-Chapter Ten-

Escaping Hell

It had been two days since they had arrived in Hell and each day Clark felt weaker and weaker. The amount of kryptonite he was digging up was weakening him and hurt more than the blisters which burst on his fingers. Buffy was also weakened, the shock from what ever magic that was around their was strong.

Buffy and Amber had stolen shards of lead while, mining to shield Clark from the Kryptonite bars while, he slept. They had a feeling that Ken knew what they'd done but, allowed it because he knew they were too weak to escape and he was right.

Although, that didn't stop them from planning an escape. Amber had been awake when she was brought down there and knew the way out. But, they needed to cause a distraction to get them out of there. But, some of the vampires had Kryptonite imbedded in their jewellery causing Clark weakened against them. Buffy had concluded that she would start a fight between one of the vampires causing others to come to help getting Clark away from the kryptonite vampires.

Then, they would escape with the other runaways. Clark was of course happy with the plan although, a part of him wanted to stay in there, almost as if being here was his way of paying for his sins. Every sweat and blood spilt was his penance for killing his unborn brother or sister. And for killing his mother and father's dreams of actually having a real child of their own.

"You have to stop thinking like that," Buffy snapped at him indignantly. "It wasn't your fault. If anyone deserves to be here. It's me, but, we can't stay here. Because people need us. They need us."

Clark looked at the shrunken people huddled in the corner. Some where nearly fifty others were new, each day brought someone new in to hell. Buffy was right They needed him.

The next morning they marched out of their cell, Clark needing to be helped out as he passed the Kryptonite. He walked on next to Buffy, Amber was looking edgy. She was nervous. She bit her nails as she walked down the line behind Buffy.

Three vampires held the queues in check. Everyone was split up into groups usually boys and girls. Clark looked down at the floor as he shuffled along with the rest of the slaves. A slave demon walked down the line. He stopped at every slave and asked them their name and each answer was the same, nobody. That was the answer they wanted: nobody.

The demon reached Clark. Clark glared at him with pure hate. Clark looked down to see a piece of Kryptonite imbedded in his ring. "Who are you?"

Clark didn't answer it was too painful to speak. Clark could fell the radiation from the meteor rock burn into his skin as the demon placed a hand on his shoulder crashing at his bones slowly. "Who are you?"

"Nobody," Clark gulped as the pain began to engulf him. His legs nearly went as the demo let go off him. He walked away. It took a little while, for the affects to wear off but, there was still Kryptonite around. Early every vampire near him had one on them. Ken had made sure that Vampires on guard duty near Clark was to wear Kryptonite.

"This line is clear lets move," the slave demon barked his voice sounding like his tonsils had been ripped out. Clark moved along leaving Buffy and Amber's line. He walked over to his station ready for the signal.

"Who are you?" the slave demon asked Amber as he walked down the line. His thunderous breath bearing down on her making her even more terrified than she was.

Buffy looked down at the floor hoping that their plan would work. "Nobody," she heard Amber squeak next to her.

The large shadow of the slave demon towered over her. She cold hear and feel his breathing blow against her skin. She looked up to see his horned face. "Who are you?" he growled.

Buffy pondered for a moment. "I'm Buffy," she said, "The Vampire Slayer."

The demon growled and lifted his hand to strike her. Buffy grabbed his arm and spun a kick at his ribs. He keels over and fell to the floor as Buffy snap kicked him in the head. "We're leaving," Buffy said to Amber, "round everyone up."

"Buffy look out!" Amber shrieked a five Vampires ran towards him. Buffy elbowed one in the face and kicked another in the gut. She was surrounded.

Then, suddenly, three burst into flames and disappeared a gust of dust. Buffy turned to see Clark zoom towards her. She kicked one of the vampires away, Clark grabbed him and threw him across the room. Clark spun around in super speed a ripple of colours surrounding him as he saw the other vampires turning to him. He punched the closest, he flew back and slammed into the other both of which flew back three feet.

"Hey, he was mine," Buffy moaned mockingly.

"I guess I don't know my own strength," Clark replied with a grin. "I'll go with Amber and get the other prisoners. Do you think you can hold them off."

Buffy grabbed a spade and broke it in two. "I think I can handle them," she replied cockily as she held both ends of the spade like two swords.

She turned to five vampires running towards her. She sliced at one at the front with the spade end and stabbed the another one with the broken end of the spade both of which blew up in a ball of dust.

Buffy sliced at another vampire. Although, the vampire grabbed the spade and pulled it away from. Buffy spun a high kick knocking him against the wall. She then, blocked an attack from one vampire and kicked another one trying to take advantage of her fighting the other. She punched the other vamp. He fell to the floor she kicked the spade up and caught it in her hand. She sliced down at the vamp on the floor and spun to slice the other against the wall and then, finally stabbing the last.

She looked up breathing heavily to see more vampires coming at her. "Ooh, give me a break" she groaned exasperated.

Suddenly, a large mining cart flew past Buffy knocking down the vampires. Buffy turned to see Clark stood there.

"Look out!" he called as a guard ran at her with a sword in her hand. Buffy turned as he hacked down at her with the sword. Clark grabbed hold of the sword. It bent in his hand as he squeezed at it. He pushed the vamp back and flung the sword at him. The sword spun around like a boomerang and chopped off the heads of each vampire surrounding them. They all turned to dust as the sword made contact with their heads.

"Did you mean to do that?" Buffy asked in awe.

"No, I was just aiming for the first guy," Clark said a little surprised himself.

"Did you get everyone out?" Buffy asked urgently.

"Yeah, Amber's getting them out to safety, she said she'd wait for us so that she can help us out," Clark replied looking around.

"We better get out of here," Buffy said urgently they turned to find Ken stood there with a small army of vampires.

"You are not going anywhere!" He cried.