The Midnighter is returning from yet another mostly fruitless night in town. The petty criminals here are truly petty, and it's becoming harder and harder for him to stop himself from breaking the legs of thieves just to ease his boredom.

He plans to go straight to bed, sleep a bit out of sheer boredom, and then return a litle later, when perhaps some real lowlives woul dcome out to play. He stops in the courtyard, though, when he sees the kid there, fixing his bike. It was a while ago, but he remembers him. What the hell is he doing here?