"Sunnydalopolis..." Part XVII...

Sunnydalopolis part XVII

***
Things had finally quieted down a little for Ben...Glory had not been active for days so
there had been a reduction in the numbers of the stricken...If he could concentrate on
binding Glory, all might be well...

***

To be damned once without my consent...well, at least without a chance to read the fine
print,Spike thought as he moved toward the Summers home...Well, he'd made the best of
it...no complaining, no whining...unlike a certain LA type he could mention...But to be
damned twice without consent in facing the loss of Buffy Rebecca...Somehow it wasn't
fair...Not sporting...Worthy of a serious complaint to the management...

The scheme she had worked out with Warren was dangerous on all levels, and played on their
own worst fears...for him, her death...for her, madness... However much trust he might place
in the abilities of his partner, Warren the "cybergenius"...
***
He'd reached the Summers home...No lights...Birds flown the coop for the evening?... Thought
Buffy was supposed to be under the influence....? Well, hope they have a good time...Must
remember to tell Buffy Rebecca her sisters are out on the town when she gets back from her trip
to the mall with Willow...Back to the crypt, a fine walk, good exercise, avoids the danger
of...Wait...where do two young women in Sunnydale go on a Saturday
night?...Uh,oh...No...ridiculous...Well...best to take a look-see...

He sets out for...the Sunnydale Mall...
***
Willow has told Tara who they have been spending a pleasant mall experience with...

"She seems very nice...Her aura is just like Buffy's..."

Anya has just realized that she has been talking to that "nice robot" and not to "selfish Buffy"...

Fortunately, while Xander, the human killing machine, entrusted with the future defense of Dawn
in the battle with Glory, has "gone far away" at Anya's request...Willow and Tara are close
enough...to protect her...from the "nice robot"...just in case she turns out to be a homicidal
maniac...

"Anya, we can't let them see us..."

If a potentially homidicial robot gives you an order...
***

It being the 21st century, the Order of Knights of Byzantium is open to all genders...
Therefore it was easy for the three couples sent by the Emperor to pose as relatively
ordinary out-of-towners, engaging in the Sunnydale Mall experience... None was happy
about the prospect of assassinating a young girl but all realized the terrible risk of
Glory's successfully accessing the Key... On orders, they shadowed the Summers',
Buffy and Dawn, closely...but not too closely...

They had special instructions to avoid a confrontation with the Slayer...if possible...
***

"Ah, sir..." Dreg smiles respectfully at Ben as he and a dozen Brethren surround Ben
in the hospital parking lot... "So good to see you again..."

"Dreg...What are you up to...?" Ben doesn't need much more time to resecure Glory in his
web...If he can just play for a little more...

"I would appreciate it if you would allow me to reciprocate your generous hospitality of the other
evening..."

"A few too many for that restaurant, Dreg..." Ben can't risk being knocked unconscious at this
stage...Just a few more hours is all he needs...

"I thought perhaps...the Sunnydale Mall...quite spacious enough for our purposes...You
did wish to acquire information as to her divinity's actions...?"

Ben can't help feeling there's no need for Dreg to be subtle with a dozen goons backing him up...

"Maybe we could do it another night, Dreg...I'm all in..."

"Alas, sir, I fear not..."

***
[Play theme for Mall Night...]

It might have been expected that the entry of Dreg, resplendent in his new suit as befitting the
Commander of the Goddess of Glory and Victory's legion...and a dozen equally squat and scabby
Brethren with Ben to the atrium area of the Sunnydale Mall would have been met with at least a
reasonable degree of curiosity by the thronging shoppers...However this is discount night at K-
Mart and...this is after all, Sunnydale...

However...the three couples shadowing Buffy and Dawn at the behest of the Byzantine Emperor
were not so blase...Word that Glorificus' followers were massing was quickly relayed to the
Emperor...
***

Buffy, still groggy from medication, has had it with her sister's monosyllabic responses...If she
loves that sex robot of Spike's so much...she can just go...

If she could only have five minutes alone with Spike and Buffy Rebecca...To discuss their little
problem in a calm and reasonable manner...Oh the joy...

She spots Spike...Decked out in tweed suit...At the front end of the Mall...
***
Ms. Summers, spying the distinguished cybernetist, Dr William Walthrop peering cautiously into
mall stores...decided to make an impromptu renewal of their acquaintance...A brief consultation
regarding his recent achievements in the field of advanced cybernetics...

***