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Chapter 103- Players
"Pregnancy revealed", Buffy sighed as she turned the recording on.
Angel, Wesley, Fred and Gunn stared at Cordelia's pregnant belly as Connor stood next to her protectively. Everyone was shocked as Cordelia said she hadn't revealed this due to all the clash of Titans stuff. Lorne entered and was amazed, shocked at having missed it as Cordelia said she'd known about this a little while after Angelus' release, but it looked like 8 months rather than few weeks. Wesley talked about Cordelia's first ever impregnation, and Gunn congratulated Angel over having a grandspawn, offending Connor as he walked off and Gunn realized he'd gone over the line this time.
"Don't like Connor, the pregnancy is messed up, but that was still out of line", Dawnster said.
"Yeah, especially since they don't know the exact thing yet", Rosenberg pointed out.
"Cordelia's last impregnation wasn't the Haxil, it was the Skilosh", Buffy reminded, angry at all of them for good reason. "And they were just as horrible as the rest."
"Tell me about it", Summers sighed sadly.
Connor walked off as Cordelia said none of them understood, and she could feel the love and goodness inside, calling it 'my sweet baby', then turning away to lift her blouse as the thing inside moved and squirmed, her belly rippling. She smiled wickedly. "You'll see." And then she turned back to them, her expression neutral again. "My baby will be here soon and then you'll all see."
"See what?" Xander asked.
"The 'love' and 'goodness'", Maclay told them in a sarcastic tone.
"Guess it's not the good kind of it", Buffy muttered.
"Oh no, worst kind", Dawn confirmed.
A guy called Garrett was near an artificial fountain when Gwen Raiden appeared nearby, but he was acting shifty now, so she looped her arm around his, giving him a lesson. Garrett then started warning Gwen about who she was currently up against but she gave him an envelope, saying she wanted Lisa. He took the envelope from her and gave her another with all the required info. Garrett then started propositioning her but a bolt of lightning hit Gwen from the sky, hurling her away as Garrett ran off, and Gwen struggled back to her feet.
"Is that regular for her?" Willow asked about Gwen being hit by electricity.
"Yes, quite regular", Harris confirmed.
"Bad for her", Tara muttered, since that would make life even harder than it already was.
Angel, Cordelia and Connor had gone off as Wesley, Lorne, Fred and Gunn discussed the pregnancy, as well as the sanctuary spell's effect on Connor. Lorne then said Angel should be here and he arrived, saying he didn't skulk and was thinking of the past few weeks, especially Angelus, eventually looking over at Wesley. "Angelus didn't kill Lilah. She was already dead, killed by the Beast. There's no excuse for… what Angelus did to her but I'm sorry for your loss." Wesley nodded in appreciation.
"Not even the Beast, Beastmaster itself", Dawnster muttered.
"They're about to find out soon", Summers assured.
"With a pregnancy like that, they're onto it all", Dawn told them.
Angel said they had to figure out about Cordelia's pregnancy and destroy the Beastmaster, giving instructions as he told Gunn to sit tight, since it never hurt to have muscle on deck. Gwen then appeared, Fred a bit hostile as Angel started it wasn't a good time, but Gwen said a girl was in trouble, and they helped people. She needed a guy who could handle himself in a tight spot and was suave, and it was Gunn she wanted, not Angel. Gunn smiled.
"So, a girl's in trouble?" Xander asked.
"Not exactly", Rosenberg said.
"So, we must not take her at her word, should we?" Giles asked.
"No, she's a good person, but a thief at heart", Maclay summed up for them. "Not that it's a very bad thing."
Connor sat alone in an empty room as Cordelia arrived, and he told her what she'd said didn't make sense since Willow had returned Angel while he'd almost staked him. Cordelia said it'd still worked out, pointing out everything had led to their miracle baby. Connor asked the reason for sending him to the basement with the stake and she said she was trying to protect their baby, and now he'd proven he was completely trustworthy, asking him to remember there was always a reason, and he assured he would while she smiled but watched him warily.
"If this thing finds you trustworthy, I hope you're brought out of under its thumb soon", Xander groaned.
"Still wrapping him around her little finger, isn't she?" Buffy asked with a sigh, and got nods.
"Its hold is too strong on a person like him, who has been manipulated his whole life", Willow commented sadly.
Gunn examined a jade tiger figurine on the table as Gwen said she'd been collecting souvenirs like that from each trip of hers, while Gunn revealed his only souvenirs were scars. Gwen then said there had been a little struggle between 2 companies, and Company A had hired her, ending with Company B kidnapping a little girl called Lisa. She showed Gunn a photo of a young Asian girl who was the daughter of her employer, and cops couldn't be called due to Gwen's earlier involvement. Gwen gave Gunn some papers about Takeshi Morimoto who was holding Lisa. He knew about the guy due to various things he was involved in, then took out the blueprints. Gunn was enjoying himself now since he'd been in a turgid supernatural soap opera for most of the year, now he could finally do some good.
"He's enjoying this", Dawnster noted.
"Yes, he is, it has been a while since he has had any fun of his kind", Rosenberg explained to them.
"And he has been feeling pretty shafted in the team", Maclay added, none of them disagreeing.
"That we did see", Tara agreed. "Plus, he just broke up with Fred some time ago."
"So this is him making himself useful where he can be", Willow commented.
"Guess so", Buffy muttered, though she still had the 'off' feeling about Gwen.
A sleek, black limousine pulled up as Gunn got out in a tuxedo, and helped out Gwen who was wearing a Japanese geisha, colored red. They made their way to the mansion.
"Man looks good in a suit", Xander commented, the others agreeing.
"Almost every man does", Summers told him.
Gunn quipped he looked better than James Bond as they passed a security screening where an infra-red scan of their bodies was done, and then they were scanned with metal detectors. Nothing was found so the guards let them go, and then they handed their invitation to a man for an optical scan, but the computer emitted a shrill alarm, so guards surrounded them. The head security guard said the invitation's electronic imprint had been altered, to which Gwen said she'd been struck by lightning, but no one believed her.
"She was struck by lightning but surviving like that would expose she's a mutant", Harris commented.
"And I guess that won't be good for the mission", Dawnster said lamely, and got nods.
"Sucks for them", Buffy sighed.
"Let's just say Gunn is more than just muscle", Dawn smirked, and now they were interested.
Gunn then spotted Morimoto, and called out to him, greeting him in Japanese and bowing, so Morimoto gave him a Japanese response in surprise. Gunn lied they'd met at the zoo benefit last year, and his wife had held a monkey right after his girlfriend. Gunn then handed Morimoto a gift box as a 'thank you' for inviting them, and it contained the jade tiger figurine, making Gwen shoot Gunn a look, as Morimoto thanked Gunn, and walked off.
"I do not think that worked", Giles commented.
"Just wait", Rosenberg advised.
The guards tried to lead them away when Morimoto stopped and motioned both inside, so the guards let them in.
"Spoke a little fast", Giles quipped as the rest chuckled.
"So, they're in now", Willow noted.
"I'm guessing it's going to be more messed up from here", Tara wondered.
"About what you expect", Maclay confirmed.
Wesley and Fred were researching Cordelia's pregnancy, Fred commenting on the disturbing nature of Cordelia's and Connor's relationship, as Wesley said. "But they were both lost… lonely." Fred started. "No matter how lonely I was, I would never-" Wesley talked about his own experience. "Things happen, Fred. When you're alienated from the people who care about you… you start to look other places." Fred realized he wasn't talking about Cordelia and Connor. "Lilah…" Wesley said. "We were fighting on opposite sides but it was the same war." Fred was angry. "But you hated her. " After a beat, she asked. "Didn't you?" Wesley explained. "It's not always about holding hands."
"He wasn't actually defending Cordelia and Connor, was he?" Buffy asked.
"No, he is of the same mind as us about it, he just used it as an opportunity to explain himself and Lilah to Fred", Summers told her, and she sighed in relief.
"Well, he isn't wrong about that", Willow said.
"Yes, both were lost and lonely", Maclay agreed. "And it happened."
"We understand it a little better now", Dawnster spoke up.
At the party, Gunn explained he'd gotten all this from Samurai movies, while apologizing for giving away her tiger but she revealed she'd stolen it back. Then they saw a young Asian girl surrounded by security guards. Gwen moved into the crowd while asking Gunn to keep an eye on Morimoto.
"Something is, kind of off about this", Tara said.
"You'll see", Harris assured them.
Angel was researching in his room when Cordelia entered, and after some talk Angel said he was almost pining for the Beast again, as he was a flunky. Cordelia then pretended to be the Beastmaster, sarcastically saying evil geniuses lived for such stuff.
"And here I thought she'd confessed", Xander commented.
"Oh it's not going to, it's too close for that", Dawn warned them.
"Too close to what?" Dawnster asked.
"It's plan's fulfillment", Summers revealed.
Angel said this thing was insane enough to pull such stunts, offending Cordelia who tried to hide her face. Angel called it deluded and demented, saying it was probably making up this plan as it went along. Cordelia was visibly upset as Angel assured this thing would slip up sometime, and Cordelia smiled but was seething inside.
"Offended?" Buffy asked mockingly.
"Very much", Rosenberg told her. "It doesn't like being insulted like that."
"I'm guessing what happened before its end was even worse", Willow asked.
"Much worse", Maclay revealed.
At the party, Gunn mingled with Morimoto and others when Gwen arrived, telling Gunn that Lisa was going to be killed tonight, so they must act fast. Gwen said she'd create a distraction and Gunn would run off with Lisa. Gunn again said it felt good to be doing good. Gwen crossed the room and stood with her back to a table covered with cups and dishes. Gunn circled around the room and positioned himself behind the guards and the little girl. When he was ready, he nodded at Gwen and she nodded back, then tipped the table over. The dishes shattered on the floor with a tremendous crash, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Gunn ducked out from behind a support column and snatched the little girl with a hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming and ducked back down the corridor with her. Across the room, Gwen pulled a security guard aside and pointed at Gunn as he spoke into his mic, with him and other bodyguards running after Gunn while Gwen smiled and moved into another direction.
"Okay, why did she send that guard after Gunn?" Buffy asked, everyone shocked.
"Her intentions aren't noble", Summers revealed.
"So she was tricking him all along?" Buffy asked, the other past people also not pleased.
"That is a bad thing to do", Giles commented.
"Not gonna deny that", Rosenberg agreed.
"But it turns out well in the end", Maclay assured them.
"Really?" Buffy asked.
"I think they know what happened, so we better believe them", Tara shrugged.
Gunn ran down the corridor with the girl in his arms and ducked into a library. He set the girl down and slid the doors shut. GUNN Hang in there. A wooden staff suddenly slammed into his head from behind and he dropped to the floor. Several of Morimoto's security men stood over Gunn, staves in hand. He struggled to his feet and felt the back of his head, then confronted his attackers. "Now you did it. I'm gonna have to get your lame-ass blood all over my sweet new suit."
"Well, Gwen can give you another as repayment for leading you on this", Dawnster piped up.
"She just might", Dawn shrugged, confusing the other past people.
One guard attacked as Gunn dodged or blocked, then punched his gut and took the staff, knocking him back before kicking him down. Gunn then used the staff to parry blows from the rest, knocking them away, taking one down in a spin motion, and then parried another one's sword. He took 3 down in quick succession before one with a samurai sword knocked him down. Gunn took that one down in a spin motion as well as the next.
"Damn! He's good! Beating up samurais like that?" Xander asked.
"Experience beats flashiness any day of the week", Summers told them all.
"Well, we always knew he was a badass", Willow shrugged.
"He is just proving it again", Harris pointed out.
"I think he is more badass than what we thought", Dawnster said.
Gunn then faced 3 remaining ones. "You know, I spent the last couple of weeks whackin' on a giant lava demon and more vamps than I can count. Almost forgot how good it feels to just let off a little steam." Gunn then took 2 down quickly before using the staff to leap and kick the last one back. He tried attack again but Gunn used the staff to flip him over his head, dropping the staff and calmly fixing his tie as the guard was knocked out.
"He can do more than just hold his own", Buffy commented.
"Yes, he is quite versatile now, the training Angel probably gave him combined with his experience helped him out well", Giles agreed with her.
"Oh yeah, his experience combined with Angel's training produced this", Rosenberg confirmed.
"So, badass", Xander smirked.
Then Gunn turned to the little girl cowering in the corner. "All right, let's get you out of her." She looked scared. "It's okay. I'm here to take you home." She revealed. "I am home." Gunn was confused. "No, you've been kidnapped." Now she exclaimed. "Get out of my house!" Gunn now realized it all. "Your name's not Lisa, is it?" She crossed her arms, defiant. "I'm Aiko Morimoto and when my daddy finds out you tried to hurt me, he's gonna kill you." A frustrated Gunn moved away.
The past people were shocked again as Buffy asked. "What did Gwen do?"
"So, this girl isn't in trouble", Tara sighed.
"Gwen wanted to do a job for herself", Maclay told them.
"And she led Gunn on like that?" Xander asked.
"Not her best moment", Summers agreed.
"Let's just say she wanted Lisa, just not this one", Rosenberg said, confusing them.
Gwen was opening a safe when Gunn arrived, and was angry at being tricked, but Gwen said she'd seen his face, asking about the last time he had any fun, to which he said he was having fun due to thinking he was doing good. Gwen said he was, just a different kind, and L.I.S.A. was actually a military device- Localized Ionic Sensory Activator. It was a covert device to regulate the body. Morimoto's company had designed it and she'd been hired to steal the beta test, saying he was going to sell it to the highest bidder.
"Having a hard time believing anything you say now", Dawnster groaned.
"Yeah, all of us are", Dawn agreed with her.
"So this was the Lisa she wanted, huh", Willow realized. "A military device."
"They're in trouble now", Buffy muttered.
Gunn was conflicted now as Gwen assured he was still a good guy, and even the President took breaks, besides, the team would call him if needed. They could finish this together, like they'd started it. Gwen said he could keep the suit so he walked back to her.
"So suit kept him", Xander said as the rest chuckled.
"He likes it too much", Summers sighed.
"Doesn't make what Gwen did okay", Buffy said.
"Never said it did, but you'll realize her reasons later", Maclay explained.
At Hyperion, Angel was writing stuff with Wesley and Fred nearby as Cordelia arrived too, with it being pointed out that Angel was trying to visualize the text to write it down. As Wesley tried to translate the language, Cordelia tried to splash Fred's cup of coffee over it, but the translation was 'I am not a bucket-head', so Angel decided to try again, writing while the others left after her shot them an annoyed glare.
"No victory here, if he'd translated it, the being would have spilled the coffee, but he didn't and that's bad too", Buffy commented with a groan.
"Actually, it's not as it seems", Rosenberg revealed.
"Now I'm interested", Xander smirked.
"So, they are doing something?" Giles asked.
"Oh yeah!" Harris confirmed.
Gwen managed to get through the safe but there was an electric keypad, though with her powers she got through it as the safe opened. After getting a thin high-tech device, they turned, now both either agreeing to get out together or not at all just as Morimoto and 4 men blocked the exit.
"So, not at all then?" Dawnster asked.
"Actually, both of them do, just watch how", Dawn told her.
"Let's do", Willow sighed.
Angel handed a sheet to Wesley to try but it was about strangling poultry as Angel got frustrated but Lorne arrived, saying he'd a ritual to cleanse his muddled mind which would make him empathetic again. He had to do it all alone though, as Cordelia asked if he'd be able to read her again, and he said he would as she smiled uneasily.
"Guess it's another good plan thwarted due to telling her?" Buffy asked.
"All I'll say is watch what happens", Summers told her.
"Yes, it is about to get even more intense now", Maclay confirmed.
"Didn't think it would get more intense than the Beast and Angelus", Tara sighed.
"This thing is worse than both", Harris said grimly.
At Morimoto's place, Gwen didn't want to give up the device as his guards took out guns. Gwen was still insistent and eventually massive bolts of electricity slammed into Morimoto and his men, electrocuting them. Gunn tackled Gwen down as Morimoto and his men were knocked out. Gunn now realized Gwen wanted it for herself to be fixed as he led her out.
"So that's why she wanted it", Dawnster realized.
"Still shouldn't have lied to Gunn", Buffy shook her head.
"Not gonna justify that", Summers agreed.
"But I'm sure you all can understand why she wanted the device so badly", Maclay hoped.
"Yeah, we do", Willow nodded with a sigh. "Understandable motive, if not the best method."
"Well, thief is thief", Dawn shrugged.
Lorne walked into an abandoned warehouse with his cape on, and lighted candles inside on a makeshift altar set in the room's center as Cordelia stared down coldly from a catwalk above, holding a dagger.
"Oh boy!" Xander said in horror, the past people paling again.
"He'll be fine", Rosenberg assured while looking at Willow. "Same case as us and Cordy really."
"So, narrow save?" Tara asked.
"Something even better", Summers smirked, confusing them all.
Gunn put Gwen's tiger back in her collection at her place as he eventually said again he was just the muscle, to which Gwen said muscle made girls knocky in their knees, but that wasn't all he was, considering how he'd gotten them into the party, which was a brains-over-brawn approach. Gunn said it was more movies to which Gwen said Team Angel had done a number on him since he believed the crap of being a muscle. Gwen then asked why he stayed if that was all they saw in him, to which he said he was born and raised a fighter, and asked if she loved being a thief as she raised her hands, saying she was a freak and being a thief made her part of something and not at the same time, but she loved it tonight.
"Now when she puts it that way…." Dawnster trailed off.
"It does put her side more into perspective", Giles finished.
Buffy still didn't like what Gwen had done, but was a bit more understanding now.
"Not gonna comment on Gwen, but Gunn was a natural at being the suave, smooth guy", Buffy then said.
"I know right? It's like he always was one", Dawn agreed. [1]
"Think movies and Wes rubbed off on him too much?" Harris asked as the rest chuckled.
Gunn then held up the LISA case, both agreeing finally Gwen might have been willing to die for it. Later, Gwen approached the bed and dropped her kimono, naked from the waist up as she lay on her belly, and Gunn took the device, though he was shocked by electricity for a bit till he set the device on her spine. A small LED screen sprang to life with scrolling data as wire circuits extended from the casing and burrowed into her body. The wire filaments disappeared beneath her skin.
"Did it work?" Xander asked.
"It did", Rosenberg confirmed.
"You feel any different?" Gunn asked. "Yeah", Gwen said after a beat. "Not so much." Gunn tentatively reached out and placed his hand on her back. Nothing happened as she said. "I think it worked." He ran his hand down her back as she said. "It feels good." Gunn realized. "So if you couldn't touch, I guess that means you've never…" Gwen sat up, covering herself, nervous. "Nope… nope. Anyway, thanks for turning me… off." Gunn replied. "Anytime. Thank you." Gwen asked. "For what? The guards? The suit? The almost dying?" Gunn revealed. "The most fun I've had since…" He leaned close and their lips met in a kiss. She suddenly drew back, flustered. "You know… that… device, it's a prototype. It might not hold." Gunn reminded. "Well… you already killed me once. If it happens again, you know where my battery is." Gunn kissed Gwen again and this time she didn't resist.
"For some reason, I had a feeling this would happen", Xander said.
"Because it played a lot like a heist movie?" Harris asked.
"Yeah", Xander nodded.
"So, they are a thing now?" Dawnster asked.
"Only temporary", Summers said.
"But she's actually good for him", Maclay pointed out. "After his breakup with Fred, he needed this."
"Yes, and now he believes he can contribute more than just muscle, which is also good", Tara added.
"So, that's why it turned out well", Buffy realized.
"Looks like it", Willow nodded.
As Lorne poured some oil into a metal lamp and picked up a songbook, Cordelia made her way across the catwalk above toward the stairs. He sprinkled some spices on his hand, then raised the hood of the cloak and started to sing a mournful tune. Cordelia descended the stairs and approached Lorne from behind, her dagger raised to strike.
The past people were pale and tense, worried for Lorne.
Suddenly the lights snapped on all around them and Cordelia spun around to find Angel standing right behind her, staring at her expressionlessly. "Angel…" She turned to run but Wesley and Fred appeared out of the shadows and surrounded her. Wesley racked his shotgun and Fred aimed a trank gun at her. With nowhere to go, Cordelia turned back to Angel and stared icily at him as Lorne slid a toy Magic 8-Ball out from under his altar and shook it. "Has Cordy been a bad, bad girl?" He turned the ball over and the cube inside rose to the surface with the answer: DEFINITELY. The screen went black.
Now the past people were surprised, but it was the good kind.
"They knew?" Buffy asked finally.
"They have been onto her since this recording's beginning", Summers revealed.
"Damn!" Xander realized.
"How?" Dawnster asked.
"Next recording shows that", Rosenberg told them.
"Do they know it's not actually Cordy?" Willow asked.
"Angel knows Cordy would never do this", Maclay assured her.
"And they find out the truth soon enough", Harris shrugged.
"Deception is exposed now", Dawn smiled.
"So now it's time for battle between Team Angel and this thing, right?" Tara asked.
"Looks like it to me", Giles nodded.
"Not wrong there, though it gets worse", Summers warned grimly.
Buffy picked up the remote. "Let's see for ourselves how much worse."
I only liked the Gunn/Gwen stuff and the ending scene in this episode, what a nice misdirection there, and I hate praising this Season after 'Orpheus' mostly.
[1] I think it might just be me, but first time I saw J. August Richards was in Arrow Season 1 Episode 20 'Home Invasion', where he played a psychopathic assassin/fighter called Mr. Blank. The guy was a smooth and suave assassin in a suit, and I think that's affected me since that's when I first saw Richards, so I just find him more natural and charismatic as a smooth and suave badass. I did love him as Gunn, but him as a smooth and suave badass just sits a little better with me for some reason, and Gunn did become a smooth and suave super lawyer in Season 5, so there's that too.
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!