#Jasonette July 2k20

[mochegato]

Pixie Spy

Written for the Jasonette July Wayne Gala prompt.

Why?!? Why was she doing this again? Oh right, because John Constantine promised to give her some help with a particularly difficult part of the Grimoire if she did.  And he needed the information he was currently obtaining in order to give said help.  That is how she ended up with an invitation, still not sure how Constantine pulled that off, to the most exclusive event of the year, the Wayne Gala.  

Plus, Adrien was kind of right, ordinarily it would be a great opportunity to showcase her designs. The problem was on its surface, her dress wasn't one of her best works. The black dress had a high, cowl neckline in front and in back, adding a bit of drama and a small homage to the local heroes, vigilantes she silently corrected herself.  The high neckline also offset the incredibly short bubble skirt, making her legs look longer than the Nile.  Despite being a bit uncomfortable showing that much leg, it was necessary for this particular design and if she could actually feel like she had long legs for once, she was willing to deal with the discomfort.  She also added a glittery belt to show her shape and add some bling, which seemed like something the people at this particular event would value.  It was functional, not fashionable.  Not that it was ugly, just that it was designed to be passable, enough to fit in but not enough to get noticed.

She fidgeted slightly as she stood in the entryway trying to get past the people piling up trying to not so discretely pay homage to the king.  That king being Bruce Wayne. From her research, he actually did seem like he was a good guy. The list of charities he started or contributed to was longer than she was tall. She scowled at the voice in the back of her head that sounded suspiciously like Adrien's saying that wasn't much.  Adrien, who got out of coming tonight because the mission was to observe the Waynes unnoticed and Adrien Agreste would get a bit too much attention, that cat bastard.

Despite the laundry list of charity work, Marinette was still suspicious of Wayne.  First of all, he was rich, filthy rich.  Anyone that rich had to have some dark and twisted secrets they were hiding.  He wouldn’t be the first rich person to hide their illicit activities behind a veil of charity work.  Second, he chose to live in Gotham, the most crime-riddled city in the world.  And that is just the reported crime.  A great deal of the crime never got reported to or investigated by the police, whether through corruption or exhaustion.  The kind of place a rich person could be confident they would get away with literal murder.

But mostly, it was Constantine that made her suspicious of Bruce Wayne.  Not that Constantine had ever said anything negative about him, well nothing more than calling him a pain in the ass, but that was really not so much an insult as a compliment coming from Constantine.  But, Wayne had information Constantine needed to help them with the Grimoire and Constantine refused to say how Wayne had gotten that information. How and why would a playboy billionaire have that information?  There is absolutely no reason someone outside of the hero/villain/magic community would have that information.  And, if he was such a good guy, why would Constantine need to go to these lengths to get it without Wayne’s knowledge?  Unless it was related to one of his illicit secrets.

Her eyes darted around the room taking in its grandeur, muttering to herself about how ostentatious it all was.  Normally, she would be completely mesmerized by the grandeur and pomp of the scene.  The room was decorated to perfection.  Everything was absolutely exquisite.  However, she was too anxious and wary to enjoy it.  So instead of being inspired, each gorgeous detail grated on her. She reached up to tug on her hair before remembering her hair had been pulled up into an elegant twist held in place with a single silver pin. With her normal anxiety relief method unavailable, she instead shifted nervously from foot to foot while she scanned the room trying to catch sight of the rest of the Waynes, gently tightening and loosening her grip on her purse, trying not to crush Tikki.

She was so lost in her anxiety she didn't notice the dark haired man walking behind her take notice of her and stop.  He stood behind her with a nonchalance that didn’t seem to fit a man his size.  He watched her fidget and muttering to herself about “damn rich people” with a smile on his face.

“You don't seem excited to be here” he said quietly.

She turned around with wide eyes, shocked that someone had heard her.  Whatever she was expecting to see it was not what she saw in front of her.  The man towered over her.  Even in her ridiculously, dangerously high heels, Chloe insisted, her head didn’t even come up to his chin.  He was also extremely handsome, with chiseled features and the most gorgeous blue eyes she had ever seen.  Those eyes were going to be a problem.  They were clear and kind and roguish and hypnotizing.  His black hair with a shock of white was slightly tousled giving the impression of a rouge trying to look sophisticated.  Was it inappropriate to imagine running her hand through his hair and along his sharp jawline?  Yeah, probably not appropriate and likely not welcome.  Clean up your thoughts, girl!  Great, now Alya was in her head scolding her.  No, that’s not right, because that would definitely not be Alya’s advice.  

He was grinning at her with an impish look in his eyes. “What?  Not impressed with the ‘we care about whatever the point of this gala is, but we’re not hobos so let’s not skimp on the luxury for us’ décor?  Or maybe it is the illustrious, soul sucking, benefactors of Gotham that have set you on edge.”  The smile he shot her was guarded and critical. She chuckled lightly and looked away. “You have good judgement and a good reason to be suspicious.  But you made it to The event of the season, so you must have done something right… or wrong.”

She hummed and looked away.  “Have you ever had one of those days where everything went wrong and now you don't know how you got where you are or why you are there?”

“I’m familiar with the feeling,” he nodded.

“That's my life. All of it.  Every single fucking day.  This one included."

He barked out a laugh and looked at her again appraising her.  “Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine.  I think I like you.  You might just make this torture session more bearable.  See you around,” he chuckled as he walked away.

Marinette watched the man’s retreating back.  The night was already going better than she thought it would.  But the plan for the night wasn’t to find a date it was to act as a scout and keep tabs on the… enemy?  For all intents and purposes, that is what the Waynes were tonight, right?  They had information that she needed, that Paris needed, and they apparently weren’t going to part with it willingly, so they were the enemy.  No, enemy sounded too harsh she chided herself.  Opposition? Yes, they were the opposition.  That sounded much less hostile, more like a game… a game where people’s lives were on the line.  You know, just for fun, no pressure.

She found a spot against a wall she could use.  It was slightly raised but not well lit so it wouldn’t draw attention to her.  From her spot she could finally see the family. It was very thoughtful of them to group together like that.  She could see the little one, stiff and military-like posture, glowering at the people around him.  He was standing as far away from the rest of the people there as he could without actually leaving the room.  Much closer to the dancefloor, she could see the middle boy talking to a few business men. They all had fake smiles plastered on their faces as they made seemingly insignificant small talk.  She did not envy him that experience.  Between the two and to the side was the oldest son. He was chatting up some business person’s daughter, leaning in a lot closer than etiquette would dictate. Just the father then… there he was still not too far from the door talking to a dark haired woman.  He had his arm around her waist as she leaned into him. She must be the girlfriend then. Mari made a note that she should probably pay attention to where she was as well.  Fortunately, the spot she had chosen gave her a great vantage point.  Unfortunately, her observation spot wasn’t as unnoticed as she had hoped.

 ___________________________________________________________

Jason made his way over to the bar and ordered a beer.  He still hadn’t spoken to his family to let them know he was there and he definitely needed a drink before he approached them.  Why the fuck was he here again?  Fucking Batman.  

Fresh glass of beer in hand, he made his way over to his brothers, refusing to acknowledge any of the partygoers along the way.  He watched as his brothers took note of his approach and excused themselves from their conversation partners.  Dick didn’t look too happy to turn away from the latest interest, smiling at her and giving her reassurances before sending her away.  Tim looked less happy to have to turn away from the men he was talking with. He should be thanking Jason really. He was giving him an out from having to deal with them and their god awful personalities and fashion. Seriously, who told that guy that tie was okay.  Even the Riddler would think that tie was obnoxious.

“Okay, I’m here,” Jason said taking a large swig of his drink.  “How long before I can ditch this bottomless pit of misery?”

“Woah, slow down there.  You’re going to get drunk before the announcement.”  Dick cautioned him.

“Do you want me here or do you want me sober?  You’re going to have to choose one.  They’re mutually exclusive, Dickweed.”

“Come on Jaybird, we all have to be here.  None of the rest of us are getting drunk.”

“That’s just because I’m smarter than you guys are,” he said tipping his glass to Tim who had scoffed at the suggestion and took another drink.  “There is no reason we all have to be here.  We shouldn’t all have to suffer.  And officially, I’m not even a member of this hellscape of a family anymore so I really shouldn’t have to be here.”

“If The Disappointment gets to leave, so do I. Someone should be patrolling tonight instead of all of us wasting our time entertaining these harpies.  And if one more person tries to touch me on my head I’m going to break a hand.”

“Stop it!  Nobody is leaving, Damian.  We’re in this together.  And Jason, if anyone got to go home it wouldn’t be you.  You are the reason we all have to be here in the first place; so we can ALL show our support when we officially announce that you are part of this ‘hellscape of a family’ again.  So enjoy it,” he said with a cutting smile.

“Not everyone enjoys getting groped by the gold-digging, trust fund whores.  I’ve found a way to cope.  It’s called alcohol.  Now if you’ll excuse me,” he downed the drink in his hand, “my drink is empty.  I’m going to go find another.”

“At least try not to interact with anyone. We don’t want to piss anyone off tonight.  And I don’t want to have to fix your messes.”

“Way ahead of you, Replacement.”  Jason turned and walked away before Dick could reprimand him again.  He needed to get away.  He could only handle his family in small does, very small doses, miniscule amounts, and he had already surpassed that limit.  

He grabbed two more drinks off of a passing waiter’s tray and looked for the Sunshine Girl.  He scanned the room sipping the champagne, trying not to make eye contact with anyone in the room.  His size and demeanor was usually enough to keep people away but making eye contact made people think he was open to talking.  He was not.  He had no interest in making nice with Gotham’s elite.  He wanted to get this night over with, with as little pain as possible.  

He finally spotted her off to the side of the room speaking with the obnoxious tie guy.  Jason watched as the man slid his hand up the side of her leg starting to move under her skirt.  Jason started to make his way over to them until he saw her move closer to the man.  She was close enough to whisper seductively into his ear now.  Ah, not uninvited then.  Maybe he had misread her.  Well there goes his hope of this party not sucking balls.  He started to turn away but noticed a pained expression on the man’s face.  He turned back to reexamine the scene.  She was holding the man’s hand at an unnatural angle.  It was a hold he’d used a few times himself, it was discrete but extremely effective, causing intense pain with a small movement.  He knew if she moved her hand just a few more centimeters, she could easily break his wrist.

She let go with a viscous look pushing him away from her as she did.  The man shook his hand and scowled at her.  He started back toward her and Jason took off running, not pausing to apologize to the people he bumped into along the way.  Before he could get to her, she had already taken care of it. She squared her shoulders and glared at the man, making it clear that she could and would continue with her actions if he persisted.  When she moved her hand ever so slightly, just enough so he could see it and remember what she had done, the man turned away and smiled at the people who had been standing behind him as though nothing had happened.  Jason chuckled to himself watching her move away from the man. She was definitely going to make this night more bearable.

“Looks like you don’t need me around for protection. Although I did bring a drink so maybe I can earn my keep that way,” he said handing her one of the glasses in his hand.  “That was extremely impressive.  How did you lean to handle yourself like that?”  

She accepted the glass and shrugged.  “You live in Paris long enough you pick up a few things.”

“That isn’t something you just ‘pick up’. That’s experience.”

“And that is exactly what you get when you have a supervillain terrorizing your streets and thoughts for 5 years; experience. And how do you know about that move?  Rich boy secretly a vigilante?” She raised an eyebrow at him giving him a daring smile and pretending to take a drink from the glass.  She was on a mission and she didn’t know him.  She wasn’t about to actually drink anything a stranger gave her, let alone get drunk.

“You don’t grow up in Gotham without learning how to take down someone trying to cop a feel.  And what do you mean about a supervillain in Paris?” he asked taking a step closer to her, concern edging into his stare.

“It doesn’t matter.  It’s not relevant for tonight.” She said taking a step away and scanning the room again to locate the Waynes.

He looked at her for a few moments taking her in, not just her appearance but how she held herself.  She stood with confidence and nonchalance.  She wasn’t acting coy, she wasn’t baiting him to ask her more questions, she was serious.  There was some kind of supervillain running around Paris that they had no idea about.  Well that piqued his interest.  He wanted to find out more about that and just his luck, the only person around who knew about it was the gorgeous and badass Sunshine Child in front of him. Guess he’ll just have to suffer and spend more time talking to her.  The things he does for Gotham, he smirked to himself. “I’m Jason,” he said putting his hand out for her to shake.

She looked at his hand before hesitantly taking it. His hand absolutely engulfed hers. “Nice to meet you Jason,” she said looking toward the dancefloor.  She had last seen the Waynes near the dancefloor and they couldn’t have gotten far, right?  They were likely to be near it.

Misinterpreting her focus he asked, “Wanna dance?” placing down his now empty glass.

She needed a better vantage point to locate the Waynes and even if they weren’t on the dancefloor anymore, the dancefloor would be the ideal place get an unobstructed, overall view of the room.  She could see the entire room from the dancefloor.  She just had to scope it out discretely so Jason didn’t get suspicious.  “Sure,” she said smiling at him and accepting the hand he had offered her.

He guided her out onto the dancefloor.  Jason noticed a little girl standing nervously next to the dancefloor looking at a group of kids nearby.  “Hold on just a second,” he said dropping her hand to kneel down next to the little girl.  “Hey, I just wanted to say what a beautiful dress you have.  I wish you had a smile to match.  Anything wrong, kid?” he asked gently.  The little girl gave him a nervous smile.

“Thanks.  My Mom said I could pick out a dress and I chose this one.  But Mom says it looks silly.  It’s too fluffy and gets in everyone’s way.”

At that Marinette kneeled down next to her as well. “Oh.  Well, let me fill you in on a little secret.  I’m a fashion designer and I can tell you there is nothing wrong with fluffy.  You did a great job picking it out.  It is perfect for you.  I couldn’t design anything better.  I wish I looked as confident and effortlessly beautiful as you do. ”

The smile the little girl gave her was genuine this time.  “You really like it?”

“I do,” Marinette responded.  

“I do, too.  I’m not a fashion designer, but I still think you look good, kid.  And if anyone tells you they don’t like it, scr… I mean, forget them.  Who cares what they think.  A fashion designer and a delinquent think it looks amazing.  Don’t let someone else tell you what you like.” Jason added.  The little girl beamed at both of them and bounded off to join the kids with much more confidence.

Marinette watched him as he watched the kid play with her friends making raucous noise as they played, a grin on his face until he saw some parents come to reprimand their kids for being so noisy.  So, rich boy has a heart and is really protective of kids.  Well that wasn’t going to help Marinette focus solely on the mission. “That was incredibly nice of you.  That’s not advice I would have expected from someone attending a party like this.” Marinette said taking Jason’s outstretched hand again.

“Just because we’re miserable here doesn’t mean she should be, too.  Kids should be happy.  It’s ridiculous to bring a kid to a party if you aren’t going to let them be a kid. Adults in Gotham expect too much of their kids.  They treat them like props instead of kids, tools to help them achieve a goal.” He said voice getting gruff as he spoke.  He looked back at her and shook his head as if to clear his head of his thoughts.  He smiled at her instead and took her waist with his free hand to start dancing with her.

“You know, I noticed you never did give me your name.”

She looked into his eyes for a just a moment before she looked back to the dancefloor, “You know, I noticed that too.”

“Hmmm.  Secretive. No name but a fashion designer from Paris,” he said.  Marinette paled slightly refusing to look back at him.  He was paying attention to her and noticing details.  She hadn’t expected that from this crowd.  She was going to have to be more careful about what she said.  ‘Not get noticed’ played over and over in her head.  She was supposed to slip in and out with nobody remembering her.  She might have blown the mission already.  But, was she ready to walk away from those blue eyes?  Surely, talking with him couldn’t do any harm, right?  “So, did you design the dress you’re wearing?”

She was brought back to reality with a jolt.  “Yes.  Not… not my best work, but it fit the uh, occasion,” she stuttered out.

“Was the occasion to look stunning?  Because you do.”  He grinned smugly as she blushed heavily under his praise.  This was fun.  This was his new mission for the night; to see how many times he could make her blush.  “Still not going to tell me your name, huh?”

She looked back at him before dropping her eyes again.  Stupid mission.  If it were just her here for herself, she could stay here dancing with Jason and gazing into his eyes for the rest of the night, and tomorrow, and the day after for that matter.  But she wasn’t here for herself.  She was here for a reason and that reason demanded she be anonymous and keep track of the Waynes.

She scanned the floor again and finally spotted the Waynes, confirming they were all there.  Nobody had snuck off.  They really liked sticking around each other didn’t they?

“No, it takes more than a pretty line from a pretty boy to get my name” she said looking back to Jason and plastering on a fake smile. “I don’t need any rich boys remembering me after this is over.  Tomorrow I’ll go back to my real life and it will be like none of this ever happened. I can report that I came, I danced, and I even smiled a few times, then never speak of it again.”

“Friends or family forced you to come because they thought you needed some excitement in your life, Pixie Pop?”

“Something like that… Pixie Pop?”

“You won’t tell me your name and I need to call you something.  You’re little and mischievous and can handle yourself… Pixie Pop. Honestly, you’re lucky I didn’t go with Odysseus.  Also, you think I’m pretty?”  He grinned down at her.

She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway, cheeks flushing slightly.  “I think that would have made you Polyphemus, which you certainly have the size for,” she grinned up at him.  “Anyway, that’s why I’m here.  How about you?”

“Oh, my family thinks I have enough fun already. I’m here because if they have to suffer, so do I.  And all to bolster the name of the illustrious Bruce Wayne.”

Marinette examined his face as he stared toward where she last seen Bruce Wayne.  He looked annoyed and frustrated.  This was a side of Mr. Wayne she had not heard about in her research, a side that frustrated native Gothamites.  A bit more information could be helpful for her to figure out what role he played in the Grimoire information Constantine was gathering, figure out whether or not he was a threat.  “Not a fan?” she asked delicately.

He looked back at her examining her face for any malice.  “Depends on the day.”

She hummed in response.  “What can you tell me about Bruce Wayne?” she finally asked.

“Why do you want to know?” he responded suspiciously. Most people looking for more information wanted it as a weapon.  Bruce might not be his favorite person, he might actually hate him right now, but he wasn’t going to help someone take him down unless it was him.

She shrugged, “everything I’ve seen shows an exemplary record for him.  You don’t seem to be a fan though and you’ve grown up in Gotham so you would have some good insights.  So, I’m wondering what your take on him is.  What he’s done to draw your ire.”

Jason nodded slightly seeming to mull over what she said.  “He does good things.  He helps a lot of charities.  He honestly does care about the city and the people and about making their lives better. His parenting skills could use some work though.  He could show his sons that he actually cares about them as more than tools, you know, whether they live or died…” he furrowed his brows and looked away for a few seconds before he schooled his expression.  His eyes got a wicked gleam to them and he leaned towards her to whisper conspiratorially “… and I hear he’s sleeping with Batman.”

Mari looks at him surprised.  “Huh, I guess he has a type then, supermodels, superheroes…”

“Supervillains…” Jason says under her breath looking back at Bruce and his date.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he covered quickly, but the damage had already been done.  She had started thinking about Bruce’s involvement with the super community.  If he was sleeping with superheroes and super villains, that meant he was part of the same circles as Constantine… and Constantine liked dating in the super community.  Could Bruce Wayne be in the super community?  That would explain why he had information pertaining to the Grimoire.  And she might need to revisit exactly how Constantine knew Bruce Wayne.

“Are you okay?  I didn’t break you, did I?” he asked cautiously.

“Yeah, fine I could just maybe use some uh, water?” she gave an awkward smile.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, please?”  She just needed a bit of space to think.

Jason left to grab a glass of water and turned back to her.  She watched Bruce with her head crooked to the side.  He saw her finger discretely swiping to the right a few times as she stared intently at Bruce.  After a few times her finger swiped left instead and head straightened.  She looked around to the other members of the family as if she was counting, confirming something in her head.

Marinette’s eyes widened as she suddenly realized why Bruce Wayne could have information they needed and why Constantine needed her to keep an eye on the Waynes.  Shit. Shit shit shit shit. Shitshitshitshitshitshit. Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.  She turned away quickly.  This could not be happening.  This. Could. Not. Be. Happening.  She did NOT help him break into the BATCAVE while she kept tabs on BATMAN.

And if Constantine was trying desperately to avoid him, like he did all his exes…That little…

Jason had no idea what happened but as he got closer to his Pixie he could hear her muttering under her breath in French.  His French was a bit rusty so even the pieces he could pick up were scarce and nonsensical.  Something about maybe “lying” and “Roast Beef” and “bat” and “shark” and “fucking”.  He couldn’t be positive about any of the words except two; “fucking” and “bat” those he was pretty familiar with.  Not to brag but he could swear like a sailor in at least 7 languages.  And “bat”, he knew that word in a few more languages for obvious reasons.

She was abruptly moving and ran right into him before she could take notice of her surroundings.  She looked at Jason with wide eyes, reexamining the man she had spent the evening speaking and dancing with.  Suddenly, everything clicking into place.  There was one more hero she hadn’t accounted for, Red Hood, who while he hid his face behind a mask, just so happened to have the same towering build as Jason. But Bruce Wayne didn’t have any more kids, right?  And if the other vigilantes were his sons, Red Hood should be too, right?  He just had the three boys and the two girls who were out of town.  That was it.  He had another son, but that son had died.  What was his name… She gasped loudly, “Oh God! You’re Jason,” she exclaimed out loud.  

“Yeah?”  He said confused.  They’d been over this before.

“You’re Jason Todd,” she said looking down and taking slow breaths.  “You’re Bruce Wayne’s son.”

He looked at her startled.  She put that together quicker than he was expecting especially since she didn’t seem to know much about the family. “For what it’s worth, I don’t feel like his son most of the time,” he tried to joke.  “Sorry for not telling you before.  I don’t like talking about being in the family, or being in the family at all, actually.” He winced looking at her wide eyes.

“I wasn’t supposed to get noticed by the Waynes. Shit!”

“Then you shouldn’t have worn that dress… or that face… or that smile, Pixie.”  He said grinning suavely.  

She examined him for a few seconds, emotions flittering across her face almost too quickly to identify them.  Confusion, bashful, flattered, hopeful, guilt, pain, melancholy.

“I have to go.” She finally spoke up.

“Wait.  What?”

“I… I have to go”

“Wait, is it… you have to go because I’m Wayne’s son?”

“No, I… shit.  Putain de bâtard.” Yep, that one he understood too.  Wait... “Me?” He asked pointing to himself.

“No, not you… Not because you’re a Wayne, well kind of because you’re a Wayne.  It’s…” she faltered for a few seconds then muttered under her breath again “Je vais tuer cette putain de mère.”

“Wait, who is the mother fucker you’re talking about? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.  I’m just going to kill a bitch when I get home.”

“Okay… Okay, first, that is a lot more swearing than I thought you were capable of and I’m extremely impressed… and turned on,” he chuckled as she rolled her eyes at him and mumbled under her breath “you should have heard what was going on in my head”.  He raised his eyebrows at her suggestion.  “Okay, you’re making it really hard not to make out with you right now.” He watched proudly as her cheeks suddenly blazed red at his comment. Another point for him tonight.

“Second, if you’re just worried about Bruce finding out you were here, it never happened.  I never saw you.  You were never here,” he assured her.  Instead of calming her she seemed more panicked, eyes darting from the door to him. This seemed like more than just not wanting to get noticed.  She was into something and didn’t want to be.  “Or, if you’re in trouble, I can help.  You just need to tell me what is going on.  You don’t seem like you would willingly work with someone out to hurt others, so whatever it is, I’m sure you aren’t willingly doing it.  If it is something bad.  I just really have no idea what is going on right now and I would like you to tell me.” He continued earnestly, looking her in her eyes to make sure she understood how deathly serious he was about it.  If she needed help, he WOULD help her.  Even if he didn’t like her, which he really did, he was going to help put that smile back on her face.

She looked at him for another few moments opening her mouth slightly to say something then seemed to think better of it and closed it again.  She narrowed her eyes and looked away scanning the room as she thought about what to say and do next.  She seemed to come to a conclusion as she turned back to him and set her feet firmly on the ground.

“I never told you why I was here, did I?” Even before he shook his head she continued.  “I’m here to keep an eye on the Waynes.  On you, apparently.  Didn’t know you were back from the dead though, so I wasn’t looking out for you. Congratulations on that, by the way, you know, on the whole not being dead thing.  That’s really amazing.  I’m glad you can be around to enjoy life and laugh and be sarcastic and look at me with those eyes and look like that in a suit… probably even better out of it.”  She muttered the last part under her breath.

“I’d love to see you out of that dress, too.” He smiled smugly at her.

She huffed out a breath, cheeks reddening again, “Yeah, not happening.  I’m burning this dress as soon as I get out of here.”

“I can help you with that, too.  I like setting fires.  Two birds, one pyrotechnic.” He preened for a moment enjoying the flirting. Wait, less flirting, more focusing back on the more important part of her earlier speech.

“Wait, why are you keeping an eye on us?” he asked apprehensively.

“So I could warn my… associate if any of you left. So he could have plenty of time to… what is the best way to say this…” she looked up to the ceiling and took a deep steadying breath thinking about the words she wanted to use.  None of this was part of the plan. “…so he could have plenty of time to evacuate your… lair? No, lair makes you sound like villains… your illicit… cavern of, actually I don’t know if it is a cavern… and it isn’t really illicit, is it?  Well, actually I guess it kind of is, but that still makes it sound like you’re a villain…your underground… no, I don’t even know if it is underground… to evacuate your… uh… secret… base of… um, operations?”

“My what?” Jason demanded now more than a little concerned. “Who are you?”

“Nobody.  Absolutely nobody of consequence. And nobody who should be here right now.”  She turned to walk away before Jason stopped her.

“No.  You don’t get to say something like that then try to slink away like nothing happened. Come on, we’re going to go talk to some people,” he said grabbing her arm a bit harder than strictly necessary and dragging her towards his brothers and Bruce.  She definitely figured out who they all were or at least who Bruce was and that they knew too, which put her in danger, and she was working with someone to break into the Batcave, which put them all in danger.  Everything about this situation was dangerous and bad and they needed to talk to the family to figure out the best next steps.

Marinette dug her heels into the ground pulling against him, a really bad idea considering how high her heels were. Instead of stopping him she stumbled into his chest allowing him the opportunity to wrap his arms around her, “I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said squirming to get out of his embrace. “This is between you guys.  I have neither the desire nor the interest to get involved in this little lover’s spat.  I have more important things to be doing right now.  Things that asshole was supposed to be doing instead of pulling practical jokes.”

“Jokes?  What do you mean jokes?  What the fuck is going on?”  He looked at her again.  She wasn’t afraid, she wasn’t gloating, she wasn’t even nervous.  She was annoyed verging on enraged.  

“Nothing you need to worry about, Red.” She threw in the moniker at him to get him to back down.  She knew how important secret identities were, and how finding out someone knew yours could throw you off your game.  She felt a bit of guilt as she used that knowledge against him but this was no longer fun.  Now this was infuriating.  John was playing games with his former lover, or current lover, whatever Bruce was to him, instead of just helping.  He was taking time she didn’t want to spend, time the people of Paris should not have to wait.  They had spent weeks planning this when he could have just walked in and asked for the information.  They had wasted so much time.

“I. Do. Not. Have. Time. For. This.  This is not a joke.  This is not some gag for you overgrown children to play at,” she said hitting her finger into his chest with each word.  “I have people in need relying on me.  I have children counting on me. Parents counting on me.  Single people, who also deserve to live just as much as everyone else, counting on me and all suffering while they wait.  I. Am. Done.  And I am leaving”

Jason listened to her shocked.  Something was happening and he had absolutely no idea what, but somehow they were involved.  He hated not knowing what was going on.  Apparently children were suffering because of all of this and he didn’t know why.  But, he was going to figure it out.  She was right.  They did not have time for this.  Whatever was going on, they were going to help.  He turned away loosening his grip on her waist to just laying his arm on her instead of encircling her.  He touched his hand to his ear to activate the com hidden inside, “Tim, can you check the security video for the uh… our base of operations?”

It appeared that Tim was giving Jason some resistance because Jason turned away even further and started yell whispering threats into the air.  He was trying to be as discrete as possible in the crowded room, which normally wouldn’t be such a concern but there was a group of dancers headed their way, just leaving the dance floor after the song ended.  Marinette took advantage of his distraction and the sudden cover to twist away from him and slip into the crowd.

Jason called after her and tried to grasp her arm but missed her.  He searched for her but the crowd was too thick, having had to bottleneck to get past the tables surrounding the dance floor.  He scanned the crowd for her twisted hair or the black dress, but couldn’t see her in the group.  She had effectively disappeared, but if she went into the crowd, she would have to come out and cross the dancefloor in order to leave.  He could just wait for her on the other side of the group and keep an eye on the dancefloor.  He moved to go around the table, but that side was just as crowded so he did the only rational, discrete thing he could in the situation, he slid across the top of the table landing on the dancefloor and waited to grab her there, but she never came out.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

_____________________________________________________________

Marinette had a habit of catastrophizing.  She knew this.  Everyone who knew her knew this.  She thought of all of the worst case scenarios and tried to plan for them. Generally, it was a wasted effort that did little more than stress her out and annoy her teammates.  Today, however, today it paid off.  She had anticipated having to make a quick escape and once she decided it was time to go, she put her escape plan into action. Freeing herself from Jason, she pulled off her belt before even getting to the crowd.  As she entered the crowd of people, she pulled out her hair pin, letting her hair fall down.  She didn’t even have to hunch down much at all to disappear into the crowd as she weaved her way through them.  One advantage to being short.  She ran her left hand through her hair tousling it so her long raven hair cascaded around her shoulders.  With her right hand, she yanked at the cowl neckline of her dress, allowing the fabric overlay to drop forming a floor length skirt, revealing the bodice of her now red Harlow inspired dress that had been hidden underneath.  Her new dress hugged her body until it reached her hips then fell freely.  

Finally, she reached into her red purse, removed her phone, the cookie for Tikki, and Kaalki’s glasses, nodded to Tikki, turned her purse inside out revealing a now black purse with red detailing, and returned her phone, glasses, cookie, hairpin, and belt into it, leaving plenty of room for Tikki. The entire change took all of 10 seconds.  By the time she would walk out of the crowd, she would be completely unrecognizable, at least by anyone who didn’t already know her.  Unless that is, if they were looking for someone moving against the tide of people.  That would be a dead giveaway.  So instead, she pivoted and moved with the crowd instead of against it, parting with them after a few tables and moving laterally toward the exit.

Marinette made her way to the exit quickly, but not quickly enough to draw attention to herself.  She needed to get to Constantine before the “bat family”, as her research had called them, got to him.  They had reasons for keeping other superheroes out of Paris and she had no interest in having that particular awkward and slightly guilt laden (stupid gorgeous blue eyes she wanted to get lost in) conversation with them.  Especially when she was this utterly livid with Constantine, which was another reason she was rushing.  She needed to get to him so she could beat the asshole out of him. Oh, she was going to make him pay for this, and not in a way he would enjoy.  

She was angry and frustrated and guilty and grieved. She knew Jason didn’t deserve for her to snap at him like she had but she had been too frustrated to hold back and he was part of the problem.  She had been having fun with Jason.  She had been enjoying bantering with him and looking into his eyes.  She had really, really been enjoying having him look at her like she was the most interesting thing in Gotham and having him hold her closer than he had to while they danced.  And now it was gone.  She was a hero and he was a vigilante so he had to be kept at a distance.  A 3,670 mile distance to be precise, well approximate.

She was just about to cross through the exit when a voice stopped her.

“Hey,” a woman with short black hair and green eyes called out to her.  Marinette slowed down weighing the risk of just blowing her off vs the risk of stopping. She decided ignoring her might lead to the woman calling after her, which would bring unwanted attention, which she wanted to avoid.  Stopping seemed the safer answer.  As long as she didn’t look back at the gala or do anything else that might incriminate herself, she would be able to get away without any awkward conversations or fights.

“Yes” she answered with a strained smile.

“I saw that little quick change back there,” the woman responded.  Marinette’s eyes widened in panic.  Before anxiety could start going over all the worst case scenarios her mind could come up with, she was already in the midst of one of them in real life she really didn’t need to start thinking of worse things to add to it, the woman continued, nonchalantly scanning the people at the gala, “don’t worry, I’m not going to out you.  I just might have occasion to use a quick change myself from time to time, so I was hoping you might share where you got your dress.”  She shot Marinette a wicked smile.  ”Just because you’re hustling doesn’t mean you can’t look killer doing it.”

Marinette relaxed minutely and gave her a small smile, “it’s called MDC Designs.  She’s online. What’s your name so she’ll know who to look out for?”

“Thanks kitten.  I appreciate it.”  She said never looking back at Marinette.  “Selina.  Selina Kyle. I’d say nice to meet you, but we never met, did we?”

Marinette smiled to herself as she walked out the door. Maybe the night wasn’t a total loss. Hopefully, Constantine got the information they needed, she’ll get to punch his smug face as soon as she sees him, and she’ll get a new client.  Guess Adrien was right about showcasing her design after all.  He must never know.  Not such a bad night at all.

 Chapter 2

 Tag:

@fsketchart @jasonette-july-2k20

[boldlyanxious]

Fake dating with a twist

Masterlist

I had no intention to do the prompts but I read a couple of the jasonette fake dating stories and had a sudden inspiration.

Summary:

Marinette is at an event with a fake boyfriend but he abandons her when she needs him.

Marinette entered the ballroom with her friend Andrew. She had begged him to be her fake boyfriend because she needed to be at this event for the good of her brand but she wanted an excuse to be distant from her long time friend and former crush, heart-throb Adrien Agreste.

Adrien was a constant presence in the media recently. It had been a couple months since his break up with an American actress who he had met on set when he was given a cameo role in her show. The press has followed them around incessantly, loving every minute of their romance and sudden ending. Now as the time passed they were anxious to see him find a new love to parade around. It would look great as a comparison to his former fling now out and about with the front man to the latest boy band.

The former couple were very tight lipped about the cause of the split. Marinette wondered if she even knew the reason Adrien suddenly lost all interest. He had certainly told Marinette at every opportunity. Having hit the 10 year mark of the first day they put on their miraculous, at the moment they met both of them instantly realized who their partner had been. Marinette had been in a meeting when suddenly Adrien was calling her. She declined the call and the next several. She saw his message:

"I need to see you"

Several more popped up on the screen and the number for unread messages and missed calls kept increasing. She ended up turning her phone off because of the looks she was getting. She whispered an apology as she did and worked to get herself to focus back to the meeting.

When the meeting ended Marinette simple replied:

"Busy today. I can call later."

She focused back on her work for the day and was very frustrated that he accosted her on her way to get lunch. She had a very tight schedule today and was planning to eat lunch quickly and head to another in a long day of meetings. Adrien took her busy schedule as a personal insult and couldn't understand why she wouldn't suddenly drop everything to talk to him.

They ended up meeting for drinks later that night. Marinette was already exhausted from her day. Adrien professed his undying love for her and she just wanted a nap. She refused him. He never did learn how to handle rejection so true to form he took it as a challenge or a request to try harder. Over the past few months he had sent gifts and would show up with dinner or repeatedly try to win her heart without realizing that Marinette was just trying to focus on her tremendous workload.

So here she was at a fancy party to make connections with a fake boyfriend who was acting like a terrified valet. They walked around the room together. His hand at her back was hovering near her without actually touching as if making contact would end him. Marinette was groaning at the realization that he was a terrible fake boyfriend.

He must have seen that Adrien was here before she had. He was off and away making an excuse that he needed a drink but he passed the waiter with drinks and although he took one he was out the door on the other side of the room. Marinette sighed and turned to face the approaching man.

They were just now in range for a polite, non-shouted greeting when an arm slid around her waist. She turned to Andrew, so happy he had returned, only to see a man she did not know. He was very tall and broad. Adrien had gotten very tall and filled out but by comparison this man was several inches taller and possibly twice as broad.

"There you are, Darling." Marinette was shocked as he leaned down and placed a kiss along her hairline. "I know you were nervous but everyone is dying to meet you."

Without waiting for a response he pulled Marinette along with pressure on her hip from the arm he wrapped around her back. Marinette allowed herself to be pulled away but was looking around and marking her surroundings in case this went bad.

"Who are you?" Marinette whispered. "And why are you dragging me off this way."

"Jason Todd, at your service." He looked down at her and winked. "I'm doing this because it is what you wanted."

"What makes you think I want a stranger dragging me around? I'm supposed to be talking to people and networking."

"Then let's do that." He said simply, turning away to join the nearest crowd of people. Marinette pulled him back.

"No. You will give me an explanation." Her voice was firm but outwardly she made herself appear as if it were a simple discussion to avoid any stir of drama.

"He was watching you. Several minutes before he could get away. I'm pretty sure you didn't notice. You were probably trying to convince your escort to behave less like a robot."

"That's not--" She got out before he interrupted her.

"My guess was you brought him to discourage Pretty Boy but Robot wasn't up for the challenge. I am."

"Did you just apply to be my fake boyfriend?"

"I guess I did." He laughed.

"What makes you want the job so much?"

"I don't like when men act the way I'm guessing he is to make you need to dissuade him." He turned and grinned down at her before adding, "Also I'm hoping I can make a temporary job permanent."

"What?" She asked, shocked.

"We can work out details later." He said. "Right now let's get through the night and consider it an interview." Marinette looked at him for a moment and eventually nodded her head and then they went in to make their rounds at the party.

Continued

[bravescribbles]

First Meeting: Jasonette July 2020

*In a bar where both participants have a couple shots*

Jason: I thought angels weren't supposed to leave Heaven

Marinette: We're not but on the off chance we do, it's to reign in devils like you *wink*

Jason: Well consider me saved now that I finally meet my redemption

Marinette: And I just found my reason to sin

[the-fusionist]

Jasonette July: Soulmate AU

A/N: This one is shorter than usual, but oh well I did it :D Hope everyone enjoys! Let me know if you want to be on the tag list for my Jasonette July works!

HERE IT IS: 

It was late noon, and Marinette was sitting at a bench in Gotham Park, sketching to her heart’s content. It had been two weeks since her eighteenth birthday, the day the name of her soulmate appeared on her wrist. An elegant ‘Jason Todd’ was scrawled in red ink onto her skin. 

She drew out the outline of a skirt, lost in thought. She had tried searching for ‘Jason Todd’ on the internet, and her findings were disappointing. The Gotham Times had published numerous articles on his death that occurred a few years ago. Little details were known about the death, and most of the articles were speculation on the cause of his death. 

To say Marinette was upset was an understatement, she was positively devastated. She had cried herself to sleep for numerous nights in a row, thinking of how utterly alone she was and how disappointing it was that her soulmate had died before she could even meet him. 

This sort of thing happened often enough in the world, but Marinette never really thought it would happen to her. Tikki had spent several nights consoling her, and Marinette finally decided she needed to learn to live without a soulmate. Grieving forever wouldn’t make anything better, and she needed to move on. 

So Marinette found herself leaning back on a park bench, all alone again. Adrien had been killed during the battle with Hawkmoth, and the Miraculous Ladybug hadn’t been able to bring him back. All her old friends had left her for Lila Rossi, including Alya.  It was suffocating to know that Marinette didn’t have anyone she could be on such a close level with anymore. They would end up leaving her, one way or another. The only people she really had were her parents. She would just have to get used to it, she supposed, and learn to cope. She had to. 

Out of the blue, a sudden gust of wind scattered some loose sheets from Marinette’s sketchbook. She groaned in annoyance, rising from her seat to gather up her wayward designs. 

After a few moments, she was reaching for her last sketch when another burst of wind forced it to flutter out of her reach. It flew in the air, and Marinette chased after it. It was the sketch for a very important commission she was working on for the Waynes, and she could not lose it. 

She jogged after it for a few yards, scowling the entire way. She tracked it through the air and watched as it fell onto the sidewalk next to a pair of tall, black boots. A scarred hand reached downwards, grabbing her sketch, and Marinette paused. Looking upwards, she was met with electric blue eyes. A tall man before her smiled kindly, holding her paper out towards her. 

“Thanks!” Marinette smiled at the stranger. 

As she grabbed her paper, she took in his rugged appearance. He sported a brown leather jacket over a black shirt and dark jeans. His hair was black, with a shock of white hair running through its center. 

He smiled back at her, moving his hand back to his side, “No problem.”

But as the man moved his hand back, he simultaneously shifted his jacket. Marinette froze. She was sure she stopped breathing. Because on the man’s wrist, in bright pink letters, was a name. Her name. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng” glared at her for a few seconds before flashing out of view as the man’s jacket shifted once again. 

Marinette almost sobbed in relief. He was alive.

TAG LIST:  @rebecarojas07 @theatreandcomicfreak​ @maribatlife @ethelphantom @18-fandoms-unite-08 @mochegato @jasonette-july-2k20

[phis-corner]

future

Written for Jasonette July Day 21, and also posted on  Ao3 along with all the other prompts for the month.

In another future, Marinette Dupain-Cheng wouldn’t be dating, and madly in love with, the model known as Adrien Agreste.

 In another future, when she bumped into Jason Peter Todd on the streets of Gotham, she would apologize profusely for the coffee spilt on his shirt and drag him back to her hotel room to give him a new one- an MDC original, free of charge.

 In another future, she would have found a slip of paper with his number on her desk after Jason left. She would add it to her contacts list, and they would schedule a date sometime next week.

 In another future, Marinette would eventually learn about his family’s nighttime activities, and tell them about her own experiences, becoming Ladybird to help fight crime.

 In another future, Jason would propose, and she would say yes. The wedding would be in the fall, with red and gold leaves and a private audience.

 In another future, she would say her ‘I do’ to a dark-haired man instead of a blonde one, as a large group of vigilantes and the Justice League in disguise watched on with smiles (and a few tears.)

 In another future, they would discuss adoption. Ladybird didn’t like the idea of being out of commission for a long period of time, and they wanted to give another child the opportunities that Bruce had given his children.

 In another future, Marinette would grow old with Jason, and pass away peacefully in her sleep at the age of ninety-three, after successfully starting the largest fashion empire since  Style Queen.  Jason would follow not long after.

 But that wasn’t this future. In this future, Marinette swiftly apologizes to the man, not looking back as she runs past, already late for her date with Adrien.

 In this future, Adrien would propose on that date, and she would accept. They would have the largest wedding in over a decade, and invite every person they knew, plus a lot they didn’t.

 In this future, Marinette would say her ‘I do’ somewhat uncomfortably, given the hundreds of eyes on her, and thousands more watching from their homes. Adrien had insisted on publicizing it against her wishes, but she didn’t want to say no and call off the engagement.

 In this future, Adrien would constantly push for her to have children, though she didn’t want to carry a baby.

 In this future, she would end up having three anyway, but would pass away shortly after giving birth to her second son, named Hugo, because of the toll three children took on her body.

 In this future, the death of Marinette Agreste would be acknowledged, but not significant, as she was only known as ex-model Adrien Agreste’s wife. Her dreams to be a fashion powerhouse would never come to fruition, because her husband insisted that she only needed to work for Gabriel.

 In this future, Jason meets his end shielding his older brother from a sniper they didn’t see until it was too late. A sniper that Ladybird would have spotted earlier and taken out, had she been there.

 In this future, they both die, surrounded by family, but still alone.

[justcourttee]

Heroes Don’t Kill

This is my spin for the July 13th Death prompt for @jasonette-july-2k20, I’ve never really written anything for Jasonette besides platonic sibling, but this seemed more fitting. I’m sorry in advance :)

“Isn’t this fun Bug?”

Marinette rolled her eyes as she vaulted out of the way of the oncoming wave of attacks.

“I think we need to work on your definition of fun helmet head.”

His laugh echoed throughout the warehouse warming her heart at the pure joy in it. She decked the closest goon, stepping backwards to avoid the blood that squirted from his broken nose as she made her way to where Jason stood.

“Hey, afterwards do you wanna catch a movie? I think they’re screening the Wayne Documentary now.”

“Ha, like I would want to see that pompous manchild on the big screen.”

It was Marinette’s turn to giggle as she ducked letting the goon fly over her head and into Jason’s waiting fist. It was supposed to be a recon meeting for Batman, a possible Penguin hideout for the new drugs being pushed into Gotham City, but when Hood was involved, well, there was never much recon.

“They seem to be multiplying. I take down one and three more take its place. You think we should call for backup?”

“Psh, as if. Bug, it’s you and me, we can handle anything.”

Marinette shrugged as she stepped backwards, tripping the man that swung his knife in her direction. She knew that Jason didn’t want his family involved. After all, Batman wouldn’t let him blow this warehouse to bits, but he knew she would.

“I’m just saying Hood, I’m not above saying I told you so when we eventually become overrun.”

“Don’t I know it.”

They continued their assault on the men, sidestepping and doing everything in their power to avoid killing them. The one set back to working with Ladybug was her no killing policy was stricter than Batman’s, but hey, Jason would take it if it meant he could finish off the rest of his goals.

“Bug, I think it’s time we had the talk.”

Marinette risked a glance in his direction as she flipped over the nearest goon.

“Right now? I thought we agreed to talk about it later.”

Her yo-yo shot out almost instinctively as it wrapped around the knife behind Jason’s head, disarming the man in one swing.

“Well, technically it is later and right now I’m on an adrenaline high and it’s just what I needed to ask you.”

She felt her heart beating in her throat as she slowly cut through the goons until her back was pressed firmly against his.

“What did you want to ask me?”

She relished in the warmth of his back digging into hers with every punch he threw.

“Well, I think we should get married you know? Settle down, get out of this life and just be us.”

Marinette punched her last goon before turning to watch Jason take out his last one as well.

“Are you serious Hood? Don’t joke with me about this.”

He turned slowly to face her, his hand raising to rub the back of his neck sheepishly as he stared down at the petite girl.

“I’m very serious Bug. I love you.”

Marinette didn’t think twice as she threw off his helmet. Using her burst of adrenaline, she grasped his face with both hands crashing his lips into her own. The shock slowly wore off as she felt his arms snake around her waist lifting her to her tiptoes. Pulling back, his face was as giddy as she felt, the love sick smile shaking her to her core.

“So is that a yes?”

Marinette didn’t get the chance to answer. She heard the sound before she could register what was happening. Jason threw her to the ground as she watched the bullet pierce right above where his heart should be. It felt like time slowed as she dove forward to catch him before his head slammed into the ground.

Already, the blood began seeping through his suit as she desperately slammed her hand into his chest trying to add as much pressure as she could to the wound. Her free hand shook as she reached for her comm, her eyes searching the room for where the shooter could have come from.

“Red, you there? We need backup now, Jason’s been shot.”

The comm was silent and for a moment, the dreadful thought of being out of range crossed through her mind. There was no way she could maintain the pressure and fight off the shooter at the same time.

“Bug, did I hear you right? Is the mighty duo asking for help?”

His playful tone set off a fire in the pits of her stomach as her eyes narrowed in on a dark figure in the corner of the warehouse seemingly reloading his gun.

“Red, get here now.”

Before he could answer, she threw the comm from her ear, doing her best to reach for the nearest gun that had been dropped during their assault without letting go of his chest. His strangled coughs fueled her rage as she watched the figure step forward aiming right at her.

“I’m sorry helmet head but I need to let go for one second, do you think you can apply pressure for me?”

She waited until she saw a weak nod from the man she loved. As quickly as she could, she released his chest placing both hands on the gun. She fired two shots, one to knock the gun from the man’s hand, the second to wound his leg. The man fell with a grunt grabbing his leg.

It wouldn’t stop his assault but perhaps it would give Tim enough time to get there. Turning her attention back to Jason, her heart froze at the small trickle of blood from his mouth.

“Hood, hood, stay with me. Tell me about this future you wanted for us. You wanted to leave this life behind right?”

He didn’t respond, instead he simply smiled, trying his best to muffle his coughing as more blood began to flow from his lips.

“You cannot die on me now Jason. I love you. I love you so much. We’ll get out of this, we can handle anything. Of course I’ll marry you. Maybe we’ll have a kid or two. But we have to get out of this now. Jason, please.”

His eyes began to flutter shut, Marinette’s cries falling on deaf ears. With much effort, he reached up, his hand cupping her cheek. With a shaking hand, Marinette reached up to cup his hand, relishing in the feeling of the warmth it provided. Letting go, she watched as his hand fell hitting his chest with a sickening thud.

“Jason?” Her voice cracked as she reached down with two fingers, gently pressing against his neck. She swallowed hard as she counted to three before letting her fingers move to his eyes, gently tugging them shut.

A cold barrel pressed into the back of her head, but she couldn’t be bothered to care.

“You killed him.”

The goon never had a chance to respond. With one quick jab of her elbow to the spot she had shot, the man collapsed. The gun was swept from his hand as it pittered across the room. Marinette pinned him down, her hands searching for Jason’s helmet that she had dropped just minutes earlier. Raising it above her head, she brought it down hard on the man’s face.

“You killed him!”

The second time was rougher, the man already flickering out of consciousness as his fearful eyes watched her raise the helmet again.

“Wait, you’re one of the good guys, you don’t kill!”

Marinette paused, the helmet still raised high above her head. He was right, she didn’t kill, but one glance at the bloodied body behind her and every righteous thought left her mind. Her eyes darkened much to the fear of the man below her.

“Not tonight.”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tim dropped in through the hole in the ceiling, his bowstaff ready to beat down anyone in his vicinity. He took a moment to assess the situation before he stepped over the many bodies, all out cold. Two figures sat huddled in the middle of the room, neither moving.

“Ladybug? Hood? Is that you guys?”

The smaller of the figures looked up, her face a mixture of blood and sweat. Wait, not sweat, tears.

“You’re too late Red. He’s gone.”

Tim let out a small gasp as he stared at Jason’s limp body pulled into Marinette’s lap. The bullet hole appeared to be in his chest, right above his heart, which meant it was slow and painful. He swallowed hard as he took another step forward.

Abruptly he stopped as his boot squished underfoot. His eyes glanced down to a sickening sight. Some man had been beaten to death, his face disfigured by something large hit into him multiple times. His eyes trailed to Hood’s helmet laid gently beside the man, blood already beginning to dry.

His stomach churned as his eyes met Marinette’s bloodshot ones.

“Bug, you didn’t. Tell me you didn’t kill him.”

She cast her gaze down to Jason’s bloodied face as she took her free hand, trying to push some of the blood from his beautiful mouth.

“I told you so. Jason I told you we needed backup. I told you.”

“Marinette, did you kill this man?”

“He killed Jason.” Her tone was icy as she snapped her attention back to Tim’s face.

“Marinette that doesn’t-”

“Don’t fucking lecture me Tim! What if it had been Stephanie? Huh? You all say you wouldn’t, but you’ve never had your heart torn from your chest in front of you. He proposed! We were supposed to get married, leave this life behind.”

Her tears ricocheted off his face as she brought him closer to her chest, trying to squeeze some of her life into him. Tim wasn’t sure what to do as he crouched down beside the two of them. Reaching out slowly, he placed a hand on her back slowly pulling her into his chest as her tears came down heavier.

He wasn’t sure where it had all gone wrong, her words rang through his ears clearly.

‘You all say you wouldn’t..’

No, he knew he wouldn’t. Regardless of how painful it would’ve been, after all, they were heroes right.

And heroes didn’t kill, right?

Permanent Tag List:

@damianette-is-life @ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace

[jasonette-july-event]

Event Details:

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When you post any kind of content for Jasonette July, please tag this account so we can share it.  If posted on ao3, use Jasonette July 2k20 in your tags so people can still find it. 

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Prompt calendar will be posted in a few minutes.

[bunathebunny]

mercury

@jasonette-july-2k20

Jasonette July 2020’s prompt ‘Villain AU’

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Marinette, Jason thinks, is dangerous.

She is the kind-hearted daughter of a pair of bakers. She is the dependable friend everyone would love to have. She is also the monarch butterfly of Paris.

Mariposa is a new player in this game of half-truths and white lies and the sword of Damocles. She rose from thin air: a formless voice at first, coordinating her own team until the day she descends onto the battlefield like a fallen angel and steers the Syndicate’s operators away.

Her eyes, like mercury in the sun, glimmers with some sort of amusement as she stares at the little corner where Talon is hidden in. And she smiles, like the sweetest honey.

“Little owlets should fly back to their nest,” she tilts her head like she is face to face with a puzzle and coos, condescension dripping from every word. “It is a bit too early for them, is it not?”

He burns.  It scorches him to the core as if there are thousands of tiny suns under his skin. The demand for blood roars in his ears and his hand wraps around the familiar hilt of one of the throwing knives.

He might not be the first to be Talon neither is it his birthright for the mantle. His aim, however, speaks of the hellish training where he was broken down and rebuilt – reforged into the blade that is fit for Owlman’s hand.

There is a thinnest red line where his knife touches her skin, the barest hint of blood beading at her chin. This is where fear would bloom like a flower on the face of his victims and Talon would laugh before a cut across their throat free them from their misery.

The smile on Mariposa’s lips turn into a full grin that is full of teeth, bared like a predator finding amusement in its prey’s struggle.

Red looks fetching on her.

Owlman sent him on a reconnaissance mission. A chance, Richard leered, to spread his wings.

The little bakery looks homey with the lovely aroma of freshly baked bread. The people frolic around like ants around a piece of crumb, rushing and going on with their insignificant lives.

Jason relaxes into his seat, fingering the edge of the page of the novel he brought to pass the time. The cup of coffee smells heavenly amidst the bread and cookies and sweets.

He pointedly does not look up from his book when the cashier approaches, each step too silent for someone who lives a carefree life without the darkness that he wades through each night.

“Dear customer,” her voice is the sugary sweets that the little kids love. “Would you like another cup of coffee?”

He turns the page and waits. A second then two and three and before he knows it, she has been there for a full minute, quiet as a statue and still beaming away with the fake, fake smile.

“May I help you?” he looks up from his book, letting irritation mars his tone and displeasure paints his features.

Anyone else and they would recoil, perhaps stuttering some of the poorest excuse while backpedaling from where they came from. The little girl smiles still.

He wonders if it would stay on her lips when he taints them with blood.

Monarchs are poisonous. Talon prefers anything but poisons.

Their size, he thinks, might have been one of the factors. Mariposa is slight and delicate, like a court lady hiding a well-hidden blade in her silk sleeves. Talon came from the dirtiest streets where tooth and nails are sacrificed for another day of breathing.

Mariposa smiles when their eyes meet across the room. Talon wants nothing but to make her bleed, to dye her in red and sully those lips with blood.

“Thank you for having us,” Mariposa inclines her head, demure like a house cat but Talon knows better than to trust her tone.

After all, those that are most beautiful are the most dangerous.

Honey catches flies and Mariposa, contrary to her name, is a spider spinning her webs. She bows her head like the demure girl that she is not and phrases her words in the way that paints the illusion of her as an innocent little fawn amidst the lions.

Talon wishes nothing more that ripping that façade away, tearing that mirage until it is nothing but little bits and pieces of lies. He wants to undress her to the last layers until she is bared under him, painted in the red that suits her more than the purple of her brooch.

He wonders how her blood would taste on his tongue.

“She is not as she appears,” Richard murmurs into his ear and the tip of his blade teasing against the carotid on the side of his neck. “Did you know that, Little Wing?”

Owlman continues to type like his one of his two protégés is not holding a knife to his other protégé’s throat. He never interferes and maybe Jason hates him for that.

He swallows and wills his pulse to slow down. Time and time and the feeling of blade against his skin is never one he can get used to.

Talon is not to show weakness. A moment of hesitation is enough to cripple a bird.

“Of course,” he grits out, smoothing down his haywire nerves. “Who do you think did the reconnaissance?”

Richard hums and the knife shifts minutely, still too much close for his liking.

Jason trusts Richard about as far as he can throw him. He would not put it past his predecessor to slit his throat and make it look like an accident. After all, it was Richard who taught him that particular art amongst many others.

“Talon’s place is by Owlman’s side,” comes the whisper – a warning against his ear. “Birds of a feather stick together.”

The cashier hands him the bill, smiling like she knows something that Jason does not. There is another piece of folded paper.

Internally, he snorts. Must be her number.

“Little owlet,” says the cashier, like a cat that got the canary. “Enjoy your meal.”

He is ready to whip out one of his hidden knives and Mariposa thumbs the brooch at her neck, eyes glinting like mercury.

Fire runs in his veins.

“I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng,” she murmurs into his ear, the touch of her finger against his skin burns as poison courses through his veins. “I am Mariposa, the monarch of Paris.”

He heaves through painful gasps of air that seem to be determined to tear his lungs apart. His vision swims and the only thing he can fixate on is the grin full of teeth that speaks of danger.

“I dislike sharing what is mine,” she croons and her eyes glows like mercury: dangerous and beautiful. “You understand, don’t you, little bird?”

[fsketchart]

Re-upload: Jasonette July 27th Summer Photography

Sorry for the re-upload, my post keeps getting removed from the tags. This is the 4th upload. End me.

@jasonette-july-2k20 If you wanna be tagged for Jasonette July, comment.

[kurogaya913]

Jasonette July Day 1: First Meeting

@jasonette-july-2k20

The day had been long. Marinette has been up since yesterday six o’clock in the morning. She had just moved to Gotham, New Jersey looking for a new start. Thinking that maybe she can get ideas for different outfit designs with the help of this dark but beautiful city.

Once she was settled into her apartment, not far from Crime Alley, she went out to look for café. She really needed to stalk up on some coffee. Mari looked at her clock and saw that it was 4 o’clock in the afternoon. A good time for coffee and not late enough to run into any problems. At least that is what she thought.

Once the bluenette found a decent café called The Robins Café she knew that she just had to try it. She walked in and was surprised that the café was not the traffic light colors all over the place. It looked like each wall was dedicated to each of the Gotham birds with different pictures of them up on the walls.

Then she took a closer look at the menu and saw that some of the drinks were named after each of the birds as well as the bats and Rouges.

“Good Afternoon, Welcome to the Robins Café. What would you like?” asked the barista

“Sorry, I am new here. What would you recommend for someone who hasn’t slept for two days but needs a boost for the rest of the day?” Asked Mari

“Sounds like you need a Red Robin.” A gruff voice said from behind her. Marinette turned around and saw someone who looked to be a foot and half taller than her, “It has a lot of espresso shots and sugar.” His blue eyes looked tired.

Mari gave a bright smile, “Just what I need, thank you.” She then turned back to the barista and ordered a Red Robin with chocolate croissant.

“Name for the order?”

“Marinette” She then walked to find a place to sit.

As she waited for her order she pulled out her small sketch pad and started drawing something with the Robins in mind.

“I heard that you were new here. How long have you been here and what has brought you to such a dangerous city?” he scratched the back of his head, “That is if you don’t mind me asking that. It is kind of personal information.” He then held out his hand, “My name is Jason. I have lived in Gotham all of my life except for a few years when I lived elsewhere but I somehow just ended up back here. Once a Gothamite always a Gothamite.”

Marinette shook his hand and placed her pen down when she heard her name called by the barista and grabbed her coffee and croissant. Then the name Jason was called and they both went and sat back where she was waiting earlier. And Mari started to answer some of Jason’s questions.

“I am here because I wanted to get away from a very toxic environment. And I just needed a space that was similar to what it was like where I used to be, a place that had villains and heroes. I get so many different ideas. I am an online designer that customizes orders for different outfits. And this past year I have been getting most of my commissions from the United States so I decided to move here since it was the first flight out and I have been here for two days now.” She gave a short answer. No need to get too personal just yet.

Jason then told her a lot about Gotham and what areas she needs to avoid at what times. He also told her about what times the Bat Family is spotted around based on twitter reports.

When Mari took a look outside she noticed that it was getting dark and she glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that the time was just after 6:30 PM. She needed to get back to her apartment before it got too dark. She fiddled with her necklace and looked back at Jason. “As much as I have like talking with you I really need to get home before it gets to dark outside. One of the areas you had mentioned earlier is where I live. Only because it was cheap and I was able to fix it up so that no one could break in easy.” She looked a bit nervous and Jason could tell.

“Would you like me to walk you home? Or I can give you my number and you can call or text me and let me know you got back safe. I would hate for you to feel uncomfortable with a stranger knowing where you live.” He brushed back his white bangs not looking as tired as he did earlier. Mari shook her head yes and they exchanged numbers.

They both walked out of the café and a Marinette turned towards Jason, “I will let you know when I am home. Thank you for all the information on what I need to know about Gotham.”

Marinette then turned and started her trek to her apartment to finally get some rest. Once she finally made it into her apartment and locked her door she got out her phone and sent a quick message to Jason that she was home.

She then spoke to all the kwami about her day. She knows now that this was a good move.

[mochegato]

Covert Dating

Written for the Jasonette July First Date prompt.

This was it. Marinette had managed to get out of the house without Adrien knowing about it so she could have her first date with Jason. Not that she didn't want Adrien to know about it, it's just that she absolutely DID NOT WANT ADRIEN TO KNOW ABOUT IT.  At least not until after the first date… or tenth, you know, whatever.

Adrien knowing meant endless teasing, “knowing” glances, waggling eyebrows, and in-no-way subtle references.  Adrien knowing meant an attempt at a shovel talk, which as humorous as it would be to see Adrien attempt to shovel talk a man twice his size, and as flattered as she would be that he tried, no.  Just No.  She was nervous enough about this date.  She had waited long enough for this date.  

She and Jason had been building up to this for months. They had first run into each other a few months ago at a coffee shop they both liked and started exchanging courteous nods and discrete, longing stares whenever they ran into each other, eventually building up to smiling at each other and occasionally making funny faces to get the other to smile.  But they only really started talking a few weeks ago when she sat at his table and started up a conversation.  He looked shocked for a few seconds but then grinned that heart-stopping grin of his and started responding.  After that they chatted and flirted whenever they were both there until they finally took the next step, or rather he did, asking her on a date just after she knocked a would-be mugger on his ass after he had attempted to take another patron’s purse.

Hmm… should she be worried that violence seemed to be the tipping point for Jason?  Nah, she was going to assume it was because he liked strong women, another bonus to add to the growing list of impressive things about him.  

Jason was absolutely amazing. He was funny and he was smart and he was handsome and he was so sweet to her.  He cared about others and she had seen him stand up to a few people he thought were acting improperly, which they were.  He was interested in her and he had always been more than willing to listen to her and encourage her.  He seemed to return the favor and would talk to her about his days and trust her with some of his secrets too.  They had built up an immense amount of trust in a very short time, which was frankly a little alarming but also comforting, like being with Jason was right.

They had taken so long to get to this point and now she was completely enamored with Jason.  She needed this date to go well.  She didn’t need outside interference messing it up.  And if Adrien messed up this date, she was not going to react kindly. Which would be a problem because blood was a bitch to get out of carpeting.

She had taken all the necessary precautions.  She had smuggled her clothes for the date out of the apartment the morning before and hidden them in her office so she could leave straight from her office that night.  She then told Adrien she had to work late, which wasn’t unusual for this time of year so he shouldn’t be suspicious, plus it was kind of true. She had worked late on some designs before getting ready for the date, so it wasn’t a lie.  It wasn’t ideal getting ready in the office, but she made it work, not that she needed a lot of space or time, really.  

She had opted for casual elegance rather than fancy, which would seem out of place in the small, cozy restaurant they had agreed to meet at.  She had chosen a loose silk shirt with red detailing and black tailored pants paired with red flats, in case they wanted to go for a walk after the date, and bright red lips, in case he needed something to focus on during the date.  The killer red leather jacket she had designed and created, inspired by Jason, tied it all together and was hanging on the chair behind her.  It wasn’t her regular style but she liked the end result and if it made Jason speechless for a few seconds, even better.

The waiter brought a glass of water for her while she waited.  She thanked the waiter and brought the glass up to her lips to take a drink then thought better of it and set it back down.  Her phone pinged almost as soon as her hand left the glass.  She looked down and saw a text from Adrien.  

‘Too scared to actually take a drink?’

What?  No. She was NOT too scared to take a drink. That's not why...  Well, kind of.  It wasn't her fears that were getting to her it was her anxiety, which was caused by fears. It was a fine line, really.  

She knew everything was set for them to have a great date.  They had great banter, they trusted each other, they were attracted to each other (if the lingering stares he gave her were any indication), and they were both interested in the other and single.  She knew she had no reason to be nervous and as soon as Jason got there she would relax, but anxiety didn’t always need a reason to take over.  So she focused on controlling as much as she could in the hopes of repressing her anxiety.  She had chosen the perfect outfit and done her makeup flawlessly.  And her lipstick!  She couldn’t take a drink before Jason even got there because she didn't want it smudged before he could... wait… What the Fuck!! How did he… Oh no.  No, no, no, no, no.

Her head whipped up as she looked around the restaurant.  There were a few couples laughing and gazing lovingly at each other, quite a few people on their own watching their phones as they ate, a group of three at another table partially hidden behind menus.  They were a bit suspicious, but the blonde in that group was a girl and the boys both had black hair, so they weren’t Adrien.  She looked behind her and saw someone grinning at her.  

Well, fuck.  Apparently not all the necessary precautions then.

Because there was Adrien in a “top notch” disguise; dark glasses, baseball cap, a black mustache, seriously? A black mustache with his blonde hair?  That looked… natural, and was that a trench coat!? Yep, that was a trench coat. WTF Adrien! That idiot has absolutely no chill. None whatsoever. Not too surprising really, being the drama king that he is.  No blending in unnoticed skills either, which is, you know, a bit surprising considering all the times they snuck out together and that he was Chat freaking Noir.  Apparently all his stealth was used when he was Chat and he had none left over for Adrien.

Marinette glared at him and was about to start threatening him when she heard the bell from the door opening.  She turned around in time to see Jason entering.  Adrien momentarily forgotten, Marinette relaxed and gave a beaming smile, standing up to greet him.

Jason walked in and scanned the room narrowing his eyes then rolling them and started muttering under his breath.  Her anxiety ramped up.  He didn’t seem to be in a good mood.  Shouldn’t he be happy to be there?  Granted she was nervous, but she was also really excited and happy.  She couldn’t be the only one that felt that way about first dates.  No, Adrien said he felt that way whenever he went on first dates too.  Jason just looked annoyed.  Oh God, what if he had changed his mind?  What if he didn’t want this date anymore?  Before she could spiral further, his eyes landed on her and lit up, “Hey Pixie,” a smile spread across his face and his shoulders relaxed as he made his way over to her.  His eyes gleamed as he looked at her, “Damn, you look amazing.  But then you always do.” He gave her a hug and kissed her cheek before sitting down.

She blushed slightly then responded when her heart calmed down a bit, “Thanks.  You look good too.  But then you always do too.” She noticed his eyes shifting around the room with suspicion. “Hey, Jason,” she started hesitantly, concern and a bit of worry etched in her face, “is something wrong?  You seem… distracted?”

He sighed.  “Sorry.  I don’t mean to be distracted.  I want to focus on you and making you blush more,” he grinned when his words worked and Marinette blushed again.  “It’s just… there’s a creep in the corner in a trench coat making me nervous.”  

“Ahh,” she shifted nervously.  She was going to kill Adrien.  “Do you want to go someplace else?”

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Marinette started to gather her things.  “Normally, I’d consider staying just so I could watch him and make sure he doesn’t do anything that I might have to…uh, stop,” he stuttered over his words and hoped she didn’t notice.  “But I see several of my family attempting to hide over there,” he said indicating a table to their left with three people hiding behind their menus, “and they can keep an eye on him.”

She stopped and looked at him with an amused glint in her eye, “Your family was worried about me?”  

“No, maybe for you but not about you.  They’re probably more curious who I was able to convince to go out with me, since I wouldn’t tell them about you, BECAUSE IT IS MY PRIVATE LIFE AND NONE OF THEIR FUCKING BUSINESS.”

The three at the table she had noted before slunk down a bit further in their seats until the older man spoke up.  “Hey Little Wing, what are you doing here? What a coincidence, huh?” he said sheepishly.  

Jason rolled his eyes and took a deep steadying breath.  “I hate my family” he muttered to her under his breath.

“Huh, maybe your nosy, intrusive family should join the creepy guy’s table.  They can chat about violating other people’s boundaries.” She giggled with an amused smile. “The creepy guy in the trench coat is my overprotective, mother-henning brother, who somehow found out about this and wanted to make sure you weren’t a serial killer or rapist.”  She seemed to think it over quickly and consider all the possible ways that could backfire on her, “On second thought, they shouldn’t meet.  We should keep them far, far apart.  They can meet at the wedding.”

“Wedding huh?” He said with a smug glint in his eye

Marinette’s eyes went wide and her cheeks turned a bright red color that would make Rudolph proud.  “It’s an expression?” She offered weakly putting on the jacket she created for the date.

“I think we should probably have at least one date before we run off to Vegas...”  He started smugly, until he looked down and finally took in the jacket she had put on. His eyes widened incrementally and he lost his next words and breath for a few seconds, “…although, I can get us a jet on short notice if this date goes really well.”  He leaned closer to her and lowered his head so he was just a few centimeters away from her ear and whispered, “You look really good in that jacket.  Red is a good color on you.”

“Thank you.  I’m glad you like it.  You inspired it after all.”  She grinned up at him and it was his turn to blush. “Although I think you’ve been keeping things from me.  You know people who would give you rides in their private jets with no notice? I feel like I should have mentioned as part of the dating package.  I might have asked you out sooner.”  She gave him a mischievous grin as she slung her purse over her shoulder.

He rolled his eyes at her, knowing better than to take her seriously.  “You know I don't actually own the jets, right?”

“Even better. I’ve been told maintaining a jet is a bitch.”

“Oh, so you know people private jets too.”

“I might know a few. But no one who would just give me rides whenever I ask.”

“That's a lie!” she heard yelled from the back of the restaurant.

“SHUT IT, AGRESTE.” She yelled back at him.  “You weren’t invited into this conversation.”

“Hey, you’re here to watch her?  We’re here to watch him.  Wanna watch with us, Blondie?” the blonde girl from Jason’s family table loudly called back to him.

“Sure,” Adrien responded grinning excitedly and getting up and sitting at their table.

“Oh my God, they’re joining forces.  What do we do?”  Marinette whispered in not-so-mock concern.

“Run away.  My motorcycle is right outside.  I know a different place we can eat.  It’s a nice, family place.  You like Italian, yeah?”  Jason said conspiratorially grabbing her hand and entwining their fingers as they made a break for the door.  Marinette giggled and Jason smiled at the sounds of protest that came from their friends and family.

 Continued in Covert Romance

Inspired by this image:

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@fsketchart @jasonette-july-2k20

[thanks-captain-obvious]

Hi pips! I'm back but this time with a long-ass fanfic as my contribution for Jasonette July! So buckle up buttercups 😉

100 Days With You

Chapter 1 • Coming Soon

July 01, 2020

Wednesday

Gotham, USA

Day 0

The sunlight draped over his room, casting it in an almost surreal effect. Jason groaned and rolled over on his bed, refusing to face the day as of yet. He was simply too tired after an eventful night from his... extracurricular activities, so to speak.

After a long month of absence from all the villains not just in Gotham but that of the whole of America, they finally broke their silence and at the same time, all evil figures in America, big or small, attacked in the same time. It is bad enough that Dick had to actually asked Cass to come back from Hongkong to back him up in Blüdhaven. Hell, even Superman had made a pact with Luthor himself just to ward off the villains in Metropolis.

Gotham didn't fair much better. Even with the help of Rogues, for one minute there, Jason thought that they would really lose. For some reason, the villains retreated without so much as a word. Even the Joker himself seemed to follow this pattern surprisingly and it made Batman tensed even more.

So to his apartment he go, only going so far as to strip his jacket and helmet before plopping himself to bed.

He had a feeling something big is going to happen, he just isn't sure what is.

After his musings, he decided to get up from his bed and check back on the residents of the Manor. While he may not have lived there now, he still cared about its inhabitants even though he won't say it on their face. Besides, he needs to go see what plan will Batman come up to counter attack the villains.

Not that Jason intends to follow him, anyway.

So after a quick shower and throwing a crisp, clean shirt over his head, he drove in the direction of the Wayne Manor, blissfully unaware of the events that will fucked him up even more than his death.

As Batman had informed them earlier in the day at the Cave, someone had somehow managed to take reign on the villains to organize them to give a strategic attack such as last night. The Justice League had been quick to dispatch heroes from other continent to help America and discussed tactics. Jason thinks its futile because whoever had planned this had a month-long ahead of planning from them and they should just go with the flow.

Which brings him back to now, in the middle of the fight with Scarecrow. Off to his side, he saw Batman fighting with Joker and Robin fighting Two-Face while Red Robin is trying his best to ward off Riddler.

While the Batfam is fighting the major villains, the Rogues is handling all the goons fair enough. Mr. Freeze is nowhere to be seen which made his hairs stood on edge. Red Hood clearly remembers Mr. Freeze joining the fight last night.

Just what the hell they are planning?

Apparently, the split second tension from him is enough for Scarecrow to land one good hit on his abdomen.

He's fucked.

In his periphery, he saw Scarecrow stood over him to release the fear toxin in his face. He laughed because helmet, duh.

Red Hood rolled over and dusted himself, but goons had jumped over him and he quickly lose his balance and really isn't that just fucking grand because he happens to be on a side of the building.

Fight as he might, he still stumbled over to the edge and even as he saw Red Robin tried to get to him, Red Hood knew Tim wouldn't make it in time and fuck, it's not like its his first rodeo anyway.

Falling, he closed his eyes and braced for the impact as his body slammed the grounds.

He couldn't help but thought as the darkness surround him that at least this time around the pain is quick as the shock passed throughout his body.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was in a quick burst of light and to the smell of alcohol. A loud crying of a baby is heard in the background but he couldn't care less because his head aches and what the fucking fuck where is he?

Did he somehow got revived again? Can't he just stay dead, please?

"Oh my, its a bouncing baby boy!"

A voice seemed to declare from somewhere.

"Quick, what do you want to name him dear?"

A male chirped up in excitement. Jason couldn't comprehend the muffled reply to the question but thankfully, the male voice is loud enough for him to catch the other half of the conversation.

"Jason sounds wonderful dear."

—

And there you have it! Let me know if you'd like more or you have any questions.

I have the second chapter draft already but I'm not quite satisfied with it so it may take a while for me to post it!

See you next time!

Here • Next (Coming Soon)

[consumeconstantly]

The Only Antidote is a Kiss

Summary: Scarecrow always did come up with the most whacky chemical formulas to test on people. Red Hood gets dosed with his latest toxin, and the only way to cure it is with a kiss. The only candidate? Long time rival and almost enemy, Ladybird.

____________________________________________________

“No,” Red Hood said, resolutely. “No way in hell.”

Red Robin’s exasperated voice crackled over the comm. “Hood, if you don’t, you’re going to die.”

“Do you think I care? Death is better.” 

“I would say that’s insulting if I didn’t feel the exact same way.” Ladybird nonchalantly twirled a yoyo at her side. “Besides, ten minutes is plenty of time to get him someone else.”

“You two are in the middle of nowhere. It’s thirty minutes to the nearest city.”

“Yeah, but the suburbs are always an option. You Bats always seem to miss the obvious solution.”

“I’m not kissing her,” Red Hood repeated.

“I know that you two are…” Red Robin tried to find a more delicate way to word their relationship, “Not always on the best of terms, but you are on the same side right now. Ladybird, you don’t want Red Hood to die, do you?”

Plying Ladybird was always easier than trying to convince Red Hood. The woman had a heart of gold. Today? No such luck. 

“He’s not going to die,” Ladybird scoffed. “If he dies over this instead of the many, many, many assassination attempts that I saved him from, I’ll feel insulted. But I’m also not going to help. I’m not going to kiss an unwilling party, and certainly not one with a mug as ugly as Red Hood.”

“You’ve never even seen my face!” Red Hood argued from safely inside his beauteous red bucket.

“Yeah, well you’ve never seen mine either, and yet somehow, you have no issue with calling me disfigured every time our paths cross.”

“You’re wearing a mask. Only people who are horribly scarred wear full face masks.”

“Oh, so you’re admitting you’re ugly then?”

“No, I’m wearing a helmet, not a mask. Big difference.”

Ladybird barely stopped herself from bashing her head against the cement and steel wall. If the action didn’t break her mask, she would have considered going through with it. “God, this is why I’m not going to kiss him, Red Robin. Can’t you use one of those zeta things and drop in a girl for him to make out with?”

“You know they don’t work like that.”

“I wouldn’t know, it’s not like I’m in the Justice League.”

“Not for a lack of trying! We’ve offered you the position at least ten different times.”

“Yeah, on the condition that I get Red Hood to join up too. That certainly doesn’t sound like you guys actually want my help.”

“Nine minutes on the clock,” an automated voice reminded them.

“I say we blow this popsicle stand,” Red Hood pointed a finger up at the cement ceiling.

“Wow, what a stupendously original idea, Red Hood. It’s almost like the next thing out of your mouth might be something vaguely resembling intelligence. Oh wait, that’s right. We can’t get out of this hell hole because there’s three feet of cement on every side of us and we have no weapons that can help.”

“I haven’t had a crack at it, yet.”

“Be my guest. I’ll sit back and laugh at your failed attempts.” Ladybird reclined on a wall. “We both know that between the two of us, I’m the one who’s better at escape and solutions that don't require firearms. You don’t think with either one of your heads, you think with your AK-47.”

“My babies are all I need to get the job done. Your plans are always so unnecessarily convoluted.”

“They’re convoluted so I can cover my tracks instead of leaving evidence, debris, and dead bodies behind.”

“Uh, guys? Can you have your spat after Hood’s life is out of immediate danger?”

“No,” both of them chorused, immediately glaring at each other for speaking in sync.

“I doubt Scarecrow actually came up with a formula that will make you die if you don’t kiss someone of the opposite gender within ten minutes. That seems like the kind of chemical compound that’s featured in all of those really trashy romance novels, except instead of being unable to control your instincts, you die.” Ladybird considered the empty vial on the floor. “I’m confident that Red Hood can ride this out with minimal damage. Even if he does get horny, it’s not like he’s going to go for me-- drug induced state or not, he can’t stand my guts.”

“Can I just say that I don’t want to bank his life on that assumption?”

“It’s not like your life is the one at stake. Just try to get someone out here that can break down this welded door for us sooner, rather than later.” Ladybird gives Red Hood a once over. “Besides, if he does try anything, we all know that I’m more than capable of tying him up.”

#

“Hey, why don’t you use that Lucky Charm of yours?”

“Do you think I didn’t think of that already? That was one of the first things I considered.”

“So why didn’t you use it?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe the fact that after I do, I detransform within five minutes? Not a big fan of exposing my identity, plus it’s not like anybody’s in any real danger because we’re locked up here. Scarecrow’s tied up, the goons that welded the door shut on us aren’t capable of using their brains, and a team is going to bust us out in thirty minutes anyways.”

For the millionth time, Red Hood pounded his shoulder against the steel weld, hoping that something would give. Nothing happened.

A beep sounded. 

“Ten minutes have passed.”

“See?” Ladybird crowed triumphantly. “I was right. Nothing’s--”

Red Hood fell to the floor, clawing at his chest.

“... happening. I jinxed it, didn’t I? I guess I’ll use it, then.”

Ladybird called for a lucky charm. No antidote fell into her hand. Just a sheet of paper, saying Kiss him.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Tikki, don’t do me dirty like this!”

“Tikki? Who’s Tikki? What did the Lucky Charm give you?”

A wet cough sounded from underneath Red Hood’s helmet. He started to gasp for air.

Ladybird didn’t like Hood, but Red Robin was right. She had grown fond of him after saving his ass so many times. She wasn’t just going to let him die, especially not when she could help him. With a bone weary sigh, she knelt next to Red Hood. 

“I guess we’re doing this, aren’t we? Red Robin, comms off.”

“Off? But Hood sounds like--”

“Off,” she repeated, firmly. “Or I’ll break them.”

The telltale sign of static ceased in her ears.

Ladybird held Red Hood by his shoulders, maneuvering his mask off. 

“I hope you’re ugly,” she whispered.

He was not.

#

Even with blood on his lips, Jason Todd was unfortunately attractive. 

“Gonna--” he coughed again, the spray of blood accompanied by a wheeze. “Bless me with your face before I die?”

“I can’t believe that you’re still snarky while you’re on death’s door.” Ladybird touched the full face mask that she added during her years as a vigilante in Gotham. She still has the usual Ladybug eye cover, so her identity is safe. But the noh mask provides a sense of safety to her. She’s loathe to take it off, but in order for a kiss to work, it needs to be put aside. With a sigh, she places it on the ground and places a hand over Red Hood’s startlingly blue eyes.

“Kinky,” he spat. Ladybird grimaced. Why she ended up on this mission alone with Red Hood was beyond her, but they always ended up in the worst situations together somehow, anyways.

Her lips descended on his. 

Iron and sweat.

“Okay,” she said, wiping her lips with the hand that wasn’t preoccupied with shielding Red Hood’s eyes. “You feeling any better?”

He coughed again.

“Great, so Scarecrow was lying and I didn’t have to kiss you. You were just going to die anyways.” 

She placed her noh mask back on, then pressed a button on her comm. “You’re going to want to speed up the whole backup team. Looks like Scarecrow was lying.”

“You’re kidding me. Scarecrow never lies--”

Red Hood sat up shakily. 

“I’m fine, Replacement. Throat’s a little sore, but I’m fine.” 

“Good to know his MO hasn’t changed,” Ladybird remarked. “I’d suggest that you wipe your face with something. It’s covered in blood.”

“And Ladybird cooties.” Red Hood used his forearm to wipe the blood off. Ladybird had to admit that the man was objectively good looking. The artist in her wanted to take a picture or sketch him. The shock of white hair, symmetrical features, and prominent nose. His eyes had a certain darkness in them, like he had seen the worst of the world, but there was still a clarity to them that said he was fighting against those injustices. “C’mon, you’ve seen my face, don’t you think it’s time to exchange the favor?”

“Backup’s arriving in three,” interjected Red Robin.

“There’s nothing in it for me.” Ladybird tugged the hood of her cloak down lower. 

“Isn’t it weird that we kissed and I don’t know your face?”

“No.”

“You really are into some kinky shit.”

“Also no on that.”

“Then why not show me your face?”

“Stop being such a brat.”

“I know I’m older than you.”

“Bratiness isn’t measured in age, but in mental maturity. Which you have none of.”

“Please?”

“I’m almost tempted to take off my noh mask if only because that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you say the word please.”

“If I say it again, will you?”

“I’ll consider it.”

“Pretty please, Ladybird?”

“... Fine.” She’d get a laugh out of this anyways, and the team was minutes away from picking them up.

She took off her noh mask to reveal the red and black domino.

Red Hood cursed.

@jasonette-july-2k20

it’s wild that yall are liking my fics when i basically vomit these things up im honestly scared to look back at some of the ones that have been posted because i do not proof read or edit 

[rosesgonerogue]

How to be a Dad 101

Chapter 1: First Meetings

Jasonette July Day 1

Masterlist

It was soon after Jason had agreed to Bruce’s pansy “no killing” stipulation. He could operate as Red Hood in conjunction with Batman and company but separate as long as he complied with that one very specific rule. 

 He hated it. While he’d rediscovered most of himself since his stint with death, that didn’t necessarily curb any of his bloodlust. Parts of him were damaged irreparable and one of those was the understanding that you shouldn’t want to kill people just for the sake of killing people. 

While he complied, apparently causing someone the maximum amount of pain possible was also looked down upon. Bruce gave him quite the lecture, and afterwards Jason just needed to escape. He wandered around Gotham’s streets, hopefully to blow off some steam before going back to the manor. Maybe he could - 

His train of thought was interrupted by someone bumping into him sharply. Irked, Jason turned around to bite their head off, maybe get a decent fight in, but he was completely caught off guard by empty air. He glanced around, confused  until he looked down about a foot and a half. He was met by a shade of blue he didn’t know the name of, but he desperately wanted to. Pale skin dotted with freckles was framed by inky hair, a combination that Jason should have been used to but seemed to be an assault on his emotions. 

Rapid words spewed out of the tiny girl’s mouth, and Jason would have sworn that his brain had simply stopped working until he heard the words, “Excusez moi.”

Ah, so she was French. Jason straightened up, wracking his brain for what little French he remembered from high school. “Uh, je m’appelle Jason. Uh…”

“So sorry, I spoke in French without thinking,” the girl said in only lightly accented English. “But I’m sorry for bumping into you. It was an accident, forgive me.” 

Finally freed from her bewitching blue eyes, Jason took a moment to scrutinize her and her apparent companions. The girl was distinctly shorter than the others, and she looked almost like a pixie with her hair tied up in pigtails. She was accompanied by two men, one blond clearly wearing designer clothes, and the only remarkable thing about the other was his chunky headphones. Behind them a girl with glasses and ombre hair was holding her phone up like she was recording or something. 

“It’s… fine,” Jason eventually said, realizing the pixie was waiting for an answer of some sort from him. “But if you don’t mind me asking, what are you all doing here in Gotham? I mean, you’re obviously not from here.” 

She grinned, face alight with mischief. “And what gave it away? Was it the fact that we actually wore a color other than black in Gotham?” 

“Nah, it’s the hope in your eyes. It doesn’t belong, especially when you four are headed to Crime Alley as we speak.”

“Are we really? I told you we were lost, Adrien!” the girl said, nudging the blond. 

“Nino is the one who lost the map,” he said, pointing to Headphones. 

“But you were the one who claimed to remember the way and wouldn’t let us use GPS.”

The one with ombre hair said, “But is Crime Alley completely out  of the question? If I got some footage of something going on I would get a great grade for my Criminal Journalism class.” 

Headphones groaned. “Babe…”

Pixie patted the other girl’s arm. “I’m not getting mugged for your project, Alya. Besides, it’s Gotham. I’m sure you’ll find something without needlessly endangering ourselves.” 

Jason couldn’t stop staring at the Pixie girl. She was gorgeous. Even with her tiny stature, she emanated confidence and poise. Somehow her movements reminded him of Dick, a surety and grace that came from knowing your own body. She was clearly the leader of their little group, and the thought of her wandering through Crime Alley left Jason unexpectedly feeling angry and a bit… possessive, which was insane. 

He couldn’t help but eye the blond. He wasn’t dating the Pixie, was he? The other two seemed to be in a relationship, but…

“So what is this, some kind of couples trip or something?” Jason asked, shamelessly inserting himself into the conversation once more.

“No,” Pixie and the blond said in perfect unison. 

“We’re just friends,” he said quickly. “Alya and Nino are dating, but the four of us have been friends since high school, and we just wanted to take a fun, celebratory trip.” 

“It’s a miracle we found the time to do it at all,” Pixie continued. “Alya is the one that picked Gotham because apparently she misses Paris being a dystopian hellscape overrun with masked weirdos.” 

“You can’t be telling me that all of that akuma crap was real,” Jason said, leaning against a nearby wall.

Almost perfectly in unison, all four foreigners scoffed, trading looks with one another.

“Gotham isn’t the only city with issues, pretty boy,” the reporter one said. “Don’t be so quick to dismiss what you hear.” 

Damn, Jason had let his curiosity over Paris’s heroes get the best of him. Since he knew Pixie was available he was supposed to work on charming her pants off. 

“Look, I’ve got nothing to do the rest of the day,” Jason said, determined to change the subject. (He could make the Replacement investigate things later.) “I could show you back to  your hotel, or even show you around Gotham without getting robbed.” 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that, I wouldn’t want to take all of your spare time,” Pixie said, blue eyes worried. “If you could just point us in the right direction-”

“You promise to make sure we’re not attacked or mugged?” Reporter demanded.

 “Alya,” her boyfriend cautioned. 

“You don’t want to go to Crime Alley because it’s dangerous, right? Well I’m sure we’ll be fine with six feet of muscle on our side.” 

“Alya, no.” 

“I’m not risking our necks at Crime Alley,” Jason said with finality. “But chances are that you’ll see at least something that might work for your class.” 

“Okay, it’s a deal,” she said decisively. 

“We don’t know him, Alya,” the blond hissed, surreptitiously glancing at him. 

Pixie was shamelessly scrutinizing him - she was staring him down intently enough to make Jason feel uncomfortable. He knew he looked a bit like a thug - between his sheer size and his usual scowl, it was easy to send people running. Most of the time he liked it and the fear he inspired, but he couldn’t tell whether or not he scared her, one of the first people he didn’t want to scare. What did she think of him? Why was he so nervous about a little girl who’d decided pigtails were totally age - appropriate at twenty-something years old? 

Her face cleared and she smiled widely like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Don’t worry guys, we can trust Jason.” 

He nearly startled when she said his name, but he shoved the reaction down. Even more surprising was the way the two men relaxed, totally willing to follow the girl’s lead. 

“We appreciate your help, Jason. These are my friends Alya, Adrien, and Nino. My name is Marinette.” Pixie - no, Marinette - was still smiling like he’d just given her the world. “We really appreciate your help, it’s very kind of you.” 

“Whatever,” Jason said, ignoring the slight blush on his cheeks. “Now let’s get the hell away from Crime Alley. I’m not your babysitter.”     

Taglist:  @jasonette-july-2k20

Notes: 

After Daminette December last year I didn’t see myself doing a month-long challenge again, but then I somehow got 500 followers??? As a thank you I’m putting myself through the ringer again, and I hope you all enjoy it! Not all of the prompts will be connected to this story, but the majority of them will. This is going to be another Mominette fic (because I haven’t been able to see my nieces and nephews for weeks and I’m deprived). If you want to be tagged just leave a comment and I’ll make it happen! I don’t have the mental capacity to keep a permanent taglist, but I’m happy to tag anyone that’s interested. 

[the-fusionist]

Jasonette July: First Meetings

A/N: Hello, I’m back at writing again! I suck at commitment, but I’m going to do my best to follow up with the stories for this event. Hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you want to be on the tag list!

HERE I GO:

If Marinette had to rate her time in Gotham so far on a scale of one to ten, it would probably be a 4 or 5. The reason she had moved to the United States was for college, having been accepted into Gotham University. 

It was amazing to have a change in scenery after the defeat of Hawkmoth. Her and Adrien became good friends after realizing who the other was, and she knew that there wasn’t really a chance of a romantic relationship with Adrien now. He was with Kagami, and she really had no right to come between them. Besides, a long-distance relationship would be difficult to maintain. 

Adrien had given up his miraculous after finding out who Hawkmoth was. He didn’t really want to have anything to do with the miraculouses after how much they had destroyed his family. Marinette couldn’t blame him for that, and she didn’t push Adrien on the subject. Now she had all the kwamis in her possession as Guardian. Last she saw Plagg and Tikki, they were talking with all the other kwamis in her apartment. 

Now though, she was regretting her decision of leaving Tikki behind. She had been working on a project and was in desperate need of some red satin. She knew that it was past midnight, but the fabrics shop was just two blocks away. She could get there quickly and come back to her apartment in a short time, and it probably wasn’t likely that there were too many people out this late. 

Oh, how wrong she was. Out of the corner of her eye, she could spot a shadow drifting across the sidewalk, keeping pace with her brisk steps. As she tightly clutched her shopping bag that contained her new purchases, she could faintly make out several pairs of heavy footsteps. She groaned internally, this was not her night. She blamed lack of sleep for her stupid decisions, deciding she should probably bring Tikki everywhere from now on. 

At this point, she was almost one block away from her apartment. She definitely didn’t want them to know where she lived, and just two yards ahead of her was an alley. If she made the sharp turn into the alley, she would have the element of surprise and she would have a better chance of taking them down. Her time as Ladybug had given her plenty of fighting experience that wasn’t lost on her. 

So, after walking a few more feet, Marinette turned sharply into the alley. She quickly spotted a convenient dumpster, and crouched behind it. Hastily, she shoved her shopping bag and purse under the dumpster. She only had to wait a few minutes, before two dark shapes entered the alley. Slowing her breathing, she listened as they trudged deeper into the alley, closer to where she was hiding.

A gruff voice could be heard, “Where did the bitch go?”

Before the other man could reply, Marinette jumped out and socked the man closest to her in the chin. He stumbled backwards for a second, before falling to the ground, knocked out. 

The other man, who had been in a shocked state, moved his hand under his jacket. Marinette presumed that he was reaching for a gun, and acted fast. She whipped her leg up, and kicked the man's ribs. A sickening crack was heard, and the man gasped before falling backwards. He ended up on the dirty floor next to his friend, moaning in agony before passing out. 

Marinette almost sighed in relief, before she heard a quiet thud behind her. It almost sounded like someone had come from the roof above, but that didn’t make sense. So, a panicked Marinette swung around to face her new attacker. Without even processing the appearance of the person, she smashed her fist into his face. Years of fighting akumas lead to pure muscle memory, and her urge to survive had taken over her completely at this point. 

She felt her knuckles press against cool metal, surprising her momentarily. However, the idea of an attacker who was wearing protective gear spurred her into an onslaught of blows. She kicked and punched her new opponent as they staggered backwards, cursing colorfully. 

“Holy shit, lady! I’m trying to help you!” came a strangled voice that was somewhat muffled from what appeared to be a red helmet. 

Marinette paused, looking a bit more closely at her would-be attacker. She gasped in shock before letting out a word vomit of apologies in French and English. Before Marinette stood none other than the Red Hood, one of Gotham’s resident heroes. He was still holding his forearms up to his head, trying to protect himself in case she decided to continue hitting him. Slowly though, he lowered his arms and Marinette could fully look at the vigilante. 

His brown jacket was wrinkled and smudged with dirt. His clothing overall was in disarray, and he looked awful. The worst part though, was an ample sized dent in his shiny, red helmet. Marinette felt overwhelming guilt. She couldn’t believe she just did that. Oh, hell, what did she just do? She continued to blurt out panicked apologies while hyperventilating before the vigilante in question spoke.

“Whoa, calm down. I’m okay, and you’re safe now. Deep breaths, you’re okay. I’m not dead, you’re okay.”

Marinette stopped blurting apologies and slowly felt herself calming down. Oh god, why did these things happen to her. She took deep breaths like he advised, and little by little she felt herself coming off the adrenaline high. 

Once she was mostly calmed down, a cloud of discomfort fell over the two. It was currently 2:00 a.m., and Marinette and the Red Hood were standing in a damp alleyway next to two unconscious bodies. The awkwardness was so thick, Marinette was sure she could cut through it like a knife. So, she decided to break it. 

“Umm…Thanks. I’m really sorry about attacking you, I really didn’t mean to. I totally wasn’t trying to kill you on purpose or anything so I’m so sorry. And I damaged your helmet, I can pay for it if you want?” Marinette nervously stated.

To her surprise, the Red Hood burst out into deep laughter that was slightly smothered by his helmet. Despite the situation, Marinette couldn’t help but smile a bit.

He finally replied, “No, you’re totally okay. I’m fine, and you don’t have to pay for the helmet or anything. I scared you too, and I probably should have probably said something before jumping down into the middle of an alley at night. But, damn, you punch good!” 

Marinette let out a burst of laughter, though it was partially due to relief that the Gotham hero wasn’t totally pissed at her. 

“Thanks, but please let me pay you back somehow. It’ll make me feel better about beating you up. Please?” she asked. 

“No, trust me, it’s totally fine. Besides, you should probably get back to wherever you live. I’ll make sure the cops get these two goons, but it would probably be safer if you were back inside. I can walk you back to help you in case you get bothered again?” Jason had no intention of leaving her all alone at night. Even if she refused him, he would tail her by the roofs to make sure she got home safe. 

Luckily, Marinette agreed, “Yes please, and thank you so much! I really am sorry though.”

Distractedly, Marinette grabbed her purse from under the dumpster while the Red Hood tied up the two men. Hurriedly, she walked with the hero in a comfortable silence all the way back to the entrance of her apartment building. 

“Well, this is goodbye. Nice meeting you Warrior Lady, despite the shitty circumstances,” the red helmeted man said good humoredly. 

Marinette laughed at the nickname before replying, “Goodbye to you too. And thank you for everything.”

“Your welcome. And it really was no problem, trust me. I better get going, but it was fun to meet you.”

So the Red Hood gave a quick nod to her before turning around. Right before he could disappear though, Marinette cried out.

“Wait!”

He abruptly turned around, before a small tin was shoved into his hands. 

“Thank you!” Marinette smiled before stepping into her apartment building and leaving the vigilante standing alone in the dimly lit Gotham street.

Jason curiously looked down at the box in his hands. Cracking it open, he found several macarons sitting in a row. Underneath his helmet, a small smile crossed his face. He decided to make his way back to the two idiots the girl had knocked out. He needed to check if the cops had found them. Stilling smiling to himself, Jason mused over the events that had just transpired. It had definitely been an interesting night. 

Marinette had come back into her apartment, dropping her purse onto the floor. After being fussed over by the kwamis when she told them what had happened, she crashed into bed. However, a thought occurred to Marinette, and she groaned. Her new red satin was still under that dumpster. Her whole trip had pretty much been pointless. Too tired to care anymore though, she fell asleep. 

The next morning, when Marinette walked onto her balcony contemplating last night's events, she was surprised. Sitting on the table of her balcony, was Marinette's shopping bag with her forgotten red satin. Smiling to herself, she grabbed the bag and rushed back inside with a new bout of inspiration. Some outfits based on the Red Hood flashed into her mind, and she quickly got to work.

TAG LIST: @rebecarojas07 @theatreandcomicfreak​ @maribatlife @ethelphantom @18-fandoms-unite-08 @mochegato @jasonette-july-2k20

[phis-corner]

wild

Another prompt for @jasonette-july-2k20​, also cross-posted on Ao3 under the name m3owww. The other prompt fills are also on there.

“We’re going to the zoo!” Dick announces. “Everybody is mandated to come. Otherwise, Oracle’s locking you out of all your devices for a month. And by everybody, I mean everyone who dons a costume at night to beat people up.”

Marinette groans. This is not going to go well.

Scene I: The Giraffes

“Hey, it’s the giraffes!” Steph exclaims. “Woah, those are really tall.”

“We would have to stack three Damians to reach the height of one female giraffe.” Tim remarks, clutching a large thermos of coffee.

Damian snarls. “Do you wish to die, Drake?” Bruce snatches Damian’s backpack from him before he can pull out his knives.

Jason pokes Marinette in the side. “Male giraffes are eleven feet. If you stood on my shoulders, we’d be around that height.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Call me short, Jay. But I could easily punch you in the groin if I wanted.” Marinette grumbles. She pointedly ignores the commotion next to her. 

Damian has tackled Tim, Dick is trying to pull him off, Steph is cheering him on, and Cass is happily watching the giraffes. Bruce is rummaging through Damian’s backpack and grimacing at the amount of weapons the child packed.

Go figure.

Scene II: Elephants

“Well, this kind of stinks.” Jason remarks, as the baby elephant in front of them decides to take a poo. They all collectively gag as the smell wafts their way.

“Let’s just move on.” Bruce decides, and the group starts walking, except for Damian.

“Five more minutes, Father.” The boy commands. “It is too adorable to leave.”

Marinette has never been more glad that she always brings face masks around. She hands one to Jason and puts the other on. At least this muffles most of the scent.

Bruce sighs. “Damian-”

“Five minutes, Father.” He hisses dangerously.

“Guess we’re stuck here.” Tim says sadly. “It’s going to be a long five minutes.”

Scene III: Reptile House

“Mari! Look here! It’s a Burmese Python!” Jason calls, pointing to a massive snake coiled in one of the terrariums.

Marinette shudders. “Eugh, these creep me out. Guess I use the mouse miraculous too much. I just hope we can move on soon.”

“This snake is beautiful.” Damian declares, gesturing at a King Cobra. “I wish to keep it as a pet.”

“Little D, this is a zoo!” Dick chastises. “Not an animal shelter with pets up for adoption!”

“Are you crazy? That’s the longest venomous snake in the world!” Tim shrieks.

Damian sniffs. “Precisely, Drake. I wish to train it to attack you, just as I have with all my other pets.”

“You- what?” Tim splutters. “That’s why none of the animals like me? I’m changing your Wifi password.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Steph walks up to Marinette and Jason, holding out a tub of popcorn. “Want some?”

“Thanks.” Marinette reaches for the popcorn, then freezes. “Wait. Where’d you get this?”

The blonde grins. “I have Cass on my side. Anything is possible.”

“Speaking of which,” Jason frowns. “Where is she?”

Scene IV: Butterfly House

Dick shrieks as another butterfly flaps past his head. “I swear, these things are trying to kill me!”

“Tt, don’t be stupid, Grayson. They are harmless creatures.” Damian scoffs.

Marinette hums thoughtfully. “I mean, most butterflies are, but if they’re actually the demonic purple butterflies sent by a crazy fashion designer with a magical brooch to prey on negative emotions and turn people into colorful monsters with ridiculous powers that I spent three years fighting, then we’re in trouble.”

Jason blinks. “Sometimes, I forget how crazy your life was.”

“Yeah, I wish I could do that.” Marinette sighs. “Gabriel was a dick.”

Tim raises his camera and snaps a picture of Steph giggling as a butterfly makes itself at home in her hair.

Bruce almost-smiles. “At least no one’s trying to kill each other here. Everyone is- wait.” He scans the house, frowning.

“Guys, have any of you seen Cass?”

Scene V: Penguins

As it turns out, Cass went off to buy a slushy. She joins them at the penguin exhibit and watches gleefully as Bruce tries to interrogate the poor birds. Tim is filming the entire thing on his camera.

“Have you ever had any association with the Gotham villain known as Penguin in the past?”

“Squawk.”

“What, exactly, is your connection to the criminal otherwise known as Oswald Cobblepot?”

“Squawk?”

“Answer my question!” Bruce growls at the birds.

Jason’s shoulders are shaking with silent laughter, and Marinette stifles a giggle.

“Father, these are-”

“Silence, Damian! I am interrogating the moles that Penguin planted at the zoo.”

One especially brave penguin waddles right up to Bruce, leaving only a few inches of space in between their faces.

They engage in a silent staring contest.

Then…

“SQUAWK!” The penguin screeches in Bruce’s face. Being the Batman, he doesn’t startle (very much) and simply growls as the penguin dives into the water, chirping happily.

“Get back here! I wasn’t done yet!”

Scene VI: Tigers

The orange and black-striped feline elegantly prowls towards the group, heading straight for Cass, who beams and reaches her hand out to press up against the glass. The tiger nuzzles into the wall between them, and Cass frowns.

Captive. She signs. Free?

“This tiger was born in captivity.” Bruce says. “She wouldn’t survive in the wild. And for future reference, none of you are allowed to free the zoo animals.”

Dick sighs. “Aw, come on B, Dami and I had our heist already halfway planned!”

“This tiger is beautiful.” Damian states. “She is graceful in a way that humans cannot master.”

“What about Cass?” Jason points out. “She’s just as graceful as the tiger.”

Cass smiles, pleased. Thank you, little brother.

“Marinette and Dick are really graceful when they’re in the air too!” Steph adds.

Marinette winces. “Key word being air. I’ve already tripped over my own feet six times, and another three times on Jason.”

Right on cue, as she moves to read another plaque, she trips over Jason’s foot and flails. He catches her in a dip like the good boyfriend he is and promptly kisses her- passionately.

Damian makes a disgusted noise, Dick sighs, Tim snaps a picture, and Cass smacks them both on the backs of their heads.

Children. She signs, and they both smile sheepishly. Two toddlers are staring, openmouthed, and Marinette counts five parents covering their children’s eyes.

“Oops.”

Bruce pinches the bridge of his nose. “You two can contribute to Alfred’s PDA jar when we get back.” 

“Aww, Bruce!” Jason complains.

“He has strict rules and you didn’t follow them.” Steph chirps. “You brought this on yourself.”

“Timbo, help me out here?”

Tim looks up from where he’s fiddling with his camera. “Uh, no thank you? You two have scarred multiple children for life. It’s only five dollars. You’ll survive.”

“No! Betrayed! By my own family!” Jason wails, and Marinette huffs.

“Mon oiseau, you are the son of a billionaire. Not to mention, all the money you make from your… extracurriculars. You can pay the five dollar fine.”

“It’s the principle of the thing!”

At the end of the day, all of them are tired and sweaty. They agree that maybe the zoo isn’t the greatest place for a family outing, except for Damian, who wants to return to kidnap (Animalnap? Zoonap?) the animals and set them free.

As they get out of the minivan one by one, Marinette, who is right behind Damian, spots something in his shirt move.

“Damian, what’s in your shirt?”

The boy snarls. “Nothing!”

“Damian…” Bruce sighs, and Damian reluctantly pulls out a green grass snake.

“It is non-venomous. Nobody will miss it.” He says defensively, and there is a chorus of groans.

“It’s a snake.” Tim points out. “That you stole. From the zoo.”

Damian sniffs. “I prefer the term liberated.”

Jason groans, and rests his chin on the top of Marinette’s head. She staggers underneath the extra weight. “I hate this fucking family.”

Marinette reaches up to poke him in the chest. “You know you love us. Why else would you wear a bat on your chest?”

“To piss Bruce off.”

“Sure. Keep telling yourself that.”