Controlee

52. Escape to I-Island

Rule 92: Sometimes it's nice to relax.

"Don't forget to pack, Ginger Ninja!" Yamada called out as she went towards her room to read a bit more before bed without the TV flashing in the background.

She stopped in her doorway. "Pack? Pack for what?"

"For I-Island, of course!" Yamada had never been able to go before, he was practically bouncing on the sofa, brimming with excitement. It was going to be awesome, he'd finally be able to go and he'd finally be able to bring his husband and Otsuka would finally get some freedom on an island with security measures tighter (or at least as tight) as UA. It was perfect. Nothing could possibly go wrong. "Did you forget?"

The girl blinked. "Me?" she checked, pointing a finger at herself.

"Is there anyone else I call Ginger Ninja?"

Yamada could practically see the cogs grinding away in her mind as she computed his words. "You're taking me to the expo?"

"I've got a plus one and Sho already has an invite, who else would we take?"

A wide smile practically tore her face in two. She jumped up, punching one fist in the air. "Yes!" She vanished into her room and a series of bangs followed that were growing increasingly familiar.

Yamada glanced over at his husband as the man sighed. "You ok?" Aizawa called out.

Otsuka reappeared a moment later, an apologetic smile on her face and all her weight balanced on one leg while a tear in her leggings showed a small cut in her other calf. "Um, yeah, but I'm kind of bleeding a bit."

***

Otsuka did not at all remember that a whole entire plane journey was the only way to get to I-Island. In her defence, it had been years since she'd last gone and she wouldn't have been at all shocked if she slept through the entire ride back then since the flight would've been long and boring to her much younger self.

Her older self now was freaking out a little bit. She was trapped in a metal box miles over the ocean with a good eighty people all heading to the same place. She could kill all of them in the blink of an eye. One little slip in control and the plane would be ashes, a cloud of soot raining down around eighty men, women and children plummeting to their deaths.

She hadn't let go off her cuff since the plane journey began.

Sat next to her, Yamada had noticed how tense she was and tried to strike up a conversation. When that didn't go so well he tried some games they could play on paper. Then that failed too so he settled for holding her free hand and letting her squeeze his own hand into oblivion— kid had some serious grip strength right there.

Otsuka truly thought she might cry with relief when they finally landed, but the moment the anxiety could finally be released (no, she was not thinking about the fact she was going to have to take a plane all the way back in a few days time, that was a problem for future Otsuka), excitement took its place. She was here at the most forward-thinking expo in the world, filled to the brim with inventions she was going to get to see in action or even use herself!

"Come on, Ginger Ninja, I know you're excited but let's get to the hotel at least before you run off to try everything."

Right. Yes. That was a good idea. She should definitely do that, and try to figure out the layout of this place better so, when she was allowed to run free, she could actually find her way back to the hotel room. She didn't want to have to deal with getting lost.