Following the League's coup, Marinette al Ghul and her twin brother, Damian, are left on the doorstep of their father- Bruce Wayne, otherwise known as Batman.
Or, the story of Marinette- the granddaughter of the Demon's Head, ex-assassin, Starling...
A/N: just two more chapters, and then we're caught up for this fic (which means I have to write more ahhhhhhh)
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Marinette joined Professor D'Argencourt's fencing team two weeks into the school year as a way to keep her skills sharp and as an outlet for stress. It works surprisingly well, but she is by far the most skilled fencer on the team. Marinette is confident she can at least match Professor D'Argencourt in a match, but she hasn't ever tried.
The only person anywhere near her skill level, regrettably, is Adrien. Every day after school, she duels him, and every day, she is victorious. None of the team is a match for her, unlike Cass, or... Damian.
She shakes her head, pulling her face guard down and walking out of the locker room into the open courtyard in the middle of the school. The red and gold leaves of November rustle above her. Thinking about Damian will not bring him back.
A new fencer, boldly dressed in red, is demanding to join the team. D'Argencourt insists that they only have room for the best, and the fencer states that they were the best, wherever they went. The professor agrees to let them duel the best fencer he has, and that they will be allowed to join the team if the fencer beats his best.
When asked who is the best fencer, everyone turns around and looks at Marinette. She draws her sabre and walks over to the mats. Maybe this fencer will be different.
Marinette stands tall, sabre at the ready, facing her opponent, who does the same. At the professor's signal, they lunge in a furious battle of blades, and she feels a jolt of excitement as she has to increase the amount of focus she uses from half to about two-thirds to keep up. Marinette has never met someone who could keep up with her that wasn't a Bat, Justice League member, or assassin. This is new and interesting, and she likes it.
Again and again, the machine declares a tie, so they remove their sensors and engage in combat the old-fashioned way. Marinette knows she isn't pushing herself as much as she can, that she could win if she tried harder, but this fencer is... special. Different. She wants them to join the team, if only so she can duel them during practice instead of Adrien.
When their sabres finally touch each other again, Adrien is the only one who witnesses it, and he declares the one in red the winner.
Marinette disagrees, but lets it go. It is not every day that she meets someone who can match her in swordplay. She looks forward to duelling them again, now that they have been awarded a place on the team.
The fencer removes their mask, revealing- "Tsurugi Kagami." Marinette says reverently. "It was an honor to duel you."
She removes her own face guard and holds out her hand. "Marinette Cheng."
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Kagami's French is lightly accented. "I do not find many that can keep up with me."
It was more like you were keeping up with me, but it is admirable all the same. Marinette smiles as the other girl shakes her hand. "I believe this will be the start of a strong partnership. I look forward to seeing you at practice tomorrow.."
