Trapped in a cage. That’s what Kyoko felt, trapped in a cage. And not a cage that someone trapped her in, no. She was the bird that saw the feed and didn’t notice when the door was shut.

Her vomit swirled around in the vortex of water going down the chipped sink of the Oriental Delight’s bathroom. Faded neon lights cast a dull glow inside, barely illuminating the cockroaches scuttling on the walls. Haruka held her hair, gentle hands on her back.

“There, there,” she said in soft whispers as Kyoko retched in the sink again.

After that, she slumped to the side, Haruka holding her to slow her fall. For a moment their eyes met and she could see the love in them, the pure, unfiltered true love and she looked away. Like she always did.

The red neon flashed like a warning sign as Reiji stood in front of the bathroom door.

“Kyoko you’re up.”

Feigning pleasure as the man moved inside her, she looked at the man’s hungry eyes. Looked straight at him, faced his consuming lust as opposed to Haruka’s love.

After that passionless night, Kyoko injected the poison in her veins, the temporary pleasure clouding the pain she felt every day.

The brown bits of what little she ate swirled in water, sinking into an endless abyss. As it swirled hypnotically down the sink, she thought about her father back in Japan.

When she was 6, he closed the door on her. It was for work, her mother explained half-heartedly. Her dad only used to come late at night; when Kyoko was asleep and when she woke up the morning the only trace of him she would see was the door closing on her and it hurt.

At 12, her mother used to bring another man into the house when dad was away. She didn’t know why but her mother would always lock her in her room when that man came to their house. One day, her dad found out and the following days were a swirling hurricane that Kyoko forgot about, all she knew was that she’d be living with her father for the rest of her life, the thought of which made her happier than ever. But then, early in the morning, in her father’s apartment she woke up to see no sign of her father and the door to his apartment closed.

At 15, she realised that she could do whatever the hell she wanted until her father opened the door again. She’d spend her night with hot boys down by Shinjuku, face heavy with makeup. Spend her nights sleeping with whoever she could find. Sure, it hurt in the morning to see the door closed but the heroin made her forget. It took her far away and when her dad kicked her out at 18 and she was starved for it, the pain becoming all too much to bear, the heroin took her far away. All the way to America.

“I can’t stand to see you like this,” Haruka said. In a place where everybody spoke English, Haruka speaking Japanese gave her comfort just like her body. She placed a hand on her cheek. “This place, it’s not good for you.”

Kyoko avoided her eyes again. Haruka let go of her cheek but her grey eyes met Kyoko’s again. “I met this woman from Wayne Inc. At first, I thought she was lying, your expectations are very low when you live in this part of the city.” Haruka let out a chuckle. “But she showed me her ID and spoke fluent Japanese. She told me that she can get me, get us different identities. Get us to Metropolis or back home. We can see the rest of America like we always spoke about. She can…” Haruka paused. “She can even rehabilitate you.”

At that Kyoko’s temper flared up. “I don’t need…”

“You do,” Haruka snapped. Haruka realised her temper flared up quieted down. “You do. The heroin is destroying you, Kyoko. You’re… you’re not yourself anymore. I can’t stand to see you like this, please stop…”

“If you can’t stand to see me like this then leave me alone!” Kyoko snapped. And seeing the hurt on Haruka’s face made her heart twist. “I never needed you. You’re just a pain in my ass.”

“You can’t mean that,” Haruka said, tears falling down her face. “You can’t possibly mean that?”

The door to the bathroom opened. “Kyoko, you’re up.”

Kyoko got up. Before she left, Haruka grabbed her hand. “Kyoko, please. We can go, we can run away…” she said in forced whispers.

Kyoko pulled away. She walked over to Reiji, forcing her best smile. She met Haruka’s eyes just for a split second, those warm grey eyes that brimmed with such overwhelming love that she had to look away before Reiji closed the door on Haruka.

…

After the trial, Foggy suggested that Matt and him go to Josie’s for some drinks but Matt said he had to go for a check up after the accident. Foggy, bummed out, headed to the law firm but before he took out the keys, he was greeted a sweet old woman.

The woman wore dark red clothing and looked to be in her 60’s. She was carrying a pink box. Foggy could smell the chocolate chip goodness from inside.

“Mr. Murdock?” the woman asked. “Or is it Mr. Nelson?”

“I’m Mr. Nelson,” Foggy said. “The less handsome one is Mr. Murdock.”

The old woman chuckled. She had her grey hair tied up in a bun and she smelt like a bakery.

“And who might you be, pretty lady?” Mr. Nelson asked. The old woman waved her hand in an old-fashioned gesture.

“Oh, you,” the old woman said. “My name is Faye Gunn but everybody around here calls me Ma Gunn.”

“Oh, you’re running that school just across…”

Ma Gunn nodded with a pleasant smile. “Yes. Everybody here thought I was crazy trying to rehabilitate the children of Crime Alley. ‘Why should you care about them?’ they all said but I if I don’t, who will, you know?”

Foggy nodded. “Yup.”

“And here you are, you and your partner trying to bring the law into Crime Alley,” Ma Gunn said. “It’s amazing. It’s good to see people trying to make a difference. To see people actually give a damn.”

Foggy scratched his hair. “Aw gee, thanks Ma’am. Though I must give credit where credit is due, it wasn’t my idea to bring the firm here, it was Matt’s.”

Ma Gunn smiled. It was a smile that reminded Foggy of having cake at tea time at his grandmother’s house. Ma Nelson always knew how to bake up a damn good chocolate cake.

“It’s good to see people caring,” Ma Gunn said. “To bring some guidance to this place. Lord knows the children need it.”

Foggy chuckled. “Yeah. My brother once got pickpocketed…”

“Is this Nelson and Murdock?” said another voice. Right next to them was a woman dressed in a bright white, expensive dress.

“Yes, it is,” Foggy said.

“I have something to discuss,” the woman said. “In private…”

“Oookaay,” Foggy said.

Ma Gunn smiled at Foggy. “Seems you’re busy.”

“Yeah, looks like.”

Ma Gunn handed him the box of cookies. “To making a change here.”

Foggy smiled. “To making a change.”

Foggy took the box and turned to the woman. “Let’s hear what you said.”

“So, Mrs. White, your husband is a meth dealer?” Foggy said, munching on the cookie. “And you want to divorce him?”

The woman nodded. “Yeah, I was wondering where he was getting the money from and when I found out…”

Foggy nodded though judging by her dress she didn’t just find out now.

“And you want a divorce order?” Foggy asked. When he saw glass shards in front of the office of Nelson and Murdock, he almost dropped the box of cookies.

“Excuse me,” Foggy said. Glass crunched underneath Foggy as he carefully walked toward the door, half expecting somebody to be on the other side. A brick had been thrown through the glass of the office door, Foggy looked through the now window and saw nothing except the words TRAITORS painted in a blood red ink. He opened the door and it looked as if a cyclone had hit the office. Their (very expensive) computers had been thrown about. Glass littered the office floors and their tables had been overturned.

Foggy turned to Mrs. White. “I think we’re going to need that Meth money.”