Mutated

He saw her head and ran in a flat out sprint as figures darted towards her. Disposing of two he grabbed her and the bag and he carried her bridal style, putting the bag over his shoulder. He dodged another group, deflecting their blows with his dagger and stuffed another large ration of food into his bag to the surprise of the owners. He then darted off into an alley, sat the girl and the bag down in a dark corner and turned to fight, the gut feeling of being hunted warning him. He lunged at them, turning them into a confused mess before taking off into a differnet alley, all of them taking off after him, forgetting the girl.

Hermes frowned and he jumped off the roof of the building he'd been on. He went to the girl and the bag of food and picked them up. He looked yearningly at the way James and the group had gone, but he had to take care of Lexa and the food first. He ran back to the camp, Lexa in his arms and the bag over his shoulder. He shoved past the guards and ran into the infimery tents, where some nurses came over.

The nurses took her over and laid her on a table, checking for major injuries before turning to Hermes. "We're going to have to wait till she wakes up...we don't have the proper equipment or anything to get her the nutrients she needs while she's asleep. We're running low on medical supplies as it is. I'm sorry."

He spread his hands and arms out in an apologetic gesture. "I've got morals about stealing from hospitals, but I'll see what I can 'borrow.' Tell her James is on the run. I'll retrieve him and we'll both be back tonight." His voice was unusually serious, which ment the situation was very serious. He disapeard into the shadows and took off towards the hospitals.

James felt a whip wrap around his ankle and he hissed as he fell onto his side within the alley. He gave a low animalistic growl and went into a crouch, his dagger in hand. His golden eyes were wild and filled with fury at the though they'd been about to hurt Lexa. He hoped Hermes had found her by now and when the first person that dared take a lunge at him did he lunged as will with a snarl.

The nurses gave a small nod and watched him leave, then turned back to Lexa. Lexa slept for hours, her lack of sleep finally catching up to her. She'd wake up every once in a while, but her mind was in such a haze that it almost didn't matter if someone told her anything. She would then quickly fall back to sleep, lost in the black abyss that was her mind.

After hitting a few hospitals, Hermes gathered the needed supplies. He returned to the camp with a grim look as he kept some of the supplies, but gave them the ones they'd need. He then dissapeared from the camp again.

James was curled in a ball beside a dumpster, the people that'd attacked him dead and sprawled around the alley. He was in worse shape then he had been and his eyes looked more wild. He was murmuring to himself as memories of his sister assualted him. He growled as he saw a shadow, but relaxed seeing Hermes. Hermes helped him to his feet and dressed his wounds in silence. He gave James a cracker as he calmed down. "Lets head back." The two figures walked back to the camp in silence.

The nurses quickly distributed all the medicines that were given them and made up a vitamin cocktail for Lexa, shooting it into her blood stream as soon as they possibly could. She began to come around again about an hour after the vitamins had kicked in, giving her a small energy boost. She peered around the tent through her partly open eyes, trying to distinguish where she was and what had happened.

Hermes and James walked side by side into the camp. Their pace quicked as they neared the infimery and Hermes stopped at the foot of Lexa's bed, his eyes shifting around nervously. James sat on the edge of Lexa's bed. "Me and Hermes told you to eat. It seems me and Hermes have the only brains here."

Hermes snorted at that and relaxed. "You should get looked at James. I only scraped the surface to what you need."

James shook his head, a nurse coming towards him. "Just leave me be. I'm just wiped from the down of the adrenaline rush. Otherwise I'm good." He wiped off some of the blood with a rag to show that most of it wasn't his.

Hermes nodded. "You're an impresive fighter." His brown eyes eyed him curiosly. "You seemed really differnet when I got there. You were remembeirng somthing." It was a statement, not a question.

Jame stiffend. "You're a good thief, and I've no clue what you're talking about." He took the offered crackers from the nurse and held it out to Lexa. "Eat. We'll have somthing real for you in a second."

Lexa closed her eyes again, blocking out their bantering for a moment. Her head was pounding madly and they weren't helping. She gave a slight shake of the head. "I'm fine," she murmured. "I just haven't slept in a while....make sure everyone else is fed first."

"Eat or I'll tell your leader that you're not eating. Hermes will hand out foo...." He was looking up to look at Hermes, but he and the bag of food was gone. "Well...Hermes is feeding them now. How'd he do that?" He looked slightly amazed and was looking around him.

Hermes walked along the camp and handed out the food and supplies, promising more. He decided he'd stay at this camp. He needed him more then the others.

"The shadows," Lexa muttered, trying to push herself into a sitting position, though she was failing epically. "In essence he becomes part of the shadows." She looked at the crackers and sighed. She felt...guilty as she took them. She took a small bite and looked at James."better?" she asked as she tried to hand the cracker back.

"Ah, that makes sense." He wrinkled his nose and took the cracker as the nurse returned with a bowel of soup. "Be careful, it's hot." James took it caefully and held it out to Lexa. "Everyone else is eating, you might as well." He put the crackers to the side in case she wanted them in her soup.

Lexa looked at the soup and sighed, shaking her head. "Not until I know everyone's fed," she said, swaying slightly as another wave of light headedness washed over her. She leaned forward, putting her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees.

Hermes walked in, pushing the flap of the tent out of his way and making a beeline for Lexa's bed. "Everyone is fed and has supplies for a shower tonight. James here even grabbed extra blankets before he took off with you. I watched from the top of a building as he took off down a different alley, then I brought you back before stealing some medical stufff from thier hospitals. I then went and found him and brought him back. He's a valuable fighter. Everyone of those men were dead." He replayed the events for her as he took out a ham sandwhich and began eating.

James nodded and sighed. "Will you eat now? Please?"

Lexa sighed and looked at him. Then took the bowl. She ate reluctantly and frowned. Guilt filled her as her stomach filled. You sure everyone got enough to eat?" She asked, caring less about the events, and more about the people.

Hermes blinked and gave her a blank look. "You don't believe me?" His lips trembled like a little kids would, and he gave her a heartbreaking look with his soft brown eyes.

(Hermes....*shakes head*.....)

James patted Hermes shoulder, though stiffly. "Yes, everyone's fed. You'll need your strentgh if you want to keep providing for them."

Lexa sighed and looked at Hermes, apology written all over her face. "I believe you," she said softly, setting her food aside and taking his hand. "It's just...this is my family you know? I've got to make sure they're taken care of you know?" She gave a small smile. "And we always get new arrivals that seem to just pop out of the shadows." She gave him a wink, almost looking as if she was talking to a child even though she still treated him like the adult he was.

Hermes mischevious smile once again appeared on his face. "I should know. I move between clans, remember. You guys would be dead without me." He gave a dry laugh, another thing rare for him. Actually he believed they could get the harder stuff to get, beds, medical supplies, and such, but he knew every once in a while there'd be causlites.

James sighed and sweat beaded his brow as his broken ribs stung. "Did you happen to get any pain killers?" He reached into Herme's bag when he pointed at it.

Hermes smiled. "You'll learn I'm always two steps ahead." He gave them all pleased looks as James pulled out three sodas. "I gave everyone one. How long exactly has it been since we've had unhealthy drinks. He ignored James's, 'Just yesterday' and took the Root Beer from him.

Lexa looked at the root beer, her eyes wide, holding the can as if it were a precious diamond. She blinked a few times before looking at Hermes. "H-how did you manage to get these?" She asked in awe as she looked over the can. She hadn't had a soda in years.

Hermes paused mid-drink. "When you've got cute eyes like mine, and you know how to tug at a girl's heart....." He smiled, remembring the other night's events and he then tipped his head back and drank his Root Beer, but slowly and allowed the taste to swim in his mouth.

James took Mt. Dew, somthing he hadn't tried before and his eyes widened at the taste and he drunk fast at first, then tried to savor it like Hermes was. He finished his and looked at Hermes amused. "You're more dark then you make yourself seem, Lord of Thieves."

Hermes gave him a childlike smile, mischief in his eyes. "Aye, there's plenty others don't know about me, and I like that title." He looked very pleased with himself.

Lexa looked at them both and rolled her eyes at their conversation. She knew Hermes was far from dark...or at least the Hermes she knew was far from dark. She turned her attention back to the can in her hand. She looked it over, attempting to remember how to open it. She finally figured it out and took a small sip, pure happiness rolling through her at the taste. She relaxed as soon as the liquid hit her taste buds. It was even better than she remembered it being.

James chuckled. "Be careful, or your ego will make your head big." He smiled and shook his head. He looked back at Lexa. "You feeling better?"

Hermes murmured happily to himself and despite his outward appearance of childlike calme, was having an inner conversation about what else he needed to steal and which way would be the best way to lead the governement away from the clans. He thought the north wouldn't be bad, but he'd be away from the clan for a bit leading the governement on a wild goose chase. He knew he'd enjoy it, he'd be able to cause as much trouble as he pleased.

Lexa gave a small nod, just barely reaching the half way mark on her can of soda. She still felt lightheaded, and got the occasional black spot, and her body was begging for more sleep....but they didn't need to know that. She glanced between the two, a small smile on her lips. "So.....what's the plan?" she asked, staring at Hermes. She could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

"Things..." Herems looked very pleased with himeslf. As much mischief as he wanted....and he could steal from them without feeling bad. Oh the joy! "Just plannig on where the lead the governement this time, and what trouble I can cause them." A light of glee was in his brown eyes.

Lexa watched him and sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Hermes, one of these days you're going to get yourself hurt," she muttered with a roll of her eyes. "I was actually thinking of talking to Carson about....about maybe moving the coven outside the city. I'm sure we could get some seeds from the farmer's market. If we could just get past the centuries at the eastern side...we'd be home free. We wouldn't have to be worried about being hunted. We could live in the forests." The forests were a place no normal human dared go. The tales of creatures residing there always scared them.

Hermes nose wrinkled. "You underestimate me, but I understand that plan. And I could run the border of the forest to and scare off intruders." He liked that thought, then shoke his head. "I'll distract the centuries, you can take them out in groups of three. James here can help."

James nodded and a slow smile spread across his face. "Anything to get back at those bastards." His golden eyes darkend and hardened.