Disclaimer: I do not own Buffyverse or anything else you may recognize
Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Guest: Thanks for the review and spot-on about such a movie with those 3 in the roles I say. Though I do know we're gonna have fun with it either way due to certain performances.
Chapter 114- Unleashed
"Let's see", Buffy muttered as she turned the latest recording on.
Angel, Wesley, Lorne, Fred and Gunn were gathered alongside a park bench for a picnic. During that time, Fred scanned Wesley, Lorne operating the machine out of a silver briefcase, and then she kept it back, saying they were all clean. Gunn quipped it was weird to hide from the company they were running but Angel said they were being safe as some factions did want them dead.
"I said it before and I say it again, life has gotten really complicated with all this crap", Xander sighed.
"Yeah, even to have a normal time, they must now go through safety precautions", Tara muttered.
Knox then came up as Fred assured Wesley he wasn't evil and she was on top of him- professionally. Angel pointed out they needed to know why the Senior Partners put them in-charge, and Gunn's procedure came up too, but he pointed out all of them had made a deal, only he accepted the fact, and all of them had gotten something out of it, then he realized the others were at least thinking he was a spy.
"He's not, you're all good guys so far, just good guys who compromised", Willow said, hoping nothing bad happened here.
"Don't think it has gone that far yet", Buffy said.
"But you think it's a matter of time?" Dawn asked.
"Could be", Buffy told them.
Spike was then brought up too but Angel called him a distraction, and Fred said he was more than a ghost, he was unique. Angel then looked off into the distance and asked to borrow Wesley's pen, and an irritated Wesley gave it to him as a woman screamed nearby due to being chased by a monster who knocked her to the ground.
"That's a werewolf", Willow recognized it immediately, and so did the rest, since they had experience with one in the form of Oz.
"The woman's in danger", Giles said the obvious in concern.
"And Angel's coming", Buffy pointed out.
"I'm guessing that's why he borrowed the pen", Dawn said in realization.
The werewolf slashed the girl's shoulder, then bit her neck when Angel tackled it away. He dodged and blocked some blows, then spin kicked it before punching it away in a spin motion, then jammed the pen into its chest as it was killed and turned into an old man, but the woman was gone in a car.
"At least he saved her", Xander commented.
"But she was bit", Willow pointed out as everyone paled now.
"Which means….." Tara trailed off but the meaning was clear.
"Poor her", Buffy commented, since now she was going to become a werewolf against her will.
"Yeah", Willow nodded sadly, knowing just how bad it could get due to Oz.
"They need to find her", Giles realized.
"Hope they do it quickly", Dawn added.
Later, Angel and Gunn walked through Wolfram & Hart, Angel holding a sketch of the woman he'd made, and since this was the second night of full-moon and she'd been bitten, she'd transform for 2 more nights. Gunn walked to the elevator, saying the werewolf Angel had killed was called McManus, and he'd left his wife and kids a few years ago, and recently he'd started killing a lot. "Probably tried to control it for a while and just gave up." They walked into the elevator. "Thought he had to fight it alone, ended up with nothing worth fighting for. But this girl, she's not alone. She's got us."
Willow looked down, hoping nothing of this sort happened to Oz, since while Tara was her soulmate, part of her would always love Oz for being the first person to see her for who she truly was, and he did not deserve what had happened to him.
Tara noticed and knew what she was thinking. "We can ask the future people about him."
"Yeah, they might know", Dawn nodded in agreement.
"Sure", Willow agreed as they continued to watch. "Let's hope this girl turns out fine, no one deserves this."
Fred was working when Spike appeared in her office, knowing about the werewolf girl, then reminded her she was supposed to help his problem, and she assured she would but her ideas had to wait. Spike then revealed his fadeouts were lasting longer, and he may not come back again.
"Help him please", Buffy begged, since she did not want him gone after he'd just come back.
"I know she will", Willow assured Buffy. "She can do this."
"I think it needs to be more than just Fred, all of them need to be involved, because it's a big problem", Tara pointed out.
"In that case, Spike must tell", Xander shrugged.
Fred offered to tell Wesley but Spike made up a story of how he and Wesley were enemies due to a past incident, but Fred saw through it so he said he didn't want anyone else to know, to keep it from Angel. Fred assured she'd help him but this girl was the priority, and asked him not to disappear as they'd access to everything here.
"That is true", Giles said grudgingly. Wolfram and Hart put the Watcher's Council in the dust when it came to resources.
"Let's just hope he can stay until he can be helped", Dawn offered Buffy, who just nodded grimly.
Later, Angel paced in the lab as Wesley, Fred and Gunn worked on computers but were unable to find out about the girl, then Spike appeared, saying Angel was slipping due to letting the girl run off like that. Angel handed the sketch to a lab worker and ordered to find out about her, while also noticing Doctor Royce, the cryptozoologist, inspecting McManus' body, and he noted this was more advanced than a normal werewolf, listing the differences, but Angel only cared about the girl. Spike then said he'd a brutal brawl with a werewolf for hours and had almost lost his fingers, but Fred said Angel had killed this one with a pen, shutting him up.
That brought a few chuckles as Willow said. "Maybe Spike fought like that because he loves a fight."
"Sounds right to me", Xander agreed there.
"But the qualities listed for this werewolf, that means the girl will get all of that too", Tara pointed out as the atmosphere turned grim again.
"Well, better find her fast", Buffy said.
The woman who'd been attacked squirmed on her bed, then woke up, sweating, then heard giggles from the other room a little too clearly, then got out of bed unsteadily. In the kitchen a woman and a girl were cooking, and the attacked woman was told she'd been out all day, and a friend called Zach had missed her during life drawing. The young woman hard a buzzing sound but it was just a fly, and the other woman handed her an icepack. Her name was Nina, and the girl was Amanda. Nina then noticed the bloody sizzling of the hamburgers, then as Amanda talked, claw marks slashed her throat, but it was just her imagination.
"It is already affecting her", Willow realized sadly. "She can hear stuff at an accelerated rate, and sniff too, plus she seems really hungry."
"Just hope they find her before anything happens", Tara sighed.
"Never fear", Dawn assured them with some optimism.
Fred and Lorne managed to figure out about the car via its tire tracks, and eventually got more info, Gunn making a crack about how he could leak the info to the Senior Partners. Spike reminded Fred they had more important things to worry about, but Angel told him to disappear, and got everything on the girl, including her name- Nina Ash.
All sighed in relief as Buffy said. "Now he can finally reach her in time."
"Yes, they know everything, just a matter of time now", Giles nodded in agreement.
"As long as it's before nightfall, they should be fine", Xander said.
Nina was posing before Amanda who sketched pictures when the sound of pencil on paper was magnified, and she walked into her bedroom, closing the door as she collapsed on the floor. Nina then started transforming as Amanda was right outside, but Angel was at her window. Werewolf Nina lunged at Angel as he threw her down to the ground. Werewolf Nina was on top of Angel but he pushed her off and as she got up, Wesley hit her with a tranquilizer dart, taking her down as Angel complimented his shot. They drove off as Amanda entered Nina's now empty room, confused.
All sighed in relief as Tara said. "Both are saved now."
"But Nina is going to find out she is a werewolf now", Giles pointed out as they turned grim. "This will be bad."
"Let's hope she takes it as well as Oz did", Willow hoped, though she knew that was impossible, since few could remain as calm and collected as Oz.
Next day, now human again, a naked Nina woke up in a prison cell, scratches on her shoulder, and was terrified, grabbing clothes that were outside her cell, and wore them as Angel arrived and unlocked the door, introducing himself. Nina tried to run but Angel grabbed her, assuring he was trying to help her. She thought he was a psycho rapist and wondered how he knew her name, as Angel said he wanted to show her something.
"Now she will see", Buffy said as they tensed, waiting to see how Nina would react.
Later, Angel and Nina watched footage of werewolf Nina in her cell, and she was confused as Angel reminded her of the attack and she realized he'd saved her, but he said he'd been too. On the video, the werewolf collapsed and turned into Nina, horrifying her as Angel revealed she'd been bitten by a werewolf, pointing out the effects. Nina was concerned for Jill and Amanda but Angel assured they were fine, till Nina revealed she wanted to rip Amanda's throat out. Angel tried to reassure her but she said he'd no idea about being a monster.
"He understands better than almost anyone", Tara corrected.
"You think he'll tell her?" Dawn asked.
"With what's going on with her, he will", Willow said without hesitation.
"Just hope it doesn't scare her off", Xander hoped.
"I think she's too scared to be scared off by that", Buffy sighed.
Angel then revealed he was a Vampire with a soul, and that he could control himself, so she could too, with his help. Nina asked if he could cure her but he said he could keep her safe.
"There is no cure for this", Giles said sadly.
"Well, she did take it pretty well", Dawn pointed out.
"Yeah, no freaky", Xander nodded.
"The problem is helping her with what she's going through", Willow pointed out. "Oz had us."
"And she has them", Tara said.
"Let's hope they can do it", Buffy hoped.
Angel then talked with Fred and Royce about Nina's condition as Spike appeared too, making quips, and they decided tranquing was the best option for now. Royce said a few things from home would have a familiar scent so they could get it for her. Spike made some more quips before disappearing, and then Angel decided to take Nina to her house, before Fred pointed out it was day, so they'd have security do it.
"That's gonna make her feel worse", Willow pointed out. "She'll think she's a monster who needs to be watched."
"As bad as it is, right now, it is needed", Giles told them all. "But after this initial phase is over, they should be able to help her better."
Later, Fred and Nina rode to Nina's house in a van with some security guards, and Nina moaned about how bad her life was with this, though Fred assured it would only be 3 nights a month. Fred then told Nina some stuff about herself, Nina noting Angel saved a lot of girls, to which Fred said he was an equal opportunity life-saver. Nina then asked if Angel and Fred were a couple but she said they weren't, and Angel was kind of seeing someone, but now he didn't due to his circumstances, and they all did try to be there for each other. "Like a family", Nina noted as Fred nodded. "Yeah. A demon-hunting, helpless-helping, dysfunctional family."
"Sounds exactly like them", Buffy quipped. "Aren't we like that too?"
"Remove the 'helpless-helping' and yeah", Willow shrugged.
"Hey, we help people!" Buffy said.
"Yeah, but not the way they do, our job is more Demon hunting, people just get saved in the process", Tara pointed out and Buffy had to concede.
Angel signed a paper in Gunn's office to send McManus' body to his family, then stared into the distance as Gunn assured he'd saved Nina, but Angel wanted to help her, and snapped at Gunn for trying to give him a pep talk. Gunn walked out as Lorne arrived, sensing what Angel felt, and offered to be there for him, also bringing up Spike. "Like him, don't like him—that's up to you. You're fighting so many enemies around you, Angel, your punches are getting sloppy, and we've got the bruises to prove it. We're operating in unfriendly territory, champ. I don't want you to forget about the people covering your back."
"Yeah, never forget those", Dawn agreed. "They are all there for you."
No one else made a comment, hoping Angel did remember that everyone had his back.
Fred and Nina arrived at Nina's house but Nina was having second thoughts, till Jill arrived, yelling at Nina for leaving Amanda alone, and Fred started making up a story but Jill was uninterested, concerned for Nina but also yelling, and eventually Nina asked her to find another babysitter, walking off as Fred grabbed a picture and stuffed animal, assuring Jill that Nina would be okay.
"That went well", Xander said lamely as all cringed.
"So, not Oz then", Willow sighed, since yeah, he was pretty much the only person who could remain calm after a revelation like that.
"Maybe after this night is done, they can talk about this more rationally", Tara suggested, and that was true.
Fred walked with Nina, assuring Jill did care considering how angry she was, but then they noticed the security guards had all been killed. Fred took out her tranq gun as both ran and men rushed them from another van. One grabbed Nina as Fred shot two down and elbowed one grabbing her from behind but the one who'd grabbed Nina knocked her out, and she was dragged away as one guy said on phone that they had the package, and a man answered on his phone to bring it around back.
Now all paled as Buffy muttered. "Now what's happening?"
"Why do these people want Nina?" Xander asked. "Wait, do they already know she's a werewolf?"
"How would that be?" Willow wondered. "And why do they want her still?"
"Could be any number of reasons", Tara sighed, hoping Nina would be fine.
Nina was chained in a basement by men as a woman walked into the room and another man sprayed Nina's face with water while the woman cut off her clothes with scissors, scrubbing her down, and Nina sobbed while panting.
Once more, everyone was disturbed and disgusted at how humans could be worse than Demons, like this scene showed.
"Those bastards", Dawn snarled, wanting to go into the screen and rip their throats.
"What are they doing to her?" Buffy wondered, since she still had no idea.
"Whatever it is, she needs to be saved right now", Giles pointed out, though in his mind he was trying to figure out what this could be.
Royce sang for Lorne and was found clean as the team then met in Angel's office, and so far, everyone suspicious was found clean. Fred noted they were military, and Angel said underground monster-hunting military organizations weren't a new thing.
"Initiative", Willow realized and the rest nodded.
"He met them once, didn't he?" Tara asked.
"Yeah, when he came to apologize to me, he got into a scuffle with them and beat up Riley", Buffy told them.
None of them knew that Angel had encountered the Initiative long before that, and they would see soon.
Fred blamed herself while Royce arrived, suggesting who could have done it. Fred then saw a sort of transparent Spike walking through the lobby and followed him, calling out to him, but he seemingly couldn't hear her. Spike walked through a wall and Fred followed via door. Spike disappeared through the wall again while Fred accidentally knocked over a trashcan. She started putting stuff back but noticed a vial as Royce came back. Fred apologized, mentioning Spike, then knocked Royce out with his lamp.
That got them all off-guard as Xander asked. "Why the hell did she do that?"
"And what's up with Spike?" Buffy asked, concerned for him once more. "Why didn't he answer Fred?"
"Fred found a strange vial in the trashcan", Tara pointed out.
"Perhaps Royce is involved in Nina's abduction, and the trashcan contained evidence in the form of the vial", Giles realized.
"But Lorne read him", Dawn reminded.
"He can be fooled too", Willow reminded her at that point.
Later, Wesley and Gunn rifled through Royce's office with Fred, and Wesley looked at the vial, saying it was Calendula, so Royce must have known they'd get Lorne to read him. It was the magical equivalent of taking a valium to pass a polygraph test. Fred then mentioned Spike had kind of led her here while Gunn pulled out the false bottom of a drawer, revealing Polaroid photos, knife and papers.
"So it was him all along", Giles sneered as all were now really angry at Royce.
"Calendula, yeah, that makes sense", Willow agreed, and Fred's description was enough for the Scoobies to understand why Royce had used it.
"Well, Royce is a dead man", Dawn quipped.
Angel interrogated Royce over Nina's whereabouts. Royce snapped. "But it's a secret! If I tell you, this man, he's not like you. You're a good guy, but he's a... well, no offense, but he's scarier than you." Angel bent his face toward Royce, vamped out and growled. "Wanna bet?"
"Never say to a Vampire's face that someone is scarier than them", Willow pointed out the moral of the story.
"Now he'll tell where Nina is", Buffy shrugged.
"And what those people want with her", Tara added, and imagining the scene still disgusted them all.
Wesley, Fred and Gunn finally figured out the plan for Nina and were disgusted as Angel arrived, knowing the details himself, and then he looked at the papers, noting it was a menu.
"Wait what?" Dawn asked, confused. "Menu? Why does he have one?"
"They plan to eat Nina when she becomes a werewolf", Giles told them, and now they were even more horrified and disgusted than before.
"They do that?" Willow asked in terror, imagining if something like that had happened to Oz.
"Yes, they do, unfortunately", Giles said. "I have never encountered anything like it myself but I have heard of it."
"Sick bastards", Buffy scoffed in anger, hoping they got the beatdown of their lives now.
"Humanity never ceases to amaze", Xander snarled.
"Angel is coming though", Tara pointed out the bright side. "He just needs to reach in time."
Classical music played as a gagged Nina was wheeled out in a cart, garnished with salt, pepper, etc. into a crowded room filled with guests. The Maître D' said dinner will be served after moonrise, praising the taste of werewolf, when there was a knock on the door. A waiter opened a small window to see Royce and opened the doors, only for Gunn to knock him out as he, Angel, Wesley and Royce arrived.
"Captured a werewolf, now have a Vampire with a soul, ex-Watcher and super-lawyer with fighting skills to deal with", Dawn quipped with a smirk as all looked forward to what happened next.
"Now they'll get theirs, as usual", Buffy shrugged.
Wesley had a gun on Royce's back as Gunn realized they had to eat the werewolf alive. Gunn then pointed a shotgun at Crane while Angel knocked the chef out with a silver platter. He then untied Nina's gags and used a metal urn to break her shackles, disgusted that she'd been garnished, but Nina wanted to let the guests choke on her. Angel assured she'd be fine, and it'd be better than this when Royce's men aimed guns at Wesley and Gunn.
Now all tensed as Xander wondered. "What to do now?"
Angel then threw the urn in the air and sucker-punched Crane before being knocked back by a shot. Nina then became a werewolf and ripped out a man's throat as Gunn knocked out the man behind him, then pointed his weapon at Nina but hesitated as she knocked him down, but Wesley took her out with a tranquilizer dart. Angel wanted to go with Nina but Crane refused, saying he'd promised his guests a werewolf. Then Nina rolled over and bit Royce's leg as he screamed in pain while Wesley took Nina down with another dart, Angel pointing out Crane would have a werewolf a month from now. A screaming Royce was then dragged away by Crane's cronies.
"Well, that went well", Xander shrugged finally.
"He let them take Royce", Buffy commented.
"I think he deserved it", Dawn told her. "The same thing almost happened to Nina because of him, its karmic justice."
"Never said it wasn't", Buffy said, and Dawn realized she was just not comfortable seeing it.
"Nina is safe", Tara said with a smile of relief.
"But her guilty conscience still needs treatment", Willow pointed out. "She's not a monster, she needs to know it."
Fred later found Spike in her office, only barely visible, telling her he didn't think he'd come back. Fred suggested telling Angel but Spike didn't want him to know, promising to get him back. Spike then became less transparent. "Well, all right, then. No need to get dramatic."
"Please help him", Buffy begged again, and hoped he wasn't dragged to wherever he got dragged again.
"She will", Willow assured.
Angel drove Nina to her house. "This is it." Nina watched her niece drawing in chalk on the sidewalk. "She's a really good artist." Angel assured. "Oh. My refrigerator's always available if she's looking to show." Nina then asked. "How do you live with it? Knowing that you've...killed people?" Angel pointed out. "Nina, they were going to eat you for dinner."
"Yes, that they were, so they do not deserve your sympathy", Giles said with a shrug.
"He lives by trying to be better than before", Willow told Nina. "You can too, you're not in control."
Nina told him. "I just wanna wake up. You know?" Angel assured Nina. "At some point you'll be at the grocery store or with Amanda, and the whole werewolf thing, it'll just be a part of who you are." Nina quipped. "Next you're gonna tell me you actually like being a vampire." Angel told her. "Well, being nearly indestructible is cool." Nina sighed. "I can't tell them." Angel shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. That part's not covered in the manual. They're waiting for you." Nina asked. "You don't ever think about letting go, disappearing somewhere?" Angel told her. "Heh. Look, if you separate yourself from the ones you love, the monster wins."
"It sure does", Buffy agreed, remembering just how far Angel had fallen after cutting Cordelia, Wesley and Gunn out during the second year.
"She'll get it", Tara assured. "Now the first times have passed, she'll be more reasonable then."
Nina said. "You make it sound simple." Angel replied. "Well, it's not." "See you next month." Nina got out of the car and walked up to her sister and niece, who gave her a hug. Angel watched them together, then drove away.
"Let's hope things get fixed at that end", Dawn hoped, since Nina was nice, and she thought she was seeing some sparks between her and Angel. She wished she wasn't the only one, but whatever it was, they'd find out soon.
Later Lorne, Fred, Gunn, and Wesley stared out the window as Lorne quipped. "Mm, talk about a room with a view." Fred pointed. "Wow, is that the hotel?" Wesley asked. "Where? No I think that's the Center for Scientology." Fred giggled. "Oh, right. They look nothing alike at all." Gunn quipped. "I was starting to think we were never gonna see the inside of this place." Angel apologized. "I'm sorry. I probably should've had you guys over sooner, but I'm still trying to get used to the place myself." Lorne noticed the bar. "Look at this. I'm home! Hey, cosmos all around?"
"Look, they're all getting along happily", Xander quipped as the rest nodded.
"Even this place can't take that away from them", Tara agreed with a nod.
"It looks…..nice", Buffy said with a smile.
Fred agreed. "Sounds good." Wesley added. "Quite luxurious. Angel nodded. "Yeah, it's not bad." Gunn started. "Don't mean to talk shop, but Crane's Bistro of the Bizarre...?" "Out of business. Permanently." Angel finished for him.
All sighed in relief as Willow said. "Good, at least one such place has been shut down."
"Yeah, even thinking about it gives me the creeps", Dawn shuddered.
"They got what they deserved", Giles agreed.
Wesley joked. "What if I have a craving for Sasquatch Soup?" Gunn asked. "Is that something you English eat with your beans on toast?" Mmm, you guys are making me hungry." Fred held up a memu. "Who wants Chinese?" Gunn shrugged. "Long as nothing comes tar-tar, I'm in." Fred offered Wesley a menu, but he shook his head. "No, I'm too tired to make any decisions." Lorne shrugged. "Just order the usual, Fredikins." Angel then said. "I'm buying. " Lorne joked. "Ladies and gentlemen, hell just froze over." Gunn asked Angel. "So...werewolf girl. Think you got a shot?" Angel informed. "She gave me a look." Wesley asked. "Really? A look?"
"There's really something there now?" Buffy asked, not having expected that, or just missed the signs.
"Definitely", Dawn said, happy she wasn't the only one.
"Guess you missed the signs", Tara shrugged as Buffy sighed.
"I did", Buffy muttered.
"Maybe they can be good for each other", Willow said, since Cordelia was still in a coma. But Willow was still hoping she did wake up.
Fred said into the phone. "We moved, actually, to a law firm. Uh-huh. Different. No, nice. OK, um... one mu shu chicken, two beef and broccolis, one cashew shrimp ... umm maybe some lettuce wraps..." The screen went black.
"So ends another one", Giles commented as Buffy picked up the remote.
"We've one more to go for today, right?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, just one to go", Buffy confirmed as she came onto the next recording.
This episode was good. Not great, but really good, and I liked Nina a lot. She and Angel also made a good couple, even if it was for a short duration.
And I really would love a meeting between Nina and Oz where he teaches her how to control the werewolf, that'd be so nice. Of course we got fanfiction for that,
Anyway, hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter. Stay safe from the coronavirus ya all!