It was meant to be an uneventful evening. Wintergreen had hoped so himself, seeing as neither of the four had a contract to finish, or even training to accomplish. No, tonight was meant to be a family night, something so rare and unheard of in their industry. Never stopped them before, but time is quite unkind.

Several Years Before

Deathstroke, part-time father and full time mercenary. For a man who had an infamous era full of blood and death, fatherhood was one of his many unnatural talents.

There were limits to what one could ask for when hired (though exceptions were made) and coming across a battered boy surrounded by slain family members strengthened that rule. Orphans were common in Gotham, but something about this particular child held his interest. By the time Batman arrived at the scene, the boy was long gone into the hands of what should have been horrific torture and misfortunes.

Will (wintergreen) unexpectedly became a grandfather that same night

In the several years of his unofficial adoption, the boy soaked up every ounce of information seen, heard and taught. If he truly wanted to be an apprentice to Slade though, Will ensured the boy would never be the one to finish the job. Preferably he wouldn't want to take after Slade's career, but based on his enthusiasm, that was an impossible request. No one deserved to have blood on their conscious so early on though, so Will at the bare minimum ensured That.

Richard was incredibly bubbly for an orphaned 8-year-old, though Wintergreen sensed that the grief never left. An incredible acrobat with an incline for knowledge, the possibilities were endless, which was why Slade did decide to ensure the boy would one day wear the mantle to the best of his abilities.

Why had the mercenary been so benevolent? To him, his goals were beyond the understanding of any 'superhero' or common man. The prospect of a better world was heavily subjected to thousands of definitions, so what was the use trying to convince just as many people that his was undoubtedly right? His newest member though was quite content in accepting these foreign ideals. It was the reason he was still alive; better yet, he was given the opportunity to help others from ever facing the same fate he Should have endured with his parents!

Richard was one child too many in that unorthodox family, though no one complained. It was the second instance that was far more complex.

A young girl in the middle of an abandoned lot, far into the slums of Gotham. Couldn't have been older than 9 by her figure, though the height was abnormally short for that assumption. Slade was on route to that exact location where a woman rampaging the area was said to be. He didn't ask questions; the pay was above average with the description fitting that of someone long gone to insanity. It would have been a mercy kill.

That was Not the case. Perched above the rooftop, still coveted by the shadows he saw the girl covered in blood, desperately clutching something to her chest while glancing around terrified. No one else was within the mile. Surprisingly she noticed Slade the moment he arrived and reared backwards in fright, all the while never letting go of whatever it was she held onto. His assignment would just have to be completed in a different manner; there were ways to still collect the cash with the child still breathing. The same couldn't be said for the caller.

Will woke up to the sounds of his best friend returning home, but stared at the toddler beside him instead.

Nothing needed to be said immediately, what with the state the poor girl was in, but the three abnormally large eggs clutched in her arms were cause for Several questions. Nothing was answered that night, and so the guest room was prepared while Will looked after her. The next day proved similar. They were nearly convinced she was a mute, but audible giggles or grunts disproved that. Will suggested to find out where her family was (if she still had any) and take her back to someplace more appropriate, far from common gunfire in the vicinity. Too bad a certain boy overheard whispered chatter while passing by.

Richard was just turning eleven at the time, and he took to being her brother a bit too eagerly. There was no mention of her staying, and what little research was done that day came back with baffling answers. There were absolutely no records of her even existing on earth, less on how she ended up where she did. Blood samples from her shirt came back unknown; not human, not animal. Her own blood was strange, but Slade decided she was probably another mutant. They weren't that uncommon anymore in this day and age, but some record of her existence should have still been available. He didn't mention it our loud, but mutant blood – while vastly chaotic and confusing in itself – always held some consistent variable that allowed them to be categorized in the first place. She had no such thing.

With no method of finding her family and the risk of simply putting her anywhere else, they decided to keep her with them for the moment. It wouldn't be permanent, but until something more concrete could be uncovered, it was decided that this was a safer option for Everyone.

Third day there and Richard discovered she Could speak but had no knowledge on how to do so. Just more questions raised, but that was becoming a habit. She would wake up, be taken to breakfast, stare at the food as foreign, follow Richard around, watch Will prepare meals, peek in to see what Slade was doing, then head off to bed. She never ate any food, but there wasn't a hint of hunger in her eyes or posture. Every night as she crawled into bed, having been led by her now big brother, both older men would try and find answers that just weren't there.

Sixth day of what became a routine for the new siblings, the girl could finally repeat a few words through the vigorous training Richard had her do. He immediately tried asking about the eggs she was insistent on having by her, not even leaving them for a second to be inspected thoroughly by Slade or Will.

"Mine? "…Child,ren" was all that she repeated.

Slade didn't know what to make of that, but he had kept busy with a few contracts in avoidance to the situation. He hadn't wanted another child, much less a strange case as her, but her possible powers could be used against them should a vigilante harbor her instead. The eggs didn't need to be in his hands to get a reading on them, but it all came back as negative for vital signs. They were stones, nothing more. Maybe he had been wrong about her having powers. Regardless, it wasn't as he could take her anywhere still without alerting authorities or upsetting the other two men in his life. This might have to be a permanent situation.

He could call Richard a son, but to have a daughter? At least Will was thrilled at the idea.

On the twelfth day is when things went wrong, just as he had been planning to come to a final decision on what do really do with her on the thirteenth. By methods unknown, the girl escaped.

There was no indication on when this happened, how it was possible, or where she could have gone. The eggs were missing, so it was safe to say she wasn't returning any time soon. Richard suited up in record time despite wanting to go search for her that very second, being reminded that their identities were still something to protect even in moments of panic. Will waited anxiously while men and boy darted out in search of a girl who had left absolutely no trail of her whereabouts.

Two hours later, Slade had the idea to call it a night despite rigorous protest. It was pointless running around without the slightest clue to where they should look. He wanted to find her too, but one had to be realistic. Something snapped both of their attentions to another source, probably others were aware as well, seeing as a massive fire erupted not far from where locals mingled. With no other lead, they raced forward.

Two or three bystanders were screaming, though most of their rants were drowned by the deafening hiss of flames. What they Could make out though was horrifying. A little girl had been spotted running directly to the heart of the disaster with no hesitation several minutes ago. Slade had to pull back a hysterical Richard from lunging in as well. If she went in earlier as shouted by those below, there was nothing that could be done. She Had to be dead.

They waited for fire officials to come and fight the flames, eventually dimming it to a more manageable state. He hadn't even gotten to know the girl, having been so hellbent on scrounging answers to origins that wouldn't have even mattered. Will would be devastated for sure, and Richard? Time would be cruel in healing that boy.

Finally, the fire was gone, but so was the girl. It should have been the end of this story, despite its tragic outcome.

Burned wood shifted unnaturally as folk wept, ignorant to the growing movement ahead. Still hidden, Richard fought back sobs for his little sister, but Slade was staring on in slight horror. A pale arm had risen from the rubble, then another. The gentle movement was enough for the rest surrounding her to come apart. Her clothes had long since burned to ash, but she was anything but harmed. The people had since looked up in awe at the living miracle, which turned to confusion when something crawled over her chest. Something else made its way up her shoulder, and a third shifted on her right leg. Slade noticed the eggshell pieces scattered around her. She carefully stood up, harboring three young creatures on her body. Nobody said a word.

During the silence, one of the winged young lings had managed to stand upright on her shoulder, revealing a pair of lightly developed wings, dilated amber eyes and claws rivaling that of most animals. It flapped once, then twice before emitting a scrawny but still audible screech, echoing the roads around them, resonating with all that stood witness. The girl could spot her brother and his father in the shadows, both of whom were gaping at the sight. "Marella," she stated softly, but they heard her clearly. "Name, is Marella."

Everyone present was introduced to Marella that night, along with three healthy baby dragons still clinging to their mother.

This is my first story on fanfic, so let me know if this is something you would want to read! I have the entire plot outlined and ready to be written if folk are interested. Comment below! ?