I walked side by side with my two best friends, two days after our city had gone to shit. Bane released prisoners, given them guns and reversed the social ladder. The rich and well-off were cast out onto the streets to fend for themselves, or worse and those that rarely had much to their name took over the city.
It was different for us though, our little trio. Three women that thrived in this chaos, taking what we needed from those that could spare it and living in the shadows of Gotham City. Most men that we encountered were always surprised by how well we could survive, how well we could defend and protect ourselves. In the beginning men would cat-call out to us, try to ask us to trade our bodies for food and shelter – as most women now did. But then, after a vicious brawl with two of Bane's men, three women – one of which only thirteen years of age – coming out on top…we had gained respect out on the streets. If we showed up to a gathering around a burning drum, we were given food rather than stealing it.
I tried not to make ourselves present for most of these gatherings however, not wanting to draw attention to ourselves like we had in the beginning. My little tribe didn't mind staying to the shadows either, coming from three of the harshest countries on the planet.
Ano – short for Anastasia and our youngest member– originated from the most northern parts of Russia. Thirteen, quiet, deadly.
Lyla Petzer came from war torn South Africa. Nineteen, fast and at such a young age with thirty two peoples' blood on her hands.
And I came from the Australian outback, one of the harshest places to live and work. I worked on a cattle station most of my life and once I had turned eighteen I joined the army and made my way to Afghanistan. I had returned home three years ago, the station had been sold off and my brother had been kind enough to find me a damn good job…in America. So I began a new life here, in Gotham City. And then the city went to shit a year after I get here.
Each of us knew what it was to have to survive in different ways. Hell, even I have had to take lives in the past two days alone. Four to be exact. We each knew what it was to fight, tooth and nail to survive, to hold onto what we had.

I sighed to myself as I came out of my reverie, Lyla scouting out ahead of us to look around corners and in alley ways. Ano kept her place between the two of us, protected from either end. She was tall for her age and strong but she was still so young, that Lyla and I tried our best to protect her from needing to defend herself.
Lyla froze ahead of us, signalling with a raised fist to tell us to stop. I swore under my breath, Bane's men had gathered in an alley. One of them had been tailing us for the past two days and now spoke to his leader, the boss man himself. I cringed when I heard the second in command speak of a snowy haired woman, knowing immediately that they were talking of Lyla. She had almost white hair and obsidian eyes, the result of years of experimentation on her young body. A low rumble grew louder as a truck rolled by, giving us a shadow and enough time to duck into another alley. It was after that however, that I realised that Ano had lagged too far behind and had been spotlighted by a street light. Her deep auburn hair and fair skin made for no camouflage, the men had seen her. I growled to myself and stepped forward, stepping up to meet the three men and blocked them from advancing on Ano.
I gritted my teeth and advanced on them, ready to kill for the young girl at my back. The three men froze and when one's walkie-talkie went off, my eyes snapped to him. His eyes widened in fear as he fumbled for the device. He managed to turn it off. The second in command stepped away and moved around the corner, probably off to find the boss. He called out over his shoulder "Don't let them leave!"
I smiled in cruel satisfaction when the two men left turned to our trio "Oh don't worry, they aren't going anywhere."
Lyla and I sighed in relief when we had rendered the last man unconscious. I checked Anastasia over for any injuries and the young girl thanked me. I brushed a stray ebony curl away from my face and stood once more. Ano's eyes slid from mine to the place over my shoulder. I light mechanical hiss sounded at my back and my shoulders sagged in defeat. I didn't need to be a rocket scientist to figure out just who it was standing behind me.
The power and strength that emanated from them lapped at my skin and made my hackles rise.