A Ghost from the past

Chapter 18: Truth will always have a remnant

A Yakuza training facility, 2 months after Stephanie's return (December after T-j turned 1)

"AGAIN"

Stephanie pushed herself up and tried to keep her balance. She kept her eyes trained on all the assailants in the room. She tried to keep her breathing steady, to be one with her weapon. She is learning to fight with almost every available type of traditional Japanese weaponry, but she was asked to pick one to master. She wanted to choose the bo-staff, just to spite Tim and his insistence of her incompetence, but at the end she chose something that felt like an extension of her limbs; the nunchaku AKA the dual section stick. She held one in each hand and twirled them at the chain level. She managed to drop 4 out of 12 of her attackers before falling again.

"AGAIN"

Stephanie struggled to get to her feet this time. She huffed and puffed some air to her lungs. She had to keep going. If she doesn't stand up they stop training her and the deal was; you go back to the streets when you defeat Muon Hikage (Silent Shade). Muon Hikage was one of the highest ranking female officers in the yakuza.

Was it ideal that Steph made a deal with the known criminal that may or may not have been part of the team of people who smuggled her out of Gotham and the North American continent all together, after the gang war without her consent?

It was probably not.

Was it wise that Steph was training with the Yakuza instead of the bats? Well, the bats never offered to train her properly; they only ever told her she wasn't good enough. Bruce made her Robin to get Tim back.

Steph was Spoiler, and Spoiler kicks ass and takes names.

God she missed Tim. Even with his condescending tone, even with the lies, even with the mistrust he never failed to express, she missed him. She was going to show him and Buttman how Spoiler does things. So yes, she made a deal with the Ghost and accepted training with the Japanese Yakuza because they owed the ghost many favors apparently, and maybe, just maybe she can manage to gather Intel on the Ghost and hold something above Buttman's head.

"AGAIN"

This time Stephanie managed to drop 6 out of the 12 before she was knocked on her ass again, but she was able to keep one of her nunchakus. She knew she was being watched, she could see them and hear them if she focused. She should focus on kicking ass and taking names, she'll spy later on.

"She's improving," a woman said.

"She is, and in such a short amount of time," another woman answered in a slight Japanese accent, "I like her."

"I know," the first woman chuckled, "she reminded me of you when you were a kid."

"You talk as if you have so many years over me," the Japanese woman continued, "but I see your point. Is this why you decided to help her?"

"AGAIN"

"I don't want her to become like us," she hummed, "I mean, she's so far away from what we are, but-"

"You don't want her to hate herself for never being good enough, or fast enough, or smart enough," the Japanese woman agreed, "I understand the feeling. I wish you would let me in, I could lift some of your pain."

"Okabe, I don't feel pain, not anymore, it's just emptiness, far more dangerous than pain."

"I suppose it is," Okabe agreed, "I might need your help once again."

"Is it me? Or do you like being in my debt?"

"Better you than someone else," Okabe mused.

"If it doesn't clash with my interests you know how to contact me."