Any Gothamite orphanage was better rather than walking on the streets of Crime Alley. An orphanage gave her a roof over her head. Crime Alley rains bullets. Literally or figuratively, Shinobu doesn't even know. How did children survive here again?
Her slippers drowned in the white snow. It bothered her she was too small for her age. 4'9 for a 14 year-old. She scowled again. And again, Kanae reminds her to be optimistic.
"Shinobu, look on the bright side," Kanae said, "At least there is no Ms. Truffula,". Ms. Truffula was one of the social workers from the orphanage. Shinobu hated Ms. Truffula for her name and her bulbous appearance. In the night, Shinobu and Kanae make fun of her when Ms. Truffula doesn't notice. Even that couldn't bring Shinobu to laugh right now.
"Let's just keep going," Shinobu said more like a growl. Kanae smiled. Shinobu never admitted this to anyone that Kanae was like her mother for the past few years. Everytime Kanae smiles she saw her mother. Kanae told the same thing to Shinobu about her smile.
A boy in a red hoodie Shinobu's height rush past them. At first it was nothing out of the ordinary in Crime Alley until Shinobu dug her hand in her pocket. It was empty. Her ten dollar bill was stolen. 10 dollars off their initial budget of 50. She chased the boy in the red hood.
Shinobu was grateful for her natural nimbleness. She knew how to, ever since she could breath. Her parents coincidentially named her after the japanese term of a female ninja. She sprinted around the square buildings of Gotham until she found a splotch of red in an alley.
The boy was picking scraps of metal from the garbage chute. "Give me my money back!" she yelled at him. With all her force she punched him to the garbage chute. She dug the pockets of his hoodie and felt the papery sembleance of the 10 dollar bill. The boy's cusses were muffled by the trash in the garbage chute.
"Shinobu what happened?" Kanae ran to her. Shinobu almost forgotten her sister was also gifted with the same nimbleness as her. "I'm fine Nee-san,"
"Good Shinobu," Kanae looked at the garbage chute with dangling legs popping out. "Shinobu what did you do?"
"Well Nee-san, I got our money-" before Shinobu could continue, Kanae pulled the legs off the garbage. The boy's mouth was finally free. "SHIT!" His hoodie was losing its redish tint. His face is more grimy.
Shinobu clenched her fists for another fruitless fight with the boy. Kanae leaned down and placed a hand on his shoulder. Kanae gave the boy a gentle smile. "Sorry about my sister,"
Sorry? What should Shinobu be sorry about? Shinobu scowled to her sister. "It's alright I get those things everyday," the boy rubbed his nose. She only hoped Kanae wouldn't start a charity for a kid her age. "Gee I wonder why…" she mumbled under her breath.
Kanae giggled. "It's not everyday Shinobu won a fight,"
"Shinobu?"
"I'm Kanae, Kanae Kocho and the frowning girl behind me is Shinobu,"
They're friends now?! The boy laughed."I'm Jason Todd,"the boy said. "Nee-san!" Shinobu screeched. "Let's go" Shinobu grabbed her sister's dainty hand. Kanae didn't flinch from Shinobu's grasp.
From the corner of her eye she could see the boy,Jason looking away in shame. Shinobu almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "Wait Shinobu," Kanae released her hand from Shinobu's. Her sister hands him a ten dollar bill.
"Nee-san?!" Shinobu yelled for the last time. "Here you need it more than I do," Kanae said. Jason accepted the offer as if her sister gave him a bomb instead of a ten-dollar bill. Shinobu bit her lip. Jason can have the ten dollar bill he just stole. She vowed herself to let this go only once.
Kanae turned her back to Shinobu. "My sister and I have to go now," she told Jason. "Thanks anyway Kanae," he said with a small smile on his face. After saying their farewells, Shinobu and Kanae marched again in the drowning snow. Shinobu didn't pay attention to how the snow drowned her small feet. A realization lingered in her mind: Kanae is kind as in genuinely kind.