Willow battled hard against Warren. The mechanical arms and tendrils protruding from his back were beaten back with magickal force. Once in a while however, one of the offending devices at the end of the arm would catch her side or her arm and the result was mind numbing pain. Summoning all of her rage, the young witch telekinetically hammered Warren with a steel girder nearby on the ground.

    Warren, a recent addition to the Cenobite hordes in Leviathan's section of Hell, spit blood and smiled. His hand struck out and cracked Willow across the jaw sending her sprawling back. Then his drilling tendrils sought her body so that they might crawl under her skin and feel the gore beneath.

    Smiling evilly, Willow summoned a barrier spell and set the barrier up four feet from her as the tendrils were mere inches from her face. Warren screeched in pain, and then smiled as the rising barrier sheared his tendrils in half. Willow arose and stared Warren in the eye. Warren stared back. Both of them smiled. This was fun.

    Pinhead simply opened the door to the Summers house and walked in. He turned his head and saw Ethan still tied to the chair in the living room, in addition to the Box sitting on the table. The Cenobite entered the living room and was immediately struck by seven crossbow bolts. Buffy, Spike, Dawn, Xander, Giles, and two of the Potential Slayers: Molly and Rona each held a crossbow in hand. Pinhead simply winced at the crossbows all went ablaze causing the Scoobies to drop the weapons. Pinhead then looked to the side and moved his eyes back towards the Scoobies in the kitchen doorway. Chains with hooks shot out at lightning speed towards them. They were blocked by a barrier. Pinhead turned around and saw Tara standing there behind him.

    "Leave this place now.", the resurrected witch commanded as her hands shimmered in light.

    Pinhead felt a force grip him and try to propel him towards the window. He stood fast and glared at Tara.

    "No.", he growled.

    Chains shot at Tara and gripped her flesh with their barbs. Tara cried in pain as the chains wrapped around her and began tearing into her. With a violent jerk Tara's bare arms were skinless, as was much of her stomach and face. She fell to her knees. Pinhead cocked his head in pride then narrowed his eyes at the witch. Her skin was regenerating with alarming speed.

    "Ah. I see now. You're one of the dead aren't you?", Pinhead mused, "Let us see how potent you are without your head."

    A chain shot at her with a V shaped blade at the end of it. It was mere seconds from impacting her neck when she chanted in Latin and the blade stopped in mid air. It then turned and flew at Pinhead's face. It melted before it got close. Pinhead advanced toward Tara. He was tackled from behind by both Buffy and Spike however. The Slayer/vampire combination floored Pinhead. Tara rose, completely renewed and the powerful threesome sent their fists into Pinhead, hitting him as hard as they could. Their blows hammered him for nearly a minute straight. Between the strength of the three, any foe would have been reduced to paste. However, Pinhead was not just ANY foe. He rose and threw the group off of him. Spike slammed into the wall and before he could recover, chains cut through his wrists, effectively crucifying the vampire. He roared in pain as blood gushed from his wounds. He roared in anger when he saw Buffy.

    "LEAVE HER ALONE!", Spike bellowed.

    Pinhead held Buffy by the throat, some three feet off the ground with one hand. The Slayer was coughing for breath. She was dying. Tara cried in uncustomary rage and sent bolts of energy at the Cenobite, hitting him in the back. However, if they had any effect at all, Pinhead didn't show it. Tara rushed Pinhead from behind and was casually backhanded and sent through the front wall and across the street by the force of the blow.

    "Such a small thing to fear. Pathetic.", Pinhead said to Buffy as he threw her into the kitchen. He then turned to Ethan and the Box.

    "Your champions have failed. Prepare for an eternity of loving suffering.", Pinhead said as a chain shot at the warlock.

    Tara was hurt. She tried to rise up, but fell. Had she not had these new powers of hers, she would have died again. Still she hurt, but the pain was fading. She stood and came face to face with Kennedy.

    "Oh my God. Tara! Are you alright?", Kennedy asked her.

    "N-Not exactly.", Tara said still shaky.

    "Where's Buffy?", Kennedy asked.

    "The house. A demon, a very powerful demon, just came in there and has been tossing us around for the past few minutes. I have to go back and help.", Tara explained.

    "Buffy's fighting already?!", Kennedy said in disbelief, "but Willow needs her help!"

    Tara turned, "Willow?"

    "She's fighting some demon near the high school. It's one of those bondage nightmares like Buffy fought!". Kennedy explained.

    "That's what Buffy's fighting now.", Tara replied.

    Kennedy was scared. Tara could see that. Scared for Willow. Tara herself felt scared for Willow if she was fighting one of those things. She looked to the house. The others were in danger. Willow was in danger. Tara was frightened. She had to make a choice. Tara looked at her rival for Willow's affections.

    "Get into the backyard now. That's where Giles has gone. He has a plan.", Tara commanded.

    "What about Willow? What about Buffy?", Kennedy questioned, unsure of what to do with herself.

    "Buffy can take care of herself. I believe that with all my heart. She'll win. As for Willow, I'm going to help her.", Tara said running down the street as fast as her newly preternatural legs could carry her.

    "Do you know the way?", Kennedy called out to her.

    "Yeah. Besides, I have a guide.", Tara replied.

    Poe squawked overhead.

    Inside, Pinhead looked at the chains embedded in the chair where Ethan Rayne sat. Pinhead was angry because he now knew this was not Ethan Rayne. Nor was that the true Box on the table.

    "Glamours.", the Cenobite coldly spat and with a wince, both illusions faded away.

    Pinhead turned. Spike was missing from the wall. He looked into the kitchen and noted Buffy was missing from the floor. Pinhead casually walked outside onto the back porch.

    "Come on Kennedy!", the Slayer cried as she pulled a black haired girl into the large grouping in the back yard. All the Potentials were there wielding weapons. Xander stood near the girls brandishing an axe as Andrew cowered behind him. Dawn was next to him and a sheet covered a smoking sheet that could only be Spike. Anya, Ethan, and Giles stood side by side. Pinhead then saw Buffy herself, standing in the center of the grouping holding the Box.

    Pinhead was in no mood to ask for the box and strode forward, intent on taking it. He hit a barrier and was stopped. He reached out and touched the invisible barrier and felt around. He then looked to the ground where salt was spread in a circle around the group. On closer inspection, Giles, Anya, and Ethan were all chanting.

    "It's called a Circle of Protection. It keeps you from getting this.", Buffy said brandishing the Box.

     "And how long can your mages keep it up? Hmmm? How long could you all stay there if they could keep it up indefinitely? I will have it. In time.", Pinhead said chillingly.

    "Not a chance. And by the way, how is that acupuncture working out for you? Looks painful, but I've heard it's not really.", Buffy quipped.

    "Child I will…"

    "LEAVE THIS PLACE!" a voice commanded as a bright light filled the backyard. Out of the light stepped an attractive, middle aged woman, with light blonde hair and wearing a white gown.

    Pinhead shied away from her as she walked towards him. His demonic flesh sizzled the closer she got. He backed away putting his hand over his face.

    "You have no business….", Pinhead started.

    "Oh I have plenty of business here.", the woman commanded.

    Buffy and Dawn's eyes went wide when they saw the woman more clearly.

    "M-mom?", Buffy asked.

    "Hi girls. Just a minute.", Buffy and Dawn's mother, Joyce said as she sent light from her hand and struck Pinhead setting the demon ablaze and making him cry in pain.

    "S-Stop!", Pinhead growled as he fell to his knees screaming.

    "Are you begging for mercy, demon? After all the people you've hurt in the past on this plane? People not destined for Hell?", Joyce angrily said pouring more light onto the Cenobite, who fell to his hands and knees.

    "Yes! Mercy! Please! Mercy!", Pinhead shrieked.

    "No.", Joyce said as the light reduced Pinhead to ash.

    Joyce turned and smiled to the group.

    "Sorry about the entrance. A little flashy I know, but I got here as fast as I could.", Joyce said.

    Everyone who knew Buffy and Dawn's mother in life was in shock. Buffy laughed, as did Dawn.

    "I'm not crazy.", Buffy said. She had had visions of her mother for months. Dawn likewise had an experience with their departed mother that she had thought was just the First's machinations.

    "No sweetie. You're not.", Joyce explained.

    "I was sent here as sort of a Guardian Angel to watch over you all and try to give you advice with the war that's coming. This", she said in reference to the pile of dust that had once been Pinhead, "was unexpected. That Box is dangerous. It's been decreed too dangerous for mortals who would use such a thing selfishly."

    Ethan squirmed a bit at that.

    "The Powers That Be have decreed that it be handed over and liquidated.", Joyce explained, "It's just too dangerous to be allowed to be used on this plane. You saw the things that pour out of it. There are even worse things waiting on the other side. Let me get rid of that thing before anymore pain is caused by it."

    Buffy sighed in relief and stretched out her hand to her mother. However, Spike had a chill. Something about all this felt wrong. His demon sensed it. Not only that, but even under the smoking sheet he could smell the air. He knew that a Heavenly being probably wouldn't have a scent, but this one did. And it didn't smell anything like Joyce. This smell was far more foul. This was wrong. He shouted to Buffy.

    "Buffy don't do it!"

    Buffy turned as Joyce took the Box from her hand.

    "Huh?", Buffy asked. The others screamed. Buffy turned back and saw the Box in the hand of Angelique who tittered and smiled at Buffy.

    "I know all your secrets after that taste, darling. Every deep down one.", Angelique smiled.

    Spike growled under his sheet. The sun was starting to set. Damnation! If it had only been five minutes later!

    Buffy screeched in anger and leapt at Angelique only to be struck by Pinhead.

    "Knowledge of glamours aren't just known to your kind.", Pinhead said as Buffy tumbled through the fence.

    "We'll be back for you all later. Right now, this needs to be elsewhere.", Angelique said, blowing a kiss at the others.

    At that, she and Pinhead began to walk around the house towards the front. Buffy rose and slowly followed them. She limped and fell to her knees, but again she rose.

    "No. By God, after that you will not just walk away with that!", Buffy roared internally.

    The two Cenobites didn't bother to look back. Buffy slowly pursued them to the front yard as the sun began to finally sink and night fell. Buffy reached down for a rock and threw it hard at Angelique, making her turn.

    "Oh look. Kitten is still trying to win.", Angelique said licking her lips, "Even after that savage blow you struck her."

    Pinhead however was distant. He had felt something….powerful a mere instant ago. Two somethings in fact. There were two powerful energy spikes in the town. One was near the school. The other was fast approaching Revello drive.

    At the school, Warren roared in rage and delivered a double handed blow that sent Willow through a brick wall. Surely, her human bones shattered as she tore through it. Surely, she lay there hemorrhaging. Surely, her brain was damaged by the impact. Warren smiled at the pain he had inflicted on the witch who had ended his life. He turned to return to the machine he was building for Pinhead when the wall behind him erupted in flame and exploded outward. The debris sent Warren to the ground and his view was obscured by dust and fire, but gradually he saw a shape approach. He stood and knew, that business had just picked up. He stood face to face with a nightmare.

    "Boooooooored now.", Willow said, her eyes ebon and her flowing red hair replaced by long locks of black. Veins weaved all about her body as a small pentagram took shape on her forehead, "Play now?"

    Back at Revello Drive, Pinhead walked into the street. It was coming closer, whatever it was. Angelique walked to his side as he peered down the road at nothing.

    "What is it?", Angelique asked.

    "Go. Deliver the Box. I have business to attend to here.", Pinhead commanded.

    "But….", Angelique began as she was cut off by the most God Forsaken Sound she had ever heard, even in her time in Hell. It was the roar of an engine. She backed away as she saw what was coming. She ran as it came closer.

    Buffy likewise had heard the roar and had covered her ears when it had happened. Now she saw that down the street, an orange light was coming towards Pinhead at high speeds. It stopped ten feet from the Cenobite, and Buffy could swear it sounded like a tire screech. Though all she saw was fire. Lots of fire that illuminated a large black motorcycle and its rider.

    "Hear me demon,", the rider said in a rasp that put Pinhead's to shame, "I am summoned whenever innocent blood is shed. And YOU have shed MUCH innocent blood."

    Buffy winced as she looked at the fire, her vision still cloudy from the blow Pinhead had struck her earlier. Her eyes went wide when she saw that some of the fire occupied the rider's head.

    "What….are you?", Pinhead asked the newcomer.

    "I am called Ghost Rider.", the flaming skull atop the newcomer's shoulders answered, "Prepare for penance."