It hadn’t stopped raining. Not once since he left the left building and slipped into the underbelly of the city had the sky been clear. Rain pelted the skyline with every bit of fury it could muster. It wasn't long before Bit found a place to squirrel away from the downpour. It had been a while since he’d been forced to search for shelter. Thankfully, his time indoors had given him some insight. It took nearly all night to reach the other side of the city. Once he’d done that, Bit was easily able to slip into a megatower and into the basement. 

Once inside, Bit found his way to the generators and let their warmth dry his dripping form. It was rare for anyone to go down there, but to be safe Bit found a collapsed wall and made himself a makeshift den. Hidden from prying eyes. It was dark, but Bit could see just fine. He knew it would be difficult to spot the entrance if one didn’t know where to look. 

After he’d settled in, Bit was hit with waves of pain. The exertion of dashing through the rain had caught up to him. There was no way for Bit to tell how long he lay there in the dark. The dull hum of the generators was nearly drowned by the distant rumbles of thunder and constant rain. Time became lost to the pain. It moved quickly and at the same time stretched on for eternity. When finally it began to mellow out, Bit sat up in his makeshift nest. His body was slick with sweat. His clothes stuck unpleasantly to his skin. 

Once he’d taken a moment to recollect himself, Bit crawled through the dark to his backpack. One granola bar and a puff of his medication later, he felt a bit more lucid. He lifted himself from his pair of blankets and made his way back into the main room. The generators continued to hum quietly nearby. Tarps and crates were strewn around haphazardly. Bit spent a few minutes moving a few small crates and tarps over to the entrance of his refuge. Once he was satisfied, he quickly and quietly ascended the stairs and through the busted door to the main tower. 

Outside, rain was still pouring down. It was thick as fog and punctuated by violent crashes of thunder. Most people outside simply watched the deluge, not wanting to risk the rain. Those who did moved quickly and deliberately. Bit was no exception, dashing out into the rain without a second thought. He knew the area fairly well. A few months off the streets wouldn’t change the slums of Night City enough for him not to be able to navigate them. Most of the vendors dotting the streets and alleyways were closed up. The rain having driven them out. Thankfully it seemed they’d left in a hurry. 

Most of the booths weren’t even locked in their owners’ haste to escape the downpour. Bit took the chance to stuff his backpack with bottled waters and packaged foods. He barely paid any mind to what he grabbed before rushing back into the rain and away from any prying eyes. A few unattended or abandoned shoulder bags and a large duffle bag were added to his horde. Each one gradually filled with discarded or cheap snacks, a few bottled drinks, and a few xxl shirts swiped from a tourist trap booth. 

After a few hours, his bags were full to bursting and his fatigue began to set in once again. Despite the fact that he had done runs daily for years, he realized now just how tiring they were. The rain had subsided slightly. The sky still resembled a dark ceiling of cloud when he finally returned to the relative safety of the megatower. It was slightly more difficult to sneak through the tower and into the bowels of the building. Bit managed it nonetheless, thankful for the collar still doing its job. 

Bit holed up in his little hideout, leaving only to relieve himself. He conserved his food stores and kept a keen ear out for anyone wandering around. His den was well hidden so even the rare maintenance man took no notice of him. He tried to ignore the heartache that settled deep into his bones. The days seemed to blend together down in that sub-basement. He couldn’t be certain exactly how long it had been since he left Taloch and Dren. He was certain that he missed them fiercely.

Every time he bit into one of the bland snacks he’d snagged he would remember the amazing meals Taloch and Dren made. Then he would remember curling up next to them to watch movies. Then he would feel a wrenching grief that he couldn’t deal with. When his pain inevitably reared its head again, Bit would spiral into memories of being held. Of a hand on his back while spoonfuls of fortified broth were fed to him. Taloch’s quiet humming that seemed to chase away the aches. 

Then he’d cry. Silent tears would stream down his cheeks and into the ratty blankets. Eventually, Bit’s food supplies finally wore out. He would have to move on. Without the cover of a hurricane, he would never be able to gather enough to safely hide in one place for so long again. His muscles screamed in protest as he quickly began packing his things away. His old trusty backpack easily kept his blankets and crystals safe. His stolen shirts and new shoulder bags fit easily into the duffle bag. His fully stuffed backpack and pillow fit snuggly inside it. Bit hefted the full duffle bag and began to make his way out of the megatower. 

No one even glanced in his direction as he emerged from the building. The sky was overcast, nearly dark as night. Bit was unsure what time it was, or even what day it was. But he knew that really didn’t matter, he had to move. Bit quickly and quietly made his way through the alleys and underpasses of the city. He briefly caught his reflection in a clouded window. He looked grungy, his hair was matted and tangled. The bags under his eyes were pronounced. With his hood up, Bit looked like any other wandering soul in Night City. He looked like he had months ago, sans a healthy layer of dirt. Bit couldn’t help but feel thankful. Maybe it would make it harder for his… for Dren or Taloch to recognize him. 

Part of him hoped they would simply forget about him. He had been in that basement for a long while. He’d burned through a duffle bag full of food and had only eaten when he absolutely had to. He must have been down there for weeks. Surely that would have been long enough to forget about some random homeless guy. That’s what Bit told himself, no matter how much it hurt to think about. They would be better off without him. 

His luck with the hurricane was proven to be nothing but a fluke. Bit found himself eating from garbage cans more often than not. Now he found it more difficult than he ever had. After tasting genuinely wonderful food, Bit struggled to keep the putrid half-eaten foods he found down. Finding places out of the way to sleep was easy. But he could never stay in one place for very long. Soon he found himself missing the little den he’d abandoned. 

Once every few days, Bit would have to unlatch his collar and force his erupting sorrow up into the clouds. It was draining in more ways than one. He would pour every ounce of energy he could muster into it. Once or twice he could have sworn that the clouds far above him began to swirl and churn. Then, the rain would come, pouring down onto him relentlessly. Bit would clip his collar back on, drag himself somewhere secluded, and be lost to the world. The next day would inevitably be a day of no movement. He would desperately wish for Dren’s rough hands to run through his hair. Or for Taloch to rub his back and hum a soothing tune. He knew he should have removed the collar completely and more often, but he felt he couldn’t risk it. 

Then, the worst happened. Bit was weak, having barely eaten all week. He was tired, sore, and his grief was almost more than he could bear. As he made his way down a wide alley, his collar suddenly snapped. With a thunderous crack it broke down the middle and clattered to the ground. Before he could stop it, his emotions rushed outward violently. They were thick enough to be seen, manifesting as luminescent mist of many colors. They swirled out into the streets and straight through the walls of the buildings around him. He heard the screech of tires and sobbing shouts in the distance. He was crying again. Bit collapsed, barely catching himself as his aura lashed out. He willed it upwards, as he had so many times before. 

The swirling colors and lights shot into the sky like a beacon. The wind whipped upwards around him. High above, the blue sky quickly became a dark stormfront. Violent cracks of thunder resounded throughout the city. The mounting pain slowly began to leak out of his body. A heavy rain began to pelt the streets, lit by the multicolored beam that was Bit’s power.  It took a good minute for Bit to realize he was screaming. His display lasted no more than two minutes before finally it dissipated. The rain continued, stronger than ever. 

He sat there for several minutes, trying to collect himself. His collar was broken beyond repair, but he was able to continue directing his emotions. This time directing them down just in case they began to glow again. Slowly and carefully he tried to make his way deeper into the alley. It was then he heard footsteps approaching. He turned to see two figures coming towards him. Both large and imposing in the low light. 

“Well well, what have we here?” A slimy voice said, sending shivers down Bit’s spine. “Been a while bitch.” The man sneered. He was tall, broad, and covered in scales. Whether they were natural or a mod, Bit couldn’t tell. He and his even larger ogre companion wore disheveled suits. The scaled man brandished a katana and gave him a cruel smile. Bit knew them. He wished he didn’t but memories of being pinned, beaten, and used flashed before his eyes. The ogre inhaled deeply, his horns glowing faintly. 

“There’s that delicious fear I missed.” He snarled. With no warning, the tyger claws pounced.