So this was the wrong side of the tracks.

Japan never failed to confuse Ludmilla.  Its culture of strange honor, self-effacement, quiet manners, and downright bizarre eccentricities surprised her at every turn.  Musutafu, though not one of the country's better-known metropolises, embodied that culture completely.  Even here, in the supposed bad side of town, things seemed pretty clean and quiet.  Were it not for her mission here today, she wouldn't guessed that this place contained a seedy underbelly of Quirk-using criminals, but it did, and one that apparently wanted her talents to boot.  As she walked along the bleak street, one hand in her pocket and the other clamped around the handle of the briefcase that held her tactical gear, she glanced at the old man walking beside her and, for the umpteenth time, felt a surge of amazement at the individual who served as her mentor.  'Remarkable' didn't cut it; his consideration for her was evident in every detail.  For instance, even now he sauntered along the sidewalk on her right side, which meant she could glance at him for reassurance -as she now did- without having to turn her head due to her sightless left eye.  The words she heard half a year ago still hung on her mind.

[i]”So here you are, Ludmilla,”[/i] he'd greeted in perfect Russian, astounding her from the get-go.  [i]”Forgive me for being up-front, but I can see by the guarded look in your eyes that you're someone who has been used.  I will be perfectly honest about my intentions, then.  Call it honor among thieves, if you will.  I am a lieutenant of Dark Tree, a criminal organization active in this city.  It's my job to recognize young blood and valuable skills across all of Asia, and wherever possible, bring such people here to join our ranks.  However, I have recognized in you something more.  Your drive to prove yourself reminds me so very much of my granddaughter Emi, who left for America some time ago.  I can tell that you, like her, need someone to look out for you, even if you don't want to admit it.  You need not answer now, but if you'd have me, I would be delighted to think of you not just as my pupil, but as my own grandchild.”[/i]

Weird, and maybe even a little creepy, but straight from the heart—that was Eishun Ikuo, the man known as Whitesnake.  In time, she had come to think of him as a grandfather, and by now she owed him an immeasurable sum of gratitude.  This morning, he had offered her not an order, but a choice: go her own way, with the lessons she'd learned and the skills she'd nurtured, or officially join Dark Tree as a new recruit in their hideout just before they embarked on a grand heist.  That offering completed the job's transformation from an inescapable fate to a duty she could undertake because she wanted to, and for the sake of that wrinkled old hermit.

And here she stood.  Phone in hand, Ludmilla punched in the Japanese characters over the door, and her indispensable translation app told her the name of the place where life would change.  [i]Stray Sheep.  A bar...[/i]  When she and Whitesnake drew near, both reached for the handle, but her fingers closed around it first.  The old man smiled before settling on a grim expression.  [b]“I shall do the talking,” he told her in Russian.[/b]

[color=FF5800]“...Hai, sensei,”[/color] Ludmilla replied, her limited Japanese accented heavily enough to seem like a growl.  She opened the door for her mentor, and the two went inside.

Though possessed of only one eye, Ludmilla quickly found herself with a lot to look at.  She had no doubt that the strangers' eyes would fixate on her bright red hair and eyepatch, so she spared no expense looking them over, her surly expression clear to see.  Most interesting was the mutant in the middle of a drink at the bar, whose size and reptilian features might have visibly intimidated a more emotive recruit, but she managed to recognize the man beside him despite his washed-up veil.  [i]Captain East.[/i]  Ludmilla knew a handful of names belonging to this city's criminals, along with the appearances of the most significant was, and even in her short time in Musutafu she knew all about the tragic tale of Captain East.  Installed in a booth were two unfamiliar faces, a young man who looked pretty ordinary and a younger woman whose ivory-white hair and blank expression made her stand out like a department-store mannequin.  There were two others, neither attention-catching nor forgettable, one behind the bar in a butler's attire and the other situated in front of an arcade cabinet on the far side of the bar.  Her gaze finally settled on a wraith in a black robe and silver mask whose reputation preceded him.  [i]Shade Walker.  The real deal.[/i]  Putting a hand on her hip, she waited along with Whitesnake for the current exchange to fizzle out, after which the old man began to speak.

[b]“Mr. Shade Walker, good afternoon.  I'm glad I could catch you in time.  Here is the new recruit you asked for, whose Quirk you felt would compliment this team.  I consider her my protege, and I am sure she will serve you well in the heist today.  'Ludmilla' is her name, though she also goes by 'Akane.'”[/b]

Recognizing her name, Ludmilla gave a slight nod of her head, a far cry from a bow.

[b]“She does not speak Japanese or English, but can translate whatever she needs from her phone.  In the heat of the moment, you'll find that she is very intuitive about what she needs to do.”[/b]  Switching to Russian, he made an aside to Ludmilla.  [i][b]“Go ahead and use the bathroom to get changed into your suit.  If I remember the schedule correctly, there will be action soon.”[/b][/i]

After giving a grunt of confirmation, Ludmilla began to move through the bar, still holding her briefcase.  One by one she glanced at the other villains as she passed, headed for the bathroom, the Japanese indicator for which she knew from memory.