“Oh, come on, Matthew,” Elektra said as the Ferrari swerved through the streets, blazing through red lights and narrowly avoiding pedestrians. “Take the wheel.”

“I think its illegal for a blind person to drive a car,” Matt said, chuckling. “Besides, I don’t think there’d be much of a difference if I took the wheel.”

Elektra laughed. A laugh that sent electricity through his heart. “You think it’s illegal. Matthew, aren’t you supposed to be a lawyer?”

“I’m still in law school,” Matt said. “What is it with people calling law students lawyers before they even get their degrees?”

“Do I look like people, Matthew?”

And she wasn’t people. Matt pegged her as the reserved type when she saw pretty Ms. Natchios surrounded by two bodyguards, the type of girl that acted shy and reserved because daddy said so. And then she insisted to walk up the rooftop of the largest building in Columbia by picking the locks of the rooftop doors.

They were out of New York, speeding through the highway. Cars blared their horns. Some people even shouted at them but Elektra and Matt just laughed.

“Roads are boring, don’t you think?”

“What’s that supposed to m…”

The swerved out of the highway, driving through the snow caked plains as the car rumbled and crashed through the rocks and trees.

Elektra and Matt laughed. But then in the distance he could hear water crashing beneath a sheet of ice.

“Elektra you might want to consider stopping,” Matt said.

“Hmm,” Elektra said, acting like she was pondering it. She stepped on the accelerator. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Do you want to fall off a cliff?”

“Do you want to fall off a cliff,” Elektra said in a mocking voice. “Come on Matthew, we’ll be fine.”

They burst through the forest and Elektra saw the cliffside.

“Never mind.”

Elektra stamped on the breaks but the momentum she had built up driving through the forest was too much. The Ferrari ploughed through snow and was inches away from the cliffside. Elektra turned the wheel and the car swerved to the side, closing in on the cliffside. The car spun violently, coming to a sudden halt as the rear end of the car dangled dangerously off the edge.

“We might want to get out,” Matt said.

“Already ahead of you,” Elektra said. She removed her seatbelt and climbed atop the windshield, the car swaying. It seemed even a single gust of wind would cause it to fall. Matt followed her lead, climbing up the windshield and just about ready to get off. Elektra landed carefully on the snow and Matt was inches away from her.

When he felt the space between him disappear.

Matt felt an odd sense of vertigo, his stomach and body didn’t feel like it was there. And that was when Elektra grabbed his arm.

The car crashed through the ice and in the water. Elektra pushed him up, Matt grabbing onto the ledge. Elektra yanked him upwards and Matt landed on top of her. It was at that moment, Matt felt snow touch his hair.

Elektra laughed and kissed him on the lips. Matt welcomed it but pulled away.

“What about the car?”

“I can buy a new one,” Elektra said. She placed a soft hand on Matt’s cheek. “Can’t buy a new Matthew though.”

Matt smiled and kissed her as the snow fell on both of them and for a brief moment, Matt could almost see her as the snow touched her body.

…

He heard her on the rooftops despite the rain.

Her heartbeat was like a poker face, not giving anything away. Rain bounced off her body. She was drenched and so was Matt.

Matt hated the rain; it threw off his senses. A lot of things to focus on, a lot of sounds. But when he was close to an object he wanted to focus on, rain made it sharper and easier to see.

The rain bounced off her hair, her muscles. They were tense.

“I know why you’re here,” she said.

Matt raised his fists. “I’m going to bring you in.”

Elektra took out her two Sais. “You can try.”

Matt charged and Elektra raised her Sais to greet him.

…

After yesterday’s incident, Crime Alley changed. Gunfire and shouting lit up the night. The families of Crime Alley were at war with each other. The Devil, Batman and even some of the police tried to stop the fighting but it became more subtle. The fighting became quiet, guns were only fired in offices and businesses owned by the families. The fighting went out of Crime Alley. Weapon supplies, drug deals all riddled with bullets with innocent people dragged in the crossfire.

At night the bullets littered Crime Alley with bodies, in the morning blood had to be cleaned off the cobblestone pavements.

And with a cigar in his mouth, one of the generals Fernando consulted his men.

“The Russians are unable to get us weapons and armour,” Gustavo said. “The Irish and Yakuza have found out most of their supply routes and killed some of their men. We still have our stockpiles but with the number of men we send out, it isn’t enough.”

“A lot of our businesses have been shut down,” Juan said. “If we continue down this path, we won’t be able to recover afterwards. Boss I think it’s time we…”

Fernando stared at Juan with a fire in his eyes. “Are you telling me to stop? Is that it, Juan?”

“No, Boss but…”

Fernando bashed Juan’s head against the table. Juan collapsed on his knees, blood running down his nose as he scampered backwards, away from the boss.

“This Grotto,” Fernando said, walking towards Juan who scrambled backwards only to find his back against a wall. “He made claims about me. Claims that I am dishonourable. That I killed his brother. Do you think I killed his brother, Juan?”

“No, boss but…”

“If you think that, why are you saying I should stop?” Fernando said. He leaned down and spat his cigar in Juan’s face. “Huh, Juan? Do you think I’m dishonourable? Do you suggest I don’t protect my honour?”

Fernando kicked him in the belly, punching him repeatedly before turning to face the rest of his men. “You see. This is what I call a weak man. Not an ounce of pride in their heart, an ounce of honour and they think they can tell men like us what to do.”

Some of his men walked over to Juan. “Take him away,” Fernando said. “I want him out of my site.”

After discussing some more war plans, Fernando entered a vehicle driven by one of his bodyguards. The car navigated through familiar roads, Fernando flexing his fingers and staring out the window through a tinted world. When they turned the corner to his house Fernando was greeted by a sight, he was familiar with but hadn’t seen in a long, long time.

The police lights looked like red and blue smudges of paint through his window, it felt almost unreal. He saw some of his men being hauled off in cars and in the centre of it all, police officer Brett Mahoney speaking through a radio. He was one of the ‘good’ cops, a breed of cop made increasingly more common ever since the Batman’s wings covered the skies 8 years ago.

“Should we get out of here?” asked his bodyguard.

“No,” Fernando said, removing a cigar from his pocket and lighting it up. “I want to see what the commotion is all about.”

Fernando walked out and his bodyguard silently followed behind him.

Mahoney turned and saw him, whispering orders into the radio.

“What seems to be the problem offic-”

Fernando couldn’t finish his sentence as an officer tackled him to the ground, pressing his face down and placing both his arms together. His bodyguard tried taking out his gun but before he could half a dozen guns were trained on him. His bodyguard was forced to drop the weapon and two officers surrounded him and placed handcuffs on him.

The officer pulled him up. “Hurry it up,” he said, shoving Fernando over to Mahoney.

“You’re a little too eager, Burton,” Mahoney said.

“What seems to be the problem, officer?” Fernando said, trying to feign a confused voice. “Its unlawful to arrest someone without a warrant.”

Mahoney chuckled. “Don’t talk to me about what’s lawful or unlawful, Hombre. Besides I have a warrant right here.”

Mahoney removed a folded-up paper in his pocket, unfolded it and showed it to Fernando.

“Mr. Hernandez,” Mahoney said. “You have been arrested for the murder of Kyoko Natsumi. You have a right to remain silent, everything you say and do will be used against you in a court of law.”

Mahoney leaned forward with a smirk on his face. “We got you now you son of a bitch.”

It had been a long while since Fernando saw police cars at his doorstep. It had been an even longer while since he saw the back of a police car.

…

Foggy vomited into the toilet as Matt rubbed his back.

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Foggy said through cracked lips. “The vomiting, the headache or…”

Foggy keeled over as his body protested. Matt could smell the bruises all over his body.

“The pain.”

Last night Foggy had been at a fraternity party. The frat bros had forced him to drink copious amounts of alcohol and forced him to remove his clothes. When he refused Brad and his merry band of douches beat him up and took out his clothes himself, forcing even more alcohol down Foggy’s throat than he could take.

Matt led Foggy back to their dorm. He set Foggy down on his unmade bed. The stench of his nausea was pungent, sticking off a bunch of newspapers and tissue rolls Elektra and Matt had shoved down a wastebasket for him to puke in.

“Thanks Matt,” Foggy muttered before dozing off.

Brad being the asshole that he was didn’t stop with Foggy. No, after Foggy was sent to the infirmary, Brad and his douchey men turned their attention on Matt, stealing away his walking stick and breaking his glasses. Matt wanted nothing more than to bash Brad’s face against a wall, to feel his bones crack and body bruise but despite Brad being an asshole, despite the fact that Stick’s training made it so that Matt could break Brad’s entire body and still keep him alive so that he could feel the pain he inflicted on others he had made a promise to his dad. Never fight, never raise your fists. Don’t become a bum like me who can only solve his problems by punching. But right now, it was becoming increasingly hard to keep his promise.

Night fell and Foggy started snoring. Matt had already decided that he’d be making up for tonight by sleeping through Mr. Stevens civil law class. That was when he heard her footsteps.

“Matthew,” Elektra whispered.

Matt smiled. Maybe he’d be getting a good night’s sleep after all.

Matt opened the door but he wasn’t greeted by the usual smile that meant a good night out.

“Wear this,” Elektra said in a hushed whisper.

Matt wasn’t surprised by the fact that Elektra was in the boy’s dorm. They snuck into each other’s dormitories all the time. What he was more surprised by was the mask he could smell over her face and the mask she was handing over to him right now.

“What’s this?”

“I managed to get the keys to Brad’s dorm,” Elektra said. “We can wear this and…”

“Whoa, whoa,” Matt said. “Slow down.”

He could hear Foggy stirring. Matt closed the door.

“What’s this about sneaking to his dorm and…”

“You saw what he did to Foggy,” Elektra said. “You see what he’s doing to you. This Bradley is a spoiled brat and…”

“Beating him up won’t solve anything,” Matt said. “We should just leave this alone and tell a teacher.”

“That’s not what your heart says.”

“Elektra,” Matt started, trying to stop her.

“You hate him just as much as I do,” Elektra said. “And I know you, Matthew. I know that you don’t like him and that you can handle him so why don’t you show him that. Why do you let him do what he does?”

Matt sighed. “I… I made a promise to my dad. Not to use my fists. That was one of the last things he told me before he died and I have to keep my promise… I…”

Elektra held his hand. “You’re destroying yourself.”

“What?”

“You told me about your abilities, the way you can hear heartbeats, the way you can hear everything around you,” Elektra said. “You can hear every bad thing that happens in this city, can’t you?”

“I… Yes,” Matt said.

“And you can do something about it, can’t you?”

“Yes but…”

“Let go, Matthew,” Elektra said. “Let go, Matt. Let the feelings out; the anger, the frustration. Let it out.” Elektra raised his hands. “If you keep them in, the only person you destroy is yourself.”

“Just this once,” Matt said.

He could feel the happiness warm her body. She offered the mask, Matt wrapped it around his eyes.

The following morning, Brad walked into the cafeteria, apologising to Foggy with bruises and scratches on his face. He cast a glance at Matt who just smiled at him. Brad scampered away like a rat.

“What was that about?” Foggy asked.

“Somebody probably beat some sense into him,” Matt said, shrugging and taking a sip from his coffee. Deep down he was trying to ignore just how satisfied he felt when he found Brad unconscious with his blood dripping down from his knuckles.

…

Matt could hear his blood dripping on the floor from the tips of Elektra’s Sais. Scratches burnt across his body but Matt still didn’t give up, raising his fists for round 2.

“Give it up, Matthew,” Elektra said. “There’s no way you can beat me.”

“Won’t know unless I try,” Matt said.

Elektra was also looking winded. Her breath was heavy and Matt managed to land some punches on her face. Her lips were scratched and Matt had landed a punch on her stomach.

Elektra charged. She stabbed with her Sais; Matt grabbed her arm but let go when she threw her other Sais straight at him. Elektra kicked wide; Matt ducked. Matt went in for a feint but Elektra blocked with her other leg. She spun and threw her Sais; Matt dodge and Elektra threw her punch with her right which Matt blocked with his left. She threw another punch with her left, Matt grabbed her arm and threw on the floor. Before Matt could land a finishing blow, Elektra kicked with both her legs causing Matt to stumble backward. Elektra picked up one of her Sais and threw it. Matt dodged. Elektra dashed and tried punching him with her left but her hand hung limply on her side.

“You found my pressure point,” Elektra said with a smile.

Matt kneed her in the stomach and tried grabbing hold of her right hand. Elektra kicked him to create distance and pressed two fingers on her left hand.

They were both out of breath. Matt more so. The blood loss was getting to him, he was starting to feel a little bit light-headed.

“You know why you can’t win Matthew?” Elektra asked. “Stick noticed it and I noticed it too.”

“You lost me at Stick,” Matt said bitterly.

“You fight with too much emotion,” Elektra said. “You have all these gifts that make you a better fighter than most but you cloud them with anger, you cloud them with hate and most importantly you cloud it with your enjoyment.”

Elektra stretched the muscles of her left hand. “And that’s why you won’t win.”

Elektra stretched her hands out. “Round 3, Matthew?”

Matt nodded. “Round 3.”

They sprinted towards each other only meeting with a flurry of fists and kicks.

…

The moving trucks disappeared into the distance. Theo was holding a box full of kitchen equipment and appliances which he placed at the back of the truck.

“Need any help?” Foggy asked.

“Nah,” Theo said, placing the box into the truck. “Besides, you have to rest that leg of yours.”

“Nah, I’ll be fine,” Foggy said.

“Your limping says otherwise,” Theo said as he went back into the butchery to pick up more boxes.

“It’s a shame about the move,” Foggy said. “I have fond memories of this place.”

Theo chuckled. “Yeah, but things around here are getting way too dangerous and it isn’t safe to continue doing business around these parts.”

“Yeah,” Foggy said. “I used to love the dinners we used to have with Uncle and the rest of the family.”

Theo nodded. “Yeah.”

“Anyways, why are you all dressed up?” Theo asked. “You have a job offer or something?”

“I’m going to help out Matt.”

At that Theo was still. “I don’t mind that you’re going back to work but doesn’t dad…”

“I know but Theo, Matt’s my best friend,” Foggy said. “I’m sure what happened to me is tearing him up inside.”

“I get that,” Theo said. “But your fog is right in the middle of a warzone. It’s too much of a risk…”

“Matt took a lot of risks for me back in college,” Foggy said. “We did a lot of stupid things together. This is the least I can do for him.”

Theo shrugged. “Whatever you say brother. Just be careful, alright?”

“I will,” Foggy said. “Just don’t mention any of this to dad, okay? He’ll shout up a storm if he hears about this.”

“I won’t,” Theo said. “Take care of yourself, alright.”

Foggy nodded. “I will.”

Foggy waved his goodbyes and turned his back to Theo, stepping into the warzone that was Crime Alley.

…

The smell of freshly baked cookies invaded Matt’s nostrils, snapping him awake.

“Whoa, slow down there, soldier,” Foggy said. “It’s just cookies.”

“Foggy,” Matt said. “What are you doing here?”

“People around town have been saying that despite everything that’s been going on, you’ve been going to work,” Foggy said. “I heard you’ve been helping people relocate and get their businesses together.”

“Doesn’t answer my question.”

“It’s Nelson and Murdock, remember?” Foggy said. “Not Murdock and associates. I’m literally the other half of a two-package deal.”

Foggy looked at the pile of papers by Matt’s side and the coffee mug with remnants of coffee sticking on the sides. “You should take a break. Staying cooped up in the office like this can’t be good for you.”

“The people around here are victims of something they can’t control,” Matt said. Matt was lying to Foggy through his teeth when he said that. Yes, the people of Crime Alley were victims of something they couldn’t control but it was Matt’s fault they were in this situation in the first place. This was the least he could do for them.

“I get that but we still need a break sometimes,” Foggy said. He carried half of the files to his desk. Matt could hear his heavy footsteps hobbling on the metal floor because of his limp. They were like knives stabbing into his heart whenever he heard Foggy take a step. “Oh, the cookies are from Ma Gunn by the way. I’m surprised she’s still baking at a time like this.”

Despite how delicious they smelled; Matt couldn’t bring himself to eat. He looked at Foggy from the corner of his eyes as his fingers ran through the case files. All he could hear was the severed nerves in his legs, the tissues forming over there. All his fault, all his fault.

“Matt.”

His fault.

“Matt,” Foggy said sharply, snapping his fingers. “I need your help with these case files.”

“Yeah,” Matt said, almost out of breath. “Yeah, what do you need?”

At that Foggy walked over to him and pulled him out of his chair.

“What?” Matt said. “Why’d you do that?”

Foggy shoved his walking stick to him. “You, my friend, need some rest.”

“No, I can still work,” Matt said. “Just give me the case files and…”

“Matt I was literally screaming into your ears,” Foggy said. “And I know Matt Murdock is blind, not deaf.”

“I’ll be fine,” Matt said. “Besides you shouldn’t even be here.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Didn’t your dad tell you to stay away from me?” Matt said. “Besides don’t you have better things to do.”

“You’re right, I do,” Foggy said.

“Then get out of here.”

“But I can’t just leave my best friend alone.”

“What?” Matt said, taken aback.

“I know you must feel bad about what happened to me,” Foggy said. “What happened to my leg but Matt none of it’s your fault. We were jumping into something dangerous months after we just started out…”

“Because of me.”

“Yeah, but I know you Matt,” Foggy said. “I know you only did it because you wanted to do the right thing and that’s why I’m here for you. To help you do the right thing. I love this place almost as much as you but even I wouldn’t walk right into the middle of a gang war to help people out. You would, Matt. And that’s why I believe in you. That’s why I believe in Matt Murdock.”

Foggy was taken aback when Matt pulled him into a hug.

“Thanks, Fog,” Matt said, smiling.

Foggy pat him on the back before pulling away. “Now get some rest. I’ll take over for you.”

Matt shook his head. “No.”

Foggy sighed. “Matt…”

“We need to open up,” Matt said with a smile. “Let everybody know Nelson and Murdock is back in business.”

Foggy sighed. “You still need some rest dude.”

…

After the incident with Bradley, Matt wanted more. The thrill, the excitement of the fight it was something Matt wanted a taste off again and Elektra was glad to oblige. They found themselves an empty gym with a bunch of dusty mats and their dance began.

Their bodies were locked in a tango of fists and kicks. Much to Matt’s surprise, Elektra wasn’t a bad fighter herself, her movements elegant, beautiful and efficient. They grabbed and pulled and punched and kick all throughout the night. Muscles aching, the stench of her sweat driving him wild. Each partner complimenting the latter’s movements.

It was during one of these nights that Elektra got the call. The call that would change everything. They were lying on the mat, the smell of their sweat dotting the leather mat. His hands running through her muscles.

Her phone rang, almost echoing around the abandoned gym.

Elektra ran her fingers through his chest. “I have to get this.”

Matt smiled. She walked over to her phone, hips swaying and answered it.

“Hello.”

“Ms. Natchios,” said the voice of her butler. A voice Matt was familiar with because of how much he got into trouble with him. “I’m sorry you have to hear this…”

“Just get to the point, Xavier,” Elektra said. Matt got up when he heard the fear in her heart. “What seems to be the problem?”

“Your father,” Xavier said. “Your father is dead.”

Matt could hear her body sag. He wanted to go over to her but before he could, Elektra moved away from his hand and put on her clothes.

“Elektra,” Matt said, reaching out. Elektra ignored him and left the gym without even saying a word.

The funeral was doused in rain. In the days leading up to it Elektra didn’t speak to anyone, not Matt, not Foggy. She walked through Columbia’s hallways like a corpse, barely responding to anyone or anything.

And then after a while she left Columbia, leaving a hole in Matt’s heart that wouldn’t be filled for a long time. Matt tried texting, tried calling but she didn’t respond. Foggy tried comforting him but Matt knew deep down it was over.

However, it was a night out in town he caught her scent again. Foggy was drunk out of his mind so he hailed a taxi for him and followed the scent. Her scent his only guide through the loud bustling explosion of stimulation of New York’s time square. He followed it into an alleyway, the sound of the square muffled by the loneliness of the damp alleyway.

He heard the sound of violence and grunting. Metal blades slicing and the smell of fresh blood.

The heartbeats were snuffed out one by one and when Matt turned the corner, he smelt Elektra standing in the centre of 4 bodies, each of them with their heartbeats snuffed out. He could smell her hands wrapped around the steel Sais and hear the blood dripping from the tips of the blade.

At first, he couldn’t believe it. Despite his senses telling him the truth he couldn’t believe Elektra killed those men. And then he heard the familiar clattering of a stick and a deep, scratchy voice, a voice that Matt grew to despise over the years.

“Good,” Stick said. “Good. Though you left one.” Stick unsheathed the sword in his blade and stabbed it through a man whose heartbeat Matt missed. The man let out a grunt of pain and before his heartbeat stopped.

“It seems we have a guest,” Stick said. “Will you show yourself, Matthew?”

Matt walked out. He felt Elektra’s body warm up in shame and Stick’s firm but unreadable beat.

“I should’ve known it was you,” Matt said. “What did you do, huh? Did you force her to kill these men?” Matt turned to Elektra. “You shouldn’t listen to this bastard. He guides you and acts all nice but after he brings your guard down and tries to get you to join that cult of his.”

“The League of Assassins isn’t a cult,” Stick said. “But I wouldn’t expect a weakling like you to understand. Elektra here told me all about you and from what she told me you’re still soft. You’re still stick to that self-righteous code of yours.”

“Shut up,” Matt said. “Elektra let’s get out of here, get you some help. I lost my father too; I know how hard it is to…”

“She passed the test, Matthew,” Stick said.

When Stick said those words, Matt felt his stomach sink. He remembered, standing in front of the man, the mask barely disguising his anger at the man who pulled the trigger holding a katana. Stick placing those leathery hands on his shoulder, forcing him to cross the line, to do something he had never done before, something he only thought of doing to the man standing in front of him.

“No, you’re bullshitting me,” Matt said. “She can’t have… she couldn’t have…”

“You’re the same as usual, Matthew,” Stick said. “Your emotions clouding your judgement, clouding your potential. We found the man who killed her father, the one who pulled the trigger and Elektra killed the man without hesitation. She’s not the woman you used to know. She’s an assassin now.”

“I… I…” Matt turned to Elektra, “He’s lying right?”

“He’s not,” Elektra said.

Sirens cried out in the distance. Matt could feel his heart start breaking.

“When I felt that sword strike his neck,” Elektra said. “When I saw his head rolling on the floor it felt… freeing.”

Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing.

“It’s a shame, Matthew,” Stick said. “If only you weren’t so weak, maybe you’d be at her side again.”

Matt heard Stick’s jumping up the building. Elektra walked past him. She turned to look at him before leaping up the side of the building, following after Stick.

He barely heard her whisper “I’m sorry Matthew,” before she disappeared into the shadows.

…

The Sais were just inches away from his throat. Elektra was on top of him, both of them breathing heavily, both of them bruised and tired. Matthew’s chest was heaving, blood running from the scratches that lined his torso and legs. Elektra felt pain flare up her body with bruises on her face and body. Matthew did a number on her too, but in the end she triumphed.

The rain poured down on them, Elektra could feel the water dripping down her hair, could feel the raindrops stinging her wounds. Elektra got off Matthew, the Sais clanging on the concrete rooftop, her body collapsing by his side.

“I told you… you wouldn’t win,” Elektra said through heavy breaths.

Matthew was silent.

Elektra didn’t know why she didn’t kill him. If she kept him alive, he would be a deterrent, a thorn in their side, in her side. So why, why didn’t she stick the blade in his throat and get it over with?

She got up. “Melvin Potter is at 8th avenue by the harbour. Him and Betsy are trying to open up a new hardware shop and get away from his life of crime. I think its stupid to run away from your past but they’re weaklings so I can’t blame them. Find him and he can tell you where those children are.”

Elektra got up. She stopped by the edge of the building but before she could leap Matthew called after her.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Matthew said. “I thought you were an assassin.” Matthew chuckled. “And wasn’t one of the first lessons Stick taught you… taught us was to never leave a job half-finished.”

Elektra was silent. For a split-second Matt thought he heard hesitation in her heartbeat but before he could confirm anything she leaped off the building, leaving Matt alone on the rooftop with the rain pouring down upon him.

…

“Is that him?”

The lady, the whore who ratted him out was surrounded by two lawyers, the black bars of his jail cell cutting across their faces. A black lady and a balding man. The whore nodded.

Fernando chuckled. She was a whore with a fire in her eyes. When she stared at him her eyes burned with vengeance. They burned with a hatred Fernando hadn’t seen in even his worst enemies.

“You know back in Mexico,” Fernando said.

The lawyers spoke in Japanese, telling her it was time to leave but the Whore insisted on staying.

“I used to live in the Ghetto,” Fernando said. “Used to be a lot of power cuts, si. Mi Madre, she used to light up the candles and when the power came on, I used to like blowing out the candles, y’know. Snuffing out the flames.” Fernando blew with his mouth. “Like this you see.”

Fernando chuckled and pointed at the girl. “Now you, you’re a whore with…”

The black lady insisted she leave but the Whore insisted on staying, giving him a nod to continue. “… you’re a whore with a fire in your eyes. A fire I’ve never seen before.”

Fernando got up from his seat and sauntered towards her, towering over her despite the bars that separated them. She leaned over to her and blew out a puff of air.

The Whore’s face crumpled up.

“We’re done here,” said the balding man. “We’ll see you in court, Mr. Hernandez.” The black lady grabbed her by the shoulder, leading out of the holding cells. The Whore turned to face him, the fire still burning in her eyes.

Fernando just chuckled.

To be continued…