Spike After Fall #3

Plot

With Spike:

In a fantasy Spike is shopping in a supermarket – whistling cheerfully, with Fred on his arm in a little housewife dress, adoring him, and Angel as a shop assistant with a fitting shirt and name badge.

Smiling kindly, he asks the two of them whether he can help them, but Spike answers that he is only trying to distract himself from the torture. Very good, sir, Angel comments…

Spike is still chained up and injured all over his body. The drained humans in his cell are still calling for him. He regrets that the “dream” was so short this time. On good days he can escape into a fantasy like that for hours. Although “good” is relative anyway – for example it only means the question of who beats him, what work he has to do, or whether he can catch a rat to live on.

And the good days are inevitably followed by the terrible ones.

Right now Spike is once again being tormented by the crazy lady. She only wants to see a few tears. She would do it for him if it were the other way round, she says.

Oh please, she will have to offer more than that – after all, he lived with Xander Harris (even if the psychopaths here don’t know him). And his attempts at being funny and his fashion sense? That is torment! Although, now that he thinks about it: the sight of Xander would be a relief right now… The demoness hurts Spike again with a kind of glowing rod to shut him up. He should stop talking about people she doesn’t know – that is rude!

Well, that is more or less done. She has to go, so who would like to take over, she asks some of her subordinates who are in the cell with them. Maria (Spider) practically begs to be allowed to torture the dirty vampire. She is handed the glowing rod while the lady and another demoness leave. See you later, she says.

Good luck on her date, Spike adds spitefully.

Excuse me?

She is trying to cover her normal stench with some cheap perfume, so she is on her way to a rendezvous – or at least thinks she is, Spike explains. He cannot imagine what creature would want anything from her, but he hopes she at least gets it properly so she calms down a bit.

The demon lady sniffs her wrist and explains that right before brunch she finished off a few Beverly Hills housewives – their perfume is probably stuck on her…

Besides, her hair is washed and the spines on her arms are polished, Spike continues, unimpressed.

The lady (named Non, so let’s stick with that from here on) responds to the remark by telling Maria to carve her name into Spike’s face.

She shall have it. Maria approaches Spike with the rod. This will be wonderful, she explains, telling Spike to get ready to flinch – all the while keeping Non in the corner of her eye until she has really gone.

Maria drops the rod; she thought she would never leave, she says quietly.

Maria lights a cigarette and crouches in front of Spike.

He has to stop provoking Non – he really gets under her skin. And some of the more powerful sisters have their own “plans” for Spike – and that is really not an option he should test, he can believe her. It was hard enough keeping him alive this whole last month.

Month?

Heh, yeah, time flies, Maria replies.

Why is she doing this, Spike wants to know.

Maria looks at him silently for a moment, then kisses Spike. When he beat her in the fight, he did not torture her – he tied her up and brought her home. And that was the nicest thing anyone had done for her in a long time, she then answers the question. Besides, even if it is superficial: has he looked at himself? She has, and wow.

Spike ignores that and asks whether she is all right.

He doesn’t have to worry about her, Maria answers, and her spider limbs move towards Spike.

They can’t do this; not today, Spike says, fending her off.

Why? Because they are watching? (the drained ones, that is) She told him they are dead – they just don’t know it yet. Apart from that, her extra limbs prevent any action anyway.

She has to get them all out of here, Spike urges Maria. If she brings him and Illyria and every one of his people still alive to safety, he will do whatever she wants.

He already does, Maria replies, leaning even closer. And she does whatever he says too – a nice give and take.

Spike kicks Maria away from him.

That again? He must know she cannot free him. Non would kill her. She has thought about challenging her – and about the consequences that would have. They would be anything but nice.

She has the best group of powerful ladies this side of the Slayers here; and together they could do it – he can be pretty motivating, Spike reminds her. So she should bring the girls in here, one at a time, so he can try to persuade them.

Maria only looks at Spike in fright. They cannot stand against her. They just can’t…

Spike angrily wonders what is so special about this Non – she gives off this eerie aura and she definitely has a thing for torture and a power trip, but in a one-on-one fight? Spike could take her… literally. How tough can she be, after all?

With Gunn:

Meanwhile Non has easily fought three Slayers and sucked the life out of them. Arrows, knives and so on are stuck in her, but she does not even seem to notice as she effortlessly holds up a dead Slayer with one hand and looks at another.

So those were Slayers… seriously, she does not understand what all the fuss is about, she says with a sly smile. Their deaths were really very “tasty” and almost amusing, but their fighting clearly lacked a certain something.

They were still new, Gunn explains without a greeting as he enters the basement room with one of his subordinates.

Can they go somewhere and talk – without their respective minions, Non asks without turning round, still busy with a Slayer. No offence, she adds to the “lowly, disgusting minions”.

Lord/lady or not, if she calls him a minion once more there will be trouble, Gunn’s companion threatens.

Non is even more amused by the name “Gunn”. First “Spike” and now “Gunn” – she can hardly wait to meet the other vampires, Rod and Stick – boys and their toys, Non is amused; that is why she clearly prefers women. And speaking of women, she shows Gunn what she has done to the Slayer’s face: doesn’t she look much more frightened like that?

Gunn only tells Non not to treat the dead so contemptuously.

Non throws the Slayer to the ground. She respects him; that is why she is here. She has seen his “work” and…

Yes, he gets it. She is afraid. But if she stays away from him and does nothing stupid, she can continue her pathetic existence in peace as far as he is concerned.

No, he doesn’t get it. He is stirring up trouble. Before everything was sent to hell, she lived on stray dogs and bums. Nobody ever cared about her – the girl from a small dimension – or helped her. So if he wants to take down this whole crappy city, she would like to help him.

She does not want to help, she only wants to protect herself, says Gunn. Apparently she is still new to all this – she brought a Sadecki demon to a vampire, pow-wow! They may be mind readers, influencers and occasionally capable of a little telekinesis, but reading a vampire’s thoughts takes something far more powerful, Gunn explains superiorly.

Fine, maybe she doesn’t have a stupid fish, so what? Fish are annoying. But she has got her hands on something else that might interest him. She has Spike, Non explains.

Was he alone, Gunn wants to know – suddenly quite attentive.

No, he had all sorts of tasty morsels with him.

Gunn is not talking about the cattle, he makes clear.

In passing, Non frees herself from some of the weapons still stuck in her. Oh, he means the girl – brown hair, slight, somehow very “primordial”. Yes, she is there too.

Well then… that means she has officially done something very stupid. With that Gunn, who has changed, swings at Non. She dodges – ah, now they understand each other!

Gunn’s minion grabs the Sadecki demon and holds her. She (named Noelle) demands that he let go. He asks his boss whether he should break her.

No, it’s okay, he answers while fighting Non.

Noelle manages to free herself by using her powers and flinging the vampire minion away.

Gunn has Non by the throat and drives one of the arrows she pulled out earlier into her side. The Sadecki has potential; maybe she should be the leader, Gunn sneers. And to tell the truth, he could not care less what happens to Spike or what she is trying to do to Illyria. It is all crystal clear: Illyria will play a role in the future – damn it, she herself is a future, Gunn explains. And does Non know what role she plays? The same as Spike – none at all.

Non has to be supported by her companion as she takes her outside. Gunn adds, amused, that since Non is injured and there are no humans nearby, she should get out of here before she bleeds all over his basement with her super-powerful lady blood. And good luck with Spike – he has probably got on their nerves quite a bit already, hasn’t he? He will, anyway… and somehow Gunn even misses that. Somehow.

Outside Non is pretty annoyed at how this meeting went – especially since she had to wait months for it. But to look on the bright side: if Spike and his girlfriend are no good as leverage, they can at least be her Saturday-night entertainment. Killing them could be the highlight of a disappointing day.

Noelle reminds Non what Gunn said: that they cannot kill them; the future events…

If Gunn has a problem with that, he can take it up with her, Non interrupts Noelle.

She should not be dazzled by his self-importance. He may seem awe-inspiring, but he is no god.

Meanwhile Gunn intends to turn his attention back to the Slayers. His subordinate tells him he should not have let her go. Illyria can handle it, Gunn replies; and if he would now please excuse him – he positions himself facing the three Slayers – he has some aggression to work off.

Come on then, ladies, he says sarcastically, and drops an arsenal of weapons on the floor as well.

A few Spike hours later, with Spike and Non:

Fine, so now he is alone again, Spike reflects. We have been here before; a few circumstances have changed, but it is always the same story: Spike has someone – or in this case, many – and then he loses them all.

The door to his cell opens and a few of Non’s ladies come to fetch Spike and take him outside. As Noelle drags Spike along behind her, he asks where they are taking him. It is not usually time for a little work detail. So is this going to be a special outing? And he bets she is trying to telepathically order him to shut up right now. Because then he has to remind her again that she is not powerful enough to mess around in this head.

No, she didn’t… it’s just…, Noelle stammers.

She should be quiet, Spike advises.

He sees Maria apparently performing some spell that probably conceals everything going on here. She is not exactly helpful, though, when, for example, a vampire keeps pestering her to do a little magic to make the day go faster.

Right on schedule, someone says loudly to everyone present.

Spike notices where he is being taken – what Non calls the “main stage”. It is used when she wants to make a point – and that usually ends rather unpleasantly.

Spike sees Illyria kneeling on this “stage” – bound and held by three of the ladies (let’s call them the “Nonettes” from here on for simplicity). Non stands in front of her with a big axe.

Ladies and gentlemen… wait, did she kill all the gentlemen?… well then, all ladies present! Tonight the primordial goddess, or whatever she is, is on the menu, Non announces loudly. This lucky girl is the first in a series Non will call “people who get on her nerves but who will hopefully get on them less without a head”.

First this hussy and then a certain bleached-blond, insignificant guy. After that a traitor named Maria… With that Maria is seized by a few Nonettes. Did she really think she could hide her forbidden fling, Non asks. She really did everything with Spike and reeks of him from head to toe.

No, please, Maria cries. But Non has already turned back to Illyria and only says “shut up” over her shoulder. So, where were we… oh yes, they should start…, Non remembers, and swings the axe.

Spike cannot look. When he does, he sees that the axe has simply shattered on Illyria. Non looks at the broken axe handle in her hand. Well, that is exactly what she means: her fashion sense really leaves much to be desired, but good anti-god, she really is made for eternity!

Enough, Illyria commands, easily freeing herself from the three Nonettes who were holding her (or at least thought they were) – and Spike’s heart leaps for joy, he could swear.

Illyria steps close to Non. They kept her in a little cage for what seemed to her an eternity. Pushed and shoved her. Tried to behead her. All of that she can respect, but… Non made her kneel before her! And that is unacceptable! Illyria hits Non in the face before the three Nonettes try to seize her again. Illyria simply shakes them off. One orders a few humans to be brought for Non, at once! Noelle and another of the Nonettes drag Spike along. He knows what happens when Illyria sees him: when she sees a familiar face – someone she cares about – Fred comes out again; and Fred can be hurt, can be killed. That must not happen. He has to get to her. Spike breaks his chains and fights his way through the Nonettes. This is how it is meant to end; that is why he is here, he thinks.

Spike calls to “Fred” to wait there. Fred –

When he reaches her, she looks down at him, but she is still Illyria.

No. He has got involved with a lesser being.

What?

The spider (Spider). Non said he slept with this lesser being. Illyria bends down to him.

Oh, well, that, um… That is…

Illyria grabs Spike and kisses him. Then she looks at him and makes clear that she is now his priority again.

Spike cannot put together a sensible sentence as Illyria throws herself back into the fight.

She, um… was always his priority, even before all this; she and…

Someone calls his name. Spike spots “Jerry”, who is just being grabbed by Non. He is glad he is alive.

It’s Jeremy! And he won’t be alive much longer – because this crazy woman is about to suck the life out of the last of the group, Jeremy shouts – so he should damn well do something!

Spike and Illyria rush towards Non and Jeremy.

Non kept Jeremy because he seemed important to Spike. But since Spike is no longer important either, Jeremy is doubly insignificant.

He really hates her, Jeremy tells Non to her face.

Non does not even notice and goes on to explain that Jeremy was just as annoying as Spike. But just seeing his surprised face now was worth it.

Spike’s first thought is that hopefully Illyria will not turn back into Fred at the sight of Jeremy.

Right after that comes the wish, however small, to see Jeremy survive all this so he can propose to his girl.

Well then…, Non begins. The next moment she is hit in the back by a lance.

She likes surprises? So does he, explains Connor, who has appeared behind Non with a sword in one hand and the spear in the other.

Well, if he knows that, he can imagine how exciting the next few minutes will be for the two of them.

Spike’s third thought… hey, isn’t that Angel’s brat?