How To Save The World

Taylor's bank account was sturdy enough that she could have afforded a driver. She could have turned up her nose at the outside world from behind the tinted windows of a glossy black limousine, the city whipping by while her nose was buried in a laptop so she could watch her money grow in real time. She could drink scotch during the day and expensive wine at night and be rude to everyone with a job, and whatever else rich people did.

She did not employ a driver, however, because she was an adult who was neither the president nor an invalid. She rather enjoyed driving, and as a general rule, she did not enjoy the people one might find in the back of a limo, with a few exceptions like when the AFW stuck Akashi in one to cart her around to whatever obligations she had as Captain Japan.

She was more than a little surprised when Morrigan told her of her interview. A New York-based not-for-profit organization that provided youth services to primarily younger at-risk children. They had ambition, too, and were looking to expand to other parts of the world on a very tight schedule.

Taylor was even more surprised when Morrigan told her who would be taking her to the interview. She slouched on the luxurious, leather-wrapped back seat of a glossy-black limousine across from none other than Lukretia Von Creuzfeldt, looking totally out of place in her jeans and boots and "Life Is A Song" t-shirt. She had decided the night before that if she had any chance of impressing these people, it wasn't going to be with her wardrobe, so she was going to show them the everyday Taylor Parker. She wondered if Lukretia was going to bring that up.

"So do you think they'll have a hard time recognizing me without being covered in blood?" She said to break the ice. Lukretia was an imposing figure, and had a way of stealing away the confidence of the people around her. If Taylor's confidence suffered, her voice didn't show it.

Lukretia probably couldn't have imagined a scenario where her and Taylor Parker were traveling in one of her limos together for an extended period of time. However, the circumstances that came about it where quite bizarre even to the German woman. She sat and looked across her at Taylor with cool eyes. She had on a dress that came to her calves and from the hips up hugged her every curve. She looked like she was going to an awards ceremony rather than meeting for a charity but whatever Lukretia did, she always put on her best face.

She titled her head at Taylor's icebreaker and then turned to look at the passing scenery, leaving the girl's words hanging in silence for a long moment.

"For ze most part, ve are off ze clock, Ms. Parker." She said finally. "But ve do still represent ze AFW..." She paused and looked back at Taylor. "In our own vay, of course." Lukretia's lips twitched as if they were about to smile but she stopped herself.

"I heard vat happened vith your previous charity. Vhat a shame, I had been looking into zem but it seems as if meine suspicious vere confirmed." lukretia shook her head. "I have little fondness for Japan. Zey let so many foolish things get in ze vay of getting things done."

Lukretia paused only momentarily. "Zis organization ve are going to see, zey do good vork. I have a good nose for picking out zose who vould present zemselves as somezing zey are not." Lukretia finally allowed hersxelf a small, wry smile as she crossed her legs.

Taylor raised her eyebrows, confused and impressed by Lukretia's interest in the Asia Youth Foundation, and in youth as a whole. It was so out of character it started to come back around full circle.

"Well, I don't really think that it's getting in the way... Like, youth mentors really shouldn't stab people and stuff. I dunno, I can't blame them for doing what they did. As much as it sucks."

She returned Lukretia's smile and similarly crossed her legs. "What about me? Do you think I try to be something I'm not?"

"Vhat is it you try to be, Ms. Parker?" Lukretia said wryly. "Und I vill tell you ze answer to your question."

Taylor cocked an eyebrow and shook her head at Lukretia, and wore a smile that was almost a smirk as she turned her head to look out the window.

"But anyway, I'm really trying to clean up my act, ya know? 'Cause I know that people watch me and I'm like a role model and junk, and I really want to be a good one. I don't think that means I can't be me, like, I'm still planning on kicking ass and stuff, kicking ass and talking trash, but I don't want to be a bad influence. I don't want to hurt people, like, unless it's the kind that goes away in a little bit."

"I think zat is admirable enough, Ms. parker." Lukretia said when Taylor finished. "You have ze luxury to do as you like because you have seized your own destiny. Zis is vhy I am so fond of you." She said. "I may find distaste in ze vay you dress und how you behave but it is somezing zat I can easily overlook because you are able to stand up on your own two feet."

Lukretia lowered her head and became pensive for a moment. "Let me ask you a question. vhy do you think I am doing zis? Most people vould think zat nothing but ice runs through meine body." She smiled.

Lukretia looked out of the window. "I believe zat ve feel pain for a reason in zis life und sometimes it is quite necessary to cause it. Perhaps I can be cruel und overzealous but I am not heartless." She said and turned back to Taylor.

"Why are you doing this?" Taylor echoed. "You mean driving my to New York, or like... youth stuff."

She had to think hard about that one. She really didn't know. "Um... Well, I guess you like to see people be, like, what you said. Able to stand on their own two feet. Maybe you want to turn troubled kids into little Rambo's, I dunno." She shrugged. "But I know you're not heartless. I think you're just a little whacked. Like... Maybe I can hire you as my gardener for a while and we can make some real progress." She stuck out her tongue and grinned at the red-haired German.

"Actually, here's a fun question, since we're making conversation and stuff. I already know the answer, though. Have you ever thought about how a fight between us would play out? Have you ever come up with a plan for how to beat me in the ring?" She asked with genuine interest, and a twinkle in her blue eyes.

"I do. I do." Lukretia said, nodding to Taylor.

However, she had to laugh and covered her mouth to stifle her chuckle. Taylor's comments about gardeners was amusing. She should meet her gardener if she wanted to see what crazy looked like.

She pushed the thought aside. "It depends on vhat kind of match it is. I do vhatever Ineed to to vin. If it is traditional wrestling vith rules, you have ze advantage. If it is some ozer kind of match, vhere ze rules are more ambiguous, I do not think you vould come out on top." Lukretia paused. "Zough, I don't believe you vould vin in a standard match either, unless it's because of a disqualification." Lukretia said truthfully. She didn't believe herself unbeatable but she was as confident in her own abilities. She HAD to be because there were always people looking to prove themselves at her expense.

She assumed that Taylor had similar feelings as Lukretia with a reversed outcome. It was one of the reasons Lukretia liked Taylor.

"Ha haaaaaa!" Taylor sang with laughter and grinned knowingly at Lukretia. "So gangster!"

Her smile slowly faded until it was back under control, and her earnest eyes focused on Lukretia, her domineering boss and a perpetual villain. It was crazy how normal she was once you actually managed to get her in conversation. That's what Taylor thought, anyway.

"I guess you gotta kinda be like that, to do your job. I can't say anything bad about it, because I know I'm the same way sometimes. But like... you have to be that way in the ring. In training if you're like that, you're a retard. You have to know your limits so you can train. You need to be afraid of something just to stay alive. Right? It makes me wonder what you're afraid of that makes you do the things you do."

"Jawhol." Lukretia said simply. "If you didn't think you could beat me, I might kick you out of zis car right here und now." Lukretia said with a smirk. "I am not interested in dealing vith veaklings." She said. However, Taylor raised an interesting question. Lukretia knew the answer and turned her head. She fished some water from the compartment. It was the finest money could by, which was a ridiculous notion to Lukretia. Water was water, but she had grown accustomed to it and the people she entertained demanded it.

She took a long drink before she leaned forward and looked at Taylor. "Vhat am I afraid of?" She asked. "I am afraid of being helpless, Ms. Parker. I know ze feeling far too vell und as long as blood runs through meine veins, I vill never feel it again."

Lukretia leaned back in her seat and stared at the passing scenery. "I think ze girls who come into ze league don't realize vhat a feeling like zat is like. For me to give zem a taste of it, zat is doing zem a favor. It is not like I am drowning zem in it. It is more like a baptism, I vould say. Zey are being reborn into new und better vomen."

Lukretia then turned back and looked at Taylor. "Und you, Ms. Parker? You aren't going to get me to open up to you vithout getting intimate yourself now, are you?"