#maribat red hood | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lily-drake · 1 year

Text

Unexpected Discoveries Lead to Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 2

This was not nor had it ever been part of any of his plans. Nope, he had never meant for this to happen at. All. Yet! Here he was. He can’t even believe himself.

“Talia, I have known this girl for two weeks, but I swear to G* that if anything happens to her while I am gone with my next trainer I will kill everyone in the stupid base and then myself.”

Jason immediately stated upon returning from France with Marinette in toe next to him. She gave Talia a shy smile and wave before moving back to hide behind Jason once again.

After their little heart to heart in the apartment upon their first meeting Jason knew he couldn’t leave this small, innocent child behind to survive on her own. He had let her sleep in the bed, as it was a single room apartment, and he slept on the couch. That same night he was woken by bloodcurdling, heart-clenching screams. The bond was being pulled incessantly in sharp, painful jolts, and it was filled with so much pain and anguish that it almost made him buckle over in pain. He raced over to the bedroom and found Mary (“My real name is Marinette”) struggling against the blankets, still obviously asleep. Racing over to the bed he tried his very best to wake her up gently, whispering that she needed to awaken. Unfortunately, it didn't work and Jason swore that his heart was going to be torn out of his chest. Running out of both strength and patience he began to shake her by the shoulders.

“Mary, you’re having a nightmare and you need to wake up!”

Nearly silent sobs left her lips. Jason's heart yearned to comfort this child as the tugs against his heart continued in their frantic manner as if the bond itself was begging for someone to soothe the pain. Now Jason knew this would be a terrible idea if this was to wake up to this, but well, it worked on his mom when she was too far gone trying to chase a high. And while this wasn’t the same thing, maybe it would still work.

Kneeling at the bedside Jason began to softly run his fingers through Mari’s now clean hair, easily removing any knots out of her still slightly damp hair. He did his best to send soothing tugs and ripples through the bond in hopes that it would calm her. Thankfully the movement seemed to do the trick as Mari began to relax into the covers and had soon stopped crying. He could feel her unconsciously leaning into his hand, and he refused to take away the obvious comfort she found in the contact. He stared at the girl’s gentle features, truly taking in her form. She was frail and thin, there were dark and heavy bags under her eyes, and her skin, while slightly tan from being in the sun for long amounts of time, was unnaturally pale. How was he supposed to leave her when Talia came to pick him up? The kid needed stability, someone to look after her, and he did not trust any foster care system in any way shape or form. Jason sighed to himself and desperately wanted to hit his head against a wall. Why was this his life?

So here he was now, at Nanda Parbat, with a small 13-year-old child standing behind him, threatening Talia al Ghul of all people to protect his new baby sister while he was gone. Because G* knew that if something happened to this angel of a child on his watch, all Hell would break loose.

“I see you’ve picked up a stray.”

She said flatly after his outburst, only giving Mari a small glance before staring at Jason once again. Her face was void of any emotion, but he could see the ever so slight glint of curiosity hidden behind the indifference in her eyes.

“Look,”

Jason sighed, pinching his nose between his gloved fingers.

“Trust me when I say that I had no planes on doing this.”

“But?”

Talia asked when he didn’t continue with a raised brow.

“But, the kid's been through some sh* and is honestly like a lost duckling. (“I am not.”) She wouldn’t stop following me around even when I told her that I’m bad news. (*huff*). And if this continued she was going to get herself killed, or worse.”

Jason shivered. He remembered how quickly and mysteriously kids would disappear. And IF they were ever found, well, they were never the same again. Always haunted, always on edge, always silent, eyes clouded over like they had seen the depths of Hell and were forced to come back to Earth. He would never be able to live with himself if he saw that same look on this kid in front of him.

Talia seemed to understand where he was coming from and simply nodded. Her expression gave none of her thoughts or feelings away though.

“I see. Well, I have arranged for you to go to Germany to learn how to put together and dismantle explosives. If this goes well Jason, this should be your last trainer. I will take your youth under my wing until you return. She will be protected and trained, so when it is time for you to complete your goal you will know she will be taken care of and will know how to properly take care of herself.”

Jason could hug her, but he refrained. He didn’t want to get stabbed, thank you very much. He smiled and nodded his head in thanks.

“Thank you Talia, I owe you one.”

“One of many.”

Talia said, a ghost of a smile somehow showing through her still emotionless face.

“Yea, yea.”

He replied flippantly before turning back to Marinette who had been basically strangling his shirt between her small boney hands. Gently he pulled her in front of him and kneeled so they were level with each other while sending warm calming ripples through their bond. He placed a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder and began to explain what was going to happen.

“Pix, please look at me.”

Marinette looked up from the ground and looked him in the eyes while she nervously chewed at her lip.

“You’re going to leave me?”

She asked sorrowfully. He could feel the tension and despair in the bond making Jason feel guilty. Jason softened slightly and shook his head, continuing to send his reassurance and care back.

“Yes, and no. I’ll be back soon, and Talia is going to keep you safe. I’ve got to go to this place to learn some stuff, and when I’m done I won’t leave ya again, I promise.”

“And I can’t come with you?”

She asked sorrowfully. Jason shook his head quickly,

“No Pixie. It’s way too dangerous for you. But Talia here is going to help you learn how to protect yourself here. It’ll be okay.”

“And you promise that you’ll come back?”

She asked, almost begged really. She was sending out so much hope and worry that his heart was starting to ache. He didn’t think he would ever get used to this strange bond, way of communicating really.

“I promise.”

Marinette nodded, her eyes hardening with conviction and complete trust that Jason knew he would rather die again than break.

“Okay. I’ll work hard till you come back, big brother Jay-Jay.”

Jason smiled and rolled his eyes before ruffling her hair.

“Yea, yea. How about you get to know Talia,”

He leaned into her ear and whispered just loud enough so that Talia would hear him.

“She may seem all scary and heartless, but she has a heart deep deep down. I promise.”

Marinette giggled softly and Talia rolled her eyes. Jason smirked at her before pushing himself up and standing next to Mari with a hand on her shoulder. He nodded to Talia and gave Marinette one last squeeze before he turned and left towards his room where his bag should be. He would have to leave soon, he had no doubt that there was a plane or helicopter waiting for him at this very moment. Besides, it would be good for Marinette to learn from Talia; and if she introduced the small girl to Damian so the kid would have a friend, it would be 10x better.

__________

When Jason returned to Nanda Parabat four months later he was definitely surprised at what he was witnessing. He had been searching for the small girl when he had heard fighting coming from one of the training rooms. While it made sense, he had still wanted to see what was happening and hadn’t been expecting what he was witnessing. He watched the battle unfold recognizing the two in an instant. Marinette was dressed in the traditional black League training robes with a light green bandana tied around her arm to signify that she was under the protection of Talia. He watched as Marinette, armed with two 12” daggers, fought against Talia confidently standing her ground far better than he would have thought possible. Talia obviously wasn’t going easy on her, but Marinette seemed to be dancing around her, her eyes narrowed with full concentration. Talia had definitely taken the training request very seriously, and so had Mari. She was starting to grow into a more lean and gymnast-like body, like Di-Nightwing’s. She held herself with much more confidence than she had before he had left and moved with grace that she definitely didn’t have before. He had seen the girl trip over literally nothing.

She had definitely grown a lot while he was gone, she was maybe two or three inches taller than the last time he had seen her. He didn’t see any signs of serious injury in the way she moved, so the League was safe for now…unfortunately.

He continued to watch the two fight and studied the different forms that Marinette used. She was using more offensive than defensive attacks, and it was obvious she was trying to redirect Talia’s strikes back to her. She was resourceful with how she used her daggers, none of her strikes were lethal(thank goodness), but sadly it wasn’t enough. Her stamina still wasn’t what it could be due to who knows how long of malnourishment, and it was obvious she was tiring out. And that was all Talia needed to finish the fight as she rounded one last kick that Marinette just couldn’t dodge in time causing her to fall flat on her back. Talia held her katana to her neck, and Jason sent a jolt of panic course through him. There may have been a decent amount of space from the blade and Mari’s throat as it was spar, but it still made his skin crawl to see that happen.

“You lasted longer this time. Good job, Marinette.”

Talia said calmly as she moved the sword back into the sheath at her side and held out a hand for Mari to take. With a bright smile Marinette accepted the gesture and quickly got back on her feet.

“Thank you Talia, I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“I don’t know Pixie Pop, I think you could have done it at some point even without her.”

Jason called out casually from where he was leaning against the doorway. Marinette’s head snapped over to Jason in surprise, unlike Talia who had probably sensed his entry even during the fight.

“Big brother!”

Marinette practically screamed as she ran towards him. Jason was able to catch her right before she slammed into him, picking her up by the armpits and spinning her once before he set her down again. Her arms wrapped tightly around him; Jason was quick to reciprocate the gesture with a roll of his eyes.

“Jeesh kid, we’ve literally known each other for like three weeks. You get attached to people way too easily.”

He said in a joking yet serious voice. It was sweet if not slightly concerning.

“Not true, I’ve felt your emotions for the last five months. I know you better than you think.”

She mumbled into his chest. Jason sighed once more before just picking her up and holding her against his side. Even if she had grown a few inches, she was still small.

“So, nothing happened while I was gone?”

He asked Talia with a raised brow.

“No. She wore my colors, the others knew not to touch her without my express permission. She is a quick learner and a sharp student. I’m glad you found her, she could be an excellent asset.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but she’s not staying here. Thank you for training and protecting her Talia. We’ll be heading to Gotham soon.”

“Well then, I wish you luck with your goal Jason.”

Talia said calmly, resting her hands behind her back.

“And I’m thankful for all the training you’ve given me and her, Talia. I’m ready to take on the big Bat himself now.”

Talia gave a sharp nod and turned away. Jason finally set Marinette back down so she was standing in front of him and sighed,

“Come on Pix, I know you’re dying to tell me everything. You can chatter my ear off while we pack your things.”

And just like that Mari began telling him all that she had learned and all that she had experienced with the League. He was glad it wasn’t too terrible, and that she had really worked hard with her training and studies. Her eyes sparkled a bright happy blue and she practically danced around the room collecting the few things she had so that they could begin the flight to Gotham. Turns out that had met Damian, he even sparred with her. She didn’t win, little demon brat had said some rude things, but helped her with her form. His heart felt warm from all of the joy she was sending through the bond and it was infectious. He missed his little pixie.

When they arrived on the plane Marinette settled into the seat next to him and leaned against his side.

“Jay?”

She asked quietly.

“Yea Pix?”

There was a small pause but Jason just waited patiently for Marinette to continue.

“I’m ready to tell you what happened.”

Jason paused for a second. From what he had heard of her nightmares, and felt, something terrible must have happened for her to be on the streets.

“You sure? I don’t want you to rush into things.”

She nodded silently, with a firm and sure look on her face.

“I’m ready.”

She took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out, trying to calm her buzzing nerves. He tried to reach out through the bond, to understand what may be going through her mind, but he couldn’t feel anything. It was like there was a wall between the two of them, and that scared Jason more than he would ever admit.

“Mama and Papa ran into some financial trouble with their bakery. A liar, I’m pretty sure she was a meta, lied about it and said that it was infested with rodents and bugs. She said that she had seen a rat running through the kitchen, even though there was no way she could have been back there, and that she had found a fly baked into her peach tart! Of course everyone believed her, even though she had no definitive proof everyone. Still. Believed. Her! One of my old friends ran a popular blog with their mom, and she posted Lila’s lies on it a lot. Soon after, other news sponsors reported on this supposed incident as well. And soon after, few people ever came in again. Mama and Papa were so worried, I once walked in on them crying together and I didn’t know what to do, so I left.”

Her voice had taken on an almost airy lilt. Her eyes were glazed over as she talked, her breath hitching ever so often. But no tears fell, and no sobs came. Jason didn’t interrupt.

“Papa got a loan from the Akuma Gang because the banks refused to give one to my parents. In the end they were unable to pay back the money, and they burned down my home with everybody in it. I was at a small party with who I thought was my last friend, but it was a set up. When it happened, I-I was on my way home and they tried to-to…”

The dam broke and tears flowed down Marinette’s cheeks, sobs shaking her body. Jason pulled her closer to his side, whispering words of comfort into her ear, telling her that she didn’t have to finish if she wasn’t ready, while gently rubbing her back. Once she got her sobs under control she continued.

“They tried to kidnap and take advantage of me.”

The green began to overwhelm his vision as it screamed for blood and vengeance for the girl he considered his little sister. He hadn’t felt this Pit crazed, this angry in so long, it was almost frightening. But he was too angry to be frightened.

“I was able to escape them, but I had nowhere to go. I didn’t trust CPS because the Akuma’s could pay them off to have me basically delivered to them. I had no friends since the liar took them all away. I couldn’t go to school because the son of one of the members goes there and he definitely would have taken me. He does whatever his father wants, no matter what. I had to live on the streets and try to stay out of sight while still trying to survive.”

Another round of sobs left her mouth as she burrowed farther into Jason’s chest. She was shaking like a leaf and all Jason could do was listen to and hold her. He wanted to fly right back to Paris and burn it to the ground. Tear every person that even thought about hurting her limb from limb. Paint the streets in the blood of the revolting, abominable filth that dared to ever hurt this child. Our child the Pit hisses possessively as it continued to wrap around his brain and take control of his thoughts. He let out a small breath doing his best to clear it so he wouldn’t accidentally hurt Marinette.

“It’s going to be okay, Pixie. I promise, I won’t let that happen to you ever again. I’ll keep you safe, I won’t leave you alone to suffer ever again. I promise.”

Jason carefully pulled her atop his lap, slowly rocking her side to side gently as her cries petered out to sobs, to hiccups, and then silence as she fell asleep against his chest. He gently placed a kiss to the top of her forehead and sighed. Kid didn’t deserve any of that. He renewed his vow, the vow he had made only a few months ago. He would protect her, and he would make sure that she would never go through anything like this ever again. He’ll never let her feel powerless, afraid, or alone again. That’s what a big brother is for after all, right?

-END-

Taglist:

@aespades @adrestar @astrynyx @doll246 @queenz-z @toodaloo-kangaroo @crazylittlemunchkin @seraphichana @miraculous-ninjabird @dorkus-minimus @mysticsoulgirl @ritacrow-blog @snow-leopard-777 @fidget-eep @sometandomstuff333 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @shreeing @achaoticmess1 @liquid-luck-00 @buginetye @stainedglassm @prettylittlebutterflie @laurcad123 @iloontjeboontje @heartsong18 @raeuberprinzessin @when-no-wings-do-broomsticks @jennifer-rose123 @moon5608 @corporeal-terrestrial @skitarii-alpha-c6-555 @saltysugarysembei @phantom120 @kking13 @depressed-bitchy-demon @a-slytherinish-gryffindor

204 notes · View notes

disaster-biraven · 4 months

Text

Masterlist

Hello! I'm Ollie (they/them), also known as Aquila or Vela/Vel. I love Maribat and am a majority Timari shipper. If you like my writing, feel free to tell me so on discord! You can find me in both these servers down below!

Ao3 ~ Timari Server

Sent to you - Ao3 Timari Soulmate

Sorry doesn't fix everything - Ao3 Daminette Hanahaki

Irides on tile - Ao3 Marinette x Your Choice Hanahaki

Is it okay if I still love you - Ao3 Timari Hanahaki

Popcorn and Camellias - Ao3 Dickinette Hanahaki

Mignonettes - Ao3 Stephanie x Marinette Hanahaki

The taste of Dahlias and Copper - Ao3 Jasonette Hanahaki

The Lazarus Problem (ongoing) Ch1 Ch2 Ch3 Ch4 - Ao3 Jasonette Childhood Friends to Lovers

Love Notes - Ao3 Timari Masquerade/Secret Admirer

23 notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 1 year

Text

Wish Me Away: Hold Me Close & Hold Me Near

Beginning Last Chapter

Summary:

*waves* Hi

Bruce muses on his new life despite it only being a couple days since the family welcomed Marietta into it.

Nothing could have prepared Bruce for life with a baby, two days had passed and it felt like his life had been completely flipped on its head. She required a lot of attention and physical affection. The attention he had no problem with, it was the physical affection he was terrified of. Marietta was such a tiny little thing, she was so fragile that Bruce was so scared that the slightest wrong move from him could hurt her. Yet, sometimes the physical affection came so easily to him, so easily he felt like he was robbed of this time he could have had with Damian and found himself wishing Talia had told him about his son sooner. When she smiled up at him when he tried to feed her, it was almost instinctual to give her a kiss on the head, or when she babbled and held out a hand to him, he was compelled to coo and let her grab at his fingers. Hugging her is what scared him most, she was so small, so warm, and he had never understood what all those people said about the smell of a baby but he got it, and hugging her brought him such a feeling of joy and love that he couldn’t even put it into words. Bruce just felt scared of hugging her too tight because of all the new feelings of love that filled him.

Once she had fallen asleep her first night in the Manor, at her new home, he had been entirely too frightened to sleep in his large bed with her, but he and the boys made a pretty sturdy wall of pillows all around her as he stayed up to study. He bought parenting books, so many parenting books, from baby meal cookbooks, to psychology. He wanted to know anything and everything he had to about taking care of a one year old. And from the many boxes that arrived at the house he deduced he wasn’t the only one. The manor now looked like a bomb went off in it, one that filled the place with bassinets, diapers, baby food and snacks and so many freaking toys. Most of which came surprisingly from Alfred, Bruce had wanted to laugh but Alfred had basically said he had no room to talk. He was right. Bruce had kind of gone overboard when buying her clothes, it’s not fair that tiny versions of clothes were so cute and apparently brought him more joy than his own.

Cassandra had helped him choose a lot of the clothing as well, it warmed his heart the way she immediately took to being an older sister. The way she held Marietta and the way she hugged her was something that Bruce loved to see, because he could tell just how precious the baby was to Cass. He had many pictures on his phone of the two twirling in the dance room he had built for Cass. It was wonderful and Cass looked at Marietta with so much love, the excitement in her eyes was plain to see as well, though so was the fear, Bruce expected it was much like his own but something stronger. Cass feared hurting her new sister much the same way that Damian was, but whereas Cass spent as much time with Marietta as she could, it seemed like Damian was avoiding the baby. It didn’t take the ‘world’s greatest detective’ to figure out that Damian was frustrated at no longer being the youngest. Bruce wasn’t worried though, when Damian did interact with Marietta, he saw how gentle the boy was with her, even if he scolded her for drooling on him or not paying attention to what he was saying. He tended to hold her and tell her about their siblings and why they annoyed him that day, or classmates, or even just random people that he had a rough interaction with. It was an odd thing to bond over but Bruce was just happy Damian was trying.

Tim adored her as well, he read all the books Bruce bought and all the ones he himself bought. Within a night, the Manor had been baby-proofed and monitors had been added everywhere. It was like he was waiting to be a doting older brother, Bruce of course knew he and Damian got off the wrong foot and were better but he also knew they would never be as close as Tim and Dick, Tim and Jason or Dick and Damian. It was like a worse Jason and Dick situation when they were younger, both bitter for different reasons and both took it out on one another. There was no doubt in Bruce’s mind that both Tim and Damian loved each other, it was just a strained kind of love. Tim took her everywhere with him if he could, as did Jason, both bought baby carriers to strap to themselves and it was hard not to laugh when Bruce realized they had bought a Red Robin carrier and a Red Hood carrier respectively. Tim liked to take her down to the cave and work on whatever case he was trying to solve or tinker with whatever tech he and Lucius Fox were working on. He said he liked asking her questions and hearing her babble like she was giving feedback. Of course Alfred and Bruce made sure the boy baby-proofed the cave as well and made sure she had her own activities to do besides giving her older brother feedback on his projects. To the surprise of no one, Tim even set her up a little play-pen in the Cave, which maybe wasn’t the best thing but it still tugged at Bruce’s heartstrings to see.

Jason loved Marietta. It was honestly amazing to see just how fast the man adjusted to being a doting big brother. Of course Bruce already knew Jason was great with kids and with his younger siblings but it was another thing to witness it, especially with someone as young as Marietta. Jason loved to feed her which was always an interesting thing to witness, but boy was he good at it, she never complained when he fed her. He also read to her everyday even if he couldn’t be there physically, he would video-call, though his reading choices varied from the Well Loved Tales books he scored at a garage sale to classics he had in his room or brought from his apartment. It was entertaining to watch him read things like Cinderella to her and then go from that to reading her Pride and Prejudice. He made sure to get books with pictures for her and if they didn’t have pictures he would show her pictures he found on the internet to show her who he thought a character looked like, or an object in one of his classic books that he couldn’t describe. It was awfully endearing and Bruce and Alfred made sure to take as many pictures of the two as they could. Nap times they would often find the two together with Jason sprawled out on a couch, the floor, a chaise or bed with Marietta snuggled on his chest. It was those times that Bruce envied Jason.

Dick was also one that adjusted to having another younger sibling surprisingly fast, even if said younger sibling was younger than any of them have dealt with before. He never complained about changing her diaper, he just laughed and said they would have to get on top of potty training but only when she felt like it. He was incredibly gentle with her and patient and tried his best to help Damian get more comfortable with her. He was also the one who could get her to stop crying the fastest out of all of them, well second to Alfred. It was impressive, and yet it was another thing that Bruce found himself jealous of. He was the parent and he felt like he should be able to soothe her cries easily, but the truth was, he had no idea what he was doing. Sure, he had a lot of children, but he had not had any of them when they were babies, this was a whole different playing field and it hurt him that he wasn’t excelling at it. Of course, Bruce wanted to be the best father he could be, and he would admit that he, like his children, wanted to be Marietta’s favorite person. Both Dick and Jason would put her in the middle of them and coo at her and see who she would waddle or crawl too, they said it was a competition to see who her favorite was but most of the time she just laughed at them and would end up falling back on her bottom if she was standing. Damian found this highly amusing every time it happened and Bruce suspected so did Alfred.

Duke was a little like Babs in the sense that he adored Marietta, but she made him nervous. He never held her long unless he was sitting down because he feared dropping her, if she was asleep that fear tripled because he said she was just dead-weight and would fall no problem. Though, he liked working on his homework with her and telling her about school. Sometimes he brought out her crayons and coloring books but that was rare since Marietta hadn’t yet grasped the concept that the canyons were only for her coloring books. Alfred lectured all of them about watching her during ‘coloring time’ after she found out that crayons work just as good on walls as they did on paper. Though Duke was nervous around her, Marietta always managed to get him to relax around her after enough time passed and the boy would play games with her, though the games mainly consisted of peek-a-boo and making silly faces at her. She loved it though and it seemed like no one could make her laugh more than Duke and his silly faces. Every time he made her laugh or giggle, Duke looked like he had just won an award or something and would give her the brightest smile in response. Of course he and Alfred had many videos and pictures of the two already.

Babs hadn’t met little Marietta face to face yet but she had seen the little one over the Batcave’s computer and she had looked smitten. She also promised to visit them soon, probably within the week which was great. Alfred had been wanting the young woman to visit the Manor more often, so her visit was more than welcome. Especially since it seemed like Marietta took a shine to her, even if it was just over video. Babs took to face-calling whoever she knew was in the Manor so she could see Marietta and hear her babble at her nonsensically with some actual words thrown in here and there. Though she hadn’t met the little one properly, Babs did send gifts that she ordered online and she sent everyone books on childcare. Bruce didn’t have the heart to tell her he had already bought the book she had got for him, he had just thanked her and used the new copy to take notes in. She seemed excited to hold Marietta and Bruce could honestly say he understood that feeling now, before he hadn’t, not really, but now it was like all he wanted to do was hold his daughter and show her to everyone. Thank goodness he had such good self-restraint. They, as a family, decided they wouldn’t go public with Marietta until Selina came back from Central City; she was setting up another animal shelter/rescue center after the success of the one in Gotham, then the one in Metropolis. This was her baby, her project, she was very hands on with everything that came with the business. Bruce felt so proud of her and he was also extremely happy his influence was good for something like this. When it got out that Bruce Wayne was investing in the Kyle Animal Rescue & Shelter Centers, many of Gotham’s elite followed. Though she wouldn’t admit it, he knew that Selina was grateful.

Stephanie had the habit of carrying Marietta everywhere she went when she was at the Manor, which considering the baby had only been there for about two days, meant Steph had been there everyday now. When she walked into a room and saw Marietta she would scoop her up and give the little one a shower of kisses which resulted in the most delightful giggles. Though Steph also had the habit of just…sniffing Marietta, when they asked her about it she just shrugged and said she loved the smell of babies. Which, fair, but she did it so obviously and made such a spectacle of sniffing the newest Wayne that you couldn’t help but laugh. It always made Marietta laugh as well so it was a welcome habit. Steph was also someone who liked feeding Marietta which Bruce could not understand as it was a time that he saw his baby daughter be truly stubborn, worthy of the Wayne name, which was something his mother would tease him with whenever he was stubborn. But like Jason, Steph could get the baby to eat whatever Alfred served for their meals. She said she liked to see the faces Marietta made when eating and she just liked to see just how messy the baby could get. Which was, astoundingly, a lot. She had many baths that she thankfully enjoyed.

Damian was complicated. There were moments he seemed to crave Marietta’s attention and other’s where he would avoid her altogether if he could. From what Tim, Alfred and the books told him, Damian felt ‘threatened’ as he was no longer the ‘baby’ of the family. The wording was ridiculous but maybe fitting for the situation. Damian was a child who adored having Bruce’s attention and Dick’s attention the most, though he would sooner play nice with all the kids at Brentwood Academy than admit it. When he held her, he no longer held her like a bomb about to go off, but he cradled her like one wrong touch and he’d break her. There were times that Bruce had walked past a room to see Damian hugging the little one to him with his eyes closed and hands shaking, it always felt wrong to intrude so Bruce would just continue to walk past. The boy also introduced his younger sister to all his animals, even Goliath who lived in the Wayne Farm. Damian built his own underground Cave beneath the farm to hide Goliath if the need arose, he called it the Underground BatFarm after Dick called it that once. So they all just referred to it as the BatFarm. Damian had simultaneously been overjoyed and annoyed that all his animal friends seemed to take a shine to the newest addition to the family.

Alfred was in love. Plain and simple. He doted on the baby so much that Bruce often wondered if the Butler/Grandpa/Adopted Dad ever did that to him when his parents introduced the two when he was born. He always served her food first at meals, he gave her treats when he thought no one was looking and if the boys weren’t around he took to carrying Marietta in his own carrier. It was always quite the sight when Alfred would walk into a room with a baby strapped to his chest. Though in a weird way, Bruce was getting used to it. What he couldn’t get used to just yet were the tiny creatures that called themselves Kwami. They stuck around Marietta like glue. They never left her alone, not even when she slept. It was very disconcerting to wake up and see two creatures sleeping on the pillow next to you first thing in the morning. Even if a family member was just going to change her diaper real quick, they followed. Their import on cheese increased an unhealthy amount and really Bruce had no way how they would explain those finances away if anyone bothered to look. At least Alfred usually baked biscuits. So there was no shortage of Tikki. Plagg was insatiable.

Even now, Bruce watched as the little black cat Kwami absolutely inhaled a wheel of brie. “You keep eating like that and we’ll run out of cheese before you know it.”

“Eh, you’re rich.”

Jason’s cackle was welcome but also Bruce felt like this was a serious matter so he did not appreciate being laughed at. “It’s true, Bruce. You are a very~ rich man.”

“That doesn’t mean that Plagg should demolish our entire cheese supply and have us order more in less than a week. It could be considered suspicious and we are trying to lay low.” He reasoned.

“I mean, it could be suspicious, or people think you’re on some weird new cheese diet and you accidentally start a trend again.” Tim piped up from his position on the floor where he kept pressing buttons on one of Mari’s toys which made her coo from her spot on her mat.

“Oh man, please not another ‘Bruce Wayne Original Trend.’ The amount of people I saw wearing their shirts backwards in Blüdhaven after his last ‘trend,’ is more than enough for me.” Dick complained from where he was laying on the floor tossing one of Marietta’s toy balls up and down.

“Father was very tired that day.” Damian defended, he was sketching something from his favorite spot in the windowsill. They were all relaxing in his office despite the fact he told them he had paperwork to do. “Though he should have had more decorum and noticed his mistake.”

So much for defending him.

“You humans are so weird with your clothes.” Plagg sighed loudly.

“You act like we never wore clothing once upon a time, Plagg.” Tikki teased.

That had Tim’s attention. He loved learning more about the beings that came as an added…bonus with their newest Wayne. “You guys wore clothes?”

“Well, duh! We weren’t always this adorable you know?” Plagg replied.

“Wait. You guys really weren’t always this itty-bitty?” Jason asked.

“We did mention we were basically revered as Gods in the past. Can you see these forms being worshipped?” Tikki fired back. When she got no reply, she looked unbelievably smug. “Before we were bound to the Miraculi, we tended to use a more human-like form. Hence the clothing. Though even that form was not our true form.”

“It’s been ages since we got to be in our true forms.” Plagg said wistfully.

“What are your true forms?” Tim asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Tikki chuckled softly. “They are…well, they are hard to explain. But it is because the ‘First Guardian-”

“The ‘Betrayer’!” Plagg interrupted with a shout.

“He saw our true forms, and I guess that’s what pushed him to create the ritual that bound us. He called us monsters. Creatures living amongst man. Honestly he just raved at us how he couldn’t believe that we tried to take advantage of the folk who worshipped us and that he was doing them a favor by binding us.” Tikki explained.

“Crazy loon.” Plagg scoffed.

Bruce shared eye contact with all his sons who looked just as disturbed at the information as him. Their true forms scared a man so deeply that he went to such lengths. He felt bad for the Kwami but he also could understand the man’s need for protection even if it was unwarranted. Bruce was always prepared, no matter the circumstances, but now it felt like he would never truly be prepared with the Kwami living with his family. They were truly neutral beings, and it was interesting to have them in the Manor, but when he and Jason got into another argument about the no-killing rule, Plagg and Tikki had looked at him like he was the wrong one. Or more accurately, like they couldn’t understand why he was arguing about it with his son. It was an issue, but not more so than the two beings announcing their plans about Paris.

“So today’s the day.” Jason brought up as casually as he could, which wasn’t as casual as the young man would have liked.

Plagg nodded. “It is.”

Bruce sighed.

“Oh Bruce, I know how you feel about it, but really it isn’t your place to tell us we can’t spread Karma across Paris. It has already been enacted and They have given their permission to all of us Kwami of the Miracle Box of Fortune & Fate.” Tikki explained once more, she wasn’t being condescending and yet Bruce still felt like she was.

“And I told you, I don’t understand that.”

“You don’t have to understand it. Just let it be.” She replied.

“Or better yet ignore it.” Plagg gave his two-cents.

“I can’t just ignore it. You told us you will be going to Paris to punish them!” He argued as softly as he could, not wanting to disturb Marietta who was still distracted by her noisy shiny toy.

“Not all, only those who deserve it and though Paris will no longer be protected by us, it doesn’t mean forever but they need to know. Which is why the announcement is also needed.” She argued back, though she didn’t even look affected by his words and that made his hackles rise more.

“Look. I know your whole ‘job’ is ‘justice,’ and that’s great.” Plagg interjected. “But justice is up to the interpreter and this, Karma, that’s our justice. That’s how we deal with offenses and crimes against us. You don’t have to understand it, but for your sake and Marietta’s sake, don’t try to stop us or talk us out of it anymore.”

“Are you threatening me?” Bruce growled which made Marietta whine.

“Bruce.” Alfred warned. “Calm yourself. You’re scaring the baby.”

Bruce cleared his throat and looked over at his daughter who was looking at him with her big doe-eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry Baby, nothing’s wrong. We’re just talking Sweetheart.”

“Master Bruce, I understand your feelings on the matter but at the end of the day this is their business and if you ever feel the need, I’m sure Paris would appreciate vigilante help if they ever need it.” Alfred said as he set down some tea for Bruce on his desk. And like every time Alfred was the voice of reason, Bruce felt the fight leave him.

“I apologize.” He said after a while.

“Sooooo, how are you going to make the announcement if you guys can’t be caught on camera?” Dick asked to break the tension.

“They have kindly lent me some of their power and my old power so I can retain my old human form.” Tikki explained. “If the announcement goes on longer than I can hold the form then Trixx can cast an illusion of my human form. Before the announcement though we will be going and giving out Karma to a select few.”

“I thought you were…uh, doing the Karma thing after the whole announcement.” Jason said.

“Oh, we are, but there are a couple of people who will get their Karma before the announcement.” Plagg said with a smile that shouldn’t look so frightening on such a tiny face and yet it was.

Quiet covered the family yet again until Damian spoke up from his spot, “Well, happy hunting.”

The two smiles shared between the Kwami somehow dwarfed the one Plagg had made just before and Bruce felt a shiver run down his spine. He sent a silent prayer out for Paris.

_____________________________________

Gabriel sat at his place at the head of the table and watched as his wife talked with Adrien and for the first time in a long time he felt completely at ease. His heart still raced when he acknowledged the fact he had no idea where Nathalie was and he didn’t know what to say when Emilie asked him where she was. Right now she believed that Nathalie was visiting her sister but the truth was he had no idea and it scared him. After The Wish, she and Dupain-Cheng disappeared without a trace. He didn’t understand where they were and his son’s complaints and worry over the girl were getting on his nerves. Neither had their Miraculous so Adrien complained about not being to check on her the ‘Chat Noir’ way, they figured that was their price for The Wish. Though it saddened him, Gabriel was willing to leave the Miraculous behind in exchange for his wife who was a bit different now that she was back but he just chalked it up to her being confused at being awake once more.

He impulsively reached out and took her hand in his. Emilie gave him a small smile back in return and he tried his best not to frown. She should be happier, she was finally reunited with her husband, he would think she would be overjoyed. “Adrien. I…called your school and told them you won’t be there today. We will be spending the day as a family.”

“Okay Father.” Adrien responded promptly.

Emilie looked as though she was going to respond but before she did the doors to the dining room blew open, they nearly came off the hinges. All three family members turned to look in shock and just to see what or who came through in such a fashion. Gabriel opened his mouth to shout at the insolence of it all but his voice caught in his throat when he saw four very familiar Kwami fly in. He tried to get out of his seat but found he couldn’t and from the looks of it, neither could Adrien or Emilie. It made Gabriel struggle against whatever bound him to his seat more. He tried to yell, to shout, but found he had no voice at the moment. Emilie looked so scared and there was nothing he could do about it. The Kwami flew until they were all floating above the middle of the table so all three Agrestes could see them. The red one, Tikki glared at Gabriel so fiercely that if looks could kill, he was sure he would be six-feet deep at the moment.

“Hello Gabriel. Let’s talk.”

Next Chapter

TAGS: @dorkus-minimus @astridflies @coolspidermanmusicflower @myazael @zephyranemone @rubixchick @cydaeashootingstar @ramos123 @eventhedarkestlightshines @too0bsessedformyowngood @solangelo252 @mythogaychic @electrocution-dp @icerosecrystal @thefangirlwholiterallydies @maskedpainter @frieddonutsweets @whoseanonymouswriter @murderrobins @zorua-adorable @amigotasbien @plushbookworm @alytori @lovepink3772-blog @robyalix @mystery-5-5 @heckinggremlin @fantasiame @neromerp13 @lady-bee-fechin @ihatecomingupwithusernameswtf @vroomtaka @jayjayspixiepop @i-need-blog-ideas @bloodydragon000 @aestheticnpoetic @salmakshortstories @insane-fangirl-of-everything @mizzy-pop @smolplantmum @lunabey2sky @eternal-exhaustion24 @roguishredaxion @jjmjjktth @miraculous-trinity-leo @buginetye @ladybug-182 @liquid-luck-00 @alysrose-starchild @vixen-uchiha @emilyphee @moonlightstar64 @komatsuna-yuki @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @bygge00 @souleateralicestein @1-801-bitch @lupagrimm @maribatshipper @doglover82 @corporeal-terrestrial @alyssadeliv @trippingovermyfeet @miraculous-simmer7 @galla02006 @bonusbuggy @derpingrainbow @kking13 @laurcad123 @jeminiikrystal @a-star-with-a-human-name @princessanimeangel11 @fan-of-fans-iggy @suddenly-i-kin-oikawa @zalladane @weirdo-with-no-beardo @ali-kitkat @mikantsume @babylovebug18 @livelifeauthorstyle @woe-is-me0 @i-am-creator28 @meme991001 @enduskdragon @guessmyname17 @yukirivea @zotinha456 @idontwannaexistsopleasekillme @introvertpan84 @all-eyes-no-dragon @humanoid606 @rainbowbunny0159

TAGS that don’t work: @pandasbite2 @michaelshadow7779 @maribat-writing-and-prompts @macncheesemonster @lunerlover2024 @loupgris-blog1 @lubsnubsbubs @minightrose @sailormarelda @alexizlazy4eva @allis-sun @wolf2118 @occulta-lacrimarum13 @nylanyra @leia-07 @vice-artist

144 notes · View notes

maribatquotes · 1 year

Text

Mari: Since we're finally in a relationship that people know about now, your clothes are now my clothes. So don't ask me why I have your hoodie on. This is our hoodie now.

Jason: Fine, but when I come strutting in with your black fuzzy socks, I don't wanna hear shit.

#red hood #dc jason todd #jason todd #romantic jasonette #jasonette #mlb marinette #mlb #dc batfam #dc batman #dc #incorrect maribat quotes #incorrect quotes

132 notes · View notes

faunrasthewinterelf · 1 year

Text

Calm After the Storm Pt. 3

Bio-dad Bruce Wayne

This a really short chapter, written a couple months ago now, i went through a pretty mentally taxing time and lost track of the fic itself. Ill have more up soon, so keep an eye on that! I’m also moving this fic to AO3 after this chapter, and the tag list on tumblr will be utilized to let everyone know when an update is added to the fic!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Marinette had been right. The walk to the restaurant had been much longer than promised. Lila had broken down in tears when questioned, explaining how she was ‘so sorry, I didn't mean to drag you all this far!’

Everyone rushed to reassure her that they don’t mind, and the class continued. After a long day of walking around the Wayne Enterprises Building and not being given time to adjust, by the time the class finally got to the restaurant, Marinette’s side was aching. Chloe had had to press the Blunette to her own side to support the girl when her side tensed up and she began limping.

Sitting and ordering had been a relief. But the break had barely lasted an hour, before another long walk back to the hotel commenced.

It was dark out now. Ms., Bustier, suddenly acting like a responsible teacher, began ushering her students to move quickly. Marinette, with her side stiffening up and her limp beginning to worsen, wouldn’t be able to keep up. Chloe, refusing to leave her friend's side, helping to support her friend, frowned at the classes back as they turned the corner, several blocks ahead of her and Marinette, and vanishing from their point of view, leaving the two girls behind. At night. Alone.

Marinette was simply breathing through the pain, blinking away tears as the dull ache spread through her waist, down her hip and up her rib cage slowly. She needed to get back to the hotel as quickly as she could, she had a Healing Balm from the Grimoire of the Guardian, several doses ready for exactly this reason. She couldn’t do much beyond limping forward, leaving heavily on the tall form of Chloe, who was snarling under her breath, in French, about their class and useless teacher.

The cracked sidewalk stretched on before the two young women, the stuttering steps of one echoing down every alley they passed, and Chloe kept a sharp eye out. In the two blocks they had to travel, Marinette was too distracted to help keep an eye on the surrounding area. As the two girls passed each alley, Chloe tensed, hauling Marinette higher up so she could move faster past the openings, eyeing the shadows she could see in the darkness further in. The Hotel was in sight, less than four buildings away, when a figure stepped out of the alley, putting themselves between the two girls and their safety.

Marinette looked up when Chloe stopped and tensed up further, and tightened her arm around Chloe’s waist as she took in the man in front of her. He was large, both tall and in width, and imposing. He had a slimy smirk on his face, eyeing up Marinette’s body as Chloe took a couple steps backwards, trying to put more distance between her and her friend, and the man.

“Well, well, well.” His voice was scratchy, catching on the ‘W’ as he leered at the two. “What have we here? A pretty blonde girl, and a little dark haired one! Aren’t you two just, … perfect”

Neither of the two girls said anything as Chloe slowly lowered Marinette to her feet, stepping in front of the smaller, injured girl. Chloe brought her hands up, lowering her body into a mock stance just to keep herself loose and ready for whatever this man was going to do.

His grin widened and he started laughing, his eyes lighting up like he was excited as he moved his hand to his back and withdrew a gun. Chloe’s eyes were trained on the man’s face, but Marinettes were narrowed, looking into the direction of the alley. She placed one of her hands on Chloe's shoulder and squeezed.

“Oh, I love it when they fight back.”

“Well” interjected a new voice, from somewhere in deeper into the alley,

“So do I.”

A gun shot rang out, and the mugger or whatever let out a yell as he was forced to drop his own gun. He brought it back close to his chest as he stumbled away from the alley way, away from the even taller figure stepping out of the darkness. His gloved hands holding a gun, pointed at the fleeing man. He had on a brown leather jacket, armored gray shirt below the jacket, emblazoned with a red bat across his chest, dark pants and plenty of pouches along his hips and thighs. The leather jacket had a red fabric hood hanging down from the collar, and a full face helmet of the same color covered his head.

As soon as the loud noise rang out and she registered the movement from beside her, Chloe whipped around and scooped up Marinette, carrying the smaller girl back a couple steps into the indented doorway of a café, hovering over Marinette as the exhausted girl leaned against the door frame.

A couple more gunshots rang out before the two girls heard the sounds of running. The heavily modulated voice from before lets out a string of curses before a dull GA-CHUNK rang out, and the man/hero was whisked off by the whirr of a grapple. There was another thud as someone else impacted onto the sidewalk by the two girls hiding spot.

“Hey, it’s alright you two, you’re safe now! The Red Hood is pursuing your attacker.” It was a cheery voice compared to the one of their attacker. Chloe leaned around the corner to get a look at him. Only slightly taller than her, roughly 6’ compared to her 5’9. He had darker skin, his hair cut short and black domino around his eyes, white lenses blocking out his actual eyes. He had on a tight, lightly armored suit with blue highlights and a blue bird insignia across his chest, two batons strapped to his thigh, and a slim belt with small pouches along his hips.

She narrowed her eyes at him before moving forward. With all the walking done today, and the stairs and the sudden move that they had to do to get away, Marinette was exhausted and her scar hypersensitive. Chloe kneeled down in front of Marinette and hoisted her up into a piggyback before turning and facing the hero who stopped to help them.

“Are you two alright? Is she hurt?” his hand was moving up and towards them and his brow furrowed in concern as the hero began moving towards them. Chloe raised her chin, eyes narrowed.

“She has an old wound. It scarred badly and she has difficulty moving. We were trying to get back to our hotel after dinner with our class, but she was moving too slow to keep up, and I refused to leave her behind- I’m sorry, who are you?” Chloe took one step back, angling herself so she was between the hero and her friend.

The man in front of them had a dark look on his face for a second as Chloe spoke, before clearing his face of emotions and taking a deep breath.

“My name is Nightwing, I’m a local vigilante working under Batman, that man was a smuggler we were tracking, and we stepped in when we saw him holding you two at gunpoint,” the newly introduced Nightwing held his hands up in front of him, “ I’m going to escort you back to your hotel, alright?”

Chloe eyed Nightwing suspiciously before turning her head, looking at the top of Marinette’s head as the smaller girl rested her head in the crook of her neck, before looking back at the vigilante.

“Our hotel is just right down there,” the blonde girl gestured with her chin, before walking towards Nightwing, warily passing him as the man grinned, turning as Chloe walked past and keeping some distance between himself and the girls.

“So,” he began, glancing at Marinette as they walked. “You mentioned you were walking with a class? I can’t imagine you’re from Gotham, what with your lovely accents!” He gave a joking wink as he said it, bouncing slightly.

“We’re not.” Marinette lifted her head, giving the vigilante a look, “we’re here on a class trip, for a month.” The Bluenette gives a pained smile as she speaks. The small group reaches the steps for the girls hotel, but before Chloe could carry Marinette up the stairs Nightwing placed a hand on Chloe’s arm.

“Just, one last thing. Please, keep in mind that Gotham is not Paris, it's much more dangerous.

He shakes his head before giving one last smile, turning to start running away and pulling a Grapple on his belt, looking back one last time he waves a goodbye before swinging off, into the night.

Due to Lila getting the class to go out for dinner, dinner itself going long, and the walk back to the hotel, by the time the two girls got back into their hotel rooms, all the rest of the class was settled in. Madame Bustier hadn’t even responded to the message Chloe sent to let her know that the two girls had returned safely.

Before Chloe and Marinette could go to bed, they had to call Luka and Kagami. That discussion lasted an hour, and another 45 minutes was spent massaging the excess healing balm into Marinette’s scars and doing short pain reduction spells. By the time the two girls fell asleep, they barely had four hours left to rest.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

@too0bsessedformyowngood @thecc11andme @ramos123 @eyeballing-stuff @atramentias @dorkus-minimus @wegetitethan @liawinchester67 @alyssadeliv @thewitchwhowaited @superbwhispersconnoisseur @kitsunebell @aestheticnpoetic @officiallydarkgeek @night-fallz @literaryhiraeth @poodapup @iamablinkmarvelarmy @spider-person95 @roseisred

I’ve learned that only the first 20 tags actually work, if any of you aren't interested in being tagged anymore let me know and ill swap you out with other people! so currently, Tag List is closed for Calm After the Storm

#calm after the storm #maribat #bio dad bruce wayne #marinette dupain cheng #blink and you miss it red hood #nightwing #miraculous ladybug

95 notes · View notes

akinatrix · 9 months

Text

Okay i get that alot of people make alot of well written but sometimes weird crossovers and alternate universes but can someone please explain how bruce wayne IS marinette dupain-cheng? 😭 i somehwat understand the maribat fanfic but cmon BATMAN BEING LADYBUG?

30 notes · View notes

azurezfiction · 2 years

Text

Ladybug: Let me guess this straight. You are my father.

Batman: Yes.

Ladybug: And you are my older brother?

Nightwing: Hey there squirt! *beams*

Ladybug: *looks at Jason* And you?

Red Hood: *waves*

Ladybug: And, the two of you are as well.

Red Robin: *sipping his coffee*

Robin: I am the legit heir!

Ladybug: Moving on. You are my sisters?

Batgirl (Steph): Welcome to the family!

Black Bat (Cass): *smiles and nods*

Ladybug: And you two are....?

Robin (Carrie): I’m Robin from the future!

Batman Beyond: I’m Batman from the future. And apparently your younger brother that’s currently older than you and Damian.

Ladybug: How?

Batman Beyond: Time shenanigans.

Ladybug: And....?

Batman beyond: And trying to get my half ghost boyfriend back to the future with me.

Ladybug: Wait isn’t that a different series?

Batman Beyond: Don’t care.

247 notes · View notes

ggomos-maribat · 2 years

Text

[1/?]

check out my original post here

Inari crouches within the shadows of the rooftop, making sure to keep her invisibility illusion intact. A few feet from her, Nightwing and Red Hood are looking over the night-cloaked city.

"Race you on the rooftops, Red?" Nightwing proposes with a grin.

Inari's palm meets her forehead. She mutters under her breath, "Damn it, Dick, you're going to get hurt again."

Nightwing visibly stiffens and looks around in alarm. "Jay, did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

The vigilante makes another scan of his surroundings. His lip slightly trembles as his eyebrows raise. "I think my conscience is speaking to me."

Or your common sense. Inari sighs. Or maybe your sister.

"You're acting weird," says Red Hood. "Still up for that race?"

"Uhm, maybe not tonight."

#maribat #mlb x dc #dc x mlb #maribat nightwing #maribat red hood #vigilante!marinette #bio dad bruce wayne #maribat fanfic #i guess im really doing this huh #this was funnier in my head i swear

450 notes · View notes

littleinkling64 · 2 years

Photo

“Toxin”, from Chapter 9 of the Tailor

as a side note, I’ve been checking out some DC comics and takin’ some lineart notes on styles I like lol

#dc x mlb #dc x ml #maribat #tw blood #marinette dupain cheng #red hood #the tailor #Jason Todd #jasonette #kinda #comic #comic page #ao3 link

90 notes · View notes

adeva-eira · 2 years

Text

So I managed to get quite a bad Cough....That mean I'm hella bored and THAT means I'm drawing a lot more than usual.

So ya...here's a Jasonette Mini comic based on a ff I'm writing.

Jason and Damian ran away from the League of Assassins together with Talias help and end up in Paris. Red Beetle (Luka) and Stray Cat (Marinette) save the exhausted boys from Assassins and they come to live with Marinette.

It....It's mostly a crack fic tbh...

#marinette x batfam #dc x miraculous #jasonette #maribat #miraculous x dc #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #jason todd #marinette dupain cheng #marinette fanart #ladynoir #red hood #damian wayne #this is dumb #send help

338 notes · View notes

ihartdamian · 6 months

Text

AHH OKAYYY SOOOOO I MADE A NEW JASONETTE STORY AND IG THE PLOT IS GOOD AND ALL BUT HERE IT ISSS

Marinette, the fierce and skilled superhero, has always put the safety of her city above everything else. But defeating Hawk Moth came with a heavy price - the loss of something dear to her heart. Now, she finds herself in Gotham City on a detective job, where she suspects the Wayne family of some wrongdoing. As she delves deeper into the case, she crosses paths with an arrogant and mysterious man whose ties to her mission and personal life raise more questions than answers. With danger lurking around every corner, Marinette must navigate through the treacherous waters of Gotham and confront her inner demons to unravel the truth and save the day.

#dc x mlb #maribat #mlb x dc #maribats #jasonette #Jason Marinetti #marinettexjason #red hood ladybug #ladybugxredhood

10 notes · View notes

lily-drake · 1 year

Text

Unexpected Discoveries Lead to Unexpected Consequences

In which Marinette is homeless and breaks into people’s apartments and steals to survive. Jason wasn’t expecting to see a small blue eyed black haired child in his Paris, France safe house. And he definitely didn’t intend to basically adopt her, but what can you do?

Chapter 1

Jason had a plan, and even Talia seemed to approve of his plan which meant it had to be good. But first, she said that he had to train with different handlers all around the world to learn different skills that would help him reach his end goal. And what was this plan exactly? He was going to take over and run the drug trade in Crime Alley, kill Joker, mess with the Bat and his replacement, and finally he’ll end the big Bat with his own hands. His plan changed a bit every so often, currently he was toying with the idea of letting Batman decide to kill the Joker himself; see how much he really loved Jason.

He was currently waiting for reassignment in Paris, France as his last handler said his training with them was complete. His body was cooling on the floor only a few moments after the words left their mouth.

He was currently squatting in a run down apartment building that he felt he had sufficiently boobytraped. That was until he entered his apartment through the fire escape window one night and saw a small person rifling through the duffel bag he had left sitting on the crappy coffee table. He cleared his throat loudly and watched as the small person froze and stiffened in their spot.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He watched as the figure slowly raised their hands into the air, lifted their head, and turned towards him. His eyes widened slightly at what he saw, he….hadn’t been expecting this. The person was a small girl with wide bluebell eyes who couldn’t be older than maybe 12. Her clothes were torn, dirty, and ragged; hair pulled back into neat twin tails but was obviously matted and dirty from being unable to find a proper place to bathe.

Memories of his past, before he has been abducted by Batman, resurfaced from some place deep within the recesses of his pit crazed mind. Memories of being in the same predicament. The feeling of never being safe no matter where you are or what you do. The horrid hunger that would make anyone desperate enough to do anything for even the hope of a scrap. Fearing that one day you’ll go missing and no one will ever know or care where you are or what happened to you ever again. He could see fear in the small girl’s eyes, and what appeared to be tears brimming in them. Normally he would cherish and feast on that fear, but this wasn’t a normal circumstance.

“I-I’m sorry sir! I’ll leave right now and never come back! I swear I haven’t taken anything yet, nor will I again.”

“Maybe not from me, but from someone else, yea?”

He said calmly, softly. Slowly he raises his hands up in front of him, exaggerating and telegraphing every movement so the kid would know he was no threat or danger. When he was a few feet away from the girl he squatted down, still keeping his hands in front of him, but away from her. The girl took a small step away, moving into more of a defensive stance, a glare forming on her face. He gave her a small smile, letting her keep her distance.

“Hey, it’s ok. I’m not going to hurt you, I’ve been in the same spot as you.”

He started with a tender note in his voice. His French was a bit rusty, but it was still understandable, and that’s all that mattered at the moment.

“And what spot is that?”

She asked skeptically, eyes darting around the room as she looked for anything she could use to help her escape.

“On the run, homeless, stealing to survive, doing whatever is necessary to just live another day. I know exactly what that was like.”

The girl's eyes widened in shock, her shoulders and stance loosening ever so slightly. She stared at him for a long time, but he never moved as he let her evaluate him. When she seemed satisfied she discouragingly asked,

“So what are you gonna do? Call CPS?”

“F* those guys. They never helped anyone in the system, and there’s no way I’m gonna let you go through that.”

Silence hung in the air, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable one, more unsure and inquisitive.

“How would you like to go get some food? I’m hungry, and I have no doubt that you are too. If you’d rather just leave, then I won’t stop you. No catch, you don’t even have to talk to me. I get it. I’m Jason by the way.”

The girl bit her lip as if she were contemplating his offer. She looked all around the dark room one last time before she muttered.

“Mary.”

Jason smiled gently,

“Nice to meet you, Mary. I’ll go ahead and lead us to a diner. Again, you don’t have to follow, but I was going to head there for food anyways so you don’t have to worry about a trap or anything.”

Jason slowly stood up, keeping his hands in front of his palms facing forward the entire time. Cautiously, he walked towards the front door, and walked out. He never turned back to see if Mary followed him as it would probably send the wrong message. He was honestly a bit surprised when she sat across from him at the booth.

She pressed herself as far into the bench as she could with all her limbs curled up in front of her, letting her eyes focus solely on the table. He was grateful when the waiter dropped off the menus as it lessened the tension around them, letting both of them focus on something other than each other.

“Would you like anything to drink while you look for what you want?”

The waitress asked with a polite smile.

“I’ll have some white milk.”

Jason replied smoothly, nodding his appreciation before turning to look at the menu.

“Alright, and what would the young lady like?”

“Ummm,”

Mary hesitantly glanced up at Jason, but all he did was shrug in reply.

“Chocolate milk, please?”

“Alrighty then, I’ll have that out for you in just a moment.”

Jason turned his head slightly and watched the other patrons in the diner. It was odd to him that none of them seemed to know any of the great terrors this world held, and if they did they were good at ignoring them. They were so carefree and happy, and it just felt …off to him with everything he knows and has been through. He glanced at the kid and noticed her drawing on her paper kids menu with the provided crayons. She seemed to be making some kind of dress, and she was really good at it. If the crayons were better quality, or maybe just a pencil, he bet that it would look even better.

“You’re really good at that.”

He praised. Mary’s head shot up in surprise, and she quickly held the paper close to her chest. Jason raised his hands up in surrender.

“Hey, hey, it’s ok. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I’m not going to stop you, I’m not going to take it from you, and if you’re not comfortable with it, I won’t even look at you or your work anymore.”

Mary bit her lip, her eyes never leaving his hands, suspicion never leaving her eyes for a second.

“I promise Mary.”

He whispered, making direct eye contact to show her the seriousness—and hopefully honesty—he was trying to convey through his body-language and voice. After another minute of silent staring at the other she nodded. Hesitantly, she cautiously set the paper back down and continued working while occasionally glancing up to make sure he hadn’t moved closer or started staring. Slowly, Mary felt herself to relax just a little for the first time in years. He wasn’t staring at her or her work and always kept his distance. He kept his part of the deal as he just stared out of the booth and watched the people around them.

“Alright, here are your drinks. Are you ready to order?”

“Yes, I’ll have a Croque Monsieur, French Onion soup, French ratatouille, two slices of your Traditional Quiche, and two slices of Hazelnut Dacquoise please.”

He said politely as he handed his menu back to the server.

“Alright, and for the young miss?”

Mary stared at the page, refusing to make any eye contact.

“Ummm, I-I’ll have Croque Monsieur.”

She said nervously before quickly sipping from her drink to avoid saying anything else. She hoped that what she ordered wouldn’t cost much. But if he was ordering that must mean he isn’t afraid of spending money, right? But he may not want to spend much on her. Even if this is him being nice and not wanting anything in return, it’s best not to test him.

“Alright, will that be all then?”

“Yes please, thank you.”

“Of course, we’ll have it out for you soon.”

And with that the waitress turned and left back towards the counter. Jason turned back to his people watching, taking small sips from his drink.

“Thank you.”

Mary whispered. Jason smiled, but didn’t look at her as he replied,

“Yea, no problem kid. I’d be a hypocrite and a g*d* a*hole to not help you out when I’ve been where you are too.”

Once the food came Jason took all of the plates, including hers, much to her dismay. Instead of eating it all like she had thought, he started to split everything in half. He put some of the food onto his plate that held Croque Monsieur before pushing the rest of the food onto her own.

“Don’t worry kid, I’m not gonna steal your food. In fact you’re going to need more than what you ordered, and I know this place uses good and fresh ingredients to make their food. You’re gonna need the nutrients, so eat as much as you can. And if you want more, I honestly don’t mind giving you mine or ordering more. Okay?”

He asked, making eye contact with her once more as he slowly scooted her dish toward her. She nodded slowly, still trying to process what had just happened. Jason nodded, giving her a small encouraging smile before he started to eat his own food. Marinette watched him take a bite of a little of everything on his dish, once he had done that, and showed no sign of anything she tucked in.

It was obvious that she was born into a good family. He observed the way she ate, because while she was eating it fairly quickly, it was obvious that she was taught proper table manners. But while he couldn’t see signs of parental abuse, that didn’t mean there wasn’t any. He had her glass refilled a few times, much to her horror the first time, but he just smiled and waved off her attempts of “you don’t have too, I’m fine”, with “just drink your milk kid. You’re gonna need it if you don’t want to stay that size forever”. She had scowled at him for that comment, but sipped her milk in silence, a small smile creeping into her lips. He pretended that he didn’t notice it.

He had given Marinette both slices of the small cake, and was surprised when she scooted the last piece toward him. She didn’t look at him, didn’t even say a word. Just let the cake sit in the middle of the table, it was a silent offering of sorts. A show of trust that made Jason’s heart swell a little in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Slowly Jason reached out and pulled the slice closer to him.

________

“I’ve got another place you can stay the night at if you’d like. You could have a nice shower, I could find you some new clothes or something. If that isn’t for you, I’ve got some money that you can use. It should keep you off the streets and keep you fed for a little while.”

Jason said calmly as they stood outside the diner with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket. He desperately wanted to help the kid (more desperately than he wanted anything, and that was frightening), but he knew there was only so much he could do. He would have to leave soon to his next instructor wherever Talia thought he should be shipped off to next. He can’t, in good conscience, take the kid with him. He would only do more harm than good, and she doesn’t deserve that. She has so much potential, an entire future ahead of her! He would never forgive himself if he ruined that for her.

Mary twiddled her thumbs and bit her lip, a nervous tick he noticed, as she thought through the options.

“Can I stay the night with you?”

That wasn’t really one of the options, and it showed that she really hadn’t been on the streets for as long as he had originally thought. No street kid with longtime experience would be this trusting, not even in Paris.

“That’s not the best idea, kid. I’m not a good person, you really don’t want to be near me.”

He said coolly, staring at some far off point in the distance.

“But you helped me today, and are still offering to help me. Doesn’t that make you a good person?”

She asked curiously. Goodness this kid was so innocent, and he knew that if he looked at her he would see her doe-like eyes silently begging him. How has she survived this long, how did she even end up in this predicament?

“This could all be a trap kid. I could just be putting you into a false sense of security before I kidnap or sell you.”

He said gruffly, rolling his eyes. Kid was going to get herself into some deep sh* if she wasn’t more paranoid and aware.

“Then why reveal your plan now? Why wait so long to do anything?”

Jason sighed in annoyance and rubbed his eyes.

“It’s called the long game kid. Ever hear of it?”

“I have, but you aren’t doing that. If you were doing that you’d look more smug and triumphant. You’d probably be thinking that “you’ve won now”,”

She rambled, using her fingers as air quotes.

“But you're not. You’re more annoyed and seemingly worried about me than anything else. You said you’ve been through what I have, far too sincerely to be fake. And-“

“Fine!”

Jason said with exaggerated frustrated annoyance,

“Just follow me kid, and keep up. I’m not gonna slow down for some curious little pixie.”

He ended gruffly as he began to walk towards one of his nicer safe houses that Talia had provided.

“Hey! I’m not little, and you offered!”

Mary said indignantly as she ran to keep up with his long strides.

“Sure Pix, let’s go with that.”

He said briskly, but smirked as he saw her trying to keep up with him. Sighing, mostly annoyed with himself, he slowed down and let her keep up with him, never removing his hands from his pockets and stared at the city of lights around them. The burning in his heart never really faded, it felt almost tangible, and that made him pause. He focused on the strange new feeling in his chest, and almost stopped breathing when he subconsciously was able to actually interact with this strange feeling. Mary froze, fear and uncertainty bleeding through her eyes. It was as if she felt the interaction, the small strange sensation, the burning that was occurring in his own heart.

“Not again.”

She whispered to herself. The feeling now attached to his heart felt like someone had a sharp vice grip on it. Like they were trying to yank Jason’s heart out.

“I’m so sorry Jason, I’ll get rid of it. I never meant for this to happen!”

She said panickedly. Her rates were shut like she was trying to focus on something, and while she focused the sharp tugging became excruciating. So he did what felt right and tugged back, relieving only a bit of the pain. Mary gasped.

“What is going on Mary? What on Earth are you trying to “get rid of”?”

She was silent and there was finally a reprieve from the painful yanking.

“I-I’m a meta.”

She whispered. Her face was pale and her eyes glassy and distended as she spoke.

“I can create physical and tangible bonds with others that I feel close to or safe with. I can also take those bonds away though it can be painful for both parties involved. It depends on how strong the bond is on both sides. I can’t control it, and now I’ve gone and bonded with you without your permission. I’m so sorry.”

A small tear fell down her cheek as she slowly shrunk into herself throughout her story. Jason could feel the l pain and fear, he didn’t know how she held all this in? Slowly Jason breathed in the chill Autumn evening air, before kneeling before the small child.

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to be mad at you okay. It makes sense to me why you bonded with me. I doubt you’ve had a lot of people caring about or helping you out. You’ve been on your own for a while now, huh?”

Mary nodded stiffly, holding back more tears but unable to hold back a sniffle.

“How about we head to the apartment I was telling you about earlier and we can settle this out more there. Okay?”

Another nod. Jason gave her a small smile and slowly stood up. Hesitantly he offered her his hand, but to his surprise she took it while wiping at her eyes with her free arm. Jason smiled again, when was the last time he smiled like this so much? He honestly had no idea if he ever had, except he did. His first day out as-Jason shook his head. He couldn’t focus on that, right now he had a little kid to take care of.

________

“So just to make sure I’ve got everything straight.”

Jason began once Mary had finished explaining how her power worked after he had made sure she was able to take a hot shower and change clothes. He had given her one of his hoodies and a pair of sweatpants—she was absolutely drowning in his clothes.

“So both of us can interact with the other through this bond as it transfers one’s feelings and emotions. Is that about right?”

“That about sums it up, yea.”

She replied meekly, wrapping the blanket he had also given her more tightly around herself.

“I also learned a way to shield my bond, which means I can block it so no one I’m bonded to can feel what I’m feeling through the bond. But it’s been so long since I’ve had one that I don’t fully remember how to do it again.”

Jason hummed, tapping his fingers against his knee in thought. He had been around magic and metas before sure, but nothing quite like this had ever happened to him before. It was strange, intimate, and seemingly out of his control. But strangely enough, he didn’t really seem to mind like he thought he would. The connection actually made him feel…calm, grounded even. It seemed that it even helped to lessen the corrupted voice of the Lazarus Pit in his mind.

Jason carefully focused his thoughts on this strange new connection, letting his mind and heart take hold of the bond as gently as he could. He hesitated, but only for a second before he let a gentle tug of joy and calm flow through the bond. He watched as she stilled, looking at him with wide hopeful eyes before she replied with her own happy little ripples. The feelings almost overwhelmed him with how genuine they were, but he knew that he was doing the right thing. He knew at that moment that he would do anything to protect this kid.

Taglist:

195 notes · View notes