The Mighty Belthazor

After classes on Wednesday, Bel stopped by his room to check his email.

There was an email waiting, sent from an unfamiliar address, one of those free web-based email accounts. Bel had been about to dismiss it as spam and delete it, but something made him click it instead.

The message was simple and unsigned. "I know what you did. Meet me in the center of the Preserves at the dead oak at 8:00 tonight." And attached was a grainy picture of him, in demon form, his hand around the throat of the witch he'd killed last night.

Bel stared at the screen for several long moments. No one had been there but him and Raynor and the witch -- how could someone know? And what if they planned to tell Phoebe, or Angel, or anybody at the school? He couldn't let word get out of what he'd done. They wouldn't believe Raynor had forced him, they'd just think he was reverted back to evil again. He started to panic. He had to find out who it was and stop them from saying anything, whatever it took.

Just before 8:00, he shimmered to the Preserves. He knew where the tree in question was, a huge, old oak tree that had toppled in some storm years before. He found a position where he could watch the area around the tree, unseen in the shadows. Or so he thought.

( Read more... )

[ooc: preplayed with oatmanspatient and future_visions. No IC interaction possible, but OOC comments welcome.]

Bel was glad the weekend was over.

Friday night, Phoebe had gone out to spend some time with Lana. But she didn't come home. After checking with Jim and finding that Lana hadn't come home that night, either, he'd gone looking for them. He didn't find them, but he did run into a group of trolls in town. When his fireballs had proven ineffective, and as he quickly realized they were as strong or stronger than he, he'd made a tactical retreat back to the school, joining the fighting there. Unfortunately, he was knocked out, but Anders had dragged him to safety.

The next morning, after the Doctor had announced they'd found the location of the trolls' captives, he'd immediately shimmered there to rescue Phoebe. Unfortunately, the females trolls looked deceptively innocent, and they'd knocked him out and tucked him away. When he'd finally awaken, he'd staggered out and found Phoebe, shimmering her and Blair to safety. Then he'd gone back to work out a little aggression on the trolls, before heading back to the dorms. Phoebe reassured him she was fine, but he still was upset he hadn't been able to better protect her or find her sooner.

He was pacing his room, still agitated, when flames surrounded him, and he felt the irresistible pull of a summons to the Underworld. He let the flames take him, unsurprised when he found himself before Raynor.

( In the Underworld.... )

Saturday morning, Bel shimmered to the Underworld to present the amulet to Raynor. Raynor was pleased, of course. "How did you do it?" he asked, accepting the amulet.

"Does it matter?" Bel said wearily. "You got what you wanted. Now give me what I want."

Raynor shook his head. "I'm not done with you yet, Belthazor."

"But you said once I got the amulet," Bel protested.

"I said once you had fulfilled your duties to the Underworld," Raynor corrected. "There is still work for you to do."

Bel sighed and dropped his head. "What next?" he asked.

"There's a spell in the Charmed One's Book of Shadows," Raynor explained. "One that activates the amulet when both pieces are joined. You will get the spell."

"I can't touch the Book of Shadows!" Bel said. "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll find a way," Raynor said, patting his shoulder. "I know you will."

"But the amulet is useless in the hands of evil," Bel pointed out. "What good will it do you?"

"Good magic can be perverted," Raynor said. "Just get me the spell."

"And then what?" Bel said. "Will you give me my father's soul then?"

"The only way you'll learn that is to do what you're told," Raynor said. "Remember who and what you are, Belthazor. You're a demon. You serve the Source, you always will. Nothing will change that. Now go, and bring me the spell."

"I will," Bel said unhappily. He shimmered back to Fandom, trying to figure out his next move.

Bel woke up before Phoebe and slipped quietly from the bed so as not to disturb her. She'd been sleeping when he got back last night, so she had not been awake to see how wracked with guilt he was about what he had done. He knew he had to tell her, but he didn't want to confess to stealing the amulet for Raynor.

He headed out to the living area and sank down on the couch, his face in his hands. How the hell was he going to get out of this mess?


[ooc: specifics of Bel and Phoebe's conversation are NFB, please!]

When Bel shimmered back into his room, maybe two sheets to the wind from the beer and hard cider, a burst of flame greeted him. A rolled parchment appeared on the coffee table in front of the couch.

Instantly sober, Bel carefully picked up the parchment, knowing instinctively it had arrived from the Underworld. Reading it just confirmed his fears.

Belthazor -

I have an assignment for you, something that only your powers can achieve. I need you to retrieve a magical amulet, one that's hanging from the neck of a witch. You will report to me in two days.

I trust you will not disappoint me.

Raynor

The note vanished the same way it had appeared. Bel stood in the dark room, his heart pounding. If he did this, he'd be falling back into the clutches of the Underworld, not to mention disappointing and angering everyone who had put their faith in him. But if he didn't...he probably wouldn't live to regret it.


[Just establishing, not for interaction unless the girlfriend wakes up.]