Al flinched as the man down the bar shot again.  She jerked to look back at the fray, the boy with the sword of fire and the man with what looked like little more than a pocket knife taking on the ---she couldn't quite think the word "werewolf"--- creature.  And, then she saw that Sam was hit, falling, and the man she'd hit with the bat, the man who had been shot and who had glowing eyes--he vanished.<br/><br/>Her breathing was coming in gasps.<em> Energy never dies, it just changes shape </em>hummed through Al's mind as the glowing-eyed man disappeared.  She hesitated for a second, the fire extinguisher falling from her grip to crush the goddamned cockroaches and then tipping over to smack Louie on the head before rolling a half a turn on the floor, smashing more of the roaches.  Al didn't even notice.  She broke from her frozen stance and spun around, smacking into the corner of the bar as she raced around it, rebounding off the facing wall to fling herself towards the injured girl.<br/><br/>The front door crashed open and she heard voices, commands to stand still and she half-raised her hands, glancing at the door.  So much blood.  She shot forward as the man with the little knife called out that there was an injured person.  "It's me, Al...I work here!" she yelled as she skidded on her knees to Sam, pressing one hand to the front and rolling her to press her other hand to the exit wound.  She jerked as the bugs still tried to bite, flinging those she could away from her without removing her hands from Sam.<br/><br/>She looked not at the cops but at the battle that still was taking place what seemed like miles away from her little chunk of reality.  At least I'll die trying to help, she thought; doing instead of running.