#supermari

[adeva-eira]

SuperMari!

Marinette, Conner and Tim on a Mission-

Marinette: Holy sh*t these guys shot at me! They could have killed me!

Tim: You're bulletproof, Mars....dramaqueen...

Marinette: Ya but I have Feelings, Timothy! Feelings!!!

#dc x miraculous #maribat #marinette x batfam #miraculous x dc #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #marinette dupain cheng #supermari #superboy #red robin #conner kent #tim drake #konette #timnette #timkon #fan comic #i did this instead of studying

[bee-a-garbage-shipper]

*Adrien x DCU meaning Non Polyamory Adrien x DCU Character Ships

#miraculous ladybug #ml show #dc au #mlb au #dcu #dc comics #dcnette #maribat #arrownette #flashnette #supermari #adrien agreste #🐝's polls #🐝's post #western animation

[marauderundercover]

Stars Shine

AO3

Prev

Clark Kent didn’t often take days off. He enjoyed both of his jobs (being a journalist was something he liked almost as much as being a hero), and didn’t really see a need to stay at home alone. And then, his niece was born. And suddenly, days off were important. Because days off meant time he got to spend with his adorable niece. Someone who was growing and learning more and more every time he saw her. Like now. His older brother and Sabine had a convention in DC, which meant Marinette was staying with him in Metropolis for a week. Which meant, he was supposed to be off duty for the week.

“Bruce, I don’t exactly have an Alfred. What was I supposed to do with her? You’re the one who sent the emergency call even though you knew I had her this week.” He asks, trying not to let his tone suggest how frustrated he was. No need to upset Marinette (who was currently going back and forth between looking out the windows of the Watchtower and looking at him). Bruce’s jaw clenches slightly, his lips pursed.

“Bringing a child here was-” Bruce starts, but Marinette cuts him off with a squeal.

“Étoiles! Oncle Clark, étoiles!” She says, grinning from ear to ear, pointing out the window. Clark nods, smiling back at her.

“Yes they are. Can you say, star?” He asks, adjusting his hold to point back out the window.

“Oui! Star!” She says, before clapping. Bruce’s face falls slack as he sighs.

“I’ll have Robin stay here with her. But we need you.” He says. Clark nods. Robin was eleven, that’s old enough to babysit, right?

—-

Dick did not sign up for this when he put on the cape and became Robin. He wanted to avenge his parents and fight alongside Bruce. He didn’t want to babysit a toddler! He was totally whelmed.

“Brille, brille petite étoile dans la nuit qui se dévoile. Tout là-haut au firmament, tu scintilles comme un diamant. Brille, brille petite étoile, veille sur ceux qui dorment en bas.” The little girl, Marinette, sings again. She’d been singing it pretty much nonstop. And while it was cute the first couple of times, there were only so many times he could listen to ‘twinkle twinkle’ before he lost his mind.

“So, your Uncle said you’ve been working on English, too. That’s cool.” Dick says, because what else do you say to a random toddler that just so happens to be Superman’s niece?

“Cool!” She says, grinning. Dick grins back, unable to keep it in. Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad.

“Wanna see a cool trick?” He asks. She nods. Dick jumps to his feet and does a couple of cartwheels before moving into a back handspring. Landing it, he looks over to the kid. He grins immediately when he sees the awed expression on her face as she claps excitedly.

“Again! Encore!” She giggles. Dick does, adding in a couple more flourishes with it just to make the kid giggle more. “Robin teach?” She asks, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Dick frowns, thinking of something he could teach her. She was really little-

“Okay, but we have to be very, very careful, okay?” He asks. She nods, grinning.

“Okay!” Somersaults were easy enough for toddlers, right? He couldn’t remember what he’d learned by the time he was her age. He just knew he started learning tricks young. But how hard could it be to teach a two year old somersaults?

—-

Walking back into the Watchtower, Clark immediately zeroes in his hearing for his niece. Ignoring Bruce’s calls (probably reminding him to fill out his reports), he follows the sound of Marinette giggling. Walking into one of the gyms, he’s slightly shocked to see Dick helping her do a cartwheel on one of the mats. It was rough, but the second she was on her feet again, she cheered.

“Again, oiseau! Again!” She exclaims, clapping her hands. Dick laughs.

“Why don’t we try the somersault again instead?” He suggests. Marinette pouts.

“Non. Cartwheel please!” She says, moving into a position to attempt it again. Clark can see the moment she spots him. Her eyes widen and she runs to him, arms outstretched. Clark grins and picks her up, tossing her in the air gently. She giggles before landing back in his arms, hugging him tightly. Clark relaxes, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as he hugs her close. It’s not that he doubted Dick’s ability to babysit, but he had realized after leaving that the boy was an only child and had likely never spent time with such a young child before.

“Did you have fun with Robin?” He asks her, and she nods, grinning.

“Oui. Robin is my friend.” She says matter-of-factly. Clark glances at Dick, grinning at the shocked look on the boy’s face.

“Looks like you have a new friend, Robin.” He says. The boy grins, snapping out of his shock.

“I guess so. If you ever wanna learn more tricks, kid, you know where I am.” He says, and Marinette grins.

“Cool!” She says. Dick laughs and nods.

“Oh yeah kid, the coolest.” He says. Clark grins.

“Thank you for watching her, Robin.” He says. Dick grins.

“Any time. She’s a pretty cool kid.” He says. Clark laughs.

“That she is. Ready to go home, Sunshine?” He asks. Marinette shakes her head.

“No.” She says, turning around so that she can reach towards Dick. He reaches back towards her and she immediately latches onto him, giving him a tight hug. “Love you!” She says, hugging him close. Clark sneakily brings up his phone, snapping a quick picture of the two. He’d make sure to send it to Bruce later.

“Love you too kiddo.” Dick says, his voice quiet. Marinette leans back and reaches for Clark again. Once she’s settled in his arms, she waves at Dick.

“Bye bye!” She says. Clark grins.

“Bye Robin.” He says lightly, heading towards the Zeta tubes. Maybe he could arrange for Dick to babysit again. They both seemed to enjoy it. And if Marinette kept up with gymnastics, Dick would really be able to help her. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt for either of them to spend time with actual kids. Maybe they’d even grow up to be friends.

Next

Tag list: @maribat-calendar-events  @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13  @toodaloo-kangaroo  @crazylittlemunchkin @buttercupsbitch @jayjayspixiepop @iloontjeboontje

#maribat #maribat superman #maribat batman #maribat robin #maribat dick grayson #maribat dick grayson is robin #maribat bruce wayne #maribat clark kent #maribat marinette dupain cheng #platonic maribat #platonic relationships #supermari #supermari may #supermari may 2022 #platonic supermari

[abyssal-ali]

Sweet Denials make for even Sweeter Victories

Pairing: Konette

Rating: T

WC: ~0.3k

A/N: Ella from HMB! Discord sent a reel I *had* to write and this got typed up in like 5 minutes. Thanks for the title, Ella! Inspiration reel here.

•○•♡•○•

"Babe, I'm home!" Called Conner from the foyer.

Marinette dropped her notebook and hurried to meet her boyfriend, who'd just returned from a two-week space mission with the Justice League.

"Hey, babe!"

A devious smirk crossed her face as a thought ran through her mind. While Kon was gone, she'd spent a little more time than usual on social media and had seen a prank she wanted to try.

Kon crossed to the doorway she was in to kiss her, and she eagerly leaned in.

At the last second she turned her head so his lips met her cheek.

Conner frowned in puzzlement but assumed she'd gotten an itchy nose or something. He tried again when Marinette stayed still.

Her other cheek met his lips.

"Hey! It's been two weeks! I just want to kiss my girl!"

"Sorry," she giggled, not looking sorry at all, as she pursed her lips for a proper kiss to make it up to her boyfriend.

For a third time, he kissed her cheek instead of his intended target. Kon stepped back with a frown as Marinette snickered at his pout.

Sighing, he grabbed her face and pulled her into a breathless, toe-curling kiss.

He released her and immediately grabbed her waist to keep her upright as she wavered backwards, having lost her balance and breath.

"Was that good?" Her eyes sparkled with laughter and happiness.

"That was fantastic," he grumbled. "But that's how you show me you miss me after two weeks of not seeing you?"

"Of course not. I believe we have two weeks and three failed attempts' worth of kisses to catch up on?"

EDIT: JUST REMEMBERED I HAVE A TINY TAGLIST WHOOPS

@hmb-discord @questioning-blob-of-fog

Lmk if you want to be added to a maribat/general taglist!

#Konette #My first rarepair!! #Mlbxdc #Dcxmlb #ali writes #Is it konnette or konette? #Konnette #Supermari #Fic #Meet cute

[aksartisticlife]

#marinette dupain cheng #miraculous ladybug #maribat #miraculous fanfic #fanfic #supermari may #supermari #conner kent #kon el kent #konette

[khneltea]

Day 3 - Original

So...About That Jacket...

MASTERLIST | PREVIOUS | NEXT

Marinette was going to kill him. She was going to murder Adrien "Radiant Carefree Dreamy" Agreste. Say goodbye, world, to the blond sunshine. He was not long for this world, and it was inevitable for it to be shortened because of his actions. She could handle the drama. She could handle the daddy and mommy issues. She could even handle the goddamn leather cat suit.

But this? This was where she drew the line.

"What," she growled, pinning her brother down with her glare and the mop she found in the kitchen, "did you do to the jacket?"

Adrien was cornered. He had nowhere to go. All possible exits were blocked by Marinette, Plagg was preoccupied with two whole wheels of Camembert, and Marinette had that look in her eye. The one promising pain and torture and his anime collection finding itself on eBay before he could even say "spaghetti". What's worse was that Marinette knew she had him on the ropes.

He gulped. "I can explain?"

"Start talking." She leveled the handle to his neck, and his eyes grew frantic. "If you talk fast enough, I might cancel the auction for your PreCure action figure in time."

"You don't mean..." He gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. "Not Cure Twinkle, Go! Princess Precure limited edition! Anyone but her! Take Cure Flora, or Scarlet, but not Twinkle!"

"Then, you better start talking, Agreste."

He cried like a baby after that.

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

"You what?"

"I'm so sorry, Mari! I thought it was one of my jackets."

"It was on my bed. It was in my room. You don't just take stuff out of my room—"

"But we had movie night in your room, and I was in a rush! You know how my professor treats students who are late, even if it was just once!"

"That doesn't mean you get to give the jacket to a random stranger in the street who looked cute!"

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

Marinette flopped on the couch, grabbing onto a discarded throw pillow. "What am I going to do?"

"Can't you just buy him a new jacket?" Adrien suggested, then held up a throw pillow in front of his face. The amount of times a heavy object was hurled at his head by a grumpy or catastrophizing Marinette was enough for him to be fearful of her moods.

She mumbled gibberish into the throw pillow. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that again for me, Mari?"

"I can't." She lifted her head off the pillow to give him a self-loathing glare. "His grandmother made it for him. He told me when we went on that study date."

"Oh." Adrien deflated, not even noticing she called it a date like he had been telling her it was. An idea hit him. "Well, why don't you make one for him? An MDC original, handmade by MDC herself, has got to be worth something, right?"

Marinette opened her mouth to refute it, and closed it, thinking. If she could make it exactly how it was when she got it...

She jumped up, rushing to her bedroom. She needed to research where the hell could she buy flannel from Kansas fast.

As soon as she left the room, Adrien collapsed on the couch. He congratulated himself. He wasn't going to die today. Maybe.

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

Two days and one sleepless night later, she regretted all her decisions. Thank Kwami it was a weekend.

Somehow, she had convinced Kaalki to transport her to a small haberdashery in rural Kansas. The isolated town of Smallville was quaint with its little shops and smiling folks. Vintage cars and retro shops lined the streets, and they even had an old school general store near the center of town. It looked like a place she could imagine herself growing old in, and she would have loved to explore the place more, maybe get one of those famous apple pies Jon kept telling her about, if she hadn't seen the boy himself sitting in the back of an old blue pickup truck the moment she stepped out of the haberdashery.

So, you might ask, what did she do?

Simple. She ducked in between the haberdashery and the laundromat, summoned Kaalki, and portalled out of there in five seconds flat.

That wasn't even the least of her troubles. When she came back to class on Monday, Jon sat next to her like usual. It would have been fine until he mentioned her visit to Smallville. She didn't even realise that he'd seen her.

"Uh— yeah Smallville went— I mean, I went to your Smallville— wait, no that's not right, I wanted to jacket—" She lit up bright red and shoved the box she carried into class at him.

"Oomph!" Jon held the box and furrowed his eyebrows. "What's this?"

She took a deep breath. "So you remember that jacket you lent me when we first met? The flannel one that your grandma made you? Well, my roommate slash brother kinda took it without me knowing and somehow gave it to a stranger, so I made you a new one and it's made of the same materials that your grandma used, at least I think they're made of the same material and I couldn't find the correct buttons so I picked the closest one to it and I'm sosorryagainit'sallmyfault—"

She didn't even know her eyes were closed until she was shocked by a weight falling on her shoulders. The surprise made her jump, hitting Jon on the forehead.

"OUCH!"

They looked at each other, and they laughed at the red forming on their heads. They were a pair of blue-eyed clumsy idiots. But, they were a pair of blue-eyed clumsy idiots together in the same economics course.

Grinning, Jon opened the box, took out the jacket, and put it on, showing off the back to Marinette. "How do I look?"

The MDC original signature fluttered on the collar as he spun around.

"It's perfect." She beamed, clutching her hands close to her heart.

---------

Bloopers:

Adrien nudged her as she ran to the car waiting in front of the campus. "Hey, hey, hey—"

"What do you want?" She hissed, resisting the urge to yank him by the ear. Damn tall genes.

"You might want a stop staring at his neck like that." He wiggled his eyebrows. "He's gonna start thinking you're a vampire, or maybe you've got a neck kink—"

"START WALKING, AGRESTE!"

so i've rewritten this author note at least four times now, so I'm just gonna leave it at the regular greetings. like, reblog, and comment! thanks for @maribat-calendar-events for the wonderful prompts, and everyone have a good day

tag list: (OPEN TAG LIST)

@verymuchimmortalcat @wolfy-kat @jumpingjoy82 @couffeeine

#SuperMari May 2022 #SuperMari May #maribat #romance #platonic #maribatmarinette #maribatmarinettedupaincheng #maribatjonkent #supermari #supermari may pre emptive #marijon #jonette #original

[maribatserver]

8 Weeks until the Tag Team Tournament

Our first graphic is for Sunshine Children, the team representing Marijon! Anyone got any plans to "tag in" for this super combination? With 8 weeks until July 31st, you've got plenty of time to make some!

Check back next week for the next team graphic as we count down to our Tag Team Tournament!

Special thanks to mods @newdog14 and @nottesilhouette for designing these graphics!

#maribat #mlb x dc #marijon #supermari #maribat server #maribat discord server #TTT2022 #ship war #tag team tournament

[ggomos-maribat]

It's Just Me, You, and the Cosmos

A small piece for SuperMari May, cross posted from AO3

Nothing else rang in his head except the harsh words uttered by Damian, and a replay of their latest mission which he apparently nearly steered to failure. Immature. Impulsive. Reckless. As much as he wanted to deny those descriptors, he only fell more disheartened. Sure he strayed away from the plan at times, but he understood the consequences of what he was doing. The rest of the team didn't see that.

The final blow was delivered when they mentioned his father.

Jon had flown out of their base as fast he could, withholding the tears pooling at his eyes. He knew he wasn't the glorified Superman, the symbol of hope and founder of the Justice League. He wasn't his father who had saved countless lives, who knew exactly what to do each time. He knew his own shortcomings more than anyone else and to have his insecurities thrown at him was like a kryptonite-infused slap in the face.

And that was how Superboy found himself hovering past the earth's atmosphere, in the vast space littered with stars. He had carefully avoided the Watchtower and its line of sight, propelling himself near the sun. He swallowed thickly. They can get by a few hours without me.

His friend lashing out wasn't a rare occurrence and he was certainly used to it, but it was one of the times he needed to take a step back. There was an anxious thought at the back of his head saying that he didn't actually deserve to be a hero, that he was dead weight if not a liability even with his powers.

Jon ran his hand through his head. That's not true. And yet the thought persisted as he thought back to their missions.

He suddenly felt a tap on his hand, startling him a little.

Floating alongside him was a girl, clad in a suit with a brown-red palette and black spots. A translucent visor covered her face, but he could see a mask surrounding her eyes. Matching the bluish tinge of her hair was a pair of sturdy wings on her back.

Jon tilted his head in confusion. Who . . .? For a second, he wondered if she belonged outside of earth but his gut told him otherwise.

The stranger seemed as surprised as he stared at her in scrutiny. She fished out a device from her side (a yoyo?) and plucked out a black circular object from it to offer to him. Co-mmu-ni-ca-tor, she mouthed.

Confusion unwavering, Jon accepted it.

"Who are you?" he immediately asked after fitting the comm in his ear. "What are you doing here?"

"Who are you?" she bounced the question back. Jon noted how her voice was light. Melodious.

"Uhh---err, Superboy?" He internally winced at his awkwardness.

Her mouth popped into an 'o' as a light blush covered her cheeks. "Ahh, sorry, I'm not familiar with all the heroes." She fidgeted before clearing her throat. "I am Ladybug---or Cosmobug?---heroine of Paris. Nice to meet you."

"Paris? I didn't know Paris had heroes."

Her figure shifted to more anxious movements. "Yes, um, Paris does but can you . . . maybe keep this a secret from other heroes?"

Jon only nodded, already making a plan to research it later. It wasn't like he didn't believe her, but as far he knew, Paris didn't have local heroes nor villains. If there was Ladybug-themed hero anywhere, he would've heard of them.

"So . . ." he trailed off, "If you're from Paris, what are you doing in space?"

Ladybug laughed nervously, her gaze averting. "I just needed to get away for a moment. It has something to do with our villain. I hope I didn't bother you?"

Jon blinked. It was now clear that she'd traveled to space to shake off some stress like him. And she's worried that she bothered me?

"I can go somewhere else but I'm afraid the Watchtower will see me and the Justice League will try to capture and interrogate me. Which is a bad, bad idea because they can't---shouldn't---know about Paris and it's dangerous if they find out anything," she continued rambling. "And it's ah, um, a potentially world-ending outcome---"

"Hey, hey, it's okay, you can stay here." Jon cut her off to keep her from spiraling. "I think it's better that I have a distraction anyway. And don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you."

She took a deep breath. "Really?"

"Promise." He smiled. "If it makes you feel better, I can keep you company."

Ladybug put a hand on her chest. "Thank you very much. What are you doing here by the way?" She looked around them. "Is there trouble in space?"

"No, I also came here to blow off steam actually," he admitted.

"What happened?"

Jon hesitated on telling her but he found himself unable to resist those wide curious eyes. A part of him was saying 'why not?' while he mulled over it.

But now the things upsetting him seemed pale---shallow---in comparison. This girl had to travel to outer space to get away from her city's villain. "It's not a big deal," he began, "We, the Titans, had a mission and I screwed the plan over when I attacked the enemy first because I realized they were going to kill the hostages before we made a move. My, um, friend got mad and it escalated from there."

"I get what I did wrong, I really do, and I was ready to apologize." His fists clenched subconsciously. "But I just . . . I felt so defenseless, like what he said was all true. Then there's this insane pressure being Superman's son and . . ."

If what she was going through was actually a thousand times worse than his situation, he was going to feel terrible.

He expected her to relay empty 'sympathy'. To give him a pat on the back, saying that 'it's going to be okay'. Instead, she nodded. "I get that. Sometimes, I just straight up sacrifice myself if nothing's going according to plan and my partner hates it when I do. But it's not like I'm mindlessly putting myself in harm's way. It's just the . . . best thing to do if we're out of options."

Her hand rubbed her arm, expression turning pensive. "And carrying a mantle? It's horrible. An important responsibility was passed on to me very suddenly and I keep worrying about having to fulfill that role because the city's fate rests on my shoulders."

Jon was awestruck. And at the same time concerned over the fact she seemed to be alone in her heroic burden.

He bit his lip. "Your life sounds . . . wow. Sorry, my rant was childish. Sometimes I think I don't see eye-to-eye with my teammates because I grew up 'normal'. I haven't seen the worst of everything."

As if she couldn't surprise him any more, she floated closer and put a warm hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it's not childish and it's good to air out things that upset you. Take it from someone who always doesn't have that luxury. You're still figuring things out for yourself, I think, and just because your teammates have different experiences, it doesn't mean they can say mean stuff."

He wanted to ask why she 'always didn't have the luxury' but kept his mouth shut.

"Actually, I'm . . . I was just an average Paris citizen before I became a hero," she chuckled. "The learning curve was seriously steep."

"Thank you." It seemed like all the tension had dissipated from him. "I probably can't ask many questions but I'm sorry about your villain?"

"To be honest space is already too far for him to get to me, but I wanted to be sure." Her cheeks were set aflame again. "Talking to you helped me too, so thanks for that. I wish I could tell you more, though."

"It's okay. That's your business and it looks like you're better off handling it without other heroes interfering, right?"

"Mon dieu, yes, thank goodness you understand." Ladybug's lips stretched into a grin. "If I met any other hero, they would've been nosy."

"But is there any way I can help?" he asked. "I know I can't be too involved, but . . . actually do you have something I can write on?"

She thought for a moment before taking out her yoyo and handing it to him. There was a digital screen on one half of it and a digital keypad on the other. Jon hastily typed on it. "This is my personal number. If you need some sort of backup for an emergency, you can reach out to me."

Giving her his number was a gateway to revealing his civilian identity, but he didn't mind. If there was a way to ease off this sweet stranger's troubles, he wanted to be that support just for her.

"Thank you so much," Ladybug breathed out. "You're trusting me too much."

Will we see each other again? Jon wanted to ask. He fiddled with his fingers before he said, "And if you want to talk again . . . about anything, give me a call, okay? I'll meet you anywhere."

"You're really nice," she said quietly.

A light on her yoyo flashed with a ping and the smile on her face was slowly replaced with a frown when she looked at it. "Sorry, I think I have to go," she apologized, taking out a pair of goggles from her yoyo. "I'll contact you, I promise."

Those mere words warmed Jon's chest. He watched her put on the goggles, summon a portal out of nowhere, and disappear into it. 

#marijon #dc x mlb #mlb x dc #maribat fanfic #maribat fic #marinette dupain cheng x jon kent #supermari may

[mochegato]

Don’t Let Me Down

Marinette didn’t need Klarion’s help, no matter how hard he tried to convince her otherwise.  She had a team behind her, and they may not be the miraculous team, as Klarion took great pleasure in pointing out, but they could still help, would still help, with miraculous matters.  Not that she even needed them or planned to bother them with this.  It would be an easy mission.  It wasn’t even a mission, really.  It was more like an excursion, a jaunty little stroll through the ruins of a sacred temple currently being temporarily inhabited by low level thieves.

As long as she got the stolen miraculous quickly, it would be easy.  In and out. The thieves wouldn’t even know they’d been infiltrated before she was gone with the miraculous.  By all accounts… well, Klarion’s account, they were such low-level thieves, they barely warranted the name, though she seriously doubted she and he had the same threshold for the term.  They wouldn’t know to have a decent guard up and couldn’t defend themselves if they did.  They didn’t even know what they had; they’d just lucked into stealing the right thing in the right place at the right time.

But again, that relied on Klarion telling the truth, which was a losing bet.  Klarion didn’t always lie.  If it was to his advantage, he would use the truth.  But if there was a choice between lying and telling the truth, all else being equal, he would definitely choose to lie.  Ideally, she’d be able to take a day to investigate and plan, verify Klarion’s info, or not, and plan accordingly.

However, if the thieves figured out what they had before she could recover the miraculous, things would get exponentially worse the longer they waited.  She’d seen how bad things could get when someone who shouldn’t have a miraculous got it, even those who weren’t raging megalomaniacs bent on rewriting the very fabric of reality.  She wasn’t about to risk it again.  Not if she could just jump in quickly and stop it.  So she had to take Klarion’s word at face value and hope she had good enough backup to cover her if she was wrong.

A loud groan reverberated through the entry way to Young Justice headquarters as the realization set in.  She slammed the door behind her.  She was going to have to jump in and create a plan on the fly, the very thing she’d been unsuccessfully begging her teammates to stop doing since she started. It always worked out for them, and to be fair, that had been her approach throughout almost her entire time fighting against Shadow Moth, but when she could plan, she did.  Now it was her choice, her mission, and she was choosing the seat of your pants strategy as well.  The irony was not appreciated.

The only thing she had time to plan was who would go with her, well… no, that wasn’t exactly true.  The choice wasn’t so much who she got to ask so much as if she was going to ask, because the who was decided for her already.  The whole team wasn’t needed for Young Justice’s latest mission so two of them had stayed home.  While Kon wouldn’t be her first choice, he would be perfect to watch her back.  Because while he may not trust her, she trusted him. And maybe while they were doing it, he would realize that she was competent, that she was a good hero too, just as good as the rest of the team.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, she knew that with absolute certainty.  When they weren’t on a mission, they got along frighteningly well.  Well enough that she occasionally thought it might be more, or maybe it was just that she hoped that’s what his smiles and casual touches meant.  She loved spending time with him and they did, a lot.

And it wasn’t just her prompting them spending time together.  He’d seek her out as often as she sought him out.  He would drop down next to her while she was designing and just hang out as she worked or he’d invite her to a gaming competition against him or he’d ask her to show him how to bake something she’d mentioned liking.  Despite Tim being like the big brother she never wanted, well, she had wanted one, just a less annoying one; it was Kon who could talk her through her anxiety spirals.  Everyone would try, with varying degrees of success, but it was Kon who succeeded.

It was just in the field that he shut her down, held her back, watched over her like a disappointed mentor, questioned her every move. And she couldn’t even blame it on distrust of new team members because he hadn’t started like that.  When she’d first joined, he’d been excited to work with her.  It wasn’t until she messed up that he started doubting her.  She’d rushed in, Tim had followed her, and they’d both gotten hurt. They’d recovered the item, thwarted the villains, but Tim had been in the infirmary for weeks.  And that was the ultimate transgression for Kon; anything that hurt Tim.

But right at the current moment in time, she needed him. She needed him to put that all behind them and have a little faith.  She needed to go and there was no way Kon would let her go on her own.  He wouldn’t let her down.  He wouldn’t like it, he would question every decision, he’d probably try to take over, but he wouldn’t say no.

><><><><><><><><>< 

“No.”

Marinette blinked at him.  “What?”

“No,” Kon repeated with a curt shake of his head.  “That’s crazy.”

Marinette stared at him dumbfounded.  The possibility of him saying no had honestly never occurred to her.  They’d done more dangerous things in the past, with less information, and he hadn’t questioned it.  But this? This he questioned?  This he found issue with?  He’d blindly follow after Tim or Bart or Cassie, but not inconvenience himself for her?  This wasn’t even half as crazy as most of Tim’s plans, if you could even call them that. And they always marched right in, no looking back.  No questions.  “I kind of thought crazy was our business,” Marinette clipped back.

Kon narrowed his eyes at her.  “Cute.  Funny. I’ll let Bart know you’re stealing his lines.  We,” he motioned harshly between the two of them, “don’t do crazy.  We do smart.  We do planned.  We do strategy.”

Marinette stared at him again.  The massive inaccuracy of the statement stealing her words and ability to process thoughts.  She finally shook her head to restart her thoughts again and glowered at him.  “When? When have we ever done that.  I beg you guys for a plan, but you just jump in. I follow.  I help.  Despite not agreeing with it, I do it.  Now that I want jump in, you say no?”

“It is not worth the risk.  We never go in without a plan unless we have no other option,” he insisted firmly.

Marinette scoffed.  “Right.  Unless you want to piss off Lex, or unless you want to prove a point, or unless Tim has some stupid idea, or unless one of you guys gets bored,” she growled, her voice getting louder and more aggravated with each word.  “Then you’re more than willing to go along.”

“’Willing’ is pretty fucking generous,” he grunted. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his puffed-out chest, easing into leader mode and making it perfectly clear he was not inviting argument on this.

“It really isn’t,” she argued, narrowing her eyes right back at him.  “Regardless, you do it.  You do whatever Tim asks.  Without a plan.”

He groaned; his arms thrown out and head tossed back in frustration.  “Okay, fine. No, we don’t always have a plan, but we always have the team, which we don’t have now until they get back.”

“You and Tim go out on your own all the time!” she shouted indignantly.

“That’s not… that’s… that’s different,” he sputtered. He realized he’d said the wrong thing instantly when her heart rate plummeted.  He didn’t even have to look at her expression to know what he was going to see and he scrambled to find the words to fix it, to wipe that hurt look off her face.  “Tim and I have been… it’s complicated,” he huffed harshly and glared at the wall, consciously forcing his eyes not to switch to laser vision.

He waited to speak until he was calm enough to not have to focus on accidentally blowing holes in things.  This was all going wrong, and he needed to get it back on track.  “But that has nothing to do with this,” he finally continued calmly.  “This is about this mission.  Not you.” He turned his eyes to her, hoping his heartfelt sincerity shone through his eyes.  “You’re relying on information from Klarion.  Klarion!  Any time Klarion is involved, we need caution.  You know that.  We need to ask questions.  Like why isn’t he getting it himself?  Why didn’t he get one of his lackeys to get it?  He didn’t come to you purely out of the goodness of his heart.”

She looked away to allow herself to calm down to Kon’s level, taking several deep breaths and holding them for a few seconds until her heart rate had slowed.  If he was going to give her a chance to discuss this rationally, she was going to take it.  It was the only way she was going to get him on her side, and she really did need someone on her side.  He wasn’t wrong about Klarion, which was the entire reason she was here asking him for help in the first place.

When she looked back, her eyes had lost their hardness. “I know this could be dangerous and it would be better to plan.  I know I can’t trust Klarion.  I’m not stupid, Kon, no matter what you think of me.”  He made a noise, but she continued before he could vocalize his agreement.  “I’ve thought through those questions too.  He can’t get it because they’re holed up on holy land, land that blocks him and his powers. And he didn’t use one of his lackeys because he doesn’t want them to try to use the power.  He knows I won’t.  I know he isn’t doing it because he wants me to have it, he just doesn’t want them to have it more, and he thinks he can easily take it from me.  But, he’s wrong.

“But it doesn’t matter.  None of it matters.  Because he’s right.  I need to do it.  I don’t have time to wait.  If I don’t act now, I run the risk, the very strong risk, that they could unleash the miraculous.  If that happens…” her eyes grew wide and haunted contemplating the possibilities, remembering history.  She shook her head and looked back at him.  “I can’t wait. I have to go now.”

She took a step closer until she was close enough he could have felt her body heat even without his enhanced senses.  Her eyes were wide and earnest, their brilliant blue drawing him in.  “But you’re right, it would be better with someone watching my back, someone I can trust. That’s why I came to you.  It would be better with you.  I need you.  I want to do this with you.  There’s nobody I trust more.  And I need you to trust me that I need to move now.”

Kon almost gave in, almost got lost in her eyes. Her words struck through him, melting his resolve until it had almost disappeared.  But he wouldn’t let it.  He couldn’t.  “No.”

“No…” Marinette repeated cautiously, her voice tight, teetering on the brink of something.

“No.  We need more information before we do something,” he insisted again.  “Or just not do anything at all.  We don’t have to do anything,” he offered, his voice raising in hopeful tones.

She pursed her lips and slammed a cool façade in place. “You’re right.  We…” she motioned between them as she took a purposeful step back, establishing a visible distance between them, “… don’t need to do anything.  You don’t need to do anything.  This isn’t your problem.  It’s mine.”

Kon flinched at the tone of her voice.  The previously soft, enticing tones were gone, replaced with a sharp, coldness with which he was completely unfamiliar.  Worse were her eyes.  Where they’d drawn him in mere moments before, they now shut him out, left out in the cold… alone.  “Mari, that isn’t…” he let out a long groan and ran his hand through his hair a few times in quick, erratic movements.  “That’s not what I meant.  I meant we don’t have to act now.  We can wait until we have more information.  We can wait for the rest of the team.”

“Right.”  She nodded curtly but her eyes never softened.  Kon tried to search them, tried to find his way back in, but she turned away before he could, moving with steady, determined steps toward her room.

“Mari…” he called weakly after her, desperation edging into his voice.  He reached for her, despite her being too far away reach.  “Just let me check when the team will be back, and we can reassess.”

“Do whatever you want, Superboy,” she snapped over her shoulder.  

The detached, cold epithet stung.  She hadn’t called him ‘Superboy’ outside of the field since shortly after they first met.  His hand dropped and a deep sigh broke through when she turned the corner.  “Damn it,” he swore, kicking the wall in frustration, immediately cringing at the hole he put through the brick wall.  Tim was going to kill him.  Although if Marinette didn’t forgive him for his hesitance, he might just invite Tim’s wrath.

He refused to back off though.  He wasn’t wrong.  Dealings with Klarion never ended well.  They always had to be on heightened alert when Klarion was involved. That went doubly so since Marinette had joined the team.  Klarion had a disturbingly intense interest in her as another magic user.  And now he was seeking her out for secret missions, a fact which disturbed Kon on more levels and to a greater depth than he cared to examine.

They needed more information and more people before they even thought about engaging with Klarion.  If he moved fast enough, he might just be able to get everything ready by the time the rest of the team got back, and Marinette calmed down. However, he was going to disable all the vehicles before that just in case Marinette decided to go ahead without him, which was the absolute last thing he wanted to happen.

><><><><><><><><>< 

At the very least, she could state with all sincerity that she had been right about everything.  Klarion had not lied, for once.  The thieves were utterly unprepared for someone to come for their haul. They had set up no defenses other than a guard dog who was easily distracted and loved playing with kwami, while they napped in a separate part of the temple.  She’d met purse snatchers who were better prepared.  They never even knew she had been there before she was out.  It was a quick in and out.

It was after the out part that proved she had also been absolutely correct that she could not trust Klarion.  He’d waited until she passed through the boundaries of the temple to attack.  That had been her miscalculation, not that he would attack, that she’d anticipated, it’s why the ‘Marinette’ that exited the temple appeared to be wearing the Ladybug miraculous, not the Horse, Fox, and Turtle miraculous the real Marinette wore.

No, the miscalculation was that without the real her there to deflect the magical energy pulse, the only place for it to go was straight through ‘her’ and into the walls of the temple, behind which she had taken refuge so she could watch from an, apparently not so safe, distance.

The scream of frustration Klarion let out at the realization he had been tricked had almost made her current situation worth it… almost.  Because her current situation was underneath potentially a few tons of rubble with only the green glow of her shelter providing light and protection, and without her glasses which had been blown off her face and currently were somewhere in the rubble.

She looked around again, gently prodding the boundaries of the shelter to see where the vulnerabilities were and how difficult it would be to move them by hand.  The answer was damned hard.  Without a view to the outside, she had no way of knowing how many meters of rubble was above her.  It could be just a thin layer with dust covering the spaces to make it look thicker, or it could be several meters.  It couldn’t be too many meters, there wasn’t enough wall to bury her too deeply, but the walls were heavy stone, and she was very small and easily crushed. Even with the miraculous suit protecting her, she could still be flattened if there was too much.  It wasn’t a risk she relished taking.

She looked around one more time before whimpering and pushing her bottom lip out in a childish pout.  She was going to need to ask for help.  It was one of the last things she wanted to do; admit that this mission she’d refused help on had defeated her, that she couldn’t do this simple task on her own, that she needed help.  But the truth was, she did.  She would just have to withstand the embarrassment.  They’d tease her, especially Tim, for a few weeks, but it was that or specifically ask Kon for his help… again.  And that was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, other than die.

She took a breath and let it out in a harsh exhale before tapping her com.  “Young Justice, come in.”  She waited a few minutes before trying again with the same results.  She wasn’t concerned until she’d pulled out the com and saw the distinct lack of a power light on the internal portion.  Ice flooded her veins.  The com was broken.  She had no way to contact her team.

She took a breath, held it for a count of four and let it out slowly.  She needed to think.  She couldn’t dig herself out without bringing down the shield and without knowing what was above her, that was a no go.  She couldn’t send the kwami out for help without knowing if Klarion was still around. She couldn’t very well just start screaming for help either.  The thieves might not be competent, but that didn’t mean they weren’t dangerous.  With her weakened, she would be at their mercy.

She was running out of options.  In fact, with Jon too young to take on Klarion and Clark off world, she only had one.  One extremely undesirable option; Kon.  It was going to prove everything he thought about her correct, and maybe it was, maybe she was as incompetent as he thought, because she shouldn’t be in this situation.  She should have foreseen it and avoided it.  She should be better than this.

She lowered her eyes until she closed them and braced herself for the disappointed look and the reproachful lecture.  “Kon,” she said weakly but clearly.  “Kon, I need your help.”  She eased onto the ground, bringing her knees up to her chest as she waited.  The time ticked away, how much, she wasn’t sure, but the way her butt was now aching, it must have been a while, long enough for Kon to have gotten to her.

She scrunched her brow.  “Kon?” she tried again, significantly louder this time.  Something wasn’t right.  She shouldn’t need to be louder.  She’d seen him hear someone further away and deeper than she could have possibly been.  “Kon, I need you… please,” she added weakly, but just as loudly, concern starting to edge into her tone.

This time, as the moments ticked away, she paid far closer attention.  Every shift in the stone matrix around her drew her attention with a snap of her head until her neck was strained from the movements.  He still wasn’t answering.  He still wasn’t there.  He could hear her in his sleep.  Where was he! He was supposed to be her friend. At the very least, they were teammates! Where was he?

Was he really so angry with her, he was willing to just let her sit here, alone, buried alive.  Until she what?  Apologized? Begged?  Quit?  She didn’t know.  What she did know was fuck that.  “Kon!” she yelled.  “Kon, get your super annoying ass here now.  I’m running out of air asshole.”

She glared at the roof of her protective bubble waiting for his cocky, self-satisfied smile to appear with some asinine comment about her needing him.  She huffed in frustration and dropped to the floor of her bubble, arms crossed over her chest, every muscle in her body strained until they were ready to snap at the first sign of a super fucker.

But again, the time ticked away with no sign of salvation. By the time her butt started to hurt again, her anger had dissipated replaced by dejection.  He wasn’t coming. It didn’t make sense.  Kon wasn’t vindictive like that.  He could want her dead and still wouldn’t just let her suffocate.  Something else had to be going on but it was getting harder to think clearly, figure out why.  She was starting to get panicked and lightheaded, an absolutely terrible combination.

“Kon,” she tried again, more earnest, pleading.  “I need you right now and I need you to hurry up. I’m running out of air, Kon.  I’m out of time.  I’m sorry, okay?  I’m sorry. Please.”

Tears started flowing down her cheeks.  He wasn’t coming.  It was the first time he’d let her down.  The first time she had needed him, and he wasn’t by her side.  She always thought he would be.  It never occurred to her that he might not be.  In every eventuality, in every possible future she saw, he’d always been there, one way or another.  But he wasn’t.

She swallowed thickly and wiped away her tears. It was up to her.  She was going to have to save herself.  It wasn’t the first time.  It wouldn’t be the last.  She breathed in for a count of four and exhaled for a count of five, immediately calming after her familiar routine.  Her only hope now was that the rubble ceiling wasn’t too thick, and that it would have found some kind of equilibrium so when she lowered the shield it wouldn’t immediately fall on her.

She went through her breathing routine again and nodded to herself.  It was time. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself before she called off the shelter.  She kept her eyes scrunched for a few moments before opening one eye to look around her. A chuckle burst from her, but she immediately covered her mouth.  She was okay. The matrix had held.  The first part was done.  Now she just needed to dig out without brining the matrix down on herself in the process.

The sound of another voice almost made her jump into the matrix roof.  “Master,” Wayzz greeted her.  “This seems like a less than optimal situation.”

Marinette grinned.  “Wayzz!  I’m so glad to see you.  Can you phase through the top and tell me how thick the rubble is?”

“Of course, Master,” he agreed readily.

“Remember not to touch anything.  Phase through,” she reminded him, anxiety bleeding through.

“Any modifications may cause the tentative equilibrium to shift and collapse,” he noted, nodding his head in understanding.

“Exactly!  Thank you so much, Wayzz.  I really…” before she could finish a creaking sounded on the other side of the matrix. Marinette turned warily toward the sound, each millisecond feeling like a century until time sped up to superspeed and the matrix collapsed faster than she could register.  She barely had time to cover her head before she was covered.

She kept her eyes closed at first, trying to register any clues she could on her situation.  What did the air taste like?  Were there any sounds she could identify?  Could she hear the outside?  She tried to feel if there were areas of her body where the stones were heavier, but it was all heavy.  It weighed her down, pinning her between the layers until she couldn’t move her legs or chest.  Even her head was wedged stuck fast in its place.  The only part that seemed to have some freedom was her left arm.  The suit was keeping most of the weight at bay, but the pressure was slowly becoming overwhelming, driving all rational thought from her head.  She was losing feeling in her chest.  She had already lost feeling in her left leg.

She forced her eyes open despite every nerve in her body fighting for her to keep them clamped closed.  It was as dark as she expected.  She almost succumbed to her body’s urges and closed them again but just before they fluttered shut, she saw a pinhole of light.  It wasn’t too far away, maybe a meter or a meter and a half. If she pushed hard enough, she might be able to reach it.

She shifted to reach for it and immediately let out a scream of pain as the matrix shifted again and a large rock slipped onto her arm. The light started to become fuzzy until she wasn’t sure if she had imagined the whole thing, everything took on a dreamlike, blurry quality.  She couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.  She was going to die.  Alone. “I, Marinette Dupain Cheng, pass guardians… pass guardiansh…ip t…” she murmured as she lost consciousness, missing the pinpoint of light bursting into bright sunlight.

><><><><><><><><>< 

The light was blinding.  Even with her eyes closed, it felt like everything was too bright. Going back to sleep seemed so much more appealing than enduring that damned light.  But before she could drift back to the peaceful oblivion, a sound brought her back to the light; a voice, deep and enticing, drawing her to it, making the harsh light transform into an embracing and warm glow.

“I know you’re awake, I can hear the change in your heart rate.  Can you open up those beautiful eyes for me… please?” the voice urged her gently.  “I miss your eyes.  You have the most enchanting eyes, I’m a bit lost without them to follow.  Come on, Starlight, open them for me.”  She knew that voice.  She’d heard that voice before, a lot.  But the voice didn’t sound right.  This voice was tight and sharp.  It should be lighter, more teasing.  It should be playful not pained.

She had opened her eyes before she even registered the impulse, wincing from the light.  Kon was looking up at her from a seat next to her bed, his grin widening with each passing moment until it was so wide and bright it almost made her have to close her eyes again.  “There they are,” he cooed.  He picked up her hand with a delicate reverence and gently ran his thumb over her knuckles bringing her hand close to her face as though the proximity comforted him. “Welcome back.”

She blinked a few times to clear her vision.  “Kon?” she mumbled; her voice gruff with disuse. She had to be dreaming.  Maybe she was dead.  She looked around sloppily, her head dropping to the side.  But she was in a hospital.  She was pretty sure neither her Heaven nor Hell would take place in a hospital.  So, she wasn’t dead… probably.

“Yeah, Starlight.  I’m here.  You’re safe,” he assured her, scooching closer to her so he could pull her hand to his lips without straining it, but redirected at the last moment to his chest.

She bobbed her head back to face him, letting her unsteady head fall back to her pillow.  His words didn’t make sense.  None of it made sense.  When did he get there?  When did she? “What are you doing here?” she uttered fuzzily.

“Is that any way to speak to your savior?” he joked, but the tension underlying it and his tightening grip on her hand betrayed his worry.

Marinette pulled her hand back and furrowed her brows as she shook her head slowly.  That wasn’t right.  That wasn’t what she remembered.  She remembered trying to dig herself out from being buried alive.  She remembered being alone.  She remembered being abandoned.  “No.  You weren’t there.  You left me.”

His eyes flashed with pain.  “Mari…”

“No.  I called you.,” she started slowly.  She shook her head faster as the memories flooded back to her.  “I called you and you didn't come.  I was stuck under that rubble and you just… you weren’t there. I needed you and you weren’t there.”

The pain that had flashed in his eyes before returned and settled in like it had taken residence in them.  He shook his head, moving closer to her again.  “No, that’s not true!  I was there.  I was the one that found you and brought you home.  I got there as quickly as I could.”

He bobbed his head down to catch her eyes, make sure she saw him, could see his sincerity, his regret.  “I just couldn’t find you.  There was some kind of barrier around you for a while.  I couldn’t hear you, your voice, your heartbeat, nothing!  Until finally the barrier fell or broke or something and I could finally hear you.  It was like a revelation.  I took off faster than I ever had before.  I moved faster than I’d ever moved before.”

He sat on the edge of the bed and hooked his finger under her chin, urging her to look up at him and delicately wiped her tears away with his thumbs, letting his hands rest on her jaw, cupping her face.  “I never abandoned you.  I would never abandon you,” he vowed fiercely.  “Mari, Starlight, you mean everything to me.  I love you.  I will never abandon you.”

She blinked, her brow pinching in confusion.  “You don’t even like me.”

“What?” he exclaimed, dropping his hands in surprise. “What do you… why would you… What?”

“You… no, that’s not the right word.  I can’t…” she motioned vaguely toward her head.  “I know you like me.”  She closed her eyes to focus on how to put what she was thinking into words, missing the way Kon relaxed slightly at her admission.  “I know you like me… off of the field.  But you don’t trust me.  You don’t…” she huffed in frustration as she searched for the right word, “… think I’m a good hero.  You don’t trust me to have your back.”

“That is categorically untrue!” he insisted indignantly.

She scoffed.  “You never want me in the field.  I screwed up once and Tim got hurt and since then, you haven’t trusted me on missions.”

“That is not what happened,” he groaned.

“It is,” she insisted.  This was something she knew.  This is something she’d thought about, brooded about, more nights than she cared to admit.  “You don’t want me on missions.  You watch me constantly in the field.  And it’s not a matter of watching over your teammates, because you don’t do that with anyone else.  Just me.  It’s just me you don’t have any faith in.”

“I don’t do that!” he objected, not quite yelling, but close.  He threw his hands out at her skeptically raised eyebrow.  “Fine!  Yes, I do. I try to keep you out of the field. I prefer it when you cover the coms from the base,” he admitted.  He stood up and started to pace the room in an attempt to work out his energy some way other than smashing something or lasering through the wall.

Instead of appreciating his confirmation, the admission cut through her like a blunt spoon.  His acknowledgement that he didn’t think she was skilled enough to be in the field, that she didn’t measure up in his eyes, hurt worse than the cave in.

“But it’s not because I have more faith in them than I do in you,” he continued without realizing her spiral.  “It’s not because I trust them more.  It’s not because I think they’re better.  It’s because I’m not as worried about them.”  He stalked back to Marinette’s side to continue but immediately stopped at seeing the devastated look in her eyes.  “Not because I think they’re better!” he clarified quickly, louder than he meant to.

“I know you’re an amazing hero.  Fuck, Marinette, I think you might be the best hero I’ve ever met.  The best I haven’t met.”  She scoffed and looked away petulantly, but Kon wouldn’t let her continue to think he didn’t realize how amazing she was.

He sat on the bed again and tried to crane his neck to catch her eye.  When she refused to look over, he kept his neck craned in the ridiculously uncomfortable position and continued speaking in a soft voice.  “You’re wrong you know.”  That got her attention.  She flicked her eyes over to him, but kept her face turned away.  “It wasn’t because Tim got hurt.  It was because you did.”  That finally got her to face back to him and he could finally settle his head into a more comfortable position.

“Because the idea of you getting hurt terrifies me in a way I’ve never felt before.  I watch you because I second guess every move, mine and everyone else’s, to see how it will affect you.  I’m not just watching what’s going on around me and calculating for myself, I’m doing it for you too.  I don’t think I realized until that very moment how I felt about you.”

He caressed her jaw, his fingers feather light against her skin, each touch like worshipful.  “I always want you out of the field because I’m afraid of what I would do if anything happened to you.  Because Tim is my best friend.  He’s like a brother.  But, if Tim miscalculated and got hurt, I’d be worried, I’d be frantic until he was okay. And if he wasn’t, I’d be devastated.” He cradled her head in his hands, letting his thumbs tenderly graze her cheeks.  “But if you got hurt… I’d destroy the world.  Not even kryptonite would be able to stop me.”

“Kon…” she started, unsure how to respond to that. Her eyes softened as they searched his, finding only awed reverence.

“I love you, Marinette.  I have since, God, I don’t even know how long.  I don’t even know when it happened, I just realized one day that the best part of my day was when you were there with me.  That I couldn’t stop thinking about you and every time I did, I’d smile like a damned fool and I didn’t care, I wanted to.  That making you laugh had somehow become my subconscious goal whenever I saw you.  

“I realized whenever you were sad or upset or hurt, it hurt me too and I would do whatever I had to in order to keep you safe, take every blow, handle every loss, face every evil if it meant you didn’t have to.  So, I tried to keep you safe, out of the danger zone, but I never meant to make you feel like I didn’t trust you.  I just… I needed you to be safe.”

She placed one hand on his wrist, keeping his hand on her cheek, with the other she gently brushed his bangs from his face, letting her fingers linger and fall ever so slowly, tracing the edges of his face until she wound it behind his head and pulled him closer to her.  Her eyes fluttered closed, attempting to keep the tears from overflowing, as she brought his forehead to hers.  A contented sigh escaped her lips when he leaned into the embrace.  She reveled in the feeling for a few moments before opening her eyes and gazing adoringly into his.  “That is… the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” she choked out through a half-suppressed sob.

Kon reared back like she’d punched him, but she kept her hold on his hand so he couldn’t go too far.  “What?”

“I can handle most of the same hits you can take, and I’m not vulnerable to kryptonite,” she pointed out wryly.  She pulled gently on his wrist to pull him back to her side and cupped his face with a gentle smile.  “You can’t wrap me in bubble wrap, Kon.  I’ll suffocate.”

He blinked a few times as he processed her words and tone, finally relaxing into her hand.  “What if I poke holes in it?” he asked with a tentatively teasing smirk.

Marinette grinned back for just a moment before quickly schooling her expression.  “No.  There’s no way to make bubble wrap flattering.”

“Uh huh, uh huh.  I see,” he nodded in mock solemnity and stroked his nonexistent beard.  “Yes, we can’t have the world’s next leading name in fashion looking unflattering.”

“Exactly!”  She met his eyes, allowing herself to get lost in them for a few moments before forcing herself to look away.  Her eyes darted back to his for just a moment but settled on her hand as she traced his hand, turning it over in hers to run her fingers over his and enjoying the softer texture of his fingers.  “I had my shield up,” she threw out.  Her eyes darted to him again so quickly her eyes were back on their intertwined hands before her mouth had closed.  

Kon jerked slightly at the non sequitur, mind racing to make sense of her words.  Emotionally? She had her emotional shields up? Did that mean she was taking them down for him?  Did that mean she shared his feelings?  “What?”

“Shelter,” she clarified.  “That’s why you couldn’t hear me.  I called on Shelter as soon as I got there.  My own personal little impenetrable, mobile fortress.”

He opened his mouth but snapped it shut.  Every time she spoke, she made less sense. “Why did you call it off?  You were safe!”

She chuckled at his gaping mouth.  “I was safe from the rubble, but I was suffocating.  I was so safe, I was dying from the inside,” she gave him a pointed look.

“Yeah, but instead you almost died from the outside!” he exclaimed.

“But I didn’t, because I let the shield down,” she pointed out with a slight smirk.

He pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes at her. “I don’t like this analogy.”

“Good.  Then it worked.”  Her grin was blinding and contagious.  Kon couldn’t stop himself from returning it no matter how hard he tried to keep his scowl. She smiled wider at his lost battle. After a few moments, her brow settled into a scowl.  “What I don’t like is someone trying to make decisions for me.  Someone letting their fears dictate my actions.”

Kon’s smile slowly dropped at her words turning grim. He nodded in understanding, eyes lowered in contrition.  “You’re right.  I fucked up. It wasn’t my place.  I shouldn’t have…” he sighed heavily.  “I’m so sorry.  I know you’re strong and powerful and talented.  I didn’t mean to try to control you.  I don’t think I realized what I was doing.”

His voice sounded so heavy and broken, her heart ached. Her hand was on his face, her thumb tracing his lower lip before she realized it had moved.  “But what I do like,” she whispered, “is you.”

His eyes jumped to hers, hope peeking through and lighting them up.  “Yeah?”

She nodded with a soft smile.  “Yeah,” she whispered.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved closer to her.  He paused for a moment, centimeters from her lips to give her a chance to object.  Instead, she wrapped her hand behind his neck to pull him to her, letting their lips finally touch in a soft, chaste kiss.  He pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, his lips stretching into a wide, dazzling smile to match hers.  The kiss was short, but perfect.  It was a beginning, the start to many, many more.

“I’d hope so.  I’d hate to think you do that with people you don’t like,” he teased, breath hot against her lips.

Marinette rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, but her lips quirked up into a playful smirk.  “You should see what I do with the people I love.”

Kon’s eyes lost their devilish glint suddenly becoming uncharacteristically serious.  “I would very much like to see that one day,” he declared.

Marinette’s breath caught in her chest.  She searched his eyes for any hint of teasing. Finding none, she licked her lips slowly.  “How about a sneak peek?” she asked before pulling him down for another, longer, more passionate kiss.

She pulled away suddenly.  “Kaalki!” she exclaimed.  Her eyes widened in fear.  “I left Kaalki in the ruins!”

She threw the blanket off and moved to get up, but Kon stopped her before she stood, his hand on her chest to hold her in place.  “Woah, slow down there, Starlight.  You just woke up.”

“I need to rescue Kaalki, Kon, and I need to get him before anyone else does!” she exclaimed, brushing his hand to the side.

He sighed heavily but nodded.  “Okay.  But you take it easy and let me do the heavy lifting until you’re fully recovered, please?”

She paused and looked back at him questioningly, a small smile emerging on her lips.  “You want to come with me?”

He smiled and shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  “Of course I do.  I won’t let you down again."  He kissed her quickly before extending his hand for her to take.  "Come on, let’s go.”

#maribat #marikon #Supermari May #Supermari May 2023

[boldlyanxious]

Kon, Baby

Masterlist

Marinette finds a child named Kon running away but rather than finding where he came from she decides to help him get away. She soon realizes that he is not a normal child and that she made the right decision.

Experimentation by Cadmus had forced Kon to be a child. He still remembers everything but is struggling against the childish tendencies. His best option is to find Superman to help him but instead he meets Marinette.

Supermari May: growing up

Marinette looked down at her phone to check again that she was going the right way. The brightness of the city and the careful organization of the streets in Metropolis were not enough to keep her from getting lost. She pushed the button to cross and waited. She tried not to turn at the odd noises coming up behind her. She hated the looks she got for being too aware of her surroundings but too much of her teen years were dictated by living with the constant threat of akumas. It seemed that back then, every sound of rustling and fast movement turned out to be an akuma. She couldn’t help reacting to the sounds. In this case, rather than transforming to face down an akuma, she reached out and grabbed the small child running headlong into the street without looking. Just in time as several more cars zoomed past.

The child struggled against her grip but she kept it firm on him, looking around for any sign of someone missing a child. He pulled out of her grip when the walk signal displayed. She looked around nervously. He looked about the size of a 4 year old so definitely too young to be running around on his own. She also noticed his clothing seemed odd. It was similar to a prison jumpsuit and had numbers on it. Some of the American fashion was very odd but even still, she usually recognized the styles even if it wasn’t her preferred style. She moved more quickly, trying to catch up to him. He seemed to realize she was following him right away and turned and grinned at her. He kept walking but he reached out for her hand, slowing just enough for her to catch up to him.

“Hello, my name is Marinette,” she said. “Can I help you get somewhere?”

“My name is Kon,” he said. “And I have to get away.”

She tugged at his hand slightly and he paused, looking back at her questioningly. It was then that she saw a mark on his neck with a bruise and possible marks on his arms. It looked as if he had been restrained and had struggled against it. She couldn’t imagine who would do that to such a small child. That paired with his odd clothing helped her decide she would stay with him. If he were found, she would want one hell of an explanation before she allowed someone to just take him with them. She had heard that there were sometimes awful medical experiments. She had always just hoped that it was people volunteering even out of desperation, but to use a child was too reprehensible.

“Did you have a destination in mind? I was planning on getting some lunch.”

His response was instantaneous. His eyes lit up and his stomach growled loudly. He glanced down at the sound so he didn’t see her eyes flare in anger at the thought of them not feeding him while they were doing whatever they had done to him. She kept walking on towards the place she had decided to eat for lunch today. He skipped along beside her watching the sidewalk and playing some sort of jumping game with the cracks below. She laughed along with him, lifting his arm to help him make the big jumps, even though she couldn't figure out how to play.

"There it is," Marinette said, pointing across the street.

"Yes!" Kon pumped his fist. "I'm going to eat one of everything except the desserts. I'll get 2 of those."

Marinette really hoped he was joking. She might not be able to afford all of that. She didn't tell him. She would discuss limiting how much to order at once when they were seated the table was small so that should help. When the server came around with the offerings she let Kon choose several but cautioned when the table was filling that they could choose more later if they still needed. She hadn’t had dim sum in a very long time. It reminded her of her mother’s favorite place in Paris. They had gone there for lunch every year on her mother’s birthday. They might gather with friends for treats in the evening but for lunch that day it was just her and Marinette. She missed her today. She called her for her birthday but it just wasn’t the same. She would have to find a way to get her mother to visit and bring her here. She had been planning to go home soon but the trip was delayed. That made everything feel a little more poignant.

Kon was bouncing around after his first few minutes of eating. She called the server over a third time to pick some plates for him. He only chose 2 more so Marinette was relieved. She asked to see the desserts next. He would definitely make room for dessert. She let him finish the last ones on his own so she could have a sweet one herself. She was definitely starting to feel full. She suspected he was as well. He was eating much more slowly now. At the beginning, she was certain that he hadn’t tasted anything but now he was savoring more. His eyes got really big when the sweets arrived though. He grabbed one and she did as well, as the server was moving away, he reached over to take one more. She smiled but pretended not to see him sneaking.

—-

Now, she wanted to find him some different clothes. They couldn’t be comfortable but she decided it could wait when he found a playground and seemed so excited to run around and play. She sat nearby and pulled out her pocket sketch pad to make some cute little boy designs. She was checking regularly and he seemed to be having a great time. He was climbing up to the top and sliding down. She almost had a heart attack when he climbed up the top of the tall twisty tube slide. He made it to the top and then leapt over it startling a smaller child who then laughed and watched him in awe as he ran around ignoring any concern for his own safety.

Marinette could have sworn that he was growing before her eyes. She had been certain that the other child would be the same size as Kon, but he was definitely bigger. It was probably too far away for her to get a good view. She waved as he looked back over to make sure she was watching him. He was delighted by everything. He joined a group of boys a few years older and ran off with them to play ball. She couldn’t see as well but he was still having fun. She didn’t worry again until they ran for a large tree. But she was left with no time to react as he quickly moved from the ground to the high branches. The other kids couldn’t even keep up. One girl who was a bit shorter and lighter seemed to do pretty well. Eventually they all climbed down and the crowd started to dwindle.

Kon ran up to Marinette after telling all his new friends bye. She tried not to let him see her frown but he definitely seemed taller. Not just taller. He was filled out. The jumpsuit was practically tight and the bottom left his ankles visible. His face still looked like a small child but if she tilted her head, she could see the older boy becoming visible. She tried to remember how he had looked before. She had heard children grow like weeds but she could not imagine that a child could visibly change very much over an hour. He grabbed her hand and dragged her along, he was definitely stronger too.

“Let’s get ice cream,” he exclaimed.

“How can you still be hungry?” she laughed, but pointed to a stand set up nearby.

“How tall do you think they can stack the scoops? I could probably eat 7.”

“I don’t know about 7. How about 3 and then we can find you some better fitting clothes.”

He frowned but then raced forward as the line moved. They made their order and he begged for a huge swirl of whipped cream on his. Even with all that he was finishing the last of his cone before Marinette finished her single scoop. She dug through her bag and found a granola bar to hand him before he could suggest she offer up the rest of her ice cream. It he was that hungry, they might have to get him food again soon but clothes were more pressing. She could swear that they were getting tighter and shorter by the minute.

She actually didn’t know any of the clothing shops for children. She usually made her own clothes and supplemented them with a few signature pieces to give a little flair if she needed. But they lucked out and passed by one. It looked like cute clothes but she made sure to get them a bit loose and stretchy. She thought she might have been imagining it at first, but he was halfway to her shoulders by the time they arrived at the shop. She was certain that it had to do with the testing that had been done on him. She was thinking back to when they originally met and he had definitely been acting like a young child. Now when they walked out he wasn’t playing the jumping game on the sidewalk. He walked beside her and complained about wanting food. But at least his clothes fit.

She was trying to decide if she should ask him more about what he knew about the research place but she didn’t want to upset him. She was lost in her head and not really listen to him talking about all the foods he could eat right now. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky and she mostly wanted to find some place cooler. But she was distracted by something in the window and she stopped to stare. It was a stunning dress that looked like a glittering night sky. Definitely the type of piece that she would pay for if she didn’t want to spend countless hours making a dress for herself. She was lost in thinking about it, she even had a formal event coming up that it would be useful for.

“You have to try that on. I will sit still and not complain," he promised.

“I really shouldn’t. I am not sure it is the best idea right now.”

“You will never know if you don’t try it on,” he said, pushing her towards the door. “Please, I want to see it.”

Marinette didn’t want to say no to his pleading eyes and she really liked the dress so she gave in rather easily. She had never been to this particular boutique before but she wondered if she might talk to them at some point about offering her designs. Much of her work would definitely fit with the range of products they offered. Kon made himself at home and laid out of the cushioned bench while the attendant brought her the dress in the right size. When she put it on, she wished that she hadn’t. It was absolutely perfect but she had already asked about the price. It was definitely more than she should pay right now, especially not knowing what would be happening with the child she had at least temporarily acquired who seemed to be able to eat endlessly.

“How long does it take?” he pounded on the door. “You have to show me too.”

She stepped outside and he gasped. “You have to get that right. It looks so good on you.”

“I’m not sure. It’s nice but I could probably make something to suit my needs.”

“If I had money, I would buy it for you,” he said. “You look like a princess. You are so pretty.”

She reached out and ruffled his hair. She smiled, covering her embarrassment. “You are sweet. I’m sure I can always come back if I change my mind.”

“You would have to do that soon,” the attendant said. “I think we will be out of this one by the end of the week. It’s a limited run.”

“I will check the dressing expectations of the event this evening. I hadn’t even intended to shop today but I passed by the window and there it was.”

“But you can save it, right?” the boy asked. “Maybe just one, through tomorrow?”

“I’ll misplace it in the back, just in case,” she winked conspiratorially at Kon.

—

Marinette sighed but gave in, completely ignoring her budget for a typical day out. She ordered the family platter of tacos but she expected that Kon would eat most of that. There was definitely something happening. He was back to speed eating again. She laughed at him as he crammed an entire taco in his mouth and ended up dumping hers down the front of her shirt. She was impressed that he managed not to spit his out as much as he was laughing at her. This was her own fault for taking in a child. Of course when she had done so he seemed more like a toddler but now he looked ready to borrow the car for a night out with friends. She huffed and moved towards the bathroom to clean up. She hoped there would be food left when she got back.

She stopped at the counter when she saw that they had a few shirts available. They sold merchandise for the local heroes. She didn’t know whether it was just part of the business model or if the heroes had helped out here but she got the Superboy one in her size. She always liked the red and black since she had worn the colors as a teen hero. It always made her a bit nostalgic even though she couldn’t claim to miss her time lying to everyone so she could fight evil with magic. She did what she could for her other shirt and then headed back out to the table where there was a man in a suit and glasses talking to Kon.

“Is there something I can help you with?” Marinette asked, forcing herself between the man and Kon as a barrier.

“No, I was just checking on Kon. I haven’t heard from him in a few weeks but I see he is here with you,” the man said.

His eyes dropped up and down over Marinette but she got the sense that rather than appreciating her as a woman that he was checking her to see if she was a risk. She glanced back at Kon. He could no longer be called a child. Even the clothes bought very loose were becoming tight again. She had been right about the food. It was all gone. The sun was shining in the window and it was like she was seeing him for the first time. And she was. At least up close. She had definitely seen pictures of him before. The man reached out his hand.

“I’m Clark Kent,” he said.

“I’m Marinette,” she responded.

“He is a good guy Marinette. He would have been my first choice to have found me if it hadn’t been you.”

“So something did happen to you?” Clark asked.

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it was Cadmus, but we shouldn’t talk about that here.”

Clark nodded and walked away. Marinette could see him waiting outside. She took a moment to look at the man sitting before her.

“You aren’t a child then? You never were, at least not today.” she asked. “You are actually an adult with some sort of magical effects?”

“Not really magical. Scientific experiments to control me. But it could be magical, seeing a peek of what our children might look like in the future.”

“You’re Superboy,” she said. “That probably makes sense. I didn’t recognize you when you looked like you were 4.”

“Took a lot for them to make me a boy.” he lifted his hand and pushed the hair back from her face. “You are definitely super. Not many would help a child escape what would probably have looked like loving parents.”

“I had a feeling about you. That you needed help,” she said softly. “So what now?”

“Now you give me your number so I can find you again after I update those on my team about the situation.” He placed a kiss on her cheek and whispered next to her ear. “But I am definitely never going to get the image of you wearing my merch out of my head.”

Marenette looked down as she blushed and held out her unlocked phone to him so he could put his number in. “I’ll text you right away so you can let me know when things are wrapped up. I look forward to seeing you again.”

He nodded and walked out to give Clark an update about all he knew about their experiments. He would explain how they had used the flaws in his cloning to make him young rather than just incapacitate him. But first he wanted to go buy a dress.

Taglist

@theymakeupfairies | @emjrabbitwolf | @vixen-uchiha | @trythisagainlove | @trippingovermyfeet | @tbehartoo | @izanae | @kittenmywaythrulife | @folk-ever-lore | @jayjayspixiepop | @achaoticmess1

@adrestar | @zynna | @jeminiikrystal

@technicallyburninggarden | @iloontjeboontje | @certainmuffinbagelcalzone

#supermari may 2022 #konette #de aged #meet cute #boldlyanxious #marikon

[adeva-eira]

Soooo...we all know Marinette as a Bat. But I was thinking...what if we make Marinette as...any other JL Team member?

We have Super!Mari, Wonder!Mari, Shazam!Mari, Flash!Mari and Lantern!Mari. If you see any differences between Super and WonderMari and the others, that's because I made these like...this week...and the others over the span of a few weeks/months even.

I have headcanons for All of them. Are you interested in that? Might do more for some of them in the near future.

#dc x miraculous #maribat #marinette x batfam #miraculous x dc #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #marinette dupain cheng #supermari #blue lantern #LanternMari #WonderMari #Amazon Marinette #FlashMari #ShazamMari #crossover #miraculous au #miraculous fanart #dc fanart #the flash #wonder woman #superman #shazam

[bee-a-garbage-shipper]

*SuperMari meaning Non Polyamory Marinette x SuperFam Member Ships

#🐝's post #🐝's polls #western animation #miraculous ladybug #superman #supermari #dcnette #clarkinette #konette #marijon #karanette #loisnette #jimnette #maribat

[marauderundercover]

Wonder Woman: Star Babysitter

AO3

Prev

“She chose me, my friend. It only makes sense that I take her with me to Themyscira so that she can grow and train with other warriors.” Diana says, arms crossed. Clark runs a hand down his face, trying not to get too upset. Apparently, babies could sense when people were upset. And often started crying because of it. And it’s not that he hated when his niece cried, but he really didn’t like it. She was usually a little ball of sunshine, and he hated when she was upset.

“Diana, I know she chose the onesie with your symbol on it, but that doesn’t really mean anything. Please don’t steal my niece.” He says, regretting agreeing with Bruce. If they had just kept their mouths shut, he wouldn’t currently have Wonder Woman in his living room trying to take his niece away.

“I apologize for any confusion this has caused.” Bruce pipes up from his spot next to Marinette. His friend had followed Diana over, since he’d been the one to tell her about the whole ‘onesie situation’. He was supposed to be helping the situation, but instead he’d been handing cheerios to Marinette. His niece was in her bouncing walker thing, giggling as she played with the toys attached to it.

“I really don’t see the problem, Clark. I’m not saying that I won’t bring her back for visits. I’m just saying that she has potential that would be wasted here.” Diana says. Clark sighs.

“I understand you feel that way, Diana, but Marinette isn’t even my daughter. She’s my niece, and my brother and his wife will be back for her in a few days-”

“Perfect. I’ll speak to them about it then.”

“Diana, no!” Clark snaps, taking a steadying breath when he realizes the entire room had went silent. “I’m sorry for yelling. My brother and his wife, they don’t know I’m Superman.” He says. Diana frowns.

“How were you able to hide your powers from your brother? Your parents are aware, are they not?” She asks. He nods.

“I lived with my parents full time. Tom- my brother- we aren’t related by blood. Well, obviously, but he’s from Paris. My parents are friends with his mom, and Tom and I have always just referred to each other as brothers. He’s been my big brother my entire life, but he doesn’t know I have powers. I couldn’t- I didn’t want to put him in danger. I didn’t have the option with my parents, but I have the option with him. And with Marinette.” He says. Diana frowns, but nods slowly.

“I think you underestimate your brother and niece, but I will respect your wishes. However, if I am not allowed to take the young one to Themyscira, then I would like to assist you and Bruce in babysitting.” She says firmly. Clark blinks, glancing at Bruce and raising an eyebrow.

“Were you planning on staying for a while?” He asks. Bruce shrugs, but nods.

“Dick ended up asking to stay the night at his friend’s house. I was told that I can’t pick him up until noon tomorrow.” He says. Clark snorts, shaking his head, but grinning. Diana and Bruce were two of his best friends. While he was sure he was going to regret letting them help babysit, he couldn’t tell them no. After all, it would be fun, right?

---

“Diana, I swear-” Bruce starts, his voice frazzled while his hair was a complete and total mess. Diana quirks an eyebrow.

“What did I do?” She asks, chin jutted out. Bruce’s eyes narrow.

“You know what you did.” He growls. Clark moves between the two, trying hard to ignore the baby food covering Bruce’s shirt.

“Diana, how about you stop giving Marinette new foods?” He suggests. She rolls her eyes.

“It is not as if he cannot clean his shirt! And the little warrior has impeccable aim.” She says. Bruce huffs.

“Marinette’s not aiming, Diana. She’s just excited and throwing it everywhere she can.” He argues. Diana smirks.

“Really? Then why is your shirt the only one that’s covered?” She asks.

“Okay, guys, please. Let’s not fight right now. Especially not in front of you know who.” Clark says, holding up his hands pleadingly. The trio turns towards Marinette, who was still trapped in her high chair. She giggles, patting the puddle of sweet potato mush on her tray.

“Very good, my little warrior. You will strike fear into every enemy.” Diana praises, clapping her hands. Clark winces when Marinette joins in the clapping, sweet potato mush going everywhere.

“Diana-” Bruce starts, but she cuts him off.

“She is happy, Bruce. And that is all you can ask of one so small. Let her have this.” She says. Bruce sighs, but nods.

“Do you have any wipes, Clark? I have a feeling we’re going to need quite a few.” He says, turning to him. Clark nods, smiling at his friend. Okay, so maybe the three of them wouldn’t be opening a daycare any time soon. It was still fun to at least try to watch Marinette together. Even if it let him know that Diana and Bruce definitely did not have the same philosophy when it came to kids.

Next

Tag list:  @maribat-calendar-events  @stainedglassm @kittenmywaythrulife @laydeekrayzee @doll246 @queenz-z @deathssilentapproach-blog @literaryhiraeth @unoriginalmess @kking13  @toodaloo-kangaroo  @crazylittlemunchkin @buttercupsbitch @jayjayspixiepop @iloontjeboontje  @idontwannaexistsopleasekillme @its-maemain @bookwalmartav

#maribat #maribat marinette dupain cheng #maribat clark kent #maribat bruce wayne #maribat diana prince #maribat superman #maribat batman #maribat wonder woman #maribat platonic relationships #maribat found family #supermari #supermari may #supermari may 2022 #platonic supermari

[abyssal-ali]

Marinette "Valkyrie" Wayne

Masterlist Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Valkyrie's suit ao3 link (completed)

Pairing: Marijon, but the first bit's just family-oriented.

Rating: G

WC: 1.7k

A/N: I wrote this a couple years ago and decided to edit a bit for MariJon Week 2023/SuperMari May 2023. Fills prompts from day 1, 2, 4, and 7 for Marijon Week.

Marinette and Jon are 17-ish here and Damian is (I believe) a year older than Jon, making him 18.

The other Bats are in their early to mid-twenties and live at the Manor for plot convenience.

Also, when I wrote this a couple years ago I did not know a ton about Kon, so he's not part of this fic. I do love him, though; he wasn't excluded out of hate.

Summary: Marinette is adopted by Bruce Wayne after her parents died in a car crash. She figures out her new family are the Bats, but she also has a secret.

Meanwhile, Bruce is looking for Ladybug, who retired and disappeared into thin air.

Disclaimer: I do not know anything about the American/French fostering/adoption systems; we'll just pretend everything works out fast because it's Bruce Wayne. If there's anything in here that's confusing, drop a comment!

Please ignore any and all plot holes such as why a random American billionaire was ahead of her grandparents, Chinese side of the family, or even Jagged and Penny o adopt her. 🙂

Beta'd by the wonderful @sarcasticbambi. Enjoy!

1007 Mountain Drive was in a tizzy.

Why?

Well, Bruce “Serial Adopter” Wayne was bringing home yet another black-haired, blue-eyed child with a traumatic past.

Fostering with intent to adopt: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Age: 16.75 years. Orphan; Tom Dupain & Sabine Cheng died in a car crash 15 months ago.

Marinette had been to a couple foster homes, but her foster parents claimed she kept sneaking out at odd times and acted very coldly to everyone, only warming up to animals. Marinette’s peers told stories upon stories of Marinette’s cruel actions toward them, specifically one Lila Rossi.

Her social worker, Genevieve Lemieux, dug a little and found some proof of Lila’s lies, but Marinette wouldn’t talk and wouldn’t explain her absences. Finally, Genevieve decided that the girl needed a new perspective, and called her college best friend’s brother– a policeman, if she remembered correctly.

“Oh, Genevieve Lemieux! Yes, I know someone who would love to foster her, I’m sure. Does she have blue eyes and/or black hair, by any chance?”

“As a matter of fact, she has both. Why?”

“I just wondered. I’ll talk to Bruce right away and get back to you.”

“Merci beaucoup, James.” (A/N: Jim Gordon)

“No problem, ‘Eve. Talk to you soon.”

“Au revoir.”

He called back a little later, saying the family would love to have Marinette come. Several of the other children were adopted, so they knew the process well. Bruce was currently in Paris doing business, actually. He could bring Marinette back with him if the paperwork went through quickly and smoothly.

Thus, Marinette landed in Gotham in the Waynes’ private jet. It was gray, drizzly, and gloomy, the antithesis of Paris.

She smiled inwardly.

Perfect.

~~~~~

Bruce Wayne eyed the dark-haired girl beside him. She appeared quiet and withdrawn when Genevieve Lemieux introduced them, didn’t startle or appear impressed or scheming at his name, though Mme. Lemieux was a little awed.

She appeared indifferent to the luxurious accommodations on the flight back to the States, plopping in her seat, fastening the safety belt, putting her earbuds in, and drifting off.

[She stopped the music whenever Bruce spoke so she could eavesdrop better. She also eyed him through her lashes, appraising his body language.]

All of her things fit in one large suitcase and a duffle bag. Her polished black nails were filed short and her hair was in a pixie cut with a crimson streak running through it. She was shorter, appeared fit and maybe even muscular, and walked with a distinctive tread. Faded lines were around her eyes and mouth, suggesting that she used to laugh and smile regularly. She didn’t seem cold like Mme. Lemieux had warned, though she did display some of every foster child’s apprehension on new people and situations.

Now she was dozing, almost curled into him, though the seats didn’t really allow that. He figured she wouldn’t like waking up like that, so he moved to the opposite seat and pulled out some documents that needed reviewing and signing.

When they landed, she headed straight for the Rolls, though several other cars were nearby.

Bruce frowned. How did she know which car to approach?

Alfred politely introduced himself as he loaded her baggage, then drove to Wayne Manor.

Inside, five people were waiting to meet the new arrival: Cass, Steph, Dick, Tim, and Damian.

Jason was who-knows-where and Babs was at her own house.Marinette nodded briefly at each introduction, then Alfred showed her to her room.

Everything was white, except for where bare wood showed through.

~~~~~

Marinette carefully and neatly unpacked her things, then pulled out her phone and took pictures so she could compare if anything was disturbed. She also set several quick safeguards in place (e.g. a strand of hair across the door) and portalled to outside her room. S

he walked noiselessly downstairs to Bruce’s study, where she found everyone gathered.

Well, Mr. Wayne had passed test #1. Onto #2.

“Will you tell her about the family business?” Dick asked. Mari paused just outside the door.

“Not yet, we don’t know her well enough. Her school friends say she is a bully, a liar, and a troublemaker. Previous foster families say she is cold and a sneak. Her social worker thinks there is some reason for the other’s statements, but she isn’t sure. For now, we act normally and say nothing suspicious. Please try and actually keep this a secret,” Bruce pleaded.

He suddenly sounded like an exhausted parent tired of corralling a pack of wild toddlers.

“She has a tread like this,” Bruce crossed the room in a demonstration, “so no giveaways if you hear her.”

Marinette tiptoed back down the hall, then walked to the study in her faked stride and knocked.

“Come in,” someone called.

Cass smiled at her, Damian glared [stared normally], Tim and Dick assessed her, and Steph continued texting someone.

“We have a few house rules I’d like to go over,” Bruce stated, and she nodded.

“No weapons, specifically at the dinner table; no alcohol, drugs, or smoking allowed if you’re underage; respect each other’s boundaries; if you’re going out, tell someone the general area and expected return time in case of a Rogue attack or kidnapping; tell Alfred ahead of time if someone is staying the night or for a meal; and take care of yourself.”

This last item seemed to be directed at Tim, who shrugged and slurped from a mug of coffee.

“Monday nights are alternating game nights or movie nights with the family. Sunday evening is family dinner.”

“Got it.”

“Do you have any allergies or sensitivities to anything?”

“No. I have a friend in New York. Do you think I could see her sometime?”

“Of course. In the fall, Gotham Academy–”

“I already graduated,” Marinette cut in. “I skipped Grade 3 and did 11 & 12 in one year.”

“Oh. Okay, then. Do you have an idea of what secondary school you’d like to attend?”

“I’m working on a course online. I’m good, thanks.”

Everyone stared at her. “Uh, Mme. Lemieux said you like animals. Damian has several you can meet later.”

“Thank you. Is there anything else?”

“No. Thank you for your time, Marinette. Dinner will be at six-fifteen. Cass can give you a tour of the manor later if you’d like.”

Marinette nodded at Cass. “Okay.”

After dinner, Cass gave Marinette a tour of the main rooms in the manor. They both preferred body language and signs to communicate over words.

She also met Titus, Alfred the Cat, Jerry the Turkey, and Batcow. They all liked her, and she was thrilled to meet all of them. She told Cass she used to want a hamster, but now she was thinking about a dog.

Cass told Marinette that she could personalize her room how she wanted, and Steph would love to take her shopping. Marinette said she’d think about that too.

~

Steph ended up spending the whole day at the mall with Marinette and Bruce’s credit cards.

Marinette thanked her and Bruce, then retreated to her room with her arms full of bags.

No one had seen the inside of her room since she arrived except Alfred once when he called her for breakfast. He said it was clean and orderly, and Bruce was satisfied with that.

When a social worker came to check up on Marinette, the family saw the setup for the first time in the month that she’d been there.

The walls stayed white, but everything else was different. The queen bed had a red and black poofy duvet, the sheets were white, and the throw pillows were black & grey and red & white. The curtains were black, the rug grey and white, the fluffy chair was white, and the pillow navy. The desk was white, the chair was red, the row of jars was red glass.

A gold Eiffel Tower lamp matched the strings of lights crisscrossing the ceiling. Two picture frames were on the nightstands. The black bookcase opposite the bed was full of various book genres.

The worker approved it and everyone left.

Marinette kept a close eye on the worker and the Waynes.

After the worker left, she turned to her foster family. “I know you’re hiding something, and I’ve almost figured out what it is. Would you like to simply tell me?”

Bruce crossed his arms and raised a brow.

“Suppose I call your bluff. What have you almost figured out, with what evidence?”

“Well, when I heard I was going to be fostered with intent for adoption, I hacked the orphanage’s database and found your name. When I looked you up, I discovered you adopt a black-haired, blue-eyed child every few years. I hacked into your family’s file, but to my surprise, it was very hard to access. It wasn't easy to crack like other files -- only people with something to hide would make their files so difficult to get at. But when I got in, there was really nothing to see. So I watched the video clips and noticed some trimming and cropping of some places in the Manor. In real life, there doesn’t appear to be anything there, either. A clock, a piano… nothing unusual.

“When I came to your office the first day, I overheard your warning to not let me know about the ‘family business’. And why is the first rule 'no weapons'?! So I hacked into your financial records, but apparently, everything is aboveboard there, too. You do spend a lot of money on the Justice League, though. Mr. Queen doesn’t spend nearly that much. I do have a question about that, though: why does Green Lantern #2 break so much stuff?”

The Wayne children burst into laughter at the question (Bruce blamed a lot of stuff on Hal Jordan.).

“He’s a clumsy, egotistical member with no sense of professionalism or appropriateness,” grumbled Bruce.

“A-ha! You're Batman! Only Batman dislikes GL#2 that much!”

“...”

“Oh come on, just admit it.” She strolled to the piano. “What's the tune Dick’s always humming?”

She played the first couple of bars.

“No-” everyone gasped.

Too late, the secret passage opened.

"Hah!” Marinette crowed. “I said I’d find out.”

~

Babs adopted the new hacker into the fold; Marinette became known as Delphi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Mari learned hacking from Max.)

#ali writes #Fic #marijon #Supermari may #Marijon week 2023 #Supermari may 2023 #M“V”W #<- tag used for the fic

[tinybriewrites]

A Soul’s Glow - 1

Marinette had always known that her soul bond was a little out of the ordinary. Her soul guide, an adorable golden retriever she calls Soleil, would have its irises turn ice blue or fire red or grass green, among other colors, from time to time. She had thought that they only had a stronger soul connection, which manifested into an additional emotions bond. It was rare, but not unheard of. She thought wrong.

Just last night, Marinette had finally succeeded at tapping into the truest creation magic humanly possible - pure soul magic. More specifically, its first level, the Windows to the Soul. It was a power held by only the most in-tune Ladybugs. It allowed them to see the essence of the soul of any living thing around them, with or without the mask. The connection brought an intense burst of magic that promptly caused her to pass out.

Which was why she was now panicking in a flurry all over her hotel room the morning after. Marinette just can't believe what she's seeing.

"Tikki, I think I'm still dreaming." Her soul guide was surrounded by a gem-like glow that she knew instinctively signaled something non-human.

"Well, at least, he's still partially human..?" was Tikki's very unsuccessful attempt to stop Marinette's panic.

"But that still means he's part non-human! What if he hates me for just being human? Oh no, or worse, what if he hates magic? I can't give up my responsibilities as the Guardian, and what if h-"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Marinette, we'll be late!" came a voice from across the door.

Marinette and Mireille Caquet rushed into a bus in front of the hotel. Mireille had introduced her to the Ten Youths Taking on the World essay challenge released by the Martha Wayne Foundation. Marinette had become fast friends with the students from the class next door after most of Mme. Bustier's class cut off any amicable relationship with her. Mireille and she were two of the ten finalists of the contest. The winners were to be interviewed today by the Foundation's partner newspaper, The Daily Planet, for a feature article.

"Hi, I'm Claude and this is Allegra," said a tall slender blonde with a fennec fox in his lap. "We're a prima ballerina and danseur soulmate pair from a dance company based in England."

"Hello, I'm Mireille, a weather forecaster for the local news."

"Nice to meet you! I'm Marinette, aspiring fashion designer."

"Both of your dresses look lovely," said Allegra, another willowy blonde with a hummingbird resting on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Marinette made both of our outfits herself!"

"Woah, you're very talented. Makes sense since you won, but just, wow. It looks so professional, especially for someone probably in sixth form."

"Says the youngest principal dancer ever."

"Shut up."

And just like that, the ride to the Daily Planet passed by in a blink for Marinette in between the bickering of her new acquaintances.

Stepping off the bus, Marinette marveled at the towering building topped by a giant bronze planet.

"Impressive, isn't it?" said a bespectacled man next to a pacing lion. "Welcome to the Daily Planet! I'm Clark Kent, I'll be interviewing each of you later today. But for now, we'll have a tour around the premises."

For the next two hours, the reporter brought the ten teens around the bustling newspaper company. Marinette was enjoying the trip, but of course, that meant the universe had to interrupt it somehow. For all her luck as Ladybug, she had equal misfortune as Marinette.

"BRRRIIING. BRRRIIING. AKUMA ALERT. AKUMA ALERT." loudly chimed from the phones of the two Parisians in the middle of the lunch break at the cafeteria. Everyone turned to look at them, the source of the jarring blare.

"I'm really sorry, everyone! I'll go outside to watch the live stream, Mir," Marinette shouted in a panic as she rushed off with Soleil right at her heels.

"Sorry! Paris alert, we forgot to switch on the abroad option." Mireille apologized. "We're understandably a little jittery from the Level 4 announcement mode."

"Level 4?" Clark asked the remaining Parisian in the room.

"It's a new classification the Akuma App introduced last week. Level 1 for low-danger repeat akumas. 2A for property hazard and 2B for injury hazard, evacuate from surrounding areas. 3 for new akuma, remain indoors. 4 for deadly, prepare for the worst."

"Deadly? Aren't you worried?" Allegra asked.

"Worrying is useless; it only makes you a target for Hawkmoth. No damage is permanent, in any case," she said while nuzzling her palm civet soul guide.

After four years of continuous emotional terrorism, Parisians were quite hardcore.

---

Okay so in this AU, everyone has a piece of their soul (the truest part of themselves) expressed as an animal, called their soul split. This animal doesn't stay with them. Instead, it stays with their soulmate (in which they're called soul guide) until the moment the pair physically touch wherein the soul splits will then stay with their original soul instead of the soulmate. So basically, people gradually fall in love (romantically/platonically) with their soulmate before they even meet, which would explain the easy trust between soulmates even if it seems quick.

---

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[khneltea]

Day 1 - Sweater Vest

Dimple Boy

MASTERLIST | NEXT

Curse her and her confidence in her luck. She should know better by now. When did anything go her way?

It was her first day of university. She set her alarms for the day, she had packed everything she needed. She woke up early and had the time to put a tiny bit of mascara and lip balm on, not seeing the point of lip gloss when she was wearing a mask anyway. She even triple-checked the weather for thunderstorms so she could bring an umbrella. Lord knows Adrien would hold it over her if she didn't bring one. Nothing. Clear sunny skies, no wind, and a cool temperature of nineteen degrees celsius.

When she came out wearing a chunky pale sweater vest on top of a long-sleeved dress shirt paired with the warmest pair of blue jeans she could find, she thought she would be fine. It was going to get hotter in the day, and she was fine as is in her current outfit. If it got hotter, she could take off the sweater vest, maybe roll up her jeans once or twice. But it didn't matter to her because her aesthetic university life was finally happening.

What she didn't prepare for was the unthinkable, which was weird because she always prepared for the unthinkable. She didn't think that a supervillain would come and turn Metropolis into his own winter wonderland. How could she have even known? She wasn't psychic.

It wasn't a problem of the villain destroying the building, or even turning their sunny day into winter. No, it was to do with the snow pile-up in front of all the exits to the first floor. In the one building without a working heater as they were still in the process of replacing the old one. The power was out too because of the attack, and they were relying on the backup generator to even power the emergency lights.

For everyone else, that meant a couple more hours stuck inside the chilly building. It might have sucked, but it was just a little colder than usual. The city clean-up crew would be there in a couple of hours anyway so they weren't worried.

For Marinette, it was absolute hell. It was freezing in the building. Her teeth rattled, her shoulders shook, and the tips of her fingers were turning blue. She looked down at her hands and tucked them in her armpits. Ok, maybe the last one was an exaggeration but they were very pale and felt like they could fall off at any second.

Curse her stupid hibernation side effects from wielding the Ladybug miraculous.

"Hey," a guy called out, but she didn't look around, too focused on trying to trap the heat in her body.

"Hey, uh, miss!" She still didn't look around. He probably wasn't calling her. She hadn't talked to anyone in class besides the green-haired boy in the vicuna wool turtleneck, who had returned her greetings with a curt response. He didn't sound like someone who would approach anyone, much less her. The voice was different as well, more jolly and mellow.

Then, she felt a weight drop on her shoulders, and she whirled around in shock to meet a dazzling pair of blue eyes. "You look like you're freezing."

She stared in shock at the handsome boy. He was tall, the top of her head reaching his shoulders, he had black hair and snow-white skin. They made his blue eyes pop like jewels, sparkling even under the poor emergency lights funded by the school. When he smiled at her, she swore she lost the ability to see for at least five seconds because it was so bright.

"I— I did?" She stuttered, and she wanted to slam her hand against her mouth. Her stupid filter was gone, as it always was when she met a pretty boy.

Thankfully, the boy remained oblivious. "Yeah, I thought you might need an extra layer of warmth. Your sweater vest looks cute, but I don't think it's enough for a snow day."

He grinned at her, and she couldn't help the flush creeping across her cheeks. He thought she was cute. Well, he thought her sweater vest was cute. That was close enough, right?

In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but notice how warm the jacket already was before he put it on her. She also noticed that it smelled like the tarte tatin her parents made at the bakery. God, she was a creep. It didn't stop her from snuggling into the flannel further, and she told herself it was just for warmth, not because she wanted to remember the smell.

She opened her mouth to thank him, but she was interrupted. "Kent!"

They turned their heads toward the voice. It was the guy she sat next to in the lecture today. He scowled, although it didn't seem to be from bad intentions, merely mild irritation.

"Hey, Dames!" The blue-eyed boy called back. "I'll be over in a sec."

He looked back at her, and she could have sworn the light chose to shine straight on him, dazzling her. "I'll see you around then."

"Wait, what about your jacket?" She reached to her shoulders to take it off, but he placed a hand on her shoulders. Her face burst into flames at the contact.

"Don't worry, keep it. You look like you need it more anyway." He was too nice. Too goddamn nice.

"I couldn't just do that!" She stammered, gripping the hem of the jacket. "I'll give it back to you tomorrow. Promise."

"Ok then." His dimples peaked out, and she swooned on the inside. "I'm Jon."

"Mari. I'm Marinette."

If his grin could grow any wider, it did. "That's a cool name. I'll see you around."

Before she could do anything, he jogged off to the scowling boy, giving her a two-finger salute.

She groaned and fought the urge to bury her head in her hands. Damn it, why did she always fall the moment a cute guy did something nice for her?

hi! i hope you enjoyed reading this as much as i did writing this! tell me what you think. like, comment, reblog! try your hand at writing the prompts! i'd like to thank the lovely people running the @maribat-calendar-events blog for the wonderful prompts, and cheers for the first day of supermari may!

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