Down With the Sickness
Chapter 3: Gone, But Not Forgotten
By: Rogue-Slayer13
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Btvs or Ats, they belong to their respective creators.
Summary: Spike saves Fred from Illyria and gets infected with the god king. Angel and the others have to work to fight the Senior Partners.
Note: Whole sentences in italics are thoughts, and single words are emphasis.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Spike?" Fred asked tentatively, as Spike brushed past Fred and gazed into the mirror which hung over the small sink in the room. "Illyria?"
The vampire turned and stared Fred down.
"You dare speak my name?" Spike's voice was colder, more distant, and had a condescending edge to it. "Just because I've returned in this disgusting body doesn't give you the right to speak my name."
"You don't even know who Spike is do you?" Fred asked as Illyria continued to examine Spike's features in the mirror.
"Nor do I care." Illyria turned away from the mirror and looked at Fred. "I sense power within this shell, what kind of creature was it?"
"He was a vampire, until you killed him." Fred's voice was almost as cold as Illyria's.
"You're defiant," Illyria commented approvingly. "Show me to my sarcophagus." Illyria walked out of the room expecting Fred to follow.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"How's the prisoner?" Gunn asked as Harmony came out of the conference room where Knox was being held captive.
"He stopped talking half an hour ago," Harmony replied, as she took a seat. "Not like he was saying anything helpful anyway."
"He probably thinks I won't kill him as long as there's a chance he might know something," Angel said.
"I'm not sure killing Knox is the best thing to do right now," Wesley stated. "Whether we like it or not, he's the closest thing we have to a source on Illyria."
"You're right, Wes," Angel said as he got to his feet and headed toward the door that lead to Knox. "But I'm tired of waiting for him to tell us what we need to know. If he won't talk for Harmony, then I'll just have to make him talk for me."
Angel opened the door to find an empty chair where Knox should've been and a broken lock on the other door leading out of the conference room.
"That slimy bastard," Harmony exclaimed in shock.
"He wiggled out of the ropes," Angel informed as he examined the chair Knox had been tied to.
"I'll alert security and have them put the building in lock down," Gunn said.
"Any idea where he might've scampered off to?" Lorne asked.
"One comes to mind," Angel replied as he headed out of the room.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Illyria ran its hands along the top of the sarcophagus and Fred felt sickened as she watched Illyria cock its head to the side in a manner all too similar to that of Spike. Illyria turned away from the sarcophagus and began to take off Spike's clothes.
"What are you doing?" Fred asked.
"These mortal garments do not offer the proper protection for this body," Illyria stated as it turned back to the sarcophagus and placed both hands on top of it.
A thick, black rubbery substance began to cover Illyria starting from where it was touching the sarcophagus, and not stopping until it resembled a body armor of sorts.
"Illyria."
Fred and Illyria both turned at the sound of the voice to find Knox standing in the doorway to the lab.
"I worship you," Knox said in awe as he got out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off of his face. "I've been waiting for this moment since I was eleven. I am your priest. I am your servant." Knox pulled up his shirt to show that he'd been cut open and things had been placed under his skin. "I've placed your sacraments close to my heart according to the ancient ways. That's why you're called to me. We're bound together."
Illyria eyed Knox for a moment before replying.
"My last Qwa'ha Xahn was taller."
"W-well, perhaps I'm shrinking in your glory," Knox replied nervously.
"Do not try and stroke my ego with your praise," Illyria commented as it looked around the lab. "This world is not how I left it."
"I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about that," Knox said. "This isn't how I would've had you come back, hell, you're not even in the body I had picked out for you."
"And what body would that have been?"
"I had planned on using her." Knox motioned to where Fred stood.
Illyria's eyes flashed with anger. "A human?" The last word was said with disgust. "You think that a human woman would be a strong enough shell to properly suit my purpose?"
"W-well, I, uh, I—"
"Your judgment skills are lacking," Illyria commented. "This vampire is a much more suitable shell. It's strong and reeks of power."
"I didn't mean to displease you," Knox said as he bowed his head slightly.
"This whole world displeases me," Illyria stated. "But I can fix that."
"Or we could just hang out," Angel said as he and the others entered the lab.
"Ah, a warrior. I was beginning to wonder if this world was void of your kind."
"There are plenty of us here right now," Angel replied.
Illyria let out a cold laugh. "Do you really think you can stop me? All you have is a band of humans."
"And a whole lot of bullets," Gunn added. "Enough to even get you down for a while."
"You've taken something of ours and we want it back," Angel said. "Now, stand down and we won't destroy you taking it back."
Illyria paused as if thinking things through before cocking its head to the side and giving Angel a shadow of a smirk.
"I decline."
Illyria threw a punch that sent Angel flying across the room and out the window.
"Get him!" Gunn shouted as the lab erupted in gun fire.
Illyria motioned with its hand and a wave went through the lab causing time to slow down. Fred looked around in shock to find Wesley, Gunn, and Lorne to be moving at an incredibly slow rate, along with the bullets that were being fired from the guns. It looked almost as if time had stopped completely. Suddenly Illyria grabbed Fred by the arm and walked out of the lab with Knox in tow.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Was anybody else not expecting that?" Gunn asked, referring to what happened with Illyria in the lab. "I mean, what was that even?"
"I don't know," Angel replied as he held an ice pack to his swollen eye. "I was busy getting thrown out a window."
"It was weird," Lorne said. "One minute it was there and the next it was gone."
"Do you think it can teleport?" Angel asked.
"I don't think so," Wesley replied.
"It was like it was goin' really fast," Gunn said as he handed Angel the first aid kit.
"Or like we were going really slow," Lorne added.
"Great." Angel's tone was sarcastic. "It's super strong and it can alter time."
"I get why it took Knox, seeing as how he's its priest and all, but what does it want with Fred?" Harmony asked.
"I have no idea," Angel replied. "But we need to figure out where they went. Did Knox say anything useful while you were interrogating him?"
"Just a bunch a crap about humans being inferior."
"Is that all?"
"No wait! There was a name or something. Uh, Vahla ha'nesh or at least that's what it sounded like."
"I'll see what I can find," Wesley said.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"I get why you grabbed Knox, but why'd bring me too?" Fred asked as she followed Illyria through the streets of Los Angeles.
"You're quickly proving to be a more suitable Qwa'ha Xahn than the short one," Illyria replied.
"How can that be? I mean, Knox has spent his entire adult life worshiping you." Fred looked back to where Knox was following behind them. "I hadn't even heard of you until now."
Illyria shot Fred a disapproving look.
"My Qwa'ha Xahn would have had me resurrected in your body," Illyria explained. "Do you know how suffocating that would be? At least this shell is a powerful one."
"Stop calling him that."
"What do you mean?"
"Stop calling him a shell," ground out Fred. "He has a name and it's Spike."
"My temple approaches," Illyria commented, ignoring what Fred had to say.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"What the hell is that?" Harmony asked as she looked at the large drawing Wesley had laid out on his desk.
"It's what Illyria's temple would've looked like millions of years ago," Wesley explained. "I believe that's where it's headed."
"No offense Wes, but I think we would've noticed something that big in the middle of down town LA," Gunn remarked.
"It's out of phase with our time stream," Wesley explained. "Only Illyria can open its gateway."
"Then I guess we better figure out a way to stop it," Angel said.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"Your breed is fragile," Illyria commented as it snapped the neck of a security guard at the bank. "How is it that they came to rule this world?"
"Opposable thumbs," Knox replied casually. "What they lack in strength, they make up for in sheer sneakiness."
"You are deceivers."
"Yes, and they deserve to be punished."
"You do not consider yourself part of your race?" Illyria asked curiously.
"Not since you came along." Knox rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Now open the gateway. Unleash your army. Wash humanity from the face of the Earth and reclaim what's you—"
"Do not speak," Illyria ordered.
Illyria raised its arms causing a wind to swirl around the lobby of the bank.
"Was that it?" Knox asked.
"The portal is blocked," Illyria replied in annoyance.
"Wolfram & Hart probably locked it," Knox said. "But no need to worry. I brought my skeleton key just in case." Knox took his satchel off his shoulder and set it on the floor.
Fred watched as Knox took various ingredients out of the satchel and formed a circle on the floor. He set a small pile of bones in the middle of the circle and began to chant in a foreign tongue. Wind filled the lobby once more and the bones disappeared.
"Show time," Knox commented.
"Any seats left?" Knox, Illyria, and Fred spun around to see Angel and the others standing just inside the lobby. Illyria narrowed its eyes and glared at Angel. "If not, we could just watch from the back."
"You guys can't win this," Knox stated.
"Then we'll die trying," Wesley replied.
"Why do you attempt to stop me?" Illyria asked.
"Let's start with the fact that you're walking around looking like the guy you murdered," Lorne offered.
"It was hardly murder," Illyria replied. "Without me this shell never would've amounted to anything more then a lowly half-breed. I have exalted its status to that of a god."
"You infected him like a common parasite and hollowed him out," Angel replied through clenched teeth.
"If you think your actions will restore him, then your wrong." Illyria's voice was cold. "You seek a confrontation you cannot win. I will raise my army and wipe your pitiful race off the face of the Earth."
"I can't let that happen."
"Are you the protector of these creatures?" Illyria asked. "Would you fight for their lives?"
"Yes."
"What about this one?" Illyria motioned to where Knox was standing.
"If it's between you and him, then yes, I'd fight for his life. No matter how bad he is, he's still a hall of a lot better then what came before and—"
A gunshot echoed through the lobby, cutting off Angel's speech. Knox looked down to see blood seeping out of a gunshot wound in his chest and then he collapsed to the floor. Angel turned around to where Harmony was holding a gun, a shocked look on her face.
"Were you even listening?" Angel asked.
"I am so sorry, Boss!" Harmony exclaimed. "I mean, he just made me so angry and then I accidently pulled the trigger. Am I gonna get fired for this? Cause he totally had it coming."
"You've killed my Qwa'ha Xahn!" Illyria bellowed.
"You have to admit, he had it coming," Lorne said.
"It offends me that you think he matters," Illyria replied.
"You're right," Angel said. "He's not the problem. You are." Angel threw a punch at Illyria, but the demon god ducked under it.
Angel tried to swing at Illyria again, but it only resulted in him getting thrown across the room. Gunn lunged at Illyria with a sword, but the god simply grabbed a hold of the blade and swung Gunn into the wall. Angel got back to his feet and pulled something out of his pocket. Within seconds Angel was standing in front of Illyria.
"How?"
"It's from your sarcophagus." Angel held up the crystal. "It's connected to you and I'm connected to it."
"Sneaky," Illyria commented with a smirk all too similar to Spike's.
Illyria dropped to the ground and swung its leg at Angel's ankles, effectively knocking him to the ground. Wesley swung at the god, but Illyria punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Illyria waved its hand an a portal opened up in the center of the room. Fred looked up to see Illyria heading for the portal, and without thinking Fred got to her feet and ran after the god, diving into the portal just as it closed.
"You're too late," Illyria stated as it walked down the steps of its temple. "My army will rise and your world will be destroyed."
Fred followed Illyria into the temple to find it desecrated. The columns were all destroyed and the large statue of Illyria had long ago toppled to the ground.
"No." Illyria sank to its knees in shock as it looked at its destroyed temple. "It can't be. My world is gone."
"Now you know how I feel," Fred stated coldly as she came to stand behind Illyria.
Illyria looked up at Fred and glared before getting to its feet once more. Illyria walked past Fred and opened up another portal before walking through it.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"At least there's no army of doom," Gunn said as he and the others gathered in Angel's office. "That's one good thing at least."
"I want that temple closed up for good," Angel said. "We can't afford any more surprises."
"What about Illyria?" Wesley asked. "It's still a threat."
"We'll regroup and take care of it later," Angel replied tiredly. "Right now I think we all need to go home and rest."
The others nodded and headed out of the office leaving just Fred and Angel.
"Are you going to be okay?" Angel asked.
"You know, when I first started dating Spike, I thought dating a vampire would mean he'd always be here no matter what, but I guess I was wrong." Fred turned and walked out of the office.
Xxxxxxxxxx
Fred walked into Spike's room in the medical ward of Wolfram & Hart and began to pack up his things. There wasn't a lot, just his clothes, his wallet, and his duster along with everything that was in its pockets, but they were all things Fred didn't want to leave at Wolfram & Hart.
"You grieve still . . . for a single life."
Fred turned to see Illyria standing in the doorway.
"Why are you here?" Fred asked quietly.
"I am uncertain. This place along with you . . . was part of the shell."
"Don't call him that!" Fred snapped angrily.
"This is important to you that things have names." Illyria stepped into the room. "This shell . . . Spike . . . he can't return to you."
"I know that," Fred replied as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"There are memories that were channeled into my system." Illyria's hollow voice shifted into that of Spike. "You hear that? She says I can stay."
Fred felt as if she were going to be sick.
"Leave." Fred finished folding Spike's duster and put it into the duffle bag she had brought with her.
"Where am I supposed to go?" Illyria asked. "My kingdom is long dead. I'm uncertain of my place."
"Your place is with the rest of your people," Fred said as she walked past Illyria and out of the room. "Dead and buried."
Xxxxxxxxxx
To Be Continued . . .
I swear I haven't completely killed Spike off.
Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you think!
