in Spike’s mind about answering the Ram’s questions. Spike’s screams rang out loudly.

"Grigork, assemble a team and bring them to me," Ram ordered the torturing minion. "We shall let Mr. Rice-Stoker think a little while about his choices. None of those he is attempting to protect care a bit about his welfare. I feel certain that he will remember that in time to do himself some small good."

The red-robed minion left the room after bowing deeply to his Dark Lord.

~~~

"Spike! God, Giles, that sounded like Spike. Are you sure he’s an imposter?" Buffy was torn between the desire to run to the aid of the vampire or listen to her Watcher’s assurance that it was a trap.

"Absolutely certain, Buffy. I may not have liked Spike, but I would never turn my back on him in need. Not after Sunnydale, at least." FalseGiles was oh so convincing. "No, my dear, we need to remain here. Willow has devised a way to cloak our presence, but there are limits to its power. We dare not venture too far until you are fully able to move."

"Giles, he‘s a vampire. My tinglies were going majorly. I’ve never heard of a shape-shifting vampire. How did they know about Spike anyway?" Buffy was trying to make sense of the events that had taken place ever since her drugged dinner with Eduardo, when everything had become fuzzy and weird.

"Well, the amulet did come from these fiends. They had to know that it was worn in that last battle for the Hellmouth to have closed as it did. They employed Angel and were aware it was not him. I would assume their research would be quite detailed. They must have found data that let them know Spike might be your weakness. Cruel yet effective. Who knows but that you might have trusted him had I not arrived in time." The Wolf smirked through his Giles face, making his expression look much like an uncomfortable Giles smile.

"Yeah, that makes sense. I really want a piece of these guys, Giles. They messed with me the wrong way this time. I was finally dealing with Spike being gone and they had to drag this look-alike out to knock off the scab. I’m seriously pissed." Buffy continued to rub her dance-agonized legs while trying to tune out the cries of pain that sounded so very much like the vampire she still mourned.

~~~

The minions filed into the torture room, heads bowed. The one called Grigork was spokesdemon. "All hail Khnum, who created man upon his potter’s wheel, the designer of the Ka, bringer of the life-giving waters, source of fertility, one who guards the depths. Ebune, bringer of spring; Amun, giving health and life; Baal, Hammon of the twilight. We salute you and offer our lives in your service."

"Yes, yes, very nicely put indeed. I have need of your most discreet demeanor for this assignment. It is necessary to verify the information I have extracted from this lower being. I rely on you, my obedient servants, for that duty. You must go to the other side and determine the strength of the force that seeks our destruction. I must have numbers and abilities in detail. There have been traitors involved and we must ferret them out and deal harshly with them. My benevolence has run dry." Ram stood tall as he gave his orders to his troop of followers.

"It shall be as you have wished, o Great One. May we perish in the attempt if we fail you!" Grigork raised his head and looked earnestly at his god.

"That will be exactly your fate should you do so. Look upon this vampire and know that far worse will befall you if you DO fail me in this." Ram’s voice rang with authority. Those that did look saw Spike roll his eyes in derision.

"No worries, boys. He’s askin you to verify nothin’. Told this bloody poser nothin’, so there’s nothin’ for you lot to check out." Spike turned his head from the gang of demons and looked at Ram. "Simple minds to be easily led by the likes of you. You might throw a pot on some wheel, but all that other rot’s enough to make me laugh, ‘cept it might hurt a bit at the moment. What is it with you so-called gods anyway? Love to hear your minions rattle off crap and turn out to be half-witted weaklings in the end. Barmy bint took on the slayer once before and got beat down for her trouble. Say, was Glory your sister? ‘Cause I’m thinkin’ you come from the same gene pool."

"Watch your tongue, vampire, or I shall cut it out for you to better see it." Ram replied with an ineffectual threat. Really, if he were still looking for information, Spike would need that tongue!

"Keep your fetishes to yourself, Sheep Boy," Spike spat back.

The minions murmured to each other in shock to hear their god spoken to so irreverently. Spike briefly thought he might sow a bit of trouble in the ranks if he could just rattle the winged demon enough to make him look ungodlike to his troops. "If you’re so all powerful with the Ka’s and caca’s and all, why can’t you just get the info from readin’ my brain? Why have Grig here do all your torturin’? Can’t work up a decent lightnin’ bolt or somesuch? Gods aren’t what they used to be, I guess. Can’t see servin’ the likes of you."

Spike had no way of knowing if he had planted the seed of discord or not in the group of minions. They set about to fulfill their orders quietly enough. Ram, however, turned his wrath on the bleeding captive and took out a bit of personal aggression for a change, instead of just ordering it.

~~~

Buffy’s legs were feeling normal again, thanks in part to the icepack given to her by the Spike look-alike. "And have I mentioned lately how happy I am with the rapid healing portion of the whole slayage package?" She grinned at FalseGiles.

"You mustn’t push yourself too fast, Buffy. We still need to return to our dimension and may well encounter resistance. That Immortal fellow you dated may be the least of our worries," Wolf in Giles clothing warned his unknowing captive.

"Look, this vamp may not be Spike. He might be one of the bad guys, too, but it sounds like he’s in major hurt. I think I should make sure he’s okay at least. He did help me, after all." Buffy started to walk towards the door to the hallway.

Wolf realized that Buffy would put the pieces together sooner or later and his continuing the charade as long as possible would serve to make her more easily managed. "Of course, we cannot in good conscience leave any creature to unnecessary pain, I quite agree. Perhaps it would be best if you were to stake the poor creature and put him out of his misery."

Wolf and Buffy followed the sounds of Spike’s cries of pain to the room at the end of the hall. Wolf preceded Buffy into the room and found it empty of all but Spike and Ram.

Ram immediately shape-shifted into the guise of a young woman when he saw who was with his partner.

"Mr. Giles! I’ve found this vampire but didn’t know if I should stake him or not. He looks like that vampire that you told us about who fought for our side," Ram improvised quickly.

Buffy looked at the ‘girl’ with a puzzled expression and then asked FalseGiles," So, who’s this and why have the bad guys chained up their own player?"

"Buffy, allow me to introduce … Jane. She is one of the new slayers. She accompanied me here to rescue you." Wolf gestured to the disguised Ram.

"Hey! If you’re not the one playin’ with the vamp, what’s the what with that?" Buffy asked the ‘girl’.

"I heard screams and thought Mr. Giles was in a mess and came to back him up. Found this guy hanging up and bleeding everywhere. I’d just figured out he’s a vamp when you guys got here. Want me to stake him?" Ram, playing the plain Jane slayer, asked.

"No, let Buffy do any dusting. He did, after all, pretend to be Spike and took advantage of her warmer feelings. It’s only right she have that duty." Wolf was relishing the idea of having his befuddled captive administer the coup de grace on the stubborn vampire. He chuckled inwardly at the plan to make sure Buffy knew just whom she had dusted before they finally killed her, all in good time. "Delicious!" he proclaimed to himself.

Buffy looked at the dangling mess that looked to all the world like Spike. "I’ve sure seen him in this condition often enough to know what he looks like tortured!" she thought. Damn, something just wasn’t right. He looked so much like Spike and had helped her. Why was he being tortured if he was one of the bad guys anyway? Buffy wasn’t too sure she wanted to dust him just yet.

"Giles, I want to know more about who this guy is and why he helped me. Someone is really putting the hurt on him for some reason and since it’s not us, it has to be the bad guys. Didn’t you tell me once that the enemy of our friend is our enemy …. No, wait, it was enemy of our enemy is our friend! Yeah! That’s it. Looks like he’s got the same enemies we do." Buffy looked over at the groaning vampire who was beginning to return to consciousness.

"Buffy….Pet, you can’t believe anything you see. You need to trust me and move away from the big bad wolf, yeah." Spike tried to warn her.

"Giles, what is he talking about?" Buffy asked her companion.

"Oh, shit! Buffy, no matter what that pillock looks like, it’s not Rupert. You’re seein’ what they want you to see; it’s not real. These two are the real Big Bads, the ones Peaches has been workin’ on takin’ out. Giles isn’t here and I have no idea what the flying sheep looks like to you." Spike wished he could find a way to get the orb to Buffy so she could finally see reality.

"There’s a better chance of him being Giles than there is of you being a reanimated pile of dust! I saw Spike die. I’ve missed him so much this past year. I know there’s some weird stuff happening, but I’m not gonna just take the word of a vamp with a dead man’s face." Buffy was more confused than she wanted anyone to know. She didn’t want Giles to think her judgment was so easily messed with by a Spike double, but she didn’t want to leap to any decisions of a permanent dusty nature either.

Wolf could see that Buffy was wavering and having at least some sympathy for the tortured vampire. He took her by the elbow and drew her into the hallway, out of sight of the room’s occupants. "Buffy, you can’t let his appearance sway you! I understand that you feel he was of assistance to you a while ago, but the fact remains he was obviously placed here to your detriment. If he has turned against his masters, as it appears, the kindest thing would be to put him out of his misery," Wolf cajoled and wheedled.

Inside the room, Ram took matters into his own hands and spat paralyzing poison onto Spike, ending the vampire’s ability to plead his case with the Slayer. It was a shame. In time, the stubborn creature might have told them what they needed to know about this latest attack on their little kingdom. Ah, well, the group of humans most likely to have come along on this venture might be more forthcoming. Ram sighed at the wasted time spent trying to get the information from the Quixotic vampire now hanging mute and stiff from his chains.


Buffy turned just as Spike went slack in the chains and looked from him to the other two in the room in puzzlement. Something was not right and obviously the hanging vampire just had something happen to him. He had stopped trying to win Buffy to his side, but his eyes were still pleading with her to listen with her heart.