"It's so DARK out…Where's AJ? I need protection."
The husky sitting on the couch looked up at her owner, ears cocked in interest.
She was a deep red, except for her belly, throat, legs, and muzzle, which were a soft white.
Light eyes watched Alex expectantly, as if she could almost understand what she was told.
When Alex had gotten the husky at ten years old, she'd been eating Applejacks and had decided to name the canine that.
After a while, AJ became her nickname.
"You'd better be careful, Allie." Rachel warned, looking up from the papers scattered on their kitchen table.
"I will. I mean, I'm bringing a big dog with me down the street to the pizza place. I'll be fine."
"Alright…Do you have your cell phone?"
"Yup."
"Taser?"
"Yup."
Alex was already heading for the door, clicking a leash onto AJ's pink leather collar.
"Money?"
"YUP."
"Pepper spray?"
"YES, mom. I have everything. Are you going to ask if I've been going to my self-defense and karate classes, too?"
"I was about to." Rachel joked, smiling a bit at her daughter.
Giggling, the brunette grabbed her keys and put them in her back pocket before turning the knob.
"Ha, ha…I'll be back in twenty minutes."
Heading out the door with the husky trotting beside her, Alex smiled as she headed down the stairs.
"Are you bored in there, baby girl?"
A soft bark, and AJ nuzzled her owner's waist.
"Oh, I know you miss me…"
Patting the dog's head lovingly, Alex stepped out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk.
"Which way was that pizza place again…?"
A tug to the left, and Alex smiled.
"Alright, alright…Left it is."
Following at a steady pace as AJ's curled tail wagged happily, she caught sight of the pizza parlor and almost ran in.
Ordering a deep dish pizza with pepperoni and sausage, she sat down to wait for it to get made.
AJ whimpered, straining against the leash and tugging a bit as if to lunge at something outside…
"Calm down, baby girl…I'll let you do your business in a sec-."
Alex was tugged towards the door, almost stumbling, and sighed before quickly telling the cashier to call her if the pizza was finished before her dog was.
Standing on the sidewalk, she glared at the sky as AJ did her 'business'…
"You couldn't have WAITED?" She muttered a bit testily, crossing her arms over her chest.
Being so short, she had been told constantly by everyone she knew to always be careful.
Speed would mean nothing if you got nabbed…
AJ suddenly snarled, whipping around, causing Alex to blink in surprise until someone grabbed her from behind.
"AH!"
Kicking out as she accidentally released the leash, she tried to reach her pepper spray when AJ leapt up, her fangs catching the attacker's arm as she drew blood.
Stumbling away as she was released, Alex grabbed her taser and was about to fire it when the man grabbed her wrist.
"Ah, ah…I don't think so, princess…"
AJ snarled as another man pulled harshly on her leash, almost choking her, and Alex kicked the man before her in the crotch.
He sucked in his breathe in pain, falling like a ton of bricks, but the brunette didn't get a chance to strike the other man before something was sprayed in her face.
Coughing as her body began to slump, she hit the sidewalk dully…
"Now, now…Don't fight so hard, little one…It'll only hurt more…"
Blurring vision caught sight of another man, not as muscled as the others, and he seemed completely unruffled by the events…
"Just sleep…"
She couldn't exactly argue with that…
She was already out like a light…