"What? A villain in Paris?" Bruce asked. He frowned. "Why is she hiding it?"
"I'm hoping that the previous letters will reveal that." Tim answered. Damian stared between the two before heading to his room. He came back quickly looking at them.
Lost and Found by @soulmate-game
This doesn't actually have a title
“Is that a kid?”
“Yep,” Batman’s grin grew.
“Is she… stealing my tires?” Hood was so, so glad he wore a helmet that hid his expression. Because… wow.
“Yep,” Batman finally lost his composure, chuckling. “This seems like Karma, don’t you think?”
De-Aged by @timinette-is-best
“How is there a fairy in the Pixie’s pocket?”
He asked jokingly while swinging the hands back and forth!
“Lookin lookie! It’s a Ladybug fairy! She’s so pwetty.”
Marinette held Tikki in both of her hands and jumped up and down trying to get him to look. Jason chuckled and looked down at the toy. It was cute, he had never seen something like it before. Then it blinked, and flew out of Marinette’s hand, and oh gosh, IT CAN TALK?!
Innocence, avoidance by @consumeconstantly
To be more precise, he’s hoping that she’s simply avoiding his detection, and hasn’t gotten swept up in something bad.
It takes Jason three hours-- three hours-- to find the girl who can’t be much older than ten. Probably not even ten, judging by her size.
“You’re lucky it’s me finding you, and not someone else, Pixie.” He finally catches a glance of her glaringly sparkly backpack, complete with fairies and unicorns covered in some sort of holographic overlay.
The New Adoptee by @purple-goo-writes , @mochegato & @thepacifistavenger
This doesn't actually have a title
Alfred will tell him. Alfred knows everything.
“Master Bruce, I’m shocked at you. Surely you know your most recent adoptee’s name?”
Adoptee?! When–? How??
There’s a light tap just below his right shoulder blade–she really is a tiny slip of a thing–and he turns to meet her wide-eyed, innocent, sapphire gaze. Oh, no. Did she learn this look from Jason? Or is it her own and that’s how it is that she fits in so well with the rest?
Clark Kent didn’t often take days off. He enjoyed both of his jobs (being a journalist was something he liked almost as much as being a hero), and didn’t really see a need to stay at home alone. And then, his niece was born. And suddenly, days off were important. Because days off meant time he got to spend with his adorable niece. Someone who was growing and learning more and more every time he saw her. Like now. His older brother and Sabine had a convention in DC, which meant Marinette was staying with him in Metropolis for a week. Which meant, he was supposed to be off duty for the week.
“Bruce, I don’t exactly have an Alfred. What was I supposed to do with her? You’re the one who sent the emergency call even though you knew I had her this week.” He asks, trying not to let his tone suggest how frustrated he was. No need to upset Marinette (who was currently going back and forth between looking out the windows of the Watchtower and looking at him). Bruce’s jaw clenches slightly, his lips pursed.
“Bringing a child here was-” Bruce starts, but Marinette cuts him off with a squeal.
“Étoiles! Oncle Clark, étoiles!” She says, grinning from ear to ear, pointing out the window. Clark nods, smiling back at her.
“Yes they are. Can you say, star?” He asks, adjusting his hold to point back out the window.
“Oui! Star!” She says, before clapping. Bruce’s face falls slack as he sighs.
“I’ll have Robin stay here with her. But we need you.” He says. Clark nods. Robin was eleven, that’s old enough to babysit, right?
—-
Dick did not sign up for this when he put on the cape and became Robin. He wanted to avenge his parents and fight alongside Bruce. He didn’t want to babysit a toddler! He was totally whelmed.
“Brille, brille petite étoile dans la nuit qui se dévoile. Tout là-haut au firmament, tu scintilles comme un diamant. Brille, brille petite étoile, veille sur ceux qui dorment en bas.” The little girl, Marinette, sings again. She’d been singing it pretty much nonstop. And while it was cute the first couple of times, there were only so many times he could listen to ‘twinkle twinkle’ before he lost his mind.
“So, your Uncle said you’ve been working on English, too. That’s cool.” Dick says, because what else do you say to a random toddler that just so happens to be Superman’s niece?
“Cool!” She says, grinning. Dick grins back, unable to keep it in. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad.
“Wanna see a cool trick?” He asks. She nods. Dick jumps to his feet and does a couple of cartwheels before moving into a back handspring. Landing it, he looks over to the kid. He grins immediately when he sees the awed expression on her face as she claps excitedly.
“Again! Encore!” She giggles. Dick does, adding in a couple more flourishes with it just to make the kid giggle more. “Robin teach?” She asks, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Dick frowns, thinking of something he could teach her. She was really little-
“Okay, but we have to be very, very careful, okay?” He asks. She nods, grinning.
“Okay!” Somersaults were easy enough for toddlers, right? He couldn’t remember what he’d learned by the time he was her age. He just knew he started learning tricks young. But how hard could it be to teach a two year old somersaults?
—-
Walking back into the Watchtower, Clark immediately zeroes in his hearing for his niece. Ignoring Bruce’s calls (probably reminding him to fill out his reports), he follows the sound of Marinette giggling. Walking into one of the gyms, he’s slightly shocked to see Dick helping her do a cartwheel on one of the mats. It was rough, but the second she was on her feet again, she cheered.
“Again, oiseau! Again!” She exclaims, clapping her hands. Dick laughs.
“Why don’t we try the somersault again instead?” He suggests. Marinette pouts.
“Non. Cartwheel please!” She says, moving into a position to attempt it again. Clark can see the moment she spots him. Her eyes widen and she runs to him, arms outstretched. Clark grins and picks her up, tossing her in the air gently. She giggles before landing back in his arms, hugging him tightly. Clark relaxes, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he hugs her close. It’s not that he doubted Dick’s ability to babysit, but he had realized after leaving that the boy was an only child and had likely never spent time with such a young child before.
“Did you have fun with Robin?” He asks her, and she nods, grinning.
“Oui. Robin is my friend.” She says matter-of-factly. Clark glances at Dick, grinning at the shocked look on the boy’s face.
“Looks like you have a new friend, Robin.” He says. The boy grins, snapping out of his shock.
“I guess so. If you ever wanna learn more tricks, kid, you know where I am.” He says, and Marinette grins.
“Cool!” She says. Dick laughs and nods.
“Oh yeah kid, the coolest.” He says. Clark grins.
“Thank you for watching her, Robin.” He says. Dick grins.
“Any time. She’s a pretty cool kid.” He says. Clark laughs.
“That she is. Ready to go home, Sunshine?” He asks. Marinette shakes her head.
“No.” She says, turning around so that she can reach towards Dick. He reaches back towards her and she immediately latches onto him, giving him a tight hug. “Love you!” She says, hugging him close. Clark sneakily brings up his phone, snapping a quick picture of the two. He’d make sure to send it to Bruce later.
“Love you too kiddo.” Dick says, his voice quiet. Marinette leans back and reaches for Clark again. Once she’s settled in his arms, she waves at Dick.
“Bye bye!” She says. Clark grins.
“Bye Robin.” He says lightly, heading towards the Zeta tubes. Maybe he could arrange for Dick to babysit again. They both seemed to enjoy it. And if Marinette kept up with gymnastics, Dick would really be able to help her. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt for either of them to spend time with actual kids. Maybe they’d even grow up to be friends.
robin landed beside a lady noire humming the same tune she's been humming ever since her disagreement – she only calls it that because batman has been insisting that it was a simple disagreement between both parties– with batman, her legs dangling from the building that over looked the area she'd been tasked to petrol. a tune that no one seemed to recognize, only spoiler did.
he sat down beside her, looking out onto the street. her head immediately found its place on his shoulder. "hey.. " she greeted after finishing her tune.
"your dad is a real peace of work. " lady noire commented, annoyance dripping from her tone. making robin chuckle slightly.
"what did you both disagree on, now? " he commented, emphasis on disagree. once an irritated sigh escaped her lips, he made a noise of amusement.
"the usual. " she rolled her eyes.
silence overtook them again. not an uncomfortable one, but rather a calming one. they always prefered it that way, anyway.
she started humming again, the same tune she's been humming the past week. "are you ever going to tell what you are humming, jamilati (my beautiful)? " she shook her head against his shoulder, giggling, "you'll know soon enough, mon cœur (my heart). " she purred.
"i've spotted them. near crime alley. " nightwing's voice cut through their communication device.
smirking, lady noire dropped of the ledge. she extended her baton, using it to jump from one building to another. the cool night air felt great against her skin, especially considering the heat of the summer air all throughout the day. she felt free whenever she ran across the rooftops of gothom, something she looked forward to every petrol session.
looking to the side, she noticed robin easily keeping up with her. she finally found someone who could keep up with her chaotic lifestyle, she found someone who would love her unconditionally. when she was at her worst, he was there for her. when he was left over thinking things, she was there to calm him down, reassure him.
"me and robin will handle this, batman. " she bitterly called his name, receiving a sigh from him and snickers from her teammates.
red hood's whistle prooved everyone was watching her and tobin take down the thugs with ease. "what've done now, b? "
"it was a simple disagreement. " Lady Noire scoffed.
"spoiler, " She called out, kicking a thug unconscious. "if you may. "
"just a sec, noire. " seconds later, a tune began playing through all their coms.
lady noire sighed, punching another thug down. "𝐢 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲. " she sang, confusing some.
"𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠, " she round-house kicked a thug. "𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠. " tripping one at an angle that made his head hit the pole behind him.
batman pinched the bridge of his nose, finally understanding the meaning of all this show she's decided to put on.
"𝐢 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐞, " the noirette stood in place, now surrounded by an unconscious gang of thugs, only two left. one of her hand found their way to her chest, where her heart should be, the other resting on her forehead. "𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠. " her baton spun, acting as a shield against the bullets flying her way.
"𝐢 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧, 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞. " she advanced forward, the bullets still shooting at her. "𝐢 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐢'𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰. "
the bat kids all gasped at lady noire's high note, thoroughly enjoying the show she was putting on. it being as a way to show batman how incredibly wrong he was about her competence, only made it a million times better.
"𝐛𝐮𝐭, 𝐢𝐟 𝐢 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧, " one down, one more to go. "𝐢'𝐝 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧, 𝐦𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐞, " 𝐬he spun, hitting the last thug by accident, "𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡. " she heard laughs erupting from her com, making her smirk as she continued twirling.
"𝐢'𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝, " she heard cameras shuttering from behind. her smirk grew when she turned around, and sure enough, the paparazzi were doing their thing. "𝐢 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭! 𝐢𝐟 𝐢 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧. " lady noire bowed at the cameras before jumping away, a smirking robin in toe.
*Note, this is the first in a series of connected one shots*
Link to series on AO3
Marinette takes in a deep breath, trying hard not to let her panic bubble to the surface. But it was hard. Everything was changing at the same time. She didn’t even have enough time to breathe before everything was ripped out from underneath her.
“Are you okay, Ladybug?” Wonder Woman asks softly, reaching out and setting a hand on her shoulder. Marinette takes in a deep breath and lets it out slowly as she nods.
“Yes, sorry, I just- this is a lot.” She says quietly. She almost misses the worried frown on her mentor’s face. Almost.
“If you do not wish to meet the team today, you don’t have to. I understand that your life is a little…challenging at the moment.” She says. Marinette holds back her bitter laugh. Challenging was an understatment. The only good thing to happen in the past year was the defeat of Hawkmoth. But that had only led her here. Thirteen and the guardian of a bunch of tiny gods. Parentless. Partnerless. Not only was she moving schools, but she’d also moved continents. As much as she hated sounding ungrateful for everything her mentor and Uncle had both done for her, it was still hard. Everything was changing. Everything.
“I think it’s better to just go in and do it. Especially since my Uncle isn’t expecting me home for a while.” Marinette says softly. Wonder Woman nods and steps through the Zeta Tube, Ladybug following behind.
"Recognized: Wonder Woman, 03. Ladybug, B08." The mechanical voice chimes out as Marinette and her mentor step out of the Zeta tube and into the headquarters of the Young Justice team. Marinette yelps in surprise as she nearly stumbles over someone laying on the ground. Wonder Woman grabs her shoulder to steady her, letting out a deep sigh.
“What are you doing on the ground, Kid Flash?” She asks. The boy on the ground blushes and jumps up, before narrowing his eyes.
“Hold on, who’s she?” He asks, glancing at Marinette.
“This is Ladybug, your new team member.” Wonder Woman says. The boy frowns, glancing back at the group of people who’d been silent thus far.
“Another new member?” He asks, frowning slightly. Marinette purses her lips, trying not to let the boy get to her. It wasn’t a big deal that he didn’t want her here. She wasn’t even completely sure she wanted to be here. In fact, she was almost certain that she would prefer to give up the Miracle Box to Wonder Woman. Let her deal with it and then go back to living a normal life. The only reason she wouldn’t do that- couldn’t do that- was Adrien. If she gave up the Miracle Box, she’d forget most of the time she spent with him. The hours they spent laughing together as Ladybug and Chat Noir. All of that would be gone. The fact that her first love, however weird it may have been with the masks that separated them, was requited. And she couldn’t hurt Adrien’s memory like that.
“Be nice, Kid Flash. Ladybug may be my mentee, but most of her battles were fought alone. Not with a seasoned hero.” Wonder Woman chides softly. Marinette flinches.
“Not completely alone.” She says quietly. Wonder Woman sighs, squeezing her shoulder gently in comfort.
“Ladybug and her partner Chat Noir were the sole protectors of Paris for nearly two years. I can assure you, she will be an asset to your team.” Wonder Woman says, giving Kid Flash a look that Marinette knew meant that she meant business. Batman frowns.
“Two years alone? Why was the League not informed?” He asks gruffly. Wonder Woman sighs.
“You and I can talk about that alongside Superman and Green Lantern. But for now, I think it’s best that we let Ladybug decide how much she is willing to share.” She says. Kid Flash scoffs.
“If we’re on the same team, shouldn’t she be willing to share everything with us?” He asks. “We’re on the same side.”
“Lay off her KF. You know it’s not always as easy as that.” Another boy says. Marinette studies him for a moment, eyes glancing across the ‘R’ on his chest. Robin. She gives him a small, thankful smile and he just grins back at her.
“No offense, to any of you, but there are a few things I’d like to keep secret. For now, at least. Such as my identity.” Marinette speaks up, hoping that the request that she keep her identity a secret wouldn’t be met with too much backlash.
“No sweat LB. I also keep my identity a secret. If these bozos give you a hard time for it, just come find me.” Robin says with a grin. Marinette nods, smiling back at him. Taking in his relaxed stance, and how nice he already was to her (despite not knowing anything), Marinette can’t help but think that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.
---
“My dear, I just think it’s best that you do basic training without the suit.” Wonder Woman says, her voice calm despite the fact that Marinette had just shrieked at her.
“You said I could keep my identity a secret, though. The Guardian always used to tell me how important that was.” Marinette says, her hands shaking as she paces the length of the room. Before letting her spend time with her new teammates, Wonder Woman had insisted on having a private conversation with her. One that Marinette was now regretting.
“I’m not saying you have to give up your identity-”
“Then what are you saying? I don’t have a different suit! The Miraculous has my suit. I don’t even have a mask.” Marinette says, her voice going shrill.
“Ladybug, calm down. I have a mask for you- just a simple one. Similar to the one Robin wears. And Batman has offered to provide you the materials to make a suit for you to wear without the Miraculous if you so choose.” Wonder Woman says. Marinette’s eyes widen.
“Really?” She asks. Wonder Woman nods. “Is there a way to get them to my Uncle’s house discreetly?” She asks. Wonder Woman snorts.
“I believe so. Regardless, if it is something you want, we can take care of it.” She says. Marinette nods, and Wonder Woman grins. “Excellent. Now, here is your mask. Just wear something comfortable for training for now.” Marinette nods, letting her transformation fall.
“Hello old friend. Here, have a cookie while your chosen prepares herself.” She offers. Marinette grins and grabs the bag that Wonder Woman holds out to her. Stepping into the bathroom attached to the room (apparently, it was hers if she ever wanted to stay the night at headquarters). Quickly changing into workout clothes, Marinette lets out her pigtails and pulls her hair into a single ponytail before slipping on the domino mask. Glancing at herself in the mirror, Marinette lets out a shaky breath. It’s not like they’d be going to the same school or anything. What were the odds that they’d recognize her from her (limited) appearances with Jagged? It would be fine. She could do this. Taking a deep breath, she walks out of the bathroom and snorts at Tikki, who’d decided taking a nap on Wonder Woman’s shoulder was the best plan.
“Ready?” Marinette asks. Wonder Woman nods.
“Ready.” She says, before passing Tikki to her. Marinette gently places them onto the bed, hiding just behind the duffle. Satisfied, she follows Wonder Woman out of the room and towards the room they’d arrived in, which was apparently their training room.
“LB! You’re looking laxed.” Robin says. Marinette blinks, glancing at Wonder Woman, who simply shrugs. So at least it wasn’t her English that was off.
“Uh, thanks? I think?” She says. Robin grins.
“Definitely. So, wanna take this thing for a spin?” He asks, gesturing towards the computer. Marinette frowns.
“What does it do?” She asks.
“It’s a training simulator. Don’t worry, it’s completely safe. Scout’s honor.” He says, holding up his hand in some kind of motion. Marinette nods, grinning.
“Okay. Let’s do this then.” She says, moving into a fighting stance. Robin grins and hits a button on the computer. Time to get to work.
---
Staring up at the huge building in front of her, Marinette lets out a soft breath. Gotham Academy. Her new school. She'd tried to convince Jagged that she could just go to public school, but he insisted. Apparently, his friend has a son who also goes to GA. And said friend had guaranteed that they wouldn't have to worry about the press. Just as she goes to take a step forward, she trips. Before she can hit the ground, arms grab her and steady her.
"Whoa! You okay?" A familiar voice asks. Marinette turns to the boy, racking her brain as she tries to figure out why she recognizes the boy's voice.
"Oh, um, yes. Thank you." She says. He grins at her, his blue eyes sparkling.
"Are you new? I don't think I've seen you before." He says. She nods, sticking her hand out. She could try and figure out how she knows him later.
"Yeah, it's actually my first day. I'm Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng." She says, shaking his hand. He grins.
"I'm Dick Grayson. Lemme see your schedule, maybe we have some classes together." He says, holding his hand out again. Marinette does, rocking back and forth on her heels as he looks it over. "Looks like we've got quite a few classes together. Including first hour. Wanna walk together? I know how much it sucks being the new kid." Marinette smiles.
"I'd love to." She says. He holds out his arm, letting her link their arms together. Marinette laughs as she follows him. This could be the start of a beautiful friendship.
Marinette flounces down onto her couch, dropping her head into her hands. She’d just had an entire three hour long conversation (on her yoyo) with Carapace and Chat Noir. They were planning on moving in on Hawkmoth on New Years Eve. Which was three days away. She was excited, but she was also terrified. What if their plan failed? What if they lost? How much longer could Paris handle this? How much longer could her team handle this? Nino was already putting his life with Alya on hold. Sure, they were married, but they weren’t even able to live together. Nino was too determined to see the battle through. Which was nice, but still. Then there was the continued problem with Chat Noir and Young Justice. He insisted that he had tried to get ahold of them, but that none of their representatives would get back in touch with him. It was beyond frustrating, and she honestly didn’t know who to believe. She knew that, for a while, Chat Noir had been distant. He’d stopped showing up to battles at all at one point almost two years ago. And he was distracted when he was there. But then he got better, and he was back to the partner she was used to. The one she had missed. She didn’t understand the disconnect now between him and Young Justice. Why was there so much…drama there? And then there was the strain she felt it putting on her relationship with Damian. Not that he knew the strain was there. She’d lied to him yesterday. Well, it was a lie by omission but still. She hated herself for it, and for not being able to be completely open with him. And with her other friends. She knew Jon’s identity and assumed Nino knew hers, but none of them could talk about it. It hurt to constantly try to be multiple people. It was exhausting. Her phone rings suddenly and she sighs, before glancing at it. The tension in her shoulders immediately melts away and she smiles at the caller ID.
“Hey, mon amour.” She says.
“Hello, habibti. I hope I didn’t wake you up.” He says. She frowns and glances at her clock, wincing at the time. She definitely hadn’t slept last night and it was, currently, only seven in the morning. Definitely much earlier than she would willingly be up for on Christmas break.
“Would you believe me if I said I woke up an hour ago?” She asks hopefully. He sighs.
“You didn’t sleep, did you?” He asks. She sighs.
“No, I didn’t. And before you lecture me, I know it’s not healthy. I’m trying to do better, I just- I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed lately.” She admits.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” He asks.
“No, I don’t think so.” Marinette says sadly.
“Would you like to get lunch today? We could go out somewhere nice, take a break from everything else.” Damian suggests.
“That sounds nice.” She says.
“I’ll pick you up at noon?” He suggests.
“Sounds great. I love you.” Marinette says, loving how freeing it felt to utter those three little words.
“And I you.” He says before hanging up. Marinette grins, excitement thrumming in her veins. She had plenty of time to take a quick nap and work on some commissions before lunch.
“Marinette, we really need to talk.” Tikki says, zipping into the room, the panic clear on their face. Marinette blinks in surprise, not used to seeing the kwami in such a state.
“Of course. Are you okay?” She asks, turning so that she can focus on her friend. Tikki zips around, obviously their version of pacing as they shake their head.
“No, I mean, this isn’t about me, Marinette. It’s about you and your team. And Hawkmoth.” They say frowning.
“Oh.” Marinette says, panic creeping up on her. “Am I- is this about our plan?” She asks. Tikki nods.
“Yes. And I tried to tell you sooner, but I couldn’t because-” They’re cut off by the shrill ringing of the akuma alarm. Marinette winces.
“It’s okay, Paris can wait a few minutes.” She says, trying to help Tikki calm down. They start to cry, startling Marinette.
“You can’t go. He-” The burner phone, the one that only Carapace and Chat Noir had the number for, begins ringing shrilly. Marinette frowns apologetically.
“I’m so sorry Tikki. Just, just give me a minute, okay?” She asks. Answering the phone, she immediately shifts into Ladybug mode. “Hello?”
“LB please hurry. I’m not- Dude! Not cool! I haven’t seen Chat Noir yet and I don’t know- listen dude, swords are not- SHELTER!” He yells, before the line goes dead. Marinette’s eyes widen.
“We have to go.” She says. Tikki, who was still crying, nods slowly. Marinette feels awful, but she calls her transformation before throwing Kaalki’s glasses on and calling a portal. Dropping into Paris, her eyes widen at the giant green shelter currently protecting a group of people, including Carapace, as a dozen people with swords continuously stab at the green shield. This wasn’t going to be easy.
---
She was right. And she hated it. Several hours had gone by, no sign of Chat Noir, and she and Carapace had already been forced to recharge several times. She was starting to worry that he’d either been taken down by a minion as a civilian, or was a minion himself. She and Carapace had both tried to call him, several times. Ladybug had even used the burner phone, but no luck.
They also weren’t having much luck finding the actual akumatized person. Just a lot of minions. With swords. She glances at the clock and swears under her breath.
“Carapace? I gotta make a quick call.” She says. He gives her a thumbs up, but focuses on the minion he was busy fighting. Hopping up onto a low roof, she pulls out her yoyo and dials Damian’s number.
“Hello?” He says, and she can practically hear the frown in his voice.
“Hey Damian.” She says, keeping an eye on her surroundings.
“Marinette? Did your number change?” He asks and she has to suppress the urge to groan. Unless she took the time to press the right buttons on her yoyo, it came up as unlisted. Which was usually helpful, but not so much in this moment.
“I can explain that later. I might be a bit late for lunch.” She says, feeling awful.
“Is everything okay?” He asks. Marinette starts to respond, but yelps instead as another minion shows up out of nowhere, slashing at her with a sword. “Marinette!”
“Just a sec.” She says, muting the call as she throws her yoyo forward, wraps it around the minion and pulls them close. “I was in the middle of a conversation.” She chastises before yanking their sword away and using the butt of it to knock the minion out. Huffing, she unmutes the call. “Sorry about that, just uh, klutz moment?”
“Marinette, what is going on? Do you need assistance?” Damian asks, worry clear in his voice. Marinette frowns.
“Uh no?” She says unsurely. Honestly, it might be time to move up their plans. See if they could get Hawkmoth today.
“Are you-” He starts, but she screams in pain as a sword is inserted into her shoulder. Yanking away, she snaps her yoyo shut and immediately starts fighting the minion. It was time to end this.
---
Damian Wayne liked to think of himself as a level headed individual. Yes, he could get angry. He was his Father’s son, after all. However, he always believed that he could stay calm in tricky situations. That belief, though, crumbled the instant he heard Marinette’s pain filled scream.
“Marinette!” He yells, panic shooting through him. But the call disconnects. Making his mind, Damian grabs his keys and rushes out of the manor, towards her apartment. He definitely broke several traffic laws as he sped through Gotham, but he didn’t care. He had to make sure she was okay. Parking right in front of her building, he takes the stairs two at a time, not wanting to wait for the ancient elevator. Rushing to a stop in front of her door, he knocks twice. Not hearing any movement on the other side, he uses his spare key to unlock the door and enter the apartment. He stays silent as he clears the apartment, scanning for any sign of a struggle. Any sign as to why his girlfriend was hurt. And how. But there was nothing. Pushing down his panic, he tries to call her back on the number she’d just used, but the call would not go through. It was almost as if the number did not exist. Frowning, he tries her personal number.
“Pick up, pick up.” He mutters into the phone.
“Hi!” She says chirpily, and he sighs with relief. “This is Marinette. I can’t come to the phone-” He growls and hangs up, pacing the living room for a minute before calling her back.
“Hi! This is Marinette. I can’t come to the phone-” He hangs up again. He runs through his head for any contacts they have in common who she may have contacted. Kent? Maybe….making up his mind, he exits the apartment and locks the door again. Taking the stairs two at a time again, he decides to call Agreste on his way to the Batcave. If he hadn’t heard from her either, Damian would just have to try and find her as Robin. He had more resources that way.
“Hello?” Agreste answers on the second ring, sounding as though he had recently been exercising.
“Agreste, this is Damian Wayne.” Damian says, switching his phone over to the bluetooth in his car.
“Yeah, obviously. I have caller ID. What is it?” Agreste asks with a huff. Damian frowns.
“I was calling to see if you had heard from Marinette.” He says. Agreste grunts, sounding almost as if he was in the middle of a fight.
“No, I haven’t. Is that all?” He asks, clearly frustrated.
“What is happening?” Damian asks.
“Akuma attack. Gotta go.” Agreste huffs out, the line disconnecting.
“Call Jon Kent.” Damian says.
“Calling, Jon Kent.” The car says, the sound of the phone ringing echoing throughout the car.
“Damian! What’s up?” Kent asks happily.
“Have you heard from Marinette?” Damian asks.
“No? What’s wrong, you sound worried?” Kent asks, clearly concerned. Damian lets out a slow breath, trying to calm himself. He was no use to Marinette if he was panicked.
“I was on the phone with Marinette, she screamed, and the call disconnected.” He says simply.
“I’ll try listening for her. We’ll figure out what it is, Damian. Don’t worry.” Kent reassures him.
“If I do not hear from her soon, I will be going out as Robin to look for her.” Damian says.
“I’ll make sure my suit is ready.” Kent says simply before hanging up. Damian feels a small wave of relief wash over him. They would find her. She would be okay. She had to be okay. Using one of the exterior entrances for the Batcave, Damian freezes as he hears Marinette’s voice ring throughout the cave.
“Marinette?” He whispers, unbelieving. He rushes forward, but stays hidden in the shadows when he sees it’s Ladybug on the screen talking to his Father. Not Marinette. He frowns. He was so sure…
“Our plan’s been moved up. Chat Noir is MIA and we can’t find the akumatized individual. It’s almost like they don’t exist. Which isn’t the point. I need someone to help scan security cameras, try and help us get a location on Hawkmoth. Maybe even Chat Noir? I don’t know, I’m just worried that he’s hurt and that Carapace and I aren’t around to help him.” Ladybug rambles. Damian narrows his eyes as he looks at her. Her face had scratches, and the fabric on one of her shoulders was darker than the other. Most likely drenched in blood.
“Of course, Ladybug. Do you need additional backup?” His Father asks. Her eyes widen slightly and she ducks down as a sword comes into view.
“Listen asshole, you already made me cancel my damn date. Stop trying to kill me!” She screeches, somehow gaining control of the sword. She flips it and the hilt of the sword disappears momentarily, a thud occurring out of sight before she twirls the sword, relaxing her shoulders slightly. Damian gasps lowly as he looks at her, and it’s almost as if a layer of magic surrounding her melts away. He tunes out the rest of the conversation because he realizes: Marinette is Ladybug. Skirting around the edges of the cave, he makes it to the locker room. Grabbing one of his suits, he pulls out his phone and calls Kent again.
“I need a pickup outside my house in two minutes. We are going to Paris.”
---
“Carapace, fall back. We need to recharge.” Ladybug says tiredly. He nods, taking a few steps back to stand in line with her. Wrapping her arm around his waist, she manages to swing them away from the horde of minions that were quickly approaching. Swinging into her go-to alcove, she lets her shoulders slump.
“Okay, seriously, where is the akuma? Or Hawkmoth? It’s like he’s trying to play with us. Trying to mess with us.” Carapace huffs out. She shrugs before turning, both standing back to back as they let their transformations drop.
“I have no clue. And Batman is having trouble trying to find anything. I hate how this is all happening right before we were supposed to execute our plan. Seriously, how is our luck this bad? The Ladybug Miraculous is supposed to be good luck.” She huffs out.
“Oops?” A familiar voice says. Marinette’s eyes widen as Chat Noir lands in front of them, his eyes wide.
“Chat Noir!” Marinette shrieks, hoping he hadn’t been around long enough to know.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry you guys. I didn’t- Well, the plan wasn’t-” He starts to ramble, a terrified look on his face.
“It’s okay dude.” Nino says gently, his eyes closed. Marinette pinches the bridge of her nose, wanting nothing more than for this to all be a bad dream. Everything that could go wrong, was going wrong.
“No, you don’t understand.” Chat Noir says, shaking his head. Marinette frowns.
“What do you mean?” She asks.
“Plagg, claws in.” He says. She yelps and squeezes her eyes shut.
“No, Marinette, Nino, please, look at me.” He says, effectively outing her to Nino (though, she was pretty sure he already knew). “Guys please.” He says again. Marinette opens her eyes, blinking in surprise.
“Adrien?” She says.
“No way.” Nino says, not opening his eyes.
“Open your eyes, ya goof.” Marinette says with a laugh. Nino huffs, but opens his eyes, jaw dropping.
“Your Father-” She starts, and Adrien nods, a hopeful look on his face.
“Yeah, I know, but see, now that we know each other’s identities, it’ll be so much easier.” He says. She frowns.
“Easier for what? I thought our team worked fine.” She says. He sighs.
“Yeah, sure, but now that you know everything, you’ll give me the earrings, right?” He asks. She flinches, taking a step back as he takes a step forward.
“What?” She says under her breath.
“Your earrings? I really didn’t want to have to fight you guys, and now that we know we’re all friends under the masks too, you’ll give them to me, right?” He pleads. Tears spring to her eyes as she shakes her head.
“No, no, Adrien what are you-”
“I’ve been helping my Father.” He says quietly. “I just- I want my mom back.”
“Run.” Nino whispers before calling his transformation and lunging at Adrien. Marinette quickly calls on Tikki before swinging away, moving as quickly as she can as she hears her friends fight behind her. The panic shoots through her veins as she realizes how difficult this just became. Adrien was Chat Noir. Chat Noir was on Hawkmoth’s side. Hawkmoth, technically, already had the ring. She swings into one of the towers of Notre-Dame, everything starting to piece together in her mind. When he’d stopped showing up for battles. When he stopped being as helpful. The fact that he wasn’t working with the Young Justice at all. She chokes back a sob, immediately throwing a punch as someone lands in front of her.
“Ladybug, stop!” Damian yells. Her eyes widen at the sight of her boyfriend in his Robin gear standing next to Jon.
“What are you doing here?” She asks, wiping furiously at her eyes.
“I was worried when you screamed and the call cut off.” He says.
“Well I didn’t mean to worry you, but I don’t exactly have a better reaction to being stabbed- oh shit.” Her eyes widen as she realizes he knew. “How long-”
“Earlier. I was in the cave while Father was on the call with you.” He says simply. She tries hard to ignore the awful churning in her stomach. Another thud makes her tense, then relax immediately at the sight of Carapace.
“Somehow, we’re still linked, we’ve gotta keep moving cause he can definitely still track us. We can’t afford to detransform until we’ve taken their Miraculous.” Carapace says firmly, wiping blood off his face. Ladybug’s eyes widen.
“What the hell did he-”
“LB, dudette, love your concern, not right now.” He says firmly, glancing at the other heroes before pursing his lips. “You tell him?” He asks, nodding towards Jon. Ladybug winces, shaking her head.
“No, I-”
“Mari, Nino, please come back!” Chat Noir yells, and she can tell he’s moving towards them fast.
“What the hell-” Damian starts, but she cuts him off.
“Not right now. I’ll explain later.” She says, running and leaping out of the tower.
“Please! Just- look, we don’t want to hurt you! Especially now that I know you’re my friends. Please.” Chat pleads, calling after them. An idea pops into her head.
“Then get your Father to show up. Meet us himself and promise us that he won’t hurt us or our families.” Ladybug calls back to him. She pauses on a roof, breathing heavily as she watches him also pause. He tilts his head to the side, and she’s not sure if he’s thinking, or using a comm to communicate with his dad. The thought makes her stomach churn. How often had Hawkmoth listened in on their meetings? Their plans? Their hangouts where they all claimed to love and care for each other. Where they promised each other that everything would be okay. How long had he pretended to be on their side? How long had he been a traitor?
“Fine. He says…the top of Françoise Dupont in fifteen minutes.” He says, glancing longingly at Jon before rushing away. Ladybug waits until she can’t see him, then collapses to her knees, letting out a long scream.
“I gotchu LB, don’t worry.” Carapace says gently, wrapping his arms around her as she gives herself just a minute to cry. A minute to let everything sink in. Because besides everything that had happened, he was still her friend. She cared about him, and the fact that he had turned on them hurt like hell.
“What is going on?” Damian asks, the worry clear in his voice. Sucking in a deep breath, she wipes her eyes, letting Carapace help her to her feet shakily.
“Chat Noir has been working for Hawkmoth.” She says softly. Carapace huffs, and she glances at him.
“That’s putting it lightly, LB. He betrayed us. This wasn’t some spur of the moment shit. He planned this. He’s been working with him for a while. He was the mole. The reason Hawkmoth always seemed one step ahead of us. He tried to get LB to give up her earrings earlier. Once he realized that we’re friends under the mask too. God, how could I be so stupid?” Carapace yells, whirling around and punching a chimney. He swears under his breath and shakes out his hand, the bruises on his knuckles already forming.
“Who is it?” Jon asks, sounding panicked. Marinette winces, turning away. “Who is it?” He asks again, softer this time.
“I think you know.” She says. His face crumbles, before a hard mask covers it and he whirls around, flying towards the school. Shit. She zips after him, hearing Robin and Carapace scramble to follow. She lands a little bit away, frowning at the scene in front of her.
“Did you ever even love me?” Jon asks. Chat-no- Adrien whirls around, eyes wide.
“Jon-”
“No! Did you ever care about me? About any of us? Because if you did- if you did, Adrien, how the hell can you stand there and work alongside someone who has emotionally tortured people for years?” Jon screams, tears streaming down his face. Adrien frowns, glancing around as if looking for some sort of backup.
“But, my mom-” He says. Jon shakes his head.
“You could have asked for help! The second you found out she was here, in a coma, you could have come to the League. Or Ladybug or someone and asked for help. So many different heroes could have helped you, and would have been willing! Especially since you were a hero. God, Adrien, you were a hero! You stood there and watched LB get totally wrecked at several different attacks, all because you didn't have the fucking guts to stand up and say that something was wrong. Or at least the fucking decency to stay home if you weren't going to help her.” Jon growls out. Marinette winces, not used to seeing this side of Jon. Adrien sighs, taking a step towards Jon. He visibly flinches as Jon takes a step away from him.
“Jon, please, I’m begging you. I just-”
“No. We're done, Agreste. I am so beyond hurt, right now. I- I loved you, Adrien. I loved you and you hurt me. You hurt the people I care about. People that I thought you cared about-” Jon freezes, visibly tensing. “How long have you been working with him?” Marinette inhales sharply. That was the one thing she hadn’t asked. The one thing she wasn’t sure if- she didn’t know what she’d do if it turned out their entire partnership had been a lie.
“I-” Adrien hesitates, and her heart drops. “I’m not sure you want me to tell you.”
“How long?” Jon yells, the pain clear on his face.
“Almost two years.” He says, and Marinette can’t help the tears that start streaming once again.
“Did you ever even love me? Are you even sorry?” Jon asks, shaking his head.
“Yes! Jon, I’m so- I never meant- I love you. Please.” Adrien pleads, rushing forward and trying to grab Jon’s hands. Jon shakes his head, flying away, probably to wherever Robin was hiding. Marinette glances at Carapace, who had landed next to her. She reaches down and squeezes his hand in reassurance. Chat Noir was Ladybug’s best friend. Adrien was Nino’s. Taking in a deep breath, she moves with him to stand in front of Adrien, who had tears streaming down his face.
“Where is Hawkmoth?” She asks, wanting nothing more than to get this over with. He hiccups, swiping at his tears.
“I uh, I don’t, he should be coming.” Adrien mutters out, his face contorted with pain. “Mari? Remember when you said I didn’t have to be perfect to deserve love?” He asks. She bites her lip harshly, ignoring the sting from the breaking of the delicate skin.
“That didn’t mean you could go and work with a villain, Adrien! God, do you know I would have done anything to help you bring your mother back? I would have walked through hell for you, Adrien. I would have even gone to that stupid misogynstic temple full of people who hated me, if it meant I could learn the right magic to help. Why didn’t you let us help you?” She says, shaking her head.
“Because he did not need your false promises, Miss Dupain-Cheng.” Hawkmoth says, landing next to Adrien, Mayura landing behind him.
“Well what a dysfunctional family.” Carapace says, narrowing his eyes. Hawkmoth- Gabriel, purses his lips.
“Lahiffe.” He says with a nod.
“Now you can give us the earrings and we can fix mom and everything will be okay. Because you won’t hurt them, right, Father?” Adrien says, glancing at his dad hopefully. Gabriel quirks an eyebrow, holding his hand out.
“The ring, Adrien.” He says. Adrien frowns.
“You won’t hurt them, right Father?” He asks. Gabriel’s eyes narrow.
“Do you want your mother back or would you rather protect your little friends?” He asks. Adrien winces, glancing up at them. And for a moment, for a split second, Marinette thinks he’s on their side. That it was all an elaborate prank. But then he frowns at them.
“I’m sorry.” He says, taking his ring off and ignoring Plagg’s cries as he passes it to his dad. “I just want my mom back.” Before Gabriel can slide the ring on, a figure flashes forward and grabs it, rushing back to stand by her.
“I believe this belongs to you, LB.” Kid Flash says, his eyes sad. She nods firmly, turning and glaring at the group in front of her.
“I suggest you hand over the Miraculous now.” She says. Gabriel roars with fury, a cloud of purple and black magic forming over him. Gritting her teeth, she turns to Kid Flash and raises an eyebrow. He nods and darts forward, barely visible before he’s standing next to her once again. He passes the two brooches to her, and her stomach churns. All of this. Five years of torture. Of dying, and hurting. And never being able to actually feel. It never would have happened without these little pieces of jewelry. And the man in front of her. Five years of pain. Over.
The smell of pretzels and carpet that had been soaked with soda permeates Marinette’s nose as she furiously smashes buttons. She faintly hears the music from a game around the corner, and children laughing. But Marinette was too focused on her game and conversation with Damian. Barely glancing away from the screen, Marinette rolls her eyes.
“I just don’t understand why my friends in Paris think I shouldn’t get a hamster.” She complains. Damian scoffs.
“What was their reasoning?” He asks, glaring at the screen.
“Something about me not even being able to take care of myself. Which, obviously, they’re wrong.” Marinette says, trying hard to push down the hurt that threatened to bubble back up. She knew that Alya didn’t know that she was a hero and MDC. She didn’t know how hard Marinette worked to take care of herself and others every single day.
“Obviously. Have you decided where you will adopt the hamster from?” Damian asks. Marinette shrugs, going in for the last set of hits.
“No, I thought I’d ask your opinion on that.” She says, hitting a few more buttons. She grins as the screen flashes with ‘winner’ on her side, and ‘loser’ on Damian’s. Glancing over at him, Marinette laughs as Damian huffs, clearly frustrated with his loss. Or, to be more clear, his seventh loss. In his defense though, he’d never played the arcade version of Ultimate Mecha Strike IV. She had. If they were doing skee ball, or basketball, he definitely would have won. Those were not her strong suit. There were some games, like Dance Dance Revolution, where the two had been pretty evenly matched. He’d beaten her in nearly every round of that game. Something about having a lot of practice with some people he used to hang out with? Laughter finally dying down, Marinette grins at Damian.
“I’m sorry, I tried to warn you.” She says. He just rolls his eyes.
“No need to apologize, Marinette. Perhaps once I’ve practiced, we could have a rematch.” Damian offers, a small smirk on his face. Marinette grins.
“That’d be great.” She says, eyes scanning the arcade for another game or something to do. Right before she can suggest the air hockey table, her stomach makes a growling noise. Marinette blushes.
“Well I was going to ask what you wanted to do next, but I suppose dinner would be our best option.” Damian says, a small smile on his face. Marinette just grins sheepishly, holding out her hand. He looks down at it, and for one agonizing moment, she’s afraid that he won’t take it. But finally, finally, he does. An easy smile falls on her face as she swings their hands back and forth gently, walking out of the arcade and into the stifling heat. The sun was starting to sink, but she was sure they still had at least two hours of sunlight.
“What are you in the mood for? I have the stuff to make veggie burgers, smoothie bowls, pasta. And we could also go to the store first if I don’t have the ingredients.” She says, glancing up at him. She frowns slightly at the red tint tinging his ears.
“Actually, I thought that perhaps we could go out for dinner.” He says, she nods, trying to figure out why he seemed so off. They’d gone to dinner before, so she couldn’t really figure out why he seemed so stressed. Before she can ask, screams pierce the air. He stiffens, an unreadable look on his face. “Come on.” He says, tugging her into a little store. He leads her near the back, behind shelves. She crouches, heart beating out of her chest. Marinette glances at Damian, knowing he needed to leave. That he must be itching to leave. She always was when there was an akuma attack and she couldn’t get to it right away. Just as she thinks that, her phone goes off. Akuma alert. She curses her luck, sneaking a glance at Damian’s intense frown.
“I’m going to go sneak back to the bathrooms and call my parents. There was another akuma attack.” She says, nodding towards the back. He hesitates, obviously not fond of the idea of her running off, but he doesn’t say anything. It would be better for them to go their separate ways. She just hopes she can get him to agree.
“Please, promise me you won’t leave unless one of the Bats comes to get you. Or me.” He asks, tightening his hold on her hands. She nods.
“Promise.” She says, knowing she can’t keep it. He nods, letting go of her hands and letting her run off to the bathroom. Rushing in, she lets out a sigh of relief that she’d thought to bring Kaalki’s Miraculous with her. She’d need to make sure she always had it, now that she had to cross a freaking ocean to fight an akuma.
“Are you okay Marinette?” Tikki asks, flying out next to an unusually silent Kaalki. Marinette nods, barely registering the few tears on her face. She didn’t have a reason to cry. Not really. She was just so frustrated. She wished that she could tell him. That she knew, that she was a hero too, that she could take care of herself. Pushing down any negative feelings, she quickly becomes Pegabug and leaves to save her city. Again.
---
“Hey Chat! Any sign of the akumatized object?” Ladybug asks, doing a flip and landing in front of her partner. He huffs, his bangs hanging lower in front of his face.
“I think it might be their pencil. They’re reminiscent of Evillustrator.” He says, slightly out of breath. She felt awful for the few minutes between when the alarm went off and her arrival. She knew that Chat Noir had a busy civilian life, yet she still made it harder on him by moving across the world. By guaranteeing that she would always arrive just a little late to akuma attacks.
“On it.” Ladybug says, launching herself towards the object. The two make quick work of the akuma, and she sighs in relief. She could still get back to Damian before he notices- she frowns as she takes in Chat Noir. The slight droop of his ears, the way his tail hung sadly instead of flickering about. Something was wrong with her partner.
“I uh, I better go.” He says, shoulders hunched in. She reaches out, grabbing his arm gently.
“Are you okay, Kitty?” She asks, heart clenching at the way he was holding himself.
“Yeah, fine.” He says, but he doesn’t tug his arm away. Ladybug purses her lips, shoving down the idea of the rumors that are sure to start, and grabs him, pulling him into a tight hug. He stiffens for a minute, before relaxing into the hug.
“You know I’m here for you, right Chat Noir?” She asks. He nods slightly. “No matter what, I want you to remember that you’re one of my best friends. I know you probably can’t tell me what’s wrong because of identities, but always know that I’m here.”
“I just want this to be over.” He says quietly. Ladybug clenches her jaw and squeezes her eyes shut. Now was not the time to break. But she just wanted it to be over too. She was so tired, so done being a hero. Tired of the lies and the secrets.
“We’ll end this, Chat. It may not be tomorrow, but we’ll end this. Soon.” She promises quietly. He just sighs into her hold. She hugs him a little tighter. It wouldn’t hurt to spare a few minutes to console a friend, not when the akuma attack went by so quickly.
---
Sticking her head out into the bathroom, Marinette lets out a small sigh of relief that no one had shoved the door down to find her. She’d locked it before leaving for Paris, but still wasn’t certain that it would keep everyone out. She’d only been gone for forty five minutes, hopefully nothing crazy had happened. Quickly passing a sugar cube to Kaalki, Marinette unlocks the door and cracks it open to glance out. She catches sight of other customers, still hiding. Huffing out a sigh of relief, she lets the door close gently. Tikki flies up, giving her a serious look.
“What’s wrong?” Marinette asks quietly, holding out a hand for Tikki to land on.
“We need to talk.” They say, their voice firm. Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed together, but before Tikki can explain, someone’s knocking on the door.
“Hello? Anyone in there?” A voice asks. Marinette freezes, moving to lean up against the door as she tries to stay quiet. “Oh, it’s Nightwing, by the way.” The voice says again. Marinette thinks, trying to match the voice to the man she’d met in Paris so many months ago. Deciding to take a leap of faith (and trust her memory), she opens the door, smiling slightly at the hero.
“Hi Nightwing! Is it over?” She asks. He chuckles, nodding.
“You’re awfully peppy for someone who just hid for their life for almost an hour.” He jokes. She shrugs, grinning.
“What can I say? I’m Parisian, it’s in my blood.” She quips. He just snorts, shaking his head.
“Well ma’am, if you could follow me, I’ll escort you out.” He says. She nods, then frowns. Was Damian okay? She couldn’t ask about Robin directly, but maybe…
“Have you seen a guy with dark hair and green eyes?” She asks, knowing that Nightwing, who was probably one of Damian’s brothers, would know exactly who she was talking about. He hums in response.
“Your boyfriend?” He asks. “Maybe, what’s his name?” Marinette feels her face heat up.
“Oh, um, I- I think- I mean I want to- that is to say-” She stops, sighing. “Damian. He’s just a friend.” She says, ignoring the way it makes her heart clench. Nightwing purses his lips, before nodding.
“I remember him now. But I’m not sure he’s just a friend, kid. He seemed really worried about you. Tried to fight us to get back here to you.” He says. Marinette raises an eyebrow, trying to figure out if that was true or not. She stays silent, following him out of the building. The second they walk outside and past the police tape, someone has her hands in a gentle hold.
“Are you okay? Were you hurt?” Damian asks, eyes scanning her. She scans him as well, worriedly looking for any signs of injury.
“I’m fine, I promise. Are you okay?” She asks. He nods.
“I am perfectly fine, Angel.” He says quietly. He obviously used the nickname on purpose, as his face stays calm. But Marinette feels hers heat up as her heart skips a beat. “How are your parents?” He asks.
“They’re fine, everything’s already back to normal.” She says. He nods, squeezing her hands.
“Good. Would you still like dinner?” He asks, shifting to move them away from Nightwing (who doesn’t say anything, but was vibrating with what she could only assume was excitement). Marinette nods.
“Of course. How about we get takeout and take it back to my apartment? Maybe watch a movie?” She suggests.
“That sounds enjoyable.” He says, nodding. She grins, breathing a little easier with his fingers intertwined with hers. They don’t say much as they walk, grabbing a quick dinner from the Pita Plus food truck a block from her apartment. By the time they were walking up the stairs to her apartment, the silence was starting to become a bit much. Every time she started to say something, he looked like he was about to talk. So she’d decided to just wait. And let him talk first. She just sets the bag of food down, when he finally clears his throat. Marinette turns, smiling softly at him.
“What’s up?” She asks. He huffs out a breath.
“I am…uncertain the best way to approach this topic.” He admits, frowning.
“Are you okay?” She asks, worry washing over her.
“Yes, I-” Damian pauses. “Marinette, I do not think I want to be just friends anymore.” He says, his voice soft. Marinette’s eyes widen slightly.
“I feel the same way.” She says breathlessly. He nods, his lips quirking up slightly.
“May I kiss you?” He asks. Marinette nods, frozen as he crosses to her. He places one gentle hand on her waist, cupping her cheek with the other. Her breath catches as he leans down, and her eyes flutter shut. His lips graze hers and she feels herself melt into the kiss. It was absolutely perfect.
Marinette lets a small smile fall on her face as she walks around and marvels at the beauty of Paris at night. The summer was nearly over, and she was almost completely moved into her apartment in Gotham. She’d come back to Paris to get the last of her things and spend a few more days with her friends and family. After all, she probably wouldn’t be back until Christmas. Sudden movement in the alley to her left makes Marinette pause. If it was anywhere besides Paris, she’d just keep moving. But this is Paris. Petty crime is so far down, it’s practically nonexistent. Someone might actually need help, and she’s one of three Parisian heroes. She didn’t have a choice. Taking a deep breath, Marinette silently walks towards the figures shrouded in darkness. One of the figures melts out of the shadows, the figure clearly a woman. The other figures that seemed to spring from the shadows appeared to be men. But why would this woman bring over half a dozen men with her? What was going on? Just as she decides to back up and get out of there before something crazy could happen, she bumps into a trashcan. The metal lid clangs to the ground, the sound a sharp hit in her ear. All of the figures snap to defensive positions, the woman relaxing slightly as she moves forward, a smirk on her face.
“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” The woman taunts, making Marinette frown. Why did it seem like the woman knew her? Why was Tikki fluttering around nervously in her purse? (Marinette could tell because of the unnatural way the bag was moving, movement that wouldn’t be obvious if you weren’t holding the bag or a detective or something).
“I think you have the wrong person.” She says. The woman chuckles.
“What, dear, do you not recognize your future mother in law?” She taunts, a hint of anger clear on her face. Marinette blinks in confusion.
“Okay, now I know that you have the wrong person. I’m not even dating anyone.” Marinette says, holding up her hands in surrender. The woman’s eyes narrow.
“You are obviously not a worthy match for an Al Ghul. My Damian could do so much better.” The woman says, her face nearly unreadable. Marinette frowns. She only knew one Damian. And this woman, this couldn’t be his mother. Right? Her Damian’s last name was Wayne. Marinette blinks at her own thoughts. Since when did she think of him as hers? She quickly shoves those thoughts aside. She didn’t need to get obsessed over him. It would destroy any relationship, platonic or not, that they currently had. And that’s not something that she was willing to give up.
“I wish you well on finding someone that you think could be a good match then.” Marinette huffs, turning on her heel and trying to leave. A harsh tug on her wrist forces her to turn back around and look at the people standing in front of her.
“While you’re here, you might as well be useful. What do you know of the Miraculous situation here?” The woman asks. Warning signals start going off in Marinette’s head. Paired with the way that Tikki suddenly stops moving, and Marinette doesn’t want to trust whoever this woman is.
“Do you mean like, Hawkmoth?” Marinette asks, starting out as vague as possible. The woman purses her lips.
“He is the one asking for the Miraculous, correct?” She asks. Marinette nods, stuck between not wanting to give the woman information and being frightened of the woman and her backup.
“I only know what’s on the news, and what I’ve seen in person.” Marinette lies, thankful that she’s had to work on telling little lies over the years. Not that this was necessarily a little lie, but it was definitely one that would keep her safe. Especially since the woman still had a firm grasp on her wrist. One that she was sure was bruising.
“Do I look like I have time to research that for myself? Speak, girl.” The woman demands. Marinette bites back a snarky remark, knowing that it definitely would not go over well with the woman.
“It started five years ago. The heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, showed up out of nowhere. The Justice League hasn’t ever shown up, which I personally think is weird. Hawkmoth uses akumas to try and get Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculous. No one ever blames the akuma victims for what they do when they’re possessed because it’s apparently almost impossible to fight off an akuma when you’re already upset.” Marinette rambles a bit, giving a little more information than she wanted to. But staring at the woman, specifically her eyes, she’d started to wonder if maybe, just maybe, the Damian she knew was the same Damian that this woman says is too good for her. And Marinette agrees, if it is the same Damian. He was kind, and smart, and funny, and an amazing person. She was just…Marinette.
“What has your part been in all of this?” The woman asks, a knowing look in her eyes. Marinette resists the urge to run far away. Chances are the woman would find her, even if she did run.
“I’ve tried to stay calm and not turn into something that wants to kill everyone I love.” She replies, finally yanking her wrist from the woman. She crosses her arms so that the woman can’t grab her as easily, and also to hide the bruises forming on her wrist. Marinette didn’t want to give the other woman the satisfaction.
“If you’re lying to me, you know I can find you, correct?” The woman asks, raising an eyebrow. Marinette purses her lips.
“Obviously.” She says shortly. The woman nods before taking a step back, melting back into the shadows with her group. Marinette shivers involuntarily, rubbing her arms nervously as she darts back out of the alley and rushes home. The second she’s in her room, she takes a steadying breath. She had no doubt that the woman and her men would be following her, at least for a little while. Which meant instead of going out as Ladybug (which is what she really wanted to do), she’d call Damian and see if he actually knew the random woman. Pulling out her phone, she clicks on Damian’s contact and collapses onto her chaise, bouncing her leg up and down as the phone rings.
“Marinette? Are you okay? It’s near midnight in Paris.” His worried voice says the second he answers. No hello, nothing like that. Marinette smiles softly, secretly relieved that he can’t see her dopey smile.
“I’m fine.” She lies, before sighing. She hated being dishonest with Damian. She knew that sometimes it was necessary (the whole hero thing), but other than that, she liked to be honest. She tried to always be honest with all of her friends. “Okay, maybe not completely fine? I just had an….encounter in an alley near the bakery.” She says. He says something in Arabic, and she’s 99% sure it’s not something he would say in front of his Father.
“What happened?” He asks, his voice tense. Marinette lets out a long exhale.
“I was walking home. I kind of lost track of time. And then I saw something in the alley. Paris isn’t like Gotham, Damian. You know this. Especially with the whole Hawkmoth situation. I was afraid that someone needed help, so I went to check it out. There was a group of people, and when I tried to run, I bumped into something. And this lady grabbed me and wouldn’t let go of me. She said that she was my future mother in law, and that I wasn’t good enough for an Al Ghul. And then she wanted to know what I knew about the whole situation in Paris.” Marinette explains, still restless as she spots shadows moving on her balcony. Their shadows peeked through the skylight, dancing across her bed as she spoke. Damian was silent for a minute. Just as she was starting to think that he’d been disconnected, Damian spoke.
“Did she have green eyes?” He asks, voice barely audible.
“Yes.” Marinette replies in the same voice.
“Then I would like to apologize for my Mother’s horrific manners. I swear to you, I was unaware that she would be in Paris.” Damian says, his voice filled with something Marinette couldn’t identify.
“Damian, I promise, it’s not your fault. She wasn’t too bad.” Marinette says, glancing down at the bruise on her wrist. Damian’s silent for a moment.
“If you are angry with me, or no longer wish to speak to me, I would understand.” He says. She scoffs.
“Um, no. You can’t get rid of me that easily, Damian. You’re one of the best people I know. You’re stuck with me for a while.” She says, laughing lightly.
“I think I can handle that.” He says, and she can tell by his voice that he’s smiling. She grins, even though he can’t see it. Everything would be fine.
---
Ladybug clenches her jaw, glaring at the woman in front of her. Talia Al Ghul. Damian had told her his mother’s name so that she could stop referring to the woman as “the woman”.
“Talia Al Ghul.” She says, lips pursed. Talia smirks.
“I see my reputation precedes me, Ladybug.” She says. Ladybug narrows her eyes.
“Is there a reason you are in my city? Or should I remind you of the ban that the League of Assassins has on any major city controlled by Miraculous?” She asks, quirking an eyebrow. She’d had a long discussion with Tikki about it. Apparently, hundreds of years ago, the Miraculous Court and the League of Assassins had come to some sort of agreement that they would not interfere in each other’s business. It had something to do with the Lazarus Pits, but that was all Tikki would say. They were on edge, and had been for awhile, so Marinette didn’t push it.
“Just curious as to why this is still going on. Surely someone such as yourself should be able to end this Hawkmoth fool?” Talia says, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Ladybug’s glare grows harder.
“It is not any of your concern. Now, I suggest you leave my city before I make you.” She says. Talia laughs.
“I doubt you have the training, little girl.” She taunts. Ladybug huffs, before launching into a series of offensive moves and positions that Robin had taught her during her training sessions at the Young Justice building. Talia’s eyes widen slightly before she goes on the defense. Their fight continues for nearly twenty minutes. Every time one of them would make a little progress, the other would knock them back down. They weren’t evenly matched, Ladybug could feel the strain entering her body as she continued the fight. Talia was obviously skilled, and Ladybug was only holding on by a string. Just before she thinks the fight is going to turn badly for her, Talia stops and takes a step back. Ladybug moves back a step as well, staying in a defensive position.
“I believe I may have underestimated you, Ladybug. You have obviously had some good teachers.” Talia remarks. Ladybug frowns, but nods.
“I am not alone in what I do, Talia Al Ghul. I will only ask this one more time. Leave Paris, stay out of the business of the Miraculous.” She says. Talia purses her lips, but gives a slight nod.
“I will do as you ask this time, Ladybug. Do not slack off in your training. You may find yourself going up against an opponent of my caliber again one day. I would hate for them to not take it easy on you.” Talia quips before disappearing. Ladybug furrows her eyebrows, glaring off into the shadows as pieces of the puzzle start to fall together. It was a well known fact in the hero world, that Talia Al Ghul had had some type of love affair with Batman years ago. Talia Al Ghul fought like Robin. Robin, who trained her to fight, fought like the mother of the boy she liked. Said boy was the son of Talia Al Ghul, the leader of the League of Assassins. Damian must have grown up in the League of Assassins. Robin was trained like he was in the League of Assassins. Damian was Robin.
Honestly, Marinette was disappointed in herself for not seeing it sooner. After all, Robin and Superboy were clearly best friends. And she’d never really seen Jon interact with anyone like he interacted with Damian. Well, except for Robin the few times he was at the Young Justice headquarters at the same time as her. She frowns, getting lost in her thoughts as she sips her coffee on her new couch in her apartment in Gotham. A thought suddenly slams forward in her head, and she immediately chokes on her coffee, spitting it everywhere as she coughs.
“Marinette! Are you okay?” Tikki asks, zipping into the living room with a worried look on their face. Marinette blinks, not yet bothering to wipe up the spilled coffee, too caught up in her mind. “Marinette?” Tikki says again.
“His dad is Batman.” She says softly. Tikki winces, obviously having already put that bit of information together. Marinette groans, dropping her face into her hands. Suddenly, she gasps as she remembers the research she’d done about Gotham before Gotham Academy went to Paris.
“What is it?” Tikki asks, the concern clear in their big blue eyes. Marinette pouts.
“I asked Damian if his dad was dating Batman.” She says, remembering one of GA’s first days in Paris. Tikki laughs, then covers their mouth as if that takes the laugh back. Marinette can’t help but snort. “Don’t laugh, Tikki. If I tell him I know his identity, I’m never going to live that comment down.” She sighs. Tikki frowns.
“If?” They ask. Marinette bites her lip, then nods.
“If. Of course I want to tell him. And I would, right now, if the Hawkmoth situation was taken care of. But now…with the chances of him going to Paris to help? I can’t do it, Tikki. I can’t risk that, no matter how badly I want him to know.” Marinette says. Tikki’s eyes narrow slightly.
“But you still said, if, Marinette. Not when.” They say. Marinette winces, having hoped Tikki wouldn’t catch that.
“Tikki I-” She pauses, trying to think of a way to word it so that she won’t hurt her friend. “I’m starting to think I may not come out of this.” She says softly. Tikki flinches back as if they’d been smacked.
“Marinette-”
“No, Tikki, listen please.” Marinette says, shifting her position so that she can look right at the kwami. “This has been going on for years, and Hawkmoth just keeps getting stronger. The Miraculous Cure doesn’t work on me like it should, not anymore. I’d be stupid to think Hawkmoth is going to go down easy in the final battle. And even if I live, there’s no telling if I’ll be in good enough shape to continue being the Guardian. If I have to give that up…he’d never know that I was Ladybug. And neither would I.” Marinette says softly. Her heart aches at the tears filling her friend’s eyes.
“Oh, Marinette. I wish- I wish that there was something I could do to make this easier for you.” They say, their voice trembling as big tears fall.
“Just be there for me, Tikki. Be my friend. That’s all I need.” She says, holding her hand out for Tikki to fly into so that they could hug. They zip in for the comfort almost immediately, and Marinette sighs. As long as she had Tikki, she could keep smiling. Even if she felt like things were seconds from falling apart.
---
Marinette’s ringing phone stirs her from the nap she’d been taking. She’d stayed up late the night before finishing up a commission for Jagged, and hadn’t been able to call any of her friends like she’d originally planned. In her defense though, the Met Gala was quickly approaching, and both Clara and Jagged had requested outfits from her. So she was just a little busy. Yawning, she grins internally at the caller ID before answering.
“Mari!” Adrien chirps excitedly, a wide grin on his face. Marinette laughs lightly, shaking her head at her friend. She was so glad that they’d been able to become such great friends over the years. It was nice to be able to talk to the boy like he was normal instead of worshiping the ground he walked on.
“Hey Adri. What’s up?” She asks, stretching slightly to try and get the feeling back in her legs.
“You never called yesterday! I just wanted to see how your first couple of nights in your own apartment were.” He says, and she’s certain she’s not imagining the twinge of jealousy in his voice. When he’d turned eighteen, Gabriel had managed to convince Adrien to sign an additional modeling contract. Basically, Adrien was still under Gabriel’s control until he was twenty six. And somehow, he’d managed to include the living situation in the contract. Which meant Adrien, who had wanted nothing more than to be independent from his father since they were fourteen, was stuck still living in that giant house. Until Gabriel decided Adrien could move out. Something Marinette was almost sure would never happen. She felt awful.
“It was pretty nice. But hey, I saw your Instagram post yesterday. Jon’s in town! How’re you guys doing?” She asks, changing the subject to something she knew Adrien was happy about. The two had been dating for nearly four months, and Marinette was certain that if soulmates existed, the two would be soulmates. They just clicked so well together. Adrien’s small smile disappears, turning into a full “sunshine smile” as Alya always called it.
“He’s amazing, we’re amazing.” He stops, his smile growing dopier as a lovestruck look falls onto his face. “We said the ‘L’ word.” He says. Marinette’s eyes widened, excited, but decided to tease her friend a little.
“Lawsuit? Why would you need a lawsuit?” She asks. Adrien splutters.
“Not lawsuit, Mari!”
“Oh, my bad. But lactose didn’t sound right either.” She says. Adrien huffs.
“Love, Mari. We said that we love each other.” Though he starts huffy, Adrien’s voice is almost breathless by the end of his sentence as the dopey smile falls back onto his face. Marinette laughs.
“I know Adri. I just like teasing you. But seriously, that’s amazing! I’m so happy for you guys.” She says. Adrien sighs, before his face twists into a mischievous look as it sounds like a door shuts somewhere near him.
“What about you and Damian?” He asks, quirking an eyebrow. Marinette curses the way her cheeks immediately heat up at the idea of her and Damian being in a relationship. She really liked him, but she couldn’t be honest with him. Not yet. And she didn’t want to hurt him. She was sure, living the life he’d had, that he’d been hurt enough in his life. Marinette didn’t want to add to it.
“There’s nothing going on with us. I haven’t even seen him since I landed.” She admits, ignoring the slight ache in her chest at the admission. Adrien scoffs, glancing at something off camera.
“Babe, deal with your best friend please.” He says. Marinette’s eyes widened.
“Jon’s there?” She asks, her voice going up several octaves. Adrien nods.
“Yeah?” He says, his eyebrows furrowed. Marinette groans.
“Jon do me a favor and don’t tell your best friend how hopelessly in love with him I am.” She begs. Jon pokes his face on camera, frowning.
“Are you sure? Because I’m pretty sure-” He starts, but she cuts him off.
“No, I am absolutely sure.” She rushes out, before sighing. She lets her usual facade fall slightly, letting the tiredness and fear seep onto her face. “I don’t want to lose him.” She says, her voice impossibly small. Jon purses his lips, but nods.
“Okay Mari, I won’t say anything about you liking him. But you should really tell him.” He says, gifting her a small smile. It wasn’t the megawatts smile Adrien had minutes ago, but it was just as comforting. Just as familiar.
“Thank you.” She says softly. She wasn’t sure what she’d do without Damian Wayne in her life.
---
Marinette decided to bite the bullet and invite Damian over to her apartment. Despite the whole ‘Robin’ revelation and her ever growing crush, he was one of her best friends. And the only one close enough to invite over to see her apartment. Adjusting the plate of cookies on the coffee table, Marinette grins as a knock rings out on her apartment door. She opens the door a crack, smiling at Damian before opening it the rest of the way. He frowns slightly.
“Did you not check before opening the door?” He asks. She raises an eyebrow, glancing up at the peephole on her door.
“Does it look like I can see out of that without a step stool or short ladder?” She quips back. He huffs.
“I simply do not want you to be blindsided, Marinette. Gotham isn’t Paris.” He reminds her for the millionth time. Marinette rolls her eyes.
“I know that, Damian.” She says, gesturing for him to come in. The second he’s in, she shuts the door and locks it, making a show of adding the chain to the door before turning back to him. “I’ll try and figure out a solution that doesn’t involve opening my door until I know who’s on the other side. Okay?” She asks. He nods.
“Yes, I- I’m sorry. I just-” Damian huffs, obviously struggling with his words. She reaches up and gently touches his arm, careful to make sure he sees her hand move up to his arm. His whole ‘panic and fight first, ask questions later’ when touched thing makes a whole hell of a lot more sense.
“It’s fine, I know.” She says softly. He nods, before glancing around her apartment. His lips quirk up into a small smile.
“Your apartment is very you.” He says, then, catching her eye, he adds “It’s a good thing, Angel.” Marinette’s eyes widen, an involuntary gasp escaping her. Damian’s face turns an impossible shade of red as he opens and shuts his mouth, at a loss for words for the first time since she met him. Clearing her throat, Marinette decides to jump around it for now. He was obviously uncomfortable and hadn’t meant to call her that, no matter how much it made her heart flutter.
“Hopefully it’ll stay like this. I have two huge commissions coming up, so I’m kind of scared that it’ll start looking like a war zone.” She admits, skillfully shifting the conversation with a laugh. Damian’s shoulders relax slightly, a snort falling from his mouth.
“I have no doubts that before awards season is over, your apartment will be completely overrun with designs.” He teases. She huffs, rolling her eyes.
“Just ‘cause you’re right, doesn’t mean you have to say it.” She complains. He simply smirks.
“You know I take great joy in being right.” He says, and she snorts in agreement. It made for an interesting game night every time. “Have you been to the arcade across the street yet? I know you are just settling in, but it is one of the better arcades in Gotham. It would be a shame for you to miss out on it.” Damian says. Marinette's heart flutters as she tries not to think about this being a date. It was just two friends hanging out, right? That’s all it was? Looking down at her loungewear, she winces.
“Can you give me like, twenty minutes to change?” She asks, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. She adored arcades, and she loved the idea of going to an arcade with Damian even more. He nods.
“Of course, Marinette.” He says. She grins, ignoring how much she wishes he would’ve called her angel again. Rushing back to her room, Marinette shifts through the clothes hanging up in her closet. Most were her clothes, but some were prototypes from her hero fashion line. She hadn’t launched it yet, not with how busy she was with everything else. Her eyes dart from the Superboy themed skater dress, to the Robin themed overalls. She weighs her options in her mind, trying to decide which one would get more of a reaction out of Damian. Deciding to save the dress for a different outing (one where she wouldn’t be running around trying to beat Damian at every game possible), she quickly changes into the overalls. Grinning at her reflection, she quickly fixes her hair before rushing back out into the living room.
“Okay, ready!” She calls, picking up her purse and grinning at Damian. She tries not to smirk as she notices the way his jaw drops slightly, and his eyes widen. She’d definitely made the right choice with the overalls. “Do you like it? It’s part of my new hero line.” She says. Damian nods.
“You look lovely, Marinette.” He says, slight shock still on his face. Marinette decides to tease him just a bit, enjoying the way his eyes hadn’t left her since she walked in.
“You sure? I also have a Red Robin skater skirt outfit prepared.” She says. That outfit had been shoved far into her closet after she’d started conversing with Red Robin as Ladybug. It felt weird to wear something modeled after a hero that she kind of knew. But an outfit modeled after one of her closest friends? That was just like wearing her Chat Noir outfit back in Paris. Showing her support through fashion. Damian frowns.
“No.” He says, his eyes a little hard and she remembers the way he’d bickered with Red Robin. How they didn’t seem to like each other. She suddenly regrets bringing the hero up. Before she can apologize, though, Damian speaks again. “I think this one looks amazing on you. It is obviously themed after the vigilante without being tacky or too much. Truly, you did amazing.” He says. Marinette feels her cheeks heat up immensely, not used to such compliments from Damian. She coughs lightly to clear her throat.
“Whoa.” She says lowly, before grinning at him. “Shall we go?” She asks, holding out her arm in an offer. He glances at it, before reaching out and pushing it down gently. She feels a brief twinge of hurt, before he reaches out and intertwines his fingers with hers in lieu of linking arms.
“We shall.” He says, smiling softly at her. Marinette just smiles back at him, unable to speak past the furious beating of her heart. She could get used to holding Damian’s hand.
