Work Text:
Maddie thought about her private advanced martial arts class as she lay in bed. If it was her regular class, she would have her few regular ecto-biologists like Jack and herself. The lessons were designed around the concept of how ghosts fight and how to counter and contain. Then she would have the bounty hunters, as her classes revolved around the catching and containment. They would practice more of the techniques used for non-ectobeings. Perverting her martial arts to use against the living and not ecto-scum. Finally, the students that came up from generic martial arts class that wanted to continue to learn. They weren’t too caring about the ecto part of the class, but they wanted to pursue knowledge she wouldn’t stop them.
This was Maddie’s private class she thought about. The students here were all hand delivered by an old college friend, Miranda. Her friend would pay for the private classes of between ten to fifteen people at a time, and asked Maddie to evaluate them for her. Miranda also would tell Maddie to wear coverings while teaching to protect herself as not all the students would be the nicest if they knew who she was. Maddie wouldn’t even run this class if Jack and her didn’t need the money. Having run the classes for some time whenever she got a new batch, she would have them first all spar with each other in an elimination style set up and then beat the strongest student into submission at the beginning of the next lesson. The last class had ten students in it, and one was beyond promising, even made her work to defeat him. Miranda sounded taken with the man, no better than a stereotypical schoolgirl with her first crush.
Maddie studied the 20 something-year-old billionaire between Jack and her. Normally Miranda made it a point for Maddie not to know the trainees, but this was different. Maddie needed to protect her friend though and do a very thorough evaluation and the man. She didn’t expect it to be this thorough, but Miranda told her it would probably end up like this if she got to close. Unlike the normal trainees sent to her, Bruce had a life outside the classes and Maddie was going to use it to her advantage. At least she was until Jack brought him home. It had scared her at first, having one of Miranda’s weird trainees in the same house as her daughter and unable to say anything. Her daughter in question that night was playing with a brand new stuffie in the shape of a bear Albert Eistein.
It turns out that Bruce wasn’t the only person that Miranda talked about. Bruce was interested in meeting the great Maddie Fenton nee Walker. He had run across Jack Fenton by accident when at the mall looking for a gift for the Fenton family, where he got to meet the most adorable one year old. He immediately introduced himself to the man and his daughter and bought her a teddy bear. Jack was overbearing but that worked to Bruce’s advantages earning him a fast invite to the Fenton house. The fear in Maddie’s eyes when she saw him in her home promised pain in the next lesson. He knew she beat him already with capture maneuvers but in the next lesson she beat him into the ground. Probably a good thing for the rest of the trainees thought she was too soft at first.
The next time they met out of lessons was a mutual location with just Maddie and Bruce. They talked mainly about Miranda. Bruce explained that he wasn’t like the rest of the trainees and after her classes he was going a different route than them. He also asked if she knew what she was training them for. At some point after all the serious conversation ended, Jack had somehow found them and joined them for dinner. Over the month the private classes ran, Bruce, Jack, and Maddie would have dinner regularly at the Fenton residence. That led them to last night. Bruce’s last night in Wisconsin.
Bruce knew Maddie was away studying him. “Maddie…when I leave today, I want you to take the check.” He had offered a considerable amount of money so she wouldn’t have to train more league assassins. She might not know what she was training them for but if she didn’t have to anymore the world would be better off.
“Bruce...” Maddie started.
“Would it help if I say it’s hush money, so you don’t tell Miranda about tonight. I know she’ll find out eventually.”
“No, I won’t have you paying us for that. If it means that much, we’ll take the money. Besides, Miranda said that this would be the last time she sent students. Also, who says she doesn’t already know.” Bruce’s chuckles are drowned out by Jack’s snoring. Jazz cries in the other room. Maddie moves getting up.
“She figured this would happen didn’t she.” Bruce also attempts to move, finding Jack’s arms around him still.
“Wouldn’t have happened if Miranda didn’t give me her permission. You don’t sleep with your friend’s love without it. Now you stay there get some more sleep while I handle Jazz.”
When Maddie got back to the room Bruce was gone. Only an envelope with the disputed check inside. Taking it out and looking, she cursed him. This was ten times the amount he said he was going to give them.