What Will It Take, Victor Zsasz?

Survival of the fittest.

"Oh Gertrude!! How are you enjoying your new cell mate?" A mans voice called with a hummed laugh.

"I do not like her.. She is a whore and plans to steal my boys heart." Mrs. Kapleput drawled out her words with that heavy accent cutting through the thick air.

"Now, now 'Gertie'. You will have to learn to like her, she is going to be here for a while." The mans voice grew more sinister as he spoke, eventually Cara could hear his foot steps as he drew closer to their little shared cell.

"I wont do it." She spat back with an irritated look plastered on her face as she continued to eye Cara suspiciously.

The man tried to unlock the cell, only to realise it was already unlocked. He muttered something about incompetent help before opening the door enough to peak inside.

"You girls hungry?" His words sounded pleasant but his tone gave away something more malicious.

Deciding she would not be staying for dinner, Cara shoved against the door, knocking the man onto his back with a thud.

A few more foot steps began to come towards them after hearing the pained groan the man gave. She knew time was limited and the chance of fighting off the men and getting Mrs. Kapleput out right now was slim to non. So using the pin, she quickly stabbed him in the neck and ran until she could see the enterance.

"I'll get you out of here! I swear!" Cara yelled to the old woman who remained confused in the cell.

Shots were fired from behind her, bullets flying past her head as she made it outside. Cara climbed a ladder located at the side of the warehouse, getting onto the roof was the easy part.

She could hear the distant sounds of shouting and a womans scream, likely coming from Mrs. Kapleput.

The two men were quick on her heel as she jumped from roof to roof, still trying to fire at her every chance they got.

With a swift kick, one of the windows of a warehouse five blocks down, shattered; The glass falling to the floor below in a harmony of chimes, allowing Cara to slip through and race her way down the many machines until her feet hit solid floor once again.

Without looking up to see if the men were in fact still following her, she made a run for the doors and into the evening's cool air.

Eventually she found herself closing in on Penguin's hideout, why she had ran here first she did not know but at least she could get the old woman out with Oswald's help.

"Hello!... Hello! I need to speak with Oswald!" Cara yelled as her fist pounded on the wooden door.

"He isn't here." A womans voice, no doubt a maid, yelled back.

"Do you know where he is?! This is urgent."

The door clicked open slowly as an older woman gazed round and took a look at Cara. She looked almost distraught as her eyes roamed over the dirty, bruised and even bleeding form of the young woman infront of her.

"Come inside." The lady spoke again, opening the door enough for Cara to pass.

"Thank you." Cara nodded her head as she stepped into the heat of the house.
"What happened to you?... Never mind, come with me and get cleaned up. I have some spare clothes upstairs, although they might be big on you." Her voice was rather warm, as though she was a mother talking to her child.

"Thank you again, uhm.. What is your name? I'm Cara." The attempt of convsation was admirable at best but even that barely made an impact on the silence that filled the halls of the house.

"Mira. The bathroom is through there, and I will leave some clothes in the room on your right. Take as long as you need." The woman left the moment she finished her sentence, disapearing down a dark corridor.

Cara walked into the bathroom, nearly screaming as she laid eyes on herself in the mirror.

Her hair was all matted and wild looking, her face dirtied. Her once pink cotton top was ripped, exposing her stomach. Her legs were a dark brown colour from lying on the floor, even her arms were bruised from the man handling. Her feet were cut from the glass, yet, with all the adrenaline pumping through her system, Cara could not feel the pain.

It was then that she noticed it, the hair pin she had been clutching onto for the past hour of running. The blood from the man was almost dry now, the carvings seeming less delicate.

She washed it off first in the sink then turned on the shower after placing the pin on the side to dry.

Her body ached the moment the hot water hit her, the shower floor turning a pool of brown and red. She savoured every moment before remembering that she was in Penguins home, not her own.

Wrapping a towel around her, Cara made her way back out into the hall. Grabbing the pin on her way past before heading into the room Mira had told her the clothes would be.

Folded on the foot of a double bed was a pair of jogging bottoms and a black top. Cara looked at them for a moment in careful consideration.

"They are Oswald's, although I'm sure he wont mind you borrowing them." Mira spoke up from behind Cara before walking a little further into the room.

"Do you know where he went?" Cara asked while slipping the top on over the towel.

"He gathered a few men after Mr. Gilzean returned. They rushed out the door and I haven't heard anything since." She spoke slowly, walking towards a window and looking out apon the lights of the city. Cara quickly pulled on the pants while Mira had her back turned and sat on the edge of the bed, internally hoping that Oswald wouldn't be long. His mother needed to get out of that place. 

She felt awful for leaving her behind but knew there was no way they both would have been able to out run those men and survive. Gotham was not a kind place, there were no favours here or helping citizens. Every man, woman and child had to fight for themselves.