Suite 518/520, Monday morning

[demonbelthazor]

Bel was getting ready for the road trip to pick up Marie. He was angry that he couldn't just shimmer to the train station and pick her up. Faster, safer, but he couldn't do that anymore. It didn't add to the helplessness he was feeling.

Skipping out of Pop Culture and avoiding Marty, however? That he could deal with.


[ooc: Mainly for teh girlfriend and cameronmitchell...although not necessarily at the same time. But that would be pretty. Anyone else is welcome to knock.]

Comments

[demonbelthazor]

"He's a demon," Bel said wearily. "My mentor, my foster father. He raised me and trained me. He wanted me to kill the witch and when I wouldn't, he made me do it."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Veronica had said that Bel had been raised as a demon so that made sort of sense. "You're saying that you've been in contact with people from the Underworld again?"

[demonbelthazor]

Bel nodded, turning a little red. This wasn't something he was proud of. "Yeah. The school sent out an invitation for Parents Weekend to Raynor. Kinda forgot to include them on the whole 'I'm dead' thing. He showed up, found out I was alive, and...started to make me do things for him again."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron briefly closed his eyes, cursing inwardly. "Exactly how many people offered to help you out if they ever got on to you?" he asked. "This guy-demon-whatever has you out killing witches and the two people you tell is someone who is across the country and a hippie who thinks you're going to kill him if you so much as raise your voice."

[demonbelthazor]

"I wasn't killing witches, not until he forced me to!" Bel protested. "I was trying to figure a way out of it but he has my father's soul and if I didn't do what he told me, he was going to destroy him!"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron's expression softened at the mention of Bel's father. "Alright, but excuse me if I have a hard time believing that he made you do anything good. What now, though? Because you did kill that witch and now you're human. Does Raynor know?"

[demonbelthazor]

Bel shook his head. "Not yet. I don't think so. But the next time he summons me to the Underworld, I won't be able to fool him. And he'll probably kill me and destroy my father's soul." He swung his fist back against the wall in frustration. "Or maybe I'll be beneath his notice anymore. I don't know."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Can we stop him from summoning you," Cameron asked. "Are there spells for that?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Actually," Bel said thoughtfully, "the summoning spell won't work anymore since I'm not a demon. But there might be ways to summon humans." He shook his head again. "I gotta go back there anyway. I gotta figure out a way to get my father's soul back."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron narrowed his eyes at Bel. "If you think you're going back on your own, you're sorely mistaken," he warned. "And if there is a way to keep him from summoning you, you might want to find out. Going in on your own terms gives you a much better chance to help your father than just being pulled in unexpected."

[demonbelthazor]

"I'm not gonna risk anybody else's life," Bel said firmly. "I have no idea what I'm gonna do, but I have to do something."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron rolled his eyes. "What the hell do you think you've been doing by not telling anyone what Raynor was up to?" he asked, tone slightly accusing. "He made you kill a witch now. Who would have been next if Marty hadn't stepped in? Phoebe? Willow? Veronica?"

[demonbelthazor]

"I wouldn't have hurt any of them!" Bel protested, trying not to think of how he'd tried to kill Veronica before.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Which was exactly what Cameron was thinking about. "No? So what are you saying here? That you could have stopped yourself from killing that witch, but you didn't know her so it didn't really matter?"

[demonbelthazor]

Bel had walked right into that one. "No -- I mean, I know them, they're my friends, so it would've helped me resist more," he tried to explain.

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"Would have," Cameron repeated. "Yeah, sorry if I'm not going to put all my faith into that. You of all people know how much of a danger you could have been to either of them. So you can either learn from this screw up and start accepting help from the people who offer it or you can be a stubborn jackass and try to get yourself killed on your own. It's up to you, but if I have so much of an inkling that you're a threat to anyone, you're going to regret it."

[demonbelthazor]

"I'm human now," Bel said, and there was bitterness in his voice. "I'm just as dangerous as you are. Maybe even less so. And, what, you expect me to drag people to the Underworld on a suicide mission?"

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"You don't need to be a demon in order to do something dangerous," Cameron pointed out. "That's got nothing to do with what you are, but with who you decide to be. You decided to walk away from the Underworld and your friends backed you up. You wouldn't be dragging anyone down there if they chose to go with you and if you use your brain and think ahead instead of blindly charging in, we'll all have a chance to help you save your father."

[demonbelthazor]

"And what if something bad happens?" Bel shot back. "How am I supposed to live with that? I don't want to risk anybody else."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"That works both ways, man. How are your friends supposed to live with it that they weren't there to help you? You've got a greater chance beating this Raynor guy if you've got back up," Cameron countered.

[demonbelthazor]

"I guess so," Bel sighed. "But I just don't wanna be responsible for somebody getting hurt. I've already done enough damage on my own. I've got enough to live down without adding to the pile."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

"I can understand that," Cameron relented with a sigh. "But no one is going to hold you responsible. They would know what they're getting themselves in to. We've defeated your mother and her posse, we can do this too. Just think about it and try not to do anything stupid to get yourself kill in the meantime."

[demonbelthazor]

"I will," Bel promised. "I have to come up with a plan. Hard part is going to be getting into the Underworld now that I can't shimmer. Actually, hard part is going to be getting out."

[cameronmitchell.livejournal.com]

Cameron nodded, he might be a bit bummed about Bel's loss of shimmering abilities as well. "Isn't Angel using portals to go from his Los Angeles to Fandom?"

[demonbelthazor]

"Yeah, I don't know if they can be used to get to the Underworld though," Bel said. "Or what kind of a commotion they'd make. I was gonna talk to Phale when he got back to see if he had any ideas. Can't hurt to have an angel on your side."