Legend's Apprentice

Summer

Sam and Mindy were pleased to meet Uncle Bucky, and he seemed equally pleased to meet them; they all exchanged phone numbers and talked about going for drinks in a couple of weeks when Sam's work schedule cleared up. Mindy loved my messenger bag, and I caught a glance between Sam and Bucky that led me to think that Mindy would be getting a gift from that company at some point. Well, my bag was gorgeous, and I felt that it would still look beautiful when it was distressed.

The next week was pretty calm. I didn't see hide nor hair of anybody with the last name of Wayne and I started staying around after my workout to help train Sif (she said I could drop the 'Lady'). Like all the Asgardians, she was too dependent on her weapon. It was hard for her to give up her sword, it was her comfort zone, but after I yanked it out of her hand easily, she saw the need and we started serious work. It was difficult; aside from Thor and Loki, none of the Asgardians were particularly supportive of her efforts. It was that whole feeling that a woman's worth is between her legs, and most particularly in her uterus.

As we were working during my second day that week, she said abruptly, "People here don't seem to value motherhood much either."

I brushed aside her attack and looked at her, perplexed. "Why would you say that?"

"Other women I've encountered don't seem to think it's very important." Hah. Emma, I'd bet. Natasha doesn't have kids, but she likes them.

"Without mothers, none of us would be here," I said logically. "And I know if I've had a crappy day or I don't feel well, I want my mom. Since she's in Pennsylvania, I have Mindy. And Mindy isn't my mom, but she is a mom, and that's almost as good. I call or text her for advice, to let her know if something really good happened, like when I won my first scholarship. Moms are important. Look at Thor and Loki. They still miss their mom. Your son is lucky to have somebody like you as his mom. You'll be a great role model." She smiled.

"Do you want children yourself?"

"Not now," I said, making her laugh. "But yeah, someday, if everything works out all right." I'd started to wonder if my 'enhancements' would scare away men in the future. Most guys my age didn't really like being outclassed in some respect by a girl, especially physically. Hopefully men would be more accepting? And I didn't think I had it in me to raise a kid or two by myself.

"Do you get paid for your work here?" she asked, the second major topic shift.

"No, but I get to have my lessons." She attacked. I showed her what she did wrong and we tried it again.

"Good," I complimented her, then showed her a couple of ways to follow up on the attack.

"If you'd like, I could teach you swordfighting," she offered.

"Seriously?" I stopped dead, then grinned. "That would be so cool." And had to duck.

So after we finished Sif's training, she tossed me a practice sword and shield and started showing me the basics with some drills. I remembered my brother yammering on about football drills with his buddies and started to move my feet. It made for quicker responses.

"Why are you doing that?" Sif asked, and I explained. According to the football coach, if you keep your feet moving, even if it's just shifting your weight, it's easier to respond to movement from the opposition because you don't have to sort out your balance and you've already built up a little momentum. Well, I think that's what he said. I tend to zone out on discussions of that nature.

I went through the drills mentally and physically until the next practice. Sif was not available, which was disappointing, but Loki stepped up. I did the drills perfectly, and Loki blinked. Then he showed me more advanced drills and more of them, then we bouted a bit. He won, not surprisingly, but I could see where he had some weaknesses and squirreled them away for later, because the best ways to exploit those weaknesses would be with Systema, and that wasn't the point of this learning. When I got better, though...