"Sunnydalopolis..." Part XIX...

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Sunnydalopolis part XIX
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Although they take no pleasure in the idea of killing what appears to be a young and innocent
girl, the members of the Knights' elite assassination team are well aware of what is at stake...

With the Slayer's sudden departure on what must be an emergency errand down at the
other end of the mall, their opportunity has come...
***
At the food court, now in the fearful grip of Dreg's Brethren troops, more of whom are arriving
by the minute, Dreg is assisting his most divine, most glorious of goddesses with her battle
outfit...

One of his men has spotted the Slayer...Down the center corridor...Even better, reports have
reached him that the bulk of his men, plus his vampire mercenaries have reached the mall
parking lots and have surrounded the building...

All that remains now...To find the Slayer's sister and friends...Seize them and force her to
surrender the hidden Key...

True, he has also learned that the Knights of Byzantium, with their Emperor, the descendant of
Glory's humiliator, Gratian, have also arrived...In what will shortly be overwhelming
numbers...But he has Glorificus...And you don't worry about the enemy's numbers when you
have Glorificus...
***

At the same time Buffy Rebecca realized that Dawn was in terrible danger, she also caught
sight of Spike being thrown for the fourth time across the corridor towards the front entrance...
by Buffy...

Who despite heavy medication and the strain of the past week was truly in excellent form...

Displaying her confidence in her live-in's abilities, Buffy Rebecca chose to assist Dawn first...
***
Willow and Tara have decided...with considerable reluctance...that they should try to prevent
Spike's all too eminent demise...

They like Buffy Rebecca...And for some bizarre reason supplied to her by the manipulations of
her creator Warren the "cybergenius" she has clearly a soft spot for Spike...

They hurry down the corridor to where Spike is much the worse for wear...
***
Anya is safe...the potentially homidicial robot has left her and seems to be pursuing other
victims...Her heart can slowly cease trying to break through her chest...It did that all the time
once, when she was still a demon...It was a neat party trick...

But what's the racket going on behind her...Down at the food court...Uh Oh...

The Goddess of Glory and Victory has donned her flaming armor suit...She hasn't worn this
one since those wild times with Caligula...

***
Xander has also seen the Goddess and her forces from where he was waving at Anya...but
he is more immediately preoccupied with the people being tossed at his feet...by Buffy
Rebecca...

Buffy Rebecca may not be able to kill human beings, but...Warren's literal mindedness has left
her very much able to hurt them... Especially when there are only six...And they are trying to kill
her sister...
***
Realizing that their attempt has failed...and under orders to avoid confronting the Slayer...at lest
for the present...the assassins make a hasty withdrawal...

Buffy Rebecca can now turn her attention to the battered 'Dr.' Walthrop...

Who, as Buffy prepares to toss him for the fifth time...is for once at a loss for words...
***
It has dawned on Xander that Dawn has just been saved from immediate death...by Spike's
sexbot...?

Dawn, unaware of her rescue...God that robot moves fast...greets him cheerily...He is not her
mean sister...

[The Battle of the Sunnydale Mall (The Planets-Mars)]

A blast of trumpets from Dreg's men down at the food court and the glimmering blaze from
Glory's armor in the distance reminds him that he is supposed to be keeping Dawn safe...during
what is clearly about to be the battle with Glory...

With as much nonchalance as he can muster, he suggests Dawny and he move to the second
floor balcony area...Where they might spy Buffy wherever she's got herself to...

Anya joins them...

"Xander, did you see how close it was with that thing...How did you manage to stay so calm...?"

"Thing?..."asks Dawn, confused... "What thing?...I miss everything..."
***
"Spike, what do you think you're doing?" the Buffies pause, stunned, as they realize they are
speaking in stereo...in perfect identical pitch...even the same hand on hip glare...

After all...Buffy Rebecca is Buffy...
***
A great deal of commotion is now coming from the Mall entrance as the panic-stricken flee
from the chaos in the parking lots...

Where Knights, Brethren, and vampire mercenaries are engaged in heavy fighting...
***
"Dawn's safe...Buffy." Buffy Rebecca calls out to her...Buffy is too shocked to do more than
look back at her...Spike is enjoying his brief respite from being tossed by passing out...

Willow and Tara wisely choose to move between the two Slayers...

"Buffy...? Can we talk in the parking lot?" Willow asks the still-startled Buffy... Who allows
herself to be led out the Mall doors...

While Buffy Rebecca goes over to look at...her unconscious hero...

But with Glory in the mall...she also has a task for Tara...

It's time to call 'Dad'...
***
Tara having passed on Buffy Rebecca's alert to Warren, heads out to join Willow and Buffy in
the mall parking lot...

And finds herself in the middle of a battle...
***
While part of the Knights' force accompanied now by Buffy fought those of Dreg's Brethren
and vampire mercenaries still in the rear parking lot of the Mall...

Knights massing in the front lot assembled around the Emperor...

Willow and Tara had joined the group of Knights around the Emperor...

I hope he's not gonna pull that...tenth century European gentleman, "Ladies to the
rear"...thing,Willow thought as the Emperor came over...

"We are honored to have you join us, ladies..." The Emperor bowed.

Umm...you know, highness, Willow thought, I'm really kind of an old fashioned girl, umm...how
about a little of that tenth century...er fifth century charm...

The Emperor moved on...

Hey...we don't have body armor...you know...Hey...

Tara hands her one of the helmets and breast plates she has been given...Gee, thanks
sweetie...You're always looking out for me...Willow thinks...

***
The Emperor spoke...
"Our Empire is no longer of the Earth, but of the Heart. But so long as it is in our hearts we will
preserve and fight for all the good that Rome and Byzantium gave to the world...and oppose
that heritage which was evil..."

So...we are definitely not fighting for gladiatorial games or mass pillage...thinks Willow.

"As the last Emperor to reign at Constantinople said before his final battle. There are four great
causes to die forEone's sovereign, one's nation, one's faith, and one's fellow citizens. And I
shall die if necessary for the final three...May God bless our efforts..."

Before his "final battle"? The capital fell then, didn't it?...Oh, well...great speech, sir, great
speech...

He faces the Knights, they salute him "We who are about to die salute you!"

Gee, they really said that...Willow thinks...not just Ernest Borgnine in a swords and sandals
movie...

The Knights grouped around the Emperor marched into the Mall through the K-Mart entrance
with Willow and Tara near the head...

Discount night was about to be disrupted...
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