#idea: maribat! on deck

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Chapter 26 - Tender Port

Thank you @rebecarojas07 for beta-reading and being supportive!

A tender port indicates that the ship will anchor in the bay near the port. You will board a smaller vessel that will ferry you between the cruise ship and port. We’re nearing the end of our voyage.

Start [Here] [Part 25] [Finale] -or- [AO3]

“Why did you have to come here? Just let me disappear!” The Akuma grunted as he faded in and out with the steam. The only one truly able to keep up was Cat Noir. His enhanced vision gave him an advantage through the hazard lights while the other three found it more difficult to varying degrees. Robin used his batarangs effectively, getting the Akuma out of corners and into the open. Rena used her hearing to best pick up on the enemy. Queen Bee was ready to pull out her venom when asked but otherwise was at the mercy of the room’s layout.

Cat Noir wiped the sweat off his forehead and called out, "What do you mean 'disappear'?"

Rena’s ear twitched and she swung to her left, “Come out already!”

“Why don’t you just leave me here?” The room became unbearably hot and the mist became almost too thick to breathe.

Robin didn’t care for the idea of being nothing more than a steamed vegetable. Still, the image of Tess came into his mind. These were broken, not malicious. He lowered his sword and called to the mist, “Why don’t you tell us why first?” The small team held their positions as they waited for a response. The emergency broadcast didn’t help at all in communicating.

Queen Bee groaned, "Hurry up and answer so we can leave! Do you think I want to be here any longer than I have to? This is ruining my hair!”

"Really, Chloe?"

“Queen-”

“Chloe Bourgeois?” The room seemed to cool slightly. Queen Bee fanned away some of the steam near her face only for a figure to appear before her. The form resembled a human, but the features were entirely gone. It gave her chills, like seeing a creature in an old folk tale. She adjusted her grip on her top but the Akuma simply stood there. It was clear he was waiting for an answer.

“Yes?”

“Oh my god, Chloe!” The steam suddenly settled near the ground, making the room visible again. She watched the Akuma’s feature fade back into view and it became clear that she knew this one. He was disheveled, but the uniform was still as fancy as ever. His shame only echoed in his tone of voice, “I am so sorry! I am so stupid! You came in here with Marinette, of course you were Chloe!”

Queen Bee looked him up and down before asking, “Charles?”

“Charles?” Robin sheathed his sword before walking up to the two, “What the hell happened to you? Why are you down here?”  

“I already told you, I want to just disappear. This has been the worst voyage I’ve ever worked and I’m tired.”

“You can say that again.” Queen Bee walked up beside him before nudging him with her shoulder, “That’s why you haven’t been present in the group chat.”

Rena Rouge found it almost strange to talk to an Akuma so casually. Usually, they were so hell-bent on getting the Miraculous. Without Hawkmoth's influence, the Akumas still have humanity. Rena was about to ask something when Red Robin’s voice nearly deafened the group, “You guys, we lost contact with Carapace and Marinette!”

Rena screamed into her communicator, “You what? How did you lose contact? They were heading straight for you guys!”

“What’s going on?”

Queen Bee growled and mutter a few curses before saying, “We lost contact with Marinette and Carapace.”

“How did you lose the girl?” Cat Noir opened his mouth with a stupid smile on his face and Robin turned to him with a straightforward, “Don’t.”

“Sorry. Comedic habit.” Cat Noir headed for the door, “I don’t know but Charles might be able to help us.”

“What? How?”

Robin looked over skeptically at Cat Noir, “Yeah, I’d like to hear this plan of yours too.”

“You can turn invisible, right?” He peeked around the open door and saw no signs of an ambush. “Charles?”

“Y-Yeah, I think so.”

“Then we’re not going to change you back just yet. You could be useful.”

“We can’t leave someone akumatized! We don’t know how much influence Lila has on them!”

“Clearly not a lot. If she was anywhere near Hawkmoth’s power then she would’ve interfered by now. Now come on.”

“But-”

“No, I agree. Charles was one of the first allies she made on the ship, he’s unlikely to hurt Marinette.”

Rena held her doubts close to her heart as Cat Noir ushered them out of the boiler room and into the hall. As Marinette’s best friend and Ladybug’s biggest fan, she’s been used against her plenty of times. Many of her friends have. Allies didn’t mean anything. She pushed forward as they rushed to the top deck. The five held onto the stair railings as the ship rocked violently.

The groaning was to be expected, the sound of something bouncing was not. Rena recognized the sound in the pit of her stomach but needed to see it. She called up the stairway, "Nino?" The group stayed quiet as they waited for a response. They got it in the form of a muffled groan. "Oh my god, Nino!"

“Rena, wait!”

Robin's words fell on deaf ears as she propped herself up on the railing and jumped up to the next platform. She grunted as she pulled herself up before being faced with a bubble. “What?” She worked her way over the railings and walked over to the glossy container. She cautiously knocked and prayed that the bubble didn’t muffle the sound. “Nino?” With no response from the Akuma curled up on the ground, she began pounding. “Nino? Nino, can you hear me? Nino!”

"Rena!" Cat Noir was the first to catch up to her and he examined the bubble. "This looks like the one Ladybug and I were trapped in." He grabbed his baton and swung it at the bubble, "Nino! Come on Nino!" Cat Noir looked around his body and noted just how empty it was. "Nino! We need you, bro! Get up!"

Queen Bee followed up shortly with the other two men right behind. “Nino’s akumatized too? Oh, this can't get-"

Robin slapped his hand over her mouth, “If you follow that up with ‘any worse’ I will permanently ensure your retirement as Queen Bee.” She rolled her eyes as he turned to Cat Noir, “How do we get him out?”

“I’m going to have to use my powers.”

“Do you have enough cheese for another recharge?”

“Not really, but I can try to make it work.”

“Right, because that sounds confident. We have two Akumas. It doesn’t matter if they’re friendly, they’re still liabilities.”

Rena scrunched her nose, “When did you become the reasonable one?”

Queen Bee’s expression deadpanned as she said, “Since Marinette became a missing person for the second time.” Rena Rouge couldn’t respond to her, choosing to look back at Nino.

“Sorry. I’m just –”

“Apologize to Lila for me.”

“Why?”

Queen Bee cracked her knuckles, "Her nose is going to hurt after I punch her."

The chuckle lightened the mood somewhat, but the pressure of a missing Ladybug was still heavy for everyone. Feeling another tremor, the group wondered where their leader was anyways. They really could’ve used her. Rena looked over the group and noticed an unusual sense of calm from Robin. “You’re doing surprisingly well.”

“I have faith that she’s fine.”

“You’re not worried?”

“Of course I am, but Marinette can take care of herself. She’d want us to focus on Nino and Charles.” He pulled out his phone and typed a few messages before looking back up to the Bubbler. “Cat Noir, use the Cataclysm. I’m sure we can find something around, but your Kwami might have to settle.”

“But Marinette-”

“Is being looked for by my father and Red Hood as we speak. Hopefully, there are still some monitors working so we can see where they're heading. Trust me, if there’s even a hair out of place Red Hood is going to do more than just punch.” He put away his phone and stared at Cat Noir, “Let’s get Nino out of there. He’s been waiting long enough.”

Cat Noir looked down at his hand before nodding, “Cataclysm!” As he watched the bubble turn to ash, his mind went back to his lady. As Rena wrapped her arms around the Bubbler, he wondered if she needed him. As the Bubbler began apologizing, he wondered what she was doing right now.

If she could answer, she’d tell him she was simply observing her capture’s behavior for the moment.

Marinette concluded that watching Lila was like watching a rabid animal. Despite the rocking ship, she seemed unbothered by the tremors. Her steps were uncoordinated as she wandered through the room. Marinette vaguely remembered the large table. Chairs were sprawled around the room and she looked at the projector hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Marinette kept her breathing steady as Lila looked her way.

“Oh Marinette, you’ve slept long enough. I need you to wake up." Marinette watched her carefully as Lila walked over to her. She crouched down and whined, "Come on! I need your help." Marinette continued to breathe easy. Lila's eyes never strayed from her chest, it kept Marinette focused and cold. Lila let out a frustrated yell, "Why can't you listen to me? Ever?”

Marinette was still doing her best to figure it out. Looking back she remembered being dizzy and she felt tired. The ringing in her ears made it difficult for her to understand the overhead speakers. Her eye twitched, she wanted to scratch her head but she couldn’t move unless she wanted Lila’s attention. Maybe it was all the walking earlier, but she was too tired to bring herself to do anything. It was hard to think straight, the migraine made her uncomfortable.

Lila suddenly kicked one of the chairs and screamed, “What am I supposed to do now? I’m out of Akumas. I’m out of Amoks. I’m out of everything!” She huffed before looking back at Marinette, “Come on. Feel something! Anything!” She kicked a chair into the wall next to Marinette and waited for a moment. She stared intensely at Marinette’s body before turning away. “You are so annoying, you know that?”

Feel something? That’s right. Lila manipulated them back in the den before the Amok swallowed her up. Emotions had to be the base of her powers. Right now, she was thankful for her condition. While not an ideal one, the dull pain and disorientation didn’t leave her with much room to focus on anything else. Her emotions weren’t a priority right now – staying focused was. The years of numbness were about to work in her favor.

Lila dropped to her knees and covered her eyes, “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for all the mean things I’ve done. Just give me this. Please.” She sounded pathetic. If she could, Marinette would’ve felt bad for her. That disappeared as soon as Lila looked back at her and frustratingly yelled when nothing happened. “I mean it! I do!”

Marinette wondered why she wanted the Miraculous in the first place. Was she really going to give it to Hawkmoth? She seemed so independent. Her mind went back to the day of the dinner ceremony. She told the group she had goals and that Adrien was only a “consolation prize” to her at this point. Marinette almost laughed, that seemed so long ago now.

Lila seemed unusually quiet and Marinette watched as she stared at her chest. Right, emotions. She quickly smothered whatever it was by focusing on her breathing and the chill of her fingers. She didn’t think they should’ve felt that cold. Lila looked away, exasperated at the loss of whatever flicker of emotion she caught onto.

Marinette’s eye caught onto the bracelet on her wrist. She figured that’s where the Akuma was, but getting it off her wrist was the challenge. Cat Noir wouldn’t be close enough to Cataclysm it. The Lucky Charm could be something slippery, but Lila could use the emotions of those around her to her advantage. No doubt her friends would be angry; that’s an emotion that could be easily manipulated, right? That’s no good.

Her eyes felt heavy again and she cursed the stillness she was forced into. The only thing of interest she could focus on was Lila, but there wasn’t much she could do without ruining her ruse. She weighed the options in her fleeting mind as Lila braced herself for another tremor.

Lila sat in front of Marinette after the shock. She tugged at her bracelet's band, almost like she was going to take it off. Her intense stare kept her frozen until she turned away in defeat and let go of the object. She brought in her knees and hid her face from view. Her voice was muffled, "You were supposed to help me. You're Ladybug, you should help me." She looked up at the ceiling and wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes. She took a deep breath but shook her head, "Hawkmoth, you're such a liar. I don't even want this anymore! This was supposed to be fun!"

She continued yelling at Marinette’s body, “Forgive me! Wake up! I’m sorry! I am!” She grabbed onto Marinette’s limp hands and squeezed them, “Please! I need you to forgive me and just help me fix this. Make everyone like me again! Get this off of me! I want out now! Please!”

Marinette wished she could do something, she did. It was like any time she turned her head the frame rate would drop as she tried to process things in front of her. She bet Nino would get a kick out of that comment if he were here to hear it. Marinette wanted to ask what happened to him. Was he okay? The Miraculous should’ve saved Nino from any bodily damage but he wouldn’t just let her leave with Lila without a fight.

The borders around her field of vision became blurred. She had to do something, otherwise, she was going to pass out. Her mouth was dry but she did her best to tread lightly. "Lila?"

“Marinette? Marinette!” Lila stumbled over words, "You're awake? Are you seriously awake?"

“Where am I?”

“You are!” Lila lost her balance as the ship rocked again. She growled and placed a hand on the floor, “SHUT UP! Give me a second!" It was like she expected an answer, instead, the ship simply rocked until stabilizing. She looked back up to Marinette and smiled, “Hey.” 

Marinette needed to take it slow as she bore her feelings to this girl. Lila was still keeping an eye on her heart, it was uncomfortable. Marinette took a slow breath, “Lila, where am I?”

“We’re taking shelter right now, but don’t worry everything will be fine." Lila reached out and pet her head, "We're going to be fine. Your friends are going to be coming soon, probably." This was supposed to be comforting, yet it made her tense. Lila stopped and narrowed her eyes, "You're scared? No, no, no." Lila pulled away and reached for her bracelet, "Hey, c'mon. I'm not scary. You're just a little too excited."

Marinette felt nauseous, “Lila, what’s going on?”

“You were about to help me. Please? Please, help me. You’re Ladybug, right?” Marinette’s discomfort faded out slowly and she felt pity, “I know I took it too far this time. I did. I really, really did.” Lila grabbed Marinette’s hand and held it tenderly, “I need you to forgive me. I need your help. Please. I didn’t mean it to go this far.”

Marinette wondered how much was Lila's influence and how much was her personal opinion, but at this moment Lila looked like a terrified child. Marinette squeezed her fingers around Lila's palm, "Lila, it's going to be okay."

“I need you to forgive me, please! I can’t –”

“Lila –” She paused and Marinette kept her voice steady, “What did you do?”

“What?”

Marinette noticed her pity turn into sympathy, this had to be magic. Marinette rubbed her thumb against Lila's hand, "I need you to explain it to me. What did you do?"

Lila pulled away from Marinette’s reach, “Are you still mad at me?” Before Marinette could disagree, Lila reached for her bracelet. She kept a keen eye on her heart, “Marinette, please. I am begging you to forgive me.”

Marinette felt her eyes watering up. Looking at Lila was like looking at a crying puppy trapped in a crate. It was overwhelming, “Lila, I need you to tell me what you did. How else am I supposed to help?”

Lila slammed her fist on the ground, “By forgiving me! I am asking you to just forgive me! It’s not that hard!”

Marinette shook her head, “I can’t–”

“Yes! Yes, you can!” A ping of frustration resonated inside her before dying down as Lila breathed deeply. “Yes, you can. Please, Marinette. I need you to just work with me here. Okay?”

Marinette shook her head. The small movement gave her whiplash. “Lila, I need you to explain to me what’s going on. Explain to me –”

“Don’t you care about me?” Guilt was brought forward and tears fled from the corners of her eyes, “You’re Ladybug, Paris’ Ladybug. You’re supposed to just help people. You’re supposed to care about people. You’re supposed to care about me!”

Marinette shied away and Lila drew back, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Lila ran her fingers through her hair, “I didn’t want to do that. I just – Why are you asking that? You shouldn’t have to ask me questions. Just – Just listen to me." Lila crawled back over and took hold of Marinette's face, "Just listen to me. Say you forgive me. You're going to tell everyone you forgive me and make this all go away."

Marinette could tell Lila was trying to estimate where her eyes were, but Lila’s attention kept getting dragged back to her heart. “You’re still scared of me? What? No. No. No. It’s okay.” She rubbed her thumbs across Marinette’s cheeks, “You’re okay. It’s okay.” Her tone was sweet but her voice shook, “I just need you to forgive me, okay? Otherwise, they’ll all be really mad at me and that’s not going to fix anything. Your friends have such a bad view of me. We need them to like me again. Otherwise, how will this work?”

Marinette saw black dots forming in her vision. "Lila, I think I'm hurt."

“No, no you’re fine. You’re going to be okay. Just focus on me okay?”

“Lila, I need help.”

Lila’s grip tightened, “No, I need help! I need you! I can’t do this without you! I need you to forgive me and then I need you to tell everyone we’re okay!” Lila gulped before pulling Marinette into a hug, “You can’t turn your back on me. Okay?” She squeezed her tight and made small circles on her back with her fingers. “You love Paris and its people. You’d do anything to help us. I know that.”

Marinette felt like she was in a fog. Nothing about this felt right. She could hear herself slur, “Lila, I think I’m about to pass out again.”

Lila wouldn’t entertain the idea. “Marinette, even though we’ve been through hard times, you’d do anything to help me. It doesn’t matter how many times I got akumatized, you always came for me. You care about me. I know you do.” Lila looked back at her chest and put her hand over Marinette’s heart, “You love me, right? Otherwise, why else would you help? You’re going to help me make this all go away. Then I swear I’ll be good. I’ll be good to you, Adrien, Alya, everyone. Doesn’t that sound nice? I can do it. You’ll feel on top of the world!”

Marinette could feel an artificial warmth inside and she wanted to reach out to Lila, but she couldn’t. She physically couldn’t. Looking between the two Lila’s forming in her vision, she’d most likely miss. The once dull pain in her head was worsening and she flinched. “Lila, I want to help you –”

“Then you can tell everyone to forgive me! You can tell everyone that I’m okay! That it’s all okay!” She hugged Marinette one more time, “I’ll make sure Damian always loves you. I promise. You won’t regret this! Then I can get this stupid thing off!”

The words barely registered in her head, “What?”

Lila smiled brightly and grabbed Marinette's arm, "C'mon! Let's go find the others! Oh, Marinette you won't regret this! I'll even tell you who Hawkmoth is! I swear!" Marinette nearly vomited as Lila roughly brought her to her feet. "You do love me, don't you? I mean, everyone does, but you do!"

“Lila, I can’t – I can’t walk.”

“It’s okay! I can take you. Anything for the ones you love, right?” Lila shifted her weight before picking her up. “Should we go up top? Nino still might be mad about being trapped in a bubble.”

“A what? Lila, what –”

“Nothing! Nothing. I’m just trying to figure out the best course of action so, y ’know, your friends don’t kill me on sight.” She laughed nonchalantly but still took a deep breath to resolve herself. “Upstairs?”

Marinette felt comforted, oddly enough. Lila was trying to make her feel good while in her arms. Considering the other sensations, it was a bit of a relief. Marinette’s voice was weak, “Main deck.”

“Hey, hey, hey! Don’t pass out. They’ll think I hit you or something. I need you awake, okay?” She struggled to open the door, but still managed to smile as she left the office. “We have a few flights to go before we get there. Tell me about being Ladybug.” Marinette didn’t say anything at first. She looked down and still took note of a small pink cloud inside. That was a good sign. She did her best to amplify it, though it was particularly hard at the moment. “Well, I’ve been Emotiva for some time now. Can you call me that now? Please? Anyways, I have to say out of all the Akumas, this has been the weirdest to get used to. Which is funny considering I give you guys a run for your money.”

Emotiva continued to ramble, but to her credit, she also did her best not to jostle Marinette in her arms. This was the sweetest she's ever treated this girl and she hopes everyone recognizes it. With Marinette's testimony and her powers, surely, they were going to push everything under the rug. Her Miraculous Cure should fix any damages and then she'd be in everyone's good graces again.

"You know, I started all of this to gain control of some of the higher-ups. Originally my target was Damian and his brothers, but you somehow managed to get to them already. I figured you know what? That just makes it more interesting. Why go for the son of a rich guy when I can just go for the millionaires? Bruce was always busy but I made some good connections with his colleagues. You won't believe how many of them based their social circles on 'a good feeling'. Ha!" Emotiva sighed before rubbing her cheek against Marinette’s head, “I’ve been playing the long game. I realized a bit back that ruling the school was nice, but only really mattered when I was in the school. Right?”

Emotiva looked down at Marinette but nothing had changed. “Right. Adrien… Well, I like him but he stopped being nice to me! I thought we were friends but then he became cold and – I don’t know. I just wish we could go back a year or two. Even when he was mad at me, he was still nice for the most part.” Emotiva giggled, “You know, the only times he got really mad at me was when I did something to you.” She could see the hue of the cloud become a bit more vibrant. That was a good sign at least.

She continued to be gentle until she heard some commotion. Emotiva’s eyes lit up, “You think we’re close? I think we’re close. They’ll be happy to see you. I’ll make sure they are.” At the mention of the others, a bit of concern popped up but was quickly smothered with forced affection. Emotiva looked at the last flight of stairs as she took a deep breath. “It’s going to be okay. You forgive me. They’re going to forgive me. We’ll all be okay.”

In the back of her mind, Staller came to mind. Specifically, his darkness came to mind. It was thick and nearly impenetrable. It only changed briefly around certain things and people; when he was in charge of the ship, when he spoke of Anne, and when he was with Damian and Marinette. She could only change it briefly, nudge it a bit towards a more positive emotion, but always came back to this pit. However, she did notice she could make it darker and more intense.

If she was honest with herself, the breakup was probably the smartest accidental thing she ever did to them. She was angry and embarrassed after the conversation with Ladybug. She made everyone on the ship just as high-strung and on edge. The next day, she heard about the breakup. They avoided each other and, in turn, Staller. She learned of the memorial coming up and after a while, it didn’t matter what she did, the fog became consistent. Almost calm. The photos disappearing caused a bit of chaos but it always went back to a sense of eerie peace. Emotiva hadn’t used the Amok before, she only had the one, but he was a good a target as any.

She shook her head before the memories went any further. Marinette forgave her. The others would have to too. She didn't do anything to Staller. She tried but she didn't cause anything. Marinette was on her side. She loved her. People do anything for love, supposedly. Her little experiments back in Paris might as well have proved that. People she influenced would practically bend over backward for the objects of their affections. Marinette, for reasons beyond her understanding, was a nearly universal object of affection. If Marinette loves Emotiva, then she’s untouchable.

Reaching the main deck was like reaching the top of Mt. Everest. With Ladybug beside her, even Hawkmoth would have to bow before her. She called out to anyone who would hear her, “Hello? Hello?” For superheroes patrolling the ship, they were hard to find.

She listened for any sign of life before seeing something blue fly by. She raised her voice, “Hey! Hello!” He was too far away for her to notice any kind of emotions. The blue dot stopped and seemed to look at her. It didn’t look like any Miraculous she had ever seen before, so it must’ve been one of the American heroes. He paused for a moment before flying away, red cape trailing him. “Wait! How rude! Bare with me, Marinette.” Emotiva started following the trail of the hero’s path. Walking at a leisurely pace to enjoy the quiet waves for the first time this whole trip. Without the people or the rocking, it really was a nice ship.

“LILA!” She turned her head and noticed Rena Rogue coming from an employee stairway and running towards her. “LILA, STOP!”

“They’re here!” Rena, in her heart alongside Ladybug, was a sore spot. It was her replacement. Still, Ladybug always seemed close with her. Considering Nino was Carapace, she wondered if Alya was Rena. She’d think it was likely. “Marinette, look!” She fully turned to face her and Rena skidded to a stop, “Marinette’s fine! She’s really tired!” She noticed Rena Rogue’s heart drop, the red fog suddenly gave off a cold energy. Rena shouldn’t be scared, “Hey! It’s okay! Give me a second, I don’t want to-”

“LILA ROSSI!” She looked up at noticed more of the American heroes flying above her. The emotions were easier to read at this distance. They were intense. Fear and anger mixed inside of each of them. One of them spoke, “Put the human girl down!”

“Lila, please!” Emotiva turned back to Rena, the anger was still visible but a deep sadness and fear set in as well. “Let her go!”

“What are you talking about? Why are you looking at me like that?” Given Marinette’s position in her arms, she couldn’t grab her bracelet. Still, she figured they would be a little relieved. “Marinette, tell them we’re okay. Tell them!”

She looked back at Marinette for the first time since reaching the main deck and, surprisingly, she saw Marinette’s face. Emotiva paused before shaking Marinette a little, “Marinette?” Marinette’s head lulled to the side and she noticed the red stream coming down her head. It was drying. “Hey, Marinette. This isn’t funny. Marinette?”

“Put her down!”

“Shut up! She’s fine!” Emotiva shook Marinette harder and yelled at her face, “Marinette! Wake up! If this is a prank, it isn’t funny!” Emotiva heard a click behind her and she turned around to meet the barrel of a pistol. The form was cold, unnerving, and angry. “What –”

“If you don’t put her down, I’ll shoot a bullet through your pretty little head. I guarantee it.”

Emotiva looked back down at Marinette before calling out to everyone, "What? Do you think I did this? We just became –"

“Put her down Lila! I’m not messing around!”

This wasn’t a part of the plan at all. Marinette was supposed to make this better. Emotiva felt her anxiety rise, "Marinette! Tell them! We're good! Tell them to back off!" She looked to Rena and nodded, "You believe me, right? I'm not lying this time! Marinette forgave me!" She kept looking at Marinette, but she felt panicked the more she realized she recognized little details regarding Marinette's face. She looked around and noticed little bits of panic setting into everyone else’s heart too.

"Lila, hey." That voice was a little too familiar. When she looked over at the outline it was Cat Noir, but after that night all she heard was Adrien. The voice was low and gentle, normal for when he was comforting an Akuma victim. “I’m not going to hurt you. We just want to check on Marinette. She doesn’t look good.” His voice was in stark contrast to the fear and turmoil inside him. Years of heroism must’ve prepared him, she guessed. “Can you put her down?”

Lila pulled Marinette closer to her, “I didn’t do this.”

“I never said you did.”

“You guys are surrounding me like I did.”

“Lila, there’s no one near you.” Emotiva couldn’t argue with that. The closest person was him and he was approaching her at a snail’s pace. There was still a good distance between them. An innocent person would’ve been comfortable, but she didn’t feel like that anymore. “Lila, I need you to trust me right now.”

Emotiva scoffed, “Why? Because we’re ‘friends’?” She rolled her eyes, but her fingernails dug into Marinette’s body. “Newsflash, you’re a bad friend.”

Cat Noir nodded, “I know. I know. Marinette told me the same thing. I’m really – really sorry, Lila.”

“Emotiva.”

“What?”

"God, you haven't even noticed that? You are terrible!" Emotiva shook her head and nodded to Marinette, "You didn't notice anything about either of us! Seriously! You guys just left the second things got too complicated!" Sadness and guilt started to fester in him. Good. "You think you’re going to help? You don’t even call me by my real name! What a joke!”

“You’re name is Lila Rossi–”

“My name is Emotiva! E-mo-ti-va! It has been for a long time and none of you ever noticed!”

“I’m getting impatient! Put the girl down!” She looked back at the man with a gun and scowled, “Your victim complex doesn’t work on me. Put. Her. Down.”

She looked around at everyone and shook her head, "Marinette's going to be mad at you. She forgave me. She loves me! She said so! You can’t hurt me!”

“Lila –”

“Emotiva!”

“Marinette isn’t moving.”

“She’s fine!”

“She’s not, though.” Regret shocked her system. Everyone looked at her with various levels of anger and sadness inside and she couldn’t do anything but heighten the tension with her own dread.

Emotiva gulped before shaking her head, “I’m not the bad guy here. You’re making a huge mistake!”

When no one flinched, her attention turned to the deck. After a moment of silence, she dropped to her knees and a warning shot was fired. “HEY! DON’T MOVE!”

Emotiva removed her arm from under Marinette’s knees. “You are all going to regret this!” She placed a hand on the deck and screamed, “DESTROY THE SHIP!” She noticed tension rising in each of them but nothing happened. She looked around before looking back at the ground, “I SAID DESTROY THE SHIP!” Again, nothing happened. “What the –”

A giant splash of water suddenly soaked her and the rest of the people on deck. They all looked to the edge of the railings and noticed a large green whale bringing its tail out of the water and towards the railing. Queen Bee wrung out her hair and walked up the tail and over to the ship, "Hey! Damian and Tim got the Amok with Nino's bubbles but Damian's hurt bad and –" Queen Bee stopped and looked straight at Emotiva and Marinette. Her voice was small, “Marinette?”

"You did what?" The ship rocked as a large object was pulled out from under the ocean. A creature reminiscent of a Kraken released a muffled screeched and squirmed in a feeble attempt to escape. "WHAT?"

Raven flew beside it, standing on top of what could be described as a disc of pure magic alongside the Bubbler, as her focus never wavered from the cage. Batman and Red Robin ran up the tail behind Queen Bee holding Robin in their arms. Dripping wet and exhausted, they planted their feet on the deck and glared at Emotiva.

Red Robin shook his head, “I’m not exactly in the mood to do a hostage negotiation. Let her go.”

Emotiva glared at him, “Was that supposed to be a joke?”

“Does it look like I’m joking?” Emotiva knew he wasn’t, there were no positive feelings inside him or anyone else on the ship.

She took a deep breath and grabbed her bracelet, “I’m not a monster. Stop looking at me like I’m a monster!”

“You aren’t a monster.” She looked back to Cat Noir, he was closer than before. “You’re an Akuma victim. We can help you. We can.”

“JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!” Though unseen by the naked eye, a wave of despair emanated from her body. Many of the heroes fell to their knees. Cat Noir’s tears blinded him. Rena Rogue held herself as she struggled to muffle a wail. Even some of those who were in the air were forced to land.

Despite this, there were a few that were unmoved. The one who held the Amok didn’t falter. Red Hood and Red Robin wiped their cheeks but otherwise didn’t flinch. Then there was the great bat. She could see the despair inside him, yet he remained just as intimidating.

She must’ve looked confused because Red Hood told her, “Like I said, your magic won’t work on us.” Emotiva could've laughed. She worked to make them so happy this trip and that worked. Her mind raced to understand why the negative emotions didn't. She couldn't even think of a way out.

If she made them angrier, they could lash out. Dead end. If she made them excited or happy, it may disorient them but it’d take too much time to shift the negative emotions the right way. Dead end.

She twisted the butterfly charms between her fingers and thought more.

If she played to their love for Marinette and try to shift it towards herself, they might get protective and do something hasty. If it was just one person, that'd be fine. But for a large and angry group like this? Dead end.

If she made them scared, they’d be less likely to predict. Dead end.

If she tried to play to guilt, that’d only work for those who knew her. The others have nothing to feel for her. Dead end.

If she made them disgusted, it’d most likely be aimed at her. They’d show no mercy. Dead end.

If she –

She felt the body in her arms roll, breaking the connection between her fingers and the charms. She instinctively moved to catch Marinette. In a moment Marinette’s body lost all detail and color. It became a void before clouds bubbled in her center. Then she saw red and felt a hand around her wrist.

Marinette twisted her body while maintaining an iron grip around Emotiva’s bracelet. She used her legs to create some distance and pushed against Emotiva’s shoulders.

“What –”

Marinette felt her head spinning but based on the feel underneath her palm she had the right hand. Her head pounded and she knew this next part would be more painful. “CHAT NOIR! THE BRACELET!”

“What about the ship –”

“FORGET THE SHIP!” Red Hood holstered his gun and moved in to grab Emotiva from behind. “C’MON SUNSHINE, YOUR LADY NEEDS YOU!”

“DON’T YOU DARE!” Emotiva thrashed around and it was at this point that Red Hood realized just how strong Akumas were. He was struggling to keep a good hold on her. Marinette kept her eyes closed and focused on keeping her grip. The charms felt like they were cutting into her skin but the pain gave her something to focus on. She clenched her jaw and fought the urge to vomit. “MARINETTE!?”

“CAT NOIR!”

“CATACLYSM!”

“NO!” Emotiva grunted as she raised her arm. Marinette felt her body leave the ground.

“No, you don’t!” Rena Rouge skidded over to Emotiva’s side and held her arm into place. Emotiva hated that they were face to face, she could see every bit of anger and relief inside Rena’s body. “You’re crazy if you think I’m letting you hurt my best friend.”

Batman took the opportunity to pull Marinette off of Emotiva’s arm, leaving her bracelet vulnerable. “Cat Noir, now!”

Cat Noir used his free hand to steady Emotiva’s arm. She could see his relief as soon as Marinette was pulled away. As he faced Emotiva, his clouds showed disgust and pity. “Don’t you dare pity me.”

“This ends now Lila. I’m done.” Cat Noir reached for the bracelet. Emotiva twisted her body in a last-ditch effort. Rena, Red Hood, and Cat Noir felt themselves get spun onto the ground. Cat Noir felt dust beneath his fingertips and he looked up to see the ship degrading into nothing. “Guys, we need to get off now!” He jumped away and instinctively landed in front of Marinette and Batman.

The Amok Raven held captive screeched one final time before losing its form alongside the ship. She let go of her forcefield and moved in to help evacuate.

“Grab Robin!” Red Robin rushed to grab Robin’s limp body before looking over the railing. Beast waited patiently as a whale and Red Robin braced himself to jump. Batman gave him the okay and he secured his grip before falling to safety. Rena kicked Emotiva to the side before grabbing Red Hood and leaping away from the decaying deck. Rena used the opportunity to follow Batman, doing her best to watch over her best friend and acting as the final passenger on the Beast Boy express.

Queen Bee used her spinning top to gain distance, snatching Emotiva away from the growing hole in the ship. The girls grunted from their less than grateful landing against the deck. Emotiva shook her head but tensed as soon as she heard Queen Bee shout, “Vemon!”

Emotiva turned and rolled out of Queen Bee’s reach. Emotiva scrambled to get on her feet and smacked Queen Bee’s hand. Queen Bee muttered under her breath as her top went out of reach. She looked at the degrading deck before glaring back at Emotiva. “What is your problem?”

“Right now? You are.” Emotiva grabbed a hold of her bracelet and intensified Queen Bee’s anger. Focusing on Queen Bee was her best bet, she gets sloppy. Queen Bee’s face became red and she lunged at Emotiva. Emotiva smirked, she figured could take down these clowns one on one no problem.

What Emotiva wasn't counting on was Queen Bee's newfound tactics. When she's fought Queen Bee in the past Queen Bee always used very simple direct attacks. Where Ladybug was creative, Queen Bee was practical and novice. Self-taught. Emotiva expected a straight punch. She didn’t expect Queen Bee’s fake-out and right hook. Emotiva staggered back, holding her cheek. She didn’t get the chance to look back before Queen Bee tackled her to the ground, shoving her head into the ground.

“QUEEN BEE!”

“NO! SHE’S GOING TO LEARN!” Emotiva yelped as the floorboards beneath her face turned to ash. Her head fell forward and the ship began tilting. The girls slid towards the railings and Emotiva took the opportunity to twist her body and tumble out. She heard Queen Bee yelling at her to get back, but Emotiva sprinted towards the other side of the ship. She noticed some of the flying heroes over the railings doing their best to hold the ship together. She wondered just how strong these heroes were to pull that off.

"HEY!" She barely dodged a bullet scraping by her arm. She looked up at Red Hood and scowled, "You've been a pain in my ass since day one!"

“The feeling is mutual.” She grabbed her bracelet and intensified the anger inside him. If Robin is Damian, then the others have to be the brothers. She guessed who it was. She’s seen Jason hanging out with Chloe. She’s heard the rumors among Bruce’s associates. Jason’s the rebel. He's probably just as hot-headed. "I wonder how it feels to be considered the mess up of the bunch! Seriously, how sad! Hanging out with a bunch of kids!” Red Hood gripped his guns tighter. Emotiva needed a slip-up. Just one. "You think beating up a kid is going to make you feel better? Huh? Feel strong?"

Red Hood took big steps towards Emotiva, “I never thought I’d meet anyone with a bigger mouth than Queen Bee!”

“You know! I wanted us to be friends!”

“I don’t know what makes me want to laugh more! You or you’re crazy half-baked plan!”

“I’m surprised you’re still cracking jokes when you’re this angry!” She twisted her charms and scrunched up her nose, “You dropped the ball! You always stuck around both of them and look at what happened! I comforted Marinette!”

“You were the reason she was hurt in the first place!”

“And whose fault is that!?”

“YOURS!” Queen Bee caught up to the two, avoiding the breaking planks on the deck. “You are the whole reason this ship is falling apart! You’re the reason we’re in this mess!”

"She's right Lila!" Cat Noir's beeping ring muffled the sound of his feet planted on the deck. "Lila, please! Let us help you!"

“Like you helped me? You want to talk about helping?”

“Lila-”

“JUST SHUT UP!”

“Looks like you need to keep your emotions in check!” A familiar black and red yo-yo spun around her, the string tightening around her. She turned around to see a man suddenly appear on the desk close by her. The man stepped towards the Akuma, his domino mask was outlined with a thin line of red. Black with the red dots accenting his body, following a similar pattern to his original suit. “Lucky me, I caught a big one.”

“Where did you –“ She sentence was left unfinished as a sharp pain left her paralyzed. Queen Bee watched Charles slowly fade into sight. She could tell his hand was shaking holding her weapon. She walked up to him and gently reached for her spinning top.

Queen Bee smiled and rubbed his back, "Hey, you did well." Charles nodded before taking off his tied and handing it to her.

Nightwing loosened up the yo-yo’s string and began reeling it in. Cat Noir looked at his beeping ring and frowned. Two minutes left. He examined Emotiva’s wrist and twisted the bracelet around. He found he couldn’t slip it off her wrist.

Red Hood looked at Nightwing’s beeping earrings and asked, “What was the lucky charm?”

Nightwing smirked and brought out his signature bottle of hair spray and a polka-dotted red and black lighter. "And you made fun of the hair spray."

“Wait, won’t that hurt Lila?”

“So?” Queen Bee ripped the tie, letting go an Akuma and releasing Charles from his possession. Queen Bee motioned for Nightwing to capture it. It took a few swipes before he managed to open the yo-yo but swiftly caught it before it flew any further. “She’s paralyzed under my Venom and it’ll be fixed with the Lucky Charm.”

“But –”

“No buts this time.” Red Hood shook his head and pulled the bracelet a bit away from her wrist, leaving it open to Nightwing. “If she feels it and remembers it, then all the better. She needs to know that there are consequences to the things she does. Frankly, I won’t care if she gets a little hurt. Besides, they can’t hold the boat forever.”

Cat Noir bit his lip and looked away once Nightwing pointed the spray bottle at the bracelet. He looked at Queen Bee and Charles when he heard the clicking of the lighter. Charles looked away just as he did but Queen Bee kept steady eye contact. Her blue eyes reflected the yellow and orange hues from the flames, not once did she blink. Finally, there was a snap and her eyes seemed to follow something upwards.

"Gotcha!" Cat Noir deemed it safe to turn around and watched two white butterflies leave the yo-yo. "Now how does this work?"

Cat Noir, nearing the end of his transformation, mimicked his lady at the end of their battles. “Throw it up and say ‘Miraculous Ladybug’.”

Nightwing nodded and looked up. He put all his energy into the toss and yelled, “MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

As if compensating for the damage and the amount of Akumas, the Lucy Charm let out the largest swarm he'd ever seen. It covered the sky and swept the entire ship in one fell swoop. The swarm began to scatter near the end of the bulbous bow.

Half of the swarm stayed and took care of those still left on the ship. It surrounded the heroes, giving each a kind of second wind and healing any wounds from the fights. The decay that was eating through the different wood and metal was reversed before reaching the exterior metal and sinking the ship entirely. Cat Noir’s transformation didn’t hold long enough for the swarm to reach him. Still, he held Plagg out on his palm in hopes that the swarm could do the same for the kwamii as it did for the heroes.

The other half seemed to go in the direction of the shore, no doubt looking to cure any other refugees that were evacuated. Adrien knew it would find his friends, but part of him still needed to see it.

“What am I doing here?” Adrien turned his head back to Lila. He quickly hid Plagg in his shirt and examined her. She seemed confused and disoriented, “Hello? Adrien? Where are we?”

“We’re on Bruce Wayne’s cruise ship.”

“We’re where?” She frowned at Queen Bee but then looked confused by Red Hood and Nightwing. “Who are you guys? Where’s Ladybug?”

“Lila Rossi, I believe we’ll be asking the questions for the time being.” Raven, Super Boy, Starfire, and Blue Beetle flew back up to the deck and surrounded the girl. “We’re taking you into questioning.”

“What? Wait, who are these people? Adrien, what is going on!?” Lila looked to him for comfort and answers. Instead, he turned away from her. He went to Queen Bee’s side and helped her guide Charles inside to somewhere quieter. “Adrien?”

Red Hood put zip ties over her bare wrists and pushed her towards Starfire. “Go find Batman and take her to the nearest police station.

Lila stumbled into Starfire's grip. Lila felt herself shrink under Starfire's intimidating gaze, "On my planet, we wouldn't show such mercy to people like you." Starfire roughly lifted her before flying towards the shore. Queen Bee and Adrien came back to the deck alone and tired.

Queen Bee released her transformation and sighed, “Can one of you guys go take Charles to shore? He seems to be really out of it.”

“I can do that.” Blue Beetle smiled at Chloe, doing his best to be reassuring. She smiled back, but it was weak. The adrenaline was wearing off and she wanted to sleep.

Adrien looked at Superboy and opened his mouth to ask something before turning away and rubbing the back of his neck. Superboy took a deep breath before holding out his hand, “I want to go visit my best friend. I bet they’re together if you want a lift.” Adrien smiled and nodded.

“Wait!” Nightwing jogged up to Adrien and whispered, “Spots off.” He took out his earrings and smiled at Tikki, "You know, that was fun. Still, I think she does it better than I do." Tikki giggled and nodded. Adrien held his shirt open for Tikki to rest beside Plagg before grabbing the earrings.

“Thank you.”

Red Hood hummed before asking, “Raven, can you take Chloe back with you?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

"Then I'm coming with you two. I doubt they'll let Red Robin stay with Damian." He then took off his helmet and mask, "But they'll let his brother stay with him."

Superboy nodded and firmly grasped their arms, “Going up!” Adrien should’ve been cold from the wind rushing past him. At this point though, he just felt tired. Adrien did his best to ignore the screams and questions coming from different passengers and classmates as they reached the shore.

He was ushered to a paramedic alongside Jason. He didn’t have the energy to tell them he was fine and just let them prod at him. Jason was the one who stepped in and shooed them away. He yelled at them in Italian and Adrien couldn’t help but chuckle. He didn’t know what Jason said to get into an ambulance, but he just rested his head against the inside wall once they were inside. He could’ve dozed off if Jason wasn’t there with him. They kept an eye on each other the whole ride to the hospital.

Everything happened quickly once they arrived. Jason shouted orders at the staff before being pulled apart from Adrien. Adrien could feel anxiety rush up but Jason sent him a look that just screamed “Trust me.” Adrien gulped as the paramedics around him spoke to each other in a language he didn’t understand. They looked him over for half an hour before being satisfied with his status. They wrote some things down before finally leading him to a room. The door shut behind him and he recognized the girl staring at him immediately.

He rushed in to just hug her and she didn’t need to be asked to show him the same amount of desperate affection. IVs were given and Marinette was put into a gown and bed. Adrien sat beside her in the sterile room once they pulled away from each other. It was nice and away from the crazy hustle in the emergency wing. But it was quiet. Another patient seemed to be in the room but the curtains were drawn and no noise came from their side. They drew their curtains to give themselves some privacy.

Marinette took a deep breath, “Is it over?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Who has Tikki?”

“Dick did, but he figured they should be returned to you.” Marinette’s eyes widened when Tikki flew out of his shirt pocket and flew straight to her face.

“Tikki!”

“Marinette, you guys did it!”

“I’m so sorry –”

“We’ll talk more later. Right now, I’m just happy you’re safe!” Marinette giggled and smiled at her. Adrien held out her earrings. She gently returned them to their rightful place in her ears and sighed in relief. She reached back and grabbed Adrien’s hand, giving it a sweet squeeze of appreciation.

“Are you feeling better?” Marinette nodded and Adrien rubbed her knuckles underneath his thumb. “I feel numb.”

“I wonder if that’s a side effect from Emotiva’s powers.”

Adrien hummed after noticing the gears turning in Marinette’s head, “I’ll bite. What’s my Lady thinking about?”

Adrien ignored the sound of the people outside the room. Marinette said, “Something Emotiva said.”

The door opened and the Italian conversation fell on deaf ears. The kwamii took it as a sign to hide though, years of secrecy turned into instinct. Adrien asked, “Which is?”

"She made Damian love me." Adrien didn't say anything; he didn't laugh or scoff, instead, he frowned. "It's true?"

“Nino said something about that too after we got him to calm down. He kept apologizing and then explained what Lila said.”

“Emotiva.”

“Is there a difference?”

“I think there should be!”

“Why?”

“Because it’s an Akuma victim! No Akuma victims ever mean to take things that far, they just do! You think your dad meant to trap you and Natalie in his journal as the Collector?” Adrien flinched and Marinette back petalled, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It’s just –”

"She messed with your head." Marinette nodded and Adrien scratched at the back of his neck, "What else did she tell you?"

“That she knew who Hawkmoth was.”

“WHAT?” The curtain was snatched away and the two teens were face to face with Jason, Alya, and Chloe. Jason grit his teeth, “That little –”

“Chloe, you’re here!” Adrien didn’t think he’d be so happy to see her, but seeing her back in her defiant mood was familiar and reassuring. Chloe, on the other hand still cursed under her breath and grit her teeth, “She’s so dead.”

“They just got done talking to her.” Alya widened her eyes and raised her pitch, “’Oh, I don’t know anything!’ ‘Oh, where am I?’ ‘Oh, where’s my mom?’” Alya balled her fists and pulled out her phone, “I’m calling Tim. He should still be interrogating her.” She walked away and started yelling into a phone.

Chloe frowned, “I wish the cure didn’t take away the burn?”

“Burn?”

“We needed to burn the chain off of her to get the Akuma.”

“That sounds horrible.”

“But very effective. Who knew Dick’s hairspray would come in handy?” Jason chuckled and plopped down onto the bed next to her. “How are you feeling? You scared us, you know?”

Marinette hummed, “I think I’m okay. What about Nino? Is he okay?”

“That reminds me.” Jason pulled up his jacket sleeve and took off a different, yet very familiar bracelet. “Give this back to him.”

Marinette scrambled to hide it in her purse and scolded him, “What? Why do you have his Miraculous?”

“I mean, considering he got Akumatized –”

“Nino got Akumatized?”

Alya frowned, "You hit your head hard, huh?"

Marinette’s shoulders fell and she flopped back onto her pillow. Adrien could tell by the expression that she was getting a little frustrated. Marinette stared at the ceiling for a moment before looking at the group before her, "Chloe?"

“Yeah?”

"I'm giving you permission to cut off one of Lila's stupid ponytail thingies."

Chloe's eyes lit up and she grinned, “The ones around –”

“The ones around her face. Yeah.”

Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin. She squealed and opened the door, nearly knocking into Alya. Alya looked at her questioningly before Chloe said, “I’m going to go cut off her hair.”

Chloe sprinted down the hall. Alya was close in toe screaming at her, “You will not cut off her hair!”

Jason pointed at Chloe and asked, “Not that I’m not happy, but –”

“I wanted the privacy.”

“Ah.”

"Adrien, could you close the door?"

“Yeah.” He shut the door and closed the curtain, bringing back their feeble sense of confidentiality. He sat back down and motioned for her to continue.

Jason patiently waited for her to say something. He expected her to ask more questions about the case. Instead, she said, "Emotiva said she made Damian fall in love with me. You think that’s true?”

Jason nearly fell off the bed, “What?”

“Is it?”

“No way! Crazy chick must’ve tried to get in your head.  When I–”

“She told the same thing to Nino. Unless Nino also had some kind of romantic relationship with Damian, I don’t think it was used as leverage.” Adrien patted Marinette’s arm in a weak attempt to show support. “What do you think?”

“I think it’s stupid.”

“I don’t.” Marinette sighed, “Remember what you told me?” Jason waited for her to remind him and she closed her eyes, “You’ve never seen him fall for anyone. You were surprised at how quickly he started to like me. All of you guys have said something like that, I know you guys have.” She brought her hands up and rubbed her eyes, “Be honest, please.”

Jason didn't say anything at first before he asked, "Does that mean I don't care about you?"

“What?”

“I mean, she was messing with the whole ship. All of us are pretty guarded. I liked you almost immediately, even after reading your paper.” He looked at her and shrugged, “I still like you. I’m already looking at apartments in Paris.”

“You are?”

“I said I was going to help you guys. I wouldn’t say that unless I cared.” He looked at Adrien and nodded, “I still want to corrupt this one too. You and me? We’re causing chaos. Screw the good boy act.”

Adrien snickered and nodded, “I think that would be fun.”

Marinette stayed quiet before holding a hand to her heart, “You think he still –”

Adrien felt bittersweet as he stated, “When you guys look at each other, it’s like you are the only two that matter. I don’t think that can be faked.”

Jason made a gross face, "Damn romantics." He paused before nudging her, "What about you? You stopped loving him?" Marinette shook her head, "Then? Let's say it started fake. She made you guys like each other. Okay, she didn't make you guys hang out. She didn't influence your midnight talks. She wasn’t the one who pushed you guys to go out. All those moments are yours. Those weren’t fake.” He thought for a moment, “She wasn’t even around when we spoke to Gina and you remember what you told us? You admitted you loved him. Outside the ship. Was that fake?”

“No.”

“Then? All that matters is what happens now. You guys probably have to talk about it but I think you guys still have something there.” Marinette grabbed the pillow from under her head and screamed into it. “You’re going to wake up your roommate.”

“Too late.” The two teens froze and Jason rolled his eyes. He got up and drew the curtains. He then drew the curtains of the other patient revealing a tired Damian on the other side sitting upright on the bed. “You’re very bold to be speaking about this in the open.”

Marinette’s face felt on fire and she glared at Adrien, “Did you –”

“No! I was with you the whole time!”

Damian raised his hand and explained, “I got in the room first because I actually spoke Italian while the doctors were still trying to find you an interpreter. Luckily, I wasn’t required to be examined for anything but my torso and my head. I got here fairly quickly. They should’ve told Jason that.”

“So you knew?” Marinette sat up and smacked Jason with her pillow, “What the heck?”

“Hey, I just got here with Adrien. How was I supposed to tell you that? Besides, when he didn’t say anything I figured he was asleep for once.”

“I was. You all are simply too loud.”

Marinette hid her face in her hands, “When’d you wake up?”

“When Alya screamed something about Lila. I will say, letting Chloe cut Lila’s hair was funny. I didn’t think you had it in you.” Marinette groaned and Damian rolled his eyes, “Anyway, Nino told us the same thing when we got him out of that god-forsaken bubble."

Marinette wanted to reply but was quickly interrupted by a frantic call over the intercom. Marinette and Adrien didn’t think much of the Italian but Jason tensed up and quickly came to his feet. “Adrien we gotta go.”

“What? Why? What’d they say?”

“Chloe just assaulted one of the nurses.”

“WHAT?”

Jason grabbed Adrien’s arm and opened the door, “We’ll finish this conversation later!”

“Why do I have to go?”

“She only listens to you! Now, c’mon!”

“Wait! Don’t -” The door was slammed shut and Marinette winced, “leave me alone.” She timidly looked over at Damian who simply stared at her. She felt her face getting warmer with each second he was watching her and she groaned.

“I take it you have a lot to say but no clue how to say it.”

Marinette ran her fingers through her hair and nodded. “So what did you think?”

“Of you sending Chloe to cut Lila’s hair? Hilarious but a little too vindictive for you. I’m not angry with it though.”

“Of what Lila said!”

“About her not knowing Hawkmoth?”

“About us!” Marinette frowned and she crossed her arms, "She said everything we felt was her fault! It makes it fa-"

“Even in the bottle?” Marinette held her tongue as she waited for him to elaborate. He shrugged, “I was in there for weeks. I didn’t know about you, the ship, anything. Still, when I saw you I knew that you mattered a lot to me. It was weird but I think that counts for something.”

“You think?”

“You don’t?”

Marinette looked away and brought her knees close to her chest. “I think I’m angry.”

“Fair enough.”

“I think I feel sad too.”

“For?”

“Everything.” She looked back at Damian and her eyes watered, “This was supposed to be a new start. I was supposed to be happy on this trip. I was supposed to just get away from everything back home! Now?” Her voice cracked, “It just followed me here and made everything worse.” She brought her forehead to her knees, “I should’ve never come.”

Damian’s shoulders fell and he looked up at the clock. “If it wasn’t for you and your friends I probably would’ve quit. I know I’ve told you this before but… I really hope you know that you made me want to be a better Robin. I don’t think I’d ever want to change that.” Marinette sniffed and looked up at him. He took her silence as a sign to continue, “I’m not good at this emotional stuff. I never would consider myself affectionate in any sense of the word. I just figured my life would be my work. I was Robin, or I was the future leader of my grandfather's empire, but I was never just Damian. I never thought I'd find just Damian with some random kids from Paris on a boat in the middle of the European seaside."

Marinette giggled and Damian smiled at his efforts, “It hurt me in the bottle when you didn’t remember my name. I didn’t know why at first and quite frankly I didn’t want to think about it. I think I was afraid to know you might not love me as much as I loved you.” Any air left Marinette’s lungs as she heard those words, but Damian didn’t acknowledge it if he noticed. “Hearing you say you regret the trip makes me feel the same way. Even so, I want you to know that no matter how you choose to move forward you’d have my full support. Even if it’s not with me.”

Marinette looked away from Damian for a brief moment and Damian wondered if it was to be considered her rejection. Instead, she motioned for him to approach her. Damian straightened out his shirt and dusted his pants out of habit. He stood awkwardly at her side before she grabbed his face, forcing him to bend down to her eye level. While he was slowly getting used to this, it still confused him as to why she was doing this now.

She examined his face without giving any particular expression of her own. She opened her mouth a few times before asking, “Can I ask you anything? Even if it’s personal?”

“Yes.”

Marinette's expression softened and she pulled his face forward. The kiss was unexpected but sweet and careful. Damian didn't resist her comforting touch and the two stayed in that position until the sound of the door opening brought their attention to the new visitor.

The visitor was an older gentleman, finely dressed and carried himself with an air of dignity that Marinette had never seen before. Damian immediately straightened himself out, “Alfred?”

“Alfred?” Marinette looked between the two before realizing that Damian was almost in a slight bow. She quickly sat up and did that same, “I-I’m sorry!”

“No need. I was merely visiting, though I wonder if I’m coming at a bad time.”

Marinette could feel her blush race up her face and she quickly started denying everything, “No, no! Not at all –”

“No! I don’t think –” Marinette and Damian both looked at each other and it was then Marinette realized Damian’s blush. Not a dust of red. A real, prominent, blush. Damian looked away and groaned but Marinette couldn’t bring herself to look away. Damian could feel her eyes stuck on him, “What?”

“You’re blushing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you blush like this!”

“I don’t think that is the thing we need to focus on here!”

“No! No! Wait, look at me!” She grabbed his arm and Damian tensed up, “Damian!”

“Absolutely not! Neither of you can see me looking so unsightly!”

“You’re being dramatic!”

"I am not! And if I was, I wonder who I learned it from!"

“Dick?”

“No –” Damian paused before chuckling and looking back at her, “Okay, that was a good joke.” She smiled as she took note of the beautiful red undertones in his cheeks.

“It seems that your brothers were not exaggerating your relationship.” Alfred smiled at the young couple and bowed.

Marinette let go of Damian’s arm and extended her hand, “I’m so sorry. My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” He shook her hand and took a seat to the left of the door.

“Alfred Pennyworth. Caretaker of Master Bruce and Wayne Manor.”

“He is father’s father figure.”

“Really? No wonder Damian acted like that.” She paused before her eyes widened, “Is that how I should act? I didn’t –”

“No. No. Please, make yourself comfortable.” Marinette relaxed a bit and Damian took a seat on Marinette’s bed by her legs. “However, I do have some questions.”

Damian shrugged, “I expected nothing less.”

He crossed his legs and looked at the two teens, “Your father told me of your secrecy regarding this young lady. I want you both to tell me this story from the beginning.”

“Excuse me?”

“It would seem that your father and Master Tim are both very upset with you. Master Dick and Master Jason seem to be happy for you. I would like to form my own opinion on the matter. If you would be so kind, start at the beginning.”

Damian looked to Marinette to try to formulate a starting point, but it seemed that her mind was somewhere else. Marinette remembered something and, based on her expression, it wasn't fun. She asked, "Mr. Pennyworth –"

“Alfred is fine.”

“Alfred, I have a question. Have you spoken to Bruce recently?”

“Yes.”

“After the cure, the ship came back right? All fixed up?”

“I believe so.”

Damian knew where this was heading. He needed the answer too. “Was there anyone on the ship?”

The room fell silent and tense air was unbreathable. Alfred looked between the two children before pinching the bridge of his nose. "No. No there wasn't." Any joy the two felt a minute ago died in four words. Marinette's nose turned red as she wiped her eyes. Damian grabbed her hand, both for comfort and to comfort her. She squeezed it for the same reasons. "Now, from the beginning."

*******************************************************************************************

Thank you for being patient and enjoying the lastest chapter of Seabourne Burnouts!

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Let me know if I missed anyone and message me! I’ll be sure to see it then!

[moonlitceleste]

maribat but make it reverse robins

[nightlychaotic]

Hay Fear

@maribat-october-rarepairs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She looked over the scarecrow lounging on the hay bale, decked out in what she could only call a disco nightmare. The deep plunging neckline with a sky high collar and golden fringe. Marinette was mildly surprised the hay was staying inside the suit.

“Where did you even get that?”

“Get what?”

“The suit. Don’t tell me you made it after Nightwing’s old costume. I know the goal is to scare the bird but we don’t need to torture the rest of humanity.”

“Go on Dick. Tell Marinette where you got the suit,” Jason piped up, dropping of the hay bales he’d been carrying.

Dick glared at his younger brother for a moment as he thought. “I- Um I got it from Etsy.”

Marinette looked mildly horrified. “You commissioned some poor soul to make this monstrosity and it wasn’t me?”

“I- based on your reaction I’m afraid you would have thrown me out the window had I asked you to make it.”

“Dick, love. I love you but I would have immolated you to the fashion gods for this crime against humanity. I fear for the sanity of whichever poor soul had to make this for you.”

Jason laughed as Marinette continued on about the horrors of the suit’s design. “Imagine if she ever came face to face with Nightwing, Dick. How hard do you think she’d go?”

“Don’t you dare-”

“What would you do, Mari?”

“I would thank him for what he does, then ask him what lead to- to that monstrosity and tell him how it could be improved on so many levels.”

“You have no idea how much I would pay to witness that.”

“I’m sorry you never will then.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“Come on now,” Marinette interrupted. “This maze won’t build itself and we are running low on time.”

She grinned as the three of them got back to work, Jason and Dick snipping at each other behind her.

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

“I don’t think the scarecrows we made did much good,” Marinette pointed out with a small laugh, as crows rested on heads and arms of scarecrows throughout the maze.

Dick laid the back of his hand across his forehead. “All our hard work down the drain.”

She grinned at his dramatics, batting his hand away from his face. “Now I wouldn’t say that. We created some terrifying scarecrows here. Just look at the color schemes and deep necklines.”

“You wound me.”

She leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “There's a kiss to make it better.”

The two had almost made it out of the maze when the screaming began. Marinette froze.

“We’re on the opposite side of the fair grounds as the scary parts are.”

Dick glanced behind her towards where they had come, seeing the fear on a guest’s face as they came barrelling past.

“Marinette. I need you to do me a favor and run.”

“And leave you behind, I think not.”

“Marinette, I'm serious. Get out of here before you get exposed to whatever might be in there or hurt.”

She shook her head and dug her heels in. “Only if you come with me. I may not be the most experienced with your villains or rogues or whatnot but I grew up in Paris under an emotional terrorist turning my friends into supervillains. I can take care of myself.”

“Mari-”

“I am not leaving you here to play hero while others escape.”

Dick stared at her as she crossed her arms, the screaming in the maze slowly getting louder. “Mari- It’s my family’s event-” he started before she cut him off.

“-And that doesn’t require you to put your life on the line for them. No one is expecting that from you, Dick. No one is expecting you to go and-” a blood curdling shriek nearby stopped her midsentecne. SHe hesitated glancing back at Dick before turning and taking off heading back into the maze and towards the screams, Dick calling after her before giving chase.

Marinette rounded the corner after a minute slowing as she saw the effects of the fear toxin on the maze’s inhabitants, quickly moving to try and help them. She glanced around before working away at the wall she knew was closest to the outside, pulling hay away, working at creating a quick escape for those affected. She had barely started as Dick caught up to her and she caught a glimpse of metal swinging down.

Marinette bent backwards as the scythe swung over her, right where her head used to be and easily decapitated the scarecrow Batman before lodging itself into the hay wall she’d been working on. She recovered quickly, turning to face her attacker, dropping down into a fighting stance. She glanced over at Dick, looking between him, the people, and the partially destroyed wall as she moved away, hoping he got her message.

“Now now. Someone playing hero and trying to ruin the experiment. That won’t do. “How would you like to know your worst fear?”

“No thanks. Been there already. Don’t need a repeat anytime soon.”

“Too bad.”

She ducked, rolling out of the way as Scarecrow lunged at her with a syringe. She popped up, grabbing his arm and using it to swing herself up and towards the top of the wall. She let out a breath as she pulled herself up to the top of the hay wall, moving around the top of it to get closer to the outer rim.

The soft crunch of straw behind her kept her aware of the distance between Scarecrow and herself as she made the small leap to the other wall. She barely had a moment to regain her balance before he was on top of her, driving the syringe towards her. She dropped down, swinging her leg around to knock him off balance giving her time to rush over the weakness in the wall. She bent down, chipping away at the top, removing some of that stability as Dick worked from the side.

“What the hell, Marinette!? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. How’s the wall looking?”

“Getting there but-”

“Great. We’re going to open it up here in a second and be ready to ram it in.”

“What-”

“NOW!” She yelled as she leapt off the wall, pushing against the side with all her might as Scarecrow came up behind her. Dick rammed into the wall, breaking through the side, bringing the little solid ground underneath Scarecrow crashing down. Marinette dropped down from the adjacent wall in time to watch Red Hood arrive and finish taking care of the rogue as Dick rushed over to make sure she was okay.

“Marinette, what the- Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. He never landed a hit, Dick.”

“You could have been-”

“I could have but I wasn’t going to. I’m sorry if I scared you but I knew what I was doing.”

Dick pulled her into a hug, holding her close.

“Please don’t do something that reckless again.”

“I can’t guarantee that. If someone needs help, I’m going to try. But I'll be safe about it. If you promise to do the same since you were itching to run into the fray.”

“Fine.”

“Home and hot chocolate?”

“Sounds amazing.”

[me4ml]

Why don't you like Maribat? Why do you think it's a spite or salt ship?

This is presumably because of my Adrigaminette post or the whole Maribat being on the ship list thing.

Quick disclaimer: if you read/ship/write/like Maribat, cool! This is not an attack. This is me answering why I, personally, do not like it. It’s tagged anti, and salt, so it should be filtered. Please don’t harass me over it.

Another note before we start: a lot of what I’m about to write is based on what I’ve read, fic wise or meta, and I blocked off the Maribat tag and fandom a long time ago. It may have changed over there-I doubt it, and I have zero desire to go and look-but this is based on what I’ve seen and read about.

There are, principally, three reasons I can’t stand Maribat, why I think it’s a spite/salt ship.

1). I don’t like Damian Wayne.

2). I don’t like how Damian and the DCU are written in Maribat.

3). Maribat is a mutated salt fic.

If you want to see my reasons why, the rest is under the read more.

1). I don’t like Damian Wayne.

Damian’s not just my least favorite Robin, ranking behind any of the others who have born the name. He’s my least favorite Batfam sidekick overall.

Part of this is his introduction, where he’s a violent, murderous, arrogant, entitled, snotty little brat of a thug. Lest we forget, one of his first acts is to go out, kill a guy, cut off his head, stuff a grenade into the decapitated head’s mouth, and try to blow up Tim. This is his introduction! There are a number of other occasions, including how he treats Jon, his best friend, and the rest of his siblings.

Another part is that he believes that he deserves to be Robin simply because he’s Bruce’s son, and therefore has the blood right to be Robin, to become Batman, and damn anyone else, who are all pretenders. Doesn’t matter that those characters might have a right to become Robin, or the future Batman, he’s the bio son, he deserves it!

Additionally, Damian feels.....not unnecessary, but repetitive, in his actions/characterization. There are other characters who can perform pretty much the same way for whatever storyline is necessary, without including Damian.

Trained by an abusive family to be the best, as an assassin and warrior? Cassandra.

A killer who breaks the main rule of his mentor, which causes tension and strain in the family? Jason.

Incredibly intelligent and talented? Tim.

Damian isn’t unique in what he does, and while that can make him an interesting character, it can also make the focus on him unnecessary.

As well, so much of Damian’s actions and motivations feels like he gets away with stuff, in-universe, because he’s Bruce’s biological son, and so Bruce gives him too much slack, and out-universe, because the writers let him/the fans will defend him. He gets woobified, or leather pantsed. Which leads to:

2). I don’t like how Damian and the DCU are written for Maribat.

For all his (numerous) faults, when written well, Damian can be an interesting character. For example: How does he deal with being deeply insecure? By putting on a mask of arrogance and overconfidence.

Some more examples: How does Damian act like an actual child, when he’s never had a childhood? How can he be a hero, if he’s been trained to be a killer? Can he ever catch up to his siblings, or will he feel like they’re always better than him?

Damian’s sense of being Batman’s son, of being the heir to the Cowl, slams right up against the idea of the Batfam: that there are people who have just as much of a right to call Batman their father/father figure, people who are just as talented and skilled and capable as Damian himself is, if not more. Watching Damian develop, when he’s written right, is actually enjoyable; mainly because when it’s done right, it shows Damian actually progressing and growing, becoming more of a person, with friends and interests. Most times, seeing Damian with his pets can be adorable, same with when he hangs out with Jon.

Is he still a brat? Still sometimes a bit too much of a Demon, an al-Ghul? Yes, but that’s always going to be part of him, and as long as he’s shown to try and grow, or gets called out on that, it’s less of an issue (There’s a completely different rant to be written about how DC likes to chuck character development or backstory into the trash when it suits them for a new run. Damian gets hit with this, as does Tim, or they get handed the idiot/conflict ball, but not the space for it).

Maribat hurls this all out the window. Damian’s bad traits are all “fixed” offscreen-he’s developed, matured, gotten better, whatever you want to call it. It’s basically a writer’s hand wave to make Damian into the character who will be the lead of the story, perfectly suited for his main role of being Marinette’s boyfriend and utterly devoted to her every whim and will. He’s enchanted by her at first glimpse, and defends her against everyone who hates her, because no one can understand her like he can!

Uh, what? This is not Damian Wayne. Even at his best, he’s no broody boy, pulled from his ���dark path” by the love of a gentle girl. He’s a Jerk with a Heart of Gold-emphasis on the Jerk. There’s a reason his nickname usually involves “Demon.” Is Damian trying to get better? Yes. But even then, he’s not the type to immediately fall in love. He takes a while to warm up to people, for them to earn his trust, and Marinette would not be like that?

Let’s say that Robin is in Paris for a case, he runs into Ladybug and Chat, and after they explains what’s going on, Robin gives them a stare over his mask, and goes “TT! What a worthless hero, I would have caught him already.” LB and Chat would probably want to deck him, and that’s before he keeps talking.

Same with if Damian transfers to the class, or they meet on a field trip to Gotham. Damian’s not gonna care about some random French teenagers on a tour, or if he was transferred he’s gonna be trying to figure out why his father sent him to Paris, and be focused on the mission, not making friends.

Of all of the Robins, the ones that would be the most likely to capture Marinette’s interest would be Dick or Tim, not Damian. He would remind her too much of Chloe, as Damian, and as Robin, he would be dismissive of Ladybug’s abilities, which would absolutely piss her, and Chat Noir, off.

In characters that aren’t Damian, no one seems to be written properly over in Maribatland. One huge example is that Marinette is so beloved, so pure, that she can make any character fall in love with her, and reform by her pure goodness, including a fic where the Joker-THE JOKER!-becomes her “Uncle J,” and pranks Lila on her behalf.

Uh-huh. Sure. Completely and totally something that one of the biggest, most sadistic twisted, notorious villains in pop culture would do. Maribat winds up worshipping the ground that Marinette walks on, cause she’s “Teh best evar!”

Which then leads to my third and final point:

3). The whole Maribat concept is a mutated salt fic.

Most of the themes you’ll find in Maribat? You will find in nearly every salt fic.

Maybe my biggest issue with the whole Maribat idea is that it doesn’t feel like a proper crossover, which, at their best, explore how characters from one universe and their rules would interact with characters from another universe, and the rules of that one. Putting ML and DC together is a rich opportunity to play with concepts in both worlds!

And yet, it’s mainly used to bash ML characters who the writers despise, predominantly Adrien, Alya, and Lila, with members of the class thrown in depending on feeling, and potentially even Marinette’s parents! The only “good” ML characters are the ones who are on Marinette’s side, usually Luka, Kagami, a Chloe who for some reason has been redeemed and is now Marinette’s best friend, and whatever members of the class the writer decides to throw in there.

You’ll notice it’s not called “MiracuBat”, or LadyBat and Bat Noir-it’s MariBat. It’s meant as a focus on Marinette, making her-the hero of the Miraculous Ladybug franchise, someone in-story in story who is incredibly smart and talented and the leader of her team, future Guardian-even more awesome.....by beating down everyone else around her.

Marinette is simultaneously treated as an beaten-up, beaten-down walked-on carpet, and the best person to ever exist ever, go who only needs a group of new, different, better people to recognize that and save her from the clutches of those greedy and ungrateful assholes! That doesn’t include the fics where she’s the unknown child of a superhero or supervillain, making her even more special.

It’s Chameleon salt, class salt, with pointy ears and a cape on.

Some specific examples.

Adrien: Adrien is a spineless doormat who prioritizes Lila over Marinette, or an entitled bastard sexual harasser, only fixated on Ladybug, or even both. Sometimes it’ll get worse, as Adrien will threaten or abandon Marinette if she steps off of his “high road,” and Chat will be a budding rapist, stalking or capturing Marinette after he’s learned she’s Ladybug, while ignoring her prior to that. He will, of course, have his ring stripped and handed off to Damian, who is the “true” soul of Destruction and so therefore a “perfect match” to Marinette’s Creation soul. Occasionally it will be Jason, or Tim, or Dick, but the key thing is that it’s not Adrien!

While Damian’s issues are magically fixed, Adrien gets no such courtesy. Adrien has been abused, just like Damian, and while Damian’s abuse is more extensive and extreme, abuse is abuse. If anything, if Damian met Adrien, he would probably see another abused kid, and want to be his friend/have his “adopt stray person!” Instincts go off. I can much more imagine Damian dragging a bewildered Adrien into the Batcave and yelling “Father I’ve found another one for you to adopt!” than I can Damian immediately hating Adrien, or Chat, simply for breathing.

We never see Clark taking Adrien under his wing, or Bruce, or any of the other Batfam; nor any of the other Justice Leaguers. We never see Selina try to fight Bruce over the kid, because he’s cat-themed, and Selina can train him, this one’s hers Bat, get off!

Adrien’s never treated as a kid, or given actual development. A major complaint among salters is that Adrien is treated as perfect and never develops, and in fic, rather than developing him, Adrien either remains static, with his flaws narratively exploded, or is developed negatively. He’s there to be beaten up on and punished by the writers, if not actually physically beaten up by characters in the fic.

Alya: the not-so-good friend, the cheap excuse for a journalist, the awful person who abandons Marinette for Lila and her “connections.” Never mind that Alya was Marinette’s friend from the beginning, or that Marinette’s chosen her multiple times for a Miraculous. One instance of questioning Marinette about Lila, and Alya’s a backstabbing bitch.

Maribat treats Alya as neglectful, bossy, domineering and submissive at the same time to Marinette and Lila respectively, and as a journalist, the worst of the worst. She’s played as a two-bit paparazzo, and once again, the DCU is used to punish her. We don’t see Alya get mentored by Lois or Clark-indeed, if they notice her, it’s with disdain or disappointment. Often, they’re crushing her under their heel, calling her not only a bad journalist, but a bad friend/person. This forgetting, of course, that Alya runs her blog as a hobby so far, she’s only a teenager, and that she’s had Marinette’s back against Chloe and Lila.

The Class: the dupes or allies as needed. Class salt levels depend on what the writer needs. If they’re pro-class, they’re all on Marinette’s side, aside from Alya Adrien and Lila. Chloe, for some ungodly reason, is “redeemed” nigh instantaneously, and often will become Marinette’s best friend, if that isn’t Kagami already. Kagami will drop Adrien like a wet tissue, never trying to reconcile him with the clas, or encourage him to stand up for himself, or if she does, Adrien, of course, will not listen.

If the writer is anti-class, whoo boy. Openly mentally, emotionally, physically abusive to Marinette, the worst gang of people you would ever have the displeasure of meeting, they all need to be in Arkham.

We never see any of the class make friends with the Batfam, the Titans, Young Justice-unless they’re on Marinette’s side, of course. There’s no Alix stopping Selina at the Louvre, for instance, or Max hanging out with Babs. It’s all based on how Marinette is treated as to whether or not the class is portrayed as being worse than the worst of the Rogues Gallery.

Wrapping it all up, Maribat has made me dislike the entire concept of a DC/ML crossover.

Even if someone had written an non-salt, in-character crossover, I don’t know if I would read it, simply because the well has been that poisoned.

[staywhelmedbatfam]

Accidental Discoveries

~Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Damian Wayne~

Summary:  Damian knows about Marinette, but she has no idea. Meanwhile, she has only heard of him.

This is part of a late gift exchange for @badwolften​ and was partially inspired by Love O2O (the drama series) as the events that occur are similar to how Xiao Nai and Bei Wei Wei come to meet.

I feel like it's a little cringy, but I tried my best with this first attempt at Maribat, so I hope you enjoy it!

***

The first time he saw her, he was in Paris to gather intel. There had been a villain terrorizing the city – what he now knows as an akuma attack – and she was fighting back, decked out in a ladybug themed outfit. Her skills were unpolished, but effective enough when one’s weapon is a yo-yo and a random object that magically appears. The fact that she knew exactly what to do with the randomized object, however, is what caught his attention.

It wasn’t his intention to see what happened next. It happened so quickly, and she hadn’t noticed he was there since he was hidden in the darkness as a true Bat would be. She’d dropped down from a rooftop into an alley just in time for her to revert to her civilian form. After poking her head slightly out of the alley and looking from left to right, she took off. Damian understood the importance of a secret identity. After all, his father was very selective about who knew of their identities, including heroes. Her identity would just be another secret for him to keep and no one – not even she – would be the wiser.

***

Marinette just barely made it into the alleyway before her transformation dropped. The akuma fight had taken longer than she’d hoped, so she was now running late to meet up with Alya. Exiting the alley, she ran down the few blocks that remained between her and Alya’s place. She entered the home, unaware of the masked figure following and watching her from the rooftops.

The following night, Robin would work with Ladybug and Chat Noir to get more information about what he originally came to Paris for.

***

The next time he saw her, about two months had passed. He didn’t know her name or have a picture to use in combination with facial recognition software, so he knew nothing about her. Had her face not been revealed to him, he wouldn’t have known it was her.

She was in Gotham, along with the rest of her class, for a tour of Gotham University. He initially noticed the large group from a second-floor window after he walked out of one of his classes. Stepping off to the side of the hall to get out of the way of others, he came to a stop by the window. The class was being led by a guide in the direction of the cafeteria. Considering the time, they were most likely breaking for lunch. Spotting her by her pigtails, Damian saw the girl that has been clouding his mind bringing up the rear.

From what he could see, she seemed to be irritated. There were two blondes – one guy and one girl – on either side of her as well. While he assumed the guy was trying to calm her down, the girl appeared to be ranting. Turning away from the window, he proceeded to make his way out of the building.

***

Two months ago, things were just fine between her and the rest of the class. Marinette thought that all of this Lila nonsense had been put to rest. Apparently, she was wrong and the liar had only been on a hiatus. Thank goodness, she had Adrien and Chloe on her side to keep her sane. Where Adrien appealed to the peace-making side of her, Chloe appealed to the side that wanted to voice her frustration and tear into Lila.

They were less than a year away from being university students now. She would’ve thought that they’d be past this nonsense, especially after the first go-around during their first year of lycée. Instead, her classmates have gotten sucked back into her lies again.

Almost immediately after they found out about their trip to visit some American universities, the lies commenced. The trip? Oh, Lila had connections to help make it happen. Every city they were supposed to visit? She knew someone famous in each of them. Their final stop in Gotham? Not only did she brag about knowing the Wayne Family, but the youngest of the Wayne boys was her boyfriend. They were just keeping their relationship hush-hush.

When Marinette heard that last one, all she could do was scoff. Clearly, she didn’t value their ‘relationship’ a whole lot if she was willing to tell the whole class about it. Not that she believed the liar to begin with. Damian Wayne was a very private person. At least, that’s the impression Marinette got from the lack of media coverage on him. The few articles that spoke of him that she read from The Daily Planet, though, painted him as a no-nonsense, blunt person. Given this, she couldn’t imagine him ever wanting anything to do with a girl like Lila.

All of those lies occurred before the trip. Now, they are at their final destination and Lila is even worse with her lies in Gotham than she was in the previous cities. When the guide showing them around Gotham University wasn’t speaking, Lila was spouting words left and right to their classmates and they hung onto every last word.

This is why she remained at the back of the group and why her hands were balled up into fists at her sides. Chloe’s ranting about the constant lies didn’t help Marinette’s mood lighten any. Poor Adrien tried to lift her spirits, but he had no chance with Chloe in the mix. Oh, how she longed to be back at the hotel and disappear from the source of her sour mood.

***

Casually walking into the cafeteria, Damian ignored the whispers and stares of his peers. It was unusual for them to see him getting lunch on campus – or hang around campus for anything other than class for that matter.

Upon receiving his meal, he sat down at a table where he could inconspicuously watch Ladybug and her friends. The more he looked at her face, the more it amazed him how her identity wasn’t common knowledge. Granted, he knew of a couple of Kryptonians that managed that feat too.

He had finished eating by the time the French class was set to continue their tour. However, he overheard the girl he was keeping an eye on tell her friends that she would catch up with them since she had to use the restroom. They looked a little hesitant to leave her.

“What if we just wait for you instead?” the blonde girl suggested.

“Yeah,” the boy agreed. “It wouldn’t be right to leave you in a strange place, Marinette.”

So her name is Marinette… Damian pondered on that for a moment. It suits her.

She smiled at her friends and shook her head. “Go ahead. Besides, if we all stayed behind, who knows if we would be able to find the class. I’ll text you and find out where you are.” The two reluctantly followed the rest of their class as she disappeared into the ladies’ room. Lingering until he saw her leave the restroom, Damian finally left the cafeteria a few paces behind her.

As typical for Gotham and the winter season, the sky was gray. The below-freezing temperature had everyone wrapped up in several layers. Snow already blanketed the ground, but more was predicted later in the afternoon. Of course, the walkways had been cleared by the school’s groundskeepers.

Damian spotted it before it even happened and shot forward. An icy patch remained on the sidewalk, waiting to cause unsuspecting students, faculty, and other visitors to slip. Marinette happened to be one of them. Managing to reach her in time, she fell backward into his arms instead of hitting the ground.

How unlucky for the lady of luck. “Are you okay?”

She tilted her head up to see his face, showing him the ‘what just happened?’ look on her face. “Y-Yes, I’m fine… thank you.”

He helped her stand up properly before she turned around to continue catching up with her class. At least, that was the case until she stopped and pivoted on one foot to face him with a sheepish grin. “Um, could you direct me to the science and engineering building?”

“Follow me.”

She had only asked for directions but him leading her was good too. In fact, she probably still would’ve been lost trying to remember the directions, so this is for the best. Walking around the campus, Marinette didn’t know if she was just self-conscious being around a handsome guy that she didn’t know or if he was some sort of famous person, but she felt many eyes on her.

It was her friends that noticed her first. Adrien and Chloe ran over to her and started asking why it took her so long to find them before they realized someone unknown to them stood next to her. Marinette very briefly explained the situation and the two shook their heads in amusement.

Facing the student who helped her, she spoke, “Thank you again, um…” She paused a moment and continued, “I never got your name.”

“Damian,” he supplied.

“I’m Marinette and these are my best friends, Adrien and Chloe.” Her attention was temporarily drawn to her class as they started to move on. “Oh, I guess we should catch up with the rest of our class. It was nice meeting you, Damian!” Waving at him as she walked away, she smiled brightly while her two friends chatted in hushed voices.

Adrien glanced at Chloe. “You don’t think…? I mean, what are the chances?”

“This is Marinette we’re talking about. With her luck, it totally is him.” The smirk on Chloe’s face displayed how much she was enjoying this development. Lila’s ‘boyfriend’ apparently couldn’t be bothered to even say hi to her.

***

The French class was granted a free day the next day, provided that they stay in groups and don’t go any further than a couple of blocks from the hotel. A café was where Marinette and her friends decided to spend part of their day. She brought her design sketchbook and a pencil with her, hoping to get inspiration for a new outfit.

Marinette sat down at a table and cracked open her sketchbook while the two blondes went to order drinks. A moment later, a man passed by and sat in the chair behind her. He looked familiar, but where…? She let out a quiet gasp of realization. From the corner of her eye, she could see the reflection of his profile in the window and she was sure. He was the man from yesterday. Damian.

Of all the empty tables in here, why did he have to choose the one right behind me? Marinette could feel her cheeks heat up and her heart rate increase. Once Chloe and Adrien returned with their beverages, Adrien handed Marinette her coffee and the fashion designer tried to regain her composure.

Chloe managed to catch on to her momentary lack of chill and noticed Damian sitting at the next table. She put two and two together and tried to hide her amused smile. Adrien, on the other hand, was clueless.

“Have you come across any inspiration for your next design yet?” the male asked.

Shaking her head, the dark-haired girl responded, “No, not yet. There were a few colors that caught my eye on the way here, but nothing for the shape of it.” With a glance around, something caught her eye in the café and the change in her thought process was visible in her eyes.

“Well, she’s onto something now,” Chloe commented as she and Adrien watch her scribble her idea onto paper.

Damian quietly huffed out a brief laugh. Since he at least knew her first name and the class she was in, he searched for information about the girl last night – on his own time, of course. He didn’t want his brothers to tease him any more than they already did. It didn’t take very long for him to find anything.

Her full name was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, age seventeen, and all the other basic information. A few years ago, she won a hat design contest held by Gabriel Agreste – father of her friend, Adrien. With her initials, the design contest, and hearing her conversation just now, he concluded that Marinette was MDC – the famous designer that his brother was obsessed with. He couldn’t wait to rub it in Tim’s face later that he knew the identity of MDC.

After hanging around the café for a half-hour, Damian decided it was time he left. Besides, he had somewhere he needed to be. Marinette’s eyes lifted from the page she was drawing on as he walked past and trailed after him as he exited the café.

***

Later that night, Robin and Red Hood stood on a rooftop across from the hotel the French class resided in. Robin held a pair of binoculars in his hands, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl that continues to fill his thoughts.

“So,” Red Hood started. “Care to explain why you’re so focused on this hotel?”

“I thought it would further irritate Red Robin if he knew that you got to see who MDC was before him,” the youngest of the two replied with a smirk.

Satisfied with the reason, Red Hood shrugged. “I’m always down for messing with Replacement.” There wasn’t much out there for them to do tonight anyway. They were only watching out for small-scale crimes tonight as it was their turn for unorganized crime watch. The others were handling cases with Batman.

About ten minutes later, the roof access door of the hotel opened. Marinette stepped out with her arms crossed to try retaining some warmth. She wore a coat and scarf, along with some other winter clothing items. However, that didn’t mean that the bitter chill of the Gotham air didn’t cut through her either.

To say she was glad for this to be the last stop of their college tour trip would be an understatement. Her classmates were driving her up a wall, despite having her two best friends with her to serve as a buffer. Exhaustion was creeping up on her from being around everyone nearly all day long for the past couple of weeks. She had hoped heading to the roof would be beneficial for dealing with the last few days of their trip. It didn’t last very long when she got an akuma alert on her phone.

“That’s her.” Robin nodded in her direction and passed the binoculars.

“Huh. She’s not exactly what I –,” Red Hood stopped himself short. “What’s that floating next to her?”

Taking back the binoculars, Robin took a look for himself. “It seems to be some kind of… being.”

Despite the distance between the two buildings, the vigilantes could still hear the French girl when she commanded, “Tikki, spots on!” They watched her transformation to Ladybug in astonishment. Well, Robin was more intrigued at the process than astonished.

“She’s that French superheroine too?! Man, what’s next?” Red Hood exclaimed.

“Tikki, Kaalki, unify!”

Red Hood threw his hands in the air. “Oh, come on! She’s got an upgrade too?” Robin sent a glare his way. “What? Don’t pretend you’re not envious of her magic powers too!” The sound of a yo-yo cord cut off any argument that would have occurred. Turning their heads, they saw her swinging across to them.

“Um, hi. Can I ask how much of that you just saw?” she asked with a nervous smile.

“Probably too much,” Red Hood deadpanned. Her eyes widened and her complexion paled. He hurriedly tried to reassure the girl. “But we won’t share. Not even with Batman.” She gave the older man a doubtful glance.

Sighing, Robin explained further, “What he means to say is that we understand the importance of secret identities and we won’t say anything, because it’s not our place.”

Marinette’s eyes flickered to Robin and something seemed to register in her mind. “Wait, you’re part of the Bats, aren’t you? Robin and Red Hood. Okay… well, I’m Ladybug. It’s great to meet you. I would stay to discuss this more, but I have an akuma to stop. Voyage!” A portal opened up, showing Paris on the other side of it. With a wave, she tossed her yo-yo through the portal and followed after it, the portal disappearing once she cleared it.

When Marinette returned to her hotel room after the fight, Chloe was still asleep just as she had been when she left. Laying down, she stared up at the ceiling and pondered why Robin seemed familiar to her. His hair and his voice… They reminded her of – suddenly, it was like a lightbulb switched on. She’s only come into contact with him twice but… Damian had to be Robin.

***

Finally, the last full day of the trip was upon them. The class was being allowed to sit in on a couple of lectures to round out their tour of Gotham University. They filed into a lecture hall for the first course they would attend and each claimed a seat. French students disbursed throughout the room, some of Gotham University’s students reconfigured where they would sit to accommodate their friend groups or because their usual seat had been taken.

Within the sea of students piling in, Marinette spots Damian and she tracks his movement across the front of the room. As he begins to ascend the stairs to find a seat, his eyes find hers and she quickly looks away.

Damian continues upward and stops at the row containing her and her friends. He clears his throat, causing her to look at him again, and gestures to the empty seat next to her. “May I?”

“Sure,” she managed to get out before abruptly facing forward, not daring to take a peek at him. If their eyes met again, her face would surely be flushed. Her heart was already pounding.

“I wouldn’t sit next to her if I were you.” Those words caused the thumping of her heart to cease and filled her with exasperation.

“I’ll sit wherever I like,” Damian responded, uninterested in Lila’s opinion.

Lila plastered a faux concerned look on her face. “I’m just warning you that you’re sitting next to a bully. She’s always had it out for me since we met.”

He found it hard to believe that Marinette was that type of person. She was Ladybug for goodness sake. Alas, he still continued the conversation to see how far this girl was willing to go, replying with a monotone voice. “And why would that be?”

“She’s jealous of me.” Marinette and her two friends scoffed beside him.

“What on Earth does Marinette have to be jealous of?” Chloe spoke up.

“My popularity, my connections with multiple celebrities – including Paris’ hero, Ladybug – and my boyfriend, Damian Wayne, are just a few things to mention,” Lila brags – ahem, lies.

When she dropped his name like that, many heads swiveled in their direction with wide eyes. His classmates whispered among themselves as they became curious about what he would say back, knowing that the girl was lying.

A sarcastically amused look made its way onto his face as he stood from his seat. “Tt. You call him your boyfriend, but you don’t even realize that he’s standing right in front of you.” Had he been able to see Marinette’s face, he would have seen how surprised and shocked she was. Chloe turned to Adrien with a smirk and said she told him so.

Meanwhile, Lila grasped at straws. “You’re not him. All of Bruce Wayne’s sons have blue eyes.”

“All of them except for me. My green eyes come from my mother. I have an ID I can show you as proof… or you could ask any of my classmates.” Everyone could see that he was enjoying knocking the liar down a few pegs. “If you dare to spit out a lie that uses my name again, you will be hearing from my family’s attorneys.”

The brunette took off back to her seat, ignoring everything being angrily said to her by her classmates. For a lie as simple as he was dating her, he couldn’t really sue, but she clearly didn’t know this and the threat was enough for her to turn tail and run.

“Um,” Marinette started, gaining his attention, but was unable to continue when the professor walked in and began to speak.

***

Upon being dismissed by the professor, Damian rose from his chair and grabbed Marinette’s wrist. He began to walk, forcing her to get up out of her seat and follow behind him. Exiting the lecture hall, he continued to pull her along to a secluded alcove that he tended to occupy when he had to take phone calls that pertained to his nighttime activities. It was silent between the two the entire time until they came to a stop.

Marinette spoke first. “About what happened earlier… thank you. In the few years that I’ve known her, she’s never been caught in the midst of a lie. My entire class, except for Adrien and Chloe, basically abandoned me because of her. Hopefully, they realize how terrible she is.”

“If they don’t realize it now, they’re all halfwits.” Silence returned between them as Damian could tell there was something else on her mind based on her expression.

“Um, I know about…” she paused and glanced around, then lowered her voice a little more. “I know about Robin.”

He appeared to be unfazed by her statement as he nodded. “Well, I know about Ladybug and MDC, as well. That makes us even, I suppose.” She almost asked how he knew about her being MDC but chalked it up to him being one half of Gotham’s famous Dynamic Duo.

“Then we keep each other’s secrets and go our own ways, I guess. I should get back to the rest of my class.” She hadn’t noticed that he was still holding onto her until she tried to walk away and got pulled back.

“Marinette. I want to see you again.” A moment passed. “I’ve never experienced feeling this way, but I know I don’t want this to be our last encounter. I’ll come to you if I have to. That is if you will allow me.”

“O-okay,” she stuttered.

They exchanged phone numbers and Damian took her back to her friends afterward. Before they parted ways, he briefly kissed her cheek and told her that he would see her off at the airport tomorrow. Adrien and Chloe immediately bombarded her with questions, causing a slight smile to form on Damian’s face as he left the group.

Eventually, Damian would tell her. He would tell her about the first time he laid eyes on her. How he already knew months prior to their first interaction that she was Ladybug. He would take her to the very rooftop he spotted her from and describe what it was like as he watched her fighting the akuma from that night. He would explain how he subconsciously knew in that moment that he had fallen for her.

Masterlist

[hauntedbythefanficsofmypast]

Betrothal Side Info

The Batfamily's reaction to Ladybug and Caht Noir.

Bruce- He is the third one to know, because he is Batman. In reality its because three days later he hears Damian and Mari talking about it on the phone. Bruce doesn't like the idea of two 13 year olds fighting by themselves. He has a zeta beam immediately installed in Paris, and has news alerts sent to his phone for when Akuma attack.

Alfred- He is fourth to find out when he finds Bruce pacing back and forth in his office debating what to do. He simply points out that Paris isn't their city, and that until the threat gets bigger or someone contacts the Justice League showing up will be unusual. He is totally chill on the outside and but he is silently cursing the Order of the Guardians. You bet your applesauce that I am making him a former holder.

Dick- When he finds out he is really excited for Marinette to be able to spread her wings. He gets worried after seeing the first couple fights and sees how woefully unprepared Chat Noir is compared to Ladybug. He helps Marinette find a fighting style that would suit Chat Noir. He also turns his news alrets for Paris on.

Jason- Laughs his butt off for 20 minutes straight, Alfred has to get a antidote for Joker's Laughing Gas. Once he calms down he has to stop himself from looking at pictures of them. He literally walks to a corner of the room and just stares at it. When asked why he was laughing he snorted and told them to never let Selina find out about Chat Noir. Before bursting into laughter again mumbling about cats and too much leather.

Tim- He is the first to know about them. He had been awake for 72 hours straight at the point and was living off coffee. He already had news alert set for Paris incase something happened like a bag storm or terrorist attack. He thought he was finally losing it when he got the alert and saw Marinette fighting with a blond and male version of Selina. The entire family was confused when he poured a pot of coffee down the drain. Then sat on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him till sleep finally took him. After he woke up he used one of his fake Identities to buy a unused warehouse in a part of Paris' non tourist areas. He then looped all camera in the area contecting them to a system so that if checked the police will not receive the tapes of Ladybug and Chat Noir leaving the building. He gives the address to Marinette after he has the place decked out with a security system and refunished as her and her teams own version of the cave.

Cass- When she finds out she is quite proud, especially when Ladybug uses a move that she taught her. After watching the first few fights she begins texting with Marinette. She encourages her to ask Damian and Bruce about patroling with them when she is in Gotham next summer. She also helps Marinette pick out her name for when she is in Gotham.

Stephanie- When she finds put she spends hours on the phone talking to Marinette and Tikki. She wants to know everything she can about Ladybug's history and the Miraculous. She also agrees to begin going through all of Paris' cameras to try and find where the butterflies are coming from.

Damian- He is the second to know and is extremely proud of her, however he is not happy that she is partners with Chat Noir. Especially when he sees videos of Chat claiming that they are soulmates. He encourages Marinette to put her foot down with Tikki over Chat Noir's training and is happier when Adrien apologizes to both of them. He is still annoyed when both of them insist they are platonic soulmates. He is definitely jealous of the model and forms a anit-adrinette group with Nathaniel.

Barbara- When she find out she is quick to help Stephanie track the butterflies, and makes sure that Marinette's 'cave' has one of the best computers. She also creates a folder building up more and more evidence on Gabriel Agrests' terrible parenting. She us determined to get Adrien away from him. She decides that if Bruce doesnt adopt him she 100 percent is going to.

Tag List Under the cut.

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[artxyra]

This is my first question ever since I downloaded tumblr, tbh. What if the Waynes including Marinette are playing Monopoly? Idk who started it (probably Tim or whoever), probably to test out Mari's luck (since you know.... she's Ladybug, symbol of luck hehehhe) then all or most of the Waynes losing their sh*t.

Do you have any idea how hard this was for me to write? I haven’t played monopoly in a very long time. Hopefully, this meets somewhat of your expectations. 

How much chaos can a family create when its game night? The answer is a lot of chaos, but when they add their newest supportive sister to the mix, well no one was going to make it out alive.

Like any other game night plan, it started off with Timothy Drake sipping on a fresh cup of coffee staring off into the distance. Due to his brain no longer properly functioning by this point and Alfred not even a few feet away, the idea suddenly came to him. It’s been months since the last game night so why not now.

Alfred stops preparing breakfast to make sure that Tim was alright and after determining the young CEO was as normal as he can be, he green-lights the idea but not after a long sigh.

Tonight’s game of choice is monopoly. A very bad idea.

The board game sat on the coffee table untouched. The family of six looks at one another daring a person to take the first step. It’s Alfred that picks up the box and begins unboxing the items. It was decided after the first time the family played the game that Alfred needs to be the one to oversee the fake money, especially when it got worse when Dick somehow managed to convince Bruce to use real dollars.

Everyone chooses their pawns. Marinette claims the cat, Dick got the duck, Bruce opted for the top hat, Damian fought with Jason for the dinosaur (he won), Jason decided on the car, and Tim chose the dog. The cards are shuffled by Alfred as everyone takes a seat, respectively inches apart from one another.

The moment the last deck of cards was set down, all hell broke loose.

Tim challenged Marinette’s lucky abilities, calling her out on hit. He wasn’t laughing when Marinette kept on avoiding spots that his brothers and father began to claim as theirs. She would eventually take two of the railroads. Yeah, who’s laughing now, Timmy.

It was Jason that calls for bankruptcy first. He even had the audacity to yell at Alfred telling him to recount. Jason was too far in the negative for it to even be a thought. Damian even had to nerve to laugh at his older brother despite being threatened with a bullet to his head. Bruce and Alfred, along with his Pixie-Pop of a sister, reprimanded him it.

Now sitting off to the side pouting, Jason glares at the remainder of the active players.

Marinette ends up taking the entirety of the pink and green regions of the board and started building up to her larger buildings.

She rolls the dice, barely passing the jail. This causes another shouting match to ensure. Marinette simply smirks and shrugs them off waiting for her next turn. At this point, everyone has been to jail but her. Damian began calling her a witch right beside Tim, who only secured the yellow region with a few oranges that are currently run by Bruce. Trading was not an option; well it was at first but now not so much, they want to win to defeat Marinette. If it wasn’t for Alfred handing them the cards, cheating would be the highest bidder.

Next to call for bankruptcy was Dick. He lasted long enough to see the horrid plan that Marinette has against them. He dramatically sulks in the background. Marinette calls out to him only for him to whine louder stifling a laughter out of Marinette.

Slowly but surely, they make it around the board at least two more times before Damian was taken out. He landed in one of Marinette’s areas and brutally lost money only to be hit again by his brother.

Then there was three, two of them are businessmen and the girl with a lot luck and a business mindset under her belt. At this point, the pink, green, yellow, orange, and blue zones were taken, the rest was up for grabs. Marinette takes the light blue zones slowly cutting back their funds as Tim takes the brown and red zones, Bruce takes the rest.

Thirty minutes past before Bruce call it quits, he was only spaces ways from calling bankruptcy leaving one bloodbath to watch another.

Marinette and Tim in a hushed voice threatens one another. He was egging her one while she taunts him about losing. The family is split. Damian and Dick secretly hoping that Marinette would win while the others vote for Tim. Between the two of them, money was strong and high.

Tension rose when the two remaining players made it down to only hundreds of dollars. Marinette rolls the dice. Tim bites his lip as he tries to calculate the spaces she has to take. One more, baby one more. Her hand stops.

“No!” Tim calls out flipping the coffee table in the process. Marinette has landed on a space she owns which is one away from his own and two away from the go to jail space.

With the board collapse on the ground, Alfred taking a sip of tea. He declares Marinette the winner. Marinette sends Tim a smirk.

“I told you, I’m at games.” She says with a wink before skipping out of the room.

Tim’s winning streak on board games against his family comes to a staggering hold. His legs buckle underneath sending him into a dark cloud of depression. Dick pats his back.

“We’ll get her next time.” He says before walking out to catch up to Marinette.

“I’ll have to say Master Tim, this was an inspiring good game.” Alfred says as her picks up the pieces and place them back into the box.

Tim stays on the floor, even when the lights go out.

Legend has it that Marinette never lost a game night after that.

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[the-fusionist]

It Really Isn’t a Joke (Wonder Woman Salt One-Shot)

Author’s Note: Special thanks to @vixen-uchiha for giving me the idea in my asks! This is a one shot so I will not be continuing this. Also I love Wonder Woman despite writing salt about her lol (* ^.^*) Not maribat, but I do have a maribat fic in the works so yay!

Here I go: 

Wonder Woman used to operate in Paris, at least for an extremely short time. Only a week really, so it hardly counted. She had assumed that Paris was safe in her absence, considering that whatever happened there couldn’t possibly be as bad as the enemies the Justice League faced. So she left, blindly disregarding the city that was about to descend into chaos.

Just a few days after her departure, she got word of attacks in Paris. A baby that enlarges. The next time it’s a pigeon man. The third it’s a video of two children decked in animal themed spandex begging for her to return to Paris and help them defeat a butterfly villain. She scoffed when she had watched it. 

She knew that she had a large fan club, but she hadn’t thought anyone would be stupid enough to try and trick her back into their city. She couldn’t go back to Paris, the Justice League needed her and these kids should know better than that. 

So she scowled as she deleted all of those videos before sending a short message about how they needed to understand that heroes have responsibilities. That a prank like the one they pulled is an unnecessary and dangerous distraction from people who actually needed her help. 

After pressing send, she made sure to block them so they could never contact her again. She didn’t have time for ridiculous pranks. As a result, she unknowingly left two children to fend for themselves against a dangerous force. Two spiteful children who held immense power, who would soon grow even more responsible than she could have ever been. 

~ 5 years later ~

Wonder Woman sat in the meeting room with a furious Batman and concerned Superman. She was confused about why Bats had suddenly called on such a meeting. She sincerely hoped that they didn’t have another world crisis on their hands. Those were never fun to deal with. 

So she sat silently and stared questioningly at the two men. Silently, Batman pulls a remote from god knows where and presses a button. The computer screen, courtesy of Wayne Enterprises, in front of the table they sit at springs to life. A video begins playing, loud noise and crashes resounding throughout the room. Blood curdling screams could be made out among the loud booms. 

The image whips around to face a recognizable girl and boy, who had aged since Wonder Woman had last seen them on a screen. She watched unconcerned as they faced a taller man who appeared to be surrounded by butterflies. The ladybug hero appeared to be luring the man closer to the edge of the building, giving up ground as they fought. Then, out of nowhere the cat hero sprang in and buried a peculiar dagger into the man’s back. 

The girl then snatched what looked like a brooch off the man, who was falling to the floor in pain. His outfit seemed to melt off into nowhere as he lay defeated on the floor. The girl hero then shouted a muffled phrase while throwing the dagger into the air. As she was doing this, the cat hero was crouched down next to the body of the unconscious villain sobbing. The video suddenly cut.

She turned her attention back to the two men in the room, amused at the grim expressions they wore.

She laughed, “I can’t believe you two fell for that prank by those kids. They’re honestly so annoying. I love my fans but they definitely went too far this time. I didn’t think they would go as far to contact the league after I told them off. Oh well, I suppose you want to pay them a visit after they engaged in making these fake videos again. It really isn’t a joke.”

Superman looked at his colleague with unmasked disgust, while Batman seemed to fume darkly under his cowl.

“It really isn’t a joke. And neither are they,” Batman voiced in a gruff tone laced with icy rage. 

The entrance doors slid open to reveal the two teenagers who had been in the video they had been watching just moments ago. The three older heroes beheld haunted eyes and the wary way Ladybug and Chat Noir walked. But there was a dangerous glint when they assessed Wonder Woman.

“Leave us. We have words,” declared Ladybug in a voice that left no room for argument as she stared blankly at Wonder Woman. 

Chat Noir stood next to her, a silent sentry of support as he looked solemnly upon older heroes. Superman didn’t need to be a detective like Batman to know the look of distrust. With a silent nod Batman left the room reluctantly with Superman in tow. 

Wonder Woman began to feel a slight sense of dread as she looked at the two expressionless heroes, but she ignored it. She didn’t have any reason to be afraid of these two. 

Ladybug spoke first. “We wanted to tell you that we forgive you. Even though you abandoned us, it’s wrong to hold grudges. We will not be hostile to you unless you give us a reason. But it will take a while to develop an alliance with you after all that’s been said and done.”

Wonder Woman scoffed at the two children. She couldn’t believe they were acting so high and mighty. Like she was someone less capable. Like she was someone bad. It didn’t sit well with her. Who the hell did they think they were?

She voiced her question scowling, “And just who might you both be to be speaking in such a way?”

This time it was Chat who answered, giving a toothy smile that held a darker edge to it, “We are Ladybug and Chat Noir, holders of the Ladybug and Cat Miraculouses of Creation and Destruction.”

Wonder Woman’s face dawned with recognition. Their costumes were very different from those she had been told of in the old stories, probably explaining why she didn’t recognize them. Their outfits had probably changed to suit their needs, as older Miraculous holders had worn battle armor and the like. 

She couldn’t believe these two held that much power. They were only children. She had to take the Miraculous from them. They couldn’t possibly be able to protect them, given their age which hinted at inexperience. Yes, desperate measures had to be taken. 

So the Amazon stupidly spoke, “Give the Miraculous to me. I can protect them and use them far better than the two of you ever could. So hand them over. Two children like you couldn’t possibly do anything to keep them safe from falling into the wrong hands.”

Ladybug lashed out, “Oh we’ve had five years of experience from keeping them from falling into the wrong hands no thanks to you, and we sure as hell aren’t going to quit now.”

The younger heroes had become tense, waiting for Wonder Woman’s response. The Amazon hadn’t expected resistance, but she knew what she had to do. She unsheathed the sword at her side and prepared to attack.

But before she could even swing her sword, she found herself immobilized by a yo-yo. Her sword was across the room, having been kicked away from her by Chat. She struggled as she tried to break loose, but found she couldn’t. She seethed. It was magic.

“You will not take the Miraculous from us. Give us your word that you will stop and we will release you,” Ladybug spoke in a dangerous voice as she stared down the older hero on the floor.

“I could protect the Miraculous better than the two of you. I’m much older and have more experience than the both of you could. The Miraculous has a long history with the Amazons, they practically belong to us. So release me and give them up.”

Ladybug nodded solemnly at Chat. Before Wonder Woman knew it, pain spread across her head as Chat swung his staff in a practiced way and she felt herself drift off. The yo-yo came loose but the Amazon felt dizzy. She faintly heard a female voice say something about someone called Kaalki. A bright light flashed and she felt the world around her darken. 

~ 10 minutes later ~

Wonder Woman woke up in a bed in the infirmary. Batman and Superman stood over her. Clark had the decency to look concerned while Batman kept a stoic expression. A few words were exchanged and she assured them that she was alright, but she was annoyed the two teenagers had gotten away. 

Batman had been watching the surveillance footage outside the room before it had blacked out. He and Superman tried to open the doors when they heard struggling inside, but they were magically sealed. As soon as they finally pried them open, they found an unconscious Wonder Woman on the ground near a note folded next to her sword.

Batman finally held out the piece of paper to Wonder Woman. It was a simple note, reading, “To Queen Hippolyta and the Amazons: Remember Atlantis.” There was no signature, only the insignia of a cat’s paw stamped in a deep black ink. Batman noted that the ink seemed to give off an unearthly green glow, similar to the Lazarus Pits. He noticed Diana had paled as she read the note. 

“What does Atlantis have to do with this?” he asked sharply.

The Amazon gulped, knowing that Batman would not be happy, “You know about the legend of Atlantis and how it seemingly disappeared. Well, the ruler of Atlantis was actually an Amazon who had a quarrel with the God of Destruction. So, being the God of Destruction, Plagg ended up destroying Atlantis. Plagg and Tikki are the Gods of Creation and Destruction, and their power can be harnessed by the magic of the Miraculouses. Those Miraculouses are what give Ladybug and Chat Noir their power.”

Superman paled. He may be a kryptonian, but those were Gods. They had managed to anger Gods. He groaned.

Batman was furious at Wonder Woman. He truly worked with stupid idiots. First Superman had attacked the two young heroes when they had shown up after Batman had invited them. And now Wonder Woman had pissed them off even more. 

Yup. They were in some deep shit. Wonder Woman finally realized, it hadn't been a joke. 

Tag List:  @rebecarojas07 @theatreandcomicfreak @princessanimeangel11 @maribatlife @ethelphantom @18-fandoms-unite-08 @queengeorgiaaa

[monkeebratz]

Bio!Dad Bruce Wayne - Scarecrow Interlude

Initial idea | How it Happened | Addition by iggy-of-fans | Reply to iggy’s Addition | Summer Begins | Summer Part 2 | Supers Meet | Scarecrow Interlude (you are here) | 

Honestly this falls after the Batfam meets the Super Squad and after they all meet the Justice League and chew them out. So it’ll be organized in the list chronologically once I get more stuff in there but for now here it is because I couldn’t get it off my mind.

(Also something similar to this happens in another Maribat au but I cannot for the life of me figure out which one so if you know, please tell me so I can link to it!)

Okay, but, Marinette, the Wayne’s, and the Super Squad are all at a party that The Scarecrow crashes. Somehow he ends up super close to Marinette and injects her with a full vial of Fear Toxin. The Wayne Family is screaming bloody fucking murder because holy shit no. 

Marinette, badass extraordinaire, knows how to handle her fear. She’s like, always afraid tbh. Anxiety is a hellish landscape many of us must suffer. So, instead of panicking (I mean she’s absolutely panicking and having some kind o attack but she’s a hero ffs, she’s got this) gets mad. Very mad. Grabs onto the front of Scarecrow’s shit and just starts decking him. Repeatedly. There’s always a hand on him to ensure that its really him that she’s hitting bc he never let go of her and she never let go of him. 

(Adrien, right after Mari gets injected: OOHH, now you have fucked up! You have fucked up now!

Kagami: Kick his ass, babe, we got your family!

.... they’re the meme team, let me dream.) 

ANYWAYS, Mari punches the Scarecrow into unconsciousness, and keeps a hold of him. Calls out “Sandboy version seven!” which, of course, the whole super squad knows what that’s code for, and takes their designated positions. Marinette proceeds to a process of hitting all of them (not very hard, like, throwing her purse/shoe at them and making sure it hits, waving her hand and making sure it makes contact) and goes through ensuring they’re all real. She can’t tell who is what horrifying creature her brain has pulled out of her nightmares, but hey, she knows its them. Can feel the magic of their Miraculi. 

There’s a couple of close calls because she confirms some of the things she’s seeing/hearing ARE NOT REAL. and Promptly panics even more and tries to fight them. The Super Squad just lets her work it out. 

Meanwhile the Wayne’s are screaming internally like. UH? THAT’S?? THE BABY? WHY THE FUCK DOES THE BABY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS SO WELL? WHO’S ASS IS GETTING KICKED FOR THIS? UM? HELLO? 

they give her all the hugs once Marinette gets the antidote (given via Chloe bc sorry paramedics, Mari can and will beat you into the ground before she lets you touch her.) 

ngl the rest of the day is the whole team going home and dog piling Marinette, who’s still anxious and panicked as hell and constantly gets reassured by everyone what is and isn’t real and that she handled herself well and everything’s fine! Its fine! Really! Just. Give Marinette all the hugs. 

Tag List! (Please remember to send me an ask if you want to be added!)

@mystery-5-5 @mariae2900 @vgirl-10123 @iglowinggemma28 @deredereart @synnesstra @dahjokester @destinationdesignation @lordsmeldingtonthethird @emjrabbitwolf @unabashedbookworm @saphiraazure2708 @rhub4rb @romanoff-queen @octoberscorn @littleblue5mcdork @foxyrelina @severelyenchantedwonderland @dast218

People who should be tagged but may not? So sorry, I’m still going to add you until tumblr stops being a dick about this.

@tbehartoo

[smittenvixen13]

The Pearls and Stones

So, as some may recall, during 2018 (I think, it was long ago) during a Convention where Zag released “sneak peaks” of what was going to come in future seasons: Jade Turtle, Rena, Queen B, etc. One of those things were these

The Pearl of the Sea (Breathe and Move underwater) Stone of the Sun (Flying Powers) Pearl of the Mysteries (Infinite Lucky Charms) Pearl of the Heart (Cure of the akumatized) and Stone of the moon (Fly and Breathe in Space) And it seems these stones and pearls would’ve been more of a thing for Ladybug, rather than Ladybug and Chat Noir, which seems why they switched to doing potions instead of these. Although we don’t know if they’ll bring up the pearls and stone, it seems like the ideas are benched for now. But my mind wondered how EXACTLY the pair would’ve found the stones and pearls, since we barely met Fu at the end of Season 1 and for most of that season Chat and Ladybug floundering through that whole time without any forms of guidance by the older master.

Previous to this, we also got ideas of there being specials with Ladybug in China (Shanghai now, since this special is the new one with Lady Dragon)

(the first is a concept poster from 2016, and i think the second was released in 2017. I believe it was intially supposed to be a season 2 episode, but I guess now it’ll be in season 4) And with Maribat, the AMAZING concepts and fanfics and arts people did during the Hiatus back in the day, I realized what route this could’ve lead us. We could’ve had a season 2 or 3 where the class travels the world ala “Suite Life on Deck” with Mari and Adrien travelling to find the stones/pearls. We could’ve had a pearl lost away in the ruins of Atlantis, having the pair needing to dive below to find it and learn WHY Plagg sunk it down, maybe even a Kraken or Atlantean or two. We could’ve had a stone hidden deep within Greece, possibly facing  creatures of myth or even Amazonians! We could’ve had a pearl lost in some caves of China, with lore surrounding it that a dragon took it for it’s own. There was possibilities!!! I do hope they bring the Pearls and Stones back in some way, though I highly doubt it since we got the potions and other miraculous.

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Chapter 20 - Riptide

Thank you to @rebecarojas07, @batfam-babe​, @kimihonna​ for beta reading! Start [Here] [Part 19]  [Part 21]-OR- [AO3]   TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide If you bothered by this content, stop reading once Staller says "I'll be quick."

“Why are we here again?”

“Because you and Chloe seem to have a good reputation among the staff and Chloe is with Alya.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t with them.”

“I have to do this first.” Jason groaned as Marinette dragged him around on the ship. He could tell they were heading to the staff’s quarters but she didn’t say what for. He thought back to the sudden decision. They were all gathered in the dining hall, she was tired and yawning all day but no one thought much of it. For the most part, everyone was just happy Marinette and Damian made up the day before. Marinette and Adrien were talking, much to his relief, when suddenly she froze. He remembers her suddenly stand up with a yell before realizing she was creating a scene and slowing sitting down. Everyone was clearly confused, but she assured them she’d let tell them after they got some privacy.

“So you think someone has some information on the Akumas? Shouldn’t we just interrogate them?”

“We can’t interrogate kids.”

“Kids?” She looked at her phone and looked up at the room numbers, “Whose kids?”

“Have you heard of a woman named Marleen?” She took a right and continued dragging him along.

“Yeah. She’s a badass who would punch your lights out if you make her mad.”

“Why does it sound like you have personal experience?”

Jason rubbed his jaw and shrugged, “No reason.”

Marinette rubbed her eyes and shook her head, “You’re impossible.”

“No, I’m lovable. You guys just won’t admit it.”

Marinette grinned and rolled her eyes, “Well, her kids were the first Akumas.”

“What?” He stopped in his tracks and frowned, “What do you mean?”

Marinette looked back at him and explained, “They were the pirates that attacked the night of the ceremony.” She bit her lip, “I need your help because Marleen doesn’t like me or my class. She might not let me talk to them!”

“Why couldn’t you bring Damian then? He’s good at getting information out of people.”

Marinette flinched, “Yeah, about that. Since we made up yesterday Alya and the other girls took it upon themselves to – um – rough him up or something.”

Jason snorted, “Ah, payback for making you cry.”

“I did not cry!”

“You totally cried.” Marinette pouted, but that only egged Jason on. “You think they’re still interrogating him? No wonder Chloe left with her. He’s probably dead.”

Marinette's voice was whiny as she continued on her path, “I hope not.”

Jason followed her and looked around, “Well, I can at least take another one of Marleen’s punches if you need me to.”

“I’m hoping you’d sweet-talk her or something.”

“Oh, you think your big brother has game?”

“No, but your weirdness might work in my favor.”

“I’m weird now?”

“Define ‘now’.”

Jason grabbed her and put her in a chokehold, “Oh! She has jokes now!”

Marinette wiggled around and shook her head as he messed with her hair, “Get off!”

“Just the other day you were depressed as hell and a guy tells you he loves you-”

Marinette’s face lit up as she looked up at Jason, “What!?”

Jason froze and muttered a curse as he let go, “What?”

Marinette blushed as she fixed her hair, “He didn’t say that.” Of course he didn’t.

Jason grabbed her phone and looked at the room number, clearly he was jumping the gun. “Marleen’s room is nearby. Her kids should be there.”

“Wait, Jason-”

“Come on.” The roles switched so quickly that Marinette couldn’t question it. She was suddenly being the one dragged along down the corridor.

Marinette let out a small ‘hmph’ and shook her hand out of his grip, “I’m not letting that go.”

“We’re both stubborn. Of course you wouldn’t.” Jason looked at the screen one last time before stopping in front of a door. “You ready?”

“No, but that’s why you’re here.”

“To be the punching bag?”

She twiddled with her pigtails as she said, “To be my big brother and help me out here.” Jason was pleasantly surprised at the answer, despite the bashful delivery. He smiled and held her close before knocking on the door.

It was muffled, but he could hear some kids inside and a woman yell, “Coming! Coming!” Hearing her unlock the door made Marinette tense, but Jason just did his best to stay cool for her. A woman with messy hair opened the door and frowned, “Jason.”

Jason smiled, “Marleen! Good to see you!”

“What do you want? Who’s she?”

“I hear your kids on the ship. We were wondering if we could talk to them.”

“What are you talking about? My kids left after the first attack and-”

“Mom! Mom! Jacob won’t let me look at the ribbon we won!”

Marleen rolled her eyes and called back, “Jacob! Let your brother see it! He helped you win, you know?” There was a whine that could be heard further into the room and she sighed, “Who wants to know?”

“My sister.”

“Since when do you have a sister?”

“Since she boarded the ship. Marleen meet Marinette.” Marinette nervously waved and smiled at the woman.

Marleen was unimpressed, “You’re the girl from the French class.”

Jason snapped his fingers, “Perceptive as always. Anyways, we’d like to-”

“It’s your fault that my boys got caught up in this mess.” She glared at Marinette and held a demeaning tone as she continued to reprimand Marinette, “You know how scared I was when the attack started and no one knew where my kids were? Imagine my face when the cops call me to say they had my kids in custody and one of them had a shot leg! I brought them with me to avoid getting into trouble and then your class shows up-”

Jason held his hands up in surrender and stepped in front of Marinette, “Okay! Okay. So I see you haven’t changed.”

“Don’t make me punch you again.”

“Your kids won the balloon war, so they must be doing well.”

“Smartass. After that first stop in Spain, a bright light suddenly washed over us and my son was better. Can’t explain it. It was-”

“Miraculous.”

Marleen looked at the girl and narrowed her eyes, “Yeah. What do you want with my kids?”

Marinette gulped and asked, “Can I talk to them about the Akumas?”

“You a cop?”

“No.”

“That’s your answer.”

“Marleen-”

“Don’t ‘Marleen’ me! The trip was fine until they got on it!”

Jason frowned, “That’s not fair. You really think a bunch of 15-year-olds planned this?”

“Crazy world we live in. Who knows? I’m not letting her near my kids. Might be bad luck.”

“Mom!” A kid ran up to Marleen and tugged at her pants, “Hey, are we-” He looked over at Jason and suddenly went wide-eyed, “Oh my god, you’re alive!”

The sudden outburst made Jason snort, “What? Of course I’m alive, kid.”

“But mom punched you! She said she could kill people with her punches.”

Marleen cracked her knuckles, “I still can.”

Jason held his hands up in surrender, “Your mom knocked me out. She throws really good punches.”

The kid nodded, seemingly accepting the answers before asking, “What are you doing here? Are you going to punch him again, Mom?”

“Maybe.”

Jason ignored her and crouched down to the boy’s level, “What’s your name?”

The boy stepped out from behind his mother’s legs, “David.”

“Hey David, I’m Jason. This is Marinette. I wanted to ask you and your brother about the day of the big ceremony.”

David frowned, “Didn’t the cops ask us this stuff?”

“Yeah, but we might’ve figured out something they didn’t.”

Marleen rolled her eyes, “Oh really?”

“Orders from Batman himself.” That caught her attention.

The boy looked surprised before blurting out, “I’ll go get Jacob! Jacob!” He ran back inside the room, excited.

However, Marleen was skeptical, “Really?”

“I wouldn’t be down here if it wasn’t important.”

“Then why is the girl here?”

“She knows the right questions.”

Two boys returned and David pointed up at them, “There they are.”

The older boy gave them the same look Marleen did. Marinette waved and Jacob looked away with a light blush. Marinette giggled but looked at Marleen, “I won’t ask them anything bad. Please, can I talk to them?”

Marleen looked down at her kids, who nodded and she reluctantly gave in. “Fine.”

Marinette nodded and crouched down next to Jason, “Hi. I’m Marinette. You’re Jacob?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you remember about that night? You know the one, right?”

“Yeah.” David rubbed his leg, probably the one that was shot. “We don’t remember doing anything bad.”

“No, no, I didn’t think you would. I want to know what happened right before that. You guys were playing with your toy guns right?”

David nodded, “Yeah, we were playing Batman vs Joker.”

Jacob crossed his arms and huffed, “We weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“I didn’t say you were. I just want to understand something. So you guys were playing, what happened next?”

Jacob sighed, “We started fighting over the gun.”

“Okay. So you guys are fighting over the gun. Then what?”

David shrugged, “Then nothing. I don’t remember anything. Do you?”

Jacob looked back over at Marinette and his face flushed bright red. He stuttered, “Not really.”

Marinette giggled, “You sure?”

David stomped his foot, “You wouldn’t believe us! The cops didn’t.”

Jason gestured to his face and asked, “Come on, do I look like the cops?”

Marleen answered with a quick and snarky, “No.”

The boys shook their head and Jason shrugged, “So tell us. C’mon.”

The boys looked at each other before Jacob finally said, “There was a butterfly.”

“A butterfly?”

“See! You-”

“No! No! No! I’m just making sure I heard that right! A butterfly? A purple one?”

David nodded, “Yeah! It was purple and weird looking and it flew into the gun and-” He suddenly stopped and frowned, “I don’t remember.”

Marinette hummed, “I’m sorry about that. Do you remember anything else about the butterfly?”

“Jacob saw it first.”

Jacob glared at his brother and then seemed nervous to make eye contact with Marinette. He stepped a bit behind his mom, but with a gentle pat on the back form Marleen he gulped. “It came from the vent. That’s all I remember.”

Marinette smiled at him, “You did great. Thank you.”

“How did you know it was purple?”

Jason pulled the kid into his arms and jumped up, “Because we’re awesome.”

David screamed in delight and Jacob came out from behind his mother, “I want to do that!”

“You got it, man.” Jason pulled the boy up onto his shoulders without breaking a sweat and Jacob grinned. “You good?” Jacob laughed and David seemed content with swinging on his arms.

Marleen smiled and looked at Marinette, “I gotta admit, he’s good with kids. With women? He’s a total loss.”

“Hey!”

Marinette nodded, “Oh, I know. I’m never going to marry him off.”

“Hey!”

Marinette giggled but Marleen nudged her, “So, how did you know the butterfly was purple?”

Marinette crossed her arms and looked away, “In Paris we deal with them a lot. They’re called Akumas.”

“So the bright light-”

“Was from our local hero. She fixes all damages caused by Akumas.”

“Ah, the Ladybug chick. Saw her when Tess went crazy.” Marleen sighed and rubbed her arms, “It scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know where they were, I didn’t know what happened to them. If it wasn’t for Batman they’d have a criminal record-”

“I’m so sorry. If I knew this would happen, I would’ve never sent in an essay.”

Marleen waved her hand dismissively, “Jason’s right. You didn’t plan this. I just- I need someone to be mad at.” Marinette smiled and held her hand out. Marleen shook her hand, “Alright, truce. Only because Jason seems like less of an asshole and I’m choosing to think it’s because of you.”

The two looked over and noticed Jason being ‘overpowered’ by the two boys. Marinette snorted, “He’s awesome.”

Jason looked up and pointed at her, “So you admit it!”

“Never said I didn’t, Jason.” Jason grinned before getting up and setting both of the children down beside Marleen.

Marleen hummed, “I will say this. My boys get dragged into it again, I won’t hesitate to knock you, Jason, that ladybug chick, or anyone else out.”

Marinette laughed nervously and took a step back, “Noted.”

David whined, “So now you gotta report back to Batman?”

��Yup! See you guys later okay?”

“Okay! Bye!” David was more enthusiastic, but Jacob seemed sadder to see them go. Jason ruffled his hair, forcing out a smile as they started to walk away from the door.

Marleen called out to them, “Don’t be strangers, okay? I promise I won’t punch you!”

Jason smirked, “I don’t believe that for a second, Marleen! See you later!” Marleen waved them off before closing the door. “Good kids.”

“Great kids.”

“Jacob had a huge crush on you.”

“Shut up.”

“Damian has competition.”

“Stop.”

“Gotta let him know about this. Big brother stuff. You get it.”

Marinette lightly hit his arm, “Jason, no.” She sighed and stretched, “Looks like we have another lead.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Akumas are traveling through the vents. No wonder we can’t pinpoint them. They’re traveling in the ship’s best blind spots.”

“Right.” Jason hummed, “So that means they could be coming from anywhere.”

She shook her head, “Not necessarily. All the Akumas were above deck and they akumatized the victims too quickly. They wouldn’t be able to travel through the vents that quickly unseen if they were below deck.”

“So whoever’s behind this is above deck. Makes sense. So who’s above deck that knows how to navigate the vents?”

“No, no. The Akumas would navigate them on their own. Hawkmoth wouldn’t need to lead them anywhere.”

“So anyone above deck that knows about the vents. Great. Narrows that down.” He thought for a bit before sighing, “No wait, that actually does narrow it down to about half the population on the ship. Given that most of the Akumas are on or near the main deck, I’d say they’re on or above deck too. Probably the first two floors.”

“That narrows it down further.” She nudged him, “Hey, you are smart.”

“You realize I was trained by Batman. I’m impulsive, not dumb.” Jason grabbed Marinette’s shoulders and pulled her into a side hug, “You want to be our new Robin? You seem smart enough?”

“Damian would be furious.”

“Damian would love to see you in his costume.”

Marinette blushed and looked away, “Speaking of ‘love’, what did you mean before?”

Jason cringed, “Nothing. You were just so happy, I just figured-”

“We’re in a good place.” She laughed and admitted, “I told him I love him though, but I doubt he’d ever tell me.”

Jason paused and registered this new information in his brain. Curiosity overcame him, “What did he say back?”

Marinette groaned, “He didn’t say anything!”

Jason was disappointed, “Note to self; kill Damian.”

“No! I’ve kissed him like once!”

“Really? Jesus you guys are wholesome. Fine. Once you get that second kiss, his ass is mine for being stupid.”

“He’s not stupid.” She mumbled to herself, “Not all the time.”

Jason rubbed her arm, “Your boyfriend is an idiot. What are you going to do?”

“He’s your brother.”

“Gives me even more of a right to call him stupid.” Marinette laughed, being an only child she was always surprised at how ruthless siblings could really be with each other. Jason was glad they were back on track, but they didn’t have enough time left.

He could hear Bruce’s voice echo in his head and his question held more and more weight each time: ‘You’re really going to rope her into this?’

It was something Jason didn’t think they’d need to worry about. A summer fling was something he didn’t think would ever be in the cards for his emotionally constipated brother. Yet, here he was listening to Marinette admit her feelings for Damian. It really hit him that this would be a more permanent problem once Damian confessed his own feelings to Bruce. When Jason told Dick and Tim, they had conflicting reactions.

Tim was already upset they knew their secret identities, but he expected to just leave the class behind forever after the trip. He was ready to keep this as a memory as a safety precaution. Dick was more optimistic and brought up Clark and Lois. Dick didn’t want to throw this all away when this is the most significant growth Damian has ever displayed. It caused a pretty heated argument and left everyone going to bed angry, but there wasn’t a clear answer.

“Hey, Marinette. Did you think this through?”

“Think what through?” She texted someone on her phone and made a right in the hallway. He could tell they were heading towards the computer room.

“This. With Damian. With us.”

“I did.”

“And you’re not scared.”

“I’m terrified.”

“And you’re still going to do it?”

Marinette bit her lip and clutched onto his arm, “Honestly, I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like without you guys around. I’m not looking forward to the end of this trip.” She took a deep breath and sent him a look full of determination, “Still, I’m not going to give it all up because I’m scared.”

Jason smiled and squeezed her body, “That’s what I like to hear. You’ll be a Robin yet.”

Marinette shook her head, “I’m not going to be a Robin.”

“You can’t be a horse girl superhero your whole life.”

“Jason-”

“I mean Gina would never approve of something so lame.”

“Grandma would be proud of me kicking butt.”

“True.”

“Still, Marinette you could seriously get hurt. Alya, Nino, Adrien, Chloe, everyone could get hurt if anyone found out you guys knew us.”

“We all know that. We all don’t care. I think being chased down by a supervillain every week for two years does that to you.”

Jason frowned, “When this is over, I don’t have to be anywhere. You want me to stay in Paris and help out? You’d have to introduce me to Ladybug and Cat Noir first.”

Marinette looked up, hopeful, “Really?”

“I might not look like it compared to my brothers, but I was still trained by the world’s greatest detective. I could help and I’m good in a fight.” Jason was glad he was the one who got to see this girl absolutely light up the room. She nearly jumped out of her skin, instead she jumped onto him. “Woah!” She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso, “Hey-”

“Yes! Please, yes. Please.” The last please sounded so tired and desperate. He just adjusted her and held her as he continued walking. Sure, they got some weird looks by the few staff members that passed them by, but she held him so close. It reminded him of kids he’d save back in the day. They’d just latch onto him and only let go to latch onto their parents. This hold was only ever given by kids who were thoroughly traumatized, which only worried him further. Jason just patted her back and did his best not to jostle her on their way down.

The rest of the walk was comfortably silent. While holding a fifteen-year-old like a toddler wasn’t the weirdest thing he’s ever done, it was something concerning. Jason wanted to ask more questions, but she just rested on him. He patted and rubbed small circles onto her back the rest of the journey to the computer room. By the time they got to the room, he wondered if she fell asleep on him. Her body heat was high and she was relaxed, but the plea made him wonder just how bad it got in Paris.

He opened the door and gave the people inside a small wave. Tim just looked concerned and confused while Adrien walked over and held his arms out. Jason set her down in his arms and realized she actually did fall asleep. Adrien sighed, “Aw man, she was probably up all night thinking.”

“About what?”

“We’re having a debate. We’re good, but I’m just not on board. She’s been trying really hard to convince me though.” Adrien rubbed his cheek against her head and set her down in a chair, “Did you figure out anything?”

“Yeah, a lot actually.” He walked over to the computer and pulled up the ship’s blueprints. “The Akumas are traveling through the vents to avoid detection. I’d say they’re somewhere above ground on the first two floors. That narrows it down pretty well, doesn’t it?”

“It does.” Bruce hummed, “Let’s try to do a sweep of the area first thing in the morning. Having the kids around might work in our favor. The staff thinks they’re just weird teenagers and stopped batting an eye.”

“I mean they’re not wrong.”

Bruce looked around, “Where’s Alya and Chloe?”

Jason shrugged, “Interrogating Damian.”

“And Dick and Nino?”

Tim held up his phone, “Trying to save Damian.”

“Ah.”

“From what I hear, it’s not going well.”

Adrien smirked, “Well, at least he’ll die happy. He made up with Marinette.”

“He did? That’s good to hear.”

Tim smirked, “Be careful, you sound relieved.” Bruce just smiled as he looked over the blueprints. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that we’ll start in the residential wing. No one is allowed in the rooms without the residents’ consent. There are no cameras in the rooms. Perfect hiding place.”

“Now we’re getting somewhere. Finally. We might be able to get this guy before the end of the trip.”

Jason snorted, “And Damian can finally get a second kiss.” The three guys snapped their heads to Jason and he just nodded. “My reaction exactly.”

“Oh jeez, for a playboy’s son he has absolutely no game. You’ve taught him nothing.” Bruce glared at Tim who simply motioned towards the sleeping girl, “Try to tell me he’d score a kiss from anyone but Marinette. You can’t. That girl was his only chance and he was smart enough to take it.” Bruce initially shook his head before shrugging and nodding in agreement.

Adrien sighed and leaned on the wall, “So we have a plan. Should we go save Damian and find Staller?”

“Staller?”

Tim stretched and got out of his seat, “His niece’s memorial is tomorrow. She would’ve been 26 that day if it wasn’t for the accident. We couldn’t find the pictures so we’ve been brainstorming all night. We pulled it through in the end and made a pretty good gift. Also, we took a bottle from your office.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

Adrien looked over at Marinette before decided to just lift her into his arms, “How did she die anyway? I know she was young but no one ever talks about it.”

Tim frowned and walked towards the door, “Let’s go find Damian.” Adrien wasn’t the best at reading the room, but when it came to loss he might as well have been reading a book. Her death was a sore spot and he wasn’t about to push that despite not understanding why.

Jason walked over and crouched down, “Put her on my back. I can take her.”

Adrien nodded and positioned her in a way she wouldn’t fall once he stood up. “Do you need anything else from us, Bruce?”

“No, that should be all. I’m glad to hear you all made up.”

Adrien smiled and waved as they left the room. He looked over at Tim, “So where are we heading?”

“Up. They’re in Alya’s room.”

“Ten bucks says they put him makeup and a dress.”

“Twenty says he likes it.”

Adrien chuckled, “Guys, be serious. Fifty says Chloe used Queen Bee’s venom on him.”

“Oh, no. That’s a suckers bet. She obviously did.”

“Yeah, I’m out.”

Adrien pouted but soon grinned, “Tim, do you have the present?”

“I can go get it once we’re above deck.”

Jason hummed, “Hope the old man likes it.”

“It’s a thoughtful gift made by his friends. He’ll love it.”

Tim looked over at Adrien as they walked up the stairs, “How’d your mom die?”

Adrien flinched and shook his head, “She didn’t die; she disappeared. No one knows where she went or what happened to her.” He tapped the railing and his smile held no warmth, “I want to think of her as alive and happy. Where ever she is.” Tim patted his back and Adrien shrugged, “So Staller will like it. I know it.”

“Way to go, Tim.”

“Shut it.”

“It’s okay, guys. Really. Let’s just go make sure Marinette still has a boyfriend.”

Jason adjusted his grip on Marinette as they continued up the floors to the residential wing, “He still didn’t tell her.”

Tim groaned, “I’m not surprised but I’m still disappointed.”

“Tell her what?”

“Did Chloe ever talk about a conversation between Bruce and Damian?”

“No.”

“Then don’t worry about it.”

Adrien pouted and looked over at Marinette, “You know she really loves him.”

“We know.”

“I don’t really like it.”

Tim’s sarcasm hit Adrien like a bat to the back, “Really? Couldn’t tell.” Adrien nearly stumbled and looked up at Tim flustered. Tim just chuckled at Adrien’s expense.

Adrien sighed and said, “At school, Marinette was the first friend I ever made. I think I always had a soft spot for her and it’s hard to ignore that.”

Jason asked, “So now what’ll you do?”

“Nothing. We talked and the feelings are more out of loyalty than anything. She loves Damian? Well, I’ll be there to claw his eyes out if they get into another fight.”

Tim was blunt when he said, “We’d probably help out.”

Adrien chuckled, “That’s terrible! You’re brothers.”

“That means nothing. I’ll punch him if you ask nicely.” That made Adrien bark out in laughter. Some passengers looked over at them, but they focused more on Jason carrying Marinette than the laughing blond.

Adrien took a deep breath and wiped the corners of his eyes, “Okay! Okay. I’m good. I’m good.”

Tim grinned as he continued up the stairs, “Nice to see you in a good mood, Adrien.”

“Thanks.”

“Aw, you guys bonded without me? Rude.”

“Says the guy carrying the girl he met a few weeks ago.”

Jason didn’t have a retort for that. It was true, he knew he liked Marinette after reading her paper. The sister thing started as a joke, but after realizing Gina was her grandmother it was like a switch. Suddenly, this girl was family; not just a girl his brother liked. She murmured something incoherent into his shoulder and he just quietly shushed her. If Adrien was right, she’s probably been stressing over things since their fight after Tess was Akumatized. The night before that was probably the last good night’s sleep she had. The fact that Marinette felt comfortable enough to fall asleep on him, it was a testament to how close they got. Sleeping made you too vulnerable. Too open. She trusted Jason. He wasn’t going to take that lightly.

The three continued chatting, Jason did his best to give Marinette a smooth ride as they made their way to Alya’s room. Nino and Dick soon came into view and they noticed Nino knocking on the door. “C’mon Alya! That’s enough!”

They could hear girls giggling and nothing else. Dick ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, “We haven’t heard anything from Damian. I’m starting to wonder if they have him gagged.”

Jason rolled his eyes and stomped on the door, “Alya! Open the door! Marinette fell asleep on me and my arms are getting tired!” Marinette groaned in protest to the sudden noise and he continued to lull her back to sleep.

“Dude!”

“Guys, stay quiet. She’s sleeping.”

“You literally just tried to kick down a door!”

Tim pinched the bridge of his nose, “Do you seriously think that’ll-” The doorknob jiggled a bit and Alya cracked open the door. Tim threw his arms up, “Never mind. I know nothing.”

Jason turned around and Alya’s eyes widened, “Oh jeez, she really did knock out.” Alya opened the door fully and motioned them inside, “We could’ve done more with more time, but you guys seriously ruin the fun.”

The boys filed inside the room and looked around. It was a standard room and by the looks of it, her roommate was Juleka. The girls snickered and whispered to each other before shushing each other. Dick was the first to ask, “So where’s Damian?”

Alix didn’t hesitate to point at the bathroom. Jason set Marinette down on the bed and Dick knocked on the door. “Hey, you alive in there?”

“Yeah, yeah. Give me a minute.” Damian opened the door after a moment and Tim’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”

“You’re alive.”

“Shut up, Drake.” He walked over to the girls and took his seat next to them and leaned on the wall, “Anyways, next question. Rose, it’s your turn.”

Alya motioned towards the group and looked at the group dumbly, “Now will you guys stop ruining our girl time.”

Nino crossed his arms, “Why didn’t you answer us?”

Damian shrugged, “They told me not to.”

Dick perked up, “I’m in. I got stories to share about this dumbass.”

Alix snickered, “Perfect. I need more dirt.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Oh really?”

Dick smirked and stood beside Mylene, “So when Damian was 12 he stole his father’s car.”

Alix snapped her head to Damian, “You stole his car!”

Damian glared at Dick, “Great. Way to tarnish my reputation.”

“I can do worse. When he was 13, him and his friend Jon-”

Damian lunged at his brother and slapped a hand over his mouth, “No! Stopping you right there! Any story with that idiot is bound to be a bad one!”

Rose raised her hand, “Aw, can I at least ask my question? I have some more.”

Jason walked over and pushed Damian off of Dick fairly roughly, making everyone tense. “I got a few questions too. I think the girls would enjoy this one too.” Chloe let out a soft gasp but didn’t intervene. Jason knew she knew, “Number one, you guys have only kissed once.”

“That wasn’t even a question.”

Alya looked surprised, “Really? Aw man, you guys are shy aren’t you?”

Jason shrugged, “Marinette won’t let me kill you until she gets another kiss.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “And why would you kill me?”

Jason hummed and held out two fingers, “Number two. So why haven’t you told Marinette you love her yet?”

Rose and Mylene both cried out, “WHAT?”

Adrien quickly jumped over to Marinette and covered her ears, “Guys-”

Mylene leaned towards Damian with an unusually angry face, “What do you mean you haven’t told her?”

Rose was just as, if not more, intimidating. “Don’t you realize how crucial that is? You have to say it!”

Damian put his hands up in surrender and glared at Jason, “Where did this come from?”

“Marinette told me you didn’t answer her when she told you she loved you. So I thought-”

There seemed to be an invisible snap in the room as all the ladies pounced onto Damian, yelling and scolding the poor boy. He must’ve sworn to be at their mercy or something because he could’ve easily fought them off. Yet, he took the shaking, hitting, pulling, and other abuse with a brave face.

Dick leaned over to Jason and whispered, “Don’t you think that was a little mean?”

Jason shrugged, “I promised Marinette I wouldn’t kill him. This way I won’t have to.” Dick let out an exasperated sigh before looking over at the frenzy going on. He looked back at Adrien who seemed to struggle as he barely shielded Marinette from all the noise.

Dick tapped on Alya’s shoulder, “Hey, don’t you think this is a bit much? He’s not the type to say those kinds of things to anyone. Not even Bruce.”

“You can’t just leave a girl hanging like that! You have to say something back!”

Damian pushed Rose back, clearly doing so without harming her, “I did say something back! I asked her another question.”

Alya grabbed a pillow off Juleka’s bed and smacked him in the face with it. Chloe groaned, ���Here I was, supporting you and standing in your corner, and you do this to me? Do you realize how valuable an alliance with me is?”

Damian rolled his eyes, “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Alix begged to differ, “You did everything wrong! I’m not even into romance and I know that!”

Juleka sighed and turned his head to face her, “You know, we’ll always look out for Marinette. Do we need to be worried about you?”

Damian shook his head free from his grip, “Of course not! I care about her a lot. I-” Feeling the room’s eyes all suddenly on him prevented him from finishing his sentence. He looked away and growled, “This is stupid. Everything was fine until you guys showed up!”

Jason blinked and poked his cheek, “Are you blushing?”

“You wish.”

“Oh my god, he is.”

“Bro, I can see the pink on his cheeks from here.”

“I’m going to document this and file it under the evidence that proves Damian’s human.”

Damian, much to his dismay, could feel the heat creeping up his neck. Damian looked away from the group, “You’re starting to frustrate me.”

Dick clapped, bringing everyone’s attention to himself. He cleared his throat and motioned to Damian, “While he may not say it, he shows it in other ways. Exhibit A, the kid shows human emotions.”

“Grayson-”

“Exhibit B, he doesn’t curse at us as much anymore. He’s gotten softer.”

“We’ll see whose gone soft-”

“Exhibit C, he’s here. Damian would’ve never come here and let you girls question him this much if he wasn’t serious about her.” Damian didn’t say anything to that comment, but the silence was enough of a response for the girls to back off. Damian straightened himself out and crossed his arms, the blush losing intensity but never truly leaving. “You guys want someone who’s outwardly lovey-dovey, but that’s not Damian. He shows it by just doing things and trying hard for people. He’s always been like that.”

Dick reached out and messed with Damian’s hair. Much to his amusement, Damian didn’t fight it. Dick sighed, “You love her, don’t you?” Damian smacked Dick’s hand away and looked to the ground. Dick chuckled, “God, you haven’t changed at all. You were the same as a kid too.”

The blush came back with a fury, “Shut up!”

Dick smacked the back of Jason’s head, “Hey, what the he-”

“That’s for putting him in this position, Jason. Yeah, it’s frustrating to hear that because we all love Marinette. Still, you know how he operates. He’s not normal.”

Damian grabbed the pillow out of Alya’s hands and threw it at Dick, “Aren’t you done yet?”

Dick caught it and smirked, “Yeah, yeah. I’m done.” Dick has known Damian just as long as Bruce does, considering the time they spent together as Batman and Robin he’d argue he’s known him even longer. He’d like to think he’s the closest to him out of everyone in the family and he wouldn’t be wrong. Damian may never actually state the words ‘I love you’, but it doesn’t mean the feelings aren’t there. “I love you too, Damian.”

“You are so full of yourself, Grayson!”

Adrien sighed and shrugged, “On that note, I think it’s time. Chloe, can we continue this another time?”

Chloe groaned and looked at the group, “Interrogation over. Same time tomorrow?”

Damian’s eyes widened, “I’m not off the hook after that?”

Mylene shook her head, “Oh no, not yet. We still have a lot of questions.”

Rose stood up and stretched, “That was fun! I can’t wait for the next session.” She giggled and leaned towards Damian, “I guess you can be romantic without words, huh?” Damian rolled his eyes and gently pushed her face away.

Damian let out a long groan got onto his feet. He looked over to the figure on the bed and finally realized it was Marinette. He scrunched up his nose and walked over to her. “She okay?”

“Yeah, she knocked out on me on our way back to the computer room. We have some news.”

Alya and Chloe looked at each other before looking at the rest of the girls. “Hey, we need to talk. Do you mind?”

Juleka sighed and nodded, “Yeah. Yeah. We’ll go hang out in the arcade. Looks like it might rain today anyway.”

Alya smiled and said a quick thank you as they waited for the girls to leave before continuing further. “Well, I learned something new today. I’d say today’s interrogation was a success.” Damian glared at her but she just laughed it off, “You can’t touch me.” Damian looked away, frustrated because she was absolutely right.

Adrien closed the door behind the girls as the last one filed out. Adrien then motioned for Jason to explain what he found. Jason just repeated himself while petting Marinette’s hair, “The Akumas are traveling through the vents to avoid detection. Based on how quickly they move, I’d say they’re somewhere above ground on the first two floors. We’ll start a sweep tomorrow.”

“Wow, you figured that out on your own?”

“Marinette was the one who thought to talk to the first Akuma victims and the kids were good. Marleen almost punched us though.”

Dick rolled his eyes, “How many times are you going to bother that woman?”

“She’s a good time when she isn’t in a bad mood.”

Damian yawned and hopped up onto Alya’s bed, careful not to move Marinette too much. “You’ll have to do that without us. We’re spending the day with Staller.”

“You do that anytime you’re on the boat.”

“And I call the man if I’m not.” Damian shrugged and asked, “Did you finish the present?” Tim nodded and Damian didn’t miss a beat, “Then go get it.”

Tim grumbled and left the room. Damian looked over his phone, making small notes and messaging someone. Nino was the first to point out, “You seem more, what’s the word, mellow? You seem mellow.”

“I’m in a good mood.”

Alya snorted, “I wonder why?”

“Shut it.”

“Never.” Damian looked over the girl and stretched, “I’ll take her to her room after Tim gets back.”

Chloe exaggerated her words as she poked fun at him, “Oh, staying in a girl’s room! Damian Wayne! Looks like if he’s not going to say it, there’s one way you can show-“

Damian glared at her, “Keep it up and I’ll tell Adrien that you-”

Chloe quickly ran over and clasped her hands over his mouth, “I can and will use my venom on you!”

Damian pushed her hands away and looked over at Adrien, “She feels bad for losing the balloon war.”

Adrien seemed a bit relieved, “Is that it?”

Chloe blushed and waved her hand dismissively, “Yeah! Yeah! That’s it!” Damian pinched her cheek, “Hey! What was that for?”

“For putting your hands on me.”

Alya groaned, “You guys are worse than my sisters.”

Jason shrugged, “I’m just glad to see you guys getting along again. Seriously, you guys brought the mood down.”

Damian frowned, “I didn’t mean to.”

Nino walked over and patted his back, “Aw, don’t feel bad. No one understands girls. A fight or two is inevitable.” Alya pinched his ear, “Ow! Tell me I’m wrong!”

Alya let go and shrugged, “You’re right. Arguing is bound to happen. That’s just normal.” Nino held out his fist towards Adrien who reluctantly fist-bumped him.

“You’re so dumb.”

“You love me.”

“Yes, but at what cost?”

“Adrien, we made this agreement years ago. You can’t get rid of me now.”

“Nino, I would never.”

“Bro.”

Dick laughed and leaned against Juleka’s bed, “You guys seriously make me question how far your relationship goes.”

Alya shrugged, “You get used to it. They’ve been inseparable since they met. They started laying it on thick a few months ago.”

“Why?”

Nino hummed, “I don’t know. Just felt like it. Adrien?”

“Yeah, no real reason. Just kind of happened. I think it’s hilarious.”

Chloe looked over her nails and said, “I think it’s annoying.”

Alya smirked, “I think it makes for good blackmail down the line when you guys look back on this and cringe.”

“Bold of you to assume we’d ever stop.”

Jason shook his head and laughed, “I forget you guys are teenagers sometimes. We’ve all been acting so serious lately. When was the last time we were all together like this?”

Dick thought for a moment, “The sleepover. Or that first stop before Lucas.”

Alya cringed, “I still feel bad about how that day ended.”

“Water under the bridge, Alya.”

“In this case, water under the boat.” The group groaned and Dick threw a pillow at Adrien.

It took a little while but once Tim finally returned, he walked into the room confused. Adrien was being held back while the girls beat him with pillows. Damian and Dick stayed back and watched the scene unfold while Marinette seemed to have just woken up from her sleep. Tim handed Damian the bag and asked, “What-”

Nino called back from over his shoulder, “We’re beating out his sins.”

“Puns are not sins!”

Chloe frowned, “Adrikins, you need to pay for that last one.”

“All I said was-”

Alya smacked him with her pillow, “Don’t repeat it! It was terrible!”

Adrien laughed, “You guys just can’t handle my comedic charm.”

“Oh please, you’re worse than Dick.”

“I’m funny!”

Damian looked over to his brother and deadpanned, “No, you aren’t. Women just laugh at your jokes because they think you’re attractive.”

Dick smirked, “I am attractive.”

“But you’re not funny.”

Dick suddenly pulled Damian into a chokehold, “What’d you say?”

“Grayson!”

“I’m not what?”

“Get off!”

“I’m sorry. I don’t speak loser.”

“Dick!”

Tim sighed and rubbed his temples, “I didn’t drink enough coffee for this.” Damian bit Dick’s arm, making him pull back and flinch.

“Damian!”

He ignored him, “Marinette, you want to go to your room? Staller’s probably working until later tonight. We can catch him in the den and give him our gift.” Marinette yawned and nodded.

Adrien looked over to Marinette and pleaded with her, “You can’t just leave me here!”

“Alya, let him go.”

“In a minute.”

Marinette shrugged, “You heard her. In a minute.” Adrien’s mouth hung open and stuck out his tongue in protest. Marinette yawned, “We’ll talk later okay?” She tapped her earrings and he nodded. “Good luck.”

Adrien sighed, “I’ll keep you in my will.”

Marinette giggled and grabbed Damian’s arm. He didn’t outwardly express anything, but his body visibly relaxed seemingly without him noticing. Marinette waved as they left the scene behind them. She looked at Damian and noticed something was different. “Are you blushing?”

Damian froze, “I most certainly am not blushing!”

Marinette put her hands up, “Okay! Okay. Sorry. The girls didn’t talk about anything weird did they?”

Damian visibly gulped and looked at his phone, “Nothing of interest, but we have another session tomorrow.”

Marinette leaned over to get a better look at him and pouted, “You’re a bad liar.”

Damian pinched her cheek, “That’s my line!”

Marinette flinched but giggled all the same. He let go of her cheeks and then hesitantly leaned towards her. By the time she realized what was happening, he placed a gentle kiss on the cheek he pinched before continuing down the corridor. Marinette could feel the heat coming up her neck like a forest fire. “Hey! You can’t just do that!”

He stopped, but he didn’t look back at her. Instead, he just held his hand out and waited. “Now you can have Jason come after me later, if you want.”

Marinette was confused at first before realizing what the comment referred to. She sighed and ran up to him, clasping onto his hand as soon as it came into reach. For a moment, they didn’t say anything. She was always used to grab his arm and that was that. This was new for both of them. Despite the greater distance it put between them, it felt more intimate. Still, neither pulled away. Instead, they walked towards the main deck to get to Marinette’s wing.

Marinette let out a half-hearted laugh, “I can’t believe I fell asleep on Jason.”

Damian expressed his own concern with her current state, “I have to admit. I’m surprised too. You sure you’re okay?”

“I’m just tired, I guess.” Damian frowned and she nudged him, “Hey, things are looking up. We’re together again, our friends are getting along, and we’ll spend time with – Oh! Staller!” Damian looked up and noticed the old man walking around on deck and Marinette didn’t hesitate to run up to him. Staller seemed to be in a haze as he looked over the water. Luckily, he was pleasantly surprised at the girl jumping up to hug him and he reciprocated.

Damian chuckled and jogged over to the two, “You’ll break him.”

“He’s sturdy.”

“Not as much as I used to be.” Staller rubbed his shoulder and rolled it to adjust it. “Although, I’m happy to see you two. I haven’t had the best company lately.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing to worry about.” Staller brushed back her bangs and smiled at her, “What brings you here?”

“We have something for you to make up for the photos.”

“You didn’t have to-”

“We wanted to.” Damian held up the bag and smiled, “We need to take responsibility.”

Staller sighed and patted the boy’s shoulders, “You do this every year. I still don’t understand why.”

The question made him apprehensive but he played it off well, “I respect you, old man. Least I could do.”

Staller grabbed the bag, “We’ll open this later. I assume it’s for Anne?”

“It’s for Anne.”

Staller nodded and looked over the railings. It was a sober moment to watch him look down at the water, thinking, until he finally asked both teens a question. “Would you like to walk around for a while?”

“Don’t you have work?”

“My co-captain needs to pull his own weight. He’ll be fine.”

Marinette snorted, “Lazy, huh?”

“Exactly.” Staller motioned for them to follow him as they wandered the ship.

Damian poked Marinette’s arm and asked her, “You up for this?”

“I’ll be fine. That was a good power nap.”

“You’re pushing it.”

“Probably!” Marinette smiled and pleaded, “Come on! I’ll be fine.” Damian’s shoulders fell and Marinette took it as a sign of defeat. “Let’s go.”

Damian groaned as he let himself get dragged away by the girl. He wasn’t annoyed, quite the opposite. Falling into their little trio made things feel like they were going back to normal. He did his best to ignore growing the pit in his stomach to enjoy himself with these two people, but he knew it wasn’t going to ever go away. It’s been there for a long time and the reason he’s so close to Staller in the first place.

Damian watched Marinette and Staller bond over a casual conversation. Marinette managed to rope him into it and suddenly he found himself between the two. Being made fun of. Being laughed at. Having conversations about nothing but things they noticed around the ship. Everything was calm for the first time in a while. Damian wondered what’d happen next.

He understood his father’s concerns, but seeing her in action put him at ease. Yet, he doesn’t get the feeling she understood just how bad things could get. She’s been facing magic, he’s been facing monsters. She can erase the damage, he has to live with it. Still, despite that, she still has a lot of the same insecurities. It’s probably more intense for her; she’s been on her own for the most part. He had networks, she had a partner who didn’t know her identity until a few weeks ago.

Damian continued to laugh along with Staller and Marinette, but it wasn’t entirely heartfelt. Probably because it wasn’t anything he was used to. This was a new world he usually hid from; forever in the shadows and watching over it. However, Damian found himself being yanked into the sunlight. Marinette was gentle in her approach, and he didn’t struggle, but he wondered how long it’d take before he was burned.

As they spent more time together, he started to notice things about Staller that made him anxious. There was a faint scent of alcohol on his breath, his speech showed that he was present in the conversation but his eyes screamed vacancy, and he still didn’t even peek into the bag. Marinette hasn’t noticed anything or she’s ignoring it.

He looked over the rails and noted how restless seemed compared to the other days. He looked up and the sky was grey, making it darker earlier. He looked around the deck and people seemed to be dressed in sweaters for the rare storm. He wondered if they should head inside but Marinette pulled him in a new direction and into a new conversation. Damian looked around, giving general comments and paying half a mind to his friends. Something was keeping him on edge, despite wanting to relax with the only two people on the ship that have broken through to his walls. Looking back at Staller, Damian noticed the man wilt as he did his best to keep a brave face in front of Marinette.

Later into the night, the storm was definitely starting to roll in. Most of the people left the deck to their room, but there were still a few who chatted amongst themselves. Damian felt his phone vibrate and noticed it was from his father. He looked around and noticed his father on an upper level looking down at the deck. Dick, Adrien, and Alya seemed to be discussing something next to him before noticing he was looking in their direction. They waved and Damian waved back before reading his father’s message. It asked why he was still up; he didn’t even notice they were close to hitting midnight. He looked back up to see his friends running away, most likely to meet them.

He looked over at Marinette and Staller, still enthralled in their own world. He hated being the person to throw them out of it. “Hey, guys. It’s getting late.”

Staller looked at his watch and blinked, “Oh. I guess we did lose track of time.”

Marinette giggled and leaned against the railing, “I guess. Should we go back to the den?”

“The den? You two need to go to bed.”

Marinette whined, “Staller, what about tomorrow? We don’t want you to be alone.”

Staller smiled at the kids and opened the bag, “Let’s take a look at this stuff.” He pulled out a bottle and smiled, “What’s this?”

“There’s more in the bag.”

Staller handed Damian the bottle before reaching further inside. He pulled out an envelope and looked confused, “You’re giving me money?”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “Just open it.”

Damian didn’t realize he was going to be nervous as he waited for Staller’s reaction. He could feel his body tense as he opened up the envelope and pulled out the photos inside. Both teens waited with bated breath as they waited for Staller to say something. Anything to tell them they did a good job.

Staller flipped through the photos and leaned against the railing. His eyes waters and a smile threatened to form on his face as flipped through them. Suddenly, the lights in Staller’s eyes were back. Staller struggled to keep his voice even before finally asking, “What is this?”

Marinette was cautious when reaching out to him, almost worried the man would collapse if she wasn’t careful. She put her hand on his arm and smiled, “We got a hold of Anne’s wife. We asked her to send over some photos. Tim printed them out for us.”

Damian nodded and surprised himself at how soft his voice was when addressing the old man, “We know it’s not the originals and some of those photos aren’t the same as the ones we lost, but we hoped it would help.”

Staller continued flipping through, looking for something until he finally stopped on one. Damian peered over to look at the picture and felt relieved. It was arguably his favorite one; with him, Anne, Anne’s wife, and his brother. That was the one he showed him when they first got close. Based off of Marinette’s face, he must’ve shown her the same one.

Marinette looked up at the captain, “Do you like it? We also looked into the whiskey bottle Robin broke and managed to find something similar in Bruce’s office. Just something to-” She squeaked as Staller pulled both kids into a bear hug. It took Marinette a second to realize what happened but soon sunk into the embrace. She looked over to Damian and sent him a small smile; a quiet victory for the two. 

Staller pulled away and laughed, “You – You’re good kids.”

The guilt ate at him, but he wanted to live in the moment. Right here, right now, things were good. Damian suddenly felt a swell of emotions and Marinette was seconds away from probably crying. Staller gulped and looked behind the two, “I think your friends are here.” The two teens turned around and saw Dick, Adrien, Bruce, and Alya watching from the entrance to the main atrium. They seemed just as moved by the scene as they were. Marinette sent over a bright smile and a thumbs up, “He liked it!” Alya cheered and Adrien and Dick fist-bumped. Bruce simply watched the two teens proudly, but Damian knew better.

Call it instincts, maybe a dumb hunch, but something told him to keep looking. Someone was watching them and it put the hair on his neck stand up. Damian couldn’t find anyone out of place, but still worried. Damian looked back at Staller and noticed something in his eyes that put him on edge. Staller still smiled, but it was fake. Damian’s been around the man long enough to tell. The light that was there when he first looked through the photos was suddenly gone. Staller held his hand out to Damian and motioned to the bottle. Damian stepped back and suddenly felt defensive, “Why don’t we go to the den first? Crack open the bottle there and I can pour you a glass. We’ll talk more.”

Marinette looked up and nodded. The wind started to pick up around them and Marinette shivered, “Looks like it might rain anyway.”

Staller slowly nodded, “Right. Go on ahead. I just remembered why I came out here in the first place. I’ll be quick.”

Something in his voice must’ve tipped Marinette off because she suddenly looked concerned, “Staller?”

Staller handed Marinette the envelope, “I’ll be quick.” He gently pushed the two forward and waved at Bruce. Bruce waved back and turned to take a call. Marinette looked over at Damian, confused. Something didn’t feel right. They looked back and Staller just continued to look over the waves. Another gust of wind caused Marinette to tense up and she quickened her pace, doing her best to get out of the cold. Damian was slow to follow but he looked down at the bottle in his hands. He made it nearly halfway to his friends when he noticed they’re faces morph.

Time seemed to slow down as he took in everyone’s reaction. Alya was first. She was laughing at Marinette’s weakness to the cold but suddenly went wide-eyed and stared directly behind them. Adrien and Dick started yelling something, but Damian couldn’t make it out over his heartbeat. His father’s made his heart drop; Bruce dropped his phone and suddenly pushed himself forward. Damian and Marinette looked back and realized what was happening.

Damian felt the bottle slip through his hands as he quickly turned and started running. He saw Marinette in his peripheral vision running beside him and reaching out her hand. The sight of Staller climbing over the railings was almost unreal. Damian realized what that look was about earlier, why he was outside on deck earlier. This was his plan all along.

The shattering of the bottle suddenly made time move forward. Staller didn’t even react to the screaming, nor did he look back at them to acknowledge it. He just looked down and stepped off. Damian took out his grappling gun and he could hear Marinette scream, “SPOTS ON!”

It was instinct and pure panic. Both jumped off the railing and dove for Staller. As soon as they grabbed his hands Damian shot the gun. The rope sprung up and both Bruce and Dick were there to catch it. Both let out a small grunt at the weight they were pulling while Ladybug wrapped her yo-yo around the railing. The sudden stop caused her to let out a small whimper. Damian could feel his shoulder burning and tingling, but his focus was on the man barely hanging on.

“ARE YOU CRAZY?”

“STALLER, PLEASE, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS!”

Staller looked up at the two and started to almost analyze them. Damian cursed to himself once he felt the rain start pouring over them. Staller didn’t even register it. Instead, he laughed, “I knew you were Ladybug!”

Ladybug breathed heavily, “Really? We can talk about it! Just – Just grab my arm so you don’t slip!”

Staller didn’t respond. He looked over at Damian and got a good look at the grappling gun, “I know that thing. You were the Robin that ruined my den.”

Damian nodded doing his best to ignore the numbing sensation in his shoulder, “Yeah, old man! Come on! You can yell at me all you want! Just hold on!”

Staller smiled and shook his head, “I’ll be quick.”

“NO! No! Staller, please!”

“Come on, Staller! Who else is going to go to take care of all those ships, huh?! What about Anne?! You think she’d want this for you!? No!”

Ladybug shivered and her hair stuck to her face as the rain only got more intense around them. She was losing her footing against the ship’s side. She tried to pull Staller up, but if she even jostled him he slipped further out of her grip. “Staller, please listen to us! We’ll help you! We can call your family! We’ll call doctors! Just please hold on to me!”

Staller looked almost calm. The storm around him meant nothing. Maybe it was the lightning, or maybe it was the water in his own eyes, but Damian saw something flash over Staller’s eyes. Ladybug must’ve seen it too because she suddenly shrieked, “STALLER, NO!”

Staller let his hands go limp.

Damian’s seen people die before so he knew what their eyes looked like. When he was little, the eyes really stood out to him. Living people always have a glimmer, dead people have a dim glassy glow to them that tell people no one’s home, and then there’s those who die. It’s like a light just goes out with the final breath. As Staller fell out of their grip, he saw the lights just evaporate before he even hit the water.

“NO!” Ladybug used the ship’s side to propel herself off and dove into the water after him.

“LADYBUG!” Damian cursed under his breath. He wouldn’t be able to withstand the waves with his shoulder like this. He knew it was dislocated. He looked up at Adrien and barked at him, “GO AFTER HER! CAT NOIR! GO!” Adrien seemed to snap out of a shock before he nodded. Dick and Bruce started to pull while Adrien took out a container. He picked out the blue piece of cheese and threw it into the air. Plagg quickly flew out of his shirt and ate it, transforming, before Adrien jumped onto the railings.

“PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!”

Cat Noir dove into the water while Damian struggled to get over the railings with his brother’s help. Damian slipped and landed on his side. The sharp pain went through his body and he writhed while doing his best to keep from crying out. He could hear Alya running around the border of the deck, “I don’t see them! I don’t see them!”

Dick pulled Damian to his feet where he noticed a small group of the remaining staff members that didn’t go inside when the storm came overhead. Tess was among them and she just looked at the rope and then over the railing. Tess blinked, snapping out of the initial shock, and motioned for them to follow her. “The ship’s moving! If we’re going to see them, we have to go towards the back!”

Damian didn’t hesitate to chase after her. He held his shoulder and cursed each time he slipped. The four of them crashed into the railing and looked around. Alya was starting to hyperventilate, “I don’t see them! MARINETTE! ADRIEN!”

Tess screamed and, after looking down, he understood why. The dark water coming from the back of the ship suddenly gained a red hue. Damian felt sick, “No. No. No.” He kept looking around for a sign of something, anything. Alya looked like she was going to be sick as she covered her mouth and shook her head. He walked over and shook her shoulders, “They’re magic, right?! They’ll be okay, right?!” Alya didn’t seem to register his words at all.

Dick snapped his head to his brother and wiped the water from his face, “You knew?! Damian, you knew!?”

“Shut up!” Damian ran over to the railing and looked around one last time. His vocal cords hurt just as much as his shoulder did when he cried out, “ADRIEN! MARINETTE!” Bruce walked over to his son, reaching for him before Damian slapped his hand away. “No! No! They’re fine! MARINETTE! ADRIEN!”

“Damian!”

“Father, they’re fine! MARINETTE! ADRI-”

It was sudden, but the green stood out almost immediately once Cat Noir broke the surface of the water. He was holding Ladybug in his arms, unconscious. Cat Noir started waving desperately and Dick pulled out his own grappling gun and aimed it at the hero. Cat Noir starting swimming towards the rope, careful to keep Ladybug’s head above water.

Bruce took the chance to grab Damian's shoulders and turn his body to face him. Damian flinched and hissed at the pressure on his shoulder, but Bruce continued to apply it. “What were you thinking!? Damian, you are supposed to report everything! Everything!” When Damian didn’t answer, Bruce shook him. “Damian!”

Bruce watched as his son retreated so far into himself, any expression or emotion escaped him. Bruce found himself yelling at a complete and utter husk as his son detached himself entirely from the situation. Damian only looked at Bruce’s watch and licked his lips, “Its Anne’s memorial.”

Bruce didn’t know how to respond. He heard a loud ‘splat’ sound next to him and looked over to see Cat Noir heavily breathing over an unconscious Ladybug. Ladybug de-transformed and the kwami wilted next to Cat Noir. Alya ran over to her and put her ear over Marinette’s mouth, “She’s not breathing! GUYS!”

“Move!” Dick pushed Alya out of the way and started performing CPR. Tess ran over to check Cat Noir, but Cat Noir kept his focus on his partner. “Bruce!” Bruce looked over to Dick who just scolded him, “Get a gurney!”

“I got it.” At least the Robin part of still him kicked in. It was a shred of himself that he held onto that kept him tethered to reality. Damian ran off and Bruce just glared at his son.

Marinette suddenly starting coughing up water and turned over to throw up whatever was left in her system. While the others fussed over her, Bruce simply walked over to Tess and held out his hand. “Give me your phone.” She didn’t argue.

He dialed a contact he knew by heart and when the sophisticated old voice answered Bruce felt somewhat relieved. At least one thing stayed the same. “Hello? Wayne residence. This is a private line.”

“Alfred. We’re going to need to do some heavy damage control out here. We’re still 10 hours away from the nearest port and we need authorities now.”

“Master Bruce? What on earth happened?”

He looked over the scene before him and scowled, “All hell broke loose.” ******************************************************************************************* For anyone who is struggling with Suicidal Thoughts: US Hotline - 1-800-273-8255 Thank you for being patient and enjoying the lastest chapter of Seabourne Burnouts! Tag List (Bitch I have a tag list whAT!?!?!): @maribat-archive @ozmav @thornangelic727@imfreakingmagical@constancetruggle @chloe-bourgeois-is-big-gay@someone-ev   @zazzlejazzle @tinybrie @mewwitch @rhub4rb@saphiraazure2708 @never-neverland @unholykrow @slytherinhquinn @literallytryingmybestbutok @redscarlet95 @grimmhallow31 @fandomkitten9653 @myriad-of-passionate-pettiness @fanboy7794 @mystifiedgal @shizukiryuu @ vixen-uchiha @resignedcatservant @mystery-5-5 @miraculousl4dybug @blackcanary13 @origamieater @moonlitarchangels @mochinek0 @imfreakingmagical @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @derpingrainbow @unabashedbookworm @skyel0ve @northernbluetongue @cadencehood @sizzling-fairy-oil @crazylittlemunchkin @saphiraazure2708 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @ginamarie1512 @kae690 @ivette0712 @zalladane @ellerahs @auradonfairy @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @scribblinggraveyard @nyctamaximoff @snow-swordswoman @maude-zarella @thebookwormfairy @melicmusicmagic @zalladane @ivette0712 @ginamarie1512  @bookreader20003 @silvergold-swirl @celestiacq @themcclan @amethyst-starr5 @tamoni112 @lunar-wolf-warrior @alexzandria-747 @nataladriana9 @moonlitarchangels @iglowinggemma28 @hunter-shyreen @mermaidofthelost @jessigurl-design @vgirl-10123 @lunar-wolf-warrior @casual-darkness @xxmadamjinxx @normal-piece-of-shit @tinyterror333 @romanoff-queen @schrodingers25 @alessialeone6997 @mindfulmagics @slytherin-heartthrob @da-tasuky @asianfrustration13 @eliza-bich @kuhakuanon @my-name-is-michell @theatreandcomicfreak @interobanginyourmom @starry-bi-sky @etheralentity @creator-josie @kurogaya913 @st0rmy-w1th1n @casual-darkness @vgirl-10123 @poshplumcot @thebookish3lf @queenmj10 @corabeth11 @goblinwhoships @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @violatiger8 @maribat-owns-my-ass @captainartsypants @deathofafangirl01 @maribat-owns-my-ass @nickristus-dreamer  @amayakans Let me know if I missed anyone and message me! I’ll be sure to see it then!

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 7 - Wading

Start [here] or read [Part 6] [Part 8]

Marinette couldn’t sleep despite trying desperately to. She looked over Alya and Chloe sleeping on either side of her, they refused to leave her after what happened. She doesn’t know how much time has passed since getting to the room, if she was honest she doesn’t even know what time it was when she got to bed, and it made her frustrated. She carefully sat up and got out of bed, careful not to disturb her friends. She walked over to the bathroom, locking the door behind her and leaning against the wooden door.

“Marinette?” She looked over at Tikki and frowned. “Marinette-”

“I know, I know. I made a dumb decision.” She sighed and walked over to the bathtub and ran some water, keeping it at a nice warm temperature. “I’m sorry I put you through that.”

“Marinette, no. What I wanted to say was I’m sorry for not being of more use to you. Unless you become Ladybug, I can’t do a lot unless I reveal myself.” Tikki flew over to her holder and gently rubbed circles on her cheek, “Marinette, I’m sorry this happened.”

Marinette bit her lip and watched as the water began to rise slowly in the tub. “Tikki, am I a good Ladybug?”

“What? Why wouldn’t you be? You’re one of the best!” Tikki flew around to look Marinette in the eye, “Marinette, you’re a natural-born hero! Did you even see how well you handled the situation and how clever your plan was? You are a true Ladybug and I couldn’t be prouder!” Marinette gave Tikki a weak smile and just nodded. She snuck outside to get herself some warmer pajamas to change into and brought them back with her to the bathroom. Tikki knew what was going on, Marinette was starting to lock away her emotions. A common occurrence nowadays and a preventative measure to keep from becoming akumatized, but Tikki knew humans. Humans needed to be expressive and emotional to heal from their traumas. Locking her feelings away like this only left her with a robotic and cold Ladybug. “You know we aren’t in Paris, Marinette.”

“I know.” Marinette knew, she really did, but she couldn’t help it. Her feelings were just being pushed down and it’s become an impulse rather than something she actively and intentionally tries to do. She stripped herself down and sat in the warm water. She noted different things around her. The first was the tub, very expensive looking and deep. She looked around and noted the tile patterns and marble that were scattered around the room. She looked over at the mirror and decided she liked the way the lights were placed around the outer border. She watched the water and sat there waiting for it to get high enough to where her body could be comfortably submerged.

Marinette paid attention to more details around her to distract her from the fact that the warm waters did nothing now that she was like this. Despite the way her scalp hurt from having her hair pulled, she decided she liked the shampoo and conditioner they provided to her and used them liberally. She decided she liked the smell of the body wash she used. She stuck her head underwater to wash her hair and for a brief second that moment she hit the water when she was thrown overboard flashed in her mind. She sat up, most likely causing some of the water to splash out and tried to keep her breathing steady. Four counts in. Four counts hold. Four counts out. Tikki patted the girl’s head, making sure to remind the girl she wasn’t alone. Marinette took a moment to just sit there in the suds to just exist. No feelings, no thinking, just exist with the sensation of the warm water. She couldn’t tell if was helping anymore, she didn’t know if she was cold or not anymore. She sighed and pulled out the bath’s plug. Getting out, drying off, and changing into new pajamas was mechanical and she didn’t think about it. She didn’t think about anything and she didn’t want to.

She put away her towels and dirty clothes and grabbed a spare blanket from the dresser they provided. She held her arm out for Tikki to fly in and hide. She looked over at her two friends one last time and made sure to not wake them as she left. Marinette wandered for a bit, her mind not really present but her body moving towards something. She noted the authorities that were walking around. She watched as they moved around the yellow tape to look into the room that were bombed. She held no expression, even when authorities would ask her questions about why she was wandering around the ship so late. Marinette made her way towards the main deck and heard someone talking.

“What do you mean they disappeared? No, that makes no sense. There’s no reason for that to happen, they don’t have powers!” Marinette could hear the frustration in Dick’s voice and she walked closer to the source of the yelling. “Okay, but those kids belong to one of our staff members. Even the gun?” Dick groaned and ran his hand through his hair, “Please, give whatever footage you have to Batman to review.” He turned and noticed Marinette standing in the doorway watching him talk on the phone. “I’ll call back later. Just bring back the kids and bring Batman the footage. Bye.”

Dick tapped the ‘End Call’ button and walked over to the girl, “Hey, Marinette.” Dick immediately noted the lack of expression, it was creepy. He felt like he was talking to a doll, “Marinette, how are you feeling?” Marinette shrugged under her blanket and held steady eye contact. Dick knew what was happening, he’s been guilty of it a few times. Sometimes the mind can’t handle everything at once and locks it all up, the first time it happened was after his parents died but before Bruce took him in. The uncertainty and grief were too much and he just locked it away. Bruce helped with that, taking care of all his basic needs so he could focus on the emotional stuff. Being Robin helped him find closure and he was always grateful for that. Marinette didn’t have that. Dick sighed and just asked, “Do you want a hug?”

Marinette nodded and pushed herself into his arms. She held on tight and he squeezed her, trying his best to comfort the small girl. That was the weirdest thing for him to notice, her size. During the dinner, her personality was big and when she took charge her presence knew no bounds. Dick forgot how small Marinette actually was and that made him even madder for what she was put through. This was her night and they ruined it. “Marinette, do you want to talk about it?” Marinette shook her head no, “Do you want to sit down? I can keep hugging you, but bending down like this will hurt my back.” Marinette pulled away almost immediately and nodded. She looked a bit concerned, that was good. Dick walked her over to a lounge chair in a nearby sitting area and sat down, patting the spot beside him.

Marinette took her seat and leaned against Dick’s arm, prompting him to put it around her and hold her. Marinette closed her eyes and Dick noted the bags under her eyes. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”

Marinette shook her head and sighed. A small voice answered, “No.”

“Hey, I got a word out of you.” Dick sent her a small smile and she gave a polite one back. “I can’t imagine what that was like. You’ve been through a lot today. But I do know what you’re doing right now, the whole emotion thing.” Marinette buried herself more into her blanket and Dick’s side, but she didn’t tell him to stop talking. “I can’t relate to what you’ve been through, but I can relate to what you’re feeling.” Dick thought back to that time in his childhood, “It’s hard. It’s really hard because there’s just so much you feel that your brain tells you it’s safer not to feel altogether. But it only helps for a little bit, keeping you functioning until you find a time to go through those feelings.” Dick looked down at Marinette and noticed he had her full attention. “I’m a good listener, Marinette. If you want, we can go through some of it right now.”

Marinette couldn’t believe it, he hit the nail on the head. Hearing him describe what was happening inside her head so well really did it for her. She tried, she tried not to cry anymore. She tore her eyes away from Dick’s and clutched onto the blanket in an attempt to keep the tears at bay, but failed miserably. The first few tears hit the blanket and after seeing them absorb into the cotton, she found herself in a full-on crying fit. Dick just held her close, letting her bury her face in his shirt as she let it out. Dick rubbed calmly circles on her back and just bit his lip. This shouldn’t be happening, he should be watching her happily roaming the ship with his little brother following her around like a puppy. He should not be comforting her through an emotional breakdown after a traumatic event on what was supposed to be a joyful day. Dick gritted his teeth and made a personal vow to maim whoever let those pirates escape the holding cells.

Marinette could feel her mind and her heart having a battle inside her. Her mind yelled at her to stop, that she didn’t know this person well enough to be showing this side of her and that she needed to keep herself in check. However, her heart pleaded for release. Not just for today’s events, but for everything that led up to this. The frustration, the loneliness, the exhaustion, the sadness, everything. Dick didn’t judge, nor did he ever make a move to stop her, he just sat there and offered to be present.

Dick was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed someone moving in his peripheral vision. He slowly turned his head in order not to alarm the crying girl and noticed Jason standing there looking shocked. He obviously didn’t mean to walk in on this, Jason was probably just looking for him to tell him something, but now he was stuck. Dick watched different emotions pass through Jason’s face; shock, panic, heartbreak, anger, and finally guilt. Dick didn’t want to stop Marinette, she clearly needed this, so instead he mouthed, “Close the door.” Jason hesitated for a second before quietly moving out of the room and closing the door. Dick knew he was no doubt going to tell the others, every one of them was going to go through the same emotional process he just did. This wasn’t like the other time when Damian upset her and they saw her crying in a hallway. She was mad, frustrated, and understandably so after Damian pushed her buttons. That made him mad at his brother. This? This was a floodgate of everything she was feeling for god knows how long. This made him heartbroken and absolutely pissed.

Marinette’s sobs eventually died down and she finally pulled away, wiping her eyes. She looked him over and gave a small laugh, “I ruined your shirt.” She sniffed and he looked down and, sure enough, the shirt was soaked in tears and snot.  

Dick shrugged, “Not like it’s my favorite. It’s just a t-shirt.”

Her voice sounded nasally from her nose being stuffed, “I can make you a new shirt.”

“I’ll buy you everything you need to do so.”

“Wouldn’t that be like buying a new shirt at a store?”

“No way. Not when I’m getting it custom made. I like blue and black or red and black.”

She snorted, “I like red and black too.” She stood up and wiped at her eyes again, “Oh my god, what time is it?”

“Late.”

“How late?”

“Don’t ask.” Dick yawned and stretched as if to emphasize the fact and Marinette nodded. “Are you tired yet?”

“No, not yet.”

“You look dead.”

“Oh thanks, I think the dark circles and puffy pink eyes really complement each other.” Dick laughed and stood up to give her one last hug. She wrapped her arms around him, “I’m sorry for that.”

“Don’t be.” He held her at arm’s length and looked her over one last time, “Why not go to the arcade and play some games. It could help the time pass until you do get tired.”

“What about the explosions?”

“They blew up individual rooms but nothing too damaging. It’s weird, they felt and sounded bigger than they actually were.” Marinette nodded and he ruffled her hair a bit before pushing her in the direction of the game room. “Now go. Immerse yourself, beat some high scores, make sure Tim knows you beat those high scores because they’re all his and it’ll drive him nuts.”

She laughed, “I’m going. I’m going.” She began walking before turning back, “Thank you, Richard.”

“No problem, Marinette.”

She smiled and ran down the halls to the arcade, noting that this one was probably the biggest on the ship. She walked around and looked at the machines, not knowing where to start before hearing music playing in the background. It wasn’t like the normal arcade soundtracks, it was an actual song. She wandered closer to the source and found herself watching a certain Wayne playing a dancing game. The game looked different, but had the same premise of the ones she would play at Alya’s house. Hitting the arrows, in this case the symbols, as they appear on the screen to the music and rack up points. It was always fun watching Alya and Nino play, they added so much flair to their dances, but Damian was different. He was so concentrated on the screen and he didn’t add any unnecessary movements, working only towards efficiency. She watched him miss no beats and the score count got higher and higher until he set a new record at the end of the song. He leaned back on the bar behind him and jumped when Marinette clapped.

“You’re really good at that game. I’ll admit I didn’t take you for a dancer.”

He looked her over and shrugged, “I’m not. This game helps me concentrate and keeps me agile.”

“Uh-huh. Sure.” He watched her curiously as she made her way over on stage with him. She started to tease him, “Damian likes dancing games.”

“I do not.”

“Uh-huh, that’s why your name is all over this game’s leader board.” She pointed at the screen and sure enough ‘DAM’ was all over the board. He frowned and she grinned. “You like it.”

“So I enjoy this game? So what?”

“Nothing! Nothing!” She turned and opened her blanket a bit, letting Tikki know she was taking it off so she could find somewhere to hide, before putting it down neatly beside the stage. “I really like this game too.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at her, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are you challenging me?”

“You said it not me.” Damian smirked, “What?”

“You’re going to lose.”

Marinette scoffed, “We’ll see.” Marinette went through the library of songs and noticed one that seemed to be cleared on every level, “I didn’t take you for a K-Pop fan.”

“I’m not. That was the first song I ever played on this game. It was at a carnival with some of my teammates and one of them was getting too cocky.” Damian thought back to that night and how great he felt beating Beast Boy at his own game. “Dethroned him real quick.”

“Then let’s do that one.” She pressed the button and the screen started its count down.

“Are you sure? It’s my best song.”

“I just want to see if I can keep up. If I beat you in the process then that’s just a bonus.” Damian rolled his eyes and honed on the screen as that music started to play. Marinette knew she wasn’t in the right mindset to be playing this, she was tired and had just finished crying, but she couldn’t help it. Her competitive nature got the better of her and her small desire to know Damian a bit better was satisfied with this new information. The arrows were replaced with a crescent moon facing downward, a lightning bolt, a circle, and a star and the song ‘Crazzee Boi’ filled her ears. She struggled and found herself not being able to keep up.

“Just concentrate.” She didn’t look over, keeping her eyes trained on the screen, but listened all the same. “Don’t think about what’s going on around you, just focus on the screen and focus on what’s coming next. There’s too many things happening at once for you to train your eyes on the stuff that’s hitting you in the moment. Focus on what you need to do next to continue moving forward.” She gulped and took a deep breath before honing in on the screen in front of her. She did what he told her to do and moved her eyed away from the action line and more towards the bottom half of the screen to see what was coming up. Soon enough, she felt a change in her body and she was moving to the beat of the music in a way she never could before.

If anyone were to look in, they’d see two teens on top of a dancing machine moving almost in sync to each other and the music. There were some differences, Damian’s motions were precise and efficient while Marinette’s were fluid and she added the tiniest bits of flair when she could. Still, they complimented each other, moving to the same beat and making the same moves. Marinette wouldn’t have noticed being so focused on the game, but Damian knew this song almost as well as he knew his brothers’ weaknesses. He could look away without penalty and he did, making sure to steal glances to watch the girl beside him. Admiring her concentration, determination, and the competitive shimmer in her eye.

The song was coming to a close and with one final jump, the song finished and the two waited with baited breath to see the winner. The game ultimately gave Damian the winner, but only by a few hundred points. “You did well.”

“Thanks, not bad for my first time on this machine.”

“Not bad at all.” The two laughed and in the glow of the congratulations screen he finally noticed her face. He noticed the slight hint of pink and the puffiness that had yet to go down. Damian decided she came for the same reason he did, he couldn’t sleep and he couldn’t escape his own thoughts. “Do you want to play some more games?” She nodded and grabbed her blanket as they made their way through the arcade. Trying every console at least once and winning prizes where they could. The two started to yawn and feel tired, Marinette laughed at Damian for actually being human enough to get tired. “Why is that so surprising?”

“It’s not. It’s just that your brothers always make fun of you for doing normal stuff. I figured this was appropriate.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “You catch on quickly.”

Marinette giggled, “I try.” The two continued to drag their feet the more tired they got until they finally went into a shooting game. The game had a bench and curtain to block out the outside lights and sounds to immerse the players in the game. Despite it being a shooter game with loud noises and flashing lights, Marinette felt herself nod off leaning against her gaming partner.

Damian yawned, “You’re making us lose.”

She shook her head, “You can do it.”

Damian tried, but ended up dying in the game due to lack of focus. He looked at the girl leaning next to him and tried to nudge her awake, but it didn’t help. One more yawn had him leaning against her and closing his eyes, unable to fight it anymore. The two nodded off in the arcade, cut off from the rest of the boat by a curtain and lulled to sleep by the sounds of gunshots from the game.

“Told you they were here.”

“They look so cute.”

“Yeah, but when she wakes up I will kick her butt for scaring me.”

“Oh come on, look at them. You can’t tell me this isn’t cute.”

“Sure, cute, but that doesn’t negate the fact that I wasted my precious time looking for her.”

“Chloe, hush!”

Damian groaned and tried to stretch, but felt a weight pressed against his chest. “Oh no, he’s waking up.”

“Quick, start recording!”

Damian rubbed his eyes and cracked one open, the first thing he noticed was Marinette sleeping on his chest and her blanket covering them. “Huh?” The second thing he noticed were the eyes. He looked around and saw his brothers and Marinette’s friends, one of which he didn’t recognize, looking past the curtains and watching them. Lastly, he noticed both Alya and Jason recording. He frowned and tried to sit up, his back hurting from the awkward sleeping place. “Can someone get her off of me?”

Jason shrugged, “I don’t know man, she looks pretty comfortable.”

Adrien snorted, “Besides, you don’t want to be the one to wake up Marinette before she’s ready. She gets hissy.”

The small pink-haired girl snickered, “Oh my god, didn’t she almost scratch you for trying to wake her up that one time?”

Tim grinned, “Oh perfect, those two are basically cats then. Just feed them, play with them, let them sleep, and then you’re golden.”

Chloe huffed, “Well, looking for her wasted our morning and she has to pay for that.”

Dick laughed, “Damian, it’s almost 1 in the afternoon.”

Damian groaned, “Grayson, that’s not funny.”

Tim rolled his eyes, “No. You know what isn’t funny? Us getting a frantic call from Alya that Marinette went missing and then you couldn’t be reached no matter what we did. Then Alix here came over to all of us panicking and told us you were sleeping here.” He crossed his arms and mimicked Chloe, “She’s right. You owe us.”

Alya shrugged, “I don’t know. Having this kind of dirt on them is great. Also, it’d be great to play this on their wedding day.”

Jason raised his hand, “We could sell it to Lois and Clark! Exclusive! ‘Demon Spawn Feels’! Or ‘Demon Spawn Finds Love’!”

Damian glared at Jason, “You’ll find your guns in the Gotham harbor if you even try to do that, Todd.” Damian suddenly felt a hand slap onto his mouth, “What?”

Marinette pressed her hand down harder and mumbled, “Still sleeping, shhhhh.”

Damian didn’t know how to respond while everyone else bit their lips to keep from laughing. Damian rolled his eyes before moving Marinette’s hand away, “Marinette, wake up.”

Marinette groaned and buried her face in the blanket, “No.”

Damian thought for a moment before getting an idea, “Marinette, my father is right next to us and wants to talk to you.” Marinette shot straight up and hit her head against the top of the machine’s pod, immediately sitting down and groaning. Damian sat up and grabbed her head gently, “Well, good news. No bleeding. You’ll live.”

Marinette pulled away and rubbed her head, “Wow, thanks.” She looked around and finally took in everything around her. “Please tell me you haven’t been recording this whole time.”

Alya shrugged, “Not the whole time, just most of the time.” She laughed, “Serves you right for sneaking out last night.”

Marinette wrapped herself in her blanker again and leaned back, “Do I have to get up?”

Adrien looked at Nino and then back to Marinette, “Marinette it’s almost one.”

“What?”

Alix shook her head, “The other girls will be dying to hear about this.”

Jason chuckled, “Plus, Bruce has been looking for you two since 11.”

In unison, the two yelled, “WHAT?”

The two bolted out of their respective sides and ran towards their rooms, leaving behind a group laughing and shaking their heads.

Jason looked over at Alya, “When do you think it’ll happen?”

Alya hummed, “I’m not sure. When she liked Adrien, she couldn’t even think straight. With Damian it’s different, she actually holds a conversation with him and teases him back.”

Adrien spoke up, “Wait, she liked me?”

Alix looked over and raised an eyebrow at Adrien, “Dude, she liked you for years.”

“YEARS?”

Chloe smiled, “You always were a bit dense, Adrikins.”

Adrien pouted, “Blame the lack of social interaction.”

Nino patted his shoulder, “We do. We always do.”

Tim shook his head, “No, no, no, no. We’re missing the bigger question here. One we can actually bet on. Who’s going to say it first? Marinette or Damian?”

Alix snorted, “Marinette no question. The girl can’t hold it in to save her life and unlike Adrien, Damian will pick up on it.”

Dick hummed, “I don’t know. Damian has been acting extremely tame with her around. He’s blunt so he might just blurt it out.”

The group bickered amongst themselves while the two in question were frantically trying to make themselves presentable to the one and only Bruce Wayne. The group slowly found themselves in other conversations as they waited on the couple. Alix and Jason made an instant bond through their competitive spirit and need to outdo the other. Alya and Tim were discussing researching techniques. Chloe, Adrien, and Dick started a conversation about dress and hairstyles after Chloe offered to ‘fix’ Dick’s hair. All the while, Nino stood back and stayed by Alya’s side just feeling present in the moment as he looked around the arcade. He found himself drawn to a few rhythm games until the group heard rapid footsteps approaching the room. Their two friends burst into the room, panting, dressed but disheveled as they rushed to get back to the group.

Alix looked away from her game, “Marinette, you look like you just got out of a tornado.”

Dick looked the two over and hummed, “Both of you do.”

The two kids looked up and looked each other over. Marinette made a face before walking over and fixing Damian’s collar, “Really? That shirt with those jeans?”

Damian rolled his eyes and started to fix the short sleeves on Marinette’s blouse, “Yeah, whatever. Aren’t you going to get cold wearing this?”

Marinette huffed and straighten out his shirt and cuffs, “You’re just mad because you looked like you got mugged by some back alley crook.”

Damian scoffed and smoothed out some of the wrinkles, “Yeah and your friend is right. Where’s Todo? Don’t you two have a wizard to find?”

Marinette stepped back, looking him over once more before messing with his hair a bit, “Oh ha-ha. Very funny. At least I got ready before you did.”

Damian shook his head and pulled away, “You did not!” Damian looked her over one last time before turning her around, “Hold on, this pigtail is uneven.”

“Really?”

He pulled at the hair carefully adjusting it, “I don’t want Father to see us looking like we just woke up.”

Marinette turned back around and scrunched up her nose, “We did just wake up.”

“Details, details.” They looked each other over one last time and nodded, satisfied with their work on the other and turned back to the group. “Where did Father want us to meet him?” The two noted how the group before them stared in a weird mix of shock and amusement. “What?”

Tim shook his head and blinked a few times, “That didn’t just happen.”

Alya’s eyebrows could’ve touched the high ceilings, “You guys are very comfortable with each other for someone you met a day ago.”

Marinette looked at her friend confused, “What do you mean?”

Jason laughed, “I have never seen that happen before. He won’t even let Alfred go near him without a fight.”

Alix whistled, “Yup, this is going way better than it ever did with Adrien.” Marinette made a face, but still looked confused at the implications.

Nino just shook his head and pointed at the two teens, “What a rare sight to behold!” The group started to giggle as Nino upped the antics, “Here we have an old married couple in their natural state of being. Bickering at each other and fixing each other up like they’ve been doing it for years!”

The two looked each other over before realizing how weird that must’ve been to just start fixing each other’s clothes the way they did. It was so natural, they didn’t even realize it. Marinette’s face heated up, “I blame the lack of sleep and everything else that happened that night.”

Damian tried his best to keep his own composure, “Likewise.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “Bruce is still waiting for you, you know? Tick-Tock Dupain-Cheng.” The two tensed up, completely forgetting why they rushed in the first place and ran to look for the man. “Did anyone tell them where to find him?”

Dick just shrugged, “They’ll figure it out.”

The two were running through the halls, asking anyone and everyone if they knew where Bruce was. “Shouldn’t you know where he likes to hang out? He’s your father!”

“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be running around now would we?” Damian turned another corner towards a small office and bumped into another man, knocking out everything he held. “Hey! Watch it!”

Marinette walked over and frowned, “Oh my god, you hurt Charles.”

“Who?”

Marinette walked over and helped the man up, “Are you going to help or not?”

“We don’t have time for-”

Marinette glared at him, “Help.” Damian groaned and started to help pick up the various items Charles was holding, handing them over after Marinette was done looking after him. She noted how disoriented he looked, how tired he was, and how messy his ‘fancy uniform’ was. Damian waiting for her impatiently caused her to override her need to fuss over the man and instead asked, “Sorry about that, we’re looking for Bruce.”

Charles blinked a few times before rubbing his temples, “Mr. Wayne? He’s in the main atrium by the second floor’s main stairway.”

Damian grabbed Marinette’s wrist before she could ask any further questions and ran. Sure enough, his father was standing there with a few colleagues. He let Marinette go, straightened himself out, and walked over. Marinette didn’t know why he felt the need to act so formal with his father, but she didn’t pry. “Father, I hear you’ve been looking for us.”

Bruce excused himself and walked over to the two teens, “From what I hear, I wasn’t the only one looking for you two. Where did they find you?”

Marinette could feel her face heat up slightly from embarrassment, “We fell asleep in the arcade. It’s my fault, I insisted we play more games and I guess we just knocked out.”

Damian looked her over, he was sure he was the one to suggest more games, but his father snapped him out of his thoughts. Bruce looked at his son amused, “Well, you two seem lively today at least.” Damian glared at his father who just smirked, “Glad you’re making friends.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “I really don’t think you called us here just to ask about how we slept.”

“How did you sleep?”

Marinette thought for a moment and stretched, “Not bad considering the setting.” She yawned, “I just wish I slept more.”

Damian rubbed his eyes, “Yeah, I can agree with that.” He leaned back and stretched, “Father, why are we here?”

Bruce looked over the two teens and sighed, “Come with me.” Marinette looked over at Damian for some kind of clue, but Damian didn’t even look her way as he followed his father. Marinette walked beside Damian, getting nervous by all the silence between the three. “I must apologize to you, Marinette.”

“Huh?” She ran forward a bit to walk beside Bruce and look up at his face, “What do you mean?”

“This was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for your hard work. So far, you’ve been put into numerous upsetting situations and have been thrown overboard.”

Marinette was quick to reassure, “No! No! No need to apologize!” She sighed and played with her pigtails, voice becoming smaller as she uttered, “I’ve been through worse.” She thought back to the various Akumas and how they compared, last night was terrifying because she wasn’t transformed. Still, there have been other situations that trump being thrown overboard by far. However, the laughing gas that took control over her and the man being rough with her as he threw her over the rails placed this event in the top 10 worst incidents she’s ever been through.

He frowned and looked over the girl, “You did surprise me though.”

She looked up surprised, “Oh? Really?”

Bruce nodded, “Not every day a teenager comes up with a plan on the spot to save a ship.”

“Oh! That.” Marinette shook her head and just chuckled, “Honestly, it was nothing. You should see how Ladybug saves Paris sometimes. The items Lucky Charm gives her are, in Chloe’s words, ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.” Marinette laughed, “She’s saved the day using a towel, a traffic cone, a teapot, almost anything normal you could think of.” She held a bittersweet smile on her face, “Trust me. This was nothing.”

“I don’t call saving all these passengers and throwing yourself in front of my son ‘nothing’.” Damian knew he was leading them to a lounge on the upper deck. It was where his father would go to escape the crowds and someplace he refused to let him or any of the other boys enter without swearing to behave lest getting kicked out. “A natural leader.”

Marinette frowned, “What?”

Bruce smiled at her, “You’re a natural leader. Despite what you think about yourself, you’re the one who saved the ship last night.”

Marinette’s face lit up a bright pink and she shook her head, “No! No! Batman did with his partner! I just played some loud music.”

Damian spoke up, “You did not!” Bruce and Marinette stopped and turned to Damian, “You came up with a plan on the spot using mundane resources your friend brought onto the ship and lead a team of three to successfully execute a mission to distract the enemy. Not only that, but your teammates consisted of me, a model, and an idiot. While I can handle myself, Adrien isn’t trained for this kind of thing and Jason’s Jason.” Damian sighed, not really knowing where that outburst came from, “You risked your life for everyone. That’s heroic if you ask me.”

Bruce watched as Marinette and Damian looked at each other, each looking like they had more to add but unable to say it. Bruce cleared his throat, snapping the two back to the present, and nodded. “Damian’s right. You deserve a reward.”

“But I already got a reward.”

Bruce stopped in front of a door and unlocked it, “A new reward.” He opened the door to a den that was extravagant and Marinette couldn’t stop herself from roaming the room.

“This is so beautiful!” She looked around the different shelves and gasped, “Another ship in a bottle!” She carefully held it and bounced, full of childish excitement, “Where do you guys get these? I want one! I love looking at them, they’re so small and intricate and-” She looked back at the Waynes and noticed them staring at her, both amused as they watched her barge in and look around like a kid in a candy store. She cleared her throat, painfully aware of the blush spreading across her face and neck, and carefully placed the bottle back. “Sorry.”

Bruce shook his head, “Don’t be.” He walked over to a small safe hiding underneath a shelf, “We’ve docked at Santander, Spain for the time being as this whole mess gets sorted out. Santander is a lovely little city to explore and if you’d like to head to a bigger city you could head to Bilbao.” He pulled out some cash and closed the safe door, “Escorted of course.” Damian nodded, even if Bruce didn’t directly tell him to be the escort, he knew Bruce referred to him. “All expenses paid for you and your class.”

Marinette looked at the money Bruce placed in front of her, “No! I couldn’t possibly-”

Bruce thought for a second and sighed, turning away from Marinette and walking towards Damian, “My hopes for this trip was to be a vacation for you and your class. Not even a few days in and those plans are ruined. I just want to make it up to you and your classmates.” Bruce trailed off sounding disappointed and Marinette bit her lip.

Marinette sighed, “If my classmates are going to go, as their class president I should too. Thank you.”

Damian saw his father smirk before turning around and handing her some money, “Perfect. I’ll give each of your classmates some spending money so you can all explore.”

Damian rolled his eyes, acknowledging his father’s cute attempt at manipulation, “I’ll go too. Like Father said, you need an escort.”

Marinette raised an eyebrow at Damian, “You know your way around a city in Spain?”

Damian smirked, “Just give me a few minutes and I will.” He pulled out his phone and started typing some things in, “Come on. We can go look at the beaches or park or something.” Damian held the door open for Marinette, “I’m assuming we’ll be leaving tomorrow as today is already late into the afternoon.”

Bruce nodded, “Try not to sleep through your group leaving tomorrow morning.”

Damian scowled and Marinette shook her head, “Please don’t remind me.” She sighed and sent the man a very genuine smile, “Thank you. Despite everything that’s happened, I’m glad I got the chance to be on this ship.”

Bruce couldn’t help but smile back, “I’m glad you were the winner.” Marinette nodded and walked out the door, “Damian.”

Damian turned to his father, “Yes?”

“I know you’re not used to this type of thing, but try to loosen up. If anything happens I know you can take care of it, but know that this isn’t a mission. You aren’t Robin right now. You are just Damian.”

“Just Damian has gotten into his fair share of trouble these past few days.”

“Please try, Damian.” There was a moment of silence before Damian just walked out and ran to catch up with Marinette.

Marinette waited for him to catch up, “You okay?”

Damian shrugged, “No reason not to be.”

Marinette yawned and put the money in her purse, “What do you want to do now?”

Before Damian could respond Marinette’s stomach growled loudly and he chuckled, “I think we should eat.” Marinette covered her stomach, embarrassed, and just nodded. Damian chuckled at the girl who just nudged him before laughing along with him. The two chatted as they made their way through the ship to get some food, if anyone were to look over they would say the two were in their own little world. Content and calm as they held a steady conversation with each other. 

They eventually made their way to the food before being stopped in front of the dining hall when someone called Marinette’s name. She turned to see three people running towards her, “I see you’ve made it down here!” Alix smiled, “You look a lot more awake now.”

Rose smiled brightly at the two, “Yeah! Alix told us how she found you two sleeping in the game room. That’s so sweet!” The two teens blushed, Marinette more intensely than Damian, but both felt the same amount of embarrassment.

Juleka shook her head at Rose’s bluntness, “Rose why don’t you give Marinette the thing.”

Marinette looked at the three confused before Rose held out some red fabric and her black shoes, “My dress!”

Juleka shrugged, “Yeah, it was just on the floor. Honestly didn’t realize it was yours until Lila brought it up to us.”

Marinette took the fabric and shoes into her arms before looking at her friends confused, “Lila?”

“Yeah.” The five turned to see the brunette walking towards them, “See, I told you you’d reach her faster than I could.”

Alix smirked, “Obviously.”

Juleka rolled her eyes, knowing that the comment only stroked Alix’s ego, “Come on Rose. Marinette, if you want to you can come sit next to us for dinner.” Juleka dragged Rose away from the two, mainly to save them from Rose’s questions about their budding relationship. She could see they weren’t there quite yet, but something was definitely blooming between the two. She was sure others saw it too as they made their way across the ship. 

Alix’s stomach growled and she laughed nervously at the group, “I need some food before I starve. I’ll be sitting with Kim and Max towards the back if you decide you don’t want Rose interrogating you two.” Alix winked at them before running to get food, leaving three teens standing awkwardly in front of the entrance.

Damian already didn’t like this girl and could feel his anxiety spike around her. That was never a good sign, “Let’s go eat already.”

Lila frowned and looked down, playing with her bracelet and acting coy, “But don’t I get a thank you?”

Marinette sighed and reluctantly said, “Thank you, Lila.”

Lila looked the two over before smirking, “You must be proud of yourself. Coming up with that plan on the spot was really something.” She walked forward a bit, pushing herself into Marinette’s personal space.

Marinette did her best to stand her ground, but she noticeably tensed up as Lila got closer. Damian grabbed her arm not wanting this to end up like that time in the rec room, “Let’s go, Marinette.”

Lila completely ignored the boy and held steady eye contact with Marinette. Her smile became demeaning, “You know something, I will say that it was odd that you left your skirt behind. I didn’t see much, but you and your little friend here were in that closet for some time with no cameras or anything. From what I can tell, they couldn’t reach you right away either.”

Marinette could feel her heart rate spike the same way it did when she was facing an Akuma. She swallowed the saliva in her mouth and did her best to keep her voice steady, “What are you trying to get at, Lila?”

“Marinette!” The three looked over and saw a familiar group running towards them with a girl running towards the front. 

Marinette could feel the tension vanish from her, “Alya?” Alya tackled Marinette, almost causing her to fall back, “Alya! Stop doing that!”

“No way, after yesterday I’m going to do this as long as I have a running start.” Marinette rolled her eyes and hugged back. Alya pulled away and turned to the other girl, “Oh! Lila! Hey, what have you been up to?”

Lila smiled back at Alya and her voice became cheerful, “Oh just wandering the ship. I came to return Marinette’s dress that she left behind.”

Alya looked at the items in Marinette’s arms and smiled, “Oh, that’s really cool of you Lila.”

“It’s nothing really.” Lila gasped as if she remembered something and smiled, “I saw a dog on the boat. It was cute!”

The rest of the group caught up and Nino panted, “You have to stop doing that, babe.”

Alya, ignoring her boyfriend’s whine, got excited, “A dog? What type?”

Damian started to slowly pull Marinette away from the girl but not before Lila looked Marinette right in the eyes and smugly stated, “Oh, it was a tramp.”

Damian scowled and pulled Marinette away forcefully, taking her inside the room and sitting down at a large table alone. “Sit.” Marinette did as she was told, almost as if she were on autopilot, and looked down at her lap. Damian frowned, “I know you’re worried about an Akuma, but we’re in a different country. I don’t know why you put up with her.” Marinette tensed up and Damian glared at the girl as she talked to her classmates, not even noticing that his brothers followed them and sat down at the same table.

Jason looked confused, “What was that about?”

Tim sighed, also glaring at the girl, “I thought it was obvious.”

“What was obvious?”

“That she called Marinette a-” Marinette abruptly stood up and walked away from the table, leaving the four brothers behind at the table startled, “tramp.”

Damian switched his glare over to his brother, “Really?”

Dick shook his head, “It’s like her friends don’t even see it. As far as I can tell, the only other two not wrapped around her finger are Adrien and Chloe.” He watched as Chloe and Adrien did their best to peel themselves away from the conversation, “I don’t get it.”

Jason just growled and pleaded with his brothers, “Again, we have the presentation. Most of her classmates are here anyway, we could do this now.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Yeah, and then Marinette will be mad at you forever and refuse to talk to you for the rest of the trip.”

“She’ll forgive me.”

“In your dreams.”

Jason rolled his eyes, “Seriously though, we can’t let her put up with this.” He looked over at Dick, “Give me five minutes, I can take her.”

“No Jason!”

Jason crossed his arms and huffed before turning to Damian, “Don’t think you’re out of the woods yet either.”

Damian looked over at his brother and narrowed his eyes, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

The second youngest of the group looked between the two and bit his lip. He sighed and asked, “Why didn’t you take out the gunman?”

“What?”

Jason tilted his head and remained unamused, “You took down Superman once when he was possessed by Trigon and you really expect us to believe you couldn’t take out a crazy guy with a gun?”

Damian became defensive, tensing up and leaning away from his brothers, “He had it pointed at her head and one wrong move could’ve gotten her shot at point-blank range.”

Dick shook his head, “Come on Damian. You’ve fought in worse situations, many of them with hostages, and you expect me to believe that?”

Damian crossed his arms, he didn’t like being interrogated, “Blame Father. When he told me about this trip he swore to me if he found out I did anything out of line he’d retire me for good. No Robin, no Titans, nothing. He threatened me with boarding school.”

Jason looked him over and gave Damian a look that could only be described as annoyed disbelief, “That’s never stopped you before.”

“Yeah, but before I had the energy to not give a damn about whatever he said.” He looked back at Marinette getting food and talking with a few classmates, “She looked terrified. She didn’t have to say anything, but she was practically begging me to comply.” He sighed, “If I did try to take him out I know I would’ve lost my composure and hurt him. Badly. Father would’ve been upset and I don’t think Marinette would’ve forgiven me either.” He watched her float around, catching up with everybody before she looked up and caught his eye. She smiled and waved at him prompting him to turn back to the table, embarrassed about being caught staring, “She doesn’t know I’m Robin and I don’t want her to. I’m just Damian to her and I want to keep it that way.”

Tim watched her as well and hummed, “You guys might have more in common than you think.”

“What are you-”

Dick licked his lips before interrupting, “We told him about your little conversation with Captain Staller.”

Damian looked at Dick for a second confused before realizing what he meant, “Oh.”

Tim sighed and took out his phone, “Look, as far as I can tell many different superheroes have popped up around Paris over the years and I’m 89% sure she’s one of them.” He scrolled through the digital file and looked at all the pictures he collected, “Because it’s magic, the suits alter their physical appearances enough to make it hard to pinpoint which one she is.”

Damian’s interest was peaked, “Do you have a guess?”

Jason scoffed, “Are you guys serious? She’s obviously Ladybug.” The table froze and turned to him, “What?”

Dick shrugged, “I don’t know. You just said you thought our new tiny friend over there could be a superhero who’s been fighting a crazy magic terrorist for two years. Maybe that’s it.”

Tim scrolled through before pulling up a mouse themed hero, “I was going to say this was Marinette.”

Jason looked at the photo and passed the phone over to his other two brothers while he shook his head, “No way, did you guys see the way she bossed Bruce around. No temporary, one time heroine has that type of confidence. She’s been doing this for years.”

Tim frowned, “Prove it.”

“What?”

“We need proof that she’s Ladybug.”

“That who’s Ladybug?” The four looked up to see Marinette’s friends walk over and sit around the table. Alya smiled, “I love hearing other people’s theories. I can post it on the Ladyblog if you’d like.”

Damian shook his head, “He thinks one of your classmates could be Ladybug.”

Chloe scoffed, “Oh please, no one in this class is hero material other than me and maybe Adrien.” Adrien tensed slightly but went unnoticed due to years of controlling his body during modeling sessions.

Alya rolled her eyes, “If you want to hear crazy theories, I got one.”

Dick smiled, happy to get away from the tense subject prior, “Do tell.”

Alya smirked, “Okay, there’s no reason Batman and Robin-”

“Red Robin!”

“Okay, Red Robin – Thanks Tim – should be here on the ship or in Europe unless he was one of the passengers.”

Nino rolled his eyes and smiled. Nino loved seeing Alya get this fired up, “And who exactly could be Batman in this ship?”

Alya looked over at Nino with a knowing smiled before confidently announcing, “Bruce Wayne.”

“WHAT?” The chorus of four boys alongside Marinette, who came within earshot of the table, resonated in the room. Marinette put her plate down and groaned, “Alya, you cannot actually believe Bruce is Batman.”

Alya huffed, “And why not? He’s the same build, plus he only showed up after Bruce left the room. Batman knew his way around the boat from what I could see in the cameras and he didn’t need to talk to any of us to understand the situation. He has to be a passenger and I’m betting on Bruce.”

Adrien laughed, “You’re going down a weird rabbit hole.”

“Watch it, Agreste.” She looked over the four Wayne boys, “If I’m right, blink once.” All four boys in that moment did their best to not blink until her attention went somewhere else. 

Marinette rolled her eyes and sighed, “And who is Red Robin then?”

Alya hummed, “I don’t know.” She looked up and narrowed her eyes at Tim, “You weren’t around either.”

Tim tensed and Dick stood up abruptly, “Okay! I think it’s time to get food.”

Alya jumped up before they left the table, “Wait you still didn’t tell us who you think Ladybug is!”

Jason shrugged and bluntly stated, “Marinette.”

“WHAT?” The Parisian students all stared at the man wide-eyed and shocked. There was a moment of heavy silence before three out of the five classmates started laughing, “You actually think it’s Marinette?”

Chloe wiped a tear from her eye, “Seriously, have you seen how clutzy she is? No offence, but you are a walking hazard.”

Marinette huffed, “I’m not that bad!” Her friends stared her down until she reluctantly tacked on, “Not anymore.”

Adrien shook his head and quickly jumped into the conversation to protect his lady, “No way. Marinette can’t be Ladybug.”

Jason crossed his arms, “And why not? No offense, but I know a badass when I see one.” Marinette, despite being accused smiled at Jason. She hasn’t heard someone compliment her as Marinette like that and it made her feel a bit of pride. Jason saw this small spark in her and winked, “She saved the day. I think she’s a good candidate.”

Nino shook his head, “No, you guys don’t get it. We’ve seen Marinette and Ladybug in the same place.”

Jason deflated, “Really? When?”

Alya sighed and thought for a moment, “That was way back when they were first starting out. Timebreaker, right?”

Chloe winced, “Oh yeah, I caused that one.”

Damian didn’t miss how relieved Marinette got, “Are you sure they were in the same place?”

Adrien nodded, “Yeah, Marinette ran away with the rest of us.”

Tim looked over at Jason with a smug look on his face, “So I was right. Again. She’s not Ladybug.”

Jason pouted and walked over to Marinette, “I think you’re cool enough to be a hero.”

Marinette smiled warmly at Jason, “Thanks, but I’m really not.”

Alya snorted, “Now that’s a lie. You totally could be a hero. Honestly, I’m surprised Ladybug hasn’t recruited you yet.”

Chloe simply nodded, “I hate to admit it, but you would make a good asset to the team.”

Damian noted how Marinette seemed touched by her friends’ words, “You guys are sweet.”

Alya smirked, “One theory shot down, but my theory still stands.” The four brothers groaned and left the table to grab their food, “What?”

Adrien shrugged and sarcastically said, “I don’t know Alya, you just accused their dad of being a vigilante.”

Alya rolled her eyes, “As if they don’t know.”

Marinette shook her head, “No way Bruce is Batman. He’s too nice.”

Chloe hummed, “That makes the perfect cover then, doesn’t it?  Playboy, dad millionaire by day, bat themed hero by night.”

Adrien thought for a moment, “Then why would he leave Gotham? Wouldn’t it be too dangerous?”

Alya laughed haughtily, “You guys need to do research. Luckily, you are talking to France’s biggest superhero addict.” She pulled up her phone and started scrolling through different pictures of bat themed heroes, “He has an army of different heroes under his watch. Batgirl, Batwing, Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood (although he’s questionable), and who knows who else!” She wore a smug smile, “We’re going to be here for a while so that gives plenty of chances to investigate and prove my theory.”

Marinette frowned and sent a small glare at her best friend, “Where was this determination during our last research project?”

Alya wilted and laughed nervously, “Oh, well, um-” The four brothers came back to the table and she perked up, “So if I find proof your dad is Batman will you admit I’m right?”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Yeah, sure Alya.”

Jason huffed, “I’m not giving up on my theory though.” He turned to Marinette and pointed at her, “Yesterday was crazy, but you kept your cool and saved the other passengers. I know you said it’s because you’re used to this stuff in Paris, but there’s no way a normal girl can push Bruce out of the way and take charge like that.” He took a large bite of his food and with a full mouth said, “You are a hero. I know you are.”

Damian watched Marinette’s reaction very closely, noting how she would tense up anytime they would directly accuse her. Damian had his own suspicions, if she wasn’t Ladybug, then Tim’s theory could be right. Still, she has too much experience for someone only called to be a hero once or twice. It didn’t add up. He looked over at his brother and noted the fire in his eyes, he’s never seen Jason so sure of himself. Marinette looked so serious, he knew Jason hit a nerve.

“I believe it too.” Marinette whipped her head around and stared at Damian, “I agree with Jason. I don’t know how, but you are a hero.”

Tim coughed up his drink and yanked his phone back, quickly typing something on it. “I need to record this. The little brat actually agrees with Jason on something.” Damian gritted his teeth and avoided the shocked expression on Dick’s face and definitely avoided the joy on Jason’s face. 

Marinette couldn’t believe what was happening around her. Two people she’s barely met both correctly guessed her secret identity. Weirdest thing? She wasn’t panicking. She felt confused. She didn’t know how she felt about any of it. She looked into herself and noted how even though she was nervous, she wasn’t going over the edge like she did yesterday when her friends interrogated her. She didn’t know what was different, but she still needed to answer the group. Her eyes met Adrien’s and in a quick moment of silent communication, she knew he would support her no matter what she said. She looked down and sighed, dejected and firmly stated, “No. I’m not a hero. I’m Marinette Dupain Cheng. That’s it.”

Alya pitied her friend, knowing that if she was Ladybug she would’ve given Marinette a Miraculous as soon as she had the chance. She shook her head, “Enough. Marinette’s a hero in her own right. Miraculous or not.” She pointed at the boys, “But I’m still convinced Bruce is Batman!”

Tim met her stare with an equally determined one of his own, “And we’re convinced Marinette’s a hero!” He put out his hand towards the future reported, leaning over the table with a determined look on his face, “May the best investigator win.”

Alya grinned and firmly grasped Tim’s hand, slightly startling him with her grip. Tension held the table hostage. The heavy air sat between the group as both sides had their own theories as to who’s the true hero. Marinette could feel Damian’s eyes glued onto her. She couldn’t bring herself to look him in the eye, she just knew he’d know she was lying. She hated lying, but it was necessary to keep her secret hidden. Alya, unaware of the pressure she built, smugly stated, “I plan to.”

Dick sighed looked over to Damian and Marinette, “I wanted to ask you if Bruce told you about what happened late last night.”

The two snapped their attention to Dick and Marinette shook her head, “What are you talking about?”

Dick looked over at Jason and Tim, uncertain and nervous on how to proceed. Damian frowned, “What are you talking about Grayson?”

Dick shook his head and mumbled, “What the hell Bruce?” At this point, the whole table silently waited for a response and Dick could feel the pressure. Dick looked around and pointed, “Ask him yourself.”

The table all turned to see Bruce walking over, his smile fell after seeing everyone’s faces. The kids were all confused and the two teens of interest both held looks of concern. “What are we talking about?”

Dick pinched the bridge of his nose, “You didn’t tell them.”

Bruce glared at him, “No and I wasn’t going to. She doesn’t need to know.”

“To be fair,” the two men turned to a scowling Marinette, “I don’t like people talking about things concerning me behind my back.” Marinette narrowed her eyes at Bruce, “What don’t I know?”

Bruce was surprised, he didn’t realize this girl had it in her to look at anyone like that. Her resolve oozed out of every pore as she stared him down, something most Gotham villains can’t do. Bruce sighed and knelt down in front of her, Damian tensed considering he’s only ever seen him like this when he was about to give him bad news. “You know those men who attacked the ship last night?” Marinette nodded, already not liking where this was headed. “Those men disappeared last night from their holing cells. The authorities woke up this morning and found the cell only held two kids and all other evidence disappeared. It’s like they vanished into thin air and one of the kids was hurt.” Marinette held onto every word and felt her breath hitch, “Marinette, they may come back. I’m working with Batman to strengthen the security of the ship.”

There was a moment of silence before Marinette responded, “So that’s why you wanted me off the ship tomorrow.” Bruce looked at her confused while her expression became more serious, “You wanted me off the ship in case they came back while the ship was finishing its final repairs.”

Bruce nodded, “You saw how that man who threw you overboard had an interest in you. If he saw you again, he might try something.”

“That won’t happen.” The table turned to Damian, “We won’t let that happen. Father, if you haven’t realized she’s going to be safest when around us.”

Bruce nodded in agreement, “Which is why you four will be accompanying the class on their outing tomorrow.” He stood up and straightened out his shirt before turning to the rest of the classmates, “You will be given spending money to use and keep should you choose. I want you all to have fun while on this trip as promised, but it may be safer if you weren’t on the boat.”

Chloe brushed her bangs out of her face and pouted. “I don’t like running”, she sighed, “but without my Miraculous he’s right.”

Adrien bit his lip, “We’ll stay with Marinette tonight too. From what I hear, the room is big enough.” He let out a bittersweet laugh, “Great first sleepover.”

Alya pitied the boy but nodded, “It’s settled. We stay in Marinette’s room tonight and tomorrow we stay together as a group to explore the cities until Bruce gives us the okay.”  

Nino nodded, “I’m in.”

“Of course.”

“Ditto.”

“Marinette?” Alya realized her best friend’s gaze never looked away from Damian, “Marinette?”

Marinette glared at Damian, “Did you know?”

Damian looked over at the girl and realized her acuations were similar to those she had on the first night they met. “No. No, I didn’t.” Marinette held up her pinky, “What?”

“Swear to me.” He looked at her for a moment, caught off guard by the sudden request, but eventually wrapped his pinky around hers. Marinette relaxed a bit and she nodded, “Okay.” She looked over at Alya, “If he wants he’s allowed to the sleepover.”

Damian blinked, “Wait, what?”

Alya nodded, “Okay. Damian, you can meet up with the guys at their rooms and walk over together.” Alya put out her fist, “We’re going to make the most of this trip and keep each other safe. We are not letting Marinette’s efforts go to waste!” Nino sighed and stood up, placing his fist next to Alya’s. Adrien stood up next and placed his fist next to Nino’s. Chloe did the same. Marinette followed suit and the five classmates stared at the Waynes expectantly. “You guys in or not?” Jason stood up first out of the family and put his fist in. Next was Tim, then Dick, then Bruce. Damian was hesitant, but after meeting Marinette’s pleading expression he reluctantly stood and did the same. Alya smiled, “Okay.”

*******************************************************************************************

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[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 5 - Dining

A Maribat! on Deck AU

Start [here] or read [Part 4] [ Part 6]

Marinette looked at herself in the mirror and sighed before turning to Alya and Chloe. “Really? This one?” The other two girls were too busy exploring the suite Marinette was in and Marinette pouted, “Alya! Chloe!”

Chloe didn’t even look back, “Yeah, yeah, you look great. Now how do I get a room like this?”

Alya shook her head and walked over to Marinette, “You look great. You should really wear red more often, it makes you pop!” Alya circled around her before giving a small hum, “Why do I feel like you’re missing something?”

Chloe walked over and looked at Marinette with a critical eye, “You need a necklace or something. Also, curl the ends of that ponytail more. I want to see them bounce.” Marinette moved back to the vanity and Alya took to curling her hair while Chloe looked through the luggage. “Do you not have a necklace?”

Marinette sheepishly answered, “No.” Chloe groaned and walked back over, reaching behind her head and unclasping her own necklace. “Chloe, no-”

Alya moved away and allowed Chloe to put the necklace on Marinette’s neck, “It’s black so it goes with the dress.” She looked at Marinette in the mirror before giggling, “Oh my god, I’m getting Ladybug vibes now.”

Alya shook her head before finishing off Marinette’s hair, “No way, have you seen her walk? As much as I love you Marinette, Nino and I have a bet as to whether or not you’ll fall on stage.”

Marinette stuck out her tongue in the mirror and Alya laughed. “Good to know you guys have faith.”

Chloe helped Marinette up, “Ignore her. Your heels are not that tall anyway.” If you told a younger Marinette that she would become friends with Chloe, she would have sworn pigs could fly. Still, Lila’s grasp over the school threatened Chloe’s popularity and status. Chloe couldn’t figure this new girl out and she was frustrated with the whole situation. The only other people who weren’t wrapped around the girl’s finger were Adrien and Marinette. Chloe really didn’t want to, but Lila wouldn’t Adrien out of her sight and Chloe was getting anxious being by herself. The two girls, though awkward, started to talk and bonded over their distrust of their classmate. Chloe’s disdain for Lila hit it’s high when, as Queen Bee, was told by Ladybug that Lila has been the cause of several Akumas as well as willingly letting herself become an Akuma. Ladybug asked her to be her insider, to avoid letting Lila know that she knows, and Chloe took this role seriously. She would hang around Lila, but for information and nothing more. Chloe always found her way back to her new friend in Dupain-Cheng and here she stood offering her assistance with an outfit. “You’ll be fine. If you aren’t, then we can’t hang out anymore.” Marinette rolled her eyes and smiled.

Marinette stood up and looked at herself before seeing the flash of a camera. She turned and noticed Alya taking photos, “What are you doing?”

“Don’t you want to remember this? When we’re old and frail and living in a nursing home together?” Marinette could hear Alya’s nails tapping against her phone screen, but before she could ask anything Alya laughed. “You’ll give those Wayne boys a run for their money looking like that.”

Marinette could feel her face heat up and shook her head, “What are you talking about?”

Chloe smirked, “I heard from a little birdie that one of the Wayne boys were seen leaving your room by the staff. Who was it and why were we not told sooner? Really Marinette? Making me find out through the help?”

Marinette groaned and rubbed her temples, “First off, let me start by saying nothing happened.”

“So the rumor was true!? Girl, I thought we told each other everything!” Alya threw herself onto the bed and dramatically wailed, “My BFF! How could she leave me in the dark like that? After everything we’ve been through!”

Chloe sat down next to Alya and patted down her hair, “There, there. She didn’t tell either of us.” Chloe pouted, “Seriously though, first the cruise now a romance with a Wayne-”

“I don’t like Tim like that!”

Alya snapped her head up and grinned, “Oh! So it was Tim now? Damn, I thought it was Damian.”

Marinette cursed herself for falling into that one, “Yeah. I got lost and he helped me out. We just talked and he left once it got late. He’s one of the first friends I’ve made since getting on the boat. Him and the Captain.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes at something on Marinette’s desk, “Is that why you have that god awful captain hat?”

Marinette walked over and hovered the cap over her head, “Captain Staller said I was a natural-born leader!”

Alya sat up and nodded, “Makes sense, you are the class president.”

Marinette winked before carefully folding the hat and placing into her purse, careful not to disturb Tikki. “I hope to see everyone at dinner! I want to ask Captain Staller about his collection of boats in a bottle.” Marinette got a wistful look in her eye, “The detail on those things are incredible and I can’t even imagine how they set them up through that tiny little opening in the bottle.”

Chloe groaned, “If she keeps talking we’re going to be late. Césaire, do something.”  

Alya felt herself melt into the mattress, “Hm? What?” Chloe grabbed her arm and yanked her off the bed, “Aw come on!”

Marinette laughed, genuinely laughed, for the first time with her girlfriends in weeks. She felt like herself again. The only problem was her dread over Lila’s phone. Tim and Jason swore that everything was going to be alright, Tim promised and Jason was ready to make a blood pact if necessary. Adrien and Dick coaxed her out of curled up position and Adrien took her back to her room. Damian looked at his brothers and a small moment of nonverbal communication passed between them before he left the room. A few minutes after arriving to her room, Alya and Chloe were brought over. Adrien left with Damian and she has not heard from any of them since. In this moment and in this room, laughing and gossiping with her friends, she didn’t particularly care. However, she knew that as soon as she left her room’s door she’d be open and vulnerable. She thought back to Master Fu’s words, about being able to feel with safe people in a safe place, and wonders if this is what he meant.

Chloe grabbed Marinette’s arm and dragged the two girls out of the room, “Let’s go! I am not missing any part of this dinner!”

Marinette and Alya groaned before locking eyes with each other and laughing. Soon, there were three girls, in three different colored dresses, with three different hairstyles, all laughing in the same hallway.

Meanwhile, Adrien was fixing Nino’s collar and struggling. “Come on Nino, Alya will be here soon. Don’t you want to look good?”

Nino, completely with a completely neutral expression, simply said, “If she cares about looks, she wouldn’t be dating me.”

Adrien snorted and nudged Nino, breaking his façade. Adrien looked around the dining hall and analyzed the event before him. He’s been part of fashion galas and fancy dinners, but this didn’t have the same air of tension that the other events held. He didn’t feel suffocated by expectations. He wasn’t here to represent the Agreste brand. He was able to just be Adrien. It was similar to the feeling of freedom he first felt when he transformed. Adrien took a deep breath and sighed. “Do you think tonight will be a good night?”

“I hope so, otherwise Marinette would’ve done all this for nothing.” Nino took a sip from his punch and sat back in his chair. “Where are they?”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “They’ll be here soon.” Adrien’s eyes flickered over to something moving towards him in his peripheral vision, it was Dick. “Hey, I’ll be back in a second.”

“Oh yeah, just leave me!” Nino sniffed and frowned, “My best friend! Leaving me? Oh, what a world.” Adrien pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled at his friend before Nino finally broke, “Okay! Go! I’ll save the table!” Adrien grabbed Nino’s head and kissed the top of it, leaving before Nino could push him away. “Had it not been for the laws of this land, I would’ve killed you!”

Adrien shot Nino back some finger guns before yelling back, “Love you too!” Adrien jogged over to Dick chuckling, “What?”

“Bromance or Romance?”

Adrien posed in a way so others would perceive him to be in deep thought before finally saying, “Bromance.”

“You really had to think about it that much?”

“Well, it would’ve been easier if Alya wasn’t dating him.” Adrien couldn’t help but grin, he was joking around with another socialite and wasn’t reprimanded. He could be himself and he was loving every second of it. Dick handed him a small device, “What is this?”

“An earpiece. Wear it so we can make sure this operation gets done before Marinette even arrives.” Adrien nodded and put the device in his ear.

Soon he heard a small second of static before clearly hearing Tim’s voice, “Lila should be arriving at the dining hall in less than a minute. Everyone ready?”

“Ready.”

“Good to go. Also, tell me again why we aren’t doing the powerpoint.”

“Affirmative and because Marinette clearly doesn’t want to aggravate this girl. Her enemy, her rules.”

“I have it in a flash drive just in case though.”

“Nice!”

“Wait, what am I supposed to even do?”

Dick just smirked, “You’re a model right?” Adrien nodded hesitantly, “On my word, I want you to just smile and look pretty.” Adrien didn’t know what was going on or anything about the plan they had cooked up. What he did know is that the mischief shining in Dick’s eyes gave him a sense of determination only ever felt by the black cat.

“It’s go time.”

Dick motioned for Adrien to follow him as he weaved his way into the crowd. He could see Lila walk in, she looked nice but she looked on edge. “Dick, I think she realized the pictures didn’t go through.”

“Then let’s be quick.” Dick tapped the shoulder of another socialite, older but reeked of old money. “How have you been, David?”

The man’s eyes crinkled as a smile grew on his face, “Dick, my boy! You’ve gotten so big!”

Dick laughed, “Hey David, you still bring a small group of paparazzi wherever you go?”

David laughed, “I don’t like it, but daughter and wife insist. They said I don’t take enough pictures, so might as well pay someone to do it for me. Plus, my wife likes them for her blog.”

Dick pointed at Lila as she walked deeper into the heart of the room, “You should take pictures with some of the kids on this trip! Show that you were just as supportive of this project as Bruce.” Dick leaned in close, “Plus some pictures with some pretty girls will make for some great photos!” Dick pushed Adrien forward and winked, “Take him with you too. Will lessen the creepy factor of your photos with the girl and appeal to a girl audience on your wife’s blog.”

David smiled and motioned for Adrien to follow him. Dick sent a small nod to Adrien and Adrien realized where this was heading. David walked up to Lila and asked for some photos. Lila looked confused and cautiously looked to Adrien for answers. Adrien played dumb, whispering to her that this guy was famous and wanted photos of some good looking kids. Adrien smiled, knowing that what he said caught Lila’s attention and she happily agreed to the pictures. David motioned for a small group to come over and soon the room was full of flashes. Blinding, but being used to being in front of a camera he saw Jason give his own signal to someone behind him. In his ear, he could hear Jason say, “You’re up, Damian.”

Out of the corner of his eye he could see someone grab Lila’s clutch, but she was too busy soaking up the attention and telling David stories of her adventures in Paris. Damian, on the other hand, quickly searched her purse for the phone and handed it off to Dick before closing the bag and handing it to another girl in the class. “Hey, I think your friend over there dropped this.”

The little blonde looked confused before noticing who exactly Damian was pointing at, “Oh, this is Lila’s? I’ll be sure to give it back to her!” The girl scurried off and Damian caught Jason’s eye, giving a subtle nod and giving Jason his cue.

“Don’t mess this up, Todd.”

“Shut up.” Jason pushed through the reporters and stood in front of the three, “Okay! Okay! That’s enough! If you want to take pictures, you can take them outside on the deck! Absolutely no flash photography until the award is given!” The small group huddled together and Jason’s eye twitched, “Did I stutter?!” That definitely got them to scurry off and he turned back to David and the kids. “Aren’t you a little old to be taking photos with children?”

David pulled his hands back behind his back, “Ah, yes. Hello to you too Jason.” The man straightened out his collar before leaving the area.

Lila glared at Jason before someone grabbed her arm, “Hey Lila, you dropped this!”

Lila hugged her friend, “Oh Rose! Thank you, I wouldn’t know what I would do without this! I have my pills for my vertigo in here!”

Adrien slowly backed away and made his over to Jason, “Where’s the phone?”

Jason walked with Adrien over to a secluded area of the hall, “I think Tim’s working on it right now.”

“You mean Tim’s done with it right now.” Adrien looked over to see the other three brothers gathered around Tim as he worked on the phone. Tim shut off the phone and handed it over to Adrien with a grin on his face, “No photos or anything else that could make Marinette look bad.”

Adrien was surprised, “She had more?”

Damian frowned, “She had a folder.”

Tim shrugged, “Nothing bad, just could be embarrassing.”

A smile suddenly spread on Dick’s face as he stared at one of the entrances, “There’s nothing embarrassing about that.” They all turned and saw three girls walk into the room. On the left, the blonde walked in a yellow and black dress with a haughty elegance about her. Still, the way she carried herself was not unapproachable and, in fact, rather inviting to those close to her. On the right, the redhead walked in with a nice orange dress that beckoned the eyes of those in the room without being desperate for attention. She was open, laughing, and proud of herself and the other two girls in her cohort. In the middle, the girl wore red with black shoes and accessories, smiling brighter than anyone in the room and clinging to the two girls beside her. She drew everyone’s attention while being completely unaware of her effect in the room.

Adrien smirked and mumbled to himself, “A little on the nose, don’t you think?” He was about to turn to the other boys to suggest greeting them, but was surprised as Jason ran over and picked up Marinette.

Even with the music and chatter, you could clearly hear Jason yell, “OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK SO CUTE!” Marinette’s face lit up a soft pink, but she laughed as the other girls laughed with her.

Tim shook his head, “Jesus, what the hell is wrong with him?”

Dick shrugged, “Maybe he has withdrawals from not using his guns?”

“Guns?”

“Ah, yes. It’s a hobby of his.” Tim sighed and stared at Damian, “Hey.” Damian didn’t hear him and Tim rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers in front of his face, “Hey! Earth to Damian! Hello!”

Damian blinked a few times before shaking his head and shoving away Tim’s hand. “What?”

“Go say hi to her.” Damian, in possibly the rarest show of emotion ever in his 15 years, blushed. Very subtle, but still a noticeable pink dusted his cheeks. “Oh my god, he feels.”

Dick had a look of nostalgia wash over him, “Oh my god, he reminds me of when I first saw Kori.”

“Shut up, both of you!” Damian turned to Adrien and snatched the phone away from him and handing it to a waiter, pointing at Lila. The waiter nodded and walked away before Damian suddenly pulled Adrien along as he stomped over to the girls. “Let’s go say hi already.”

Adrien felt a hilarious mix of joy and pity, he knew what it was like being so smitten by Marinette’s charm. About a year ago, when Hawkmoth and Mayura started to up the ante, Cat Noir and Ladybug had a very serious talk about responsibility and work ethic. Cat Noir realized two things that day. One, as much as he loved her, the crush wore off and was now left with a platonic love that knew no bounds. Two, he would still lay down the line for this girl despite the loss of feelings. They were partners and they needed to get better for Paris’ sake. Plagg supported his holder through the mixed feelings towards his lost love until he finally was at a spot where he accepted their new dynamic. It was healthier and he couldn’t be happier.

Despite the scowl on his face, Adrien could tell the boy was developing some kind of feelings. It radiated off of him, a sense of warmth that was only felt when he was around Marinette. Even when he fought her in the rec room, the feelings were there. If anything, they grew after she pinned him down. Adrien looked over and noticed they moved Nino to a bigger table and he yelled, “I’m back bro!”

Nino drew his eyes away from Alya and his expression softened, “Bro!” Nino threw himself at Adrien in a way that would suggest they haven’t seen each other in years while Alya scoffed.

“Are you sure I shouldn’t be worried about him?”

Nino pulled away, “Yeah, you should be. Don’t mess up, I have options.” Adrien snickered and Alya just stared her boyfriend down until he sat back by her side. “You’re my first choice, though.” Alya rolled her eyes and kissed his cheek.

Chloe ran up to Adrien and began chatting, leaving Damian on his own to figure out how to approach this situation. He noticed Jason and Marinette sitting next to each other, deep into a conversation and he saw it. The same glow he saw from the pictures way back before anything with Lila happened. For some reason, he felt anxious approaching the two. Jason suddenly looked up at him and motioned for him to come over. Marinette turned her head and she smiled at him, Damian tensed but willed himself to walk over. Jason suddenly pointed at Marinette’s dress, “Can you believe she made that?”

That snapped Damian out of it, “You made it?”

She whined and hid her face behind her hands, “Jason, go on stage and tell everyone. I don’t think the fish heard you.” Jason was about to get up and Marinette pulled him back down, “No, Jason!” She turned to face Damian, “Thank you for getting those pictures off of Lila’s phone. I don’t know how you did it, but you guys seriously saved my social life.”

Damian rolled his eyes and sat on the other chair beside her, “So you make your own clothes?”

Her eyes lit up, “Not all of them, but I try to push myself to make more and more until my closet is completely filled with my own designs.” She played with the hem of her skirt, “It’s my dream to have my own fashion line. It’s dumb, but-”

“No, it isn’t.” She looked up and Damian shrugged, “It’s not. It’s your passion, so follow it.” She didn’t respond so he took it as a cue to continue, “If you find a reason to continue moving forward, then hang onto it. If that reason to continue moving forward when times are tough is fashion, then don’t be ashamed of it. Be proud.” He rested his chin on his hand while looking at no one in particular, “If you lose it, whether that means you lose interest in fashion or you feel like you’ve made it as far as you could in your career, then you just find a new one. Those reasons may change, but I think your reason works with who you are.” He thinks about his reasons. His original reason was leading the League of Assassins with his grandfather and mother. His next reason was to be the best Robin Batman ever had in order to take up the mantle. Now, he really didn’t know what it was, but he hoped to find that reason soon. He smiled and turned his head slightly to Marinette, “Not all of us have that reason. A lot of us are still looking. You found your reason, be proud of that.”

Marinette wasn’t expecting that answer at all. She was expecting the Damian who yelled at her for being passive in her methods for dealing with Lila, not the one that showed her the stars on the helideck last night. She tried to wrap her mind around it, but Alya interrupted her thoughts with a picture. Marinette blinked at the sudden flash, “Alya, what did you-”

“My best friend is flirting it up with Damian Wayne and you really expect me NOT to document this?”

Marinette tensed, “ALYA!” Her friends laughed at her and Damian noticed three figures coming towards them.

He knew who it was and tapped Marinette’s shoulder, “Hey Marinette, I’d like you to-” Marinette held up a finger and started drinking the water in front of her to help with the cottonmouth Alya caused her. Marinette turned slightly and, if you asked anyone there, you could see the moment she began to panic realizing Bruce Wayne was standing practically behind her. Marinette spit out the water and began having a coughing fit. She stood up, eyes watering as she tried to not choke on her drink, and ran to the nearest bathroom.

Bruce looked amused, “That was my fault, wasn’t it?” That prompted Marinette’s friends to laugh hysterically and they all sat down.

Alya tried to catch her breath, “No! No! Sir, she has been freaking out for hours over what to do when she meets you. She just thought she’d meet you on stage.”

Chloe wiped a tear from her eye, “Yeah! You coming out of nowhere not only ruined the confidence boost from her pep talk in the mirror, but you scared her half to death!”

Jason bit his lip to keep from laughing before turning to Damian, “I said this once and I’ll say it again. She’s a total spazz and I LOVE that for you!”

Nino caught his breath and registered what Jason just said, “Wait, two questions. One, I know Bruce and Jason, but not the rest of you. Two, what do you mean? Is he-”

Damian’s voice rose as he tried to defend himself, “I am not! Todd, I already warned you.” Damian turned back to Nino and pointed, “Dick Grayson. Tim Drake. I’m Damian Wayne.”

Jason cut in, “Yes he is. I’ve never seen him this worked up, even when we-”

“Jason, enough!” The table turned to Bruce and he sighed, “You don’t want to embarrass your brother too much. Not tonight.”

Jason coughed in a clear attempt to gather his bearings but continued, “Anyway, yeah.”

Dick chuckled, “It’s kind of obvious you like her.”

“I don’t like her!”

“Why not? Everyone likes Marinette.” Alya pointed at her boyfriend, “Nino had a crush on her for a while.”

Nino nodded, “Don’t forget Nathaniel.”

Chloe laughed, “I think Kim liked her too. You know, before meeting me.”

Adrien rolled his eyes and thought for a moment, “Yeah, and Luka.”

The kids had mixed reactions before Alya sighed, “That poor boy.”

Adrien shrugged, “At least she set him up with Kagami and they make a really good pair.”

Nino laughed and looked at Alya, “It was also kind of her fault we got together too, babe.”

Alya rolled her eyes before nodding, “She set up Nathaniel and Marc too.”

Chloe snapped her fingers, “Oh! Don’t forget Ivan and Myléne!”

Adrien laughed, “Oh my god, I almost forgot about them!”

Damian could feel himself tense and Tim snickered, “Well baby bird, looks like you have competition. Either you’re going to have to fight off guys to get her to date you or she’s going to set you up with someone else.”

Alya sympathized with him and noticed the red accent on Damian’s suit, “Oh!” She turned to Tim, “Is that why you asked for the picture of the dress?”

Tim winced and Dick groaned, “Tim what did you do?”

“Nothing! I wanted to make sure he matched with her!” Damian didn’t even realize it. He was so focused on getting Lila’s phone that he didn’t even question the clothes Tim handed him. “It looks good on both of you.” The table nodded in agreement before meekly Tim added, “Also, I promised Alya a small interview with Bruce Wayne.”

The other boys glared at their brother and Bruce rolled his eyes. Alya sat up excited, “Don’t worry it will be quick. Just a little something for the Ladyblog.”

Before he could respond, a sudden burst of red ran past them and to Bruce’s side. She stood there, completely rigid, and before Bruce could ask anything she bowed and started rambling, “I am so sorry! I just got really surprised by you and I guess I just panicked! I was NOT prepared to meet you off the stage! If I messed up anyone’s clothes I can fix them or just throw me overboard! And-”

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at Bruce, who held a patient smile on his face. “Miss Dupain-Cheng,” he held out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I read your paper and think the work you and your class do for Paris is very impressive. Especially so young.”

Marinette didn’t know what to do until Dick poked her side and she jumped, “You shake it.” Marinette blushed a bright red before putting her own hand out. Bruce’s hand gently engulfed the young girl’s and she visibly relaxed. Another flash went off and the two turned to Alya.

She sent a thumbs up, “I’m sending that one to your mom!”

Marinette realized she hadn’t let go of Bruce’s hand and jumped back with a small squeak. “Thank you, Mr. Wayne, for picking me and allowing us on this boat.” Bruce nodded and motioned for her to sit. She took her seat between Damian and Jason, the blush never truly fading.

Jason finally spoke up, “As entertaining as it is to watch Marinette freak out, I would much rather have dinner and a show.”

“Oh yeah, when does dinner-” As if on cue the dining bell rang and food was brought out to each table. Waiters hustled and bustled around each table, setting plates down carefully and taking requests for drinks or food alterations. Marinette suddenly found herself sitting in front of a plate of delicious-looking food and as surprised as she was, the boys seemed to just talk as if nothing extraordinary was happening around them. Adrien and Chloe also seemed unfazed while talking to Alya and Nino.

“First time seeing something like this?”

She turned to Damian and nodded, “It’s crazy how they don’t bump into each other. I would’ve fallen by now.”

“You can’t be that clumsy.”

Marinette snorted, “Alya and Nino have a bet going to see if I fall on stage.”

Damian smiled, “If it makes you feel better, my brothers made a bet to see who I would threaten first when on this trip.”

“Was it Jason?” Damian nodded and she smiled, “Your family’s great.”

“Your friends seem nice as well. You look close, you know, now that they’re actually around.” Marinette cringed and he was quick to apologize, “That was stupid. I-”

“This is the first time in weeks that I’ve felt like this.” She picked at her food and her expression displayed an expression of melancholy, “I love them. Sitting like this, eating together like this, talking like this, I haven’t gotten to have any of it for a while.” She looked over at Damian, “I feel like me again. I should thank you for bringing them over to my room.”

Damian shook his head, “You don’t have to.”

Marinette shrugged, “I want to. I wanted to thank you for showing me the stars too. Please?”

Watching her head tilt slightly almost did it, he almost gave in, but Dick mercifully chimed in. “So what is that I hear about you making your own dress?” Marinette’s eyes lit up as she started to talk about her dress and her passion for fashion. Her classmates joined in and shared pictures of previous pieces they’ve commissioned over the years leading into their own stories of Marinette in school. Jason and Dick wasted no time in telling their own stories of Damian while Tim looked for photos of Damian that went along with each story. Damian and Marinette were in a loop of listening, laughing, listening, hiding from the other due to embarrassment, listening, maybe a bit of arguing, and more laughing.

Bruce watched the group in front of him, it was a good dynamic and everything seemed peaceful. Normal. Just looking at Damian now he could see significant signs of improvement in his mood and overall behavior. Bruce also noted the way Marinette and Damian would steal glances at each other throughout the conversations. He noted the way Jason playfully fought for Marinette’s attention, like a child craving attention from a sibling or parent. He noted Tim looking rested and putting more energy into the conversation. He noted Dick observing Marinette and Damian fondly. Lastly, he noted how relaxed he was with this group of children in front of him – Jason and Dick included. It was full of laughter and warmth.  

He looked at his watch, “10 more minutes. Marinette are you prepared for me to give you the honor and award or do you want to run a rehearsal by me.”

Marinette sat up and frowned, “I did not rehearse!”

“HA!” Jason nudged Marinette, “I’ve known you for about a day and I know for a fact that you’ve rehearsed.” Marinette glared at him and pouted, “See, I’m right!”

“You’re the worst.”

Dick smirked, “Got you there, Jason.”

“Screw you.”

“Oh yeah, Marinette do you have your speech prepared at least?” Marinette froze and just stared at Tim.

She looked like she was about to cry, “Please, tell me you’re joking.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “He is.” Marinette immediately relaxed before throwing her spoon at Tim’s head.

Tim ducked and looked back, “One, rude. Two, I’m not picking that up.”

Marinette huffed and crossed her arms, “You’re just lucky I’m not sitting next to you.”

Tim smirked, “It’s like being threatened by a puppy.”

“Careful Tim,” the table turned to the blond just watching the interaction with an amused look on his face, “she’s not one to mess with.”

Dick laughed, “No kidding. She made friends with captain grumpy in like no time at all, which for those who don’t know that man only ever smiled at his niece. If he likes Marinette, he’d throw any of us overboard if he even caught wind of someone messing with her.”

Marinette looked around, “Where is Captain Staller anyway?”

Bruce took another bite of his food, “He said he had to look something over in the main control room. Although he should’ve come down by now. I’ll have someone check up on him.” Marinette nodded and relaxed, she’d been scanning the area occasionally for him since arrived to the dinner.

Jason side-eyed her and they locked eyes. It took a whole second before she realized what he was about to do. “Jason, no-”

“She pinned Damian down in the rec room without breaking a sweat.”

Bruce’s eyebrows shot up, “Really?”

Jason pulled out his phone, “I have a video.”

Alya perked up, “Please send that to me! I’d pay to see Marinette do something like that.”

Marinette groaned, “I know this is being shared on our terms now, but can we not show your dad how I wrestled his youngest to the ground?”

Bruce grabbed the phone and watched carefully, “Have you been trained before?”

“No, I just go head to head with a lot of Akumas.” Marinette rested her chin in her palm and sighed, “Everyone at this table has in one way or another.”

Chloe smirked, “As Queen Bee, I have a duty to protect Paris and will gladly defeat any Akuma.” Tim made sure to make a mental note of that tidbit of information. While it wasn’t exactly a secret the mayor’s daughter occasionally help Paris’ heroes, the fact that she is so open is new to him. He’d find it refreshing if it wasn’t so dangerous.

“Weren’t you akumatized twice while Queen Bee?”

“Weren’t you minding your own business, Nino?” The small group laughed, completely missing the way the Wayne family looked at each other. Concern, tension, fear for their new friends, a new need to protect, guilt for not knowing more about the situation; all of it was passed in that one moment between the five men.

Bruce cleared his throat and the five got up, “It’s time.” Marinette nodded and got out of her chair, clearly nervous but excited all the same. Bruce will admit he forgets how resilient regular kids can be when in tough situations. Bruce thinks back to his boys and briefly wonders if they would’ve persevered through their various hardships without his influence. He shook his head and realizes he knows they would have, with or without Bruce or Batman being part of their lives. That’s just how kids are. They live, they move forward, they have their moments and may breakdown but some of them just get back up and keep moving. His boys were some of those people. Marinette and her classmates were some of those people too. He was one of those people too. The boys walked on stage first, standing in a very clearly designated line, and Bruce turned to Marinette, “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Bruce nodded and motioned for her to wait as he got on stage. The crowd clapped politely and settled down once Bruce got to the mic. “Thank you all for coming here tonight. We are gathered here to award the first annual Wayne Enterprise Service Award.” The crowd gave a small round of applause before Bruce continued, “My father had a saying: ‘Tomorrow is one dream away’. Sentimental words, but they stayed with me long after their passing. Rather than focus on the darkness and everything wrong in the world and in Gotham, I decided to focus on how exceptional Gotham actually was and how much better it could be. I wanted to show my appreciation to the youth of today who embody that philosophy and dream in their own communities. Imagine my surprise when I get an approximate 30-page paper from a fifteen-year-old girl in Paris about all the things she and her classmates have done over the past few years. Each one in their own ways doing their part to help Paris as it deals with their own super villains and at such a young age. It’s quite the responsibility, but from what I can gather from this paper each and every one of these children take it on quite admirably. Each one of these children here tonight embody the spirit of a better tomorrow and their class president just had to praise them for their efforts. After reading her paper, I completely understand why. The volunteer work, the charity, the overall improvements they helped make to their community is astonishing to me and I’m a millionaire. I’ve seen it all!” The crowd laughed at the small joke and Bruce smiled, “However, I will say this. I have never read a paper as inspiring and heartwarming as the one the award recipient submitted to our contest. She shows signs of a clear leader. Giving credit where credit is due, organizing groups of students and projects, and working alongside her peers even when she isn’t expected to. She’s exceeded any previous expectations I had for any winner and set a new bar for next year. It is my pleasure to honor and welcome our winner of this award to Marinette Dupain-Cheng!”

The crowd erupted into applause and Marinette chanted to herself, “Please, don’t fall. Please, don’t fall. Please, don’t fall.” Bruce offered her a hand and she gladly took it, if only to stabilize herself. Bruce handed her a framed award with her name and the name of her class written clearly and bolded. She could feel her cheeks hurt from all the smiling and for a second dare to sneak a glance at the four brothers. Tim threw a thumbs up her way. Dick continued clapping and watched her with pride. Jason looked like he was about to cry he was so happy for her. Then there was Damian. He was clapping, sure, but the way he looked at her with not only pride but admiration really threw her for a loop. She looked back to the crowd and saw her classmates cheering and taking photos.

She felt elated until she locked eyes with Lila. Lila stared her down with a grim look and Marinette felt time stop for her. Everything around them faded out and she could feel her heartbeat become erratic as Lila continued glaring at her. Marinette didn’t know what was happening, but she couldn’t move or look away. She was unable to take a deep breath and felt disoriented the longer Lila locked eyes with her.

The thing that broke her out of it was a loud bang. Everyone froze and murmured wondering what just happened until they heard it again. Another bang, closer than the first rang out. The vibrations caught everyone off guard before realization set in and people started to panic.

The ship was under attack and, being at sea, they had no way out.

*******************************************************************************************

Tag List (Bitch I have a tag list whAT!?!?!):

@maribat-archive @ozmav @thornangelic727@imfreakingmagical@constancetruggle @chloe-bourgeois-is-big-gay@someone-ev   @zazzlejazzle @tinybrie @mewwitch @rhub4rb@saphiraazure2708 @never-neverland @unholykrow @slytherinhquinn @literallytryingmybest @redscarlet95 @grimmhallow31 @fandomkitten9653 @myriad-of-passionate-pettiness @fanboy7794 @mystifiedgal @shizukiryuu @ vixen-uchiha @resignedcatservant @mystery-5-5 @miraculousl4dybug @blackcanary13 @origamieater @moonlitarchangels @mochinek0 @imfreakingmagical @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @derpingrainbow @unabashedbookworm @skyel0ve @northernbluetongue

Let me know if I missed anyone! I will now be posting my work on this blog just to keep it all in one place as well as make it easier to find! 

Also, I asked an AMA so if you have any questions or comments or anything you want to say to me I’m up for it! (Also a fun little challenge in it too!)  

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 9 - Red on the Horizon

Maribat! On Deck AU 

Thank @particularlygeeky for beta reading and the title! 

Start [Here] [Part 8] [Part 10]

It was fun while it lasted. The sights were beautiful and the kids dispersed themselves across the city, each group with an assigned guide Bruce provided. Dick, Jason, and Tim volunteered themselves to be with Marinette and her friends as a separate group and Bruce agreed on the condition that they behaved. The beaches, the architecture, the parks were all beautiful. Tim proved to be a good navigator, Dick behaved as the translator, and Jason was just a bad influence encouraging the kids to spend all their money and give the bags to the boys to hold. The Mercado del Este was their resting place for the time being as the kids took a break and ate for lunch. Alya wasted no time with pictures and posted all of them on Instagram for memories while the kids all talked.

Alya was pointing out different things their friends got through their posts, Chloe and Adrien were talking amongst themselves, Jason and Marinette were having a lively discussion about what to do next, and the last four boys were just chatting about the city in general and where to go next. This was what they were missing, normalcy. Normalcy is something they just couldn’t have though.

Chloe stopped laughing abruptly and stared at something, “No way.”

Adrien looked back and his eyes landed on something he never hoped to see outside of Paris. He looked around to see who it was flying towards and his eyes landed on a small injured boy running away from it. Adrien knew this kid wasn’t fast enough and the Akuma was gaining on him, making him jump into action. Chloe ran alongside him, probably realizing the same thing he did looking at the boy. “I’ll grab the kid and you distract the Akuma.” Chloe nodded and the two continued sprinting forward. He could hear footsteps gaining on them, he didn’t need to look back to know it was Marinette and his friends. He just needs to get the kid.

“Hey, don’t look back keep running!”

“We won’t make it, Adrien.”

He could hear Marinette yell behind him, “Dick, Jason, start evacuating the area!”

Adrien kept pushing himself but timed seemed to slow down as the Akuma made contact with the boy’s necklace and he fell forward. Adrien skidded to a stop in front of the child and watched as a dark purple mass engulfed and changed him into something big, almost like a wrestler. The Akuma looked up and glared at Adrien before lifting his arms up and putting his hands together. Adrien was tackled to the side by Chloe before he could bring his arms down and the two looked back the creator the impact made. The two scrambled to get up and ran away as the Akuma seemed disoriented.

Chloe started panting once she regrouped with the others, “What’s happening?”

Adrien studied the Akuma as it held its head and looked around, hitting anything that moved. “There’s no way Hawkmoth is communicating with him, he’s not talking. Something else is happening.”

Marinette looked at her best friend, “Alya, I need you to start live streaming this on the Ladyblog. It’ll get Ladybug’s attention and she’ll come! Nino, go with her and make sure she doesn’t get too close!” The two nodded and ran off to find a safe place to start recording. “Chloe, you and Tim keep an eye on it. When Ladybug and Cat Noir get here they’ll need to know all they can about it. Where the Akuma is, what it’s looking for, its patterns, everything.” Chloe nodded and grabbed Tim by the arm, looking for a better vantage point.

She looked back at Damian and Adrien. “Damian, go help your brothers and we’ll go to the other side of the building to make sure no one else is inside.”

“No. We should-”

“I’m not arguing with you right now. Go!” He watched her and Adrien run off towards the other side of the building and cursed to himself before running back to Dick and Jason.

Marinette and Adrien ran past a corner and into a bathroom in the building, “Do you think he’s around?”

“No, he would’ve been communicating with the kid by now. He’s just been confused so far.”

Plagg and Tikki flew out of their hiding places, “Hey sugarcube, long time no see.”

“I don’t think now is the time. Plus, I told you not to call me that!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “I promise you guys can talk more later. Plagg, claws out!”

“Tikki, spots on!”

The two transformed and looked at each other for a second, “Is this weird for you too?”

“Very, but at least now we don’t have to come up with two different excuses.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and looked at her yoyo, “Perfect, Alya is live streaming.”

“What is the Akuma doing?”

“Nothing so far, it just doesn’t want anything to get too close.” She put away her yoyo and thought for a moment, “We need to lead it out of the building to avoid too much damage. But why was he so upset?”

Cat Noir hummed, “He was injured when the Akuma was going after him. I don’t know why though, but I’m willing to bet that’s the reason.”

Ladybug nodded, “Okay. Let’s go.” The two heroes ran out of their hiding place and made their way over to Tim and Chloe watching from inside a shop, “Hello, Queen Bee.”

Chloe crossed her arms, “About time. Did you bring Pollen?”

Adrien was quick to respond, “Didn’t realize you were here, otherwise your venom would’ve been useful. We just looked over and recognized you.”

Chloe huffed and shook her head, “Doesn’t matter. The kid doesn’t want anyone getting close to him. Close combat would be hard considering the strength he has. The Akuma went into his necklace.”

Tim hummed, “Do we know how the Akuma got here?”

“No clue, but for now we need to make sure this Akuma doesn’t hurt anyone.” Ladybug put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder, “Thank you for the information.” Chloe’s eyes lit up and she nodded before Ladybug and Cat Noir took off. As soon as the Akuma saw them he became visibly agitated, “Does it recognize us?”

“He, my Lady, the Akuma is a boy.” He watched the Akuma’s eyes follow them cautiously, “Do you think we’re famous in Spain?” Suddenly the Akuma roared and charged them, shoulder acting as a battering ram as he ran after the two. Ladybug and Cat Noir jumped out of the way and the building shook when he crashed through the walls and out to the streets. “Well, that’s one way to lead him out.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and the two followed the Akuma outside as he was picking himself up. Ladybug watched as he looked around frantically before landing on her and glaring, “I don’t think he likes me.”

“Who could hate you, Bugaboo?”

“Look out!” Ladybug grabbed Cat Noir and swing out of the way with her yoyo on top of a nearby building. “Why is he so angry?”

“Don’t know, but he has a special grudge against you.”

Ladybug watched as the Akuma did the same thing, look around before running East, “He’s heading towards that plaza, I doubt they’ve evacuated it yet.”

“Then we better hurry.” The two sprinted towards Plaza Pombo, easily getting in front of the Akuma and landing in the middle of the plaza. The two brought enough attention to themselves being new superheroes in the area and the people went from looking at the two to looking at the thing charging at them. Screaming and running ensued without Ladybug or Cat Noir needing to say anything, “Well, at least they know to run.”

Ladybug noticed how the Akuma started running faster once she came into view, “What’s going on?” She looked back at Cat Noir, “Make sure everyone is out of the area, I can distract him for a bit and try to figure something out.” Cat Noir nodded and sprinted off while Ladybug stared down the charging Akuma. “Okay, let’s see what makes you tick.” She jumped up above the Akuma and threw her yoyo to wrap it around the Akuma. She pulled at the string, struggling to hold her ground as the Akuma struggled against her. “Come on kid, talk to me! What’s wrong?”

The Akuma just roared and ran towards her making her retract her yoyo to use it to swing away onto a nearby carousel. She stood on top of it and watched as the Akuma fell forward trying to skid to a stop and look around again. “Is it looking for me or just looking for a target?” The Akuma suddenly roared out and held his head, standing up and stumbling. Ladybug jumped back down and cautiously watched it, “That’s different.”

Cat Noir landed beside her and watched the Akuma, “He’s still not talking.”

“I know.” The Akuma’s eyes landed on the two and the Akuma stomped his foot down hard, making the ground crack below them. “He’s too strong to fight head-on.”

“So what’s the plan? Usually, I’m the distraction but in this case he wants you.”

The two jumped out of the path of the Akuma and watched him charge into the carousel, destroying it. Ladybug flinched, “And I would much rather live my life to the fullest.”

“Think it’s time?”

She nodded, “Lucky Charm!” She watched as a red and black curtain fell into her arms.

“So we’re putting on a show?”

“Give me a second.” She jostled the item in her arms until she had a better grip on it and looked back the Akuma running around and destroying things. “He’s rampaging.”

Cat Noir nodded, “We have to figure out a way to distract him.”

She watched him a little more and her eyes widened, “Or disorient him.” She looked around the plaza and shook her head, “We need to lead him to a less open area though.”

“You want to bring him towards the residential area?”

“I don’t want to, but I need to in a more confined space.” She looked around and noticed how close together the light poles were in a certain area, “I have an idea.” She handed the curtain to Cat Noir, “Don’t come out until I tell you to, you’ll use the curtain to draw his attention.” He nodded and stayed back as Ladybug jumped into the plaza, “Hey, Charger!” The Akuma, Charger, looked over and roared noticing the girl, sprinting towards her. She smirked and started running towards the area she picked out, “Bring it on, big guy!”

She looked over and noticed Cat Noir running alongside her on the rooftops, always watching and always there. He yelled, “Charger? Really? I figured you could do better, my Lady!” She rolled her eyes and smiled at the jab. It made her feel new again and the elation actually made her chuckle to herself. She could’ve laughed out loud at how simple this was going to be, an easy Akuma. Very rare, unless you count Mr. Pigeon, but welcomed.

Cat Noir saw her trying not to laugh. It was like she was on a rollercoaster, her heart was racing and the danger was real, but she had total control and she was having fun with it. He was watching the Ladybug from when they were new, optimistic and confident. He felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered why he fell for her in the first place, but soon replaced with a familial pride knowing that this girl was his best friend. It made him feel excited, happy, hopeful, things that were running out alongside their energy.

As soon as she had him where she wanted him, she jumped up and threw her yoyo around the lampposts, locking them in a ring. Charger ran into the yoyo, making Ladybug almost lose her balance as she pulled on the string. She looked up and yelled, “Cat Noir! Want to play matador?”

He felt himself grin with the same mischievous intensity from when they first started fighting together. He ran and dived off the roof and jumped into the ring. He smirked and held up the curtain, “Toro! Toro!” Charge narrowed his eyes at Cat Noir and growled. Cat Noir smiled as Charger ran after him. Cat Noir stood his ground until the last second, turning quickly and the curtain leading Charger to crash into the string.

Ladybug grunted as she tightened her grip on the string, “Cat Noir! Don’t let him hit the string, the light poles will break!”

Cat Noir nodded and looked back over at Charger. Charger growled at the black cat before running forward. Cat Noir held out the curtain and waited for him to get close before turning, this time making the Akuma stumble with the sudden change of direction, but he still didn’t fall. Cat Noir smirked, “Come on! You can do better than that!” He shook the curtain in his hands and found himself having fun with it, “Toro! Toro!”

Charger gave out one final roar before running after Cat Noir. Cat Noir stood his ground and waited. Ladybug watched him as the Akuma got closer, “Cat?”

“Not yet!” He narrowed his eyes and watched Charger closely as he pushed himself towards the curtain. He took a deep breath and as soon as Charger was a few feet from ramming into him he turned, moving the curtain in a downwards motion. As expected, the hardheaded Charger followed the curtain and tripped over himself, crashing into the ground and skidding to a stop. Cat Noir flinched, “Ouch, that has to hurt.”

Ladybug retracted the yoyo, “Cat Noir, now!”

“Cataclysm!” He grabbed the necklace and watched it turn into ash in his hands while a tainted butterfly flew out.

“No more evil-doing for you little Akuma!” Ladybug ran forward and casted out her yoyo, “Time to de-evilize!” She swiped the Akuma out of the air and felt like a dormant piece of herself was being reawakened, “Gotcha!” She opened the yoyo to reveal a purified Akuma, “Bye-bye little butterfly!”

Cat Noir watched as Charger faded back down into a little confused boy and knelt down next to him, “It’s okay. We’ll fix you right up.” He knew there was a language barrier, but the soft tone made the kid relax and nod anyway.

Cat Noir tossed the curtain back over to Ladybug who promptly threw it into the air, “Miraculous Ladybug!” The curtain dispersed into tiny ladybugs that spread around the plaza and market building they were in, repairing all the damage before wrapping themselves around the boy. As soon as the ladybugs dispersed, the boy looked at himself, amazed to see that he was healed and that the damage was too. Ladybug walked over and held a hand out to him, the boy seemed hesitant to take it and looked at Cat Noir.

Cat Noir simply nodded and the boy allowed Ladybug to pick him up. “Let’s get him to Dick before time runs out. He speaks Spanish, he’ll figure out what’s going on.”

“Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, my Lady.” She nodded and the two made their over to Mercado del Este. They found their group and a small crowd waiting for them outside. She landed in front of Dick and gently placed the boy down, “We have to go, please make sure he’s taken care of.”

Dick was surprised but nodded and knelt down to the boy’s level, “Ven con nosotros, te ayudaremos.” The boy nodded and ran over to him, clutching to his leg and hiding away from Ladybug.

She frowned and turned away, ready to run off before the heroes got assaulted by flashes of lights and questions in a language they didn’t understand. Cat Noir shielded his eyes, “I think our reputation proceeds us, Bugaboo.”

She smiled and held her fist out, giving the crowd a few good pictures of their iconic “Pound it”. Without saying anything else the two jumped out of the crowd, onto the rooftops of nearby buildings and out of sight. Alya recorded the whole thing on her phone and stopped the live stream. She smiled at the footage and locked her phone. She looked around and saw the crowd dispersing since the heroes left.

Tim spoke up first, locking his own phone, “Great, how the hell did they show up in Spain?”

Alya smirked, “They have a miraculous that can teleport.”

Tim huffed, “Okay, then where’s Adrien and Marinette?”

“Right here!” The group looked back and saw Adrien and Marinette sprinting over. The two skidded to a stop in front of them and started panting, “Here.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “You missed Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

Adrien shrugged, “Well, by the time we were done leading people out we realized we got lost.”

Marinette looked up and smiled at the small boy, “And who’s this little guy?”

Dick shrugged, “Don’t know. I’m going to go take him over to the cops here. They’ll know.” Dick looked down at the kid, “Vámonos. Vamos a hablar con la policía. ¿Está bien?” The boy nodded and Dick walked him to a nearby patrol car that arrived shortly after the Akuma crashed through the building.

Jason walked up to Marinette and looked her over, “You okay?”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “I’m fine.”

Adrien chuckled, “Yeah. That one was pretty tame compared to some of the ones in Paris.”

Tim hummed, “Kind of reminded me of Bane.”

Jason snorted, “Just goofier looking.”

Chloe scoffed, “Some of them just look ridiculous, I swear.”

Damian looked around and walked up to Marinette, “So that’s what the Miraculous Cure looks like in person.” He smirked at Marinette, “Very useful.”

Jason sighed, “Yeah, how do we get that in Gotham?”

Marinette and Adrien just looked at each other and laughed. Adrien nudged Jason, “If you have pierced ears I bet you could be the next Ladybug.”

Marinette snorted, “Yeah right.”

Chloe huffed, “’Yeah right’ is right! If anyone is going to be the next Ladybug it’s going to be me!”

Alya laughed, “I think Queen Bee suits you better.”

Nino looked over at Tim, “Did you get any good footage?”

Tim sighed, “I’ll have to look it over on my laptop later.” He looked up and narrowed his eyes at Marinette, “You two look really similar.”

Marinette tensed up and Damian just scoffed, “Just because two girls wear pigtails doesn’t mean they’re the same girl.”

Tim glared at him, “That’s not what I meant!”

Jason laughed, “That’s totally what you meant.”

Tim rolled his eyes, “They’re the same build!”

Alya let out an exaggerated yawn, “Oh no, I’m getting bored.” She giggled at Tim’s glare, “Look, I’ve barked up that tree. Trust me. It isn’t her.” Alya took out her phone, “But your dad is totally Batman.”

Tim groaned and narrowed his eyes at Marinette, “I’m not giving up.”

Damian rolled his eyes and turned back to Marinette and Adrien, “You guys want to head back to the boat?”

Before either could answer, Jason threw his arms over their shoulders, “No way! I’m still hungry! That thing made me miss my lunch.” He looked at the two, “Tell me you aren’t hungry.”

“I’ll be okay, Marinette?”

“I could eat, to be honest.”

“And that is why you are my favorite sibling!”

Tim snapped at Jason, “She is not your sister, Jason!”

“Says you. I mean look at us, she takes after me obviously.”

Marinette snorted and pushed him away, “Let’s just go eat.”

Jason grinned, “Favorite. Sibling.”

“Wait, where’s Dick?” Marinette looked around and saw him still with the authorities. She frowned and looked at Jason, “Hey, I’m going to meet you inside. I want to go get Dick.”

Jason smirked, “You sure you won’t get lost?”

Marinette rolled her eyes and ran over to the eldest brother. She couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but the kid was sitting on the trunk of the car as the adults talked. She approached slowly and waved, letting him know she was there. The boy shyly waved back making Dick turn around. “Everything okay?”

Dick sighed, “Yeah. The kid is a foster kid who got ganged up on by some local kids.”

Marinette frowned, “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah. The kids are making their own little group and the kids use red and black as their colors.”

“Oh.” Marinette frowned and looked back at the kid, “Will he be okay?”

Dick sighed, “Yeah, but the family can’t come pick him up yet.”

Marinette looked over the kid and asked, “Can he stay with us? I’ll pay for him to eat and buy him some stuff in the market.”

Dick raised his eyebrow at her before smiling, “Let me ask.”

Marinette nodded and smiled at the boy. The boy didn’t really react so she held out her fist, the boy looked at her curiously before putting out his own fist. She gently bumped it and smiled, finally making the kid smile at her. Dick turned back to her, “They said as long as they come along and they get lunch too they’ll allow it.”

“Perfect.”

Dick turned to the boy and smiled, “¿Quieres comer, amigo?” The boy nodded and lets him take him off the car. Marinette held out her hand and the boy took it as they ran into the Mercado del Este building. The group turned around and were pleasantly surprised seeing the boy run towards the table. Dick continued chatting with the policemen and motioned for them to take a seat.

Adrien smiled, “Made a friend?”

Marinette smiled down at the boy, “Yeah, I just wish I could communicate with him. I don’t even know his name.”

Tim looked up at the child, “Oye, ¿cómo te llamas chico?”

Alya crossed her arms, “Did you all take Spanish classes or something?”

“Lucas.” The group turned to the boy, “Soy Lucas.”

Tim smiled, “¿Tienes hambre, Lucas?” The boy nodded and Tim motioned for Lucas to follow him to get food. Dick pointed at the two and motioned for the police to follow them before sitting down.

Dick ruffled Marinette’s hair, “That was nice of you.”

Marinette swatted his hand away, “I just didn’t want him sitting there by himself with some cops. That’s scary to anyone, let alone a kid.”

“Yeah, but considering the kid’s life right now I think you just made his day with this.” Dick sighed, “Foster kid, bullied by some older kids, and he’s so little.”

Damian frowned, “Well then we teach him some moves to defend himself against the kids and give the foster parents some funds to ease up the burden a bit.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, amused, “What do you have in mind, Damian?”

Damian smirked, “Basics. We teach him the basics.”

Dick rolled his eyes before nodding, “We can ask him when he gets back. Right now, let him relax.”

Marinette smiled at the brothers, “I bet he’d like that.”

Chloe sighed and scrolled through her phone, “Everyone else completely missed the Akuma attack. Lucky.” She yawned, “All of their stuff is boring too. Rose and Juleka got some clothes, Mylene got some beads and a new hat for Ivan, Kim got some running pants, Lila got a new charm, and Alix grabbed some new skates.” She locked her phone, “At least we had something worth posting about.”

Alya snickered, “You like these photos?” She passed her phone over and Chloe snorted. The picture showed Damian, Adrien, and Nino carrying a ton of bags and boxes. In the middle, Nino looked exhausted and leaned on Adrien. Adrien was laughing at his friend while keeping his boxes balanced in her arms. Lastly, Damian was in the middle of an eye roll, not breaking a sweat with all the bags in his arms, and it looked like he was scolding the poor boy. Honestly, the picture was pure gold and Chloe couldn’t help but giggle.

“I love that photo. Make sure you tag me in it.”

Alya nodded, tapping the screen on her phone and posting the picture. She looked back up and noticed Marinette settling in quite nicely with the Wayne family. She smiled and nudged Nino, “Look.”

Nino looked over from his conversation with Adrien and smiled, “She looks happy.”

Adrien sighed before smirking, “Now who do we have to thank for that?” The group looked at each other and burst into giggles, causing the rest of the table to turn to them.

Jason crossed his arms, “You want to share with the rest of the class?”

Adrien shook his head, “Alya just posted some pictures.”

Marinette took out her phone and looked at Alya’s latest post before snorting. She handed it over to Jason first who grinned and handed it to Dick. Dick snickered at the image before finally handing it to Damian. Damian frowned and glared at Alya, “Really?”

Alya bit her lip, “It’s a flawless picture. It captures you three perfectly. Nino being dramatic, Adrien being adorable, and you being stupidly stern.”

Jason sent the link to the image to himself, “I’m showing Bruce.”

“No.”

“He’ll want to see his hard-ass son make friends.”

“Todd, I swear-”

Tim walked back over with the policemen and Lucas, sitting him down at the table. Tim looked around, “What’d I miss?”

“Don’t-”

Chloe handed him her phone, “Look at this picture.”

Tim smiled, “Oh my god, you look like a normal kid. I could actually cry.”

Damian growled, “You’re all intolerable.”

Marinette nudged him, “Come on, it’s a good picture.”

Damian rolled his eyes but still relaxed, “Fine.” The group all stared at him surprised, “What?”

Jason scoffed, “So you aren’t going to argue? You’re just going to accept that?”

Dick smirked, “Jason, she said he looked good. Of course he’ll stand down.”

Damian glared at his brothers, “I said it once and I’ll say it again, I will hurt you.”

Dick rolled his eyes and turned back to Lucas, “Cuando termines, ¿quieres que te enseñemos cómo protegerte?” The boy looked surprised, but nodded with a new air of excitement washed over him. Tim looked at his brothers confused, “We’ll just teach him the basics.” Tim let out a small “oh” and nodded in approval.

Marinette continued to look through the posted photos and suddenly her face heated up, “Alya!”

Alya looked over confused before a phone was shoved in her face, “What are- Oh! That’s such a cute photo, though.”

“You can’t just post that!”

Alya shrugged, “Too late. Sent these photos to Sabine too.”

Marinette looked even more alarmed and her voice was shrill, “Alya!”

Alya got up and backed away slowly, “Marinette, they’re photos.” Marinette growled and made her away around the table, making Alya back away slowly and put her hands up. She spoke softly in a voice that one would use to approach a scared animal, “Marinette, they’re just photos.” Marinette’s eye twitched and Alya squeaked before sprinting away, “MARINETTE!”

“GET BACK HERE!” Marinette ran after her, “GIVE ME THE PHONE ALYA!”

“NEVER!”

The group watched on, amused and a bit scared of Marinette’s temper. Adrien just sighed, “I missed that.”

Jason had a huge smile on his face as he watched them run around, “I’ve never seen her so ticked off. What did she post?”

Chloe pulled up Alya’s Instagram again and looked through the photos, “I don’t know, Marinette can be a bit drama-” Chloe narrowed her eyes and smirked, “Oh. That’s why.” She faced the screen over to the table and everyone but Damian snickered. The photo showed her and Damian in the arcade, sitting inside the game, both asleep, both leaning against each other under a blanket. The caption was simple and innocent enough, “sleepover gang” to go along with the other photos from the night, but it was enough to embarrass Marinette and Damian.

Jason turned back to Damian to say something snarky before getting a good look at his face, “Oh my god, he feels.” Dick turned back and noticed the pink tint gradually making its way onto his face.

The three brothers were getting too much of a kick out of this but before anyone could say anything Damian got up and ran towards the girls, “Alya give me the phone!”

Alya screamed, “Two against one! I call foul!” She skidded to a stop and watched as she was being circled by her two friends. She felt like prey and she let her instincts kick in, “You’ll pry this phone out of my cold dead hands!”

Damian’s eye twitched, “I can arrange that.”

Alya glared at him, “It’s a photo! It’s not even bad!”

Marinette growled, “Alya, give us the phone or delete the photo.”

Alya gripped onto her phone tighter, “Never.” The two sprinted forward and Alya used her practiced parkour abilities with Nino to jump over Marinette, using her back as a springboard and making Marinette fall forward. Alya turned back, “OH MY GOD, I AM SO SORRY!” Damian snapped out of his implicit hunting instincts and went over the Marinette to pick her up.

“Hey, you okay?”

“I think so.” She wiped her nose and frowned, “Scratch that. Nose bleed.”

Damian rolled his eyes and tilted her head, “Look up.”

She pouted, “I know, I’m not a little kid.”

“Yeah, uh-huh.” Damian looked her over and sighed, “Well, bleeding nose and a small bruise on your forehead-”

Marinette groaned, “A small bruise?”

“Yes, now stop interrupting.” He looked her over once more, “I think that’s it though. The bruise isn’t that noticeable.”

“It’s a bruise. You see how pale my skin is?”

“Yeah, you sure you aren’t sick or something?”

“Oh ha-ha, very funny.” Marinette smirked, “You know for someone who’s trained I expected better than that.”

Damian frowned, “I was holding back. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I hurt her, now would I?’

“You just admitted you were friends.”

Damian blinked before glaring at her, “Touché.” She laughed and he shook his head, “Shut up.”

“Never.”

“Then I’ll tell Staller not to let you in the den anymore.”

“Yeah right, Captain Staller likes me.”

“He likes me too.”

“He likes me better.”

Damian narrowed his eyes at her, “You know what? You probably have a concussion.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re just mad because I’m right.”

“Yeah, uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Marinette.”

She smirked, “So you going to go get me a tissue or?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” He pulled away from her and turned to the table before realizing everyone had their eyes trained on them. “What?”

Tim shook his head, “You’re kidding me, right? I’m not crazy, that actually happened.”

Alya chuckled, “Yes, yes it did.” Alya sighed in relief and took back her seat, “And it seemed to calm them down.”

Damian helped Marinette up and guided her to their chairs, “What are you guys rambling about?”

Adrien waved his hand, “Nothing, nothing.”

Damian glared at the table before turning his attention back to Marinette and holding a napkin to her nose, “Tilt your head down. Just stay like that until you think the bleeding stops.”

“I’ve gotten nose bleeds before. This isn’t the first time I’ve landed face first.”

Chloe smirked, “You can say that again.” Her comment earned her a glare from both Damian and Marinette before they turned their attention back to each other.

Dick just looked at the two amused and nostalgic, “You guys click really well together.”

“What are you blabbing about now, Grayson?”

Jason smirked, “You two act like an old married couple.”

Marinette sounded exhausted, “Why does everyone say that?”

Tim laughed, “Because it’s true.” He turned back to Lucas, “¿Listo para empezar?” The boy nodded and Tim motioned for Adrien to follow him to a more open part of the building while the rest stayed at the table.

Marinette looked confused, “Shouldn’t you go help? It was your idea.”

“Nah, Tim’s a good teacher and something tells me Adrien doesn’t mind being the test dummy for some attacks. He might actually learn something.”

Nino spoke up, “You know he’s a champion fencer, right?”

Dick looked surprised, “Really? I always thought he was a piano playing type.”

Chloe laughed, “He’s that too. His father makes Adrien do all sorts of stuff, but I just think he does it to keep Adrien too busy to notice he’s not around.” Chloe frowned, “I swear, sometimes I want to punch that man in the face.”

Jason frowned, “What? His dad just ignores him?”

The classmates all looked at each other and stayed quiet, giving the brothers all the confirmation they needed. The three frowned as they watched Adrien happily practice with Lucas and Tim. Damian frowned, “You’d never know.”

Marinette sighed, “No you wouldn’t, that’s just how Adrien is. He loves his father, but I also think a part of him is just too scared to lose anyone else.”

“Anyone else?”

Chloe hummed, “He lost his mom a few years back. She just disappeared. After that, his father grew distant and Adrien didn’t have anyone.”

Dick frowned, “Sounds like a bad dad.”

Nino turned to Dick and in an oddly stern voice said to Dick, “Don’t ever say that around Adrien.”

Jason crossed his arms, “Seems like it’s true.”

“Maybe, but you can’t just insult his only family like that.” Alya sighed, “Gabriel is all that boy has right now. The closest family that kid has is his father, his father’s assistant, and his bodyguard. That’s it.”

Damian paused before sighing, “I got to give him more credit.” He watched them a bit more before elaborating, “Adrien is a lot stronger than he looks.”

Marinette smiled and hummed, “Yeah. Yeah, he is.”

Two adults ran into the building yelling for Lucas, who was in the middle of learning to block a kick. Lucas looked over and a smile grew on his face before running over to the couple. Alya smiled, “Must be the parents.”

Dick corrected the girl, “Foster parents.”

Nino shook his head, “No way man. You see how he looks at them? Those are his parents.” The table watched on as the parents looked him over and thanked Tim and the cops. The three were talking amongst each other and Marinette checked if there was still blood. She figured there wasn’t anymore and ran over to the couple. She handed Tim the rest of her funds that Bruce gave her and motioned for him to give it to the family.

The two women tried to reject it, but Tim insisted. “No va aceptará un no.” The women looked between the two before one of them walked over and hugged Marinette.

Marinette didn’t know Spanish, but just knew this was a show of gratitude for taking care of their child and for the gift. Marinette smiled and hugged the woman back before pulling away and holding out her fist for Lucas. Lucas grinned and enthusiastically fist-bumped Marinette. Marinette laughed and waved goodbye to the family and the policemen as the policemen escorted them outside for more questions. Marinette walked back to the table and took her seat. She looked around and saw everyone smiling at her, “What?”

Jason smiled and threw his arm over her shoulders, “I have the best little sister.”

“She’s not your sister!”

“Fight me, Tim.”

Dick rolled his eyes, “What you did right now was really sweet of you.”

Marinette waved her hands, “No! No! I just thought it’d help! I don’t know what’s happening at home but I hope it helps.”

Alya sighed, “That’s Marinette for you.”

Chloe snorted, “You remember that time she almost got run over trying to get that old lady out of the street?”

Adrien groaned, “Don’t remind me, I nearly had a heart attack.”

Marinette pouted, “She could’ve gotten hit! What else was I supposed to do?”

Alya smiled before walking over and hugging her best friends from behind, “You just do you, girl. We all love you for it.”

“Love me enough to delete that photo?”

“Girl, I don’t even love my sisters enough for that.” Marinette laughed and Alya kissed the top of her head, “You’re too sweet, but I guess that’s what you get from a baker’s daughter.”

Adrien smiled, “And she bakes too.”

Chloe giggled, “We only got one in stock, first come first serve.”

Jason jumped in, “How much is the down payment?”

“Jason!”

“What? I’m totally adopting her.”

“I don’t think my parents would approve of that.” She snapped her fingers and took out her phone, “My parents! We should call my parents! I think they took the day off today since they just got done with a really big order.”

Damian shook his head, “Maybe we sho-”

With a few rings her parents took up the screen and her mother spoke first, “You know we were starting to worry you would never call us. I mean seriously Marinette, I wouldn’t know you were alive if Alya stops messaging photos to us.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and held the phone up, “Say hi to everyone!”

The class all enthusiastically greeted the couple while the brothers were more polite in their greetings. Tom spoke up, “Hello kids! How’s the ship treating you?”

“Great!”

“Okay.”

“So far so good!”

“I’ll live.”

The parents laughed and Sabine hummed, “I see a few new faces. Who are these young men?”

Marinette switched the camera and pointed it at the brothers, “That’s Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, and Jason Todd. They’re Bruce’s sons.”

Marinette switched the camera back over and Jason ran over to get into frame, “By the way, I love your daughter. She’s funny and awesome and I want her to be the little sister I never had.” Sabine and Tom both looked very confused and Marinette couldn’t help but laugh.

Tim yelled over the table, “Please take him! We’ll do all the paperwork and take care of the payments!”

Dick rolled his eyes and pushed Jason out of frame, “Your daughter has made quite the impression on our family and on some of the staff too. She’s a good kid.”

Sabine smiled proudly, “Well that’s our Marinette. We love who she’s become.” Sabine turned her attention back to Marinette, “You look so much better Marinette. This trip has been good for you.”

Damian couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean?”

Tom grinned, “Oh wait, I recognize you! Alya’s sent many photos of you two together! You’re Damian, right?”

Damian coughed to keep his voice even while Marinette glared at Alya, “Oh has she now?”

Alya winked and Damian rolled his eyes, “Anyways, your daughter’s had a very positive impact on our family and the captain of the ship. Captain Staller in particular has taken a liking to your daughter, which is a very rare honor.”

Tom blinked, “Well, he’s very well-spoken.”

Sabine chuckled, “Yes he is.” Damian looked confused and Sabine shook her head, “Nothing, sweetheart. So where are you right now?”

Jason pushed his way back into frame, “We’re in Spain ma’am! Bruce had us dock after the attack to allow the students to roam while the ship was getting looked at.”

Marinette could feel the tension rise back home, “Wait, what attack? And where in Spain? We just saw there was an Akuma attack there.”

Marinette flinched before getting up and walking away, “Okay, I’ll explain just give me a second.”

The table waited for her to get out of earshot before Alya snapped at Jason, “Way to go, Jason.”

“What? Why the hell didn’t you tell them about the attack?”

Adrien shook his head, “Because Marinette didn’t want to worry them.”

Damian smacked the back of Jason’s head, “Way to go, Drake.”

“Shut up.” He sighed, “They seem nice though.”

Adrien smiled, “They’re the best.”

Chloe’s expression softened, “They even welcomed me. I was their daughter’s enemy for years and they still welcomed me. I don’t know if I’d find anyone else like that.”

Nino smiled, “They’re good people, you know?”

Tim smiled back, “That must be nice. Hey Damian, you could get worse in-laws.” Tim expected a prompt annoyed response and instead got silence. He turned to look at Damian whose eyes were trained solely on Marinette. “Damian.”

Damian blinked, “What?”

Alya rolled her eyes and stood up, walked around to Damian, and pulled him up. She led him over to wear Marinette was sitting, sitting him down next to her before promptly walking away. “What was that about?”

“No clue honestly.” He looked back at the screen, “Sorry about my brother Jason, by the way.”

Sabine shook her head, “No, no, he seems nice! I’ll be honest, I was a bit concerned when a lot of the photos included three grown men among teenagers. But knowing they’re Damian’s brothers now makes sense. They look after you, don’t they?”

Damian groaned, “Annoyingly so.” Damian sighed, “They’re good people though. Plus, Jason doesn’t just warm up to anyone, but he really wanted to meet your daughter after reading her paper.”

Tom grinned, “That’s my daughter for you. But I have to ask, what was the picture of you two sleeping about?”

The two teens tensed up and Marinette lit up like a Christmas tree, “Let me start by saying it’s nothing!”

“I know it’s nothing because if something had happened you wouldn’t be looking us in the eye right now.”

“Mom!” Marinette groaned, “We were playing in the arcade late at night and fell asleep in one of the games.”

Tom pushed himself forward, “Is he good at Mecha Strike? Do we have a new challenger?”

“Dad!” Marinette relaxed and rolled her eyes, “We didn’t play Mecha Strike, but turns out Damian here is really good at dancing games.”

Sabine blinked, “I never would’ve guessed. I took you more for a strategic type.”

Damian shrugged, “I like both, but now I’m curious about this game Mecha Strike.”

Tom and Sabine both looked at each other before grinning, making Marinette feel nervous. “Tell you what Damian, when you come to Paris you can come over our house for dinner and attempt to beat us. If you do we’ll give you some free treats for you and your brothers.”

Sabine nodded, “Besides, I have to get to know my new son apparently.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Don’t encourage him. He gets too rowdy.”

Tom laughed, “Even better. We need some good energy around these parts nowadays.”

Marinette frowned and she could feel herself worry, “Why? Has there been an Akuma attack?”

“No sweetie, but everyone is on edge waiting for one.” Sabine sighed, “I worry for Ladybug and Cat Noir, those two fight much more often recently. Must be tiring.” Sabine hummed and turned her attention back to her daughter, “Which reminds me, what are we going to do about you? Honey, there was an attack and now an Akuma? Do we need to bring you home?”

Damian noticed the way Marinette’s shoulders fell and he looked back at the phone, “I promise to watch out for Marinette.”

The three Dupain-Cheng’s let out a confused “What?”

“I said I’ll look out for her. She’s a good person and even during the attack we stuck together. My family and I are really grateful to have met her and her friends, so try not to worry about your daughter too much. We’ll take care of her.” There was a beat of silence and Damian realized how possibly inappropriate his outburst was. His eyes widened, “I mean-”

“No, no, I believe you son.” Tom just chuckled, “It just took us all by surprise. You seem very dedicated to my daughter.”

He tensed up, “I think we’ve all grown a fondness for your daughter, sir. She’s a good person.”

“Call me Tom, Damian.” Tom and Sabine looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them before they turned back to the camera, “If you think you’ll be okay and you trust Damian-“

“I do. I trust him.”

“- and his family,” Marinette bit her lip from the outburst and Tom smiled, “then I guess it’s okay.”

Marinette looked relieved, “You guys are the best.”

Sabine smiled softly at Marinette, “Have fun sweetheart. And Marinette?”

“Yes?”

“We approve.”

“Wait what-“

“Bye sweetheart!” The screen showed that her parents ended the call and Marinette hid her face in her hands.

Damian looked at her confused, “What’s wrong?”

“They’re embarrassing.”

“They’re nice.”

Marinette nodded and looked up at him, “Yeah, they are.” She laughed, “They seem to like you and the others too.”

Damian shook his head, “Terrible judgment on their part.” Marinette nudged him and he nudged her back, “I should apologize for the outburst.”

“No, don’t.” She smiled, a hint of pink on her cheeks, “It was nice to know you guys have my back. Plus, it totally gave you a ton of brownie points with my parents.” She put her hand over her heart and looked at him accusingly before saying, “Damian Wayne, are you trying to woo over my family?”

Damian rolled his eyes, “I don’t need to try. I’m a delight to have around.”

Marinette snorted, “Yeah you are.”

Damian turned to her and he frowned, “Does the cure fix you up too? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” She giggled, “Be careful, you actually sound worried.”

He frowned, “I was not worried about you, Ladybug.”

She slapped her hand over his mouth, gaining a glare from Damian, and Marinette looked behind her shoulder at the lively group at the table across the floor. She glared back at him before quietly scolding him, “Do not call me that!”  

Damian pulled away and pushed her hand away, “Don’t do that.”

“Then don’t say that.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, “You’re going to kill me with the stress you put me under.”

Damian resisted the urge to flinch at her choice of words, “Don’t say that.” Damian sighed, he knew the truth and he suspected she knew he figured her out, but still vehemently denied it. “I just told you my family was going to take care of you.”

She smirked, “Didn’t you say you were going to take of me?” The emphasis on the word “you” and the look in her eye made Damian frustrated and embarrassed.

He looked away and growled, “I just said that to appease your parents.”

“You use fancy words when you’re upset.”

He glared at her and she just giggled. He sighed and rubbed his temples, “You give me whiplash sometimes.”

She just laughed and leaned on him, “Good.” She smiled to herself and hummed, “Thank you.” Damian looked over at her and she smiled at him, “My parents would’ve asked me to come home if you didn’t step in.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “They care, sue them.”

She smirked, “No way. How am I going to get my sweets?”

“Oh yeah, Tim told me about all the sweets you ordered that first night.” He hummed, “We met that night. Now you want to tell me how you managed to eat all those sweets when you weren’t even in your room?”

Marinette pouted and flicked his nose, “Watch it.”

Damian moved his face away and smirked, “Whatever you say, Ladybug.”

Marinette grumbled but laid her head on his shoulder, sighing in defeat and closing her eyes. “I’m confused.”

“About?”

“How an Akuma got all the way out here.”

He frowned and put himself back into the detective mindset he’s developed being under Batman’s influence, “What are your theories? I’m not exactly sure how his powers work.”

“Well I know he can’t send them cross country.” She hummed, “But Lucas didn’t seem to communicate with him either. Did an Akuma just lose its way?” She continued thinking aloud to herself while Damian simply listened and took in the information, “No, that doesn’t make sense either. He usually calls them back.” Damian could tell the lack of answers was upsetting her, “Is Hawkmoth in the area? But then why didn’t he try to speak to Lucas?”

“He could be trying to throw you off his trail.”

“Maybe.” She let out a frustrated sigh before tilting her head up a bit from his shoulder to get a better look at Damian. “You want to help me figure this out?”  

Damian smiled at her, but before he could say anything the table behind them became rowdy. He sounded tired, “Oh great.” Marinette opened her eyes and the two turned, expecting to see Dick and Jason arguing or Chloe bickering with Nino. Anything other than Tim shoving a phone into Alya’s face and her paling significantly while Adrien and Dick tried to calm them down and Nino tried to take away the phone. “What the hell?”

The two ran back to the table and once they were within earshot they heard Tim say, “She should know!”

Dick glared at him, “That’s not for you to decide!”

Alya was glaring at Adrien, “You really let me do that? You let me do that for years! Adrien, why didn’t-”

Dick scolded Tim, “Tim, what is wrong with you? She was literally just-”

Tim huffed and crossed his arms, “Alya said she wants to be a reporter and the girl doesn’t even fact check, but she has the nerve to say she’s going to investigate us? No! She needs to have this wake-up call before that girl does something worst.”

Chloe glared at him and slapped her hands on the table, “As much as I hate her too, that was totally uncalled for! Honestly! Alya is having fun! We’re having fun! Or at least we were until you brought her up!”

Nino was holding Alya’s arms, “Hey. Alya, talk to me. Alya?”

“Guys?” The table turned to the two tense and confused teens. Marinette was scared to proceed with the conversation and gulped, “What’s-” Alya ran over and wrapped her arms around Marinette, shaking and holding on tight. “Alya?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Marinette glared at the table, “What happened?”

Jason glared at Tim, “Alya was just telling us how she wanted to be a reporter and telling us more ‘evidence’ she found against Bruce. And this prick-”

“All I said is she needs to learn to fact check if she wants to be a good reporter!” Tim snapped at Jason, “I made that powerpoint and the more I found the more it pissed me off. She wants to be a reporter and then she lets this slip-up? For years?”

Adrien looked betrayed, “Tim, what’s with you? You’ve never snapped at any of us-”

“I’ve only just met you.”

Nino frowned, “Hey! Don’t talk to him like that! He’s just trying to figure out why you’re so mad!”

Jason glared at Tim, “Seriously Tim, I expect this from Damian or me. Not from you, what’s up?”

Tim glared at Jason and turned to Marinette and Damian. Marinette had a look that told him she was scared, confused, and most of all hurt. Damian glared at him, but underneath that initial hostility he could tell Damian was also very concerned. Tim rarely snapped at people and wouldn’t snap at a girl for something like this. Tim ran his fingers through his hair, “I don’t know! I just got really annoyed and-”

“What’s going on?” The group all looked up and noticed another group walking in. Rose, Juleka, Alix, Kim, Max, Lila, and Nathaniel alongside their guide were all staring at the group. Alix spoke up in a more demanding tone, “Hello? What’s going on?”

Tim settled his eyes on Lila and glared at the girl. Meanwhile, Alya lifted her head up, wiping her cheeks with her arm, and locked eyes with Lila. Marinette knew when Alya was at her limit, her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to kill. Marinette looked at Damian in a panic and Damian stared back. He knew the look of a killer. Both Alya and Tim had it. Damian ran over to the group and put himself in between Lila and the table, “You guys need to leave.”

Rose looked conflicted, “But-”

“NOW!” Damian used the same voice he usually used against his brothers or his more annoying teammates when he was losing his temper, worked every time. The students jumped and backed away, clearly opposed to the idea of leaving their distressed friend, but not wanting to argue with their hosts. Alix continued to glare at Damian and the rest before finally turning away and leaving.

Marinette kept her eyes locked on Alya, she could feel her practically vibrate with negative emotions. “Alya, look at me.” Alya could’ve burned a hole through the back of Lila’s head she was glaring so hard, “Alya. Snap out of it. Alya!” Marinette took a deep breath before shoving her best friend, “I said snap out of it!” Alya almost fell back and finally looked up at her best friend, confused and dazed. “Alya, what’s going on with you?”

Alya felt sick, “The powerpoint. Tim’s powerpoint.” She walked back up to Marinette and held her at arm’s length, “Why didn’t you tell me this was happening? Was this happening the whole time?” Alya’s breathing hitched as she ran her fingers through her hair, “I believed her. I can’t believe I just believed everything she told me!” Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, she felt like she was looking at a reflection of herself from below deck as Alya continued to spiral, “I didn’t check anything, I just took it! You tried to tell me! Oh my god, you tried to tell me and-”

Marinette held her friend’s shoulders, “Alya, breathe.”

Alya lip trembled, “But-”

“Four counts in, four counts hold, four counts out. I need you to try to breathe with me.” Damian blinked, realizing this was the same technique he showed her. He didn’t realize she remembered it. Marinette started to demonstrate the breathing and Alya, though confused, followed along. The group stayed quiet as they watched the two girls breathe and waited for Alya to calm down. Dick looked over at Tim and noticed he was following them and breathing in and out on Marinette’s counts. Alya eventually nodded and closed the distance between her and Marinette, hugging her. “You’ve really been in a hugging mood recently.”

“I missed my best friend and now I’m being told I’ve been friends with her bully?” She pulled away and wiped her eyes, “Why are you still friends with me?”

Marinette could feel her eyes watering and she laughed, “Because you’re always there for me when it really matters. You know how many times you went out of your way to set me up with Adrien?” The two girls laughed, “You’re stuck with me.”

Alya shook her head and sniffed, “I really don’t deserve it.”

Marinette tackled Alya, hugging the life out of her and laughing. Alya squeezed her friend back and the two just stood there. It felt like a barrier between them had been broken, a secret set free, and suddenly any drifting they once had didn’t matter anymore. They two stood there for what seemed like an eternity before pulling away, laughing at the redness of each other’s faces. “I love you Marinette, you know that?”

Marinette nodded and wiped her nose, “Love you too.”

Alya kissed the girl’s forehead before looking her in the eye, “I will murder that girl though.”

“Don’t.”

“Please, come on! I can take her!”

Jason stood up and motioned to Alya, “See! That’s what I’m talking about! Let’s just throw her overboard.”

Marinette glared at the two, “No and no!” She sighed, “Alya look at me.” Alya nodded and Marinette sighed, “Thank you, but even if you hate her I need you to not change anything.” Alya looked at her confused and Marinette continued, “If she catches on that you know, she’s just going to get more aggressive. She doesn’t want friends, she wants control. We can’t let her know that she’s lost someone.”

“But-”

“Marinette’s right.” Adrien stood up and walked to the girls, “The only way I’ve kept Lila in check is by threatening to pull away from her if she hurt my friends.” He sighed, “Now, I don’t even think that will do anything anymore. She’s gotten way more aggressive these past few months.”

Alya narrowed his eyes at him, “You knew.”

Nino did the same, “I still can’t believe that.”

Marinette stepped in, “Hey, hey, look at me! This isn’t about him! We both agreed it’d be better that way, but now Lila’s changed so we need to too.” She sighed and glared at Tim, “Though I would’ve appreciated it if I could’ve been the one to tell them.”

Tim sighed, visibly calmed, “Sorry. I don’t know what happened to me.” He rubbed his temples, “God my head hurts.” As soon as he said that it’s as if it set something off among the group and everyone besides Damian, Marinette, and Adrien all looked extremely uncomfortable. All rubbed their temples or held their heads. The three unaffected looked at each other confused and everyone looked drained. Tim looked back over at the girls, “I don’t regret it though. They needed to know.”

Before Marinette could say anything Alya cut in, “He’s right.” She sighed and pulled away, sitting down and putting her head into her hands, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

Tim frowned before getting up and putting a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, Alya, a lot of the evidence you’ve accumulated makes a lot of sense. For a teenager, you’ve got an eye for information and a good hunch. Do I think you can prove Bruce is Batman? No. Do I think you’ll make a good case?” He sent her an encouraging smile, “Yeah. No doubts.” Tim was being honest. Alya reminded him of himself back when he first went through the trouble of figuring out Batman’s identity himself. It was funny and nostalgic, he didn’t want to ruin this for her.

Alya smiled and sighed, “Thanks, Tim.”

Dick rubbed his eyes and groaned, “Is anyone else feeling whiplash?”

Chloe did the same, “Yes.”

Adrien smiled sympathetically before turning to Damian and Marinette, “Maybe it’s time we get back to the ship. I think there’s been enough excitement for all of us.”

The two looked at each other and nodded. Damian pulled out his phone to call a ride and Marinette walked over to throw some bags over her shoulders. Marinette turned back to Adrien, “I think it’s time we all need some time to think this over. I refuse to let Lila ruin this vacation!” She looked back at Damian. He was still on call but turned back to the group and the two locked eyes. Adrien watched as the two nodded at each other as if a conversation just passed between the two for the second time in just a few moments.

Adrien raised an eyebrow, “You two have gotten close.” Marinette shrugged and walked over to Alya to help her up. Damian locked his phone and walked over to grab the bags and nudged his brothers to get up. The two seemed to work around each other without issue to get the group ready to return to the ship. It reminded him of large families at the parks and how the parents would gather all their kids to get them ready to go home. Adrien chuckled to himself before helping Nino up. Nino looked at his friend, grateful for the help, before the whole table got up and walked to a limo ready to bring them back to the ship.

The air around the group was strange. There was some tension leftover from the argument, but it was dulled down by everyone’s exhaustion. However, a new sense of closeness engulfed the group despite everything. The return trip home was comfortably quiet as everyone processed the day. Damian sat beside Marinette and Alya and looked out the window. The girls’ arms were linked and they leaned on each other for comfort, Alya already asleep with her head on Marinette’s shoulder. Tim sat towards the front alone, going through his phone and trying to process his own feelings. The rest were scattered around, all too tired to care about anything else. No one spoke out of fear of ruining the atmosphere. It was silent, but safe and the group was comforted by the hum of the engine.

Damian looked away from the window, stretched, and made eye contact with Marinette. Marinette sent him a tired smiled before grabbing his arm and gently pulling. Damian resisted at first and shook his head, but Marinette’s pleading eyes and reassuring smile made him give in. He hesitantly leaned against her, yawned, and looked around the limo once last time. The others seemed to look surprised but couldn’t bring themselves to say anything. Instead, they all just went back to their own devices, smiling softly, savoring their comforting and safe bubble within the walls of the large vehicle. Any comments they had could be saved for later, right now they were simply content with the day’s end and wanted to be back in their own beds for a long rest.

*******************************************************************************************

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[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 10 - No Longer Adrift

Maribat! On Deck AU

Thank you @particularlygeeky and @imfreakingmagical for beta reading and @particularlygeeky for chapter name idea!

Start [Here] [Part 9] [Part 11]

Bruce was getting more and more frustrated as the days passed. The surveillance videos from the boat and from the jail didn’t give him anything to work with. He passed through each video, frame by frame, countless times. He watched as the pirates seemed to materialize out of nowhere, there was no other ship passing, they were in the middle of the ocean and were suddenly being invaded.

He rubbed his eyes, watching the oddly similar henchmen rampage through the halls. They didn’t even look to be looking for something like the gunman said, they were just going through the ship causing chaos. He slammed his fist on the table re-watching the pirates in the jail cells suddenly disappear without a trace, leaving behind two young boys. One was injured in his leg, shot. He slowed it down and watched as the camera seemed to glitch and show a purple-black screen before the camera came back into focus and everyone was gone.

Bruce was running through the list of known villains in his head. The gunman said joker was a part of this, didn’t he? He mumbled to himself, “Is Scarecrow a part of this?” He shook his head, “No. No. He messes with minds, not cameras.” He let out an exasperated sigh before sitting back down in his chair. He rubbed his temples and groaned, “None of my theories make any sense, all the villains are in Gotham. They wouldn’t come all the way to Europe to rob me. It would be easier just to raid the manor while it was empty.” He ran his fingers through his hair, “None of them are that stupid.” He thought for a moment before laughing to himself, “Okay, maybe Harley.”  

“So are you gonna keep talking to yourself in the dark or are you going to actually join us on this cruise?” He quickly turned to see Tim in the doorway.

Bruce allowed his eyes to adjust to the hallway lights and pinched his nose, “Tim, don’t do that.”

“When was the last time you slept?”

Bruce rolled his eyes and smirked, “Isn’t this conversation usually the other way around?”

“Bruce I’m serious. We haven’t seen you in days.” Tim narrowed his eyes, looking at the footage on the screen, “Oh, that’s what you’ve been up to.”

Bruce closed the footage and turned off the computer, “Barbara and I have been looking at this footage forwards, backwards, frame by frame.”

“And?”

Bruce looked disheartened and bitter, “Nothing. They just disappeared. No one saw anything, no residents ever reported anything, nothing. They vanished.” He shook his head, “Usually they leave a clue or lead or something I can work with. This time? Nothing. I’ve checked back in with Gotham and no one has heard anything about a job to overtake a ship. All the villains are accounted for too.”

Tim hummed, “But the one guy had Joker’s laughing gas.”

“I know.” Bruce stood up and stretched out his back until he heard a crack, “What day is it?”

“Bruce, seriously?” Bruce looked at Tim with a very serious expression and Tim rolled his eyes, “It’s Wednesday.”

Bruce’s eyes widened slightly, “I’ve been down here for over a week?”

“Apparently.” Tim went over to Bruce’s side and looked over his mentor, “I swear, Alfred would’ve never let this happen.” Tim straightened out some of his clothes and Bruce yawned, finally letting the exhaustion hit him. Tim sighed, “Have you been keeping up with everything?”

“I know about the Akuma attacks if that’s what you’re asking.”

“No, I meant with your son.” Bruce raised an eyebrow at Tim and Tim just smirked, “Come on, you’ll want to see this.” Tim opened the door and motioned for Bruce to follow him, “Besides, you need to go back to your room. Seriously, you need to bathe.”

Bruce rolled his eyes and walked out into the hallway, letting Tim lead the way as they walked out of their little maze below deck up to the higher floors. Tim continued up until they were walking towards a balcony overlooking the main deck, Jason and Adrien already there. Jason turned back and grinned, “He’s alive! Who knew?”

Adrien turned around and smiled, “Nice to see you again, sir.”

“Bruce is fine, Adrien.”

Adrien smiled and nodded before turning his attention back over the balcony. Jason led Bruce over to the balcony and pointed at two figures standing closely together by the railings. “What am I looking at here?”

“That, my dear Bruce, is your blood son actually bonding with someone.” Jason grinned and did everything in his power to not burst out laughing at Bruce’s shocked expression. The bags under his eyes only made the look more exaggerated, making it even harder not to laugh.

“That’s not Damian.”

Adrien snickered, “It is and that there next to him is our little Marinette.” He sighed and leaned against the rails, “They’ve gotten very close.”

Tim let out a small ‘Ha!’ before turning back to Bruce, “We found out they do this practically every night after they’ve visited the captain and think everybody else has gone to sleep. They don’t do anything but talk, sometimes they lean on each other, but it’s still cute to see.”

“I’m more so surprised you three haven’t interrupted them.” Bruce turned to see Jason and Tim look slightly offended before the two shrugged and nodded, knowing damn well Bruce was right. “So why aren’t you guys crashing the party?”

“Because I won’t let them.” Bruce turned to see Alya, Nino, and Dick walking up the hallway. All of them were in pajamas and looked amused. “I refuse to let your sons ruin this for my best friend.” She nudged Dick forward, “Just caught this one trying to interrupt.”

“I just wanted to know what they were talking about!” Dick smiled nervously under Bruce’s tired glare before the old bat turned his attention back over the balcony. Dick relaxed and looked at the couple, “You know Damian is doing a lot better.”

“Is he now?”

“Alya, can you show him the photos?” Alya chuckled before handing Bruce her phone. Bruce scrolled through the feed before landing on a few photos. It was mainly of the group of classmates, but Damian was one of them. To a stranger, you’d think it was just a photo of friends. They all looked like they were having fun, even in the photos where some were squabbling with each other or where Damian looked like he was in the middle of scolding someone, and it looked natural. To Bruce, it was like looking at a different child altogether. He found a photo of the three boys holding bags from the day they first docked and smiled. “He looks so normal. It’s crazy, right?”

Bruce nodded and handed the phone back to Alya, “Make sure I get a copy of all those photos.”

Alya smirked, “Only if I get my interview, Bats?”

Bruce tense and Tim jumped in, “She thinks you’re Batman. Don’t humor her.”

Alya glared at Tim, “You’re just mad because I have way more leads than you do.”

Bruce blinked and turned to Tim, “Leads on what?”

Nino snickered, “He thinks Marinette is Ladybug.”

Bruce looked back at the girl next to Damian, “Is she?”

“She has to be. No one is that badass without some kind of history of crime-fighting.” Jason turned to Bruce and shrugged, “Plus, she took that night of the raid. She came up with a plan on the spot and, most importantly, bossed you around.” Jason watched as the gears in Bruce’s head begin to turn and smiled, “I’m telling you, she’s Ladybug.”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “Uh-huh. And I’m Carapace.”

“Who?”

“The turtle one.” Tim frowned and turned back to Alya, “Hey, where’s Chloe?”

“She said she needed to catch up on her beauty rest tonight.” Alya walked up to the railing of the balcony and pointed the phone at the couple below, “It’s fine. She’s not missing much.”

Bruce took a step back and looked over the group. He didn’t realize how close the Françoise Dupont kids have gotten with his own.  If he were to take a picture, nothing would seem out of place. The group looked so comfortable with each other. It was jarring, but not bad by any means.

Dick turned back to the group, “Alright. Enough spying. Let’s leave them be.”

“You’re just bored.”

“Yes, I am.” Dick began herding the group away from their vantage point and laughed, “It’s late. Let’s go.”

Bruce watched as the rest of the group groaned, but complied with the eldest. He hung back and walked next to Dick, “What have I missed?”

Dick chuckled, “You want to adopt five more kids?”

Jason shouted over his shoulder, “At least can we adopt Marinette?” The kids shook their heads and laughed and Bruce realized it was part of an inside joke.

Bruce looked surprised, “You’re all very close aren’t you?”

Nino turned back to Bruce and smiled, “Your kids are great company, my dude. Seriously.”

Adrien snorted, “You sound like a parent or something. ‘Oh, your kids are great!’” Adrien turned to Bruce and grinned, “He’s right though. This is the most fun any of us have had in who knows how long.”

Bruce frowned, “Really?”

Alya stretched and nodded, “Hardly any Akuma attacks, new friends, new theory, and I see my girl find romance? Best. Vacation. Ever.”

Tim rolled his eyes, “You’re theory doesn’t stand.”

“You’ve seen the evidence I gathered.”

“All substantial.”

“So is yours.”

Bruce watched in amusement at the two glared at each other, both determined to out investigate each other. It was rare Tim found someone to compete with, but he seemed to have fun. Alya reminded him of Tim when he first came into their lives; spunky, smart, stubborn, and fired up. “I’m Batman, huh?”

Alya nodded, “I’ll prove it. I know I can. Every bone in my body is telling me I’m right.”

Jason laughed, “You sure you aren’t constipated?”

Alya blushed and pushed Jason playfully, “No!”

The group laughed at the antics and Bruce turned to his oldest, “So what’s happening with those two? Any progress?”

“You mean Damian and Marinette? They’re inseparable.” Dick chuckled, “It’s actually kind of cute. They hang onto each other, but I don’t think they realize it. The way they bicker with each other is hilarious to watch, too. It’s like an old married couple.”

Alya laughed, “Plus, she’s the only one who can calm him down if he starts to get too annoyed.”

“It is getting harder for him to say no to her.” Adrien hummed in approval, “He gives Marinette a run for her money. He’ll randomly say things that just make her light up and embarrass her, it’s kind of great.”

Jason nodded, “Oh my god, what did he say yesterday?”

Nino thought for a moment, “Wasn’t it something like ‘I’m not leaving her’ or something?”

Tim laughed, “Oh yeah, the guide for the last city we visited wanted to separate them! He got so mad and wouldn’t leave her alone.”

Bruce couldn’t believe most of the stuff he was hearing, “This is Damian? My son Damian? Damian used to be al Ghul now Wayne, that Damian?” The group all nodded and Bruce scoffed, “She’s magic isn’t she?”

“If we’re right, she’s magic.” The group came to a split in the hallway and the group went their separate ways. The family waved goodnight to the classmates before walking through the halls towards their own rooms. Tim broke the silence, “So Bruce still can’t find anything on the videos.”

“Really? Did Barbara-“

“She looked through them, yes.” Bruce pinched his nose, “We can’t figure it out. How does a whole crew of raiders just disappear?”

Jason frowned, “All I know is if I find the bastard that threw Marinette overboard, I’m killing him.” Bruce sent a warning look to Jason and Jason didn’t even flinch, “What? I’m serious. He could’ve killed her.”

“So you think killing him is the answer?”

“It’s an answer, one I’m going to enjoy a lot.”

Bruce sighed and stopped walking, making the other three pause as well, “None of this is making sense. They disappeared, Akumas have popped up in a few of the cities we’ve visited, what is going on?”

“Have you tried letting Alya watch the video?” The group turned to Dick who only shrugged, “Out of everyone in Paris, we got the one person who knows all things Miraculous and Ladybug. If you think it might be an Akuma, she’ll be the one to confirm or deny your theory.”

Tim groaned, “Then she’ll actually know he’s Batman. The girl might’ve been naïve when it came to Lila, but she’s not dumb.”

“That reminds me, what happened with her? That Rossi girl?”

“Still a liar, but at least now Marinette has her friends on her side.”

Bruce did not miss the small scowl Dick sent Tim, “What happened?”

Tim flinched and Dick nudged him to talk, “I may have snapped at Alya and completely outted Lila to her.”

“That’s a bad thing?”

“It is when you yell at her and her friends to prove a point instead of just protecting your friends.” Dick sighed, “You still can’t figure out why you were so mad?”

Tim groaned, “No, I can’t. All of a sudden I got so pissed and then next thing I knew I was shoving my phone in her face. Everyone was yelling. And then the migraines-“

“Migraines?”

Jason nodded and frowned, “Migraines. I’m pretty sure everyone on the ship had them.”

“Everyone except Marinette, Adrien, Damian, and Lila.” Dick hummed, “I don’t get it.”

Jason snickered, “It’s the power of love. Damian is so head over heels for Marinette he wouldn’t notice if he was having a migraine anyways.” Jason sighed, “Adrien probably gets them all the time from the flashing cameras at his photoshoots. I wouldn’t be surprised if he just wasn’t bothered or didn’t even notice it.”

“And Lila?”

“She’s just a bitch.”

Bruce turned to scold him, “Jason!”

Tim and Dick shrugged, “True.”

Bruce was about to say something to his sons before noticing Dick’s shirt, “Where did you get that?”

Dick looked down and smiled, “Marinette made it for me.” He did a quick spin, “Red and black and Nightwing themed. It’s perfect.”

Bruce’s expression deadpanned, “You’re really walking around like that while a junior reporter is actively investigating our family?”

Dick shrugged, “She’s investigating you, not me.” The four stopped in front of Bruce’s room and Dick looked over Bruce one last time, “Get some sleep. Me and Tim can look over the video again tomorrow. You need to rest.”

Bruce’s shoulders fell, but nodded. He knew they were right. He went into his room, locking the door behind him, and headed for the shower first. All the while, the two teens at the center of attention continued to talk against their spot on the railings.

“So let me get this straight, Dick was part of a circus?”

“It makes sense why he acts like a clown now, doesn’t it?” Marinette snorted and lightly hit Damian’s arm. Damian chuckled, “Don’t act like I’m the only one with weird people in my life. You know two famous singers.”

“Jagged and Clara don’t count, they’re family now.”

“Mine are family too and I still make fun of them.”

Marinette smirked, “I noticed.” She sighed and looked over the water, “Where are we landing next?”

“Well, it seems we’ll be in Portugal soon. I suspect we’re visiting Lisbon next.”

She nodded, “You think there’s going to be another Akuma attack?”

“I hope not.” Damian sighed leaned against the rails, “Who do you want to investigate next?”

“I don’t know.” Marinette looked over at Damian and looked back at the past week. After the second Akuma in Pontevedra, they decided that Hawkmoth had to be on the ship. The only problem was he wasn’t talking to any of the Akumas. They couldn’t figure out what he was trying to pull, but Damian figured he couldn’t be losing all of these corrupted butterflies. It had to be coming from somewhere and considering it was only happening in the cities they visited, Hawkmoth had to be on the boat. “Have you noticed the mood recently?”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone’s been on edge.”

“Makes sense, there are Akumas on the loose.”

“No, no, no. Like everyone is upset. I get being paranoid because of an Akuma, Paris is like that all the time, but this is different. It’s like everyone’s worst emotions are being amplified.” She sighed, “Alix and Kim went into a full-blown argument over something, Alya wants to kill Lila-”

“Still don’t know why you won’t let her have a go at Lila.”

Marinette frowned and nudged him before continuing, “Tim snapped at us, the staff gets frustrated easily. It wasn’t like this in the beginning.”

Damian sighed and thought it over, “Tension is rising and everyone is stuck on this boat. You can’t run from your problems here, you have to deal with them.”

A sudden breeze made Marinette shiver and she glared at the water, “Too cold!”

“You’re yelling at the sea.”

“I know.” She stuck her tongue out at the ocean and, as if to respond, another gust of wind nearly froze the poor girl.

Damian laughed, “You’re having an argument with water and loosing.” She glared at him, shaking from the cold, and he just rolled his eyes. “Come on. You want to go to the den?”

Marinette’s eyes lit up and she nodded before scurrying off inside the hall, away from the wind. Damian shook his head and followed her, close behind. Marinette looked over her shoulder and laughed, “Wanna race, baby bird?”

“Let’s do this Bug.” The two smirked and suddenly started running full speed up the stairs and through the halls. Damian looked over at the girl, he was impressed she could keep up with him, unbeknownst to him she was thinking the same thing. The two locked eyes and started laughing as they continued to sprint through the ship. He admitted to himself he felt odd. Doing things with this girl and her friends, talking together, doing things as mundane as racing for no reason, it made him feel some kind of way. Nothing bad, just unusual. He wondered if this was how a normal kid was supposed to feel like playing with their friends. He refused to say it out loud, but he considered them friends despite knowing them for such a short amount of time. 

Then there was Marinette. The nicknames started as a joke due to the theories being thrown around. Marinette decided if he kept calling her Ladybug then she should call him something. Without much thought, he told her to refer to him as Robin - Batman’s sidekick. He hoped she didn’t think too much of it and, unlike him, she didn’t pry the way he did if she was suspicious about something. Now, they had themed nicknames they’d say to each other in private, away from everyone in their own little world when they spent time together.

Marinette and Damian skid around a corner, but Marinette lost her footing and slammed into the wall. Damian came to a stop and ran back over to her. He helped her up and looked her over, “I’m fine.”

“Let me just check.” The two stood there, panting from the run, while Damian quickly examined her. “No bruises.”

“I’m telling you I’m fine. I’ve had worse falls than that.”

“Chloe’s right, you’re a walking accident waiting to happen.” Marinette pouted and Damian just smirked at her, leaning in, “What?”

She sighed, putting a finger on his nose and pushing him back, “You suck.” She felt an odd sense of deja vu after doing the gesture but didn’t pay any attention to it when she saw how his nose scrunched up. She giggled, “At least you’re cute.”

“I’m cute?” Now he was the one pouting, “I am not cute.”

She poked his nose, causing his nose to scrunch up again, “Cute.”

He shook his head, “You’re becoming worse than my brothers.”

“Yet you still want to hang out with me.”

“Yeah, because out of everyone you’re the least annoying.” She snorted and pushed him playfully, causing him to chuckle. “Come on, we’re close to the den.” She nodded and absent-mindedly grabbed his arm. He’s gotten used to her gestures, noticing very quickly she’s someone who likes to touch and be touched. He noticed that with everyone, with Alya they would link arms, same with Adrien and Nino. With Chloe they would at most hold hands as one dragged the other around stores and Marinette would hug Chloe when Chloe did something particularly good-natured. With his brothers, she’d give lots of hugs but never grab onto them. If she didn’t feel comfortable holding someone’s arm or hand, she’d unconsciously stand very close to them. 

He wondered if it was a way for her to keep them close, which to him made sense after the isolation she felt before the ship. Still, she didn’t do things like this with his brothers. She didn’t grab their arms or hold their hands or lean on them the way she did with him. He’d never admit it, but he liked being the only one she’d do this with.

She leaned on him and he smiled softly as they made their way to the den. Marinette loved the den. It was the one place on the ship where she could work out her feelings without issue. No one went up there except the captain and Damian. The captain turned into somewhat of a familial role, like a grandfather or an old uncle, and she trusted him. She worried for the man, she could tell his mood has also gotten worse, however, he wasn’t mad or frustrated. Captain Staller was just extremely sad and gloomy without the influence of the two teens. She wondered if he was depressed and if Anne’s anniversary was coming up, then this behavior would make sense. 

Then there was Damian. Damian became someone very close within the first few days of knowing each other. She knew there was something odd about him, even Adrien told her about his thoughts on the four brothers and their abilities, but he was honest. He allowed her to vent to him and helped her sort through her feelings and she would do the same for him. She sympathized with him, saddened by his past and lack of childhood at the hands of his mother. Bruce’s influence was clear to see, but she wanted to see him. Not the child molded to be the future head of the family, not the boy trying to live up to the legacy of his brothers or father, she wanted to know more about Damian. She could tell he wasn’t used to sharing or letting his walls down, making her feel special when he would around her.

They had a routine; change for bed, meet at the den, and then talk by the railings. They both knew they were being spied on half the time but were thankful for none of them interrupting their time together. Still, there was a small sense of uncertainty surrounding the two. While both wondered what their relationship was, neither wanted to ask and break the new bottle they found themselves in. It was safe, they were content, and they were together.

Damian pulled away from her side and opened the door for her. She walked in and noted how dark the room was, it made the moonlight seem that much brighter. She stopped Damian from turning on the lights and led him over to the big chairs that the two sank into. She laid down and placed her head on his lap, something they both just allowed to happen a few nights after the raid when her anxiety spiked. She was comforted by the company and he felt soothed by the warmth and the act of petting down her hair. The intimacy was something both lacked and this time together felt like they were making up for it. She sighed, “I think we should investigate Charles next.”

“Why him? I thought he was your friend.”

“He looked really out of sorts the next day and this week he’s just seemed out of it and paranoid. He would get jumpy if I accidentally snuck up on him.”

Damian hummed, “You think he’s Hawkmoth?”

“No, I just think he might know something. No one acts like that unless they’re hiding something.”

“Or hiding from someone.”

Marinette turned her head to look up at him, “You think he’s hiding from someone?”

“He could be, or maybe he’s worried about being akumatized.”

Marinette turned onto her back, looking up at him, “I don’t know. I don’t know how any of these people act. I’m grasping at straws at this point.”

Damian sighed, “Well, all of your classmates and Ms. Bustier have all been akumatized, so it can’t really be any of them. Unless we have another French passenger, we’ll have to look into everyone else.”

After a moment Marinette’s eyes widened and she suddenly sat up, almost knocking her head into Damian’s. “Another French passenger, of course!” She turned to Damian with a newfound spark, “Is there any way to get a list of the passengers? We’ll need a list of every French passenger outside the class.”

Damian smirked and sent out a text, “I’ll tell Drake to get that to me by tomorrow.”

“Tim?”

Damian sent out the text and locked his phone, “Drake is the best investigator out of the four of us. It could take us a bit to look through all the passengers, but he’ll take seconds and do a background check as well.” Damian let out a tired sigh, “Grayson’s the beloved oldest, Todd’s the strongest, Drake’s the smartest, and I’m-”

“You’re wonderful.” Marinette grabbed his head and turned it so she could look him in the eye, “Don’t compare yourself to your brothers.”

He rolled his eyes, “I was going to say I’m still the best out of the four.”

She relaxed and sighed, still not letting go of his face, “You really do have a superiority complex.” She squeezed his cheeks, earning a playful glare.

“You going to let go?”

“No.” She squeezed his cheeks one last time before letting go, “Okay now I’m good.”

Damian snorted, “You remind me of my best friend Jon.”

Marinette sat up straight with peaked curiosity, “You just called someone friend. Best friend. Tell me more!” Marinette shook his shoulders, “Come on, tell me!”

Damian moved her hands away, “I won’t until you calm down.”

She stopped bouncing in her seat and frowned, “Can you really blame me?”

“No.” He scrolled through his phone before finding an old photo of them when he was 13 and Jon was 11. He handed it over to Marinette and she smiled.

She sat back down next to him, leaning on him, before saying, “You guys are so cute. So he’s a childhood friend?”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for some time now.”

“Is he older than you?”

He let out an exasperated sigh, “Just because he’s taller doesn’t mean he’s older. Everyone thinks that.” He looked back at the photo and pointed, “I’m 13 there and he’s 11.”

She giggled, “You look like a baby.”

“I did not.”

“Babyface.”

“Marinette-”

“Cute baby face.”

He huffed and poked her side, making her squeak and jump away. He took the opportunity to grab his phone, “No.” She narrowed her eyes at him and he smirked.

“You’re too cocky.” She looked between him and the phone before lunging for it. “I want to see more photos!”

Damian leaned back and held his phone away, “Never.”

Marinette huffed and struggled against him, “Come on! Let me see more babyface photos!”

“No!” He sounded angry, but his face held a big smile as he watched the girl try to figure out a way to get the phone. “This is actually very entertaining.”

“Shut up.” She blew the bangs out of her face and sat back down. “Come on! You’ve never mentioned your friends before.”

“I’ve mentioned my team.”

“Yeah, but you’ve never once said ‘friend’. This is exciting!”

“Me and you have very different definitions of exciting.” She frowned before lunging at the phone again and managed to knock Damian over, “Marinette!”

“Let me see more Jon photos, then I’ll get off.”

Damian narrowed his eyes at her before flipping them over. Marinette let out a small “oof” before looking up at a very smug Damian. “You were saying?”

She huffed, “Killjoy.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at her, “Really? Maybe I should get Lila in here. I was just assaulted.”

She glared at him before pushing him off, “Don’t even joke about that.”

Her serious tone made him frown, “Too soon?”

“It’s always too soon with her.” She frowned and rubbed her temples, “Should I just let Tim do it? Should he just out her to everyone in my class?”

“I would love that because I want to see her face when he does it, but considering there’s a chance Hawkmoth may be on the ship I wouldn’t want to have her become an Akuma.” Damian shoulders fell, “I really don’t want you being the target of that.”

She sent him a small smile, “I can handle her.”

“As Ladybug, maybe. As Marinette, no. I’m not risking that.”

“Be careful, you sound worried.”

“I am worried.” Marinette turned to him and found that he was staring at her, “I don’t want you getting hurt. Especially not while we’re on this trip.”

“And after it’s over?” He didn’t answer and she sighed, “Damian-”

“I know.” He turned to her and he looked her over, trying to figure out their next steps. “First let’s figure out what’s happening on the ship.”

Her shoulders fell and nodded, “Yeah.” She scooted closer to him and leaned on him, “Damian?”

“Yeah?”

She bit her lip before finally asking, “Are you actually Robin?”

He thought for a moment before finally closing his eyes and breathing out a soft, “Yeah.”

She hummed, “Makes sense.” She turned to face him, “You’re right. I know you know, but I thought I should say it.”

Damian snorted, “Thanks. Good to know.” He took a deep breath before shaking his head, “No. Actually, that’s not good. Nothing about your situation is ‘good’.” Marinette nodded and nuzzled into his neck, “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Find Hawkmoth, keep the city safe, fix everything.”

“It shouldn’t be your job to clean up the mess he makes.”

“What about you?” She frowned, “You don’t even have powers. You’re just human.”

“You’re human.”

“With magical powers, not the same.” She linked her arm with his and gave his bicep a comforting squeeze, “You shouldn’t be out there.”

“It’s not the same. I choose to go and fight, you were randomly given magic earrings and had to fight.”

She paused for a moment before admitting, “I almost wasn’t Ladybug.” Damian turned his head slightly in her direction and she took it as a sign to continue. “Stone Heart was the first Akuma we ever faced. He caused a lot of mayhem and I thought it was my fault for not stopping him the first time.” She let out a small bittersweet laugh, “I put the earrings in Alya’s bag.”

“What changed your mind?”

“Alya got hurt and Cat Noir was in trouble. I couldn’t stand there and do nothing. I had to help.” She sighed, “In a way, I chose it too.”

“That’s not fair. You have a good heart, of course you were going to save them, but to just put that responsibility on a kid?”

“What about you?”

Damian smiled bitterly as he thought back to when his mother dropped him off with a father who didn’t know he existed, “When my mother left me I was full of rage over those who killed my grandfather. I wanted revenge and nothing was going to stop me. Batman took me in after Nightwing stopped me from almost killing a man who had a connection to the murderer. I told him I wanted to help like Nightwing used to, as the new Robin, and he agreed.”

Marinette listened before pulling away, “You almost killed someone?”

Damian realized his slip and tensed before turning away from her, “Like I said, there’s a lot of stuff about me you won’t want to know.” He looked down at his lap and scowled, “I’m not a good person. I did a lot of bad things, even as Robin I’ve done really bad things.”

He didn’t want to look up, he figured she would run away like a sane person. He figured she wouldn’t want to talk to him anymore. “I didn’t know you before, but I can tell you’re a good person. Even if you did some bad things in the past, what matters is that you learn from them and be a better person now.” He wasn’t expecting that. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head to her, “I think you’re a good person, Damian.” Damian didn’t respond outwardly until Marinette wrapped her arms around him. Her hug snapped him out of the initial shock and he wrapped his arms around her. This was only the second time they’ve hugged, the first time being when she first had a panic attack below deck, and he was grateful for it. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, “What’s going to happen now?”

Damian gave her a small squeeze, “I don’t know.”

He felt her hot breath against his skin as she let out a soft laugh, “I don’t know either.” She moved herself to be sitting in his lap, not releasing the hug. “I’m scared. What if the reason Hawkmoth is on this ship is that he knows Ladybug is on it? What if figured me out?”

“We don’t know that. We don’t know he’s on this ship.”

She rubbed her cheek against the fabric of his shirt, “Damian, these Akumas are coming from somewhere. They don’t wander this far out.”

“Are you sure? Has it ever happened before?”

“It has. The first time we brought Pegasus into the mix was because an Akuma made its way onto the train we were on. We were definitely outside of Hawkmoth’s range by that point.”

“Okay, so the option that he’s letting them wander isn’t impossible.” He knew it was farfetched, but he didn’t want her to think her identity was compromised. He didn’t want to think about a terrorist following her around and attacking her for some earrings, magic or otherwise. He could tell she was getting stuck inside her own head, upsetting thoughts taking over, and pulled out his phone. “You want to see more pictures of me and Jon.”

She quickly turned and looked at the phone, “Seriously?”

He chuckled, “Yeah.” She turned, back resting against his chest as he leaned back and they looked through the photos together. He pointed out different places they’d been, different pranks they’ve pulled on each other, their different pets, all the while making fun of his best friend. “He has this southern drawl sometimes and it’s so annoying.”

“He sounds fun.”

“He can be, but I’ll never tell him that. It’ll go to his head.”

She held his phone and made a confused face, “I’ll never get these fancy new phones.”

“You sound like a grandma.”

“Makes sense if everyone keeps calling us an old married couple.” She laughed, “You sound like an old angry grandpa.”

“I do not.”

“You are totally the type to yell at kids to get off your lawn.”

“I’ll take away the phone.”

“You wouldn’t dare.” She tapped on the screen and grumbled, “What the heck?”

Damian reached for the phone, “Hey, I can just-” All of a sudden the phone screen lit up, indicating a call had been placed and before either could do anything, a boy with messy hair and a tired look answered.

The boy yawned and rubbed his eyes, “Damian it’s like 6:30 am and its summer. There better be a goo-” The boy stopped talking and his eyes locked onto Marinette, who was still sitting on top of Damian, and he narrowed his eyes. “Damian, who’s this?”

Marinette awkwardly waved and Damian snatched the phone away, “Kent, if you tell anyone I’ll-”

“Oh my god.” Jon’s smile grew, “It’s late, it’s dark, and you’re with a girl! DAMIAN YOU ACTUALLY FOUND A GIRLFRIEND?”

Damian groaned and glared at the boy in the phone, “Say it louder why don’t you! You’ll wake up the entire city!” Damian was silently praying to whatever god he didn’t wake anyone. Jon decided to stay with the Titans while Damian was on the ship and Damian was grateful, but now he just wanted to wring the boy’s neck. “Now please don’t-”

Jon was already up and running through the tower, “Hold on! I’m hooking you up to the big screen!”

Damian sat up, nearly throwing Marinette off by accident, “You wouldn’t dare.” Suddenly the point of view changed from him looking at a phone to him looking up while a large living room came into view. Jon ran away, undoubtedly waking the others, “I’m hanging up.”

“Wait no! I wanna meet your friends!” Damian gave Marinette a pained look before giving in.

“Fine, but get up for a second so I can turn on the lights.” She quickly moved off and noticed a few people coming into view, “Oh! Hi!” The lights turned on, making her flinch as her eyes adjusted, and she smiled sheepishly at the other kids. “Damian’s told me about you guys. I wanted to meet his friends.”

She realized these kids weren’t normal, but then again neither was her. She figured they were probably other heroes and realized she was meeting his ‘team’. Damian sat back down on the couch and without thinking she took her place back on his lap to make sure they were both in the shot. Everyone looked stunned before the green one finally spoke up, “No way. Deep fake.”

Marinette tilted her head, confused, before turning to Damian, “Deep fake?”

“He doesn’t think you’re real.” He gently took the phone out of her hands, “Hey, Beast Boy, please tell me you haven’t made too much of a mess.”

“He said please, completely fake.”

Soon a woman with fire red hair entered the room, “What’s going on?” She looked up at the screen, “Oh! Damian?”

“That’s Kory, by the way.”

Marinette’s eyes lit up and she turned her attention to Kory, “Dick’s told me so much about you! You’re even prettier than I imagined!”

Kory looked confused but flattered. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

Jon smirked, “This is Damian’s girlfriend.”

The room stood still for a few seconds before everyone went up in arms. Damian groaned and pinched his nose before shouting, “Enough!” The team stopped and Damian gestured to the girl, “This is Marinette.”

Jaime narrowed his eyes at her, “I don’t trust this. Why the hell is she with you?”

Marinette made a face, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Raven shook her head, “She’s real, but I have to admit I was not expecting this.”

“No way! What the hell? You leave for like two weeks and when you finally decide to call you have a cute girl with you!” Garfield narrowed his eyes, “Why are you both in your pajamas?”

“Because it’s 12:30 am around here.”

Jon wiggled his eyebrows, “Why are you alone with a girl late at night? In a dark room no less.”

Marinette lit up bright red while Damian groaned, “I didn’t mean to call, idiot. I was showing her some old photos-”

“You keep photos of me? Aw, Damian, I knew you cared!”

Damian growled and felt his blood pressure spike, “Jon I swear-”

Marinette grabbed the phone back, “Hey what are your names? I know you’re Kory and you’re Jon, but what about the rest of you?”

“Jaime.”

“Raven.”

“Garfield.���

“Victor.” The team turned and Marinette watched a half robot half-human came into view, “I was wondering what the commotion was about.” Marinette didn’t react, but her eyes were trained on Victor. He rubbed the back of his neck, “If it’s too jarring-”

“You’re incredible! How does that even work? How do you function? Can you still eat? What do you do in the rain? Can you even be in the rain?” Marinette’s eyes lit up as she quickly rambled on more and more questions. Victor felt a wave of relief and chuckled when Damian grabbed the phone away from her. “Hey!”

“Sorry, she gets excited easily.”

Marinette pouted, “Come on, he’s half robot! How am I not supposed to be excited for that?!”

Jamie laughed, “She’s not what I expected you’d go for, but it works.”

“I know right!” Jon turned his attention back to Damian, “I’m assuming she knows-”

“She knows.”

“You actually told someone!” Garfield pinched himself, “Nope not a dream. Just really, really weird morning.”

Damian sighed and Marinette snorted, “Your friends are funny.”

Damian looked over at her and smiled, tired but happy to see her so excited. “Oh my god, he feels.”

“Why does everyone say that!?” Damian glared at Jon, “When I get back I’m going to-”

“So you are coming back! Marvelous!” Kory flew up to the camera and smiled, “We were worried there for a bit. You never contacted any of us after you left. We were starting to wonder if you left us.”

Damian’s lips pressed into a fine line, but before he could answer Marinette asked, “Is he a good hero?” Everyone looked surprised by the question and she shrugged, “I don’t know a lot about America’s heroes and if I asked him, he’d just inflate his own ego.”

“I would not!”

Her face deadpanned, “Yes you would.”

“I am the best Robin there is.”

“You literally just said your brothers-”

“I refuse to let that comment leave this room.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re impossible.”

“You’re too excitable.”

“Rather be excitable than grumpy all the time.”

“I am not grumpy!”

“A-hem!” The two turned their attention back to the phone and noticed everyone watching them with an expression that was a mix of amusement and disbelief. Jon chuckled, “I’ve never seen anyone else argue with him. I’m the only one who can usually get away with doing that.”

Damian frowned, “Only because I can’t wring your neck when you get too annoying.”

“What’s stopping you from wringing her’s?” When Damian didn’t answer him, Jon’s smug smile only grew. “I’m telling my mom.”

“You are not telling Lois! It’s bad enough all of you met her!”

“Lois? Didn’t Tim mention her once?”

Damian nodded, “Yeah, but I’m surprised you remember that. You were knocked out in the arcade machine.”

“Not my fault none of you know how to whisper.”

Jon chuckled and turned to the team, “I can’t believe this. He actually found a girlfriend.”

Kory clapped her hands together, “We should celebrate when he gets back!”

“No! No celebration! She’s never going to the tower!”

“Why not?”

Damian turned to Marinette, “Because you’ll be back in Paris and I’ll be in Jump City.”

Marinette blinked and sighed, “Oh yeah, right.”

“Great now you upset her!” Jamie stepped up, “Hey, sweetheart, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on-”

“Don’t even think about it, Reyes.”

Raven sighed, “You’re all idiots.” Everyone turned to the girl who rolled her eyes, “Yes, this is exciting. Still, what if someone notices a normal girl coming into the tower and hanging out with us? With Robin? You all realize she’d be a target in a heartbeat.” The room fell silent and Marinette turned to Damian, only to notice his expression hardened. “Either we go to her as discreetly as possible or it’s not going to happen at all.” Raven turned her attention to the couple on screen, “If I were you Marinette I wouldn’t get too attached. You guys make a good match, but you just knowing our real names is going to get you into serious trouble if we aren’t careful. You don’t want to be sucked into this.”

Garfield frowned, “Raven, harsh.” He turned his attention to the screen and noticed the two thinking about what she said.

Jon tried to sound reassuring, “Hey! We can figure it out! I mean, I can tell you’ve been good for Damian.” That brought Marinette’s attention back to the boy and he smiled, “Yeah. When he left he was like a walking shell. Just talking to him now, I can tell he’s back to his old self and looks like he’s thriving over there. I can only guess it’s because of you.” Damian turned his attention back to his best friend and Jon sighed, “Look, Raven’s right. It could be dangerous, but it’s not unheard of! I mean, look at my parents! One’s a civilian!” He smiled encouragingly at the couple, “Damian, she’s good for you. I can tell. Marinette?”

She blinked and forced herself to respond, “Yes?”

“Do you want to stay with our little hot head over there? I know he’s a handful, but he’s worth it!”

Before Damian could say anything Marinette let out a firm, “Yes.”

Jon smiled, “Then I think you’ll be okay. If anything comes up, we’ll figure it out. We’re friends now too.” The group nodded and he waved, “You guys will be fine. Anyway, it’s getting late for you guys over there. Sleep. Think about it. Damian, check-in more often. We worry.” Damian gave a small nod, still reeling over the girl’s answer, and Jon nodded back. “Goodnight you guys.” The screen went black after Jon hung up and the two sat there in silence for a bit.

Damian spoke up first, “You meant that?”

Marinette gulped and nodded, “Yes.”

Damian thought for a moment and forced himself to ask, “Marinette, what are we?”

Marinette turned to face him, opening and closing her mouth, and answer struggling to come out before the door burst open. The two jumped and Marinette quickly left Damian’s lap as the two turned to the door. The captain stumbled in, seemingly unaware of the two teens inside the room. He stumbled to the bar and nearly fell over. The two teens shared a look of concern before walking up to him, “Captain Staller?” The captain didn’t respond and she turned him slowly to face her. She noted his glassy eyes and calm expression, “He sleepwalks?”

“I guess so.” Damian started to lead Captain Staller away from the bar and gently laid him down on the couch. The captain seemed to relax and fell right back to sleep on the cushions. Damian relaxed knowing that the captain was safe and asleep, “I think he’ll be okay now.” He turned back to Marinette who was staring at one of the bottles on the shelves, hugging herself and biting her lip. “Marinette?”

She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned to him, “What are we going to do?”

Damian’s brows furrowed, “What do you mean?”

“I’m a liability. You’re a liability. We’re liabilities to each other.” She shook her head, “I can’t go to Jump City because I could be used as leverage. You can’t come to Paris because you know who I am and if Hawkmoth akumatizes you we’ll have to fight.” Her nose turned pink and her eyes watered, “I didn’t even think about that, Damian. I have to think about these things. What was I thinking?” She ran her finger through her hair and started pacing, “I can’t believe I told you. I can’t believe I said that. I can’t believe I thought-”

“Thought what?”

She stopped and turned to him, “Damian, how would this work?”

Damian knew she knew he was worried about the same thing. He also knew she knew he didn’t want whatever this was to stop. “We don’t see each other as heroes. Just civilians.”

“That won’t matter if you get akumatized!” She sniffed and let out a shaky breath, “And you’re Damian Wayne! That alone is going to bring attention to me! Damian, I can’t let that happen! My advantage is that I’m a nobody! I can sneak away and no one suspects a thing! I can’t do that if there are cameramen waiting outside the bakery every day, waiting to get a picture of Damian Wayne’s girlfriend!”

Damian gulped, he agreed with her. He really wished he didn’t. So instead of arguing with some solid logic, he decided to do the next best thing. “My girlfriend, huh?”

She tensed up and shook her head, “I’m sorry, it slipped out and-”

“I thought we were already married.” She froze for a second, watching as he awkwardly stood there waiting for a reaction. She laughed, it started out small and full of disbelief and grew into a heartfelt laugh. Damian relaxed as she wiped her eyes, still laughing at his joke. “Marinette-”

“How is this going to work?” She sniffed and let out a small laugh, tears streaming down her face despite the smile on her face, “How will any of this work?”

Damian shrugged and ran his fingers through his hair, chuckling. “I don’t know.” He leaned against a table and felt himself be bombarded by the same emotions overwhelming Marinette. He sniffed and laughed, “I have no idea!” He wiped his nose on his sleeve and laughed more, “What is happening?”

“I don’t know!” She wiped her cheeks in vain and her body shook with another fit of laughter, “I don’t know!” She turned to Damian and ran to hug him, he immediately reciprocated this time and squeezed her. He picked her up and spun her around, making her laugh even more, before putting her down in the middle of the room. She sniffed, looking up at Damian, “Are we going crazy?”

“I have no idea.” Damian snorted, “I have no clue. This is out of my range of knowledge. None of this makes sense to me. You don’t make any sense to me!” He let out a shaky breath, “Every time I’m with you I feel out of character. I don’t know what I’m saying or doing half the time. It’s all impulse with you.” He sniffed and chuckled, “What the hell is wrong with us?”

Marinette thought for a moment, letting out a shaky breath of her own, “We’re teenagers, I don’t think we’re supposed to have all the answers.” She giggled, “Which is ironic because Ladybug is supposed to have all the answers.”

“And I’m supposed to know what to do in any situation. My training equipped me with the knowledge on how to deal with enemies of all kinds, superhuman or otherwise.” He laughed. “My training didn’t prepare me for you. I am an expert in martial arts, I can wield almost any kind of weapon, I’m a capable businessman, I have advanced engineering skills, I’m trained in forensics, acrobatics, criminology, disguise and escapology,” he paused and scoffed, “none of it prepared me for you.”

Marinette and Damian stood together, in the middle of the den, panting as they struggled to catch their breath from laughing, and just stared at each other. Marinette bit her lip, “I don’t know a lot about you.”

“That’s a good thing.”

“Will I ever know more about you?”

“Yes.”

Marinette sniffed and smiled at him before pulling him down. The kiss was awkward, neither really had any experience in any of this, but neither pulled away either. Despite the lack of skill, the two felt alive again. Every little cell felt electrified, any negative feels clouding their minds didn’t matter, and the world around them faded away the longer they stayed together.

“Well, I was wondering when you two would figure it out.” The two pulled away and looked at the couch to find Captain Staller stretching on the couch. He chuckled and scratched his beard, “Now, will either of you tell me why I’m here?”

Marinette hid her blushing face in her hands and Damian sighed before pulling away to help the man up, “You were sleep walking. You came in here and almost knocked over the alcohol at the bar.”

Staller looked confused, “I don’t sleepwalk.”

Damian shrugged, “Are you stressed?”

The captain thought for a moment before sighing, “My mood has taken a turn for the worse.”

Marinette turned to face the captain, worried expression on her face, “Anything we can do to help? We’re good listeners.”

Captain Staller smiled and shook his head, “No, you just continue to be yourself. I enjoy our visits. Although, I do think you would’ve fared better had I not interrupted tonight.”

Marinette’s eyes widened and her face flushed. Damian just rubbed the back of his neck before leading the captain outside. “Hey, you sure there isn’t anything my family could do?”

“Damian, you’re family has been nothing but good to me. If I ask for anything else, I’d be getting selfish.” The captain placed a hand on Damian’s shoulder, “You two were meant to cross paths, I can tell.” His voice got low as he held steady eye contact with the boy, “Don’t mess this up.”

Damian gulped and nodded, “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Good answer.” He patted Damian on the back and nodded at the couple in approval. “I’ll see you two soon. Goodnight.” The captain walked away and Damian closed the door, leaving the only two people in the room embarrassed.

Damian watched as Marinette grabbed a pillow and screamed into it before letting herself fall onto the couch. He walked over, confused, and she took the pillow off her face. She looked like she drank three cups of Tim’s expresso, vibrating with energy. “This is happening.”

“Yes.”

“We just kissed.”

“Uh-huh.”

“We know each other’s identities.”

“Marinette-”

“I’m dating Damian Wayne.” She sat up and threw the pillow at him, “Oh my god, I’m dating you. We’re dating. This is happening!” Damian caught the pillow easily and laughed at her, earning a short raspberry and a glare.

He sat down next to her, “Yes. Yes, it is.” He sighed and shook his head, “What the hell am I thinking?”

“You? What am I thinking? Tikki is going to be so mad-”

“Tikki?”

She bit her lip before sighing, “Tikki come out.” All of a sudden, a red blob flew around the room before stopping in front of his face. He blinked, wondering if he was hallucinating for a second as the being examined him. “Tikki, meet Damian. Damian, meet Tikki.”

“Hello?”

Tikki smiled softly at the boy before turning to Marinette, “This is against a lot of rules Marinette.”

She groaned, “I know.” She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, “I trust him though.”

Tikki nodded before falling to rest on top of Marinette’s head. Damian just chuckled, “Honestly, not the weirdest thing I’ve ever come across.”

Marinette snorted, “That’s a new reaction.”

“I’m serious.” Damian smiled at Tikki, “When you live in Gotham and work under Batman you see a lot of stuff.”

Tikki flew around Damian’s head a few times before landing on his hair and nodding, “I approve of this one.”

Damian smiled, “That’s good right?”

Marinette closed her eyes and giggled, “Yes, yes it is.” She rubbed her eyes, “I’ve only known you for a little over a week and look at us.” She shook her head, “We’re crazy.”

“I mean we’re talking while a small red fairy thing watches over us. I’m pretty sure if we went to any hospital they’d say the same.”

Tikki giggled, “I like him.”

“I’m assuming you’re the reason Marinette orders so many sweets?”

“Smart too.” Tikki grinned at her chosen, “He’s a keeper.”

Marinette nodded, “I mean I’ll have to figure out a way erase your memory if I don’t.”

Damian raised an eyebrow at her, “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” She nudged him and the two sighed, “Marinette?”

“Yeah?”

“How are we going to tell my brothers?”

Marinette’s eyes widened, “How are we going to tell Alya?” The two looked at each other, realizing the chaos they were about to unleash on this ship when they go public. Marinette groaned, “We’re going not going to live any of this down will we?”

“No, I don’t think so. Dick is a crazy romantic, Jason will tell everyone else in the family if Jon already hadn’t, and Tim will work with Alya to spread the news all over the internet.” He groaned and leaned back in the couch, let his head lull back, “Can we not tell them?”

“And risk death by reporter? No thank you. If Alya doesn’t kill me for hiding it, Chloe definitely will.” She giggled before leaning on him, head on his shoulder and arm draped around his torso. “But we don’t have to tell them right now.”

He wrapped his arm around her and relaxed, “No, I guess not.” He looked down at the girl who finally relaxed enough that she actually looked tired, “Hey you want to go to bed?”

“No.”

“Still a bad liar.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to sleep, I said I don’t want to go to bed.” She looked up at him, “I don’t want to leave.”

Damian groaned, “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Puppy dog eyes. You’re the only person to successfully use that against me.” He groaned and hung his head before he looked around the room. “Hold on.” He got up, turned off the lights, grabbed a blanket from one of the cupboards from a counter and draped it over her. He sat back down, arms open for her to lay next to him if she chose, and he glared. “Damn you.” She snorted and snuggled up next to him, his arms wrapped around her torso and her head on his chest. He could feel himself relax with her weight and body heat against him. She threw the covers over him before yawning.

Tikki watched as the two teens fell asleep together on the couch. She giggled softly before nestling on a pillow nearby, out of view from anyone walking in the door. She looked at the couple one last time before closing her eyes and smiling. Marinette was healing, as far as she could tell so was Damian, and she couldn’t be happier.

*******************************************************************************************

I’m waiting for the screams of the maribat community because it happened. It’s happening. And from here on out? Brace yourselves. 

To those who want more Seabourne Burnouts content, @itawonka-creates is specifically dedicated to my writing (which is just this story rn) so you can just follow the blog and set it up to be notified just in case the tags do not work!

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[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 11 - Scuttlebutt

A Maribat! On Deck AU

Thank you @particularlygeeky for beta reading and for the chapter name idea!

Start [Here] [Part 10] [Part 12]

“I’m telling you, this is where he’s been this whole time.” Adrien looked back at Max and Markov and sent them a shrug. Alya just rolled her eyes as she peered around the corner. She relaxed and waved her hand, “Come on, coast clear.”

Max quietly followed his two friends and asked, “Alya, where exactly are we going?”

“Alya thinks Bruce Wayne is Batman and is trying to figure out why he was gone for such a long time.” Adrien looked back, a rare serious expression on his face, “I don’t think she’s wrong either. Something’s up with them.”

Markov flew up to Adrien and examined him, “Aren’t you friends? According to my data over the last 12 days, you all seemed close.”

Adrien smiled, “Oh, they’re the best. Dick, Jason, and Tim are awesome to hang out with and Damian is treating Marinette really well!”

Max blinked, surprised, “Are they together?”

“If they aren’t by the end of this trip, I’m going to have Ladybug lock them up together like she did with me and Nino.” Alya sent back a coy smirk before peering around the next corner and pointing, “That room should be the one.”

“And how do we know Bruce isn’t in there right now?”

Alya held up her phone, “I got Nino sending me updates while he hangs with the bros.”

Adrien grinned, “Hanging with ‘the bros’? Alya, we’re finally rubbing off on you.”

Alya blinked a few times before glaring at the model. Max and Markov just laughed quietly as they made their way to the door. Alya jiggled it a few times, “Locked.”

“Now what, oh great detective?”

“May I?” Alya motioned for Markov to proceed with whatever plan he has cooked up in his digital brain and Max was just surprised to see his little friend take the lead. Markov brought out something similar to a Swiss Army knife, different tools all on display as he analyzed the lock. He put all but two tools away and began working on the lock. Alya looked back at Max and smiled, “So he can pick locks now?”

Max shrugged, “He likes learning new things. Comes in handy when I forget my house keys.” Adrien chuckled and shook his head as he watched the little robot work. Suddenly there was a click and the door cracked open. Markov pulled back and looked pleased with himself.

Adrien held out a fist, “Nice job!” The little robot was happy to bump fists as the four walked inside the room. Alya closed the door behind them and turned on the light. “Oh, this isn’t suspicious.” Adrien looked around the room and noted a few things, there were some office chairs and a large circular table. All pretty standard until you took into account the large supercomputer taking up the farthest wall away from the door.

Max immediately ran over to the computer and whistled, “This is incredible. How do you even get this on a boat?”

“More importantly, why does he need this on a boat?” Alya took a few pictures before pressing the space key. The monitor lit up and everyone stared at the line requiring a password. Alya scowled, “Markov, Max, you think you could help?”

Max and Markov looked at each other before Markov plugged himself into the computer and Max pulled up a chair. “Give us a few minutes.” Alya smiled and gave them both a quick hug and pecks on the cheek and display monitor, surprising the two for a second before they returned to work.

“You guys are the best.”

“Hey, Alya?” Alya turned back to Adrien who held up a stuffed folder from a nearby drawer. Alya walked over and Adrien opened the file. The two looked through the photos of Paris’s resident heroes as well as very detailed reports of different Akuma attacks.

“Hey, that’s Rena Rouge. Carapace and Queen Bee too.” Adrien set the file on the table and Alya began looking through the photos. “Queen Bee and-“ her breath hitched and Adrien peered over her shoulder to look at the photo. He was shocked to see the photo of the core five fighting against Hawkmoth on the Eifel Tower.

“This is from Heroes Day.”

“Look there.” Alya point behind Hawkmoth, “Isn’t that the first Amok?”

“Yeah, it is.” Adrien looked through the reports and found details such as first sightings, hair color, eye color, appeared race and ethnicity, appeared age range, and much more. He found details on their powers and fighting styles. On almost all of them, he found the same line of text. “Appears to be a novice in both fighting styles and control of power. May be children.” 

Adrien looked over his and Ladybug’s reports, “Two most seasoned out of the heroes. Always active. Patrol frequently. Appear to be close, but no romantic relationship noted besides light banter from Cat Noir. Most likely in early adolescence when beginning hero work. Do not appear to know each other’s identities.” He bit his lip at the different photos of him and his teammates.

Alya furrowed her eyebrows, “How did they get these? Some of these aren’t even on the Ladyblog.” Adrien licked his lips and ran his fingers through his hair. The two felt their anxiety spike the more information they uncovered in the documents. “Who are they?”

Adrien turned his attention to some pictures of Pegasus, Viperion, and King Monkey along with a few other rare heroes. “These are heroes Ladybug rarely uses. I mean, they have to be if you don’t recognize them.” Alya took some photos of the files on her phone and Adrien felt his heart racing, “How did-“

“We’re in.” The two quickly turned to Max and Markov and watched the monitor blew up in different windows, all displaying different videos and reports. “What is all of this?”

Adrien gathered all the files together and held them under his arm as he walked over to the computer. He looked at all the windows before pointing at one of them, “Expand that one.” Max clicked on the window and it showed the image of a hallway, “Press play.”

They were shocked to watch footage of the raid, men storming the halls and causing mayhem. Alya paused it and minimized the window before clicking on a different one. She pressed the play button and watched as Damian and Marinette narrowly escaped some of the raiders passing through a hallway. Adrien gulped audibly, not realizing how close of a call it was for his two friends. Alya minimized the window and clicked on one more window. She found herself looking at her own blog.

Adrien shook his head and licked his lips, “Alya-“

“This is it.” Alya let out a nervous laugh, “This is it. This is the evidence I’ve been looking for.”

Markov shook his head, “We’ll need something more substantial than this if you are going to accuse a man of being a famous vigilante.”

Adrien grabbed the mouse, “What’s this one?” He expanded the window and they all found themselves looking at an image of the raiders in cells. He hesitantly pushed play and they watched as the raiders disappeared in a black and purple haze, leaving behind two boys. One was injured in his leg and police suddenly stormed the cell.

“Adrien, that’s-”

“What’s going on here?” The four all turned to the doorway and found a very stern looking Bruce standing in the doorway, arms crossed. While he didn’t yell, nor did he make a move towards them, the four flinched.

Alya looked at her phone, realizing it was on ‘Do Not Disturb’ and completely missing all of Nino’s messages. She gulped and stepped up first, “Why didn’t you tell us the raiders were Akumas?”

Bruce blinked and uncrossed his arms, “What?”

“The raiders.” Alya turned back to the computer to rewind the video and played back the moment they disappeared. She paused it when the black and purple haze covered the screen and then brought back up her Ladyblog. She pulled up a video of a former Akuma and forwarded the video to the part where Ladybug captured the Akuma. The monster was covered in a purple and black haze before being turned back to normal. She pulled up the two videos side by side and pressed play on both windows. The room fell silent as they realized the haze was the exact same in both videos. Bruce walked up to the monitor and replayed both clips a few times as if to make sure what he was seeing was real.

Bruce turned to the kids, “One, you are all in big trouble. You are not allowed in this area and you clearly broke in as this door is always locked.” The kids all looked at each other nervously before turning their attention back to Bruce. He sighed, “Two, you are all going to help me in my investigation.”

The group blinked before Adrien shook his head, “What?”

“I thought this was a computer glitch, but clearly this is out of my depth of knowledge. I don’t know much about what’s going on in Paris, but you three clearly do.” He pointed at Alya, “Especially you.”

Alya gulped and nodded. She bit her lip before finally asking meekly, “So it’s true?” Bruce didn’t say anything, instead turning his attention back to the monitor. Alya smiled and laughed quietly, “Oh, Tim owes me so much.”

Bruce sighed, “Yes. Yes, he does.” He turned to the four and then locked his attention to Alya, “No one can know. I know you are a reporter and this is asking to go against everything you stand for, but no one can know.”

Alya held up her hands in surrender and shook her head, “No way. Gotham is crazy dangerous. This evidence is to prove to Tim and to myself that I am a good reporter and investigator. None of this information is leaving this ship.” She smiled and giggled, “Besides, when Marinette and Damian get married, I don’t want to have you glaring at me from across the room during the wedding.”

Bruce cracked a smile before he returned to a stoic expression, “That goes for you two boys as well.”

Adrien placed a hand on Max’s shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, “Bruce, we would never.” He sighed and his expression was grim, “Over the past few years, we’ve all accumulated secrets. One’s we’ll take to the grave.”

Bruce blinked, this boy has done nothing but smile and look at the bright side of things whenever they’ve interacted. To see him so serious and so tired made him feel an even greater sense of urgency to figure out what was going on in Paris. Bruce moved to log off of the computer before Alya grabbed his arm, “Wait!” She moved one of the windows up to the center of the screen and they realized it was a live feed of one of the security cameras. She narrowed her eyes, “Is that-”

Bruce watched in disbelief along with the other kids in the room as his youngest and the girl of honor walked together down the halls, unusually close and attention solely on each other. “You know when Dick told me they were close, I didn’t think they were that close.”

“They’re close, but something’s different.” She hesitated turning on the sound, but ultimately rose the volume.

“-e’s not picking up.” Marinette groaned, “I just want to get this over with.”

“Considering we can’t find my brothers either, they’re probably all hanging out together.” He rubbed his neck and flinched.

Marinette looked him over and frowned, “I’m sorry, we should’ve-”

“Don’t apologize.” Damian rolled his head and smiled at her, “It was nice.” She returned the smile and the two leaned into each other.

A quick kiss between the two and Alya screeched, “SHE DIDN’T TELL ME!”

All the males in the room flinched and Markov just flittered around happily, “How sweet!”

Bruce turned to Adrien who just shrugged and stepped slowly away from the panting reporter, “Alya, she just said she was looking for us. She’s probably looking for us to tell us.”

Alya snarled, “NO! We have a code! If she were to ever get a boyfriend she needs to text me ‘Code Pink’ and I was supposed to march over and interrogate the guy. That’s been our plan since she was still crushing on you!”

Max pointed at her phone, “Did you check your messages?”

“Of course I-” She stopped and then frantically looked through her phone. Sure enough, a message from Marinette reading ‘Code Pink. Please don’t freak out too bad!’ She took a deep breath and nodded, “Okay. Okay, I missed the message. I won’t kill them.” She turned to Bruce and wagged her finger in his face, “Me and you are discussing this later, Bats. Right now, I’ve got to have a few words with your son.” She ran out of the room and the remaining three uttered apologizes before chasing after her.

He paused before he felt his phone vibrate and he answered the call, “Yes.”

Dick chuckled, “Nino was following you because of Alya. Jason and Tim are distracting him with some rhythm games in the arcade now. What was Alya doing?”

Bruce sighed, “Tell Tim he owes her an apology and some praise.”

Dick went silent for a few moments before scoffing, “You’re kidding.”

“I wish. First Tim figures me out and now a bunch of French teenagers? This is getting ridiculous.”

“Not your fault she’s just as stubborn as Tim.” Dick sighed, “So what now?”

“Right now, you’ll want to go look for Damian. He was last seen on the floor above you roaming through the halls.”

Dick sounded confused, “Why?”

“Alya may kill him.”

“Do I want to know why?”

“Let’s just say we saw something very interesting on the camera feed.” Dick didn’t respond and Bruce rolled his eyes, “Trust me, you’ll want to see this.”

Dick groaned and nodded, “Okay. Okay. Sure. We’ll talk later.” Dick turned back to his brothers and Nino playing a few games. He walked over and motioned for them to come follow him, “Come on, we got to go save Damian.”

Tim’s eyebrows furrowed, “What? Why?”

“Apparently Alya’s going to kill him.”

Nino blinked and pulled away from the game, “Why?”

“Don’t know, but Bruce said we wouldn’t want to miss this.” Jason shrugged and the three followed Dick as he led them upstairs. As they walked through the halls they could hear Alya yelling.

Nino made a face before running in front of the group, following her voice until he found Adrien and Max standing in between Alya, Damian, and Marinette. Nino could tell she wasn’t really angry, but she was feeling something intense. “Alya?”

Alya turned to the four and then made a grand gesture to Damian and Marinette, “Can you believe these two? Unbelievable! You are so lucky Chloe wasn’t with me otherwise we’d kick your-”

“As much as I love seeing Damian being yelled at, what is going on?” Jason’s voice cut through the commotion and the two teens in question flinched. The three brothers were slightly unnerved, Damian rarely flinched. Marinette poked her head out from behind Damian and waved nervously, “Marinette?”

“Um, well-” She looked to Damian for help and then suddenly pushed him forward, “You tell them. They’re your brothers.”

Damian glared at her before turning to his brothers and rubbing the back of his neck. “It would seem that our relationship has evolved.” His cheeks seemed to get the slightest hint of pink and Tim was the first to break the silence.

“No way, you actually did it? You actually got yourself a girlfriend?” The three brothers looked at each other before grinning and lunging at their brother.

Jason got Damian in a headlock and started messing with his hair, “We’re so proud of you! Seriously, who knew you had a heart!”

Damian growled and pulled out the headlock only to be jumped by Dick, “You’re growing up! You finally found love!”

Before Damian could say anything back Tim grabbed his shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes, “You are Damian, right? Not some weird clone Talia made?”

“IF YOU DON’T LET GO I WILL KILL ALL OF YOU!” Damian thrashed around in their grips and got nowhere as they continued to tease him until Dick felt a tap on his shoulder.

Dick turned to a very concerned looking Marinette, “I would prefer he’s in one piece, please.”

She lit up bright red when Dick picked her up with almost no effort, “You’re magic you know that!”

She sent Damian a look of uncertainty and laughed nervously, “Um, I also met Kory. She’s really nice!” The three brothers froze and Damian took the chance to get out of their grips. He walked over and helped Marinette down from Dick’s hold and pulled her closer to him. She gulped, “Did I say something wrong?”

Tim narrowed his eyes at Damian, “Who else did she meet?”

“She met the team.”

“So-”

“She knows.”

Before either Jason or Tim could say anything Dick spoke up, “Apparently she’s not the only one who knows.” Dick motioned to Alya and she stood, hands on her hips, proud and smirking at Tim.

Tim’s eyes widened, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Nino looked between the groups and smiled at Alya, “Dude! You were right!”

Marinette and Damian snapped their heads to Alya, “Right about Bruce?”

Alya nodded and high fived Nino as he ran over, “Heck yeah!” She nudged Max and Adrien, “These two helped me.”

“Max?” Marinette looked apologetic, “Oh, Max I’m sorry you got roped into this.”

“Honestly, this is going to be the highlight of this whole vacation. I mean, I’m helping the great big bat with an Akuma investigation!”

Damian narrowed his eyes at the boy, “What investigation?”

Alya and Adrien looked between each other before Adrien stepped up, “Marinette, the raiders that night were Akumas. We saw the police footage, they disappear exactly the same way Akumas do after Ladybug releases the butterfly.” He could tell gears were beginning to turn in her head, “Marinette-”

Marinette shook her head, “No. No way.” She began pacing, “No, no, no, no.” Damian knew the reason why but everyone else seemed concerned for the girl. She suddenly turned to Tim, “Hey, did you send the list of all French passengers on the ship?”

Tim blinked and looked at his phone, “I thought Damian asked me for that.”

“We both did. Did you do it or not, Drake?” Damian walked over and looked Marinette in the eyes, a conversation passing between them as she bit her thumb’s nail. He sighed and turned back to his brothers, “Drake?”

“Sent.” A notification went off on both of their phones and they began walking off. “Hey-”

“Tell Father, we’re doing a bit of our own investigation. For now, the rest of you inform Chloe and start looking through all the files.”

Adrien ran up and grabbed Marinette arm, “Marinette, later we’ll have to talk.”

“Adrien-”

His voice got low and he whispered, “Princess, we have to talk.”

Marinette froze for a second before finally nodding, “I’ll text you later tonight.” She turned back to Damian and the two continued walking down the hallway, leaving behind a very concerned and confused friend group.

Damian looked over at Marinette’s stern expression and sighed, “This doesn’t prove anything.”

“Damian, you and I both know we were out in the water when that happened. There’s no way that’s a rouge Akuma. He’s on the ship.” Damian’s lips pressed into a hard line as Marinette walked to the nearest dining area. She sat herself down at the nearly empty bar and began looking through the files.

Damian sat next to her, looked around the room for anyone who could possibly be listening in, then looked through his phone. “That doesn’t mean he knows.”

“Why else would he-”

“A very rich man and his sons are on a ship worth hundreds of millions of dollars. An attack here could prove valuable to anyone with the right motive.”

“But he’s has never wanted money. He’s looking for me, he has to be!”

“Will you two quiet down?” The two turned their attention to the redhead at the bar sitting on the other end. The redhead looked up at the couple and glared, “Have you no mercy for those suffering hangovers?”

“It’s Thursday. Why the hell were you drinking so much on a Wednesday?”

She frowned and turned to the two, heavy Irish accent dripping with every word, “Because I’m pretty sure my boyfriend is cheating on me!” She let her head drop back down onto the bar’s counter as she groaned. Marinette and Damian looked at each other and, despite Damian shaking his head and aggressively mouthing the word ‘No’, Marinette walked over and rubbed the woman’s back.

“I’m sorry. That must hurt so much.”

The lady sniffed and turned her head to face Marinette. She paused before raising her head, “I know you.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “I know. I’m the one that wrote the essay.”

“No, no. I know you.” The woman stared Marinette down as Marinette stepped back a few steps and Damian stood next to her. “I was the one who moved you into your room.”

Marinette blinked and tilted her head in confusion, “But I don’t remember your-”

“My accent? Yeah, the manager doesn’t like it. Told me to speak like a true American or I would be demoted.” She shook her head and scoffed, “Such an ass.”

Damian frowned, “Oh really, what manager is that?”

She snorted, “Manager of residential life. He looks over everything involving passengers who are staying on the boat for extended periods of time.” She shook her head, “He doesn’t even do his job either. I did most of the work for you and your class.”

Marinette frowned and gave her shoulder a small squeeze, “If it makes you feel better, I prefer this accent. Sounds real and it’s a lot more memorable.”

The woman smiled at Marinette and held out her hand, “Name’s Tess. From Limerick.”

Marinette shook her hand eagerly, “Marinette, from Paris.”

Damian sent a few texts and held out his hand, “Damian, Gotham.”

The lady shook it and laughed, “You know you look like Bruce’s runt.”

Damian glared at Tess and sternly said, “I’m not a runt.”

Tess waved her hand as she looked at the empty glass in her hand, “Yeah. Yeah. Do you know how to make drinks kid?” Marinette covered her mouth to keep from laughing while Damian begrudgingly took the glass and made his way behind the bar. Tess smiled, “Now that’s a good man!” She turned to Marinette wiggled her eyebrows, “Lucky lass, aren’t you?”

Marinette blushed and nodded, “I guess I am.” The two laughed and Damian set down the new drink in front of Tess.

Tess held up the glass and glared, “This is water.”

“I’m fifteen, lady. What did you expect?” He smirked, “Besides you need to sober up.”

Tess glared at the boy before reluctantly sipping her water, “Smart kid.” She turned back to Marinette, “So what were you two talking about? You got a stalker or something?”

Marinette sighed, “In a way.”

Tess held a look of pity, “Oh sweetheart, I’m sorry.” She turned to Damian and waved her hand, “And what the hell are you still doing here? Shouldn’t you be fighting for her honor or something?”

Damian rolled his eyes, “We don’t even know if he’s on the boat.”

“He has to be!” Marinette stared at her lap as she played with the hem of her shirt, “I mean-”

Tess held her shoulders and turned Marinette to look her in the eye, “Women have great intuition when it comes to these things. If you feel unsafe, you probably are.” Tess smiled sadly at the girl in front of her and gave her cheek a few pats, “Oh you’re so pretty. That must be hard.”

Marinette smiled, “Not really! I mean, I’ve only ever been attacked a few times-”

Both Tess and Damian snapped their heads to look at her and asked, “Wait, what? By who?”

Marinette pursed her lips together in a line, “A few people. All because of-“ She gulped as she worded her next line carefully, “- all because of the guy. He wants something from me, but I won’t give it to him. I never will.”

Tess bit her lip and looked at her glass, “I’m sorry you’re going through this.” She stared at her glass for a moment before chugging it down and slamming the glass onto the counter, catching the attention of everyone in the room when it shattered. She just blinked a few times and then looked at her bleeding hand, “Aw, crap.”

Marinette jumped off her chair, her words coming out incoherent and panicked, and left to grab a cloth napkin while Damian took her hand. He looked for any large shards that may be making the bleeding worse. He cursed under his breath and scolded her, “What were thinking? I know you’re hungover, but are you really that far gone that you forgot glass breaks?” He shook his head, “There aren’t any big pieces or anything, but you cut yourself bad. Go to the nurse or something.” Marinette came running back with a clean cloth and started carefully wrapping Tess’s hand.

Marinette shook her head, “What on earth was going through your head? This is glass! You could’ve seriously hurt yourself!”

Tess looked between the two before beginning to laugh. Marinette finished wrapping her hand and looked over to Damian for answers. He shrugged and they waited for her to calm down. She waved her hand between the two of them, “You two!” She wiped a tear from her eyes, “Did you guys rehearse that?” She sniffed and sighed, “Oh, Lord, I haven’t laughed like that for weeks.”

The two teens frowned at that statement and Marinette placed a hand on Tess’s shoulder, “Anything we can do?”

“Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m worried about you.” She smiled, “If he’s on this ship, I’ll know. I’ve taken care of all the European passengers on this ship. If you have anyone you want to look into, call me.”

Damian looked surprised before leaning over the counter, careful to avoid the shattered glass, “Do you know if any older male passengers boarded the ship when Marinette and her class did?”

Tess thought for a second and snapped her fingers, “Yes, but he’s American. He was on a business trip.” Damian frowned and started to clean off the counter before Tess hummed, “Does it have to be right when you boarded?”

Marinette shook her head, “No, I guess not.”

“There was a couple who got onto the ship a few days before you did when we were at a different port.” She paused for a moment to think, “He looked very professional and I couldn’t tell if the woman was his lover or his secretary. Probably both.” She looked at Marinette concerned, “Wait, your stalker is an older fella? What kind of pedophile-“

“Marinette?” Damian watched as she pondered over the new information and her eyes darted around along with the thoughts in her head.

Marinette’s eyes widened and she mumbled, “Mayura.”

“Hm?”

Marinette shook her head, “Nothing. Where are they now?”

Tess thought before groaning, “I need my clipboard to tell you that.”

Damian looked at Tess, “You know you could get into serious trouble for this. This is a breach of privacy.”

Tess glared at Damian, “Are you really going to tell me you’re going to tell my manager for helping your girlfriend?”

Damian smirked, “No. I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing.” Damian looked at his phone and looked back up at Tess, “As far as I’m concerned you are in need of a promotion and a raise for helping us out.”

Tess rolled her eyes, “Oh yeah, like that’s going to happen.” She looked at her wrapped hand and frowned, “I need to go to the nurse first.”

Marinette smiled, “You want us to come along?”

“No, Marinette, you stay with your man. I’ll come find you later tonight. You’ll be in your room around 6, right?”

“We can be.”

“I’ll see you then.”

Damian spoke up, “Can you tell us the names of the couple?”

Tess turned back to the boy and hummed, “I think the last name started with an A. I’ll have to check.”

Damian shook his head, “No need. We’ll see you tonight.” Tess nodded and headed out of the room, leaving the two teens at the bar. Damian scrolled through the list Tim sent him, “The only A names are Aaron, Azreth, and Agreste. Unless Adrien is Hawkmoth, I say we check out the other two.”

Marinette shook her head, “No, I know for a fact he isn’t.” She sat back down and let her head fall onto the counter, a small smack could be her from where her head made contact. Damian poked her and she turned her head, “What?”

“You okay there?”

“No.”

“At least you’re honest.” Damian handed Marinette a glass of water and she smiled. He leaned against the counter and scowled, “When you talked about Hawkmoth with Tess just now, the way you worded your situation-“

“What about it? I couldn’t exactly tell her I’m being chased by a supervillain.”

Damian shook his head, “No, it just didn’t sit well with me. Even worse than the actual situation sits with me. You make it sound like a creepy old man is trying to force you to sleep with him.”

She shuttered, “Oh god, no. If that ever happens, my mom would murder the man.”

“I’ll help her. I’m trained to do so anyway.” She glared at Damian, but he kept a serious expression. “I’m serious. He’s forcing people to do things they don’t want to do. They don’t remember any of what happened. And all of it is because he’s trying to take care of his own needs.”

Marinette scrunched up her nose and scowled, “When you put it that way, yes he sounds like a monster.”

“He is a monster.”

“But even worse.” She sighed and looked around the room, “You know when I got on this boat I took comfort in the fact that Hawkmoth’s Akumas wouldn’t get to me. Now I don’t even have that anymore.”

Damian grabbed Marinette’s hand and rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. He leaned in close and whispered, “We’ll figure this out. You got Robin on your side, which means Batman and the rest are soon to follow.”

She smiled and poked him, “Ah yes, the son of the dark knight. How could I forget?” She giggled, “So I’m assuming your brothers are also-“

“Yes.”

“Of course.” She shook her head and giggled, “That makes total sense.”

“What about your friends? Are any of them miraculous holders? I know Chloe’s Queen Bee but-“

“I actually can’t answer that. At least not right now. Me telling you about Ladybug is one thing, but if anyone else on this boat is a miraculous holder I can’t say.”

“You know about my family.”

“Yeah, but I doubt you would’ve told me. Alya found you guys out.” Damian didn’t say anything to argue with the statement, only proving Marinette’s point. Marinette took a few sips of her water, “We should investigate tonight.”

“Okay. Tess at 6, leave by 6:30. We’ll have to research their routines first though to see if they leave their rooms at all. We can use the main computer downstairs to look at the security footage.”

“We should split up. It’s easier to sneak around on your own than it is with two people.”

Damian shook his head, “No way. I’m going with you.”

“No, we need to figure this out as soon as possible. It’d be easier to just look through both rooms tonight separately than searching through the rooms together over the course of two days.” Damian still looked hesitant and she smiled at him, “I’ll be-“

“DUPAIN-CHENG!” The two turned to see Chloe fuming at the entranceway and the couple tensed. She stomped over and wagged her finger in Marinette’s face, “How many times do I have to tell you, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO TELL ME IN PERSON IF ANYTHING BIG HAPPENS!” She pointed at Damian behind the bar, “So why on earth do I have to hear from Alya that you started DATING DAMIAN WAYNE?” Marinette seemed to shrink the louder Chloe got and she smiled shamefully. Chloe looked between the two and groaned, fixing her ponytail and taking a few breaths. “I’m very happy for you, but I feel left out.”

Marinette sighed and hugged Chloe, “Sorry, we just had something urgent to take care of.”

Chloe lowered her voice and pointed at Damian, “You mean regarding the fact that your boyfriend’s dad dresses like nocturnal furry?”

Damian choked and glared at the blonde, “One, will you keep it down? I know there are only like four people in here but you catch people’s attention. Two, he does not!” Marinette giggled, earning a glare before he turned back to Chloe. “Alya told us the raid was caused by an Akuma.”

Chloe paused for a moment before biting her lip, “Well, that’s not good.” She thought for a moment and looked between the two, “So he may be on the ship?”

“It’s a theory.”

“If you need me for anything, I’ll do what I can. I’ll keep track of the gossip on the ship and see if any stories seem suspicious. I’ve gotten close with a few of the crew members since we got on the ship.”

Damian blinked, “You and the servants? Who knew?”

Chloe glared, “Just because you’re a Wayne doesn’t make you untouchable, Damian.” Damian rolled his eyes at the hollow threat and she turned back to Marinette, “Stay away from Lila.”

“Lila?”

“She gets under your skin. I don’t want to have to face you as an Akuma.” Marinette nodded and Chloe pulled away from the two, “I’ll let you know if I hear anything.” She waved and left the room, leaving the couple in silence as they imagined how bad an akumatized Marinette could be.

Damian shuttered, “You’d kick ass as an Akuma, but I’d rather not fight you.”

Marinette smiled and shook her head, “I almost was akumatized a few times. The closest call I had was when I was about to take off my earrings. I snapped out of it right before that happened. After that, I started to just push down everything. If what I felt could lead to loosing Ladybug, then I’d rather not feel at all.”

Damian left the bar and walked over to Marinette’s side, “You know that isn’t healthy.”

“Doesn’t matter, I can’t afford to lose.” He grabbed her hand and she looked up at him with a soft smile on her face, “We should go and look over the security footage. We need to prepare for tonight.” He nodded and started leading her through the hallways and stairwells to a room where Bruce stood over a large computer. Marinette knocked on the doorframe and Bruce turned to look at the couple. He smiled at the two and straightened himself out.

“Well, well, look at the two love-”

“Don’t.” Damian walked over to the computer, pushing past Bruce and clicking on various windows on the monitor.

Marinette shook her head and walked over to Bruce, “How are you? We haven’t seen you in a while.”

Bruce smiled, “I’m fine. Tired. I’ve been looking over the footage for over a week and Alya figured it out after watching it once.” He rubbed his eyes, “I’m losing my touch.”

“It would seem so, Father. Time to retire?” Bruce glared at Damian, who just smirked to himself as he pulled up a few pieces of footage and the Ladyblog. Marinette hit his shoulder lightly, trying not to laugh for Bruce’s sake, and turned her attention to the screen. “This seems to be the right video.”

He expanded the window and played back the footage of the raiders disappeared and Marinette pointed at the screen. “Wait, rewind it a few seconds and pause.” Damian did as instructed and Marinette pointed at one of the boys. “That one. That’s the one Captain Staller shot, isn’t it?”

Damian nodded, “Looks like it. It’s even his left leg too.”

Marinette looked around the boys’ cell, “Where’s the akumatized object?”

“The what?”

“The akumatized object.” She grabbed the mouse away from Damian and pulled up the Ladyblog. She pulled up some videos of previous Akuma’s and forwarded the fight videos to when they would capture the Akumas. “See? All Akumas need a catalyst. They usually enter an object of interest on the person to possess the person. Ladybug and Cat Noir have to figure out what it is to release and capture the Akuma.” She pulled back up the previous window and played back the kids returning to normal, “Now look. There’s no akumatized object on either of them. Nothing broke.”

“Do the akumatized objects have to break for the Akuma to leave?”

“Not always, but we should’ve been able to see an Akuma flying away from the boys. They aren’t that fast.”

“Meaning the object wasn’t on the kids.” Damian hummed, “What were the police able to confiscate?”

Bruce looked through some of his files and pulled out a picture of a plastic bag. “They wouldn’t give me the evidence, but they allowed me to take a photo.”

Marinette looked at the photo and shuttered. She examined the photo of the odd gun and licked her lips, “I didn’t notice this before.”

“Didn’t notice what?”

She pointed at the gun’s barrel, “Look, there are three different types of ‘bullets’. Red, green, and white.” She thought for a moment and gulped, “We know green had the laughing gas.”

Bruce went to go grab some more photos from the raid and pulled out ones documenting the rooms where there were explosions. He pointed at one of the photos, “So this red residue must be from the red chamber.”

“Then what does white do?” Damian looked up at Bruce and asked, “Do we have any photos of the boys after they turned back?”

Bruce thought for a second before pulling out two photos. Marinette didn’t like the idea of two boys taking mug shots, especially when one was injured, but it was evidence. She looked at the one with the injured leg and studied him carefully until she found a picture of him from behind, “There. White residue.” She pointed at a small dot of white on the back of the boy’s shirt and hummed, “Okay, so let’s say white turns people into raiders. Where did the others come from then?”

Bruce frowned, “More importantly, where are they now? If the boys are back to normal, then shouldn’t there be more people in that cell?”

Damian looked over the footage and zoomed in on the floor surrounding the boys. The footage was grainy, but there were clearly things surrounding them once they transformed back. “What if it’s not just people? What if the white bullets just make henchmen in general?”

Bruce pulled out his phone and walked over to the other side of the room, “Excuse me, I need to make some calls.”

Marinette started to get frustrated and mumbled to herself, “Where are you now?”

“Where’s who now?” She looked up and found herself looking up at Adrien, Alya, and the others. “Figured something out?”

Damian scoffed, “Yes, we did. What took you guys so long?”

“Alya and Tim were arguing about what her prize would be.”

Tim growled, “I’m not giving her a prize because I still can prove Marinette is Ladybug!”

“Give it a rest already!” Alya walked over to Marinette’s side, “I love my girl here, but she’s not Ladybug. I would know.” Damian bit his lip to keep from laughing and turned away from the group. Marinette just rolled her eyes and hugged Alya. Alya happily accepted, “Not to say you wouldn’t make a good Ladybug, though. You would totally rock at superhero business.”

Adrien looked over to Nino and pouted, “Why can’t we be like that?”

Nino rolled his eyes and pulled Adrien into a hug, “You’re so needy.” The two boys snickered as they pulled away and joined the girls as they gathered around the table.

Dick turned to his brothers, “Now, why can’t we be-”

A collective “No” resonated in the room, making Dick grumble as they listened to Marinette’s explanation on how they think the gun works. Jason hummed, “Given the weird style of the thing I’d say the akumatized object was some kind of dart gun. Look, the chambers are stupid wide and there’s a pump when this is supposed to be a pistol.”

Bruce walked back over and nodded, “Jason’s right. After the boys turned back the gun in the bag turned out to be a toy.”

“And the stuff on the floor?”

“Action figures.”

Alya hummed, “So kind of like a mix between Befena and Puppeteer. Interesting.”

“How so?”

Alya motioned for Tim and the others to gather around the computer as she pulled up more footage, “If you look at previous Akumas, they’ve all had one kind of power set. At least most of them have. Befena is one of the few that could do two different things, turn people to coal or transform them into her army of angels. Puppeteer, on the other hand, had the ability to control any sort of toy, statue, etc. It’s interesting that this Akuma is a bit of a mix with more complex powers.”

Chloe crossed her arms, “Okay, but that doesn’t really give us much to work on. So what if this one had one extra power? The other ones have been normal. Probably just a fluke.”

“Or his powers are evolving.” The group turned to Adrien as he thought, “No seriously, he’s been at this for years. Who’s to say he’s not getting stronger?”

Nino shuttered and shook his head, “Don’t even say that, dude. I don’t want to put that out there.”

Damian turned to Adrien, “Besides, Chloe’s right the others have been relatively normal. I agree it could’ve been a fluke.”

“What if it isn’t, though?” Marinette eyes darted between everyone in the group, fearful and tense, “Guys, when this Akuma attacked we were out on open waters.”

“So?”

Tim’s eyes widened, “That’s why you asked for the list. You think he’s on the ship.”

Marinette’s expression only hardened and she gripped onto the chair in front of her. Adrien looked her over and reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, “Marinette-”

She stepped away and started pacing, “What if he is getting stronger? What if he’s the reason everyone on this ship is acting so weird?”

“What do you mean?”

Damian looked at the group and spoke as if this was common knowledge, “You guys haven’t noticed? Everyone’s on edge. Tim lashed out at us. People have been fighting with their good friends. Hell, even the captain says his depression’s getting worse.” He stared at the photo of Hawkmoth on top of the Eifel Tower and resisted the urge to crumple it up. “It would make sense he’s on this ship. Most of the cities we’ve gone to have been attacked, as well as the ship itself, while Paris has had a quiet streak.”

Jason shook his head, “Why the hell is he on the ship, though?” Adrien and Marinette locked eyes for a brief moment, panic passing between the two as they debated saying anything at all.

Adrien gulped, “Probably because-”

“It’s me.” Everyone turned to Marinette and she tensed up, clearly going off of impulse instead of logic. “It’s me, guys.” Damian narrowed his eyes at her as everyone waited with baited breath. She reached into her purse and made eye contact with Tikki. Tikki was about to fly out when she gently pushed her out of the way and pulled out a familiar red and black box. She opened it and a bright light flashed in the room before everyone came to notice a small horse-like creature flying around the room. “Kaalki-”

She floated around the room before landing on Damian’s head. Her British accent was present in every word, “Now these are holders I approve of. Clearly noble blood. Which one am I working with?”

Marinette shook her head and motioned for Kaalki to return to her. Kaalki rolled her eyes before floating back over to the girl and sitting on her shoulder. Marinette turned back to the group and figured she should’ve expected these reactions. Her friends were not necessarily impressed, rather they were simply taking in the appearance of the kwami. However, most of the Wayne family wore various expressions of shock on their faces. Damian didn’t outwardly react, but she could tell he still was intrigued by Kaalki’s appearance. “Ladybug gave me the horse miraculous because she knew our class has been an epicenter for Akumas since Hawkmoth first appeared. If she ever needed to come over for whatever reason, I was supposed to hide, transform, and make a portal for her and Cat Noir.”

“So every time you disappeared during an Akuma attack you-” Marinette nodded and Tim groaned, “Damn it!”

Alya ran over and bounced on the balls of her feet, “You’re a hero. You’re a hero! You’re a hero!” She squealed and spun Marinette around, nearly making her trip. “Yes! I knew it was only a matter of time!”

Marinette snorted as she rebalanced herself and Nino patted her back. Nino beamed, “Dude! You’ve been doing great!”

Chloe and Adrien shared a look before smiling softly at the girl. Adrien looked visibly relieved at her explanation and sent a thumbs up. However, the other men in the room looked disapprovingly at her. She pulled away from Alya and took back a serious demeanor. She coughed, “Um-”

“I mean I get it. Still, why the hell would she choose a kid?”

“I’m with Jason on this one. That’s not fair to put that on you while you’re on vacation. Precaution or not they should’ve given it to a teacher.” Dick’s expression was unusually grim, making Marinette shrink under his gaze.

Damian pushed forward and glared back at the oldest. It wasn’t unusual for Damian to challenge the others, but they were surprised that he wasn’t mad on Marinette’s behalf with them. Damian's voice was stern and unwavering, “Well, for whatever reason she has one of these things. If this Hawkmoth even had the slightest suspicion there was a miraculous on the boat, of course he would board.”

Bruce nodded, “That’s true. Your class winning the competition made headlines, so he would definitely know about you all being on the ship.”

“But does he know you have it specifically?” Jason stared between Kaalki and Marinette, “Does he know Marinette Dupain-Cheng has the horse miraculous?”

“I don’t know.”

Tim shook his head, “I doubt it. I mean, he may know it’s on the ship but I doubt he knows who has it. Otherwise he would’ve been targeting you from the beginning.”

Chloe waved her hand and scoffed, “You say that as if he’s going by his normal pattern. He hasn’t been talking to any of his Akumas lately. He’s clearly trying to smoke out Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

Bruce turned to the blonde and frowned, “Chloe has a point. He’s trying to make them run out of time outside of Paris. Get them away from their usual playing field, make them disoriented in a different country and use it against them.”

Chloe nodded and turned back to the computer screen. “So if that’s what he’s getting at, then he’s probably going to send out another Akuma tomorrow when we dock. It’s obvious what we should do.”

Nino raised an eyebrow, almost not believing he’s hearing this all from the mayor’s daughter, “And what do we do, Queenie?”

She turned to the Wayne family and pointed at them, “We send them out first. That’ll confuse the heck out of Hawkmoth. If we do what we did last time where some of us kept watch for possible akumatized objects while Alya films for Ladybug we won’t have to worry about them possibly running out of time. They can just swoop in and get the Akuma while they act as a distraction and buy time.”

“We can’t ask them to do that!” The room turned to Marinette and she shook her head, “You forget, they don’t have magic to keep them safe. You know how dangerous Akumas can be! They could get hurt!”

Dick’s face deadpanned and his voice was monotone, “You realize we’ve been at this since before you guys were born, right?”

Jason walked over to Marinette and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “Yeah! You don’t have to worry about us, we’ve faced threats way worse than some of these guys!”

Marinette’s eyes widened and Tim was quick to reassure, “What he means is that we’re seasoned heroes. Yes, we’ve fought a lot of bad guys, but we’re still here! We know what we’re doing!”

“Unlike you.” The group turned to Bruce who still looked disgruntled, “It frustrates me that you were just given this responsibility. You’re a child.”

Dick rolled his eyes, “Look who’s calling the kettle black.”

The three boys snickered and Bruce glared, “I gave you all choices and trained you. I gave you this opportunity because it was the best path to take for all of you to grow and heal from your pasts.” He then pointed at the third Robin, “Except Tim, Tim found me and asked for this.” Tim nodded smugly and Bruce motioned to Marinette, “What does she gain from this? She doesn’t have training, she doesn’t have trauma to heal from, and she doesn’t need this.” He turned to the kids and sighed, “None of you do. This mess should’ve been taken care of by people who were qualified. Not a bunch of kids!”

Adrien stepped up and raised his voice, “With all due respect, for what they’ve been handed they’ve been doing the best they can. All of the heroes have been doing the best they can. Paris is still standing, the world hasn’t seen disaster from Hawkmoth’s influence, and we’re still here too!”

Alya nodded, “Adrien’s right. Ladybug and Cat Noir may not have Batman to handpick and train them, but they stepped up! They are doing what you did, without all the assets or support! They’re great heroes and I refuse to stand here and let you bash them like that!”

“Besides, Marinette is the best choice out of all of us to be handed that miraculous, anyway.” Chloe flipped back her ponytail and crossed her arms, “She’s the only one who hasn’t been akumatized. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, she’s just as clever and resourceful as Ladybug. She made the right call!”

Marinette froze in the middle of a staredown between the Gotham heroes and the Paris ones. She backed away and looked between the two, feeling the tension rise, and she suddenly needed air. She felt someone grab her arm and pull her away towards the door. She looked up at Damian, wearing an unreadable expression on his face, and slammed the door behind him. As he turned a corner they bumped into someone and as soon as he recognized the person he scowled. “What do you want?”

Lila rubbed her nose, “Ow. If you must know, Ms. Bustier has been looking for Bruce to talk about the arrangements for tomorrow. Markov said I might find him down here, but I got lost in this maze of a floor!” She huffed and crossed her arms, “Seriously, not very hospitable.” She blinked, noticing the figure behind him, and leaned to the side to get a better look, “Marinette?”

Marinette tensed and started to walk past her, keeping her eyes trained on the ground in front of her. She didn’t look back when she heard Damian slap his hand around Lila’s wrist and warn her against following them. Marinette practically ran up the steps and ran to the middle of the main deck. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and mumbled to herself, “Four counts in, four counts hold, four counts out.”

She took a few more breaths before opening her eyes and taking in the scenery around them. She realized she was standing near the main lounging area and noticed a bunch of her other classmates playing around and swimming in the pool. Damian walked up next to her, but before he could say anything she thought out loud, “We’re never going to be like that are we?”

Damian looked around, “Like what?”

“Normal.” She grabbed his arm and leaned onto him, “They’re here just on normal vacation. Not sitting downstairs in a dark room arguing about heroes and villains and responsibilities.”

Damian shook his head, “No, we’re-”

“Heads up!” Suddenly they were wet. Soaking wet. The two turned around, startled and confused, only to be faced with Kim holding an empty bucket surrounded by Alix, Max, Markov, Ivan, and Mylène. Kim wore a smug look on his face while the others laughed.

It took a few moments before Marinette finally snapped, “Kim, what did you-”

“Max and Markov told us you guys finally decided to go out! We didn’t have any rice or anything so we improvised!”

Damian glared, “That’s for weddings, imbecile!”

Kim looked back and laughed, “You’re right, he does use big words.”

“I told you!” Alix stepped up, jumped, and wrapped her arms around the couple’s shoulders. “Seriously though, congratulations! We were wondering who our dear class president would finally end up with. We just didn’t think it’d be you!”

Mylène just rolled her eyes and patted Marinette’s shoulder, “We’re just excited for you.” Ivan nodded and then glared at Damian, “Oh, also we’re here to intimidate him. You know how these things go.”

Marinette stepped in between the group and Damian and spread out her arms, “No! No more interrogations! Alya practically yelled our ears off this morning!”

“Oh, that’s why she was yelling. We just thought she found out a new thing about Ladybug or something.” Alix snickered, “Good for her, but we’re not done yet.”

Marinette growled, “Nuh-uh. Nope. Not happening! I just got a boyfriend and I am NOT letting you all scare him off!”

Damian blinked, taken aback by her words, before smirking and putting a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. Not like any of them are intimidating to me.”

Alix glared, “You take that back, Wayne!”

“No, but this is seriously so rud-” The sudden stop made Damian turn to Marinette, only to find her staring at him like he grew two heads. He raised an eyebrow at her, confused, and tried to move away slowly. He thought it may have been something behind him, but her eyes followed him wherever he moved.

“Marinette?”

She blinked, snapping out of whatever trance she was in, and a wave of red washed over her face and neck. She growled and started pointing at him, “THAT’S WHAT YOUR HAIR LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT HAIR GEL?” She snarled, “OH COME ON!”

Damian frowned, incredibly confused, “What did I do?”

“You- YOU-“ She lunged at him, “YOU CAN’T KEEP GETTING BETTER LOOKING! THAT’S NOT FAIR!” Damian dodged out of the way and then grabbed her arms when she reached for his hair. She huffed and glared at him, “What else are you hiding? You have cute glasses too, huh? I need to be mentally prepared for these things!” She got more and more red, if possible, the longer she yelled, “If this keeps happening and you keep getting better looking, I’m going to be a mess! It’ll be a complete DISASTER!”

Damian finally took note of the hair falling around his face. He was told it look similar to Dick’s hair when he was younger in the way it framed his face. Definitely takes away the professional appearance Damian was keen on keeping, but if he could get her this flustered by letting it be every once in a while might not be a bad thing. He turned back to the girl, “Marine-”

Marinette twisted her herself out of his grip and jumped on his back, “Let me mess with your hair!”

Damian stumbled around, “Marinette, get off!”

She ran her fingers through his hair in an attempt to turn it back to what she was familiar with. “Not until you get back to a tolerable level of attractiveness!”

He struggled to keep balance and looked over at her friend group, who were practically crying in laughter at the whole thing. Her movements made him take one step too many to the right and the two lost complete balance and found themselves falling into the pool. Damian came up first, soon followed by Marinette who swam immediately to the edge and jumped out. He watched her, afraid she was going to try something else, but noticed that she was hugging herself and was shaking. He got out, grabbed a towel from the nearest towel rack, and wrapped it around her. “Marinette, you okay?”

She turned to him, fear clear in her eyes, and she flinched away from his touch before recognizing him. She gulped and shook her head, “I’m fine. Just,” She paused and took a shaky breath, “Brought up bad memories.” Suddenly taking an unexpected dive into the water brought her back to the night of the raid. The spot on her cheek that the raider kissed felt on fire and her heart raced as the next moments flashed before her eyes.

Damian sighed and moved hair away from her face, “Let’s get changed, otherwise we’re going to get sick.”

Mylène and Alix walked up, the group long since stopped laughing when they saw Marinette scramble to get out of the water, and looked over the girl. Mylène smiled at Damian, “We’ll take her back to her room and get her cleaned up. We’ll see you at dinner.”

Damian nodded and placed a small kiss on the top of her head, “Okay. See you around 4?”

She blinked, pink coming back to her cheeks, and nodded as she was led away by two of her friends. Damian watched as they walked past Lila, finally coming back after finding the others and talking to his father, and she smirked as soon as she knew they couldn’t see her. When she turned back, the two locked eyes and Damian felt his anger rising just looking at the girl. He was about to step towards her before Ivan put a hand on his arm. Kim grinned, “Woah! We still gotta talk!”

Damian sighed, “About?”

Ivan smiled, “Sorry about the mean look. The girls are adamant about us talking to you and playing bad cops.”

Max adjusted his glasses, “Which is odd because they’d more likely be bad cops in this situation.”

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose and suddenly felt exhausted. “Who else do I have to worry about? So far, Alya, Chloe, Alix, and Mylène have all yelled at me. Who else?”

Max shrugged, “I mean I doubt Rose or Juleka would yell at you, they’ll be super happy for you guys. Kagami though is a different story.”

“The fencer?”

“Oh yeah, but you don’t have to worry about her until you arrive in Paris.” Kim snickered, “Oh man and that’s not even counting her family! Her grandmother is great, but I’d hate to see her mad.”

Ivan nodded, “That’s not even counting Jagged Stone, Fang, or Penny.”

Damian groaned, “At least her parents like me.”

“WOAH!” Kim grabbed Damian’s shoulders, “You met the parents? Dude!”

Damian shrugged his hands off and stepped back, “I met them back when we first explored Spain and we’ve only talked a few times since.”

“So what’d they do when you told them you guys were dating? You know they’ve been just as eager to see her date someone as her friends, right?” Max watched as Damian paled slightly, “You haven’t told them yet.”

Damian glared and got defensive, “This happened last night, we haven’t exactly had the time!”

Ivan laughed and patted Damian’s back with more force than he was expecting. He made Damian lurch forward with every pat, “Don’t worry. They’re really nice.”

Markov fluttered around the boy, “You know Damian, you’ve become much more sociable since this trip started. When we first met you, you didn’t really talk to anyone outside of Marinette and her close friends.”

“Yeah, and you kept calling us by our last names for some reason.” Kim wore a stern demeanor and pointed at Damian, “Wayne.” He immediately broke character and laughed. “Seriously though, you’re like one of us now!”

Damian blinked at the statement, “What?���

“Yeah, Damian. We need to hang out more before the trip is over.” Ivan chuckled, “If you can get away from Marinette.”

Damian gulped, not really knowing how to feel about all of this. A part of him, deep down, was actually happy. This class just welcomed him and he felt a normalcy he couldn’t even get from Jon when they were in school together. Jon knew he was a hero and went with him to go crime-fighting. While Jon gave him a friend for life, it wasn’t a normal relationship due to their abilities and duties. These kids only knew him as Damian and couldn’t care less about who his family was. The name Wayne meant nothing to them, they just cared about Damian and it was both refreshing and thought-provoking for him. He spent his whole life looking down on these types of people. Those who didn’t have to worry like he did, fight like he did, or survive like he did. They just lived and he finally got a taste of what it meant to simply be 15 with other kids his age.

However, he felt like an imposter. There was a reason he didn’t get close to normal people, he wasn’t one of them. He could never be one of them. His breeding, his training, his past, his future, all of it ruled against anything normal. He couldn’t have this, but admitting that meant he couldn’t have Marinette either. Despite being Ladybug, this was her world. One she grew up in, one she helped shape and improve, and one he couldn’t ever corrupt.

Damian forced himself to give the boys a polite smile, “We’ll see. But for now, I have to go change. See you later.” They waved their goodbyes and went back to having their fun as Damian’s mind raced. While she walked the line between hero life and normal life, she would forever be tethered by that promise of things going back to the way they were before Hawkmoth and before Ladybug. He could never have that. He was forever bound by his demons and his bloodline. Bound to be a vigilante for as long as he could stay alive or until his darkness took over, something he didn’t ever wish for but knew was a possibility.

Marinette’s words rang in his head, “How is this going to work?”

He didn’t know and it made him sick.

*******************************************************************************************

So we begin Act 2 of Seabourne Burnouts! Congratulations on making it this far! We’re in for an interesting ride!

ALSO: There is a new thing about tags for this ship and Maribat au in general! Please read this [post]! I have added the new tags suggested here and will continue to not use the names of the characters and the shows/franchises! Please REBLOG and Thank You! 

To those who want more Seabourne Burnouts content, @itawonka-creates is specifically dedicated to my writing (which is just this story rn) so you can just follow the blog and set it up to be notified just in case the tags do not work!

Tag List (Bitch I have a tag list whAT!?!?!):

@maribat-archive @ozmav @thornangelic727@imfreakingmagical@constancetruggle @chloe-bourgeois-is-big-gay@someone-ev   @zazzlejazzle @tinybrie @mewwitch @rhub4rb@saphiraazure2708 @never-neverland @unholykrow @slytherinhquinn @literallytryingmybestbutok @redscarlet95 @grimmhallow31 @fandomkitten9653 @myriad-of-passionate-pettiness @fanboy7794 @mystifiedgal @shizukiryuu @ vixen-uchiha @resignedcatservant @mystery-5-5 @miraculousl4dybug @blackcanary13 @origamieater @moonlitarchangels @mochinek0 @imfreakingmagical @you-will-never-know-how-i-think @derpingrainbow @unabashedbookworm @skyel0ve @northernbluetongue @cadencehood @sizzling-fairy-oil @crazylittlemunchkin @saphiraazure2708 @mysteriouslyswimmingfan-blo-blog @ginamarie1512 @kae690 @ivette0712 @zalladane @ellerahs @auradonfairy @worlds-tiniest-spook-pastry @scribblinggraveyard @nyctamaximoff @snow-swordswoman @maude-zarella @thebookwormfairy @melicmusicmagic @zalladane @ivette0712 @ginamarie1512  @bookreader20003 @silvergold-swirl @celestiacq @themcclan @amethyst-starr5 @tamoni112 @lunar-wolf-warrior @alexzandria-747 @nataladriana9 @moonlitarchangels @iglowinggemma28 @hunter-shyreen @mermaidofthelost @jessigurl-design @vgirl-10123 @lunar-wolf-warrior @casual-darkness @xxmadamjinxx @normal-piece-of-shit @tinyterror333 @romanoff-queen @schrodingers25 @alessialeone6997 @mindfulmagics @slytherin-heartthrob @da-tasuky @asianfrustration13 @eliza-bich @kuhakuanon @my-name-is-michell @theatreandcomicfreak @interobanginyourmom @starry-bi-sky

Let me know if I missed anyone and message me! I’ll be sure to see it then!