The sight of the trucks made Darren smile; it had been quite a long time since he'd been inside a functioning vehicle (he once spent a week sleeping in a junked minivan), and he was looking forward to putting more distance between himself and the Underbelly. He seemed to have made the right choice in joining Viktor's group; there was no denying that the Stalkers were the real deal. The convoy looked suitable for a war zone, although that observation brought forth a small pang of anxiety as he wondered how likely that kind of situation really was. Still, it was good to be among so many capable people.<br/><br/>He'd declined the Stalker leader's offer for medical attention; the wound had healed fast, and although he was now missing a bit of ear, it wasn't like he was going to be winning any beauty contests anyway.<br/><br/>Darren rifled through his pack, and after sparing the cloth checkerboard a regretful glance (he just never seemed to find a chance to play), he straightened up, slinging it over a shoulder just as he heard a throat being cleared behind him. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was, but he glanced over anyway as he stowed the crossbow on his back and hefted his quarterstaff.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"You know, babies always loved me, but young kids, not so much," </span>he rasped with a smile, his expression counteracting the grating of his voice.<span style="font-weight: bold">"Still, last night was only the second time I was ever shot by one."</span>He walked to the doorway, watching the others approaching the vehicles. He didn't know if the newcomer was coming with them or not, but that was between her and Viktor.<br/><br/>He inhaled deeply, staring up at the foggy sky, and tried to picture what the sun must look like on the other side of the smog. Deciding it was probably yellow and bright as always (at least, he hoped so), Darren limped in the direction of one of the large flatbed trucks. In spite of the tarp it was more open than the jeeps, which was definitely a preference for him. His claustrophobic tendencies hadn't been left behind in the Underbelly, it seemed.<br/><br/>He heard a woman in their group, the one with the incredible sense of hearing, asking Viktor where they were heading, but he didn't linger to hear the answer.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"Sorry I took your gun, kid,"</span>he said as he climbed up onto the vehicle's back, laying his things down across his lap.<span style="font-weight: bold">"Seemed necessary."</span>Although he didn't know all that much about where exactly they were going, Darren was happy to be going there. It would be good to travel again, after all the time he'd spent under Moscow.