Ladybug fiddled with her yo-yo string, the silver thread glistening in the first rays of moonshine. Her eyes glanced between Carapace and her yo-yo. None of her other teammates had made any connection through the comms which should have been a good sign, but Ladybug couldn't shake the feeling that there was something off. It was deadly silent, the only sound being that of a water droplet dripping from a nearby pipe.
"Carapace," Ladybug got her companion's attention. He hummed, telling her that he was listening. "Have you heard anything from anyone?"
"I haven't, it's dead silent on my end," Carapace replied, his worried eyes visible through his green visor. With his head, he gestured toward the gas cloud. "It's stopped moving." She furrowed her eyebrows and turned to the gas, her eyes squinting at the green monstrosity. The sudden static crackling in her ear made her jump and her hand went over to take the device out. The ringing stopped and Ladybug blinked in confusion, her eyes locked with Carapace's. Of course, they weren't the only ones who were confused.
"'Is everything alright over there?" Rena Rouge's concerned voice filtered through her earpiece. Ladybug instinctively moved her hand to answer when another voice stopped her.
"We have located the akuma on our side." The sound echoed in Ladybug's ears. Honey Bee's panicked tone was incredibly obvious and Ladybug nodded to Carapace before they both took off. The heroine then touched her comm.
"Status on the akuma," She commanded, jumping over a rooftop with Carapace close behind.
"Hostile, actively attacking us." Honey bee responded. "The akuma possesses long tentacle-like arms and they're heavy and strong enough to send you flying." The cut-off grunt from the heroine was heard.
"Keep the akuma in your area, we'll all make our way over there." Ladybug ordered, her fast pace barely being matched by Carapace's. Her eyes glanced at the cloud of green smoke, seemingly centred in an area near the Seine. Ladybug's gaze hardened as she tried to see the akuma from where she was. Then, another voice spoke.
"Viperion is down," Chieneux spoke into the communicator. Ladybug almost tripped in her shock.
"Down? What the hell do you mean by down?!" Ryuko nearly yelled into the comms. Chieneux's voice was cut off as Ryuko spoke again. "Explique-toi déjà, putain! (Explain yourself already, damn it!)"
"Ryuko, I understand that you're feelin' upset but you gotta calm down," Carapace spoke, his voice repeated next to the spotted heroine. He looked in Ladybug's direction, a silent question in his eyes. "Was that- I mean, was it-" She nodded at him and he sighed in relief.
Ladybug reached for her earpiece. "Carapace is right, we'll deal with all of this after we defeat the akuma." She jumped down from a rooftop and ran towards Chieneux and Honey Bee, both of whom were avoiding the strong plant-like arms that swiped at them. Ladybug almost staggered at the scene.
"Putain de merde! (Fucking shit!)" Carapace cursed, gaining the attention of not only the two blonde heroes but also the akuma. Then another tendril emerged from the green smoke and swiped at both Ladybug and Carapace. They both jumped out of the way as the akuma's arm smashed through a brick wall. "Merde (shit), my bad," Carapace muttered, looking over at the tendril, now stuck within the fallen rubble.
"That's how Viperion got injured." Honey Bee told Ladybug after jumping to her side.
"He hit the wall head first," Chieneux added on, standing next to Carapace. "The smoke reached him before we could." The despair in the hero's voice was poorly hidden and the turtle-themed hero rubbed Chien's shoulder.
"Alright, we'll first focus on capturing the akuma. If we're able to reach Viperion we'll retrieve him." 'Or whatever is left of him' Ladybug pushed the morbid thought away. "When Ryuko and Rena get here, we'll then try and find out who this akuma is, we might be able to figure out how to defeat them." The heroes nodded and braced themselves. A green vine shot out from the gas towards Ladybug. She jumped up on impulse but another one appeared. It aimed straight for her neck, moving at a speed almost faster than a heartbeat. She braced for the impact. But it never came. Carapace had launched his shield at the vine and it sliced, landing on the ground. Ladybug landed on her feet and pulled out her yo-yo. "Thanks, Carapace."
"So, it can be sliced," Honey Bee observed, taking her spinning top and winding the string between her fingers. Carapace caught his shell and readied himself to throw it again.
"It would seem-" Chieneux began to talk but he paused after he saw the sliced vine twitch. Two new tendrils then burst through the blunt end where Carapace's shield had cut the plant. It didn't waste any time and began swiping at the group. "Nevermind."
"How the hell do we defeat that thing if it's going to keep getting bigger?" Honey Bee questioned, throwing her spinning top at a nearby vine and slicing part of it off. Two new snake-like plants emerged. "See?!" she exclaimed.
Ladybug didn't respond and instead focussed on dodging the vines as best she could, using her yo-yo as a shield without cutting the plant. "We have to hold out until the other two get here, focus on defending yourself and only injure the vines as an absolute last resort." Another one of the Akuma's green arms came charging at Carapace as his back was turned. There was no time for thinking as she launched her yo-yo right at the vine, hitting it away from the green hero. The vine fell limp and Ladybug almost believed that there was a way to defeat it. Until it twitched and began moving away. However, it moved back into the green gas cloud. She could hear another tendril creep up behind Chieneux and before she could do anything about it, an orange flute intercepted and whacked the plant away.
"Thanks, Rena," Chienuex thanked the fox heroine before whacking another plant away.
Ryuko kicked a vine back into the green cloud of gas. "Any ideas Ladybug?"
She didn't answer for a moment and instead motioned for her team to back away. "Fall back. We need to get to the akumatized object, force the akuma out of the gas!" Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around one of the earthy tendrils and pulled on it. The others nodded and worked their way backwards.
Ladybug could only hope that this would work
~~~
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The clock was distracting in a room with nothing but silence. Damian's class were doing a test, it wasn't one of those life-changing exams so Damian knew that there was no point in wondering what grade he got. He always got full marks. But of course, he still had to do the test. Actually, he had already completed the test five minutes ago with around half an hour to spare. He knew he couldn't go up to the teacher until he had checked his paper at least twice, so he checked it ten times. Everything was correct.
Damian closed the paper and peered down at it, resting his chin on his palm. He didn't understand why he had to wait for the others who didn't bother revising, it felt as though he was being punished for everyone else's lack of preparation. Nevertheless, he sulked in silence. But not for long. He counted a minute in his head.
One, two, three. He traced the top of his pen over the bold text. Ten, eleven, twelve. Someone was clicking their pen and Damian sent a glare to the back of their head. Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three. Funny enough, he caught almost everyone else in the class sending glares too, so much so that the person next to him gestured to knock it off. Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three. Two boys near the front were exchanging notes, he couldn't see what the contents were but they were presumably sharing answers. One of them softly snickered, catching the attention of the teacher. He began glancing at the students one by one, Damian chose to keep his head down, but the teacher's gaze was focused on him. Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three. Damian looked up, meeting his teacher's questioning eyes, obviously asking if he had seen anything. Damian sent him an unimpressed expression back, causing his teacher to sign and return to his desk, his eyes back on the computer. Fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-three. Damian looked over to his right and saw a student seemingly praying to a god, the exact same student that claimed they were atheist. Sixty.
Damian got up from his seat, paper in hand, and walked over to the teacher's desk. He sat at the very back of the class, this seat allowed him to get a full view of the students around him and whatever they could be up to. That way he could be certain that no one was watching him. But when he had to walk to the teacher's desk, he had to walk through the middle of the classroom, meaning that all eyes would be on him. Each step he took, the more he felt their hardened gazes, whether that be looks of annoyance or glances of desperation, begging him for answers. Damian would always ignore them.
He placed the paper on the teacher's desk and then turned away to go back to his seat.
"Did you check your answers?"
Damian inhaled sharply through his nose before turning back around. "Yes."
"Twice?" His teacher asked again.
"If any of my answers were incorrect, I wouldn't be handing you my paper," he answered, causing a few students behind him to snicker. The teacher looked at said students, unimpressed.
"Any more nonsense and you'll get an automatic fail." The students quickly shut up. He turned to Damian's paper and sighed. "Very well, you may return to your seat, Mr Wayne."
The boy nodded and went to his desk. The problem of not having anything to do arose again and Damian found himself reaching down to the phone in his pocket. But he stopped. Having nothing to do for the rest of the period was better than having his phone confiscated. So he glanced between the clock and the classroom window. The skies were grey with clouds, a normal sight in a city like Gotham. Every once in a while there would be a stray bird perched on a street light, but after a while, they would fly away. Damian took out his notebook from his backpack, flipping through the pages before landing on a blank one. His pencil began to draw aimlessly, he had no specific goal nor did he draw simple lines. And among the lines of pencil lead was the Eiffel Tower with two distinct figures sitting at the very top. Their faces could not be seen, their features were not distinguishable, and yet Damian knew who they were.
"Sir? Damian isn't doing the test," a student near the front of the classroom had announced. Everyone else had then turned to him, Damian despised the smug look the student had. Surely they were listening when he said he was finished, or were they just not paying attention?
The teacher rubbed his temples. "Yes, I am aware. Mr Wayne has finished the test so I suggest that you focus on your own paper rather than anyone else's." The student was seated at the front of the class, so if they really didn't see him turn in his paper then they would have had to physically turn around just to spy on him. They were obviously just trying to annoy him like they always do.
Damian stopped himself from sighing and instead rolled his eyes, he had gained too much attention in this lesson already. He wondered how he could pass the time. Fiddling with his pencil wasn't an option and other students would probably call him out if he were spotted on his phone, so he took his phone out because there was no way he would let them notice he had it on hand. Playing games on his phone was beneath him and he did not need to search for answers as he knew they were all correct. 'This so-called assessment was far too easy,' he thought to himself. 'Waiting for the others to finish is agonizing.'
"Damian." He looked up at the sound of his name. His teacher had his paper open. "You may spend the rest of this period in the library." The boy nodded and quickly gathered his things, swiftly exiting the classroom. Damian was thankful for the freedom and made his way to the library. Once entered, he made his way to a far and secluded corner. There he sat and pulled out his phone again. He knew that he had to tell Marinette about what his father was doing. Keeping his father's competition a secret would only cause problems later down the line. And so he sent a message.
Me: Hey Angel, how's your evening going?
He tapped a finger on the dark-wood table, unsure of how to bring about the conversation.
Me: If you haven't already seen the flyers, my father is hosting an annual competition.
Me: And I'm just letting you know in advance that my father's company decide on the winner and there aren't any biased votes on my behalf.
That was alright, wasn't it? He thought about sending another message on the matter but then saw that none of them had been delivered.
Me: How has your day been?
Damian didn't fully expect an answer and instead tried to access one of the live akuma coverage links, to no avail. He switched the location on his phone to Paris and tried again. This time it opened but only to a freeze frame of green. Damian sucked in a breath. This was feeling much too familiar, a sense of dread that happened once before when Ladybug was...
He closed the link and gave Marinette a call. As expected, it went to voicemail.
"Hello Malaki, I know you're probably busy trying to resolve the current... situation so I'm just letting you know to reply to me in the morning. It'll be late by the time it's all finished." Damian glanced down at his hand, his thumb tracing over his finger where Plagg's ring once was. "I'll talk with you later, goodbye for now Angel. I miss you." He ended the call and sighed into his seat, putting his phone back in his pocket. He then got some assignments that had been in his backpack out and began working on them. They weren't due for another week or so but he had the time, so why not? It was also better to have his mind focussed on something other than the reality that his girlfriend was currently fighting an akuma.
He could only hope that they were doing well.
~~~
The akuma tirelessly lashed its arms at the heroes, the number of vines had increased each time one was slashed. While her team were doing their best, Ladybug knew that they couldn't keep this up forever. Fighting in the dark with the moon as the only light source was obviously not helping them much either. The vines were swift predators while she and her team were the blinded prey.
"Have we brought the akuma out far enough?" Chieneux asked, smacking a vine away with his palm.
Ladybug shook her head. "We haven't seen anything other than the vines, Chieneux. We need to force it out of the gas. The dog-themed hero nodded and moved back when the plant lunged at him, making it move farther away from the green cloud. Ladybug, on the other hand, froze.
'The gas...' She took a few steady steps back, peering up at the massive wall of green that seemed to get taller. She blinked once, twice, and it indeed was getting taller. With her yo-yo wrapped around a nearby streetlight, Ladybug pulled herself onto the flat top to gain a better look at the cloud's movements. From her viewpoint, the cloud of gas had stopped engulfing Paris. However, it had begun heading to a different location; it was crawling towards them.
"Hey, Bug?" Rena Rouge called up to her from down below. "I think we have a problem."
"Yeah, I can see it from up here," Ladybug responded, her gaze still focused on the clouds of gas. She then called upon her lucky charm and a matchbox fell into her palm. She looked around but there wasn't anything significant so she placed the small box inside her yo-yo for the time being. Ladybug readied herself to jump down when a large vine ripped through the gas, aimed right at her. While she was able to dodge the plant, she lost her footing and began plummeting to the ground. But in that split second, she saw through the empty passage that the vine had left behind. She saw something. Someone. A thing with a similar silhouette to that of a person, their right arm was the producer of the smog while her left was the core branch which all the vines stemmed from.
Ladybug twisted her body around to land on her feet when another vine emerged from the foggy barricade. Before she could move out of the way, a small, dark, being appeared in front of her. "Cataclysm!" It yelled, touching the vine with its tiny paw. The plant then turned black and disintegrated into a pile of dust.
"Thank you, Plagg." Ladybug smiled at the kwami and it floated to her.
"Anytime, Ladybug." Plagg stayed by Ladybug's side as she equipped her yo-yo once more. Chieneux moved back so that he was by her side.
"Think you could do that to all of them?" Chieneux asked.
Plagg hummed. "Unless I have food on hand to regain my energy than probably not. Don't suppose you have any camembert, kid?"
"Not since I got Barkk, no."
The kwami gasped and flew behind Ladybug's shoulder. She playfully rolled her eyes at their bickering but she was glad to have some escape from the situation. As Ladybug was trying to brainstorm an idea, Honey Bee came over.
"You'd think the akuma was a hydra with the way its vines are growing back," the heroine stated, trying to catch her breath. Ladybug blinked. She then took the matchbox out from her yo-yo and Honey Bee looked at it. "What are you going to do with that?"
Ladybug glanced between the matchbox, her yo-yo, and Honey Bee's spinning top. Her eyes drifted off to both Ryuko and Carapace, and then to the final place where she saw the akuma.
"She knows what to do, doesn't she?" Honey Bee whispered to Chieneux, who nodded in response. Ladybug then spoke to all of her team.
"Alright, I've got a plan. Ryuko, you'll use your wind dragon to gather all the gas into one area, the akuma. As she's doing that, Honey Bee and I will tie the akuma's arms and if Rena or Chieneux could find a sharp tool, use that to cut the akuma's left arm. I'll set the gas on fire and Carapace, you summon a shelter to keep all of us safe," Ladybug ordered, taking out the horse miraculous from her yo-yo and merging the two transformations. "Is the plan clear?"
"Crystal," Rena Rouge replied and the others expressed their understanding through a vocal response or a simple nod.
The newly-transformed Pegabug turned to Plagg. "Stay near me and don't use your cataclysm unless absolutely necessary." Only after the kwami, hesitantly, nodded did she begin the plan. "Whenever you're ready, Ryuko!" Pegabug called out. The heroine nodded and sheathed her sword. Then she began running towards the cloud of gas.
"Wind Dragon!" Ryuko shouted, turning into a gust of wind. She then began circling around to create a tornado that would trap the gas in one area. As the green smog began moving against Ryuko's winds, the akuma was unveiled and visible thanks to the moonlight. The akuma tried waving its right hand around but was left looking rather confused when the gas was stuck in one area and would not move in the direction it commanded it to. It then began swiping at the wind with its vines. Ladybug exploited the brief moment that the akuma was occupied and ran towards it, launching her yo-yo to wrap it around the akuma's left arm. Honey Bee quickly followed suit.
Rena Rouge went over to a nearby shop and smashed the largest window with her flute. The shattering startled the akuma out of its perplexed splendour and it began lashing out at the two heroines trying to tie it down. Swipe. Dodge. Swipe. Dodge. The pattern continued as they pulled the akuma's arms together. But it wasn't the fight that got Chieneux's attention. There was a dent in the wall decorated with crimson blood. The red liquid trailed down and Chieneux felt shivers run down his spine. Viperion's body was slumped forward, blood oozing out of the back of his head.
He had no time to think. Cheinuex sprinted to where Viperion was and picked him up. He ignored the bleeding. He ignored the burn marks on his face. He ignored the smell of burnt flesh. He only focused on one thing: getting his friend to safety.
He carried Viperion in his arms, only stopping once he reached Carapace's side. "Merde," the hero murmured under his breath. Carapace opened his mouth to say something but it died in his throat. Instead, he looked away." Chienuex placed two fingers on Viperion's neck, then on his wrist, desperate to find a pulse. And he did.
"A pulse... I can feel a pulse!" Chieneux exclaimed.
"You did? Oh, thank-"
"It's weak, but he's not dead." The word 'yet' was not said, but it still lingered I'm their minds. Chieneux leaned in close to Viperion's ear. "Luka, if you can hear me, you have to hold on. You have to hold on, okay? You'll be healed soon." He looked up at Carapace, who glanced away. Rena came over, a large piece of glass in her free hand.
"I got the- oh purée (Oh my goodness)." The fox heroine clenched her stomach and a look of nausea took over her face. Carapace rushed to her side. "How did this even happen?"
"We didn't know the akuma had those tentacle vines, Viperion was struck while trying to locate his mother," Chienuex replied, gently lifting himself off the ground. "We have to focus on La- Pegabug's plan for now." She hesitantly nodded before turning in the direction of the akuma.
"We're ready over here!" She yelled. Pegabug nodded and looked up to where Ryuko was still circling the gas in her wind form.
"Get ready, Ryuko!" Pegabug and Honey Bee shared a nod and the heroine opened the matchbox in her hand while still tugging her yo-yo with all her strength to keep the akuma still. Once she had a match in her hand, she opened a portal. "Voyage!" From the corner of her eye, Pegabug could see Rena Rouge ready to throw the piece of glass and she could feel Ryuko's winds starting to slow.
Honey Bee quickly pulled her spinning top away. "Venom!" she stung the akuma's body and it stood still. The vines, however, kept moving. Pegabug placed the box in her mouth and quickly scratched the match on the side of it, sparking a flame. She looked up to give Ryuko a final warning before releasing the akuma's arm and dropping the lit match through the portal.
It all happened so fast. Rena Rouge launching the glass and slicing the vines. Ryuko transforming back into a person and diving for cover under Carapace's Shelter. She wasn't even sure if she heard him say it. She and Honey Bee managed to get under the green shield before the explosion reached them. But the heat was unbearable, it luckily only lasted a few seconds, a few minutes at most. The sound, however, left a ringing noise in their ears. Plagg himself was covering his ears, curled up into a tight ball next to Pegabug. Once it had all died down, Pegabug stood up from where she was lying on the ground and let her transformation with the horse miraculous fall. She began to approach Carapace who was now shaking.
"It's ok, Nino," Ladybug said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You can let the shield fall now, we're safe." Carapace looked up and with a heavy sigh, the shelter came crumbling down. Rena Rouge rushed to his side and Ryuko nearly sprinted to where Viperion was laying on the ground.
"He'll die, Ladybug... he'll die," Ryuko's voice was a quiet plea. The dragon-themed heroine looked up at her. Ladybug took a breath, exchanged a glance with the black kwami who floated next to her head and knelt on the other side of Viperion's body.
She placed her open palms on his head and focused all her energy on keeping him alive. She didn't have the experience to fully heal him, nor was she in the physical shape to do so, but she could stop him from dying. Ladybug slowly pulled her hand away from his head and placed them on his wrist. She let out a sigh of relief as his heart rate slowly started to reach a healthy speed. The black kwami left her side and picked up a pebble. Ladybug caught sight of this and shook her head. Plagg gave her a desolate look and placed the small rock down, floating back to her. Her eyes returned to Ryuko.
"He'll make it, Ryuko. Don't worry," Ladybug told her, but her words weren't much comfort so she let them be. She walked over to Chieneux and Honey Bee, both of whom were standing by the akuma. Plagg wasn't too far behind, but he stayed silent. It was still frozen in place but the vines were nowhere to be seen. Ash clouded the skies and it fell like black snow.
"Why the explosion?" Chieneux asked, his arms crossed.
"Twelve Labours of Heracles, the Lernaean Hydra. It was the first thing that came to mind," Ladybug replied, walking passed him and searching for the akumatized object.
"The hydra was a water-based creature, this akuma was a plant-based," He responded.
"It worked, didn't it? Isn't that all that matters?" Ladybug turned back to him, her arms gesturing to the falling dust.
"And what if it didn't?" She stepped away from the akuma and moved to Chieneux.
"Why question fate when it has already worked in our favour?" She looked him straight in the eye. "You'd only be tempting it, and we don't have time to deal with unnecessary bad luck." Chieneux looked away and Plagg purposefully avoided eye contact. Ladybug moved back to the akuma and Honey Bee handed her a pin, one shaped like a hydra. Ladybug smashed it to the ground. A purple butterfly emerged and she caught it with her yo-yo, letting the creature go after it had been purified. Plagg seemed slightly offended that he wasn't the one to break it but he said nothing, again. Chieneux noticed the polka-dotted matchbox on the ground and took it.
"I guess it's best to wrap this up," he murmured as he gave it to her.
She nodded and threw the box up. "Miraculous Ladybug." Hundreds of ladybugs covered the city, clearing the air of ashes and healing all the Parisians affected by the akuma, including Viperion. As the light died down, Ladybug picked up the now-fixed pin off of the ground and walked to the civilian. "I believe this belongs to you."
The civilian was a young boy, he couldn't be older than ten. He looked up at Ladybug, carefully taking the pin out of her palm. "Yeah, it was my Papa's," the boy whispered. "But he got sick and... Maman said he's in the skies now." Chieneux stepped next to the heroine, kneeling down so he was at eye-level with the kid.
"I know it's rough right now and that it may seem like it will stay that way forever, but it really won't." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulder and gave him a comforting smile. The boy, however, frowned and pulled away.
"How do you know?" He asked.
"Because I lost a parent too, my Mère," Chienuex answered. "She got sick and passed away, so I understand how you feel." A year ran down the boy's face and Chienuex wiped it away. "You have every right to be upset but I want you to think about how your father would want you to live. Do you think he'd want you to be sad?"
The boy sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Papa always said that I should live life free and happy but not to ignore my hardships because those are what milder me into who I am now."
"Your Papa had wise words," Chienuex smiled. "You should follow his advice."
Ladybug sat down next to him. "Look up at the skies, do you see anything interesting?"
The boy was silent for a few minutes. "The stars."
She smiled. "You know, my Maman used to tell me that every star in the sky is a soul that used to live on earth. And that each soul was watching and guiding us." The boy looked between the sky and Ladybug before his eyes were fixed on something, and he gasped.
"That star!" The boy pointed towards the sky. "That one must be my Papa!" He reached his hand out in the direction of a particularly bright star in the night sky. "I just want to touch it."
Ladybug continued. "My Maman also said that no matter how far you reach, or how high you can climb. You won't be able to touch the stars because they're too far away."
"So I can't reach my Papa?"
Ladybug shook her head. The boy's shoulders drooped. "But, he is always with you. The stars will always shine."
He looked at Ladybug, then to Chienuex, and then finally back to the night sky. "I think I understand."
"Harvey!" They looked over at the sound of the voice.
"Your brother is Maxime?" Chienuex asked and the boy, whose name was now revealed to be Harvey, nodded. Maxime ran up to them, a worried expression on his face and Ladybug stood up.
"Harvey, Maman and I have been worried sick!" Maxime placed his hands on his younger brother's face, checking for injuries.
"I became an akuma," Harvey spoke nonchalantly. His older brother froze and turned to the heroine, who nodded. The teen sighed.
"I'm really sorry about any trouble that's been caused," Maxime apologized, running a hand through his little brother's hair. The guilt was clear on his face.
"Emotions are part of human nature," Ladybug replied "Hawkmoth is a cruel man for choosing to exploit them." Chieneux nodded before standing up.
"Take care little guy, your big brother and your mother are here for you," Chienuex ruffled the boy's hair.
"And if you ever feel alone, you can always reach up to the stars. Your Papa will always be there," Ladybug whispered with a smile. The boy finally smiled back. "But be careful not to fly too close because-"
"The wax in your wings will melt" they both finished the sentence together.
"My Papa would always say that. The myth of Icarus and Daedalus," The boy gushed.
Ladybug give the boy a small hug before he left with Maxime. Chieneux stepped forward to be in line with her. Plagg floated over from where he was previously, sitting comfortably on her shoulder. She smiled at the kwami and then looked behind her, Viperion was now fully conscious and was hugging Ryuko. The dog-themed hero let out a sigh of relief. "Viperion's fine-"
"We need to talk."
Chieneux froze and turned to her. "What?"
Ladybug met his gaze. "I said we need to talk." She didn't give him the chance to speak as she began walking back to where the other heroes were. Plagg didn't say anything and somehow didn't fall off her shoulder despite the pace she was moving at. She reached them fairly quickly but Chienuex, on the other hand, still stood in shock, only making his way back to the others once he realised he was standing alone.
"Viperion, you alright?" Chieneux asked the moment he was in earshot. The snake-themed hero smiled and stood up, wobbling slightly and having to lean onto Ryuko.
"I will be," Viperion reassured, taking a breath.
"I think it'll be best to rest for the night," Ladybug told them all, more specifically to Viperion. Plagg nodded and Ladybug herself was surprised at how long he stayed quiet.
Rena Rouge nodded. "It's Friday tomorrow, which means we still have school." She yawned, sheathing her flute. Despite being tired, Rena wasn't blind to the growing tension between Ladybug and Chieneux and from the looks on the others' faces, they weren't either. Carapace was the first to break the tension.
"I'll be going straight home," he said. "It's late and I haven't left anything at the hotel." Some of the others nodded. "So... see you dudes and dudettes later!" And with that, Carapace left, jumping up onto a roof and travelling away.
"I left some things in Chloe's room so I should probably go get them," Rena mentioned as he left, chuckling nervously.
Honey Bee nodded. "I should go with you then." After a quick wave, they both left, leaving the other four heroes behind. But not for too long though.
"A lot's happened today," Viperion began. "I just want to go home and rest."
"I'll help you back to the boat," Ryuko suggested a soft smile on her face. Viperion smiled back.
"You two get going then." Ladybug stepped towards Viperion and Plagg floated off her shoulder, hovering in the air just behind her. "Sleep well, yeah?" Viperion agreed with a nod. She tried to smile but in that instance, she believed that Viperion didn't deserve to be treated as though nothing happened. "Viperion, I'm so sorry."
He let out a shaky laugh. "It's alright bug, I'll be alright." Luka was always good at hiding his emotions, Viperion was no different. After seeing his words had no effect on the heroine, he gave her a hug. "I swear on it, I'll be fine."
Ladybug hummed, returning the hug. "I'll check up on you."
"Goodnight, Melody," he whispered.
"You too."
They then let go and Viperion left in the direction of his mother's boat with Ryuko following close behind. Now it was just Ladybug and Chieneux, the original duo except that one carried a new miraculous.
"Ladybug..." He was curious but he didn't want to force the conversation to happen.
"Let's go and de-transform somewhere near the hotel," Ladybug said as she turned to face him. "We'll have time to speak." Chienuex nodded and followed as she used her yo-yo, Plagg easily keeping up as she travelled at great speed. They soon reached an alleyway and dropped down. Ladybug dropped her transformation first and opened her purse, taking a macaron for Tikki to eat. The red kwami didn't have time to take a single bite before Plagg grabbed her by the arm and dragged them both into Marinette's purse. The girl shot Plagg a questioning look but closed her bag anyway. She looked back and Chieneux and he let his transformation fall.
"Am I in trouble?" Adrien asked as Barkk floated onto his shoulder. Marinette tilted her head in confusion.
"What? No, of course not," She answered and he let out a sigh of relief. "Why did you think that?"
"Mon dieu, Marinette (My god, Marinette)," Adrien exasperated, dragging a hand down his face. "You scared the crap out of me with that stern voice of yours." He then laughed at his nervousness.
"Oh, sorry," Marinette chuckled. "I didn't mean to make you worried, that was my mistake."
"No, no-," Adrien waved his hands in front of him, "-it's fine, I'm just curious... what did you want to talk about?"
Marinette crossed her arms and leaned against the brick wall. "It's just... I feel as though what happened to Viperion was my fault."
"Mari, it really wasn't," Adrien tried to reassure her but his words fell on deaf ears.
"I feel like it is, you and the others are my responsibility. I asked them all to be a part of this, I put them in danger. They shouldn't have to deal with this," She muttered, her eyes focussed on the ground.
"You didn't ask me-"
"Not as Chat Noir, but I asked you to return. There isn't much difference," Marinette interrupted him, her eyes locking with him. Adrien frowned and stepped forward.
"But we all accepted to be a part of the fight, we all knew of the consequences and we accepted anyway. Because we want to help you, we trust in you and we want to protect Paris." Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders. "We want to defeat Hawkmoth by your side."
Marinette smiled up at him and looked away. "I made this about me again. I really should stop that..." she trailed off and before Adrien could get a word in, she spoke. "This isn't what I wanted to talk about."
"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Adrien smiled, bringing his hands back to his sides and stepping away.
"I think it would be the best decision, and Plagg would agree with me on this, if you used the Black Cat Miraculous again." Immediately after she finished her statement, Plagg shot up from her purse and Barkk floated off Adrien's shoulder.
"What?!" The dog kwami screeched.
Plagg floated next to Marinette's head. "Yes, that's that would be the best decision."
"I barely get my user and the cat tries to steal him again?" Barkk complained. "I can't have this, I'm not having this."
"Oh, but you must, Pup," Plagg spoke, feigning empathy.
"What about your chosen, huh? Why can't you just go to him?" Barkk flew right into the cat kwami's face, practically spitting at it.
"Don't get me wrong, I adore my owner. He's absolutely purr-fect," Plagg began and Barkk frowned at the pun. "But Loverboy isn't here and Pigtails would benefit from having her miraculous' other half present." The black kwami shrugged and Barkk scowled because she knew that Plagg had a point.
"Alright you both, calm down," Marinette finally told them. Barkk huffed and flew back next to Adrien while Plagg slowly floated back to be in line with Marinette. She then looked back at the blond. "We've seen how difficult it was without Nuit Noir when it was just Mayura, but now Hawkmoth's back. It's not going to be easy."
"Yes, I know that." His words seemed like an automated response like he was still processing what was just said.
"You don't have to accept, it's just a suggestion." The moon caught her attention. "We can talk about this as we walk back." Adrien nodded and Barkk made herself comfy in his pocket. Plagg disappeared into Marinette's purse where Tikki was resting. They then walked in silence, their footsteps being the only sound. It was peaceful, but she needed an answer. "So, what do you think?"
"I'd like to but..." Adrien glanced away for a moment, his hands in his pants pockets.
"But what?" She pressed further and he sighed.
"What about Damian?" Adrien clarified, glancing at the ground. "Shouldn't you check with him first? I mean... it is his miraculous." He seemed to grow quieter at the end and Marinette gentler tapped his shoulder with hers.
"Damian's far from stupid, he knows how important balance is and he'd advice for Plagg's miraculous to be used in his absence," Marinette told the boy next to her. "And I know that you'd be his first and only choice."
Adrien froze in his steps. "You... you really think that?"
"I really do," she whispered. Of course, Adrien was still hesitant. "If you're still not convinced, I can check with him now, if you want?" Marinette suggested and Adrien nodded.
"If you don't mind?" He asked sheepishly.
"Not at all." She took her phone out and tried turning it on. The screen stayed black and she hummed. "The battery's dead."
"Oh," Adrien muttered. "It's alright I think I... can contact him later."
Marinette lit up and put her phone back in her purse. "You sure?"
He nodded his head but there was still hesitation in his eyes. "I'd love to have Plagg again, I really do, but you thought of that elaborate plan to retire Chat and I'm just afraid that using his miraculous now will erase all that hard work."
"We can worry about all that later." She placed a hand on his shoulder. The sound of a car caught their attention and their eyes landed on a familiar silver car. "Looks like you have to go."
"Yeah, looks like it," Adrien replied and he turned to face her. Marinette reached forward to give him a hug.
"Talk to Damian and I'll talk to him once I charge my phone," She whispered. "Remember, you don't have to accept all of this."
"I know," Adrien replied. "Get home safe." He pulled away and stepped towards the car. Marinette watched and waved as the car drove off. Once it was out of sight, she turned towards the building she was in front of, the hotel. When she entered the lobby, she saw Jagged and Juleka mid-conversation.
"Oh, Nettie, you're alright." Jagged let out a sigh of relief as she walked over. Juleka smiled and gave a single wave, clearly happy at the fact that she was alright. "Have you seen Luka? Is he alright?"
"Yes, he is." She nodded and Jagged was visibly relieved, Juleka too. "He went home already," Marinette added. "I think he thought that Juleka was already home so he left."
Jagged made an 'oh' shape with his mouth and then nodded. "I see." He turned to his daughter. "I guess I'll see you later then?"
The girl nodded and gave Jagged a hug. "See you another time, father," Juleka told him and he hummed.
"You bet. And stay safe." He pulled away and waved as she walked away. Marinette also waved Juleka goodbye. "I'm guessing that you're going to your friend's room?" Jagged asked and she nodded.
"Yeah, I wanted to talk to Alya before going home," Marinette explained and the man smiled.
"We can go together then, I think I'll retire for the night." Jagged and Marinette began walking to the lift and there was one waiting for them. They both pressed separate buttons and remained in silence as the lift began to move. Then in the silence, Jagged sighed.
"Is there something wrong?" Marinette asked with her head tilted slightly.
"It's just," He leaned against the elevator wall, his arms crossed. "Do you think I'm doing enough?"
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I'm sure you already know about my estranged relationships with my kids," Jagged began and Marinette was surprised to see him so serious. "How I left Anarka after she found out she was pregnant. How I left her to raise them on her own. How they never knew that I was the father until a while ago."
"Yeah, I know about that," She replied quietly.
"Well, I don't think their mother has told them why," Jagged looked over at one of the walls in the lift, his eyes glossed over as if he were reminiscing a certain memory. An argument maybe? Something that seemed to upset him. Marinette stepped closer to him. "And I don't think I should tell them."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't feel forced to." Jagged looked back at her, a worried expression on his face.
"Do you think I'm doing enough? I know there's nothing I can do to repay them for making them live a childhood without a father," He got his words out in a hurry and muttered the last few. "I'm trying my best but I don't think I'm being the best for them."
"I think you should have this conversation with Luka and Juleka," Marinette suggested and Jagged exhaled. But Marinette continued. "But I've seen how you are with them, I can tell you're doing your best." Jagged smiled and brought her close into a hug.
"Thank you, Nettie," he whispered.
"No need to thank me, Uncle Jay," Marinette whispered back and as they pulled away, the elevator doors opened.
"This is where I get off," Jagged walked out and turned back to face her. "Night, Nettie."
"Goodnight Jagged," Marinette waved and then the doors closed. She closed her eyes and let her head rest on the wall behind her. It didn't take too long for the doors to open again and she stepped out. Marinette began walking down the hallway, passing a few doors before she heard the faint sound of two people talking. She followed it and sure enough, it led to Chloe's room. Marinette knocked on the door and the conversation stopped in an instant.
"Give me a second Mari!" She heard Alya shout from behind the door. So she waited. There were shuffling noises and very shushed voices. It left Marinette very confused. Marinette counted to around thirty in her head before the door finally opened. "Hey, Marinette!" Alya greeted suspiciously exclaimed. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her best friend. "Je cherchais mes lunettes. Enfin bref, elles étaient sur mon nez. (I was looking for my glasses. Anyway, they were on my nose). Shall we go?" The girl spoke quickly. Marinette only caught a slight glimpse of Chloe before Alya shut it in her face.
"You do realise just how suspicious you look right now?" Marinette teased with a smile. Alya nervously chuckled.
"Am not," she responded defensively, placing her arm over Marinette's shoulder and leading her back to the elevator. "I thought you'd be going straight home?"
"No I... wanted just to be with you for a bit," Marinette muttered, slightly turning her head to Alya.
The girl's face grew concerned. "There's something on your mind isn't there?"
"How did you know?" Marinette laughed but it was only to lighten the mood.
"I can see it in your eyes, Marinette. Something's bothering you," Alya murmured, stopping her steps to look at her best friend properly. "So, what is it?"
Marinette frowned and glanced away. "I'm just worried about Luka," she stated. "He nearly died." Memories from the nightmare she had began to flood her mind, but she shook her head in an attempt to push them away.
"Why don't you send him a message? Or call him?" Alya suggested. Marinette took out her phone from her purse and showed her that it was at 0%. "I can call him then." She nodded and Alya took her phone out. After pressing on Luka's name, the phone began to ring. Then he picked up.
"Hello Alya, you need something?" His voice seemed normal. Had Marinette not known about what happened during the akuma attack then she would've thought nothing of it.
"Hey Luka," Marinette greeted him. "My phone died so Alya let me talk to you on hers." Alya said a small 'hi'. "Did you get home safe?"
Luka chuckled. "Yes I did, Mari. Gami's taking extra care of me, although I told her there's no need." In the background, Marinette could hear Kagami's voice but it was too far away to distinguish any real words.
"I'm glad." She let out a sigh of relief and the sound of Kagami's footsteps got louder.
"Don't worry, Mari-hime, I'll make sure he's alright." The worry in her voice was well-hidden, Marinette was almost fooled. Almost.
"Okay, you both get some rest tonight. There's still school tomorrow, remember?" She tried to keep her voice light and since no one, not even Alya, called her out on it, Marinette assumed it was convincing. "Goodnight you both."
"Goodnight, Marinette," They both said in unison before Alya ended the call.
"So," Alya began. "How do you feel now?" Marinette thought for a moment before answering.
"Better," she finally answered and Alya nodded with a smile.
"That's good." She then looked at the time. "We should go back home." Marinette hummed in agreement and they called for the lift, stepping in once it had arrived.
Everything else happened in a quick blur. Leaving the elevator, walking out of the hotel, waving goodbye and parting ways, now Marinette was on her way home. The bakery came into view and the bell above the door rang as it was opened. She took her shoes off and left them at the door, putting her house shoes on and walking up the stairs. The soothing sound of the television and her parents talking nearly lulled her to sleep. Marinette just reached the bottom of the stairs to her bedroom before her mother took notice of her presence.
"Oh, Marinette!" her mother jumped up from the couch and rushed to Marinette. Sabine placed her hands on Marinette's face to inspect her daughter. "We were so worried after the akuma attack."
"I'm fine Maman," She replied quickly and Sabine pulled her hands away. "What about you both? Were you caught in the gas?" Her father approached them both and gave Marinette a hug.
"The gas didn't get through the doors or windows, we were lucky," he responded and he exhaled. "We're just glad you're alright." He pulled away and smiled. "Did you have a good dinner with Jagged and your friends, ma chérie (my dear)?" Tom asked, changing the subject and she nodded. "That's good."
Sabine placed her hand on her daughter's cheek once more. "You look tired bǎo bèi." Marinette smiled at the nickname. "Go sleep."
Marinette nodded and left to go up to her bedroom. She closed the door and flopped onto her chaise with a sigh. Both Plagg and Tikki emerged from her purse. The cat kwami spoke first. "Pigtails, what you did to help Luka, while admirable, was dangerous and it'll affect you." He spoke with a worried tone. "You should've just let me cataclysm that rock so that it would've lessened the consequence."
"You already used your cataclysm earlier, it would've taken a big toll on you, especially since there isn't anyone currently wearing your miraculous," Marinette argued, sitting up. "Thank you for offering, though."
"He's right Marinette," Tikki chimed in, floating in front of her user's face. "The output of creation without some form of destruction from Plagg's miraculous will harm your body." Marinette frowned and stood up, her heart felt heavy.
"I'll just have to get ready for whatever happens then," she murmured, mostly to herself, as she walked over to her desk and charged her phone. Marinette then walked over to her closet, taking out some pyjamas to change into.
She took off the clothes she wore during the dinner and slipped into the clothes she picked out. Then she walked back downstairs, placing her clothes in a basket before going to the bathroom and brushing her teeth. As she placed her toothbrush back, a slight burning in her chest began to ensue. Marinette stiffened and swiftly made her way back to her bedroom, picking up the glass of water on her desk. She hoped it was something like heartburn or just a stomach ache, but deep down she knew that the pain only came from where Guerrier's blade had struck her skin. The sensations of pain became frequent enough that she had some painkillers in her room, not like they made that much of a difference.
"Marinette?" Tikki hesitantly questioned when she saw the girl gulping down some pills with water. She placed the cup down with a heavy clank.
"I was not ready Tikki," Marinette painfully laughed, her fake amusement ending in a sob. "I was not ready at all." Tikki floated over with Plagg not so far behind, the concern mirrored in both of their faces. The black kwami hugged her cheek as Tikki began talking.
"It won't last forever Marinette," The kwami began. "You have to pull through the pain, we're here." She then hugged her owner's other cheek.
"Thank you, Tikki. Thank you Plagg." Marinette smiled but the pain in her chest was getting worse every second. A tear fell down her cheek and right onto Plagg, but he didn't say anything. Then the pain skyrocketed.
She gasped, the room was spinning, everything went blurry and her head began pounding like a drum. Somehow, Marinette managed to find her way onto her bed. Once her head hit the pillow, she turned to her side and curled into a tight ball, tears streaming down her face as Marinette bit down onto her pillow to conceal the fact that she was in pain. The other kwamis from the miracle box emerged and spread Marinette's blanket over her. Plagg and Tikki rested on either side of her pillow worriedly watching over their guardian, both knowing that there was nothing they could do. They were powerless to stop her suffering, and Marinette knew she was helpless.
So she just laid there, hoping to somehow fall asleep. Marinette didn't notice her pillow get warmer with every tear. She didn't notice how her phone screen lit up the room. She didn't notice how her parents went into her room to see if she was asleep.
All she noticed was pain. She had no choice but to notice.
~~~
The drive back to his house was quiet. It always was. When Adrien arrived home, he briefly looked into his father's office, and then in the dining room. There wasn't anyone there. He sighed, but it was expected. Adrien went up to his room, pausing for a brief moment when he heard the sound of conversation. But there was nothing. He continued walking. The second he closed his bedroom door, Barkk flew out from his pocket.
"The cat miraculous? I can't believe it," she complained as Adrien began to walk over to his desk. "I only just became your kwami and now he wants to get you back." Barkk sounded half genuine, half playful.
Adrien chuckled. "You're still my kwami, Barkk. Here-" he pushed a plate of fruits towards her. "-you haven't tried these yet." The kwami gasped and picked up a slice of fruit that was pink and had small black seeds.
"What's this one?" She asked curiously, inspecting the fruit.
"It's dragonfruit," Adrien replied, sitting down on his chair. "But this time, it's pink." Barkk hummed before eating the entire slice. He waited for his kwami to be finished before he continued speaking. "Barkk?"
"Yes?"
"Do you remember what Luka said earlier? Before we went off to fight the akuma?" He looked intently at the kwami as she tilted her head in thought.
"When he said to open your eyes?" Barkk questioned.
"Yes that's the one," Adrien confirmed and moved his chair closer. "What do you think he means?" He stared at Barkk, waiting for her answer as she thought up a thought.
"Well from everything you've told me, and from the knowledge I have from being with Marinette, he says you're blind," Barkk told him flatly, taking another piece of fruit. Adrien, on the other hand, looked very confused so she elaborated. "You focus too much on what's presented to you. Luka is saying that you should begin to look beneath the surface and not to accept what you see at face value as the true answer."
"Why is that?" He asked, crossing his arms. "I don't need to find out about people's personal lives, and I don't have to if I already know them."
"Adrien, all you humans only display what you want to. There could be so much that happens in their minds and in their eyes but you listen to their words and you only see how they present themselves," Barkk sighed and left the plate of fruits, floating up to Adrien's face. "Do you want an example?"
He nodded. "Yes?" His words came out as a question but Barkk continued.
"Marinette," she told him.
"Marinette?" Adrien sounded confused, he was confused. "What could she be hiding? She's a truthful person."
"Yes but not once have you taken notice of her true thoughts when it comes to you," Barkk spoke lowly, she was about to reveal some information so she might as well prepare herself for his reaction. "She had a crush on you for the longest time, Adrien."
Adrien froze, a shocked look on his face. "What? No. She only ever saw me as a friend."
"Did she really? Or did you say that she was a friend so much that it was the only thing you believed?" Adrien's eyes widened when Barkk finished speaking and he leaned forward in his chair, a thoughtful look on his face.
"I... I don't know," he finally whispered and the emotion on his face was soon replaced with realisation. "Wait, so she had a crush on me all that time?" When Barkk nodded, Adrien sighed and let himself fall back into his chair. "I'm so stupid."
"I wouldn't say stupid," Barkk hummed. "Rather blind, just as Luka described." She floated back to the plate of fruits as Adrien sulked in his chair.
"I really am blind," he murmured before his eyes widened. "Also I'm not going to pursue Marinette, she's happy with Damian and Damian's happy with her. I'm not going to go in between them." He swivelled around in his chair, towards his computer.
"Good, now don't you have something to do?" Barkk questioned, referring to his call with Damian.
"I think he gave me his number after that sleepover we all had," Adrien mumbled, mostly to himself. "I'll message him." Adrien began typing on his computer, sending a text to Damian and was taken aback when he got a reply straight away. "That was quick, did Marinette mention what the time difference between here and Gotham was?"
Barkk narrowed her eyes in thought. "Six hours."
"So it's around four over there, okay," Adrien worked out before typing another message. Barkk flew over onto his shoulder. "I'm asking to video chat because I don't think this conversation should be done over text."
"I think that's a good idea," Barkk responded and Adrien sent a video call request. It got accepted and soon there was a teen with black hair and green eyes sitting at his desk in front of the screen.
"Bonsoir, Agreste, tu as besoin de moi pour quelque chose? (Hello, Agreste, do you need me for anything?)" Damian asked and Adrien glanced awkwardly off-screen.
"Yes, actually. It has something to do with Plagg and your miraculous." Damian seemed to sit up straighter even though Adrien wasn't sure how that was possible.
"Is he being a nuisance?" He asked half-heartedly and Adrien chuckled while shaking his head.
"No he's not," Adrien replied and there was a look in Damian's eyes, like his eyes could talk while his mouth was shut. "Marinette would've told you earlier but her phone was dead so..." He trailed off and Damian was about to start speaking when someone opened the door to his room. Adrien watched as a boy with black hair and blue eyes walked around the room. Damian and the boy began speaking in English.
"What do you need?" Damian asked the newcomer and he beamed at him. Adrien was almost taken aback by the image on the screen, two polar opposites.
"Just my notebook, you can go back to what you're doing," the boy replied waving him off. Damian tutted and turned back to face Adrien. It was easy to see that Damian was more relaxed now, like he was with Marinette. Adrien didn't feel too offended, if anything he was glad the new person came in to break the tension.
"Continue talking, he doesn't know French," Damian told him and Adrien raised an eyebrow. Seeing this, Damian closed his eyes and took a breath. "Jon, tu es mon meilleur ami (Jon, you are my best friend)."
The boy didn't look up and was still searching for the notebook. Though Adrien watched as he glanced at the screen, his eyes hardened on the computer as if he were trying to see who Damian was on a call with. Damian raised his hand in a 'see?' motion. The blond hummed. "Do you not tell him that already?"
"No, no I do not," Damian replied and Adrien didn't feel too surprised. Then the boy picked up a book like it was the key to solving every problem in life. "Did you find it?" He sounded sarcastic.
The boy nodded and walked over to where Damian was sitting. "Yep I did, it was just- oh," the boy paused when his eyes landed on the screen. "...hello," the boy greeted somewhat nervously.
"Kent, this is Agreste, one of Marinette's friends in Paris," Damian introduced and Adrien waved, a smile on his face. The boy (Kent? No, Jon) waved back a bit awkwardly.
"It's uh... nice to meet you," Jon spoke slowly, his cheeks turning the lightest shade of red. "I think I hear my mother calling me. Nice to meet you- I already said that, sorry. See you later!" Adrien watched as he rushed out of the room and was left slightly confused, did he do something to offend him? If anything, Jon was similar to Marinette in terms of awkwardness.
"He isn't usually like that," Damian murmured, looking quite amused. But then a switch went off in his head and a serious expression returned onto his face. "As you were saying?"
"Okay..." A shuffled in his seat. "Well about the miraculous," he began "Today there was an akuma attack."
"Hawkmoth returned." It wasn't a question but Adrien still nodded, his eyes trailing off to the globe near his desk.
"It was this massive attack and we almost lost a teammate," the blond spoke in a low voice and when his eyes returned to the screen, he was surprised at the lack of true emotion on Damian's face. It was scary, seeing him so composed and appearing as though he was just thinking. "Luka."
"How is he now?" Damian carefully asked.
"He says that he's fine, but how true that is? I'm not sure." Adrien shook his head. "To the point... Marinette suggested that I use... your miraculous." His words were slow, he wasn't sure how Damian would react.
Damian remained silent for some time, his eyes showing that he was deep in thought. Then, he spoke. "What did you say?"
"I wanted to contact you first," Adrien replied and he took a breath. "I wanted to know what you would say."
"What do you think you should do?" Damian leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed.
"But Damian-"
"I already know what my thoughts are, I want to know yours," He interrupted. Adrien briefly glanced down at his computer's keyboard.
"In all honesty, I think I... should use your miraculous. The akuma today was brutal and I think it would be better to have both the ladybug and the cat miraculous being active. But-" Adrien lifted a finger. "-I will not take it if you don't want me to. The miraculous is yours after all."
Damian hummed and leaned forward in his chair. "I agree with you."
"What?" Adrien asked out loud.
"I said I agree with you," he repeated. "With Hawkmoth back, the battles will become increasingly difficult and the cat miraculous will be needed."
Adrien frowned at his answer. "But how do you feel about it?"
"What I feel doesn't matter when I'm not the emotion you're battling," Damian told him. He rested his folded arms on the desk. "If anything, I'd be offended if there wasn't anyone using the miraculous."
"I don't believe you and I'm saying this with all my honesty." Adrien peered down at his fidgeting palms and Damian's features softened.
"Adrien, I am also being honest. And in my honesty I'll say this, you are my first and only choice when it comes to who holds my miraculous other than Marinette herself," Damian's voice was low, soft, almost comforting. Adrien felt himself going back to the times when his mother would talk to him when he was upset. "It would be an honour to have the miraculous be used by my predecessor."
"I... do you think so?" Adrien murmured and Damian nodded.
"I don't show it but I have great respect for you, just like I do with my brothers," Damian responded. "So believe me when I say, I want you to use my miraculous."
Adrien's eyes widened and after a few moments of silence, he spoke. "Thank you, Damian."
"I'll send a message to Marinette, you get some rest," Damian replied. Adrien nodded and he bid the boy goodbye. Once he ended the call, he turned away from the computer and ran a hand down his face.
He let out a sigh. "Thank the heavens for that."
"I can't believe he agreed to let Plagg have you," Barkk muttered under her breath. Noticing that Adrien heard her, she changed the subject. "So that friend that Damian had around, Jon, what did you think of him?"
"Why do you ask?" He questioned and the kwami hummed.
"I'm just curious, and curiosity killed the cat so..." Barkk laughed to herself and he sighed with a smile. "So? What do you think?"
Adrien tilted his head in thought. "He reminds me of Marinette."
"How so?" Barkk pressed, a knowing smile on her face.
"His eyes remind me of hers," He muttered. "And... the way he was acting reminded me of her too."
"Elaborate, please," the kwami spoke, placing her now-empty plate on the coffee table in front of Adrien's television.
"Well, he struggled a bit with his words," the blond began. "And he got a bit red in the face."
Barkk hummed. "And Damian said he didn't usually act like that, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct," Adrien confirmed hesitantly, eyeing the kwami as he wasn't sure what the kwami was trying to imply.
"Well, we kwamis can't feel love to the extent that humans can, but-" the kwami floated up to his face, "I think he fancies you."
"What?!" Adrien exclaimed, bewildered. "Why do you think that?"
"Because..." Barkk began in a singsong voice. "That's how Marinette used to act with you."
Adrien froze. "Did she?"
"Yes, so that's why I believe this Jon likes you," Barkk finished, floating over to a pillow on Adrien's bed and getting comfortable. "Or at the very least, is somewhat interested in you."
"I don't know," Adrien whispered mainly to himself as he got up from his chair. "We only just met and we're probably looking too much into it." Barkk hummed as she curled herself into the pillow. Adrien looked over and smile to himself. "Goodnight Barkk." The kwami was already fast asleep.
He moved to get some clothes to sleep in but the thought of Jon lingered at the back of his mind.
'His eyes,' Adrien thought. 'His demeanour.'
'He's so much like Marinette...'
Adrien tensed. "Jeez," he muttered to himself rubbing his face. "I can't get her out of my head." He looked out of his large window, gazing up at the stars. "You wouldn't know it Marinette, but everybody wonders what it would be like to love you." Adrien smiled solemnly to himself. "It probably would've been sweet if it were me."
He took a step towards the glass, placing an open palm on it. "But you deserve the best, and the best is Damian." Adrien moved back. "You both are so perfect for each other."
"I'm sure he knows what it's like."
His words held no jealousy, no envy, nothing to wish misfortune on their names. He only spoke the truth, with nothing but contentment in his heart. But why did his heart hurt so much? And whenever Jon came into his mind, why was the image of the blue-eyed girl the first thing that came to mind?
Adrien pushed both Jon and Marinette away from his mind; he didn't want to hurt anyone and this included himself. Of course, no thought can be contained just like that.
'I wonder, what's Jon like?'
~~~
It was getting late in the Agreste Mansion and one would expect it to be dead silent, but the noise of someone slamming their first into a desk echoed through the walls.
"It should have worked!" Gabriel sneered, his jaw clenched. Nathalie was opposite him, in bed, a concerned look on her face.
"Gabriel, it was your first akuma attack after your unexpected hiatus. It won't be successful but it has shown you how your power has grown," Nathalie told him, playing her cup of tea down on a tray. Gabriel looked up at her.
"The design was perfect, the emotions were perfect, the abilities I have the akuma were perfect! How couldn't it have worked?" He over around the room, dragging a hand down his face.
"Have you considered that maybe the akuma wasn't your best designed?" Nathalie suggested with a frown. Gabriel dismissed her with a wave.
"The akuma's vines were perfect for taking down Ladybug and her team. If that didn't work then there was the gas, it should've killed them," He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "The akuma should. Have. Been. Perfect."
"Perhaps it was better that it wasn't," Nathalie thought out loud and Gabriel snapped his head in her direction.
"What do you mean?" He asked accusatorially.
"You lacked control over the akuma," she stated and at her words, Gabriel scowled.
"And how exactly did I lack control?" Gabriel turned, crossing his arms.
"It was easily agitated all throughout its akumatization, the tentacles did not respond to your commands," Nathalie spoke in a flat tone, similar to the one she'd use when in public. Gabriel opened his mouth to speak but Nathalie interjected. "The gas could have easily got it, what do you suppose we would've done then?"
"I would've stopped the akuma long before that would've happened," he insisted.
"What about Adrien?" Nathalie asked. "What if the gas got to him? Have you checked on him?" Nathalie saw how Gabriel's sharp gaze softened for a brief moment before they pierced into her soul once more.
"I'll speak with him during breakfast," he stated. "I doubt the akuma went near him." Gabriel seemed to stand straighter as he inspected the woman in front of him. "And why are you so persistent in making me believe I made the wrong choice?"
Nathalie knew she wasn't any match for Gabriel, not in the weakened state that she was in. She could barely even stand on her legs for over ten minutes. Gabriel could tear her to shreds. And she saw the growing fury in his eyes. With a sigh, she spoke. "Forgive me, Gabriel. I barely have time to see Adrien these days so I grew worried. I did not mean to criticise your judgement." Nathalie hid her relief as Gabriel exhaled, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes.
"That's fine, Nathalie," he murmured, exasperated. "I understand that you are unwell."
"And while this akuma may not have been successful," she continued, getting Gabriel's attention once more. "It has certainly made a great on the Parisian population and they'll be anxious, living in fear not knowing where you strike next." A smile appeared on Gabriel's face and he slowly nodded, placing his glasses back onto his face.
"You're right, it wasn't a complete loss." He walked to the bedroom door and just before he walked out, he turned. "Get some rest." Nathalie nodded and he closed the door behind him. She frowned.
Something was wrong. Something had changed.
Gabriel was that something that changed.
And only Nathalie could see it.
~~~
The sound of business chatter and footsteps were deafening. Well, not really. It only seemed that way because Tim hadn't remembered to bring his coffee into the meeting. He assumed that it would be over quickly. He assumed incorrectly. If anything, the only thing keeping him going was the information that he would tell Bruce the moment they were alone.
"Mr Luthor has requested a follow-up meeting with both you and Mr Drake, Mr Wayne," one of the men crowded around told them. "He requested it to be scheduled next Tuesday."
"That's not possible," a woman, one of Bruce's personal assistants, interjected. "Mr Wayne has an appointment at Wayne Botanical Gardens. And Mr Drake has a meeting with Mr MacSporran from the Scottish firm that day. Mr MacSporran will come all the way from Perth so I doubt he would be pleased with the sudden schedule change"
"Speaking of which," another woman spoke. "The branch in Scotland has had an increase in profit, around 22% higher than last year."
"And the branch in Bordeaux?" Bruce asked, his eyes still focused in front of him.
"Despite only being set up in the last half-decade, it's doing surprisingly well," someone else commented. Tim was paying attention, definitely, he just didn't register whose voice the words belonged to. Bruce hummed.
"Very good, I'll make sure to pay a visit. And perhaps Tim can visit them too," Bruce suggested with a smile and Tim straightened.
"Yes, one day," Tim muttered trying his best to conceal his fatigue. While the others could have been fooled, Bruce was not. He merely nodded.
"How is the business firm in Ottawa?" Bruce asked and one of the women spoke up.
"Not as good as we'd like it to be," she tried to let down gently. "Profit has decreased by 2.5% and I heard that a portion of the staff had been fired."
"On a happier note," another man began. "The scientific engineering team here are doing very well and have tested a prototype for easier communication." Bruce and Tim paused, they had finally reached the door
"Tell Mr Luthor that the meeting will be delayed until both of our schedules will correlate with his," He told the man from earlier and he turned to his personal assistant. "Try to arrange a timing that works best. You-" he gestures to another person. "Try to get us more information on what exactly is happening in Ottawa. And finally, send us a detailed report on our science and engineering team's progress. It will be interesting to read about what they have been working towards." The people all nodded their heads and began scurrying away.
Tim watched as Bruce let the fake, over-exaggerated, smile fall and he opened his office door. Tim closed it behind him and walked towards Bruce's desk, dropping himself into one of the chairs in front. As he covered his mouth with a yawn, Bruce came over to the other side of the desk and collapsed into his chair, his hands rubbing the temples of his forehead. Tim could understand why his adoptive father was tired, the meeting they had just finished was filled with business and stress, mostly of the latter. The meeting took up much of his energy and he was in desperate need of caffeine, he wasn't sure how he was still awake. Then he remembered.
"Have you looked at the email yet?" He asked. Bruce shot him a look of both confusion and interest. The man then opened his computer and Tim got up to get some coffee from Bruce's personal coffee machine. If Tim remembered correctly, Bruce should have gotten an email from Lucius Fox that read 'Urgent' which had a file attached as well as a message that read: 'I believe this is what you're looking for'. He heard a click from the computer mouse and Tim counted down from 180 in his head. Once he reached zero, he turned around and Bruce looked up from his computer.
"What have you found out?" Bruce asked and Tim took a breath, of course his father already knew that he had done research.
Tim came over to sit down. "This entry was written by Alya Césaire and Chloe Bourgeois, two classmates that go to Collège Françoise Dupont, a school in Paris, France."
"The location fits," Bruce muttered and he gestured for Tim to continue.
"So far I've only had time to look into the two girls who submitted this entry but I'll tell you about them anyway." Tim finished his statement with a big sip of his precious coffee. "First Alya Césaire. She's fifteen, her father, Otis, works at the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes as a zoo keeper, her mother, Marlena, is the head chef at Le Grand Paris, and she has an older sister and two younger twin sisters. Most interestingly, Alya is the creator and admin of the 'Ladyblog'. You know that live stream where Ladybug was stabbed? Yeah, she manages that." Tim ignored the grimace on Bruce's face and continued. "So she has great experience with the Akuma attacks."
"And Chloe Bourgeois?" Bruce questioned further. Tim smiled.
"That's where it gets more interesting." He leaned forward in his chair and set his cup of coffee down on the desk. "Chloe Bourgeois attends the same class as Alya. She's the daughter of Audrey Bourgeois, the fashion designer, and André Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris." Bruce tilted his head slightly to the side, his subtle way of showing interest. "Most of the reports I've found on her are generic mean girl type things but there was one thing that stood out. Chloe was in the possession of a miraculous."
Bruce blinked. He leaned forward as Tim had done. "And how exactly did that happen."
"Most sources don't specify that but according to Ladybug, she wasn't supposed to have it," Tim clarified. "Chloe announced herself as 'Queen Bee', apparently only to impress her mother. Either way, Chloe must've done something to impress Ladybug instead because there are multiple instances where she brought her back into a few different battles."
"That's not an ideal choice to make," the man spoke and Tim nodded.
"But in Ladybug's defence, she only brought Chloe into battle in desperation and has not brought Queen Bee in since then." Bruce seemed more satisfied with this answer and he leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed and his eyes focussed on the computer screen which Tim assumed had the entry.
"It's all perfect," the billionaire muttered. "Almost too perfect..." His eyes hardened on the screen for a brief moment before he turned to Tim again. "The faster we get them here, the faster we can take down this Hawkmoth. I'll send Lucius and the rest involved an email, to write an apology for closing the competition early."
"And make some excuse of technical errors?" Tim suggested.
"I suppose so." Bruce straightened in his seat. "This entry itself is worthy of winning so I'll get in touch with the school's administration before sending in the congratulations letter. Then once that's done, I'll organise everything necessary to accommodate them."
"Let's bring these kids to Gotham," Tim chuckled dryly, picking up the cup of coffee that he had placed on the desk.
Bruce gave him a look before he began to type up the email. "Let's bring these kids to Gotham and keep them safe."
Ready to put your favorite characters through the pain of their lifetime? We sure are! Presenting Maribat Agony August, filled with delicious whump prompts for all the angst you could ever want!
(Calendar created by @khneltea)
This is our first year, so we're super excited to see what you all have planned. We decided to put in special features just because of that!
THERAPEUTIC TUESDAYS - Want to give yourself a breather from all these heartbreaking prompts? We've given you one prompt each Tuesday to use as a 'healing' day. On the flip side, we've given extra-whumpy prompts to go alongside it in case you want to go all the way! (these prompts will be highlighted in green on the written list)
QUOTE QUADS - Every FOUR days, you get a quote prompt instead. (these prompts will be highlighted in red on the written list)
Guidelines for Maribat Agony August 2022!
Any Maribat pairing is allowed! Feel free to make it whatever type of relationship you want (platonic, romantic, bio!dad, etc.)
All creative media types are accepted (fics, drabbles, head-canons, art, poetry, incorrect quotes, etc.)
Tag @maribat-calendar-events in your works so we can share it
Use the hashtag #MB-AgonyAug22, #Maribat-AgonyAug22, or #AgonyAugust22 so others can see your work
Keep NSFW works under the 'Keep Reading' line with an appropriate warning above
Collaborations should give proper credit to all those who were involved. Make sure they are tagged in the work.
If there are any questions or problems, please feel free to reach out to @khneltea, @izanae or send in a message/ask to this page
Have fun!
AO3 COLLECTION LINK - https://archiveofourown.org/collections/MB_Agony_August
PROMPTS AND FAQs UNDER THE 'KEEP READING' LINE
FAQs
Q: What if I can't finish the month?
No worries! We don't want to pressure you. These are just available for you to do for fun. If you want to extend your deadlines in writing past the month, go for it! Whatever makes you comfortable.
You are in no way required to all the prompts/days.
Q: Do I need to do both both prompts?
Nah, that's asking too much. We're just giving you a substitute option for the day. If you don't like any of them, check out the alternatives below.
Prompts
Day 1: cracks / crushed
Day 2: soothing / vengeance
Day 3: skin / regret
Day 4: "It hurts" / "Oh, darling"
Day 5: lessons / glass
Day 6: innocence / corruption
Day 7: pressure / mind
Day 8: "I'm sorry" / "I'll be better"
Day 9: cooling / burns
Day 10: grief / hidden injury
Day 11: bruises / neck
Day 12: "It stopped hurting" / "I lied"
Day 13: frozen / twitch
Day 14: silent / gasps
Day 15: restrained / invisible
Day 16: "I love you" / "I loved you too much"
Day 17: promises / shock collar
Day 18: betrayal / slap
Day 19: marks / trigger
Day 20: "Stay, please" / "Just leave"
Day 21: neglect / blood
Day 22: sick / hostage
Day 23: blanket / suffocation
Day 24: "I did it for you" / "Why should I care?"
Day 25: cut / begging
Day 26: fingers / terminal illness
Day 27: stitches / guilt
Day 28: "Why won't you..." "I just wanted..."
Day 29: death / gaslight
Day 30: mending / sacrifice
ALTERNATIVES
fate | traitor | electricity | "Never enough" | fragment | disappointment | darkness | "Don't look at me" | forget
As the deadline approaches, I'll be making more advertisements for this month. I'm so glad to be a part of this, and I'm looking forward to what everyone has in store!!
So remember that one-shot ‘Moonlght in the Mirror’ that I promised a part 2 of? Well it’s here after maybe 7-8 months oops. Sorry about the wait lol. Anyway I went back and edited the first part which included grammar fixes as well as a new part of the fic at the beginning so check that out if you want. Here’s part 2, I hope it’s a good 2nd part to it.
Moonlight in the Mirror here btw
“Life is a being of endless torment and shadow”
For years that was all I was led to believe
“Life only tolerates the warriors who show no mercy”
“The warriors who bathe in the blood of their victims”
“The warriors who stop at nothing to achive their goals”
I was a follower of life’s foolish facade
It was all I had ever known
But recent years have changed that
Everything I had known was all a lie
And I faced the consequences
I had endeavoured to change, to become better in order to be tolerated
I showed mercy, I swam for their praise, I did everything I could
It was never enough, and I was willing to give up
But then I realised that Life had remorse
It led me to you
Your blue eyes were oceans of understanding and I couldn’t bare to lose you
I couldn’t bare to see you live a tortured life, not with a gentle heart like yours
From the moment we first met, I vowed to pour every last drop of my energy into helping you so that maybe
Just maybe
You’d share your heart with me too
— ❊ —
Whatever tears were left in his eyes had now run dry. Damian was resting on his side, his eyes down to the ground. It had seemed like forever since he woke up. How long ago did Grayson come to check up on him? He said he would get the others, but all he could hear was silence. Maybe he lied. None of them cared about him anyway, he’s just a small drop of water in this ocean called home.
Damian sighed as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. There weren’t many things that he could do that wouldn’t result in great pain, so he settled on staring at the ceiling. Then he heard the door shift a little. Damian turned to face the person, but there was no person to be seen. Instead, a furry friend jumped onto the bed. Damian’s eyes softened at the sight of his pet.
“Hello, Alfred.” Damian greeted the cat. He ran his fingers through Alfred’s fur, scratching under the cat’s chin. Alfred purred as he rubbed his face against Damian’s. The boy felt a slight warmth in his stomach before turning to look back outside. The sun’s light wasn’t as blinding now, Damian presumed it was past midday, not really like he cared anyway.
Alfred the cat had jumped off, leaving as quickly as he came. Damian sighed and looked over at his bedside table, taking the paper and pencil that rested on top of it. The pencil aimlessly drew lines, Damian had no particular goal. Yet, the image on his paper was that of the magical limbo, the lake that he so longed to return to, to see her again.
The sound of someone opening his bedroom door could be heard, Damian hid the sheet of paper under his blanket. He didn’t turn around this time, he kept his full attention on the window. “Damian.” He still didn’t look, but the person sat on the bed, which caught his attention.
“Cass?” Damian asked once he had turned around. His older sister sat on the foot of the bed, looking over at the machine he was tied to. Cassandra said nothing, only looking at him, reading him. Then she found what she was looking for.
“We… care for you.” She spoke, at last, putting her hand on his shoulder. His older sister brushed some of his hair out of his face. “You are stronger than they think.” She rested her forehead on his, Damian closed his eyes to feel the sliver of comfort his sister provided. When she pulled away, Cass looked as if she wanted to see his reaction but someone called for her. Damian could tell that she was hesitant to leave after only arriving so quickly, but she stood up anyway.
Taking one last look at her younger brother, Cass left the room. Damian didn’t pay attention to who called her, he didn’t care. Turning around back onto his side, Damian stared out the window, clutching his knees closer to his chest. He took his drawing from under his blanket and brought it closer to himself, as if being closer could bring him back to there, back to her.
He loved his sister, he really did. But was it too much to ask for the rest of his family to love him too?
~~~
Beep. Beep. The sound of the heart monitor was beginning to annoy him. He sat up and glared at the machine he was hooked to. Without thinking, he grabbed the cord and pulled it off him. A continuous sound followed. The boy sighed and got up, kicking the blanket off his legs. Damian looked back at the heart monitor, the sound being played was identical to that as if his heart had stopped beating, as if he had died again. He waited for a second, a few more seconds. The sound was far too loud to not be heard, someone would have to notice it eventually. A minute, a few more minutes.
No one came.
He wasn’t surprised, he expected it. But he couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment and heartache. Damian felt as though he was… unlovable, not worthy of their time and care. He didn’t look like any of them, he didn’t act like any of them, he wasn’t chosen like any of them. He didn’t belong, the other people at school told him so, and he believed them. Drake didn’t bother to hide his distaste for the boy, his other siblings aren’t fond of him. Grayson and Cass were the only exceptions, but that could be a lie. His father never seemed to believe that he was capable of change, despite Damian trying so, so hard to please the man.
The boy sighed and turn to look at himself in the mirror, except he didn’t see his reflection. He saw that place, the magical limbo. He blinked once, twice, and the scene still stood there waiting for him. The moon was shining beautifully on the calm, still, lake. A gentle breeze made the leaves on the trees dance, some occasionally falling off to waltz with the wind. It was ethereal, it was the glimmer of happiness Damian needed. He stepped closer to the mirror frame, gently reaching his hand to where the glass once was, hoping that his hand would fall through. Which it did. The boy perked up and jumped through the frame, his feet landing on the soft ground. The air was fresher, the tension drained from his bones, and he felt like he belonged. Damian took one more step towards the lake, and the mirror behind him shattered. The door back to reality had broken, yet it never affected him. He just gazed over the broken glass, a dullness in his eyes.
“Damian.”
The voice caught Damian’s attention. He turned to face the owner, and it was her.
“Marinette.” He found himself saying, a smile on his face as he stepped closer to her. She was beautiful in the moonlight, like a spirit almost. She smiled in response, turning to the scenery. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Damian froze. “What is?”
“Why, the forest, of course.” The girl responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, a smile playing on her lips. The teen frowned.
“But, didn’t you say-“
“Why don’t you and I explore the forest together?” She asked, offering her hand for him to take. And he almost did.
‘Promise me that if you ever find yourself here again, never go into the woods surrounding this lake.’ Marinette’s voice echoed in his mind. He promised her, did she forget?
“Why can’t we just stay near the lake? Like we did last time?” Damian pressed further, the hesitation almost showing in his voice.
“Is there a reason why you’re hesitant?” The girl looked pointedly at him as if daring him to answer the question.
“No, no, it’s just-“ ‘The further you go into the forest-‘ Marinette’s voice seemed louder than ever, Damian could barely get his words out. “I thought you said-“
“Come with me, it’s nice in the forest.” She took his hand that was resting by his side and slowly dragged him closer to the entrance of the woods. Damian felt no control over his body, he couldn’t move away and his mouth refused to speak. He promised Marinette, he promised her. He promised-
The closer you’ll be to death.
Damian woke up from his nightmare, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest with how fast it was beating. He placed his hand on his chest, focusing on his breathing until he calmed down. He lifted himself so he was in a sitting position, his hand now resting on his lap. In a way, Damian had asked for this. He desperately kept wishing to go back to that place, the different dimension, and he did get what he asked for but it was at a cost.
No, it never was the real thing. It was just a dream. His worst enemy and best friend was his own mind, allowing him to see her but only for it to be a trick. Damian looked over at the heart monitor he was attached to, the rapid beating matching the rise and fall of his chest.
‘Perhaps I should leave it alone this time.’
~~~
Bruce Wayne paced around one of the many living rooms, his hand covering his mouth, his thoughts were ablaze as they argued with one another. He was aware of the fact that Tim had stopped typing on his computer, he was very aware of Alfred’s heavily concerned expression and was doing everything he could to ignore the older man. He didn’t fail to notice the look Tim and Dick had exchanged, despite never once looking at them. Bruce knew he had, as Jason would say, fucked up.
“Why aren’t you talking with him?” Dick asked his adoptive father, his tone very unimpressed. Bruce stopped in his tracks.
“I-“
“Bruce, he’s your son. He could’ve been killed out there.” Dick pressed further, his fists clenched. He was right, Bruce knew he was right and yet, he couldn’t bring himself to face Damian, his son. Dick waited for a response, his eyes telling Bruce to speak up. When the man didn’t, he sighed. “I know Damian can be hard to handle but he needs you, you’re his father and he needs both your love and your guidance, Bruce.”
Tim looked directly into Bruce’s eyes, even him demanding an answer. Bruce was fully aware of Damian and Tim’s strained relationship, never would he think the teen would care for his younger brother in this way. Bruce sighed and dragged a hand down his face, glancing over at Alfred, who himself had a disappointed look on his face. Someone else entered, her face cold and harsh.
“You must talk to him,” Cass demanded and Dick made a small sound of agreement. Tim had remained silent throughout the whole ordeal. But it was his silence that told Bruce he agreed too. Drawing a breath through his nose, Bruce turned to his daughter.
“Is he awake?”
Cass didn’t respond at first and instead began to read his body, searching for even the slightest sign of dishonesty. After finding nothing, she nodded and Bruce proceeded to leave the living room. He however exchanged a look with Alfred, one that meant that he was trying his hardest. Heading for the stairs, Bruce paused as his hand touched the bannister.
‘This is your son, a boy who needs your support.’
‘He brought this injury upon himself, he refused to listen.’
Bruce shook his head. ‘He’s a teenager, he’s bound to make mistakes. Damian had and will learn from this so we’ll discuss it after he has fully healed.’ He nodded to himself, that was the better mindset to be in, and he resumed his journey up the stairs. It didn’t take long for him to reach the upper floor and the faint sound of a heart machine echoed through the drafty halls. He counted the beats on his head, it was too fast. Perhaps he had woken up from a nightmare. Bruce felt his steps quicken and a breath of relief escape from his lips as the sound of the heart monitor returned to normal.
As Bruce walked toward his son’s bedroom, questions began pouring through his brain. ‘What if Damian sustained more damage than what Alfred had reported?’ ‘Would he even want to speak with me right now? He could still be tired from the injuries and the pain medication.’ ‘When was the last time I had even gone to his room?’
‘Was his room always this far away?’
Bruce soon reached his son’s room, the door was open just enough so that he could see the end of the bed. The door pushed open with a low creek and Bruce heard the monitor's beeps gain the slightest bit of speed. ‘Of course.’ Bruce thought. ‘He doesn’t know who’s here.’ The man stepped into view and again the heart rate went higher, Bruce felt his own heart drop at the quick realisation. The sight of him made his son nervous. With a sigh, Bruce moved closer and sat on the bed, the worried gaze from his son burned through his skull. It seemed to have burnt a hole in his chest too as a lump grew in his throat. As he looked his son in the eyes, Bruce realised that even though Damian had made a mistake on patrol, it was his fault. He had allowed his son to fear him when he should have cared for him, loved him as he so rightfully deserved.
His own son.
Bruce stretched his arm over to brush some of Damian’s loose strands of hair away from his face. Holding his breath, Bruce tried to speak. “Damian-”
“I apologise, father.” His son interrupted. “I disobeyed your orders and I know that my injuries were warranted.”
‘He’s right.’
‘No, he’s not.’
“Damian-” Bruce tried to talk again but his attempt proved to be worthless.
“I understand that I will be benched for the amount of time that you see fit. I deliberately went against your orders and I apologise.” Bruce could see the silent longing in his eyes, the unspoken plea in his voice.
“You will only be benched because you are too injured,” he finally got his voice in. “By the time you are fully healed, I will allow you to continue.” The confusion and shock in Damian’s eyes hurt him more than any slice of a blade or wound from a gun that had hurt him before. His own son had expected a punishment worse, and Bruce knew it was his fault.
“You’re not stripping the Robin mantle from me?” Damian almost whispered, stunned. Bruce reached over to gently put his hand on the boy’s face.
“Of course not, this was just a mistake on your behalf.” Bruce tried to reassure him but inwardly sighed at his choice of words. “You may be a teenager, Damian, but you still have so much to do in your life, you still have so much room to grow. Don’t allow something like this to destroy you.” With a sigh, Bruce stood up. “Get some rest, Damian”.
It wasn’t the greatest of words, but it was a start and that’s the best thing he could have done, right?
His thoughts spoke up again.
‘He’s an assassin, he’ll never change.’
‘He can. I know he can. I’ll help him.’
He stood up from the bed and turned his back, beginning to walk away when he abruptly stopped at the door. Bruce took a quick glance at his son and he vowed to himself just before she left the room. He vowed to be a better father, one that Damian needed and deserved.
However, a different thought ran into Damian’s mind, a goal he was set upon. A goal that even the world’s greatest detective wouldn’t be able to figure out.
As Bruce walked down the manor’s hallways, Damian Wayne vowed to himself that he would find what he had lost.
Damian was going to find Marinette.
~~~
His eyes were closed and all his senses focused on the sounds surrounding him. Only once he was certain his father had returned downstairs, he opened his eyes and sat up. He gazed over at the bedroom window, the honey-coloured sky said it was late afternoon, evening possibly. Damian tried to pull himself out of bed but a weird feeling caused him to stop. His hand brushed over the stitching that rested on his abdomen. Despite his injuries and vague memories of the patrol, he couldn’t remember exactly what had happened. When was the last time he had been injured this badly?
Shaking his head, Damian got up to his feet and rested his hands on the bed frame, accustoming himself to walking again. His weight shifted from one leg to the other, testing to see if walking would be a painful problem. Luckily it wasn’t. Not as painful as earlier, thankfully. Damian was partly grateful for his ability to rapidly recover, despite what he had to endure before, and after, he gained it.
This ability was only shared with him because of his training when he was an assassin. He’s grown past that, from what he tells himself. It’s not true, the people living within the manor’s walls only see him like that. A cold, heartless assassin. There’s only so much emotion one can go through before they overflow.
And that will only prove them right.
Clenching his fists, Damian made it to his desk. The computer seemed to be untouched. His hands glided over the cover and he began hastily typing on the keyboard, searching for any trace of Marinette’s whereabouts. However, he wasn’t going to spend hours searching, he needed to find her. He began filtering through every file, his eyes scanning over every detail and profile image. Nothing came up. ‘Either I’m not looking correctly, or she purposely doesn’t want to be found.’ His finger tapped on his desk as he racked his brain on any defining features of Marinette, and his brain clicked.
Her accent.
It sounded French. It had to be French.
His fingers began tapping faster than the thoughts running through his mind and his eyes met a familiar blue.
A gorgeous, bewitching, blue. So blue, he was drowning. His hands trembled as her face stared back at him. It wasn’t a dream, it wasn’t a nightmare, it was real. She was real.
Marinette was in Paris, how fitting. Damian glanced over towards his bedroom door, it was still open so he stood up to close it when his eyes landed on one of his black backpacks. He looked towards his bedroom window and moved to rest his palm on it. A plan began to hatch in his mind. Moving back to his computer, he checked the security camera of both the manor and somewhere else - blind spots would be easy to exploit.
He paused. Was he ready for this? Leaving everything behind? His siblings, his pets, everything he has worked for. His father.
‘No, he wouldn’t care. He never did. He lied about caring- about loving me.’
Damian rested his palms on the desk.
‘Father is a dangerous liar.’ He thought to himself. ‘And I am a foolish believer.’
And like adrenaline, persistence burned through his veins. Like it had once before. ‘Tonight’ Damian told himself.
‘I’m leaving tonight.’
~~~
The wind blew through her hair as red hot tears streamed down her face. She tried to get her to stop. She tried so hard. But she doesn’t stop, and her wounds are a constant reminder of the fact. Lila took everything from her, and everything still wasn’t enough.
Everything is never enough.
The blood trickled down her chin. The salty metallic taste in her mouth was sickening. Disappointing.
‘You’re Ladybug, the beloved hero of Paris. And yet, you are hated by the people who adore you.’ Marinette’s thoughts whispered into her ear. ‘How pathetic.’
She knew that her thoughts weren’t lying, she was weak. Marinette let Lila win, she allowed Lila to take everything away. She only had herself to blame, it was too late to change anything now. But Marinette knew she was strong, her loneliness taught her strength.
She just wished loneliness wasn’t her mentor.
“Tikki,” Marinette mumbled, her hands wiping both her tears and her blood. Her kwami flew up to be in her eyesight. “Would it be selfish, if Marinette disappeared?”
“What do you mean?”Tikki questioned, landing to sit on her holder’s knee.
“If I just left one day, away from Lila, away from my parents, school, Adrien, everyone. Would it be selfish?” She felt as though she was begging. She wanted an answer. Tikki shook her head. “What if I just slept forever, if I just stayed at the lake, it’s that selfish?”
“Marinette-“
“I don’t want advice, I want the truth,” Marinette murmured, her eyes locked with Tikki’s.
The kwami was understanding. “You’ll be alone.”
“I’m always alone, Tikki,” She argued back. “At least I’ll have Damian there.”
‘Damian.’
‘He would be there.’
‘He really would.’
Tikki saw that Marinette’s eyes changed. The emotion before was gone. Marinette chuckled to herself. “Is it possible to miss someone this much? To be homesick from a person you just met?” Her smile faded and a sombre expression appeared. “I want him here, Tikki.”
Her guardian was strong, but it wasn’t by choice. She remembered the day before Master Fu gave her the ladybug miraculous.
How the full moon shone that night, just like it did as Marinette cried. Life is unfair, the currents pull you in and refuse to let go. You end up drowning. Life pulled her into its misery, Marinette was drowning.
Marinette stood up, her legs shaking in the cold wind. Her hands were laced in scarlet liquid, her blood dripped onto the concrete ground. The cut under her eye wasn’t as swollen as it was before, she could see fine. The rusted blade that cut her was just a few feet away. She wasn’t sure who it belonged to, she only knew that it was someone in her class. They had dragged her to this alley and left her to bleed.
Her hair fell like waterfalls, covering her wound as she walked home. Her presence was ignored by her parents as she opened the door. They didn’t even spare her a glance. Lila had gotten to them too, she didn’t care. She didn’t live here anyway, what was the point of interacting with strangers? Marinette only came here to patch up her wound, and retrieve one last thing from when she moved out - the umbrella that Adrien gave her before everything went wrong. He’s hurt her more than he knows, but it wasn’t all his fault. He had no clue about what Lila was capable of. She couldn’t rely on him though, she couldn’t rely on anyone.
The teachers did nothing.
Her classmates turned against her.
Alya became Lila’s best friend.
Chloe was gone, Lila drove her to the very edge.
Adrien did nothing, chosing to keep the peace rather then exposing Lila’s lies.
Tom and Sabine had disowned her, Lila was more believable than their own daughter.
Kagami became her friend, but she chose to be on Lila’s side to stay with Adrien over their friendship.
Luka wanted to be there but his sister came first, and that unfortunately meant that he had to leave Marinette too.
Chat Noir had even grown quiet, colder.
Everyone had left her in some way. Marinette had accepted it a long time ago. But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. It felt like thorns tearing into her heart. How ironic, the holder of the ladybug miraculous of creation and good luck, has had her life destroyed and is the most unluckiest of all.
A cold drop landed on the tip of her nose and a shiver ran down her spine. She looked up, it was raining. Pulling out her umbrella, she walked into the Parisian night. The Eiffel Tower shone in its light, the moon was full and Marinette sat on a nearby bench, looking up towards the stella body.
“If I survive the day, I will be rewarded with the moon’s full attention at night.”
Marinette smiled as Damian’s voice echoed in her mind. “I survived the day, Damian,” she whispered out loud. “I fully understand what you mean now, you were right.” Marinette closed her eyes, a smile on her face. “I can only hope, that you’re alright.” The night breeze danced through her hair, as if it were Damian saying: ‘I can hear you, don’t worry, I can hear you.’
The sound of footsteps caught her offguard and she looked up at the person approaching her. Her eyes met emerald green and a gasp escaped her lips. ‘It couldn’t be. He isn’t here. Your mind is playing tricks on you Marinette, he’s not-’
“I am now,” the person spoke, a smile on his face.
Marinette dropped the umbrella as she got up onto her feet. Her hand hesitantly reached out and they took it into their own. Her mouth parted but no words were said. Her other hand shot up to cover her mouth as the realisation dawned on her.
“I’m here, Marinette,” Damian murmured, his hand reaching over to brush away the tear that began rolling down her cheek. He let his own umbrella fall. “I found you.”
A true smile take over her features and she jumped into his arms. “Indeed you did.” She mumbled into his chest as his arms wrapped around her for a hug. “Never in my life did I miss someone as much as I have missed you.”
“I felt the same.” He replied, his voice sounded like a dream but she knew this was reality. They were here together, in the waking world.
“Damian, je voudrais que tu m’emmènes loin, très loin d’ici (I would like you to take me away, far away from here),” Marinette whispered, unaware of the fact that Damian could understand. “Loin de ma vie injuste (Away from my unfair life).”
After a moment of silence, Damian whispered back. “Je vais le faire, je te le promets. (I will, I promise you)” Marinette stilled and looked up to be met with his expression of pure loyalty. “We will help each other and we’ll rise from Life’s tides.”
Cupping her face with his hands, he continued. “We will reignite and we will become the infernos that no one believed we could be.”
Marinette’s features softened and she nodded. “Let the world drown in our tsunamis, we’ll show them what we can be.”
Damian rested his forehead on Marinette’s and they both closed their eyes, finding comfort in one another as the rain poured. The weather had no meaning as the couple swayed in the moonlight, reunited under the skies that brought them together. Marinette knew that Damian had her heart and with him, she was home.
Truly home.
~~~
Tim kept his eyes on the tray in front of him as he walked up the stairs. The morning had arrived and he offered to bring Damian his breakfast. He didn’t miss the surprised expressions everyone gave him the moment the words left his mouth and he began to regret his decision before he had even left the kitchen.
So there he was at Damian’s door, knocking with one hand and holding a tray of food in the other. There wasn’t an answer and Tim rolled his eyes, he was probably asleep. ‘A cup of coffee would really help the brat- my brother out.’ Tim muttered in his head as he moved to open the bedroom door, but his hand paused at the door handle. It was quiet. It was far too quiet.
He pushed the door open, and there was tidy room. It was clean, much cleaner than his own, but it was also empty. Damian wasn’t in his bed that was now neatly made. The heart monitor had been unplugged and turned off. Tim set the tray down on the nearest table and scanned the room. One of Damian’s backpack was gone, including some more of his belongings. The window was clean and closed, meaning that he had left on his own accord. He couldn’t have, could he? Tim checked every crevice of his brother’s room for any sign of intrusion. Even opening the windows to see any sign of a struggled outside the manor. There was none.
Almost sprinting down the stairs, Tim reached the dining room where everyone was still eating. His presence must’ve shocked them, or perhaps his frazzled appearance did, as Dick spoke up first.
“Tim, you alright?” His older brother asked and that gained the attention of everyone in the room. Tim began shaking his head.
“No it- it’s Damian he-“
“He didn’t do something did he?” Stephanie questioned, putting another spoonful of breakfast in her mouth.
“No, he’s gone.” Tim got out and he immediately noticed the change in the atmosphere.
“What do you mean he’s gone?” Bruce spoke up, standing up from his seat.
“He isn’t there,” he clarified. “He left the manor.”
There wasn’t a word said, the silence was suffocating. Tim knew that Damian didn’t leave just for the sake of it, they had all contributed to his decision. And Tim couldn’t feel any more guilt. He had helped driven his baby brother away. They all did.
Aha, so hello? Really sorry this took so long, lots of things going on.
TW: Quick warning, violence in this chapter
Her voice was loud and clear, but Marinette wasn't focused on that. A familiar, sickening, aura sent chills down her spine.
"Hawkmoth." She whispered.
————————————————————
Dusk peered over the clouds, the last rays of sunshine filtered through the bedroom's window. It was silent in said bedroom, the only noise being that of a person typing away on the computer.
"And that's me finished!" Alya exclaimed, saving the document once more time, removing her glasses to rub her red eyes, Chloe peered over the girl's shoulder, setting her phone aside, humming while doing so.
The blonde's eyes quickly skimmed over the computer pixels, nodding every once in a while. "I'll just read through it one more time and-" A notification on her phone cut the girl off. She sighed, reached over and opened it, not bothering to read the notification itself. "Who's messaging me?" She wondered out loud, unlocking her phone. Her annoyed expression soon turned to a surprised one, then a worrisome one. "Oh." She put simply.
Alya, now confused, swiveled around in the desk chair, standing up to sit next to the blonde on the sofa. "What is it?" She had asked. In response, Chloe handed Alya her phone. She blinked at the girl before looking down at it. On the blonde's screen was a worried Nadja Chamack, in front of something very large. Something opaque and... green?
"Hawkmoth's back." Chloe murmured to the girl, turning to look at her. Sensing something wrong, Pollen and Trixx floated towards their owners. The two kwamis were then frozen in silent shock as they watched the colourful piece of technology. The room was almost silent again, the disturbance being Nadja's report in desperate French.
"This is not good..." Alya muttered after a moment, meeting Chloe's blue-eyed gaze. "Marinette will not be happy, at all." The girl took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes for the second time.
At first Chloe didn't say anything, instead choosing to be silent as if she were debating on what to say. But the thoughtfulness didn't last long. "Well what are we doing just standing here?" The blonde stood up straighter, her kwami buzzing with admiration. Alya nodded, her smile being one of determination. Trixx then floated up to her owner's height, giggling with excitement. Before either of them could call upon their transformations, a roaring commotion echoed through the hotel walls. Chloe stepped towards the door, pressing her ear against it. "What is-" She froze, a few faint words barely audible over the shouts reached her ears. Chloe slowly turned over to where Alya was, her expression unreadable. "What was Nadja saying?"
Alya sent her a confused look, blinking twice. "All she mentioned was an akuma. I- I'll check again." The girl pulled out her own phone, searching through it to find the broadcast. But all she found was static "Whatever it was, it's got her and her camera crew." Alya pursed her lips together, once again looking back up at Chloe.
The blonde hummed. "The noise outside is people screaming and scrambling on top of each other." Chloe's gaze lingered on the door, her face hardened as the voices kept getting more frantic. "They keep yelling about some gas."
Alya sharply inhaled, her eyes closed. "Well-" She opened her eyes. "-let's go see this for ourselves, shall we?" Chloe nodded, a mischievous smile crawling onto her face. Alya glanced over at her kwami. "Trixx, Let's Pounce!" An orange light swirled around her, almost blinding.
At the same time, Chloe did the same. "Pollen, Buzz On!" The light created was similar but instead in shades of bright yellow. Their transformations filled the room with a colourful display, quickly subsiding to show the heroes within. Opening her eyes, Honey Bee reached for the spinning top at her waist, intwining the string between her fingers. "We'll need a better view." Rena Rouge nodded and opened the bedroom's balcony door. The fox hero jumped onto the hotel roof while Honey Bee followed closely behind, with aid of her spinning top. With the hotel now safely under their feet, the two heroes turned to face the city, only to feel horrified as their eyes watched the display.
A bright green smog crawled the streets, soaring higher and higher into the sky. The gas was fast enough to consume the citizens trying to run away and once they were covered, they never came out again. Rena and Honey Bee quickly looked at each other, the uneasiness being reflected in their faces. The fox heroine tried to message their leader on her flute, but none of their other teammates seemed online.
"They're probably somewhere in the hotel," Rena Rouge told the heroine next to her. "In the meantime, we'll get as many people out of the way as possible. Stay away from the gas, we don't know what it can do yet." Honey Bee nodded, jumping off the roof and traveling towards the bright green cloud that was very quickly swallowing everything in its path.
The blonde landed on a roof not far from the scene, her eyes scanned the road before her. Other than the rancid smell that reached her nose, there was nothing that she thought she should be worried about. She almost left to another street when a sound of distress alerted the heroine.
"Someone, help!"
Honey Bee searched desperately for the source of the sound, almost calling out herself when she spotted some slight movement in the corner of her eye. The hero quickly bounded over, finding a mother and her child stuck under a car. She unsheathed her spinning top. "Don't move, I'll get you out of there."
Wielding her spinning top, Honey Bee spun it around the car, using all her strength to lift it. She could feel sweat running down her forehead as the car slowly lifted inch by inch. The gas however, was faster. With every force of strength she poured into her weapon, the gas came closer and closer, it almost appeared to move faster than before. She could fee it's warmth, reacher closer to grab her and the people in danger. Having no choice, Honey Bee let go of the car, spinning her string to blow the gas away, just far enough so she could get them out in time. She launched her string over a nearby streetlight and then around the car, using her weapon as a pulley. Again, the familiar warmth and horrible smell came creeping closer and without a thought, Honey Bee reached for the two citizens.
She let go of the car, letting it crash to the ground and launched her spinning top towards a different building. With both citizens gripping onto her tight, she jumped away, leading them to safety. The air seemed so cold once they were far away, it was almost comforting for the heroine. Once she believed it was safe, she set them both down and turned towards the oncoming gas cloud, her brows frowned.
"Thank you so much, Honey Bee." The mother said once she had calmed down her son. The heroine looked back at her.
"It wasn't a problem, you and your son should go find shelter down there." She pointed in the direction where the gas hadn't touched. "It's not safe here." The woman nodded and picked up her child, heading towards the building's stairs and Honey Bee readied her spinning top.
"Thank you for saving our lives Honey Bee! You're the best!" The young voice from the child exclaimed and Honey Bee felt her heart swell. She slowly turned to look back, her eyes meeting the young boy. His hand was raised in a wave and Honey Bee raised her own just before both citizens disappeared. The raised hand returned back to her side and she stood still.
'This is where I'm meant to be'
With a shaky breath, Honey Bee jumped off the rooftop, running over many others until she was at a safe viewing distance. She looked on at the green cloud, her worry growing as it crept towards the hotel. Someone landed beside her and Honey Bee turned to face them.
"I can't get every person out of the way in time." The fox heroine muttered, the grip on her flute got noticeably tighter. "It moves too quickly."
"I managed to get a kid and his mother out from under a car but other than that, there's... nothing." Honey Bee replied, sighing as she looked at the area where the citizens once were, only to see that it had been consumed by the growing cloud.
Rena nodded, her eyes slowly trailing back to green gas. "There was something else, something about the gas, but I just can't place it." The subtle noise of her tapping her flute filled the air.
"I can." Said a new voice. The blonde hadn't heard the arrival of someone new and from the look on her parnter's face, she hadn't either. Honey Bee and Rena Rouge turned to see Ryuko, with a cold expression on her face. She nodded in the direction of the gas. "It's the smell of burning flesh."
Honey Bee staggered at the statement. "Burning flesh?" The blonde looked over at the heroine next to her, only to see a disgusted and horrified emotion on her face, her mouth agape like a fish.
"How- how do even know what it smells like?" Rena's voice barely above a whisper, her eyes bulging out of her socket.
Ryuko's expression softened to sadness. "I don't." She replied before pointing towards the cloud. "I saw it. I saw it happen. I attempted to get some people out of the way but I miscounted. By the time I realised..." The heroine trailed off, her shoulders sagging while her eyes glossed over. "His face looked so pained."
Honey Bee remained stunned, all her thoughts going back to that boy and the horrible fate that would've come to him and his mother and she not heard them. Her hand reached to cover her mouth, her eyes closed to avoid the nausea that was slowly bubbling within. She cracked one eye open to look at Rena Rouge, her concerned gaze pierced through her.
After a brief moment, Rena slowly nodded,her eyes closed. She stepped forward and gathered Ryuko in a quick embrace, The dragon heroine stiffened for a moment before melting in Rena's arms. She then pulled away "Mari and the others are probably trying to escape the crowd inside the hotel." Honey Bee stood straighter. "In the meantime, we'll get as many people to safety as possible and when they all get here, we'll tell them as much as we can about the gas." The two other heroines nodded at the command and Ryuko shook her arm, pulling herself together. Honey Bee stepped towards the roof's edge.
"Let's do this."
~~~
Adrien's gaze hardened at the TV screen, he had barely heard Marinette's comment but he heard it nonetheless. Nadja was talking about something, something that made her shake in panic. Then, she stated what that something was. Before any of her words could register, people were jumping out of their seats, the sounds of pure panic echoed throughout the dining room.
Tables flipped over, glasses were knocked to the floor, chairs became a tripping hazard as they were disregarded. Adrien was forcefully pushed out of the room by the panicked crowd, landing on the back of his hands as the diners began trampling all over him like unruly horses. The air was merciless, escaping his lungs and he began to choke. His own panic soon started bubbling, his vision was blurry as he struggled to breathe.
Seconds felt like hours, minutes felt like days. The ringing in his ears were deafening, far louder than the ongoing panic surrounding him. But like sun-rays burning through clouds, a pair of hands reached down and pulled him back up, allowing the air to fill his lungs once more. Luka rubbed Adrien's as the blonde bent over in a fit of coughs.
"Thank you Luka." Adrien managed to say once he got his breath back.
The boy smiled in response. "Not a problem." Glancing at his surroundings, Luka brought Adrien and himself over to a secluded corner, setting Adrien down on a chair as he pulled his phone out. "Jules is with my dad, Nino and Marinette should be on their way."
Adrien nodded, allowing his head to rest on the back wall. Luka placed his phone back into his pocket, gazing at the boy with a concerned expression, crossing his arms while doing so. Adrien cracks one eye open. "It's better we meet on the roof, we'll avoid the cameras that way."
Luka glanced towards the CCTV camera, his gaze hardening on the device before turning back to his friend. "Never thought about that..." He helps Adrien back on his feet and the pair walk over to the nearest staircase, Luka hastily typing a message on his phone while trying not to trip on the stairs.
Adrien kept his gaze focused on the ground, his weight resting on Luka. He needed to get to the roof, Nino would be there with Marinette. 'Marinette' Adrien heard his thoughts say. 'Marinette, she has to be okay. She has to be.'
"Adrien." Luka's words snapped him back to their situation. He tried to lift his eyes off of the ground but a near trip told him otherwise. So instead, he hummed. "I know that you used to like Kagami."
He blinked before quickly debunking the claim. "Only as a friend, I promise."
"No, no, I know that." Luka replied just as fast. "What you told us, when Marinette was talking with Damian, it made me realise that.." the boy trailed off, his eyes suddenly now fixated on the ground. By then they had made it to the rooftop entrance. Adrien pulled his arm away, having the strength to stand by himself, and gave Luka a confused look. The other boy sighed and reached for the door's handle. "There are many great songs in the world, but it's important to not get fixated on one. If you do that, you loose sight on the songs that are right in front of you."
Adrien furled his brows. "I don't understand-"
"Open your eyes, Adrien." Luka stated, interrupting the blond and looking him straight in the eyes. "Your blindness will only make you miserable." Adrien blinked, confused with his friend's word. Before he could open his mouth, Luka opened the door, dragging himself and Adrien outside where Ladybug and Carapace were waiting. Noticing their appearance, the turtle-themed hero turned around.
"There you both are!" Carapace exclaimed, walking towards them. Adrien noticed Ladybug's focussed expression and approached her hesitantly, a hand reaching for her shoulder. She almost seemed to snap back to reality, her gaze landed on him briefly before moving towards everyone else on the roof.
"Ryuko, Rena Rouge and Honey Bee have already done their best to get most the citizens out of the way of danger." Ladybug stood straighter, her yo-yo unsheathed. "We'll go out there at find out how to reach the Akuma and defeat it."
Adrien, Carapace and Luka all nodded, those who weren't already transformed did and they all jumped off the hotel roof, Ladybug in the lead. Chien tried to keep up with her as well as he could. Soon enough, they all reached the meeting point, the three heroines stood waiting.
"Good to know you're all safe." Rena Rouge mentioned when they all arrived. Ladybug nodded and Carapace moved over to stand next to her.
"What have you learnt about the Akuma so far?" Ladybug questioned the trio. Heads turned to Ryuko and she took a breath.
"The Akuma's appearance and motives are unknown." Ryuko told the group. "What we do know is that it creates the green gas. Do not touch it under any circumstances."
Chien felt confused. "Why not?"
"It will burn you. The smell that comes with the gas, that's the smell of people being burnt alive. Rotting too." Rena Rouge muttered to them, her eyes focused on the ground. Chien felt the sharpest of breaths escape from his lips. An odd burning rose within his chest and his hands clenched into fists.
"So people are burning alive as we stand here, doing nothing but speak." Viperion's voice gained more venom with each word. Chien saw Rena take a step back, her expression filled with surprise.
"Viperion," The hero looked over at Ladybug's command, "I understand that this situation isn't ideal but we need to know as much about the situation as we can instead of going out there completely clueless." Viperion's gaze hardened, his eyes slowly closing shut before nodding.
"That would be the right thing, yes. Sorry about that." He looked over at Rena Rouge and gave an apologetic smile, she smiled back in return.
Ladybug turned back to the rest of the team. "We need to be able to find the Akuma, they'll be hidden somewhere among the gas clouds. Chien, Honey Bee, Viperion, you three go down along the Seine. Ryuko, you and Rena will go back in the direction towards the hotel. Carapace, you and I will go north from here. We'll keep in touch and make sure to alert us all when you spot the Akuma." Everyone nodded and Ladybug's orders, summoning their respective devices from their weapons. After their ear pierces were secured, they made their way to their assigned areas.
Honey Bee took the lead, Viperion right at her tail and Chien a bit behind. After jumping over a few roofs, they reached the city's river, watching a listening for any signs of life. As Chien and Viperion steadily approached the oncoming cloud of green, Honey Bee stepped towards the water's edge.
"Viperion," Honey Bee called for his attention, "I know I'm only assuming things right now but..." She trailed off, her eyes lingering on the water before turning to her t companion.
Chien looked between the two, still clueless on what Honey Bee was referring to. Viperion, however, seemed to understand. His eyes widened and he took a step towards the heroine, then another, and another, each movement seemed more frantic and alarmed than the last. The hero reached the edge and his eyes began scanning the area. Chien moved to stand next to Viperion when the boy let out a shaky breath.
"She would've gotten out in time, I'm sure she did, I'm sure she did." Viperion muttered to himself, his fingers anxiously dancing around his lyre. A question almost came from Chien before the hero already answered. "My mother knows how to get herself out of danger, she knows, she knows." He stepped away, moving closer to one of the nearby buildings, a hand dragging down his face.
"Viperion calm down, we have to calm down-"
"My mother is in there!" He half-yelled at the blonde heroine, causing her to flinch. "She could be burning right now, I have to help-" A massive tendril emerged from the body of gas, slamming the hero straight into the wall next to him. His head made contact with the concrete and he fell limp. Honey Bee gasped and Chien saw the dent in the wall as Viperion's body slumped down. The tendril then turned to them.
Alya was startled when Chloe slammed the classroom door down. The blogger was simply texting on her phone when the next moment, a flyer was shoved into her face. To say it surprised her would be an understatement, it completely caught her off guard. Which leads them to where they were now, Alya sat timidly at her desk, scanning the poster up and down, and Chloe standing in front of the girl's desk, looking down at her.
"I still don't get it," Alya replied, looking up at the blonde. Chloe rolled her eyes.
"Look again." She persuaded. After a few moments of silence from Alya, Chloe decided to just tell her friend. "It's a contest hosted by Wayne Enterprises, the company Damian's father owns." Chloe pointed at a string of words on the flyer, pausing her words to let Alya sink in information. Definitely not for the dramatic sense, no way. "We have to write about our city, our people and classmates and our achievements. The best paper will win an all-expense paid trip to Gotham."
Alya seemed to understand. "So we can enter. And if we win-"
"We go to Gotham." Chloe finished, her arms crossed. Alya seemed thoughtful.
"Do you really think we should enter?" The girl asked, still sceptical.
"Of course!" Chloe exclaimed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "If we win, Dupain-Cheng can see her beloved boyfriend, Adrien can be free from his father for a while, and Lila won't be here to cause any akuma attacks." The girl sat on Alya's desk. "It'll be beneficial for everyone."
Alya noticed Pollen peeping out from her owner's purse, her head nodding in encouragement. She then looked down at her own kwami, Trixx, however, had a mischievous grin and a weird glint in her eyes. Alya was silent, weighing all the pros and cons, before a smile appeared on her lips. "That's a great idea, this will also help improve my writing skills."
Chloe nodded. 'And hopefully the class will trust me again...' The blonde thought to herself. Alya clapped her hands together.
"Alright, the poster says we have a minimum word count of 1,750 words, that's an easy amount to work with. We also have a certain criteria that we need to follow." Alya listed as she read off the poster.
"We also have to be careful not to let any of Lila's 'achievements' make it through." Shooed pointed out.
"Right." The blogger nodded. "We'll first plan how we want to essay to be structured, then we'll talk about what we're actually writing about."
Chloe nodded along and opened her mouth to speak, except the bell interrupted her. She shut her mouth and turned back to Alya. "We'll do this at my place."
Alya nodded and folded the poster to fit in her bag. Chloe then moved to her desk as their classmates began filing into the room. Marinette then sat next to her best friend, looking very exhausted.
"Girl, you good?" Alya questioned, worry shining through.
Marinette looked over at her best friend and sent a wary smile. "Fine, just tired." Alya wasn't convinced and was about to question her but Mlle. Bustier had begun the class. The girl sent her best friend a look saying 'we'll talk later'. Marinette weakly nodded.
Mlle. Bustier's class went by in a flash. The class after came and went and before they knew it, their first break of the day arrived. Alya and Marinette were first to reach the table. While waiting for the others, Alya began talking.
"So? How are you?" She began, sending her best friend a concerned glance.
"Just a nightmare." Marinette sighed, placing her head on the table, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "Couldn't get back to sleep after." Alya rubbed her best friend on the back.
"It was that bad?" Alya asked quietly. Marinette nodded, covering her yawn with her palm. The others the came to the table.
"Hey what's go- oh. Dudette, you good?" Nino questioned Marinette once he reached the table, the others following close behind. Alya was about to answer for the girl but she interrupted before she could.
"Fine, just tired." She sent Nino a small smile before reaching for a cup in her purse and, from what Alya suspected, drank the strong coffee. Marinette instantly appeared more energised. "I have enough to last me until lunch, then I can go out and get some more." The girl said in regards to the coffee in her hand. "I'll make sure to refill my cup later."
"What you'll make sure to do is to get some sleep later." Chloe interjected, crossing her arms. Marinette rolled her eyes in good nature, before her phone caught her attention.
"It's my uncle, I'll be back." Mari muttered as she got up and left the table, leaving the rest of the friends by themselves.
Alya started the conversation. "Now that the fallen angel has left us-"
"Did you just call Marinette... Lucifer?" Adrien asked, baffled. Alya blinked, confused, before she understood what he said.
"Not like that! I mean- I-" She lost her words, all she wanted to do was put a play on Damian's nickname for her best friend.
"I guess that's why Damian never used the 'did it hurt when you fell from heaven' pick up line." Nino pondered out loud.
"Or he didn't use it because of how terrible it is." Chloe told the boy, raising one of her eyebrows at him.
"Can I get my point across?" Alya broke through the conversation. "No, Marinette is not Lucifer and yes, that pick up line isn't good. Nino, honey, this is why you don't do pick up lines. Love you though." A 'love you too' was heard as Alya continued talking. "I've seen Marinette and how she's been with her other nightmares and trust me when I say whatever nightmare she had, it affected her greatly."
"...really?" Adrien spoke after some moments of silence. Alya nodded.
"I can tell by her expressions. The last time she had a nightmare this bad was quite some time ago, it was before she met Damian. She's never told me what her nightmares were about but they must be quite... disturbing." Alya finished her statement with a frown.
"What should we do then?" Adrien asked the question that was on their minds.
"Make her feel better, duh." Chloe told the blonde. "You and Nino have to do it though, Alya and I already have something planned."
"You can get Kagami and Luka to help you if you both want. But, you have to be subtle." Alya told the two boys. "Don't fawn over her, she might want her space." They nodded and Nino quickly gave a small signal to let the table know that Marinette was on her way back.
"Hey, did I miss anything?" Marinette asked as she sat dow, taking a sip from her coffee cup.
"Nothing important." Alya replied quickly. "What was the call with your uncle about?"
"He's arranging a dinner thing, do you guys want to join us? Luka and Juleka will be there too." The girl suggested, looking between the people on her table.
"I'd love to join but I'm working on this art project, and I've required Alya's expertise on photography so she can't come either." Chloe told her friend. "But I'm sure the boys can join you."
"Yeah, I'm free dudette!" Nino said with a smile.
"Me too." Adrien told them.
"Great, I'll message Jagged later then." The bell rang, telling the group of friends to go to their next class. They all stood up to leave, Marinette made sure to grab her coffee cup.
~~~
The end of school had arrived. Students were dispersing into their groups, some were leaving to go home and some had after school activities.
"So, I'll see you guys later?" Marinette asked, mainly to the boys. Nino nodded.
"You bet, dudette." He replied confidently while Adrien smiled.
"Father will be at a charity event so he'll be out late, I'm sure he won't notice if I'm gone for a little while." Adrien mentioned with an innocent expression, Marinette and Nino both laughed at it.
"You all go get ready and have fun." Chloe butted in. "Alya and I have something to work on, Au revoir!" The blonde dragged Alya to her limo as they all waved goodbye. Chloe closed the car door and told the driver to go to the hotel.
"So we're getting started on this right away, right?" Alya asked as she plugged herself in using the seat belt.
"Yes. For whatever reason, Bruce Wayne had the deadline assigned at the end of the week. Impatient billionaire ass." Chloe muttered the last part of the sentence but Alya heard it and she sent the blonde a shocked look.
'She'd still probably say that in front of Bruce Wayne himself.' Alya told herself, rolling her shoulders.
Chloe ignored the look Alya had sent her and instead reached for a compartment near the front of her seat. "Want anything?"
Alya looked at what Chloe was referring to. In the compartment was apparently a snack hoard, and next to it was some drinks with ice keeping them cool. She wanted to question Chloe on her choice of words when describing one of the richest men in the world, but she also wanted one of those treats. "Can I have one of those?" She asked, pointing to a pack of gummy bears.
"Of course, help yourself." The blonde replied, passing her friend the food.
"Thank you, now about the essay." Alya started. "There's only so many good deeds we can add, so shall we focus on the ones our class has done?" Chloe nodded and the car came to a stop. Alya continued talking as they entered the hotel. "Alright so shall we mention the superheroes?"
Chloe paused for a moment, stopping right before they got onto the elevator. "Maybe only briefly, let's keep the main focus on our classmates." Alya nodded and they got onto the lift, Chloe pressing the button for her floor. "So who are the people in our class who have have contributed most?"
The lift door opened. "Adrien sometimes models to raise money for charities, Ivan and Melene protest for the environment, Marc and Nathaniel donate some of their comic revenue to shelters in France, and that's only four of the people in our class, five including Marc." Alya listed on her fingers. Chloe hummed and opened her bedroom door, ushering the girl inside.
"Right, okay. Now that we're in my room, let's get on with it." Chloe smirked, setting hers and Alya's bag on her sofa.
"I'll start on the introduction and you write down our classmates' names and their achievements." Alya passed the blonde a notepad and pen. "Then when we're both done, I'll start on the next paragraphs with your notes and you'll proofread my writing, adding on things where you seem necessary."
"Seems like a plan. Let's do this thing." Chloe smiled, opening up the notepad onto an available page. Alya took her computer and opened a new document.
~~~
Marinette frowned as she looked through her wardrobe. She had wanted to wear something nice but couldn't find anything that she connected with. "Tikki, Plagg, do you think you could help me?" The girl asked her two kwamis. Tikki flew over first.
"How about something blue?" The red kwami suggested. Marinette hummed and nodded.
"Sure, I could try." She looked over at what was available again, taking out a few blue options.
"How about that one over there?" Plagg pointed out, taking a break from devouring his piece of cheese. Marinette and Tikki looked in the direction he pointed at, but they didn't see anything. Plagg rolled his eyes and floated over. "This one." He pulled out a navy blue dress.
"Oh, that's a pretty one. Thank you Plagg." Marinette stroked the kwami's cheek before taking the dress and leaving to change. Tikki and Plagg moved back to their owner's desk, Plagg went back to his cheese.
"Not a bad choice, Plagg." Tikki said blankly to her kwami companion. Plagg ate the rest of his camembert before turning to the red kwami.
"I've always had good fashion sense, Sugarcube." Plagg smirked, boasting. Tikki rolled her eyes. "My previous owner was a model and my true user could rule the modelling industry, should he choose to join."
Tikki opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Marinette. "What do you think?" The girl asked.
"You look beautiful, Marinette!" Tikki chirped, floating around to examine her owner from top to bottom. Plagg also nodded in agreement.
"Thank you." Marinette blushed at her kwami's compliment. She grabbed her phone from her desk and took a photo of herself, sending it to Damian before texting Nino and Adrien that she would be on her way to the hotel. "Let's go." She told the kwamis, opening her purse for them. After they were comfortable, she wet downstairs. "Maman, Papa, I'm going now." Marinette told her parents.
"Have fun dear." Her mother replied from the kitchen.
"Say hi to Jagged for us!" Tom told his daughter before going back down to the bakery. Marinette then went outside, closing the bakery door behind her, and started walking towards the hotel. A car horn briefly startled her and she turned around.
"Hey Marinette! Need a ride?" Adrien offered, rolling down the car window. Marinette smiled and nodded, walking over to the silver car. The blonde got out of the car, opening the door for the girl. She thanked him and made herself comfortable on the seat. "I just got your message as I left the house, so I guessed that we'd see you on the way there.
"Well you guessed correctly." Marinette smiled. "And... I'm guessing that you're father doesn't know about this?"
"Looks like we're both good a guessing." Adrien chuckled. "Yeah, he doesn't know that I'm going on this dinner. Luckily, Chloe's mother picked him and Nathalie up otherwise I wouldn't have been able to use the car. I could still easily walk, though." The car then stopped in front of hotel's entrance. The two teens got out of the car. "I'll call you when I'm done, is that okay?" Adrien asked his bodyguard, who nodded in response. "Alright, see you soon." He waved and went inside the hotel with Marinette. The two chatted for a little bit, taking the elevator to reach the restaurant. There they saw Marinette's uncle and his two children.
"Ah Marinette!" Jagged embraced his niece in a hug once the approached the table, greeting Adrien as well. The girl waved at Juleka and Luka, and Nino who was, surprisingly, already there. "Take a seat." He ushered them both to the table, handing them a menu when they were seated.
Marinette looked at the guests on the table. "Is Penny not joining us?"
Jagged shook his head. "She wanted an early night tonight." The rockstar replied. Marinette hummed and turned to the person she was sitting next to.
"Hey Juleka, it's been a while since we've talked." The girl started gently.
Juleka blinked, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. "It has been." She mumbled, playing with her napkin.
Marinette nodded. "So how are you are Rose?"
"Actually we're... dating now." Juleka replied quietly, a smile forming on her lips.
"That's wonderful!" Marinette replied, making Juleka blush. She put her hand on Juleka's shoulder. "I'm happy for the both of you."
"What can I get you all to each tonight?" A waiter said as they approached the table. As the others began ordering, Juleka mouthed a 'thank you' to Marinette. She smiled in response and turned to the waiter when it was her turn. After they had all finished, they began to discuss topics such as school and the success of Jagged's recent album. However, all went silent when Nadja's voice rang through one of the televisions. Her voice was loud and clear, but Marinette wasn't focused on that. A familiar, sickening, aura sent chills down her spine.
And yes, I skipped day 4. I didn’t get it done on time
Marinette never expected for her life to change when she went on this trip. Frankly, she didn’t expect anything other than spending time with her Nonna. So when she had a run in with someone in particular, it was completely unforeseen.
Marinette was nine years old, just shy of ten, when her grandmother took her on a trip out of France for the first time. To say that the bluenette was excited was an understatement. She was ecstatic. They went on a trip out of Europe and to Baghdad, it was a an eight hour flight so when the two arrived they were exhausted. There had been a mix up with the bookings and they had two separate rooms, thankfully they were connected, but they were too exhausted to fix this error and just decided to use the different rooms, leaving the door connecting the hotel rooms open.
A few hours later, Marinette woke up. She glanced at the clock on the cabinet next to her queen-sized bed. ‘It’s 2:03 am’ Quietly, she got out of bed to stand in the doorway of the two connected rooms. Her Nonna was still asleep and she didn’t have the heart to wake her up so the bluenette decided to walk around the hotel instead, it was very early in the morning so there would be barely anyone around. She took a note of what she was wearing, a red qipao with silver rose embroidery and gold accents, but she wasn’t bothered to change.
She roamed the silent floor she was on and decided she didn’t like being there before taking the stairs. She arrived at one of the lower levels, one filled with grand halls used for big celebrations. It appeared that there was an after party going on so she was about to go to a higher level until she heard the sound of a window breaking. Wanting to find out what was going on, she hid herself around a corner where she had full view of the room. Many figures dressed in black entered the room. Her eyes widened it realisation. ‘They’re assassins!’. Marinette should’ve been scared. She should’ve! But instead she watched in shock as they all surrounded the guests, several different types of weapons in their hands.
She was so engrossed in the moment that she didn’t realise that someone was behind her, not until they made their presence known that is. In a heartbeat, Marinette felt a cold sharp blade lightly press against her neck. The action didn’t seem threatening to her, it seemed it was a manner to get her attention, it seemed intimate. She turned her head slightly to face this unknown person and was met with the most brilliant jade eyes she had ever seen. For some odd reason, she didn’t seem scared. In fact, she stood taller, as if there wasn’t a katana pointed straight at her neck. The figure she was facing however, seemed intrigued by this action.
“What is a young, unarmed, girl like you doing here? Watching a terrible scene like this” he whispered into her ear, he was genuinely curious. He had never come across a girl like this before.
“I wanted to walk around the hotel” she smiled at him, keeping her voice low just like he had. A real, heartfelt smile. And that was what broke through the boy’s walls, though his face remained the same, his eyes where smiling back. He hadn’t even realised he had lost control of his façade. Actually, he had. You knew his mother would punish him for this, but he didn’t care. This was the first time in his dark life where he could get something he could only wish for - a friend. “What’s your name?”
He hesitated before answering, debating whether or not to tell a complete stranger, who could truly be an enemy, who he was. “I go by many names” he stated. “But you can call me Damian, what about you?”
“Marinette’s my name” She was a gift from the heavens, an angel willing to befriend a boy like himself, one who had just pressed a blade against her neck.
“Marinette...” he moved the blade away from her throat but not completely. “Such a nice name” Damian murmured, his mouth still next to Marinette’s ear. If he were to get caught now, the punishment he would receive would be grave.“Let’s get you back to your hotel room, shall we? Away from all the danger.” He then lowered the blade, grabbed the bluenette’s hand and dragged her away from the scene. Leaving her no room to protest. She didn’t complain though, she liked the idea of having him as a friend.
They were half way up the stairs before Mari said anything. “I never told you my room number” she looked smugly at him. “It doesn’t really matter anyway, we’re on my floor” She stopped in her tracks, Damian glanced at her, “So, this is goodbye then?”
He gave her an unreadable look before replying. “No, we will meet again. Stay safe, I wouldn’t want someone like you getting hurt”
“I could say the same to you. Goodbye, Démon.”
As she left him in the hallway, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued by her choice of words. Luckily he could control the emotions that were hidden from his face, otherwise his mother would have to give him more training. He stopped dead in his tracks. He would be leaving later that morning, he didn’t want to leave the girl he just met yet. He’d decided on leaving her a gift, a token to remember him by. Sneaking back into her hotel room, the green-eyed boy placed a small emerald necklace on her bedside table before promptly leaving. He would never let his mother find out about this girl, if she did, it would be his fault, should she come to her fate. As he returned to his mother’s side, he gave the excuse of patrolling the perimeter before they both went back to the League of Assassins. Damian wondered if he could ever see the girl again.
‘No one has ever made me feel happy in this way before, I will find her again. If it’s the last thing I do’
~~~
As the bluenette began to rise from her slumber, she took notice of the piece of jewelry on the cabinet beside her bed. Gingerly, she reached out to it, immediately recognising it as a gift from Damian since the stone and his eyes were of matching colour. Her eyes drifted from the necklace to the note left next to it.
‘We will meet again, Angel’
And she remained hopeful to the message all through the trip. When her Nonna asked where she got the necklace, Marinette told her that it was from a friend. She wasn’t technically lying but she wasn’t telling the full truth. However, their trio was cut short due to her Nonna being paranoid. Marinette had caught her pacing while a news story was playing in the background, it was about the murder she had witnessed the other night. Her Nonna didn’t want to endanger her granddaughter so they both went back to Paris.
Years went by since then, her life had changed dramatically. She had made new friends, but they were taken from her. She had made enemies, but they became her best friends. She had become Ladybug, the super-heroine of Paris, they screamed out both her’s and her partner’s name. But he too had lost her trust and faith, he was forced to return his miraculous to her. Her life had been flipped as if it were a coin but she clung onto the hope that one day, somewhere somehow, she would meet Damian again.
Her neck would always have the necklace wrapped around it, the piece of jewelry was not only a token of blind friendship but it was her lucky charm. It was what kept her going. It was never seen away from her chest, she would always refuse to have it removed. To her, both the necklace and the miraculous had equal value, equal significance. The bluenette was even hesitant to even let the Black Cat miraculous near her beloved necklace. Fortunately, she managed to find a way to have both the necklace and the miraculous conjoined to look natural and without any damage to either.
Soon, the time came for a class trip she had managed to win. The bluenette had organized the class, their timetable, a pamphlet as well as a presentation detailing the events of their trips and the dangers of Gotham. Luckily, Wayne Enterprises was sponsoring their visit otherwise Marinette doubted she would’ve been able to fund the money.
She had made sure to arrive earlier than the scheduled timing in fear that her classmates would leave her behind, which was their intention, and she quickly got them through airport and straight to the lounge. Mr Wayne was kind enough to allow Marinette and another of her choosing to rest in the premium lounge for the time being, she had chosen Chloe of course. Briefly informing Miss Bustier that they would meet back at the gate, the two took off, one of the only times her incompetence worked in their favour.
It was nice, having alone time with Chloe, not a care in the world. The blonde was actually the only person who knew the origin of Marinette’s emerald necklace, though, the bluenette didn’t tell her of all the events that happened that night. They made their way to where their class was situated once one of the staff members had told them their flight was beginning to board. Luck once again played in their favour as they had an entire row to themselves. The flight itself, though turbulent at times, was mostly quiet, they weren’t disturbed by any of their classmates.
The landing itself was smooth and they had managed to reach the hotel without making a big scene, though they were very close to. After they were assigned to their rooms, they went down for dinner. Marinette, however, had ordered room service to avoid her classmates. The bluenette offered for Chloe to join her but the blonde refused. Once dinner was finished, Marinette lay flat on the bed. Kissing her fingers, she pressed her two fingers onto her kwamis’ head before allowing sleep to take her fully.
~~~
“AKUMA!”
Marinette woke with a jolt to the sound of two kwamis screaming into her ear. Briefly thanking them, the bluenette got ready for the day ahead of her as quickly as possible, Lila and her lackeys were bound to get her left behind somehow. She wore an oversized, white, turtleneck sweater with knee high black boots. She heard it got cold in Gotham, she never really did well in the cold. Satisfied with her outfit, she went down to the lobby, grabbed a coffee as well as a bread roll and made her to the bus where the rest of the class was boarding. The only other available seat furthest from the rest of the class was at the very back of the bus, which Marinette took willingly. As the bus moved towards the Wayne Enterprises building, the bluenette fiddled with the necklace around her neck, hoping for a good day. Tikki’s luck seemed to be in her favour.
The bus reached its destination, the students slowly got off one by one. Marinette was the last one off. As her foot reached the floor, she kept her eyes peeled for their tour guide, her eyes scanned through the people in the main lobby. Soon, her eyes landed in someone who presumably looked like the tour guide though that wasn’t what caught the bluenette’s attention. It was their expression of utter irritation, however it was completely wiped once her classmates were close enough. He introduced himself as ‘Richard Grayson’ and he began the tour once everything was set. He explained each sector and it’s purpose with detail and as enthusiastic as one could with fake enthusiasm, however Marinette and Chloe seemed to be the only ones listening.
Next to the tall man was a boy around her age with tan skin, jelled-back hair and the familiar emerald eyes she fell for all those years ago. As they locked eyes, Marinette knew he recognised her too. Slowly, she made her way towards him, stopping once she was in front of the the green-eyed boy.
“You were right, Démon.” She whispered the last part for his ears and his ears only before going in for a soft hug, which he immediately returned.
Marinette walked down the hall to Damian's room, the door was open but she knocked anyway. She heard a faint "Come in, Angel." and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. There gaze landed on her boyfriend, who was at his desk. He had been there for nearly three days straight, Marinette wasn't exactly sure if he had slept. The girl went over to the bed, sitting next to Alfred the cat.
"You're still not done with that?" She asked him and Alfred got comfortable on her lap.
"Unfortunately not, mon amour." Damian replied, looking over some cctv footage. A few days ago, Tim, Bruce and Barbara, had begun a case that they needed to get finished before Christmas. But he had an unexpected mishap which forced him to visit one of the branches of Wayne Enterprises, leaving the other two to work on it. What they didn't know was that Damian was helping as well, despite Bruce saying that he shouldn't get involved.
"Does Bruce know about this?" She already knew the answer, she didn't know why she even asked.
"Father is busy with his business trip, it's best that he remain undisturbed." The teen replied quickly, Marinette frowned to herself. She understood that he just wanted to prove that he could help, but he wasn't going the right way about it. In all honestly, he was becoming like her, always staying up late to finish a project while running on five cups of coffee. Actually, he was becoming like Tim. Marinette desperately wanted him to take a break and she had tried, but every attempt was a failure.
Marinette sighed, running her fingers through Alfred's fur. Then the cat stood up, jumped off of the bed and onto Damian's desk. The cat purred and the teen looked over at the feline, scratching his head. Alfred purred and jumped onto his owner's lap, ready to take a catnap. Damian paused, smiled at his pet's actions and continued on with his work. Marinette froze, an idea forming in her mind. She looked at the time, it was just past midday.
She stood up. "I'm going to get something to drink, you want anything?"
"I'm fine, Angel." Damian replied, flicking through some of the tabs he had.
"Okay then." Marinette went over to Damian's chair and hugged him from behind. "Don't take too long on this." She kissed his cheek and he grabbed her hand before she pulled away.
"I promise I'll finish this as soon as I can." Damian vowed, bringing her hand to his lips. Marinette smiled and left the room, going downstairs. Her plan was going to work.
~~~
Damian sighed, he hadn't expected for this case to impede his time with Marinette but since he had started it, he had to finish it. He wanted to prove to his family that he could be of use for these types of things, this case would be the perfect opportunity. However, he had underestimated how complex the whole thing would be, and he knew he was so close to finishing it as well. All he needed was the drug lord's real name and he would be done. The sound of a door opening caught his attention.
"Dami?" Damian felt his body relax at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. "I need your help with something."
He swerved around in his chair, safely setting Alfred the cat down on the floor and immediately standing up away from his work. Sure, it was important, but Marinette's importance was far beyond that of some silly case. "Of course Angel, what is it?"
"I need you to do something for me." She walked passed him, standing in a different part of the room. He move to stand next to her.
"Alright..." He sounded skeptical, but he was opposed just yet. "What do you need me to do."
Instead of answering, she took a step closer, closing the small gap between them. Her hands reached up to his shoulders, he saw her get onto the tips of her toes. Her face got dangerously close to his own. Damian gulped, curious as to what she would do next, when he was violently shoved onto the bed. He blinked, eyes wide. "Wh-"
"You wouldn't rest, so I'm forcing you to." Marinette smiled at her boyfriend, climbing onto the bed to lie down next to him. She rested her head on his chest, eyes closed, wrapping her arms around him. "If your wondering, I needed you so I could get comfortable. I'm tired."
Damian looked down at her and sighed. "Of course. Rest well, my love." He placed a kiss on her forehead, shifting his position so that both of them could be comfortable. Gently, he stroked his fingers through her hair, smiling down with his love-filled gaze. She was so stubborn, just as he was, it was one of the things that brought them together in a way. But she had him in mind, something that was of great honour to him. Damian always told himself the she was way out of his league, this was just one of the many examples. Taking her hand to his lips one more time, Damian let his head rest on the pillow, allowing sleep to take over.
“What? From who?” Stephanie’s voice wasn’t in disbelief, just curiosity.
It had just started as a regular morning in the manor. Alfred woke them up, most of them made it to the table, Bruce read the paper, Todd picked some fights, Tim arrived with a full coffee cup some how, Alfred would tell them to stop throwing cutlery, a beautiful cycle almost never broken. Almost.
Just as Damian was about to throw his fork at Jason, Alfred brought in a package that was apparently for the teen.
“Well Demon-Spawn, aren’t you going to open it? That’s the least you can do since you aren’t answering any of our questions.” Jason glared at him, quite frustrated by the fact that Damian was being stubborn. And perhaps the fact that he had an intention to stab him, but that didn’t matter.
Damian was at the end of everyone’s stares, including his father’s, and he finally gave in. He let out a sigh. “It’s a gift from my Secret Santa.”
“You signed up for one of those?” Tim questioned, his eyes bulging out of his sockets. The boy was partly disturbed at the sight.
“It’s between my friends and I.” He deadpanned. “Now if you excuse me, I have a video call with them scheduled and- Todd what are you doing?” Damian cut himself off as he noticed his older brother trying to tear through the package’s exterior.
“Opening it for because I’m such a good big brother.” Jason told him with a toothy smile. Damian scowled and swiped the box away.
“Your help is not needed. Goodbye.” With one final glare, Damian left the room, presumably to go up to his own, leaving the occupants at the table in silence.
“Damian has friends?” Tim asked, cutting through the silence.
~~~
Damian got to his room and sur the door behind him, placing the package down on his desk. He was unaware who gave him the gift, just that it was one of his friends that were participating. Damian himself had to get a gift for Tsurugi so he bought a blade that was believed to have been created over a millennia, as well as some swords that Tsurugi herself could use, among other things as well.
The boy took the box, and a knife that was in his drawer, and began carefully opening the box. Bourgeois, the whole organiser of this event, had told them to put a letter outside of the gift, one that they were allowed to read before going onto the call and opening the gifts all together. Damian spotted the white envelope and took it out of the box. He sat on his bed as he opened it. The letter itself had little drawings of flowers and nature-type accents, it was… pretty.
Damian,
This is my gift to you, I hope you enjoy it. I was wondering what I should give to you and then these caught my eye. They reminded me so much of you, can’t wait to see you again soon!
Love, your Secret Santa.
Damian smiled, he recognised that handwriting anywhere. ‘Miss you too, Marinette.’ He thought as he put the letter on his desk, opening his computer to join the video call. As he entered he was greeted by a loud “Merry Christmas!”
A small smile appeared on his face as he turned the volume down. “Merry Christmas to all of you too.” On the call was himself, Adrien, Alix, Chloe, Jon, Kagami, Luka, Nino, Zoe, and Marinette.
“Have you opened your gift, Wayne?” Chloe questioned, one of her eyebrows raised.
“All I’ve opened is the letter as per your instructions.” The teen answered, glancing over at the letter and smiling to himself.
“Good, good.” She replied.
“Can we open the presents now Chloe?” Alix asked, clearly irritated at how long she had to wait. The blonde sighed and looked over at her half-sister. The two shared a look and Chloe nodded.
“Great!” Adrien exclaimed before he began opening his gift. Damian too reached over for his box and began unfolding it. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy this gift.
~~~
“That… is horrifying.” Jason murmured referring to Damian’s smile as the family peeked through his, every so slightly, opened door.
“I think it’s great.” Dick said in response. “It’s great that he has more friends, right Bruce?”
Bruce nodded, a smile on his lips. “Leave him be, we still have breakfast to finish.” The billionaire went back downstairs, making sure his sons and honorary daughter went down with him. As they all sat on the table, Tim stared at his plate.
“I’m still so stunned on the fact that Damian has friends.” Tim explained himself. “And that he managed to hide this whole Secret Santa thing they organized.”
“World’s best detective and the world’s second best detective didn’t even notice that Damian had packaged a wakizashi as part of his Secret Santa gift.” Stephanie tutted, taking a sip of orange juice. The silence in the room was enough to tell the blonde that none of them had known this simple fact. She pursed her lips.
I really wanted to do every prompt that was available, but the world hates me so if I miss a prompt it’s usually because I ran out of time, or I didn’t do enough research. They’re all going to be short too, so, yeah. Anyway, I just wanted to participate for fun!
Language Warning
Damian ran a hand through his hair, regretting almost every decision that lead him to this moment.
“Are you sure you have no idea where he is?” Damian asked the other kwamis. Sass flew up next to him.
“Afraid not, Damian.” The snake kwami answered. The boy sighed and turned around to go look for the missing kwami.
“We can help you.” Wayzz offered as he flew in front of the boy. Damian froze in place, not letting his emotions appear on his face.
“Thank you for offering but your help is not required, I shall retrieve him myself.” Damian spoke to the turtle kwami. “And if any of you were to be discovered by my family, I’m afraid of what fate might await me when your guardian returns.” The other kwamis nodded and flew back into one of his secret drawers. Damian sighed as he left his room, walking down the stairs to the living room which was, thankfully, empty.
Marinette had Guardian training in the temple, one that required her absolute concentration. Damian had offered to look after the rest of the kwamis while she was at the temple, most of his family were out so keeping them a secret would’ve been easy, except some of them had returned earlier without the boy’s knowledge, making the simple task quite the challenge.
“I swear to you Bruce, there’s something going on.” Damian froze at the sound of Drake’s voice. Acting on impulse, Damian pressed himself against the wall in the dark, attempting to ease drop on the conversation.
“I have to agree with Replacement on this one.” Todd’s voice. “I put my book down for a second and when I went to pick it up again, it just disappeared! I checked the security cameras and shit, and the book floated away.” Damian tensed, that was guaranteed to be Plagg’s doing.
“Floated?” his father’s voice was that of disbelief.
“Yes B, it floated. Fucking floated.” Todd seemed shocked himself, from what Damian could hear. There was a small pause. “See? Even Cass agrees!” That small silence must have been Cass nodding.
“I’m sure there’s a logical reason-“
“A logical reason? Really Bruce?” Drake’s voice interrupted his father. Damian ran his hand through his hair, again, and walked towards the kitchen. He had to find that kwami. The boy entered the kitchen and, much to his surprise, Alfred was there, seemingly waiting for him.
“Ah, Master Damian, I was looking for you.” The old man walked to the boy, a smile present on his face.
“Did you need my, Pennyworth?” Damian asked, being polite in an attempt to hide his desperation.
“I just believed that this-“ Alfred handed him something. “-would be of assistance.” And with that the man left, leaving the teen confused until he looked down at what was on the plate.
“Camembert…” Damian muttered in surprise. “How did he-“ A dark blur phased through the wall.
“Camembert! My love! Oh how I’ve searched for you!” The kwami spoke to the piece of stinky cheese. Damian furrowed his brows and pulled the plate away. “Hey!”
“What the hell were you thinking?” Damian hissed. “My family have noticed that something’s off, what if they saw you?”
Plagg didn’t look too bothered. “I can’t be seen or recorded through human technology, I don’t see the problem. And even if they do see me, without evidence, who’s going to believe them?”
“If it were someone like Drake, they’ll believe him.” He pointed out.
“Well what else am I supposed to do? You can’t expect me to stay locked up in your room when there’s a whole manor at my disposal.” Plagg crossed his little arms, glaring at the teen in front of him.
“Next time you pull something like this, I’ll skin you alive.” Damian half-heartedly warned the kwami, a smile threatening to appear.
Plagg playfully put on a grumpy expression. “You wouldn’t dare. I’m your favourite, don’t even try to lie.” Damian rolled his eyes and gave Plagg the camembert.
“I’ll stop giving you camembert from now on.” He put the plate in the sink and walked at out of the kitchen. Plagg gasped dramatically.
Plagg shouted as he followed Damian back to his bedroom. “You don’t mean that right? Damian? Kid why are you walking away- Wait! I promise I’ll be good from now on! Please! Damian! I’m sorry, don’t take my precious camembert!”
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