Sins of the Father // Book 2 of the Siren Series

Chapter 3: Happy Nation

Chapter 3: Happy Nation

⚠️‼️TW: Gore, mentions of SH, and attempted SA‼️⚠️

Im so sorry for all these TW's guys ilysm for sticking through this. I really just wanted to get into the nitty gritty of Gotham and Cora.

4 Years Ago
Nanda Parbat
League of Assassins Base

Cora kneeled on the copper sanded mountains of Nanda Parbat, watching the horizon. The air was crisp, filling her lungs with fresh, untainted energy. The mountains howled with it, the very dirt under her feet shivering. She laid a hand on the ground, curling her fingers around the coarse grains, picking it up in a fistful, letting the air carry it away. She closed her eyes, lifting her face into the warm sun beating down on her, letting it wash over her. Each day in this place made her miss Amnesty Bay. Every day she wished she was back on the beaches, training with Arthur, feeling the coolness of the waters brushing her skin as she swam deeper into the abyss. She couldn't remember the last time she had even been near water. A year ago, she was in Necrus and today, freshly 18, she was stuck in a place the closest to hell she had ever been. She opened her eyes, looking back down to the ground, a sadness washing over her. The sand reminded her of home.

Behind her, Talia approached. Her onyx locks blew in the breeze as she climbed higher, scaling the rocks to meet Cora. She stood behind her, quiet. Cora slowly stood, brushing her sandy hands against her pants, turning to her sister.

"Ra's would like to see you," Talia called out, her voice carrying away with the breeze. She picked a strand of hair from her lips, tucking it behind her ear.

"What training does he have today?" Cora asked, her hands on her hips.

"No training," Talia said, folding her arms across her chest, "He's sending you to Gotham."

"A mission?" Cora said with a forced laugh, "That's a first. Why not you?"

"I have responsibilities here, Cora. Damian needs me here."

"The kid is 9, he can handle himself," Cora snapped, looking back at the horizon, frowning.

"You're an adult now, Coralia, you have to start acting like one," Talia snapped back, frustrated.

"Fine," she muttered, rolling her eyes, "Gotham it is then."

Two days later, she regretted every decision she had made. Gotham was disgusting, teeming with criminals. Every turn she made she was surrounded with the filth of surface dwellers, tainted with blood and drugs. The desire to burn them all and start anew crossed her mind many times.

She walked down a dark alley, trying to drown out the screams and gunshots of the city, the noise overwhelming her. Her hand found the knife tucked in her belt, and she gripped the blade tight. Footsteps sounded behind her as she walked through various heaps of trash and muck. The voices of the men behind her grew as they catcalled her. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her backwards as another hand grabbed her ass.

"You're a pretty one aren't ya?" the voice slithered in her ear, foul, warm breath hitting her neck.

"Remove your hand, or I will," she responded, shaking. The man giggled, his friends laughing at her attempts to frighten them.

"Oh come on now, sweetheart, don't be like that," he murmured, his lips touching her neck.

Rage filled her, the hatred seeping through her skin. She reared her head back, colliding with his nose, sending him stumbling back. Curses dropped from his lips as he spat out a mouthful of blood. The men were large, wearing grimy clothes. She twirled a knife in her hand, tucking it into her wrist, readying herself. The biggest of the three lunged forward, and she used the hilt of the blade to smash his eye. Oily liquid dripped from the socket, his eye ripped apart. She swung the knife up, tearing a gash across his chest, and she swung it again, ripping into his throat. Blood splattered against her, a fountain of red gushing from his open wounds.