So I am following @multifandomscribette advice and just making a quick one-shot and not worrying about bigger projects. Marinette joins a Lantern Corps. But is green really her color? That is the real question.
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Marinette was having the worst day of her life. Lila, the liar, had made good on her promise and then some.
The Italian had twisted everything she could to turn it against Marinette. Whether it was her friends, educators, or family. New friends, like Alya demanded evidence even though she herself never looked into things or fact checked the lies Marinette pointed out. Old ones, people she thought knew her since diapers were now branding her of bullying and harassment. Not a single person in her class thought she was telling the truth.
They were all knelt down in the front of their profit praising her glory. Never once seeing the altar standing upon a pile of lies and deceit.
What did the young heroin get for trying to confront the liar? Her educators expelled her from school finding her guilty of cheating, theft, and violence against others. The accusations were all brought up by none other than Lila. She always had some kind of evidence so her claims were never baseless, even if they were false.
The cheating? Test answers found in her bag. Her hard work and hours of studying to get a perfect score are seen as proof misconduct instead of reward for her dedication.
The theft? A fox pendet that wasn’t hers in a locker that was. A locker, just like all others in the school, that wasn’t locked. and a pendet that fell out as soon as the door was opened. The question of what thief would leave their pilfered loot in a place that could easily compromise them was never asked.
The violence against others? Lila’s wrapped knee and limp. Garnered from being pushed down a flight of stairs. Right. In front. Of the. Principal's Office. Funny thing is how no one bothered to check to see how bad the injury was, instead they just wrapped it up without question. Another funny point is how no one noticed how quickly the limp disappeared when she accused Marinette of theft.
Refuting these claims was pointless, because she was the only person defending herself. Adrien, the one person she thought she could count on in her time of need said nothing. He was cowed into silence by his father standing behind him and his own passive nature around the man working against him. It hurt her to know that he would do and say nothing around his father.
She was expelled, but it wasn’t the worst the young bluenette had to deal with. No, the worst was what she was currently dealing with.
“I thought we raised you better than this, Marinette!” Her mother shouted.
“Maman, Papa I didn’t do those things.” She tried to defend. “Lila is trying to frame me!”
“Why would she do that?” Her mother asked.
“Because I called her out on all her lies. So she promised to make my life miserable.”
“Marinette Dapain-Cheng,” Her father’s voice was stern. “I will not have you lying in this house. You are already in a lot of trouble.”
“But I am not lying!” she shouted.
“Just like you didn’t steal from that girl or push her down the stairs.” he countered.
“I didn’t do any of those things.” She tried.
“Enough,” his voice raised but didn’t yell. He didn’t need to. The simple fact of him raising his voice was enough to stop most in their tracks. She was no different. Her teeth clicked as her mouth slapped shut.
“Enough of this Marinette. Your classmates had already tried to warn us that you were bullying the poor girl. Trying to get us to stop you from doing something regrettable. We didn’t want to believe them. We shouldn’t have to.”
“Papa,” Marinette’s voice wavered. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take.
He took a breath, “We’re so disappointed that they were right.”
Marinette gasped.
“You… you believe them, Her!?!” She was close to hysterics. “She is-”
“No. no more!” He commanded.
“Go to your room until we figure out the proper punishment.” Her mother ordered.
“Punishment!?!”
The teen’s world was shattering, crumbling to dust, and she couldn’t get her feet under her. She didn’t know how. Marinette truly had no frame of mind to understand all that was happening. Never before had anything like this happened.
“Go.” Sabine, her mother’s voice was fierce.
Tom, her father’s voice was just as commanding,“Now.”
As numb as she was she still filinched, and said something she never would have thought she would to them.
“Yes Sir, Yes Ma’am.”
Not Maman and Papa or Mom and Dad but Sir and Ma’am.
It was forign to her tongue. Just as it was to her ears with how hollow her voice was.
She turned and headed to her room. She wasn’t sure if she bumped into anything or not. Her body jerked a few times like she did, but she couldn’t feel any pain.
‘No that’s not right’ She thought as she got to her room. ‘It hurts. It hurts so much.’
The invisible strings holding her up finally snap, and she falls to her knees.
Tears are running down her face as she sobs. Each breath is rugged and a mix of being too deep and too shallow at the same time. Her chest is hurting so much.
The fabric of her shirt is straining in her grasp. She was grabbing at it like a lifeline. Like it was her own heart she was holding. Trying desperately to stop it from shattering into nothing.
‘Why does it hurt?’ she thought or asked aloud she wasn’t sure. ‘Why does losing everything you love have to hurt so much?’
She continued to cry harder and harder.
It should have been no surprise that something velvet in color came flying into her room and talked to her.
The voice wasn’t masculine like she would have expected however.
Instead, the voice was feminine and level.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng of Earth. You have great love in your heart. Welcome to the Star Sapphires.”
“Marinette, are you alright?” Tikki asked.
The little god was obviously worried for her chosen. As she should be with Hawkmoth trying to akumatize her.
Coming to her senses, the teen tried to fight off the negative emotions Hawkmoth was trying to use against her.
‘Wait,’ she shook her head, ‘This isn’t right.’
Looking over her own emotions she couldn’t find any negativity.
“Please, Marinette!” Tikki shouted in desperation when Marinette didn’t answer.
‘Oh Tikki,’ Was all she could think when she looked at her friend.
Tikki’s eyes were full of fat tears. Her antennae were low and sagging. Her normal bright cherry red color was duller and a deeper maron red. Her entire body screamed worry.
“I’m okay.” She answered. “I’m okay Tikki. Hawkmoth isn’t in control.”
Tikki zoomed to her face quicker than lightning and hugged Marinette’s face.
“I was so scared.” She cried.
The teen hugged back, cupping the little god against her cheek. “I’m okay now.”
Was she?
She enjoyed the hug for a moment to address her feelings she found out that; Yeah, yeah she was. She was okay.
“When that thing came in I didn’t know what to do.” Tikki explained. “When it turned you into a crystal I was so afraid.”
She was still crying so Marinette wasn’t sure she heard properly.
“Wait? An akuma turned me into a crystal?” she asked.
She was confused. ‘Could hawkmoth do that?’
Tikki pulled away from the hug, “No, it wasn’t an akuma.”
She pulled Marinette’s hand in front of her face. “It was this.”
On her hand, on her left index finger, was a ring. It was a metallic steel pink with a star similar to the cardinal points of a compass at its center. It had a brilliant sheen to it.
Her awe at the peace of jewelry was short lived when she took in the rest of her hand. It was gloved in a material much like her miraculous costume. It was from fitting and a striking chromatic magenta.
Her eyes traced down her arm. Hand to wrist, wrist to forearm. The glove stopped just below the elbow. Leaving her bicep bare.
That led her to take in her entire outfit. Which, from what she could make out, was a stark contrast to what she was wearing just moments before.
She quickly rushed over to a mirror, and the Marinette that stood before her something to behold.
Gloves on both arms up to the elbow. Bare biceps. The rest of her was breathtaking for a lack of a better word. Her shoulders were just barely covered. The material went up to her Adam's apple on her neck. Her body was mostly covered in the same material as the gloves. There was a small oval window that showed off her stomach, starting at her sternum and ending just below her bellybutton. Below her navel was a pink star much like the one on the ring. The side of her hips were bare. It felt very risqué to the very modest Marinette, but it complemented her figure nicely. Her legs were mostly bare as well, her calves being covered by the criss-cross straps of a pair stylized gladiator sandals. She nearly missed that her back was bare by a larger oval window, as it was covered by her hair.
Her everyday pigtails were gone. Her hair was now loose and freely draped over her back. Where her hair normally stopped at her shoulders, it was now at the small of her back. Her natural blue transitioned smoothly into a vibrant pink.
Her face was the most commanding however. She had a tiara-like metal circlet resting at her hairline. It framed her face down to her jaw line. A branch lined her cheekbone, while another snaked up the top of her ear. Making a lazy S of the two branches. Her lips were colored in a way that brought attention to them. It wasn’t lipstick, just her natural color made to stand out more.
And her eyes.
Her eyes had a glow, a fire, to them that was indescribable. The navy blue she had since birth was replaced by a scarlet fire liking at the edges of her eyes.
She was stunned, awed, and confused.
“Wha..?” Was all she got out looking herself over.
“When that ring came into your room and landed on your finger it trapped you into a crystal. And when you came out you looked like that.” Tikki explained.
“What did Hawkmoth do to me? I can’t feel his influence.”
With a shake of her head Tikki says, “I don’t think it is Hawkmoth, Marinette. This feels different than an akuma.”
The teen looked at the ring, “If it isn’t Hawkmoth then who is it? Am I in any danger?”
“Negative Sister. You are in no danger at the moment.”
The femine voice was back, and it made Marinette jump when it spoke.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“The Sapphire Power Ring of Sector 2814.” The voice paused for a moment, “You may understand it better with the term: Lantern Ring.”
“Wait, like the Green Lanterns?” She knew about the Green Lanterns most people did. There were more than a few on Earth and they were part of the Justice League.
“Similar in a way. But, unlike the Green Lanterns that use the power of will the Star Sapphires use the power of love.”
“Love?” She shook her head. “Not too many people love me right now. Wouldn’t you want someone else?”
“Negative. The Sapphire Power Rings seek out bearers who truly know love. Those that have lived in its comfort and have also been spurned. To become a Star Sapphire a bearer must know both what it is like to be loved and lose that love, as to better help her spread love across the universe.”
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng of Earth you have come to know love in its entirety. All your life you have enjoyed its warmth, and recently you have known the pain of losing that love. The kindred spirit of friendship, the passion of attraction towards a mate, and most painful to you the familial bond from your parents. Each lost to you, but each one made to make you stronger. Will you help spread love throughout the universe and shield others from heartache?”
The ring’s neutral voice was calming. It didn’t hold any emotion in it other than the leveled calm it spoke in. Even still Marinette heard the passion behind it. She wanted to accept. With the ring’s calming voice and her own emotions back under control it sounded like the best thing in the world. ‘The ring did say universe, so I might need to rephrase that.’
She looked up at Tikki and she got worried. “What about Tikki? What about Paris? Hawkmoth still needs to be dealt with. I can’t leave them, especially Tikki. I can’t abandon her.”
Speaking of Tikki, her brow furrowed “Marinette, who are you taking to?”
“Wait,” she looked to her friend. “You can’t hear it. The ring is talking to me.”
“The entity known as Tikki; The Kwami of Creation is still bound to you. As her power aligns with that of love that the Star Sapphires seek to spread throughout the universe.”
The ring actually spoke out loud this time so they both could hear. Tikki actually jumped a little when she heard it talk.
‘Good.’ the teen thought seeing the reaction, ‘At least I am not crazy and hearing voices.’
Marinette took a breath with that. “Good I don’t know what I would do without Tikki.”
It continued to speak out loud. “As for the villain Hawkmoth this power ring can assist you in freeing your home from his tyranny. Warning:” It cautioned. “Ring’s power is less than 5%. Recharge is required if you wish to use its power to its fullest.”
She asked reflexively, “How do I charge the ring?”
“Recharging a ring requires a Sapphire Battery. Locating… Found… Sapphire Battery is in a nearby pocket dimension.”
“Huh…”
‘Pocket dimensions, those are a thing now I guess’ The teen looked at her friend. ‘Well magic is real so why not sci-fi?’
“What do you think, Tikki?”
“I can’t sense anything negative from it, but it did trap you in a crystal.”
“Should I use this ring's power??”
“I don’t know Marinette.”
The teen closed her eyes to think.
She weighed the Pros and Cons.
“Okay.” she nodded to herself.
When she opened her eyes her mind was made up.
“Um, Ring?” she asked. “I have decided to use your power. Can we get that battery somehow to get you recharged?”
“Affirmative. This ring has enough power to pull the battery out of its pocket dimension. All that is needed to recharge this ring is for you to recite the Oath and become a true member of the Star Sapphires.”
“Oh, what is the Oath?”
“For hearts long lost and full of fright,”
“For those alone in Blackest Night.”
“Accept our ring and join our fight,”
“Love conquers all with violet light!”
Marinette smiles, “That was beautiful.”
She liked how it sounded. Like it was a promise and a battle cry at the same time. It resonated within her and echoed what she has always believed. ‘Love can overcome any obstacle.’
She followed the ring’s instructions and pulled the battery out of its hidden dimension.
She put the ring to the lantern ready to become a fully fledged member of the Sapphires.
“For hearts long lost and full of fright,”
“For those alone in Blackest Night.”
“Accept our ring and join our fight,”
“Love conquers all with violet light!”
‘Whoa,’ she thought. Nearly tipping over. ‘What a rush. That felt amazing!’
“Marinette?” Tikki asked tentatively.
“I’m good Tikki, I’m great even.” the heroen balked at that. Her voice sounded different. Not like it was someone else's voice, it just that it sounded like her voice carried more power behind it.
“You are glowing.” Tikki said in amazement.
Looking at her hand she saw a soft glow like aura around it. She turned to look at the mirror again and saw the same violet light over her entire body.
Her eyes were an even brighter fire in them than before, and her hair was caught in a faint ethereal wind.
“Whoa,” because really, what else was she supposed to say?
“What do I do now?” she asked her ring.
"Do what you have always done in life. Follow your Heart."
Quietly she let out a, “Thank you.”
“Tikki?” she asked. It was a question that was never needed to be asked and the little god always had the right answer for.
With a quick zip to the new lantern she was hugging Marinette’s cheek with as much care as he tiny arms would allow.
The teen quickly hugged back with all the love she could muster.
Both shined brighter as their truest emotion came forth.
“Warning:” the ring spoke up, “Sensing large power dispersing over the city. Possible Akuma attack underway.”
“Thank you...” she said wiping the tears from her eyes “...Do you have a name I don’t want to call you ‘Ring’ all the time.”
“Unnecessary, my function is to serve you in your duties. A name would be pointless.”
“Well, I don’t see it that way. You are just like Tikki and I refuse to treat you any different than her.”
“Parameters set: Should it please you, you may address this ring by then name of its previous host ‘Ferris’”
“Welcome to the team/family Ferris.” She said and meant honestly.
“So Tikki?” She asked with a smile. “Should we go meet our newest akuma, and finally put a stop to Hawkmonth?”
The Kwami’s smile was just as wide. “More than anything.”
“Spots On!”
Her Ladybug transformation washes over her Sapphire uniform with some slight changes.
The pigtales are back and a bit longer. Her suit has larger black spots now, namely over the spots that were bare to the world in her other suit. The iris in both eyes were rimmed in a violet tinge.
Lastly the ring was still there. Still as lustrous as when she first saw it.
“Let’s see what Hawkmoth has in store for us.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The trick was brilliant in hindsight. Mayura used an Amok to create a Sentimonster doppelganger of Ladybug to trick Chat into giving up his miraculous.
‘I am kind of surprised that they didn’t do it sooner.’ She thinks to herself.
‘But with how well it worked I can see why they didn’t.’ she snarks to herself.
The Sentimonster had gotten close to performing her task too before she showed up. It was a little harder to convince Chat that she was the real Ladybug with her new look and all. But it turned out alright. Mayura showed her hand too soon and tables turned quickly when Ladybug got the amok and freed the Sentimonster.
Mayura was far more devious than they originally thought as she took back the amok and destroyed her creation.
Both heroes watched as the feather floated in the breeze.
While Chat Noir raged at the villainess she quickly institutionally reached out with her new powers to save the feather and hide it in a pocket dimension. It was that same time that Hawkmoth decided to show himself.
The fight itself was quick with both Mayura and Chat being held hostage.
Hawkmoth, the egotist, decided to monolog “...Transform into regular kids. So fragile and easy to break.”
She was about to yell ‘Release him’ fearing for Chat’s safety, but she remembered she had a trick up her sleeve.
“Oh?” She smiles wickedly at the man. “What makes you think that?”
“If you have noticed by now my powers have grown.” she draws attention to her new outfit. “I no longer have a time limit.”
It was a bluff. She was honestly not sure if she had a time limit anymore. But she knew she would be okay even if her transformation dropped.
He snarled letting her know that he bought the bluff. Which was good.
Up until he threw her partner off The Arc de Triomphe.
With a shout of surprise she decided to drop the act and play her hand.
Violet light shoots from her hand binding the villains pulling them behind her as she dives after her partner.
The self sacrificing dork let loose. “You had Mayura right where you wanted her. I could have managed myself. Why’d you do that?”
“Because we are Ladybug and Chat Noir.” She smiled at him, “Ladybug by itself doesn’t sound half as cool.”
She pulls him up to his feet. Letting him dust himself off. “Besides, I am pretty sure they are still where we want them.”
She turns his attention to the two villains bound on the ground next to them.
“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said your powers have grown.”
“Something like that.” She chuckles, “How about we fix things up?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not long after, the city was celebrating being free of the emotional terrorist and his cohort. There was already talk of it being a national holiday.
She wasn’t enjoying the festivities though. She had something she needed to fix still.
So here she was in front of her school with everyone of importance there. Her classmates, teacher, principle, and her parents. Next to her was The Sentimonster: Bugette. Turns out that Duusu could reactivate an amok feather and recreate a Sentimonster if the original item is still around.
Or rather, she was next to Bugette floating just to the left of a few inches off of the ground in her new uniform.
And Bugette was doing a great job of being in charge too.
“I have called you all here today, not to celebrate the victory we have achieved today. Instead, to discuss rumors I have heard coming from this school.” She sounded confident and official. “Those of bullying, theft, and violence.”
The principle spoke up, “I can assure you Ladybug, you don’t need to get involved. We have already dealt with the problem.”
She glares at him. “That may be, but I still want to investigate to ensure that it was handled fairly.”
Marientte couldn't be happier. She was already thinking back to when she had gotten Duusu to recreate Bugette. During the process she used a bit of her ring's power to help. Sharing memories with the Amok so the creation could be more independent. She also phased the Amok to rest right next to the Sentimonster’s heart so no one could ever destroy her again.
She almost missed Bugette introducing her with a step to the side, “That is why I brought in a friend to help in the investigation.”
“Thank you, Ladybug.” she dipped her head in respect. “Sorry I couldn’t make it here sooner. I was… off world when you called.” It was true in a way. The ring wasn’t available back then.
She saw the shiver that ran down everyone’s spine as she spoke. The power coming from her voice alone must be intense.
“From the sound of it I missed all the fun.” She joked.
“It is alright, Star.” Bugette said as if nothing was wrong. “You are here now and that is what matters. With your help we can make sure justice is served.”
“Lead the way Bugette.” She wishes Chat was here to be in on this too. But she understands why he isn’t.
As the pair are led through the school for their investigation, she gets to feel the catharsis of Bugette asking questions that no one ever did when she tried to defend herself. She also uses this time to test her new abilities as a Star Sapphire.
Finding fingerprints and checking matches, recreating scenes from earlier with energy constructs playing them out, and her personal favorite voice analisis used to check for any lying.
Clearing her name was nice and it was healing a pain she had been ignoring for a while.
It came to a head when Lila shouted, “Why are you even here. That girl bullied me, made me feel unsafe here at school. I had to get her out of here before she actually hurt me.”
The Italian was crying by the end of her rant. ‘She is a good actress.’
“Hey Bugette, she is lying.” The lantern whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Thank you Star,” Bugette smiled kindly back at her. “But I already know.”
She smirked when the crowds gasped.
“How do you know that Lila is lying?” One of her classmates asked.
With the briefest of looks and slightest of nods from Marinete, Bugette glares daggers at the group.
“Because I never bullied Lila, and the only mean thing ever did to her was try and expose her lies. And because of that she promised to make my life miserable.”
She stands firm, “I know Lila is lying because,”
Pausing briefly to mutter ‘Spots off ’and have her suit start to detransform.
Bugette declares “I am Marinette.” As the last of the transformation washes over her face.
Marinette watches from her spot as everyone tries to either apologize to Bugette or try to yell or punish Lila.
She closes her eyes over what Bugette was going to say next. It was something that her and Bugette agreed to when they made this plan.
They would expose Lila and show everyone what Marinette already knew, but it was Bugette who had the final say on how she handled things after that.
“I can’t forgive you.” she said as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes. “Not yet.”
Marinette pulled her into a side hug, as it was just as much for Bugette as it was for herself.
“You all turned your backs on me even though some of you knew me for years. You knew I wasn’t capable of what she was accusing me of.” She choked up. “And, yet you all believed her.”
“You doubted me when I tried to tell you the truth, never once did any of you try to look into her claims.”
“You truly thought I was a monster. And for that I can not forgive you.”
Bugette then turned into Marinette’s chest and cried. The lantern and kwami hugged her as she weeped.
“Sorry I wasn’t here sooner Bugette.” She appologized to herself “But, I fear if I was any sooner the truth would have never come out.”
She meant it too. She wasn’t sure if things would have turned out like this if the ring didn’t find her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marinette sighed as she looked down at Paris. Floating above the streets higher than she ever thought she would be before.
A fond smile played at her lips.
It had taken a while to get everything sorted out, but like most things in a post-akuma Paris things have finally settled.
Gabriel and Natalie were behind bars.
Lila was back in Italy in a very strict private school.
She had become the next Guardian of the Miraculous.
Emilie Agreste was awakened from her coma and was now taking care of Adrien. (who knew that all she needed was to be stabilized by The Guardian’s magic and a little extra ‘oomph’ from a power ring instead of a reality altering wish)
She decided to give out some of the Miraculous. Even though Paris no longer had its own supervillain, there were still others out there waiting. And Paris needs its defenders. America might have the Justice League. Paris and France had the Miraculous Team.
The Parisians couldn’t be prouder to have Viperion; the snake, Ryuuko; the dragon, Queen Bee; the bee, Chat Noir; the cat, and Bugette: their ladybug to protect them. Along with them were newly minted peacock and butterfly. Though nameless right now they wanted nothing more than to show how their powers can be used for good instead of evil.
And from now on, an occasional Star Sapphire to help anytime she is in the area.
After all, Marinette had a promise to keep, an Oath to uphold, and stars to see.
She would be back, Earth was her home. Until then she stole one last glance at her home.
She wished the heroes luck. Congratulated the happy couple and leaders of a new super team. And promised to come back.
With Tikki floating next her, and the miraculous box in its own pocket dimension. She prepared to visit the stars.
“For hearts long lost and full of fright,”
“For those alone in Blackest Night.”
“Accept our ring and join our fight,”
“Love conquers all with violet light!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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A special thanks to everyone who put up with my crap for the last couple of months
everyone go enable this immediately. it can be a bit hard to find because “visibility” is under blog settings instead of general settings or privacy. you have to do this individually for each separate side-blog
if you can’t find it on the app then the update probably hasn’t rolled out to you, and you’ll have to go through the web browser. what a truly wild way/time to implement this
But let’s make it something:
Not far away from that spot he found Jagged and Marinette, Killer Croc encounters the Batfam.
Like normal he tries to fight them. Because he doesn’t like going back to Arkham.
The fight itself is pretty normal as far as Gotham Rouge vs Batfam goes. Meaning that Croc is starting to lose.
That is until a shout of “What are you doing!?!” followed quickly by one of the batfam getting flipped on their back.
The girl, because the shout came from a girl, rushes past the batfam to Croc.
It is strange enough for everyone fighting to stop, Croc included.
She asks him if he is alright, and Croc is a little dumbfounded. Because, it is the same small girl from before. The one that was petting a crocodile like it was a dog.
He doesn’t answer right away though. His silence has her fretting over him. Checking him all over.
She turns from him to glare at the Batfam. Some even take a step back from her ire.
She starts to yell at them, in what Croc can only assume to be French. Every now and then pointing back at him accusingly each of them of something. Croc still couldn’t understand most of what she said, as most of it was in French.
Once the vigilantes have been properly cowed, she turns to him.
Something tells Croc that he should be scared of her, because who can yell at the Batfam and have THEM back down? But, her kind eyes puts that fear into the back of his mind.
She comes over to him again and grabs his hand hand, pulling him to a standing position. Doing so under her own strength. Which in and of itself is pretty impressive. But, Croc was still to confused from how she yelled at the bats and got away from it to happened to notice.
She tells him that she needs to check his wounds but she needs to get her supplies to do so. Leading him out the alley and back to where he has seen her before.
The rockstar is talking to someone else, who if Croc was honest, looked a little tired of the man’s excessive energy.
Nether the rocker or his manager notice their approach.
That is until the girl, practically right in front of them, calling out “Uncle Jagged, could you watch of my friend while I go get my supplies? He was getting beat up by a group of jerks in an alley way.”
“Sure thing Rockin-Mari,” the man says with out even looking at the pair. “I was just talking to Penny here-”
What ever he was about to say was gone with the wind when he and Penny looked his way.
To say Croc was confused by their reaction would be an understatement.
Jagged, as the girl called him, looks starry-eyed at Croc. Penny just takes a long suffering sigh.
“Crocodile man!” Jagged shouts, getting up close to Croc, “Please tell me how rockin it is to be you.”
Croc is saved from his discomfort with how close Jagged is by Penny, “Jagged, Marinette said he was injured, so you being so bombastic probably isn’t helping any.”
Concern washes over his face, “Oh, right.”
He takes a step back, but he still looks at Croc like he hung the stars.
It doesn’t take long for Marinette to get back with her supplies.
And she makes quick work of him with her first aid box.
Through out it all he can only think one thing.
“Why?” He asks her
“Why, what?”
“Why help me? Don’t you know who I am?”
“I don’t. Should it matter who you are?” She asks in return, “I saw you getting beat up for no reason, and I wanted to get you away from those bullies. Is there any other reason not to help?”
“I’m Killer Croc one of Gotham’s most feared criminals.” He introduces himself. The delivery is so matter of fact, it sounds more accusatory that she wouldn’t know how he is.
She doesn’t seem to care though, “Most feared because of what you have done, or is it because of how you look?”
The look in her eyes when she says that hits something deep within Croc. He isn’t sure what it is.
He doesn’t get the chance before she is waving him down to her level with a soft “Come here.”
She hugs his head in a soft embrace. “It’s alright. It’s alright.”
((That is all I got. But, Please someone add more to this. I really want to see Croc turn away from crime because of this. Maybe Jagged becoming a sponsor for him and/or him, Penny, and Marinette getting a work program for Croc. By the end of it I really just want to see Croc as Jagged’s security, wearing a large jacket and shades that Marinette made for him.))
This was all because of that one scene in Arcane where Jinx kills Silco. I watched it and thought:
'Wow, that was heartbreaking... I am pretty sure I could do something like that.'
Preamble:
This is a complete overview of a fic I kinda want to write.
Before we get into the actual story we need some world building/settings.
First, This is set more in the DC universe than MLB universe. The fight with Hawkmoth did still happen. Just to a point. There is gonna be divergence from cannon. Mainly because there are things I like from MLB and things I don't care for.
Second. How many of you have a heart? How many of you would be willing to let me borrow it and don't mind if I return it to you in worse shape than when you gave it to me?
Third, I joked before but this might be rough for some of you. It will be a slow burn until we get to the heartbreak but it will come and it will probably hurt and be a pretty intense.
Last bit. And to end this on a brighter note: Adoptive!Granddad Penguin.
P.S. I don't know if this will be important or not, but I kept picturing this in the old Batman animated series style. So that might explain some stylistic choices I make. There are more recent characters though so don't worry.
If you think you are okay with that then please welcome yourself to the new idea that has been brewing in my head.
(Bold) = chapter titles
() = possible story additions
(()) = author notes
A special thanks to @moonlitceleste who gave me a few ideas here and there.
Pre-cannon: (From Paris)
Hawkmoth has been defeated
But it comes at a cost. One Marinette may not have been ready to pay
Fu ended up giving up his guardianship and naming Marinette his successor
During the last fight (The Battle for Paris) Hawkmoth ended Chat Noir's life
With his death the magic of the miraculous fades and Adrien is revealed.
It is what leads to Hawkmoth's capture. As it lead the man to the horrible realization that he had destroyed the last of his family with his own hands. (small note: Natalie has been hospitalized before TBP happened)
Paris celebrates its liberation from the emotional terrorist.
Marinette can't however. She had lost so much to be happy with the outcome.
Sure Hawkmoth had been defeated and the Miraculous were all safe and secure, but she had lost her mentor, partner and one of her closest and few friends left.
Lila had been successful. She had ostracized Marinette from her classmates and friends Well before the final battle even happened. Very few in the school at this point would even talk to her.
Pre-cannon: (To Gotham)
Tom and Sabine weren't naive. They watched the pain their daughter suffered through grow. They watched the isolation at school grow into bullying.
They wanted to help but when they talked about it with Marinette she had told them it would only make things worse.
But, now with the climax of TBP over they decide to start anew.
The Dupain-Chengs were leaving Paris
They look around for a while. Nothing in Europe sounds like a proper place to start over.
There are one or two places in England, but again nothing really sparks their interest. It does however give them an idea.
They check listings in America
While looking they come across the news of the Waynes and all the work the family has done for their city. Donations and fundraisers. Bruce Wayne himself had even adopted several children throughout the years.
Sure there was the dangers of the the Rogues Gallery but that was mainly around Crime Alley. And Gotham had lots of space available that was far enough away to be considered safe.
It's not like the family hadn't gotten used to dodging a rampaging super villain every other week for the last couple years. ((I should note here that Marinette is late 16 maybe early 17))
So The Dupain-Chengs are off to Gotham
Past: (A new day in Gotham)
When they arrive, they hit the ground running.
The house Tom and Sabine chose is great. Right in the center of an upper-middle class neighborhood. Not quite white picket fence, but it is roomy enough for the three.
Citizenship was a breeze. Marinette's school transfer the only hiccup, but it was easily rectified once Sabine threatened to take legal action for the schools inaction of Marinette's bullying.
The new Bakery, (Something witty in French), was a bit of a walk from their house, but it was in a good location. And Gotham's strange sleep/business cycle allowed the family a nice influx of customers that wasn't too draining or straining on their mental health.
And Mental health is the name of the game. Marinette is the light of her parents' life once more. She is bouncing back to her formally bubbly self, and Tom and Sabine couldn't be prouder.
She is still sad about what happened. Nothing can really fix what happened to the citizens of Paris.
But, between her Parents steady support and the only miraculous worries she has to deal with is making sure the Kwami don't over indulge themselves on her parents snacks and sweets, Marinette finds herself free to follow her passion.
(If she still shows up late to class every once in a while, because she stayed up too late working on some new piece. Well that just gets the family to laugh at her early morning mad dashes)
During a calmer day the Kwami want to talk to her about something. Something kinda big
Marinette frees up a day for them all to talk.
It is big.
Now that the Miraculous are all back together and they have had some time to talk among themselves but want her opinion.
They think it is time for the Kwami to be released and the Miraculous destroyed.
Marinette is a bit shocked to say the least.
But they explain: ((I am not sure how I want to handle this. But the choices are: 1. They were never meant to be permanent but the world needed balance so they stayed. 2. Miraculous can only be made/destroyed when someone strong enough to wield them all at once is present and is the current guardian. 3. They are from a different realm altogether (realm of the gods) and instead of hiding away from humanity like the other gods they imbued a fraction of their power to the miraculous so they could stay with humanity in some way. 4. Now that things are peaceful and they are together once again they want to make sure their power can not be misused or used for evil ever again.))
The only way to free the Kwami and destroy the miraculous is for a guardian to be able to wear and activate all the Miraculous at once to break the divine seal anchoring the Kwami to the Miraculous
After some talking Marinette agrees.
She takes the Miraculous Box to a park in a spot far enough away from everyone but a good spot to look over the city.
She gives each Kwami a personalized goodbye before taking their Miraculous and calling for their transformation.
She leaves Tikki and Plagg for last.
It is a bit hard now that it is just the three of them. She has been through so much with them. She can't say goodbye.
It is actually Tikki and Plagg who say the final goodbye. “You were a wonderful girl Marinette, I am so glad I got the chance to meet you and watch you grow into the young lady you are today. I know you will do great things in the future.” Plagg, “Yeah, kid. You were a great guardian. A bit stingy with the cheese, but no one is perfect.” Tikki, “Plagg!”
It is enough for Marinette, she gives out a quick laugh and hugs to the both of them before for their transformations.
She calls on the divine contract/seal and with all the Kwami powering her she is able to destroy the miraculous and freeing the Kwami.
The mix of jewelry crumbles to dust and the magic suit fades away. Leaving Marinette as she was earlier.
Small colored motes of light circle Marinette before they shoot up to the sky and fade into the ether.
She stays there for a few minutes looking up watching.
Happy tears trail down her cheeks.
Past: (One bad day)
Once Marinette has had enough time she collects herself and returns home.
Tom and Sabine see their daughter crying when she gets home. But it isn't the same type of crying it was back in Paris. It looks happier. It looks like it is something refreshing/rejuvenating. ((Sorry I honestly have no way to describe it other than saying “She isn't crying because she is sad but because she is happy, and they both can understand that”))
They talk and decide to capitalize on this happy moment and new chapter in their life. They plan for a 'Day out on the town' on their next day off.
A few days later and the three are set to watch a movie in the city proper.
Movie theaters are movie theaters it seems. Regardless of what country you are in. Overpriced snacks, drinks larger than what they should be, and popcorn saltier than the comments directed at the trailers before the movie starts.
The movie is good. They all get a few laughs in.
Afterward they start to head home. They take a few side streets and alleys. (It might not be the smartest thing to do, but any random crook would be no match for a family that had to deal with the likes of Paris for years)
Cue 'One Bad Day.'
((Not really sure how I am going to do this yet. But I have settled on it being The Jokers fault))
What they weren't prepared for was an explosion.
The wall next to them blasts apart. Blinding them all.
When Marinette recovers, it isn't a pretty sight.
Her father is not moving and a pool is growing around him .It is obvious he is already gone. ((IDK if I should add this... but I could add as a descriptor that his body is partially burnt. Might be too cruel. Not because he suffered, no. He died instantly. But, rather because Marinette sees it. So, yeah IDK))
Her mother is pinned to the wall opposite from the one that collapsed.
Marinette rushes over, but sees what is pinning her mother.
It is a bit of plumbing and it is running straight through her chest. Sadly, she doesn't have long.
Marinette is freaking out and Sabine sees it and tries to comfort her child one last time.
The wet hand on her face stops Marinette's freak out. And, it gets her to look at her mother.
“Marinette... ((Sadly I can't think of what to have Sabine say to Marinette. Just picture something heartwarming. I am open to recommendations))... That's... my... girl.”
((Oh and I should point out: Even though I said it was The Joker's fault, he will not be the direct cause of this. The explosion was a result of his fight with the batfam. It is purely coincidental that the Dupain-Chengs got caught up in it))
The soft smile of her mother's face is etched in Marinette's mind as the woman takes her last.
Marinette is completely out of it. She tries to make it back home.
Her mind is too hazy to actually get her there, but her body keeps on moving forward anyway.
Minutes prior The Penguin (Oswald Cobblepot) is getting into his limo.
“Damn Clown.” Is all he really has to say about the Joker's recent stunt.
The Rogues Gallery might have an honor among thieves policy, but any time one got caught it meant that The Bats would be on high alert for any other crime for the rest of the day.
Which meant he had to postpone his own operations and return back to The Lounge.
On the way he sees a girl that... well to be honest looks pretty rough.
Normally he would chalk it up to Gotham being Gotham.
But something in the back of his mind tells him to talk to her.
He orders his driver to pull over next to her so he can.
(I haven't decided what he should open with, and for the most part it doesn't matter. 1. “You alright girly? You look pretty rough.” or 2. “You look too young to be a working girl, what is a girl like you doing in this part of Gotham?”)
His question is enough to get her attention.
She answers him and tells him what has happened.
The Penguin figures that she is in shock.
Because, anyone else who is willing to tell a stranger that they just watched their parents die in front of them, with no emotion to their voice is either dissociating or is a psycho.
He doesn't know why, but he opens the door and moves over. Offering her a ride.
Present: (A rough start)
Marinette is pretty blank and unresponsive for the first days and weeks.
Penguin lets her stay in one of the Lounge's back rooms.
The Lounge has a few furnished rooms that could comfortably house someone living in them.
Lord knows he has done it a few times himself throughout the years.
The only issue is, Why? Why be so nice to the girl?
Things like this happen all the time in Gotham. People die all the time.
There is just something, it could be a gut feeling or something in the back of his mind, that tells him that he needs to help her out.
Present: (But a New One.)
Even though Penguin is helping her out the dialog between the two has been a bit rough.
Getting her to a point where she wasn't shell shocked was the first hurdle.
The next and biggest hurdle was that He had no clue on how to comfort or ease her pain.
It didn't help much that when she did talk to him it was about that 'working-girl' comment he made before. Or how she criticized his “need for arm-candy” as she called it.
Both aspects of Marinette lead Penguin to respect her.
She is dealing with a lot, but she still has enough awareness to call out his behavior.
Her honesty is refreshing, and it has Penguin caring for her.
In a familial way. Not as a daughter, but something close.
At her insistence of doing something instead of being cooped up all day in the back rooms Penguin offers her a job at the Lounge.
The face she gives him makes him explain that she will be a Bartender and not a normal waitress.
Some Time Passes: (Finding a new normal)
Time passes as the two figure each other out.
It takes a few months, but a new normal is found.
For Penguin's part, he lets Marinette do her own thing for the most part.
She still works the bar at the Lounge but after hours she is free to do what she wants.
The only time he tells her what to do or restricts where she can go is when he is scheming his villainy.
And He only does that because she told him early on that she had a strong distaste for it.
(”A shame too,” he would think to himself, “She has an eye for craft. The scheming, the planning, and the ability to think outside the box. She could make a good criminal mastermind.”)
Because of her dislike of it he kept her from it.
Starting out with requests for her to go out shopping or organize the books while he schemed.
Any task that could keep her busy and distracted enough for him to plan his next heist, without her giving a look that would make him feel guilty.
It devolved into shorthand phrases after a while.
Like: “I have to schedule my next meeting with the living gargoyle, no need to stay up.” or “Will you want tea while you go over the earnings report, or do you want something harder?” “Harder.” “Ah, then you can make it yourself.” (if she is feeling particularly grumpy she might add “Don't know why. Your numbers are always off when you account with the harder stuff.”)
She is able to make jokes like that because she finally started coming out of her shell.
She isn't just comfortable enough to make passive aggressive comments about His career choice either.
She has made him a new suit. One he really likes too.
Though he wasn't the first person she made a suit for. That honor goes to Penguin's second in command. A towering bruiser of a man.
He is impressed with her skill and craftsmanship.
A skill Marinette, herself, doesn't as often as she once did.
Whenever she is asked, she says It was a big part of her old life and it is hard to get into it.
The passion is returning. It's just taking its time to come back to her.
Her old passion for fashion isn't the only thing she is good at.
Turns out Marinette has taken pretty well to being a bartender at The Lounge.
She can mix drinks with the best of them, Can distract a man long enough for the woman who isn't interested to sneak away, and even spot when a fight is about to start and get the bouncers stop it before it even starts.
All of which is what led Penguin thinking she could be a good criminal. She has an eye and mind for detail that could be sharper than any other.
But, he respects her decisions and lets it be.
…Though he isn't above ribbing her every now and then by pointing out that she is a criminal already.
Her being 17 and bartending.
Some Time Passes: (Adopting a Grandpa)
It has been known from the very beginning that Penguin was one of Gotham's top criminals.
That fact was never hidden nor shied away from Marinette.
And it was Her honesty about it that had Him appreciating her opinion and input on things.
She would always tell it how she saw it, she wasn't a yes man. (a yes woman in this case)
Because of that honesty and her general personality he starts thinking about quitting
Slow going, but he starts to focus more on the Lounge and other business avenues than going out and doing crimes.
And it is here that Marinette learns of his more intellectual side.
They get to talk after hours, and she gets to see his business side at work.
These small talks help open Marinette's eyes that Penguin is more than just a villain, he is a person.
Helping her realize that not once has he demanded anything from her.
Penguin on the other hand was really moved by her story and it struck a chord with him.
During one of these small talk sessions Penguin reveals that his presence in Gotham isn't as strong as it used to be.
He talks about how “back in the day...” things were different. He used to be one of, if not the most, feared mob boss in Gotham.
Now though, he laments to Marinette that he may not be a laughing stock in Gotham's underworld but no one really respects him anymore.
In a strange way it endures her to him.
Marking it the first time she calls him Granddad (or Granddad Ozzy).
By this point they both realized their familial relationship internally with these small talks they have. This just marks the point where it has been verbalized.
It also marks the time Penguin officially shifts his focus on legal business.
Marinette stays involved in his meetings now too. Both legal and illegal she is bartending for and keeping an open ear/eye on things.
Seeing things that maybe Penguin doesn't.
The illegal meetings are waning anyway so Penguin feels less of a need to have her be away from them.
He feels that villainy will not be part of his life much longer and he see no need to keep her away from it anymore.
Some Time Passes: (A Scare)
After business hours Marinette and Penguin are the only ones left in The Lounge.
Marinette leaves him in the office to do some chores around the place.
That way they will both be free for their nightly talks.
The talks started out as just business things. Penguin quizzing her on business things or getting her input on some new scheme or another.
Now though, it has devolved into them just relaxing after a long day to unwind and enjoy each others company
Before she is done with her clean up Batman and his current Robin show up. ((I am pretty sure I want this Robin to be Damian, and for it to be close to when he is first dropped off at the Wayne Manor. So he will be a bit of a d*ck))
Penguin treats the break in as well as a long suffering mob boss could.
He jumps out of his skin and gives a yell seeing two figures in his office that were not there minutes before.
“Damn it Bat,” Clutching his chest, “You almost gave me a heart-attack.”
“What do you want?” he grumbles trying to calm himself down.
But before he can curse the dark knight out more or the man can get his peace in, Marinette shows back up.
Concern in her voice, “Ozzy, I heard you yell. Is everything okay?”
She doesn't make it more than a half step past the office doors.
She squeaks out an “eep” when she sees the tip of a sword pointed at her, mere inches away from her nose.
Her eyes are blown wide with surprise and fear, not expecting this.
Any reprimand Batman was going to give his sidekick is short lived.
The Bat gets as far as calling out Robin's name when Marinette sees Penguin.
She sees him clutching his chest and acts. “Ozzy!”
Her body moves with the only motivation of getting to her Granddad to safety.
She slaps the sword out of her face.
Grabbing the young teen's (or is he a pre-teen?) wrist, stretching out his arm with one hand and striking with the other.
An open palmed strike breaking his elbow.
He does try to retaliate with his non injured arm, but she is quicker.
Letting him go to dodge his angry swing, she balls her hand into a fist.
Striking him in the center of his face and breaking his nose.
With the threat taken care of she rushes to Penguin's side.
Pulling him away from the vigilantes and to the door.
It is all so quick everyone is a little stunned.
The excitement from having the Bats show up at his doorstep, paired with his granddaughter in danger and her sequentially taking out Robin is enough to push Penguin over the edge.
He feels a sharp pain in his chest, and he grabs his chest in earnest.
He is having a real heart-attack.
The uninjured parties take care of their injured family members.
Batman takes Damian to the Batcave, while Marinette drives Penguin to an underground surgeon (because a normal hospital would call the cops on Penguin)
After the initial scare and Penguin waking up in a hospital bed he finds Marinette sleeping at the side of his bed.
Not having her ruin her back or sleep scheduled over him he takes her over to Harley and Ivy's Apartment complex.
He has her stay with them while he recovers. That way she doesn't worry herself “into a free trip to Arkham” (Eh... IDK if I will keep that)
That is what he tells her anyway.
He has to do something and he needs to know she is someplace safe.
A few days later the Bat Signal is lighting up the night sky.
Batman shows up and asks a confused Commissioner Gordan what he is calling for.
Gordan has no clue why the Bat Signal is on and was just coming up to turn it off when Batman showed up.
Penguin reveals himself to the two.
He needed both of them here to explain some things.
And to apologize.
He explains what happened.
How Marinette told him she acted on instinct and just wanted to protect him.
Explaining that she had freaked out once she realized what she did and how worried she got for attacking one of the vigilantes.
He asks that neither of the two go after her because she is a good kid, just over protective sometimes.
When asked to explain he implies Gotham isn't nice sometimes, and leaves it at that.
He tells them that she is the reason why he hasn't been doing crime as much.
Even revealing his want to go straight. To stop being a criminal.
He is doing it all for her. His granddaughter.
Adoptive granddaughter, but blood doesn't make family.
He does ask Batman to tell Robin Marinette is truly sorry for what she did.
Asking that the vigilantes not hold her actions against her.
Surprised by the news, Batman agrees to forgive Marinette.
Seeing how Penguin is genuinely going down the path to redemption.
Future: (Joke gone too far)
It has been a year, almost two, (Marinette is 18 almost 19) and there has been a persistent little rumor in floating around it Gotham
Penguin is going straight. He is quitting villainy altogether.
Like most rumors; Some people believe it, others don't.
It spreads regardless though. Even if it leans toward more people not believing it than those that do.
The rumor reaches the other criminals of Gotham. And they for the most part are split as well.
The Joker comes across it, and thinks it's the funniest thing he has heard in a while.
“One of Gotham's top criminals is going good!?! What a riot.”
He decides to do what he always does.
He decides he is going to push the joke. See exactly how far it goes.
After a couple days he has everything set up.
He has captured both Penguin and Marinette.
Penguin being tied up to a chair, while Marinette is in a corner not moving.
She isn't hurt but she won't move with The Joker waiving the gun in his hands wildly like he is.
He has admitted that he would shoot her if she tried anything, but he wants her here.
After all: “The Girly here, has to see what Ol' Cobblepot is really like.”
Batman is here and captured as well. He is chained up to a wall.
To Joker's logic: if The Bat isn't taken care of right away he will ruin the fun.
With the pieces ready he decides to play his little game.
The Gothamites have their broadcasts scrambled as The Joker takes over the airwaves.
Now everyone gets to see how Joker plans on pushing this joke.
“Everyone deserves to have a good laugh.” He chuckles, “After all, it was enough to give me a laugh.”
((I Haven't decided on the dialog yet. Sorry, but here is a quick overview))
Joker opens with him saying he has heard the rumors.
That “Dear Ol' Penguin is going good.”
He wants to test Penguin's new found morality.
Joker admits he doesn't believe it to be anything other than a joke.
He doesn't think any of the Rogues Gallery can change.
“We crooks of Gotham don't change.”
To prove it he is willing to let the old mob boss take down the one person that has been a thorn in their collective sides.
THE Batman.
Untying the older man and pulling him into a standing position.
“Listen, I know we have had our differences in the past. But there is one thing we crooks can all agree on.”
He drapes himself over Penguin.
“The Bat has got to go.”
Giving Penguin the gun he had been waving around all this time.
“We all had our laughs, why not end this little joke before it gets stale.”
He smiles wickedly as Penguin lifts the gun and points it at Batman.
He has his own moment to speak.
Saying how he had wanted to do this for so long. To put The Bat to an end once and for all.
There are a few moments where he doesn't do anything.
Instead he looks over to Marinette, gives her a small smile
He doesn't pull the trigger.
Instead he lets his arm drop back to his side.
Saying he can't kill Batman. Not because he doesn't want to, but because it would upset his granddaughter.
This gets The Joker to laugh.
(Penguin gives a quick glance to Marinette to see that she is smiling with the man's choice)
His laughter dies down when he sees the small moment.
His signature smile morphs into a snarl ((Try and picture the snarl The Joker had in the animated series. It was spooky back when I was a kid))
“You have become even more boring.”
It's all the preamble he gives before reaching into his coat and shooting Penguin in the chest a few times.
The only thing louder for the Gothamites than the three shots on their screens is the girl's scream of “NO!”
Penguin lands back in the chair he started in.
The Joker, done with his current source of entertainment moves on to how he plans on dealing with Batman.
Marinette however, rushes to Penguin's side after she yells out. She is right by his side trying to save him.
Future: (One bad night)
((This next bit is the first part of what I got inspired to write after I watched the Jinx and Silco scene))
Tears are already flowing as she is ripping off sleeves and the bottom hem of her shirt trying to stop the bleeding.
Her thoughts pour out of her as she begs. “No, no, no. You can't leave me. Please stay with me.”
It is that same rambling that helps Penguin focus and stay conscious.
He calls out to her “Marinette”
Stumbling over his words he wants to tell her, needs to tell her before he loses his chance.
“You- you were the best thing to happen to me.”
Just happy that he is still conscious she smiles “You too granddad.”
He smiles back but has to say his peace “I want you to know that.”
She catches on quickly, “No.”
“Before you came to my life, I was a bitter old man who no one respected.”
Her tears are coming in stronger, she isn't ready “Don't talk like that.”
“You changed that, and I couldn't have been happier to have met you and had you in my life.”
She is trembling now, “I can save you. Please-”
He cuts her off “Your life has been hard and I am so sorry I couldn't make it better.”
She shakes her head, “Please stay, please let me save you.”
“I wanted to-” he slows down, “I wanted to....”
When he doesn't finish his sentence she looks him in the eye “Granddad...?”
She cups his face in her hands, “Ozzy...?”
Marinette watches the light fade from his eyes.
She is frozen, unable to do anything as she watches for the third time someone she cared about pass away in front of her.
When she is sure the last stubborn wisps of life are gone something inside her snaps.
She picks up the gun Penguin dropped when he was shot.
She turns and fires.
Through heartache and tears her shots are wild.
The first one strikes true. Hitting The Joker in the knee.
It drops him into a kneeling position.
The next few miss. Digging into the wall opposite her.
When the next one hits the madman it gets his shoulder.
Causing him to topple over. Forcing him on his back.
She stalks forward in her rage. One thing on her mind.
Stepping on his wounded shoulder to make sure he can't move away, she finally speaks.
“You took everything.”
Her eyes are as hateful as the ninth level of hell ((I like this descriptor because she has blue eyes and 9th level of hell is suppose to be frozen over))
“The last bit of my heart I had left.”
Even though her voice has been low and flat she still manages to growl.
“I am going to destroy yours.”
The gun fires.
Only for The Joker to still be alive.
And, it is in no way to do with Marinette showing mercy.
No.
Instead the gun is held high, pointed to the ceiling.
Batman is holding her arm up.
She struggles against him trying to break free.
In her rage and through her tears she shouts and wails.
“Let me do it! Let me kill him! He deserves to die!”
Any reassurances Batman has for her is lost in the emotional storm that she is in.
It is made so much worse by The Joker's commentary.
Through pained grunts he gets out, “Looks -ouch- Like it was Ol' Cobblepot who didn't know any better.”
(insert Mark Hamill laugh)
Future: (Missing heart)
A little over two weeks have passed since the incident.
Marinette is staying at Harley and Ivy's Apartments.
The two are watching over her.
They had promised Penguin back when he had his heart-attack to keep an eye on her if anything happened to him.
Even though they are watching over her, Marinette is not doing well.
She has been listless ever since the two women took her in.
There isn't a flash of light in her unfocused eyes at all. She looks more like a living corpse than a living being.
It has been bad enough a couple days where they had to actively feed her.
“Things seem to be turning around.” Harley cherry mood shifts a little, “Maybe not to a full one hundred percent, but it is a good day.”
Ivy raises an eyebrow, “How so?”
“Marinette is out of her room and is in the kitchen.”
As if her appearance out of her room was a sign from the universe there is a knock at the door.
When the two open it they find a man with a suitcase.
They are a lawyer and they tell the pair they are acting in service to Oswald Cobblepot's Will.
The man asks for Marinette as she is the main beneficiary.
((All of this was completely unknown to Marinette. Penguin had set up his Last Will and Testament way back when he had his heart-attack. The Will states that she would inherit everything he owned. And that she would be able to do whatever she wanted to with the assets she now owns. It was even noted that Penguin's second in command agreed with the Will and would go along with anything she decided to do, should Penguin die))
“Granddad had a will?” is all she can really think to say at first.
After the Will is read Marinette is in shock.
“He is giving me everything? E-even the Lounge?”
She is moved more by that than the large sum of money she is to inherit.
It turns out Penguin had been saving up his riches for a while, even before Marinette came into his life, and it would make her a very rich young woman.
After finalizing everything she asks if Harley and Ivy can take her to the Lounge.
The two agree and drive her there.
When they get there it is predictably closed.
Luck seems to be on their side though, as it looks like Penguin's Second in Command is taking out some trash.
The women meet him and he greets them with a nod.
Taking care of the trash he goes to the main door holding it open for them.
Marinette asks Harley and Ivy if they can leave her at the Lounge for a while, because she feels she needs to do this alone.
They both agree and let her go inside by herself.
With a quick, “Keep an eye on her, yeah? She needs time right now.” to Penguin's Second.
He gives a resolute nod and turns to follow Marinette inside.
The man finds her meandering the main floor as she looks everything over.
There is a light in her eye, though it looks like it is replaying memories in her head.
Future: (Need of a Strong drink)
After some meandering she ends up behind the bar.
One of the few places she has grown very use to sense she came to Gotham
She motions for Penguin's Second in command to take a seat while she brings out the things she needs to make/mix drinks.
She sets out two Schott glasses on the table and starts mixing.
As her hands move she finally speaks up, “Granddad made a will.”
Not a question, just a fact.
One that Penguin's Second confirms with a nod.
“He named me the soul beneficiary.”
He gives another nod.
“In the will he said you would stand by any decision I made.”
She is making the drinks slowly, almost like she is trying to remember how to do it properly. This isn't the normal flashy drink making she has done in the past.
This is the slower process of making a new drink.
“Regardless of whatever direction I want to go.”
A nod from the big guy.
“If I wanted to live the rest of my life just off of the inheritance would you be okay with it?”
A nod.
She pours the drink into the two glasses. Sets the new drinks in between the both of them.
“What if I sold The Lounge to move abroad? Never to set foot in this city again. Would you be okay with that?”
His face twitches trying to hide a grimace but he gives her another nod.
She smiles sadly seeing the man underneath the stoic mask come out.
Grabbing the glass in front of her, “What if..?” She hesitates.
She brings the glass a hair's breadth away from her lips, “What if I were to use all of it, every last cent, to tear Gotham down brick by brick?”
She takes a large swig of the concoction.
She stares into the dark liquid, “Brick by brick, So that clown would have nowhere to hide as I send him to hell.”
She takes a smaller sip this time, “Would you still stay by my side?”
“Yes, you wouldn't even have to ask me to.”
He takes a drink of his own glass.
It is strong, 'Like how people say I am. Like how the boss was'
“Before you came here, came into his life, he was a very angry man. You changed that, changed him for the better.”
He drinks the rest of it, 'it is strong like how She is,'
“He probably wouldn't want you to use the inheritance to follow his example. He probably would have wanted to do one of the other things you suggested.”
“But,” He pauses waiting for her to look at him, “I would follow you to hell just to make sure you get to see that clown getting what he deserves, Then I would drag you back, just so you can get to the pearly gates where you belong.”
She gives him a genuine smile as tears well up clouding her vision.
“Thank you.”
She finishes the last of her drink without so much as a flinch.
The two leave the bar counter heading to the office.
Two empty glasses are the only witnesses to the covenant made that day.
Change is coming to Gotham
Future: (Bouncing Back)
((From this point onward Marinette is acting with the sole purpose of taking out the Joker. And I mean everything she does is for this one goal in mind))
It wasn't long after the Will and Testament reading that Marinette made an appearance in the media shear.
A few interviews here and there.
All of them gave her a chance to share her story. Who she was. How she ended up in Gotham. And, it seemed most were interested in, What was her relationship with Penguin was.
So, she tells the interviewers, and as a result all of Gotham, everything. ((Not really everything, because she keeps her plans and the miraculous a secret. Also this will be an overview and recap of everything so))
Through the interview's efforts they endure Marinette to the people of Gotham.
She explains that she had grown up in Paris and had a good life growing up.
That is until Paris had its own villain to deal with.
Paris being held captive by a manipulative madman who used people's own emotions against them. All the while her family toughed it out.
Until close to the end of everything she started getting bullied. Getting so bad that she had become completely isolated at school.
It wasn't until the 'Battle of Paris' was over that her parents finally had enough of what was happening to her that they decided to get her away from all that toxicity.
She admits to the interviewers that there were loads of places they could have gone, but there was something about Gotham that called to them.
Her family knew well enough to stay away from Crime Alley and stick to the kinder side of the city.
She tells the interviewers “Things were starting to look up, but...”
Marinette talks about the day she lost her parents.
About the 'Movie Night Celebration' and how she lost them.
She shares her mother's last words with her.
“It was probably the worst day of my life. It was also the start of my new life in Gotham.”
Telling interviewers how she met Penguin or Granddad Ozzy as she calls him.
Share with them how grateful she is that He took her in.
Explaining how it started off with Penguin just giving her a place to stay and evolving into a Grandfather/Granddaughter relationship.
Even sharing small stories with interviewers like, “He had me go out and do some shopping or have a night off just so I wouldn't be involved when he was planning one of his heists. He didn't want me to pick up any 'bad habits' as he liked to call it.”
In other interviews she would say, “He told me that he was actually thinking of going straight for a while. Saying that I was the last push in that right direction.”
Which confirmed the truth everyone suspected.
Penguin was genuinely quitting crime before he died.
News Papers all over Gotham had a field day with those headlines.
Everyone in Gotham watched or read about Marinette's interviews and were inspired by her life story.
Everyone was inspired by her when she promised to continue Penguin’s work.
“Build off the Foundation that Granddad started.”
She promises to do everything in her power to make sure what happened to her doesn't happen to anyone else ever again.
The public eats it up. They all fall in love with her.
Because who couldn't love the young woman who had been dealt such an awful hand in life, but was still willing to do good.
Quickly giving her the titles of “Golden Child of Gotham” and/or “Princess of Gotham”
Marinette follows through on her promise to better Gotham.
Using her inheritance and new found fame to invest in Gotham.
Donates to the public sector. So the Police, Firefighters, and EMTs can get better equipment and training.
In the private sector, she readily invests into the Businesses and Sciences.
Within a short time people have come to expect Marinette donations in anything that sounds like it could even remotely help Gotham.
If it is money she invests it freely.
If manpower is needed she is the one setting up work programs.
Marinette becomes the new public face of Gotham. Nearly as prolific as the Wayne family.
Every picture or video she is in she is smiling.
She is the head of the Cobblepot Foundation. Naming it so she might be able to honor her adoptive grandfather.
Future: (Rumor Has It)
While this is going on there is a small rumor floating in the shadows of the underground.
One that the Batclan is very concerned about.
Someone is trying to claim Penguin's name.
At best they think it is a copycat.
At worst they think someone is trying to ruin The Cobblepot Foundation's reputation.
So they try to set a trap.
Having a good history with Penguin's old habits they test which one it is.
They set up a stakeout for a museum where they have planted a fake bird-like piece of jewelry.
They make sure the piece is advertised, ensuring whoever is using Penguin's name sees it.
After all, If the real Penguin would go after an ancient brooch from Tibet themed after a bird.
Whoever this is should be sure to fall for it as well.
If not they added some other jewelry from the area to go along with it. Just to make it that more appealing.
But, it is uneventful.
They waited but the new Penguin never shows.
Proving to the vigilantes that it is a fake, and luckily not someone trying to tear down Cobblepot Foundation.
But when they go to check in on the museum as their civilian selves they find it missing.
They don't even have time to investigate where it went when they get to the manor/batcave.
Because they are stopped by a news headline that reads “Heroes or Con Artists?”
It is a broadcast that has an interviewer and Marinette across from one another.
Marinette is without her ever present smile and it looks like she has been crying or is trying to hold back her tears.
Starting off the interview Marinette explains that she was going to go to the museum and ask if the showcasing of the jewelry could be postponed, as she felt that the museum showcasing the was in poor taste
It was, after all, the type of artifact that her granddad would seek out back when he was a criminal. And she felt people didn't need a reminder of his past deeds. Seeing how he had been trying to change himself.
She just wanted to have people see and think of his better side during his upcoming memorial. She tells the interviewer that she didn't want anyone who was coming to the memorial having bad memories of the man Penguin used to be.
Her speech causes guilt to wash over the Bats currently in the batcave.
They all had forgotten about Marinette and how she would feel about the stakeout.
The Batclan don't get to regret things for long though.
The interview continues and Marinette tells the reporter that when she confronted the museum curator the art piece was already gone.
She tells the interviewer “I was going to count my blessings there.”
But, as she was walking out of the museum she was given a folder. Marinette doesn't go into detail on who it was. (implying it was anonymously given to her)
What was in the folder made her rush to the news center because, “That is when I figured it out.”
Marinette admits she had heard the rumors of the Penguin being active in Gotham again. Or that there was a copycat.
“Rumors like that will always pop up it seems. But what is truly disgusting to me is when others go out of their way to discredit and dishonor the reputation of others.”
When the interviewer asks her to explain. Marinette shares her theory.
It is after she says that the news cast shows pictures that Marinette had shared with them.
There are several pictures of some members of the Batclan surrounding the museum and watching over it.
“Think about it and look at the facts.”
She counts on her fingers, “One we start hearing rumors about Granddad being back. Or there being some copycat. Two, a museum announces that a 'bird themed' art piece will be its next big attraction. Three, that same attraction goes missing right before its big debut. And Finally, the folder I was given showing Batman and his sidekicks 'watching over'” she finger quotes, “that same museum.”
It seems the reporter is putting things together when they ask “You mean to say?”
Marinette speaks plainly, “I think it was a set up.”
“Why?” Is the only thing the reporter seems to ask.
“My guess; It would get the people of Gotham to distrust the Oswald Foundation.”
She shrugs, “Honestly? I don't know. It could be any number of things. Maybe they want to be seen as the only 'good guys' in Gotham. And with Granddad's change of heart it upsets that status quo. Maybe they truly hated Granddad so much for what he did in his past they couldn't let him be seen as anything other than a villain. (Even in death.)”
She mutters quietly to herself but the camera still picks it up, “Gods know why Batman didn't step in before he did that night.”
She speaks normally, “Or, heaven forbid, they are using the fear of an 'old nemesis returning' to try and convince the people of Gotham that Batman and his birds are still needed in this city.”
The interviewer asks, “You sound so sure that this was a set up, what if it is not?”
Even though they are asking the obvious question the interviewer sounds too excited about this whole thing. (This is a story for the ages)
“I can't be sure and that is what is driving me mad,” Her tears are building up again, “I can't tell if it is coincidence or maliciousness. But I do know there are just too many things that don't make sense when I look at everything that has happened recently.”
The interview ends shortly after that with parting pleasantries between Marinette and the Interviewer.
The Batcave is silent. The hum of the bat-computer being the only thing making any noise.
One thing was running through the Batclan's minds.
This was bad.
They had just watched as prolific and influential as the Waynes imply that their crime fighting personas of puppeteering Gotham's underworld and fear mongering rather than trying to save the city.
It put them on the back foot and cut their available options down considerably.
The best option was finding the anonymous tipper that had given Marinette the folder.
It was no secret that Marinette disliked the Dark Knight sense Penguin's death.
However, She was never openly antagonistic like this before.
She had said before, in interviews prior, that she respected what he and his sidekicks did for the city. She just didn't want to be involved in conversations that went beyond that.
This new interview showed just how much she placed the blame of Penguin's death on Batman's shoulders.
And how much that blame swayed her judgment.
Not to say that she was blindly accusing the Bats. Looking at the evidence that way she had presented it did paint the Batclan in less than a favorable light.
That made it dangerous.
If they don't handle this correctly Marinette's words might gain traction.
Then. Then who is to say what could happen.
((How do they deal with it? No clue, honestly. This whole thing is meant to keep the Bats busy and on the back foot while Marinette is planning and scheming. But a few ideas on how things might go: First, if they go to Marinette she can easily tell the media that “The Bats 'paid her a visit' looking for her anonymous source.” Regardless of how the Batclan intends the meeting to go. It wouldn't be long before the public is grabbing pitchforks after that. Second, if they work with the Commissioner and his men to find things out in a legal way. Rumors might spread of the Bats corrupting the Police force.))
Future: (Truth Be Told)
Flash Back: Before the Museum stakeout.
The Rogues Gallery is gathered together to discuss a problem.
That problem being the future of Gotham.
Almost all of them were present. With only a few notable big players missing.
Those note taking part of the meeting being: Harley and Ivy, Catwoman, and of course The Joker. Seeing how he was still recovering from his injuries in Arkham.
The chatter in the room was on one thing.
“Who called the meeting for the Rogues to meet?”
No one present knew. And there was only one chair left unattended.
The Rogues didn't have to wait long as the large frame of Penguin's Second in Command steps into the room.
“You're all here? Good.” Looking into the room over he speaks.
That got everyone's attention.
If the big guy was here then the rumor must be true.
In the underground all the criminals heard that same rumor.
Unlike the everyday Tom, Dick, and Harry the criminals of Gotham carried on as normal.
Wayside rumors held very little sway over the day to day for any of them.
But this proved it.
“The boss will be here shortly.”
Cobblepot was back.
Like a jolt the room was filled with a strange energy, one that none present could place.
The 'clack' of fine shoes striking the floor, paired with the distinctive off kilter 'tack' of a cane that come from down the hall, was enough to break the tension.
The steps got louder as they got closer.
The room got quiet. The Rogues were holding their breath, waiting.
When the steps reached just before the doorway one of the criminals called out.
“Oswald, your back.”
The person that emerged from the darkened hallway wasn't Penguin however.
Instead, this person was tall and slim. Where Penguin was stout and a bit round.
They walked with a stylized cane. White silk gloves holding it steady as they walked into the room.
The black pinstripe suit they wore was strikingly impressive. One that oozed power and confidence. It had a feel like that of the mob bosses of old.
Al Capone comes to mind for some.
Almost like the Penguin in his prime for others.
The look was tied to with a matching pinstripe fedora casting their face in shadow.
This person was obviously not the Penguin.
At the very least not Oswald Cobblepot.
“Who are you?” The friend to the old mobster indignantly squawked.
“The one who set up this meeting.” Her, because the voice was distinctively a famine voice, answered back.
Her voice was calm and measured, with an almost playful purr to it.
Lifting her face the vale of shadow pulls away.
Revealing none other that Marinette Cobblepot, adoptive granddaughter of the late mob boss
Future: (Underground's New Boss)
During the Rogues' confusion Marinette smoothly took her seat at the head of the table. (Helped of course by Second in Command, who was kind enough to pull the chair out for her.)
It is the sharp look in her eyes that pulls them out of their thoughts.
“What the hell,” One of the Rogues shouted, “What is the Princess of Gotham doing here!?!”
They look around checking the exits, “Is this a set up.”
“Set up? I can assure you, this is quite the opposite.” She answers with a wicked half smile. “We are here to talk business, no? Let's talk business.”
The glint of wickedness in the purr her words held got another Rogue to speak up.
“(Blank) is right.” Pointing at her. “You are the 'Golden Child of Gotham' what business could you possibly have with us?”
Trying to goad her, “Are you here trying to get us to follow the Straight and Narrow?”
The barb works, but not in the way they expected.
“No,” The cold hate in her eyes when she narrowed them was enough for the Rogues as a whole to still.
“I am fairly certain that none of you have any plans of changing your ways.”
Her TV smile is back, as if the glare she wore was never there to begin with.
“Instead, I am here to reestablish Granddad's hold in Gotham.”
“Back in his day, Granddad had one of the strongest grips on Gotham's dark underbelly.”
“Of coarse that being said, I feel it is only fair to remind you all that he dealt with any who encroached on his turf or he had them pay a service fee, I believe he called it.” She says calmly.
“You expect us to pay you to operate on your turf?” Black Mask asks. “What turf?”
“Cobblepot was throwing away what little turf he had left before he kicked the bucket.”
“You don't have any turf to tax us over.”
“Not only that, you have nothing and no one but Penguin's old muscle.” He asks her, “How could either of you stop any of us from continuing our operations in the first place?”
“That,” Taking her cane and pointing the end of it at him, “Is where you are wrong.”
“You do bring up a good point though Black Mask.” putting her cane back beside her chair. “And, I am glad you brought it up.”
Her tone is mocking, as if she was a teacher explaining things to a student.
Adopting a thinking pose, “How could I stop any of you from operating in my turf?”
Before she answers, rushed foot falls come from the hallway.
One of Black Mask's goons burst through the doors and out of breath.
They rush to their leader, “Boss, we got hit hard.”
“The Bat got you? Where? How?”
The goon shakes his head taking a few greedy gulps of air. “Nah, it wasn't the Bats.”
“They took out five of our drug dens and three of our safe houses.”
Getting frustrated Black Mask shouts, “How damn it!”
“It was the cops. It was a massive sting. Me and Wilhelm were the only ones who made it out.”
Incredulously he shouts, “What?” Is the only thing Black Mask can utter.
The bewilderment isn't long lived.
His attention is taken up by a soft chuckle, enough to loosen the tight grip he had on his goon's collar.
He just stares at the young woman at the head of the table.
He can still see the smile on her face poorly hidden by her hand.
“What did you do? (or What's so funny)” He snarls.
Getting her laughter under control, “Oh~ nothing.”
With an air of smugness, “Showing you how I will enforce my turf.”
“You have all heard the rumors by now, no?” She asks with a tilt of her head.
“That 'Penguin is back,' well it is true.”
Looking Black Mask square in the eyes, “While Granddad is gone from this world. I have taken up his mantle.”
“And just like how Granddad had his hand in everything back in the day.”
Taking a hand to her chest, “I decided I would do the same.”
“Police, firefighters, EMTs.” Listing them off with her fingers.
“I have people in them all.”
“And that is just in the public sector.”
Having enough of it, Black Mask reaches into his coat. “I'll kill you for this girl.”
A flat “I wouldn't,” It is said so calmly, without any sense of worry that it holds him still.
As if she is the one in control of the situation, she explains, “If you do and I leave this any worse for ware, the police officers I have under my control, who I am sure have already surrounded the building by now, will take down each and everyone of you.”
Black Mask hasn't moved his hand still in the depths of his jacket.
“They won't go for the arrest either.” She shakes her head, “No, they will open fire and put you down. Permanently.”
Her calm friendliness vanishes from her voice, “I suggest you sit back down and allow us to finish discussing our business.”
He does so, and her smile returns.
“Thank you. (or Smart decision)”
Standing up, “This is how it is going to go,” Propping herself on the table with her two hands, “I am reclaiming all of Granddad's turf.”
One of the rogues, “Sure, you can take back Penguin's old chunk of Gotham-”
Interrupting them, “You misunderstand. I am reclaiming ALL of his territory.”
“...Okay?” A bit confused, they ask, “How much are we talking here?”
“Well, before Batman stalked the shadows, Granddad once told me how he was one of Gotham's very first major players. And back then he ruled all of Gotham's underground.”
It riles up the criminals gathered.
One of the Rogues shouts out, “Wait! You want to take all of Gotham? You are pushing us out just like that!?!”
“Heaven forbid.” With a shake of her head, “I won't force any of you out.”
She grabs her cane and starts to walk around the table and those assembled.
“You can all still operate freely in Gotham.”
“There will be...” Lifting her free hand trying to physically grab the word she is looking for, “Rules that will be applied from here on out.”
Throughout her slow trek around the Rogues she explains her rules.
1. No selling/dealing drugs to kids or around schools.
2. No human trafficking.
3. Reestablish the code of honor among the Rogues Gallery: First one at the scene of the crime gets the winnings.
4. Finally, All rogues will pay a 10% tax to Marinette for any operation inside of Gotham.
She does give a few exceptions to the last rule. Any that are willing to work with her and help expand her empire she will cut the tax in half.
(She offers this deal first to Bain as he is a good smuggler. His skills can be used to get things in and out of Gotham for her.)
(The tax cut is also offered to any of the Rogues that are willing to give her a supply of the toxins or chemicals that they use regularly. Bain, Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze are just a few she offers this deal to)
She warns all of them that if any of them cross her, that criminal's tax will jump up to half.
Giving them the final ultimatum that they have one month to either agree to her terms or they will be taken down/run out of Gotham.
Marinette by this time has almost circled the table entirely.
A lot of the Rogues aren't too happy about her new rules.
The Joker's Daughter is the only one that speaks up. ((This is the face wearing version of Duela Dent))
With a chaotic giggle, “Daddy put that old crow in the dirt and now you are trying to take his place. Be big and bad, no one is buying it Girly.”
It is enough to stop Marinette. She is just behind The Joker's Daughter.
She stares into the middle distance for a moment.
Taking a breath, she addresses the gathered criminals.
“This brings me to my next point.”
With one quick and vicious strike, she hits the delusional girl in the temple with her cane.
The Joker's Daughter is thrown from her seat by the impact, landing heavily on the ground.
Marinette follows up the attack. Bringing her cane down again and again on Duela's face.
The brutal attack doesn't stop until Second in Command stands next to her.
When he offers her a handkerchief from his breast pocket, she uses it to wipe the blood off the stylized penguin head on her cane instead of the splatter that had landed on her cheek.
She gives the man a quiet “Thank you.”
“Last and most important rule.” She says.
She isn't smiling at all and her tone is deadly serious.
“Anyone who associates with THAT clown,” She jabs the cane down on Duela's chest, palming the stylized head with both hands, “With have their origination torn to the ground, and their burnt body thrown on top of the wreckage.”
She gives the room one savage sweep with her eyes. Making sure her point is made.
When she is satisfied that her point is made, she turns her attention back to Duela.
Kneeling down she pushes the cane harder until it breaks skin.
Seeing the small red flower growing on the fabric.
A small 'click' is heard when she presses the bird’s eye on her cane.
Within a short second later Duela starts to giggle and gurgle past her broken face.
Marinette grabs the girl by the hair, “Do you feel that?”
She asks it softly but with how quiet the room is everyone can hear her clearly.
“That part of you that wants to laugh at the absurdity of what just happened, but your body won't let you?”
“Like you can't get even the smallest of breaths? How your head is pounding but your thoughts are foggy and you can't focus on anything?”
“That is how I felt that day. And now you get to feel it too.”
“You get to share my pain.”
She growls out the next part, “And you get to thank 'dear old daddy' for it too.”
“I had one of my science groups break down an old defunct version of that clown's toxic gas and tweak it some.”
She shakes the girl's head to keep her focus, “Now instead of contracting the diaphragm and forcing you to laugh yourself to death. It slowly paralyzes the diaphragm, preventing you from breathing.”
Sounding like she is trying to reassure the girl, “But no need to worry the other nasty parts of the toxin are still active.”
“It will still make you smile. Even though you are in so much pain.”
“Just like how I had to deal with the pain I had to suffer through.”
“It will keep that heart of yours pumping, keeping your blood flowing.”
“Even though it feels like the damn thing has a hammer its way out of your chest.”
She makes sure Duela is looking directly at her, “Your only hope is to claw it out.”
Duela can do nothing.
Anytime she is able to get the smallest of breath she is forced to choke out a chuckle.
Marinette lets go of the girl's hair and stands up.
“I am in a foul mood now.” She addresses the room. “You all have until Granddad's memorial to give me your answer.”
Pulling out a pocket watch, “That is a little over a week from now.”
With her peace said she heads out the door, Second in command quick to follow her.
The Rogues left in the room are speechless.
The only noise being that of Duela gargling on her own blood. Slowly succumbing to her injuries.
Epilog: (Empress Penguin)
Skip forward a week to present time.
The Memorial for Oswald Cobblepot is being held.
There is a large crowd gathered.
Many are here to support Marinette in her grief.
Everyone from the civil workers to the average Gothamite is here for the service.
All the local news sites are there to televise the event.
It almost turned into a disaster when the Rogues Gallery showed up.
With the first couple having the police try and arrest the criminals.
But, they are stopped by Marinette pleading with the officers.
“This is the time of morning. Even though they are criminals they deserve time to grieve, just like the rest of us. They lost a friend.”
When no one moves she tries a little bit harder, “Please officers, let this be a day where we all can forget our rolls and remember those we lost. Let us come together, even if it is just for a sing day. Let's be there for each other. Just for one day.”
The officers relent.
In part due to Marinette's sincerity and the fact that the Rogues haven't been aggressive as they normally are.
When more of the Rogues show up without any of their tricks more people calm down.
During the memorial the citizens of Gotham mourn with Marinette. Some with her, while others mourn their own lost loved ones.
News sites report on all of it. Noting that almost all of Gotham is here.
There are only a few major players that haven't shown up.
The Joker. But he's still recovering in Arkham.
Some of the Waynes.
And finally Batman and his sidekicks.
What no one knows is that this memorial service is just the first step in Marinette's future plans.
She is going to take the Joker down. Making sure it is in as painful as a way possible.
Discredit the Batfam when/where she can without sounding malicious. (He still needs to pay for allowing her granddad to die)
While she understands that it isn't the life that he would have wanted her to live, it is the one she chose. And she chooses to follow in her Granddad's footsteps.
Even going so far as to take his old name. Becoming the new Penguin.
After all when he was alive and was The Penguin he always treated her like a princess.
If she really is going to follow in his footsteps and work off what he had already established.
Maybe she should become something more?
Something more than just a princess, something more than a new Penguin.
After all, isn't the next logical step of being a princess and heir is to become a ruler?
There is a penguin in the wild that rules them all.
Maybe she should take up a more fitting title then.
Idea to Yellow Lantern Marinette au: Marinette got a ring from gravely wounded Sinestro Corps member, when he crashed nearby Dupain-Chengs' flat (which is out of Paris and used only during vacations and long weekends)
ooh, this could imply many things - as in he loses his ring and she somehow stumbles across it a little like she did the ladybug miraculous, or she sees him injured and takes it (and does something to ensure he can never get it back), or something entirely different, like if she tries to save him and in his last moments he passes the ring onto her and tells her to protect it. there are so many parallels that could be drawn between mari's journey as ladybug and her journey as a yellow lantern (assuming she's both and not just a lantern) and how they'd affect one another!
TBH there is a simpler way to explain how this could work.
Most, if not all, Lantern Corps Rings can scan the psyche of possible hosts to see if said host would/could be a good candidate for which ever Corps that ring belongs to. (This might not be true. My Comic Lore is not update) So there is no need for Marinette to take the ring away from whichever Sinestro Corps member she stumbled across. It probably wouldn’t let her if it didn’t think she could be a candidate.
That being said, Marinette could very well be chosen as a Sinestro Corps member.
Small ramble just so we are all on the same page:
As I said before the ring could scan her personality. And let’s see if I can set a foundation to this idea/au.
Let’s say that “Random Yellow Lantern Goon #5435″ falls into Marinette’s neck of the woods. And said goon ends up crashing onto Marinette’s balcony. Marinette being the person we know her to be tries to help the goon. It’s all for not though, and the goon passes on. As they do the ring does as Lantern Corps Rings do when their current host dies. It looks for a new one.
Throughout this whole thing Marinette is freaking out internally. Thinking up one worst case scenario after another. But she isn’t letting it show. For two reasons; One) Hawkmoth, and Two) There is something?(someone?) dying in front of her. And she can’t let them see the fear she is feeling at the moment or they could freak out and injure themselves worse. Her internal freak out skyrockets when the being?.. alien?.. thing dies. She clamps down on her fears again, because of reason One.
The ring immediately senses this and it has found its new host.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng of Earth,” it would start. “You have great fear in your heart, but do not let it control you.”
“You have the potential to utilize that fear to your benefit. Your enemies would be unable to stand against you, as even their fears would be to your benefit. You would be able to construct those fears into reality. The reign of Hawkmoth would be over. Paris would be free from his control. All that is needed is for you to join the Sinestro Corps. ” (It is a little wonky and it needs work, but it could work. The main thing here is that the ring is just acting like the little devil on her shoulder. It is in a sense telling her the things that she could justify to herself into using this new power)
Marinette was confused at first. The Alien had just died and now its ring was floating around her talking directly into her head. And it was right.
She was scared.
Scared of this ring. Of the dead alien. Her parents finding out. Not only about this but also about her being Ladybug. She was scared of so many more things too.
And she was Terrified of not being good enough to defeat Hawkmoth. The fight against him had gone on for too long in her opinion anyway. Everyday she worried, fretted, and feared that she wasn’t the right choice. That she was going to lose, and that Hawkmoth would win and take the Miraculous from her and Chat.
But, this ring said that she had the power to defeat him once and for all. All she had to do was use that fear. join this Sinestro Corps. What ever that was.
‘I could,’ she would think to herself. ‘If it means I can save my friends and family I could.’ (Ah~ that path to Hell is paved with good intentions)
“H-How do I join?” She asks the ring.
“You merely need to recite the Oath of the Sinestro Corps. Marinette Dupain-Cheng”
“Wh-What’s the Oath?”
“In Blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light.
Let those who try and stop what’s right,
Burn like my power Sinestro’s might.”
‘Kind of intense,’ she huffs to herself. ‘But, it sounds like it is suppose to stop the bad guys. Why else would an oath say ‘who try and stop what’s right?’’
“Alright I will do it.
In Blackest day, in brightest night,
Beware your fears made into light.
Let those who try and stop what’s right,
Burn like my power Sinestro’s might.”
With the last word out her mouth the ring stops floating around her and zips to her hand. Gently locking itself onto her finger.
Before her world is taken over by blinding yellow flash Marinette could have sworn she heard–
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng of Earth.
You have the ability to instil great fear.
Welcome to the Sinestro Corps.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I could add more to this. Like how her Lantern suit would start off as a yellow version of her Ladybug suit but as time went on and she became more of a Corps member it would change into something more Vampirish? Idk I just think a yellow-lantern!Mari should be scary, and what’s scarier than a vampire that looks like it is made out of sunlight?… but it is like 6am and I was already running on fumes by the time I stumbled over this idea. (I really like the Lantern Corps AUs and think there should be more)
Hey Magicatra peeps! Here is an idea for you guys. There is potential but IDK where to go with it.
So as I said before this will be a Magicatra AU. Or at the very least it will have a base foundation of a Magicatra AU.
Anyway in this AU Adora has the brand (or is it just a magical mark?) from the Heart of Etheria early on. Like as in a baby early (maybe not that early? I am kinda playing loose with this idea)
At first the brand would glow like in cannon and as she gets older it would settle into something more like a tattoo. (I say this only for my own sense of aesthetic. because a Horde soldier with a glowing brand on their chest just wouldn’t mesh IMO)
Shadow Weaver even though can easily sense the overpowering well of Adora’s magic, she herself could never tap into it. (So at the very least baby and toddler Adora are safe... Well as safe as cannon Adora was during that time).
The only thing Shadow Weaver could do was teach Adora only the most basic of spells. This is because Adora has so much raw magical power ebbing and flowing through her at any given time she would overpower anything more complicated. ((Note: basic spell IMO is like a simple heal, i.e. burses and small scrapes, or maybe a shield or armor buff spell))
Now for the Magicatra stuff:
You may be wondering, “if Adora already has Heart of Etheria why couldn’t/wouldn’t be She-Ra too?”
Which I reply, “Ah... I didn’t think that far ahead. Shut up.”
Lol.
But in all seriousness, Let’s say it could be a few things:
1. Shadow Weaver’s meddling warped/corrupted Adora’s magic, preventing her from being a balancing force Etheria needs.
2. Basically being a ‘living runestone’ she has free will. As such has been subconsciously repressing the call to action because she is ‘For the Horde’
3. Light Hope being Light Hope. She sees Adora possessing the Heart but not activating it as a problem. So she decides to use ‘the right key’ (Catra) to unlock that power that Adora has unwittingly locked away.
4. I want a Magicatra AU. And the added drama when it is reveled that Adora might have to be sacrificed to save the planet would be quite the emotional gut punch. (I like my angst)
So possible reasons aside a few things I want to add to this.
1. Adora is a ‘Living Runestone’ in a sense. She is tapped into the Heart at all times and has a much power in her as other Runestones do. (Not much to this one other than I like the idea of Entrapta making that discovery and referring to Adora as such. I think it would be very cute.)
2. She can cause the magic in Runestones around her to overflow if she gets to close. Shadow Weaver had to teach her how stanch the flow of the magic within herself so it wouldn’t mess with the Black Garnet. (Cant have Adora mess with her precious source of power now can we) Which means that simply being around other Runestones acts as booster to both herself and the Runestone. Meaning that Adora would get a boost to her natural abilities. A Princess if they were close enough to their Runestone would have their magical output amplified too. (this could be used in fun ways. In that the Princesses could use it to their advantage fighting Adora, or Adora could regulate the flow of her magic to disorient them.)
3. Give a few ‘In Sync’ moments between Adora and Catra. If the Sword of Protection is the “Key” and the Heart of Etheria is the “Lock” there should be moments when they are fighting that they are just synchronized to the point it looks more like they are dancing or predicting each others moves.
That is the very basic idea I had, and I wrote it down before I forgot anything. What do you guys think?? Is this idea any good? Share your thoughts if you want to. I would be more than happy to get more input to expand this into an actual story.
I got a doodle request if you are up for it. It isn't so much a Maribat though so... IDK if you will be up for it. But Marinette as Kanaya Maryam (Homestuck) -- Basically an alien, vampire, fashion designer. With grey skin, orange to yellow horns, and a great sense of fashion.
Okay so I have absolutely no idea who Kanaya Maryam is (and I still don’t lmao) but I had lots of fun sketching this anyway, though the coloring is a bit messy because I may or may not have done this during debate practice as I seem to do everything these days but I hope you like it anyway :D
A great crossover of Miraculous Ladybug and Homestuck (The only one to my knowledge). I know it was my ask that caused it but I love this. Marinette and Kanaya would be great friends making stuff together. That and when it comes to their friends the two are defiantly the ‘mom of the group.’ Both of the girls have a great dry sass. Please make this a thing guys, even if it is a one-shot
Different Anon. You mentioned projects... How many are you working on or... maybe I should ask how many projects do you have? Could you maybe share some with us? Like a list or something?
Oh, oh boy! Did you ask me the wrong question. lol. You want to know what projects I am working on? I’m gonna show you.
Key notes:
Free to use = If you like the idea you are free to use it. Just ask about my notes. (Please give credit though)
Willing to Share = I would be more than willing to share my notes on the idea and partner up on it with someone if anyone is willing.
Not for Sale = Fics/ideas I plan on using and writing myself if it isn’t listed as FtU or WtS then it means that is something dear to me and I want to work on it myself. (these fics/ideas will not be all listed as NfS, so if you don’t see the added tag assume it is NfS)
Paragon/Renegade = means good/bad version of the story.
Spin-off = typically a one off of a story already listed and will be listed in a sub-listing of that story.
Eh / Da Faq/ Competent Folders = Are all unique and original ideas that I think are either good, meddling, or just plan bad after a second look.
Each story title will also have a small decryption to go along with it.
With that out of the way my list of projects are under the cut. Enjoy. :3
Side note: I will try and list the fandom things grouped together. I will also try and alphabetize them.
First up BNHA:
My Hero Academia (most of these can be found in my previously posted BNHA: Fic list)
Ash Phoenix: An Idea where I ask/answer if OFA is the only quirk that can be merged and be something else entirely. (It will be a bit dark and involve the hidden quirk Izuku and Toga’s quirk combining into something powerful)
Bedlam: A story of Izuku being a combination of Bruce Lee/ Brock Lee. Who needs a quirk when you have martial training that can’t be beat. He is shipped with Momo in this one. (Izuku’s dad is a bastard that dies early and his life insurance helps Inko give Izuku the life he deserves)
Paragon... Fighting Bedlam: good timeline where Izuku goes to UA, with his girlfriend, Momo like cannon BNHA just without OFA and a lot more confident Izuku with some Midoriya family angst sprinkled in.
Renegade... Hoods of Bedlam: Bad timeline where Izuku and Momo are vigilantes know as Green/Red Hood. They still go to UA but not through the hero coarse. Izuku is in management/business and Momo is in General. This time it is Yaoyororozu family drama that involve Izuku being quirkless. (might also have to do with an surprise pregnancy. This one also has the pair say “f^ck society and it’s rules, we are gonna do what we want”)
Brain over Brawn: (This one follows a head cannon of mine where Izuku is on a lot of Forms about anything hero) The day he was suppose to grab All-Might’s leg he was just a little to slow and doesn’t get OFA. instead he goes to the Forms shares his impressions of heroes and gets picked up by Nezu. After all what is better the muscle to beat up or a baddy or the knowledge how to? (Free to use)
Champion of Olympus: I give a Fem!Izuku a direct line to the Greek Gods mainly because I want to see a BA Izumi with a bow. It is like Percy Jackson but without the god parents and more Izumi being the first person in generations to interact with the gods.
Epitaph: Izuku gets the strongest and probably worst combo of his parents quirks. Simply put, on Izuku’s quirk registry he can take the heat from an object or person. In truth his quirk is so much more powerful than that. He has the ability to take the life force or soul of living beings. (Free to Use)
Eri’s Big Brother: An angsty fic where Izuku gets kidnapped at an early age, and no one knows what happens to him. That is until the first day of UA when a small white haired kid Aizawa is watching over asks Bakugou “Are you Kacchan?” (Free to use)
FF7 x BNHA No title yet: A story that finds Izuku transported from his old world into a world of heroes and villains after a bomb that should have killed him launched him across dimensions. Izuku is a member of AVALANCHE and shows the world of heroes what a freedom fighter can do. While also finding out that the world of heroes might be more familiar to him than he originally thought
Future Heroes: This one is a future fic with a whole cast of OCs of mine
In The Name of LoV: Izuku is a villain and is the Co-leader of LoV with Tomura. Photogenic and maybe a little psychotic Izuku addresses the world in videos saying that him and his friends are villains because they ‘Lov’ the world so much.(Izuku is a sweet&charismatic kid who sees heroes as a problem because all society cares about is strong/flashy quirks) (Free to Use)
Izuku!Nomu no title yet: A fic where Izuku tries to follow Bakugou’s advice but is saved by LoV and turned into a Nomu. We follow a guilt ridden Bakugou perspective after that day all the way to the USJ where he finds and frees an Izuku who may be to damaged to ask forgiveness of. (willing to share)
Jet Set Radio x BNHA no title yet: I give Izuku confidence through the power of roller skates and the street art of graffiti in order not only become a hero, but a hero without a quirk. (I think it would be fun to see Prof. K and Present Mic be rival radio hosts where Mic is a public radio host Prof. K is an underground pirate radio dj)
Killing Bites X BNHA no title yet: (TBH I have watched maybe 10min of Killing Bites and that is it. I really like the look of the characters in the show.) Fem!Izuku is has the same power as the honey bager character from KB. She along with countless other quirkless where kidnapped and tested on. Now free Fem!Izuku isn’t quite human after all the DNA experimentations she has been put through. She along with the other test subjects are part animal and have an instinctive drive to fight.
Persona x BNHA no title yet: Another fic where I have Izuku taking Bakugou’s advice but gaining a quirk instead of dying. Basically I give Izuku personas to summon because I liked how P3 showed the summons. I also have him move schools to Shiketsu, after winning the Sports Festival, and with his move takes UA’s place as #1 hero school with him to Shiketsu. (not gonna lie this one is a bit crazy)
Sharpening my teeth on the rays of the sun: Izuku has an OP quirk based on his parents. He can pull in and eat fire/energy. He finds inspiration from old Norse mythology as a kid and takes on the mantle of “Skoll the devourer of the sun.” He is going to befriend Tokoyami so hard.
Sheep’s Wool hiding Wolves Teeth: Izuku is smart, too smart. he uses the system to his advantage. Most people think Izuku is an angel but people like Bakugou know the truth. They see Izuku pretending and fooling everyone and see him for the manipulative demon pretending to be human he is. (Izuku lacks empathy/morality, and sees play things where humans should be. He will manipulate everyone he can just for his own amusement) (Free to Use)
Spirit Chaser: The world of heroes and spirits collide with Izuku at the epicenter. Izuku is a shrine priest or priestess if you want to do Fem!Izuku. Quirks mean little when ones faith and mantras are just as amazing. (me using all the priest/priestess powers from other anime/manga to come up with his powers and made a pretty OP quirkless teen who can seal spirits, cure villains of hatred, and fight along side the best heroes with nothing more than his families traditions) (willing to share, free to use)
Soul Resonance: A Soul Eater x BNHA fic. Inspired by Ravenclawoutcast13 fic on Ao3. Izuku is a miester and after moving to Nevada at an early age the the DWMA comes back to UA when it is time to be a hero.
Task Force: Izuku is part of a not so secret task force that deals with villains, criminals, and aggressive heroes. Most members of the task force are quirkless and are like Japan’s SWAT. The Task Force is also an internal affairs for the hero system. Because of their no nonsense way they operate most people fear the Task Force and any person reveled to be apart of it. (Willing to Share)
Web Weaver’s Betrothed: An idea came about from two writing prompts; 1. “What is so dangerous about the forest” and 2. My answer to all the Spiderman crossover fics. This fic is ambitious as it combines BNHA, Spiderman, and Yokai together. (Izuku is spiderman, but his own spiderman. and I add forest spirits in for fun)
What is in a name: My very first BNHA fic idea!! I turn the ‘BNHA name explaining someone’s powers’ up to 11 and give Izuku the power of the forest and fay like creatures. Izuku is the fairy king basically.
Paragon... (no name yet) Izuku is a kid with a powerful quirk that transcends all previous quirk types. Watch this little hero work his hardest to get the title he has longed for. (a nice fic, with Izuku/Bakugou friendship)
Renegade... (no name yet) Only a few know Izuku. No one would guess that he is the ‘Fairy King’ that has saved countless kids from harm these last ten years. (an accident puts Izuku into a coma. that won’t stop his heroic spirit from doing what he was born to do. Toga gets to go to UA, Shoto gets to be a normal kid, and Bakugou might get his butt kicked by the army of people that Izuku has helped)
Yakuza!Izuku: Izuku's dad was a big time Yakuza boss in the past. Izuku has been the head of his family for over five years controlling the underground. Which would be good for the underground world if it was what he wanted. And after a fated conversion gets him thinking more about his place in the world Izuku decides to clean house and become a force for good.
Dishonored:
The Royal Consort Series: A three part series where Jessamine lives but Emily goes missing. Emily isn’t truly missing she grows up in the Golden Cat because she was never found and eventually becomes its owner. She and the girls of the Golden Cat replace Daud and the whalers. She is has the mark of the outsider, a kill count and maybe some resentment at what happened all those years ago.
Miraculous Ladybug:
There is quite a bit of Maribat just fyi
Bio!Family ideas: (Most of these are one-offs and once their stories are posted, will become free to use)
Bio!Dad Obadiah Stane
Bio!Dad Zod
Bio!Mom Poison Ivy
Bio!Sister Ace (from the wild flush gang)
Blood Orchid: Marinette’s family is very powerful on her mother’s side and when the Akumas get too powerful in her parents opinion, she is told she will be moving to China. The stress of not being able to decide thing in her own life gets to Marinette and she is akumatized. (Free to Use)
Bounts of Paris: Bleach x MLB. Truth be told I liked Bleach and even liked the filler Bount arc. This AU would be where Master Fu fled Asia after the Soul Reapers Massacred the most of the Bounts. The Kwami are the ‘half-Bounts’ with special powers. They can live on after the human they are connected to die. and can forge new connections with with new humans creating new ‘true-Bounts.’
Casse-Cou: DareDevil x MLB (the idea is a Gift for miraculous786). This is an AU where Marinette is not a seamstress. Instead she is an aspiring lawyer. This does feature a Blind!Marinette but she is makes do in her own way. With a different destiny before her Marinette gets paired with Plagg and becomes The Cat of the Devil, the DareDevil Casse-Cou
Death of Gods and Men: WitchBlade x MLB. I stumbled across witchblade’s anime and the crossover sounded like a great idea. I mean listen to the WB intro::: Sought by the greed of men since the dawn of human kind, but only bestowed upon the women whose fate it forever scars...the Witchblade. Is it the righteous sword of God? Or hand of the Devil himself? Now a new bearer has been chosen. And she must discover the answers for herself. As she stands on the brink of destiny, she is forced to seek the balance between ecstasy and ruin. (How could I not!?! I just need to tone down the fan service because WB is thirsty AF)
Demon Princess In Paris: Inuyasha&Yashahime x MLB. Another Fic where Marinette’s family on her mother’s side is very powerful back in China (and Asia as a whole). Lila planned to ruin Marinette when she came back to school after being gone for a week. Only to find Marinette has connections to a very powerful family in Asia. Stranger still Marinette looks nothing like what she did when she left. Little does Lila, or anyone in Paris, know that Marinette is a half-demon of her demon mother Sabine and her human father Tom, and not to forget she is granddaughter to the great Demon Lord Sesshōmaru
Flower Pot: MariBat. The Justice League have to rush to Paris because some new villain is opening time portals. When they get there the villain is already defeated by teenagers. Stranger still once they get close enough Wonder Woman rushes one of them in a hug with a shout of “Ladybug.” After a moment ‘Ladybug’ asks “Flower Pot, is that you!?!” This AU sends Marinette back in time and to the land of Themiscyra when Diana was a little girl. Chaos ensues both in the present and in the past.
Lantern’s Light: Green Lantern x MLB. Different Maribat AUs where I give Marinette a Power ring.
Star!mari: Marinette gets a ring of the Star Sapphires
Merci!mari: Marinette gets a ring of the Red Lanterns
Duty!mari: Marinette gets a ring of the Green Lanterns
Hope!mari: Marinette gets a ring of the Blue Lanterns
Let’s have fun with Miraculous: all of these are just silly ideas that I thought of late at night or early in the morning and wanted to share. All of them are Free to Use)
idea one is just a silly thing trying to figure out what Marinette might call herself after moving to Gotham as the Guardian of the Miraculous.
idea two is a Timinette ship that has Marinette using the Miraculous to heal Gotham. But because Batman is a control freak, she hides her healing as a three ring circus. (made possible by using the mouse miraculous to the max) Tim becomes smitten with the acrobatic performance.
idea three is just a random MLB idea. An entity convinces Fate to let them mess with destiny. that entity whether it is Spirit, Demon, Devil, or God is Marinette’s new partner. And while the craziness of the Miraculous Ladybug canon is going on with a different ladybug. Marinette is having her own adventures. She is still undecided if this is a better fate than dealing with all the Miraculous stuff like she was suppose to.
Lost Valkyrie: Thor x MLB. A series covering both Miraculous Ladybug and the entire Thor movies (because my brain hats me). Marinette is a Valkyrie that through wormhole nonsense lands in Paris after their defeat by Hela. Marinette is adopted by Tom and Sabine as their daughter. Marinette has amnesia of her time as a Valkyrie. (This one is crazy too and once I get the idea fully written down I will be glad to give it to someone. Free to use- when it is done)
Miraculous Stitching: Marinette has been getting some magic power from the natural magic radiating off of Tikki. Mari can imbue things with magic into things through her stitch work. (this one is might not be for the squimish, some body horror)
Price of Life- Purest Wish: (inspired by BAllpointbasic “The Price of Life”) A villain worse than Hawkmoth shows up and decimates Paris. Marinette uses the Miraculous wish and offers her life as payment. She is happy being able to save everyone and not cursing anyone else with the pain of losing someone they care about. With the selfish wish she gets reborn as a Kwami.
Rise of Arachnid: After getting blinded and unable to be healed during an Akuma fight Marinette has to give up being Ladybug. Marinette ends up talk to Hawkmoth and because of her bleeding heart she offers her help after hearing his story. She becomes a very powerful recurring villain that the new Miraculous team have to deal with on top of the normal Akuma. She has the powers of Spiderman and DareDevil. (another Blind!Marinette)
The Forgetten City- Early Renaissance: (Inspired by multifandomscribette “The Forgotten City” series. It is a Young Justice x MLB crossover) The Team go to Paris following The Riddler’s spree of crime. They are helped by local heroes none of them have heard or met before. Once the villain is dealt with the team and is asked, not to kindly, to leave Paris and never come back.
Pokémon:
G1RBY: A silly Picachu DJ story I had. She is a talking Pokémon that I drew once and wanted to make into an ask blog. But the VA I had didn’t feel conformable with the idea of having people hear her voice so it is seelved. (Willing to Share)
Shinny Cubone: Proof that I have always had an angsty edge. This is a story of a Cubone dealing with life after their mother dies. But it is okay as their mother’s old teammates are there to help. A Gastly offering help as well. But is everything as it seems? (this was going to be a art blog. but I got lazy and did not want to redraw all my stuff from paper to comp)
RWBY:
Grimm Masks: Bleach x RWBY... Kinda. A fic where Ruby presumably dies during a mission. She is later found wearing a grimm mask in the same forest she was killed in and seems to be able to control the grimm that share the same mask as her. (Basically got inspired by Ichigo’s hollow mask and thought to give it to Ruby. then as the story demanded it give a mask to the other girls of team RWBY. This was before the whole maiden thing was cannon)
She-Ra (netflix version)
Innocence of an Enemy Soldier: Magicatra Au idea. Catra is She-Ra and Adora is a Horde Soldier. After all the fighting is done and the Princesses have won. To bad things can’t end happily for Catra. Adora finally learns the truth about the horde being the bad guys after she is captured. With that knowledge she asks to be tried for her crimes. Catra needs to work hard to prove her once friend’s innocence otherwise Adora will be executed.
Dissonant Whispers: Catra meets Corrupted She-Ra and wants to scream to bad Corrupted Adora/She-Ra shushes her with a finger to the lips. (I just want to see Catra being small scared cat with pin-prick pupils seeing a slightly blood splattered She-Ra while being being cornered and her voice failing her when She-Ra puts a finger to her lips just as she was about to scream.)
Shadows make and Shadows break: another Magicatra au. alt title (Shadows make and Light breaks). this idea came about because I rewatched the part of She-Ra when Shadow Weaver adopts Adora. The whole “This one is different. Can’t you feel it? She has power...” “Don’t worry little one, we are going to do great things together.” thing. (I want a magic user Adora, and I only have the looses ideas of what I will do with it so far.) Why isn’t there more magic!adora AUs!?!
Original Ideas:
/The Squad/: (A colab furry Comic/Radio drama I had planned to do with VAs and everything. Had the pilot printed out and everything. Just didn’t get enough VAs.) Crime has become a spectator sport of cops and robbers. Criminals no longer snatch purses or kill people, instead they are closer to performers robbing banks, stealing from museums, street racing and the like. Criminal and Police Officer alike vie for attention of the crowds and the attention of viewers at home. (willing to share)
Dark Skies: A small story based off a photo a friend of mine took. It won me a short story award way back when. I willing share it with artists to so how they want to draw the scene. (willing to share, if you got the willingness to draw. lol)
Competent Folder: Stories I think are good just haven’t done anything with them yet.
Olympian Noire: a 50s Noire story with Olympian characters and references. (needs some grammar edits and a good reread before it is posted again) (Willing to Share after I rework it a little)
Misgivings about Airships: A start of an actual story I was writing but lost most of the progress I made except the first page I had. (a reminder to save often. will come back to it if I ever get over how much I lost of it)
Marked and Scarred: This is my bread and butter. A short hook for a story. Tells you just enough about the characters and world to grab your attention but leaves enough for you to also add details to it if you want. (willing to share/ free to use)
Gremlins: A dream I written down once about ‘Fairy Folk’ and how much they don’t like someone like me. Probably wont ever be finished because I woke up before the dream ended and most people wont find it as unsettling as I did.
Dragons: Short story. A warning a dragon gave to a ship and its crew about a dangerous storm, unlike any other, that would devastate their homes if they didn’t prepare for it. The dragon later became a symbol for the port town.
Danger Days: Not so much a story and more of a parody of the My Chemical Romance song “Look alive/ Sunshine” as my own type of intro of sorts.
Badge of Babylon: A fun Colab I did with other people on Facebook a few years back. A changing POV fic involving an Older Thief, a young Page, and Sylph (fairy). The group fell apart sadly. But I saved our saved notes and could still make a decent story out of it.
All from a Ring: An entire scene that came to mind from a ring holding a broken gem a friend of mine had. And I am pretty proud of it. (needs a little touch ups but it is complete)
Eh Folder: Stories that aren’t bad but don’t inspire anything in me anymore. They range from bland to me needing to be in a certain mindset to be able to add to them. (all of these are Free to use)
Caterpillar: a story that takes place in older alt timeline where strange creatures exist and follows the diary/journal entries of a man trying to find one of those creatures. At first he thinks it is a dragon, but eventually finds out that it is a kaiju sized caterpillar that has terrifying Lovecraft elements added to it.
Spider Junk: Was concocted by me after being sick, sleep deprived, or plain crazy while I wrote down this short story. I have no memory writing this but it is in my own hand writing so... It is a story about how your mind can play tricks on you if your mind is not operating properly.
Psych session: It is a story about a character talking to his psych doctor about a dream/haunting he had about his dead sister. It is a good idea but I really don’t have any drive to continue it. (I am sure someone else could make something out of it)
Da Faq Folder: a series of stories/ideas that are not worth the light of day or the energy it would take to store in your brain. Worse than needing to be deleted. they serve as a reminder to me that not all ideas are worth it. Sometimes we just need to write them down to get over them, drop them completely, or to get out that little bit of nasty we have that needs to get out in a healthy way.
Holy f^ck that is 65 different stories! This was a bad idea. Seeing them all listed like this is weird. Normally I have them on Microsoft word, Google Docs, or saved on my Tumblr Drafts.
👉🏾👈🏾 are you still workout on the stitching au? it seems so interesting and exciting
Yes I am still working on the Miraculous Stitching AU. I just have the attention span of a goldfish, the inspiration of a gerbil, and the motivation of a sloth. In other words; I get distracted by things easily and it is tough for me to stay focused on one thing at a time.
Do know that all the projects that I have started are still being worked on little bits at a time. So if you see me hyper focusing on a different thing for a while, just know that it will pass and I will get back to my work as a whole.
Miraculous Stitching specifically: I do have the first chapter done-ish and other chapters ready to write down, so just know that once I am happy with it I will start posting the story. I will also Tag anyone who wants to be updated when the chapters come out. So if you have asked before, you are on a list and will be tagged... once I get off my but and get to it that is...
I got inspired again. (this one i picture happening during the ‘dinner with horde prime’ scene)
“Are you comfortable, your majesty?” Horde Prime asked as he approached the dining table.
Calmly taking the head of the table looked to his two guests with a smile that belied his true nature.
It struck Glimmer with just how amiable he was being. Like a cat playing with its food. She was terrified with how fitting there meeting was taking place in a dining hall.
“I strive to treat my guests well,” The young queen looked over to her other dinning companion. Adora wasn’t as shaken as she was, or if she was she hide it well under her stoic expression she typically wore.
Prime continued on, “I believe we can learn a great deal from one another.”
His clones presented dishes to all three at the table.
Prime just watched with silent amusement.
The constant hum of the spaceship they were in was the only thing preventing the silence from becoming oppressive.
Glimmer could only look at her the food before her. It was some gelatinous cube. With Prime holding all the cards right now she did the only thing she could at the moment.
She took a spoonful and tired to eat it.
She couldn’t get more than a few chews in before Prime spoke up.
“Ah~” He purred, “Enjoyable yes?”
He explained to the two, shifting his focus to Adora as he spoke “Its a delicacy from a distant world.”
“Light years away from here.” The blond hadn’t really moved from her spot.
“It was very much like Etheria,” Glimmer stopped eating and her back straightened.
Knowing he had their full attention his smile grew wider, “This dish is incredibly rare,” he lifted his had as if he was presenting the food as a gift.
“As that world no longer exists.” And the other boot dropped.
As calm and as generous as Prime was presenting himself to be. Sitting right in front of the young queen, on a silver platter, was proof of exactly what Prime was capable of. He was able to talk about a planet he destroyed over a meal like one would talk about some trivial fact to friends.
Those implications of just who Prime really was twisted Glimmer’s stomach. She dropped her spoon, it clattering on the table. She covered her mouth in horror.
Her breathing was short jumping from one quick breath to the next.
Prime for his part pretended he didn’t notice the look of horror on the young queen’s face.
His grin was still there as asked, “Seconds?”
“No,” Gaining what control she could over herself Glimmer objected, “No thank you.”
“Speaking of Etheria,” The ever twisted host continued with his charade, “You must miss it terribly.”
“Would you like to see your home world now?” He asked. The empathy in his voice was like blacken oil to her ears.
With a snap of his fingers the wall behind him lit up in a kaleidoscope of separate screens.
True to his word Prime presented Etheria to his dinner guests. On each screen was some form of desolation. From innocent families running to safety, to princesses and resistance doing their best to fight off Prime’s bots.
“Why are you doing this?” Glimmer asked, tears at the edge of her eyes.
“Every rebellion forms around a leader,” He informed. “A beacon of hope.”
He turned his head to a screen changing to a different feed. “That little note of discord.”
“Ah1″ he purred again, “Here she is.” Stretching out his arm presenting the new feed as condescending as possible. “Your beacon of hope.”
“Catra,” On the screen was the magicat running as best she could from the danger chasing her.
Glimmer watched on feeling hopeless. Adora for her part finally reacted. Her fists clenched popping under the strain.
“She-Ra.” He snarled the word, “A nuisance that must be purged in order to bring peace to Etheria.”
They all watched as Catra fought off what bots she could before she got blasted and knocked off balance.
“Stop!” Glimmer pleaded.
The feed, that had taken up the full wall at this point, had frozen on a surrounded Catra.
“Don’t hurt her.” She asked.
Seeing how the horde clones had gotten in the defensive stance ready for anything she would try, she quickly had to justify her outburst.
“You-you want to use the weapon right?” He didn’t say anything so she continued, “You need all the princesses!”
“And-and that includes She-Ra. Without her the heart of Etheria is useless.”
“You can’t hurt her,” Her face twisted in anguish as if the idea of Catra being hurt was enough to hurt herself as well.
Prime merely leaned his chin on the back of his hand. “Very well.”
“This has been most illuminating.” Confidently he boasted, “Thank you, Glimmer. I do look forward to more of our conversations.”
While he spoke the clones from earlier began to clear the table of the first coarse, “But for now eat up.”
For the first time Adora speaks up.
“What was that Little Sister?” Prime inquires.
“I said it is strange seeing this from the outside.” The blond repeats.
“And what exactly are you seeing from the outside?” He is genuinely curious, as Adora hasn’t been this bold as to speak out against him sense she boarded the ship.
“Seeing Catra’s safety being used against someone for their compliance.”
“Ah~ Yes.” He nods in faux interest, “I nearly forgot that you care for Catra just as much as Glimmer does.”
“It doesn’t matter.” She tries to hide her snarl.
“But of coarse it does.” His condescending purr was back, “Elevated heart rate. Dilated pupils. Catra means something to you.”
He leaned closer to her examining her, taking her apart and seeing what lies beneath. The warlord smirks at what he finds.
“My feelings don’t matter.”
He sighs with a shrug, “I suppose they don’t-”
“You’re going to lose.”
It was spoken so flatly that everyone in the room stopped to process what she did.
When her words registered Prime’s mask slipped, his smile he wore all meal changing to a snarl.
“What was that?”
She turned to him, steel in her eyes. “You are going to lose.”
Prime growled at that. He actually growled at that.
“A-adora,” Glimmer wanted to be hopeful. But, she also knew that they couldn’t be so brazen.
Against her plea, Adora continued. “You are going to lose, because you are underestimating Catra.”
“How so?” He asked, glaring at her. “In what way could I be underestimating her?”
“You called her a nuisance. She is more than that.”
The blond pushes her chair back to stand up. Walking closer to Prime but not looking at him but past him.
She nods to the screens, “I bet your bots already failed to catch her. Probably just scraps by now.”
The screen turns on when he directs his attention to it.
A good portion of the screens before remain dark. The few still on she the rebellion to safety.
“Told you,” she smirks at Prime.
He is up before she can react. Arm outstretched, hand on her throat.
“You insolent-”
“Problem Prime?” She tries.
“Your delusional mind for one. They are just delaying the inevitable. I have an armada invading Etheria. It is that small band of resistance against the planet.”
“Doesn’t matter. You will still lose.”
His grip tightens cutting off her air ways.
She grabs his forearm pulling it away from her enough to breathe.
“The world has always been against Catra. And she has always come out on top. So your bots mean nothing to Catra.”
His grip tightens again causing her to struggle to breath.
“You aren’t the first to try and bring her down.”
“Sh-shadow Weaver.”
“Hord-ACH.”
His grip tightens further in an attempt to stop her from speaking.
She just smiles a devil may care smile “Y-y-you.”
“You will be just another obstacle in her way.”
“Enough of this!” Prime shouts as he tosses her over the table into the opposite wall. Knocking her out.
Mind if I try my hand at it? (Not really good at soft moments that don’t have un underlying hint of dark or angst to them but here is to hoping I am not a one trick pony)
To say today’s training sucked would be an understatement, if you were to ask Catra.
She was late a few times sure. But this was the first time in a while that she had been late to a training session.
It didn’t matter though. Cobalt had the squad run through the training thrice over because of it.
And now Catra was suffering the consequences.
“Thanks a lot, Catra,” Lonnie grunted, shoulder checking the magicat, as she walked past.
Catra didn’t even get to say anything in response as the larger girl was already out the door.
Raogelio was nicer, giving her the side eye with a grumbling growl as he walked past. He carried a limp noodle Kyle over his shoulder, and all that she could hear before they left was a weak “My everything hurts.”
The magicat looked down at the floor as she was left alone in the locker room.
‘Stupid!’ She berated herself, ‘Why did I even think it was a good idea?’
She was shaken out of her thoughts when a large hand brushed against the side of her face.
She startled a bit before she looked up to see who it was.
Soft lips met her forehead with a soft kiss blocking her view of who it could be. But, it didn’t matter she already knew who it was.
There was only one person who would ever do that to Catra. One person whose hands were as calloused but as caring and gentle as the one caressing her cheek. The one person that was kind to her in The Horde.
“Adora-”
Her question cut off when the taller girl spoke, “You did good today.”
For such a strong and imposing figure the blonde’s voice could be surprisingly soft when she wanted it to be.
The heat rising to her face made Catra pull away.
“No I didn’t,” her ears drooped as tried to refute it.
“Yes you did.” The look Adora gave Catra made her blush even harder, she had to look away. “You did great today.”
She brought her hand to meet Adora’s.
“Because of me we had to run through training multiple times today.”
“And?” Catra had to keep herself from looking back into the azure blues of her companions and getting lost in them. Her growing blush was bad enough.
“If I wasn’t a stupid screw up none of this would have happened.” She had to pull Adora’s hand from her face to stop herself from nuzzling into it by accident.
“Your not stupid Catra.” Adora argued.
“Yeah I am.” her lithe fingers hug tighter to Adora’s hand. “I was only late because I was being dumb.”
“I don’t think so,” Adora shook her head, “You aren’t dumb. I don’t think you are a screw up either, but if you are then maybe we can be screw ups together.”
Grabbing the larger girls hand with both of her own she couldn’t help the smile quirking at the edge of her lips, ‘She always knows what to say.’
“Thanks, Adora.”
An enjoyable flutter grew in her chest.
“Anytime.” The blonde smile came easy enough to her.
Catra turned to leave feeling lighter than she did before. Maybe things could turn around today.
“Hey Catra?” Adora asked next to her locker.
“Hmm?”
“I like it.”
Looking back and cocking her head to the side, “Like what?”
“The ponytail, it looks good on you.” The larger girl’s smile mischievous, “It reminds me of someone but I can’t place it.”
It took a moment for Catra’s mind to catch up to what the other girl was saying. Being around Adora was enough for Catra to forget her troubles most of the time, but when she did catch on she groaned.
“Ugh, Adora. You dork.” she groaned as the taller girl chuckled. “We were having a moment, which is rare, and you ruin it with a dumb joke.”
Adora for her part had a shit-eating grin as she rubbed the back of her head, right behind her own ponytail, “I have no clue what you are talking about.”
“You are a horrible liar.” she glared at her friend.
She turned to leave again, when Adora called out. “I meant it.”
“Ponytail or no it looks good because it is a part of you.”
Catra didn’t turn this time, her face was too flushed to show to Adora.
“I just wanted to let you know I noticed.”
The magicat stammered out a shaky, “Th-thanks Adora.”
It was... nice knowing that Adora paid attention to the small things. Even if it was part of the reason she was late in the first place.
Clearing her throat to gain back her normal bravado, “I’ll be there extra early next training session.”
“I know you will.” Adora replied confidently. Like she knew Catra was telling her the truth. She had faith in the Magicat after all.
It was probably why they were so close.
“See you at the mess hall, dork.”
“Yup, save me a grey ration bar?” Catra didn’t need to see the puppy dog eyes Adora was giving her.
With a soft chuckle of her own, she answered, “Sure.” and left for the lunch hall.
And just like that all of her worries and soreness from earlier in the day were gone. All thanks to Adora. The one good thing about the Horde. And the only thing keeping her here. As long as Adora was here she would tough it out, they would stay in the horde together to support each other.
‘No amount of Horde bullshit or princess magic will change that.’ She thought confidently as walked the halls of the Fright Zone.
So this is an idea that stuck me late last night. I can’t think of a way to work it but I feel like you lovelies in the MLB fandom could do something fun with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Let’s say that there is a being that senses how things are going to go in the MLB universe and they decide to step in.
IDK if they a Spirit, Demon, Devil, or God yet. I leave that to all of you.
Anyway the being asks Fate (a being high up in the otherworldly realm) if they can interfere with the way destiny is suppose to go. They know that Fate has more than one way for destiny to be fulfilled. (meaning that someone else can get Tikki’s miraculous and be Ladybug in Marinette’s place)
Somehow they convince Fate to let them interfere with destiny. Meaning that the being can partner with Marinette. (Which means Marinette can have her own magical adventures along side the Miraculous crew.)
But, Fate has some stipulations.
1. Things will be harder for the being. (and Marinette as a result) Either in the case where there are other spirits who are angry with the being and want to take them out or Fate will have the being (and Marinette) fight against some type of golem that are meant to correct the ebbs and flows of destiny.
2. If Marinette ever becomes Ladybug and as a result ends up following the original path of destiny then the being will face the consequences of trying to change destiny. (what that punishment is IDK)
~~~~~~~~~
I hope you guys have fun with the idea
Want to also thank @loveswifi and @multifandomscribette for letting me bounce the idea off of them at ungodly hours in the night.
The throne room of Bright Moon is packed. Every princess of the Alliance was in the room. The walls were lined with guards, one could count two of them for every person of importance.
The air was thick with tension. Everything that led up to this point had been, well crazy, for a lack of a better word.
The two that were in the center of the room dominated the attention of everyone, whether it was guard or princess, all eyes were on them.
Queen Angella sitting on the throne in ever present elegant demeanor. Her posture regal and commanding.
“Before I make my final judgement I want to make sure that you fully understand what this means for you.” The Queen asked the woman standing before her.
Her opposite, stood definitely before her. Seemingly unaffected by the chains that bound them. They carried themselves in a soldier’s stance, shoulders square, back ramrod straight, chin parallel to the ground, standing at attention. It was like the soldier was born into it.
“I do.” Was all the flat response of Horde soldier.
Her steely blue eyes never once leaving The Queen’s.
The queen tried again more earnestly, almost pleading the blond to reconsider this judgement she was about to deliver.
“That, as per your own request, upon being found guilty of crimes against Bright Moon and the Alliance of the Princesses that you be executed.”
“I am aware.” Was all the soldier said with the simplest and faintest of nods.
Her voice, much like her militaristic stance hadn’t wavered in the slightest. It was strong and determined, willing its owner to see this to the end.
With a heavy sigh, the queen closed her eyes before she started to speak, “Then I, Queen Angella of Bright Moon,” She opened them again to look her captive in their eyes, “Find you Adora Force Captain of the Horde guilty.”
The way those words hung in the air made things so much more real for Catra. This was really happening.
The air lost all its warmth, she went deaf to the world around her, even the color started to dull at the sides of her vision.
As everything faded away she stared numbly into the only thing that she could.
Those steely blues were the only thing she could focus on and she wondered how things came to this.
Throughout all her trials as She-ra and as one of the leaders as the rebellion the Magicat couldn’t have pictured things ending like this. Not once sense she had picked up the legendary mantle did the thought cross her mind that this would happen.
Some part of Catra hoped that she could have convinced Adora to leave the Horde and join the Alliance like she had.
Now though, she was stuck staring lifetimes into those marvelous blues. Watching as they started to gleam with the first real signs of life they had in a long time.
It makes Catra want to yell when she sees how that speck of life isn’t determination she had grown up with but acceptance of what is to come.
“Why,” She hears herself say.
If she is honest with herself, she isn’t even sure if she said it to herself or yelled it with how muddled the world is to her right now.
She knew she cut off the queen from what she was going to say but Catra didn’t care.
“Why did it have to turn out like this?” She can’t help but ask. Hoping that this will all make sense soon.
When she feels the wet anger well at the corners of her eyes and spillover running down her cheeks she asks again.
“Why…”
She can hear her own voice again and it sounds so weak.
