Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
And by now everyone would definitely have heard of the accusations against Joss Whedon, which are definitely true. So the Charisma Carpenter thing has sort of been an open secret for years, as there were several rumors flying around her exit from the show, and her recent post where she accused Joss of toxic behavior and harassment confirms that the rumors were true. He was pissed off she got pregnant, so he treated her and her character like trash (like was he seriously asking her if she was gonna keep the baby? What kind of sick fuck does that?) And Amber Benson, Michelle Trachtenberg, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Clare Kramer, Emma Caulfield, Eliza Dushku, James Marsters and J. August Richards have all come out in support of Charisma too, while Anthony Stewart Head says he's gutted to learn of this and feels guilty since he never knew about this.
Even before this though, the image of Joss as 'the feminist God' has started crumbling for quite a few years now, and this is counting out him cheating on his wife (which adds to the list of scumbag things he has done). His treatment of Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow was the first sign obviously, and while I think the line of Natasha thinking herself a monster gets unfairly criticized (I feel it'd be in-character for her to say that due to the trauma associated with those events) I do understand why people were offended by it, plus he just made her into a love interest and damsel in distress.
And from, what I heard, Joss had a script of his own for Wonder Woman, and in that all the men were really mean to Diana and the plot revolved around Steve Trevor rather than her. Wow! Gender issue aside, the movie not revolving around the main protagonist is just stupid as hell.
Plus. Gal Gadot said that Joss asked her to do a sexual scene for Justice League, and she refused (Respect!). So if you consider his treatment of Natasha in Age of Ultron and that of Diana in Justice League (like Bruce and Barry respectively falling into their breasts), or the number of ass shots he had for Diana, it definitely doesn't paint a flattering picture of the guy.
And now that Charisma has confirmed these abuse allegations, it only shows that he never was this feminist God, rather a sexist douche. I'm not gonna pretend to know the person, but I guess his mentality is- "Since I'm a feminist who creates strong female characters, I should be allowed to treat women, both real and fictional, like trash."
Also, if you do take a look at his strong female characters (whom I admire and adore)- Buffy, Willow, Cordelia, Faith, Tara, Darla, Fred, Dawn, Anya, Lilah, etc. one thing I've noticed is he also loves tearing them down brutally. For Faith and Willow, it made sense (though at times I feel he went too far with Willow), with Buffy too, it made sense, though he went too far many times, but with Tara and Fred, it was just cruel and unnecessary, and with Cordelia, he was obviously punishing Charisma for getting pregnant, jackass. Guess he only likes Charisma pregnant when its Demon Spawn *shakes head in disgust* For Dawn, I don't have much to say, since as much as I love her (yes, I love Dawn, and never got the hate for her!), she had some annoying moments in Season 6, though that Season was more Marti than Joss (of course Michelle mentioned that rule that Joss should never be in the same room as her, so add inappropriate behavior with a teenage girl to the list of scumbag things he's done). For Anya, while I think the way her character arc ended made sense, and Emma herself asked for her character arc to be ended that way, he could still have done her ending much better. For Darla, while I think her character arc ended on a perfect note, she was quite wasted for a bit before that. And for Lilah, good Lord was she done dirty in Season 4. Like, he assassinated Cordelia's character and actually assassinated Lilah in one single scene, which is the end of 'Calvary'.
Plus, there's clearly a rape analogy in how the first Slayer that is Sineya was made, Buffy said to the Shadow Men- "You violated her." Its pretty clear, so the rape analogy kind of makes the Slayer thing less powerful than its meant to be, which is another example of Joss' problematic ideology.
First, the remainder of my rant- And, I was watching Michael Rosenbaum's podcast that is 'Inside of You' (I highly recommend that to everyone) and there, James Marsters confirmed to Rosenbaum that Joss had once backed him up against a wall angrily because he was pissed that Spike got so popular (his original plan was to kill off Spike in 10 episodes since he wanted only one romantic Vampire at the time, which would be Angel, though I'm glad that didn't pan out since I'm a huge Spike fan and also a huge Season 7 Spuffy fan). Rosenbaum was clearly shocked, you can hear it in his voice, he asked James if Joss was messing around, and when James said no, Rosenbaum asked if Joss apologized. James tried to downplay it, but this doesn't sound like professional behavior from Joss, and Rosenbaum got it too.
So all I'm gonna say is that I still love and appreciate Joss' work- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel (my 4th and 3rd favorite shows ever respectively), Firefly, Dollhouse (in spite of its problems), Serenity, and the first 2 Avengers films, and I won't let my anger at Joss make me hate his work, because its amazing (and he wasn't the only one who worked on this stuff. Other writers, directors and the actors worked on it too).
I do appreciate all the Buffyverse actors, as well as others who've worked under Joss, since they managed to give us iconic, amazing and lovable characters in spite of working in such a toxic environment set up by Joss. Charisma especially is an angel for coming back for Season 5 after how Joss abused her and treated Cordelia in Season 4, and he didn't have the decency to inform her to her face that she was fired after giving birth, she found out from a news outlet. But she still returned for Cordelia and for grateful fans like me to give Cordelia's character arc an amazing exit, for which I, a humble fan, is forever grateful.
What I've learnt in life is don't idolize any real person, they will disappoint you sometime. Like David Draiman, Disturbed's lead vocalist, I idolized him (and I'm still a huge fan of him as well as the band, my most favorite) but he was once rude to a fan during a performance because she was messaging her daughter on the phone, and I lost respect for him when I heard that, though he did apologize later so there's that.
Then we also have the lovable Chloe Sullivan in Smallville being played by an absolute scumbag that is Allison Mack, or Goku being voiced in the English Dub of DBZ by Sean Schemmel, who is a confirmed jerk to fans.
Simply put, if I hate Joss' works because he's horrible, its not fair to everyone else who worked on those shows or films. Plus, I've been suffering from depression heavily since 2015, and while it was getting better, recently, it has started getting worse, and its Buffy and Angel, as well as Lord of the Rings and DBZ, and my favorite music that help me through my depression. So hating Joss' work over his behavior will make me lose something important that helps me through depression.
So I'll just end this by saying that Joss' works, especially Buffy and Angel, will always have a special place in my heart and I'll always love them, but I stand against his abuse of all the actors and writers under him. #IStandWithCharisma #IStandWithRayFisher #IStandAgainstAbuse
Chapter 14- Somnambulist
"So now Team Angel has 3 members again, and their connection to the Powers That Be remains intact", Willow summed up for them all.
"Yeah, fortunately", Buffy said. "But trouble's always around."
"Unfortunately", Xander said as all nodded, and then the recording was started.
At night, a girl was running for her life, terrified of whatever was chasing her. Rounding a corner, she ran right into a man. He grabbed her, laying a metal tipped finger against her lips. He had fangs. He drew a mark on her cheek, bit and drained her. Her lifeless body slipped to the ground. Police sirens were heard. The Vampire looked up, and it was Angel in vamp face.
"Okay, what?" Buffy said, everyone clearly shocked.
"He just killed a woman?" Giles said, as shocked as the rest. While he wasn't Angel's fan, he did know that Angel wouldn't kill innocent people like that.
"What is going on?" Dawn wondered too.
"I think it's more than meets the eye", Tara counselled.
He morphed back into human face and gasped for breath. Then he was sitting up on his bed fully dressed and clearly wigged.
"Huh?" Willow wondered.
"So….he was dreaming!" Buffy said.
"Looks like it", Giles sighed, this making much more sense.
Kate drove up to a crime scene in a police car, being lead to a body by an officer, and it was the girl from Angel's dream. There were bite marks on her neck and a cross scratched on her left cheek, and Kate recognized the MO, saying this person had gotten 3 now.
"Now what is this?" Xander wondered, as confused as the rest. "Angel was dreaming this girl is gonna get killed, and she does?"
"Did he get linked to the Powers or something as well?" Tara asked the rest.
"I don't think he was", Willow shook her head.
"How is this happening?" Buffy wondered. "Angel doesn't kill innocents, and he hasn't become Angelus."
"Or maybe he's having some split personality problem now", Dawn suggested.
"Could be, but let's watch, and we will know", Giles said, and all agreed.
Cordelia was sitting behind her desk in Angel's office, and she was talking to someone, saying how LA had its dark side, and since the police couldn't help them, they had come to Angel Investigations. But she was just talking to the empty chair.
"So, she was pretending to talk to a potential customer, noted", Xander said.
"In preparation for any actual clients", Willow said. "If she talks like this, she can be convincing."
Wesley then arrived with a newspaper and some letters, joking the chair was going to speak as Cordelia called him a smart-ass rogue Demon Hunter, and he said he was here to compare battle plans from their respective fronts. Cordelia pointed out he worked alone but Wesley said that a solitary soldier like himself also recognized the benefits of exchanging intelligence, while adding he had brought her mail and newspaper.
"Just admit you work with them now", Giles said, a little annoyed as all chuckled.
Cordelia took it and then asked what Wesley had got, saying he wanted to compare 'skinnies', and Wesley said all seemed quiet, while she thanked him for stopping by.
"That sounds really dirty, the way they said it", Xander said and all chuckled again.
Wesley then inquired how things were going with her and Cordelia said she was giving the hard sell to an empty chair, with Wesley saying he'd be available as they were an effective, having vanquished the empath Demon, and Cordelia agreed, saying it was nice to not have her eyes gouged out.
All winced on remembering Barney, still fresh in their minds.
Wesley said Angel's brawn, her cryptic visions and his own deductive skills rounded out their team nicely, and then Cordelia said this wasn't their mail.
"You were saying?" Dawn asked as all chuckled.
Cordelia pointed out this was for the dentist's office next door, Wesley getting up to return them as he left and Angel arrived from the elevator, asking who Cordelia was talking to, and she said 'nobody and Wesley', and then Cordelia reminded him of a license plate from a runaway case, Angel reminding she was supposed to work on it, but Cordelia said the BMV was stalker-phobic before noting Angel looked half-dead, and added that it was neat for someone fully dead.
Everyone chuckled as Tara said. "She does make a good point."
"Yeah, never thought about it that way", Willow agreed.
Angel asked for the license plate and Cordelia said Kate could do it, asking if he was okay again, pointing out he had bags under his eyes, and an annoyed Angel started walking out, only to walk into a patch of sunlight, making him jerk back as he decided to take the tunnels.
"His mind is not in it today, something is definitely up", Buffy said.
"Let's see", Dawn agreed.
Cordelia shut the door while Wesley lurked in the foyer with the mail, looking at the closed door, then sneaked to the exit.
"Now Wes, what are you up to?" Xander asked.
"Looks like sneaking to me", Dawn said.
At the police station, Kate walked in with Angel behind her, the former pointing out that info couldn't be leaked out to civilians, and Angel appreciated what she was doing. Kate sat down, saying she'd run it for him, and Angel assured her it was no rush, and Kate mentioned her current case by saying she wouldn't mind getting her head out of it, and Angel asked if it was a tough one. Kate showed him 3 pictures- an old man, a young girl who had started 10 th grade and a 25 year old waitress, and the one thing common between them was what had been done to them all, though Angel pointed out she was common too.
"So this is the case about this killer Vamp", Buffy noted.
"And a split personality Angel might be it", Tara pointed out.
"Which would be horrible", Giles sighed.
An officer handed Kate some photos of crime scenes as she started talking to Angel but then saw he was staring at the photos, while he flashed to the scene from his dream, and Kate said she'd tried to get into the guy's head, the tabloids called him 'the Pope', and he probably thought he was doing God's work, but Angel said it was about mocking God, adding it was a guess.
"So he is involved somehow", Willow noted.
"Yeah, but I don't think he would really kill at this point", Xander said, and it was surprising coming from him. "Yeah, I know, I hate him and all that, but after seeing him in these recordings, I really don't think he is capable of killing innocent people as long as his soul is intact."
"Well, that's good to know", Buffy said.
An officer said to Kate it was time and she turned to Angel but he was already halfway out of the office. Later, she sat at the police briefing. "Our suspect will be a white male. To the observer he will not seem a monster. His victims put up little or no struggle, so it's likely that he is charming, attractive." Angel walked down a crowded street at night. "But at his core he is a loner. Possibly a dual personality, who once the crime has been committed, retains no memory of the act. He will not view his victims as subhuman, rather it's himself that he views as something other than human, more than human, a superior species. Stalking his prey, getting to know them. It's unlikely that he'll be married though he may have recently come off a long-term relationship that ended badly. We look for a precipitating event in cases such as this, and a painful breakup is always at the top of the list." Angel spotted a blonde talking to some friends, her back to him. "Prior to failing this relationship may have marked an inactive period in our suspects life. He would have regarded it as a lifeline, his salvation", the blonde turned and it wasn't Buffy. Angel walks on. "But once ended, it resulted in his recidivism. - What is not in question is his experience. He's been doing this for a very long time, and he will do it again."
"So, she's Sherlock?" Buffy asked randomly. "With the evidence she collected, she managed to give a summary of Angel's life before, during and after me."
"Guess she's a really smart cop, though with that amount of smartness, it's a surprise she hasn't moved up", Tara noted.
"Or she doesn't want to maybe", Willow pointed out.
"Anyway, the description she gave does match Angel", Xander sighed.
"But nothing is proven", Dawn reminded.
"Yes", Giles pointed out.
Cordelia was about to leave the office and opened the door only to see Wesley as both gasped.
All chuckled as Willow noted. "This is becoming a gag now."
Wesley came in, asking about Angel as Cordelia noticed the stake in his hand, and then Wesley put his bag down before taking out a newspaper clipping, saying it was from the mix up in the morning, making Cordelia shocked that he had cut up Dr. Folger's newspaper which would get them kicked out the building, but Wesley pointed out at the clipping. Cordelia read it was about a third body found in an alley and said it wasn't front page news, but Wesley said it was actually and after talking about the MO, Wesley asked her to sit, and pulled out a folder, saying while he was Watcher in Sunnydale, he had done research on Angel due to his uncomfortable proximity to the Slayer. Cordelia said he looked pretty comfortable to her.
"Slayer has a name, and there were two", Buffy reminded.
"I don't think they considered Faith a Slayer till she helped out against the First Evil", Willow said.
Wesley then told Cordelia in the late 1700s Angelus also used to carve his victims with a Christian cross on the left cheek, making Cordelia ask him to leave as he was accusing Angel, saying Angel may have been evil in his 'powdered wig' days, but now he was good and her friend, so nothing Wesley said or did would make her turn on a friend.
"She is pretty loyal", Dawn noted.
"More than we would have expected of her", Buffy said. "She is changing."
"For the better", Willow said with a smile.
Then Angel arrived, saying Wesley was right, and Cordelia immediately asked Wesley to stake him while she'd cut off his head.
All groaned, wondering whether to be annoyed or amused.
Wesley threatened Angel with a cross as he turned his head away, saying he won't hurt them, while Cordelia inquired about the body, with Wesley asking why they should believe him, making Angel laugh, grab his arm, spin him around and grab him by the neck, saying he could take him this fast if he wanted to.
Xander gulped, remembering the time he had stood up to Angelus. Sure, it had been a very brave thing of him to do, but he wondered what would have happened had Angelus wanted to kill him that day. He was lucky to live.
"So, Wesley is trying to be tough guy and failing", Tara noted.
"Nothing new about that", Giles said.
Angel then pushed Wesley away, saying he had no memory of what he did and sat on the edge of the desk, talking about his dreams, where he stalked his victims, toyed with them, then marked them, and then fed on them, also saying he'd enjoyed them, Wesley thinking it may be some kind of sleepwalking, and when Cordelia pointed out about sunlight, Wesley pointed out the murders happened before dawn, and Angel said there is one way to be sure.
"So he has dreams, people die, and it's like he killed them, but no is sure", Buffy summed up. "And I think I know what he's going to do."
Later, Wesley and Cordelia shackled Angel to the bed, Cordy joking she got to make coffee and chain the boss to the bed in her glamorous LA life, so she should join a union, and Cordelia made it a little tighter than normal. She then said Angel may be doing the crimes in his dreams, but she still didn't want to stick around, asking him to sleep tight.
"Now if someone dies while he's chained up, it would prove he is not guilty", Willow said before realizing. "But someone is going to die."
And that plummeted the mood.
A girl dressed in old-fashioned clothes and a white bonnet was running down a cobble street at night. She knocked on a locked door. A guy grabbed her and laid a metal tipped finger on her lips. He marked her left cheek with a cross, then fed off her. She fell dead to the ground. Then Angelus was seen with shoulder length hair and old fashioned clothes.
Everyone felt a bit disturbed again before Buffy said. "But this happened in the past, look at the clothes."
"So it's just a dream", Tara noted.
Angel woke up with a gasp, still chained to the bed as Wesley told Angel they'd made it, and Cordelia said that while there had been a killing, he wasn't the one to do it. Wesley was going to unshackle him when Angel said. "Yes I did."
"How is that possible?" Dawn wondered, as confused as the rest. "Does he have a psychic connection to this killer or something?"
In the past, the girl lay dead as Angelus watched, and a blonde Vampire straightened, morphing into human face. He was the killer, and he noted he had killed his sister, and felt nothing but hungry. Angelus told him he learnt quick, though the Vamp said his father would disagree, so Angelus asked him to show him what a fine student he was, and the Vamp agreed, remembering it would be dinner time now, so Angelus asked him to savor the moment, calling him 'Penn'.
"Now who the hell is this guy?" Xander wondered.
"Looks like a student of Angelus", Buffy noted grimly. "And not a Fine Arts student clearly."
"So Angelus made another guy a Vamp, and he killed his family as a test to impress Angelus", Willow said, all freaked out clearly. "Yikes!"
"Jesus Christ!" Dawn said too.
In present day, Penn, looked at the latest newspaper article about the murder he had committed. He had a short goat-tee, short hair, styled somewhat like Angel's, and was wearing glasses. Newspaper clippings were stuck on one wall. He added the new clipping and looked at them all.
"So this is the killer", Buffy noted. "He is killing all those people."
"And since Angelus taught him, the MO is the same, and Angel became a suspect", Willow realized.
"I know it's not important, but for some reason, he looks like he'd be a good archer", Xander commented randomly.
"Yeah, I am getting the same feeling from him", Dawn agreed.
"Me too", Tara added.
"Perhaps it's a skill he has secretly", Giles shrugged.
"Really? To me he looks like a secret super-agent or something?" Willow said. "Caught in a conspiracy."
"Or just an agent", Buffy shrugged.
"Maybe an agent who knows archery", Dawn said. "With modern arrows."
"Like Green Arrow", Xander said and all nodded. "Or Hawkeye. Yeah, I think Hawkeye suits him more."
"Sure does", Dawn agreed. "I think it suits him perfectly." [1]
In his apartment, Angel finished telling Wes and Cordy about Penn, saying he had taught him well, Cordelia wondering why his shtick was the same, and Wesley said how it was a classic and started giving an example but a look from the two made him shut up before saying Penn might be using the same MO to draw him out, announce his presence, and it might explain the dreams. Angel said he had a close connection with those he sired so he was close, and Cordelia pointed out the cops couldn't stop him.
"And that explains the dreams", Tara said, all sighing in relief that Angel was completely in the clear now.
"But Penn is out there, killing people", Buffy pointed and they groaned at that, knowing he needed to be stopped.
Angel decided to tell Kate but Wesley pointed out he couldn't since it was intimate knowledge of murders, and he couldn't claim a 200 year old puritan was behind it, but Angel realized she could find him with her resources, and it could be good for them.
"So now she'll find him, and Angel will follow along as she does", Xander noted. "Not the worst plan, but things are gonna go wrong."
"Yeah", Willow nodded.
Later, Angel walked into the police station with a paper in his hands as Kate said she had info on his license plate, and he asked to talk in private, her agreeing, as they walked to the briefing room where Angel looked at the photos and inquired about the investigation, Kate saying it was going nowhere. Angel looked at the pictures, matching them to Penn's dead family in his mind and realized he was reliving it, puzzling Kate as he saw the cross between her fingers, and then asked Kate if she trusted him, which she did.
"Looks like he's about to tell her something", Xander noted.
Angel unfolded his paper and pinned the drawing of Penn's face to the board, saying this was the man, once again asking if she trusted him, which she did, and Angel described what the next victim would be like, and how he'd be killed, saying Kate needed to use all her resources for this.
"So this is what he revealed", Dawn said.
"Just barely enough", Buffy said.
Angel later walked through the police garage to his car where Wesley waited, telling him he'd told Kate enough to get her killed, and handed him a police scanner so they'd be updated, and asked where he had gotten it. Angel said he'd stolen it, making Wesley exclaim 'Oh dear'!
"Oh dear!" Giles said too.
"Desperate times, desperate measures", Tara said.
Kate later briefed the officers about their job, while a kid was accosting people in front of the liquor store, trying to get them to buy beer from him, and then he noticed Penn, asking him to do it, and he smiled.
"Don't drink till you're of age, kid", Xander said, all worried for him.
A cop car pulled up, having a copy of Angel's drawing and saw Penn leading the kid away, and they walked down a deserted street, Penn saying the kid reminded him of a brother he had, and the kid turned around to see Penn in Vamp face who bit him when police cars closed up, Penn looking up with blood in his mouth, with the officers telling him to hold it. Penn dropped the kid, ran and jumped through the boarded up second story window into a warehouse, while the cop stared in disbelief.
"The kid is saved", Tara said and all sighed in relief.
"Hopefully this teaches him a lesson on Vamps", Xander said. "And strangers in general."
Angel and Wesley heard what was going on via radio, and pulled up, as they saw an officer and Kate talking, he shaken but alive kid being wheeled away on a stretcher. Kate pulled up her gun to go in while Angel spotted a drain pipe on the building's side and backed up to park, and then they got out as Angel took a hold of the pipe and scaled up.
"Apprentice and master about to meet", Giles muttered.
Kate entered a room and hearing footsteps aimed her gun at Penn who walked down some stairs, and she eventually shot him thrice as he walked to her, and he fell down motionless at the bottom of the stairs. Kate walked to him and reached down to check his pulse, not finding it, and was about to report when Penn grabbed her, throwing her across the room. She tried to get up as he walked to her and then Angel dropped to the floor to land in between in a cloud of dust, looking at Kate to make sure she was fine before turning to Penn.
"And now we got a reunion", Buffy said as all watched with interest.
Penn recognized Angelus, clapping and laughing happily as he said it had been a lifetime, and reminded they were to meet in Italy, and said he had waited till the 19 th century. Angelus said he had gotten held up in Romania, which had Gypsies.
"So he was going to meet Penn when the Gypsies did the spell", Willow said. "Random interesting fact."
"And Penn kept waiting", Dawn commented.
Kate radioed in for assistance as Penn asked for a drink but Angel said he wasn't here for that. "Yeah, why are you here?" Penn asked. Angel morphed into Vamp face as Kate stared in disbelief. "To kill you." Angel rammed into him, the two falling down before Penn threw him back and leaping up, kicked him, beating him down before Angel blocked and threw him off, Kate scooting against the wall. Angel then beat him up and threw him through a plaster wall, asking Kate to get out when Penn shot back through the hole, tackling Angel.
"He's good", Tara noted.
"Clearly learnt from the best. Or the worst", Giles said.
They rolled to their feet, Penn wondering what had happened to Angel, who swung at him but he ducked, grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. Angel said people changed but Penn said they weren't people. He threw Angel into Kate, who had her gun aimed at him. When he got back up, Penn was gone, and Kate stared at his Vampire face as the radio called to her.
"Cat's out of the bag", Buffy said, now all wondering how this would go.
"Well, he has helped her out though", Dawn pointed out. "Even if he did keep a big secret."
"When people get exposed to a new side of the world, especially supernatural, do not expect sensible reactions", Giles said.
"Can't disagree", Buffy told him, remembering burning down the gym in her LA high school. She noted this was how Kate knew Angel was a Vamp, but this couldn't be enough to make Kate want to kill him. By that point, they ought to have made up, right?
Later, Angel was back in human face while officers combed the warehouse. Kate was in disbelief that Penn had survived 3 shots, and as Angel walked to her, she pulled out a gun on him, asking if he would also get up after 3 shots. Angel told her she knew the answer as she put down the gun while he said details would have been left out in press reports due to something the police held back- puncture wounds, and the victims had been drained of blood, and he warned her she couldn't stop him like this before saying only direct sunlight, decapitation or a stake through the heart could do it.
"And now he's telling her", Willow said.
"I don't think she'd believe it yet", Tara said. "Her mind is racing."
Kate said Angel was telling her children's stories but Angel said this was the truth, and she wasn't believing it so she'd lose. She was still in disbelief so Angel closed his fist around the cross on her neck, his flesh sizzling as she gasped, and he told her she wasn't ready to face some things. He walked off as she stared after him.
"So that's how a cop finds out about the supernatural", Xander said. "I have a bad feeling about this."
"She's after a killer Vampire, and she knows Angel is a Vampire too now, and he didn't tell her before while she did favors for him, though he did save her too", Dawn summed up. "This is getting complicated."
"People are always complicated", Giles said.
Kate later sat in the briefing room, looking at pictures as a cop brought in the oldest records with this MO he could find, and she saw some old newspaper headlines, one which said 'Vampire Killer Strikes Again In Garment District'.
"Now she might just find out about Angelus", Buffy said as all paled.
Cordelia was talking to someone in the office, asking how he found out about them, and it was Penn, saying through the police.
"Oh crap!" Willow said, everyone tensing at this.
Penn talked about the Detective, and described her as Cordelia gave her name, and said how she and Angel were tight, Penn realizing it was more than just a professional relationship, and then Cordelia while ranting realized Penn was pumping her for information, and then figured out who he was.
"At least she knows now", Giles said.
"But he's still there", Buffy said.
Penn started. "You realize you'll never make it to the exit before I..." Cordy pulled up the blinds and Penn had to dodge away from the direct sunlight streaming in. "Go up like a match?" Angel then arrived, he and Penn separated by the swath of sun shining through the window, and he told Cordelia to get him a stake. She was a bit confused before she walked to get it while Penn asked if Angel didn't drink, no one should, but Angel said he wouldn't understand, Penn reminding he used to be a puritan. Penn said this never ended and always went on, and then Cordelia came back with a stake, tossing it to Angel.
"Well, he's going to go down", Xander said.
Angel apologized for what he had done to Penn, as Penn boasted about what he was but Angel called him a pathetic cheesy hack as he was trying to get back at his father for over 200 years, noting he would have a killer shrine too. Penn retreated to the door as Wesley came in, not seeing Penn, and started there was nothing on the streets when Penn grabbed him by the throat, Wesley finishing because the Vamp was here and had him by the throat.
"You had to ruin it", Giles said and all groaned.
"Same old Wesley", Buffy muttered.
"Yeah, this did screw it all up", Willow said.
Angel stepped forward but the sunlight stopped him as Penn said he appreciated the critique, so he asked Angel to think of the worst thing possible and Penn would be there. He threw Wesley at Angel, grabbed his coat to cover himself and ran out.
"And he's gone again", Dawn said, everyone sighing.
Kate looked through some books and made notes in a store called 'Ancient's Eye' while Angel walked on the streets and Penn contemplated his next move.
"Okay, I know this is not important, but the music is like Batman", Xander said, and no one could disagree.
Kate was making notes when Angel arrived, asking if he could come in, but Kate knew he had to be invited in, and said she'd done all her homework, noting how Penn had been in LA earlier in the century as well, and then as Angel tried to talk, she called him 'Angelus' as Penn had called him that, saying his description was that he was a demon with the face of an Angel, a truly evil bastard, and refused him entry.
"Now she knows it all", Willow sighed.
"Would make anyone hate him", Buffy said. "I didn't like that either. And he had helped me before too."
Angel said he couldn't atone for the past but she said he had made Penn, so this was because of him, and told him she'd stake him, and the next time they met, she'd stake Angel as well before slamming the door in his face.
"Rude", Dawn muttered.
"But understandable to some extent. She just found out about the supernatural, so her reaction wouldn't be rational", Tara said. "Though I do think she should still give him the benefit of the doubt due to how many times he helped her."
"Yeah, but since its Angelus she found out about, who wouldn't be wary?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, it's like if you're friends with Ted Bundy without knowing who he is, and then you find out", Xander gave an analogy. "Though Angel isn't the bad guy anymore."
At the office, Cordelia and Wesley searched for stuff on computer and old newspapers respectively, noting he had been in this town before, Angel calling him predictable, and later he and Wesley entered his hotel room, Wesley jumping in and inviting Angel but he said it was only for humans.
"How does he not know that?" Giles wondered. "The oaf!"
"He's not stupid, just too excited, and overestimates himself", Buffy said and Giles had to concede.
They looked around, noting Penn was gone, and then Angel found photos of a school bus, and Wesley saw its route was traced too, the two realizing what he was doing.
"So he's going to kill kids then", Buffy said, all angry and disgusted. "Really hope Angel stops him before that."
"But isn't a bus out in the sunlight? I doubt he could make into a school bus before turning to ash", Dawn pointed out.
"Maybe he has a way to get to one", Willow said.
At the briefing in the police station, Kate showed everyone the drawing of Penn and a picture of Angel from some security footage from back when everyone had become sensitive, saying they needed to find Penn and Angel would be how, and also said many men will be needed, and then Penn walked in, saying the drawing was terrible due to the mouth all wrong.
"Oh crap!" Everyone but Giles went together while he said 'Oh dear!' instead.
"So the school bus was to throw Angel off", Buffy realized as all tensed.
Two detectives jumped Penn as he threw them across the room into others. Kate scrambled to get her stake while Penn swept through the room at his Vampire speed, taking down two cops before he grabbed Kate from behind, leaving by using her as a shield.
"Man, I know they are fast, but it's still something to witness it", Xander said.
"Yup, out of all of us, only you are as fast as them", Tara said to Buffy.
"The rest of us have just fought them for so long that we are used to their speed now", Giles said, and no one disagreed. [2]
"He's got Kate though", Buffy said, and all were tense again.
Wesley drove Angel's car to the underground garage of the police station, the place humming with activity as Angel threw his blanket off, though Wesley was confused why they were here. A cop slammed his hand on the hood of the car to make them hold it as cop cars drove past them, and Angel told Wesley Penn was here, running in between the cop cars to a partially open sewer cover.
"Looks like Angel saw through his distraction", Buffy said.
"He knows Penn too well, so he could figure it out", Willow said.
Penn dragged Kate through the sewer tunnels as she asked what he'd do, and he said he was going to tell her his plan before throwing her into the wall, and said he's show her instead. Penn then morphed into Vamp face, sniffing her fear and saying it made the blood sweeter, asking her who'd have taught him that. Kate said she wasn't afraid to die, and Penn said he wouldn't kill her but when he was done with her, Angel would.
"He wants to turn her", Tara realized as all but Buffy paled, as she remembered meeting.
"Remember, I met her once, so she makes it out alive", Buffy reminded and all were slightly relieved, though the scene was still tense.
Angel then arrived, saying he hadn't fallen for Penn's ploy, and Kate pulled out a glass bottle as Penn looked at Angel. Penn said he could have but Angel said it was too original, and then Kate splashed Holy Water on Penn's face, making him throw her aside as his left side turned into burns.
"It's started", Dawn said as all watched.
"Well, you were right about one thing, Angelus. The last 200 years has been about me sticking it to my father. But I've come to realize something – it's you!" He jumped up and kicked Angel in the stomach. "You made me!" He kicked him in the face, then double fisted him a couple of times. "You taught me!" Angel dropped to the floor and Penn jumped on his back. "You approved of me in ways my mortal father never did! You are my real father, Angelus." Angel got up, holding Penn up above his head: "Fine! He slammed him into the ground. "You're grounded."
In spite of the tense situation, all chuckled at Angel's joke, though Penn seeing him as a father was disturbing, because it was true.
The two fought, leaping, kicking and punching while Kate crawled to a broken board, picking it up. Angel beat Penn and threw him off, but Penn recovered and threw him off before knocking the board out of Kate's hand and knocking her down. Angel pulled him off of her and punched him before dodging a punch and running him into a wall but Penn ran up it and flipping, grabbed Angel by the neck from behind, saying Angel had forgotten his old lessons, like not giving up the advantage. During that time, Kate had reclaimed her board.
"Now he has Angel", Xander said, everyone's hearts beating faster.
Angel looked at Kate with the piece of wood, while Penn said Angel had become weak living among humans. Angel and Kate just looked at each other, close-ups of their faces, eyes and the wood. And then Kate rammed the piece of wood through Angel's stomach and up into Penn's heart. Angel gasped in pain while Penn turned to dust. Angel gasped and staring at the half of the board still sticking out of his stomach. "You missed." Kate was wide eyed. "No I didn't." She grabbed the board and pulled it out as Angel collapsed, cradling his stomach, and Kate sank a few feet away from him, their relationship permanently strained now.
"Well, Penn is gone", Willow said and everyone sighed in relief at that.
"But their relationship is strained", Buffy noted and all nodded, though Buffy knew this was still not enough to make her want to kill Angel, since she had a chance to do it now and hadn't.
Later, Angel sat over his building's roof, looking at the city lights as Cordelia walked to him, wearing a wool poncho and leaned on the embrasure next to him, handing him a piece of paper with a new job since she had a vision. Angel said this place was like where he had grown up, though Cordelia pointed out the modern stuff, but Angel pointed out this was people moving with their lives, and nothing changed. Cordelia reminded him they were dreams and not even his, but Angel said he had enjoyed them, Cordelia telling him not to mention it again. Angel said it was still in him as Cordelia said. "Sure it's in you. We all have something. But it's not the only thing that's in you. You're not him, Angel. Not anymore. The name I got in my vision, the message didn't come for Angelus, it came for you. Angel. And you have to trust that whoever that The Powers That Be be, - are, - is.. anyway, - they know the difference."
"Yes, it's not the only thing inside", Buffy agreed. "There is Angelus, but there is also Angel, the good guy."
"She's a great friend", Willow commented. "And I never thought I'd say that."
"Proof that people change", Tara said and all nodded with smiles.
"Yes, everyone does", Xander agreed begrudgingly.
Angel agreed as Cordelia said people did change, as he got off the embrasure to stand next to her. "And sometimes they change back. - If the day ever comes that I..." "Oh, I'll kill you dead!" Cordelia said. Angel blinked. "Thanks." Cordelia turns to go. "What are friends for?" Angel followed her a half-smile on his face. The screen went black.
"I think that would earn his trust, seeing how Angel is in all of these recordings", Buffy told everyone. "He would approve killing him if he becomes Angelus again."
"If there is no other choice, that has to be done", Xander sighed.
"So, Penn is gone, but his relationship with Kate is strained", Dawn said. "We up for one more right?'
"Yes, one more to go for the day", Buffy said as they turned changed the recording to the next one.
I have no idea what people thought of this episode back in the day, but since Jeremy Renner is Hawkeye in the MCU (biggest franchise ever obviously), I am sure many people would love it much more than they used to back then.
And because of Jeremy Renner, Penn is the 2nd best one-note Vampire in the whole Buffyverse. Yes, 2nd best, because no one is can be a better one-note Vampire than Holden Webster, not even Jeremy Renner.
[1] Obviously a reference to Renner's role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, though I also managed to sneak in references to his role as William Brandt in the Mission: Impossible films and Aaron Nash in 'The Bourne Legacy'.
[2] Since Vamps are superhuman, this is my explanation regarding why people like Wesley, Gunn, Xander and Giles can fight them decently, because they have fought them for so long, and studied them, that they are used to their superhuman reaction speed and strength and all that.
So this is it, and next up is *groans* CORDELIA DRINKING BLOOD! Though we are halfway through Season 1 now, YAY!
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!