Ingenious 10

-Brainiac-

"Come on, just swing your fist towards me." Robin motioned to himself. "I know you can throw a punch."

Following his wishes, I half-heartedly aimed my knuckles for his gut, but he neatly daced out of my reach. His amusing maniacial laughter bubbled from his chest. He sounded like an evil pod of dolphins, with just a hint of Joker malice, and that thought had the corners of my mouth turning upwards.

"You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to pass Black Canary's training." He smirked, crinkling the skin around his mask. "You did about as well as Kid Flash his first time around."

Funny how I wasn't surprised at his statement.

"C'mon Big-Brains, try again."

I hesitated, crossing my arms and standing taller with indignation. "That's the second time you've called me 'Big-Brains'."

He stopped too, and got up from his defensive crouch. Running his hand through his hair, he stood across from me awkwardly. "You don't like that?"

"No. I don't."

He played with his hair again and scuffed his black sneakers against the floor. "Oh... ...sorry."

I shrugged. "You didn't know."

"So, uh, you like gymnastics?" He motioned to the different-leveled blocks and the set of rings and sumersaulted his way to the top where he grabbed the rings and held himself with his arms extended and his feet perfectly straight above his head. "Not to brag, but I'm kinda the master of acrobatics in my school."

I gave him a wry look.

Chuckling, he swung a few times and propelled himself to the lowest standing block. There, he crouched onto his haunches and cocked his head. "You don't talk much, do you?"

"No. I don't."

He cackled again and jumped down. "Now you try."

I looked over the set, possibilities echoing into my mind. "How should I demonstrate my abilities?"

He cocked his head again. "Do whatever you want," but I didn't move. "Just... improvise." He encouraged, trying to spur me into action. I stayed in one place, but cracked the knuckles in my hands, still deciding.

"Hey," He spoke up after a few more moments of silence. "We have talcum powder-"

I interrupted him by bursting into a full sprint.

Building up momentum, I leapt up the blocks with a series of handsprings and propelled myself up into the air with the rings. Coming down headfirst, I could feel the air rushing past me as I decended from my momentary flight. As I passed the bar suspending the rings, I reached out, grabbed it, and spun into a rebound where I skipped the blocks coming back and skidded back to my origional spot.

Straitening up, I turned to him, judging his expression. He had another smirk splashed on his face, but it wasn't condescending. "I'm glad you don't go to my school."

-Alfred-

Bruce was sulking outside the grey double doors to the training room when I found him. He had disrobed himself of the Batman costume and was drinking from a crystal glass as he watched Dick and Brainiac play inside. Dick was home early for the third time this week, and I knew his new habit of cutting classes had caught Bruce's eye as well.

"Can I get you anything, Bruce?"

He didn't answer me at first, watching the two as they practiced together with knitted brows. I wasn't sure which of the two his thoughts were racing towards, however.

"What do you think of her, Alfred?" I doubted he had even heard my previous question.

"Of Miss Brainiac, sir?"

"Yeah."

I studied her as Robin showed her how to throw his circular bird-a-rangs. Her blue eyes captured every one of his movements, and in turn Dick watched her with interest.

"Master Grayson seems to have taken a liking to her." I said vaguely, curious as to what Bruce would say. Instead he grunted and gulped down the remaining drink from his glass. His black hair hung into his blue eyes and I didn't miss the way they only focused on the pair.

"Bruce?"

"...I don't know what to think of her yet, Alfred." Bruce gave up his stiff posture and leaned against the wall, looking older than his true bachelor age. "She attacked the team with so much ruthless calculation, and yet," He gestured with his glass to where Dick was attempting to get her to spar with him. "Now she is so reluctant to enter any kind of pysical activity with another."

Brainiac's eyes indeed looked hesitant as Dick encouraged her to aim an attack his way. Her blue lined pupils held a child's careful innocence.

"She was under mind-control influence, was she not?" I stated.

"True," Bruce considered. "But the same cold abilities still lie dormant within her conciousness." He gave me his full attention. "So what will bring them forefront?"

I let him mule over his overcaution for a few moments before speaking freely. "So train her to control them, is she not here to follow your teachings?"

Bruce focused on the pair inside once more, but I knew he had heard me.