Heyyy! I know it's been a while, but I finally found the time (and motivation) to write and upload the next update. I promise I won't wait another three months to upload again, lol.

Anywho, I hope you enjoy the chapter! Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think! :)

"You son of a-" I lash out, launching myself towards Nick.

"Woah, woah!" I hear Quinn and Brittany yell simultaneously as I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist and hold me back.

I keep thrashing, knowing I can bust out of Brittany's hold, to get my hands on the bastard standing in front of me.

Quinn's able to see Brittany's struggle, so she sticks out her arm and I suddenly feel like I can't move any further. My body stays in place, even as I try to move around, securing me in Brittany's arms.

"Really, Quinn?" I ask frustratedly. What's the problem with kicking the shit out of the creep in the room?

"Santana, listen to him," she says calmly, gesturing to the man. He's standing rigid in his spot, eyes widening in fear.

"Why are you siding with him? He's the one that snuck in here and caused all this shit to happen! God, just let me get my hands-"

"No!" Quinn interrupts me, her hand still in place, keeping my body still. "Just…listen."

I narrow my eyes but turn my attention over to Nick. There's really nothing else I can do since I'm practically a statue at this point.

"I know how to help you," he mutters. He takes a deep breath and raises his hands in defense, stepping closer to Quinn. "I know what's going on with your friend."

"She's a lot more than just my friend, you prick, but that means absolutely nothing to me. Who cares if you know what's going on? I'm not surprised…I kinda figured you knew since you said you work for Rory." I spit his name out with disgust and can feel my blood pressure rising with every second I spend not punching his lights out.

"Look, I know what I did was wrong - but it's not like I had a choice!" he says exasperatedly. "Rory's like this - this parasite - and once you get in, you're stuck with him for life. You do as he says or…" He trails off, looking to the ground.

"That's bullshit. Just because Rory recruits you, or whatever the fuck you wanna call it, doesn't mean you're stuck. Here are three examples of that." I avert my eyes to Quinn and raise my eyebrow since I can't really move my head. "So try again."

"It's not the same…once you actually become a part of his squad, you're his. Quinn's the one exception we've had but, to this day, Rory still has tabs on her. She never really got out."

"Wait, what?" Quinn asks in surprise, snapping her head over to the man. "He's been tracking me this whole time?"

"Well, yeah," he says, his face making a duh expression. "You didn't think it was that easy to get away, did you?"

Quinn looks to the ground in defeat, obviously thinking that was the case. "He hasn't given me any trouble since then…"

"Because he knows when to strike. Coming after you would directly involve The Shadow League, and he wanted to avoid that at all costs."

"Why?" I ask. "If he's so powerful, why's he scared of The Shadow League?"

"He's not scared. He just doesn't want to rock the boat. If he starts a battle with The Shadow League, that takes time away from his plan development."

"What plan?" Quinn asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Seeing her hand move away from me, I assume I'm able to move again, but when I try to take a step forward, I'm still rooted in my spot. Dammit.

Nick lets out a heavy sigh and runs his finger through his hair. "Okay…I'm only telling you this because I trust you, Quinn. And I really don't want to see anyone get hurt."

Quinn nods in agreement.

"Well, long story short, he's trying to take over the city. He just doesn't have enough manpower to do it yet," he says cryptically.

"What do you mean?" Quinn asks, brows furrowing.

"He's trying to recruit a female Warbler. Once he gets that, he's set to start conquering city after city until he feels satisfied."

"Why does he want to conquer the city?" Quinn speaks again. My eyes widen as I'm surprised by her question choice. Why wouldn't she ask the obvious question first?

"Uh…I'm more curious about why he needs a female Warbler." I cut in, looking at them expectantly.

"Oh…I forgot you still aren't up to date with everything," Quinn says nonchalantly, turning back to face Brittany and me. "Female supers are more powerful, to put it simply. Their powers strengthen a lot quicker, they're more agile than males, and they have a higher chance of obtaining more than two powers - all of them likely some type of unstoppable one, in some cases."

I furrow my brows, confused.

"It has something to do with the way female's metabolism works - I don't know the exact details," Nick pipes up. "But that's why Rory wants to recruit one as the new head of the Warblers. That was actually why he captured you, Santana." He waves his hand in my direction.

I can feel my features soften at his words. Everything's starting to make sense now.

"After Quinn left, the power of his army decreased by like 40%...he's been looking for a replacement ever since."

"And he hasn't been able to find one after all these years?" Quinn looks confused. "That doesn't make any sense."

"He wanted someone that already had powers… preferably someone that had powers but didn't know how to use them yet." They both look over at me, somber written on both their faces.

If Quinn hadn't bailed me out, there's no telling what would've happened to me.

"And you were the perfect candidate…until Quinn busted you out," he continues. "But, by both of you doing that, he got really angry…he started to care less about the general idea of having a female Warbler - he just wanted to make sure you both got hurt in the end. He started coming after you in any way he knew how that still assured he wouldn't be picking a fight with The Shadow League."

"Brittany," Quinn mutters, looking dumbfounded. I open my mouth to say something, but no words come out. I feel my body go soft a moment later, and I'm able to freely move again.

I don't feel the same anger as before, though - at least, not towards Nick. The fact that he's telling us all this means he's not really with Rory. Instead of feeling any hatred for him, it's all directed at that slimy green-wearing asshole.

"He wanted to turn her," Quinn mutters again. There's a heavy air in the room now as the weight of the situation comes crashing down.

I feel a hand slide slowly down my arm until slender fingers intertwine with mine. I squeeze Brittany's hand for comfort as I look back and forth between Nick and Quinn.

Quinn looks dazed as Nick looks around apologetically.

"That's - uh…that's what he injected into her neck," he says as he points to the bruise still present on Brittany's neck.

I turn to look at the spot and notice how it doesn't seem to be glowing anymore. It just looks like a normal bruise.

It's quiet for a moment, everyone letting the new information sink in. Brittany and I make eye contact, and I give her a small reassuring smile as I wrap my free hand around our connected ones.

She's looking at me with so much concern, but I can tell she isn't worried about herself.

"God, I feel like such an idiot!" Quinn exclaims, snapping everyone's attention to her. She starts pacing back and forth, wringing her hands through her scalp. "I worked with him for years! How did I not see this?"

"Quinn," Nick moves and lays a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

"Don't, Nick!" She pushes his hand off of her. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on him-"

"There's no way you could've known, Quinn!" Nick exclaims, trying to stop her pacing.

"Yes, there is! I know Rory inside and out, so none of this should come as a shock…I should've seen it coming. It all makes sense now, and I should've done something-"

"Listen," he says sternly, grabbing both her shoulders to stop her pacing. "Would you let me explain?"

"You have explained," she bites back, and I don't think I've ever seen Quinn so angry.

"Not this part," he says calmly. He turns his body to face all three of us as he continues. "That." He points to Brittany's neck. "Is Rory's formula. He's the only one that knows about it - what it's made of, what it does - so there's no way for anybody here to have known about it. Not even the doctor could've been able to detect it."

"But if Rory's the only one that knows about it, how do you know that that's what he injected in her?" I ask, now sort of confused about the new information.

"Nick and I worked with Rory at the same time," Quinn speaks up. "I got out, he didn't. He's been there for years."

"That still doesn't explain how he knows about it," I argue.

"I don't know much about it," he clarifies. "I know it's the Warbler serum, and I know Rory's really protective over it. He doesn't want the formula getting out, so he's adamant about keeping it secret."

"But Brittany's not at the compound anymore," Quinn says, stating the obvious.

He nods. "That's where I come in…" he says solemnly.

I put my hand protectively over Brittany and push her behind me. "Oh, like hell you're coming anywhere near her again," I say defensively. "I've already beat the shit out of you once, and I have no problem doing it again."

"Look, if you don't send Brittany with me, Rory's gonna come after her himself. Believe me, that's the last thing you want," he tries to reason. "Now, I promise to keep her safe, but she has to come back to the compound with me."

"And what are you gonna do if I don't?" I challenge.

He lets out a sigh and looks to Quinn, seemingly for backup, but she's glaring at him with her eyes narrowed.

He grumbles in annoyance before yanking down the collar of his shirt in frustration. "See this?" He cranes his neck so we can all get a view of the tiny incision made near his collarbone. It's barely visible, but there's a small blinking light that can be seen if you look hard enough. "That's a tracker. If I don't get her back to the compound within 42 hours, he's coming for me."

"Oh no," Santana mocks. "See, I would be concerned - but that really sounds like a you problem. Frankly, when it comes to Britt's, I don't give a fuck what he does to you as long as she's safe."

"You really think he's just going to leave well enough alone once he takes care of me?" He raises his eyebrows with a look that says really? "Pull down her shirt."

"Excuse me?" I bite. "What the hell are you-?"

Quinn walks over to Brittany briskly and pulls down the collar of her shirt in the same fashion Nick did. Looking at the newly exposed skin, my heart sinks at what's visible.

Almost identical to Nick's, Brittany has a small laceration just below her collarbone.

She has a tracker, too.

I turn back to Nick, shaking my head determinedly. "I don't care…let him come, then. I'm not sending her back there with you."

He sighs in defeat, seeming to know that I'm not gonna budge. He looks to Quinn and she shakes her head as well, being on the same page that I am.

"I'm not going to fight you for her," he says, defeated. "I would if it was anyone else - but I'm not fighting you, Quinn."

"Sounds good to me!" I exclaim happily. "Now, if you could ever so kindly fuck off and leave us be, that'd be much appreciated." I smile.

"No." He shakes his head, and I grit my teeth together at his insistence. "If Rory's gonna come for both of us, we might as well try to fight him together," he shrugs.

"That way, we'll have a better chance," Quinn says.

He gives us a small smile in return before folding his hands over in front of him.

"Wait…" I speak up. "But would he come here? To The Shadow League's headquarters, I mean."

Nick purses his lips in thought…I guess he didn't think that part over. "You're right…he wouldn't come here first. Only if he had to."

"So what do you think he's gonna do, then?"

"I'm not sure," he sighs. "I'd say our safest bet would be to stay here just in case. He can make all the threats he wants, but he wouldn't touch this place if he didn't absolutely have to."

Everyone nods, seeming satisfied with his suggestion. But there's still one thing that seems off to me.

"What about everything close to us?" I ask.

"Like the surrounding area?" Nick clarifies. "No, I don't think he'd come near this place if he didn't have to."

"No, no," I wave him off. "I mean, like everything close to us…like personally. Our jobs, our homes…our friends." I gulp at the last words, realizing how big of a situation this could turn into.

"Shit," Quinn mutters, realizing I have a point. "What are we gonna do about that?"

Nick looks at the ground, thinking deeply about our solution. "We could bring everyone here?" he offers. "I mean, that's not going to save your personal belongings or your home, but it'll keep the people safe."

Quinn shakes her head. "We can't bring them here…no one can know about The Shadow League."

Nick gives us an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, but you might have to."

"Mike would never allow it," Quinn says.

"Would he still feel the same way if he knew about the circumstances?" Nick questions.

Quinn doesn't get to answer, though, before I speak up with a question of my own.

"Speaking of, where is Mike?" I direct my question to Nick…you know, since he's the one that came in here disguised as him.

"Oh," Nick rubs the back of his neck and looks down sheepishly. "Yeah, he's at home…I knocked him out and tied him up in his closet."

My eyes widen and I take an aggravated step towards him, but he throws his hands up in defense as he backs up.

"Wait, wait…he's perfectly fine. No harm done to him whatsoever."

"Maybe physically," Quinn mutters with a slight snicker. I turn to glare at her, but she just looks at the ceiling like she's not even paying attention.

"W-we can go get him? Explain everything?" he offers. "We have another-" He looks down at the watch on his wrist. "26 hours before Rory comes."

I narrow my eyes at him, holding my stare for a few moments just to intimidate him.

"Fine," I relent. "Quinn, you stay with Britt."

"What? No, I'm coming with you," Brittany says, stepping forward. It's the first time she's spoken since Nick's identity was revealed.

"Britt, that's crazy," I say, and try to ignore the small flicker of pain that flashes across her face at my words. "You're not fully recovered yet."

"Yes, I am," she argues. "I'm coming with you," she says with finality as she turns to try and find some clothes to change into.

"Brittany, this isn't up for debate, okay? I love you, but you have to stay here with Quinn - it's the safest thing."

She looks back and forth between my eyes for a moment before shaking her head again.

Ugh! Why does she have to be so stubborn?

"I'm not letting you go alone with him." She nods her head over to Nick, who looks kind of offended at the remark. "I still don't trust him."

"Britt." I grab her hand with a small smile, admiring the way she's being protective. "I think I've already proved that I can beat his ass if he tries anything," I whisper.

"I can still hear you," he announces, causing Quinn to chuckle.

"Still," Brittany says with determination. "Quinn and I are coming, too."

"Woah, just gonna volunteer me?" she teases. "What if I wanted to stay here and eat more pudding cups?"

"Well, the cafeteria's probably closed, so that's not even an option," Brittany says absentmindedly as she finds her clothes on a nearby table and walks to the bathroom.

"Okay, okay, how about this?" I cut off her route and place my hands on either side of her arms. "What if I give you a timer? If I'm not back in an hour, you and Quinn can come looking for me."

"What if something happens and we can't find you?" she challenges, face not wavering.

"It'll actually only take about 10 minutes," Nick interjects.

I turn to look at him in confusion. We're on the outskirts of Lima, and Mike lives in the middle of the city. It's easily a 20-minute drive one way.

"He has super speed," Quinn waves him off. "I think that's a good idea, Britt. It'll be quicker if only those two go."

Brittany takes a deep breath and looks back and forth between Quinn, Nick, and me.

"Fine," she eventually agrees. "But I'm keeping tabs on you." She points at me. "And if you're not back in 20 minutes…" She trails off, not knowing what she's going to do after that.

"I promise I'll be fine," I reassure, rubbing my hands up and down her arms.

"Look, I'll give you my work," Nick says. "No funny business. We're getting Mike and coming back here."

Brittany glares at him for a moment, determining whether he's being genuine or not. She eventually nods before taking a deep breath.

"Be careful…I love you."

"I love you, too, Britt." I reach up to place a chaste kiss on her lips, much to the chagrin of Quinn, who makes a yuck sound in the back. "Be back soon," I say with a smile as I turn and follow Nick out the door.

/

Nick was pretty accurate with his estimate on time. It took exactly nine minutes and forty-two seconds to get Mike back to The Shadow League's headquarters.

"What?! No, are you crazy? We can't tell everyone!" he exclaims after we explain the situation to him.

"What other option do we have, Mike? We don't want anyone to get hurt," Quinn says, crossing her arms over her chest defensively.

As soon as I got back, I found Brittany sitting on the edge of her bed, and I wasted no time joining her. We've been sitting close, hands intertwined, watching everything play out in front of us, making small glances at each other.

"I don't know, but this," Mike makes a huge circle with his arm, pointing to the floor. "Isn't an option."

"Now, Mike," Nick chimes in, taking a step towards him. "I understand your hesitance, but this really is our safest play."

"And why should we trust you, huh? Don't you work for Rory?" Mike says, and everyone has to admit he makes a good point.

I'm not really sure why we chose to trust him, actually…

"He's good for it, Mike," Quinn adds. "But we're gonna be in a big predicament if you don't get everyone evacuated."

Mike runs his hand through his hair and paces around the room. It's obvious he's stressed, but no one can blame him. I'd feel the same if I was in his position, that's for sure.

"Santana." He stops and turns to me, looking like he's had an epiphany. "What if we take everyone back home?" His eyes are lit with a new shine of hope.

"What?" I ask, my brows furrowing.

"We could bring everyone home - away from Rory. He wouldn't know where we are, so there'd be no way he could reach us even if he put out the threat."

I feel nerves flood through my system at his words. Going home wasn't ever something I thought I'd be doing, and I sure as hell don't want to go back now.

"You can take everyone there, keep them entertained or whatever, until you get the green light." He nods with a smile, urging me to agree.

"No way in hell am I going back there, Mike. It sounds like a good plan, but it seems too good to be true. Could we just escape Rory that easy?" I counter.

"No," Nick interrupts. "That's the problem…like I said earlier, he's had tabs on you this whole time. How do you think he knew you were in New York?"

My heart sinks when I realize his point. I knew something was up with that interaction between Sebastian and Blaine in New York - I just didn't know that Rory had been following our every move then.

"So bringing them here is our only option?" I ask to clarify.

When he nods, no one says anything; everyone's lost deep in thought.

"We still can't bring them here," Mike says determinedly.

"Mike, give it up!" For once, I'm not the one to lash out. I stay rooted in my spot as I watch Quinn practically explode, wringing her hands through her scalp before throwing her arms out to the side dramatically. "My God, is it that big of a deal?! So what if they know? If anything, it'll explain a lot."

"It'll put them in danger, Quinn," he says sternly. "I knew I shouldn't have told Brittany when I did, and look where that got her." He throws his hand in Brittany's direction, and I notice how her breath hitches at the new attention.

"Oh, don't give me that shit, Mike. That's not gonna happen. Besides, if Rory comes and we beat his ass, there are no more threats! Boom!" she says, like she just solved all the world's problems.

"Quinn, there are more threats out there other than Rory. Plus, we risk the secret getting out with the more people who know."

"You really think Tina would blab?" I ask, incredulous.

Tina may worry a lot, but she's definitely not a snitch. If you tell her something in secrecy, she'll ensure it stays that way.

"No, I don't mean it like that, Santana. I know they would never say anything intentionally."

"Well, I doubt they'd have many chances to say it on accident," Quinn argues. "Just bring them here…it's the only way to keep them safe." Her voice is soft on the last sentence, and Mike visibly softens at her words.

I can tell he's having an internal battle with himself. His face shows that he knows we're right - he just doesn't want to believe it.

"Mike," I say quietly, and it comes out almost like a beg. "Please."

He takes a deep breath and looks at me, setting his hands on his hips. He shakes his head and looks to the ground with a bitter laugh.

"If we don't have any other choice…" he mutters.

Quinn perks up at his words and takes a breath of relief. "Who do you want to go get them?"

He stays quiet for a long while, obviously hating this situation. "Santana and I can go, I guess. We're closest to them." He looks at Nick. "How much time do we have?"

"Just a little under 24 hours," he answers.

"Do you think we can wait until morning? It'll only be a few hours."

"Yeah, that should be fine." He nods. "Just make sure to get everything you need."

Mike nods and looks completely defeated as he starts walking to exit the room. "I'm going to get a few more hours of sleep…I'll probably need it for the day ahead." When he reaches the door's threshold, he turns to look at us. "I suggest you all do the same."

He walks out a second later, leaving the four of us in the room sitting in an awkward silence.

"I'll, uh-" Quinn points behind her to the door. "I think I'll get some sleep too - doesn't sound like a bad idea," she says before stepping backward slowly to exit.

"Same," Nick nods and follows quickly behind Quinn, leaving Brittany and me alone in the room.

As soon as everyone's gone, I shut my eyes tightly and bow my head down. This is all a huge fucking mess. I hate how everything's turned upside down within the span of 12 hours.

Earlier that night, we were all planning to have our friend's night. Brittany and I had been discussing what game we would play and joking about pizza…now look where we are.

We're sitting in a medical ward, after I rescued Brittany from Rory's kidnapping, wishing everything was back to the way things were a few hours ago.

"Hey, you okay?" Brittany asks, her voice sounding so soft and comforting.

For a moment, I consider telling her I was fine - that we should cuddle up and go back to bed - but I can't seem to make the words come out of my mouth.

The lump in the back of my throat is becoming larger by the second, and the prickling at the corner of my eyes is so strong that where I know if I open my eyes, all the tears are going to rush out.

I shake my head and let out a soft "no" since that seems to be all I can say at the moment. She wraps her arms around my shoulders, bringing my head to rest on her chest.

I feel my face screw up with emotion, unable to hold it in any longer, as I let the sobs escape my mouth. Brittany starts rocking back and forth, running her fingers through my hair and making soft, comforting whispers in my ear.

"Shh, it's okay," she whispers, continuing to comfort me as I let it all out.

"Everything's just so fucked up," I choke out, trying to take deep breaths through the sobs. I'm starting to feel like I can't breathe.

"Come here," she whispers before ushering our bodies backward on the bed until our backs hit the pillows.

The cries have somewhat calmed down after a few more minutes once my eyes feel like they have no more tears left to cry. I sit up slowly, deciding I'm done being a crybaby for the day, and look at her fully.

When we make eye contact, she looks utterly heartbroken at my current state. She brings her thumbs up to brush my cheeks, wiping away the tear tracks. "Do you want to talk about it?" she says, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear.

"Not tonight." I look down at our laps and shake my head. "I just want to forget about everything for a few hours."

"You want to try to get some sleep?"

"I doubt I'd be able to." I let out a bitter chuckle. "You probably need to rest, though, so we should lay down."

I reach behind me to grab the comforter and lay down, but she stills my movement as I outstretch my arm.

"Santana…I'm not going to be able to sleep unless you're okay," she murmurs. "Please talk to me."

I shake my head. "I can't, Britt. I'm too exhausted right now - nor do I actually want to talk about it." I try to ignore the look of hurt that quickly flashes in her eyes.

"Okay," she says after a moment. "I'm not going to pressure you."

I give her a small smile, even though I know it looks forced. "Thank you."

I reach for the blanket again and pull it over our bodies as we lay back to rest on the mattress. Brittany lifts her arm in the air, allowing my body to fit comfortably underneath it.

I lay down and snuggle into her chest, listening to her steady heartbeat in my ear. My body feels so tired, but I know I have a sleepless night ahead of me.

And judging by her breathing pattern, taking occasional deep breaths that release into a quiet sigh, Brittany does, too.

"I love you," I mutter as I lean up and press a quick kiss to her chest, near where her heart is located.

"I love you, too," she replies quietly and squeezes her arm around me tighter.

Even though everything seems to be crashing down on me at once; even though I know I have a day full of stress ahead; even when I know that things have a good possibility of getting worse for the time being; I feel as calm as possible - given the circumstance - wrapped in Brittany's embrace.

Part of me wishes that time could stop, or everything else could just go away or solve itself, so I can stay right here with her forever.