The rain falls hard on Vale's alleyways and ghettos; their musty smell of rotting construction intrudes into the nostrils of its citizens. The rat-a-tat of an after storm drizzle and buzzing of shotty neon signs are the only gloomy ambient allowed to drift in the airwaves. The hours of the day left are sparse, and soon the midnight rain will obscure anything left in the streets. Two well-dressed young men walked down the grimy sidewalk, the shorter carrying a battle-worn umbrella over their heads. The other was flipping a watch open and closed; its chain jangles around, clinking methodically as the duo take their steps into the foggy atmosphere that constricts them. Their footsteps tentatively splash in shallow puddles from the downpour. The tallest shuts his watch, and twirls it around on its chain, faster than any other hypnotist would dream of. He smirks and comments,

"I'm tellin' ya Johnnie boy," his accent giving a distinct menacing sense of class. "This night would be a good time to hit the town. These yuppies will never know what hit 'em."

"Ah, give over Robbie!" The shorter one retorts, "These folks are fine people. Sides, we made enough money from our last gig to make it a whole 3 months livin' pretty. Let's not make the misère today, huh? I just want to go about being a goody-two shoes rodee'."

"Don't get frousey Johnnie, was just asking is all. You know I can be a rattle chops."

"Bull! You have a plan and you know it! That brain of yours is always thinkin' of the mischievous. What would your ma say?"

"She'd say 'if you don't pay the bills, you be sittin' in the chills. Now go out there and get that money!'"

Robbie puffs up his cheeks and wags his finger with the sternness of a 60-year-old woman in Johnnie's face. In response, Johnnie shifts the umbrella to allow Robbie's clothes to drench from the rain. Robbie shivers and frantically tries to cover his head.

"Aye! Put that umbrella of yours back over my skull or I'll scuft ya upside the head!"

"For sure, for sure. But if ya need some money that bad, you could always be a knobstick." Johnnie jests.

"That seems more like your expertise, not mine Johnnie boy."

They halt their march in the middle of the sidewalk; chilled rosy faces stare down each other and eyes darting around, sizing up their opponent. In unison, they yell,

"NAAAAH!"

The two laugh and slap each other on the backs, making their way down to the docks of Vale. Small trickles of water flow with them on the street, stopping only to swirl down into various grated and rusted manholes. Robbie twirls his pocket-watch again while Johnnie lights a cigarette with his free hand, puffing a diffuse stream of smoke into the late dusk. They stroll down a walkway next to one of Vale's ship canals. Its water churning and its splashes against the barrier a requiem to the once free flowing power of nature. The duo silently take in the calmness of the scenery when a high-pitched wail shatters the serenity.

"Oi, Robbie, you hear that?" Johnnie askes, tensing up his muscles.

"Sure did. Sounds like a ghost gave his big toe a good stubbing."

"Well you wanted to 'hit the town'. I'm sure something over there needs a good hittin'."

"Over there?" Robbie says distressed. "That overpass looks like something out of a horror film!"

"Come on ya, capon. Where is that fearlessness you have in spades?'

"Who said I was fearless?"

"You, you fossicker!"

Another ear-splitting wail pierces the misty atmosphere. Hair-raising whimpers follow its reverberation.

'Oh…freaking fine. But you're buying me a drink after this." Robbie demands.

"Eh. We'll see."

Robbie steps quietly as he can, plipping softly atop the puddles in the cement trench that lies before him. The bridge above casts a veil of darkness underneath its support beams, creating an entrance into the shadow realm for those who dare enter. Robbie clutches his pocket-watch for a brief moment, and opens it up. He flips a switch inside and jagged blades pop out the frame of the watch. Its curved metal gleams with the condensation of the mist that envelops the walkway under the bridge. The whimper grows louder, and Robbie's grasp on his chain nearly breaks its links. His body crosses over the event horizon, and his breathing becomes rapid. His heartbeat thumps as if a spectre resides right outside its ribcage. The wails echo all around him, sending him into a panic.

"Oi, who's there!?" Robbie gasps out.

The wails stop, and only the dripping of rain remains. Robbie enters delirium, and he slashes his pocket-watch around his figure, chasing the maleficent blackness whose shape crushes his soul. A dull, foreboding green light plays off the walls of the underpass, and Robbie stares wide-eyed. Weapon drawn, Robbie inches his way towards the hazy light. Its glow ghosts in and out of existence with each step. Eyes finally adjusting to the incessant darkness, he comes within range of the glimmering light. His pocket-watch is in mid slash when he freezes, unable to move; what he sees before him baffles the mind. The glow resonates from tiny, bony arms. Their features malnourished and their fingers spindly as spider legs.

"How in this God-given world….Johnnie! You're gonna wanna look at this!" He calls to his partner.

"What is it?" Johnnie calls out to his distressed partner.

"….Its a baby girl." He quietly says back.

"My eye!" Johnnie retorts.

Johnnie rushes into the dark underpass and nearly tramples his partner, whose green-tinged face is the only thing visible. The light originates from the aura of a 2-year-old girl. She is cowering in the corner of the underpass in a fetal position, a small smelly bed of leaves and straw lies underneath her. Her left arm has intricate tattoos, whose light wisps around her skin. Ragged clothes hang limp on her body, and smoldering incense candles reflect the light around her face, its haze couples with the paranormal glow emanating from the child. Her eyes dart back and forth from Johnnie and Robbie. Robbie breaks the silence first.

"Youth, what should we do?" He rubs his arm and looks at Johnnie, whose eyes reflect the green light.

Johnnie looks at the child and stares at her starving figure. His eyes scan her shaking arms and dwindling legs. He makes eye contact with the girl for a brief moment, her neon green eyes pleading in the darkness. Johnnie lets out a deep sigh.

"We take her with us." He finally blurts out.

Robbie shakes his head, and a frustrated confusion swells in his brow.

"Uh…Could you say that again?"

"We. Are. Taking. Her. With. Us." Johnnie overemphasizes.

"Have you gone mad?! A child. along with us?"

"You're the one who's always wanted a dog."

"Dogs aren't freaking children, you swobsy fool!" Robbie retorts.

"Ahhh they aren't that different. All they do is eat, shit, whine, and sleep. I already deal with someone like that every day. What's one more?"

Robbie's trap shuts and he spins towards the girl, then back to Johnnie. He starts to pull his hair out and his eyes flare.

"What can? How….So we're just going to settle down and "play Madame" then, is that it? I think you are forgetting something; we're fugitives Johnnie! We can't simply get an average life by looking for it! You really want a girl like that to grow up with people like us? You got any experience raising kids? Cause I sure as sully don't!"

"Hold your noise! You'll frighten her. Put away Showstopper, would ya?"

"She's frightenin' me!" Though he is hesitant, Robbie withdraws the blades from his pocket watch and retracts the chain.

Johnnie gestures towards the child.

"Look at the peeshwank. You really think leaving her to die in this manner is better than our life on the run? Besides, who wants an average life anyways? Ours is entirely more exciting than any other shmuck. Why let those numbskulls raise a kid? We could do it a hundred-fold better."

"More like a hundred-fooled better." Robbie replies.

"See? Look at our creativity! We would be the best parents."

"Well we can't just up and grab her, she'd get all frousey!"

"And?"

"Uugghh…I hate all that you stand for."

"Atleast I stand for something."

"Bugger off."

Robbie digs around for something in his pocket. He finds a bag full of nuts, and pours some out into his left hand.

"Here little one, get some strength."

The girl shakes, unknowing what to do at first. However, her hunger triumphs and she swipes the nuts so fast any pickpocket would give her a round of applause. She mows them down, chewing feverishly and lets out a content sigh. She seems more relaxed now, loosening her grip around her knees, her face isn't nearly as frightened. Johnnie nods to Robbie, who quirks a brow. He sighs, claps the chain on his watch, and brings its tick-tocking bronze metal up in front of the child's face.

"Now sweetie, look directly to the watch, it will help ease the pain." Robbie sweetly whispers. His aura beginning to radiate a calming brown.

The girl's eyelids shoot open for a moment, before they slowly and surely cover her piercing green eyes. Her aura dies down, and the tattoos stop glowing.

"Okay Johnnie, I may be on your side, but I sure as shit won't be carrying the little troll. Speaking of, what should we even name her? Its not like she's my cousin once removed." Robbie quips.

Johnnie surveys the area, his face glancing over the burned out candles and leafy bed now illuminated by a flashlight he dug out from his pocket.

"How about-"

Robbie interrupts,

"Hold on just a minute there youth, where'd you get that flashlight from and why weren't you using it before?!"

"My pocket. Didn't want to blind the girl. Now once again, hold your noise!"

"Monstik." Robbie grumbles.

"Let's name her…..Tara Couver."

"Alright, not bad. Cool. Swell. Now can we get out of this frackin' underpass? Its giving me the willies."

Johnnie carefully picks up the limp body of the girl, holding her tightly against his chest. She sleeps soundly in his arms.

"Sure thing. It's been a long day."

"And how." Robbie nods.