The path you must take has been prepared.

[mix_it_up]

He swings for her jaw. She whips back, just beyond his fist, then ducks as his other hand swings out toward her, slamming her fist into his chest. It's enough to make him stumble back, but only for a moment, before he launches forward and aims a kick toward her legs. She jumps –

"- the interior trigger was difficult to work out. You were right, it's necessary, but it was hard to find the right balance for it."

"I wrote a few suggestions for that into the designs."

"Yes, and we incorporated them. Most of the issues we encountered came up in testing. Early on if they weren't careful –"

- and she darts just beyond his range again, forcing him to take another step forward so that she's within his reach. Then she ducks down, despite that he hasn't moved to strike again, and for a moment it looks as though he's caught her in a false step, leaning forward to meet her height. But as he comes at her, she jumps up, and grabs his shoulder with her right hand, balancing on it as she swings herself in a smooth flip over him, and lands on her feet behind him. He's barely managed to begin a turn when she's swung her left arm over his shoulders, and her right hand snatches something from his side, which turns out to be a small wooden dagger concealed in a sheath. Without a pause, she presses the blade of the dagger against his jugular.

And then, he tells her, "Next." Asami releases him, tossing the dagger to the edge of the courtyard and turning around before she steps away from him.

"But in any case, it's fully operational now. The tests we've done have all been outstanding. There's never been anything like it before."

"That is what we aim for here."

"How soon do you think you'll be able to put it into mass-production?"

"I hope to start in the next couple weeks. It's taken some time to narrow down whom I can trust, but –"

She lifts her arm, hitting his right wrist and forcing his hand upward, as a thin strip of red cloth flips out from his fingers. The cloth curls and retracts back to his hand, and she ducks as he does the same with his left hand, darting out of the path of the cloth as though it really were a burst of flame.

He swings a kick out toward her, the same material darting out from his shoe, and she jumps in place to dodge it. He follows it with quick blow with his left hand, so quick she only just steps sideways to avoid the fake flame, before he slams his right fist forward into the air at her. She stops, and leans back, arms moving from her sides to help her balance as she forces herself to arc back as far as she can, the slip of cloth still coming so close to her that she has to turn her face to avoid it.

Once it's begun to retract, however, she rises with it. He lifts his leg for another kick of fake flame, but she drops down, twisting to the side beneath his right leg and using her arm to dislodge his left. He falls as she steps out from under him, and she's just turned when again –

"Next."

"... Mr. Sato?"

Asami has turned and stepped away once again, dutifully keeping her back to her opponent.

The strips of red cloth are folded and set aside.

"Are you –"

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Right – just the numbers. He wants enough for our people, but not so many that –"

"I understand. The limited charge capacity should help with that."

She twists to the left, as he slams one of a pair of wooden dual dao swords toward her. She takes one step back, and then another, watching as he lowers his hand so that both swords are at his side. And then, in the same stance, he charges toward her again.

Asami turns on her right foot, lifting her left and kicking the left sword out of his hand. Landing her foot so that she's slightly to his right, she grabs his right wrist, and turns back into him, shoving his arm back, her hand over his, so that she forces the blade he's holding up against his own throat.

She doesn't release him until – "All right."

"She's quick."

In the center of the stone courtyard, Asami picks up the sword she'd kicked away and hands it back to Sifu Qin. She's in loose white clothes – usually only seen when she's running out of class – her dark hair tied in a ponytail down her back. Moments ago, her eyes were cold, her mouth a thin line as she darted and dodged and attacked. But now she's smiling, and nodding to whatever the Sifu is telling her as he puts the practice swords away.

It's the first time either of the men at the edge of the courtyard has acknowledged the pair. Hiroshi doesn't answer.

"You know, she'd be perfect for –"

"I'm not interested in discussing that."

She laughs. It echoes through the courtyard as she puts a hand on Sifu Qin's shoulder, speaking to him as she bounces on her feet very slightly, and her father realizes she's describing the flip over his shoulder.

"We could always use more of them. And with that agility –"

"She's not a part of this."

"- but you cut it too close there," Sifu Qin's explains (his voice always carries, even when he's not speaking that loudly), and he holds out his hand, fingers moving as though demonstrating the look of flame. "If it had been fire, it would've been close enough to burn you. And I don't think you want anyone burning that face."

Asami rolls her eyes. She's been training with Sifu Qin since she was too small to lift one of those swords. A few formalities, at least, are permitted to fall by the wayside.

"She's going to know eventually, Hiroshi."

When there's no answer, his fellow bows slightly, and leaves through the doors behind them. A moment later, Asami does the same for Sifu Qin. It's after this that she turns, and for the first time, notices her father waiting by the doorway. She smiles at once, and rushes over to him.

"Hey, I didn't see you." She puts her arm around his shoulder when she reaches him, pulling her father into a very quick hug, which he returns. "What're you doing here?"

"I had a free minute, I thought I'd check in on your progress for once."

Asami glances back at Sifu Qin, and fumbles slightly as she reaches for the loop that's holding her hair back. But she tries to cover it as she tugs the loop out, and shakes her hair loose over her shoulders.

"How was it?"

Her father also looks between her and her training master, but the nods. "Well done, sweetie."

Her smile reappears, so quickly. There's one modest glance down to her feet before – "Do you need me tonight?"

"No, I'll be working late." And as she seems to take that as a cue to head for the doors, he calls after her, "Where are you off to?"

"The Arena," she answers, close to the doors but pausing before going through them. She can tell the question he's really thinking is, 'Again?' but instead he asks –

"What are you taking?"

"The moped – I fixed it."

"Was it the throttle cables, like I said?"

Asami presses her lips together, not looking too keen to admit anything, and rather than answer, she just gives a small shrug and half-smile, and takes the moment to slip along through the doorway.