Hero: Settlement
by rockangelz25
The van pulled into the rundown-looking warehouse.

Maria hopped out of the back, stretching her arms.

“Do they have any idea that we’re here?” asked Lindsey.

“No. They probably figure you’re with Wolfram and Hart or something.”

“That I am?” Lindsey’s scowl came into appearance.

“No, that the van is. They don’t know about you or Oz.”

“I’m just glad you knew enough to call us,” said Lindsey. “Otherwise, you’d be dead now.”

“Angel doesn’t kill people,” said Maria. “He did once—but he’s over that now.”

“He would’ve found a way to make you talk,” said Oz.

“I’m sure. But that doesn’t impress me.” She looked up at the house.

“Let’s go in.”

**

“I don’t believe it,” said Nibu. “She can’t be evil.”

“She is. Deal with it,” advised Angel. “We need you. We need you alert, and not moping over her. You’re the only one that knows her. Where would she go?”

**

Maria walked into the warehouse. “You know, I can’t get over how impressive this place is.”

“You’ve been here before,” noted Lindsey. “You should be used to it.”

“It’s still extremely cool.” She grinned.

“Come on.”

They both turned to Oz, who was impassively gesturing at them. “We need to do the ritual now.”

“You’re sure this is a good idea?” Lindsey hesitated. “Last time anybody messed with Cordelia, Angel killed them.”

“It’s for a good cause. And it won’t hurt her. Not with her new demon-ness.” Maria was definite.

“Then let’s go.” Oz walked to another room, retrieving the herbs and other necessary ingredients.

“You got everything? We do this wrong, all hell’s going to break loose,” Lindsey warned them.

“Then we’ll just have to do it right,” Maria said confidently.

**

“I don’t know,” said Nibu miserably.

“Would she go back to Acmolo?” asked Wesley gently.

“I—she might,” he finally advanced.

“You think you could get anything out of him?” Gunn asked Lorne quietly.

“He is a bundle of nerves right now,” Lorne replied. “I can tell that just from looking. He tries to sing, I don’t know what I’d get.”

“It’s worth a try, though,” said Cordelia from behind them.

“Cordy! Did you leave Fred— ”

“She’s upstairs with Connor. They’ll be fine,” she reassured them. “I have a baby monitor on.” She held up the little machine in her hand.

“Okay.” Gunn, obviously reassured, turned back to the unfolding drama.

“Look, I don’t know where she’d go! You figure it out!” Nibu finally yelled at Angel.

Faith came out from the office, where she’d been napping, and took it all in instantly.

She crossed over to Nibu.

“Look, kid. You love her. I get that.” He looked up sharply. “But she sold us out. You’ve got to get past that now. If you want any chance of us getting her back and getting her good, you’ve got to concentrate. Where would she be?”

“She came into contact with someone at Buffy’s house,” he said finally.

“Who?”

“I don’t know. She made a call—out of the area. She used more than just seven numbers.”

“Did you hear the conversation? Did you get any names?” Faith was being strangely gentle, but effective.

“No. I was trying not to listen in.”

She stood up. “He doesn’t know.”

“Maybe Lorne should read him. Something subconscious could be in there,” suggested Wesley.

Nibu looked up suspiciously.

“I don’t want to sing,” he said quickly.

“You’re going to have to,” Angel grimly advised him. “Everyone has to sing something sooner or later.”

“Fine.” He stood up, still somewhat despondent, and faced the green demon.

“Have at it.” With that, he launched into a rendition of “I Write The Songs”.

Lorne listened, wincing only once in a while.

Angel’s scowl stayed about the same. He was certain that the “new kid” was singing better than he did… However, also a Manilow fan, so it all evened out.

“….I am music, and I write the songs,” finished Nibu. He’d been avoiding eye contact through the whole thing, and he finally looked at Lorne.

“Well?”

“It’s bad, Angelcakes,” said the green demon.

“What is it?”

“She’s with Lindsey.”

Angel growled.

**

Maria sat in the center of the circle, hands stretched at her sides, eyes shut.

Lindsey sat to her left, Oz to her right, both reading in the archaic Latin.

Suddenly, a glass ball by the entrance shattered.

Maria’s eyes seemed to nearly open, but she caught herself in time, keeping her concentration.

Oz and Lindsey shot looks across the girl, but kept going. This was more important.

**

In the hotel, Cordelia suddenly yelled a little, clutching at her head.

“I thought they weren’t supposed to be painful anymore!” Angel yelled.

“It doesn’t seem to be causing her pain, it’s just—”

“Intense,” whispered Cordelia. “Intense pain. And so much internal agony. And betrayal.” She looked up at Angel and Wesley, floating a little off the ground.

“It’s back in Acmolo. There’s someone there, a friend of hers. She’s torturing him. He has something they want.”

“They?” asked Nibu.

“Wolfram and Hart.”

“Lindsey and Wolfram and Hart,” snarled Angel. “This day cannot get worse.”

“Who?” Nibu walked up to Cordelia. “Who was she torturing?”

**

“Michael?” Maria fidgeted with the cell phone.

“Wordstreamer! Where have you and Nibu been? I haven’t seen you since that assembly!”

“We’re in L.A. It’s a long story.”

“Is it—it was Angel Investigations, wasn’t it.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yeah. It was.”

“Okay…. Um….”

“Look, Nibu should be by for you soon. Just be careful.”

“Wordstreamer, what’s—”

“I promise, I’ll explain it all later. Tell…” She hesitated. “Tell Nibu I love him.”

“Why can’t you tell him?”

“Dammit, Michael, just do it!” she hissed. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Wordstreamer, wait—”

“Bye,” she finished, hanging up. She turned to Oz and Lindsey, who were inspecting the shattered glass ball.

“What did it mean? I know it’s bad, but what did it mean?”

“It means Angel knows I’m back in town,” Lindsey explained.

“How? Nobody knew….”

“Was anyone around when you contacted us?” asked Oz.

“Nibu had just left, but he didn’t hear anything. I’m sure of it.”

“It could’ve been subconscious. They’ve got Lorne working with them now, I heard,” considered Lindsey.

“Damn. That’s probably it,” she agreed.

“We’ll deal with it,” Oz said.

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