Kagami and Luka arrived at the Dupain-Cheng bakery within minutes of each other, their expressions set with quiet determination. Tom and Sabine met them at the door, worry etched deep into their faces.
âSheâs upstairs,â Sabine said softly. âShe wonât talk to us. Sheâs just⊠crying.â
Luka and Kagami exchanged a glance before nodding in unison and heading up to Marinetteâs room.
The sight that greeted them was heartbreaking.
Marinette sat on the floor in the middle of her room, surrounded by scattered sketches, overturned fabric rolls, and sewing supplies sheâd clearly torn through in a desperate attempt to find her missing dress. Her hands were shaking as she clutched a crumpled piece of paperâprobably the final design. Her breath was uneven, her face blotchy from tears, and she barely even reacted to their arrival.
Luka hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, his voice gentle. âMarinette.â
She lifted her head slightly, just enough so they could see her torn expression, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. âItâs gone,â she whispered. âI looked everywhere. Itâs just⊠gone.â
Kagami knelt beside her, resting a hand on Marinetteâs shoulder. âHow did this happen?â
Marinette shook her head, her fingers gripping the fabric of her pajama pants like a lifeline. âI donât know. Only a few people even knew it was finished. You, Chloe, SabrinaâŠâ She trailed off before exhaling shakily. âAnd Adrien, butââ she stopped herself, shaking her head more firmly. âIt wasnât Adrien. He left early that day. And he wouldnât do something like this. And it couldnât have been any of you girls either.â
Her hands pulled at her hair in frustration as she rocked slightly. âI canât even blame this on Lila. She doesnât even know about the dress,â she muttered, her voice thick with exhaustion.
Luka frowned, mind racing through possibilities. âMarinette, who exactly did you tell?â
âJust Kagami, Chloe, Sabrina, and Adrien,â she murmured.
âWhat about the girlsâ group chat?â Kagami spoke up.
Marinette sniffled, confused. âWhat about it?â
âYou, Chloe, Sabrina, and I were the only ones who knew exactly where the dress was.â
âBut Sabrinaâs still out of the country, and itâs definitely not you or Chloe,â Marinette muttered, rubbing her temples.
âThatâs true,â Kagami admitted, her expression sharpening. âBut⊠Sabrina did get a new phone and a new Instagram account, didnât she?â
Lukaâs expression darkened. âWhat if it was her?â
âIâm not saying she did,â Luka reassured. âIâm saying someone might be pretending to be her.â
Marinetteâs breath hitched. That would explain so much. Lately, Sabrina had been more distant in the chat, only responding when someone else initiated the conversation. Marinette had brushed it off as stress from being away from home, but what ifâ
Luka was already pulling out his phone. âIâm calling her dad.â
Marinette and Kagami froze. Neither of them had even thought of that.
The phone rang twice before Mr. Raincomprix picked up. âLuka? Is something wrong?â
Lukaâs voice was careful. âI need to ask about Sabrina. She got a new phone, right?â
A heavy sigh crackled through the line. âSabrina hasnât had a phone for weeks. Her bag was stolen, passport, phone, everything. She couldnât even come home because of it.â
Marinetteâs blood ran cold.
âSir,â Luka continued, his voice steady despite the weight of the situation, âI think someone has been impersonating her online.â
A pause. Then, quietly, âWhat?â
âWe think whoever stole her phone also stole something from Marinette,â Kagami added, her tone clipped and serious.
Marinette felt numb. Someone had been watching her. Someone had known she wouldnât be home. Someone had taken advantage of her distraction, her trust, her routine.
And now, not only was her dress gone, her identity was compromised. Whoever this was knew she was MDC.
She clenched her fists, her entire body trembling with the weight of the revelation.
Luka placed a hand on her shoulder, grounding her. âListen, Marinette, we canât change whatâs happened.â
Kagami knelt beside her once more, her voice firm yet kind. âBut that doesnât mean youâre out of options.â
Marinette swallowed hard as fresh tears stung her eyes. âWhat am I supposed to do?â
Kagami met her gaze without hesitation. âYouâve worked too hard to let something like this stop you.â
Luka nodded, his blue eyes steady and sure. âThe event is tomorrow. I know itâs not a lot, but you still have time.â
Marinette inhaled sharply, feeling the crushing weight of realityâfive days of work, stolen in an instant. But she had never been the type to back down.
She wiped at her eyes, forcing herself to stand. âIâm not giving up.â
Kagami smirked, her pride in Marinette evident. âGood.â
⌠Emelie is totally a good mom. I promise
⌠Mourning Morning.
⌠Tom and Nooroo (1) (2) (3) (4)
⌠Marinette meeting Nooroo,
⌠Nooroo Zooting the Fuck Out, And Zooting Further
⌠Marinette and Zoe (1)
⌠Luka meeting Marinette (1) (2)
⌠Marinette and Alya (1)
⌠Adrien speaking to Mother :D (1) (?)
⌠Adrien investigating the Timeline (1) (2)
⌠Adrien and Marinette meeting <3 / some adorable doting
⌠Adrien/Marinette hanging out (1) (2) (3) (animatic)
⌠Kim smackdown, Dealing with Lila/Chloe (1) (2) (3)
⌠Is That Jagged Fucking Stone??? (1) (2) (3) (4)
⌠Marinette's first episode (1) (2) (3)
⌠Get it, Nathalie. (1)
⌠Felix returns! (1) (?)
⌠Kagami returns! (?)
⌠The Fashion Show (1) (2)
⌠"The Charity Ball" (1) (2) (3) (4) (?)
⌠AU Ladybug, (additional shitpost)
⌠Viceroy attacking the shit out of Gabriel for my amusement (1) (2)
If you like music when you read, or are just curious about what inspires me, here is my Dreams Playlist. It's loosely arranged in thematic order as far as the posted chapters go.
The wagon had been transformed into a bed. Soft blankets ensured that their precious cargo would not be harmed by the short but jostling journey. Luka was loathe to return Marinette to her family as she was. It would be terrible to bear such bad news, and he feared that he would not dream of her again if she were to go so far away. He did not know if his dream had been more than a figment of his imagination, but he hated to risk it regardless.
Ma swung into the seat beside him, but remained blessedly silent once heâd gotten the horses moving. Luka frowned at the light twittering of birdsong and the early summer sky. What right had the world to be so cheery when Marinette lay sleeping? The trip through the trees and over the bridge into town was too short. Luka looked at the bakery where he had only ever been welcomed with smiles and acceptance. How could he break their hearts like this?
âGet on, lad. Let âem know what tâexpect. Iâll wait wiâ her.â Anarka shooâd him away and he walked heavily into the bakery.
âLuka! Itâs been too long since youâve stopped by.â Tomâs smile crinkled his eyes and Luka winced.
He picked at his sleeve for a second, gathering his courage before he finally spit out the words. âIâve bad news, Mister Dupain. Ma was out in the wood and she found Marinette.â Tomâs eyes grew wide and panicked and Luka rushed to finish. âSheâs asleep. But itâs not a normal sleep. She wonât wake. Weâve brought her to ye.â
Luka stepped aside as Tom rushed past him and out the door. He followed slowly, holding back bitter tears when he saw the tell-tale streaks on Tomâs face. Sabine was fetched and the four of them worked to transport and make Marinette comfortable in her room, laid gently on her bed. The room suited her. It was soft like her smile and bright like her eyes. The quilt Sabine pulled over her still form was made of many colors and worked over with the prettiest embroidery he had ever seen. Every tiny flower reminded him of her.Â
Too soon, they left her alone and he and Ma had to explain how she had been found. It was just as terrible as he imagined it would be to tell them they did not know how long she had lain in the wood, alone and asleep.Â
âI nearly didnâa see the lass. She was half hidden under a tree root anâ her traveling cloak blended in wiâ the forest floor. She hasnâa stirred since we found her.â
Luka told them they thought she might have been cursed. He didnât mention the dream. He feared they would think him addle-brained. They all wondered what had happened and where Lady Tikki was. Did the kindly witch know what had happened to her charge? Tom and Sabine said they would send someone to find her cottage and seek her help.
The trip home was silent. It was obvious that Anarka wanted to say something, but Luka was in no mood for well-meaning platitudes, or even his motherâs wisdom. Finding no peace in his music, Luka could not settle to play and finally retreated to bed as soon as the sun went down, feeling as if he were drowning in silence.Â
He suffered through two dreamless nights, worrying about Marinette and her family. Wondering if Lady Tikki would be found and if she could help. The wood taunted him with its secrets. If only the trees could speak; Luka would offer a great deal to know how to help.
Rose came to see Juleka, and she shared that while the Dupain-Chengs were seeking word of Tikki, the witch hadnât yet been found. Rose did her best to keep their spirits up with stories of Marinette and their friends as children and that night, Luka fell asleep with Marinetteâs melody thrumming through his heart once again.
Luka was startled when he found himself in a bright flowery⊠wood. There was something phantasmic about it, the trees appeared ghostlyâas if they would scatter at the lightest touch. It was as cool as the gray space where he had first found Marinette had been, and goosebumps pebbled his skin at the memory. He reached out to touch a tree, but it vanished into white mist.Â
After suffering two nights of dreamless sleep, he had begun to despair of finding her again. But here, there was hope. He had fallen asleep humming the melody that reminded him of Marinette and opened his eyes in the place he had longed to find again.
âI missed you.â
Luka spun to see Marinette, dressed in white, sitting in the center of a white-dotted field. Her eyes looked large in her face, but there was a glimmer of hope instead of tears shining in their depths.
He sucked in a breath and reached out to her. âSorry. I didnât mean to leave you.â
Blue eyes held his gaze, the color seemed almost unearthly in contrast with the white-hued landscape. âWhere did you go?âÂ
âI woke up.â
âOh.â Luka watched as Marinette pulled a stem from the mist and examined the delicate blossoms. âAm I real, or just part of your dream?â
His heart clenched at the hint of despair in her voice, and he took a step closer. âYou are real.â
She took a slow, deep breath. âHow do you know?â
He hesitated for a second before walking through the blossoms to get to her. She watched his steps closely and the flowers at his feet disappeared just seconds before his feet touched them, leaving a speckled path of empty white mist behind him. He knelt right in front of her and tilted her chin gently up to look at him.Â
âYou said you missed me. That means you're here when I canât be.â
She blinked slowly, considering his words. âOh.â
âAnd Iâve seen you. Youâre asleep. No one can get you to wake up. My ma thinks you may have been cursed. Donât worryâyouâre safe now at your parentâs house.â
Marinette frowned. âCursed? I canât remember...âÂ
The flowers shimmered until the lilies werenât lilies anymore. Broad orange poppies waved in the darkening mist and the ghostly trees seemed to darken and close in on them. Luka didnât know what it meant, but it felt ominous. There was something threatening about the orange petals.
âHey, hey, itâs okay.â Luka cupped Marinetteâs face in his hand and caught her eyes. âWe will find a way to get you out.â
He waited while she took a deep breath. The orange faded back to white and the misty forest relaxed once again.Â
âWhy?â
He felt a blush stain his cheeks, but wasnât sure if it showed in this place. âI danced with you once. Iâve never been able to stop thinking about it. About you. Youâre stuck in my head and Iâd do anything for you.â Luka whispered the promise as if it were a vow.Â
The tiniest smile shaped her lips, âThere were flowers then too.â Luka nodded. âI remember that much.â Marinette smiled up at him shyly, and Luka sank to the ground next to her. Any fears he had about being too forward disappeared when she leaned against him with a soft sigh.
âWhere did the flowers come from?â Luka asked her, gesturing to the transformed dreamscape. The gray dream where he had first found her had been bleak and disheartening. The white flowers and general lightness was an improvement, though her eyes still stood out as the most brilliant color in the dreamscape.
Marinette waved her stem of blossoms as if they were tiny bells, and met his eyes for a brief second. âFrom you, I think.â
âMe? How?â Luka was puzzled, he hadnât been here long enough to do much.
âYou left me your warmth. When you held my hand. And I kept thinking about the day we danced. You wore the white flowers.â
Luka wrapped an arm around her, squeezing her shoulder gently. âYou gave me that sprig.â
âI did?â
âMhmm.â
Luka watched as she frowned. Whatever held her here, also seemed to make it hard for her to remember the real world. Marinette shook off whatever was puzzling her and looked back up to him.Â
âMy hand still felt warm after you left and I thought about the flowers and then I thought about how much prettier it would be if it was more like the night we danced. And the flowers⊠grew. I donât think thatâs quite right. Itâs the right wordâflowers growâbut these ones kind of shivered into place.â
âSounds like you created it.â
âMaybe, but I donât think I could have done it without you.â Luka tightened his hold and listened to her song. It was peaceful. He wished he could stay, but he had a feeling he wouldnât have long.
âYouâre going to leave again arenât you?âÂ
Luka looked into her face and nodded sadly. âI donât think I have a choice.â
âWill you come back?â
âIf I can. There were nights I slept but didnât dream. I havenât figured out the secret to it yet.â Luka hated that he couldnât promise to find a way back to her. He felt a wave of panic in her song and wished he could help her find her joy again. He missed the sound of her laughter, the light in her eyes as they danced. He would find a way to help her.Â
The piercing sound of a teakettle invaded his mind and he grasped Marinetteâs hand and whispered quickly, âDonât give up. I wonât. We will get you home again.â
The last thing he saw before he woke was Marinetteâs blue eyes filled with determination.
Prologue, Chapter 16, Chapter 17 (you are here), Chapter 18
Maribat Fandom Discords can sometimes be hard to find - so we've made a list for you of general and ship specific discords! Come join us for some chaos.
General:
MLBxDC (Maribat)
Maribat After Dark (Adult Only/NSFW)
Maribat Server - send an ask on Tumblr to join
Maribat? Get In!
Miraculous Swiftibat (Maribat Taylor Swift)
Ship Specific:
Java Junkies (Timari)
Dickinette Appreciation
Maribat Rare Pairs
Jasonette
(Got a server that you want us to include on the list that we missed? Let us know and we can add it! All links posted with server permission prior to adding.)
Do you have any hidden gem fics or lesser known authors you would recommend for Lukanette?
I'm not going to lie, it's way easier to call to mind friends' fics so the same names tend to pop up when I'm trying to think of recommendations, so this is a great question. I don't really want to claim these are 'hidden gems' or 'lesser known authors' just because they're not in the circle of authors I hear from and talk to frequently, so let's put it this way: here's some works I love that haven't come up in the recs I've been asked for recently.
(full disclosure some of them are still written by friends đ but may be older or don't get as much love as I think they deserve)
I don't know tumblr names for most of these authors so I can't tag them but if you recognize your fic here and would like to be tagged, shoot me a message or leave a reply and I'll edit the post to add it.
A Discordant Song by Bounemr (this one is not heavy on the lukanette but I still love it)
Standing Here All Alone by Thistle_and_Thorns
Cherry Blossoms at Midnight by FrivolousFlare
The Feel of Music by Renigan
Juleka vs. the Forces of the Universe by @goldenlaurelleaveswrites
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (Lukanette Week 2019) by @semi-slaughtomatic
Brave New World: Lukanette Week 2019 by seasonofthegeek
Chai Tea and Fresh Starts by @freedom-shamrock (I still looooove this one)
Awards and Appreciation by whatarubberchicken
music to knit a broken heart by NanimokÂ
In Between the Metro by damagectrl
Okay, disclaimer on this one: It is adrienette endgame, but I enjoy the Lukanette part of it so much that I'm listing it anyway. When I reread, I just stop before they breakup. I don't know that this kind of recommendation would actually be appreciated, so apologies to the author. đ More of What Was Once Mine by RavenclawPianistÂ
Oooh and I haven't read this one myself yet but friends are gushing about it so I'm reccing it based on that: Hunted by the Night Light by hislittlelady (NSFW)
Have fun! and be sure to leave the authors a comment, I'm sure they'd love it.
I found this deep in my gallery and it was like finding a lost part of me. I just didn't have the heart to shove it down that box. Say hi to the very first digital drawing I made. I am no longer making these but I will post all the ones I have.
This is a list of Miraculous Ladybug fics I like on AO3, if you have any recs for me feel free to send me some!
Fair warning his is mostly going to be Felix/Marinette and Damian Wayne/Marinette.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Felix Graham De Vanily
Hey, Little Songbird by charlietheepic7Â
~Really, Felix couldn't believe his cousin sometimes. Marinette was talented, beautiful, kind, and had a crush on Adrien bigger than the mansion, yet Adrien was blind to the treasure right in front of him. "Just a friend," indeed.
Well, if Adrien wasn't going to do anything, it wouldn't matter if Felix... snatched her up?~
Welcome To The Back by Geeeny
~Marinette Dupain-Cheng sits alone in the back.
Until she doesn't.~
birds of a feather by WithLovePoohBear
~When Mme Bustierâs class gets a new student, Marinette might just finally find true friends who love and support her for who she is.
But more accurately, she finds her home.~
Pen Pals by That_Kwami_plaggÂ
~Marinette and Felix have been Pen Pals for two years.
She tells him everything. All of the abuse, lies and manipulations.
He became her sanctuary, and her his.
What happens when Felix moves to France? Can he help her through her struggles, or will he be another victim of Lila?~
Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Damian Wayne
Sheâs Sunshine, Sheâs Grace, Sheâll Punch You in the Face by Brinxiethebear
~Marinette struggles to stay happy nowadays but what better way to change your mood than with a change of location? Adrien gave up his miraculous so he could start fresh. After all, his dad was in prison for being the super villain Hawkmoth and his other caretaker Nathalie died from over use of a broken Miraculous. So now Marinette is the guardian of the miraculous. ~
for us to collide by LadyLiterature
~The story of Marinette stumbling upon the illustrious Wayne family over and over again, as well as the more infamous Bats, over the course of her many visits to Gotham. She, of course, charms the whole lot of them and finds that the same is true in the reverse.~
A Robin and His Lady by ProudGeek4Ever
~Marinette lost her friends to Lila, Adrien was long forgotten and Chat Noir kept getting more irresponsible. Being a teenage superhero was stressfull, but Marinette's life takes a turn for the better when a chance meeting in Gotham changes everything. Damian changes everything.~
No, Mr. Wayne, You Can't Adopt Me! by ggomoz (ggomo_springtime)
~Bruce's personal assistant is scarily competent---she seems to know the best decision at each time, predict emergencies, and is an expert at handling all of his children. But what if there's more to her than meets the eye?~
More Than One Secret by TyshianÂ
~Marinette Dupain-Cheng has Secrets. Damian Wayne has Secrets. The pair together have Secrets.~
Reunions are... interesting if youâre a Todd by crazyjc
~Alright, this is based on laraceleste's Tell Me More where Jason Todd is Marinetteâs big brother with one exceptionâMarinette didnât know where Jason was after she was adopted until after he died when she was ten. They were apart for three years here, as GCPD got her at 7.~
It's Just Indifference by dontyoublink
~Marinette thought she would just get some inspiration for her designs when she headed to the park. As luck would have it, she also meets four (interesting? unique? slightly insane?) Americans. Frisbee, ice cream, and much-needed conversations ensue.~
World's Greatest Detectives, My Ass by Appleberry84
~Marinette figures out the Batfam's identities and decides to torture them.~
Leave it Behind by ShannonEsmerelda
~Marinette Dupain-Cheng has grown tired of Paris, and the miracle box was no longer safe there. It'd been active in the country for too long, seen too much damage. She needed to find a place for both her and the kwami's to heal, while still having the ability to be a hero. So, why not Gotham? The city had enough crime for both her and the bat family without getting in each others way, right? Right?~
Report to HR by SimplyAnotherWriterÂ
~Look; Bruce liked Marinette. If the girl hadnât already had loving and adoring parents that had spotless records and nothing incriminating about them whatsoever(Bruce had checked long and hard), he probably would have adopted the girl just like he had the others.
However, things wouldn't remain this perfect if Damian continued to try and mess it up by SCARING the poor girl!~
The Sun Who Lit Up The Night Sky by FandomQueen10325, leaping_lizard_babe
~4 months after the defeat of Hawkmoth, the akuma class wins a trip to Gotham. While they are there, Marinette keeps attracting bad luck, and can never seem to stay out of trouble. The Batfam is very interested when they learn about what had happened in Paris, so they question ladybug.~
Travels of Passion by StarShine583
~When people as famous as the Waynes come to visit your city, the most you'd expect to get from them is a quick little smile. A hand shake if you're in the right place at the right time and extremely lucky. Marinette didn't really expect to get either, and she certainly didn't expect to get what she actually got.~
Of Birds and Bugs (revising and rewriting) by orphan_account
~Marinette was a busy girl. Between her idol work as NeTi, and her duty as Ladybug, it was hard to do everything else, like being a good class president. Still, she was able to pull through.
Somehow, the class get's a trip to Gotham, sponsored by Bruce Wayne himself, and it looked like Marinette would be able to take a break for once.~
Dinner at Wayne Manor by littlefleetinglight forÂ
~In the front hall standing in a line was Bruce, Dick, Jason, Tim and Damien; in that orders, with Alfred standing in front of them like an officer in front of his troops.
âNow, when Ms.Marinette arrives there will be no inappropriate language, no crude gestures or noises, and there will be no interrogation. Do you gentlemen understand?â~
#SunshineOfGotham by sixtyeightdays
~All of Gotham knows Marinette, the Sunshine who's made her way into everyone's hearts. But so what if all of Gotham knows Marinette? Does her class know that they know Marinette? Of course not, why would they! But, well, let's see how they find out.~
Rockinâ the House by littlefleetinglight forÂ
~It was another charity gala held by the Wayne Family; this one was raising funds for art programs across the world, and because it was for art there were artists of all types from all over, including the famous RockânâRoll artist Jagged StoneâŠand his guest.~
To marry an Assassin by PL_Panda
~Marinette wakes up in a cell and later is forced to marry a member of the League of Shadows, who is also less than willing. Exactly what she was pulled in? And of course there is magic involved, so no cancellation. And apparently in Tibet ancient orders can marry minors off just like that. This was definitely not Damian's day. Or Week. Or month. He got married with a random girl...~
Who Needs Words? by AKP31E
~After the defeat of Hawkmoth and the retirement of Suhan, Marinetteâs life is just getting crazier. She doesnât know how a soulmate could ever fit into her life, and sometimes she thinks the two letters on her wrist are just the universeâs joke to her, but she knows better than to bank on it. Her soul mark isnât even a word. Who is going to say âTtâ to her?~
History Repeats by DesertSnowQueenÂ
~When Kitty Noire makes an appearance in Gotham, she finds herself drawn to a certain little bird whose brothers are far too entertained by this turn of events~
Magical Girl by Judysupremus
~Marinette accidentally portals into the batcave.~
The Power of Luck by FridayFirefly
~The Ladybug Miraculous had quite a few side effects, none more powerful and unpredictable than the power of Miraculous Luck. When Marinette's family relocates to Gotham, Marinette finds her Miraculous Luck leading her down a path she never would have expected, a path that leads straight to Damian Wayne.~
The events on a Saturday Morning by orphan_account
~Marinette and Damian have been in a long distance relationship for over a year with (most) of the Batfamily not knowing at all until a young girl stumbles through a portal on a Saturday morning.~
Friendly Sunshine In Gotham by M1dn1ght_Star
~Marinette is happy to be back in Gotham after a visit with Jagged several years ago. This might just end up being the perfect way to expose Lila once and for all, as a nice bonus to seeing her honorary family and boyfriend again.~
~Tradition says that your soulmate will have another tattoo, something that relates to you. When they meet you, it is said that the tattoos start glowing a bright gold.~
Calling for Help by Dramatic_SquirrelÂ
~It's been a month since the Battle of Miracle Queen and Marinette has been struggling alone under the pressure of being the new guardian. With her training yet to have been completed, Marinette makes her first official decision as the new guardian, to ask the Justice League for help.~
serendipity by keeptellingyourselfthat
~The last time Damian AL-Ghul saw Marinette was when they were twelve. He didn't think he would see her again. So, it's a huge surprise when he stumbles upon her in WE while exposing the liar of the class from France.~
In The Wrong Bed? by San_ficsÂ
~âLike I said,â Jason yawned. âEventually everyone in this family goes crazy.â
âI'm not crazy!â Damian protested. âShe was here!â
âMaybe you just had a very realistic dream?â Dick suggested.
âIâm perfectly capable of distinguishing dreams from reality, thank you very much!â Snapped Damian. âShe was real and she was in my bed!â~
Cat Cursed by TheStarfishAlien
~The Cheng family carries a curse. Every other generation carries a second form, that of a cat. Their dual nature makes it difficult for those with the curse to fit in with society. Some flee permanently into the form of the cat, while others try their hardest to pretend that their cat form does not exist. Very few find a balance in the middle.~
Secrets, Masks and Family Gatherings by ggomoz (ggomo_springtime)
~After nearly a year of being together, Damian finally decides to introduce Marinette to his family.~
living among the regular people of the world trying to blend in by another_cancer
~Marinette was an assassin named ladybug that was supposed to kill Damian, but she didn't and now they meet again years later.~
New but True by yannowhatigiveup
~Damian and Marinette are kidnapped from their lives to be betrothed to one another. Unfortunately, they were separated and missed the other greatly. Once realising that Marinette is in Gotham for a school trip, Jon, being the good friend he is, reunites them.~
Eons & Eternities by Utopian_angel
~After dedicating many life cycles to an endless conflict between chaos and order, Ra's Al Ghul decides to use his last chance to form a union.
A union between their respective heirs that will last for eons & eternities.~
Use Your Brain by Judysupremus
~Marinette and her class go to Gotham. What happens when she has to rescue Chat Noir from Batman?
The is silly, potentially crack.~
An Awkward Reveal by Miraculous_786
~Who can blame Edward Nygma for being protective over his adopted daughter?
The very daughter who was dating Damian Wayne right under his nose.~
The Bride that can Break Bones by LovesWifi
~Marinette and Damian are betrothed and that's all you need to know.~
Authors:
Favourite Author
Most Underrated Author
Best Maribat Author of All Time (2023 Edition)
Best New Author
Fics:
Favourite Fic
Most Underrated Fic
Best Maribat Fic of All Time (2023 Edition)
Ships:
Best Daminette
Best Jasonette
Best Timari
Best Dickinette
Best Rare Pair
Best Platonic (non-bio-family)
Best Biological family AU (not just biodad!Bruce)
Overall:
Best One-Shot
Best Multi-Chapter
Best Fluff
Best Angst
Best Hurt/Comfort
Best Comedy
Previous Years Winner Masterlists:
2022
2021
2020/2019
Preemptive Protection Dick gives Marinette a shovel talk for Damian
Follow up by @tree-reads Say something
Nice sign- Marinette meets Damian after confessing to Adrien
In the Dark Damian actor au. trapped in a closet
Ice cream taste test challenge
That Happened- fake dating. links to ao3
Beware of Dog It's Plagg's fault that Marinette lied about having a dog
About your Ex Damian and Marinette fight after he meets Adrien
Marshmallows with Cocoa Damian is distracted at work
To be Worthy Damian ran from Gotham after displeasing Bruce. He meets Marinette before he is located by his family. links to ao3
Disintegrate Marinette is taken from her bed in the middle of the night and brought to Gotham. But there are far worse people with darker plans for her. links to ao3 (incomplete and slow updates)
In Cahoots Marinette sneaks into Damian's place with the help of Dick but he returns early and finds her
Book binding by @tinybrie
Choosing Fate The man only known as the Demon has Marinette brought to him so they can be married. links to Ao3. (incomplete)
The Mission They were fighting together against the vampires but Marinette was turned and sent to find Damian
Summary: Damian continues to try and get more information about the akuma class and Marinette while Dick is having an off day and just wants it to get better.
Only one brother gets what they want.
CH 20:
Damian may have jumped the gun on that one.Â
He admitted that, willingly, in the privacy of his own mind.Â
âTo Dupain-Cheng? I mean sure but why would you like to know.â Chloe asked with narrowed sharp eyes.
Bourgeois was sharp, as were all his acquaintances so there was no point in lying, though he was confident he could do so flawlessly, his acquaintances had proved to be somewhat trustful. They all kept secrets if asked unless it was something trivial which confused him to no end. Allegra could ask they donât tell anyone what she shared with them when it came to her having trouble mentally or her parents fighting but the group would tell almost everyone in the group how Claude had a crush on so-and-so from class-whatever. Richard said that is just how teenagers and friends are but it didnât make sense to Damian and he tried many times to make it make sense. The only thing that made him feel better is the fact his father also didnât understand. When he was in med school he told him how his study group kept his fear of bats to themselves but when he admitted to not being a fan of some musician that that information was shared and laughed at, but he stated clearly that the laughing wasnât at him, just at the information as a study group member had explained. Again. It was strange, but Damian felt like this wasnât one of those moments that they would share his information with others.Â
âIt goes without saying that what I tell you does not leave this table,â he began, âI know I said that if I knew something I wouldnât tell, but given Bourgeoisâs forthcoming, I too can be a little forthcoming. Dupain-Cheng is now a ward of my Father for the rest of the exchange.â
Vogel nodded and glared at everyone at the table as if to ward them off even thinking of telling anyone what Damian was saying. It wasâŠnice and appreciated. Vogul reminded him of Cassandra sometimes and it always left him feeling warm yet wrongfooted. The blonde wasnât his sister but sometimes she felt like it and that also confused him. Nonetheless he gave Vogel a small nod of appreciation. âAfter the events at Wayne Tower and what followed, it was decided that my father take care of Dupain-Cheng for the remainder of the trip and actual chaperones are being flown in. The original plan of having the class merge with ours has been effectively thrown out the window and negotiations are being made where to place everyone as they will be separated. Dupain-Cheng and her friends will join our class but it hasnât been decided where Rossi and her sycophants will go.âÂ
Allaway pursed his lips together and looked deep in thought, it was like he was trying to organize everything that was said and unsaid. He was someone who liked puzzles and mysteries. âYou guys are building a case?â It was posed as a question but Damian knew the other boy better. It was a statement. Damian simply leaned back in his chair to give Allaway his attention, it took the boy some time to voice his thoughts so Damian waited before responding. âThe question is, who is the case against?âÂ
âI would think that obvious by now Allaway.â Damian scoffed.Â
Allaway stared at Damian intensely until he let out a deep sigh, âYeah, I know, I was saying it to be dramatic.â
âYouâre always dramatic.â Damian countered.
âNo. Thatâs Claude.â Allaway shot right back.
âGuilty!â Hardy sing-songed. Damian conceded. Hardy was always dramatic. Every announcement he made to the group or even the school was so rich in dramatics that Damian wondered if the boy practiced what he said every day to make sure it was the perfect amount of dramatic or if it was something instinctual. Damian felt like it was the latter. Sometimes Hardyâs dramatics confused him but Vogel was good at explaining what the dramatic boy was saying, she was basically the Hardy Translator.
âWe are getting off topic.â Bourgeois sighed. âYou really want to know everything that witch did to Dupain-Cheng, Wayne? Then you better buckle in and take notes.
Damian nodded and pressed the hidden button on his watch that Lucius Fox and his son Lucas upgraded at Bruceâs request, that would record the rest of the conversation. Though he did take out a notebook and pen, he never wrote in pencil, writing in pencil showed you were not confident in your writing or knowledge. He was trying to break out of the habit though as it was one Raâs made sure âstuckâ with his heir. His grandfather would never settle for anything less than perfect and the one time Damian took a test in front of his grandfather and used a pencil, he was punished. Damian hid a wince at the memories of that particular lesson and instead stared at his watch, it was a replica of his Grandfather's watch , the one he wore when he was murdered. It was a bit morbid but it was the thought behind it that made it one of Damianâs most prized possessions.Â
It had been a little after he had beenâŠintroduced to his father and a little before his fatherâs seeming demise at Darkseidâs hand that Bruce had taken Damian aside into his study to talk to him. Damian thought it would be another reprimand of his methods but had been surprised when Bruce handed him a small box with a bow on it. He had been so hesitant, so wary, so suspicious that his father had gently taken the box from him and opened it to show a watch. A rather nice watch though Damian had noted its somewhat dated design. Like someone had purposefully made it look vintage. â Itâs made to look like my fatherâs watch, your grandfather, though I have no doubt you wereâŠinformed of my parents before you came here -â
â I know everything about you, Father, and my grandparents .â Damian had interrupted, eager to prove his knowledge, his worth.Â
â I donât doubt that, Damian, but you were told about them by people who did not know them. That makes all the difference. There is time for stories so you get to know them like I knew them but this is the first one I will tell you. â Bruce had looked sincere yet a bit uncomfortable, Damian had chalked it up to his fatherâs weakness of not getting over his parentâs death. Such a weakness was not allowed in the League, but Damian had said nothing of the fact even if he could. Richard had been teaching him just because you could doesnât mean you should. It was confusing but his father seemed to agree with the sentiment so Damian was doing his best to learn it.Â
His father continued. â When my father was ten, his father bought him his first watch. I never met my grandfather, but when I was young, my father told me grandfather wanted to start a new Wayne tradition. When the heir of the family turned ten, they would be gifted a watch. Iâm afraid that the reason is lost in time and forgotten memories but my father wanted to continue this tradition. I got my watch on my birthday and 9 days later my parents died. My father had been wearing his birthday watch that night .â
Damian hadnât wanted to interrupt but he did want to touch the watch and his father seemed to understand that so he passed back the gift and watched as Damian had caressed the face of the watch with his thumb.Â
â I admit that I have bought your brother's watches as well but I know you are struggling to accept them. I wonât lie and say I understand but I want to feel connected to them, to me, to this family. I wasnât able to give you a watch on your birthday but I am giving it to you now. I had this made for you in the image of your grandfatherâs watch because I want to show you how important you are to this family and me. I could have easily given you a new watch as I had your brotherâs but you deserve a connection to your roots. I hope you like it. â
Damian had only nodded but the small smile his father gave in return had filled him with such warmth he hadnât known what to do other than let his father put the watch on him. Later, Alfred would explain that Bruce had the watch built with many hidden features to keep Damian safe and to make sure his son wouldnât be without a way out of a situation. The watch was made to resemble the Rolex Submariner that Damian had seen in a case along with a broken pearl necklace and some loose grimy pearls. He knows they were keepsakes of his grandparents that Bruce kept in a protected case in the Cave. He didnât really believe it would make him feel any more connected to the Wayne name than him already being Bruce Wayneâs biological son but wearing the watch and seeing the original in its case when he was down in the Cave actually did make him feel connected in a way he couldnât explain. Thus it became one of his most prized possessions much like his first straight double edged sword his mother gave him for the earliest birthdays he could remember.Â
Damian inhaled slowly then exhaled to bring himself out of his memory before he looked up at Bourgeois and gave her a short nod. âProceed.âÂ
___________________
Dick was doing all he could to relax and show Marinette the companyâs botanical gardens as it was something she had wanted to do. It was good to see her smile and flit from plant to plant like a little honey bee or something, but Dick couldnât get rid of his tension completely. He was always like that after dealing with Two-Face even if it wasnât the usual confrontation between the two, i.e mask to two faces but it still left him feeling the same. Angry, restless and most annoyingly, scared. He wasnât the same little scared Robin but dealing with Two-Face always made him feel like he was. He thought he worked past all that! But seeing Marinette in his arms with a gun pressed to her head brought uncomfortable flashbacks of a different tiny black-haired blue-eyed child. A child who got cocky in his skills as Robin and helper of Batman. He could still feel the long-since healed injuries throb in phantom pain. Dick couldnât help the flash of another black-haired blue-eyed child, older than the first when he learned that being Robin wasnât magical or whimsical. Thinking of that never did him any good, if anything it brought about an enormous amount of guilt and anger that Dick didnât know what to do with.Â
âMari-gold?â A very familiar voice pulled Dick out of his thoughts and he cursed himself for being so distracted.Â
âIvy!â Marinette shouted out in glee as she ran to hug the woman she had seen fairly recently. It made Dick smile though, this kid loved with her whole heart and it was something he admired.Â
âNow what are you doing here, Sapling?âÂ
âI came here with Mister Dick and Mister Tim. Though we lost Tim pretty early on.â Oh yeah, they did. Though Dick was willing to bet Tim just went to the coffee shop nearby, he seemed to have a built in radar for knowing where they were no matter what part of town they were in. It was kind of funny though since Tim wasnât even a big fan of coffee, he more so just needed the caffeine. The guy preferred tea but he was really particular about which places made the best tea, specifically a good olâ Dirty Chai.Â
âAnd what brings you to the Gardens today, Ive?â Dick asked, deciding to partake in the conversation.Â
âOh just making sure they are doing okay and to give the workers a restock of my special fertilizer.â That made sense, Ivy was, on-the-down low helping the Wayne Botanical Studies team. While Harley helped them more with their night time business, Ivy was content to help in the more official business. With the occasional helping hand stopping a threat if they âgot in over their heads.â Her words.Â
âYou make your own fertilizer?â Marinette asked. Look, Dick was also curious about that but after finding Ivy and Jason talking one night with these big-ass smiles on their faces, all teeth, he was like 80% sure that fertilizer was some of JasonâsâŠproblems. But there was no way in hell that Dick was going to try and confirm that, and he sure as hell would not be telling Bruce that little theory.Â
âYes! It takes time but it-â
âMy Passion Lily! I got your Matcha Lemonade and look! I found a wild Wayne.â They were interrupted by Harley, which was not a surprise, and she was dragging a resigned looking Tim with her.Â
Ivy merely huffed out a laugh at her wife before taking the offered drink with a kiss to Harleyâs cheek. âThank you, Peanut, I also found a wild Wayne and a little Sapling.â
âMari-Doll!â Harley squeaked out before almost knocking the poor girl off her feet in her hurry to smother the girl in a hug. Surprisingly they didnât fall over.Â
âHi Harley!â
âYou guys saw each other the other night?â Tim said, confused.Â
âAnd?â Marinette and Harley asked in unison. It made Dick giggle and helped relieve him of more of his pent up tension.Â
âWell since we're all here, why donât we walk around together?â Dick offered. âBruce wanted Tim to get some fresh air so try not to let him sneak off again.â
Tim gave an offended squawk which had Marinette laughing once more. âIâm fine!â
âYeah, okay Timmy-Boy.â Harley said with a scoff as she laced her arms together with Ivy and Marinette. âAnd Iâm the Queen of England.â
âYou do need some time outside the Manor Tim. Itâs not healthy to stay cooped up.â Ivy said as she happily walked with Harley and Marinette. Though she did grab Tim by the scruff of his shirt and manhandled him toward Dick. He looked very much like a cranky kitten.Â
âWhat is this? Pick on Tim day?âÂ
âI believe Damian has that scheduled for next month.â Dick wished he was joking.
Marinette obviously noticed he wasnât if her raised brow was anything to go off. âOh?â
âHe stepped on Titusâs tail three months ago, on accident.â Dick explained. âBut Damian is very good at keeping grudges and heâs very good on cashing in on favors.âÂ
Tim merely whined in response and Dick couldnât help but pity his brother for a second before he remembered how Tim used him as a human meat shield when Condiment King randomly joined in on a fight against some robbers. Apparently he was also planning on robbing the jewelry store after keeping a low profile from his then-recent prison break. Needless to say it took Dick forever trying to get the mustard smell out of his costume once again and had to beg Alfred for help once again. Even though Alfred refused to help with cleaning anything CK contaminated, it spiked his blood pressure or something like that. Dick thinks itâs because of all the first times he helped clean them up when the rogue had been new on the scene. That had been a long month and Dick had seen how Alfred got more and more annoyed each time they came home covered in mustard, ketchup, you name it. It was awful. Truly. So Dick didnât feel all that bad. Stephanie was already coming up with a list of things to tease Tim about. She specifically waits for the days Damian declares will be Pick-On Drake Days so she has lists on lists compiled for that very reason. She hoards them and never shares until the scheduled day. Duke surprisingly joined in too and started making his own list.Â
âHeâs very dedicated.â Marinette giggled out.
âThatâs one word for it.â Tim grumbled.Â
From there they had a good time touring the different gardens with Ivy acting as a somewhat tour guide and Dick could see it was really helping Marinette unwind as well. The interview with Jim and Harvey had really gotten her tense which was totally understandable, it would be intimidating for anyone. Tim tried to escape a couple times but after Dick teasingly asked if he should get Tim a child-leash and Ivy offered to make one out of vines he stopped. He even seemed to be relaxing a small bit. It was nice, really and it seemed to be something that Dick needed too without realizing it. Eventually they went out for lunch and after they went their separate ways. The drive back to the Manor had been nice too, normal traffic and a nice playlist helped. Tim and Marinette had even made some good conversation, though Dick got worried at the mention of PowerPoints. He hoped it was nothing serious, but the fact that Tim found someone as obsessed with planning and making PowerPoints was a little frightening. Maybe more than a little, Dick could only take so many Tim PowerPoints. He loved his brother, dearly, with his whole heart, but his PowerPoints were long andâŠthorough. He even tested people on the more important ones with a freaking Kahoot match. Cass and surprisingly Damian always won those.Â
As they made their way into the manor Dick was pretty much planning on taking a good, lengthy nap to catch up on the sleep he hadn't gotten last night. His brain felt fried and scrambled, like it couldnât decide whether to sink into the depressing thoughts from before or just remember the good time at the gardens they all had, even Tim surprisingly had a good time. As he sunk into the couch in the family living room his mind seemed to settle on both. His eyes closed and he saw Marinette laughing and smiling at their afternoon activities, then it would flash to her being held against Two-Face. He could hear the rogueâs laugh deep in his bones, then it changed to the Jokerâs unique cackle. Marinette changed from her to him to Jason at blinding speeds. He could hear Marinetteâs voice firm and confident in contrast to the fear in her eyes when she told him there was no time and that she would lead Scarecrow away. He could hear her yelling and telling Alfred she and they werenât safe. He heard his own cries and shouts mixed with Two-Faceâs voice. He could hear what he imagined Jason sounded like when the Joker beat him to death. He could hear the accusations of others about his jealousy of Jason being adopted.Â
That unfortunately brought up memories of the talk he had had with Bruce once upon a time about Jason and adoption. It felt like he had had to fight not only tabloids but even Bruce about nonexistent hatred. Dick never hated Jason, but he had been so caught up in his anger with Bruce that he let it affect his and Jasonâs relationship. He had just been so angry and it wasnât an excuse but sometimes it seemed like he was even trying to justify his actions to himself. Though there was some jealousy and hurt there that he didnât know what to do with, okay he did know what to do but the fact it would have to involve talking to Bruce and Jason was not something that sounded fun nor easy. He liked a good challenge but that idea sounded impossible. Like yes, he was Bruceâs son now but for so long he was just a ward, like Marinette was now, he called Bruce dad, they lived together, they fought crime together, they took care of each other, and yet it took years for Bruce to adopt him. But Jason? Dick knew Jason was Bruceâs son, his first son, his favorite son. Jason got the Bruce Dick had always wanted and it had hurt. Jasonâs death had impacted Bruce more than his parents. That was a fact.Â
AndâŠAnd Dick had no idea where this was all coming from. He knew he didnât know Marinette well as her classâs tour guide but seeing her held against Two-Face, mere centimeters from danger had thrown him. She reminded him too much of himself and too much like Jason before his death. She wasnât a Robin, she would never be a Robin, but she had been a hero like one. She saved her people as fiercely as a Robin protected Gotham and its people. She took the weight of her world on her shoulders, much like a Robin. She was a child turned soldier due to circumstance just like a Robin. Marinette was a Robin in soul with no Batman to guide her and maybe that was for the best but looking at how lost she looked when she spoke about the âakumatizationsâ in Paris, Dick wished she had had her version of Batman. A mentor who could aid in the fight, who shared the knowledge and responsibility. Yes, there were other heroes, they were like her version of Teen Titans, but thatâs just it she was just barely a teen, a child, when she took up the mantle of hero. And from the pictures Tim showed the family of the other heroes, it wasnât hard to guess that the other âHoldersâ were teens themselves. Seeing as Adrien was also a teen and a former hero.Â
Dick, in a weird, roundabout way, felt responsible for Marinette. As soon as she looked at him with hope, determination and fear in her eyes he was hit by a wave of protectiveness for her. She looked at him like Damian did when he first complimented and criticized his work as Robin, he and Marinette had also pulled off a plan as smooth and seamless as Dick and Damian had been when they were the Dynamic Duo. Or as Dick liked to call them, The More Dynamic Duo. He knew his family was kind of freaked out by how well Marinette and Damian seemed to get along, but not him, sure he teased a bit but he just had a feeling they would be friends. Damian had been trying to get himself out there and make friends and he did have some! He just called them acquaintances right now but Dick knew it wouldnât be long till they were bumped up to friend status. Though Jon would always be Damianâs best friend even if they werenât in the same school anymore. They still video or phone called every day and they played games with each other online. Which games? Dick could never remember but the point was, Damian had grown and was very capable of making friends, it just took him some time.Â
Speaking of time , Dick thought as his gaze lazily glanced at the clock on the wall. If he slept now, he knew he would not go to bed after patrol tonight. So with much reluctance he pushed himself up and off the couch. He figured he could see if Marinette wanted some company and maybe the two of them could get some tea and snacks from Alfred and tour more of the manor when they were done. It would help in the long term of Marinetteâs stay so it was productive! When he got to her room he saw that the door was slightly open but it was still he knocked, if he could dodge a Pennyworth Lecture he would even knock his own bedroom door. As he did so though, the door opened more and with it came an overwhelming energy that left him feeling suppressed yet energized. He wasnât around magic a lot anymore, but it always left him with the same feeling so he ditched being a gentleman and waiting for an answer and just barreled into the room to see what looked like a closing portal.Â
âShit!â That would be a dollar in the Swear Jar, but that wasnât important. What was important however was the fact Marinette was missing, a portal had seemingly opened in her room and closed, andâŠand there was a note on the bed?Â
âDear Any Wayne That Finds This,
Actually, are you all Waynes? I never asked, I should have asked. Anyways, please donât freak out if you come to my room and Iâm not here. Ladybug needed my help back in Paris and opened a portal to get me there. I shouldnât be too long and hey! Maybe Iâll be back before anyone reads this but if Iâm not then just donât worry. Ladybug will return me once the akuma is dealt with.
 -Marinette who is very sorry if someone does end up reading this and is pleading they donât worry or get angry.â Â
âDouble shit.â Dick said as he read over the letter.Â
That was another dollar for the Swear Jar.Â
_________________
Dick âFlyingâ Grayson @toflyistofall
Oops.
____
Bruce Wayne @therealbrucewayne
RE: Dick âFlyingâ Grayson @toflyistofall
       Oops.
Richard John Grayson-Wayne. What did you do?
_____
JBIrd @sidesteppeddeath
RE: Bruce Wayne @therealbrucewayne
       Richard John Grayson-Wayne. What did you do?
Ha! You got full government named Dickie! @toflyistofall
_____
Dick âFlyingâ Grayson @toflyistofall
RE: JBIrd @sidesteppeddeath
       Ha! You got full government named Dickie! @toflyistofall
Oh come on! I didnât even add tags! How did he respond so fast?
So this is going to be the last chapter of this, at least for now. I may add onto it later, or do a sequel. But this feels like a decent stopping point for the moment.
Prologue  Beginning  Previous
As the Angel of Death worked her way across the rooftops, her rage was getting worse. Just thinking of the audacity of that stupid clown was enough to make her blood boil. Cass appeared beside her as Black Bat and they continued in silence. She'd dumped all the Miraculous into her pocket before she left to make sure Chloe didn't follow herself, or even go get the others. Gina would likely follow eventually, but that was a problem for when it happened. They stopped when they had a visual of Damian dangling from a rope.
"Are you ready to let me do what needs to be done?" She waited for Cass to nod. She didn't think it would be an issue, but she was one of Batman's people, and she didn't know exactly what she'd end up doing to the freak-show on the next roof. Logic said to just kill him and be done with it, but... something was making her pause, so there was no telling what would happen when she confronted him. "Don't free the others until I've dealt with him." That got a much more hesitant nod. Whether it was worry that she couldn't handle the idiot herself, or worry over Batman's reaction was a toss up.
As she watched him strutting around the roof, calling for Batman, Marinette felt a pull to the Miraculous in her pocket. As she palmed each one in turn, the Peafowl almost felt like it was burning her. Duusu appeared in front of her with a determined look. Well, she could take a hint. The transformation didn't seem to change her outer appearance the way she'd seen with other holders. It was a question for later though. Duusu's energy was radiating through her and it seemed like the Kwami was even more pissed off at the Joker than she was. This should be interesting.
Black Bat had disappeared and Marinette assumed she was putting herself into position to protect her team. So, as she snuck up behind the Joker, she knew she could focus solely on him.
"If you wanted Batman, you should have stayed in Gotham." Watching the man jump and almost fall over as he turned to face her should have been amusing.
"Isn't it past your bedtime?" She could help but roll her eyes.
"No wonder you turned to crime. You'd never make it as a real clown with shitty jokes like that." The flash of anger in his eyes gave her more satisfaction than it should.
"You should be careful. A mouth like that is going to get you in trouble one day." Bit late with that advice.
"I guess it's a good thing the rest of me is capable of getting out of trouble then. Shame I can't say the same for you." The clown was just frowning at her now. He didn't seem to know how to react to the fact that he didn't scare her. "Batman isn't showing up. I'm going to give you one chance to pack up and go back to Gotham to aggravate him there. If you stay, the consequences will be on you."
"Are you threatening me?" He sounded somewhere between amused and insulted. Bruce was behind him trying his best to glare at her. She ignored it.
"I assure you, if I threaten you, you'll know it. Make your choice." He walked towards her with a hand outstretched to grab her.
"Listen here you little- Ahh!" The second he made contact she grabbed his hand a bent all the fingers backwards. At least three were broken.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to touch people without their permission?" The clown was just cursing up a storm and she waited. When he finally focused on her again the rage in his eyes was actually rather impressive.
"Girly, you just made the biggest mistake of your life." She just let out a snort.
"Please, if that was a mistake, and it wasn't, it wouldn't even make the top hundred." He reached for the flower on his chest and she let him. Poor guy went from gloating to confused in a few seconds when he realized his little acid bath had no effect on her. "Are you ready to leave now, or do I need to take drastic measures? I can even help you on your way if you wish." Granted she'd just use Kaalki to put him in a cell in Arkham but he didn't need to know that. Mari could feel Duusu's anger that he might be left unpunished, and had to wonder what exactly the Kwami planned to do.
While the Joker seemed to be trying to figure out what she was, Mari took a moment to look at his strings. All but one of them were black leading to him, but gray coming from his body. So, everyone in his life hated him with a passion, but he had no care for them at all. Not overly surprising. The other string was the weird one. It led to Bruce and was black coming from the billionaire, but from Joker... it was purple. But a warped version of the familial bond. There were odd patterns in the same kind of sickly green that pulsed between her and Damian. That was... interesting.
"I guess I'll just have to start offing hostages until Batman shows up then." She couldn't help the eye roll.
"I'm not going to let you do that."
"I'd like to see you try to stop me." He turned away from her and she had to wonder at his arrogance. Before he made it two steps, she tackled and pinned him to the roof. Bruce was yelling at her, but all she could concentrate on was the insistent thrumming in her head from Duusu. The string between her and the Joker, now gray from end to end, began vibrating, and she pushed. What exactly, she wasn't sure, but it seemed the right thing to do. The clown stopped struggling for a moment and everything was deathly quiet. Then he started screaming.
Mari got up and watched as he writhed in apparent pain, as Duusu filled her in on what had happened. The Kwami seemed to get great pleasure as the man went from screams to whimpers and sobs as he curled into the fetal position. Black Bat was watching her from the shadows, and she gave the other girl a nod. The man wasn't a threat anymore.
"What did you do?" Bruce's tone caused her to let out an aggravated breath.
"I didn't kill him. Isn't that what you wanted.?" As Black Bat untied them, it seemed that only Bruce was concerned with the man's suffering. He thought it was a good idea to loom over her.
"Torture is no better."
"No, but it's exactly what you do to the citizens of Gotham by refusing to remove threats like him." She hadn't meant those words to come out, but honestly, seeing the stunned look on his face was worth it.
"That is ridiculous. I do not torture people."
"Oh? So what do you call forcing them to live in constant fear? Knowing that the next moment could bring another villain attack from people you know are dangerous but can't properly contain? Praying that the next phone call isn't to tell them a loved one died because Batman cares more about keeping murders alive than them." The man stormed off, but the rest of them were trading looks before one of them, Red hood she was pretty sure, walked up to her.
"So, what did you do exactly?" It wasn't an accusation, and he seemed to be studying the clown with interest more than anything else.
"He's being forced to go through all the emotional pain and torment he caused others. Given the sheer amount of victims he had, I doubt it will ever stop. If he's lucky, his brain will eventually shut down and he'll go into a vegetative coma. But that won't happen for at least ten years."
"Good." That was it. He just walked back over to the others. Damian was the next to approach her, but didn't seem to know what to say. He kept rubbing his chest where his string to Talia had been.
"No after effects from being stabbed?" He blinked at her for a moment.
"No. Either the blade wasn't poisoned or whatever healed me got rid of it as well. I'd bet on the second." She nodded. "Do you truly believe killing is necessary?" Not the question she expected.
"You don't?" He hesitated.
"In the League, it was expected. With Batman it is strictly forbidden. While I believe my father's way of living is better overall, I am uncertain about the nuances." She still didn't know how to react to him when he admitted things like that. It was so strange compared to how he'd always acted when she was trapped in the League.
"I suppose it depends on the outcome you want. For my purpose it is necessary. For Gotham to regain balance and heal, I would say it is necessary. I do not know what your father's intentions are, so I can not say if they are necessary to achieve them."
"But you didn't kill him." His confusion was clear as he glanced at the Joker, still whimpering on the roof.
"I'm learning that death is an easy way out. Far too easy for some. Talia's death was necessary to rid everyone connected to her of the corruption she caused. Had she remained alive, even if she was neutralized, that corruption would have remained and possibly taken on a life of its own. The Joker, while insidious in his own way, does not have that effect on others. He will remain in the hell he created until he does die. It seems fitting, does it not?"
"The corruption you speak of, is that why I feel..." He didn't seem to know what he wanted to say. "Free?"
"Most likely, yes." He continued to rub his chest for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"I regret that you suffered because of me." The words were soft, almost like he didn't mean to say them out loud.
"You are not the one that decided my fate. If I have learned nothing else from this experience, I've learned that I was always destined to suffer. For all I know, it is actually my fault you were born into the league in the first place. But placing blame is a rather useless endeavor."
"Will you remain in Paris?" She frowned at him, but he was looking away from her. Was he trying to get information for his father?
"It is unlikely. I need to travel to serve my purpose." He hummed and fiddled with something in his jacket.
"I have something I wish to return to you." Mari's face scrunched up in confusion. When she caught sight of what he pulled out of his jacket, she stopped breathing. Her hands were trembling as she reached for the little photo album he held out to her.
"Maman carried this everywhere. She hated showing people pictures on a phone for some reason. I can't believe you have this." She couldn't bring herself to open it. The thought of looking at those pictures made her chest ache, knowing she'd never experience anything like it again.
"It fell out of her purse when... It never seemed right to get rid of it." He sounded embarrassed and wouldn't look at her. Before she realized what she was doing, her arms were around his neck.
"Thank you." She let go and stepped back quickly. Both because of her aversion to touch and because she was fairly certain he had the same issue. "I should leave before your father comes back." He nodded, still refusing to look at her. Before she left the roof, she noticed that the string between them had stopped pulsing and was starting to turn from gray, to a pale green. She supposed she could be okay with that.
Our residence bonde does not seem that exited for the choice in court members.
#youllbesurprised
After hackling Chloe into an agreeing on having Juleka as a probationary member of the group they sat in a circle, some on the floor, chaise, bad and any chair available awaiting for Marinette's explanation. Marinette sat between Felix and Luka fidgeting nervously.
Both boys saw this and grabbed a hand next to them gently squeezing it in comfort, whilst glaring at one another. Chloe of course still found her friends predicament amusing and couldn't help but throw a smirk at their direction. She enjoyed chaos and this right here was filled with it.
"Can yall stop trying to figure out who's dick is bigger than who's for five minutes," Chloe huffed with a smirk and mischievous look in her eyes. Marinette narrowed her eyes at the sight.
"What do you say Marinette," Luka whispered into one ear.
"Wanna check so we can end this fued once and for all," Felix whispered into the other causing Marinette to squeak as she turned bright red while Chloe cackled. No nope, this was not happening, they were now working together?
"No nope no," Tim said shaking his head. "As tge second most chilled brother *Duke clears his throat*, third most chilled brother I would like to say that I will burry you alive watch it"
Marinette took a deep breath attempting to chase away the redness on her cheeks.
"So some of you need to be briefed on my past, others need an explanation of why I broke the group up or why I cut half of yall off for three years-"
"Cause your original reason is unbelievable," Chloe added causing a few of the group members to sneaker.
"Then they are those who want to know about the Lila situation," Marinette continued ignoring her best friend. "So all in all I need to start at the very beginning of my life."
"Let me assist you," Jason says clearly in a rush. "Bruce was irresponsible, she was the consequences of that mistake now let's get to this Lila chick."
"Baby bat you need to calm down and let her do this in her own pace," Dick says causing the dark haired boy to huff.
"So as Jason so helpfully put in," Marinette said causing Chloe to snort. "I'm Bruce Wayne's child, my father and mother were in a brief relationship that resulted in my birth. Sadly she lost her life when she gave birth to me. She left me to my father at the time, but he still had a few things going on in his life so my aunt took me in with promises of letting me visit during summer and winter break, you know for the holidays,"
"So you grew up in Paris?," Aurora asks eyes shinning.
"No I grew up in China," Marinette answers with a small laugh. "That's how I met Marc, he's part of the rich dangerous family community."
"Oh," the blonde simply says allowing the girl to continue her story.
"So Sabine Cheng raised me, allowing me to do a bit of back and forward between China and Gotham," she continued. "Galas were a big part of the agreement I had galas both in China-"
"Which is where we met," Chloe added before muttering. "I brat"
"And Gotham-" She continued without missing a beat.
"White is where I fell for her," Felix says throwing a smirk at Luka.
"I actually remember a lot of fighting during that day," Dick says causing a few giggles to erupt from the room and an annoyed look to cross upon Felix's features.
"Yes it was hate at first sight," Chloe cackled.
"Though it kind of ended when he saw her punch a grown man in the balls," Babs adds.
"My all time favorite Gala moment," Jason says dabbing fake tears with a fake hankerchief.
"I was never officially introduced to society as either a Wayne or a Cheng for the first couple of years because both parties wanted me in the spotlight thinking I was still too young," Marinette continued.
"Especially since mother was heiress of their entire family fortune," Chloe adds.
"And her Father was one of the richest man in the world and she was at the time his only know heir," Felix continues.
"It's a good thing you weren't there when Damian arrived actually," Tim quips in.
"Otherwise he would have killed you," Stephanie says side eying tge boy.
"Another thing that helped was that I was 2 years older than you," Damian mutters.
"I thought you were going to bring up gender," Jeleka mutters somewhat drawing attention to her once more. The girls ability to dissappear and be forgotten was honestly scary.
"My mother raised, I learnt quite awhile ago you do not underestimate the opposite gender," The boy said with a winch.
"What happened with his mother?" Aurora asked.
"We don't talk about that," multiple voices echoed.
"Alright," Aurora says putting her hands up in surrender, being a reporter didn't mean she was stupid. Something told her if she continued to dig she wouldn't leave to tell the story.
"So when Damian was forced to go to School, he dragged me along stating her wasn't going to suffer it on his own," Marinette says. "So I relocated to Gotham."
"And we followed," Chloe and Felix say at the same time.
"Felix followed Marie around like a puppy dog at the time and took her relocation as an excuse to finally be close to her," Chloe continues with a smirk.
"And Chloe was obsessed with the bluenette and wanted everything Marinette," Felix laughed as the blonde girl blushed.
"You had a crush on her?" Kagami asks causing the blondes blush to intensify.
"Yes but I got over it when we were 12, I kind of knew I stood no chance," she admitted glancing at the blonde boy sitting next to the bluenette before her eyes trailed towards Luka. "Though maybe I should've tried harder."
It was obvious she was trying to shift the attention from her anger to the possibility of the blonde boys anger. But Felix did not take the bait, he smirked at her clearly counting this encounter as his victory.
"Don't worry I felt something for Marinette as well it's nothing to be embarrassed about," Kagami says offering the blonde an awkward nudge, she was clearly not used to social interactions. Chloe stared at the girl who was already staring at her, the two kept eye contact for longer than was considered friendly.
"Wait you two are gay," Aurora shouted shattering their moment causing Felix to chuckle.
"Yes/I'm bi," Chloe and Kagami answered causing the blonde to squeal.
"Ok so I had been dragged to school against my will," Marinette said continuing with the story. "Which was annoying because I had spent my whole life being homeschooled,"
"More like being groomed to one day take over the world," Chloe mutters.
"You'd think being raised by mafia leaders is bad," Marc shivered. "The mafia is scared of the Chengs"
"Well so we sort of took over the school, we were groomed to be leaders and became just that as soon as we entered the social environment we did just that," Marinette continued on ignoring the interjections.
"Plus Marie wanted to rid the world of all evil," Felix says with a smile. "And I'd follow my queen to the ends of the earth."
"But it soon became too much for me, somehow information about me was leaked, paparazzi was everywhere all the time and the kidnapping attempts," Marie says.
"On the plus side you got Harley and Ivy to completely adore you," Dick interjected earning a small smile from the girl.
"Yeah but I was young and at the time I wanted at least a shred of normalcy," Marinette says. "So for my 11th birthday I asked for them to make it all go away."
"And they delivered," Jason says with a bitter smile knowing very well he was one of the reasons she wanted to escape Gotham, well at least his death was.
"So they moved me to Paris where my Aunt had gone after falling in love with uncle Tom," she continued. "We gained different allies to help me blend in,"
"And where she went we followed," Chloe says pointing to Felix, Marc and herself.
"We once again took over our new school," Felix continues.
"Riding the school of all that is bad," Marc continued on.
"Picking up strays along the way," Chloe says eyeing Nathaniel before tearing her gaze away from him and muttering. "Though some of them did not deserve it."
"The world soon forgot of Marie Wayne, for I had disappeared just as soon as I had appeared," Marinette continues. "Life was okay for about three years before I had someone say something that haunted my everyday living."
"'don't you regret it' those four simple words got me thinking about everything, what if I was doing the world more bad then I was good," she said voice cracking as a single tear slipped down her cheek." I was destroying lives, people were afraid of me, I felt like an oppressor, a villain. And I felt as though no one truly knew me, they just knew the ruthless queen."
"So you asked the gang to split apart," Chloe says with a tinge of guilt finally realizing her friends inner temoil.
"Yeah not my finest moments, I'm sure if I had talked to yall-"
"We would have told you how wrong you were," Jason finished off for her.
"And how much good you'd actually done for us," Aurora says clearly heartbroken at her queens mental state.
"We bow down to you Marinette because of your kindness," Juleka surprisingly says followed with a bow.
"Because of your heart," Felix says following the Goths example.
"Your melody," Luka says with his bow.
"Your bravery," Kagami says.
"Your loyalty," Chloe says with a smile as the rest of the group added their own compliment followed with a bow.
"I'm very grateful for this show of affection," Marinette laughs feeling a bit lighter then she had in years. "But I'd really like to continue this story."
"Yes we're getting to the Lila girl," Jason says firmly followed by a few growls from different members of the group.
"Yes well a few months after the group split, I was honestly ready to come to yall and burden you with my feelings, then a certain incident happened and it completely broke me," Marinette says causing Felix to look away in guilt. "It wasn't even the person's fault it was all a misunderstanding that communication could have solved"
"Communication is a new court rule," Chloe declared.
"So I spent the next couple of years as a shadow of who I used to be, I ignored all that was wrong and made friends who did nothing but walk all over me," Marinette says tears flowing once more. "I did everything for those people, I even went as far as losing myself and the threw ne aside over the words of some liar who can't even style her hair!"
"I'll brief everyone on the rest, you don't need to continue Marie," Chloe says earning a greatful smile from the crying bluenette who was now squeezed in between her suitors.
"Thanks Chlo," she says causing the blonde to beam at the nickname.
"Yeah, yeah you softly," The blonde said feigning dismissal. "Let's plan our revenge."
Man, Adrien's just wants everyone to be happy, and because he goes on the wrong way, he gets a raw deal.
Will he ever get a break in your fics?
... Okay I have gotten 1 to many asks like this even though if you check my pinned post you would see all my fics with tags a fair few of which include Adrienette or even just cool friends Adrien and Mari but to make your life even easier HERE I will link every single fic I have written (to this date) in which there is 0 Adrien salt ENJOY:
Alya Salt Prompt: Views (Alya Salt / Prompt / Mild Lila Salt )
Ladybug Is Addicted to Pastries ( Fluff / Comedy Short )
Corruption: A Prompt ( Light Adrinette / Lila Salt / Prompt)
The Interview (Comedy /Gabriel Salt / Nathalie Salt / Lila Salt / BAMF Marinette)
The Interview Part 2: Live Broadcast ( Comedy / Gabriel Salt / Nathalie Salt / Lila Salt / BAMF Marinette / Hints of Daminette / Gay Adrien / AdriJon )
Jealousy & Honesty: Sugary Prompt (Innocent Lila AU / Marinette Is Insecure but Sweet / Marinette Talks to Her Mom / Prompt)
Who Framed Marinette Dupain Cheng (Comedy / Marinette Harem / Fluff / Class Sugar)
Always here childhood friends timari told over a few years
Barter meet cute with a stolen cheeseburger
Take a break Tim forces Marinette to take time away from working
Birthday Fluff Tim is supposed to be sleeping in for his birthday but he has help waking up
Blind Commission meet cute as a confusing client meeting
Speed Dating meet cute at speed dating
On the Nose meet cute where they both go for the door
Glimpse soulmate meet cute
Old Trick TIm shows up at Marinette's to explain why he ghosted her
It lives clumsy costumed meet cute
Excuse me coffee shop meet cute
longer works
Remember When- Marinette is in Gotham with few memories of her time in Paris after becoming Ladybug. She attempted to protect the miracle box from Hawkmoth with a trick guardian transfer but still suffered amnesia. She mets Red Robin and because Rouge Gorge for her hero persona but convincing all of the bat family is proving difficult.
Kiss me more- timari January 2022 prompts with kisses
*claps and rubs hands together* alright you miscreants, behold! epic literature provided by moi
~ You Might Be King Of Half The World, But Youâll Not Own Me As Well by WickedTheRedHorse (a literal masterpiece, iâm being so serious rn. when i say i only ship fanon darklina, this is what i mean)
~ the reports associated with my existence have been significantly misconstrued by davidstennant (multi-media fics arenât usually my jam, but this, this is good jam. exquisite jam. would gladly slather it over some challa bread and feast) [note: hasnât been updated since may last year]
~ Liarâs Waltz (based on the poll) by @sunlightsage (first rhysta fic i ever readđ€đŸđ€đŸ)
~ House of Mirrors by ae_neon (love a widow whose husband died under mysterious circumstances â @ae-neon)
~ Burial Rites in Crepuscular Hours by Existential_Teatime (badass alina rights, badass alina wrongs, when she makes the darkling question his intelligence>>>)
~ #8024 by SimplyAnotherWriter (marinette in arkham. thatâs it)
~ The Journey to You by Thisishowitbegins (responsible for my resolute belief that timinette is the superior maribat ship, canât believe this the authorâs debut fic) [note: updates may be long as author grew incredibly busy]
~ Feylin Oneshots by Bookish_Gal (letâs be honest here, itâs by @bookishfeylin, need i say more. if you havenât read it, what are you doing? alexander and adora live on my heart. also dragon tamlin, like hello???)
~ A Court of Frost and Embers by Midnight_Wishes (i made a whole, 6 minute long tiktok abt this on my first acc (that got banned because that clock app is so damn sensitive) really took my feycien obsession from brainworm to brainrot. the absolute longing and devastating angst because lucien knows feyre needs to break the curse yet falls for her anyway, but feyre doesnât know so she just thinks lucienâs avoiding her for no reason. crushes my heart in the best way. and their calanmai scene, whew) [edit: @goforth-ladymidnight is the authorâs tumblr)
~ heaven canât help me now by disarmed (completed, perfect, there arenât enough feycien infidelity fics out there)
~ The Girl and the Wolf by MythNinesevenine (miss janet dreams that she was as good at writing as @longsightmyth, DREAMS, i said)
~ A Court of Family Secrets and A Court of Flames and Shadows by flamesandshadows (feyre not going back to rhys after she finds out, nesta not going on that stupid hike, feycien friendship revival, eris and elain sibling relationship, elucien, azris, feyre ruling hewn city. literally all i could ask for)
~ Riddles in the Dark by flamesandshadows (feyre never gets saâd utm. thatâs it)
~ Sacrifice by flamesandshadows (rhys doesnât get his powers back in acowar)
~ Reputation by flamesandshadows (nyx learns that his family isnât as innocent as he grew up believing, especially his father. my favorite part, he goes absolute ape shit and deadass almost kills rhysand when he finds out what happened utm)
~ The Great Ikea Game by IcedAquarius (have you ever played hide and seek in ikea with your brothers and then you meet a girl that helps you with god-like magic because sheâs bored? well that happens to damian wayne) [first work in an incomplete series but this work itself is completed]
~ Second Best by stormpill (Second Best Cinematic Universe is an actual collection with 75 works across 15 fandoms, Inspired by Second Best - stormpill is an actual tag. SB was a cultural reset. two sun summoners? genius. fjerdan barbie is the best inside joke i know. this shit was so good yâall, iâm so sad it was deleted)
~ Dragonlight by Anonymous (tgt/asoiaf crossover. alina lands in kingâs landing (ha, get it) and ends up in a sacrifice by that mad king dude to bring back dragons, except due to her small science, it works. so now alyaâs a dragon mama to six firebreathing cuties. alina and that rhaegar dude (thatâs his name right?) marry to protect alina from his father cuz bro is called the mad king for a reason. political intrigue, yum.) [sporadic updates]
Veiled Wings and Shattered Panoramas â A Series by Dragonfly08 (@dragonfly0808 S4 REWRITE IS TOMORROWđ„łđ„ł. best winx rewrite like ever. netflix wishes, WISHES, that they could ever be as good as writing winx as dragonfly is. btw A Withering Pretense is the best rewrite, argue with your mother)
if you donât read at least one of these, i will cryđ
MIDNIGHTSTAR @noisydreamlandkoala - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag