ELEMENTUM LIBERO

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Angel or any of the characters, exept for maybe Mabon (my version of him anyway), but other than that I own nothing.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm not totally sure why I'm writing this fic. The plot just came to me and wouldn't leave me alone till I had regurgitated it out of myself. I thought that maybe someone might (and that's a big "might") enjoy it. I swear on my honour, that this will be the only "serious" fic, or OC-fic for the matter, that I'll ever publish on Despite all this, I will appreciate any and all reviews.

SUMMARY: While searching for a small statue the Fang Gang frees an elemental. But what can they do when demons come searching for him?

GENRE: I'd say this is pretty general with some drama on the side (I tried to keep in the same mood as the series itself).

PAIRINGS: No clear romantic pairs, some hints to Angel/Cordy and Fred/Wesley. Heavy Fred/OC friendship (if you want to count that as a pairing).

SPOILERS: Nothing clear. The story takes place in the early (pre-Connor) part of season 3.

CHAPTER 1-BREAKING IN-

Gunn peeked through the window of the elegant little villa. There was no sign of life within the house.

"Looks like no one's home."

"Well, that'll just make our work all the more easier," Wesley said as he inspected the door.

Gunn moved next to Wesley. According to a rumour that was circulating the underworld, a sect calling themselves the "Casotrosian Brotherhood" were planning on resurrecting an ancient army. The only catch was that in order to do that the Casotrosians needed the physical remains of the army which was the blood of the army that had been soaked into a small alabaster statue of a dog.

It was obvious that the Casotrosians had not found the statue, if they had the army would have been running rampant around LA by the time the Fang Gang heard the rumour. After pulling some connections Lorne had found out that the last known owner of said statue was a metallurgy demon by the name of Bernard. At the present, since it was daytime, Wesley and Gunn were trying to force their way into Bernard's home.

Finally Gunn grew tired of Wesley's procrastination and rammed his shoulder against the door, it did not move. Gunn took a few steps back and gave it another try. A crack announced that the lock had given away and Gunn, rubbing his sore shoulder, stepped in.

"You know, you could've just used your axe."

Gunn gave Wesley a nasty look, "I hate it when you make sense."

Wesley smiled and moved on quick to observe the tasteful decor of the villa. "The most likely place would be the study. What do you think?"

"I think we should find the statue soon and get out before this Bernard comes home."

"Agreed. Yell if you find anything." With that said Wesley and Gunn headed into separate directions.

Gunn walked around the villa holding onto his axe with both hands. Just because it looked as if Bernard was not home did not mean that some nasty surprise could not be waiting around any corner.

Gunn sighed in frustration, there was nothing that resembled the statue. Suddenly he heard faint music coming from behind a door that was slightly ajar. He crept next to the door and flung it open.

"Wes! I think I might have found something!"

As Gunn entered what looked like a library Wesley came pounding in behind him. "What is it?"

Gunn gestured at the shelves, filled with an array of old items. Bottles, scrolls, statues, everything imaginable lined the walls. It did not take Gunn much time to also spot a radio which had be tuned to play soft classical music.

"Why'd he leave that on?" Gunn asked and moved to close the radio.

Wesley stepped in Gunn's path. "I wouldn't do that. The music might be there to sooth some power within one of the items. Let's just look for the statue."

Wesley looked through the shelf on the left as Gunn examined the one on the right. After a while they both turned to each other with disappointed faces.

"Nothing. You?"

Gunn shrugged. "Nope. I guess Lorne's connections need an update."

"Yes, perhaps," Wesley mused. He glanced at the radio, noticing a simple iron box placed on the table next to it.

Wesley looked carefully at the box, it was completely out of cast-iron, the odd thing was that it appeared to have no lock on it. The lid seemed to have been welded shut and had an inscription carved on the welding.

"Only to be opened by a pure heart?" Wesley read out loud.

"Why would a demon have something like that?"

"Not sure." Wesley lifted the box up and turned it around in his hands, no further clues as to what it was for.

"You know. If Bernard was afraid that someone was gonna steal the statue, he could get someone to seal it in there."

"I doubt he would need help. He's a metallurgy demon, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Still, he could've put the statue there."

"I guess it's our best shot." Wesley laid the box back on the table and took a firm hold of the lid. But once he tried to open it a small spark of electricity shocked his fingertips.

As Wesley moved back, shaking his hands to make the tinkling feeling leave, Gunn laughed. "Looks like someone hasn't got a pure heart."

A wicked smirk crossed Wesley's face, he picked the box up and thrust it at Gunn's direction. "I'd like to see you try."

"Hey, I don't need a shock on the fingers to know my heart's less than clean. Let's take it pack to the hotel and figure out a way to open it there."

"Very well."

A/N: There you go, the first chapter. Pretty boring, but these first chapters often are. Hopefully things will pick up for the second chappy.