Bruce was in a state of mild panic. Mild only because he was fairly certain his brain had shut down in protest with all the unexpected information being thrown his way. He tried to focus on one thing at a time but even then the sheer strangeness of it all was overwhelming. Just watching the girls together made his head spin. Cass didn’t relax, ever, but here she was snuggled into Marinette’s side, playing with one of the buttons on her shirt while the two of them communicated in a way he was certain he’d never understand. When he’d told her about Marinette the day before all she said was ‘Oh, that makes sense’, and walked away. How was he supposed to respond to that?
Then there was Marinette herself. Forgetting for a moment that she was apparently using magical artifacts to defend Paris and had gone up against the League already, she was nothing like what he’d expected. Granted his mind had automatically gone to the worst case scenario, but even the less doomsday prophecy version of her in his head was insanely off the mark. First, unlike the rest of his children, she was an adult. Maybe not in age but her maturity was obvious. Even Selina backed down when she insisted. And wasn’t that just a great surprise? His only consultation was that Alfred hadn’t known either. He was going to have to ask Marinette how she’d managed to get Selina to put something back. In his experience once she had her hands on something it was hers. Period.
“Guilt.” He blinked in Marinette in confusion. “Usually when she steals something it’s not a big deal because institutions have insurance to cover things, but since Paris is dealing with a terrorist that feeds on negative emotions, stealing something here is creating targets for him. Harley actually was the one that finally convinced her by talking about the huge mental toll all of this must be taking on the people of Paris.” He was almost certain he hadn’t voiced that question out loud but his shock over that was derailed quickly.
“You know Harley too?” She just offered him a sympathetic smile and that was one more thing to add to the list of things he didn’t expect. She was obviously nurturing, protective, and empathetic. If any of the boys were in her place they’d be laughing at him and storing it for blackmail material later. Every time she sprang something else on him he could tell she was trying to soften the blow even though she felt pressed for time.
“Well, yes.” Her look turned sheepish. “I was a bit overwhelmed at the time so instead of arguing with Selina I may have made a portal to her home and shoved her through it so I didn’t have to worry about Akumas coming after me while I talked to her.” He blinked at her.
“You can make portals from Paris to Gotham?” He had been trying to avoid the whole magic topic until the idea settled a bit more but if this was something anyone who had one of these artifacts could do that was a problem.
“Well no, not me specifically. One of the Miraculous in my charge has the ability. I had been keeping it on me in case I needed to leave Paris to let out negative emotions.” She sounded ashamed and Cass was giving him a look that said he needed to say something. Yeah, because him talking to his children always went so well.
“Everyone needs a break. You’re not shirking your duties by taking care of yourself. I imagine there are grave consequences to more than just yourself if this villain manages to get inside your head so it makes sense for you to do anything in your power to keep that from happening.” She peeked at him, looking for something but he had no idea what, before offering a tense smile.
“Still, I’m sorry for entering Gotham like that. I know how you feel about outsiders. In my defense I had no idea where I was until they told me and I left as soon as Selina agreed to not steal in Paris until I’ve dealt with Hawkmoth.”
“How do you make a portal to somewhere and not know where you are?” The words came out harsh because of his confusion and Cass glared at him. Tikki was the one who ended up answering.
“Kaalki doesn’t need a geographical location to get somewhere. Mari wanted to take Catwoman home so that's where they made the portal. We Kwami aren’t confined by your limited knowledge. In our aspects we have very few limitations.” Well that didn’t sound at all ominous.
“The Kwami themselves aren’t limited but the Miraculous and their holders can create their own barriers. For instance, if you don’t think you can get somewhere without knowing exactly where it is then Kaalki won’t be able to get you there. Your perception of what is and isn’t possible plays a large part in how a Miraculous can be used. I think that’s why Master Fu chose such young holders. He thought we would be more open minded about the possibilities.” There was sadness in her tone but there was also a bite to it. He wanted to ask about it, but given his track record with shoving his foot in his mouth he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. Luckily Plagg decided to chime in.
“That may be why he picked Chat Noir but Tikki chose you. We weren’t about to let him pick someone less in harmony with the Miraculous for arbitrary reasons.” Tikki was glaring at Plagg and given the way Marinette shrank in on herself, she didn’t know that.
“So he didn’t want me to be Ladybug?” Tikki sent Plagg one more scathing look before hovering in front of Marinette.
“It wasn’t a matter of want. He felt that you being so in tune with me when we couldn’t find a black cat to match would be a problem we couldn’t overcome. You proved him wrong regardless but we told him he needed to find your real partner and as far as we know he never bothered.” The underlying rage in the Kwami’s tone was impressive if he was being honest. Given he had no idea what the beings were capable of he was glad it wasn’t directed at him.
“He didn’t. I asked him about it when Chat Noir started sitting out fights and he said that they were doing fine with the way things were.” Plagg’s words came out in a growl and Marinette tightened her arms around Cass.
“One more person trying to keep us apart. I have to wonder how much of it is chance rather than fate. Maybe there’s a reason this is happening now.” Marinette sounded less than thrilled with that observation. Cass just gave a hum of agreement. “Either way, focusing on what has happened serves no purpose. I’m the Guardian now and no one will ever separate us again.” There was an edge to her voice that actually had Bruce feeling sorry for any poor soul that tried.
I really want more fics with Selina adopting Adrien. Like..it doesnt even hate to be salt or whatever just a cute fic of Selina taking Adrien from Gabriels undeserving ass and taking him under her wing.
She meets him when the class takes a trip to Gotham and when Chat Noir and Ladybug are helping people, she doesnt care much for ladybug besides "Huh..batmans gonna have a field day with new heros showing up" but then she sees another CAT hero and hes a baby!
The next time she sees Bruce shes just sobbing "I now understand your need to adopt ever sad child you see!" "..Selina..what?" "You have to see him! Hes so tiny! And hes cat theme! He makes joke like Dick but hes blonde like Stephanie!" "..What are you talking about?" "Oh therez new heros I guess." "WHAT."
basically. Your average bat/MLB crossover but the characters arent ooc and its more focused on adrien, and his friendship. With MAJOR gabriel salt and a moderate salt for lila but shes just her annoying self instead of her being an actual threat to anyone.
The batfamily figures out their Identities pretty easily cuz..detectives. And they arent dumbed down, or made weaker.
Just..Selina sees Chat Noir and keeps trying to adopt him and persuade him to do a little bad but he just likes hanging out with his new mom friend-
She calls him Kitten cuz ofc she does and its adorable.
It ends with the batfam and the miraculous holders defeating hawkmoth,cuz the batfam woulf absolutely murk him for putting a bunch of kids in danger all cuz his wife is dead.
Could either be Adrien x Marinette, Adrien x Nino or Adrien x Jon but the focus is found family
So I was reading your Tumblr prompts posted on Ao3. Thank you for doing the ones I sent in. I love them and I just read With a Heart of Kryptonite and this little bunny jumped into my head. What if Marinette biodad was Lex Lurther. And Super in a way is his son to. So what if after finding out how Super boybis treated by both Lex &Superman. The Dupain-Cheng family shit up as Mari parents know she is a hero now and go bring their son/brother home after giving people a talking to the need it
that would be very interesting, the Dupain-Cheng family seems very close and very loving so it would be a great place for Conner to grow up. In the teen justice they had him just never age past 16 which was always weird to me but maybe with creation magic he can age normally. Looking so much alike could help Conner feel a connection to Earth and humanity that being raised in a superhero fortress with kids so unlike himself and never getting to see what a family should look like wasnt good for him. Just really it would be so good for his mental and emotional health to be raised with his half-sister and her parents.
Tom and Sabine are both shown to be fierce and smart, they would fight hell and high-water to get Conner as soon as they are aware he exists and that he is Mari's brother. Even if they dont know and they just happen to find out that Superman rejected his kid because the kid was an experiment they would be like, "Square up Superman, meet us in the pit!" because they are pissed that just because the kid is a surprise the high and mighty alien doesnt want him, "like hello! so many human children are surprises and most of them still are loved by their parents! We dont know where you grew up but we where we were we were taught to love our kids!"
And then theres the how is Lex the bio dad of Mari, maybe Mari is a failed super clone herself but she didnt get any Kryptonian powers so Lex put her up for adoption with fake papers? Maybe her mom had a fling and Lex signed over his rights cause he didnt want a kid(at the time)? maybe Lex corp sought out couples that would have Lex's kids so he could pick an heir later on from all the kids once he retired? IDK anything is possible with Lex really, hes nuts!
But yeah i would love for them to adopt Conner and give him the best life and Mari to be the best big sister and teach him to be a kid and his own person away from the shadows of his fathers.
This is the third chapter of the series, based off @stareyedmoonchild ‘s post.
Of coursed based off @ozmav‘s Maribat AU
Sorry it’s a bit short. I made a new post, rather than reblog the other one, because I want to see if I can get more people interested.
[Part 1][Part 2]
“Nightwing, stay where you are, you still don’t have a working respirator, yet… Nightwing!” Batman groans as he places the receiver back onto the radio before hitting the throttle and pushing the control wheel forwards, bringing the batwing into a dive, towards the museum. Robin sits beside him, a canister of compressed liquid held close to his chest, while he appears calm, Batman notices a bit of tension in his son as the batwing comes to a hover over the museum before it smoothly lands on the roof, beside the skylight.
Without hesitation, once the batwing opens up, the two spring into action, respirators on, and crash through the glass. Batman drags along a large hose, from the batwing, and lets it hang in the center of the foyer. It immediately begins to draw in air, powerfully drawing the fear-toxin out of the Museum, towards the batwing to be chemically treated and harmlessly released into the open air. He takes a stance, ready for a fight as the smoke clears to show a mess of unconscious men, dressed similarly to the Scarecrow, with the Scarecrow, himself, sprawled out nearby, but isolated. His mask was torn off and he barely appeared to be breathing, and from the state of his face, Batman could guess why. He hears struggling behind him and quickly turns to face it.
Robin lands on an upper balcony, above the foyer, sprinting for the fire control system. He finds it suspicious that the entire path was left unguarded. Once there, he connects the canister to the sprinkler system and waits for the liquid to begin circulating, before turning the sprinklers on. He steps away from the pipes as all the sprinklers in the building start to go off. He takes a second to bask in it before running off to join his father and Nightwing in the fight. He returns to the balcony he landed on and peers over it to survey the fight, and is utterly disappointed by what he sees. He signs and calmly walks down a nearby set of stairs to find Batman kneeling beside Dick, sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, who had a dazed Marinette sitting between his legs and leaning back against his chest.
She was bleary-eyed as she shakily held one hand against Batman’s wrist and another on his hand, which he was using to gently hold a medical respirator against her face. Her eyes slowly traced the movement in front of her before focusing on Robin as he approached. Batman followed her eyes to look at him, “Robin, I need to tie up the criminals before they regain consciousness. Help Nightwing and… Mockinbird, here. Scarecrow gave her his ‘vegetarian’ strain of fear toxin. The regular anti-toxin doesn’t seem to work, yet, but Poison Ivy’s sample seems to be working.”
“I tried to give her three doses of the regular anti-toxin, before I figured out what happened.” Nightwing grunted, bringing a hand to pinch his bleeding nose, trying not to touch any of the dark purple welts on his face, or the cut on his eyebrow. “The first two couldn’t even be administered properly… Her jacket’s bulletproof.” Robin kneels on their other side his hand replacing Batman’s on the inhaler as Marinette’s hands also transfer to hold onto Robin’s hand and wrist. Nightwing seems to take that moment to look around and notice all the guys that Batman is zip-tying together. “Whoa, anyone get the plate number of the hurricane that blew through this coastal town?”
Damian raises an eyebrow at that, looking around at the main hall, to watch some of the goons come to, realizing they’ve been caught. He returns his attention to his brother, “What do you mean? Are you saying that you arrived with it like this?
Dick shrugs with one shoulder before checking to see if the nosebleed has stopped, responding, “I was a bit preoccupied with this one, here.” He pointed at Marinette from above her head. Robin notices that Nightwing has only used one arm the whole time before he reaches over and starts to examine Nightwing’s shoulder, earning a loud hiss of pain, followed by, “Take it easy Robin, it’s dislocated… and I think… before that the forearm’s broken… Sprained an ankle, too…” He takes a moment to have a deep breath, wincing a bit. “Ribs too… at least three ribs cracked on the left side… one broken on the right.” He grunts as he pulls himself, and Marinette closer to the wall to sit up properly.
Robin, in the meantime, can’t seem to take his eyes off this girl in front of him. This small girl in front of him, was level-headed enough to keep calm when kidnapped and held hostage. She was flexible and athletic enough to kick the Riddler in the face with her arms tied behind her back. She had the combat experience to, not only take down a group of thugs while under the influence of Scarecrow’s fear toxin, but also kick the ass of Nightwing himself. He doesn’t realize he’s staring at her until she regains enough lucidity to look up and make eye contact with him. He hears a muffled, “Hello, again,” from under the facemask and feels his face grow warm.
~~~~~~~~
Sorry, didn’t get further than this, but I decided to post it anyways.
Tagged people by request (I’m bad at this part, if I missed you I’m sorry):
Bruce spent the next two hours not understanding a thing that came out of her mouth. He would like to believe it was how fast she was talking but honestly most of the words he did catch were, at best, vaguely familiar. Adrien stuck close to them and whispered explanations when Marinette wasn’t paying attention but for the most part he just agreed with whatever she said and told her that her ideas sounded more than acceptable for the Gala. Gina was just looking on in amusement and adding her own praise every so often. Marinette caught Cass eyeing a bolt of forest green fabric and started detailing a dress she could make her. After that Cass kept her gaze firmly on the walls or ceiling and the fabric was bought along with everything else Marinette so much as looked at. It was certainly overkill on his part but he needed her to understand that he was serious about providing whatever she needed.
“We can’t buy all of this.” Marinette was looking at the piles of fabric and accessories in horror but Bruce just shrugged at her.
“I assure you we can. And I’m more than happy to. At least your interest is safe and lucrative. Every time I see a new charge from the boys I have to make sure they’re not trying to kill each other or themselves.” He may have been exaggerating, but only slightly. It did earn him a giggle and she did stop arguing even if she still looked insanely uncomfortable. The owner seemed to help when she was ringing them up. She talked to Marinette about her projects and gave her a business card so she could call and request any material or supplies they didn’t have in stock and they could order it for her. By the time they left the store she seemed far less worried. On the ride back to the Manor though she was quiet and he had no idea if that should worry him or not.
Gina ended up staying for dinner and Bruce was a bit horrified at how well she fit into their dynamic. Granted it was nice to know that the insanity of his family wouldn’t drive away Marinette’s only supportive biological connections, but considering the way she talked about weapons with the boys… he had a feeling things were going to get even more interesting. Marinette kept shooting him furtive looks throughout the evening and he got the impression she was trying to work up the nerve to say something to him. When Gina finally left he lingered in the entryway waiting for Marinette to make a decision.
“Dad?” He couldn’t help the small smile that appeared. He was certain he’d never get used to having someone actually call him that.
“Yes?”
“I… I appreciate you buying everything today.” She stopped and fidgeted, not looking directly at him.
“But?”
“It’s just… I was thinking, if you’ll let me, I could start up commissions again and I should really keep all of that separate and it would be better to be in the habit of keeping all my business expenses in one place. Plus I wouldn’t feel right about you buying things I make money off of without paying you back. Also it would be beneficial to get into a business mindset now so I can learn everything and make mistakes without it causing me to completely fail…” She just trailed off and he wasn’t certain if it was because she ran out of breath or words.
“I think it’s a great idea for you to start your business up again. We can have a sit down with Jagged and Penny, maybe Tim or Chloe too since they can both help you with the business side of things, and figure out some of the financial and legal details. As for paying me back that is unnecessary, but if it makes you feel better you can keep the receipts and once you’ve actually received payment for a commission you can pay me back for the materials used in that project.” She just blinked at him. Given how her parents had acted at the end he had a feeling she didn’t expect him to agree to the idea, let alone actively help her with it. From everything he’d heard from the others, they were never truly involved with her interests or business. They let her do as she wished until they thought she was a problem but were too busy with their own business to help her. “I could even help you draft a proper business plan if you’d like so that you can see how it’s done. It may give you a better idea of all the things you need to concentrate on that you may not have thought about before.”
Her eyes welled up and Bruce panicked. He tried to figure out what in his words could have possibly set her off and didn’t have the first clue. He was about to reach for his phone to call for backup when she hugged him. Oh thank god they were good tears. He returned the hug, still feeling extremely awkward with them, and waited. When she pulled back she actually smiled at him.
“I’m going to go check on Syd and talk to Chloe about it. Thanks Dad.” And she was gone, leaving him to doubt if the interaction had even happened.
Chloe scowled when she heard a knock on the door. What didn’t these people understand about do not disturb? She whipped the door open, ready to lash out, but immediately turned worried as she saw Marinette standing there uncertainly.
“Is everything alright?” She didn’t realize how tense she was until Mari nodded and she relaxed.
“I just wanted to make sure Syd is healing properly. No questions I promise. And I was hoping I could talk to you about something.” Chloe opened her mouth to respond but Syd, who she was fairly certain had been pretending to sleep, beat her to it.
“Please! Anything to stop the constant hovering.” Chloe turned her glare on her less than cooperative patient while Mari tried to stifle giggles.
“If you would stop trying to get up and scratch under your casts I wouldn’t have to keep hovering. Not to mention you broke my favorite nail file in the process.” Syd had the sense to look sheepish at that at least. Yes, casts were itchy and uncomfortable as all hell but that didn’t give her the right to use her things to deal with it.
“It was an accident. I have nothing else to concentrate on and it’s driving me insane.”
“Well, if Tikki will let me, I might be able to heal you enough to get the casts off. But, you’ll still have to stay off your feet and not overstress your wrist. So no violin for at least a couple more weeks.” Syd’s face scrunched up into an annoyed pout before she caught herself, but she did nod.
“Anything to make the itching stop. Pain is so much less annoying to deal with.” Tikki and Pollen were both shooting Mari a flat look from the corner.
“She will heal fine on her own, it’s unnecessary for you to intervene more.” Tikki sounded like she was tired of saying the same thing constantly. “You may think you’re well rested but you nearly killed yourself healing her the first time. There is no good reason for you to risk yourself in this instance.”
“Hang on, what happened?” Chloe winced. She probably should have told Syd all of what happened, but with all the other stress she didn’t want to pile more on. “Okay, no. If they’re worried about your health then I’m fine. Maybe someone can just get me an antihistamine or something.”
“I’m fine, and you’re my responsibility when using a Miraculous. You shouldn’t have to suffer when I can fix it.” Syd looked like she was about to fire back but stopped herself at the last moment, frowning at Mari. Chloe had no idea what she saw but she looked away before speaking.
“If it’s all the same to you I’d rather stay out of commission until the Bats deal with that cult.” Mari sucked in a sharp breath.
“Oh Syd, I’m so sorry I didn’t even think… if you’re sure.” Syd was back to studying her and began cursing violently.
“You know.” It wasn’t a question and Marinette panicked.
“Everything just lined up. Tim and I are the only ones who know though and we both agreed not to say anything to the others since it’s your secret to share if and when you want. Dad knows we’re not telling him everything but he’s not pushing for an answer. I swear I didn’t mean to figure it out.” Syd had been trying to get her attention but Mari didn’t notice so Chloe grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Breathe bug. Just breathe, no one’s mad at you.” Mari calmed down slowly but did finally nod.
“You knowing is fine, but the Sirens can’t find out. At least not until he’s contained somewhere they can rip him apart without civilian casualties.” Syd’s tone was dry but Chloe didn’t think she was actually joking. “So what did you need to talk to Chloe about?” And the damn burst. They spent all night going over ideas for Mari’s business. She and Syd both asked Chloe a lot of questions. Syd more to distract herself most likely but she did come up with some good questions that would help Mari. Chloe was just glad to see Mari so excited again. That thought brought guilt with it that she struggled to hide. The last time Mari had been this excited Chloe was still in her brat phase doing everything to stop her from being happy. This was her chance to finally be there for her the way she deserved.
“And what price are they going to have to pay for your magic?” Marinette couldn’t help but smile at the protective tone in Bruce’s voice as he glared at Plagg. She was beyond relieved that he seemed to be a good person and even her Guardian instincts were calm around him.
“The Miraculous are all about balance. In our case, as true Chosen, they affect us whether we use them or not. That’s why Cass’ life has been so difficult and mine has been relatively calm. Actually being in possession of Plagg’s ring will make things better for her. As for other holders, it varies. The longer you hold a Miraculous the more it pulls out certain traits in you. Good or bad depends on both the person and how in tune with the Miraculous they are.” Chloe’s over protective nature and Adrien’s possessiveness were both likely side effects of being holders but there was no way for her to know for certain.
“So they begin to turn you into a different person?” Marinette was shaking her head before he was even finished. She really wasn’t good at explaining things to other people.
“No. Any traits that the Miraculous bring out were already there. If anything they bring out a person’s true nature so they can’t hide who they really are. My former partner for instance was always showing his best face to the world around him but Plagg’s influence allowed those looking for it the ability to see some of his less desirable qualities. Especially when transformed.” While it made perfect sense that the ring had brought out the things Adrien felt he had to hide from the world, she still felt guilty. She also had to wonder how different his life would have been if she’d found her real Black Cat sooner. Cass burrowed into her side.
“Not your fault.” Marinette just hugged her twin closer. Even if Fu had picked Adrien, as the current Guardian he had still been her responsibility. She’d let her knowledge of his personal life define how she treated him when she should have simply judged his actions as a hero. It had been reckless and irresponsible. She’d put everyone at risk. She felt a vibration at her side and actually laughed when she realized Cass was purring to calm her down.
“Well if I needed any more proof that you are Plagg’s chosen, the fact that you’re picking up cat traits without even having the ring on you would have done it.” Cass stopped abruptly and buried her head into Marinette’s shoulder with an embarrassed whine. Mari just grinned and kissed her temple to try and soothe her. “At least yours is cute. The first trait I picked up was reflex bleeding.” It was a small consolation that Lila had a rash for over a month after grabbing her.
“Do I want to know what that is?” Marinette offered Bruce a commiserating smile. It was a lot to process.
“My skin secretes a toxic substance when I feel threatened. Sadly enough it’s actually helped in battles before. Poor baby August tried to eat me a few times while Akumatized.” Bruce just blinked at her and Marinette could practically hear him thinking ‘what the fuck?’ She grinned at him. “Once you’ve actually been through an Akuma attack, remind me to show you footage of past battles. It will prove educational and quite possibly entertaining.”
“You expect me to be entertained by one of my children almost being eaten?” He sounded insulted at the suggestion but Marinette rolled her eyes.
“No, but the fact that Hawkmoth tends to Akumatize the worst suited people into villains should. The only reason he’s still around is because he’s a coward. If I could find him all of this would be over in a heartbeat. Hopefully with Cass here my luck will keep shifting for the better.”
“I thought you were the one with good luck.” Mari let out a frustrated breath.
“Technically yes. However having the Miraculous active, especially with the ring being held by someone so much less in tune than I am, has been affecting me. It’s gotten better since I added other permanent holders but certain things haven’t improved at all. Also, the Kwami are of the opinion that Cass and I rubbed off some of our luck on each other in the womb. It’s likely the reason she ended up with you around the same time I first became Ladybug. Being together will allow us to buffer each other.” Bruce was still frowning at her but it seemed more contemplative than anything else.
“Cass.” She watched her sister peek at Bruce from her position. “What do you want to do?” Marinette let out an approving hum at the question. She got a strange sense of satisfaction that he treated Cass with such care even though she wasn’t his. He wasn’t as warm as her parents, but it was obvious he did care.
“Stay. Help.” Bruce let out a sigh but nodded. Cass relaxed further and Marinette could feel contentment radiating off her.
“So Selina said you’re a fashion designer?” Marinette rose an eyebrow at the subject change. “Since there’s nothing more to be done at present about what’s going on in Paris and it doesn’t appear to be an urgent issue, I would like to get to know you and I’m sure Cass does too.” She felt Cass nod.
“Yes, I’m a fashion designer. It was always what I wanted to do, but my actual start was one of the first twists of fate after I got my Miraculous. I ended up designing something for Jagged Stone and everything just sort of took off from there.” Cass stiffened slightly and Marinette saw Bruce’s eye twitch.
“You’re the designer he’s always bragging about?” Marinette felt her face flush. It hadn’t really occurred to her that he would be familiar with Jagged. Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose. “The boys are not going to leave you alone. Dick, Jason, and Tim have a running bet over who can get a commission from you first. I apologize in advance for whatever happens at dinner.” She laughed at his dry tone and caught Cass’ smile out of the corner of her eye.
“I assure you it can’t be worse than Uncle Jagged himself. He introduces me to all my new clients and I swear it gets more embarrassing every time. I’m fairly certain he practices just to annoy me.” Bruce’s mouth twitched into something between a smile and a grimace.
“Do not underestimate the boys’ ability to be annoying or embarrassing. That’s not even counting the fact that Damian is likely to challenge you to a duel in order to prove that he’s meant to be my true heir and I have no idea what weapons he managed to smuggle on the plane.” Marinette rolled her eyes. Why wasn’t she surprised?
“I take it Talia’s teachings are still strong?” He frowned at her. Oh right, he didn’t know she knew. “When she and Ra’s were in Paris she enjoyed bragging about him and his bloodlines. That’s how I figured out you were Batman. But don’t worry, I can handle him.” The skeptical look he shot her just made her grin. “Trust me. Besides, I just have to prove I’m not a threat to him. Given that I have no wish to take over your business and I have my own hero problems to worry about there’s no reason for him to take issue with me.” Bruce still seemed uncertain but Cass signed something at him and he nodded.
“I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see.” While Bruce obviously doubted her, she felt nothing but confidence from her twin. As nervous as she was to meet the others, Damian trying to kill her wasn’t that big a problem. At least with him, she knew what to expect.
“It’s odd that Damian didn’t know where she was. He seems to be attached to her constantly. Let’s go ask Bruce since that’s where he left her.” Selina and Mrs. Dupain had been looking around the Manor for Marinette for close to fifteen minutes. She was starting to get a little worried that they hadn’t at least run into Alfred yet. Once they got to Bruce’s office she walked in without knocking. “Hey Bruce do you know-”
Selina cut herself off and grinned at the sight before her. Bruce was on the couch on his tablet, probably business since he hadn’t noticed their entrance. Marinette had tucked herself under his left arm and was fast asleep. She pulled out her phone to take a picture and noticed Gina doing the same.
“Something to send to my son once he removes his head from his ass.” Selina was honestly impressed by the frost in the woman’s tone. She didn’t say much about them but she always referred to them as her son and his wife, never Marinette’s parents. Selina wondered if it was for Marinette’s benefit or she thought the title was too good for them. Possibly both. Bruce still hadn’t noticed them so she knocked on the door.
“Come in.” Selina rolled her eyes when he didn’t even look up.
“We’re already in.” That finally got a reaction, though not much of one. When he glanced up the only indication that he was surprised was a blink when his gaze landed on Gina. He nudged Marinette but she didn’t even move. Gina smiled at the girl fondly.
“Some things never change. That girl could sleep through bombs going off. Given the Akumas she may very well have at one point.” Her expression darkened for a moment. “Has she told you about any of them?” Selina glanced at Bruce and he shook his head slightly.
“She explained the situation in broad terms but I don’t remember her discussing any specific Akumas.” Bruce was frowning as he spoke and Selina realized he was right. They hadn’t wanted to press her given how fragile she still was. Not to mention all the other things that had come up. Gina sighed.
“She was targeted by quite a few of them, including me I’m sorry to say. She seemed to handle it so well at the time… but I realized later that she did what she always does. She was trying so hard to comfort and cheer me up. I have no idea how she actually felt about it, let alone all the other times something similar happened. I assumed she talked about it with her friends, or them.” Judging by the vitriol on the last word Selina figured she meant Marinette’s parents. She made a mental note to ask Adrien and Chloe about this. Specifically, if she ever opened up to them about this. She had a feeling she already knew the answer unfortunately.
“Maybe we can try bringing it up with the other’s in the room so they can all talk about it. I believe I’ve heard that they were all targets at various points. That way it won’t seem like we’re pressuring her to open up and it might help all of them come to terms with everything.” Gina gave an approving hum at Bruce’s idea.
“It is more likely she’ll share with them, if for no other reason than to make them feel better. As much as I wish she’d confide in me, I know it’s just likely to make her close off more and feel even more guilty. Even though it was completely my fault, she still blames herself for me getting Akumatized.” That definitely sounded like Marinette. From what Selina had gathered from the others Mari had taken the blame for everything even before her life had fallen apart. It was honestly disturbing how ingrained it was.
“So Gina, did you just drop by to see Mari or did you have specific plans?” Gina was frowning at Bruce but his tone had been neutral bordering on friendly. It was honestly a bit creepy.
“Well from what Chloe and Adrien have said Marinette has only been out of the Manor for school and that incident at the university. I was hoping I could get her to agree to go out to eat or possibly shop for fabrics. I’m not sure how much damage they did to her by forbidding her to so much as doodle, but she would always go into such a cute, manic hyperfocus any time she was in a fabric store. I just want to see her happy again.” She sounded so wistful, even Bruce’s expression softened. Selina knew that they’d never seen Mari truly happy or even relaxed. She couldn’t even imagine how much it must hurt to have seen it and compare that to how she was now.
“Given the way she’s reacted to things so far… it might be best if Selina went with you. Marinette will be more willing to listen to her when she says I won’t disapprove of something. Otherwise it might be best to stick to getting food until we have a better idea how she’ll handle that kind of trigger.” Given that Marinette still refused to go near any of the sewing supplies unless they asked her to fix something he had a point. Marinette began to wake on her own and Bruce nudged her again.
“You’ve got a visitor Mari.” The girl yawned and blinked at him in confusion before her eyes scanned the room. It took a couple of passes but she finally noticed them in the doorway. Selina saw her eyes light up before some thought clouded them.
“Hi Nonna.” Her voice was hesitant like she still wasn’t certain of her welcome. Anger flashed across Gina’s face, almost too quick for her to see, before she settled into a soft expression.
“How are you?” Selina was confused by Marinette’s body language. She actually burrowed further into Bruce before answering. Gina noticed as well given the way hurt flashed across her face.
“I’m okay.” Her voice was soft and timid. She seemed to be afraid to do or say anything. She’d greeted the woman warmly before, what had changed? Bruce was frowning down at her as well. Gina at least seemed to guess what the problem was.
“Marinette, I don’t care what your parents believe, I know you. Even if I was willing to talk to them beyond yelling at them until they come to their senses, nothing will change how I feel about you. You’re my fairy and I know exactly who you are.” Marinette began tearing before launching herself at the woman for a hug. “Rolland is beyond pissed as well. Tom went to go see him and he went after him with a rolling pin for daring to send his Granddaughter away. Since Gotham seems permanent, he’s going to sell the bakery so we can both stay here to keep an eye on you.” Selina shot Bruce a glance but he just shrugged at her. It was amusing how he was just rolling with the fact that Marinette’s fan club just kept getting bigger.
“You shouldn’t have to give up your lives because of me.” Gina let out a huff.
“We’re retiring and we want to spend more time with our only grandchild. You wouldn’t want to deny us that would you?” Selina heard Marinette giggle as she hugged the woman tighter. “Speaking of which I was hoping to spend the rest of the day with you. Maybe go out to eat and do some shopping.” She pulled back to glance at Bruce who gave her a nod and an encouraging smile. She still hesitated.
“Alfred can drive you. If anything happens you have all our numbers.” It took her a minute to realize that Bruce was actually pushing her to go with Gina alone. She didn’t have the first clue why though. “I also have a favor to ask.”
“Okay.” Marinette just waited for him to talk but Gina was glaring murder at him. Bruce ignored her.
“The charity Gala Jagged and I are putting together is going to be in two months. Now, all the others have been here long enough that they have proper attire but you didn’t come prepared for that type of gathering. Normally that means a ridiculous amount of time in dress shops and tailors which is not my favorite thing.” He was watching Marinette’s expression as he spoke. Guilt was making an appearance but he just kept going. “It would be a tremendous help and relief if you could design and make your own gown for the event. You don’t have to, but you do know your tastes better than anyone else and I’m certain anything you come up with will be suitable.”
Marinette just stood there blinking at him, face completely blank. That was one hell of a push. Gina was frowning at Bruce thoughtfully but Selina watched Mari. She had no idea if the girl was just processing or freaking out internally. Bruce just waited until she finally cleared her throat.
“You want me to make something for myself?” The confusion in her voice was heartbreaking.
“You’ll be saving me time, money, and hassle. I trust your judgement.” She still didn’t seem to know how to respond. “I’m sure Gina can help you find something appropriate as well. If she doesn’t mind adding a fabric store into your shopping plans.” Selina felt the corner of her mouth twitch as she tried to hold back a laugh. While manipulation wouldn’t have been her first choice with Marinette, she understood why he was doing it. Unfortunately it was easier to guilt Marinette into doing what she loved than to convince her she was allowed to enjoy something. Marinette continued to stare at Bruce as Gina assured her she’d be happy to find a fabric store.
“I… if you’re sure… I can try.” Poor kid looked so confused. Bruce gave her a reassuring smile.
“I’m sure. Why don’t you go change and grab one of the sketchbooks Alfred left for you so you can note down any ideas. Oh, and before I forget.” Bruce stood and walked to his desk, pulling something out of a drawer and handing it to Mari. She blinked at it in confusion.
“What’s this?”
“Your credit card.” That didn’t seem to help her understanding at all.
“I have a credit card?”
“It’s to one of my accounts but the card is in your name. Even Damian has one to use as needed. And you’ll certainly need it to get any fabric and supplies you require.” Selina was fairly certain he’d broken her. The girl’s mouth opened and closed a few times before she managed any sound.
“I can ask Penny for some money from my trust, you shouldn’t have to pay for it.” Gina’s expression flashed with anger but Bruce’s expression softened.
“I am your guardian Mari. Any necessities, including clothing to an event you wouldn’t have to go to if not for me, are my responsibility, not yours. Not to mention it is my job to support the hobbies and passions of my children whether it’s just encouragement, a place to practice, or monetary. I’m merely supporting you as I do for all my children.” Mari’s eyes filled with tears as she practically dove into Bruce for a hug. Selina was happy to note that he seemed to be getting better at them. He didn’t even tense up this time.
