#i found the hawkmoth like an hour ago!!! and had never seen one in person before

[sparklev0id]

presenting my epic awesome (and ever growing) bug collection bc i figure y'all would appreciate them as much as i do >:3

[liquid-luck-00]

WonderBug

Angst Edition

Diana Prince (Wonder Woman) x Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Ladybug)

I am late. SO, so , so late but here it is

1: Soulmates @maribat-angst-fluff-april

My partner is the wonderful @thedragonbug

Ao3

Fuffy Edition

Soulmates exist, and Marinette hates hers. You see everyone is born with their half or part of a complete soul mark. The other parts would appear when you were closer to your soulmate and be permanent when they were close emotionally. For everyone, the appearance or 'drawing' of the mark was light and warm. But not for her, no her drawing was heavy and hot, like a hot knife digging into her arm.

Her parents knew this, and it was concerning, to know that their child was in pain because of their soulmate. Seeing as the marks were not supposed to be painful. Yet as there was no good reason given by medical and mark professionals, and the fact that her soulmate didn't stay near her for long there was nothing that they could do. They did tell her that few, this phenomenon affects one in a million people and she was just lucky enough to be one of them.

Over the years she grew used to the pain, but every time she did it would come back even stronger than the last. She slowly hated her mark and in turn her soulmate. Marinette would cover her mark, ignore it, even wish it away. All her soulmate did was bring her pain. Sure, it upped her pain tolerance, but it hurt her still.

When she turned fourteen, she became Ladybug. She then recognized that her mark was actually the wire of her yo-yo.

The first time Chat Noir claimed they were soulmates she broke down in tears. luckily for her he told her during patrol and not an attack.

"We aren't soulmates, Chat, and I'm glad we aren't." She nearly whispered.

"Why Bug?"

"Because I hate my soulmate, and I don’t want to ever hate you."

"Why would you hate your soulmate?" He seemed genuinely curious. But no one outside her parents knew, not a single person knew what happens to her.

"Because it hurts when they are close, it hurts so badly. The drawing is painful. I never want to meet the person who keeps hunting me." Tears formed in her eyes and Chat hugged her.

"I'm not your soulmate, then." She shook her head. "Good thing I'm your partner, and Plagg help me I am going to be your best friend. Got that Bugaboo?"

A half-hearted chuckle and a small smile escaped her. "Sounds good Kitty." The first person she has ever told, the person who was convinced that they were soulmates, cares for her, to help alleviate some of her pain.

The two became inseparable after that, to the point that most of Paris believed they were in a relationship.

When Nadia asked them about it during an interview, their reactions were memorable. Both all but gagged, turned to face each other, and then laughed almost falling out of the seats.

"I believe we have missed the joke." Nadia commented, worried, and confused.

"Why would I date my sister?"

"Sister?"

"Ladybug and I consider each other siblings in all but blood."

"Everything between us is simply platonic, not even close to romantic.” Ladybug answered after Chat.

“Then why would the whole of Paris believe you to be soulmates?” She may be good at hiding her pain, but the question must have made her react slightly, or Chat knew how sensitive the topic was to her.

“We aren’t soulmates, not the bonded ones that everyone thinks of.” He began. “We are the holders of the black cat and ladybug respectively because our souls resonate with the miraculous. Sure, they are two parts of a whole, but we are practically twins, two halves of coin. She is the sister I choose, she is my partner, and that is our relationship.”

“He’s completely right, now I think it’s time for us to start our patrol, BugOut!” Her smile now in place and their excuse to leave perfectly timed and respectful they made their exit.

They went on their patrol as normal, except just as they arrived at the Eiffel Tower to end the patrol. She was about to land on the platform when a searing pain flashed and radiating affecting her entire body blinding her momentarily. A single moment caused her to collapse on the tower landing, crumpling on the platform.

“LB!” Her breath came out in short bursts, she was clutching her upper arm eyes squeezed shut. This was the worst it has ever happened before, and she wanted it to end. As soon as the cause of pain came it disappeared. Leaving only the memory and a phantom pain.

"Just give me a minute." She slowly got her breathing under control, starting to get accustomed to the new level of pain.

"You weren't kidding that is the worst I’ve ever seen you hurt."

"Yeah not fun."

---

A month after that her mark burned again. This time during class. The teachers knew she would randomly stop due to pain, but they were told they were random migraines. To the point Mari would hold her head and rub her arm to sooth herself, while playing up a headache. Adrien stayed back after the class let out." You know you don't always need to put on a brave face Bugaboo."

Her attention snapped to him. "Well it's easier than constantly answering questions Kitty." She figured quickly.

Sure, they found out one another's identity, but that worked in their favor. After Tikki got sick, Fu started training Mari, and after a month Marinette was given guardianship. Fu still hasn’t lost his memories because Mari let Wayzz stay with him, for the time being, he eventually returns it to Mari in order to move on with his life, his memories fading gradually.

When Adrien got his hands on the grimoire, he of course showed it to Marinette.

“Kitty I know you don’t want to hear this, but I think your dad might be Hawkmoth.” This seemed to perfect for him to have without him being a villain.

“I know, but…”

“Adrien is there any motive anything that might be what he would wish for?”

“My mom. Dad closed himself off when she disappeared. I bet he would wish for her back.”

“Okay, so I’m going to be blunt okay.” He nodded. “So, if your mom is dead there isn’t anything that can be done without the wish, meaning at least one other person is dying.”

“So…”

“But if she is anything but.” She flipped through the grimoire recalling the studies she’s did with Fu. “There are ways we can find or even heal her.”

“This is all riding on an if.” He looked unsure as if this was too much to accept.

“Do you trust me?”

“If I didn’t, I would have turned tail and run a long time ago.”

“You dork.” She lightly shoved him, but he swayed dramatically.

“You two are close.” The new student in their class came up to them.

“Lila, right?”

“That’s right.” She answered sickly sweet, almost fake. “Are you two soulmates by any chance?”

“No.” Adrien answered. “Why?”

“You’re Adrien Agreste! Why would you be in public school?” She finally seemed to recognize.

“Let’s just say it’s a bit of rebellion.” He chuckled.

“We’re still on for video games, right?” She brought up to end the conversation seeing that Adrien was getting uncomfortable.

“Your winning streak is going down.” He announced.

“You want to join us, Lila?” She offered.

“Why?”

“Because your new and I want to get to know you.” Marinette answered honestly.

“Why?”

“Because we know you lied but still want to know you, the real you.” Adrien added.

“Why?” She asked suspiciously now.

“Question! Is it a felony to kidnap her to play video games, have snacks, get to know her, then let her go?”

“Well the kidnapping part is but if she goes willingly, I call that a hangout session.” Adrien mused.

“True, true.” She hummed. “So, what do you say, because now I am determined to get to know you.”

“Wh…”

“Kidnapping it is.” Adrien decided and grabbed the new girl’s wrist pulling her out of the library. Mari picking up their bags.

Lila herself wasn’t too bad once she started telling the truth, lying is a coping mechanism she created, because she is constantly moving schools, cities, and even countries. She is pretty interesting when she isn’t exaggerating. She was on a Hollywood movie set, but she was there on accident, she was looking for the bathroom in a restaurant and they were filming there that day. She did save a kitten on a tarmac once, but one it wasn’t Jagged Stones, it was a kitten who spooked out of their carrier and rushed down the stairs. Lila dove and caught it before it could leave the passenger unloading area to get the tram to the airport. (Some small airports unload passengers in a certain area of the tarmac and either shuttle them to the building or have a sectioned of walkway that is cleared for passengers, to walk back in only.)

After almost two hours Lila left for home when Adrien’s father called, and he was angry. Together she and Adrien ran back to the Agreste Mansion.

“Adrien!” Gabriel came out disheveled and slightly panicked. “And Miss Dupain-Cheng.” He slightly composed himself.

“Sorry I kept him.” She apologized. “He showed me this really cool book and you know how it is when inspiration hits.”

“Ah yes the inspiring fashion designer friend.” Adrien had walked up and handed his father the grimoire.

“It’s quite an interesting spell book.”

“You can read it?”

“Yes, I can. (Come on out little butterfly.)” Nooroo flew out from his hiding spot. “Hello kwamii of transmission and to you as well Hawkmoth.” She was calm deathly calm.

“How?!” Gabriel growled.

“Calm down. I have a question for you first. You want the jewels used by Ladybug and Chat Noir, why?”

“Would my answer change your plan of action to urn me into authorities and to the heroes?”

“My response may change, but you’ll have to answer to find out.”

“My wife wielder the peacock miraculous, it is broken, and she fell ill, and is in a comatose state.”

“Ah! So here is what is going to happen.” She took the grimoire from Gabriel and flipped over pages. “There is a way to revive her without resorting to using the wish.��

“How do you know this?”

She simply smiled. “You mind gathering these ingredients please Adrien?” She text him a list.

“Sure.”

“How do I know that this isn’t a ruse?”

“One I hate liars, and two because all magic has a cost, and this way is less than if you were to use the wish.”

“What do you mean cost?”

“Just like using your transformation wears on the kwamii, and the power affects your limit. Magic has its cost. The wish because it will always rewrite reality, the price is steep. Bringing back one life means you lose at minimum one other person from your life most likely more.”

“And this?”

“From what I understand. Everyone involved in the spell will have their energies deprecated so they will sleep for a day to a week.”

“Randomly?”

“No, the more people the less each person sleeps.”

“Here they are!” Adrien burst back in the room.

“Do you have the peacock miraculous?” Gabriel nodded. “Okay we’ll need that first, so lead the way to the kitchen.” Both men shuffled confused. “You do know where the kitchen is right?”

“Um well find it eventually.” Adrien chuckled. They were lucky and form it easily and Gabriel left while she and Adrien began to individually brew two separate potions. Adrien the more complex one for his mother’s revival. And she did the simpler one to fix the miraculous. Sue her Adrien is the better one in chemistry, sure he can’t cook to save himself, but he has a gift for chem, and Tikki help her she will teach him to cook. It’s practically edible chemistry, right?!

She took the Brock from Gabriel and fixed it, allowing Duusu out. “Okay so who is going to do this?”

“We will,” Adrien answered for himself and his Father, who nodded.

“Please let be help as well.” Miss Sancoeur offered.

Nooroo, Duusu, Tikki, and Plagg (they came out of hiding now) came to her. “We can help.”

She nodded and saw that Gabriel and Natalie were staring wide eyed between her and Adrien. She thought she heard Natalie say, ‘That explains so much’ but she isn’t sure.

Long story short they were able to wake up Emile, but she took back the peacock and butterfly, leaving Plagg with Adrien. Funnily enough the Agreste’s became a second family to her, once Gabriel finally grasped how to be a father. They told Paris that they had found Hawkmoth, but he would be tried by the order of Miraculous, meaning he would be stripped of the gem and his memories of the miraculous erased. It was a lie but Tikki told her that was what would have happened. There was some outcry, but they explained that they would have no recollection of it, and it wouldn’t make sense to try them.

The next few years of her life were blissfully normal, aside from the fact she had a contract under the Gabriel brand as the designer MDC, who was also endorsed by Style Queen. Chloe isn’t as bad as she puts on when she isn’t masking the hurt of being constantly ignored and bought by her parents.

- - -

It wasn’t until she was twenty-two and accompanying Adrien to a Wayne charity gala, one he didn’t want to go alone and two she was invited anyways, Chloe, Kagami, and Luka were also there on their own merits and invitations so they all stuck relatively together. Since arriving there Marinette was a constant pain, her arm burned and ached, but she forced herself to simply breathe and tried her hardest to push it out of her mind. But her luck wouldn’t hold, three hours into the event she was approached by who she recognized as Bruce Wayne, the host of the gala, and a woman to his left, the pain was almost unbearable the closer the two approached. Her friends noticed, they knew what her pain actually meant, as she opened up to them about it after a while, but she grit her teeth and tried to push through it.

“Mr. Agreste, Miss Bourgeois It is good to see you both again.” Bruce Wayne acknowledged. “It’s nice to meet all of you as well, Bruce Wayne.” He introduced to the rest, shaking hands. “And this is a good friend of mine.”

“Diana Prince.” She also went to shake everyone’s hands and had left Marinette for the last. The moment their hands touched she almost crumpled, she shrunk back and into Adrien and Chloe. “Is she okay?”

“Diana?” Bruce pointed towards her upper arm, the mark most of them overlooked before was now complete and glowing lightly. What Marinette remembered was that there was her yo-yo string and a golden rope that she only saw once before on her own arm. She felt sick, Diana was staring at her now, she recognized that Marinette was her soulmate.

“Melody?” Luka now stepped up.

“I want to leave.” She answered flatly.

“You are…”

She completely turned away, but by now her friends knew what was going on and were glaring at Diana. “I want to leave, now.” She repeated.

“Come on bug, let’s get you away from… this.” He threw a look at Diana, who was looking confused and seemingly alarmed.

The other three were putting as much space as they could between their friend and who is unknowingly causing her pain.

“Please is she alright?” Diana asked stepping forward barely grazing her hand covering her mark. This time it felt as if the skin itself was burning and stung almost like it was being pricked over and over and over again.

“Don’t touch me and stay away from me.” On the outside she looks clam and relaxed, but her voice was soft and raw, her eyes burned in pain. “You and that completed mark can stay far from me.”

“Luka, Kagami mind taking her back to the house?” The two in question led her away and once a safe distance away she broke down in tears, sobbing from the pain she was biting down.

- - -

The two that stayed were simultaneously glaring at her and watching their friends leave the gala.

“Is she alright?” Bruce finally bole the tension.

“As soon as she is far enough away from her.” The girl, Chloe, snapped at her. “Now that we know who is the the person causing her pain, we can keep her from them.” She snapped towards her, but it was a slap to Diana.

“I don’t follow. We are…”

“Soulmates, yeah we figured.” Adrien this time spoke.

“They why would she want to leave, without speaking?”

“One one in a million people are in pain when they are close to their soulmates.” Adrien spoke calmly but stoically. “No one knows why.” He began to fidget with a ring on hi# finger, she couldn’t recall if she saw any jewelry on her soulmate, Marinette, but she has a suspicion. After all she feels similar to her Mother’s aura and presence, that of a Ladybug.

“You are wrong. There is an explanation, but only a few know why that is.” She feels certain that she knows what this is.

“Let me guess you know why.” Chloe remarked, sarcastically and unamused.

“Allow me to explain this another time and place, as this is neither.”

“Fine call this number at noon est tomorrow.” Adrien handed her a phone number and the two turned and left.

“Diana?” Bruce snapped her attention. “What was that about?” He was still calm and collected but she knew he would be the one to ask, figuring out what was the next step, what had the best options of success.

“Magic.”

- - -

The next day she called the number and she was invited to a video call by the recipient. It turned out to be Marinette.

“Hello Diana.” Her voice was not cold but it was emotionless, as if she was forced into this conversation. Granted she did think she would be speaking with Adrien and Chloe.

“I never wanted to harm you, I swear that on the river Styx.” she began but before she could continue Marinette cut in.

“Let’s be clear, I don’t care about your apologies. I just want to know why this is happening and how to either get rid of it or to never have contact with you in any way or proximity.”

“I am apologizing because this is known as the curse of the ladybug and black cat.” She saw the young woman tense at that. “The reason I know of this is from by Mother, Queen Hippolyta Of the Amazon’s.” She allowed that to sink in and the other woman allowed her to drop her defense, nodding to what is said.

“When you say the curse of the ladybug and black cat what do you mean by that?”

“True souls of the miraculous, when in their life they come into contract with their given gems, cause a reaction.” Diana explained. “For the ladybug they receive the pain of their soulmate through their marks. Which is what I assume is going on.”

“Yes you’re right, but this has been going ever since I could remember.”

“Call it what you will fate, destiny, but you were always going to wield the ladybug jewel, that is why the curse manifested itself.”

“What about the black cat?”

“I am unsure, the black cat of my Mother’s time died before meeting their soulmate, but I would assume it would be similar to our situation.”

“Then how do we solve this?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Permanent Taglist: @itsmeevie01 @adrestar @miraculouspenta @vixen-uchiha @animegirlweeb @jumpingjoy82 @thedragonbug@astoriaandroses @icerosecrystal @t1dwarrior-of-earth @moon5606 @zalladane

[sassyduckqueen]

The Price of A Wish

Villain Luka au done! It was fun to write and surprisingly no Lila salt in this lol Anyway hope you enjoy it :D

--------------------------------------------------------------

Tears rolled down Luka's cheeks as he just stared blankly at the wall. He was sat on a bed in the small room of the Orphanage that he and his sister had been moved to after his father's arrest five months ago. Not even a week later, his mother fell sick and ended up in a coma which she hadn't woken up from. Luckily, Juleka and him hadn't been split up and he had a plan in motion.  As soon as he turned eighteen, he would get custody of Juleka and they would change their names and leave Paris forever, However, she began to show signs of schizophrenia, claiming that this world wasn't real. She had been drugged up to her eyeballs and babbled about the "real" world. Luka had tried to calm her down and tried to tell her that she was sick but she insisted she wasn't. Over the last few months, she just got worst. She told him a bad cat had made a wish and how a bug needed to save the world but he didn't understand what she meant. However, that no longer mattered because Juleka was gone. A week ago, she had managed to escape and had gone missing. Luka had tried to find her but he couldn't. Every day he looked for her but never found her. Today had been no difference at first. However, he had seen a crowd gathered around the Eiffel tower. Curiosity got the better of him and he walked over. He regretted it. Lying on the floor and in a puddle of blood was Juleka. He screamed and broke through the crowd, rushing to her side. The police had grabbed him because he could reach her as he screamed her name. They took him aside and he told them who she was. That was six hours ago but as if that wasn't bad enough, he got even worse news. The hospital had declared Anarka dead and switched her off life support. In less then a week, he had gone from having a loving family to losing everyone. His mother and sister were dead and his father was locked away in a secure prison after been arrested for terrorism. Luka didn't understand it. Jagged wasn't a perfect man but he was definitely not a terrorist. He was a rockstar for crying out loud or at least that what he believed... but apparently, he was the man who was the supervillain Hawkmoth. Luka didn't want to admit it. He really didn't but the evidence was there and Jagged had admitted it himself. As a result, Luka lost everything. His friends turned their backs on him, saying they couldn't be friends with the son of a supervillain and his grandfather, the only living relative he had left, refused to adopt him for the same reason after his mother's death. It's how he ended up here with Juleka but part of him wondered that if Jagged been the supervillain was part of the reason why Juleka killed herself, though she insisted he wasn't. Either way, it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore. It didn't matter that he was eighteen in a month's time or that he was alone. It didn't matter that his friends were gone and he had no family. Nothing mattered anymore and it would never matter again. Someone knocked on the door as he continued to stare. It opened and a woman walked in, frowning a little as she saw him. She didn't want him there but he had no where else to go. However, seeing him just staring with tear stains on his cheeks made her heart hurt a little. He didn't even acknowledge her as she walked over, holding a parcel.

  "Luka..." She stated, hoping for some reaction. Nothing. He didn't even blink. He just stared at the wall. He hadn't eaten or moved from that spot since he got brought back by the police. "You have a parcel..."

  Again, nothing so she sighed and put it on his bed before walking out and closing the door behind her. Luka slowly moved his head and looked over at it before picking it up. He tore off the paper and opened it, revealing two hexagon shaped boxes. Once again, curiosity got the better of him and he opened one of them, causing a purple ball of light to appear. He dropped the box as he stared at it before it formed a small butterfly like creature. He glanced down at the box and picked it up, seeing a butterfly shaped brooch inside. He looked up at the little creature and blinked.

"What are you?" He asked in an emotionless voice.

  "My name is Nooroo," It replied quietly. "I'm the kwami of transmission and I grant the power to create superpowered heroes..."

  "Heroes," Luka stated bitterly. "There are no heroes,"

  Nooroo looked at him as he put the box on the side and went back to staring at the wall.

  "M-Master?" He asked, causing Luka to glance at him. "A-Are you ok?"

  Luka blinked in surprise. No one had asked him that. Not when his father got arrested, not when his mother fell ill or when his sister killed herself. No one cared about him but this little creature was asking. He sat up and cupped him in his hands.

  "No... I'm not ok, Nooroo," He answered as his eyes filled with tears. "But thank you for asking me. You're the only person who has... and please don't call me Master. My name is Luka,"

  "Luka..." Nooroo repeated before gasping. "As in Luka Couffaine?!"

  "You... know me?" Luka asked, confused. Nooroo nodded. "How do you know me?"

  "You were Silencer, Truth and Viperion," He answered, making Luka blink. Silencer, Truth and Viperion.... why didn't they sound so familiar? "My old master Hawkmoth made you into Silencer and Truth... which I'm sorry about,"

  "My father made me into them?! What about Viperion?" He asked, wondering if this could get any worst. However, Nooroo looked confused. "Nooroo?"

  "Viperion was your hero name... but Gabriel Agreste is your father?!" Nooroo gasped, surprising Luka as well as himself. He shouldn't have been able to say his name but he had been able to. Did that mean he was no longer under the Agreste family's control?

  "No... my father is Jagged Stone. He was arrested for been hawkmoth and admitted to it," He explained, shocking Nooroo, who began to mumble. "But... Nooroo, are you saying Jagged wasn't Hawkmoth?"

  "He wasn't Hawkmoth," Nooroo gasped. "Duusu can confirm that too,"

  "Duusu?" Luka asked before grabbing the other box and opening it. A blue light burst free and moved around before a peacock like creature appeared. It stretched and looked at him.

  "Hello, new master!" It chirped, making Luka blink. "I'm Duusu, the kwami of emotion!! I can grant the power to make senticreatures!!"

  "Ok but I need to know something," He stated, making Duusu blink at him. "Who was Hawkmoth?"

  "Oh, well that was Gabriel Agreste and his assistant, Nathalie, was my master. She became Mayura. Oh and Hawkmoth became Shadow Moth when he merged me and Nooroo!"

  "... My father is innocent!" Luka gasped, standing up. "We can clear his name and I can live with him!"

  "Luka," Nooroo stated, making Luka look at him. "We can't,"

  "Why not?"

  "Because he admitted it," Nooroo explained, causing Luka to stare at him. 

  "But you can tell them he isn't!" He gasped before frowning as Nooroo and Duusu looked guilty. Like they knew something he didn't. "Nooroo? Duusu? What aren't you telling me?"

  "Something doesn't feel right," Duusu whispered, looking around fearfully. "This world feels..."

  "Wrong," Nooroo added in, making Luka frown before he fluttered over and lifted Luka's wrist. "You're not wearing your miraculous..."

  "My what?"

  "The snake miraculous. It was entrusted to you by Ladybug," Nooroo replied, making Luka frown. What is a miraculous? And who is Ladybug? "You... don't know what I mean do you?"

  "I don't..." Luka replied, frowning. "Who is Ladybug? What's a miraculous?"

  Nooroo sighed and turned to Duusu, who was playing with their flippers.

  "It must be the wish..." She gasped, worried. "But surely, Hawkmoth didn't win? I'm sure he was defeated,"

  "Gabriel was... maybe someone else made a wish...." Nooroo gasped, looking down before shaking his head. "We need to restore his memories,"

  "My memories?" Luka asked but before he could say something else, Nooroo and Duusu flew over to him and placed their hands on the side of his head. His eyes glazed over in purple as his mind began to flood with images. He reminded his time as Viperion, as Truth and as Silencer. He reminded his mother's akumatization and his sister's. He remembered Heroes day and seeing Hawkmoth on TV. And that was definitely not his father. His mind filled with all of the experiences he had forgotten. Kitty Sections, Been a hero, Miracle Queen, playing his violin in front of a crowd, making friends with Kagami and Marc and Marinette. He had forgotten Marinette. Tears filled his eyes as he remembered the love he held for her and how she loved him but then a new memory surfaced and it was the worst. Rage filled him as he saw Adrien Agreste overpower Ladybug and take her earrings, revealing Marinette. He broke free from the akuma and when to reset his timer but the akuma grabbed him as Adrien stated that he could fix the world now, his mother would be ok and his father would be free from been Hawkmoth. He had the nerve to smile as he said they could finally be a family again and that he and his lady would be together forever. Marinette begged him not to but Adrien ignored her, stating he would take away all of her burdens. They could finally be together like they were meant to be... but she was with Luka. She was his girlfriend and Adrien intended to steal her but worst then that, he intended to make a wish to bring his mother back and to free his father from been hawkmoth. Marinette begged him still, telling him a price would be paid but then Adrien said something that hurt everyone. He stated that he didn't care. Luka screamed as he watched Adrien combine the two miraculous and make his wish before a light engulfed him and everyone in the room. He gasped as Nooroo and Duusu pulled away, tears rolling down his cheek. "He... Adrien... He betrayed us..."

  He let out a scream and just began to destroy almost everything in his path, trashing the room before he finally sunk down to his knees and sobbed. Nooroo and Duusu flew over, hugging him.

  "H-His wish... it was for his mother, his father and for Marinette to forget wasn't it?" He asked, looking up at them as they nodded. "Is that why my mother is dead, my father in jail and my sister driven mad from memories of the real world?"

  "I'm afraid so," Nooroo replied, looking down. "A price must be paid for the wish to come true... Adrien got his family back but you lost yours,"

  Luka shook from the tears and anger before he stood up, making the two kwamis look at him.

  "Can it be undone?" He asked in a cold voice. Nooroo slowly nodded. "How?"

  "You would need the miraculous of the ladybug and the black cat. The kwamis could reverse the wish and restore the world to just before it was made," He explained, making Luka nod. "But we don't know where it is. They're properly with the guardian who may or may not be in Paris. That's why Hawkmoth created supervillains. He wanted to force them out,"

  "Then we'll do the same," Luka declared, making Nooroo and Duusu gasp before he looked at them. "But I won't force you... I'm not Hawkmoth,"

  Duusu looked at Nooroo, who bit his lip. Part of him didn't want to be used by a villain again but they could also fix the world back to how it was. It wasn't fair that Luka lost everything so Adrien could regain what he had lost. That was cruel and not a solution. It was just passing on his pain to someone else.

  "We will help you..." Nooroo declared, making Luka nod and whisper thank you. "But what about Adrien?"

  "Well... it will take awhile to get the miraculous right?" Luka asked, smirking as they nodded. "Then I'll use that time to torment him. This is his fault after all,"

  He picked up the pins and put them on.

  "Now... how do I transform?"

  Six Month Later

  "Don't be bemused, it's just the news," Nadja Chamack stated as she smiled at the camera. She was stood outside of a parade celebrating one year of been free from Hawkmoth. "It's been exactly one year since Jagged Stone was arrested and found guilty of been Hawkmoth and since our heroes retired. Earlier in the week, a fluke happened where Miss Bourgeois once again somehow ended up Akumatized but this seems to be a one time thing. Experts have theorized that it might have been a stray akuma that Hawkmoth left behind but luckily new heroes Harlequin and Kuro Neko turned up and saved the day. However, one does wonder what happened to the original Ladybug and Chat Noir-"

  A huge roar suddenly echoed, cutting her off before a beast of a creature landed on the balloon of Ladybug, making Nadja and the film crew look over. It resembled a giant snake that seemed to be themed around the snake hero.

  "Um is this part of the parade?" She asked as the figure jumped down from it and stood up straight. He didn't look like part of the show either. He was tall and had a blue hooded cape that faded into peacock green. It also resembled a peacock's tail. Under his hood, Nadja could make out blue and purple hair. His skin was a cold shade of blue and he wore a purple and black butterfly mask. His shirt was a dark purple and his waistcoat was a lighter purple that resembled butterfly wings. His pants were a midnight blue and his boots were black combat boots. His eyes were the worst though. They were pink with lilac  sclera but they were completely void like he had no soul. In his hand was a cane and attached to his hip was a feathered fan. He spun his cane down as his cape flapped in the wind.

  "People of Paris!! Listen carefully!! Queen Wasp wasn't a fluke or a stray akuma from Hawkmoth! She was merely a test run for me!" He shouted, causing everyone to film him. "I am Aglais, Hawkmoth's successor!! Harlequin, Kuro Neko! Give me your miraculous and bring me Adrien Agreste! Do this and I'll ensure the safety of Paris! You have five minutes to give into my demands or I'll make Paris wish they only had to deal with Hawkmoth again,"

  "Nadja Chamack here and first on the scene! A new supervillain calling himself has just turned up, threatening Paris if the miraculous of the ladybug and black cat aren't delivered to him, along with teenage heartthrob Adrien Agreste!" She gasped as Aglais stroked the snake's neck. He knew five minutes wasn't enough time and he knew that the heroes wouldn't give in to his demands but that was the point. He smirked as the two heroes landed on the building opposite as the cameras filmed.

  "No Agreste I see!" He shouted back as the two heroes jumped over to him. "Pity. I didn't want to terrorize anyone,"

  "Surrender your miraculous and you won't have to," Harlequin stated, holding out his hand. "You don't have to do this,"

  "Cute," He chuckled, smirking. "But I do. Agreste needs to pay for his misdeeds. Basilisk, you know what to do,"

  The snake hissed and jumped over the heroes, making them look at it as it fell to the ground. Kuro Neko rolled her eyes as they turned to the villain.

  "Your pet just killed itself," She stated, making Aglais smile a little. "You lost your advantage,"

  "Did I?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as they heard a cracking noise. "Unlike my predecessor, I have a much more creativity mind. Did you know senticreatures can grow and evolve?"

  "Senticreatures?" Kuro Neko asked before her eyes flicked down to his brooches. She gasped and turned back to Basilisk who had been growing and reforming. "He has the peacock miraculous!"

  People began to scream as Basilisk tripled in size, roaring out.

  "A sentimonster!" Harlequin gasped.

  "No, it's a senticreature," Aglais corrected, making them growl. "And the nightmare is just beginning!! Hydra! Attack!!"

  Hydra growled and began to fire beams at people, freezing them in place and causing more people to panic and scream as Aglais laughed like a maniac. The two heroes jumped down and started to fight it. They managed to cut off it's head but to their horror, two more grew back, allowing it to attack them and freeze more people.

  "Another interesting fact! I can create more than one senticreature. Monarch!!! Come to me!!" He declared as a large butterfly flew over. He jumped up and landed on it. "You see... while I planned all of this, I made sure to learn all that I could about my miraculous. Something Hawkmoth didn't do. And as a result, I learnt how to do things he couldn't! Such as creating a swarm of akumas!!"

  "What?!" Harlequin gasped as Aglais lifted his cane, causing a humming sound to echo before a swarm of akumas descended on them and the crowd. They entered items of the frozen victims and panicked people, turning them into villains.

  "Capture the heroes!" He ordered, causing the villains and Hydra rushed at them. Aglais smirked as the heroes to fight them. With them distracted, he directed his butterfly over to one of the tv stations helicopters. He stepped inside and smirking as the passagers shook in fear. "Now for the one person who can get me what I want! Come here!!!"

  He roughly grabbed the camera man as he filmed and smirked at it.

  "Agreste!! Calling Adrien Agreste!!!" He laughed, holding him. "I know you're watching, Adrien so I have a deal for you! Meet me where it all began and I'll spare Paris!! You have six hours to do this and if you don't.... well, I think you can imagine what I'm gonna do to Paris if you refuse my demands. Oh and bring Marinette with you!! She deserves to know what kind of monster she is with! See you soon, Kitty Cat!!!"

  He shoved the camera man back against the seat and jumped back on his butterfly before it flew off with him looking down at the battle. Harlequin and Kuro Neko were doing well but he couldn't let them win. He opened the connection with a sentimonster as he stared at them.

  "Rosier, time to grow," He ordered, causing a number of vines to suddenly burst through the roads, wrapping around anyone that wasn't akumatized. A number of large flowers appeared and began to shake, creating a pink smog to appear. Those who weren't akumatized or captured began to fall down asleep, including the heroes. More vines and flowers burst through, wrapping around the heroes and dragging them inside two large roses. The petals wrapped around them and pulled them underground as Aglais smirked. "Capture Adrien's friends as well. I want him to know what he did,"

  Rosier grew more large roses before capturing the rest of Miss Bustier's class, dragging them underground as well. With the parade in chaos, supervillains running around and the heroes captured, Aglais laughed and opened a connection to every villain he had created.

  "Descend on Agreste manor!" He declared, pointing his cane in his direction. The arm of villains headed towards there with Hydra following as Aglais placed his cane onto his back and moved so he was sat on the butterfly, flying it towards the manor. It was where it all began after all.

  ~Adrien's POV~

  "Are you sure about this Adrien?" Marinette asked as he walked into the manor. He turned to her and gave her a soft smile. "We shouldn't give in to a villain's demands,"

  "It will be ok, mi'lady," He stated, taking her hand in his. "I promise. Remember me and you against the world,"

  "Of course," She smiled, having no idea what that once meant to her. Now it was just part of her relationship with Adrien. She linked their fingers and followed him inside. The two of them walked through the empty manor. Adrien couldn't help but worry for his father and mother as they had lived there, meaning that they were in direct danger. He let go of Marinette's hand and rushed to his father's office, pushing open the doors. He was hoping to that his father was in there, designing with his mother but he wasn't. Marinette caught up to him before placing her hand on his shoulder as he began to release the seriousness of the situation. He glanced over to his mother's portrait and gasped as he saw a massive hole in where Hawkmoth's secret lift was. He walked over to it, followed by Marinette and saw a staircase made from vines going down into darkness. Taking a deep breathe, the two of them walked down into the butterfly garden. Marinette gasped as she looked around. It made sense that this garden belonged to Hawkmoth but why was it underneath Agreste Manor? That made no sense. "Adrien, where are we?"

  "Father's butterfly garden," He replied, looking around. He had hope that he would never find himself here again. It was a place that he never wanted to see again but it was almost exactly the same as the last time he saw it. Only this time instead of one casket in the middle, there was two and there were huge roses and vines everywhere. Adrien frowned and subconsciously stroked his ring, wishing he had kept his miraculous now. A hissing noise made him and Marinette gasp as Hydra came out from the shadows before Monarch fluttered down towards the caskets. Marinette instantly grabbed onto his arm as a number of akumatized villains walked out of the shadows before a black rose burst from the ground and opened up, revealing Aglais sat on it like a throne. "I'm here so let my family go,"

  "All in good time, Adrien," Aglais replied, standing up. Vines moved over and turned into stairs as he walked down them. "But first... let's catch up,"

  "Catch up?" Adrien asked, confused. He didn't know this villain. "Why would I want to catch up with you? I don't even know you,"

  "Oh but you do," Aglais replied, walking over to them. "You and I go way back, Adrien. In fact, we use to be on the same side... until you decided to betray everyone,"

  "I.. I don't know what you're talking about," He answered, failing to notice the vine slipping around his ankle and getting closer to his wrists. "And I don't know you! I don't get what you want with me. I haven't done anything to you!"

  "You haven't done anything to me?" Aglais repeated, making Adrien look at him in slightly annoyance before Aglais began to laugh. "Adrien, Adrien... if only that was true..."

  "What?" Adrien gasped, not expecting that answer. "I'm not lying! I didn't do anything-"

  "You are the reason why my family are gone!" Aglais suddenly roared, causing the vines to suddenly wrap around Adrien like a snake. Marinette gasped and stepped back in fear as they tightened around him, cutting into him and causing him to gasp in pain. "Painful, isn't it Adrien? Well, that is nothing compared to the pain you have caused me,"

  A vine moved down to Aglais, causing him to stroke it.

  "Do you know what it's like to lose the people you love?" He asked, glancing over to him before Adrien cried out in pain. Physically, he wasn't injured but it felt like someone had reached into his chest and tore out his heart before crushing it. "It felt like that, Adrien and it was all because of you!"

  "How did I-"

  "You took everything from me when you made that damn wish!" Aglais screamed, shocking Adrien. No one should have known about that wish apart from him. "That's right, Kitty Cat. I remember the world before this one,"

  "H-How?"

  "Nooroo and Duusu restored my memories," He replied, walking over to him. "But... I am nothing but a fair man so I will give you a chance to prove to me that you don't deserve to be punished. I will ask you two questions and you answer them..."

  "Fine. I'll answer your questions but you have to answer mine too," Adrien replied, making Aglais smile coldly.

  "I forgot how much the little kitty likes to play with his games," He teased. "But very well, I'll play your game. We both get two questions. If you answer mine correctly and I'll let your family go,"

  "You will?" Adrien asked, hoping to distract him until Ladybug and Chat Noir got there. It was one of the things about this new world that he was beginning to regret. When he shaped it, he gave the miraculous to someone else. He thought they would never appear again because there was no hawkmoth in this world. Well, Hawkmoth had existed but he had made sure his father didn't get arrested for it. Aglais chuckled and pressed his cane against Adrien's neck. The expression on his face was unreadable as Adrien nervously looked around.

  "How cute.... You think Harlequin and Kuro Neko will save you?" He asked, smirking. "They won't. I already captured them,"

  Two giant roses burst from the ground and unwrapped showing the two heroes asleep inside. Adrien frowned to himself. That wasn't suppose to happen.

  "They weren't the same as the originals," Aglais sighed. "First question...

  "Wait what do I get if you answer my questions correctly,"

  "My real identity," He grinned, making Adrien frown. "So did you know about the price when you made the wish?"

  "I... I didn't..." Adrien lied, causing Aglais to narrow his eyes. He wouldn't know he was lying... right? "I swear I had no idea,"

  "Liar," He snarled, clicking his fingers. The vines tightened, cutting into his skin and causing him to scream and gasp for more air. Marinette gasped in fear as she watched but made no move to help him. Adrien, however, just assumed she was scared. "Really, Adrien. I knew you were dumb but you should know better then to lie to an empath,"

  "E-Empath?!" He gasped, making him chuckle. "You're an empath?"

  "A natural gift but it's amplified by my miraculous," Aglais replied, flicking the butterfly lightly. "Now for question number two and don't lie this time..."

  "Wait but I didn't ask my first question!"

  "Actually you just did," Aglais replied, smirking. "Now for my second question... did you think of anyone but yourself when you decide to make the wish?"

  "I t-thought about my family and mi'lady," He replied, making Aglais narrow his eyes again. "I'm telling the truth!"

  "I know," He replied before hitting him with his cane. Adrien coughed up blood from the hit. "You are a selfish bastard, Agreste. You only thought of yourself and your family. You didn't think about what Ladybug wanted or what price would be paid. You didn't care that she didn't love you or want to be with you. You had to erase her memory just to make her love you but that's not even the worst thing you did. No, the worst part is you took everything from me! The girl I love, my mother, my father and my sister! All of my friends turned against me. My own grandfather wants nothing to do with me and it's all because of you! All of my pain can be traced back to you!!"

  He stopped shouting and smoothed down his waistcoat.

  "Looks like I win the game," He muttered, making Adrien gasp. "Now for your punishment,"

  "Wait!!" Adrien gasped, making him look at him. "I still have a question! How did my wish affect you?!"

  "You really want to know?" Aglais asked, glaring at him. Adrien nodded. He knew about the price but he thought it would affect some random person on the other side of the world. Not someone in Paris. Part of him began to wonder if he knew who Aglais really was. The only person he could think could be him was Luka since his sister had killed herself recently but it couldn't be because of him and his wish. "Fine. I'll tell you. You wished for your mother to wake up so someone's mother had to go in a coma instead! And guess who's mother it was?! Mine! Of course then you wished for your father to be free from been Hawkmoth?! So my father took his place! He's in a secure prison for a crime he never did! And the last part of your wish? The part where you wished for your lady to forget everything but you so she would only love you! Well, someone else had to remember and that someone was my sister! It drove her mad, Adrien. It drove so mad that she threw herself of the Eiffel tower!! Because she couldn't deal with the burden of knowing that this world wasn't natural!"

  Adrien was speechless. He had no idea that his wish would cause this but Aglais wasn't done.

  "I remember how Ladybug begged you not to do it but you did anyway. You betrayed her and you betrayed me!" He snarled, making Adrien look at him. "I really believed you were my friend and instead you steal my girl, my life and my family! You are responsible for the pain I have suffered in this world and all because you decided to make a wish at the expense of others. You must be so proud of yourself, Adrien,"

  "I did it for my family!" He screamed suddenly, causing Marinette to gasp in shock. "I did it for her and if you were in my position, you would do the same thing! That's exactly what you're gonna do!"

  "Oh, no, Adrien. I'm going to make a wish," Aglais replied, smirking. "I am going to undo it but first... I just want you to know that your little life isn't perfect,"

  He held out his hand, causing Marinette to walk over to him. She took his hand and he smiled at her. 

  "She... you..." Adrien gasped in surprise. "She has been working with you?!"

  "No, Adrien..." He replied as another rose burst through the ground and opened, revealing the real Marinette asleep inside. She looked so peaceful as she slept. "I got to her months ago, Adrien and replaced her with Nettie here. She was the first senticreature I created when I got my miraculous,"

  Nettie looked over at him with an emotionless expression.

  "And you didn't even notice," He stated, making Adrien blink. "So much for loving your lady hm?"

  "You bastard!"

  "Yes but only because you made me this way," He replied, turning on his heel and walking over. "Now it's time to undo all of this... I hope you enjoyed what little freedom you had, Adrien, because it is over now,"

  He plucked the ring and earrings from Harlequin and Kuro Neko, turning them back into Kagami and Marc before he walked into the centre and put on their miraculous, causing Tikki and Plagg to manifest. Adrien flinched as Plagg glared at him with hatred before turning to Aglais.

  "The wish comes-" Tikki started but he shook his head.

  "No, I don't want to make a wish," He stated, making her blink. "I want to undo it. I have gathered everyone who was there when it made and we're in the same place where it originally happened.... so please... undo it..."

  "If that's what you want," Plagg replied before the two of them spun around together and merged, becoming one kwami. It had three eyes and was black and white in coloring.

  "I am Null," It stated. "Tell me your wish,"

  "I don't wish for anything," He stated, causing Null to stare at him. "Instead, I ask you to undo Adrien's wish..."

  "Is that what you want?"

  "Yes," Aglais answered, nodding.

  "Very well," Null replied before glowing. Adrien screamed as the light consumed him and fell forward as he dropped the two miraculous. Marinette was reaching out to him, along with the other miraculous holders but they were completely still, like time wasn't moving. Aglais was gone and Viperion stood in his place, looking angry. All of them looked black and white before Null finally appeared in front of him. "Your wish has been undone,"

  "No! Please!" He gasped but Null disappeared and everyone began to move again. He looked up at Marinette as she moved over to him. He went to say something but to his surprise, she punched him and grabbed the miraculous from him as Viperion freed himself from the akuma and grabbed his arms, restraining him. "No! Let me go!"

  "How dare you betray me like that?!" She screamed, tears in her eyes. "How dare you?!"

  "I was just trying to save my family!" He screamed back but his mind flashed back to the previous world. "I didn't know it would cause so much pain! I'm sorry!"

  Marinette narrowed her eyes.

  "Sorry isn't good enough," She declared, ripping the butterfly miraculous of him as well. "As guardian of the miraculous, I hereby revoke the miraculous of the black cat and the butterfly from you,"

  "No! Please, mi'lady!" He cried, begging her. "I did it for us!"

  "There is no us!" She screamed, making him blink in surprise. "There never was! I never loved you and I never will! I'm with Luka! Not you!!"

  "B-But we're-" She punched him, knocking him out before he could say anything more. When he woke up, he found himself in a small cell. However, small rose vines appeared in the walls, making him gasp before a butterfly appeared in his cuffs.

  "Hello, Adrien..." Aglais' voice muttered, making his blood run cold before nothing but pain raided his body. His nightmare wasn't over yet. In fact, it never would be. Not for him.

[unmaskedagain]

Daddy’s Little Villain

So this prompt I think I got months ago. I meant to work on it for quite some time but I never got around to it. I got inspired yesterday so I decided to take a shot. I went completely off memory for this. Its been a while since I watched Young Justice or any of the DC animated shows; apart from the new Harley Quinn one. So sorry about what I got wrong.

A clown with a killer punchline.

A lantern of terror.

The king of Metropolis.

The master of shadows.

A destroyer of worlds.

Different faces, powers, histories but all categorized under one name.

Supervillain.

           Ruthless, intelligent, powerful, charismatic, tempting; villains reflect just how easily and quickly this planet, if not the universe could fall under their might. However, none of them started out evil. None of them were born evil. No one is born to be evil.

           Marinette, however, came very, very close.

           Her biological father was one of the first that came to mind when anyone thought of a Supervillian. He personally had killed thousands, and arranged the deaths of tens of thousands more. He conquered kingdoms, destroyed dynasties, annihilated empires, controlled governments, and used presidents, kings, any old politician as puppets on strings.

           And he was a good dad.

           He made sure Marinette had the best of everything. The best tutors, the best trainers, the best bodyguards (though Marinette had only ever seen them out of the corner of her eye; hiding in the shadows).

He was even okay with Tom Dupain being a father figure to his daughter. Tom had married Sabine when Marinette was four. However, the acceptance of this came after several failed assassination attempts after the first time Marinette called Tom Papa. Sabine hadn’t been happy that to have protect her new husband from assassins sent by her jealous baby daddy.

Marinette spend most of her days pretending to be a normal girl. The rest of the time she was being trained by near unstoppable assassins in every manner of fighting style her body could handle, learning how to speak various different languages ranging from Spanish to whatever the hell Atlantians’ spoke, hacking and computer skills from former spies, and being taught strategy from some of the greatest military minds that could be bought. (And this was one top of her duties as Ladybug because her dad was still a bit of an asshole.)

He just wanted what was best for her. And he made sure Marinette knew she was loved. He sent her presents every week, letters every day, and she woke to fresh roses in her room every morning.

           The presents ranged from diamond tiaras to ancient samurai swords; anything she so much as mildly expressed an interest in was always found at the foot of her bed the next day. The letters were always thoughtful and kind; always wanting to know about her day, and how she was doing. They would appear in her desk sometime during the day. Marinette would leave a reply via email because she was a sane person of the year 2020. She’d wake to red roses every morning to remind her she was special to him. Sometimes she handed them out at school. Other times she gave them away to any pedestrian who looked like they needed a pick me up.

           He was a good dad, even if he was never actually around. They talked on the phone and over video chat as much as they could.

           He was busy. She understood that.

           Trying to take over the world wasn’t easy. It certainly wasn’t the average 9 to 5 job. The Light needed him.

           She forgave him for that; just like she forgave him for all the things he did to… ensure the future he envisioned became a reality. They were distasteful, immoral, and most of the time she didn’t have the stomach to listen to 1/12 of all the things he did or orchestrated.

           Marinette was always fine with staying out of it. Unlike most Supervillian kids, she never had any interest in taking her place in the family business. Or doing the opposite and doing everything she could to take their villainous family down. No, she had better things to do.

           And her father was just fine with that. He could forgive Marinette for wanting a normal life. He just wanted her happy, safe, and well cared for. He kept the Light and Cadmus out of Paris as best as he could.

           He could even forgive his little girl when she adorned a mask and became the Hero Ladybug. Though it did prevent him from recruiting Hawkmoth into the fold; he wouldn’t have been more than cannon fodder but still. As long as Ladybug kept out battle between good and evil that encased the rest of the world, the city of Paris, France could be hers. Hell, he would even give it to his baby girl as a birthday present should her desire for it arise. It would be good preparation should he need someone trustworthy and loyal to rule the rest of Europe.

           Still he was quick to stop any admiration for the heroes of Justice League. Or at least make sure his daughter didn’t put them on a pedestal like the rest of the world did.

“But they’re the good guys,” She remembered her seven-year-old self protesting. At the time Marinette hadn’t really understood that her father was considered one of the ‘Bad Guys.’ “The heroes.”

“I believe the Justice League’s actions leaves humanity weak,” He told her. “However, even if I didn’t find fault in them, they are only people. They make mistakes. There is good and evil in them; few realize just how easily one side could win over the other.”

           Marinette frowned, “You mean go bad. They won’t go bad. They fight for justice and what’s right.”

“What’s right is subjective,” He warned her. “And justice is in the eye of the beholder.”

“But-but they’re superheroes!”

“You know what’s more dangerous that a villain?” He asked her. “Someone who refuses to acknowledge that anyone can become one.”

           He would say more on the subject later until he was sure Marinette understood.

           He loved his daughter with all of his heart. And Marinette returned the favor.

           So when rumors spread, not long after Hawkmoth’s permanent defeat, that the Light’s founder had fallen; was dead, killed in action, murdered by superheroes, Marinette’s heart broke. She always knew the risks of her father’s job, the dangers this world had in it; it was survival of the fittest after all, that was what he taught her.

           Nevertheless, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt; that it didn’t burn. And for the first time, the darkest part of her, the part of her that was all her father’s daughter, wanted to make the world feel her pain. However, Marinette was better than that. She wouldn’t blame the world for her sorrows.  She refuse to set fire to everyone and everything just because she wanted to vengeance.

           No, she was smarter than that. Her father, had he still lived, would expect better from her.

           Marinette blamed the Justice League; wonder woman, superman, the Green Lantern. She blamed. Artemis. She blamed Aqualad. She blamed Miss Martian. She blamed Superboy. She blamed Kid flash. She blamed all of Young Justice who set up the plan to bring down the light. (Apart from Batman and Robin who been in Gotham because Robin had all but on his death bed after a fight with DeathStroke.). And they would burn for taking her father from her.

           …The only problem was that Marinette wasn’t a killer. She didn’t want to be one unless she had no other choice. So she had to think of another way to get her revenge.

           The plan had started out very simple. Slowly the hero Ladybug would start being seen outside Paris; fighting random villains’ here and there; captain cold one day, the cheetah next. Never seen in the same place twice. Rumors spread that she was looking for someone; her partner, Chat Noir. It helped that Chat Noir had been seen in months.

           It was just a rumor, of course. Chat Noir had been officially retired. All kwami were taken back. Marinette wasn’t using Tikki to power herself up. No, she refused to use them like Hawkmoth had done. Instead, they were put away and were very well cared for; like well pampered, spoiled pets.

           Marinette used her money to buy a replica of her Ladybug suit; better armored though. She used her private plane to travel around wherever she needed to go. The more villains she fought, the more the rumor of the heartbroken Ladybug hunting down the Light to find her partner grew.

           The only downside was that Ladybug was rapidly gaining enemies left and right. It wasn’t long before The Light sent people after her. Ladybug was quick to send their minions back to them all but in a body bag.

           She had been approached multiple times be members of the Justice League; even teamed up with them multiple times to save the day. They never even feel the near microscopic camera she puts in them. It degrades three hours after but it’s plenty of time for Marinette to get the information she needs.

           It took two months for Marinette to learn the identities of nearly every member of the Justice League. She’s quick to destroy any secret identity evidence for anyone who didn’t wrong her. The batfamily was spared. The Green Arrow and his family was spared. (One day soon Oliver Queen would thank his lucky stars that Speedy went solo instead of joining Young Justice. And that Cheshire, who had a thing for the redhead, was an old friend of Marinette’s, whether the older girl remember the bluenette or not.)

           The family of Steal would burn though. As would fastest family alive. The king of ocean and his sidekicks. The “human” identities of the worlds’ favorite Martians. Woman Wonder and her sidekick. The Green Lanterns.

           The Justice League never saw her coming. All they saw was a pretty fourteen-year-old girl with tears in her big blue eyes as she swore it was her duty to right this wrong. She would fight the light on her own. A young hero, they thought, who did realize just how over her head she really was. Pity was always clear in their eyes. Every time Marinette refused their offer of help, said she could handle it herself.

           Marinette was just biding her time. She still needed the identities of Young Justice. When she got that, she would strike. Hard.

           It only took three months, and Cadmus capturing little Miss Martian.

           By the time, Young Justice arrived Ladybug had already been on the scene. Marinette had already freed an injured Miss Martian and they were trying to fight their way out. The bluenette was beaten, battered, and bleeding.  The two girls did their best to fight the bad guys that seemed to come in a never ending storm. It wasn’t long before they were surrounded.

“Go,” She whispered to the green girl. Marinette had always placed the cameras. She didn’t need to alien any longer. “You can fly. Go. I’ll hold them off, okay.”

“I won’t leave you,” Miss Martian shook her adamantly.

           Marinette frown, “You have to. You know what Cadmus. You know what these monster will do to you. You have go before it’s too late.”

“I will not!”

“Don’t be a hero!” Ladybug snapped.

“Why?!” A new voice called. Robin landed in front of them. The rest of the Young Justice was “It’s our job.”

           The fight was epic. And Marinette could admit that the members of Young Justice were skilled. But they had to be to take down her father, so it wasn’t surprising. Still, she managed to put a camera on each and every one of them.

           When it was over, and it was clear more of Cadmus’ henchman were arriving, Young Justice made moves to flee…

           Until they realized Ladybug had no intention of coming with them.

“He’s not in there,” Miss Martian told her gently.

“You don’t know that,” Ladybug murmured.

“I do,” Again the pity was clear in redhead’s eyes.

           Ladybug shook her head. “You don’t understand. I can’t give up. I won’t!”

           Robin put a hand on her shoulder, “Chat Noir isn’t in there.”

“Getting yourself killed will not help him,” Aqualad stated.

           Ladybug nodded, gave them a small smile, and then made a break for the Cadmus lab. Then Marinette felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and everything went black.

           She woke up in the infirmary of what she guess was the Young Justice headquarters. With a huff, she got up and marched out of the room. It didn’t take her long to find the teen heroes lounging in their living room. “You guys are jerks!” She yelled at them.

           Kid Flash snorted, “We saved you from yourself.”

“Oh you self-righteous little-” Marinette groaned. “I can’t believe you! I can take care of myself” She crossed her arms and stomped her foot.

“Oh yeah because that proves it,” Artemis laughed.

“I’m a hero too, you know?”

           Robin nodded. “Everyone knows about Ladybug. But you’re like thirteen.”

“Fourteen! And a half!” Marinette corrected. “Which is basically fifteen.”

           The older heroes just looked at her, and then burst out laughing.

           Marinette forced herself to think of her most embarrassing memory so that her face would heat up and it would look like she turned red from embarrassment. As if she care what they thought.

           The bluenette grabbed a slice of pizza and asked politely for someone to send her back to Paris. She needed to regroup, she claimed.

           They tried to convince her to stay. Or let Young Justice or the Justice League help her but she refused. Marinette was back in Paris ten minutes later.

           She had the identities of every member of Young Justice an hour after that.

           It was time.

           Ladybug “tracking” down the Light had been an experience. Technically, she knew enough to figure out various locations they used. However, she also knew enough to know that Ladybug just showing up there would get her killed. It was a move of an amateur hero. And Marinette was done thinking like a hero.

           So she put down her mask, ditched her Ladybug gear, and got on a plane. Marinette arrived in Metropolis on a windy Tuesday morning.

           It took her until Friday to hack into Lex Luther’s secretary’s calendar to figure where the King of the Metropolis was scheduled to be and another week to decipher the Light’s next meeting. Hacking into pentagon was easier.

           Marinette waited watched from the shadows of the remote island she found herself on. She watched as villain after villain arrived. Until Lex Luther, surrounded by bodyguards and personal assistants, arrived in his private jet.

“Mr. Luther!” Marinette called as she stepped out of the shadows where she was hiding.

           Guns were immediately pulled on her. The secretary, Mercy, hand suddenly became weaponized. The surprise on their faces were clear. Particularly when they saw the small teen girl standing there.

           Marinette smiled.

“And you are?” Lex asked, only mildly intrigued. He wondered just who the child was that managed to be sneak up his men and possible the rest of the Light.

“My name is Marinette,” She answered. “But you and the Light know me as Ladybug. I mean you no harm.”

           Lex narrowed his eyes at her. He could see the resemblance. Ladybug and Marinette had the same stature, the same eye color, and looked to be the same age. Still, it could be a trick.

“Two months ago, I broke into one of your building.” Marinette said. “The break in was the news but LexCorp assured that nothing was taken. That wasn’t true. I took the Cuban cigars out of the safe behind the Rembrandt painting. Please. I merely wish to speak with the Light. Somewhere… not even gods among us can hear.”

           Well, that assured the villain that it wasn’t a trick.  However, for the first time in his life, Lex Luther found himself confused. On one day, Ladybug had been a slowly become a thorn in the Light’s side. On the other hand, the hero had just revealed her identity and now just wanted to talk. About what, Lex yearned to know.

           Lex nodded, “Mercy will check you for weapons. Then you will be escorted inside safely. Whether you leave alive will be up for debate.”

           Marinette sighed in relief and raised her hands. Mercy, who the bluenette tried to figure out whether she was a robot or a cyborg, was very thorough. She even scanned Marinette’s phone for any traces of explosives.

           When it was done Marinette found herself escorted inside, and then found herself a cliché Supervillian lair staring down the greatest supervillains in the world. Ra's al Ghul, Black Manta, Queen Bee, Klarion, Deathstroke, Ocean Master, and their operatives Hugo Strange, Bane, Sports Master, and Cheshire all sat at a large round table. There was four pieces of glass hanging from the ceiling in front of them; monitors, Marinette figured.

And it was clear from the anger on the faces that the bad guys had been informed of exactly who Marinette was.

           It was daunting, to say the least.

“You have our attention, Miss Marinette,” Lex said. “Do not waste it.”

           Marinette nodded, “I have information on the Justice League I thought the Light would be very interested in.”

“Why would a hero do such a thing?”  Ra's al Ghul asked. “Hoping to make a deal? Your information for the return of Chat Noir, perhaps?”

           The leader of the League of Shadows didn’t know why the rumor persevered that the Light kidnapped the Parisian hero. He had confirmed himself that it was highly inaccurate.  

           The bluenette giggled, “Chat Noir no longer exists. He was retired at the same time as Hawkmoth. The Light has never had him. Neither did Cadmus. It was just heavily implied.”

“Yet that didn’t stop you from destroying our labs,” Lex glared. “Ruining missions, capturing my associates. Months of research. Millions of dollars. Gone to hell.”

“You were a tool,” Marinette shrugged. “I used to you get to close to the Justice League. It was never personal.”

           Lex felt eye twitch. He should have Mercy shoot her on principle.

“You’re more annoying than Robin,” Deathstroke shook his head at the moxy of the girl.

“It was just business?” She offered. “I needed a way to make them pay.”

“Just… just business,” Lex pinched his nose. He was going to kill her. “What could you possible offer the Light that would stop us from destroying you and everyone you love?”

           Marinette smirked. She pulled out her phone and hacked into the monitors. Once she was done, and played a video. The villains watched on the screens with old mild interest on their faces. Slowly the interest faded as shock and astonished looks overtook it.

           Lex’s felt his entire body shake. The video had shown undeniable proof that Superman was secretly Clark Kent. It was what he dreams were made of. He could barely stop himself from snatching the phone out of Marinette’s hand and playing it the video over and over again.

           Lex forced himself to calm down. He looked at the bluenette hard. A part of him wanted offer to pay as much money as the girl could want for the video. Another part of him realized if Marinette had been a little older he would’ve proposed.

“Superman’s civilian name is Clark Kent.” Marinette smiled, “I have video proof of nearly every member of the Justice League’s secret identities; along with their sidekicks.”

           The statement was met with silence. Each villain contemplating the ramifications of what such information could mean; not just for them, but for the world.”

“I think that’s worth a little forgiveness,” Marinette slyly added. “What’s few million dollars in damages compared to bringing down the Justice League once and for all.”

           Klarion chuckled, “I suppose some things can be overlooked.”

“Why?” Black Manta asked. “That is what we should be asking. Why betray the heroes?”

“Justice,” Marinette shrugged. “Revenge. I blame them for the death of my father.”

“That’s a good a reason as any,” Cheshire said. Her mask still hid her face.

           Sportsmaster gave his daughter a side look, “You never tried to take down any heroes any of the times you thought I died,” He complained.

“Sorry,” Cheshire shrugged. “I was too busy eating ice cream and getting drunk off my ass; it’s how I usually celebrate.”

“Why come to us?” Ra's al Ghul asked still intrigued.

“Why wouldn’t she?” A new voice rang through the room. Marinette stumbled back in shock. She knew that voice. But that wasn’t possible. Right? “The Light is in her blood.”

           Door opened and in walked bane of nearly every hero in the world, the Founder of the light, Vandal Savage. “You’ve done well, daughter.”

           Her father looked exactly the same as she remember. He was tall, with broad shoulder and square jaw; three pale scars across his face. His hair was longer though, much longer, and was pulled back

           Marinette rushed over to him and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly.

“I thought you were dead,” Marinette whispered. Tears stung her eyes. “Everyone said you were dead.”

           Vandal smiled gently at her, “And you decided to bring down the world’s heroes in my name. I’m truly touched,” He said. “I wasn’t dead but I was close. I got better.”

           The bluenette backed away from her father; realization slowly hit her.

“It’s been months,” Marinette ran a hand through her hair. “You have any idea what I’ve gone through, what I did! You suck! Ugh, I’m telling Mom!”

Sabine Cheng would show Vandal Savage a thing or two once she found out. She was the one who had to dry her daughter’s tears day after day once the news of Savage’s death broke. The Asian woman was possibly only one infamous Vandal Savage was afraid of.

           The others villains watched, entranced by the argument between father and daughter.

“You gallivanted around as hero,” Vandal reminded. “To get close the Justice League; leaving me to wonder if in my absence I had lost my daughter to the so-called forces of good. It turned out all my worrying was for naught.”

“You could’ve called!” Marinette complained. “Wrote. Something to tell me you were alive. Anything.”

“At the time it was best decision.”

           Marinette glared, “You seriously for even one second I’d team up with the Justice League? Really? Me?” She glared. “I’m NEVER talking to you again!”

“I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart,” Vandal assured the bluenette. “We can kill Superman together.”

“Actually,” Lex interrupted. “I have dips.”

           Vandal shot him a quick glare.

The teen girl crossed her arms, “Give me one reason I shouldn’t destroy everything I have on the Justice League?” She asked. “And before any of you threatened to kill me. I only brought the Superman video as insurance. I die; you will never get your hands of the rest of them. So again,” She hissed at her father. “Give me one reason I should hand over my Intel to the Light?”

“…Father’s day’s coming up?” Vandal offered.

“Dammit!”

           Marinette stumped over to an empty seat, next to Cheshire, and glared petulantly at the inhabitants of the room. She didn’t care that it made her look like a little kid.

           An awkward silence filled the room.

           Luther took the opportunity to finally start the meeting as it was the reason they were all there. It was long. It dragged on. Even with Marinette’s intelligence on the Justice League. Everything felt like a stuffy board meeting. Nowhere near as exciting as Marinette once imagined it would be.

           The meeting took a short break. Food was brought out. A small buffet. Marinette made herself a plate; she grabbed a fancy steak sandwich, some fruit and chips, and a rather large chocolate cupcake because she freaking deserved it. She thought she was done until her plate was grabbed by her father. He didn’t hesitate to put baked Brussel sprouts provided on her plate.

“Oh come on! No one likes Brussel sprouts,” Marinette complained. “Not even you’re that evil.”

“They’re good for you,” Vandal told his daughter. “And you will eat them.”

“You’re seeing this too, right?” Deathstroke, otherwise known as Slade, asked Bane. “It’s not just me.”

As they ate, the villains shared stories about what they’d been up to. Most just complained about the problems they were having with the Justice League; who fought who, who should they consider for Light membership, and anyone getting on their nerves.

“Some assholes decided to send the wannabe Villain current status moron after me,” Marinette cast a dark look around the room; making it clear she knew they sent the assassin. She didn’t get as much as a single sheepish look. “He kept trying to light me of fire. And then he was accidently pushed off the top of a building, twice.”

Ra's al Ghul nodded at the young girl, “I would like to mention that I have an heir not much younger than you. You would get along quite well, I believe.”

           Marinette narrowed her eyes at Leader of the League of shadows, “Are you seriously trying to get me to date your grandson right now?”

           Al Ghul didn’t answer her.

Marinette took the opportunity to excuse herself from having to come back, “I’m going to explore the island.” And then see if she could escape before her dad caught her.

“I always blew up your boat,” Vandal raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be taking you home myself.”

“You suck!”

“Love you too, sweetpea.”

           Marinette marched out of the room. She’d swim if she had too.

           It turned out she didn’t have to swim. Just hotwire Deathstroke’s ride.

           She got a video call fifteen minutes after taking off.

“Go for Marinette?” She answered cheerfully.

           Vandal Savage’s face appear on the screen, “You stole Slade’s helicopter.”

“Juuussst like you taught me.” Marinette smirked.

[fanartfunart]

Fly Away: Episode 7, Theatrix

Ao3 - First - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6

(Féline Sombre & Paon Lilas designs)

Summery: An AU where Adrien never went to in-person school, not getting the cat miraculous, and found the peacock miraculous. - The school holds an audition for a play and Chloé is determined to sabotage Lila's audition. It goes about as expected in terms of akuma-creation.

-

The black box theater was small. Assorted students unfolded the bleachers of the theater seats. Chloé watched Marinette and her gaggle of friends in the theater crew chatter while they set up the theater room. She hummed as she stood on the edge of the stage.

“Quaint,” Chloé rolled her eyes, “This better not be where we’re actually holding the play, or I’ll have to talk to the manager of this whole mess. Sabrina, did you remember my costume?” She asked, looking at her nails.

“Oh… no… It’s only a school audition. Do you need it?” they said. She held the script and a makeup bag against her chest.

“I need it to get into the role! The mind of the character! You know that!” Chloé huffed, turning to look at them with crossed arms.

“Oh-oh sorry! I’ll go get it!” 

“Go! Go! Hurry, we only have half an hour before I’ll be on stage!”

Sabrina squeaked and scrambled out of the room. They narrowly avoided crashing into Lila. “Sorry!”

Lila smiled, “Don’t worry about it,” she waved as Sabrina raced out of the room. She walked up to Chloé. “Fancy meeting you here. Auditioning for the role of an extra?”

Chloé huffed, “Of course not, I will only take a starring role, of course.”

“Oh really? I mean, keep your hopes up high, right? I’m sure the teacher would want the most experienced actor, unfortunately for you.”

“Ha! I’m sure he’ll know talent when he sees it. Besides, I know about professional acting from my best friend, Adrien~ I’ve even helped him in some of his photo shoots.”

“Of course, of course…” Lila rolled her eyes then tilted her head, “Oh, speaking of Adrien, what are you going to do about that book Marinette stole?”

“Yeah yeah, you told me about that weeks ago. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous. Fun fact, I don’t care about what you say!” Chloé smiled sharply, “You’re just jealous that we’re friends with Adrien and you’re just another one of his little fans. Alya told me Marinette lost it and was intending to give it back. They even went back to look for it. Alya isn’t my favorite journalist but she knows how to get the truth.”

Lila hummed, “Of course. It’s not like Alya couldn’t be lying to protect her best friend,” she sighed, “I’m just looking out for him.”

Chloé frowned and folded her arms, “Right, because you’re sooooo sweet.”

“Aw, I’m glad you think so,” Lila smiled. Chloé glared at her.

“I have your costume!” Sabrina cheered, holding the outfit against her chest. “Er…” They glanced between Chloé and Lila. She grabbed Chloé’s arm, pulling her away, “Let’s go get you ready!”

Chloé maintained a glare as she was dragged away. They walked into a back room, and Chloé huffed. She took the outfit from Sabrina. “I’m going to destroy her chances at getting any role in this play.”

Sabrina grimaced, “Chloé… you can’t solve everything like this-”

“I can too!” Chloé scoffed, “Eliminating her will even give me an upper hand in the audition. If Lila wants to be the center of attention she’ll be the center of attention,” Chloé walked out from behind the dressing screen and spun in the dress, “Come Sabrina, I have a plan.”

They frowned, “I’m not going to help you.”

“Huh? Why not?"

"It's going to hurt her feelings. There's plenty of spots in the play, you can get the lead even with Lila in the running. You need to be the better person."

"...I’ll let you borrow my new scarf?”

Sabrina shook her head, “Sorry Chloé, but I can’t help you.”

Chloé blinked. She huffed, “Fine, I don’t need your help.” She turned on her heel with a flick of her hair.

They watched Chloé storm off and glanced at the floor. Something sharp threatened their heart. She shoved it down, racing to follow her best friend.

Something moved behind the curtains when Lila got onto the stage. ...And no trace of Chloé. Sabrina frowned. She wasn't seriously going to sabotage Lila still... was she? They slipped away from their seat and up to the backstage.

Chloé glared at Sabrina from her hiding spot. As if to spite her, she maintained eye contact as she slid a banana peel under the curtain onto the stage. Sabrina frowned and glanced towards Lila. Gasping, they lunged forward and grabbed the banana peel before Lila could step back into it. 

She giggled awkwardly as Lila turned, looking at her. She glared, clearly assuming she was the one planting the tripping hazard. Sabrina inched backwards, back behind the curtain. Chloé frowned. She glanced at the lights and raced for them as quietly as possible. Sabrina gasped and raced after her. 

Getting into the light booth, Chloé glanced at the buttons to see which one would help her ruin Lila's audition. The booth door slammed open.

"Chloé, don't," Sabrina whispered urgently.

"I'm not listening to you ex-best-friend. Just don't get in my way and I'll think about taking you back as my best friend."

Sabrina gasped, taking a step back. The sharp thing came back, digging into her heart. "Chloé, please."

"Hm? Who said that?" Chloé taunted. She pressed a button to turn off the lights. The crowd in the theater murmured to each other.

Sabrina surged forward and flipped the light back on. Instead of returning to normal, the lights grew intensely bright. The theater teacher was glaring at her, and Chloé was already making her way down the steps casually. As if she had nothing to do with it.

"The lights are prohibited to students right now! Get down here!" The instructor called. Sabrina squeaked, scrambling out of the booth.

Blinded by the sudden light, Lila stumbled, hair flopping into her face as she caught herself. Her shoe slipped off and was flung into the rafters, stuck. A ruckus of giggles echoed from the students watching the performance. 

Lila stood up, flushing in mortification.

The teacher wasn't even watching her. Too busy telling Sabrina why she wasn't allowed in the light booth. She glared at the redhead, then to the giggling students. Well. She wouldn't give them the time of day. Let alone the satisfaction of seeing her embarrassment. She marched out the door. Fists clenched and face burning. 

Lila fumed all the way to the courtyard. A purple butterfly fluttered down from the sky. Lila turned, face to face with the purple butterfly. She stared at it. She'd never been akumatized before, but she'd seen plenty. The chance to gain power was far too enchanting. She raised the crumpled script in her hand, and it disappeared into the paper. 

“Theatrix, I am Hawkmoth.”

Paon Lilas kicked his legs against the edge of a roof, humming to himself. Yet again, his father was gone all day. Marinette, Chloé and Sabrina were at school for their play and Kagami was busy at a dinner party with her mother, so he couldn't hang out with any of them to fill the empty space in his heart. There was no trace of the book to occupy his time chasing. So instead he was on a roof, taking in the feeling of being someone not Adrien. A pair transformed into someone a little more whole than either half alone. 

He glanced in the direction of the school with a wistful sigh. He tilted his head. A red curtain covering the building. Fluttering over the building. Whatever was that? He stood, eyes wide. Leaping to the building, he circled the curtain. He reached out to touch it, and a small red blur flew out of the curtain. He stumbled backwards. 

The kwami looked up at him, gasping. “Paon Lilas.”

“Sugercube, did you find the exi- oof!” A black kwami bumped into the red one, shaking his head and frowning, “Well if it isn’t Big Bird.”

“Wait… You’re not Ladybug and Féline Sombre’s-”

“We are. I’m Tiki and this is Plagg,” the red kwami introduced, gesturing. She zipped up towards Paon Lilas’s face. Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment. Seeming to weigh her options, the kwami very seriously pointed back inside. “Our holders are trapped inside. You must stop the akuma yourself so that Ladybug can cleanse it.”

“Ladybug and Féline? How?” 

“They fell for some cheap theatrics and illusions,” Plagg sighed, waving a paw, “Look kid, we couldn’t get to them without being caught. So I guess it’s up to you, Feather Fluff… Oh well! Got any Camembert by chance?”

“We will attempt to assist however, right Plagg?” Tiki huffed, paws on her hips.

"Yeah yeah, but some cheese before we go would be nice," Plagg said with a sigh.

“I don’t have any cheese…” Paon Lilas shook his head and geared up to run inside, “Alright, let’s go then-”

“You can’t dive in head first!” Tiki exclaimed, pushing back on his chest. 

“Why not?” Paon Lilas and Plagg asked at the same time. Paon tilted his head at the black kwami, confused. One minute he’s trying to get out of coming with, the next he’s anxious to get going?

Tiki sighed, “You need a plan. The entire school is shrouded in an illusionary world. We need to be cautious.”

Paon Lilas huffed, “Okay, uh, I’ll figure it out when I get in there.” Paon ran into the curtain, Plagg close behind. Tiki sighed as she followed them. 

The lights were blinding, as if a spotlight was pointed at him. He looked around past the light, as he was far too used to doing. The room was a grand stage, with a graded wooden floor and endless rows of empty seats beyond the stage.

He could feel himself automatically changing how he walked. Less of a heroic stride and more of a model’s purposefully casual sashe. The one that he’d practiced so often it became second nature. Far too Adrien Agreste while he was Paon Lilas. An intense feeling surrounded the realization, shaking him to his core. Yet, even with his powers to help, he couldn’t quite place what that feeling was. His heart squeezed, like a spasm in his chest. Like he’d been dunked in ice-cold waters. 

He grit his teeth in determination and focused on the emotions around him. He couldn't sense the emotions of the kwami to his surprise. Maybe that was to hide their holders from anyone with this power. He glanced around. Hints of people's emotions were everywhere. But he didn't see anyone. "Weird," he muttered. "Ok I can… tell people are here but, I don't see anyone..." He doubled over with a hacking cough.

“Woah kid, are you okay?” Plagg said, zipping in front of his face.

He nodded, "Fine. Just… I've been ill, don't worry about it."

Tiki hovered over his shoulder, "Try to pinpoint the Akuma if you can."

Eerily cheerful music twinkled around them, coming from nowhere in particular. 

"Well hello," a familiar voice sang, "Well, where were you now?" Sabrina was suddenly across from him, spotlighted. They wore a historical suit, accented in purple and blue flourishes, and a masquerade mask that looked like it had been paper crafted. They walked towards him with a light bounce, as if she was about to break into dance. “We’ve been waiting for you~ Welcome to the show!” She spun, grabbing his arms. They continued with a cheerful sounding song, dragging him along into a dance;

“We’ll have singing and dancing for you, /Oh yes, ever the hero, /Come with us, birdy, fly the coop! /You don’t need to worry, no”

Tiki hovered over his shoulder, “Don’t listen to them! The singing is what created the illusion!”

“Here in this land of dreams come true! /You’ll be happy here, you know. /We hope you can join us too, /Welcome to the show!”

Paon Lilas tugged away from their grip, shifting into a fighting stance, glaring as they continued to twirl around him. “But... Sabrina’s not the akuma, is she?”

“No, of course not!” Plagg called out, looking at the teen with more concern than Paon expected.

Sabrina bowed with a welcoming gesture and was joined by several other students in masquerade style outfits, in a grand finale of their opening song.

“You’ll be happy, yes /Unless you try to escape /Our leader demands success! /We wouldn’t want to cause a mess, /You see, this is no rescue, /It’s just the beginning though, /We’ve been waiting for you, /Welcome to the show! /We’re pleased to introduce our noblesse, /We’re sure she will impress, /The grand stage’s greatest actress, /Please welcome Theatrix!”

A light burst onto the stage in front of him. Paon Lilas shielded himself and the kwamis with his fan from the brightness. He slowly lowered the fan as a hypnotic voice vocalized to the growing music.

“Well, well, well,” Theatrix sung. She had bright red hair, pinned back loosely with a white rose clip. She wore a white suit with long floor-length coat tails, which rolled up like a scroll. Her suit collar had a large black bow. She wore a white masquerade mask accented with lines of writing. She practically shimmered in the light as she smiled at him. “Welcome to my show.”

The lights immediately went out. Paon Lilas strained to make out where everyone was in the sudden dark. He knew how to walk on a dark stage well enough. Familiarizing himself with the incline (there was surprisingly none), he kept a cautious distance from the edge.

The light faded in again and Theatrix was next to him. She propped an arm on his shoulder. Everyone else was busying themselves with various tasks, around what now appeared to be a dinner hall. She was mostly calm, but anger and embarrassment boiled under the surface. She must’ve been the second calmest akuma he’d met…. After his own father.

“So,” she said, uncomfortably close, “Here to nicely hand over your miraculous? Where’s your friends?”

Paon Lilas threw her off, shifting into a fighting stance, “...They’re not… they’re not my friends. I’m by myself.” 

“Oh?” Theatrix tilted her head, “So you’re all alone~” she sung, “All by your lonesome.” Music trickled back in, gentle and quiet… dark.

“Oh don’t start-” Paon huffed. He raced forward with a swing. She jumped out of the way, and beckoned Sabrina and Chloé forward as the pair began to harmonize with her.

“So you’ve come to save the day, /Without a friend to aid you~ /Your heart calls out to me, /Lonely darling, come with me,”

“I’m not lonely,” he interrupted with a glare. 

Plagg zipped around from one hiding place to the next, looking up at Sabrina. Trying to figure out how to release them from the akuma’s hold. 

“You’ve been wishing, /Wishing for a friend, oooh, /Darling let me guide you-”

Paon Lilas shook his head, “Get out of my head!” His voice came out sing-song, matching Theatrix’s haunting voice. She smiled. He looked around frantically. He needed to find a way to ignore her song properly. He spotted a boy with headphones loosely hanging around his neck.

“I can heal the hurt, /Just come and stay with me, /Forever~”

He ran up to the boy and snatched his headphones. Nino turned on him, grabbing his wrist.

“Stay,” he sang in tune with Theatrix.

“Don’t fool yourself, /We can be your friends /Forever~”

Paon Lilas twisted himself with a grunt, escaping Nino’s grip, “Not like this, not ever,” he sang, and pulled the headphones over his ears. It muffled the music, and the scene faded, revealing the school courtyard. Theatrix glared at him and pointed. "Get him."

The idle students turned towards him. Paon's eyes widened as he was tackled. He yelped and struggled to keep them off.

"I've got to find out how to release everyone from her hold! Any ideas would be great," Paon harshly whispered, trying to spot the kwamis in the fray. 

Tiki zipped up to him "Everyone's lure song was different. If you can figure out why, maybe you can release them!"

Paon Lilas huffed, barely blocking a tackle from Marinette, stumbling backwards. "Okay, okay."

"You can dive deeper into people's emotions and get some surface reasoning!" Plagg said, "Just focus."

"I can?" Paon Lilas kicked his attacker's legs from under them, coughing.

"You can. Your powers work similarly to Hawkmoth. You can do this, I believe in you!" Tiki cheered.

He leaped up to the second floor of the building now that he could actually see it. With a frown he paused and focused on the dulled emotions of the first person he saw, Sabrina. 

The emotions felt slippery, as if he was trying to catch water with his bare hands. Fear, abandonment, concern, duty. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on the why. 

Behind his eyelids, he saw it. Sabrina reached out to the retreating figure of Chloé, expression outright heartbroken. He opened his eyes. "Her," he pointed the redhead out to the kwamis, "Sabrina. Did either of you guys hear her song?"

Plagg waved a paw lazily, "Some boring ditty about being used and being left behind."

Paon Lilas frowned, "I have an idea… It's dangerous. But if I can confirm it I should be able to make a sentimonster to free everyone."

"Careful," Tiki whispered.

He leaped down and grabbed Sabrina, who shrieked. With gymnastic grace, they twirled in his hold and kneed him in the gut. He sputtered on a cough, but kept her grip on them. He was quickly surrounded, and he struggled to fight them all off while keeping Sabrina in his hold. 

"I'm trying to help you!" Paon shouted, frustration mounting. 

The headphones were ripped off his head. Theatrix dangled them from her finger, humming. 

"What do you want, /What do you really want, dear /What is in your heart, /This is your brand new start!"

Paon let Sabrina slip out of his hands. He covered his ears, brows furrowed.

"Just tell ussss. /What do- /You want~ oh ooh-oh! /Just give me your heart's song /I'll give you your heart's wants, /All I need is a heart song, /Open your soul, dear. /Give it to meeee, /What do- /You want~" 

Tears streaked down his face. The song just bubbled up in his chest before he could stop it. Theatrix echoed him, smiling and drawing closer, like a circling shark.

"I want a lifeee /Impossible to reach. /I want people /Who I'll never see /Nothing will give me, /What I need. /Nothing could be, /What I truly want. /Deep down, I know /My heart still bleeeedss- /For someone, /I'll never see!-" He choked as a hazy silhouette of his mother blurred in his vision. "Again…"

He twisted his eyes shut and shook his head, he spoke, "She's gone, an illusion won't bring her back..."

"What do you want, /It will be easy for me," Theatrix continued, gently touching his cheek, "soft as a dream, /Real as can beeeee~ /But only if you, /Give your miraculous to me."

The two kwamis made sounds of alarm.

Paon Lilas looked down at the brooch and clamped a hand around it, "No."

"...No?"

"You won't take him away from me too. I can’t get her back, but I can still hold onto this!" 

He threw off the few remaining people holding him in place and grabbed Sabrina. She tried to throw him off again, but expecting it, he hoisted them into a fireman carry. He leaped up out of immediate reach, yelping as Theatrix followed close behind. He deposited Sabrina on the roof and held her arms.

"Listen to me. You're worth so much, Sabrina, just break free. You're smart and kind and generous. Please, be generous to yourself and break free. Chloé won't leave you, you're her best friend. Trust me."

"...How do you know? How do you know I won't be alone?"

"You're never alone. You… you have family. You can even make new friends! I'll even be there if you need me, I promise."

"Paon...Lilas?" They said, cautious, tilting their head, "...When did you get here?"

He chuckled uneasily, "Not too long. Are you with me? No more illusionary world?"

"Illusions…" Sabrina gasped, "Oh no an Akuma?!"

"It’ll be okay! I...have it handled. Mostly. But… I need a little help. Can you release the rest of the people Theatrix captured?"

"Of course!" Sabrina exclaimed. She gasped and pushed him out of the way, "Lilas watch out!"

He coughed as he tumbled down the slope of the roof. Theatrix was fuming. He couldn't see where Sabrina went.

He latched onto her clear determination, her drive to help, and quickly plucked a feather from the fan, "Fly Away little Amok, and give them a helping hand!”

"You're done for Birdy! You're ruining everything! It was nearly perfect!" Theatrix shrieked.

"Purrfection is impossible to strive for, didn't you know that?" Paon Lilas called back. Theatrix growled and flung herself at him.

The feather landed in Sabrina's glasses. A floating mirror appeared in front of her and an image of herself smiled back at her, waving. She stared at it, shocked. 

"I need you to show Mirror Me to everyone you see and convince them to leave their illusion like I did with you! It should show you what they're seeing and the song they were lured with." Paon Lilas said over their telepathic connection.

Sabrina snuck back down and harshly whispered "Plagg?!"

The kwami zipped over to her with a teary giggle, "Oh, don't do that again."

They smiled softly, cuddling the kwami against their cheek, "I won't. Come on, Plagg, Claws Out!"

Féline Sombre looked up towards Paon Lilas struggling to keep Theatrix at bay. She frowned, focusing on the students and friends trapped in their illusionary worlds.

“Oh, to no longer live in a world so secret, /Close to friends, close to family, /Nothing to take it all away in a minute. /Oh, to be open and free /Who would care I’m a klutz, /When the world is happy. /Safe and carefree,” Marinette sang as she flitted around the bakery with the hazy “casual” form of Féline Sombre. “Oh! To no longer live in a world so secret, /No more lies, no more cries, /Nothing to take my friends too quick.” She giggled as Tiki and Plagg zipped past, openly, stealing away with a bag of cookies.

“Oh, to be open and free, /Who would care I’m not strong enough, /When the world is happy. /Safe and carefree.”

“Listen to me!” Féline Sombre’s voice called out, “I know it would be nice for us to be safe, but we’re not until we defeat Hawkmoth. This isn’t real.”

Marinette tilted her head, then looked around at the cheerful world, “But it looks so…”

“Paon Lilas needs our help… Er, I need your help.”

Marinette blinked and her hazy “casual” Féline Sombre, solidified into the masked version. She sighed at the loss. “One day...” she whispered. They held out a hand and she took it.

Féline Sombre smiled at her, as Marinette looked around the courtyard. Several other students were moving around, trying to talk to their friends. “Try to release as many of your friends as possible, Paon Lilas made a sentimonster that can help you know what their illusions are.”

Marinette nodded numbly.

Paon Lilas fell through the roof with a panicked yell, and thudded onto the ground. Theatrix landed on him, knee pushing against his chest. He sputtered painful coughs, struggling weakly. Féline Sombre gasped and raced forward. Theatrix rushed to meet her, kicking their legs from under them. Tiki zipped over to Paon Lilas and placed her paws over his chest, on the peacock miraculous, a frown flickering on her small face. She glanced up to spot Marinette and gasped.

Marinette ran in the opposite direction, trying to find a good spot to hide. She ducked into the bathroom, opening her purse “Tiki! Sp-” she sputtered to a stop. Her heart leaped into her throat. The kwami wasn’t there. “Tiki?!” She looked around, “No, no, no, Tiki?” 

Tiki phased through the door, “I saw you get released from the akuma’s control but you ran so fast!” 

Marinette laughed in mild hysteria and relief, “Ohmygoodness, you’re here, oh thank goodness.”

“I’m always here for you. But right now, we need to help them Marinette!” 

Marinette nodded in determination, “Tiki, spots on!”

Paon Lilas hadn’t moved. Féline Sombre was fighting Theatrix and the remaining students under her control. Paon Lilas still hadn’t moved. He laid on the floor, curled in clear pain. 

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called, figuring she didn’t have a second to lose. The charm produced a gauze. “Oh no-” She glanced towards Paon Lilas, who struggled to stand up, his miraculous beeping incessantly. 

She ran towards him. “Let me help-”

His eyes were wide with panic. Bracing an arm against his chest, he ran. She saw the flash of light from the detransformation just as he opened the door to a classroom. Pushing the desire to follow him out, she refocused on Theatrix and Féline Sombre. 

“Ladybug! I’m pretty sure the akuma is in the mask! It’s the one consistent thing in her and her minions,” Féline Sombre called, “But I can’t reach it because she keeps moving!”

Ladybug nodded, and glancing at the gauze and Theatrix, she leapt into action. “Kitty, cataclysm now!” 

“You got it, Bug! Cataclysm!”

She twirled her yoyo to capture Theatrix’s arms, and created a loop with the gauze to stop her from thrashing her head. She strained to keep her secured as the remaining students still under her control tried to grab Ladybug’s arms and pull Theatrix free.

Féline worked faster than the controlled people, luckily. The paper mask turned to ash in the cataclysm, and the purple butterfly fluttered out. The illusion fell. 

Ladybug took a moment to sigh in relief before capturing and purifying the pesky butterfly. She raised a hand for Féline Sombre to high-five.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” she called, throwing the gauze into the air.

Lila looked up at the pair with a remorseful look. “Oh- oh what happened? Why am I here?”

Féline Sombre leaned down and offered a hand to help Lila up. “You were akumatized…”

Ladybug looked around, noticing the sentimonster had disappeared. A spike of urgency pricked in Ladybug’s mind. “I need to get Paon Lilas!” Ladybug exclaimed, racing to the classroom the boy had detransformed in.

Adrien kept his back to his door, taking harsh, crackling breaths. “I need to get out of here,” He muttered towards Dusuu. The kwami looked at him, eyes wide and tearful.

Between gasping sobs, he said, “Adrien, the miracle cure didn’t even help, you need to start being more careful...” 

He nodded, “I will-” he coughed, and the door moved against his back.

Ladybug knocked urgently, “Paon! Let me in.” 

He stood up, bracing the door closed. He exchanged a worried look to Dusuu, “Dusuu, spread my feathers!” He raced forward to the window and Ladybug managed to open the door just as he started climbing through the window. They both stopped, staring at each other. 

Ladybug raised her hands like he was a skittish animal, “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” He wheezed out, he swallowed, leaning out the window and looking down.

“Wait- please, just tell me who you are! Just… let me explain.”

He closed his eyes, listening to her footsteps slowly come closer. She was worried. But that didn’t mean she was worried for him. She was frustrated too. She was definitely frustrated about him. 

Her footsteps were getting too close. He snapped his eyes open and jerked back. She took a step backward. He coughed, and shook his head, “Sorry.” He leaped out the window and left her standing alone. He didn’t look back.

Tiki paced through the air as much as a floating creature could pace.

"Usually I'm the one freaking out, what's wrong?" Marinette asked as she finished her Paon Lilas doll.

"The peacock miraculous... it's broken," Tiki said, frowning, "I... don't know how."

"It didn't look broken? ...Does it being broken hurt you guys?"

"Yes, and our holders," Tiki said, eyes wide. Terrified. "We need to find them and we need to fix the miraculous."

"...How do we do that?"

"The spellbook."

[verymuchimmortalcat]

Maribat March Day 4: Internet Friends

ao3

@maribatmarch-2k21 

Marinette looked up from her phone as she heard a notification go off on her laptop. She had just finished posting the pictures from the photo shoot for her first official line. After years of making items for mainly Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale, she had released her first line under the pseudonym of MDC at the age of 17, a year after Hawkmoth’s defeat. One message from Arrow Girl, it was a message from Cissie, which given that she had just released a new line wasn’t that surprising it just meant that Cissie had stayed up past midnight again. It should be around 3 am for her right now. Opening the message, she laughs.

Arrow Girl: HAVE YOU SEEN THE NEW MDC LINE, M????????

ITS SOOO PRETTY

WHO AM I KIDDING YOU LIVE IN PARIS AND WANNA BE A DESIGNER YOU’VE DEFINITELY SEEN IT ALREADY

So, yeah Cissie didn’t know she was MDC and sue her, Marinette found it funny how Cissie ranted about her designs to her. It’s not like Cissie didn’t laugh when Marinette obsessed over the costumes on TV and the people wearing them.

Designs&Coffee: Ya, I did

Which one’s your favourite piece?

Arrow Girl: The second one

It’s a master piece

Designs&Coffee: I love that one the most too!!!!!

That was true, the only thing Cissie didn’t know was that she designed that piece.

“Marinette, Adrien’s here,” her mother called suddenly.

“Coming Maman,” she replied.

Designs&Coffee: I’ve got to go, my mom’s calling

Talk later. You should sleep.

Arrow Girl: Says the girl with Coffee in her username

Bye.

Closing her laptop, Marinette headed downstairs, grabbing the Black Cat miraculous on her way. Adrien visited from London once a month but he had left behind his miraculous saying that he’d rather put it all behind with everything his father did. But both him and Plagg missed each other so Plagg came along on their monthly visits. Marinette still wore her earrings and Tikki went with her everywhere but she was more of a pocket best friend at this point then a pocket goddess who gave her the ability to become a superhero. Both Cat Noir and Ladybug had retired after Hawkmoth, they dealt with a miraculous threat and if another arose, they’d be there to help, but for right now the two of them were focusing on their goals and dreams outside superheroing. That was actually how she had ended up talking to Cissie, some random person had started questioning young heroes retiring online, and Cissie and Marinette had both jumped to the defence and they had just continued talking. That had been about six months ago. Now, they spoke almost every day.

Marinette hugged Adrien as soon as she saw him, calling out a bye to her parents she dragged him out of the bakery and they headed to the park. They had a few hours to catch up before they had to meet Alya and Nino.

.oOo.

A week or so later, Cissie was stuck in the makeup chair when she heard the notification that she had set for M’s messages go off.

Designs&Coffee: DID YOU KNOW THERE’S A NEW CISSIE KING-JONES MOVIE COMING OUT IN A FEW MONTHS.

IM SO FREAKING EXCITED

Arrow Girl: I could tell.

Designs&Coffee: I feel like you should be more excited.

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING ACTRESSESS WHO SHARES A NAME WITH YOU IS STARRING IN A MOVIE

Sometimes, Cissie wondered how M didn’t figure it out. Her username was Arrow girl, she knew her first name was Cissie and M knew that she was working in the movie industry. But then M treated her like a normal human being and not like those other fans and Cissie really didn’t want that to change that at first, she knew now that she would not treat her differently but Cissie had no idea how to go about telling her that I’m the actress you fangirl about.

However, before she could reply to M she was called so they could start shooting. Telling her that she had to go, she’d talk later and that she should take her own advice about sleep, she rushes out onto set.

.oOo.

A few months later, Cissie’s agent gets her an audition for a period drama set in the 1800s when women walked around with corsets and large skirts and Cissie for some reason agreed to audition. So, she auditioned and got the part. The first week on set was just them going over the beginning measurements for the costumes and other things like that. When she asked the director, who was going to be designing the costumes, he said that it was a rather high-profile designer who would be arriving in L.A. next week. That confused Cissie, this movie wasn’t that much of a big deal that they got a high-profile designer. She decided to ask the assistant director who seemed to be a boy around her age, so maybe seventeen or eighteen, who seemed to be always wearing a cap and headphones.

She went ahead and introduced herself to him, holding out her hand and saying, “Hi! I’m Cissie King-Jones.”

He laughed and shook her hand, “I know dudette, you’re the star in the movie. I’m Nino Lahiffe.”

He had an accent she thought was French but she wasn’t quite sure. “I was wondering about the designer, the director said it was a high-profile designer and that they would be arriving next week-“

“And then he asked you to talk to me?” he asked with a smile.

“No? Should he have?”

He chuckled, “The designer is one of my best friends, we’ve been friends since we were about five. She wanted to work on something different and when I suggested this she agreed immediately. Honestly, I think she only agreed because you’re on this movie but who knows with her.”

“Well then, I look forward to meeting her.”

.oOo.

Marinette had arrived in L.A. the day before and was now headed to set with Nino. She was nearly shaking with excitement; she was going to meet the Cissie King-Jones. Nino was laughing at her excitement, “you’re being mean,” she said.

“And you’re acting like a little child, when all of us know when you actually meet her, you’ll be too busy in your designing mode to actually say anything to her, so I took the liberty to do so for you.”

“You did what?” she screeched, earning weird looks from people around them.

“I told her that her being in the movie was probably the actual reason you agreed to work on it. Which is undeniably the truth. Feel free to thank me later.”

“I’m never going to thank you. She probably thinks I’m some crazy fan now.”

“You need to stop catastrophising, Mari. It’ll all be fine in the end.”

“Why am I friends with you?”

“We’ve been friends for too long and now you no longer know how to survive without me.”

She snorted at that, “keep telling yourself that, Nino. Keep telling yourself that.”

.oOo.

Cissie was talking to one of the other members in the cast, when she saw Nino walk in with a petite girl, with shoulder length black hair and blue eyes, who was carrying a few sketch books and a bag that looked really heavy to be carried by someone that small.

When the makeup artist told her she was done, Cissie headed in the direction of Nino and who was probably the designer. Joining the two of them, she held her hand out to the designer, “you must be the designer, I’m Cissie King-Jones.”

“Hi, it’s wonderful to meet you. I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

Cissie definitely didn’t know that name, her confusion must’ve been clear on her face because Marinette laughed, “I don’t go by that in the fashion industry, I’m MDC.”

Cissie took a bit to process that bit of information, she was meeting one of her favourite designers ever who was apparently a fan of hers. She was in heaven, she had to be.

“I love your work. Your new line was breath taking. I loved the second piece the most, the colours and design were amazing,” she blurted out, before she could think clearly.

Marinette just laughed, a clear sounding laugh, and said, “Thank you, I’m really glad to hear that. The second piece on the line happens to be my favourite too. And I think your work is amazing too.”

Cissie smiled, “Thank you.”

And then they proceeded to talk while Marinette showed her the designs and ideas she had.

.oOo.

Marinette and Nino returned to the hotel late in the evening and were hanging out in his room.

“I told you that you need to stop catastrophising and everything turned out fine.”

“Why yes, thank you Nino,” she drawled sarcastically.

“I thought you were never going to thank me?”

“Sarcasm, my dear friend. Sarcasm.”

“So, you were being sarcastic when you said you would never thank me ‘cause it sure didn’t sound like it.”

Throwing a pillow at his face and calling out a Good night Marinette ran to her room. She opened her laptop to check if she had missed any messages. There were 10 messages from Arrow Girl. Opening their chat Marinette wondered what Cissie had sent. What she saw left her feeling shocked and incredibly stupid. In hindsight it was extremely obvious but then again she didn’t know Adrien was Cat Noir until he detransformed in front of her.

Arrow Girl: M!!!!!!!!!!!

I MET MDC TODAY AND MADE A COMPLETE FOOL OF MYSELF

SHE’S DOING THE COSTUMES IN THE NEW MOVIE IM DOING

AND LIKE HER FRIEND TOLD ME YESTERDAY THAT SHE LIKES MY WORK

AND THAT WAS PROBABLY WHY SHE HAD AGREED TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT

AND THEN I GO UP TO HER AND INTRODUCE MYSELF AND SHE INTRODUCES HERSELF WITH HER REAL NAME AND I MUSTVE HAD A BLANK EXPRESSION CUZ THEN SHE SAID I GO BY MDC

AND THEN I BLANKED OUT

AND IF THAT WASN’T BAD ENOUGH I BLURTED OUT I LOVE YOUR WORK YOUR NEW LINE WAS BREATH TAKING AND I LOVED THE SECOND PIECE THE MOST AND THAT THE COLOURS AND DESIGNS WERE AMAZING

AND THEN SHE WAS SO SWEET AND NICE TO ME AND THANKED ME AND SAID THE SECOND PIECE WAS HER FAVOURITE TOO AND THAT SHE THOUGHT MY WORK WAS AMAZING

M!!!!!!! ANSWER ME PLEASE IM DYING OF HUMILIATION.

She thought about her reply for about a minute and the sent it off.

Designs&Coffee: I’m sure she didn’t think you were awkward.

She was probably concentrating more on the fact that she was talking to CISSIE KING-JONES

Her response was instantaneous.

Arrow Girl: How can you be so sure?

Also how did you finally figure out that I’m that Cissie

Designs&Coffee: I’m so sure because I’m that M

As in the M in MDC. Also how I figured you were that Cissie

Hi again! I’m Marinette. I’m 17 and sorta run a fashion empire

Arrow Girl: Cissie King-Jones. I’m seventeen too and currently an actress.

Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, she was worried that this might’ve ended badly

Arrow Girl: Wanna actually hang out tomorrow?

Designs&Coffee: sure!

.oOo.

Cissie woke up two mornings later to nearly a hundred notifications on her phone. About twenty of the notifications were from news channels, which was strange she was supposed to get those only when her name was mentioned in an article and 20 articles in a day were strange. There were another fifty from Bart, which happened occasionally. Ten each from Cassie and Marinette. And a few messages each from Tim, Kon, Greta and Anita.

Checking the news articles first because they would probably give some insight on the dozens of messages, she saw that someone had seen her out with Marinette yesterday and taken a photo which the tabloids had eaten up like starved wolves.

Bart had clearly lost patience fast, his messages were getting more and more pleading as she scrolled through all fifty. Laughing she told him that she had just woken up and would answer all his questions, and she and Marinette weren’t together it was just a misunderstanding, like the one Tim deals with all the time. Kon, Anita and Greta used to the several articles that came with Tim had picked out articles that had the most ridiculous theories and had sent it to her. Cassie had done the same along with several other questions. Choosing to answer Cassie first, she calls Cassie and spends nearly an hour talking to her even though it took Cissie only five minutes to explain the whole tabloid mess. Tim had sent a message saying “welcome to the world where if you’re seen outside your house with someone, everyone is going to believe you’re in a relationship.” Cissie just responded with a laughing face emoji.

Marinette had apologised for her friends’ behaviour, strange as that was. Saying that if she gets e-mails from Adrien Agreste, Luka Couffaine, Alya Césaire or Kagami Tsurugi it would be best to ignore them. They were just over protective and annoying. Cissie pointedly ignored how Marinette had casually brought up four very prominent people in the world. Apparently Marinette’s friends not used to the whole invasiveness of paparazzi had decided to deliver Cissie a shovel talk over e-mail before Marinette could clear up the confusion with her friends. She had also added that they were supposed to apologise and to please tell her if they didn’t.

And that was when she remembered her own friends’ highly similar behaviour and sent a text in the Young Justice group chat that she’d use them as moving target practice if they decide to induct her into their group with threats, and then sent another message to Tim to stop whatever extensive background check he was doing. She groaned as she got a smiley face in reply. Then the notification she had set for Marinette went off.

Designs&Coffee: I’ve been meaning to ask you about why you had all the points you had for young heroes retiring???? so, uh, why did you?

Groaning she flopped back onto the bed, this was going to be one hell of a day.

So my thoughts on how it would go ahead:

Marinette and Cissie meet up to talk about her text but Cissie doesn't really tell her about Arrowette. She changes the topic, after all Marinette was also ready with several points on the same topic. Maybe they eventually tell each other maybe they don't, i don't exactly know.

Marinette's friends calm down pretty soon after, Alya takes some more time but eventually calms down too.

When Cissie says, 'Marinette had casually brought up four very prominent people in the world', Its because at this point Adrien's run as a model still hasn't died out with it being only a year after Hawkmoth's defeat. Kagami is a world famous fencer, Luka joins Jagged Stone on tour and becomes pretty famous too and Alya listened to Marinette, (It ends up being Marinette and Adrien after the reveal who get through to her), she ends up making a name for herself in the year after Hawmoth's defeat, though her work still focuses around heroes/vigilantes which is why Cissie knows her, she's not really that prominent outside France.

Sometime after Cissie finishes talking to Cassie and sees Marinette's text Bart shows up demanding answers. They don't actually know it's Marinette, as in they don't know her name. Marinette Dupain-Cheng isn't really well known, MDC is, and no one knows who MDC is. Tim would probably do a facial recognition scan find out who she is and continue on with his extensive background check and probably figures out she's MDC somewhere along the way. Traya asks about Marinette the next time she sees Cissie

[thewritewolf]

After the End Chapter 13: Flower Shop

Marinette and Chat Noir talk about the future

First | Previous | Next | Last

@marichatmay

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

It was too chilly to be standing out on the balcony alone at this time of year, and especially with how late it was. The nearly-winter air only grew more biting when the sun sank below the horizon and if you closed your eyes you could almost smell the frost on the wind.

Thankfully, Marinette was not alone.

Between her jacket, sewn by her own hand to be as warm as it was fashionable, and being tucked snuggly against Chat Noir, the cold barely even crossed her mind. It was much closer than either of them would have been comfortable with just a couple months ago, but the nights they’d spent in each other’s company had slowly but surely shifted things between them. For now, neither of them wanted to examine those changed feelings too closely.

Instead, Marinette wanted answers to a different set of questions entirely.

“What are your plans for the future?”

---------------------------

The yellow tape with the words in all capital letters ‘CONDEMNED’ disintegrated into black ash along with the rest of the door. Chat Noir pulled back his hand, glanced around at the empty side street, and drifted inside noiselessly.

Finding this place had taken some ingenuity on his part - Marinette may have gotten his brain jogging, but there were a lot of options in the city. In the end, though, all he needed to do was find the ones that had been abandoned since at least the fall of Hawkmoth.

Taking a deep breath of the dusty, stale air that carried a hint of rot to it, Chat Noir knew that this place fit that description to a t.

Chat Noir blended into the shadows and began to search through the wreckage.

--------------------------

“I don’t know,” Chat said with a shrug. “Right now, I’m just focusing on my hero duties. There’s still a mystery that needs solving.”

“I mean, yeah, but don’t you have a life outside of this?” She ran a finger along the edge of his mask for a moment. “You’ve got to have a plan once everything on that side of it is resolved, right?”

“What’s your plan then?” He leaned on the balcony rail and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Simple - I’m going to build a new fashion empire. After the Agreste brand imploded, there is space for something new to flourish.”

“You’re welcome for that.” Chat shook his head, staring off into the distance. “With everything that came to light after Hawkmoth got unmasked, it looks like they had it coming.”

A wave of anger washed over Marinette. She put a hand on her hip and jabbed a finger at Chat. “Listen. There was only one bad Agreste and I’m grateful for how you and Ladybug took him down, but the rest…”

She let go of Chat’s chin as the anger abated. All she was left with was a cold pit in her stomach, old doubts resurfacing as the memories of the days and weeks following the unmasking replayed in her mind. Was there anything else she could have done? Would Adrien still be in Paris, safe and happy with them, if she had done better?

“They were victims like everyone else.”

-------------------------

Even with his gentle footfalls, debris still crunched under his feet. Something about it tickled at the back of his mind. The devastation around him seemed almost… familiar.

Destruction was something of a specialty of his, after all. He’d seen cataclysm get used on countless objects and substances over the course of his years being Chat Noir. But it didn’t look like anything that the miraculous had done - there wasn’t enough ash and black decay for that. Then it suddenly hit him as he lifted a piece of wood that looked like it had vibrated apart.

His miraculous hadn’t inflicted this damage - this was the doing of the butterfly. Specifically, a sonic-based akuma back in January. That one was rough, with large swaths of the city getting screamed apart. But the miraculous cure had put everything back to normal, same as it always did.

So why hadn’t this place?

------------------------

“There’s plenty of options for you!”

“You don’t know that much about me, Marinette,” Chat replied with a sad smile. “How can you possibly know what would make a good fit for me?”

“I don’t need to know what your face looks like to know something that fits your personality.” She snorted. “Well, except for modeling, but what would you model? Leather? Cat ears?”

“Yeah. Me, a model? Ridiculous.”

“Don’t worry, there’s lots of other stuff for you.” She took a theatrical few steps back, made a square with her fingers that she surrounded him with, and closed one eye. “How about… Chat Noir the circus clown!”

Chat laughed. “Oh, so you’re saying you always secretly liked my pun, huh? Then I’ve got a few more for you…”

“Oh right, you’ve got to actually be funny to be a clown.” She stuck her tongue out playfully to take the bite out of her words. “My bad.”

“Clown’s out then - what else you got?”

“Teacher? You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

“Eh, maybe. I like kids but I’ve never been much of an authority figure.” He whispered to her conspiratorially. “Don’t tell Ladybug, but I’m actually a big rebel. Sometimes I stay up a whole hour past my bed time.”

“Wow, next you’ll tell me you don’t even look both ways before crossing the street.”

“Of course I do, I’m an anarchist, not stupid.”

“Which brings me to my next Chat career - counsellor. Like helping people work through their problems?”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah…” she tapped his nose, making him blink. “I can tell those eyes have seen a lot. And yet, you’ve come through it. Maybe you can use what you’ve learned to help people?”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Anything else?”

“Well… and this one is a bit out there, but… How about opening a flower shop? You’ve always been such a romantic and- Chat? Are you okay?”

He had suddenly gone very stiff, his eyes widening as he took in a sharp breath. It seemed to pass quickly, suddenly replaced with a manic energy as his hand darted for his baton.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go! I just had an idea!”

“Wait, Chat-!”

But it was too late. He’d leapt off the balcony and gone running off into the night.

Marinette was left to wonder - did he really have an idea, or had she made him uncomfortable? Did thinking of the future really upset him so much?

-----------------------

Whoever had been here before must have left in a hurry and never come back, Chat Noir thought as he passed rows of decayed flower beds. Little was left of the beautiful plants except for gnarled twigs and rotten petals. It wasn’t what he was here for, but it did give him some hope that maybe, just maybe, the Gentlemen had forgotten something here.

If they had ever been here in the first place, that is.

Chat Noir stepped into the backroom of the former flowershop. The rubble that might have given a civilian difficulties yielded to super human strength and the slightest touch of Cataclysm. There, he found a small filing cabinet marked with the store’s name - Boutonnière Noir.

While he was grabbing what few files remained, intending to pour over them back at the mansion, the gleam of something metallic caught his eye at the bottom of the cabinet. Reaching in, he pulled out a badge that just barely fit in the palm of his hand. It had no words, but he knew in his heart that it was the symbol of the Gentlemen - a man with a top hat, a fanged smile, and a finger held up like a hush.

After one last look over the husk of the Boutonnière Noir, Chat Noir left with his spoils.

[anjuschiffer]

Amira Wayne - Chapter 14

Happy Halloween everyone! Here’s day 14 of @biodad-bruce-month that I’m catching up on QuQ

Chapter 14: Wayne Gala

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P.Tag: @theatreandcomicfreak @damianette-is-life @toodaloo-kangaroo @elijahcrevan

Tag: @vixen-uchiha @we-want-mini-mini @ramos123 @bluesimani @redscarlet95 @greatcatblaze @promiswords @fantasiame @corabeth11 @anonymously-odd @alexandriamw @officiallydarkgeek @galla02006 @maleive07 

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MASTERLIST | FIRST | PREV | AO3

Alfred looked at the teens in the back of the car that conversed in French, glad to finally meet the duo that were Amira’s latest addition to her circle of friends. 

While Amira called them mere conveniences, Alfred knew that they were anything but that. After all, she would talk about them during half of their weekly calls. 

Shortly before leaving for Paris, Amira had asked if she was able to do weekly calls with him, Alfred quickly agreeing and even giving her a private line for their calls.

Around two and a half weeks ago, Amira had told him about her two friends going to Gotham and asking if there was some way to ensure their safety. 

Amira suggested the family hosting their stay, in which Alfred found it to be a marvelous idea. 

  “If I may ask Miss Amira, why did you suggest this idea?”

“I need to make sure they’re safe.” She told him. “Paris’ Victims are one thing, Gotham’s villains are another. Seeing as I’m not allowed to even be near a gala until I’m officially introduced to society, I need to do what I can to ensure their safety...I don’t want to lose them.”

“Pardon me for suggesting this Miss Amira, but why don’t you just come to Gotham to ensure their safety? 

“As much as I know that I can, you know I really can’t. Paris needs me here. They need Ladybird to remain in Paris until the Hawkmoth threat is lifted. Until then, I am to stay here…”

 “M.Pennyworth, is this really okay with M. Wayne? In regards to hosting our stay, that is.” Chloé asked, feeling Adrien squeeze her hand. 

Despite already being teens, there were still habits the two still shared. After all, Chloé was the only other child Adrien knew growing up. She was his safety blanket during events they were forced to attend as kids... just like he was hers. 

She still remembers them as clear as day. 

“Have no worries about it, Miss Chloé, Master Adrien. Master Bruce and Master Dick were delighted to hear about the two of you attending tomorrow’s gala, Master Dick more so than Master Bruce.”

“Master Dick?” Adrien decided to ask. His father never told him about there being another Wayne. 

“Master Bruce’s son. Adopted, of course.” Alfred elaborated, not once taking his eyes off the road. "We have arrived. Welcome to Wayne Manor.”

---

Tim peeked from behind the doorway when he heard two accented voices join Alfred’s upon the manor door opening. 

Tim watched as the two blonds gawked at the manor interior, setting their luggage beside themselves. 

He jumped when a hand landed on his head, Tim turning to see Dick smiling at him with a tired smile. 

Tim frowned. 

“You should be in bed.”

“I have to make sure everything goes according to plan. For everything to work out as if he was here with us.”

“Dick, stop pushing yourself like this. You have to rest.”

Dick simply smiled at Tim as he chose then to approach the two guests. 

“Welcome! The two of you must be Adrien and Chloé! Marinette speaks so much about you two!” Dick cheerfully said, stretching out his hand towards Adrien. 

“You know Marinette?” Adrien asked, wondering- that’s right. He must know about her if Marinette knew Selina. “That must’ve sounded stupid. Marinette knows Mlle. Kyle, so it must make sense if you knew her as well.” Dick let out a chuckle. 

“Not at all! Sometimes we forget the connections we have with one another, so things like this tend to happen. Now, I’m pretty sure the two of you are tired from your flight. Alfred, if you would show them to their rooms?” 

With a bow, Alfred ushered the guests to their rooms, Adrien and Chloé taken aback by the massive portraits in one of the halls that they passed by. 

While the two wanted to ask Alfred who the smaller boy in one of the portraits was, they couldn’t bring themselves to ask when they saw M. Pennyworth look at it with sadness in his eyes. 

In one particular photo, Adrien couldn’t help but notice a small girl in the distance, feeling as he had seen that girl before. 

Or maybe he was just drawn to her bright smile that warmed up him as he walked through the chilly manor. 

“Here are your rooms, Miss Chloe, Master Adrien. I hope they are to your expectations.” Alfred said, signaling towards the two rooms across from each other. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

---

Barbara sat in class, tuning out her professor as he talked about the different sectors of the brain. 

That’s when she saw a notification on her phone, making sure to not let a sigh escape her as she read it. 

Grabbing her things, Barbara left the lecture hall without another word, dreading the fact that she is going to have to ask someone else for notes in her next class. 

Her finger hovered over the name of the person who was the subject of the text, wondering if this was a good idea. 

She was glad to know she was sent to voicemail. 

“Hey, Tim just filled me in. Are you sure this is a good idea? Please call me when you get the time.” 

With that said, Barbara pocketed her phone and directly headed to Wayne Manor, not liking the heavy premonition weighing in her mind. 

What were they thinking? 

Didn’t they realize that all of their secrets were in danger by having two outsiders within the manor?

Sighing, Barbara prepared herself for the possible danger that may ensue from this.

---

Chloe just couldn’t stand doing nothing, so when she asked Alfred what places they were allowed to roam in, she wasn’t expecting a gym as an option.

Of course, there was no way in hell Chloe was going to expose herself by going to the gym, so she asked to be guided to the manor’s library.  Adrien happily tagged along, talking about wanting to start on some of their homework before heading back to Paris in two days. 

“Chlo! I found us a place.” Adrien squealed, dragging her to a spot near the library windows where a perfectly placed desk with floor seats there, beckoning them to sit. 

Adrien quickly sat down on the tri colored one while Chloe hesitated to sit on the other one that was black with golden threads.

“This feels wrong.” Chloe ended up blurting out, quickly getting up from it. “I feel as if-”

“Chloe, you’re just nervous about being here. Just take a seat and do a bit of homework, it’ll take your mind off the uneasiness.”

But the uneasiness wouldn’t leave her. She felt as if they weren’t supposed to be sitting there...as if the seats weren’t meant to be used by anyone but those who usually sat there...

With a sigh, she complied. “I guess you’re right.” Maybe she was uneasy.

---

An hour passed until Adrien got up, stretching his legs a bit.

“ And where would you even get help? We can’t reach Marinette without using a phone from this home. Our phones don’t work here, remember?”  Chloe said, gesturing to her phone. “I totally forgot to get my other phone that works abroad. Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.”  She muttered, going back to doing her chemistry work. 

“We’re in a library Chlo. I’m bound to find something that could help us.”

Adrien walked off to the front of the library, going from bookcase to bookcase, baffled to not even find a single book on chemistry. 

It wasn't until he got to the second level where he found some chemistry textbooks, when a certain workbook caught his eye. 

Taking it off the shelf, Adrien opened up the French workbook, surprised to see full marks on every page. 

As he kept turning the pages, a photo slipped out, Adrien managing to catch it as it fell.

When he picked it up, the same girl from earlier smiled back at him as well as a boy her age. 

The two children were covered in grass and dirt, Adrien noticing how the girl looked oddly like Marinette. 

“Did you find anything?” 

“Oh. Um, yeah! Just one though.” Adrien fumbled, putting the photo and the workbook back into their place before grabbing the chemistry textbook he had found earlier. 

“ Just one?”  Chloé scoffs. “Some library this is.”

“At least it has one?”

“Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.”

Adrien smiled at Chloe’s antics, sitting back down, only for his mind to trail back to the picture he saw just minutes ago. 

Why did she seem familiar?

---

After a few hours of studying, the duo were called for dinner. 

The two managed to sit in comfortable silence, not questioning the fact that they were the only ones at the table.  

After all, Adrien was used to it while Chloé enjoyed not having to talk to any Wayne. 

Not having a Wayne meant a more at ease Adrien, meaning not having to listen to Adrien forced to butter up a rich man just to please his father. 

Stupid Gabriel. 

Thank the kwamis Chloé was never trained to do that. Then again, maybe she should have. 

Maybe it would’ve been a chance to learn etiquette from her mother…

Who was she kidding...her mother wouldn’t even waste her time doing such a trivial thing. 

Dinner lasted just half an hour and soon it was time to call it a day...or so Chloé thought. 

Chloe tipped toed out of the kitchen, Pollen having gone ahead of her with a napkin filled with some flowers she found in the kitchen. 

She had woken up with a jolt due to hunger and not wanting to bother Alfred so late at night, Chloe decided it was best to go herself.

Confident in herself, Chloe walked to where she believed her room was located, turning corners as she made her way back. 

She proudly stood in front of what she believed was her room, turning the knob and letting out a sigh of relief. She closed the door behind her, only to realize it wasn’t her room. 

After all, she didn’t have a wall filled with notes and photos. This was her first day at Gotham, this collection belonged to someone who obviously lived here for longer than a day. 

Turning to leave, Chloe did a double take on what caught her eye. 

Slowly closing the door with a soft thud, Chloe walked towards the wall, slowly making out the subject of the photos thanks to the moonlight seeping into the dark room.

As Chloe got a closer look at the photos, a giggling little girl in different frilly dresses were in each one, showing different milestones in her life. 

Her first steps, her first pet, her birthdays, a few displaying some drawings or baking.

In each one, Chloé couldn’t help but notice that it was only M. Wayne in them, never once the girl’s mother being there. 

As the girl grew, she began to resemble her father even more, the smile vanishing and now wearing a scowl on her face. Her midnight hair got longer by the photo, her emerald eyes sharper. 

The girl was always shown with the same uniform from Gotham Academy in these later photos, but the photos were always taken from different events. 

Assemblies, science fairs, art galleries, math decathlons, trips, award ceremonies...the girl was practically in every Gotham Academy event!

But then those photos completely stopped. 

Soon, two boys entered the picture and the perfect model student from Gotham Academy vanished completely. 

Whenever the two boys were in the frame, the girl was smiling, grinning, baking, running, in sport competitions, and just...simply being a kid.

There was even one where she was dripping blood from her nose as she was shown winning a dodgeball competition, the boy beside her holding it as well. Meanwhile, the teen behind them ruffled their hair as he, too, smiled at the camera. 

This toothy grins from the children cause Chloe’s chest to twist for some odd reason. 

As for the teen, he looked like a more younger version of Dick. maybe it was him.

But just like the other school photos, those soon vanished as well...or to be more honest, all the evidence of this girl growing stopped completely. 

There were no more photos on the wall, the wall barren.

Chloe noticed a photo album on the floor, picking it up. It was empty.

Looking back at the photos, Chloé wondered what exactly happened to the girl, to the boy her age. 

Deciding to take this as her cue to leave, Chloé noticed a photo peering from under the bed, only managing to see the tip of it. 

Upon picking it up, Chloé felt her heart stop. 

The photo looked back at her with an all familiar scene. 

A scene only Queen Bee and two others should only be able to see. 

Looking back at her, her favorite view of Paris was staring back at her. 

Paris at its most gorgeous view, from on top of the Eiffel Tower once the sun has set and the moon rises, stars that peppered the night sky. 

Chloé didn’t know how long she had been staring at the photo until Pollen poked her forehead. 

“My Queen! There you are! You had me worried sick when I noticed you weren’t behind me!” Pollen cried, hugging Chloe.

“Sorry about that. Got a bit distracted.” Chloe patted Pollen’s head, assuring her that she had meant what she had said. “We should probably head back. We got a long day ahead of us and we’re going to need our beauty sleep if we want to survive tonight’s gala.”

Smiling, Pollen agreed, Chloe placing the photo on the dresser before closing the door behind her, never noticing the pair of eyes that caught her leaving the room.

---

Chloe huffed as she tucked a loose hair strand behind her ear, regretting putting her hair into a messy low bun. Despite her bangs being in place, having the rest of her hair in a mess was ridiculous!

Then again, she wanted it this way, the only way she could think of wearing her hair tonight. After all, it paired decently with her black pantsuit. 

She couldn’t help but fall in love with the way the pantsuit fit snuggly, how she didn’t have to bother with worrying if she'd trip over the hem of a skirt or get it caught somewhere.

Now she got why her mother loved wearing these things.

Of course, her mother also wore a large sun hat no matter where she went, but Chloe wouldn’t dare wear such a hideous thing.

To think her mother called herself a designer and fashionista. 

Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!

“Chloe, Earth to Chloe.” Adrien whispered, Chloe looking at him from the corner of her eye.

“I know, I know.” Latching on Adrien’s arm, she plastered a smug smile on her face as she watched a few girls walk back from where they had come from. “To think this is the only reason why you want me around.”

“It’s not like that!” Adrien squeaked, pulling Chloe towards the punch bar. 

Chloe looked at the suit he was wearing, pursing her lips as she grabbed his jacket’s cuff. 

“M. Pennyworth wasn’t kidding when he said he was a jack of all trades. His embroidery is impeccable! And to think he did this in one afternoon.” Chloe couldn’t believe the detail on the golden design, how it was sewn so elegantly onto the black suit. It was just as professional as the design on her belt, just as precise as well.

A matching set.

Chloe let go of the cuff, holding her head high as they passed by a group of older teens.

“I feel bad for making him do it, but after considering what you had told me this morning, I knew I had to get it done.”

To prevent from other families trying to impose their children onto Adrien or Chloé, the two thought of making their wardrobe to match, to give the impression that the two were already an item with each other.

So far it was working, even though a few people didn’t buy it.

“There you two are. So, are you guys enjoying the gala?” Dick managed to snap the two of them from their french conversation.

“Dick!” Adrien said with a grin. “To be honest, it's kind of draining. Never had to run from so many adults wanting to introduce their daughters to me.”

“You’re telling me.” Dick said with a chuckle, cringing at the many times he had to talk to older adults who had once sneered at him when he was young. But upon hearing that he was to inherit all of Bruce’s wealth, they all tried to get into his good graces.

As if he would. Plus, love wasn’t in his mind at the moment.

Burrowing those unpleasant thoughts to the back of his head, Dick noticed a pair approaching them. “Chloe, Adrien. I would like to introduce you to my father, Bruce Wayne.” He gestured behind them before leaving the teens with the adults.

Turning around, Adrien and Chloe were faced with tonight’s host, Selina pressed snuggly against his arm.

“Good evening, Adrien. Chloe. It’s a pleasure to finally meet the two of you.” Bruce smiled at them, Adrien having to tilt his head back a bit. Chloe now understood why all the ladies of Gotham fell for him. “Care to join us for a drink?”

---

Tim watched as Amira’s friends stirred up a conversation with Bruce, the two blonds chatting as if they had known Selina for years.

“Shouldn’t you be there?” Tim jumped when he heard Barbara talking from behind him, almost falling out of the computer chair he was in. “Careful there! Wouldn’t want to give Dick a reason to scold you for being down here without one of us with you.”

“I could say the same to you. I thought you wanted to know more about the two Parisians.”

“Touche.” A silence fell between the two. “Come on, Tim. Bruce is going to come looking for us if we don’t hurry and make an appearance.”

Huffing, Tim straightened out his tuxedo and followed Babs out of the Cave, dreading tonight’s events.

On one hand, he had yet to tell Bruce and Alfred of what he saw last night. What would they say when he tells them of one of the Wayne secrets being exposed? On the other hand, he had to deal with seeing something he never thought Bruce was capable of doing.

How did Dick let him do this?

---

Adrien and Chloe were grinning from ear to ear as they listened to Selina’s retelling on how she beat Bruce in poker during their first date when Bruce’s attention was drawn to something across the hall. 

Selina managed to see what caused Bruce to become distracted, noticing that Adrien and Chloe also caught onto Bruce being signaled by Dick from across the hall.

“Seems like it’s almost time for the speech.” Bruce muttered, turning back to the two teens. “It’s been nice talking with the two of you. I hope to speak with you two soon.”

“Pleasure was ours,  monsieur .” Adrien said with a curt and a grin. 

“It was a pleasure meeting you and getting to talk to you. I can’t wait to rub it into my mother’s face the next time she calls. To think she has yet to talk to you while I have.” Chloe puffed out her chest as she took a sip of her drink, Selina laughing at her words.

“Please tell me how that goes. Can’t wait to hear how she reacts to that.” Selina said, giving her a piece of paper.

“I promise I will.” Chloe said, giving the woman a grin as she accepted the paper and stuffed it into her pockets. 

With that, Bruce and Selina walked away from the two teens, Chloe and Adrien watching as they were left alone for possibly the rest of the night.

They watched as they waved as they passed by people before seeing Bruce become a bit grim when he got to Dick.

Seeing Bruce’s face didn’t sit well with Chloe, taking a sip of champagne as she watched the Waynes walk together to the front of the hall.

Just what were they hiding? Did it have to do with the kids in the photos she saw last night?

Noticing that she was out of champagne, she turned to Adrien.

“Adrien, fetch me some more? I feel like I’m going to need it.”

---

“Are you sure you want to do this, Bruce?” Selina asked, giving his arm a squeeze as he got hold of a mic.

“Selina. He wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.” Bruce tried to reason, but knew fully well that she had already seen through him. “Jason and I had prepared for this for months. What would he think if I couldn’t go through with our promise now that he was gone?”

Selina caressed Bruce’s cheek before pecking his lips.

“Just remember, if you need a breather or if you feel like you need a minute to compose yourself, I’m here.” Smiling, Bruce turned his attention back to the guests and turned on the mic. 

Taping on it, the sound gathered the attention of everyone in the room, Bruce possibly regretting doing this despite how much it hurt him to do so.

He watched as Dick soon left his side and walked right out the hall, watching as Barbara tried to bring him back in, only to fail. 

She looked at him with concerned eyes, only then noticing that Tim was looking at him with worry in his eyes.

Bracing himself for what was to come, Bruce plastered on a smile he hoped his guests couldn’t see through. 

“Good evening everyone. I do hope you are all enjoying yourselves. My name is Bruce Wayne -for those of you who don’t know me already- and this is my lovely fiance Selina Kyle. Yes, I’m sorry to disappoint, but as rumors already have it, I am to get married sometime next year.”

A series of mixed chuckles, cheering and sobs filled the room as Bruce awkwardly stood there.

“Putting that aside, I welcome you all to this year’s Wayne Gala.”

---

Adrien listened as Bruce continued to talk, growing a tad bored of the man’s roundabouts about the improvements on Gotham and the different charities the gala once was known for.

He was starting to sound just like the many people he had met during those stupid parties he was dragged to with his father. Hosts who would go on and on about their achievements and brag about their wealth.

Just your ordinary asshole.

But as Bruce started to transition to his next point, Adrien picked on the odd tone lining his words. His words were coated in guilt, sorrow...and love.

“This year, my son Jason and I decided to start a new foundation, the Catherine Todd Foundation. Now, as most of you have noticed, he’s not here. While tonight is not a school night, he does have other things to attend to tomorrow, so I made him turn in early today. You should’ve seen the pout on his face when I told him it was past his bedtime.”

The crowd laughed.

“Of course,” Selina picked up. “Just because he isn’t here to say it himself, doesn’t mean he can’t tell you all what this foundation means to him.”

Murmuring filled the room, Adrien picking up a new champagne glass for Chloe and turned to got back to her, only to freeze in place.

A screen protector had been lowered and there, on the screen was the boy he had seen yesterday.

“The boy from the photo.” Adrien muttered to himself, only then remembering that this boy was also in the family portrait he saw when he first arrived at the manor.

This boy...he is a Wayne...his name is Jason…

Jason Wayne...Bruce’s son…

Adrien listened as Jason greeted and thanked everyone who was able to make it to the gala. He went on how he had planned this foundation with Bruce, what the foundation would do. How the foundation who help to create safe shelters for the kids that lived in the slums, help create rehabilitation centers for those with addictions and more notably, create resources for those enduring domestic violence.

 Adrien listened as Jason went on a tangent on how these were the things he didn’t want any other person to have to go through, just like how his mother did.

 In honor of his mother who raised him and had to fight through poverty, addiction and abuse, Jason named the foundation after her.

To pay homage to the woman who he loved the most and allowed him to make it this far in life.

The video then ended with Jason thanking everyone again, the hall erupting into a large sound of applause, Adrien hearing a few sniffles here and there.

He didn’t know how, but he somehow found himself back at Chloe’s side.

“ I think I need some fresh air.”

---

Chloe wandered around the hall, exiting it and turned a corner, slumping against the wall.

“It was the same boy as the photos.” Chloe told herself, placing her head on her knees. 

The same one, there was no denying it. But the video felt off.

Looking at the half empty champagne glass in her hand, she chugged it down, tilting her head back to drink the last drop.

Something was wrong, and Chloe knew it. Despite Bruce telling everyone else that he was sent to bed early, she had yet to meet the boy.

She’s been here for two days and she had never seen him around the manor at all. 

Just what was going-

“What were you idiots thinking!” Chloe heard someone whisper yell, Chloe deciding to stay where she was, placing her head against her knees.

“Babs,” she heard the other say. So the first voice belonged to Babs. “Bruce said this was the only way-”

“Was Dick on board with this?” Babs asked, letting out a heavy sigh when Chloe assumed he nodded. “Tim...what the hell?”

“Listen, I wasn’t the one who-”

“I don’t care about who suggested it and who gave it a green light. I’m worried about Amira. What is she going to say when she finds out-”

Amira? Who’s Amira?

“Amira? She’s who you’re worried about?” 

“Tim, Bruce pulling a stunt like this isn’t going to sit well with her, especially not after the last time they talked.”

“What if she doesn’t find out? What if we don’t tell her? After all, she lives across-”

“Did you forget what happened last time? Just because she lives in Paris now doesn’t mean she won’t find out. She will and when she does...who knows what’s going to happen.”

“Babs, you’re-”

“I’m not over thinking this Tim because I know what might happen and that’s what is scarring me... What if she starts to hate us even more because of this? What then? Will she ever accept and forgive us? Tim...I can’t bear with this...I can’t.”

Chloe heard the woman’s voice crack, a few sniffles as well.

“I miss the days where the two of us got to share recipes, small stories of our father’s getting along, the days where Amira was able to be herself again, to be the child she was meant to be.”

I miss the days where Dick didn’t have a smile plastered to his face every damn second of the day. I miss the days where he let himself get angry, to become upset and frustrated without having to hide in an empty classroom.”

“Babs...I-”

“Is that too much to ask for? Is it too much to ask to get my two friends back? Is it, Tim? Is it?”

Chloe listened as the silence became unbearable with each second that passed.

“Barbara, you should know better than to wish for that. We can’t control something that we have nothing to do with.”

“But we can do-”

“If we do anything, we’ll make things worse. Or did you forget what happened a month ago?”

Babs went quiet. “Remember how she reacted when she saw us? How she  ran  when you called her by her alter ego? Do you really think we should be interfering with the Waynes’ family matters when we don’t have a spec of her trust?”

 Tim huffed. “I know you just want to make things right with her, but I suggest you wait until things get better before things turn out as bad as it did with the Justice League when they lost her respect.”

The Justice League?

“Wait, you know what happened between them and-”

“Of course I do. Did you really think Bruce’s passwords would prevent me from trying to find out what’s behind it?” Tim asked offendedly. “ Anyways, as for what happened, they thought it was a good idea to kidnap her before attempting to recruit her. They almost got her to join them until she found out they just wanted to keep an eye on her. Wasn’t onboard with them viewing her as an unfortunate child dealt with the burden of protecting Paris.”

Chloe froze.

Protecting Paris?

 “Wait, you’re rich?” Bee screeched out, looking at Chat for back up. “I mean, that would explain the burner phones, the equipment at the- you have the money to buy out an entire floor!”

“Yes Bee. I’m rich, although it’s my father who’s rich and was stupid enough to forget to take away my black card.”

 There was no way… but… didn’t the day she become Queen Bee...

“So that’s how they got banned from Paris.” Barbara muttered. “Does-”

“He does and wasn’t happy to know they did that to her. He-”

“So here’s where you two are!” Dick scolded. “Selina and Bruce have been looking for you two! 

“Sorry about-”

“There’s no time! Bruce needs you two to help look for Jagged Stone! He’s the opening act and you two-”

Chloe listened as the trio’s voices trailed away, Chloe lifting her head until it hit the wall behind her.

“So this is where you have been.” Chloe watched as Adrien crouched in front of her. “Come on Chlo! Jagged is about to-”

“I’m not feeling so well Adrien.”  Chloe whispered, slamming her head into her knees. “I think I drank too much.”

Helping her get up, Adrien didn’t question Chloe any further. Her face had said it all. Something went down and she needed more than fresh air to clear it out of her mind.

“I’ll make sure to tell Alfred of our early retirement. I just hope M.Wayne doesn’t feel offended by you being a total light-weight.”

“Oh shut it! You know damn well I resisted drinking too much because we’re considered underage to drink in America!”

---

The gala was a success, or so that’s what Dick told Adrien when the two literally crashed into each other when Adrien had walked into the kitchen that morning.

He also thanked Adrien for his father’s donation and to relay the thanks to Chloe as well. 

“Who gave the larger donation?”

“Bourgeois.” Dick said, grinning into his milkshake when Adrien let out a grin. “I’m guessing your parents are always trying to outshine the other?”

“Since they knew each other on the field.” Adrien had answered back before Dick had to leave for school.

On his own -since Chloe insisted on wanting more sleep- Adrien wandered through the manor’s gardens, roaming around and taking in the serene ambiance. 

After an hour of wandering through the shrubs and rose garden, Adrien stumbled upon a secluded gazebo covered in vines and daisies. 

As Adrien stepped onto in, the floorboards thanked him in the form of creaks and squeaks. A table and a pair of cushions that matched the ones in the library greeted him, Adrien noticing some greater wear in the black one than the other.

Was the tri-color one more recent then?

“So you found the old gazebo.” Alfred spoke up, Adrien having a heart attack from the elder’s words.

“M. Pennyworth, how long have you been there?”

“Just a few moments. I actually came here to air out the place.” Adrien let Alfred do what he said he had come for, watching him slowly and gently clean the dirt and dust off the table. Alfred gently beat the cushions a bit before carefully setting them back down in the same spot there were. 

“M.Pennyworth.” Adrien dared to speak up, feeling awkward being in the gazebo with Alfred. Something told him he should’ve left the moment Alfred had arrived. Watching him cleaning the place felt like it was something sacred for Alfred and Adrien didn’t know why. “This gazebo...it’s very important to you, isn’t it?”

The trees swayed in the wind as Adrien waited for Alfred’s answer.

“Yes. Yes it is.” Alfred stared at the cushions he had finished cleaning. “This was Master Jason’s and his sister’s favorite place to study whenever the day let them be outside.”

“His sister?” 

“Amira is her name. A sweet child she is, though it pains me to not be able to see her again.”

“Not see her? But she is Jason’s sister, so didn’t M.Bruce-”

“M. Bruce only adopted Master Jason. Miss Amira didn’t have the same luck as Master Jason you see. Another couple took her in and took her elsewhere after…” Alfred trailed, Adrien noticing the elder man stare at the tri-colored cushion with sorrow, the same way Adrien’s father’s eyes would look when he broke to him about the news concerning his mother.

“Please M.Pennyworth, you don’t have to tell me anything. Forget-”

“Even though it pains me to remember Master Jason, this is part of the healing process. This is part of my healing process of my grandson’s death.”

Adrien stared at Alfred with wide eyes.

“Jason...is dead?”

“Master Jason… he died in a villain incident almost a year ago.”

“But hold on a second. Wasn’t that video from last night-”

“Pre-recorded.” Alfred cut off. “Master Bruce insisted on doing that last night despite my being against it. Should Amira find out about it, it would be sure to-”

“Amira? As in...his sister?”

“And best friend.” Alfred added. “Those two were inseparable. Attached to the hip. Even after the two were taken in by different families, the two went to the same school and stayed together. But when Jason died, her parents took her with them to open up their business in Paris. To start anew and let Amira recover from his death.”

Adrien watched as the daisies swayed in the wind, watching as they continued to flourish despite the harsh fall winds.

“Well, look at the time,” Alfred said as he took out his pocket watch. “I have to start prepping on tonight’s dinner. If memory still serves me correctly, we have a few more guests tonight. Until dinner, Master Adrien.”

Alfred left Adrien to ponder in the gazebo, hoping that the boy was able to catch onto the hints he left for him.

“Continue being a friend for my granddaughter Master Adrien. I trust that you and Miss Chloe help to bring her back from the abyss of despair.”

It’s been three days since Bee’s and Chat’s departure. Tomorrow, they were coming back, but Ladybird told them to take the day off. No matter what happened tomorrow, they weren’t to make an appearance until the day after.

“So, is this goodbye?” Carapace asked Ladybird, watching as she huffed.

It was finally Carapace and Gris’ last night of patrol, Carapace wondering if this truly was the last one.

He had grown fond of his new role, even if it was for only four nights.

But he knew better than to try and ask Ladybird to let him keep his miraculous. After all, Chat Noir and Queen Bee were to return two nights from now. 

“Who ever said I wouldn’t need your help in the future?” Ladybird said with a smile, Carapace grinning at that. “After all, the end of Hawkmoth’s terror is growing near.”

At that, Carapace’s grin fell as did Ladybird’s. What irony.

“The final fight…” Gris muttered, looking at the tranquil Parisian night. “I wonder what awaits us when that day happens.”

The trio looked out into the distance, wondering what the future held for each of them.

For Ladybird, she hopes it brings closure.

NEXT

[ur-favorite-queer-queen]

Let The Little Ones Sleep!

Master List 

Luka still remembered the day Juleka had pointed out the words to him. He was trying to play a chord on his small guitar when she had stopped him to point out the thing on his upper arm. He was around six years old when he took a good look at them. They were foreign and unfamiliar, written in another language that he did not recognize. 

He had gone to his mother, questioning her about the strange words on his upper arm.

“Those are the first words your soulmate will say to you.” His mother told him. The song he always heard, no felt, changing it’s tune to become less energetic and more soft.

“But I don't understand them, what do they say?” He asked. 

"Now where is the fun in me telling you that. Those words are written in English, which means that is the language your soulmate speaks. If you learn English then you can find out what it means and be able to talk to your soulmate when you do meet them." His mother explained. And the energeticness was back.

"How am I gonna learn English?" He questioned. 

"I will teach you! You and Juleka!" His mother proudly announced.

"Okay!" 

And that was how his lessons started. For the next 5 years his mother taught him and his sister English. And by the time he was 11 he was fluent in it. 

He now knew what the words on his upper arm said, and he could not be more confused. “I’ll go wake them up.” Wake who up? Why couldn’t his words be simple like Juleka’s? 

Speaking of Juleka’s words that brought on a new question, why were his words on his upper arm while Juleka’s were on her hand? And this time both him and Juleka went to ask their mother. Well, it was more like he asked and Juleka waited patiently behind him for the answer. 

“Such curious children you two are, never change. The place where the words are, is the first place your soulmate will touch you.” Her song turning slightly amused.

Curiosity peaked, Juleka spoke up, “Where are your words mom?” What are your words?” 

Their bright and energetic mother seemed to shrink at the questions. Her song turning sad and muted.

“Well my children, some people are born without soulmates. And I am one of those people.” 

“Oh.” Juleka mumbled at her answer. Her song turning slightly guilty before perking up again at her mother’s next words.

“There is nothing to be guilty of Juleka, it isn’t you fault I have no soulmate now is it?” Juleka shook her head, “ Exactly, but I don’t need a soulmate to be happy because I have you wonderful children. Now I think there are two wonderful children who need to do their homework. Hmm.” 

“Going right now mom.” Luka grabbed Juleka and started dragging her to their room so he could help her with math. Juleka didn’t protest. 

When he was fourteen and Juleka was twelve he got his first look into how exactly the bond worked. Not that at that moment he knew. 

Juleka had come home from her first day at collège a nervous, lovesick mess. He didn’t even need to listen to her song to know that. She had gone on and on about this one girl who was in her math, science, and English class, her eyes practically hearts. 

However when Luka asked if Juleka had talked to this mysterious girl, he got a stuttered out no. 

And this exact story played out for two more weeks. Juleka would gush something about Rose, he had finally found out her name, but had never gotten the courage to talk to her. It always ended with a sad Juleka and his only way of cheering her up was to play the happy, energetic song of their mother. 

It seemed that this would be her love life from now on, with Juleka too scared to do anything about her crush. But, thankfully, he was wrong about Juleka’s love life. 

Because on one fateful day when he went to pick her up he witnessed something magical. 

Juleka was walking down the steps towards him when what he could only describe as a ball of pink happiness and energy bounded up to her. She called out, “Hey your Juleka right?” and both Couffaines froze. 

But that didn’t stop the ball of pink positivity. She went right up to Juleka and grabbed her hand to shake it, and he could see the blush that was currently gracing her cheeks. He walked closer to the pair just in time to hear Juleka stutter out a, “Y-yeah that’s me.” 

If it was possible Rose’s smile got even wider at those words but before she could say anything was when it happened. Rose had to suddenly take a step back as bright purple and pink lights emerged from both their hands. Hovering in the air just long enough to create a heart shape before disappearing. All those around, including Luka and the two newfound soulmates, could only stare. 

“Wow you’re my soulmate!” Rose finally exclaimed, breaking the silence. 

“Oh I-I guess I am." Juleka mumbled. But Rose didn’t hear her, as she started pulling her away talking so fast that Juleka couldn’t understand her. Yet despite that being with her just felt right, so when she turned to lock eyes with her brother, she shook her head. That day Luka went home alone as Juleka got to know her soulmate. 

And that was his first and only look at how a soulbond worked. While it was definitely memorable and something he would never forget, soulmates were not his priority. 

As seen by his crush on Marinette, who was definitely not his soulmate. But despite knowing they could never be together, his heart always hoped. And when she did get together with her soulmate, he couldn’t be happier, because one of his best friends was happy. Even if the pairing was unexpected, he honestly had no idea that Marinette and Kagami would be soulmates but their songs work well together so he should’ve expected it.

However lately he had been feeling weird. The songs that he heard from every person became so much louder than usual, he could hear every mood change, every spark of surprise, happiness, sadness, fear from all those around him. It was starting to get overwhelming and he didn’t know why. This had never happened before. 

It all reached a high when he got introduced to one Damian Wayne, who was staying at Chloe’s father’s hotel and Chloe had to show around Paris. Well sorta introduced. He was having a major headache that doubled when he got inside the hotel and Chloe only said a quick Damian meet Luka, Luka meet Damian, before taking off with Damian to show him something he couldn’t recall. 

He went to their usual room in the hotel they would hang out in, closed all the blinds, and took a nap, hoping that his headache would go away with sleep. 

He wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t right. He woke up but his headache still hadn’t fully gone away, yet it was still much better than it had been before. He grabbed a water bottle from the secret fridge and slowly drank from it as he waited for his friends to return. 

He didn’t have to wait long as soon the door to the room burst open and in walked his friends, including Damian. Suddenly his headache came back full force but he didn’t let it show. The last thing he needed was his friends worrying about him while they were trying to have fun with Damian. 

Time quickly passed and it was hard for him to keep up with everything that was going on, but as the day got later, one by one his friends started falling asleep. Until it was only him and Damian awake. Neither wanted to start the conversation, so for a solid hour awkward silence flooded the room. 

It seemed that Damian was starting to get tired of the silence as he moved to go past Luka to the others. However, what he said as he was about to pass Luka almost had him frozen, almost. "I'll go wake them up." In English, the exact words that were on his upper arm.

Luka's eyes widened in shock from three things. The first was that this guy was his soulmate. The second was that the major headache he had been having was probably the result of his soulmate being here and that must have interfered with his ability to hear people’s songs. The third was that Damian was about to evoke the wrath of his friends when they're woken up from their sleep. Not wanting to have another incident like that occur again he stepped into Damian’s path. 

“No, let the little ones sleep.” Right as he said those words Damian moved to push past him, touching his upper arm in the process. However the second Damian did bump into him he seemed to come to his own conclusion as he suddenly jumped back right as blue and green burst from where they touched. Just like he remembered from all those years ago the colors hovered in the air for a minute, just long enough to create a heart before disappearing. 

The others seemed to remain undisturbed in their sleep as Luka and Damian stared at each other with wide eyes. Finally Damian got the courage to speak up. 

-

Damian really didn’t know what to think. The words “let the little ones sleep” had haunted him for his whole life. In the league having a soulmate meant having a weakness, and having any weaknesses would get him killed. So he had it drilled into his head from birth that the second he met his soulmate he was to kill them immediately. 

Of course he really didn’t want to, the stories his mother told him in secret of how special soulmates were wanted him to meet his and not kill them. But not killing his soulmate would be seen as a betrayal to the league, which would lead to serious consequences. 

So he kept quiet about his soulmate, even when he was permanently sent to live with his father. The only reason they knew was because he had been working out in the batcave with a tank top on and Dick had seen the words on his upper arm. And Dick being Dick proceeded to tell the whole family about what he had discovered. Which resulted in a lot of teasing about his soulmate and what their first words to him would be. 

After a while the teasing died down and he honestly forgot that he had a soulmate. He had more important things to prioritize anyways. Like how he was in Paris to oversee if there was any damage left from when the magical terrorist Hawkmoth had been defeated a few months ago. His father had wanted to come to but he had things he needed to take care of in Gotham so he was there alone. Which wasn’t that bad in his opinion, it meant he could get more done, especially since his siblings weren’t here. 

Unfortunately his father had contacted the mayor of Paris and asked him to make sure that he ‘didn’t get in any trouble’. And so the mayor had his daughter follow show him around Paris. 

She also had her friends tag along with her on their tour of Paris but there was one friend in particular that he couldn’t get off his mind. Luka, Bourgeois had introduced him as, he didn’t look well and it seemed she knew that as she didn’t push for handshakes or proper greetings like she did with her other friends. 

Luka had walked off to what was apparently their hangout room as Bourgeois and all of her other friends left the hotel and gave him a tour of Paris. It didn't take nearly as long as he thought it would since they skipped over big tourist attractions and took him to what they called "local treasures". But the weirdest part was that he could get his mind off if Luka, and that frustrated him to no end. He barely knew the guy so why was he so infatuated with him.

They returned to the hotel to find Luka looked a little better, but that didn't stop his friends and him from worrying. There seemed to be several conversations going at once and Damian couldn’t keep up with all of them, so he tried his best to keep up with a few. However, something he noticed was that despite Luka keeping a smile on his face and nodding along to whatever conversation he was a part of, all the others including him would constantly cast him worried glances that he seemed to not notice. 

As the day turned to night, one by one, more of the group fell asleep. Soon it was only him and Luka left awake and neither stepped up to break the awkward silence. It irritated Damian to no end, even though he liked silence, he did not like this type of silence. But it seemed that neither him nor Luka was going to be talking anytime soon, an hour had already passed, so he decided that it would be best to wake up one of his friends. His best bet would probably be the optimistic one, Marinette.

Unfortunately in his thinking he had reverted back to English when he said, "I'll go wake them up." Instead of in French so Luka could understand. Out of the corner of his eye he was pretty sure he saw Luka's eyes widen in what appeared to be shock, but he wasn’t too sure. 

However a second later Luka tried to block his path also saying in English, “No, let the little ones sleep.” The exact words on his upper arm. 

His mind registered this discovery and he realized that must have been why Luka’s eyes had widened. However his body was already in the motion of walking and did not register that piece of information so he ended up bumping into Luka. Specifically his upper arm with Luka’s upper arm. The realization caused him to jump back in shock right as blue and green lights emerged from both their upper arms and formed a heart in between them.

They both stared at each other with wide eyes in complete silence before he finally got the courage to speak up. “I-” Curse his luck or thank it, Bourgeois interrupted him before he could get a sentence out.

“Ooooh are you guys soulmates?” She questioned, seeming much more awake than she should. 

“What’s going on?” Marinette asked with a yawn, her eyes fighting to stay open.

“It seems that Mr. Frowny Face and blueberry boy are soulmates.” Alix spoke up from her spot on the couch.

“Wow, didn't see that coming.” Nino said sarcastically as he slid Alix twenty euros. 

Almost everyone slid Alix and Bourgeois various amounts of money, the only ones that didn’t were the ones that didn’t take the bet. Aka those who knew better than to bet with Alix. As Kim slid his thirty euros he grumbled something along the lines of “Stupid time traveling bunny seeing the future” but Damian was more shocked at the fact they betted on him and Luka being soulmates. Despite only having one interaction before this. Luka, on the other hand, seemed much more calm and only shook his head at their antics. 

“Would you prefer if we gave you boys some privacy?” Marinette, the only one besides Kagami that didn’t bet asked. 

Damian and Luka exchanged a glance before Luka answered, “That would be nice.”

Marinette and Kagami dragged the others out of the room, with Marinette instructing Kim to pick up Rose and bring her to wherever they were going since she didn’t want to wake the girl up. Something about her being the baby of the group and how the baby is always allowed to sleep. No one objected to that so he assumed that was normal, or maybe no one objected because of Juleka giving everyone death glares.

Once everyone had left Damian turned to Luka, “So we’re soulmates.” He stated.

“We are.” Luka replied. Both stayed silent once again, Damian wasn’t good with talking about this kinda stuff and Luka was just as clueless about what to do. 

“How long are you going to be in Paris?” Luka asked, his fingers silently twitching and he wished now more than ever that he could play his guitar to relieve some of the stress he felt. He did not think that talking to your soulmate was supposed to be this stressful. 

“Another week,” He instantly answered, but at seeing the slight frown on his soulmate’s face he quickly added, “But I can always ask my father for more time. I am sure he would understand.”

“That would be nice but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.” 

Damian was about to reply but he stopped himself for a second to think, he would never hear the end of it from his siblings if he asked for Luka to come back to Gotham with him. Plus Gotham was not the best place to bring one’s newfound soulmate. His mind decided he replied, “No I want to get to know you.” 

Luka tried and failed to hide his smile at his soulmate’s words. That is until he came to a quick realization, “I don’t know your full name, we haven’t even had a proper introduction.”

Damian was surprised by that as well, he went back through their interactions and realized that Luka was right. Then he realized that he never got the full names of any of Bourgeois’s friends. He had been referring to them all by their first names...he couldn’t ever let his family find out about that. 

Breaking him out of his thought process was Luka sticking his hand out to him as he properly introduced himself, “Luka Couffaine.” 

Damian took his hand and shook it as he introduced himself, “Damian Wayne.”

“Wait Wayne as in Bruce Wayne? The billionaire?” Luka stared at him curiously. 

“Yes.” Damian hesitantly answered. 

“No wonder Chloe’s been acting so weird, a billionaire’s kid is staying at the hotel.” 

“HEY I DON’T ACT WEIRD!” Someone, definitely Chloe, shouted from the other side of the door. 

“Have they been listening this whole time?” Damian questioned Luka, he seemed more likely to know. 

“Probably,” He answered as he walked over and opened the door. All of the friends that had previously left the room to give them privacy fell when the door opened, most of them having the decency to look a little guilty for eavesdropping. Luka fondly smiled at them before turning back to him and stating, “Welcome to your week, or longer, in Paris.” 

Damian, strangely, found himself smiling back at him. “Can’t wait.” 

Alix, the first to have gotten up, looked between the soulmates who were currently staring at each other with lovesick grins and fake gagged, “Great another lovey dovey couple.” Juleka and Rose both threw pillows at her, while the others laughed. Yeah, Damian didn’t think it would be so bad.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So this is my last contribution to the trope tussle! I hope everyone enjoyed the 3 fics I put out! Hopefully for the next event I will be able to post more works because school will be less of a pain! 

[nxrthmizu]

| the detective and the blue-eyed fox | ch.2

»»——⍟——««

prompt | ‘Detective and Criminal AU’ 

pairing | Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng

words | 1.5k

author’s note | A lot of people asked for a second part, so here it is! 

»»——⍟——««

| Previous Part | 

»»——⍟——««

Plagg watched the emerald-eyed man from behind the glass. Intelligence shone behind the young detective’s cold exterior, the emerald-eyed man’s curiosity overwriting his tiredness as the man continued scouring the internet for more information, stopping once in a while to download a document or copy an article for future reference. 

“Where am I supposed to start looking for this ring?” Damian grunted in frustration, the god of chaos wanting to laugh dryly at the sheer coincidence that the world had aligned them to. “There’s no records of how or when it disappeared, or what happened to Chat Noir...” 

The words brought back bad memories, the god of destruction clenching his paws in anger as he remembered what happened to his last kitten, what Chat Noir’s last act had been in an effort to keep the miraculous of destruction out of the wrong hands... 

“Plagg, claws out!” Chat Noir whispered, grunting in pain as he clutched his stomach, blood dripping down his fingers in a delicate, maroon painting that would’ve beautiful if not for what the ‘paint’ actually was. 

“Do you have a death wish, kid?” Plagg yelled, glancing around the dark alley they were in worriedly. “You still have time before the transformation wears off! Without the transformation, you can’t run, and you’ll bleed even faster...” The kwami’s words trailed off as Adrien collapsed onto the stone-cold pavement, blood dripping out from his lips, his complexion becoming paler and paler. 

It had been three months after Hawkmoth’s defeat. Paris was in peace- Or so everyone thought. Ladybug, plagued with endless memories of numerous deaths and times when she was too late, too slow, made the decision to leave Paris behind. 

The scarlet-clad superheroine dropped off the edge of the world. Two weeks after her disappearance, a new villain arose- Except this one kept his attacks secret and concentrated on one, sole person: Chat Noir. 

Chat came to know his nemesis by the name Vengeur, a man more familiar than he expected. Eventually, his identity was compromised and Adrien Agreste could do nothing more than run. 

And even when he ran, he couldn’t run far. 

“I can’t go on, Plagg.” Adrien rasped, his voice getting fainter as Paris’s skies darkened. “Take the ring,” He said shakily, slipping the metal off his finger. They could both sense the man drawing closer, bidding his time because they were cornered and they all knew that. “Take the ring and go.” 

“But!” 

“I command you to leave. I, Adrien Agreste, denounce the miraculous of destruction. Go find m’Lady, Plagg,” The blonde’s voice slowly got weaker. “And tell her I love her. 

Plagg found himself being whisked away against his wishes, the law of the miraculous stating that he must obey his holder’s final wishes. It was in that way that the god of destruction eventually, by fate or by coincidence, found himself inside Damian Wayne’s katana display case. 

»»——⍟——««

Damian called in sick for the next day, because 1) he was too tired from the all-nighter he pulled in an attempt for any information on the ring and 2) he didn’t know how to face Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

Dragging himself out of bed, a quick glance outside the window told him that it was nearly noon. Damian yawned, stretching a little as he scrolled through Dick’s bombardment of ‘Are you okay?’ messages and Marinette’s single ‘Are you sick?’ message. Ruffling his dark hair, the emerald-eyed detective got through his morning routine (Despite the fact his bedside alarm said that it was nearly 11.50am), changing out of his crumpled dress shirt into a comfortable sweater. 

Plopping himself down on his desk, he pressed the start-up button of his laptop, deciding to go through some of Lan’s evidence on Harold before diving back into the mystery of the ring of destruction. 

Before he could get started, however, a loud shattering noise shook his apartment. He was up instantly, staring at his katana display case across the living room. Glass coated the floor around it, shattered into fine, sparkling specks. 

He blinked. 

The glass of his display case just... Shattered? Into powder? 

“Sorry about that.” A dry voice told him, the detective turning instantly, his eyes sharp until he caught the tiny, black creature hovering right above his desk. “I think you can guess who I am.” 

Damian blinked. Was it possible to attack a creature smaller than his palm? His katana was just across the room... 

“I can turn your sword into dust with a single touch.” The small creature deadpanned. “My name is Plagg, and I am the kwami of destruction.” 

»»——⍟——««

Plagg always knew he could leave. Damian wasn’t in the apartment for nine hours a day, sometimes more; He could’ve just pushed (Or cataclysmed) the katana’s display case and leave, leaving no evidence that he was every there- Besides the mess, that was. 

But something made him stay. 

Adrien’s last wish had brought him to Detective Damian Wayne, son of Bruce Wayne, the richest man in Gotham. Was it a coincidence that Damian Wayne had all the traits of a potential black cat? Perhaps, but Plagg would be an idiot not to stick around and find out. 

»»——⍟——««

“So you’re telling me that just when I was looking for the ring of destruction, you just... Appear, and tell me you’ve been here for two weeks.” Damian clarified. “Amazing.” 

Plagg shrugged. “I don’t control what happens, kid. Not this time, at least.” 

Damian was quiet for a moment. “What happened to him?” Silence ensued in the apartment, the kwami of destruction looking away instantly, the pain of losing another cat- Especially one so young- Still strong and ebbing away in the little heart he had in his kwami body. 

“I don’t think you need to know that.” Plagg said at last. 

“Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?” 

The kwami hissed. “You’re a detective, kid. Isn’t it your job to find your own explanation?” 

“Well, you just shattered my display case. Maybe you could at least explain why you had to break it.” Damian snapped back, emerald eyes burning into cat-like slits. “There’s no records about what happened after Hawkmoth was captured.” 

The god of destruction stared at the detective for a moment more, finally relenting. Damian didn’t know where the ring was, Plagg reassured himself, if it ever came down to it, he could retreat back inside the ring and track down Ladybug himself- Now that he knew that Ladybug was in the same city as he was. 

“Three months ago, Hawkmoth was captured. After he was arrested, Ladybug dropped out of radar and moved out of Paris.” Plagg explained, his tone icy. 

“Three months ago, Marinette Dupain-Cheng transferred to GPD.” Damian noted in realisation. 

Plagg nodded. “Ladybug- As you guessed, Marinette Dupain-Cheng- Left Paris to keep the Ladybug miraculous safe. Chat Noir remained in Paris to defend it. A new... Enemy started attacking Chat Noir aggressively, keeping the attacks out of public eye. Chat Noir was being hunted down and... Eventually, he got caught. Two weeks ago.” The kwami’s voice got softer towards the end as images of a bleeding Adrien flashed past Plagg’s mind. 

Damian was silent for a moment, sensing that the kwami was still sensitive about his previous holder’s death. “Two weeks ago, Adrien Agreste was brutally murdered in Paris.” He whispered. Of course he’d seen the news- After Gabriel Agreste mysteriously ‘disappeared’, Adrien Agreste took over the Gabriel brnad, renaming it the Agreste Brand. Three months later, the new CEO of the Agreste Brand was found bleeding out, dead in a dark alley of Paris. That day, the city of love mourned a kind-hearted citizen who had poured his entire soul into his city. 

“Ladybug’s kwami probably told her the identity of Chat Noir when the news was released.” Plagg continued, softer this time. “That’s probably when she started hunting down the ring.” 

“Wait. Lan- Ladybug didn’t know who Chat Noir was?” Damian furrowed his eyebrows. 

Plagg nodded. “It was to protect themselves and their families. If one was ever captured, the other’s identity would never have the risk of being exposed, even if it was by accident.” The kwami squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to think of Adrien being tortured even in his dying moments for Ladybug’s identity. 

“Hang on for a moment.” Damian took a deep breath. “You were with Chat Noir when he was... Caught, correct? So that means you must know who the man behind the attacks is?” 

The emerald-eyed man had developed a thirst for unravelling mysteries, and now he was really getting invested in the case. His eyes burned with curiosity as he waited for Plagg’s answer. 

“Yes.” Plagg took a deep breath. 

“His name is Luka Couffaine.” 

»»——⍟——««

taglist: @demonicbusiness @animegirlweeb @roselynfey @2confused-2doanything  @insane-fangirl-of-everything​ @promiswords​  @galaxylightmoon​ @fusser90​ @ira-sairain

»»——⍟——««

| Next Part | ao3 | 

»»——⍟——««

[kitty0boy]

Marichat May Day 7 prompt: Secrets.

I think we can all agree that we were robbed in Shanghai. So I’m rewriting it because I can. This time though, the Shanghai special takes place somewhere in the middle of season 4 (probably after Guiltrip because that’s the episode I just watched) So there’s that.

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Marinette was so excited to go to Shanghai about a day ago. She had taken to reading more about her Chinese heritage and, having learned that her parents wanted to surprise her with a trip to Shanghai, she was ecstatic to go. Her uncle happily provided his home for the visit and, to her great surprise, Adrien had come to Shanghai too. His father had coincidentally had business here.

She had worked hard to get over Adrien and at this point in time, it had nearly worked. She had taken down the pictures and erased his activities on her calendar. Unfortunately, the sight of him still sent her heart racing and made her tongue tied, but she stopped losing her head whenever he was around, which made conversation much easier.

She had strolled around Shanghai earlier in the day. Her uncle was concerned for her safety of course but she promised she would stay on the same street. She had looked in shop windows at the gorgeous antiques, clothes, and even more. Her sketch book was soon filled with new inspiration for her designs. When she turned to head home, she spotted a familiar mop of blonde hair and waved to Adrien. He didn’t seem to notice her though.

All these events felt like they happened years ago now as she stood a top a building with a distraught Fei. The sounds of Chat Noir taking great swings at the akuma rang loudly in her ears. Fei was the only one who could defeat them and she knew it deep down, but she still couldn’t bring herself to.

The next moment, she was falling. The events of a few minutes previous had quickly left her mind. She remembered learning to crawl, and falling off her bike, and drawing her first every design, matching t-shirts that said “Paris’ Greatest Parents”. She remembered capturing Tikki in a glass cup the first time they met, and standing under an umbrella that Adrien was holding. Master Fu was making her the new Guardian and Alya held her when she found out she was Ladybug.

“Marinette!” A desperate cry came from above her and she saw her partner. Was this another flashback? Without control of her body, her hand reached up to touch him, she wanted to hug him and thank him for everything. His hand latched around hers and pulled her flush towards him, then they weren’t falling anymore. She snapped out of it when she felt a shudder come from him. He picked his head up off of her shoulder, his face was stained with dried tears as more threatened to spill

“I finally found you.”

Fei, being fuelled by rage that Marinette had almost been killed, had become a dragon at last and easily defeated the akuma. She bounded towards Chat Noir once the pair of them had reached ground level. In the mouth of the bear form she had taken, was the butterfly. “Excellent job Fei, you really saved us.” Chat sniffed. His eyes were slightly puffy, which could have been from falling head first about 20 feet. “Marinette,” he turned to face her, his eyes watered almost instantly, “I need you to go and hide for now, Hawkmoth was taken by the akuma and I don’t want you to be anywhere near him when he reappears.” Marinette, thinking that it would be better to just follow instructions, began to walk away. Chat caught her hand.

“Just wait for me to come get you alright? I’ll bring you to your u- uh wherever you’re staying.” She looked at him puzzled. “But,” he waved a finger at her. “No buts, I’m making sure you get back safely. And don’t even try to leave without me, I will know.” She nodded and walked away towards a nearby, deserted alleyway.

“Marinette, what’s that on your shoulder?” Tikki flew from her purse. Marinette felt behind her with her arm before her fingers closed around a small disc. She pulled it off.

“That cat put a tracker on me. What a sly little,” Marinette recited but Tikki cut in. “He’s worried Marinette. You heard and saw how he reacted when you were falling.”

“No I didn’t, I just remember one minute I was with Fei, the next me and Chat were dangling from his baton in midair and he was crying.” Tikki smiled. “Yes he was crying, he screamed in terror when he saw you fall. It was quite frightening actually, that’s probably why Fei didn’t say anything.”

Marinette thought about this for a moment before realizing that she had somewhere to be. “We’ve got to go meet Chat and Fei now, there’s an akuma to cleanse and hopefully a Hawkmoth to catch. Tikki, Spots On!”

As she made her way to the alley where Chat thought she was, she couldn’t help feeling satisfied. She sent Chat to get Hawkmoth and although he didn’t catch him, she was still glad to see that the run had calmed him down a little. That was until he realized that Marinette was still alone in that alleyway. She was able to persuade him to wait and calm down before going to get her though, which gave her time to get back to her hiding spot and, with Tikki’s help, put the tracking device back where it had been moments ago.

A soft thump was heard beside her before she was being suffocated under arms that were magically stronger than the average person. “You’re alright, you’re alright.” He chanted over and over again before realizing that Marinette couldn’t breathe. He released her almost immediately and sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. Marinette who wanted to comfort him, wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head and his chest. She could hear his heartbeat steadily speed up as he hugged her back and rested his head on hers.

“I was so worried when I found out you were missing. I thought maybe you had lost track of things, being how clumsy you are.” Marinette looked up at him and pouted. How long had he been searching for her exactly? Because it was about 9 pm now and she had started running around with Fei at about noon. He chuckled sadly and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “Then you were missing for hours and I didn’t know what to think. I was scared you were robbed or kidnapped.” She smiled.

“The first answer was right. Fei stole my purse and I had the location of my uncle’s house on there. So I got scared that the thief might try to rob him later so I chased her down the street and got lost.” He gapped at her. “Are you crazy? You should had gone to your uncles and tried to contact me! That was so reckless and careless and-“

“What like how you throw your life away for Ladybug?” She didn’t have to say this loudly to have an effect. He immediately stopped and stared wide-eyed at her. Against her will, her vision started to blur. “You really need to stop doing that you know. I hate it when you do.” A tear ran down her cheek but Chat brushed it away and held her again. “Well I don’t think I ever want to see you fall off a building again so I’ll try to stop if you do.” She chuckled and buried her face in his shoulder.

“Hey, do you mind if we take a detour home?” He broke the silence a few minutes later and she nodded, allowing him to pick her up and carry her towards a darker part of the city. Unfortunately, Shanghai being as bright as it was, they couldn’t see many stars but all the same, they lay down on a rooftop and tried to find some.

“I like being Chat much better than my civilian life.” The comment came out of nowhere but Marinette still turned to listen.

“One of the many joys of being me, is a tightly packed schedule and endless amounts of responsibility. Many people regard me as this kind of statue that has to stay highly polished at all times. I think I’m too good at leaving that impression on people, my first girlfriend had flat out rejected me when I showed her my silly side. She said I was acting like a clown and that it wasn’t who I really was.” He had never told Ladybug any of this, she hoped that he wouldn’t hit too close to home.

“Sometimes I think that I don’t know who I am anymore. I know that I feel happy being funny and when I protect people, but,” he turned to look at her. His face was soft. “Right now is different.” She was confused. “Different how?” She questioned.

“It’s a good different. I know it’s kind of random but I just wanted you to know that, I feel like myself right now, which isn’t something I get to feel often. So thank you.” He smiled.

She would be lying if she said that her heart wasn’t doing backflips right now. “That sounds nice, but, why me? I mean, I’m not really anything special or different. I thought that you would be happiest with Ladybug.” He smiled. “I don’t get to hang out Ladybug very often, and when we do hang out, it’s more of a patrol. Everything is work with her, being with her is easy but we don’t really get the chance to just relax and be in each other’s company like this.” He frowned slightly.

“And don’t say you’re nothing special. I don’t really understand it but you have this magnetism that I can’t explain. I’ve seen it before. People are just naturally attracted towards you, I myself feel more attached to you than any other civilian I’ve met, and yes that includes the other superheroes.”

She gaped at him. She never knew how much influence she had on Chat Noir. I mean they’ve only met a few times. “I just, how? We aren’t around each other often. I mean sure you’ve saved me a number of times but other than that one time, we haven’t spent time together.” He shrugged, “I don’t know either. I just get the feeling that you’re someone who I can be myself with.” She smiled. “Well since we’re sharing secrets I might as well share one of mine.

He rolled over and propped himself up on his elbows, smiling down at her expectantly. “Well, there was a boy.” He tilted his head in confusion. “Was a boy?” She nodded. “I’ve liked him for forever but I could never get the words out. I stammer in front of him so much that he thinks everything I say doesn’t make sense.” He smiled. “Well you make sense to me.” She grinned. “Yes well I’ve been trying to get over him for a while now, but every time I see his face I just melt all over again. Not that I don’t want to love him, because I do. He’s one of the best people I know, but I know he’ll never feel the same.”

Chat looked confused again. “How do you know he won’t feel the same way?” She frowned. “Because I’ve always been just a friend to him. He makes that very clear.” Chat’s eyes went wide, but Marinette didn’t know why. “It wouldn’t happen to be Adrien Agreste would it?” Now it was her turn to go wide eyed. “How did you know?” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Uh lucky guess I suppose.” A tinge of pink was prominent under his mask. They needed a change of subject. She sat up and put on her best smile.

“Can I draw you?” His ears perked up. “Uh what?” He blushed again. “Can I draw you?” In what seemed to be a great effort, he screwed up his face and looked at her in a teasing sort of way. “Draw me? Or paint me,” he threw an arm over his forehead and posed in a, supposed to be seductive pose. “Like one of your french girls.” He swooned. She burst out laughing which, she noticed, created a sort of twinkle in his eye. “I mean we are french but I meant just draw you. You know, you pose and I draw you. I could even give you a cool outfit to wear.” He stood up and walked around so he was in front of her.

She crossed her legs and rested the sketch book against her knee. “Ok now strike a pose kitty!” He looked suddenly sheepish but posed like a model worthy of a magazine. She went to work drawing him out in a messy sketch that she could tidy up after. They went through a few poses before she stopped him.

“Hmm yes yes these are great model poses. Now how about a different kind of pose.” His face went ridged. She panicked and waves her arms in front of her. “I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just want to try to express a different part of your personality.” He walked over and sat down in front of her confused.

“A different part of my personality?” She blinked. “Well yeah, you’re not just some perfect statue are you? Your also a silly cat, and a protective superhero, and a caring person, and a flirt.” He blushed then laughed. “Nice way to end it princess.” She crossed her arms. “Well it’s true, you’re a flirty person. You flirt with people all the time, whether it’s on purpose or not.” He blushed. “Do I really flirt with a lot of people.” She nodded.

He fidgeted a little. “Come on Chat, strike a pose, but not one worthy of fashion weekly.” He screwed up his face in contemplation before standing and apparently coming to a decision. “Ok then, how about the cat!” Then he struck a goofy pose. She laughed and he looked crest fallen for a second before she said, “Yes kitty that’s purrfect.” She started sketching away.

Little did she know. Chat Noir was displaying the biggest grin he had ever produced. A smile so bright, it could rival the blinding lights of Shanghai.

——————————

Thanks for reading.

[gryffindorcls]

When The Dust Settles

Happy Birthday to my amazing friend, @lalunaoscura​!  I love you, and I am so happy that you are a part of my fandom family!  I hope you had an amazing day, and I hope you enjoy this angsty fluff with a little bit of hurt/comfort thrown in!

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AO3

FanFiction

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Marinette’s eyes flicked open. She groggily reached for her ringing phone and tapped the screen.

“Hello,” she answered, her voice a scratchy whisper.

“GIRL,” Alya yelled on the other line, “I have been trying to call you for the past twenty minutes!”

Pulling the phone away from her face, Marinette checked the time. “That’s because it’s one in the morning. I was asleep, and I didn’t hear the phone.”

Loud, incessant knocking sounded from the apartment below, causing Marinette to shake off her covers, climb down the ladder, and open the hatch on her floor. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as the lights in her living room flicked on and her parents rushed to the door.

“MARINETTE!” her friend screamed on the other line, “Are you still there? Please don’t go back to sleep. This is really important.”

She once again put the phone against her ear. “Sorry! Someone was knocking on my door.”

“Yeah, that’s probably Mr. Agreste.”

“What?”

“Mr. Agreste has been knocking on all of our doors over the past hour. Apparently, he went to the hotel first. Then, he went to Nino’s house, and then he came to mine. I guess he finally made it to your place.”

“Why would Mr. Agreste send Nathalie out to knock on all our doors in the middle of the night?”

“He didn’t send Nathalie. Well, she’s with him, but he was there, too. In person.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Marinette, I know you just woke up, but I need you to not freak out. Adrien is missing, and Mr. Agreste seems really distressed about it. He’s been to all our houses asking if any of us have seen Adrien. I don’t think this is like the time he ran away on Christmas two years ago. This feels different.”

“But Adrien wouldn’t just disappear without…”

“Without telling you where he was going. I know.”

“Something must really be wrong. He might be hurt or in trouble. Alya, this isn’t like him!”

A sense of dread flooded Marinette’s brain as she strained to hear the conversation happening below. The sound of muffled voices beneath her floorboards and the thought of Adrien alone in the cold brought tears to her eyes.

Frantic thoughts raced around her brain. “Why didn’t he come to me? He’s my kitty. We’re partners. We’re supposed to trust each other!”

One year ago, Marinette accidentally learned that Adrien was Chat Noir. It happened when he came to patrol while having an emotional breakdown. She remembers holding him close while he told her about the amazing girl who sat behind him in class. Earlier that day, he’d realized that he’d fallen in love with her, and when he went to tell her, he saw the girl at a cafe with another boy. He’d thought that he was too late.

When he uttered the name “Marinette” under his breath between sobs, she knew immediately who was beneath the mask. At the time, the memory of seeing her partner as Chat Blanc had been fresh in her mind, and she knew that an Akumatized Chat Noir would bring the world to its untimely demise. Without hesitation, she called him by his civilian name, allowed her transformation to melt away, and did her best to calm the boy who wept in her arms.

Even to this day, she can still recall the anguished cries and rushed apologies that came from his mouth before she’d been able to tell him that she wasn’t dating Luka. After trying to move on from her crush on Adrien, she’d thought about trying to date Luka, but she quickly discovered that the love she felt for the musician was not romantic.

That night, Chat’s sorrow quickly turned to joy when he’d learned that she and Luka had been meeting as two friends in the cafe earlier that day. He then detransformed and professed his love for her. Marinette’s heart yearned to say yes and give into his declaration, but Chat Blanc’s words rang in her ears like church bells on a clear summer day.

“It was our love that did this to the world, my lady.”

With great difficulty, she explained to Adrien what she had seen when Bunnyx whisked her away to the bleak nightmarish future in which he’d been Akumatized. When she was finished, Marinette told him that she loved him, but she also told him that they had to wait until Hawkmoth’s defeat before they could finally be together as a couple. To her surprise, Adrien agreed, and to her delight, he vowed to never leave her side.

Over the past year, Adrien had been true to his word. Whether it was at school, at her house, in the park, or on patrol, they spent every possible moment together. Outside the masks, they had become inseparable, and inside the masks, they had become unstoppable. Although they could not fully act upon their feelings for each other, Marinette could sense Adrien’s unconditional love through every word he said and each action he performed. For a year, their closeness had been enough because it came with the hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Alya’s worried tone broke Marinette out of her reverie. “What’s happening on your end?”

She ran her fingers through her hair as she strained to hear the conversation between her parents and Mr. Agreste. “I’m not sure, but they’re still talking. They haven’t said anything to me yet.”

“So, you really don’t know where he is?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Nino and I are going out to search for him. Let us know if you want to meet up.”

“Okay.” Marinette choked back a sob. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“Oh, girl, please don’t cry,” Alya soothed, “We’ll find him. He’s alright. We’ll get him back to you in no time.”

“Yeah.”

“We will.”

“Thanks. I need to go now.”

“Marinette?”

“Yes?”

“You need to take care of yourself, as well. You know that right? Adrien wouldn’t want you to get hurt or sick.”

Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. “I love him, Alya.”

Her friend sighed. “I know. We’ll get him back so you can tell him that in person. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’ll call you if we find anything.”

“Thanks.”

“Bye, Marinette. Please take care.”

“I will. Bye, Alya.”

Marinette pressed the ‘end call’ button on her phone and climbed down the ladder into the room below. She stood on the landing and sniffled, causing the adults to turn their attention towards her. Sabine rushed to her side and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Is it true?” she croaked, “Is he missing?”

“Yes, Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Mr. Agreste replied, “My son seems to have run away. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”

Her blood began to boil at the thought of all the times Gabriel hadn’t paid attention to his son. When she and Adrien became closer after the reveal, her partner divulged all the details of his personal life. He told her everything.

Throughout the past year, Marinette had spent many nights feeling horrified by Adrien’s stories. She always knew that Mr. Agreste was not exactly the warmest person, but she never thought that he could be so neglectful and manipulative. She was ashamed that she had ever considered the man her “idol”, for she now knew that Gabriel was nothing more than a sorry excuse for a father and an all-around terrible human being.

Right now, something in her gut told her that his son’s disappearance was all Mr. Agreste’s fault. It had been the first time Adrien ran away, so why would this situation be any different?

She met Gabriel’s gaze. “It must be serious if you’re out looking for him.”

“Marinette,” her mother scolded, pulling away from the hug.

“I’m just surprised. I didn’t mean to be rude.” Sabine shot her a stern look, and Marinette released an audible sigh. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Miss Dupain-Cheng,” Gabriel said, pressing his glasses against the bridge of his nose, “I can assure you that the safety of my son is my priority.”

Marinette looked down. “Of course, sir.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“No, sir, I do. I know you love him.”

“And I know you love him, as well. Probably, just as much as he loves you.”

Flurried thoughts flew through her brain as nervousness settled in her gut. “He can’t know that we’re in love. No one knows. We never said anything. Alya is the first person I told.”

She swallowed against a dry throat. “He’s a wonderful friend.”

“I was once a teenager who found love. I know how much you two care for each other, and I know that he talks to you. His safety is paramount, so, please, if you hear anything, come to my office. I’ll be expecting you.” Mr. Agreste turned on his heel, walked towards the door, and paused before crossing the threshold. “I trust you’ll make the right choice, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Goodnight.”

With Nathalie trailing behind him, Gabriel walked out the door and disappeared into the hallway. As Marinette watched his departure, more tears threatened to fall.

“Oh, Marinette,” Sabine said with outstretched arms, “Come here.”

She happily re-entered her mother’s embrace. “What if something happened to him?”

“He’s going to be okay.”

“I’m still worried.”

“And you have every right to feel that way.”

She pulled away from her mother. “I think I need some alone time.”

Sabine smiled and brushed a stray hair away from Marinette’s face. “Okay, sweetie. We’ll be right here if you need us.”

Marinette nodded, ascended the stairs, and closed the hatch behind her. She pressed her hands against her eyes, sunk to the floor, and cried.

“Adrien will turn up,” Tikki said, landing on her shoulder, “He’s tough, and he has Plagg. He may not show it all the time, but Plagg really cares about his holder. He would never let anything happen to him.”

“I can’t explain it.” Marinette wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I just know something is wrong. I have this feeling. My chaton would never leave without telling me where he was going. He’d never just leave me.”

“I know, but you need to calm your thoughts. We can’t risk having you get Akumatized.”

“I can’t wait until Hawkmoth is gone. Living in a world where being human turns you into a monster is a nightmare. That pile of trash wins every time someone is told that they can’t get angry or sad.”

“One day this will all be over.”

“That day can’t come soon enough. I would like to feel upset without the risk of being Akumatized. Wait!”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to say it.”

“But it might be true.”

“I know, but if Adrien gets Akumatized as Chat Noir, then it’s all over. You, me, Paris...everything. And if it was just Adrien who had been Akumatized, then Plagg would have come here to tell us, and we haven’t seen him all night.”

“And you know that Adrien probably transformed before he left home.”

“I just hope we’re not too late.” Marinette looked up at her Kwami. “Tikki, we have to go find him.”

The tiny red being nodded. “Just say the words.”

“TIKKI, SPOTS ON!”

Once transformed, Ladybug climbed up the ladder, hopped onto her bed, and leaped through the windowed hatch that led her balcony. She unsheathed her yo-yo and opened her communicator.

After tapping a few buttons, she waited for the call to connect. “Come on, kitty. Please pick-up.”

“I’m right here, my lady,” a small, familiar voice said next to her.

She whipped her head around and searched until her eyes landed on her partner hiding amongst the shadows. “Chat Noir?”

“Yes.”

“Are you okay?”

“No.”

Ladybug rushed to his side and pulled him close. “What are you doing out here?”

“I’m trying to not get Akumatized,” he mumbled into her neck.

“What?”

“You told me how bad it was when you had to fight Chat Blanc. I came here to keep myself calm. I don’t want you to have to fight me.”

“Everyone has been worried sick!”

“I can’t go home.” Chat’s entire body drooped in her arms.

She pressed her cheek against his. “It’s freezing out here. I know the suits protect us, but you can’t be comfortable. Why are you sitting alone in the cold?”

“Because just knowing that you’re close by brings me peace. You’re my rock, my world, my everything.” His chest heaved. “Even though my life is falling apart, you’re this constant force that keeps me from breaking. If I focus on you, then everything will be okay in the end.”

“But why didn’t you come inside? You’re always welcome in my room.”

“I know, but I wanted you to have one last peaceful sleep before everything changed. You deserve that.”

“What are you talking about? Also, you know that my best nights are the ones where I fall asleep next to you.”

“I’m sorry, my lady. I’m just struggling a little bit right now.”

“Don’t struggle alone. Come inside, and let me hold you. Then, when you’re ready to talk, I will be here to listen.”

Ladybug pulled Chat to his feet, and he followed her without protest. Once inside, he collapsed onto her bed, and she tugged a blanket over both of them.

She detransformed, pulled him close, wrapped her arms around him, and allowed Chat to rest his head against her chest. “You should give Plagg a break.”

“Plagg, claws in,” he mumbled, letting the blinding green light of his detransformation fill the room.

His Kwami zipped into view. “It’s bad, pigtails. It’s really bad this time. This is probably one of the worst things that could have happened.”

Marinette looked at the trembling boy in her arms. “Is he going to be okay?”

“One day, yes. Tonight, no. He’s not going to be okay for a while.”

“Is he hurt?”

“Physically he’s fine, but emotionally...he’s going to need you.”

“Adrien, you know I’ll always be here for you. No matter what happens, I will never leave your side. You made me that promise once, and you stayed true to your word. Now, it’s my turn to return the favor.”

He nodded. “I did that because I love you.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I love you, too, Adrien. I always have.”

“And he was the reason we couldn’t be together.”

“Who? Hawkmoth?”

“Yeah. Stupid Hawkmoth. Guess that’s all going to change now...well, if you’ll still let me date you, that is. You might hate me when this is all over.”

“Adrien, I could never hate you. I lo...wait. Are you upset with Hawkmoth?”

“Oh, we’re upset with Hawkmoth, alright,” Plagg growled, “Just say the word, kid, and I’ll take care of it.”

“Plagg, no,” Adrien whimpered, “We need to do it the right way...whatever that is.”

Marinette’s heart started to race. “Hold on. Does that mean you know who Hawkmoth is?”

“Please,” he pleaded, “I just need a few more minutes where things are the same between us. Please.”

“I…”

“Please. I need this. About two hours ago, my life was ruined. Please, Marinette. Can we just be us for a little while?” His voice began to crack while he spoke, “I promise I’ll tell you everything. I just need a few minutes.”

Marinette’s heart broke at the sound of his voice. “Oh, chaton, come here.”

“Thank you, my lady. I-I promise I’ll…”

“I know...shhh. Take your time. I’ll be here when you’re ready.”

As she held him, Marinette ran her fingers through Adrien’s soft golden locks. Her shirt quickly became damp from her partner’s quiet tears. When he shivered, she squeezed him even tighter.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

She rested her chin on the top of his head. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I made you worry. I can tell you’ve been crying. I should have called you, but I thought I was making the right choice. Then again, I don’t know what’s right or wrong anymore.”

“I don’t want to push you before you’re ready, but I really need to know. Who is Hawkmoth?”

“He’s a monster.”

“I know, but who is he?”

“Why don’t you ask the man who I call ‘father’?”

Marinette’s blood froze upon hearing his implication. “I...what? No, you couldn’t possibly mean...he...that’s...I...”

Adrien sat up and held his legs against his chest. “Do you remember when Lila stole the Grimoire, and you were trying to figure out why my family had it? What if I told you that you should have listened to your instincts?”

“Your dad is Hawkmoth? How? Why? Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“He was just here looking for you. Hawkmoth was inside my house?”

He scoffed. “My father was probably just making sure that I didn’t tell anyone his secret.”

Marinette did her best to control her breathing. “But how did you find out? Was it an accident?”

“No, he brought me into his office. He said that it was time for me to join him and that he wanted to tell me everything.”

“But why is terrorizing Paris?”

“He’s told me that he wants our family to be complete again. I think he wants to use our Miraculouses to find my mom.”

“And it’s really him?”

“Yup. I saw the Butterfly Miraculous, and I met Nooroo. He even showed me how to get into his lair.”

“You saw his lair?”

“No, I left before he had the chance to finish explaining. I ran back to my room, transformed, and came here.”

“Oh my God…”

“Marinette, I feel so lost.” He began to cry again. “How am I supposed to live in that house knowing that monster is sleeping right down the hall?”

She paused for a moment before taking his hand and looking him in the eyes. “You don’t.”

“What do you mean ‘I don’t’? I’m his son. As much as I would like to, I can’t just stay here forever.”

“Adrien, you seem to be forgetting that we are Ladybug and Chat Noir. If there is anyone in this city who can take care of this problem, it’s us.”

He pulled his hands away and hugged himself. “You mean you want us to fight him? I don’t know if I can do that.”

She nodded. “If it comes to fighting, then, unfortunately, yes. He has to be stopped.”

“I don’t want to fight my dad.”

“I know, but we can try and talk to him first. Maybe if he knows the truth, he’ll be willing to work with us. Now that we know what he wants, we could help him come up with a better solution to find your mom. You’re his son, and he loves you.”

“I know he loves me, but I don’t think my dad is exactly stable right now. When he sat me down, he kept talking about changing the past and erasing mistakes. I think he wants to mess with time. He thinks that he can do anything right now because when he changes the timeline, everything will be different. Paris will have never had a Hawkmoth, and none of us will remember any of this.”

“He wants to change history?” Visions of Bunnyx begging for help and Chat dressed in white invaded her thoughts. “Time is a very delicate thing.”

Adrien looked down. “From what you’ve told me, I know. I’ve had a few hours to think about this. You said that when I was Akumatized in the other timeline, I told you that everything went wrong when Hawkmoth found out. I’m starting to think that he figured out who I was and Akumatized me anyway. That means that he doesn't care what he does.”

“We still have to try.”

“How do we know it’ll be different this time? I can’t get Akumatized.”

Marinette paused and allowed her mind to run through a dozen different scenarios. Her eyes scanned the room as she desperately searched for a solution. Her gaze eventually landed on the Miracle Box.

She reached out, lifted his chin with her index finger, and smiled. “It’ll be different because this time we’ll have help.”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“When I fought Chat Blanc, I didn’t see any of the other holders when I found the underwater statues. That means that we probably fought him alone.”

“What does that mean for us now?”

“We need to distribute the Miraculouses to the other holders tonight. We will tell our allies to gather on top of the Arc de Triomphe before dawn and wait for our signal. Tomorrow morning, we will infiltrate Hawkmoth’s lair and have Pegese transport the other holders to our location. Once that’s done, we will confront your father.”

“But how will we get into his lair without getting caught on the security cameras first? My dad has his office bugged, and I’m sure we want the element of surprise on our side.”

“Didn’t Max give you a program that could pause the image on the security cameras? He gave you that flash drive after you had that disastrous impromptu party two years ago?”

Adrien smacked his forehead. “You’re right! He did. But how are we going to make sure that my dad goes down into his lair? People don’t get Akumatized every day. It’s only when he feels a really powerful emotion. He ignores the smaller ones.”

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can guarantee that there are going to be at least a half a dozen people who are going to be mad enough to get Akumatized, and they’ll all be waiting on top of the Arc de Triomphe tomorrow morning.”

“What?”

“All of those people are our friends. You don’t know all of their identities yet, but they all know Adrien Agreste. Trust me, when they find out that your dad is Hawkmoth, they will be livid.”

“Are they really going to be mad enough for my dad to want to send out a butterfly?”

“Yes.”

“We have to do this, don’t we?”

“Yes.”

“I’m scared,” he whispered.

“I know,” she replied, “So am I, but we won’t be alone. We can do this.”

“I trust you, my lady.”

Marinette climbed down the ladder, crossed her room, and grabbed the Miracle Box. When she returned to her bed, she handed Adrien several boxes, asked him to transform, wrote down her plan in his communicator, and sent him off to deliver his half of the Miraculouses.

Once Tikki was fed, Marinette transformed, grabbed the rest of the Miraculouses, hopped onto her balcony, and swung off into the night. One by one, she delivered each box to its respective holder and carefully explained her plan. She told each person that she would be sending Pegese a set of coordinates. He was to then look up the location, wait five minutes, and then transport the heroes into Hawkmoth’s lair.

After two hours, she finally returned to her balcony. Unfortunately, the task took longer than she’d expected because Nino and Alya had still been running around the city looking for Adrien. When she detransformed, the bright pink light illuminated the tiny space, revealing a hunched figure sitting in the shadows.

“I knew you’d be back before me. Sorry, I should have called. Wait...why are you waiting outside?” Marinette pulled her partner to his feet.

“You weren’t home,” he mumbled.

“You’re not even transformed! It’s cold out here, Adrien!”

“I don’t feel it.”

“You and I both know that isn’t true.”

He sighed and walked away from her. “I detransformed so I could feed Plagg. I haven’t fed him all day, and he’s been surprisingly quiet about it. I was just waiting for you to come back so I could say goodnight.”

Marinette crossed her arms. “Excuse me?”

“What?”

“You are not going home.”

“We have to sleep. I can barely walk straight anymore.”

“You’re sleeping here.”

His body straightened. “You...you still want to be near me? My father is a monster.”

“But you’re not.” She moved towards him and took his hand. “You’re my chaton, and I...I love you.”

He squeezed her hand. “I love you, too, my lady. More than anything.”

“Then follow me.”

“Always.”

She dragged him through the hatch and onto her bed. Marinette once again wrapped the two of them underneath her blanket and held him close.

“Marinette?” His voice sounded small.

She rubbed small circles on his back. “Yes?”

“Thank you.”

“I will never leave you, Adrien.”

They didn’t speak again for the rest of the night. The only sound that Marinette could hear was the steady thumping of Adrien’s heart as she snuggled further into his chest. She eventually fell into a light, restless sleep.

She awoke to the sound of her alarm piercing through the silence. The world was still dark, but the anticipation of what was to come made her feel unnaturally awake.

Adrien sat up and groaned. Seeing the puffiness around his eyes made Marinette reach out, place her hands on his cheeks, and place a gentle kiss on his forehead.

“We need to go,” she said, pushing the hair away from his eyes.

He took a shaky breath. “Lead the way.”

The duo transformed and climbed onto the balcony. In the distance, a brilliant sunrise was starting to take over the sky.

Ladybug and Chat Noir bounded across the rooftops until they reached the Agreste mansion. Once there, they slipped through Adrien’s bedroom window and got to work. While Chat began activating Max’s program, Ladybug sent a message to Rena Rouge. When she received confirmation that all the holders were assembled on top of the Arc de Triomphe, she turned to Chat.

“Are you almost finished?” she asked.

“Yeah. Luckily, he made this pretty user-friendly. I just need another minute.” He clicked a few more things on his screen and got up from his desk chair. “Okay, we’re all set.”

“You’re sure you remember how to get into your dad’s lair?”

“That entire conversation has been burned into my mind. He showed me what to press on the painting and everything. I can get us in.”

Chat Noir walked towards his bedroom door and beckoned for Ladybug to follow. Silently, they walked down the stairs and into his father’s empty office. They padded across the room and stood before the towering portrait of Mrs. Agreste.

Ladybug watched in awe as Chat pressed in three tiles until an audible clink and hiss could be heard from the ground beneath them. She grabbed his hand as they slowly descended into the depths of the house.

A long clear tube lowered them into a cavernous room filled with trees and vaulted paths. When the elevator door opened, they tentatively stepped onto the metal bridge.

She scanned her surroundings “I can’t believe this was beneath your house the entire time.”

“Neither can I,” he scoffed.

“This must stretch across the street. How much property does your father own?”

“Too much apparently.”

Ladybug unsheathed her yo-yo, opened her communicator, and sent the lair’s coordinates to Pegase. “Alright, our fellow holders are about to learn Hawkmoth’s identity, so it’s only a matter of time before your dad makes his way down here.”

He nodded. “Okay.”

“We shouldn’t be out in the open when he comes down. Do you see any place for us to hide so we can catch him off guard?”

Chat looked around and pointed to something protruding from the ground in the distance. “Will that work?”

“Good eye, kitty. Let’s go.”

They carefully made their way across the expanse until they were confronted by the large metal canister that lay illuminated in the middle of a root system.

Chat circled the ornate cylinder. “My dad is so weird. What is this thing, and what does it have to do with him being Hawkmoth?”

“I have no idea.” Ladybug ran her hand over the gold filigree.

“Honestly, none of this makes sense. How is any of this supposed to help him find my mom? I have so many questions.”

“And you will have the chance to ask them when this is all over.”

“I hope so because…”

Chat was cut off by the sound of metal sliding and locking into place. His eyes widened when they landed on the cannister’s contents.

He slowly sunk to the ground, clutching his chest as an anguished howl passed over his lips.

“It’s her,” he wailed, “This is what he wanted to show me. She isn’t lost. She was here the whole time, and she’s gone!”

Ladybug got onto her knees, snaked her arms around her partner, and held him as sobs violently racked his body. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m losing everyone today. I’m losing my father. My mother is already gone.”

“You never know. It looks like she may just be asleep. We could go to the Temple of the Guardians, and we could…”

“NO! It doesn’t matter because when today is over, I will have no one. I will be alone.” He dropped his voice to a pained whisper before continuing. “When this is over, I won’t have a family anymore.”

Ladybug’s head snapped towards him. “What did you just say?”

“My mother is asleep in a metal coffin. My father has been terrorizing Paris for the past two years. When this is over, I’m going to have no one left.”

Hurt flooded her chest as she pulled away from their embrace. “How dare you say that?”

“It’s true!”

“No, it’s not!”

“I WILL BE ALONE!”

“YOU WILL HAVE ME!”

They fell into a tense silence as her final words reverberated throughout the room. Her chest heaved as the lingering echoes of their altercation died in the cavernous space. Hot tears ran down her cheeks while she searched for the next thing to say.

“You will have me,” she said quietly, once again pulling him into her arms, “Does my love mean nothing to you?”

He wept into her shoulder. “But everyone always leaves...no matter how much they love me.”

“I won’t. I will do everything in my power to stay right next to you. I meant it when I said I would never leave you.”

“That’s only if I can keep you safe.”

“We will keep each other safe. We are a team, chaton.”

“But what if we’re separated?”

“Then we will find a way back to each other, just like we always do. We will always be together.”

“We’re not together. He kept us apart.”

She shook her head. “No, we’ve always been together. You’ve always been my other half. We just had to wait a little while to show our love to the rest of the world.”

He rested his forehead against hers. “But we didn’t even express our feelings when we were alone. There was never an opportunity to show you how much I love you.”

“You showed me your love by staying by my side.”

“Fear was always standing in our way. It kept us apart.”

“No, it kept us hidden. It kept us safe.”

“I don’t want to hide anymore, my lady.”

“We don’t have to, mon minou.”

He choked back a sob. “We don’t.”

She pulled away and placed a hand on his cheek. “When the dust settles--when this fight is over--we will be together. We will be free to love each other. Are things going to get harder before they get easier? Yes, but I will be with you every step of the way. Adrien, we are going to have the most amazing life together. We’re going to go on dates. We’re going to be stupidly in love. And one day, we’re both going to be a mess at our wedding. Alya and Nino are going to take videos of it and tease us with them for the rest of our lives. Then, when we have kids, we’ll gross them out by kissing each other in the kitchen while we cook dinner. We will finally have the chance to just be us.”

“You want to marry me?”

“One day, yeah.”

“And you want to have kids?”

“Three.”

He laughed through his tears. “Do they have names?”

She nodded. “Emma, Hugo, and Louis.”

“I love them already.”

“I love you, and you’re going to be an amazing father one day.”

“I didn’t exactly have the best example.”

“But he doesn’t have your heart.”

“No, but you do. My heart is, was, and forever shall be yours.”

Ladybug’s breath hitched. “Kiss me, my prince.”

His lips brushed against hers. “As you wish, my lady.”

Not wanting to wait any longer, she crashed her lips onto his. Her hands moved to the back of his head while his arms encircled her waist.

Like getting caught in the surge of a powerful wave, she was overcome by the passion he poured into the kiss; nonetheless, she found herself immediately addicted to his taste. She yielded under his touch and allowed herself to sink further into his embrace. Ladybug became putty in his arms when his hand pressed against her back, erasing the remaining space that separated them.

Years of longing and desperation melted away leaving nothing but the pure, radiating love they felt for each other. This moment was theirs, and nothing could take it away from them. While uncertainty still shrouded their future, she knew that they would always be able to find refuge in each other.

She was his other half.

He completed her.

Their hearts beat as one.

The whirring of the elevator forced them apart. Missing the warmth of his proximity, Ladybug huffed in frustration.

Chat chuckled. “When this is over, I’d like to do that again.”

She placed her hand on his cheek and allowed him to lean into her touch. “You can do that again anytime you want, kitty.”

Begrudgingly, Ladybug rose to her feet. Chat followed suit and grabbed her hand. They both unsheathed their weapons.

She squeezed his hand. “Are you ready for this, chaton?”

He took a deep breath. “As long as I’m with you, my lady.”

“It’s you and me against the world, remember?”

“Then, I’m ready.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Just as the elevator came to a halt, Pegase’s portal sent a rush of fresh air into the room. A confident smirk tugged at the corners of Ladybug’s lips as Gabriel Agreste stepped into his lair.

“Hello, Hawkmoth,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “We’ve been expecting you.”

[kasienda]

A Miraculous Reveal - Just an Ordinary (Bad) Day

Marinette choked back a cry as her eyes landed on the black butterfly that fluttered towards her. She slid down to the ground, and pulled her knees to her chest. How had she sunk this low? Yeah, her day had sucked, but it was the suck of an ordinary bad day where everything seemed to go wrong.

But it shouldn’t have been soul ending. Ladybug’s responsibilities hadn’t interrupted Marinette’s life at all. Chloé hadn’t been picking on or undermining her. Lila hadn’t cornered her in the bathroom, and while her history teacher was probably irritated that she had run out of class, she wasn’t facing a potential expulsion.

It was just an ordinary bad day.

Surely, not anything worthy of an akuma. Especially not an akuma for Ladybug.

Marinette should have been able to handle it. She always handled it. She just needed to breathe deeply and calm herself down.

And yet, the akuma fluttered ever closer.

Continue reading on Ao3

“Marinette!” Tikki hissed. “You need to breathe.”

Marinette choked off a sob, scuttled backwards on her butt away from the sparkling butterfly, and did as her kwami advised. She took long and even breaths, trying to soothe herself, but she was losing the battle. Her tears threatened to claw back up her throat anyway.

It had been an absolutely terrible day.

It had started with the nightmares. She hadn’t been able to fall into slumber without tearing awake an hour later with her pajamas sticking to her sweat soaked form, struggling for air. On a bad night, Marinette didn’t always remember the haunting images that plagued her attempts at rest, but she would tear awake with a pounding heart and crying eyes just the same.

But this night, the dreams were far too vivid. In some, she faced the concerned faces of her friends and family, but she didn’t know their names. In another, she lived underground, living off rats after Hawkmoth’s dystopian wish came to fruition in the form of iron-clad authoritarian rule. But the worst nightmare featured Chat Blanc’s soulless blue eyes staring straight through her - never seeing his partner and friend. He hunted her through forests covered in winter white, or he threw her off the tallest building in Paris. And in the last one, he hadn’t tried to hurt her at all.

No, he had tried to turn his cataclysmic power on himself.

He had been so alone. Died alone in a desolate world.

She hadn’t been able to save him.

And after that, she had been unwilling to try again for sleep.

It felt like she hadn’t slept at all. Her head existed in a fog with a dull ache between her temples. Her thoughts and motivation were even more sluggish than usual this morning. She wished that she could just sleep through one whole night just once this week. Was that too much to ask?

When she hadn’t made it out of the bathroom quickly enough, her mother had been kind enough to leave a breakfast tray on her desk. Only, with a towel over her head as she was drying her hair, Marinette hadn’t seen it. She had knocked the whole tray - strewn with eggs, toast, and coffee - over onto the floor when she stumbled past. It wouldn’t have been a big deal except she had a project laid out on the floor. A pattern pinned in place that she hadn’t cut out yet. The coffee alone no doubt ruined the fabric she had spent months saving up to buy.

Marinette fell to her knees in front of the disaster.

Her mother found her there still clad in only her towel, staring stoically over the lost project.

When thin warm arms wrapped around her, Marinette’s started in surprise.

“Oh Marinette, I’m so sorry,” her mother apologized. “I didn’t mean to risk your project. I was trying to save you some time.”

Marinette shook her head against her mother’s chest. “It wasn’t your fault,” the teenager responded tonelessly. “I didn’t see it.”

“I can’t promise anything,” her mother soothed, as her hand rubbed warm circles along her back. “But I will try to save the fabric.”

Marinette nodded, but she couldn’t bring herself to tear her eyes from the disaster. She didn’t know what she was feeling, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good. And it wasn’t really about the fabric. It was about everything.

If Ladybug hadn’t been needed last night, no doubt Marinette would have finished cutting the pieces out, and had the project tucked away safely.

If Marinette wasn’t the Guardian, she would have had more time to earn more money to replace the loss, and she would have more time in general to recreate the now soggy patterns. More time to spend on the things that brought her joy.

As it was, Papillon had her up and running frantic at all times of day and night.

It wasn’t fair.

“Marinette, I will clean this up,” her mother assured her, still rubbing her back. “Do you think you could start getting ready for school again?”

Marinette stumbled to her feet, and began the usual mad dash to collect all her things before heading off to school.

She was only five minutes late by the time she ran out the door, with a ham and cheese quiche in her bag as a second attempt at sustenance. It wasn’t until she had fallen into her usual seat beside her best friend that she realized she had forgotten her essay.

The essay that she had actually completed, proofread, edited, and printed out. The assignment was no doubt still laying in her printer’s document tray on her desk in her room.

She let her head fall to the desk in frustration. Why did it have to be for Mendeliev? Any other teacher would have let her retrieve the paper during lunch and turn it in for full credit. But Mendeliev? While the science teacher was never very sympathetic with anyone, she had lost all patience with Marinette and her scatterbrained tendencies months ago.

Which is why Marinette’s grade was in jeopardy. She could not afford this late penalty. Having to retake the course in summer school was the absolute last thing she needed to add onto her plate.

At the end of class she had asked anyway, but the stern science teacher glared down her nose. “We’ve already had this conversation, Marinette,” she said coldly. “I’ve no interest in repeating it now.”

Her head hung low, Marinette trudged into the hallway barely noticing the bustle of students around her. Until one of them crashed into her and icy cold swept across her front.

“Oh my god! Marinette!” Rose’s shrill voice punctuated her shock. “I’m so sorry!”

“Marinette!” another voice crooned mockingly. “Finally found a fashion statement that suits your personality, I see!”

“Shut up, Chloé!” Alya barked already at her friend’s side, trying to help wring out the dark liquid from Marinette’s original shirt.

Marinette crumpled like paper on the spot. Hot tears sprang to her eyes, her throat closed up, and her chest felt tight.  

Rose squeezed her hand, as tears sprang to her blue eyes. “Marinette,” she sobbed. “I’m really sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. I was just running to meet Juleka. It was an accident. Please forgive me.”

Marinette squeezed Rose’s hand in return. “I-it’s okay, Rose. I-I know it was an accident. Today… today, has just…” and she choked on the words.

“Ladies!” Damocles’ voice barked across the courtyard. “Get to class!”

“But sir!” Alya objected. “Marinette needs to get cleaned up.”

The principal eyed the three girls. “Marinette is fully capable of cleaning herself up in the restroom. You and Rose need to get to class.”

Her friends glared daggers at the principal’s disapproving frown, but eventually shouldered their bags, and turned towards class with sympathetic smiles and slumped shoulders

Suddenly, Marinette stood alone in the courtyard in her sopping wet blouse. She blinked her eyes furiously, beating back the tears that threatened to fall. When she could breathe easily again through the lump in her throat she picked up her bag, and made her way slowly to the bathroom.

But within the privacy of the tiny girl’s bathroom, her emotions caught up with her again, and was soon weeping softly as she tried unsuccessfully to dab the coffee out of her pale pink shirt.

How much was too much, before a girl couldn’t take it anymore?

She fought against the thought, and forced her breathing to slow until she could dam up the flow of tears. She could do this.

She was Ladybug.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Alya: Hey girl. I just received a slip to leave for a dentist appointment. I have to go. Are you going to be okay?

The words blurred for a second, before Marinette stubbornly wiped her eyes, and recentered her breathing all over again. Of course, she would be okay.

She was Ladybug.

She typed back a quick response assuring Alya that she would manage.  

After she finished rinsing her shirt the best she could, and using a hand dryer to get it down to damp rather than soaking, she returned to class.

Marinette ducked under the teacher’s disapproving gaze, and scrambled to her seat.

History proved to be particularly dreary that day. The teacher was just droning on and on. She would have had difficulty enough paying attention on a normal day. As it was, Marinette’s emotional reserves were shot and with Alya gone for her appointment, and Adrien absent for who knew what, there was nothing there to distract her. Soon, she caught herself nodding off.

“Marinette!” Her teacher’s sudden unexpected voice tore her from her unsanctioned nap. “If you stay awake in class, you might actually score higher than a D on the next exam.”

And that was the straw she could not handle. Tears burst from her in uncontrolled torrents. Right in the middle of class. Consoling and judgemental comments alike had poured in around her.

She didn’t wait for the teacher to call the class back to order. Instead, she bolted for the exit.

She had thought she could soothe herself in the privacy of the empty hallway, but instead she had found herself on the ground, backed into a corner on her butt, face to face with an akuma.  

It honestly was almost pretty. Electric violet sparkled across the butterfly’s black fluttering wings.

Some part of her wanted to reach out and touch it.

Because Marinette was sick of crying, tired of being the bigger person, and far too aware that her thin shoulders could not bear the weight of protecting an entire city from a terrorist indefinitely.

She had no fall back position. She was it! A sixteen year old girl. Who thought that was a good idea?

If she was going to lose someday anyway, why not today?

Tikki’s bulbous form flew into her face and took up her entire field of vision.

“Marinette!” Tikki hissed. “You need to breathe,” she added gently.

Marinette nodded, trying to follow those directions.

Because she couldn’t be akumatized. No one would know Ladybug was out of commission. No one could bring out extra allies from the miracle box.

But her throat was tight and her chest felt hollow and she just wanted to curl up on herself and cry.

Chat Noir would have to face her alone.

The butterfly melted into her earrings. She felt them grow hot, but she couldn’t move as the electric violet flooded her vision.

Hello, Lady Liberty.

His voice was cold, but booming. It seemed to scream from inside her own head. Her hands clutched either side of her face.

“Marinette!” Tikki yelled, but Marinette had to strain to hear her.

You bear a heavy load. Let me ease your burden by allowing you to let it all go. You can be free.

Hot tears ran down her cheeks. Marinette wanted to let go. She wanted to be free.

But Tikki was still screaming, and Marinette knew her kwami was the one she ought to be listening to. “Don’t fight your feelings! If you fight them, they double down. Try to accept them. Forgive yourself, Marinette. Have patience and compassion for yourself. Please! Can you do that?”

Marinette nodded, but who was she nodding to? She didn’t know.

I grant you the power to free everyone from the burdens they carry.

Marinette nodded again.

“Think of something that makes you feel safe and loved,” the other voice interrupted urgently. “Something that makes you have hope! Go to that place on your mind, Marinette.”

Her mind instantly flooded with visions of her partner.

Being tangled up with him in the string of her yoyo the first time they met. He hadn’t been upset. He hadn’t doubted her ability. He had been excited and wanted to know her name.

Him diving in front of her to take a hit only to instantly fade from existence. But he had smiled, just for a moment. Like he had died happy knowing he had protected her.

His infuriating smirk every time he managed to pull off a stupid joke at a ridiculous time or one up her in some ridiculous competition.

He gave her advice - patient and heartfelt - even when she was asking for advice about confessing to another boy.

His arms wrapped around her - solid and safe - after her biggest mistake that had cost her a mentor. His faith and trust in her had never waivered.

And suddenly, she was laughing through her tears.

She was in love with Chat Noir.

When had that even happened?

It didn’t matter, but the revelation made one thing crystal clear: She couldn’t be akumatized.

That would leave her partner alone.

And she would never do that to him.

Marinette gasped for air as the butterfly broke away. The akuma couldn’t hold her. Not like this, not with the joy that flooded her form at the realization that she could be happy - that she could make her kitty happy.

The winged creature flapped away, and Marinette sagged to her knees. Her bones felt like jelly, but she was giggling hysterically.

The black butterfly flew away. Only once it was out of sight did it occur to her that she should have transformed and purified it.

But she hadn’t been thinking at all, and now Ladybug was going to have to deal with an akuma.

She supposed that was better than Ladybug being the akuma.

Muffled screams pierced the silence, followed by the sound of a classroom door slamming open.

Marinette didn’t move immediately. She remained huddled up on the floor unmotivated to get to her feet. Students evacuated from their rooms - some more orderly than others. Despite the chaos around her, Marinette remained unaffected by it.

Even an explosion rocking the ground beneath her legs still folded underneath her form, was not enough to bring her out of her funk. Paris could wait for five minutes.

“Well, look at you!” Chat Noir’s booming voice echoed from the courtyard. “Aren’t you a regular class act?”

Marinette was running for a safe spot to transform before she had made the conscious decision. While she was willing to make Paris wait, she couldn’t leave her partner fighting for a second longer than necessary.

Not ever.

No matter how done she wanted to be with this day.

“M’lady!” He greeted happily when she landed beside him.

“What’ve we got?”

“Apparently a pop quiz burst this kid’s bubble!” Her partner reported, his green vertical pupils never leaving their adversary. “Apparently he was angling for an A in Geometry.”

She sighed. How mundane. “His teacher is the target?”

“Monsier Fontaine,” he clarified.

She nodded. “Let’s get this over with, kitty.”

The akuma wasn’t particularly dangerous, which wasn’t surprising since she knew he hadn’t been Hawkmoth’s first choice.

But Ladybug was having trouble keeping her head in the game - she was still raw and shaky from too close a call. She stumbled through an easy dodge more than once. But Chat was always there hauling her to her feet or blocking the attack.

Once he had her upright and centered for the fourth time, she wasted no more time waiting for an opening and immediately called for her lucky charm.

A spotted frying pan fell into her hands. She blinked at the pan, her mind remaining stubbornly blank. She had no clue what to do with this!

“What amazing plan will you cook up next?” Chat grinned at her, his baton spinning in his hands blocking another blow.

She looked into his smiling eyes, and everything instantly fell into place. God, he always was exactly what she needed. Of course she had fallen in love with him.

The battle lasted another twenty-two seconds.

But when Chat Noir offered her a fist for their traditional victory fist bump, she knocked it aside and seized him in a hug instead.

He stiffened for a second, but then his tension fell away and his arms encircled protectively around her. “LB? Are you okay? I didn’t think that battle was that hard. I certainly don’t remember dying that time.”

“Shut up!” she whispered into his chest as she clung to him.

His arms tightened around her. “As you wish, M’lady.” His head leaned against her own and she stood there feeling the comfort of his solid warm frame holding her upright. They just stood there for several seconds. Everything was quiet. Then his chest was vibrating. Was he purring?

She hadn’t known he could do that.

She nuzzled her cheek into his chest, closer to the soothing vibration.

“LB, are you okay?” he asked again.

She shook her head. “I just had a really bad day.”

Her earrings beeped in warning, but she remained within his embrace.

He sighed and melted against her. “Who do I need to beat up?” he mumbled.

She giggled. “I’ll text you my list.”

“I’ll take care of it by end of day tomorrow,” he joked, his voice tickling her inner ear.

She knew he was joking, but she grinned anyway. He was always on her side, no questions asked.

“I need to talk to you somewhere private. Where do you think would be safe from prying eyes?”

He pulled away just an inch and searched her face intently. She had no idea what he saw, and she quickly found her gaze falling into her hands, a heated blush creeping out from under her mask.

“Do you remember that café we went to after patrol last week?”

She nodded.

“There’s a deep balcony in the alleyway about three stories up. The building is closed for renovations, but the balcony is untouched.

“Perfect. Go recharge, and meet me there?” She requested.

“See you in ten, M’lady!”

Ladybug launched herself up out of the school’s courtyard and onto Paris’s rooftops. Her earrings beeped again. She ducked behind a chimney, and let the transformation fall. Tikki fell into her hands.

Tikki didn’t take her offered cookie. Instead, the kwami flew up to Marinette’s face and nuzzled her head into Marinette’s cheek. “Are you okay, Marinette?”

Marinette leaned into the affectionate gesture. “I’m exhausted, Tikki. I feel raw and numb. But not as upset. Thank you, by the way. I would not have survived that without you.”

“I’m always happy to support you. I am sad that it was necessary today.”

Marinette stroked the top of her kwami’s head. “I’m going to tell him who I am.”

To her relief, Tikki didn’t object. Instead, the kwami nodded. “I understand. But if you’re emotionally done for today, just know you don’t have to talk to Chat Noir right this second. It can wait until tomorrow or next patrol.”

Marinette shook her head. “Today proved that not telling him is a potentially huge risk. I am not going to sleep again until I fix it. And plus, he deserves to know. He’s wanted to know for so long.” She trailed off for a moment as her feelings caught up with her all over again. “He’s going to be so happy,” she whispered, a tear slipped down her cheek even as she giggled.

“You love him?” Tikki asked with a soft smile.

“I don’t even know when it happened!” Marinette exclaimed. “And that stupid cat is never going to let me live it down,” she grumbled.

Tikki did a happy little dance in the air. “I’m happy for you, Marinette. You deserve to be happy.”

“Thank you, Tikki. Now, let’s go.”

Tikki inhaled the cookie in two gulps. Marientte called for her transformation and launched herself into the skyline once again, her heart light even if butterflies fluttered in her stomach with nervous energy.

She arrived at their meeting place. He was already there sitting in a lotus position frowning into space. His expression brightened when he caught sight of her.

“Are you okay?” he asked for the third time, his eyes shining with concern.

And she found herself lost in his gaze - sincere and yet, incredibly open. How had she ever turned this boy down?

“I…” she trailed off, unable to find words. She just needed to say it. Why was she hesitating? This was going to make everything easier and he would be thrilled, wouldn’t he? He had always wanted to know.

But he hadn’t asked in a long time. Maybe he had moved on. Like she had asked him to.

She shook her head at herself. It didn’t matter. She had been akumatized. This wasn’t about what either of them felt. Not telling him was putting millions in danger every single day.

She found herself smiling.

“M’lady?”

She dropped down next to him, deep into the private balcony with walls on three sides. The balcony wasn’t designed to have a view. She suspected its function was just to allow the inhabitants to be outside.

“Tikki, spots off,” she whispered.

“Woah! What are you doing?” he demanded, turning his head away.

That wouldn’t do. She took his face gently between her hands. He didn’t resist as her skin tight suit peeled away in a ripple of pink light.

He just stared at her, his eyes wide in shock. “M-Marinette? But… I saw you… and L-ladybug.”

“Fox miraculous,” she explained.

“Ah,” was all he managed to say, his beautiful green eyes wide with shock.

“I-is this okay?” she asked.

He blinked at her dumbly. “Uh, y-yes, of course it is, m’lady! More than okay! Just completely unexpected.”

“You don’t have to reciprocate,” she told him.

He blanched. “Are you kidding me?! Plagg, cla-”

She pinched his lips closed with her bare hands. “No! Wait! Let’s talk first. You can reveal yourself after if you still want to.”

“But I…” he objected, his body tense and unmoving.

She covered his mouth again. “Please?”

He sagged against her hold. She didn’t remove her hand until he nodded. “Whatever you need, M’lady Princess.”

Every muscle in her body loosened at the new combined affectionate nickname. Princess. She was his princess. And his lady.

“Tikki?” Marinette called.

The kwami nodded.

“Spots on.” And she let her magical energies wrap her once again in its protective warmth.

Chat’s eyes were as wide as canyons as he watched her display. “Wow! That was… amazing. Your transformation is like a dance. You’re so graceful. I mean… I knew that, but this is just like the epitome of...”

She covered her face with her gloved hands, trying to cover the heat she felt growing from the bottom of her mask. “Please, stop,” she begged. How was she ever going to tell this boy what she needed to when he kept sending her thoughts and feelings scrambling in a million different directions with gushing praise?

He grinned. “I can’t help it,” he objected. “You’re so amazing. I mean... I already knew that, but now…” he trailed off and really looked at her. “I’ve suspected you more than once. I just…  But after kwami buster, I assumed it was just wishful thinking.”

Her jaw dropped. “You wanted me to be her?”

He barked a laugh. “You have no idea.”

Her blush bloomed from her cheeks to the very tips of her ears. But she didn’t know what to say, and the silence stretched between them.

“So… uh…” his hand rubbed the back of his neck. “What changed your mind?”

She wrapped her arms around her stomach in an attempt to soothe herself - to assure herself that she hadn’t truly become an akuma. She hadn’t betrayed her duty or her partner in that low moment. “I just... I need you to know.” It was all she managed to say before her throat seemed to snap closed, choking off everything else she needed to say.

“It must’ve been some bad day to convince you to go against the prime directive of superheroing,” he offered, his voice gentle and soft.

And she laughed, but within seconds her mirth transformed into tears and she was finally crying, the sobs tearing through her.

His arms instantly wrapped around her. And she fell into his embrace and just let herself cry.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m right here,” he soothed, his hands rubbing comforting circles on her back.

And she cried herself out. It was a good cry. A release of not just the day, but also of all the tension and stress she had carried for weeks, or maybe years, with no place to unburden herself.

Until today.

“What happened?” he asked when her cries had finally faded.

The question was thrilling. Amazing even because it occurred to her that for the first time since taking up the mantle of Ladybug, for the first time in years, she didn’t have to filter anything.

“It’s stupid really. Just a bunch of little things that all added up.” And she told him all of it. About the nightmares, and she’d tell him about the reality of Chat Blanc soon. But for now, she stayed focused on the day. She spoke of her ruined fabric, her feelings that mishap had triggered about being Ladybug and the Guardian, about her blouse getting ruined, about her friends not being there in class, and her stupid stupid teachers wo just didn’t understand that homework could never be her top priority. “And I could have handled all of it, I swear! It’s just so hard on top of all of this. The akuma was the last straw.”

“Akumas do have the worst timing,” he commented.

She sighed. He didn’t realize that she didn’t mean the monster they just fought, but the raw little black butterfly.

“It was meant for me,” she admitted softly. “It actually succeeded in melding with my earrings.”

He turned rigid underneath her, suddenly as frozen as an ice sculpture.

Her grip around him tightened. “And you know what I was most angry about, Chaton?” she continued, determined to get all of it out. “I wasn’t angry at Papillion. Not really. I was just upset that I couldn’t let myself be akumatized. I’m the only person in Paris who isn’t allowed to just say “fuck it” and let the butterfly take me. The only person who isn’t allowed to have a bad day. I want to be able to have a bad day!”

“I want to be able to let myself be akumatized, and just be able to trust that Ladybug and Chat Noir will take care of it. Why don’t I get that?”

She pulled back just enough to see his face, and she was horrified to see the tear tracks down his cheeks.

“Oh my god! I’m so sorry!”

His eyes landed on hers. “Whatever for?” he demanded.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry,” she admitted, brushing his tears away with her thumb. “I’m sorry that I’m so pathetic. That I wasn’t strong enough.”

He pulled back, and turned her so they were looking right at one another eye to eye. He had a hand on either one of her shoulders. She felt like he was staring directly into her soul, but she couldn’t look away. She had never once seen him so serious.

“Buginette, I need you to hear me right now,” he paused as if expecting her to object. When she didn’t, he continued. “You are the strongest person I know. From what you said, I gather that you were able to throw off an akuma after it had gotten you.”

She nodded confirmation.

“I’ve never known anyone to do that. I didn’t know it was possible. Maybe someone has done it before. I guess I wouldn’t have a way of knowing, but… I guess what I’m saying is that you’re not pathetic. Not even close. You’re so strong, and incredibly resilient. And I don’t know how you’ve done everything you do as Ladybug and as Marinette for so long.”

His eyes bored into hers, never once did he look away.

“And you’re allowed to be human, Buginette. And this feels weird to say, but I want you to be able to have a bad day, too.”

She laughed. And he smiled in response, touching his forehead to hers. His compelling green eyes filled up her whole vision.

“I’m sorry that you’ve felt so alone in holding the mantle of Ladybug. I’m sorry that I haven’t been here in the way that you needed.”

She shook her head. “That’s not true! You’ve always been here. You’ve always given me what I needed even when I didn’t realize. And me feeling alone was more my fault than yours,” she insisted. “I’m the one that insisted on keeping our identities secret. I thought it was too dangerous to share our identities.”

She pressed her lips together in thought.

“But when I was facing that akuma, I realized that not sharing is dangerous, too. That I’ve been keeping all my secrets in one basket. And while that makes them harder to lose, it also makes me more vulnerable. If I hadn't been able to fight off that akuma, you wouldn’t have had any back up and you wouldn’t have known that Ladybug wasn’t coming.”

“You’d likely be an absolutely terrible akuma,” he commented. “I mean, you kick ass without anything boosting your skills. I’m going to have nightmares about akumanette now.” His tone was light.

She stuck her tongue out at his teasing. He smirked.

She allowed the moment of silliness before growing solemn and serious once again. “Master Fu kept all his secrets in one basket and kept himself hidden for over a century. He told one person - me. And less than two years went by, and all it took was one stupid thoughtless mistake on my part and it all came toppling down!”

Chat squeezed her shoulder. “It wasn’t your fault. It’s also easier for him to stay hidden and keep secrets when there aren’t akumas out terrorizing the street every other day!”

“And I don’t even know how to do this as well as him,” she continued to rant as if he hadn’t spoken. “And I am falling apart, Chaton.” she broke into soft sobs again.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he soothed. “I’m right here. And now that I know who you are, I’m going to be so present and so supportive you’re going to wish that you had never revealed your identity!”

She traced the curve of his jawline with two fingers. “In this moment, I really don’t think I’m going to regret any of this.”

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Her eyebrows furrowed. “For?”

“For trusting me. I promise I will do everything in my power to protect you, your secret, and by extension, your loved ones.”

She nuzzled further into him, her head resting on his collar bone. She didn’t want to be caught crying again.

“I don’t know if I’m worth your devotion, Chaton,” she whispered.

His arms tightened around her waist. “Shhh! Don’t say that. It’s not true.”

The tears flowed before she could stop them. “I-I don’t know how… to be the Guardian,” she confessed.

He only smiled. “You didn’t know how to be Ladybug at first either. You rose to that challenge beautifully.”

Her lips twisted into a displeased frown. “Only because I had such an amazing partner,” she said emphatically.

“I only have ever followed your example,” he told her. “You taught me to be a hero.”

She laughed. This boy. He never stopped. “God, I love you.”

Chat Noir looked like she had clubbed him with a two by four. His eyes were overblown, and his mouth open in a little ‘o’ of surprise.

She bit her lip, trying to assess his reaction because for once in his life he was being infuriatingly silent. “I meant it. It wasn’t just a slip. I actually love you.”

He blinked at her, unmoving.

“P-please say something,” she begged.

“I… uh…”

She wilted at his hesitation. “I thought you’d be happy…”

He pulled her against his form, tucking her head under his chin. “Trust me, Bugaboo, I am over the moon! I’m not sure that this day could get any better honestly. I’m just also in shock and more than a bit confused.”

She relaxed into his embrace, melting at how natural it felt to be held in his arms.

“Since when do you love me?” he asked, his voice barely louder than a gentle breeze.

“I think it’s been a while now, but I realized it just today,” she confided into his chest.

“How?”

“When we saw the akuma, Tikki told me to go to my happy place and I thought of you,” she sat up and looked up at him then. “You’re the only place anymore I feel safe and completely understood. And I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner.”

“What about your friends?” he whispered, his eyes swirling with an emotion she could not label.

“They’re great. But they can’t understand... and it’s not like I can explain it to them.”

“What about the boy you love?”

“I had to let him go.”

“Why?”

She leaned up against him once again, her gaze falling to their feet. “I couldn’t share all myself with him. And he doesn’t need all my baggage. Plus, I think I already missed my chance. He’s in love with someone else.”

She could hear his frown. “How do you know?”

“He told me.”

“He told you he was in love with someone else,” he repeated, the disbelief clear in his voice.

“You don’t believe me?”

“I find it hard to believe that he could love anyone else when he knows you.”

She rolled her eyes. “He told me that the girl he loved didn’t like his jokes, and since I was sitting right next to him in his fancy limo car when he said it, I knew he wasn’t talking about me.”

He went rigid underneath her. She jerked up, and searched his face. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing!” he said, turning his gaze away.

“Then why won’t you look at me?”

He gaze swung back to her, his cheeks burning in the most beautiful pink. “I just find it impossible that he wasn’t talking about you.”

She gave him a flat look. “He definitely wasn’t talking about me.”

Chat’s gloved hands cupped both sides of her face. “He was actually.”

She was lost in his intense gaze.

“He just didn’t know it was you,” he whispered.

She stared at him for several seconds, but she shook herself and pulled away. “How would you know? You weren’t there!” she objected.

His claws scratched at the back of his neck. Her eyes zeroed in on the action. It was familiar.

“I know you don’t believe me, but It’s true. He was talking about you,” he insisted, looking right over at her. “You never have liked my jokes.”

“That’s not true! It’s not the jokes that suck!” she objected. “Though they are a bit lame,” she tacked on softly. “But it’s the timing! Your timing sucks!”

And then her expression faded. Her eyebrows scrunched towards each other under the pressure of the mask. “Wait, a second. I have never liked your jokes?”

“Well, you definitely didn’t like it when I pretended to be a wax model.”

She felt her face go slack, her eyes overblown and gaping. “A-Adrien?” she whispered.

“Hi?” He gave her a self conscious little smile.

“H-hi,” she managed back, her voice too high.

His whole face lit up in understanding. “Oh my god! You always stuttered around me because you liked me?”

Her cheeks burned hot.

“I was convinced forever that you didn’t like me at all, or that I was intimidating somehow for being a fashion icon,” he rambled.

“You were intimidating,” she broke in. “You were so kind and genuine. And just… incredibly patient. I liked you so much. I was terrified of messing things up. Which I did constantly, because I am such a spaz.”

His whole form softened, and he offered her the smallest most sincere smile and she gasped. Seriously, how had she never recognized him before this.

His hand slowly moved towards hers and he wove their fingers together, before touching his forehead to hers ever so gently. “Nothing has ever been messed up. You have always amazed me on both sides of the mask. I fell in love with Ladybug when she stood up to Hawkmoth on our first day on the job. I love the way her brain works and how her creative genius can find victory when she has almost nothing to work with.”

“And I’ve always admired Marinette for the way she goes out of the way to make everyone feel welcome - even stray cats that land on her balcony, the way she expects others to do the right thing, and the way she stands up when someone else doesn’t live up to those ideals. I love when her eyes get so big when she’s nervous and I positively love the moments when she trips over her own feet.”

She smacked him playfully, heat blazing from her neck to her ears. “Shut up! You do not!”

He laughed. “I do though! It gives me an excuse to touch her.”

She went still, her brows furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Every time you trip, I get to catch you or offer you a hand to get back up. I love those moments, Marinette. I’ve always cherished them.”

“Really?” She asked, her voice small, her eyes filling with emotion she could not define.

“Really,” he assured.

She moved before she thought about it. She literally threw herself at him, and he barely caught her; he was so startled. But he did catch her. Because he always caught her. And that made it really easy to kiss him.

Her lips pressed against his. And she took satisfaction from the fact that he took him a second to react, that she had managed to catch him off guard.

But then he did respond and she didn’t have the space for thought.

His hands cupped the base of her skull, cradling her whole head. His claws gently kneaded into her hair, sending tingles shooting down her neck and all the way down her spine. And his lips - they were so soft. As soft as a baby’s newborn skin. He gently sucked in on her lower lip causing her to gasp. They were sharing the same breath. His tongue tentatively brushed past her lips and she met it with her own.

Unfortunately, she eventually needed to breathe again.

“I love you,” she gasped against his mouth as she pulled away.

He smirked. “I told you that you’d fall for me eventually.”

She shoved him playfully away when he cackled happily. But she was laughing too.

“What am I going to do with you?” she demanded.

He pulled her against him again, and kissed her chastely. “Love me forever, I hope.” And then his expression grew serious. “Because I love you, Mari. I have since the day I met you.”

She grinned and traced the side of his face with a knuckle. “Forever doesn’t sound so bad,” she admitted before kissing him again.

And it really didn’t.

Even if he never let her hear the end of the fact that she had finally fallen for him despite her denials. Even if she had to put up with puns at the worst possible times. Even if he insisted on taking blow after blow for her.

If she was being honest, she didn’t want to hear the end of it. She wanted him to tease her for forever and a day. She wanted to hear his stupid jokes. And she wanted to fight with him at her side.

Because that was who he was. And she loved him.

[dandelionflower]

Felinette where after 10 years the school reunion happens but Mari and Felix are at the hospital since Mari is giving birth. At the reunion Lila tries her lies about Mari but the birth of Mari and Felix's kid is going live since Mari is a famous designer and Felix is her model.

[send me Felinette prompts/requests]

“Hey, girl!” Alya hugged Lila, grinning bright. “Guess who got herself an interview with Jagged Stone’s son last week?”

“You mean Shatter?” Lila smiled at her, voice softening like when a mother consoles a child. “He’s such a sweetie, isn’t he?”

“It’s Shawn, but yeah.” Alya grinned at the memory.

The wedding between Penny Rolling and Jagged Stone has happened when they were all just fourteen, and Shawn was born that next year.

The year Lila told them about her lies.

She admitted that she had lied about her trips, her connections, and being Ladybug’s friend. The only truth was knowing Jagged Stone, but that was because he was her godfather, not because she saved his kitten.

She was bawling on the floor, begging for forgiveness that the class surely gave.

Alya was twenty-nine now, and her journalistic pursuits were thriving, just like everyone else.

Rose had become a highly esteemed business woman, and Juleka was modeling so much, you couldn’t look at a magazine kiosk without seeing her face.

Ivan was a well-paid bodyguard for Mylene, who had gained fame by protesting all sorts of environmental atrocities. They had broken up after they had turned seventeen, but rumor had it that those old bonds were slowly repairing themselves.

Alix had become a famous rollerblader, breaking a record for fastest cross country time and took up ice skating; she was going to the next Olympic Games.

Kim was now the most wanted stuntmen in the world, for his lack of fear and uncanny ability to not die from heights.

Nathaniel and Marc parted ways as they went to different colleges, but were still in contact. Nathaniel often called Marc when the storyline for his comic book seemed a bit off and Marc would gladly tell him that the author was just being an idiot.

Max and Sabrina, amazingly enough, got married; they completed their medical doctorates together and, once they made enough money, went back to college to get degrees in technology and math for Max and philosophy and psychology for Sabrina.

Together, they found the cure for cancer and Sabrina ended up writing a bestselling self-help novel, Henchman: just one good friend isn’t always enough. Max had patented his AI technology and Markov got his own talk show.

Adrien was working with Child Protective Services and other organizations to help children in bad situations. His father’s company took a massive tank after Hawkmoth’s reveal and Adrien did nothing to keep it afloat.

Chloe took up acting. She was well known for her amazing performances of evil queens, heinous witches, terrifying stepmothers. She, of course, took it all in stride.

No one really knew what Lila or Marinette were up to, finding out was probably the reason most of them were here.

And Nino...

Nino was living life happily as a popular song composer with his daughter Harley, the daughter Alya missed with every passing day.

She shook her head. Now wasn’t time to dwell on recent events, now was a time to look back at the past and reminisce.

“Have you seen Marinette? I’ve been wondering what she’s been up to these past ten years.” Alya commented, barely noticing Lila stiffen up. “You too. I gave you my number for a reason, you know.”

“Yeah, but I lost my phone in the trenches and you know how bad my memory is.” She laughed, batting her hand in the air.

“Yeah, I do. So tell me now; what about trenches?”

“I’ve been doing some peace talks, you know, nothing big.”

“Like Mylene was?”

“...yeah, like that. Just on a slightly larger scale.”

“Larger than stopping the Third World War? Dang girl.”

“I’ve also been doing some acting in foreign films and donating my extra time to children in need.”

“Like Chloe, Kim, and Adrien!”

Her eye twitched. “So, is Marinette coming, or is she...”

“She’s definitely coming. She wouldn’t miss a class reunion for the world.”

“Are you sure, because I saw her not too long ago today and she didn’t seem to prepared.”

“She’s coming.” Alya spoke firmly.

“Hi Alya! Hi Lila!” Rose jumped in and hugged them both tightly. “Have either of you seen Mari? I need to give her congratulations.”

“Congratulations? For what?”

“She got married a while back! I was really busy though, so I wasn’t able to go to the wedding. Her number changed too so I couldn’t call her either.”

Alya frowned. She hadn’t gotten any invitation.

“She got married?” Lila gasped. “But who was that man she was kissing in the coffee shop?”

“That was probably him; I don’t know him well, but I remember him being blond.” Rose grinned.

“Are you sure? He seemed pretty red headed when I saw them.” She pressed her hands to her face. “You don’t think...”

“Lila, come on. Mari wouldn’t cheat on her husband.”

“Yeah... we’ll just talk to her when she gets here.” Lila agreed. “If she gets here in time.”

“She will.” Alya nodded, reassuring Lila with a smile.

For some reason, she didn’t seem too certain.

—

Hours passed and everyone had given a speech on the stage, all but one.

“Where could she be?” Alya hissed to herself, texting Marinette again and again only to get a message declaring her number inactive.

“Maybe she’s just not-“ Lila was cut off when Alya held up her hand.

“Don’t. Just don’t.”

The sound of feedback filled the room and every head turned towards the stage, where Miss Bustier was standing.

She looked almost the same, with her red hair in a bun and her crisp pale blue pantsuit. The signs of time were still there, though, in the wrinkles around her eyes and the sparkling grey at her roots.

“Hello class!” She paused and listened to them cheer. “We’ve heard all of your accounts of your school years, and now it’s time for your class president to have a word.”

Chatter filled the air, each person turning to look for the blurnette.

“Oh, I can’t wait to see her!” Rose squealed to Juleka. “I need to get her new number.”

Juleka glanced sideways at her. “She’s been texting me for months.”

“What?” Rose scrolled through her phone and stopped. “Oh! Here it is! My phone is set to block unknown numbers.” She clicked a button and grinned as she made a new contact for her, with lots of emojis.

“Where’s Marinette?” Someone yelled. “Shouldn’t she be here?”

“I’m afraid Marinette had some prior engagements.” Miss Bustier clicked a pointer to a projector. “But, luckily, we are able to see exactly what it is.”

Light funneled out of the projector and the class was treated to what looked like a home movie.

It was in a hospital, but one boys face overtook the screen. He had on a blue striped shirt and a cheeky smile.

“Hey ma peeps! For those of you just joining us, I’m Claude...”

Another boy popped up in a green beret. “And I’m Mercury.”

“...and this is the livestream of the birth of a demigod!”

Sabrina and Max rose their fists and started chanting, “Elise! Elise! Elise!”

Ivan and Mylene glared at them playfully and started their own chant. “Dean! Dean! Dean!”

“What are they talking about?” Alya whispered to Rose.

“Didn’t you know? I just found out, it’s-“ she was cut off by a familiar voice coming from the speakers.

“Claude, I swear, if you don’t turn off that camera right now...”

The camera panned to a blue haired woman lying in a bed, a platinum blond man by her side.

“Sorry, Madame Culpa-Dupain-Cheng,” he laughed as Alya gasped inside the gymnasium, “you’re bedridden, so I’m not afraid of you.”

“Felix is still here.” She pointed out, leveling a finger at the camera. “Felix, get ‘im.”

The blond looked somewhere behind the camera’s field of view and made to move, but stopped as Marinette shouted out in pain.

“Felix,” she panted, after the screaming ceased, “I just want you to know that I love you, but I am never doing this again.” She looked up at him and received an amused grin.

“Fine by me.” He kissed her temple and Claude spoke again.

“You heard it here first folks! The legendary child, the only of its kind!”

She glared at him again. “Felix, if you don’t mind.”

“It would be my pleasure.” He began rolling up his sleeves and began walking towards Claude with a brisk pace.

“Uh, Claude?” Mercury, spoke with a nervous lilt to his voice.

“Well, that’s our live secret look into the birth of the legendary child of famous designer Marinette Culpa-Dupain-Chang and her photographer Felix Culpa-Dupain-Cheng!” Claude opened the door and hurried out. “Comment below on what you think the gender of the legend child will be and what the parents should name them; Claude Junior...”

“Or Mercury Junior!”

“Or the great Allegra the second?”

“Guys?” Adrien stood up from where he was sitting next to a blonde woman in a braid and a darker haired woman. “Is everything okay in there?”

“In there, fine, but out here?”

“There is a man on a mission behind us and that mission includes the removal of our tongues.”

“Better keep running, then.” The dark haired girl shouted, not even glancing up from her phone.

“Indeed.” Felix’s voice came from close behind the camera.

Both Claude and Mercury shrieked and began running down the hall once more, the other girl beside Adrien laughing while shouting, “Get ‘em good Felix!”

Alya stood stock-still, staring at the black screen.

Marinette is having a baby.

Adrien and four strangers are there for it.

She got married.

I didn’t know about it.

Lila said she saw Marinette today when she’s clearly been in the hospital all day, and is obviously in love with that Felix guy.

Suddenly, the fact that no one else but Rose, the sweetest person in class, had been talking to Lila was making a whole lot more sense.

@virgil-is-a-cutie

[chocoluckchipz]

The Other You - 16

Read it on A03, FF.net, WattPad

< Previous

Chat raced across the rooftops, one thought hammering in his mind— how did this happen? How could he tell Marinette what he was hiding from the whole world? Hawkmoth for a father. He was barely starting to come to terms with that himself. He never wanted anyone to know. Only Ladybug was bound to find out eventually, and only because he had to return the peacock and butterfly miraculouses to her. Otherwise, Adrien would’ve taken that secret to his grave. How he could let slip to one of the most amazing people he knew that he had the most sought-after villain in the history of Paris, if not France, for a father was beyond him. How was he supposed to tell that to Ladybug also?

How?  

He couldn’t. Not yet. He’d tell her eventually. But not now. He wasn’t ready yet. 

Chat jumped and caught hold of a beam, starting his ascent up the Eiffel Tower. 

Marinette, though, didn’t seem to hate him for his unfortunate family connections. A sigh of relief slipped his lips because being hated by Marinette for his own faults was hard enough. He wasn’t sure he could handle her hatred for something that he had absolutely no control over. Because Marinette was amazing—the greatest friend one could wish for, and the strongest person he’d ever met. 

She was the only one, as far as he knew, who had managed to work for his father for years and not fully succumb to his destructive ways. She was close. Dangerously deep in that abyss, but she survived. Snapping out of it just in time, Marinette came back stronger than ever—something Adrien had an honour of witnessing with his own eyes in the last few weeks as Chat Noir, ‘Felix’, and as Adrien. She was truly an inspiration, so maybe he should take her advice and tell Ladybug everything? Marinette thought it was for the best, and Chat trusted Marinette.

“Hey there, Chaton.” Ladybug landed beside him at the top of the Eiffel Tower. “Haven’t seen you in a while. Been busy?”

“Kind of. How have you been?”

She walked to him and, without explanation, wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head onto his chest. “Lonely, but it’s alright now.”

Startled, Chat hesitated for a little before returning her embrace. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to come more often. Life’s been kind of crazy as of late.”

Ladybug pulled away, rolling her eyes as she chuckled. “Tell me about it. But then when have our lives ever not been crazy?” 

“True.” He grabbed his baton from behind his back. “Shall we start our patrol?”

Ladybug nodded, preparing her yo-yo. “I’ll take the west side, you round the east. If something happens, ring me up. Otherwise, I’ll see you here in half an hour?”

“I’ll stop by Tom and Sabine’s for some pastries if you give me five more minutes.”

“Oh! Haven’t had them in a while. You’ve got a deal.”

They charged forward, each taking their respective routes. Adrien zoomed through the city, not even bothering to look around much. Instead, he ran. Ran as fast as he could, reaching for the courage that was slipping through his fingers with every passing moment. Marinette thought it’d be for the best to tell Ladybug. He trusted Marinette. He had to. She was the only thing that kept him from completely crumbling when he’d just found out and since. He owed her that much.

Predictably, no akumas were found, and soon Chat was walking into a familiar bakery, flashing his best smile to its owner. Tom greeted him with a grin of his own, immediately packing a box full of treats Chat often ordered. 

“Haven’t seen you in a while, Chat Noir.”

“Life kept my hero persona away,” he said, winking. “Doesn’t mean I wasn’t here as my civilian self.”

“Oh, were you?” Tom laughed. “You know, I might try to figure you out one of these days.”

“What for?”

“How does ‘trying to sell you something you can’t buy as a superhero’ sound?”

Chat grinned. He loved to banter with this man. “I’m all ears. You might just convince me to drop a hint or two if the offer is tempting.”

“I’ve got an unmarried daughter. Beautiful. Strong and independent. An amazing cook. Would you be interested?”

Chat blinked, his grin frozen on his face. “Does this daughter of yours know you want to sell her off to me?”

“I’m sure she wouldn’t object.”

Chat quirked an eyebrow. “If Marinette is still anything like I remember her, I’m pretty sure she’d kick both of our asses if I were to agree to take her off your hands behind her back.”

Tom laughed. “That she would. But hey, what else am I supposed to do? She keeps telling me she’s too busy to date and I’m not getting any younger. I want to see her happy before I kick the bucket. Not to mention I’d love to see my grandkids before then too.”

“Then let her be.” Chat chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll find the right person when the time is right.”

Tom pursed his lips. “So that’s a no?”

Chat gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, but this cat’s allegiance lies somewhere else.”

“Oh well. It was worth a try. If you change your mind, though, I can arrange it for you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” 

The pastry box in his hands, Chat headed back to the Eiffel Tower. 

He arrived first. Feeling restless, he set the pastry box on the beam and paced the perimeter. She’d be here soon, and he’d have to tell her. Everything. Just like Marinette had told him. About his love for her, about Hawkmoth, and possibly his own identity. There was also the matter of Nooroo and Duusu and the fact that Adrien wanted to keep the butterfly miraculous for another two weeks. Maybe even a few more days after that because Marinette would surely need help from ‘Felix’ during the Fashion Week. 

A rumble of thunder split the night sky, lightning illuminating the darkness somewhere in the distance. Chat stopped and leaned on a beam, slightly dizzy. Crossing his arms, he considered his approach. He should probably start with his love confession, something he had experience with and the highest chance of succeeding in. His last attempt was years ago, and Chat was certain that things had changed between them since then. He had done everything Ladybug asked of him. He had given her space and time, respected her boundaries, never going beyond friendly or what she initiated herself. He never pushed, never insisted, never confessed again for years. As a result, Ladybug was more and more accepting of his attention. He sensed it for some time now—they were closer than ever before. So, he should start with a love confession and move on from that.

“You’re fast,” Ladybug said, appearing in front of him out of nowhere. “I thought I’d be waiting for you, not the other way around.”

“I came back just a few minutes ago,” he said, picking up the box and opening it for her. “Ladies first.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Ladybug took a macaron and sat on the beam, dangling her legs over the edge. “So what’s up with you, Chaton? Anything interesting?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “No, nothing out of the ordinary. The east side is quiet.”

“I meant your life,” Ladybug said, munching on her treat. “You said you were busy, so I was wondering what was going on with you in your civilian life.”

Chat hummed, settling down beside her, perhaps for the first time being very aware of the height they were at. He swallowed, echoing her question. “My life? Nothing special. Demanding job. Lots of work. Boring.”

She seemed to be waiting for him to continue, but Chat hesitated. The moment didn’t feel right yet. He couldn’t confess with his stomach churning and his throat so dry he’d drink an ocean if given the chance. A bit later. A few more minutes. His gaze darting from place to place, he clutched his hands together in his lap and asked instead, “And you? How have you been?”

Her head cocked to the side, Ladybug watched him with a smile. “I’ve been well. Almost done with my project thanks to my assistant. We’re actually ahead of the deadline, so I’m excited.”

“That’s nice.”

“It is.”

“Want another macaron? Tom gave me a few of their seasonal ones. Said they were to die for.”

“Why not?” She took another treat from the box Chat was holding out to her and bit in, closing her eyes. “My favourite. I’ve missed these.”

Lightning flashed across the darkness, followed closely by a roar of thunder. Adrien bit at his lower lip. It’s going to rain soon. He’d better hurry up with his confessions because—

“Hey, Chat?” Ladybug asked before he braved opening his mouth. “Have you ever been in love?”

He stared at her, gaping like a fish. Could Ladybug read his mind?

“You know. Have you ever felt like you could spend hours, days and even months with a person and never get bored?”

He couldn’t help a smile. Of course, but it didn’t necessarily mean he was in love with the person. Marinette, for example. These days, he was spending practically all of his time with her and it had never been boring. In fact, he wouldn’t complain if their dinners were a bit longer than they were, so much fun they had together. But he wasn’t in love with Marinette. She was just a friend.  

“Have you ever longed to see someone so much you counted the minutes until your meeting?”

Um. Yes? Marinette, for example. But only because she was an amazing cook and he loved food. 

“Have you ever felt so comfortable around a person you could tell them all of your secrets and know they would understand and accept and wouldn’t judge you, helping you out instead?”

Chat swallowed. Yes… Marinette. His eyes widened. Was this the reason he so easily blurted out one of his biggest secrets to her just now? Because in the last few months he had gotten to know Marinette all over again, and if she was amazing before, having gone through all the things she had been through, Marinette had grown into the most fantastic woman ever now. He’d seen the change for himself and, despite their complicated history, Chat trusted her more than ever. Being in her presence alone was wonderful. She made him feel safe, loved, and accepted. Was that why he didn’t keep his mouth shut? Because in his heart he knew she’d understand and wouldn’t judge. 

“Have you ever looked at that person and couldn’t stop smiling because of how beautiful they are inside and out?”

 Chat gulped, his chest tightening. Marinette was always beautiful. Now though, as the exhaustion that branded her just a few months ago was gone, she was clearly mind-blowingly gorgeous. As for inside… His smile turned sheepish. Marinette was warmth and beauty. Marinette was his home. He dared to say her soul was much more beautiful than her outward appearance.

His eyes blew wide. Was… was he in love with Marinette? Chat stilled, his breathing picking up. 

No! 

He loved Ladybug. He always had. He couldn’t have fallen for someone else.

“And given the chance to be with anyone at any given moment, is there a person who instantly comes to your mind?”

Chat stilled, terrified to answer that question even to himself because it wasn’t his Lady’s name that just zoomed through his thoughts. Chat shook his head. 

No! 

It had to be a mistake. It was probably the food! Not Marinette. And it was probably the remnants of being an akuma and his obsession with helping Marinette. He had to account for that because there was no way there were no side-effects from daily self-akumatization. And it was probably only because Marinette already knew his secret, thus there was fear associated with telling Ladybug. It was just bad timing. 

Nothing more.

Ladybug turned to face him, a gentle smile on her lips as she took his hand in hers. “For me, it’s you, Chaton. I love you. I’ve loved you for a long time and I don’t want to hold back anymore.”

Chat froze, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. Not because of the happiness he always imagined he’d feel when Ladybug finally fell in love with him. No! Chat stood paralyzed because he couldn’t say ‘I love you’ back, not after everything that just went through his head. Not when he was still full of guilt for keeping secrets from her. Not when she didn’t know that he was born to their enemy. 

Not now! 

His words gone, lips slightly ajar as awkwardness and fear constricted his throat, Chat stared at Ladybug in silence.

“Chaton?” She reached forward to cup his jaw with her hand. “Is everything alright?”

He sighed, closing his eyes at her touch. Clenching his teeth, Chat covered her hand with his and whispered: “I’m sorry. I… I can’t… Not right now.”

He could feel every muscle in Ladybug’s body tense. Reaching forward, she cradled his face with both her hands and lifted it up to look him in the eyes. “Chaton? What’s wrong? I thought… I thought you wanted this. I thought you loved me.”

“I do love you,” he rushed to assure her. “You’re my best friend, the one person I trust with my life. I do love you, Ladybug, but… I’m just not sure if… if I’m still in love with you anymore. Ugh! This is so confusing.” Groaning, he hid his face in his hands and stilled, murmuring a moment later. “Can I be honest?”

“Of course you can.” She took his hands from his face, holding them tight as they fell into his lap. “Whatever it is, I want to know it.”

He gulped, shifting his gaze to the side. “I’ve loved you for years, my Lady. Ever since the day we met, you were the one to hold my heart, and if asked a month ago, I wouldn’t have hesitated to confess my love for you on the spot. But… there’s this girl, an old friend of mine I’ve recently reconnected with.” Her hands twitched in his, yet she didn’t let go. “Just now when you were asking me those questions, it was her name that kept popping up in my thoughts. Not yours.” He raised his eyes full of apology to her. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know why this happened but I need to figure it out before I can respond to your confession. It might be just a fleeting infatuation. It might be something more, but until I know for sure, I don’t think it would be fair of me to give you an answer.” Lightly squeezing her hands in his, Chat pleaded. “Please, don’t hate me. I don’t know how this happened and I’m so, so sorry about this.”

For what felt like the longest while, Ladybug silently stared at him. Her eyes reflected the Paris lights as thunder sounded once more. He could see tears gathering in them. It broke his heart, but what could he do? He was already lying to her about Hawkmoth; he couldn’t lie about this as well. 

Pulling her into a hug, Chat murmured once again. “I’m sorry.”

She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. “Does she make you happy?”

Chat didn’t even have to imagine. Warmth and peace flooded his whole being at the mere thought of Marinette. Not being able to give her the answer out loud, he hummed.

Her arms around him tightened. “Then that’s all that matters. I just want you to be happy.”

The first drops of rain hit them, bouncing off their suits and skin. Adrien looked up at the sky. “Do you want to hide somewhere?”

“I’d better go,” she whispered and pulled away, her eyes full of the tears she was holding back. 

“Ladybug…”

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered, standing up. “I just need some time alone but thank you for being honest. I do appreciate it.”

“Are you sure?” He stood up as well. 

“We’re still friends, right?”

“Of course. Your friendship is the most important thing in my life.”

“Then I’ll be fine, Chaton. Take care of yourself. I’ll see you around.” With those words, Ladybug was gone, zooming into the darkness of the city below them. 

Chat watched her depart in silence. His head hung low, shoulders slumped, he cursed under his breath. This was supposed to be his turn for the better. They were supposed to leave this place happy. Why did he have to always ruin everything? Why did he have to always break something? First, it was Marinette’s heart all those years ago. Then, all of his friendships. And now, he’d pushed away the only person who was always there for him. He really was a wielder of destruction, a vessel of chaos wherever he went.

Chat closed his eyes as a realization dawned on him. Marinette… They’d been doing so well rekindling their friendship, but it was only a matter of time before he ruined everything again. He couldn't let the history repeat itself. He had to stay away from her—for her sake. ‘Felix’ would disappear after Fashion Week. Adrien Agreste would go back to being a teacher in September. Chat Noir would have to stop coming over immediately, though. 

They would need to come up with some other kind of rent fee if Marinette insisted on it. It didn’t really matter to him. For all he cared, she could live there her whole life for free. He’d miss their times together. Not just the food, but all the fun they shared. With Chat Noir, Marinette was her most relaxed self and he loved it. 

He loved her.  

Now that he’d realized it, he couldn’t deny it anymore—he was in love with Marinette, and for her sake, he’d have to let her go. 

His heart clenched, tears spilling over as rain continued to soak him. He should probably warn her. Knowing Marinette, she’d be worried and looking for him, and he didn’t want to cause her more trouble. He’d have to think up some kind of excuse to justify him never coming back. That shouldn’t be too hard, but he better do it before he’d change his mind. 

Meaning he better do it now. 

Chat wiped his tears, his decision cementing in his mind. It wasn’t too late into the night yet; Marinette should still be awake right now. At least he could check if she was. Reaching for his baton, Chat pushed the knot in his throat down. 

He had to do it. 

It would be for the best. 

For everyone.

Especially for Marinette.

She wasn’t home. 

At first, Chat thought Marinette had gone to bed already, but the light in her bedroom was on, and he could see through the window that she wasn’t there. Nor was she anywhere else in the apartment. Assuming that she must have gone for a run or to a nearby grocery shop, Chat scouted the neighbourhood for some time before giving up. It was raining and late. Not many people were out. She must have gone back to the apartment already, or she could be waiting out the storm somewhere. He probably should do that too. He could wait for her back at the apartment. She’d come back eventually and Chat wasn’t sure he could sleep a wink tonight anyway. Better get this over with as soon as possible. 

He got into the living room through the balcony door as he’d always done and found a towel to dry himself. Then, Chat sat on the couch and let the silence consume him, every minute feeling like an eternity.

An hour later, the front door creaked open and Marinette slouched in. 

Adrien stilled, pain gripping his chest.

Dripping with rainwater, clothes completely soaked, Marinette was struggling to muffle her crying. She froze in place, noticing him. Her tears didn’t stop, violently streaming down her cheeks. Her lips trembling, she held herself with her arms, gaping at him in silence for a full minute before averting her gaze.

“What are you doing here, Chat? I asked for some space. Please, give me at least that.” 

Next >

[lnc2]

baby please (come home)

Summary: It’s the first Christmas after Hawkmoth’s defeat and Adrien is struggling without his lady.

A/N: This is an @mlsecretsanta​ gift for @dailyplagg who requested ladrien.  I hope you like it!

AO3

The words bah humbug never had a place in Adrien’s vocabulary.  But as he hit the snooze on yet another alarm he felt he was as close as he ever would be to sympathizing with its originator.

Ebenezer Scrooge had nothing on him.

Adrien didn’t need corporeal manifestations of the past to haunt him into the holiday spirit. He had enough ghosts hanging around as it was.  His father’s empty house, his father’s empty chair. He was used to missing his mother this time of year but burying her in the spring reopened old wounds.

Reporters stopped calling months ago but Adrien still saw the occasional photographer in the bushes across the street.  No amount of quiet menacing from the Gorilla could keep them all away but then again who could resist the tragic son of a convicted terrorist?

Not the tabloids. 

The first few weeks were the worst.

The shock, the pity, the speculation. 

The trial.

Adrien didn’t think he would ever be able to explain just exactly how it felt to testify against his father, not once, but twice.  The press was quick to point out how somber Chat Noir was in those days, unable to muster a smile even for his lady.

His lady.  

Hah.

His third and final ghost sat like a weight on his chest, an ache in his hand, a phantom limb.  She’d never understood why Hawkmoth’s reveal had rattled Chat Noir as much as it had, but she’d rarely spent a night away from him in the beginning.  His days were filled dodging reporters and hiding out with well meaning friends like Nino and Kagami and Marinette while his evenings were spent racing across rooftops with his partner who didn’t know his reasons but knew his hurt.

Until she left.

“Just for the semester,” She’d assured him, quickly taking his hand in her own as they ignored the city laid out before them in favor of each other’s eyes.  It had been that way for a while now, long enough for Adrien to hope that maybe his lady was finally his lady.  A fledgling desire that was quashed the instant she told him she was leaving.

“I have an opportunity… I can’t turn it down.”

Adrien understood.  He did. Even if his heart didn’t quite believe her when she said,

“I’m not abandoning you.”

But the last thing he wanted to do was hold her back.  Wherever it was Ladybug was going, whatever it was that was taking her away from him, well, she deserved it.  Paris was safe now. He knew she was in university like him. She couldn’t keep her life on hold forever.

But that didn’t mean he didn’t miss her.

Some nights he’d wonder where she’d gone, who she was seeing, what she was doing.  If she were happy, if she would stay.  

If she were thinking of him.  

Those last thoughts sent him into a melancholy spiral that even Plagg couldn’t pull him out of.

And as the days turned into weeks into months, he found himself sinking further into his despair.  His therapist, an Alya-Nino-Marinette intervention insistence, told him it was only natural to feel low as the holidays drew near.

“After all,” She’d said, fixing him with the best earnest, non-judgemental glare money could buy. “You’re coming up on some big anniversaries.”

The happiest time of year indeed.

Sighing, he snuggled deeper beneath his covers, ignoring his alarm as it once again filled the room.  Plagg would take care of it when he was irritated enough- right now Adrien couldn’t muster up the energy to reach across the bed.

Maybe he should just skip the party tonight.

Even as that tempting thought crossed his mind he knew it was a nonstarter.  Nino would skin him alive if he bothered sending the sorry bro i’m just not up for it text he was already mentally drafting.

“It won’t be the same without you,” His friend had said when Adrien tried to reject the initial invitation. “Don’t bail on us at Christmas. Between you and Marinette the group has been pretty small lately.”

Nino wasn’t wrong.

Audrey Bourgeois had offered Marinette another opportunity to intern with her in New York and this time she’d accepted.  It had been tough, missing not just one but two of his closest friends these last few months. But Marinette had been in constant contact through group chats, instagram, and on one particularly rough night three weeks back, a two hour long phone call to talk him down from a panic attack.

At the time she was the only one who would answer her phone but in the end Adrien found she was exactly who he’d needed to talk him down.  He’d panicked later, texting her apology after apology, but her long string of emojis and all caps insistence that that’s what she was there for went a long way to easing his guilt.  Still, he was dying to thank her in person.

But Marinette wasn’t due back in Paris until after the New Year.  Making it that much harder for Adrien to drag himself out of bed and into the shower so he wouldn’t be late.

“Do I even need to shower, Plagg?”

His kwami gave him a sniff.

“You smell great to me.”

A shower it is.

Groaning Adrien rolled himself to his feet and shuffled off to the bathroom.  If he hurried he could still meet Nino at Alya’s place before they left for the bar.

It was hard to leave once he got there though and he found himself lingering under the hot water.  If he hadn’t given the Gorilla the week off he might have asked him to drive him over but as it was his best bet was probably taking a cab. Bribing Plagg to transform was always an option but with Ladybug out of the city Chat Noir was making fewer and fewer appearances.  Transforming tonight was guaranteed to attract attention, which was the last thing he wanted these days.

Resigning himself to a cab and a stranger’s curious stares, Adrien stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. At this rate he was going to have to meet his friends at the party.  He stepped out of the bathroom to grab his phone and update Nino only to stop short.

Ladybug was sitting on the edge of his bed.  She was kicking her feet together, agitated, as she stared down at her fidgeting hands.  Her hair was longer and pulled into a ponytail but she was otherwise the same as he’d last seen her yoyoing off into the fading summer sunset.

Something like a whine escaped his throat and her head snapped up.

“Adrien!” She squeaked, jumping to her feet.  “I– you– oh .” Ladybug’s face flushed pink and her eyes roamed over him once, twice, before resting firmly on his forehead.  “Your w-window was open so I…” She gave a jerky wave. Adrien glanced towards his windows and then back to her, not entirely believing she was actually here.

“ Lady- bug?” He said, voice cracking on the second syllable.  Her eyes, blue and familiar and dear, flicked down to his.  She bit her lip, a nervous habit he didn’t know he missed, and nodded.

Something tight and painful eased in his chest.

“I thought you left Paris.”

Ladybug’s smile was too sad, eyes too knowing when she said 

“I came back early.”

“Oh.” His hand found the back of his neck and he gripped it tight to keep himself from reaching towards her. “When…?”

“My plane got in an hour ago.”

“I see.” He said, not seeing at all. How heres and why mes flooded his thoughts but before he could even begin to give them voice Ladybug shifted, averting her gaze away from his.

“I didn’t mean to catch you at a bad time.”

It took him another moment to realize he was still wrapped only in a towel.  Adrien yelped and crossed his arms over his chest only to scramble back to grip the towel again as it threatened to slip down his hips.

Oh god this isn’t happening.

“I– can I have a moment?”

Ladybug nodded, eyes focused somewhere above his head, and Adrien rushed to his closet to pull on the first set of clothes he could find.  It wasn’t until he was already running back to her that he realized he’d pulled on the red and black Christmas sweater Nino bought for him as a joke.  The sweater was a monstrosity that read Jingle Bug in bright gold letters with every black spot adorned with a matching gold bell.  Adrien loved it when he unwrapped it but wearing it for his friends and wearing it for his lady were two entirely different things.

Horror filled him as he jingled back to her. 

Ladybug’s lips twitched.

“Please don’t,” Adrien groaned, running his hands through his hair.  “It was a gift from a friend.”

She giggled, shoulders shaking with poorly suppressed laughter and even though it was at his expense, Adrien’s heart flipped at the sound.

How many months had it been since he’d heard her laugh?

“I missed that,” He said, smiling softly.

Ladybug’s eyes sparkled in the overhead lights as she met his smile with her own.  It wasn’t until the silence stretched between them that he realized there was something wrong with this picture.

“What– um,” He coughed, blushed.  Tried again. “What are you doing here?”

Ladybug’s smile fell and he rushed on.

“Not that I’m not happy to see you.  Because I am. Happy, that is. But, um… why...” me?  He swallowed. “Why here?”

It’s not like they’d never spoken before.  Adrien found himself caught up in several akuma attacks over the years, unable to transform and rescued by his lady. And even after his father… well, after , Ladybug made it a point to stop by every once and a while to check on him.  More so in the early days, when the press and police and speculation about his own possible involvement in Hawkmoth’s schemes were under scrutiny, but still.  It wasn’t completely out of the question that she would drop in on a random evening.

Just not like tonight.

Even in his wildest daydreams, he couldn’t delude himself into thinking Adrien Agreste was so important to Ladybug that she’d be his first stop on her return to Paris.  Not before checking in with friends and family. Not before checking in with Chat .

Adrien’s heart beat an unsteady tattoo as he searched his partner’s face.  Ladybug’s eyes were soft, her smile kind as she reached forward and took his hand in hers.

“I heard you needed me.”

Always.

The word, fierce and quick, stuck in his throat.  It’s what he wanted to say. It’s what Chat Noir would say.

Adrien could only tremble as she entwined their fingers together.

“I’m just sorry it took me so long to get here.”

“My–” He stopped, his hand squeezing hers tight.  Her figure blurred behind the tears in his eyes and he was horrified to find some had already escaped down his cheeks.

Ladybug reached forward to cup his cheek with her free hand, thumb brushing away his tears, her spandex cool against his heated skin.

“It’s okay, chaton,” She whispered and even as the words left her mouth Adrien found himself collapsing into her arms, clutching and pulling and holding her to him.  His shoulders shook with sobs and he buried his face into her neck, relief and joy and exhaustion overwhelming him.

Ladybug’s knees buckled beneath their combined weight and Adrien sank with her to the ground.  Arms clasped tight around her waist he planted frantic kisses across her cheek, her ears, her forehead until they were both reduced to a teary, giggling mess.

“Silly kitty,” She murmured when he’d finally calmed down enough to pull away from her.  Adrien’s ribs felt tight around his chest at her sweet smile. She tapped his nose, once, twice and shook her head.  “I told you I’d come back.”

“How though?” He stared at her, his beautiful, wonderful Ladybug.  “How did you know?”

“You told me.”

“What?”

She blushed and made to push herself away from him but Adrien held her tight.

“My lady,” He coaxed, pulling her closer and rubbing soothing circles across her back.

“You, um, you called me.” Her eyes flicked to and away from his.  Adrien buried his face in her hair. “T-three weeks ago. You were kind of upset and let some things… some Chat things... slip and I… put it together.”

Adrien’s hands didn’t stop their movement even as realization crashed over him.  Three weeks back and a panic attack he couldn’t control. A late night phone call with one of his dearest friends, abroad for an internship and absent for the last few months.  Incoherent rambling about his father, the press, his lady.

The breath fell out of him and his grip on the stiff woman in his lap tightened all the more.

“Marinette,” He breathed.  Slowly, realizing he wasn’t about to push her away, she returned the embrace.

“Marinette.” He said, again, for the joy of it.

“Adrien.” Ladybug, Marinette, said and he could hear the smile in her voice.

Not wanting to miss seeing the real thing, he pulled back and grinned in return.

“You’re home.”

“Yeah, kitty.” She murmured, shyly playing with the bells of his sweater.  “I’m home.”