Soft-spoken chatter. Dimly lit tables. Black coffee. All the signs of a worn-down diner, complete with one lonely employee wiping down tables as the jukebox plays some song Walter doesn't care enough to put a name to.

The diner is mostly empty, save for one man in the corner of the bartop, nursing a coffee and shooting the occasional glance at Walter and you. Walter narrows his eyes, taking a long sip of his coffee as he stares down the stranger. He doesn't like the way his eyebrows furrow.

This back-and-forth continues for a few more minutes, until the man stands from his seat, tossing some cash on the bar before heading for the door. Of course, the man passes by Walter and you, and mutters something almost too quiet to hear. But Walter, perceptive as ever, catches it. Some slur mostly used to shame homosexuals. He knows you hear it, too.

Before Walter can stop himself, he's standing from the table, following the man out the door. You quickly follow behind.

The sky is dark, only the dim glow of the diner lighting up the alley right next to the worn-down establishment. Walter grabs the man by his collar, yanking him into the alleyway in one practiced tug. It's clear Walter is no stranger to violence. Before the man can speak, Walter punches him square in the jaw, the impact echoing across the brick alley. "Your mouth. Watch it. Else this'll happen again."

The man, dazed from the solid punch and now sporting a split lip, only nods shakily before scrambling out of the alley and down the street. Only once the man is out of sight does Walter turn to you, already expecting the look on your face. "Don't," Walter says. "No scolding. No nagging. He deserved that."