A Sushi Place in Beachside L.A.

In a city of metahuman gangs, supervillains, alien invasions, robot uprisings and magic, and many other forms of superpowered insanity, there are also many places where normal life tries to eke out a living. The Little Tokyo district is infamously run by the Yakuza, but on the surface at least, things are orderly.

On a side street near the central business district is one such little shop among many, no more than 5 meters wide and about the same deep. It had only about 4 tables, and a bar that divided the diners from the kitchen area. The entrance was a traditional sliding paper door, while the sign a carved wooden board. At the moment it was empty, save for the owner who was preparing tonight's horse radish.

The interior was clean and clean white wood was the material of choice. A single screen was playing the news, going on about the usual issues- climate change, the president, and metahuman violence.

DING A LING*

The older, Japanese looking man with a graying beard would greet any comers. "Ayyy. Welcome to the Sushi shack. Take a seat. So what'll it be?"  He says with a tired american accent, and hands the new arrival a menu containing all the usual Japanese fare. "Hey, we got a new house special today- Ikizukuri. Live fish sashimi. All the white kids love to creep their friends out with it."

Danny walked in past the buzz of static waves buzzing from the television. She opened the door for herself, pushing it just enough to all allow a man to follow her in. White complected with wavy brown hair, he stood a few inches above six foot with a box jaw line covered in a light beard. Behind him walked another man with darker skin, but just as tall, if not a little more lean. Tonight Danny double dated with the half sister of Bliss she regularly did not hang out with- Mitsuko.

Even though Mitsuko's specialty resided in fashion, Danny forwent her advice and sensibilities and just kept it casual with jean shorts and a Stanford jacket. The climate of the subtropical Los Angeles did her a favor in picking shorts in December.

Mitsuko walked past the little man, smiling at the invitation for Ikizukuri. The click from the heel of her boot echoed on the wooden floor as she almost glided across to her table in a short, green, pleated skirt with a graphic black and white shirt with an anime panda adorned on it. She took the seat across from Danny and next to her date for the evening, accepting her seat to be pushed in by the much taller man.

Danny took her own seat and placed her elbow on the table, resting her chin on a perch to look down the table. "I guess we need to watch out for Ben ordering any Izikukuri."

"I don't think that's what the guy said, Danny." The man next to Mitsuko laughed as he attempted to remember the exact wording the man came up with, before glancing over to the more culturally knowledgeable Mitsuko.

"Ikizukuri." Mitsuko looked around for her hands to try and find something to fidget with, before just laughing in unison with the man next to her. "Don't worry Isiah, it goes down smooth."

Danny smirked in compliance as she looked down to the man at the front of the restaurant, not knowing if she needed to bark out her order, or merely wait for someone.

"Hehey, welcome, two beautiful couples. Always welcome in this old place." The Oji-San accommodated the young customers and hear them talk back and forth about the dish he offered.

"Okay, two Ikuzukuri it is." He said, then shouted to the kitchen. "Advance call for two Ikuzukuri specials!

He then turns back to them. "Will there be anything else? ah, drinks? ramen? some gyoza?"

"Hai, hai, Two specials, got it." From the kitchen came a familiar voice. Female, tired and weary, belonging to someone who had a deep association with katanas, cyber samurai armor and other Japanese things. However, these days, Diana was wearing an apron, a hat, and using a big heavy cleaver.

While Oji-San took their other orders, Diana went to work. with expert hands, a sharp blade, and a sharper eye for anatomy she scoops up some live fish from the kitchen tank and lays them out on the chopping board. The fish flop about in her grip, trying to escape their fate, but Diana needed that $13.50 an hour.

Without missing a beat Diana descales and guts the creatures and turns their bodies into slices of sashimi, the chopping board making loud thuds as the cleaver struck the wood. Diana artfully prepares two wooden trays with shaved ice, some red ginger and a small pinch of wasabi. Throughout the process the fish is still gasping, though likely no longer alive, and by the time it reached their tables, the fish seemed like it was trying to breathe, and made eye contact with Danny. If Seagirl was here, she'd probably make out the fish trying to say, '...what did I do to deserve this...'

"Two orders of Ikuzukuri, and I'll follow the rest of your order. Well, enjoy your meal." The old man says, cheerfully serving the gruesome meal.

The quartet shuffled through idle talk like a dealer breaking in a new deck. The two girls met their dates for the evening at a Clipper's game after Mitsuko met with an up and coming fashionista whom wanted to talk about a partnership with the young designer. The business talk did not go well due to the fashion industry being one or two steps above nineteenth century slavery- the realization which almost broke Mitsuko, but Danny did manage to get her a hot dog in time to lift her spirits.

"This looks good." Isaac put a napkin in his lap as he shuffled his fingers.

"If you say so boss." Ben did not share his friend's enthusiasm, but still felt intrigued enough to poke the fish. "What do you think?"

Mitsuko leaned forward, looking he fish in the eye. "The blade work is very well done. Should go down very smooth."

"I'm digging in." A pair of invasive chop sticks crossed the table. "First to eat is lucky or something like that."

"I'm not sure that's how it works." Mitsuko broke her chop sticks apart and poked at the rice.

Both of their dates followed through in motion, partaking in the oddly delectable dish.

As the four continued to keep their conversation empty, the common room did not remain so. Three girls sporting very colorful, but painfully cheap, outfits strode into the restaurant. Their outfits consisted of skirts with tights, the top covered up by sweatshirts, each in pink, light blue, and yellow respective to each girl.

Danny looked over to Mitsuko with an eager look. "Do you think they're following in our footsteps."

Mitsuko covered her mouth with her hand to hide the food while she spoke. "No, I think they're trying to be superheroes."

Danny looked crossly at Mitsuko. "I'm chalking that one up to translation. I think I'm going to go talk to them. Who knows, maybe they need a little guidance."

Since it was a small, personal place, Oji-san greeted each of his customers and asked them for feedback on the food. He approached Danny's double date table, hands clasped and a sincere smile. "How do you find the meal? If you need anything just ask."

The little bell rang again announcing new arrivals. The small restaurant was very quickly filled up. The old restaurant owner went to welcome them after conversing with Danny and company.

"Hello welcome to the sushi shack. Well... those are... interesting wardrobe choices. What can I get you three ladies?" He asked, helping them to the only other table in the whole place.

While the dishwasher washed up, Diana sat around and brought out her phone to watch some vids. She was just about to browse when the restaurant door bell rang, signalling more customers. She went back to her station to get ready.

"We'll take the spicy tuna, and- you guys wanna share a California roll?" The girl in pink looked to the others with a pair of light blue eyes that betrayed the origins of her Korean ancestry.

"I'm just going to pick around at it to be honest." The blonde in the light blue outfit sat the menu on the table, looking over to the darker skinned girl in the yellow outfit.

"Yeah, I have no idea what this stuff is, so you go ahead and be our international savant, Heather."

"Well in that case, tack on a spicy shrimp tempura for the newbies." Heather folded the menu and handed it back to the man. "Alright, Karen, Stacey. We did well tonight, but I think we can work on a few-"

"Hey! Couldn't help but overhear something about stopping evil." Danny slid in between Heather and Karen, pushing the blonde over.

"Oh yeah?" A small glow began to form around Heather's cheeks. "I wouldn't say we're really doing any important, but we're getting started."

"You look familiar." Karen moved back to her original point of origin as she tried to look to Danny's face.

"Hey, yeah. Are you Danny Tamamoa?" From across the table, Stacey tried to get a better look at Danny.

"The Sphinx?" A furrowed brow sat atop Heather's eyes as she tried to grasp the answer.

"No, the cheerleader." An open palm embraced Stacey's chin.

"Yes to both of you actually." Danny smiled as she embraced her hands in front of her chest. "Danny the Sphinx at your service. Is there anything you want to know about the superhero situation?"

"Yeah." Heather moved her head forward. "Why are you the Sphinx? Don't you make constructs?"

"The name isn't important. It really isn't." Danny shook her head. "I really don't know what made me go for that name."

The service bell rang, and the video feed in the kitchen replayed the girl's order. Due to having a legal disability Diana couldn't take written orders. "Spicy tuna, spicy shrimp tempura. Okay." She repeated to herself.

Diana's sensitive hearing picked up the conversation outside the kitchen, over the sizzle of breaded shrimp being deep fried. Once she set the timer on the automated frier she went to the sushi table to work on the rolls.

"Danny's the sphinx because she's hard to figure out; she ain't no basic bitch." Diana chimed in on the conversation, while she was making those spicy rolls on the cold prep table. "Ohai Danny." She added, managing a brief smile amidst all her pent up angst. Seems the internet has rubbed off on the Ronin.

A valid, if not oddly spoken response came from the backroom. Danny took an immediate notice of her on again off again partner. "Diana?"

"The Ronin?" Heather popped her head back to try and get a look to the door leading to the back. No physical appearance made its way just yet, but the voice did enough to spark attention. "She works at a sushi place? I guess the hero thing really is rough."

"Yeah, it has its ups and downs." Danny tried to pull attention back to her section of the table while maintaining her eyes on the door leading back to the kitchen. "A lot of heroes need to pay the bills, but need a flexible schedule."

"I'm just going to use Instagram modeling as my means of keeping my profile and money up."

"That would be a great idea if that were a thing, but no one gets big just off of Instagram followers." Danny turned back to the table. "I mean I should know. I have 2.7 million followers, but it is only to help the museums I take care of."

"You should use that power of humblebragging more." Heather locked her fingers into a conjoined fist. "I bet you could beat Kovah if you used it."

"You mean the clown I kept from blowing up a stadium?" Danny's brow lifted to as severe an angle as her eyebrow job would allow.

"I mean the one who duct taped you to-"

"Oh my God!" A loud shriek came through Karen's hands closed over her mouth. "It's Mitsuko!"

A timid turn of the head brought Mitsuko's gaze to the table of younger heroes. Her fingers waved individually, giving minor lip service without parting her lips.

"Yeah, like I said, I'm here with Mit-"

"Oh my God!" A pair of green eyes annexed the rest of the Stacey's lenses. "Can we work with her!"

"She would skyrocket my Instagram followers."

A vibration shook across the table in between Ben and Mitsuko. A curt curl of Mitsuko's lips accompanied the narrow slit of frustration seeping from Mitsuko's eyes as she lowered her phone. Mitsuko met eyes with Ben, then the phone. Everyone got the message except Danny.

"Hey Mitsy!" Danny made her way back to the table, sitting next to the half size half sister of Bliss.

"No." Mitsuko exhaled the words rather than speak them.

Danny sharpened her eyebrow again. "Mitsy."

"Still no."

Danny lowered a growl. "Mitsy."

"You're acting like Bliss." Mitsuko leaned in close towards Danny to keep the conversation private. "I don't care what you told them, I can't just add models to my show because you want young people to think you're cool!"

"I am cool! I'm a cheerleader! In college!" Danny whisper yelled at Mitsuko. "Now, put them in the show! If you don't, and they turn evil, it's your fault."

"Don't put that on me!" Mitsuko shot back with her hand against her chest.

"It's true." A piece of shrimp moved towards Danny's mouth. It tasted like victory. "These girls are pretty directionless, and maybe being around people with morals would shape their vague, motionless existence towards ultimate good."

"I guess I can-"

"Great! Good news girls!"

"That's right, because what is secret identity anymore, am I right?" Diana said back at the good guesser, shrugged like a Gen-Z kid, not even wondering how that girl managed to guess her masked identity.

The steady rhythm of a knife chopping was the followed by a platter of competently done maki rolls exiting the kitchen. Diana listened in on the conversation go from a terrible enemy who stole her sacred blade, to doing a fashion show with Mitsuko and these random albeit named girls. "Order's out." She declared. It'd been months- almost a year since she'd last heard of the clown. Was this her call back to being Ronin?

Oji-san though was more enthusiastic with ideas, and rolled with the girls' talk. He absently served the tuna and shrimp and turned to Mitsuko. "...You guys are models? you should get Princess out of that kitchen, I bet she'd clean up well in a dress, eh?" He said, nudging Mitsu.

He then turned to Danny. "It sounds like you girls know each other after all. I can tell Princess isn't just some dyslexic sushi chef. Not with those bruises and scars. Girl's been in nasty fights." He said, looking to Princess's friend for some kind of affirmation.

"They're models now!" Danny swung her feet around to face Oji. "Right Mitsy-"

"Just stop. I said 'yes' already." Mitsuko pulled her hands away from her face, dropping a finger to her phone in preparation to find a dress suitable for three young women.

"Who the hell is Princess?" Danny looked over to the three girls. When they first came in, Oji looked as though he never met them, and Danny remembered a few of the names pinging around. No Princesses though. "Wait!"

A smile curved out of Danny's cheeks, bringing her pearly whites to a arched triangulation. "Hey! Princess!" Danny stuck her head closer to the kitchen. "We need to do something about all those bruises and scars, but I think we've got a great dress for you tomorrow."

"I like this 'we' concept you put together. Are 'we' sewing the dress?" Mitsuko's speech slurred slightly with the weight of her skull pressing against her palm. "I now have seven models and ten dresses. It's okay. I didn't need to eat this week anyways."

Diana the princess looked at the clock and realized her shift was ending, just as her first name was being made a joke. "Hey, so it is you Danny. Haven't seen you in awhile. Did the Princess thing only get funny now? " With no more customers coming in, Diana headed to the locker room to get changed.

She closes the door and does a bit of thinking as she automatically gets out of her fish smelling outfit. Her life had been peaceful now- peaceful- living away from weapons. But she still had a responsibility to get hers back, to keep it out of hands who would use it for evil.

She rejoins Danny and Mitsuko and company once the restaurant had closed that evening, baggy sweatshirt and jogging pants. Instead of her signature art tube, she now had a case for her bow and arrows. "So. uh. What've you been up to? We're not doing anything dangerous are we?" She asked, looking over their new 'friends'.

The sushi shop died down a little from the small gathering it once hosted. Danny and Mitsuko returned to their table with their dates. The trio waited for their food to come, but their fawning attention overshot Danny and went straight to Mitsuko. "So, this is going to be-"

"Work." Mitsuko impaled a piece of salmon. "A lot of work."

"This is going to be great." Danny overlooked Mitsuko's forehead and gawked at the door. "This is a supermeta fashion show right?"

"I'm sure nothing is going to go wrong with that." An off balance look crossed from Ben to Danny.

"This will be fine." Both of Mitsuko's hands met centered in front of her, slowly descending from her chest to her diaphragm. "I can do this."

A crack of light broke through the swinging door. Diana emerged in her regular ill fitting clothing, probably from her own tastes, but also possibly from her new economic standing- unbeknownst to Danny. "Since I last saw you? I met a plant guy, and that might be about it. Wow, I'm not getting out much."

"I need your measurements." Personal space invader, Mitsuko, started to measure Diana's waist. "Hold still."

"Tomorrow is a fashion show for meta designers. Well, designs for metas. I don't think the designers are metas." Danny looked over to Mitsuko. "Are there?"

"I'm working." Mitsuko moved up to Diana's neck, wrapping enough of the measuring tape to get a notion.

"Danger?" Danny rubbed her chin. "Naw, there's no danger."

Diana absently lifted her arms and turned to the sides at Mitsuko's prompt as her worth was measured. "A fashion show. Hope the pay's good. Well, what could possibly go wrong..." Between measurements and catching up with Danny, she juggled her phone to call the group a couple of Ubers.

STAR SWIPE TO THE NEXT SCENE

The girls squad eventually catch an Uber van that could carry them all, driven by an older gentleman in a suit. Given his hair and beard were graying and disheveled, and he spoke mostly in grunts, and he had a perpetual scowl on his face, Diana figured they got another wonderful character as a driver. One that didn't talk much at all.

"...So like, I picked up the knife and started slicing fish... and it all starts making sense to me... and I guess the kitchen isn't half a bad place to be when you earn-"

"Outta gas." The old man driver grumbled through his beard, and Diana understood when he took a short detour at a gas station.
"Oh, okay... I guess we could stop for some late night snacks. You guys want anything?" She asked them, as the van pulled up beside the pump.

Unbenknownst to them, a small group of hooded punks were eyeing the van from the dumpster behind the gas station, half-trying to remain undetected.

"Chip, find anything in there?" asked the ring leader, a young Italian american man with slick hair, a gray hoodie and denim pants. He was speaking to the smallest and thinnest of the bunch, a pallid young caucasian man with too large eyes and ears, long dry hair and a small metal stud in his head.

Chip held two fingers to the stud on his head,
and his outstretched hand towards the van. By his metahuman abilities, he tapped the dash came inside, and eyed the passengers before they left the car.

"One driver... old man... five girls... young adults... ...Th...three... four... debit cards, Lorenzo... sir..." He whimpered as he came to his senses, and almost jumped out of his skin when their leader patted him on the shoulder.

"That's my boy, Chip. Come on, boys, same drill." He said, leading his 'squad' to introduce themselves, intent on deception and distraction more than overt harm, as Chip followed close behind in reluctance.

"How many Ubers did you order?" Ben stood next to Danny, looking down at her app.

"It should be fine with two. Three of them. Four of us. One Diana. That's eight."

"Get a premium." Isiah put his hands in his pockets. He looked over to Mitsuko as she kept her gaze squarely in front of her. "She doesn't look happy."

"She isn't happy." Mitsuko adjusted her glasses. "She is the opposite of happy. The first time I met Diana, I was happier than I am now."

"Hey! You've met Diana before!" A spark of joy shot into Danny. "Was she-"

"Wasn't good." The spark did not cross into Mitsuko's circuitry. "I need to go the event center."

"Looks like we're calling it a night." Danny looked over to Isiah and Ben. "It's been great, but I probably put a little too much stress on Mitsy, not pointing fingers at myself, but I may have tried to juggle a little too much."

"We got the Uber ordered. We'll have a full night next time." Isiah put his phone back in his pocket as an Uber pulled up for the rest of the group.

"Full night, Mitsy!" An energetic whisper shot into Mitsuko's ear.

"Hmm." Both of Mitsuko's arms remained cross.

"You know how good a full night feels!"

"It's better than a stressful day of work, but you got rid of that dream." The seats in the SUV began filling up as Mitsuko wrapped her fingers around the handle from the roof of the car. "I got rid of your dream of lowered standards."

"Those weren't lowered standards, Mitsy." The seat firmly accepted Danny more so than Mitsuko. "Those were good 'full nights'."

"Sure." The seatbelt clicked.

"They were." Danny kept her head forward while the girls behind her chattered on with Diana in the front.

The SUV continued on until the driver informed them of their deficient fuel situation. "What kind of Uber driver runs out of gas?" The door slammed behind, leaving the cabin removed from the man. "Do we tip for this?"

"You don't have to tip. It's Uber. We should have used Lyft though." Danny sunk back into her seat.

"I'm getting out." The reflection Mitsuko cast on the window mirrored her announcement. "I need something for tonight."

Mitsuko stepped out of the van, walking with her hands in her pocket towards the corner store. Her shoulders rose as she breathed in heavily, letting the exhalation carry her along. Knowing where the store sat allowed her to bob her head around, looking at her surroundings. An ugly pair of boots by a dumpster pulled her attention more than it should. A minor annoyance complicated by a night full of larger annoyances. So many annoyances.

It caused Mitsuko to sigh. And, stare too much.

Once Lorenzo and his gang were making their way to the car, they spread out to surround the vehicle.

The Old Man driver, who was handling the pump, eyed the hooded menaces who were too obviously coming their way. His breathing was heavy, knees weak palms are sweaty... nervous instincts caused him to take out his electronic key and lock his passengers in. For their safety.

Diana herself tensed at the sight of the gang. She wanted to open the door but found herself locked in the big van with the new models, for their own safety. Unwilling to be victimized, she reached into her coat and gripped her karambit- an Indonesian Tiger Claw- a small hooked blade that was vicious in the hands of a blade master.

Once the tension could not get worse, they whip out their... spray bottles and sponges? and began spraying soapy water on the now sort-of-dusty windows, while other members began handing out pamphlets to the old man and anyone who'd gotten off. Mitsuko in the store, among them.

The washers were all enthusiastic and smiling, while another pamphlet dude was knocking on Danny's window trying to get her attention. "Hey there! Can we ask for a minute of your time, miss?"

Diana let out a sigh of relief, and returned the karambit to its sheathe. Solicitors. Who only happened to look like gangbangers. Maybe she'd been too paranoid.

Lorenzo had approached the old man non-threateningly and offered him a pamphlet with too small print for the visually impaired uber driver. "Hello sir, I'm sorry to disturb you but we're a 24 hour car wash fund raiser. My name is Lorenzo and we're with the California Animal Rescue. We wash your car for free, and in return we'll take any donation you'll offer... even if you don't."

The Old man could only stand there is disbelief. He relaxed his fist. "...Fund raiser? A-Animal rescue? are you for real?" He grunted, trying to wonder if this scam was a scam or just a genuine fund raiser kids these days are so fond of.

"Oh yes sir, definitely... We'll have your car clean as a whistle, and you don't even have to pay. But we'd appreciate it if you would. It's for the animals you see."

While everyone else was distracted, Chip lowered his sponge and bottle behind the car, and touched the vehicle, reaching out with his power. At this distance, his power allowed him to focus on any credit card in the car, and with relative ease lift the information stored in their chips...