***

Xander and Dawn walked down a hallway. Cut off completely from The Slayer, they decided to backtrack. If separated, Buffy would head toward Willow and the way home.

Xander had complaints about this course of action feeling that Buffy would need rescuing. Dawn pointed out that they were the ones in greatest danger. Buffy could take care of herself. Dawn was in no lethal danger; the cenobites would avoid killing her if possible. . Xander, on the other hand, was an unknown and while the chances were good that he too would only be tortured and not killed, pushing of the luck was not a choice idea.

Thus they backtracked which is when both adventurers realized that the maze had done more then cut them off from their strongest fighter. It was shifting around them constantly. Dawn felt like she could find the way back if she tried but They both agreed that whatever juju she was tapping into would only bring the baddies to them. They walked down one hallway emerging into a vast open area.

The space was impossibly large. The ceiling was undetectable from where they were and the ground, if there was one, was so far away that cloud cover obscured it. In the centre of the room was a huge Black diamond. It was slowly revolving. From time to time dark colored flares would burst from the facets of the smooth surfaced monstrosity.

"What the hell is that." Xander asked in awe.

"A big black spinning thing." Dawn deadpanned. Xander stepped closer to the edge. Whistling he tried to see to the bottom of the chamber. A flare thrown off by the Black Diamond arced out and struck him. He reeled backward as Dawn screamed. He clutched at himself as though a numbing clawing cold were tearing at him.

"Xander, Come on Xander stay with me. Please be alright." Dane hugged close to him trying to make sure he was ok.

"Why do you bring chaos with you into my sanctuary." The voice was, and yet was not Xander. His eyes were black and hostile

"What are you talking about, who are you and what have you done with Xander."

"You have brought flesh to my perfect place. Those who guarded you have corrupted your essence. You nature must be re-educated with the perfection of order."

Dawn stood back from the thing that was wearing Xander's face and speaking with his voice. "You leave my friend, leave him alone now."

"Child, I have been twisting the will of flesh to my purposes for longer then his race has existed. Believe me My children will find you soon and when they have stripped you of your weak flesh mindset, you will rejoice in serving the will of Leviathan." Xander's eyes closed and he collapsed to the ground shivering.

Xander is it you?" Dawn asked fearfully

"I hope so, I'd hate to think anyone else was feeling this bad." Xander replied weakly

"What happened to you?"

"Don't know, one second I was here with you and then I was on a magic carpet ride through my memories with all the bad parts in 5.1 surround sound."

"You were possessed, you were speaking for someone else, I think it was the entity that runs this place."

Did I eat a bug, I'll be pissed if I ate any bugs."

There was no insect eating but you did threaten to turn me into one of those things that live here."

Xander got to his feet weakly and looked out over the vast abyss toward the rotating Black Diamond. I think that is what you were talking to."

A big rock, you were possessed by a big rock."

Xander nodded grimly "we better get out of here. I think we may have way underestimated the amount of whup-ass this thing could unleash on us all."

"How do we get out."

"Your juju "

"I thought we were hiding from the bad guys."

"Dawn the bad guys know we are here. I want to get you out right now. If we can't find Buffy then we have find the way out and hope that Buffy is heading there or is already there."

Dawn nodded and closed her eyes. It was like before with the Box. Her mind reached out and something reached back. Suddenly it was there. Every highway, byway, alcove and corridor in Hell and shining in front of her, the way out. She began to move toward it. She could sense the shifting maze of Hell changing shape around her but the way out never wavered. It always lay before her.

"Can you see it" Xander asked

"Uh huh, it's easy to find. Problem is everyone forgets this place is all about order. The pathway out is a straightforward one. Once you find it you just stick to it and you find out way out of the maze."

"Cool, you think you can find your sister."

Dawn frowned as she tried to concentrate. "No, it's not working I can see places but not people. Why is this working now of all times?"

Xander shrugged "maybe there is something about this place that you respond to."

"Maybe I should let them have their way with me turn me into whatever it is they want me to be."

"What do you want to be?"

"I don't know."

"Well think about it this way. It you could have anything you wanted, be any place you wanted were would you be."

"At home with Mom And Dad and Buffy and we are all a family again."

Sounds to me like Key or no key you have your destiny mapped out already. I guess the universe will just have to adapt to the Dawn-ster. Not the other way around."

Dawn hugged him then and they set off with Dawn propping up the still unsteady Xander. Their steps took them past several corridors. Many pathways seemed tempting to Xander. They always looked like the way out was just around the corner but each time such a pathway presented itself Dawn would strengthen her hold on him taking him onward. They at last came to a turning. Down the hall was a Cenobite. The female Dawn remembered from before. At her side was a strange creature that looked somewhat like a dog. Dawn and Xander's minds refused to speculate on what the fused creature of flesh and terror had been before The Cenobites got their hands on it.

"Leaving so quickly. But there is so much for you to see and do yet." The Woman hissed

Xander shook off Dawn and stood up. "Dawn when I move, you start running. And don't stop till you back in the shop."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Buffy will save me. And if you could tell her I said that, when you see her. That would be nice. Now go."

The beast leapt forward and Xander swung his axe hard taking the thing in flight. It burst off the ground at him and he was then using his axe as much to guard his throat as to strike at the hell beast. Dawn backed up then turned racing up the corridor then off to the side she headed toward freedom. She cried out when she ran into a second body, but it was just her sister. The two girls picked themselves off the ground. "Where is Xander?"

"Back there, he told me to run for it. One of those things was attacking us and he wanted me to make a break for it."

Buffy turned and looked back up the corridor as though searching for a sign that she would be forgiven for the choice she was going to make.

Lets go, what ever this thing it wants you and it wont take no for an answer."

"What about Xander?"

Ironically, as long as you are free Xander is safe. They won't kill him or hurt him badly, as long as there is a chance they can get you back. But we need a way to beat this thing."

Buffy dragged Dawn the rest of the way. They burst out into the classroom. Willow was straining against a force that was trying to force the door to the class closed Buffy and Dawn dived thought the door which slammed behind them.

Where is Xander." willow asked

"Back there, we need a better plan before we try and get to him. These things want Dawn and they know what she is and what she can do."

***

Pinhead strolled into a secret antechamber in Leviathan's realm, A room more private then any other. It was the personal space of his High priestess. Of those who found their way here, none had left it under their own power. He looked at his most trusted acolyte. "The slayer and her friends are formidable. To penetrate as far as they did and then escape our lord will be most displeased."

"You will recapture them." it was a statement of fact. Her master of the Flayed Ones would recapture them and twist them all to the will of the Hell God.

"To have the Key and a slayer bent to our Lord's will would be a great thing. Leviathan's rewards would be great."

"And the thanks of those already serving our lord?"

"My thanks are his thanks."

"You have already honored me much this day. I cant thank you enough for giving the boy to me."

"How is he

So much pain and hate in such a tiny form. It was sometime before I could find something that would impress his jaded soul. Living near the Hellmouth spoiled him.

Well have your fun his friends will return soon enough; once they have seen the futility of resisting our lords will they will crumble as all flesh crumbles.

Pinhead swept from the room and the Female went back to heating foot long surgical pins. Her favorite material to work with. "Your friends have abandoned you Alexander, But merciful Leviathan already hears your cries that they return. Soon they will be here with us and they will suffer as you have suffered. Wont that be nice tell me how nice that would be." She gestured and the massive nest of chains and hooks holding Xander Harris suspended from the ceiling lowered so that she could stroke his face.

"Buffy will kick your ass three ways from Sunday, then she going to do the same to the walking pincushion out there."

"Ah your faith in your friends is a weakness."

"And your taste for George Lucas dialogue is yours."

"Well then let me teach you the language of Pain, that is so much easier to understand."

"No need I'm getting pretty fluent over here."

"You know Alexander, the problem with women of your world is their vanity prevents them from seeing, a man's deepest desires are often key to finding the things that he fears the most. Fortunately for you, I have no such vanity. "

Her hands worked with the front of her dress as though unzipping it Xander at first was looking away because he didn't want to see what was underneath. But far from disrobing it was as though she was peeling off the form she was wearing like a ball gown. Now he watched as she stepped from the debris of the cast off skin. Where the female cenobite had stood moments before now stood Buffy, but a Buffy dressed as the Female had been dressed. The long flowing gown sewed to the flesh. She allowed him to take in the transformation. "If at anytime you feel a need to call out her name. Don't hesitate…this is all for your benefit." She picked up one of the needles and started toward him.

Being tortured by Buffy, even a replica was a torment beyond any Xander could imagine. At least that was what he was thinking until the first of the dozen pins went into his body.

***