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Thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help here.

Chapter 10- Caught

Angel was lying on the floor of the darkened stage, coughing blood. He gasped as he pulled the stake out of his shoulder. Finally, with a pained grunt, Angel rolled over and sat up, looking at Spike, who was standing in front of the lit pedestal staring at a golden chalice.

Spike grabbed the cup.

"Spike... Spike, wait. That's not a prize you're holding. It's not a trophy. It's a burden. It's a cr—"

"Blah, blah, blah. Give it a rest, hero. I win, you lose, and all your talking's not gonna change that."

"I believed in it", Angel spoke up.

Spike turned to him. "Still can't accept it? It's pathetic, really. You've been passed over." Spike drank from the cup.

"No."

Spike drank deeply from the cup as warm light shone upon him from above. Upon finishing drinking, Spike exhaled sharply, straightening up his body and letting the cup fall from his hands. The cup clanged as it hit the ground and rolled at Spike's feet.

Angel watched with a pained expression on his face as Spike basked in the light. When the light faded from Spike, Angel started groaning, gasping, and screaming painfully as his face disintegrated, burning into a fiery nothingness.

Angel awakened with a start, panting and in a cold sweat. Stick walked in, holding up a marker, then saw the awake Vampire.

"Uhhhh…." He tried to play cool as he disappeared, the marker dropping.

Spike was sitting alone at a bar. As he finished his drink, he set the glass on the table and reached into his jeans to get money for another one. But before he could order, someone placed a fresh drink on his table. Spike looked up to see the man standing in front of his table, staring at Spike and smiling.

Spike looked up. "Ahh." He sniffed. "Uh, yeah, thanks... but not really my type, Mary. So be a good lad and push off." He pushed the man's drink away, placing his money on the table. The man continued to look at Spike without leaving.

"What are you gawking at?"

"A guy like you, whiling away his time in some cheesy downtown strip dive. Look like somebody who's feeling kinda lost."

"Is that right? Funny, thought I knew exactly where I was. A bar in downtown LA."

The man suggested. "You know... we really should talk."

Spike sighed. "You know? Really not." He stood, getting up in the man's face. "I don't know what you're selling, but best you peddle your wares someplace else if you know what's good for you."

He turned to walk away.

"Hey, Spike..." Spike stopped walking. "It's hard to see us mortals from atop that high tower, watching from afar, as we suffer with those above us living in luxury."

Spike turned to face him. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

"You!" Spike snarled as he walked closer. "You know I'm an Avenger, that ain't public knowledge, how do you know that?"

"We've been looking into you."

"And who's "we"?"

"Come on, Spike. You must know there's a lot of folks out there that are interested in you." He started to sip his drink. "Powerfully interested, one might say, since you're now in the big leagues and no longer have time for the smaller people—"

Spike angrily grabbed the man's wrist, knocking the glass from the his hand, causing it to shatter on the floor. "Enough with the cryptic, butch. I want to know who..." He looked at the symbols tattooed on the man's forearm. "...or what you are... what you want, and how fast I can snap your forearm before you answer."

"You can call me Doyle."

They glared at each other. "But it's not what I want... it's what you want."

Spike let the man's arm go.

"You're a hero, why don't you start proving it?"

Wesley and Gunn arrived at Angel's office, arguing about a warlock.

Cordelia stood next to Angel while he watched, confused.

Wesley said. "What you're proposing could take weeks. We can't afford the delay."

Gunn argued. "48 hours, maximum. There are at least 2 initiates to his inner circle who'd jump at the chance to overthrow him."

"You're overlooking the tactical merits of my assassination scenario."

"Guys—"

"Hey, in my plan, he still wakes up dead by Thursday."

Cordelia added her two cents. "We have supernatural reinforcements in the shape of two Witches and a magic Doctor. Not to mention everyone's favorite Devil."

"Guys!"

The argument stopped.

"C.E.O., right here, in the dark."

"Sorry, Angel", Wesley handed Angel a file. "Lucien Drake. He's a warlock."

Gunn added. "An evil warlock and a cult leader. Got over a thousand followers. We're pretty sure they sold most of their children down the Hades river in return for some serious demonic mojo."

"Dangerous black magick weapons, huh? Yeah, Willow mentioned some to me", Cordelia nodded, looking at the file. "I know about this guy, Special Projects developed black magick weapons for him last year before the Beast."

Angel sighed. "And you want Wolfram & Hart to stop them."

"Not so much stopping as..." Gunn looked at Wesley.

Wesley looked at Gunn. "...as redirecting their energies.

"See, a cult this big has alliances, connections. If we confront them directly, it could be very bad for business."

Wesley added. "But if we eliminate their leader covertly..."

"...then they spend the next billing cycle fighting among themselves to hack out the new pecking order", Gunn finished.

Angel flipped through the file. "Uh-huh... So are we doing this because it's right... or because it's cost-effective?"

Gunn told him. "Uh, well, a little of both actually."

"Yes, oddly, once again we find ourselves in a bit of a gray—"

"Don't..."

"—area."

"...say that!"

Angel raised his voice in frustration. "Can we just get through one damn day without saying that?"

"He's not wrong", Cordelia agreed, putting a hand on Angel's shoulder. "We're raising a kid in this world, to know the kind of things to be done for the greater good, its hard to handle."

Spike stood up. "I've heard enough." He walked toward the exit.

'Doyle' followed him. "Don't you even want to know why you stay at L.A.? There's gotta be a reason, right?"

"You talk a lot for somebody saying nothing."

'Doyle' put his hand on Spike's shoulder to stop him. "You've got a destiny—"

Spike grabbed his throat and pushed him to a wall. "Like the destiny that was supposed to be at the bottom of a cup of perpetual nothing?"

"What?"

Spike slammed 'Doyle's' back against the wall again. "Unh!"

"Know so much about me, you must know I get really violent when I'm being played. It was you who sent Angel and me on that wild goose chase."

"I don't know anything!" He gasped as Spike released him roughly. "I'm just doing what they tell me." He walked away from the wall, pacing.

"They?"

"They!" He gestured toward Spike. "Look, I'm just a guy. I'm nobody. A drifter. I was minding my own business, and then one day—" He pumped his fists. "Wham! I start having these visions."

"Visions? Like Cordelia?"

"Yeah, like her. I saw people", he looked at Spike "...who need a champion."

"Hey, you are barking up the wrong Vampire. That's Angel's beat."

"Angel's not in the picture anymore. All right? Neither is Cordelia. They're working the other side of the tracks. Nobody is out there helping the people that really need help. You noticed Cordelia stopped getting visions once they joined the firm?"

Spike realized 'Doyle' was right, Cordelia had not gotten a single vision once the team had joined Wolfram and Hart.

"The Powers That Be don't consider Angel and Cordelia their Champions anymore, that's why I now have the visions, and you are the Champion."

Spike was still skeptical. "What, so I'm supposed to jump every time you get a vision of someone in dire peril?"

"Why do you think we're having this conversation? I had one right before I came here. You don't have to believe me, but if a young girl gets murdered tonight and you didn't lift a finger to stop it, ask yourself... can you live with that?"

A Vampire attacked a girl in a dark alley to bite her when Spike arrived.

"Evening."

That Vampire snarled. "Get lost!"

"Already am, according to some."

"What?"

"Help me!"

"I don't think you heard me." The girl whimpered and sobbed.

Spike continued approaching them, and the Vampire threw the girl to the ground roughly.

"Get out of here."

"Can't do it."

"You just made the biggest mistake of your-" Spike decked his face, then knocked him into a wooden porch at the side, breaking it, and then dusted him by pushing him back into the splinters.

The girl stood up, incredulous. "Thank you! Thank you! That thing was gonna kill me!"

Spike asked. "Well, what do you expect? Out alone in this neighborhood? I got half a mind to kill you myself, you half-wit."

"What?!"

Spike criticized. "I mean, honestly, what kind of retard wears heels like that in a dark alley? Take 2 steps, break your bloody ankle."

The girl said. "I was just trying to get home."

Spike pushed her shoulder, ushering her down the alley toward a lit street. "Well, get a cab, you moron." He called after her. "And on the way, if a stranger offers you candy, don't get in the van!" He muttered under his breath. "Stupid cow."

'Doyle' was sitting on a nearby fire escape landing. "Believe me now?"

"What, your victim vision? Please. Can't throw a bloody stone in this town without hitting some bimbo in trouble."

'Doyle' walked down the fire escape stairs toward Spike. "Tough guy, huh? Nice work, by the way, takin' out that vamp."

Spike was unimpressed. "Oh, yeah. Epic battle. My finest hour."

"You just saved a girl's life. It's nothing to laugh off. Though you could try being a little nicer next time. You almost made her cry."

"Next time?"

"Well, that's up to you. A lot more people need saving."

"News flash, sparky: Don't need your help. Been saving people long before you showed up."

"Not like this. You just helped a person by yourself. Nothing holding you down, no Slayers, no Avengers, no Wolfram and Hart, you were a free agent here, like Angel when he started."

Spike asked. "What's Angel got to do with this?"

"Well... nothin'. Not anymore."

Wesley and Gunn were still arguing as Fred walked into the office carrying a file folder.

"I know how these people think, Wes!"

"And I know what we have in our arsenal, Charles!"

Cordelia started. "And we have fri-"

"No outside sources", Wesley pointed out.

Fred spoke up. "Guys, I can hear you out in the lobby." She handed the file to Angel. "The week's lab reports, Angel."

Wesley asked. "Fred, doesn't the Wolfram & Hart satellite have lethal capability?"

"What?"

"I mean, couldn't we eliminate a target from the air, untraceably?"

"Well, we do have an orbital-range microwave cannon up there. Focuses the satellite's communications signals into a pinpoint beam. It can raise the temperature of the targeted area 1,000 degrees in less than 5 seconds. So, yeah, in theory, we could. That is, if we did that sort of thing." Fred said before adding. "But ours is monitored by others, including Stark and SHIELD, which will destroy ours if we use it."

Cordelia spoke up. "We have other clients too. There's this Cyvus Vail guy, who considers Drake a threat, we could make a deal with him."

Faith, who'd heard came in and pointed out. "Guys, listen to yourselves, think about what you're saying and doing."

"Let's kill them all."

Everyone looked at Angel.

"What?" Cordelia, Faith and Fred asked together.

"Warlocks, minions—they're all evil. Sold their kids to the devil. Let's just wipe 'em all out. We got the power to do that, right?"

Stick, who had been watching from a corner, walked off to Matt's office, who was reading through several files of clients, looking disgusted.

"That bad, eh?" Stick asked.

"Worse", Matt scoffed. "What is it?"

"Soulboy is losing it, I think its best if you and the others get him to rest a bit", Stick told Matt.

"Right, thanks for the heads up", Matt said as he got up, nodding at Stick, and walked out.

Cordelia helped Angel to his penthouse as Matt stood at the door, and she made him sit down. "Stay here, I'll get some water."

She walked out and told Matt. "Don't let him leave."

"Noted", Matt said as he walked to Angel. "You're barely on your feet, man."

Angel groaned. "I, uh, I think... I—I think I'm sick."

Matt pointed out. "Vampires don't get sick."

Angel groaned again. "I don't feel right."

"Well, that's understandable. You've got a lot on your mind. Must be hard adjusting to the new situation."

"Situation?"

"Finally coming to grips with the truth... that you're irrelevant."

"What?"

"It's difficult to face, I know. But things could've been much worse. Spike's arrival's made it better", Matt took a wooden stake out. "It'll make this a lot easier."

"Wha—what? What are you—" Matt staked Angel in the chest; Angel screamed.

Angel awakened in his apartment, sitting on the edge of his bed, gasping. He wasn't staked, and no one else was in the room.

A man and woman were huddled a Spike tossed a Vamp near them before one jumped him from behind and threw him down.

Spike kicked him back as the previous kicked him. He then decked the first after blocking his blow and as the other tried to leap from a car, Spike swept his feet from under him, making him fall on the car.

Another punched him but he ducked the next blow and swept his feet from under him too, then getting up, revealed he'd trigger stakes in his sleeves, and as the Vamps charged from either side, he dusted them both.

"It's all right. You're safe now."

The man and woman stood as the man asked. "What were those things?"

"You're better off not knowing, believe me", Spike turned to walk away.

The woman asked. "Wait. Who are you?"

Spike didn't turn to face them but hung his head and said softly. "I'm the hero."

The next morning, Wesley walked up to Harmony's desk holding an inter-office mail envelope. "Harmony, I need you to run these to accounting. Tell them it's about the warlock situation."

Harmony revealed. "I'm not allowed to talk to accounting without Angel's approval. I accidentally authorized a few bath-of-the-month subscriptions. On accident."

Wesley handed her the envelope. "Give them my authorization code. Have them cut a check, send it immediately."

Eve walked off the elevator holding an etched stone fragment. "That's the spirit—solving problems by throwing money at them. You're starting to get the hang of this job."

"Something I can help you with, Eve?"

"Lookin' for the big man."

"He's indisposed right now. What can I do for you?"

"Yeah, sorry, but I gotta go straight to Angel on this one."

Wesley pointed out. "Whatever you've got there, Angel's just gonna hand it off to me anyway, so you may as well show it to me now."

"Fair enough", Eve handed the relic fragment to Wesley, who looked it over. "The Senior Partners are very interested in this. I don't know what it is, to be honest, and I get the sense that they don't, either. But they must suspect it's powerful because they're chomping at the bit to learn whatever they can."

Wesley assured her. "We'll do our best."

"Probably goes without saying, but—"

"I'll have it for you as soon as possible."

Lilah walked in and told Eve. "Thank you, now get out."

Eve scoffed and walked off as Lilah told Wesley. "They made HER the liaison? I could throw a bone at the janitors and pick a better candidate."

Wesley was later showing the relic fragment Eve gave him to Fred. "She didn't say much else, only that it needed to be done as soon as possible."

Gunn knocked on the door and came in. "You guys are gonna want to see this." He handed papers to Wesley. "Been getting reports of a vigilante prowling the streets last night. A Vampire, apparently."

Wesley sat at his desk. "Angel never left his penthouse." He read the report. ""Vigilante reportedly killed 2 Vampires at a gas station.""

"And it was Angel?" Fred asked.

Gunn added. "Read the description."

""Medium build, black leather coat...platinum blond hair."" Fred and Gunn looked at each other and sighed.

"I patrolled last night but it was at the south side of the city", Matt said as he walked in. "While Faith was working overtime." Which would have been a shock to all those who knew her younger self, considering she was now prioritizing working in an office over ass kicking. "I'll find Spike."

"Thanks", Gunn said as Matt tapped his shoulder and walked out.

Angel was groaning feverishly on his bed as Cordelia entered and saw, then walked out, deciding to tell the others that something clearly was wrong with him.

Angel walked around in the building, then looked out the window to see red skies.

"What the hell?" He muttered.

"Get down, you're blocking the apocalypse!" Lorne called out.

"What? I've to get out there, I have to-"

"Spike will take care of it", Fred assured.

"And Matt too", Cordelia added.

"Matt? What-"

Then all looked out to see Adam standing tall outside, with all Demons bowing to him as Mephisto patted Adam's shoulder like a proud father.

"Oh boy…."

Cordelia saw Eve almost stepping into the hallway but on seeing her turned the other way and walked off, an action which Cordelia noticed.

She started following Eve, about to call out her when Lorne called out. "Cordy!"

"What?" Cordelia asked, turning to Lorne, then turned to see Eve had gone and asked. "What's the matter? I was this close to-"

"The nipper, he's sick, screaming, face losing all color, his and mine both", Lorne revealed in alarm as Cordelia's eyes widened.

"Come on! Get him to medical!" Cordelia immediately said as the two ran back to where Connor was.

Angel was in a house, a suburban place clearly, and walked around, listening to a woman's and a child's voice, and walked in to see Cordelia helping a 5 year old Connor with homework.

"There you go", Cordelia said as Connor finished his homework. "You're a genius."

"Thanks mama", Connor and Cordelia kissed on the cheeks as he said. "I love you."

"Love you too", Cordelia kissed his forehead as Connor walked to Angel's direction, only to walk through him, to his horror, and Cordelia didn't seem to notice him either.

"Don't forget your helmet", Cordelia called out as Connor walked out.

"Yes mama", Connor said.

"What the…?" Angel wondered, looking between the two. "What's happening? Connor! Cordy!"

"Oh!" Cordelia finally seemed to notice Angel. "You! No, you go out and make messes, leave me and Connor alone, you have no place in our lives."

And then Angel incinerated into nothingness.

Spike opened the door of his new apartment to see Matt. "Mate."

"Hey", Matt and Spike shook hands as Matt walked in. "Would say nice place but can't see it."

The two chuckled as Matt said. "Well, at least you've a place in the city even if you don't stay with us."

"You want me to or what?" Spike asked.

"Your call", Matt shrugged. "Heard you're saving people now, fighting the good fight."

"Someone has to", Spike pointed out, closing the door.

"Tell me, really, why are you doing this Spike? You can fight the good fight as an Avenger too, why do you stay?" Matt inquired, out of curiosity, there was no malice in his words.

Spike sighed, looking down, then looked back up at Matt. "Never really was sure about joining the Marvel Merry Marching Society. I joined 'em, because Buffy did, I was following her. But….." Spike rubbed his head. "Ever since I am good, haven't been able to do things on my terms. I love Buffy, always will, we will be together forever, but back at the crater, I followed her way, as an Avenger, I followed the Captain's way, never tried to do my thing. Figured its time to get back to my own thing now, and I like doing this."

Matt smiled, even if he couldn't check Spike's heartbeat, he got the sincerity and assured Spike. "I'm happy you're doing this, people need someone like you." He added. "But you're not alone. Buffy, Cap and the Avengers may not be in Los Angeles, but we are. All of us."

Spike nodded and added. "Be careful though where you are. Place like that changes you."

In his latest dream, Angel looked down to see the blue slimy creature is on his chest, munching away. He put his left hand over it and pulled it off of his chest.

The instant Angel pulled the creature off of his chest, he awakened with a fright. He was still holding the creature in his hand. It screeched, and he squeezed it to death, still gasping from the pain.

"Wow. You killed junior." Angel turned to see Eve standing at his bedroom door holding a box.

"Eve?"

Eve walked towards Angel. "I'm not here, Angel. You're dreaming. But don't worry. The dream's almost over."

"And the nightmare has just begun, bitch."

Eve turned to see Stick standing there, and before she could say a word, he decked her hard, knocking her out, then grabbing a sword, impaled another large blue slimy creature which Eve had in her box.

He held the dying creature up on his sword and turned to the disoriented Angel. "You better not have been expecting a kiss."

Cordelia and Lorne were examining Connor with a doctor as the doctor opened a little light, when Cordelia noticed a bit of a powder on his onesie, and took the light, examining it. "What's this?"

"Wait, handkerchief", the doctor brought one and took the powder on that as Lorne sniffed it and his eyes widened.

"Oh boy!" Lorne commented.

"What?" Cordelia asked.

"It's called Unmere", Lorne revealed to Cordelia, then explained. "This powder makes ya cough and lose body heat as long as you have it on you, once it goes off, you're back to normal, and its not supposed to be used on babies."

Cordelia clutched her fists, anger surging through her. "Someone made Connor sick."

Her phone then rang and she saw who it was. "Hello? Angel lis- What? We're coming right now!"

The whole team stood together in Angel's penthouse as Wesley explained. "It was a Selminth parasite. Its teeth inject an anesthetic, making the host oblivious to its presence. You'd never know you had it on you." Angel drank a glass of blood. "Pumps neurotoxins into the body causing paralysis, hallucinations, fever dreams."

Fred realized. "So if it had continued, Angel would have been stuck in a permanent vegetative state."

"Thank you Stick", Cordelia said gratefully to him.

"Not a problem, princess, just keep it in mind", Stick shrugged as all now turned to the bound Eve.

"Look, guys, I wasn't trying to-"

"Trying to kill me, I can forgive, but you MADE MY SON SICK!" Angel screamed in rage, making Eve lose her voice at that point.

"You are low to do that to a baby, at least that Potential in Sunnydale only insulted him, you went after him", Groo said to Eve in disgust.

"No low people like you can't reach to", Faith added angrily.

Cordelia walked up to Eve and punched her hard, breaking her nose as Eve gasped in pain. "You come near that boy again and I'll rip out your hair and shoes and feed them to you, fashion sense be damned!"

Then Lorne of all people punched Eve too, making her fall down. "Don't even think about looking at the munchkin now, or I'll kill you before anyone else here can raise a finger."

Lorne being this angry and threatening spoke volumes about how far Eve had gone.

All of them, even Lilah, were glaring at Eve, horrifying her as she was too scared to talk, while Matt's Hell-Mark, fists and eyes were alight with fire, Adam clearly pissed off.

A while later, all of them were in another room nearby as Gunn asked. "So, what do we do?"

"Rip her throat out", Lilah shrugged. "I mean, that's what you lot would have loved to do to me."

"Are the Partners involved here?" Wesley wondered.

"Doubt it, they're evil but they wouldn't try to turn us against them", Stick pointed out.

"Which means she is working for someone else", Cordelia realized. "Let's make her talk."

"I'll go first", Faith told them all.

"I'm coming with you", Matt added.

"Whoever it is, just make her talk", Angel said with a snarl.

"Yes, going after the nipper went too far", Lorne agreed.

"I am sure they can do it", Groo nodded as Matt and Faith walked out and went back to the room where she was tied up, only to realize she was gone now.

Faith trailed off. "What the…?"

Angel was in his office with a now well Connor as the whole team arrived, regretful.

"She's gone", Matt said remorsefully. "I'm sorry."

"How did she escape though?" Cordelia wondered. "There is so much security here."

"Whoever she works for must have something too", Faith realized. "That's why she managed to get away."

"Well, if she ever steps foot in here again, we know what to do", Lorne snarled.

"She's so gonna pay", Fred agreed with a growl.

"She went after my son…." Angel trailed off, looking at Connor who was looking back at him. "My son…"

"Dada."

Everyone turned to Connor, as Angel's eyes widened.

"Did you just say-"

"Dada."

Everyone, except Lilah went 'awwwww', as Angel picked Connor up happily, looking at the rest. "He called me 'dada'."

"Nipper is talking!" Lorne said happily. "Only a matter of time before he has a better singing voice than daddy."

All chuckled as Faith cooed at him. "You're so sweet, kiddo, you talk now, can't wait for you to say 'Aunt Faith'." That brought some more chuckles.

"Dada."

That made them 'awwww' again as Matt commented. "Great job, kid."

"He has such a sweet voice", Fred added, kissing his forehead.

"Yes, he made us all happy again", Wesley said.

"Little man knows how to light up the place", Gunn quipped as Connor played with his tie. "He likes my tie, maybe we should get him a suit."

The image was adorable in their heads as Groo said. "He learnt to talk before I did too."

"Well, kid's breaking records eh?" Lilah commented.

"Yeah, looks like it", Stick agreed with a smirk.

"You are so, so nice", Cordelia took Connor from Angel, cooing at him. "Yes, that is your dada!" She pointed at Angel as Connor again said. "Dada!"

More 'awww's as Cordelia said. "Now, say mama."

"Dada!"

"No, mama!"

"Dada!"

Cordelia groaned and sighed. "Fine, just dada is fine for now, but I'm getting a 'mama' out of you soon."

Finally done, thanks a lot to Brainstorm Sorcerer for his help once more.

Lindsey's pitch was a bit different than canon here, since no amulet or resurrections, but Spike being an Avenger is not public knowledge, so him knowing that gave him some credit.

Then, you'd have noticed, Cordelia hasn't got any visions in this story so far, so Lindsey used that as proof that the PTB are done with Angel and Cordelia, and are replacing them with Spike and 'Doyle' as the Champion and Seer respectively.

But Spike here isn't hostile to Team Angel like in canon, he's just doing his own thing, being a free agent, so no one's gonna look like the bad guy…other than Lindsey!

For Angel's dreams, one dream was about Mephisto and Adam together bringing the apocalypse and the other was basically Cordelia and Connor living a happy suburban life as mother and son with no room for Angel.

Eve is exposed here but escaped, because Lindsey saved her. With his tattoos he snuck in, saved Eve and went off with none the wiser, so that's what happened.

Now no 'Damage' because Dana was never activated in this series, plus we have no Bastardrew, fortunately, so we move on to 'You're Welcome' directly. Of course my version won't be gut-punching like the actual one, but I hope I make it really enjoyable.

Since there's no 'Damage', we're now done with half of the Season, YAY!

Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.