"Did you have a question about the homework?" she says, giving nothing away.
"I had a question about the class," he says.
"Go ahead," she says.
"You're teaching us how to break into systems."
"It's a little advanced for this level, I'm aware, but everyone seems to be handling the material just fine." Deflection is usually a good strategy.
"No," he says patiently,"I meant that you're supposed to teach us how to protect computer systems, not break into them."
A little bait, maybe. She wants to get out of here, and Steve Rogers might be her best opportunity. "I promise it'll be easier to build a defense if you know how people get in," she says, smiling faintly. "That's how it usually works, isn't it? Prevent your opponent from making their play by figuring it out before they have time to deploy their strategy?"
"I suppose that's a good point," he says.
He's not biting. "What about on your missions?" she says. "You do try to predict the actions of your opponent, do you not? To understand them?"
He flinches. "You know who I am."
"I do," she says. "I did my homework."
"Homework for who?" he says immediately, and he's looming over her now. She shifts her grip on the pencil she's holding, which happens to have a built-in mini-tazer that is much more effective than its size implies.
"Myself," she says. "I don't belong here, and I need to talk to someone who will help."
"What do you mean?" he says.
Barbara sighs. Explaining about other dimensions is even more tiresome than getting thrown into one.
3.
Thor helps. More accurately, Thor's fiance helps. Barbara is almost sorry to leave; Jane is someone she would like to get to know better.
Before she goes through the energy portal that Jane generated using energy from Mjolnir somehow, Steve bends down and kisses her cheek.
"Good luck," he says. "It's a pity you didn't get to finish teaching the class."
"I left you a tutorial," Barbara says, smiling back at him.
no subject
"Did you have a question about the homework?" she says, giving nothing away.
"I had a question about the class," he says.
"Go ahead," she says.
"You're teaching us how to break into systems."
"It's a little advanced for this level, I'm aware, but everyone seems to be handling the material just fine." Deflection is usually a good strategy.
"No," he says patiently,"I meant that you're supposed to teach us how to protect computer systems, not break into them."
A little bait, maybe. She wants to get out of here, and Steve Rogers might be her best opportunity. "I promise it'll be easier to build a defense if you know how people get in," she says, smiling faintly. "That's how it usually works, isn't it? Prevent your opponent from making their play by figuring it out before they have time to deploy their strategy?"
"I suppose that's a good point," he says.
He's not biting. "What about on your missions?" she says. "You do try to predict the actions of your opponent, do you not? To understand them?"
He flinches. "You know who I am."
"I do," she says. "I did my homework."
"Homework for who?" he says immediately, and he's looming over her now. She shifts her grip on the pencil she's holding, which happens to have a built-in mini-tazer that is much more effective than its size implies.
"Myself," she says. "I don't belong here, and I need to talk to someone who will help."
"What do you mean?" he says.
Barbara sighs. Explaining about other dimensions is even more tiresome than getting thrown into one.
3.
Thor helps. More accurately, Thor's fiance helps. Barbara is almost sorry to leave; Jane is someone she would like to get to know better.
Before she goes through the energy portal that Jane generated using energy from Mjolnir somehow, Steve bends down and kisses her cheek.
"Good luck," he says. "It's a pity you didn't get to finish teaching the class."
"I left you a tutorial," Barbara says, smiling back at him.