AN: Another update! This is the chapter where we find out what's up with Spike, so, enjoy!

As always, tittle is a song by Marilyn Manson, and quote at the beginning is another song by Avenged Sevenfold (I know, I'm obsessed).

Thanks to my awesome betas astarstillunborn and Legen; and to the wonderful people who left a review. You are the best. THE BEST.

CHAPTER 3: "Mutilation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery"

I see through you

The fear that's in your eyes
 

A good friend once told me we are memory

Without them we equal nothing

And all I can see is the place I wanna be

Timeless my life was so free

Leaves at my feet, blown to the ground

their echoes are reaching my ears

Nights coming fast, suns going down - confused

I don't know the answers but neither do you

~Remenissions, Avenged Sevenfold~

 

 

 

Spike took a deep unnecessary breath and stepped past the entrance to the cave.

After just a few steps, he faltered and looked around at the almost complete darkness surrounding him. This was it; judging by the startled cries of the villagers when they saw him heading this way, something nasty lived around here. Finally, he had found the place where the demon he was looking for was settled, according to what he heard so long ago. A demon in Africa who grants wishes to every creature he deems worthy. When he overheard the conversation taking place in the corner table of that seedy pub in Prague, he almost fell off his stool, laughing. After all, what would a demon ('specially a vampire) need a wish for? If you wanted something, you just took it; that was how thinks worked for them.

Want. Take. Have.

Oh, but now he understood. He understood the pain of wanting something you couldn't possibly have, and the consuming need that drives you to do everything you can do in order to get a chance.

He understood, in a moment of perfect clarity while Buffy babbled about how he was a disgusting monster, that he wouldn't have an opportunity with her. Ever.

Or at least, for as long as he continued to be a soulless demon. So here he was, about to ask for restoration, and the truth was, he was scared. Was he ready for this? Hell, yeah. He would always be love's bitch.

What he didn't understand was why Buffy would think a soul would change anything. It didn't do any good to Angelus, after all. The Poof was still the same bastard who used to beat him to submission when he was a fledging; the only difference was, with the soul, Angelus was restrained.

And she said the chip made him like a serial killer in prison.

For Spike, the only thing the soul did was make Angelus feel all the guilt of his past actions, thus forcing him to draw a line between his former self and the new and improved ‘Angel'; making him create that other version of himself, the brooding and brow furrowing Captain Forehead, a vampire seeking redemption. God, how lame was that?

Great, now he was starting to sound like her.

Mentally shaking himself, Spike continued into the cave, flicking his lighter open and staring at the strange images adorning the walls. Pictures of people's faces in pain, bodies with blood pouring out of them. A black figure holding out an arm towards another figure, which was red and dripping blood.

Lovely.

A breeze blew out the lighter, so flicking it closed, Spike continued into the cave; he could sense something moving back there.

Sure enough, as soon as he stepped into the darkest part of the cave, a deep gravelly voice echoed from behind him, "You seek me, vampire?"

Deciding to go for the ‘I-couldn't-care-less' attitude, he adopted a relaxed position and looked at the general direction the voice had come from. "You do the finger paintings? Nice work."

"Answer me." He could barely make the shape of the demon standing in the corner, the only thing clearly visible were his glowing green eyes.

"Yeah. I seek you."

"Something about a woman. The slayer"

Wish granting and mind reader. Go figure.

With barely concealed anger, Spike nodded. "Thinks she's better than me. Ever since I got this bleeding chip in my head, things ain't been right. Everything's gone to hell."

"And you want to be returned to your former self."

"Yeah." At that, the demon started laughing evilly.

"What?" snapped Spike, clearly annoyed.

"Look what she's reduced you to."

Spike stared at the floor, clearly ashamed. "It's this bloody chip-"

"You were a legendary dark warrior, and you let yourself be castrated." Spike's head whipped round to look at the demon in astonishment, fury shining in his eyes. "And you have the audacity to crawl in here and demand restoration?"

"I'm still a warrior."

"You're a pathetic excuse for a demon."

Now more than angry, Spike lashed out, "Yeah? I'll show you pathetic. Give me your best shot."

"You'd never endure the trials required to grant your request."

"Do your worst. But when I win ... I want what I came here for. "

The demon just stared at him, His breathing the only sound in the cave, but saying nothing.

"Bitch is gonna see a change." He whispered, staring at the floor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike stood alone in pitch blackness, his shirt discarded on the floor, moving around anxiously, like a caged panther.

The demon's voice reverberated again, "You understand, then?"

Spike sneered, "Yeah yeah - it's not like you haven't been clear about it, oh great mysterious one. This is a test. I don't get what I want unless I pass said test. That about the size and shape?"

"Yes."

"And since you got your pad decked out gladiator style, and no number two pencils have been provided - I guess we're not starting with the written."

The demon didn't say anything.

"Well?" Not hearing a response, Spike turned around, only to find that the demon wasn't there anymore. In his place stood a very large fellow, who seemed to be made entirely of muscles.

Spike seized him up. "Ah. Here we go, then. Just me and the walking action figure. I'm venturing this would be the Kill-or-be-killed type situation, then?"

The demon spoke again from the shadows, "To the death."

Spike, grinning, squared off with Muscleman. "Right. Here we are now. Entertain us."

Suddenly, Muscleman grinned evilly and his fists erupted into flame, providing an eerie light that illuminated the two combatants in the darkness of the cave.

Spike stared at this obvious advantage his adversary had, and gulped, "Oh son of a b-"

He was interrupted by a flaming fist hitting him in the side of his head so hard, that he spun and hit the dirt. He scrambled, scuttling back.

Muscleman moved again, and faster than someone so big should move, slammed his fist into Spike's face again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike scrambled back to his feet after snapping Muscleman's neck. It hadn't been easy, for a moment there he thought he was going to add to the dust in that cave, at the hands of the Action Man on steroids.

It was over now. Grinning triumphantly, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and faced the demon. "Looks like the local boy loses."

"So it would appear."

"Good on me, then. So? I get what I came for? I passed, right?"

"Indeed. You have passed...the first stage of the test."

"Right, then I... wait..." he turned to look at the demon, "first stage?"

The only answer was a long silence.

"Bugger."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spike was lying motionless on the dirt floor. He was badly beaten, but alive. Well, undead. He had finally passed all the tests and was ready to get his reward.

"You have endured the required trials."

"Bloody right, I have." With great effort, a bleeding and bruised Spike rolled to the side and pushed himself back to his knees, facing the demon. "So you'll give me what I want. Make me what I was. So Buffy can get what she deserves."

"Very well." The demon took a step forward so he was in the dimly lit part of the cave. "We will return..." he placed a hand in Spike's chest, finishing the sentence, "your soul."

Spike's eyes glowed orange as he threw his head back, screaming in agony. For what seemed like an eternity, the only thing he knew was pain.

tbc...
 

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End Notes: So? What do you think? Now you know Spike left Sunnydale to get his soul, but just remember that things aren't always what they seem. Ohh you'll see *evil laugh*

Btw, I know the name I gave to one of the trials (Muscleman) is really lame, and I apologize, but my brain was fried by then.

If you leave a review, who knows? Maybe I'll update faster...