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#If I see Damian right now I really just might stab him
melody-han-wayne · 2 years
Conversation
Uncle Clark: Mel, sweetie, you know your Auntie Lois and I love having you over, but you can't hide from your family forever—
Me: I can.
Uncle Clark: Don't you think it's time for you to go back? Your father's really worried about you.
Me: I already told you, I'm not going back until Damian apologises.
Uncle Clark: Sweetie, we can't keep you in Metropolis forever.
Me: Then send me to your parents' farm in Smallville. I'm sure I could find some way to be useful over there.
Uncle Clark: I—
Me: If you can't, I understand. I'll book myself a plane to Star City and stay with Thea instead.
Uncle Clark:...You're really not going to give up and go home, are you?
Me: Never.
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Batmom idea - they can’t find her anywhere. Everyone’s freaking out, thinking she’s gone for good. Only for them to find her out by Bruce’s “grave” or whatever place they have honoring him. Bonus points if it’s winter and she’s half frozen when they find her.
Dick and Jason traded a look over the table where everyone had convened and Dick exhaled slowly, "Guys, she didn't just leave-"
"But-" Steph started but shut her mouth with a snap when Jason held up a hand.
"Dickhead is right," he said. "She never just bails. SOMEONE always knows where she went."
"If she's not thinking clearly though," Tim said, "I mean-"
"Tim," Dick said slowly, "She's not going to just leave. Especially not now- Even if you keep telling her Bruce is still alive-"
"Which doesn't help," Cass said quietly. "Not when she watched it all happen."
"He's not dead," Tim insisted, "She's not infallible. She's the first one to say tha-"
"It doesn't matter," Dick cut in. "She's here. Somewhere. And I think- There's one place we haven't looked."
"Where?" Steph asked frowning. "We've turned the whole city upside down."
Jason winced and exhaled slowly. "I'll go- I still know how to get there."
"Jason," Dick started, "I can-"
"It's probably going to go better if-"
"Might I suggest," Alfred interjected, "That you all go?"
"Go where?" Stephanie and Duke asked in unison.
Dick pinched the bridge of his nose and took a slow breath. He KNEW you weren't fond of your stories being retold amongst themselves and he wasn't really sure how to explain it but- They needed to know. "Out in the woods, hidden on the property she has a sort of... memorial? I guess. She goes there when-"
"She's not been there since she found out what happened to-" Damian stopped, feeling a familiar, uncomfortable stab of guilt. The same one he felt anytime he stopped to consider the series of events his arrival at the manor had set in motion.
"I know," Dick said, squeezing his shoulder "But if she's anywhere- she might be there."
______________
The cold cut like a knife. Wind moaned in the trees and whipped snowflakes at them like minuscule scourges. And the moon seemed to be watching them like a reproachful eye. Jason wasn't sure if it was scolding them for intruding or scolding them for leaving you alone so long but- it hardly mattered.
They trudged along in semi-silence. Not sure what they'd find- or if they'd find you at all. Unspoken questions float through the air. No one knows how to ask them and no one is sure they're ready to hear the answers.
But they press on. Until Dick brings them to a halt. If he hadn't stopped them, they never would have seen it. Entrenched between outcroppings of rock that had been quarried out ages ago to build the original foundations of the manor. They never would have found it had he not stopped them.
An old lantern throws eerie shadows against the gathering Darkness and, peering down, they can see you kneeling. Eyes closed- in meditation of prayer, it's hard to tell. But you're rocking slightly. The protection from the wind doing little to keep the tear tracks from freezing on your cheeks. "Carefully," Dick said quietly. Vivid memories of what had happened once when he'd watched Bruce sneak up on you here.
Jason nodded, leading the way down into the space. Feeling like he was encroaching on holy ground. "Mom?" he said softly. "Mom it's getting late-"
Your eyes fly open and for just a moment, all of them tense. Waiting for you to strike out when Jason throws a heavy blanket around your shoulders. Exhaling collectively when you don't. Looking around slowly. Like you either don't know how you got there or don't know how they did.
"Mom-"
You shake your head vehemently and Jason frowned, "You'll freeze to death and it still won't bring him back."
"He's not-" Tim started but Steph shushed him, creeping forward with Cass slowly.
"Mom," Dick said softly, swallowing a lump in his throat. "Please." All this time. All the pain and the years of suffering. And for the first time, Dick actually thinks you might be trying to die. Trying to make it stop. Letting your ghosts take you. "You can come back tomorrow- just. Please?" When Dick moves closer, kneeling in front of you and pulling of your hand- You're corpse cold hand. Like he used to as a little boy. He can't say anything. But when you try to stand, staggering and falling against him, he's Grateful for Jason to pick you up and carry you. Because Dick could stand to lose a lot of things. But he didn't think he could take being orphaned again.
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I think that Ra's Al Ghul would be a shit enemy for Tim as in he'd piss him off and attempt murder dozens of times and would take Tim's sleep away a lot
But
What if he actually gets to be a good grandpa?
Sure, Damian can start as a project to host Ra's soul and be his vessel or something because I really like that idea
But then he sees the kid.
As in the actual kid. Out of whatever incubator they put him in.
He looks just like Talia but also just like him.
His eyes might have a blue trace from Bruce in them, but with the right light they shine an even brighter green than Talia's.
And he's got the same soft baby jaw that Talia had that squishes around with his cheeks when anything presses against them, and when he holds Damian for the first time and they squish against him and he sees that this is his grandson, a baby much like his daughter was twenty or so years ago.
And he sees the love he has for her and has had since day one seeping through and he instantly loves this baby.
And he's got Talia's nose, it's faint but it's there and he knows he'll grow to have her nose, he can see it.
And his grippy baby hands hold onto his robes and he falls asleep on Ra's arms.
"Cancel the vessel plans." He states, once, firmly, but quietly to not wake the baby up.
He is stuck holding Damian to not wake him up despite being carbon-dated old and knows hundreds of ways to get out of this situation.
He falls asleep too and stabs three assassins in his sleep because they got too close to Damian or made noise.
Talia was out and panics a bit when she realizes she left little Damian alone with her batshit crazy (pun intended) father
She arrives back to their assassin palace and is told to be quiet, and that the vessel plans are cancelled.
She sneaks into Damian's room to see Ra's asleep with him.
She smiles softly, glad that Damian has done his magic with her father.
Though, she knows, that if this kid has got anything from Bruce, he'll grow out of their clan.
And she knows her father will be angry and it'll be hard for all three of them.
But she chooses to focus on the now.
She grabs a dagger to defend herself from upcoming attacks as she sneaks into the little couch next to her dad, and falls asleep watching Damian sleep, softly slumped on her father's shoulder.
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the-atlas-sister · 3 years
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Protector (Batsis Reader)
(This is from a chapter of my original story but I quirked the character to be the reader. The reader can teleport and turn invisible and your hero name is Viper. You're also part of the Teen Titan's and Connor Kent is your love interest, although it's not too evident in this chapter. Alexandra and Alex are original characters in the Titans based on my two friends. If you like this chapter and you want me to publish the book, let me know. I would make the original character the reader)
Y/N's POV
"I'm going on a walk!" I announced, opening the Wayne manor door.
"Alone?" Alfred asked, walking towards me.
"Yeah," I shrugged.
"You may want to have one of your brothers accompany you," Alfred said. "Or Ace. You are the daughter of the infamous Bruce Wayne. And you're injured."
"I'm also the Teen Titan Viper," I chuckled. "I can take care of myself, Alfred. But thank you."
"Do be careful," Alfred said as I walked out of the large mansion.
I looked around as soon as I was outside before teleporting into the city. I teleported to an alleyway next to Gotham City Park. I swiped a strand of hair from my face before walking into the park. I smiled at the kids laughing and playing on the playground, remembering when Dick would bring my brother and I there when our parents and Bruce were working.
That's when I heard the scream. I spun my head to see two men with penguin masks grab a kid and pull him into an alley, his parents and all other adults apparently oblivious to the kidnapping.
"Hey!" I yelled, running toward the child and his kidnappers. I stopped at the alley, noticing that the child and the men were gone. I furrowed my brows, walking further into the alley. "Hello!"
"Help!" the child's voice echoed through the alley. I continued walking, ignoring the fact that the echo was unnatural, due to the fact there was no building covering the alley or stopping the sun from shining down. "Help!" I noticed that I had found the end of the alleyway. "Help!" I looked down to see a doll, the size of a small child, it's mouth open.
"Oh no-"
"You Y/L/N," a voice said from behind me. "So quick to save the day." Before I could turn around, I felt a slight prick in my neck. I turned around to see the familiar plump and long-nosed figure of Oswald Cobblepot or the Penguin, as well as the men from before standing next to him.
"Cobblepot," I mumbled, feeling drowsy.
"Careful there," Penguin said as I stumbled towards him. "Maybe you should just... relax."
I reached back and pulled out the thing that had pricked me. It was a small tranquilizer dart. I threw it to the ground as I fell to my knees. Dad, I thought before everything went dark.
***
"Wake up!"
I groaned, fluttering my eyes open. I tried to move my hands, only to feel a coarse rope around them. My eyes shot open at that realization. I sat upright, trying to move my legs, only to find them each tied to the leg of the chair I was sitting in. I looked around, to find myself in what looked like an abandoned penguin exhibit. I sat on a makeshift iceberg above freezing water, I let out a breath, noticing it come out in a puff of mist.
"Good, you're awake." I looked up to see the Penguin, in his top hat, monocle, and usual penguin tux. He held a raw fish, biting off it's head. He leaned casually on his lethal umbrella, a blade sticking out from the bottom.
I stayed stoic. First thing Bruce taught me in a kidnapping. "Why am I here Cobblepot?" I asked.
"Just a playing card," Penguin shrugged, some of the fish spitting from his mouth.
"So you want my father's money?" I scoffed. "Spend all of your family's fortune on that disgusting fish or buying this run-down zoo?"
"We both know Bruce Wayne isn't your father," Penguin said. "Your father blew up." He pointed the fish at me some of it's gut splattering on my face. "But yes."
"Why do you need Bruce Wayne's money?" I asked, pressing the Titan's distress button on my bracelet.
"Why do any of really need money?" Penguin sighed. "I need to rebuild the Iceberg Lounge."
"You really think people would go to a club owned by a former villain and current psychopath?" I scoffed. "Built off of stolen money?" Penguin growled and slapped me across the face with the half fish, splattering more guts and blood across my face. I spit out the few that got in my mouth.
"Some people don't matter who owns the club as long as they can spend their money on booze and beautiful women," he said, swallowing the rest of his fish. "Now let's notify Bruce that we have his dear little girl here, shall we?"
Penguin pulled out a phone and typed in Bruce's number and turned on the speaker. I tensed as the ringing began.
"Hello?" Bruce's voice rang through.
"Oh hello Bruce," Penguin said into the phone.
"Cobblepot," Bruce said. "What-"
"I just wanted to let you know that I have your dear daughter here with me," Penguin said. "Here Y/N, say hello." He held the speaker towards me, but I stayed silent. I felt one of his henchmen, grab my hair and yank, making me let out an involuntary yelp. He used his free hand to press a gun under my chin.
"Cobblepot, don't hurt her," Bruce said.
"Bruce, I'll be fine don't'-" I let out a strangled scream as Penguin stabbed my bicep with his umbrella.
"Y/N-"
"Now Bruce, she'll survive, as long as you get 4 million dollars to the Gotham Zoo, by noon," Penguin said, his blade still in my arm. I glanced at the clock on the phone, seeing that was ten minutes to noon. "If not then..." He twisted the blade, making me bite my lip to keep in a scream, but a small whimper arose. He then hung up.
"You won't kill me," I said through pained whimpers.
"I won't." Penguin agreed, pulling the blade out of my arm hard, making me yell again. I felt thick, warm blood drip down my arm quickly, and heavily. "But he might." The gun was pressed harder against my chin.
I swear Alexandra if you don't hurry-
My thoughts were cut off by Penguin being thrown off the makeshift iceberg. I held back a smile upon seeing Alex fully costumed, standing in front of me. She grinned at me.
I heard a loud crash and felt the sun shine on my back before left my chin. I watched as the man was thrown into the cement wall.
"Are you okay?" I heard Alexandra ask from behind me.
"I've been through worse," I said. I turned to see Jaime shoot another henchman into the wall with his scarab's laser.
"Superboy, get Y/N free," Raven said, flying above me. She created a magic cage around Penguin.
I felt something hot between my wrists before feeling the ropes snap. "You sure, you're okay?" Connor asked, flying in front of me.
"Totally," I shrugged, placing a hand on my bicep to stop the blood. Connor looked unsure but quickly laser-eyed the ropes around my ankles. I stood up and turned around to see Alexandra toss another henchman into a pile she had created and Alex ran around them, tying them up quickly.
"How'd you super twits get here?" Penguin asked.
"Shut up," Alex said, making faces at him.
"We're just here to help any citizen in danger," Alexandra said, placing a hand on Alex's shoulder.
"Raven, get him to GPD," Jaime said. Raven nodded before flying out of the hole they had created coming in, the caged Penguin behind her. "And Superboy-"
That was when Bruce appeared. He dropped dramatically in front of me, Dick and Damian following close behind. All fully suited up.
"Guess they beat us to it," Nightwing said, grinning at the Titans. "Nice job team."
Robin rushed to me, pulling my hand from my arm. He glared at me as he noticed the gushing blood. He pulled out a bandage roll and wrapped my arm. I winced at the roughness of his wrapping skills. "This is why you don't go on walks alone," he said, flicking my forehead.
"Thanks for the love," I said, rubbing my forehead.
"Robin's right," Bruce said, narrowing his eyes at me. "You could've gotten killed and worse, you could've gotten out of this by using your powers."
"I couldn't have given myself away," I said. "They could have connected me to Viper, then to you and to Robin and Nightwing!"
"Your safety is more important than our identities," Bruce said sternly. "I don't want you to leave the manor this week."
"Are you grounding me?" I scoffed. "Over something that wasn't my fault?"
"Busted," Alex mumbled.
"Bats, that's not fair," Connor said, walking forward. Bruce sent him a classic Bat glare, a mix of intimidation and Dad guilt. Connor stopped. "Or you know, whatever. Your kid."
"You can't-"
"I am your father, Y/N Wayne," Bruce said. "We're going back to the manor and I forbid you from leaving."
First part 2 on my masterlist: https://mooskey.tumblr.com/post/661991989629304832/%F0%9D%9A%83%F0%9D%99%B7%F0%9D%99%B4-%F0%9D%9A%84%F0%9D%99%BB%F0%9D%9A%83%F0%9D%99%B8%F0%9D%99%BC%F0%9D%99%B0%F0%9D%9A%83%F0%9D%99%B4-%F0%9D%99%B2%F0%9D%99%BE%F0%9D%9A%82%F0%9D%99%BC%F0%9D%99%B8%F0%9D%99%B2-%F0%9D%99%BF%F0%9D%99%BE%F0%9D%9A%86%F0%9D%99%B4%F0%9D%9A%81-%F0%9D%99%BC%F0%9D%9A%A2-%F0%9D%99%BC%F0%9D%9A%8A%F0%9D%9A%9C%F0%9D%9A%9D%F0%9D%9A%8E%F0%9D%9A%9B%F0%9D%9A%95%F0%9D%9A%92%F0%9D%9A%9C%F0%9D%9A%9D
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hintofelation99 · 3 years
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The Batfam Babysits Damian While Dick is Off Planet; From Everyone Else's Perspective
Original post: The Batfam Babysits Damian While Dick is Off Planet
Dick's Voicemail 4:06 pm
Dick's voicemail recording: Hi! You've reached Dick Grayson, I can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Duke: Hey Dick, so I won't be at the manor when you get back. Your pet child bit me, so I'm going to be staying at one of Jason's safe houses until I can get tested for rabies.
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The Justice League's Direct Line to the President 5:11 pm
Martian Manhunter (MM): Mr. Presi-
Barbara: Yeah no, not the president, this is Oracle.
MM: This is a secure line between the Justice League and the President of the United States, how did you get this number?
Barbara: I'm Oracle, do you really need to ask?
MM: What do you want?
Barbara: I'm just warning you that there will most likely be an attempt to hack the Justice League server in the next 24 hours.
MM: ...
Barbara: You've been warned.
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The Young Justice comm lines 7:03 pm
Jason: HEY DICK FACE!
Dick: Hood?! How are you even on this comm line?
Jason: Doesn't matter, we need to talk about your pet demon child
Dick: I am literally leading a mission right now! I can't talk! Also, why does everyone call him my pet??
Starfire: Dick, we really need to focus right now
Dick gets shot
Dick: Ow fuck! What do you want Jason?
Jason: I just want you to know your cooking fucking sucks and I hope you die
Dick: Okay?! I literally just got shot so you might get your wish?
Jason: Good, fuck you. Also I'll see you at dinner tomorrow night
Jason disconnects
Dick: What the fuck?!
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The Young Justice comm lines 8:40 pm
Steph: Hey Dickhead!
Dick: Steph?! How do you guys keep getting on this line??
Steph: We've got bigger fish to fry, Wing. And by fish to fry I mean we have a shower on fire.
Gar and Jaime: Wait what?!
Dick: What?? How? Why? What did you do??
Steph: It wasn't me?! It was the demon! God, Why do you always think I did it
Dick: You've replaced all of Batman's smoke bombs with glitter bombs.
Steph: It was one time!
Dick: You've done it three times!!
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Bruce's Voicemail 9:09 pm
Bruce's voicemail recording: Hey, you've reached Brucie! I can't come to the phone right now so leave a message, I'll try to get back.
Tim: Bruce your demon child stabbed me and Dick isn't answering his phone. Please pick up.
Tim: ...
Tim: Well, fuck me I guess...
————————
Dick's Voicemail 10:09 pm
Dick's voicemail recording: Hi! You've reached Dick Grayson, I can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Cass: Little brother is sleeping. Love you big brother.
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cipheress-to-k-pop · 3 years
Text
Sad Ending
Pairing: Damian Wayne x Reader
Warnings: Death, blood, injuries, what have you.
Word Count: 3.3K
Summary: When you're reunited with Damian after year's of being apart, what he doesn't know is that you're there to say goodbye
A/N: This didn't quite turn out how it played out in my head but ig that's partly because I wasn't able to put in the filler parts in between cuz it just didn't fit. In hindsight I could've written a few more k's of words to fit it in but I reached my limit so I hope y'all enjoy it.
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Your eyes were trained onto the figure in the crowd of the gala. The same figure it had been pinned to for a few weeks now and it would continue to be that way for as long as you could.
Damian Wayne was just as beautiful as you remembered him, with sharp eyes and a gorgeous face that had your heart leaping to your throat with a simple look. But you believed that the world wasn’t blessed with eyes gifted enough to see the true beauty of him.
A beauty that only someone who knew him on the inside would.
Everything about him was compelling, gorgeous, familiar. You watched him from afar in longing, wishing that you could go up to him but still you kept your distance, fearing the worst if he knew you were here.
Still, you remained selfish, indulging in your desires to get whatever glimpse of him that you could. You kept him away from you however, knowing that once you got a taste of him, you wouldn't be able to pull back.
But it was tough, you had missed him, so much.
Even so, you were content simply watching him.
You thought you were sneaky, that Damian didn't notice. Of course, you overestimated yourself, or underestimated him. And of course, in the traditional Wayne fashion, you had to expose yourself in the most dramatic and eccentric way possible.
The famous Damian Wayne, son of reputable and not to mention rich Bruce Wayne was attacked at the bank by a bunch of thugs, armed with weapons. The security was taken out swiftly and you imagined that Damian would quickly disarm the man threatening him with a knife.
Instead, he made no move, not even bothering to look remotely interested and just held up his hands like he was bored. The bandit, trigger-happy and confused, pulled back the blade in his hand, to try and stab him.
The crowd gasped and whimpered but were silenced by the man pointing a gun at them. Damian still didn't look phased. Instead, he lazily tilted his head until his eyes locked on your figure, hidden in the shadows. You stopped dead, watching carefully as he stared at you, completely tuning out the man putting his life in peril.
When the thug moved again, to try and stab him and Damian still didn't make any move, you leaped from your place before your mind could even process it, wedging yourself between the both of them and quickly disarming the man.
He fell to the ground, screaming in pain when you knocked the weapon out of his hands and then twisted his arm, hearing the painful crack of his shoulder getting pulled out of its socket.
You glared at the man behind you from the corner of your eye, "You could've gotten hurt."
He shrugged, "I knew you'd step in to protect me."
You scoffed, "You put a lot of faith in someone you haven't seen in years."
He just smirked in the infuriating way you knew he would before moving from behind you as more men came at you. With his help it didn't take long before they were all on the ground, either knocked out or groaning in pain.
"Um, can someone call an ambulance for these guys?"
When you turned, Damian was watching you with a small smile and your heart fluttered in your chest. You should've kept him at an arm's distance, you should have left but in the moment all you wanted to do was be in his arms.
Before you could even help yourself, you crashed into his chest like a falling star, wrapping your arms around his waist and breathing in the familiar scent of him. He held you tightly against him, cradling your head lovingly and gently pressed a kiss to your hairline.
"The league." You whispered to him, remembering why you were here.
Damian shushed you, tightening his arms around you and you were in a safe haven, sighing in relief against him. For a second, all the fear and guilt you had been feeling melted away.
Nothing else mattered as long as you were in his arms.
"We can discuss it back at home, (Y/N)." He muttered, now pulling away so he could lead you away from the police and reporters to his car.
You stared at your fingers intertwined with Damián’s, the engagement ring on your finger glimmering brightly under the sunlight and smiled unconsciously.
"I missed you." You sighed, feeling his fingers tighten around yours. Damian spared you another smile over his shoulder before you caught up with him, leaning into his arm.
"Me too, beloved."
****
"You should get some rest, beloved." Damian muttered, as the others began leaving the room. Your shoulders were still tense but you managed a smile, nodding at him.
"I'll just wash up and join you."
He smiled gently at you, raising your hand and placing a fluttering kiss to your knuckles before leaving. You watched the door as it slid shut and it was only then you let your expressions melt back onto your face.
"You may have the others fooled, but don't think for a second that you've pulled the wall over my eyes." Came from behind you and you froze, eyes widening.
You spun around to see Damian's brother, Tim, inch his way closer to you, figure stiff and guard up.
"Because Damian knows you, I'll assume your identity to be true. Damian was quick to trust you and the others followed suit but something's not adding up. Why are you here?"
His eyes were sharp and his gaze cut right through you. You didn't realize it but your hands were shaking even though you tried hard to maintain your composure.
"I—I told you," You croaked, cringing at your suddenly choked voice, "I was giving up on this life. I'm turning over a new leaf and hiding from the League until that happens."
"Then why come here?"
"I told you—"
"I don't believe you. You know why? Here's the problem with your story." He spoke, coolly, "Take it as a puzzle. The puzzle pieces all fit, but the picture, doesn't make sense. Why come here? When you're on the run from the League of Assassins no less?"
You were floundering, quite pathetically you might add, unable to think when your mind was flurrying so violently. It didn't help that Tim was speaking in such a condescending and strict manner that it intimidated you.
"Here's what I think happened; either you're here to lead the League to Damian, waiting until he's vulnerable and his guard is down to strike." He spat, "Or, you're not running from them at all. You're waiting until they find you."
You hesitantly raised your eyes to meet his, "You can't tell Damian."
"Since you even tried to entertain the fact that I'd hide Damian means that it's the latter. But why?"
"I was hand-chosen by Talia to be Damian's betrothed since birth. They handed me down to one of the main sergeants to be raised as their own. Except, they weren't that happy to have me." You explained, watching as his features smoothened over with realization.
The gears in his head were turning and you could only assume what was going on in his mind. He was a great detective; you could understand why he had Ra's' acknowledgement. But that made you all the more nervous, trembling hands holding onto the material of your shirt tightly.
"I was raised by them to be the perfect daughter, the perfect wife. As the person who was going to continue the 'Al Ghul' bloodline. However, soon after I was already perceived as a failure." You murmured, keeping your voice low in fear of any other Wayne's poking their head around and over-hearing.
"When Damian left the League to stay with Bruce." Tim realized and you nodded.
"Things just got worse after that. I sustained an injury from a mission and couldn't walk for a few months. My step-family was called on a mission for the last few of my recovery. When they returned, they were unaware of my progress but I decided to keep up the act that I was still unable to take care of myself. It was a few nights after that I heard them plotting to kill me since I became a liability and a shame to the family."
The man in front of you chuckled humourlessly, rubbing his tired face with his palm, "What kind of fucked up Cinderella story is this?"
You shared his sentiment, "Only difference to the original is that my prince never came. So, I had to take matters into my own hand."
Tim's eyes widened, "(Y/N), why is the league after you?"
You released a shuddering breath, "Damian can't find out."
He bristled, "Damian would protect you."
"And that's exactly why he can't find out. Damian would die to protect me, and if he tries to step in that's exactly what's going to happen."
"Then why come here? Why bring it to our home?"
You hid your face in your hands, "I didn't mean to. I just wanted to be selfish one last time. I was completely content with just watching him from a distance, I guess I overestimated my abilities. When we met, I was hoping he'd turn me away. I was hoping he'd tell me that he moved on and never wanted to see me again. I was hoping he'd tell me that he didn't feel anything for me."
Your eyes began watering and you felt the urge to hide and cry. Everything was getting messed up. Guilt took over you when you remembered how bright Damian's face was when he saw you, how right his hand felt in yours. How could you do this to him?
"Damian would want to know." Tim told you softly, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder but your body stiffened up. He couldn't find out. He just couldn't.
"Are you really willing to put the life of your brother at risk for a girl you just met today?"
"You seem awfully keen to die." He commented, and you felt slight grief at his words. Of course, you didn't want to die. Not now, not when you were finally back in Damian's arms. Not ever.
You sniffled, biting your lip, "Damian shouldn't have to pay for my sins. I do."
His hand tightened on your shoulder and you found comfort in the warmth you could feel through your clothes, "I'll keep your secret."
Sighing in relief, you hugged him tightly, "Thank you."
****
When Damian woke up, his eyes flickered between the lamp beside him on the nightstand and then to the window. It was still dark outside, he assumed that he was woken up because of his usual schedule. It wasn't like him to miss patrol but the others suggested that he take a day off to rest.
He turned his neck to see that you weren't in bed beside him and wondered if last night had been a dream. It wouldn't have been the first time that he dreamt of you being by his side. But he remembered how much his heart pounded, he remembered feeling shocks all over his skin when he touched you.
And then he noticed the way the other side of the bed was mussed up, like someone had been sleeping there and he absently reached for that side, running his fingers up and down the fabric like he would be able to feel some residual warmth from your body.
Instead, the pads of his fingers came into contact with something coarse. His brows furrowed and he grabbed it between his fingers, realizing it was a folded piece of paper. Squinting and sitting up, he got a better look at it, recognizing his name scrawled in your handwriting.
'Damian.
I'm sorry that you'll have to find out this way but the League found my location a little earlier than expected. I'm going into hiding tonight. It's likely we'll never see each other again. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this in person. Even though I know this is a missed opportunity for it and I should have summoned up the courage to say goodbye, I just couldn't stand the thought. And I couldn't watch myself break your heart. Please forgive me for this. I never wanted our lives to turn out this way, but I can't keep running away from reality and towards my desires anymore. You deserve so much more than I could ever even hope to offer you. And I know this is another mistake I'm making, but I left the ring you gave me. Thank you for giving it to me, but I think it belongs to someone else.
I love you, and I'm sorry.
-(Y/N)'
His heart rate picked up, skimming over the words a few more times. This had to be some sort of trick, he tried to decipher your words, tried to see if there were any clues, any codes but his heart clenched in his chest when he realized there was none. He pulled back the covers in a frantic motion and sure enough, the engagement ring you were given on your 18th was glimmering, abandoned by you.
Blood hammered through his ears and he threw off the covers, getting to his feet and sprinting through the doors. His feet pounded against the hardwood floors and then the metal floors of the Batcave.
"Damian? What're you doing up?" Dick asked, raising a brow as Damian marched his way down to the Bat Computer before pushing Tim out of the way and pulling up the Manor security cameras. You had managed to avoid all of them. Of course.
"We have to find (Y/N)." He said, not turning his eyes off the screen.
"(Y/N)? Wasn't she in bed with you?"
"If she was in my bed then I wouldn't be down here trying to find her, now would I?!" He bit back and then held out the note for Dick to read. Once he got through it, Dick squeezed his younger brother's shoulder as a sign of comfort.
"Don't worry, Little D, we'll find her."
"Damian, she said she doesn't want to be found. Don't you think you should listen to her and trust that she knows what's best?" Tim asked from behind him, hoping to get his brother to relax but Damian's back tensed up before he turned to his brother.
"You know something."
Tim froze, "What?"
But before he could even think of a cover story, Damian was grasping him by his collar, holding him to eye level to look the devil's grandson in the eye, "What are you not telling me, Drake?"
Realizing he's been caught, Tim pushed his hands off him, turning so that his back was facing him, "Doesn't matter. (Y/N) said she didn't want you to find out and I promised her."
He felt a little helpless watching Tim's back facing him. He didn't feel like himself. Every second that Damian spent away from you, when he knew that you could be in trouble had every part of him, every fibre of his being, every cell in his body ache with a pain he had never felt before.
Never in his life would he have thought that he would be brought to his knees by someone. But you held all the power over him and Damian would gladly kneel before you, his queen. And now he couldn't stand being away from you, he couldn't bear the ache in his nerves when he couldn't feel your skin under his.
"Tim." The silence in the cave was deafening as everyone looked between the two youngest brothers, "Please."
It was then Tim began doubting his choice. He bit his lip uncertainly, avoiding Damian's gaze and he looked to his feet, "She said she didn't want you to find out."
"Tell me."
And he did.
****
Your fingers were curled tightly around the handle of your sword, breaths coming out in sharp labours as you tried to deflect each of their offenses. There were too many of them, too many for you to take and even though you were able to dodge and counter most of their attacks, there could still hit you.
You were bloodied and shaking but you still refused to give up without a fight. They'd regret ever underestimating you, ever thinking that you were nothing more than a way to continue the Al Guhl bloodline. You were much more than that and they'd only see a fraction of it tonight.
Your resolved hardened in your veins as you sliced through another soldier, feeling more determined to get through this fight as the victor. Even though deep down you knew that it wouldn't change the end of your life, they'd never stop trying to hunt you down. But at least this way you'd put up a fight.
It was getting harder and harder to keep up the momentum, your speed and agility was retarding fast and decelerating with each hit you took. The wounds and cuts etched into your skin burned as you moved, blood dripping down your arms and legs.
Your body began going rigid, shocking in its movements momentarily as you kept flipping and manoeuvring yourself to doge the hits. That came to be a fatal mistake when your body locks up when you blocked one of the assassins, swords clashing together in the familiar sound of metal on metal.
Another came at you and your joints were locked in place, unable to move. Your mind blanked out and before you could slide the sword out to counter the other you heard someone scream your name.
You felt arms wrap tightly around your middle.
You saw green eyes.
And then you felt piercing pain in through your chest.
Damian heard you gasp in his ear and his grunt of pain echoed through your head as the katana went through him. Tears immediately clouded your vision when you felt fire burn across your middle, the blade of the sword buried into you as a painful reminder.
"Damian." You sobbed when you felt his knees buckle against yours. His body wanted to collapse, he couldn't stay standing much longer but you knew that if either of you moved, in an unsynced motion from each other, it could cause more pain to the other.
It was getting harder to breathe. You were choking on your own blood as the metallic taste filled your mouth. The sword had gone through Damian's lower abdomen but it had gone straight through your chest.
Your fingers dug into the back of his shirt, crying out into his neck, "Why did you come here?! Why didn't you stay away?"
With trembling fingers, he raised your chin so that your eyes would meet his. He was crying, the scorching pain forcing out more tears. Even then he wrenched a smile on his face.
"There's no one else in the entire universe I'd want by my side more than you. The ring is yours, my love."
Like as if on que, both your bodies crumbled towards the ground. The sword moved painfully through you and a garbled shriek left your mouth, muffled by the blood crawling up your throat.
Your head fell to Damian's chest and you heard the sound of his faint heartbeat, the sound getting farther and farther away as minutes passed. His arms were still wrapped around your waist in a lover's grasp, bodies pinned together until eventually everything went black.
Your prince came back for you this time.
What a shame the story had a sad ending.
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marauderundercover · 3 years
Text
Taking Chances Ch. 13: To the Death (Death)
AO3
Prev
Their last few days in Gotham went by smoothly. No rogue attacks, no akuma tacks. The only negative was Mr. Wayne refusing to allow her on patrol again because she was “injured” and “could have died.” Gotham has been nice for the most part and was full of surprises, but Marinette was relieved when the plane landed in Paris. The entire trip moved to the back of her mind, almost like a dream. Like it hadn’t really happened. Until Hawkmoth sent out his next akuma.
---
Taking in a shaky breath, Marinette blinks back tears. Everything was suddenly real. Hawkmoth might win.
She despised akumas with weapons. Specifically, the lethal weapons. Creative weapons or blasters she could handle. No problem. Legitimate swords or guns? Not so much. Instead she was left with a feeling of dread and uncertainty.
Pushing forward, she’s just about to call her lucky charm when she feels it. Choking slightly on the blood- why is there blood- she looks down at the sword sticking out of her chest. Oh. That’s why there’s blood. Blood. She coughs, wincing as she watches the blood pour out of her mouth. Huh. That’s not right. She almost hears Chat screaming. But why? Why does he sound so upset? Why- Oh. OH. She’s dying. She realizes this with a start as the world around her darkens and she begins to sway. She’s dying, and Hawkmoth is going to get her Miraculous. Hawkmoth is going to win. Oh, no- please-
“Chat.” She manages to say, watching as he runs towards her and scoops her up, carrying her out of the way of cameras and prying eyes. A place she can stay. A place where Hawkmoth won’t take her Miraculous. He won’t. He can’t. She frowns, black spots covering her vision, but not enough to hide his tears.
“Take them. Save them.” She manages to say, shaky hands reaching for her earrings. His lips move, so she knows he’s saying something. She wishes she could hear it. Wishes she’d thought of this possibility. She thinks Chat will win. But it’ll be so hard. She should’ve wrote a will. Should’ve planned ahead. Should’ve been more like her father. She blinks at Chat- Adrien- and realizes he’s still talking. She hopes it’s not important, that maybe he could tell her later. Her thoughts continue to jumble, just like her vision. Shifting into one incoherent mess. Words become shapes, pain dulls until she’s numb. Until she can’t feel it. Until she closes her eyes and lets the darkness carry her away.
---
Immediately after finding out about his Parisian daughter, Bruce Wayne had installed the akuma alert system in the Batcave. And on his phone. He wanted to be absolutely certain that he would know what was happening when, and maybe even find some way to help. Do something. Stop the emotional terrorist that had taken over his daughter’s childhood.
Sitting in his study, he takes a swig of coffee, thankful for a relaxing Saturday. He wanted to avoid WE, stay as far away as possible. They’d been bombarding him with questions about Marinette and the (true) rumor that started when her class first arrived in Gotham. Wanted to know if it was true, what they could say, what the official statement was. He wasn’t sure. He wanted Marinette to be able to make that decision. But it wasn’t something you could just ask after only a week of knowing each other.
A shrill ring breaks him out of his thoughts and he glances at his phone. That’s odd, he thinks, looking at the screen. Until he reads closer and realizes why it looks different. The Parisian news stations, who had never seemed too distressed by attacks before, were urging people to hide. Not just shelter in place. But hide. Making up his mind quickly, Bruce makes his way to the Bat Cave. Sure he couldn’t jump over to Paris to assist his daughter in battle, but he had to know that she was safe. He had to know Marinette would be okay. Miraculous cure or not. Walking into the cave, he’s unsurprised to see Tim already there, the news feed pulled up on the largest screen.
“It’s not looking good B. Casualties have already passed fifteen hundred. LB and Chat both look exhausted and the fight just started.” Tim informs him, frowning into his unnecessarily large cup of coffee. Bruce simply nods, trying to ignore the sudden tension in his jaw.
“How’s she holding up?” Dick asks, arms crossed as he walks in, Damian trailing in behind him.
“She’s giving ‘em hell but she also took a coupla good hits.” Jason says, watching his phone as he walks in through another entrance. Bruce’ chest feels warm at the obvious concern and care his sons have for their sister. He had no doubt that Cass (who had returned to Hong Kong before Marinette returned to Paris) was also watching the stream. Although not necessary, it was still nice of them to check. To care. As the fight goes on though, Bruce becomes antsy. The cameras are too far away to pick up the conversation between the heroes and the akuma, but it doesn’t look good. Marinette looks anxious, nervous, almost frenzied. All emotions he’d never seen on her (as Ladybug).
“Call your lucky charm.” Damian hisses, glaring up at the screen. Bruce silently agrees. As odd as the power was, it hadn’t failed her yet. There’s no- his blood freezes. The world shuts down as he tries to remember how to breathe. To remember that it’s okay to breathe. Because standing in front of the akuma is his daughter. With a sword protruding from her chest. The entire cave is silent, everyone waiting. Trying to process. The sword is pulled back and Bruce watches, sick to his stomach as blood falls out her mouth. As she sputters, more blood falling out. The dazed look on her face as she sways on her feet, not quite seeing her surroundings breaks his heart. She stumbles, her legs giving out, and he stares, unable to look away as Chat Noir manages to grab her and swing away.
“Shit.”
“She did not even dodge! She could have-”
“She’s not- she’s okay, right?”
“Is she-?” Bruce is barely able to hear the chaos around him. Barely able to focus on the video in front of him. He lets out a shuddering breath, turning his complete focus to watch for her to come back. Surely someone would heal her. The Miraculous cure could heal her. It had to. He desperately watches the screen, waiting for her spotted costume to come back. She had to come back. He sees spots, but squints. Something’s wrong with the spotted costume swinging towards the fight. The colors are right, but the flash of blonde hair and distinct male figure- it’s not...it’s not her. Not Marinette.
“It appears Mr. Bug is on the scene. Ladybug is down. I repeat, Ladybug is down.” The news anchor reports, a distraught look on her face. But the look on her face is nothing in comparison to the agony that shoots through Bruce. How? Why isn’t she up? Why would Adrien use her Miraculous? Why not heal her now, let her finish her battle? Unless...could she not be healed? Was the Miraculous cure unable to bring the Ladybug holder back? No. No, he couldn’t think that. Couldn’t accept that. She had to be okay. He couldn’t lose a child. Not again. Never again.
“The Cure will save her.” Damian says stiffly, tugging Bruce from his thoughts. He looks over to his youngest, torn by how young Damian suddenly looks. How broken he looks, staring at the screen in front of them. Braving a glance at his other sons, Bruce suddenly feels sick. His phone rings suddenly, and Bruce jumps, hoping the name- but no. It’s Cass, requesting a facetime. He answers, giving his daughter (is Marinette okay? Will she be okay? What if he loses her right after finding her?) a quizzical look.
“Little sister is okay, right?” She signs furiously, a frown on her face. Bruce grits his teeth, trying hard to push down the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
“I’m not sure.” He answers, leaving his tone flat and without emotion. He couldn’t break. Not right now, not when his children looked so scared. Not when they all looked horrified. He couldn’t afford to be scared or horrified too. He had to hold it together. Even if he was screaming on the inside. Screaming and begging and pleading with whatever powers there were. Pleading for his daughter’s life. For her to wake up. For the Cure to work on her. He watches and waits. Wincing as Adrien is thrown around even more than usual. His hands twitch, wanting to do something, anything to help. Bruce finally stands, ready to put on his suit and just take the damn Zeta tubes to Paris. Who gives a damn about Hawkmoth, his daughter needs him. He’s just about to walk away when he sees it. The pure white butterfly flying out of Mr. Bug’s yoyo. Bruce inhales sharply, watching the wave of light and tiny ladybugs sweep across the city. He watches as Adrien slides the victim a card before swinging away. Watches as he doesn’t reappear. The camera zooms in to the area he’d flown off to, but there was nothing. Zooming back out, the camera focuses back on the news anchor.
“And that’s another akuma, taken down by our brave heroes. Back to you, Jean Marc.” She says with a tense smile. And the footage cuts out. It’s no more. No one moves. No one speaks. Everyone just stares at the blank screen. The screen where they’d watched Marinette be stabbed. Where they’d seen a sword go through her chest. Bruce clenches his jaw, trying desperately to stop himself from crying.
“I’ll be back.” He says gruffly, leaving his seat to go and put on his suit. There was no way she was gone. He wouldn’t accept it. So, he was going to go to Paris. He’d find her and wrap her up in some goddamned bubble wrap and make sure that his daughter didn’t get stabbed again. God, she has to be okay. His thoughts are frantic as he moves swiftly towards his suit, his thoughts only of getting to Paris. Getting to Paris, and finding Marinette. A sudden flash of light brightens the cave and Bruce instantly gets into a fighting position, watching the light turn into a circle. A portal, right in the middle of the Bat Cave. His breath catches as he watches two figures fall through the portal. Adrien, obviously still in spots. And the girl next to him….he frowns, not quite recognizing her.
“Kaalki, dismount.” The girl says, a soft light flashing over her. Bruce freezes, eyes scanning his daughter as she smiles awkwardly. Glancing over her, reminding himself that she’s there. She’s alive. He crosses to her in three large steps and drops to his knees in front of her so that they’re on eye level.
“Never do that again.” He begs, voice breaking slightly as he wraps his arms around her, pulling her close. She’s alive. She’s okay. She’s alive.
---
Marinette buries her face in her father’s shoulder, tightening her hold on him. He was the only parent that knew she was Ladybug. The only one who would be affected by seeing her stabbed on live tv. Coming to see him directly after the battle was all she could think of when she woke up. She knew she had to see her dad and her brothers. Reassure them that she was still there.
“I’m so sorry Dad.” She chokes out, tears running down her face as she remembers the pain of being stabbed in the chest. The way her vision went dark. The way the blood felt as she choked on it. She squeezes her eyes shut, breathing shakily as she holds onto him for dear life, barely registering when more warmth surrounds her. She doesn’t have to open her eyes to know what it is. Her brothers, all hugging her. Surrounding her, making sure she’s there. She sighs in relief, glad that they’re all there. Glad that she’s able to hug them again.
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dccomicsimagines · 3 years
Text
Study Help - Tim Drake x Reader - Part Two
Tumblr media
Warning - Adult Content Ahead -NSFW
Part One
Requested by @sannevd5​ - Can there be a Study Help Tim Drake x Reader part 2 where they get revenge on Damian
***
You glanced over at Tim who was fast asleep in the passenger seat. Your hands gripped the steering wheel and you focused on the road. You widened your eyes to keep them open. Exhaustion weighed on you. Finally, the manor came into view. “We’re here,” you whispered, nudging Tim with your elbow.
Tim jerked awake. “What? Is it the baby?” He glanced around in a panic, wiping the drool off his chin. You snorted and peeked back at the sleeping baby in the backseat. 
“He’s fine, Timmy. Sleeping like his daddy.” You laughed. Baby Jack was fast asleep, probably tired from crying the night away last night.
“Are you okay?” Tim said, touching your arm. He had that protective look on his face again. 
“I’m fine.” You smiled at him and opened your window to type in the code once you pulled up to the gate. “You were the one who was up with Jack all night.”
Tim rubbed his eyes. “I was up anyway though, and you didn’t actually sleep, you were with me the whole time.” 
You shrugged, pulling up the driveway once the gate opened. “Still, I’m fine, Tim.” Tim squeezed your hand tightly. You wondered if he would ever stop being overprotective of you. Apparently, being kidnapped by Ra’s al Ghul for two months during your pregnancy was enough to keep Tim on edge permanently. You parked the car. 
Tim rushed out of the car and ran to your side to open the door. You smiled, rolling your eyes. “What? It’s the least I could do since you drove,” Tim said. You opened the back door to gather up Jack while Tim grabbed the bags. 
“Master Tim, Miss (Y/N), welcome.” Alfred opened the front door.
“Hello, Alfred.” You hurried up the stairs and hugged him with one arm. Jack was smashed between you, but he didn’t even stir. 
Alfred laughed, hugging you back before pulling away to get a good look at Jack. “Well, look at Master Jack. He’s grown so much.” 
“Well, it’s been one month,” you said, handing Jack over to Alfred. “He was up all night like he is every night, so he’s sleeping like a log.” 
Tim struggled with the bags. You turned to help him. “Oh, so it looks like Master Jack is a night owl like the rest of the family.” Alfred beamed, looking very much like a proud grandfather. 
“Unfortunately, he got that from Tim.” You and Tim headed inside. 
“Har, har.” Tim kissed your cheek. “I’ll run our bags to our room.” You and Tim were staying for the weekend at Bruce’s insistence. 
“Where’s everyone?” You closed the door once Alfred was in. He rocked Jack, who was kicking one foot in his sleep. 
Alfred hummed. “Master Bruce is downstairs.” You smiled, knowing Alfred meant he was in the Batcave. “Master Damian and his friend are in his room.”
You froze. “His friend?” You smirked. “Is this the one who we think they are dating, but Damian keeps denying it?” 
“Yes.” Alfred shook his head. He wrinkled his nose and shifted Jack in his arms. “It feels like Master Jack needs a changing.” 
“Oh, I’ll do it.” You took Jack back, realizing Tim took the diaper bag upstairs with him. “I’ll be back, Alfred.” You headed up the stairs. Outside of Damian’s door, you paused. You swore you heard the moans inside. Glee filled you. Was this the time? Would you finally get your revenge?
You hurried to the bedroom. Tim looked up as you entered, confused by the grin on your face. “What’s wrong?” 
“Nothing’s wrong.” You handed Jack to Tim. “Change him for me and meet me in Damian’s room.” 
“Why?” Tim frowned. “(Y/N), are you planning something?”
“Timmy, there comes a time where opportunity rings and we have to answer.” You kissed his lips passionately before pulling away. 
“(Y/N).” Tim gasped, glancing down at Jack who woke up fussing. 
You grinned at him. “Just meet me there in a few minutes.” You left the room and hurried back down to Damian’s room. The moans were still there, louder and more intense than before. You smirked, knocking on the door. “Damian, I just wanted to say hi.” 
You opened the door without warning. A laugh threatened to escape you, but you swallowed it to play this straight. Damian and his friend flipped around under the covers in a similar way Tim always did when Damian interrupted you. The shoe really was on the other foot.
“Oh, you must be Damian’s friend. I heard so much about you.” You came over to stand next to the bed. The friend’s face was flushed and they hid their face under the covers. “A little shy? That’s okay. I’m Damian’s sister-in-law.” You grinned at Damian who was death glaring at you. “(Y/N) (Y/L/N) Drake.” 
“We were busy.” Damian snarled. 
“Were you?” You blinked innocently, but you could see Damian’s eyes flash. He didn’t buy it and knew exactly what you were doing. 
Tim wandered inside, eyes widening when he took in Damian and his friend in the bed with you standing beside him. Jack gurgled in his arms.  “(Y/N), did you just...” 
“Hi baby.” You took Jack from Tim, ignoring Tim’s protest. Kissing the top of Jack’s head, you glanced between Damian and his friend. “You two should be careful, having fun has consequences.” A dangerous smirk came to your lips. “You might get kidnapped by Ra’s or...” You glanced down at Jack. 
Damian lunged for you, but Tim stepped in front of you and quickly ushered you out of the room. “Okay, enough now. It was nice meeting you,” Tim said, blushing redder than his Red Robin suit. He pulled you back to his old bedroom. “What the hell was that about, (Y/N)?”
You laughed, sitting down on the bed with Jack nuzzling against your chest. “Revenge is sweet, Timmy. So sweet.” 
“Revenge? What kind of revenge involves walking in on Damian while he and his friend...” Tim choked, traumatized. 
“Oh stop it. You didn’t see anything.” You closed your eyes and rested your head against the headboard. “He interrupted us so many times. Using Bruce, Dick, Steph, even Jason to ruin our moments. It was only fair I would do it to him.” 
Tim took a breath. You opened your eyes to see him struggling not to laugh. “Still, now he’s probably going to stab you.” 
You smiled. “He wouldn’t dare with you around.” Tim’s shoulders straightened as you stoked his ego. He came around the bed and crawled in next to you. You leaned into him, ignoring Jack’s drool soaking into your shirt. 
Your eyes grew heavy. “Take a nap. You need your rest,” Tim whispered in your ear. His arm cradled yours to support Jack as you fell fast asleep.
***
“Look how much he’s grown,” Bruce said. You handed Jack off to him before taking a seat at the dining room table.
“I know. Sometimes it’s like he grows an inch every day.” You smiled when Tim came over to pour your drink. Alfred came out of the kitchen with dinner.
Bruce rocked Jack. Jack gurgled at him, waving his arm around wildly. Damian stalked into the room. His glare darker than death. You just smiled sweetly at him. 
“Master Damian, where is your friend? Are they not joining us?” Alfred asked.
“No, they went home. They couldn’t face this monstrosity again.” He pointed at you. 
Tim tensed, setting down the pitcher and leaning in front of you. You wanted to laugh, but you held it in. It would just set Damian off and Tim would have to defend you. 
“Damian,” Bruce snapped sharply, narrowing his eyes at his son. “That is uncalled for.”
“Uncalled for?!” Damian threw his arms up in the air. “That harlot ruined...” He stopped, blushing slightly when he realized what he was about to admit. A snicker escaped you. Damian’s eyes flashed and he lunged for you. Tim blocked him, pushing him back.
“Knock it off, Damian. It’s not like you haven’t done it to us.” Tim’s shoulders straightened into a defensive pose. “And that’s my wife you’re talking about. Don’t ever call her that again.” 
You got to your feet to take Jack back from Bruce when he started to fuss at the raised voices. “I think someone’s hungry. I’ll go feed him. You can start dinner without me,” you said calmly and quickly leaving the room. Tim was right behind you.
Entering the kitchen, you fed Jack, sitting at one of the stools by the counter. Tim hovered in full overprotective mode. “I told you he would explode like that.” 
“Of course, he doesn’t like it when others get revenge on him,” you said, smiling down at Jack as he ate. “He’s always been entitled.” 
Tim hummed in agreement. He sat on the stool next to you. A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “Can you believe he almost admitted to having sex in front of Bruce and Alfred?” 
“I know.” You laughed. “I almost lost it there, but I knew he would just go off the deep end.” 
Alfred came into the kitchen with two full plates. “I figured you two should eat while it’s hot. Besides, I think some distance would be good.” He set them on the counter. 
“I’m sorry for causing trouble, Alfred.” You looked at him with genuine apology.
“It is alright, Miss (Y/N). After all, he did ask for it.” Alfred smiled somewhat mischievously before leaving.  
“I think you are Alfred’s favorite.” Tim took a bite of his food first. He moaned before feeding you a bite. 
The food melted in your mouth. “Maybe or he’s just happy we stopped Damian from having unprotected sex.” 
Tim almost spit out his food. “How did you know that?”
“Please. There’s a reason they went really red when I mentioned consequences.” You ate with your free hand since Tim was still in a state of shock. “It’s not like anyone gave him the sex talk. I mean you knew nothing.” 
Tim blushed. “True.” He cleared his throat. “But you knew.”
“Also true, but that doesn’t mean that Damian’s friend knows.” You put Jack to your shoulder to burp him. He spit up a little. You wrinkled your nose when you felt it slide down your back. “Tim, if you could grab a napkin please.”
Tim blinked. “Oh.” He grabbed a napkin and stood to clean up your back as Jack started to fuss. You bounced him, calming him down. Tim sat back down and went back to eating.
“You know, there is another way we could add to our revenge.” You smirked and kissed Jack’s head. “Can we call Dick after dinner?”
Tim’s jaw dropped. “Now that’s too mean.” Tim shook his head. “We couldn’t. Damian would really stab you after that.” 
You shrugged. “He can try.” You got to your feet to walk Jack around the kitchen so he would fall back to sleep. “Besides, this is a good thing. We don’t need Damian to get into the kind of trouble we got into.”
“The trouble you’re currently holding?” Tim took the last bite of his food. He got up and offered to take Jack from you. “Go back to eating, sweetheart.”
You smiled, kissing Tim’s cheek. “I love you.” Jack went over to his father calmly and you sat down to eat your cool food. You watched Tim walk around with his son. Your heart melted into a pile of goo and you couldn’t imagine loving them both more.
***
“What are you doing up?” Bruce asked, poking his head into the den. You flinched in surprise, causing Jack to start screaming again. 
“Oh, my son’s colic triggered again.” You got up to walk him around the room with your eyes closed. Bruce’s presence stayed by the door as you walked the path you memorized hours before. 
“Tim should be up in a few minutes.” Bruce’s warm, strong hand rested on your shoulder, stopping you. “Go to bed, I’ll take care of Jack.” 
Your eyes snapped open and you spun to look at Bruce in compete shock. “What? You’ll take care of Jack?”
Bruce chuckled. “I do know how to take care of a baby. Besides, at this point, I wouldn’t be able to sleep worrying about you walking around with your eyes closed.”
“I guess I am pretty tired.” You handed Jack over, but you couldn’t leave the room. “Am I a bad parent? I can’t leave him.”
“No, you’re not, but it’s okay to accept help once and a while. He’ll be safe with me and I promise if I need anything, I’ll get Alfred.” Bruce pushed you toward the door where Tim stood watching the exchange with the same surprise you had moments before. “Tim, take her to bed before she falls down.” 
You stared back at Jack as Tim wrapped an arm around your waist to pull you out of the room. “He’ll be fine. Come on,” Tim whispered in your ear. 
“Okay, okay.” Tears filled your eyes. “I’m a bad parent, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re not.” Tim squeezed your hip. “But you need a break. We both need a break.” Tim kissed your cheek. You stumbled on the stairs, but Tim caught you and scooped you up into his arms. “Woah, there.” Your head fell limply on Tim’s shoulder.
“Sorry.” You mumbled, opening your eyes to see Damian watching you and Tim from the bottom of the stairs. His expression bewildered and confused. “Hi, Damian. How was patrol?” 
Tim tensed, turning around to face Damian himself. You had to roll your head to keep him in your eyesight. “TT.” He frowned at you and Tim.
“Sorry about embarrassing your friend, Damian, but it was nice for the shoe to be on the other foot for once,” you mumbled.
“Hush.” Tim bounced you slightly in his arms. “Don’t piss him off now.” 
“He won’t get mad. I apologized.” You waved at Damian, focusing on Tim. “Can we go back to Jack now? I’m a bad parent for leaving him.” 
Tim sighed. “No, we’re going to bed, sweetheart. You’re not thinking straight.” Tim turned to head up the stairs with you. Damian watched the two of you go with a blank expression. 
You let your head rest on Tim’s shoulder as he bumped the bedroom door open with his hip. He laid you down on the bed. You melted into it. “Tim, why can’t we have fun anymore?” 
“We have fun.” Tim kissed your forehead. You sighed, hearing him pull away to move around the room. 
“No, we don’t. We just sleep all the time and take care of Jack.” You kept your eyes closed. Your body limp as Tim crawled into bed next to you and pulled you into his arms.
Tim kissed the corner of your mouth. “We will someday. This is just one of the hard parts, but that’s why we came to the manor, so we can get some help.”
You opened your eyes to look at him. “Wait, I thought Bruce invited us over?”
“He did after I asked for help.” Tim tightened his arms around you. “I’m worried about you. You’re a great mother and you give it your all, but you’re so tired.” He kissed your nose. “We need some rest.”
“You always need rest,” you said, closing your eyes and sighing in relief. Tim was right, you weren’t a failure as a parent. You just needed help and a break.
Tim chuckled. “True. Good night, sweetheart.” 
You hummed, feeling yourself slipping into the nothingness of sleep. “Love you.”
“I love you too.” You almost didn’t hear him as you let yourself relax for the first time in a long time.
***
Sun blinded you, pulling you from the deep, dreamless sleep. You opened your eyes to find yourself still in Tim’s old bedroom at the manor. Tim was spooned into your back. You smiled when you felt a certain part of him poking you from behind. 
“Tim.” You turned in his arms to face him. He opened his eyes, yawning.
“Morning, beautiful.” He kissed your lips. You slid your hand down his chest and under the waistband of his boxers. Tim jumped, blushing. “What?” 
“You really can’t tell. You were poking me.” A smirk pulled at your lips when Tim moaned at your touch.
“Well, I was having a good dream.” Tim closed his eyes, shivering. “You and I were at that hotel in Vegas, and you were in that outfit with the littlest...”
Cutting him off with a kiss, your thumb circled his tip and made him tremble. “Let me take care of you,” you whispered softly. 
“I should be taking care of you.” Tim cleared his throat. “We haven’t since Jack was born.” Tim’s hand slipped under your shirt, but you grabbed his wrist with your free hand.
“I’m not ready for that.” You looked him in the eye. “Not all the way.” 
Tim leaned forward to kiss your lips, rubbing his foot against yours. “How about we just touch? Like you’re doing to me now.” You traced a vein on his cock. Tim shivered. His hand flexed against your bare stomach. Your face burned, thinking of the baby weight you still carried. 
“Fine. Only touch.” You leaned over to bury your face into his neck. Your hand let go of Tim’s wrist to allowed his hand to find his way up your chest. His other hand played with the waistband of your pajamas, tugging them down. 
His long, strong fingers found your clit. You hissed and tightened your hand around Tim. Tim choked. “Careful, sweetheart.”
“It’s okay. I won’t break your T-Rex.” You giggled breathlessly. Tim’s fingers were rough with calluses, the friction making your body tense, skin tingle. You stroked his cock with just your fingertips. 
Tim panted. You gripped him and slid your hand up and down the length of him. Tim’s fingers stopped playing with you. “You’re distracting me.” 
“Right.” You kissed his jawline, working him harder than before. Tim tensed. “Are you close, sweetheart?” 
“I am.” Tim choked, looking you in the eye. 
“Then let go.” You smiled at him sweetly and sealed a kiss to his lips. Tim shivered and spilled into your hand. Most of the mess was caught inside his boxers. You pulled your hand out, wiping your hand on his boxers.
Tim closed his eyes, panting against your lips as you kissed the corner of his mouth. His fingers circled your clit again. You gasped. “Now I take care of you.” Tim whispered, one hand went under your shirt again and cupped your breast.
You relaxed. Your skin tingled again, feeling the flutter of your heart as Tim squeezed your breast gently. His lips tickled your skin, kissing down your neck. “It’s only fair that I leave you a mess too.” 
You wrinkled your nose, giggling as your body tensed. One of Tim’s thin fingers entered you. You jumped in surprise. “Oh.” Your hand rested on his wrist. “Careful.”
“I’m careful.” Tim hummed. “Tell me if you want me to stop.”
“It’s okay.” You closed your eyes, taking a slow breath. “I love you.” 
“I love you too. More than anything.” Tim’s head went under your shirt to kiss his way up your stomach. You rested your hands on his shoulders. 
You felt that familiar tension building up inside of you. Your nails dug into Tim’s shoulders. Tim groaned against your stomach. “Close, huh?”
“Yeah.” You lost your breath. Tim’s finger curled inside of you and you were suddenly among the stars. “Wow.” 
A knock suddenly came from the door. Tim jerked away from you, quickly pulling the blankets up and around the two of you. “Yes?” he asked. You giggled, panting as you came down from the high. You smirked when you felt Tim’s hand was still on your breast. 
Damian entered with Jack gurgling in his arms. He looked slightly disappointed. “Take care of your offspring.” He handed Jack to you. 
“Hi Jackie.” You showered his little face with kisses. He touched your cheek with his tiny, perfect hand, enjoying the attention.
“How did you get him?” Tim asked. Damian’s eyes went to your chest and Tim quickly pull his hand away. A blush dusted his cheeks. 
“Pennyworth asked me to watch him.” He crossed his arms. “You invited Grayson over?”
Tim looked at you. “Yes, I did.” You smiled at Damian sweetly. “And if we call a truce, I won’t tell him to give you the sex talk.” 
Damian’s eyes widened slightly. “TT.” He glared at you. “What kind of a truce?”
“Well, if you quit interrupting us, we won’t interrupt you.” You handed Jack to Tim, looking Damian the eye. 
Damian hummed. He rubbed his chin, biting his lip. “Fine, I agree.” He spun on his heel. “But if Grayson tries to talk to me, I will break this truce.” 
“Fair.” You smiled, relaxing against the pillows. Damian closed the door securely behind him. Tim stared at you with his jaw dropped. You took Jack back from him when he started to whine. “What?” You reached up to close his jaw.
“Did you just get Damian to promise not to bother us? He just came in here disappointed that he didn’t catch us in the act.” Tim pointed at the door, eyes wild. 
“Well, it’s only fair. Damian was always about revenge.” You smiled at Jack, cooing at him in a soft voice. “But now we’ll be good and maybe we can give Jack siblings.”
The blood drained out of Tim’s face. “More kids? When did you decide that?” 
You snorted, patting Tim’s cheek with your free hand. “Not now, Timmy. Later, when Jack’s like four or something.” 
Tim glanced at Jack. A dopey smile grew onto his lips. “I suppose that’s fine. I mean if we can handle Jack, we can handle another one.” 
You leaned over to kiss his cheek. “That’s what I was thinking.” Tim turned to catch your lips with his. Jack fell asleep in your arms and you couldn’t be happier.
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adcfan · 3 years
Text
WARNED
He could clearly tell from the slightest wrinkle of irritation adoring the top left of her pale forehead that she is beyond annoyed. How could he blame her? After all it was him who lured the bird out of its comfortable nest in the middle of a tough night. From the height he could perceive the darker shades of her shadows dancing along the way she traced making him more curious to explore the limit of the demon’s braveness.
The edges of his lips pulled up to carve an honest smile as his eyes momentarily rested on the dagger resting against her waist that he once offered her in the middle of a battle, a year ago.
With a loud thud he made his presence noticeable startling her to the core in the process. His armor blazed a bright shade of jade green, bathed in the late moonlight that managed to get the taste of his attire. His eyes searched hers involuntarily, seeking to find any glimpse of game she or the titans might have planned to play on him. But all he could find was curiosity.
Curious? Is she really curious?    
“So, you decided to show up in the middle of a young, wanting night, far from your protective shell behalf of a demons’ call”. If it wasn’t for the mask he is wearing, she could see the imperceptible grim plastered over his face with ease. “And here I thought ravens aren’t creatures of the night”, his brows made a childish hunch testing her temper further more than she could actually take.
“What do you want?”, her voice remained cold as she tried her best to control all the urge to take him down on the very spot. His cape danced in unity with her robe as he approached her a little more without her noticing for a very long second. “Aren’t you forgetting a very special day, beloved?”. And that was definitely a hint of sadness that was sprinkled all over the Al Ghul’s tone.
Right, as if he could actually feel sad over anything with all the blood in his hands.
“I am not in for a game, Al Ghul. I have got a whole city to save and a good night’s sleep to resume, but here I am, in the middle of an abandoned area with a ruthless assassin who threatened to explode the best half of the city and what’s next? Seizure?”. Almost a devilish chuckle escaped his lips as if he had conquered the entire world.
“Oh for gods shake, little bird. Do you really think I will abandon the best of all nights in Nanda Parbat to blast a worthless city like Kansas?”, now he is definitely getting on her nerves. “But I must say, I had half a mind to blow the Titans bridge five minutes ago”, his all time devilish smile still painted his arrogant look. Raven barely recognized how Damian managed to corner her against the cold wall whose uneven surface pressed itself against her flawless skin dripping it with the night’s best dew.
“I am not asking you again, Ra’s. Tell me what you want with me before I banish you into a dimension of never return”.
“You hurt me, beloved. Don’t you remember the anniversary of our marriage?”
Married? With him? A year ago?
“If this is some sort of silly joke, you better stop it right now, Ra’s. It’s definitely not funny.”, her voice trembled with doubts by each passing second. She lingered over her left ring finger as if she has seen her own hands for the first time in all her life. No ring? Well that’s a relief.
He is just kidding or may be…
Or may be not
“Do I look like one who makes senseless jokes like the green monkey your tower owns”. 
Thanks to Gar, at least his pride is hurt a little.
“I didn’t say that, but if you insist on it… I may”, and she sure as hell liked hurting his weak point - his pride.
“Then how about I insisting on maintaining a decent distance between Conner and you, beloved”, for the first time in almost half an hour his words had the true taste of jealous.
“You are my wife and it is my business to keep flirty hybrids like him away from you. Well, if you don’t have to do it the easy way then I will have the pleasure of teaching him decency in my own way, beloved”. Is the night getting unnaturally warmer or…
Oh no! When did he get this closer to her.
And how the hell she didn’t notice it for this long.
If not for the pitch dark night sky, she could actually feel herself blacking out.
“If it is Conner the one you have your problems with then why the hell did you make me come here?” To reveal that she may be married to the Ra’s of League of Assassin’s a year ago? Probably, yes.
“I thought you would never ask. Let’s say I am here to get a gift”
Right, she barely knew that she got married and now he wants a gift in the middle of a night?
“I don’t have a ring”, the words spilled out even before she could realize it.
May be she lost her brain just like Beast Boy.
“I don’t think it is mandatory for a married couple have to propose during anniversaries, beloved”, his breath flowed through her entire being warming up all her dark desires that might love to make him hers and only hers even if…
Stop. Stop right there Raven.    
“I mean, I don’t even have a ring and how could I be your wife when I don’t even have a ring”
Way to go Raven, what’s next a Priest?
“The dagger, Raven. It means a sealed bond in my heritage. A bond made between a husband and a wife, which you willing took to save the pathetic Titans a year ago in the League of Shadows base.” His voice grew more husky and his breathe drove her senses away as he nibbled at her ear lobe. She was supposed to be mad, she was supposed to blast him to pieces and scatter every inch of his being at different dimensions for revealing something as important as being married, but his tone - well, that’s definitely not helping.
“What now? You want me to quit being a Titan, take sides with you and go against them?”
“Baby steps, beloved. Baby steps”. His left hand toyed with the hem of her dress, further breaking the already half broken control towards her urging needs that pooled in very being.  
“Just a kiss and a promise to keep that coward Conner away from you will do”.  She could feel the cold air of the young night kissing her wide spread pale skin that already missed the warmth touch of the assassin.
“And if I resist?”
“You really think you could resist me, beloved? Since it is our anniversary I will be generous enough to make another request”. His eyes grew darker with every words as his katana slightly battered against the cold wall.
“How about blasting the Titans tower to the ground while that stupid Gar and Jaime are trying with their half-celled brains to defuse the bomb or how about giving black fire all the 18 ways to kill Kori like a true assassin in the middle of their fight right now in Kansas or how about giving Slade Wilson the true identity of Dick Grayson and his fellow bat clan or how about letting Conner suffer in the hands of Bizarre Superman, left alone to die by a Kryptonite stabbing.” He hummed the last few parts as he withdraw from the spot he previously stood.  
“On second thought how about all of the above?”
“You are kidding. I would have received an alert signal at least if one of these is happening right now”.
“You mean this?” Damian raised a small communicator from his pocket still humming like an undisturbed teenager enjoying his long drive to no destiny at all.
“Give it back”. She raised her hand trying to snatch the communicator but in vain.
“Did I forget to mention that you have to be a grown woman to snatch a stuff, beloved”. His eye brow arched itself up.
That’s it. She could bear all of his sarcasms, all of his threats and even all of his flirts but not even for the shake of Azar would she let this damn Demon Spawn comment on her height and hurt her pride in nothing more than mere seconds. That’s not going to happen. Not today.
Raven rose to her tip-toes grabbing Damian’s collar to support her in the process but accidentally twirled their legs and slipped right on top of him. Their lips were locked like the mere existence of one depends on the other, when Raven realized the state she has put herself into.
Yeah, that’s how you snatch a communicator from a tall guy, who threatens to blast your whole family.
She would be cheating herself the entire time if she hesitated to accept that she did like the Demon’s head for a reasonably long time now. But she is definitely not going to let her pride get hurt.
“So, you got your gift. Now defuse the bomb and un-mess every mess you made”
“And all it took was calling you - short”. Damian let an almost an inaudible chuckle escape his throat.
He pulled out the dagger from Raven’s waist band and seethed it properly. “Don’t hurt yourself playing with this doll, beloved”.
“My team…”, Raven question was cut short by Damian as he spoke.
“They are safe. For now”
BOOM…
From the frequency of the sound wave she could say that it was near the Titans Tower.
“Well, except for one I guess”
With one last peck on her lips he disappeared into the shadows as if he never existed a few minutes ago.
--
Thank Azar!
There was not a single scratch on the tower. Not even one. At least he kept few of his words.
But the real horror stroke her when she felt no living presence inside the tower.
“Umm.. Rae what are you doing up late in the night?”, Dick asked as he and the other Titans entered the tower with handful of shopping bags. “You are all fine?”. She will never spell it out loud but deep down she knew that she couldn’t stand their loss. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“Yeah, we are fine. It’s a little cold out there. But don’t worry we won’t catch a cold, Rae. If that’s what you are worried about”, Gar uttered with no care in the world as he glanced through the contents of the fridge.
“Where have you been?” was all she managed to ask when she realized that she wasn’t dreaming.
“We were out…”, Kori barely had a chance to finish when Raven added “Crime fighting?”
“Ah… shopping, Raven. I don’t think it is a custom on Earth to crime fight every time you step out into the public, is it Dick?”.
“Unless or otherwise you are in Gotham, no”, Dick replied as he loaded the fridge with the contents of the grocery bags.
“So, where is Conner?”, inquired Jaime as he entered the main hall. “Isn’t he in the tower?”, Kori added.
“There wasn’t anyone in the tower when I arrived”, Raven replied as a loud thud followed their conversation.
“Conner!”, Gar yelled as he reached him. The rest of the Titans followed by.
--
“What the hell happened dude?”, asked Gar as he tried to touch the bruise near his right eye.
“OUCH!”
“That’s just a small bruise, Conner. I have seen worse”, Dick replied while analyzing his wounds.
“And a broken wrist”, Conner added trying to rise his wounded hand but in vain.
“It’s just a minor injury, amigo. You will be alright as soon as the Sun’s back”, Jaime reassured him while attending to his wounds.
“Here, let me heal you”, Raven offered taking a step towards but the wound deepened as if it was being cut from inside out. Conner could barely resist the urge to break the table he sat on.
“Raven, is that a Kryptonite you are wearing?”, Dick pointed at the green stone that somehow perfectly settled around her neck.
“If that’s causing our flirty Superboy to yell like a mad man then it is definitely a Kent-repellent”, Jaime added.
“A kryptonite? Not again”, Conner banged his head against the wall as if that would make his day any better.
If you don’t have to do it the easy way then I will have the pleasure of teaching him decency in my own way.
“Raven, I know you mean no harm but I don’t think Conner could take any more kryptonite today. So, would you mind…”, Gar tried to get rid of the kryptonite that adorned her neck.
“Here let me try”, Kori flared a small star bolt which seemed to have no effect on it either.
“It seems you have to stay away from Conner for a few days until we find a way to remove that thing off your neck. By the way, it seems to have no effect on you Raven. You may leave, we will take care of Conner”
Seems like he played a particular demon played his part well at keeping Raven away from Conner.
Raven made a short nod and walked towards her room. In the background, she could clearly hear the boys filling Conner with questions about the attack.
“So, was it Bizarre the reason behind this?”, Dick asked as he finished cleaning the wounds.
“No, it was a masked man with a Katana”, Conner replied.
“And you - a bullet proof being got this from a Katana?”, Gar’s curiosity reached its peak when Conner made Kryptonian curses under his breathe.
“Stop touching my wound, Gar”
“You call yourself a super but you can’t stand a broken wrist” Gar arched both of his eye brows wanting for a genuine explanation.
“I have not even once been injected, Pea-brain” was all Raven could hear, when she disappeared into her own shadows. 
                                                                 - Samuel Damian Fernandez
Hi, everyone! This is just a one shot, not a great one but worth giving a try. Like I have mentioned before English is my 8th priority language. So, if you find faults in my work just let me know. Also, share your thoughts on this one shot, so I may get an idea for future modifications. 
Punardarśaāya 😉 👋
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Text
Treasure Hunter AU
I binged watch the Mummy trilogy while i had no wifi/internet for a while and I had an idea for a treasure hunter Mari with Daminette.
--------
Damian was bored.(age: 22-28 years old.)
At a gala party.
Meets Marinette who was equally bored.(abt the same age as D)
He finds out she was the finder of this famous artifact on display.
-----
Damian tugged at his collar, scanning the crowd. His father needed a plus one to show up with and everyone else were busy.
He grabbed a champagne flute and made his way to the edge of the room.
He found a woman in a black evening gown, looking as bored as he felt. short dark hair. Blue eyes.( I suck at describing people after the third time doing it. It feels overrated)
"Hello, stranger. You bored with mingling in with the assholes on their high horses?"
"Should I be offended?"
"We will see. Depends on you."
"How about you? A beautiful lady like you not kissing up their asses to climb the social ladder. That is strange."
She made a face. "Trust me. I don't want to be here but my friend wanted family time so I came in his place. What about you? Why are you here?"
"I am pretty sure my father wanted someone to get him out if the vultures came too close."
"Vultures, adept descriptions. I am glad no one realized who I am yet or i would be in their claws."
"Who are you representing, anyways?"
"Myself but Adrien or Kagami usually comes in my place but tonight, they have their son's play to go to."
"Adrien and Kagami. Aren't they the Agreste-Tsrungi?"
"Yep."
"You are the Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Globe trotting Treasure hunter and also world-class designer, MDC."
"Now you know. What's your name, handsome stranger?"
"You don't know?"
"Hey. Like you said globetrotting treasure hunter. I am not up-to-date on the news front. And when I am in Paris to do designer stuff, i am too busy to look at the news."
He gave her his hand, "Damian Wayne. Son of Bruce Wayne who is a billionaire and owns Wayne Enterprise."
She shook it.
"Pleased to meet you."
She stills design but like sent her designs to Adrien at least once every month, who had rebranded Gabriel to Miraculous Designs.
Some ppl thinks he did it to spite his father, who is in jail. Adrien and Mari has a partnership thing.
Mari also makes clothes but for a few months. And the rest of the time is spent travelling.
Exclusive designs from MDC are rare but the designs hand made by her are rarer so they are like a really big deal. They have the most amazing details. Really expensive and limited edition.
The rest of the time Mari spends finding Miraculouses (Miraculi ?) lost in the world so if she happens to find a few priceless artifacts that aren't the Miraculous. She donates it.
Alix helps and sometimes go find them with her.
She has Tikki and Plagg and maybe Wyazz all the time to look for curses and counter it.
She has also met John Constantine. They have an arrangement of sorts. A few magical artifacts that doesn't have to Miraculous business are given to him in exchange for any miraculous stuff he has or found.
Adrien funds her trips.
He is married to Kagami.
Kagami goes with Mari and Alix for a few months sometimes. Adrien likes being a stay at home dad.
Their kid is named Marin/Martin because it was Mari who got them together.
The few trips Mari dragged him on was enough to make him stay behind and run the business.
(Back to the story) Damian fangirled a little because Mari had been doing stuff like this since she was 18.
It was an amazing reputation she has.
She invites him to her next trip after questioning his skill sets.
------
"Are you good with heights, dark scary places and adventuring into the unknown?"
"Yes"
"You any good with guns, swords, knives, booby traps and keeping calm under pressure?"
"Yes. I have many experiences with them."
"Can you keep a secret?"
"Yes. Why are you asking me this?"
"Wanna join me on my next trip to the jungle of China? There are myths about some hidden temple."
------
Damian was a little conflicted.
He hadn't have the chance to explore the world much. He had been somewhere else for a mission (for the League of Shadows or JL business) but never for pleasure.
Being a vigilante by night and working at Wayne Enterprise by day gets a little boring after some years.
His brothers had a chance to travel the world on their own for a while. Sure, for reasons other than sight-seeing and looking for something to break out of the rut he was in. But still.
This was an exciting opportunity but a tad suspicious.
-----
"Why me?"
She looked surprised at that.
"Oh. Well, my friends enjoy coming with me on my adventures, treasure hunting and all that every now and then except Adrien but they have other things in their life to come with me all the time. I can mostly survive on my own most of the time but it gets lonely travelling on my own and it's nice if someone is there to watch my back. I understand if you don't want to come. It's just that I enjoy your company and you aren't like those assholes on their high horses. My gut feeling says I can trust you. You are not after the treasure or see it as one big game. You are looking for an escape. You would definitely catch me if I fall. As you know from my choice of friends, i have a bad habit of pulling rich kids from their stuffy lifestyle and take them on potentially life-threatening adventures." She joked. Then she lowered her voice, "Besides, it might be handy having a former assassin around."
She said in Arabic.
His hand went to his hidden knife and found it not there.
"Looking for this?" She said, holding it.
"How much do you know?" He hissed back in the same language.
"Relax," she gave back the knife, "my mother was one and I have accidentally came across a few in my adventures. I know one when i see one. I took a stab in the dark with your middle-eastern background. Speaking of, you know Talia Al Ghul by any chance."
He narrowed his eyes.
"She's my mother. Why?"
"You look like her. Met her a few times. Nice lady but scary. Mine's Sabine Cheng, goes by the Blue Reaper." She said it so casually like their parents weren't dangerous deadly assassins and had normal jobs.
"You aren't normal, are you?"
"What gave it away?"
"That you willingly gave away blackmail material to me."
"Normal people don't have assassins for mothers. And you and me aren't exactly meeting the minimum standards for normal. Besides, I just told you a family secret that you would have found out anyways with a through background search and a little digging. So far all I know about you is that your parents are Talia Al Ghul and Bruce Wayne-I wonder how an assassin got together with a billionaire-, you are a former League of Shadows assassin, you are great with weapons, keeping secrets and so far meeting the criteria for an adventure buddy. That's all I swear. And that you have some pets. A cat, maybe."
"How you know about my cat?!"
"Cat hair on your clothes." She was good. "If it will ease your mind about me, you can ask me 5 questions that I will truthfully answer. "
"So why are you doing this?"
"That's question 1. Well, I really want whatever this is between us to work. Partners, Friends, Companions, Comrades. Whatever you want to call it. Like I said, I get lonely sometimes and need some human interaction to at least keep myself sane. You looked like you want to be somewhere else and I thought this is perfect. I am not going to tell anyone about you or push you to join me. I swear on my mother's sword."
"Are we killing anybody?"
"Mostly I try to avoid that as much as possible. Sometimes I get into situations with no other alternative. " She looked away guiltily.
"Fair enough."
"Not judging me for that. That's a first for me."
"I am a former assassin and have killed before. I have no right to condemn you for your past."
"How much are you willing to tell me about this hidden temple?"
"That has to do with a secret. I would tell you more when there are less ears around. But this temple was said to hold a magic jewel that grants some powers and it is located really deep in the jungle. Getting there might take months."
"You forgot to mention that last one."
"Oh yeah. You think you can get away for some months. This kind of stuff usually takes a while. Like I said before, no pressure. Anyway, 2 questions left."
"What's my salary?"
"Aren't you a billionaire?"
"My father is. I have a trust fund and I get a salary for doing my job at the company. You are lucky that I just finished with most of my assigned projects so I might be able to come."
"I am so sorry about just assuming things about you. You can say no to the offer. The temple is said to hold some other treasures but I mainly want the jewel. We could auction off a few bits and pieces. I usually just donate them to museums and universities or sell them to those who really appreciate the history. I would also pay for the entire expenses for the trip."
"Can I think about this?"
"Sure. Here's my number. I leave on the 1st of next month. Gimme an answer a week before that so I can make the proper arrangements. It has been fun talking to you, Damian."
She walked away, going towards the buffet table.
------
Back in the car on the way home to the manor.
Bruce asked, "Who were you talking to for that long?"
"Who?"
"The one that gave you her number."
"Oh. MDC. She invited me to join her in China next month to find some hidden temple."
"She did?"
"Yes. Not only that she found out about mother and know what I did before I came here. She doesn't know about Batman, Robin or Crow. And she said she wasn't going to blackmail me but just wanted a companion to go with her. Ideally, it would be best to silence her before she digs any further into me but I trust her. I sincerely believe that she meant it when she said that she's not going to tell on me. And I am really tempted to take up on it."
"What do you want to do?"
"On one hand, i would be gone for months so there won't be Crow in Gotham for a while and I have a few projects I need to finish up. On the other hand. Father, I have been a vigilante for over 10 years now and I haven't really done much out besides that, school and now work. I have appreciated all you have done for me over the years. But I want to go with her. Do something that is not connected to Batman or Wayne or Al Ghul. Just a little something different for myself."
"You can go if you want. I am not going to stop you. I will make arrangements so the projects would be done by someone else. The others can cover your patrols. You are still young so it is understandable to want some fun every now and then."
"Thank you, Father."
Bruce put his hand on his shoulder.
"I am proud of you as Crow and as Damian Wayne. But if you want to go find some hidden temple in China just for a break from this life, to be just Damian, go for it. There are worse things you could do. Just tell me if you are going to go on any future trips like that." (I don't know DC much, sorry if that is a little OOC but I like good dad! Bruce.)
-------
Damian dialed the number on the card.
"Hello"
"I accept your offer, miss MDC."
"Damian? Right, text me your email address. I will sent you things you would need to pack and flight details. And can you come by to the Gotham Rose Hotel tomorrow? I will give more details on the temple."
-------
Damian comes by the hotel.
Marinette tells him of the kwamis and miraculous and makes him swear to not tell anyone unless they already know.
The hidden temple actually might have a miraculous.
Damian gets a little interested in the akuma situation she mentioned.
Mari doesn't say anything about it much.
When he got back, he goes to the Bat-computer and did some digging.
Ladybug looks a little familiar. Pulls up younger picture of Mari and look at that, she used to be a superhero.
Wonder Woman was kept informed of things and made sure no one goes to Paris without her knowing.
Zatanna helped capture the villain Hawkmoth and end his 2 year reign.
Fast forward, they are in Beijing now, sleeping off jetlag.
The next morning, They get out of the city somehow to the city limits and somewhere remote.
Mari uses Kalki and transports them to the jungle.
They set up camp. Cue Campfire stories.
-----
"I thought getting here would take months."
"No actually, finding the temple would. According to my research and the map I copied through less than legal means, it is somewhere in this general area. There used to a city around here too and the king or emperor pissed off some powerful priest or wizard, take your pick. There was a curse. The city crumbled down and the temple is the only thing standing because the king went there and prayed to the gods for protection. The one who answered his prayers and protected the temple in doing so the king was pressed into service of the god. The king did everything the god said for a while but later, he started to hate it and began disobeying the orders. The god cursed him for his disobedience. The temple he was protected in became his tomb and he was tasked to protect the chest inside the temple for the rest of eternity. Anyone who opens the chest would gain the ultimate power to rule the earth. Thankfully, we are not after the chest. Some powerful crack-head with a misused miraculous tried to find it and open the chest for more power. But he never returned. My theory is that the miraculous is still in the temple. As long as we don't wake up the king or go for the chest, we would be okay."
"What are the guns for? And How did you get them past security?"
"In case of emergencies, an army of undead was mentioned and guns are surprisingly good repellent. Well, most of the time. It's useless if there is a no weapons can kill 'it' rule. Then, it's just a stress reliever. I kept them in a pocket dimension. Makes it easier to get around."
Damian vowed to never let Marinette meet Jason. Judging by the pile of guns and occasional knives and other weapons she took out of the brown satchel which apparently holds a pocket dimension, Jason would adopt her. He wondered if that was all that was inside in.
-------
They packed up and started searching the jungle for hidden temple.
It was a month and a half before they found it.
They bonded a lot during that time.
They had a moment after drinking a little alcohol which Mari has in the pocket dimension. Or Drank a lot of alcohol and had sex.
It was awkward and they both agree to not talk about it again.
Soon after, they found the temple. But it is still a little far away.
But the temple is not the only thing they found. They also found a campsite with many people milling around. Some of them carried guns.
Somewhat rich bastard who overheard their conversation at the gala. Heard treasure and found out where Mari's next expedition is.
Had the help of some scholar who wants to be famous for the greatest find since King Tut.
They found the temple even though they had no magical help, they left 2 weeks before Mari did, so yeah.
Rich Bastard's name is 'Philip Anderson'(This sounds familiar to me for some reason and I can't find out why.) and Scholar is 'Harry Scott'
They have armed bodyguards and some 'hired' help to get the treasure.
Anderson is still rich but his company had been getting losses the past 2 years and this is a quick, easy get rich scheme.
Mari and Damian: "Rich asshole on his high horse."
Anderson doesn't know about the chest but Mari and Damian thinks he does and it was what he was after.
They set up camp a little further ahead of Anderson's
Unfortunately, they were found by Harry. Somehow.
-----
I am going to continue this when I am more awake.
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justcourttee · 3 years
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Daminette soulmate au where Damian really doesn’t want a soulmate cuz of the league and Mari doesn’t know why but doesn’t wanna be a burden and just pushes away everything and the class is being horrible and she gets depressed and when Damien realizes he’s just like fuck. I’m in the mood for angst
This one comes with a bit of a trigger wanner, super angsty, at least I tried. There is so mention of suicide, but no description. I don’t want anyone to read unless they feel comfortable knowing that. 
I hope this is something like what you had in mind. 
A Moment Too Late
The first time Damian had heard the voice of his soulmate, he was only six years old. Her indecent squeals distracted him from the oncoming blow earning him a black and blue cheek and a week of cleaning duties for failing to end his opponent. 
He hadn’t let anyone know what had happened, after all, the league had forbidden contact with the outside world, soulmate bonds included. Damian recalled seeing hundreds of men and women die for contacting their soulmates or allowing them to become distractions that led them astray from the League’s mission. Just because he was the grandson of the Demon Head, it didn’t mean anything in regards to the rules. 
So he did his best to block out her thoughts or outbursts, only focusing on his current tasks, silently begging her to block him out as well. It worked for a little while, but as they aged, she seemed to become more observant of his silence. 
He was eleven years old when his mother first discovered that he had been on the receiving end of his soulmate bond. Marinette, as he soon learned, was trying to coax him into a conversation when Damian snapped, begging her to shut up. The very next day, he found himself drugged and on a boat floating in the dock of Gotham City. 
Never once did he blame his mother for his predicament. No, she was just trying to protect him. After all, if his grandfather had found out, Damian would have been beheaded in front of the others. The only one to blame was Marinette. 
The next time she would contact him would be her last. She tried to reach out, ask him if he was okay, but the sentiment only fueled his rage.
“Don’t you get it? I never wanted this bond! I begged you mercilessly to leave it alone. I begged you to shut up, but you just couldn’t could you? I lost everything because of you, you hear me Marinette? If you just would’ve shut your damn mouth, I would still be able to see my mother. I hope you never use this bond again, I never want to hear from you again.”
There was no response, but it didn’t bother him. This was what he wanted for so many years, for her to never utter a sound to him again. It was a blessed day, one filled with silence as he entered Wayne Manor for the very first time. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Grayson, can you stop mumbling to yourself? You look like an idiot.”
Dick reached back, swatting at where Damian once stood, the goofy smile on his face not wavering. 
“Oh little D, you just don’t understand. If my soulmate wants to talk, I’ll drop everything to take a moment for her.”
“A truly asinine thought, really.”
Damian rolled his eyes as he perched on the edge of the roof, gazing lazily over the darkened city streets. Personally, Damian wasn’t too fond of his brothers using their bonds while on patrol. It was as if they didn’t understand how much of a distraction it could be. No, it was much better to set boundaries, let them know where they stand. 
“Hey little D, have you contacted your soulmate yet?”
Dick squatted beside where Damian was perched, his smile pulling tight as if he already knew the answer to his question. 
“I told you, Grayson, I burned that bridge a long time ago. She hasn’t used the bond since we were eleven and I do not intend to be the first one to break that streak.”
“It sounds like you are too prideful to admit to her that you were wrong.”
“I was not wrong!” Damian could feel the red rising to his cheeks as he turned to avoid Dick’s piercing gaze. “She was the reason I had to leave the league, there is no denying that.”
His voice dropped slightly as he kept his eyes downcast knowing that no matter how many times he told himself that, it only got harder to believe as time passed. 
“Yeah, yeah, same line, less sincerity each time.”
Damian turned, ready to spat a venomous insult when a sudden wave of nauseous hit him like a truck. Doubling over, he could barely make out Dick��s words, the only thing monopolizing his mind was one piercing voice, one he hadn’t heard in years.
“I just want to die! Why won’t you let me die?”
Later, Dick would cry from the fear of the sight of Damian curled tightly on that rooftop, his eyes bloodshot and wide as if he’d seen a ghost. But, in that very moment, he knew that his main priority was to get him back to Alfred in hopes he could figure out any way to save Damian from the haunting phrase that slipped through his lips a hundred times over. 
“It’s all my fault.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 
It was close to three in the morning when the pain subsided allowing Damian to slip away from the pestering of his family. His movements were still stiff as if he was just a hollow man trying out his own legs for the first time in years. Her words seemed to be stuck on repeat, even though he was sure that she wouldn’t still be muttering them hours later. 
He couldn’t figure out what had happened to leave her at this last attempt. He couldn’t figure out if he should care or not. 
His gut was still throbbing as if he had been stabbed and the wound wasn’t sure if it wanted to be healed. As he slid down onto his favorite bench in the gardens, he remained locked in a fight with himself as to whether he should reach out or not. Hesitantly, he checked his surroundings before drawing in a deep breath concentrating all of his thoughts on her. 
“Are you okay Marinette?”
It was silent. 
Damian let a minute pass and then another. With a sigh of defeat, he closed his eyes pulling his legs into his chest. Of course she wouldn’t answer, it had been years of silence and carrying the guilt that he so carelessly placed on her.
 Shaking his head, he gingerly lifted it to allow his chin to rest on his knee. No, maybe he was a small part of her problem, but she couldn’t have banked her entire existence on a soulmate. Just what had happened to her over all these years. Certainly, he had been through worse, but even as the words crossed his mind he could hear Dick chiding him, reminding him that everyone carries burdens differently.
“I do not know if you can hear me, but I wanted to apologize for my outburst so many years ago. I blamed you for a lifestyle I was born into and that wasn’t right. Please, I’d like to start again, Even if it’s just as friends.”
The biting wind of the night nipped at his bare arms as if it were her answer itself. She obviously wanted nothing to do with him. Just as he stood to leave, a soft voice tickled the back of his head, so quiet that he almost missed the harsh words. 
“I don’t have friends or family, hell, I don’t even have a soulmate who wants me. Don’t bother trying now. I’m sorry if my emotions got the better of me earlier, but it was no guilt trip and I don’t need your pity. I just want to be gone and leave Paris a brighter city for it.”
Damian could feel the wheel’s turning at the mention of her home. A private plane could make it to Paris in just six hours. She might not want his pity and he wasn’t sure if he had any to give, but one thing was for certain; he could not let her die no matter what she wanted. 
“What will you be doing in six hours?”
His heart was racing a mile a minute as he waited desperately for her response. 
“I’ll be leaving school I suppose.”
Damian couldn’t stop the smile that pulled at his lips as he turned toward the manner, racing at full speed. 
Six hours. He could meet her in six hours. He could change her life in six hours. 
He couldn’t even focus on his clothes as they lay strewn across his bed, each missing his suitcase as he tore through his closet. Six hours felt like a lifetime knowing the stakes, but it was something he had to try. Even if he had to scour the entire city, Damian would find his soulmate. 
He just hoped that he wouldn’t arrive a moment too late.
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emma-d-klutz · 3 years
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IF I were to write a Maribat fic
It would be mostly a played for comedy and drama take on “Marinette picked up this whole Bat thing way too quickly.”
Like, post Miracle Queen, Marinette is just overtaken with so much guilt about Master Fu and is also desperate for a new mentor to be a replacement and a distraction from the blame she puts on herself and the burden of being the new Guardian. She is absolutely sure she is not ready to be in charge.
She calls Damian and asks for an audience with Batman. Damian is like, “Oh, isn’t this the girl who kicked me out of Paris? What was it you said? ‘No Gothamites in my city.’ Isn’t that what you said? Didn’t you say you can’t have our “type” of vigilante in Paris, because we’re too, what was it, overemotional? Is this that girl who is on my com right now? The one who rejected joining the Teen Titans? That’s you? You want me to TALK to my FATHER? I would barely ask him a favor for someone I actually LIKE.” Except then she kind of blows up at him and tells him the situation, and Damian gets real quiet and listens, and he feels a little sick because he’s remembering the Ric Grayson situation and also Alfred’s most recent death, which he ALSO blames himself for, so like... they got shit in common. He says he’ll talk to Batman about a video call.
Cut to three months later, Marinette has just THROWN HERSELF into being Batman’s disciple. She calls him Master. She practices fighting day and night out of the suit, and IN the suit she uses her powers for training and is often seen sprinting for miles or scaling the Eiffel Tower with only her upper body strength. She comes to school covered in bruises and with the darkest circles under her eyes, and her friends are WORRIED, they really are, but she’s like 80% less bubbly then usual, so no one is really confronting her and are just silently wondering what the heck happened. Most people assume that this has something to do with her taking Adrien and Kagami being an official couple really hard. 
For fashion design, well. Marinette has gotten really into armor lately.... huh.  (It’s because the Batfam encourages her to not rely on a magic suit that can turn off at the worse time, and she is convinced she must be prepared to be Ladybug at any and all times. If anything, she’s lamenting that she doesn’t know how to make weapons.) (She got a grappling hook styled like a yo yo as a present from Master Bat.) 
She texts Kagami out of the blue one day like,  >>Hey. Come over. I am in the process of making my masterwork >>Oh and bring a sword >>A sharpened one, not a training sword And Kagami comes over to see a twitchy (”ok that’s pretty normal”) super serious (”well that’s not. she’s usually so flighty and indecisive”) Marinette. And in the place where there was once an Adrian shrine and stalking schedule is now what seems to be a Hawkmoth shrine and stalking schedule. Marinette brings out what looks sort of like shiny silk with jewels woven in, and Kagami’s assumption is corrected. No. It’s a polymerized titanium she synthesized herself with light elemental defense crystals woven in by hand. Marinette is very proud. It’s a prototype. She plans on making a material that can be beautiful formalwear and as stab-proof as any kevlar. But it’s still a prototype so Kagami can you pretty please do some slashing and stabbing on it pretty please? See she wants it to be really good before giving it to her other Sword Friend, because Dami is a really harsh judge, and her motivation just won’t be able to take it if she gets notes from him this early on in the process. Kagami is actually really on board and helpful in this venture. 
She does like indirectly ask Marinette if she’s heartbroken of if she’s with Luka or what have you, and Marinette just gets really harsh and says she has other priorities. She also makes some grandiose proclamation that neither of them are good enough for Adrien, because Adrien is pure goodness, he’s kindness and forgiveness personified, and it’s just... it’s just... it would be really clear to anyone who has ever heard Batman wax poetic about Superman where she is getting this highkey cringe behavior.
She’s on video calls with Batman all the time. They definitely have a conversation that goes something like this:
“I am certain the mean girl from my school is working for my main supervillain.” “Good. You can find him through her.” “Yess! I have been looking forward to the chance. I am going to interrogate her.” “Ladybug, no.” “I am going to tie her up with my yoyo and dangle her over the highest skyscraper in Paris and tell her I’ll drop her if she doesn’t tell me the identity and location of Hawkmoth.” “Befriend her at school and track her movements.” “Ok but wouldn’t it be quicker to dangle her off a building?” “You’re letting your emotions about someone from your civilian life interfere with your judgement and letting yourself act hastily and with negligence, which is exactly how you lost your first mentor.” “Ah....... you’re right. I’m sorry, Master. I won’t be reckless.” “Good. Tap her cell phone.”
As for Chat Noir, he is FREAKED OUT by her change and all the secrets she’s keeping now. And her behavior towards him has REALLY changed. Well not too much, but it’s noticeable in a way that unnerves him sometimes. Like she’s become a super serious workaholic, but she’s also insanely protective of him, to the point where he feels a bit resentful that he’s not being treated as a competent partner. He’s really trying to get Ladybug to talk out what she’s going through, and he’s anxious all the time that she’s on the cusp of becoming akumatized. Honestly, he’s not wrong on that part. He knows that this is all because she blames herself for Master Fu, and he is also aware that she is spending much more time in contact with that Robin from Gotham who they met once or twice, and he knows she’s keeping some secrets, but NO he is not aware for at least half of the story that she is being remotely trained by Batman. She’s telling him to shut up a lot more and bossing him around more and seems to know way more about Hawkmoth’s movements than him and it feels like he’s out of the loop, but she’s also, like, often spewing out how important he is to her as her partner and keeps giving him handmade pastries and saying, “An army crawls on its stomache,” so like honestly wtf mixed signals much
Batman agreed to mentor her temporarily and has been trying to find someone else from JL to take over, preferably Wonder Woman or Flash, because he agrees with Ladybug’s assessment that to be a hero in Paris it is necessary to have weaponized optimism, or Zatanna or Shazaam, because they could train Ladybug in her magic hopefully. He is told several times that it would be easier to get her mentorship if she agreed to join Teen Titans or Young Justice, which of course they all know, so thanks, but Ladybug would def refuse to leave Paris and her partner, so her joining YJ isn’t really up for discussion. 
Flash said that she’s great but that, “She’s SUCH a Bat,” and that clearly she’s so attached to him that she should just stay one of his. Batman asserts that she is only being like this because she is desperate for a mentor, and if someone else took her on, she’d probably/hopefully change again just as fast. Flash says he isn’t so sure, and that at this delicate point in time, being handed off to someone else might, like, retraumatize her or smth. 
Ladybug literally started breaking fingers interrogating someone.
It is on camera.
The LadyBlog is in SHOCK.
No one knows what to do.
Even Hawkmoth sees the video footage and is like, “Jeez, am I... Mayura, are we in over our heads here? Did we break the teen hero? Is this our fault?”
Anyway, those are all my favorite ideas of the ones I’ve daydreamed so far. There is also stuff about how she interacts with the other members of the Batfam and that she uses the Horse Miraculous to travel to Gotham to be trained in hand-to-hand and also to just sob for hours and scream at things because she CAN’T let her emotions out like that in Paris and the bafflement of the Batkids like “you... came to GOTHAM... to NOT repress your emotions. um, k.” And Cass loves her and thinks she is Baby Sister and if someone is mean to baby sister in front of her she will stare into your soul until you are quiet ect ect many ideas. 
The reason this is an IF and not a WHEN:
dudes I have no plot
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Stalker X Stalker, Part 4
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Perma tag: @nathleigh
Stalker x Stalker taglist: @aespades @jayjayspixiepop @blueslushgueen @fan-written @seraphichana @nerd-nowandforever
Marinette almost missed Hawkmoth. Sure, she ended up extremely emotionally repressed, but hey! At least her opponent was stupid, at least she never had to fear losing.
But, yeah, that was why she didn’t notice the fact that chloroform was on the floor. That was way too smart for a villain, in her opinion. Wasn’t Joker supposed to be insane or something? Why wasn’t he completely stupid like Hawkmoth had been?
Those were her last thoughts before her vision blacked out.
She blinked her eyes open one time while she was being transported, but… it wasn’t enough. Her head pounded, her limbs felt like lead. She tried to pull one of her arms away from the five goons carrying her around -- she giggled at how much effort they were going through to keep a half-conscious person down -- but it was too weak to even break their grip. She wasn’t going to be getting out of the situation anytime soon.
She rested her head back against the chest of whoever was carrying her head.
Her eyes fluttered shut without her permission.
It took a while for her to be able to open her eyes again, and when she did she was almost tempted to close them. She was tied up with Red Robin, hanging upside down over a vat of acid. Decidedly not a good situation to be in. Maybe she could ignore it for a little longer…?
She buried her face in the neck of Red Robin’s suit, using the cool material as a kind of cold pack to try and soothe her pounding headache.
… wait... Red Robin!
She had a bit of protection because of her mask covering her mouth and nose and miraculous immune system, but he was a human and both his mouth and nose were uncovered! Shit!
Marinette pulled back as much as she could to check his face and see if he was okay and then cursed the domino mask blocking his eyes from her view. What she could see wasn’t good, though: the skin of his face had broken out into hives where he had come into contact with the chloroform. Ouch.
She tried just poking the good parts of his face with her nose to get him to wake up, but clearly that wasn’t working. Alright, new plan.
“Red Robin?” She whispered.
Nothing.
“Red Robin Red Robin Red Red Red Red Red…”
She was pretty sure she was doing this annoying thing right. She didn’t have siblings, how could she know?
Wait wait wait, what was that one thing that his siblings always said to him?
“Reeeeed Robin, yum~.”
Not even that got a response? Damn, he must really be out of it.
Time for drastic measures, then.
She tipped her head back as far back as it could go and then slammed her forehead against his. This evoked a lot of swearing from both parties. Apparently, headbutting people doesn’t help headaches.
When her head stopped ringing as loudly, she peeked her eyes open. “Sorry, checking to see if you were alive.”
He gave about as much of a nod as he could. “It’s… I understand why you had to do it.”
She gave a tentative smile. “Right. Still, sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it,” he assured her, then glanced down to see what they were working with. He bit his lip anxiously. “Ah, that’s not good,” he said after a few moments of consideration.
She rolled her eyes because, yeah, obviously. She didn’t say that aloud, it wasn’t productive, so she said: “I’m going to squirm. See if you can free your arms a little?”
“Do you think I have some kind of gadget in my gloves for every situation?”
“Don’t you?”
He hesitated. “I mean… yes, I do have something that could help us out of the ropes, but we are kinda over acid right now. How fast is your reaction time?”
She tipped her head from side to side with an awkward smile. “Not great.”
“Then maybe we should just wait for backup --.”
“Do you think they’ll get here before Joker does?”
“... you’re right. Start squirming --.”
“Wow, you two hate me that much? I’m hurt,” a voice cooed.
Marinette jumped out of her skin. She craned her neck to glare at Joker for scaring her…
And immediately regretted it. Why was his face not attached to his skull properly? Did he cut his own face off? Who even does that? Ew.
Red Robin scowled at him. “I can’t say we were all glad to hear you were out.”
“Red Robin...” she warned.
“Wow, not even old Batsy was happy to hear the news?”
“Nope. Didn’t say anything, actually.”
Joker’s smile wavered. “He didn’t?”
“Um, Red,” she tried again.
“Nothing,” he confirmed. “Not. A. Word.”
Joker didn’t seem to know what to do about this information. Batman wasn’t even paying attention to him? What was the point, then?
Marinette was also concerned about what was going on, but for a completely different reason. She leaned close to his ear and whispered: “Why are we trying to anger the psychopath?”
He gave as much of a shrug as he could while tied up. “If he’s talking he’s not trying to kill us.”
“And what if he gets angry enough to kill us?”
“He probably won’t.”
She winced. “Okay, I really don’t like your use of ‘probably’ there --.”
With both of their hands forced behind their backs, the only comfort he could really give was pressing his good cheek to hers. It shouldn’t have worked, but apparently life or death situations mess with your emotions.
“Just… trust me?” He pleaded quietly.
She sucked in a deep breath before turning to glare at Joker, who was still having a crisis over the fact that Batman didn’t care as much as he did. Well, she guessed that she had to take out her headache on someone. Might as well be the bitch in ugly clown makeup.
“You know, I don’t even understand why people are scared of you.”
Joker frowned and turned to look at her. “What?”
“I mean, I get why Poison Ivy is feared, I get why Mr. Freeze is feared… I even get Penguin and Riddler since they both have a high enough intellect to make up for their lack of powers… but you’re just… some guy.”
Joker gave her a cold look. “I could kill you.”
“So could a particularly determined cow, you’re not special.”
Red Robin snickered. She smiled, a little proud of herself for making him laugh.
Their grins were wiped off their faces when the rope holding them up dropped.
It caught them again dangerously close to the acid. Red Robin was a few centimeters from getting a new haircut. Marinette wondered, morbidly, whether her suit would go with her if she disintegrated.
“Not going to kill us, huh?”
“... well, I did say probably,” he mumbled, his face a little red.
She swallowed thickly. “If we live, I’m going to kill you.”
“Fair. Want to mess with him if he’s going to kill us anyways?”
“... yes.” She whipped around to glare at Joker again. “I mean, honestly, why aren’t you dead yet?”
“We don’t kill,” supplied Red Robin.
She grinned. “Sure, and I get that. I’m also not fond of murder... but is every citizen in Gotham just agreeing to not kill him? Does Batman spend all his time making sure that civilians don’t do it? Why hasn’t anyone seen him on the street and just tried to run him over?”
“... I mean, Robin hit him with the Batmobile once.”
“See?” She grinned. “And don’t even get me started on Punchline and your goons, Joker. How did you find so many people loyal to you?”
“I love him!” Said Punchline defensively.
“... sweetie, if you want a pasty white guy with green hair just watch 2016 Jacksepticeye.”
Red Robin nodded. “At least he’s kind of funny sometimes.”
“If you need the guy to be evil, how about the evil alter ego he made… what was he called?”
“Antisepticeye.”
“Ha, you’re a fucking nerd,” Marinette teased.
Red Robin blushed (or maybe that was just the blood slowly rushing to their heads from being upside down for so long) and pointedly ignored her: “Look up Antisepticeye. It’ll probably be healthier for you.”
Punchline didn’t have a retort for that. Marinette was deciding that was because she was considering it, not because she probably didn’t know who Jack/Antisepticeye was.
She pushed on: “And, hey, you goons don’t have to give Punchline over there the glory. Stab your boss. C’mon, it’ll be cool. Doubt he’s paying you more than whatever bounty is on his head, anyways.”
“If you’re going to rally henchmen maybe you shouldn’t call them ‘goons’,” suggested Red Robin.
She pouted. “But ‘goons’ sounds cuter.”
He opened his mouth to retort but she’d never know what he was going to say because, at that moment, Signal and Robin came busting in through the skylight.
~
Tim relaxed when he heard the glass shatter. Whether Marientte’s henchmen rallying had somehow worked or their backup had come, it at least meant that Joker and Punchline were distracted from wanting to murder them.
He struggled to crane his neck to see what was going on.
Oh. Damn. Damian was back from his angsting on the weird murder island? And he was here? Nevermind, he’d prefer Joker and Punchline. Damian was never going to let him live this down.
Speaking of Damian, a weight jumped onto their ropes and the three vigilantes became a pendulum. Tim grit his teeth tightly and Marinette let loose a long string of swears as their headaches worsened.
But, apparently, the world wasn’t done with them. Damian sliced the line at the highest point and they went flying across the room. Tim was the unlucky one on the bottom when they hit the ground, which he doubted was an accident.
Damian left them to deal with things on their own from there. Least he could have done was cut them free with his katana, but Tim supposed that was too much to wish for from the youngest brother.
He rested his head back against the cool floor for a second. He could feel Marinette stretch across his shoulder to do the same. They sighed in relief. This was the closest they had come to treating their headaches and wow was it nice.
But, frankly, resting in the middle of a fight isn’t a great idea. So, they wriggled around on the floor until he was able to flick open the tiny knife in the index finger of his gloves and cut the rope binding them without, y’know, cutting one of them instead.
Freedom! What did they do with this newfound freedom, you may ask? Scratch their heads. Turns out chloroform sucks for many reasons and one of those is that it’s a major skin irritant.
He also vomited. Thank god they’d been freed. He’d been only a few seconds away from throwing up on Marinette. He felt especially bad about that when she peeled a hand from her itching to hold his hair away from his face.
The fight was over soon enough. Duke and Damian came over to watch the two of them attempting to peel their skin off layer by layer.
“Pathetic,” chided Damian.
“Don’t be a dick --.” Marinette cut herself off, her hand flying to her mouth. “I swore in front of a baby.”
“I’m twelve!”
“Exactly: a baby.” She reached out and cupped a very affronted Damian’s face in her hands. “Look, you still have baby fat! You shouldn’t be fighting crime!”
Tim couldn’t tell if she was messing with Damian for being rude to them or if she genuinely saw him as a little kid. He wasn’t going to correct her. She’d remember he was a gremlin soon enough.
Damian wrenched his face from her grip. “If I hadn’t come you two would have been burned in acid.”
“Please, we all know Signal probably could have dealt with this entirely on his own,” Marinette waved him off.
Duke rested a hand over his heart like he was touched.
Tim rolled his eyes and pulled Marinette to him, resting his head on top of hers lazily. “We should get a checkup at the cave. Chloroform has… not nice effects and we both rolled around in it a little while fighting.”
Duke and Damian both winced, but Marinette didn’t seem all that concerned.
“I’ll be fine. My immune system is enhanced by --.”
Duke clapped his hands by her ears as loudly as he could. Neither Marinette nor Tim were particularly happy about it.
“Behold: a headache, one of the main symptoms of chloroform. Your face also has some red streaks, so don’t even try to deny that the chloroform is affecting you.”
“I take back my praise, I’ve decided I hate you,” she murmured, massaging her temples.
“I just remembered that I need the siren on my bike on to tell all the other bats we’ll need them at the cave...”
“Wait, no --.”
~
Marinette glared at Black Bat and Spoiler. The batboys had left the infirmary area for her own comfort and that was nice of them but she would really prefer if she hadn’t had to come at all.
Now she sat in some of Black Bat’s pajamas and one of Spoiler’s spare masks as they inspected her.
Her nose scrunched as Black Bat drew blood from her arm.
“This is dumb. I don’t need this.”
“We’ve been told. Humor us?” Spoiler said and, though Marinette couldn’t see her face from where she was, she knew she was rolling her eyes.
“I would if you were actually funny.”
“I think we can definitely put her down for irritability,” commented Spoiler.
Black Bat nodded and dutifully wrote it down. Traitor.
The cool metal of a stethoscope was pressed to her back and she cringed.
“Deep breaths.”
Marinette complied, however reluctantly. Might as well get all this bullshit over with as soon as possible.
… she was regretting that decision, now, though.
She gave Batman a cold look. “You can’t keep me here.”
“You need to stay so we can monitor your state overnight. You could have asphyxiated.”
“But we didn’t,” complained Red Robin, who looked just as annoyed about this as she was.
“We have lives, B,” she said.
“You weren’t going to do anything other than patrols tonight, don’t act like I’m tearing you away from something important.”
“The protection of the city is important,” Red argued.
“Neither of you would be much help tonight in the state you’re in, anyways.”
Red Robin stuck his lower lip out in a pout. Marinette gave her best puppy-dog eyes.
Batman wasn’t moved. “If you need something, Agent A will provide it.”
She blinked, eyes returning to normal in her confusion. “Who --?”
He disappeared into the shadows before she could finish the conversation, something she was, unfortunately, getting used to.
Marinette scowled at where he had last been.
Maybe she should have expected this, maybe if she had been less out of it she would have. They had given her pajamas when she’d had clothes and insisted on cleaning her old ones ‘for chloroform’. The checkup might have been a genuine checkup on her state, but it probably wouldn’t have mattered what the results were. She was always going to end up staying the night in the cold, dingy cave filled with bats.
She sighed and laid back against the stone floors. She heard Red Robin groan and looked up to see he had been locked out of the Batcomputer for the night. He leaned back in his chair and mumbled curses.
She giggled at his distress and, despite himself, a tiny grin poked at his lips.
“Want to race to see who can hack into it first?” She suggested.
He raised an eyebrow at her under his domino. “Think you can win?”
“Considering I don’t know that much about hacking, I’m going to say probably not.”
A wide smile spread across his face, now, and he waved her over. She took a seat on the desk beside the keyboard and he started teaching her everything.
Most of what he said, while technically heard, wasn’t exactly understood. She couldn’t concentrate. It was the first time she had seen him in anything but his vigilante suit and she decided that that was a crime because he looked so cute in the Batman-themed pajamas. Furthermore, the way his long hair was pushed back by a headband to keep it out of the green paste spread over his face to alleviate the chloroform’s rash reminded her of a spa day in all those movies.
And then there was the smile. It made her heart flutter in her chest because she was so used to his grins but this was just a genuine smile. He looked so passionate about the intricacies of cyber crime. She was almost sad about the domino hiding his eyes because she wanted to see the way they lit up while he explained different ways viruses could be accidentally downloaded to devices.
Basically, she was a mess for this random cute guy she worked with. She had never seen him so casual and at ease and it felt far more intimate than it maybe should.
She rested her head on her hand, nodding along as he talked about data encryption versus decoding.
Well, maybe a forced sleepover in the Batcave wouldn’t be so bad...
~
Tim was suffering a lot more than he would ever admit, and only a small part of it was due to chloroform.
He was going to be having a sleepover with one of his idols and he was going to be spending a large amount of the time trying not to throw up. And she could totally tell, too, why else would she be watching him so intensely? Someone kill him, please. He was so glad he had a secret identity because he didn’t know how he would manage if she thought Tim Drake-Wayne was a loser.
Granted, she was going to think Red Robin was a loser... but at least he had a second chance as Tim.
He rested his chin on the back of his chair. He had hacked into the Batcomputer already but it was a relatively dull night out on patrols and he wasn’t eager to be yelled at for showing Marinette some files on top of already hacking into them when he wasn’t supposed to.
“Wanna do something?”
She grinned. “Is there anything to do here other than train?”
“... nothing approved.”
She tipped her head to the side. “And of the things that aren’t approved?”
He matched her grin. “Well…”
And that was how he ended up setting up a movie projector in the cave so they could watch Groundhog Day. Marinette had taken to making them a pillow fort.
Duke stumbled down the steps, half awake, and raised his eyebrows at them from behind his domino. He poured himself a cup of coffee from the pot that they had made and took a long sip before sending the two of them a wary look. “Do I want to know?”
Marinette didn’t look up from her and Tikki’s base construction. “Dunno. Do you want to watch Groundhog Day with us?”
He frowned. “Isn’t that the one where that guy in a time loop stalks his co-worker until he knows enough to make her fall in love with him?”
“Just say you don’t like romcoms and go,” Marinette irritably.
“I’m fine with romcoms, it’s just… a little messed up that he uses the knowledge he gets from being in a time loop to ensure she falls for him?”
“It’s a story about self-improvement,” Tim said, sending his brother a glare. “He grows as a person until he is worthy of her love.”
“Him learning about her is part of his arc. He starts off selfish and he ends it with a deeper appreciation for other people,” agreed Marinette.
Duke held his free hand up in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. Enjoy your stalker movie.”
“It’s not a --,” Tim tried to argue, but Duke was already heading back upstairs.
He huffed a little and finished setting up the computer and projector, then took a seat in the pillow fort. She poured each of them a cup of coffee, put a straw in hers to maintain her identity, and then took a seat beside him.
He took it from her with a bright smile and turned on the movie.
She rested her head on his shoulder as the happy-go-lucky music started up.
Unfortunately for them, they didn’t manage to stay awake for all that long. Duke had drugged the coffee pot.
~
Marinette shifted awake a while later and promptly decided that being awake sucked.
Nothing about her current situation sucked, of course. At some point during the night they had fallen asleep and now she was laying half on top of Red Robin, clinging to him like a koala. He didn’t seem all that upset about it, though, with his arm wrapped around her and his face buried in her hair.
Unfortunately, the time on the bottom right of the Batcomputer’s screen told her she didn’t have much time to enjoy it.
She started the slow process of extracting herself from him. Getting the arm off of herself was easy, getting his face away from her head was much harder (this wasn’t helped by the fact that the paste on his face had stuck to her hair).
There was one scare where she thought he was going to wake up. She pushed herself off of his chest and he took a long breath in. Marinette froze, watching his lips tighten… and then he turned over in his sleep.
Oops, apparently she’d been suffocating him a little in her sleep. Sorry, Red.
Well, at least she was free now.
She slipped out of the pillow fort and glanced at the time again.
Even less time to do what she needed. Because that’s how time works.
She sighed and called Tikki over with a tiny wave of her hand, walking over the edge of the railing. She looked down at the abyss that stretched many feet below.
Tikki couldn’t have looked more disapproving if she tried.
“It’s just a little insurance,” Marinette signed.
This didn’t make Tikki any less upset with her, but she hadn’t really expected it to. She signed for her transformation. She tied herself to the railing with her yoyo as a precaution and then hooked her legs around the railing.
And down she went.
She flexed at an awkward angle, flashlight in her mouth, and stuck a tracker to the bottom of the platform.
And, really, she wasn’t intending on using it. Like she said, it was just insurance. They had drawn blood from her earlier and she knew for a fact that it wasn’t necessary for chloroform inhalation. The only reason that made sense for that was that they wanted to check and see if she had inhaled some but they already knew that so… what did they want with her blood?
She was willing to bet it had something to do with her secret identity. And, hey, she didn’t particularly care if they knew her identity, she trusted them, but if it ever got out because of them revealing then who the bats were would be 1) revenge and 2) a good distraction.
“Hey --?”
Thank the kwamis she had tied herself to the railing because she’d been surprised enough to let go of the platform.
“Shit, sorry!” Said Red Robin.
She pulled herself back up onto the platform with his help and then collapsed on the cool stone. She spat the flashlight from her mouth. “Fuuuuuuck, don’t do that again, please.”
“Sorry,” he said again. Then he glanced back at where she had been and, momentarily, his lips pulled into a frown. “I gotta ask: what were you doing?”
“Hm?”
Shitshitshit.
“Oh, I wanted to see if there was anything down there or if it was just for The Aesthetic.”
“Why not just use your yoyo to go down?”
She shuddered. “The flashlight barely did anything. Would you want to go down into that darkness with no clue even how far down it goes?”
He seemed to accept the answer. “It’s an old iron mine. No one uses it anymore, though.”
She nodded her understanding.
She pushed herself back up to a sitting position and looked at him.
“The bats don’t get back for a while and we’re still on lockdown, so… want to do something?”
~
Damian was the first one to get home. Apparently he had broken a leg on patrol. This was fine (well, maybe he shouldn’t have been driving himself, but whatever).
What was not fine was that he had promptly decided to be an asshole.
Tim and Marinette had been playing Minecraft on the Batcomputer and, like all younger brothers, Damian asked to play.
And, like all older brothers, Tim barely looked up from his controller to tell him: “No.”
Damian looked to be on the verge of a meltdown.
Marinette sighed and sent Tim a tired look. “Red, don’t be mean. He’s just a kid. There’s more controllers, we can just give him one.”
“But…” He started. Damian was a terrible partner to play Minecraft with because he never helped out with anything except for the farm.
However, Marinette was looking at him expectantly. Tim bit his lip, considering.
Damian looked between the two of them and a wicked grin spread across his face and oh no.
Damian took a seat next to Marinette and gave her puppy-dog eyes (a real feat, considering the fact that he was wearing a domino and therefore his eyes were invisible). “Miss Ladybug, can’t you please make him let me play?”
Marinette gave Tim a tired look. “Red, c’mon, just for a bit.”
Damian smirked a little but, by the time Marinette turned back around, he had schooled his face back into a pout.
She handed him her controller. “You can have mine. I’ll find another for myself.”
The two watched her leave and Tim sent his younger brother a glare. “I can’t believe you would embarrass yourself this much just to play a game.”
“Anything to annoy you, ‘big bro’.”
He opened his mouth to retort, but then Marinette came back and all he could do was send him a glare behind her back.
Damian retaliated by sitting himself on Marinette’s lap. She looked down, amusement making her eyes crinkle, but otherwise didn’t acknowledge it. Damian smirked and stuck his tongue out at Tim.
That little shit.
And it continued on for hours while the three of them waited for the rest of the bats to come back. Damian would cling to Marinette in some way and he would become the bad guy for glaring at a child. He was seriously considering breaking the No Killing Rule for this kid.
Finally, though, people started coming back and apparently Damian thought it too embarrassing to do such a thing in front of more than just the person he was trying to annoy because he clambered off her lap to play just a little bit away.
Bruce was the last one to come in and he looked at his kids with the patented Batdad Glare because they had managed to drag Steph into playing with them (without much effort) and Cass into watching (with much more effort). Which meant that there were currently five family disappointments. Yay them.
Tim smiled innocently. “What? We got bored. Maybe you should let us out so this doesn’t happen again.”
“I’m keeping you here for your own safety.”
Marinette and Tim both groaned.
“I have work to do.”
“Me, too.”
Bruce didn’t relent because he was a stubborn asshole.
But that was fine. They really hadn’t expected them to. Tim glanced at Marinette and she twirled her index finger against her flat palm, the sign for ‘start’.
One flash and smoke bomb later, the two of them were running as fast as they could to his bike. He grinned as he helped his giggling friend get on and hopped up himself. Arms wrapped around him tightly and her face buried in his back. They tore out of the cave, giggling all the while.
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butwhyduh · 3 years
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Out of the darkness
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Damian Wayne x reader
Part 2 of In the Darkness
Warning: a bunch of different phobias explored. Like a bunch. It’s fear toxin and things are bad. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Damian Wayne was practical, classic, precise. He could tell you the time within 20 minutes of the actual time and the direction you were facing no matter where you were. He didn’t believe in getting lost. He mastered Bartok - Violin Concerto No. 2 on the violin at 11. He could identify the origin and use every weapon in the bat cave and many others as well. He many martial arts as well as having a impeccable eye for important details. Damian excelled at many things due to his training from birth to be the best he could.
Poison training and identifying was something that started early. His mother would slip tiny amounts of different chemicals in his food and drinks for him to build up a tolerance. Fear toxin was one of many that he’d developed a fairly high tolerance to. It was a deeply unpleasant experience and the training stopped immediately when Bruce took Damian in. Bruce had been completely horrified.
Currently Damian was half cognizant. He slipped between nightmares and the reality of the situation that wasn’t much better. He was strapped on a table in a cold concrete room. His head hurt and his feet were ungodly cold.
Damian attempted to focus. This is fake. The monsters are fake. I am in this room, he forced. He controlled his breathing as he was taught. His mind cleared long enough to slip from the ties. They were amateur at best. Damian pulled his legs free and he tried to stand.
The room spun and the ground grew heavy. Damian slipped to the ground with a groan. This particular batch of fear toxin was potent. Or was continuously streaming in. He searched for a vent. Top right corner. There wasn’t any green mist falling from it but it could be invisible. Damian steeled himself and stood up to walk to the door.
He tried the knob but it melted apart in his hand like sticky honey on a hot day. Damian gagged a little before trying to push the door open. No luck. The walls began to move inward. He was going to be crushed in the tiny space as it grew smaller.
No.
It was fake.
He tried the knob again and it didn’t turn but it didn’t turn into goo. The wall wasn’t collapsing inward. He could escape. He just needed to work on it.
Your scream pierced his ears and he gasped. He had to save you now. He could hear you through the vent. He could use the vent.
Was it really you, his mind questioned as he shoved the old metal hospital bed towards the wall. The metal groaned before scraping the floor. Damian had no way of knowing if it was really you or his mind.
Damian climbed on the bed and grasped at the grate. The old metal bolts bit into his fingers as he twisted them out. Finally the grate fell on the bed. If Damian did a little jump, he could probably pull himself upwards. It was a blessing and a curse that he had grown so much in a relatively short time. He was pushing 6 foot tall and could reach the grate but weighing 180 lbs, could it hold him?
A menacing laugh filled the air and Damian froze in fear.
He turned to look around and was still alone.
But you might not be.
He jumped up and slid in the air conditioner duct. It was a tight fit. Damian was still smaller than his dad and at the moment was grateful. Bruce would have never fit. Of course, Drake could have slipped through easily. He pushed those thoughts aside.
Damian had no phone. No flash light. Complete darkness. He couldn’t turn around. He was just snaking his way towards the sound he heard of your voice. If it was even you.
It was you.
You were strapped to a hospital bed with leather belts. The material chafed your skin as you tried to yank away. You screamed for Damian. His name fell pitifully from your lips. You’d have no previous experience with any fear toxin and your first instinct was to scream. You could feel the way each scream ripped at your throat.
Damian had told you about his older brother, Father’s ward as he would say when mad. An old warehouse, murdered by the joker but punished with fear toxin first. Jason Todd talked in a smoker’s rasp. He didn’t smoke but the constant screaming had ruined his throat. You could feel the pain in your vocal cords but couldn’t stop.
The Manor was fake. The family there was fake. The room you currently lay in was real. Far too real. The damp musty air and bone trembling cold felt perfectly real.
The spiders crawling on your skin felt real too. You shrieked and tremors shook your body as you tried to throw them off. Tiny hairy legs brushed against your arms. Your face. You clamped your mouth and eyes closed.
If they climbed in your mouth... if they bit you... if they were poisonous. If the manor was fake and this room was real.... the spiders were real.
Damian cursed when you went silent. What direction was he traveling. How far was it till your room? Were you even here? No. He couldn’t think like that. He was already barely above a panic as the vent felt way too small, too tight.
Your violent struggles had one good side effect. The badly placed straps came loose. One hand yanked free and you scrubbed at your face, feeling no real spiders. You untied yourself other hand and tried to get up.
The bed shook and you panicked as you tried to pull your feet free. Cold icy laughter filled your ears and you clenched at your head to keep them out. You pulled free and fell to the floor. Icy water soaked through the knees of your pants and you shivered.
The room was so dim that you could barely see anything as you crawled on the floor. There was no way you could handle standing up. You slid your hands along the ground, touching bits of broken glass and small rocks. They bit into your palm and knees as you moved along. You felt along before feeling nothing. A drop.
You yanked your body back. The floor fell out smoothly. There was nothing in front of you. You grabbed a small stone and tossed it to hear the depth. You concentrated on listening and heard nothing. No sound? You tossed another to hear a similar lack of sound. The hole must be incredible deep.
You slowly slid backwards and turned to your right. Perhaps the hole wasn’t everywhere. You had to get out. You took about 10 paces forward? Maybe. It’s hard to tell when you keep hearing wings fluttering. The ground also stopped with an abrupt fall. The hole must be massive. You crawled back to the bed. It was the only thing visible in the dim light from a high dirty window.
The flapping sounds grew louder and you could almost hearing the fluttering of birds, no bats, right near your ears. You shrieked and swung your arms out to stop them. You could imagine little teeth and claws tearing at your skin. This seemed to make them furious and they hit and nipped your skin. You covered your head with your hands and cried out for Damian.
He heard your pitiful cry. He was going in the right direction. He hurried along the vent. He had no weapon. He was poisoned with fear toxin. And he had no idea what the location looked like. He was also completely blind in the dark vent. Father would have called this unfavorable odds indeed.
The vent took a slight turn and Damian gasped as something dug into his hand. He felt at it with his other hand. A thin metal cylinder connected to a large plastic cylinder that flared out. A syringe. He had a syringe in his hand. Ignoring the disease potential, it really showed how little he could see.
Damian’s hands shook as he pulled the needle from his flesh and he stifled a groan. He had no way of wrapping his hand. He also had another problem: feel for more syringes or turn around and go back to the room where he would be trapped once again. He grimaced before reaching his hand out slowly. There were more syringes. This time he didn’t get stabbed. He grabbed them and pushed them behind his body before slowly pushing forward. This was taking too long.
If you fell in the pit, not even Damian could save you. You felt like you were on a ledge. The world was pushing you to the hole. You grasped the frame of the bed tightly. Your grip on sanity was getting looser and you clung to the idea that Damian had to rescue you. He would fix things.
Damian could no longer slowly feel his way through. The vent felt tighter and hotter and harder to breath in. He was panting and he began crawling faster. You were definitely in trouble the way you were practically crying for him. Syringes bit at his skin in little nicks before one sunk into the flesh of his thigh right above his knee. Damian groaned and yanked it out.
But luck was in his side as he started to see light. The vent opened to another room. Barely visible was a bed and a figure on it. It had to be you crying. Your body shook as you bent over your legs, your head in your hands.
Damian pushed open the vent roughly and jumped in the room.
He was with the League of Assassins. Damian was a small boy again. He fell to his knees as his grandfather held a sword under his throat. Damian was powerless. Tears streamed down his face despite himself.
“You are only alive at my leisure,” Ra’s told him. Damian held back tears as he stared at the older man. “You are a disgrace and I intend to beat it out of you.”
The blade was removed and a boot replaced it. Damian was kicked to the ground and the older man kicked him in the ribs and stomach. He cried out involuntarily. His nose was broken. Sticky warm blood flowed into his open mouth as he sucked in a breath. Damian’s mother stood to the side, watching passively.
This isn’t real. It isn’t real. It’s a bad memory. Fear toxin just fear toxin.
Damian took several deep breaths; quite difficult when he felt the breaking of his ribs. He opened his eyes to see the room. And you crying in the bed. He moved on the bed to grab you.
“Don’t,” you cried as you pulled away. Your pupils were blown and he could see your chest rise and fall heavily.
“It’s me. Damian. I won’t hurt you. I’m here to save you,” he said trying to be gentle. His own heartbeat was flying and he kept hearing the laughter of the Joker that he was 80% sure was fake.
You looked at him warily. Once sure that it was Damian, you flung your arms around him.
“There’s a hole. In the middle of the room. It has to be huge,” you said quickly. You shook like a leaf.
“A pit. Smart,” Damian commented. He really wished he had his night vision goggles. He couldn’t see anything more than a foot from the bed.
There was the sounds of screaming and fighting outside the door. A door. He could finally see a door. It must skirt right next to the edge of this damn pit. How could he get you to carefully walk around it when you were so lost in the toxin?
“I found a door. We have to go. I’ll help you. I’ll help,” he said trying to stand. You grasped at him tighter.
“No! The pit. The pit. You’ll fall. Don’t,” you pleaded, shaking your head side to side violently.
“It’s okay. We’ll be careful. We’ll be okay,” he said before pulling you up. Damian bent to the ground and started crawling. You grasped at the back of his shirt tightly. “We’ll go slow.”
Damian tried to ignore the feeling that he was on a ledge about to fall. Which was weird since he literally jumped from rooftops all the time. He never had fear of heights. You shivered and clung to him. The gaping hole seemed to want to swallow you whole. What was at the bottom? Would you fall forever, scraping at the slick walls until you lost your mind? Would you die quickly? Or was it a slow death as your broken body fell apart?
Damian edged you to the door and prayed that it was unlocked. It wasn’t but the knob was loose. He rolled his eyes and easily pulled it apart. He tossed it in the hole and couldn’t help but listen for the sound of it crashing. It never came. Was it a hole to infinity? He couldn’t think that way. He pulled you into the hallway. It was dimly lit but enough to stand up.
He was back at the League. He was not a little boy any more. His grandfather was on his deathbed. He grabbed Damian’s hand unnaturally tightly. Damian could see the gold and green clothing on his own arm.
“I knew you couldn’t leave. You were always my flesh and blood. Now you will lead the assassins. Your time with your father couldn’t break you from your true self. You’re an assassin. Why try to pretend to be something else? You will always be a killer,” the old man chuckled.
Damian yanked his hand free. “You’re wrong. I’m nothing like you,” he growled and wrapped his fingers around his grandfather’s throat. The old man held Damian’s wrists and pushed his hand harder against his windpipe. He had an awful grin on his face despite being choked.
Suddenly smaller softer hands gripped Damian’s wrists and tried to pull back. Tried to pull him off. Damian saw your lips make a small o as you tried to breathe. He dropped his hands instantly and you gasped in a breath. Damian’s hands ran along your face worried he had killed you.
No...Just a bruise. He could have.
He could have killed you.
He had to get you out. Was this real? Was anything real? Damian felt his grip on reality loosen. He grabbed your hand to pull you along but you almost fell over. Damian put his arm around your waist and half carried you along.
It wasn’t long until his legs began to shake from your extra weight and Damian was panting. Normally he could carry you around with no problem but hours? Days? of fear toxin had him absolutely exhausted. The only thing he was certain of was that it was night. Was it the same night as the movie? That felt weeks ago.
He powered through to a set of double doors. He was almost gasping for breath. Damian kicked them open with his foot and he was blinded by light.
It wasn’t night.
It was a well lit warehouse and there was a battle being fought. Batman kicked a guy in a ski mask to the ground and he didn’t get up. Nightwing swooped in and wrapped a rope around a guy who ended up hanging from the ceiling by his leg before he could react. Damian couldn’t see but hear Red Hood kick someone off the second floor delivery dock before the sound of gunshot.
He almost dropped you as he slid down the wall to the floor. You fell against him and gasped. Your eyes showed that you weren’t really there. You were still fighting the poison that threatened to pull Damian back under. You both were so vulnerable just sitting there. He knew he should move but his body just couldn’t.
Red Robin jumped down from a box with his staff in hand. He walked close and Damian looked away when his face split into a gaping blackness. It was fake. It was fake. It was only Drake.
“Hey buddy,” Red Robin said gingerly, walking slowly towards you both. He pulled out a small black leather bag. He pulled out a syringe and Damian wrapped an arm around your shoulder. He couldn’t get up but he tried to shield you.
“Don’t,” Damian tried to say with authority but it came out so softly. He couldn’t protect you. He failed.
“It’s okay. You just need to sleep. You’ll be okay,” Drake said. He popped off the syringe cover and grabbed Damian’s waving arm and gave him the shot despite his groans. Drake pulled out another syringe and gave one to you. You shrieked as you imagined a poison was being shoved into your skin. A green mark spread like tree branches beneath your skin and you clawed at your skin. In just a minute your hands dropped and you both fell asleep.
——————————
You woke in a med bay. A plain hospital bed in a cave. Damian was in the bed next to you and you quickly sat up.
“Slow,” said a woman. She offered a hand and you pulled away. “Don’t fall.”
Damian stirred and sat up too. He took a look at you and the woman and relaxed. His eyes closed and he took a deep breath. You looked at them warily. You’d thought you’d gotten out once.
“It’s done,” he said.
“Yes. You are safe,” she said.
“Cass, where is everyone? What happened?”
“Hold on,” she said motioning for you both to sit. She came back with none other than Bruce Wayne. Normally you would very nervous but you were too tired to care.
“How are you feeling?” He asked walking in to sit on the single chair in the room. Cass left the room. After he was sure that you were physically fine, he explained what happened.
“Scarecrow attacked Wayne tower. Luckily Batman was able to help find you both. It was fear toxin. It can make you see some really nasty things. I have a psychologist that specializes in childhood trauma in retainer. I’d highly suggest you both visit them. But you are safe. You’ve been given antitoxin. Do you have any questions?” He asked. His voice was even and purposefully soft. You shook your head. You were too overwhelmed to consider a single question.
“Did Batman catch Scarecrow?” Damian asked leaning his body over his bent knees. His face had one of his murderous looks. You noticed bandages on his fingers and across one palm. He had a thigh wrapped in gauze.
“No. Not yet.”
Damian’s hands curled into fists. “I hope he does.”
“Of course. Relax. Watch some television. I’ve already contacted your parents that you will be staying here for a few days. I’ll let you take the lead on what to tell them when you go home and I’ll help with any conversation,” Bruce said standing up. He stood by the doorway before leaving. “I’m glad you are both back home safe.”
Damian turned on something on the television mindlessly and sat stiffly in his bed. There was too much space and you felt alone. After a few minutes, you couldn’t help it but climb in his bed and slide into his arms. You hugged him tightly and he slung an arm over you. His eyes never left the show but you could feel him relax. You relaxed a little more. His hand ran across your back soothingly. For you or him, you couldn’t know. After a while you fell asleep on him. His heartbeat soothed the nightmares running through your mind.
Robin was gone for all of 3 days before being seen on the streets of Gotham. He hit harder and was more vicious. He found Scarecrow within 12 hours and almost beat him to death. The villain laid in Arkham in a coma for over a month.
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dork-empress · 3 years
Text
Singing in the Dead of Night
Damian Wayne meets a new masked persona in Gotham, and everyone has to adjust to her.
AKA I have a lot of headcanons about Lucy Quinzel and I'm making it other people's problem.
I want it up front that I haven't read these comics, just a lot of wiki pages and tiktoks. If there's a fun thing in the comics you can tell me, but this is my own version of this universe and these characters.
This is going to be the main story, but I may do some offshoots. If you want to subscribe, chapters are also posted on my Ao3 (link in my description).
“You need to take things less seriously.”
Damian looked up, looked down, and then looked back just to be sure it was really his father who asked. It was hard to tell sometimes if your superhero father had been replaced or possessed or something. “Are you serious? YOU’RE telling me that?”
“That should enforce to you how dire the situation is.” Bruce said, leaning back in his chair. “You’re still a kid,”
“I’m 15,” Damian said, then thought about his varied adventures, “Technically…”
“My point exactly,” Bruce said, turning a page on his crime reports, “You should enjoy being a kid, for a while.”
“Oh, did you enjoy being 15?” Damian said, and maybe that was a low blow, but if Bruce wasn’t ready for him to call him out he...shouldn’t have made him upset. Hmm.
Bruce looked up and stared into his soul, and Damian worried he might have stepped in it a bit. He backed up a step in case. Bruce took a deep breath, looking at him. “My childhood was stolen from me, but I at least had one. As did all the other Robins. You’re not responsible for what happened to you,but I think you could use some time. I couldn’t offer you a childhood then, and I can hardly do that now, I know, but I can do what I can.”
“And what are you doing?” Damian asked, narrowing his eyes.
“You’re suspended from Robin duties.”
“WHAT?!” Damian exploded, getting in his face. “What are you talking about?!”
Bruce didn’t flinch, “Until the Wayne Manor Christmas Party,” Bruce said, “I’ve called Tim and he’s willing to cover for you until then.”
“He doesn’t NEED to cover me,” Damian snarled, “I’m right here! I’m not injured, or dead, or ANYTHING I just--WHY?”
“I told you,” Bruce said, “You need to find other...hobbies, or form connections or SOMEthing. Anything other than the lifestyle. You have two months, you’ll live.”
Damian curled his fists, shaking, but had no more arguments. “You’re the WORST!” He said, and went off to his rooms.
The room was left in stony silence for a moment. Alfred came in, changing out Bruce’s cup of tea. “You don’t actually expect that to work, do you?”
“Not really, no,” Bruce said, “But he’ll be out of my hair for a little bit.”
Alfred was very dignified and so did not snort. But it was close.
Damian went out at night, saying he was off with a friend. Best to keep things vague, but if Bruce pressed, he’d say he was with Jon, and could probably bully Jon into vouching for him.
He dressed all in black, jumping from the rooftops, looking for trouble. There was usually plenty of it in Gotham. He just had to avoid the Bat Signal hanging in the sky and he’d be fine.
He heard a crash and looked down. Jewelry store robbery. Perfect.
He jumped down to ground level and approached the broken in window, taking out his sword. “Anyone in here, it’s better to surrender now,”
Of course, because it was Gotham, he wasn’t met by a normal jewel thief. No, instead, what approached him was a small walking orange balloon animal dog.
Because of course it was.
With an act first, think later attitude, he stabbed at it. He regretted it instantly as it let out some sort of opaque gas, the effects of which he didn’t want to find out. He pulled his shirt up over his mouth in hopes of preventing himself breathing too much in.
“Oh wow,” a voice said behind him, “Are you Robin?”
Damian whipped around and scowled. The gas was obscuring whoever was there, but the silhouette seemed like something of a ballerina. Why couldn’t one criminal just be normal?
He jumped back, ready to attack, but she didn’t fight him. “I’m not Robin,” he said, “I’m…” he didn’t think of another name. Ugh, this was more complicated than it needed to be.
“Huh,” she said, heading over to the display case, “This city sure has a lot of teenage ninja fighters, doesn’t it? Is ninja appropriative? Hmm, will have to think on that.”
She picked up a diamond ring from the display case and headed for the door. “Put that down!” Damian yelled at her, lifting his sword up.
“What, are you going to kill me for one ring?” She said, holding it, “Kinda overkill, don’t you think, Blackbird?”
Damian put his sword up to her, blocking the exit. “I’m not going to kill you, I’m just going to stop you,” he said, determined, but then her words sank in. “Blackbird?”
“Well, I’ve got to call you something, isn’t that how these superhero fights all go?” She stepped forward out of the fog, a girl about his age with a white painted face, lips painted into a heart, and bright orange and pink eyeshadow. “I’m Commedia, the hero of funny, the dancing clown, the laughing knight, etc etc.” she said, “im still working on my name too.”
She did a fancy twirl, getting out of range of Damian’s sword, which he countered to block her from the entrance again. “Oh, you like to dance?” she said.
“Clown, huh?” he said, staring her down, “You work for the joker?”
She laughed, high pitched and sweet, “Very much no,” she said, twirling again through the store, “Though I understand the confusion. No, Joker is...well, a joke. He’s not even registered in the clown registry.”
“There’s a clown registry?” He swung his sword.
This time, it came to a stop, with a matching jingle. He frowned, and saw it was a tambourine that the woman had lifted and stopped the sword like a shield.
He stared at the girl, Commedia, in stunned silence. She smiled brightly at him. “Well, this has been fun. But I really ought to head out. Raincheck on that dance, Blackbird.”
With a spin and a jump, she made it past him and rushed out the door, throwing a pink flower behind. A gas filled up the room in her wake, obscuring the view. Damian unfortunately got a whiff before he could block his nose, but he knew a simple fog cloud scent when he smelled it.
Damian went back into the shadows before the police inevitably arrived. It did seem below his paygrade, fighting someone who only stole a single diamond ring. But it was even stranger for that fact. A strangely dressed clown woman engaging in very strange and specific crimes in Gotham screamed “beginning of a dangerous plot.”
He wanted to go in swinging as usual, then remembered that if his father heard anything about a young person with a sword threatening police, he might catch onto the fact Damian went out that night. So, he went with the subtle approach. Breaking into the jewelry store’s records.
He was glad he did. It turned out that ring in particular had a history. It had been bought, returned, bought again, and returned once more, all by the same man, a Matthew Crenshaw. A quick records search brought up that he was a simple caller at a center. Nothing special about him. But, he was tied to the ring, and that tied him to the girl, so that was his first stop.
He tracked down the apartment to find Matthew Crenshaw in the middle of a very strange day. Damien watched through the window as Matthew lay on the floor of his meager living room, looking up at Commedia herself. She held the ring out to him, offering. “Well come on, man! Take it!”
“I don’t…” he mumbled, “Who...who are you?!”
“Just call me your fairy godmother,” she said. “Come on, you said you wanted it! So take it!”
“That’s…” Matthew said, “That’s the ring that Jenny liked...that she…”
“That you said would make the perfect proposal!” She said, dancing around, “So? Here it is! Now you can propose for real!” she said, giving it to him.
He juggled it, nearly falling over. Commedia came rushing over, jumping through the window and onto the fire escape. “Alright, hands up,” Damian urged her.
She turned, smiling. “Why, Blackbird? We going on roller coaster?” She put her hands high in the air and swung around the fire escape ladder, “Weeeeee!”
Damian followed her, pointing his sword tip at her chest. “Stop,” he said, “What are you planning?”
“Well, I’m planning to go sneak up to that window up there so I can look in and see what Matty and Jenny have going on,” She said, “Wanna join--OH!”
Damian pressed his sword up to her neck. “Cut the games,” He said, “You’re up to something, I know it. So tell me.”
Commedia sighed, giving in. “Matthew doesn’t want to get married.”
“I...what?” Damian said, confused.
“Matthew Crenshaw, the guy up there,” Commedia said, “He’s a nice guy, and he cares for his girlfriend Jenny, sure. But she’s been pressuring him about getting married, even though he doesn’t really like the idea of getting married. He’s talked himself into saying that he needs the perfect ring, but when he bought it, he decided he couldn’t afford it, and gave it back. So, I got it for him.”
Damian’s scowl only deepened as she kept talking. “Who’s he to you?”
She tilted her head, confused. “He cold called me to try and offer me a deal on car insurance.”
Damian put down the sword. He just. She said it so sincerely. “Who ARE you?” He demanded, now out of confusion more than anger.
She smiled brightly once more. “Why, I’m Commedia! The hero clown, the dancing--”
“Yeah, you said all that before, but like,” He sighed, “Why?”
Commedia’s smile fell down to something simple and kind. She offered a hand to him.
Hesitant, curious, and just...confused, he took it.
She led him to the other window, where they saw Jenny walking through the door. She gasped and ran to Matthew. “Oh, Matt! Matt, yes! Yes, I do, I do, I never thought this day would come! Oh gosh, I gotta call my mom, I’ve got a few dresses all picked out. You’ll see, it’ll be a huge party with everyone we know and-”
“Jenny,” he said, “Jenny wait, I...you know I don’t...I’m not comfortable with crowds and...and I don’t--
“But it’s MY DAY!” Jenny wailed, “You wouldn’t take MY day from me, would you?”
“C’mon,” Commedia muttered.
“Please, Jen,” Matt continued, “Look it’s just...if, if we did get married, shouldn’t--wouldn’t it be my day too?”
“Oh come ON, Matt,” Jenny said, walking to the counter, “We both know I’m the one who knows what’s best for you. It’ll be good! You’ll finally get to shine, and if you don’t like it, you’ll have ME there to take the rest of the spotlight!”
Matt’s hands balled into fists, and his face set, “No.”
“What?” Jenny said, incredulous.
“I’ve had it! I’m tired of-of you telling me what I like and what I don’t!” his lip trembled as he stood up. “I knew I was hesitant, but I didn’t know why! Now I see it’s becasue I didn’t want you in the rest of my life!”
“Hey now,” Jenny said, “Matt, calm down--”
“Get out of my house!” Matt went to the open window Commedia left behind and tossed out the ring.
“Whoopsies,” Commedia said and dropped away. Damian, confused, dropped down after her.
She picked the ring up from the ground and held it out to Damian. “I trust you can get this back to the jewelry store.”
“So, all of that…” he said, “was to help a guy get out of a bad relationship? That you barely knew?”
“He sounded sad on the phone,” Commedia said, “Made me curious.”
Damian scoffed, staring at her. “Who ARE you?”
She chuckled. “My guess is you’ll find out sooner or later,” she said, “So I’ll pick later, for now. But I’m sure I’ll see you again soon, Blackbird.”
She took out another flower. This one shot off into the distance like a grappling hook, and pulled her twirling into the night.
Damian could have followed her, maybe. But, holding the ring in his hands, he didn’t see much need to.
Across town, Batman was called to a bank robbery in the middle of the night. Inside, however, he didn’t find the vault broken in, and nothing stolen, other than a number of complimentary lollipops. “You know there are easier ways to get my attention.”
“Aw, Come on Bats!” Harley said, swinging from the ceiling with one of the lollipops in her mouth, “Ain’t this a classic? Brings me back to the old days.”
“Oh, you’ve stopped doing crime then?” He said, leaning back and looking up at her, “News to me.”
Harley flipped down in front of him. “Batsy, you know I’m tryin’! I do good, is it a crime to have a little fun while I do it?”
“If you hurt people, yes.” Batman said.
Harley deflated. “I haven’t done that in a while now. I’m goin through some life changes.”
Batman hummed, staring down at her. “I’m guessing this is about the small clown that has been reported around town recently doing strange acts of minor crimes to help people?”
Harley brightened again, balancing on the teller counter. “She’s my new apprentice! A bit of a goody-two-shoes, but I’m doing my best to train her.” She did a handstand, “I came to ask for some advice at raising child soldiers, considering you have so much experience.”
Batman always scowled, but it seemed his scowl deepened on that. “I help some people come to terms with terrible things that have happened to them, and teach them to be a force of good in the world instead of falling to the world’s darkness.” He thought back on his children, “It doesn’t always work.”
Harley laughed, “No kidding,” she said. She sighed, thinking. “To be honest, Commedia is already pretty good. I can’t claim credit for that.” She rocked back and forth, feeling uneasy.
Batman approached, slow so as not to scare her. “Well, we both know she didn’t get it from her father.”
Her face was already white, but she blanched further. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, “She’s my niece, she ran from home so I’m taking care of her and-”
“Harley,” Batman stopped her rambling, “I’m a detective, remember?”
She frowned, shaking at him. “He doesn’t know,” she said, “No one knows, she...she’s never met him and I don’t want her to I--”
Batman held up his hands, stopping her again. “I know,” he said, “I understand, really. And I’ll help.”
She blinked up at him, smiling. “Really?”
Batman nodded. “I’ll help you protect her. As for advice....if you ever figure out a perfect way to raise masked vigilantes, let me know. I mostly just do the best I can, and make sure they can do a proper spin-kick if they need to.”
Harley snorted. “I’ll make a note of that.” She grabbed the box of free lollies on the counter, “I am going to be robbing these though, and you can’t stop me.”
She headed for the back entrance and away. “Harley,” Batman called her again, and she froze, “The year you were gone, when you disappeared and suddenly your sister had a child she wasn’t pregnant with. I want you to know, I noticed.”
Harley smiled, turning, “Thanks Bats-” When she turned, he was gone. “And people call me a drama queen.”
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thr-333 · 3 years
Text
Drastic Measures- Part 12
@daminette-december2019-2020
~Soul Mate~
I would like to point out that in my plan for this chapter i wrote ‘magic beam pew pew’ I take my work very seriously.
Ao3
First < Previous > Next
-----------------
“Were you like this for me?” Adrien pokes her with his foot.
“Worse believe it or not,” Marinette stares dreamily at the snowglobe, as she had been for the last hour.
“Terrifying," Adrien leans over her, teasing her, "You go it baaadd~”
“Adrien!” She pushes him away, blush taking over her face, “Plagg says something about cheese, not boys!”
“There’s an Akuma,” Plagg says deadpan, not what she was looking for but it will do.
“Saved by the moth,” Adrien jokes, opening the window.
“And they’re about to be saved by the bug,”
 ---
 “I hate love Akuma,” Ladybug laments at the man heartbroken and sobbing, making it everyone else's problem.
“At least this one isn’t brainwashing anyone, maybe we should let it run around for a bit, let some people find their other half?” Ladybug sends Chat a death glare, “... orrr we could do our job and you stop glaring at me like that, that works too,”
“Ladybug,” Batman lands behind her, Ladybug can just feel her irritation rise.
“If you say what I think you’re going to say I am not helping,” She stares him down, completely serious. She. Is. Done.
“You’re a distraction, you need to leave-” That. Is. It.
“Chat make some popcorn we’ve got a show to watch,” Ladybug turns around, plopping herself on the edge of the building.
“Just couldn't help yourself could you?” Chat Noir asks Batman before joining her.
“You-”
“I’ll help when you apologize,” Ladybug cuts him off. Batman glares down at them for a few minutes before leaving to help the chaos below.
“Sooo, soul mates? do those actually exist?” Chat asks, the Akuma apparently trying to find their's as whoever they hit would have a line leading them to their soulmate. Meaning everyone hit was freaking out.
“Master Fu said they did, but I don’t think it's necessarily a romantic connection,” Below people with their act together are chasing after the lines while the Akuma wails they haven't found theirs yet.
“No?” The Akuma isn’t attacking anyone per se, just throwing the Bat pack back when they get too close.
“He said a soul mate was like a balance someone who is your opposite but also complementary,” Ladybug explains, “You balance each other out, strengthening each other,”
“Like us?” Chat grins, in the past it would have been an opportunity to flirt not anymore.
“Ideally, but Master Fu told me we weren't soulmates, that the balance was off, that's probably why this has been so difficult,” They might have been able to defeat Hawkmoth by now if they were.
“We still get along,” Chat looks wounded, Ladybug snapping back from her thoughts.
“Of course we do,” She quickly redeems, “Honestly I can’t picture a better partner,”
“Not even-”
“Finish that thought and I’ll throw you right off the roof,” Marinette glares knowing exactly where that's going.
“Fine, fine,” Chat surrenders, focusing again on the chaos below, “So what happens if you don’t find your soul mate?”
“Nothing usually, lots of people don't, as long as they're out there somewhere in the universe you’re at balance,” Ladybug still feels bad for the careless implication earlier, “Lucky Charm,”
“If they’re not?” Chat asks catching the Lucky Charm, a bucket of popcorn just their luck.
“If they’re gone they lose that balance, people can get a little unstable, traits becoming more extreme,” Ladybug munches on the popcorn with chat, “For a lot of people it’s not noticeable besides a mood swing but if you had a strong connection then the effects can be more drastic,”
“Think that happened Hawkmoth?” He says idly watching as a couple gets hit and their lines don't lead to each other.
“Maybe,” She hums as they start yelling at each other for cheating.
“Egh, Hawkmoth in a relationship? imagine if he had a child?” They both make a face, “They’d probably be a dick,”
“What?” Nightwing calls, trying to break up the fighting couple.
“Huh?” 
“Nevermind!” Nightwing says quickly, getting hit over the head with a purse.
“Again, soulmates aren't inherently romantic,” Should probably tell the couple down there that, “But having someone that balances you perfectly can lead to romance,”
“Or a killer friendship,” Robin runs in to help break up the fight. It’s getting busy people apparently learning about the Akuma's power and now the Bats are mainly busy with crowd control.
“We don’t need to be soul mates to have that,” Ladybug smiles, stealing the popcorn.
“Pound it,” They say at the same time, falling into comfortable silence at the show below.
“Think we should help?” Chat asks eventually the streets crowded, the bats fruitlessly trying to keep people away from the dangerous Akuma.
“Have I gotten an apology?” Ladybug asks, feeling some satisfaction as a lady slaps Batman. Alright, a lot of satisfaction.
“Robin’s struggling,” And he really was trying to drag a hysterical teen away from the Akuma.
“Eh, he tried to stab me, call this payback,” And it looked like the teen wanted to stab him.
“Damn try to stab you find out who your soulmate is?” Chat whistles as the Akuma tries to hit Robin, “You drive a tough ship Milady,”
“Seriously Chat, edge of the building, can push you right off,”
“But you wo- AH!” 
“Oh, but I will,”
She swings her legs. Chat catches himself as she knew he would and joins her back on the rooftop. Ladybug munches on the popcorn watching as Robin tries to avoid the beam while keeping people back.
It’s fun until it has consequences.
Robin gets hit, which would be all well and good if the line appearing wasn't connected directly to her. Robin looks up the line, finding a frozen Ladybug looking below.
“... Well Milady,” Chat gives an awkward thumbs up, “Good for you,”
 ---
 “He might not be your real soulmate,” Adrien pats her back, Marinette's head buried into the pillows, “It was an Akuma's magic,”
“An Akuma is from miraculous magic,” Marinette complains, muffled into the pillows, “If there's one thing in the universe that can recognize soul mates it’s miraculous,”
“Alright let's calm down,” Adrien pushes her over so she is staring up at the ceiling, “You said soul mates don't have to be romantic, so really this doesn't change anything,”
“But Robin?” Marinette sits up cringing.
“Do you really hate him that much?” Adrien asks genuinely, Marinette flops back onto the bed.
“Ugh, no, I don’t hate him at all, mad at him sure, generally annoyed yes, but not hate,” She takes the snowglobe Damian brought her, looking at it sadly, “I just… can’t see why he is,”
“Could have been worse,” Adrien's tone turns lighter, obviously he’s about to try and cheer her up, keyword try, “What if your soul mate was Lila- AH!”
“You need to stop standing on ledges when you annoy me,” Marinette looks at him dispassionately as Adrien is sprawled over the floor.
 ---
 She’s my soul mate! Ladybug is my soul mate
A cautious skeptical part of his mind warns that might not be right. It was a villain's magic, they could have been trying to manipulate them, it may be random or not accurate. Still, all of that depended on soul mates actually existing in the first place. But none of it mattered as Damian was practically giddy at the revelation.
He flops back on his bed staring dreamily at the ceiling. And yet still something nags at him. Not caution over being lied to or manipulated. It’s a feeling of loss. And he can’t figure out where it’s coming from.
Damian sighs in annoyance turning over to face his desk. He might as well get some work done. He freezes. Draped on the chair is the sweater Marinette made him. The feeling claws uncomfortably at his chest, worsening until he is forced to turn away.
Ladybug is my soul mate
 ---
 “Hey does anyone know why Bruce is having a heart attack,” Jason walks into the cave, throwing his helmet to the side, “And follow up, who caused it? I’d like to personally thank them,”
“Jason!” Dick chides, still hovering around a catatonic Bruce.
“It was me? I wasn't even in town,” Jason whistles, “I have to pat  myself on the back for that one usually it takes a lot more effort,”
“It’s not you, it’s Damian,” Dick rolls his eyes, leaving the unresponsive Batman.
“What did demon spawn do?”
“He’s going to marry Ladybug!” Dick whisper shouts, excitement practically radiating off him.
“... how long was I gone for?” Jason asks, “I was gone for three days, did Gotham get stuck in some time paradox no one bothered to mention?”
Did the demon spawn really propose? Honestly, it wouldn't have been the craziest thing their family has done, actually, it would be borderline sane in comparison.
---------
No taglist :P
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