Chapter Text
He tells Alfred to pick him up later than usual after school, and immediately after the bell rings he makes his way to the locker rooms. He quickly changes into his exercise clothes in the locker's bathroom. And makes his way to the football field.
There are about seven other students there and all of them are warming up. Okay that is something he can do, he knows how to warm up. Just calm down. He ignores the students that stare at him and quietly starts his warmup.
One of the older students claps their hands, and motions for them all to assemble in front of them. “Okay gang to start, we have a new member” They quickly wave in his direction. “Do you want to introduce yourself?” Everything about them seems to be energetic. “Hello, my name is Damian Wayne”
One of the blonde girls snaps their head up at the sound of his last name, he has to use all of his restraint to keep from rolling his eyes at her action.
He has gone to Gotham academy long enough that people should stop being so surprised at his family name. It is really starting to get old.
The energetic team leader points at everyone one by one and calls out their names. “Carrie Harris” a brown-haired girl he shares mathematics with. “Mark Abareth”, “Cloe Bourgeois” the blonde girl, that explains her reaction to his name. The Bourgeoises and Waynes go way back, he has probably met her before at one of his father's galas. “Caleb Lee'' They point at a boy with light green hair “Brenda Heart and lastly Marinette Dupain Cheng''
Dupain Cheng looks him straight in the eye and gives him a blinding smile. He knows her from at least 3 of his classes. “And lastly, I am Dani Ramirez” The leader's voice brings him back to the present. “Okay now that everyone is up to speed let's begin”
Damian gets paired with Harris, and with that the entire group sets off. They run onto a gravel road that winds around the football field.
He tries to match his pace with Harris but with every step she takes he feels his sanity slip away. He could stop and pick up every pebble on the ground and still catch up with her in a few seconds. But he digressed.
Dupain Cheng and Bourgeois had both set off at a fast pace and had made it twice as far as him with the dark-haired girl taking the lead.
It takes him 15 minutes to finish the run and he has never missed air as much as when they finally stop. The rest of the team were all waiting for them, most of them were breathing fairly heavily, all but Dupain Cheng.
Dani clapped again and introduced the new task. Apparently other things than running was required to be good at cross country. Most of the meet was spent doing wariest leg exercises. And he found out that Marinette was deceptively strong. She could keep up with him with ease. Something not even Brown could do, and she was a vigilante. Dupain Cheng was just a normal girl.
Dani pulls him aside before they start stretching to ask him to sign some forms, and to get some information about what joining the team would actually mean.
As he walks back to the team, he spots her dark hair in the middle of the football field, head tipped back as she laughs at something her friend Bourgeoisie had said. Damian steers his feet towards the duo and braces himself. “Dupain Cheng” she turns towards the sound of her name.
Instead of replying she simply cocks an eyebrow. “Would you be able to coach me on how to better run cross country”
The slight widening of her eyes is the only sign of her surprise. He can't help but feel impressed by her control over her emotions, his brothers could learn a thing or two from her.
“Okay sure, when are you available”
She surprises him again by not asking why he wanted just her help.
“Does Saturday at 10 work for you?”
“Oui, should we run in the park?”
“Yes, I will meet you there”
He gives her a last look before walking towards his waiting ride.