Hellacious Acres

Spike felt agonizing pain as dragon fire consumed him and then a wave of vertigo. Falling forward, he caught himself just before he fell flat on his face. Opening his eyes, he blinked.

"You've got to be fu...."

"Spike?"

Whirling around, he saw Gunn sitting on the ground propped up against a large rock.

"Charlie? You all right?"

"Well, I'm dead. But other than that, I think I'm okay." Nodding at their surroundings, he added, "Nice place we ended up, huh?"

Spike glanced around and said dryly, "Yeah, lovely."

They were in what appeared to be a large cavern that glowed red from the many fires burning in lakes of brimstone. Fissures spouted geysers of flame at irregular intervals, shadows moved in macabre dances along the rough stone walls, and the air stank of sulfur. In the distance, the screams of the tortured rent the air.

Gunn sighed accepting the hand Spike offered and gaining his feet. "I'm kinda disappointed I'm here. I was sure I was going to wake up in the arms of baby Jesus."

Spike gave a wry laugh. "This isn't exactly the place you'd expect heroes to end up, is it?" Noticing an opening on the other side of the cavern, he pointed to it and said, "Want to go check out our new digs?"

"Do you think the others will join us here?"

"I bloody well hope not."

With Spike in the lead, they started to walk toward the opening when a distortion appeared in the air between them. Both men stiffened in preparation for a fight, but when the distortion cleared, Angel stumbled forward falling into Spike's arms. Angel stared at him in shock and then looked around. "What the..."

"Hell," Spike said, releasing him and stepping back "The word you're looking for is hell. You were right, Angel. Looks like we ended up in Hell."

Angel nodded sadly. "I thought I was just being pessimistic."

Spike snorted. "You? Pessimistic? Your words shock me."

Angel glared at him and then noticed Spike's companion. "Gunn? You're here, too?"

Gunn nodded. "Yeah. I guess this is my reward for causing Fred's death."

Before Angel could say anything to that, Spike said, "Look, Charlie and me were just going to do a little exploring. Want to come along?"

"Might as well see what we're up against. Let's go."

Stepping forward, Angel took the lead. Spike rolled his eyes, but fell into step behind him as the three men moved out of the cavern and into another almost identical one. They traversed through several more nearly identical caverns. Spike was just about to make comment on it when they entered one that was different.

In the center of the cavern, a naked man was hanging suspended from chains locked around his wrists. Red-skinned, horned imps flew around him laughing, taunting, and jabbing him with pitchforks. Blood ran in rivulets from the many wounds the imps were causing, and a steady stream of blood flowed from a large stab wound in his gut. His head hung down so that his face wasn't visible, but there was no mistaking who it was.

Spike shook his head at the sight. "Now that's really clichéd," he said in disgust. "You'd think they'd be able to come up with a more inventive torture than little devils with pitchforks wouldn’t you?"

Angel glowered at Spike before rushing forward. Batting the imps out of his way, he worked at trying to unfasten the iron cuffs fastened to the man's wrists.

Wesley weakly raised his head. "Angel? What are you doing here?"

"We're dead, too," Spike interjected.

"Take it easy, Wes. We're going to get you out of these things." Unable to open the manacles, he grabbed the chains and tugged trying to pull them from the cavern ceiling. They wouldn't give way.

"You didn't think we'd make it that easy, did you?" a voice behind them asked.

They all looked to see who had spoken.

"Izzy," Angel said sharply.

The devilish-looking demon smirked at his old Racquetball partner. "So, Angel, how do you like your new home? Finding everything you need?"

"Release Wesley."

Izzy raised an eyebrow. "I don’t think so. News flash, buddy, you're not the CEO here. You're not in charge." He smiled coldly. "In other words, you're not the boss of me anymore. You're not anything but another damned soul, and if we want to torture one of you, or all of you, we do it."

Angel moved with a speed that caught the demon off guard, wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him off the ground, giving him a shake. "Where's the key to the shackles?"

When he refused to answer, Spike searched through his clothes. Izzy tried to protest, but Angel just tightened his grip.

"Here we go," Spike said, coming up with a large ring of keys. "One of these might work."

Angel kept hold of him as Spike hurried over to Wesley and began to methodically try each key while Gunn batted away Wesley's tormentors. With each failure, the choking noises coming from Angel's direction increased. Spike glanced back when it sounded as if Izzy was trying to speak. Angel loosened his grip a little, and the demon croaked out, "It's the key that looks like a serpent."

Spike found the key and soon had Wesley released. He and Gunn lowered the injured man to the ground, and Angel released Izzy by tossing him across the cavern. He crashed into the cavern wall and slid limply to the floor. As Spike helped Wesley sit up, Angel hurried over.

"How you doing, Wes?" Angel asked in concern.

The imps had disappeared as soon as the manacles had been removed, and Wesley's wounds were already beginning to heal. "I'll be fine, but I think I'd feel better if I had some clothes."

Angel glanced over to where Izzy lay in an unconscious heap. "I think we can take care of that," he said.

***

While Wesley dressed, Angel and Spike hung the now naked and struggling Izzy from the chains that had imprisoned Wesley. As soon as the manacles were locked around his wrists, the imps returned and began to torment him.

All four men stood and watched with satisfaction as the demon screamed in pain and cursed first Angel and then the imps. After a few minutes Spike drawled, "I know Angel can watch someone being tortured for hours, but I'm getting bored."

Angel flashed him an irritated look, but turned to lead his little band of heroes out of the cavern. They passed through more caverns without encountering anyone or anything else. After a few hours, Spike stopped and threw his hands up in the air.

"This is bloody ridiculous. I feel like I'm going through one of those mazes in a video game only without the fun of killing monsters. And where the bloody, buggering hell are they?"

"Where are who? The monsters?" Angel asked in a confused voice.

"No, all the people being tortured. I keep hearing the screams, but we haven't run into anyone being tortured. Well, except for Percy here, and he was being all manly and stoic."

"Do you think maybe it's just a sound effect?" Gunn asked. "Something to unnerve us?"

"Well, if it is, it's bloody stupid. They can't really think a little screaming would unnerve us, do they? At one time, screams like this were music to our ears," Spike said, pointing between Angel and himself.

"Well, it is starting to get on my nerves a little," Gunn confessed.

"I think it's getting on Spike's nerves too," Angel told his friend as he resumed walking toward the chamber's far exit. "That's why he's started to whine about it."

"Not whining," Spike muttered, following the group. "Just making an observation."

They continued on through the repetitious caverns until Angel stopped suddenly after exiting the latest room. As the others joined him, they stared in surprise at the sight before them. The caverns they had come through had all been big, but this one was huge and contained a chasm that was at least a mile and a half across and a mile deep. At the bottom of the chasm a river flowed lethargically between narrow strips of land connected by a footbridge.

"There's a path here that we can follow to the bottom," Angel said pointing to where the path began a few yards from where they stood.

The path was steep and strewn about with scree that made the footing treacherous. The four men had gotten about halfway down the path when Gunn observed, "Man, that's the dirtiest looking water I've ever seen.

"That's not water, mate," Spike said, a note of sick revulsion in his voice.

"Then what is it?"

"Blood," Angel said quietly.

"Blood? That entire river is blood?"

"The blood of the innocent," Spike said.

"Yes, that would make sense if we really are in hell. There have been many myths regarding a river of blood in connection with hell."

"Yeah, that was interesting. Thanks ever so," Spike drawled as he turned away from Wesley and continuing his descent down the path. Wesley sighed and followed him with Angel and Gunn bringing up the rear.

When they reached the bottom of the path, Angel moved to the front of the group once more to lead them to the narrow footbridge. A cry different from the screams they'd been hearing caught Spike's attention.

"Hold up, Angel."

"What?"

"I heard something over there," he said, pointing to where an outcropping of rocks obscured their view. He led the others around a gigantic boulder. A man, bare from the waist up, was chained spread-eagle to a rock, and a large bird of prey that looked like the illegitimate offspring of an eagle and a vulture was feasting on him. The man was conscious and cries of pain came from him each time the bird's hooked beak dipped into his body tearing flesh and pulling out bloody pieces of entrails.

Spike picked up a large stone and hurled it at the bird striking it in the head. The bird vanished as soon as the rock connected and Spike scrambled up the slope. Reaching into his coat pocket, he withdrew the set of keys he had taken from Izzy.

"What happened, mate? How did you end up here?"

Before the man could answer, Angel asked forcefully, "Spike, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm going to try to unlock these chains."

"I don't think Angel wants me freed," Lindsey said weakly. "Not after going to all the trouble of sending me here."

"What?"

Lindsey laughed and then grimaced from the pain. "He had his green lackey take me out. Didn't he tell you?"

"Angel?" Spike glanced inquiringly at the elder vampire.

"He's as much our enemy as The Black Thorn, Spike. Leave him."

Spike straightened and turned to Angel. "You're not serious."

"I'm very serious."

"Sod off, Angel," Spike said. "I’m not leaving him here to have his liver eaten out every day for eternity." Bending over again, he resumed his search for a key that would open the locks. A hand reached down and grabbed him by the shoulder pulling him away.

"If you turn him loose, he'll just betray us."

"Like you betrayed me?"

Spike looked at Lindsey in surprise. "What are you talking about?"

"He talked me into taking out the Sahrvins for him. Said he'd let me take over Wolfram and Hart, but he had Lorne kill me instead."

Spike shook his head and returned to his task. "You were stupid if you believed he'd let you take over the firm." A key shaped like a scorpion slid inside the keyhole. With a click, the lock opened. Spike moved to the next one giving Angel a quick glance. "I know he can't be trusted, Angel, but I just can't leave him here like this."

"You're making a big mistake, Spike."

Spike shrugged. "Probably. Won't be the first." The last lock was opened and Lindsey sat up. Just as had happened with Wesley, as soon as he was freed his wounds began to heal. Spike stayed with him as he recovered, but the others moved off heading for the opposite side of the blood river.

"Thanks for turning me loose."

"Just keep one thing in mind, Doyle," Spike said. "If you do betray us, I'll make sure that you wish you were back on this rock."

Lindsey smiled slightly, nodded, and stood up from his seat on the rock. "So, what now?"

"We follow the yellow brick road."

***

"You have any idea where we are?" Spike asked Lindsey as they crossed over the footbridge.

Lindsey shrugged. "One of the Senior Partners' hell dimensions. They own our souls, so they can put us wherever they want."

"They don't own me," Spike said forcefully.

"You don't think so? As soon as you put on their amulet, they owned you. Why do you think you couldn't get away from L.A. when you were still a ghost?"

"I put on that amulet to do good, to stop the apocalypse," Spike insisted.

"An apocalypse. Not the Senior Partners' apocalypse. So technically, by using that amulet you became a defacto employee for the Senior Partners, and since they own the souls of all their employees, they owned yours."

"Sodding lawyers," Spike muttered.

Lindsey chuckled.

By the time they reached the end of the footbridge, the others had disappeared into another cavern. Spike entered the narrow opening and then backed out again so quickly he nearly knocked Lindsey off his feet.

"What...?"

Spike slapped his hand over Lindsey's mouth and pushed him up against the rough rock wall framing the opening. Leaning into Lindsey, he whispered, "Trouble."

Lindsey's eyebrows flew up and when Spike removed his hand from his mouth, whispered back, "What's going on?"

Spike motioned for him to follow and, moving silently, entered the aperture slipping around to hide behind a boulder. Lindsey arrived beside him seconds later, and Spike felt him stiffen when he saw the scene before them.

Angel, Wesley and Gunn were in the middle of a small island surrounded by a lake of lava. On the shore was a hillock upon which sat a throne carved from basalt. And seated on the throne was Duke Sebassis. His skinny, pathetic-looking slave was pouring its blood into a goblet the Duke held out.

Sebassis was making a speech about how Angel and his friends were going to pay for killing the Black Thorn, for going up against the Senior Partners, blah, blah, blah. Spike wasn't listening. He was too busy trying to figure out a way get Angel and the others out of their current predicament. The lava lake was slowly rising in level and it wouldn't be long before the three men would be enveloped in the molten rock. Turning to Lindsey, he said in a barely audible voice, "You helping?"

Lindsey gave a "why not?" shrug and Spike filled him in on his plan.

The plan, such as it was, was simple. They slipped around until they were as near to the hillock as they could get without being seen. Jumping up with a shout, they charged up the hill yelling and throwing rocks. The Duke leaped from his chair in surprise, and his slave squealed in terror and ran away. Spike reached Sebassis first and threw a punch that completely knocked the demon lord off his feet. Racing around, he grabbed the Duke's arms and Lindsey grabbed his feet. Together they swung him back and forth three times. On the third arc, they let go and Sebassis sailed through the air to splash down in the lava. He screamed in agony as he burst into flame. As soon as he was consumed by the fire, the lava lake began to dry up. The three trapped men ran over the now solid land and joined their rescuers.

Oh, man, thanks," Gunn breathed shakily. "I did not want to go swimming in that lake."

"I wonder if we're going to come into contact with all the members of the Black Thorn we killed," Wesley said.

"I'm sure we will. And I'm sure that at some point, there'll be no rescue." Shaking his head sadly, Angel looked at his companions. He opened his mouth to say more when a vortex opened behind him and he was sucked into it before anyone could react. Wesley, who had been nearest to him, reached out only to be drawn into it also. Next went Gunn, then Lindsey. Spike turned and tried to run back down the hill, but he could feel the inescapable pull. Reaching out and trying to grasp something, anything, to keep him from being drawn into the gaping maw, he fought with all his might, but it was useless. Still reaching out, still fighting, he was slowly, inexorably, pulled in.

***

He was spit out again with the force of a champagne cork and landed hard against something solid. When his head cleared he saw the others lying about with dazed looks on their faces. Taking in his surroundings, he gasped out, "What the fu... "

"Good, you are all here, although I was not expecting that one."

Spike whipped his head around, closed his eyes until the dizziness passed, and looked with shock at who had spoken. She was looking with cold eyes at Lindsey.

"Illyia? How did you get us out of that hell dimension? And why did you bring us here?" Angel asked rising slowly to his feet. "It was you that opened that portal, wasn't it?"

"It was."

"How?" Wesley asked, shakily standing up. "We removed your ability to open portals, didn't we?" By now, everyone was standing and looking curiously around them. They were in the conference area of Angel's office at Wolfram and Hart. Illyria stared at them in the unblinking manner she had, her head moving with the insect-like jerks that showed her to be alien.

"Are we alive again?" asked Gunn hopefully.

"Sit down. I will explain."

Everyone but Illyria sat. Instead she went to the door leading to Angel's reception area, opened it and ordered, "Come here," to someone on the other side.

Harmony entered and then stopped in surprise when she saw everyone seated around the conference table.

"Boss? When did you guys come in here?" She glanced at Lindsey and her eyes widened in appreciation. "How come he's not wearing a shirt?"

Lindsey smirked and flexed his muscles. Harmony licked her lips.

"Tell Angel what the date is," Illyria demanded.

"Huh?" Harmony asked, tearing her eyes away from Lindsey's muscular chest.

"Tell Angel what the date is."

"Is she serious?"

"What's the date, Harmony?" Angel said quietly.

"It's May the 7th."

At everyone's obviously surprised reaction, she added, "Geez, did you guys get hit with an amnesia spell or something?"

"Something," Angel said, a slight quaver to his voice. "Thank you, Harmony. You can go back to your work now."

Harmony shrugged, gave one last come-hither look to Lindsey, and flounced out of the office. Illyria shut the door and turned back to the shocked men sitting at the table.

"May the 7th, 2004?" Angel asked.

"Yes."

"How? And why this date?"

She stared at Angel and said, "You destroyed your world."

"What?!" Angel exclaimed, sitting bolt upright in his chair.

"When you had us kill the Black Thorn, it allowed the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart to open portals throughout the world. It was not just here that masses of demons were unleashed. By the time the war was over, nearly three-quarters of this world's population was destroyed. The rest were enslaved. I was harried throughout the world and could find refuge only in the Deeper Well. It was there that I hid for fifty of your years until I was able to rebuild myself, cell by cell, to what I once was. When I was done, I could again control time to a limited degree and open doorways to other worlds. I decided to return to a time before the war began, but I knew that you needed to remember what had happened. You needed to know that what I was saying was true. And so I opened a portal to where you were, drew you through, and deposited you a few weeks before you had died."

"But we're already here in this time, Illyria," Wesley said. "Are there now two sets of us?"

"No. You have replaced the beings that you were."

"How?"

"You could not begin to understand. You brain is too limited." She turned back to Angel again. "Together we will destroy the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart, but you must not attempt to destroy the Black Thorn at this time."

"Not that I don't appreciate being pulled out of hell, blue, but how do we know what you're saying is true? About the world being destroyed, I mean. We weren't here, remember?"

"She's telling the truth," a weary voice said from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Lorne standing there, drink in hand. His eyes flicked to where Lindsey sat and then away again.

"So you saw the destruction she was telling us about?" Angel asked.

"Saw it; ran from it. Little Miss Bluebell here pulled me back from Pylea, making me fifty years younger in the process. Which I'm not complaining about, by the way. I was beginning to look just like my mom," he finished with a shudder.

Three sets of eyes widened at that news. "You returned to Pylea?" Wesley said in astonishment. "Willingly?"

"Pylea was heaven compared to here, Wes," he said seriously. He turned sad, solemn eyes on Angel. "We did a bad thing, Angel. You know me. You know I love this world. But what happened to it after we killed off the Black Thorn..." His voice trailed off and he took a deep drink from his glass

Spike looked at Illyria curiously. "Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, luv, but just why, exactly, did you save us and why are you willing to help us? You have your powers back; you could go to any dimension you want, can't you?"

"I am in the dimension I want," she said coldly. "And I wish to destroy the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart. You will help me."

"And then what? You take over?" Angel said angrily. "We stop one group of demons only to have you take over our world?"

"I do not desire to destroy this world as they do. I will be a just, if hard, ruler. But if you do not aid me in destroying my enemies, the Wolf, the Ram, and the Hart, I will return everything to the way it was and go to another dimension leaving this world to its fate."

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't," Gunn sighed.

"Is there anything of Fred left in you?" Wesley asked softly.

"I still retain Winifred Burkle's memories."

Wesley looked at Angel. "She was beginning to learn about humanity, Angel, so there's hope she'll change. And I don't think we have much choice."

Angel sighed. "Neither do I." He stood and addressed Illyria. "All right, we'll join forces to take out Wolfram and Hart. But understand this. I'll do everything in my power to keep you from enslaving this world. We're temporary allies fighting a mutual enemy."

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, eh?" Spike observed.

Illyria turned to him, the look in her eyes cold and hard. "We are not friends," she said stiffly. "It disgusts me that I must depend upon insects to aid me in this war. You are a stench in my nostrils."

Spike raised one eyebrow. "Don't hold back, Your Godhood. Tell us how you really feel," he said mockingly. He looked at Angel. "So Her High and Mightiness here gave herself a nice power-up, pushed the reset button, and we get to replay the game. You come up with a new strategy yet on how to get past this level?"

Angel stared at him, a completely blank look on his face.

"I never understand what you're talking about, Spike."

"That's because you spend too much time brooding and not enough time playing."

"I don't brood," Angel snapped. "And there are more important things in this world than playing. That's your trouble, Spike. You're too interested in drinking and screwing around. If you would just..."

As his rant continued, Wesley, Gunn and Lindsey stood up and left the office with Illyria and Lorne following. Spike leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the conference table letting Angel's words flow over him.

It was good to be back.

The end