Chapter 44

Marinette's P.O.V:

Everyone watched as I practically toyed with Damian during our spar. Damian would go in for a strike and I would easily side step him and boop him on the nose with a wink.

"Come on, babe. I know you can do better than that." I held my hands behind my back and gently swayed my hips in a non-threatening way.

I can tell nobody in the room has ever seen that Damian flounder so hard at anything in his life. I playfully skipped around him and even lightly hit him on the head with my yoyo as he tried to recover his stance.

Rubbing his head, he finally looked over at me with the most determined face he could muster up. He ran full speed at me and went to strike me in the ribs. Holding my yoyo at both ends, I straitened the sting out and blocked the sword at the last second.

"Now you're getting it." I kicked his hand away that held his weapon.

Resetting his stance again, he ran at me with his sword out and aimed straight for my head. Ducking under his sword, I slid down to my knees and flung my yoyo around his legs. Making sure the yoyo was secure, I yanked it tight which send him to the floor face first. I straddled his back and pinned his wrist to the floor but I wasn't strong enough to keep him there. He managed to get back on top but thankfully for me, his legs were still tied together.

"If you wanted to be on top, all you had to do was ask." I whispered so only he could hear and I winked up at him.

"What?!" He yelled and tried to stand up to get off of me but he seemed to have forgotten that his legs were tied so he just ended up flopping onto his back.

I pulled the sword out of his hand very easily. Something about this situation prevented him from keeping a tight hold onto his weapon, or anything else for that matter.

"Looks like I win, Boy Wonder." I spoke as I put his sword to his neck.

His family watched the whole ordeal in amazement and confusion. They didn't know exactly what I said to him to throw him so off balance but they all found it very amusing to witness.

I lightly kissed him on the lips before hopping off of him and setting his sword down on the floor beside him. "You can get up now." I smiled down at his beet red face.

It took him a moment to collect his thoughts before he tried to stand up again, only to realize his feet were still tied together. Freeing himself, he picks up his sword and hands the yoyo back to me.

"Well?" I looked at him. "Are you going to say something?"

Damian just nodded and walked over to a bench to sit down.

"What did you say to him that broke him this badly?" Jason was snickering at his brother who seemed to be staring off into space.

"Yeah." Tim nodded. "He's totally out of it."

"Well all I said was..." I began.

"No!" Damian abruptly stood up and walked right in front of me. "Don't say it."

"Don't say what?" I looked up at him innocently.

"You know exactly what I mean." He crossed his arms.

"What?" I gave him a wide grin. "All I said was that if you ~humph~" Damian quickly covered my mouth before I said any more.

"Oh, now I'm really curious." Dick smiled at his younger brother who seemed to be turning red again. "Let her talk."

"Not until she promises to not repeat what she just said." Damian looked down at me and all I did was smile back at him from behind his hand. Slowly he took his hand back.

"Let me just clarify." I smirked at him. "Do you not want me to say that EVER again or just repeating it to your family?"

"Angel..." He dragged his hand down his face. "You are driving me crazy."

"Then my plan is working." I poke him in the ribs lightly before turning her attention back to Bruce. "Who's next?"

I spent the remainder of my training sparing with Dick, who was very quick with his Escrima sticks (and I probably ended up with a few bruises because of that) and also with Jason, who seemed to be really good with all sorts of throwing weapons. They both put up a good fight but Dick ultimately won again and Jason ended up running out of weapons and had to finish the fight bare fisted and lost, but only barely.

I considered today a win in my book though because I ended up taking down three of the four brothers.

"One day I will beat you, Dick." I joked with him as I hung up my yoyo on the new spot on the wall.

"I'll be counting on it, Cupcake." He ruffled my hair as he walked by.

Damian's P.O.V:

"Good job today, Marinette." Father praised Marinette. "Next time it will be just you and me. Start thinking of ways to improve." He turned to my brothers and I. "Everyone shower up and get some rest. Damian, I would like to talk to you alone for a moment."

Marinette waved to me as she followed everyone else out of the gym.

I watched her leave before turning to look at my father. "Yes, father?"

"It seems like you weren't at your best today, Damian." He raised a brow at me. "What had you so distracted?"

"Um, well..." I looked nervously at my feet.

"She's very smart and has seemed to take my advice very seriously." Bruce grins at me. I immediately snap my head up to look at him.

"You told her to say that?" I was a little appalled.

"No, son." He chuckled softly as he shook his head. "I have no idea what she actually said to you. But I did tell her about the one strength she has over you and she took that and ran with it."

"I see." I nodded.

"You be safe with her, okay?" Father hands me something and walks away. "I don't want any grandkids from you just yet." He speaks over his shoulder as he turns the corner.

I was a little confused for a second before I looked down at what I was now holding. I quickly stuffed it in my pocket and looked around in case anyone saw me. Finding myself alone, I took a deep breath to try to control my heart rate and to stop the blush that was creeping up my neck.