Chapter Text
Arya, Damian and Jason finally reached Gotham.
Gotham stank of urine and smoke, the smog in the air was familiar to Jason, he looked at Arya with a smile. “Welcome to Gotham.” Arya looked at the city before looking at him.
“This definitely looks ghetto.” Arya wrinkled her nose at the drying vomit she had to walk past, she stayed close to Jason clutching Damian’s hand firmly, it was unfamiliar and so much more different than Metropolis where it was sunny, she bet there was hardly any sun that came through the black clouds.
There was movement in the dark, they weren’t monsters, they were kids. Underfed, off colour looking kids, ranging from the age of seven and over, their limbs were so skinny and their faces looked pudgy with baby fat, their faces lacked the smiles of joy, they had scowls on their faces, eyes untrusting. They were just trying to survive. Arya’s heart ached at the sight of them, she was glad she was in Gotham. Gotham needed change. No matter what stupid laws were put in place that restricted help being given to the city especially Crime Alley, she was going to break them.
Arya placed her hand in Jason’s clenching it tightly as she shook in anger. She couldn’t imagine what these kids went through just trying to stay alive, the amount of child predators, child traffickers, the number of molesters of the dirty streets of Gotham. It was sickening.
Jason squeezed Arya’s hand comfortingly, she looked over to see a great determination that matched her own.
They were going to help. No matter what.
A three months later…
“Jason, how’s the helmet going?” Jason was shirtless, oil flicked on his hands as he was screwing some small screws into the right side of the helmet.
The three had found a safehouse in Crime Alley, hidden between an alley that had a basement, it had three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen connected to the dining area and a large basement area. The structure of the house was like this, once you walked into the house, you’d be met with the living room, it was a large living room, as you keep walking there will be a hallway, on the left would be the bedrooms and the door to the basement, on the right would be the kitchen and connected dining room.
It used to belong to some drug dealers years back, but it was in good condition. If you were wondering why Damian was still with the two teens, well Damian refused to leave them, and the two weren’t complaining at all, Damian was a little brother to them and neither of them wanted him to go to Wayne Manor to be with Bruce. He’d rather live with the two in the safehouse, so why should they force Damian to go somewhere he doesn’t want to?
Sorry Tals, they ain’t separating at all. (For now…)
To keep rent up and running while Jason worked by patrolling as Red Hood, Arya found some work in transporting at the port, this gained her intel on any drug deals as she worked as ‘Corey Hilbert’, the man was 5,11, a bit beefy but with a mean looking face with a few knife scars. It was Arya’s first male transformation, and it was working wonders for her. Who knew being a man would have so many benefits?
(Its the inequality, Arya.)
With Arya out the house, it allowed Jason to work on his helmet, Arya found any scraps of metal she could for him from the port and helped get any old pieces from guns to upgrade the weapons they took from the League. Also using the extra money from her job she got, she got art supplies for Damian, who found out he liked drawing as a hobby.
“Hmm, I still need more wire, do you think you can get some?” Jason asked, not looking up from his working station. It only had a bit more things to add to it like the defence mechanism and the fingerprint scanner.
“Sure.” Arya continued sewing, she was making finishing touches to her suit, she had already finished Jason’s, it was a spare suit for him if he wanted it, it was black on the torso except the seams which were red, the sleeves were red and the hood was red too, Jason wanted some cargos with some knee pads, not very visible until you look close enough, holsters were sewed on to the sides of the trousers and when you looked at it, it was amazing, it was lightweight, manoeuvrable and stretchy at parts but still very protective, it would protect the user from any knife wounds (due to the fibres used) and fireproof and just don’t get shot since it doesn’t really protect you against bullets, that’s why there’s a need for bulletproof vests that the three still needed to get. It definitely fit Jason’s style.
Arya was making a dark midnight blue suit for herself, it blended in with the shadows and darkness when she went on patrol, it was the same style as Jason but a bit smaller to match her size, not everyone was a Lazarus Pit induced person with hella muscles. Now, Damian’s one, as reluctant as she was, Arya still made him one, though Damian did most of the touches he wanted, it was quite like the other suits, but it had a dark green cloak with a hood with golden threaded designs going along the hood of the cloak which Damian did himself. It was beautiful, each part of the design had so much care put into it.
A timer rang and Arya set down her suit and got up making her way up from the basement into the kitchen, she took out the lasagna tray from the oven and placed it on a rack to cool for a bit, Jason had made it an hour earlier before heading down to work on his helmet.
“Jay, its done!” Arya called down the staircase, Damian strolled out his room and sat at the table after washing his hands.
“Give me a few minutes!” Jason called, Arya took out three plates and a large spoon and cut out two large servings and a smaller serving before placing them on the three plates, leaving half of the lasagna left she placed it back into the oven before setting the plates on the table with a knife and fork, and a bottle of ketchup. Arya took out a carton of apple juice from the fridge and filled three glasses and placed them on the table, she gestured for Damian to start eating, the meal was fully vegetarian, Jason always made sure to buy Quorn meats so that Damian could eat anything he wanted. Arya had no complaints because food was food for her and Jason was a good cook who knew his way around flavour and spices.
After a few minutes, Jason came up and washed his hands before sitting at the table to start eating, “You’re disgusting, ketchup on lasagna?” Jason wrinkled his nose in disgust.
“It tastes good and makes it taste nicer.” Arya argued as she continued squeezing ketchup on her lasagna. “Even Damian agrees.” Arya pointed her fork at Damian. Damian glared at the two and finished his lasagna.
“Don’t include me in your senseless banter.” He grumbled and got off his chair taking his plate to the sink and dumped them inside, taking his glass of juice from the table and made his way to his room. Arya watched Damian disappear into his room before turning back to Jason.
“See even he agrees that ketchup on lasagna is wrong” Jason smirked triumphantly, Arya narrowed a look at him.
“In my opinion, you are wrong to do that, ukhti!” Damian shouted out of his room, a mortified look made its way onto Arya’s face
“I see nothing wrong with it, you’re just a hater.” Arya finished her lasagna, picking up her drink, she said directed at Jason.
“Not a hater, just normal.” Jason smiled proudly at himself.
“You’re lying to yourself.” She stuck her tongue out at him, “Gaslighting 101”.
“You’re the bully here, in this situation.” Jason pouted at her.
“Nah, just telling the brutal truth.” She sipped her drink, she pulled out her phone to look at the latest news in Gotham, Brucie Wayne was having a gala in three days, oh, to be rich like him. Then an idea slipped into her face.
“Gonna crash a party in three days”
“I’m not going to stop you.” Jason sighed as he took the last bite of his meal.
“Nope.” Arya popped the ‘p’ with a grin. “You will help me, right?”
“If I say no?”
“I don’t know, I’ll think about it when it comes down to that.”
“What do you need me to do?” he sighed.
“I need you to come with me, Blue Orphic and Red Hood.” She smiled toothily.
“You chose your name, Blue Orphic?”
“Yup, Blue Orphic.”
“It’s a good name.” Arya began gathering the dirty dishes.
“I know, being mysterious is something I like being.” She said putting the dishes in the sink. “Come, kind sir, I have something to show you.” She lead him to her room, her room’s theme was black and dark blue, she had a large bookcase filled with books, next to it a desk with a black and blue gaming chair in front of a computer that had a notebook and pot of pens next to it, she had a large double bed with a bedside drawer full-face masks displayed on her dresser with matching gloves, one full-face mask, a midnight blue with small golden constellations dancing around the eyes with a few shooting stars.
The other mask was green which Damian patterned with golden swirls accentuating the white lenses, the gloves matched the colours of both of the masks, there was a strip of dark blue with golden flecks along the sides of the gloves, the other gloves pair of gloves smaller than the other one had a design on the dark green strip, both of them, the mask and the gloves, were beauties and matched their owners perfectly.
“Well?” Arya looked at him expectantly.
“Arya…” Jason was speechless. “They’re amazing!”
“I know right!” An excited smile matched Jason’s, “Now I don’t have to wear a black fabric mask when patrolling.”
“How did you guys come up with them?” Jason looked at her.
“I’ve always loved looking at the stars and I like mysteries, like what else is in space other than things we know? So that’s one of the reasons I went with Blue Orphic since space is an enchanting mystery.”
“It’s perfect for you.” He said with a smile, his eyes glancing over to the gloves and masks once more.
“Thank you” She smiled. “By the way, can Damian come too?” Arya asked with a cheeky smile.
“Go where?” Damian materialised out of nowhere.
“To the Gala?” Jason asked.
“Yeah, the Gala, what else would I be talking about?” Arya turned to Damian, “Do you want to go to the Gala?”
“Were we invited?” Damian asked with a brow raised.
“No, we’re going anyway.” Arya said with a grin.
“It is unwise to attend a place uninvited.” Damian said, being the responsible one out of the two of them, Arya rolled her eyes.
“Well, I don’t care, a party is a party and it’s not like people eat all the food there, think about all the food waste while these snobby riches just laugh and giggle and through hidden insults using posh words instead of properly eating. The Charity Gala is probably to show other people that they seem like good people, when they don’t give a damn about our side.” Arya said trying to convince him, “And, don’t you want to see how your father is like?” she raised a brow. Damian had been asking how his father was like. Jason wasn’t really the best person to ask since he has negative views on Bruce and Arya, well, she couldn’t really say anything too since she was quite ambivalent towards Bruce.
Damian was quiet for a while, “Okay.” Arya’s smile widened in triumphantly, Jason sighed from the sidelines.
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The next day rolled over, Arya was heading out to the library, she was wearing a dark black hoodie and some black leggings with black trainers and her backpack, she walked through the streets, minding her won business, keeping her head looking down, a sour lollipop in her mouth (blue raspberry flavour) as she walked to the library, it wasn’t very exciting.
She got to the library after a while, she waved at Barbara who was at the desk, “Hey, Barbara, do you have any books to recommend?” Arya asked.
“Hey Arya, I have a book you can read.” She turns in her wheelchair and moves to a drawer and pulls out a familiar book Arya had seen before. “The Song Of Achilles.” A pained ache pinged into Arya’s heart, that book had made her stare at a wall for a good hour. Disbelief, anguish, annoyance, sadness, all these flurried together in that one hour.
“Thank you.” Arya takes the book and place in the book scanner thingy after scanning her library card, she was so going to let Jason read it. The book was an amazing one. She puts the book into her backpack. “Bye, Barbara.” Arya smiles at her before heading out.
“Bye Arya.” Barbara smiled back as she watched Arya disappear out the door.
Arya decided to take the long way back home, taking out her earphones and plugged them into her phone and listened to some Lana Del Ray. (She thanked God she at least existed in the universe). She hummed a bit of Young and Beautiful, walking through the street, passing people, waving at young curious toddlers as they stared at her as they walked past holding their parents’ hand.
Once she reached home, she took off her shoes and slipped on her slippers and went to find Jason. He wasn’t in the basement, so he was in his room, Arya knocked on his door. “Jay! I got a book for you!” Jason opened the door, his eyes sparkling in excitement, it was good that Arya was a bookworm like him too. Arya pulled out the book from her backpack. “The Song of Achilles.” She passed it into his hands and passed him a lemon flavoured lollipop with it.
“Thanks, I’ve been wanting something to read.” He says with a smile, taking the book and lollipop.
“Have fun.” Arya said as Jason closed the door on her, his book-loving heart was already ready to read the book. Arya grinned to herself, ‘Have fun indeed, Jason Peter Todd.’ She thought.
The teen made her way to her own room, slipping off her bag in her rolling chair, she changed into her satin pyjamas and flopped onto her bed. She looked around her room ceiling as she laid on her bed. That’s when she saw it.
A large spider crawled down the wall next to her bed, Arya looked at it once before taking another glance, she wasn’t scared of it, she could easily kill the spider with one of her needles which she always has on her at all times but where’s the fun in that?
Arya faked a shrieked and took her pillow, laptop and duvet and ran out the room, she scurried past Jason’s room and knocked onto Damian’s door.
“Damian!” She hissed, “Damian, please! Open your door!”
“What is it?! Damian threw the door open, his hands covered in paint.
“There’s a spider in my room, please let me sleep in yours!” Arya begged.
“It’s just a spider, it will not hurt you.” Damian scowled.
“I don’t care but I am not sleeping in a room where spiders can creep into my duvet and crawl on me.” Arya frowned playfully, hoisting up her load to keep the laptop from slipping off the duvet she had in her arms.
“Have you forgotten all your training? You’re a failure of an assassin.” Damian moved aside and let the girl in, Damian’s room was of neutral tones, the walls were grey, the only things in his room that showed his personality was the blades he had on his wall and the art supplies he kept on his desk. Damian returned to his desk, while Arya placed her stuff down onto the carpet. She wanted to know what Damian was making.
Arya peered over his shoulder taking a peek at his artwork, it was a beautiful landscape, the mountains of the Himalayas, they stood strong and proud, dusted with snow, the sky a beautiful powder blue with clouds unfurling on the page, the gentle touches of his brush were precise and effortless, he was currently painting a great mountain hawk with a small brush, making sure to make the details refined and perfect, Arya watched, each movement he made, making sure to keep silent to not disturb his focus, Damian was truly amazing. Arya smiled proudly to herself as she continued to watch Damian make the finishing touches to his work.
Once the brush entered the water cup Arya finally spoke, “You know Dami, you should enter an art competition, I think you’d win.” Arya said with a smile.
“…I can do that?” Damian asked a bit unsure, it was one thing doing art for himself, as his hobby but other people seeing it and judging it? What if it wasn’t good enough for them? What if they thought his art was bad?
“Damian, I believe you can do it, we can sign you up for a youth competition, as an eight-year-old, you’re better than most teens I’ve seen.”
“What- what if I don’t win?” Damian asked, turning to her, eyes filled with anxiety.
“It’s alright, I’m sure you’ll be the best artist in me and Jay’s eyes, and I’ll make sure you’ll know it.” Arya said reassuringly. “You can always try again in a different art competition.”
“I’ll think about it.” Damian said glancing at his art, still unsure whether he should enter a competition or not, Arya nodded with a smile.
“Enough of this competition talk, I have a show we can watch for tonight since I’m going to crash in your room for tonight.” Arya grinned.
“…that was your real reason to come here.” Damian gave her a side eye.
“More or less.” Arya said opening her laptop, she waved him over to sit on his bed and watch the show she wanted to show him, Damian rolled his eyes and complied.
“What’s the show called?”
“Miraculous: The Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.”
“This is the show that makes you get mad right?” Damian asked glancing at her with narrowed eyes. “Why would you want to watch something that makes you mad?”
“It’s been getting too interesting lately.” Arya said, starting the first episode, that night, Damian had started the beginning of his first canon event.
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“Are they that unintelligent?! They have the same hair style! How can they not know?!” Damian screeched at the screen, Arya nodded in firm agreement. “If they’re in love with each other, how can they not see that Marinette is Ladybug and Adrien is Cat Noir?”
“Love makes people blind, Damian. Love makes people blind.” Arya sighed, giving the frustrated boy a side hug as they watched the show.
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“In the daytime, I’m Marinette. Just a normal girl, with a normal life!” Arya sang as she cleaned in the kitchen.
“She is not normal at all, she attends a school with a model, the mayor’s daughter, she made an album cover for a famous rockstar and her parents own a famous bakery!” Damian interrupted with a huff. “Lies! All lies!” He stomped off into the hallway back to his room, Arya waited for a few seconds.
“One…. Two…. Three!” The theme song for Miraculous started up, Arya laughed to herself, the poor boy was addicted to watching it, he was already halfway done through the season one and it had just been a day since he’d started! Not to mention he was keeping her laptop hostage and wouldn’t let her take it back, he was guarding that thing with his life, Arya gave up trying to take it after the third attempt.
After Arya had finished cleaning the kitchen, she realised she hadn’t seen Jason at all the whole day, he hadn’t left his room ever since I got him the book from the library, he hadn’t left to go on patrol at all too!
She knocked on his bedroom door, “Jay, you in there?”
“What?” She heard a watery reply. “Jay, I’m coming in.” Arya said a bit worried.
‘Oh my god, he isn’t-’ Arya opened the door and there was a puffy eyed Jason staring at her. “Are you crying?” Arya asked cautiously, a smile threatening to curl on her lips.
“Fuck off.” He flipped her off, wiping his eyes with his free arm.
“Sorry, forget to tell you it was sad, but it was good, huh?” Aya joked a bit trying to get Jason to smile, instead she got a thin line and unimpressed eyes glaring at her.
“How I coped with it was reading fics?” Arya tried to suggest.
“No, go away.”
“Can I have the book to reread?” Arya asked with a bit of an awkward smile.
“Get out!” Jason clutched the book closer to him.
“Okay, okay!” Arya ran back out the bedroom door, shutting the door. “Well, damn.” Arya muttered to herself, she shrugged to herself and went to pop into Damian’s room and watch Miraculous with him.
She was so going to make sure that she teased Jason about the book, once he had processed it all, of course.