"Cleo-"

"Do you really want to go there?" I ask lowly, tone dropping into dark depths. Using my father's fear of me to my advantage has become easier these days.

Something tells me it is not going to save me here.

I jump up and out of the seat, startling him as I storm from his office.

The nerve of my own father trying to force me into marrying for his business. Even worse; to the self-centred poster boy for rich abs Dick Grayson, first ward of Bruce Wayne.

"What did he want?" I hear my brother Demitri ask, running up behind me. I can't even form the words, trying to figure out how I ended up here.

A year ago I had to leave the Marine Elites for multiple reasons. The main three were post-traumatic stress disorder, lack of work and needing to come back to the family business.

If I had known that he wanted to marry me off the moment I passed a psych eval (having failed the first seven) I'd be in Qurac still, right now.

Demitri is hot on my heels all the way to the elevator.

"Does he want to arrange a marriage between you and someone?" he suddenly asks. I look at him in surprise. "Same," he sighs.

"Who?"

"Rein Corbin."

I fail to choke back a laugh. 

"Frosty," I say. If there is one thing everyone knows about Rein Corbin, it is her lack of emotion. She has none.

"You?"

"Richard Grayson," I say as the doors open. We step out, some people greeting us. We both ignore them and make our way into the street.

"What are we going to do?" He asks as he desperately tries to keep up.

I head straight for my car, "talk to the one person who might be able to change his mind, obviously."

◊

◊

"For the last few years, money has been disappearing out of the Perich Inc. accounts every three months. By money, I mean bucket loads. Tens of millions. All were signed by the founder and CEO of Perich Inc., Alan Perich. The removals began when his daughter Major Cleopatra Perich left the Marine Elites. Since then two hundred million dollars has disappeared into an several offshore accounts; codename Zelrich," Tim Drake explains, hunched over the monitor.

"So it's causing strain on the business connections and people are getting suspicious. His only solution is to marry three of his ten children off to the families of those businesses with promised connection and money. Human robot Rein from Corbin Global gets fun-loving party boy Demitri Perich. Human bicycle -because everyone gets a ride- Sadie from Montel Corporation gets broody and serious Ethan Perich. And get PTSD ex-Marine vegetable Cleopatra Perich," Batgirl concludes from her seat. "Why go into this? And why Dick? Couldn't you marry Tim off to Fantasia Perich?" She asks Batman.

"She's one year older than me," Tim mumbles.

"Big deal! Cleopatra is 24 and Dick's 25. A year is nothing... Wish it was..."

"I'm not agreeing with the arrangement for the business. It's for the investigation," Batman says roughly. Nightwing sits ways away, reading over Cleopatra Perich's file.

"You know she was part of the most strong squad in the Marines during her time in Relasia, Qurac, Afghanistan and Iraq. They called her squad the Rainbow of Death because each of them had a colour. Cleo was Violet. 342 confirmed kills."

"Oh, it's Cleo now is it?" Barbra chides.

"Give it a rest," he murmurs. He can't understand why she doesn't understand. He only agreed to this to stop Perich Inc. in its tracks.

"Perich Inc. is the dodgiest company in the country. No charities, typical sweatshops in Asia, no benefits for workers; they gobble money up by the second. That's why they're successful and everyone else drowns in comparison. And that's why companies are so willing to marry their kids into the family. The kids of those kids will inherit some of Perich Inc.," Tim explained.

Nightwing looks down at the clean cut Marine profile image of the Major. Light brown straight hair flowing over her shoulders and bright purple eyes. 

Perhaps that is where her name comes from?

Either way, she is to be his wife.

◊

◊

"Mom?"

Demitri and I walk into the backyard of the mansion to see our mother doing yoga, her instructor in front of her. An avocado mask is spread across her face. She wears her sunglasses over that and a pale blue tracksuit.

My mother is a forty-five year old French-born woman. She had me at 22, when my dad was 29. Over the next few years she had Dimitri, Ethan, Fantasia, the twins Gordon and Hallow, Ignatier, the other twins Jeremy and Klover and lastly Logan.

Of course having ten kids was matched with having plastic surgery religiously. Even now I can see my mother's botox cheeks.

Whilst my brother stops to chat up her instructor, I stride up to my mother and wait for her to answer me.

"What is it honey?" She asks from a downward-dog position.

"Why is dad selling us?" 

The accusation gets an immediate reaction. My mother gasps and straightens up, grabbing my face. I wince as her long painted claws pass by my eye.

"No no no Cleo! You know that's not why he's doing this!" She shakes her head side to side vigorously.

"Really? Because it feels like he's whoring us in the name of the company."

Dropping the act, she tuts, walking over to her umbrella, table and chair. 

"Cleo. You know Richard Grayson is kind and very handsome. It could be worse; someone ugly or fat or old."

"Like dad?" I snap. She sighs, picking up her drink.

"What about me? Word is mine has no emotion. Like at all," Demitri complains when he reaches us.

Our mother gives us a dull look as we sit across from her.

"Your father and I were an arranged marriage, you know? I thought I didn't want him at first- but then I saw him. He was sweet and gentle-"

"-And rich," Demitri and I add together.

She ignores us, "But once we were married, I refused to try. I still loved someone else and I wanted nothing to do with him. That only made life hard for both of us. Looking back I wish I had given it my everything. You should try your very best, Cleopatra. Make the most of it."

When my mother calls me by my full name, it means she is serious. She uses it rarely. The last time was when I was at the PTSD clinic. She was crying and shouted my name to get my attention.

"If you commit yourself to your arranged marriage, your partner will respond in kind dear," she returns to airy-fairy rich mom. "Besides, you remember the first time you saw him? You said he was attractive! I mean granted you've never spoken to him- but he might be an amazing husband."

I can't deny that Richard Grayson is the type I'd fall for. He's missing one aspect- the tough badass one. A lot of army girls date army guys. Richard doesn't really look like a fighter.

"That was pointless," Demitri says, jumping up and striding out.

"Thanks mom," I say sarcastically, following my brother. I had never considered actually trying to make the best of it in the short time I have known about it.

When I get into the house, I change into a bikini and board shorts. I grab a towel and sprint back downstairs, out the back of the house to the sandy beach behind it.

The moment my feet hit the tiny white grains, I feel all stress leave me.

Growing up here, I had developed a love for the water, ocean and beach. It was part of the reason I became a Marine.

I take my surfboard in hand, dumping my towel in the sand before sprinting to the waters edge. I stop for a second and look out over the water.

Maybe being Richard Grayson's wife won't be hell. I would know; I've been to hell.

◊

◊

The limousine is silent. Bruce, Dick, Tim, Damian and a reluctant Jason sit silently as they weave through the streets of Sunset City; home of the Perich family. Sunset City had been designed to mirror Hawaii.

"Why couldn't they just come to Gotham?" Jason complains.

"It's polite to go to them," Bruce replies.

"Are we at least close?" Damian snaps.

"Better, Master Damian," Alfred says from the drivers seat, "We are here." 

The four and a half men look out the window at a large, beautiful beach house with wooden external furnishings. The waves are crashing roughly on the beach and the air smells of salt and fresh greenery. Three bikini-clad girls walk past the limo as the Waynes stepped out.

When they catch sight of the four men they giggle to each other as they head onto the beach. The entire atmosphere is greatly opposite to dank, dark Gotham.

Seconds later, there is a girl standing in front of them who looks like she belongs in their own city.

She wears black leggings, black combat boots, a black dress shirt and a thin white leather jacket. She is obviously of Asian descent and has long, red-dyed hair held up in a ponytail.

"Good morning, Gentlemen. My name is Mai. I am Cleo Perich's personal bodyguard. I am here to escort you inside. Welcome to Sunset city." 

Mai speaks politely with the smallest of smiles, her accent heavy with a previous Chinese interpretation. She turns around and begins walking towards the house. Bruce and his sons follow. 

Dick can hear the beach even more. He begins to appreciate the sound's beauty.

Then he feels bad. Cleo will be moving to Gotham to live with him once they are married. He will be taking her away from this.

The doors are opened by two house guards. Mai stands to the side and bows her head as the Waynes pass the threshold.

"Bruce! Darling!" A light voice calls out sweetly. The men look to their right to find Brittany Perich striding towards them in a pencil dress far below her age.

She reaches out and takes Bruce's face into her hands, kissing both of his cheeks almost like a Grandmother would. However she looks nothing so old.

"It's nice to see you again, Brittany," Bruce smiles politely. Something catches his eyes on the stairs. He glances up, to see a young boy staring at him through the bannister.

"This must be Logan," Bruce says, looking at the timid eleven year old with kind eyes. Logan, with his mother's ash blonde hair and father's vibrant green eyes.

"Yes. Come here sweetie," Brittany beckons her youngest son over. Jason thought thinks to make a snippy remark of her age compared to her son's, but stays silent.

"This is Mr Wayne and his sons."

"Good afternoon," he murmurs, partially hiding behind his mother shyly.

"Hello," Bruce smiles.

"We weren't expecting you so early! Alan and the other children are not here yet- Cleo's out in the surf," Brittany points to the back patio.

Dick follows the gesture and finds himself stepping towards the glass doors. Out in the waves, he can see his fiancée. She sits on her board watching the horizon.

"I'll call Alan and see how far off he is. Please, make yourselves comfortable," Mrs Perich says, turning around and striding out of the room. Tim takes a seat on the white leather lounges.

"These people are obsessed with their kids," Jason observes.

Damian grunts in agreement, "It is unnatural and ridiculous."

The walls are covered in framed images of all ten children, two each. First is Cleopatra, her Marine portrait sitting proudly above one of her walking through the water holding her surfboard.

The others have normal professional portraits with a leisure photo beneath it. Twenty-three year old Demitri's is in a boxing ring. Then twenty-two year old Ethan, trying to block the camera with his hand whilst smoking.

Fantasia, aged nineteen is leaning towards a mirror, applying makeup. Seventeen year old twins Gordon and Hallow are very alike- Gordon with his game controller in his hand, Hallow with three laptops open in front of her.

Sixteen year old Ignatier is mid-leap, wearing a leotard. The first fourteen year old twin, Klover, holds a tennis racket over her shoulder, grinning at the sun. Her brother Jeremy is pictured kicking a soccer ball around a field. Last is eleven year old Logan, kneeling down on a yacht with the ropes in his hands.

"At least they do different activities," Tim notes.

"What does that have to do with anything? Foolery praised for no reason."

Jason suddenly flicks his hand out, lightly tapping Damian to shut him up. The youngest looks offended at the action, before realising where Jason is looking.

Mai still stands at the door, though she ignores them completely, staring out at the beach where Cleo is surfing.

In the distance the distinct sound of a car pulling into a carport can be heard. Mere seconds later, a different external door leading to the garage bursts open.

"Time to meet your future family," Jason teases his older brother.