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lily-drake · 1 year

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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-

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lily-drake · 1 year

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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.

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