"What the fuck would that accomplish," he snaps with roughly twenty percent of his typical rancor, the weariness of prolonged physical activity beginning to seep into the slope of his shoulders. His free hand curls around the back of his neck as he looks up the remainder of the stairs.

"You're certainly welcome to." He opens a hand in the opposite direction without looking at her. "In my experience, there is some credibility to the notion of safety in numbers."