Suite 518/520 / The Underworld - Saturday afternoon - NFB
Bel paced the empty suite, trying to reign in the demon inside him. All this week he'd had difficulty controlling it. The slightest thing would set his temper off, and he couldn't stop himself from playing with Anders like he was some sort of toy. His demon side was in constant struggle with his human soul, and lately it felt like the human half was losing. It was worse than it had been over the summer -- ever since his last visit to the Underworld.
Raynor. He was responsible for this. He had to be.
Bel shimmered to the Underworld to the meeting chamber of the Brotherhood. Raynor was there, seemingly entirely unsurprised by Bel's arrival. "Belthazor," he said calmly. "Eager for your next assignment?"
"What did you do to me?" Bel demanded.
"Nothing but strengthen your true nature," Raynor said smoothly, denying nothing. "You've suppressed your demonic side for too long. It's time for it to regain its former glory."
"Undo it!" Bel said.
Raynor shook his head. "It was a mistake to send you to Fandom, I know that now. You were to learn to act like a human and move among them, not to actually be one. You're sick, but you can and will be cured. It won't be long before you re-learn to fully suppress your human side again. This is just a relapse to how you were as a boy. You overcame your weaknesses then, and you can do it again."
"I know what you're doing," Bel said. "You're trying to get me to turn my friends against me. Make me hurt them, make them distrust me. It won't work. I'll fight you." But he knew it already was working. He'd betrayed Piper's trust, he'd fought with Cally, and if Phoebe ever found out about his behavior....
He shook his head. "I won't let you win," he said.
"You are what you are, Belthazor," Raynor said. "Fighting it will only make you suffer. Your demon side had needs, hungers that must be filled. You cannot deny them."
"I can and I will!" Bel snapped.
"Soon you will remember the pleasure of the kill and enjoy it," Raynor went on, ignoring Bel's outburst. "Soon I won't even need to threaten you with your father's soul. You'll be one of us again, our brother." He reached out and clasped Bel's shoulder. "You know I'm right."
And part of Bel couldn't help but agree.
Raynor. He was responsible for this. He had to be.
Bel shimmered to the Underworld to the meeting chamber of the Brotherhood. Raynor was there, seemingly entirely unsurprised by Bel's arrival. "Belthazor," he said calmly. "Eager for your next assignment?"
"What did you do to me?" Bel demanded.
"Nothing but strengthen your true nature," Raynor said smoothly, denying nothing. "You've suppressed your demonic side for too long. It's time for it to regain its former glory."
"Undo it!" Bel said.
Raynor shook his head. "It was a mistake to send you to Fandom, I know that now. You were to learn to act like a human and move among them, not to actually be one. You're sick, but you can and will be cured. It won't be long before you re-learn to fully suppress your human side again. This is just a relapse to how you were as a boy. You overcame your weaknesses then, and you can do it again."
"I know what you're doing," Bel said. "You're trying to get me to turn my friends against me. Make me hurt them, make them distrust me. It won't work. I'll fight you." But he knew it already was working. He'd betrayed Piper's trust, he'd fought with Cally, and if Phoebe ever found out about his behavior....
He shook his head. "I won't let you win," he said.
"You are what you are, Belthazor," Raynor said. "Fighting it will only make you suffer. Your demon side had needs, hungers that must be filled. You cannot deny them."
"I can and I will!" Bel snapped.
"Soon you will remember the pleasure of the kill and enjoy it," Raynor went on, ignoring Bel's outburst. "Soon I won't even need to threaten you with your father's soul. You'll be one of us again, our brother." He reached out and clasped Bel's shoulder. "You know I'm right."
And part of Bel couldn't help but agree.