A Soul Gone Astray

Hunters and Hunted

Short warning: This chapter will contain some unmoral and vicious thoughts and a fight scene with some descriptions, please skip to the end and read the short summary should you have issues with that.

It was already late evening when Nico and Tara found themselves strolling through Gotham in search for shelter. Their previous one had been discovered by a gang and had been used as a hiding spot for drugs, which consequently rendered it useless for the unlikely pair. The result of this misfortune was the two of them searching for a relatively safe place to hide until morning, seeing as Gotham was not the most secure place for a young teenager.

As they were stalking through the city, Nico kept turning and inspecting his surroundings, but as he did not note anything of interest, he dismissed the annoying feeling of being watched as his paranoia acting up.

This would later prove to be the first devastating decision of the evening.

At the moment however, Nico and Tara simply focussed on the task of finding shelter, as the ever grey skies of Gotham were drenching them with an ever so slight drizzle. Nico had not had a good night sleep in quite a while, as he usually slept on the cold and hard ground, plagued by nightmares of past and future horrors. Tara was exhausted too, however due to different reasons. Tara had taken to watching over Nico when he slept, and while she had managed to take a nap here and there, she was still sleep-deprived and consequently inattentive.

Having no other choice then to pursue his debilitating path, Nico pushed on and dragged his feet, if only just to keep moving. If it weren't for Tara's encouraging mews and purrs, Nico would have probably lain down at this very spot and closed his oh so tired eyes.

But every time his knees buckled, every time his eyes closed, every time he leaned onto a wall smeared with red and brown stains, he would be reassured by Tara that he was no longer alone in this taxing world, so he tapped into energy reserves previously unknown to him; and carried on.

Tara too, was in no better state, only forcing herself to drag her paws forward, her tail dragging lifelessly behind her, all attempts at keeping it above ground and clean long forgotten; but nevertheless she knew that she and Nico simply had to keep moving, any other decision would seal their doom.

Finally, after the evening hours had dragged on and on, seemingly stretching the time like fabric, and long since night had fallen, Tara had found a semi-secure cellar, its entrance tucked into the wall of a deferred building in a scorned community. The complex of jutted together structures led to the belief that the domiciles had been assembled without so much as a plan (or authorisation for that matter). The doors were mostly reinforced, however, there were a few that were adjusted with various materials such as wood or the stray piece of steel. There were miscellaneous stains on walls and the pavement, as well of the odd dandelion or bit of moss and grass. To Nico, it was heartening that plants were able to survive in such a dismal place. No, it was not at all because he fraternised with the fellow dandelion (for he had once been turned into one). Even though this place was probably still very dangerous, Nico decided that it would be more secure than collapsing due to his exhaustion in the grimy and drenched streets, so he settled down in the slightly mouldy basement, searched for a dry spot and curled up on it. The youngster was out like a light immediately. Against better judgement, Tara decided that she would also recline for merely a short while. A quick catnap. It would not take long, maybe just a few minutes. So she promised herself. But she too, was drenched and tired, hungry and the slightest bit lost. She nurtured and oversaw the child as much as she could, but she convinced herself that she deserved a break at last.