#trixx would do that just to see the chaos

[kari-go]

Day 14 of @mlbfemslashfebruary

Free day so I did an idea I had for Alila :)

[mae-dwrites]

A Bundle of Heliotropes - Chapter 3 - Lull

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When Marinette woke up her room was quiet. It was quiet?

Marinette sat up in alarm and scrabbled to get out of bed, “Tikki?”

No response. Her panic started to grow, “Tikki.”

“Guardian, do not panic,” Sass floated to her, making the girl slip and hit her head on the ladder. Sass winced while Marinette rubbed her head, hanging upside down on the ladder. Sass floated down to her face, “The ressst of the Kwami are down stairss with your parents.”

Marinette blinked as she took in the words she noticeably relaxed before pulling herself up to get on the ground. She rubbed the back of her head with a small frown, she felt almost as embarrassed as she was irritated with the injury.

Marinette looked to the snake kwami with mild confusion, “Why are they down there?”

“I don’t know everything, I do know Tikki sssaid that she would talk to them in the morning if they would like,” Sass explained, “eventually otherss joined her asss they got bored up here. None of usss wished to wake you, but there wasn’t much to do that would keep usss quiet. Ssso we joined Tikki, and I stayed ssso that you would be lessss likely to panic.”

Marinette nodded, “Thank you Sass, I appreciate it a lot.”

“Of courssse Guardian,” Sass bowed his head.

“You can join everyone else if you’d like,” Marinette said smiling at the snake. Sass nodded before phasing through her floor to downstairs. Now that Marinette was more awake when she strained her ears to listen she could barely hear the sound of voices from downstairs.

Marinette yawned despite herself and stretched. She pulled on a sweater before having another stretch and rubbed her face. Marinette came down to see the island covered in foods prepared, all things the Kwami enjoyed or favored. Usually the Kwami would be rambunctious when they didn’t have to be careful, but all the Kwami were relaxing, eating, or talking to her parents.

Marinette blinked as she took in the scene before her.

Tikki, Sass, and Longg sat on the coffee table munching on their respective snacks while Trixx and Pollen sat on Sabine’s head; they were listening just as intently to the conversation as some of the other Kwami. Mullo sat in the mother’s hand. Stompp, Daizzi, Barkk, Ziggy, and Orikko all rested contently at various levels of her father.

Lastly Xuppu, Kalkki, and Roarr sat on the island, Xuppu playing around the food but careful to not make a mess. Kalkki made an annoyed but amused neigh as she munched on a sugar cube.

Marinette looked around the room searching for Fluff, she found the time bunny on the shelf observing the scene. A small smile on their face as they munched on carrots, her piercing eyes flicked to Marinette.

Marinette was used to the Kwami after all the months of the group residing in her home, especially with spending most of her time with them. Fluff was chaotic in nature, but time also held order in her delicate chaos.

“Good Morning Fluff,” Marinette smiled and nodded.

“Is it morning? May it be noon? Or tea time? Why is it not dawn,” Fluff sprouted out what would seem incoherent. It was best not to overthink her maze of words.

Marinette’s smile softened, “Sun high, clear sky.”

Fluff beamed at the response and floated over to the Guardian, she nuzzled and rubbed the top of her head on Marinette’s forehead. Marinette giggled the bunny’s fur and whiskers tickled her with affection.

“Good morning sweetie.” Tom and Sabine said in unison.

Marinette looked over to see her parents now facing her. Her father radiated pride and his eyes were glassy, it made Marinette swallow. Her father always wore his heart on his sleeve but very rarely did she see him cry. Seeing her father look at her like this made her heart tight and want to fall on the floor and let it all wash over her, but of course, she didn’t do that.

She looked over to her mother, a woman who always kept cool but was a gamut of raging and unfiltered emotions. A woman who felt everything so wholly under the surface. A small understanding smile was set and Sabine’s eyes crinkled as she took in her daughter.

A strong and confident young woman, her heart ached looking at her now. Her heart had hurt before looking at her, but that was when she was worrying, scared of what would happen to her baby. Now she knew it was far worse than she’d allowed herself to even entertain.

“Good morning,” Marinette smiled back feeling nervous as she looked at Tikki. Her Kwami hadn’t said anything about speaking to her parents. While she believes there was a reason, Marinette feels like she should’ve been there.

Many Kwami sprouted shouts of Guardian and Marinette excitedly, some even coming to her and flying around her talking in rapid succession. The bakers laughed at the magic beings.

Sabine motioned for Marinette to join them. Marinette couldn’t help that her insides swirled as they usually did, although this time was certainly different in multiple aspects.

“Marinette,” Sabine started making said girl straighten up, “we have been speaking to Tikki to better understand what we can and where she can speak of.” Sabine nodded to the Kwami as she floated happily to Marinette.

“While we don’t like it we understand the need to keep secrets surrounding all of this, and that you even telling us is breaking the rules. We,” Sabine stopped for a moment to clear her throat; she took one of her daughter’s hands, “appreciate you for telling us. Even if it’s rather unconventional.”

Sabine chuckled while Tom brought his daughter into a comforting side hug.

“But we do think we need to figure out our own system or set of rules,” Tom spoke up.

Marinette looked at her father taking in their words carefully, she nodded.

“I understand and I agree,” she said thoughtfully, her brows down as her mind went miles a minute thinking over possible ways they could go about this. Marinette soon grabbed out a piece of paper to help sort her thoughts out.

The family and minigods spent the morning discussing her leaving classes, the bakery, her friends, and more. She had permission to say her parents needed for an emergency, or to just straight up leave the class no questions asked.

As they spoke the more they relaxed, joked and simply enjoyed their time together. Marinette was far more relaxed than she had in years.

“It’s not like they can just chase me,” Marinette joked to her parents as a knock sounded on their door. Marinette gasped and leaped across the room as Kwamis hid, “Nino’s birthday.”

Marinette looked back and didn’t see a single Kwami, her parents gave small reassuring smiles. A rapid knock sounded followed by an impatient voice. Marinette finally opened the door revealing Alya and Nino, their eyes were red and puff but they held the biggest smiles on their faces.

The dread that had been previously there faded away, Marinette looked between the two, “Did-”

She was cut off by Alya yanking hers and Nino’s intertwined hands in her face, “Yes.”

Green turtles with black lotus flowers resting on top of the shells sat between their thumb and pointer fingers. Marinette noticed Alya’s turtle was darker in shade but aside from that they were just mirrors of the others.

Marinette pulled them into a tight hug telling them how happy she was for them.

---

“Here dear, eat something,” Ma Kent said sliding a slice of pie to Damian.

“Thank you Ma Kent,” Damian nodded taking the fork from the older woman.

“Of course, dear,” Ma said with a sweet smile. She turned to cut a slice for herself, “I remember when I got my mark.”

Damian took a breath; of course, Jon had mentioned it to his family. Well, his father must have talked to Clark of course, and Tim to Kon. Damian hadn’t gone out of his way to find out if Tim had told Kon, but Damian did not doubt his reasoning for it was sound.

Ma continued to recount fondly how her sister had teased her and her friends had thrown a party, and when she had met her dear Jonathan.

Damian could not hold malice toward the woman, she only knew so much, but she knew enough. He was sure Ma was just trying to ease any “nerves” or “fears” he had about meeting his soulmate.

And he was not “nervous” or “scared.” That is simply prosperous. He had concerns about meeting them.

What if they were a civilian?

A beat.

What if they weren’t a civilian?

Damian paused for half a second, but that was enough.

“Damian?” Jon who had been doing chores around the farm was now next to him.

Damian blinked. What was worse, he hadn’t actually thought about it. He hadn’t wanted to think about any of it. He never let himself entertain anything related to soulmates, his soulmate. He should have, he should have been planning.

“Dear,” Ma Kent spoke softly in a question.

Damian stared at his half-eaten pie, his brows barely drawn together.

The young vigilante cleared his throat, “I am fine. Just had a thought.”

Ma Kent smiled and gently rested a hand on the boy’s, “It won’t be easy will it?”

Damian looked up to her, sometimes he forgot how similar the woman was to Alfred at times. All observing and knowing.

Ma gave a light squeeze, “I’m sure they’ll be just fine.” Her eyes flickered between Damian and Jon, “Clark was worried too when he got his, no matter what we said.” She fondly shook her head recounting the days of her son.

“Whoever it is, they’ll fit right in,” she stated as a matter of fact.

Damian ever so barely pursed his lips as he looked away for a moment, when he looked back at the woman and nodded with gratitude, “Thank you Ma Kent.”

-

Robin’s cape flittered behind him in the slight breeze, the smog-filled sky hiding the moon from the beautiful chaos of the city. His family was spread across the city, Robin was awaiting instructions from Oracle for the area he had already run through twice that night. A few muggings around, so simple for him to handle.

For as much as he would like to rest after being up for so long he wasn’t ready to go yet, but he would be called home for the night soon.

The sound of heels made him turn around, not even five meters away from him stood Talia al Ghul.

“Darling you need to be more aware of your surroundings,” Talia chastised with an unsatisfied smile. She looked to her son’s hand where it lay on his katana. Talia straightened in realization, she held a small frown and her eyes softened, “Oh Dami. I promise I’m not here to fight.”

The mask did not hide how Robin looked her over before slowly removing his hand from his weapon. He straightened and raised his chin as he looked at his mother.

“What is it you want,” Robin stayed put, not wanting to let his guard down.

“My blessing,” Talia took a small step forward. “Not that you need it of course, and Nyssa would not approve,” she waved her hand as though to dismiss her sister from the conversation, her disdain bleeding into the words.

Damian looked his mother over again, trying to find the deceit or hidden agenda. There was none to be found.

“Blessing for what exactly Mother,” Damian asked, adding the title hesitantly. He knew what she meant, but he wanted to hear her say it.

Talia smiled amused, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten.” She knew he hadn’t, but she knew what he wanted. What she had wanted so long ago. “Blessing to let them live.”

She could see him relax, her smile became fond as she looked at her son-

An “oof” came out of Talia, a sound she never made, as her son’s arms hugged her. She reached her arms up holding her precious son close. When he pulled away she held his face, a near pout on her face as she looked up at him,

“When did you get so tall dear?”

Not that his mother could see it, he looked away.

“Robin, there looks to be a kidnapping in process a block away from your current location,” Oracle stated through his comm.

“On it,” Damian stated. He turned to leave but looked back at his mother, “Thank you.”

Talia only nodded before leaving him, her heels not making a sound as he leaped from rooftop to rooftop.

---

Ladybug’s leg hung off the Eiffel Tower between the bars, laying on her back she watched what stars she could make out with the monument lit for the night. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her collarbone, her breathing was long and slow.

She was used to her suit changing little bits as she grew up, almost every few months something new changed. She remembers when Chat and her would freak out about it, making jokes about growing into the suits.

Ladybug rolled her eyes fondly.

Alya would rant for hours about the suit changes and chase her during Akumas just to get photos to show every little change she noticed.

She now sported a short cape garment over her shoulders down to her elbows; black on the outside and red on the inside keeping the famous ladybug colors prominent. When it separated it mimicked the way a ladybug’s wings spread when they would take flight. Tikki had been ecstatic over that; loving how much more her lovely insects were represented than just colors; while Alya had deep-dived into ladybugs and other beetles.

Her suit had inverted from her abdomen to her thighs, it helped to work with her hiding from Akumas in dark places. Her suit had become thicker and adjusted to give her proper traction on her soles and heels.

A quiet thump sounded near her, she stayed where she was at ease knowing who was there. Alya usually went home after patrol so she could be there in case her sisters bargained into her room, they did so often; the littles when they had a nightmare or Nora to ambush Alya. All out of trust and love.

A mischievous smile came into her view blocking the sky. His wild hair whipped in every which direction it could. His mask had slowly grown to look more like a second skin on his cheekbones, temples, and lower forehead.

Ladybug believed it was him growing to keep his identity a secret more over time.

“Why hello m’lady, a fine evening is it not?” Chat grinned, his cat ears twitched making his dangling earrings swing.

Ladybug smiled contently, “It is.”

Chat Noir brought himself down with his legs crossed, Ladybug lifted her head and he scooted forward so her head was on his lap. Chat brushed her bangs back gently, careful not to nick her with his sharp nails. Ladybug let her eyes close, the slight breeze brushed over her face.

“Is something wrong,” Chat asked. Her eyes snapped open, Chat frowned, she blinked a few times before replying with a light nervous laugh, “No, no, of course not.”

He obviously didn’t believe her but decided to let her have this, “While I’d hope not, especially since I found this present on patrol.” Chat said back to his puckish attitude.

“A present,” she restated surprised, she shouldn’t be really.

While he didn’t know when her birthday was he did know it was close to the beginning of May, and that seemed to be enough. The first year he had scrambled to get her a present, it had been a very simple one a keychain with a paw pad. Small and cute, easy to hide, also was so basic he wouldn’t figure out her identity if he saw someone with one.

The previous year he had bought her a paw print plush (he had a theme so far) and a bouquet of yellow roses when he had been much more bent on the just friends train. But he had also bought her four bolts of velvet after she had talked about how much she wanted to use it and experiment with it. Marinette hadn’t touched it for months too scared to make the wrong thing or ruin the expensive material; she hadn’t made anything with it till this last Christmas, and that was only with two of them.

She was almost dreading what he’d gotten her thing year with the drastic change between the two years.

Chat Noir nodded eagerly, he took out a moderately sized bag. Ladybug relaxed a bit as she sat up, seeing that he hadn’t gotten so big this time around.

“You want to take a guess,” He asked as she sat up.

“Not really,” she said offhandly.

“You sure,” he pressed, leaning forward.

Ladybug giggled, “Yes I’m sure chaton.”

His ears flattened as he handed the bag over to her, “Fine.”

Ladybug smiled at the feline hero as she took the bag from him.

She took tissues out tossing them playfully at her partner; he glared at her which only made her smile wider. Ladybug looked in the bag to pull out a yellow bouquet of roses, she looked at him exasperated.

“Didn’t I tell you to stop giving me flowers?”

“And yellow roses mean friendship,” he said pleading, “I double-checked this time, you’re not making me second guess this time.”

Ladybug gave him a “seriously” look before lightly whacking him with the bouquet. He hissed at her making her whack him again.

“Rude,” he squinted at her.

“You’re rude,” she stuck her tongue out at him. She grabbed out a small baggy with two little paw charms on hair ties. She smiled at the simple gift, “I love them.”

She reached back in while Chat beamed. She pulled out two envelopes, one white and one purple. She raised an eyebrow at her partner.

“It doesn’t matter which one you open,” he waved, his voice revealing his nervousness.

Ladybug set the purple one down before opening the white one. She noticed Chat tap his fingers on his knee as he watched her.

She took out the pink page that was written in his neat handwriting.

You didn’t happen to get your mark?

There was a box for yes and no.

Ladybug frowned, she knew her kitty’s birthday was coming later in the year. She swallowed as she looked up at him.

“Chat,” She started. He looked at her, his cat eyes piercing her heart. Full of fear and hope, she knew she was about to break his heart. She swallowed again and opened her mouth but no words came out.

She nodded with tightly sealed lips. She blinked tears away rapidly in a poor attempt to not cry. She watched as he made an inaudible, “Oh.”

He covered his mouth as the tears ran down his face.

She quickly put everything back in the bag and setting it aside she pulled Chat into a hug.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” She murmured into his hair and rubbing circles on his back.

“I just wanted one of my best friends,” he hiccuped out. “Just a friend was all.”

“I know,” Ladybug gave a squeeze. “I’m sure whoever it is will be your friend first.”

And if they stayed there longer than normal, it wasn’t like Paris would know.

•

Taglist:

@stainedglassm

@angie500

[imthepunchlord]

So since your versions of kwamis are basically done, or at least their powers are, and since you've already discussed Jagrr and Raavi/Ghosst personalities, could you maybe explain the personalities of your other oc kwamis (and if you feel up to it, maybe the personalities of the canon kwamis you've changed/tweaked)?

So for the canon kwamis, I would work off the little we see and expand upon that, though I would make some tweaks as I see necessary or dismiss what I think clashes with a personality.

So, like, Tikki at the core is going to be as she's set up, she is affectionate and supportive, looks upon the bigger picture over smaller details, and prioritizes her Miraculous obligations. She frowns upon selfishness, laziness, and disorder. Honestly, biggest change to her is that I'd work off her being a big romantic (as ladybugs are very tied to love, and Tikki does dabble into that sometimes), and just as she holds her humans at a high standard, that is going to extend to other heroes, especially if they wind up getting in the way of her human's duty (e.g. Tikki would've been super bothered by how Chat Noir behaves as a hero and would've pressured Plagg to address or address it herself as he is not helping Marinette as much as Tikki would like).

Another example is that I work off Sapotis Trixx instead of later versions, who feels like a different character to me (largely being more childish when Sapotis set up Trixx to be observant, eloquent, clever, and an unpredictable risk taker).

But as that's 30 kwamis to talk about (minus Jagrr and Ghosst), I'm just going to talk about the OC kwamis since the canon do have something to offer that you can get a bit of an idea on what their personalities will be like. Also, be aware, some could be changed up later as they're not set to show up right away, so these are just initial thoughts. Very likely to stick but not a 100% on that.

Starting with the Virtuous:

Zeffr the Eagle, tied to the virtue of Truth, has a strong sense of integrity, justice, and fairness. He is observant and patient, he likes to see all details before acting, though if needed, he will be quick to intervene. He can be restless and doesn't like to stay in one place for too long. He also has a slight ego and thinks himself the leader of all bird kwamis, but it's hotly debated (especially with Orikko).

Valrr the Lion, tied to the virtue of Courage, is known for his bravery and recklessness; he's a kwami that rarely ever knows the feeling of fear. In spite of his fearlessness, he can rival Plagg in laziness, often preferring to have others do his bidding for him, and urges his humans to do the same for what is a leader if not directing others to do things in their stead? Valrr will definitely request a person pillow, ideally something royalty would lay on.

Veeva the Frog, tied to the virtue of Faith, is very trusting and open minded. She looks upon the world optimistically, and is ready to roll with the chaos, trusting that things will always work out. She is very chill, and likes to sing (though how good a singer she is debatable). If possible, she'd love to have some water to lounge and swim in.

Allma the Owl, tied to the virtue of Objectivity, is quiet and observant, but very wise, knowledgeable, and dedicated. She is a loner that does enjoy the solitude and peace night usually brings, and would like to spend the whole night just reading away at books if she can. It does mean she usually is just passed out during the day, which has clashed with any required day shifts. While a kwami of few words, she does always seem to have an idea of what's the best wisdom to share.

For the Auspicious:

Suuvi the Bear lives up to "mama bear", being very affectionate, patient, protective, and gives the best "bear hugs". As she is tied to family, ancestry, and foundation, she often comes to humans who are in need of a familial figure in life, and as kwamis usually prefer going to children, she often embraces the maternal role to those who need a parental figure. She's actually the boldest kwami in the modern era, pretending to be a plush so she can be with her humans as required. She's probably the scariest kwami to anger.

Auudra is patient, generous, and nurturing. Auudra is a kwami that believes there's always more than just what's on the surface of others, of there being hidden feelings and thoughts, and hidden potential just waiting to arisen. As a go with the flow sort, he works with what's before him, and does what he can to help humans find their footing, to arise to that full potential that he can see. Patient and enduring as a he is, he's another kwami that's actually easy to take advantage of.

Essme the Crane is a huge romantic, and thrives off elegance and the strength of a bond. As the matchmaker of the kwamis, she has a meddling nature, though is refined in how she goes about it, having a keen eye for detail, and a long history of involving herself in human relations. Typically, she has a lot of good knowledge and advice to help romantic love flourish naturally, which is how she prefers it. She has a deep disdain for love potions and spells. Essme is also a huge fan of artistic performances as dance and theater. One of her favorite pass times is learning every new dance humans invent. Her least favorite play is Romeo and Juliet, disliking the lovers dying (also Shakespeare may or may not have used a tragic tale she shared with him to inspire his play, Essme will not confirm).

Fablle the Spider is cunning and unpredictable. She thrives off the chaos of creativity, and is one to always vaguely urge her humans to think outside the box, or to simply do, as sometimes that creativity doesn't require thinking. She's a very patient kwami, known to have the best poker face, always showing a fangy smile to humans. Often she likes to see the web they roll out, to see if it'll be their strong foundation, or if they'll get tangled up in it themselves. Neutral as she is, she does bond quickly with weavers, whether it be crafting fashion or toys, she actually likes to join the process and see how their ideas unfold.

Sillva the Deer is intuitive and quirky. He's on the side of flighty and easily distracted, but always catches humans off guard with his perception and eye for detail, seemingly always knowing more than initially thought. Sillva values promises kept, and will always hold a human up to their word. He can be elusive when he wants to be, in the early years prior to the Order, he was one of the rarer kwamis seen, making them the most mysterious. Funnily enough, he's often caught because he has a tendency to freeze up when startled.

Savvy the Mantis is inquisitive, nosy, and curious. She likes to live life with an open mind, and urges it to her humans, to absorb information presented to them, to consider what's not before, and to be open to always walk in another's shoes. Humans she likes to be with most are scholars and philosophers, and can easily spend days talking, theorizing, and debating with them. Of the Auspicious kwamis, she's one of the lesser used, largely due to realizing that much of humanity doesn't share her values or mindset, and if driven up the wall enough, she will use her power on humans to "teach lessons", though whether warranted or not can be debatable. Of the kwamis, she's thought to be the biggest know it all, technically Sillva can rival this, but at least he can be secretive about what he knows. Savvy has no qualms in being blunt.

Lastly, for the Prodigious:

Breez the Songbird is easy going, talkative, and a true free spirit. She likes to sing and encourage cheer in her humans, to uplift and lighten their spirits. Breez does have a sense of hard work and dedication, and believes that success gained from it has a role in happiness. Often, she likes to encourage her humans to be creative, don't be afraid to make something with their own hands. Breez is a vigilant kwami, and aims to defend "the nest" as required. She can be on the side of distracted though, especially seeing anything shiny. She has a slight rivalry with Ghosst because he is also attracted to shiny objects and has been known to sneak into her "nest" to steal hers.

[wordsofrowan]

The Shadow Court

Chapter 16 - I Dub Thee Shadow Knights

Marinette paced her room, she didn't know what to think, what to feel anymore, the revelation that Chat Noir had been Adrien all along left her feeling conflicted. Hurt and betrayal lingered in the forefront of her heart, but she could also feel her resentment for Adrien bubbling up and consuming her. It made sense now that she thought about it. Why Chat had come into her room that day after her fight with Adrien, why Chat was so angry all her pictures of Adrien were taken down? But did that mean Adrien knew she was Ladybug? No no, he couldn't otherwise he wouldn't have told her and Ladybug that he was falling in love with someone new or about what happened today. 

But there was one thing she knew for sure, she couldn't trust Adrien anymore, she couldn't trust the one person who was supposed to be helping her in the battle for Good and Evil. Her heart ached as she thought about all the times she confided in him, the nights she wept and cried to him. All for him to turn around and become an abuser to her. She felt a fresh bout of tears start making their way down her cheeks.

"Tikki..." She said, her voice barely above a whisper, "What should I do? I can't... I can't go on like this." Marinette said as she pulled her knees to her chest and started sobbing. 

"Oh Marinette, I'm so sorry." Tikki said as she used her hand to pet Marinette's hand, "I wish I could tell you this is the first time this has happened between a Ladybug and a Black Cat but it isn't and I'm going to give you the same advice I gave my bug back then, normally I'm against revealing identities, but you need people you can trust and rely on, you can't do this alone. You need your own team, that you as Guardian and as Ladybug can train and trust." 

Marinette's eyes widened as she considered Tikki's suggestion. She couldn't bring back Rena, or Carapace, not only had they been exposed but she couldn't trust them either so that wouldn't work. But could she really bring Chloe, Jay, Felix, Luka, or Kagami into this fight? She didn't know if she could bear seeing them hurt. Chloe had a miraculous before, she knew of the powers that came with it... But she was the Miracle Queen akuma. But Chloe has also come a long way. 

Chloe was now her loyal and closest friend, who could turn any situation in her favor. Felix was her steadfast companion who was sneaky and underhanded and had a knack for keeping calm in the face of chaos so he would also be a good choice. She could give Kagami the dragon miraculous back, she was very skilled and determined, but they had only just become closer friends and didn't want to do anything to ruin the balance between them. She could give Luka the snake miraculous, but messing with time was a slippery slope and she didn't want to put all that responsibility of maintaining the timeline on his shoulders alone. And then there was Jay, but he had only been in Paris for the past few months, but he was the one who made her believe in herself and the one who made it so she had this current group of friends that she could trust and rely on. 

Eventually, she could give them all a miraculous. A small smile popped on her face as she thought of that. Her knights both in and out of the suits. She would have multiple people she could trust, people she knew would never hurt and betray her. Not like those other people. 

"Marinette, healing takes time. it's okay to feel hurt and uncertain. But remember, you have the power to choose your own path. And when you have people on your side who you can trust and rely on it makes healing even easier." Tikki said, and it made Marinette feel better. 

Marinette smiled and nodded her head as she formulated a plan. She quickly pulled out her phone, if she couldn't rely on Chat and his Cataclysm then she would need another way to stop the villain and Pollen's Venom was perfect for that, and having Trixx's illusions would help in battles as well. She wrote out a quick message 'Fefe Chlo can we meet at the top of Le Grand Paris in an hour?' 

Once she received confirmatory answers from both of them she smiled. She took a deep breath and called out her transformation. She felt the familiar rush of power coursing through her veins. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she felt the familiar embrace of her superhero alter ego. But as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her eyes widened in awe. The reflection staring back at her was nothing short of extraordinary. Ladybug took a step back to fully drink in her appearance. She couldn't help but gasp at the drastic change her Superhero self had undergone. 

No longer was her suit the red and black polka-dot spandex it had once been, instead it had a darker edge to it. she was adorned in a black leather jacket with an array of silver studs that hung loosely to her frame, her wings poking out of holes cut in the back of the jacket. Beneath the jacket was a dark blood-red tank top that hugged her form. She also was now wearing a pair of black skinny jeans with silver chains around her waistline. completing the ensemble was a pair of thigh-high black combat boots with silver laces and black fingerless gloves with silver claw-like tips added to them. 

Her hair was no longer styled in her once-signature pigtails instead now it was pulled into an elegant ponytail with two sets of ribbons, one red, and one silver, coming from her black eye mask and woven into her hair. As Ladybug took in her new appearance she smiled as she felt a wave of confidence course through her. She felt powerful, she felt strong. Ladybug stepped away from the mirror and went into the cool night air. She quickly made her way to the rooftop of Le Grand Paris. Neither Chloe nor Felix were there yet but she was fine with that it gave her time to think over what she would say to them. 

It wasn't much longer before Ladybug heard chattering coming up the stairwell and instantly recognized Chloe and Felix's voice. She let a smile lay on her face. She loved them, she really did. 

"Ladybug... what are you doing here?" Chloe said, a sense of apprehension coating her tone as she hesitantly walked to the center of the rooftop. 

"Because I'm the one who called you here," Ladybug said. 

"Wait but that would mean that your..." Felix said as he put his head down, now actively avoiding eye contact with the Superheroine. 

"I know it's a lot to take in but something has happened and I need people I can trust and rely on to fight by my side. So Will you join me?" Ladybug said as she dropped her transformation and stepped closer to Chloe and Felix. She felt her heart constrict as she watched as Felix took a step back from her. 

"Hold on, wait. Are you telling me that all this time... you've been Ladybug?" Chloe's voice wavered with a mix of awe and disbelief. She took a moment to absorb the gravity of the truth, her mind racing with memories and revelations. She couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration for her childhood friend, intertwined with a deep sense of regret for the way she had treated her.

Marinette met Chloe's gaze with a mixture of vulnerability and forgiveness. She understood the complex emotions swirling within her longtime friend. The weight of the past could not be easily erased, but the opportunity for redemption and reconciliation lay before them.

"Yes, Chloe. It was always me," Marinette affirmed, her voice steady and filled with sincerity. "I understand if my actions have caused you pain, and I want you to know that I forgive you. We've all made mistakes, but what matters now is how we move forward."

Chloe's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she took a tentative step forward. Overwhelmed with a mix of emotions, she wrapped her arms around Marinette in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry, Mars," she choked out, her voice filled with genuine remorse. "I gave you so much grief, so much undeserved criticism. I was blind to the truth, and I'm deeply ashamed."

“It’s all forgive Chlo,” Marinette said smiling at the blonde girl, "Felix," Marinette's voice was gentle, filled with genuine concern. She noticed his reluctance to meet her gaze, sensing the deep-seated guilt that weighed heavily on his shoulders. She took a step closer to him, her hand reaching out to cup his face, gently guiding his eyes to meet hers.

"How can you stand to look at me, Marinette?" Felix's voice trembled, his self-condemnation evident in his every word. The shame he carried threatened to consume him, casting a dark shadow over their budding connection. He felt unworthy of her forgiveness, believing that he had come dangerously close to betraying her trust.

Marinette's touch was tender, her thumb caressing his cheek as she searched his eyes for any sign of hope. She stood on tiptoe, closing the distance between them, and pressed her lips against his in a gentle, reassuring kiss. It was a kiss filled with forgiveness and understanding, a silent reminder that their shared past did not define their future.

"Felix, I've already forgiven you," Marinette whispered against his lips, her voice filled with unwavering certainty. "Yes, you made a mistake, but so have I. We all make mistakes, but what matters now is how we grow from them."

A flicker of disbelief crossed Felix's eyes, his expression a cocktail of gratitude, regret, and lingering self-doubt. "But you shouldn't have forgiven me," he protested, his voice tinged with remorse. "I almost took advantage of you, Marinette."

Marinette's fingertips gently brushed against his cheek, her touch a soothing balm for his wounded soul. "But you didn't, Felix," she affirmed, her voice unwavering. "In that moment, you stopped yourself, and I stopped you. We both recognized the line, and we chose not to cross it. Things were different then, Fe. And now, it's forgiven."

Felix's lips lingered against Marinette's, a tender connection that spoke volumes of the emotions swirling between them. As he pulled away, his eyes searched hers, curiosity burning in his gaze.

"What changed that made you want to reveal yourself to us?" Felix's voice held a mix of intrigue and genuine curiosity. 

“I can’t trust Chat Noir anymore.” Marinette took a moment to gather her thoughts before responding, her eyes reflecting a profound shift in her perception of Chat Noir. "I discovered his true identity," she confessed, her voice tinged with a hint of sorrow. "And it's not someone I would place my trust in anymore. It shattered the foundation of our partnership, leaving me with no choice but to seek out a team of individuals I can wholeheartedly rely on. As the guardian, I have a responsibility to protect Paris and maintain balance. While I don't want to remove Chat Noir's miraculous since he hasn't done anything explicitly wrong, I need to surround myself with individuals I can trust without reservation, a team with no secrets."

Chloe’s eyes narrowed slightly as she absorbed the implications of Marinette's words. "Are you planning to reveal your secret to Jay, Luka, and Gami as well?" She inquired, her voice filled with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.

Marinette paused, considering Chloe’s question before responding. "Yes, eventually," she admitted. "Once I've determined which Miraculous would be the best fit for each of them. I want to ensure that they are ready and willing to take on the responsibilities that come with wielding the Miraculous."

A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of Felix's lips as he leaned in closer, his voice laced with playful banter. "Is that your way of saying that you have a Miraculous for each of us?" he teased, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

Marinette chuckled, her fondness for Felix evident in her expression. "You're always so clever, Fefe," she replied, her voice infused with warmth. "Yes, I have carefully selected Miraculouses for each of you."

"So, if you're not getting rid of Chat Noir, what do you want us to do?" Felix asked, his voice laced with a mix of intrigue and determination. He wanted to understand his purpose, to grasp the significance of his role in this evolving dynamic.

Marinette's gaze met Felix's, her eyes filled with unwavering determination. She took a step closer, her voice steady and resolute. "You will be my Knights, Felix," she declared, her words carrying the weight of her intentions. 

A flicker of excitement danced in Felix's eyes as he absorbed Marinette's proclamation. The notion of being a Knight, a champion of justice, resonated deeply within him. He had longed for a sense of purpose, a chance to make a difference, and now, that opportunity had presented itself.

Chloe, ever the pragmatic voice, spoke up, her tone laced with curiosity. "What will be our responsibilities as Knights, Marinette?" she inquired, her eyes searching for guidance. She craved a clear understanding of her role, eager to contribute in a meaningful way.

Marinette's gaze shifted to Chloe, her expression filled with conviction. "As my Knights, you will stand beside me in the battles against evil," she explained, her voice unwavering. "You will protect the innocent, uphold justice, and use your skills and abilities to defend the city we hold dear. Together, we will face the challenges that come our way, united in our unwavering commitment to safeguard Paris."

Marinette called out her transformation once again and pulled out two Miraculous. Marinette got up and walked to where she housed the Miracle Box. She pulled out the Fox and Bee Miraculous Jewels and watched as Pollen and Trixx flew out. 

“Felix, this is the Miraculous of the Fox,” She said, gathering all the confidence she could muster at this moment. “Should you choose to accept this miraculous you will become the first Knight. However, know that by accepting, you must vow your unwavering loyalty to me and me alone. Is that understood?"

Felix's gaze met Marinette’s, his expression resolute. "Marinette, I, Felix Graham De Vanily, do hereby swear upon my honor and faith," he declared, his voice filled with unwavering conviction, "to be your loyal and devoted vassal."

He took a step forward and knelt in front of her, his voice unwavering as he continued his pledge. "I pledge to provide you with my unwavering service, to act out your will and interests, and to uphold your authority in all matters," he vowed, his words echoing with a profound sense of duty. "I shall be your sword, at your disposal, ready to face any challenge that may come our way. I promise to never falter in my duty for as long as I draw breath."

As Felix's words hung in the air, Marinette’s eyes gleamed with a mixture of gratitude and trust. She extended her hand towards him, a symbol of the bond they were about to forge. "By accepting this miraculous and pledging your loyalty, you have become an integral part of my team," she affirmed, her voice filled with appreciation. "Together, we shall face the trials ahead, united in our mission to protect this city and restore balance."

Felix clasped Marinette’s hand firmly, a sense of purpose radiating from his every fiber. "I am honored to stand by your side, Marinette," he affirmed, his voice filled with unwavering determination. "With my unwavering loyalty and dedicated service, I vow to support you in all endeavors and to protect the people of this city with every ounce of my being."

“Then Felix, here is Trixx, the Fox Kwamii of Illusions and Mischief. To activate the miraculous simply say Trixx, let's pounce, your power word will be Mirage, think you got it?” The small orange kwamii looked Felix up and down.

“You're so much more mischievous than that last girl,” Trixx said, turning to look at Marinette, “I approve.” 

"Thank you, Marinette," Felix declared, his voice filled with determination, as he gracefully entered into a slight bow. "Trixx, let's pounce!"

With a surge of energy, Felix's transformation began, enveloping him in a dazzling display of light. When the radiance faded, he emerged as a vision of sleek elegance and power. His attire, a testament to his newfound heroism, consisted of a form-fitting black suit accentuated by silver chains and striking blue accents. The fabric clung to his body, enhancing his agility and grace.

A leather jacket adorned with intricate studs encased his upper body, a symbol of his rebellious spirit and unwavering resolve. His hands were sheathed in gloves that featured sharp spikes, adding an air of danger to his already formidable presence. Knee-high boots, crafted with utmost precision, completed his ensemble, reinforcing his image as a force to be reckoned with.

A blue fox skull mask, meticulously designed, now concealed Felix's identity. It exuded an aura of enigmatic mystery, its intricate details capturing the essence of the fox kwami, Trixx. Behind the mask, Felix's eyes took on a fox-like quality, their pupils transforming into slender slits, mirroring the cunning and agility of his kwami.

His hair, once neatly styled, now flowed freely, adding an untamed edge to his appearance. Each strand seemed to be as free and wild as the wind itself, symbolizing his connection to the kwami within him. “What should I call you?” 

He seemed to think for a second. “Silver,” He said with a sly smile on his lips, “You can call me Silver.” 

“Now Chloe, allow me to reintroduce you to Pollen, the Kwami of subjugation,” Marinette said as she held out the bee miraculous. 

Chloe took the bee miraculous from Marinette’s outstretched hand, her fingers trembling with anticipation. Carefully, she placed it in the crook of her ponytail, a radiant smile spreading across her face as Pollen, her kwami, materialized before her. "Pollen, Buzz On!" Chloe called out with newfound confidence, her voice carrying a hint of excitement.

Marinette and Silver watched in awe as the transformation unfolded before their eyes. Chloe no longer resembled the once-queen bee; she had become a completely different person, a hero ready to embrace her destiny. Her once familiar attire was replaced with a striking yellow bodysuit adorned with black V-shaped stripes that ran along her legs and arms. Silver accents traced the edges, adding a touch of elegance to the ensemble.

A black cropped leather jacket adorned Chloe's shoulders, the epitome of cool and edgy. Its design featured yellow stitching, silver studs, and chains draped over her shoulder, creating a dynamic and fierce aesthetic. Upon closer inspection, a meticulously crafted honeycomb pattern adorned the back of the jacket, symbolizing her connection to the bee miraculous.

Chloe's hands were adorned with yellow fingerless gloves, their knuckles embellished with stinger-like silver tips, exuding a sense of power and determination. Completing her transformation were ankle-high black combat boots, their yellow laces contrasting against the dark leather. With each stride, Chloe radiated confidence and strength.

But it was her mask that truly captivated all who laid eyes on her. An intricate black mask, delicately adorned with golden filigree, graced her face. Its design accentuated her features, giving her an air of mystery and allure. Behind that mask, Chloe Bourgeois stood ready to protect the city she once held sway over, a symbol of redemption and heroic potential.

"So, Chloe, what shall we call you?" Marinette inquired, a playful glint in her eyes.

Chloe pondered for a moment, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Call me Honeybelle," she declared with newfound confidence, embracing her new identity as the bee hero.

Marinette chuckled, nodding approvingly. "Honeybelle it is, a name as sweet and fierce as you," she complimented. 

Honeybelle's mischievous grin transformed into a solemn expression as she kneeled before Marinette, a fiery determination burning in her eyes. "I, Chloe Bourgeois, declare this as my solemn oath," she began, her voice filled with unwavering conviction, "to be your faithful and devoted vassal."

With a deep breath, Honeybelle continued her words resonating with a sense of unwavering loyalty. "I am dedicated to providing you with loyal service, carrying out your wishes, and guarding your sovereignty," she vowed, her voice filled with a profound sense of duty. "I shall be your shield, your sworn protector, at your service."

Her gloved hand pressed against her heart, Honeybelle pledged her unwavering commitment. "I shall carry out my responsibilities with unwavering determination until my last breath," she declared, the weight of her words hanging in the air. The room fell into a hushed silence as the gravity of her oath settled upon them.

Marinette eyes shimmered with gratitude and trust as she extended her hand toward Honeybelle. "Rise, Chloe Bourgeois, for your unwavering dedication and loyalty are recognized," she said, her voice filled with both pride and appreciation. "With your pledge, you have become an invaluable member of our team, and I trust that you will fulfill your duties with the utmost honor."

Honeybelle rose to her feet, her heart swelling with a newfound sense of purpose. She looked into Marinette’s eyes, a glimmer of determination shining within her own. "I will not disappoint you, Marinette," she vowed, her voice filled with unwavering resolve. 

"My knights," Marinette spoke, her voice filled with unwavering conviction. The words held a profound significance, cementing their commitment to one another and to the cause they now shared. In that moment, they became more than allies; they became a family, bound by loyalty and a shared purpose.

Chloe and Felix, their eyes fixed on Marinette, felt a surge of devotion and respect well up within them. They understood the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon their shoulders, and they were ready to stand by Marinette's side, fight for justice, and protect the city they loved.

"My Queen," they murmured in unison, their voices filled with reverence. The title held a deep meaning, signifying their unwavering loyalty to Marinette as their leader. It was a symbol of trust, respect, and the unbreakable bond they had forged.

In that moment, a powerful connection formed, transcending words and gestures. The touch of Marinette's hand on their cheeks was a physical manifestation of their trust and affection. It was a reminder of the journey they were about to embark upon, and the challenges they would face together.

XoXo Rowan

[celestiall0tus]

For the new concepts for the kwamis in Bloody Bug, how did you come up with them? Why did Plagg and Tikki stay the same, while the others changed? Since Velze was already introduced in this story, why didn't you make the concepts based on your Miraculous AU, unless you don't want a repeat of All That Remained.

The reason you mentioned is exactly the reason why I didn't just use the ones from my works. Since I already did something like that in All That Remained with the clear intention of using my system there, I didn't want to repeat it here. Instead, I went through and gave everyone a mostly different concept. I also just wanted to do something different to give Bloody Bug its own identity and to keep some outside interest in it instead of just defaulting to my system.

So, while Plagg, Tikki, and Duusu retain their concepts, most of everyone else will have had theirs changed. The idea for the mother box was to make them overall powerful concept and all encompassing. Most are just slight variations to either match the power, like Roarr with the super punch becoming the concept of Power, or just needing a completely different concept because of an overlap, like the emotion based kwamis like Barkk needing new concepts because of the overlap with Duusu, the kwami of all emotions.

As for how they came about in particular, allow me to go over them:

Plagg, Tikki, and Duusu remain the same.

Orikko becomes Ambition because I felt it fit the power of Sublimation better to choose a power not governed by a kwami to achieve ones ambitions.

Longg is nature because the elemental forms feeling more like weather, and just the environment as a whole. Also similar to why I made Longg nature in my works too.

Mullo becoming Augmentation is sorta due to the power of dividing and multiplying. Augmentation is moreso the power to enhance typcially, so that's where I went with that.

Stompp with willpower is basically still determination. The two words are closely related, so Stompp's arguably stayed the same.

Sass becoming Clairvoyance is sorta a finetuning of Intuition as a lot of powers that can be intuition based fall under clairvoyance. You'll see Sass having powers akin to the Wolf/Deer in my works. It's basically still the same, more or less.

Barkk becoming protection is because dogs have very... limited symbolism. That and most stories about dogs are about their loyalty, love, and how they safeguard their owners. So, even though I had intended to keep Wayzz as protection, I shifted that over to Barkk.

Roarr's I explained with Power coming from the power of Clout, the super punch. It felt a fitting match for the power.

Ziggy with devotion is, funny enough, due to how goats are often perceived in worship. This usually being sacrificial worship that primarily is within the realms of satanic worship. However, it is still something of a symbol of devotion with other heavy roots in theology (I can't think of any right now because I'm tired)

Wayzz becomes moreso wisdom, but I liked the term philosophy more. That and calling him wisdom would fall in line with intuition a little. A touch of a stretch, but can be depending on who you ask.

Pollen becoming life is due to the part bees play in the ecosystem, plus the symbolism of a bee in general as well as the gods they are associated with.

Trixx being deception fits illusions more to me.

Kaalki becoming space is because of the power of teleportation.

Nooroo becomes transformation because I always thought that's what he was until I learned he was actually transmission. Plus, he's a butterfly. It's literally their biggest symbolism and the powers fit transformation.

Not listed in the power sheet yet is Daizzi as prosperity and Xuppu as chaos. Daizzi being prosperity comes from the chinese symbolism of the pig with prosperity. Xuppu being chaos is due to his power basically being a form of chaos manipulation.

[bloodmoon24]

What Each Sonic Characters Are Like To Moon the Bat

Sonic: With Sonic, he and Moon bonded like if they were siblings. She laughs at his jokes and gives him any confidence boost if he was down, just like he did for her. Moon would even help Sonic with her Chaos Magic to make him a bit faster. Heck, they even enjoy having lunch with their favorite foods; Sonic with his chili dogs, and Moon with her chicken sandwiches

Shadow: Moon’s relationship with Shadow is somewhat neutral. They have a few things in common, like losing someone they’d cared about, can get very angry easily, enjoys coffee (Moon loves Frappuccinos), they’re both autistic, the fact they both have red and black colors. So yeah, neutral relationship

Silver: These two have a positive relationship. These two would look like the type that talks about fanfics about a series they both like with Moon making an illusion spell of how the fanfic would look like. They seem like the type of people that can make some fun entertainment for their friends and bring their stories and theories to life. They have their good moments

Miles “Tails” Prower: They’re like “big sister, little brother” type of friendship. Moon helps out Tails with his machines and always ask curious questions on how they work, and Tails is always happy to answer them. He enjoys how Moon is fascinated by science. Moon even tells him she loves zoology, biology, and astronomy. So they both can get their science on as their bonding time

Amy Rose: These two have somewhat of a good friendship. Moon would show Amy some magical spells and Amy helping Moon with her anger and how to deal with it. Moon would even show Amy that her Talistrum, Trixx, can be in the form of a hammer like Amy’s, so the two can spar each other with their own hammers. So I would say these two have their best moments

Rouge: The two would barely bond, but what they have in common is that they both love to collect things, especially gemstones. Moon would show her the stones she’s collected over the years and tells her about their secrets and history of them. Rouge would either be jealous of her collection, or she might steal them from her. If she did, Rouge better have strong wings to fly away. They even enjoy Sonic and Shadow’s relationship

Knuckles: Her and Knuckles’ relationship is somewhat normal. Knuckles would ask Moon to bring something to life so that he could be a stronger fighter. Moon would know if things would go too far, and if Knuckles gets hurt, she’ll know to cast a healing spell on him

Cream: These two are the definition of “big sister, little sister”. Cream would draw pictures of the two, and Moon would use her magic to bring them to life and make them play with each other. Like playing catch or having a tea party. Even sometimes, Moon would let Cream nap underneath her wings like a blanket

Vanilla: Moon always loves how Vanilla takes care of her, her daughter, and everyone else around her. She always tells her she’s a great mother and that she’s very kind to her. Vanilla would always say that anytime she needs anything, she could always ask her

Blaze: Blaze and Moon would make great friends. They would spar with each other, but like to show off their powers to see who would it impress more. And like with Rouge and Amy, Moon would show Blaze her magic stones and spell books and what they do and how to control the energy within them

Vector: These two are like father and daughter (or big brother and sister. Either way you wanna make it). Like if Moon’s wings were hurt, Viktor was there to hold her up and get her to safety and bandage her up. They both looked over their friends to always make sure they’re safe and can get any job done

Tangle: Again with the sisters. These two have can high energy and likes to play around with their opponents. Moon would even let Tangle use her tail to sling her around to get more speed when she flies. Spoiler alert, she kept almost crashed into a lot of trees

Whisper: These two have a good friendship. Moon would listen to Whisper whenever she has a problem or just wanted to talk, and Moon would always think of a solution for that problem or to cheer her up

Espio: These two have a neutral bond as well. These two trust each other enough to share some secrets about their powers/abilities. Like him showing his ninja skills while Moon shows her own cloaking powers. These two have a good bond

Sticks: They bond they have are odd. Whenever Sticks have a conspiracy theory, Moon would always backs her theory up. Like “planets aren’t real. They’re holograms being projected by aliens”, then Moon would say, “Wait, wouldn’t that mean that we could also be holograms of extraterrestrial beings?”. And then the conversation would keep going until someone breaks it off

Big and Froggy: Moon with Big and Froggy have a calming friendship. Whenever she gets bored, she relaxes with Big and fishes with him and see if she could catch anything

Jet: These two have a frenemy type of relationship. They would get at each other’s throats and someone like Wave would have to break the fight up. Occasionally, Moon would knocked him out before he could at least expect it for annoying her. She and Sonic would always chuckle at that

Eggman: Like any villain and hero moments, these two hate each other. Whenever Moon sees her friends in danger or if he insults her, that’s when she goes into “beast mode” on anything Eggman throws at her. And because of this, he’d get a bit terrified of her. I mean, do you want to get pummeled by an angry Chaos Magic welder that has a staff that can turn into a different weapon? Yeah, I think not

[tumblingxelian]

Thanks, glad you approve! Aside, I also like some other Kwami just being out and about, Trixx also feels like one most prone to slip the Orders leash so I imagine they've just been kind of bopping around for centuries with different wielders & got picked up by Lila in an antique store and was just "I like your vibe kid, let's do some mischief!" (Cut to several months later, and they are in a fancy hotel staring gob-smacked at the news from Paris as Hawk Moth Ladybug & Chat Noir make their debut)

Also oooh solid insights there yeah. Juleka could be very reckless with her powers as I understand it. (Kind of like Kagami lol) so I can see her launching the fire meteor fist before looking, so it sets off a less than ideal tone to her potential future interactions. Add in that she doesn't want to give Roarr back and well, that's not about to change is it XD

Haha love it, "Depending on my mood I am Violet or Violent Tigress, and trust me, you probably want me in the former mood than the latter." - "Wat about that time you were Violent Violet" - "I'd eaten a weed brownie and then got really pissed off it, it was great."

Gosh she would do that XD Adorable.

Yuuup!

Mhm yeah I think in a lighter hearted story which likely keeps them all as teenagers, then it probably is Lila being drawn into the Chaos Coalition, while for the older, more messy and toxic vibes story she's off trying to make herself a goddess. Either being mysterious to all, or uyeah on like, nominal chill with the Chaos Crew who aren't against using magic for fun and profit and likely don't know about the worst of her excesses. (Also she may have used the Peacock to improve Rose's health so they're like, "OK do what you will.")

Glad you think so!

Ended up thinking on that scattered Miraculous, multi faction idea a bit and here's the gist of how I think it'd start at least.

So, regardless of what came before it, Juleka has the tiger in secret, & Hawk Moth opts to do his big Heroes Day, Scarlet Moth Strategy. The big difference is, rather than just sending Sabrina to spy on ladybug he also sends Lila and Marinette only picks up on the former.

Aside: I should note, I love including this idea that Lila actually did have the Fox Miraculous & was "Volpina" in AUs, but she mostly used the powers for like, juvenile mischief making and petty theft, Trixx is up for this cos fun. But then she sees ladybug & Chat and tries to do the hero thing, but is so desperate to be "The" main event and hero that she ends up revealing too much to be 'cool' and trying too hard to engineer scenarios to be heroic and loses the Fox. A fact she is deeply bitter over, which makes her easy ground for Hawk Moth.

So its that version of Lila who's sent after the Miraculous, though the canon version (at the time of S2) probably works just well.

Regardless, Marinette arrives, but Fu senses she's been followed (The same way he senses someone was using Noroo for evil) and Lila busts through the windows and a fight begins.

Exactly how it goes down is up in the air to me, like Lila could arrive after Marinette's picked some of the traditional Miraculous but then claims the rest, or she arrives before that and Fu transforms & they use Kaalki to bail out. Or some combination there-of.

I think regardless of what happens, this might lead to an early Guardian-ship, though Fu may not renounce his own roll. & it would regardless effect the overall battle extensively.

I think the main thing that'd be a total blindside for Gabriel would be Juleka with the tiger cos he has no idea the tiger is even an option, so when a giant violet meteor of deadly explosive fire comes out of nowhere, that is what knocks him & his forces off balance and also likely serves to scatter the Miraculous.

As a result, who ends up with what is rather nebulous and open to interpretation and alternate avenues ya know?

So many options XD

Ohhh yes i love that idea!!!!!!

Also yep finally lila is a bit more flashed out as a character!!!!! And is actually important!!! Beside the mastermind stuff they decided to do in canon that really don't have too much sense when you lookbat it for more than 5 seconds!!!!

Also I just love how you described juleka!!!! I just imagined juleka junping from the eifell tower ehile using her power and just make everything go boom on top of hawkmoth!!!!

Also it's so nice how violet is so close to violent!!!!!

Ohhh and chloe is watching all of this(either as civilian or a hero, because chloe sure as hell would be fighting even as a civilian mayne stole a sword or even an armor decorating the hotel, because there always are armor decorating stuff when you are rich and is fighting) and just has the most loving gaze and says: that's my girlfriend.

Also yep!!!! There are so many possibilities!!!! Maybe some are found my random people and they get recruited by one of the three side, maybe a fourt side get started by those or maybe some are found by noone and the sides fight eachother when finding and trying to retrive one of those!!!! Or all of those option toghter!!!!!!

Also lets say the third side is chloe with the bee and juleka with the tiger, I can actually see them being ok with letting lila join them and just teaching her how it's ok to not be the protagonist, but just have fun breaking the law with magical super powers!!!! Also maybe lila has the fox or maybe she doesn't!!! It kinda depends a bit on how her fight goes!! But she could also use a different one!!!!

Soo yeah so maybe possibilities!!!!!!

[xmalereader]

Bruce Wayne X Male Reader

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|| Masterlist ||

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Mini crossover between Batman 2022 and Miraclous ladybug, yes I watche a childrens show, well guess what. Fuck Thomas, fuck Felix and Gabriel on season 4 final. Now, let my write my mini crossover 😌 and make myself feel happy! Also no Marinette or Adrian. They not born yet, so enjoy!

Summary: Bruce Wayne has been Batman for two years now, gaining the trust for Gotham and still learning about being a vigilante, after everything he’s been through during the riddlers chaos and befriend Selina, he can’t help but feel a little alone. So, what happens when a new copycat shows up and with a powerful mini god in hand?

Warnings: Fluff, angst, bruce doesn’t believe in magic, plagg being a little shit, miraculous theories, copy cat, bruce and reader getting along. Bruce likes plagg a lot and would probably keep him, trixx, fox Miraclous and cat Miraclous.

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“Why am I going again?” Bruce asks, adjusting his cuff links as Alfred circles him and makes sure that his suit is on properly and that no wrinkles are showing. “Gotham Museum expects you to be there, they haven’t seen you an awhile and I think it’s time that you take responsibility of your future.” Said Alfred, fixing his tie before stepping back and nodding, affirming that everything was ready and set to go.

“I’ll only be there for a short while.” Bruce mutters out. It’s been years since he’s shown his face to the press, too busy with his night activities and still mourning his parents death, that he never had time to step out and show his face. But, after the riddlers schemes occurred and the people of Gotham started to look up to Batman, he can’t help but continue on. He can’t ignore the city forever.

“All you have to do is greet everyone and then you’ll be good to return home.” Bruce mentally rolls his eyes at the idea of having to talk to people. “Fine.” He whispers, taking his coat with him and heads out of Wayne tower, taking one of his nicest cars and driving himself to Gotham museum.

He sighs deeply to himself once he sees the press lined up outside, he decides to ignore them and continue on with his life just how he did back at the funeral. He didn’t have to speak to anyone unless he was spoken to first. After handing his car over he quickly makes his way inside, ignoring the press calling out his name as he steps inside the museum where it was much more quiet.

He avoids eye contact with anyone and walks around the museum, glancing at different art and dodging different people who seemed to recognize him. Bruce had always been an anti-social and the many times Alfred had told him to socialize, we’re always ignored. He refused to speak with anyone, he’d rather be back home and doing his own business without having people prying into it. He still wasn’t ready for what’s to come, he still needed time.

As Bruce steps away from the larger parties, he finds himself in a lonely art gallery. He raised a brow as he quietly walks around, looking up and down at different art work until a specific artifact catches his attention. Inside the case sat a necklace, a pendant on it, shaped like a tail. He didn’t know exactly what it was but it seemed valuable.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Bruce is startled, heading turning to see a young man standing next to him. He eyes him up and down, the other wasn’t wearing any fancy suit and didn’t look like he belonged here.

“Heard that this necklace has been around for years. It contains many stories within.” The other says again, his eyes still fixed on the necklace in front of him. “How do you know so much about it?” Bruce decided to asks.

“I know someone who is into this necklaces stories, he travels around a lot to see different artifacts, owns a few hismelf—“ He looks up to meet Bruce’s eyes. Smiling softly as his fingers tapped against his side.

Bruce glanced down at his hand, taking notice of the silver ring before focusing back on the necklace. He clears his throat and stands up straight. “It must be special and priceless to be here at the museum.” The other hums in agreement. “Yeah, but not many people seemed to take notice of it.” He shrugs. “Everyone is too busy admiring other art.” He added, letting out a sigh himself as he steps away from the case and turns around, giving the necklace one last glance.

Bruce watches him leave, confused by the way the man reacted around the jewelry. He casts a glance at the artifact, taking in its details before leaving the area himself and heading back to the party where everyone else was, as much as he dreaded the event he had no choice but to rejoin.

“Mr. Wayne!” Bruce groans silent, looking up to give off one of his fake smiles as a young women approaches him and wraps her hand around his arm. Bruce tries to shrug her off but is unable too. “Mr. Wayne it’s been awhile!” She says cheerfully, dragging him away and towards a group of successful business men.

“Mr. Wayne, how’s the company?” One man asks, giving him a smirk as Bruce responds back. “Same as usual.” He chuckles out, listening to the others laugh as well. The women who is still latched to him is able to loosen her grip on his arm, taking the advantage to pry himself away from her. He listens to the others gossip and murmur about the museums success and of there own achievements.

Bruce blocks out majority of the conversations, his attention on the same young man he had spoken too when they were alone in front of the artifact. He stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowds, making his way around and providing silent smiles. Bruce suddenly blurts out. “Who’s that?” He nods towards the other.

One of the men in the group looks over and hums. “That would be Y/n, his friend owns the museum and is always here. Heard he records the arts history and puts it in the archives.”

“So, you would say he’s important to the museum?” Bruce asks.

“Yes, very.”

Bruce frowns, looking at Y/n again who walks passed everyone. He gives his greetings and steps out of the museum, leaving the premises. For someone who is important to the museum, he did look quiet odd. The two didn’t talk much but the way he was dressed and spoke, let him know enough. The man was probably like him; wanting to avoid crowds and conversations that didn’t interest him.

The event carried on for a few hours longer, but like Bruce promised Alfred he’d be home a lot early than usual. Upon arriving back, he tossed his coat to the side and slumps down on the first chair he finds, running his fingers through his hair as Alfred sets a tray of food on the table in front of him. “How was the event?”

Bruce groans. “Eventful—everyone can be greedy when standing in a building with expensive artifacts.” He still remembers the amount of people trying to purchase items that belonged to the museum and how they had to be rejected many times by the staff members, repeating to them that the artifacts were not for sale.

“At least you made it through an hour.” Alfred can’t help but sound relieved, most times Bruce is only at events for only ten to twenty minutes before calling it quits and returning home. He got lucky tonight though.

“How many of these events do I have to go to again?” Bruce leans forward to take a few grapes from the tray, popping a few in his mouth as Alfred chuckles. “You have a few more next month, but rest easy Master Bruce. You won’t have to deal with any other event this whole month.” He assures.

Bruce stands from his seat. “Sounds good, I’m heading out—“ he quickly says, not noticing the eye roll Alfred gives him as Bruce rushes downstairs, heading towards the elevator that takes him to the batcave, wanting to be far away from everything he’d prefer to spend the rest of the night as Batman and taking care of the city. He puts his suit and cowl on, taking his motorcycle this time as he rides out into the dark streets of Gotham.

The streets of Gotham were dark, majority of everyone had gone home for the day. He was on his own tonight and so far, nothing bad has happened yet. He expects something to happen but nothing. He’s close to heading back for the night until he notified movement at the corner of his eyes. He looks over to see a dark figure running on rooftops, jumping over to the next ones. Bruce squints his eyes and frowns, he takes notices of the dark clothing. The ears is what caught his attention the most.

The first thought that comes into mind is that Selina Kyle is back in Gotham. After she told him that she would be heading to Bludhaven for awhile, he remembers the invitation of going with her but he’s already made his decision to stay back in Gotham. Without thinking he runs after the mysterious black figure or perhaps Selina.

He ends up following them all the way to the Gotham Museum. The place was full of people a few hours back but now it’s complete empty and quiet, no crowds or rich people around anymore. No sign of life but them two.

Bruce watches closely as the dark figure stands on the museum roof, looking around cautiously as they find a way inside. They climb inside quietly, keeping an eye out for secretly guards as they moves down the wide halls, passing by different galleries as they approached the empty gallery of where the necklace was located. They stepped closer and silently pry the case open, taking the necklace In their hands as they smile softly.

“That was easy.”

He hears them gasp in surprise, turning around. Bruce is able to see them better, his eyes narrowed as he takes in the outfit. That wasn’t Selina Kyle, it was nowhere near her. The man in front of him wore black leather, the belt around his waist hanging from behind. He wore a domino mask over his eyes, hiding his identity, what struck him the most was the pair of ears that actually twitched along with his movements.

“I don’t think stealing from the museum is a smart move.” They other glares, “maybe the museum shouldn’t steal from the guardians in the first place.” He hissed out, tucking the necklace in one of his pouches. He steps backwards, watching him closely as the two circle each other. “The necklace.” Bruce says, holding his hand out, demanding it back.

The other grins at him, his gaze shifting from the hand to Bruce. “Try and take it.” He challenges, making the first move. He pulls out an extendable silver staff, using it to block Bruce’s first hit. He shoved him back and steps back, holding his hand out as he glared. “You don’t know what this necklace can do.”

Bruce glares. “All I know is that it doesn’t belong to you.” In one quick motion, he sweeps under the staff and grips his wrist, holding him back as the other yelps in surprise, startled by the quick movement. He tries to pull away from his grip, grunting. He freezes during his struggle when he hears a soft beep coming from his ring, his eyes widening.

Bruce frowns, glancing at the ring and taking notice of the small flicking green light as it disappears. Bruce continues to stare at the ring, it looked familiar to him but couldn’t quiet remember from where exactly. His sudden distraction causes the other to knee him, using his leg to kick him back.

The other pants heavily, placing a hand on the pouch where the necklace was located and clenching his hand with the ring on it. He bites his lip, looking over at Bruce. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give it up.” He murmured out, using his staff, he extends it and uses it to climb out of the museums roof. He is quick on his feet as he runs across the roof, hearing Batman coming after him.

Another beep is heard, he glanced down at his ring and cursed under his breath. He stops near the edge of the roof, quickly he takes the necklace out and placed it on. He prepares himself to jump down in the dark shadows below him, until he feels a gloved hand take ahold of his own hand where his ring is.

His eyes widen in realization as Batman removes the ring from his finger, causing him to de-transform as he falls into the dark shadows below him. Bruce gasps and tries to reach out for him but is too late.

He looks below him, seeing no sign of the other. He jumps down the alleyway and looks around, not seeing a sight of the other. His hand curls around the ring in his palm, looking down at it and taking notice of the change. The ring was no longer black but a silver color.

—

“I see you’ve gotten yourself into some trouble.” Bruce looks over his shoulder to see Alfred coming out of the elevator, a tray of food in hand as he approaches him and sets it next to his desk.

“Something like that.” He mumbles back, replaying the footage he caught last night. He kept replaying the young man falling off the edge, his eyes wide in fear. Bruce still doesn’t know if he lived or not, he didn’t see a body anywhere and can’t help but feel guilty.

“Caught anything?” Alfred asks again.

Bruce hums. “This.” He holds the ring up to Alfred. “Caught someone stealing from the museum and was able to take this off them.” He explains, examining the ring in his hand as he twirls it around.

Alfred eyes the ring. “Whatever it is or whatever they had it for, it must’ve been important to them.” He simply says, heading back to the elevator and leaving Bruce alone with his nightly duties.

Bruce sighs to himself, looking back at the ring. He remembers it being a different color. Black with a green paw print on it, but now it was silver. Without hesitation he slips it on, blinded by a bright light as he flinches and steps back.

“Ah! Finally, did you get trixx—“

Bruce looks up at the strange voice, coming face to face with a strange black creature floating in front of him. The creature itself stares back with wide green eyes. “Your not—“ the creature gasps then glares, he flies up to Bruce’s face and points his tiny paw at him. “What did you do to him?! How did you get this ring! Answer or I’ll disintegrate you!“ The creature threatens.

Bruce’s mouth opens and closes, shock filling him as he stared at the creature in front of him. Not knowing what to say or do. “I—“

“You what?!” The creature shouts again.

Bruce shakes his head, telling himself that what he was seeing wasn’t real. He’s been spending too much time as Batman and not sleeping enough that he’s starting to hallucinate weird things. So, he ignores the creatures voice and heads towards the elevator, ringing himself back upstairs as he paced back and forth in the small space.

He was panicking. Him, panicking.

Upon arriving to the main floor he steps out and mumbles to himself that he wasn’t seeing anything.

“Master Wayne—“

“Alfred—“ Bruce blurts out.

Alfred raised a brow. “Is something wrong.” He asks, the older man feeling worried for him. He knows Bruce, he knows that the young man can be broody and closed off and doesn’t really like being in public spaces, but somehow he felt different.

“Bruce—“

“You think you can ignore me?!” Bruce is startled by the creatures voice again, who appeared out of nowhere. Flying In front of his face again, causing Bruce to stumble back into a chair as the creature continues to rant.

“You tell me how you got my ring and where my holder is or I will give you the worst luck of your life and oh, you will regret it!” The creature raised his paw, preparing to strike.

“Plagg.”

The creature froze, turning around to see Alfred starring at them. The creature, plagg, narrows his eyes at Alfred as he flies over to him slowly. Plaggs eyes widen. “Whoa, you were Duusu’s old holder.” The Kwamii says in awe as Alfred softly smiles at the little god. “I was once.”

“What the hell is going on?” Bruce suddenly cuts in, standing from his seat. He was still cautious around the creature and clearly not trusting it. “Master Wayne, I believe that ring you have belongs to the person you bumped into tonight. This here—“ he nods towards Plagg. “Is Plagg, he’s a Kwamii and the god of destruction. I used to be a holder for one of them before, when I was younger.”

“How is he here?” Bruce asks again.

“Magic. Magic Master Wayne.”

Bruce is pacing back and forth in the living room, both Plagg and Alfred stood in front of him as they watched him. Plagg is the first to ask. “Is he always like this?” He points out. “Only when he’s trying to figure something out.” Alfred sighs out until Bruce clears his throat.

“Magic is real?” Plagg nods. “Yes.”

“And your the god of destruction?”

“I caused the dinosaur extinction, so I would say I am!” Plagg says it with a proud smile, folding his small arms across his chest. Bruce suddenly stood pacing, his head snapping to Plagg. “The person who was at the museum, you know them.”

Plagg glares. “There my holder, who you stole from.”

“He stole from the museum.”

“He wasn’t stealing!”

“So, why did he take the necklace?”

“He was saving Trixx! She’s the god of illusion! The guardian of the miracle box lost many Miraclous and my holder is the one in charge of collecting them and bringing them back!” Plagg rambles on. “If the wrong Miraclous falls into the wrong hands it’s magic could be abused and dangerous!”

“Wait—“ Bruce stops Plagg. “There’s more of you.” The miniature god nods. “Plenty of us kid and my holder wants to keep them safe.” Bruce chuckles, looking away as he shakes his head, rubbing his face in frustration and punching the bridge of his nose as he processed the information.

He was talking to a miniature god, who has more friends who are also miniature gods and his holder probably isn’t dead and still alive, possibly looking for the ring. “Who’s your holder?” He asks, turning to face Plagg but not seeing him, he looks around frantically until he hears him.

“We can’t say.” Plagg is sitting on a tray of food, groaning in disgust as he shoved some crackers to the side. “Do you have any cheese around?” He picks up a grape and sniffs it, shrugging to himself as he eats it. “Kwamis eat to gain energy.” Alfred cuts in as the two watched Plagg eat the grapes.

“Okay—why can I know who your holder is?”

Plagg burps. “When a holder is assigned to us we are unable to reveal there names. The magic prevents us from doing so, unless we are around them—then yes, we can say but he’s not here. Is he?” He sasses him, giving Bruce a harsh glare and shoving another grape in his mouth, causing his cheeks to puff up.

Bruce rolls his eyes. “I didn’t know, he mentioned something about the necklace belong to the guardians.” He mumbled out, sitting on the sofa and rubbing his temples. “Guardians are the ones who protect the Miraclous.” Plagg flies over to Bruce and hums to himself. “My hold holds chaos inside of him which is why we matched but you—“ the Kwami sits on top of Bruce’s head. A large grin his his face as his little fangs show. “You are full of chaos and I’m moving it!”

“Oh no.”

“No what?” Bruce turns to Alfred, noticing a hint of worry in Alfred’s eyes. The older man sighs deeply, “once a kwami sets eyes on something they want they won’t hesitate to take it, Plagg is the god of destruction. Chaos and darkness is what lures him in.”

Plagg giggles, kicking his little legs back and forth. “Honestly, Kaalki would’ve liked you too. She’s mainly into famous people and your pretty popular around here, mister Bruce Wayne.” He teased, poking Bruce’s cheeks and irritating the man now.

Bruce swats Plagg away, turning to Alfred. “He said you were once a holder.” Alfred nods. “The peacock Miraclous, her name was Duusu.” He explains, a faint smile appearing on his lips. Remember the younger days when he used to be a holder himself, the magic he held and the ability to help. The previous Guardian of the miracle box had confirmed to Alfred that he was the true holder of Duusu and his the two held such a strong bond. It still saddens Alfred that he had to renounce Duusu due to him becoming apart of the Wayne family.

He was focused on helping the Wayne family and raising Bruce after the death of his parents that he’s forgotten alot about his own Miraclous. “I hope she’s safe.”

Plagg winced. “About that…” he drags out, giving him a tiny nervous smile. “She another lost Miraclous who we are looking for.” He explains. “What do you mean? Do you know where she could be?”

Plagg shrugs. “Last we heard, she could be in Paris. We have someone who is looking for her Miraclous while my holder is here looking for more, so far we’ve only gotten the fox Miraclous.” Plagg sighs to himself, knowing the stress of his holder who spent day and night looking for it. Only to find it in a museum that always held events with rich families. They couldn’t purchase it so Y/n had no choice but to steal it back.

“Will be searching here for a little longer and then move to another country and search from there.” Plagg turns to Bruce. “I can’t tell you my holders name but I can show you where you can find them.” Bruce frowns. “I need to get back to him, he needs me and I need him! We didn’t come to Gotham to cause trouble—I just want my friends back, I miss sugar cube.” Plagg ears flatten behind his head. Now, he wasn’t one for emotions but thinking about his lost friends and not being able to find him is what’s causing him to break down. He was the Kwami of destruction, everyone should fear his power.

Bruce stares, thinking of his options before nodding to himself. He extends his hand out to Plagg, allowing the Kwami to sit on the palm of his hand. “I’ll take you back.” He whispers. Plaggs ears perk up. “But—“ he cuts in before the Kwami could break into any further excitement. “This is my city and if your holder is looking for more Miraclous then I want to help him. So, that way you can leave faster.”

Plagg smirks, flying up to Bruce’s face and laughing. “You really make me spark! Maybe I’ll convince my holder to switch with you!” The Kwami of destruction couldn’t wait to see the face his holder makes when he is returned back to him.

[marauderundercover]

A Thousand Years ch. 17

AO3

Prev

“Where do you think you’re going, Mister?” Marinette asks, raising an eyebrow as Damian creeps towards the door. He pauses, glancing between her and the door before sighing.

“I don’t understand why you have insisted on benching me.” He huffs, crossing his arms.

“It’s cause pigtails is boring.” Plagg sings, cackling as she glares at him. The kwami had decided he liked Damian, and was rarely out of sight now that he was no longer a secret. While she loved how close the two had become, she didn’t love Plagg constantly encouraging Damian to choose the more chaotic option when possible. Plagg himself had awful impulse control, and he was trying to pass it on to Damian. The other kwamis were much calmer and still kept to themselves, not yet trusting Dick and Damian. While it hurt her, a little, that they didn’t trust two of the most important people in her life, it also helped her blood pressure to not be through the roof. Especially knowing the chaos Trixx and Plagg could create together with Damian if Trixx decided to trust Damian.

“Plagg, you are not helping. Believe it or not, I’m not doing this to be boring, I’m doing it because I care about him. It’s for one night, Dames. You didn’t go to school today because you have a fever. As long as you don’t have one tomorrow, you can go back on patrol. Dick told me that this isn’t a new rule for you.” She says, passing him the tea he’d requested, likely as a distraction to keep her from noticing his breakout attempt.

“Yes, but usually, I’m able to follow him after an hour or so and he can’t do much about it. But now you’re aware of it, and I am being punished.” Damian frowns. Marinette reaches up and holds her wrist against her kid’s head. “What are you doing?” He asks grumpily.

“Checking to see if you still have a fever.” Marinette says gently, not wanting to upset him any more than he already was. Damian was extremely cranky when he was sick. Marinette frowns at the heat radiating off of his head. Marinette glances at Plagg, and he flies over, settling on top of Damian’s head. The kwami winces, and nods. “I’m gonna grab the thermometer, okay? Just go sit on the couch.” She says, trying to push down the worry that threatens to build up. Damian opens his mouth to argue, but Marinette gives him a look and he sighs before dropping down onto the couch. Heading into the bathroom, Marinette grabs a bottle of children’s tylenol and a thermometer before heading back to the living room.

“I don’t need medicine.” Damian huffs once he spots her, frowning. Marinette snorts.

“Let’s take your temperature before you decide you don’t need medicine, okay?” She suggests. Damian sighs, but turns to her so she can run the thermometer over his forehead. It beeps, and Marinette frowns, trying to shove down the panic that was threatening to bubble up. “Okay kiddo, I’m gonna have to pull the grown up card and veto your no medicine decision.” She says.

“But I don’t need it.” Damian grumbles, sitting up. Marinette turns the thermometer towards him, letting the numbers blink red. 101.9/38.8. While she was silently relieved that Dick had purchased a thermometer that had fahrenheit and celsius, she was even more worried at the idea that he was out and Damian’s fever wasn’t getting better.

“You either have to take the medicine, or we have to go to Leslie.” Marinette offers, knowing it would be an entire ordeal if she brought up the hospital. Not that she wanted to take Damian to the hospital. But she would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to a fever. Damian grumbles, but takes the medicine, wincing slightly. “Does your throat hurt?” She asks.

“I’m fine, Marinette. If you were not here, I would go on patrol. And I would be just fine.” He huffs, laying down and curling into a small ball on the couch. Marinette settles into the armchair across from the couch and flips a movie on. She just needed to watch him carefully. He’d be okay.

---

“Pssst! Hey, Pigtails. The kid needs you.” Plagg’s voice makes Marinette sit straight up, adrenaline shooting through her.

“Crap.” She mutters, shoving her hair out of her face. Her eyes dart around the room, quickly locking onto Damian. “Damian?” She says softly, moving towards him slowly. A quiet sniffle is the only response. Marinette grabs the thermometer from the coffee table and quickly runs it across his head.

103.2/39.5. This was bad. Taking in a deep breath, she takes a second to ground herself. She wouldn’t be able to help Damian if she freaked out and panicked. Quickly sliding on a pair of shoes, she grabs her phone and purse before grabbing Dick’s car keys off the hook. Since he no longer had to pretend to use his civilian car at night, he left the keys with her. Rushing back over to Damian, she carefully scoops him into her arms. He was honestly almost too tall for her to carry, but she didn’t care.

“Baba?” He says, and Marinette is suddenly thankful that they’d been working on Arabic. Although she couldn’t speak it, she could at least understand a little bit.

“Non, petit oiseau. It’s just me.” She says softly, quickly locking the door and rushing to the elevator. He sighs, and buries his head into her shoulder.

“Ummi, I don’t feel good.” He says softly, and Marinette’s heart breaks. Sometimes Damian was so mature, it was hard to forget that he’s still just a little kid. She remembered what it was like to be sick and just want her mom and dad. She wished she could give them to him. Hitting the button for the garage, Marinette adjusts Damian in her hold, trying hard to ignore how hot his head had become. Looking down into her purse, she makes eye contact with Plagg.

“Do me a favor? Text Jason that I’m taking Damian to Leslie’s.” She says quietly. Jason was on crutches for the next two weeks, and thus was off patrol. And since she didn’t know how to reach Dick’s comms, she’d have to let Jason do that part. Glancing down at the kid in her arms, Marinette tries not to let herself panic. He was fine. Everything would be fine. Leslie would probably even tell her that she was worried about nothing.

---

Dick frowns at the constant buzzing coming from his comm, until he remembers he’d muted it. Cursing under his breath, he unmutes it and pauses on a roof.

“-amnit, Dick! What’s the point of having your fucking comm in if you’re not gonna answer!” Jason snaps.

“Hood? What’s going on? You shouldn’t be on patrol.” Dick says, immediately worried about his little brother. Jason was supposed to be on crutches. And although he’d insisted he was fine to go out, Alfred and Marinette had managed to convince him to stay back and just do case work for at least a week.

“First of all, fuck you. Secondly, it’s not me. Marinette texted me but I fell asleep and didn’t get it until five minutes ago.” He huffs out, and Dick’s heart drops.

“What happened? Are they okay?” He asks, immediately running worst case scenarios in his head.

“Damian’s fever spiked. Marinette was taking him to Leslie’s.” Jason says. Dick frowns, a million worrying thoughts flooding his head.

“Go to them. We’ve only got another hour or two of patrol anyway. I can handle it.” Tim chimes in.

“Are you sure?” Dick asks, hesitant to leave his little brother on patrol alone. Tim snorts.

“Yes, mom, I’m fine. Go check on the kid. If I need you, I’ll call. Hood can keep me company on comms.” Tim says, and Dick can practically hear his smirk.

“Oh joy.” Jason sighs. Dick shakes his head, a small grin on his face. Usually, he’d probably laugh and join in on the teasing. But right now, he just needed to get to Leslie’s.

---

“You have an awful lot of eye makeup on tonight, Richard.” Leslie says, quirking an eyebrow as Dick rushes into her clinic. He winces, shrugging.

“Didn’t wanna take the time to get it off. How’s Damian?” He asks, jumping straight to the point. Leslie gives him a small smile, and Dick’s shoulders relax slightly.

“His fever is finally down. But I do think we should consider a tonsillectomy.” She says gently. Dick’s eyebrows furrow.

“What, why? What’s wrong?” He asks, feeling the panic that had dissipated start to return.

“Breathe, Richard. You know the last time he had tonsillitis we had the conversation about if he’d had it previously, right?” She asks. Dick nods. “The frequency in which he gets tonsillitis in combination with the way his airway is obstructed while his tonsils are swollen like this- I just have to recommend surgery to remove them. It would be in Damian’s best interest in the long run.” She explains.

“Did you tell Marinette yet?” Dick asks, and Leslie nods.

“She was rather panicked when she brought him in, and I’m afraid my suggestion for surgery didn’t help much. She hasn’t left him since they got here.” She says.

“And how long-”

“Hour and a half.” Dick can’t help but feel guilty. Sure, he answered Jason almost immediately, but if he’d left Marinette a way to reach him on comms, he could’ve been here sooner.

“Can I-” He starts, but Leslie cuts him off, nodding.

“Usual room.” She says. “Only the Waynes would have a usual room.” She adds under her breath. Dick walks the familiar path, gently opening the door to the room he’d been in a million times. Seeing Damian in a hospital bed hurts. He looked so much younger. He lets the door shut quietly, but Marinette still jumps up, eyes wide as she throws an arm in front of Damian.

“It’s just me, babe.” Dick says gently, holding his hands up. Her eyes lock on his and she immediately relaxes, sinking back into the chair next to Damian’s bed.

“Did Leslie tell you about the surgery?” She asks, running her hand through Damian’s hair. Dick takes the seat on the other side of the bed and lays a hand on Damian’s head to check that his fever was still down. He nods.

“I’m not sure how Damian will feel about it.” He says, frowning slightly. He loved Damian. But a lot of the time, Damian tried to act like nothing could hurt him, and Dick was worried that he’d turn down the surgery because of it. And even though he was the parent in this situation, he didn’t want to take away Damian’s ability to decide something like this. Maybe he’d accept a bribe… Marinette shrugs.

“Maybe if we point out it would stop him from getting sick like this so often, it would help. I know how much he hates being off patrol.” She says softly, her shoulders relaxing even more. Dick snorts.

“Yeah, yeah you’re probably right.” He says, grinning.

“I’ll be on your side for this, too.” A voice pipes up. Dick blinks, and the little black cat- Plagg- was suddenly on the pillow next to Damian’s head. Dick raises an eyebrow and looks to Marinette.

“Our kid tried to follow you on patrol. Plagg encouraged him until he realized that Dames really was sick.” She says tiredly. Despite the fact that Damian tried to sneak out, Dick’s chest fills with warmth at Marinette’s words. ‘Our kid’. Maybe it was time to talk about legally adding Marinette as one of Damian’s guardians. He knew that if something happened to him, Marinette would take good care of him. Any of his family would too, but he didn’t want to put the responsibility on them. And Tim was still just a kid himself, no matter what he thought.

“Hey, sweetheart. How’re you feeling?” Marinette says softly. Dick glances down at Damian, relief flooding him the second they lock eyes.

“What happened?” Damian asks, wincing. Marinette pushes hair out of Damian’s face, and Dick gently touches his kid’s cheek.

“Your fever spiked, Dames. Mari brought you to Leslie’s.” Dick explains. Damian immediately pouts.

“Patrol-” he starts to say, but Marinette cuts him off.

“Will still be there when you’re feeling better, petit oiseau. But pushing yourself now is just going to make you sicker. It’s okay to take a break.” She says gently. Dick waits for Damian to argue, but he just sighs instead.

“Plagg?” He asks and the little cat floats up, giving Damian the most serious look that Dick had ever seen on the creature.

“I’m with Pigtails on this one, kid.” He says. Damian turns his attention to him, but Dick just shakes his head.

“Fine. I will accept taking a break. But if there are things I can do from home, I would like to still help. After all, I’m not benched.” He says. Dick glances at Marinette, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. Her lips purse, but she nods.

“Okay. But, lights out by midnight. You need rest when you’re sick, agreed?” Dick says. Damian nods, and Dick lets his shoulders relax. Now to try to convince him that surgery was his best option.

[eddo-tensei]

Miraculous Ninja Bio #3: Alya Cesaire

Gonna push myself a bit more and go over more characters for this MLB/RC9GN crossover. This time, we’re talking about Alya. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the Norrisville crew eventually. Just need to go over the main Miraculous crew coming here...and the villains. If anyone’s interested from reading the biography, here’s the fic:

Miraculous Ninja: Tales of Heroes and Magic (MLB x RC9GN crossover)

Alright, let’s put this blog on blast.

Backstory: Alya’s life wasn’t extraordinary. She wasn’t born to a family of bakers nor was she brought into the world of luxury. She simply came from a family hailing from the French-controlled Caribbean island of Martinique. With her zooologist father, a culinary expert for a mother, along with her three sisters, Alya spent most of her life in her home province studying in a private school. She found herself running a lot of the technical side of the school system and by middle school, she was dabbling in online maintenance. She was also a frequent member of her school’s comic book club where they would discuss all kinds of superheroes. For the most part, it felt like life was going to be simple. That was until her mother managed to secure a job in one of the most prestigious hotels in Paris. Thus, her family relocated there as Alya now found herself in Collège Françoise Dupont. There, as a new student, she ended up meeting a lot of new people including a lonely girl by the name of Marinette. Seeing the sort of trouble Marinette was going through, Alya took it upon herself to be Marinette’s friend and help her through whatever life throws at her. Soon, however, Alya found herself in the midst of what could be described as a seemingly neverending battle of good and evil as Hawk Moth emerged from the shadows to cause chaos only for the heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, to come out and stomp that chaos into nothing. Feeling her two childhood hobbies unifying, Alya started up the Ladyblog and vowed to do what she can to document all the heroic acts of these two glorious saviors of her new home.

This would be one of Alya’s defaults as when she wasn’t focused on the blog, she was helping Marinette with anything that would come up. Babysitting, coming up with designs, trying to win over Adrien, homework, Adrien, parties, Adrien. In case you can’t tell, a good amount of their hangouts involve trying to figure out ways for Marinette to win Adrien’s heart. That said, these hangouts didn’t come with their own perks. Alya and Marinette both end up connecting to more of the people in College Dupont, even garnering their own circle of friends through this. Alya was even able to find her own love in Nino Lahiffe. It was clear that just as she was able to help Marinette open up and gain friends even when facing obstacles like Chloe, Marinette was helping Alya connect to her new home more and more. She even recently found the courage to sign up for a program that saw her connected to a pen-pal. A kind girl named Theresa who she would exchange letters with every now and then, mostly about the heroic exploits going on in Paris as well as some of the interesting stuff that occurs in Norrisville.

That said, this wasn’t without strife. She found herself being one of the earliest villains created by Hawk Moth’s Akumas during her quest to find out who Ladybug was. As Lady Wi-Fi, she ended up being one of the more difficult adversaries to fight and someone who would frequently return due to Hawk Moth finding her powers quite helpful. Even so, she was able to find some brilliance as when her younger sisters fell under the spell of an Akuma, she had a fateful encounter with Ladybug who entrusted her with the Fox Miraculous. Gaining a fast friend in the Kwami of Illusion, Trixx, Alya ended up with the identity of Rena Rouge. Even if it was technically a temporary gig, Alya relished her time as Rena and she found herself blessed time and time again as Ladybug would come to her for help multiple times. Still, no matter what, even with all the reports and vlogs she had done, Alya could never really figure the one thing that she felt like she needed to figure out and that was Ladybug’s identity. Even if she knew she couldn’t report on it due to the threat of Hawk Moth, she still wanted to know who was behind the mask, but it seemed like an unattainable thing...

...That was until through becoming part of a Akuma group and being saved that Alya would end up being hit with a massive secret from her friend, Marinette. That Marinette and Ladybug were one and the same. Through this, Alya was then entrusted with the secrets of the Miraculouses and thus became Marinette’s sole confidant in figuring out the truth for not only the Miraculouses, but also how to take down Hawk Moth. In fact, it was Alya’s own intuition that led to the creation of the Prosperity Charms which would ensure that a dangerous Akuma would never be created again. This ingenuity would actually be enough for Marinette to grant Alya full ownership of the Fox Miraculous. It was clear that the two were getting somewhere. With this one secret being learned, Alya could now focus on other things with Marinette.

Then came the news about Adrien’s move to Norrisville. Having heard this from Nino, Alya was hesitant at first, but ultimately decided to go for three reasons. 1) She didn’t want Nino to feel forced to stay behind if she didn’t go, 2) She wanted to make sure Marinette was doing okay since she knew the girl would follow Adrien to the edge of the Earth, and 3) That was where her penpal lived and with that in mind, why would she pass up the opportunity to meet up with a good friend? Thus, albeit with some unexpected guests, Alya found herself moving to Norrisville.

Appearance: With tan skin and hair styled into an ombre of brown and red, Alya is also distinguishable by her gold eyes and the mole on her forehead. Donning a pair of glasses, Alya would frequently be seen in a plaid shirt with a tank-top underneath along with some light-blue jeans and some white-and-black sneakers courtesy of Style Queen. She also wears a fanny pack for stuff like her phone and more importantly, Trixx. She’s also a bit taller than Marinette.

As Rena Rouge, her hair becomes a three-color ombre going from bright red to orange all the way to pure white at the tips as it’s all styled in a ponytail. On top of the bodysuit that most holders have, Rena dons a orange overcoat with white coattails on the back to mimic the tail of a fox. The Miraculous, normally a necklace, becomes a zipper to the suit and she gains some fox ears to go with the orange and white domino mask. Standing with her signature flute on her back and wearing tall black boots with fox prints on the bottom, Rena Rouge is certainly one of the more dapper looking heroes on Ladybug’s side.

Personality: It was clear that the comics that Alya grew up with instilled plenty of positive values in her. Namely those of loyalty and friendship, which shines through with her friendship with Marinette as well as all of the other students in College Dupont. As a relatively new student, Alya found herself being more than happy to reach out to as many people as she could. She found that one way she could reach people was through the reports on her blog where she would give updates on Ladybug’s exploits in hopes that her heroism would rub off onto others. She genuinely cherishes the people in her life, whether it’d be her family, Marinette, Nino, or just any of their friends. Comics taught her a lot of things and it’s clear that these positive values were just some of them.

That said, when you raise yourself on what you see on comics and TV, some things can get mixed up. Alya has a bad habit of trying to do things that seemed to be cool in comics, but don’t always translate well into reality. Her plans for Marinette to help her win Adrien’s heart tend to get rather cartoonish and when Marinette comes up with a plan that’s just as cartoonish, Alya always goes along with it. While that is proof of her loyalty, it’s also a sign that Alya doesn’t always know what’s right, hence why her hunt for Ladybug’s identity was questionable. Also, while she is very willing to reach out to others, she also finds it hard to forgive those who would actively cause harm, Chloe being one such example. Even so, when Alya realizes what she does is wrong, she’s quick to correct herself and does what she can to fix it.

Powers: At this point, it should be routine what a Miraculous does to someone. It improves their skills a lot and gives them a great amount of durability with its usage depending greatly on the user. In Rena’s case, she’s very much a planner and with her main ability, she had to figure out what works.

Mirage: Playing a tune on her flute, Rena is able to conjure up an Illusion that she could control through said flute. The Illusion can range from massive spectacles to merely impersonating individuals to fool others. Not only can she create visual illusions, but also auditory illusions.

Being predisposed to superheroes, Alya is quickly learning the ropes on how her powers work, but with a certain leak resulting from a certain bully, only time will tell if she’ll be able to keep it.

Current Events (SPOILERS FOR THE FANFIC TOWARDS THE END):

(IN CASE THIS NEEDS TO BE REPEATED, THIS IS GOING TO CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR THE EVENTS OF THE FANFIC! IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE, PLEASE READ THAT SO YOU DON’T END UP SPOILING YOURSELF. LINK’S AT THE TOP!)

At Norrisville High, Alya was able to meet up with Theresa as well as the owner of the school blog, Heidi Weinerman. Quickly getting some strong connections with them, Alya would do what she can to help them out. That said, it didn’t mean she would miss out on heroics as not only did Ladybug and Chat Nor come out to save the local hero, the Norrisville Ninja, from getting his head ripped off, but Shadow Moth would make himself known to the town. With these threats all around them, Alya would end up helping Marinette hide and warn her about incoming threats. Aside from that, she would hang out with Nino and even give him a save from some bullies as Rena Rouge.

This stay would not come without strife either, however, and her first real test would come in the form of having to save an Akumatized Theresa after Marinette basically tore the poor twirler a new one for a romance scheme gone awry. Upon finding out what Marinette had told Theresa as well as how badly it affected Theresa, Alya had to confront Marinette on this and basically tell her off for doing these things. Thankfully, Theresa was saved and through some more chewing out, Alya was able to help Marinette and Theresa reconcile these issues. That said, through Shadow Moth, Theresa ended up gaining the knowledge of Alya’s identity as Rena Rouge.

Her second test would come in the form of King Arthurpod. With Ladybug and Chat Noir having a hard time with the evolved insects created from this Akuma, she would end up teaming up with the Ninja in order to come up with a sneaky Mirage that would cause infighting amongst the humanoid insects and secure another victory for the heroes. For the most part, Alya had proven herself to be a great heroine and success was all there.

Unfortunately, there was a problem and that problem was named Heidi. Ever since Alya and her friends got here, Heidi had been pressing Alya for a way to get an interview with Adrien. While Alya didn’t want to say no, she couldn’t think of a way to make it happen. Unfortunately, as this gets pushed back more and more, Heidi would end up going behind Alya’s back to interview Marinette instead. This led to a chain of events that would mess up a lot.

Alya woke up to see a video from Heidi talking about Marinette’s crush. While initially skimming it, Alya discovered that this video was recorded by Heidi without any consent from Marinette and with how it was edited, she recognized it as a smear campaign of her friend. Needless to say, Alya was FURIOUS and dragged all of her friends to verbally eviscerate Heidi for what she had done to her friend. Unfortunately, it only got worse as Heidi became Newsflash and through extracting the memories of Theresa, she would end up exposing Alya as Rena Rouge to the whole school. This initially shook Alya up, but she ultimately decided to face Newsflash anyways and ultimately defeat her with one last Mirage. In the fallout, despite Heidi showing regret, Alya could not bring herself to forgive Heidi for what she done and ultimately refused to make amends. She had also resigned from her position as the holder of the Fox Miraculous and with how Marinette’s confession with Adrien panned out, it was clear that a lot of changes were ahead of her. Ahead of everyone, really. Even so, she’ll do what she can to make sure things would be okay.

[jinx-jade]

Secret Dreams Chapter 2: Meeting the Wayne’s

Marinette woke from the dream zone, leaving her alone in the empty bed of her hotel room. While Aunt Penny, Uncle Jagged, and herself were staying at the same hotel, Marinette had a separate room from the couple.

When she went to open her eyes the sun was shining directly in them, temporarily blinding her, which was strange since she had closed the curtains last night. Squinting her eyes open slowly to let them adjust to the bright light. Marinette tensed when she could make out the shape of a person.

“Rise and Shine my little rockstar!”

Relaxing, Marinette groaned at her Uncle's childish antics.

“It’s too early for you to have this much energy!” Marinette whined, pulling her pillow over her face.

“Nah, no such thing as too much energy!” Jagged informs her. “Besides we're meeting up with Brucie and a couple of his kids at W.E. today.”

Marinette grinds at that piece of information before quickly replacing it with a scowl. She removed the pillow from her face and glared at Jagged.

“I’m not going anywhere without having some form of caffeine first.” Marinette bargains

“Well then isn’t it a good thing that I got us both coffee?” Penny suggests as she walks in to hand Marinette her cup. “After all, not all of us wake up as energetic as Jagged does.”

“Gasp, Betrayed by my wife!” Jagged cried, placing a hand over his heart dramatically.

“Did? Did you just say Gasp?” Marinette questioned looking a lot less annoyed and more like she was about to explode from laughter.

“I know what I said, little rockstar!” Jagged exclaimed as if it would help his case. Instead of the desired effect, Penny and Marinette burst into laughter.

Penny wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes, “Jagged is right though little star” causing Jagged to preen a bit at the praise. Penny just shook her head at his antics, "We're meeting up with a few of the Waynes to discuss any final details for the charity gala."

Marinette nodded her head before taking a sip of her coffee, letting out a pleased sigh.

"Let me shower and get ready, then we can head out?" Marinette suggested. Penny agreed and dragged Jagged out to let her get ready. 

Marinette grabbed an outfit out of her suitcase that she had forgotten to unpack the previous night. Entering the bathroom and locking the door, disappearing until she was ready for the day.

"Well, today seems like it'll be a fun day, huh Sugar cube?" Plagg asks rhetorically, grinning as he abandons his hiding spot.

"You think any kind of chaos is fun, stinky socks!" Tikki argues leaving her spot as well. 

Once the kwamis of creation and destruction came out of hiding, the rest followed suit. Most of the kwamis moved towards the mini-fridge to grab their breakfasts. Some of them settled on the counter while others moved to sit on the bed or couch.

The kwamis made idle chit-chat until Marinette left the bathroom. She was wearing a high collar ivory blouse with long frilly sleeves and lace details. The blouse was tucked into her black high waist sailor shorts, with gold buttons and trim. She spends only a few minutes debating whether to wear platform heels or her knee-high black combat boots before deciding to go with the boots. 

“Which of us would you prefer to join you today Mademoiselle Guardian?” Kaalki questions with her usual grace and elegance.

“Hmm, maybe you, Tikki, Plagg, and Trixx?” Marinette considers it before nodding to herself. “Yeah, let’s go with the four of you. Unless any of you wish to stay here?”

“And miss the chaos? Don’t be ridiculous, Sugar cookie!” Plagg answers with mock offense. Trixx nodded their head in agreement with Plagg’s statement.

Tikki let out a sigh, “Someone has to keep you from getting into trouble.” Shaking her head in amusement, “Might as well be my luck.”

“As you wish, Mademoiselle Guardian. I have no issues with your decision.” Kaalki informs her.

“All right then! Let’s get going before Uncle Jagged comes to get me.” Marinette makes a face at that, making the kwamis laugh. “Have a nice day everyone. Remember, don’t be seen, and don’t cause too much trouble.”

Each kwami gave their agreement to stay out of sight and not make trouble. Marinette nodded her head, grabbing her small black backpack for her sketchbook, pencils, and the kwamis. After checking that she had everything, Marinette made her way towards the lobby. Once there, she had no trouble spotting her Aunt and Uncle. Easily making her way towards them.

“Ready to go little star?” Penny questioned

“Yup! Plus I’m much more awake after finishing my coffee and taking a shower.” Marinette smiled as they started walking out of the hotel.

Jagged led them to a sleek black car with an older gentleman standing next to it.

“A pleasure to see you again Master Jared.” the man politely clams, only to have Jagged tackle him into a hug.

“Good to see ya, Alfie!” Jagged exclaimed as he pulled away.

“You must be Mrs. Rolling and Miss Dupain-Cheng?” the man, Alfie? Questioned. Receiving a nod from both Penny and Marinette.

“But feel free to call me Marinette. My last name is a bit of a mouth full.” 

“And Penny is fine for me, Monsieur.”

“Of course Mrs. Penny, Miss Marinette. Master Bruce sent me as your ride to W.E., and anywhere else you may go during your stay. My name is Alfred Pennyworth, but please call me Alfred.”

Once introductions were over and done with, the group moved into the car. Heading towards Wayne Enterprise.

Marinette looked out of the windows of the car, watching the gothic architecture pass by. Damian had been right about the city seeming dark and gloomy. He was also right about it being the perfect inspiration for her new clothing line, Shadows. Marinette took out her sketchbook and got to work, not even noticing the time passing by.

“We have arrived,” Alfred claimed as he turned off the car, stepping out and opening the car doors for them. “Simply head to the reception desk and introduce yourselves. They have already been made aware of your appointment.” and with that Alfred reentered the car, driving off, presumably, back to Wayne Manor.

They did as Alfred instructed and were taken up to Bruce Wayne’s office. Jagged knocked on the Office door. After a few moments, Mr. Wayne appeared in the doorway.

“Jared, I’m glad you could make it,” he said welcoming them into the office. “Am I right to assume that these lovely ladies are your wife and niece?”

“That’d be a right on assumption” Jagged agreed. “This is my wife Penny Rolling, she’s also my lovely assistant.”

“It’s nice to meet one of Jagged's childhood friends, feel free to call me Penny.”

Jagged continues with the introduction, “And this little rockstar is my niece and designer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Wayne. You can call me Marinette, my last name is a bit of a mouth full.” 

“Please call me Bruce, there’s no need to be so formal.” Once Marinette nodded her head, Bruce started to introduce his kids. “These are a few of my children. My second eldest son Jason Todd-Wayne, my second youngest son Timothy Drake-Wayne, and my daughter Cassandra Cain-Wayne.”

Marinette smiled at them before taking a seat on the office couch to sketch. She mostly stayed out of the business conversation, only really talking when the conversation had to do with herself. Marinette took time to observe the Waynes for herself because while she trusted Damian with her life, he was their younger sibling and therefore biased.

Marinette observed Jason first. He was sarcastic and would throw in snarky comments now and then. When Jason wasn’t talking, he would be reading his book which seemed to be a classic novel. Marinette let out an amused huff when she realized that Damian’s description was accurate. He’s a book nerd wrapped in spikes and leather.

She noticed that the attention had turned to her, most likely because she had no reason to be amused. Marinette simply raised an eyebrow towards them until they went back to the previously abandoned conversation.

Her observation moved to Timothy, or Tim, who seemed to be exhausted but he easily kept up with the conversation. She noticed that he was holding a thermos for what seemed like dear life. Now the caffeine zombie made more sense. In all honesty, Marinette thought that the caffeine dependence was a “mood.”

The attention once again turned to herself. ‘Must have said that out loud’ Marinette assumed. She simply ignored the attention until the conversation started again. Once the conversation was flowing freely, she went back to her observations.

When Marinette looked in Cassandra’s, or Cass’s, direction, she found that Cass was already looking at her. Curiosity clear in her eyes. It would seem like Damian was right with all of his information on his siblings. Cass was trying to read her body language. Marinette quickly thought of an idea, tensing all the muscles in her body to slowly relax them as she quickly turned her attention to her sketchbook, pretending to be embarrassed.

When Marinette looked back up, Cass looked amused, causing Marinette to smirk. The smirk seemed to confuse Cass, who tilted her head to the side as if trying to look at her from a different angle to get a better read. Marinette simply copied Cass’s movement, making both girls seem confused. Cass continued to change her body language only to have Marinette copy it. A smile appeared on Cass’s face.

“Can we keep?” Cass asked gesturing to Marinette, which made Marinette burst into laughter.

The others in the room looked confused before realization appeared on the Waynes’ features.

“You can’t just ask to adopt people out of nowhere Cassandra,” Bruce said with a sigh.

“Keep?” Cass asked again with her best puppy dog eyes. Bruce simply shook his head, causing Cass to pout.

That seemed to be the last straw as everyone burst into laughter.

_____________________

Marinette collapsed onto her bed with a smile. Letting herself be consumed into the exhaustion from the day. She drifted off to the dream zone once again.

Tag list: @little-bluestar @redbullgivescaswings @stackofrandomstuff @meismu @maskedpainter @nyx-in-line @iamabrownfox @m0chik0furan @jjmjjktth

[mochegato]

Pixie Spy

Chapter 5

Chapter 1    Chapter 4

Marinette laid on Nino’s living room floor studying the stolen Grimoire files on her tablet.  She had been staring at the same page for the last two hours, making little progress.  Just because she could translate the ancient text, it didn’t mean it was easy or quick.  In fact, it was headache inducing and with Adrien focusing on keeping them caught up on homework while she and Chloe were otherwise occupied, she was translating alone.  She knew there were amazing secrets held in the texts, the drawings promised amazing new powers for each of the miraculous, she just needed to decode them.  

She scrunched her eyes closed and rubbed them to clear her vision that had started crossing.  Now, she decided, was a perfect time to take a break.  She looked around the room for a distraction. Adrien was near her on the floor, leaning against the couch and working on the physics assignment they had received that day, having already finished the calculus assignment.  Alya, having already passed her research onto Chloe, was on the couch working on the French Lit homework. Nino was sprawled out on the couch with his feet propped up on Alya’s lap, not working on anything, staring off into space with a furrowed brow instead.  

Everyone was working quietly except for Chloe who was making her discontent with her surroundings abundantly clear through her frequent huffs and exaggerated movements.  She was sitting in a chair making notes in a notebook referencing her laptop occasionally.  She huffed and wiggled uncomfortably in the chair, “Tell me again why we have to do this here?” Chloe demanded, not bothering to mask her disgust with the middle class surroundings.

“We can’t meet in the hotel because we can’t take the chance the Waynes would see Marinette walking in the lobby or the hallway. We can’t meet at Adrien’s place because Asshole Dad.  We can’t meet at Marinette’s in case they’ve made her already.  That leaves my place or here and my place has the twins who are currently both grounded and bored so… that leaves here.” Alya explained calmly, not bothering to look up from her homework.

“Yeah, yeah, but couldn’t we have met at like a nice café or pub?” Chloe whined, rubbing her arms as though contact with the chair fabric were scratching her.

“And take the texts outside?” Adrien asked with a raised brow motioning toward Marinette.

“Plus until we know how much they know, it is probably best I’m not seen out more than absolutely necessary, hence the…” she indicated the oversized hoodie she had stolen from Kim some time ago she had been wearing all day, mostly with her hood up, completely enveloping her head.

“I thought that was so you could hide from Laurence…” Alya said with a sly grin.

“Or Noelle,” Adrien threw in.

“Or Ignace…” Chloe added, keeping her focus on her laptop.

“Okay stop.  Really, Chloe?  Wouldn’t you much rather talk about the throngs of people throwing themselves at you?” Marinette attempted to divert her to one of her favorite topics, herself.

“Oh sweetie, we don’t have that kind of time.” Chloe said throwing her ponytail over her shoulder.  “We’re just talking about the ten or twenty we know about willing to let you tie them up and beat them like a piñata then thank you for the privilege.”

“That sounds like a regular Saturday night for you, Chlo,” Alya grinned.

“I…I don’t know how to react to that.” Marinette scrunched her face in confusion.  “My first inclination is to say she’s exaggerating, but it’s Chloe and if anything she would underplay it.  Plus I am extremely not happy with that little insight into Chloe’s bedroom, so… I’m going to ignore this entire conversation.” Marinette said turning back to her tablet.

Adrien looked up from his notes for a few moments staring in thought at nothing, “Valid,” he nodded, turning back to his work as well.

Nino had stayed silent throughout the conversation staring instead unfocused at a spot on the floor for the past few minutes. Adrien glanced back at him with curiosity.  “Hey,” he smacked his hand into Nino’s leg, “you okay there?  You completely missed us teasing Marinette about her fans. That’s one of your favorite topics.”

“Ahhh, Laurence… yeah, that dude makes me nervous. Michel is cute though.  I could see that.” Marinette gave an affronted squawk. Nino continued without acknowledging her, “No, I was just thinking… we know Batman’s secret identity.”

“Yeah,” Adrien said uncertainly.

“And he doesn’t know ours.” Nino continued.

“Right,” Adrien encouraged still not sure where the conversation was going.

“And we have you and Chloe, both pretty famous and could easily end up at a party or event with at least one of them…” Nino mused thinking out loud.

“True.”

“So… how much can we mess with him about it without getting killed?” Nino asked raising his brow with a playful glint in his eyes.

“Dude!” Adrien exclaimed excitedly, his eyes lighting up at the thought.

“You want us to prank the Dark Knight?” Alya looked at him like he was crazy.

“Really?” Marinette deadpanned.

“Yeah, you’re right.  It is potentially fraught with danger.  We might need to bring Alix and Max in on this.” Nino nodded still thinking about how he could manage it.

Alya dropped her head into her hands, “Idiot.” She muttered shaking her head in her hands, not entirely sure if he was joking or not.  Honestly, either option was possible.

“Well, that makes you two perfect for each other,” Chloe deadpanned still focused on writing something down in her notebook missing the withering look Alya shot her.

“Okay Kim,” Marinette rolled her eyes at Nino.  She looked uncertain for a moment then pushed herself back until she was sitting on her heels and spoke hesitantly, “Or… we could discuss if we are still certain we don’t want the Batfamily here.  Are we sure we don’t want their help?”

“Yes, yes we are,” Alya replied, her voice bordering on disbelief that Marinette would even ask.  “We know what the Justice League is like.  We know what they’ve done and we have a damn good idea what they could do given half the chance.  We gave in on Constantine and look what happened.  We cannot trust them.”

“Think about the last few weeks, Marinette.  Think how much worse they would have been if those people had powers to begin with and understood the extent of their powers, how to push them, how to exploit them.  What to ask for from Hawkmoth to do the most damage?” Nino added.

“The bats don’t have superpowers.” Marinette defended.

“But they work with people who do.  They have strategized attack plans around people who have powers. They understand them and what’s most effective…” Chloe added barely looking up from her notepad.

“And they are incredibly well trained in combat and strategic planning… It would be hard enough without them having super powers. With them, we would be fucked.” Adrien added cutting in on Chloe’s statement.

“We are barely keeping up as it is.  If one of the bats of Justice League were to get akumatized…” Nino let the statement trail off, allowing everyone to use their imagination to fill in the rest.

“Exactly!  We are barely keeping up.  Do we need to consider getting help?  From someone with more experience and different skills?  From someone with experience using superpowers against an opponent?” Marinette ran a hand over her face, “I’m just… I’m getting scared. And I don’t know if that is because I’m seeing a pattern or if I’m just frustrated with where we are and desperate for any change.  And the more distance I have from it, the more I wonder if Constantine was right.  Is it time to bring someone in, but we’re just too scared to try something different?”

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by a banal, obvious statement,” she glared at Adrien, “they have a good understanding of powers, their strengths and weaknesses, and how to strategize around them, which would make them powerful akumas, or incredibly advantageous assets against an akuma.”  Everyone stared at her in surprise.  “Stunned looks terrible on you.” She said making clear she was directing it to all of them.  “The silent awe of me is appropriate though.” She said sitting back in her chair only to immediately grunt and start squirming against the fabric again.

“It isn’t just the powers, I don’t trust them, especially Batman.  If we give them half the chance, I’m afraid they will try to take the miraculous because they think they could wield them and protect them better.” Adrien admitted.  

The group took a second to let both sides of the argument sink in, unsure how to move forward.  Both outcomes could lead to horrific outcomes that nobody wanted to allow. They were all afraid and they knew they were, but like Marinette, they didn’t know if the fear was holding them back from making a mistake or from having a breakthrough.

After a few moments of quiet, Nino broke the quiet in a soothing voice, “We have no way to know which way things will tilt.  Let’s see what we get from the files and reassess then. No reason to introduce more chaos until we know what we have to work with already.  Have you found anything yet?”

“A bit.  Ugh,” she said accepting the change of topic and looking at her notebook with disgust, “this would be so much easier if the kwamis could just tell us all the possible uses of the miraculous were and the ways they could be combined.”

“Yeah, but then Hawkmoth would have known too… and Mayura and Argus.” Tikki pointed out.

“That’s a horrifying thought.  I don’t think we could have taken Hawkmoth and Mayura when we started if they had known all their options.” Adrien shuttered thinking about it.

“That’s why they created the rule that kwami could only tell the very basic powers and responsibilities.  Anything more than that can only come from the Order, so if anyone stole a miraculous, they wouldn’t be able to effectively wield it, making it easier for trained wielders to get it back.”  Trixx said.

“A bit more effective back when there was an Order and masters who actually trained wielders, but you know, times change,” Plagg shrugged with a thinly disguised disgust.

“Okay but let me just say not having known this,” Marinette turned the tablet around for them to see the image of the dragon miraculous she had been studying, “was an option is extremely upsetting.”

“Dibs!” Nino called out, jumping up from the couch before anyone else could call it.

“Fuck you, I saw it first.  I’ve got dibs.  I’ve got plans for it.”  Marinette blew him off.

“No way, you’re going to see all of them first.” Nino pouted.

Marinette grinned at him, “Guardian” she singsonged.  

Trixx floated up closer to the tablet.  “Oh that one.  Yeah, everyone likes that one.  It’s actually just a variation of the power you know already so it is a lot easier to pick up than it looks.”

Plagg floated next to her to check it out too.  “If you like that one, just wait until you find out about…” his sentence was cut off by an overflow of green bubbles falling out of his mouth, causing him to glare at nothing and everything at the same time.

“Okay enough of that.  My turn.” Chloe announced turning her laptop to display pictures of each of the Waynes and their alter egos.

Adrien leaned forward to get a closer look at the images and suddenly his eyes got huge and he gasped, “Oh my God… in the name of all that is holy and good in this world, please tell me the one in the godawful, Red Skull wannabe mask is the one you were making heart eyes at all night.  Please, please, please…” Adrien begged Marinette.

Marinette refused to meet his eyes and pursed her lips, focusing intently on the laptop.  “No comment.”

“It is him! Can I please, please be there when you ‘discuss’ that mask with him before we kick him out?” Adrien said shaking with delight at the thought of it.

Marinette glared at him, “We are going to be focusing on getting them out of Paris without drawing further curiosity or ire, not their wardrobe.” She pointed out turning to Chloe with an expectant look trying to prompt her to continue but couldn’t stop herself from whipping back toward Adrien, “And, I don’t even know if he was even interested in me at all.  It’s far more likely they are concerned about the situation than he is about getting a date.”

Chloe rolled her eyes, “You’re not that stupid, Dupain-Cheng. The honeypotting wouldn’t have worked if he wasn’t interested.”

“I did NOT honeypot him…. And I still don’t know what that means!” Marinette yelled exasperated.

“Yeah, yeah.  But I get to be there right?” Adrien implored ignoring her annoyance and still not giving her a definition.  At this point, it was a matter of pride… or comedy.  Either way, he was dedicated to never telling her what it meant.

“Oooooo and me too,” Alya jumped in.

“You should just leave your com on so we can all hear.” Chloe commented with feigned disinterest.

“We should put it on speaker.  The kwamis will want to hear it too.” Nino agreed with a grin.

“I hate all of you,” Marinette grumbled crossing her arms in front of her as she pouted.

Adrien chuckled at her before putting her out of her misery, “Okay, Chlo.  What did you figure out?”

“So, I focused on Bruce Wayne, Richard Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, and Damian Wayne.  I couldn’t get an identity on Spoiler and there is no public information on Cassandra Cain, who is probably Batgirl, so I could only look at her vigilante work.  But if Constantine is right, they are both still in Shanghai.  It is unlikely they would have brought them in just to talk with us.  So for tonight, they don’t matter.”  Chloe explained before continuing with her analysis.

“The rest of the Wayne family are a treasure trove of insecurities, pressure points, and triggers.  I’m just going to go over the biggest ones since we hopefully will only have to deal with them for a few minutes at the most.  These unstable assholes are definitely Hawkmoth’s wet dream. Extremely well trained and no control over their emotions.  All have extreme versions of insecurity complexes, but react differently.

“Bruce Thomas Wayne is a control freak.  His public persona isn’t much help.  As far as I can tell, most of it is a mask.  He pretends to be a drunk, irresponsible, billionaire playboy but we know he’s Batman so all that is bullshit.  What isn’t is that he is a good negotiator and actor, all of which means he can be a good manipulator and we know from his experience as Batman that he is extremely strategic.  Be suspect of anything he tells you.  His intentions appear to stem from a genuine concern with making lives better, but how much he is willing to listen to other people’s opinion of what constitutes better is questionable, especially after what we know of the Justice League’s actions. He has a history of enforcing his vision onto other people, whether they want it or not, of taking control.  He needs to be in control, or feel like he is so he can prepare for what is coming and make sure it doesn’t turn against him.

“The oldest, Richard John Grayson, has a martyr complex.  He’s so devoted to the saving people thing he became a cop in his civilian life as well, by all accounts an uncorrupt one, and that’s saying something in Gotham and Blüdhaven.  Takes on too much at one time trying to fix everything and feels responsible for every bad thing that happens, even if he wasn’t there… especially if he wasn’t there, to stop it.  If he only would have done whatever, then the bad thing wouldn’t have happened.  If only he was better, blah, blah, blah. Sound familiar?” she looks pointedly at Marinette.  “That’s his weakest spot.  He takes the blame.

“The next, Jason Peter Todd has abandonment issues.  He’s constantly waiting for people to walk away from him like his parents did.  There is something more there, I know there is, like whatever happened when he disappeared for a few years, but we don’t have access to that information. Ridiculously protective of kids on the street, I think because he essentially grew up on them himself. But, here’s the catch, he became a crime lord in order to protect them.  He is willing to go dark to protect people, so they never have to feel like he did and never have to do what he had to do.  He’s straightforward and aggressive.  He feels like everyone is going to walk away from him because he isn’t enough for them to stay.  He’s dangerous.

“The next, Timothy Jackson Drake has inadequacy issues. Wealthy, absentee parents who likely never treated him like anything more than a business asset.” She looked sympathetically at Adrien.  “He is a certified genius.  Started running Wayne Enterprises a few years ago.  He likes a challenge and is an incredible negotiator.  He likes working things out on his own.  He’s smart and curious.  He knows exactly what to ask in order to get the information he needs without you even knowing that’s what he did.  Be careful answering any questions or reacting to any statements from him.  He is constantly trying to prove himself so people will love him.  He takes any failure extremely personally because it means he doesn’t deserve love and a reminder that he isn’t who he thought he was and therefore not worthy.

“The youngest, Damian Wayne, known as the Ice Prince in Gotham, has a superiority complex.  Nobody gets close to him and nobody wants to.  He showed up in Gotham at age 10 with a fully-fledged attitude.  Everyone and everything is beneath him.  He also drives himself to extremes in order to confirm his superiority.  He insults and belittles others because he believes he should be superior to everyone around him, but he is afraid he isn’t and if he isn’t better, then he is significantly worse.”

The rest of the room looked at her sympathetically.  They all knew she wasn’t just talking about Damian. That was her up until a few years ago. She needed to believe she was better than everyone else and needed everyone around her to believe it too.  If she was better then she deserved her parents’ love.  If she had everyone else’s love, it made it easier to fool herself into believing her parents loved her as well, or blunt the feeling when she would realize just how much they didn’t.  But years of therapy, a higher purpose, and real friends that truly wanted the best for her but refused to take any shit from her, made her realize she didn’t need to be that person to deserve love.

“Also keep in mind there are likely significant trust issues going on here.” Chloe continued ignoring the looks from the rest of the room.  “There are a lot of reports of violence between Red Hood and Red Robin, Red Hood and Robin, Red Hood and… everyone actually, as well as Robin and Red Robin.  Based on fact that violence is higher immediately after a changing of the guard, I’d say the passing of the mantle from one Robin to another has never been consensual and likely contributed to their complexes.  They are held together by the thinnest of threads.  We can snap that if we need to… but I don’t think we want to go that far.  If we snap that… I don’t know how much damage that will do or if they will come back from it.” She cautioned hesitantly.

“Agreed.  I don’t want to go there.  There is plenty to use without going into the family issues, without causing irreparable damage.” Marinette concurred.  They didn’t want the Bat family in Paris but they didn’t want to destroy them either. She wasn’t willing to let herself or her team become monsters in order to stop them.  At the end of the day, they were ultimately all on the same team, they all wanted the same outcome, they just had different ways they wanted to get there… and different ideas about who got to decide that… and who should lead it…

“God these people need a hug not whatever that ‘family’ of theirs is providing each other.” Nino said aghast at the report.

“Marinette’s already on top of that, at least for one of them…” Alya smirked.

“Fuck you, bitch.” Marinette narrowed her eyes at her.

“I’m on top of that one,” Nino grinned, raising his hand.

“Oh God.  Seriously we need to investigate that brain bleach thing,” Marinette groaned squeezing her eyes shut trying to keep that image from appearing.

“Okay,” Adrien announced over everyone, “we all agree after this whole Hawkmoth thing is over, I get to kick Constantine’s ass and we all portal over to the Batcave and hug the insecure, unfairly cute, prickly, little echidnas until they feel better, right?” Adrien asked solemnly.

“Ugh, fine but I’m not hugging the gremlin.  Someone else gets that one,” Chloe called out throwing out her arms.

The room stilled as everyone else looked at each other, “Not it!” they all called at almost the exact same moment.

“Damn it,” Nino cried as he realized he had been a few seconds slower than everyone else.

“That’s what you get for being a turtle.  When the confrontation happens, I got the pampered rich kid.”  Chloe announced.  This was her area.  She knew just where to push kids like that, like her.  She knew exactly what to say to get them, her, to hit them at their most vulnerable.  To push just enough to make an impact without breaking them.

“No, Chloe.  We don’t want to tip our hand and we need you guys to stand sentry.  I want you, Alya, and Nino to hang back acting as scouts. This is likely to go bad and I need you guys in a triangular formation a block out watching for akumas.  Adrien and I will talk to them.”

“Alone?” Nino asked tentatively.  His job was to protect.  He didn’t like the idea of not being close enough to act if they should need it.

“They aren’t going to attack us, at least not physically.  And we will take an extra miraculous each.” Marinette smiled gently to placate him.

“Are you sure two is enough, m’lady?” Adrien asked curiously.

“You sure you aren’t just trying to keep it a bit more intimate for you and your boy?” Alya waggled her eyebrows.

Marinette glared at her, “Two should be enough.” She said ignoring the previous statement, “Combined with your two, we should be able to cover what we need to. It’s just the Batfamily.  We should be able to handle them with just one each even if they wanted to attack us.” She grinned at Adrien.  “Magic, gotta love it.”  

“Okay but when he calls you incompetent, which he will, you need to push back.  Point out the ways he’s failed.  He isn’t better than us, no matter what he thinks and the sooner you make him realize that, the sooner the real conversation can start.” Chloe warned.

“He is all of, what, 13?  We are not going to try to emotionally damage a child.” Nino stated flatly.

“As long as he thinks he is better than us, he won’t take us seriously.” Chloe warned.  Nino just glared back at her, not willing to give in on this.  “Fine, if you don’t want to point out his failings, then point out the most impressive things we’ve done that they haven’t.  That should suffice.  Not as effective, but it should get you there.”

“Okay, if we’re going to start discussing strategy, we’re going to need some sustenance.  Let’s get dinner ready so we can start discussing the plan for tonight,” Alya said throwing Nino’s legs off her lap.  Marinette and Nino followed her to the kitchen leaving Chloe and Adrien behind.

“You know, I noticed something with your analysis, Chloe,” Adrien started quietly keeping his eyes on their friends.

“I would hope you noticed more than just one thing,” Chloe chided him.

“Cute,” he said rolling his eyes, “Jason was the only one you said was dangerous, why is that?  

“I thought it was obvious?  The others have a limit.  I don’t know that he does.  And Marinette likes him, a lot.  He has a power to hurt her that the others don’t.  And they are very different.  They are both willing to go as far as necessary to help others, but to her that means killing herself, to him that means killing everyone else and himself,” She looked at him uncertainly, “and I’m not sure how she will react to that.”

“You think he would do that if we let him stay here?”

“I don’t know enough about him to predict what he will do.  He dialed it back to work with the bats again but… There really isn’t that much on him. I can tell you what Red Hood has done and that is bad, but not Jason Todd.  Since he disappeared, presumed dead, hell maybe he was, who knows what happens in Gotham, there is nothing on Jason Todd.  If you want me to try to predict, you can hop on down to Africa and see if you can borrow the kwami of prediction.  Until then, it’s all guesswork.  I need to see him.  See how he acts before I could even try.”

He stared at her for a few seconds a look of utter confusion on his face, “You think the kwami of prediction is in Africa?”

“Do you ever hear any miraculous related shit doing down in Africa?” she fixed him with a knowing stare.

“No,” he said cautiously

“Exactly, because they know what’s coming and they do their fucking jobs.” She winked at him and walked away.

<><><><><> 

Bruce, Jason, Tim, and Damian sat in the living area of Bruce’s hotel room in various states of suited up for the night.  They had barely had time to throw their bags in their rooms before meeting up to prepare for the night.  Damian was completely dressed and ready to go on a moment’s notice, as always more than ready to focus on business.  Bruce and Tim were in everything but their masks, choosing comfort until they had to leave.  Jason was sitting in a large chair in just his pants and shirt, attempting to look relaxed and nonchalant about them being so close to the girl he met at the gala. They were all staring at a massive screen linking them to Dick, Alfred, and Selina in the Batcave.  

“So, how’s Paris, boys?” Selina asked from her position lounging in one of the chairs.  “Meet any interesting people yet?  Jason?”  She added with a smirk.

“You know Bruce, all work and no play.  We haven’t gotten a chance to get out and meet anyone.  Doing this instead.” Jason shrugged with a practiced indifference, forcing himself to recline further back into the chair in an effort to seem casual.  

“Haven’t even gotten to see the Eiffel Tower yet?” She asked in mock sympathy.

“Oh, no, we saw it… from the plane.” Jason played along.

“You really should make sure to visit the Eiffel Tower while there, Master Bruce.”  Alfred threw in trying to downplay his amused smile.

“It’s not as impressive as you think it will be,” Tim muttered to nobody in particular.

“We’re here for a reason, Jason.  If we don’t want to lose today, we need to get started immediately…”  Bruce admonished him but upon looking up and seeing Alfred’s unimpressed look added, “We can get lunch near the Eiffel Tower tomorrow.  Better?” He looked to Alfred who switched to small smile instead.  Taking that as approval, Bruce nodded to Tim indicating they were ready for him to start his presentation.

Tim nodded to Bruce and moved to the front of the group and pulled up an image from the Ladyblog displaying five superheroes and their names on half of the screen.  “I’ve found a few local resources on the heroes we couldn’t see back home and have downloaded their contents and sent them back to you guys,” he said nodding toward the half of the screen displaying the cave, “so you can look through the information as well.  I’m not sure what is preventing the data from being accessible from America, but I suspect magic.” He glared at the screen like it personally offended him, “I hate magic.

“I’ve only had about 30 minutes to prepare so this is going to be brief.  I mainly focused on… well actually I mainly focused on figuring out the best resources for information, downloading copies of the site content, and sending a copy back to the batcomputer.  But after that, I mainly focused on figuring out who the heroes are so we know who we might run into and who to look for tonight.  

“The available information indicates a villain named Hawkmoth appeared in Paris roughly five years ago…”

“Huh. Where have I heard that before?” Jason muttered from his seat.

“… and the heroes Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared at the same time.” Tim continued a bit louder this time.  “There appear to be five regular heroes and a few heroes that appear from time to time. Here are images of the heroes we know about,” he nodded to the image on the screen.  He switched briefly to another image displaying the lesser known heroes before returning to the image of the main five heroes.  “Not every battle is caught on camera and of the battles that are caught, most of the actual fighting is not caught, making it easy to miss heroes and villains in the fight.  The resources make it clear there likely are more heroes that we don’t know about, which I would say is a definite since your girlfriend didn’t appear on any of the sites.” He nodded toward Jason who just huffed and crossed his arms in response, not willing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

“The primary heroes are Ladybug and Chat Noir, with Ladybug as the leader.  Those are the two we need to convince if we want any information.  We know a few identities of past heroes, including a girl who lives in this hotel, Chloe Bourgeois.  She was a bee themed heroine named Queen Bee.  Since then another bee themed heroine has appeared and is one of the 5 regulars.”

Jason narrowed his eyes at the screen, “It looks like the same person.  Could it be her in a different costume?”

“I don’t think so,” Tim answered shaking his head, “When I was looking at her page on the sites I think I saw that she has been seen at the same time as the new bee hero.  I can analyze it more when I get more time, but the local experts don’t appear to think they are.  We don’t know the identity of the new bee.”

“You think they look similar?” Dick asked incredulously.  “You’re crazy.  Their costume, hair color, eye color, height, everything is different.”  Jason looked between Dick and the image of the two bee wielders a few times.  One of them was crazy, he just wasn’t sure which one of them it was.

“Figure out where she lives then you should arrange to run into her tomorrow.” Bruce said nodding toward Tim.

Tim gave a single nod to Bruce accepting the assignment.  “There seems to have been a massive overhaul of heroes about a year into the fight.  All of the heroes except Ladybug and Chat Noir were replaced with new heroes.  No explanation was given… or maybe there is one I just haven’t found it yet.”

Damian scoffed, “There’s one villain and five or more heroes and they haven’t been able to take him down?  Pathetic. These are the people entrusted with objects capable to destroying the world?”

“I haven’t been able to get much information yet so we don’t know exactly what is going on but it looks like there is more than just Hawkmoth.  He might be a leader or mastermind behind the villains.  I’ve seen at least a few other villain names mentioned when looking up the heroes.”

“Do we think they all have a miraculous as well?” Dick asked.

“Not sure.  I haven’t gotten that far yet, but it stands to reason.” Tim nodded absentmindedly.

Jason moved closer to the screen staring intently at the pictures of Ladybug from different years.  There was something familiar about her but there was something else sitting on the edge of his consciousness, he just needed to figure out what his subconscious was trying to tell him.  His eyebrows furrowed and he narrowed his eyes trying to block out anything but the images.  His eyes widened as the realization suddenly hit him, “Mother fucker!”  He whipped around to Tim, “Do we have any indication of how old these heroes are?  They look like babies in those older pictures.”

Tim shrugged, “Haven’t gotten that far yet so, not sure.  But I glanced at a section on Ladybug and Chat Noir throughout history so at least for them, somewhere between 5 and 5000.  I should have a better idea tomorrow after I’ve had a chance to read a bit more.”  He squinted at the pictures, “You think they look young?”

“You don’t?” Jason asked incredulously.

Damian examined the images a bit harder as well.  “They do seem around my age in the first images.”

“Really?  I’m with Tim, I can’t tell either.  I can’t get a good feel for age when I look at the pictures.” Dick’s voice came over the speaker.  “That’s strange.  Their faces are at least partially exposed.  I should be able to get an idea at least.” He paused for a few seconds. “Do you think the magic is helping conceal their identities as well?”

Tim stared at the images as well, moving slowly closer to them, “Maybe,” he nodded subconsciously, “I can’t get a feel either.  The longer I stare at them the harder it is to tell anything.”

“Magic.” Bruce shook his head in disgust.  “Anything else to tell us tonight, Tim?”

Tim shook his head “Not today.  I’ll have more tomorrow.”

Bruce nodded a thanks and switched places with Tim.  Damian scowled at Tim and moved to put some distance between him and Tim.  Tim fought off rolling his eyes in annoyance, but only just managed it.  Bruce turned to the rest of the team, “Okay, as soon as we are done here, we’ll start scouting the city to see if we can make contact. We are not looking to be too subtle with this.  We want them to know we are here.  If you catch sight of them, let the rest of us know we will send someone to talk to them about a meeting later tonight or tomorrow.  I want to make this very clear.  Our goal today is to meet the local heroes and set up a meeting in the next few days in order to gather more information.   The primary mission is recon.  We have no idea what exactly is going on here or how dangerous it is.  We are not engaging tonight.  We want them to trust us, think we’re on their side, and get as much information out of them as we can, on the situation and the miraculous.”

“If we want them to trust us, we should leave the rabid squirrel here.  Or better yet, send his petty ass home.  He’s only going to cause trouble.” Jason griped, motioning toward Damian.  Tim did roll his eyes this time.  It was a stupid fight to pick.  Damian wasn’t going anywhere.  Damian wanted to come and Bruce gave in.  They were just on containment duty now, trying to minimize the damage Damian would do.

“You’ve made your feelings more than abundantly clear on the matter, Little Wing, frequently.  Damian is there now.  Deal with it.” Dick reprimanded him, tired of this conversation. Jason hadn’t gotten his way in their discussion in the Batcave.  He hadn’t gotten his way discussing it the next day.  He hadn’t gotten his way in the car on the way to the airport or boarding the plane or on the plane or deplaning or while checking into the hotel, he wasn’t going to get Damian kicked off the mission now.

“Someone needs to be there to make sure you don’t tell them all our secrets trying to impress some vapid, philistine harpy.” Damian snapped turning his back to Jason.  

It was a small miscalculation, but in this family that is all that is needed. By moving away from Tim, he had placed himself close to Jason and by turning, he had left himself open to Jason’s much longer arm reach.  Jason grabbed Damian’s cape and yanked back sharply.  “Watch your mouth, you puerile, creepy, little shit.”  Damian let out a startled grunt before landing with a loud thump on the ground.  He growled at Jason and tensed to pounce on him.

“Jason!” Bruce admonished moving between the two boys.  “Let’s focus on the mission.”

Jason rolled his eyes.  Of fucking course that would be Bruce’s reaction. “Right. Don’t want to prevent the oncoming disaster if it’s coming from inside the house.” He leaned back in the chair with a huff.  “You want to focus on the mission, Old Man?  Fine.  Coming at them with an almost full team that includes this asshole,” he motioned toward Damian, “doesn’t exactly scream ‘trust us’, does it?  Do we really want everyone to show up to this thing?  Maybe one or two of you should stay in the room.”

“Considering your girlfriend threatened to leave us bloody and broken, more is probably a safer bet.  We probably should have insisted on Dick coming as well, maybe have the girls meet us here too.  And do you really want to leave Damian unsupervised?” Tim asked with a raised brow fully facing him.  The only way to attempt to contain Damian at this point was to keep him close and Jason knew it.

“You could stay with him.  We weren’t planning on actually having a discussion tonight anyway.  That way you could get more research done and someone could watch the child.” Jason reasoned. Tim nodded in thought.  Not a bad idea at all.  He would like more time to research before they actually interacted with any of the heroes.  But it came from Jason so there must be something wrong with it.  He just needed to figure out what it was.

Damian growled at the description.  “I am not a child.”

Jason scoffed back at him, “You act like one.”

Damian jumped at him flipping midair and unsheathing his katana, landing with it a few centimeters from Jason’s jugular, “Could a child do that?”

“One just did.” Jason glowered at him, hitting the sword away.

“Jason has a point.” Dick spoke up, breaking the tension.  Damian whipped his head to Dick’s image on the screen his face giving away a flash of hurt before almost immediately schooling his expression into a blank look.

“Did that hurt to say?” Jason asked with a smirk, “It looked like it hurt. That’s okay sometimes the most satisfying things do.”

“Yeah, that’s healthy,” Tim muttered to himself.

Dick rolled his eyes and continued on, ignoring Jason, “Sending so many, especially hostile ones, looks like a power play.  It looks like you’re trying to intimidate them.”

“We are,” Damian snapped at him.

“You aren’t.” Dick corrected him. “You’re trying to get them on your side. You are trying to get them to trust you.  Not scare them.”

“We won’t all show up to meet them.  I’ll take the lead along with Tim.  Jason and Damian will hold back and watch.” Bruce clarified.  “For tonight I want everyone out and about so we can cover more ground and hopefully either run into one of the heroes or make our presence known enough to get their attention for tomorrow.”

“If this” Damian indicated all of them in the room, “is all it takes to scare them, they need our help more than we thought.”

“He didn’t say it would scare them, he said it looks like we are trying to scare them.” Jason responded with a sharp edge to his voice.

“You’re welcome to stay back in the room.” Tim offered annoyed with the conversation.

“I have information I want too” Jason growled at him.

“We are not here to get information on that woman.” Tim rebuked him.

“You aren’t” Jason muttered turning away.

“Jason” Bruce said sternly, “We are here to collect data on the miraculous and the heroes and see how much danger we and the world are in and if something needs to be done.”

“Not get you a date with a girl you don’t know and don’t even know if she is interested.” Tim taunted him.

“This is not about getting a date,” Jason defended himself.

Tim, Dick, and Damian all scoffed in unison while Bruce and Alfred gave Jason a skeptical look.  Selina sat in the background with an amused smile.  Really, the only result she was interested in from this mission was Jason finding his girl.

Jason glared at him before turning to Bruce, “I know what we’re here for…” He wouldn’t turn a date down if it should come up and if he managed to find her, he was definitely going to ask her.  But, his priority was to help her, which meant both finding her and getting information on the miraculous.  If he wanted to achieve both of his goals, he first needed to focus on that the family wanted… for now, so they would be distracted and he could focus on his other mission alone.  “What exactly were you thinking might need to be done?”

“Whatever we have to.” Bruce responded calmly but with steel in his eyes.

Jason furrowed his brows at Bruce.  That explanation was significantly more hostile than the original mission statement.  Not that he was surprised, but Bruce stating it so plainly meant he considered it a higher probability.  “That’s a far cry from the ‘we’re just gathering information’ mission you extolled earlier.” Jason gritted out.

“It’s all related.” Bruce stated.

“Why do you think we’re here, Todd?  We need to figure out if we need to acquire the miraculous and how to do so.” Damian snapped at him.

“You’re planning on taking the miraculous?” Tim rounded on Bruce, his confusion evident, having come to the same conclusion as Jason.  “You said over and over again you didn’t think we needed to worry about the girl that broke into the cave and now you’re planning on stealing their miraculous?”

“We are not going to steal their miraculous!” Jason exclaimed.  What the hell was going on?  He had thought they were making progress.  Bruce agreed to investigate and offer help fight Paris’ villain and now they were planning on taking out the heroes themselves.

“We are going to assess the situation.” Bruce clarified trying to pacify them and bring emotions down to a quiet rumbling rather than a full out roar. Completely content was never an option and Bruce knew it.

“We wouldn’t steal Green Lantern’s ring, we shouldn’t even be thinking about touching theirs.”  Jason yelled.

“We would if he were evil.” Dick reasoned, not at all surprised by the turn of events and long past getting upset when Bruce made plans like these. Bruce liked to be prepared.  The Paris heroes might not ever do anything evil. They might become allies, but that wouldn’t stop Bruce from figuring out their weaknesses and how to take them down should the need arise.

“If they were evil, Constantine wouldn’t be helping them.” Jason argued back, his face starting to turn red, “Not wanting to have you interfere doesn’t make them evil B.” Jason argued back.

“We are not planning on taking anything, but we need to be prepared if things go bad.  We don’t know enough to even begin to guess what could go wrong to cause us to step in. At this stage, we are just trying to get an idea what is going on so we can get a better idea of what to ask later so we can make a plan.” Bruce started moving toward the balcony doors as he pulled on his cowl, “Now finish suiting up.  Let’s go.”

“Oh this is going to go just fucking swimmingly,” Jason muttered under his breath as he pulled on his jacket and grabbed his helmet.  Tim hummed in agreement and started bracing for the worst, which was standard practice at this point.

   Chapter 5

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 Note: *Sigh* I honestly thought they would meet again, kinda, in this chapter, but then they didn’t, the unruly bastards.  So very sorry.  Next chapter I promise!  I swear it is the next scene.

[imthepunchlord]

Ok, so I was gonna wait to send this, but I'm afraid I'm gonna forget it, so I'll just send it now. This idea came to me after remembering one of your old asks where you put out the idea that the canon miracle box was one Fu put together with miraculous from several different boxes, and this line in a more recent asks "And throughout history, in hero selection, it's been a mix of free-roaming kwamis deciding, inheritance or stealing, and chosen by Guardians. With some kwamis becoming free roaming after they're lost or a faction of Order falling." So pretty much if you do decide to go with the idea that the og 7 aren't as connected, maybe (if you want to follow a similar start to canon) during the fall of the order (whether it was from Feast, Statue Mei Shi, a supernatural creature, a magic using enemy, a fire, or just some natural disaster) one of the guardians gave Fu a few miraculous they could collect (the just ladybug, cat, fox, bee, and turtle and not a whole box). Some time after the fall Fu event decides to carve a box reminiscent of the older boxes. As for the other miraculous they managed to survive and are still out in the world. This isn't really a suggestion for anything and more of just a little idea I had that I just wanted to share, so feel free not to take it too seriously.

Thank you for the suggestion, unfortunately I'm just going to have to put this as a "we'll see" answer.

I am currently making plans and changes to ML on what I think is going to be the best story route.

And at this time, that doesn't really involve the OG 7 being together in anyway.

Not only is Butterfly and Peafowl not with Fu, but for sure Fox isn't going to be with Fu either. It's either a family heirloom of the Rossi family (with Lila's great grandmother being a Guardian or pupil that was sent away with the Fox during the chaos of the Fall) OR Lila actually does buy it at the jewelry store, with Trixx drawn to her because she's a naturally deceptive person, and maybe an ancestor of Lila did use Fox before so Trixx is up to work with this bloodline again.

Bee also may not be with Fu, as at this time, Bee is still planned to wind up in Chloe's possession, and with what I'm thinking, that would work easier if Bee was not in Fu's possession.

I also can't say for sure that Fu will even have Ladybug and Cat.

Especially as I'm debating if Fu should even be in Paris at the start. At the core, there's not a lot he brings in to the story, he doesn't engage himself with the leads at all, most of s1, he stands in the background and watches. And him picking heroes isn't even all that exclusive to him. Early concept had Ladybug and Cat just coming into Marinette and Felix's lives on their own.

Though you do have the movie toeing the middle between the two concepts, with Ladybug and Cat in Fu's possession, but Tikki and Plagg pick the heroes themselves and their Miraculous zipping away from Fu.

But, given how uninvolved he is in most of s1, and his "tests" are kinda dicey, it may be better that he comes in later, drawn to Paris by it's Miraculous activity, and everything he brings in can be there post his arrival. And it can add that meeting Fu (and by extension Lila) can confirm that there's far more Miraculous out there than just 3.

At this time, the only confirmed Miraculous in Fu's possession is the Turtle. He is planned to have a few more, though not the 17 he has in canon.

[mlwritingprompts]

Submitted prompt:

Edited slightly.

Fu was an idiot in “Origins”.

And so, this prompt was made.

—-

So, we know that after Fu tested Mainette in a quite dangerous test, and doing so to Adrien (albeit in a much blander and safer test for some reason), the old man somehow ended up deciding that; yes, those two random kids are worthy enough of a miraculous, the two strongest Miraculouses to boot, and that they are possibly soulmates!

Even though Tikki and Plagg are more like siblings and didn’t choose their holders, but whatever flimsy symbolism needed to add forced romance, I guess.

And so, Tikki and Plagg were given to a couple of teenagers because the Guardian is an idiot.

Anyways, we skip into when Stoneheart started his rampage, and Adrien and Marinette found out about the Miraculouses and kwami in their rooms.

Tikki as usual is straight to the point, and doesn’t even think of using the fact that Marinette is completely clueless to trick her into freeing her from her enslavement, because she’s been enslaved so long she’s given up hope, and has been brainwashed (in the same way Marinette is by Ms. Bustier and Adrien in canon) to always put the wellbeing of others before herself. She thinks its her duty to help people even if it means she has no free will.

Plagg though is harder to control, because unlike Tikki, he viscerally hates transforming, and the resentment from being forced to overshadows whatever guilt and shaming are piled onto him to get him to help, and even though he is under the commands of the Guardian to spill the needed information to the kid, Plagg decides to be a little crafty.

Instead of only telling Adrien how to transform or what his power is, he quickly makes a small ‘lie’ and tells the kid that he first needs to 'charge up’ the Miraculous with his Cataclysm before the transformation can be used fully. If he doesn’t, Adrien will only get a costume change, no super strength, speed, or special abilities.

He tricks Adrien into telling him to Cataclysm the Miraculous, saying that there’s a ritual involved and Adrien must recite the proper words for the transfer of energy to work.

Plagg is smart here.

And while Adrien believes this, it’s not because he’s stupid. He just has no frame of reference. There’s no reason for him not to believe Plagg. 

He tells Plagg to Cataclysm the Ring, and Plagg does so happily, with Adrien excitedly waiting to see what happens. 

The ring gets obliterated, and Plagg smiles at his freedom, and without another word to Adrien, who is still excited, flies straight back to Master Fu’s home, not even bothering to avoid buildings or people or trying to avoid being seen.

With the faintest of breaths, he destroys the entire house, along with Fu.

It takes only a second for Wayzz to appear, completely baffled at what’s going on.

Plagg doesn’t joke around and tells him to give the Miraculous Box so he can destroy the damn thing.

Wayzz accepts, and the kwamies locked in the box get freed, and now only Nooroo, Duusuu, and Tikki are still enslaved.

This time, Wayzz and Trixx go to the source of screams and chaos in the city, and see Marinette who is transformed as a superhero.

Wayzz locks the rampaging Akuma in one of his god-tier shell-ters, and Trixx makes an illusion as if the battle is still happening so that Gabriel won’t suspect anything while they tell Marinette that they need her to give Tikki’s miraculous to free Tikki.

Marinette is more than happy to let them take back the responsibility that was shoved onto her lap without any warning of asking her if she is okay with having the lives of everyone in the city rest in her hands, and detransforms immediately inside another of Trixx’s illusions, so that her identity is kept safe.

Plagg immeidately Cataclysms the earrings, and Tikki and the other kwami defeat and purify Stoneheart within minutes, and follow the butterfly back to Gabriel’s lair, which Plagg recognises as the home of his would-be holder. Man, he really dodged a bullet there!

Nooroo and Duusuu were freed before the sun even set, and Gabriel is killed for his crimes, and Emilie as well, once Duusuu explains that it was through using their broken Miraculous against their protests that she became comatose.

The kwami are free, Gabriel, Emilie, and Master Fu are dead, and Marinette is not forced to shoulder the weight of the whole world.

It’s a different universe, but there are so many questions that need to be answered and explored. How does Marinette react to the day’s events? Do she and Tikki meet again and becomes friends, or is it simply a mystery Marinette thinks will never be solved? How does the encounter change her behavior? How does Adrien react to the death of both his parents, and the revelation that his mother’s body was in their basment the entire time his father allowed him to believe she was missing???? How does he react to meeting Plagg, only to never see him again? 

Rules for the blog - send a prompt

[celestiall0tus]

Weird ask, but picture this: all your kwamis are all havin a cookout together. Who's all together, and what are each kwami doing?

Weird, but very welcome after the emotional rollercoaster I just rode on.

Let's see.

Mill would be working the grill with Min.

Tikki would be decorating with Vana and Nooroo.

Ziggy is hosting but doing none of the hard work, rather overseeing.

Mell and Duusu would be lounging while Corbin is nearby them brooding/sulking.

Plagg I see trying to cover a decent amount of food with cheese sauce "ruining" it for everyone else. Meanwhile Orikko is trying to instigate fights where he can with Barkk lecturing when she catches him.

Xuppu, Stompp, Daizzi, and Trixx would be planning and coordinating games.

Memoria and Fluff are going through the list of attendees and ensuring everyone was in attendance.

Wayzz and Roarr would be guarding the food from any certain cheese obsessed cats. Meanwhile Sass and Terra (with Psyche near Terra) are arguing over the spread and what is better/healthier to eat.

Fang and Kaalki would be playing with Longg.

Mullo, Styx, Silkii, Gimmi, Luz, Lethe, Orsus, Moirai, and Pollen would be watching the chaos unfold.

[neakco]

You're Not Alone Ch. 3

Ao3 the start Ch.1 Ch.2 Ch.4

Marinette looks back on her week as she gets ready to return to Paris and to school.

Marinette leaned against her bag in the bat cave. This was it, time to go home. She glanced fondly to where Damian and Tim were arguing over what her designation should be. Looking to her other side allowed her to see Kon and Jon who were supposedly keeping watch but instead were watching the two Robin’s argue.

 

“So you finish assigning me a designation then I get access to the tubes forever?” She watched as Damian and Tim paused in their scuffle, Damian's elbow jammed in Tim's ribs.

 

Tim smiled at her despite the painful position he seemed to be holding, “Yep, all you have to do is state your designation and you will have access to any of the tubes in Gotham or the one in Paris if you are here.”

 

Jon spoke up from across the cave, “Why don’t you two just ask her which name she likes better?”

 

Kon snorted, “Because the moment they decide on a name there is nothing to stop her from leaving.”

 

Neither Robin answered as they instead went back to their fight.

 

Marinette smiled and laid back on her bag. It was nice to see her birds getting along. Sure some may not see it, but neither had pulled out any weapons and none of the blows hit with force.

 

She looked back on her week, there were probably too many days where she cried on Tim, but she definitely felt better now, stronger. She could face her friend now and not have it hurt.

 

She almost laughed as she thought back to Monday night. Bruce saw her getting ready to join patrol and forbid her from lending Trixx to Tim. Not liking being told who she could and could not give the miraculous to she made the wonderful decision to lend Trixx to Jason instead. In hindering there was no way that was going to turn out well. She still thought it was worth the look on Bruce’s face.

 

The chaos was so great that he hadn’t  even noticed Damian using Longg until after she had recruited Chat to help her control the chaos. Marinette hummed to herself, if anything calling Chat had only made things worse. Seeing him twice that day was really bad for her heart, but at least Batman had a worse time. She still wasn’t sure if he ever noticed Tim shield surfing amongst all the other chaos.

 

Bruce had banned her from handing out any more miraculous during patrols, she only agreed because he said he would let Red Robin patrol again. It also helped that she could still drag the boys with her to fight akumas. Orikko and Tim paired well together.

 

Sadly Damian couldn’t help during that akuma. The fight would have been over a lot sooner with a dragon. Probably would have been less food puns with Damian threatening to stab someone. She blamed Chat Noir. He called Tim Rouge-Gorge like the American restaurant. They probably shouldn’t let Kon know how often Tim was called yummy during that fight.

 

She was snapped out of remembering quite violently when Kon had tossed her suddenly towards the sparing mats. She landed herself in a fighting stance and noticed Damian doing the same as Jon tossed him. She looked quickly towards Tim and saw that he had pulled up a summary of her last spare and what she needed to work on. She smiled, guess the supers were working as lookouts after all.

 

She didn’t allow anymore time for thoughts as she launched into a series of fast palm strikes. Damian sadly wasn’t taken surprise and blocked her before launching into a counter.

 

“What is all this? I thought Little Red was leaving.” Dick looked over the cave as she and Damian stopped sparing to look at him.

 

Dick walked over to Tim without waiting for an answer. He closed the analysis and started typing.

 

“MLB-01 registered.” Flashed on the screen and Dick just shook his head and walked back the way he came without another word.

 

The five teens looked at each other a little sheepishly before Marinette decide to take the opportunity to hug Damian.

 

“Get off me woman.”

 

“I will miss you too Damian.” She smiled and let go before he stabbed her then walked over to the Kents. She grabbed them both in a hug, “Come visit after an akuma attack sometime.”

 

“No promises,” Kon laughed as he hugged her back and tugged one of her pigtails.

 

She batted his hand away then went to gove Tim a hug. “Thanks for being my rock.”

 

His return hug caused her ribs to ache slightly but she didn’t care. “Anytime Bug.”

 

Her eyes started to tear up. This week was so much fun, she would really miss them. “We never finished writing our love song.”

 

Tim laughed, “That's because neither of us are very good at coming up with a melody.” He released her from the hug a little reluctantly and grabbed her bag from Damian in order to hand it to her. “Call me when you get home Bug.”

 

She smiled a little watery but accepted the bag.

 

“None of that now,” Tim wiped her tears away with a handkerchief, “We are still on for Saturday Brunch next week.”

 

“DC.” She looked over at Damian glaring at her and smiled. He was trying to hide how upset he was. “Call if you need us, it will be a pleasure to trounce your villains for you.”

 

She smiled, “Of course.” She stepped up to the tube. “Thank you. I will talk to you soon, I promise.” She input her designation and was off to Paris before any of them had a chance to respond.

 

It was better this way. This way she wouldn’t cry anymore.

 

She opened her purse and smiled at Tikki. “As far as travel goes I think I prefer Kaalki's portals.”

 

Tikki just giggled and munched on a cookie.

 

Marinette closed her purse and carefully left the building. She wasn’t too surprised to find herself near the Grand Hotel. Her secret phone dinged and Tikki handed it up to her quietly.

 

‘The limo is for u.’

 

‘I took u away in style Im going to return u in style.’

 

‘u r worth it.’

 

She smiled and sent a thank you back to Tim.  She would repay him with some pastries next Saturday.

 

Her parents were busy in the bakery but still made time to give her a quick hug. Her maman even commented on her smile. She flushed a little at that. Guess she wasn’t as good at faking them as she thought.

 

Once in her room she turned on her normal phone and listened to all the messages come in. There were a couple from Luka and Adrien asking her to let them know when she made it back and Luka hoping she found what she needed to.

 

Adrien let her know he was excited to see her at school and let her know he had a lot to catch her up on. Luka wanted to know if she could hang out after school since he had a new song to show her and wanted to know about her week.

 

She responded to both of them and then took a steadying breath. She couldn’t avoid it any longer.

 

She took her time to open up Alya's messages. Ninety-four messages, most of them creative rephrasing of the questions: How do you know the Waynes? Did you meet any heroes? Are you dating one of them? Why are you ignoring me? Oh and Marinette’s favourite; Lila says you would totally have cell service in the states.

 

She groaned and handed the phone over to Tikki to read while she thought of a response. Deciding that she really just wanted to call Tim and sleep she told Alya she was jetlagged and they could talk in person tomorrow.

 

Maybe future Marinette would be well rested enough to handle Alya.

One more chapter and we are done. Maybe then my brain will finally release me from this universe and let me write for other stories.

That said, let me know if there are any scenes you want to see. I am happy to try and write them.

Taglist: @novemberistired @novemberandmay @laurcad123 @certainmuffinbagelcalzone