#platonic!jasonette

[its-karma-bitches-00]

Marinette: You often use humor to deflect trauma Jason: Thank you Marinette: I didn't say that was a good thing Jason: What I'm hearing is, you think I'm funny

[mochinek0]

Senorita (song fic)

Alya and the girls had once again lost sight of Marinette, in the club. She hadn't wanted to come out. They were just hoping not to find her passed out at someone's table.

"There!" shouted Alix, pointing to the dance floor.

"What?" Alya shouted, "Wh-" but she caught sight of her friend dancing.

I love it when you call me Senorita

I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for ya

Marinette was dancing with a guy and they were pretty close. Closer than anyone they had seen Mari with and trip into just about everyone.

'That’s not the Mari I know!'

"Guys, how much has she had to drink?" Alya panicked.

"The one shot you made her take." Juleka responded.

Land in Miami

The air was hot from summer rain

Sweat dripping off me

Alya spotted Adrien and grabbed onto his arm.

"We need your help!" she pleaded, "I'm pretty sure Marinette is plastered. She's dancing with some guy and-"

"Jason wouldn’t hurt her." Adrien declared, spotting them.

'Ugh, gonna need eye bleach.'

Before I even knew her name, la-la-la

It felt like ooh, la-la-la

Yeah, no

"How do you know?" Mylene questioned.

He smiled, "Her boyfriend wouldn't hurt her."

"Boyfriend!" they cried out.

Sapphire moonlight

We danced for hours in the sand

Tequila Sunrise

"Oh." he spoke, "You didn't know?"

"No!" they shouted.

"When did she get a boyfriend?" Alix asked, eyeing them dance.

'Didn't expect Mari to be a grinder.'

Her body fit right in my hands, la-la-la

It felt like ooh, la-la-la, yeah

"Two years ago." Adrien sighed, leaving them speechless, "I'll wait until the song is over and then bring her to talk. How's that?"

They just nodded as the song continued to play.

I love it when you call me Senorita

I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

It's true, la-la-la

Ooh, I should be running

Adrien walked over to the couple. They could see Mari was pissed when she crossed her arms. Adrien pointed at the group. Her boyfriend seemed to find the situation amusing and laughed. Marinette on the other hand, smacked her forehead. All three of the left the dance floor and walked over.

Ooh, you know I love it when you call me Senorita

I wish it wasn't so damn hard to leave ya

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

It's true, la-la-la

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for ya

"Hey, Mari." Rose waved.

"So, uh, you-you have a boyfriend." Alix commented.

"Yeah." Marinette answered.

Alya rapidly glances at Adrien told her all she needed to.

"Why did Adrien know before us?" Alya asked, a bit disappointed.

"Because this goofball is my roommate." Mari sighed.

Adrien shouted, "Hey!"

Marinette simply rolled her eyes.

Locked in the hotel

There's just some things that never change

You say we're just friends

But friends don't know the way you taste, la-la-la

'Cause you know it's been a long time coming

Don't you let me fall, oh

The girls glanced at Marinette's boyfriend to gauge his reaction. He seemed unbothered by the revelation.

"Th-That doesn't bother you?" Mylene asked, "Them living together?"

"Nah." he answered, waving his hand, "Mari's told me plenty of embarassing stuff about him to have him practically be another brother added to the mix." Jason answered.

"You what?" Adrien shrieked, "Why?"

"Revenge." Marinette answered.

"It was one time!" he shouted back.

"It was one time too many!" she shrieked back.

Everyone glanced at the two roommates confused. The girls had never seen them at odds before. To Jason, they just reminded him of his siblings, during a quarrel.

Ooh, when your lips undress me

Hooked on your tongue

Ooh, love, you kiss is deadly

Don't stop

"So, uh….how did you two meet?" asked Rose.

"In Mexico." Jason declared.

"Huh?" Alya replied, confused.

"I had that client two years ago." Mari answered, "I left for a six months trip to Mexico."

"We met in a café by the beach." her boyfriend continued, "They were trying to hustle her. Pixie started yelling at them in full on Spanish. Their faces when they realized she spoke Spanish fluently . They ran around and grabbed her order so fast! It was glorious! I paid for her meal and asked her to sit with me."

"I was in a rush and they were messing around." Marinette growled.

Jason smiled, "I told her to relax for five minutes or she could fall and create a bigger mess. She sat down and ate with me."

"It's not my fault I'm clumsy." she pouted.

I love it when you call me Senorita

I wish I could pretend I didn't need ya

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

It's true, la-la-la

Ooh, I should be running

"We talked for a bit." Jason spoke, "I saw her there just about every morning. I decided to ask her to grab food with me at a different place."

"We got tacos." Mari smiled.

He sighed, "I still can't believe you eat snails, but you won't eat octopus."

Marinette glared at Adrien, "Yeah. There's a reason for that."

"I'm sorry!" Adrien shouted.

Ooh, you know I love it when you call me Senorita

I wish it wasn't so damn hard to leave ya

But every touch is ooh, la-la-la

It's true, la-la-la (true, la-la)

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for you

Jason laughed, "What?" I don't know this story."

Marinette leaned up and kissed his cheek, "I'll tell you later."

"No!" Adrien shouted, "Please don't!"

"You don't understand he would understand you more than I did?" Mari suggested.

Adiren grabbed Jason's hands quickly, "If you really love me like a brother, keep an open mind."

Jason glanced at his girlfriend, who only shook her head. He nodded and got a bright smile in return.

'Oh god; original Jon.'

"Hey, I tried the tacos de lengua." Marinette declared.

"Tacos de what?" Alix questioned.

"Tongue." Mari spoke, "Cow's tongue; it's wasn't bad."

"Eww." the girls replied grossed out.

"Cool!" Alix smiled.

All along I've been coming for ya (for ya)

And I hope it meant something to ya (ooh)

Call my name, I'll be coming for ya

Coming for ya, coming for ya, coming for ya

For ya

For ya (oh, she loves it when I call)

For ya

Ooh, I should be running

Ooh, you keep me coming for ya

"So you met in Mexico and kept meeting when you both came back to Paris?" Juleka questioned.

"Actually, we've been in a long distance relationship." Marinette answered.

"I live in the United States." Jason continued.

Mari smiled, "I didn't expect you to be here."

"I was gonna visit your place tomorrow." he admitted, "You said you were busy with work. Liar."

Mari scoffed, "I was busy. The girls were the ones who dragged me out complaining I'm a work-a-holic."

"See Pix, this is why you fit in." he smiled.

"Fit in?" Mylene asked.

"With what?" Alya pushed.

"My family." Jason explained, "All work-a-holics, except my sisters. Between Tim and you…..i don't know who drinks more coffee."

Marinette giggled, "Well, we'll find out this summer, won't we?"

"Oh, is your family comign to Paris?" Rose asked, smiling, hoping to meet new people.

"I'll be visiting his family." Mari declared, "Jason and his older brother are here in Paris, right now, but his other family are busy. Tomorrow, I'm taking them to meet Maman and Papa. Actually, it's probably best if we leave now. Bakers wake up super early."

Jason sighed. He had been ready to spend all night with Marinette at the club.

"You get super fresh pastry." his girlfriend teased.

"I'm in!" Jason smiled.

"Me too." Adrien exclaimed, inviting himself along.

"Sure, Adrien." the baker's daughter replied.

After the couple had left, the girls turned to Adrien.

"What do you think?" Juleka questioned.

"I've never seen her happier." Adrien smiled.

Some of them shifted uncomfortably, hoping to push the two roommates together.

"Hey, how come we didn’t know you two were roommates?" Alya pushed.

"I'm shocked you didn't, but I guess I'm usually out at the bakery or with Luka." he replied, "Marinette put padding in her room to make it soundproof so her sewing didn't wake me up. I probably came home sometimes while you were there and you didn't even hear me."

Alix smiled chaotically, "So, have you accidentally seen her?"

Adrien sighed, "She forgot to lock the bathroom door twice and her right hook was enough for me to start knocking on doors. I think I was half asleep and knocked on my own door, once."

Alix began to laugh. Rose started to giggle and Juleka just look amused. Alya was still reeling with the fact that her OTP was outdated and seemed to have moved on to a sibling bond instead.

Jason held Marinette's hand as he walked her home, "So, are you gonna tell me about the octopus thing and Adrien?"

She palmed her face and sighed, "I went on a trip with my uncle for two weeks. Adrien had to study for finals and his laptop was broken. I told him he could use mine. I was planning on taking my tablet, anyways."

Her boyfriend nodded, along.

"I came back a day early." Marinette explained, "I booted up my laptop to transferring my sketches I worked on. There-There was just so much….hentai on it. It felt like there was fifty tabs open."

Jason immediately started cracking up with laughter.

"Next thing I know, Adrien walks in. I'm just standing there, pointing at my laptop. He dropped to his knees and started apologizing that he had been stressed and was gonna delete the search history that night, before I got back."

"Oh my god." Jason cried, "You know what, I think I might know someone he might get along with. They both have Daddy issues."

Mari giggled.

"Roy is a single dad." he added.

Mari smiled, "Adrien loves kids."

"Bring him to Gotham and we'll set somehting up." Jason smiled.

"Uh, we should probably stop and see Roy first." she pushed.

"Why?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure Selena would adopt him on the spot, if they met." she declared, "He's my unofficial brother and he loves my parents but….something tells me they would get along like thieves."

Jason winced, "Roy first. Got it."

[blackroserelina]

Once Lost Now Found

I'm not much of a writer I had to use AI to even get this done, but this is basically the story for the lost one out line I did. I'm not fully happy with it but it's what I can do.

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

"Pfft, what a bust," Marinette exclaimed as she stomped into the dimly lit coffee shop. The hotel's coffee pot had decided to brew its last cup of sludge that morning, leaving her desperate for a decent caffeine fix before the big tour of Wayne Enterprise. She was in Gotham for a class trip, and the thought of facing the day without her usual buzz was as appealing as a soggy croissant.

Her eyes landed on the menu, and she felt a glimmer of hope as she spotted the "Death by Espresso" option. "Perfect," she murmured, stepping up to the counter. "One of those, please."

The barista, a young man with a slightly worried look, asked "You're sure you can handle it?"

Marinette's determination didn't waver. "Trust me, I need it."

As she waited for her drink, she heard the door chime, and in walked a figure that was both familiar and foreign to her. Tim Drake, in his casual yet expensive attire, strode in with the confidence of someone who was used to the chaos of Gotham. His eyes scanned the room, and when they met hers, he paused for a fraction of a second before ordering the same lethal concoction.

Their drinks arrived simultaneously, and they both went to grab them, "Well, I guess we have similar tastes in coffee," Tim said, noticing her bewilderment.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh nervously. "Yeah, I guess so."

Tim's eyes searched hers, and she felt a strange sense of comfort from his presence. "I'm Tim," he said, extending a hand. "Timothy Drake."

Marinette took his hand, her grip firm yet gentle. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Tim's smile grew as he replied, "Nice to meet you, Marinette."

As they stepped out of the coffee shop, the harsh reality of Gotham's streets hit them like a cold wind. Marinette's eyes grew wide as she spotted the bus, her class's yellow beacon of safety, pulling away from the curb. Panic set in, and she looked around frantically for any sign of the teacher who was supposed to be looking out for her.

"You, okay?" Tim asked, his eyes narrowing at the bus's retreating figure.

Marinette nodded, trying to keep the tremor from her voice. "Yeah, I just… I can't believe they left without me."

Tim's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and concern. "That's unacceptable. You're not from around here, are you?"

Marinette nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed. "It's a class trip from Paris. I won the contest to come here."

Tim's eyes widened. "Paris? That's amazing! But it's also incredibly irresponsible of them to leave you behind."

Marinette felt a warmth spread through her chest at his genuine concern. "It's okay," she lied, trying to put on a brave face. "I'm sure they'll realize and come back for me."

Tim's expression was grim. "I wouldn't bet on it. Gotham's not the safest place to be stranded, especially if you're not from around here." He checked his watch. "Look, I'm heading to Wayne Enterprise myself for some work. You can come with me, and I'll make sure you get to the tour on time."

Marinette hesitated, eyeing him warily. Gotham was a city of shadows and secrets, and she wasn't about to trust a stranger, no matter how kind he seemed. But as she focused on his aura, she felt a gentle warmth, a sense of protection and sincerity that washed away her fears. "Okay," she agreed, taking a deep breath. "Thank you, Tim."

The ride to Wayne Enterprise was filled with nervous energy, their conversation bouncing between the mundane and the profound. Tim spoke of his love for Gotham, despite its dangers, and Marinette shared her excitement for the tour, her voice filled with hope and wonder. As they approached the towering building, Marinette's heart raced.

Upon their arrival, Dick Grayson was already waiting for them. His gaze swept over the group of students, and his eyes lingered on Marinette as she stepped into the lobby, clutching her purse tightly to herself. His stomach twisted in knots as he heard the whispers of her classmates, the cruel taunts that seemed to follow her wherever she went. He had been informed by Tim of the situation, and it was all he could do to keep from swooping in and putting an end to it right there.

As Marinette sees her class, she knows her time with him has ended so she waves goodbye to Tim.

"I'll be okay," she assured him with a forced smile. "Thank you again for the ride."

Tim nodded, his eyes lingering on her for a moment longer than necessary before he turned to leave. Dick stepped forward, a mask of professionalism sliding into place as he began the tour. Throughout the grand halls of Wayne Enterprise, Lila's voice echoed like a siren's call, weaving tall tales of her connections and the importance of her family name. The class hung on her every word, their eyes glazed over with adoration, while Dick felt his patience wearing thinner than a spider's web.

Marinette alone remained unshaken by Lila's deceitful charm, her eyes never leaving Dick as she listened to the real stories he shared about the company's history and its commitment to the city. Her gaze was a beacon of sanity in a sea of naivety. He found himself grateful for her silent support, her nods of understanding grounding him in the face of such blatant dishonesty.

As the tour dragged on, the rest of the class remained enraptured by Lila's fabrications, while Marinette discreetly sent glances Dick's way, her expressions a silent question. He returned her looks with a mix of exasperation and amusement, his respect for her growing with every step.

"Miss Bustier," Dick called out, his voice echoing in the vast lobby, "I think it's time we moved on."

Lila rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh, come on, Mr. Grayson, we're having so much fun!"

The class giggled in unison, clearly on her side. Dick felt a headache coming on. "Miss Rossi," he said firmly, "let's not hold up the tour any longer."

Lila huffed, but complied, tossing her hair over her shoulder. Marinette couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for Dick. He had been trying so hard to give them a real insight into the company, and all they cared about were her classmates' petty gossip and exaggerated tales of wealth. She walked closer to him, her eyes scanning and hands fiddling with the locket that was her silent companion around her neck.

"Thank you for the tour," she said quietly, her voice sincere.

Dick nodded, his eyes scanning the locket around her neck. It was a subtle gesture, but Marinette caught it. "You're welcome, Marinette. It's not every day we get such an insightful visitor."

As the tour concluded, the students dispersed, eager to explore the rest of Gotham, but Marinette lingered, her eyes on the locket that had drawn Dick's attention. The rest of the class had ignored the actual tour, lost in Lila's fabricated tales of grandeur, but she had been the one to truly listen and appreciate the stories Dick had shared about the city and the company.

Dick noticed her lingering and approached her. "You seem like the only one who actually enjoyed the tour," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Marinette shrugged, her cheeks flushing. "I guess I just like to learn about new places."

Dick's smile grew, and he gave her a warm pat on the shoulder. "You're a breath of fresh air in this city," he said before turning to leave.

Marinette watched him go, her thoughts a jumble of confusion and excitement. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to him than met the eye. She knew he wasn't just any employee at Wayne Enterprise; she could feel it.

The class trip continued, and that evening they all went to a fancy restaurant for dinner. The chatter was loud, a cacophony of French and English blending together. Lila, as usual, held court, spinning tales of her fabulous life in Paris that made the other students' eyes widen with envy. Marinette tried to ignore the noise, focusing instead on her meal. The food was delicious, but the company was… less than ideal.

As the meal ended and the students began to leave, Marinette told Miss Bustier that she had to use the restroom really quick.

"Don't take too long," Miss Bustier called out, already halfway out the door.

Marinette nodded and hurried to the bathroom. When she emerged, the restaurant was empty except for a few lingering staff. She felt a cold hand of fear grips her heart—she had been left behind again. Panic rising, she fumbled for her phone in her pocket, only to find it as lifeless as a forgotten souvenir. The battery was dead.

With no way to call for help, she stepped out into the darkening streets of Gotham. The once vibrant and bustling metropolis now seemed like a labyrinth of shadows and danger. She had been warned about the city's notorious reputation, but she never thought she would be alone in it. As she wandered, trying to remember the way back to the hotel, she heard the distant sound of laughter and footsteps growing louder. Two men turned the corner, leering at her.

"Looks like we found ourselves a little tourist," one of them sneered, his teeth glinting in the dim streetlight.

Marinette took a deep breath, her hand instinctively moving to the locket around her neck. It was all she had left of home, of her father, and she wasn't about to let anyone take that from her. She had been trained in martial arts, thanks to her adopted mother's insistence and with her experience as Ladybug, she wasn't going to let fear dictate her actions.

The alley grew quieter as their footsteps grew closer. The moon cast eerie shadows that danced on the damp pavement. The smell of rotting trash mixed with the scent of rain that hung in the air. She knew she had to end this quickly. With a swift move, she grabbed one man's arm and twisted it behind his back, causing him to cry out in pain. The second man lunged at her, but she was ready. She ducked under his arm and delivered a powerful kick to his midsection, sending him reeling into the wall.

As she spun around to face the first attacker, she felt a hand on her shoulder, firm yet gentle. "Easy there, kitten," a gruff voice said. She whipped around, ready to fight, only to find a man dressed in red and black, a hood shadowing his face.

Marinette's heart raced as she took in the newcomer. The two men she had just fought were groaning on the ground, but the new figure didn't seem concerned with them. "Who are you?" she demanded, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man in red and black, known as Red Hood, chuckled softly. "Someone who doesn't like to see a pretty girl like you fighting in the streets."

Marinette's eyes narrowed, and she took a step back, her instincts telling her to be wary. "What do you want?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

Red Hood's grip on her shoulder tightened for a moment before he realized his mistake and let go. "I'm not here to hurt you," he said, his voice calmer now. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

Marinette eyed him warily, her heart pounding in her chest. The locket felt heavy around her neck, a silent reminder of her father's love and protection. "Thanks," she managed to say, her voice still shaking slightly. "I can handle myself."

Red Hood studied her for a moment, his eyes piercing through the shadows of his hood. "I can see that," he said with a hint of admiration. "But it's not every day you find a tourist who can take down two thugs without breaking a sweat. What's your secret?"

Marinette swallowed hard, her thoughts racing. She couldn't tell him the truth, not here, not now. "Just a little self-defense," she lied, trying to keep her voice steady. "My mom taught me."

Red Hood's eyes searched hers as if looking for a glimpse of the truth behind her words. After a moment, he nodded. "Good for you," he said, his voice carrying a hint of a Southern drawl. "But you shouldn't be out here alone. It's not safe."

Marinette felt a shiver run down her spine, her earlier bravado fading in the face of his intense gaze. "I know," she murmured, her eyes darting to the unconscious men on the ground. "My class left me behind."

Red Hood's expression darkened. "Stay here," he instructed, his voice firm. He stepped over to the thugs and tied them up with a swiftness that spoke of experience. He pulled out a small communicator from his utility belt and spoke into it, arranging for their pickup.

Marinette watched him, feeling a strange sense of comfort in his presence. She knew he was dangerous, a vigilante of some kind, but he didn't feel threatening to her. Her eyes wandered to the locket again, the warm metal pressing against her skin.

"You okay?" Red Hood asked, his voice softer now.

Marinette nodded, still trembling slightly. "I think so," she whispered. "I just want to go back to the hotel."

Red Hood looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "I'll take you there," he said. "But you have to stay close."

Marinette nodded, her eyes never leaving his. She could feel his concern, his protective aura wrapping around her like a warm blanket. As they walked through the streets of Gotham, she couldn't help but feel a strange kinship with him. Despite his intimidating exterior, there was something comforting about the way he moved, the confidence in his steps.

"What's your name?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"Red Hood," he replied, his eyes never leaving the shadows. "How about you?"

Marinette took a deep breath, the air thick with the scent of rain. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Red Hood nodded. "Nice to meet you, Marinette," he said, his eyes scanning the street. "Now, let's get you out of here."

They moved swiftly through the alleyways, sticking to the shadows. Marinette could feel his eyes on her, checking if she was okay, if she needed help. She didn't. Her training as Ladybug had prepared her for moments like this, but she appreciated his concern.

As they neared the hotel, the streets grew quieter, the neon lights reflecting off the wet pavement. The rain had started to fall, a soft patter that grew louder with each step. Red Hood pulled his hood up further, shielding his face from the downpour.

Marinette felt a twinge of sadness as they approached the hotel's glowing entrance. She didn't want to leave him, didn't want to return to the cold reality of her classmates' indifference. But she knew she had to.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the rain. "For everything."

Red Hood nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "You're welcome," he said, his grip on her shoulder reassuring. "And remember, Gotham can be a tough place. Stick with your group and stay safe."

Marinette stepped into the light of the hotel lobby, the warmth enveloping her as the rain continued to fall outside. She watched as Red Hood melted back into the shadows, his figure disappearing as if he had never been there. The encounter left her with more questions than answers, but she knew she had to keep moving forward.

The elevator ride to her room felt like an eternity. Each floor that passed brought back the memory of her father's eyes." The locket felt like a burning ember against her skin, a constant reminder of her lost past.

When the doors finally opened, Marinette rushed into her room and collapsed onto the bed, the locket still clutched in her hand. She stared at it, the inscription blurring through her tears. "My most beloved daughter M.W.," she whispered, tracing the letters with her thumb. "Daddy loves you always." as she cried herself to sleep.

The next day, she was paired with Damian Wayne for the visit to Gotham Academy. His cold demeanor was intimidating, but Marinette felt a strange pull towards him. Throughout the day, she saw glimpses of kindness beneath his tough exterior, especially when he defended her from a sneering comment by one of the other students. His sharp gaze was assessing, and she couldn't help but feel that he was searching for something in her, something she wasn't even sure she knew existed.

As they walked the halls, Marinette found herself opening up to Damian, sharing her love for art and her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. His initial skepticism gradually gave way to something resembling respect, and by the end of the day, she had earned a rare smile from the young heir to the Wayne legacy.

In the bustling cafeteria, they sat side by side, surrounded by the cacophony of chatter and clanging trays. Marinette picked at her food, lost in thought about the events of the past few days.

"You know," Damian began, his voice low and contemplative, "you're not like the others."

Marinette looked up from her tray, surprised by his sudden openness. "What do you mean?" she asked a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

Damian's gaze was fixed on her, his dark eyes unreadable. "You're… different," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You have… a strength about you."

Marinette felt her cheeks flush. "Thanks," she murmured, unsure of how to respond.

Damian's gaze remained steadfast. "You remind me of someone," he said, his voice a mix of curiosity and something else she couldn't quite place.

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Could he somehow know about her secret life as Ladybug? She quickly dismissed the thought. No, it wasn't possible. "Really?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual. "Who?"

Damian leaned closer, his eyes searching hers. "Someone important," he said, his voice dropping even lower. "Someone who has faced darkness and come out stronger for it."

Marinette's heart raced. Could he be referring to Ladybug? Her mind raced with possibilities, but she kept her expression neutral. "That's a nice compliment," she said, her voice a mere whisper.

Damian nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "It's more than that," he said, his voice intense. "It's a recognition of something… extraordinary."

Marinette felt a jolt of adrenaline. She had never met anyone who seemed to see through her so easily. Her heart pounded in her chest as she wondered if he could be talking about her heroic alter ego. "What do you mean?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Damian leaned back in his chair, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "I've seen the way you handle yourself," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. "The way you stand up to bullies, even when you're scared. It's… inspiring."

Marinette felt a warmth spread through her, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time. Someone was finally seeing her, not just her classmates' version of her. "Thank you," she said, genuinely touched by his words.

Damian's smirk grew. "You're welcome," he said. "You know, if you ever need anything while you're in Gotham, just let me know."

Marinette's eyes widened slightly. Was he offering to help her, not just as a fellow student but as something more? "Thanks," she said, her voice a bit shaky. "But I'm sure I'll be fine."

Damian's smirk didn't falter. "I'm sure you will," he said, his tone sincere. "But sometimes, even the strongest heroes need a hand."

Marinette's thoughts swirled as she took in his words. Was he hinting at something? Did he know her secret? Impossible, she thought, pushing the doubt aside. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that he saw more than he let on.

The rest of the day at Gotham Academy was a blur. The tension between her and Damian grew thicker with every shared glance and whispered conversation. She felt like she was walking on eggshells, not wanting to give anything away.

As the class boarded the bus back to the hotel, Marinette couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. She knew she had to keep her distance from the Wayne brothers, not just to protect her secret but also to protect them from the danger that followed her. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were somehow connected, that they were all part of something much larger than themselves.

That night, she couldn't sleep. Her mind was racing with the day's events. The way Red Hood had moved, the way Tim and Dick had looked at her during the tour, and now Damian's cryptic words. It was all too much to process. Her heart felt like it was going to burst with excitement and fear.

The next day, the class was scheduled to visit the Gotham Museum of Art.

Marinette walked through the grand halls, feeling a strange mix of awe and anxiety. She had always loved art, but in Gotham, it felt different, as if each painting held a secret of the city's dark soul. She found solace in the quiet whispers of the brushstrokes, a stark contrast to the chaos outside.

As the tour group moved from one exhibit to the next, she noticed a peculiar painting that had been recently added. It was a portrait of a young girl with her mother, and the girl's eyes seemed to follow her, filled with a sense of longing that resonated deep within her. The plaque beside it read, "Marinette Wayne," and she felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

The first name was the same as hers, and the resemblance in the eyes was uncanny. The more she stared, the more she felt like she was looking into a mirror reflecting a past she couldn't remember. The rest of the class had moved on, but she remained, lost in the haunting beauty of the portrait.

It was then that she heard a soft footstep behind her, and she spun around to see Bruce Wayne standing there, his eyes fixed on the painting as well.

"It's a beautiful piece, isn't it?" he said, his voice low and measured.

Marinette nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from the painting. "It's… haunting," she murmured.

Bruce stepped closer, his eyes never leaving the painting. "It reminds me of someone," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Someone very important to me."

Marinette felt her heart clench in her chest for some reason.

Bruce continued, "Marinette was my daughter," he said, his voice barely a whisper. "She was… she was everything to me."

Marinette's breath caught in her throat. The locket grew heavier on her neck. "Your…daughter?" she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Bruce nodded his gaze still on the painting. "Yes," he said, his voice filled with a sadness that seemed to echo through the museum. "She was taken from me when she was very young. I've been searching for her ever since."

Marinette's eyes grew wide with shock and disbelief. "What…what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Bruce took a deep breath, his eyes welling up with pain. "She was kidnapped," he said, his voice heavy with regret. "I've devoted my life to finding her, and to making sure no one else has to go through what she did."

Marinette's hand flew to her locket, her heart racing for some reason. She felt a strange kinship with this man, a bond that she couldn't explain. "Di… did you ever find any leads?" she asked.

Bruce's eyes searched hers, the pain in his gaze was palpable. "No," he said, his voice strained. "Every trail went cold. I never gave up hope, but… it's been so long."

Marinette felt a tear slip down her cheek. The story was all too familiar, but she didn't know why. "I'm sorry," she murmured, not knowing what else to say.

Bruce's gaze softened, and he reached out to gently wipe the tear away. "It's alright," he said, his voice filled with a warmth she hadn't heard in years. "Life is full of tragedies, but also moments of beauty, like this painting."

Marinette nodded, her eyes still glued to the portrait. "It's just… it's eerie how much she looks like me," she whispered.

Bruce's hand froze, and he leaned in closer, examining her features. "You do share a resemblance," he said, his voice tight with restrained emotion. "Perhaps it's the eyes."

Marinette's heart raced as he took a step back, composing himself. "It's just a coincidence," she said, trying to convince herself as much as him. "I'm sure lots of people have similar eyes."

Bruce nodded slowly, his gaze lingering on the locket she unconsciously clutched. "Perhaps," he murmured, his voice thick with unspoken questions. "But it's more than that, isn't it?"

Marinette's hand tightened around the locket, the carving of 'M.W.' feeling like a brand on her skin. Her mind raced, trying to piece together the puzzle that was her life.

"Marinette," Bruce said gently, using her name for the first time. The sound of it on his lips sent a wave of longing through her. "Do you have a moment to talk in private?"

She nodded, and he led her to a secluded corner of the museum. The silence between them was deafening, filled with the weight of unspoken truths.

"I know this might sound strange," Bruce began, his voice gentle yet firm. "But I need to ask you something important." He took hold of the locket around her neck, the weight of its contents heavy. "Do you know what this means?"

Marinette's eyes grew wide with shock "It's… it's just a necklace," she lied, her voice trembling. "It's special to me, but I don't know what it means."

Bruce's eyes searched hers, and she could see the hope and fear mingling in the depths of his gaze. "Marinette," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Look inside."

With trembling hands, she opened the locket. The same words she had read countless times stared back at her, "My most beloved daughter M.W. Daddy loves you always." But this time, something clicked. The initials matched the name from the painting. Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be?

Bruce's eyes searched hers, holding the locket between them. "Do you know who this is?" he asked, his voice filled with a mix of hope and fear.

Marinette felt the room spin as she stared at the locket, the reality of the situation crashing down upon her. "It… it's me," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "It's… I'm M.W."

Bruce's hand trembled as he cupped her cheek, his eyes searching hers. "Marinette," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Is it possible?"

Marinette's eyes filled with tears as she nodded slowly. "I… I think so," she choked out, the weight of the revelation too much to bear.

Bruce's own eyes glistened with unshed tears as he cradled her face in his hands. "Marinette," he breathed, her name like a prayer on his lips. "My baby girl."

The dam of emotions broke, and Marinette threw herself into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring her to this moment, to this place where she could finally find the love she had been searching for her entire life. Bruce held her tightly, his own eyes filled with tears as he whispered soothing words into her ear, the warmth of his embrace bringing a sense of belonging she had never felt before.

Marinette pulled away, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Daddy," she whispered, testing the word she hadn't dared to speak in so long.

Their moment was interrupted by the concerned chatter of the approaching tour group. Bruce quickly composed himself, his eyes scanning the room. He knew they couldn't stay here, not like this. "Marinette," he said, urgency in his tone. "We need to talk. In private."

They found a quiet spot in the museum's garden, the chilly Gotham air a stark contrast to the warmth of their conversation. "What do we do now?" Marinette asked, her voice still shaking.

Bruce took a deep breath, the reality of the situation setting in. "First, we need to find out for sure," he said, his voice firm.

Marinette nodded, wiping her eyes. "How do we do that?" she asked, hope mingling with fear.

Bruce took a deep breath. "We need to get a DNA test," he said. "It's the only way to be certain."

Marinette's heart raced at the thought. "But…but what if it's true?" she stammered. "What if I am your daughter?"

Bruce's gaze softened as he took her hand in his. "Then we'll deal with it together," he assured her. "But we need to be certain."

Marinette nodded, her mind racing with the implications. "Okay," she said, her voice small. "But how do we explain this to everyone?"

Bruce's expression grew serious. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he said. "For now, we need to keep this between us. The less people know, the better."

Marinette nodded, her mind reeling with the gravity of their situation. She knew that if it were true, it would change everything. Her life in Paris, her friends, her secret identity – all of it would be turned upside down.

"We'll figure this out together," he said, his voice a soothing balm to her racing thoughts. "But for now, we need to keep this between us. I'll arrange for a discreet DNA test tomorrow."

Marinette nodded, her mind racing with the implications of her potential lineage. Could she really be the lost daughter of Bruce Wayne? It was too much to comprehend.

The rest of the day was a blur as she went through the motions of the tour, her thoughts consumed by the revelation. She couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and dread intertwined. Her heart ached with the hope of finally finding her family, yet the fear of losing everything she knew was ever-present.

That night, she lay in her hotel bed, the locket clutched tightly in her hand. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, and she couldn't shake the feeling that her entire life was about to change. The DNA test loomed over her like a storm cloud, and she found it hard to sleep.

The next day, Bruce arranged for a private meeting in his office at Wayne Enterprise. Under the guise of meeting the winner that won the class this trip. The gleaming skyscraper stood tall against the gloomy Gotham skyline, a symbol of hope amidst the city's darkness. Marinette's heart hammered in her chest as she stepped into the elevator, feeling the weight of the unknown pressing down on her.

When the elevator doors slid open, she was greeted by Alfred, Bruce's loyal butler. His kind eyes searched hers, and she wondered if he knew the truth they were about to uncover. He led her into a plush office, where Bruce was waiting, his expression a mask of calm she couldn't quite read.

The DNA test was quick and painless, but the wait was agonizing. They talked in hushed tones, avoiding the subject at hand, their eyes darting to the clock on the wall as the minutes ticked by. Marinette felt like she was in a dream, one that she didn't want to end but knew would bring a reality she wasn't prepared for.

Bruce excused himself to take a call, leaving Marinette alone with her thoughts. She gazed out the window at the sprawling cityscape, the stark contrast of the gleaming Wayne Tower against the grimy buildings of Gotham a stark reminder of the life she might have had.

When he returned, his eyes were heavy with a mix of anticipation and dread. "The results will be in tomorrow," he said, his voice tight.

Marinette nodded, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Thank you," she murmured, feeling a knot form in her stomach.

The next 24 hours were the longest of her life. She walked through the streets of Gotham, the weight of the locket and the potential truth it held pressing down on her like a leaden cloak. She couldn't focus on anything else, her thoughts a tornado of what-ifs and maybes. Her interactions with her classmates were forced, her mind elsewhere.

The night brought no rest. She tossed and turned in her hotel bed, the locket lying like a hot coal on her chest. The whispers of the wind outside seemed to carry the secrets of the city, secrets that could soon be her own. The room felt too small, the air too thick to breathe.

The next day dragged on like a mournful symphony, each second a painful crescendo towards the truth. The class continued with their Gotham adventures, but Marinette was lost in her thoughts, unable to fully engage with the world around her. She found solace in the quiet moments, the gentle hum of the city's pulse a lullaby that sang of a past she had long ago forgotten.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting Gotham in a cloak of twilight, Marinette waited anxiously in the hotel lobby. The grand clock ticked away the moments, each chime echoing through her soul like a countdown to destiny. And then, as if on cue, the elevator doors parted, and Bruce emerged, his eyes filled with a solemn intensity that told her the moment of truth had arrived.

He approached her, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. In his hand, he held a small envelope, the seal of the lab stark and official. Marinette's heart felt as if it were about to burst from her chest as he handed it to her, his own hand trembling slightly.

With trembling fingers, she took the envelope and slid out the single sheet of paper. The words she read sent a shockwave through her entire being. The DNA test results were conclusive: she was indeed Marinette Wayne, the long-lost daughter of Bruce Wayne. The truth hit her like a ton of bricks, and she felt her legs give out beneath her.

Bruce caught her before she could fall, his strong arms wrapping around her as she sobbed into his chest. "It's okay," he murmured over and over, his voice a comforting rumble that she hadn't heard since she was a child. "You're home now."

Marinette looked up at him, her eyes blurred with tears. "What do we do now?" she asked, her voice small and scared.

Bruce's gaze held hers, filled with a fierce determination. "We get to know each other," he said firmly. "You're not alone anymore."

Marinette nodded, her heart swelling with a mix of joy and fear. She had found her father, but what about her mother? The woman in the portrait, the woman she had never known?

Bruce seemed to read her thoughts. "Your mother was a wonderful person," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "She was… she was taken from us when you were very young. But I promise you, she would be proud of the strong, brave woman you've become."

Marinette felt a fresh wave of tears threaten to spill over. "I don't know how to be a Wayne," she whispered. "I don't know anything about this life."

Bruce's grip on her tightened. "You don't have to be anyone but yourself," he assured her. "I'll be here to guide you, to help you navigate this new chapter."

Marinette took a shaky breath, trying to process the monumental revelation. "What about my life in Paris? I have responsibility there."

Bruce nodded, understanding the gravity of her words. "We'll figure it out," he promised. "We'll take it one step at a time."

[fleursroses]

During a simple mission that unexpectedly went wrong

Jason, cracking knuckles: Well, time to enact our motto: violence works!

Marinette, distracted: Okay sure, whatever

Marinette: ...

Marinette: Wait no come back, that's not the one we agreed to at all!

[monsteralikat19]

Marinette: Why is coming up with ideas so hard?

Jason: Creativity is a spring and sometimes the beavers say fuck you.

[soulmate-game]

Work burned me out, middle management positions are draining. What was supposed to be an angsty oneshot is now… yeah I’m continuing it. Not a full series, just a two-parter… hopefully.

Edit: I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THIS CLUSTERFUCK OF AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER IS, but BUCKLE IN BECAUSE IT PROBABLY DOESN’T PASS SAFETY REGULATIONS! HOOOOO BOY

Part 1

—*—*—*—*—*

“…” she stared at the being in front of her, face frighteningly blank. Next to her, Bruce fidgeted.

“I’m not going anywhere, so you either gotta learn to love me real quick or get lost quicker,” the child snarked from where he was sitting upside-down on the bat computer chair. “And don’t call me Richard, my name’s Dick.”

“I don’t remember you working with a fetus, Batman,” Marinette slowly drawled, emphasizing the vigilante’s name despite none of the three of them being suited up. Dick shot up with a cry of indignation.

“I am not a fetus! I’m fifteen! I’ve been Robin since I was twelve!”

“Nope,” Marinette countered, unmoved. “I started out as Ladybug when I was twelve, and I was never as small as you,” she blatantly lied. Dick was already taller than her, which wasn’t much of an achievement considering that she was five-foot-one-inch tall. “You are six years old, tops.”

Dick let out an almost inhuman screech of complaint. Even as he rambled on angrily about how wrong she was, Marinette only nodded as if he proved her right about something.

“That was a good squawk though. Definitely a birdie.”

It took another twenty minutes before Dick ran off to tell on Marinette to Alfred, giving her and Bruce some alone time. With which she used to whirl to him and immediately hiss in equal parts fury and worry;

“Please tell me he wasn’t—“

“The timeline is gone,” Bruce reminded her, bracing her by putting both his hands on her shoulders. “He doesn’t remember.”

“Still!”

He let out such a heavy sigh that he seemed to deflate with it, his dark circles growing more pronounced.

“He wasn’t supposed to be,” he admitted softly. “When he turned sixteen, last time, I allowed him to form his own team of teen heroes. Supervised from afar by myself of course, not that they knew that. I had given them the order to stay back and guard their city, but they disobeyed me and snuck onto the battlefield anyway.”

Marinette rubbed at her temples, nodding. “Teenagers have a habit of doing that. This time around, can we ask Bunnyx to supervise them? She has all the energy of a teenager, so she’ll fit in, but the maturity of someone trusted to guard all the timelines.”

Bruce paused, thinking of what little he knew of the pastel rabbit themed hero, and then reluctantly nodded. “That… might be for the best. And giving them more opportunities to train with…” he hummed, hand on his chin. “I might actually change things up, in that case. Instead of jumping to put teens on their own in a tower, the old Justice League headquarters is more protected. And if we started with the ‘sidekicks’,” he gave very purposeful air quotes, “of other Leaguers, it would create a better support system than letting teenagers run around with… really, not enough regulation.”

“Gotta love hindsight,” Marinette agreed with a nod. “The whole teenagers by themselves thing only worked for my team because we were overly traumatized and each saw different apocalypses before we turned sixteen. Bunnyx could fix them herself back then, but still.”

“Best to do better by the new generation,” Bruce agreed with her unspoken statement. “I can still put that old team together again when they’re older, support their development elsewhere in the meantime.”

“Oh, and now that we’re done on that topic,” Marinette snapped her fingers before pointing to the staircase that Dick had disappeared up. “He’s going to make my life a living hell, isn’t he?”

Bruce groaned, offering her a lopsided grimace of apology. “He’s a menace,” he agreed. “He’s scared away any woman I’ve brought to the house, even though most of them are completely platonic. I have to make the press believe the whole playboy thing somehow, and inviting my friends over to chat is the easiest way to do so without breaking hearts for real. Dick hasn’t caught on yet,” Bruce rubbed his forehead. “His antics to scare away Selina Kyle are legendary already, and she’s sapphic. She couldn’t be attracted to me if I was the last man on earth.”

“Could have fooled me,” Marinette teased, suddenly impish. “She’s catwoman, isn’t she?”

Bruce narrowed his eyes, saying only: “Chat Noir. Year one.”

It was Marinette’s turn to grimace. “Point taken. But in my defense, he took way too long to realize he’s gay and watched too much anime at the time.”

Bruce let out one of his unfairly charming chuckles, changing position so that his arm was around her shoulders and pulling her to his side. She fit there surprisingly well, for someone almost half his size. She leaned into him, and the both just soaked in the comfort of one another for a long moment.

“You know,” Bruce started for a while. “If you want to stay in Gotham, we can make you another alter ego so that you don’t accidentally lure Shadow Moth here. Tell that fox of yours to make it seem like you’re in Paris and take some of the weight off of your shoulders for a change. Blackmail Constantine into charming some jars to keep the butterflies in until you can purify them.”

“Hmmm.” She closed her eyes. “Ladybird sounds nice. Fits with the bird thing that Robin has going for him.”

Bruce laughed. “That’ll really annoy him,” he warned, amused. Marinette’s close-eyed smile was pure mischief.

“That’s the whole point. I’m not letting a fetus win against me, bat-boy.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Marinette wasn’t speaking to Bunnyx. Bruce didn’t know what they had said to one another, but he could guess it had to do with Jason.

With his baby, who he just buried. The boy Marinette had thought of a son ever since he first brought him home. She had even smoothed things over between Dick and Jason, which he had considered nothing short of a miracle at the time.

But that miracle was nowhere to be seen now, with Marinette every bit as despondent next to him as he was. He wanted to be angry with her, he did, but he couldn’t. He had seen her blow up at Bunnyx, seen her try to hold her status as Grand Guardian over the bunny holder.

Bunnyx had simply said that she wouldn’t answer to Ladybug until after the grief passed then, and ran away into her burrow.

“Is this the payment?” He heard her whisper, her voice hoarse and broken. “For the do-over? We passed the old timeline. We took down Shadow Moth. Is this the price?” Tears dripped down her face silently, she didn’t seem to notice them. “Was I not a good enough mother? Should I—“ she stopped herself, shaking her head. He didn’t ask what she was about to say. Maybe he should have.

—*—*—*—*—*

Tim was great. He was too much like Marinette at times, which made Bruce’s chest ache, but he was a great Robin. A great son. His experience with Marinette proved priceless when it came to helping curb Tim’s overworking habits and caffeine addiction.

But not even Tim could find where Marinette had disappeared to, even with his detective skills surpassing Bruce’s already.

Tim was the first son of his that didn’t get to grow up with Marinette at all.

—*—*—*—*—*

“It’s fine, Baobei,” she whispered, stepping to the side. Behind her was the waterfall that hid the tunnel to the Batcave. “He’s not the one to blame. He did his best, even now he’s doing his best.”

“Then why does—“

“Because other people need him, and he has too big of a heart to turn them away,” her mouth tilted a little, smile lopsided and sad. “Timothy didn’t replace you. He just forced Bruce to live again. Bruce didn’t kill Joker, because he didn’t want to taint another child with the sight of murder.”

“And you?” The voice was dark, deadly, gruff. Older, and yet… so achingly familiar. She smiled at him again, soft and sad and… proud.

“I don’t have one,” she lied. She had tried, tried so hard. Bruce had gotten in her way first, and then the very same desire to not taint more children with the image of death.

But her baby needed a scapegoat, and she was willing to throw herself on the fire for him.

“That’s why it’s fine,” she repeated. “If this is what you want. Just, please. Let it end with me.”

This time, Marinette made sure she had the Time miraculous safely in her pocket. Nobody would interfere with this.

The bullet sent her into the flow of the waterfall, red flowing behind her like the carpet she used to walk down with Bruce whenever she released a new collection. She felt no regret as she closed her eyes and fell.

—*—*—*—*—*

The shot hadn’t been fatal. Red Hood might have been mad with Pit Rage, but his fondness for his only true mother figure was ever present. He simply wanted to see if she was serious about taking that shot.

His regret was immediate when she didn’t even try to dodge. The bullet had only grazed her shoulder, but she didn’t seem to notice that. She had been so ready to die— to let him kill her— that she had passed out before hitting the water. He dragged her to the Batcave, knowing he had a lot to answer for.

Bruce wished he could have found her sooner, found both of them sooner. But at least they were back.

—*—*—*—*—*

“… I mean,” she rocked on her heels. “You are growing a bit old for Robin…”

Tim glared at her, not appreciating the insight.

“Bruce is stuck in the timestream, and you aren’t doing a thing about it. I don’t hold your opinion very highly right now,” he snipped back. She snorted, glancing away.

As if that little stunt to “kill Batman” could ever fool her. She’d been there for the real thing, thanks, she could spot a fake a mile away. “He’s got Bunnyx going to find him. She owes me big time, let her do the heavy lifting for a change.”

“How many years have you held that grudge?” Barbara asked, eyebrows raised as she wheeled herself towards the bat computer. “Even Jason thinks you should have let it go by now.”

Marinette scoffed at the exact same time as a certain someone tutted next to her, making them look for a moment like a perfect pair.

Crossed arms, a scoff, annoyed glare? If a DNA test hadn’t already proven otherwise, they might have thought Damian was hers.

“Fetuses don’t get to judge me,” was her only argument before she turned on her heel and walked away.

“I am not a fetus! Lady Marinette, I am ten years old!”

—*—*—*—*—*

Bonus:

Jason was curled up around Marinette, despite being told numerous times not to crowd her on the med-bay bed. He argued that he shot her, so he gets to nurse her back to health.

Did she use her blood, tainted by years of use of the Ladybug, to purify his pit madness? Yes. Had he figured that out yet? Nope.

“Love you, Mom,” he murmured in his sleep. Marinette, who had been awake for about an hour already, smiled to herself.

“Love you, Baobei.”

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (13) (The End)

[Masterlist]

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Part 12)

----- I finally did it! I finished something. After nearly three years, this little plot fic has come to an end that I am satisfied with. Thanking for sticking to the end of this journey.

----

TIKKI. PLAGG. EXPLAIN.

They demanded.

“Marinette does not deserve the sentence.” Tikki stated furiously.

YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO INTERFERE ON WHAT WE DECIDE.

“We know. However, we will try to change it anyway.” Plagg joined Tikki. “The soul of Marinette Dupain-Cheng may be Marked but she has not done anything that makes her deserving of having the fate of one.”

SOMEONE HAS TO PAY THE PRICE. SHE WAS MARKED.

“Ya ya…. I know. The rules. Fuck them. You guys made them to maintain balance or whatever. However, what you are doing right now is not fair. Where is the justice?” Plagg demanded

THIS IS JUSTICE.

“This isn’t justice. This is another sentence. She did what you asked of her. She has given enough of herself for the sake of Balance. The sinners are punished. The kwamis are all released. What more do you want for her?”

SHE IS MARKED SO SHE HAS TO BEAR THE CONSEQUENCES.

“Fucked the Marked bullshit. Marinette doesn’t deserve that fate. She is wonderful and kind and every good thing this world has to offer. She was backstabbed. Pratically sacrifice for someone’s happiness. The one who claimed to love her moved on from her pretty quick. The only reason he is regretting losing her is because of the karma he is facing. Karma that he rightly deserved. I argue that the Mark is invalid. It doesn’t count-” Plagg ranted and yelled at Them.

Meanwhile, Marinette and Tikki hugged each other.

“Tikki, what’s going to happen to me?” Marinette asked in a small voice. One that Tikki had rarely heard ever since Marinette met the Waynes.

“Plagg and I are going to do our best to protect you. Nothing bad will happen to you.”

“I feel so empty.”

“I know. I am sorry. I am going to make sure you don’t feel that way anymore.” Tikki hugged what remained of the piece that made up Marinette Dupain-Cheng a bit tighter.

—

WHY DOES IT MATTER TO YOU TWO THAT THIS MORTAL DOESN’T HAVE TO GIVE HERSELF UP? IT IS IN THE NAME OF BALANCE. A WORTHY CAUSE TO ####### FOR. TIKKI AND PLAGG AS BEINGS ONCE PART OF US. YOU KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS. AND IT WILL BE A QUICK AND PAINLESS. SHE WILL NOT FEEL A THING.

THEY were starting to sound fed up with arguing with Plagg.

“THIS ISN’T ABOUT BALANCE ANYMORE, YOU FUCKERS!! THIS IS BECAUSE YOU WERE MAD YOU GOT CHEATED OUT OF A DEAL AND THIS GIRL IS JUST ANOTHER LOOSE END FOR YOU TO TIE UP!” Plagg lost his shit, finally after hours or what passes for hours in a place where time doesn’t function normally.

Tikki chose that moment to finally say her piece.

“My holder went through a lot for the sake of your balance. She fixed Gotham. She punished the one who made the wish so they would pay the price for trying to change someone else’s fate. She made sure we were freed. She doesn’t need to do more. She had given up nearly everything to accomplish what you demanded of her. Don’t take away what is left of her.”

SHE ALSO HAD GOTTEN EVERYTHING SHE WANTED WITH THE SECOND CHANCE WE GAVE HER. SHE GOT HER REVENGE, SHE ACHIEVED HER DREAMS, SHE HAD THE FAMILY SHE WANTED. 

“Is it really fair if she had to give those up too?”

WHY DO YOU OPPOSE THIS DECISION ON HER BEHALF?

The voices sound almost baffled by Tikki and Plagg’s opposition.

“Marinette is more than just my holder and our Guardian. She is our friend. She placed our safety and well-being above her own. She deserves more than being tossed aside once her usefulness is up.” Tikki stated.

Then, she looked down and she continued,

“And we have shamelessly let her continue on her path, knowing how it would end. Because we were too afraid to acknowledge that we were using her like a pawn for our own selfishness. Until the end she was selfless. She forgave us for what we did to her. SO I IMPLORE YOU. Please let Marinette live a long life where she would never ever be used by someone else for their own selfish desires. She will live a path free of thorns and people who wish to cause her harm.” Tikki pleaded with the Universe.

The voices were quiet for a long time.

Tikki and Plagg looked at each other with worry at the silence.

WE HAVE COME TO A CONCLUSION. MARINETTE, GUARDIAN OF THE MIRACULOUS, HOLDER OF THE LADYBUG AND PROTECTOR OF GOTHAM AND PARIS, IS FREE FROM HER FATE OF BEING MARKED. 

“But?”

HOWEVER, DUE TO LAWS OF CASUALTY WE CANNOT SIMPLY REVIVED HER FROM THE DEAD.

“And Marinette had closed down all of the Lazarus Pits.” Plagg added, their only option for a resurrection was gone.

THERE IS STILL ANOTHER OPTION.

=====

Jason opened the door of his apartment and Dick was there mid-knock.

“What do you want?” Jason asked.

Dick tried to give him a smile. “Just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Jason rubbed his face as he groaned. “For the last time. I am fine.”

“It’s fine to miss her, you know. Especially since…”

‘It has been a year since she died’ rests unspoken in the air.

Today was the exact day Maria had given up her own life to make sure that Gabriel Agreste gets punished for his crimes.

“Just leave me alone, Dickhead.” Jason walked away.

“Jason.”

“I just- I am coping. As much as I can without getting violent.”

Jason felt Dick hugging him from behind.

“We miss her too. You know that if there was another way, she would have done everything to stay.”

“It’s unfair, you know.” Jason turned around and mumbled into Dick’s shoulder. He hugged his brother.

“After everything, the asshole is still alive and kicking. His son is facing little consequences for what he has done. They should be the ones dead instead of Marinette. Instead, we are never going to see her graduate college, get a job, kick our asses and drive Ra’s mad with her pranks.”

His voice cracked with grief.

“I know, Jay. I know.” Dick hugged Jason tighter and rubbed his back. “I wish for that too.”

Tears ran down Jason’s face as he sobbed.

Ten minutes later,

They both sat around the kitchen island counter.

“So why did you come here?” Jason asked as he set down two cups of tea.

“Oh. Alfred was thinking about doing a little memorial dinner in her honour. Just close friends and family. It would be great if you came.”

“Sounds great. Tell me the details and I will be there.”

Dick smiled, “I will let Alfred know that you’re coming.”

The brothers talked about patrol and stuff.

Then, Dick left.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door again.

Jason sighed.

He opened the door to give Dick an earful about being forgetful when he saw no one there.

He looked around and saw nothing where a noise from below caught his attention.

It was a baby in a basket with a note addressed to him.

“Dear Jason,

Please take care of my dear Guardian

-Tikki”

In disbelief, he carefully picked up the bundle in the basket. Jason couldn’t believe it. It felt like a miracle that he didn’t dare believe.

The baby yawned and opened her eyes. Showing a familiar pair of bluebell eyes.

It was truly Marinette. As a baby but it was still Marinette nonetheless.

“Pixie. I don’t know how but thank you. Thank you for coming back to me.” Jason whispered and kissed her forehead.

That evening, the Waynes welcomed back a new member of the family.

Marinette Todd-Wayne finally came home.

—-

Technically, after this, there could be more adventures but I am not up to writing it. This is where I will end this story.

And to answer some questions you might have.

Does Marinette remember her past life? Not at first. She is still a baby right now but around the age of four or five years old, she would start to remember bits and pieces. She would probably remember everything by age 13.

Does Lila meet her end? Lila never stopped lying. The ghosts tormented her because of that  but no one ever believed her. In the end, the doctors diagnosed her with schizophrenia and moved her to a mental facility where the ghosts would haunt her until the end of her days.

Gabriel died in jail. He thought that he had the last laugh, having killed Ladybug. But upon seeing the news about the welcome of the newest Wayne member on TV, he realised that his enemy had won in the end. She was going to live again, free from him and anything miraculous related.

Adrien and Emilie spent the rest of their lives in London away with Amelie and Felix.

Adrien had tried to approach baby Marinette but the overprotective Batfamily made sure that he never got within 10 feet of her.

When Marinette regained her memories, Adrien was remorseful of how everything turned out. He knew that the spell was just to make him tell the truth and in turn make him show his true colours to everyone so he went to therapy and worked on trying to be less of an asshole.

-

“M’lady.”

Marinette looked up and saw a man in his thirties with blond hair and green eyes that once were her world.

“Agreste.” Marinette nodded in acknowledgement. Under the table, she texted to the family group chat the code for small emergencies.

Adrien frowned with hurt but it wiped away quickly off his face.

“I deserve that.” He replied calmly. Marinette saw that Adrien had grown up and accepted that he had done wrong.

“So.. how can I help you, Agreste ?”

“Cut the shit. I know that you remember, Marinette.”

Marinette looked at him in surprise.

“How?”

“I was once your partner, you know. I can tell.” Adrien answered.

Marinette frowned.

Adrien continued. “Look, I know I messed up really badly. I managed to lift the curse you put on me. I went to your grave and apologised. I know that sorry cannot take back what I did but I still did it because you deserve at least that from me. I have been trying to make up for what I did.”

“Is that why you approached me?” she asked.

“No. It was just a coincidence. I’m not like stalking you or anything.” Adrien clarified. “Your new dad is terrifying.”

Marinette chuckled about Jason, her brother turned dad figure. “He is.”

“I am glad to know that you are happy.” Adrien said. “And for what it’s worth, I want to apologise to you again. I know that I already did it to your grave and all that but you deserve to hear it directly from me. So here it goes… Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

It had been a while since anyone called her that.

“I’m sorry for everything I did as Chat Noir, harassing you to date me, throwing temper tantrums during akuma fights, greatly hindering  you with my selfishness and finally, betraying you for the sake of my father. I never should have listened to him. Even if it was to get my mother back. I should have told you the truth. And I am sorry for the hurt I had caused you as Adrien Agreste. I should have done something about Lila from the beginning. I should have supported you instead of telling you to suck it up. I should have let her lies get too far that it hurt you. In fact, I should never let it get that far in the first place. I am sorry I never did all of that.”

Marinette clapped. “Thank you, Adrien.”

Adrien nodded. At least she accepted his apologies. It was too much to hope for her forgiveness.

“Marinette, I..” Adrien didn’t know how to bring it up.

“There’s more?”

“Alya sorta brought it up when we had a class reunion. That… you had a crush on me. How much you did for me and I never noticed.” Adrien blushed in embarrassment. “Not that I want to do that with you, I mean, I maybe had a few fantasies about that when I was fifteen but not like now because it’s weird and you are like half my age now and I am seeing someone.”

Adrien rambled.

Marinette laughed.

Adrien had a flashback to that sweet girl from his youth.

“What I am trying to say is that. I am sorry I never knew and if I hurt you because I was tactless.”

“You did a lot but I never held that fact against you. Honestly, I let go of my feelings for you because.. Of Lila.”

“I get it. I was a huge dick.”

“Another thing is that I wasn’t my best when it comes to you. I did a lot of stupid things to get your attention.”

“Alya may have talked about that. I am flattered but it was also worrying. But Chat Noir wasn't any better so I can’t talk.”

They both smiled at each other.

Adrien saw that in a different world, Ladybug and Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, would have ended up together. He shook his head to get rid of that thought, he knew better now. He had made sure that would never happen. Even if his father didn’t kill Maria/Marinette, and she had lived on, Adrien wouldn’t get her love ever again.

“Marinette, can we be friends?” Adrien asked before he could lose his courage. Even if he couldn’t love her, he hoped to stay by her side as her friend.

Marinette lost her smile.

“We can’t, can we?” Adrien ruefully answered his own question.

“Adrien, I know that you have changed for the better. You are a great person now. It’s just… we have a lot of history. History I can’t easily erase with a blank slate. I am still trying to sort through everything and try to move on. It’s been hard.” Marinette confessed. “I have been to therapy but they don’t exactly know how to help someone who experienced and remember all the awful things that happened in their past life.”

Marinette looked up. “I’m sorry.”

Adrien moved to hold her hand for comfort before reconsidering his action.

“Look, Marinette, I am not mad. I am a bit disappointed we can’t be friends but I kinda get it. I hurt you badly so you don’t feel like you can trust me ever again. That’s my fault. I knew it wasn’t a possibility when I asked but I had to try.”

“Oh, Adrien.”

“Marinette, at the very least, are friendly acquaintances okay?” He asked.

“I guess.”

Adrien smiled. “You don’t have to try to be friends with me, Marinette. I swear I will be okay. This won’t break my heart. I have someone who will take care of it.”

Marinette asked, curious. “Who are you dating anyways?”

Adrien blushed. “His name is Jaime. Jaime Reyes. I still can’t believe he likes me even after I told him about what I did.”

Marinette choked.

“Marinette, are you okay?” Adrien rushed forward and rubbed her back. 

At the same time, Jason arrived, having annoyed Roy Harper to break several traffic laws to get to Gotham from all the way from Metropolis.

Upon seeing Adrien, he growled. “Get the fuck away from Marinette. What did you do to her, you fucker?!”

He grabbed Adrien and slammed him towards the nearest wall.

Marinette quickly interfered. “Jason, it’s okay. We were just talking. Then, I got caught off guard by something he said.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Well, I was just surprised to learn that he was dating a guy. Nothing big. Just several things that finally made sense now that I thought about it.”

Adrien gaped at her. “I have been out as bi for a decade now. How do you not know that I like guys?”

Marinette scowled, “It’s not like I keep up with celebrity gossip. I don’t look for news with your name like I used to do.”

“So you are good, kid?”

“Yes, Jason. Please let him go. We were still talking.”

Jason did so.

Adrien rubbed his neck and turned to Marinette. “As much as I want to keep talking, I think I should leave. I have to go and meet up with Jaime anyways. He had to run an errand here for a friend of his.”

Marinette nodded.  “Be safe.”

—

After Adrien left, Jason gave a questioning look to Marinette.

“Why did you lie? We all know that you kept an eye on your old classmates so you already knew that he dated guys.”

“What I didn’t know was that Adrien is dating Blue Beetle.”

“The same Blue Beetle Bruce called to deal with those aliens who are trafficking humans?”

“Yes. Now let’s go to Metropolis so I can avoid doing the responsible thing and tell Adrien the truth.”

—-

What about the rest of the class… Well, they all led relatively normal lives. They all drifted apart and only met again at the class union that Adrien had mentioned.

They all faced different challenges and achieved success like any other normal people. Some turned out great despite what happened. Some moderately successful. Some not so great but still managed fine. A few unhappy with their life.

The ones who were marked by Marinette in her ‘ghost’ rampage had a few bad days more than an average person but other than that they had normal lives.

When they see Maria’s brand Afterlife or Marinette Todd-Wayne in a magazine, their heart aches at the thought of their once dear friend.

Now you will ask what happened to her parents.

Well, they moved away from their old building to a different part of Paris and opened a bakery under a different name.

They moved on as best as they could and filled with regrets for losing their daughter twice.

They knew in their hearts that Marinette had lived on as Maria. It hurt them again knowing that she was gone forever once more.

When they saw the news about Marinette Todd-Wayne. They knew it was their daughter reincarnated.

As much as they wanted to see her again, they knew that they would never be able to.

To try to honour the daughter they had, they fostered many troubled kids. Helping them and giving them the support that they should have given Marinette.

They learned from their mistakes from Marinette and did their best to not repeat them with the other kids.

Life moves on and Everyone continues on.

—-

This is the end. Thank you for reading and being on this amazing journey with me.

-----

Taglist: @local-witch-of-mn, @ladyqnoirr, @lolieg, @istoleyourcookies, @pale-lady-dreamer, @ichigorose, @meow-now, @demonicbusiness, @unoriginalmess, @the-drokainian, @joejosyxd,@questionableboi, @talia-scar123, @boredteen19, @geminis93

[fanbliss]

Maribat promt

After a shitty day of patrol and getting into an argument with the bat, Jason heads home to his apartment only to find a magical three year old girl with black hair and blue eyes playing with a black cat and a strange ladybug plushie on his couch.

[thornalchemist23]

Marinette: Bye Damian! Bye Dick! Bye Tim! Bye Jason! Bye Damian! Dick: You said 'bye Damian' twice. Marinette: I like Damian.

[lily-drake]

Unexpected Discoveries Lead to Unexpected Consequences

Chapter 2

Previous

This was not nor had it ever been part of any of his plans.  Nope, he had never meant for this to happen at.  All.  Yet!  Here he was.  He can’t even believe himself.

“Talia, I have known this girl for two weeks, but I swear to G* that if anything happens to her while I am gone with my next trainer I will kill everyone in the stupid base and then myself.”

Jason immediately stated upon returning from France with Marinette in toe next to him.  She gave Talia a shy smile and wave before moving back to hide behind Jason once again.

After their little heart to heart in the apartment upon their first meeting Jason knew he couldn’t leave this small, innocent child behind to survive on her own.  He had let her sleep in the bed, as it was a single room apartment, and he slept on the couch.  That same night he was woken by bloodcurdling, heart-clenching screams.  The bond was being pulled incessantly in sharp, painful jolts, and it was filled with so much pain and anguish that it almost made him buckle over in pain.  He raced over to the bedroom and found Mary (“My real name is Marinette”) struggling against the blankets, still obviously asleep.  Racing over to the bed he tried his very best to wake her up gently, whispering that she needed to awaken.  Unfortunately, it didn't work and Jason swore that his heart was going to be torn out of his chest.  Running out of both strength and patience he began to shake her by the shoulders.  

“Mary, you’re having a nightmare and you need to wake up!”

Nearly silent sobs left her lips.  Jason's heart yearned to comfort this child as the tugs against his heart continued in their frantic manner as if the bond itself was begging for someone to soothe the pain.   Now Jason knew this would be a terrible idea if this was to wake up to this, but well, it worked on his mom when she was too far gone trying to chase a high.  And while this wasn’t the same thing, maybe it would still work.  

Kneeling at the bedside Jason began to softly run his fingers through Mari’s now clean hair, easily removing any knots out of her still slightly damp hair.  He did his best to send soothing tugs and ripples through the bond in hopes that it would calm her.  Thankfully the movement seemed to do the trick as Mari began to relax into the covers and had soon stopped crying.  He could feel her unconsciously leaning into his hand, and he refused to take away the obvious comfort she found in the contact.  He stared at the girl’s gentle features, truly taking in her form.  She was frail and thin, there were dark and heavy bags under her eyes, and her skin, while slightly tan from being in the sun for long amounts of time, was unnaturally pale.  How was he supposed to leave her when Talia came to pick him up?  The kid needed stability, someone to look after her, and he did not trust any foster care system in any way shape or form.  Jason sighed to himself and desperately wanted to hit his head against a wall.  Why was this his life?

So here he was now, at Nanda Parbat, with a small 13-year-old child standing behind him, threatening Talia al Ghul of all people to protect his new baby sister while he was gone.  Because G* knew that if something happened to this angel of a child on his watch, all Hell would break loose.

“I see you’ve picked up a stray.”

She said flatly after his outburst, only giving Mari a small glance before staring at Jason once again.  Her face was void of any emotion, but he could see the ever so slight glint of curiosity hidden behind the indifference in her eyes.

“Look,”

Jason sighed, pinching his nose between his gloved fingers.

“Trust me when I say that I had no planes on doing this.”

“But?”

Talia asked when he didn’t continue with a raised brow.

“But, the kid's been through some sh* and is honestly like a lost duckling. (“I am not.”)  She wouldn’t stop following me around even when I told her that I’m bad news. (*huff*).  And if this continued she was going to get herself killed, or worse.”

Jason shivered.  He remembered how quickly and mysteriously kids would disappear.  And IF they were ever found, well, they were never the same again.  Always haunted, always on edge, always silent, eyes clouded over like they had seen the depths of Hell and were forced to come back to Earth.  He would never be able to live with himself if he saw that same look on this kid in front of him.  

Talia seemed to understand where he was coming from and simply nodded.  Her expression gave none of her thoughts or feelings away though.  

“I see.  Well, I have arranged for you to go to Germany to learn how to put together and dismantle explosives.  If this goes well Jason, this should be your last trainer.  I will take your youth under my wing until you return.  She will be protected and trained, so when it is time for you to complete your goal you will know she will be taken care of and will know how to properly take care of herself.”

Jason could hug her, but he refrained.  He didn’t want to get stabbed, thank you very much.  He smiled and nodded his head in thanks.

“Thank you Talia, I owe you one.”

“One of many.”

Talia said, a ghost of a smile somehow showing through her still emotionless face.

“Yea, yea.”

He replied flippantly before turning back to Marinette who had been basically strangling his shirt between her small boney hands.  Gently he pulled her in front of him and kneeled so they were level with each other while sending warm calming ripples through their bond.  He placed a gentle but firm hand on her shoulder and began to explain what was going to happen.  

“Pix, please look at me.”

Marinette looked up from the ground and looked him in the eyes while she nervously chewed at her lip.

“You’re going to leave me?”

She asked sorrowfully.  He could feel the tension and despair in the bond making Jason feel guilty.  Jason softened slightly and shook his head, continuing to send his reassurance and care back.

“Yes, and no.  I’ll be back soon, and Talia is going to keep you safe.  I’ve got to go to this place to learn some stuff, and when I’m done I won’t leave ya again, I promise.”

“And I can’t come with you?”

She asked sorrowfully.  Jason shook his head quickly,

“No Pixie.  It’s way too dangerous for you.  But Talia here is going to help you learn how to protect yourself here.  It’ll be okay.”

“And you promise that you’ll come back?”

She asked, almost begged really.  She was sending out so much hope and worry that his heart was starting to ache.  He didn’t think he would ever get used to this strange bond, way of communicating really. 

“I promise.”

Marinette nodded, her eyes hardening with conviction and complete trust that Jason knew he would rather die again than break.

“Okay.  I’ll work hard till you come back, big brother Jay-Jay.”

Jason smiled and rolled his eyes before ruffling her hair.

“Yea, yea.  How about you get to know Talia,”

He leaned into her ear and whispered just loud enough so that Talia would hear him.

“She may seem all scary and heartless, but she has a heart deep deep down.  I promise.”

Marinette giggled softly and Talia rolled her eyes.  Jason smirked at her before pushing himself up and standing next to Mari with a hand on her shoulder.  He nodded to Talia and gave Marinette one last squeeze before he turned and left towards his room where his bag should be.  He would have to leave soon, he had no doubt that there was a plane or helicopter waiting for him at this very moment.  Besides, it would be good for Marinette to learn from Talia; and if she introduced the small girl to Damian so the kid would have a friend, it would be 10x better.

__________

When Jason returned to Nanda Parabat four months later he was definitely surprised at what he was witnessing.  He had been searching for the small girl when he had heard fighting coming from one of the training rooms.  While it made sense, he had still wanted to see what was happening and hadn’t been expecting what he was witnessing.  He watched the battle unfold recognizing the two in an instant.  Marinette was dressed in the traditional black League training robes with a light green bandana tied around her arm to signify that she was under the protection of Talia.  He watched as Marinette, armed with two 12” daggers, fought against Talia confidently standing her ground far better than he would have thought possible.  Talia obviously wasn’t going easy on her, but Marinette seemed to be dancing around her, her eyes narrowed with full concentration.  Talia had definitely taken the training request very seriously, and so had Mari.  She was starting to grow into a more lean and gymnast-like body, like Di-Nightwing’s.  She held herself with much more confidence than she had before he had left and moved with grace that she definitely didn’t have before.  He had seen the girl trip over literally nothing.

She had definitely grown a lot while he was gone, she was maybe two or three inches taller than the last time he had seen her.  He didn’t see any signs of serious injury in the way she moved, so the League was safe for now…unfortunately.  

He continued to watch the two fight and studied the different forms that Marinette used.  She was using more offensive than defensive attacks, and it was obvious she was trying to redirect Talia’s strikes back to her.  She was resourceful with how she used her daggers, none of her strikes were lethal(thank goodness), but sadly it wasn’t enough.  Her stamina still wasn’t what it could be due to who knows how long of malnourishment, and it was obvious she was tiring out.  And that was all Talia needed to finish the fight as she rounded one last kick that Marinette just couldn’t dodge in time causing her to fall flat on her back.  Talia held her katana to her neck, and Jason sent a jolt of panic course through him.  There may have been a decent amount of space from the blade and Mari’s throat as it was spar, but it still made his skin crawl to see that happen.

“You lasted longer this time.  Good job, Marinette.”

Talia said calmly as she moved the sword back into the sheath at her side and held out a hand for Mari to take.  With a bright smile Marinette accepted the gesture and quickly got back on her feet.

“Thank you Talia, I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

“I don’t know Pixie Pop, I think you could have done it at some point even without her.”

Jason called out casually from where he was leaning against the doorway.  Marinette’s head snapped over to Jason in surprise, unlike Talia who had probably sensed his entry even during the fight.  

“Big brother!”

Marinette practically screamed as she ran towards him.  Jason was able to catch her right before she slammed into him, picking her up by the armpits and spinning her once before he set her down again.  Her arms wrapped tightly around him; Jason was quick to reciprocate the gesture with a roll of his eyes.

“Jeesh kid, we’ve literally known each other for like three weeks.  You get attached to people way too easily.”

He said in a joking yet serious voice.  It was sweet if not slightly concerning. 

“Not true, I’ve felt your emotions for the last five months.  I know you better than you think.”

She mumbled into his chest.  Jason sighed once more before just picking her up and holding her against his side.  Even if she had grown a few inches, she was still small.

“So, nothing happened while I was gone?”

He asked Talia with a raised brow.

“No.  She wore my colors, the others knew not to touch her without my express permission.  She is a quick learner and a sharp student.  I’m glad you found her, she could be an excellent asset.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but she’s not staying here.  Thank you for training and protecting her Talia.  We’ll be heading to Gotham soon.”

“Well then, I wish you luck with your goal Jason.”

Talia said calmly, resting her hands behind her back.

“And I’m thankful for all the training you’ve given me and her, Talia.  I’m ready to take on the big Bat himself now.”

Talia gave a sharp nod and turned away.  Jason finally set Marinette back down so she was standing in front of him and sighed,

“Come on Pix, I know you’re dying to tell me everything.  You can chatter my ear off while we pack your things.”

And just like that Mari began telling him all that she had learned and all that she had experienced with the League.  He was glad it wasn’t too terrible, and that she had really worked hard with her training and studies.  Her eyes sparkled a bright happy blue and she practically danced around the room collecting the few things she had so that they could begin the flight to Gotham.  Turns out that had met Damian, he even sparred with her.  She didn’t win, little demon brat had said some rude things, but helped her with her form.  His heart felt warm from all of the joy she was sending through the bond and it was infectious.  He missed his little pixie.  

When they arrived on the plane Marinette settled into the seat next to him and leaned against his side.

“Jay?”

She asked quietly.

“Yea Pix?”

There was a small pause but Jason just waited patiently for Marinette to continue.

“I’m ready to tell you what happened.”

Jason paused for a second.  From what he had heard of her nightmares, and felt, something terrible must have happened for her to be on the streets.

“You sure?  I don’t want you to rush into things.”

She nodded silently, with a firm and sure look on her face.

“I’m ready.”

She took in a deep breath and slowly blew it out, trying to calm her buzzing nerves.  He tried to reach out through the bond, to understand what may be going through her mind, but he couldn’t feel anything.  It was like there was a wall between the two of them, and that scared Jason more than he would ever admit.

“Mama and Papa ran into some financial trouble with their bakery.  A liar, I’m pretty sure she was a meta, lied about it and said that it was infested with rodents and bugs.  She said that she had seen a rat running through the kitchen, even though there was no way she could have been back there, and that she had found a fly baked into her peach tart!  Of course everyone believed her, even though she had no definitive proof everyone. Still. Believed. Her! One of my old friends ran a popular blog with their mom, and she posted Lila’s lies on it a lot.  Soon after, other news sponsors reported on this supposed incident as well.  And soon after, few people ever came in again.  Mama and Papa were so worried, I once walked in on them crying together and I didn’t know what to do, so I left.”

Her voice had taken on an almost airy lilt.  Her eyes were glazed over as she talked, her breath hitching ever so often.  But no tears fell, and no sobs came.  Jason didn’t interrupt.

“Papa got a loan from the Akuma Gang because the banks refused to give one to my parents.  In the end they were unable to pay back the money, and they burned down my home with everybody in it.  I was at a small party with who I thought was my last friend, but it was a set up.  When it happened, I-I was on my way home and they tried to-to…”

The dam broke and tears flowed down Marinette’s cheeks, sobs shaking her body.  Jason pulled her closer to his side, whispering words of comfort into her ear, telling her that she didn’t have to finish if she wasn’t ready, while gently rubbing her back.  Once she got her sobs under control she continued.

“They tried to kidnap and take advantage of me.”

The green began to overwhelm his vision as it screamed for blood and vengeance for the girl he considered his little sister.  He hadn’t felt this Pit crazed, this angry in so long, it was almost frightening.  But he was too angry to be frightened.

“I was able to escape them, but I had nowhere to go.  I didn’t trust CPS because the Akuma’s could pay them off to have me basically delivered to them.  I had no friends since the liar took them all away.  I couldn’t go to school because the son of one of the members goes there and he definitely would have taken me.  He does whatever his father wants, no matter what.  I had to live on the streets and try to stay out of sight while still trying to survive.”

Another round of sobs left her mouth as she burrowed farther into Jason’s chest.  She was shaking like a leaf and all Jason could do was listen to and hold her.  He wanted to fly right back to Paris and burn it to the ground.  Tear every person that even thought about hurting her limb from limb.  Paint the streets in the blood of the revolting, abominable filth that dared to ever hurt this child.  Our child the Pit hisses possessively as it continued to wrap around his brain and take control of his thoughts.  He let out a small breath doing his best to clear it so he wouldn’t accidentally hurt Marinette.

“It’s going to be okay, Pixie.  I promise, I won’t let that happen to you ever again.  I’ll keep you safe, I won’t leave you alone to suffer ever again.  I promise.”

Jason carefully pulled her atop his lap, slowly rocking her side to side gently as her cries petered out to sobs, to hiccups, and then silence as she fell asleep against his chest.  He gently placed a kiss to the top of her forehead and sighed.  Kid didn’t deserve any of that.  He renewed his vow, the vow he had made only a few months ago.  He would protect her, and he would make sure that she would never go through anything like this ever again.  He’ll never let her feel powerless, afraid, or alone again.  That’s what a big brother is for after all, right?

-END-

Taglist:

@aespades @adrestar @astrynyx @doll246 @queenz-z @toodaloo-kangaroo @crazylittlemunchkin @seraphichana @miraculous-ninjabird @dorkus-minimus @mysticsoulgirl @ritacrow-blog @snow-leopard-777 @fidget-eep @sometandomstuff333 @lady-phoenix-of-tardis @shreeing @achaoticmess1 @liquid-luck-00 @buginetye @stainedglassm @prettylittlebutterflie @laurcad123 @iloontjeboontje @heartsong18 @raeuberprinzessin @when-no-wings-do-broomsticks @jennifer-rose123 @moon5608 @corporeal-terrestrial @skitarii-alpha-c6-555 @saltysugarysembei @phantom120 @kking13 @depressed-bitchy-demon @a-slytherinish-gryffindor 

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

The enemy of my enemy is ALSO my enemy, Part 5

First<Previous<Masterlist>Next

Jason quickly got into a sort of rhythm. Quickly got used to being around the group of four. He learned that Adrien took full advantage of the few cheat days his model lifestyle afforded him, and would gorge himself on every pastry he got his hands on, to the point where he often ended up getting sick. Learned that Marinette actually liked making outfits, but never gave any of her actually good designs to her boss, stating that Gabriel Agreste wouldn’t appreciate her genius anyways. That Plagg would randomly light random things on fire just so he could watch everyone panic. That Tikki created those things solely so he could do so without ruining anything actually important, that she chose things that would burn in interesting patterns or have colorful flames to make it into a show for everyone. Adrien liked to laze in windowsills. Marinette was impossible to wake up in the morning…

And, in turn, they got used to him. They learned he hated chocolate cake with a passion. Learned that he knew expensive fabrics from inexpensive ones from a glance, and that he knew how to make inexpensive ones look expensive. That he liked touching the flames to feel the strangeness that was something that was undeniably warm but felt like nothing at the same time. That he could rattle off chemicals and their properties off the top of his head. He had a tendency to hang upside down from the ceiling. He could be very annoying when he wished to be…

Which was how they made a discovery.

It was late at night. He’d taken to draping a wing over the pair of them as they slept. They couldn’t feel it, of course, but it relaxed him when he was able to see their heads poking out from beneath his wing, to see it tucked up to their chin like a normal blanket, all of the weariness of their expressions leaving while they drifted from one dream to the next. And he would spend the entire night reading the classics with Plagg and Tikki, because they had to do something while the humans slept.

An alarm blared.

Like a puppet on strings, Adrien sat up in one jerky motion, throwing everything off of him, his head jerking back and forth in search of the phone that was screaming at him about an akuma.

Jason pointed it out for him, and Adrien immediately turned to look, swiping the phone from the ground and starting to look over the information that had been gathered so far.

Which left everyone else to try and wake Marinette.

Plagg, Tikki, and Jason immediately set to their usual routine. Tikki procured a fog horn out of thin air. Plagg ripped the blankets, and Jason started mimicking her mom yelling for her to get up for school in hopes of triggering a latent fear response.

But it wasn’t working. Unsurprising, considering she had stayed up later than normal designing, but still… she needed to be up.

And Jason, in his infinite wisdom, had slapped her.

There was a beat of silence that followed.

Adrien’s head snapped over as realization hit him, and it was this that made Jason notice something:

The slap had made a sound.

Marinette sat up slowly, rubbing her cheek with a frown.

Jason looked at his hand for a moment, and then at her. He reached for her again and tried to touch her face, only to find his hand went right through her.

His eyebrows knit together for a moment.

And then his eyes caught on the soul that was hovering just next to her, an inch to the right of her real face.

The soul that always seemed to disappear while she was asleep.

… now that he thought about it, wasn’t it strange that he could drape his wing over the pair of them while they were asleep? How could he do so without exerting a crazy amount of effort to make sure his wing was always hovering just over them? Why had it always felt like he was… resting it on them?

He slowly reached out and pressed his finger to the tip of the soul’s nose.

Marinette and the soul blinked. She went cross-eyed for a moment, and he could see her still half-awake mind struggling to figure out why there was something touching her and yet his finger wasn’t even all that close.

And then both she and her soul jerked back, something akin to terror on both of their faces.

Strangely, they both moved to shove their hands behind themselves.

Adrien’s soul, however, had opted to reach for him, poking at his face in a way that seemed to be more like a test than anything. Jason could only stare. It was… strange. He’d never really bothered to touch the souls, to test what exactly their properties were. And, even if he had wanted to, why would he check to see whether he could touch them? He couldn’t touch anything else, why would souls be different?

Maybe because it was his supposed ‘domain’, as a sorter of the dead?

All he could do was theorize.

Not that he could bring himself to care that much about it at that moment, because he was being pulled in a hug.

A choked sound escaped him as he was enveloped in the soul’s arms, and he could only stay there, limp and motionless.

Slowly, he wrapped his arms and wings around him, burying his face in the crook of his neck.

He wondered, absently, how it must have looked to everyone else. He was hugging air, in their eyes.

He didn’t care.

After a couple of hesitant moments, Marinette’s soul reached out and gave his hair a quick ruffle before retreating.

He slowly drew back to give her a confused look, only to find her sitting on her hands.

Now he really must have looked confused, because Marinette gave a tiny laugh that held no real humor.

She looked down. “Sorry, I just… mom used to tell me all about how you couldn’t hold ghosts’ hands, because they’d drag you back to their ‘home’...”

Adrien’s soul stiffened just slightly, and then relaxed in a way that seemed like he was consciously telling himself to lighten up, before hugging Jason tighter.

“I know it’s dumb, but…” She gave an awkward kind of smile. “I mean, I can’t even fall asleep without making sure my hands are hidden. Sorry if I can’t really…” She waved a hand vaguely before grimacing and hiding it away once again.

Jason slowly drew an arm back, looking down at his hand for the second time that night.

He didn’t know if it was true… but… he kind of hoped so. That would mean that, if he found Hawkmoth, he could deal with the man. His two humans wouldn’t even have to risk themselves.

“So… I hate to break up the moment…” Tikki began. “But… akuma.”

“Oh fuck.”

~

Jason hummed as he watched the butterfly flutter off.

Adrien glanced over, running a hand through his shaggy blond hair. Jason thought the shaggy mess suited him far better than the gelled, perfectly maintained one his father made him do.

But that was neither here nor there.

“What’s up?”

Jason hummed again, a long, low note, watching the tiny insect disappear around a corner. “I’ve been thinking… the butterflies don’t always leave in the same direction, so Hawkmoth has to get them from somewhere, right?”

“Already checked out all of the butterfly gardens,” Marinette said, shrugging her shoulders. Or just rolling them. She’d taken a pretty harsh hit to the back during the fight, and even Tikki’s magic couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that things should hurt.

Jason grinned, though. “That makes it even easier, don’t you think? I mean, how many people are just buying a bunch of butterflies for no reason?”

Adrien yawned into his hand, and then jerked his head toward an alley that he and Marinette would be able to detransform in. “Eh. My dad gets them all the time. He uses them to honor my mom, I think he said.”

“Then he’s one of those people,” he shrugged. “I’ve still got a point, though. It’s not exactly normal to do that.”

“Tiny problem with that, Robin. We don’t know how to figure out who is buying a shit ton of butterflies.”

Jason’s grin turned sharp. “Well, what if I told you I have a lot of hacking experience?”

~

“Ugh, stop being a backseat typer,” Marinette groaned as Jason leaned over her shoulder to squint at her screen.

“Do you want this to work?” He said, dropping his chin onto the shoulder of her soul, which was currently filing its nails (don’t even ask him how that worked, he couldn’t tell you). Said soul didn’t even flinch, more than used to Jason’s clinginess at this point. As long as he didn’t get too close to their hands, which were just barely inching away from him, it didn’t seem to mind him. And he liked being able to actually touch things.

(Especially since those things were his friends, but don’t tell them that. They’d get a big head about it.)

She groaned. “But you’re so annoying,” she whined, no real heat in her words as her soul leaned her head against his.

“Learn how to code and I won’t have to correct you every other second.”

“At this point I’m going to do that purely to spite you.”

He snickered.

~

He sighed as Adrien curled in on himself. It had been… a particularly long photoshoot, with someone that he apparently did not like.

Jason looked at him for a long moment.

He took a seat next to him and, after stretching out his wing in a slow, exaggerated way that allowed Adrien plenty of time to lean away, he wrapped it around him, dragging the blond into his side.

Adrien sniffled.

“Your wing feels weird.”

Jason huffed a little.

“Do you want comfort or not?”

Adrien’s soul wrapped its arms around him.

They didn’t move for a long time.

~

“So… the reason you look so young is…” Plagg began, the normally lively kwami’s expression surprisingly soft.

Jason shrugged a little, his eyes never leaving the window. It was raining, heavy droplets beating against the glass, a steady pattern that made tiny shivers run up and down his spine.

After a couple of moments, Plagg sighed and looked down, quiet for a long moment, especially by the kwami’s standards.

Flames began to flicker in front of the kwami, and Jason snickered a little before reaching out and touching it.

It was nice to watch it dance along his finger tips. A reminder that fire couldn’t hurt him anymore.

If he murmured a thanks, then the word got lost in the crackle of flames and the quiet pitter-patter of raindrops.

~

Tikki tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. Surprisingly so, considering she was just eating a cookie. You would think it wasn’t really a thought-provoking thing…

Jason raised an eyebrow at her.

She smiled a little. “Hey, you can feel things, right?”

“Kinda…” he said carefully. It wasn’t quite feeling, because he wasn’t actually touching, but it was certainly something.

She nodded once to herself, though, as if the noncommittal answer meant something.

She floated up to his face and, before he could really react, shoved the cookie into the place where his mouth was.

It… tasted.

Not quite right, mind you, it was a muted flavor that was tinged with an ashiness that he would have thought was because the cookie had been burned if it weren’t for the fact that it was a perfect golden brown… but it was something.

He grinned at her and leaned into the cookie, pressing his nonexistent tongue against it.

It was… nice.

~

Jason absently flitted from place to place in Adrien’s house, glowering at Gabriel Agreste from the rafters as the man made his way through the mansion, a box cradled in his hands.

Why?

Because he sucked. Constantly making Adrien self-conscious about his looks, berating Marinette even when she followed his instructions perfectly, using his interns’ designs without coming up with any of his own but basking in all the praise regardless, forcing his own son into uncomfortable situations for the sake of bland photo shoots… the list went on, really, and Jason could make a powerpoint of all of the things he hated about the man, but no one wants to talk about how much they despise someone for quite that long, much less do they want to read a list that had well over a hundred bullet points.

Also, perhaps more importantly, even if Jason personally thought it was secondary, the man was suspicious.

He hadn’t missed that the man fit what they knew about Hawkmoth: a tall, white male, who lived in the richest area of town and bought a frankly concerning amount of butterflies.

But, really, if he was going to be a supervillain, shouldn’t he be trying to hide the fact that he was a terrible person? Literally at all?

Still, the man was suspicious. No innocent man walks like that.

Jason flitted after him, jumping from shadow to shadow.

And then, to his surprise and yet not at all, the man walked up to a painting of his deceased wife. And pressed his fingers to a few places.

The painting swung forward on an invisible hinge.

A kwami not that unlike Tikki and Plagg appeared at his shoulder, and Jason only just caught sight of the purple being before the painting swung shut behind them.

As if to confirm the theory, an akuma was spotted not even a few minutes later.

~

Jason looked at the pair of kwamis, his expression uncharacteristically serious. Marinette and Adrien were at work, it was just the three of them, sitting in the too-pink room.

“Gabriel Agreste is Hawkmoth,” he said, opting to cut to the chase. “I don’t want Adrien to know. If it all works out, I want you to take the miraculous off of Gabriel’s body while they’re looking away.”

He got two determined nods in response.

Maybe, even if Jason wasn’t a god like them, they still had a few things in common.

~

“Hey, guys…” he began carefully, his eyes never quite meeting theirs. “I’ve found Hawkmoth. I’m going to drag him down with me. I… don’t know if I’ll be able to come back after.”

The pair of humans went very still.

“Who…?” Adrien began.

Jason only shook his head, a watery smile on his face. “I’ll be back in a couple of years, okay? I’ll come look for you.”

“Not if we find you first,” Marinette said, her voice wavering just slightly.

He smiled. “Jason Todd.”

The pair gave him wide-eyed looks.

“Hm?” Adrien said, his tone so careful, as if he wasn’t quite sure he should believe it.

“That’s my name. Jason Todd.”

“Fucking lame-ass name,” Marinette mumbled.

He laughed wetly and opened his arms.

Their souls immediately found their places in them.

~

“Gabriel Agreste!” Jason chirped.

The man jerked around to look at him, his eyes wide. He rested a hand over his heart, and Jason was left wondering if it was a natural reaction to being scared or because his miraculous was there.

Not that it mattered.

Jason touched down on the ground in front of him, smiling a smile that was far too wide for his face. “Or, I guess I should say, Hawkmoth. Proper titles are important, after all.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

His already pasty face was draining of the little color it had and he began backing up, away from Jason.

“Cut the shit. Sir. I watched you disappear into your secret lair – tacky, by the way, villains use abandoned warehouses nowadays – and don’t think I’ve missed all of your interesting expenses. Like, really? A glass coffin? Doesn’t that just scream something suspicious is going on? That you’re not actually moving on? That you intend on preserving her, in some way or another?”

Gabriel stammered for a moment before standing up straighter. He still seemed short in comparison to the boy, whose wings were beginning to stretch behind him. The shadows themselves seemed to gather around him, enveloping the pair.

“What’re you…” The shadows were, in fact, actually moving, and Gabriel’s voice started shaking as the black tendrils started winding their way up his legs. “... going to do about it?”

“Help you move on,” he said breezily. “I mean, is there a better way to make you stop grieving over her than giving you something much worse to worry about?”

The man didn’t respond. His breathing was getting rapid, dangerously so. His back hit the wall, and he started sinking towards the ground, curling in on himself, his hand still clutching at his chest.

“You’ve made my job pretty difficult as of late,” he said, his expression falling into a mock pout for half a second before the smile won out again.

“I… I can make it up to you!” The man rushed to placate him.

“Oh, you will,” Jason promised.

He didn’t know how he knew it would work. Didn’t know why he was so sure of what he was doing. Didn’t know why he had managed to go months without dragging anyone ‘home’ with him but now had no problems finding his path back.

But did any of that matter?

No.

All that mattered was that he lunged forward and grabbed ahold of his soul’s hand.

The ground opened up at their feet.

The inky blackness swallowed them both whole.

~

They hit the ground.

Or, at least, Gabriel did. His body crunched when it hit the familiar tile of Lazarus Holdings. Jason had made sure to land with more grace – though he did opt to drop the last few feet, slamming his feet into the man’s back and forcing him even further into the floor.

A pair of clipped butterfly wings had sprouted on his back sometime during their descent, it had been too dark for him to see, but now they hung at an odd angle, bent unnaturally where Jason had landed on them.

The room had gone very quiet.

Jason snatched a file out of thin air.

Gabriel Agreste.

Died of a heart attack in Paris, France, at 16:20.

To be revived –.

He tossed the papers in a nearby shredder.

And then he turned to the room at large. Bucky and Melisande were still there, and they were looking at him like they had seen a ghost. Which was silly of them. Of course they had seen a ghost, nothing else would be down here, after all.

“There should be no more ladybugs.”

He stepped off the man and grabbed him by the back of his ugly candy cane suit, dragging him up onto shaky feet.

“And, I found us a new worker! I hope everyone gives him a very warm welcome, because he’s going to be around for a long time.”

[fleursroses]

Marinette: You aren't coming with me?

Jason: I'm not your mom, Pixie.

Jason, handing her a lunchbox: Here are your sandwiches. I'll pick you up at five.

Marinette:

[soulmate-game]

Chapter 6

(Yes, Marinette and Damian disconnected Audio only before they went to her hotel, so no Tikki reveal sorry!)

Prev First Next

—*—*—*—*—*

Back at the Batcave, Robin was the first to change, sit through debrief, and go to sleep. Nobody questioned him, knowing full well his motives. The other vigilantes however, despite being back in their civvies, were not so quick to end the night.

“You all heard that, right?” Jason asked. Oracle, also known as Barbara Gordon, rolled her eyes. She backed up in her wheelchair and turned to face everyone else.

“What, the part where Marinette made you coo when she essentially defended you and said she still thought of you as a good person?”

Jason rolled his eyes. “I mean yeah, that part was pretty nice. But I’m talking about everything she said about Paris,” the man clarified, leaning back in a chair so that the front two legs lifted off the ground. “She was geared and ready to continue listing examples of Akumas. I doubt she even listed half of the ones that were centered around or targeting her. And having to go through all of her classmates becoming villains, even temporarily?” He shook his head. “That kinda shit doesn’t leave anybody unaffected.”

“Especially what she said about the mermaid monster Akuma,” Tim agreed, pulling up a story on the computer. “I’ve pulled up the reports from both the Ladyblog and the AkumaWatch app. They seem to agree on everything, so I think this was back when the Ladyblog was still reliable,” he pulled up a video taken by the girl who ran the Ladyblog, Alya Cesaire. Marinette’s former best friend and current classmate. The commentary was all in French, but Tim had went ahead and added quick English subtitles for everyone. The wonders of having a supercomputer. The video was taken from a high roof, and showed the water flowing so high that it completely covered most buildings. It would have definitely caused enough pressure to break open windows and fill those buildings on the inside too.

“Woah! It looks like they can transform!” The voice of the reporter said in French, pointing to the distance where two blues of red and black hopped onto a building. The girl zoomed in, her phone’s camera just barely able to show an out-of-focus Ladybug and Chat Noir with different patterns to their uniforms and fins. The cat-themed hero managed to pull an entire car, and as they soon sound out, temporary supervillain Syren, out of the water all on his own. “Aqua suits! That’s so cool!”

It was obvious, however, that the girl’s voice shook a bit. She kept the camera purposely pointed as high up as she could while still catching the heroes and the destruction of the possessed item on screen. There were blurred images all across the surface of the water, which the heroes knew to be censored bodies.

“Only a couple thousand out of two million Parisians survived, that’s what Marinette said,” Barbara breathed, eyes wide. “Seeing it like this really makes it all real,” she clenched her jaw. They all continued watching as what was simply dubbed as Ladybug’s Miracle swept through the city in a shockwave o ladybugs, and the water disappeared. They watched as Alya aimed the camera down and caught very alive people popping up in the streets or on top of cars, wherever they had been right before getting carried away by the vicious waves.

Every hero in the Cave saw people of all ages down there, shimmering back to life. From month-old babies to old men and women.

It was both wonderful and horrifying.

After the video ended, the entire cave was silent for a long moment. Jason was the one that spoke up, to no one's surprise.

“What the fuck?” He growled, no longer leaning back in his chair. Both of his fists were clenched. “This has been on the internet for almost three years! How did we not see this before? How did we never know?” He asked, to which nobody had an answer. But the Bat himself had a hand on his chin as he studied the freeze-frame that the video ended on. Chat Noir and Ladybug fist-bumping.

“Maybe,” Bruce said slowly, as if tasting the words. “It’s time one of us visits the Paris branch of Wayne Enterprises. Ladybug and Chat Noir have been protecting the city for almost four years, it’s likely they know something about why the news hasn’t spread,” he mused. “Meanwhile, I will look into the League records. I never heard about a supposed prank call from France, meaning another piece of the puzzle is there.”

“There’s a problem with that though,” Tim pointed out. “Paris is essentially being held emotionally hostage. Anyone we send will have to be extremely capable of pushing down their negative emotions or transforming them into something positive. The last thing Paris’s heroes need is a supervillain with years of combat experience. Besides that, HawkMoth can telepathically communicate with his Akumatized villains. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that he can read their minds.”

“So not only would Paris’s heroes have to fight someone much more experienced than them, but our identities would be exposed,” Dick completed the thought, arms crossed. “That rules out Jason or Damian for sure. Which of us would be the most capable of avoiding strong negative emotions?”

When the First Robin looked up, it was to a raised eyebrow from his adoptive father and three fingers pointing straight at him from his brothers and Barbara.

“We can set up a flight for you for the day after tomorrow,” Bruce said with a grin that seemed way too smug for Dick, who was still gaping at everyone in betrayal. “Ask for the time off, okay? I can smooth things over if you need me to.”

“Oh, come on!” Dick threw his hands up. “I can be broody and mean!”

He was thoroughly ignored as everyone left to sleep for the night.

“Guys! You know what, fine, Paris is a gorgeous city. It’ll be like a vacation! Oh my god I just proved them right.”

—*—*—*—*—*

That night in the Mindspace was… well, Marinette’s insomnia reared its head and she entered it around three AM to find a very unamused Robin waiting for her.

“Honestly?” He asked, gesturing to the Tv screen. “You couldn’t have put some of the work off for tomorrow?”

Suddenly Marinette was very glad she didn’t talk to Tikki while working on her dress. The little Kwami had passed right out after the stressful day they both had.

“I have trouble sleeping sometimes,” she admitted shyly, shifting from foot to foot. “Sewing helps me relax. I want to be a fashion designer,” she explained, letting a soft smile overtake her lips. “I’m actually making my own dress for the Wayne charity gala at the end of the month.”

Robin’s eyebrows shot up over his domino mask. Once again, he was in his normal pajamas besides the mask that he donned after entering the mindspace. “Really? That’s pretty ambitious,” he told her, eyes going back to the screen. Then again, the snippets that he saw on the screen looked incredibly well done. Marinette’s face twisted up a bit in apprehension.

“Maybe a little,” she conceded. “But I’ve designed for Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale. Even Gabriel Agreste and Audrey Bourgeois have asked for me to collaborate with them for a few pieces. Jagged and Clara commission me pretty often nowadays, and Jagged is a lot like an uncle to me now. I also design for local newscasters and other minor celebrities around town, and my best friend’s band Kitty Section,” She rambled, getting more passionate as she went. Robin actually found himself pretty impressed. The elder Agreste and Bourgeois both were notoriously hard to please names in the fashion industry, so to gain not just one but both of their attention and respect was a huge accomplishment.

“Perhaps I was incorrect then,” Robin amended. “With a portfolio like that, designing for the Gala is just the next small step up. I will look forward to seeing what you create,” he said honestly. His soulmate blinked, obviously caught off guard, before blushing furiously.

“Oh, uh, um, th-thank you!” She blinked again, the blush fading as she focused on the second meaning behind his words rather than just the flattery. “Wait, you’ll be at the gala?”

Robin had to hold back a smile. “It is a month away. I suspect by then you will have earned my identity. Soulmates tend to move faster than unbonded couples.”

Marinette gaped again. “Well. Uh. Thank you? I think. Wanna spar?”

It was Robin’s turn to be caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“Do you want to spar?” She repeated, speaking at a normal pace instead of a tongue-twisting one. “Part of the reason it took so long to fall asleep is the adrenaline. It didn’t, uh, completely fade yet. And I’m still a little angry, but not enough to be dangerous in a spar.”

“I know,” Robin soothed, his calm tone a direct contrast to Marinette’s flustered rambling. “I felt the vibration when you were angry, both at GothCorp and on the roof when you punched the wall. You calmed down considerably fast, but the initial anger you felt at the woman lasted quite a while. It was very odd,” he tilted his head. “It left me very on edge. I cannot say I enjoyed it very much, but it was quite effective in getting the message across.”

Marinette laughed, nodding. Her own buzz of warning from Robin earlier had been very brief and low, barely a blip on her radar but enough to be felt. He had most likely just been upset for a moment. Marinette, on the other hand, had been burning up with her own fury.

“So, spar?” She asked again, smiling widely. “Maman says a good spar is one of the best ways to get to know a person,” she coaxed, leaning forward a bit. “Please?”

Robin snorted, standing up and stretching his arms. “You did not need to plead, I was about to accept either way. I could perhaps benefit from a new sparring partner.”

Marinette whooped, going to her half of the room. To her slight surprise, a new pink punching bag hung off to the side along with a few high bars for gymnastics. Taking a second, she turned to see that Robin’s own half of the mental world also had a few new additions. Weights, probably just for the familiarity of it, a few training dummies, and a punching bag of his own.

Neat! The girl thought excitedly, the last vestiges of anger draining away to be replaced by wonder. Soulbonds are so cool!

Shaking her head, she walked around to her sewing station and thought for a second. Her pajamas weren’t exactly a good outfit for a spar.

“Uh, how do we change clothes in here?” She asked, turning her head to look back at her soulmate. He, unsurprisingly, had already figured it out. The teen was now in exercise shorts and a perfectly fitting black tank top.

Marinette’s brain momentarily fizzled out.

Those arms! No, the legs! No, oh Kwami, I can see his abs. Shirts that tight should be illegal! Ohhh He has broad shoulders. Am I dead? I think I’m dead.

“Marinette? Are you listening?” The girl jumped, her object of torment suddenly standing with his arms crossed a few feet away.

“Huh? Oh yeah, totally. Just, uh, zoned out for a second.”

“Yeah,” he said with a raised eyebrow that just screamed disbelief. “I was saying that you simply imagine yourself in the outfit you wish to wear. This world is molded by our minds, after all.”

“Right. Easy. Got it,” Marinette nodded a little too fast, closing her eyes and imagining her usual exercise clothes. Black basketball shorts trimmed in red and a red tank top shone into existence, replacing her pink-and-white polka-dotted pajamas. Her hair, which was down from her taking out her pigtails before bed, was up in a messy bun on the back of her neck er head. Once down, she opened her eyes and gasped in joy. She turned to look at herself in the full length mirror next to her sewing station.

Behind her, she had unknowingly left her soulmate in a situation he was wholly unaccustomed to.

Perhaps I should have expected this, he thought sluggishly, feeling really caught off guard. His mind flashed to the memory of her punch splintering odd a few shards of solid brick. But her arms didn’t look that toned in her blouse earlier. Then again, she was wearing long sleeves, he had to stubbornly keep his eyes respectfully above the hips. He knew if he didn’t, his gaze would linger far too long on her muscular thighs. Turn away. You are being indecent he scolded himself, deciding to retreat to the sparring mat first.

After a second to recover from having caught Robin staring at her in the mirror— well, we ARE soulmates. It would be awkward if the attraction wasn’t mutual— Marinette joined him. Seeing as their bodies were not actually physical at the moment, they could skip stretching. Any hits they took would hurt momentarily to simulate the real world, but no actual damage would be taken.

“Ready?” She asked first, receiving a predatory grin in response.

“Are you?”

They both stood at the ready, their legs braced shoulder width apart and their arms tended but at the ready. To his shock, Marinette moved first.

The petite girl lunged, a very familiar high kick brushing uncomfortably close to Robin’s nose as he side-stepped the strike and attempted to grab her ankle. Marinette pulled her leg back too quickly, though, easily going right back into a defensive stance. Robin took the moment to get in close, aiming rapid punches at Marinette’s chest and torso. The girl proved to be just as flexible as she was strong, however, twisting around the wider strikes and batting away the ones she couldn’t avoid with her open palm. Each blocked punch sent a sharp sting through her hand, letting her know in no uncertain terms that she could not let even a single of his hits land.

The second Marinette saw an opening, she grabbed Robin’s bicep and heaved him over her hip. Instead of hitting the mat hard though, the seasoned vigilante tucked into a roll and popped right back up, leaping straight back at his soulmate. One of her punches glanced off his shoulder, forcing him to quickly recover his footing before he stumbled.

There’s that strength she showed earlier he noted. If that had been a direct hit, she might have dislocated my shoulder.

Robin leapt over Marinette’s head, slamming one knee up towards her back. The smaller teen was able to avoid a direct kit, but Robin’s knee still managed to clip right under her left rib cage. Instantly, she felt herself gasp for air. Mon dieu, that’s ridiculous! She thought, quickly hand-springing back to gain some distance as she caught her breath. My body gets a little sturdier outside the suit the longer I use the Ladybug Miraculous, but if he had hit me straight on I would have been down!

Both teen heroes were already slightly out of breath, staring at each other from opposite sides of the mat. They didn’t notice right away, but they each had the same breathless smile overtaking their face. They jumped back in towards each other at the same time.

Their spar was a flurry of punches and high-kicks, flips and ankle-swipes. They landed hits and got hit. Marinette got hit less often than Robin, purely due to her acrobatics and flexibility, but Robin’s tolerance for punishment was leagues (ha, bad joke) higher than Marinette’s. Even though he took more hits, he was in better shape than she was. Therefore, even though each of their strikes carried roughly the same force, it was clear Marinette was the one slowly losing ground. Marinette didn’t have her indestructible suit or enhanced abilities to help her out, at least not beyond what prolonged use of the Ladybug enhanced, but she was holding her own very well despite it.

It was almost twenty minutes —the mindspace making normal stamina levels irrelevant— before Marinette finally managed to grapple Robin and send them both tumbling onto the mat. They wrestled for a long moment, finding their physical strengths almost matched, before Robin finally managed to wrap his arm around Marinette’s throat and pin her legs with his own.

They were both gasping for breath by that point and, even though she lost, Marinette found herself laughing in glee. Robin’s grip loosened briefly before he completely let go, unwinding himself from her and standing up. He didn’t laugh like she did, but he was grinning widely and let out a few soft chuckles. He extended his hand down to his still-giggling soulmate, who grabbed on and allowed him to help her up.

“That was great!” She gushed. “I mean, sure, it stinks that I lost. But I’ll get you next time!”

“I fear you might not be wrong,” Robin admitted with another soft chuckle. “Not all of that was martial arts,” he said, clearly questioning her fighting style casually. Marinette rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

“Ah, yeah. I took gymnastics as a kid. And my friend Kagami has been trying to teach me how to fence, but I just end up using those movements in melee instead. I’m okay with a foil, but I’m nowhere near the best. Kagami says I’m a natural, but I think she’s just sparing my feelings. And, uh, the whole parkour thing I mentioned.”

“Right. Parkour,” Robin agreed with a nod that Marinette knew meant he didn’t believe her but wouldn’t push. For now.

Marinette’s lips slowly widened into a devilish grin. “Hey, do you play Ultimate Mecha Strike Five?” She asked slyly, and Robin narrowed his eyes through his mask.

“Why do I feel like agreeing would be a mistake?”

“That’s a yes!” Marinette cackled and dragged Robin over to his couch. “Come on, let’s play!”

Seeing as both of the were asleep and their other senses inaccessible through the Tv, it allowed them to load the game. Surprisingly enough, Robin actually put up a decent fight.

Unsurprisingly, Marinette still won. Five times in a row.

“Alright,” Robin put his controller down, glancing over at an all too smug Marinette, crossing his arms. “Let's recap; I’ve discovered the situation in Paris is bleaker than I thought, you are surprisingly strong for your frame, you are much better of a fighter than you let on, and you have a vengeful streak.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Marinette cooed, her hand over her chest as she fluttered her eyelashes with false innocence. Robin just deadpanned at her. “I am completely innocent! An angel! I would never stoop to petty revenge over losing a spar!”

“Uh huh,” Robin said blandly. “Let’s revisit this argument when you decide to be more truthful, ‘Angel’.”

“Anytime, birdboy.”

—*—*—*—*—*

Thankfully, the next few days weren’t as hectic as the first twenty-four hours. Robin did have school and vigilante business to see to, so he and Marinette only met in their Mindspace for the rest of the week. Which wasn’t bad, even on nights when one or the other stayed up so late that they only had three or four hours in the mental world. Somehow, despite their brains remaining constantly active, the magic is the soulbond always left them more refreshed when they awoke than they would normally feel after that amount of sleep. And Marinette had her own things to do with her class, which included a brief (and very therapeutic) two-day visit to Metropolis since it wasn’t far away, to broaden the sights they could see. When they got back, they had one full rest day where they and a buddy could visit anywhere they wanted, provided they stayed within three blocks of the hotel and called to check in with Bustier every two hours.

The class, used to recovering from terrifying circumstances, had almost completely recovered (as much as could be expected, anyway) from their GothCorp nightmare by the time they returned from Metropolis. Lila had quietly thanked Marinette the day after the attempted robbery, but followed the thanks with a threat to never make her look weak again.

So, suffice to say, the liar was back to her usual tricks after the brief reprieve of the Metropolis visit as well. Milder than usual, sure, but still back to normal.

Meanwhile, Richard Grayson had seemingly spontaneously asked for vacation time in order to help his adoptive father out with company business in Paris. He landed in the City of Lights the same day that the Parisians got back into Gotham. He quickly realized that this trip would take more than just a few days. In fact it wasn’t until Friday, exactly one week after Damian had met his Soulmate, that Dick found the ability to track down the Parisian heroes.

Akuma alert sirens rang all around the city, confirming for the experienced hero that the natives had gotten accustomed to the constant havoc. Those who had been around since the beginning of the Akuma terror ran towards shelters with practiced speed.

It was the perfect distraction for Dick to change into Nightwing and take to the rooftops. Upon reaching the Eiffel Tower, the blue clad hero saw a bizarre scene. A male dressed in an aqua colored, snake-themed uniform and a petite female in a red, black, and gold uniform with a spiral down one leg were facing off against…

A… Giant… Cat lady...

Not even a giant half-cat person. She was a legitimate fifteen-foot tall old lady in classic Cat Lady attire. Knitted cat-embroidered shawl, cat-eared knitted beanie, a crochet needle that she was using to hypnotize cats and change their size and species. Her skin was bright orange with shiny silver tiger stripes, and her face had giant black glasses in the shape of a domino mask.

It was really, really weird. She had two twenty-foot panthers and a lion that was half the size of the Eiffel Tower growling at the two heroes who, surprisingly, didn’t look very affected at all by the fever dream they were facing. Smaller house cats were all slinking out of the nearby streets to ominously surround the two heroes, their eyes all glowing bright gold.

“You know, Chat would be making so many puns right now,” The red hero, Ryujo if Dick remembered correctly, mused as the two analyzed their options.

“He would also be making a lot of ‘family shouldn’t fight’ jokes,” the surprisingly zen male replied, flipping up and out of the way onto a nearby roof. “This should be easy, but I will provide backup if you need it.”

“Don’t worry Viperion, I got this,” Ryuko brushed off. “Water dragon!”

The hero turned into water before Nightwing’s eyes, swirling around the square. The water scared off the smaller cats, and the lion recoiled slightly, but it and the panthers lunged anyway, trying to catch the stream of water. The floating river easily avoided every strike, winding around the old lady’s crochet needle when they weren’t looking and snapping it in half.

A purple butterfly, exactly like those Dick had seen in the videos he and the others watched as research and exactly how Marinette had described them, fluttered out of the broken object. A quick flash of yellow darted onto the scene, a bee-themed woman carrying an ornate pot with Chinese engravings on it flew over and trapped the butterfly in the pot.

“There!” She said triumphantly, smiling wide. The crazy cat woman faded away, shrinking down into a cute little, completely normal, old lady with her gray hair in a high bun.

“Oh dear,” she brought a hand to her cheek. “Where am I? What happened?”

Nightwing watched as the heroes comforted the victim, watching as Queen Bee and Viperion left in one direction and Ryuko, whose choker had started beeping, left in another.

He followed the two paired up heroes.

—*—*—*—*—*

[lukanettex2]

The ultimate salt!!!! ⏫⏬⏩◀✨

Big Brother to the Rescue!

This fic was inspired by @justcourttee - A Brother’s Love. I loved her fic and I couldn’t stop thinking….what if this happened?

Jason sighed, rereading the text he had gotten again from Gina.

Nona: Jay, I am unable to get to Paris in the time I wished. My son and his wife are having problems with my Little Fairy. They claim her to be a bully and a brute, but I know this is not my Little Fairy. I am her guardian now and my plan was to bring her with me. Go in my stead and take her to Gotham. She told me she has a date with her boyfriend, Adrien Agreste. Break the news to her gently.

Gina had traveled with him for awhile and was always there for him when he got in a fight with Bruce. They could disappear on the road and travel, forget their worries. Gina had told him about her granddaughter, her ‘Little Fairy’, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was an inspiring fashion designer, who was also her class’ president. She had designed for Jagged Stone and won a contest from Gabriel Agreste. She even had the opportunity to be mentored by Style Queen, herself, in New York, and turned it down. Gina had told him so many things about Marinette, he felt as if she was his little sister. When Gina told him that Pixie was getting bullied again and no one would help or see her side of things, he had gotten upset. Even her boyfriend had told her to make peace with the bully and to let it go. She had never asked him for a favor before and he didn’t want to let her down.

Jason had taken the first flight to Paris to bring his little sister home to Gotham. He watched as she left the bakery and pressed the button to head to the park when her phone rang.

“Adrien? Yeah, I’m just heading-Oh. Ye-Yeah, I can meet you there instead. Sure. Bye.” Marinette spoke and quickly took off in another direction.

'Sounds like a change of plans.’

Keep reading

[arty-shadow-morningstar]

Graveyard Siblings (12)

[Masterlist]

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5) (Part 6) (Part 7) (Part 8) (Part 9) (Part 10) (Part 11) (Here)  (Part 13: The END)

-----

Gabriel sat and stared at the white walls of the interrogation room as the French police investigated the murder of one Maria Todd-Wayne.

MT’s personal assistant, Tam Fox, had received a distress signal from her employer that she had on her since she was from Gotham and had experience various dangerous situation.

Tam went to see what the situation was only to find a bloodied Gabriel Agreste laughing over Maria’s corpse.

According to the Police, evidence and the cameras in the mansion (although the footage was a little finicky like something else was interfering with it.) had shown Gabriel panicking after accidentally pushing his assistant, Natalie Sancouer down the stairs where she had hit her head hard and fell unconscious.

Maria, who had scheduled a meeting with Gabriel to negotiate selling his company to her (which he remembered turning it down after she revealed who she was), walked in on the man while he was trying to move the body elsewhere. He attacked her, thinking she witnessed the fall and to silence her so she wouldn’t report him.

Natalie is currently in a hospital but doctors are baffled and unable to wake her up from her coma.

Although he no longer has a team of lawyers working for him, he managed to hire one of them with what little fortune he had left who had straight out told him that pleading guilty would be the best option.

He had killed Maria Todd-Wayne, MT, one of the world’s greatest and beloved designers since Edna Mode, and one of Bruce Wayne’s children. She also had a lot of celebrity friends like Luka Couffaine, Jagged Stone, Kagami Tsurgi, Felix Culpa and a few superheros like the Bat clan of Gotham, Wonder Woman, Superman.

All of them were calling for his head on a pike, none more so than the Wayne family who were using every resource at their disposal to drag the Gabriel name through mud and destroy whatever is left of what he had dedicated his entire life to built.

So even if by some totally impossible miracle he manages to get off his sentence (through bribery), there will be mobs out for his blood. Jail is the safest option.

—---

It was not the end of it. The entirety of Paris rear its head when the police uncovered evidence of his time moonlighting as Hawkmoth.

(When in reality, Tim and Barbara dug up many deleted files of his activity as Hawkmoth and left many tracks for the police to follow. There was a few planted physical evidence that Nooroo helped make it look as authentic as possible. Everything Gabriel had tried to cover up, the Bats made sure every dirty laundry of his was there for everyone to see. They are the night. They are vengeance and all that.)

Someone leaked the fake ‘journals’ Gabriel had apparently kept to keep track of akumas and their progress against the heroes. The last page had a paragraph where ‘Hawkmoth’ revealed Ladybug’s identity as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, one of Adrien’s classmates.

(No one ever managed to figure out who had leaked it. Meanwhile, a rich blonde who smiled at her phone before muttering to herself about how ridiculous and utterly ridiculous that she had no black dress that was appropriate for a funeral.)

Paris was horrified to find out that Gabriel had managed to turn Chat Noir against Ladybug and kill her and later, making her death to be a suicide and covering up her death by bribing some officers so the truth wouldn’t be revealed.

The city of Love mourned for their fallen heroine, who fought for them and was finally receiving the justice she deserved a few years too late. But better late than never.

There were memorials for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and lots of people visit her grave to leave flowers and gifts.

Nobody seemed to connect the dots on how similar the long dead Marinette Dupain-Cheng and the recently deceased Maria Todd looked.

Of course, this wouldn’t be a salt fic if Lila and everyone else get dragged along for fun. In HM’s journals, he mentioned getting the help of Lila Rossi (lots of emphasis on the name and many details so there is no doubt that he is talking about another Lila Rossi) for his plan to akumatise Miss Dupain-Cheng which many people now know was Ladybug.

Gina decides it was a good time to drop (a pre-approved) ‘Diary of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Everyday Ladybug’ containing entries from Marinette’s diaries with a few things redacted for her privacy (plus Miraculous secrets). And all proceeds from the sales of the books going to the Marinette Foundation to help teens in need (set up with help from Wayne Enterprises).

People paled in fear at how close their heroine nearly succumbed to akumatisation many times as she was bullied and isolated.

The book showed how Ladybug was, under her mask, just human. A normal girl with dreams and a crush who wanted to do good for the world. A girl who was also severely bullied and isolated and received no help from the adult figures in her life and only had a few friends who tried their best to support her.

Lila and the akuma class were glared at and everyone whispered of every horrible thing each of them did.

The akuma class’s parents cried and yelled about how their kids turned out like this, and that they had taught them how to be better as they waved Marinette’s book in their hands.

Lila was last seen by everyone to be dragged out of the school by police officers and to be put on trial for aiding Hawkmoth as an accomplice.

Francoise Dupont was investigated and authorities were horrified at how deep the corruption was. Caline Bustier was fired without question and same with M. Damocles. The entire school was reformed and policies were implemented so nothing like what Ladybug had gone through would happen again.

The Dupain-Cheng bakery shut down and moved away from Paris after how many people tried to ask them insensitive questions about Marinette forcefully or vandalising the place for how they had mistreated Marinette.

The lawyer Gabriel had hired quit, regardless of how much Gabriel offered. Which was not very much to be honest. He had nothing now.

Gabriel was charged with a lot of things, his actions as Hawkmoth were at the top of the list and the murder of Maria Todd was second.

He was sentenced to serving a lifetime in a maximum security prison, somewhere cold and where he would have to do a lot of labour.

Natalie will never again wake up from the coma but she was also charged with being an accomplice.

Meanwhile, Emilie moved to London to be closer to her sister after hiding in the States with Adrien as she waited for Gabriel to meet his doom. (Gotham was considered but dropped in favour of the less gloomy Metropolis.)

Adrien gets some backlash for his actions as Chat Noir and his inaction as Adrien to stop Lila from bullying her. If he ever steps into Paris again, people threaten to hunt him down with pitchforks.

A few wanted Emilie to also get arrested but many were sympathetic towards her as she was mostly unaware of how she became cured and she later revealed that she was trying to get away from Gabriel once she found out that he was Hawkmoth.

Chloe did get some haters for her bullying but most of Paris forgave her due to her redemption arc and being friends with Marinette near the end of her life.

It helped that she also had the many charities and non-profit organisations she set up over the years with a few of them in honour of Marinette.

—---

Across the globe, the Waynes buried another family in the Manor plot.

Jason had insisted on holding off burying the body for a month in case she gets resurrected again and with magic you can never tell so the rest of them complied with his request.

After the one month period ended, they finally held the funeral that Maria had planned.

Jason for a long time stood in front of the grave, desperately hoping for his little sister to dig herself off like she did many years ago when they first met.

After hours had passed and nothing happened, he finally let go and mourned.

The following week, Gotham noticed Red Hood being more violent than usual and that none of the other Bats restrained him.

—---

Someplace far away, where it is nowhere and everywhere, where the laws of the universe were made and none of them apply, Marinette opened her eyes.

—----

In Tibet, Guardians tend to their business when an unsettling feeling enters everyone.

Days ago, the Order had come knocking in Gotham for the Miraculouses under Maria’s care. The Bats had handed them over without much resistance except Batman warning them that they would take them back if they were ever found used for evil.

Su-Han went to check on the Miracle Box.

Kwamis’ powers were usually unpredictable especially when they are emotional, with Tikki’s chosen recently deceased, she had retreated into a shell of herself as she grieved. Many other kwamis were in a similar state but Tikki was understandably hit the hardest.

As soon as he got within a few feet of the Box however, it opened and a huge beam of light came out. From within, nineteen balls of lights in different colours emerged and took on an almost humanoid shape with their respective animal characteristics.

The Kwamis were freed.

Soon after, other Boxes in the Temple and all over the world opened with all of the kwamis being freed. Most of them didn’t hesitate to vanish into their home realm where they were from.

Back in the temple, after other kwamis had vanished, only Tikki and Plagg had remained.

“Guardian.” Plagg said the title with mockery. The only Guardian who was ever worthy of that title was Marinette and she had earned it with her kindness. “I think you are wondering what the hell is happening.”

“I demand that you tell me what you are doing right this instant.”

For the first time in a while, Tikki finally spoke.

She told them about how Marinette before she died had managed to find out about the origins of the Miraculous and how Kwamis were not meant to be tied down to the physical plane for this long. 

This was the other imbalance that the Universe brought her back to fix. She had performed the ritual using her blood and soul to slowly destroy the binds tying the kwamis to their Miraculous.

It also meant that Marinette gave up her chance at paradise or reincarnation to give the kwamis their freedom.

“Do not retaliate by attacking the Bats and their chosen city. They didn’t know nor took any part in it. Marinette made sure of that. There will be consequences if you touch them.”

With that, Tikki and Plagg left the mortal plane.

“Sugarcube, just to check. The ritual protection spell we set for Gotham is still in place, right? The one which we changed one of the conditions to as long as they set foot with no intent of harm.”

“Of course, Stinky Sock.”

“Cool, just checking. Because you conveniently left that part out.”

“I gave them a warning. It’s their wish if they choose to ignore it.”

“I think I am rubbing off on you.” Plagg cackled, just thinking about the chaos that would be unleashed if the Order tried to get to the Bats.

Tikki ignored him and instead went faster.

Plagg easily caught up to her, “Looks like someone is eager to see Pigtails again.” He tried to lighten up the tense atmosphere Tikki was giving off.

“It’s not that. I have a feeling that They have more plans for her.” Tikki replied worriedly.

“Pigtails can’t catch a break and such is the fate of the Marked. If it wasn’t for that ‘man’, ” Plagg spat the word out like it was a curse, “this would have never happened.”

“The ones with the Mark are bound to serve Them. Those are the rules. I can only hope that I can give her the peace she deserved with my testimony.”

“And mine too. It is partly my fault that she ended up this way. I should have done better.”

“Plagg, it’s not your fault. You know that.”

“If I had reined in my holder-”

“The blame lies on the man who chose our holders and the man who chose to abuse Nooroo for his selfish desire.”

—---

Marinette looked around her surroundings. Everything was dark but somehow she could still see.

And she sensed many presences surrounding her.

“Who are you?” She asked.

WE ARE THE ONES WHO GAVE YOU THE TASK OF RIGHTING THE WRONG.

The voice was disembodied like many voices speaking over each other and yet somewhat in harmony. It sounded like wind chimes and also the loudest roar of thunder. The voice did not speak nor was it heard. Instead it was like the words washed over her like an ocean wave.

“Okay. So what now?”

YOU WILL BE SENTENCE-

“Stop.” Two figures appeared in front of Marinette. Both of them shielded Marinette from the other presences. “We demand a re-trial.”

There was a slight familiarity from them. One was a tall woman who was all red, from her hair to her clothes to her skin. They were all a varying shade of red with black spots dotting her body. She also had translucent wings on her back which fluttered.

The other figure was of a man who was all black like the woman from his body to his clothes. Marinette could make out cat ears on the top of his head and a tail lazily poked out from his back. The only colour he had other than black was two neon green eyes that held a mischievous glint.

“Tikki? Plagg?” Marinette asked.

“Hiya, Pigtails.”

------

(Part 13: The END)

Note: This story is nearing its end. Thank you to everyone for being patient. I will try my best to give a satisfactory sent-off.

Taglist: @local-witch-of-mn, @ladyqnoirr, @lolieg, @istoleyourcookies, @pale-lady-dreamer, @ichigorose, @meow-now, @demonicbusiness, @unoriginalmess, @the-drokainian, @joejosyxd, @questionableboi

[ali-annals]

Main Masterlist

Happy endings (or the option for one, in the case of CYOE fics) are the norm here.

Most fics are one-shots. Two-shots or miniseries have their prequel/sequel/chapters posted beside the name. Series are free from summary but have a status (completed/in progress/hiatus) posted beside their name.

Most Akuma Class fics are salty. I write Adrien and/or Chloe salt/sugar 50/50

Filed by: DATE ☄ SHIP ☄ MULTICHAP/SERIES ☄ COLLECTION ☄ AO3 ☄ ART

Format: - Date [title] | ship | rating | wc | - summary*

*series will have no summary; it will be at the top of the series masterlist instead

Summer 2021

☄ Chaotic Coffee Zombies | Timari | T | (in progress)

☄ How You Get The Girl | Jasonette | G | 1k

“Hi, Marinette.” She laughed sharply to hide her hurt. “‘Hi, Marinette?’ Jason, it’s been six months.”

☄ Enchanted | Jasonette | G | 1k

Jason laughed. “...Do you have a name or shall I call you M?” “You haven’t earned my name yet, monsieur, so M will have to do.” “What does earning it involve?” “Mmm, normally you’d have to be family or a close friend, or a loyal patron for over two years.” “Would a waltz make us close enough friends?” He extended his hand with a flourish, which she took. “Perhaps. No stepping on my toes, though,” she warned. “I’ll have you know I never step on people’s toes unless they deserve it,” he said in mock offence as they move onto the dancefloor.

☄ my tears ricochet | Daminette | T | 4.5k

It was over. Everything was done. Hawkmoth and Mayura were defeated. Ladybug was dead. Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s “friends��/classmates were crying around the fresh grave. She’d been revealed as Ladybug in her death, her transformation dropping one final time. The city mourned their fallen heroine. Chat Noir gave the final Miraculous Team’s press conference, stating that Marinette was dead, attacked by Hawkmoth; though she had defeated the villain and his partner, she had succumbed soon after to irreversible injuries. He would be retiring now as well. ... The next day, a lone figure made its way back to Ladybug’s flower-covered grave. He was the class’s foreign-exchange student, Damian Grayson. He set a single white rose on the headstone and stepped back to pay his respects. The dirt began to move, and a hand poked through.

☄ invisible string | Daminette | G | 13k (completed)

☄ Call it what you Want | Jasonette | G | (see February 2024)

Autumn 2021

☄ Marinette “Valkyrie” Wayne | Marijon, Platonic Maribat | G | 10k (completed)

☄ knock knock/who's th-/-interrupting bats | Daminette | M | 1k

Damian is kidnapped and the Bats try to find him. Rewind: Damian wants to spend time with his girlfriend and the Bats have really bad timing | SEQUEL

☄ Stars Around My Scars | Jasonette | T | 13k + drabbles (completed)

☄ Unexpected Visitors | Daminette | G | 1k

An unknown woman shows up on Wayne Manor's doorstep asking for Damian Wayne...

☄ Mazel Tov | Daminette | G | 0.5k

Talia attempts to arrange a marriage between her son, the Heir to the Demon, and the League of Assassins' rival order's head, the Grand Guardian. The Bats are insistent on stopping the wedding, but the couple don't seem that opposed to it...

☄ gold rush | Timari | G | 1k

Marinette has plans to meet her online gamer boyfriend on her class trip to Gotham, but gets distracted watching Lila flirt with their host, Tim Drake.

Winter 2021-2022

☄ Is this Hope just a Mystical Dream? | Jasonette | T | 5k

Did you know that some soulmates' souls are literally connected, meaning that when one half dies, the other follows them soon after to a personalized deathscape? Marinette and Jason sure did. | PART 2 (FINAL)

☄ clover blooms in the field/spring breaks loose, time is near | NetteWorth | T | 0.5k

☄ Renagerie | Jasonette | T | 1k

Red Hood and Menagerie hate each others' guts; everyone knows that. The Bats just want to know when they'll move from the Enemies phase of their relationship to the Lovers stage.

☄ It’s a Small World | Jasonette | G | 2k

Jason brings his fiancee home to meet his family. She gets along great with everyone! There's just one problem… They've met her before.

☄ I Wanted a Date, Not a Spouse! | Jasonette | G | 1k

Marinette bemoans her dry love life to her aunt. Jason is done with dating and tells his mom if she wants a daughter-in-law to find one herself. He should've known she would take him seriously.

March 2022

☄ The Terrifying Trio | Daminette | G | 1k | DCxDPxMLB

Everyone knew about the T3, as they called themselves. No one imagined they were real until they met them, and then they wished they hadn’t; the trio were far more terrifying than their tales.

April 2023

☄ sugar & bikes & everything nice | Jasonette | G | 0.5k

Biker meet car passenger...only Marinette's the biker.

☄ Outflirting an Outlaw | Roynette | G | 0.1k

Roynette meetcute, what more needs to be said?

☄ Ice to Meet You | Daminette | G | 1k

Marinette mistakes her new partner for her coach and a meet ugly meet cute ensues.

☄ sweet denials make for even sweeter victories | Konette | T | 0.3k

Conner is back from his trip with the JL, but his girlfriend isn't welcoming him as warmly as he would like.

☄ Pixie Reviews: Nightwing vs Red Hood | Jasonette | T | 0.5k

On patrol, Hood overhears a very interesting phone call from a very interesting woman.

☄ You don’t need to save me...but would you run away with me? | Jasonette | T | 2.5k

"What if Jason is hunted/captured by someone trying to remake the Lazarus Pit" but a meetcute.

☄ The Very First Night | Jasonette | T | 3k

Marinette’s phone rang, breaking her attention from her friends’ conversation. She checked the caller ID and excused herself. “MDC speaking,” she answered professionally, knowing her friends were half eavesdropping before she moved out of overhearing range. “Pixie, do you know how much I miss you?” whispered Jason. “These annoyances are driving me to do stupid things like call you in front of them just so I don’t blow us all up and alert the people we’re watching to our location!” “Aw, poor Jay,” she commiserated. “You need some reminders to keep you from eliminating your siblings?” “Please.” His exasperated tone in that one word told her volumes. “You’ll be in your family’s bad books if you do that, which means they’ll keep an even closer eye on you, which means you can’t see me without alerting them to my existence in your life.” Jason exhaled sharply. “Thank you, Pix. I shall restrain myself. Two more weeks.”

☄ Pretty petty pranks | Brucinette | G | 1.5k

“Damn right I'm pretty.” “I said petty.”

☄ All’s fair in love and Prank Wars | Jasonette | G | 2k

"Damn right I'm pretty." "I said petty."

☄ maroon | Dickinette | M | CYOE | 3k

“Can you hold my hand? My ex just walked in with her new boyfriend.” … "I see no one around besides us."

☄ Reputation 'Verse | Jasonette | E | 4k+ (hiatus)

May 2023

☄ Interrupting Bats Sequel | Daminette | M | 1k -prequel-

1+3 times Damian and Marinette interrupted their interrupters.

☄ look at those flowers that look like you | Jasonette | T | 3k

Hanahaki AU of my Reputation AU.

☄ Rival Mob Boss AU | Jasonette | M | 5k+ (hiatus)

☄ high tide came and brought you in | Jasonette, one-sided Daminette | T | 6.5k

Reverse Robins Little Mermaid AU where Jason is Ariel and Marinette is Eric.

☄ only bought this dress so you could take it off | Jasonette | M | 3k

Marinette finds her patrol rival/crush at the Wayne's party. They take things in a new direction.

June 2023

☄ from all the memories stored in my heart | Timari | G | CYOE | 1k

"Don't forget who you belong to" but SFW

☄ rude interruptions | Dickinette | M | 1k

Marinette is trying to make out with Dick but someone decided to disturb them. Also, why does she want to make out with Dick? He is such a dork.

☄ cracket | Timari | G | 1k

Cricket. Crnch!

☄ RavenBug Hanahaki trilogy | MaRave, Konette | T | 1k | (complete)

-one- -two- -three-

July 2023

☄ long live all the magic we made | Jasonette | T | 9.5k | minor DCxDPxMLB

In Gotham, Jason Todd is looking for Damian's dragonbat, Goliath, when he notices a strange thing in the sky. In Paris, Ladybug is fighting an akuma when a strange creature literally appears out of the blue. It might not be too big of a deal (they've both dealt with weirder things) if it wasn't A DIFFERENT UNIVERSE!

September 2023

☄ you're the hero flying around, savin' face | platonic Maribat, Adrinette | T | 1.5k | (angsty, unhappy ending)

He tasted salt. He cracked open his eyelids again. Oh. Her hot tears dropped past his reddened teeth, open in a half-smile, half-grimace. She was always so painfully optimistic. He hated to be the one to break it to her, but this would be more than a miracle. Optimism only got you so far. Look at him. Actually, don’t; you’d throw up like the person who had just followed her in here.

☄ there was one prize i'd cheat to win | Daminette | G | 1k

Marinette can only be roused from her daydreams by one word: Damian Damian will only respond to one word: Marinette They're so cute, right? Well... They secretly think the other dislikes them, being rivals and all.

October 2023

☄ "here, go stalk" (aka the coffee phenomenon) | Timari | G | 2k

Nightwing knocked on Red Robin’s mysterious rescuer’s window. She opened it with a stern look. “Really? And a blue and black vigilante outside my window isn’t as obvious as simply knocking on my door?” He shrugged, entering when she stepped back for him.

☄ tomorrow's a flower | Cassette | G | 1k

Cassinette meet cute at a fall fair turns to flowery romance.

☄ october request trilogy | T+ | 1.5k

February 2024

☄ the eras tour (jasonette's version) | Jasonette | T | 14k (completed)

March 2024

☄ stupid in love | Timari | T | 2.5k

Tim meets a competent new companion in his fight to make Ra's al Ghul's life hell. They just might be a match made in heaven (after all, Timari heaven is Ra's hell).

April 2024

☄ angel, don't fly so close to me (i'll pull you down eventually) | Jasonette | T | 0.5k

Jason's not the best at flirting; luckily the girl he's interested in thinks his attempts are cute.