Snippet #2105776

"Sigh. So, you're from a Ward too?" The boy asked sharply, breaking the silence and compelling me to turn my gaze upon his piercing eyes once more. His voice sounded... tired. It didn't seem like he was so worried that I was an enemy anymore, rather, it simply seemed like he was exhausted and fed up with the world for being the way it was, as though he was simply too fed up to care whether or not I was a threat to him anymore, and had simply decided to believe my words for now. I felt a little more at ease with this deduction, since it meant that I would at least have a little bit more time to figure things out before anything happened to me. My hands stopped fidgeting about at last, and instead settled where they were, folded before my collar.

After a moment, I managed to remember that I was supposed to answer when someone asked me a question - an impressive feat, considering the confused nature of my thoughts - and after another, I managed to make the decision to give a quick nod rather than using my voice, a new and worrying prospect in which I did not place any faith. My answer conveyed thus, the boy glanced around, evidently having heard or seen something that unnerved him. But, after a moment, he seemed to settle slightly, giving a wary glance to the fallen Vampire before turning to face me once again.

"We should get out of here, before anyone else shows up," The boy said simply. The comment was not, in and of itself, surprising. Anyone in their right mind would, when still so close to the enemy's home territory, and having only just foiled one of the hunters pursuing them, suggest immediate departure. It was only common sense to distance oneself from the enemy while one had the chance. But, on the other hand, the comment meant several things that were quite astonishing.

"We," he had said. That could only mean one thing: I was to go with him at once, and to trust in him to keep me safe. But, on the other hand, he could just as easily have said "You're coming with me, or I'll kill you." I was quite clearly at his mercy, so if he wanted me to obey him out of fear, then now would be the obvious chance to establish how things were going to be. I'd have no option but to follow him, so why...?

No, the only reason he would phrase things that way was because he wanted me to feel at ease... wasn't it? That simple, obvious suggestion, was also a gesture of reassurance, and a statement of policy. It meant that so long as I did nothing to endanger myself, he wasn't going to hurt me. Moreover, it was an invitation, which meant I would have the opportunity to reject his offer, if I wanted to. But, terrified as I was, I already knew what my answer would be. I would accept his request, and go with him.

It was basic survival instinct, really. He had just saved my life, and was, in essence, offering to continue protecting me without specifying anything I'd need to do in return. It was too good to be true, I knew, but it was also a much safer bet than Jude, whose intentions I could not guess, save that he needed me to serve as a locator for other Mutants, and far, far superior to going it alone, as I had almost no idea what sort of world I had ventured into, and couldn't protect myself from a particularly dangerous animal, let alone the Vampires that would surely pursue me until I was dead and buried. And, if worst came to worst and he questioned my usefulness as an ally, I could always serve him in the same manner as I would have served Jude. And, while I knew Jude would not harm me yet, I could make no such guarantees for the future. This boy, on the other hand, was much the safer bet. And, if I went with him, I could escape both of those parties that would capture me: Jude and the Ward alike. So, at last, I decided, and gave voice to my reply, no matter how hard it was. Shuffling nervously into the clearing, I glanced about much as my protector had just done, then nodded and gave my response.

"R-right... I-I can come with you, then?" I asked, attempting to confirm my suspicions. In that instant, my heart seemed to stop, as I waited on baited breath for his answer, and for the fate to which that answer would subject me.