Tendrils wrapped around Pinhead and would have squeezed the life from him had he technically been alive. Drills tore into Pinhead's flesh. Knives at the end of the arms stabbed and cut him. Acetylene torches burned away at him. Maces smashed against his head. Guns opened fire. Tendrils without such weapons at their ends simply strangled him. Others battered him. He was beset on all sides by one of his own soldiers.

    "Maker….what is the meaning of this?", Pinhead choked out. Warren looked at the Elder Cenobite angrily.

    "I'll tell you what the meaning of this is. The meaning of this is that I wasted my life. I did things that were wrong. I created things callously without regard to the feelings of others. I lied. I stole. I killed. And I tried to pass off the blame onto others. I was evil. Maybe not as evil as I am now, but I was still evil.", Warren said squeezing tighter, "I did things that were wrong and I didn't care. And this life you gave me in Hell was my reward. It took one of my victims to show me what I was and what I've become. I could have had friends. I could have been someone. I could have had REAL love, not the superficial stuff that I thought was love. I've missed out on that, but by God, I will not let you send this world to Hell and deny other people that. This is my last and only chance to be a hero. And I'm going to take it."

    Warren's tendrils exploded into flame as he screamed. Pinhead stood by impassively as he did.

    "Yes. Well I was merely letting you explain yourself before your sentence is carried out.", Pinhead said coldly.

    Warren ran forward, still in pain and struck Pinhead. Pinhead didn't flinch and simply fired blue beams of light from his eyes at Warren making him back away. Warren suddenly felt weaker, and was in more pain. Pinhead fired again and again Warren stepped back in more agony. Pinhead fired one last time and Warren fell to his knees screaming.

    "You are mortal again; your powers taken from you. And imagine you will not last long without your epidermis.", Pinhead said to the skinless man, "This pain must be most exquisite. You believed yourself redeemed when in the end you are still damned. Where is the angel who saved you now? Where?"

    "Right here."

    Pinhead turned and was hit by twin bolts of magick and the chain of the Ghost Rider. He was thrown back violently and landed hard across the roof of the building. As he looked up he saw Willow, black haired and black eyed, with Tara beside her radiating light magicks. In front of them stood the freed Ghost Rider, spinning his chain. Further back were Buffy, Spike, Xander, and Andrew. Poe cawed high overhead. Pinhead scowled at the newcomers as he stood.

    "I smell power.", Pinhead growled.

    "Yeah I get that a lot.", Willow replied, "I'm giving you one chance to leave before my friends and I here go medieval on your male dominatrix ass."

    "You think you can challenge me?", Pinhead asked.

    "I freed my friends from your little spell. It was child's play, so yeah, I do think I can challenge you. More so, I think I own you. Bitch.", Willow smiled licking her lips.

    A hooked chain flew at Willow. She caught it, then incinerated it and smiled.

    "Oh, know what? I lied about that one chance to leave.", Willow giggled as she fired on Pinhead with magickal force. A moment later, Tara added her own magick to the mix, joining hands with Willow. Ghost Rider then released the Penance Stare again. Pinhead met their attack with his own energy blasts and even managed to hold the Penance Stare back with his own mental abilities. He strained hard against this onslaught. He had been taxed tonight, twice by the Ghost Rider and now by the Spirit of Vengeance AND two righteously powerful witches. But he was the favored son of Leviathan. He would not falter, the pain would give him power. Besides, it was too late. Already cracks in reality began. Cracks to Hell and to Leviathan's loving embrace. He merely needed a few more minutes. His resolve grew as he fought on. He actually began to turn back the attacks of his aggressors. Until Buffy and the others laid their hands on Willow and Tara, adding their own power.

    Pinhead was flattened and screamed in fear and agony as the Penance Stare hit him full force. He seethed in the pain of all of his victims and blinked back hot tears. And that was not what scared him the most. The First was there in his mind, still wearing Angel's form.

    "Awww. Poor kid. Looks like you bit off more than you could chew huh? Told you that Slayer was not to be trifled with.", The First smiled.

    "I…have not yet….failed! The device is opening the gate to Hell…..This world will be nothing in a few moments!", Pinhead cried.

    "Who's he talking to?", Xander asked.

    "Doesn't matter. He's right. We have no way to stop that device, unless Wills can frag it up in the air.", Buffy added.

    "No….you have…m-me.", Warren said as he lay dying. He reached to his side and pulled out a small remote control looking device, "I made that thing. I can destroy it."

    He pressed his finger to the small button on the control and the Hell Device exploded in the sky, taking the fabled Box with it. Pinhead wailed in anger.

    "Daaaarn. Guess they did beat you after all.", the First said mischievously, "But then again they had me helping them this time didn't they?"

    "What?!", Pinhead said in shock.

    "Please, that whole plan of yours. Open the gates of Hell, get the Box, fight with the Slayer. I set that into motion idiot. You think if I REALLY wanted you to destroy this world by using that Box, that I couldn't have had it stolen through stealth? Or gotten one of its copies throughout the world? I didn't want you to destroy earth. I saved it.", the First explained solely to Pinhead.

    "Why?!", Pinhead howled in anger.

    "So I could destroy it. I really don't like you lesser types trying to take away from my destiny.", The First said kneeling to Pinhead, "Oh yeah. And I'm going to show you my true face."

    And Pinhead screamed like a child afraid of the dark when The First shed the form of Angel. His mind threatened to snap like a twig as he backed away from the sight in front of him. He had to escape, he had to go somewhere, anywhere to get away from the THING in front of him. He looked to his hands and saw escape. They were the last sight he saw before he began to incinerate himself.

    Across the roof, the Scoobies were in shock of what they all witnessed. Pinhead screamed and destroyed himself.

    "Damn. That stare of yours has really gotten stronger, mate.", Spike said as he slapped Ghost Rider's shoulder. The larger being looked at Spike, making him back away. Then he made his way to his motorcycle and got on.

    "Vengeance has been done. My task is done.", Ghost Rider said to them simply as he shot off of the roof on his motorcycle and sped away into the night.

    "Not big on the talking is he?", Xander asked.

    Willow and Tara knelt at Warren's side as he coughed in extreme pain.

    "Here, let us…", Tara began before Warren cut her off.

    "No. Just let me die.", Warren pleaded, "Besides, its not like you could save me. Or that I deserve it."

    "You deserve it.", Willow said, swallowing her pride and anger, "You saved the world Warren. You did something good."

    "One good thing amongst a lot of bad….whatever…I want to die…but first I want to thank you Tara. You made me happy for once in my life with that thing you did to me. You made me realize what love felt like. I'm sorry that I hurt you. All of you.", Warren coughed harder as his sight dimmed, "Oh and Andrew?"

    "Yeah Warren?", Andrew said, still shocked that this thing was once his friend.

    "You can have my Vampire the Masquerade cards.", Warren coughed.

    Andrew laughed slightly, "Your mom threw them out. I asked."

    Warren laughed and coughed again, "Yeah that sounds like something she'd…."

    And he was gone.