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This, out of the first 11 episodes of this Season, is my least favorite one. Not a bad episode though, it was pretty good, but I liked the other episodes a lot more than this.
Chapter 59- That Old Gang Of Mine
"Let's start this one", Buffy said. "Though for some reason I think we'll have to wait a little before the mystery of Darla's and presumably Angel's kid is solved."
"Yeah, she seems to be pretty far from LA right now", Tara nodded in agreement as Buffy started the recording.
Angel said to someone. "That night still haunts me. I'm ashamed of how I treated you." He looked down. "The way I used you." He looked back up. "I took - what I needed," he looked back down, "then I cast you aside and that - that was wrong of me. Was very wrong." Angel looked back up at - Merl, sitting on a chair in Caritas. "He's reading!" The bar was empty except for Merl and Angel sitting facing each other, Wesley standing behind Angel and Gunn, Lorne and Cordelia leaning against the bar behind Merl.
"He's trying to apologize", Dawn commented. "For what he did when he was all dark."
"Dick", Willow corrected her.
"Doesn't look like Merl's buying it though", Xander noted. "Not that he deserves too much of it."
"Because it doesn't look sincere to him", Tara told him. "But how sincere was he?"
Merl didn't feel the sincerity as Angel reminded the others he'd called it a waste of time. After some arguing Merl headed for the exit but Cordelia stopped him, and started trying to convince him while Wesley called Angel out for not making a sincere attempt. Angel then asked Wesley what Merl wanted from him and Merl turned to him, saying he wanted the 3 months of therapy he had from being hung upside down in the sewer back.
"He needed therapy?" Buffy wondered.
"Just because he's Demon doesn't mean he doesn't feel any trauma like humans do", Willow pointed out to her. "Wonder what he needed it for, Angel's abuse or wanting to kill a baby."
"Hopefully second", Buffy said.
Angel decided to let Merl take a shot at him and eventually, Merl picked up a bottle from the bar and hauled back to hit Angel. But the bottle instead recoiled from an invisible wall, throwing Merl back - into Lorne's arms, waiting to catch him.
Everyone winced a little and had a small chuckle too.
"Angel just embarrassed him even more", Giles commented.
"Well, if he showed remorse for his own actions, he'd get a genuine apology", Dawn said.
"Yeah, he would", Buffy agreed with a nod.
"I don't think he'll take a sincere one either now", Xander said to her. "Not that he has much of it in him."
Angel sat back down, trying to keep a straight face as Merl said Angel had tricked him again, and then said he didn't want to see any of them ever again, but then stopped and asked if anyone could drive him home.
"What was that about never?" Willow asked as all chuckled.
Gunn's pickup pulled up in a dark, deserted alley as Merl walked out, thanking him, and went to his home, turning on the dark overhead light bulb in his home and looking through his mail before he looked up and saw something that scared him. "What the..." he threw up his hands and backed away. "Hey, hey, hey! No, no, no. No! Noooo!" Merl cringed, then there were several impacts of a bladed weapon, and a yellow-green liquid splattered the wall.
Dawn covered her mouth in horror as everyone else was shocked by what they had just witnessed.
"What the…..who did this?" Buffy wondered.
"Not Angel", Xander said lamely.
"Maybe he pissed off the wrong person", Willow told them. "In his line of work, that happens a lot."
"Who would it be though?" Tara wondered. "I don't think he deserved to die THAT badly."
"Yeah, he was scum, but there's worse than him", Xander agreed with her.
"Let's find out", Giles said as they watched.
Gunn was smiling at Alonna. "Hey, big brother." Then Alonna was in vamp face as Gunn said. "I was never gonna let anything happen to you. I was supposed to protect you. You were my sister." Alonna said. "I still am." Alonna vamped out and slowly moved in to bite Gunn. "Good-bye." Gunn staked Alonna and watched her look at him as she turned to dust. "Alonna!" Gunn jerked up into a sitting position on his bed as he suddenly woke up. The pager on his nightstand beeped.
No one passed any comment. Everyone knew Gunn was still haunted by the death of his sister, for whom he had done everything, and that was what drove his actions now. Buffy did grasp Dawn a little tighter though, since she had no idea what she would do if it was Dawn. Dawn grasped her hand back to let her know she was still there.
Angel was standing in the middle of Merl's messed up place when Gunn arrived, and was told the yellow gook was Merl, spread all around the room. Angel said he'd stopped by in the morning to give 'sincere' one more shot with donuts, but this was what he found, and they'd ruled out suicide.
"I don't think you can spread your body all over the room by committing suicide", Giles commented dryly.
Wesley arrived with some personal papers of Merl and asked Gunn if he'd seen something odd on dropping Merl off, but he hadn't, and then Gunn asked why they were interested in this, as he didn't have a beef with Merl and even felt bad Merl was dead, but they shouldn't be spending their time on this, saying he was what he was.
"Ummm, does that sound like me?" Xander asked randomly. "Because it did."
"It did sound like you", Willow told him.
Angel asked what that was supposed to mean and Gunn said Merl was just one more dead Demon, and they did that every day, but Wesley pointed out Merl was harmless.
"Yes, while he did wrong the first time we met Merl, outside of that he hasn't done anything at all, no point killing him either way", Buffy had to agree.
"Gunn is behaving really off", Dawn said to her.
"Yeah, I noticed that too", Willow agreed with a nod.
Angel called out Gunn mildly for showing up late and Gunn reminded he wasn't in-charge now, so Wesley stepped in between and told Gunn to go home, to which he agreed, and Angel told Wesley now he'd have to know Merl.
"That's you'd have to", Tara sighed.
"Why is Gunn so defensive?" Buffy wondered. "It's like he knows something."
"He did drop him off", Xander reminded. "Though I don't really think he could have killed him."
"I don't think he's involved, but he does know something", Willow said.
Gunn's pickup pulled up in front of a rod-iron fence with barbed wire looped through it. Gunn looked at it for a moment, then turned the engine off and got out of his truck. Gunn walked into a room lit by several candles. Graffiti covered most of the walls. A Hispanic looking guy attacked Gunn with a staff, but Gunn easily matched the other's moves. He took the staff away from the guy, tripped him onto his back and held the sharpened end of the staff against the guy's neck - only to find a loaded crossbow being held against his own neck by another guy that had come up behind him. Gunn turned to look at the guy as the others arrived and Gunn helped the guy up and hugged Rondell as they exchanged a special handshake.
"Guess he spends his time equally now", Dawn commented. "Between the teams."
"But he didn't know about this rig", Buffy pointed out.
Rondell told Gunn the crew was more efficient than ever as the new guy knew Gunn from reputation and it was revealed his name is Gio and he's from Miami, and they had a crack at Angel as well as Gunn for working with him, and then after a while they all walked out of the room, leaving Gunn behind.
"They are bigots too", Willow noted.
"Yeah, I can tell", Xander told her, and these people seemed even bigger bigots than him, especially that Gio guy.
"I don't like Gio", Buffy said. "There's something off about him."
At Hyperion, Angel was worried about Fred who was standing in the Hyperion's sunny court, telling Cordelia she'd been back in the world for 3 months but hadn't gone out into it, and Cordelia reminded what had happened last time she'd gone out. Angel asked to talk to her but she didn't want, because while she found Fred sweet and adorable (and laughing at something a shrub said apparently), she didn't get her, but Angel said she only had to talk to her, and she agreed.
"If there's anyone who can, it's Cordelia", Tara said. "She has a quality about her."
"Yes, she doesn't sugarcoat anything, that'd be it", Giles agreed with a nod.
Angel picked up a paper as Cordelia told him it was the list of Merl's enemies, and then they walked into Wesley's office as Angel asked why his name was on top, to which he was told it was in alphabetical order. Angel said he and Merl weren't enemies, he just found the body, but Cordelia pointed out it was suspicious. Wesley recognized some names and Cordelia said they'd made Merl snitch on many of them. Wesley eventually agreed to work backwards with 'A' at the bottom, and Angel told Cordelia he wouldn't have brought donuts if he planned to kill Merl.
"He has got a point there", Dawn said with a nod, agreeing.
"They all know he didn't do it", Buffy told her. "They're just messing with him a little."
Gunn and Rondell were walking as Gunn pointed out what Gio had said of him but Rondell assured Gio didn't know him. Gunn asked Rondell if he thought he'd turned his back on them, but got no straight answer so he asked again, and Rondell said they hadn't heard from him after George's funeral. Gunn agreed things had gone crazy after George but Rondell said things hadn't been the same after Alonna. Gunn told him he couldn't do a thing for them if he couldn't protect his own sister, but Rondell assured they were all alive because of what he had started, but Gunn reminded both had started it as they did their hug and handshake.
"This isn't something a hug and handshake can fix", Willow said. "I think this is about to blow over very soon."
"Now the question is- which way?" Xander asked.
Angel and Wesley walked down a hallway to the house of Samuel Larch, a bookie to whom Merl owed a lot of money, though they didn't know if he was Demon or human, and then Angel kicked his door open, walking in while Wesley followed and this proved it was a Demon. Then they noticed the room was destroyed with yellow slime all around, so they agreed their enemy was extremely big and powerful, and they'd need Gunn.
"So this thing wasn't just Merl's enemy", Buffy said in realization. "Whoever it is, it's targeting Demons."
"Now I wonder who that is", Dawn said, though they had a feeling they knew who it was, they just weren't connecting it.
A big hulking monster was slowly lumbering along a sewer tunnel, emitting loud slurping noises. It was caught in a beam of light and turned around. It stopped sucking on a large soda through a straw to look around with a 'deer in the headlights' expression, clearly confused. A group of armed guys carrying flashlights came charging down the tunnel, easily catching up to the slow-moving demon. They cornered him against a grate and began to hack at it. Gio was aiming his crossbow as someone told him to smoke it, and he fired.
"It's them all!" Willow said as the pieces fell together for them at the same time.
"This Gio has taken over the crew and under his lead, they are killing any Demon that moves", Giles summed up.
"So they're all murdering bigots", Buffy said.
"What did these Demons ever do to them?" Dawn asked.
"They did nothing, they are just biased against all Demons, they don't care if the Demons are good or bad", Tara told her. "Like Merl wasn't a good guy, but his actions didn't affect them either way, yet they still went after him."
"I guess Gunn suspects it", Xander said to them.
Wesley looked in Larch's apartment for clues and found the broken head of a crossbow bolt as Gunn arrived, then asked why they were looking into this. Wesley tried to explain things weren't so simple as slaying things, sometimes the world operated in shades of grey, but Gunn didn't like they were playing cleanup crew to lowlife Demons.
After watching all of this, Buffy had finally understood the point of the term 'shades of grey', and so she could see Team Angel's way of operating clearly.
"They may be lowlifes, but they didn't deserve to be murdered like animals", Buffy said. "And it's your own old crew."
"With his crew, Gunn considered all Demons his enemies, and even with Team Angel, he basically just kicked the ass of whoever they pointed him at", Willow pointed out. "So his morality has been more black and white compared to them."
"But when he realizes what's going, he's going to question himself", Tara predicted correctly.
Gunn asked if they'd thank the killer or kill it, and Wesley didn't know, because Larch was non-violent, and out of 6 other victims, 2 were irredeemably evil, which meant this killer was killing randomly. While saying this, he added the plastic bag with the arrow point to the other ones. Angel arrived and said it had happened again while Gunn saw the packet with the arrowhead and picked it up, taking it. Wesley told Angel the new victim was completely non-violent, and Gunn said he'd hit the streets to find out more, greeting Angel on his way out.
"He just took evidence from them", Dawn said, not liking that one bit.
"I am fairly certain he recognizes the arrowhead, it was pointed at him a few hours ago", Giles pointed out to them.
"What's he trying to do? Protect his crew?" Xander asked.
"That, or question them himself, but taking evidence is wrong", Willow said. "I think he's gonna question them."
Later, at gang's hideout, Gunn asked Rondell to explain the arrowhead, knowing Gio had used it, and told Rondell that Gio was a rogue, but then Rondell revealed they'd all been there, and had killed the Demon for being a Demon, to Gunn's shock.
"They consider all Demons evil, I don't think they can be reasoned with now", Tara said.
"Really?" Dawn asked.
"They're already on their killing sprees, reason is out of the question", Tara told them all, and she was right.
Gunn then saw them handing out machine guns, to his shock as Rondell asked if Gunn wanted to come with them tonight, but he refused. Gio then arrived and told Gunn that Rondell still thought of him as some hero, but they knew better, and then they all walked off, leaving Gunn behind.
"Hero or not, still better than you are", Xander said to Gio. "You're such a jackass."
"So he's got the whole crew converted to his point of view", Buffy sighed. "This is not good."
Wesley was looking at evidence bags and books, and then informed Angel and Cordelia that one of the evidence bags was missing while Fred arrived. Angel walked to Cordelia and motioned to Fred who went out to the garden court. Cordelia gave her papers to Angel and walked to Fred while Wesley realized evidence bag number 11 was missing.
"That's with Gunn", Dawn spoke up.
Cordelia walked to Fred and greeted her, startling her first as she started going off but Cordelia stopped her, wanting to talk right now, so Fred sat down while Cordelia told her Angel wanted her to get out, and so she decided to pack her bags but Cordelia corrected herself that he wanted her to enjoy and evening or something, and they could go together. Fred rationalized she'd be safe with Cordelia and no one would look at her with Cordelia around, but Cordelia said everyone would look at her because she'd be in the spotlight on a stage.
"Fred is gonna sing at Caritas", Willow summed up for them.
"I hope her voice is better than the others in Team Angel", Buffy hoped.
"Well, I am sure it cannot be as bad as them", Giles said as they all chuckled.
"And she's agreed to go out, hopefully that will have a good effect on her", Tara said with a smile.
At night, Gunn sat in his parked truck, looked at the arrowhead, then put it down and started the engine, driving off, and then arrived at the Hyperion where Angel said Wesley thought these crimes were random, but he was thinking otherwise as the randomness and chaos was forming a pattern, and there was a purpose behind every move, that being to have fun. He then asked Gunn if something was wrong but he wanted to talk to Wesley.
"He was talking about Angelus, wasn't he?" Dawn asked Buffy.
"Yes, he was", Buffy nodded.
"Give over the evidence fast and 'fess up before anything else happens", Xander said to Gunn. "It's not even about Demons, you're making it worse for yourself."
Fred was sitting on the stage of Caritas singing "Crazy" by Patsy Cline. "Crazy. I'm crazy for feeling so lonely", she giggled and pushed the hair back from her face. "I'm crazy..." Lorne was leaning against the bar. Cordelia and Wesley were sitting at a table as Cordelia said Fred had picked the song out herself. "...for feeling so blue. I knew you'd love me as long as you wanted..." Gunn walked in and saw Fred and smiled. "...and then some day, you'd leave me for somebody new." Gunn saw Cordelia and Wesley at the table and walked in the opposite direction, almost bumping into Lorne, who was looking at him as Gunn told him not to read him. "Worry. Why should I let myself worry?" Lorne said he wouldn't but Gunn was like a billboard now, informing Wesley had questions and Gunn clearly had answers. "I'm crazy for thinking that my love could hold you..." Gunn said he didn't want to sing so Lorne asked if he'd talk about it. "I'm crazy for trying, and crazy for..."
"Well, Fred isn't a very good singer but she isn't so bad that she makes me want to cut my ears off, so there's that", Giles said as they all had chuckles at that before turning serious.
"Now Gunn", Buffy said. "He is still not 'fessing up, he needs to though."
"You know, something bad usually happens before that", Dawn told them.
Guys with machine guns came down the stairs opening fire on the demon clientele. Fred got splattered by white demon blood and fell off the stool she was sitting on. Gunn grabbed Lorne and they took cover behind the bar. Cordelia and Wesley tipped their table over and crouched behind it. Demons were being shot to pieces as bullets sprayed the air. One of the guys shot up the bottles lining the wall behind the bar. Wesley eventually ran to the frozen Fred and lifted her up, bringing her behind the table too. Gio walked into the center of the room, leaning on the sawed off shotgun he was carrying up against his shoulder and looked around with a big grin. "Party! Yoo-hoo!"
"Like that", Dawn finished lamely.
"So now they have to mess up Lorne's place too", Willow sighed. "And looks like the enchantment only prevents Demon violence."
"Which means they can't even fight back", Buffy said with wide eyes, horrified.
"This has gone too far now", Tara said.
"Yup, now they need to be put down, especially Gio", Xander snarled.
"First they need to survive this", Giles said grimly.
They continued firing at the club to Lorne's horror as someone fired a stake gun at a Vampire, dusting him. Rondell wanted to go but Gio knew Gunn was here and called him forth. All of them pointed their guns at Gunn as Gio told him to tell them all about how he'd been tossing drinks with his Demon buddies, while Rondell was in disbelief. Gio said they needed answers and Wesley got up, agreeing.
"And now it's all out in the open", Tara sighed.
"Why do bad things happen whenever Fred goes out?" Willow asked angrily, and all agreed. This would just have another bad effect on Fred.
Lorne stood up as guys hustled him into the open but Gunn tried to stop them. Rondell was still in disbelief as Gunn said Lorne was okay but Rondell was judging him just by his look.
"How would you feel if I judge you by your skin color?" Tara asked Rondell.
"They're all too bigoted to see the similarities there", Xander told her.
"Yeah, and clearly, this is their idea of fun", Buffy snarled. "This is not fun you idiots!"
Wesley realized they had killed Merl and the rest and that Gunn knew. Gunn said he was trying to work it out as Lorne asked if he had done it yet, and Gunn apologized while Rondell was angered Gunn was apologizing to Lorne and asked him to move but Gunn stepped in front of Lorne. "You lost the mission, bro." Rondell asked. "What?!" Gio aimed his gun at Gunn with a big grin. Gunn told him. "What you been doing, man, this ain't right. None of this is right! This is not what we're about."
"With you not around, they clearly are", Willow said with a sigh. "And now they won't see any sense either."
"How are they gonna get out of this?" Dawn wondered.
Rondell said they were protecting their own as Wesley asked if that meant breaking into other people's homes, to which Rondell said they weren't people.
"How dare you?" Dawn snarled, clutching her fists angrily at the level of bigotry of this whole gang.
Xander was disturbed too. He used to be a bigot till watching these recordings, but not even close to this level. This was just delusional.
Even Giles, who was still a bit of a bigot, believed in only harming dangerous Demons, he didn't care one bit about harmless ones, so these kids were clearly out of control.
Everyone was glaring at the screen.
Cordelia got up too and guns were aimed at her as Wesley told them to give him a clean kill as he'd been wounded last time, and reminded Rondell it was to help him. Gunn told them to let the others go as it was between them, and Gio agreed as Gunn tossed his truck keys at Wesley's feet. Cordelia picked up the keys as Rondell aimed at Gunn again. "How can you be sitting up in here with these things and tell me I'm the one that lost the mission?" Gunn told him. "Because it's true. - We used to face death because we had to. Now you're chasing it down, man, for the fun of it. That ain't right."
"Not right at all, killing harmless people, human or Demon, is wrong, and you're doing it for fun?" Buffy asked. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
At least Buffy killed those Demons who were actively doing evil or trying to harm her. Any Demon not doing a thing, she just didn't care about that kind of Demon.
"They have lost their mission completely", Willow said. "Earlier, it used to align with us and Team Angel to an extent. Now they're just as bad as those they face."
"You have become the very thing you swore to destroy", Xander said to Gunn's old gang, and the reference rang completely true.
Rondell aimed at Cordelia who was helping Fred up and said only one could go, and that'd be Cordelia. "I'm not leaving here without her." Cordelia put an arm around Fred. "No way." Some of the gang pulled Fred away from her and hustle Cordelia towards the door, against her protests. Wesley took a hold of Fred and the guys let her go to step back and aimed their guns at them again. Rondell said the rest could go after the Vampire was brought, and then they'll see who lost the mission. Cordelia shared a look with Gunn and left as a gray Demon kept muttering 'Oh God' but another shut him up as God wasn't listening.
"Poor Fred", Tara said sadly.
"This is a total hostage situation now, they even have the demands", Giles sighed.
"I really hope Angel has a plan", Dawn told them.
Cordelia later told Angel at Hyperion that this was a trap but he scribbled an address on a piece of paper and told Cordelia to go there to the Transcending Furies, 3 sisters who were hired by Lorne monthly to cast the Sanctorium spell on Caritas. Cordelia had to tell them to lift the spell, and they would do it for him, to which she realized they knew each other, and Angel assured they remembered him too. Cordelia guiltily told Angel. "I told her she was safe with me." Angel sighed. "I know." He turned and walked out the door.
No one could bring themselves to comment regarding Fred.
"How does Angel know these Furies?" Buffy wondered.
"Maybe they'll tell", Willow suggested.
Gio was singing 'Wind Beneath My Wings' at Caritas as Wesley told Gunn they'd kill Angel when he arrived but Gunn said they'd make him do it. Feedback then started to come from the speakers so Gio threw the mic away and shot the Karaoke machine, ending the music.
"Jerk", Dawn snarled angrily at Gio, and everyone was even more pissed.
Gio said Angel wouldn't show when Lorne mentioned Miami, reminding him about why he left and mentioned a woman who had trusted Gio till the end, making Gio hit him, bloodying his mouth but Lorne smiled.
"So he failed someone who trusted him", Giles noted. "Or maybe he betrayed her."
"I'm willing to go with that option", Xander told him.
One Demon made for it but was stopped as the gray Demon was even more terrified. Gunn spun and hit one of the guys, grabbed his machine gun and aimed it at Gio, while all of the gang, including Rondell, took aim at him and Gio called him out for trying to save the lowlife, and said this Demon killed babies. The Demon didn't deny as Gio called Gunn out for defending a baby killer, and Gunn snarled there were many monsters in the room to choose from, Gio calling Gunn one of them.
"I think it's you", Buffy sneered at Gio. "You are one of the biggest monsters in the room."
"He's too delusional to realize it" Willow told Buffy.
Gio continued taunting Gunn, even bringing up his sister, accusing him of wanting to sleep with Alonna which is why he had let her get bitten, and the ugly Demon was ranting about how he killed babies, and Gunn screamed at them to shut up before shooting the baby killing Demon dead, making Gio grin as Fred huddled closer to Wesley. Lorne said this was a sanctuary but Gio told him not anymore.
No one could blame Gunn for killing that specific Demon, since it was a baby killer, but this made it clear he was conflicted, and that made him dangerous.
"Nice shot." Angel said as he arrived and looked at Gunn. "Am I next?" Rondell gave Gunn a stake to prove Angel wasn't his friend. Wes left Fred to stand in front of Gunn, reminding Angel had a soul. Gio said he was a Vampire but Wesley pointed out the soul again. Gio scoffed. "Whatever. - You think that makes him the same as us?" Wesley told him. "No. Better. Better than you, anyway. When he did his pleasure killing he had no soul. You can make no such claim."
"Oh no you really can't", Willow said. "Just like Warren."
"Some people are horrible even with souls", Tara agreed with her.
Angel stepped closer and morphed into Vamp face to make it simpler for Gunn. Cordelia was sitting on a couch with 3 Furies floating in front of her and she mentioned Angel and also asked to take their spell down, and they kept muttering together in a pleased tone. "Mmmmmm, Angel."
"Ummm, did Angel do with them what I think he did?" Xander asked as their eyes widened in realization.
"Bloody hell", Giles muttered, taking off his glasses and cleaning them.
"So, Angel…" Buffy trailed off.
"Let's not say it", Willow told her.
"Yeah, I don't want to", Tara agreed.
"Why was this their connection?" Dawn muttered.
Angel had slept with these 3 Furies at some point and had clearly pleased them very, very well, which Buffy didn't doubt, considering her own one experience with him.
Gunn dropped the stake, refusing to kill Angel, who was back in human face. Gunn refused to kill Angel not because they were friends, but because Angel had a mission and Rondell didn't. Gio scoffed that Gunn was a monster lover and so as bad as a monster, and now offered that whoever killed Angel could leave the place. Then after a while Fred got up, apologizing to Angel because she didn't want to die, and Gio offered her his crossbow.
"You wouldn't!" Xander said in horror.
"No, she wouldn't", Willow agreed. "Angel means too much to her."
Xander started. "But then-"
"I think she has something in mind", Tara told them all.
"Now the question whether it's something that will work or not", Buffy said grimly.
Cordelia asked the Furies what would it take for them to lift the spell, and they told her she couldn't pay the debt but Angel was equipped for it, and then Cordelia finally put the pieces together, looking disgusted.
Everyone looked a little disgusted.
"So Angel just became a….." Xander started.
"Don't say it!" Buffy said and he shut up.
But everyone knew what had just happened. Angel had basically prostituted himself to these 3 Furies in return for lifting the enchantment.
Well, lucky them, Buffy thought to herself.
Giles ended up cleaning his glasses again.
Fred took the crossbow from Gio and aimed it at Angel, who assured her he understood as Gio told her to get him in the heart. Gio took a step back to give Fred room. Fred looked at Angel, taking a couple deep breaths, then spun around to aim the bow at Gio. "Although I thought I might just shoot you in the throat instead. Now, if I pierce one of your carotid arteries, considering the temperature in here, 'cause I think somebody shot the thermostat, the blood loss is gonna be heavy. And there's a chance I'll puncture a vocal cord and you won't even be able to scream. But you'll want to when the blood loss to your brain results in a cerebral vascular event. - That's a stroke. I wasn't trying to sound snooty."
"You go girl!" Xander cheered.
"Shoot him", Dawn smirked.
But the rest were a bit grimmer.
"She is scared", Buffy said. "And shaking."
"But brave move", Willow told them.
"I know", Tara agreed. "But it's not gonna work."
"I don't think she can do it just yet", Giles told them.
Angel asked her to point at him but she didn't want to, and when she looked back at Angel, Gio ripped the bow out of her hands and pushed Fred away as Wesley caught her. Gio pointed the bow at Angel when a flash of light lit up the place. Angel looked at the ceiling with a slight smile. "Thank you, ladies. I owe you one."
"Now they're dead", Dawn said about Gio and the crew.
"I really don't wanna think more of the debt", Buffy muttered to herself.
"No one does", Willow agreed.
Angel knocked the bow out of Gio's hands and then disarmed another guy while Wesley handed Fred to Lorne and he and Gunn joined the fight too, beating down several members of the crew. Gio ranted at the crew to win, calling them pathetic, when the gray Demon, who was sitting behind Gio, morphed into a huge insect-like monster and bit off Gio's head, swallowing it while Rondell angrily unloaded into the monster's chest, dropping it.
"Well, I don't think the crew is going to be trouble anymore", Giles said grimly.
"But things aren't gonna be the same for a long while after this", Tara sighed.
"Well, at least Gio's dead", Xander said, finding that a good outcome here.
Wesley later helped Fred into the back of a taxi and nearby, Gunn talked to Rondell, severing ties with the gang as they walked off and Gunn walked to Wesley, telling him Rondell and the others won't be coming in this area again. Wesley sympathized with Gunn to some extent. "It's never easy - the pull of divided loyalties. - Whatever choice we do end up making we feel as though we've betrayed someone." Gunn agreed. "Yeah." Wesley told him. "If you ever withhold information or attempt to subvert me again, I will fire you. - I can't have any one member of the team compromising the safety of the group, no matter who it is. If you do it again you will be dismissed, bag and baggage, out of a job onto the streets."
"Harsh, but fair", Buffy said with a sigh, the general within her agreeing with Wesley's decision. "Gunn was conflicted, but his actions did compromise their safety."
"If he does it again, Wesley will be right to kick him out, Gunn has been given a chance", Giles said in agreement with her.
"Well, hope he's learnt his lesson", Xander said.
"Yeah, me too", Dawn nodded.
Angel walked out of a door as Wesley got into the taxi with Fred and it took off while Gunn turned to Angel. Gunn told Angel he'd said all that to stall but he meant it too, and Angel didn't mind. Gunn said this was just how he felt but he did like working with Angel and even liked him, and so they could be friends someday, Angel saying he could wait. Angel turned and started to walk away when Gunn stopped him. "No matter what else, I think I proved that you can trust me when I could have killed you and I didn't." Angel told him. "No. - You'll prove that I can trust you when day comes that you have to kill me - and you do." Gunn watched as Angel turned and walked off, then turned around and walked away himself. The screen went black.
"He's talking about Angelus, isn't he?" Tara asked.
"Yes, I'm sure that's who he was talking about", Willow confirmed with a nod.
"That's how Cordelia earned his trust", Buffy reminded them. "If there's no way to save him, he'd want himself killed."
What none of them knew was that Gunn had killed Angel when that day came, only the situations were reversed as by then Gunn was a Vampire and Angel was a human, and it was Angel's plan anyway.
"Well, this was intense", Dawn muttered.
"I know, and I think we all know it's gonna get even worse", Buffy said grimly as she came to the next recording.
Well, not gonna say much about this one other than 'Poor Fred!' (and also 'Go Fred!' when she pointed the bow at Gio) and as for Gunn, I understand his conflict but he should have told Team Angel before.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!