Cats Always Come Back

Journey

"I do what I need to, to survive." 9 year old Martha explained, running from a cornershop bakery with an armful of bread loaves.

"Surely you could ask my father." The mini assasin said, running next to her.

Martha leapt onto a fire escape, clambering up to a roof. "I can survive without leaning on others. Your family gave me a name. I couldn't ask for more and I don't need more. I don't need a trust fund." She said, laying the bread out onto a blanket. "I can take care of myself."

Damien narrowed his eyes and walked up to her from behind and threw a punch at her side.

Martha stepped out of the way and grabbed his wrist, twisting it behind his back, then let go and punched him in the face. "I thought you were an assassin."

"That was simply a test... You're better than I thought." He narrowed his eyes. "You have had no training. How?"

"I'm a 9 year old who has lived on the streets in the crime capital of the world. In a girl so all the drunk idiots think I'm easy. You can't trust anyone so you have to be prepared to fight."  She tore a bagette and handed him half.

Damien didn't take it at first but she threw it at him and he had to catch it. "Your talents are wasted. Even I lack the ability to go completely unnoticed. You're a meer street rat. What do you have that I don't?" He growled, taking an angry bite from the bread.

"First off, a heart. Second, I don't care. I don't care if people see me. I have little presence. I'm not important. I've just learnt to exploit that fact. If I am important to someone for whatever reason then it's manipulated. Direction of attention. I don't vanish. I just become unnoticed. But it's something only I can do. I cannot explain it. I was born with this trait and used it to survive. I am not a street rat. Rats get caught. I don't. Mind your business Wayne."  The small girl sat down.

"You have no family. No mentors, no heritage and no money. Why are you so..."

"Different? Interesting? " She smirked. "You tell me, you're the one who spent an hour trying to find me."

"How did you know that?!" The boy hissed, looking down on her.

"I'm everywhere and nowhere. That's all you're getting. So! What makes me so different than your brother's of which you have already tried to kill?" She grinned looking up at him.

Damien frowned and sat down. "You're a confusing being little shadow. I want to know more... You've... Impressed me."

Martha tilted her head with a click of her tongue. "Good to know. Well, I'm sure if you're that insistent you'll see me around."

Damien looked down at the pile of bread. Then back at her, or where he thought she would be. "I would- Martha? Infuriating... Let me add that to the list." He grumbled.

..~~..

Marinette awoke with a jolt. "That was weird..." She sighed, getting up. "You stupid rich people and your private planes... Are we almost there?" She asked, walking over to where Nightwing and Redhood were in an intense game of rock paper scissors.

"Not long now Pixie." Jason said, giving a small groan as Dick cut his paper.

"Try to relax, we'll save them." Dick assured, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I left them alone... I have to fix this." She said, sitting next to Cass who nodded to her.

"We will, don't worry Mart- Marinette." Bruce said.

She nodded, walking through a door leading to a quiet room. "Plagg... Tikki what have I done?"

"Nothing Kit. You lead Thalia away. At the time she was the bigger threat." Plagg said, sitting on her shoulder.

"There were too many of them, you did your best." Tikki said, settling next to Plagg.

"I could have trained them better... Prepared them... I had a gut feeling something bigger was going on and I didn't say anything." She balled her fists. "I avoided being a hero for most of my life... Now I lead a hero team and failed them? Could this get any worse!?" She huffed leaning her head against the wall behind her. "I've also made it so Adrien can't hold a miraculous again... He probably won't want to but because of being... What is it you called it? A true holder? See I should have stuck to the streets. More dangerous in some ways but at least I know what I'm doing."

"None of this is your fault Marinette. We'll save them and everything will be fine. Luka's moving to Gotham, Kagami to Metropolis, you've already told your parents you're studying abroad in Gotham. Everything will fall into place once everyone is safe." Tikki tried.

Marinette nodded numbly. "Thanks Tikki."

After that the plane hit some turbulence, indicating that they had landed.

"Plagg claws out." She transformed.

She joined the others outside. "You were planning on just storming in weren't you?" Marinette rolled her eyes. "let me go in first and scope things out. They won't notice me I'll send a beep in the com when you should come in." Marinette explained.

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue but decided against it, she was on a warpath, the air around her was so destructive with anger and determination, it felt toxic. He wasn't going to risk going against her.

..~~..

"Alfred are we almost there?" Damien growled.

"So Martha is back?" Jon asked, trying to keep the heat off of Alfred.

"Yes. Once we help her."

"Thanks for agreeing to come along last minute Jon." Steph smiled.

"Of course!" He grinned. "I might not know Martha well, but she's a friend and she can keep Damien in check. Worth saving. Plus a team trained by her in Thalia's hands? Can't end well."

"Kent, shut up, we're here." Damien snapped, barging out, they had landed on the other side of the island. Near the back entrance.

Both groups had the same goal in mind.

Get everyone home.

The first bit is a small flashback dream to give a snippet of how Damien and Marinette's relationship started.
Thanks for reading.

Drawn Mari's new suit