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dessarious · 4 months ago

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What Makes a Family? Pt28

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"Well, this is it." Marinette didn't know why she was so nervous about this. It was just a school. A school with great access points and camera blind spots. So, wonderful for hero work, but pretty terrible for student safety. Bruce wouldn't try to pull her out because it was less secure than the fortress Cass said her brothers went to, would he? Worse, he could insist on installing updated security and make her life a lot harder. Note to self; do not let Bruce know anything about her school life.

"You need to unclench Dupain-Cheng. You're making me nervous and that doesn't happen." Chloe's dry comment at least let her breathe again. "And I thought I hated this place." The way she muttered it, Marinette was fairly certain Chloe didn't mean to be heard.

"It's not that. I just occurred to me that Mr. Wayne might check security measures if Cass is going here and that could be... inconvenient."

"Yeah, Damocles doesn't say no to powerful people, especially if they're willing to foot the bill. You're going to want to get ahead of that." Great, if Chloe was onboard with her paranoia, she needed to start planning. Wonderful.

"If he does, I'll have Alfred make sure there are holes. The roof for sure." Cass was studying the building with a trained eye.

"You're sure that will work?" Bruce didn't seem the type to allow holes, especially if he wasn't the one using them.

"I'm sure." Cass gave her hand a squeeze and Marinette relaxed slightly. Given Hawkmoth's tendency to attack during school hours, they needed safe ways to leave the building.

"Alright, let's get you familiar with the layout. While I have no intention of being separated while we're here, I'd rather you be comfortable navigating the building on your own." Cass gave her hand another squeeze in response. Marinette wasn't certain why she was so reluctant to have Cass here, but she knew it would only get worse when it was full of people.

Marinette felt even more on edge as they entered the courtyard. The only thing that kept her from noping straight out of there was knowing that Luka, Kagami, and Chloe were watching their backs. The five of them should be able to handle any threat. It didn't stop her from jumping when a voice sounded from above them.

"I can't believe you asked me to meet you in a school." Jason sounded disgusted, and when she looked up, she was met with another surprise. Damian was next to him, scowling down at her. Well, there went her hopes that Bruce wouldn't get involved. As they walked down to meet them, Marinette tried to come up with a Plan B.

"I also asked you to meet me in an hour, so we would be on our way out." She did not want the boys to come along on the tour, given she'd planned on giving Cass a rundown on the best places to disappear and show her the massive gaps in the limited security. "Why don't you two stay here and eat with Luka, Kagami, and Chloe? I'll give Cass a quick tour and we'll be back in fifteen minutes."

"Why did you invite us here if you didn't want to spend time with us?" She wasn't certain what to do with Damian's tone, but his tense stance screamed hurt. She really didn't know what to do with that.

"I do want to spend time with you, which is why I told Jason to be here later so I wouldn't have other things to do."

"And yet you only invited him." There it was. She debated how much she should say.

"I did. He's the only one who seems completely supportive of my boundaries with Mr. Wayne, and he's also the only one who's given me their phone number. I was hoping to get advice from him and Cass about how to approach everyone. I have a feeling that I'm going to have a tense relationship with Mr. Wayne for the foreseeable future, but I would still like to have a chance to get to know the rest of you."

Damian was scowling, but he seemed to be looking through her. Marinette glanced at Cass and her twin offered a comforting smile. Jason, however, seemed to be holding his breath. Eventually, Damian pulled out his phone and handed it to her with a new contact open. She put in her number but left the name blank so he could put in what he wanted. That got a raised eyebrow.

"I do not understand why you're so insistent on shutting Father out. He has a lot of experience that could be valuable to you. You should listen to him." Well, she didn't think they'd get here this quickly.

"Two reasons. First, he's not offering advice. He's trying to control how I live because he thinks he knows better than me. Second, have you ever heard the phrase, take advice from someone who has the life you want?" Damian shook his head. "Well, I don't want M. Wayne's life. Given his romantic history, he's the last person I would want advice from. Yes, he seems to have settled at the moment, but his current relationship with Selina in newer than mine with Luka and Kagami. Given what happened at my parents' house this morning, I certainly don't want his advice on how to have a relationship with the rest of you. My business is exactly where I want it to be, and I can scale it up whenever I'm ready, so I don't need his input on that either. While I wouldn't mind talking to him about it, he seems the type to simply try and take over."

Jason was nodding along to everything she said, but Damian was still scowling at the floor. Cass started signing at him, and his expression turned more neutral.

"Why are you so certain he's wrong?" He at least sounded interested in her answer.

"About my significant others, or in general?"

"Both."

"Well, I know Luka and Kagami, and he doesn't. Not to mention he hasn't given a reason that he distrusts them, so I have no reason to trust his instincts over mine. As for everything else, I'm not certain he's wrong. But until he's willing to have a discussion with me instead of trying to tell me what to do, I'm not going to listen to his opinions on things. Especially things he knows nothing about."

"Good for you. He'll steamroll you if you give him an inch." Jason sounded... proud maybe? "Demon Spawn is still at the stage where he thinks B can do no wrong. He'll learn." Marinette winced.

"Please don't call him that around me. My Maman isn't the only one that doesn't like insulting nicknames. And at his age, his Papa should be infallible. Honestly, I should not have had that discussion in front of any of you, but especially not Damian. And I am sorry about that." Both boys were just staring at her like they couldn't comprehend her words. Given that Cass had laid into Bruce with everyone present, maybe they didn't. Finally, Jason cleared his throat.

"Trust me, you want witnesses. And you don't want other people's opinion of you to be based only on B's grumblings. While most of us know better than to trust outside opinions, you don't want anyone biased against you because he complained."

Marinette managed a distracted hum as she thought of the implications. Not only with Bruce's family. Batman was well respected and a leader of the Justice League. He could cause her an innumerable amount of headaches. She might have to introduce herself to them before he had a chance to claim she was inexperienced, or worse, inept. One more problem to worry about.

"I'm sure it will be fine. I've overcome people thinking badly of me based on other's words before. I can do it again." She could tell her tone was off by the way Jason studied her. It didn't help that Chloe was muttering curses in most modern languages. Cass leaned into her side.

"We should look around. You two stay here." Damian still looked like he wanted to argue with Cass, but Jason grabbed his shoulder and squeezed hard enough that the boy was glaring at him instead.

"You know I'm not going to turn down food. Come on Dem-uh, Damian. They be back before we're finished, and you can keep grilling them then." The Boy let out an annoyed noise, but didn't protest. Chloe herded them back outside, while Cass tugged Marinette further into the building.

"You don't like it here." Marinette could only offer her twin a strained smile.

"It was better when Chloe was still here, but it's my last year."

"We'll make it better." Marinette let out an amused laugh.

"I'm sure you're right. I hope the fact that Alya has figured out Lila's been lying all this time will help, too. Though it could complicate other things as well." Cass hummed in acknowledgement. Given she hadn't met any of the class yet, she had to take Mari's word for everything. "Come on. I need to show you the best places to be able to disappear."

While the school wasn't small, it still only took them ten minutes to do a walk-through. It was honestly a little depressing how little security she had to point out. Between that, roof access, the bathrooms, and that one classroom that for some reason was never in use, she covered all the easy, safe escape points. When they made it outside, Jason was joking around with the others. Damian was studying everyone, but he did look less hostile.

"How's the food?" Marinette could tell how Jason felt by the grin he turned on her.

"It's amazing!"

"It is adequate." Jason looked like he was about to argue with Damian, but Mari waved him off.

"Adequate because you've had better or simply because you don't like this type of food?" Damian blinked at her, and she had to wonder if people ever asked about his preferences. He hesitated before answering.

"The spices are not to my tastes." She started talking with him about foods he did and didn't like. Jason was looking at them like they'd each grown two heads. She had to wonder why a civil conversation caused such a reaction, but that was a later problem. Right now, she just wanted to keep Damian talking to her without hurling threats.

Talking about food led to him being a vegetarian, which led to his pets. Soon she was cooing over pictures of them all while Damian detailed how Alfred the Cat tripped up just about everyone in the family. Pretty soon, they were talking about the logistics of having pets on a boat with Luka. She hadn't really considered it, but she had always wanted pets.

"Cats have a long history of being on board for vermin control. It would probably be good to get them as kittens, so it's easier for them to acclimate. I could be more help if I could see the vessel."

"Sure. I have plenty of pictures." Jason and Damian both frowned at her, but she couldn't completely read the expression.

"Why not just show us?" The way Cass was glaring at Jason, Mari knew she wasn't reading too much into his tone. Before either of them could react, Chloe let out a snort of laughter.

"Because no one wants to drive that far right now, given we have school tomorrow. Their 'not a yacht' is too big to get here from the ocean, so it stays on the coast." The fact that they almost always went there using Kaalki wasn't something she needed her brothers finding out just yet.

"Not to mention it's her choice to invite you to her home." The warning in Cass' tone seemed to surprise the boys. Mari was going to have to be careful coming and going for a while. The Bats were almost certain to break into it at some point in the near future. Probably more than once. It should take them a few days to find it, given it wasn't in any of their names. Of course, that would shoot up a whole different set of red flags. It also meant Bruce would almost certainly tell the rest of them she was Ladybug. She'd have to talk to Cass about outing the Bats to her team, so they were prepared. It wasn't the way she wanted it to happen, but there wasn't much choice. Chloe would probably put it together on her own once she caught up. It was widely known that Batman and Catwoman were an item.

"I'd love to have you guys over, but probably not this visit since you're planning on leaving before the weekend. That and I honestly don't have the energy for whatever lecture Bruce is going to come up with for why it's irresponsible to buy something that expensive so young, let alone with other people."

Damian looked thoughtful, but Jason had a guilty expression. Apparently, she couldn't trust him yet. She really didn't want to have to start lying to people again. Why couldn't anything just be simple?

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#maribat #lukagaminette #marinette dupain cheng #cassandra cain #siblings mari and cass #kagami tsuguri #luka couffaine #chloe bourgeois #damian wayne #jason todd

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starwarsmum · 22 days ago

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Day 1 of Daminette December! Prompt of the day is Fae

@maribat-calendar-events

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, daughter of Tom and Sabine, ward of the fae Tikki, I task you with finding and neutralising the despicable man abusing our kin, Nooroo. You will return to your parents abode, replacing the changeling I traded you for and assuming your rightful place. As a reward for your service, you will be freed after completion of this task.”

_ _ _

Marinette awoke in a very pink room. She glanced around and saw that she was in a loft bed, with a room full of fabrics and trinkets. It was alien to her and she missed the comforting space that Tikki had made her in the Wildwood. It had been full of greens and nature and she felt uneasy by all of the obvious unnatural technology around her.

A sudden movement made Marinette spin in place and take a defensive stance. But it was only Tikki, in her smallest and least threatening form. The tiny creature took the form that semi-resembled a Ladybug, but too big and without any wings.

“Good morning Marinette! I'm glad you are awake early, you should read the changeling's diary to make sure you are prepared for the day,” Tikki said wisely. “I have been splitting my time between here and the Wildwood, so there are things we will need to discuss, but first you will need to acquaint yourself with your new life.”

The diary was a quick study, and Marinette found that she wasn't surprised that Tikki had been facilitating her changeling to transform into a superhero so that she could try to narrow down the suspects and release Nooroo without relinquishing hold of Marinette.

Looking at the clock, Marinette realized that she would need to head downstairs before she was late. She hadn't had to be anywhere on time before, and she found the novelty exciting. So she dressed herself quickly after rummaging through her closet. She discarded several of the same outfits before landing on a green dress that reminded her of her other home.

To say her parents were surprised to see her downstairs before they had to remind her to get up was an understatement. Sabine had all but shrieked when she had turned around to see Marinette standing silently in the kitchen, pouring orange juice into a glass.

“Sweetheart, you gave me such a fright! But I'm proud of you for being up on time, I know today is a big day for you.” The woman was friendly, but looking at Marinette with a slightly furrowed brow. “Are you feeling alright? You look…different.”

“I'm fine,” Marinette said, flexing her hands as she realized that they had been clenched. “I should get to school, I have to…do something.”

Sabine nodded, looking even more concerned but didn't stop Marinette from leaving. Wincing at the bright sunlight, Marinette crossed the street and entered the school grounds. As she crossed the threshold of the building she paused, uncertain. Where was she supposed to go? The diary hadn't given her a floor plan.

Fortunately - was it fortunate, the way a girl clamped onto her arm and made a high pitched squeal? Marinette wasn't sure - someone she presumed had to be the changeling's best friend Alya came up to her. They exchanged greetings and all Marinette had to do was trail after the girl.

She was stumped slightly by the layout of the room, tiers of seats that all looked the same staring down at her. But again luck seemed to be with her, because Alya walked her to her seat, chattering away about something called a bat-man and a red breasted bird.

“You're lucky, you'll get to sit with a seatmate without splitting your desk into three,” Alya said, smiling at her. Marinette nodded, not knowing what to say or what the other girl was talking about. “Are you doing okay girl, you seem different today?”

“Just thinking about what I've got to do today,” Marinette answered truthfully. Having been raised by Tikki, she had a respect for dancing around the truth without lying. Since she wasn't a fae, she could lie, but she would rather not. It was harder to get caught out for a lie if you never told one in the first place.

Soon after that the teacher, Caline Bustier, called for the class to calm down, although her own demeanour betrayed an excitement. She was quick to explain that the class from America would be there shortly, having landed the previous day. When she called out to Marinette to help welcome the class, the girl didn't hesitate and followed the teacher through the door.

“Now Marinette, I just wanted to remind you that there are several high profile students in the class that is joining us today. It will be important to treat everyone with respect and try not to influence any of them in regards to any of our students that you may not get along with.”

“Okay Madame Bustier,” Marinette said quietly, memorising the route from the classroom to the office downstairs where they would be receiving the other class. The room was already full and Marinette swept her eyes over the group of twenty new students.

A quick round of introductions had Marinette attempting to memorise the names and faces of everyone in the room. Her eyes lingered on one particular boy who had eyes the same colour as her dress and a sharp look directed at her. She met his eyes steadily, until one of his classmates elbowed him and he turned to scowl at the other boy.

The other class was split, half of them going to Madame Mendeleiev’s class. The boy with the striking eyes and scowl was not part of that half, and Marinette felt her curiosity spiking. It took her a moment to control her reaction to him, so accustomed was she to Tikki funneling so much of her personality to the changeling.

Walking quietly back to the classroom, Marinette retook her seat and waited to have someone assigned to her desk. She felt an urge to draw something, even though she had never done it unless completely alone. But even with the crowds of people, she felt alone.

It soothed her, her hands automatically following a pattern she had followed so many times when she was left idle in the Wildwood, sketching out the shape of a person with a brooding face and strong shoulders. She hesitated as she filled in details, not wanting to be caught drawing the handsome stranger for some reason.

She felt a shadow fall over her and looked up, only to find the same boy standing next to her. His gaze flickered from her face to the paper in front of her and she felt a heat spread across her face and neck. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced before and she had the sudden urge to crumple the paper into a ball.

“I am supposed to be sitting next to you,” the boy said eventually, motioning for her to move further into the seat. She nodded slowly before sliding along the bench.

Something felt wrong. Marinette had only interacted with fae up to this point and, though many of them had been beautiful, none had made her feel like her heart was in her throat. That she was next to a burning furnace and her pale skin was alight.

But this boy, this handsome and tight-lipped boy, was making her heart hammer as though she were in a race. Her stomach rolled almost unpleasantly, and she found she could hardly speak in his presence.

He must be a sorcerer of some magnitude, she thought to herself. She would have to quiz Tikki about her symptoms and the boy when they were alone. But for now, she introduced herself to him and was reminded of his first name in return: Damian.

Marinette could admit by lunchtime that she was overwhelmed. Her nerves were completely strung out from having sat next to Damian for the entire morning and she hadn't understood any of the classes she had sat through. She was desperate to attend the art class that afternoon, positive her creative energy, which had sustained Tikki these long sixteen years, would make it easy.

“Marinette! Are you coming to the cafeteria for lunch, or are you disappearing home again?” Alya called from the front of the classroom. Continue this hell over a break? No thank you. Marinette shook her head, an apologetic smile on her lips.

“You do not stay on campus for lunch?” Damian asked, eyes sharp. Marinette shook her head again, feeling the strange fluttering in her stomach once more. “If it is not too much of an imposition, may I accompany you? I detest the thought of mingling with these classmates over long.”

“Sure,” Marinette said in a croak, blushing at the outward sign that she was affected by him. He nodded and that was that: they headed out of the school and across the road to the bakery.

“Marinette! You have some lunch upstairs, and if you would like to take some pastries to share with your friend that's fine,” Sabine said as she entered the bakery, and Marinette gave an awkward smile.

Choosing pastries seemed to take an unreasonable amount of time and Marinette fidgeted in place. She knew that humans and fae were different in terms of transactionality, but she didn't know how to navigate the strange relationship with her parents.

Once they were seated upstairs, Marinette ate her food without comment, Damian following suit. He seemed to be suspicious of her silence, but did not say anything to her about it.

When there was ten minutes left of their lunch hour, Marinette stood and led Damian back to the school. She wished she was more at ease around humans her age but since Damian wasn't saying anything maybe it wasn't as strange as she believed to sit in silence for the lunch hour.

Noise assaulted her as they arrived in the school building and Marinette flinched slightly. Damian seemed to be equally uncomfortable with the din their classmates were creating but, again, refrained from commenting.

As they made their way across the atrium, a tall boy with black hair and blue eyes bounded over to them, excited energy practically vibrating out of him. He stopped in front of them, and Marinette wondered if she was supposed to know him until he spoke to Damian.

“Dames, there you are! Why didn't you come find me for lunch? And who's this?” He asked, turning to Marinette with a bubbly smile. “Hi, I'm Jonathan Lane Kent, I'm Damian's best friend, what's your name?”

“Marinette,” she replied in a quiet voice, hesitantly accepting the handshake he offered her. She thought that there was something strange about the boy, not quite fae but not a hundred percent human either. And his willingness to provide his full name was disconcerting.

“Tt, you are aware that if I had remained on campus I would have had to deal with multiple new people,” Damian sneered, glaring suspiciously at those standing closest. “As it was, I was able to spend the lunch hour in relative quiet. Marinette is an adequate companion for lunchtimes as she did not pester me with inane questions or pointless small talk.”

“Whoa, that's pretty high praise coming from you,” Jon chortled, and Marinette relaxed as he gave her another friendly smile. Maybe she was more capable of blending in than she thought, if the first person she spent one-on-one time with believed her to be adequate.

They were about to go into their classrooms when an alarm split the air. All of the French students started to murmur excitedly, those closest to any American students giving brief explanations of the akuma situation.

Marinette eased out of everyone's lines of sight until she was hidden in an alley nearby. Tikki had drilled into her that she would need to take the place of Ladybug as the changeling would no longer be able to draw on Marinette's creative energy during a transformation.

When she slipped into the persona of Ladybug, she didn't so much as change personality as she did feel more free to act as herself. The magically enhanced suit was a rush and she wondered how she would cope when she was unable to transform like this in future.

Shaking off her self-reflection she leaped into action, feeling like she finally knew what she was doing. Everything flowed that much easier, and she crashed into the battle with power thrumming through her veins.

“M’lady, what a pleasure it is to see you again,” Chat Noir purred, his green eyes flashing over her. She frowned at the blond boy and she could feel the energy of Plagg, one of Tikki's oldest companions, wrapped around him.

The diary had explained that this boy was a voracious flirt and often made the changeling - she needed to come up with a new name for the creature, she surely couldn't keep calling it ‘the changeling’ - uncomfortable with his grandiose gestures.

And so Marinette made the choice to ignore Chat Noir in favour of throwing herself into battle with the akuma. The pigeon themed man was using birds as soldiers and Marinette ignored them as well to plow her foot into his face.

She called for her lucky charm as she stood over the man, who was cursing as she stood over him, before breaking the akumatised object and cleansing the dark butterfly. She watched the newly white butterfly flutter away before setting right the work of Monsieur Pigeon.

“Uh, wow, that was one of our quickest battles yet!” Chat said, eyeing Marinette with curiosity. “A lot more straightforward than your usual plans too.”

“Creativity has its place, but why waste that gift when a straightforward solution is available?” Marinette frowned, worrying suddenly that she had made an error. She was supposed to be blending in, she couldn't risk people knowing that she wasn't the same Marinette they had always known.

Fortunately she was spared from answering further by the beeps from her earrings and swung away with only a quick farewell.

The rest of Marinette's day was both simpler and more complicated than she had thought it would be. She found it agonising that everyone was discussing the battle and apparent changes in Ladybug's manner, but it meant that hardly anyone was paying her any attention.

The exception to this was Damian, who had his eye on her practically from the moment she stepped back into the room until the day ended. She wasn't sure if this was because he was already suspicious of her or for some other, more personal reason.

So it was with relief that she stepped back into the bakery and greeted Tom and Sabine. She didn't stop, however, until she was safely secluded back in her attic room. Taking comfort in the solitude for a moment, she slumped into the computer chair.

“You did very well today, Marinette,” Tikki said, floating over the monitor so she could be seen easily. “If you are able to be efficient with your battles we should be able to find and free Nooroo in no time.”

“But I think other people are going to be suspicious if Ladybug changes so much all at once at the same time that Marinette changes,” she replied as she chewed on her bottom lip. “I don't know how to better understand the changeling's behavior.”

“You could always merge her memories,” Tikki said brightly, flipping over. “Taking on her memories means that you'll know what she's experienced and how she reacted in certain situations.”

“Will taking on her memories change me?” Marinette asked fearfully, needing the information but not wanting to lose herself.

“Marinette, all of our experiences change us,” Tikki said gently. “But if you mean will your personality be overtaken by the changeling’s then the answer is no. Your will is far too strong to be subsumed like that.”

“Okay then,” Marinette whispered back, soothed by the fae’s inability to lie to her. “Show me everything I need to know.”

“It will wait until you are ready to sleep,” Tikki replied, settling into Marinette's hair. “You can better assimilate the memories whilst unconscious.”

Marinette sighed but didn't argue. She would make it through the meal with her family and then, hopefully, she would be more prepared for school the next few days.

_ _ _

When Marinette woke the next morning she felt different. It wasn't like she was more sure of herself, or that she knew everything she needed to know, but she felt a little less panicked. And as she looked around her room it felt more like she belonged there.

She grimaced slightly at the pictures plastered over her walls of the classmate the changeling - Bridgette, she decided to call her - had been obsessed with. Frowning more pronouncedly, Marinette didn't hesitate before pulling pins out of pictures and throwing the pictures into her bin.

Looking at her handiwork, she decided the wall looked better bare. Then she moved over to her desktop and changed the background to some designs she had finished, mixed in with random pictures she liked the look of. Maybe now she would feel inspired to create when she looked at the screen.

By the time she was finished it was still too early to head to school so she decided to look more seriously through her closet to find her favourite outfits. She got different feelings of nostalgia as she pulled the items out today; a red sweater Bridgette had made that reminded her of a lonely Valentine's day, a black skater skirt that invoked nervousness she managed to associate with an interview she had done for a local fashion blog.

Once she was dressed - and the wardrobe was rearranged to display the clothes she liked best - she headed down for breakfast. Her mother seemed surprised again and Marinette felt a twinge of guilt. Bridgette had been this woman's daughter, had been raised as someone they had loved and been proud of and she had just come and replaced her.

“Morning Maman,” she said cheerily, letting Bridgette's muscle memory allow her face to pull into a smile that made Sabine relax. “It's a beautiful morning, isn't it?”

“Yes, though I have to say I'm surprised you're awake early two days running,” was the sly reply. Marinette rolled her eyes goodnaturedly and shrugged.

“I'm trying to turn over a new leaf, you know? And with the Gotham exchange students coming now seemed like as good a time as any.”

“Well, we'll see if it sticks then,” Sabine said in good humour. “But I'm proud of you for making an effort.”

Marinette beamed and went about sorting her breakfast. She was quicker at it now that she had memories to draw on for where the utensils and crockery were and was out of the door in plenty of time for the school day.

Stepping into the courtyard of the building, Marinette did a quick visual sweep of the area, noting that the Gotham Academy students were already there. In addition to them, she could see Max and Alix chatting, as well as Juleka and Rose. Her lips pursed as she spotted Lila making her way across the courtyard towards the boy who she now knew was probably very socially awkward.

Stepping quickly, she approached Damian as well, getting there only a minute after the other girl. Somehow Lila had already wrapped her fingers tightly around the boy’s upper arm and she was smiling cajolingly at him, as though willing him to accept her. She took a deep breath before interrupting.

“Good morning, do you mind if I borrow you really quickly?” She asked, looking directly at him and ignoring Lila. He nodded sharply before turning away without saying a word. When they were a decent distance from anyone else she let out the breath she was holding. “Sorry about that, Lila is a little opportunistic and doesn't really take no for an answer. Based on yesterday I thought you might appreciate an out.”

“I appreciate your stepping in,” he answered stiffly, though he did look slightly relieved. She nodded and walked him to their shared classroom, pleased that she could better understand other people's expressions with Bridgette's memories. “And I also wanted to thank you for allowing me into your home yesterday. If it is not too intrusive, might I do the same again today? Being around so many people is irritating.”

“Sure thing,” she said, scooting along the bench so he could sit with her. Once they were both seated they lapsed into silence. Marinette appreciated the quiet and took the time to try and organise her thoughts for the day.

With Damian sitting next to her, nobody else from the class felt inclined to bother her, although that could be more to do with the excitement of having new seatmates in their class. Even with all of Bridgette's memories Marinette wasn't sure how she should behave with the rest of her classmates. She inwardly cringed when she thought of the obsessive behaviour the changeling had expressed towards Adrien.

Speaking of Adrien…he was making his way over to their desk. Marinette watched him with detached curiosity that piqued into full blown interest as she noticed the same destructive energy she had seen around Chat Noir the previous day.

The thought clunked into place and, even as she thought absently about how easy it was to locate the other half of the duo, she realised that the reason Bridgette was so obsessed with the boy was because of the balancing energy he provided. When she was channeling Marinette's creative energy through Tikki she didn't feel the pull, so Ladybug wasn't infatuated with Chat Noir.

“Hey Marinette! I just wanted to let you know that I have a photoshoot today, and I remembered to ask my dad if you could come to it! It starts during lunch so-”

“Sorry, Adrien, I already have plans for lunch,” she interrupted before he could go any further. She heard a muffled shriek from the seat next to her and glanced to see Rose staring at her in bewilderment. Too late she realised that Bridgette would never have passed up the opportunity but couldn't (and didn't want to) take it back.

“Oh, um, I probably should have messaged you to check your availability,” he replied bashfully, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe next time?”

“You did not have to decline for my benefit,” Damian said quietly once they no longer had eyes on them. She looked and he was frowning at her, like he couldn't work out what she wanted.

“I mean, you're only here for two weeks - Adrien has photoshoots constantly. I'll get another chance to see him work but I won't get an extra day getting to know you,” she said with a shrug. He looked like he was going to say more but Madame Bustier called the class to order and they were forced into silence.

#maribat #daminette #daminette december #damianette #damian x marinette #maribat event #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #dc x mlb #ao3 #mlb x dc #marinette x damian #fae

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silliersiluriforme · 5 months ago

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@asukiess [batting my eyelashes kicking my feet blushing twirling my hair ect] I’m using this as an excuse to yap :3c

I love putting the child in child soldier. Like. Marinette is NOT mature and she has to deal with SO MUCH so of course putting everyone and everything in a neat little box is the only way she can function. Chat noir is her non threatening goofy male bestie and Adrien is her perfect beautiful unattainable crush who’s too innocent and pure to realise his childhood best friend is evil. Unfortunately 15 year olds aren’t great judge of character teehee.

Now for what inspires me Id say mostly western comics !! I get most of my coloring inspo from golden age marvels and Gerard way’s works (especially the fabulous killjoys) my lineart is heavily influenced by Mike mignolia (and tatsuki fujimoto’s tho like. Way less. I wish I could make the squigglies work but alas.) !!!! Though I would say for panel layouts I’m partial to franco-Belgian stuff. Like I need to cram as many panels in that page as possible or I’ll explode myself. I wanna try making my colors even more fun and adding more fx in the future :3c.

I LOVE THAT LINE. “It means they like you.” ITS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. I think chat noir and ladybug’s different approaches to “The Public” is soooooo fun.

I think adrien living his entire life up on his little pedestal and THEN obtaining incompressible power at a very young age would lead to him to see civilians- The Public, as just that. Civilians. Maybe to a slightly dehumanising extent ? Which is. So fun.

so idk if anyone has noticed the pattern but like. Ok so first page- chat noir’s sat higher up than Marinette but she gets him to lower himself. In this angle of the love square she has control because he relinquished it.

Next page ! Ladybug is sat way higher than chat noir. She lowers herself but she never quite gets to his level.

NOW THE MULTICHAT DANCE OH BOY- he helps her up. Then he tries to push her down. She resists. He pushes her down harder. It’s confusing!! They’re BOTH confused. Marinette’s his friend ! Why is he being a dick to her ?? A question only god (me) could answer.

I think it’s sososo fun when Marinette is left all alone with no one to rely on. Whether it’s her fault or not. Isolate that baby !

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ggomos-maribat · 9 months ago

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Soul-Stitching: The Heir and the Guardian

Masterlist

Chapter 2: the innocent and the guilty | AO3

CW: Mentions of trauma, childhood trauma, and bullying

This is in no way an accurate depiction of a real court trial!! My inspiration comes from k-dramas, Ace Attorney, Danganronpa and Legally Blonde!! Similarities to real-life cases a purely coincidental!! Thank you!!

It is often noticed by any visitor of Paris that the city has changed in the few years of war with a magical terrorist. The sullen mood is palpable, even more so as citizens begin to file into the Court of Cassation. The fight with Hawkmoth has concluded since one year ago already, yet the topic is rarely brought up, only made known through hushed whispers. At least, that is what Clark discovers after spending a casual day in the city.

He adjusts his glasses whilst looking up at the graying pillars of the building. It's an important case to cover, both as a reporter and a member of the Justice League—easily two birds with one stone. Clark is no Bruce Wayne but he can be a detective of his own. That's what a journalist is already, anyways. And judging by the flock of Parisians entering, it seems that this trial is important to them. He sees faces of unspoken trauma, some out for a sort of vengeance, some quietly remembering what it was like during the reign of akumas. When he finally takes his seat inside the grandiose courtroom, there is nothing but an air of somberness.

The layout is as per usual: the judge high up, front and center; a witness stand beside him; a jury off to the side; and two tables on opposite sides for defense and prosecution. The things most different are the bulky cameras standing at the edge of the room, manned by the local reporters to document the entire thing. The important people have not arrived, however, and in the meantime, Clark decides to scribble on a small notebook.

The facts of the case are baffling, persuading Clark that he has to see the trial himself. To make a sound judgment, he doesn't need only evidence but the people's opinion as well.

A sharp hush washes over the courtroom as the double doors at the front open up. The judge, a sharp-nosed old man, heads the parade, followed by the prosecution and the defendant escorted by police and the bailiff. The accused walks with conserved grace although her hands are bound in thick handcuffs. The prison uniform falls loosely around her thin frame as she looks around curiously.

“Monsieur Blanchard.” The judge pinches the bridge of his nose. “Where is our defendant's lawyer?”

“It seems that Kingston has backed out of this one, Your Honor,” Blanchard replies, not hiding a snicker in his tone.

“Then who—”

“Wait, wait, I'm here!” The doors from the back fly open, turning many heads. In runs not the pot-bellied Kingston, but instead a young man fixing his tie with one hand and carrying a bulky briefcase in the other.

“I'm here. Sorry I'm late.” The man smiles sheepishly, as if he had just been tardy for a class. But his grin is unfairly charming, shining brightly like the sun.

“A—Adrien Agreste?” The judge does a double take. “You are the defense attorney?”

“Yes sir.” Adrien’s grin widens. He proudly shows off the badge clipped to his suit, and a license that Clark is certain is fake. “It's my first ever case but I hope I do well.”

Murmurs go over the crowd.

Even the defendant herself looks genuinely surprised at his presence.

Clark doesn't know if the judge is an idiot, or just doesn't want to prolong the trial any further, but the old man simply accepts Adrien's position as the defense representative. Meanwhile, Adrien is still beaming—not even in the confident manner like in the belief that his win is guaranteed. His expression is quite innocent, like he doesn't quite grasp how heavy the situation is.

“We will begin now.” The judge swings his gavel. “Respectable citizens of Paris, we are gathered here today to hear the case of Mlle. Marinette Dupain-Cheng, who is on trial for terrorizing the city for six long years as the supervillain Hawkmoth. The prosecution may now give its opening statement.”

“Thank you, Your Honor,” Blanchard clears his throat. “On the eighteenth of June there was a series of calls coming from Rue Lepic, reporting suspicious behavior from an apartment complex. Specifically, bright beams of ‘magical’ light, multiple loud noises, and white butterflies coming out of a window. This suspicious person was found to be Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, an occupant of the unit in the fifth floor, however upon the inquiry of the police she was uncooperative. After multiple complaints, a search warrant was ordered and police found multiple pieces of evidence in Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's apartment.”

“If you direct your attention to the screen here . . .” Blanchard motioned with his hand. “We found several blueprints depicting ‘an underground butterfly lair’, a list of akumatized civilians, and detailed plans to obtain Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculi. Ladies and gentlemen, I don't think much explanation is needed; the defendant is undoubtedly the villain Hawkmoth!”

An uproar reverberates in the courtroom which the judge silences again.

“That does seem conclusive.” The judge nods. “Does the defense have anything to say?”

“Yes.” Adrien takes the floor, holding up a piece of paper and putting one hand on his hip. “I think we're missing one big point here.” He points at the TV screen, which switches to a masked photo of Hawkmoth. “This is Hawkmoth! He's a grown man and no way a young woman, much less my client. You say that you found evidence in my client's apartment, which could just be circumstantial evidence. The butterflies? My client might be an entomologist.”

“I must object, Monsieur Agreste, but these are baseless arguments.” Blanchard raises an eyebrow. “We all know that the miraculi grant a ‘glamor’, a magical protection that makes holders unidentifiable with the mask on. This has been explained by Ladybug and Chat Noir a few times, and we have also witnessed its concealing power when their ally holders were revealed by Miracle Queen.”

The mustached prosecutor huffs. “And as far as I have gathered, the defendant does not dabble in entomology. Rather, she's had a keen interest in fashion designing.”

“As seen in the revealed holders’ profiles, the glamor does hide their identities but it does not change, in any way, their build, gender, and age,” Adrien argues.

“Even so, we cannot be certain that the defendant is not behind the terrorist's mask. The magic must work in ways we do not understand; Mlle. Dupain-Cheng must have manipulated her appearance to a greater degree. The other documents—the blueprints and plans, are the supporting pieces of evidence.”

“That's another point I want to make,” Adrien begins, “There is limited information about the miraculi that is publicly known. We're going off by statements Ladybug and Chat Noir have made previously, but you cannot convict anyone of being Hawkmoth without their presence right here, since only they can give the confirmation about who's the villain and who's not.”

The crowd stirs at the mention of the two heroes, which Blanchard seemingly notes. “Unfortunately, those two have gone missing in action ever since Hawkmoth ceased attacks one year ago, effectively denying the people of Paris a formal declaration of the end of the battle as well as the identity of the villain. Ergo, we truly do not know if they've defeated him, if he was rightfully punished, or if he had only retreated into the shadows without the heroes ever finding his real identity.” He scoffs. “But today, we have a suspect and clear evidence right in front of us. Why must we wait for these ‘heroes’ before we act?”

Half of the people make sounds of agreement, while others direct their annoyance at the defense attorney. For the umpteenth time, the judge brings down his gavel.

“Yes,” the judge sighs, “Monsieur Agreste, we have tried coordinating with the mayor to contact Ladybug and Chat Noir for this case, however there is no sign of them. Our concern in this case is the defendant's identity regardless of whether the heroes would deem her guilty.”

“But—”

“If you have a way to bring the heroes to the witness stand, I will be happy to postpone this trial.”

Adrien pouts and shakes his head, clearly unequipped with such a method.

“The prosecution will now present further arguments.”

“Very well, Your Honor.” Blanchard sweeps his gaze towards the other table. “I would like to call the defendant, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, to the witness stand.”

Everyone watches the petite girl as she is guided to the stand beside the judge and swear the oath. Unlike the majority in the position of an accused, she doesn't wear a gloomy face, or worry, or fear. Marinette's expression is just . . . unfazed. Almost cheery, even. In addition to that, she's eerily calm—no nervous ticks or excessive babbling.

“Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.” An air of exasperation surrounds Blanchard when he stands in front of the defendant, as if he has gone through this a thousand times. “Will you be cooperative in answering my few questions for you?”

She gives a small smile. A smile. “Yes, of course. I'll try my best.”

“Right . . .” Blanchard reads off a piece of paper. “First, regarding Monsieur Agreste's statement. Have you been practicing entomology recently?”

Her eyebrows furrow. “No, not really. I've just been designing.”

“In that case, how would you explain the butterflies witnessed by your neighbors and found in your apartment?”

“I've been keeping them there.”

“For what purpose?”

“I can't tell you.”

Blanchard doesn't say anything, as a way of telling everyone: ‘see how difficult it is to get through her?’ He switches to another topic. “How do you explain the blueprints and akuma plans found in your apartment? They tie you directly to Hawkmoth.”

“Yes, they're incriminating, aren't they?” Marinette chirps. “But you should understand that I can't tell you the reasons. They're just there.”

“Are you Hawkmoth?”

“No, of course not.”

“Do you have anything to say to at least prove you're not? Evidence?”

She thinks for a moment. “Something tangible? No, nothing I can show you.”

“Do you have companions in your apartment who may have planted those papers?”

“No, I live alone.”

Blanchard turns to the judge. “As you can see, the defendant denies the accusation, but ambiguously. Since she doesn't provide a clear alibi, we can only rely on the current evidence which points to her guilt.”

Marinette is quickly ushered away from the witness stand and Adrien is given his turn to speak again.

“It is reasonable for my client to deny those accusations . . . because masquerading as a villain isn't her at all. Let me tell you that all of Marinette's friends and family will vouch for her kindness; in both le collège and le lycèe, she was an excellent student academically, and a dedicated volunteer in her extracurriculars. Not to mention, she regularly sells her creations for charity. If you look at her school records, her worst offenses are just tardies; she did have a case of theft which, under the proper investigation, you would find she was framed for and one instance of expulsion that was retracted. Nonetheless, this girl couldn't have been an emotional terrorist in any way.” Adrien takes a deep breath after his spiel.

“There are other concerning points in her behavior. Several of her former classmates as well as her parents, have recounted Mlle. Dupain-Cheng disappearing at random times, which always coincided with the instances of akuma attacks,” Blanchard rebuts.

“My client becomes anxious during akuma attacks. It's just a coincidence.”

“Unfortunately, the defendant has been seen interacting with suspicious individuals as well.” Blanchard clasps his hands behind his back. “Your Honor, may I call another witness to the stand?”

With the judge's permission, a civilian is called into the stand: a woman just about the defense's age, wearing a pencil skirt with her long sleek hair cascading down her back. Clark swears he hears Adrien mumble ‘ew, hell no’ using his superhuman hearing.

“This is Mlle. Lila Bianca Rossi,” Blanchard introduces, “Former classmate and acquaintance to Mlle. Dupain-Cheng. She has some . . . notable observations about the defendant.”

Now Clark knows he hadn't imagined Adrien's comment. The defense attorney has his jaw clenched tightly, with no concealed disdain for the witness. But Marinette's expression doesn't mirror his; she only has her head tilted in confusion. With a hint of amusement perhaps.

“Mlle. Rossi, please enlighten us with the defendant's apparent change in behavior during collège and lycèe,” Blanchard requests.

“I regret standing here to testify against my classmate.” Rossi throws a look of pity at Marinette, folding one hand on top of the other. “But she had this . . . this shift in attitude all of a sudden. I was a transfer student in our school, Francois Dupont. From the way our classmates looked up to Marinette, I can tell that she's the consistent role model. But then—no one knows why—but she suddenly became distant and irritable. She even verbally harassed some of us even if we didn't do anything to her.”

“Is there anything about her that leads you to believe that she is Hawkmoth?”

“I saw something, a couple of times, in the park near her family's bakery.” The witness frowns. “There's a strange car that passed by a bench she was sitting on and . . . it looked like she was talking to someone inside. It didn't look like any of our classmates’ cars, and they looked pretty secretive about it.”

“Do you remember anything about these people who talked to the defendant?”

Rossi taps her lips. “I'm sorry, monsieur, I don't remember very clearly. The first instance was a man . . . I think, and after that it was a middle-aged woman. I do remember the woman wearing glasses and this bird-shaped pin on her chest. It stood out against her blue jacket.” She fiddles with her thumbs. “At—at first, I didn't think much of it and I didn't want to pry into Marinette's business, but now that I think about it, it was very suspicious.”

“Does this mean, Mlle. Rossi, that you speculate that woman to be Mayura?”

“I—I can't say for sure, but if you ask me, that seems to be the most likely explanation.”

Blanchard nods understandingly as more murmurs litter around from the audience. “For the information of everyone here, by the way, I have questioned the defendant about this matter prior to the trial. Like earlier, she denies everything the witness recounted.”

He faces Adrien. “Even if it is ‘unlikely’ for someone like the defendant to become a villain, we should acknowledge that people can have ill intentions despite a saintly image. Moreover, even if Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is not Hawkmoth as you claim, it is an undeniable fact that she is associated with him.”

Adrien heaves out a long sigh, stepping beside Blanchard in front of Rossi. “Monsieur Prosecutor, may I interrogate your witness?”

Blanchard nods. “Be my guest. As long as she consents.”

“Mlle. Rossi.” Adrien's tone drips with his strange dislike for the woman. “I don't even know how you ended up as a witness here and to be honest your crimes need a separate trial of their own—”

This earns indignant gasps from the audience.

“—but for now, let's dissect your testimony. You said you witnessed my client here speaking with suspicious people. When exactly was this?”

“Lycèe. Seconde,” Rossi coolly replies.

“Do you remember the appearance of the car that approached my client?”

“It was black . . . fancy with tinted windows.”

“A Bugatti, would you say?”

“Yes, yes a Bugatti. I remember it was that kind of car.”

A tight smile graces the lawyer's face. “What made the encounter you witnessed suspicious?”

“Before the car came, Marinette kept looking around as if she didn't want anyone to see. I never heard what they were talking about, but it seemed pretty serious. They were always whispering and when the car left, Marinette pretended as if nothing happened and went straight to her house.” Rossi shifts around a little.

“Is this your only basis for treating it as something suspicious?”

“Well—”

“Does that mean, Mlle. Rossi, that any two people conversing secretly are already planning magical terrorist attacks?”

“I—I just thought it fits Marinette's identity as Hawkmoth!” Rossi defends.

“It fits conveniently with that explanation, but it also fits with my explanation.” Adrien shrugs. “During this time, seconde—we were fifteen—my father, the designer Gabriel Agreste, started secretly commissioning the defendant here as a design collaborator for his brand. My father wanted to keep it under wraps because it's the only way to make her agree. Unfortunately, they can only discuss the details in person and through Father's assistant, Nathalie, because Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's email has been repeatedly hacked by her harassers and competition. They were particularly fond of taking the Bugatti around the city even if it was so conspicuous. If you request it, Your Honor, I can definitely retrieve the documents of that same agreement right now.”

Clark notices that Adrien throws a pointed look at Rossi when he utters ‘harassers’.

The judge hums. “We will cross check this as evidence later.”

“Of course.” Adrien nods. “Now that we've established that Mlle. Rossi had just misunderstood the situation, I think she's now pretty useless as a witness. What do you have to say, Monsieur Prosecutor?”

The judge quietly relays his disapproval at Adrien for being rude to the witness, but motions at Blanchard to speak.

“I believe I've yet to present the most incriminating evidence.” The look in Blanchard's eyes is menacing. “This morning, we did one final search inside the defendant's apartment. And we found this.”

The screen flashes to show a familiar purple brooch: two pairs of wings emerging from a shiny jewel. It draws out the loudest reaction from the audience yet.

Adrien gawks and turns to his client, who shrugs and shakes her head.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Butterfly miraculous. The very magical artifact Hawkmoth used to control Paris with fear. We have found this in Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's bedroom and it has her fingerprints on it as well.”

“How certain are you that it's the real thing?” Adrien questions, rubbing his head.

“It is unusable at the moment. If you look closely, there is a crack at the bottom, which must be why it is deactivated,” Blanchard says, “We are in the process of reaching out to a magic user who can verify its properties.”

“You have used the evidence and my client's past behavior as bases for her guilt, but I have a question for the prosecution.” The defense lawyer looks agitated now, as if the brooch is one thing he hasn't accounted for. “What could be my client's motive for terrorizing Paris? Why did she stop?”

“As you saw earlier, the defendant can be quite uncooperative, so it's difficult to deduce a motive or an explanation for the disappearance for now. If you are so convinced that Mlle. Dupain-Cheng is not Hawkmoth, do you have another candidate for someone who might be?”

Adrien shares a look with Marinette. “Um . . . er—no . . .”

“Though I cannot present what her motive might be, I have a clue in the reasons behind Mlle. Dupain-Cheng's actions. Her resortion to villainy may be a product of repressed childhood trauma.”

Adrien visibly stiffens and pales.

“I have done my own investigation and found that Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain are not the defendant's biological parents,” Blanchard declares. “She was brought into the foster system at the age of eight, and then adopted at nine. According to her former psychologist, she does not have any memories prior to her relocation to Paris, which may be from a traumatic experience. It is not impossible, then, that she may have psychological . . . tendencies, prompting her manipulation of others’ emotions through the Butterfly miraculous.”

“That's not—”

“Definitive? I agree, but the chance is not zero.”

Clark is stunned down to his core. The judge and the jury were unswayed by the defense's counter arguments—they had just declared Marinette guilty, and the length of her sentence is currently in the talks. He has watched the entire trial to gain clarity on the case, but he’s becoming more perplexed by the situation. Marinette Dupain-Cheng's behavior is already strange in itself, but so is Adrien's. It seems that he has purposely withheld information—he doesn't even try to argue with Blanchard's closing statements or fight for a lighter punishment.

He adjusts his tie. He still can't wrap his head around a single girl terrorizing Paris for six years, but the evidence is pretty solid. And said girl doesn't even mind being thrown into prison at all.

He even catches the conversation after the verdict was announced: Adrien apologizes to her, but she merely pats his back, smiles, and tells him that she's off to a long vacation. She says it so casually, that Clark doesn't believe it's a crazy woman speaking.

Clark stands up to approach Blanchard and get a more detailed statement, but he suddenly stops in his tracks.

He hears them before the doors burst open. Oh no.

“We'll take her from here.” Batman strides into the courtroom, flanked by Wonder Woman, the Flash, Zatanna, and Green Arrow at his sides.

←Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Fun Fact! Instead of Marinette, it was actually Adrien who started to dabble in entomology after Hawkmoth's defeat Taglist: @noisydreamlandkoala

#tw child abuse #tw suicide #maribat fanfic #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #maribat #maribat fic #daminette #marinette dupain cheng x damian wayne #tw blood #ggomoz #maribat damian wayne #maribat marinette dupain cheng #SS:H&G

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nana-mizu-shiki · 8 months ago

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Hey so, I just realized I never posted this so here you go!! Jason fanart from the sticky notes stuffed into my sketchbook! (^-^)/

👇

I'm too lazy to give you the usual with my art, so just know this was the finished product.

Jason reading cus' he's a little nerd ( ≧∀≦)

I really don't know how to draw leather jackets so just take this.

His eyes, teal with green, and it actually came out great on camera for once.

Here's just a separated layout of his outfit as I planned it.

How I planned his hair and Hood plus his symbol.

Broken Robin symbol, his Hood hood and his helmet Hood,books, tires as refrance to his past, which I headcanon he's tried to do to the Batmobile again in spite and to annoy Bruce, also there's Lazarus green eye of Jason but it's hard to see.

Edit: This was made awhile ago and was just a draft but I wanted it up since I already put up the Tim one, the Marinette, and Danny ones. My style has changed a bit, but I haven't been drawing as much and more writing so I might not post fanart at all in the future.

#[-Nana {♡} Mizu-]#dc #dcu #jason todd #red hood #my artwork #my art #artwork #artists on tumblr #art

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toxinellebug · 11 months ago

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Shadybug’s Taste of Revenge- A Menu of Miraculous Misuse

What was that old saying about revenge and a cold dish?

That sounded too much like a single serving.

After YEARS of torture, Marinette Dupain-Cheng was planning on serving Chloe Bourgeois an entire buffet!

Thanks to The Supreme’s generous gift, she was finally able to put the meal plan in motion.

That evil, selfish, racist brat would FINALLY get what’s coming to her, and Marinette would savor every moment…

After receiving her Miraculous, kwami servant, and a tablet listing rules she needed to follow,

(See this post here) Marinette had spent the days of her weekend compiling a list of everything Chloe had ever done, and how she wanted to pay her back.

She spent the nights testing her transformation and the abilities that came with it:

Standing still, she didn’t really feel any different. But as she moved, she noticed her body felt lighter, took far less effort for motion, and required little stamina.

Having a room with roof access made sneaking out easy. Still, she had to really hype herself up to make that first jump.

But it was worth it!

Parkour was as simple as a video-game; as if the suit could somehow sense what she wanted to do- leaping from roof to roof was a piece of cake, there wasn’t even any strain on her muscles. It was insane how fast she could run without feeling out of breath. Plus, for the first time in her life, instead of being a klutz who could trip over air, she was nimble and sure-footed as anyone in Les championnats de France Elite de gymnastique!

The Yo-yo had been trickier to get the hang of; she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed- The Supreme, most powerful force on earth, gives her magic earring that grant her super-human strength and agility… and a yo-yo? Based on its use, a grappling hook would’ve made more sense.

Maybe The Supreme had a weird aesthetic?

Whatever.

The Lucky Charm feature was far more interesting…

The first time she summoned it, it granted her a small, red and black polka-dotted, hand-held device with a green screen showing a grid map of Paris, and dozens of blinking dots that seemed to move around the arrondissements in a pattern.

After zooming in to look at specific streets it clicked in… This was radar. It was showing her the real-time Enforcer patrol routes!

Being caught outside of your residence after curfew was a serious violation for all citizens.

Enforcers diligently policed the city-keeping an eye out for deviants, vandals, and other would-be criminals who would dare leave their homes after dark.

In the list of rules The Supreme had sent her, it was made clear that she was NOT to be seen.

Rooftop travel would make it easy to avoid most of them, but if she wanted to scope out the layout and security features of both the school and the Grand Paris Hotel, it would be better to do so after Enforcers had already passed those areas, and leave before they came back.

The Hotel had pretty tight security, and not knowing to limits of her Lucky Charm, she decided the School was the best option to start, at least until she was more proficient with her powers.

———————

That 2nd week of school is dedicated to research and spying, and by Thursday, Marinette has a better grasp of Chloe’s schedule than her underling, Sabrina.

(C’mon, if Marinette in the Prime universe can have a pull down chart in her room with the schedule of the boy she likes- a boy who has a bodyguard and an overprotective father- then emoMarinette could easily figure out the schedules of people she hates.)

Friday morning she is up before dawn; she needs to get to school before it opens to put her plan in motion, then back home again in time to “wake-up” as Marinette to avoid raising suspicions.

(She does not have a super-villain name yet, since she believes no one will see her or talk to her, why would she need to give her transformed look a name?)

Transforming and swinging from rooftop to rooftop with her yo-yo means she can get to the school in less than 3 minutes.

Just in time; Custodian M. Haprèle has just arrived and is making his rounds to get Francois Dupont ready before the rest of the faculty arrives.

Avoiding a single man is easier than trying to sneak past several teachers and students.

She waits until he exits the door leading to the boiler room, his first task of the day- she knows that now he will go to unlock each room, turn on the lights and radiators, before he does a sweep of the main courtyard.

Being a private school, those tasks won’t take long, so she knows she must move quickly.

Even though M. Haprèle is unlikely to return to the boiler room until his routine inspection at the end of the day, she can’t risk being noticed leaving the room if he happens to be passing by.

The stairs lead to an eerie hallway that is thankfully lit, but only just so.

Her heart races when she spots the aqua glow of her prize; the school boiler.

Responsible for heating not only water, but regulating the temperature of every classroom.

It was like a big pressure-cooker, and she would use it to prepare the apéritifs of her revenge.

Pulling up her yo-yo and activating the smartphone feature (which was odd because who would she even call??) she did a quick internet image search for comparison in order to identify the expansion tank and the pressure valve.

Summoning her Lucky Charm gave her a red and black polka-dotted pipe-wrench.

Normal Marinette was weak, but with the strength her transformation gave her, she was able to turn the filling loop all the way on, and shut the pressure release valve off, and twist it impossibly tight.

She couldn’t help her self-satisfactory smirk; she’d just turned the school’s heating system into a ticking time bomb.

Step one was complete. Now to go home so Marinette could get ready for a very exciting day of school.

——————————-

It is in the middle of second class when it happens…

The classroom radiator whistles and hisses violently, releasing scalding hot steam into the room that fogs Mme. Mendeleiev’s glasses.

Shrieks can be heard from nearby classrooms, but they are soon drowned out by what could be mistaken as a crash of thunder.

Directeur Damocles activates the intercom system and orders to evacuate all students immediately!

Despite teachers insisting that everyone remain calm and to leave in an orderly fashion, there is panic; sobbing over steam burns, anxious questions over what’s happening, students shoving to get through the door first, either out of fear or excitement to get out of class, and over all the din there is a distinct banshee wail of a certain blonde threatening to have her daddy sue the school over what the burst of steam has done to her hair!

…No one notices Marinette slipping away to the locker room.

Confident she is alone, she transforms.

She knows she has to act quickly, so she starts with the easiest target; Sabrina Raincomprix’ locker.

C’est du gâteau! Sabrina is completely brainwashed into being Chloe’s slave, so naturally her locker combination is that witch’s birthdate.

(A day EVERYONE knows by heart since every year Chloe makes a big spectacle of bragging how amazing her party will be since she is so rich.

Naturally, anyone foolish enough to ask if they could be invited was laughed at and insulted for having such audacity.)

Chloe Bourgeois had never done her own homework in her life. That’s what underlings were for…

In Sabrina’s locker sat an entire weeks worth of homework for both her and Chloe, including a science report they needed to present to Mme. Mendeleiev- the most unforgiving teacher in school- and it was all due TODAY.

There was no time for Sabrina to re-do all of it for herself, let alone a separate, slightly different set for Chloe.

Not only would the teachers be upset over so much missing work, but even an airhead like Mme. Bustier would have to be a little suspicious that both girls claim to have lost all their homework.

How many times had Marinette’s grades suffered because those two stole her notes, vandalized her locker and its contents, or dropped her textbook into a toilet?

How many times did the teachers blame her for not paying attention in class, forgetting to do her work, or just being a total klutz because anytime she tried to tell them who was really at fault, it was always her word against Chloe and Sabrina’s?

How many times did everyone decide that Marinette’s word meant nothing?

There was no time to count.

Marinette had one more fish she wanted to frire for this course; Lê Chiến Kim.

Summoning her Lucky Charm this time got her a red and black polka-dotted stethoscope.

It had to be magic. That was the only way she could explain being able to use it to crack the combination on Kim’s locker even quicker than what Marinette had seen in movies.

The school swim team had a meet after school today, and Kim was prepared with all his gear in his locker, including his goggles which just so happened to have his name printed on the waterproof label on the strap.

The only thing Kim loved more than swimming was practical jokes.

Let’s see who will have the last laugh~

———————————

Directeur Damocles is NOT happy.

He’d had to call in both the Enforcers AND the Fire Department, and the school budget was going to suffer a major cut in order to pay for it.

(Remember, under The Supreme there is no socialism, so receiving any kind of service from the Fire Department or law enforcement will cost you, as mentioned here.)

The Boiler had over-pressurized and exploded.

Not only would it have to be replaced, but there was sure to be a lawsuit or two from the angry parents of students who had been unfortunate enough to be seated close to their classroom’s radiator.

Thankfully, any burns were superficial at worst, and after some quick first aid, Captain Hessenpy had assured them that a simple store bought ointment would be enough and redness would fade in a couple days.

Though that assurance would probably do little to appease the ire of some parents.

The drawbacks of being principal of a private school were undoubtedly all related to the students’ parents.

Everyone enrolled came from a family that was well off, and a good deal even had family’s with a degree of influence.

Even worse, nearly every student’s parents believed their child deserved only the very best, which is why they enrolled in Collège Françoise Dupont in the first place.

As such, an incident as large as this was unacceptable.

People would demand answers and for someone to be held responsible… Which could lead to the school being shut down!

Never mind losing his job, at this rate, Denis Damoclés would never find work in the field of education again!!

What if he was arrested for gross negligence? What if the debt for property damage and personal lawsuits was so overwhelming he had to spend the rest of his life in a penitentiary labor camp to work it off?!

No, this wasn’t his fault…

Fred Haprèle; HE was Gardien d'école!

It was HIS job to inspect the boiler before and after school.

If anyone should be held accountable for this disaster, it was him.

M. Damocles interrogates M. Haprèle without mercy; He checked the Boiler room this morning and everything was fine? HA! A likely story! As if he’d believe-

But he is interrupted by Enforcer Raincomprix;

After some investigation, a suspicious item was discovered at the scene of the explosion.

A pair of swimming goggles.

——————

What a beautiful day.

The kind of day that left you feeling nostalgic;

Marinette remembers that day last year all too clearly…

She had mustered all the courage she could wring out of her tiny body to ask Kim out.

She steeled herself for rejection.

She wouldn’t blame him- she was the biggest loser in school.

She expected him to say “hard pass”.

She hoped he would turn her down gently.

She thought he’d think it was a joke.

She never dreamed he’d say “yes”.

But he did, and she was on cloud nine!

On the bus she couldn’t help but imagine all the dates they would go on once the school year was over.

In her head, she was already designing the gift she would make for Kim’s next Birthday, and the gift she would make him for Valentine’s day, for Christmas, for his next next Birthday…

Not that she didn’t still have some jitters- there was always the chance that Kim would change his mind and she would be stood up. Or maybe he never intended to show up in the first place but had felt too awkward and put on the spot to say “no” to her face??

But all that anxiety melted away when she arrived at the pool and Kim was waiting for her with a smile.

They’d had so much fun! The most fun she’d had in a long time.

They played pool games, and Kim showed off his dives and made her laugh.

Marinette felt so comfortable with him.

He was so nice… In fact, he was the only one who’d ever been nice to her.

It seemed so perfect, she’d been so happy that she couldn’t help herself-

She let the words slip out;

“Je t'aime.”

Those words came back to bite her in the form of dozens of spiders, crawling up her arms, her shoulders, her neck, even down inside her swimsuit, and they were actually biting her!!

She screamed and flailed about, hopping like some kind of panicked chicken, swatting madly at her limbs and torso while Kim laughed hysterically, before she fell backwards into the pool.

Even as she sputtered and swallowed a mouthful of chlorinated pool water, she still instinctively clawed at her own body, still feeling dozens of tiny, itchy, little legs crawling all over her.

When she finally came up for air, Kim was still laughing, and he wasn’t alone- Chloe and Sabrina were there, snickering and recording the whole thing.

All Marinette could do was crawl out of the pool like a wounded animal and scurry away to the changing rooms to pray the earth would split open and swallow her up.

It didn��t.

Chloe posted the video online, and by the time Marinette managed to get home, it had already gone viral.

The last two weeks of school were filled with new nasty names and insults, there was even a contest where boys tried to see who could do the best impersonation of her freak-out.

Someone took the original video and made a remix, complete with clownish sound effects.

She was a walking meme.

She cried herself to sleep every night, wishing that she had drowned in that pool.

Not that anyone would care, but with enough bad press, they’d have to at least pretend like they were sorry.

Which is why Marinette wasn’t sorry at all when M. Damocles expelled Kim in front of the entire school.

The moment Enforcer Raincomprix read aloud the name on the strap of those goggles, students began to whisper.

Kim was well known for stupid dares and obnoxious pranks.

As far as everyone was concerned, the evidence was incriminating enough to justify M. Damocles decision and have Enforcers escort Kim off school grounds.

Whether it was enough to have Kim sent to maison de correction and have his family foot the bill for property damages, who could say?

It didn’t matter if it was enough to convict him or not; the accusation alone would tarnish his reputation forever.

Forget getting accepted into a University, no job would be willing to hire him, considering how many kids had important families who loved to gossip.

Kim would have to move to another city, maybe even another country!

(Marinette also couldn’t help but notice that a few of the students complaining of burns were the same who gave her particularly nasty nicknames last year, including “water-phobic retard.” That had to be the power of the Lucky Charm, right?)

It was savory and satisfying.

But Lê Chiến Kim was nothing more than a hors d'oeuvres, and Marinette was far from feeling full.

With Kim out of the way, she could now devote her time and extra care to people who really mattered.

Speaking of which….

Despite needing to get back home to run the register at the Bakery, Marinette was willing to risk her mother’s lecture in order to hang back after school to catch a lovely show-

After determining the premises was safe, students were allowed to return to classes, and the fruits of Marinette’s labor paid off.

Now, Chloe was screaming at Sabrina, actually smacking the ginger haired girl’s head with her designer purse, and accusing her of being useless, utterly useless!

Not only was Mme. Mendeleiev unwilling to extend the deadline for the science report, she was planning to call their parents to let them know their daughters have been slacking off in school.

AND IT WAS ALL SABRINA’S FAULT! How could she forget to bring their homework?! Why does she even bother to keep her around?!

(Mme. Bustier was also very disappointed, and concerned that both girls somehow forgot an entire week of homework. She is willing to extend her deadlines, but she will have to deduct points away from their grade for being tardy.)

Sabrina insists she didn’t forget! She had everything done and ready to be turned in! She had it all in her locker this morning!

Chloe isn’t interested in excuses, and says that if Sabrina is going to be this incompetent, she can easily be replaced.

This leaves the other girl sobbing, begging on her knees for another chance, swearing she’ll do better!

Yes, this was what would make it all worth it, and it was only the beginning!

These two had done far too much for their punishment to be a one-and-done.

They deserved to suffer slowly, steadily, having their misery increase little by little until they were the ones crying till their eyes were swollen shut, wishing they were dead.

The very thought made Marinette’s mouth water.

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