Escape

When Jack had handed the man the money he nearly ran out of the store. He really didn't like the feel of the little shop. Normally he loved little shops, at least he thought he did. Well, if he didn't then he loved them now. He shrugged at the idea and waited outside for Jack. He looked around, the sun was setting and he could hear the distant sound of cars moving and the honk of horns. There was the occasional passerby down the street he was waiting on. He realized at this moment it was a little bit chilly outside. He shivered and look around. Maybe there was a bum willing to trade something for a coat. He didn't have much on him but he figured he could conjure something up with his wand. It heated in his pocket, as if trying to warm him; strange behaviour for a wand.

Then he noticed it, someone in the alleyway across from the store. He squinted, trying to get a better view of the figure. He realized that it wasn't just one hooded figure, there were three, and they were moving towards him at a fairly quick pace. His face fell when he recognized the cloaks, "Oh shit." he muttered to himself. He pulled out his wand and opened the shop door as Jack turned around to look at him. "You both might really wan't to get out of here." he told them. He then closed the door and stepped in front of the figures who were closer now. "Not again." he said angrily. He pointed his wand at the ground in front of the group. "Reducto!" he yelled. The ground gave away at the end of the Alley, but it wouldn't halt their pursuit for long. He looked back through the window at Jack and motioned with his head for her to get out here and start running; so much for dinner.

Jack handed the money over and waited patiently for her change, glancing up to see Matt had went to wait outside, which was fine by her. As she waited, she reached up to scratch the cat behind its ears, inciting some purring from the gentle, fat creature. She glanced back out to see Matt slowly backing up. She reached a hand out to recieve her change and stow it away, a look of confusion on her face. He suddenly burst in and warned them.

Jack peeked outside. Oh. She slipped outside and locked the foor with a quick spell to keep the man and his cat safe. She stared down at the figures and raised her wand, pointing at their feet. She whispered, "Bombarda." She looked at Matt. "Who are they?" He was running and though Jack would rather stop them here, she turned to follow.

Matt continued to Run as Jack attempted to help him. A few spells wasn't going to stop them. Matt had to trick his way out of that place. He shivered at the though, they were STILL after him. He had already proven to be no use to them. He was angry now, incredibly so. As he continued to book it down the streets he looked back as Jack started catching up with him. But the cloaked figures were hot on their heels and he cursed loudly, picking up his pace. "We're not going to be able to stop them with a few curses!" he called back to Jack. He stuck his wand behind him and made sure he wasn't going to hit Jackles. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled at the figures. He saw a wand go flying and a triumphant smile fell across his face.

He began to slow down and look for a place where they could ditch them. He let Jack catch up and found an exit onto a crowded street. He grabbed her hand and pulled her, "This way." he told her as they entered the crowd. They would at least get some cover in this crowd. He continued to hold on to her hand as he walked quickly through the crowd. He wondered why there was such a big crowd, but then realized the night was only starting. People would be out and about for a little while yet, ah London. "I think, we lost them." he told her looking around and not seeing them. He slowed his pace and began to breath heavy, his heart racing.

Jack ignored Matt's warnings, much too focused on responding to anyone rude enough to try to challenge her in any way. "Diffindo!" The spell cut a cole in one of the pursuer's pants, and the pant leg slipped down, and the follower stumbled. Jack grinned, always happy to take someone down in her own brand of humor and attack. Jack would NEVER conform!

Matt grabbed her hand and Jack's knee-jerk reaction was PULL AWAY. Which she did. Then she realized- this was not Vito, nor an attacker, but an accomplice of sorts. She reached out and grabbed onto the sleeve of his elbow. She followed, staying close- luckily, she was small and managed to squeeze through the crowd, moving very quickly. Matt said they were gone and she turned, jumping up and seeing that they had indeed completely lost them. She released Matt and immediately slowed her pace. She let out a long, slow breath- a breathing technique- and said, "They're gone."

Matt bent over and put his hands on his knees, continuing to breath heavy. When he finally caught his breath a few minutes later he groaned. He was getting old, he needed to work on rebuilding stamina. He looked around the crowd, not a familiar face in sight. He leaned against a shop wall and sighed with relief. They had found him, and now Jack MAY or MAY NOT be in danger. But she could handle her own. He had only known her for an hour or so but he could tell she was a fighter. He was fully confident she would make a good friend. He smiled at her and laughed quietly.

"Damn, I haven't done that much running in ages." he told her grinning. He got off the wall and started walking with the crowd, Jack following. He still couldn't understand why they wanted him. And that bothered him a lot! His relife quickly turned into anger and confusion. Those two were never good combinations. He felt his wand in his pocket and patted it. He closed his eyes thinking and rubbing his eyes with his hands. What and Why, were the big questions. He really didn't care about Who because they were dead either way. He turned to Jack, "Still up for dinner?" he asked casually with a smile.

Matt had to take a bit longer than Jack to calm down, and she became aware of the age difference between them. Both of them, she guessed, were rather fit but he needed a little while to catch his breath and recover from the excursion. Jack usually was blind to such things as age- no, not blind, but indifferent. And indifference breeds oblivion. She does not consider someone by their age or race, and soon it was as if she had never noticed it begin with.

Jack felt a slow smirk prick up and she pointed out, "You're old." She shook her head and looked back, saying, "Damn. Maybe one day, I'll figure out more about the people trying to kill me." She smirked, but the recollection that one of her attempted murderers was actually quite close to her made the smirk slip away. She was drawn from her thoughts and nodded at Matt. "More so now than ever."

Matt frowned at her words, "I'm only twenty eight!" he said defensively. He caught her smirk and smiled back at her after. He had been underground for far too long. He looked around the crowd again, he was still uneasy. He took this moment to look Jack over. She was taken care of, and young. A young person Matt actually got along with. This was knew to him, and she was funny. Able to take a joke then dish one right back moments later. He smiled wider, she was nice to be around. He was brought back to reality when she spoke once again. Dinner

"Right, well let me grab some cash really quick and we can go." he told her. He walked up to the nearest ATM and pointed his wand at it. He never carried a card with him, he just accessed his muggle account with his wand. Making sure nobody was looking and he was blocking his wand he muttered a few words. Instantly there was some money in his hands. He turned to Jack smiling, "Right, what do you feel like?" he asked cheerily, as if the previous events hadn't effected him.

She smirked at him as he tried to defend himself. Yes, only twenty eight, which made her only a decade younger. Though, it might be closer to nine years, what with her much anticpated nineteenth birthday approaching. Jack had never been excited for the actual birthday itself, but nineteen was such a good little number. Somehow, nineteen seemed like a bigger jump from eighteen, then the jump between seventeen and eighteen. Perhaps, people would be less surprised to see her in the positions she held so dearly if she was nineteen.

He said he was going to get some money and she said, "After you." She followed him to the ATM and waited. He asked where she would like to head off and she shrugged. She put a hand over her eyes and lifted her hand, pointing a finger. She spun briefly and when she stopped and opened her eyes, she realized she had pointed at an establisment called 'BAR & BURGERZ.' Jack dropped her hand. "There?"