She never took her eyes off him. Agnes stuck out a small, grimy hand, grabbed a chip, and all the while she never stopped watching him. Mat should have expected it. Parents always taught their children not to take candy from strangers. Just because he was using chips instead didn't change the fact that this girl and he were strangers to each other. Mat gave a mental sigh, a little ashamed that he hadn't though that through very well. Still, she took a chip and, judging by her reaction, enjoyed it.

It was a start.

When he asked if she knew anywhere they could eat Agnes did not respond. In fact, she had no reaction whatsoever. Except to stare again. This time though, Mat got the feeling he may have said something wrong. May have overstepped his boundary. Eventually Agnes nodded, and told him to follow her in a faint whisper.

“Lead the way.”

As Mat trailed along to wherever Agnes was taking him, he mentally berated himself. He was being too casual, too familiar. This girl, Agnes, she wasn't Bloom. She wasn't Trip. She wasn't one of his friends from the commune. She was a girl who had just been attacked. Who had possibly been attacked before. And who he had only known for less than an hour. All in all, he was probably doing a good job of freaking the poor girl out.

He resisted the urge to physically smack himself in the forehead, but only just.

He wondered what he could do to convince her to trust him. To convince her that he wanted to help, that he understood how hard it was. Deep down, he applauded her standoffishness. It was smart of her, and it meant that she understood how the streets worked. Yet it also meant that it would be tough to convince her that he wasn't trying to take advantage of her. That he was simply trying to help.

He idly wondered whether he had been that mistrustful when he had first started living in the streets.

Deciding that now wasn't the best time to start making chit-chat with Agnes, Mat stayed silent and followed her to wherever she was leading him, nibbling on his chips while he walked.

>> “Lead the way.”

It was safe to assume that Agnes still was not one hundred percent sure what to do about the man who had aided in her rescue. Yes she was thankful, but experience taught her that you always needed to be on the alert. Unfortunately, real and true good Samaritans were hard to come by. Most of the time it was just someone trying to pull a scam. She already had been tricked by a couple of those jerks before, but thankful had always been able to get away before things turned into a place she could not get out of. That was how she was going to treat this situation now.

She was thankful, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t be cautious as well.

With a nod she did lead the way. The whole time she was quiet, never said a word and only glanced back every once in awhile to make sure that he was still following and not doing something suspicious. She remained a good distance ahead, just incase he tried to get handsy or too friendly and simply led. She moved through twisted alleys, climbed fences, and ducked into dark passages enough to make him lost should she need to get away.

When all was said and done though, she really was starting to trust the man. Not too much mind you, but just enough not have complete gripping fear in her chest about having him follow her. Deep down, and this was uncharacteristic of her, she was almost hoping that he was one of the good guys. The world needed more of those these days and she prayed that he was one. Still…she was not about to hold her breath.

Upon arriving at her chosen place, and making sure that Mat was good and lost, she stepped up to a final wooden fence. Carefully she pushed it open, and amidst the screeches of protest from old, rusty hinges, Agnes revealed an overgrown garden, unkept backward of an abandoned house. The place, which normally crawled with squatters, was uncommonly quiet tonight. Agnes cursed a little under her breath at this fact, but decided that there were still plenty of places to hide.

The backyard had been turned into some lush, garden getaway for whoever owned the house before the bank came and sized it. That lead their miniature paradise to whither and grow wild. Large plants overtook stone benches, while a rock pathway had started to sprout all over with sprigs of grass that tore through rock. It really must have been quite beautiful in its day but Agnes had never been around to see it. Now, as she stepped past an neglected pond of dark, scummy green water, she turned and nodded to Mat.

“You coming?” she asked as she took a seat on one of the benches.

She led him on a merry journey, full of all sorts of twists and turns. They scampered through gates, and over fences, and around all manner of obstacles. This girl knew the alleys well. It didn't take all that long for Mat to lose his bearings. The longer Mat found himself spending in this city, the more he discovered that he really knew nothing. New York was a maze to him, a maze that grew larger every time you looked around a corner.

Still, he had his guide. That counted for something.

She navigated the path with no hesitance at all. Complete conviction and knowledge. She kept throwing suspicious glances over her shoulder, and all the while kept a significant distance in front. He grinned to himself as he ate another chip. She was more seasoned on the streets than he had first thought. And she was no fool. That was good. Too many people got into trouble on the streets because they were fools.

Eventually they came to a old wooden fence. The rusted metal screamed in protest as Agnes pushed it open, and the girl slipped through the opening. Mat followed her through the fence and as he looked around, his breath caught in his throat. It was the back garden of some abandoned old house, a hidden grove amidst the concrete jungle. Old growth of bushes and shrubs lurked from out of their resting places, overtaking whatever stood in their way. Grass had broken through the concrete and stone paths. A small pond, long forgotten sat filled with stagnant, algae-ridden water. It was an oasis long neglected, struggling to survive. It was beautiful.

It reminded him of another secret garden he once lived in.

>>> “You coming?”

Mat grinned and made his way to the bench she had sat on, easing himself down on the opposite end. He sat the bag of food in the middle, between them, and opened the packaging, letting the aroma fill the air. He sat the spare can of soft drink on Agnes side of the bench, next to the food.

“Help yourself,” he offered, grabbing a fried prawn for himself. Or shrimp, or whatever it was they called it in this country.

The greasy, battered morsel filled Mat with satisfaction, and he began to laugh. He couldn't help himself. The realisation of everything that had happened not long ago was just starting to sink in. And rather than fret about what may have happened, or what could have happened, Mat simply laughed.

“I tell you what, that was bloody close before,” he chuckled. “We did alright, getting out of that.” Slowly, he began to calm down. Maybe laughter wasn't the best reaction to have, but what was he going to do? If getting attacked, and escaping by the skin of your teeth is the worst thing that happened to you today, you should consider yourself lucky, right?

“This is a nice spot. Reminds me of a place I used to live. A secret little garden that belonged to a friend of mine.” Mat wasn't sure why he had mentioned that. Still, it wouldn't hurt to volunteer a little information for Agnes.

“You know the streets pretty well. You been out here long?”

May as well try and learn something about this girl.

>> “Help yourself”

Agnes eyed Mat closely as he sat down on the other side of the bench and offered to her again some of the food he just bought. Still felt a little weird about taking food from someone else, but since the man was offering…and she didn’t day or feel sleepy after that first fry (which meant it was not drugged), she decided that she would indeed take him up on his offer. With a nod she reached over and took one of the beer battered shrimp and took a crunchy, salty, satisfying bite from the deep fried seafood. It really did taste amazing when it was fresh, rather than compared to something that came out of the garbage.

With another deep sigh, she chewed thoughtfully as she stared out across at the stagnant water of the pond that lay before them. In its own way, it was quite pretty. The scummy green algae reflected the light of moon just barely and caused little green sparkles to be laid out over the entire surface. It looked almost like tiny specks of emeralds were laid out across the water. For a moment she lost her train of thought and glanced back over to her partner who was…laughing?

>> “I tell you what, that was bloody close before…We did alright, getting out of that.”

For a second she truly thought that the man was crazy. That he was delusional to laugh at the situation they had just gotten themselves out of. They had both nearly been killed by these lunatics and now he was laughing about their grand escape? But…as she sat there, thinking back to the moment when the first thug had gotten a face full of wasps and flies, she had to smirk a little. He really did look surprised at that. Slowly her smirk turning into a grin and then finally into a small, barely audible laugh.

Hopefully that little experience would teach the man to never do anything like that again.

She sighed a little through her chuckling as she cast the notion aside. For now, Mat had decided to try and get to know her again.

>> “This is a nice spot. Reminds me of a place I used to live. A secret little garden that belonged to a friend of mine…You know the streets pretty well. You been out here long?”

Soften up with personal information huh? Agnes had to admit that the guy was at least being respectful enough to not press her too much to learn about her. Maybe it would not be too bad to…at least talk.

“Five…maybe six months? I can’t really remember.” she muttered as she stared out at the slimy looking water. “My last day at home was…a little hazy. So I’ve been gone ever since. I had to get adjusted to the streets quick. I had to.” she sighed as she grabbed another fried shrimp and took a crunchy bite from it before she turned her attention to Mat again. “Yourself? Don’t exactly look like you have a house in ‘burbs. Why you in the street?”

She was eating. That was good. That was one bridge crossed. Sure, if she hadn't have wanted to take his charity she could have managed alright. God knows, Mat used to manage when it came to scavenging through bins and leftovers and scraps. You could survive on that stuff, but it was nothing compared to food prepared directly for you. Regardless of where it came from, a hot meal was a hot meal.

>>> “Five…maybe six months? I can’t really remember...My last day at home was…a little hazy. So I’ve been gone ever since. I had to get adjusted to the streets quick. I had to.”

“Sink or swim, huh? I know the feeling,” Mat replied. With one hasty decision, before Mat had realised it he was on the train to the city, with nowhere to go or stay. It seemed a thin line, at the time, between having a home and being homeless. More a state of mind, than a state of living. A simple choice with all sorts of consequences.

>>> “Yourself? Don’t exactly look like you have a house in ‘burbs. Why you in the street?”

“No, I guess I don't,” Mat chuckled in response. “Hmmm, Well I've been in New York for about...five months? Back home though...” Mat paused to try and figure it out. Truth was, he had stopped keeping track ages ago. “I dunno, 'bout four years?”

Had it really been that long?

“As for why...it started outta of fear, I guess. I grew up in a small town where everybody knew everybody else. When I figured out that I was a mutant, I panicked. I couldn't put my parents through that, especially not after...” He trailed off. That wasn't a story Agnes need to know, and wasn't one that Mat particularly felt like telling. “Anyway, I jumped on a train, headed to the city, and haven't looked back since.”

Mat's eyes flicked over to the girl, before returning to inspecting the garden. Now that he thought about it, Agnes was probably around the same age he had been when he had ran away. So young. Despite the fact that he was probably only a few years older, he felt like it was much more than that. He wasn't sure if it was living on the streets that had made him feel so old, or whether it was just looking at this girl, who reminded him of his friend, and in many ways, himself at that age. Maybe it was simply that the older you got, the older you felt.

“I dunno,” he continued, musing aloud, “I just feel free on the streets, y'know? Like I can live my life how I want to live it, without interference from anyone else.” There were times where Mat often wondered if he was being foolish, or naive. Whether there was any real freedom in self-imposed poverty. He was free to go where he wanted, and to sleep where he wanted. His name was not scribbled down on any contracts, leases, or other arrangements that he was bound to. He wore no shackles, other than the ones he placed on himself.

Surely, that was freedom?

Mat reached across and grabbed another fried morsel. “So how about you? Why are you out here?”

>> “So how about you? Why are you out here?”

Agnes immediately tensed at the question. It had been months since the incident but that did not make the pain of it subside any. As a matter of fact, all it did was make her bitter and more callus about it. Whenever the subject came up, whether by somebody asking innocently or simply thinking to herself about it, she immediately went to that dark place. She did not like thinking about it, she did not want to remember it…unfortunately it was burned into her memory in more ways than one.

The fry she had in her hands dropped to the ground as she carefully crossed her arms over her chest. She said nothing for a moment as she very carefully wiped the grease and salt off her fingertips. One steady breath was all she needed. Just one, long steady breath to keep the tears back, to stifle the sobs in her throat, and ease the quiver of anger that sadness that wanted to erupt across her skin.

A brick wall…she had to be a brick wall…she had to remind herself of that…

“That’s personal.” That was all she said as she refused to turn back to look at the man. She suddenly had lost all her appetite.

But in the silence, as she stared at the sickly garden around her she could not help the memories that smacked against the floodgates of her mind. She wanted so badly to not remember, to cast all those thoughts away but it was not going to happen. Before she knew it, she was back in that night, back at that horrible place, back surrounded by those zealot monsters that did this to her…

Agnes looked back and forth as she was tied down, spread eagle in the tattered remains of her the usual grey skirt and white dress shirt she wore whenever she was home. She only wore that coarse fabric for her parents, because it was supposed to be a way to prove that she believed in their views of her being the perfect child of God. Now though, the clothes scratched her already tingling skin. She gasped as she looked with bleary eyes ahead into the darkness of what she knew was her living room…

A brazier, golden and hot with fiery bright coals inside, a large metal prong sat half inside, half out…

She stifled a sniffle as she shook her head…

“P-Please…don’t do this…!”

All she was greeted with the sounds of chanting…she knew what it said though. It was Latin…the “true” language of the bible, her parents used to say…

“STOP!”

“The demon is getting stronger…”

“She must be exorcised now!”

“Yes, before it’s too late!”

Agnes tried to scream as she looked down and noticed all the dead roaches, flies and wasps that had tried to protect it. At most is stalled for time. Now she really was completely alone…

“Somebody HELP ME!!!”

Her throat was raw. She was not sure how long she had been screaming into the dark. Minutes? Hours? Days? She did not know. The whiplashes, the painful kisses from edged blades, her body was wracked with pain from a length of time she could not follow. But the worst of it was coming. She knew that as she stared at the flaming brazier with what she knew was brand that lay inside. She’d seen it hanging on the wall a thousand times before…it was no longer on the wall now.

Then she saw it being picked up and that red, hot glowing crucifix coming directly for her…

“No! Get it away!! PLEASE! MOMMY! DADDY!!!”

Sizzzzzzzzzzzzzle….

A sudden gasp and Agnes returned to reality as she glanced back to Mat. Her eyes were hard now. The brick wall had returned. Shakily she picked up her duffle bag as she looked about awkwardly from side to side before finally casting her eyes back onto Mat.

“Thanks for your help. I have to go now.” she said as she made for the gate. “Watch yourself out here.”

Well... That was the wrong thing to ask.

Every muscle in Agnes' body seemed to tense up the moment Mat had asked her why she was on the streets. The prawn she held in her hand was dropped to the ground, and she hugged her arms over her chest. The girl who had refused to take her sceptical eyes off of Mat the entire time they had walked here was now doing a good job of not looking at him at all.

>>> “That's personal.”

That told him all he needed to know. He had overstepped a boundary. The trust he was trying, ever so carefully, to build had shattered, and now they were back to square one. Less than that, probably.

Square -11...

Mat watched in silence as the girl seemed to disappear into her own memories, a frown on his face. Judging by her reaction, her age, and her general attitude since meeting her, Mat had a pretty good idea of what may have happened to the girl. He had no details, no indication other than her reaction. But he had met a lot of street kids in his time, not just mutants. And the girl's reaction was one he had seen before, several times. Regardless of the specifics, abuse was abuse, and Mat was willing to bet all the money he didn't have that that was the problem.

After a moment, she let out a gasp and started glancing around. She looked more skittish than ever, and Mat knew that it probably wouldn't be long until she bolted.

3...2...1...

Agnes reached for her bag and Mat noticed a slight tremor in her hands. As predicted, she rose to her feet.

>>>“Thanks for your help. I have to go now... Watch yourself out here.”

“Agnes,” Mat called out after the girl. “Your business is your business. If you want to stay out on the streets by yourself, then that's your choice. I'm not gonna stop you. You don't owe me anything. But the streets are a lonely place, and the longer you stay alone out here, the harder it's going to be to turn back. Trust me. If that's what you want, cool, fine, I wish you all the luck in the world.”

He wasn't her father. He wasn't even her friend. He knew nothing about this girl, save her name. But the two of them shared the bond of the streets, and to Mat, that bond was as important as any other. You looked out for the ones you shared a bond with, friend, family, or otherwise. He had done what he could for her, but she was the one who had to make her own decisions. She was the one who had to live with her choices. Mat wasn't such a hypocrite that he'd tell her she shouldn't have the freedom to live her own life.

That freedom was the very reason he was out here himself.

“If, however, you need somewhere to crash tonight, then I know a place. A group of us are squatting in an apartment, not far from where I found you. Not just men, women as well. You're welcome to stay, if you want. S'up to you.”

Mat opened his can of coke, the snap-hiss echoing into the night, and took a large swig, stretching his legs out and slumping comfortably into the bench. She would either go, or she wouldn't.

That's all there was to it.

>> “Agnes…Your business is your business. If you want to stay out on the streets by yourself, then that's your choice. I'm not gonna stop you. You don't owe me anything. But the streets are a lonely place, and the longer you stay alone out here, the harder it's going to be to turn back. Trust me. If that's what you want, cool, fine, I wish you all the luck in the world.”

Agnes paused as she was about to angrily leave the scummy, overgrown garden. She wanted nothing more than to just disappear again but the voice of reason that Mat had had gotten to her. She had to admit that he did have a point about that. The streets could be a very lonely place, especially if you had no idea what you were doing. Too many times she has watched as those who are alone get eaten up by the alleys in ways that she prayed would never happen to her. She heard the screams, the crazed mumbles, the poor cries for money, assistance, means to get the relief they want so badly and flashes of those voices coming from her own mouth flashed into her head.

But as the young runaway turned back to Mat her face remained hard and resolved.

>> “If, however, you need somewhere to crash tonight, then I know a place. A group of us are squatting in an apartment, not far from where I found you. Not just men, women as well. You're welcome to stay, if you want. S'up to you.”

Agnes stood there for a moment as she ran the possibility through her head. She had stayed with groups like that before since people on the streets did have to stick together. But most times these groupings tended to break apart or simply scattered to the wind out of boredom or relapses. She sighed as she glanced back to Mat.

“Thanks…maybe one day I’ll run into you again.” she said as she shook her head. “But I need to be by myself for now. Hopefully it won’t last much longer…but for now I need to be alone.”

She sighed as she walked up to him and looked off to the side a little awkwardly. She knew this gesture would not mean much but it was all she had that she could really show her thankfulness with. Leaning down, she gave him a very quick, very does-not-mean-anything kiss on his cheek and stepped back. She knew her reputation would be safe, after all, no one would take pride in being kissed by a bug lady.

“Stay safe, Mat. And thank you for rescuing me when you did.” she said as she turned and opened the gate again. “I’m usually around this neighborhood if you need to find me again.” With that, she stepped back into the alley with a sigh.

For a moment Mat thought that maybe his words had gotten through to her. Agnes stopped just before she left the garden and seemed to listen to what Mat had to say. But the moment she spun around to face him, he could see that her mind had already been made up. He sighed, but said nothing. He had no right to say anything.

>>>“Thanks…maybe one day I’ll run into you again... But I need to be by myself for now. Hopefully it won’t last much longer…but for now I need to be alone.”

Mat nodded and let the corner of his lips curve into a small smile. “If that's what you need, then that's what you need.”

Agnes walked back over to Mat, an awkward look on her face, eyes darting to the side. In one quick motion, she leant down and gave Mat a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping away. Mat gave her a thankful smile. Thankful that, despite his partially trying to interfere in her life, she still trusted him enough for the gesture. Mat watched her as she slowly began making her way back to the gate. Despite the tough front she put up, despite whatever traumas she had gone through at home, Mat was sure that deep down she was still an innocent soul. A beautiful girl who had suffered more than she deserved. More than anybody deserved.

He desperately hoped the streets wouldn't suck that innocence out of her.

>>> “Stay safe, Mat. And thank you for rescuing me when you did... I’m usually around this neighborhood if you need to find me again.”

And with that, she left.

Mat sat for a moment, then decided to yell out one more piece of sagely advice. “Don't let the streets get to you!” His voice echoed off of cold brick and stone, chasing the girl down the alley.

Sitting back, Mat took a small nibble from a prawn, wrinkled his nose, and lobbed it across the yard. It landed in the scum-filled pond with a tiny plonk. Suddenly, Mat's appetite was lost.