Day 13-- The Key to Success
Title: The Key to Success
Author: Patriciatepes (Patricia de Lioncourt FFNET and PatriciaLouise TTH)
Fandom: Supernatural
Rating: PG
Summary: Post S7 Buffy. S9 SPN. When you needed to reestablish your power as King of Hell, and needed power as leverage, there was really only one solution available: the Key.
Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. All the characters belong to their respective owners, making no money here.
Word Count: ~1600
A/N: Written for my spnpairingbingo square, Crowley/Crossover Character. This sounded like just a fun little idea, so I decided to run with it.
The Key to Success
When the blindfold came off, Dawn blinked against the dim light. Dim or not, it was still a shock to the system when the previous light level had been none. She shook her head, finding it still a little drowsy from things she couldn't identify. Had she been drugged? Hit over her head? None of those seemed to fit. Her head hurt, but not nearly bad enough for either. It was more like that she felt as if she were the goldfish grown too big for her bowl. Which, as far as feelings were concerned, Dawn figured it was the weirdest one she had had yet. And, it may have been just the teensiest bit cliché, but when the fog over her mind cleared, just a bit, the first thing she thought was: Where am I?
"Hell," came the posh, English response to her unspoken question.
Dawn's vision was getting a bit better, and she was beginning to pay more attention to her current surrounds. For example, she was tied to a chair. Nothing fancy. Just a rope pulled around her, low enough so that her elbows couldn't bend, and tied somewhere behind her. And each ankle was tied to each chair leg. It had been a long time since Dawn had been tied up, but she had to admit, whoever had done this was a professional.
Beyond that, she was in some sort of large cell-or torture chamber, as she took in the chains and bloodstains on the walls. The door was barred, but there was no light beyond so Dawn had no idea what lie out there. But standing at the door, back to her, was a man dressed in a black suit. His hair was dark and thinning, and his hands were shoved casually in his pants' pockets.
"To clarify, darling, you're in Hell," the man said, speaking toward the door.
Dawn blinked, her heart racing. "Am I… dead?"
He turned, a grin on his bearded, rounded face.
"Heavens, no. What use would you be to me dead? I simply nicked you from the topside and brought you way down below."
Okay. In Hell, but not dead. A weird situation, but not the strangest one she'd ever been in. She had to play it cool, because odds were that Hell was gonna be a bit harder to rescue her from.
"So why am I here? And who are you?"
The man chuckled. "Straight to the point. I like that, in a way. I'm Crowley, King of Hell."
"I thought Lucifer would be the King of Hell," Dawn said, genuine confusion in her voice.
Crowley looked like he had sucked a lemon before finding his grin again.
"There was a, um, change in management. Long story. But as to why you're here… you see, recently, I had a competitor arise from the benches, trying to take over Hell. Tried to destroy all my hard work. She's dead now. But Hell is still… uneasy. Unstable as the factions that formed scramble to chose new sides."
"Uh-huh," Dawn nodded along. "And I come in how?"
"You're the Key, darling. That's how you come in."
Dawn's eyes widened. "Wha- how do you know that?"
"King of Hell, hello? Why does nobody get that? Well, anyway… I need your powers to… well, make a showing of things."
Dawn shook her head, moving it so quickly that she was even moving her chair just a little bit.
"My powers, my Keyness… it's gone. When Buffy stopped Glory, it disappeared. It left."
Crowley laughed, actually rolling his eyes. "It never left! It's your essence! It's what those bloody monks made you out of! You and sister dearest have just never learned how to tap into it properly."
Dawn considered these words, rolling them around in her head as she gazed all about. She had to find a weakness in the room, that much Buffy had taught her. She had to get out of these ropes and get out of here. But, then again, if she was really in Hell, there would be no weakness in the room.
"You're really here, Dawnie," Crowley said.
Dawn narrowed her eyes at him. "How are you doing that? I think something, and you seem to respond to it. How? Because it's really starting to piss me off!"
"I'm the King, darling, and you really are in Hell. Hell is designed to use every weakness possible, and if that includes me being able to see what you're thinking about, then it does it. That's how I know what you're thinking. For example, right now, you're horrified. You're wondering if you've thought about anything incriminating, especially where sister Buffy is concerned. The Slayer, you're mind calls her. But no, sweetheart. I knew your sister was the Slayer. Just as I knew you were the Key. I knew you were the Key before… Glory, did you call her? Yes, I knew before she did."
Dawn pursed her lips. "Then why now? Why not come after me earlier?"
"Because, I didn't need you before. I'm a collector of sorts. Knowledge, primarily, is what I'm after. But, as you're clearly more worried about my being able to learn about your sister than you are about your own life, let's cut a deal."
"I'm not selling my soul!" she said.
She may not know everything about Hell, but she knew what the currency was. And if Buffy was pissed about her disappearing, then she would be really pissed about her selling her soul.
"Technically, you will be, considering your origins. But not for eternity, like most. I propose a deal that benefits everyone. You see, I like to keep Hell in Hell. Sure, I'd like a few more demons topside, gathering souls for us, but generally, I want the world to keep on turning like it does. The natural order, some would call it. After all, no more earth, no more new souls."
"Not me," Dawn murmured.
But, boy, did this sound familiar. Didn't Spike say something like this to Buffy once, back when Angel was gonna destroy everything? She was sure Buffy had told her that at one time. Crowley ignored her little murmur, continuing on.
"Here's the deal, kiddo. You let me use your power for a showing. Just spilling a teensy bit of your blood, and I let you go home. Best yet, I take away big sis's memory of you ever having been gone. No one comes after me, and you get to live. Deal?"
Dawn eyed the devil. Hell wasn't particularly known for its trustworthiness. But, considering her options-and the fact that she still hadn't found a way out of this room, she didn't have much of a choice.
"I can… trust you?"
He grinned wide. "My word is my bond. Now, paper or flesh?"
"What?"
Crowley laughed. "Do you want a paper contract, or do you want to do this the old fashioned way?"
"The old fashioned way?"
"A kiss."
"Um, I'll take paper. You're a little old for me, thanks."
Crowley nodded, reaching into his coat and withdrawing rolled up parchment. Unfurling it, he shrugged, "Your loss."
He freed just one of her hands, letting her sign on the dotted line. And then, the contract was gone, and she was untied.
"Won't take but a moment," Crowley said, intertwining his hand in hers.
She started to ask, started to pull away, but before she could, the scenery changed. Now, it looked like they were on a balcony overlooking pure chaos. Dawn couldn't even make out where the room began and where it ended, and likewise for the roaring demons below. Crowley turned to her, putting up a single finger, before he turned back to the crazy.
"You've questioned my ability to rule!" he roared, and the sound of it caused Dawn to recoil, just slightly. "Well, question no more!"
He turned to her, a dagger suddenly gleaming in his hands.
"Whoa, hey, uh-!" she stammered.
"How else did you think I was going to have you do a showing? Now, hush," Crowley said, pressing the tip of the blade to her throat.
She felt it break her skin with a sharp sting. She hissed, and she felt the blood trickling down. But, instead of seeing blood, she saw light. Bright, green, all-encompassing light. Crowley ran a finger up the trail of light, turning back to the crowd. The chaos had quieted, and Crowley simply flicked the light out toward them. In mid air, the drops exploded, booming and blinding as they did. The demons below the balcony gasped and fell to their knees. In the next second, everyone was proclaiming their loyalty to Crowley. The newly secured King of Hell turned back to Dawn, holding out a handkerchief.
"And that's done. That's the key to success, that is. Eight percent know-how, twenty show. Thanks ever so," he said.
He walked away from her, heading back toward the manor the balcony was attached to.
"Wait!" Dawn called just as he reached the door. "What about me? Our contract."
"I'm a man of my word, as I've said. See you 'round, Dawnie."
He snapped his fingers, and Dawn blinked. When her eyes reopened, she was sitting in the rec room of Slayer HQ. Buffy stood over her, eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Dawn?" she asked.
"Uh… yeah?"
"Where did you get that handkerchief? And why are you holding it to your neck like that?"
Dawn pulled it away, feeling of her neck and finding no cut there. There wasn't even blood on the cloth. She smiled up at Buffy.
"No reason," she laughed.
Buffy snatched it from her hands, eyeing the blue thing over. She finally paused on some red embroider Dawn hadn't had the time to notice.
"'C'?" Buffy questioned. "Who do you know that has handkerchiefs with a 'C' on them?"
Dawn snatched it back, a churning feeling in her stomach. "No one! Now, I'm going to bed. Night."
Once she was safely out in the hall, she grimaced. Stupid demon. Still screwing with her, despite following the contract.
"I hate Hell," Dawn groaned.