A New Direction

[Thunder King]

Two muggings, an assault attempt, and a convenience store robbery. Tonight had been a good night for Crimson Tiger, aka Benjawan Mali. She snuck into her basement 'lair' and quickly undressed. Her father had allowed her to deck out the basement as a gym, with showers and such. He wasn't aware of what she was really doing in there. He knew she bought a motorcycle, but not that she had a second, custom bike built.

She walked up the stairs, alert, alive, excited, but tired. It had been a good night for her.

"Mali..." She heard the voice. It was quiet, angry, disappointed. She instantly lowered her eyes. Her father had probably caught her coming home late. She'd just have to apologize.

"I'm sorry I'm late, dad..." She said, turning to shut the door. "I just got caught up in..." Her eyes went wide.

Laying at her father's feet was one of her spare masks. She instantly backed towards the door, breathing heavily. When had he found it? What was he going to say?

[Thunder King]

"Dad I..."

"How long?"

"Since I got my license, I..." She stopped herself. No excuses, no defenses. She would present herself and her activities frankly and honestly. It was what she deserved. He was her teacher, her father, respect was demanded.

"So..." He pursed his lips. He was a man in his early forties, in prime physical condition. For a financial advisor, he was quite capable of fighting. It was he that had taught her everything she knew about fighting. "What am I to do about this?"

"I...I have failed you, Father. She said, lowering her eyes, refusing to look at him. I have failed you as a daughter, and a student."

Though she looked down, she could feel his eyes burning a hole in her. She was humiliated, angry at herself. Truly, she had been in the wrong. She did not regret becoming a hero, merely deceiving her parents. She'd done a lot of good, but now was not the time to defend herself. Now was the time to defer to her father's wisdom and any punishment. He was always fair to her, he would let her have her say.

"Those tales I told you when you were a girl." He said, softening his tone. "They really struck you, didn't they?"

[Thunder King]

"Yes, Father." She said, not looking up.

"The spirit of a warrior burns within you, Mali." He said. "I should have realized that something like this would happen. You drove yourself harder into your training. I thought your enthusiasm was responsible. I was wrong."

His tone was neutral, flat. She couldn't tell what it was, what his mood was. She just wanted his gaze to lower and her punishment to come.

"How come no one ever questioned such a young girl fighting crime?"

"I...I lied about my age, Father." She said, not raising her eyes. The shame in her dishonesty was blatant. She hoped he understood her reasons. A girl of 16 would not be considered seriously.

"I am not happy." He said, finally. "You have lied to me many times. You have used the teachings I taught you for self defense against others. You have presented yourself falsely to others. Why? To fight crime? To beat people up?"

"Because there are bad people in this world." She said, nervously, but frankly. "There are bad people in this world, and good people. The good need protecting."

[Thunder King]

"That is the answer I would expect." he said, finally. "I am not happy, but I am proud." he allowed himself a small smile. The relief on her face was immediate and overwhelming. It took everything she had not to cry. He was upset, but not nearly as much as she feared.

"Your great-grandfather was the Black Tiger, a man legendary in word and deed. You have honored his memory, though you were dishonest to me to do so. You are my little tiger." He said, looking almost mournful. "If I caged you, stopped you from doing this, you would struggle against the cage. Either the cage would fail to hold you, or, perhaps, it would break your spirit."

She did not understand his words yet, but she heeded them. Her eyes then met his, to show the respect and honor she could express. She listened to him.

"However, I cannot allow this to continue as it has." He leaned back. "We will need to do something about that..."

"Wait, how did you find out about me?" Something did not make any sense. She'd done her best to hide everything, and her father had always respected her room. This couldn't have been something he'd simply stumbled into.

[Avenger Assembled]

At that, Crimson Tiger's father moved to open the door to the opposite room, allowing another man to enter. Mali had never met Duncan Summers, but the old man's erect spine and clear eyes instantly attracted attention. "Mali, this is Mr. Duncan Summers...a friend of the family. I had planned to make your introductions when I arrived in this city, and now I see that need more urgently than ever.

In a voice like gravel, Summers said, "Your father preferred to speak to you privately before we had a chance to confer, Ms. Benjawan. My apologies for the abrupt nature of our meeting." He gave her a steely-eyed gaze. "I have been aware of your activities for some time. Why have you been concealing your age from other heroes?"

[Thunder King]

She did not know this man. She had no reason to fear him, yet, still, the way he carried himself. Something about him commanded her respect.

"I was afraid that they would look down on me." She said. "Underestimate me, look down on me, assume I was less capable. I was wearing a mask and costume. As long as no one knew how old I really was, I thought I'd gain some respect. I never meant any harm, sir."

She found herself standing straight when addressing him. "I apologize if I've caused any trouble, sir." She had always been told to be respectful of elders, and this man was certainly no exception.

[Avenger Assembled]

Sensing weakness, Summers pushed. "There are laws in this country regulating what underage heroes may do in the company of adults. If you had fallen in the field, your allies would have faced potential legal consequences. Not to mention the disaster of learning that a child has fallen on their watch." He gave her a steady, almost piercing gaze and asked, as if looking for a particular answer, "Is that sort of carelessness the legacy of the Black Tiger?" There was no anger in his voice or on his face, Summers seemed to be searching for something from her in particular. Mali's father didn't speak either; instead he was watching her with as much evaluation as Summers.

[Thunder King]

"I hadn't thought of it that way, sir." She said, doing her best to look him in the face. "I just got eager." She confessed. "I should have waited until I was eighteen, at least. Either that or found a hero willing to mentor me. That was my mistake, and I'll own up to it." she nodded, looking at the man.

She breathed in, closed her eyes, and prepared herself. "I'm willing to accept any consequences that can happen from my actions. I'll apologize to any heroes hurt or mislead by my deception. I messed up, and I'll do whatever it takes to make it right."

She prepared herself for something. An arrest, maybe? A stern lecture? She really had no idea who this man was, but she was afraid he was with the government. Her father had raised her to be honest and forthright, and that was what she was going to do now. If she messed up, at the very least she'd own up to it and take whatever punishment she'd been given. At the very least, it was what she owed her father.

[Avenger Assembled]

Summers appeared to come to a decision. "Ms. Benjawan, I am here to make you an offer. The Black Tiger legacy is in the hands of a brave young woman who I can see has risked her life time and time again in the defense of others. I am sure your great-grandfather would be honored to see what you've done for the family name. But you've risked more than your life; you've risked the lives of those around you, your family honor, and the legacy of Freedom City's superheroes. I am the headmaster of a private school here in Freedom City, one that caters to the needs of our young people while teaching them how to manage their gifts; be they superpowers, great intelligence, or a lifetime of training, on behalf of others. Your father has given his permission," he added with a nod her way, "but the decision is _yours_ to make. Can you take this responsibility?"

[Thunder King]

It took her a moment to realize what he was offering. A chance to train, to learn to be a real superhero, from other heroes. She realized what a grave honor this was, what this chance could mean. She allowed herself a bit of a grin. This was going to be exciting, fun, and interesting. She couldn't wait.

"It's not even something I need to think over, I would be honored, sir." She said to the man before her. "I hope to make the school, my legacy, and my father, proud." She said, standing as tall and proud as she could get away with.

"...Can I still keep my motorcycle?" She asked, nervously.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Driver's ed is a core component of our curriculum. Particularly students in your line of work," added Summers with a faint smile. He talked with Mali and her father for another few minutes to set up a visit for Crimson Tiger to the Claremont Academy, but eventually donned a shapeless felt hat and made his way to the door. Before he left, he gave one last piece of advice to Crimson Tiger. "You are the bearer of a proud and noble legacy, and so far you've done your name proud. Don't let yourself be shamed by the mistakes you've made. They've put you on the right path tonight." And with that, he was gone, walking out to the luxury car parked out from and leaving Mali and her father to settle her future.

[Thunder King]

Once he was gone, Mali looked down. "I'm sorry, dad...for everything."

To her surprise, her father stood up and walked towards her, wrapping his arms around her. This was rare for her, so she embraced him, letting her father hug her.

"Nothing to apologize for, little tiger." He said. "You made mistakes, but, you've done me and your great grandfather proud." He pulled back.

"Thanks, dad, that means a lot." She said, smiling brightly. A school for super heroes! This was going to be SO cool.

"With that, said..." He said. "You still lied to your mother and I. You still went out and fought crime unsupervised. For that, you will be punished."

She grimaced. Most fathers would punish with groundings, taking away cell phones, and the like.

"Training at dawn, father?" She asked.

"Yes, Mali." He said. "You better get what little sleep you can. Understand?"

"Y-yes sir..." She lowered her eyes. Well, a new school with super heroes was cool, but this...this was really gonna suck.

She walked to her door, hardly able to contain herself and her excitement. She'd make friends, and hang out with super heroes, and...

"I should get some sleep..." She said. "Dad's gonna kick my butt tomorrow..." She walked towards her bedroom, a unique feeling of excitement and dread keeping her awake longer than she wanted to be.

----

"So, she's going to that school, dear?" Her mother, Apsari said, as soon as her husband walked into the bedroom. "I'm sorry I wasn't home to meet Mr. Summers. I came through the back door because I didn't want to interrupt your meeting. I heard almost everything."

"Oh, it's okay, dear." Annan, Mali's father said, kissing his wife and laying beside her. "I knew she'd say yes. It's in her blood."

"You're not actually punishing her tomorrow, are you?" Apsari said, raising her eyebrow.

"Absolutely, but, let's say there's a reason she'll be training instead of say, cleaning out the garage." He grinned.

Apsari chuckled and yawned. "Goodnight." She kissed her husband.