“Why do I need to participate in this again?” Marianne asks for what seems to be the tenth time just that day. 

After Vicki Vale’s article came out, a couple of weeks ago, it was decided that it would be better if Marianne was publicly recognized as a Wayne. The stream of articles that followed certainly helped secure that decision. Not that it mattered to her, but apparently it was important to keep the media on their side, otherwise they would twist the truth and make her a bad image. The assassin in her despised the idea of having her face recognized around the world easily, but after some talking, Damian was the one to convince her about the pros of being a Wayne. Dealing with the media wasn’t something she had practice with. While on the League the goal was to keep attention away from herself and although she had some interactions with the news as Ladybug she preferred to leave Chat Noir be the one the reporters turn to for answers. Her distaste for reporters was well known in Paris, but in Gotham, no one knew her, and apparently, that was a problem.

When she first read the article she found the fact that Vicki Vale wasn't so far away from the truth funny. She was Wayne but she was also involved with Jason, not that anyone knew about that. Apart from Damian, who knew about them but preferred to keep living in denial, they all just assumed that they were involved in the past but that was long over. They were taking things slow, first rebuilding their friendship before making any decisions, but both knew they had a connection that could not be denied. So it was not like they were hiding or anything, her family was just very dense, and if any of them had asked she would have been honest, even if she herself wasn’t sure what the status of their relationship was.

“It would be better if we acknowledge your existence to the public, that way reporters would know that you are under the protection of Master Bruce, and keep speculations to a minimum. The news can be quite nasty if allowed.” Alfred patiently explains again. She wasn’t very comfortable being the center of attention and was glad that at least she would have her family by her side. Father decided that throwing a Gala was the best way to present her. Damian’s existence was announced the same way, so it made sense, and Marianne decided not to disagree with him. But as time went by, she started feeling anxious and insecure. 

Sitting in the kitchen counter with a mug, filled with coffee that had long gone cold, in her hands she observed the man, who she now saw as her grandfather, organizing the last details to the big event that would be happening later that night. For the last hour, she had occupied herself baking some cookies, but now that they were in the oven she found herself a bit anxious with the lack of what to do.

She was once presented to the League, not as Ra’s Al Ghul granddaughter, but as the future Grand Guardian of the Miraculi, and she could say that facing hundreds of highly trained assassins was less daunting than facing some socialites that loved drama and attention. 

Jason chose that moment to enter the kitchen. He had been of great help, keeping her engaged on other things and keeping her mind from wandering.

“Come on Pixie, you and me, training room.” That was enough to make her feel less stressed. After Alfred assured her that he could keep an eye on the baking cookies, she finished her drink in one gulp before jumping from the counter, more than ready to spend some of her pent-up energy. Thanking Alfred for the company and patience she left the room with Jason by her side.

“One more second and I was considering running to Tibet” She joked. He laughs, clearly amused by her statement. 

“Naw, you wouldn’t even get as far as New York. Alfred would have sent someone after you. According to him, this is a very important event and we should behave accordingly.” He says in his best posh accent. He throws an arm around her as they walk, bringing her closer to him. Marianne smiles, catching up on what he is doing. Making fun of the situation in an attempt to keep her mind off her worries.

“I swear that man is a saint! He put up with my anxiety-filled self!” She confesses.

“Oh my god! That man deserves a medal! You're a nightmare when you're anxious.” He laughs again, and she could swear her heart skipped a beat. Opting not to say anything she lightly punches him in the ribs before running off. “Hey! You come back, you little traitor!” And then he runs after her. 

Laughter fills the corridors of the Manor as Jason and Marianne chase after one another. They pass by the main library, where Damian is seated by the fireplace with Alfred the cat on his lap, on their way to the training room, but he merely rolls his eyes at them. 

They are laughing so hard that by the time they get to their destination they are both red on the face, with adrenaline pumping in their veins. 

She stared around the room unsure what to do first.

“Come on, you know you want to.” He takes her left hand and pulls her to the mat-covered space. He knows her so well it’s scary. He tapes her knuckles as well as his one with black tape. “Just please go easy on me, we do have to make a social appearance in less than 8 hours. No black eyes!” He winks at her. She huffs but gets onto stance.

As always he is the one that throws the first punch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Less than one hour until they have to leave for the venue and she is standing in the middle of her room in a silk black robe staring at the piece of clothing she spent the last few weeks working on. Her sparring with Jason had helped calm her nerves, but now that she had showered and done her hair, she was starting to doubt her attire choice. The dress was a beautiful shade of dark green with maroon accents on the bodice. She was proud of her work but wasn’t sure if others would as well. It was the first time she had designed something for its aesthetic rather than functionality. When designing she opted for a long skirt as she obviously would be wearing her dagger on a holster on her right leg, but other than that she was free to make whatever she wanted. She chose to add sleeves to the design but made sure they were the softest tulle she ever came across. The hand-stitched flowers had taken her longer than she anticipated, but the end result was so worth it. 

There was a knock on the door, but before she could say anything the door was open, and she could only stare in amazement at the person that entered her chamber. Damian looked so grown in his tailored black suit, so different from the ten-year-old she left two years ago. She remembers him wearing his formal robes at important events at the League, but he had never looked so mature as he did now. He wore a neutral expression, but she could tell by the small frown on his eyebrows that he was concerned about her.

“You have nothing to worry about, Father made sure that none of the media vultures would be in attendance today. And if you suddenly find yourself overwhelmed, I am sure Todd would be more than happy to kidnap you out of the party.” He says in an attempt to alleviate her fears. He comes closer and gives her hand a reassuring squeeze. 

“You always know how to calm me” She smiles and turns her attention back to the dress. She bites her lip again before taking a long breath. Marianne takes the dress in her hands, examining the details one last time before turning around and entering her bathroom.

By the time she comes out Damian is not the only one seated on her bed. Jason had joined her brother in waiting for her, and she can’t help but stop and stare at the scene before her. Both wear tailored black suits with ties, and she can’t help but admire them. Both looked so different from the last time she had seen them, but still the same. Their aura hadn’t changed, and that comforted her.

Although being so engrossed in their conversation that they hadn’t heard her exiting the bathroom, Damian is the first to notice her presence, but being too stunned he doesn't say anything. Realizing that his brother had suddenly stopped talking Jason looks in the direction he’s looking. The surprise is immediate, and he stands faster than she thought possible. He walks closer to her until he is standing in front of her, his face close to hers. 

“Stunning.” He whispers into her ear, making her blush. Looking at her he felt as if he was looking at an angel. Her long hair was styled in a half up half down updo with a ribbon the same crimson red as the one in her dress. The ends of her hair were curled and she looked so good in that dress. She wore just some light lipstick that made her lips look fuller, and it took all the strength in him not to kiss her into oblivion. 

He knew how hard she had worked on that dress, but God! The only thing he could imagine doing right now is taking it out of her.

“You look splendid 'ukhty. But if you two are done, it’s time for us to go.” Damian interrupts their moment, a little annoyed. Marianne nods silently and accepts Jason’s extended arm. They walk in silence to the entrance of the house where the others are already waiting for them, all elegantly dressed in tailored black suits as well, in a similar style to Damian’s and Jason's. Stephanie is also there, wearing a gorgeous navy long dress with some stones along the bodice.

“Stephanie, you look beautiful. This dress suits your complexion very well” Marianne comments sincerely. The blond smiles and turns to her boyfriend, who is staring at her with an adoring expression.  

“The best part is that it has pockets!” She animatedly demonstrates by removing her phone from the said pocket. “But yours is to die for! Where did you get it from?” 

“I designed myself” The black-haired confess, a little embarrassed by all the attention her dress suddenly gets from the other members of the family. Richard and Father, who until then were having a separate conversation, stare at her design in wonder.

Father has a look of approval on his face, and by his small side small is pleased with her choice. Richard has the biggest smile she has ever seen on someone’s face and immediately starts to praise her, which only makes her blush, not being used to compliments.

Most of the ride to the gala is spent in silence, only broken when either Father or Dick offers some advice on how to deal with the guest in attendance, something she is grateful for. Her father explains that all in attendance know better than bombard her with questions, and would only do so only in private, so it was best to stay in the main room at all times. Tim and Stephanie seem to be in their own world, much to the annoyance of Damian that was seated between the two couples. Said annoyance he made sure to voice every chance he got. But as Marianne decides not to let her brother's bad humor damp hers, she contemplates her time in Gotham so far. It's refreshing to know that all these people in the car are there because they care for her on some level, so different from how things worked when she was growing up. 

The venue her father chose was close to Wayne Tower, so it took quite a while for them to arrive. But when they do, most of the guests are already there. When they exit the car they are assaulted by what seemed to be hundreds of flashes in the distance. At the entrance there were a bunch of photographers taking photos of the guests, just waiting to catch the Wayne family.

As they walk into the building Jason has his arm protectively around her and whispers into her ear to keep her head down, to avoid most of the cameras. Damian is by her side, glaring at anyone that dares to stare at them for more than a second. The security of the event keeps the reporters in order, protecting them from their advances. All of this is very new and she thinks the fact that all of them are there just to catch a glimpse of her Father is quite entertaining.

Inside the building, she sees her Father slip into his public persona. Brucie Wayne is suddenly the center of attention. As he walks people seem to orbit around him, just begging for a slip of his time. Her brothers sometimes stop and make small talk with some of the guests, but ultimately they arrive at what she suppose is their table. Bruce is still a bit far away, having stopped to welcome an old-aged couple.

“Hey relax,” Jason tells her. “We just have to stay, make small talk, just enough for these people to think we give a fuck, then B’s gonna introduce you and we can get the hell out of here.” Oh, how she wished it would be that simple. She’s been to Gala’s before, mostly doing undercover work to the League, and these types of things tend to last forever. “Come on I want to introduce you to someone” He takes her hand in his and gently guides her around the ballroom. She can tell that people are watching them but is grateful that no one decides to stop them. She smiles at some people that just plainly stare at them as Jason guides them around the room.

They walk in the direction of two men, a blond and a red-headed.

“Mari, this is Oliver and Roy Queen” Jason introduces them. They both appear to be in excellent physical shape, and she wonders if both of them partake in the same extracurricular activities as her family. “Roy is the only okay person around these types of events.”

“Own man! I’m touched" The younger one mocks, with a hand in his heart. Oliver just rolls his eyes but by the small smile on his face, he doesn't seem annoyed with his son's antics. Both men are wearing formal attire, but she can tell that Roy seemed a bit out of place in this type of event, just like Jason was, so she can only assume he wasn’t born into these circles like his Father was. She believes him to be adopted as well. 

“Well, it is a pleasure meeting you…” The older Queen extends his right hand for her to shake but trails off not knowing how to address her. 

“Marianne Wayne. And the pleasure is mine.” She shakes the offered hand, not missing how his eyes widen a bit after she mentions her new name. Roy doesn't even try to keep his composure and openly stares at her as if she had just committed a grave offense. He alternates his gaze between Jason and her, trying to wrap his mind around that new piece of information.

“Dude! There is another one!” With humor clear in his tone, he exclaims, fortunately not loud enough to attract attention. “Wally owes me so much money! Ha! Wait- when did he adopt you?” He now appears to be confused. “Or wait- did you marry her?” Now it’s Jason’s turn to become confused, his eyes widening a bit before he regains a bit of composure, but just looking at the light blush that appeared in his cheeks she decided to help him out.

“I wasn’t adopted, Bruce is my biological father. Damian is my brother.” She supplies.

Oliver frowns.  

“So your mother…” He doesn't need to finish his question for her to understand what he is asking. So he is indeed part of the same League her Father is.

“Yes.” He stares at her for a minute, before nodding and retreating himself to the other side of the room, she is sure he’s gonna look for her Father for some answers.

“Damm, you just blew my mind! Who would have thought that Damian wasn’t Bruce's only secret love child!” Roy looks like he's having the time of his life with that new information. “I’ve got to call Wally and Conner! They were so sure no more lil’ Waynes were gonna pop out of nowhere! Fuck- I just won so much money!” He doesn't even wait for a response, he fishes his phone from inside his suit and walks away.

Not knowing what else to do, Marianne just looks to Jason, trying to understand what had just happened. He rubs one hand in his face, clearly very done with the whole conversation they just had with his friend. 

“I swear he's not normally like that… He’s less of an idiot most of the time.” He sighs. She just laughs, and that is enough for his mood to improve. He always loves to hear her laugh.

But before she can make a comment of her own, she hears her father’s voice coming from the speakers around the room. That clearly is a signal, because Jason starts to guide her to where all her brothers are standing in the center of the room. 

“Is a pleasure to welcome everyone to another Wayne Gala.” People around them start to clap. “Hopefully this one goes better than the last one-” Some people laugh, her not being one of them, not knowing what the last Gala had been like. “Another successful year for Wayne Enterprise so far, thanks to all our supporters and donors-”

She starts looking around. It surprises her sometimes how famous her newfound family truly is. The attention makes her uncomfortable, and she can't help but plan at least 3 escape plans, taking notice of all the possible exits routes and things she could turn into weapons if needed in the short time she zoned out 

A hand squeezing her arm brings her back to reality. Damian is now standing by her side with a bored expression. He gives a slight nod, announcing that Father’s speech is coming to an end.

“- all of you had been aware of the latest media speculation about the new integrant of our public outings. So I decided it was best to put rumors to rest.” He can hear the low murmurs that started. He walks closer to them until he’s standing in front of her. He offers his hand, one she gladly takes. He now stands by her side, facing the guests. For those around them, she looks calm and composed, but on the inside, she’s feeling anxious and overwhelmed. “May I present to you all, Marianne Martha Wayne.” He pauses and turns to her with a warm look on his face. “My daughter.” 

That’s enough to make them go wild. As wild as a bunch of high society members could go. Luckily all of the guests knew how reserved Bruce’s children were, so they turned to her Father for answers, leaving her free from questions. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night goes faster after Bruce’s announcement and explaining her well-crafted backstory, said backstory that they decided on a couple of days ago. And she spends most of it with either Damian or Jason by her side. She lost sight of Tim and Stephanie a long time ago. Dick occasionally stops by to see how she's feeling, but then goes back to walking around the room, turning the attention away from her. It does help a bit but it seems that everyone wants to have a conversation with her now that they knew her to be important. People stare, but other than the basic introduction, they leave her alone. Some try to prolong their conversation, but Jason dismisses them rather quickly. And she’s very thankful for that.

She does get the opportunity to have a more cohesive conversation with Roy Queen, and she thinks he is hilarious and understands why Jason is fond of their friendship, not that he would ever tell her that. 

The dinner is delicious and she gets to sit by Damian’s side. It is nice to make fun of the people around her, and her brother is more than happy to indulge her giving her every ounce of information he has on certain people. “That woman with the feather hat has 5 cats, all named after her late husbands.” So what if most of the information he has is centered on their pets, it is still quite amusing seeing her brother so in his element, one that didn’t involve killing.

But the highlight of her night is when Jason kidnaps her and takes her to a secluded balcony just outside the ballroom, which is far away for them to have some privacy but still close enough for them to still hear the music playing. 

“Thank the fuck this is almost over!” He swears just as the door of the balcony closes, they had spent the last 20 minutes listening to an old woman complain how her granddaughter wasn’t going to be able to travel with her to their yearly spa treatment in the Maldives because she was getting married. “How B and Tim deal with all these rich people shit all day I will never know!” She laughs.

“Well I do have to agree, that was some next-level rich people shit.” He smiles too and leans in the railing of the balcony facing her. He extends his hand to her, and when she finally takes it he pulls her to him. She now stands in between his legs, her chest pressed against his.

“Have I told you how hot you look in that dress yet?” She blushes furiously, but by the smirk on his face that was his goal all along “But really all I could think all night is how much I wanted to kiss you.” 

The sincerity in his tone scares her, only a little. They haven’t discussed their relationship yet, but she would be lying if she said she didn’t feel the same. It was just so unfair to have his handsome self in a black suit, it made her chest feel tight and her face all warm.

Instead of voicing her own need, she simply got on her tippy toes, and with a chaste kiss stopped him from making her blush worse. If he was surprised, he didn’t show. One hand goes to her waits, bringing her closer to his body, the other he lays on her neck. She’s not sure how long they stay there, just enjoying each other, but by the time they separate themselves, she can see that Jason’s pupils are dilated, making his desire known. 

“Do you know what tonight reminded me of?” He asks in a husky voice. “That time we went on a mission together…” 

She knows very well what he's talking about. But she doesn't understand how it had anything to do with tonight. Most of her missions were solo ones, but there was one that for some reason Mother asked to take Jason with her. It was at the beginning of their relationship, and they still pretty much hated each other. They spend most of their time bickering or trying to beat the other, in training or not. She had been sent to a small village in the middle of nowhere in Scotland. Her goal was to dispose of a low-rank apprentice that betrayed the League, stealing some vital information and planning on selling it on the black market- The existence of the Lazarus Pits. That was her family’s best-kept secret, so you can understand the importance of that mission. To this day she doesn't know why her Mother hadn’t dealt with the situation herself, but she ended up having a great time so she didn’t complain.

At the time Jason was 16 years old, while she had just turned 14. He was going through puberty and was getting taller as the days went by, much to her annoyance. They had just finished with the mission when she suggested doing something he never expected her to do.

“I want to go to that party.” She points to said party happening at the plaza. It looked like some sort of spring festival, and Celtic music could be heard, the rhythm was joyful, the kind that makes you want to spend all day dancing. Jason looks shocked by her suggestion. Never in a million years, he would have thought that Pixie had in her to disobey her mother’s orders. 

“You heard the boss, go in do the job and go straight back.” He remembers her, but she merely rolls her eyes. 

“Come on don’t be lame, when did you ever follow the rules? Besides she would never know! We are only supposed to be back in two days, just a few hours won’t make a difference.” She doesn’t even wait for him to decide, just turns around and goes in the direction the music is coming from. With an exasperated sigh, he follows her. They steal some clothes from a nearby house to blend with their surroundings better. Marianne gets a flowy floral dress that’ big on her while Jason’s shirt and pants end up a bit on the tighter side. 

It’s the middle of the day, but people are already plastered or on their way to becoming. Their casual clothes easily blended with the crowds. Marianne looked enamored with all the colorful decoration, and her wide eyes seemed captivating for some reason. Contrary to popular belief Jason didn’t hate her, he actually liked her, a lot, truly more than he should. She had a fire inside of her that attracted him. And there was also the fact that she had been the first person to show him kindness in a long time, even if he was an ass most of the time. So it came to no surprise to him when he kept thinking of how pretty she looked under the sunlight. She was a badass girl that could kick his ass in more ways than he could count. So sue him if he found that attractive. 

He wasn’t one to dance but knew she loves to do so. And because of that he stayed leaned against a wall for most of their time there, just watching her dance freely with the other town teens. It was easy to forget she was younger than him, she was so wise and responsible, so it was quite a sight seeing her act her age. She laughed and skipped along with the rhythm of the beats. Someone had given her a flower crown and somehow she looked even more ethereal. 

“Come on Jay!” She used the nickname that she thought he hated, it reminded him about his life before he was resurrected, but secretly he liked when she used it. She walks closer to him, out of breath with a rose tinge in her cheeks. “One dance and we can go.” She says, offering him her right hand. He takes it, but instead of allowing her to pull him to the dance floor, he pulls her into his body. Not having expected that she pitches forward tumbling a bit before supporting herself with a hand in his chest. He smirks at her, causing her to blush even more.

“You asshole!” She says without any heat, but he merely laughs before pushing her back to the dance floor.

  “You know what- you still own me a dance!” She comments. She had been so flustered that day that she even forgot to push his buttons a bit to get her way, and only did realize that when she was laying in her bed on the League 18 hours later.

“You can only get me to dance once in your lifetime, are you sure you want to waste that here?” He arches an eyebrow as if daring her to disagree with him. She still is leaning against his body and is more than contented to allow him to hold her for a bit longer. 

Rather than respond to his taunting she kisses him. It was just as she remembered, his lips are soft, and his wandering hands are rough, but the contrast only makes her want it more. He brings her closer, almost melding her body to his, and she can’t help but melt in his embrace.  

The sound of a gasp makes them detangle themself in a hurry. She reaches for the hidden dagger strapped to her leg but relaxes when she sees it is only Dick staring at them with a shocked expression.

“How did- When- For how long- I mean” He looked so confused and lost, it was quite funny. Jason thought so too because unlike her he didn’t hold his laughter. 

Dick recomposes himself, she can tell he is analyzing every interaction she had with Jason in his presence.

“You know what, now it’s not the time” He sighs, straightening himself. “I’m here ‘cause Bruce asked me to go get you, Mari, he wants to introduce you to someone.” She sends him a questioning look, but he just shrugs before turning and exiting the balcony, believing that they would follow him.

And they do.

Round the dance floor, she can see some couples dancing and others simply seating, it seemed that the party had wined down. In the distance, she sees that Dick has stopped at her Father’s side, and appears to be talking to someone, but the angle doesn’t allow her to see who he’s talking to. When she does reach closer and it is finally able to see who her Father wanted to introduce her to, she stops in her tracks for a second, not enough for anyone to notice. By the look Jason is giving her, he noticed but doesn’t question her. Not yet.

“Marianne, please allow me to introduce Emilie Agreste and her son, Adrien Agreste.” Her Father introduces them. She knows what’s he’s doing. His punishing her. Introducing her to the family of the man she killed just some months ago. “They are here to deal with some details about the late Gabriel Agreste.” He adds. It made sense. He did not know that Adrian had been her partner for those two years Hawkmoth terrorized Paris. He truly believed them to be the widowed wife and her model son that just suffer a terrible loss without knowing why.

She doesn’t let him get to her. He did not have all the facts, and she does not regret her actions, she obeyed the will of her kwamis.

“Sorry about your dad...” Jason says while rubbing the back of his neck. He’s not touching her anymore but is still very close to her side. 

“I have heard about his demise, and I am sorry for your lost.” She says thusly. Emilie simply thank her. She looks better than the last time she saw her, healthier. She could tell that her husband’s death had saddened her, but she knew the truth, so she had made peace with his departure. Adrien just looked at her lost in thoughts, like he was trying to piece a puzzle together.

“Wait I know you from somewhere…” He suddenly says, his English is perfect but she can detect a hint of his French peeking through. She can feel Jason tense at her side. “Didn’t  you use to work in ‘Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie’?” He asks.

She smiles.

“Yes, in the two years I lived with my godmother for my degree I used to help her in the store.” She’s glad that the backstory they created aligned with the one Sabine had given her, they just modified it a bit. “You probably remember me as Marinette. That was the name we decided would be safer for me at the time.” He seemed to understand that, being famous and just wanting to live a normal life, so he did not ask any more questions. 

“Why don’t you two catch up while the adults discuss business?” Her Father suggests, not sounding like a suggestion at all. He guides Emilie to a table, but this time Dick stays by their side.

“Well, I believe it’s time I go, it’s way past Damian’s bedtime.” Dick says with a polite simile while pointing to where her brother is waiting by the door, with an expression that shows how much he wants to leave this place.

“Actually we were just on our way out too” Jason decide that now was the best time to make an exit. He throws his arm around her, and if she didn’t want to leave just as much as him she would have been mad he was acting all territorial. “Maybe next time…” He says to the blond as if sorry, but not sounding sorry at all.               

“Yeah, sure!” Sunshine boy doesn’t look disappointed. “My mother wants to stay some more time… I think she’ll doing business with Wayne Entreprises…” He trails off, his focus now on where his mother is seated with her father. They looked engrossed in a conversation, and at some point, Tim had joined them.

“I’ll be sure to plan something.” Marianne supplies in a polite tone. The model nods, and that’s when they leave.

The deal she had with her Father was that she had to make an appearance, stay for until the party had widened down, and then she could leave, no questions asked. She was sure that her Father would not be happy with her leaving now, but Jason looked so done with everything that she went along with it. She wasn’t going to complain about leaving early a party she didn’t even want to go to in the first place. 

They meet her brother by the entrance and they all leave the building and to her surprise Alfred is already there with the car, just waiting for them. The ride to the Manor is quiet, no one seemed in the mood for idle conversation, but more than once she caught Dick looking at her and Jason’s intertwined hands. He looked like he was in full detective mode, but refrained himself and did not ask them questions. 

When they got to the Manor Damian and Dick immediately went to the Bat Cave to start to prepare for patrol, because Bruce was stuck at the Gala, Dick was going to be filling up for Batman. 

“Aren’t you going with them?” Marianne questions Jason. He hadn’t moved from her side and was still holding her hand. But instead of answering her he grabs her by the waist and pulls her into a heated kiss. 

She feels like she is floating, he holds and she’s safe. It was so scary how much power he had over her. Maybe it was because of that feeling that her mother was so against her relationship with him. Marianne wondered if her mother was just protection from feeling like this. But right at this moment, just enjoying the way his lips felt against hers, she realized how sad life could be if she had to give up feeling like this just for power. 

He squeezes her waist and she can’t help the moan that escapes her mouth. 

“Does this answer your question?” He asks with a husky voice, he looks so good it should be a sin. His hair is disheveled and she wanted to pass her hand through his hair. Giving him a smile she starts to pull her room. 

It is a miracle when they finally arrived there. Jason was insistent in pulling her for another kiss every chance he got, so for a path that normally would only take 10 minutes, they took almost double. 

He pushes her against the wall, just outside her room, trapping her within his arms. His body is pressed against hers, and all she could think is how she wants him. Jason thinks she looks like a Goddess, her pupils are blown wide, and her lips are swollen. She looks like channeled sin. She grabs the front of his jacket bringing him as closer to her body as possible. And it takes all the power in him, not to rip that beautiful dress out of her body right that second. He had stared at her all night, just dreaming at the moment they would finally be alone, but now that the time has finally come all he wants to do is freeze the time, so he can stare at her bluebell eyes for all eternity. She was the only woman that could make him feel this way, and that made his chest feel funny. He knew that they had so much they needed to talk about, things that happened in those three years they were apart, but right now all he can focus on is the way her body feels against his and how sweet her lips taste. The kiss is heated and wild, and he loves it. 

Ending the kiss, he opens the door of the bedroom and leads her inside.

Patrol could wait, but the Goddess in front of him needed his undivided attention.    

Hello, my readers! So I surprised myself with the length of this chapter... He was even supposed to be bigger but I decided the scene I originally was going to end the chapter looked better on the next one, and no it is not smut, sorry to disappoint. So they kissed! Thoughts? Not really sure about this chapter, but I do hope you like it. It's not one of my favorites, but there are some things that need to be addressed before the next chapters. Next week my classes start once again! I'll try to keep my posting at least once a month (As I've been doing so far) but you all know how chaotic life can get! Thank you for the support so far! Love you all!

ALSOOO: If anyone is interested, here are the dresses the ladies wore to the Gala:

Marianne

Stephanie

NEXT

He was different, more mature. The years only served to enhance his beauty. It didn't matter that he was wearing a mask, she would recognize him everywhere, but she still longed to be able to see his green eyes again. No one said a word, using their body language to determine what to do next. It was Damian that decided to take the lead.

He stood up and helped his sister on her feet. He kept supporting her, knowing that the wound he inflicted on her must be taking some toll on her body after their intense fight. She was barely standing on her own, having lost too much blood. His Robin costume was coated in red, and that left a bad taste on his mouth. With her secure at his side, he turned to his Father. There was so much he needed to tell him, years of feelings he trapped inside of him could finally be let loose. But first, he had to make sure he still trusted him. 

“I promise to explain once we get to the cave… but she needs help.” He pleaded. He wasn’t sure if it was the tone of his voice or the fact that his family just caught him in his most vulnerable moment, but they agreed. 

Damian carried her to the Batmobile, Todd, and Grayson trailing after him. Batman led the team in silence. Meticulously thinking about the connection of his youngest son with the passed-out assassin. She wore League attire, but it was a strange symbol on her clothes that made him wary. He remembered seeing that symbol in the clothes of a dead Gabriel Agreste early this week, and there was no doubt that they had some kind of connection.

He wanted to interrogate her as soon as possible, but he would wait until Damian gave his explanation as to why he acted in such a way that night. They obviously knew each other, so they must have met when his son was still in the care of his mother. That information did little to calm his worried mind.

It was a unanimous decision that petrol was canceled that night. So they all entered the Batmobile and made their way to the Cave. They didn’t have to worry about their identities, as the girl was falling in and out of consciousness during their short ride. 

Dick kept a close eye on the girl in Damian’s arms. Her face was nested carefully in his brother's neck, keeping him from being able to identify her face. Her blood coated the interior of the car, and only the fact that the Batarang still impaled at her side was helping to stop the bleeding from totally draining the girl kept him somewhat calm.

Jason was the only one that wasn’t in the car, having opted to use his bike, he went ahead and notified Alfred that they would need his assistance, with the injured girl.

By now Damian knew that all his family was notified of this incident, and would most likely be waiting for them to return. He could only hope that his father would hear him first. He wasn’t worried about his sister, he knew she would be alright. After years of training with her, he knew she bled easily, but was stronger and healed faster than most. 

When they arrived at the Cave, Damian immediately laid her in one of the gurneys. But before he allowed Alfred to assess her wound he removed the weapon. He heard the shouts of indignation coming from Grayson but ignored him.

He knew what they must be thinking, that his weapon was the only thing keeping her from bleeding out, but what they didn’t know was that Marianne’s body reacted faster when she was in danger of dying. So it came to no surprise to him when her wound started to heal itself. What started him was the glow that came with it. That was new.

“She will be fine. Just need a couple of hours to recharge her energy” Damian clarified.

"She's Meta…” Dick whispered, eying Bruce carefully. It was no secret that the man did not normally trust meta-humans very easily. His expression was hard, and everyone could tell his patience had come to an end.

“Explain.” He demanded.

“I do not know how to start…” From his body language, they could see he was nervous. He ran his fingers through his hair, something he never did.

“From the start would be great!” Jason tried to lighten the mood. He hadn’t moved from his sitting position on the round table. Barbara and Tim were sitting with him, both anxious to understand the situation. He wanted to go see this mysterious girl, but for the sake of his family, he stayed put, for now.

“Father… You might want to sit for this…” 

Bruce nodded. And they all sat. Damian sat in front of his father, with Grayson and Todd at his sides, while Gordon and Drake sat by Todd’s side. No one dared to sit close to Bruce, fearing his reaction.

“Do you remember how I was conceived?” Damian started, not meeting his father’s eyes, and ignoring the snickering coming from his brothers. He knew this was a sore subject, but he needed to approach the subject somehow.

“It was of extreme importance that Mother produced a male heir for Grandfather. But what you do not know is that I was not the firstborn” This causes everyone to widen their eyes in horror. 

Bruce pales but otherwise keeps quiet.

“I explained before how I was raised in an artificial womb through my development stages. And there is a reason for that... Before me, Mother was pregnant, the traditional way, but a female was born. She was born” He points to the direction of the girl resting behind the curtains of the medical bay. 

“How… When…” Bruce is at a loss of words. When Talia appeared two years ago with his secret child in tow he felt only despair first. He had lost so much of his son’s childhood. It took him so long to accept that he had what it took to care for his blood child the same way he cared for his wards.

“She was born six years before me…” Damian explains. “Mother never told me anything about that, only that she did it to appease her father.”

“Wait, wait, wait! So you're telling me that the scary kid we just rescued is B’s long-lost daughter? Why are we only hearing of this now?” Jason as always wasn't able to keep quiet anymore. 

Damian lowers his head and covers his eyes with his now gloveless hands. Sensing his distress Jason allows him to recompose himself. 

“She was dead… Or I thought she had died. In the same attack that made Mother bring me to live here.” They could see that it was hard for him to talk about that day “Except she did not die!” He exclaimed in anger, rising from his seat. 

“There’s where you're wrong.” The melodious voice attracts their attention. She stands just a couple of steps apart from where they are sitting. But no one heard her coming. She wears green, but the cape that once covered her hair is lowered, and they could clearly see her long black hair left loose. She had blue eyes and was rapidly analyzing every single one of them until her eyes landed on Bruce. Her father. Damian could see the insecurity in her, so he calmed himself, and went to her. “I did die that day. It was only thanks to Tikki that I am alive now” And with that, she knew her brother would understand. After years of living with her, she taught him a little about the Order.

“Father…” Damian tries.

Bruce stands up. And goes in their direction. He stops just a couple of steps from his children. His children. 

“This is Marianne, your daughter.”

So there we are! Another chapter. Do you love it? Hate it? Please tell me I love to read your opinions!

I feel like I must warn you all that I only planned to have one more chapter on this story, but after some consideration, it came to me the idea of making a Part Two of this story. Would that be something you all be interested in? Let me know!

Next

She isn’t sure how long she laid there, but streams of lighting start to appear somewhere above her from what she can see with her closed lids. The sun is up when she finally can open her eyes.

She is in a bare room, that must be used as storage from all of the boxes around. She’s in an attic in an elevated part that contains just the bed, an iron stair makes way into the second part of the room, she can see from her position that the only way out is through the trap door on the floor, although she can assume that the lighting coming from above her must lead to a balcony. She feels better now, her pain is gone and her limbs ultimately start to obey her again. She had just sat up when the trap door started to open.

She prepares herself for what is to come, she does not have any weapons and she’s not sure she can beat another assassin in a fight in her current state, even with the pain now gone. To her surprise is her godmother that enters the room she’s resting in. She carries a plate with food and a glass of water. She has a warm smile that Marianne has only seen a couple of times, normally reserved for birthdays and celebrations, but still reassures her that she’s safe and cared for. 

“It's good to see you’re finally awake. Gave us quite a scare”

“Where am I?”

“Safe” With her tone she can tell that the conversation is over, so she simply accepts the plate that is offered and starts to eat what's been given, a tasty sandwich with a red tart at the side. If it was any other person that came into the room she wouldn’t have been so quick to accept the food, but she knew that her godmother would never hurt her, she was one of the only people she trusted with her life, like a second mother to her.  

“How do you feel?” Sabine asks only after the food is gone. 

“Surprisingly fine. The pain is gone and I feel normal again. How is this possible? Where are we? How long was I out? What happened with the League? What happened to Damian? Is he here? Is he safe?” The questions jump out of her mouth before she can control them. Rambling has always been a trait of hers, one that she thought to be long under control. But given the situation, she can’t blame herself to look after answers. 

But Sabine calmly answers every one of her questions. She doesn’t get into details about the attack but she understands that one of her grandfather’s star pupils betrayed them and orchestrated the attack to take the Demon Head power to himself and rule over the Order of Assassins. Sabine and Master Fu were together at the Temple when it all started and went to look for her, only to realize that she must have thought the same and went to look for them. They saw her being crushed by the falling debris, and they were the ones that dug her out. 

She died. 

That piece of information stays in a loop in her mind. She died. Master Fu brought her back. Being brought back to life wasn’t impossible, she knew that her grandfather had been doing that for centuries, but he needed the Lazarus Pits for that, and she knew the symptoms of someone that used them, she had seen them first hand from her grandfather or when she was in charge of training a recruit that her mother had taken pity on. She was only ten, and the boy 13 at the time. One of her most proud accomplishments. Her grandfather was so proud of her for training the next generation, even if the boy was technically older than her. She knew the symptoms and she definitely wasn’t brought back using these methods.

“Master Fu will arrive here shortly, he can explain it better”

“Where is here? Where are we? Where's Damian?” She’s desperate, she needs to know where her baby brother is. That he is safe. “Please tell me he’s here!”

Sabine has a heartbroken expression on her face, and that's all the confirmation she needs. The tears roll down her face before she can stop them. All her efforts had been in vain, Damian wasn’t here. 

“We are in Paris. He’s not here, but he’s safe” Her godmother tries to reassure her, she dries the tears in her face and strokes her hair trying to comfort the distraught girl. “He’s in a safe place as well, your mother made sure of that. But for now, you can’t go after him, Master Fu will explain why, you just have to trust me when I say I only want what’s best for you”

She then proceeds to tell her best-kept secret so far. She’s married, and they are at her husband’s house, above his bakery. She tells her of how in one of her missions she met the love of her life. But because of her, she knew she couldn’t leave the League just yet, she needed to be there for little Marianne and her bright smiles, to make sure the League didn’t kill the kindness in her. She always visited Paris after a mission. It became some kind of ritual, and no one ever questioned it. Her husband, Tom, knew about her lifestyle and knew that she couldn’t just leave her goddaughter behind, he respected that, even loved how caring his wife was. Sabine begs Marianne to not be guilty that she couldn’t have a better kind of life because of her.

“The best thing in my life is knowing that I helped raise the most selfless and kind woman, I’m so proud of what you become. Never forget that.”

By the time Master Fu finally arrives she’s just so tired. But her need for answers is bigger, so she allows her godmother to guide her to the living room. When they get there she’s surprised, to say the least. Her master is there, but he is not alone. He’s accompanied by two very anxious Kwamis.

“Marianne is so great to finally meet you! I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long!” Tikki, The Goddess of Creation addresses her. But she stays there stunned. She grew up learning about these entities, preparing for the moment she would get to meet them, but there she stays, unable to properly function. So much has been happening in the last 24 hours, and she feels like she’s in shock.

“Great job sugar cub, you broke the kid” Plagg, The God of Destruction comments.

“She’s probably just surprised to finally see us, don’t be rude”

It feels surreal to see these mystical creatures just bickering like children in her godmother’s husband’s living room. She almost feels like she’s dreaming. Feeling her discomfort, Master Fu decides it is better to address the situation.

“Come sit Marianne. It’s time I give you some answers.”

For the next hour, she learns a part of history she never knew about.

Her Master calmly explained to her that by the time they were able to release her from the ruins of the temple, it was too late. But something in him knew there was still hope. Because she was Tikkis chosen, her soul takes more time to disconnect itself from the physical world, so The Grand Guardian did something that wasn’t wrong but still considered taboo. He asked Tikki to use her energy in order to anchor her spirit back into her body. He didn’t use the wish from the Miraculous, so it wasn’t as dangerous. That had only been done once, somewhere when the pharaohs were still in power. One of the Guardians had fallen madly in love with a woman chosen by Tikki, but she got sick and died. Consumed with grief he ordered the Kwami into bringing her soul back.

Because it had happened so long ago they didn’t know the reaction it would cause in her already existing powers. So, for now, it would be better if she stayed in Paris, close to her Master’s, where she could finish her training and receive guidance if needed. They still didn’t know the situation within the League, so it was best to lay low for a while.

So there she stayed. For a whole month, she lived with her godmother and got to know the man she called her husband. It was funny, that the super badass and strict woman everyone knew would turn into the warmest person when around the baker. Marianne could tell they loved each other very much just by the way they looked at the other. In the League love was not something that happened very often. So it felt nice to be in contact with something so pure. 

She also kept going on with training, just like Master Fu said they would. It was as if her life was completely new but completely equal to what it was before. She would wake up early, eat something, normally delicious made by Tom, and go to where her master was living, a massage parlor that served as a disguise from his real job as her teacher. They would start by meditating and then move into physical training. It was different, Fu wasn’t so young anymore so now she tended to train alone. She missed her brother so much that it hurt. Knowing where he was but not if he was okay. She wished that there was a way for her to contact him, but knew it would be safer if she didn’t. Just knowing he was with Father makes her feel a little better, she remembers her Mother’s stories of the fearless Batman, so if the time comes she knew he would be safe.

Nothing out of ordinary happened so far, her powers kept the same, maybe a little more intense, but nothing she couldn’t handle. But they were confident that there would not be any other side effects so far. Everything was back to normal, or that’s what they thought.

Imagine their surprise when on one of their meditation sections the both were suddenly overwhelmed by the intense energy that they received. It was dark, nothing like she ever had felt. 

“Master, what was that? I have never felt something like it” Her teacher looked like he had seen a ghost, pale and with an anxious expression

“I’ve only felt this type of energy once. We must prepare, something bad is on our horizon. It’s time to activate your miraculous”

“What? Are you sure Master? Please tell me what is going on!” She pleaded.

“The Peacock and the Butterfly Miraculous, a long time ago, when I was just an apprentice, were thought to be lost. This was when The League and the Order were constantly at war. Some of my fellow disciples got greedy. They wanted the power the Miraculous had to offer, they thought themselves worthy of wielding their power and destroying the League of Assassins. There was a fight, and the first Temple of The Order was compromised. Some of us escaped, but we lost a lot. That day… I felt the same type of energy. I believe somewhere in this city, someone is preparing to cause chaos. We must be ready for when it happens.”

“How do we do that?”

“We need to find the Cat Miraculous wielder”

Next

There is a little easter egg in this chapter, let’s see if anyone can tell what it is! The taglist is still open so feel free to ask to be tagged! Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, I’m dying for some feedback

“A girl, what a failure” Upon entering the room, Ra’s was told about the child. And to think of all the great things he had planned if the heir was finally born. Just seeing his daughter with the newborn in her arms he knew what he had to do. He couldn’t allow this unfortunate event to distract her from her duties. The child must be sent away. “Give it to me.”

“No, please!” Talia was tired, after hours of pushing, her body was exhausted, but she needed to hold her baby for as long as she was allowed. She felt at peace with her in her arms as if a warm blanket was placed upon her. That feeling kept her grounded. But she could see her father was having none of it. He seemed apologetic but didn’t seem to change his mind. He sat at her side in the bed and allowed her to have a couple more minutes. Resigning she gave the nameless child a final kiss on the forehead before placing her in his arms. But to their surprise the moment she was in Ra’s arms she opened her eyes. They both froze at the display. Her beautiful eyes were glowing in an intensely blue hue. The Demon Head had only seen one thing with that same strength of color. The Lazarus Pits. After centuries of being submerged in those waters, that shine haunted his dreams. And now, seeing in the eyes of his granddaughter, he knew what it meant.

“She’s been Chosen” 

Later on, he would explain the story behind the Lazarus Pits. How they were created by the divinity of chaos in an attempt to bring back from death one of his Chosen Ones. The God Plagg of Destruction was worshiped by an ancient order, the Order of the Guardians, one of the many enemies the League had acquired over the years. But having a member of the League that not only was blessed by one of these Gods but blessed since birth, that for sure would make the alliance he has been desiring for so long. 

That day Ra’s Al Ghul didn’t get the heir he so desired, but the granddaughter that he was bestowed with, not even a day old and granting the League an alliance he had been trying to create for more than 100 years. She was going to be trained and educated. The things he had in plan for her were of great importance. But for now, he let her sleep, still oblivious to the horrors of the life she was condemned to.

As Talia laid there in bed, with her newborn in her arms, she knew that even that she wasn’t able to produce an heir, she still brought pride to her league. And as she watched her, with those intense glowing blue eyes, she knew the name she wanted to give her.

Marianne Al Ghul was born out of duty.

But she ended up being so much more.

Next

Taglist:  @macncheesemonster @jumpingjoy82 @silversaphire12 @jinx-jade @swiftie-miraculer13

She knew everything she needed to do, she had been trained since birth for this. Her Master was confident that she had what it took to take down these akumatized people, and allied with the one he had chosen to wield the Cat Miraculous they would be unstoppable. He didn’t tell her the identity of the person he has chosen, but she knew he wouldn’t. For safety reasons, only the Grand Guardian would know the identities of the wielders. But she didn’t need to know his identity in order to work with him. 

Chat Noir surprised her a lot. She knew he couldn’t possibly have the same training she had, but he still knew how to fight. He’s trained in fencing from what she can tell by his style of fighting, and he’s very good. After some time they became the perfect duo, always in synchrony and ready for anything. It’s nice to have someone on her side, in the League she mostly acted alone, so having someone that had her back full time was new. 

It took two years to defeat Hawkmoth. In those two years that she lived in Paris, a lot changed. First was her name. In order to live completely off the radar of the League, she needed a new name. They had lost contact with the League after the attack, so they never discovered what exactly happened, or who won in the end. She was glad the Mayor of Paris decided that it would be better to ban any rumors of a supervillain in the city from the outside world, fearing that that would cause the tourism to diminish. That allowed her some security, but one could never be too careful, the League was known to have spies everywhere. So she changed her name. In the documents that her godmother forged, she was called Marinette Dupain but preferred to be called Mari because that was closer to her real name. Daughter of a kind baker and his traveler wife, her backstory was that she spent most of her childhood traveling the world with her mother, but now her parents decided that it would be good for her to stay in the same place for more time. She would be homeschooled by Sabine, which was enough for social security to allow her to be kept from attending school. It was kind of funny that she lived so close to a school but didn’t study there. 

Another thing that changed was that for the first time she had people she could rely on. Before it was only Damian. He was the only one that she ever told about her fears and insecurities, confiding in him was something she missed in those years apart. They were very close before the attack, and after two long years of thinking she was dead, she wasn’t sure what would happen when they finally reunited. But she hoped it would go well.

When she first transformed, she felt invincible. It was something she would never forget, feeling that kind of power was memorable. It was normal for the suit to incorporate traits of your personality, but it still was a surprise when she saw herself as Ladybug for the first time. She wore a black skin-tight suit that covered her entire body from the neck down, in her torso making the illusion a corset, a part of the suit was red with black spots. She also had boots and a jacket to complement her look, also in red with dots. Her hair tied back in a ponytail was rather practical and allowed her better motion. On her right leg strapped to her tight was a knife holster with a small dagger that served for surprise attacks, her specialty. Around her waist was where she tied her yoyo when she wasn’t using it. To conceal her identity, she wore a domino mask also in red.

In the beginning, she wanted to use another name for her superheroine self, one that paid tribute to her Arabic roots, but Master Fu thought it better to go with a more generic name, that way it would be harder to obtain any type of information about her. In the end, she relented and went with Ladybug. 

When Ladybug and Chat Noir first appeared, most of Paris newspapers and tabloids started to question the origin of their superheroes. Some believe them to be aliens, which her Master thought hilarious. Others were certain they were metahumans, born with their powers, and their Miraculous just served as an amplifier, and Hawkmoth wanted all Miraculous to increase his power to the maximum level, in Mari’s case they were partially right about the part of the powers. The one that came closer to the truth was the writer of the Ladyblog, the amount of research she had was impressive for someone so young. She discovered that the Miraculous were older than they thought, dating back all the way to the ancient Egyptian Empire, other than that she was way off. She had this theory that the Miraculous holders were a group of immortal entities that always appeared in ties of need, but recently one of them must have gone bad, tired of centuries in hiding, and the others are trying to defeat them and restore peace. It was a good theory that had some truth behind it, but still very exaggerated. It didn’t help that Ladybug was obviously experienced and that only served to fund this theory even more.

It became a game for Ladybug and Chat Noir to find the funniest theories and share them during patrol. Chat was really good in that, normally he just asked one of his friends what they thought. Mari, not having friends to ask just bought stuff the media printed. These kinds of games helped them relax a little after a tiring battle.  

After two years of fighting evil forces, it was impossible for the two superheroes not to be close. Their kind of relationship always reminded Mari of her brother, and she often felt guilty for not being able to reach him. But that only motivated her more in defeating Hawkmoth. Only then she would be able to leave Paris. 

Living in Paris was nice, for the first time in her life she created a routine for herself. She had training with Master Fu in the mornings and she helped at the bakery during the afternoons. Every other day there would be an Akuma attack and she would step into her role as Ladybug. Other than that her life became pretty calm compared to what it was at the League. She even got the time to explore her creative side, drawing and sewing became her favorite hobbies.

But nothing ever stays the same for long, not for her. 

It was about one year and a half after the attack on the League, just as her Master was getting close to discovering the exact location of origin of the source of evil energy. They knew the owner of the Butterfly Miraculous knew how to read energies, being that what alerted him of the Ladybug Miraculous being activated after Mari was brought back from the dead, but they weren’t expecting him to be able to track them. Her Master energy was easier to locate, even with him being the Grand Guardian, because of his old age. 

To this day she wasn’t sure what exactly happened, only that one afternoon she felt as if the energy around shifted and became unbearable. Fearing the worst she went to her Master in search of guidance, but when she was nearing his house she saw him. Hawkmoth in the flesh. Around him were five Akumas previously defeated.

He was at a rooftop engaging Master Fu, who at the time had already transformed with the Turtle Miraculous, in a heated duel. At the side was Mayura, trying to reach the Miraculous Box that was secured inside a green dome. Not wasting one minute she transformed in a nearby alley and went into action attacking the Peacock wielder. She was ruthless in her blows, never leaving space for the other woman to attack. Chat Noir arrived a couple of minutes later and went for the akumatized people, but at that point it was already too late. Master Fu knew that would be his last day on earth, he didn't have the strength to fight and maintain the Box inside the safety dome, so he did the only thing he thought possible. He relinquished his position as the Grand Guardian of The Miraculous to Ladybug. 

The box immediately disappeared from the dome and appeared in Mari’s arms. Without wasting a second she used her hidden weapon and stabbed her opponent in the thigh in order to subdue her. Her cries of pain were enough to attract Hawkmoth's attention from Chat Noir, with whom he had just engaged in battle. He immediately went to comfort his partner, using his champions as a barricade to protect them. He escaped. Or rather Mari let him escape. Because she couldn't stop looking at her Master’s body. He was dead. Died protecting the Miraculous. Inside her she felt some piece of her break. Death wasn’t new for her, but it felt surreal to believe the man that saw her grow and taught her almost everything she knew was dead. But there was no time to mourn, a soldier only mourned after the war, and this war was far from being over. But at that moment, looking at the lifeless body of her Master she made a vow to herself. 

She would not rest until Hawkmoth perished.

And she would make sure that before he did, it hurt

Next

Another fresh capther for all of you. To be honest I had planned this chapter to be compleatly different, but I was inspired and just lost myself, and when I realised I couldn’t finish this chapter anyother way. Hope you all liked it! Fell free to leave a comment with your theories of what’s going to happen next! (Also, the taglist still open)

WARNING: Major character death; description o violence.

Ladybug suit was inspired by this drawing from Eden Daphne 

After Damian, Richard was her favorite sibling, mostly because she had always seen him as a role model, as part of her training had been inspired by him and his trapeze maneuvers, but she did enjoy the warmth that she tended to feel when he was around. He was patient and had no problem explaining pop culture references to her. Not that she didn't enjoy spending time with her other siblings, it was just that Richard went out of his way to make her feel accepted.

Tim was a very busy person, and their interactions were reserved to 3 a.m. coffee hunts. He wasn’t bad, just closed off, and a little wary of her after his first experience with Damian. Not that she could blame him. But she was a bit closer to his girlfriend, Stephanie Brown, who would come to have dinner at the Manor every week. 

And there was Jason. She refused to address him as her brother, that would just be plain weird. After the initial shock of finding each other again had worn out, it had taken a few weeks for them to finally address the elephant in the room. She could tell that he had struggled with the news that she was Bruce’s biological daughter.

“Dick, maybe speed the lecture a bit so we can still get to the zoo before it closes.” Jason was leaning casually against a wall, finding this whole situation funny. He was wearing jeans and his red leather jacket, nothing special, but if she was honest he looked rather handsome. 

“It’s fine Jaybird, I was just wrapping it up!” He says with a smile, just in time for them to catch the next wagon. Because they spent at least 25 minutes listening to Richard’s lesson, the metro had emptied a bit so they were able to find seats. It was just the three of them, the others would meet them there, after being picked up by Alfred, Damian after school, and Timothy after a meeting. 

“So… I know Bruce said not to ask, but I’ve been dying to know…” Richard starts unsure, afraid to cross a line. They were lucky to score seats in the same section, she was seated with Jason by her side, with Richard in front of him facing them both. “But how exactly did you two meet, I mean it was obviously at… Tibet-'' He caught himself before he could out them as members of the League, you never knew who could be listening in their conversation, so better safe than sorry. “- but why do you know Jason, but Damian didn’t?” 

With a glance to the side, she was more than happy to allow Jason to explain that part. In the two months she lived at the Manor she saw how much they wanted to ask about their relationship, but kept their distance. Aside from Damian, they didn’t feel the need to inform the family about their past. 

“Well, Pixie Pop here was the one to train me for the duration of my time in the Temple. Kicked my ass more times than I can count.” He says with a smirk, while casually butting an arm on the back of her seat. “She taught me most of what I know”

“Most of it?” She was indignant, but the smile on her face betrayed her true emotions.

“To be fair B didn’t totally suck as a parent.” She knew that he and Father didn’t have the best relationship after he came back from his time at the League, but according to Damian, it used to be way worse, not that she would know. Richard seems content with their explanation and didn't demand more information, even if he desperately wanted to. He respects their boundaries, and that only makes her like him more.

When they got to the zoo, Damian and Timothy were already there, but surprisingly Stephanie had tagged along, so now she wasn’t the only female in the group anymore, not that she cared, but she liked her brother’s girlfriend so the surprise was appreciated. 

She had never been to the zoo before, just to see the attractions. The times she went to fight an Akuma did not count. It was a bit sad seeing all these animals stuck in a cage, and she could tell her brother felt the same. Damian always had a soft spot for animals, and would not tolerate if they were being mistreated. Not surprisingly, the Waynes made annual donations to the zoo to ensure that all the animals were well taken care of. When she first heard about that she was glad that Father cared about Damian’s interests enough to pay to support every zoo and animal shelter in the city. It helped ease her guilt for abandoning him for two years knowing that now she was not the only one who cared for him.

They spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying the animals. And Dick was glad he chose to go to the zoo as a family bonding experience. When Damian first came into the family he had taken him there, after discovering that his younger brother absolutely adored animals and he was happy to see that Marianne liked it as well.  

Efficient as always, Alfred was already there waiting for them the minute they crossed the exit of the building. As she came to know, the men seemed to have a six sense when it came to all of them. Just by his aura, she could tell he wasn’t someone you wanted to cross, but she could see how much he loved each one of his grandchildren (because she could never kid herself to think of him any less than a Grandfather).

“I assume that today's activities were enjoyable.” The butler asks as he opens the back door of the limo for them. Richard enters first thanking the men.

“It was acceptable” Damian voices, as he too enters the vehicle.  

It was a bit of a ride, seeing that the Manor was almost outside of Gotham, but she didn’t mind. Seated between Richard and Damian she spent most of the journey chatting with everyone. But by the time they arrived at the house everyone was a bit tired, so dinner was a relatively small affair. But not uneventful, because as revenge for Bruce bailing on family day, the boys started sharing with her all the shenanigans of her father’s public persona, Brucie Wayne. It was amusing to see this new side to her father, always so reserved and serious. 

“If you are all finished sharing Master Bruce's embarrassing moments, I believe it is time for patrol.”  Alfred as always came to defuse the situation before it could implode. 

Because she spent most of the last two years fighting almost every single day, she decided that she needed some rest from her hero lifestyle. Even after her father asked if she would like to accompany them on patrols, she decided to turn it down for now. So while her family directed themselves to the cave, she made her way into her suite. 

It was a beautiful room. Although the color scheme wasn’t something she would have picked herself, it fit with the furniture rather nicely, and her artist side appreciated that. The room itself was simple, but the red colors and the dark wood made the room seem cozier than it was. With a double bed with a canopy, two bedside tables, a vanity with a mirror, and a wardrobe, it had everything she needed. Her Father had encouraged her to decorate her room the way she wanted, and she had been tempted to do so, but ultimately decided to wait until she settled into her role as a family member before she went and added more change to the mix. What she had been very close to doing was adding a desk so she could draw and design, but after she discovered that there was a big one in the library just a few doors from her room, she dismissed the idea.  

Quickly she showered and changed into something more comfortable than her street attire, before exiting the room and making her way into the library. It wasn’t as big as the one downstairs, but it had a big balcony that overlooked the gardens, so she liked to just sit in a shadow and sketch away. Damian had been kind enough to spare one of his unused sketchbooks and some pencils, knowing that she liked to draw just as much as he did. She leaned forward into the railing resting her arms and head, but still looking upwards.

The sun had already set, and she was glad that they were far enough away from the city that she could see some stars in the sky. Having lived in Paris, she had really missed all the stars she could see at night from her home on the League. One of her studies had been about the Astros, so she spent a lot of time as a kid contemplating the skies. 

“It’s going to rain soon” A voice comes from behind her. Without having to turn around she knew who it was. A smile appears on her face.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for patrol?” She asks, straightening her body, but still not turning around. She could feel the person getting closer to her until she felt a presence at her side. 

“That’s the whole point. It's gonna rain.” He carries a hint of humor in his tone “And besides I prefer to keep you company, Pretty Girl. Besides, I believe Red Hood deserves one night off. The guy has been working hard.” He jokes.

With a smile she finally faces him. He had showered and changed, and without his red jacket, he looked so relaxed. It reminded her of their time in the League. Like that he looked so much like the angry boy she helped train. So young and while broken, so full of life and fight in him. He smirks at her but turns his face upwards to look at the night. 

“You always did love the stars.” He commented, not looking at her. “It’s sad that here you can't see them as much.” 

“It’s not that bad. In Paris, you couldn't see any. It was sad, but to be fair the whole city more than compensated for that. It’s beautiful there.” She recalled all the times she went on a midnight stroll around the city, just enjoying the architecture. “I could spend eternity drawing all the details in the buildings.” 

“Do you miss it?” He asks, looking at her. His tone is neutral, but by his body language, she can tell he’s anxious for her answer. She had always been good at reading him, and she was glad that their time apart had not changed that. 

“In a way…” 

She sighs.

“I liked the city, but I spent most of my time there fighting and training. Not much different from before. It was like everything changed but was still the same. To be completely honest… I miss our time at the League the most.” She confesses but hurriedly continues. “Don’t get me wrong, it was hard! But still… at the same time…”

“I get it.” He interrupts her. He has a small side smile, and the dimples on his face make her want to freeze this moment and draw him so she could eternalize him. Instead, she gets closer to him, seeking comfort in his presence at her side. He embraces her. Securing her in his arms, her body pressed against his, her head buried in his chest.

It was funny to think that the most capable woman to take care of herself he knew, chose to be vulnerable around him. It made him feel loved.

“I miss it too.” He whispered in her ear. She raises her head, just enough that she can see his face without removing herself from his arms. Staying like this reminds her of all the nights he used to sneak into her chambers. And they would talk and hold each other for hours. It felt like it was just yesterday the first time he got the better of her.

“Focus!” She yelled while landing a kick at his unprotected left side. “You are unbalanced- in three moves I could have you on the ground again” She punched him to his right, but he was able to block her and tried to deliver a punch of his own. His knuckles were bloodied, and he knew that in the morning his ribs would hurt. But at this moment he was high on adrenaline. She dodged. 

They were training for what felt like hours. But both were too stubborn to ask for the fight to end. 

But just as promised, in three more moves he was on the ground. He tried to get back on his feet to continue with the fight but was stopped by a foot on his torso.

“That’s enough.” She helps him to get on his feet. “You were great! You could have overpowered me so many times! I left you so many openings!” She laughs. This was routine for them. After a fight, Marianne was usually so pumped with adrenaline that she spoke at a mile per hour. “We really need to work on your tactics this week. Oh! You also need to improve your stance, you’ve been favoring your right side too much. I know your ribs hurt but you still need to protect your body as a whole.” She comments only stopping to take a large sip of water. “Well, I am spent.”

“You’re spent? I’m the one that has been eating dirt for the whole hour!” He complains indignantly. She tossed a water bottle in his direction, which he grabs and happily finishes in a single gulp.

“Just another reason you need to study more!” She grins. And turns to exit the room, and while walking to the door turns to him again. 

“See you in a bit” She winks. 

When they meet again they are in her room. She’s seated on the bed sketching some view, while Jason sits on the floor sharpening his knife. They chat casually for some time, but ultimately end speaking about their training session earlier. 

“That move would have totally worked!” He exclaims, knife long forgotten he now kneels facing her bed. 

“There’s where you are wrong, you need strength on your fist on both sides to push my torso, otherwise I would easily be able to doge only one. You need two punches at different sides in succession for you to distract your opponent!” She explains in a hurry. Her thoughts jumped around her head. 

“No way! If it’s strong enough, only one is needed!” He argues.

Worked up she threw her notebook to the side, forgotten. In a second she was up, signaling for him to do the same.

“There is no way. Stand there, pretend to be in stance.” She directs, and without a second thought, he complies. “Okay, so I come for your right side first, you are stronger there.” 

Her movements are slowed, as she demonstrates the move. “That’s going to distract you, and keep you focused on your stronger side, leaving your weaker one unprotected.” She shows him where he left an opening for her. “So all I need to do now is strike again, focusing more strength now. Either a punch or a kick would do the trick.” As she goes to demonstrate her point, he grabs the incoming slow punch and pulls her into his body. 

Unprepared she loses her balance, falling into his chest. In a second he secures her with his other arm, keeping her in his embrace. She feels her face burning with embarrassment. He caught her by surprise, and she felt ashamed.

“Hey that wasn't fai-” But he silences her, bringing his face closer to hers and giving her a heated kiss. It lasts for some time, but when they finally separate themselves he has a grin on his face.

“Just to be clear, I knew the move wouldn’t have worked. You just look cute when you're angry.” 

And before she can protest he shuts her up with another kiss.

So this is by far the biggest chapter! Hope ya’ll like it! We finally get the story behind Jason and Marianne. Let me know what you think!

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