Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel Cinematic Universe, Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Guest: Thank you for the review and Kennedy sure did, LOL! Glad to hear it. I think it was more Buffy experimenting with her sexuality and going through a phase than explicitly being bisexual or lesbian. I don't mind bisexual Buffy tbh, since I love her with Faith, and didn't mind the Satsu thing either. After Ensouled Spike, Faith is my favorite pairing for Buffy easily, and the Satsu thing was okay though I don't have very strong feelings about it either way. Agreed on Angel too, I love Angel with Cordelia, and also liked him with Nina Ash. Plus, while the Darla thing can only work under certain circumstances, I found their love story tragic and compelling still so I like it, while I wouldn't have minded some Angel/Gwen either, even if I prefer Gunn/Gwen. No kidding on what they did to Cordy either, that was so stupid and petty by Whedon. If you're reading the DD/Angel fic, hope you like what I'm doing with Cordy more, since I removed the bullcrap with Connor, and I have some plans for the whole thing.
Chapter 13- Revenge
Wood fought a Vampire, decking it and kicking it away, and then charged but was flipped onto a car.
Spike was nearby and ducked another Vamp's strike who was trying to attack with a shovel and kicked his face.
Buffy's neck was grabbed by another but she pushed him back and ducked a kick which shattered concrete behind him.
Peter weaved to avoid a Vamp's strike and kicked him off before flipping another one over his shoulder.
Wood managed to kick his Vamp off as Spike struck the one against and punched him back and Buffy punched her Vamp, then blocking a strike, grabbed him in a chokehold before running up the concrete and flipping to his other side. She then kicked him back.
The Vamp against Spike struck with his shovel but Spike grabbed the shovel and hurled the Vamp to the other side onto a trash can, and twirling the shovel, used its wooden part to stake the Vamp.
Buffy managed to punch her Vamp off and staked him, and then Peter webbed two Vamps and pulled them to either side to Buffy and Spike, who staked them both too, the former with the stake and the latter with the shovel.
Wood was being pounded on as Buffy called out. "Spike!" She gestured to Wood as she and Peter decided to take on the remaining ones.
The Vamp threw Wood over some trashcans too as Wood rolled over them and fell down, the Vamp sneering at him, but turned to dust to reveal Spike behind.
"Little tip, mate", Spike offered Robin a hand to help him stand. "Stake's your friend. Don't be afraid to use it."
Spike started to walk away, but noticed Robin staring at him. "What?"
Robin just shook his head. He was squeezing his stake so tight that blood was oozing out between his fingers. He glared at Spike and mumbled under his breath. "Just waiting for my moment."
The group were fighting these Vamps to save 2 muggers who now stood up and started. "Oh thank you, thank you so-"
They were both webbed up by Peter in an instant and were on the ground as he said. "Don't worry, you won't be anyone's desserts, but you'll still get your just desserts."
Next day, Robin was peeking out of his window through the Levelor blinds, watching the students in the hallway. His hand was bandaged. Buffy and Peter walked up to his door.
"Situation still normal", Buffy shrugged. "Well, or as normal as this school ever sees.
Wood let go of the blinds. "So it appears." He turned.
Buffy put her purse down. "Well, no fires, no one's head's going kablooey. And the swing choir and the marching band have gone back to their normal, healthy seething resentment."
"And the Decathlon team's getting along in spite of being a little jealous of the more knowledgeable members", Peter spoke up.
"Well, you're more knowledgeable than them all so a lot of jealousy coming your way", Buffy shrugged as Peter sighed.
Robin smiled. "Yeah, it's been pretty quiet around here since you guys shut down that seal." He walked to them. "You just may have stopped this thing, Buffy."
Buffy wasn't convinced. "No, it can't be that easy."
Wood was surprised. "You call that easy?"
"Well, I averted this one without dying, or half the population dusting", Buffy pointed out to him.
"Me included", Peter added.
"Yeah, and no aliens were involved", Buffy finished too.
Wood looked down. "You know, you two are, uh...something else." He then looked at Buffy. "You know, I've been watching you and Faith when you're out patrolling, and you two, um— You remind me of my, um..."
"Your mother?"
"Yeah", Wood nodded, a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, what I remember of her, anyway."
Buffy chuckled and quipped. "Got to tell you, not a line every girl likes to hear, but—in this case—" she smiled, "compliment taken. Maybe you're right. Maybe everything is fine."
Giles walked up to Buffy and Peter. "Everything's terrible. Total catastrophe."
"Oh hey Giles", Peter greeted him with a smile.
Buffy inquired. "What's wrong?"
"Have you seen the new library?" Giles asked with a scoff. "There's nothing but computers. There's not a book to be seen."
"Well, computers do have more info-" Peter started but a look from Giles frightened him enough to shut up.
"I—I don't know where to begin, Buffy. I mean, who do we speak to?"
"Uh, that would—that would be me", Wood offered his hand to Giles. "Hi. I'm Robin Wood."
"Oh, sorry", Giles shook Robin's hand. "Giles, Buffy's Watcher. Sorry. Buffy tells me you're something of a freelance demon fighter."
Wood pointed to the door and closed it.
"Oh, yes, yes. I, um, I'm relieved. We've the Avengers and some SHIELD Agents, but never wrong to get more allies."
Buffy realized what this meant. "So, we didn't stop it, then?"
Robin sat behind his desk, Buffy sat on it, and Peter just stood.
Giles leaned forward on Wood's desk. "Uh, no, the seers at the coven are certain the First is continuing to gather its forces. I'm afraid war is inevitable." He stood. "So, we should go before the school board."
Wood was confused. "What?"
"Well, I can have my backup library", Buffy and Peter rolled their eyes, "sent from home in the mean time. It's not much, but—"
"Giles-"
"Knowledge comes from crafted bindings and pages, Buffy, not ones and zeros."
"Not if you want to learn programming languages, you get that knowledge from practising, no binding them in pages", Peter spoke up a loophole, and Giles realized the kid had got them there.
Buffy then asked. "So, did you bring back any Potentials?"
"No, outside of Satsu and Renee, didn't find anyone yet", Giles confessed to them.
"So, the First has anything working for it?" Wood asked.
Peter started. "Well, there was that Vampire-"
"Vampires, like Spike?" Wood asked, confusing them with the odd behavior.
"No, not like Spike, a prehistoric one", Buffy corrected him.
"Oh", Wood nodded and looked at Giles. This guy was a Watcher, he should see Wood's argument about Spike's threat and help him, right?
"So, how should I do it?" Curt wondered as he walked around, with Buffy, Peter, Willow, Tara, Dawn, Spike, Giles, Felicia, Bucky and Natasha in front of him. "Like, hit myself? Or do something to trigger it?"
"Well, since the First no longer controls you, don't think it'd be able to influence you", Willow pointed out to him.
"So if you focus, maybe you can have some control as the Lizard and be some help to us", Tara agreed with a shrug.
"And if I lash out?" Curt wondered.
"Why do you think so many of us are here?" Bucky pointed out to him. "It's to contain you and get you back to normal if anything goes wrong."
"I don't think anything shall go wrong, we trust you", Felicia assured him. "And, as someone who was controlled for a bit, don't be too hard on yourself."
"She's right", Dawn agreed.
"Thank you", Curt said and then told them. "Step back now."
"Come on", Peter told them as they stepped back a little.
Curt gritted his teeth and clutched his fists, trying to transform as he let out a grunt.
"Come on Doc, you can do this", Spike said in the most encouraging tone he could muster up.
Curt's skin slowly turned green and claws came out of his fingers, but then he roared and rushed to attack, only for Bucky to kick him back.
His transformation was continuing as Natasha ordered. "Willow, Tara."
Peter and Buffy held him down together as Willow and Tara grasped his head and chanted, bringing him back to normal as Curt gasped.
"Well, this was a failure for now, but it can be improved", Giles assured as Curt took deep breaths.
"I'm sorry", the Professor said as the four got off of him while Wood arrived.
"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.
"Thought you might need support", Wood shrugged, but Natasha narrowed her eyes, she could tell when someone was lying.
Why, she wasn't sure yet, but she knew Wood had just lied.
A while later, Willow and Tara sat with Xander and Anya in the living room as Xander shrugged. "Well, at least he tried."
"I think until he is sure he can do it, best to keep him chained up or he will eat us all in our sleep", Anya said and was shot weird looks. "What? I'm saying this for everyone's safety."
"I don't think he'll really transform unless he tries hard enough", Tara pointed out when Willow's phone rang.
"I'm getting this", she said as she walked a little distance away, and Fitz and Simmons at down nearby.
"You two are scientists, right? You have something that can make sure the good Professor stays a Professor?" Anya inquired to them.
"Or just control his transformation", Xander added.
"Well, we can make something like that", Simmons confirmed.
"But only with his consent, and it looks he wants to try his hand first", Fitz pointed out to the three.
Willow then walked back to them and turned to Tara.
"What is it?" Tara asked her.
"It's Fred, she says its important", Willow said as Tara's mind was now made up too.
Buffy, Peter, Spike and Dawn were downstairs with Curt when Willow and Tara arrived and the former called out. "Buffy? Hey, I, uh, just got a phone call. The two of us have to take off for a while. Maybe a day or two?"
Buffy was confused now. "What's wrong? And come on, Faith just left, now you two as well?"
"It's kind of important", Tara confirmed to Buffy.
Willow added. "Nothing you need to worry about for now. We'll give you the full scoop later. Maybe we'll even bring back some good news?"
"Or perhaps even more than good news", Tara suggested. "We won't be gone too long, don't worry."
Buffy sighed. "Could use a little of good news or more. OK."
"Be careful guys", Dawn said as she shared a hug with the two and a kiss on the cheek.
"Don't worry, we'll be back soon", Willow assured her with a kiss on the cheek too.
"Just keep it going while we're gone", Tara added with a kiss on the cheek as well.
"Good luck guys with whatever it is", Peter assured them.
"What about Doc though?" Spike asked while gesturing to him.
"Well, maybe I'm not trying hard enough because I know you two will stop me", Curt suggested, and they realized it could be a reason. "So you two should go now."
Buffy agreed. "I guess now is as good a time as we're likely to see much for a while. Just hurry back."
"Will do", Willow assured.
"Goodbye and good luck", Tara said as she and Willow walked upstairs.
Robin saw Giles and called out. "Mr. Giles... You got a moment?"
Giles inquired to him. "What's on your mind?"
"Spike", Wood confessed to Giles.
"What about Spike?" Giles inquired.
"Well, he might be a threat, right?" Wood asked. "He has a soul, but he'd still have his Vampire instincts and all that."
"Even if he was a threat, Buffy would never allow me to take him out", Giles pointed out.
"But a Slayer listens to her Watcher, right?" Wood inquired to him.
Giles simply shrugged. "I don't think you have much of an idea of the Watcher-Slayer dynamic."
Robin then finally made the big reveal. "As a matter of fact, I was raised by a Watcher."
Giles was surprised. "You were?"
"Bernard Crowley", Wood confirmed, giving the name too. "Took me in when I was a young kid, trained me."
"Crowley", Giles looked thoughtful. "I remember the name. New York based Watcher. Resigned shortly after his Slayer was—" he looked at Robin carefully. "You're Nikki Wood's son."
Robin nodded in confirmation. "Yes."
Giles realized what was going on. "Spike killed your mother."
Wood looked away. "Yes."
Giles now looked down. "Does Buffy know this?"
Robin told him. "She knows my mother was a Slayer. As for Spike, I got no idea."
Giles shrugged. "And this has nothing to do with personal vengeance?"
"Does it matter?" Wood asked Giles. "He's an instrument of evil."
"What makes you say that?" Giles asked while furrowing his brows.
"I mean, he's a Vampire-"
"And he has done nothing bad after getting his soul! I say this as someone who doesn't like him much either!" Giles snapped, taking Wood back now. "If it was Spike instead of Curt Connors who was influenced by the First, I might have helped you out as in that case, he'd be a threat and taking him out would be for the greater good, but as things stand, I may not like him but I know he is not a threat to us, and neither is Curt for the matter."
Wood could only stare at Giles in disbelief as the Watcher told Wood. "I understand why you hate Spike, but do not pretend this is a mission for any greater good. It is personal vengeance you desire, and I shall not help you with it."
With that, Giles walked off, leaving a shocked and even more enraged Wood behind.
Later, Giles was away on research as Wood approached Buffy and Spike and said. "Well, uh, I've some weapons and a setup back home for all my Demon fighting stuff."
"Yes, and?" Buffy asked.
"Well, uh, I wanted you to take a look at it, tell me what you think about it", Wood requested Spike, as he and Buffy shared a look.
"Sure mate", Spike shrugged as he walked off. "Come on."
"All right then, help him out Spike", Buffy said from where she was as Spike and Wood walked off, and Natasha's eyes narrowed again.
Later, Robin was unlocking the door to a shed as Spike asked. "You live in the garage?"
Robin told him. "This is just a work room. Kind of my, uh, sanctuary. This is the setup place", Wood walked in and Spike followed.
Spike quipped. "A little place to unwind, eh?"
They walked into the workshop of Robin's place, and the two of them were inside the shed now, but it was completely dark.
Spike quipped. "A hard day's principaling got you down, you need a place to cut loose, let your hair down—so to speak."
Robin flipped on the lights in the shed to reveal that every square inch of the walls inside were covered with wooden crosses.
Spike looked around in shock. "What the bloody hell is this?"
Robin reminded Spike. "Well, I told you. It's my, um, sanctuary. It's the hell mouth, Spike. You can never be too careful. Just, um, stay away from the walls, and you'll be all right." He went to a corner.
Spike shrugged. "It's a bit much, isn't it?" A beat. "What's your story, Wood?"
Robin told him. "No story, really. Just trying to do what's right. Make a difference. How 'bout you? What kind of man are you, Spike?"
Spike shrugged again. "Sorry. Not much for self reflection."
"Yeah, makes sense", Wood unbuttoned his shirt while keeping something in his pocket, unseen to Spike. "See, you strike me as the kind of guy who just careens through life", he took off his shirt, and reaches into a drawer near his computer to strap on fighting paraphernalia to his arms, "completely oblivious to the damage he's doing to everyone around him."
Spike wondered how things had come to this. "That right?"
"Oh, I know more about you than you think, Spike. See, I've been searching for you for a very, very long time", Wood now glared at Spike in rage. "Ever since you killed my mother."
"So you know", Spike realized and sighed.
"You knew it was me all along?" Wood inquired.
"You said it yourself, mom was a Slayer killed by a Vamp, you had the right age and ethnicity too, not too hard to put two and two together", Spike said with a sigh while Wood continued putting on his gear. "So, that's it, innit? Brought me here to kill me?"
Wood walked to Spike angrily. "No, I don't wanna kill you, Spike. I wanna kill the monster who took my mother away from me."
And with that, he revealed he had a tazer which he used to hit Spike hard, making him spasm violently, and then he hit him with it again and again and again with enough force to cause him pain but not enough to knock him out.
That was enough as it dazed Spike and also made him put on his Vamp face as Wood sneered. "There he is."
Wood then punched Spike who growled as Wood taunted him. "That's right, dog. Fight back."
Spike tried to punch but his reflexes were slowed due to the tazer's effects so Wood blocked and smacked him back.
Spike tried to strike again but Wood grabbed him and backed him into the cross-covered wall and decked his abdomen while holding him in a chokehold, slowly pressing his face to the crosses in the walls as smoke started sizzling.
Spike then managed to free himself at last. He then charged but was kicked back into shelving that collapsed around him, and he landed on the floor.
Wood walked up to Spike. "It hurts, don't it?" Wood straddled Spike, grabbing him by the collar. "Is this what it felt like", he punched Spike, "when you beat the life out of her", he punched Spike again, "toyed with her", he punched Spike once more then screamed, "WHEN YOU SNAPPED HER NECK?!"
"Come on, you can do this", Curt slapped himself as Buffy and Peter watched, and he shook his head while growling. "Come on! I control you, you don't control me!"
He roared, slowly transforming again, and turned to Buffy and Peter with a growl, as they prepared themselves, but he turned back, and staggered around, growling louder.
"Come on Professor, you can do this", Peter urged him.
Curt's muscles expanded, tearing through his clothing while his claws appeared, and his skin turned greenish while a tail grew out and soon, the Lizard was there with a roar.
"Be on guard", Buffy warned Peter as Curt turned to look at the two.
The Lizard then tilted its head, and simply gave out a small roar, and just stood there.
"Did it work?" Buffy wondered.
"I think it did", Peter said and cheered happily. "It worked Professor, you're in control."
The Lizard shrank back, slowly turning back into Curt, now his clothes in tatters as he panted. "I did it!"
"You did, congratulations", Buffy congratulated him.
"I need clothes though", Curt pointed out.
"Sure", Peter went off to get them.
Spike didn't move now as Wood removed his fighting gear.
"Animal like you. Never cared for anyone but yourself. No one else mattered", Wood put on his shirt. "Just all about the hunt." He removed Spike's leather jacket and folded it. "Yeah." He put the jacket down.
Robin then broke off a piece of a wooden cross from the wall and stood over Spike.
"I'm sorry", Spike then whispered.
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
Wood was about to stake him but Spike was now recovered and grabbed his wrist in time before kicking Wood away into a wall.
Wood turned to Spike angrily. "Sorry? You think sorry's gonna make everything right?"
"No", Spike stood up. "But I am."
"Won't bring her back", Wood sneered. "You killed her."
"No soul mate, no conscience, I have it now", Spike simply shrugged. "And since I killed her, I allowed you a go at me and beat me up, but if you want to kill me, that's gonna cost you."
"Fine!" Wood roared as he did a spin kick but Spike easily dodged. Wood then tried to punch but Spike blocked and punched his abdomen before elbowing his face.
He then elbowed Wood's face again, knocking him away.
"Having said that, she was a Slayer, I was a Vampire", Spike kicked Wood hard, sending him sprawling to the ground. "That's the way the game is played."
"Game?"
Wood lunged at Spike who dodged while decking his gut, and then elbowed his back before smacking his face, sending him down.
Wood got up but Spike held onto the ceiling rafter kicked him across the room. "She knew what she was signing up for."
"Well, I didn't sign up for it", Wood said from the floor before standing up.
Spike asked tauntingly. "Well, that's the rub, innit? You didn't sign up for it."
"You took away my childhood", Wood threw 2 punches that Spike blocked. "You took her away." He punched again a few times but Spike blocked expertly and pushed Wood off.
Wood glared and snarled. "She was all I had. She was my world."
Spike calmly retorted. "And you weren't hers. Doesn't that piss you off?"
Wood was enraged. "Shut up. You didn't know her."
He spun in the air and threw a kick, slightly knocking Spike back. He then tried to kick again but Spike grabbed his foot and decked his chest, sending him down again.
Spike walked to Wood as he tried to kick him but Spike grabbed his foot. "I know Slayers", he thew Robin against the wall, sending him crashing, now wounded badly. "No matter how many people they've got around them, they fight alone. Even Buffy and Faith. Life of the chosen one."
Robin glared at Spike, injured, as he said. "The rest of us be damned. Your mother was no different."
Wood moved a bit and choked. "No, she loved me."
"But not enough to quit, though, was it? Not enough to walk away... for you. Buffy and Faith don't have that issue as all their loved ones are part of this life", Spike kneeled beside Robin. "I'll tell you a story about a mother and son. See, like you, I loved my mother. So much so I turned her into a Vampire..." Spike nodded. "So we could be together forever. She said some nasty bits to me after I did that. Been weighing on me for quite some time." Spike pointed at Robin. "But you helped me figure something out. You see, unlike you, I had a mother who loved me back. When I sired her, I set loose a demon, and it tore into me, but it was the demon talking, not her." He stood up. "I realize that now." Spike paced around. "My mother loved me with all her heart. I was her world."
He then turned to Wood. "And now that I have my soul back, I can remember the good stuff and not the twisted fantasy I saw. I have my own free will. I just wanted you to know that", Spike vamped out, "before I kill you."
Spike grabbed Robin and made him stand up as Wood winced.
Natasha walked up to Buffy and asked. "So, Wood took Spike to check out some weapons?"
"Yeah, he said so", Buffy told her.
"I think he's lying", Natasha immediately said, surprising Buffy.
"Why?"
"I was a spy, Buffy, I managed to tell when Loki was lying", Natasha pointed out. "I can tell when someone lies."
"Why would Wood lie though?" Buffy wondered.
"Because Spike killed his mother."
Buffy turned to Giles as he walked in. "Wood told me earlier, wanted my help in taking Spike out but I didn't help him. Looks like he took Spike by making up this excuse."
"Oh God! We need to go!" Buffy said as she and Natasha rushed away.
Spike walked out of the shed, putting on his leather jacket. Buffy and Natasha ran up to the shed just as he was walking away.
Buffy immediately asked. "Spike? What happened?" Spike opened the door; Buffy and Natasha saw Robin sitting on the floor, slumped over. "Oh, my God."
Spike told the two. "I gave him a pass. Let him live. Even let him have a go at me first. On account of the fact I killed his mother. But that's all he gets", Spike started walking away but stopped. "He even so much as looks at me funny again", Spike pointed. "I'll kill him."
Spike walked off as Natasha walked next to him. "You said sorry?"
"Yeah, I did do that, he still wanted me dead", Spike shrugged. "At that point I knew to fight back."
"You know, Bucky killed Tony's parents too when he was a brainwashed assassin", Natasha told Spike as he turned to her. "Tony didn't listen either and tried to kill him. So you were right to defend yourself."
"Thanks luv", Spike said as he walked off.
"If you call me 'luv' again, I'll stake you myself", Natasha said with narrowed eyes and for some reason, Spike didn't doubt her.
Buffy closed her eyes and sighed before going into the shed, and walked up to Robin, who was trying to stand. She looked around the room, then walked up to Robin again, sympathizing with him. "I lost my mom a couple years ago. I came home and found her dead on the couch."
Robin weakly apologized. "I'm sorry."
Buffy assured him. "I understand what you tried to do, but she's dead."
Robin reminded. "Because he murdered her."
Buffy pointed out to the Slayer's son. "I'm preparing to fight a war, and you're looking for revenge on a man that doesn't exist anymore."
Robin wasn't so convinced. "Buffy, don't delude yourself... That man still exists."
Buffy gave Wood stock of the situation. "Spike is one of the strongest warriors we have. We are gonna need him if we're gonna come out of this thing alive, and all of the others." Robin sighed. "You try anything again, he'll kill you." Robin laughed. "More importantly, I'll let him." Robin looked at Buffy. "I have a mission to win this war, to save the world. I don't have time for vendettas." She walked away. "The mission is what matters."
Wood looked at Buffy in surprise, as his mom had said the same, but Buffy's tone sounded different.
Spike sat on the couch as Bucky sat next to him. "You heard?"
"Yeah, Nat told me", Bucky said with a sigh. "I kind of get it."
"I didn't have a soul but no one else controlled me, you were controlled", Spike pointed out to him.
"Yeah, but from what I've heard, you lose your conscience without a soul so there's that", Bucky made a point of his own. "So I guess the worst of you becomes all of you in that case while the best of you is gone forever."
"Huh? Now that you put it that way…" Spike trailed off.
"So technically, we didn't do it, the best of you wasn't around to stop the worst of you, and I was mind-controlled, but our hands did commit all those atrocities", Bucky said guiltily. "Guess there is a price to pay for that."
"I do feel guilt for all I did, but I don't let it get to me now the way I did it before", Spike told Bucky with a sigh. "You know, I hated Angel, considered him a ponce, but now that I have a soul myself..." Spike trailed of. "I understand him a better." He actually felt sympathetic towards his grandsire nowadays, even if he wouldn't show it. Unlike him, Angel let it get to him, it ate him up, but he still persevered, so Spike actually admired him. No one else could know though!
No one!
"Thanks", Bucky said.
"For what?"
"For the tip. I'll do the same from now on", Bucky said as he held out his normal hand, and Spike shook it with a smile.
"No problem, mate."
And with that, we end it.
Now I do feel sympathy for Wood for losing his mom, but my problem was he claimed he wanted to kill Spike for the greater good and all that crap instead of admitting it was vengeance he was after.
And so while I get his side, I was on Spike's side when he defended himself, though I still had Spike say 'sorry' for what he did, but that's all Wood gets from me.
Giles, as much as he was a moron about this whole situation in canon, his reasoning was that Spike was influenced by the First.
Here, Spike is not influenced by the First so no way in Hell would Giles help Wood.
And hope the Bucky/Spike talk at the end was enjoyed.
Also, Buffy's 'The mission is what matters' here is not the way it was canon, she just means 'the mission is what matters above petty grudges and rivalries' not 'the mission is what matter to me over my own sister and friends and family and a sane plan'.
Like I said, this Buffy is not cold general Buffy, rather a kind but firm leader since the events that made her the way she was in canon never happened here.
Now, this story won't be updated consecutively with the next Angel update for a bit but that's because Buffy 7x18 clearly happens after Angel 4x15.
And hell yeah! When I started writing these side by side, my goal was to align Angel 4x14 and Buffy 7x17 and post them simultaneously before getting to Angel 4x15, and it looks like I succeeded at that.
YAY me!
See you all next time with another chapter.