#Maribat Fluff and Angst April
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ao3feed-brucewayne · 18 days ago
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The Hole In Me
by Genderfluid_idiot Damian will always be thought of for his past. The violent child who will never change. He cannot have redemption. Redemption will always be out of reach. Anger pulls him back, wrapping around his arms and legs, chaining him to his past. Always the heir to the demon head, the angry robin, the violent robin, the demon brat. Always his past, never his future he doesn’t have a future. Words: 7720, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake (DCU), Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, Mentioned Harper Row - Character, Titus | Damian Wayne's Dog, Alfred the Cat (DCU), Minor Characters Relationships: Batfamily Members & Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne & Everyone, Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas & Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain & Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas Additional Tags: Damian Wayne-centric, Dark, Angst, Maribat Angst & Fluff April, Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Suicide Attempt, Suicide, Gun Violence, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Lazarus Pit (DCU), Lazarus Pit Side Effects (DCU), Alfred Pennyworth Needs a Break, Everyone Needs A Hug, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Minor Original Character(s), Metaphors, Symbolism, Not Beta Read, Near Death, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Hurt Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Gets a Hug, Mental Health Issues, Batfamily Needs Therapy (DCU), Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Angst (DCU), Mentioned Harper Row, Mentioned Talia al Ghul, Sad Damian Wayne, Sad with a Happy Ending, POV Third Person, One Shot, Whump, Damian Wayne Whump via https://ift.tt/5B7JtKo
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tylindel · 2 years ago
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I posted 71 times in 2022
That's 43 more posts than 2021!
5 posts created (7%)
66 posts reblogged (93%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@ameba-from-space
@izanae
@fandoms-and-writing-and-stuffs
@shamrockace
@when-no-wings-do-broomsticks
I tagged 53 of my posts in 2022
Only 25% of my posts had no tags
#maribat - 23 posts
#mlb x dc - 13 posts
#miraculous ladybug - 11 posts
#ml - 6 posts
#animals - 5 posts
#damian x marinette - 4 posts
#dick grayson - 4 posts
#chat noir - 4 posts
#marinette x damian - 4 posts
#jasonette - 4 posts
Longest Tag: 90 characters
#but then he’s at home and just gets completely totaled by his army of traumatized children
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
20) What is your favorite thing about writing fanfic? What about writing in general?
I love that a basis is set out about character so I can take them and stick them in whatever and how ever many situations as I want and see what happens.
For writing in general I gotta say I love being able to bring a random thought or feeling to life through stories and share them with others who might feel the same
1 note - Posted October 8, 2022
#4
2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?
1) fluff
Oh absolutely I love to give hurting characters love which os probably why my second top is…
2) angst
Even if I go in planning only fluff angst in the form of panic attack or grief sneaks in. It allows for the comfort and care from loved ones. I cant commit to just angst though, there is enough sad things in the world lol.
3) songfic
This absolutely, i get most ideas while listening to a song or while thinking of a song. And their are so many good songs out there that can apply (read: Every song is thought out in fic form at some point or another in my brain lol)
4) not beta read
This less so lately. I know how horrible my grammer can be and how easy it is for me to overlook errors if i read and stare at the fic long enough. I am very thankful to have some wonderful writer friends to help me out here.
5 notes - Posted September 17, 2022
#3
2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?
8 notes - Posted September 17, 2022
#2
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As best as I can make it, this is how I envision Déjouer from the Maribat fic I am working on rn. I will add a link once I post the first half. Marinette with the Fox Miraculous. https://archiveofourown.org/works/38004349/chapters/94921090
25 notes - Posted March 27, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
Hello tumblr!! I have a question for all the Maribat readers who see this!
*This is not my artwork, I am no way claiming the lovely piece of work. If you enjoy it please go to the Webtoon it is fluffy batfam shenanigans!*
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Now that I have got your attention (thank you WFA webtoon) I would love to hear who you consider a maribat author celebrity! For example someone you feel is well known and you remember them or their fics frequently.
Here are mine:
@nightlychaotic / chaotic_immortal
@izanae
@batsandbugs IcedAquarius
@jumpingjoy82
@mochegato
@jinx-jade
@boldlyanxious
@liquid-luck-00
@mysnis
AbyssalGuardian
@newdog14
Newsie
Just to name a few of the many many amazing authors out there. Please comment those that you feel are celebrities and share with others so they can also add their thoughts.
106 notes - Posted April 3, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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animebookworm16 · 4 years ago
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Who Are You? - Angst
For @j3ssisam3ss
This is my angst piece for @maribat-angst-fluff-april, prompt 25 Childhood Friends
It was the middle of winter in Gotham when she showed up. A tiny girl everyone guessed to be about three. She never spoke or made a sound, but she often smiled, even on the coldest nights. The little girl would just curl up to whoever had taken her that day and smile. At first the other homeless believed she'd never make it to spring. But the little girl was full of surprises. Not only did she survive the worst of the winter, she thrived once spring arrived.
Everyone knew she had a name, no one knew what it was, but they knew she had one. They also knew she was old enough to know it. Surprisingly, no one ever tried to give her a new name. Sure she got nicknames. More nicknames than a toddler could ever hope to keep track of, but somehow she did.
The little girl grew. As all children must. And the older children and adults always made sure to enunciate whenever she was in the area, hoping to teach her how to speak. They all banded together, like they always do for the especially young kids, and kept her away from the worst of the drugs, gangs, rogues, and the overall darkest parts of Gotham.  She grew, and most people started calling her Pixie. Their little fairy caused laughter and mischief wherever she went. Even still she rarely spoke, her words as few and far between as they were, were always impactful to whoever she spoke to.
When Jason Todd started living on the street, everything changed. Pixie stuck to his side like glue. She laughed, she started talking, Pixie acted like the entire five years she had been living around Gotham she had been solely waiting for Jason to show up. The ones who raised her would have felt jilted if it hadn't been for how happy the little girl looked. Two years passed and the two ten-year-olds rarely left each other's sides.
Then Jason stole the hubcaps off the Batmobile and Pixie was finally picked up by CPS.
Pixie had to be strapped down by CPS so that she wouldn't hurt anyone. Luckily for her, a young French couple had been passing by when they saw what they were doing, and demanded to adopt the young girl. CPS didn't want to deal with the girl for much longer and agreed. When Tom and Sabine found out she didn't have a name, they quickly named her Marinette Dupain-Cheng and decided her birthday would be the same day they adopted her. 
The newly named Marinette was quickly taken out of Gotham and out of the country as the couple returned to Paris.
She never knew that Jason had been adopted by Bruce Wayne.
Jason was picked up by Batman and quickly adopted by Bruce Wayne. Before long he had taken up the mantle of Robin and was fighting crime.  He looked everywhere for his friend but no matter who or where he asked, no one had any idea. As the months passed, Jason lost hope for ever finding Pixie again.
He would never know that she had been picked up by CPS and adopted by a Parisian couple and taken back to Paris.
In Paris, Marinette always appeared happy, and her new parents were always busy but tried to make time for her. Marinette had taken to wandering Paris. She wanted to be familiar with her new city, even if Tom and Sabine didn't always agree with her new habit.
When she started school, Marinette stayed quiet. Friendly, but quiet. This made her a prime target for the mayor's spoiled daughter Chloe. Marinette allowed it to happen and did nothing to change the status quo. three years passed in this way until suddenly Marinette was seated next to an extremely outspoken girl named Alya, who would absolutely not stand for the status quo, so Marinette filled that space, doing what she'd always done since she'd come to Paris molded herself into what everyone around her wanted. The same day she met her new deskmate, and self-proclaimed bestie, Marinette also became one of the two heroes of Paris, fighting an emotional terrorist who thrived on negative emotions (and just being from Gotham made her a prime target). Marinette became Dame Nuit, with her partner Mister Bug.
She listened to everything Plagg told her, especially the warnings and consequences of using the Black Cat Miraculous.
For the next four years, Marinette would fill every mold she was placed in. The hero, the Guardian, the class president, the perfect baker's daughter, everything. 
Then the consequences started showing up. Marinette knew she had to wrap up Hawk Moth and Mayura quickly. She started pushing it so much that Mister Bug called her out one night and in a single moment of weakness she told him what was happening. What her Miraculous was doing to her.
Mister Bug immediately wanted her to stop and let him give the Miraculous to someone else, but Dame Nuit shut it down saying that even if she stopped now, the damage was done and nothing would change that. In fact, using the Miraculous, while it had started the process, was actually slowing it down. Mister Bug cried when she told him that.
Together they redoubled their efforts to bring Hawk Moth and Mayura down. Of course, Mister Bug insisted on bringing in more permanent heroes, under the guise of keeping one of the two things Hawk Moth was after out of the fight. Dame Nuit then argued that it should be the Ladybug because it's the one that can fix everything which just left them going in circles. But even still she conceded to his request for more backup.
Within six months, Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur had been stripped of their Miraculous and Paris was free to feel their emotions once more. All the Miraculous were returned and Marinette and Adrien revealed their identities to each other.
Adrien stuck to Marinette's side and became an unofficial brother. He helped her as the build-up of chaos in her soul took a physical manifestation, and began to destroy her 
A year after Hawk Moth's defeat Marinette's entire class was granted a trip to Gotham City.
Marinette would have laughed at the irony if she didn't know it would probably be the last place she saw. It was strangely comforting to know that the city that held her most precious memories would also be the place that would hold her last.
In Gotham, Jason grew into a young man. He discovered the woman he thought was his mother wasn't. He tracked down his real mother, then got beaten half to death by the Joker only to be blown up by one of Joker's bombs.
Jason died.
Then Jason was revived by the Lazarus Pits and trained by the League of Shadows. He grew to hate Batman and wanted nothing more than to see the end of the Joker. 
Years later, Jason would return to Gotham only to find he had been replaced and that the Joker was still running free, and alive. Jason tried to kill the new Robin, a kid named Tim Drake, Batman, and the Joker. He managed to end none of them.
Bruce convinced Jason to stick around and one thing led to another and Redhood became part of the Batfamily patrol rotation. He doesn't stay in the manor but he does drop in at least once a month for family dinners at Alfred's request. On the weekends, Jason would take Tim out and teach him how to spot a sniper, an assassin, what different guns look like when someone is trying to hide them, and most importantly, how to defuse a bomb. It becomes a bonding time for the two, but Jason still calls Tim 'Replacement' but now as a term of endearment.
He never forgets Pixie and she is one of the few things that kept him sane during the worst of the Pit Madness.
Then Damian shows up and Jason has no idea how to deal with the tiny Demon Spawn. It's rough going for a while but they all found their ways of bonding and before long they are one large dysfunctional family. 
When Jason turned eighteen, he, Dick, Tim, and Damian welcomed a French class to Wayne Industries for a week-long tour. And that is where he thought he saw someone he would never see again.
Without his permission, Jason called out to her, "Pixie?" It was barely a whisper, but she heard it.
Her head whipped around and she stared at him, "Jason?"
He wanted to say it was a happy reunion. And it kind of was. They hugged. Her class and his brothers stared. Then the tears started. Pixie was smiling but tears were streaming down her face.
One of the other students came over and asked her in French if she was okay. Pixie shook her head and the blond boy asked if there was somewhere she could rest. Jason offered to show them a room. The three of them sat in a quiet room as Pixie cried. She kept leaning into Jason and he wasn't about to stop her. After who knows how long, Pixie dried her eyes and haltingly told Jason what was going on. She told him, how she'd been adopted and went by Marinette now. How she was dying and no one besides Adrien, the blond, knew. How she probably wouldn't make it out of Gotham.
Jason's first reaction was to want to hurt something. His second was to hold Pixie as close as he could and never let her go. Jason cried. 
For the rest of the week everywhere that Pixie went, Jason was close behind. The other Waynes noticed and on the fourth day of their stay, invited Pixie and Adrien to join them for dinner.
There, a not-so-subtle interrogation went down, asking Pixie how she knew Jason. At which point, even Pixie's failing health allowed her to spill so many childhood stories about Jason that even they couldn't resist her knowledge. In return, Jason told Adrien stories he had collected about her as a toddler and little kid. It was the brightest smile Adrien had ever seen on Marinette, and the first real smile Pixie had given Jason all week. He could almost pretend that she wasn't dying.
After dinner Pixie said, "Jason, did I ever tell you about the dream I've had ever since I was a little girl?"
"What dream Pix?"
"I've always wanted to stand at the very top of the Wayne Industries building at dawn, and feel the wind at the top of the world."
"Really?"
Pixie smiled a soft sad smile, "Yeah. Do you think we could do that tomorrow?"
Jason suddenly realized what Pixie was talking about, and had to fight a lump in his throat to answer, "Yeah. Pix. Yeah, we can do that."
Adrien and Pixie stayed the night that night. That morning at about three, Jason woke them up and took them to the top of Wayne Industries. Pixie stood as high up as she possibly could. Adrien and Jason watched her with tears in their eyes. Before long, they were joined by Batman, Nightwing, Red Robin, and Robin, who all wanted to make sure she wouldn't fall. Jason didn't have the heart to tell them they couldn't stop what was about to happen.
As dawn started to creep up on them, Adrien broke down sobbing, begging Marinette to fight a little longer. When the light hit her head, Marinette closed her eyes and smiled. They all saw her start to fade.
Her hands went first. Like dust. As the light increased so did her fading. Before she faded completely, Pixie walked towards them a peaceful smile on her face. Jason was crying now too. His Pixie looked like a ghost.
And as she faded completely, everyone on that roof heard her say, "My name is Jeanette. It's so nice to meet you!"
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j3ssisam3ss · 4 years ago
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Childhood Friends - Fluff
For @animebookworm16
It got kind of long and I’m not really sure it still counts as fluff, but here’s my piece for @maribat-angst-fluff-april, prompt 25, Childhood Friends.
Damian Al Ghul-Wayne was five years old the first time he met a girl his age. And in typical League of Assassins style, he went for efficiency by meeting ten at once.
“These are your betrothed,” Talia told him. “All but one will be dead by your twelfth birthday. You will marry the sole survivor on your eighteenth birthday and produce an Heir to carry on the great legacy of the League of Assassins.”
Nine of the girls heard the words without so much as a flinch. The last stared in shock at Talia, then broke into tears.
“Quiet, Marinette,” Talia hissed.
“No,” she yelled defiantly, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I want my mama!”
Talia backhanded her and she fell to the floor with a yelp.
Damian surveyed the girl – Marinette – with distaste.
“Mother, surely you don’t consider this sniveling coward worthy to compete for my hand?”
“Her mother, Sabine Cheng, was our best assassin for years before she turned traitor. I suppose she’s lost her touch if she raised such a weak daughter.” Talia shrugged elegantly. “No matter, if she turns out to be useless, we’ll ship her mutilated corpse back to Sabine as a reminder of what happens when you cross the League.”
She waved the girls away. “To your training now.”
Damian watched as Marinette sniffled and followed the other girls out the door.
She won’t last a week.
He had no idea how wrong he was.
.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng was five years old the first time she won a fight. And in typical Dupain-Cheng fashion, she did so in the most unpredictable way possible.
“You’re going down, pigtails,” shouted a pretty brunette, charging at Marinette with a sword that was as tall as she was.
With a startled shriek, Marinette darted away. She hated how behind she was here. Back home, she was good at everything – reading circle, art class, tussles when the teacher’s back was turned. Here, it felt like she was constantly playing catch-up.
Not to mention, the constant threat of death was not fun.
Skidding around a corner of the labyrinth arena, she tripped over a protruding stone and fell to the ground. The brunette grinned viciously, advancing towards her.
Marinette smiled nervously. “Can’t we talk this out?”
“Not a chance, shortie,” said the brunette.
Marinette glanced around frantically.
I don’t want to die!
She reached for a rock, a stick, anything that could help her fight, but came up with only a handful of sand. With a pleading glance heavenward, she flung it into the brunette’s face and lurched to her feet, grinning when the girl had to stop to get the grit out of her eyes.
Taking off into the labyrinth of passages, she nearly stumbled again, this time over a nearly buried metal object.
She shifted away the dirt surrounding it and smirked. “Finally, a weapon I know how to use.”
Ten minutes later, the watching League members straightened in surprise as the smallest and weakest of Damian’s betrotheds utterly decimated her opponent.
With a frying pan.
.
“What are you doing here?”
The two children spoke in unison, glaring daggers at one another.
“I always come here,” Marinette said. “It’s my drawing spot.”
“The vents are my domain, Dupain-Cheng,” Damian said. “Get out.”
Two years’ worth of resentment and anger simmered beneath Marinette’s skin.
 Drawing is the last thing I have of home. I won’t let him take it from me.
“No.”
Damian looked thunderstruck and Marinette couldn’t keep the smirk off her face.
“I am Heir to the Demon! You will obey me!”
“You may be Heir to the Demon, but right now you’re also a kid skipping classes,” Marinette argued. “And if you make me leave, I’ll tell Talia exactly where you go when you’re not in class.”
Ha, take that, you tyrant!
Damian froze. Marinette watched as emotions overtook his face – anger, resentment, then acceptance.
“Fine,” he grumbled.
Marinette smiled and returned to her sketchbook – which wasn’t really a sketchbook, just some loose papers she’d tucked into her history book.
A few minutes later, Damian peered over her shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Drawing,” she said, holding out a few of her older sketches, the ones she wouldn’t mind losing if Damian decided to rip them. “There’s your mother fighting, cook making soup, the sunset from this other spot in the vents – actually, that one’s pretty bad because I didn’t have any colors.”
Damian stared at the drawing of his mother.
“I’m keeping this,” he announced.
Well, at least he didn’t tear it up.
The next week, when Marinette arrived at her drawing spot, Damian was already there. With an annoyed grunt, he shoved a sketchbook and colored pencils into her hands.
Marinette looked between him and the supplies in confusion. “What’s this for?”
“Teach me how to draw.”
Marinette bit her lip, looking longingly at the colored pencils. Then, she pushed them back towards Damian.
“I want you to give me weapons training. As often as I teach you drawing.”
I may be naturally talented at combat, but the other girls have been training their entire lives. I need to catch up.
Damian eyed her suspiciously. “That’s against the rules.”
“So? Are you scared?”
“Never.”
“Then it’s a deal?”
“It’s a deal.”
.
Damian lunged, making a displeased noise when his quarry danced out of his reach.
“You’re slow today, Dami,” Marinette teased. “Losing your touch?”
Marinette was no longer the scared little girl she’d been at five, or even at seven. She’d thrown herself into her training with single-minded determination and two years of training with Talia by day and Damian by night had made her a formidable – and snarky – combatant.
“Never,” Damian replied. His next attack nearly threw her off-balance.
With a grunt, Marinette recovered her footing and countered with a flurry of blows that would have left a lesser opponent dizzy.
Damian smirked, parrying each attack easily. “Completely mediocre. Should I tell my mother that her protégé is slipping?”
Although he’d never admit it, Damian was proud of her. She’d gone from being the worst of the League’s trainees to the only one able to keep up with him in a fight.
“Me? Slipping? Not a chance.” Marinette flipped backwards, knocking his weapon away. “Hey, Damian?”
“Yes, Marinette?” He scooped up his katana, readying himself for her next move.
“The floor is lava.”
With a startled intake of air, he leaped onto the nearest table.
“Really?” he asked, half annoyed, half amused.
Marinette giggled, peering down at him from her spot in the ceiling rafters. “I thought we could use an extra challenge.”
Damian glanced up at her. “You just like having the high ground.”
“Technically speaking, it’s the high rafter,” she pointed out.
“Either way, it won’t prevent me from defeating you,” Damian said, pulling himself into the rafters.
At that moment, the door opened and they both immediately went still.
“Damian? Are you here?”
Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. “Skipping again?” she mouthed.
Damian shrugged in response.
Rolling her eyes, Marinette gestured to the vents behind him. “I’ll meet you in the lower training rooms to finish our bout.”
“Marinette!” The teacher startled as she caught a glimpse of the pigtailed girl. “What are you doing up there?”
Effortlessly, the girl swung down from the ceiling, drawing the teacher’s attention away from Damian’s hiding place.
“Just improving my arm strength, Mistress Eva.” As she distracted his teacher with false information about his whereabouts, Damian climbed into the vents.
Marinette makes a surprisingly tolerable ally.
.
It didn’t seem to matter how many people Marinette killed; it never got easier. Surrounded by the bodies of Deathstroke’s traitors, she retched.
She was alone. Somehow, in the midst of the fight, she’d gotten separated from the rest of the League’s loyalists.
I need to get moving. I’m an easy target right now.
With a shuddering breath, she climbed to her feet and made her way out of the compound and into the shadows. It was there, staring at the ruins of the League’s strongest base, that the realization hit her.
“I’m free,” Marinette whispered, tears trickling down her face.
The Head of the Demon was dead, his followers scattered.
“I can finally go home.”
She ignored the voice in her mind that said her home was here, with the League, with Damian. She ignored the tightness in her chest at the thought of never seeing Damian again. She ignored the fear that he might already be dead.
The League kidnapped me. Talia abused me. Even if I managed to be happy here, I owe the Al Ghuls nothing. A vow of loyalty made under duress is no vow at all.
Her hands curled into fists.
And if they come for me again, I’ll be ready.
.
Damian scowled as their plane descended into Gotham.
“This is imbecilic. I should be assisting you in decimating our enemies, not hiding like a frightened child.”
“Damian,” his mother’s voice was cold. “This is not up for negotiation. You will stay here and train with your father.”
“Yes, Mother,” he replied bitterly. A moment passed, then he tilted his head in thought. “But what of my betrothed? If she is to be my equal, should she not train with me?”
Talia studied him carefully. “You use the singular of betrothed,” she noted. “Despite the fact that three remain alive. I don’t suppose you’d care to tell me which one you consider your wife-to-be?”
“Tt. Your protégé, the Cheng girl, is the only one that even approaches competent. You know this.”
“I also know that you trained her separately – against my orders,” Talia said.
Damian nearly flinched. “And yet you didn’t stop me.”
“I wonder if that was a mistake,” his mother said. “You feel more for her than you should.”
“She is an effective ally. That is all.”
“Then you won’t mind being separated from her for a while.”
“Not at all, Mother,” Damian lied.
.
“Marinette? Is that you?” Her mother looked as if she’d seen a ghost.
Marinette smiled. “Hello, Mama.”
Sabine reached out a shaking hand to cup her face. “How are you here? We saw you die.”
“Sabine, do you know where – ” Tom dropped the pan of croissants. “Marinette?”
He jumped over the counter and raced to her. Marinette took a step back before her mind caught up with her body.
This is Papa, you idiot. He’s not a threat.
She threw herself into his arms, shoving away her fears.
Twisting to face her mother, she said, “I don’t know how my death was faked, but I never died. The League kidnapped me.”
Tom’s arms tightened around her.
“The League?” Sabine’s face went pale. “What did they want with you?”
“The usual,” Marinette said with a shrug. “Revenge on you for leaving and a capable assassin and potential wife for Damian if I turned out to be any good.”
“Who’s Damian?” Tom asked with a frown.
Marinette grinned. “Oh, Damian’s great! He’s the Heir to the League, but he’s actually pretty okay for an assassin. He helped me get good enough to survive. You know, after I blackmailed and bribed him.”
“What?”
.
Meeting his father did not go the way Damian had imagined.
Talia always spoke of Bruce Wayne’s great intellect, his strength in combat, his determination in all things. She never mentioned his brainless playboy act, his absurd prohibition of killing, or his habit of taking in strays. Damian wasn’t sure which one was most offensive, but he was incredibly disappointed in his father regardless.
He had to reassess after he saw Batman at work. When not purposely acting like a buffoon, Bruce Wayne was everything his mother had described and more, entirely deserving of Damian’s respect.
He set out to prove himself in his father’s eyes. It didn’t go well. Whatever he did, it was the wrong thing. In any fight with the imposter sons, Damian was punished – even if he won. Assisting his father with Wayne Enterprises was met with an eye-roll and a request to stay away from Bruce’s office.
It should have made Damian angry but instead it hurt and Damian did not understand why.
And then his father was gone. Richard Grayson became Batman.
Damian became Robin. Finally.
And yet the triumph felt hollow.
Not to mention, it came with strings attached: ‘Murder is bad.’ ‘Justice, not vengeance.’ ‘Robin doesn’t kill.’ ‘Protect rather than avenge.’
Grayson’s teachings were imbecilic. And yet he had to follow them. His mother had yet to finish with the traitors.
He wondered where Marinette was, if she was undergoing similar training, if she fought the way he did to reign in the bloodlust. Considering how she had to hide her dislike of killing, how she helped heal her competitors, he thought probably not.
Slowly, things got easier. Grayson became tolerable. Damian learned to suppress the instinct, the muscle memory that said ‘kill or be killed.’ He found an adoration for animals and learned to deal with his classmates. He finally began to understand why Grayson and his father valued life so highly. His father came back and he chose to deny the League. Wayne Manor became home.
On days when he struggled, he retreated to his room and the comfort of his sketchbook. And if a certain blue-eyed girl made an appearance every few pages, well, who would know but him?
.
Returning home did not go the way Marinette had imagined.
She knew it wouldn’t be sunshine and roses, of course. But she hadn’t expected the magnitude of the changes in her home, or in herself.
School was laughably easy. Marinette had the equivalent of several college degrees. Finding x and learning how to spell ‘earthquake’ was a waste of her time. Instead, she spent class drawing and coming up with increasingly complex plans for fighting off the League should they try to kidnap her again.
She kept herself closed off from her classmates – she didn’t know how she’d ever called them friends. They were neutral parties at best – not one ever stood up for her against Chloe. Her parents encouraged them to give her classmates a chance, but the League had trained her well. Misplaced trust could kill. And Marinette had fought long enough for survival to know that dropping your guard was a death knell.
She hated hurting her parents though.
Though they tried to hide it, she saw the pain cross their faces when she flinched away from hugs. When she moved like an assassin rather than a child. When she gave away her stuffed animals. When she skipped family game night and spent her time training.
She hated hurting her parents. So she changed.
Marinette locked away her lethal grace, faking clumsiness and turning it into an art form. She hid her weapons, training only when her parents were asleep. She returned to family game nights; she initiated hugs. At school, she became bubbly and friendly again, though she trusted no one.
More than anything, she tried to atone. She sought out those in need and tried to help – whether by providing food, babysitting, or making them warm clothing. She discovered an interest in fashion design, but mostly stuck to making the essentials for those in need. She met a tiny floating bug named Tikki and became a superhero.
On days when she struggled, she retreated to her room and the comfort of her sketchbook. And if green eyes and a cocky smirk featured prominently in the book, well, who would know but her?
.
Damian frowned as he followed his brother into Wayne Enterprises.
"I don't understand why it's so important for me to be here."
"C'mon, Baby Bird!" Dick said. "You said you wanted to be more involved in the company!"
"I meant the business side of things," Damian said. "I have no interest in showing around a gaggle of unruly teenagers."
"You're a teenager too," Dick pointed out. "It'll be fun!"
Damian sniffed. "I'm an adult. And fun, really? Surely you don't truly believe that?"
Dick sighed. "Just give it a chance, okay? They seem like really great kids."
They walked into the lobby and Damian stopped short, eyes catching on long black hair and brilliant blue eyes.
"Marinette?"
.
In truth, Marinette wasn't all that excited about the Wayne Enterprises tour. The architecture was interesting, sure, but her class had a habit of making themselves a target and Bruce Wayne's patronage was not helping.
She gave it three days, at most, before they got in trouble with Gotham's Rouges.
Which meant she was on 'keep the class from dying' duty. Joy.
She kept her eyes and ears peeled, which meant that she heard the faint whisper of her name from an unfamiliar voice.
"Marinette?"
Forest-green eyes filled with far too much emotion had her breath catching in her throat.
"Damian?"
With obvious effort, the League's Heir pulled himself together. "Fancy meeting you here, Dupain-Cheng."
His voice. Oh, kwami, it should be illegal to look AND sound that good. Nope. Nope. Not doing this. He's an assassin, get your act together, Marinette.
"Al-Ghul." She was proud that her voice betrayed nothing. "I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you here. This doesn't seem like your scene."
She reached out for a handshake and was taken off guard when Damian kissed her hand instead. She blushed.
"It's Wayne now," Damian said. "I'm... no longer associated with the Al-Ghuls. Or their business."
He's not an assassin anymore? Yes! I knew you were a good person deep, deep down, Dami!
"Really? I broke ties with them several years ago myself."
See that, Damian? We're both good people. Good people that would be great toget - no! Bad Marinette!
Damian grinned. "In that case, I look forward to reconnecting. Perhaps after the tour?"
Oh, kwami, I'm doomed.
"I'd like that."
.
"What was that?" Dick asked in a low voice. "I've never seen you open up to someone so quickly."
With difficulty, Damian tore his gaze from Marinette.
Stars, she grew up gorgeous.
Damian smirked. "Don't be ridiculous, Grayson. I met Marinette over a decade ago."
I wonder, does she still consider our betrothal valid?
"Wait, so she's an assassin?" Grayson blanched. "Who is she here to kill? Who do I have to protect? Ugh! Why can't you ever have normal friends?"
"Relax," Damian chided. "She's an ex-assassin. Like me."
"That does not make me feel better. Who is she to you?"
Damian hummed in thought, running through years of teasing, fighting, and spending time together. "She was my first friend."
And maybe now something more.
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nightlychaotic · 4 years ago
Text
All I Want is to Fly With You
For @liquid-luck-00
Here’s my fluff piece for @maribat-angst-fluff-april Prompt 16: Music
God I am so sorry this is a week late. I really struggled with this for some reason but here it is at long last. I hope it isn't too bad and that you enjoy!
——————————————————–
You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide
I know you want me
So don't keep sayin' our hands are tied
You claim it's not in the cards
And fate is pullin' you miles away
And out of reach from me
But you're here in my heart
So who can stop me if I decide
That you're my destiny?
Robin watched as she swung away, before following her over Gotham’s rooftops, a smile forming as the two traveled. This had become one of his favorite routines the past year, patrolling with Ladybug. She was not nearly as annoying as any of his brothers, serious, but also could manage to get him to loosen up at times
They came to a stop on top of a rooftop. Ladybug smiled softly at him as she pulled a picnic basket out from the rooftop corner.
“What’s this?”
“Rooftop picnic.”
“What prompted this?” He asked, taking the blanket from her hands and spreading it out for the two of them. Joining her on the blanket as she unpacked the basket. She handed him a thermos, sighing.
“I’ll be leaving for Paris soon.”
“When?”
“Saturday. I’m not sure if or when I’ll come back to Gotham. So a bit of a farewell picnic,” she told him, giving him a sad smile. “I’ll miss Gotham. I’ll miss you. If I could I’d stay, but I really do need to return home.”
Robin turned towards her, heart pounding and breath catching when she said that, his mind beginning to race.
What if we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine
Nothing could keep us apart
You'd be the one I was meant to find
It's up to you, and it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Maybe the world could be ours
Tonight
All I want is to fly with you
Six months ago: Damian watched the spotted hero, Marinette, in front of him throw her yoyo swing away from him. Watching her as long as he could until she was out of his sight.
All I want is to fall with you
Four years ago: Marinette tripping, dropping her coffee and managing to fling her bag into Damian. The first time fate placed her in his path.
So just give me all of you
Three years ago: Damian ran his hands through her hair, gently pulling it away from her face as she was sick, before helping clean her up and getting her in bed. Marinette thanking him, rambling, telling him how she felt about him. The small blush fighting its way to his cheeks as he left.
It feels impossible
Two years ago: Damian felt his face heat up as Marinette scribbled furiously, trying to get the idea in her head on paper before she had to go. Shaking his head dismissing his feelings. It wouldn’t work. It would be too dangerous to involve her in his life, even on the edge of it.
It's not impossible
One year ago: Robin stared, mind racing as Ladybug revealed her identity in an attempt to build trust. Heart clenching as he looked at Marinette, she’d never told him. She had large secrets. What else had she kept secret…. But she had a good reason for this secret-
Is it impossible?
Damian’s closed his eyes for a moment as he thought about the past four years. The memories he had made with her as they navigated Gotham University. How she wormed her way into his life, how he didn’t want her to leave now. She’d become a staple in his life, a staple about to be ripped from him by distance, and life. When did she become so close to him? She didn’t use to be this important.
Say that it's possible
How do we rewrite the stars?
Say you were made to be mine?
Nothing can keep us apart
'Cause you are the one I was meant to find
It's up to you
And it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
And why don't we rewrite the stars?
Changing the world to be ours
Damian looked over at her, as it really hit him how much he’s slowly come to trust and look forward to having her in his day. He hadn’t been open to her at first but she’d been stubborn and determined to become his friend, much to his chagrin at the time. Over the years he slowly managed to trust her, something that had both suffered and gotten better with the discovery of each other’s identities. His heart clenched as he looked over at her.
“I can come with you,” he found himself offering.
She looked over at him, shaking her head. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You aren’t. I’m offering.”
“Damian-”
“Marinette. I’ve come to realise that you mean a lot to me. I cannot imagine not having you cropping up in my life frequently after growing accustomed to you being a part of my life. I don’t want to lose you and would follow you as far as it would take if you’d have me.”
“Are you offering to move to Paris, to take me out on a date?” she asked, laughter clear in her voice.
“I suppose I am.”
She smiled at him, her laugh floating in the air. “What about your family?”
“They’ll probably encourage it.”
“And Gotham?”
“Has my family. It’ll survive without Robin.”
Marinette smiled, taking a sip from her thermos as she looked at him. “And you’re sure about this?”
“Positive.”
“Nothing can keep us apart if we try, and All I want is to stay by your side right now,” he said, leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. “If you’ll have me?”
She blushed as she nodded, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his cheek in return. “I would love nothing more.”
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miraculouspenta · 4 years ago
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Maribat Months List
Some are just plans btw
January: Timari January
February: Dickinette February
March: Maribat March
April: April Angst Apocalypse
May: Marijon May
June: June of Flowering Fluff
July: Jasonette July
August: Mominette Month
September: Bio!Dad Bruce Wayne Month
October: Rare-Pair Month
November: Platonic November
December: Daminette December
Yes, we have all twelve month woo! Hope you authors are not planning on doing them all!
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jinx-jade · 4 years ago
Text
April Angst and Fluff gift exchange
Angst-Prompt-23 “You need to eat something”
Part 3 of Mercy
for @icerosecrystal
_________________________
“Hey, Jon, You ok?” He vaguely heard someone ask him.
Was he ok?
How is he supposed to react to this news about his dead Fiancée?
The woman who could light up any room.
The woman he had loved with his entire being.
The woman that had left her mark on him, mentaly and physically.
The woman that he had held in his arms as she died.
Was in fact, not dead.
He had spent years mourning her, and still did, he could just function a bit better now.
His body felt like lead, weighing his limbs down to the earth as the numbness coursed through him.
“Jon, you look like you’re going to collapse. You need to eat something and drink some water.” A different voice suggested to him.
Did they want him to just act like this was normal and go eat lunch?
Was this even real?
The information had come from Talia.
It could be false information.
No.
Talia had stopped doing anything that would harm anyone close to Damian, both emotionally and physically..
Then…
This is real?
She’s alive?
Marinette is alive?
Then, why...
“Kent, go eat.” He heard a sharper voice command.
In the back of his mind, Jon recognized the voice, but he couldn’t place it.
Too many thoughts running through his mind.
Too many questions.
It seemed as if all the energy that had been drained from his body had gone straight to fuel his imagination and all the insane questions it was coming up with.
Eventually, he was dragged from the Batcave and up to the kitchen where Alfred had prepared some food for him.
Alfred placed the plate of food in front of the Kryptonian before leaving him alone with Wayne heir.
The room fell silent as Jon poked at his food.
“What do you wish to do, Kent?” The sharp voice, he now recognized as Damian, questioned.
The question seemed to break the barrier between the questions floating around in his head and his vocal cords, allowing the questions to become verbal. “I... I don’t… She’s alive… How… I,”
“Breath, Jon,” Damian instructed, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Right, sorry. It’s just. If Mar… Marin.” Jon took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
“If Nettie is alive, why didn’t she contact me, us, anyone. The… The only reason we know she’s alive is because Talia told us. I… Just… Why?” The Kryptonian questioned, his voice breaking at the end as his eyes began to sting.
“I’m not sure, Jon. That is why I asked you, what do you wish to do.” Damian states.
“I… what is there to do?” Jon questioned dumbly.
“You can pretend that none of this happened, that you were not given the information, to begin with,” Damian said after a few beats of silence.
The thought of Marinette being alive and didn’t go looking for her felt like something was crushing his chest.
“Or, we can organize a meeting with my Mother, and you can find Dupain-Cheng.” Damian finishes, pulling his hand off of Jon’s shoulder to cross his arms.
Damian’s stance was a clear indication of which of the two options he would choose. A clear challenge, asking if he was going to leave this be or if he was going to find her.
Damian let his arms drop down to his sides with a sigh.
“I have already contacted Todd. His eta is fifteen minutes out. Todd will talk to you about the whole, being dead, being alive, and not telling anyone, situation,” Damian claimed, be it a bit awkwardly, before leaving the kitchen.
To be fair, he never had to deal with this kind of situation before.
When Jason had been dead, Damian was in the know about him being alive.
Marinette being alive was as much of a shock to Damian as it was to him.
Jon let out a shuddering breath as he slumped back into his seat.
He just sat there, staring at his food.
What is he supposed to do?
Talia saw Marinette.
Marinette is alive.
Jon let out a disbelieving laugh as his eyes began to water.
He traced the mark that covered the inside of his wrist, a motion that had become soothing to him over the years. Something to ground him when his imagination was getting the best of him.
“Master Jon, I do believe you were instructed to eat, not push the food around your plate.” Alfred stated as he reentered the kitchen.
“Uh… yeah… sorry.” Jon stamers out as he begins to eat his food.
“Master Damian has arranged for a meeting with Miss Talia.” Alfred informs him.
“Really?” Jon asked.
“That is correct Master Jon. Master Jason has just arrived at the manor as well, I believe he will be in the gym working off the tense energy that the lot of you seemed to have acquired after receiving that information.” Alfred said before shooing Jon out of the kitchen having just finished his food.
“Uh…. I think I’m gonna talk with him. He’s…. Uh… kinda my best chance of understanding M…. Marinette’s…. Uh…. thought process about not telling anyone she’s alive.” Jon eventually said, as he walked out of the kitchen.
“Excellent idea Master Jon.” Alfred claimed.
Jon easily navigates the maze that is Wayne manor, arriving at the gym.
“Hey…. Jason.” Jon said awkwardly.
Jason stopped what he was doing on the punching bags and turned to him.
“Hey, kido.”Jason greets, ruffling Jon’s hair.
“Hi Jason. I was wondering… uhm… how are you doing with the news about… Nettie…. Ya know…. Not being dead.” Jon asked, fidgeting with his hands as he spoke.
Jason raised a brow in disbelief.
“All things considered, I’m actually doing ok with it. However, a little demon told me ya were having a hard time with it.” Jason answers.
“I… I was just wondering…. Why?” Jon questioned.
Jason furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Why, what?” Jason asked.
“Why.... Why wouldn’t Nettie tell anyone? Why didn’t she come home? I… just…. Why did Nettie let everyone think she was dead?” Jon questioned, eyes turning slightly glassy as tears threatened to escape the more he thought about it.
“Huh. Is this how Bruce felt?” Jason questioned under his breath, although it seemed to have just been him musing out loud.
“Honestly, I’m not Pixie so I can’t tell you her reasoning. At worst, she was forcibly resurrected, and since Talia doesn’t do that anymore, that’s most likely not what happened. The only other thing I can think of as to how Pix is alive is that spell she cast at the end. Either way, just be glad Pix is alive. If she’s in a bad place then help her. If she’s changed from the last time you saw her, don’t question it, just accept it.” Jason says as he begins unwrapping his hands.
“Thanks, Jason.” Jon said before leaving the gym.
Jon was now sure of  two things.
The first is that he wants to do at the very least, see his love again, even if it’s a final goodbye.
The second, he is going to do is make sure Marinette is in a place where she is loved. Be it wherever she is now, or in his arms, that was for her to decide.
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lilcoffeecup · 4 years ago
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Late night coffee and confessions
This is my entry for the fluff/angst Maribat April. This is the fluff piece to @onlyganymede-maribatedition‘s angst piece with the prompt of “I think I love you; You think?!” their fic was really good, I definitely would recommend checking it out. I’m really sorry for posting this late and for the short length but I hope it turned out okay. Enjoy :) @maribat-angst-fluff-april
Marinette had recently moved to Gotham a few weeks ago, after the disaster that was Paris, she had needed a fresh new start and Gotham was that for her. Growing up in a bakery, she wanted to keep a small piece of her past with her and that’s how she ended up becoming a barista at Café Levant. It was a small café, but the manager Micheal and fellow barista, Sera were both good people and made her feel not so alone in Gotham especially during the dreaded night shift.
Tim had always frequented to Café Levant when he wanted his coffee fix at 4am these days since Dick, Bruce, even the whole floor was trying to get him coffee dry, the traitors. Thought it was a nice walk and he always got himself a little a little treat and of course his love, his life, coffee. W.E was a little far away from Café Levant but worth the walk with the delicious chocolate croissants that were baked fresh daily there, and the nice baristas there even gave him the leftovers if there were any occasionally.
Just as Tim was walking in for his late night/early morning coffee fix while almost walking into the door, one of the newer baristas was making brewing a fresh pot. Marinette was her name; Tim was reminded by her a quick glance at her nametag and for a second Tim thought he was looking at a female version of him.  With her having the same expression as his on her face, of not having had sleep in over a week, and of just being so done with everything that all that mattered was finishing the task at hand then passing out for a couple days.
Pouring the coffee into what looked to be a very large cup, and taking a long sip, Tim waited to place his order. “No offense but I’m not gonna greet you with the way too chipper ‘welcome to café levant bs’ because honestly its way too early to have to deal with that, for both you and me. So just tell me your order and wait right there for me to gather enough braincells to make your drink.” Marinette said pointed to a little further from the order station with a card name card type of tag saying ‘pickup’s’.
Tim blinked for a few seconds then seemed to become somewhat coherent again “Uhhh, can I have the darkest roast coffee please?” It was Marinette’s turn to blink, as far as she knew, she was the only one able to stomach the darkest roast that they had and everyone else ended up saying that they couldn’t except for that one guy the others had told her about. “Are you sure about that? Almost no one is able to stomach that, weaklings” Mariette ended up muttering at the end. “Yeah, I’m sure, and as large as you have with as many espresso shots as legal” Now Marinette’s mind was spinning and not just the 4am spinning, no like actually spinning because “if you want to copy my order then go ahead, it’s your funeral”
Just as Tim was about to reply, Riddler burst through the doors carrying a gun in his hand, “Give me all your money, c’mon empty the register NOW”. Marinette didn’t look the least bit frightened though she did look like she wanted to punch someone. Tim realized that the other two workers had stepped back, and so did he since he wasn’t Red Robin right now but Tim Drake-Wayne.
“Do you honestly have nothing better to do right now then rob a small-time café? And, rude much, I was clearly talking to a zombie like myself here and you just had to go and burst through the doors as if I would care” Marinette ended up saying in a bored tone while looking for a frying pan to smack Riddler over the head with. After successfully finding what she was looking for, she nodded her head in the direction of the back-area of the café to Tim “Just head on in there with Sera and Michael, I’ll be with you again in a moment”
For the second time since Tim had entered the small café today, Tim was almost sure that this was all a dream and not reality. Logically speaking, how would a petite little seemingly French not that he wouldn’t look her up on the Bat-computer later would be able to take on Riddler. Before he could protest though, he was ushered into the back by the 2 other workers and when inside and looking at his somewhat concerned face, started snickering “Don’t worry about little Mari, she packs more of a punch than one would think”.
A few minutes later, Marinette walked in with a half-conscious but fully terrified Riddler tied up screaming “Look at what you did! You made me drop some of my precious nectar, my coffee, you monster.” Riddler ended up blubbering “I’m sorry okay! I’m sorry! I’ll never rob this café again! Just please, please don’t hit me with your coffee pot, it hurts.” When she saw Tim’s still concerned look, she gave a glance at her co-workers and when they simply shrugged and started to walk back to the front of the shop to go back to what they were doing she ushered him back to the front
“Are you okay?”, Tim was simply shocked “Am I okay? I wasn’t the one who took down the Riddler, are you okay?”. “Yeah, I’m fine just kind of lost a piece of me with my spilt coffee” “Mood.”
“Anyways, here is your order, I made it just like mine so be careful, it packs a big kick” Tim took a sip “Oh my god! I think I’m in love, you are, hands-down, my new favourite barista! This reminds me of the coffee I used to be able to have before those traitors betrayed me and tried to get me coffee dry” Tim didn’t know if it was just him, but he thought Marinette’s eyes twinkled a little more after that. “Oof, that’s tough, my parents back home tried the same and let’s just say when they were unsuccessful, they didn’t bother trying again” “Don’t worry, I would be a hypocrite if I tried to tame your coffee intake because I’m the same”. Both Tim and Marinette ended up talking throughout the night, and both felt a spark. Marinette didn’t want to seem as pushing herself onto Tim and Tim didn’t know if Marinette would feel the same. In the end, when Tim was just about to leave, he gathered up all his courage and internally said goodbye to the amazing coffee and café if this ended up going south, then decided to say it because he didn’t want the night to end, he didn’t want to leave her. Marinette, seeing that Tim was meaning to say something hoped that it was what she wanted to hear.
“I think I love you”
“You think?!”
~fin.
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rosalineandrosemary · 4 years ago
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one final goodbye
hi! i wrote this for @maribat-angst-fluff-april with prompt 14, goodbye. you can check out my partner, @yoltastic09 ‘s fluff submission here. anyway, warnings for major character death and descriptions of blood and the fic is below the cut!
the video is blurry, filmed with shaking hands. when it focuses, they see a girl coated in red spotted spandex. she’s leaning against a wall, eyes closed and smiling softly, but their eyes are locked on the stab wound through her abdomen.
“thanks… thanks alya.” her voice is soft and raspy, and behind the camera, someone chokes on a sob.
“lb, please. just hold on a bit longer. chat... carapace. Someone will bring your lucky charm and it’ll be okay.” the voice, alya, trembles, and the spotted girl’s eyes fly open.
“i didn’t tell you, did i? alya, there’s no saving me. that’s why we’re recording this. I have his miraculous but my lucky charm can’t fix me. it’ll fix paris and i’ll still be here.” the camera falls to the ground with a clatter, and beyond the black screen they can hear alya’s sobs. 
“alya please, I need you to do this. I need to be able to tell them myself. I need to be able to tell you myself.”
“tell me what?” alya’s voice is thick and broken, and the camera is lifted off the ground. they see a girl, fox ears coming from her head and in another spandex suit, before the camera focuses on the bleeding girl again.
“hello viewers, hi alya. my name is marinette dupain-cheng, also known as ladybug. and this is my final goodbye.” 
the dark room where they sit is filled by the sound of things shattering, a mug falling to a ground, a wine glass being crushed in someone’s tight grip. 
“alya, i love you. it’s been an honor fighting alongside you as ladybug, and despite our ups and downs, and even how things were before you got your head on straight, it’s been amazing being your friend. i’m so sorry that this is how things turned out.” alya sniffles, and her soft words are easily picked up by the mic.
“mari, please. you can’t leave us, please.” marinette smiles and looks away, faltering. she takes a deep heaving breath and looks back at the camera. 
“maman, papa, i’m so sorry i couldn’t tell you about this. i’m so sorry that i can’t say goodbye properly. i’m sorry that i lied and i’m sorry that i kept this from you. i just didn’t want you getting hurt. you two are the best parents a girl could have and i’m so grateful to call you two mine. please don’t blame yourselves. i chose to keep this a secret to protect you, and you raised a pretty clever little girl. there isn’t anything you could have done to stop this.” marinette is crying at this point, tears streaking across the red of her mask and down her cheeks. “make sure they see this alya. please make sure they see this.” 
“of course, i promise girl. i’ll do anything.” alya’s voice is broken but marinette nods solemnly before continuing. 
when they see this, marinette’s parents wail and sob, the sounds echoing throughout the arrondissement. their neighbors tense, waiting for the destruction their akuma could cause, but hawkmoth is gone, and tom and sabine dupain-cheng are free to mourn their only daughter. 
“bruce, or, well, dad. i thought you might want to hear me call you that at least once, considering i’m not going to be able to meet you again for you to hear me say that legitimately. i’m sorry i didn’t tell you about this. i’m sorry that when i said goodbye, that when i said i’d see you again soon, that it turned out like this. it was nice being your daughter, at least for a little while.” the viewers turn to look at him with the mention of his name, and bruce opens his palm, glass shards falling to the floor. he stands up, staggering to the side, and walks out of the room.
when bruce had first met marinette, he thought she’d fit in with the rest of them. he wasn’t oblivious to the jokes his kids made about the black hair, blue eyes, and the way she held herself made him think she’d fit in in other ways too.
she was always cautious, always nervous, like she was expecting something to attack her out of nowhere. she was good at hiding it, beaming sunshine smiles and a charming yet genuine demeanor, and he could see the resemblance from miles away. he had seen her baking with alfred, laughing with dick and jason, drinking coffee with tim. she had found a slot in their family and fit herself there perfectly, and in the short time he knew her, he had grow to care for the daughter he was unaware he had.
the last time he saw her, she hugged him and smiled, a soft tentative thing, as she whispered goodbye. she turned to leave, but her back was too straight, her shoulders too tense. he swore to himself that he’d find out what was troubling her back in paris and that he would see if there was anything he could do about it. 
bruce never got the chance. 
“dick. you’re a great older brother. i’m sorry that i couldn’t be your younger sister for very long. it could have been fun. we might have done acrobatics together, or you could have showed me trapeze if you wanted. you try so hard to take care of people, please remember to take care of yourself.”
marinette, dick thought, was tiny. she was so much shorter than he was, and she looked up at him when she introduced herself. bruce’s other unknown child. she has the hair, and the eyes, clouded with the same world-weariness he had seen in all of them. he hadn’t been the first to meet her, as that honor had gone to bruce and alfred, and tim had been walking by when she walked in the door, but he had been the first to declare her his younger sister. he asked her questions and she responded, she asked him questions and he responded. 
he learned of her love of fashion and cooed as she bashfully showed off her outfit that she had sewed and designed herself. he told her of his gymnastics and trapeze skills, and she was wide eyed and nearly glowing when she asked if he could teach her. he had swallowed heavily, looked away and back at her, and told her that “maybe we can next time, marinette. i think b-man has an itinerary for you and everything.”
she had looked disappointed for a second before composing herself. “okay, maybe next time. but speaking of mr. wayne, i should probably go find him again, talk to you later dick!” he had heaved a sigh of relief, scared of bringing her so close to something that had already taken his family once. 
when he hugged her goodbye before she left for the airport, small hands clasped around his back, dick resolved that he would try to teach marinette the trapeze next time she came over. There would be nets and she wouldn’t get hurt and then there would be more memories of the trapeze that didn’t come with the bittersweet tinge of all his memories at haly’s circus. 
dick didn’t get that chance. 
“hi jay. i was making you something, did you know that?” marinette laughs softly, then inhales sharply as she aggravates her wound. and yet, she continues. “no, of course you didn’t. i didn’t tell you. it was almost done, just had a few finishing touches. you could still wear it though. it's a leather jacket. i saw that the one you had seemed to be getting worn out, thought you might want a new one. a new leather jacket for my big brother.” her tears quicken and she attempts to curl in on herself, even as her body lay against the wall. she looks so small. “even if your advice wasn’t the best you were still there and i was happy to be ‘pixie pop.’ i wish you were here. you’re safe, you know that? you feel safe, like if anything tried to hurt me you’d fix it. And i’m scared but at least other people are safe now. Thank you for making me feel safe.”
jason todd did not think he was a good man. there was too much blood on his hands for that. and even if the bastards had deserved it, it still didn’t make him a good person. so when he had seen the tiny slip of a girl who ran into him as she attempted to find bruce, his first instinct had been to stay away. she was so tiny, so pure, and no amount of washing would ever be able to clean his hands. 
but then she had flinched and started spewing out apologies, hands flying everywhere as she drove herself further down this spiral, and he saw in her what he had seen in so many of the other street kids. fear of retaliation, a desperation to appease him because she was afraid of what he might do.
and jason was furious. not with her, but with whoever had taught this girl (bruce’s daughter. he had warned them all about her, telling them to hide the objects that showed their “nightly pursuits.” he hadn’t told them she’d be so small.) that she had to apologize like this. whoever had traumatized her in this way. 
“hey, no need to apologize, pixie pop. no harm, no foul, right?” she had looked up at him, confused, and he grinned at her and clenched his fists, trying to dispel some of the anger festering in his chest. 
“who’s pixie pop?” she had said, eyebrows furrowed adorably.
“you are, of course. because you’re so tiny, like a little fairy. and all my siblings need nicknames, like dickie-bird, or replacement, or demon spawn. and since you’re my little sister now, you get a nickname too.” she had smiled and nodded, responding with a soft “okay,” and he swung an arm around her shoulder.
“so let me help you find bruce. but on our way there, is there anyone you’ve got any problems with? Any bullies you’d like big bro jason to deal with?” she had tensed, pursed her lips, and shook her head.
“there’s nothing you can deal with. it’ll be fine.” he hadn’t believed her, but he wasn’t going to pry.
when he hugged her goodbye, she had shook, clutching the sleeves of his jacket within her hands, but when he went to ask her what had happened, she said she’d tell him next time. he said he’d help her through anything.
jason never got the chance. 
“cass.” with this, she attempts to lift her hands from where they lay on the floor. she’s shaking with the effort, but manages to hold them up to her chest. slowly, she signs out every word with her hands. “i think that you could tell something was up. i don’t know how, and i’m not sure even you knew it would end up like this, but i think you could. thank you for trusting me, even if it ended up like this. thank you for being my friend, and i’m sorry i couldn’t improve my sign language fast enough to have a full conversation with you. i hope this is good enough.”
cass could tell that marinette was like them from the way she held herself. she had muscles curled under her clothing, and whenever she tripped she shifted her center of gravity if she didn’t catch herself first. 
cass hadn’t really spoken with her, standing as bruce introduced her to marinette. she could tell when marinette had processed bruce saying she preferred sign language, and when marinette’s shoulders sunk, she could tell it was with concern instead of malice. 
marinette turns to her with a small frown, apologizing for not knowing any sign language. marinette smiles afterwards though, and reaches out a hand. “i’d love to learn asl though! and i’d also love to be friends if you’d want to be. of course we don’t have to be, i don’t want to…” she trails off as cass takes her hand and nods. marinette’s smile grows wider and a small warmth grows in her chest. 
friends sounds nice. and marinette promises that she’ll try to learn asl and they’ll have a conversation in a way that cass is comfortable with, talking with that same smile. 
the last time cass sees marinette, she signs goodbye. marinette’s right hand goes up, thumb out, and she closes the rest of her fingers to her palm. she continues with the sign for cass’ name, and cass responds in turn, goodbye and marinette, and marinette leaves, excited at getting it right. 
marinette inhales, a wheezing breath, and the video is interrupted by the sound of heavy footfalls and a man’s calling voice. “ladybug? rena?” 
alya lets out another sob and the man approaches. they can tell when he sees marinette, as he stalls before sprinting towards them. 
he’s clad in blue and snake print, teal tips at the bottom of his black hair, and he goes directly for marinette, trying to press a red and black spotted objects into her hands. 
“ladybug please, please take it you can fix all of this with the lucky charm. just do miraculous ladybug and the magic will fix it.” he begs her, voice jumping. marinette clutches the object in her hand but makes no motion to do anything with it, and he speaks again. “ladybug…” he hesitates for a second before continuing. “marinette, my melody, please don’t die on me.” her eyes widen slightly before she looks away.
“i should have known you already knew, mon coeur. but you also have to know this is the end.” she smiles at him, lifts the object in her shuddering hands and attempts to yell miraculous ladybug. she’s cut off halfway through by her own coughing, shaking her whole body and sending blood spilling from her lips.
it works regardless though, and the remaining waynes watch in awe as glowing ladybugs reverse the property damage. they fix the walls and the pavement before crowding around marinette’s body, but when they leave the wound is still there. the blood is still there. 
marinette’s eyes are drooping, and when she tries to talk, it comes out a whisper. “damn it. i thought i had more time.” she coughs again, more blood dripping out of her mouth. “tim, i was so happy to be your work buddy. steph, you are so fun and so important and it was so so lovely being your sister and your friend. damian, i wish i could have been your sister without scaring you, but that won’t be a problem anymore.” her breathing is shallow but she continues going, trying to say all the words she’s scared she wouldn’t be able to. “alfred, being your granddaughter, baking with you, all of that was such a pleasure. babs, spending time with you was so much fun and i wish we could do that again, that we could be friends for longer. duke, i know we didn’t interact much but i wish we could have.” she exhales, leans her head back against the reformed wall. her eyes flutter closed. 
“goodbye.” she says, one last word before her chest stills and marinette dupain-cheng dies.
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ao3feed-brucewayne · 18 days ago
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The Hole In Me
read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/5B7JtKo by Genderfluid_idiot Damian will always be thought of for his past. The violent child who will never change. He cannot have redemption. Redemption will always be out of reach. Anger pulls him back, wrapping around his arms and legs, chaining him to his past. Always the heir to the demon head, the angry robin, the violent robin, the demon brat. Always his past, never his future he doesn’t have a future. Words: 7720, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Characters: Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Cassandra Cain, Tim Drake (DCU), Duke Thomas, Stephanie Brown, Mentioned Harper Row - Character, Titus | Damian Wayne's Dog, Alfred the Cat (DCU), Minor Characters Relationships: Batfamily Members & Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne & Everyone, Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne, Jason Todd & Damian Wayne, Tim Drake & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Damian Wayne, Duke Thomas & Damian Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Damian Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth & Damian Wayne, Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake, Tim Drake & Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain & Duke Thomas, Cassandra Cain & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Duke Thomas Additional Tags: Damian Wayne-centric, Dark, Angst, Maribat Angst & Fluff April, Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Suicide Attempt, Suicide, Gun Violence, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Lazarus Pit (DCU), Lazarus Pit Side Effects (DCU), Alfred Pennyworth Needs a Break, Everyone Needs A Hug, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Minor Original Character(s), Metaphors, Symbolism, Not Beta Read, Near Death, Anxiety, Panic Attacks, Hurt Damian Wayne, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Damian Wayne Feels, Damian Wayne Gets a Hug, Mental Health Issues, Batfamily Needs Therapy (DCU), Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Protective Batfamily (DCU), Batfamily Angst (DCU), Mentioned Harper Row, Mentioned Talia al Ghul, Sad Damian Wayne, Sad with a Happy Ending, POV Third Person, One Shot, Whump, Damian Wayne Whump read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/5B7JtKo
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maribat-angst-fluff-april · 4 years ago
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Maribat Angst & Fluff April
Recap:
this is a fic exchange!
you are your partner are given the same prompt
one of you will be writing a fluff piece and the other will be writing an angst piece based on the same prompt
original post is here
this was created so we can make friends! make sure to talk to your partner and interact with others' works so we can all get to know each other! :)
we’ll be sending out pairings shortly! in the meantime, here’s some simplified instructions/info and the prompt list:
you’ll be messaged by us individually with your partner’s info, prompt number, and whether you’re doing angst or fluff
it’s up to you to reach out to your partner!
all the partners and prompt numbers were selected completely randomly
if you signed up for multiple fics and gave a range of how many you were willing to write you were signed up for the minimum just in case (ex. if you said you could write 2-4 you were signed up for 2)
if you would like to write another story (or you missed the last deadline) with a buddy fill out the form again by April 15th (it should still be open) and I’ll send out new parings by the 16th
here’s the link for the form
if you’re not able to write as many as you’re signed up for please message me and I’ll find a new partner for whoever you were previously paired with
if you don’t like the prompt number you’ve been given (or already have one in mind) feel free to change it (whether that’s to another prompt on the list or your own)
just make sure you are your partner have matching prompts and are on the same page!
you have all of April to write and upload your works
there is no set length
you can write a long one-shot or a few paragraphs or a bullet note fic 
whatever you feel like/have time for
if you would like to participate but don’t have/don’t want a partner you can create your own fic based off of the prompts (just follow the instructions below minus the parts where you tag your partner)
Once you’ve written your fic:
if you post it on tumblr please tag your partner and @maribat-angst-fluff-april​ (so we can reblog your works!)
also tag #maribat angst and fluff april so others can find it
if you post on AO3 please add it to the Maribat_Angst_Fluff_April collection (if you need help figuring out how to do that message me or your partner)
here is the link to the collection on AO3
make sure to gift your work to your partner!
also please clearly label if your work is Angst or Fluff and whatever prompt you and your partner used (this goes for both tumblr posts and AO3 posts)
if you have any questions or run into any problems please comment or pm me @thedragonbug​
Prompt List:
soulmates
“You remembered?” “Of course I remembered.”
kwami swap
miraculous side effects
“Wake up. Please.”
best friends
“I think I love you.” “You think?!”
enemies to lovers
friends to lovers
lost
found
“Close your eyes.”
siblings
goodbye
“What aren’t you telling me?”
music
wedding
injured
“In my defense, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” “Of course it did.”
long distance
family
separated
“You need to eat something.”
fear
childhood friends
college
time travel
cuddles
“Sing for me. Please.”
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april-angst-apocalypse · 5 years ago
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Hi darling ones!
Maribat April Angst Apocalypse has now come to an end, and we are happy to announce the winners to the rest of you now. We have already contacted Pale Rider, Red Horse, Black Horse and Famine privately.
Thank you everyone for your contributions! We loved each and all of your AUs and would have loved to see even more of them. Definitely broke our hearts, and we're sure we're not the only ones who felt our hearts shattering during the month of April. Maybe we'll see more next year, who knows. We certainly do not. Please remember to stay angsty even though the month has already ended! There can never be enough angst! Except for maybe in June, but more about that later <3
So, without further ado, our wonderful winners:
The first place, Pale Rider, @ethelphantom The second place, Red Horse, @fridayfirefly​ The third place, Black Horse, @theatreandcomicfreak The fourth place, Famine, @queenmj10​
The winners also receive a virtual bouquet of nasturtiums, for they mean success and victory, but are also linked to conquesting, patriotism and war since they tended to be given to soldiers for having won a battle. This is a nod to June, and you’re still getting more about that later. 
Here are the little flowers:
Tumblr media
Back to the actual post. 
Congratulations to all of you! You did wonderfully, you angsty little children! We're all so proud of you. (Yes, even those that didn't get the place on the podium, you did beautifully anyway and we're proud of you). You have all been contacted about your prizes, please contact the prize contributors as soon as possible, but within a week. Otherwise, your prize will go to the runner ups.
On that note, we also have messages for you from the mods, because after all, this blog is run by only one of us and we want all of our voices heard (can you guess who runs the blog unless you've been directly told? Send an ask if you want to try your luck, I want to see if you are able to recognize me).
So, here they are:
Crow, @eat0crow​: 
Thank you all for participating in our event! I’ve had a wonderful time getting my heart ripped out and slow roasted over the wonderful month of April by all of your Aus. Everyone who contributed did an amazing job of breaking my heart, stealing my lunch money, and making me cry! 
Truly you all are the angstiest of the angsty beans ;^; 
I hope you all had a wonderful time, and look forward to future competitions and events with you! 
Emily, @waywardpr1ncess
Thank you all so much for participating! Maribat is such a creative and talented community and you guys showed that through all of your works. I'm so happy and glad that this event was able to take place and I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as all of coordinators did. I hope we can do more events like this in the future. Thank you all again and congratulations to the winners!
Ethel, @ethelphantom​
I am so, so happy to have seen all of your works this month! It was fun organising this even if there were some problems every now and then (the goddamn announcements, thanks for reminding me of them, Crow, I swear I’m gonna get nightmares of them as soon as I fall asleep after writing this message (it’s like, 2am ok, leave me alone)
I am also super damn touched about the first place? I? What??? So thank you for that one too :D
But yeah, I’m happy I got to see all of your works, you did great. I’m also so sorry about Sephie’s message before you even get to read it (I love her anyway though, she’s great and I’ve had so much fun with this because of her, too, though someone tell me how she, a fluff writer, became one of our hosts/mods/coordinators, I don’t even know what to call us, it would be great to find out), but like, all of her (and the rest of ours) ridiculousness aside, you did sign up for this. Literally. 
And yes, I stole that line from her, I’m really not that funny. 
I hope you had as fun as I did, and I hope to see you again next year, or perhaps already next month :D Love you all, you’re great!
Sephie, @thefairmaidenoffandom (ugh why did it not tag? Let’s try again later)
Y'all are very angsty. Like, my heart feels like it's been run through a meat grinder. It hurts. It's my own fault for being an event host, but, meh. * shrugs * 
You guys did yeet-tastically, I swear. It's over. * sheds tear * 
I hope y'all liked the event. It was fun, not gonna lie. 
* runs off into the sunset like I'm in an old Western *
Look forward to June, for we are organising a Flower Fluff June for the April showers have done their job and the flowers can now grow. Head over to @june-of-flower-fluff (why is tagging not working today?) in order to not miss any announcements :D It's going to be fun, no tears in that one! We will be announcing how it is going to be organised soon!
Once again, congratulations to the winners! See you (hopefully) soon!
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j3ssisam3ss · 4 years ago
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I Think I Love You
For @nightlychaotic
I thought April had 31 days. I thought wrong. So this is a day late, but here’s my Fluff take for @maribat-angst-fluff-april Prompt 7: “I think I love you.” “You think?!”
Damian exhaled shakily. “I’m going to propose to Marinette.”
His brothers stared at him in shock.
“Well, it’s about time,” said Dick. “Anyone with half a brain-cell can tell you two belong together. What are your plans?”
Damian shifted, unusually nervous. “I thought I’d take her to the Wayne Botanical Gardens. We could have a picnic and then I’ll tell her how much she means to me and ask her.”
“She loves those gardens,” Tim said approvingly. “Almost more than Ivy does I think.”
Jason chuckled. “Don’t let Ivy hear you say that.”
Dick smiled at his youngest brother. “It sounds like a good plan, Baby Bird. Let us know if you need anything.”
Damian nodded. “Thank you.”
A week later, Damian found himself sitting on a blanket with his beautiful girlfriend, trying to pretend he didn’t see his brothers hiding in the bushes.
They’d finished up the food several minutes ago and Damian brushed his fingers along the box in his pocket.
“Marinette?”
His girlfriend smiled at him. “Yes, Damian?”
He found himself scrambling to remember the start of the speech he’d planned.
“Ever since I met you, you’ve brought happiness and meaning to my life. Whether it’s fighting beside Ladybug or spending time with Marinette, I’m at my best when I’m with you. I think I love you.”
“You think?!” Jason abandoned his hiding place with all the righteous indignation of an Austen-lover scorned. “You think you love her? What kind of proposal is that? Mr. Darcy would be so disappointed in you!”
Dick yanked Jason back down into the bushes. “Seriously, man? You don’t interrupt a proposal!”
Damian flushed with anger, but a hand on his made him look back at Marinette.
“Ignore them,” she said. “We already knew they were idiots.”
Damian sighed. “Well, I guess you know what I was going to ask now.”
Marinette smiled softly. “Sweetheart, I’ve known for a week. Your family isn’t exactly subtle. And while my answer is most definitely yes, I’d love to hear the full proposal.”
Damian looked up. “But my brothers?”
Marinette pulled him towards her and kissed him soundly. “Do I look like I care about your brothers?”
Damian grinned. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you make my life so much better just by being in it. I never want to lose you. Will you marry me?”
Marinette beamed and threw herself into his arms. “Yes!”
A chorus of awws came from the bushes as Damian slid the ring on her finger.
Marinette whispered in his ear, “What do you say we do something about our unwanted audience?”
Damian smirked. “Absolutely. What did you have in mind?”
Shifting slightly, Marinette gestured to the picnic basket, where two paintball guns sat.
He blinked. “How did you even get those in there?”
“Magic.”
“Kwami, I adore you.”
“I know.” She smirked. “Now let’s show your brothers they messed with the wrong couple.”
Hours later, after Jason and Dick had repented of their nosiness many times over, Damian sat in front of the fireplace with his fiancée.
“Hey, Damian?” Marinette looked up at him.
“Yes, Marinette?”
“I think I love you too.”
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nightlychaotic · 4 years ago
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I Think I Love You
For @j3ssisam3ss
Here's my angst piece for @maribat-angst-fluff-april Prompt 7:“I think I love you.” “You think?!”
So I didn't really know what I was doing I just sort of wrote here's what came from it. I really hope you like it J3ssisam3ss. Um yeah. Here's my attempt at angst. I'm sorry. Enjoy!
--------------------------------------------------------
“I think I love you.”
“You think?” Marinette asked, raising an eyebrow. “Well you’ll just have to let me know when you make up your mind then. But just so you know. I know I love you,” she told him smiling.
“Alright then. I will. You will be the second to know.”
“The second?!”
“After me of course, Angel,” Damian replied with a smirk. Marinette laughed, head tilted back for a moment.
“That’s fair I suppose. Come on, we need to eat sometime if we don’t want Alfred to be disappointed. And we wouldn’t want that now would we?”
“No. No we wouldn’t,” Damian replied smiling as he watched Marinette pull herself up before extending a hand to him, pulling him up and enveloping him in a hug. “I love you my little bird,” she said softly. “And you can have all the time in the world to figure out if you love me or not.”
Damian smiled down at the girl in his arms. One he wasn’t positive how he felt about, but one that knew how to make his heart race and bring a smile unbidden to his face.
“Come on. I think I have some macaroons left over from Monday,” she pulled away, tugging him along, beaming.
----------
“What do you mean ‘he’s back.’ He can’t be. He died. He’s been gone for years. How is he back. I saw him die. His miraculous broke and the energy killed him. You were there Chat. You saw it!” Marinette exclaimed, pacing back and forth in her room as the fretted.
Damian frowned as he watched her pace, heart twinging in sympathy. He didn’t like to see her like this. The stress and anxiety, the fear present as her old foe resurfaced. He took a deep breath as he stood and crossed the room to Marinette, coming from behind to gently wrap his arms around her and hum slightly as her partner spoke on the other end of the phone. A small gesture, but one he hoped would calm her a bit. One he prayed would be helpful in a bit.
“You saw him? You’re sure? Fuck. I thought we were done with him. I should have known something was up when I couldn’t find any fragments of his Miraculous. It was too good to be true. That should have been clue enough. God I was just so happy to be done with it- I know. I know we all were. How are you holding up there, Chat?” she asked, as she looked up at Damian a frown on her face, softening as their eyes met. She gave him a soft smile, the tenseness not quite leaving, ever present for the time being, but lessened in his arms. “Do you know where he’s holed himself up this time? He wouldn’t be stupid enought to return to your house, especially after being declared dead. But he has to be somewhere close. How bad is it over there? Not bad? You just saw him. HE CAME TO YOU? What did he want? Chat- I’m so sorry Chat- this has to be killing you. God. I’ll catch the first flight out in the morning. We’ll meet, reconvene, plan, try and narrow down his location. We’ll get him this time, Chaton. For real this time. I swear- I know. I know. We’ll get through this. Partners remember? I’ll see you when I get back. Pick me up at the airport? Thanks. I’ll see you then,” she sighed as she hung up, all the strength seeming to leave her body as she leaned into Damian, trusting him to support her weight.
“What’s happened, Angel?” he murmured as he picked her up bridal style and carried her to the chair he was sitting in earlier, sitting down with her in his lap. She clenched her hands and took a shaky breath as she rested her head on his chest.
“I told you how I originally lived in Paris, I didn’t tell you that while I lived there, there was a supervillain, emotional terrorist, pain in my ass. However you’d like to frame it. His name was Hawkmoth and he stole a piece of jewelry called a Miraculous. Specifically he stole the Butterfly Miraculous, which allowed him to corrupt its power and prey off of any negative emotion. He would send his evil butterflies, they were called akumas, to evilise anyone who was having a bad day, turning them into a villain that would wreak havoc amongst Paris, sometimes killing millions-” she broke off as a shudder ran through her body. Her breaths became shakier as she clenched her eyes shut.
“Shhshshsh. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”
“No. No. Just let me continue. I- you should know. These Akuma’s could be deadly, despite how ridiculous they look. But there were two heroes who fought them. Ladybug and Chat Noir. The holders of the Ladybug Miraculous and the Black Cat Miraculous. Gifted with the powers of Creation and Destruction respectively. Hawkmoth wanted to get a hold of these two Miraculi, for when combined they grant the user a wish. Any wish of their desire. Rewriting reality itself. But balance needs to be maintained and any wish made would require balance, typically devastating on a world wide scale. Two years ago, Hawkmoth, Ladybug and Chat Noir had a final confrontation on the roofs of Paris. His Miraculous broke. Or so we thought. The energy output from that much power shattering killed him. THe body was disfigured and no parts of his Miraculous could be found. That should have been the biggest hint looking back at it now. But it doesn’t matter now. Paris was free. Free to feel emotions without worrying you were going to lose control and become a monster. But the heroes were foolish and took it at face value. They declared Hawkmoth’s identity, Gabriel Agreste, dead, and told Paris that they were safe. BUt apparently he showed his face once more today. He’s not as dead as everyone thought. He hasn’t akumatised anyone, but it’s only a matter of time,” she finished off, tears beginning to spill. Damon frowned as he gently wiped the tears away.
“And you want to go back to Paris? Right as a villain reemerges?” he asked furrowing his brow.
“I don’t have a choice, Damian. I have to go.”
Damian held her close as his mind reeled. Don’t have a choice. Chaton. Chat. ‘Partners remember?’ ‘We’ll get him this time, Chaton. For real this time.’ Everything slowly clicked into place for him. “You’re Ladybug,” he breathed out, feeling Marinette stiffen in his arms before a soft, broken laugh forced its way out.
“Figured it out already? I shouldn’t have taken that call in front of you. I should have known better. Better to take a call about a supervillain in front of Robin. That’s on me I suppose.”
“You know?”
She nodded. “I have for a while. I didn’t mean to find out but the connections are there if you can make them and I have a bit of a knack for coming to conclusions in convoluted ways. There’s a reason I call you my little bird.”
“I’m coming with you.”
“I can’t ask you too. It’s too dangerous for you.”
“Let me help you.”
“Damian-”
“Angel. Please. I want to help you in any way I can. I don’t want you to go alone.” I don’t think I could handle it if anything happened to you.
Marinette sighed as she pulled away from him slightly, eyes coming to meet his, searching for any indication of how he feels, before she gave a small nod. “Fine. But you stay safe and follow my lead, promise? I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you because you were stubborn enough to decide that you wanted to help me and my city.”
“Promise.” I couldn’t bear it either, Angel.
----------
The two of them stepped out of the airport, Damian, carrying their bags as Marinette looked around. Damian tensed as he noticed a blonde man run up, and encase Marinette in a hug.
“I’m so sorry I dragged you back here.”
“Shhhh. It’s okay. You didn’t drag me anywhere and it is certainly not your fault,” she comforted the man, as she gently stroked his hair. “Everything will be okay, Chaton. I promise.”
The man nodded as he slowly broke the hug, wiping at a few stray tears that threatened to fall. “Thank you, Princess,” he smiled. “And who’s this you’ve brought with.”
“Oh. This is Damian. He’s-”
“Her boyfriend,” Damian found himself blurting out, cutting her off as he moved ever so closer to her. She looked up at him owlishly as his words computed. Adrien’s chuckle broke the silence between the two as he held out a hand for a handshake, simultaneously taking a bag from Damian.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Adrien Agreste. Marinette’s friend from lycee. Glad to see she’s finally found someone.”
Damian took his hand, shaking it, before the trio moved to Adrien’s car, the bags being thrown in the back as they climbed in. Adrien and Marinette in the front, Damian, begrudgingly taking the back.
“Damian came with to help us with our problem, Adrien.”
“He knows? You told him?”
“Yes and no. He knows but he figured it out himself. I made the foolish mistake of taking your call in front of him. He put the pieces together as explained Paris’ past with Hawkmoth.”
“And you think he can help?”
“He has his own skill set that could end up being very valuable for us to utilize. And he’s too stubborn for his own good and I don’t think any amount of my telling him not to help would keep him from coming,” Marinette explained. Adrien just nodded in response.
“Are you going to give him a Miraculous then?”
Damian looked up at Marinette at this. She had more than her own Miraculous? She could hand them out. He glanced away as Marinette looked back at him, head tilted to the side slightly.
“I’m not sure. It’s a possibility and the added protection it would give him is definitely a good idea. The thought has crossed my mind but we haven’t discussed it yet. He doesn’t, or rather didn’t, know that I possess all of the Miraculi.”
“Sorry, M’Lady. I figured you told him everything. You aren’t the best at keeping secrets you know.”
“Please I managed to keep me being Ladybug from your lovesick self for five years. I think I can do just fine.”
“Touche. You got me there.”
“Excuse me, you possess all the Miraculi, Angel?” Damian cut in.
“Not all of them. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. There are different Miracle boxes all over the world apparently, but I am the Guardian of a Miracle box and all of the Miraculi and kwamii residing in it. I keep them from falling into the wrong hands and get them back when they do. Currently the only ones not under my possession are the Black Cat which Adrien kept, and the Butterfly which Hawkmoth possesses.”
“I see,” Damian said, the new information being filed away for later.
“So, Damian. How do you think you can help?” Adrien asked, making eye contact with him through the rearview mirror.
Damian paused. I was raised by assassins and am Batman’s son and the current Robin and Heir to the Demon’s Head, wasn’t exactly on the table as a response. “I have a lot of training, resources, and am a pair of fresh eyes. I can provide invaluable insight and perhaps help you two enhance you technique and provide you with new training before you face Hawkmoth once more,” he explained carefully.
“Hmm. Good to know. You can handle yourself?”
“Better than you could, Agreste.”
“Ooh I see how it is. And you’re sure he can help, M’Lady?”
“Positive. I wouldn’t trust anyone more to help us.”
“Okay then.”
The rest of the car ride was quiet, with some small talk between Adrien and Marinette as they caught up, leaving Damian to his thoughts. M’Lady. Agreste had a crush on Marinette and Marinette had a crush on him in their opposite personas. Ironic. His mind drifted back to the hug at the airport and how he declared himself her boyfriend, possessiveness finding its way to the forefront of his feelings at that moment. That was new. He wasn’t sure why or how but he wanted to make it clear that he cared for Marinette, and that he was there for her. He snapped out of his thoughts as the car pulled to a stop in front of a mansion.
“Hey, Marinette, why don’t you run inside, there's some cookies for Tikki on the counter and I know Plagg will want to talk with her, despite how many times he might say otherwise. Damian and I will grab the bags, okay?” Adrien suggested. Marinette looked back at Damian, silently asking if he was okay with her leaving him alone with Adrien. He gave her a soft smile and a small nod. She smiled in return and headed inside, as Adrien met him just outside the car door. “So, how do you feel towards Marinette?”
“What do you mean Agreste?”
“What are your intentions? Do you love her?”
“I don’t know. My intentions are nothing other than honorable. I wish to protect her. I do not want to see her harmed if I can help it.”
“Do you love her?”
“Why do you care?”
“Because she’s my partner and friend. I don’t want her to break because someone decided to play with her heart. She’s had to deal with so much and is about to take on more.”
Damian took a breath as he studied Adrien, nodding slightly.
“I don’t know if I love her. I think I may.”
Adrien nodded, apparently satisfied with his answer. “If you hurt her in anyway, I’ll Cataclysm you and no one will ever find the remains of your body,” he warned before grinning and popping the trunk of the car, grabbing the bags. Domain stared after him for a movement before moving to help carry bags into the mansion.
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“Did you mean what you said at the airport earlier?” Marinette asked, looking over at him as they walked through the garden outside of Agreste’s Mansion.
“About me being your boyfriend?” he clarified. She nodded. “I did, Angel. Unless that makes you uncomfortable.”
“No. No. Not at all. I’ve already told you I love you , it’s just. We’ve never talked about putting a label on our relationship before and-”
Damian cut her off, leaning down and giving a quick kiss on the cheek. “”And now we have. Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend, Marinette Dupain-Cheng?”
“I’d love nothing more, Damian. I love you.”
He smiled at her, pressing another kiss to her cheek, not able to return those words just yet. She squeezed his hand twice, blushing and beaming up at him as they walked. The two relaxed for a moment, as they tried to forget about the supervillain that lay out there, somewhere. That afternoon was for them and them alone. For them to relax and spend time together and not think about what was to come.
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“We know he’s out there. I saw him. He came up and spoke to me. So where the hell is he?” Adrien growled as they looked over maps of Paris, trying to pinpoint where he might be hiding.
“He hasn’t sent out any akumas since he’s returned. We have no clue of knowing where he is. At this point I think we’re just waiting on his move.”
“Maybe, but we can at least narrow it down to a few areas and scout those out tonight. He’s legally dead, meaning he should in theory have little to no funds, and would want to remain out of eye-shot as much as possible. He was a well known fashion mogul. People know his face. He’ll be somewhere, secluded, possibly with a lot of tree coverage, and not a lot of foot traffic. Possibly residential but more likely industrial or business areas. More likely industrial,” Damian reasoned, marking a few spots on the map with a red marker. “These would make the most sense for him to hide out in. This one here,” he pointed to a small clump of industrial warehouses on the edge of Paris, “is the best candidate. Far away from people, plenty of space to hide. We should start our search there.”
Marinette nodded. “We’ll start there then. We’ll suit up after dark and head over to find him. If we have the opportunity to grab his Miraculous while we’re out we take it. As long as we have the element of surprise and opportunity, he shouldn’t have time to transform or fight back much. I don’t want this to drag out another five years. Once is enough. The people of Paris do not need to go through this hell again.”
“Agreed. We stop my father as soon as we can. But what about him?”
“I’m coming with.”
“Damian-”
“I’m coming. I have more experience than the both of you. I want to help you, Marinette.”
Marinette nodded. “Fine. I’ll look at matching you up with a Miraculous. I’m thinking the Dragon,” she looked over at Adrien for his thoughts. He nodded.
“I don’t know him as well as you do but I can see him and Longg getting along well.”
Marinette hummed as she moved to her bags, digging the Miracle box out and opening it., before grabbing a choker out of it and holding it out to Damian.
“This is the Dragon Miraculous of Perfection. Will you wield it to help Chat Noir and me defeat Hawkmoth and capture his Miraculous?”
Damian took the choker from her and put it on as he nodded. “I would be honored to.”
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“I’m not seeing anything. Ladybug? Draconis?”
“Nothing on my end,” Damian, Draconis, responded.
“I think I got something. You two get over here as soon as you can.”
“On my way now, M’Lady.”
“3 minutes.”
Damian ran over the rooftops, the additional speed and strength granted to him by the suit halfing his estimated arrival time. He paused for just a moment as he saw Ladybug fighting. He had found her. He had found her. They lost their advantage of surprise. He was onto them.
“Chat. He’s here.”
“Fuck. I’m almost there.”
“Draconis, stay back for the moment. He doesn’t know you're here and I plan to keep it like that as long as we can. You’re our only element of surprise left,” Ladybug gave her quick and quiet whispered orders as she ducked back, Chat Noir landing in between her and Hawkmoth giving her a quick breather. “Step in only if you have an opportunity to grab his Miraculous or we need the help.”
“Tt. I don’t like this, Ladybug.”
“My city, my rules,” came the quick reply.
Draconis tucked himself in a tree, not far from the fight and watched, itching to jump in and fight. It killed him to watch her fight without him by her side to protect him. Please be okay. They’ve done this before they know what they're doing. She’ll be okay. She’ll be okay. He reassured himself. Stay focused.
“Chat!” Ladybug’s panicked cry filled the air as Chat was knocked away, into a building, the force of it bringing the wall crashing down on top of the cat. Draconis lept into action trying to get to where Ladybug was as fast as he could. He put on a burst of speed as Hawkmoth took advantage of Ladybug’s brief distraction, to stab her as she turned back to him.
“NO!” Draconis yelled, tackling Hawkmoth away from her, wrenching the sword stick out of his hands, only managing to twist it in Ladybug’s wound as the momentum carried it and them away. Draconis wrenched the broach off of Hawkmoth as they went airborne. He stowed the Miraculous in a hidden pocket as he recovered to face Gabriel, drawing his sword and pointing at him.
“You’re new.”
“And your time is finished Gabriel.”
“And so is Ladybug’s,” he shot back. Draconis turned around to find Ladybug, Marinette, laying on the ground in a growing pool of blood.
“No, no, no.” He turned back to face Gabriel. “I will not lose her because of you.”
“You already have.” Damian saw red at that point as he charged Gabriel running him through with his sword, before running, dropping his transformation, as he made it to Marinette, picking her up in his arms holding her to him as he put pressure on his wounds.
“Damian?” she asked weakly as she look up at him.
“It’s going to be okay, Angel. Everything’s going to be okay. I’m here.”
She smiled softly and shook her head, coughing up a bit of blood as she did. “It’s too late for me. My cure won’t work this time around for me.”
“It has to. Please. Try. For me,” he begged, fighting the tears in his eyes.
“Mi-raculous...Lady-bug,” she said weakly as he helped her toss her yo-yo into the air. The rush of magical ladybugs filled the area but the injuries remained the same, as her transformation dropped. “I’m so sorry my little bird.”
“No. Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry I didn’t keep this from happening. I’m so sorry, Marinette.”
“Shhhhhhhh. Please don’t apologize. You don’t need to.”
Damian just nodded as tears ran down his face.
Marinette smiled at him as she gently wiped away his tears. “I love you, Damian. I love you,” she whispered as her breath shuddered and her hand fell away. Damian leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he held her, oblivious to Adrien coming up behind them before moving to stand over the body of his father giving them space. There was only him and her. His heart breaking as he looked at the girl in his arms. One he would do anything to get back. He held her tight, refusing to let go, as he rocked back and forth slightly.
“No- no no nononono. I love you. Come back to me. Please. I love you. I know now. Don’t leave me. Please. I know. I love you Marinette. I love you.”
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jinx-jade · 4 years ago
Text
April Angst and Fluff gift exchange
Angst-Prompt-2 “you remember?” “Of course I remember.”
I took a line of the song mercy out of context.
This is the result.
Part 1 of Mercy
for @celestial-void-the-3rd
______________________
The spotted vigilante looked around numbly.
There’s fire everywhere.
Injured, dead, frightened, sobbing, and mourning civilians of all ages were scattered amongst the rubble.
Buildings, sidewalks, and roads were broken, falling apart, and heavily damaged.
Yet the spotted vigilante was simply numb.
Far too used to seeing this level of destruction and death.
There was only a small difference between this and an akuma attack.
There is no miraculous cure.
The cure was only responsible for removing any trace that a miraculi was involved.
The only reason it reversed deaths, healed the injured, and restored the surrounding areas was because a miraculi had caused it in one way or another.
This?
This time the deaths are supposed to be permanent.
This time the destruction is supposed to stay.
Marinette looked at the other heroes, vigilantes, and magic users.
They all seem stiff.
Each of them seemed to have carefully placed a blank mask of neutrality on their features.
The only reason Marinette could even read their emotions was due to her time as Ladybug during Hawkmoth’s terror.
That thought alone strikes a bitter cord.
Marinette is not Ladybug, hero of Paris.
Not anymore at least.
She is Miracle, a mage, and a member of the Justice League.
No one in the League knows that she has the miraculi.
Marinette plans that no one ever will know that she has the miraculi in her possession until she gives up her title.
Not her friends, Dick, Babs, Jason, Cass, Tim, and Damian.
Not her family, Tom, and Sabine.
Not even her Fiancé, Jon.
Was it really worth keeping her title as guardian such a big secret when she can help?
Sure the miraculous cure won’t work, but the guardians had created a spell with the same effect.
Looking around again, Marinette clenches her hands in thought.
The spell requires four things.
The first, guardian blood to be used to draw the mark.
The second, read the incantation in the guardian’s tongue.
The third, read the incantation in your love’s tongue, be it, platonic love or romantic love.
The fourth, an unknown price.
Marinette had memorized this spell for a rainy day.
She never thought using it would be a real possibility, and she doesn’t know its price.
Taking a deep breath Marinette forced her body to relax.
Marinette moved from the spot she had been standing still in, effectively gaining the other JL members’ attention with the movement.
As Marinette walked with the attention on her, she bent down and picked up a discarded blade that probably belonged to one of the bats.
Marinette continued walking as she twirled the blade in her hands, arriving at the desired area.
She knelt down on an area of ground that was mainly clear, or at the very least, clear enough to draw the mark.
With all the destruction, crackling fire, and crumbling buildings, Marinette thought it would be too loud for herself to focus, yet at this moment, it was eerily silent.
Marinette didn’t look up from the ground, knowing that her resolve might break if she dared to look at the ones she cared for.
Taking in a deep breath Marinette quickly sliced a line from the crease of her elbow to the inner side of her writs.
She could hear the others question what she was doing but she ignored it as she let the blood run down to her hand.
Marinette began by drawing the outer circle of the mark before drawing the inner details, kneeling on the outside of the mark while her blood continued to run down her arm and into the symbols.
She began the incantation in the guardian’s tongue.
“Gnimusnoc lla eht ria edisni ym sgnul,” Marinette could feel her chest tighten with this line.
“Gnippir lla eht niks morf ffo ym senob,” Her skin began to burn as she had to keep herself from hissing out in pain.
“M’i deraperp ot ecifircas ym efil,” She could feel her eyes stinging, with tears or pain, she’s not sure. All Marinette could do was close her eyes tightly.
“I dluow yldalg od ti eciwt,” Marinette could vaguely hear someone call out to stop her.
Most likely one of the magic users since the guardian’s tongue was the same as a normal magic user's spells.
Marinette clenched her eyes a bit tighter.
Her love’s tough is English.
They would all know exactly what she’s saying.
Marinette opened her eyes when she felt Pollen’s magic being used.
She began to speak again, under the assumption that everyone who could possibly stop her is currently paralyzed.
“Consuming all the air inside my lungs,” she hissed out in pain.
“Ripping all the skin from off my bones,” Marinette can see how pale her skin is now, resembling porcelain in both color and warmth.
“I’m prepared to sacrifice my life,” She could see the marks of the Grand Guardian appear on herself. Her chest felt as it was being crushed under one of the buildings
“I would gladly do it twice” Marinette states, as she wabbled on her knees.
Marinette finally looked up, eyes meeting the eyes of her Fiancé, her love, before completely collapses, her head hitting the ground as she whispers a plea to any deity, spirit, fate, or balance that would listen. “Please have mercy on them.”
Marinette felt Pollen’s magic snap as someone finally broke through, the bee kwami not bothering to rebuild the spell.
She vaguely felt someone pick her up and hold her to their chest.
Panicked shouts, whispers, and sobs could be heard.
A flood of light appeared so bright that she could see it without opening her eyes.
With that, Marinette let her consciousness fade into darkness as she released the title of Grand Guardian to her successors.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Marinette gasped awake.
Her head was pounding.
What happened?
Oh.
That’s right.
She had used her life to cast a spell with the same properties as the miraculous cure.
Wait.
She remembered?
Of course, she remembered.
Why would anything she did go smoothly?
Looking around Marinette was met with the people of her temple and her successors.
“What’s going on?” Marinette questioned.
“We felt you transfer your title but something wasn’t right,” Manon said as she helped her sit up.
“So what happened?” Marinette questioned once again.
“The balance has laid claim to you, high priestess. While those you choose to succeed you now have your old title, you have gained a new” One of the elders answered.
Marinette let out a tired sigh.
"I am honored by the Balance,” Marinette claimed, resigning herself to her fate.
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lilcoffeecup · 4 years ago
Text
Family Lost,Family Found
This is my entry for the fluff/angst Maribat April. This is the angst piece to @i-love-being-weird‘s fluff piece. Its not very long, I hope you enjoy it and if you have a chance go check out the fluff piece (it’s really good) :) @maribat-angst-fluff-april
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Life on the streets had always been hard for Jason, not knowing when his next meal would be or if he would have to endure another beatdown when he wouldn’t pay the ‘monthly tax’ to the two-bit criminal working for Black Mask. He hadn’t expected to have this weird feeling in his chest that made him want to protect her from all the bad things in life. In Crime Alley it was survival of the fittest and if you wanted to survive you were only supposed to look after yourself, only yourself. Somehow though, there she was, shivering in the rain and looking as thin as a twig which would break if simply touched.  
“Hey, its raining out, you should go back home, it’s not safe to be out here”
“I-I don’t ha-have a-a home or any wh-where to g-go”
“Well come on then, I know a place” “Wh-where?” “A lil’ up ahead, you’re shaking like a leaf so hurry up”
Upon reaching the building, Jason could see that the little girl was still shaking, it made sense though since unlike him who was only a little bit wet, she was soaked to the bone.
“Here, blueberry” Jason hands Marinette a blanket, “warm up, this place doesn’t have heating, so these blankets are all we got” gesturing to the pile of worn-out blankets which had definitely seen better days.  For the first time in a long time both Marinette and Jason feel asleep knowing that they were not alone.
Over the next few weeks, Jason and Marinette, who Jason had taken to calling pixie, became inseparable, things were somewhat good, running errands for some thugs got Jason money for food and he didn’t feel lonely ever since pixie came into his life. Jason should have known that it wouldn’t last, money was dwindling as fast as it was coming and the time for the monthly payment was coming up. He hadn’t realized how hard it would be when it wasn’t only him that he had to look out for, but also pixie, his little sister not by blood but by love.
Over the next few days Marinette could see that something had been bothering Jason, but every time she asked, he said nothing and tried to change the subject.
“Jay-Jay, what’s wrong, you seem so much more on edge for the past few days?” “Hmm, oh its nothing pixie, I scored this somewhat fresh loaf of bread today, here” Jason said, giving the loaf to Marinette and only ripping off a tiny piece. Marinette heard the rumble of Jason’s stomach and looked at him questionably, he had been getting thinner and she couldn’t help but think that it was her fault. Ripping off a big chunk of the loaf, she handed it to Jason, “Jay-Jay you need to eat, don’t think I haven’t noticed you giving me most of the food, you need it more than me” “No pix, I already ate, I brought this for you” “Bu- “. Jason cut Marinette off, “No buts pixie, you need to eat or you’re going to be a twig forever!” “Hey! I’m not a twig” “Then eat pixie” Marinette huffed then mumbled out a “fine”.
Marinette had been meaning to do something for Jason for a while now and she found her opportunity when she came upon a fruit stall, the owner was busy talking to someone, so she quickly swiped an apple. While walking away she beamed, “Jason’s gonna love it!” she thought. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn’t notice the two men looking at her with knowing eyes.
“Hey! Isn’t that the kid whose been hanging around with the Todd brat these days?” “Yeah, I’ve word on the street is that she’s his sister or somethin’” The taller man, Mark, smirks, “well, well, well, guess we found the Todd brat’s weakness now”. The other man, Bill, smirks as well “collection time is coming up soon anyways, why not send a lil’ reminder”
2 blocks away from her and Jason’s hideout, Marinette was sure to hide her loot so that no prying eyes would see anything, this was for Jason and no one else. All of a sudden, she heard a holler behind her and spun around, immediately on edge.
“Hey kid! you’re with that Todd brat aren’t cha, his sister?” They didn’t wait for a response, just barreled into her, knocking her to the ground. “See, ya brother usually ends up comin’ up late on payments so we thought a lil’ incentive would nice, saves us the hassle of having to track the brat down and him a beating, ya know”  
Before she could get up and run, she felt the wind get knocked out of her by a kick to her stomach, then her ribs, she curled into herself as tight as she could, but they kept on kicking her. She hadn’t even realized when they had stopped and left, she hurt all over and farther ahead was a mushed apple with a section bitten off suggesting that someone had taken a bite then crushed it with their shoe.
Crying, bleeding, and defeated, Marinette limped back to the abandoned building she and Jason had huddled up in. As soon as she got in, she was faced by a worried Jason. “Pixie!! Where were you, I came back and you weren’t here, I was so worried something had happe- “Jason cut himself off. “Pixie, what happened to you? Where did all these bruises come from, just give me the name and I swear they won’t ever touch you again”
“I don’t know their names, but they said something about beating me up as incentive for them not having to track you down for payments and for you to avoid a beating”, Jason felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He had been worried about this month’s payment date was creeping closer and closer and how he didn’t have enough, again. He had heard that the tires business had been doing well in the Black Shack, the place where most stolen things were fenced. He would have to make sure to try and score some, and cash in a few favours to try and scrounge up the money. Batman usually stuck to the city and here, in Crime Alley, there was no Batman that was gonna swoop in and save him or pixie if he wasn’t able to pay up in time.
Jason spent almost all of the next day trying to scope out any potential places he could hit and while he was able to get some loot, it wasn’t enough. It was already after dusk and the night had set in, and he knew he better get back soon since the later at night, the more dangerous it is. Just 1 or 2 buildings before his destination, he saw it, the bat-mobile, basking under the moonlight like a gift from above, and just by looking at it he could tell that they were custom. This would easily be able to cover the rest of the payment and he could get that plushie pixie had been staring at the other day.
He first made sure that no one was nearby, it wouldn’t do for someone to try and claim his prize before he could. Confirming an all clear, or as clear as it could be for the time of night, he got to work on the tires. He was almost done taking out the 3rd tire when he heard someone around him and whipped around so fast, he was sure he would feel it in his neck later. He couldn’t see the person but definitely felt someone’s eyes on him.
“Whoever you are, beat it, I found this first so it’s mine, go find your own!”.  The response startled him, as the person came out of the shadows, “This is my car, so I don’t think I’ll beat it”, it was the Batman, and Jason felt as if those white lenses were piercing into his very being. “Ho-Holy shit, you’re the Batman!” “Yes, yes, I am, now could you put the tires back on my car?” “I-I can’t, I need the money, not all of us can afford to live lavishly like you, judging by your custom tires” “Why do you need the money, kid?” “None of your business” Jason sneered, he was getting sick of this, he had hidden the other tires well so he could come back for them tomorrow, he needed to get out of here ASAP. “Where do you think you’re going kid?” Batman asked just as Jason was about to turn and make a run for it, Jason didn’t bother to give him a response just made a mad dash for it.
He didn’t get far when Batman caught up to him, “Kid, I need you to put my tires back on” ‘this isn’t worth it’ Jason thought and decided that he would put the tires back then get back to pixie straight after. As soon as Jason had finished putting back all the tires, he was just about to get the hell out of there when he heard Batman “Get in kid” and knew that he couldn’t leave pixie all alone.
“No, I’m not going with you, you sicko! I already fixed your tires, what else do you want from me!” He struggled “The streets aren’t a safe place for kids, you’re coming with me” “No, let me go! I can’t leave her alone! You don’t understand! Let go!!” “Who her? Is there someone living with you?” Jason mentally hit himself, ‘how could he expose pixie! No, he couldn’t tell him about her!’. “No-one” Jason said as he was huddled into the bat mobile.
It was a few weeks until Jason was able to get out of the Manor and back to Crime Alley to check on pixie. When he reached the abandoned building, there was no pixie in sight, and almost nothing that would tell that anyone had lived there. Finding out through the grapevine, it turned out that pixie had been sold to a tourist couple in the façade of an adoption to pay off the debt that had built up in Jason’s absence. He had failed to protect her, failed to keep her away from all the bad things and now because of Jason’s mistakes, she was paying the price. He swore that he would find her and that when he did, he would never let her go, ever.
It had been years since that fateful night, Jason missed and thought of his little sister every day, he had given up hope on finding her after the first 2 years. Lost in thought, he didn’t realize bumping into a petite black-haired girl carrying a coffee walking out of a café that he and pixie would go to on special days if the had enough money. “Sorry mister, didn’t see you there, would you happen to know where the Wayne Enterprises building is?” “Don’t apologize, it was my fault too, lost in thought, I was just heading there myself, I can show you”. “Thank you so much!”
Jason couldn’t help but be reminded of his little pixie when looking at this girl, he felt his chest tighten up at the thought. “Hey mister, are you okay? you seem to have spaced out a bit” the girl asked. “No, I’m fine, you just remind me of someone who I miss a lot” “Funny enough, you remind me of someone I used to know and cherish a lot when I used to live here”.
“You used to live here?” Jason asked, he would definitely not have been able to tell had she not pointed it out. “Yeah, but it was a long time ago, I used to live in Crime Alley with my brother but got separated and haven’t seen him since” the girl said with a sad and pained face.
“We’re here!” Jason said as they reached the building, “Thanks for all the help mister!” said the girl and was about to walk away when Jason’s had realized that they had never introduced themselves, “Hey! What’s your name?”. The girl turned around and smiled “Sorry, I totally forgot to introduce myself, Hi, I’m Marinette” Marinette stuck out her hand, Jason shook it and said “Hey, I’m Jason”. Both thought ‘that’s her/his name! It can’t be thoug-‘ they didn’t have time to finish their though before a teenager about the age of Marinette with a coffee cup in hand and a younger child came into view.
What the younger said, shook Marinette to her core, not going unnoticed by the rest, “Todd! Finally, you show up Father and Drake have been waiting for you!”. “Marinette? What happened? You look like you’ve seen a ghost”, Jason looked concerningly at Marinette, “You-you’re na-name is Jason Todd?” “Yeah…why?” Jason was getting worried now but felt as if the word has stopped when he heard what Marinette said next.
Her voice cracking, Marinette spoke so quietly, almost as if whispering “Jay-Jay? Is that you?” Jason almost broke into sobs right in the lobby of W.E., could this really be happening? “Pixie, that you?”. Marinette immediately threw herself into Jason’s chest, and nodded “Ye-yeah it’s me, oh my God, jay-jay I thought I would never be able to see you again, are you really here, tell me this isn’t another dream because I don’t ever want to wake up if it is”. Jason started rubbing soothing circles on her back while shedding his own tears, “Shhh, it’s okay Pixie, it’s me, I’m really here, this is real and I thought I would never see you again either” “God pix, I’m so, so, sorry I left you all alone, I looked for you everywhere but never found you”. “Please don’t leave me again” Marinette sobbed, “I don’t want to lose you again”. Jason felt even more tears pooling and dripping from his eyes, “Never pixie, I will never leave you, ever.” 
Jason tightly hugged Marinette, “I missed you Jay-Jay” “I missed you too Pixie,  I missed you too”. 
~fin.
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