She got the attention she was looking for. Even from people she knew. They stared but no one saw the truth. No one saw Betty. They only saw the illusion of the mysterious persona dreamt up by the Gypsy. She made men's mouths water. She was free to cause chaos if she so desired. It was too easy. She felt giddy like a mischievous little girl up to no good.
She arrived at the bar and was quickly greeted by the bartender. Betty used a sultry voice mimicking the Gypsy's accent and introduced herself as Raven. She said she was new in town and looking for a job. She claimed to have heard good things about Razzles. She assured him that she had experience in what they were looking for. The bartender was all too eager to oblige. Before long she was talking with the manager of Razzles. The last time she saw him, he was yelling humiliating things at her. He dumped Betty into the street. It was a memory that felt like a nightmare. He had such rancor in his words. Now he was charming her, practically begging her to join the staff.
She knew just what to say, and just what to do to get want she want from him. Later, she even pushed her luck, by flirting with the male employees she recognized, but they couldn't detect the ruse. Betty was invisible. To them she was Raven. The anonymity was freedom. She struggled to suppress her laughter, and stay in character. No one could hurt her, if they didn’t really know her.
She took the job.
She told her manager that she’d take the weird guys who weren’t necessarily interested in sex. Betty knew what kind of men would be interested in Raven. She’d attract a certain type of customer; the ones who liked it rough, the ones who wanted to be dominated, the ones who needed to be punished.
Over time, she built up a new clientele of men seeking her special services. There were more interested parties than she would have guessed. She crushed one every night.
She used them to tryout her new fighting skills. She practiced Isamu’s techniques on them. Violence had more then one application. Her clients loved it and so did she. There was a safe distance in this type of play and it allowed her to have fun.
When it came to the money Raven was all business. She charged more then Betty. She even negotiated a better percentage of the take. The money was rolling back in and she was relieved. Before long her bank account was replenished. She was back on track to recover the family farm.
The Raven disguise put a safe distance between Betty and her associates. She preferred that type of relationship to anything intimate.
Mimi and Betty never sat down for a meal again. Betty established a new boundary and Mimi accepted it. They weren't sisters. Betty wouldn’t allow herself to become apart of another family, but she could have a business relationship with them. After all everything was paid for.
She was the patron they were the employees. Her obligation was over, now they just focused on the training. Betty learned quickly and the class evolved. Speech was minimal. Most communication became physical; a demonstration, a point, a glance, and a nod were all that was really needed.
Over time, Betty became more confident. Her body was changing. One night at the hospital a nurse attempted to hang a glass bottle of blood for a patient. It slipped from her hand. Betty caught it before it could strike the floor and shatter. Her body knew what to do before she thought it. The speed of her reflexes surprised her.
She was also developing a sense of the space around her. Without looking she could detect people’s presence. She knew it wasn't magic, but it sure felt like it. She was also feeling hints of paranoia, like she was waiting for everyone to attack her. She started seeing people as a collection of pressure points and weak spots where she could do the most damage. Her body spoke to her. She now understood it was becoming a weapon that could be used on her mission, and she was anxious to get started.
In class it was harder for Mimi to lay a hand of Betty when they sparred. They were evenly matched. Before long her second graduation was upon her.
One evening Isamu stopped the match between Betty and Mimi. He told Mimi to step out and he entered the combat. He was going to fight his student. Betty's heart raced.
On his command they started. He was loud and aggressive. He came at her like a lion. She allowed the fear to fuel her heart, but kept a clear head and she defended herself. His fists flew at her like arrows. Student and teacher zigzagged across the mat. Isamu conducted the fight like he was running through a mental checklist. He gave her an opportunity to use everything he had taught her against him. Occasionally, he would smile as she threw something innovative, or something she invented, at him. She was a clever adversary and he knew that anyone who attacked this little white girl in the future was going to get a surprise. He knew she was ready for the street.