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Thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed or reviewed this fic so far.
Honest confession, not a huge fan of this episode. I've heard its more enjoyable if you're familiar with Mexican folklore and wrestling, but unfortunately, I'm not, so I don't like it.
Also, finally saw 'Peacemaker', amazing show, WOW! I loved 2021 Suicide Squad, but I wasn't sure about the show. While I found Peacemaker an enjoyable character in that film (even if killing Flag brought him down a little bit), I figured he worked best in small doses, and thought making this spin-off would stretch out something great (the 2021 SS film that is), and turn it horrible.
Then I saw this show and it proved me wrong. The titular character was given a lot of depth and compelling character growth, and all the supporting characters were great too, each and every one of them, my favorite being Vigilante aka Adrian Chase. Arrow's version of Vigilante was interesting at the start but once they revealed it was Dinah's ex-boyfriend who we saw once in ONE flashback (plus his actor from the flashback got changed too), he became annoying and boring as Hell.
I've said it before and I say it again- Lamest reveal in the history of lame reveals, and I've to wonder what kind of drugs the Arrowverse writers were taking when they came up with that bullshit.
Anyways, back on track, this Vigilante is not very comic accurate either, but he is an enjoyable, compelling and fun character, and he steals the show every time. Imagine Deadpool without the 4th wall breaking.
Now if the DCEU maintained the quality it had in this show and the 2021 SS film all the time, it'd actually be a great Universe instead of the shit Universe with some gems that it currently is.
And unlike the shitshows known as WandaVision and Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this show actually gives a good message too.
Plus, until now, the only shows where I never skipped the intro credits were the Netflix MCU shows, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville, Firefly and Charmed (the original one because fuck reboots!). Now, this show has been added to that not very long list, the intro is just so gorram awesome and hilarious, the actors all deserve Emmys (hypothetically assuming big awards like Oscars and Emmys are still actually relevant that is, as they're not anymore since around 2008, but bear with me) for managing to do it with straight faces, LOL!
So, great show, highly recommend it. Outside of Daredevil, Invincible and the first Seasons of Jessica Jones and Punisher, best superhero show in recent years, 2nd best DC show behind Smallville and 5th best comic book show IMO only behind Daredevil, Agents of SHIELD, Smallville and Invincible. Sure Invincible and Peacemaker only have 1 Season each but I've faith they'll maintain the quality. Peacemaker easily destroys the trash the Arrowverse puts out every week as well, its astounding why that franchise is still a thing outside of 'Superman & Lois' and 'Stargirl', which also maintain their distance from the rest of it anyway.
Really, its insulting that Arrowverse is still a thing while the Netflix MCU shows (except Iron Fist), Firefly, Terminator: TSCC, Angel and other great shows got cancelled prematurely, but its the dark reality we live in.
But, I say again, Peacemaker is amazing.
Guest: Thanks for the review. About 6-7 at best I'd say, unless I'm forgetting some, which is typical me. No I haven't but I know about the Dress Break move, LOL! I know, I'm a pervert, sue me.
Chapter 118- The Cautionary Tale Of Numero Cinco
"Well, hope there is no party to ruin in this one", Buffy said as she turned it on.
A security guard made rounds through the basement of an old warehouse, then heard a noise and went down to check it, but was surprised by a plumber called Carlos, who walked upstairs but was attacked, and the guard ran up to investigate, but was beaten and slashed himself as he begged for mercy.
"Here we go", Xander said as all were caught a little off-guard by the suddenness.
"Guessing Angel and the rest will be on it", Dawn sighed. "Poor guard though."
"Another day, another Demon", Willow summed up.
In Wolfram and Hart, the mailman pushed his cart down hallways, his mask painted red, white and blue with the number '5' on it. He delivered mail before running into Lorne, who wanted an opinion on what to send an aging woman on her birthday, then saw Fred, saying she was sort of like a woman, weirding her out as she told him what he could do, and he finally called her Wonder Woman, to which she agreed.
"Good to see Lorne is well again now", Tara said and all nodded in agreement. "And being cheerful with people again."
"Normally", Giles added.
"And Fred is a woman", Willow said. "Not kind of."
Angel signed some contracts with a fancy pen and used his blood to do it, and Gunn pointed out what Angel had done now as CEO of Wolfram and Hart, which wasn't too bad, even if it wasn't as heroic as what they used to do. Gunn was just happy about his new powers as Spike said he'd love to exchange so he wouldn't be a ghost, and Gunn then pointed out they'd accomplished more here in a week than they had at Angel Investigations in a year.
"If we hadn't closed a Hellmouth, I would be having the same doubt myself", Buffy told the rest honestly, since sometimes she felt the same too, if she made a difference. But having closed a Hellmouth with Spike's sacrifice while beating the First Evil put those doubts to rest.
"The things Gunn listed out don't seem too bad, they actually seem pretty good", Tara said. "Not the 'knight in shining armor' heroic but its good."
"Can't say I disagree", Dawn added with a nod.
Angel felt disconnected and Spike once again reminded he was a ghost so he was disconnected, and Gunn said he too missed getting his hands dirty while the mailman arrived. Wesley then came in with news of 3 people in East LA with their hearts cut out, and the mailman was interested as he pushed the cart out, and Angel took Gunn's envelope, rushing after him, but the mailman threw him through the office window before pushing his cart away while Angel groaned. "I hate this place."
"That was rude", Dawn said.
"This mailman seems to know something about what was said though", Giles pointed out.
"Yeah, I got that from how he reacted", Buffy agreed.
"He's pretty strong too", Xander added.
Angel sat up as Spike, Wesley and Gunn ran to support him, and he told them the mailman had thrown him. Gunn informed others of the situation via cell phone, and when Fred arrived, Spike told her Angel had attacked the mailman, and now he wanted to buy him a pint for making his day.
That bit made them chuckle and roll their eyes as Willow said. "There is more important stuff than Angel being beaten up."
Gunn was informed that the mailman was escorted off premises and told Angel the same while Lorne arrived, the news now being that Angel had beaten up an old guy, but he needed to focus on Wesley's 3 bodies, only for Wesley to say they were 4 now, the latest one in a church after an All Souls' mass, and tonight it was the Mexican day of the dead.
"For some reason, I think that's going to be pretty relevant later", Tara suggested.
"Maybe", Xander nodded in agreement.
Later, Angel drove a classic red convertible down the road with Spike next to him and Wesley and Gunn behind, Spike having come just to watch them stumble. Angel swerved the car off to the side of the road, stopping it with a screech near the entrance of an alley that's been decorated with dolls, Spike calling him a drama queen.
"And you aren't one?" Dawn asked with a chuckle.
"Well, he wants to cheer when they fail but he will help out still, so definitely drama queen", Willow agreed with a chuckle of her own.
They walked to a body, where the heart had been cut out with a knife, and it was beating when it was cut. Angel said the blood was fresh so the guy would be nearby, and Spike noticed it behind the rest, by 10-11 feet, and all turned to see a snarling Demon in armor, helmet, pointed teeth and yellowish-gray skin.
"There's the Demon", Buffy said as all prepared to watch the fight.
The Demon attacked with its sword. Angel clashes swords with it before being thrown into a pile of boxes while Wesley shot with his shotgun but it was unphased, and he was sent flying across the room too, while Gunn struck its back with his ax and it shrieked. It turned to him, the ax stuck in it, and swung but Gunn backed off while Spike reached for a 2x4 and swung but realized he was empty-handed. "Bloody useless!" Gunn fought the Demon but was beaten as Angel walked to it who pushed a dumpster on him and ran off.
"There it goes again", Xander sighed as all groaned.
"It seems pretty strong since it survived an ax", Dawn pointed out.
"It beat up the whole team", Tara sighed. "They need to go at it better-prepared now."
Fred inspected Gunn's ax with a magnifying glass later, and looked into it as Spike appeared, and they talked, with Fred telling him he too was a champion for his sacrifice but he said he'd stood and let the fire come, but then she reminded he'd saved her.
"Yes, he did that", Willow agreed.
"At the Hellmouth too, he did know he'd sacrifice himself, so he's just underselling it", Buffy told the rest. "Which is funny, since he loved boasting without a soul."
"So he has changed, I get it", Giles told her.
Wesley worked in his office with a female assistant who used a computer and gave instructions as Angel arrived to check up on the progress, and walked off after small-talk, then Spike appeared who wondered if this was a book on prophecies but Wesley said it was a source book. Spike wanted to know about the Shanshu, and Wesley explained it in detail, including an apocalyptic battle, as Spike pointed out the one he'd died in, but Wesley said the prophecy was murky on the name of the battle or Vampire, and Spike was cynical about it but as the assistant called Wesley, he ran his hand over the prophecy book.
"You think this is gonna be a point of contention?" Dawn asked the rest.
"As if there wasn't enough fighting between them already", Buffy sighed. "Yeah, looks like Spike's interested."
"Well, the prophecy didn't mention the Vampire's name", Willow agreed. "Or battle."
"Which means we don't know a thing, so let's just watch", Tara summed up, and all agreed.
Wesley later told Angel it was an Aztec Demon called Tezcatcatl and they didn't know much about it, but it had been here before 50 years to this day, and it had killed over a dozen people before being defeated by 5 brothers who were champions at the time, and all but one was killed. Spike pointed out either the Demon wasn't killed or resurrected, and Angel asked if they had the number of the surviving brother, and Wesley said they did.
"Who would that be?" Xander wondered.
"The mailman", Tara realized as all looked at her. "Remember his reaction when he heard that?"
"Oh boy", Buffy realized. "So he is the fifth brother."
"A former champion", Giles said before adding. "Now just a mailman."
"Yeah, that had to suck", Willow agreed.
Angel knocked on an apartment and the mailman, still having his mask on, answered it. He then picked Angel up by the lapels and threw his back against the wall, but Angel then pushed him away and against the wall. Number 5 thought Angel was going to drag him to fight the Aztec Demon, only for Angel to say he was giving him some mail, and he apologized, but then Angel said he was dragging him back now, and threw him across the room as he stood up, wanting to know how they'd beaten it, but he raised his hands and said he was retired, but Angel pointed out he still wore the mask.
"As a reminder", Willow realized. "Of what he did and lost."
"For an old guy, he is pretty strong, even if he was a wrestler", Dawn pointed out. "He would be good help, if he wanted to."
"And he doesn't", Buffy summed up with a sigh.
He said it reminded him only a fool wanted to be a champion, and Angel asked if he thought that of his brothers, only to get a punch as he said they were the greatest Mexican wrestlers to live and called- the Los Hermanos Numeros. Angel saw a shrine, and picked up an old picture of the five wrestlers, with a flashback shown of all five brothers wrestling opponents and winning, and Number 5 said they were great heroes whom children worshipped, women loved and men wanted to be. They never lost, quit or compromised, and some battles weren't in the ring, as a man from the crowd aimed a shotgun, and Number 5 alerted the rest as two of them made a platform on their hands and he used it to jump and somersault.
Everyone was quite intrigued by what they had just seen of the five brothers in the flashback.
"Champions indeed", Giles said, impressed by their coordination.
"Considering how they were, it is understandable why the 5th one is so depressed and cynical now", Tara pointed out, and none disagreed as they felt bad for him.
"But the Demon is back, so I guess he is needed too", Buffy told the rest.
Number 5 told Angel they were all heroes who protected the weak and helped the helpless, which Angel related to. Another flashback was shown of three brothers including the 5th playing cards and one flirting with a woman as one lifted weights and a woman in red kissed his cheek. Angel realized they always wore masks, and the 5th said they had to be ever-vigilant. In the flashback, the 5th picked a call and told the rest the Devil had built a robot, so they charged to fight together.
"Devil's robot?" Dawn asked, confused.
"Never heard of it", Xander said before turning to Giles. "Have you?"
"El Diablo Robotico", Giles nodded. "I'll explain more later."
Angel hadn't heard of it and asked of the Aztec warrior, and the 5th remembered him slaughtering people, as Angel asked how to kill it, and he said he'd tried to carry on after his brothers' deaths, but the phone stopped ringing and the people stopped coming, and then he was approached by a guy from a company who hired him. A flashback was shown of him at a bar with the phone, drinking and smoking as a well-dressed man arrived and gave him a card with 'Wolfram and Hart' on it.
"So that's his story", Buffy said. "Former champion, now reduced to this. Poor guy."
"He is stuck with the hard part, carrying on", Willow sighed sadly, as she had the same experience once. "And that's why he is so cynical."
"Lost and alone", Giles muttered.
Number 5 said it didn't matter anymore so he worked for the firm. He then touched a gold medallion on the table with photos and candles, saying he should have died with his brothers. Angel wanted to know why he stopped caring as he led Angel to a wrestling arena where 5 midgets wearing colorful numbered masks fought a full-sized man who chased them around the ring, and the 5th was disappointed by the mockery, with his brothers not being honored or remembered, but Angel pointed out they'd saved lives and done it because it was the right thing to do without want of shiny reward, and some part of him still believed in being a hero, but when he turned, the 5th was gone. "Then again, maybe not." During that time, the midgets had won.
"Didn't stay for the good part, did he?" Xander asked.
"No one does", Dawn said from experience, and Buffy knew it too.
"Again, what happened to him has turned him into this, so he doesn't believe in heroism anymore", Willow said with sympathy in her voice.
"Yeah, its understandable why he doesn't want to be roped into this", Tara agreed. "But maybe there is a part of him that still believes in heroism, like Angel said."
"I hope so", Buffy nodded.
Wesley and Gunn were researching, and they noted the lady who'd been killed at the all soul's mass, the Demon had passed 20 people to kill her, so it must have an MO. They also wondered about Angel's state of mind, as Gunn said he felt disconnected, and while talking, they made the connection between the victims- All of them were heroes in one way or the other.
"Uh-oh", Dawn said. "Its killing the good guys."
"The poor people", Tara sighed. "Did so many good things and were ended like this."
"Sad and horrible truth", Willow said bitterly, since Tara was one of those too, until her resurrection.
"Hopefully the 5th helps out and avenges them", Xander hoped.
Angel looked around on the streets and found the 5th going off in a bus, then he turned to see the Demon which punched him into a car, then slammed him into another before stabbing his stomach with a sword to pin him, then it raised a knife but after consideration, lowered it and pulled the sword out before walking off.
"It didn't take his", Buffy sighed in relief before wondering. "But why?"
"I think they will tell us soon", Giles suggested, though all were relieved as well.
Angel, Wesley and Gunn walked into the lobby later as Angel disagreed with the 'heroic hearts' theory due to the Demon not taking his, but it was pointed out to him that the Demon wanted hearts for sustenance, and Angel's was dried up. Angel then asked about the Devil's Robot and he said El Diablo Robotico, while Gunn walked off to find a contract since the Demon might have made a deal to last this long so there must be a contract. Wesley then pointed out Angel was disconnected as well, though Angel tried to deny it, and Wesley added that he didn't believe in the Shanshu prophecy according to Spike, and Angel said prophecies were nonsense, reminding him of 'The Father will kill the Son', but Wesley was confused.
"He doesn't remember", Tara noted. "Mind-wiped of it like us."
"So, lost on him", Willow said lamely.
Angel said as long as the work was done, prophecies didn't matter, but Wesley told him. "I'm sorry, Angel, but nothing matters more. Hope: It's the only thing that will sustain you, that will keep you from ending up like Number 5." The phone then rang and Fred had something.
"I think he's right, right?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, hope is needed", Buffy agreed there. "Everyone needs some, Angel included."
"Hope he gets it soon then", Xander added.
Angel later looked at the results on Fred's screen and found out it ate heroes' hearts and their blood kept it alive. Fred and Wesley added it made the Demon invulnerable, and Spike said he could kill it if not for the ghostiness, adding all had an Achilles heel, and this one's was heart, telling Fred he got it from the poetry, since this was a mythic creature that took hearts, so he'd take its first. Gunn arrived and said Spike was right, finally finding out about a supernatural deal as he said the Aztec had forged a talisman which would make him as powerful as their Sun God but was found out and executed on the Aztec version of the day of the dead, but made a mystical deal which involved a shaman put a curse on him to return every 50 years, and the talisman was given to a great hero for protection, and Angel added it passed down through generations, before remembering the gold medallion on the 5th's shrine, and hurried out as Spike called him a drama queen again.
"So that was the deal", Tara noted. "That's how it's still here."
"And the medallion is with the 5th", Willow added. "He'd be in danger then."
"Well, Angel is on his way", Giles shrugged.
Angel rushed into the 5th's apartment but it was empty. At the cemetery, the 5th performed a spell as Angel arrived, wanting the talisman, and eventually grabbed him by the lapels, asking for it when the Demon arrived, and the 5th revealed he'd swallowed the talisman so the Demon would have to cut it out of him. He threw Angel into a headstone and faced the Demon, punching him before being punched down, and he got up for more as Angel grabbed a rod and knocked him away while knocking the 5th aside, and he battled the Demon, before eventually being kicked down as he rolled around, and finally the 5th smacked the Demon away and battled him. "If you're looking for heroes, you're wasting your time." The Demon stabbed the 5th's stomach.
"NO!" Dawn screamed as everyone's eyes widened.
"Oh no", Buffy shook her head. "No, no, no."
"It seems fatal", Tara said sadly with narrowed eyes.
"Poor guy", Xander said in sympathy.
"But he died a hero", Willow pointed out. "Fighting that thing."
"Hope he realizes it", Giles said.
Angel pushed the Demon away as the 5th stumbled to the graves and fell against the headstone, putting his blood on it. Angel punched the Demon multiple times before being knocked down, and then rolled away as hands shot out of the grave. They rose, revealing themselves to be the other 4 brothers, as the 5th said. "Mis hermanos." They clapped their hands together. "!Andale!" They did acrobatics, making their way to the iron fence and got rods, then ran to face the Demon as Number 4 stopped near Angel and gestured he could join. "Amigo…andale." Angel picked up his rod and joined them.
"Hell yeah!" Xander cheered as everyone's spirits were now raised.
"They are back finally!" Buffy said happily.
"The 5th's death won't be in vain now", Tara said confidently.
"Good for him", Willow nodded. "He needed that."
"And I think Angel did too", Dawn added and all nodded.
"Well, looks like we will see some Mexican wrestling today", Giles told them.
The brothers battled the Demon but were knocked down as Angel fought it and decked it many times before knocking it away, and two brothers held a rod as one leapt from it and did a somersault, landing on the Demon's neck as Angel said they'd to kill it, not pin it. The jumper decked the Demon many times, then did a flip as the Demon fell down, and all four stabbed its limbs with rods, pinning it, and Angel said pinning worked too as he drove his rod through its heart, turning it to dust.
All sighed in relief as Buffy said. "And that was it."
"They still work well, after all this time", Willow smiled.
"And the 5th is worthy since they came for him", Tara pointed out.
"At least he will die proud then", Dawn said.
Angel assured the 5th he was worthy, and then revealed the talisman was in his thermos, so Angel emptied it and found it while the 5th said. "I may not be a hero, but I am not a fool." He passed away as the other brothers picked him up and carried him away until they were gone.
Everyone watched, feeling bittersweet, since the 5th had proven himself worthy, and the brothers had killed the Demon, but the 5th was gone too now, and they were all together in the afterlife.
"Their work is done", Giles summed up what had happened, and all gave solemn nods.
Angel later handed the talisman to Wesley with Spike, Fred and Gunn nearby, and assured them all he was fine, and walked off as Fred asked if the 5th had jumped in and helped, and Angel replied. "He died a hero." All left as at night, Angel stopped in Wesley's office and found the prophecy book, reading the English translation of the Shanshu prophecy. The screen went black.
"So he still believes in it, eh?" Xander asked.
"Well, it was supposed to be his redemption, his hard-earned reward, so makes sense he still thinks about it", Tara pointed out as Xander nodded.
"I think the 5th made him think on it again", Willow sighed.
"Yeah, poor guy, at least he died in peace though", Buffy said with a sigh.
"Yep, and we got Mexican wrestling", Dawn added.
"It was quite the sight", Giles agreed, and now it was time for the next and Buffy brought it onto the next one.
Well, after rewatching it for this, I'm more sympathetic to this episode than before, but still one of my less favorites of the Season and show in general.
Also, a scumbag scammer called me, posing as a relative, and tried to get 5000 bucks from my account, joke's on them, I only got a 1000, LOL!
I played a little trick on them and they got pissed off, then we got into a cursing contest which I won, and used Bully Maguire quotes too until the 2 morons on the other end cut the call on their own.
I ended it with- "See ya chump!"
I'm the best!
Hope all enjoyed and see you all next time with another chapter.