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lily-drake · 1 year

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The Demon’s Queen

Chapter Eleven

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Marinette didn’t have a favorite trainer, she hated all of them. But the one that she hated the least would have to be Hadid. Don’t get her wrong, he was still as cruel and ruthless as the others here, but he was also far more patient and, for lack of a better word, kind than the others. Though there was just something about his presence that always put her on edge. She couldn’t quite place it, but when she walked into the room as saw Hadid just standing there, just his posture alone was enough to give her goosebumps.

“Find two weaknesses in your opponent. Go after one, and when they think they know what weakness you are going for, strike the other.”

He had told her when she lay flat on her back, hand raised down to help her back onto her feet. The contact was nice, it was a kindness she hadn’t felt in a long time, then it was gone, and she was flung across the mats.

Gritting her teeth, she got back onto her feet, by herself, and got back into position.

“Your stance is good,”

Marinette smiled at that, she had been trying to get it right for weeks now.

“If you want to fall over and die a disgrace.”

The joy that was blooming in her chest died just as quickly as it came as she repositioned her footing.

She had finally been let outside for training only two days ago, and she nearly cried when she saw the sun for the first time in who knows how long. It was cold, but she didn’t care, as the scent of the fresh mountain air filled her lungs instead of the stale musty air of the brick and mortar that lined the walls.

Marinette hadn’t seen the boy in a little over a week, that is until he interrupted training that day, with his mother no less. She honestly had no idea he had one, she would have thought that she was dead, and if he had killed her she wouldn’t have been too surprised. But no, that was not the case and now his mother wanted her to have dinner with the two of them, she honestly wanted to die.

“Your defiance against your allies could lead to your demise. Be careful of who you make your enemies.”

Was all Hadid said before she had the urge to duck and roll, and it was a good thing she had otherwise she probably would have been flat on her back as Hadid had moved to attack her. There was an amused smirk on his face, but he didn’t say a word as he continued his swift movements of attack.

__________ Meals with the League were never anything special. It often consisted of brown rice, beans, and sometimes there would be meat with a cup of water for nearly every single meal. Damian often ate the same thing, never caring for other “grand dishes” that others of his station would indulge in. But his mother was here, and Marinette would dine with them which meant that dinner tonight would be different. There were many different curries, seasoned vegetable servings, a few different salad varieties and a few other smaller dishes that Damian had no care to think about. His main concern was how this night was to play out, after all the only time his mother invited another to dine with them it was under special circumstances such as a new deal with many of their allies, a test of some sort, or to trick them to attending what will be the end of their lives. There was always some sort of reason, a strategy, nothing was without a purpose. So what was the purpose of this meeting, if he were to guess it would fall under the test category.

“Did you deliver the garbs Damian?”

His mother asked cooly as she approached him.

“Yes, I had a maid drop them off.”

Talia hummed, tracing a gentle finger down his face.

“You seem tired. What has happened while I was away?”

Damian leaned into his mother’s rare gentle touch before it disappeared completely a few moments later.

“Father is searching for her. I believed that my plan to remove her would work, but it seems that her mother did not believe it and called the Justice League. My spies have reported that he has not found anything yet, but I know it is only a matter of time.”

Talia’s eyes seemed to spark to life at the mention of Father, even after all this time she still loved him deeply. That or it was an obsession that he was unsure would ever leave her.

Before they could continue, the doors to the dining room opened to reveal Marinette in a dark form fitting dress that stretched all the way to her lower thigh that flowed gently around her legs. The mandarin collar of the dress and the ¾ sleeves complimented her figure and would work in her favor if there was an attack from close range weaponry as he knew there were small pieces of micro technology sewn into the dress that would temporarily protect her. If he remembered correctly, it should be made of material similar to her training garments.

Damian stared at her for a few moments, unsure of why the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end when he made eye contact with her. He approached her almost cautiously, though he knew he had the upper hand even if she had somehow managed to sneak in something. Damian honestly had no idea what to say, he had never been in a situation like this before, but he had observed others who had. So without another word he offered his hand for her to take, and was actually surprised when she took it. From her behavior in the past he wouldn’t have been surprised if she had slapped it away. She never looked at him though, so the probability she was only doing this because his mother was watching was pretty high.

Talia watched both the girl and her son. It was obvious that Marinette was not happy with her predicament, it was obvious that she had a strong dislike for her son especially. Her eyes flicked down to the girl’s left leg, she had watched some of her other sessions with the trainers Damian provided her. In a match with Ruta they had been using sworded canes and Ruta had gotten the curve around Marinette’s leg and pulled. Studying the girl she could see the slight limp, though she hid it well especially as she let Damian lead her to her seat at the long table, a seat on his left where Talia would be sitting at his right.

“Hello Marinette. I wish to discuss the time you have spent here so far. You will not be punished for anything you say, so you may speak as freely as you wish.”

Marinette raised a brow, though she appreciated that they had cut right to the chaise instead of starting with pleasantries.

“I hate it here and I want to go back home.”

Marinette stated firmly, her back straight and her eyes a hard determination.

Talia made a small humming noise, leaning onto her closed fist as she stared at the girl in front of her.

“Unfortunately for you, that is not a decision I am able to make,”

The only tells of disappointment on her face were a small twitch in her brow and a slight dimness in her eyes. Silence filled the space for a few moments, though Talia and Damian seemed unaffected by it as they placed food onto their plates.

“What is happening in Paris?”

Marinette asked, finally breaking the tense silence that had filled the room.

“Yes, I was wondering when you would ask.”

Talia replied almost dismissively as she dabbed her lips with a napkin.

“Your city is perfectly fine. I’ve read the reports and it seems that because your magical terrorist no longer exists, only petty crimes line Paris’s streets. Your parents and friends do not seem to be worried for your safety, they believe that you are partaking in an exchange program. Of course emails in your name are being sent to them, and since we have access to your voice and face, facetimes and phone calls are easy to manipulate.”

Her voice was casual, her face an impassive stone wall. Marinette couldn’t tell if she was lying or telling the truth, but she was not inclined to believe this woman. Marinette watched the woman until she too made direct eye contact with her,

“I can see that you don’t believe me, but it is the truth. The League of Assassins do not do things halfway. I have read through your file Marinette. I know why you are here, and I agree with it. The League could use someone like you, you have great tenacity, you have the mind of a great tactician, and from your training I’ve witnessed I can see the potential. I know that you do not wish to be here, but the League can make you into something more than you ever thought you could be.”

“What if I do not wish to be like you? What if I wished to live a normal life when Hawkmoth was defeated?”

Talia didn’t laugh, but the amused smirk on her lips might as well have been her version of the sound.

“You are the Grand Guardian of many magical creatures, lived with magic as a part of your being since you first began your teenage years, and finally you have been parading around your city as a hero for that same amount of time. You will never be able to live a normal life, others will find out who you are and they will take you for far more nefarious purposes. Here we offer you training for proper protection, a chance to continue to use your skills, and you are given the opportunity to have power that few will ever be able to hold. I can see the fire in your eyes, I can see that you crave the opportunity to constantly prove yourself, to better yourself. Nowhere else can offer you this, but we are. When we are certain that you are fit, you will be given the opportunity to travel the world, to protect and save others from the darkness that oozes from the darkness, you will be a leader that seeks no praise, but will receive anyways. It is wholly up to you whether or not you will accept this offer, but in order to escape here, you will either have to grow or die.”

With that, Talia finally began to eat her dinner. Once she began, Damian followed, after all it is rude to start before his superior. Marinette bit her lip in frustration. On one side Talia was right. She was the Grand Guardian, she also knew that it would be hard to give up being a hero after so many years. But she could do it, the magic prevented others from knowing her identity, but…magic didn’t solve everything and there were other more powerful magic users around. Her city was apparently safe, her family and friends weren’t in danger anymore, and nearly all of the Miraculous were here, the others hiding in her room. She would need to find a way to get those back sooner than later, but if everything she said was true, which she doubted, then the only problem was that she needed to retrieve the jewels.

“Please eat Marinette, it would be best for you to keep your strength up.”

Damian quietly said, the first he had said to her all evening. It wasn’t strange per se as he wasn’t very social, but it was still a little off as he probably would have asked her how her training was going despite already knowing from the meetings he had with her trainers. Giving him a side eye, slowly she began to dish food onto her plate and eat with them. She hated to admit it, but this was the best food she had eaten in a long time. Talia’s words continued to echo through her mind, and though she loathed to admit it, parts of what she said were right. She would never forgive Damian for dragging her into this against her will, but maybe, maybe she could do something good here if they let her. Just maybe.

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