So this is my first story on Fanfiction and this chapter is kind of an origin story for my character so you can understand her. Just read and I promise you some Tim and Dick action towards the middle and end of the story! Please comment and tell me what you liked and what you think I could improve on. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I only own characters and places that I made up. Everything else is owned by Dc.

"Push harder." Those were Maia father's favorite words since she was able to walk, push harder. John Mason, her father, was a professional fighter, learned about 25 different fighting styles and perfected each one. Her mother, Elaine Mason, was an exceptionally remarkable gymnast, who won gold in the Olympics twice. By the time Maia was 1 and walking her parents were teaching her hand stands and kung fu stances and by the time she was able to talk she was learning 7 different languages. When she turned 9 she was already winning gold gymnastic and martial arts medals. Training was essential, and they even home schooled her so that she wouldn't be distracted. The people of Avens compared her to perfect, seeing that she was already a skilled gymnast and fighter and was fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese. They called her "Avens Trophy Child", a name she deeply dreaded. Though she knew her parents loved her, she felt as if she was a vessel for them to live their dreams through. Her father was the owner of "Mason Studio's" a gym and fighting arena, where he taught classes and she and her mother performed on the tight rope once a week. The gym was always filled as the Amazing Masons, another name the public made up, would perform. It was Maia's only luxury and she would do it for the rest of her life if her future wasn't already written by her parents. She even hid her dreams of becoming a performer, or a singer, or even a Superhero from her parents scared of rejection. "You must do this Maia its very important." they would say. They taught her everything they knew, all their skills was taught to her, even the pointless ones. Then one afternoon when she was 12, while training Muay Thai, group of men came in threatening her father. "The name's Eight Ball and my boss he's looking for some, uh, well circumstantial expansion."He was well dressed and skinny, speaking in a thick Italian accent and reeking of gun powder drenched under cologne."We offering up a lot off cash for the place, enough to buy six mansions with a honey for each." He trailed off over looking the studio. "Now we would love to buy it of course, but we also don't mind taking it." John let out a small huff, a noise he was known for and turned to him. "Tell your boss if he wants the place he can face me himself and pry it out of my beaten hands. Now get out of my studio!" Eight Ball waved his hands and backed up without a fight. "Fine, I'll be sure to deliver the message." A crooked grin grew on his face as they backed out of the building. "John, maybe we should call the police?" He nodded but as he went to get his phone a wall of the building blew up. Her mother got caught under the rubble, and John and Maia was pushed backwards. Her father immediately went to help her mother and could have gotten her out, if the roof on top of him hadn't collapsed, breaking both his legs. Maia ran over trying to help, trying to pull him out. But it was no use and he realized that.
"Maia, it's ok. Go get out of here."
"But I can-"
"No. Go. Maia we love you so much. We're sorry, so sorry. Go."

She nodded choked up in tears and ran out of the building as it burned around her. Then she sat on the pavement watching the building burn, watching her parents burn. Watching as flames and smoke engulfed the building and the Avens firemen tried to put it out. She sat there in silence watching, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Maia, how are you?" Officer Grant asked entering the interview room with a cardboard box. She sat in silence and stared down at the table. She didn't understand why they wanted to question her only hours after her family's funeral. He laid the box down and sat across from her. "We've got your statement and we're trying to find those men. But we did find some things that survived the fire." She finally looked up at him still not speaking. "And we found a safe deposit box which was only meant to be given to you after they died. Its password protected and we can't seem to crack it." Then her eyes shot open and she grabbed the box. "It's not yours to crack!" She reached into the box and pulled out the items. Two marbles, the deposit box, and her father's necklace. It was in the shape of a Blue Jay, it was a bit scorched, and she never seen it off his neck until now. "I'm going to go talk to my partner, I'll be right back." As he left she rolled a marble on the ground that stopped the door from closing all the way and listened to the nearby conversation.
"I'm trying to get into the box, now. What you got for me?" Grant said walking into the cubicle next to the interview room. "The guy, this Eight Ball, he exists. Lives up in BlüdHaven, but we'll never be able to prosecute him." He said throwing a picture in his direction on his desk. "Why not?" He withdrew a long frustrated sigh before replying, "Well first off this aint his MO, he's a money collector not a deal maker or a real instate agent for that matter. Even if we try he'll be trialed in BlüdHaven and he has connections in the law department." He shook his head, overly disappointed in the corruption in the Justice system. "How can we get him trialed here?" He asked as his partner took the picture back.
"Physical evidence. We got none."
"We got the girl."
"She's not enough; they'll say she was confused, unreliable due to smoke ventilation. We only get one chance thanks to that damn Fifth Amendment; if we take this to court we're going to lose. I'm sorry Sam, we've reached a dead-end."
"How am I supposed to tell that now orphan child that?"
They walked out of the cubicle and back towards the interview room. "Grant did you leave that door open?"
They rushed inside and all that remained was the marble in the middle of the table.

(3 years later)

"Lana, someone is here for you." Slim said motioning towards the booth with one gentleman was seated. She walked over and examined him. He was wearing sunglasses and a jacket that was zipped up to his neck. "Do I know you?" She asked placing a hand on her hip. "No, but I know you. Sit down Maia." She quickly scanned the room to make sure no one heard, sat down, and closed the curtain that surrounded the booth. "What the hell? Do you know what a move like that would of cost me? Who are you?" He shook his head and reached into his jacket instead. He pulled out three pictures, and laid out the first one. "Here's a picture that was taken last Saturday outside this club." It was an aerial picture of someone being followed by someone else. Then he pulls another picture closed in on the followers face. "That's you. It took sometime to find you, but I did." She rolled her eyes and did her father's signature huff. "Then, you came out of the alleyway. But he didn't." He shows a picture of her leaving the scene. "Then hours later he's found bloody, unconscious, and tied to a pipe." She smiles and innocently tilts her head, "Now, you don't think I could do something like that, do you? I mean he's twice my size." He pulls out something else, an old newspaper article. "Yeah I do." Headlines read, "THE TROPHY CHILD WINS ANOTHER FOR THE AVENS!" The picture underneath was an 8 year old Maia holding a belt over her head while sitting on her father's shoulder. "I do my research Maia Mason." She shakes her head apparently unimpressed. "Look I'm not speaking a word. I'm not scared of you or the tall guy you have standing by the door." He gives a slightly shocked face then tightens up again while he leans forward. "That man has connections with two-face; he's not someone you mess with." Then she leaned forward and gleamed at him through his sunglasses. "I'm not someone you mess with. Now show me a badge and arrest me or leave." She puts out her wrist heavy for handcuffs. He stares at her not moving and she puts her wrist down. "That's what I thought." She said before reopening the curtain and heading back behind the bar. She cleaned the counter and watched as he left the booth minutes later and his friend left behind him. "Lana, you're going to have to work off that extra break." Slim said coming from the back. "Who was that any-" Then a man threw his cup down and started screaming. "This place going to hell! Eight Ball opened a new joint downtown; it's going to eat this place alive!" Before he slurs anymore garbage, Slim was throwing him out and Maia was ready to follow.

"Tim, did she tell you anything?" Dick asked as they exited the bar. Tim unzipped his jacket a little letting air hit his neck. "No but I know I can get her to talk if I catch her at a better time and take a different approach. We should wait around anyway; her life might be in danger. Why is this assignment so important to you anyway and why'd you bring me along? Seems to me like she's been handling herself just fine." Dick sighed not feeling the need to explain himself. "Look, I just think she's mixing herself up with the wrong crowd and rather save her than investigate her murder. Plus your better at interrogations than me." Tim nooded then walked off to hang by a corner, Dick followed. "Tim, how'd she look? She didn't seem harmed did she?" Tim shook his head. "She's fine. No bruises in sight, but she looked different than the pictures you showed me. She's taller, died her hair black, looks more mature." Dick nodded, truth was that he been following Maia's story since her parents died and has been looking for her since police reported her missing. Her story was all too similar than hers, except she didn't have a Bruce Wayne. About 15 minutes into their loitering they heard a man scream from around the corner. They ran to his location, secretly stripping into uniform. When they got there, Tim wasn't at all surprised to see Maia standing over a man with her foot pressed to his chest and large wrench slung over her shoulder. "You better talk before I break all 206 of your bones 1 by 1." He was whimpering and covering his face with his forearms. "Drop the weapon." Tim said behind his cowl. She looked up then back down at the man and pressed the wrench against his neck. "Dammit, do you see where your crying gets us!" The man cried more and shut his swollen eyes. " Drop. The. Wrench." She examined the situation. She knew this was a fight she was going to lose. But there was no way she was going out without a fight and suddenly threw the wrench at Tim's jaw hoping to settle the odds. Nightwing went after her leaving Tim to get up by himself. As he came toward her she did a high kick that hit him in the chest below his neck. Dick didn't want to fight her, so instead of hitting he avoided her punches, blocked her kicks, and restrained her by putting both of her hands behind her back. By the time Tim was up the fight was over. "Let me go!" She yelled trying to break loose of Nightwing's grip. "Ready to talk?" Tim asked. Her eyes widened, realizing who she was talking to in the bar. "It's you! Asshole!" She said kicking upward and hitting Tim right under his chin. "Argh, wasn't hitting me with a wrench enough? Look Maia we need to talk." Just then sirens went off, police sirens. Someone else must have heard the screams. "You can talk to us or you can talk to them." Dick said letting her go. "Fine, I have a place nearby. We can 'talk' there."

The place was dingy. It only had one room and a bathroom. In the room was a mattress laid out on the floor, a fridge with only water and old Chinese food cartons, and three cardboard boxes, two of which were sealed. As they walked in she locked all 4 of the door locks and sat on the mattress. "Uh nice place you got here." Tim said examining the place. This place was horrific to Dick; he finally knew what Bruce felt like when he saw Jason's home. He wanted to help her, needed to help her. "How old are you?" He asked. "My ID says I'm 21." She said taking off her boots. "What does your birth certificate say?" She let out a stressful sigh. "I'll be 16 in August." He looked around again; it was a horrible place to have a 16th birthday. "It is August." She let out a small chuckle. "Oh I hadn't noticed. It's on the very last day; I'm guessing I still have time. So boys what will it be?" Tim cocked a confused eyebrow. "You seem different." She huffed then stood up into a stretch. "If you mean less angry and aggressive, I'm only that way in the streets, I don't need people thinking I'm weak, you know reputations and all. About that guy in your little photos, I don't know him. It seems like you guys know more than me." He looked toward Dick who just shrugged. "So you just go around beating guys with wrenches?" Tim asked. She finally realized the bloody bruise under his lip. "Oh. I'm so sorry about that. Uhhh, wait here a second." She went into the empty box and pulled out a wash cloth then went into the bathroom to wet it. She came back into the room and started to clean his cut. This was the first time actually looked into her eyes, and they were the only thing that hadn't changed from the pictures Dick showed him. "And no, I don't go around beating up grown men. I needed information but the first dumbass went unconscious before he talked and you two walked in on my second interrogation." Tim was lost in her eyes not paying attention to her words, so Dick took over the questioning. "What exactly were you looking for?" She finished cleaning Tim's wound and threw the rag in the trashcan in the bathroom. "Let's just say you two aren't the only one holding an investigation." Tim finally snapped back to reality. "Ok, but the man you tied to a pipe has ties with Two-Face. He has men all over the area. Your life is in danger." She nodded understanding now, why they approached her. "I want to put you under protection." Dick said stepping toward her. "I'm not getting involved with the police. If this Two-Face has ties in BlüdHaven, he's probably branched off into the police department." Dick shook his head. "I know an officer of the BHPD who can help without involving his whole team." She thought about it, considered all of her options. "What's this officer's name?" He smiled and looked towards Tim who gave him a nod of approval.
"Dick Grayson."