Alex drifted off into a vacant stare, the television washing over her again with what she called the Non-Stop Doom and Gloom show. Her thoughts casually drifting back to the dream she had earlier. Selene, the woman that took Alex as her daughter after the tragedy with her parents. The woman who nurtured her and taught her how to survive in the harsh reality of the world. The woman who, like her parents, were needlessly slaughtered for protecting her. Her hands began to shake and she pulled them up to cover her face and to hide the tears that were forming in her tired eyes.

"Hey Alex, you okay?" the friendly voice of Benny disturbed Alex out of her thoughts.

Alex pulled her hands down slowly, wiping away any excess tears that were left on her cheeks. She looked up at a no concerned Benny and feigned a smile "I'm fine, Just tired. Not been sleepin' much is all" she hoped this would be enough to distract his attention from her reddened eyes.

Benny, looked at her with a half smile. He had grown fond of Alex since her frequent visits to his restaraunt. She always came in late and always looked tired or stressed. But always had a smile and a nice word for him. He could tell something wasn't right with her, but he left it alone. If she wanted to talk to him, she knew he was there to listen whenever she needed a friendly ear. "Aight, only if yer sure doll." he put a plate down in front of her "On the house"

Alex looked at the full plate of cheeseburger, fries and salad and looked back up at Benny her eyes wide. "No!" she protested with him "No more freebies Benny. I can pay, I have money" she said pulling a wallet that was attatched to a chain on her belt loop. Benny, put his hands up in defense.
"It's okay. Just take it, please. For me." he frowned at her, "Look, if it makes you feel better, you can pay for your drink, kay?" he concluded, flashing her a huge grin.

Alex shook her head with a genuine smile "Okay. But this is the last time Benny, I swear to God" she took a swig of her beer and smiled again knowingly, handing him a 10 dollar bill. He took it and began to walk back to the counter to get the change. "Keep it" she winked and let out a small laugh and settled down to eat her meal.

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((I'm back from vacation!

Name: Natalie Johnson
Age: 21
Race: Jumper
Appearance: long black hair and blue eyes (almost white), she's 5'6", slender figure
Attire: black leather pants and jacket, black tank top underneath
Weapons: a dagger in each boot just in case

Caunion, do you think my character could know yours? She tracks paladins, but she prefers not to kill them. She tells him where they are and leaves the rest up to him. Would that be okay? She won't be dependent on him or anything.))

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

(Sure that's fine. And Joker, my thoughts exactly)

Jack looked at Lacy curiously now. He didn't know the answer to the first question. In fact, Jack was quite sure no one knew how many Jumpers there were.

He answered, "I'm not sure. Maybe a hundred? Maybe two? We're always jumping all over the place, it's hard to keep count. As for Paladins, there's probably around five hundred of them. Maybe more. I know there's around two hundred operatives in America, with another hundred in Europe alone."

He looked at his watch and then did a quick mental calculation. He turned back to Lacy and said, "So, what brings you to Barcelona?"

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I was cured all right.

Hundreds? She had guessed dozens, maybe. Not hundreds. She did the calculations in her head. In retrospect, a few hundred Jumpers versus the several billion normal people in the world wasn't a very even ratio. Still, Lacey had to struggle to keep her face expressionless and hide the smile threatening her calm features. There were even more Paladins than she expected, but she wasn't surprised. Besides, the Paladins without their machines and without their weapons were just as human as everyone else. Genetic mistake or not, she was just glad she wasn't the only freak out there.

"Hundreds...Hm."

Gradually she slipped into her customary silence, staring thoughtfully at the floor and all but forgetting the man she'd been talking to. It took her a while to realize he'd asked her a question. She looked up with an apologetic smile, only then realizing she still clutched her battered novel tightly in one hand.

"Reading, actually." She looked down at the thing, laughing at the oddness of it. "It's cooler here than in Venice, or Rome, this time of year."

((Thanks a lot.))

Natalie watched the Paladin closely. He stood in an alleyway watching one of lairs, an apartment in New York City. She stood on the roof above him. She pulled out a camera, snapped a photo. She then pulled a note book out of her pocket. The pages were covered with pasted-on pictures. She went to the back, selected a random picture, and closed her eyes.
WHOOSH!
A rush of wind filled Jack's lair. She suddenly appeared standing in the middle of the room. She eyed Lacy, then turned to Jack. "Here's a picture of one." she said, handing him the camera. "Right outside my apartment in New York." she waited for him to take the camera, and continued studying Lacy.

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Thanks Nurratiel, *Ennostiel*, PD, and Githoniel

Addie stared in antonishment at the burning house, with a bundle of emotions collasping over her delicate frame. She swarmed through sorrow and confusing, and she eventually locked into anger which hastingly turned into rage. Jumping back in her car, Addie's mind was full of thoughts about the man at the diner, but, with no where else to go, she drove up to the front of the police station and banged on the locked door.

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<center>

[[ Yeay! ]]

Griffin had turned his attention to the lady sitting in front of him when his food had arrived. He ate silently, studying her. Something about her seemed different then everyone else. Paladin? Griffin doubted that, but you never could be to careful. Jumper? Perhaps... As he listened to the conversation he found out that she knew the man who owned the place and that her name was Alex.

After he had finished eating his half rack and had finished his meal he handed cash to the waitress. Paying with a credit-card could be bad - especially for a Jumper to do. Then the government could track you. As soon as he had received his change, he stood up and made his way towards the door of the restaurant.

Griffin leaned against the restaurant wall for a moment when he was outside. "Why does this state have to be so cold..." He grumbled angrily as he pulled his worn-out leather coat tighter around his lean frame. He would wait until the crowd outside lightened up and then he would jump back to his main lair.

Alex was tucking into her meal heartily, for a brief moment forgetting everything. The needless death, the paranoia, suspicion and lack of trust in others. She glanced over at Benny. "Most others" she mused to herself. She took a swig of her ice cold beer and began absent mindedly peeling at the damp label. The young guy from behind her brushed past her and she found herself looking up at him, though she didn't think he noticed.

The cynical glower etched over his young and quite handsome face. There was something about him she couldn't quite place. She didn't fear him or get a sense of mistrust from him. He seemed to be akin to her, troubled with perhaps a lot on his mind as she did. She looked away briefly, not wanting to be caught staring at this strange newcomer. When she looked back up, Alex noticed he was loitering around the doorway, more than likely avoiding the rain. Maybe waiting on a cab. She shook her head and went back to her meal, her mind still lingering on the stranger outside in the rain.

Alex stretched in the chair, trying not to lean back too far and get her arms or hands in someone's space. She pushed the chair back and stood up and walked over to Benny,
"Thanks for the chow Benito. It was awesome as always" she smiled warmly at him. He was always so kind to her, she wanted to let him in more. But she couldn't ever risk him ending up with the same fate as her parents and Selene. "I wont allow it to happen again"

"Not a problem kid. Anytime." he replied sincerely

Alex wandered off to the ladies room to freshen up. It was quiet, unusually so for such a busy night. Shrugging it off, Alex walked over to a basin and began pouring the water onto her cupped hands and splashed it over her face. As she looked up into the mirror, a woman in her mid thirties was standing behind her.
"Hello Alexis" she said cooly, not even batting an eyelid.

"You must be mistaken" Alex replied, hiding the knots she was feeling in her stomach. "My name isn't Alexis. You must have me confused with someone else" Alex grabbed a few paper towels from the dispenser and quickly dried her hands and face and turned to make her way out the washroom. The stern, statuesque blonde placed her hand firmly on the door. Her ice cold blue eyes boring into her. Alex turned her head slightly to avoid her stare.
"You can't hide forever Alexis." she leant in closer to Alex and whispered in her ear "You cannot run from us. We will always find you."

These words seemed to spring Alex into life and she kicked at the womans exposed shin as hard as she could. The woman cried out in pain and let go of the door. Alex took her chance and threw the door open wide and bundled out into the restaraunt floor, ignoring Benny's calls to her. She headed straight for the exit and ran right into the young man who was for some odd reason, still standing there.
"I..I'm sorry. I..." she cut off, not knowing what to say, looking over his shoulder to see where this grey clad woman was.

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When Griffin was bumped, he looked down and saw that the same girl that he had seen before was who had bumped into him. "I am sure that you are." He stated gruffly. Only to see a woman clad in grey walk out of the woman's restroom. Now that woman, he could tell was a Paladin. Wonderful. Perhaps he could kill her as well. It would add another one to his record. After all he could not jump. Other wise this new Paladin he had just met would be able to track him. Now... all he had to do was lead the grey-clad woman out of the restaurant. It didn't take long, because every Paladin knows who Griffin is. After he killed so many, he had become infamous in the Paladin society. The two locked eyes and in an instant Griffin was sprinting out of the restaurant. It was raining outside again, but he did not care. The Paladin followed after him. Griffin turned around after he was a couple yards away from the restaurant. The woman stopped to face him.

"Ah... Griffin. Imagine if I got you instead of that girl you bumped into. Oh how all of us would be happy."

Griffin glared angrily, "You only wish you could catch me. You know I am no newbie." The two began to circle each-other.

Before Alex had a chance to respond to this brusque young man, he seemed to be taunting the mysterious woman in grey. She appeared to know who he was and Alex made out one word. Griffin. He ran off with the mysterious woman in hot pursuit. He didn't seem to fear her at all as he stopped and they stood in a tense face off. Alex wanted to run in the opposite direction, but there was something about this Griffin that intrigued her. It piqued her curiosity to the point of irritation.

"Who are you Griffin, and who exactly are you to that freaky blonde amazon" she thought to herself as she watched on, standing a good distance away, bit close enough to see what was going on. Then it hit her like a sledgehammer to the chest.
"She knew me" Alex began to panic "How could she know me?" she looked back up at the pair and waited anxiously to see what was going on.

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The woman took out an electro-magnetic whip which would be extra effective in the rain. Griffin narrowed his eyes. This might be a challange. He took out a dagger and spun it in his hand. Then he lunged. He hit the woman in the shoulder and after a moment he leapt back. He was two quick and he had jumped two yards away so when she tried to hit him with the whip, he had moved. Griffin smirked then licked his lips. "You think you are that good. How long have you been doing this, a week?"

"Two months actually." The woman retorted.

"You are still a newb." Griffin scoffed.

He quickly finished the battle and disarmed the woman without even getting hit. He was thankful that the woman had only been at the job for two monthes. If she had been at it for a year, it would have been challanging. He quickly jumped to Antartica and left her there. She would freeze to death. Griffin then jumped back and quickly picked up the dead electro-magnetic whip. No need to leave that lying around. He slid it into his pocket and made his way down the street - acting calmly, as if nothing had happened. With any luck, no normal human would have seen what had happened. If they had seen, it's not like they would believe what they had seen, anyway.

Alex watched the battle unfold with eyes wide. Half in awe, the other half was fear. The young man known as Griffith didn't pull any punches as he took out the tall blonde woman with ease. Then her eyes widened even more, a jump scar opened and he grabbed the woman and took her through it with him. He returned moments later, stopping to pick up something that the woman dropped and he began to walk in her direction.

"He's.." she paused for a sharp intake of breath, "..like me?" she spoke quietly to herself. Almost in disbelief.
"Selene, you never told me" she thought. Feeling a little disapointment.

Griffin grew closer to her and she snapped out of her daydream and called out to him.
"Hey!" she motioned to him "I think we should talk"

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Griffin's head turned to look at the woman. It was the same one who had bumped into him at the resteraunt. His first thought was "Oh no... she saw what I did."

He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, "If it's about bumping into me at the resteraunt... I forgive you. Best to forgive and forget." He stated simply. Then, he continued walking - walking past the young lady.

Alex looked carefully at Griffin and watched his movements. He'd taken out that mysterious woman with ease, so she had to tread carefully with him. He mentioned her bumping into him earlier as she ran out of Benny's and began to walk onward. Alex raised an eyebrow, she knew she was like him. She had to convince him somehow. She called out after him.
"It's not about that." she paused for a moment and took a deep breath inwards. It's now or never Alex she thought to herself before calling back over to him. "I know what you are!"

She waited for him to acknowledge her, and she stood firm. Her arms folded tightly across her chest. She looked briefly up at the night sky, the stars muffled by the dark, grim rainclouds. She let the rain wash over her face before looking back towards the stranger that intrigued her.

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As soon as he heard the words I know what you are, Griffin abruptly stopped walking. He stood where he had stopped, as if he was frozen. That was not good. It is not good if people know that you are a Jumper. Not good at all. Griffin was already infamous among all the Paladins and he had a few Jumper friends but that was it. That is all that he wanted and of course, to kill the Paladins off.

He let the rain pelt down and make his hair wet. Griffin remained silent. He would not make an effort to speak. If the woman wanted to talk to him so bad, she would be the one doing all of the talking. Griffin's back was still facing the lady. There was no way he would turn around. Not yet, at least.

Griffin stopped dead in his tracks as he heard Alex's words.
"Gotcha! the words spoke inside her mind as she watched him closely. She decided she had to play it all or nothing. Mixing her words was not an option. She had to be blunt and straight forward. It wasn't a matter of trust, but a matter of necessity.

"I know what you are" she continued talking, although he had not turned to face her, "Because I'm just like you. I can do the things you do. I don't know how or why. I just know that it is and I've never met anyone else like me" she trailed off, trying not to sound desperate or needy.

But at this point, if he thought that she didn't care. She had so many questions that needed answers. Maybe this Griffin could help. There was one question that cropped up in her thoughts that did bother her.
Why did you hide this from me?

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