The group hiding in the darkness watched as Spike walked to the entrance of the building. He slowed slightly, and tossed the large kettle. The thick liquid rained down, covering the side of the building and the ground around it. "Ok, five minutes, unless we get something from either of them." Willow whispered nervously.
They started to wait, and Willow's eyes took on a glazed expression. "He's looking at the camera... why didn't he wait for the signal?"
"Maybe Spike is already in there." Anya offered, smiling mischievously "he can be pretty distracting himself."
Xander cast her an annoyed look, "please never say anything like that again."
"Don't worry Xander," she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I like the way we have sex, that new thing you did..."
"Anya! Not now!" He growled as the others tried not to giggle.
"Ok, I think it's time." Willow announced, "Spike is with Kertchum, it's now or never." She signaled to the Buffy-bot to take the lead, and possibly the first fatal blows, and they walked to the building. "Tim, you'll be taking any demons." He nodded grimly, gripping a bottle of holy water. "Everyone else gets the humans."
"Can we kill them?" Jayde asked coldly.
Willow slowed her step, "only if we have to." They came to a stop in front if the doors. "I don't see anyone around." She took a deep breath, "Fiat Lux!" The wet ground and building flared to a blinding light, and they pulled open the door.
"They knew we were coming!" Willow panted after throwing a spell that caused the unfortunate recipient to shoot through a window, shattering it on his way out. Almost from the moment they stepped into the building, guards came pouring from different rooms in waves. They were holding their own, but barely. Tim carried a nice looking assault rifle he had obtained from Xander early on, but was hesitant to use it in the bedlam in case he hit one of his own party.
The ever hapless Buffy-bot was struck down early, victim to a shot fired by Tim's new prize. Seeing her fall triggered a rage in Xander, and he had taken out the shooter with his bare hands. He was sporting bruises and a bloody nose for his efforts, but they now had a gun, and he felt some small vindication for not being able to help the original Buffy when she died. "Tell Dawn to call now, we can't keep going like this."
Willow nodded, and hissed in pain as Tara tended to a nasty slash on her arm. A demon had briefly knocked Tim down as he was fighting one of its brethren, and charged the witch. He was able to destroy it with a shouted prayer, his righteous anger exploding into shreds, but not before it took a swipe at her with razor sharp claws.
Another guard tried to sneak up on Jayde as she worriedly watched Willow and Tara. She delivered a precise roundhouse kick to his midsection, sending him flying to Anya's feet where she gleefully kicked him in the head. "Do you think that means they may have moved Lucas?" She asked apprehensively, stopping to catch her breath.
Willow closed her eyes, trying to block out the chaos around her and the pain caused by Tara wrapping her arm in a torn off shirt sleeve. "No ,he's here." She reported, "Spike is with him... But so is Dr. Kertchum." She took a shuddering breath. "You need to get to him. If Kertchum knows Lucas helped us, he'll... You just need to move."
Jayde studied her, letting Xander take care of the next attacker. "What do you mean?"
Instead of answering her, Willow turned her head to look at Lucas' current commanding officer, mentally communicating with him. Tim paled then went green, "come on, it's better if you don't know." He muttered and pulled her away from the fighting.
"He wants to stay with me." Dr. Kertchum explained, staring the vampire down with an arrogant smirk.
"I'll believe that when it comes from his own mouth, and he's not being held hostage." Spike growled, taking a step forward.
Dr. Kertchum nodded, and released the handcuff link, placing his hand in the small of Lucas' back and shoving him forward. "Ok, tell him, son."
His heart jumped into his throat when Lucas realized he was being pushed away. An agonizing feeling of abandonment enveloped him. "No, please Spike, just let me stay. He's keeping me safe." Lucas pleaded, trying to step back to the comfort of Kertchum's hold as he fought with his cuffs.
"Keeping you safe from what?" Spike scrutinized his struggles. "He's got you standing in front of him so I don't attack, and you've no way to defend yourself. That seems a little off in my book."
"What?" Lucas stopped fidgeting to shake his head in confusion. "You don't understand..."
"I thought that was my line, kid." Spike spoke quietly, while advancing again. "Just answer me, and if I like what you say, I'll leave." He came to a stop mere feet away. "What is he protecting you from?"
Lucas just looked at him, completely unsure of how to answer. "I... I don't know, but he said..."
"He had you kidnapped and tortured, now he's using you as some kind of human shield. Think about it, you're a genius right?"
"But...he never hurt me... I wasn't... He didn't torture me..." the gears in Lucas' head were spinning wildly. He looked over his shoulder to Dr. Kertchum. "What do I do?" He turned completely to face him, his bewilderment evident as he searched for an answer.
"Listen to me, Lucas. Come with your friends." Spike tried to advise him. The teen's head whipped back and forth searching for the right answer.
Dr. Kertchum snorted and reached for the cuffs again, turning and securing Lucas against him. "Who do you trust to keep you safe? Your friends who let you get taken in the middle if the night? Spike was even part of that, he just wants to earn your trust and do it again. I am the only one who can keep you safe, Lucas, not your friends, not your family, not even your captain. Me, only me."
He nodded uncertainly, his shoulders slumping. "Yes, sir." He looked up at Spike, and for the first time since he walked into the cell, the vampire saw fear in the boy's eyes that wasn't directed at him. "I… I…"
Dr. Kertchum placed a firm hand on Lucas' arm, turning him to face him uncomfortably. His arms and body were contorted painfully, but he didn't voice a complaint, only looking deep into Kertcum's eyes. "Have I laid a finger on you? He drank your blood. Remember that, you nearly died."
"But... But that was only because we had to get away from Warren... and... you..." Lucas flinched in terror, and started to pull away.
Dr. Kertchum tightened his hold, easily controlling the boy in his vulnerable position. "I haven't hurt you, but remember what will happen if you don't obey." He twisted the handcuffs so they cut into Lucas' wrists.
He whimpered and tried to pull away again. "Just... just let me figure this out."
In response, Dr. Kertchum pushed up on the handcuffs, forcing them high. Lucas screamed in anguish as his newly healed shoulder ground in the socket. He was bent at the waist trying alleviate some of the pressure, but could only lift his head. He looked at Spike plaintively, "please.. help me."
Kertchum laughed at his agony laced voice, "he can't do anything for you, Lucas, don't you remember how helpless he is?"
"Oh bloody hell, I don't have time for this." Spike snarled. He took another step and threw a punch to the side of Lucas' head, screaming in furious pain as he did so.
Lucas dropped to the floor, sliding down to side of Kertchum's chair. "There, now it's just you and me, Doc." Spike smirked, "want to see how many time I can bite you before it gets too painful for me? That would be an interesting experiment in itself..."
Dr. Kertchum blanched as his own words came back to him. He desperately tried to lift Lucas back in front of him, but couldn't manage the dead weight of the teen. Spike pulled Lucas away with a jerk, and the doctor was forced to let him go so he wouldn't yanked out of his chair.
"I can still help you, Spike." He tried to bargain.
"Like you helped Lucas?" Spike snapped back. "I'll deal with the bloody chip."
Tim and Jayde appeared in the doorway and Tim took careful aim with his stolen gun. "Why don't I take over from here, Spike. It won't hurt me in the least to kill this gath mal hmar."
"How did you get in here? I paid top dollar for those demons to stop you!" Kertchum yelled, enraged that he was so quickly losing control of the situation.
Spike snorted, "didn't you hear? Tim's a superhero now, got the ear of God and all that."
The sound of approaching sirens reached them and Spike cocked his head. "Well now, never thought I'd be happy to hear those..."