As a mother who loved her children, there was only one choice to make.
"Fine…!" she cursed defiantly. "Take my money, but don't you lay a hand on my Tilly!"
"N— No!" Tilly squealed behind her, gripping her mother's arms from behind, and glaring at the gangers defiantly. "Big brother gave us that money! We need it to eat! Just— Just let them do whatever they want! They won't get a peep out o—!"
"Shut up, Tilly!" her mother interrupted her furiously, snarling over her shoulder. "You don't know what you're talking about! We can survive without food for a few days, so just— just let me handle this!"
From a pocket in her torn jeans, she produced what looked like a thin piece of plastic. In response, the leader grinned widely and raised her non-gun-wielding arm, the lower part of which was wrapped in some kind of armguard with a screen.
The screen flickered to life, and a wallet interface appeared. "Go on, then," the leader growled threateningly as she brought the armguard closer to the thin piece of plastic.
Without another word, while ignoring Tilly's continuing protests, the protective mother pressed her thumb on a specific part of the plastic card, and whispered softly. "I authorize a payment of five hundred credits…"
Instantly, some numbers on the interface changed, and the leader's face brightened. "There, that wasn't so bad, right?" she smiled widely while putting her gun away. "Not only is little Tilly safe, but Crash's quota is fulfilled, too! All's well that ends well, don't you think?"
"Just go, and leave us alone," the mother whispered hoarsely, still protecting a defiant Tilly behind her.
"Hehe, sure, sure," the leader nodded, waving dismissively at the people behind her, some of whom looked quite disappointed. "Until next time, Aurora."
Under Aurora's watchful gaze, and Tilly's fierce hatred, the gangers started retreating further into the alley, in the opposite direction of Damian. Aurora stayed there for at least another two minutes, forcing Tilly between her body and the wall, until all sight of the gangers was gone.
It was then that all tension finally left her body, and she sagged down to her knees. "Gah," she groaned, her body trembling as the adrenaline had stopped flowing.
"Mom!" Tilly exclaimed anxiously. Finally freed from the protective prison of her mother's body, she quickly crouched down by Aurora and grabbed her shoulders. "Are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, I'm fine," she nodded, despite breathing heavily as a train thundered through her chest. "And so are you, thank God!" she sighed, before pulling Tilly into a trembling hug.
"Y— Yeah, I'm fine, Mom…" Tilly muttered anxiously. She was now on her knees as well, responding to her mother's hug. "B— But what are we going to do for food…?"
"Don't think about that now, Tilly," Aurora murmured softly. "We'll figure something out…"
But before Tilly could respond, their moment was disturbed by the sound of a young man's voice.
"Perhaps I can help?" Damian smiled charmingly as he crouched beside the mother-daughter pair, arms resting on his knees.
His speech was slow, measured, and possessed an accent neither of the two women could place, simply because Damian was currently running his words through Nova. He'd need a little more time to learn the local language himself, so he was repeating her translation.
"Ah!" they both exclaimed in shock as they fell backwards. With wide eyes, they looked at the handsome, well-dressed young man who'd seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Who are you?! Where the hell did you come from?!" Aurora yelled, eyes wide as she quickly scrambled to protect Tilly behind her back again, a fact the young girl seemed to hate.
"Oh, I was standing over there," Damian informed her helpfully, not losing the disarming smile as he thumbed behind him, near the start of the alley they were in. "I'm just a passerby, though. Sorry for not intervening before, but let me compensate you for your losses, at least."
He stayed where he was, knowing that any step closer would just scare them off, and took out a similar card to the one Aurora used earlier from one of his pockets.
With his power over shadow, pickpocketing this credit chit from one of the earlier gangers had been child's play, and it'd been even easier for Nova to override the security on it, turning it into a pre-paid chit that anyone could use.
Without another word, he tossed the chit over the two women, where it landed in front of their feet. Making them pick it up was a little disrespectful, but he was pretty sure that approaching, or asking them to come take it, would not help matters.
Unfortunately, his actions seemed to only confuse them. They looked at him with a mixture of scepticism, confusion, and suspicion, but didn't say a word, nor did they reach for the chit.
But Damian, being an expert in manipulation and the behaviour of sentient beings, glanced at the young girl, and knew his next steps.
"Well, I don't blame you for being wary," he sighed, still smiling charmingly. "Let me get out of your hair, then."
He knew it was still dangerous for them, especially with the new chit, but offering to protect them would not have any positive outcome either, so he elegantly rose to his feet, and turned around. With his hands casually resting in his pockets, he started sauntering back out of the alley.
"Wait!"
"Tilly, no!"
Two voices suddenly came from behind him, and a small, victorious smile spread on his lips.
Quickly wiping the smile away, he turned around with his best surprised expression and tilted his head slightly. "Yes?" he asked charmingly. A few steps away, Tilly was now holding the chit in her hands as she looked at him strangely. Next to her, Aurora was desperately trying to get Tilly behind her again, her face filled with anxiety.
"Are you really giving this to us?" she asked, carefully, while ignoring her mother.
"I am," he nodded gently. "I have no need for it. Don't worry, I'll not ask for anything in return, now or in the future."
Without another word, he turned around again. But, once more, he could only take a single step, before Tilly's voice rose up behind him. "Wait!"
For the second time, Damian turned around. "Yes?" he asked, an eyebrow raised, never losing the relaxed smile that seemed to eternally rest on his lips.
What he saw this time, actually surprised him a little. The previously fierce, defiant, and cautious Tilly smiled brightly, as cute brown eyes twinkled with gratitude. "Thank you!"
"You're welcome," Damian nodded gently, unable to stop himself from fondling the locket around his neck. He couldn't help but be reminded of Lilith.
Now, for the third time, he turned around without another word. In situations like this, seemingly being indifferent to anything would help significantly increase trust.
Immediately, his powerful hearing picked up furious whispering behind him, and he deliberately slowed his steps a little more.
"Wait!" Tilly's voice finally came again, and Damian knew he had them now…