Cerin looked at her beloved electric scooter and bid a bitter goodbye as she traded it in for a relatively old car. She wished she could keep the scooter but she realized that there was either a baby or a pregnant woman at her destination, an electric scooter would not be the best option for either of them.
Cerin pulled into the neighborhood described by Eight and couldn't help a small sigh of horror. Small descript apartments buildings lined the walls and young and old people, obviously up no no good littered the streets.
For the sake of safety, Cerin abandoned her plans of parking further away and pulled right up to the small house adjacent to an apartment building and knocked on the rotting wood door. At first softly then louder when she failed to get a response.
" Hello? is anyone home?"
A loud crash burst out from the room and a woman's shrill voice began to roar above the other woman's screams of pain.
" you little whore! what do you mean there's no money left! if it's that bad then go out and sell yourself again why don't you. You should be grateful I didn't kick you out the second you started showing!."
Cerin burst into the house, worried about the safety of the inhabitants and walked in to see an obviously older woman screaming at a younger woman who looked around four months pregnant. The younger woman was on the floor holding on to her stomach protectively and turned her back to the older woman who had her arm up and a broken bottle in hand.
Cerin quickly grabbed the old woman by the arm and held her back, internally glad she had devoted so much time to her physical strength.
Three's voice echoed out proudly,
'I told you, you can never go wrong with physical strength...unless your opponent was me that is.'
" Words would suffice, don't you think?"
The woman paid little to no heed to the stranger holding her back and continued to scream at the younger woman.
" because of you...all because of you. my husband who left me for so long left again! and who could blame him. the sight of you makes me sick.. I can't believe I gave birth to a worthless thing like you. Get out! get out of my sight! you sicken me!"
The pregnant woman scrambled to her feet and got onto her knees on top of the scattered glass on the floor, blood began to flow freely from her knees but she resolutely remained and bent as low as she could and began to repent. Rubbing her hands together and attempting to press her forehead against the floor despite her bloated stomach and the glass on the floor.
" I'm sorry! I'll be better! I'll listen more, Please! I've no wheres to go!"
However the older woman did not react and kept a stern face, making the pregnant woman begin to cry loudly and beg even harder. from the way her hair was styled and her clothes were put together despite their wear and tear it was obvious that she was a woman that cared about her appearance and had quite a bit of pride, so to see her in such a situation was truly a heartbreaking sight,
Unshed tears stung Cerin's eyes and she flung the old woman to the side and helped the pregnant girl to her feet and began to walk her out but was stopped by the old woman,
" Where exactly do you think you're taking her?! she's my kid at the end of the day! I'll call the police!"
Cerin ignored the old woman and continued to walk the pregnant woman to the car and only turned back after settling her into the car. The woman was in so much shock and depression that she did not even register the stranger that had come to save her.
Cerin looked into her wallet which only contained a few tens worth of cash and quickly ran to the atm and withdrew about a quarter of her earnings from the canteen she had set up in the gym.
She walked into the run down apartment room and flung the cash at the old woman's feet,
" You said you didn't want her right? take this and never look for her again."
The old woman sputtered,
" How dare you attempt to buy my own child from me! how dare-"
Due to the influence of the Fifth although anger flared through Cerin she was able to calm herself and coldly pick up a large shard from the previously broken glass bottle and held it up to the crazy woman with little to no expression on her already naturally cold face. Her large eyes were dull as she began to speak in a calm tone that barely betrayed traces of the anger she felt,
" Never mind your child, the fact that you were treating a human being in such a manner is cause for me to call the police and have them arrest you for both physical and psychological assault, but on the grounds that you are her mother I will let you go."
She indicated to the envelope on the floor then brought out her phone and began to record the repulsive scene,
" That contains nine hundred dollars. you can have it under the condition that you never come closer than twenty feet of her and her child."
The old woman exploded once again and violently cursed at Cerin but she stayed calm and waited for her to make the decision,making sure the recording phone was held up for the old woman to see
" If you chose not to take the money then we can take this to court and settle this with you having to pay her for all of the damage you've done."
The woman quickly shut up and scurried forwards to take the money but was stopped by Cerin, who held the envelope high over her head. While Cerin was quite tall the difference was exaggerated by the old woman's poor health caused by years of drug abuse and a general lack of personal care. The old woman's back was crooked and her knees were constantly bent.
" Say it to signify a verbal contract"
The old hag scoffed,
" Fine! I agree! in fact I should be thanking you for taking that whore off my hands."
She reached for the envelope in Cerin's hands but Cerin dropped it onto the floor and backed away before she could. A clear sign that she was unwilling to come into contact with the old hag.
The old woman's face twitched but was unwilling to lose the chance to gain nine hundred dollars and bent down to get it.
Suddenly a sharp kick stabbed into her side and she was sent sprawling to the side over the broken pieces of glass that littered the floor.
The old woman struggled to get up and glared at the young woman who had brought out a neatly embroidered napkin to wipe her shoes.
" How dare you! I'll sue!"
The old woman continued to curse but was stopped cold by the sudden oppressive aura that came from the younger woman. Her dull eyes and her tight grip around the shard told the old woman that murder..wasn't out of the option to her.
Cerin continued looking at her with that same dull expression,
" You.. are truly disgusting but you should realize your situation."
Her grip around the shard tightened even more, causing blood to crip from her palm. the dark clothing and shadows around her paired with the baleful aura around made her resemble a creature from the old novels the old woman used to read. A monster.
" You are an old widow who is also a drug addict in the ***hole of the town. Even if you were to die now, would anyone even look for you? never mind miss you. Even if you were to scream as loudly as possible as I carve off those repulsive arms of yours do you think anyone would bother to stop me? In fact the only one who might have done so would have been your daughter. But-"
She cut herself short and grinned then continued in a lilting and mocking tone,
" as things stand now even if your daughter were here do you think she would stop me?"
The old woman remained quiet and still on the floor and didn't move even as Cerin dropped the bloodied shard into the trash bin and walked away.