#akumatized nick

[tosteur-gluteal]

"Oh, please ! You're not exactly in a place to judge, [REDACTED]!" Drawing collab with @theokusgallery! He did the lineart and I did the coloring. It comes from this fic we have written together.

(attention :3 il y a un juron pas très cool de type transphobe c'est pas très gentil)

[mattsfavoritestar]

masterlist !

ADORE YOU, chris sturniolo

synopsis… chris bought you a camera for your birthday since you loved professional photos rather than the ones from your phone. as much as you love when he poses for the camera, you love taking off guarded pictures more as it shows the real him

warnings… nothing too serious just fluff, soft kisses and pecks, use of y/n (like 2 times), loverboy!chris, chris and reader and basically obsessed with each other, matt is lowkey a hater but we love him, reader almost blinds chris

chris loves to admire you he truly does think he’s the luckiest guy in the world. what he doesn’t realize is how obsessed his girlfriend is with him as he is with her. he bought you a professional camera for your birthday since your digital one finally hit the curb.

with his entire career being based on social media and youtube, chris is bound to be photogenic and camera ready. he never shys away from the camera when you pull it out. sometimes he’ll even do a stupid pose to get a laugh out of you.

you loved taking pictures of chris but your favorites are when he is caught off guard.

left picture…

you were sitting in the back with nick while matt drove and chris in the passenger seat. the boys finished their weekly youtube video a little early so they decided on going out for the rest of the day.

you notice chris looking in his camera as he messes with his hair. you couldn’t help but smile just because. highschool you would’ve thrown up at the mere thought of seeing someone have heart eyes with anyone but ever since you met chris you couldn’t help but adore him.

you take your camera out your bag then proceed to set it up. this picture you’re about to take will officially be the fifteenth photo you have of chris. as he was putting his hat on you focused the camera on him. you called his name cause chris to turn your direction. a another perfect photo.

“really?” he smiles. you shrugged as you admire the fresh photo. you didn’t see matt roll his eyes in the front but you did hear nick snicker from beside you. “no mushy shit in my car” matt stated.

right picture…

“okay but here me out. we should go to paris in costume and pretend that we were akumatized” chris says. it was currently 2 in the morning by the way. 

“chris if we did that people would think that we belong in a mental ward” you laughed as you changed your camera’s settings. “do you think mcdonald’s is open? i’m hungry as shit” chris asks. you shrugged then changed positing so you could lay on your stomach.

chris pulls out his phone to check doordash. between the low lighting and the phone screen illuminating his face, chris looked absolutely beautiful. it was almost too perfect not to capture. you didn’t put the camera up to your eye, just glanced at it not realizing you accidentally turned the flash on.

as the camera flashes, chris shuts his eyes quick out of irritation. he starts rubbing his eyes while you drop the camera and check on him. “fuck baby i’m so sorry i didn’t realize the flash was on” you apologize.

chris starts laughing and smiles at you. you pawned his hands away from his face to examine his eyes. his eyes did look a little red but nothing too serious. you didn’t even notice chris taking in your features so you started to get worried as his eyes dilated more and more. 

“chris are you okay? can you see correctly?” you ask in a panic as you grab the sides of his face. he gives you a goofy smile as his hands find your waist. “i think i’d be crying if i couldn’t see your pretty face” he replies. you cheeks go warm and a smile paints your face. 

“sorry i hurt you, you’re just so pretty to look at” you say rubbing his face. chris’ smile grew more wide then he leaned in to give you a quick peck. “you’re so pretty y/n i wish i knew how to use that type of camera so i can take thousands of pictures of you” he says. 

you kiss all over his face with smalls pecks and felt his face vibrate on your lips as he giggles. he then lifts you up a bit so he can pull you into a kiss. “i really do love you y/n” he says on your lips.

xoxo, kairo

[familyagrestefanblog]

I can only hope the new Paris special won't force Marinette/ Toxinelle into the role of the "chaotic baddest bitch" for superficial praise and keeping Adrien/ Griffe Noire as nothing but her unconditional support again and the "good" one. Because literally from the way the powers of Ladybug and Chat Noir work that's bullshit and the MUCH weaker story premise character wise.

Toxinelle has no offensive powers. She can be as smart as she wants in this scenario her powers are needed for AFTER the Butterfly akumatized someone to save the city, so she can prevent said saving from happening.

Griffe Noire would be required to first nuke the city so the butterfly can react to something and that means alternative Adrien/ Griffe Noire would - the longer all that went on - have needed to let go of all morality he once had and agree to become the moster of the two so SHE can remain level headed and get the Butterfly from the hero.

That's still alot of pressure and burden on Toxinelle's shoulders, being the one who has to be the light at the end of the tunnel for both of them to get their happy ending in a better world. But for the love of God, Adrien throwing out his humanity and only holding onto her and his dead mother

If this is to be believed:

Is ALOT worse and fitting as the conflict's heart piece.

I can only hope the special will be reasonable enough that Toxinelle will be the lesser evil of ShadyClaw and not waste so much story potential for another round of "Chloé the awful bitch". There is so much more interesting stuff you can do with Marinette than that, especially in the Toxinelle field.

Already as Ladybug Marinette showcases extremely dangerous anti-hero tendencies where she becomes so strategic that everyone involved stops being human beings or mattering in the moment because she needs to get something important done.

Most crucial examples are how Emilie Agreste's dead body was used as a mere inhuman tool by her in "Recreation" to defeat her insane husband, by cataclysming the lift and letting it crash down on Emilie to force Gabriel to stand still. Only though that Marinette then barely gave Gabriel enough time to throw the lift sideways and he only managed to save himself and Emilie from being crushed in the nick of time.

Or you know, all of Marinette's horrifying plan in "Destruction" that put several life in danger by sending Monarque to helpless civilians (even to ANNOY HIM) and Chat Noir was literally turned into a non-human object served on a silver plate to Monarque. He couldn't move an inch like a human is to be expected or even BREATH while Monarque went to grab for his throat while Marinette herself stood save and sound in the back because all she actually thought about in that plan were the Kwamis and herself (not even bringing up how fucked up it was to not even let Chat Noir know that her plan involves him having to possibly live with having cataclysmed a person.)

Everyone else MONARQUE had to keep save in her plan by not being the awful and sadistic monster they thought him to be. Tolerating all kinds of disrespectful bullshit and not using any Second chance or other miraculous powers besides voyage, or for the lols quartering Chat Noir's statue for example in a second's notice.

Marinette's plan in "Destruction" was horrifying and impossibly irresponsible in how she instinctively dehumanized everyone but herself and the Kwamis in it without noticing it and 100% relied on MONARQUE to be a decent and reasonable enough person underneath so she could get away with the insane endangerment and dehumanization of everyone but herself (especially Chat Noir).

Her final battle with Monarque had Marinette come back to this questionable morality when she pulled a low-blow anti hero move by dragging the dead spouse of the villain further into the fight, and risking to take any human dignity away from Emilie's remainings - who never wanted any of this being done in her name - by making it GABRIEL'S job to save and preserve her from Bug Noire.

Marinette 100% has some serious anti-hero tendencies in how she dehumanizes people sometimes as side-effect of her strategic mind and when she's either to caught up in her head or she thinks her goal justifies the means.

Jfc, quit the bullshit and let Toxinelle be the escalation of that side of Marinette because she and Adrien know their identities this time around - truly THEM against the world - and she's stuck in a position where Adrien was forced to let go of his humanity and other emotional attachments for their cause, is way too far gone by now and she has to make sure they actually win so all of this wasn't for nothing.

Give me a Marinette/ Toxinelle who made it out of her having been bullied alot worse and that's how she got into this, but by now she deep down fully regrets ever having started this and wished with every inch of her heart she could stop

but she knows she herself already hardly could live with herself after all this so she would never ask Adrien/ Griffe Noire to let go of the only hope he has at this point and live with the fact that he became an actual monster to preserve HER humanity, so she can save them both with the wish.

A Toxinelle who believes they already went too far to possibly go back and because of that she detaches herself from morality in the way it happened in "Recreation" with Emilie because in her (and Adrien's) mind they only have to win and everything will be okay again.

Adrien won't be a monster anymore and will return all together to the boy she once loved - and only still behaves like around Marinette or while thinking of his mother - and Paris, it's citizens, the entire world and THEMSELVES wont remember anymore what happened or that Toxinelle and Griffe Noire ever did any of this to them.

Give me TAHT Marinette/ Toxinelle please. For the love of GOD.

[the-delta-42]

Series

My Multi-chaptered Fics/Series

War Circle AU - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette has an older brother who has the Wolf Miraculous, the head of the War Circle.

The Pirate Prince - Legend of Zelda - Link was orphaned at 3 months old and taken in by the King of the Gerudo, Ganondorf. Fast-forward seventeen years later, a disagreement results in Link leaving and start sailing the seas as the captain of The Fierce Deity, a Pirate ship that is known for hunting down various Criminals and pirates alike, But the winds of destiny throw Link back to his family. Zelink.

To Find Hyrule -  Legend of Zelda - Link never expected to find a home on the waves. Tetra never expected to find a home in a person. A Series of non-chronological One-Shots that'll vary in length that'll follow Link and Tetra, and their growing relationship, as they look for New Hyrule. Set after Phantom Hourglass. I decided there wasn't enough of Tetra and Link, so here's a series of one shots around them. Telink.

To Find Hyrule Reblogged - The To Find Hyrule series in Chronological Order

Agents Like Us -  Zootopia - Before Nick was hustling with Finnick, he was a secret agent with Mammal Military Intelligence 5 and FBI. Now, ten years after Nick left, his old partner has come to call. After all, Nick can't run from Jack, not again. This story will contain Ships. Featuring Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, Jack Savage and Others.

Rewrite History - Miraculous Ladybug - Bunnyx changing history of Ladybug’s orders, in an attempt to advert a disastrous event.

To the Final Frontier - Miraculous/Star Trek -

Valentine’s Prompts - Miraculous Ladybug - The Prompts from DeviantArt’s Valentine’s day

Bridges AU - Miraculous Ladybug - Adrien and Marinette have a falling out and Marinette is forced through the pain of losing her family. Started out as salt, future parts will retcon things

Marivenger - Miraculous Ladybug/Marvel - Marinette teaming up with the Avengers

Critical - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette is injured in an Akuma attack and is left fighting for her life

Armed AU - Miraculous Ladybug - While fighting an Akuma, Ladybug is disarmed and exposed to the city of Paris

Hush AU - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette’s parents discover her secret

Rules of Precinct One - Zootopia - The rules that all Officers in Precinct One have to follow. Zootopia.

Revealed - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette has a terrible secret revealed after Rose is Akumatized

New Car AU -  Miraculous Ladybug/Transformers Prime - Marinette thought she had a normal car, after her last one was stolen and torched, but it opened her world up for a whole lot of insanity.

Maribat -  Miraculous Ladybug/DC - Genetics are a wonderful thing, unless the substitute Science teacher is an arsehole. Bio Dad Bruce Wayne.

Miraculous Transformers - All MLB-TF cross over fics

In Plain Sight -  Miraculous Ladybug/Transformers - LB-14 and CN-15 were dispatched to Paris under orders from Optimus Prime. Nowhere in those orders was the recommendation for them to crash into a building and reveal themselves to a group of locals.

Autobot City - Transformers: Prime, Rescue Bots & Robots in Disguise 2015 AU

Grief -  Miraculous Ladybug - WARNING! THIS STORY HAS MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, VIOLENCE AND SOMEONE TAKING THEIR OWN LIFE! IF THIS IS LIKELY TO SET YOU OFF IN ANY WAY DO NOT READ! A moment is all it took. A moment is the cost of a battle. A moment that starts a whole domino effect that leads to the end for so many.

Too Far AU - Miraculous Ladybug - This series has implied and referenced rape/non-con elements. If this is likely to trigger, offend or otherwise make you react in a negative way DO NOT READ! A group from another class believe Lila's lies too well and believe Marinette is working with Hawkmoth. The group decide to take the law into their own hands, only for them to go too far in their 'interrogation' techniques.

Winged Mirabel AU - Encanto - An Encanto AU where Mirabel has wings

Know Better AU -  My parts for Tumblr's Fake Apology AU, but I'm going to remove as much of the salt from it as possible. - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette hears Nino and Adrien talking and gets the wrong end of the stick, which creates a domino effect that causes a dark secret to be revealed. TW: contains mentions of abuse, past non-con and Gabriel Agreste being a shit person

Family - The Walking Dead -Alvin and Rebecca reluctantly agree to foster Clementine, a troubled child they've fostered before, after her latest foster family send her back into care.

TWDG Wing AU - The Walking Dead - If you were fortunate enough, you were born with wings. If you weren’t, you’d hope a child in your family would born with wings. Lee and his younger brother fell into the former camp, their parents were in the camp with them. Centuries ago, people with wings were once treated as deities, then were hunted, and then treated with the utmost respect. After an apocalypse interrupts Lee's journey to prison, he suddenly finds himself acting as a guardian for a little girl called Clementine. While doing his best to care for, and protect, her, he finds himself on the long road to redemption.

TWDG Reunions AU - After Clementine and AJ are exiled from the school, they make their way to New Richmond and the New Frontier. After reuniting with some old friends and a couple of accidents, the pair forge a new life in the community. Ten years later, they experience a tragedy and an unexpected reunion.

The Black Order - Harry Potter - The Order of the Phoenix wasn't the only secret group that stood against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. But no one wants to talk about the Black Order.

Why? - Miraculous Ladybug/Incredibles/Marvel/DC - In a misguided attempt to help his friend, Adrien takes her sketchbook and shows it to his father. The actions Gabriel takes draw world wide condemnation and causes two families to band together to bring him down.

Hindsight - Miraculous Ladybug - Lila doesn't agree to Adrien's deal, so Damocles never goes back on his decision to expel Marinette. Soon, Mdm. Bustier is in an interview at another school and finds that there are more differences between her previous and current workplace than she expected. A few days later, Marinette is offered a place at another school, while her previous class realise the truth about Lila. After an incident during an Akuma attack, everyone starts to understand that hindsight is 20/20.

Your Royal Highness - Miraculous Ladybug/Assassin's Creed AU - For over 2000 years, three kingdoms, known as Eden, Elysium and Babylon, appeared. For 2000 years, the Assassin's have protected those kingdoms, as well as the vaults that are hidden within them. With the Prince of Elysium in Paris, two Novices are placed as his body guards in a bid to expediate their training. Unfortunately, Hawkmoth appears, leading to one of the Novices to being given a Miraculous. Soon Hawkmoth will understand the meaning of Nothing in True, Everything in Permitted.

Full Moon - Miraculous Ladybug/Harry Potter - At three years old a werewolf, by the name of Fenrir Greyback, bit Marinette during a full moon. Being a werewolf is Marinette's biggest and greatly guarded secret, even more than her identity as Ladybug. And Lila, in an attempt to turn everyone against Marinette, accidentally tells the truth.

The Truth - Miraculous Ladybug - Marinette trying to tell Adrien the truth leads to a series of unexpected events.

Fall of Order - Miraculous Ladybug/Star Wars - On the cusp of starting her Jedi Trials, Padawan Marinette Dupain-Cheng was on her last mission with her Master Wang Fu attempting to gain Mandalorian support in the final days of the Clone War, when Order 66 was broadcast and the Republic became the Empire.

Returns - Lee is confused after waking up in the middle of a forest with Carley and Ben, meanwhile at Ericson's, Clementine is trying to wrap her head around dead friends coming back to life and her unexpected condition.

Master and Padawan - Star Wars: Rebels A.U. The Jedi and the Republic never fell, Anakin didn't fall and Palpatine is dead. After Obi-Wan and Luke bring back a prisoner from Malachor, the Council must decide what they must do with Maul’s captured Apprentice.

Home - In the final year of the Clone War, four years after being forced to leave her home, Jedi Clementine Marsh is forced to take four Jedi and their troops to her home world, after the Wildfire Virus is accidentally released while sparring with Anakin Skywalker's apprentice. Forced to confront her past, Clementine must ensure her men survive while waiting for Republic aid.

The Walking Dead Game What Ifs - Inspired by the works done by @thecrusadercomrade and @bourbonificould. A set on disconnected oneshots based on Telltales The Walking Dead Game with elements from The Walking Dead TV Show.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Ladybug Avengers hero

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/MjGbqV8 by Ladybugrules It's been a quiet month in Paris as Shadow Moth hasn't akumatized which made Marinette worried since he could be planning something big not know he's in America taking it over and defeating the heroes over there so Nick Fury asked for Ladybug and her teams help to defeat Shadow Moth once and for all Marinette has Guardian and Miraculous magic powers. Words: 2225, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Marinette with magic, Part 1 of MLB Crossover with DC or Marvel Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Justice League - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Peter Parker, Nick Fury, Zoé Lee (Miraculous Ladybug), Chloé Bourgeois, Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine, Diana (Wonder Woman), Bruce Wayne Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Peter Parker Additional Tags: One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Guardian of the Miraculous Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alternate Universe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has Trauma From Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Hard Time, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Needs a Break, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/MjGbqV8

[aidendh]

Mirac! OC! Dymitry Laurent |P1

(Revamp of an old OC)

Russian

Moved to France

He/Him

16

Birthday, 4th July

Has a heavy accent and often confuses words

His face is nicked with a scar above his right eye

He is Bi and his type is Soft-boys/girls

Biromantic-Asexual

Black hair in a fluffy high ponytail, with an undercut/shaved sides

Likes wearing half color tops and has a Light Red hoodie around his waist

He likes Pale Red and Lemons

Clever, Kind, but has a Short Fuse

Gets the Ladybug Miraculous

His Earrings disguise as Pink flat hanging studs

Krasnaya Ledi

[Red Lady in Russian]

Uses Russian for transformations and powers

--

"Tikki, pyatna na!" // "Pyatna proch'."

"Tikki, spots on!" // "Spots off."

"Talisman udachi!"

Lucky Charm* Creates a random item

"Chudesnoye Istseleniye!"

Miraculous Cure* Fixes all damage cause by his opponent

--

Has a crush on Adrien

Chat Noir has a crush on Krasnaya Ledi and keeps trying to figure out Ledi's type/crush

"Done talk." - KL

Chat thinks Ledi is a girl, this is never addressed until a Pride Parade episode

-:Pride:-

Ledi has Bi face paint and gives Chat Gay face paint on his cheak

Chat is confused when people call him Gay

Says he likes girls

Confusion ensues

Even after Ledi finds out he doesn't correct and even starts falling for Chat's dumbness

--

Ledi has body paint for his spots and crop top/shorts for easy movements, boots, scarf mask with wing hair style and gloves

He doesn't know English

Chat teaches Ledi French while learning Russian

Dymitry feeds Tikki Cinnamon Buns

Dymitry Laurent

-

--

A Foreigner from Russia who often confuses words

Sexuality: Biromantic, Asexual

Miraculous: Hanging Stud Earrings

--

Krasnaya Ledi

-

--

A Miraculous Hero who sees their duty as Sacred

Power: Talisman Udachi* Creates a random item

Miraculous: Stud Earrings

--

Dymitry Laurent (Suit)

-

--

A Foreigner from Russia with a love for Superheros

Sexuality: Biromantic, Asexual

Miraculous: Hanging Stud Earrings

--

He loves Superheros

Is classmates with Luka

They become friends, not really needing to speak to just vibe

Luka invites him to watch Kitty Section

He's online friends with Alya

Lemon Meringues are his favorite baked treat

He also loves Pink Lemonade

Honestly, he'll love anything Lemon based

As Ledi, he calls Chat 'Kotenok'

[Kitten in Russian]

He would figure out the Magic Charms sooner because of his beliefs, preventing most recurring Akumas

However, these don't prevent willing Akumatizations

-:Animaestro:-

He helps out kagami during the cake chair situation

He's there because booked premier tickets for the movie

(Saved up months of his allowance)

He'd wear a Pink lemonade themed suit, a lemon broach and his suit jacket around his waist

His also wears a lemon print Tie that his Parents got him

In the Movie, Krasnaya Ledi is female and unfortunately voiced by a Parisian with a fake Russian accent

--

-:Kwami Buster:-

He uses the Mouse and Horse Unified

He enters via Kaalki's mouth after using Multitude

Then Unifies to get them out, while leaving a unified Mouse Cat inside to Cataclysm it

He gave Bananoir the Ladybug as to limit his Unifications

He ends up with a migraine afterwards

(He can only deal with one unification with minimal consequences)

-

Mouse: Mizinets Ledi

[Pinky Lady in Russian]

"Mullo, skripet'!" // "Uspokoit'sya."

"Mullo, get squeaky!" // "Settle down."

Unify / Unifitsirovat'

"Mnozhestvo!"

"Multitude!"

Mouse/Horse: Dvernaya Mysh'

[Door Mouse in Russian]

"Puteshestviye!"

"Voyage!"

Mouse/Black Cat: Chernaya Mysh'

[Black Mouse in Russian]

"Kataklizm!"

"Cataclysm!"

--

Mizinets Ledi

-

--

A Miraculous Hero who sees their duty as Sacred

Power: Mnozhestvo* Shrinks them into multiple clones

Miraculous: Coin Pendant

--

Dvernaya Mysh'

-

--

A Unified Hero who sees their duty as Sacred

Powers: Mnozhestvo / Puteshestviye

Miraculous: Pendant, Glasses

--

Chernaya Mysh'

-

--

A Unified Hero who sees their duty as Sacred

Powers: Mnozhestvo / Kataklizm

Miraculous: Pendant, Ring

--

[gloryseized]

missallanea asked:

❛ twist . twist my muse’s arm behind their back . / mayura to either ladybug or marinette, dealer's choice!

Meme Tag -- @missallanea

Marinette's breath catches in her through at the sudden presence of a knife nicks her skin. She hadn't even heard the Peacock wielder approach, hadn't even had time to transform when sudden the blade appeared, seeming to emerge from the fan Mayura typically held, although Marinette can't be sure from this angle. She'd been enjoying a relaxing evening on her balcony, leaning against the railing only to be suddenly grabbed, arm twisting sharply behind her back.

And it's no good struggling either, what with her arm pinned so tightly behind her back, any move making the pain worse. "Don't move," she hears Mayura's voice snake into her ear unnecessarily.

But of course this sends her mind racing. Is she about to be akumatized? Is Chat Noir on his way here or would be end up waiting for Ladybug who can't come now? Has Mayura somehow figured out the truth? "What are you doing? What do you want with me?" Marinette stutters, trying to inject the appropriate amount of fear into her voice, using the real fear in her chest to fuel the question.

[don-quixotine]

well that was devastating 😃

Reactions to Truth here we go!

Okay my French is less than perfect but from what I gathered: 

the kwamis accidentally sent a picture of Marinette’s Adrien shrine to Luka

“thanks for the picture” “what picture” “the picture of your room?.... and Adrien.” 

BIG YIKES  😃

My girl calling Luka Adrien.... jfakgajg 

THE WAY LUKA WAS MANGLED IN THIS EPISODE IS CRIMINAL 

you could tell how the disappointment escalated with every passing minute holy shitttt

and just. that scene where Mari tells him “The truth is I can’t tell you” and he just. he just shatters y’all.

And even when he was upset and got akumatized he was fighting it because he still trusts Marinette and he didn’t want to hurt her

I-- 

I need a minute.

The whole talk under the bridge about how it’s the spot where he comes to calm down (or something like that)

MAN I WISH I UNDERSTOOD THE PART WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT HIS DAD THO. 

It sounded like he was telling her how sad he was about his dad leaving his family.

JAGGED STONE THO. 

I gather the Couffaine family name is from Anarka then, since Jagged is British?

Man I can’t wait for the translation because that conversation abt Jagged and then Luka’s reunion with him is going to absolutely pulverize me  😃 😃

Also, Chat saving LB in the nick of time not once but several times and Ladybug doing the same?? WE STAN A PROTECTIVE DUO. 

THE WAY TRUTH ALMOST HAD LADYBUG THO

Ladybug really said Yeet Chat Noir Rights lol 

but then sweet kitty bebe is all like ‘no worries LB I know you got a lot in mind because you’re the new super awesome guardian!!’

he loves her so much i--

also, i’m lowkey proud that all my predictions were correct hehehehe. The cardboard, the kiss interruption, the akumatized object, the belt. ahah

And can we just appreciate the fact that everyone thinks Marinette’s biggest secret is that she’s in love with Adrien and Luka really goes like WE’VE BEEN KNEW. 

Which is probably a good thing, but it’s going to come back for her in later episodes

So. as we stand, Lukanette is not canon. Is this season going to be about the side ships becoming canon and then breaking apart then or?

No, I’m giving Zag too much credit lol

And the way she cries at the end because she feels she can’t have a boyfriend while she’s Ladybug  🥺 

noooo my bebee

They weren’t kidding oh my god this season is going all out!!

[silverwhiteraven]

Happyhoganon: How about a story that has Superman & Ladybug outsmarting Lex Luthor together?

Why are all our Supervillains Bald?

"You didn't have to knock my Partner out like that, you know," Ladybug huffs as she settles Chat Noir into the deck chair of her civilian balcony, feeling miffed about the whole situation. Superman, having the decency to not complain and to cooperate while being lectured, handed her the red and black tent poles, from the red and black-spotted camping trunk her Lucky Charm had summoned earlier, when she wordlessly motioned for him to get them.

"You're right, Ladybug- I'll apologize to him once he's awake," the man in blue and red said as he helped Ladybug untie the shade cover from overhead. For all the gear inside the box, an actual tent was not one of them, so of course improvising was happening. There was a sleeping-bag, of course, but Ladybug had instructed Superman to wear it like a cloak so he wouldn't attract so much attention with his recognizable uniform as they tried to escape and hide from the Akuma. With the ladybug spotting it sported, though, he was pretty sure it did quite the opposite.

Ladybug nodded in acknowledgment of Superman's spoken words, concentrating her focus on the makeshift shelter they were putting over Chat. As a final touch, she pulled a tall potted plant in front of the entrance, completely sheltering Chat Noir from view at any angle. She crossed her arms and nodded, satisfied. Then she spun on her heel and pointed at Superman, who tensed from the sudden change in her point of focus. "Alright, tell me everything you know about this Akuma victim! No more rushed or vague answers; I need to know why Chat was being targeted and how that affected him so much that you had to go and decommission him. Talk, blue boy."

Superman was honestly surprised she hadn't called him Boy Scout like many before. In fact, he half expected her to call him by his civilian name like another black haired, blue eyed figure of justice he knew. Ladybug even looked liked she belonged smack dab in the middle of Batman's nest of children, teens, and adults who could all kick butts and take names.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Superman answered her demands. "Lex Luthor, a common obstacle of mine from back in the States. Started out as a small town millionaire-by-inheritance when I first knew him, and turned into a 'Big Apple Billionaire' when the last of his morals went out the window if his latest sports car." Ladybug looked absolutely baffled by the sudden metaphor, so he quickly rephrased. "Lex's father started making dirty money off the company before he died, and Lex decided to follow suit once he realized just how dirty he could make his hands by applying his high intelligence and military-worthy knowledge to the black markets. I was keeping track of him and came here as soon as I realized something was happening involving him." Her curious look made him give a sheepish smile and point to his ear with a free hand that wasn't holding the sleeping-bag closed around his shoulders. "Super-hearing. I knew what Jupiter sounded like before NASA did."

"Okay," Ladybug looked a mix of skeptical and awed, but nodded then shook her head. "That still doesn't explain how you treated Chat."

A bit warry to answer, Superman looked away, watching the flowers that hid her Partner. "My people have a weakness to a particular type of radiation that comes from our home planet. When that planet was destroyed, pieces of it scattered all over the universe. Earth has a few tons of this Kryptonite from fine dust particles alone, but larger pieces survived entry, too. Lex Luthor has known about the material for years and hoards it to use at any chance he gets."

"Obsessed with the biggest weakness of the opposing hero, I know how that feels," Ladybug sighed, and Superman gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"No doubt. But this material does more than just weaken me, Ladybug. Different kinds have different effects, and some, even in different forms, can affect humans, too." Ladybug tensed at that, glancing at her Partner before locking worried eyed back onto Superman. He gave her a grim expression then shook his head. "I've seen it first hand and experienced it myself, it isn't pretty. I've seen the stuff cause sickness, power weapons, even create Meta's. Earth is not a place for this, it isn't safe like it was back home. Maybe if it ha been around for millions of years, life could have evolved to live alongside it, but..."

"But we don't have that sort of time now," Ladybug concludes, and Superman nods. "So his targeting of Chat-?"

"The radiation of Kryptonite can enhance powers or even cause mind control. Chat Noir and his ability under the control of my Villain and yours? I couldn't see things ending well. I knew things were about to go off the rocker. So when he got nicked and the wound glowed green, I- I'm sorry, Ladybug, but magic and I do not-and I mean REALLY do not-mix well, so I'm at a doubled-and-amplified disadvantage here. Benching your Partner was my only option."

"With M. Luthor Akumatized and making this stuff to his heart's content like that- Now that I know, I have a bad feeling you'd have been right. It doesn't make me feel any better, though," Ladybug sighed.

Superman nodded, accepting of her words. "I won't feel good about it either. I'm just glad it won't be permanent."

"Yeah, if we win," Ladybug adds glumly, and he pats her on the back, hard enough to knock her out of the bad mood. She blinks at him, shocked, and she smiled encouragingly.

"We will win, I promise. It may not be as fast as we would like, especially since it will only be the two of use seeing as the whole JLE branch had to evacuate after Hawkmoth showed up-" Ladybug chuckled awkwardly, remembering how stressed she had been knowing she and Chat Noir were on their own unless a specific foreign hero was there to help them with one of their own villains, like right now- "But we will. I know Lex's weaknesses as a person, as well as where to find what he's looking for. Wonder Woman used to guard a stash of Kryptonite under the Louvre before we had to move it, and only the Heads of the JL know where it is now. And you, well-"

"I know Hawkmoth's weaknesses, and the ones of his Akumas, as well as his goals, too. After all, I wear them on my own ears. Yeah... Yeah, you're right! We can do this!" Ladybug cracks a smile and a glimmer gets into her eyes as her gaze falls on the Lucky Charm camping trunk. "And I know just how to start. Come on, blue boy, we're heading for the Louvre to take down a couple of baldies."

Glad to have lifted her spirits, Superman grins. "I'm at your command, red lady."

[ao3bronte]

An unfortunate situation, high fashion, purple lipstick - Ladrien

Black cats have always been known for their bad luck, but Adrien really didn’t think that it would eventually rub off on him initially. But after all of the unfortunate situations that have piled up over the years, Adrien’s come to just accept that he’ll always be neck deep in crap whether he likes it or not. And on this particular Tuesday afternoon, one of the female models for Gabriel has been akumatized and was acting like her usual hangry self, except one hundred times worse. Most of the time when Adrien has the pleasure of working with Camille, Adrien just avoids her in the hopes of escaping her wrath.

But not today.

Yikes.

Adrien glances at his new magic look and sighs. If this is akumatized Camille’s idea of high fashion, he certainly hopes she stays modelling forever because this? This is not pretty. He’s wearing some sort of ruched-shoulder viscose tunic that both cinches and bubbles around his sternum with long, clay coloured capri pants. Around his knees, oblong shaped cutouts remind him of just how much he wishes he could bulk up a little so he wouldn’t be one of the shortest boys in his class. Knotted neon yellow flip flops grace his bare feet, which only serves to compliment the equally sunny golf cap on the top of his head. The purple lipstick and the sky blue eyeshadow reads both compellingly strange and nauseating, which more or less sums up the outfit.

“Adrien? Are you in here?”

Right in the nick of time. Adrien turns around and cocks a hip, grinning at his superhero counterpart. She bursts into laughter as she lands in a crouch beside him, composure be damned.

“What on earth are you wearing?” Ladybug giggles, barely holding herself up on his shoulders.

“Only the latest in haute couture, M’Lady.” Adrien stretches one leg forward and tips his chin to the side, capturing her gaze with his signature smoulder. “You have to admit, I still look good. I can pull off anything.”

Ladybug snorts and devolves into another hearty set of snickers, bracing herself on her knees. “Oh my god. Kitty, no. No you can’t.”

“What do you mean, I can’t?” Adrien grins and spins around, pursing his lips with a wink over his shoulder. It certainly does the trick as Ladybug collapses, falling to her knees.

“Stooooop!”

“I can’t stop all this.” Adrien gestures to himself, which only draws further attention to the hideous tunic and capri ensemble he’d been zapped into. “It’s Camille by the way, one of Father’s models. She zapped me before I could transform, but the akuma is in the clothes hanger on the top of her head.”

“Great,” Ladybug responds between wheezes, holding her aching belly from laughing. Adrien offers his hand to help her up and enjoys the moment; there’s nothing like seeing the love of his life fill the room with laughter.

SEND ME A 3 WORD PROMPT TO CELEBRATE 2.5K FOLLOWERS!

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

The Avengers Meet Ladybug and Chat Noir

The Avengers meet Ladybug and Chat Noir by heartbreakerninja

There's a blackout going on in Paris and Fury wants to know why. So he sends in Clint. Clint comes back wanting Hazard pay...Fury wants to bang his head against a wall. HR is running scared. Natasha is confused. And Tony is enjoying the show. Phil is just done with everyone. (Phil's alive, Endgames never happened, neither did Civil War. Before season 4 of Miraculous)

The Avengers meet Ladybug and Chat Noir......it goes as well as you'd expect.

This whole fic came from a single made up conversation between Clint and SHIELD HR. and I cracked myself up so bad I wrote this thing:

HR Lady: Mr. Barton why are you asking for hazard pay for this last mission?

Clint: Because I just had the pleasure of meeting a miniature Black Widow in the making and I, nor the world, was prepared to deal with that.

HR Lady: …Please tell me you're joking….?!

Clint: …. Not even in the slightest.

And then the poor woman has a stroke...or just passes out and poor Clint has to explain to Fury how he put the HR Lady in the hospital.

Words: 3318, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M, Gen

Characters: Avengers Team, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Sam Wilson (Marvel), James "Bucky" Barnes, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Steve Rogers, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, SHIELD Agents & Staff, SHIELD HR, Alix Kubdel | Bunnix, Original SHIELD Characters, Original Akumatized Character(s), Peter Parker | Spiderman

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Plagg & Tikki, Avengers as family, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark

Additional Tags: Plotbunnies, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Lucky Charm And Miraculous Ladybugs Cure | Ladybug Miraculous Superpowers, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crack Crossover, Crack Treated Seriously, this was supposed to only be a one shot, this did not stay a one shot, i cant write onshots, Be Careful What You Wish For, Domestic Avengers, Protective Avengers, Everyone Is Alive, Nat is scary, And apparently so is Marinette, mini black widow in the making, the world wasnt ready for that, i did it anyway, marinette does not care if you are a big bad secret agent, she will still mess you up, Phil Coulson is alive, Nick Fury is Not Amused, Phil Coulson & Nick Fury Friendship, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Tags Are Hard, Tags Are Fun, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, this literally started from a made up conversation between clint and SHIELD HR

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33007021

[uwuderes]

Yandere Chat Noir/Adrien Agreste Headcanons

-Adrien loved you from the start let's get that straight.

-The only reason he really went to school was to see you.

-You were his escape from the pressures of being both a super hero and a model, both tasks keeping his stress levels high

-He often hung out with you at school, quickly including you in the fourway friendship he had with Nino, Alya, and Marinette.

-But when he was Chat Noir, dear lord did things change

-For starters he stalked you with any extra time he had left after fighting akumatized civilians

-Being Chat made everything more efficient and better when following you. He could sneak up on you and everything

-Of course he would break into your home!  It's something even Adrien could resist

-Adrien often took petty things from your tiny apartment

-Left your perfume open and out? That'd disappear in a blink of a eye

-It mainly confused you, but things only got worse from there

-He'd start leaving letters a gifts in your room. Most of them were perverted in some sort of way

-One time he brought you lacy black set of panties and a matching bra saying that he'd thought of you the instant he saw it and would love it if you slept in it

-He even had this sick nick name for you

-Mouse

-It disgusted you more and more, while Adrien only became more and more obsessed with you

-You tried to report him to the police but you didn't have a name or anything on your stalker making all the evidence you complied useless against him, instead they put the Chat Noir in charge of watching over you

-Adrien couldn't be any more excited than that very moment, now he could be even closer to you as both Adrien and Chat and you couldn't even suspect a thing!

-He had you exactly where he wanted you

[myladyprincessbugaboo]

Everything is Not What it Seems

Summary: Lila has the class convinced that she and Adrien are secretly dating, though she tells everyone not to tell Marinette as she doesn't want to break the poor girl's heart.A few days later, Alya hears some noises coming from the janitor's closet.

Read on AO3

For @galahadwilder (based on this prompt they posted a while ago)

                                                         -x-

Alya had been so happy for her bestie when Lila had told her that she and Adrien were in a secret relationship.

"He doesn't want his father to know, as Gabriel doesn't want him dating anyone at the moment. He said he was also trying to protect me from his fangirls. He's so thoughtful."

While she did feel kinda bad for Marinette, she quickly wiped those feelings away. She'd been trying to help Marinette win him over for months. Marinette had her chance, and she blew it.

"Though... I know how Marinette can be." She said sadly. "Do you think you guys could keep this to yourselves? I know Marinette and I don't get along, but I would hate to crush the poor girl's heart."

Wasn't Lila just the sweetest? She was considering Marinette's feelings, even though Marinette openly expressed her hatred for the brunette. Alya just didn't understand why they couldn't get along. Couldn't Marinette at least try to be friends with her?

Nonetheless, the class agreed. They would keep Lila and Adrien's relationship a secret, if only to avoid hurting Marinette (not that she didn't deserve it after the way she's been treating Lila).

                                                        -x-

Alya smiled as she listened to Lila recount the tale of her and Adrien's latest date. He'd taken her to a beautiful garden, where he'd had a picnic set up for the two of them. She blushed as she recounted the more intimate moments of their date, where Adrien had laid her back on the blanket, and kissed her passionately.

"It was amazing. He's amazing."

Alya couldn't help but think how wonderful that all sounded. Maybe Nino could ask Adrien for the name of the garden, and he could take her there? They were babysitting tomorrow night, so after she got Marinette to babysit for them, they should be able to have plenty of time for their date.

Adrien walked in the classroom then. "That's so romantic!" Rose exclaimed. "You two make such a good couple!"

Adrien looked at her in confusion, before taking his seat in the back.

"He doesn't want to talk about it in public." Lila said softly, not wanting Adrien to hear her. "So if he pretends he doesn't know what you're talking about, it's just an act." Marinette walked in then, and looked at the group of girls circling Lila. "After all, you never know who could be listening." She said that last part, just loud enough so Marinette could hear.

Marinette rolled her eyes, before heading back up to her desk and sitting down next to Adrien.

"Hey." Alya piped up. "Why's he sitting in the back with her, when he could be sitting up here with you."

"Well," Lila said, the perfect picture of innocence. "she's been falling behind in some of her classes so he offered to help her catch up."

They were all so focused on Lila's tale, no one saw Adrien take Marinette's hand in his, or Marinette rest her head on his shoulder.

                                                       -x-

Alya hummed to herself as she walked through the halls towards the cafeteria. She'd had to ask a teacher a question after class, and had told Nino and their friends to go on without her, and she'd meet them at lunch.

Suddenly, she stopped. There were some noises coming from the janitor's closet, and she knew it wasn't the janitor, as she'd passed him on her way.

She smirked.

That was a well-known spot for students to go for some alone time.

I wonder who we'll catch in there this time.

She quietly tip-toed towards the door, and placed her ear to it. Yep, some kids were definitely making out in there. Backing away, she threw the door open.

She froze.

Because in the janitor's closet, making out, was Adrien and Marinette.

He had her pushed up against the wall, her legs wrapped around him. His hand was trailing down her side, teasing the skin peaking out from underneath her shirt, his other hand on the wall. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. They'd pulled a part from their kiss then, both gasping for air, still not noticing she was there, as he began to trail kisses down her neck.

"What the hell!?" She said, making her presence known. They pulled away quickly, putting some distance between them, matching blushes adorning their cheeks. "What the hell!?" She repeated, glaring at Adrien, as she knew Marinette had no idea about Lila and Adrien's secret relationship. "How could you do this to Lila? She loves you! And you betray her by making out with her bully? How-"

"Alya." Adrien interrupted calmly. "What are you talking about?" It looked like he was genuine confused, but Lila did say he was a great actor.

"You!" She huffed angrily. "How could you cheat on Lila with- with her." She said, pointing an accusing finger at Marinette. "What's she going to say when she finds out you've been cheating on her? You're going to break her heart!"

"Alya," He said. "Lila and I aren't dating. I'm dating Marinette."

"Liar!" She accused. "You're just as bad as her!"

Alya didn't notice the butterfly that sunk into her orange bracelet until it was too late.

Hello, Avouer. I am Hawkmoth. Your friend's boyfriend has betrayed her, but refuses to admit it. I'm giving you the power to make anyone confess their crimes, but in return, you must get me Ladybug's and Chat's Noir's miraculous. Do we have a deal?

"...Yes, Hawkmoth."

When Alya, or rather Avouer, looked up, they were gone.

                                                        -x-

When Avouer made it to the cafeteria, the room erupted in pandemonium. She shot beams left and right, forcing whoever hit to admit their crimes to everyone listening.

Nino came froward nervously. "...Alya?"

"I'm not Alya, I'm Avouer, and Adrien is going to pay for what he did!" She proclaimed.

"Adrien? What did he do?"

"He cheated on his girlfriend, and he's going to confess that he did!" Nino ducked out of the way as Avouer fired a blast at him, and ran to go hide.

Just then, Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared on the scene.

"Okay, Kitty. We know what her power is, and we know where the akuma is. So don't get hit, okay?"

"Of course, M'lady." He winked.

They attacked in sync, and fought hard, but she fought equally hard back. She landed a tough blow on Chat, knocking him backwards, and smirked as she aimed and shot a blast at him. He rolled out of the way, in the nick of time, and the blow landed on one, Lila Rossi. She couldn't help herself as she confessed to every single thing she's ever lied about, including all the false promises she'd made them, and her secret relationship with Adrien.

Avouer was in so much shock at this, that she didn't even realize Ladybug was behind her, until she'd pulled the bracelet off of Avouer's wrist, and broke it, causing the akuma to fly out. She captured the akuma and released the butterfly, before throwing her lucky charm in the air, and watching as the ladybugs flew through the air, and fixed all the damage.

"L... Ladybug?" Alya said, rubbing at her head. "What happened?"

"You were akumatized." She said.

"I was just so angry. I'd caught Lila's boyfriend making out with Lila's bully, and I couldn't believe he would do that to her." She looked in confusion at everyone frowning around her.

"Alya," Nino said. "I think we need to talk."

Alya nodded, sending one last glance to the superheroes behind her, as her boyfriend and classmates led her away.

"Well," Ladybug said, as they headed out of the building to find a place to detransform. "That was certainly a pleasant turn of events."

"Yeah." Chat agreed, as they ducked into the alleyway and both their transformations fell. "At least Lila can't hurt anyone with her lies anymore."

He linked their hands together as they headed back to school, ready to see what the rest of the day would bring.

But no matter what it was, they'd face it together.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Ladybug Avengers hero

by Ladybugrules It's been a quiet month in Paris as Shadow Moth hasn't akumatized which made Marinette worried since he could be planning something big not know he's in America taking it over and defeating the heroes over there so Nick Fury asked for Ladybug and her teams help to defeat Shadow Moth once and for all Marinette has Guardian and Miraculous magic powers. Words: 2225, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Marinette with magic, Part 1 of MLB Crossover with DC or Marvel Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Justice League - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/M Characters: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Peter Parker, Nick Fury, Zoé Lee (Miraculous Ladybug), Chloé Bourgeois, Kagami Tsurugi, Luka Couffaine, Diana (Wonder Woman), Bruce Wayne Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Peter Parker Additional Tags: One-Sided Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Guardian of the Miraculous Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alternate Universe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has Trauma From Episode: s03 Chat Blanc, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Hard Time, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Needs a Break, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug via https://ift.tt/MjGbqV8

[currentfandomkick]

Marinette did not sign up for this pt2

forgot to post this before i passed out last night. part one here ao3 here

It was almost four years into being Ladybug when the Justice League made contact.

In that time, she and Chat had built the miraculous team and they both knew each members identities, but swore them all to not seek out one another’s identity. (Though Alya was Alya and had Carapaced figured out on his first outing… convincing her not to reveal that to him took a bit. The girl was determined, but Marinette follows Fu’s rules to the letter (as much as she can) and that meant Secrets Stay Secret damnit.)

Not contacting the JL themselves was partially due to some fallout the Mayor and Parisian government with a (dissolved) Justice League’s branch. It was well before her team’s time. Something about collateral damage and if her miraculous could fix damage dealt by JL members or not playing some role in that too.

She decided it was a good thing when two years later she found a fucking dagger with a large bouquet on her balcony. It became a regular occurrence for special occasions—birthday, winter holidays and on Easter (she didn’t even know why on that one. Her parents aren’t Catholic. Maybe Murder Robin was, or thought she was?). She would just find some weapon with flowers somewhere in her room. She had no fucking clue what Murder Robin (Alya found articles where the ‘new’ Robin was cited as likely having killed multiple people in Gotham and just, yikes) or his friends or even her father (Fucking Batman, the Ghost of Gotham) might have meant by leaving it, but it was clear they had her address, knew which room was hers, and could do a lot of damage if she toed the line. She wasn’t testing any of those ‘no contact rules’ after that.

Hiding a dagger and various other weapons (so many knives and throwing stars) from Maman by giving it to Fu and later passing it off as an eccentric gift from him to her for always helping him out was… an adventure when Fu was still Master Fu. She hopes Murder Robin doesn’t find out about that bit. She has no clue how he or his family (not hers, hers are in Paris with her. Hers at least tried to talk to her, tried to listen and did make time for her. His family? Complete strangers she may share DNA with.)

She (logically) should be terrified that Murder Robin knows her alias and secret identity are the same person; if he’s really one of the world’s greatest detectives’ kids, why wouldn’t he know? Batman must have known for years—why else would Murder Robin be able to find her? the DNA scan was in a closed match system to just Paris. And she knew there was no way Goddamn Batman, Ghost of Gotham, would hang around Paris long enough to get dragged into the system for him to have a ping.

He just did not want anything to do with her or her city’s trouble since it wasn’t his. She wasn’t his. Wasn’t wanted by him. That was fine—he has enough to worry about in his hell city.

Sending Murder Robin out to do his dirty work?

Not fine.

Her team and her were… managing the Hawkmoth situation. Keeping it from spilling out of Paris since Startrain. Goo-guy managed to give them a break—people can grab akuma that aren’t meant for them and become much weaker akuma than if the akuma reached its target. Same with the few that could grab an akuma in the air. It meant when akuma went out, some citizens were willing to bear Hawkmoth’s wrath for a bit—even groups taking turns sometimes—to prevent someone from getting akumatized until Ladybug could purify the akuma or Chat Noir could destroy it.

And for akuma battles, well, she has more than just her and Chat, Luck (Creation) and Destruction. Viperion gave them multiple chances to change costly choices in battle. Bunnix fixed the ones that Viperion couldn’t. All oversized opponents fell to Ryuko and her mastery of the elements, even if she can’t always make it thanks to different schools and tight schedules. Miss Sting was chosen by Marinette—Aurore was easy to lean on for news team reports and media appearances that Ladybug and Chat Noir don’t have the time or energy for. Plus, Aurored needed the anger management, so win-win. Don’t even get her started on Pegasus or King Monkey always being ready at a moment’s notice and how they both started joining Nino and Alya’s parkour dates that have morphed into group hangouts in last two years. Seriously—if she knew where she needed to be, Max was ready to answer her call. If she knew more chaos would work as a distraction, long live King Monkey, the Great Distractor.

Then there’s her emotional support in the field (besides her chaton), Carapace. He’s a great shield in battle, good with civilians and quick to defend. He’s also big on mental health (something their team sorely needed). How Nino managed to get turtle headphones, Marinette doesn’t know. She does know she nicks them from him regularly as Ladybug for team hangouts and when she needs to clam down on patrol.

Then there is her civilian bestie, the one who convinced her to stay as Ladybug, Alya Cesaire, aka Rena Rogue and the Ladyblogger. Rena Rouge is by and far one of her favorites to talk about potential Hawkmoths with, and work out akuma prevention techniques with. In the battlefield she was one of the first to strike (even if that’s not how she should be using the flute, Marinette has no room for judgment given how she uses all of her Lucky Charms.) Alya always posted and circulated anti-akuma tips and altered the Ladyblog to have each icon for known miraculous mean something.

Marinette was nothing but supportive of her friend, even if the blog is a behemoth to maintain and resulted in Alya retiring as her Deputy (Rose took over gleefully as Deputy). She liked that the Ladybug was for news, and the Cat for if an attack is ongoing. The Butterfly tracks akuma sightings before an attack, and was a bit on the nose in her opinion, but it’s effectively mapped out areas where Hawkmoth’s lair is or has an opening, giving them an area to investigate and patrol more heavily. The Turtle offered guided meditation videos and yoga sessions (somehow always on-going), while the Fox was for group chats and various akuma-related support groups. The Peacock offered mental health resources, and was constantly growing. The Bee was for self defense videos and sat next to Dragon for akuma survival tips. The Snake was one of her personal favorites, advice on calming down with guided breathing if someone feels close to being akumatized, and she’d used it herself more than once. The Horse was the one she’s the least familiar with, for shelter routes that she never used. The Monkey held a number of fun distractions, videos and memes uploaded by her followers with art and songs, and was overall very light hearted.

Marinette is proud of her team.

Though it doesn’t mean there aren’t days she’s waiting for it all to unravel, or for an Older Bunnix to appear again and tell her they have to undo the day Marinette’s identities were compromised. But that is a always an apocalypse event option only. Chat Blanc still haunts Marinette’s nightmares, and Alix’s too. the Princess Justice timeline haunts Alix since she lived it in real time, but it’s Adiren’s nightmare come to life in multiple other akuma attacks. Apparently if Marinette is akumatized, she brings about a second Reign of Terror so encompassing, it made Robespierre’s look like a child’s drawing of what a reign 

It was during another Syren event when things went from workable to a slow boiling unbearable. All but Alix were transformed and fighting minions to clear a path for Ladybug to get to the main akuma.

Imagine her frustration when Aquaman and Aqualad appeared behind her while she was scouting on the outskirts, and both refused to make any eye contact, practically kneeling in water to her and making themselves a target. When they should be able to read the room and see that the battlefield isn’t the place for this.

“Oh Great Paschalítsa” Aquaman began, “I understand your hesitance in this matter, given the Miraculous and Atlantis’ history,” Aquaman continued as she dodged yet another minion further ahead and kept working her way to where the akuma was, ignoring his speech. “But I ask that you do not sink—”

Marinette gave up on her current task to ensure there wasn’t some international incident of Ladybug letting Aquaman be captured by akumas or something. She’d never head the end of it if she didn’t.

But now they were surrounded. Aqualad at least kept his attention on the task at hand (re: keeping minions from spotting her) as they all worked out a way to escape, even if he wasn’t looking anywhere near her. Apparently Aquaman got the message (finally) and did the same as his sidekick(?) after Aqualad made a few gestures she wasn’t paying attention to. She does have an akuma item to break and akuma to catch and purify.

The pair did manage to act as decent bodyguards and distractions while she worked out the kid’s item and how it connected to their fixation—no swimming until their grades up meant all of their gear but a whistle was taken away. One Lucky Charm and convoluted plot that merged fighting in 3-D, a pair of scissors and a lot off kicking off underwater buildings later, and Paris was back to normal.

She managed it without talking to Aquaman once. She could give quick directions to Aqualad without toeing the line—he wasn’t part of the Justice League and was known to operate in the ocean alone when Aquaman wasn’t there.

“Great Paschalítsa,” Aquaman began and Marinette wanted him to go off and leave her alone. Him and Aqualad. “As king of Atalntis, I humbly offer my aide in whatever has caused you and the great Mávri Gáta to show yourselves to the world.”

What was with all this formal speech? Marinette thought they knew French, or well, Alya mentioned it said they did in their bio, but it clearly wasn’t the kind her class used for projects. And Marinette was exhausted, frustrated, and now did not have a good and convenient target for her rage (re: akuma that drowned Paris) and well…

Well, she blew up. A bit. But can you blame her?

They wouldn’t take the hint. (Silence means Fuck Off).

“Look,” Marinette whirled on them, ignoring her team’s shock and not even going in for the celebratory ‘Pound it’.  “I told Murder Robin—“ the pair winces at the that wording. Good. They knew who she meant then.

“—that I won’t get involved with anything involving our dad.”

She didn’t miss the sharp intakes from her team. Chat knew, only due to a freak out over being left a freaking sword one time and she panicked, okay?

“And I meant it. Just because Batman felt guilty or something,” She doubted it. Ghost of Gotham doesn’t feel anything and can apparently take out entire buildings on occasion. (Even if she was pretty sure that was someone filling in for him, she wouldn’t discount it either.) “That Doesn’t mean I’m going to change my mind on the matter—My team has got this. And we don’t need a handout four years too late.”

They had to. Fu was gone (For three months now. Three months Marinette held the weight of being The Guardian on her shoulders alone. She had to have this. She wouldn’t trust random elements sent by Mr. ‘I accept my murderous son and ignore the one in constant peril that blew herself up twice to save Paris.’  

“Bug out.”

She knew her team would have questions, but Chat could answer them for now and Miss Sting would be able to handle any questions if any the media tried anything. Bright side of having the main Miraculous Team journalist as Rena with a determined hacker Pegasus; if it was personal to the team, the pair made sure it was never there.

--

Later at JL HQ

Aquaman walked up to Batman once the meeting was over. Batman knew the man had something on his mind and that it was related to himself—why else would he keep looking at him during the meeting? Whatever was troubling the Atlantian, Bruce could only hope it wasn’t emotions. That was really, really not his department… Jonn was much better with issues like that.

“Batman, may I have a word?”

Batman nodded, quick to follow the other out into a more private room.

“It has come to my attention that your daughter and you have a, uh, tricky relationship.”

Batman raised an eyebrow, as his relationship with Cass was doing well… he thought. Maybe he should visit her more? She was doing fine on her own and was always warm to him when he visited her in China on her missions against the Triad. Perhaps he should see if she was open to working with him on a case on that, or see if she wanted to come to Gotham again.

“And I don’t mean to judge here,” Aqua man continued, obviously nervous. “But uh, apparently your current Robin is well aware of her existence.”

Batman raised an eyebrow under the cowl. “Black Bat and Robin are close.”

The way Aquaman’s face contorted indicated nothing good. “Your other daughter.” The man paused, waiting for Batman to understand. “Ladybug.”

Bruce… Bruce froze. “I don’t have another daughter.” Not to his knowledge.

Aquaman ran a hand through his hair. “Well apparently ‘Murder Robin’ has met her,” Aquaman said with air quotes of all things. “Years ago.”

Bruce felt his heart stop. Damian’s… adjustment into the family had not been easy. And a few years ago Damian was much more… willing to do things against the Batcode, things that had him thriving in the League of Assassins. Things that changed a person. Things he’d need to ask this Ladybug—his daughter, another surprise child—about.

“And given that a Ladybug being active has always been a sign of a potential apocalypse—“

Batman’s red flags began flashing. Hard. His child was in danger and fighting a potential apocalypse event. Without his help. Without Batman’s resources.

“I assume Ladybug is a mantel.” Bruce hoped she had a mentor, someone to ease her into hero-work.

“Yes.” Aquaman looked… hesitant then. “Were it not for one Ladybug’s mercy, my people would have died when Atlantis was sunk by her equal, the Black Cat’s user. It seems this time they’re allies this time, against the Butterfly—I, Batman, are you alright?”

Bruce was not okay, at all. There is an ongoing apocalypse event, a daughter he never met stopping it (how old was she? Was she Damian’s age or older? Younger? He didn’t want her to have to live with this life, but she was and was doing so without him, without his help, without someone he knew she could lean on for support) and apparently his youngest son was well aware of this and did nothing to help. Did not even tell him.

He was going to have words with Damian.

“Excuse me.” Batman turned to leave. He has a son to interrogate, research to do, and a daughter to find (beg forgiveness for not getting to her sooner, and help her) on top of the usual workload. A Bat’s work is never done.

Wonder Woman who stopped him while he was reeling with this information, her grip too solid on his arm, and unlikely to break.

“It is not wise to rush in.” She began, appealing to reason in the hopes of keeping a panicked “Batdad” from making the situation worse. “From what Aquaman has told us, she does not welcome your involvement,” she said slowly, hoping it would sink in. “The Ladybug Miraculous has always been an agent of creation, of healing.” Diana hoped that would set her friend’s mind at ease. Ladybugs were notorious for their battle prowess and strategies, yes, but first and foremost their duty was to undo damage. “Ladybug herself will have much on her shoulders if her role is anything like my mother’s when she was among the Chosen, and adding yourself to the equation before her adversary is defeated will only serve to distract her from her goal.”

Batman remained tense, but didn’t struggle against Wonder Woman’s grasp. Good.

Green Lantern was the next to approach, as planned. “So why don’t you focus on your family in Gotham before rushing into meeting this kid,” Green Lantern—no, Hal suggested. “We’ll work on finding out what’s causing this possible apocalypse. You get your house in order.”

Bruce heard the words that weren’t said. Find out what your ex-assassin son did your demi-god daughter and make sure he doesn’t screw up anything further.

“That is not—“

“Batman.” Wonder Woman squeezed his arm. “This is not a suggestion.”

Cold curled in Bruce's stomach. His daughter was in danger, fighting against a potential apocalypse, and he was told to sit this one out. When it was personal. (His daughter who he needed to meet, to learn about, to see what made her tick and work out how to help her wherever she might need it. His daughter who he had lost years with.)

(They were ordering him to lose more time with her.)

“You are benched from League activities until this is sorted out.” Wonder Woman continued, as though she hadn’t just gutted Bruce. “I will take lead on Ladybug’s case. My people have much experience with her and the Black Cat as allies.” It was Diana that was smiling then. “Perhaps Mother’s connection will convince her to allow our aide.”

Green Lantern nodded along. “And when I’m not with you guys, well, GL core is in charge of keeping things not-apocalypse-y across the universe and keeping it from spiraling. And Miraculous tend to like the whole Balance thing, so it shouldn’t be too much for me to help out every now and then with them too.”

Bruce twitched where he was. He wasn’t going to win this. Not by a long shot.

But they were taking Aquaman and a Green Lantern. Granted, at least it wasn’t Guy. But a Lantern. Over him. When it involves his family.

He had to get his house in order quickly.

--

Damian would say he was quite pleased with himself that day. He managed to decide the type of weapon that would help his sister defend herself against others best, given her profession as a seamstress, he was annoyed he hadn’t thought of it sooner. Selecting the type of needle to give her, and to ensure they could be used for fabrics to give her a reason to carry them on her person, was crucial however.

She had rejected his other offerings thus far, though he could hardly blame her. This would be his seventh attempt. He did hear it was a lucky number from somewhere… and he had gotten better since his last attempts at understanding the type of person she showed herself to be and the type of person she wished to be seen as.

The Swiss dagger on his first attempt was too bulky and not hidden enough for a style of fighting she should strive to cultivate. His second attempt was an ear dagger which were easier to use and she could add additional force with her thumb. He thought it was better protection for her, and it was small enough this time to be kept in her purse. Much better than his first attempt. Only from her pictures he knew it wasn’t ever in her purse.

He had failed to find her an acceptable apology gift that offered her the protection she needed. The third was when he moved to a larger blade, hoping the thin rapier could be hidden well enough as decorative or as a fancier fencing tool than standard. It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility given her closeness to an Olympic level fencer and this ‘Adrien Agreste’ who often partnered with Tsurugi. He was glad she had taken to displaying it at the least, though Adrien claiming to have given it to her left a bad taste in his mouth.

His sister wished to not have it known she had her own weapons then, he could handle that. His fourth attempt was  going to be a butterfly knife but given legal restrictions that he had come to realize she would follow (as idiotic as they were) he changed it to a classic Swiss knife. He did see this carried on her person on occasion, but not often. He looked into more easily concealed knives and gifted her a ballpoint pen knife—it looked like a pen and he made sure to customize it to resemble the pens in her room (he took a sample for reference) and did see her often carrying that one, though by active attempt or chance he couldn’t gather. He decided she would need a long range item next, and gifted her a small variety of throwing stars (and a knife or two, she seemed to favor possible close combat weapons of those he gave her). He noticed that none of these were carried on her person (he may have bugged them with trackers to figure out her preference) and they rarely left her room.

That was why he concluded that this time needles that she could use for sewing or battle were his best bet. Finding a way to walk that line was proving challenging.

Father came in while he was making his selection. He did find it odd Father hadn’t mentioned her to the rest of the family, but it could be that he wished her a more peaceful life. Damian would not disrespect his father’s wishes by bringing her up.

“Damian, we need to talk.”

Damian furrowed his brow, running over what could warrant that tone. He came up empty.

Father did move closer and see he was looking at needles this time. And showed surprised.

“For Okhti Al Kobra,” Damian stated, hoping his father wouldn’t be upset at him recognizing her. He knew now it was better for her to be apart from them, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do what he could to help her protect herself. His older sister deserved better.

Father did freeze at that.

Had Damian displeased him? (He wouldn’t… wouldn’t send him to back. Damian knew that. But that look… it brought back the boy that wondered when he’d be tossed aside by the Great Batman for no longer being a good solider.)

“Father? I know you don’t like to speak of her but.”

“You, you’re getting her needles?” it was a question. He didn’t get why.

“Yes, my last presents seemed inadequate. She has taken to the penknife, but only sometimes. She keeps the Swiss on her sometimes too—haven’t you been keeping an eye on her social media? She posts a disgusting amount. I figured given the boutique it wouldn’t be unacceptable for her to carry needles on her as a weapon and tool in the future, should anyone else discover our connection.”

Bruce stared Damian, waiting for him to finish.

“She does keep the flowers I left her, though she does react oddly. The first time she was very pale.” Looking back, it was likely fear. She was a civilian after all… “However I believe she has come to accept that even with distance, she is still a Bat by blood and as such, should remain vigilant.” Damian hoped his report was adequate.

“She… how old is she?” Father’s tone was softer then. but the question didn’t make any sense.

“Father, you should know how old she is.” Damian waited for the man to respond.

He didn’t.

Damian furrowed his brow. “Father, you do know who she is, right?”

“Ladybug.”

Damian blinked at that. He had no idea who that was, but he knew an alias when he heard one. “She’s a civilian—when did she—”

“Damian.” He stilled at that. “How old is she?”

Damian straightened then. “She was twelve and a half when we first met. She will be sixteen in two weeks.” Damian glanced at his abandoned screen. “She enjoys design.”

“Her, her name.” His father looked… lost.

“I, we don’t revel secret identities?” Damian was a bit lost. Father should know of his sister. They were only two years apart. She was from before his father’s training became serious. He should know of her, at least. And if he didn’t, wasn’t it a betrayal to her if he revealed who she was without her permission? Whenever he tried to visit, she was always elsewhere, and he couldn’t very well show up as Damian Wayne. That would reveal the family and she didn’t need to know that. Didn’t need that burden.

“She knows she’s my daughter.” Father sounded…desperate.

“She knows she is Batman’s. I didn’t reveal your identity, or the family’s.”

“I…”

Damian took a deep breath. He didn’t want to betray his family. Or further hurt his older sister. “I believe that we should speak to her before discussing her identity. It… it should be her choice.”

Father looked pained at that.

“I assume you don’t…” No, father would not know how the first meeting went… right?

Father said nothing before leaving.

Damian wondered if he should visit her sooner. He eyed his cart and got her a set of weaponry needles, knitting, and a set made for seamstresses with small hands. He hoped these were to her liking. Perhaps he should add white heather (Protection) and purple hyacinth (I’m sorry) in addition to the zinnias…. Or just give her two with the zinnias mixed between them, as Damian reasoned the heather and hyacinth wouldn’t looks the best together. Yellow (daily remembrance) and scarlet (constancy) zinnias with heather (protection) and some greenery should be fine, and purple hyacinth (I’m sorry) mixed with magenta (lasting affection) white (goodness) and perhaps a white daffodil (stay as sweet as you are) with a filler of some sort would work well. She accepted his apologies (albeit in flowers) before, and he hoped he had proven he was paying enough attention to her for her to see that he meant it.

He was glad he hadn’t killed her that day.

Now he had research to do to help his sister.

He missed Brown as she slipped out. And completely missed finding out she was messaging Todd, Drake and Cassandra the news: there was a missing Bat into design, goes by Ladybug, and Bruce has no clue what her identity is.

Cass didn’t send anything in response.

Jason stated he would find her before Tim.

Stephanie was just excited for another girl in the group. Little sister in need of help? Count her in—being Spoiler versus being Batgirl was a world of difference. Having a team made it easier, and it shouldn’t be too hard to convince the girl to give it a shot, right?

--

Thanks for waiting. part three here

tags: @heldtogetherbysafetypins @laurcad123 @raisuke06

debating which bat will find her first (in person), so feel free to state any preferences, and thanks for the comments and kudos--it really does help with working this idea out.

[bugsandchatons]

when you weren’t mine to lose (4)

Summary: Change is a scary thing, especially when it feels like nothing has stayed the same.

It’s been a year since Marinette became the Guardian of the Miracle Box - a year of struggling beneath a burden she never asked for, a weight that has her leaning on her partner more and more as the hours fly by, of letting him come to her, too, when he needs a soft place to land. A year of falling for the boy who takes on the world by her side with a smile made of sunlight, and fighting the growing urge to tell him what he means to her.

After all, they’ll have time enough for that when Paris is safe.

But when the unthinkable happens, Marinette learns the tragedy of loving someone quietly, and the lines she’ll cross to save him.

  [[AO3]] {from the beginning}

*****

[four: when I’ve got nothing but my aching soul]

The world around her keeps going, but Ladybug’s universe narrows to three things: Chat Noir’s frozen form, the shattered mirror at his feet, and her own hand, reaching in vain across the space between them. At some point, darkness must fall around her in earnest, as the sun dies behind the horizon. At some point, the akumatized victim must gather his strength and crawl away, finding his own way down the fire escape and leaving Ladybug to her vigil.

She doesn’t spare him a glance.

The beeping in her ears blares one last warning and the static fades, bringing the return of sound and with it, faint gasps that come in a rhythm.

It’s coming from her, Ladybug realizes. She can’t seem to find enough air.

There’s a flash of pink and she shuts her eyes against it. When she opens them again, Chat’s blank stare meets her. Her stomach turns, threatening to empty. “I can’t breathe,” she tells him, choking on the words. 

Still, he doesn’t move. 

Another sound finds her, be it mere moments or hours later. It takes too long to realize it’s her name.

“Marinette?” Tikki, exhausted and wide-eyed, is patting her cheek. “Marinette, what happened?”

“Chat, he -” she whispers, lifting a trembling finger. She can’t find any more words, but it’s enough. 

Tikki spins around and makes a strangled sort of sound before zipping over to him. “Chat Noir?” she asks, her voice clear as a bell. Marinette blinks, then sits up straighter and stares. If she can’t fix it, then Tikki will.

“Plagg?” Tikki tries, her voice jumping an octave. “Plagg,” she calls again, before her expression twists. In the blink of an eye, Tikki phases into the Chat statue, before reappearing with something that’s enormous in her hands but tiny when she brings it over and lays it in front of Marinette. 

It’s Chat Noir’s ring, the Black Cat Miraculous in a state she’s never seen it in before. It’s still black, but burned black. The signet face is blank, and the absence of the usual flashing green paw print is as glaring as a missing heartbeat.

When Marinette opens her mouth to speak, nothing makes it past the lump in her throat. She swallows, then tries again, her voice hoarse. “Where’s Plagg?”

Tikki makes a small sound, similar to that of an animal in pain. Everything about her droops. “I don’t know, Marinette. The Miraculous is broken.”

Marinette shakes her head, the movement slow and mechanical. She reaches out for the shattered hand mirror and stares at her own fragmented reflection as it looks back with broken accusation in her eyes. She whispers, “Why didn’t it work, Tikki?”

Tikki closes her eyes. “Lucky Charm has failed before when the Akuma's ability was able to impact it. This is…” she trails off, touching down onto the roof in front of Marinette, her eyes glassy with her own grief when she looks back up. “I’m so, so sorry.” 

It takes a moment for her meaning to land, the only sound Marinette’s harsh, hiccuping breaths. She looks from the black ring to the black statue of a boy whose name she never knew but wanted to learn. Her partner, her kitty, his eyes empty when they were always so bright, his mouth a gaping wound when it used to offer sunbeam smiles.

Marinette had lost him time and time again, but he’d always come back. She’d saved him, over and over. It was never supposed to be permanent.

She looks down at the mirror that failed her, failed him, screws her eyes shut, and smashes it into the rooftop. Glass shards fly free and nick her arms, her cheeks. Marinette does it again, then again. 

“Marinette,” Tikki cries, “you’re hurting yourself, please!” 

Was she? She couldn’t feel it. She gives in anyway, dropping the destroyed mirror and picking up the Miraculous ring instead. She shuffles closer to Chat, stopping just short of touching him. Her hand shakes as she closes her fingers around his ring.

She’s held it before, but she’s always been able to give it back. 

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” her name comes from a low, smooth voice behind her, belonging to someone who wasn’t there before. “In hindsight, I ought to have known it would be you hiding behind Ladybug’s mask.”

She feels Tikki nestle into her hair. Marinette fists her fingers and rises to her knees. She turns slowly, lifting her eyes to meet Hawkmoth’s as he stares down at her. Something inside her catches fire and starts to burn.

“Nothing to say on your behalf?” he asks. “No desperate denials?”

Marinette glares back. If he’s disappointed in her refusal to engage, he says nothing of it. He tips his head down in the smallest of nods. “I’m afraid I require your Miraculous, Mademoiselle.”

She lets out one harsh sound, too sharp and brittle to be a laugh. “Now you ask nicely?” 

Hawkmoth is silent for a beat, then another. He clears his throat. “It would be in your best interest, as well.” She stares him down as he inclines his head in Chat’s direction, but seems unable to fully look his way as he continues, “I can fix what has transpired here tonight.”

“You can fix him,” Marinette turns the words over in her mouth. They taste like ashes. “Why?”

Another silence. Hawkmoth seems to measure what he’d like to say carefully before admitting, “I have reason to believe he’s my son.”

“Your son,” Marinette echoes. The flames inside the cavern of her chest lick higher and higher, a blaze building to an inferno.

“I believe so, yes.” Finally, he turns his gaze to Chat, though any expression Hawkmoth might offer in the face of what he’s wrought hides behind his mask. Marinette’s fingers itch with the desire to claw his eyes out. “This evening, my son did not come home. No one has seen him for hours now, which is an anomaly on its own. He is typically obedient and does not leave our house without accompaniment, so his continued absence is highly unusual.” He pauses, his brow furrowing. “I...have wondered before about the possibility of him being Chat Noir. Now, between the timing of his disappearance and the demise of your partner, the coincidence seems too great to disregard. With your earrings and his ring, I can likely restore him.”

Marinette clenches her fist around the broken ring until it bites into her skin. It wouldn’t be granting any wishes, now. “Restore him,” she says slowly, venom slipping into the cracks in her voice. She rises; one foot underneath her, then the other. “You? You ruined him. You killed him.” 

Hawkmoth watches her, his face infuriatingly blank. Marinette takes a shaky step, putting herself firmly between him and Chat as her emptiness gives way to something vicious and blistering. “You put him in danger every day, and for what? Now he’s gone. You can’t save him,” she spits. “You took him away from me.” 

Her words echo, splintering the quiet of the night. Hawkmoth’s jaw ticks, the only outward sign of his displeasure. “If you’re quite finished with the dramatics,” he begins, “I am offering the chance to change it.” 

“No, you’re trying to get what you want. To take the Miraculous and use them for something selfish. If I were to do that, I wouldn’t need you, now would I?”

Hawkmoth’s lip curls. “You know nothing of me or my purposes. You run around playing hero, but you have no idea of the true power of the forces you interfere with. You are nothing but a child.” 

“Maybe,” Marinette admits, “but I’ve still managed to best you a thousand times over.”

“So you will not cooperate, then.” 

Marinette lifts her eyes to his. He could take the Miraculous from her, she knows, and easily. Tikki hasn’t eaten, and she can’t transform. Marinette doesn’t care. She dares him to take a step. She’ll burn him down and the world along with it. “No,” she says, “I will not.” 

His eyes narrow to slits. “We shall see, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

She stares back, undaunted. His threats can’t touch her. There’s nothing more he can do that would be worse than what he’s already done.

He half-turns, waving his cane towards Chat. “And what are you going to do for him on your own? Give it time. You might find that you and I are not so different when it comes to losing those we love.”

Her breath catches in her lungs. The ring feels like a brand in her palm. Hawkmoth would trade a life to bring back whoever it was he’d lost. If she could, would she make the same choice?

“Go, Hawkmoth,” Tikki speaks up, her little voice colder than Marinette has ever heard it. “The Guardian will deal with you in due time.”

Silence greets her. It stretches on until Marinette hears his footsteps retreat, then fade. 

When he’s gone, she steps closer to Chat, shaking like a leaf in the wind. “Oh, minou, mon rêve,” she whispers. “Can’t you come back to me? I was going to tell you my name,” she lifts a timid hand and lays it against his cool cheek. “I was going to tell you I love you.” 

Ashes fall from his cheek like teardrops, staining her fingers. As though a mere touch was all that was needed, Chat crumbles, ashes falling at her feet and scattering on the wind. When dust is all that remains, something inside Marinette twists and breaks.

She drops to the rooftop when her legs give up, unwilling to hold her any longer. She screams, for Chat, for anyone, until her voice is ragged and nearly spent. She draws freezing air into burning lungs and screams some more, begging Bunnyx to come and take her back, back to when the worst thing she had to face was telling her partner the truth.

Tikki rides out the storm on her shoulder, her little hands pressed to Marinette’s cheek. “Bunnyx will only come if all else has failed, Marinette,” she murmurs. “At the end of everything.”

“Chat is gone,” Marinette whimpers, “Hawkmoth knows who I am. This feels like the end of everything to me.” 

Tikki presses her face to Marinette’s, her little body shaking. “There must be something, then. Something we’ve missed, another chance-”

Another chance. Marinette goes very still. “A second chance,” she gasps. She finds her feet, slowly. She swipes a soot-stained hand over her cheek and turns in the direction of home. “I need to get to my bedroom, Tikki. Without anyone seeing.” She fumbles for her purse and produces half a macaroon. “Please eat, if you can.” 

Like mismatching puzzle pieces, she forces together a plan. A convoluted one, a risky one, but a plan, none-the-less. As she strings it together, she finally feels like she can breathe.

“What are you thinking?” Tikki asks before taking a bite.

Marinette tells her.

 ****

The race to her terrace is a blur. Ladybug stumbles over her potted plants until she reaches the hatch and falls into her bed, then slides down the ladder. She drags herself on weary feet to the locked chest in the corner. Inside, buried beneath several layers of fabric scraps, is the Miracle Box.

Ladybug presses her thumbs to the buttons and watches as it springs open at her touch.

“Are you sure about this, Marinette?” Tikki had asked, blue eyes wide and uncertain.

No. She wasn’t at all sure that this was the right choice, but she was sure that this was her best chance.

Ladybug selects the Miraculous she needs and slides it onto her left wrist. She tucks the box back away safe, stands, and grabs a hair ribbon from her desk. With it, she ties Chat’s ring to her other wrist, pressing the blank signet to her lips before something else catches her eye.

Her phone blinks insistently from the desk. There are a dozen missed messages - her mother, her father, Alya. One in particular grabs her attention, a short text from an unknown number.

This is Nathalie Sancoeur. Miss Dupain-Cheng, is Adrien with you?

She blinks. There are others - another from Alya, from Nino, even Chloe, all asking the same thing.

Is Adrien with you? 

Ladybug’s phone slips from shaking fingers. 

Between the timing of his disappearance and the demise of your partner, the coincidence seems too great to disregard.

Ladybug swallows. She breathes in through her nose and lets it back out. She’d fix it.

“One more time, Tikki,” she’d begged on the rooftop. “If this works, it...it might be awhile.”

Tikki had pressed a kiss to her forehead, determination clear in her eyes. “If it gives us a chance to save Plagg and Chat Noir, then it will be more than worth it. Good luck, Marinette.”

She digs an old, treasured charm bracelet out of her purse and dons it, too. She’d never had to ask for luck before, but now, she would take every bit she could get her hands on. 

Ladybug leaves her home as quietly as she snuck in. She swings down from the roof and slips into the park across the street, letting her feet carry her until she finds herself in front of the statue dedicated to herself and Chat Noir. The violent hole in her chest gapes open, even wider than before.

At least here, she can see his smile.

This time, when her eyes burn and her throat swells and her heart breaks, Ladybug lets it consume her. She lets tears burst through the dam she’d built and drowns in them. She lets the grief pour out of her until she’s choking on it.

Through it all, she waits.

She feels it, when it comes - in the shift in the air, in the chill down her spine. She lets out a ragged breath. “Tikki,” she whispers. “Sass. Unify.”

Then Ladybug reaches out and allows damnation and salvation both to land in the palm of her hand. “There you are, little butterfly. I’ve been waiting for you.”