Hidden in the shadows of the alleyway, The leader of the thugs spots the pair running at them. He snarls "You three, grab them. The rest of you, get these bloodbags out of sight."

His minions leap to act, fangs shining in the streetlights. Two of them effortlessly drag the struggling captives off the street, while the three spread out to surround Jiro and Alex.

Even caught slightly off guard by how swiftly they attacked, Jiro avoids his playmate. Alex dodges the first easily enough, but the second manages to get a hold of her.

-0-0-0-
[OOC: 20:57, Today: Gamemaster rolled 17 using 1d20+7. Init. Jiro hears the snarled order, but can not see the leader. Alex does not.
21:02, Today: Gamemaster rolled 18 using 1d20+8. Attacking Alex.
21:02, Today: Gamemaster rolled 19 using 1d20+8. Attacking Jiro.
21:02, Today: Gamemaster rolled 10 using 1d20+8. Attacking Alex.

21:04, Today: Gamemaster rolled 15 using 1d20+12. Grapple Check.

Alex is flat footed and does not have uncanny dodge. She has no trouble resisting the grapple attempt]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:10, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

"I am already tired of dealing with you vampires, and this nonsense is only just starting." Disdaining the one before her, Jiro bounds off a fire hydrant, then a newspaper box, and lands next to the monsters dragging the couple into the alley, fist already cocked, ghostly blue light flickering around her form.

Taking a brief moment to aim, she unloads a punch into the face of the vampire holding the struggling woman.

[OOC: 18:15, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 17 using 1d20+12. Ki Strike. DC 21 toughness save if that hits.
Skill Mastery acrobatics and Up The Wall to get over to the target]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:18, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

His fist snapped the vampire's neck, dropping it to the ground. His followup attack reduced the second vampires face to ruin. The innocents fell to the ground as the monsters they had been struggling with suddenly released them.

"Big mistake." Alex said with a laugh as she reversed the hold.

[OOC: Attacking unarmed, taking 10, DC21. The body, conscious or not will still be grappled.
21:22, Today: Alex rolled 32 using 1d20+19. Grapple Check.
Taking ten on the attack roll to throw the target into his buddy.]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:24, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

Alex's victim is as powerless in her arms as his normal prey is in his. She tosses him one handed at another vampire. He narrowly ducks under the incoming body, but that doesn't save the thrown one. There is a sickening crack as he impacts a streetlight.

From out of the Shadows, the source of the hidden voice appears. He looks shocked. Jiro attracts barely a glance, for he is focused completely on Alex.

"IT'S HER! HOW DID SHE FOLLOW US HERE!" He exclaims, sounding terrified. A moments pause, and he turns and runs down the alley.

The two surviving minions look at one another, nod, and start running down the street.

[OOC: 21:24, Today: Gamemaster rolled 24 using 1d20+5. Toughness Save.
21:26, Today: Gamemaster rolled 16 using 1d20+12. Grapple Check.
21:26, Today: Gamemaster rolled 15 using 1d20+5. Toughness Save.   ]
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:32, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

Hearing the vampiric voice and its terrified exclamation, Jiro tenses; glancing from the couple to Alex. Oh, this could be very bad. Who is he? How does he know who Alex is - or perhaps who Buffy is - and what does he mean by 'follow us here?' And how is Alex going to react?

The martial artist's stance shifted to one of neutral balance, waiting with baited breath to see what Alex's reaction is.

[OOC: if Alex goes after the leader, I will too, at full throttle to try and catch him up. If not, I'll shift the array to blasting and shoot one of the fleeing vamps.]

"OH, NO YOU ARE NOT GETTING AWAY THAT EASY!" Alex yells, and takes off after the leader. Her coat billowing around her, and her flip-flops pounding the pavement.

Which leads to the question how does she run in flip-flops?

[OOC: Taking off at a full run after him]

I should have known. Jiro charged into motion, sensitive hearing picking out the fleeing vampire and using her fullest speed to try and catch him up. Charging after a vampire, in the dark, in an unfamiliar city. This is going to go so well. "Alex-san; do you have a plan?"

The Vampire is fast, damn fast. However the girls chasing it are at least as fast. This isn't a chase that will be over soon.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:03, Mon 23 May 2011.

Still running full tilt, the girl doesn't let her eyes wander from her target.
"Yes. THIS!" Alex says, and pulls a stake from her coat.

"SLAYER'S JUDGEMENT!" she yells and lets fly.

[OOC: move all out after the target, and surge to throw a stake.
21:57, Today: Alex rolled 21 using 1d20+14. AoA5, throwing. ]

The stake strikes the fleeing vampire dead on over the heart, coming to a stop only bare centimeters from dusting the creature. It falls to the ground, twitching.

[OOC: 22:03, Today: Gamemaster rolled 15 using 1d20. Toughness Save.
Disabled, Stunned]

Jiro keeps up her pace. "An excellent throw. My compliments."

Reaching the twitching vampire, Jiro hesitates, then asks, "Alex-san; you mentioned earlier trying to take one prisoner. Is that the plan, or should we just dispose of this one?" More to the point, how WOULD we go about taking one prisoner? This situation is getting more complex by the moment, and I fear my friend is being lost in the midst of... something else. And yet, if the body is that of an actual Vampire Slayer; some other person; can I begrudge this? Too complicated...

"He's gotten away from me three times before, and never once answered a single question I have asked. He has been killing people for the last hundred years. It ends tonight." Alex's voice is cold as Iron.

Unless Jiro acts decisively, she steps forward and puts her foot down on the stake. HARD.

"If you are sure, I will not stop you." I do not relish the idea of trying to keep a vampire under control, anyway. Then, in an inner prayer, Kamis have mercy, that letting Buffy do this will not harm Alex, mind or soul.

As the vampire crumbles to dust, Jiro says, in subdued tones, "Let us hasten back, and make sure no other harm has befallen their would-be victims." Or our pizza.

The Vampire gasps out a few words before Alex's foot comes down. "No... you couldn't follow us here. He said..."

Then all that was left was dust in the wind.

"It's done. Finally, that murdering bastard is dead. Laura, if you're watching us... you can rest in peace. You and your family has been avenged." Alex bends over and retrieves her stake. "Come on Sarah, let's go make sure those people are okay."

She turns and heads back to the scene of the battle at a more subdued pace.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:32, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

No. No, no no.... For a long, bleak moment, Jiro watched Alex turn and begin to walk back to the alley where the fight had begun. Then decision filled her, and she stepped forward, one hand dropping onto the taller girl's shoulder and closing in a vicelike grip.

"Alex-san. Look at me." She spun her friend around, met her gaze, anger burning in her green eyes. "Alex-san! Take hold of yourself! Look at me! I am not Sarah! I am Jiro! You are not this vampire huntress; you are Alex! Programer, and friend." A ragged breath. "And whatever ghost lurks behind your eyes, listen well. Alex is not your toy to play with. That creature you just slew said you could not have followed them; I am no mage but I can recognize a summoning seal. They came to this city through some great magic and you followed, and Alex; my new friend and companion, was swept up in your wake."

Jiro's tone dropped into cold fury. "And I swear this in the names of the gods of my father; If you swept Alex into this situation deliberately, no force in heaven or hell will protect you; for I do not appreciate the powerful casually treading upon innocents."

This message was last edited by the player at 02:59, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

A wave of emotions explode across Alex's face. Jiro sees Surprise, fear, rage, understanding, confusion, relief, and sadness pass in sequence. There is moment when Jiro is convinced she will attack, but it passes.

Haltingly she starts to speak. "You... You're not Sarah. You're Jiro. Jiro Koji. I Remember. I met you yesterday. The men, they attacked. They shot me. You beat them. We are in Emerald City. I am not in Toronto. I am not in Seattle. Emerald City... I've never heard of it before but it's here."

She stares at her feet, talking in bursts. "Vampires. It all comes back to the Vampires. We fight them, and it makes me remember... remember what? I... who am I? I... I am Alex. Alexander? No... Alexandria. No, Wait. Both. Neither. I... I... am... Alex. That's who I am. Alex. Just... just Alex."

She looks up and almost shouts her next words. "I Remember! I was at home, and then... I saw... something. Then darkness and I was at home, but not my home. It was... yes. The Vampires, no, later. They were later. We fought, had to fight! The Vampires, and the... the demon... no, Demons. They wanted to kill everything. I couldn't fight so I had to fight... They fought with me, helped me. I helped them. We won."

"I REMEMBER! They helped me. I was hurting me, and they helped me stop... how? I don't know. I DON'T KNOW!" Alex falls to her knees.

"i remember... The Darkness... I was in the darkness. It... I wouldn't end. I was there and there and there and... then I was home... but it was home, I was already there... I... I got scared and yelled, and then I was in the darkness. It was longer... forever... I was in the darkness and it hurt... it hurt so bad... why wouldn't it stop? Oh... it hurt so bad... mama... it hurt..." Alex breaks into tears, yet keeps talking through the sobs.

"I remember... They found me, and they talked and talked and talked and none of it meant anything... I could hear them... see them... but they made no sense... too big... it was just too big... they wouldn't fit! They talked and the words made me break... they were too big... not right... they... did... something..."

"I remember... they were sad? But not sad... it was too big to be sad and it hurt so bad and they did something... and it hurt... I saw me... and the pain... oh why won't it stop... please let me die... anything... just stop the pain... and no. They said no... and then they stopped... and the Darkness came back... but short... and the pain stopped... and I forgot! I was here! but I REMEMBER!"

"I remember..." Alex collapses, still muttering "I remember"

[OOC: 22:50, Today: Alex rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Will Save.
23:10, Today: Gamemaster, on behalf of Jiro Koji, rolled 28 using 1d20+8. Diplomacy.
22:54, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 26 using 1d20+12. Sense Motive.  ]

Watching Alex collapse - both of her collapse - Jiro's heart sank. Oh Alex. Oh, Alexandria. Oh, this is you both talking, and I fear the reason why is more complex than I can guess. And I fear my words wounded you; gravely.

She sank to her knees beside Alex, and pulled her close into a tight hug. "I am here, Alex. I have you, and I will not let you go. I am here. You are strong; you both are; Between us, the demons cannot hurt you any more. We will not let them." I have torn open a wound; one caked in filth and scab. Merciful Kamis, let this pain drain out like pus and infection; that healing might begin.

However long Alex needed to recover her wits, Jiro held her, trying to act as an anchor. Merciful Kamis, I pray I have not just destroyed my friend.

[OOC: array is in healing; whatever good it may do for this]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:23, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

Time passes, and gradually Alex calms. More time passes, and Jiro is able to bring her to her feet. She's still quite out of it, able to do little more then be lead around, while leaning heavily on Jiro for support.

Supporting Alex, feeling still quite concerned, Jiro retraced the path they'd chased the vampire down; what felt like hours ago now. Reaching the alley mouth, she sees the two vampires she'd dropped in the fight. Gently putting Alex down, she dug a stake out of her jacket. "Please forgive my hands, Alex-san, but I have need of this for a moment."

Two sharp, precise stabs later, and the vampires are dust. Jiro puts the stake back in Alex's jacket and helps her to her feet once more. Out in the street, she sees the pizza still where she left it, and gathers up both boxes in one hand, the other holding her friend close. "Let's get back to the hotel, Alex-san. We should be safe there."

Alex gives a small nod, and allows herself to be lead, clinging desperately to Jiro.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:47, Wed 23 Mar 2011.

The pair manage to get back to their room without incident. Alex collapses on the couch the moment she is through the door, asleep or unconscious Jiro can not tell.

The pizza, though cold, is excellent.

Jiro spends a long time staring at Alex as she sat upon the bed, hunched up and hugging her knees. Alex and... Alexandria? They are... as one. I do not understand this all; yet I cannot deny that. In trying to help my friend I have wounded him; and with him another; and I can think of no way to help them.

After several hours, she falls into an uneasy sleep. Kamis, if you still listen to my prayers, please, bring some measure of healing to Alex. He... They both have suffered much. Grant them comfort; grant them peace.

Grant that, in my haste, I have not killed them.

The night brings no answers, but sleep does come.

Elsewhere...

"So. She is here. This will complicate matters. Go. You will survive for now."

[END CHAPTER 2]