When Darius read the text message, he found the following from his mother:

Darius, is Chan with you?  She went out for pizza two hours ago.  She was supposed to be home by 10.  I haven't heard from her and I'm getting worried.

Please call me."

Not wanting to out his sister, Darius doesn't answer his mothers text immediately. For all she knew, he WAS out on the motorcycle... texting and driving was bad juju. Instead he takes a moment to toss a text to Chan instead...

Chan's cellphone jangled musically as Darius' text came through.  The phone signaled a message she simply couldn't receive.  She slumped against a damp, cold wall as Gabrielle fingered the phone.  Cold manacles bound her wrists, the chains holding her to an old wall.

She didn't know exactly where the vampire gang had taken her.  Gabrielle's minions had dragged the girl to a large storm drain.  A thick she-vamp with muscular arms ripped the drain-cover free.  They'd dropped eight feet to an old hole that led deep into a centuries-old sewer system.  The vampires dragged their captive quickly through a winding, confusing underground labyrinth.

Now, Chan was locked in what looked like an old cell.  Gabrielle flashed a toothy grin.  "Aww, 'Mom' is very worried about you!  Should I call her and tell her we're having a slumber party?"  Gabrielle sidled beside Chan, and squatted down.

Her eyes crinkled in delight as she said in jovial tones, "You know, so she won't worry!"  Three vamps watching cackled with malicious glee.  Gabrielle crushed Chan's phone between her fingers.

Despite the recent craziness, Chan had never known much fear in her life. Generally the worst thing she had to deal with was somewhat overprotective family. In no way had it prepared her for something like this. Even her most frightening nightmares had never even come close to the terror that she was drowning in. She had no idea where she was, and knew without a doubt that she was at the mercy of a group of blood sucking predators of the night.

The rational part of her mind even went so far as to tell her that rescue wasn't coming. Her friends weren't some sort of anime vampire hunter, and her brother wasn't any sort of superhero. Even if they found out where she was and could somehow get to her, they'd probably share her fate. So the best she could hope for was that they didn't come anywhere near her. Despair and terror warred within her, before deciding that they could each share the spotlight. Oddly enough she wondered if this was what her food felt like before it was killed, and made the resolution to stop eating meat if she somehow survived.

The small rational part of her mind, reduced to a whisper in her ear, wondered why she was even still alive. They could have killed her a while ago, and not bothered dragging her through the sewer, or chaining her to the wall. Of course they could just want to play with their food for a while before they ate her, sort of like a cat.

"It's past my curfew, and she worries." She said deciding that it was best to play along for now. If they had at one point been the stereotypical mean girls, then playing along with them and letting them enjoy themselves might keep her alive for a while longer. She did her best to keep her voice as normal as she could, but she was pretty sure that it had wavered a little. More than anything she wished that she had her sketchbook, and something a little less sewer stained to wear. If she was going to die she really didn't want to die in a stained outfit.

The vampires' laughter echoed in the underground chamber, as Chan pondered her slim chances of survival...

Above ground, pain brought Buffy Summers back to awareness.  Though dim, even the street lamps seemed harsh at first.  The sounds of Savannah clashed in a harsh cacophony in the Slayer's ears.  To make things worse, the dampness in Buffy's clothes brought her attention to the fact that she'd fallen into a dirty puddle.

The Slayer had survived Gabrielle's ambush and she was well and truly pissed!

Buffy woke up sputtering. She rolled over onto her back and out of the puddle, gasping for breath.

"Nice job, Summers, all tens...'cept for the Russian judge. Face first into a puddle-"

Buffy's head was pounding like a thousand drums. Her mind spun itself back. How had she ended up there? A baseball bat. Repeatedly. Courtesy of that vampire bitch. Buffy had been having a real ground breaking conversation with Chan-

Chan. Where was she?

"Chan?"

Buffy looked around. She remembered Gabrielle's cronies grabbing Chan, and then she woke up in the puddle. Buffy felt cold fear creeping up her spine, and panic. Helplessness because for all her "power" as the "Slayer", she couldn't even stop her one friend in this place from being abducted.

"Chan?!"

Buffy clenched her hands into fists, absolutely furious. The irony of the situation was not at all lost on her. Especially considering the conversation she was just having. Fear quickly gave way to hot, swooping anger.

"Aghhhhhhhh!"

Buffy let a hard kick crack into a mailbox, splintering the metal box from its wooden frame. Buffy grabbed a few of the large, more pointed pieces. The time for playing was done. Buffy had just one problem. Where the hell had these vampires taken Chan? And how was Buffy going to find them in time. Buffy tucked the impromptu stakes away and took a breath. She pulled out her phone and called Darius. At the very least, she needed to be more mobile than she was currently...
This message was last edited by the player at 22:52, Wed 29 Aug 2012.

"So Darius, did you get anything?" she says concerned.

She looks at her Papaw, "So, what do you knwo of the vampires in this area? Any idea where they might be lurking?" She was not trilled about going to look for them but she wanted to know.

Approaching Buffy, slowly, was the dude in white, Luthien himself.

And looking at her, he can tell he was late. No need to lampshade it. She was angry, and he'd rather her anger be turned on those who deserved it.

"What happened?"

She was obviously attacked, but he hadn't deduced by what yet. Too many options in this town.

Darius looks up, distracted by the lack of answer from Chan. "Just my Mother, seems Chan is late... and not answering her phone." Darius begins typing a fllow up, but is cut off by Buffy' call. Relief floods him, assuming the pair are together. He excuses himself, and steps hastily aside to accept the call.

Papaw watched Darius out of the corner of his eye.  He seemed almost preoccupied; he didn't answer Gracie Lynn until her boyfriend had stepped aside.  "I know their power, and more importantly, how to kill 'em.

Blood-suckers like the places where they can hunt unnoticed.  Sometimes that's a dark, lonely street.  Others, they crave the thrill of hunting among unaware humans.

You might find 'em at a bar, a busy market.  More than a few of the undead thought they could get away with using our circus as their hunting ground.

Heh."

Buffy sat there waiting for Darius to answer, the phone connecting slowly. She heard Luthien's voice call out and she immediately brandished a stake in his direction. She looked at him dangerously.

"We've been through this. I don't know you, I don't like you, I don't trust you. Go. Away."

She heard the phone click as Darius answered.

"Darius, they took her."

Buffy was gritting her teeth delivering that statement.

"They attacked me with a bat. Those freaky chicks from the other night. I woke up and she was gone."

Luthien wasn't going anywhere. Instead, he simply waited for her to finish her phonecall. Whatever problems she had with him were going to have to be resolved, here and now, if anything useful was to get done in the future.

So, he leaned a wall. He could be patient.

"Not going anywhere. If you want to settle your differences with me, do it. But you'll be wasting time."
This message was last edited by the player at 21:54, Thu 30 Aug 2012.

Darius is moving towards and out the door with out a care for propriety, or how rude he might appear in his panic; His dark complexion noticeably paler and his voice shakey. "What? Where are you?"  Darius wedges the phone between shoulder and ear as he kneels to unfasten his helmet from the seat.

Buffy adjusted the phone so she could look at the street signs.

"I, uhhhh, Broughton and Whitaker. Look, I have to go. I'll wait for you here. Get here soon...please."

Buffy hung up the phone and turned back to Luthien.

"I don't have time for games, Mister 'I always show up in bad places at the wrong time'. You won't tell me anything about you, and yet...once again...here you are right after something really bad happens."

Buffy pointed the stake at him again.

"I still have absolutely zero reason to tell you anything. For all I know, you could be working for Ms.'I like to pretend Buffy's head is a baseball'..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:08, Fri 31 Aug 2012.

"If I were, would I have neutralized that pyrokinetic you missed? It was Kieran, by the way. I'm teaching him how to control his power so he doesn't start any more accidents. Gotta hope the discipline he learns controlling his fire will pass into his personal life."

As for himself...

"All I can say about myself is, I'm under oath not to tell you, or anyone else. I can't break my word. All I can really tell you about is what I've done since I got here."

Really, at this point, he'd LIKE to say what's going on, but...yeah, promises.

"All you can do is judge me by what I do."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:26, Fri 31 Aug 2012.

Buffy sighed, glowering. This was not exactly fortuitous. Again, no answers. She looked at Luthien dead on.

"Well, then, I guess we are at kind of a standstill, because I haven't seen you do anything except show up in a burning locker room. You say you stopped Kieran, but I have no proof of that. And, my only real friend in those whoooole place just got kidnapped by a psycho with fangs and a baseball bat. This is after a whole mess of other very strange things. I hope you can understand why I'm having trust issues recently."

Buffy shook her head.

"And...what is it with you people and secrets?"

Buffy was now clearly lumping Luthien in with Watchers and others who'd tried to force her to become the Slayer earlier on in her life.

"With your mighty secrets and oaths. You'd figure with everything going on, you might be able to shed a little light. You know, since you want me to be the 'Slayer' and all. But no, instead I've gotten more stonewalls than I really care to count. At least I know what the psycho vamp wants!"

Buffy paused.

"Great, you got me monologue-ing...again."

Buffy threw her hands up in the air.

"You and I, this...it's gonna have to wait. Chan is more important right now."

"It's...not my call. It'd clearly make things easier on you if I told you what was going on with me. If it were up to me, I'd tell you. But I am not in a position to indulge you, and it is not up to me."

Hmmm.

"I agree. You can yell at me for something I really have no say in later. For now...we should track your friend down. Unless you were planning on taking on a nest by yourself?"

Gracie follows Darius as she puts her hand on his arm "What is wrong? Tell me? " she said with a worried sound in her voice.

Darius shoves the phone into his leather jackets pocket, and slams the helmet onto his head. He looks dtartled at Gracies touch. He'd been so scared he hadn't heard her follow him out. "Chan. Those...That bitch came back. They clocked Buffy, took Chan. I gotta go. I'm sorry. Tell your folks, please. I'm sorry." Darius climbs onto the bike, and the engine revs to life. He tries to force a parting smile as he throttles off, the back tire kicking left on the gravel as he fights it under control and accelerates off towards the appointed intersection at speeds exceeding the legal limit.

Gracie can be left in nothing short of shock. Story aside... Darius, had dropped a curse word. In anger. Two very out of character things. He was clearly worried about his sister.

Buffy looked at him. She actually had planned on that.

"For Chan, I thin I would. But, I have somebody coming...I dunno if we'll have room for a third though."

Buffy sighed but clenched her fists as she heard a bike quickly approaching down the empty streets. It was time to get started.

Luthien...nods.

"Do you know where you're going? If you do, I'll leave now and meet you there. I'm not as fast as a vehicle, but I'll get there."

That's all to say there.

Gracie screams at Darius "Wait! Take me with you! COME BACK HERE!" she screams. How could he just ride off with out her?  She wanted to go and help but had no idea where he was going.

What had she heard if anything on the phone? She runs back to her family. "I need to find out where he is going and need a car. I think he is going after some vamps"

Papaw frowned.  "I hope he's not planning on hunting them alone.  He might be a helluva quarterback, but that doesn't mean he's ready to single-handedly hunt vampires!"

"He won't fight alone."  Lorinda spoke in a breathy sigh.  "I see...powerful allies helping him.  A powerful force watches over that one..."

"Be that as it may, Lorinda, you only see what should happen.  Not always what absolutely will."  Papaw placed his hands on Gracie's shoulders.  He looked her squarely in the eyes.  "Do you want to learn how to hunt, girl?"

Gracie looks at her grandfather "Yes, I want to learn to hunt them and see them for who they are" She was still shocked Darius had just rode off with out her.

Let's get the gear we used for your old act.  Make sure you get extra parrafin wax--and you might wanna wear that aramid top."  Papaw smiled warmly at his favorite granddaughter.  "Always thought you looked pretty in that.  Just like your mother and grandma."

Meanwhile...

Darius tested the limits--speed and otherwise--on his motorcycle.  He didn't care about tickets.  All that he knew was that Buffy told him that they'd taken Chan.  If Darius went a little faster, he'd reach their meeting place in the next four minutes!


Melba & Garrett

The "Melba-Mobile" carried its two most frequent passengers back to the funky downtown Edwardian mansion that Melba called "home".


A private, untraceable cellphone elsewhere

The slate gray cellphone hummed with a new message.  In a dark room, the owner quickly pulled it out.  The message said:  Vampire Activity in the Northwestern quadrant.  Cameras caught everything.  It's the vampire gang you engaged seven weeks ago.  They captured one of the kids you were trailing.  They have the Simmons girl.  Orders are to retrieve her immediately.  Be discreet.