Problem Child 12

Of course, their plan was entirely contingent on getting ahold of a reptile doctor at this late hour. It was half past 7 pm on a worknight, and Aiko could only assume that they were getting ready for bed after a long day of sleeping on sunny rocks and digesting a singular large meal.

Aiko drowned in self pity for a bit. She was useless here.

‘I wish I knew scholars and experts. Where do you meet them when you’re working as a hero? Would the JL refer me to some if they admit me?’

Marvel must have a lot of contacts. He got out his Justice League communicator and talked into it for a while. Aiko eyed it with naked curiousity. She was very explicitly and clearly disallowed from using it under any circumstances other than being in danger when Marvel was unavailable.

She sighed covetously as Marvel walked further away from her, out of her hearing.

He had never commented on them, but she was pretty sure he had a good handle on how sharp her senses were. That was probably why he paced so far away from her to have his conversation. Aiko sat on a bench and kicked her feet, bored but somewhat pleased that her supervisor was rather competent.

Marvel paced back and forth. He used his hands when he talked, gesturing excitedly. Aiko spent a few minutes pretending that she knew what he was saying, making up a conversation. When that got boring she sneakily took out her own phone and sent a message to Robin.

Can you ask Beautia how Herkimer would contact her father for money? He’s kidnapped someone and we want to track him down, he has no bank accounts of his own and Marvel suspects that Sivana/ MSoE funded him.

Robin didn’t message back immediately. She waited a while. Nothing. She put the phone away, a little disappointed that her singular contact had fallen through. 

Maybe she should tell Marvel that Sivana was dead. Aiko mulled over that for a while. Morally, it was a little wrong to keep information from her superior. It could negatively affect their operations. But, like, he would be… He would disapprove, she was pretty sure. Aiko squirmed, deeply uncomfortable with the thought that everyone was going to be mad at her if they figured out what she was up to.

The phone finally buzzed once it was in her pocket. “Goddamnit,” Aiko said, and ignored the curious glance from her supervisor. She waited until he had looked away to fish it out.

MSoE? Robin had written. Clarify term.

Fair enough. Aiko’s fingers moved lightning fast to tap out her response.

Monster Society of Evil, a coalition of Marvel’s antagonists.

As soon as she had sent that clarification, he had sent another message.

Understood. I will ask her. She remains outwardly amenable to providing assistance in exchange for the opportunity to attain a legitimate career.

Robin was a real one. Aiko took a moment to pat herself on the back for cultivating a useful contact out of an encounter that could have become some dumb rivalry or territorial hissing match. 

Marvel spent a while longer on the phone. It was enough time that Aiko laid down on the bench and started mentally rehearsing the conversation she would have with her parents when she got home. It was not entirely impossible that she could instill enough doubt to avoid punishment for lying to them. 

‘I could always blame the President for being a bad influence,’ she thought. ‘But they would probably get more protective if they realize he’s a villain who wants to cultivate me as a weapon against Superman. Mom already said that I wasn’t allowed to take assassination orders from him.’

Ugh. Parental supervision was pretty terrible. She preferred that they were alive, but it still added so many unnecessary complications. She kicked her feet morosely.

She didn’t expect a reply from Robin anytime soon. He was a competent guy but he was probably not even out on patrol yet. She had checked the freely available information on the Gotham City vigilantes and knew that they generally worked later hours than she and Marvel did. 

“Alright.” Marvel walked back to her. Aiko heaved herself up to a tired semblance of professionalism and waited patiently. She felt like a dog left to wait tied to a fire hydrant. “Herkimer is going to find it difficult to persuade the female crocodiles out.”

“Of course, because he lacks swagger.” Aiko nodded her agreement. He dressed like a cool guy but she could see right through that. Surely females of his own species would also notice that he was kind of an excitable loser.

“...Because it is mating season and they are guarding egg nests,” Marvel said, eyeing her with open concern. 

Oh. She shrugged. That was also a very good point. If Aiko had important eggs, she would not let some guy in a suit lure her away from them, either. She was savvier than that. Most people were probably savvier than that, right?

Captain Marvel had gone on while Aiko got lost in thought. She tuned back in to hear his discussion of logistics.

“If he plans to keep eggs at incubation temperatures and conditions, he will need a lot of heat lamps and humidifiers, and they’re going to have to go from the zoo to their new condition safely somehow. He is probably going to come to the zoo in a very large vehicle which he has outfitted for egg safety.”

“Ensuring the new generation is born to freedom sounds like something he would get invested in,” Aiko allowed.  

“Right.” Marvel did a weird little dance, like he was preparing to fight. Aiko stood up. He rolled his shoulders. “I think I know where he will go. He hates the owner of a department store on third street, he would like to raid their bedding section for crocodile nests. They have humidifiers and heating units, everything he needs. I’m fairly certain that’s what he will do.”

“Lead on, boss.” Aiko held her arms out for uppies. Marvel scooped her up like a baby and flew off into the twilight. The lights of Fawcett City twinkled below them. It formed a shockingly pretty picture. She relaxed into his hold, feeling small and safe. It was a lot like how her Mom would hold her, strong arms under her back and legs. 

Her stomach swooped when Marvel began a descent. The night air whipped harshly at the back of her legs. Aiko curled a little further into the protection of Marvel’s chest until they landed. He let her down the way people put down cats: he opened his arms and let her fall to her feet. 

She considered hissing at him to make a point about proper care and handling, but he was already stalking purposefully towards an entrance on the rooftop he had stopped at. 

“I know it’s a crime to break and enter, but I think we should wait inside, out of sight,” Marvel explained, not sounding very cut up about it. Aiko hustled to keep up with his long legs. He broke the lock inside the door without thinking about it and eased the door open. “He… Hmm.” Marvel frowned. “Let’s be quiet. I hear something. He could already be here.”

Aiko tossed off a loose salute. When he saw her acknowledgement Marvel smiled back, mind clearly far away, and started to silently descend the stairs into the dark building.