As some of you may have noticed, it's a little late for our usual Tag Team Tournament hype--that's because we're doing things a little differently this year. But don't fear, you still have time to prepare!
The 2026 Tag Team Tournament will commence on Sunday, October 4th through Saturday, October 10th!
And since it will be taking place during the month of Halloween, we will of course be putting a very spooky twist on things! Your submissions do not have to be Halloween themed, but be prepared for everything we make to be at least a little spooky.
For our full rules and submission guidelines, check out our 2026 Event Guide Document. If you played last year, only three things have changed: 1) there is to be NO generative AI used in our tournament, as it is an unfair advantage, 2) There won't be any Playlist Points this year, and 3) We've renamed all of our teams.
What are this year's teams? Well, you'll just have to keep an eye on our blog this week, as we'll be revealing them one at a time as we count down to this year's Tag Team Tournament. That said, the ships will be:
Cassandra Cain x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Roy Harper x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Tim Drake x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Jason Todd x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Conner 'Kon-El' Kent x Marinette Dupain-Cheng
Any Poly Ship
Any Ship Without A Team
Oh, and since we were told it was missed last year, we'll be returning to our original strategy of releasing prompts daily during the Tournament.
Many thanks to our mod team, @newdog14, @nottesilhouette, and @izanae for all their work in putting this together. Be sure to give Mod Notte in particular a big thank you for coding our Score Tracker, and if the Halloween theme doesn't agree with you then you'll have to blame Mod Newsie.
We'll see you all very soon for our first Team Reveal!
Jasonâs jacket was still smoking. Or maybe it had started again.
He sighed and pulled the remains of his jacket off. It was essentially scraps now. The acid had eaten away at so much of it, he really just needed a new one, which would be a perfect opening to tell Marinette about his alter ego and wear something she designed for him while he was fighting, adding an extra layer of protection and support, even if it was just in his head.  The placebo effect is real.
That night. Â He would tell her that night, after the party she was at. Â He called her before he could psych himself out and rethink it. Â It was time. Â She deserved to know. Â And he wanted her to know. Â Wanted her to know this part of him, all of him.
But his enthusiasm deflated instantly when she answered the phone with a sad, distant, âHi.â
âHey Pixie. Howâs the party?â he asked tentatively, like he already knew the answer, because really, he did. Even with just one word, he knew. He knew that tone. He knew that exhale. Something was wrong. Something bad.
His assessment was confirmed when she had to take a breath before she could respond. He knew that bracing technique too. âItâs terrible,â she breathed.
He straightened up, stretching out his arm to stop Roy before he changed out of his suit. âWhatâs terrible, Pixie? What happened?â
Roy stiffened next to him. He moved closer to the phone like proximity could grant more insight. âWhat? What happened?â
Jason shoved him back with a glare and covered the microphone. âDoes it sound like I know? Iâm waiting to hear, idiot,â he hissed.
âNobody showed up,â Marinette bemoaned barely loud enough to be heard, like she was trying to keep from being overheard. âNobody came to her party. Sydney is so sad. This is so cruel.â A shuttering breath sounded through the line. He could picture her pacing. âNobody showed up. This canât be just that people forgot about it. This is calculated. This is⊠this is demented. This is tormenting a child. Sheâll remember this for the rest of her life.â
Jasonâs expression darkened enough even Roy stepped back. âGive me thirty minutes. Donât cut the cake yet,â he stated coldly.
âThirtyâŠâ Marinette started.
âThirty minutes,â he reaffirmed with a calculating look to Roy, which Roy returned with a befuddled look of his own. But, despite the confusion, he stopped Dick as he walked toward the locker room, who stopped Tim, all looking to Jason for confirmation.
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Exactly twenty-seven minutes after she got off the phone with Jason, a knock finally echoed through the painfully quiet apartment. Marinette moved toward the door, as close to a lunge as she could manage without it being apparent. Her face eased into relief when she saw Jason but lit up when she saw Lian.
âOh, thank God. Lian! Come in. Sydney!â She turned around, pushing Lian ahead of her toward the heart of the apartment.
âIâll just make my own way in then,â Jason scoffed with a bemused huff and closed the door behind himself.
âSydney, this is Lian. Lian, this is Sydney,â Marinette introduced practically shoving Lian toward Sydney. âLian is a good friend, and I thought she could be a good friend of yours.â
âHi!â Lian offered with a wave. âIs that a Nomi?â she asked gazing past Sydney into her open room.
Sydney shrunk in on herself. âYeah,â she answered tentatively.
âWicked!â Lian exclaimed as she pulled Sydney with her into the room. âI love One Piece.â
Sydneyâs mom turned toward Marinette and Jason, a tear making its way down her face. âThank you. Thank you so much for bringing her.â
Jason stepped forward with a small nod. âOf course. Iâve heard great things about Sydney. Marinette talks about her all the time.â He looked around the room, finally taking in the dismal sight.
The room was cheery enough on its own; decorated to excess with balloons, streamers, and garlands, all placed high enough not to get ripped by children running around. A large cake was centered on the dining room table surrounded by a small pile of presents, mounding bowls of chips, rows of childrenâs drinks, plates, and silverware. Folding chairs had been set up in several small groups in preparation for lively conversations.
No, what was disquieting about the situation was that the perfectly placed seats remained empty, the plates remained unfilled, chip mounds remained undented, and the balloons, streamers, and garlands remained unmarred by little hands.
âI hope you donât mind,â he offered after a beat. âI ran into a few⊠people along the way and invited them to come as well.â
âFriends?â Marinette asked, her head quirked in question to which Jason just winked.
Sydneyâs momâs eyes widened and she waved her hands frantically. âOh no, no, thatâs fine. Iâm justâŠâ she took a deep breath and granted him a bright smile. âThank you so much. Please have some snacks and drinks. Iâll wait by the door for your friends.â
âNo, please sit, talk with us,â Jason insisted and ushered her toward the seats to finally be used. âBesides, I doubt theyâll be coming through the door.â
Marinette froze only turning her head to him, her eyebrow raised. She opened her mouth, but before she could get the words out, she was interrupted by a knock at the window and a throng of charming, toothy grins.
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She hugs Marinette says this is the best party ever. Mom thanks her and the rest of them and tucks her in.
âOkay, Lian, the cake has been cut, the presents opened, the vigilantes left, itâs time for us to get going too,â Jason called to Lian.
âDo we have to?â she whined. âWe were having fun.â
âYes, we have to go,â Jason answered firmly.
Sydney sidled up next to her like theyâd planned it, which knowing Lian, they likely had. âCan she come back? Sheâs my new best friend!â
Her wide, innocent eyes were backed up by Lian doing the same. Jason may have even believed it if he didnât know Lian better. It was not helped by Marinette snickering next to him. âIâm pretty positive we can arrange that. Marinette can pass your momâs information to Lianâs dad.â
Sydneyâs mom cupped her hands around Marinetteâs. âThank you for this,â she said sincerely. The look in her eyes so heartbreakingly genuine and grateful it hurt her heart. âI can never thank you all enough for what you did. You made her happy again, feel important. And thank you, Jacob,â she added with a quick kiss to Jasonâs cheek. She handed Marinetteâs bag to her. âNow, you two should enjoy your night after rescuing my girlâs entire decade. And Marinette, you should keep him.â
Marinette grinned up at Jason. âOh, I intend to. Jacob is a great man.â She brushed Lianâs hair over her shoulder as she and Sydney bounded over, giving her a conspiratorial look.
âI love Uncle Jacob,â she agreed with a cheeky grin.
Jason sighed heavily but gave the mom a tight smile. âThank you. Happy Birthday again, Sydney. Lianâs dad is waiting outside for her. Iâll meet you downstairs, Marinette.â He ushered Lian toward the door with a quick wave.
Marinette joined him moments after Roy swung away with Lian. He had barely turned toward her when she was on him, her lips crashing into his, arms wrapped around his neck pulling him down to her and not letting him go even after sheâd broken off the kiss.
âWell, thank you,â he chuckled lightly. His eyes roved over her face as his knuckles traced her jaw.
Marinette leaned into his touch, never letting her adoring eyes fall from his. âNo, thank you.â Her eyes instantly switched from adoring to calculating. âAnd please thank Roy and the others.â
âWha⊠uh⊠what for?â Jasonâs body went through a series of reactions, most of which were almost too fast to register, until he settled on a nonchalant ease that would have been believable if he hadnât tightened his grip on her and straightened up. âOh, right,â he chuckled, though it was a bit tight, âfor letting us bring Lian. Iâll⊠Iâll let him know.â
Marinette snorted and shook her head. âFor showing up. They made that little girlâs life. I have a friend who will make sure these pictures show up at all the right places to show to those parents what they just lost trying to be cool by being cruel. That picture of Roy kissing Ms. Bakerâs cheek? Theyâre going to die. And the pictures of Sydney on Timâs shoulders, swinging with Dick, flying with Kon? The kids are going to be so annoyed with their parents.â
âWhaâŠ. Huh?â he tried again.
Marinette rose up on her toes to run her hand along his jaw. She tilted her head to the side and smirked at him, a dangerous smirk that usually made his blood rush, but this time made it freeze. âSo eloquent. You know thatâs one of the things Iâve always loved about you; how well you spoke. You want to try that one again? Or keep on pretending that wasnât Roy, Dick, Tim, and Kon?â
Jasonâs mouth opened a few times unbidden before he cleared his throat and shot her an innocent look. âI⊠that wasnât⊠those were the real vigilantes, they werenât dressed up.â
âOh, I know,â she scoffed. Her smirk widened. âAlso, that was a much better attempt. I almost didnât clock Dick, but I saw him do that same trick on the trapeze with Lian two weeks ago.â She shook her head and started walking toward her apartment.   âI was so scared the first time. This time I knew better because I knew those moves.â
Jason drew in a breath like he was going to object but then let it out with an exasperated sigh. He ran a hand down his face, then back up into his hair until he shook his head with a laugh and jobbed up to match her pace. âSuch a dumbass. Thatâs how Tim identified him when he was like eleven.â
She shook her head again. âAnd you?â
âI was told. Never got the chance to guess,â he shrugged.
âNot what I meant,â she chided lightly with absolutely no heat behind it and fixed him with a similarly heatless but pointed look.
âRight. And me,â he nodded, because he did know. He knew her and he knew how her mind worked⊠for the most part⊠somewhat. He doubted anyone could follow her logic spirals all the time. âYou want to guess?â
The sharp, dangerous smirk returned, twisting her lips up. She flitted down the street with more ease than anyone in Star City should. âI donât have to. I know who you are.â
He reached out to stop her, his hand gentle on her bicep, but strong enough to turn her toward him. He stepped up close enough to feel her heat against his body. âOh,â he prompted breathlessly. âAnd who is that?â
âMy hero,â she whispered. She rose up rapidly but gently, a connecting her lips to his before he could react in a passionate but brief kiss that stole his breath. She finally pulled away after a few minutes breathing deeply.Â
âWeâre called vigilantes,â he corrected, just as breathless and with a cocky grin.
He could see the restraint keeping her urge to roll her eyes at bay, it was highly strained but holding, unlike the restraint keeping her lips from curling up. âMy vigilante,â she sighed breathily but immediately scrunched her nose. âNo. Canât do it. Doesnât quite roll off the tongue the same way.â
âYou know what does roll off the tongueâŠâ he smirked as he pulled her into another kiss.
âYes, that.â She rose up on her toes and placed a light kiss on his lips. âBut also Red Hood,â she smirked.
Jason snorted then barked out a loud laugh. âYeah, that too.â He settled his hands on her hips, pulling her closer to him until she was flush against him. âYou know, I was going to tell you tonight.â
She lowered down onto her heels and her smile widened, worryingly so. âThatâs cute. Iâve known for ages. And⊠now that we both know that I know...â
Jason pulled back slightly and examined her for a moment before his face fell flat. âNo.â He stepped away and started walking again.
âOh, come on! It will be amazing!â she cheered, hopping backward from foot to foot as she tried, and failed, to stay in front of him.Â
âAbsolutely not,â he insisted, steel in his voice and iron in his eyes. âI put a lot of thought and planning into it already.â
âNot good thought,â she scoffed.
He stopped mid-stride causing her to run into him as he turned toward her. âDid you justâŠâ
âPlease?â she pleaded, not bothering to hide her desperation, hands clasped as if in prayer, voice beseeching, eyes wide.
Jason shot her a cold look before dropping his head with a groan. âOkay, fine.â He leveled a warning finger at her. âBut I get veto power.â
âYes!â Marinette exclaimed. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate but quick kiss. âYou wonât regret this.â
âOh, I definitely will,â he grumbled petulantly, only the slight quirk of his lips betraying his act.
âYouâre going to love the new helmet. I have so many ideas,â she squealed and pulled away.
âWhat I would love is a new jacket,â he sighed.
âA jacket too?â she squealed.
Jason groaned and shook his head at his own stupidity. âI should have just offered the jacket at the beginning.â
She started to bounce away toward her apartment, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back against his chest. âTomorrow. Tomorrow we design the helmet and a new jacket. Tonight weâre under orders to enjoy our night.â
âI donât know, designing a new helmet sounds enjoyable to me,â she offered innocently.
Jason hummed and lowered his head until it was hovering just next to hers, mere centimeters between their foreheads and angling his head to get the rest of his face even closer. âI can think of a few other enjoyable ways to pass the night.â
She swallowed heavily. âOh?â she breathed. Her eyes flicked from his eyes to his mouth a few times but snapped back to his eyes when he hummed in affirmation. âI may be open to hearing about that.â
One last post for Jasonette July, this time featuring the first scene of The Tea Pixie of Gotham City by Rierse! I adore this fic and love the cheeky identity shenanigans that goes on. As someone who firmly believes that even a non-magical cup of tea can be healing, this fic is a special favorite!!
EDIT: I FORGOT TO ACTUALLY TAG @rierse PLEASE GO AND CHECK OUT THEIR OTHER FICS!!! đ
also received a couple of asks/fic recs recently, so will try to take a look at those in August!! Hope yall had a wonderful July, thank you for all the love :)
The whiskey burned a comforting route down Jasonâs throat, a familiar, calming sensation against the chaotic, bedlam of the room around him. The room was too busy. Too loud. Too bright. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was just Jason, really, that was out of sync with everyone else.
He should have left a while ago, in fact, heâd gotten up to do just that several times. But each time he shifted to stand, Marinette would force him to settle back down by laughing at something Roy said, or giggling at Tim dancing, or the last time, with a shy smile she hadnât meant for him to see. And he wouldnât have, except heâd been watching her from the corner of his eye, obviously, he wasnât a creep who leered at women until they got so uncomfortable, they had to leave to escape the discomfort.
It was how he knew her eyes would occasionally search him out and look away before he could meet them, not that he would have met them. It went against the whole corner of the eye thing.
It was also how he knew when she started to approach him for the first time that night, abandoning the group she had been whispering with for a while now. If it had been Tim sheâd been whispering to, he would have called it conspiring, but the word seemed a bit dark for the giggles sheâd been sharing with that particular group. His body turned toward her without his consent, before he could remind himself not to be so obvious. âHiya, Pixie Pop,â he greeted and instantly scowled at himself. âHiyaâ? âHiyaâ! Really? That was really what he went with?
âHey,â she greeted hesitantly. Her voice waivered slightly, barely noticeable, but present enough for Jason to detect it along with the way she was forcefully stopping her hands from fidgeting by fisting them at her side.  Whatever was causing the anxiety seemed to get the better of her, causing her to glance back at the group she had been not-conspiring with, a silent conversation of head shakes, eye brow raises, and unsubtle hand motions, he couldnât decipher occurring between her and them. She turned back to him with renewed determination, shoulders squared and jaw tilted up.
âI was wondering if you would be willing to help me with something,â she asked, her voice turning coy, though it sounded wrong on her. Not that she couldnât sound coy, just the memory of the times heâd heard that tone from her gave him shivers. But this? This sounded artificial. Forced.
He tilted his head to the side and studied her as though there was any question of how he would respond to her, as though he would ever tell her no, even knowing she was hiding something. âYou bet, Pix. Whatâs up?â
She took a deep breath and stepped forward as though she knew he would widen his legs to grant her space to get closer, which he did without thinking. Every muscle in his body froze and lit up at the same time when she reached up and lightly traced her fingers along his jaw so she could rest her hands on either side like she was making sure he was really there and leaned into him.
Her lips met his tentatively, a bit awkwardly at first until she adjusted her stance to a more natural position and fell into the kiss, confidence swelling the longer they kissed. It took only a moment for him to melt into the kiss as well. He didnât know where the kiss came from, what prompted it, but he wasnât going to lose his opportunity while he had it.
With one hand, Jason threaded his fingers into her hair at the base of her head, tilting it just slightly to give them a different angle, deeper, allowing more passion. With his other hand, he pulled her flush against him and wrapped his arm around her waist like he could wrap himself around her and consume her, keeping with him always. He pulled her closer, not nearly close enough, desperate to be closer, desperate for more and she was more than willing to accommodate.
Despite his hope, the kiss had to end, with Marinette pulling away from him and pulling her lip between her teeth anxiously. His eyes were glued to the movement, debating with himself whether the movement indicated her regret when his attention was grabbed by the group she had been not-conspiring with. One of the women whooped while a man handed off money to her. Others in the group snickered to one another before going back to, âconspiringâ started sounding more and more accurate.
His heart sank as the pieces clicked into place. The anxiety, the awkwardness, the need for reassurances, the money exchanged. âWell,â he chuckled lightly, like ice on water. He leaned back and took a slow sip of his drink, eyes deftly avoiding her, âI hope you won the bet.â
She blinked at him owlishly, confusion clouding her eyes. âBet?â she repeated, her voice airy missing any grounding.
âYeah, the bet. The reason for the kiss,â he answered, proud it lacked any of the bitterness that was slithering around in his chest and leaving little room for anything else.
Marinette drew in a quick breath and smiled, thin and tight. âBet! Right. Why would you kiss me otherwise,â she tittered but the sound was clearly hollow even with the music drowning out most of the sound. âSo⊠um⊠thank you. For helping me win the⊠the bet,â she finished weakly, her smile becoming even more fragile.
Jasonâs brow furrowed in confusion as he watched her scuttle back to her friends with none of the ease and loftiness of a victor like he expected from someone who just won a bet with their friends.  He mentally scrolled through his rolodex of her typical expressions, micro expressions, smiles, tones, shakes, and fidgets, trying to place the behavior in context, yet failing spectacularly. She should have been dancing, doing her little butt wiggle heâd enjoyed⊠witnessed, that heâd witnessed before.
Scuttling away woodenly the way she had, absolutely did not fit.
He continued watching her as well as he could, but with their friends closing ranks around her, no doubt to award her prize for winning the bet, it was impossible. âWell, that was something,â Roy observed with a grimace settling on the stool next to him.
Jason pressed his lips together, his eyes never leaving her direction, head bobbing to get an eye on her and eyes narrowing as his mind tried to place the pieces together correctly. âRight? What was up with that?â
Roy stared at him incredulously, waiting for Jasonâs words to catch up with him, but Jason never looked away from Marinette. âNot that I disagreeâŠâ he grumbled to himself. He took a long swig from his glass and glanced at Jason from the corner of his eye. âYou know, I came here to have fun tonight. Relax. And watching you be a dumbass is stressing me out.â
Jason turned back to him. âWhat? What did I do?â
âJason, the woman youâve been obsessed withâŠdonât deny it,â he snapped when Jason opened his mouth.  âYouâve been watching her all night. Like a creep. Like you do every time she shows up any place you are.â He took a calming breath and leveled Jason with a disapproving look. âThe woman youâve been obsessed with forever just came over and kissed you and you dismissed her like a drunk socialite?â
âI didnât âdismiss her like a drunk socialite,ââ he scoffed. âI dismissed it like a joke. On me, I might add, because it was. She admitted it was.â He turned away from Roy to give his drink the full attention it deserved. It had never set him up. It had never tried to embarrass him⊠much⊠on this particular night.
Roy let out a long, pained breath, as though his proximity to this level of stupidity was sapping his strength. âNo,â he corrected slowly, âyou said it was a bet and she said,â he tapped his chin as if in thought, âwhat was it she said?  Oh yes, she said, âwhy would you kiss me if it wasnât a bet?ââ
Jason set the drink down hard, whiskey sloshing over the rim of the glass. His brows furrowed in frustration, because he was wrong. Obviously. Clearly. That wasnât what happened. And the fact that Roy couldnât see it, despite being there and seeing the same thing Jason did, was beyond annoying, which was no surprise for Roy. Annoying was Royâs natural state. âI just acknowledged what everyone already knew. What I wasnât supposed to know.â
He looked over toward Marinette again, his eyes searching for her intentionally this time, but this time couldnât find her. He scanned again, broadening his search, finally spotting her heading out of the back room, head down, feet shuffling, jacket in hand. She looked⊠devastated. Which didnât make sense because sheâd won her bet, and he knew it was a bet because she said⊠oh. His head snapped to Roy. âShe said it was a bet because I did,â he breathed out.
âThere you go,â Roy congratulated with a pat on the shoulder. âYou usually donât get there so quickly. So proud of you. Now, what are you going to do about it? Because what I would doâŠâ he paused when Jason jumped up and wound his way toward the door to intercept Marinette, shoving a few people a bit more forcefully than necessary. â⊠is go stop her before she leaves. Oh, you agree?â he asked the space next to him. âSo glad I could help. You know I really cherish these little talks.â
âWait!â Jason called, quickening his pace to reach her before she could disappear, mentally, and sometimes verbally, cursing the crowd of people who werenât getting out of his way nearly as quickly as he would have liked. He reached her just as she made it through the door. âMarinette, wait a second.â
She froze but took a beat before she turned toward him, a brittle smile plastered on her lips, her eyes glassy with a touch of red. Â âYes, Jason?â
His stomach dropped at the sight. He had wanted to avoid feeling unwanted but instead, heâd made her feel it. He could see every bit of heartbreak in her eyes, barely held back and cresting, like it would overflow at any moment. Heâd thought she wouldnât be as affected as him, but if anything, she looked more devastated than he would have been. He couldnât let that continue.
He straightened his shoulders and drew in a breath to center himself before continuing, allowing a hopeful smile to peek through for her. He took a tentative step closer to her, unsure if he was trying not to scare her off or himself.  âI was wondering if you could help me with something,â he prompted in what he hoped was a casual tone.
Her already taut body tensed even further, the muscles in her jaw now so tight, he could practically hear her teeth cracking from the pressure. âOh?â
âYeah,â he continued undeterred.  âI helped you win your bet. I was hoping you could help me win mine.â
The sound that emanated from her body could only be described as some combination of bone weary and desolate. Her smile tightened, but she kept her lips in the bowed shape for him, though they were so tight, her usually soft, plump lips had little more dimension than a sheet of paper. âRight. Yeah. Um, okay.â
He stepped closer again, closing the distance, his movements no more confident than Marinetteâs had been earlier, if anything, they were more tentative, cautious. His fingers brushed against her jaw, barely touching, yet making their presence known on their way to wind into her hair again. His hand secured, he took another incredulous moment to marvel that she was letting him touch her ardently like this.
Not for a bet. It was never for a bet.
This time, he took his time with the kiss. He kissed her slowly, unhurriedly, like he had time, which hopefully they had. She didnât react immediately, her lips remained tight for the first few seconds, but when she finally, finally moved her lips in sync with his, he almost groaned, but kept the kiss soft and languid.
He pulled away with a self-assured smile. It had felt right. Perfect. Like a roaring fire warming his entire body. âThank you,â he murmured.
She blinked and pulled back, whatever spell she had been under broken by his words and reality settling in like a millstone. âUm⊠right.â
She started to pull away but he refused to loosen his grip on her, rushing his words out before she could disappear. âI was bet I wouldnât kiss the woman Iâve liked since the Alhambra incident.â
She immediately stopped trying to escape, her eyes snapping to his in surprise. âSinceâŠâ she trailed of as she tried to calculate when that happened. âThat wasâŠâ
âLast year, yeah,â he nodded, looking sheepish for the first time. âLonger, if Iâm honest.â
Her eyes widened in surprise for a moment, then her entire face lit up in a genuine, brilliant smile. âOh. But you scowled at me when I came over to kiss you. And youâŠâ
âI was scowling at myself,â he cut in, desperate to correct her misinterpretation. âI⊠my first words, they werenât exactly smooth.â
She snorted. âNeither was scowling at me.â
He huffed and bobbed his head to the side. âGranted.â He finally allowed himself a smirk, for just a flash before throwing his head back. âI owe myself dinner now. Sounds lonely though,â he sighed theatrically then looked back at her, his smirk back in full force. âCare to join me?â
âWell, that was fortuitous,â she chuckled.
He hummed and brushed her jaw gently with his knuckles offering her a small smile. âIt seems I may have a bit of luck on my side. So, is that a yes?â
She allowed herself to nuzzle into his hand for a moment before answering. âYeah.  Yes. Thatâs a yes. Iâm free tomorrow night,â she offered.
âTomorrow,â he nodded breezily, eyes focused on her lips. He finally glanced up to her eyes. âHow about a precursor tonight? Thereâs a great ice cream place around the corner.â At her nod, he took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and trying to pretend the sensation that zinged through him at the contact wasnât making his knees weak.
âI think I can probably fit that in,â she hummed, glancing up at him through her lashes.
âAnd what does this one do?â Ladybug grumbled, barely landing inelegantly on a ledge in front of Chat before speaking. She surveyed the area from her new vantage point, high enough to give a fairly good overview of the area with enough distance from the akuma to be out of its focus. There were no explosions destroying the skyline, no smoke rising into the sky, no flocks of irate animals, no pained screams. All in all, it seemed like a tame akuma, and certainly preferable to the terrible date she felt no guilt about having just made up a poor excuse to leave.
âHe calls himself SoulMatcher,â Chat Noir responded, barely exposed, assessing eyes tracing the akumaâs movement in the distance, âsaid heâll save the people of Paris from suffering through pointless relationships by sending them to their soulmates.â
âWell, that would have been appreciated earlier in the evening,â she huffed as she settled her yoyo back around her waist. She finally fully set her eyes on Chat, hidden behind a wall, cowering in the shadows as though the wall wasnât several feet taller than him even when standing, and snorted.
He bolted up straight instantly, but after a second, took a step back away from the wall corner. âWhat? Iâm being cautious,â he said defensively, then pointed a finger at her. âI have plans I want to get back to and Iâm not going to miss this date. Iâve done that enough.â
Her eyes softened. âShe knowsâŠâ
âBut she shouldnât have to deal with having her every important moment interrupted,â Chat cut in. âSo, letâs see how quickly we can handle this, yeah?â
âYeah,â she agreed, momentarily cowed. She may have had a terrible night and a disastrous dating life, but Chat shouldnât suffer because of it, and neither should his girlfriend. She focused back on the akuma with reaffirmed focus, noting how he moved, trying to connect how he selected his victims. He moved past some people and then seemed to pursue others. There didnât appear to be an observable pattern to how he chose them. âHow does he send them? Dangerous?â
Chat scoffed and rested his chin on his baton. âNo. From what we can tell, they just appear next to their supposed soulmate. All in all, quite tame. Nino said he didnât even feel anything at all.â
âNino got hit!â Ladybug exclaimed, whirling on him. âWhy didnât you lead with that? Why didnât Alya say anything?â She suddenly grimaced and braced herself. âDid he notâŠâ
He held his hands up in a soothing motion. âHe appeared next to Alya. Thank God. Can you imagine?â They met each otherâsâ gaze with matching looks of horror and synced relieved sighs. âBut anyway, I contacted her to ask what sheâd gotten on the akuma already and she reported to me. Headâs up, theyâre already insufferable about it.â He sighed and peeked around the corner again.  âHonestly, this doesnât even need the two of us. We could probably go back to our dates and take care of him after.â
Ladybug scoffed louder than Chat had earlier, almost echoing down the street. âDieu, no!â She pretended the snort he let out was drowned out in the latest screech of surprise.
âThat bad, huh?â He was clearly trying for sympathetic, but it came across as bemused. If the tone of his voice didnât make it clear, the twinkle in his eyes would have.
âTerrible!â she groaned. Her eyebrow arched as a person appeared out of nowhere next to someone who had been hiding across the street. The two people stared at each other in shock for just a few seconds before giving each other shy smiles and moving closer to hide together. Perfectly comfortable together. Instantly at ease. She cocked her head to the side as she considered them. âSo, do we have any idea if this is real?â
âReal? Like a real akuma?â he asked slowly, his own head cocking to the side as he tried to figure out the source of the question.Â
âLike soulmates. And that he would be able to tell who they are.â
Chat raised an eyebrow and gave Ladybug as assessing look. He knew just about everything there was to know about Marinette, and the one thing he knew more than anything else, was that she was hopeless romantic. Exactly the kind to believe in soulmates. âDoubting soulmates exist?â he asked skeptically.
She took a beat before responding, long enough to tear her eyes from the couple and landing on a man looking around him in desperation, heartbreak evident in his movements even from her distance. âYes,â she finally stated with less confidence than she was trying for, more like she was convincing herself than him.
âSince when?â he scoffed.
She narrowed her eyes at him in a warning that he either didnât detect or didnât fear, his grin widening the more her eyes narrowed. âSince âfateâ kept putting me in situations I didnât want to be in. Until he kept putting guys like that,â she motioned harshly in the vague direction of the 23rd aggrandizement, âin my path.â
Chat sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. âVery bad date then,â he said more to himself than her. He turned to her and slapped on a brittle smile, already bracing himself for the answer to his next question. âThink Fateâs a he, huh?â
âOnly a man would be this much of a bitch,â she hissed. The snort ripped out of him before he could stop it and loud enough to garner the attention of the people on the street below. He slapped his hand over his mouth and gave her an apologetic shrug, but it was enough to make her smile too, soft, but present. âPutting that aside. Any ideas on the item?â
âHis phone,â he nodded. âHis ex left a voicemail saying she found her true soulmate and hoped he would find his.â
Ladybug whipped toward him, eyes wide. âVoicemail? Dieu. Men and that woman. That was cruel. Iâm impressed he had this much restraint.â
Chat hummed in agreement before crouching back behind the wall so he could study her for a second, his grin curling up at her annoyance. âSo, was it the guy or just that you would have preferred it be someone else?â
âBoth,â she answered definitively, avoiding looking at him and instead waving back at the civilians who had noticed them due to Chatâs obnoxiously loud snort. âI would have preferred it be just about anyone else.â
âReally?â he asked as innocently as he could manage, which was completely offset by his waggling eyebrows. âBecause I was thinking you might have preferred one particular dark-haired, blue-eyed Bat.â
The glare she sent him was almost venomous enough to wipe the smirk off his face. âThat describes every Bat except for the women⊠and all the Supers⊠except for the women still. Someone should probably investigate that. That seems unnatural,â she clipped flatly. âNo, while others,â she spat out the word, âmay allude to it, this guy flat out said Ladybug was a poor manâs Wonder Woman.â
Chat grimaced so hard he almost fell on his back. âAh. Yeah. ThatâsâŠâ
âYeah,â she cut in again, absolutely no amusement in her expression.Â
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, head cocking to the side as he tried to form the words without repercussions falling back on him. âYou know, I donât think thatâs quite what JasâŠâ
âSo⊠distract and destroy?â she cut harshly in as she unwrapped her yoyo. Â
He pressed his lips together for a moment then nodded. âI do so love a classic. I donât think heâll be too hard. He hasnât been hiding or violent.â
She nodded then threw her yoyo up in the air with a cheery, âLucky Charm!â and held out her hand gaping at the phone that landed in her palm. âWhat am I supposed to do with this?â she grumbled.
âCall him?â Chat shrugged. âOoohhh, maybe heâs your soulmate and thatâs a sign!â
She glared at him and tucked the phone into her yoyo. âJust us, then?â she waved to another civilian with a heavy sigh. Civilians really needed to stop trying to interact with them while there were akumas active.
Chat chuckled.  âUnless you get hit. Youâre awfully exposed there, bugabâŠâ
The scene in front of her changed between one blink and the next. She looked around frantically, trying to reconcile the change of scenery. She had somehow gone from a Parisian rooftop to⊠she wasnât even sure. She was on a series of gridiron walkways over some liquid that smelled particularly foul, in some kind of processing plant.
âWho the hell are you?â the first man demanded.
âDid you see that?â the second man asked lowly like he was trying to keep her from hearing him, but his voice carried throughout the area. âShe just appeared and started talking in tongues.â
The first man glanced over toward him, seeming to agree. âBossman is never going to believe us.â
She looked back and forth between them, her mind still reeling. This? This is where she was sent? To these guys? They were both⊠okay it was probably cruel to say old and sketchy, but they were both at least twenty years older than her and⊠sketchy was the kindest way she could think of to describe them. What this was, was clear evidence the akuma was a fraud, because, there was no way⊠She didnât deserve this! This could not be her fate.
She took a breath and let it out slowly. âEnglish. Okay.â She nodded absently then scrunched her face in preparation for her next question. âIs one of you not a bad guy by chance?â
The second man straightened up and let out an offended scoff. âI'm not a bad guy, I just... sometimes people get in the way. Itâs not my fault ifâŠâ
âSo not you then,â she cut in with a highly unimpressed look. She glanced over to the first man with a resigned sigh that turned into a screech when a figure dropped directly in front of her, yet another gun drawn. She reacted instantly and threw her yoyo out, knocking the gun out of his hand and into the liquid below. âOh!â She exclaimed in surprise as the figureâs identity registered.
âOh,â she breathed out in relief. It wasnât those guys she was sent to. It was him. It wasnât the creepy men, she now realized must be goons.  It was a vigilante. A good guy⊠ish. âOh,â she repeated hesitantly as that thought settled in her brain. It was Red Hood. Red Hood was her soulmate. âOhâŠâ she let out, her voice distant even to herself. Red Hood was her soulmate. Maybe. Possibly. The akuma could be wrong. OrâŠ
âThat was my favorite gun,â Red Hood stated. He leaned over the side of the walkway, putting far more weight onto the railing than Ladybug thought was wise, watching the liquid longingly.
She squeaked again when another figure dropped down behind her. Her arm was already out to throw her yoyo, but Hood grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms before she could let go. âEasy there, tiger. As much as Iâd like to see that, heâs not one of the bad guys.â
âAw, you guys make me feel so welcome,â Nightwing cooed with a wink at Ladybug as he stepped past her. Â He twirled his Ekema sticks and grinned at the goons, a grin Marinette had come to know and fear.
âYou brought your girlfriend to our fight?â the first goon asked incredulously.
That knocked her out of her revery. âOh, no. No, weâre notâŠâ she squeaked out at the same time Red Hood growled, âNo.â
âNo, he didnât bring her, she just showed up to protect him. Which is strange, because usually itâs the other way around,â Nightwing quipped, proving Ladybugâs fear to be valid. Hood glared at him with a heat that could be felt through his mask.
Ladybug stepped away and stared at Nightwingâs back, her head cocking in thought. There was another option. Nightwing was here too. Her soulmate could be Nightwing. Nighwing could be her soulmate! That would be⊠weird. She scrunched her nose. She loved Nightwing, really, but the idea of kissing him just felt wrong. Not that she thought about kissing Hood! She hadnât. Because he was frustrating and difficult and thought Wonder Woman was cooler, not that she disagreed, and was far too obsessed with his⊠âYou have a favorite gun?â she asked, his words finally registering.
âYeah,â he answered with the same incredulity as someone asking if baby aye ayes were creepy.
She stared at him like he was speaking a foreign language, which technically, he was for her. âIs that⊠an American thing?â
Nighwing leaned between them, his Ekema sticks twirling pointedly. âNo, itâs a him thing.â
Ladybug closed her eyes, head bent toward the sky seeking patience and let out a heavy sigh.  âOf course itâs a him thing.â Several beats passed before she returned her gaze to the figures in front of her, her lips quirking to the side as she considered them. No, something had to have gone wrong. There was no wayâŠ
âRight,â Nightwing chirped at the goons as he clapped his Ekema sticks together, breaking her focus. âYou going to make us take the guns orâŠâ
The goons exchanged a glance, communicating something with raised or furrowed brows. Finally they appeared to come to a resolution as, with a nod to each other, they turned back to Nightwing. âCan we watch how this plays out?â
Nightwing snorted but quickly attempted to cover it up by clearing his throat. âNo. But if you come peacefully, Iâll give you an update on it.â
The goons sent each other silent signals again then shrugged. âWorth it.â
Hood stepped out of the way to grant Nightwing access to herd the goons out and toward the police. âMenace,â he grumbled as Nightwing passed by him, an insult that seemed to have the opposite effect evidenced by the smirk Nightwing shot him.Â
She stared after him, mentally calculating the pros and cons of all the people present, which was more likely to be her soulmate, if any of them could be other than Red Hood.  Lost in her thoughts, she didnât register that Nightwing and the goons had already descended and were well on their way to the exit. Nor did she notice Hood shifting his weight from foot to foot. She remained lost until he finally spoke up. âItâs the weight.â
She blinked as her mind processed what heâd said. âThe weight?â she repeated uncertainly.
âThe weight distribution,â he nodded. He leaned his elbow on the steel railing; one leg nonchalantly crossed over the other. He adjusted the weight on his elbow a few times finally seeming to find a comfortable position, that just happened to be devastatingly debonair. âIt was really a miraculously balanced gun.â
âOh, your gun!â she gasped, clarity finally settling in, in an unsettling way. The akuma clearly did NOT have the abilities he claimed because she was NOT soulmates with someone who valued guns above all else.  âSorry about that. But I think it will likely appear back in your holster after we vanquish the akuma.â
âSo, itâs an Akuma that brings you here, then,â he nodded. He shuffled his feet slightly to adjust his position again and distractedly wiped his hand on his pants as he gazed around in a manner she would describe as anxiously if she didnât know the goons had already been dealt with. âIs it an akuma in Gotham or akuma sent you to Gotham?â
âSent. Heâs sending people⊠awayâ she trailed off awkwardly.
Hood made a production of looking around them, leaning harder against the questionably reinforced railing in his effort to look behind her. âSo⊠were you the only one thatâs gotten hit orâŠâ
She scoffed and leaned against the opposite railing for only a moment then straightened instead, eying the railing skeptically. âThank you for that amazing vote of confidence. No, I wasnât the only one.â
âYet I see nobody else.â She narrowed her eyes at the smirk she could hear through the mask. âWhat, is it sending people to their favorite place? Iâm touched, Pixie, truly.â He clutched at his heart and swooned away from the railing just as it collapsed into the liquid below. They both stared at where the railing had entered the water, unable to move in their shock. âAnd for that,â he motioned toward the water, âfor keeping me from falling in. How very lucky.â
She rolled her eyes and unsuccessfully attempted to keep her lips from quirking up. âOne of us is anyway,â she scoffed.
He chuckled and motioned down the walkway for her to move ahead. She followed his lead, moving toward the stairs, confident Hood would follow and without seeing Hoodâs head tilt as he absorbed the sight of her walking in front of him. âNo, really, how is it deciding where to send people? Should we expect more transfers?â
âHeâs sending themâŠâ her mouth hung open as if the words were stuck trying to come out, step faltering as the realization suddenly hit her that he might find out how she got there and the longer she stayed, the greater the chance he would find out⊠and react.
âI need to get back,â she mumbled more to herself than him, but she couldnât ask Chat to have Pegasus bring her home withoutâŠÂ She almost smacked herself in the head for not realizing it sooner. She grabbed the phone out of her yoyo and called Chat in one smooth move. âChat⊠oh. Perfect. Yeah, Iâll send you my coordinates, this has to have something that gives them, and give it to Pegasus.â She eyed the massive vat beneath her. âJust donât open it too low. I donât know what that liquid below me is and I donât want you to find out.â She nodded quickly. âYep, see you soon.â
She finally turned to acknowledge Hood just in time to catch him shifting on his feet. âItâll just take him a few seconds, and Iâll be out of your hair⊠or helmet, I guess.â She smiled weakly, almost as weakly as the chuckle he gave, and continued walking forward.
âRight. Listen, Pixie,â he let out a deep sigh and rubbed the back of his neck, head bowed toward the ground, taking his turn to avoid her eyes in an uncharacteristic show of doubt.  âI really wanted to⊠I didnât mean toâŠâ The next words were lost in his throat as a portal opened up directly in front of her, allowing her to walk directly into it before she even realized it was there, then closed immediately behind her.
Ladybug blinked quickly at the sudden change in environment again. Before she could fully register where she was, a figure popped up in front of her causing her to squeak, jerk back, and ready her yoyo all at the same time.
âSo?â Chat prompted.
She let out the bracing breath sheâd taken and batted at his chest. âPeople have got to stop doing that to me,â she huffed. It took a few seconds for her to calm her heart and clear her mind to catch up to where she was. âSo?â
âSo, whoâs your soulmate?â he prompted, but it came out like a tortured groan, but he was so excited about the possible answer, he was almost bouncing.
Pegasus raised an eyebrow and turned to give Ladybug his full attention. âOh, right. Forgot thatâs where you would be. Any information to share?â
She looked out over the city searching for the akuma, caring less about whether the direction was correct than that it was away from Chat and Pegasus. âUm⊠no way to know. There were a few people there,â she answered non-committally.
Pegasus raised a skeptical eyebrow at the same time Chatâs face fell as the excitement drained from his eyes letting out a mournful, âOh.â His lip jutted out in a pout. âFeel drawn to any one of them in particular?â he tried, face scrunched like hope was trying to squeeze out, but he was holding it back.
She made a noise that could be interpreted as a negative, or a hum, or an affirmative, depending on oneâs mood. âNo, no, I wouldnâtâŠâ she paused for a moment like she had to think if she wanted to commit to her next words, âsay I was.â She tilted her head as she weighed the words, her eyes unfocused for a few seconds before snapping into focus on Chat. âYou two?â
âNever got hit,â Chat groaned.
âReally?â she blurted, an incredulous look slipping out that she immediately corrected. âI meanâŠâ
âI know right!â he groaned over her, unaffected by the tone of her question. âThe one time Iâd want toâŠâ he sighed heavily and swayed against the wall. âMaybe we can wait?â he offered, hope flooding back into his eyes, which Ladybug only felt a bit bad about squashing with a flat stare. âRight, no, that would be⊠that would be inappropriate,â he nodded, looking away in an attempt at contrition.
âI only just got here,â Pegasus shrugged. âAnd I was in the university library until he called.â
Chat grunted then looked back up at her through his fringe. âIs it really so bad though? Finding your soulmate?â
Pegasus scrunched his nose. âIs that definitely what heâs doing though?  We have no way to empirically prove thatâs what heâs doing. There is no way to detect the soul, let alone mated souls, therefore there is no way to measure it. Do we know if soulmates exist and if so, could an akuma can actually place you next to your soulmate and not justâŠâ
âSomeone you want,â Chat asked, his mouth turned down in a pout.Â
âYes!â Ladybug exclaimed, gesturing to Pegasus, but instantly pulled her hand back almost as if trying to stop her original word before it reached anyone. âNoâŠâ she corrected quickly, diverting her eyes and pursing her lips, a sound of discontent squeezing through. âOr! Or he puts you next to someone you just know. Not⊠not have feelings for,â she insisted, her voice sounding slightly frantic. She frowned and backed away in thought. She needed space. The empty rooftop was suddenly too confining. She didnât have feelings for⊠there was no way to say who she was intended to see. It could very well have been one of the goons. Maybe they were really nice guys under the whole⊠henchman⊠thing. She winced inwardly so strongly, it manifested in her face as well. Still, it could be.
âIt could be,â she repeated this time out loud, like the words needed to get out. If they were spoken, they may become real, but there were too many words.  Too many thoughts whirling around and colliding, breaking apart. âThe akuma could just be choosing random⊠finding people from⊠scraping peopleâs brains. Yes. Scraping them and choosing completely random figures. Figures that there are no deep feelings for whatsoeverâŠâ
âOh my God,â Chat whispered suddenly, eyes wide, straightening up as a grin spread on his lips.
âNo!â Ladybug warned.
Pegasus looked back and forth between them. âI feel like Iâm missing something.â
Chat bolted up straight, bouncing from foot to foot in excitement that could not be contained. âOh my God! The akuma sent you toâŠâ
âNO!â she warned again, a finger levelled at him. She took a step back to unleash the full extent of the warning finger, like the distance could stop his words and stop his realization from settling in. âThere were multiple people therâŠâ
She was falling before she even realized sheâd been hit again. There wasnât even the chance to brace herself for impact before she collided. But instead of the hard floor, she was caught in a strong embrace.
She looked before she could stop herself. Even as she was registering who had caught her, her mind was screaming at her not to look, to give herself time to prepare before she looked, because once she looked, she would know. And she wouldnât be able to unknow. There were no ladybugs to repair knowledge acquired.
âOh, come on,â she huffed, with a glare toward the heavens to accentuate her point. âHeâs like twice my size and⊠an asshole.â
âWelcome back,â Red Hood crooned. âThat didnât take long.â
She huffed and pushed against his chest, which just served to entertain him seemingly, as his whole chest shook with laughter, thereby shaking her, though he kept her safely tucked in his arms. She turned her intensified glare at him and pushed harder, finally making her point. âEasy there, Pixie Pop, we may not be over the toxin anymore but itâs still a big drop.â
He dropped his arm under her legs, but kept his arm tight around her back, keeping her flush against him as he slowly lowered her to the ground. âSo, the akuma is big and a jerk?â
She stared up at him in surprise at how comfortingly heâd held her, how gently heâd let her down, how his voice dipped when he spoke to her, how warm his arm, still wrapped around her, felt. âWhat,â she hummed. âOh!â she jumped away, ignoring the twinge of loss at his arm dropping away. âUh⊠yeah. Yeah, thatâs what I meant.â She looked away suddenly unable to meet his eyes⊠even hidden as they were beneath his mask.
âDo you need help?â He stepped closer, reaching out for her. âWe can pop over andâŠâ
âNo!â Her eyes snapped to him then tracked his hand as it stilled then pulled back. âUm, no,â she corrected with a more reasonable volume and met his eyes again. âThank you. Itâs not a violent akuma. Or even difficult⊠I donât think. Iâve just gotten distracted.â
He looked at her for a few seconds, giving her the distinct impression he was studying her, for what purpose, she was uncertain. âThe akumaâs outfit that distracting?â He crossed his arms over his chest and quirked his head to the side. âIt must be pretty bad, Iâve seen some of those outfits in the past and they didnât distract you.â
âOh, uh, no. Just Chat being annoying,â she flapped her hands like waving away his concern, her voice a bit too forced to achieve the nonchalance she was going for.Â
He nodded slowly, but slowly started walking, circling her unhurriedly. âSo, business as usual then.â He stopped suddenly behind her and leaned toward her, close enough she could feel vibrations as he spoke. âExcept for you getting sent here. Twice now. But not the exact same place, just very close.  Right in front of me both times.â
She straightened up and turned her head to track him so she could properly glare at him. This was the Hood she recognized. Critical. Analytical. Hostile. He continued his path around her only stopping again when he was fully in front of her, so close he towered over her. âHow does he decide where to send people? I donât think you said last time.â
Her glare intensified as much because of his tone as the fact that she didnât have a good answer to the question. âItâs not reallyâŠÂ itâs pretty ambig⊠umâŠâ her mouth working through sounds as her brain tried to figure out which one to continue with, and instantly discarding the selection, immediately recognizing it wouldnât fool him, considering his preternatural ability to tell when she was lying or hiding anything.  Luckily for her, she never had to decide which one to choose.
With a squeal, she fell through the floor, this time landing hard on the concrete next to Pegasus. She looked up, just in time to see Red Hoodâs shoulders relax at seeing Pegasus before the portal closed. âUnnecessary,â she grumbled, but she still took Chatâs hand to help her up.
âBut funny,â Pegasus grinned.
âSo, did that clear things up?â Chat asked.
âClear things up?â her voice came out a few octaves higher than usual, her eyes scanned the area thoroughly, staunchly looking anywhere but their eyes, though she did catch the knowing smirk they sent to each other.Â
âThat second trip,â Chat clarified, an edge of snark in his voice. âWere there fewer people there this time?â
She finally looked at them to fix them with the sternest glare she could manage. âCan we focus on the akuma, please?â
âOh, we got that taken care of,â Chat waved his hand, but kept his smirk fixed on her.
A shocked expression replaced her stern one, her hands dropping from her hips. âWhat?â
âThe distraction worked. Pegasus stepped in. Got the phone,â he held up the phone for her to see then broke it, the akuma fluttering away.  âJust need a few ladybugs and weâre good to go,â he shrugged.
She rolled her eyes at him as she threw out her yoyo to catching it and releasing it within a few seconds. âBye bye little butterfly,â she intoned with a quick wave, quickly returning her gaze to Chat whose smirk had dropped and his entire demeanor shifted to something more serious and decidedly less triumphant than his news warranted, at least so far. âButâŠâ she prompted.
Chat sucked in a breath before continuing. âBut, Zoeâs girlfriend was hit and didnât appear next to her so... things are really tense now.â
âNon-magical tense,â Pegasus added in quickly.
âYeah, so we're going to need a lot of backup and then ice cream.â Â Chat nodded.
âThen, maybe we can narrow down your âsoulmateâ options,â Pegasus smirked.
Chatâs lips quirked up to match Pegasusâ. âOr get you to acknowledge what you already know.â
She scoffed and detransformed. âIâve had my fill of âdestinyâ and âfateâ, thank you very much.â
âI quite agree, but that is an odd take for the embodiment of Luck,â Pegasus hummed.
âSheâs the embodiment of Luck,â Marinette jutted her thumb towards Tikki before handing her a cookie. âI just borrow it sometimes.â
Tikki took a large bite from the cookie and floated over by Pegasus. âAnd you were borrowing it when you met your soulmate soâŠâ
Marinette glared at her, decidedly ignoring Chatâs massive grin and Pegasusâ snort. âSo, the soulmate thing is real?â Pegasus asked her.
Tikki swallowed the rest of her cookie and opened her mouth, but Marinette cut in before she could start. âCan we focus on Zoe for now, please?â she hissed.
âFor nowâŠâ Chat hummed, mischief still twinkling in his eyes.  âBut if heâs your soulmate, youâre going to see him again, and wouldnât you prefer to be prepared?â He raised his finger to boop her nose, but, reconsidering his own safety, redirected quickly to her collarbone instead.
âDo I get to know who he is?â Pegasus asked apparently nobody, as neither Chat, Tikki, nor Ladybug acknowledged his question.
âYou think Iâll have less anxiety if I think more about it?â She raised a pointed eyebrow. Â âAnd are you going to really continue to tout the soulmate angle while comforting Zoe about her girlfriend showing up in front of a complete stranger?â
Chat slowly lowered his finger and closed his mouth until his lips puckered. âGood point,â he acknowledged grudgingly.
âNew plan,â Pegasus chimed in. âChat, you get the ice cream and toppings then get some terrible movies queued up. Iâll contact everyone to come support Zoe. Ladybug, you make Zoeâs favorite cookies. You can get those done in like 45 minutes, right?â He looked between them and continued without letting her respond. âWe meet at Zoeâs in an hour.â
><><><><><><><><><Â
âForty-five minutes,â Marinette scoffed as she rushed to get to Zoeâs door. She was massively late, though that was hardly surprising. She didnât exactly live close to Zoe and she couldnât just make one batch of the cookies. This was an emergency. This was a binge worthy catastrophe. Events of this magnitude needed at least three batches and alternatives. Itâs always best to have a variety of drowning-your-misery options; cookies, brownies, and chocolate tartlets.
She stared at the door to Zoeâs apartment then looked back to the multiple containers piled up in her arms, almost towering taller than her, certainly wider, in some kind of miraculous wonder of physics. She looked back and forth a few times, despair increasing just a bit with each glance, until finally she whisper hissed toward her purse. âTikki! Tikki, can you help me?â
Tikki peeked out of Marinetteâs purse and glanced around quickly before nodding at Marinette and flying to the handle, making sure it was open enough for Marinette then flying into join the party. Marinette chortled at Tikkiâs excitement until she realized sheâd have to figure out a way to close the door on her own. She nudged it closed with her foot, hopping on one foot when the door didnât close easily. She kicked it, but with her restricted view, misjudged the distance and slipped, cursing internally externally as well. Her luck was not that bad. It couldnât be.
âCareful, Marinette, those look too good to drop.â
âDick,â she breathed out in relief, a brilliant smile curling her lips. Her luck wasnât that bad. For once today. Until she realized it was a Gotham hero. A Gotham hero was here. âDick,â she rasped out. âWhat⊠um⊠what are you doing here?â
He grabbed a few of the containers and started walking toward the kitchen. âMax called Stephanie to come support Zoe. Came along with her,â he shrugged and settled the containers on the counter for her then turned to her with a look she wished she couldnât decipher. âTwice in one day. What are the odds?â
âYeah,â she chuckled weakly. âWhat are the odds?â
âFunny thing,â he hummed as he grabbed a knife to cut the brownies. âHe mentioned people were getting transported to their soulmates.â He looked up to meet her eyes, his grin sharper than the knife in his hand and far more terrifying than anything the akuma had done. âIâll take this into the group,â he finished innocently.
Her chest started to loosen. It hadnât been as bad as she thought it would be. It could have been far worse. âOh, and when I said âcame alongâ, I meant âweâ, as in me, Tim, Cass⊠and Jason,â he tossed the statement over his shoulder like a grenade, then continued walking away from the destruction like some B-movie hero.
Marinetteâs eyes widened and her chest tightened back up again, her breath coming in shallow pants, pulse pounding loud enough in her ears, she almost missed the sound of footsteps behind her.
âJason,â the word barely passed as a sound, more forcing itself out than her speaking it. She knew it was him without having to turn around. It could be his scent that she could always identify, some combination of sandalwood and gunpowder that was uniquely him, or the pattern of his footsteps, determined, confident, and distinctly his, but in reality, she could just feel it. She could feel him near her and getting closer. She could feel him stop a step behind her. She could feel him staring at her. She could feel him preparing to speak.
It still took a moment before the words came out. âI was sent in to get bowls for the ice cream and something about plates of cookies,â he pronounced.
âAh, right,â she chuckled high and tight. She took a beat to steel herself before turning to face him, a container of cookies held in front of her like a shield.
Jason glanced at the cookies, examining them for a second with a slight look of disdain, then looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. The offending container was perfunctorily taken from her and set on the counter next to her. He took a breath like he was preparing himself, then a half a step forward, forcing her to back against the counter, and set his hands on either side of her, bracketing her in, forcing her to face him and listen. âSo, soulmates.â He stated it like an issue to be tackled, like he would say âSo, Black Mask is hoarding an arms shipment in one of his warehouses.â
Marinette averted her eyes, suddenly noting her nails were chipped at the tips. She really needed to touch them up. Maybe she could do that, then die from the fumes so she wouldnât have to face this embarrassment. âSupposedly,â she shrugged as casually as she could manage. âI mean, we donât really knowâŠâ
âI donât believe in soulmates,â he stated quietly but resolutely, not requiring volume to be devastating, like a stiletto knife to the heart.
She sucked in a breath and looked down. Her cheeks flushed deep red. She knew this would be his reaction. Even if he had believed in soulmates, she knew he wouldnât have wanted to be hers. âRight. No, of course. I didnât thinkâŠâ
She froze midsentence again when he leaned closer, his face ghosting along her neck up to her temple, breathing her in. His breath whispered along her ear as he lingered against her temple. âBut I quite like the idea of you being mine.â
Her head snapped up, eyes wide. âYou what?â she gasped.
He pulled back just far enough to meet her eyes, the bravado in his expression faltering upon seeing the incredulous expression on her face. He took a step back and fisted his hands at his sides. âUnless you donâtâŠâ he let the sentence linger, his voice weak for the first time.
He studied her face and posture, eyes darting as he took in all the details, all her tells, both the obvious and the obscure, from her gaping mouth to the slight softening of her eyes, the lifted posture that leaned slightly toward him. He stepped forward again. âI have a theory,â he proffered.
âA theorâŠâ She cut herself off with a sudden muted screech as he lifted her up onto the counter, replacing his hands on either side of her and pushing between her knees. His hands slid back behind her, pulling him closer until he was towering over her, his eyes never leaving her lips. âDo you mind if I test it?â His voice was back to the rough almost growl that moved through her like a wave. She nodded mutely, suddenly unable to speak.
His eyes cut up to hers and back to her lips before gently meeting them, soft and tentative, taking some time to memorize the shape of them before deepening the kiss, becoming more insistent. She melted into the kiss something in her mind or maybe her soul snapping into place. His arms tightened around her until heâd pulled her against him, one hand winding into her hair, the other wrapping around her waist.
Too soon, he pulled away just enough to take a breath, though it came in pants, his nose brushing hers with each breath. âI think the akuma was onto something,â he murmured, his voice a breath of fresh air.
âDonât let Zoe hear you say that.â
Marinette eeped and jerked back, causing her head to slam into the cabinets behind her. Jason pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her protectively. He shot a dark glare at Adrien for a second then focused on checking her head. He eased her head to rest against his chest as he gently prodded the area sheâd hit.
âSorry,â Adrien chuckled, far too smug to be fazed by Jasonâs glare in any way. âWas just checking on the bowls and cookies. Iâll just grab them and head back in. You two take your time but maybe donât act all soulmatey in front of Zoe.â
âI wouldnât do that,â Marinette glowered then whimpered when Jason touched a particularly sensitive spot, immediately followed by a breathy hum when he gently ran his hand through her hair and down her back on his way to settling it back on the counter next to her.
âNormally,â Adrien agreed, âbut youâve been a bit,â he glanced toward Jason pointedly, meeting Jasonâs eyes long enough to waggle his eyebrows at him, âdistracted lately.â
Jason raised an eyebrow and turned to Marinette pointing to himself with a smug smile. âI was the distraction?â
âDonât get cocky,â she narrowed her eyes at Jason, then turned her eyes to glare at Adrien. âYou can leave now,â she hissed.
He saluted with his free hand accidentally knocking himself in the head with the plate of cookies. He pouted at the plate like it had betrayed him and left, but not before mouthing âI knew itâ, only laughing when Marinette hardened her glare.
âItâs hard not to get a bit cocky,â Jason murmured, his voice coming out low and gravelly.
She rolled her eyes and turned her face away. âFor you, Iâm sure it is.â
His grin widened. âIâm apparently a distraction for the coolest, hottest, bravest person I know.â He moved his hand again, running his hand along her back, gliding up her neck, slowly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, then tracing her jaw to gently urge it back to him. âI have magical powers saying Iâm her soulmate.â He ghosted his nose along the bridge of her nose down to the tip. âI canât imagine anything that would make me cockier than that.â
Breathing was suddenly a challenge for Marinette, too thin and light to fill her lungs. It was so easy to fall into his words, into the feeling being near him gave her, the warm, fluttery feeling that overcame her without her consent. But a lingering question refused to let her submerge in the sensation. âWonder Woman saying it?â she hedged.
Jason dropped his head against hers and after a beat, let out a deep sigh and pulled back to meet her eyes with earnest, uncertain eyes. âNot even her. I wonât lie, Iâd fangirl hard, but, no.â His eyes traced her face again, reviewing every curve, every muscle movement, every freckle, before meeting her gaze again. His thumb gently stroked her jaw. âI meant what I said. Nothing and nobody. Wonder Woman is cool but you are incandescent.â
The little air sheâd managed to breathe in escaped in a rush. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. When she opened her eyes again, they shone with possibility. âIncandescent, huh?â
Jason broke into a brilliant smile. âAnd fated,â he nodded.
âI think it may be,â she agreed, her smile matching his as she pulled him into another kiss.
Not fanart for a specific fic this time but I wanted to draw cute Jasonette for the end of July!! <3 Thank you so so much to @rierse who suggested this cute nickname for Jay :D
âShe's doing it on purpose,â Jason declared, narrowing his eyes at Marinette from across the Kent house into the Kentâs kitchen. He watched her intently, suspiciously, eyes following each lap of her tongue as she languidly licked a dollop of brownie batter off her thumb moaning in appreciation once the batter hit her tongue. A pained sound squeezed out of his body when she followed it up by sucking her thumb into her mouth, her eyes closing in enjoyment.
âShe's not doing it on purpose,â Tim answered without bothering to look up from his phone.
âWho's doing what on purpose?â Adrien asked. He tried to rise up high enough to peek over Jasonâs shoulder to follow his line of sight into the kitchen.
âMarinette,â Kon snickered. His eyes flicked from the Royals game to Adrien just long enough to shoot him a smirk.
âAh,â Adrien nodded sagely. Â âShe's definitely doing it on purpose.â
âSee!â Jason exclaimed. He gestured inelegantly to his savior from the morass of doubts in which the others were miring him.
âAbsolutelyâ Adrien agreed and took a long drink of his lemonade looking around the room mildly. âAnd what's she doing on purpose?â
Jason glared at him. Â Heroes fall so fast.
âHe thinks she's baiting him,â Tim explained, still not looking up from his phone. Â âTrying to mess with him.â
Adrien snorted at the comment. âOh yeah.  Without a doubt,â he acquiesced instantly.
âYes!â Jason exclaimed. He pointed at Adrien again and clapped him on the shoulder.  His brother in arms.
âRight,â Adrien conceded. He looked up at Jason with only a small glint in his eyes. âHow's she doing that exactly?â
The hand that had been on his shoulder in comradery now shoved him away. The deepest cuts are always from the ones you trust the most. Jason decidedly ignored Timâs snort. âCan you not hear the noises sheâs making?â he beseeched.
Kon shrugged, giving Jason his attention during a commercial break. âI mean⊠Iâve heard her make a lot of noises. These all seem like pretty average noises.â
Jasonâs head whipped toward him eyes narrowed. âWhat noises have you heard her make?â he demanded.
The change in his tone was so sharp and the hostility so cold, Konâs eyes widened in surprise⊠and a little bit of fear that he would never admit to. âI⊠noises. Just⊠like normal⊠noises. You know⊠not sexual noises! JustâŠâ his eyes darted to Tim and Adrien desperately, both deftly avoiding his eyes, ââŠnoises you would hear a friend make,â he finished uncertainly.
âSmooth,â Tim chuckled so quietly only Kon could her him.
Jason continued to watch him for a few more seconds, eyes still narrowed but finally gave a small nod and turned his attention back to Marinette. âThose are not friendly noises,â he huffed. âSheâs making those noises and dressing that way to get my attention. I mean, look at that!â he exclaimed and motioned toward her.
Adrien squinted and quirked his head to the side to get a new angle for her clothes, then quirked his head to the other side to try a different perspective. Â âYou mean her slutty, slutty apron?â he asked, not bothering to hide his humor.
âShe is not slutty!â Jason hissed lowly, turning his glare onto Adrien.
âNo.  Right. Of course not,â Adrien backed down instantly, hands raised in supplication.  âJust her apron is.â
Jason slowly turned his attention back to Marinette leaning on the passageway again and taking a long drink. âRight,â he nodded.
âThe one she borrowed from Pa Kent?â Adrien pointed out hesitantly.
Jason spared a glance at him to shoot him an annoyed glare but instantly returned to Marinette like he was afraid of missing anything. âLicking her fingers like that,â he grumbled and took another drink, this time much more aggressively. He narrowed his eyes as he watched her slowly lick the spoon she was holding and hummed in enjoyment. âIâm going to go talk to her,â he growled.
Tim looked up from his phone, finally finding something worth acknowledging the world around him. âYes, you should do that,â he pointed at Jason and nodded enthusiastically.
âAbsolutely,â Adrien agreed. He took Jasonâs glass from him with a thumbs up.
âThis is going to be catastrophic,â Kon grinned. He disappeared for a fraction of a second then reappeared. âChips?â He held out a bowl of chips that looked suspiciously like the one that had been on the picnic table outside moments before.
âOooh, yes please,â Adrien chirped. He grabbed a handful of chips, plopped onto the couch between the two, and kicked his feet up to enjoy the show.
âThree sentences,â Kon stated and popped a few chips in his mouth.
Tim scoffed and grabbed a few chips as well. âAww, look at you, so optimistic. Iâm betting three words.â
âTwo,â Adrien gargled through a mouthful of chips.
Jason stalked into the dining room with determined, harsh steps that instantly faltered once he crossed into the kitchen, which just so happened to coincide with Marinette dropping the spoon she had been holding, which wouldnât have been an issue except when she reached down to pick it up, she turned away from him and bent over at the waist, ensuring that he had a perfect view of her glorious derriere in her blood red capris, so tight, they looked like they were painted on.
âOh Jason! Hi,â Marinette purred before he even reached her, which was probably for the best as he had frozen in place the second she bent down. She popped up-right with a brilliant smile. âSomething sweet I can make for you?â she asked sweetly, her wide, innocent eyes blinking at him. Her eyes only left his for a moment to thank Ma Kent for taking the bowl from her, ignoring her tut before washing it.
âYou,â he choked.
âOf course!â she chirped. âWell, me and Ma Kent,â she corrected quickly. âSheâs teaching me so much about American baking and candy making. Weâre thinking of making Pixies next!â
Her eyes lit up at her comment, shining with such excitement and passion, Jason got lost for a second. He was only knocked out of it when her tongue poked out to lick her lips, slowly, leisurely. His eyes traced the movement. âPixies?â he finally rasped out.
She hummed in confirmation. âIâd never heard them called that, but theyâre pecans and caramel covered in chocolate. We should have the first batch out in about half an hour, all sweet and gooey. Maybe you can be a taste tester.â She took a slow step forward, wide eyes never leaving his. âWhat do you say? Do you want to taste a Pixie?â
Jason made a noise that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a deflating balloon. He opened his mouth then closed it again only to open it again the moment it was closed. Finally, he made a rough noise then huffed away, spinning and disappearing in an instant.
âDo you want candy?â She called after him. âShould I save you one then?â She watched him for a few seconds then turned back to Ma with a wicked grin.
Ma shook her head as she dried the bowl. âAre you ever going to give that boy a break?â she asked.
âNope,â Marinette crowed and popped a freshly roasted pecan in her mouth.
âGood girl,â Ma nodded knowingly and patted Marinette on the arm. âThatâs how I got Pa all those years ago,â she winked at Pa through the window, grinning smugly at the blush it caused, distracting him enough he nearly burned himself on the grill, and would have if Clark hadnât redirected his hand. âStill do, actually. Keeps the spice going in the bedroom.â
Marinette froze but snorted when Kon groaned loud enough for the entire house to hear. âI did not need to hear that.â
âServes you right, young man,â Ma chastised pointing her large wooden spoon at him. âNext time donât listen in on conversations youâre not a part of.â
âGood job, Big Brother,â Tim grumbled quiet enough Ma wouldnât be able to hear him.
âThatâs going to be a significant blow to missions,â Adrien hummed. He stood up and started toward the backyard to join the others and return the chips.
âI want a Pixie,â Kon grumbled, halting Adrien in his exodus. âDo you think sheâll let us have some too?â Tim and Adrien stared at him, mouths hanging open slightly. âWhat?â he asked once he looked over at them, brow scrunched in confusion until the realization hit him. âNo! Not li⊠Not like that. Like⊠candy. I like candy. I want candy,â he stuttered out.
When they still hadnât changed their expressions or shut their mouths, he scrunched his and crossed his arms over his chest. âShut up. And give me my money.â
âWhat?â Tim scoffed. âHe only said 3 words. I won.â
Kon shook his head, mouth dropped in affront. âIt was three sentences,â Kon insisted.
âA single word doesnât constitute a sentence,â Tim corrected. Â âIt was three words.â
âThat last noise doesnât count as a word,â Adrien cut in. âIt was two words. I win.â
Tim opened his mouth to argue but Kon held out his arm to silence them. âOh, hold up,â he announced with a devious grin, âheâs going back in for more.â
âOh brilliant,â Adrien grinned and plopped back into the chair. âFour words this time. All when he first gets there, nothing but sounds after that. Random sounds donât count.â
âThree words,â Tim threw in and grabbed some chips, leaning forward in his seat to get a better vantage point.
âMarinette, I want toâŠâ
âOh, Jason, youâre back! Did you want my candy?â she asked innocently. The sound Jason made could be heard from the couch even without super hearing, though if Clarkâs bark of laughter was anything to go by, super hearing definitely helped.
âWho needs fireworks,â Kon agreed. He gave Jason a thumbs up that went unnoticed as he rushed out of the house again. âThis is so much better.â
When the old, battered car had pulled out in front of his motorcycle, a bit too closely he might add, heâd written it off as just another indifferent, oblivious Gotham driver who would pull off at any of the dozens of streets between there and the desolate lane leading to Wayne Manor they were currently on. And the fact that the driver, likely a woman judging by the long, styled hair, must be a date meeting Bruce at the manor. But, it was far too late in the day, almost night, for the visit to be innocent.
None of that was unusual in the life of Brucie Wayne. It was one of the MANY reasons Jason frequently avoided the manor. However, this was not the car of a woman who Brucie Wayne would date. In fact, it was a rental. The kinds of women Brucie Wayne dated didnât rent cars. And if they did, the rental price was almost as much as what this car must have cost new.
It was all extremely curious.
And definitely not a situation in which he wanted to get involved. Not his jabberwocky, not his wonderland. He revved his engine to pass her when her car suddenly pulled off to the side of the road well away from the Manor. The Manor wasnât even visible from this distance.
Curiouser.
After a moment, a woman, he silently congratulated himself on calling that, with long dark hair emerged from the driverâs side door. Her long, white skirt flared out as a gust of wind hit, striking a stark contrast against the darkening night as if the night wanted to focus all attention on her.
He almost just drove by her. If she was coming to see Brucie Wayne, it would be a shame to deprive him of the opportunity to swoop in as an overdramatic civilian hero and amaze her with his magnanimity.  But as he got closer, he saw her gaze around uncertainly, pulling her cardigan closer around her, her wide eyes darting toward the sky like she was searching for something.
She was in luck though. It wasnât going to rain on her. Gotham hadnât seen a clearer night in years. If she was going to break down, it was actually a pretty good night for it. Amazing setting to be rescued.
When she turned her eyes toward him, somehow meeting his gaze even through his helmet, his mind was made up for him. He pulled to a stop next to her car and took off his helmet to meet her gaze unobstructed. âCar trouble?â
For a few moments the only sound was the crickets surrounding them, singing their final songs before sleep. Her eyes were locked on his and the longer it lasted, the darker the blush on her cheeks became. Finally, after a few seconds, he allowed a raised eyebrow at her, though he suppressed the smirk that wanted to burst through. The movement shook her out of her stupor. âHm? Oh! Oh, no. Iâm here to see the Perseids!â she explained.
Jason blinked at her. Of all the things he had expected, that was not one of them. He looked her up and down, letting his eyes linger slightly. She didnât look like she was dressed to search for an obscure animal. âAnd the Perseids areâŠâ he prompted.
âAt peak tonight!â she exclaimed excitedly. Any shyness she may have displayed earlier was completely lost. Her hands started moving rapidly, seemingly not even in time with her words and her body was shimmying about. âAnd itâs a new moon. And itâs completely clear skies. Who knows when conditions like this will appear again! And you canât see them in the city. Thereâs too many lights. My friend recommended I try here.â She motioned toward the field and started examining the area like she was creating a plan of attack. âTheyâre supposed to be really inspiring andâŠâ she let out a breath before turning back and meeting his gaze again, â⊠I could use some inspiration right now.â
He nodded with a hum at her observation. Now that she mentioned it, he had heard something about that. The Watchtower was packed with people, and aliens, who wanted to see them closer.  Unfortunately for her, she was confined to the Earth. And he had to agree, the field was a much better spot to see the sky than anything in Gotham, though still not ideal. âI hope you find it inspiring then.â
He looked around dubitably. Hopefully thatâs all she found out there. âKind of isolated out here though.â
She raised an eyebrow at his observation and, hearing it out loud, he could see how that could be taken wrong. He raised his hands in supplication. âIâm a Gothamite. Iâm always suspicious.  Just be careful. If something happens, thereâs a house that way.â He motioned vaguely up the road. âThereâs a gate, but if you buzz. Theyâll let you in.â
She scoffed. âIf something happens, Iâm getting back in my car and running over the something.â
Jason barked out a laugh. She was full of surprises. Beautiful, sweet, a bit violent, funnyâŠÂ He shook his head and put his helmet back on but kept his visor up so he could maintain their eye contact as long as possible. âHave fun. Maybe if I get done before you leave, Iâll run into you again.â
She nodded, a small smile back on her lips, like it belonged there, and Jason decided he quite liked seeing it there. Though her excited smile from earlier seemed to fit her better. âThank you. I think Iâd like that.â
Luckily, his visor hid the goofy grin her statement caused, though he suspected she could tell judging by the way her smile widened. He pushed down his visor and started his bike. âGood luck.â He couldnât be positive, but he thought she might have snorted at that. When he glanced back at her before taking off again, it was a different smile on her lips, an impish and teasing, despite having nobody to tease. He shook his head and pulled away.
Curiouser and curiouser.
><><><><><><><><Â
This was the worst night of Jasonâs life.
Not only was this research completely fruitless, with every dead-end he hit, Jasonâs mind reminded him that he could be out watching the stars with a smoking hot chick. Instead, he was at the batcomputer, cursing so many things; his luck, the Riddler for having apparently learned to cover his tracks and not leave evidence, for once, and the stupid name for the batcomputer.
Dick had been given too much naming power when he started and Bruce needed to grow a spine with his kids and say no occasionally⊠to someone other than just him.
He let out a frustrated breath. Maybe sheâd still be there if he left nowâŠ
His daydream, if you could call it that at night, was interrupted before he could fantasize what he could do with the woman, whoâs name he was also cursing himself for not getting. He shot up in his chair at a flash of white on the cave exit cameras.
None of the animals around the area were white. There should be nothing white around the batcave entrance. He brought up the internal cave cameras and started panning back and forth, his mouth going dry at the sight.
As if his thoughts somehow manifested her, the woman from earlier was there. Standing in the batcave looking just as gorgeous as she had along the road, but now soaked, sans cardigan and even from his distance, he could see her shivers, despite her arms being wrapped around her chest like it could stave off the cold in lieu of her cardigan. Her previously flowy skirt hung heavy and clung to her legs, moving awkwardly with each tentative step.
He stared at her as she slowly made her way further into the cave with tentative, unsure movements, trying to figure out how she had found the entrance, before she got far enough to turn the final bend in the road and he would no longer be hidden.
The entrance was expertly hidden. Someone would have to look very intently for a long time to find it, or had been following them when they returned from patrol. And that was so unlikely, it was laughable.  Maybe if she was in the League or a competent rogue, who had enough history with them to have had searched in the past, he could believe she found it, but that was almost as laughable as someone following them back. That woman didnât look remotely threatening, or even look like she was pretending not to be threatening, a ruse he was a bit too familiar with women pulling on them, sometimes successfully, thanks to Dick.
But she was either the worldâs greatest actress or she really was just that lucky to have just stumbled onto the entrance, apparently while running from something based on her hesitant movements. But more than that, they were fearful, which may be expected of someone who wandered into a massive cave like this, but the way she kept moving further into the cave seemed like she was moving away from something rather than towards it.
Her movements were steeped in fear. She would take a moment to look around her in wonder, but then the wonder would turn to fear as her eyes darted over her shoulder. Then the pattern would repeat every few seconds. Each time her eyes darted, she would move closer to the sides of the cave wall, like she thought it could hide her, as though her stark white dress didnât announce her presence like a candle in the shadows.
He leaned closer to the monitor to analyze her better, his chair squeaking quietly at the movement, but in the quiet of the cave, or perhaps the paranoia clinging to her, the noise was enough to draw her attention. Her head whipped toward his area of the cave, still not able to see him quite yet.
Her movements slowed even more as she padded toward him until she edged around the bend in the road. As soon as she saw him, her eyes widened comically and her body tensed in shock. âOh shit,â she uttered, no louder than his chair squeak, but loud enough to echo through the cave.
She started to back away from him but whirled around when a noise sounded behind her. Whatever fear or shock sheâd felt upon seeing him appeared to have been forgotten, which was, frankly, a bit insulting. He may not have been wearing his full Red Hood regalia, such as his helmet, but he was still in his suit and domino mask, or at least his shirt and domino mask, and he had never needed the helmet to intimidate.
He moved swiftly, crossing the considerable distance in a few nearly silent moves, though apparently, not silent enough because she whipped around as he landed a few feet away from her.  She jerked back at seeing him, her eyes darted between him and where he had been moments before. She pointed toward the old spot, opened her mouth and closed it a few times.Â
Before she could formulate a question, another noise, like a rock falling sounded throughout the cave and she snapped her head toward the entrance again. She shrank away from the cave entrance, inadvertently moving closer to him, her breath coming in short pants.
He looked past her searching the dark for any indications of intruders, but he saw none, just the regular cave noises. He hummed not loudly, but apparently just loud enough to drag her attention back to him. She whipped back toward him, close enough to her now her face almost met his chest. She batted him away. âStop doing that!â she huffed.
She let out a frustrated breath and pushed her sopping wet bangs out of her face. This close, he could see not just the shivers sheâd somewhat managed to contain, but also the goosebumps along her arms. Her eyes drifted for just a second past him to where he was before then snapped back to him.  âAre you a Super? You moved really fast.â
He scoffed loudly but before he could make fun of her for such an insulting insinuation, her eyes settled on something behind him. âIs that the Batmobile? Wait, are you Batman?â
His face scrunched with disgust at the suggestion. He thought the âsuperâ comment was insulting. This was character assassination. âGod no!â
She apparently considered this to be the wrong answer as she took a step back when he said it, but she clearly just didnât realize that ânoâ was a significantly better answer than âyesâ would have been because first, Batman would be a lot angrier about a stranger being in the batcave. And second, if he was Batman, she would be dealing with Bruce and that was a torture nobody deserved. âWh⊠who are you then?â she stuttered out.
âLucky for you, not Batman,â he scoffed.
âYou said that already,â she replied with a forced calmness that wasnât remotely convincing, even less so when she took another step back.
There was the intimidation heâd been looking for, but it felt wrong. The fear in her eyes didnât belong there. He sighed and straightened up.  He didnât like it there, but he would use it, because there were still pressing questions he needed to have answered. âRed Hood,â he answered curtly. He stepped closer, looming over her without having to try.  âYour turn,â he growled. âWho are you and what are you doing here?â
âWell, Iâm not here on purpose,â she snapped, fear instantly disappearing as she straightened up as well, though it barely made a difference. Â âI donât even know where I am,â
âWhy did you come here?â he repeated.
The defiant fire in her eyes instantly doused at a loud sound near the entrance again. She whipped her head toward the sound, her entire body language shifting from impudent to fearful. Her shoulders curled in on themselves and her head lowered. Her breath came harder even as she wrapped her arms around herself in an ineffectual attempt at self-soothing. But he noticed she didnât do it in a manipulative way, a way that pushed her chest up, which was definitely something the women he knew would do when trying to distract or garner sympathy. It wasnât absolute evidence of her innocence, but it certainly lent credence to it.
Jason cleared his throat quietly to get her out of her head, effectively, as it turned out. She continued facing the entrance but her eyes darted over to him in acknowledgement. âA sweet guy I ran into earlier said if I had any issues I should head this direction for a house.â Jason barely stopped himself from raising a shocked eyebrow and blushing at the description, because all kinds of adjectives had been used to describe him, but nobody described him as âsweetâ. âI didnât see a house,â she continued oblivious to his reaction, âbut I found a waterfall. I was just going to hide behind it but then found whatever this is.â
An involuntary shiver wracked her body and her breath caught for just a second before she continued again as though nothing happened, her arms wrapping tighter around herself the only evidence it had. âI was just trying to find a different exit that would lead me away from him.  Oh!â she perked up suddenly, her eyes snapping to him. âIs this your lair? Who knew Red Hood had a lair?â She looked around quickly taking in the area again. She scrunched her nose and bobbed her head to the side. âYeah, this is about as creepy as I expected⊠fewer guns.â
Jasonâs expression dropped. If he wasnât wearing the domino mask, sheâd be able to see the flattest look he could manage. âTheyâre hidden,â he snarked.
She shivered again. âColder than outside, too,â she noted. âHow is it colder than outside?â She looked down as she rubbed her hands over her arms, seemingly just noticing her wet clothes. âOh yeah.â Her brows furrowed as she looked around again. âSo, how do you keep your electronics dry in here?â
He raised an eyebrow. That was really the questions she had? He opened his mouth but closed it and shook his head. He needed to focus. âWhat was the issue?â
She looked back at him and blinked a few times, waiting for the meaning to become clear. âWhat?â she asked when he hadnât elaborated.
âYou said the amazing guy told you to find the house if you had issues and you tried to find the house. So, what was the issue that drove you to try to find the house?â
Her eyes softened and she nodded almost resigned to explaining the situation. âSomeone found me.â She grimaced and faced him again. âDonât tell the cute guy. He warned me it could happen and I laughed at him,â she tried to joke.
 âWho?â he growled.
She shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting toward the entrance then rested on the floor. She let out a breath. âClassmate. Donât know how he found me. I didnât tellâŠâ
She suddenly eeped and jumped behind him at the same time as she pushed him toward the cave entrance. She poked her head around his bicep slowly to eye the entrance. ââŠhim,â she finished shakily. âOh, come on, that was definitely a footstep,â she pouted.
Jason eyed the entrance as well, though he hadnât heard anything suspicious. âAnd why was he after you?â
âBecause he thinks Iâm super cute and canât take no for an answer?â she scoffed, keeping her eyes glued in the direction of the entrance but moving closer to him, her shivers more prominent now, though he wasnât sure if it was from the cold or her fear. Her labored breathes indicated the latter though.
Jason eyed her carefully looking for any indication of lying but only found the beginnings of a panic attack. He narrowed his eyes and pinched her. Not hard, but enough to get her attention.
âOw! What the hell?â she demanded, jumping away from him and slapping his chest.
âYou said you were a super,â he shrugged, a smug smile tugging at his lips at the indignant look on her face indicating his plan worked. âI was testing that.â
Her jaw dropped and she smacked him in the chest again. Definitely not hard, in fact he could probably barely feel it, but enough to make a point. âI said maybe he thought I was super cute!â she huffed throwing her arms out in exasperation.  She narrowed her eyes and stepped closer. âI asked if you were a Super. Do I get to pinch you back?â
Jason raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, causing his massive biceps to puff out. His muscles, which were already pronounced in his suit, became even more prominent. She licked her lips and puckered them as she backed up a step. âNo, right, that would be uncalled for. I see that.â  She motioned toward the batmobile.  âAnd I see that.â She snapped her mouth shut and molded herself against his chest. âAnd I heard that,â she breathed out, her body trembling enough he was surprised she was still standing.
He wrapped his arms around her like a shield and turned so he was between her and the entrance because, yeah, heâd heard that too. That was definitely not a normal cave sound. And the continued shuffling was also not a normal sound, at least not when the cave was supposed to be empty. He moved her back, toward the safety of their equipment, keeping his eyes on the bend in the cave. If anything happened, there would be more places for her to hide there, and heâd be closer to weapons, which he was appallingly lacking having in hand at the moment.
His heart almost stopped when Red Robin stepped out of the shadows. It took half a second longer than he would ever admit to before his heart rate slowed back to normal. âFucking Hell,â he groaned. âWhat is wrong with you?â
Red Robin shot him a flat look then tried to crane his neck to see around him. âMarinette?â
The woman, Marinette apparently, cautiously poked her head around Jasonâs arm to take in the threat. Her face went through a series of expressions, fear, confusion, interest, curiosity, then finally shock. âOh my God!â She worked an arm away from Jason to point at him. âYouâre⊠youâreâŠâ
âHe knows my identity,â Red Robin sighed.
âYouâre Red Robin!â she exclaimed.
He opened his mouth but all that came out was a confused grunt before he closed it. âNot the one I was talking about, but yeah, he knows that one too.â
âDieu, Tim!â she groaned.
âYeah. Thatâs the one I meant,â he nodded then waved weakly. âHi.â
âYou scared the Hell out of me.â She collapsed against Jason, all tension leaving her body.
Jason supported her easily and curled around her like a blanket. He scrunched his face at Tim. âYou two know each other?â
âObviously,â he scoffed.
Marinette pulled away from Jasonâs chest just enough to glare at him without much heat, then dropped her head back into the safety of his embrace. âHeâs the one that told me to watch the shower in the field,â she grumbled against Jasonâs chest
âItâs a good field to watch,â Tim answered, watching her carefully. His eyes darted between them curiously a few times, then toward the cave entrance with a more serious expression. âDidnât realize Derrick would hear and follow.  I chased him off. Heâs probably all the way downtown by now.â
âHowâŠâ Jason started but immediately stopped when Marinette shivered again and nestled further into Jasonâs warm embrace. He removed his jacket and settled it on her shoulders, wrapping his arms back around her as soon as she worked her arms through the sleeves.  Tim watched the movement with a growing smirk and raised eyebrow.Â
âShe works with Bernard,â Tim answered the unfinished question. âSheâs the one I told you that you should meet,â he added smugly.
Marinette turned toward Tim, still within Jasonâs arms. âDoes Bernie know?â
âNo. Neither do you.â He pointed a finger at her with a pointed look.
She blinked, eyes empty. âKnow what?â
âPerfect. This is why I love you. Iâm so⊠lucky to know you.â Marinette froze, her eyes widening in surprise. Tim grinned and ruffled her hair with a familiarity that indicated it was a familiar move, but he pulled his hand away quickly and examined it. âWhy donât we get you some dry clothes? Youâre about Cassâ size. She keeps some clothes here and she wonât mind. Come on, Mari.â He pulled on her shoulder gently until she reluctantly gave way and backed out of Jasonâs warmth.
Tim guided her to a small side room and reappeared after a minute. âThanks for keeping her warm.â His voice was teasing but guarded.
Jason stared at him for a few seconds, eyes darting around his face, taking in every minute movement to gage his thoughts. After a few seconds he scoffed, leaned back, and crossed his arms over his chest. âShe figured out your identity quicker than you figured our Dickie Boyâs.â
Tim bobbled his head and stood up straighter, ready to smack Jason down, verbally of course, Marinette wouldnât appreciate anything else. He looked around before taking him down, but froze when he glanced at the side room and whistled. His eyes darted to Hood entirely too smugly for Jasonâs liking. âGlad to see they fit. Youâre going to give Jason a heart attack.â
âB is going to kick your ass for using names,â Jason growled, but he looked toward the side room with a mix of apprehension and anticipation.
Tim snorted. âYou think she isnât going to figure out who you are after knowing who I am?â
âThereâs a problem with that logic,â Marinette announced as she exited the changing area. The ethereal white clothes that had been loose and flowing earlier in the night were now replaced with an absolutely sinful outfit. Her long-sleeved black sweater clung to her curves over dark pants that were essentially leggings. She carried Jasonâs jacket by a finger over her shoulder.
As much as Jason hated to admit Tim was right about anything, he was right about this. Jasonâs heart had skipped a beat at the sight of her. But it started pounding at the devilish smirk that graced her lips as she faced Tim. âI donât know who you are. So, you were the one to give away civilian names.â
Jason grinned triumphantly. âYeah, Red Robin. She doesnât know who you are.â
Tim rolled his eyes. âFor the love ofâŠâ He sighed so deeply it came out like a groan and he pinched the bridge of his nose. âDonât encourage him. Absolutely not allowed. Youâre my friend.â He huffed, but the twitch of his lips belied his angry act. âYou going go back and to try to watch the shower again?â
Marinetteâs smirk instantly fell and she shook her head vigorously. âNo. I, um⊠I donât think I am.â
Timâs forehead furrowed for a second then cleared into sympathy. âAre you sure? I know you were excited for the inspiration.â
âNo, I donât think⊠I think Iâd rather not go back there,â she answered quietly.
âNot a great place anyway,â Jason piped up. âTerrible advice. Still too close to the city. Now Baker Field⊠I can take you there, if youâd like. Itâs further away so less light pollution.â
Marinette looked at him in surprise for just a moment then looked over to Tim who shrugged but his slight smile conveyed his satisfaction with the request. Marinette looked back to Jason for a few seconds, her eyes searching his like she was looking for something in them. Her brows furrowed and her lips quirked to the side as she watched him. After a few long moments, Jason reached up and removed his domino mask, tossing it over to Tim before gazing warmly back at her. She gasped and pointed at him. âYouâre the hot guy from the road!â
âOh God,â Tim groaned.
Jasonâs smile beamed. âCan I tell you how much I love the adjectives you use for me?â
âNo, no you cannot,â Tim Interjected. He pointed between them. âEw. I want you both happy, but I donât want to hear about or witness it.â
But Marinetteâs lips split into a brilliant smile. âYeah. I think Iâd like seeing the stars with you.â Jasonâs resulting grin matched hers.
He stepped past her slowly, turning as he moved so he could keep his eyes on her until he reached the changing room. He was gone just for a second, not even long enough for Tim to tease her, before reemerging with a new jacket and two helmets. He shoved them at Tim as he passed and stopped in front of Marinette slowly taking his jacket from her finger and holding it out for her to put on. You should keep the jacket⊠for the ride,â he added, taking the helmets from Tim without looking at him and handed one to Marinette.
He held his hand out for her to climb onto the motorcycle, when she placed her hand in his, he cradled it with deliberate care while she got on. As soon as she was comfortably on, he slid on in front of her and slid his helmet on.
âFor the ride,â Tim scoffed quietly. He shook his head as he watched them peel away. âYouâre welcome,â he called after them. âIâll take care of your car. Because Iâm a good friend. And would never just leave without saying goodbye.
 âThis is either the best or worst idea of my life.â He huffed as soon as they were around the bend and out of sight. âBoth. Definitely both.â
The lighting was perfect. The thunderstorm had just passed the park, some parts of the city were still getting inundated so heavily, a distinctive rain line marked the boundary between dry and drenched. The voluminously ominous clouds rose up into the sky like ethereal mountains towering even higher than Gothamâs sinister skyscrapers as if to make a point to the man-made monstrosities.
Everything about the sight was inspiring. The colors. The contrast. The shapes. The way sunlight broke around the clouds setting the cloud edges on fire like the light was burning away the darkness, the fear, the negativity that permeated Gotham.
Marinette couldnât keep up with her ideas. Her pencils were moving at the speed of light, or as close as she could manage. After only twenty minutes, her notebook was already half filled with ideas she could fully develop later, when her mind was capable of focusing on only one thing. Until then, she just needed to get the feel of the ideas out.
Unfortunately, the current design she was working on was not coming out right and she was rapidly losing her light. The energy wasnât coming across right and no matter what she did, she couldnât quite capture it. Every attempt seemed to get further off the mark. She shook her head with a huff and ripped the page out, barely crumpling it into a roughly ball shaped object before tossing it to the side.
Just one more sketch and she would collect the crumpled pages around her and leave; she lied to herself. Her pencil just met the paper when she was knocked to the side, her senses filled with lukewarm wetness and panting. She shot back up in her seat and looked around finally blinking in surprise at the precious but powerful intrusion.
Luckily, the dog seemed to have no issue with her movement. In fact, she seemed excited about it, like she thought it meant Marinette was going to play with her. Marinette chuckled when the dog dropped the discarded sketch in her lap. âDid you want to play fetch, girl?â she cooed at the dog that may actually outweigh her. âDo you not have a ball?â
The dog quirked her head to the side, short ears flopping over, as if she could understand what Marinette had said, let out a quick yip, and ran toward a man just approaching on the park path. She jumped up and down around the man who patted her head until she calmed down enough to walk calmly with him until he paused in a patch of light that escaped through the clouds.
He didnât seem to notice anything around him, his eyes, bright yet wistful, as he watched the beam of light in the sky.  The light hit his face so perfectly, like it was drawn in by his aura, like it wanted to burn away his shadows too. The pencil started moving before she consciously moved it, moving with a speed rivaling a speedster. She had just finished the last touch of shading when the pad was knocked from her hands by an adorable slobber monster who then proudly turned toward the man expectantly.
âYou know, you're supposed to have your dog on a leash. Â They get really upset about it here,â she called out when the dog nudged her hand when she had the temerity to pick up her sketch pad, though the amusement in her tone made it clear she wasnât upset.
He looked around like he just noticed the dog at his side and let out a long sigh. Â âShe's not my dog. Â She just follows me around and I sometime feed her... and she comes when I call...â he dropped his head and groaned. Â âDamn it, she's my dog, isn't sheâ
Marinette giggled and offered a warm, sympathetic smile. âSounds like it.  Did you say you gave her a name?â
âNo,â he said significantly more firmly and with a bit more pride than the situation warranted.
She quirked her head to the side as her mind tried to work through his statement. âBut you said she comes when you call,â she noted slowly. âSo, what do you call her then? And if she comes when you use it, doesnât that make it her name?â
He opened his mouth to fight the logic because, no, he hadnât given her a name, he wasnât that invested in Dog. He didnât have a dog. But as soon as the thought struck, so did the realization and his shoulders dropped. âYes,â he acknowledged finally.
âSo, what did you name her?â She was grinning at him like it was a personal victory, a teasing twinkle in her eyes that made it clear she was laughing with him, not at him.
He sighed heavily like it was crushing part of his soul to answer. Â âDog.â
Marinette waited for him to continue but when he didn't, she blinked owlishly a few times then bobbed her head down like she was encouraging him to continue.  When he still didnât, she let out a choked sound. âDog?  Just âDogâ?  Not even like âGood Dogâ or âSweet Dogâ? Just âDogâ?â
He dropped his head and sighed again, even heavier this time, but looked up to give her a contrite look. âLook, I'm not good with names, okay.â Her affront on behalf of Dog was absolutely adorable and her laugh, light and bright, lightened something in his chest.  It was hard looking away from her and impossible not to smile with her.  âWant to help me come up with a better one?â
Her eyes widened at the invitation, but the surprise quickly melted into a shy smile. âThat's a big commitment.  I didn't realize we were that serious already.â
He shrugged, his lips curved into a roguish smile.  âYou're right. You donât know her well.  You should really know her better before you make a suggestion.  How would you like to grab an early dinner with me⊠us?  You know, to spend time with her and get to know her better?â
Despite claiming Dog wasnât his dog, she appeared to be a trained wingdog, playing into the act with gusto. She teetered back and forth between her hind and front legs, ears perked up tall, tail wagging faster than a helicopter rotor. Marinette couldnât stop the chuckle that bubbled up in her chest at Dogâs apparent excitement, then bit her lower lip and looked up at him through her lashes with an excited, open expression. âI'd love to,â she agreed.  âFor her,â she added with a smirk nodding to Dog.
His resulting grin was brilliant, but he quickly schooled his expression. âRight, of course, for her,â he nodded in mock solemnity. âShe loves a place around the corner.  How does that sound?â
âPromising,â she answered with a smile beaming so bright he felt something long-dormant inside him come to life.
âIâm beginning to take this personally,â Chat groaned peeling himself off the wall that had just interrupted his extemporaneous flight which had taken him through several rooms before making a cartoon like impact against the wall.
âIt does seem to be rather uneven,â Red Robin grunted in agreement. He held his hand out for Chat, still holding his aching ribs from the impact of the energy blast moments before that had blown him off his feet and into Nightwing, both hitting a wall with two resounding thuds, taking both of them out for a short period with likely concussions.
Ladybug cringed and dusted Chat off. âIt really does,â she nodded. She looked over Chat carefully, letting her eyes linger on any areas that appeared to be more scuffed than the others. Her eyes finally met his with a question he answered with a small nod and smile. She nodded back before scanning the area around them for any signs of Klarion or evidence he had used the miraculous heâd stolen.
Not that he had given them many signs before attacking previously. He was proving to be more problematic than they had anticipated, especially considering the Miraculous teamâs experience with illusion, but it was taking them time to adjust to the familiar tactic being used against them.
Klarion, however, did not appear to need the same adjustment period.
The Miraculous team was supposed to be a curveball, a secret weapon for the Bats, something to knock him off balance. Far from disorienting him, it seemed like he had anticipated their presence, thrived on it, especially where Ladybug was concerned. It was more like it was a game for him, distracting the Bats and Miraculous team, all in an attempt to gain Ladybugâs attention.
Never touching her or letting her get injured⊠just those around her. In fact, heâd protected her from rubble and redirected weapons a few times, directly at her teammates, like a serial killer leaving presents for his obsession. She shuddered involuntarily and leaned into Chatâs side, letting him wrap an arm around her.
âThis must be your wet dream,â Red Hood grunted examining the fresh tears in his jacket. He easily pushed three fingers through one and wiggled them with an annoyed sigh. He had liked this jacket, but this was a bit too substantial of a hole to easily fix up.  âGoing up against Chaos. This is like your dream opponent. You certainly seem to be his.â
âNot exactly,â she hummed. She cocked her head to the side and watched his fingers calculatingly.
âAlthough an opponent who doesnât want to harm one of us is pretty novel in our experience,â Carapace noted lightly. He turned toward her with a suddenly serious expression, his goggles askew on his face from his own previous run in. âNext time can it be me they donât want to hurt?â He moved easily and with a grin when she pushed him away by his face.
âAny insights that might help us here, Princess? Youâre made to oppose him, right? Youâre literally created,â Hood let out a small chuckle, âto fight him. Heâs your perfect opposite.â
âExcuse you!â Chat interjected his voice laced with affront, though which part of the statement he objected to, or all of it, was unclear.
Nightwing sighed heavily and stepped between them, but it was Ladybug that spoke. âLetâs focus on our little thief, please, before he figures out how to use the miraculous he stole and becomes a problem. Also, you,â she pointed to Hood, âdonât get to call me Princess.â
Chat nodded in support and pulled her back into his side. Carapace stepped up to Ladybugâs other side and gently prodded the back of his head with a grimace. âIâd say heâs already leveled up to Problem level.â
She shot him a flat look. âBefore he hits Real Problem level then.â
âAgreed,â Nightwing nodded toward her. âWe need a new plan. Clearly, the old one is not working.â
âWhatever plan we make, I vote we let Ladybug take the lead,â Carapace smirked and resettled his goggles over his eyes and adjusted his slightly singed hood.
Ladybug snorted and shook her head. âHarsh, but fair,â Chat nodded sagely. âTake some of the focus off of us.â
âOr maybe you should just get better, develop some skills instead of throwing your teammate out there to take the brunt of the damage,â Hood growled. He stepped up to Carapace, toe to toe, chest to nose as Hood glowered down at him in a move that had proven to make hardened criminals shiver. Carapace, while not a criminal, shivered and backed away. Red Robin, however, only raised an amused eyebrow.
âBack off, Hood,â Ladybug snapped. âHis skills are not in question. My team is solid, skilled, and strategic. Itâs a good plan,â she continued. Her fire only slightly lessened from Chat squeezing her shoulder. âI can keep his focus whileâŠâ
Her plan was cut short a fireball cut through the group, headed directly toward Chat. Red Robin dove toward him, shoving him to the ground milliseconds before the ball reached the space he had just stood. Chat stared at the charred remains of the impact site. âWhat theâŠâ
âHell was that?â Ladybug finished for him, attempting to crawl out from under Hood with a dark glare that froze when a high-pitched cackle echoed through the room. She immediately snapped her head away, eyes scanning the room for the source of the sound. Getting up suddenly skyrocketed in priority, made more difficult by what she swore was Hood tightening his grip on her. She turned her glare back toward him but turned away again almost immediately as an eerie voice floated into the room.
âWell, isnât this just so cozy.â
Chat, Nightwing, and Carapace sprung up, closing ranks around Ladybug, who attempted to get up with them, but was again met with resistance. She shoved Hood again, using considerably more force than she had anticipated needing to get him to let go. He only rolled back a bit rather than shooting across the roomâs distance like she was accustomed to opponents doing when she used that much force, much to her annoyance.
She opened her mouth to chastise him for acting like she was a damsel in distress, the weakest member of the team, needing to be coddled. Like she was a weakness to them. But the objection died on her lips when Klarion himself finally made an appearance, strolling through one of the doorways, his familiar winding his way around his legs, and an energy ball casually tossed from hand to hand.
âI almost hate to interrupt such a heartwarming scene.â He sneered the word like he was witnessing an abomination. Teekl sat down to his left, his blue eyes narrowing in disgusted judgement in the way only cats can. He meowed, somehow managing to make it sound like a condemnation. âYes, Teekl,â Klarion nodded, âalmost.â
âHand back the bracelet,â Nightwing commanded. His hand stretched out toward Klarion who stared at it derisively.
âPut your hand down, moron,â Hood hissed at him.
Klarion hummed and looked around the room as though searching for an answer. âNo. I donât feel like it.â He turned his head to stare at Ladybug, his beady eyes running up and down the length of her, analyzing every millimeter of her, every muscle, every twitch, every strength and weakness. âIâm not done playing yet.â
He walked further into the room, Teekl trailing a step behind. âI so rarely get to play like this. My perfect opposite. My counterpart. My weaker counterpart,â he stressed the word to make sure everyone in the room understood the implication.
âSo strong,â he praised, the condescension in his voice causing it to fall flat. âExcept when it comes to me. Your only weakness, arenât I?â He continued tossing the ball as he cased their expressions, his smile becoming more deranged as he looked from one to the next.  âShe didnât tell you?â
Hood growled and jumped to his feet, moving toward Klarion in the same movement. âI know you like to hear your own voice, but nobody else does. Can we finish this please?â
Klarion wrinkled his nose. âI donât know why you insist on surrounding yourself with such banal simpletons.â He accentuated the final âsâ hard, the only sign he was about to act before he threw the energy ball, straight at Hoodâs chest. âShelter!â Carapace screamed, the barrier appearing just in front of the energy ball. It lit up like a firework as the energy ball collided into it, the energy dissipating into the barrier, enforcing it, strengthening it.
Hood stared at the barrier for a few seconds, his pulse dropping slowly as his eyes traced the barrier, following its edge as it flowed back in a dome enclosing Klarion and his familiar. He nodded toward Carapace but focused his watchful gaze on Klarion.
âDoes this mean I get to kick you off a building now?â Carapace grinned at Hood.
âNo,â he scowled, never looking away from Klarion, âbut ask again and I might do it to you.â He settled his hands on the guns strapped to his thighs, more as a familiar stance than a threat since they had already proven to be less than effective against Klarion or his little ginger shadow.
Chat stepped closer to the barrier. âWhy didnât we do that earlier?â
âCareful,â Nightwing warned him shooting a hand out to pull him back.
âWhatâs he going to do?â Carapace scoffed. âHeâs cornered. Thereâs no escape. The magic is infallible. Nothing can get out through the barrier. Whatâs he going to do, teleport?â
Ladybug let out a breath, her shoulders relaxing almost imperceptibly at his words, yet remained taut, ready for the confrontation Klarionâs eyes promised, beady eyes that had not left hers since the barrier appeared. He cocked his head to the side and smiled.
It was such an eerie thing on his young features, she almost missed his hand lifting to expose the bracelet resting on his palm. His grin widened as he placed it very slowly, very particularly in his vest pocket and patted it. Once safely in his pocket, his hands moved rapidly, creating a portal behind him that he jumped through at the same time as Teekl, as though they had planned it, both disappearing instantly.
Ladybug jerked forward but stopped instantly. âHow confident are we that that thing is real?â she asked hesitantly, having been burned by Klarionâs illusions before.  She walked around the perimeter of the barrier, her eyes narrowed in calculation.Â
âWe arenât,â Nightwing answered his voice heavy with an implied command to stay. âWe likely canât be certain unless we drop the barrier.â
âNo,â Hood answered instantly. âWe arenât dropping our only defense.â
Red Robin cocked his head and quirked his lips. âDoes it look like itâs getting smaller?â
Ladybugâs head whipped toward the portal. âShit!â She moved and disappeared through the portal before any of them could blink.
âSon of a bitch,â Hood growled and jumped after her, having to contort his body to fit through just as it closed.
The four remaining heroes stared at the empty air where a golden light had been just moments before. Chat slowly turned to Carapace. âYou had to open your big mouth,â he chastised. He tried to be stern, but his fatigue showed in his tone.
âHow was I supposed to know he could teleport!â Carapace exclaimed. He motioned haphazardly toward where the portal had been.
âHeâs magic,â Nightwing pointed out flatly, staring at Carapace as though the connection was obvious.
Carapace, however, did not appear to agree with the assessment. âAnd?â he demanded and motioned toward himself. âIâm magic. I canât teleport.â
âBe a lot cooler if you could,â Red Robin grumbled. âAnd a lot more helpful.â
âNot as much as you would think, actually,â Carapace answered leaning in with a serious expression like he was passing on a deep secret.
Chatâs eyes still hadnât strayed from the empty air where Ladybug had disappeared. âYou know, if Hood fit through, we definitely could have, too,â he noted grudgingly. âRena is going to kill us.â
Carapace turned to him, eyes wide. âAnd risk it closing on me as I go? No thank you. I would like to survive to see my kid, thank you very much. So would A⊠Rena. Sheâll be just fine with me not pursuing.â
âHow did they even get through in the first place?â Red Robin asked. He motioned randomly around them. âWas the forcefield not actually there?â
Carapaceâs jaw dropped and he gasped in offense. âOf course it was real. Rena does the illusions. I do the protecting. I was keeping him and all his magic in. I wasnât worried about keeping us out.â
âHuh.â Red Robinâs eyes came into sharp focus. âYou can control that? Like, you canâŠâ
âRight,â Nightwing cut in loudly. He glared at Red Robin, disappointment rolling off him, which only intensified when Red Robin shrugged off the disappointment. âThe important question is, how do we get to them? You know, since you canât teleport and all.â
Carapaceâs eyes shot to Chat quickly and back to Nightwing. âWe do have a way we could possibly teleport,â he acknowledged hesitantly.
Red Robin stared at him, eyes becoming increasingly incredulous, until he couldnât keep it in anymore and snapped. âYou literally just saidâŠâ
âBut it doesnât matter,â Chat cut in sharply. Â âIf we donât know where to go.â
âAnd we donât have that miraculous,â Carapace grumbled just loud enough for the three of them to hear just in case there was some lingering monitor.
âEven if we could manage to arrange it,â Chat continued over Carapace, âwe donât know where to teleport to and thatâs kind of an important part of the teleport process. Unless you know where we should teleport toâŠâ He looked at them expectantly.
Red Robin opened his mouth quickly then closed it slowly. âNo. Maybe there is a way to trace the magic?â He pursed his lips. âYou canât like triangulate her position, or like, she doesnât emit a beacon or something?â
Chat blinked at him. âYou know thatâs not how magic works, right? Itâs important to me that you know thatâs not how magic works.â
âHow would I know thatâs not how magic works? We can find traces of the magic and you always know where Ladybug is,â Red Robin insisted, with more than a little petulance.
âYeah, because our team communicates, in and out of the suits,â Chat explained slowly as though it would be obvious.
âOur team communicates,â Nightwing objected but his voice came out weak like not even he believed what he was saying.
âWe do?â Red Robin asked before he could stop himself. âI mean, yeah, we do,â he added quickly at Nightwingâs glare. The forced smile he delivered it with only served to make it more questionable.
Chat raised an unimpressed eyebrow. âMore than that, we talk. Converse. Chatter. Chat,â he ignored the single chuckle Carapace let out, âwe like each other, so we tell each other things, like where weâre and what weâre going.â
He didnât react when Carapace walked up and leaned on him, his elbow resting on Chatâs shoulder. âWe may not have vehicles, but we have something more important,â Carapace grinned. He placed a hand over his heart and opened his eyes wide in faux innocence. âThe power of friendship.â
Chat sighed heavily and pushed him away with a hand to his face. âYouâve watched far too many kids shows.â He shook his head and looked back at where the portal had been.  âLadybug and Hood are alone facing someone that all of us together had trouble with. Can we focus please?â He settled a serious look at Nightwing and Red Robin. âWe donât have homing beacons, but I assume you do, right? You donât actually talk, so Iâm guessing you track each other instead, so you know where you all are and can back each other up when you get into stupid situations, all so you donât actually have to communicate in any meaningful way.â
Nighwing sucked in a breath and let it out harshly. âNot exactly why we have it, but yes, we do have that feature.â
âAnd we arenât using it becauseâŠ?â Carapace asked.
âRight,â Red Robin perked up. âGive me a second. Weâll track him.â
âAnd weâll get the miraculous,â Chat nodded. He grabbed Carapace and dragged him toward the exit.
><><><><><><><><><Â
The jump had clearly not been necessary. There was no tunnel that had to be forded, no liminal space between the room they had been in and the new rather cave-like location. No, it was like jumping at full velocity through an open doorway⊠and directly into the back of Ladybug, causing both of them to end up sprawled on the cave floor in a tangled pile of limbs.
âWhat is it with you today?â she demanded, shoving him off her with even more force than earlier. âI am not a couch seat you need to jump on before your teammates take it! And quite frankly, this is a lot more touching than Iâm comfortable with from you. Why are you here anyway?â she snarled, her lips curling and eyes narrowed. âWe had talked about me being the one to go after him.â
He looked around cautiously. Deft eyes darting around as he brushed the dirt and dust off his suit. âWe didnât talk about shit. Someone made a dumbass observation and you jumped at trying to get yourself killed. Someone had to stop you from doing something stupid.â He rounded on her, fixing her with a hard stare. âSomething else stupid.â
Her eyes shot to him. âExcuse me!â she snapped.
âNo! Â And lower your voice,â he growled, making no attempt to do the same.
âI've already lowered my standards by working with you,â she hissed. She allowed herself a few moments to glare dramatically at him and pushing into his space, demanding his attention. âYou arenât needed here. You arenât wanted here.â
Hood stopped scanning the room, his eyes lasering in on Ladybug with a dark chuckle. âOh, I may not be wanted here, but Iâm definitely needed.â He took a step forward, closing the distance almost completely to tower over her, not to intimidate her, not really, he knew she didnât intimidate easily, more to demand her attention, force her to listen to him. âThe whole situation looked like you needed someone with actual skills to be here. Jumping through a portal to an unknown but certainly dangerous destination. Definitely a trap. No plan. No exit strategy. No thought. Against, apparently, your only weakness. Stupid.âÂ
âOh, DieuâŠâ she threw her arms out and huffed loud enough the echo could be heard if someone strained their ears enough. âSince when do you listen to the villains? Heâs not my only weakness.â
Hood shook his head letting out his own disappointed huff. He took a steadying breath before continuing, voice quieter and more serious. âI wasnât asking for a catalog of your weak points. But going up against someone who is the embodiment of your primary weakness is stupid.â
She clicked her tongue and stared at him with ill-disguised ire. âI can handle this just fine on my own.â She leaned forward, but then bobbed away, snapping her head toward a movement down a tunnel to the side and stepping closer like a siren song.
He stepped in front of her, closing out anything in her vision but him until her eyes snapped back to him. âAn army unto yourself, huh?â His voice gained back his disdainful edge.
âYes,â she snapped, stepping even closer, proving she wasnât afraid, pushing back against his judgement. But Hood stood his ground, matching her gaze undeterred, letting her anger roll past him, letting her decide the next move. Her gaze faltered and she swallowed thickly. ââŠno,â she corrected after a moment.
He snorted derisively, finally stepping back to investigate a flicker in the distance. âRight.â
Her lips pinched with renewed annoyance and stepped back into his way. âIâm used to working with a team. Iâm used to working with your team, in fact, and we work very well together. Itâs just you that has an issue with me⊠TEAMWORK. An issue with teamwork.â
He only spared her a glance for a moment then turned toward a shadow that seemed to have moved a moment before. âI donât have an issue with teamwork,â he ignored her caustic snort, âjust working with less competent teammates. Like the ones that go off alone against their greatest weakness.â
She spun away toward the opposite side of the cave. âI didnât know there were less competent teammates than you.â She walked deeper into the cave. âAnd heâs not my greatest weakness. Heâs my greatest dangerâŠâ
âThatâs the same thing,â he cut in coldly.
â⊠to society,â she finished with a hiss.  âHe isnât my weakness. Heâs my warning, myâŠâ she threw her head back with a groan. When she looked back at him it was through narrowed eyes and with pursed lips. âI canât think of the word in English, but if I was speaking French, Iâd be able to explain.â
Red Hood motioned for her to continue. âI speak fluent French. Go ahead,â he challenged.
Ladybug opened her mouth then slowly closed it. âNo.â
Red Hood snorted and shook his head. âRight. Well, whatever he is to you, youâre not going to be able to defeat him as long as his cat is wandering free. Itâs where he gets his power. Itâs like you with your cat, his only purpose really.â
âNo, it isnât,â she snapped loudly as though volume could keep him from interrupting. It wouldnât, no matter how loud their fights got, they always continued. âDieu! Do you ever get tired of being wrong? Or is it just a part of your genetic makeup. You canât exist without it. Itâs the opposite of me and Chat, jackass.â She stalked closer to him jabbing her finger at him, her chin set in a defiant line. She opened her mouth, her next insult on the tip of her tongue ready to be whipped out like a pavise, both shield and weapon, when her eyes lit up instead. âItâs the opposite!â She motioned toward Hood as if he was in on the revelation.
âIâm going to need a bit more than melodramatic hand motions if youâre going to pass on the insight you just gleaned,â Hood responded after a few seconds with no response. âNot everyone can see your delirious visions.â
Rather than get riled up as his words normally affected her, she continued on, a smile on her lips, a scheming smile that immediately deflated Hoodâs chest.  âItâs the oppâŠâ
âYeah, you said that already,â he cut in with a heavy sigh. âShockingly, repeating the same thing doesnât help.â
 She took a deep breath and started again but not before shooting him a disappointed look. âMy magic doesnât originate from Chat but his does.â
âYeah, I said that already,â he huffed. He waited for her to elaborate. When she didnât, he motioned for her to continue, considerably less aggressively than before. âAnd that helps us how?â
âBecause my yoyo is a magical vortex that leads to a pocket dimension that blocks magical power and I think we should play to our strengths and his weaknesses,â she smirked.
He narrowed his eyes at her, letting her words work around in his mind until finally the picture became clear. He nodded absently. âAnd your strengths are obstinance, hostility, being the focus of apparently particularly protective crackbrained sociopaths who donât want anyone but them hurting you, cats, and duplicity.â
She huffed loudly, crossing her arms over her chest and popping her hip out. âCharming. And yours are creating a scene, distraction, and pissing people off,â she smirked as she added the last bit louder than necessary for their close proximity.
âYou know, there are two kinds of people in this world, and both think youâre fucking annoying. Youâre like that annoying kid so desperate to be liked they agree to anything. You look pathetic,â he thundered.
Ladybugâs face scrunched in confusion. She met his eyes with a pointed look. She waited until he let out a harsh breath then raised her eyebrow in question. When he gave a barely noticeable nod, she returned it. âAnd you look like you read with your finger,â she snapped with a force fitting a soap opera.
Hood moved so close, her breath left small fans of trace moisture on his chest plate. The slight tensing of his muscles was the only evidence they heard the disruption of rocks down one of the tunnels. âExcuse you. I am extremely literate.â
âYes, Iâm sure you can quote The Cat in the Hat very well,â she scoffed, her eyes darting behind him just momentarily, drawn to movement that had since disappeared and returning to him just as quickly. âJust stay out of my way.â
Hood backed away, arms thrown out like a gift, granting her the room to do with as she pleased, a dare if she thought she could handle it, with him strategically placed close enough to grab her if Klarion or his cat somehow managed to sneak in unnoticed. âIâve been practicing that move for a year and a half!â When he brought his hands back, he settled them explicitly on his guns, drawing as much attention to the movement as he could.
Ladybug raised an eyebrow again, her lips twitching to curl up but remaining successfully neutral as she closed the gap again. âIf youâve been trying to not get in my way, not annoy me, youâve been doing a shit job. Youâd do better to focus on refinement.â
Hood snorted. âI donât know the meaning of the word.â
âThat checks,â she sneered dramatically. âIt seems like you donât know the meaning of a lot of words. Maybe you should work on upgrading from The Cat in the Hat so you can expand your literary skills.â
He chuckled lightly, another dare, fingers releasing and squeezing his guns tight enough his knuckles turned white.. âI read Hugo and Verne for a bit of light reading. IâŠâ before he could continue his list of literary accomplishments, an energy ball stuck his side, flinging him across the cave and into the far wall with a resounding thunk.
âHood!â The cry tore from her. The hit had been anticipated, yet shocking. The sight of him flying through the air then sliding down the cave wall like a ragdoll was more jarring than she cared to admit.
She started toward him but backed into the shadows when he held up a hand and shook his head. âThatâs the best youâve got?â he snorted. His arm shook slightly as he pushed himself back up, betraying his invulnerable act. âIâve gotten hurt worse falling from a hammock.â
âOh, that wasnât to hurt,â Klarionâs voice creeped into the cave, his words echoing softly. âThat was to make a point.â
âWell, maybe that was your problem,â Hood scoffed again. âYou canât use a ball to make a point.â The smug smirk on his lips could be heard even without being able to see it.
The effort hit its mark, the result taking effect immediately. Klarion growled, brow scrunched in irritation, lips curled in a snarl Teekl would have been proud of. âMaybe this will spike some interest.â He punched his palm through the air toward a stalactite, not the largest stalactite in the cave, but still substantial, long, pointed, and quite weighty. It shook for a few seconds then the tip, about the size of a man, broke off and hurtled toward Hood.
He only just managed to dodge the rock by rolling behind a large stalagmite. The stalactite tip smashed into dust against the stalagmite, cracking it all the way through. âNope. Didnât do much. Maybe I can give you a tipâŠâ he grunted through pulling the broken portion of the stalagmite and throwing it toward Klarion.
Klarion watched the rock soar toward him with a show of disinterest, until it reached him and continued through him. When it was a few feet behind him, he flicked his wrist and the rock stopped instantly, hovering above the cave floor for a few moments until he slowly moved his fingers and the rock floated back through him, taking a position in front of him. Klarion examined it with detached interest, the only sound Hoodâs labored breathing and barely heard whisper, âWell, thatâs fucking cheating.â With a twirl of his finger, the rock rotated in the air. He examined for a few seconds then let it drop.
âI donât think I have any interest in your tips.â His eyes flicked up to him and narrowed. He smiled impishly. âBut I have one for you.â He wiggled his fingers and a glowing javelin appeared beside him, the crimson light adding to his malevolent appearance. The javelin flew toward Hood too quickly for him to completely dodge out of the way. He was able to move just enough for it to hit his shoulder instead of his heart, knocking him to the ground, the red glow illuminating the blood dampening his jacket.
âIâll keep that in mind,â he hissed through his teeth gritted to keep from affording Klarion any other proof of the pain heâd caused. âLet me give you a tip anyway.â  He groaned in pain and pushed up to almost standing on shaky legs only flinching slightly when the javelin disappeared. âYou should brush your fucking hair. You look like a skunk fucked a porcupine while a wolverine gave directions.â
Klarion growled and flew down to him. With a flick of his fingers, Hood rose up and floated toward him. The path seemingly designed for maximum pain, he was high enough his feet dragged along the ground but his path shifted toward any and every rock between him and Klarion, ramming his shins, knees, thighs, and sides into as many as possible. By the time he finally stopped, directly in front of Klarion, his pants were ripped open exposing cuts, scrapes, and the beginning of bruises that promised dark, deep coloring to come. âYou smell like it too,â Hood added attempting to be light, but coming across as strained.
âYouâve bored me long enough,â Klarion seethed. He released his hold on Hood watching as he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The change freed his hands to circle them creating a portal behind Hood. âItâs time for you to disappear for a very, very long time.â His smile widened, making his features seem even more gargoyle like. The illumination emitted by the portal accentuated the glee dancing in his eyes.
A surge of electricity erupted from Klarionâs fingers, not enough to kill Hood, that would end the fun, no just enough to hurt, and⊠nothing happened. He stared at Hood, brow scrunching in dumbfounded confusion for a second before trying again, with the same results. He looked down at his hands and gasped when his entire body flickered. âDonât worry too much, Electile Dysfunction is a common issue for young magicians,â Hood snickered breathlessly.
Klarion narrowed his eyes at Hood, his hatred radiating from him almost as visibly as the weapons he had conjured were, and stalked closer until he was a mere step away then raised his foot to Hoodâs chest but froze when he heard a voice floating into the room. âWell isnât this cozy.â He turned his head slowly to the side as Ladybug walked into the light twirling her yoyo casually.
Her gait stuttered at the sight of Hood on the ground, bleeding in front of the flickering portal and Klarionâs foot ready to strike, but in the blink of an eye, sheâd recovered, plastering on a patronizing smile. âI almost hate to interrupt such a heartwarming sceneâŠâ She raised her yoyo to her ear and nodded. âYes, Teekl, almost.â
Her smile sharpened at Klarionâs horrified gasp and Hoodâs amused chuckle. She sauntered closer, prowling like a predator playing with her prey until she was close enough for Klarion to feel the full power of her sneer, âBut you see, Iâm the only one who gets to kick him off things, down things, or through things. I donât appreciate you expanding into my territory.â She quirked her head to the side, eyes narrowing in contempt. âNow, before I kick you though this portal that may or may not last long enough to actually sustain you through the trip, hand over the bracelet, and I will send your cat with you. Otherwise, I leave you stranded wherever that,â she bobbed her head to the side to indicate the desolate landscape beyond the portal, âleads.â
Klarion snarled at her as he lunged but froze just before contact. He stood prone for a few beats, the portal flickering more violently in the background as his power drained, then pulled back his hand, deliberate but reticent. His hand moved slowly toward his pocket, his eyes blazing with a promise of retribution. âYou wonât surâŠâ
Before he could finish the threat, his body was tossed through the portal seconds before it closed. Ladybug stared at the empty space for a few seconds before turning slowly to Hood. âWhat did you do! I had it handled! What the fuck is wrong with you?â
âYou mean today or in general,â he groaned, sounding more resigned than sheâd heard him before, breath coming out in pants and swaying slightly, but eyes steady as steel.
âIâll take the answer to either, but how about we start with what the fuck were you thinking?â she hissed. âWe need that miraculous. Now he has the miraculous and we have his cat. I donât want another cat.â
âOne cat is more than enough, huh?â Hood chuckled then moaned again, clutching his shoulder and bending over as though the weight of his head and shoulders was too much to bear.Â
âHood!â she shrieked. Her eyes blazed, fists finding a home on her hips. She should be consoling him, she knew that. And under any other circumstances, she would be. She would be helping him, caring for him, tending to his wound, helping take the weight off him. Any other circumstances but the victim being Red Hood.
But it was him and she was too angry to be caring at the moment.
Hood had that effect on her, and he knew he had that effect on her. He played it up. She knew he did. He knew he did. He knew she knew he did. And for some reason, she still let him. âUgh!â she threw her hands up then motioned abruptly toward where the portal was. âThings like this are why I didnât want you here!â
Hood finally looked up to send her a glare she could feel through his mask. âI know you think youâre tough, that you can handle everything on your own, but you are 5 foot tall against aâŠâ
âIâm 5 foot 3!â she screeched indignant at the accusation.
He blinked at her and threw his head to the side then rolled it back looking to the ceiling for patience. âJesus. Youâre fucking Thumbalina!â
âI am not fucking anybody!â she yelled. âWaitâŠâ There was no stopping the annoyed sigh that oozed out or the narrowing of her eyes. They were automatic responses to Red Hood. Her body just instantly reacted to him. âYouâre awfully self-righteous considering youâre the one thatâs hurt!â
âBecause I was distracting him for you,â he growled finally straightening up as the frustration coursed through him and overtaking any pain. Instead, the pain focused his anger, gave it more substance. âThat was the plan.â
âBecause you were an asshole!â she growled back in his face, refusing to back down. âAnd you getting hurt was not the plan.â
He shook his head and stepped back to give him space to react and give her a disappointed look he hoped she could feel even if she couldnât see it. âIâm an asshole because I distracted him so you could focus on your part?â he scoffed. âAnd yes, it was. You said play to my strengths which was pissing people off, the âpeopleâ in this case being a violent psychopath. How did you think it would end? A handshake?â
She closed the space again, refusing to give him the space he sought, needing him to hear and feel her words. âThe âpeopleâ in this case was me!  Itâs me because you constantly piss me off because you do asshole things like this! Like the villain, with powers you canât combat or defend against, into attacking you physically.â She shoved his shoulder hard. âYou were supposed to distract, not antagonize.â
He scoffed loudly as he attempted to discretely rub his shoulder both without aggravating his injured shoulder and allowing her to see how much the action affected him. âHave you met me?â
She opened her mouth then shut it again quickly only to rub her forehead. âYeah, fair point. I should have known better. Thatâs on me,â she agreed begrudgingly, the fervor from moments before bleeding out until she physically sagged against a stalagmite. âI just donât⊠why do you always have to act like such an asshole?â
Hood huffed what could almost be interpreted as a laugh. The tension started to ease out of his frame. âWhat can I say, some people inspire it.â
âAwww, you think Iâm inspiring?â Her voice was sickeningly sweet as she batted her eyes.
His snort echoed throughout the cave. âYeah, like toxic relationships and love songs.â
âHey, I like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter!â She frowned at him with a glare, but they lacked the usual hostility that inherently marked all her interactions with him.
âYou would.â He chuckled and looked around the cave. After a few moments, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the bracelet, holding it up in front of her. âIt's not an act. Well, it is, but itâs strategic.â
She clasped her hands around it gentle yet rapid, like a Venus fly trap closing on a fly. Her eyes flicked up to him wide and awed. âYou got it.â
He shrugged with one shoulder, somehow managing to keep his face from tugging at the pain. âYeah, that was the job,â he announced like it was an easy feat, like his legs werenât starting to shake and his head starting to pound.
She looked between him and the bracelet clasped tightly in her hand. âYou got it before you knocked him through the portal.â
âWell, it wouldnât have done much to knock him through after.â  He watched her while she ws distracted by the bracelet, cataloging her every movement, her deft fingers trailing over the extent of the bracelet like her fingertips could channel the magic thrumming throughout it, her eyes moving over it like a caress, her tongue dampening her lips just slightly as they parted. âItâs also how I react to teammates who actively, consistently seek out the best way to hurt themselves,â he added harshly, but not unkindly. âThe assholery,â he clarified.
âI wasnât trying to get hurt. I wasâŠâ She sighed and let out a long breath, sagging against the stalagmite again.  âI was the only one who could go after him. Like the others said, I was the only one he wasnât trying to hurt. The only safe one. It made sense. It was the logical choice.â
âRight,â he scoffed, all the tension that had been ebbing from his body returning in an instant. âIt made sense to go after your only natural predator, your greatest weakness. Your opposite.â
She groaned and dropped her head back, arms thrown out in exasperation. âWhy do you keep⊠Chaos isnât my weakness or my opposite, or whatever he fancies himself. Chat is. Chat is my opposite, my natural âpredatorâ. You said he was like Teekl, but he isnât. Klarion canât function without his familiar, but Chat isnât my familiar. Heâs my partner. Without Chat, I still have my magic. Actually, it is even more powerful, which is bad.â
She leveled him with a pointed look, trying to convey the importance of her words, the importance of Chat.  âHe balances it. He keeps my power in check. Because Creationâs opposite isnât Chaos, itâs Destruction. Destruction keeps Creation in check. It keeps Chaos from reigning. Creation without Destruction is Chaos. Thatâs why I said he wasnât my opposite. Heâs what I become without Chat. Heâs my portent.â
Hood opened his mouth to respond, but instead swayed and staggered to the side, barely catching himself on a stalagmite.
âHood!â she shrieked again, this time with considerably more worry and less judgement, possibly for the first time sheâd ever said his name that way. âOkay, letsâŠâ she helped ease him down to the ground, back resting against the stalagmite and pushed his leather jacket off his shoulders and eased it down his arms, trying hard not to jostle him too much.
When she opened her yoyo again, he tensed, preparing for a feline foray. âMagical vortex,â she assured him, her voice calm on the surface, but there was an underlying tension she couldnât quite mask, reinforced by the way her eyes kept flicking from his face to his shoulder to his legs. âThings canât get out unless I want them to. But I can store things.â She held up a box with a large red cross on the lid, like a prize.
He could see her holding something in, something that wanted to burst from her. When she wet her lips and took a breath, he knew she was ready to let it out. âYou werenât supposed to take his hits,â she stated carefully, her eyes focusing intently, pointedly, on his shoulder. âI never⊠the plan wasnât for you to sacrifice yourself to get the bracelet.â
âIt worked. It made sense. It was the logical choice,â he parroted back to her with only a hint of a sneer.
She finally raised her eyes to meet his, blazing even though narrowed. âOoohhh!â she hissed out. She barely held herself back from shoving him again. âFor as much as you accuse me of acting against my own self-interest, you immediately went for letting him attack you. He could have killed you. He wanted to kill you. If heâd been less interested in watching you suffer than just getting the act done, he would have.â
âKlarion is a showboat,â Hood scoffed. âHe likes hearing himself talk and peacocking around too much to actually do much damage.â He shrugged and immediately hissed at the bolt of searing pain that shot through his shoulder. He just began to relax again, the pain easing slowly then all the muscles in his body tensed at once as Ladybug pulled the dressing tighter than necessary to tie it off. Her unrepentant, narrowed eyes met his glare.
âRight. Sure. Whatever. Just, next time donât make me have to patch you up when you decide to get yourself killed,â she growled. She leaned back on her heels, away from him and his need to martyr himself in front of her. She threw the equipment back into the kit significantly more aggressively than necessary.Â
When all the equipment was disheveledly in the kit, her eyes flicked up to him momentarily and immediately returned to the kit, this time placing things back into place with more delicate precision.  âThank you,â she grumbled. âFor coming after me,â she clarified quietly.
Hood stared at her for a few seconds before shifting uncomfortably. âI wasnât done with him anywayâŠâ He looked away and shifted again, âbastard just disappeared on us. I wanted to finish itâŠand he was threatening my teammates. Thatâs my job.â
His response surprised a bark of laughter out of her. âCareful, Hood, I might start to think you care,â she chuckled tightly.
âPerish the thought,â he hissed through the pain. âAnd thank you, too⊠for patching me up.â The words were sincere but still came out stilted and rough, like he was unfamiliar with saying them.
Ladybug hummed and looked away, the atmosphere suddenly awkward and uncertain. âSoâŠâ she scanned the cave for a second before returning her eyes to him, âis my English just that bad or is âelectileâ not a word?â
Hood snickered. âAbsolutely a word,â he assured her. âIt refers toâŠâ
Whatever meaning he was about to make up was interrupted by a portal opening up next to them. Ladybug shot up between Hood and the portal, body tense, prone for a fight, but instantly relaxed when Chat stepped through and wrapped her in a hug.
Red Robin stepped around them searching the cave. âWhere is he? Whatâs the situation?â He barely moved to allow Nighwing to step past him, immediately zeroing in on Red Hood on the ground.
âAsswipe is somewhere else,â Hood grunted as he batted Nightwingâs probing fingers away from his shoulder.
âCould you be a bit more specific,â Carapace asked, his voice and gaze flat. âSomewhere else like another part of the cave? Somewhere else like he fled and will be back in anytime? Somewhere else like you killed him and buried the body?â
Pegasus leaned through the portal but flinched back when Ladybug peeked around Chat with a wicked grin. âDid he inhabit Ladybugâs body? Is that where he is?â
She rolled her eyes. âIdiot.â But the grin came back as she held up her yoyo. âWe canât say where he is, but we can say he canât get back without his familiar.â
âOh, shit,â Red Robin whispered, he cradled the yoyo, looking back up at her with bright eyes. âThatâs amazing. Youâre brilliant.â
âAnd the bracelet,â Chat prompted.
Ladybug and Red Hoodâs eyes met for just a moment before she looked back to Chat. âAlso, in there.â
âRight,â Nightwing announced, cutting through their chatter. âPegasus, can you open a portal to the Watchtower, please? I would like to get this idiot to the doctor.â
âYes sir,â he saluted and opened a second portal for them before ushering the Miraculous team back through the first one.
><><><><><><><><Â
Nightwing burst through the medbay doors, almost running into them in his excitement to get to Hood. Red Robin followed at a much slower pace, he gazed around indifferently. âHow you doing? You okay?â Nightwing asked, instantly fussing over him. âWhat did the doctor say?â
âFine,â Hood grunted, batting him away again.
âHeâll be fine after a bit of recovery,â the medic interjected pointedly. âHe will need a day or two before he should be off bed rest and a few weeks before easing into training. Not in the field for at least 6 weeks.â
âIâm fine,â Hood repeated louder as though volume could end the discussion.
The medic shot him a flat stare. âYouâre not.â
Hood glared at the medic, eyes narrowed with a venom that would make Ivy jealous. âMedical information is supposed to be private. Isnât there something about not sharing information without permission?â
The medic snorted and continued to type on his computer to update Hoodâs file. âLike I could keep it secret if I wanted to. One of you is literally a machine with a brain.â
âYeah, but that one doesnât even have a brain,â Hood huffed motioning toward Nightwing.
Nightwing stepped forward with a smack to the back of Hoodâs head and a wide, reassuring smile. âIâll make sure he follows the instructions,â he assured the medic.
The medic looked over his shoulder to raise an eyebrow. He looked from Hoodâs defiant glare back to Nightwing. âGood luck with that. Iâve never seen any of you actually follow instructions, but sure,â he drawled before leaving.
Nightwing kept his smile up until the moment the door closed behind the medic. Then, like a light switching, his smile turned mischievous as he turned to Hood, studying him like he held a secret. âWhat!â
âFunny thing,â Nightwing noted slowly as though his thoughts hadnât quite settled into place in his head yet.
Hood rolled his eyes so hard it could be detected even with the domino mask on. âNothing about you is funny except your attempts at being taken seriously,â Hood grumbled. âAnd your clothes.â
Nightwing clicked his tongue as his eyes sharpened. âYou jumped after Ladybug without any hesitation.â
âAlmost like it was instinct to follow and protect her,â Tim finished the thought. He grinned wickedly at Hoodâs scowl deepening.
âOr,â Red Robin paused for dramatic effect and to shoot Hood a smirk, âor, you didnât like the idea of her getting hurt and you wanted to impress her.â
âImpress her,â Hood scoffed hard enough he had to clear his throat after. âThere is no impressing someone like her. Sheâs never satisfied with anything. Always has a criticism. Always has a snide comment.â Nightwing raised an eyebrow and dropped his head to snicker quietly toward the floor. âPlus, sheâs seeing someone anyway,â Hood sniped with a bit too much forced indifference to be believable. âI donât impress taken women.â
Red Robin hummed and shrugged. âIt wonât last.â
âI donât care,â Hood grumbled. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked away pointedly. âItâs none of my business. Iâm just impressed she found someone to put up with her. Thatâs, thatâs what is really impressive. Somethingâs got to be wrong with whoever that is.âÂ
Nightwing snorted but didnât challenge him, barely managing to hide his smirk as Hood fell back onto the bed for a few seconds glaring at a point in the distance like it had personally offended him before he spoke up again. âSo, you know who it is then?â
Red Robin quirked his head to the side. âWhat?â
Hood huffed and ran his tongue between his teeth and cheek as though continuing to engage in the conversation physically hurt. âYou said âit wonât last.â So, you know him? The asshole masochistic enough to date her?â
Red Robin couldnât quite stop the snort that escaped, nor the smug smile on his lips. âNo.  I know her.â
Hoodâs head snapped to him with a crack, quickly followed by a cry that echoed throughout the room. His hand flew to his shoulder as he let out a noise that he would never admit was a whimper. After a few moments, he lifted his narrowed eyes to Red Robin. âYou know who she is?â he demanded like an accusation.
Red Robin rolled his eyes. âOf courâŠâ he trailed off in favor of letting out a deep sigh. He pursed his lips then leaned toward Red Hood, only pausing for a moment before flicking him in the forehead. âI donât know her identity. But I know her. I knowâŠâ this time trailing off before he said too much, more than Hood was willing to admit to. âI know she isnât fully happy. Doesnât feel fully safe. I know it isnât right, so it wonât last.â
Hood stared at him for a few seconds before closing his eyes and adjusting more comfortably into the bed. âWhatever. None of my business anyway,â he grunted, though the lines in his face had eased significantly.
Nightwing didnât bother to hide his snort this time. âNo, of course not,â he mocked. He shook his head and headed toward the door. âYou just wish you were that asshole,â he grumbled under his breath.
âHey,â Hood called, sitting up suddenly and looking around frantically. âWhere did you put my jacket?â
âJacket?â Red Robin asked. âYou werenât wearing your jacket when we found you.â He looked around the room despite his previous statement, as though it may have magically appeared.
âNo, IâŠâ he groaned and threw his body back into the bed. âYou assholes left my jacket back there?â
Nightwing scoffed and rolled his eyes. âYeah, so sorry for focusing on saving your life rather than your wardrobe.â
âI liked that jacket,â Hood huffed.
âShouldnât have let it get damaged protecting your woman then,â Red Robin responded, a smirk etched on his face, which only widened when the pillow hit so hard, it almost knocked him over.
âShe isnât myâŠâ Hood let out a long breath and focused on reducing his stress. âGet the fuck out.â Nightwing left with a mocking salute and a completely unappreciated grin. âAnd give me my pillow back,â he called before Red Robin crossed the threshold.
âNope,â Red Robin quipped back before closing the door behind him.
I managed to forget my computer when I went home for my dad's Celebration of Life so I'm behind on my plans so today's prompt isn't right, but I'll catch up.
Ladybug glanced around the ship⊠plane? batplane? whatever the Batâs flying vehicle they were currently meeting in was called, taking in the optimistic look from the Bats, or at least two of them. She couldnât see Red Hoodâs expression under the mask he was wearing but she didnât think he would be capable of âoptimisticâ, an observation reinforced by the way he was precariously perched in a chair, legs propped on the table in front of him. Nightwing and Red Robin, however looked chipper and hopeful. She hated to let them down, but she would to protect her team.
âIâm not saying we donât want to help,â Ladybug assured Nightwing. âIâm just saying⊠itâs not the best time. There are someâŠâ she scrunched her face as she considered how to phrase her next words just right to not reveal their personal information but convey the severity of their concern.
She glanced at Carapace quickly and then looked at the other members of the Miraculous team before looking back at Nightwing. ââŠpersonal changes that have come up and um⊠we would like to focus on that particular change. Changes!â she corrected quickly. âWe would like to focus on those changes. And a mission may put undue stress on the⊠um⊠change. Changes. âŠin a delicate time.â
âDieu, Ladybug,â Rena scoffed. She rubbed her hand over her forehead. She looked at the team, her gaze lingering on Carapace for a moment before moving to Ladybug. âI think the change can withstand a few hours away. Itâs not going to⊠fail because we left the city for a few hours. If it does, it would never have survived anyway.â
Chat and Carapace both stepped forward, mouths open, but before they could say anything Red Hood spoke up, his voice booming through the space, derision echoing from the walls. âI think your date can wait a few hours to save the world, donât you?â Ladybug whipped her head toward him, her face instantly contorting.
âWe can certainly appreciate personal lives affecting your vigilante activities,â Nightwing spoke up quickly, exhaustion and a bit of panic edging into his tone. He stepped forward interrupting their line of sight, a hand raised in both directions in a conciliatory gesture. âWe wouldnât ask if we didnât think your skills would be an asset. Please listen and then decide.â He ignored Red Hoodâs scoff as he nodded to Red Robin to continue, but he purposefully bumped into Hoodâs chair, causing him to flail out his arms to keep from falling.
âOkay,â Red Robin stated loudly before Hood could react. He clicked a button on his tablet and the main cabin screen behind him blazed to life, a dizzying cacophony of code moving too fast to read, files with seemingly arbitrary names, and randomly, a movie summary appearing. And in the middle, a Map of the Yucatan Peninsula. The screen suddenly zoomed in on a spot along the coast, and a series of photos popped up around the map, most panels of variations of green, but a few LIDAR and infrared images emerged between the overhead photos.
âThis is the site the rogue team we are following has infiltrated. It is in the ruins of an as yet undiscovered by archaeologists, Mayan kingdom. This particular Mayan kingdom, or city-state, had grown particularly strong around 350 CE before their sudden and inexplicable downfall only 15 years later. It appears this rogue group, or rather the archaeology student helping them, believes it was due to a sacred relic. And as no other city-state rose to sudden power in the aftermath of their collapse, they theorize the relic stayed in the city. Hidden. Theyâve been searching for it for the past 3 months and apparently are getting close.âÂ
âAnd you believe this item really exists?â Rena asked. âNot just fallacious philosophical fantasy? People really like to write off âprimitiveâ culturesâ advances as due to outside influences because they couldnât possibly have done it themselves.â
âOh, it exists,â Red Robin grinned, his excitement at a mystery and making a larger archaeological discovery than his parents ever had, boiling over. âBoth the bigotry and the item.â He pulled up a picture of a relief depicting Mayan hieroglyphs. âFrom the analysis weâve done, this is the depiction of a bat above a depiction of a ruler wearing a rather pronounced lip plug. Sound familiar?â
Ladybug shook her head as she fought a returning smile in favor of a professional expression. âAnd we believe it actually has power?â she asked.Â
âDo you think you would be here if we didnât?â Red Hood glowered. âDo you think we go out of our way to make our lives more difficult?â Ladybug quirked her head to the side and opened her mouth to respond but before she could, Nighwing cut in.
âWe do,â he confirmed shooting Hood a pointed glare. He snapped his head to the rest of the figures as they all let out loud snorts at his inadvertent confirmation. âThink it has power,â he qualified, annoyance clear in his tone. âThey did an analysis of the area and found there to be a magical signature.â
Ladybug nodded and settled on the edge of the table, as far away from where Hood had positioned himself as possible. âDo you know what kind of magical signature?â
âIâm going to guess it was Miraculous magic if weâre here,â Chat reasoned, his voice level and forcibly calm as if he could disseminate his serenity into the group.
Ladybug raised an eyebrow and turned back to the map, moving closer to the images and examining them more closely. âYou are giving them too much credit,â she singsonged.
Red Robin cleared his throat and took a breath before answering. âWe are still uncertain,â he admitted grudgingly.
She looked at Chat and motioned toward Red Robin with a look that clearly said âsee?â âNever trust a Bat.â
Red Robin rolled his eyes at her and slapped her hand away playfully. âButâŠâ
âWe will happily contact a Lantern or Zatanna is youâre too preoccupied to help save civilians,â Hood growled. âI thought that was your whole schtick.â He looked her up and down lazily. A condescending smirk settled on his lips. âYouâre a hero, you like showing how good you are by saving people. Trying to prove how much better you are than the rest of us. Brushing them off to get laid wouldnât exactly live up to the hype.â
Ladybug raised an eyebrow and quirked her head to the side like she was accepting a challenge. âOoohhh,â Rena bubbled. She settled into a chair Carapace held out for her to watch the chaos unfold. She leaned in close to him when he took the seat next to her, like she was preparing to start gossiping, as though she intended to keep her voice low, a proposition nobody believed.
âWeâll happily contact a Lantern?â Red Robin muttered quietly to Nightwing. âWhich one? Which one would we happily contact?â
âTheyâre not all terrible,â Nightwing offered weakly.
âName a good one,â Chat asked popping up between them. Â Nightwing opened his mouth then closed it quickly.
âHush,â Carapace chastised with a pointed glare that ignored Chatâs eye roll. âThis is just getting good.â
Rena leaned forward to add her own chastising glare to support Carapaceâs. âWe donât have much to keep us entertained lately. Let us have this.â
Red Robin sighed and turned away from them, closer to Nightwing as if his voice didnât carry across the room. âIâm just saying Iâm not going to be the one to deal with them. Youâre taking the lead on that,â Red Robin finished quietly.
Ladybug ignored them and prowled closer until she was a few steps in front of Hood who sat up straighter in greeting of she approached, smirking as he leaned in toward her and abandoning all pretenses of disinterest. âI donât know about the rest of them,â she vaguely motioned behind her, âbut I donât have to try to prove to anyone how much better than you I am. The evidence comes naturally and in abundance without ever trying.â
She leaned forward at the waist like she was addressing a child, though the glint in her eyes was savage. âBecause I live up to my hype,â she purred. âAll of it. Unfortunately, so far you have too.â
The comment struck straight to his ego. His smirk widened and he leaned back, arms behind his head and legs propped back up on the table, the picture of a man who had earned his reputation. âThank you.â
âIt wasnât a compliment,â She looked him up and down, her lip curled up into a sneer that got deeper the longer she looked. âThough I imagine someone like you thinks it is. All brawn, no brains, and not even one of the strongest League members. Your greatest contribution is as bait. More likely to use brute force than strategy. More likely to distract than act. More likely to destroy than save. And no moral compass.â
âHey!â Chat squawked. âLetâs not disparage destruction, please.â
Hoodâs smirk dropped into an annoyed sneer. âIâve seen the hype you claim to live up to. Your moral compass hardly points north.â
âOkay, maybe we should focus here,â Nightwing interrupted quick and loud before Hood said something Nightwing couldnât unhear.
âBoo,â Rena jeered. She looked around for a few seconds then under the table before leaning toward Carapace. âDo you have anything I can throw at him? Thereâs nothing here I can use.â
Carapace shook his head and looked around like he was taking in their environment for the first time. âIt really is eerily clean around here, isnât it?â he noted. A visible shiver ran down his spine.
âItâs clean,â Red Robin defended. âDo you not have clean vehicles?â
âWe donât have any vehicles at all,â Chat shrugged.
Ladybugâs cheeks managed to return to a normal color during their interaction, becoming just slightly rosy instead of her entire face and neck matching her suit as it had moments before. Her eyes narrowed at Hood, completely ignoring Nightwing unsuccessfully attempting to move between them. There was nowhere for him to stand unless he wanted to straddle Hoodâs legs.Â
âIâve seen some of yours too, honey,â Ladybug sneered.  She ran her hand along his boot, ignoring his body tensing under her, until she shoved his legs off the table. âAwfully optimistic. From what Iâve seen youâve been closer to death much more often than a stable or healthy relationship.â
Hood shot to his feet the second his feet hit the floor, towering over her menacingly ignoring Red Robin choking quietly and loudly whispering, âWell, sheâs not wrong.â Rather than cower at his attempted intimidation, Ladybug stood straighter. âAww, sweetheart, I love the effort, but Iâm taken. Maybe try flirting with someone a bit more desperate,â Hood snarled.
âI didnât know there were people more desperate than you,â she scoffed. Her expression somehow managed to cool even more. âBut clearly there must be if someone agreed to date you. But I guess someone had to take out the trash.â
Hood took a step closer, his hand clasped tightly around the handle of his gun. âRight!â Red Robin announced loudly. He shoved Nightwing between Hood and Ladybug and pushed at her shoulder to turn her back toward the screen to focus on the mission at hand. Without looking, he already knew the thunk he just heard was Nightwing shoving Hood back in a seat.
She continued the eye contact with Hood for a beat to drive home her point before allowing Red Robin to redirect her and focus back on the pictures. âWhere are they focusing their searches?â she asked curiously staring at one particular image that seemed like a typical overhead jungle shot, just like every other one. However, this one was a wider shot of the region. Like the others, there was the tapestry of green over the vast majority of the image, but this one was wide enough to include the surrounding area including a bit of the sea in the corner and a small cenote just before the sea.
She stepped closer to the image, not reacting when Chat stepped behind her close enough his right shoulder was bolstering her left shoulder like a support structure. He raised a hand to trace a slightly darker green square near the center of the image and traced a dark line leading from the square. Ladybug nodded.
âThatâs the temple,â Red Robin stated. He stepped up to the other side of Ladybug, but unlike Chat, he gave her a bit of space. âThatâs where theyâve been focusing. There are quite a few smaller structures and what looks like a road out, but they have only been looking at the temple in the center of the city-state.â
âWe agree that is the most likely spot,â Nightwing spoke up. He moved to the other side of Red Robin and pulled up another image on the main screen. This one was a closer picture of the temple, giving a better idea of its dimensions. He expanded it so everyone in the room could see it clearly. âWe know the Mayans had a pantheon and believed in Magic and the power of magic rituals.  Temples were where kings preformed their magic ceremonies and where priests lived. It is likely the temple is where the relic would be kept.â
âBelieving gods have powers and actions we perform can affect those powers isnât magic. Itâs religion,â Ladybug noted distractedly. She quirked her head to the side still studying the original image to the side of Nightwingâs image and flicked the touch screen to examine the other images, quickly flicking through them when they didnât show her what she was looking for, until she arrived back on the original image.
âYeah, but this object had powers that allowed them to manipulate the world around them and gave them the power to gain enough influence to become the leading kingdom in months,â Nightwing shrugged.
Carapace stepped up next to Chat and shook his head distractedly as he expanded one of the shots from a lower angle. âAccording to Frazer, Ladybug is right. Thatâs the difference between magic and religion. Magic attempts to impact the natural world directly, religion attempts to impact the natural world via gods,â he offered. âBoth use objects to channel that impact.â
Red Robin, Nightwing, Rena, and Chat stared at Carapace in surprise, Chat with his jaw on the floor. âThatâs right,â Rena nodded absently, eyes never leaving Carapace, though the look had shifted from shock to awe. âHeâs right. Thatâs what Frazer said, though there are concerns about his theory as seriously compromised due to bias.â
âWhat is happening right now?â Chat muttered to nobody in particular. He shook his head like he was trying to rattle them into the appropriate slots. When they still hadnât placed neatly, instead stacking on top of one another like a rookie Tetris game, he looked over to Carapace searchingly. âHow⊠what? You never paid attention in World Religions. You tried to copy off me! How do you people know these things? None of you studied.â
âI studied,â Ladybug scoffed. âI have a degree inâŠâ she glanced around at the Bats watching them with varying amounts of amusement. âA degree,â she finished defiantly.
âNot in Religious Theory or even History!â Chat exclaimed.
Carapace shrugged. âIâm married to her,â he motioned to Rena who had taken the opportunity to join the group at the monitors. âI picked up a few things.â Chat stepped back and rubbed his temples, reevaluating his world view but Rena grinned sappily.
âAwww, babe,â she kissed Carapace on the cheek. âNow if you could pick up your socks as easily as obscure religious theoryâŠâ she added tiredly.
âDonât you call what you do magic, not religion, and didnât you say there are gods involved?â Red Robin asked dryly.
Carapace opened his mouth but snapped it closed quickly, the only sound in the chamber was Ladybugâs snort. Red Robin raised an eyebrow at her and she gave an acknowledging shrug.
âOkay, that was a fun aside and I love a philosophical debate,â Hood grunted. âBut, regardless of Nightwingâs nationalistic bigotry,â he ignored Nightwingâs scandalized gasp, âwe would like to get this object before the rogues do, and we have an even larger problem that we are going to have to clean up.â
âI thought you liked being part of the problem, because then at least someone let you be part of something,â Ladybug drawled.
Chat stepped between Ladybug and Hood, non-discretely pushing her back with a hand to her face. âWhat do you think it does?â he asked loudly.
Red Robin snorted at the glare Ladybug shot Chat but quickly shook his head and sobered up. âIt appears to make people⊠agreeable.â
Carapace blinked. He looked to Chat and Rena, who just shrugged, for insight. âAgreeable? Like nicer? That doesnât seem like a bad thing. In fact, Iâd like a bit more of that.â He glanced to Ladybug and Hood so quickly it would have been missed if you werenât paying attention, which the subjects of his observation werenât as they were glaring at each other.
âIn this vehicle, if possible,â Chat mumbled so only Nightwing could hear.
âLike they do whatever they are told,â Red Robin clarified. âNo resistance.â
Ladybug let out a long breath and nodded. It was sounding more and more like a miraculous. âSubmission,â she stated like it was already a conclusion.
âYep,â Nightwing nodded.
Ladybug met the eyes of each of her team members, receiving a nod from each, lingering on Carapace for a few seconds longer waiting for him to give a nod before agreeing. When he finally raised his head almost indiscernibly, lips set in a thin line, obviously not happy with the motion.  She turned to Red Robin and nodded. âOkay, Captain. Weâre in. If itâs miraculous magic, we should hopefully be able to detect the object quicker.â
âYeah,â Hood snarked. âThatâs why youâre here.â He stood up aggressively and stalked past her toward the cockpit. âThat and according to your hype youâre the Queen of Submission, so we figured this was your kingdom.â
Ladybug turned bright red instantly with a loud squeak. Red Robin gave her a sympathetic pat as he passed her to join Hood. âMake sure to buckle, Red Robin is a great pilot but turbulence over the Atlantic is a bitch and take offs and landings are always rough,â Nightwing advised gently.
âWell, I canât call it that now,â Chat grumbled. He buckled his seatbelt without making eye contact with anyone. âHow about we go with Capitulation instead?â
âAgreed,â Carapace nodded. âUntil we hear otherwise, we refer to this as the Miraculous of Capitulation.â
âAgreed,â Nightwing called back before shutting the cockpit door.
Red Robin kept his eyes forward as he powered up the plane, but a smirk pulled at his lips, and when he shot Nightwing a knowing look, it was not only returned, Nightwing sported a smirk of his own. âSo, youâre seeing someone, Little Wing? Since when? Or do you mean like⊠do you see someone with us now?â Nightwing asked overly innocently.
âFuck off,â Hood fumed. He tugged at his seatbelt with significantly more aggression than required until the belt almost tore from the seatback. âYou two seem awfully chummy,â he growled at Red Robin.
He shrugged. âYeah, we would.â
He could feel the glare pointed at the back of his head. If Hood had been a super, Red Robin had no doubt he would be dead⊠well long ago, but definitely now. âWhy is that?â he asked in what was clearly barely controlled rage.
Red Robin snorted. âBecause weâre friends?â he answered like it was the most obvious response possible. âWe went to see a movie the other day.â
Nightwing turned to him then, eyebrows raised in surprise. âAs civilians?â
âNo, in our suits. Apparently, itâs something they do in Paris frequently.â He looked over at Nightwing. âChat and Kon came, too. It was fun.â
Red Robin actually glanced back at Hood to give him an incredulous look. âIâm not dating anyone in that group. If youâre jealous maybe tryâŠâ
âI am not jealous!â Hood scoffed.
âRiiight. Because youâre seeing someone,â Red Robin nodded amused. âHowâs that going? When do we get to meet them? Or do imaginary significant others not get to meet the family?â
âLeave the poor confused, frustrated, man-child alone,â Nightwing chastised more than a little cheerfully. âFocus on getting us there in one piece.â
><><><><><><><><><Â
âThat was barely enough time for a nap,â Rena yawned after they landed a short time later. She stumbled down the gangplank to the ground, bumping into Carapace along the way and almost knocking him off, and would have if Red Robin hadnât steadied him.
âIâm so sorry for being so efficient,â Red Robin chuckled.
Ladybug snickered and ruffled his hair as she passed. âHow dare you.â
Hood stomped past them to exit the plane. âThey probably arenât used to a leader who is.â
âSo, are we ready?â Carapace asked after everyone had exited the plane. âThe littleâŠâ he examined the smaller transport vehicle with blatant skepticism, â⊠thing is safe?â
âYes,â Red Robin answered confidently. âWeâve used the skiff a lot.â
Carapace nodded mindlessly for a few seconds before looking up again with a concerned expression. âAnd any new info before we move?â
Nightwing raised an eyebrow at the unexpected concern from the typically laidback hero. âUh⊠you feeling okay there, Carapace?â
Carapaceâs eyes darted quickly to Rena and back. âUh, yeah. Yeah, just, you know⊠want to make sure nothing gets blown up this time,â he joked. His voice clearly going for light and airy but not quite achieving it.
âRight,â Nightwing drawled. He continued staring at Carapace, examining him like he was looking for a crack in the façade that he could wedge open.
Ladybug rested her hands on his shoulders with a sympathetic look. âItâll be fine. Red is monitoring and will notify us if anything changes. You can trust him.â She took in and harshly let out a breath at Hoodâs grunt.
Instead of nodding in agreement, Red Robin focused on his wrist monitor. âWell, that's not good,â he grumbled.
âDid you want to elaborate on that, just a bit?â Rena sighed.
âNo,â he answered distractedly.
Ladybug waited a few beats for him to elaborate but when he continued to examine his wrist monitor, she groaned and threw her head back. âYou know I love you, Red.  But I hate it when you speak.â
âThanks,â Red Robin looked up from his monitor long enough to glower at her.
âDonât worry about it,â Hood sneered. âShe lied. She doesnât love you. Nobody does. But everybody does hate it when you speak.â Despite his proclamation, he moved next to Red Robin so he could look over his shoulder at his monitor.
Nightwing rolled his eyes and stepped up to the other side. âWhat did you find?â
Red Robin took a breath before answering. âIt appears the goons are working with the Joker,â he said gravely.
âThe Joker?â Chat asked looking between the Bats. âThat sounds much better than youâre acting like it is.â
âNo, Joker is bad. Real bad,â Nightwing grumbled. He peeked over Red Robinâs other shoulder.
âAre you certain?â Hood asked, his previous glower disappearing in an instant.
Red Robin looked up just long enough to raise an eyebrow before returning to his monitor and typing more buttons. âOh, now youâre dying for me to speak,â he snarked. Finally, he grunted and turned off his wrist monitor and stalked back toward the ship.
âShut up,â Hood snapped trailing after him. âAre you positive?â
âYes,â Red Robin hissed back. âWhen am I not positive? Or wrong?â He played the audio feed he had just intercepted on the main computer. There were a few moments of silence before a staticky voice broke in, âTell the Clown we donât have it yet but we think weâre close. Thereâs nothing for him to see yet.â
The first voice was cut off by a second more aggressive, unmistakable voice. âThen perhaps itâs time to replace you with someone who can find a single object in a TINY CONTROLLED AREA IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS. I will be there in two hours. I expect you to have it for me.â
Red Robin cut the audio and looked at the other Bats with a litany of raised eyebrows, furrowed brows, rolled eyes, frustrated grunts, and exasperated sighs, until Hood apparently couldnât take it any longer. âIâm just saying, we should fall back and reassess!â
âSince when do you want to reassess instead of taking him on?â Red Robin scoffed.
Chat stepped forward and placed a hand on Ladybugâs arm and gave her a pointed look. The effect was immediate. The aggravation that had been clearly building, finding a home in her stance eased. It didnât disappear completely, but she no longer looked like she was going to snap. âHow does this change our plan?â he asked purposefully.
âIt means we have a time limit for our search. The Joker is dangerous. He really enjoys violence, both physical and psychological. Complete and utter devastation,â Red Robin answered. As he spoke, he watched Hood become increasingly rigid. âAnd he has a particular taste for doing it to Batman.â
Nightwing shook his head staring at the reports on the screen. âHow did we miss this?â
âWe didnât miss shit,â Hood barked. He shoved Red Robin hard enough to not only knock him off balance, it knocked him to the ground. âHow did you miss this!â
Red Robin stared at him open-mouthed for a few seconds trying to let the sudden aggression. Hood had never responded that way before to a sudden update in information. Not even when the Joker had been involved. âThey never mentioned the Joker,â he answered carefully. He rose slowly, hands raised to defend himself if he needed to. âNone of the messages mentioned the Joker. They all went to an intermediary who must have been delivering the information to the Joker.â
âIt must have been too much to resist,â Rena mused.
âWhat?â Chat asked.
âItâs a bat miraculous, right? And Sub⊠Capitulation. The poetry of using a Bat themed magic object to force him into⊠ahâŠâ she looked at Carapace with a smirk, âsubmit.â Carapace shivered in disgust while Chat wrinkled his nose.
Nightwing dragged his hand down his face. âFuck, that makes sense,â he groaned then stepped forward with a shake of his head. âHe said two hours, so letâs take those two hours before he gets there to search and after that, we can reassess.â
âAnd if we miss our window?â Ladybug asked carefully. âIf we go over two hours and weâre still there when he gets there?â
âWe wonât be,â Hood stated definitively.
Red Robin sighed and bobbed his head to the side. âIt could get bad, but youâve seen bad.â
âIf youâve changed your minds, you can stay here,â Nightwing offered. âThe main ship will be camouflaged and itâs completely secure.â
âYouâre staying,â Carapace said instantly to Rena. She opened her mouth to object, but he shook his head, lips set in an uncharacteristically firm line. âNo. We arenât debating this. Youâre staying.â
âMore people will make it go faster,â Rena answered petulantly.
âNo,â Carapace answered firmly.
Rena sighed but nodded. âFine.â
âOkay,â Nightwing chirped with a clap of his hands, âwith that odd interaction done, we should get going. Weâre on a clock now.â
âWe shouldnât go at all,â Hood argued.
âWe will be careful,â Nightwing assured him. âWe will be careful, stay out of their notice and be gone before the Joker arrives. If we havenât found it, weâll reassess then. But we do not have time to argue about it now.â He stepped up to Hood and lowered his voice so only he could hear it. âI know youâre worried, but we donât have time, and she can protect herself.â
âIâm notâŠâ
âI donât care,â Nightwing cut in. âWeâre doing this.â He backed up still looking directly at Hood as he announced to everyone, âLetâs get on the skiff.â
Ladybug and Chat looked to Red Robin for some insights on what was happening, but he sighed, shook his head, and motioned toward the skiff. They looked at each other for a second to confirm their decision and finally followed Red Robin into the skiff. Chat ducked just before entering through the open back ramp, causing Ladybug to snicker mercilessly at him. âItâs like a full meter taller than you.â
âItâs⊠deceptive. Shut up,â he grumbled as he shoved her to move past her. He moved just in time to get out of Hoodâs path as he stomped into the skiff, making no secret of his displeasure with the decision.
Carapace finally followed, the last to join, but only got as far as the doorway, taking a spot next to Ladybug to watch Rena as long as possible. The ship jerked slightly as the skiff detached from the main ship and rose above it. âAre we sure itâs safe to leave her there alone?â he asked nervously, eyes still not leaving Rena even as they rose higher.
Nightwing patted his shoulder. âShe will be safe in the vehicle. It is cloaked and impossible to get into without permission. Honestly the safest place on the entire peninsula right now.â
âI just really donât like her staying there alone,â he grumbled.
âI know youâre worried,â Ladybug soothed, âbut she will be safe weâll make sure. We canâŠâ Whatever plan she had come up, she never had the chance to reveal. Carapace watched in horror as Ladybug fell from the plane and Hood lowered his leg to take her place next to Carapace. âProblem solved,â he announced calmly like announcing heâd buckled his seatbelt.
Carapace stared out the rear of the plane wide eyed, mouth agape. He woodenly took two steps to the side, making plenty of room for any bugs that might decide to fly onto the plane. Instead, a bat stepped into the open space. Carapace continued staring out the back, eyes never breaking their focus until the door finally closed. Finally, he turned and met Chatâs eyes, a knowing look passing between them, before turning his gaze on Red Hood.
âDid it feel good?â he asked, his tone seemingly filled with genuine curiosity.  He nodded to himself before Hood could respond. âYeah, I bet that felt good.  I bet you're flying real high right now.â  He suddenly stopped nodding, his smile turning into a grimace as he sucked in a breath.  âI'm happy for you.  I'm happy that your last moments on Earth are joyous. âCuz she is going to kill you.â
He paused and looked at nothing as he moved his hands as if trying to help form the right words out of air.  Finally, he appeared to have figured out the words.  âAre you sure that I can't just⊠you know⊠kick you off of something high before that happens?  Please?  It would make my last moments happy. You know, before your family kills me like Ladybug's going to kill you.â
Hood stared at him for a few deadly silent seconds before slowly turning toward the front of the skiff and walking with measured, solid steps away from Carapaceâs pleading looks.
Chat stepped up next to him and threw his arm over his shoulders and shook his head. âGuess heâs just not a boyâs boy.â He shot a big smile at Carapace. âBut, hey! Bro time! You know, before she kicks our asses for abandoning them.â
Carapace scoffed and made his way to his seat. âShe wonât kick our asses. M⊠she isnât like that. Sheâll just ignore us for a while until we make it up to her.â
Chat shook his head with a snort and plopped down into the seat next to him. âI wasnât talking about Ladybugâs reaction to leaving Ladybug behind.â
Carapaceâs head whipped toward the back of the plane. âOh. Oh shit.â
âYep,â Chat nodded. He clapped a consolatory hand on Carapaceâs shoulder. âIâll pray for you and your home life after this.â
><><><><><><><><><Â
âYou just proved my point,â Ladybug screamed at the retreating vehicle. She glared at it as it pulled away. âSee? Never trust a bat,â she hissed to Rena who just shrugged.
âGuess they thought we needed some girl time,â Rena sighed.
Ladybug snorted. âThink they think weâre going to have a pillow fight?â
Rena snickered. âCan you imagine their faces if they came back and we were in our underwear surrounded by feathers?â Ladybugâs face instantly flushed red, but Rena continued as though she hadnât purposefully caused her to turn that color. âThink they realize you could have gotten back on that ship if you wanted?â
âChat and Carapace definitely do,â Ladybug scoffed. She made her way back to the computer and pulled up the image she had been looking at again.
âBut you were just so excited to spend time with me?â Rena asked innocently, knowing full well there was more to the story if Ladybug hadnât gone after the skiff. There wasnât a chance she would have allowed herself to be treated that way unless she had a plan.
âIf itâs as dangerous as they said, I donât like you staying alone,â Ladybug answered distractedly.
âAnd,â Rena prompted.
Ladybug whirled toward her with a devious grin. âAnd I think I know where the object is and they are way, way off. And since we arenât allowed to check there firstâŠâ
Rena raised an eyebrow, but her lips raised up into a matching smirk. âWeâre going to solve this whole damn thing on our own purely out of spite, arenât we?â
âDamn right,â Ladybug nodded. âTaking advantage of my most powerful tool⊠and Brian is studying Mesoamerican Archaeology. Did you know the bat is associated with the underworld in Mayan mythology? Now, do you want to walk a few miles or take the plane?â
><><><><><><><><><Â
âHave fun storming the castle, boys?â Ladybug asked, an unsettingly smug grin on her lips when they returned one hour and fifty-two minutes later. She leaned against the edge of the table, throwing a green object up and catching it with the same hand, seeming to have finally found something in the ship that could be thrown.
âIt was a temple,â Red Robin grunted as he passed by her to collapse into one of the seats at the table. He eyed the projectile warily as he passed, fairly confident it would be used against Hood, but not entirely so.
âIt was unproductive is what it was,â Carapace mumbled, settling into the seat next to him.
Ladybug turned toward them with an exaggerated pout. âAww, did you not find what you were looking for? U2 has a song about that.â
âWe searched everywhere,â Chat groaned. I even detransformed and asked Plagg to look. He laughed and said it wasnât there. When I asked if he could sense it, he said not to worry about it.âÂ
âHuh,â Ladybug hummed, lips quirked to the side mocking imitation of thought. âStrange.â She threw the object up and caught it a few more times while she pretended to think. âWonder what he meant.â
He huffed and leveled Ladybug with an exasperated look. âI think your little god needs to speak to my little annoyance.â
âEither way, it wasnât there. It seems like it was a wild goose chase after all,â Nightwing sighed. âWe used all kinds of analytic tools to find it, and the magical signature was exceptionally weak. There was nothing to follow.â
âOh, it wasnât a goose,â Ladybug grinned. âIt was a bat. They were right about thatâ
Red Robin blinked at her. âIt was aâŠâ
âYou found it,â Chat observed. Not a question. Her smug grin was an answer in itself. He let out a pained groan and dropped his head. Karma. Thatâs what it was. It was karma for allowing her to have been kicked out of the skiff.
âDuh,â she grinned.
âWhere is my wife?â Carapace asked suddenly looking around anxiously.
âYou found the item?â Hood demanded. He stepped up behind her close enough for her to feel his anger rolling off him like heat waves.
She turned toward him and quirked her head to the side and opened her eyes wide and innocently. âWhat, like it was hard?â
âYouâre unbelievable,â Red Robin huffed but his lips quirked up.
She looked over her shoulder with an even smugger grin. âThank you,â
âNot a compliment,â Hood growled.
âIt kind of was,â Red Robin mumbled quietly, making sure not to meet Hoodâs eyes and garner his ire.
âWhat the hell were you thinking?â Hood thundered. âAfter everything we said, you went in and risked your lives!â He moved to crowd Ladybug but before he could Carapace stepped in front of her and grabbed the jade lip plug from her hand.
âYou brought my pregnant wife into the temple! Right into the danger?â he bellowed. Red Robin and Nightwing leaned back in their chairs while Chat grimaced. âAnd you still havenât told me where my wife is or if she got hurt because of your moronic decision!â
Ladybug raised an eyebrow, challenge in her eyes. Everyone braced for the response, but then she took a deep breath and her eyes softened. âWe didnât go to the temple,â she quietly stated then smiled gently. She walked to the display and pointed at a picture. âCenote. The Maya believed Cenotes were paths to the Underworld and many rituals were performed there. If the miraculous had to be in this kingdom and wasnât in the templeâŠâ
âThen it had to be in the cenote,â Nightwing nodded.
Ladybug nodded, but her eyes never left Carapace. âWe never went near the temple. We didnât have to. Also, beautiful place. You should check it out.â
âOh,â Carapace uttered quietly, the word coming out like a relieved breath along with all of his bluster. He looked up to finally meet her eyes, a glimmer of regret showing through. âLadybugâŠâ
She snorted and waved him off. âDonât worry about it. You were protecting your family.â
âYeah, butâŠâ he let out a long, frustrated breath and ran his hand over his face. âI shouldnât have accused you of doing something that would harm her or our baby. I should know better. I DO know better.â
âItâs fine. I understand. Your wife thoughâŠâ she grimaced. âQuestioning her judgement⊠Good luck with that.â
âOh yeah⊠oh shit.â His eyes opened wide and he pulled his shield close to his chest, a figurative shield against the anger he knew was coming. âOh, I messed up.âÂ
âAnd announcing the pregnancy to everyone before she couldâŠâ Chat grimaced.
He joined them with a matching grimace the entire team matching. He turned to Hood âYou sure I canât⊠you knowâŠâ he mimed kicking him hard and something falling. âYou know⊠before I die?â
Hood stared at him with what was clearly a deathly glare under his mask. He continued the stare for a few seconds then grunted, turned, and walked away. âFucking dumb ass heroesâŠâ he grumbled under his breath.
âRude,â Carapace harumphed. âEveryone else has gotten to do it except for me.â He nearly jumped out of his shell when he felt a hand on his shoulder. âDieu, Dudette.â
âRenaâs in the cockpit,â Ladybug said after watching Hood stalk into the cockpit. âShe was a bit tired after getting the miraculous and she wanted to take a nap. It has the only chairs that could fully recline.â
He nodded. âThank you.â He turned to Red Robin. âThink you can get us home without waking her up?â
Red Robin nodded. âIâll try. And Iâll pray for you⊠not that I pray⊠or believe it does anything. Iâm not religious, but I do believe in magic and I think you might need all the help you can get.â He snickered as he went to the cockpit, pretending he didnât hear Carapaceâs groan.
Welcome to Maribat Calendar Events July event. July is dedicated to JASON TODD.
Do one prompt! Do them all! Do your own prompt! Any participation is great! They just serve as ways to encourage that creativity. No Pressure.
The prompts have a sound track again this year We've created a Spotify playlist of songs we felt resonated Jasonette. Follow the link at the bottom of the post to listen. Take the whole song, the title, a lyric, the vibe, the music video (some have them), whatever you want from the song as your inspiration. Or create your own inspiration!
Make sure you tag us so others can more easily see your work:
AO3 COLLECTION:
Jasonette July 2026 | Archive of Our Own
TAGS FOR TUMBLR & AO3:
#JASONETTE JULY #JASONETTE JULY 2026
TAG THIS BLOG Â @MARIBAT-CALENDAR-EVENTS AND REBLOG SO OTHERS GET A CHANCE TO SEE TOO!
Guidelines
Any orientation or relationship style is welcome and encouraged (familial, platonic, romantic, aged-up NSFW)!
Any creative works (writing, fics, drabbles, head-canons, art, poetry, incorrect quotes, etc.) are accepted
Tag @maribat-calendar-events in your works so we can share it
Use the hashtag so others can see your work
Keep NSFW works under the âKeep Readingâ line with an appropriate warning above
Questions? Send us a message/ask, or contact @mochegato or @izanae.
Get creative and have fun! We all look forward to your participation and submissions!
Welcome to Maribat Calendar Events July event. July is dedicated to JASON TODD.
Do one prompt! Do them all! Do your own prompt! Any participation is great! They just serve as ways to encourage that creativity. No Pressure.
The prompts have a sound track again this year We've created a Spotify playlist of songs we felt resonated Jasonette. Follow the link at the bottom of the post to listen. Take the whole song, the title, a lyric, the vibe, the music video (some have them), whatever you want from the song as your inspiration. Or create your own inspiration!
Make sure you tag us so others can more easily see your work:
AO3 COLLECTION:
Jasonette July 2026 | Archive of Our Own
TAGS FOR TUMBLR & AO3:
#JASONETTE JULY #JASONETTE JULY 2026
TAG THIS BLOG Â @MARIBAT-CALENDAR-EVENTS AND REBLOG SO OTHERS GET A CHANCE TO SEE TOO!
Guidelines
Any orientation or relationship style is welcome and encouraged (familial, platonic, romantic, aged-up NSFW)!
Any creative works (writing, fics, drabbles, head-canons, art, poetry, incorrect quotes, etc.) are accepted
Tag @maribat-calendar-events in your works so we can share it
Use the hashtag so others can see your work
Keep NSFW works under the âKeep Readingâ line with an appropriate warning above
Questions? Send us a message/ask, or contact @mochegato or @izanae.
Get creative and have fun! We all look forward to your participation and submissions!
Welcome everyone to the Maribat Calendar Events May event dedicated to another facet of the fandom - the Super side!
May is our time of the year to celebrate the Kryptonians and both their romantic and platonic ships within the Maribat fandom.
Do one prompt, do them all - it's up to you and no pressure! Whether it's Marijon, Konette, Clarkette, Karette, biofamily, or even other rare pairs like Adrijon, we hope these prompts can give some inspiration.
Make sure you tag us so others can more easily see your work:
AO3 COLLECTION: Maribat SuperMari May
TAGS FOR BOTH TUMBLR AND AO3:Â #SuperMari May
BE SURE TO TAG THIS BLOGÂ @MARIBAT-CALENDAR-EVENTSÂ AND REBLOG SO OTHERS GET A CHANCE TO SEE TOO!
Come join us on discord: MLBxDC (Maribat)
Guidelines:
Any orientation or relationship style is welcome and encouraged (familial, platonic, romantic, aged-up NSFW)!
Any creative works (writing, fics, drabbles, head-canons, art, poetry, incorrect quotes, etc.) are accepted
Tag @maribat-calendar-events in your works so we can share it
Use the hashtag so others can see your work
Keep NSFW works under the âKeep Readingâ line with an appropriate warning above
Questions? Send us a message/ask, or contact @otome-wandering or @izanae
Get creative and have fun! We all look forward to your participation and submissions!
Maribat Event Arrow April
âDo you want to come to play?â
Hereâs some fan art of Marinette meeting Lian Harper, whoâs taking on her motherâs alter ego, Cheshire Cat. I just wanted to imagine them talking about their lives as heroes or vigilantes.
The fic from Dickinette Feb! It's been posted on AO3 for a bit, I'm just finally getting around to posting it here too! Prompts were Bakery Meetcute and "Did I wake you?" This is a follow on from my Lady Grey fic from last year, California Dreaming đ
@maribat-calendar-events
Link to AO3
Marinette had been living in San Francisco for a week before she made a friend. She had been fast asleep at the local library, trying to gain enough energy to go job and apartment hunting, when a young woman with dark hair and a leather jacket knocked over her metal bottle. The resulting clang had her bolting upright, and she looked around wildly for the source of the commotion.Â
âIâm so sorry, did I wake you?â the woman said, her blue eyes full of concern as she righted the bottle, then held her hands up to show she meant no harm. âI didnât mean to knock your table, I fell back while trying to get a book downâŠâÂ
âWell that sucks,â sympathised the woman, holding onto the book sheâd grabbed and settling into the seat next to Marinette. âIâm Donna, itâs nice to meet you.âÂ
âMarinette,â she replied without hesitation, already committed to keeping the same first name sheâd always had. She wasnât prepared to try and use a whole new name just yet, so she had just changed her surname again so that she was less likely to be traced. Not that anyone should be looking for herâŠexcept maybe Batman and the Boy Wonder, Robin. And didnât she have mixed feelings about that possibility. âI donât suppose you know anywhere thatâs hiring?âÂ
âYeah, and the shop isnât open anymore,â she lied, having practiced it enough that she didnât even stumble over the words. âBut I would be able to prove it if they gave me the chance, so all I really need to do is hit the streets and find a place thatâs hiring.âÂ
âIt just so happens that I know a coffee shop thatâs looking for a barista,â Donna grinned, grabbing a pen and scrawling an address on top of the sheet of paper. âAnd if youâre looking for an apartment, I know a good but cheap place near to it, too.âÂ
âThatâsâŠwhy would you help me so much?â whispered Marinette, tears lining her eyes. Mostly it was because she was exhausted, but at least in part it was because she hadnât expected to find any kindness after what she had experienced everywhere else she had lived. The only kindness sheâd really experienced had been from Robin and there was no way he would show her anymore given sheâd teamed up with the Joker before skipping town. Under duress, sure, but stillâŠ
âYou look like you could use a helping hand,â shrugged Donna, though her tone was gentle. âBesides, you look like youâre barely old enough to be by yourself, itâs inspiring all sorts of big sisterly feelings,â she added teasingly, hesitating for a moment before ruffling Marinetteâs hair affectionately. âBut come on, Iâll show you where the bakery is as soon as I take this book out and we can get some lunch.âÂ
âSo, an old buddy of mine recently got into town and I wanted to introduce you,â said Donna one evening as they used the laundry room together. âHeâs really nice, a little silly, but heâs basically my brother and I kind of noticed you havenât really made any other friends yet.âÂ
âI donât really have time to make other friends,â Marinette argued, but scrunched her nose thoughtfully. âBut I would love to meet your friend. Iâm working the early shift tomorrow, so we could maybe all go and get lunch together? I finish at about two oâclock.âÂ
âPerfect! I really think youâll like him,â Donna assured her, turning to take her load of laundry out of the washer and move it to the dryer. Marinette hummed thoughtfully, uncertain but happy enough to try.
_ _ _Â
âCome on, the coffee shopâs just over here,â Donna said, grabbing Dickâs arm and pulling him along excitedly. âSheâs really cool, and it sounds like sheâd had a rough time of things before she moved here last month. Since you also arenât in touch with your parental figure, I thought it would be something you could bond over.âÂ
âTotally,â he nodded, laughing as she shook his arm impatiently. âYou said her shift doesnât finish for another half an hour, right? So whatâs the rush?âÂ
âShe makes the best hot drinks, I want to get one before she comes off shift,â she replied, though she slowed her pace slightly. That might have been because theyâd arrived at last, but then her phone rang and she cursed when she looked at it. âDammit, thatâs Diana. Go on in and Iâll be there in a sec.âÂ
Not wanting to get caught in whatever that was about, he decided he would be the best friend-slash-brother and get her drink for her. Calls with one of the League could range from a two minute chat to a two hour conversation, so he might as well make sure she got what she wanted.Â
The coffee shop was a lot emptier than he had expected, a bored looking guy behind the register chatting amiably at someone that was cleaning a spill on the other side. Unfortunately, Dick didnât notice the second worker until she stood up abruptly and he almost knocked her down. Thankfully his reflexes were quick, even with his still healing arm and finally unbruised back, and he managed to slip an arm behind the woman's back to help her keep her balance.Â
âCrap, I'm so sorry,â she said, and Dick almost dropped her because he hadn't expected to find Marinette of all people working in the coffee shop that Donna had brought him to. She seemed equally stunned as her eyes went wide and she brought a hand to her mouth. âDick? WhatâŠâÂ
âI guess this time you're falling for me,â he said in a low voice, the memory of their last parting easily recalled when she was so close. The groan she gave was louder than he thought strictly necessary, but she was smiling as she braced a hand on his chest and pushed lightly.Â
âI cannot leave you alone for five seconds, can I?â Donna's amused and exasperated voice said from behind him, and he reluctantly released Marinette to turn towards his best friend. âSorry, Mari, I should have warned you about his weakness for pretty faces.âÂ
âIt's fine,â the shorter woman squeaked, face flushing as she moved behind the counter. âYour usual, Donna? And what can I get started for you, Dick?âÂ
Once she had their orders, she got to work, her eyes darting to Dick fairly often as she did so. He grinned widely at her, though his mind raced a mile a minute as he tried to work out what she was doing here. Even with his wariness and curiosity, he couldn't help but admire her fluid movements and surety, and wonder how inappropriate it would be to try and date her when she had no idea of his other identity.Â
âAlright, here are your drinks,â she chirped brightly, before shucking her apron and turning back to her coworker. âSteve, I'm all done for the day and Jo should be here at half past! Seeya later.âÂ
âLater,â said the guy - Steve, Dick guessed - and Marinette beamed before bouncing off to leave her apron somewhere.Â
âI told you she was cute,â said Donna as soon as Marinette was out of earshot, and Dick nodded absently. He didn't want to put Marinette as a thief just yet, not if she had given up her life of crime, and it wasn't like Donna was easy to fool. But his silence alerted her that something was different anyway, and she frowned at him. âYou alright?âÂ
âHey! Sorry, I had to clock out and that machine hates me,â said Marinette, sliding into the free seat and resting her head on the table. Donna didn't seem concerned about that so Dick didn't jump into questioning mode about if she was getting enough sleep. She brightened again a moment later, sitting up and resting her chin on her hand as she studied Dick. âSo what brings you all the way from New Jersey?â
âWait, you two know each other?â asked Donna, head tilting towards him questioningly.Â
âOh, know is a bit of an exaggeration,â Marinette replied, waving a hand. âWe met a couple of times when I lived in New Jersey but I don't think I ever even told him my surname.âÂ
Dick had to bite his tongue so he didn't correct her. It wasn't that what she was saying was wrong; she hadn't met Dick more than those two times. But as Robin, he knew her much better. Not only that, but before she had vanished he had finally realised that she was Lady Grey. He winced internally as the thought that he would need to see if she'd continued her thieving ways after escaping hit him.Â
âBut it's not important, I guess! Wow, a crazy coincidence that we're meeting again, huh?â She was smiling brightly at him, though he thought there was worry lurking in her eyes. He didn't know what she had to worry about from him as a civilian, but he guessed his time in California was going to be interesting.
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