#the creator and don’t know if they’ll just be stomping and yelling at something for hours with no purpose or if they’ve got. anything

[quietwingsinthesky]

youtube stop recommending me that five hour long “fall of doctor who” video challenge. there is not a video i could be less interested in watching.

[itawonka-creates]

Seabourne Burnouts: Part 9 - Red on the Horizon

Maribat! On Deck AU 

Thank @particularlygeeky for beta reading and the title! 

Start [Here] [Part 8] [Part 10]

It was fun while it lasted. The sights were beautiful and the kids dispersed themselves across the city, each group with an assigned guide Bruce provided. Dick, Jason, and Tim volunteered themselves to be with Marinette and her friends as a separate group and Bruce agreed on the condition that they behaved. The beaches, the architecture, the parks were all beautiful. Tim proved to be a good navigator, Dick behaved as the translator, and Jason was just a bad influence encouraging the kids to spend all their money and give the bags to the boys to hold. The Mercado del Este was their resting place for the time being as the kids took a break and ate for lunch. Alya wasted no time with pictures and posted all of them on Instagram for memories while the kids all talked.

Alya was pointing out different things their friends got through their posts, Chloe and Adrien were talking amongst themselves, Jason and Marinette were having a lively discussion about what to do next, and the last four boys were just chatting about the city in general and where to go next. This was what they were missing, normalcy. Normalcy is something they just couldn’t have though.

Chloe stopped laughing abruptly and stared at something, “No way.”

Adrien looked back and his eyes landed on something he never hoped to see outside of Paris. He looked around to see who it was flying towards and his eyes landed on a small injured boy running away from it. Adrien knew this kid wasn’t fast enough and the Akuma was gaining on him, making him jump into action. Chloe ran alongside him, probably realizing the same thing he did looking at the boy. “I’ll grab the kid and you distract the Akuma.” Chloe nodded and the two continued sprinting forward. He could hear footsteps gaining on them, he didn’t need to look back to know it was Marinette and his friends. He just needs to get the kid.

“Hey, don’t look back keep running!”

“We won’t make it, Adrien.”

He could hear Marinette yell behind him, “Dick, Jason, start evacuating the area!”

Adrien kept pushing himself but timed seemed to slow down as the Akuma made contact with the boy’s necklace and he fell forward. Adrien skidded to a stop in front of the child and watched as a dark purple mass engulfed and changed him into something big, almost like a wrestler. The Akuma looked up and glared at Adrien before lifting his arms up and putting his hands together. Adrien was tackled to the side by Chloe before he could bring his arms down and the two looked back the creator the impact made. The two scrambled to get up and ran away as the Akuma seemed disoriented.

Chloe started panting once she regrouped with the others, “What’s happening?”

Adrien studied the Akuma as it held its head and looked around, hitting anything that moved. “There’s no way Hawkmoth is communicating with him, he’s not talking. Something else is happening.”

Marinette looked at her best friend, “Alya, I need you to start live streaming this on the Ladyblog. It’ll get Ladybug’s attention and she’ll come! Nino, go with her and make sure she doesn’t get too close!” The two nodded and ran off to find a safe place to start recording. “Chloe, you and Tim keep an eye on it. When Ladybug and Cat Noir get here they’ll need to know all they can about it. Where the Akuma is, what it’s looking for, its patterns, everything.” Chloe nodded and grabbed Tim by the arm, looking for a better vantage point.

She looked back at Damian and Adrien. “Damian, go help your brothers and we’ll go to the other side of the building to make sure no one else is inside.”

“No. We should-”

“I’m not arguing with you right now. Go!” He watched her and Adrien run off towards the other side of the building and cursed to himself before running back to Dick and Jason.

Marinette and Adrien ran past a corner and into a bathroom in the building, “Do you think he’s around?”

“No, he would’ve been communicating with the kid by now. He’s just been confused so far.”

Plagg and Tikki flew out of their hiding places, “Hey sugarcube, long time no see.”

“I don’t think now is the time. Plus, I told you not to call me that!”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “I promise you guys can talk more later. Plagg, claws out!”

“Tikki, spots on!”

The two transformed and looked at each other for a second, “Is this weird for you too?”

“Very, but at least now we don’t have to come up with two different excuses.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and looked at her yoyo, “Perfect, Alya is live streaming.”

“What is the Akuma doing?”

“Nothing so far, it just doesn’t want anything to get too close.” She put away her yoyo and thought for a moment, “We need to lead it out of the building to avoid too much damage. But why was he so upset?”

Cat Noir hummed, “He was injured when the Akuma was going after him. I don’t know why though, but I’m willing to bet that’s the reason.”

Ladybug nodded, “Okay. Let’s go.” The two heroes ran out of their hiding place and made their way over to Tim and Chloe watching from inside a shop, “Hello, Queen Bee.”

Chloe crossed her arms, “About time. Did you bring Pollen?”

Adrien was quick to respond, “Didn’t realize you were here, otherwise your venom would’ve been useful. We just looked over and recognized you.”

Chloe huffed and shook her head, “Doesn’t matter. The kid doesn’t want anyone getting close to him. Close combat would be hard considering the strength he has. The Akuma went into his necklace.”

Tim hummed, “Do we know how the Akuma got here?”

“No clue, but for now we need to make sure this Akuma doesn’t hurt anyone.” Ladybug put a hand on Chloe’s shoulder, “Thank you for the information.” Chloe’s eyes lit up and she nodded before Ladybug and Cat Noir took off. As soon as the Akuma saw them he became visibly agitated, “Does it recognize us?”

“He, my Lady, the Akuma is a boy.” He watched the Akuma’s eyes follow them cautiously, “Do you think we’re famous in Spain?” Suddenly the Akuma roared and charged them, shoulder acting as a battering ram as he ran after the two. Ladybug and Cat Noir jumped out of the way and the building shook when he crashed through the walls and out to the streets. “Well, that’s one way to lead him out.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes and the two followed the Akuma outside as he was picking himself up. Ladybug watched as he looked around frantically before landing on her and glaring, “I don’t think he likes me.”

“Who could hate you, Bugaboo?”

“Look out!” Ladybug grabbed Cat Noir and swing out of the way with her yoyo on top of a nearby building. “Why is he so angry?”

“Don’t know, but he has a special grudge against you.”

Ladybug watched as the Akuma did the same thing, look around before running East, “He’s heading towards that plaza, I doubt they’ve evacuated it yet.”

“Then we better hurry.” The two sprinted towards Plaza Pombo, easily getting in front of the Akuma and landing in the middle of the plaza. The two brought enough attention to themselves being new superheroes in the area and the people went from looking at the two to looking at the thing charging at them. Screaming and running ensued without Ladybug or Cat Noir needing to say anything, “Well, at least they know to run.”

Ladybug noticed how the Akuma started running faster once she came into view, “What’s going on?” She looked back at Cat Noir, “Make sure everyone is out of the area, I can distract him for a bit and try to figure something out.” Cat Noir nodded and sprinted off while Ladybug stared down the charging Akuma. “Okay, let’s see what makes you tick.” She jumped up above the Akuma and threw her yoyo to wrap it around the Akuma. She pulled at the string, struggling to hold her ground as the Akuma struggled against her. “Come on kid, talk to me! What’s wrong?”

The Akuma just roared and ran towards her making her retract her yoyo to use it to swing away onto a nearby carousel. She stood on top of it and watched as the Akuma fell forward trying to skid to a stop and look around again. “Is it looking for me or just looking for a target?” The Akuma suddenly roared out and held his head, standing up and stumbling. Ladybug jumped back down and cautiously watched it, “That’s different.”

Cat Noir landed beside her and watched the Akuma, “He’s still not talking.”

“I know.” The Akuma’s eyes landed on the two and the Akuma stomped his foot down hard, making the ground crack below them. “He’s too strong to fight head-on.”

“So what’s the plan? Usually, I’m the distraction but in this case he wants you.”

The two jumped out of the path of the Akuma and watched him charge into the carousel, destroying it. Ladybug flinched, “And I would much rather live my life to the fullest.”

“Think it’s time?”

She nodded, “Lucky Charm!” She watched as a red and black curtain fell into her arms.

“So we’re putting on a show?”

“Give me a second.” She jostled the item in her arms until she had a better grip on it and looked back the Akuma running around and destroying things. “He’s rampaging.”

Cat Noir nodded, “We have to figure out a way to distract him.”

She watched him a little more and her eyes widened, “Or disorient him.” She looked around the plaza and shook her head, “We need to lead him to a less open area though.”

“You want to bring him towards the residential area?”

“I don’t want to, but I need to in a more confined space.” She looked around and noticed how close together the light poles were in a certain area, “I have an idea.” She handed the curtain to Cat Noir, “Don’t come out until I tell you to, you’ll use the curtain to draw his attention.” He nodded and stayed back as Ladybug jumped into the plaza, “Hey, Charger!” The Akuma, Charger, looked over and roared noticing the girl, sprinting towards her. She smirked and started running towards the area she picked out, “Bring it on, big guy!”

She looked over and noticed Cat Noir running alongside her on the rooftops, always watching and always there. He yelled, “Charger? Really? I figured you could do better, my Lady!” She rolled her eyes and smiled at the jab. It made her feel new again and the elation actually made her chuckle to herself. She could’ve laughed out loud at how simple this was going to be, an easy Akuma. Very rare, unless you count Mr. Pigeon, but welcomed.

Cat Noir saw her trying not to laugh. It was like she was on a rollercoaster, her heart was racing and the danger was real, but she had total control and she was having fun with it. He was watching the Ladybug from when they were new, optimistic and confident. He felt his heart skip a beat as he remembered why he fell for her in the first place, but soon replaced with a familial pride knowing that this girl was his best friend. It made him feel excited, happy, hopeful, things that were running out alongside their energy.

As soon as she had him where she wanted him, she jumped up and threw her yoyo around the lampposts, locking them in a ring. Charger ran into the yoyo, making Ladybug almost lose her balance as she pulled on the string. She looked up and yelled, “Cat Noir! Want to play matador?”

He felt himself grin with the same mischievous intensity from when they first started fighting together. He ran and dived off the roof and jumped into the ring. He smirked and held up the curtain, “Toro! Toro!” Charge narrowed his eyes at Cat Noir and growled. Cat Noir smiled as Charger ran after him. Cat Noir stood his ground until the last second, turning quickly and the curtain leading Charger to crash into the string.

Ladybug grunted as she tightened her grip on the string, “Cat Noir! Don’t let him hit the string, the light poles will break!”

Cat Noir nodded and looked back over at Charger. Charger growled at the black cat before running forward. Cat Noir held out the curtain and waited for him to get close before turning, this time making the Akuma stumble with the sudden change of direction, but he still didn’t fall. Cat Noir smirked, “Come on! You can do better than that!” He shook the curtain in his hands and found himself having fun with it, “Toro! Toro!”

Charger gave out one final roar before running after Cat Noir. Cat Noir stood his ground and waited. Ladybug watched him as the Akuma got closer, “Cat?”

“Not yet!” He narrowed his eyes and watched Charger closely as he pushed himself towards the curtain. He took a deep breath and as soon as Charger was a few feet from ramming into him he turned, moving the curtain in a downwards motion. As expected, the hardheaded Charger followed the curtain and tripped over himself, crashing into the ground and skidding to a stop. Cat Noir flinched, “Ouch, that has to hurt.”

Ladybug retracted the yoyo, “Cat Noir, now!”

“Cataclysm!” He grabbed the necklace and watched it turn into ash in his hands while a tainted butterfly flew out.

“No more evil-doing for you little Akuma!” Ladybug ran forward and casted out her yoyo, “Time to de-evilize!” She swiped the Akuma out of the air and felt like a dormant piece of herself was being reawakened, “Gotcha!” She opened the yoyo to reveal a purified Akuma, “Bye-bye little butterfly!”

Cat Noir watched as Charger faded back down into a little confused boy and knelt down next to him, “It’s okay. We’ll fix you right up.” He knew there was a language barrier, but the soft tone made the kid relax and nod anyway.

Cat Noir tossed the curtain back over to Ladybug who promptly threw it into the air, “Miraculous Ladybug!” The curtain dispersed into tiny ladybugs that spread around the plaza and market building they were in, repairing all the damage before wrapping themselves around the boy. As soon as the ladybugs dispersed, the boy looked at himself, amazed to see that he was healed and that the damage was too. Ladybug walked over and held a hand out to him, the boy seemed hesitant to take it and looked at Cat Noir.

Cat Noir simply nodded and the boy allowed Ladybug to pick him up. “Let’s get him to Dick before time runs out. He speaks Spanish, he’ll figure out what’s going on.”

“Sounds like a plan. Lead the way, my Lady.” She nodded and the two made their over to Mercado del Este. They found their group and a small crowd waiting for them outside. She landed in front of Dick and gently placed the boy down, “We have to go, please make sure he’s taken care of.”

Dick was surprised but nodded and knelt down to the boy’s level, “Ven con nosotros, te ayudaremos.” The boy nodded and ran over to him, clutching to his leg and hiding away from Ladybug.

She frowned and turned away, ready to run off before the heroes got assaulted by flashes of lights and questions in a language they didn’t understand. Cat Noir shielded his eyes, “I think our reputation proceeds us, Bugaboo.”

She smiled and held her fist out, giving the crowd a few good pictures of their iconic “Pound it”. Without saying anything else the two jumped out of the crowd, onto the rooftops of nearby buildings and out of sight. Alya recorded the whole thing on her phone and stopped the live stream. She smiled at the footage and locked her phone. She looked around and saw the crowd dispersing since the heroes left.

Tim spoke up first, locking his own phone, “Great, how the hell did they show up in Spain?”

Alya smirked, “They have a miraculous that can teleport.”

Tim huffed, “Okay, then where’s Adrien and Marinette?”

“Right here!” The group looked back and saw Adrien and Marinette sprinting over. The two skidded to a stop in front of them and started panting, “Here.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “You missed Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

Adrien shrugged, “Well, by the time we were done leading people out we realized we got lost.”

Marinette looked up and smiled at the small boy, “And who’s this little guy?”

Dick shrugged, “Don’t know. I’m going to go take him over to the cops here. They’ll know.” Dick looked down at the kid, “Vámonos. Vamos a hablar con la policía. ¿Está bien?” The boy nodded and Dick walked him to a nearby patrol car that arrived shortly after the Akuma crashed through the building.

Jason walked up to Marinette and looked her over, “You okay?”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “I’m fine.”

Adrien chuckled, “Yeah. That one was pretty tame compared to some of the ones in Paris.”

Tim hummed, “Kind of reminded me of Bane.”

Jason snorted, “Just goofier looking.”

Chloe scoffed, “Some of them just look ridiculous, I swear.”

Damian looked around and walked up to Marinette, “So that’s what the Miraculous Cure looks like in person.” He smirked at Marinette, “Very useful.”

Jason sighed, “Yeah, how do we get that in Gotham?”

Marinette and Adrien just looked at each other and laughed. Adrien nudged Jason, “If you have pierced ears I bet you could be the next Ladybug.”

Marinette snorted, “Yeah right.”

Chloe huffed, “’Yeah right’ is right! If anyone is going to be the next Ladybug it’s going to be me!”

Alya laughed, “I think Queen Bee suits you better.”

Nino looked over at Tim, “Did you get any good footage?”

Tim sighed, “I’ll have to look it over on my laptop later.” He looked up and narrowed his eyes at Marinette, “You two look really similar.”

Marinette tensed up and Damian just scoffed, “Just because two girls wear pigtails doesn’t mean they’re the same girl.”

Tim glared at him, “That’s not what I meant!”

Jason laughed, “That’s totally what you meant.”

Tim rolled his eyes, “They’re the same build!”

Alya let out an exaggerated yawn, “Oh no, I’m getting bored.” She giggled at Tim’s glare, “Look, I’ve barked up that tree. Trust me. It isn’t her.” Alya took out her phone, “But your dad is totally Batman.”

Tim groaned and narrowed his eyes at Marinette, “I’m not giving up.”

Damian rolled his eyes and turned back to Marinette and Adrien, “You guys want to head back to the boat?”

Before either could answer, Jason threw his arms over their shoulders, “No way! I’m still hungry! That thing made me miss my lunch.” He looked at the two, “Tell me you aren’t hungry.”

“I’ll be okay, Marinette?”

“I could eat, to be honest.”

“And that is why you are my favorite sibling!”

Tim snapped at Jason, “She is not your sister, Jason!”

“Says you. I mean look at us, she takes after me obviously.”

Marinette snorted and pushed him away, “Let’s just go eat.”

Jason grinned, “Favorite. Sibling.”

“Wait, where’s Dick?” Marinette looked around and saw him still with the authorities. She frowned and looked at Jason, “Hey, I’m going to meet you inside. I want to go get Dick.”

Jason smirked, “You sure you won’t get lost?”

Marinette rolled her eyes and ran over to the eldest brother. She couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but the kid was sitting on the trunk of the car as the adults talked. She approached slowly and waved, letting him know she was there. The boy shyly waved back making Dick turn around. “Everything okay?”

Dick sighed, “Yeah. The kid is a foster kid who got ganged up on by some local kids.”

Marinette frowned, “That’s terrible.”

“Yeah. The kids are making their own little group and the kids use red and black as their colors.”

“Oh.” Marinette frowned and looked back at the kid, “Will he be okay?”

Dick sighed, “Yeah, but the family can’t come pick him up yet.”

Marinette looked over the kid and asked, “Can he stay with us? I’ll pay for him to eat and buy him some stuff in the market.”

Dick raised his eyebrow at her before smiling, “Let me ask.”

Marinette nodded and smiled at the boy. The boy didn’t really react so she held out her fist, the boy looked at her curiously before putting out his own fist. She gently bumped it and smiled, finally making the kid smile at her. Dick turned back to her, “They said as long as they come along and they get lunch too they’ll allow it.”

“Perfect.”

Dick turned to the boy and smiled, “¿Quieres comer, amigo?” The boy nodded and lets him take him off the car. Marinette held out her hand and the boy took it as they ran into the Mercado del Este building. The group turned around and were pleasantly surprised seeing the boy run towards the table. Dick continued chatting with the policemen and motioned for them to take a seat.

Adrien smiled, “Made a friend?”

Marinette smiled down at the boy, “Yeah, I just wish I could communicate with him. I don’t even know his name.”

Tim looked up at the child, “Oye, ¿cómo te llamas chico?”

Alya crossed her arms, “Did you all take Spanish classes or something?”

“Lucas.” The group turned to the boy, “Soy Lucas.”

Tim smiled, “¿Tienes hambre, Lucas?” The boy nodded and Tim motioned for Lucas to follow him to get food. Dick pointed at the two and motioned for the police to follow them before sitting down.

Dick ruffled Marinette’s hair, “That was nice of you.”

Marinette swatted his hand away, “I just didn’t want him sitting there by himself with some cops. That’s scary to anyone, let alone a kid.”

“Yeah, but considering the kid’s life right now I think you just made his day with this.” Dick sighed, “Foster kid, bullied by some older kids, and he’s so little.”

Damian frowned, “Well then we teach him some moves to defend himself against the kids and give the foster parents some funds to ease up the burden a bit.”

Jason raised an eyebrow, amused, “What do you have in mind, Damian?”

Damian smirked, “Basics. We teach him the basics.”

Dick rolled his eyes before nodding, “We can ask him when he gets back. Right now, let him relax.”

Marinette smiled at the brothers, “I bet he’d like that.”

Chloe sighed and scrolled through her phone, “Everyone else completely missed the Akuma attack. Lucky.” She yawned, “All of their stuff is boring too. Rose and Juleka got some clothes, Mylene got some beads and a new hat for Ivan, Kim got some running pants, Lila got a new charm, and Alix grabbed some new skates.” She locked her phone, “At least we had something worth posting about.”

Alya snickered, “You like these photos?” She passed her phone over and Chloe snorted. The picture showed Damian, Adrien, and Nino carrying a ton of bags and boxes. In the middle, Nino looked exhausted and leaned on Adrien. Adrien was laughing at his friend while keeping his boxes balanced in her arms. Lastly, Damian was in the middle of an eye roll, not breaking a sweat with all the bags in his arms, and it looked like he was scolding the poor boy. Honestly, the picture was pure gold and Chloe couldn’t help but giggle.

“I love that photo. Make sure you tag me in it.”

Alya nodded, tapping the screen on her phone and posting the picture. She looked back up and noticed Marinette settling in quite nicely with the Wayne family. She smiled and nudged Nino, “Look.”

Nino looked over from his conversation with Adrien and smiled, “She looks happy.”

Adrien sighed before smirking, “Now who do we have to thank for that?” The group looked at each other and burst into giggles, causing the rest of the table to turn to them.

Jason crossed his arms, “You want to share with the rest of the class?”

Adrien shook his head, “Alya just posted some pictures.”

Marinette took out her phone and looked at Alya’s latest post before snorting. She handed it over to Jason first who grinned and handed it to Dick. Dick snickered at the image before finally handing it to Damian. Damian frowned and glared at Alya, “Really?”

Alya bit her lip, “It’s a flawless picture. It captures you three perfectly. Nino being dramatic, Adrien being adorable, and you being stupidly stern.”

Jason sent the link to the image to himself, “I’m showing Bruce.”

“No.”

“He’ll want to see his hard-ass son make friends.”

“Todd, I swear-”

Tim walked back over with the policemen and Lucas, sitting him down at the table. Tim looked around, “What’d I miss?”

“Don’t-”

Chloe handed him her phone, “Look at this picture.”

Tim smiled, “Oh my god, you look like a normal kid. I could actually cry.”

Damian growled, “You’re all intolerable.”

Marinette nudged him, “Come on, it’s a good picture.”

Damian rolled his eyes but still relaxed, “Fine.” The group all stared at him surprised, “What?”

Jason scoffed, “So you aren’t going to argue? You’re just going to accept that?”

Dick smirked, “Jason, she said he looked good. Of course he’ll stand down.”

Damian glared at his brothers, “I said it once and I’ll say it again, I will hurt you.”

Dick rolled his eyes and turned back to Lucas, “Cuando termines, ¿quieres que te enseñemos cómo protegerte?” The boy looked surprised, but nodded with a new air of excitement washed over him. Tim looked at his brothers confused, “We’ll just teach him the basics.” Tim let out a small “oh” and nodded in approval.

Marinette continued to look through the posted photos and suddenly her face heated up, “Alya!”

Alya looked over confused before a phone was shoved in her face, “What are- Oh! That’s such a cute photo, though.”

“You can’t just post that!”

Alya shrugged, “Too late. Sent these photos to Sabine too.”

Marinette looked even more alarmed and her voice was shrill, “Alya!”

Alya got up and backed away slowly, “Marinette, they’re photos.” Marinette growled and made her away around the table, making Alya back away slowly and put her hands up. She spoke softly in a voice that one would use to approach a scared animal, “Marinette, they’re just photos.” Marinette’s eye twitched and Alya squeaked before sprinting away, “MARINETTE!”

“GET BACK HERE!” Marinette ran after her, “GIVE ME THE PHONE ALYA!”

“NEVER!”

The group watched on, amused and a bit scared of Marinette’s temper. Adrien just sighed, “I missed that.”

Jason had a huge smile on his face as he watched them run around, “I’ve never seen her so ticked off. What did she post?”

Chloe pulled up Alya’s Instagram again and looked through the photos, “I don’t know, Marinette can be a bit drama-” Chloe narrowed her eyes and smirked, “Oh. That’s why.” She faced the screen over to the table and everyone but Damian snickered. The photo showed her and Damian in the arcade, sitting inside the game, both asleep, both leaning against each other under a blanket. The caption was simple and innocent enough, “sleepover gang” to go along with the other photos from the night, but it was enough to embarrass Marinette and Damian.

Jason turned back to Damian to say something snarky before getting a good look at his face, “Oh my god, he feels.” Dick turned back and noticed the pink tint gradually making its way onto his face.

The three brothers were getting too much of a kick out of this but before anyone could say anything Damian got up and ran towards the girls, “Alya give me the phone!”

Alya screamed, “Two against one! I call foul!” She skidded to a stop and watched as she was being circled by her two friends. She felt like prey and she let her instincts kick in, “You’ll pry this phone out of my cold dead hands!”

Damian’s eye twitched, “I can arrange that.”

Alya glared at him, “It’s a photo! It’s not even bad!”

Marinette growled, “Alya, give us the phone or delete the photo.”

Alya gripped onto her phone tighter, “Never.” The two sprinted forward and Alya used her practiced parkour abilities with Nino to jump over Marinette, using her back as a springboard and making Marinette fall forward. Alya turned back, “OH MY GOD, I AM SO SORRY!” Damian snapped out of his implicit hunting instincts and went over the Marinette to pick her up.

“Hey, you okay?”

“I think so.” She wiped her nose and frowned, “Scratch that. Nose bleed.”

Damian rolled his eyes and tilted her head, “Look up.”

She pouted, “I know, I’m not a little kid.”

“Yeah, uh-huh.” Damian looked her over and sighed, “Well, bleeding nose and a small bruise on your forehead-”

Marinette groaned, “A small bruise?”

“Yes, now stop interrupting.” He looked her over once more, “I think that’s it though. The bruise isn’t that noticeable.”

“It’s a bruise. You see how pale my skin is?”

“Yeah, you sure you aren’t sick or something?”

“Oh ha-ha, very funny.” Marinette smirked, “You know for someone who’s trained I expected better than that.”

Damian frowned, “I was holding back. I wouldn’t be a good friend if I hurt her, now would I?’

“You just admitted you were friends.”

Damian blinked before glaring at her, “Touché.” She laughed and he shook his head, “Shut up.”

“Never.”

“Then I’ll tell Staller not to let you in the den anymore.”

“Yeah right, Captain Staller likes me.”

“He likes me too.”

“He likes me better.”

Damian narrowed his eyes at her, “You know what? You probably have a concussion.”

She rolled her eyes, “You’re just mad because I’m right.”

“Yeah, uh-huh. Keep telling yourself that, Marinette.”

She smirked, “So you going to go get me a tissue or?”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.” He pulled away from her and turned to the table before realizing everyone had their eyes trained on them. “What?”

Tim shook his head, “You’re kidding me, right? I’m not crazy, that actually happened.”

Alya chuckled, “Yes, yes it did.” Alya sighed in relief and took back her seat, “And it seemed to calm them down.”

Damian helped Marinette up and guided her to their chairs, “What are you guys rambling about?”

Adrien waved his hand, “Nothing, nothing.”

Damian glared at the table before turning his attention back to Marinette and holding a napkin to her nose, “Tilt your head down. Just stay like that until you think the bleeding stops.”

“I’ve gotten nose bleeds before. This isn’t the first time I’ve landed face first.”

Chloe smirked, “You can say that again.” Her comment earned her a glare from both Damian and Marinette before they turned their attention back to each other.

Dick just looked at the two amused and nostalgic, “You guys click really well together.”

“What are you blabbing about now, Grayson?”

Jason smirked, “You two act like an old married couple.”

Marinette sounded exhausted, “Why does everyone say that?”

Tim laughed, “Because it’s true.” He turned back to Lucas, “¿Listo para empezar?” The boy nodded and Tim motioned for Adrien to follow him to a more open part of the building while the rest stayed at the table.

Marinette looked confused, “Shouldn’t you go help? It was your idea.”

“Nah, Tim’s a good teacher and something tells me Adrien doesn’t mind being the test dummy for some attacks. He might actually learn something.”

Nino spoke up, “You know he’s a champion fencer, right?”

Dick looked surprised, “Really? I always thought he was a piano playing type.”

Chloe laughed, “He’s that too. His father makes Adrien do all sorts of stuff, but I just think he does it to keep Adrien too busy to notice he’s not around.” Chloe frowned, “I swear, sometimes I want to punch that man in the face.”

Jason frowned, “What? His dad just ignores him?”

The classmates all looked at each other and stayed quiet, giving the brothers all the confirmation they needed. The three frowned as they watched Adrien happily practice with Lucas and Tim. Damian frowned, “You’d never know.”

Marinette sighed, “No you wouldn’t, that’s just how Adrien is. He loves his father, but I also think a part of him is just too scared to lose anyone else.”

“Anyone else?”

Chloe hummed, “He lost his mom a few years back. She just disappeared. After that, his father grew distant and Adrien didn’t have anyone.”

Dick frowned, “Sounds like a bad dad.”

Nino turned to Dick and in an oddly stern voice said to Dick, “Don’t ever say that around Adrien.”

Jason crossed his arms, “Seems like it’s true.”

“Maybe, but you can’t just insult his only family like that.” Alya sighed, “Gabriel is all that boy has right now. The closest family that kid has is his father, his father’s assistant, and his bodyguard. That’s it.”

Damian paused before sighing, “I got to give him more credit.” He watched them a bit more before elaborating, “Adrien is a lot stronger than he looks.”

Marinette smiled and hummed, “Yeah. Yeah, he is.”

Two adults ran into the building yelling for Lucas, who was in the middle of learning to block a kick. Lucas looked over and a smile grew on his face before running over to the couple. Alya smiled, “Must be the parents.”

Dick corrected the girl, “Foster parents.”

Nino shook his head, “No way man. You see how he looks at them? Those are his parents.” The table watched on as the parents looked him over and thanked Tim and the cops. The three were talking amongst each other and Marinette checked if there was still blood. She figured there wasn’t anymore and ran over to the couple. She handed Tim the rest of her funds that Bruce gave her and motioned for him to give it to the family.

The two women tried to reject it, but Tim insisted. “No va aceptará un no.” The women looked between the two before one of them walked over and hugged Marinette.

Marinette didn’t know Spanish, but just knew this was a show of gratitude for taking care of their child and for the gift. Marinette smiled and hugged the woman back before pulling away and holding out her fist for Lucas. Lucas grinned and enthusiastically fist-bumped Marinette. Marinette laughed and waved goodbye to the family and the policemen as the policemen escorted them outside for more questions. Marinette walked back to the table and took her seat. She looked around and saw everyone smiling at her, “What?”

Jason smiled and threw his arm over her shoulders, “I have the best little sister.”

“She’s not your sister!”

“Fight me, Tim.”

Dick rolled his eyes, “What you did right now was really sweet of you.”

Marinette waved her hands, “No! No! I just thought it’d help! I don’t know what’s happening at home but I hope it helps.”

Alya sighed, “That’s Marinette for you.”

Chloe snorted, “You remember that time she almost got run over trying to get that old lady out of the street?”

Adrien groaned, “Don’t remind me, I nearly had a heart attack.”

Marinette pouted, “She could’ve gotten hit! What else was I supposed to do?”

Alya smiled before walking over and hugging her best friends from behind, “You just do you, girl. We all love you for it.”

“Love me enough to delete that photo?”

“Girl, I don’t even love my sisters enough for that.” Marinette laughed and Alya kissed the top of her head, “You’re too sweet, but I guess that’s what you get from a baker’s daughter.”

Adrien smiled, “And she bakes too.”

Chloe giggled, “We only got one in stock, first come first serve.”

Jason jumped in, “How much is the down payment?”

“Jason!”

“What? I’m totally adopting her.”

“I don’t think my parents would approve of that.” She snapped her fingers and took out her phone, “My parents! We should call my parents! I think they took the day off today since they just got done with a really big order.”

Damian shook his head, “Maybe we sho-”

With a few rings her parents took up the screen and her mother spoke first, “You know we were starting to worry you would never call us. I mean seriously Marinette, I wouldn’t know you were alive if Alya stops messaging photos to us.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and held the phone up, “Say hi to everyone!”

The class all enthusiastically greeted the couple while the brothers were more polite in their greetings. Tom spoke up, “Hello kids! How’s the ship treating you?”

“Great!”

“Okay.”

“So far so good!”

“I’ll live.”

The parents laughed and Sabine hummed, “I see a few new faces. Who are these young men?”

Marinette switched the camera and pointed it at the brothers, “That’s Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, and Jason Todd. They’re Bruce’s sons.”

Marinette switched the camera back over and Jason ran over to get into frame, “By the way, I love your daughter. She’s funny and awesome and I want her to be the little sister I never had.” Sabine and Tom both looked very confused and Marinette couldn’t help but laugh.

Tim yelled over the table, “Please take him! We’ll do all the paperwork and take care of the payments!”

Dick rolled his eyes and pushed Jason out of frame, “Your daughter has made quite the impression on our family and on some of the staff too. She’s a good kid.”

Sabine smiled proudly, “Well that’s our Marinette. We love who she’s become.” Sabine turned her attention back to Marinette, “You look so much better Marinette. This trip has been good for you.”

Damian couldn’t help but ask, “What do you mean?”

Tom grinned, “Oh wait, I recognize you! Alya’s sent many photos of you two together! You’re Damian, right?”

Damian coughed to keep his voice even while Marinette glared at Alya, “Oh has she now?”

Alya winked and Damian rolled his eyes, “Anyways, your daughter’s had a very positive impact on our family and the captain of the ship. Captain Staller in particular has taken a liking to your daughter, which is a very rare honor.”

Tom blinked, “Well, he’s very well-spoken.”

Sabine chuckled, “Yes he is.” Damian looked confused and Sabine shook her head, “Nothing, sweetheart. So where are you right now?”

Jason pushed his way back into frame, “We’re in Spain ma’am! Bruce had us dock after the attack to allow the students to roam while the ship was getting looked at.”

Marinette could feel the tension rise back home, “Wait, what attack? And where in Spain? We just saw there was an Akuma attack there.”

Marinette flinched before getting up and walking away, “Okay, I’ll explain just give me a second.”

The table waited for her to get out of earshot before Alya snapped at Jason, “Way to go, Jason.”

“What? Why the hell didn’t you tell them about the attack?”

Adrien shook his head, “Because Marinette didn’t want to worry them.”

Damian smacked the back of Jason’s head, “Way to go, Drake.”

“Shut up.” He sighed, “They seem nice though.”

Adrien smiled, “They’re the best.”

Chloe’s expression softened, “They even welcomed me. I was their daughter’s enemy for years and they still welcomed me. I don’t know if I’d find anyone else like that.”

Nino smiled, “They’re good people, you know?”

Tim smiled back, “That must be nice. Hey Damian, you could get worse in-laws.” Tim expected a prompt annoyed response and instead got silence. He turned to look at Damian whose eyes were trained solely on Marinette. “Damian.”

Damian blinked, “What?”

Alya rolled her eyes and stood up, walked around to Damian, and pulled him up. She led him over to wear Marinette was sitting, sitting him down next to her before promptly walking away. “What was that about?”

“No clue honestly.” He looked back at the screen, “Sorry about my brother Jason, by the way.”

Sabine shook her head, “No, no, he seems nice! I’ll be honest, I was a bit concerned when a lot of the photos included three grown men among teenagers. But knowing they’re Damian’s brothers now makes sense. They look after you, don’t they?”

Damian groaned, “Annoyingly so.” Damian sighed, “They’re good people though. Plus, Jason doesn’t just warm up to anyone, but he really wanted to meet your daughter after reading her paper.”

Tom grinned, “That’s my daughter for you. But I have to ask, what was the picture of you two sleeping about?”

The two teens tensed up and Marinette lit up like a Christmas tree, “Let me start by saying it’s nothing!”

“I know it’s nothing because if something had happened you wouldn’t be looking us in the eye right now.”

“Mom!” Marinette groaned, “We were playing in the arcade late at night and fell asleep in one of the games.”

Tom pushed himself forward, “Is he good at Mecha Strike? Do we have a new challenger?”

“Dad!” Marinette relaxed and rolled her eyes, “We didn’t play Mecha Strike, but turns out Damian here is really good at dancing games.”

Sabine blinked, “I never would’ve guessed. I took you more for a strategic type.”

Damian shrugged, “I like both, but now I’m curious about this game Mecha Strike.”

Tom and Sabine both looked at each other before grinning, making Marinette feel nervous. “Tell you what Damian, when you come to Paris you can come over our house for dinner and attempt to beat us. If you do we’ll give you some free treats for you and your brothers.”

Sabine nodded, “Besides, I have to get to know my new son apparently.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “Don’t encourage him. He gets too rowdy.”

Tom laughed, “Even better. We need some good energy around these parts nowadays.”

Marinette frowned and she could feel herself worry, “Why? Has there been an Akuma attack?”

“No sweetie, but everyone is on edge waiting for one.” Sabine sighed, “I worry for Ladybug and Cat Noir, those two fight much more often recently. Must be tiring.” Sabine hummed and turned her attention back to her daughter, “Which reminds me, what are we going to do about you? Honey, there was an attack and now an Akuma? Do we need to bring you home?”

Damian noticed the way Marinette’s shoulders fell and he looked back at the phone, “I promise to watch out for Marinette.”

The three Dupain-Cheng’s let out a confused “What?”

“I said I’ll look out for her. She’s a good person and even during the attack we stuck together. My family and I are really grateful to have met her and her friends, so try not to worry about your daughter too much. We’ll take care of her.” There was a beat of silence and Damian realized how possibly inappropriate his outburst was. His eyes widened, “I mean-”

“No, no, I believe you son.” Tom just chuckled, “It just took us all by surprise. You seem very dedicated to my daughter.”

He tensed up, “I think we’ve all grown a fondness for your daughter, sir. She’s a good person.”

“Call me Tom, Damian.” Tom and Sabine looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them before they turned back to the camera, “If you think you’ll be okay and you trust Damian-“

“I do. I trust him.”

“- and his family,” Marinette bit her lip from the outburst and Tom smiled, “then I guess it’s okay.”

Marinette looked relieved, “You guys are the best.”

Sabine smiled softly at Marinette, “Have fun sweetheart. And Marinette?”

“Yes?”

“We approve.”

“Wait what-“

“Bye sweetheart!” The screen showed that her parents ended the call and Marinette hid her face in her hands.

Damian looked at her confused, “What’s wrong?”

“They’re embarrassing.”

“They’re nice.”

Marinette nodded and looked up at him, “Yeah, they are.” She laughed, “They seem to like you and the others too.”

Damian shook his head, “Terrible judgment on their part.” Marinette nudged him and he nudged her back, “I should apologize for the outburst.”

“No, don’t.” She smiled, a hint of pink on her cheeks, “It was nice to know you guys have my back. Plus, it totally gave you a ton of brownie points with my parents.” She put her hand over her heart and looked at him accusingly before saying, “Damian Wayne, are you trying to woo over my family?”

Damian rolled his eyes, “I don’t need to try. I’m a delight to have around.”

Marinette snorted, “Yeah you are.”

Damian turned to her and he frowned, “Does the cure fix you up too? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine.” She giggled, “Be careful, you actually sound worried.”

He frowned, “I was not worried about you, Ladybug.”

She slapped her hand over his mouth, gaining a glare from Damian, and Marinette looked behind her shoulder at the lively group at the table across the floor. She glared back at him before quietly scolding him, “Do not call me that!”  

Damian pulled away and pushed her hand away, “Don’t do that.”

“Then don’t say that.” She took a deep breath and rubbed her eyes, “You’re going to kill me with the stress you put me under.”

Damian resisted the urge to flinch at her choice of words, “Don’t say that.” Damian sighed, he knew the truth and he suspected she knew he figured her out, but still vehemently denied it. “I just told you my family was going to take care of you.”

She smirked, “Didn’t you say you were going to take of me?” The emphasis on the word “you” and the look in her eye made Damian frustrated and embarrassed.

He looked away and growled, “I just said that to appease your parents.”

“You use fancy words when you’re upset.”

He glared at her and she just giggled. He sighed and rubbed his temples, “You give me whiplash sometimes.”

She just laughed and leaned on him, “Good.” She smiled to herself and hummed, “Thank you.” Damian looked over at her and she smiled at him, “My parents would’ve asked me to come home if you didn’t step in.”

Damian rolled his eyes, “They care, sue them.”

She smirked, “No way. How am I going to get my sweets?”

“Oh yeah, Tim told me about all the sweets you ordered that first night.” He hummed, “We met that night. Now you want to tell me how you managed to eat all those sweets when you weren’t even in your room?”

Marinette pouted and flicked his nose, “Watch it.”

Damian moved his face away and smirked, “Whatever you say, Ladybug.”

Marinette grumbled but laid her head on his shoulder, sighing in defeat and closing her eyes. “I’m confused.”

“About?”

“How an Akuma got all the way out here.”

He frowned and put himself back into the detective mindset he’s developed being under Batman’s influence, “What are your theories? I’m not exactly sure how his powers work.”

“Well I know he can’t send them cross country.” She hummed, “But Lucas didn’t seem to communicate with him either. Did an Akuma just lose its way?” She continued thinking aloud to herself while Damian simply listened and took in the information, “No, that doesn’t make sense either. He usually calls them back.” Damian could tell the lack of answers was upsetting her, “Is Hawkmoth in the area? But then why didn’t he try to speak to Lucas?”

“He could be trying to throw you off his trail.”

“Maybe.” She let out a frustrated sigh before tilting her head up a bit from his shoulder to get a better look at Damian. “You want to help me figure this out?”  

Damian smiled at her, but before he could say anything the table behind them became rowdy. He sounded tired, “Oh great.” Marinette opened her eyes and the two turned, expecting to see Dick and Jason arguing or Chloe bickering with Nino. Anything other than Tim shoving a phone into Alya’s face and her paling significantly while Adrien and Dick tried to calm them down and Nino tried to take away the phone. “What the hell?”

The two ran back to the table and once they were within earshot they heard Tim say, “She should know!”

Dick glared at him, “That’s not for you to decide!”

Alya was glaring at Adrien, “You really let me do that? You let me do that for years! Adrien, why didn’t-”

Dick scolded Tim, “Tim, what is wrong with you? She was literally just-”

Tim huffed and crossed his arms, “Alya said she wants to be a reporter and the girl doesn’t even fact check, but she has the nerve to say she’s going to investigate us? No! She needs to have this wake-up call before that girl does something worst.”

Chloe glared at him and slapped her hands on the table, “As much as I hate her too, that was totally uncalled for! Honestly! Alya is having fun! We’re having fun! Or at least we were until you brought her up!”

Nino was holding Alya’s arms, “Hey. Alya, talk to me. Alya?”

“Guys?” The table turned to the two tense and confused teens. Marinette was scared to proceed with the conversation and gulped, “What’s-” Alya ran over and wrapped her arms around Marinette, shaking and holding on tight. “Alya?”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Marinette glared at the table, “What happened?”

Jason glared at Tim, “Alya was just telling us how she wanted to be a reporter and telling us more ‘evidence’ she found against Bruce. And this prick-”

“All I said is she needs to learn to fact check if she wants to be a good reporter!” Tim snapped at Jason, “I made that powerpoint and the more I found the more it pissed me off. She wants to be a reporter and then she lets this slip-up? For years?”

Adrien looked betrayed, “Tim, what’s with you? You’ve never snapped at any of us-”

“I’ve only just met you.”

Nino frowned, “Hey! Don’t talk to him like that! He’s just trying to figure out why you’re so mad!”

Jason glared at Tim, “Seriously Tim, I expect this from Damian or me. Not from you, what’s up?”

Tim glared at Jason and turned to Marinette and Damian. Marinette had a look that told him she was scared, confused, and most of all hurt. Damian glared at him, but underneath that initial hostility he could tell Damian was also very concerned. Tim rarely snapped at people and wouldn’t snap at a girl for something like this. Tim ran his fingers through his hair, “I don’t know! I just got really annoyed and-”

“What’s going on?” The group all looked up and noticed another group walking in. Rose, Juleka, Alix, Kim, Max, Lila, and Nathaniel alongside their guide were all staring at the group. Alix spoke up in a more demanding tone, “Hello? What’s going on?”

Tim settled his eyes on Lila and glared at the girl. Meanwhile, Alya lifted her head up, wiping her cheeks with her arm, and locked eyes with Lila. Marinette knew when Alya was at her limit, her eyes narrowed and she looked ready to kill. Marinette looked at Damian in a panic and Damian stared back. He knew the look of a killer. Both Alya and Tim had it. Damian ran over to the group and put himself in between Lila and the table, “You guys need to leave.”

Rose looked conflicted, “But-”

“NOW!” Damian used the same voice he usually used against his brothers or his more annoying teammates when he was losing his temper, worked every time. The students jumped and backed away, clearly opposed to the idea of leaving their distressed friend, but not wanting to argue with their hosts. Alix continued to glare at Damian and the rest before finally turning away and leaving.

Marinette kept her eyes locked on Alya, she could feel her practically vibrate with negative emotions. “Alya, look at me.” Alya could’ve burned a hole through the back of Lila’s head she was glaring so hard, “Alya. Snap out of it. Alya!” Marinette took a deep breath before shoving her best friend, “I said snap out of it!” Alya almost fell back and finally looked up at her best friend, confused and dazed. “Alya, what’s going on with you?”

Alya felt sick, “The powerpoint. Tim’s powerpoint.” She walked back up to Marinette and held her at arm’s length, “Why didn’t you tell me this was happening? Was this happening the whole time?” Alya’s breathing hitched as she ran her fingers through her hair, “I believed her. I can’t believe I just believed everything she told me!” Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, she felt like she was looking at a reflection of herself from below deck as Alya continued to spiral, “I didn’t check anything, I just took it! You tried to tell me! Oh my god, you tried to tell me and-”

Marinette held her friend’s shoulders, “Alya, breathe.”

Alya lip trembled, “But-”

“Four counts in, four counts hold, four counts out. I need you to try to breathe with me.” Damian blinked, realizing this was the same technique he showed her. He didn’t realize she remembered it. Marinette started to demonstrate the breathing and Alya, though confused, followed along. The group stayed quiet as they watched the two girls breathe and waited for Alya to calm down. Dick looked over at Tim and noticed he was following them and breathing in and out on Marinette’s counts. Alya eventually nodded and closed the distance between her and Marinette, hugging her. “You’ve really been in a hugging mood recently.”

“I missed my best friend and now I’m being told I’ve been friends with her bully?” She pulled away and wiped her eyes, “Why are you still friends with me?”

Marinette could feel her eyes watering and she laughed, “Because you’re always there for me when it really matters. You know how many times you went out of your way to set me up with Adrien?” The two girls laughed, “You’re stuck with me.”

Alya shook her head and sniffed, “I really don’t deserve it.”

Marinette tackled Alya, hugging the life out of her and laughing. Alya squeezed her friend back and the two just stood there. It felt like a barrier between them had been broken, a secret set free, and suddenly any drifting they once had didn’t matter anymore. They two stood there for what seemed like an eternity before pulling away, laughing at the redness of each other’s faces. “I love you Marinette, you know that?”

Marinette nodded and wiped her nose, “Love you too.”

Alya kissed the girl’s forehead before looking her in the eye, “I will murder that girl though.”

“Don’t.”

“Please, come on! I can take her!”

Jason stood up and motioned to Alya, “See! That’s what I’m talking about! Let’s just throw her overboard.”

Marinette glared at the two, “No and no!” She sighed, “Alya look at me.” Alya nodded and Marinette sighed, “Thank you, but even if you hate her I need you to not change anything.” Alya looked at her confused and Marinette continued, “If she catches on that you know, she’s just going to get more aggressive. She doesn’t want friends, she wants control. We can’t let her know that she’s lost someone.”

“But-”

“Marinette’s right.” Adrien stood up and walked to the girls, “The only way I’ve kept Lila in check is by threatening to pull away from her if she hurt my friends.” He sighed, “Now, I don’t even think that will do anything anymore. She’s gotten way more aggressive these past few months.”

Alya narrowed his eyes at him, “You knew.”

Nino did the same, “I still can’t believe that.”

Marinette stepped in, “Hey, hey, look at me! This isn’t about him! We both agreed it’d be better that way, but now Lila’s changed so we need to too.” She sighed and glared at Tim, “Though I would’ve appreciated it if I could’ve been the one to tell them.”

Tim sighed, visibly calmed, “Sorry. I don’t know what happened to me.” He rubbed his temples, “God my head hurts.” As soon as he said that it’s as if it set something off among the group and everyone besides Damian, Marinette, and Adrien all looked extremely uncomfortable. All rubbed their temples or held their heads. The three unaffected looked at each other confused and everyone looked drained. Tim looked back over at the girls, “I don’t regret it though. They needed to know.”

Before Marinette could say anything Alya cut in, “He’s right.” She sighed and pulled away, sitting down and putting her head into her hands, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.”

Tim frowned before getting up and putting a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, Alya, a lot of the evidence you’ve accumulated makes a lot of sense. For a teenager, you’ve got an eye for information and a good hunch. Do I think you can prove Bruce is Batman? No. Do I think you’ll make a good case?” He sent her an encouraging smile, “Yeah. No doubts.” Tim was being honest. Alya reminded him of himself back when he first went through the trouble of figuring out Batman’s identity himself. It was funny and nostalgic, he didn’t want to ruin this for her.

Alya smiled and sighed, “Thanks, Tim.”

Dick rubbed his eyes and groaned, “Is anyone else feeling whiplash?”

Chloe did the same, “Yes.”

Adrien smiled sympathetically before turning to Damian and Marinette, “Maybe it’s time we get back to the ship. I think there’s been enough excitement for all of us.”

The two looked at each other and nodded. Damian pulled out his phone to call a ride and Marinette walked over to throw some bags over her shoulders. Marinette turned back to Adrien, “I think it’s time we all need some time to think this over. I refuse to let Lila ruin this vacation!” She looked back at Damian. He was still on call but turned back to the group and the two locked eyes. Adrien watched as the two nodded at each other as if a conversation just passed between the two for the second time in just a few moments.

Adrien raised an eyebrow, “You two have gotten close.” Marinette shrugged and walked over to Alya to help her up. Damian locked his phone and walked over to grab the bags and nudged his brothers to get up. The two seemed to work around each other without issue to get the group ready to return to the ship. It reminded him of large families at the parks and how the parents would gather all their kids to get them ready to go home. Adrien chuckled to himself before helping Nino up. Nino looked at his friend, grateful for the help, before the whole table got up and walked to a limo ready to bring them back to the ship.

The air around the group was strange. There was some tension leftover from the argument, but it was dulled down by everyone’s exhaustion. However, a new sense of closeness engulfed the group despite everything. The return trip home was comfortably quiet as everyone processed the day. Damian sat beside Marinette and Alya and looked out the window. The girls’ arms were linked and they leaned on each other for comfort, Alya already asleep with her head on Marinette’s shoulder. Tim sat towards the front alone, going through his phone and trying to process his own feelings. The rest were scattered around, all too tired to care about anything else. No one spoke out of fear of ruining the atmosphere. It was silent, but safe and the group was comforted by the hum of the engine.

Damian looked away from the window, stretched, and made eye contact with Marinette. Marinette sent him a tired smiled before grabbing his arm and gently pulling. Damian resisted at first and shook his head, but Marinette’s pleading eyes and reassuring smile made him give in. He hesitantly leaned against her, yawned, and looked around the limo once last time. The others seemed to look surprised but couldn’t bring themselves to say anything. Instead, they all just went back to their own devices, smiling softly, savoring their comforting and safe bubble within the walls of the large vehicle. Any comments they had could be saved for later, right now they were simply content with the day’s end and wanted to be back in their own beds for a long rest.

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[realm-sweet-realm]

To act in your stead

Sorry this chapter took so long. I hope you enjoy it. It is chapter 3 of the body swap to the death Au.

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Susie looked up at the ink pipes she’d installed. A child would have been able to tell where the professionally-installed pipes ended and hers began. They were crooked, going up and down like a zigzag at every joint. As a result, a few of them leaking slightly. Hopefully, they were easily fixed and she was doing more than wasting a week or more of Tom’s work schedule. Hopefully, they’d stay together for another four days. She’d reduced the ink pressure to make that a little more likely, at least. “Hey, Tom! Get over here!” An irritable voice came from behind her.

It was Sammy. Tom hated Sammy, so she rolled her eyes and gave him a sharp look. “What?”

“Come with me to my office!”

Susie just nodded. Normally she would have been intimidated, but she was beginning to see why Tom wouldn’t have been. Sammy looked tiny compared to her now, and wasn’t scary in the least even as he was stomping and angry like this.

Once the two of them were in Sammy’s office and the door was closed, Sammy uncurled his fists and stopped looking so angry. “Sorry about that,” he said. “So... without giving too much away, I’m a person who knows a thing or two about mechanics, and it looked like you needed help. Can I help you?”

Susie tried not to look too happy. This was a godsend. “Yes, that would be nice.”

“Excellent. So, obviously I can’t just go on out there and start getting my hands dirty, but I could tell you what you’re doing wrong. First, are you cutting the pipes?”

“They need to be cut?”

Allison had no idea, but suspected they didn’t. “Of course. If they’re the wrong length, they’ll all be crooked, and they’ll wear out in a matter of weeks.”

“What do I cut them with?”

“An electric hand saw. Do you have one at home?”

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of tools in the garage. Some looked electric. One might be a handsaw.”

“Well, I’m sure that there’s something there that we can use to cut pipes. If you want me to come over, I could show you how to use it.”

“Sounds good, thank you. I’ll come find you at six,” Susie deadpanned. Once she left and immediately found a quiet place where she could let her happiness out. Thank goodness, now she’d be able to actually do this properly! Unfortunately, whoever “Sammy” was hadn’t dropped any hints, though. The kindness sheer lack of emotionality suggested Henry, but the mechanical knowledge suggested Thomas. It must have been Lacie. She seemed like she had the capacity for both.

That evening, “Thomas” took Allison back to her and Tom’s house. Allison knew where the handsaw was, but she pretended to search the shelves until “Thomas” fished it out of the drawer.

“Okay,” Allison said, setting a board up on the sawhorse, “Let’s practice with some wooden boards before moving on to pipes. So, you’ll want to have it on a solid surface when you turn it on, like this.” She pressed a button on it and it came to life. “Want me to demonstrate how to cut a board?”

“I’d love that,” “Thomas” said, still in his gravelly voice. He wasn’t giving away any hints. Well, reaction to fear might end up being a giveaway.

Allison transferred the saw to her left hand and held the board with her right. “Alright. Just like this.” She began cutting, spraying sawdust and making that horrible saw noise. She was so uncoordinated with her left hand that she wasn’t sure she could pull this off.

Susie watched, disturbed that Sammy was cutting towards his hand. But, he probably knew what he was doing. Once it got close enough, she couldn’t take it anymore. “Sammy, move your hand!”

“What? I always-“ and then it happened. The handsaw was spraying blood, and her hand was being cut between the thumb and index finger. It was no small feat of willpower to force the blade a little further before turning it off. Allison was screaming. Susie was screaming. She ran into the house.

“Sammy!” she called “Get the first aid kit!” Oh, this was too good. Allison had noticed how irritable “Allison” had been, and she’d suspected that a lot of people were switched in pairs, but now she had confirmation.

“Thomas” and “Allison” came back into the garage. The look on “Allison’s” face was priceless as he caught sight of the mess of his hand. “What have you done?!” he yelled. “How will you play instruments like that?!”

At this point, Allison realized that she hadn’t actually looked at the damages yet. They were bad. The blood running down it and squirting from some ruptured artery she’d been able to feel, but the sawdust trapped inside of it- well, that was a bonus. It would probably get infected. The cut was long and deep, too. He was lucky that all the fingers were still attached. She was lucky it was throbbing so hard, or she would have had trouble hiding her satisfaction.

Twenty minutes later, Allison’s wound had been washed and bandaged, and the look of terror still hadn’t fully left Sammy’s face. He couldn’t express anger at her without revealing himself, of course, but Allison could sense it in him. When he looked at her, she could just see him silently yelling out the question: “who are you? Why did you do this to me?!”

—-

Aside from Allison’s revenge, the only notable thing that had happened on Wednesday was that “Joey” had proposed to “Henry” that they gather the players at his house a few hours before seven, so that none of them would be doing anything dangerous when it happened. This served several purposes. For one, it would allow Henry to see his kids, maybe for the last time. For another, it would give him an opportunity to drop off evidence at his house. He’d bring it in champagne boxes and slip them into his room when no one was watching. Joey was happy with the arrangement as well: he had several hunches but was only certain of three identities at the moment, and packing everyone into a closed space where they’d be all but forced to interact seemed like a great way to figure some out. He was getting a little desperate, and he wasn’t the only one.

Come Thursday morning, Bertrum was running out of time and he knew it. Not survival-wise, of course: decades in the public eye had left him with some excellent people-reading skills, and he had fair guesses on at least three or four identities. He was also quite the actor, and, since he had no idea what Jack Fain was like, had been pretending to be a different person every day that week to throw anyone off his trail. Yes, survival-wise, he was doing great. But he still hadn’t caught a single glimpse of himself, and the meeting was tonight. And so, Bertrum was standing at the only entrance to Joey Drew Studios in wait.

Finally, “Bertrum” came in, and “Jack” didn’t hesitate to stop him. “Can I speak with you?”

“Oh, uh, sure. I’m in no particular rush.” Whoever this was, they were putting no effort at all into being the Great Bertrum Piedmont, aside from a poorly faked deep, British voice. But now wasn’t the time to be guessing identities.

“This will take all day.”

“Oh, okay. Well, first I need to go check on the Bendyland employees, and have an in-depth meeting with Lacie. Can I meet you back here later?”

Bertrum supposed he could use an opportunity to see what he had to work with. “I’ll come with you,” he insisted.

“Well, okay,” Jack replied, chirpy but a bit nervous. Jack was not a good actor, and he knew it. He definitely didn’t think that he could project Bertrum Piedmont-levels of bravado and confidence. His strategy had basically been been to avoid everyone except for Lacie, whose identity he hadn’t figured out yet, but that’s what the meeting was for. Well, now it seemed like he’d have to act the best he could for whoever was inhabiting his body.

The two arrived at Bendyland, where three Bendyland employees were slacking off, playing the target shooting game. Lacie was one of them. Jack cupped his hands together. “Hey!” he snapped, trying to get their attention. Was that a Bertrum-like way to get attention? He didn’t know, and with whoever was in his body breathing down his neck, he was getting really nervous. If they heard him, they didn’t listen, so he walked up to them. Even the way he walks is self-effacing, Bertrum thought to himself, almost offended at this... parody of himself. “Hey,” Jack said, quieter now that he was closer to them. The Bendyland workers finally looked up from their game to him.

“What?” One of them asked casually. All three of them were grinning, the two non-players wondering if Alzheimer’s had caught up to their boss and made him go soft.

“Are you, uh, fellows doing your quota of work?” There was no anger or accusation in his voice.

“Yeah.”

“Do you need me to do anything?” Jack truthfully had no idea what he was supposed to do. He’d designed some attractions and checked on the employees every day. That seemed like the right thing to do, or at least, the closest he could figure out.

“Nope, we’re good.” Bertrum could tell that they had barely done a thing. The crates of decor that they were supposed to put up this week were sitting next to the game, most not even opened.

“Okay, then. I’ll check in on you tomorrow.”

Jack turned around and stumbled over an ink pipe on the floor, which made the Bendyland workers laugh. Bertrum couldn’t take it any longer. “That’s it! You do not laugh at the great Bertrum Piedmont! Now get to work before he comes to his senses!”

The workers froze, then frantically went over to one of the crates and began decorating.

“Now you’re coming with me,” Bertrum said to Jack.

“Uh, sure. Hey, Lacie? I’ll come find you when I’m ready, okay?”

Lacie shrugged, not looking away from her work. “Sure.”

As soon as Jack and Bertrum were out of the studio, Bertrum spoke up. “Alright. No need for fancy introductions. I am the great Bertrum Piedmont, and I happen to have a very important meeting tonight. A meeting with the great Clifford Clines, CEO of Cedar Springs Entertainment. He’s considering me as the creator of his brand’s first theme park. Do you know how long it takes to create a theme park? If he wants an especially large park- and I assure you, he will- this could be the project that my son takes over for me once I retire or- or retire. This could be the first project in the next stage of the Colossal Wonders legacy! But that’s only if I can whip you into shape. Stand up straight. Puff your chest out. Stop holding yourself like you’re halfway apologizing for your existence. For the next four days, you’re pretending to be someone whose presence is a gift. Now, who are you?”

Jack had been obeying him, but he couldn’t answer that. “Sorry, I want to live. I can’t-“

“No. I mean, who are you?”

“Bertrum Piedmont.”

“Say it like you’ve been him all your life!”

“I am the great Bertrum Piedmont!”

“Good! Yes! Or at least, I’ll teach you to be him!”

That afternoon, as Bertrum taught Jack how to behave at his meeting, it finally came time for ink to be run through the ink pipes that “Thomas” had installed. Susie really wasn’t sure about this. She’d been too afraid to call and ask about cutting the pipes because of how obvious a question it probably was. Of course she shouldn’t cut the pipes- who would think of such a thing? And she had some serious doubts about the purity of “Sammy’s” intentions. But by deciding to ignore his advice, she was stuck with those crooked, zigzag pipes.

After she put the last pipe in, she looked back to see if “Henry” was still watching her. He was. Alright, no hesitation, then. She walked over, threw the switch all the way instead of inching up the pressure. Not fifteen seconds later, the resulting cacophony made her duck for cover on instinct. Pipes clattered to the ground, struck her, or shot at the walls. Ink was spraying everywhere. And “Henry” was still standing there with an expressionless look on his face. Not even Norman was this creepy! What would Thomas do in this situation? Don’t cry. Don’t freak out. Don’t cry. Do something you idiot! Turn off the ink pressure.That’s what Susie did, before making her way to the music department, where five of the players would be. As she passed it by, she also noticed that the ink machine was making some very concerning clunking and creaking noises.

Right in the middle of a recording, an ink-covered and very distressed-looking Thomas Connor burst into the the recording studio. “I need some backup,” he said, trying not to sound distressed “I can’t handle the ink machine anymore and I need someone who does to help me. “Jack” and “Alice” weren’t even there, so there wasn’t a great chance that anyone there would even be able to help. “Norman” quietly slipped out.

Lacie knew that she couldn’t help with this without narrowing down everyone’s quarry when it came to her, so she went off to find herself. There she was, decorating a Bendyland game booth. “Hey, Lacie. Come with me. Bring your tool kit.”

“Okay.”

As they made their way from the the Bendyland department, Lacie explained the plan. “Alright. Now, I have some hidden depths. My father was a mechanic. And right now, things need fixing. So I need you to pretend to be the one fixing them. I’ll quietly follow you at a distance and do the actual fixing, alright? First thing’s first, go to the recording studio and ask Thomas where the problem is.”

Shawn agreed to it, and Lacie fell behind him, walking softly as though she were stalking him.

When they got back to the music department, “Thomas” was on the phone with GENT. “What do you mean, ‘I’m the only one who knows how to maintenance the ink machine? That can’t be right.”

Shawn grabbed "Thomas” by the shoulder. “Hey. You show me where the problem is, I’ll fix it.”

As Lacie followed the two to the scene of the disaster, all she could think of was two things: first, “Lacie” must have known her pretty well, because he was doing one hell of an acting job. Secondly, his voice sounded off. Suppressing an accent, maybe? Both pointed to the same two identities: Shawn and Bertrum. She’d figured out who the other music department players were aside from Alice, but she could always use another layer of protection, and with how different Shawn and Bertrum were, chances were she was going to get one.

“Right here,” “Thomas” said once they arrived at the location. “And please, check on the ink machine, too. I don’t think I’m maintaining it properly. I can’t thank you enough.” Lacie had to hide around a corner from “Thomas” and “Lacie” until “Thomas” split from them.

As soon as Lacie saw the mess of the hallway, she knew that there wasn’t much to be done about it. For some pipes it would have just been a simple matter of adjusting, but others had been twisted from all that pressure, and almost half of them had fallen straight off the wall. It would take easily a day to fix, and the projectionist couldn’t just disappear for that long. “Yep. Let’s go to the ink machine,” Lacie declared.

After turning the ink machine off and opening it up, the problem became obvious: the gears were too clogged with thick ink to turn properly. As a result, the machine was overheating to the point where it almost burned to touch. “You’re gonna have to have to handle this one, Lacie. It would be awfully hard to explain why the projectionist has this kind of ink on their hands.”

“Lacie” made a face, but nonetheless got in there with his hands and started shoveling out the hot sludge.

“Oh yeah. One more thing,” Lacie said before stomping down on Shawn’s foot.

“Eejit! Mo fecken chos!” Shawn screamed before realizing that he’d outed himself and turning redder than a beet.

“Hi, Shawn. You do one hell of an impression.”

“Ah, well, I’ve figured you out, too, Lacie. I know you better than you know yerself.” he plucked, annoyed but playful and in full Irish accent. He threw a glob of ink at her, which she dodged.

She already knew three identities. Was the extra safety worth selling out Shawn?

Lacie laughed a little. “Well, I have to get back to my projector booth before someone gets suspicious. Meet me after work, alright?” —- “Another brandy, barkeep, if you please,” Bertrum called out across the way. If he was going to have a younger liver for the next little bit, he might as well use it. It was evening, and Bertrum had coached his little body snatcher on everything there was to know about being the Great Bertrum Piedmont. Through all that teaching, though, he’d seen enough of the man to figure out who he was.

It had been a hard week for Bertrum, not only because of the professional stress and mortal danger, but because everyone seemed to expect him to just go along with whatever they said. Like he had no desires of his own. It’s how non-players treated him. It’s how players tested and needled at him. And Bertrum had snapped at a few of them- hopefully not hard enough to give him away. But that kind of behaviour that they expected of him seemed to be exactly what came naturally to his student. It was Jack Fain. Self-effacing, kind-to-a-fault, laid-back, embarrassed-to-be-alive Jack Fain. And those upper crust business men were going to eat him alive.

“Barkeep! Another, please!” At least this body was good at handling liquor. He must have drank six of these things and he didn’t feel inebriated in the slightest. When would Jack get here?

Finally, Bertrum heard Jack’s voice, using a now much less fake-sounding accent. “Hey. Want some news?” Strange- he sounded fairly perky. Bertrum turned to him. He looked pretty pleased with himself and was holding an envelope. Bertrum allowed himself some hope.

“Go ahead.”

“You got it. He wants the biggest theme park the world’s ever seen!”

Bertrum nearly fell out of his seat. He snatched the letter out of Jack’s hands. It contained the date and location of what would be their first meeting to discuss the park. “I- well- thank you!” Bertrum stuttered. Maybe he wasn’t handling the liquor as well as he thought. “Can I buy you a drink?”

“Sure,” Jack replied, sitting down.

“How have you been handling the game?” Bertrum asked friendily.

Jack grimaced. “Yours is the only identity I’ve figured out.. But I don’t think anyone’s guessed me, so I think I’m alright. I just need to keep a low profile, and that shouldn’t be hard, aside from Henry’s party.”

Bertrum knew that if Jack played like that, he was surely dead. He put on his gentlest voice and said, “Actually, I think I’ve figured out who you are. Are you Jack Fain?”

There was fear in Jack’s eyes for a moment, but he quickly forced it out of them. “No. You’re wrong.” He got up and left, stopping a moment to look back. If he hadn’t said that, he could have asked how his family was. But it was too late for that. In that moment it sunk in that he needed to find another identity if he ever wanted to see them again.

Bertrum got up to chase after Jack, and tell him one of the identities he’d figured out so that he would be safe. After Jack had nailed the meeting, he deserved that much. But Bertrum fell over almost immediately- his legs were just too unsteady from booze.

[a-rat-and-a-blob]

Drabble Arch: Hatching Potion - Control

"What were you doing down there!?" My parents shouted angrily as I begin to wallow in my chair. I didn't know where to start. I glanced at the basement door, my old room where Twitch now sat, all tied up. At least everyone made it out safely.

               "You could've been killed! What happened if he actually killed you!"

               "But.. But he didn't.." ZAC mumbled. Their anger began to reflect on me. It was burning in my heart. I sigh heavily. "Look.. I was only trying to help. Those people were killed by something! I had to fix it!"

               "No you didn't!" My mom shouts. "You didn't have to! There was no reason why you would go down there! You could've been discovered! Killed! My checkup showed instability! In your throat and your arms! One more hit and you would've died!"

               I lightly touch my hand and throat. They were still numb. It was still healing.  "I.. I just wanted to use my powers! You and dad always make people's lives better! Why can't I!?" I stomp the floor angrily, a dent could be seen. "You always told me to use powers for good.."

               "This isn't about what I tell you ZAC!" my Dad yelled. "This is about what really happened! You dissembled from this madman.. You disobeyed your mother's orders, and you brought a maniac to our very house!"

               "he's not a maniac! He's.. just lost! He can be changed!" I know that he could've been. If he was a monster, he would've killed me and tortured me. It just seemed like he wanted someone to be around.”

               My father ran to the kitchen and grab a newspaper and the arrow he found in my body, one of a rusted, bronze rod and a poisonous green arrow head. He slams the newspaper in front of my face and points to the image of the man's face filled with arrows as his flesh melted with the poison below him. Around him were the scattered arrows that missed their target.

               "Look at them!" my dad screamed, pointing at the scattered weapons. "Look at them!! You know what he did. You know what he did to all of them! And you think you could save him!?" He pierced into my yellow eyes with hate-filled bloodshot ones. "And he even attempted to kill you too.." He touched my right hand slightly. I retracted back in fear and I begin to look into it. There was still a noticeably yellow-brown hue to  it, numb with pain. "This isn't the only time he's been seen. He destroyed many sewage reform projects. The plague rat that killed millions. And you want to protect him?

               I look away, unable to face the fact that I was wrong. I knew what I felt back there. It wasn't a murderer. It was something else..

               "That's it. No more going out!"

               "What!?" I shout. "You can't do that! A lot of people are depending on me. You know the ventilation systems here in Zaun! Some of them get rusty and some of them broke y'know! If I don' fix it, it will get worse!"

               "And what about everything else ZAC! Everything else you did outside!"

               "Ligius..." my mother said. "Let's calm down. Let me handle thi-"

               "No! He needs to learn this Mary." He glances at me. "We know that you've been fighting crimes, submerging factories, protecting everyone, everything! Do you know what that does for us. Do you what that does for him? The man who found you." My dad pauses for a brief second. "You don't want to go back there don't you.."

               "............no," I mumble quietly. My hands began to clench firmly. I have to do this. I don't care what my parents said; if I can't do this, then what use are my powers. I want to see the impact it has. I want to believe it could do more good than harm. I want to see people be happy down here..

               "Then you'll understand. No more going out. That's final. You'll thank me later."

               "No!" I shout. "You can't just lock me up in here! I know I've messed up a few times out there, but I'm not sitting idle Dad! People die. People die down here. I can hear their screams and terror through my skin pal; I don't want to feel that. I never want to feel that."

               " ZAC! This isn't some comic book! This is real life!" my dad shouts. A period of silence befalls on the kitchen. "This is real life in Zaun. In Zaun, people die all the time, and we can't stop it. People can't be reformed in one reading. You need to know that. You need to know that real good.. Now, let's deal with the rat. You don't have to look if you don't want to.."

               I stared at him in anger.

               "Now.." my dad sighs. "Where's my gu-" Suddenly, we hear the steps whimper below us from the basement. Creak. Creak. Creak. Everyone went silent as they all looked towards the door. Dad looks to the shot gun on the table in the living room, a good 3 feet away from him. The gun could be shot at any moment. Creak. Creak. Creak. It grows louder and louder until finally...

               I quickly reach for the light bulb above us and crush it with my bare hands. The burn merely scrap off part of my skin. When the light dims in desperation, I grab my parents and threw them towards the living room left of the basement door. When all went dark, a large slam was heard. I scramble towards the counter for the emergency lantern. Crash! A window shatters in the distance.

               "Come on.. Come on.." I whisper rapidly as I open it and lit the inside up. A dim green glow appears in front of me as I look to the distance in the darkness. It all seems like I was alone with only the sound of my breathing and ambient noises accompanying me. I raise it to the basement door; it was blown open.

               Exterminate them.. Exterminate them.. They all deserved to be exterminated. The ones that trap Twitch in here. The ones that tried to capture my subject! I'll show them.. What did they use? They probably darted me. Attempted to poison me. But Twitch didn't feel rat poison what could it be? Doesn't matter. The fact that they tried to bind Twitch to covers shows how little they learned. Luckily I had my bugs..  I'll show them.. I'll show them all!

               The roaches tell me of their plan to contain the Goopy One.. Their plan to kill me! ME! My hands twitch in excitement for this moment as I climb the wooden steps. Closer.. and closer.. and CLOSER! My beloved crossbow began to heat up. Exterminate them.. Pierce them.. Skewer them all! Grr!

               The door broke from the might of my arrow only to be confronted with a grim darkness. I raise my ears quickly. Movements were heard.. Somewhere towards the left. I quickly shot an arrow. The windows crash. It missed. This was a trick.. A trap! They knew he was coming. Suddenly a green light fades into view, its holder being my loyal subject.

               "Goopy One!" Twitch shouts. "You made it out! Quickly, use the light to find them! Twitch told you they were awful! Deceitful! Abominable! The surface is stupid! But Twitch will rule over all of them! They'll pay eventually for their crimes against my kingdom! Come this way! My ears sense them over there.." I said pointing to the left. They're moving quickly.. Let's g-"

               "Wait!" The Goopy One commands, grasping my wrist. "I need to tell you something!"

               I look at him, aghast. "Wait? You can talk! That's.. T-that's amazing! You can now gasp in awe at my stories! But now is not the time!" I whisper frantically. "We need to kill them before they kill us!"

               "They didn't bring you here pal. I... I did." he admits.

               "...what?" I asked, surprised.

               "Listen.. I thought.. I thought you could change. Humans are that bad Twitch, you gotta trust me."

               "What.. What are you saying!? Twitch doesn't have to change! You're siding with them!?!? They're the plague..."

               "No.. I'm just.. I don't you killing people anymore. People don't always steal.. and kill.. and lie.. They could do nice stuff too. And-"

               Oh no.." I gasp suddenly. "You're brainwashed! The humans got to you!" Suddenly my ears sense the sound of.. locking?

               "Twitch! Look out!!"

               The gun fires. The Goopy One went in front of me. The force pushes him abruptly, forcing me to the ground. I looked at the dim light as the Goopy One begins to puke something out. A relatively large bullet...

               "I knew it! I knew you wouldn't leave my side!" Twitch slams the cask on the floor. As the toxins circulate the room, ZAC begins to approach them! And... embraces them? The Goopy One slowly approaches the 2 humans in the corner, forming a sort of bubble around them where the gas wouldn't breach. The lantern falls on the floor, clanking on the concrete.

               "What are you doing!? They tried to kill us! You can't"

               "Twitch listen!" The Goopy One shouts angrily in a deep voice, deep breaths in between. I shudder nervously. "I.. You're not my creator pal.. but I know you need someone. You're pretty lonely down there.. I can still be your friend.. You need someone to tell stories to. Someone to help you feed roaches."

               "Shut up!" I shout angrily, feeling a brief pain inside. It wasn't poison.. It wasn't anything physical. What is it? Make it stop! "They brainwashed you..  Goopy One.. They need to die!"

               " No! They don't! But if you kill them; you'll have to kill me. They're my parents, pal."

               "Grrr.. No!" I press the trigger. A sharp groan made me step back.

               "Get out of the way!" Another one. Another shriek of agony. What was happening? He never had to do this before.. His head began to buzz. His heart began to beat rapidly. What was this curse? I look at the Goopy One's face. He couldn't take it anymore. His skin began to rumble and fizzle heavily as his breaths become more noticeable.

               His parents look up to the face in great concern. They slam onto his skin, shouting what I could assume was "NO! STOP!" Words that I heard before, but they somehow mattered more than usual. I lower my crossbow to the floor where the lantern lay and fired. A small explosion appeared in the middle of the house as the lantern blew up and then everything was dark. No fire was made. No massive explosion. No massacres today. Just a diversion for me to leave. Just the way I wanted it.. Nothing was heard in the void as I ran. Absolutely nothing.