Flawed

*I meant Jay's father knew him after he was caught, at the Shadow compound. Maybe he recognized Ari because his father sent him the information when he was alive. As for the reason he says boy, it's more because emotionally, he feels old compared to people his age. Jaded and cynical.*

Aridos(Ari)-

That was the last straw, he snapped. He'd been dodging soldiers and other Shadows for weeks. Finally made it to a Flawed settlement, but he had still been to lat to save them. Then this boy he's never met, accuses him of helping with the attack?

Snarling, Ari jumped to his feet, glaring at him. Sparks of lightning crawled up his arms. "Don't you dare judge me." He spat the words out. "Not until you've lived my life."

Ari turned to Idahlia, his voice tight with anger and pain. "I'll help with whatever you want. But after that I'm going my own way." He cut a glance at Jay, and the other Flawed at the meeting place, most of them were avoiding him. "I can see when I'm not wanted."

He laughed bitterly. "Funny, and I'd heard the Flawed take in all kinds. I guess hypocrisy does't stop when you have emotions." Turning, Ari stalked towards the truck.

Idahlia

The anger in his eyes. The fire in them, the danger. All instincts told Idahlia that they were better off letting this Aridos go, that they were better off solving their own problems. She didn't know what had possessed her to seek his help.

"Wait here," she told the others. "This won't take a moment and then I'll lead you to the settlement." With or without him. Smiling her encouragement, Idahlia slipped away and followed after Aridos. She found him leaning against his truck.

"Perhaps we've gotten cautious over time," Lia admitted. "It's sometimes hard to know who we can trust but before you go, I wanted to tell you that I've never turned anyone away." Kicking at the dirt with her shoe, she looked up at him for a moment.

"And what about me?" Ari scoffed.

"You don't want to stay anyway," Idahlia snapped. "If you did, you wouldn't be going so far to find an excuse to leave! Well. You don't have to help us. I don't expect you to. I just wanted to say goodbye and thank you. You saved a lot of lives. I'm in your debt but understand we didn't ask you to help so you can't expect anything from the others!" Lia didn't even know what she was saying. She could feel a lot of emotion right now, hers, his, the people all around them. Mostly there was anger, so much anger and so much fear and she didn't know if any of it was hers.

Turning away, Lia didn't give him the opportunity to answer but ran back to the others. "Alright, let's go," she said, rubbing her arms. "Follow me. If we walk, there will be less chance of them seeing us coming."

*People need to keep in mind that Ari has only been Flawed for a few weeks. He is completely clueless about dealing with emotion.*

Aridos(Ari)-

"I'm an idiot." Ari thought tiredly, he just didn't know what was wrong with him. He was so angry, at the Flawed for just hiding away, at the Shadows for being duped by the assembly. At his brother and all the other monsters on the Assembly, and at himself.

Shaking out of the revery, he ran after Idahlia. "Wait up." He called out. She turned to stare at him. "I said I'd help, and I will. I keep my word." Ari raised an eyebrow and asked. "So are we walking or taking the truck?"

*oh okay. Well I can work with that

Jay

"Wait up," Aridos called out. "I said I'd help, and I will. I keep me word."

Jay wasn't the least bit happy with Ari's decision. He was a Shadow. Once a Shadow, always a Shadow. Those days after his father was captured...when he was still alive...Jay had seen the Shadows up close.

It had been easy to sneak in to the compound where his father was kept. If he was noticed, anyone would assume he was one of the children raised to cause destruction in the world.

He had never spoken directly to anyone there, besides his father, but he had seen many things. He had seen the Shadows punishing his father for his bravery to feel what they had long discarded. And he had seen them teaching young children, Aridos included, to do the same. Jay could never forgive any of them.

"So arewe walking or taking the truck?" Aridos asked, bringing Jay's thoughts back to the situation at hand.

"We will walk," Indahlia said. "We will be less noticed."

"If the Shadow can handle that," Jay added bitterly.