Diane was walking quite happily along, off in her own little
ozone, when she stopped and looked around.  Sunny ran right
into her.  Diane's fellow CoTKer sputtered and leapt back on
springboard feet.

"You could warn me when you're gonna stop, you know!" Sunny
growled.

Diane cringed.  "Sorry... I..."  She kept peering around.
Looking, looking, looking.  Finally, she gave up.  "Where
did Kyer go?"

Sunny shrugged, frowning.  "I thought you knew what you were
doing, that's why I followed you..."

"Did I mention I'm spacey?  I kinda just zonked for a while
there... hmmm..."  Diane pivoted on her feet, her blond-
highlighted hair whipping about as she scanned the area,
Sunny looking more and more annoyed all the while.

But all she could see were swarms of discount shoppers,
discount merchandise, and strange, smiling employees that
kept mumbling about rolling back prices.  Diane shook her
head.  Poor, indoctrinated employees...

"Oops," was all Diane could offer her new friend.

"Well, I suppose we could go look for her," Sunny replied,
hesitant.

"Nah!"  Diane made a sweeping gesture with her hand.  "This
is my chance to visit the electronics section and get all
sorts of computer junk and CDs for discount prices!  I'm in
serious need of some Ethernet cables for my upcoming LAN
party."

"Uh...  Cables?  LAN party?"

Diane frowned.  "Think big gathering for gamers."

"Gamers?"

"Uy.  I'm gonna have to school you, I can see that.  Maybe
I should do info sessions for all of the CoTK, it could be
beneficial..."

Sunny didn't appear to like that idea.

"Can we just find Kyer, please?"

And that was when Diane got hit by a semi.  Or rather, a
tall, blond, oblivious man with the sheer momentum of a
semi.  "Excuse me," he whispered, placing a cool hand on
Diane's back in apology.  And then he continued on his way
down towards bargain cameras.

"Watch where you're going, hack!" Diane screamed, launching
to her Doctor Martin clad feet.  "HEY!"

"Diane, oh my god... LOOK!"  Sunny was pointing frantically
at the man who'd just bowled Diane over.

Diane paused.  Turned.  Stared.

Tall.  Broad shoulders.  Curly blond hair.  Loooong flowing
black duster -- like a cape.  A dark angel.  The man was
moving away with such grace that it looked almost feline, as
though he were floating across the floor.

Her mouth fell open in to the widest of wide gapes.  Good
lord.  That was...  That was...  "That's Nick!" Diane
hissed, immediately clasping her hands across her mouth.
"Oh, my god, he's even more gorgeous in person.  I CAN'T
BELIEVE I CALLED HIM A HACK!  OH, MY GOD!  JUST SHOOT ME!"

Sunny grew still and quiet.  "You.  Got knocked over.  By
Nick Knight.  Wow.  I wish he had knocked _me_ over...  At
least _I_ would have been nice about it..."

Diane rolled her eyes.

"You probably would have taken the opportunity to snatch
some of that gorgeous duster and take it as a souvenir..."

Sunny rolled her eyes right back, making a point of
exaggerating the motion.

"Oh, shut up.  You know.  We could still catch up with
him..."

Diane met Sunny's eyes with a knowing smile.  "I get a
sleeve.  You can have the collar..."

"You're on!"

Diane and Sunny raced off through the store.  Discount
clothing.  Food.  Everything.

Electronics.

Diane paused at that...  "Oooh...  Discount cables..."

DIANE, YOU MUST BUY MORE JUNK THAT YOU DON'T REALLY NEED
BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH TO WIRE THE EAST COAST, it
seemed to be beckoning.

Hesitant step forward.

She reached out with a shaky hand.

DIANE, BUY.  BUY, BUY, BUY.  YOU WANT TO SPEND MONEY.  OOOOH.
YOU COULD BUY PARTS FOR A PENTIUM 4.  YOU KNOW YOU WANT ONE.
WEREN'T YOU PLANNING ON UPGRADING SOON?  I HAVE ASUS
MOTHERBOARDS...

"Asus..." Diane mumbled.

Step forward.  Wait.  Since when did Wal-Mart have quality
computer--

HOW ABOUT AN ATHLON?

Step back.  "No," she shook her head.  "I don't want AMD
until the Palominos come out..."

But the voice didn't give up.

OR EVEN BETTER.  YOU COULD GRAB A GEFORCE 3...  YOU KNOW YOU
WANT ONE.  THINK OF ALL THE SPECTACULAR FRAMERATES YOU COULD
GET.

"GeForce..."  Did Wal-Mart even have a respectable brand?  No
way.  Wal-Mart had--

DISCOUNT MUSIC...  I HAVE CDEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES.  WOULD YOU
LIKE THE NEW CONJURE ONE ALBUM?

Drool was forming.

Another step forward.

"Diane, remember, focus.  Nick.  Nick's gorgeous duster.
Nick.  Angsty blond vampire within our midst.  Duster.
Nick.  Nick."

"Right, right," Diane said, swallowing hard as she blinked
away the wonderful sparkly electronics section.

Sunny ushered her away, shaking her head.  "You are _so_
weird..." she mumbled.

Diane nodded.  "Yeah..."

For a few moments, all was well.

But only a few.

"WAIT!" Sunny cried.

Diane reflexively leapt backwards behind a rack of discount
full-figured lingerie, followed quickly by Sunny.  They
cowered there, beneath the hulking shadows of double D bras
and camisoles.  "What?!" Diane hissed, small beads of
nervous sweat trickling down her forehead.

Oh god.  Nick.  They were going to meet Nick and steal his
duster like a couple of raving, loony, tourists.

Oh well.

They were two out of three anyway.  Why not go for three?

"He's buying stuff..."  Sunny peered over the top of the
rack, her eyes widening.  "Cubic zirconia ring.  One karat."

"What?!  NICK WOULDN'T BUY DISCOUNT, HE--"

Sunny clasped her hand over Diane's mouth.  "Shhh!" she
hissed.  "Do you want him to know we're following him?"

With a Herculean effort, Diane managed to calm herself
down.  Deep breaths.  Deep breaths.

She peered over the rack.  Nick was smiling at the cashier,
looking utterly pleased at buying his fake diamond ring.
Who was it for?  Oh man, what if it was for Nat?  That would
be so damn cool!

Eeep!

Diane stopped that train of thought right there.  She was
with the CoTK for this war, not the NNPackers...  Plus, Nick
would have to buy REAL diamonds for Nat and--

Eeep!

But...

CoTK.  CoTK.  THINK COTK.

Her face creased with curiosity.  "Why would Nick be buying
a fake diamond ring for LaCroix?"

"Huh?" Sunny asked.

And that was when Nick started heading towards the door.
Outlined with sunlight, like a doorway to heaven.  Walking.
Walking...  He didn't even appear to care that it was like
walking the plank, for him, at least.

Diane turned to Sunny, mouth falling open into a maw-like
gape.  "He's gonna hara-kiri!" she shouted.

The world started moving in slow motion.

Both Sunny and Diane launched forward.

END PART (1/2)