maka ran through the street of town looking left and right, he sence of direction had never been good, but now she was solost she couldn't even see the church spire "drats i was supposed to meet sojiro as the square andit's gonna get dark soon, i need to get back to the caravan." maka took a sharp left going down nother alley full of dingy old brick apartments, this wads definently the wrong place to be right now.

she continued looking left and right trying to find another road to taketoward a nicer part of town. finally off to her right she saw an opening toward a part of town with more light. "The square!" maka thought aloud in glee. and there sitting at the side of thefountain was sojiro. "hey cutie" maka turned around to see a big burly man stading behind her. "why are you out here all alone?, such a pretty thing shouldn't be in this part of town" he gripped her shoulders as two more men appeared behind him. he leaned forewar to whisper in his ear "actlike you kicked me and make a run for it, get out of here as fast as you can, do you understand?" maka nodded lighty

"nice catch benny. and you said you wouldn't be good at this sorta thing" a lean tall man said in a naisally voice. "one, two now." maka slammed her foot down where his was barely missing it. benjamin gave a howl of pain letting go of her maka ran as fast as her legs could carry her, she wasn't used to high heels, she stubbled and tripped losing one of the shoes but got back up and kept running. the square was only one more road away the lights getting closer.

"GOT CHA!" maka was tackled to the ground by the third man who was a big and burly as benjamin was. "thought you were getting away didja?" he asked in a rough accent she couldn't quite identify. maka squirmed "let me go! right now!" he leaned foreward covering her mouth "now come on sweetheart where's your sence of fun?" maka bit down on his hand hard doing the only thing she could think of she screamed "SOJIRO!"

sojiro looke dup from the ground and to his left where he had heard the voice 'that sounded like maka!' he took off in a dead noticing that the closer he got the further from town he slipped. 'why would she be somewhere like this?' ahead he saw moving figures in the dark, one looked like it was trying to fight the other "SOJI...mhph" sojiro understood emediently. theyweretrying to kidnap maka!.

sojiro sprung foreward punching the man in his face, he let go of maka who fell to the ground. he grabbed her hand lifting her to her feet "come on!" he comanded her pulling her along as he ran. mak'sother shoes came of and she spared a glance behind to see it kicked out of the way by the man. "not so fast" maka looked ahead as sojiro stopped dead

the tall slim man had a knife in front of him "the girl's comeing with us, and you boy" he said pointing t sojiro "should have never interfeared. he swung the knife foreward "MOVE!"

sojiro was pushed out of the way and into a wall maka's body leaning on him. he felt her weight lift as she slunk to the floor of the alley. "enough..." she mumbled "maka?" sojiro looked at maka concern evident on his face. "I've had enough of this!" maka stood up "sojiro stand away from me. do not come near me nomatter what understand" sojiro took three steps back "maka" benjamin grabbed him "im not an enemy" he whispered. sojiro nodded lightly

maka closed her eyes "playtime's over sweetheart" the slim man walked forward lifting the knife "now you'regonna come quietly or i'll have to cut you open" maka looked up at his with dead green eyes as three sythe blades sprung from her arm one sliced into his arm onw landed on his neck barely cutting him the other was...a little lower. the man stood in horror at her. "i'd stay still or you might a couple things most men don't wanna live life without." the man stiffened staying still "now then, leave us alone of you'll be the one cut open."

"understood" maka withdrew the blades and stood up her eyes returning to normal. the man scrambled away screaming all the while "come back you idiot!" the second burly man exclaimed 'dong' he hit the floor. "That'show you do it" maka stared with wide eyes at maria, standing over the unconcious man holding a frying pan. benjamin let go of sojiro. and let out a sigh.

"you want some too?" maria yelled at him "DON'T!" maka and sojiro cried out they looked at each other for a moment "he tried to help me escape, and he protected me whent he other men where being attacked by maka" maria nodded in understanding "maka come on we need to bandage your arm." for the first time maka looked herself over, half her hair had fallen down the dress had ripps and tears from falling and getting caught onthings, she wasn't waering shoes anymore, and she had a deep gash in her rms from when she defended sojiro.

maka alowed herself to be led off, sojiro in tow, "we owe the lives ofthese children, you are welcom to join us" maria called over her shoulder to bejamin. he mearly nodded following them to a tavern in town.