Title: State of Mind
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Description: Angel returns to Sunnydale to warn Buffy of impending danger. When things go awry, he and Xander find themselves having to come to Buffy's rescue by entering her thoughts.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a sense of adventure and some stale cheese puffs. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy and all related characters. It's their playground. I just like to slide!
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Buffy held on to Xander's hands, closed her eyes and then, opened them again. "Wait. What if I buy into the fantasy again? Isn't that a bad?"
"Well, I figured I could sort of be your anchor. I mean, I can't see, so I can't be fooled. Plus, the sight of me in a blindfold should be a good reminder that we're not in Kansas anymore." Xander squeezed her hands. "Now let's go. I could be dying. If you don't want Xander on the brain, we best get started."
Buffy closed her eyes again and tried to picture evil personified. When she felt the room go cold, she opened her eyes. Xander was still blindfolded and holding her hands, but everything else had changed. Instead of Angel's living room, they looked to be in the bowels of the earth.
"Hey, Buff? It's hot here. Where exactly is here?"
"Hell, from the looks of it. Let's find Apricot and get out of here."
"Now you're doing it on purpose." Xander let a smile play across his face, despite the circumstances. He was one of the Scooby Gang, and as far as he was concerned, there was no better place to be than with the Slayer.
Angel tried to sit up in the bed, but the chains kept him down. "Just listen to me. I'm Angel, not Angelus. I was with Xander when Angelus broke the link. What he didn't realize was that, when he pulled himself out of the link, he pulled me out of Buffy's mindscape. I was literally ripped out of there. Just before I found myself back in this body, I saw Xander go down. We've got to get me back in there."
"What are you saying about being ripped back into your body?" Giles was clearly not willing to just take his word for it.
"I was pulled back, but Angelus had already taken control. He held me back until Spike knocked him out. I fought him back down. Everything's okay. Really."
"Don't believe him." Spike said. "Angel was always the con. The one with the angelic face, they called him. I'd wager this is all an act."
"It's not an act," Angel insisted. "Look, whether you believe me or not, you have to help Xander and Buffy. Without me to anchor him, Xander may already be lost. And without him, Buffy may be as well."
"Let him up," Giles said, handing the key to Spike. "If this is a trick, you may beat him to your heart's content."
Buffy and Xander had wandered around their hellish environment for what seemed like eternity, before finding exactly what they were looking for. In a chamber filled with chained human servants and rotting corpses, Acricon sat upon his throne of bones. She thought they were safely hidden behind a pillar, but Acricon was in her mind. There was nowhere in her mindscape she could go unseen.
"Fools," he said, before they had time to fully formulate their plan. "You cannot hide from the great Acricon. Seize them!"
Undead guards came from everywhere at once. To her credit, Buffy put up a good fight but, in the end., was overpowered. Acricon laughed out loud. In the ancient days, he had faced a slayer and had been barely able to beat her. This slayer seemed much slower and weaker, and her companion did not even put up a fight. The guards brought them before him and forced them to their knees.
"Now, Slayer, I will rid myself of you and use your powerful body to rule the ball of mud you call your home. Come. Let us make war together."
Buffy and Xander knew they only had a few moments to put the finishing touches on their plan. Xander was the first to act, rushing headlong and swinging wildly, as his eyes were still covered. Acricon laughed at the pitiful display and backhanded him across the room. He landed in a heap and didn't move.
Buffy looked at Acricon and the spirit was almost certain that he saw fear flash in her eyes. "Th-that was mistake, Acricon. You're gonna have to die now."
The demon laughed at her pathetic bravado. His green eyes glowed casting a putrid light over his scaly flesh. He stood over seven feet tall and wore a king's robe and crown. The sight was disturbing to say the least. He motioned for the guards to release Buffy, and they did.
"Let's get this over with, Puppy Chow. I've got class tomorrow, so I'll be needing my brain back." Buffy moved forward cautiously. "You should really think about getting an interior decorator in here, because Early Hades was out two years ago."
"Are you quite finished?" Acricon was annoyed.
"Actually, no. I can't help but notice that all your servants here are men, and you're possessing the body of a girl. Do we have some Freudian issues to discuss with the group?"
Angel rubbed his arms where the chains had dug into them. Willow, Giles, and the new girl, Tara, all stared at him suspiciously. Spike just looked at him with contempt, as usual.
"Giles," he asked. "What would happen to Xander without me there to anchor him?"
"Well, that would depend on susceptibility to the fantasy of Buffy's mindscape."
"Hmmm... There were a few times when one second he was with me, and the next, he was buying it at face value. There were a couple of close calls."
"Then, chances are, he's already lost. Unless, of course, he found a way to shut it out and still find Buffy. But his body is getting weaker by the moment. I fear that if something doesn't give soon, he and Buffy will be lost to us."
"I think we may have found Buffy just before I was yanked back. Send me in again, even if you have to chain me down. We can't let our fear of Angelus keep us from helping them, and I'm the only one who can do it."
Giles looked at him kindly, realizing that it truly was Angel, after all. He turned and motioned to Tara and Willow. "Set up for the spell again. Spike, set Xander in a chair facing Angel. Tie their wrists together so they maintain contact, and then chain Angel down. We're going to bring them home."
Acricon swung hard at the slayer, who managed to avoid the blow though somewhat clumsily. She pulled a stake out of her back pocket and jabbed for the heart. All she got for the effort was a backhand that sent her sprawling. She was slow getting up, the blow had obviously been a harsh one.
"Okay. That was a good one. Gonna need some dental work. We could probably butt heads until kingdom come, so let's make a wager instead." Buffy looked at him, not sure Acricon would go for it.
"What kind of wager?" The self-proclaimed king asked.
"Simple. You pick one guy from your team to fight one of us. You can pick whoever you want, but each fighter only gets one blow to kill the other opponent. If we win, you let me have my body back. If you win, you kill the other one and you've got the body. Either way, this is over quick. A fight to the death. Winner takes all."
Acricon looked at her carefully. Perhaps she thought he was a fool. It was obvious she was holding back in the fight, even facing the guards. There was much more to her than what the naked eye could see. She assumed his ego would have him continue the fight with her. "I get to pick the two who fight?"
"Yeah," she said rubbing her jaw. "You lose you die. End of story."
"Then I choose to fight for myself."
The slayer suddenly looked as though that wasn't a part of the plan. She raised her fists and said, "Come on then, Ton-o-fun. Let's finish this."
"Not you," Acricon said with a smile.
Xander had just managed to get back on his feet when he caught up with their conversation.
"I choose the boy." Acricon said before breaking into a cruel laugh.
"Oh, boy," was all Xander could say.
Tara, Willow and Giles had started the spell, and Angel could feel himself being drawn out of his body once again. Spike stood nearby with the bat. In spite of the chains, he would not be caught with his guard down. Not after all that Angelus had cost him.
Acricon had ceased his laughing, and Buffy's body laid there on the couch with a blank stare. Giles had noticed it, but had kept it to himself. He had no idea if it was a good sign or a bad one. He silently willed Buffy to return, knowing it was more for his benefit than hers.
Acricon laughed at the sight of a visibly frightened Xander Harris. "Poor boy. Your friend has orchestrated both of your deaths."
Xander's voice shook. "Y-you never know. I c-could surprise you, big guy."
Acricon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, cutting off his air. "Or maybe you don't like surprises?" Xander asked, gasping for air. Acricon laughed and let him drop back to the floor.
"You have spirit, young one. Go ahead, and strike the first blow. Do your worst. Surprise me if you can."
Xander looked at Buffy and she nodded with a smirk. Suddenly all pretense of fear fled from Xander's eyes and a sword appeared in his hand. Before Acricon knew what hit him, the sword had pierced his heart and his blood, or what passed for it in Buffy's mindscape, spilled out on the ground.
He struggled to find breath, but his life was fading. He only managed to squeak out one word. "How?"
As his eyes faded to blackness, he saw that it was the slayer who truly stood before him. The humans had switched places and he believed the reality they presented. He had been beaten at his own game. "Surprise," was all the slayer said, but she said it with a smile.
Author: Jeffrey Patrick
Description: Angel returns to Sunnydale to warn Buffy of impending danger. When things go awry, he and Xander find themselves having to come to Buffy's rescue by entering her thoughts.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but a sense of adventure and some stale cheese puffs. Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Buffy and all related characters. It's their playground. I just like to slide!
*******************************************************************************
Buffy held on to Xander's hands, closed her eyes and then, opened them again. "Wait. What if I buy into the fantasy again? Isn't that a bad?"
"Well, I figured I could sort of be your anchor. I mean, I can't see, so I can't be fooled. Plus, the sight of me in a blindfold should be a good reminder that we're not in Kansas anymore." Xander squeezed her hands. "Now let's go. I could be dying. If you don't want Xander on the brain, we best get started."
Buffy closed her eyes again and tried to picture evil personified. When she felt the room go cold, she opened her eyes. Xander was still blindfolded and holding her hands, but everything else had changed. Instead of Angel's living room, they looked to be in the bowels of the earth.
"Hey, Buff? It's hot here. Where exactly is here?"
"Hell, from the looks of it. Let's find Apricot and get out of here."
"Now you're doing it on purpose." Xander let a smile play across his face, despite the circumstances. He was one of the Scooby Gang, and as far as he was concerned, there was no better place to be than with the Slayer.
Angel tried to sit up in the bed, but the chains kept him down. "Just listen to me. I'm Angel, not Angelus. I was with Xander when Angelus broke the link. What he didn't realize was that, when he pulled himself out of the link, he pulled me out of Buffy's mindscape. I was literally ripped out of there. Just before I found myself back in this body, I saw Xander go down. We've got to get me back in there."
"What are you saying about being ripped back into your body?" Giles was clearly not willing to just take his word for it.
"I was pulled back, but Angelus had already taken control. He held me back until Spike knocked him out. I fought him back down. Everything's okay. Really."
"Don't believe him." Spike said. "Angel was always the con. The one with the angelic face, they called him. I'd wager this is all an act."
"It's not an act," Angel insisted. "Look, whether you believe me or not, you have to help Xander and Buffy. Without me to anchor him, Xander may already be lost. And without him, Buffy may be as well."
"Let him up," Giles said, handing the key to Spike. "If this is a trick, you may beat him to your heart's content."
Buffy and Xander had wandered around their hellish environment for what seemed like eternity, before finding exactly what they were looking for. In a chamber filled with chained human servants and rotting corpses, Acricon sat upon his throne of bones. She thought they were safely hidden behind a pillar, but Acricon was in her mind. There was nowhere in her mindscape she could go unseen.
"Fools," he said, before they had time to fully formulate their plan. "You cannot hide from the great Acricon. Seize them!"
Undead guards came from everywhere at once. To her credit, Buffy put up a good fight but, in the end., was overpowered. Acricon laughed out loud. In the ancient days, he had faced a slayer and had been barely able to beat her. This slayer seemed much slower and weaker, and her companion did not even put up a fight. The guards brought them before him and forced them to their knees.
"Now, Slayer, I will rid myself of you and use your powerful body to rule the ball of mud you call your home. Come. Let us make war together."
Buffy and Xander knew they only had a few moments to put the finishing touches on their plan. Xander was the first to act, rushing headlong and swinging wildly, as his eyes were still covered. Acricon laughed at the pitiful display and backhanded him across the room. He landed in a heap and didn't move.
Buffy looked at Acricon and the spirit was almost certain that he saw fear flash in her eyes. "Th-that was mistake, Acricon. You're gonna have to die now."
The demon laughed at her pathetic bravado. His green eyes glowed casting a putrid light over his scaly flesh. He stood over seven feet tall and wore a king's robe and crown. The sight was disturbing to say the least. He motioned for the guards to release Buffy, and they did.
"Let's get this over with, Puppy Chow. I've got class tomorrow, so I'll be needing my brain back." Buffy moved forward cautiously. "You should really think about getting an interior decorator in here, because Early Hades was out two years ago."
"Are you quite finished?" Acricon was annoyed.
"Actually, no. I can't help but notice that all your servants here are men, and you're possessing the body of a girl. Do we have some Freudian issues to discuss with the group?"
Angel rubbed his arms where the chains had dug into them. Willow, Giles, and the new girl, Tara, all stared at him suspiciously. Spike just looked at him with contempt, as usual.
"Giles," he asked. "What would happen to Xander without me there to anchor him?"
"Well, that would depend on susceptibility to the fantasy of Buffy's mindscape."
"Hmmm... There were a few times when one second he was with me, and the next, he was buying it at face value. There were a couple of close calls."
"Then, chances are, he's already lost. Unless, of course, he found a way to shut it out and still find Buffy. But his body is getting weaker by the moment. I fear that if something doesn't give soon, he and Buffy will be lost to us."
"I think we may have found Buffy just before I was yanked back. Send me in again, even if you have to chain me down. We can't let our fear of Angelus keep us from helping them, and I'm the only one who can do it."
Giles looked at him kindly, realizing that it truly was Angel, after all. He turned and motioned to Tara and Willow. "Set up for the spell again. Spike, set Xander in a chair facing Angel. Tie their wrists together so they maintain contact, and then chain Angel down. We're going to bring them home."
Acricon swung hard at the slayer, who managed to avoid the blow though somewhat clumsily. She pulled a stake out of her back pocket and jabbed for the heart. All she got for the effort was a backhand that sent her sprawling. She was slow getting up, the blow had obviously been a harsh one.
"Okay. That was a good one. Gonna need some dental work. We could probably butt heads until kingdom come, so let's make a wager instead." Buffy looked at him, not sure Acricon would go for it.
"What kind of wager?" The self-proclaimed king asked.
"Simple. You pick one guy from your team to fight one of us. You can pick whoever you want, but each fighter only gets one blow to kill the other opponent. If we win, you let me have my body back. If you win, you kill the other one and you've got the body. Either way, this is over quick. A fight to the death. Winner takes all."
Acricon looked at her carefully. Perhaps she thought he was a fool. It was obvious she was holding back in the fight, even facing the guards. There was much more to her than what the naked eye could see. She assumed his ego would have him continue the fight with her. "I get to pick the two who fight?"
"Yeah," she said rubbing her jaw. "You lose you die. End of story."
"Then I choose to fight for myself."
The slayer suddenly looked as though that wasn't a part of the plan. She raised her fists and said, "Come on then, Ton-o-fun. Let's finish this."
"Not you," Acricon said with a smile.
Xander had just managed to get back on his feet when he caught up with their conversation.
"I choose the boy." Acricon said before breaking into a cruel laugh.
"Oh, boy," was all Xander could say.
Tara, Willow and Giles had started the spell, and Angel could feel himself being drawn out of his body once again. Spike stood nearby with the bat. In spite of the chains, he would not be caught with his guard down. Not after all that Angelus had cost him.
Acricon had ceased his laughing, and Buffy's body laid there on the couch with a blank stare. Giles had noticed it, but had kept it to himself. He had no idea if it was a good sign or a bad one. He silently willed Buffy to return, knowing it was more for his benefit than hers.
Acricon laughed at the sight of a visibly frightened Xander Harris. "Poor boy. Your friend has orchestrated both of your deaths."
Xander's voice shook. "Y-you never know. I c-could surprise you, big guy."
Acricon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him, cutting off his air. "Or maybe you don't like surprises?" Xander asked, gasping for air. Acricon laughed and let him drop back to the floor.
"You have spirit, young one. Go ahead, and strike the first blow. Do your worst. Surprise me if you can."
Xander looked at Buffy and she nodded with a smirk. Suddenly all pretense of fear fled from Xander's eyes and a sword appeared in his hand. Before Acricon knew what hit him, the sword had pierced his heart and his blood, or what passed for it in Buffy's mindscape, spilled out on the ground.
He struggled to find breath, but his life was fading. He only managed to squeak out one word. "How?"
As his eyes faded to blackness, he saw that it was the slayer who truly stood before him. The humans had switched places and he believed the reality they presented. He had been beaten at his own game. "Surprise," was all the slayer said, but she said it with a smile.