Before Aris could even react to Jules walking away, the rider was insulting him and asking him if he would follow. For a few moments a look of hurt crossed his features, then it was gone. Both arms were around the man he held, his grip tight but gentle. He didn't want to cause the man any undue pain, and then he was moving, following behind Jules. Catching up to her quickly, and staying only a step or two behind her.

With the vampires gone, that hatred and anger seemed to have dissipated. He felt vulnerable though, without his sword. That filthy vampire had stolen it, only adding to the hate that Aris held for all vampires. Now there was only calm in his eyes, his body language. Though he still didn't understand why everyone around him didn't understand or realize that vampires were just a stain on this world. A stain that needed to be removed as quickly as possible.

So that was it - the last look Levi would give him before he'd be twisted to fit Shawn's mould of a vampire. No words passed between them. After all, what could they say? Thanks for not killing me? Lex watched in oppressive silence as the two walked out the doors. One he wouldn't mind never seeing again. The other he knew would tug at his guilty conscience for a long while.

Once it was just the four of them - himself, Aris, Jules, and the odd woman with what seemed to be an itchy trigger finger - did they spring into action. And by they, he meant Jules. She pulled out a map from her pack, something that shouldn't've surprised him but did nonetheless, and began pointing out the safe haven. Planning routes.

So we're all heading to the same place. Who would've figured.

But then Jules was angrily stalking out of the room, arms full of a box that looked stuffed with supplies. Now, whether she was angry at Shawn and Levi or one of their own group he couldn't tell. He never could pinpoint where someone's grief was coming from - scratch that, he could never tell where a woman's grief was coming from. Lex just wished that it wasn't directed at him.

Soon after four had become three did the other girl come over to them and immediately started spewing insults though they were not directed at himself, instead they were focused on the man holding him. It just didn't seem to be Aris' day, now did it.

When the Angel started moving he clung on tightly, a little more secure now that he had two arms anchoring him. But as they began to move out of the mall and onto the street he gently but frantically began to nudge Aris' shoulder.

"Wait, please, my pack - my sword - they're still back there. Please, please, we have to go back."

A tinge of desperation crawled up his spine. His only possessions other than the clothes on his back were being left behind. The bag he didn't care much about. He could leave that behind any day, it was something that could easily be replaced. Well, maybe not easily, but definitely less difficult than acquiring another sword. Besides there was no other blade that could substitute his own. It was a gift from a time that seemed so long ago and he had grown rather attached to it, especially as it seemed to become a part of him as the years went on.

If there was one thing he would crawl back to retrieve, it would be his sword.

Dahlia's smile became almost triumphant at the hurt that spread over the Angel's face, following behind him as they made their way out of the store. She cast a quick glance behind them, eyeing the door at the opposite end of the room before shrugging slightly and lifting her Steed to rest on her shoulder.

She stepped closer when she heard the one-handed man frantically speaking, begging to go back for...a sword? By his voice he sounded emotionally attached to it. She couldn't say she blamed the guy. She was quite attached to her Steed and, while a good chunk of it was metaphysical, she still held an emotional love for it. She kind of liked to imagine it loved her back. Maybe. It didn't talk much, only ever screamed so it was hard to tell sometimes.

She sighed slightly, the sound a tad more dramatic than it should have been. "I'll go get it, Captain, stop your blubbering," she said, giving him an almost cross look. She turned to make her way back, even taking a step back toward the mall, before she stopped, spinning back around. "Where...is it, exactly?"

Her voice wasn't so much annoyed anymore as it was partly amused and embarrassed. Look at her going off to go find something for a guy whose name she didn't even know from a place she had never been. Maybe she could simple directions from the Angel. Maybe he could point her in teh right direction.

Lex jerked a little in surprise when the other woman spoke, though that might have been more due to the fact that her weapon seemed a lot more intimidating when seen from close-up. And, well, maybe a little bit because the woman was scary as fuck if not a little bit snarky. She seemed, though, to understand his need for his sword if the way she had offered to fetch it in the first place was any indication.

"Back in the mall, a couple rooms from where you found us, there'll be a room that reeks of ammonia. My sword's in there."

He offered up a shaky smile, the best he could muster up at the moment. To be honest he didn't much feel like speaking - it felt like he was going through the motions like he were a robot, unattached, like he was watching someone else say these things. He felt drained.

"Thank you. Really, I mean."

And he did. That at least he felt something for.

Jules had gone up ahead, not too far. She heard Lex ask to go back anyway. She was still feeling grumpy. Let them go back then. She didn't need any of them. Never did.

That wasn't true. She'd actually probably be dead, had it not been for Aris. The Ripper, too, come to think of it. No matter. She'd looked over her shoulder at them, but now turned her back on them again. She wasn't really going to run off and leave them behind. No.

In reality, she'd wanted company. Any company would do. So, she slowed her pace in the slightest. She'd continue up to the edge of town, the end of this road. There, there was an intersection. There was a gas station there on one side, and forest beyond it. On the other side, began a rocky, hilly area of sorts that went on for miles.

There, she would wait, she supposed. She wondered how quickly they'd actually be able to travel, with injured Lex. She wondered if infection would set in, and if he would even make it to the city in time to find antibiotics, assuming that there were some to be found.

She also took a moment to observe Aris. He seemed completely back to normal. No hint of hate or anger in his eyes. It was so strange. As if all of the hate and anger stemmed solely from the presence of the vampires. That light bulb flickered again. It was the vampires. Aris really hated all of vampire kind for some reason. It was obvious to her now.

Jules was beginning to assume his missing wing and voice had something to do with it. Still. He couldn't blame all vampires for the actions of a couple. Just like Jules wouldn't blame all mutants for the actions of some, or all humans for the actions of others. She hadn't realized she'd stopped, and was watching Aris now, in thought.

Dahlia nodded and, without saying a word, made her way back into the mall and through the room. She didn't bother to check out the disemboweled monstrosity near the center of the floor space, barely gave it a passing glance. No reason to. She'd seen stranger and it was obviously offline and unable to cause her any harm. No reason to concern herself over something that was obviously dead.

The mannequins she did take concern with. She hated the things, had been terrified of them when she was a child. That fear had been cemented later in her life, her introduction to the Foundation and that horrid event that shaped her life to the greatest years of her life. She hated them but she owed them so much. She didn't appreciate the eyes though. They were horrifying and dead. Gods how did she not notice them earlier?

She made her way down the hallway, wondering absently if she had perhaps gone the wrong way and that she would have to turn around. The groan rising in her throat sputtered and died as a horrible, chemical smell washed over her and she actually gagged. No this was the right way. It smelt like a morgue.

She took the time to check the stores, stopping when she came across the collapsed kitchen outlet. There was blood on the far side, soaking and caked into the linoleum. And there was a lot. She grinned. This was the place.

She moved inside, scanning the ground until she came across an open backpack with some of its contents hastily spilled about. She took the time to put what was salvageable back inside, closing it before swinging it over her shoulder. She was definitely keeping this. It had jerky.

She continued to scan lazily, pushing rubble aside periodically with her feet. Eventually she came upon it, gleaming brightly in the morning light. And stinking. Gods did he just dip this thing in ammonia? With a grunt she hoisted it up, getting a closer look at it before dropping her arm to her side and making her way to the glass front. She eyed it coolly for a moment, wondering if she should just hit the next store over to get that door open. This one was blocked by water damaged rubble.

She turned herself around, taking a step back toward the hall. And she stopped, eyes widening and a thin line spreading over her face as she pressed her lips together. One of the mannequins had moved, placed in the doorway proper, one plastic arm still raised while the other had broken off. What caught her off guard, more so than the fact it had moved believe it or not, was its eyes; tens of them hastily painted in red and covering its plastic skull and neck. She hadn't been paying attention, but she was sure that the paint for the other mannequins had been something other than hellfire red. She could only assume the twisted design spread across it three hundred and sixty degrees.

She didn't realize she was shaking her head until she had turned back around, lifting her booted foot up as she lent backwards. She was getting out of here. Now. It took two good hits but the old glass eventually shattered, spraying out into the street. She was outside barely a moment later, crunching over the shattered glass as she marched down the street, mouth still a pressed line as she made her way quickly toward the figures standing far down the street.

Aris would have gone back for the man's things, but the Rider seemed to volunteer for it and he had given her a grateful look before she slipped off on her retrieval mission. He kept his grip firm but gentle around the man in his arms, trying his best not to cause any undue pain or make any already pain worse. He wasn't sure of the extent of the human's injuries. He looked at Jules, already a head of them, something about her seemed off. Her demeanor had seemed to change, a subtle change. Was she angry about something? Upset? Aris wasn't sure, and he was probably wrong anyway. Human's were difficult to read at times.

At least she had stopped to wait for them to catch up, he glanced over his shoulder. The Rider hadn't returned yet, but that was no surprise, she had only been gone a few minutes so far. His single wing twitched, as he caught up with Jules as she stood waiting at the crossroads, then he turned to watch for the Rider's return. Surely it wouldn't be too long now. It hadn't been long, and there she was, making her way towards them.

Shawn glanced around at the weird mannequins the kid was looking at. He glanced down at Levi--the kid didn't seem scared, almost more at ease with them around. What kind of messed-up kid did I turn? At least I know he won't jump at every rabbit that crosses his path.
The mannequins didn't scare him. He'd seen more grotesque sights in his lifetime than some paint on plastic dolls. He did wonder what kind of twisted mind would create them on purpose, though.

((No, he's not assuming Levi created them, since he has no way of knowing or inferring that, just wondering about whoever did create them.))

The kid spoke in a raspy whisper. Apparently he'd never needed shoes. Well, he didn't exactly look as if he'd been used to the finer things in life.
"All right, it's up to you. There's a chance your feet will get infected if you cut them or something, but you will probably have a bit more traction and be more sensitive to your envionment."

He took another look at the kid. "We should get you some better clothes than those rags and get you a weapon, too. Here, take this." He slid the damaged sword out of his belt and handed it to Levi, hilt first. "It's not the best but it's better than nothing. Your weapon will be your best friend in a few years. A sword might not be your thing, but I'll teach you a bit so you can at least fight some to start." He kept his voice low as he looked around for a clothing store.

There--the one near the corner looked promising. The clothing would probably be moth-eaten by now, but it was worth a shot. He peered in through the dirty glass of the storefront window. The store seemed empty enough, so he pushed the door open silently, gesturing for the kid to enter behind him.
Several metal racks of clothes were still there, though most of the clothes were moth-eaten and the rest looked like they had been picked over. Plus the kid was so skinny, it would be hard to find anything that didn't hang like a dress on him.
Shawn cast another glance at Levi. "Pick through the clothes here and see if there's anything that looks good to you--or that would work for me, for that matter." He was a bit taller than the kid, and a good deal more muscular even if he wasn't bulky. "I'm going to see if I can find anything in a storeroom somewhere. Call if you need something."

Aris and Lex had caught up, and Jules had remained silent, in thought while they waited for the ripper. She'd come to some conclusions of her own, though more assumptions that conclusions based on hard facts. She just needed to ask him. Though having a conversation with Aris would be hard. She'd just do lots of question asking.

"Why do you hate Shawn so much? And Levi now, that he's a vampire..." Bad start. Those weren't yes or no questions. "Do you hate all vampires?" To the point you want to kill them all with your bare hands? She left that part off. Jules had moved so that she could see his face. It was clear who she was talking to, as she looked Aris in the eye, searching for answers as to who he was and why.

She could assume that Aris hated Shawn for attacking Levi for food, but Shawn had had a point when he said he was no different from anyone else who hunted for sustenance. But it was more than that. He'd shown a great disliking for the vampire on the roof outside of the mall, and then had shown that he didn't want Levi around once he'd become one, too. There was definitely more to it. But what?

((I'll do the time skip after a tad of 'dialogue'. ))

Levi nodded absently as Shawn talked about his feet, looking down at them blankly. They might get cut up outside. He didn't really think about that. But he didn't want to wear shoes. He didn't understand them. They confused him greatly.

He seemed to curl into himself slightly at the mention of new clothing, suddenly aware of the slight chill on his exposed back. His shoulders stiffened at the mention of a weapon. His eyes widened when he heard the hiss of a blade and the sudden weight of it in his hands.

His nervousness could practically be smelt. He didn't like it. The feel of it in his hands, the soft glint of the light off the blade; it all felt wrong to him. But he didn't say anything, didn't dare. So he bit his lip and nodded again.

Then Shawn stopped and Levi jerked so as not to go past him. He watched as Shawn peeked inside, watched as the vampire moved inside. He followed when the other motioned for him.

His nod was obedient when the other told him to look for clothing, still holding the chipped blade awkwardly. It was only when Shawn mentioned a storeroom and was out of the storefront proper (well at least as far as Levi could tell) that he removed the blade from his hand. He was far from gentle though. It clattered slightly as he placed it hastily on the ground, staring at it for a long couple of seconds as he waited to move.

There was no sound of something moving closer. There was only the sounds of the building and a chiding whisper from one of his friends. He didn't acknowledge the mannequin as he moved off to absently, numbly, browse the clothing racks.

He removed a few pieces methodically, throwing them absently into a pile behind him. He wasn't aware of his hands shaking until a particularly flimsy rack had toppled, causing him to jump at the clatter. His breath was heavy, devolving into gasps, as he stood, looking down at his shaking hands quietly. His face felt wet and hot and he realized that he must have been crying for a while.

It was that realization that finally caused him to bend his knees and sink to the floor, bumping his bony rump against the ground as he gave in and sat there. A concerned whisper filled his ears and he finally looked up, lopsided gaze on a nearby friend who was whispering at him, worried.

" 'm...'m ok..." he muttered, voice hitching slightly, croaking quietly. His voice was barely his own voice as he sat and trembled and let the emotional exhaustion of what had just happened, the taste of blood on his lips (it was tangy like a fruit he couldn't quite remember the name of) and the chill on his back (growing colder the longer he sat and shivered), overtake him and let him sob quietly.

Aris tried to keep his grip around Lex as gentle as he could, while still fully supporting the man, though he wouldn't be able to carry the other for a very long time, he could easily go longer than a human. When Jules began to ask him questions, his eyes hardened a bit, his body tensing the slightest and fingers twitched but he kept himself from tightening his grip on Lex. He couldn't really answer her first question, it required an explanation and he couldn't exactly give one. His single wing twitched slightly, and he nodded in response to her second question. She was watching him so intently, staring into his eyes, trying to read the words he couldn't speak by searching the fiber of his being. That's what it seemed like to him, but how could he make her understand how terrible and cruel and purely evil vampires were without words? He was frowning slightly, a bit of sorrow in his eyes.

So she'd asked a question with an obvious answer. But, "Why?" Damn. Jules wasn't used to talking to people who couldn't respond in return. She wasn't really used to talking to many people in general, but still. She tried again. "Is it because you're supposed to hate them?" The question was lacking, but she'd been referring to the assumption she held that he, like other mutants, had been created to destroy the vampires.

She was looking at him, wishing he could talk, when she realized, "Are vampires why you can't talk?" She'd mumbled the question mostly, thinking out loud. Then she asked another, more normal. "They're why you're missing a wing?" It was somewhat of a statement, but Jules didn't want to go jumping to conclusions, so she made a question out of it.

Aris was silent, of course. Letting Jules continue to ask her questions, almost as if she needed to know these things and he was more than eager to tell her. Well, eager to talk, perhaps not so eager to talk about such depressing things as to why his voice and wing were gone. Still he nodded three times. All there questions the answer was the same. Yes. He hated them because he was supposed to, he hated them even more for taking his voice, and again for his wing. He probably hated vampires more than anyone ever should hate something. That inherent hate only made worse from the way he had suffered at the hands of vampires, made worse by watching them merciless slaughter humans. Made worse by just them existing, yet he couldn't exactly explain that to her properly.

Dahlia finally reached their band of misfits, stopping a little passed the Angel and casting quick glances behind her. "OK I got it let's go now please would probably be best," she babbled, casting glances over her shoulder almost constantly. Nothing. No movement aside from a few birds.

She bounced on her heels, finally looking between the two and stopping on the upswing, resting on her toes. "Oh...you two look tense," she murmured, falling to her heels. She cast a quick glance back, biting her lip as she eyed the birds in the street.

"You know if we're done with the sewing circle we can probably get a move on. I'd like to leave this hellhole as soon as humanly possible. Those mannequins give me the heeby jeebies..."