Daminette December One-Shots

Day 28- Childhood Friends AU

*9 years ago

"Maman, who is he?" 6 years old Marinette asked her mother. In her hands is a picture frame with her mother and her family along with a boy she's not familiar.

"He's an old friend of mine, dear" Sabine answered.

"How did you meet?" Marinette inquired as she climbed onto her mother's lap.

Sabine then pulled Marinette close to her as she starts to reminisce about the past, "Well..."

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*About 32 years ago 

The streets of Yongjia County were unfamiliar and unfriendly, the young figures of nine-year-old Sabine Cheng and 12-year-old Bruce Wayne running through the alleyways. Fearful yet determined,  had managed to untangle the ropes that the kidnappers tied them with. 

The adrenaline pumping through their veins empowered them to keep moving, their bond growing stronger as they faced danger together.

"Are you sure about this door, Sabine?" Bruce's voice trembled with a mix of anxiety and excitement.

Sabine's determination shone in her eyes. "Trust me, Bruce. My grandma told me about secret escape routes in old buildings. We have to take this chance."

With Bruce's limited knowledge of Chinese and Sabine's basic understanding of English, they managed to communicate enough to navigate their way. When they were able to get a good distance from the abandoned warehouse they stumbled upon a stranger and asked for directions on how to get to Wenzhou City.

"Sabine, what did that person say?" Bruce whispered, out of track with what the stranger is saying.

"He said we need to head that way," Sabine pointed, her voice tinged with relief.

"It's dangerous for the two of you to travel in this dead of night," The stranger's wife said as she approach them with a baby on her chest and another kid holding her long skirt.

"Why not stay with us for the night and you can go to Wenzhou tomorrow as early as you want," She suggested.  

With exhaustion beating their body, they agreed to the kindness offered by the stranger's family to shelter them for the night.

Stomach full but not ready to sleep yet, the moon illuminated the night sky, Sabine and Bruce found themselves gazing at the stars just outside the humble house of the strangers.

"Look, Bruce! That star is the brightest. I think it's watching over us," Sabine mused a sense of wonder in her voice.

Bruce's lips curled into a small smile. "Yeah, it's like a guardian."

 Sabine spoke randomly, "I dreamed of having a bakery in the future, a place of warmth and love, a loving husband, and a daughter who would fill the world with laughter.

"I'll come to your bakery, Sabine. I promise," Bruce pledged, his vow sincere.

"I'll wait for that time to come then. How about you Bruce what do you want in the future?" She asked.

Bruce, with a hint of melancholy in his eyes, revealed the tragic loss of his parents and his determination to bring justice to their memory.

"I'm going to find the people who hurt my parents and make sure they pay for it," Bruce's voice held a steely determination. After that, they went inside and take a good night's rest.

As dawn broke, the two friends resumed their journey, their destination growing nearer with every step. Bruce's resourcefulness came to the forefront as he retrieved enough money to buy a ticket for the ferry that was hidden in his pockets.

There was still an hour before the ferry will board its passengers so both tried to look around and admired the trinkets of the small town as they wait.

"They're here," Bruce whispered as he saw the group of men that kidnapped them.

"What should we do?" Sabine asked worriedly. 

"We need to blend in with the crowd, we still got 20 minutes before the ferry starts boarding.

Both kids hide but as the time nears for the boarding, both of them encounter one of the kidnappers who called for his other companions once he saw them. Bruce then kicked the guy down below and both took the chance to run as he wither in pain.

"Where did you learn to do that, Bruce?" Sabine's eyes widened in amazement.

Bruce shrugged modestly. "I've been taught a few tricks."

Their pursuers were relentless, yet they managed to board a ferry to Wenzhou City just in time as it was about to leave the port.

Exhausted but triumphant, they finally reached the safety of Sabine's home.

"Thank you, Sabine. You saved my life," Bruce's gratitude was heartfelt.

Sabine smiled warmly. "We saved each other."

Her parents, worried and relieved, embraced their daughter tightly, their gratitude extended to the young Wayne who had journeyed alongside her.

As the sun set on their eventful day, they sat with the police, recounting their escape and their journey after they were well-rested.

"I'm proud of you, Sabine. You showed bravery beyond your years," Sabine's mother told her with admiration.

A few days passed and it was time for Bruce to go to another country to commemorate that day, Sabine's family decided to take a photo in remembrance of his time with them. Before Bruce rides the cab to the airport he gave Sabine a card, 

"Here, call me if ever you need help in the future. I'll be sure to do the best I could to help." He explained and went in the cab.

Time passed, and the memory of that fateful day became a cherished tale. A photograph remained, capturing the innocence and resilience of two children who had faced adversity and found friendship in the midst of chaos.

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In the present day, Damian Wayne found himself in the Dupain-Cheng household. His eyes were drawn to a photograph on the wall—a snapshot of Sabine, her family, and a young Bruce Wayne.

"Who's that guy in the photo?" Damian's curiosity got the better of him.

Sabine's voice held a hint of nostalgia as she recounted the tale of their escape and the bond forged in those challenging hours. 

"You know, Marinette is not put under the Wayne guardianship by coincidence for the exchange program. I asked your father to do me a favor to make sure of Marinette's safety while she's there," She explained

"I thought he would just choose a family that will be safe enough for Marinette to live with but he has always been protective of the people he deemed so dear to him," Sabine's smile held a mixture of fondness and gratitude.

As the story unfolded, Damian's perception of their history shifted. The connection between the Cheng and Wayne families ran deeper than he had imagined, and the realization of their shared past cemented their bond even further. Now it will continue through him and his beloved.

Emotional and heartfelt, the story of Sabine Cheng and Bruce Wayne's childhood friendship served as a reminder that unexpected circumstances can lead to lifelong connections.

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A/N: And there we go. Another heartfelt chapter. Initially, I have a different idea for this chapter which includes Talia and Ra's but I trashed it because it doesn't fit well with the timelines I made hahaha. Turns out Damian was born in 1999 while Marinette was born in 2001(All of these are based on the research and theorized by others and put on the web). Marinette is the youngest in her class so I'll assume that Marinette skipped grades or she just entered school early I still need to study more about the French school system and how it works. But for now, I do hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I had fun writing it.

That's it for now,

Don't forget to stay safe and stay tuned!

Ja ne!