Shinobu cried to her sister everyday when they were still in the orphanage. She couldn't count the many times the social workers struck her for her tantrums. Kanae was more well behaved than Shinobu. She is older and more mature. "Kanae will surely get adopted," Ms. Truffula said.
From that day on, Shinobu tried her best to control her temper. Be like Kanae. She didn't scream and shout when Ms. Truffula forced her to clean the sticky tables. It didn't stop Ms. Truffula from seeing her frown. "Stop frowning and get to work," Shinobu wanted to hiss back at her but kept her mouth shut like a boiling tea pot.
Six days for controlling her temper. Not a single tantrum or scowl made. Shinobu was proud. Now her and Kanae would properly get adopted and live happy lives. She smiled as brightly as she can during the Christmas celebration. Surely as a bonus, Santa would give her a gift for Christmas. No not a toy, a beautiful flower dress.
Gotham elites were coming to the celebration. If they were lucky, Kanae and Shinobu will get adopted by kind rich people. Perhaps even Bruce Wayne! She couldn't contain her excitement as she smiled and sang in the choir.
A day after Christmas, Shinobu found a flower dress in the donations box for the orphanage. Meanwhile Kanae was being called by Ms. Truffula. Kanae didn't do anything wrong. Never. Someone might adopt Kanae. She took a deep breath. Kanae and her might finally get adopted.
She smiled the whole Christmas morning. On Christmas afternoon, Kanae was packing her bags. "Kanae! You and I might get adopted!" Shinobu made sure she wore her flower dress today to make a good impression to her ward.
"Do you need help?" Shinobu eagerly folded Kanae's clothes and stuffed them to Kanae's very small knapsack. Kanae kept a sad look on her face. "Will you miss Ms. Truffula?" Shinobu teased. Butterflies couldn't be contained in her stomach.
Kanae gave her a sad look. Almost like she wanted to cry. "Nee-san?" Shinobu's voice grew fragile. "Shinobu" Kanae said, "I'm getting adopted, not you," And Kanae cried and Shinobu's heart shattered to a thousand pieces. So her flower dress was a waste afterall… They both cried a pool of tears together.
By the time Kanae was being escorted to her ward, after the kids including Shinobu bid their goodbyes, something unexpected happens. The well-behaved Kanae shouted and screamed like her younger sister. Ms. Truffula wasn't pleased as she continued dragging the loud Kanae on the floor. When Kanae's ward saw her, they heartlessly dropped Kanae's adoption and moved on to another child. Shinobu was more glad Kanae was still with her.
On Christmas night they both made a pinky promise, to always be together. But Shinobu never realized they might be together even in death…
She loathed being hanged high atop a tank of lava or chemicals. Her mouth was muffled with a dirty white cloth. She was hung while her sister's corpse layed on the ground near the tank. Kanae's body was a dead white.
Dead white from drinking a little poison. Shinobu heard of other brutal exploits of the Joker. And that act was one of them.
Just a few days ago, they met a boy, a month later rented an apartment, it was only a trap. Luck was never on their side. As her life flashed before Shinobu's eyes, she cried helplessly. She'll be next. She'll see Kanae and her parents in the afterlife.
The Joker's maniacal laughter echoed the warehouse. The rope was slowly lowering to the poison tank. A slow painful death then. Shinobu closed her eyes. A memory of her and Kanae huddled in their bunks during Christmas eve after that failed adoption.
"Things might get better Shinobu," Kanae mused, "There might be better wards to adopt us," How foolish of her to believe it when she was young. She heard the metal door flew open.
"Batman!" the Joker paused his maniacal laughter but even his voice sounded mad. The rope stopped lowering as a brawl ensues. Shinobu began to think about horrible things.
"Hey Shi- I mean miss," a familiar voice said. Robin pulled the rope up and untied her. A view from a ceiling beam is nothing, right? Her body was numb. She didn't have the energy in her retort something.
She had no choice but to hang on to Robin as they left the exploding warehouse.
Author notes/comments: Hooray for weirdly written chapters!