Prologue

Paris, France 2005

Talia watched at the edge of the park; legs cross primly as she sat on the hard, wooden bench. She was dressed in average street clothes of a Parisian, with an added addition to sunglasses to hide her eyes just in case she was spotted. She a hoodie, something that normally she would not be wearing, but she wore it to conceal the small baby bump currently growing.

Her green eyes narrowed as they cast themselves upon their target – the couple currently picking flowers from a bush, laughing and giggling amongst themselves. One was a hulking mass of a pale-colored man, large burly with a blue shirt that was stained with flour. Talia was not surprised by this, one Tom Dupain was a well-known baker, owner of the Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie just north of the park. It was most likely the brunet man had just come from the bakery itself and had not bothered to change.

But Talia paid little attention to the man, instead focusing her attention on the petite woman with him. She had tan skin and almond eyes that were a lovely shade of chocolate brown. She was dressed in a floral maternity dress and had a large bump herself, revealing to the world that she was currently eight months pregnant. This was Sabine Dupain-Cheng. Her closest friend and the woman Talia had come to see.

Sabine smiled as Tom reached and put a small, pink flower behind her ear, a slight blush dusting the tips of her ears. Talia could not help the smile that curved it's way up her lips. It was apparent that Sabine and Tom truly loved each other, even if Talia often wondered how Sabine could have given up her life in the League of Assassins for the mundanity of being a baker's wife. But she cared for her friend, and if this was the life she chose, she would not stop Sabine.

Talia's long brunette hair blew in the soft summer wind, and she waited for Sabine to notice her. Sabine had been trained with the best assassins in the world, just as Talia had been. It was only a matter of time before Sabine noticed that Talia was here and acted accordingly. Even if her years away from the League had softened her friend, she knew instincts were hard to abandon.

As if on cue, Sabine looked up to do a sweep of the park, an arm brought protectively around her middle. Sabine's brown eyes met Talia's green, and Sabine smiled cheerily at the sight of her oldest friend. Sabine reached to tell Tom something, and Tom looked over as well to see Talia. He smiled as well and said something to Sabine in return.

Talia had met Tom Dupain only a few times, and she could not claim to like the man. He was loud and boisterous at times, and he had never dreamed of anything else other than being a baker in Paris. He had no greater ambition, his only purpose, it seemed, was bread and pastry. But he was kind to Sabine, and protective of her even if Sabine was able to protect herself. Though she might not like Tom, she tolerated his presence in the periphery of her life for Sabine.

"Talia," Sabine greeted airily, walking towards Talia. Pregnancy was causing Sabine to glow. The curve of her lips upwards seemed perpetual, and her eyes were alit with mirth and wonder. "It is wonderful to see you again. It's been too long."

Talia's life had been dedicated the last few years to finding a suitable successor for her father, which roughly translated to finding a husband that Ra's approved of. She had been lucky enough her beloved had proved himself worthy, even if he declined the offer for now. No matter, that was simply a matter of time. Her hand flittered to her stomach for a brief moment at the thought of him.

But that also meant she had not had free time to sneak away to Paris to see Sabine. It had been nearly a year and a half since Talia had seen Sabine, even if Talia had always kept tabs on Sabine through her network of spies and assassins. So it had been no surprise when she arrived here to find Sabine heavily pregnant with her and Tom's first child.

"Hello Sabine," Talia greeted. She nodded. "It is wonderful to see you again as well."

And it was. Sabine was the closest thing that Talia had ever had to a sister, disregarding Nyssa. But Nyssa had never truly been a sister to her, having disappeared from Ra's side long before Talia had been a glimmer in Ra's eye. But Sabine had been raised in League, just like Talia had been. They had trained together, fought together, and found companionship in the other. She had missed Sabine terribly.

"You look well," Sabine complimented. Her arms were folded across her stomach, and she looked ever the picture of a young woman on the cusp of motherhood. It was a far cry from how she had looked all those years ago, back when she was with the League.

"Thank you, my friend," Talia returned. She eyed Sabine's abdomen, and Sabine answered all the unasked questions that Talia had.

"It's a girl," Sabine said proudly. "We plan to name her Marinette."

Marinette. 'Of the sea'. A beautiful name.

"And you plan to raise her here? In Paris?" Talia asked, and another unsaid question beat between them. Will you train Marinette?

"I want her to have as normal a childhood as possible," Sabine said. "But…I will prepare her." Being an ex-member of the League of Assassins earned one many enemies. Though officially the woman Sabine had been was dead, there was always a risk. Always a chance someone could discover her secret. And Marinette could always be caught in the crossfire. So even Sabine wanted to give her a normal life, she would need to prepare herself that something could happen, but she will not receive the intense training they had.

Talia, however, would provide for her child only the best in training. Her child would be the greatest warrior to ever grace the Earth, they had the lineage of the Bat and the Demon's Head coursing through their veins there would be no other option for them. Her child, her Alexander, would be exceptional.

"Are you staying in Paris long?" Sabine asked, taking a seat next to Talia. "Perhaps you could come over for dinner –"

"I am leaving as soon as we are finished," Talia quickly explained. Sabine raised a brow, and Talia uncrossed her legs. Talia looked up and across the park, where Tom was still by the flower bush, humming some kind of song to himself as he picked more. A little girl and her mother was next to him, and he was handing them to the little girl – the bush seemed to be too high for the girl to reach. "I have news, my friend."

"News?" Sabine asked.

"Yes." Talia sighed and turned to her oldest friend. "I am pregnant as well."

Sabine was silent for another long moment, clearly thinking over how to respond. Then she smiled and put a hand on Talia's shoulder.

"Congratulations," Sabine told her. "Who is the father?"

Talia hesitated. Talia had resolved to keep the identity of her Alexander's father secret, as Bruce had many enemies on his own. It would already put a target on his back, being a child of Talia al Ghul. And though a target would be unavoidable, she wanted to keep it as small as possible.

But Sabine was someone that Talia trusted. Talia had risked everything for Sabine, aiding in her escape from the League and giving her a new life here in Paris. And she knew Sabine would have done the same for her, if she had been asked.

So, she decided to trust Sabine.

"The Batman," Talia answered in a quiet voice. Sabine had left the League during the early periods of investigating the Batman, determining if the detective was a threat or a possible asset. Before Talia had met Bruce for the first time, before…. before she fell in love with him.

Sabine nodded, seemingly understanding to keep this information as quiet as possible.

"I understand," Sabine said. "They will be raised in the League?"

"Yes," Talia answered. Talia knew that the League had it's issues, but her Alexander would be loved there. Talia would be able to protect him and keep him safe and help train them to become the greatest they could be. So yes, Talia would rear her child in the League.

Talia shook her head.

"You and your child will always be welcome here," Sabine told her. "Consider Paris a safe haven for you two." Sabine smiled and reached for Talia's hand, giving it a tight, friendly squeeze. "Perhaps Marinette and your child could be friends? You could visit?"

The thought warmed Talia's heart. Though she knew their time under her care would be unconventional, and her Alexander would never have the childhood others had, she still wished for them to not be alone. Yes, Talia would make sure Sabine and Marinette were in their life.

"Yes," Talia said, grinning at her friend. "Marinette and Damian shall be friends."

Sabine tilted her head to the side. "Damian? Will that be their name?"

"Yes. Damian."

Her Alexander. Her greatest love. He will be the things of legend.

She would make sure of it.