Problem Child 21

{The driver’s side door opened. She hoped that it was so the driver could have a pee or a smoke, but she didn’t really feel optimistic about it. So it wasn’t much of a shock when knuckles rapped on the van siding.

“I wonder,” said a woman’s voice, “what do you intend to do next?”}

It was tempting to respond. But Aiko didn’t react: technically, she didn’t know that all was lost. It would be a poor operative indeed who spooked too easily and gave their position away. This lady might not know anything. It was a common tactic to try to provoke a suspected watcher into revealing themselves. So she didn’t move a muscle.

“You’re under the van again,” said the woman. “Aiko Uzaki.”

‘Never mind.’

New plan: run away into the grass and find a place to get out of sight. Aiko dropped and rolled out to the other side of the van from the voice– and blinked in shock as the speaker vaulted herself over the top of the van to confront her. Now this was a goddamn ninja! She was wearing a white pantsuit and black silk blouse, and she still flung herself around like an athlete.

“Cool,” Aiko said honestly. She could respect that. “You are not the delivery driver, though. This is fraud, lady.”

She looked around as subtly as she could in the instant before the inevitable fight. Haha, shit. There was nothing for miles and miles in any direction. The road was in front of them and behind them, and to either side there were enormous fields with 4 inch sprouts in them. Not very helpful.

And then she remembered the question. “I suppose now I have to fight you to take control of the van.” She rolled her shoulders to work out the bit of stiffness. “It’s nothing personal.”

There didn’t seem to be any other way to continue a successful escape. 

‘I need to incapacitate her and go. Should I take her as a prisoner? It’s not like the van lacks space. It introduces more risks, but it would also delay the shitshow when Luthor realizes I got out of the compound.’ 

“It is also not personal when I inform you that you could never succeed,” said the business ninja smoothly. She smiled at Aiko with nothing unkind in the expression. “Not least because your legs will not reach the pedals.”

Aiko scoffed. “Like that will stop me?” she said. “I don’t know how driving works.” She darted forward, trying to get the element of surprise.

The other woman laughed. She blocked effortlessly with a smooth economy of motion that instantly registered to Aiko’s hindbrain as a much larger predator than she had guessed. She didn’t grab Aiko- only deflected the blow and twisted away.

‘She moves like Orochimaru, more grace and flexibility than direct power.’ 

Neat. There was absolutely nothing ominous about making that internal comparison. Here she was, 7 and unarmed. Surely that would be fine.

Aiko sped up, despite her gut telling her that hand to hand was futile against this opponent at this stage in her childhood development. She didn’t have any weapons, so– she spat fire to force a dodge and then tried a nerve strike where she expected her enemy to be. 

The dodge went as planned– but when she tried to numb the other woman’s arm, it went all wrong. The business ninja gripped her forearm and twisted. She could track how it happened, but there was absolutely nothing that Aiko could do to avoid winding up on her stomach with her arms behind her back. 

“I think that’s my win.” It wasn’t even smug– really, it was quite professional. The lack of gloating was sort of nostalgic and comforting.

“Unfortunately so,” Aiko agreed. She turned her face to the side to keep her nose out of the dirt. “I am outclassed. Are you going to eliminate me, or return me to custody?”

In a real pinch, she had hiraishin. In theory. In practice, she did not really have the control for that right now. She might wind up disassembling herself. 

So, like, last resort. Wow. She kept her muscles loose and her mind ready, heart rate slightly elevating with tension.

“What an excellent question.” The lady hauled Aiko up with no apparent effort, despite her slim build. She gave Aiko a serene and unbothered smile even though she had to know Aiko was running the numbers on another attack. “I have a slight preference for not killing children, but I don’t take options off the table. As you have noticed, you are a prisoner, and I will not be responsible for losing custody of you.” Just as she said, her grip on Aiko’s arm didn’t falter. It didn’t hurt, but it was firm. “My apologies.”

Aiko nodded, professional to professional. “Of course. I understand that it’s just work.”

‘I am not going to escape from her,’ Aiko assessed. She kept irritation off of her face. ‘Time to recalibrate tactics. If she is on my ass, my odds of ever breaking out are a lot worse.’

The lady tilted her head ever so slightly to the side as if processing an unexpected factor. “I meant to meet you later, but now is as good as any other time. I’m the President of Lex Corps, Talia Head.” She shook Aiko’s free hand once, briskly. “You are under-stimulated in your enclosure. Would you like to learn to become a ninja? You seem to have significant potential.” 

She didn’t seem particularly invested in any outcome, but she wouldn’t have set it up this trap for no real reason.

‘She won’t kill me. She did this to recruit me. She was the one who accepted the delivery… Maybe even set up the delivery to catch my eye and draw me out.’

Aiko pursed her lips together and tried very hard not to laugh at someone offering to train her as a ninja. “That is my intended career path,” she managed. “You work for Luthor?” It came off with a bit of a sneer. That wasn’t politic, but how could she help it? Luthor was unimpressive. Why work for him? Miss Head was obviously a higher phylum of predator. 

Than him, that was. She was not a more evolved predator than Aiko. 

Miss Head gave a smile that, to Aiko’s expert eye, came across as dangerous. “For now,” she said cryptically. Her green eyes glittered with a private amusement.

Cute.

In another situation, Aiko would have played naive and let this lady drag her along by the nose. But they already knew too many of her cards, that wasn’t the move. Besides, she felt spiteful.

“Oh, you’re infiltrating his organization,” Aiko realized, nodding her comprehension. That was the only way these two people made sense in that organizational context. “You’re sabotaging him. Whistleblower? Financial stuff?”

Talia looked genuinely a bit disturbed. She didn’t move or say anything.

‘You’re bigger and stronger than me. Not better than me.’

Aiko gave her a smile that she knew from practice was a bit unpleasant, because it didn’t match the coldness in her eyes. “That’s fine, but I do want to kill him,” Aiko staked her claim. “When you’re done with whatever plot you’re running out.” She shook off Talia’s grip– and the other woman let her.

Talia stared at her. “...My thanks,” she said, “for your consideration. And you’ve never… Your heroic mentor is Captain Marvel?” The faintest lines formed between her eyebrows as she clearly tried to piece together how a child with that mentor had become Aiko.

Aiko valiantly suppressed a giggle. “He’s a very nice guy,” she said, instead of, “are you kidding me? Me, learn from him?” She kept a pleasant neutral facial expression. 

Talia nodded slowly, seriously. “Let’s go back, shall we?”