#Tikki is after vengeance

[goggles-mcgee]

Wish Me Away: What Goes Around Comes Around

Notes: I'm so sorry for the wait but things piled up and it overwhelmed me. My mental health declined and physical health fluctuated, lot's of personal things happened and then I just got caught up in my commissions. I try my best to multi-task but it always gets hard for me. Sometimes I'll hit a streak and then I'll hit a block.

Overall, I'm just sorry and I thank all of those who are still sticking with this story and me as an author.

Warnings for this chapter are descriptions of injuries.

Beginning Last Chapter

Summary: The Agreste's face their Karma

Chapter:

Karma was a beautiful, beautiful thing if you asked Tikki. One of the only beautiful things born from her and Plagg’s combined powers. They were young when they created it, back when they hid from all, be it humanity or the wide variety of Gods and Goddesses. Kwami weren’t known to man, and to the Gods…well, some didn’t understand them, or they saw them as competition, but there were some Gods who sought them out to talk and bounce ideas off of. It was nice and it fueled her need to create. One conversation with some lovely Hindu Gods had her mind spinning to the point she demanded Plagg help her with her idea. He was reluctant, of course he was, combining their powers had proved to be a great yet terrifying thing. One that wasn’t exactly forbidden by Them before they had actually become Them , but it wasn’t highly encouraged either. 

Luck and Creation were Tikki’s domains, Bad Luck and Destruction were Plagg’s, so it was safe to assume they didn’t collaborate often. When they did though, they created such intriguing yet beautiful things that had the power to do as much good as they did harm. An example being the Lazarus Pit. It was just one pit that ended up somehow multiplying and they were spread around the globe. They were misleadingly called the Fountain of Youth, not many knew there was more than one so whichever one they discovered or heard of that was nearby or far away was deemed the fabled fountain. Human tales were such interesting things, Tikki loved hearing and reading them, even in her smaller form. They were shining examples of Creation and what could be done with the gift of Creativity. It was wonderful! Tikki loved seeing Creation in motion but it was something else to see Plagg and Destruction in work.

It was art.  

Maybe it was horrible of her to say but without him there would be no her. Creation needed Destruction and vice versa. They were an endless cycle and there was something just absolutely breathtaking about that. It was no wonder that Tikki wanted to try and merge their powers and see what could be born from it. They saw what happened when they combined their Creation and Destruction powers, but Tikki had been curious about their Luck based powers and Plagg had been a lot easier to convince once she explained that. It had been laughably easy, the power glowed above them for a couple of seconds and it was beautiful, it was more so when it separated into what Tikki could only describe as magic dust and flew in every direction. The dust coated everything and then it was gone. Naked to the eye but Tikki could feel it all around. 

At first, they had no idea what this new thing did but it became apparent the more they observed humanity.  A human would be kind or helpful in some way and Tikki would get this feeling of tickling warmth around her, this person would get a bit of good luck, nobody else could see it but Tikki, Plagg and the other Kwami (and Tikki would wager also the Gods) would see this human surrounded by some sort of glow. It was beautiful, it never stayed one color, it fluctuated and changed but always remained this soft, gentle glow. Eventually it would fade, but Tikki noticed some humans seemed to be constantly surrounded by the glow and it wasn’t a surprise to note they were some of the kindest, most generous and passionate humans she had observed. They were wonderful and Tikki felt they deserved the boost of luck, the Kwami as a whole were in awe. Then they saw the other side of things. 

Tikki knew humans weren’t perfect, that was part of their allure and all, but sometimes some of their actions truly disgusted her. They lied, which isn’t all bad, but some just lied and lied as easily as breathing and did so with no remorse even if a lie caused a problem. Sometimes they even looked proud if it caused some form of problem to happen. There were those who stole just to steal and just because they could, and there were those who killed with no guilt. Tikki and Plagg started to notice that these people started to be surrounded by a dark cloud of energy. The cloud was sometimes small, sometimes big but it always ended in some odd rain of black energy that coated the person till they resembled some sort of shadow being. How covered and how dark they became seemed to be tied to their actions and some time after that person would experience bad luck. 

Sometimes it was something as simple as something breaking right as they were used, be it old or new, and sometimes…sometimes it was a broken bone, getting an illness or even death. But the deaths were never swift, never painless, they were drawn out and full of such misery it was nearly tangible. Tikki couldn’t help but feel proud of what they created, it had some…drawbacks but overall, it was a beautiful, curious thing. Plagg had been so interested in her side of things, he chose to ignore what his had done but that was okay because Tikki found it just as, if not more fascinating than the good luck boost. It was like the world itself demanded justice and it got it when no one or nothing else did. Plagg at first had loved his powers but when he saw the hurt and hate, he stopped loving it, to an extent Tikki understood but at the same time she wanted to knock him upside the head. Without him, there would be no need for her. 

It took him a couple decades but he got there, and their strange new power grew the more time passed. It got mixed reviews from their peers and the wide array of gods but some Hindu Gods loved it. They even helped them name it as they had a similar idea but Tikki and Plagg seemed to have brought power to it. It was a great collaboration and thus Karma was born. Tikki and Plagg found it utterly fascinating and found themselves watching the humans for long periods of time. That was until They came back in their weakened state and all the Kwami came together to try and help them, it ended up being all for naught but They were not short of their wisdom and critics even in their final days. They saw Karma and though they found it just as fascinating they also scolded Tikki and Plagg for mixing their powers together without notifying them. It was a messy argument but one that ended with Tikki and Plagg getting to let Karma keep on. 

Once they were sealed in the Miraculi though, the effects of Karma weakened. It never disappeared but it did fade into a lesser version of itself. There were rare times where Tikki and Plagg were able to see Karma back in its true form and it was almost always after a Wish or after a catastrophic event in their universe. Karma followed and it healed the balance of the world. Many believed it was the Wish that did this, that took and gave in equal parts but that wasn’t true. The Wish brought about whatever change the Hopeful who had managed to obtain both the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculi together had requested, and yes They took something of equal value to the Hopeful in exchange, but it wasn’t balanced. Karma helped balance out all the negatives that came after such events, but when it was caused by a Wish it tended to be more … unpredictable. It was more powerful, more spread out, more vicious and bountiful. 

It would reach everywhere a Kwami, and later, a Miraculous had touched. For those who had any saved up Good Karma, Good Fortune would follow them for a while. How long was never determined as sometimes it went on longer than expected or someone had used up all their collected Good Karma on one big thing. Again, it was unpredictable. The same was true for those who had built up Bad Karma, they could have a lot of low level Bad Fortune or even a lot of high level Bad Fortune. And like Good Fortune, someone could use up all their built up Bad Fortune on something big. When that happened, it was a terrifying sight. The punishments that Karma dictated for those with Bad Fortune could be deadly and some were. Tikki remembered them well. So she knew that no matter what, after Gabriel had made his Wish that Karma would be back in its full power and it was something that would have excited her if she had not been actively losing her latest Bug. She had been so close to losing Marinette and her heart raced whenever she thought about it at Wayne Manor. She wanted her revenge. 

That’s why she had asked Them if she could enact Karma, not natural Karma, that would happen regardless. No, Tikki had asked permission for Kwami Karma, a very special type of Karma that allowed Tikki and Plagg and whichever Kwami’s felt wronged or blessed by a former Holder, some of their former power from before they were Sealed and let them bestow Gifts/Blessings. Though some of the Gifts could very well be called curses, that was part of the Kwami Karma and how a Kwami felt towards the person receiving the Karma. It had been something that Tikki and Plagg last collaborated on as a branch of Karma, many people who had worshiped them had called it Divine Honor or Divine Punishment, whichever applied. It was Hippolyta that bestowed the updated name upon them, really she had been joking, “ Ah, so it is to be a Karma of the Kwami? ” The name stuck though as it had made Tikki laugh. 

Though the name brought a smile to her face once more, it wasn’t a fond smile nor one born of laughter, no this smile was one that promised vengeance. The wind rushed around her and the others as they flew across the Paris sky.  Bruce hadn’t been happy about what they were going to do and yet he had still offered to take them to Paris, Tim had even thought about letting them use something called a Zeta-Tube, they were both very nice offers but this was something that had to be done only by the Kwami. Thankfully they had been given some of their former power that morning, it had been hard to hide it from the new family but Tikki thought they had managed well. Kaalki had opened a portal for them after they had all said goodbye to little Marietta, some goodbyes took longer than normal despite everyone knowing they would be home before the day was up but Tikki couldn’t be mad about it. Marietta deserved every bit of love she got. 

“So, are we doing the announcement first or the Gifts first, Lovebug?” Plagg asked, his voice fluctuating between the high-pitched one Tikki had gotten used to hearing and his old one, his original voice, the one she missed more than she could say. 

“The announcement will be first, but before that, we need to give out some Gifts .” Her voice fluctuated too now that they were close to accomplishing their Karma. 

“Are we starting with…with them, then?” Nooroo asked, his voice soft no matter if it was fluctuating. He had yet to raise his voice above anything other than a soft tone and it hurt Tikki’s heart to see her fellow Kwami like that. It made her furious. 

“Yes, Nooroo. We are starting with the worst of them. Gabriel Agreste and-” Tikki started.

“And Adrien Agreste.” Plagg finished in a hard voice. She gave a short nod as she didn’t know what to say to help Plagg. He was betrayed once more and so was one of her Bugs and it never got easier to deal with. 

It wasn’t long before they got to the Agreste Mansion and Tikki felt all her anger and fury rise once more. She looked at the others, then toward Nooroo who flew to her side to join her and Plagg. The others gave them nods before they found spots to hide on the property until Tikki called them. Tikki looked at Nooroo who was staring blankly at the large window in the back of the mansion where the lair had been, he was shaking slightly. “Come. They will get what they deserve My Friend, and you will get closure.” 

“I would like to come as well, if you don’t mind. I know my Holder is no more, but…” Tikki turned back to see Duusuu floating a little behind them all. Her voice was hopeful yet weak. She was still recovering from the damage that had befallen her Miraculous and now that They had fixed it, her recovery was a sure thing, but it was a slow process. Tikki hadn’t even wanted Duusuu to fly out with them all, but she was a stubborn Kwami. Tikki couldn’t deny her, her own closure in that mansion. 

“Of course Duusedda,” It had been many many years since the Kwami as a whole have used their full names, but this was an important moment and Tikki felt like the Kwami before her deserved to hear her own name in full before they all confronted the Agrestes. The smile she got in response made her resolve all the more stronger. So the four Kwami phased into the mansion and followed the voices. Plagg took the lead on the flight as he was the more familiar with the house, Nooroo was confined to two rooms so wasn’t all that familiar with the home if you could even call it that. 

Tikki could hear the voices more clearly and did not hesitate to go towards the doors and use a power boost to blow them open. She had not been expecting the sight of Emilie Agreste to strike her like it did but she did not let it hinder her mission. Though, a big part of her wished that the woman was included in her Karma. She may not have been revived with her consent but she almost took her Baby Bug from her and that was not something Tikki tolerated. For the sake of balance and for Them , she would not do anything to the woman, plus nothing Miraculous would affect the woman since she was a product of a Wish, it was something Tikki brooded about a lot before this day. She may not be able to touch the woman, but she could touch Gabriel and Adrien who were present and immediately tried to fight off whatever kept them stuck to their chairs. Tikki, Duusuu, Plagg and Nooroo all made their way to the center of the table, which was a longer flight than Tikki expected. What was the point of such a long table? No reasons seemed to be good enough reasons to Tikki and by the look on Plagg’s face, she knew she wasn’t alone in the thought. 

“Hello Gabriel.” Nooroo said, his voice surprisingly and not so surprisingly was cold as steel. Gabriel looked like he was yelling silently at them all but Tikki felt no need to subject them all to his pathetic voice and demands. Unlike Nino’s family who were frozen and aware, the Agreste’s could move their upper body and somewhat legs, they were just stuck to the chairs they sat in and the chairs were firmly stuck to the floor. Tikki did steal their ability to talk or more so muted them as she did not need them to try and justify their actions, she did not want to hear their anger, hers was louder and they would be her first audience. 

“Kid.” Plagg said with a smile that was all teeth. His pupils slit so thin they almost looked like they disappeared in the sea of green that was his sclera. 

“Emilie, it is nice to see you awake.” Duusuu said softly, Tikki didn’t agree with her statement but well, the Peacock Kwami always was one of the nicer beings. They were nice but they did hold grudges for a long amount of time if someone wronged them. They got attached fast though, though to say that would make Tikki a hypocrite. 

“I won’t drag this out. The less time I have to be in the presence of you three would be a blessing.” Tikki growled out. She swiftly looked at Nooroo and Plagg and the three of them shared a grim nod. “Gabriel Agreste, former holder of the Butterfly Miraculous, you have been deemed an enemy of the Miraculi. As such you are forbidden from wielding any Miraculous as long as you shall live.”

The shock in Gabriel’s eyes was delicious as was the panic in Adrien’s. Emilie looked horrified but not shocked and that also gave Tikki some pleasure but not as much as she thought it would. “You, Gabriel Agreste are the catalyst to this Karma, in a way, I suppose I could thank you but that would be giving you too much credit. Besides, you do not deserve my thanks or anyone else’s. You invoked my wrath. You killed my Chosen! You destroyed her! Erased her. I take great pleasure in bestowing unto you, your Karma. I, Tikki, Kwami of Creation curse you with memory.”

Gabriel, who had been doing his best to escape the chair, paused at her words. Was the man really that surprised? Did he truly not think there would be consequences to his actions? The thought made Tikki sneer. 

“You will remember the prices others paid for your selfishness. You will remember Nathalie,” Emilie looked genuinely shocked at the name of her friend and equally heartbroken. “Your devoted right hand who did and would do everything for you. You will dream of the woman you erased from the world. You will see every time she sacrificed her happiness for you and your whims. You will feel the love she had for you and the pain she felt every time her love was rejected, you will feel the pain she was in once she started using the Peacock Miraculous. This pain will last for all the years Nathalie Adeline Sancoeur was alive.” 

Emilie was sobbing but her tears were silent due to the magic that was placed on all three Agrestes. She was yelling, presumably at Gabriel who was not paying her any attention. His face was pale, his mouth agape. “You will also remember Marinette Meiying Dupain-Cheng, also known as Li-Mei by her family in China. You will be plagued by visions of possible futures had you not taken her from this world. You will see how Paris would have mourned her as the hero Ladybug, as the classmate many admired and also her as the kind baker’s daughter. You will never know rest. My final ‘ gift ’ upon you Gabriel Agreste, is the gift of a long, healthy life. And for my parting curse, as I am Creation and Creation is me, I curse you with the loss of skill. You will retain your creative spirit but you will never be able to bring to life one of your ideas ever again.”

Next up was Nooroo, he looked nervous but determined. “I, Nooroo, Kwami of Transmission bestow upon you the curse of never wielding my Miraculous as long as you live. You corrupted a Miraculous, you imprisoned me and you did it all with no hesitation, no remorse and I will repay that to you. With no hesitation in my heart and no remorse to be felt I bestow the marks of a traitor to me and an enemy of the Miraculi unto you Gabriel Agreste.”

As soon as the last word fell from Nooroo’s lips, Gabriel spasmed and clutched at his chest and back. His silent screams meant nothing to the Kwami but it seemed like they affected both Emilie and Adrien who tried to reach out to Gabriel. Their mouths were asking questions no one could or would answer. Nooroo felt no relief or vindication at what he had done and would do but he also felt no guilt. “I also give you the…’gift’ of memory and pain. You will remember each ‘akuma’ you created and all the pain they caused to the people of Paris. You will feel each death as if it were your own, you will feel the break of each bone and you will feel the sting of each scratch. That is my parting gift to you, I have nothing else to say.”

Plagg put a hand on Nooroo’s shoulder and gave him a rueful grin before he took his place in front of Gabriel. “I, Plagg, Kwami of Destruction curse you Gabriel Agreste, with a curse of destruction. As I am Destruction and Destruction is me, I bestow upon you this curse of destruction, you will destroy every relationship you have, had and are going to have. No one will ever trust you, no one will ever like you and no one will ever love you again. You tore relationships and strained them during your tantrum as Hawkmoth, you will experience that first hand now.” 

With Plagg’s final words Tikki knew their curses and gifts were placed and finalized. She watched impassively as Gabriel tore his shirt off and finally saw what his marks were. Emilie had a hand over her mouth as she stared in horror at the red, irritated and raised skin on his chest that took the shape of the Butterfly Brooch, he would carry the reminder of his failures by the burn on his chest. It would never fade, it could never be removed or covered by tattoos. It was his brand as an enemy, it would be the first of many marks given today but his and Adrien’s would be the only ones whose marks caused them pain. Everyone else would possibly feel a slightly uncomfortable itch at first or nothing when given their marks. But these two? These two deserved the pain Tikki felt, they had caused her and many others pain by almost taking away her Baby Bug, so they would feel pain in return. Let the world know that they, the Kwami, were not as benevolent as rumored or to be believed, they were higher beings of morally gray standings and it was time they showed it. 

Gabriel turned around to show Nooroo’s parting mark, the mark that he betrayed the Kwami. Two large yet not so deep gashes ran across his back, deep enough to scar, which was Nooroo’s goal. The gashes were parallel and symmetrical, if Gabriel had had wings, Tikki was sure that’s where they would have been placed on his back. Gabriel had lost his wings and now it was time to show the whole of Paris that. “We have punished you, Gabriel Agreste, as we see fit, but the people of Paris haven’t punished you yet. So, as a peace offering you will be locked in one of their jails, La Santé. Should anyone…desire to help you, they will be sorely disappointed to find you can never leave. I am not cruel, you will be provided meals even if those at the prison decide not to give you some. You will be provided a TV so you can watch everything happen around you. So mote it be.” 

Just like that, Gabriel was gone from his seat, Emilie was crying while Adrien also looked close to tears but was yelling at them. His hair was a mess, his face red and spittle flying from his mouth. He looked as unhinged as Tikki imagined, she knew the boy was hiding a darker side like all did, she just never thought it reached this far. All Black Cat’s had darker sides but they all knew how to control it or embrace it, Adrien was not one of those that could do so. It was a mark, one of many of a False Cat. Thankfully, they would leave this place soon. “Adrien Agreste, former holder of the Cat Miraculous, you have been deemed an enemy of the Miraculi. As such you are forbidden from wielding any Miraculous as long as you shall live.”

Adrien stopped his silent screaming and looked at her like she had grown another head, honestly, she wasn’t even one of the Kwami that did possess two heads in the original form, so she felt like it was rude. “You can glare at me all you want, little boy, but it will do nothing to help you. You are the one who betrayed the Miraculi, not the other way around. As such, I, Tikki, Kwami of Creation bestow upon you the curse of memory. You will remember Marinette, you will remember every instance she put her happiness aside for your own. You will see all the times your ‘flirting’ made her uncomfortable as Ladybug and Marinette. You will see every time you let her down. You will remember Nathalie and every time she made excuses for you and all the times she got in trouble because of you. They also give you a curse, you can never tell anyone about the Miraculi, about us Kwami, but if asked you will only admit to being the traitor Chat Noir. Finally, I bestow upon you a gift. You never wanted Marinette so I shall make everything she ever gave you, turn to ash. It’s only fair after all. My gift will make it so you won’t be so cruelly reminded of Marinette, well, visually at least.”

After saying her peace, Tikki flew to the flowers in the middle of the table and sat upon a leaf, though she would hear everything, she wanted to give Plagg his space to say his own peace. She knew it was going to be hard on him but he always did prefer to show his emotions in private so he wouldn’t break in front of his peers. He rarely let Tikki in so she felt bad that they were present for this moment, but it was needed. She watched as Plagg flew towards Adrien and landed in front of the boy far enough to not be grabbed. His antennae were flat against his head and back, it hurt Tikki’s heart to see. “Kid… Adrien, I’ve thought long and hard about this. You may not have been my True Chosen, but you had potential and I…I cared for you, I thought you would have grown into a great Cat. You had spirit, but somewhere along the way you lost sight of what was important. My Cats tend to be on the reckless side but they have heart and are more than willing to lend a paw when they are needed. You are not Cat of mine.”

“With all that said, I, Plagg, Kwami of Destruction bestow upon you the curse of Bad Luck. You will forever be plagued with bad luck, some days can be better than others but that will all depend on you. If you genuinely do something to help someone or comfort someone with no ill intent or selfish gain, your bad luck will be minimal. Do something out of selfishness or deceitfulness and your bad luck will become worse. I will also give you a gift, you care so much about what others think of you I give you the gift of Thoughts. You will hear every single negative thought anyone has had about you. You as Adrien and you as Chat Noir. You, like your father, will bear the marks of enemy and traitor.” Plagg said in a monotone voice. At the end of his speech Adrien spasmed much like Gabriel had but this time he clutched at his right hand before his head was forcefully turned to the side by an invisible force.

Emilie tried to go to her baby boy and Tikki, feeling merciful, allowed it. Emilie shot out of her chair and to Adrien at incredible speed she cradled him to her as best she could while she sobbed. She ran a hand through his hair and pressed a hand to the supposed scratch marks on Adrien’s face and even though he couldn’t hear her, she was trying to calm him as best she could. Her words may not have been heard but her actions were. Well, to Tikki at least. As much as she despised the woman in front of her, she knew it truly wasn’t her fault and let herself feel bad for her. She awoke to pain and even if Tikki believed she had a part in Marinette being erased she also acknowledged it was Gabriel who started everything in a way. Tikki sighed before looking at Duusuu. “Duusuu.”

The Peacock Kwami looked at her and with just a look they knew what she was going to say, so the Kwami gave her a soft smile. “Emilie, I know you never wanted this. But you did ignore my warnings so long ago and though I can’t give a gift of any great weight and can still give you a small one. So I, Duusuu, Kwami of Emotion, bestow the gift of Innocence. No matter what comes to light you will never hold any blame or suspicion. Given what has happened and what will happen, you need not be punished more than you already have.”

“I will not fight Duusuu’s decision.” Tikki said after a while of silence. “We leave you here as I have a broadcast to make but one final word, Adrien, there is… hope for you. You can be rid of your curses if you realize and admit your guilt in all that has happened. That and accept it wholeheartedly, only then will you be free, but you will never rid yourself of your marks. This will be the last time you see us in person.”

No other words were said before the four Kwami left the house. There was no time for delays, Tikki and the others had Karma to deliver and there would be plenty to go around.

Next Chapter

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#wish me away #wma au #maribat #mldc #ml x dc #mldc crossover #mldccrossover Tikki #mldccrossover Kwami (plural) #mldccrossover Plagg #mldccrossover Gabriel Agreste | Hawkmoth #mldccrossover Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir #mldccrossover Emilie Agreste #mldccrossover mentions of Marinette and Nathalie #Adrien Agreste salt #Gabriel Agreste salt #ml salt fic #hurt with a sprinkle of comfort #Tikki is after vengeance #tw description of injuries #tw burns

[aalissy]

Kwagatama

Oof, sorry this chapter is late D:. I’ve been superrr busy lately!! Anywho, I hope you enjoy this lil reveal fic. It does contain spoilers for Reunion so if you haven’t seen that ep plz do before reading. Ooh and if you’re planning on staying up for the new ep like I am later today feel free to rant with me about it haha!

AO3

Marinette wanted to choke. At present, she was struggling to breathe. Inhaling and exhaling in short bouts of panic. Because, right now, around Adrien’s neck that he was proudly showing off to Nino during their lunch break was a kwagatama.

Something that she knew without a doubt was a kwagatama. Something that she had only just used to contact Joan of Arc about her feelings for Chat Noir. Something that was currently tucked away in her backpack right now.

Unlike her red one though, Adrien’s was black.  

Marinette was struggling to shove the realization of what that meant into the back of her mind. 

Because it couldn’t be... it just couldn’t.

She couldn’t have fallen in love with Adrien only to fall straight back into love with him without realizing it. Could she have?

Marinette quickly needed to get her thoughts under control though because Adrien was currently approaching her with a shy, sweet smile on his lips. Her eyes darted around, looking for an excuse to bolt but came up short. 

She leaned her elbow on the table, scrambling when it collided directly with her tray. Cursing herself, Marinette quickly put it back on the table with what she hoped was a casual smile. In reality, though, it probably looked more like a grimace.

“Hi, Marinette,” he said before quickly sliding into the seat next to her.

“O-oh, hello Adrien. W-what are you doing here?” Her palm itched to slap her face. How was she still so tongue-tied around him?

Because you love him. Both in and out of the mask, Marinette’s thoughts supplied unhelpfully. 

Okay, the panic was coming back with a vengeance now.

Adrien chuckled and gestured to his own tray of food. “Just finishing up my lunch. Like you.”

“R-right.” She nodded her head rapidly, probably looking like an animated bobblehead.

Her eyes darted down to the black kwagatama that was still sitting so proudly on his neck. It couldn’t have come from any other kwami besides Plagg. Monarch had the rest and Alix had gotten her blue one from Fluff already. 

The only other kwami that wasn’t in Monarch’s clutches was Chat Noir’s. And, didn’t it just make sense for Plagg to give Adrien a kwagatama after Marinette had used it to talk to some of the previous holders?

Gulping down a harsh breath of air, Marinette shoved her panic down. “What, um... what were you showing Nino earlier?”

“Oh, this?” Adrien looked down at his necklace with a bright smile. He pulled it up, showing it to her proudly. “A friend made it for me. Isn’t it great!”

A friend. With the panic gone a wave of amusement hit her. She could practically picture Adrien’s face as Plagg threw up on him. She wondered if it was anything like hers when Tikki gave her that birthday gift.

Marinette leaned closer, delicately running her finger over the kwagatama. It was the real deal alright. It perfectly matched hers. It was both the same size and shape and also had that round hole in the top. 

There was officially no doubt left in her mind. Adrien was her Chaton. And that meant that she had truly fallen for the same person twice.

“It’s pretty,” she murmured, peering up at Adrien. His eyes widened as he looked down at her, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink.

Her own face flamed as Marinette quickly threw herself back into her seat. She cleared her throat before gesturing to the necklace. “I-I mean that it, uh... it goes well with the color of your eyes.”

“Thank you,” he practically squeaked.

A giddy sense of satisfaction shot through her. She had made Adrien... Chat Noir... flustered. 

But if she had fallen for the same person twice then maybe, just maybe, Adrien had done the same.

Nibbling on her lower lip, Marinette gathered her courage and glanced around conspiratorially before leaning back in. Adrien seemed to unconsciously lean forward to, causing her palms to sweat as he stared directly into her eyes.

“What um... what if I told you I had something pretty similar on me right now?” she whispered, crossing her fingers that he would understand.

Adrien simply hummed, “Mhm.” Nodding his head, he moved ever so slightly closer to her.

Marinette’s eyes darted down to his lips once before she ripped herself away from the temptation. She practically dove for her backpack, pulling out the kwagatama that Tikki had given her. 

Cupping it in her hand, she carefully showed it to him. He glanced down at it once, rather quickly before his gaze met hers once again. Her heart began to pound in her chest as Adrien continued staring at her until eventually, a frown marred his brow. 

This time he looked down for much longer. He placed his hands under hers, running his fingers over the kwagatama in her palms. 

Adrien’s lips had parted before a bright smile lit up his face as he looked back up at her. “Marinette! T-this is...!”

“Shh! Yes! I know. Just like yours is also...,” she trailed off, nodding down at his necklace. 

He nodded his head eagerly before searching her gaze. He must have found what he was looking for because the next thing Marinette knew, Adrien was throwing his head back in a laugh that had butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

“It was you! Oh, of course, it was you! How did it take me so long to realize?!”

Marinette couldn't help the smile that spread across her face in response to his infectious laughter. She had waited for this moment for so long, and now that it was finally here, she was filled with indescribable happiness. It was like the world had aligned just perfectly and everything was falling into place.

Adrien's face was still lit up with a wide grin as he leaned in closer to her. "Marinette... m’lady," he said, his tone low and intimate. "I've been meaning to tell you something for a little while now. E-even if you don’t feel the same."

Marinette's breath caught in her throat as she met his gaze. There was something about the way he was looking at her, with such intensity and sincerity, that it made her heart race with anticipation. 

This was it. There was no more running. No more hiding her feelings for both Adrien and Chat Noir. So, this time, she was going to stay and listen to what he had to say. 

Adrien reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Heat rose to her cheeks and she ducked her head down, suddenly feeling shy. 

"I've been wanting to tell you that... I think I’ve been falling in love with you.” 

Marinette’s head popped up, her lower lip wobbling as emotion hit her. These were the words that she had been desperate to hear for so long and now they were finally here. Adrien loved her!

“And I know... I know that I’ve already told you this more times than I can count.” He paused, chuckling. “But I just needed you to know. Needed you to know that I’ve fallen for you twice now. I also understand that you’re in love with someone else, though.”

“You’re wrong,” Marinette sniffled, shaking her head. “Adrien, the person I’ve been in love with all this time was you. It always has been. Even when I thought I moved on and realized that I was also falling in love with my Chaton.”

She ran the back of her hand down his cheek, experiencing true joy as Adrien’s eyes fluttered closed and he nuzzled into her touch. A shiver jolted down her spine when his eyes opened and connected with hers.

“You love me?” he whispered.

“Always have,” she murmured back.

The next thing Marinette knew, she was wrapped up in Adrien’s arms, their lips engaged in a soft, wondrous kiss. She threw her arms around his neck, kissing him back as a feeling of euphoria rose within her.

Eventually, she pulled back with a giggle. “I’m so glad Plagg gave you that.”

“Me too,” Adrien said before pulling her back in for another kiss.

Everything was right in the world. She got to love both her Chat Noir and her Adrien. Now, Marinette no longer needed to feel guilty for having feelings for two of the most important people in her life. Now, her stress and anxiety slowly faded away as his lips pressed against hers over and over again.

#adrinetteapril2023 #adrienetteapril2023 #adrinette #adrienette #love square #mlb #miraculous #ml #ml fic #miraculous ladybug #reunion #reunion spoilers #ml s5 spoilers #fic #fanfic #reveal #identity reveal #reveal fic

[p96822]

Marinette was gasping almost uncontrollably.

"Tikki, who or what was that? No way that was an akumatized victim." Marinette asked, slightly out of breath as Tikki came out of her purse.

"Marinette, that was Hotep-Ra. He was a servant to the Pharoah Duulaman, and he tried and failed to rule Egypt by controlling the Pharoah. However, the previous Ladybug stopped him, and then he was charged by the pharaoh to mummify him for his treason."

"What should we do, Tikki?" Marinette asked her Kwamii.

"Since he knows you're Ladybug, then I think that you shouldn't transform unless Phantom can't handle him. This is his town and his field of expertise, after all." Tikki told her.

Marinette nodded and decided to find Danny Fenton even though Phantom said he was okay. She wanted to make sure that he was okay.

Danny and Hotep-Ra continued their battle. As this went on, Danny wondered why Hotep-Ra was after Marinette.

Was she a descendent or something of someone he knew? Danny thought.

"Hotep Ra! Why are you going after Marinette?" Danny asked him.

"She holds a power that defeated me 5000 years ago, and I want my vengeance on her for her power!" The mummy ghost explains.

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked him.

"She contains the power of creation, a power that thwarted me a long time ago." The mummy ghost said.

"What do you mean, power of creation?" Danny asked.

"A person that possesses the power of creation was the power that stopped me from ruling Egypt 5000 years ago and left me in that sarcophagus until the day the Pharaoh's reflection set me free," Hotep-Ra told him.

"That sounds familiar, but why?" Danny thought for a second before getting hit by Hotep-Ra's extended arms.

Narrowly avoiding both arms, Danny flew up and fired from both of his hands.

Thinking fast, Hotep Ra turned into a sandy tornado to avoid harm. As that tornado came closer, Danny phased into the floor to avoid it. Once Danny was gone, Hotep Ra returned to humanoid form and stood where Danny once was.

Danny phased up behind the mummy, hovering off the floor before roundhouse kicking Hotep Ra in the head. Then, before Hotep Ra could do anything else, Danny punched him in the chest, then kneed him in the chin.

Hotep Ra's fist grew five times its size, popped off his arm, attached to it with three bandages, and punched Danny, sending him into a wall.

As Danny pushed himself off the wall, he glared at Hotep Ra.

"Look... don't you have like some ex-girlfriend to bring back or a hot librarian to hit on or reject a terrible remake loosely based on you being made or whatever?" Danny asks.

Hotep Ra responds with his fist coming at Danny again. This time, Danny flew out of its way, the fist making a sizable hole in the wall. His fist then returned to him, returning to its normal size.

"Once I am finished with you, that girl and Duulaman's current incarnation will suffer!" Hotep Ra declared.

With Marinette and Tikki

Marinette searched for Danny Fenton even though Phantom said he was safe. She wanted to know for sure if he was okay.

"Marinette, you should be out of here, not looking for Danny," Tikki said from her purse.

"I just wanna know for sure, Tikki," Marinette said.

"Let's just hope he doesn't become another Adrien..." Tikki muttered to herself.

As Marinette searches for Danny, she bumps into Paulina Sanchez.

"Oh, sorry," Marinette said.

"Watch where you're going, French girl. I have a look to maintain!" Paulina said scornfully.

Oh right, the other Chloe... Marinette thought but chose not to say.

"I'm sorry for bumping into you, but what are you doing here?" Marinette asked the popular girl.

"I'm here to see the ghost boy and ask him to be my date for the springtime dance this Friday, and we can finally start our relationship," Paulina answered with a smile before looking at Marinette with a mocking look in her eye. "So anyway, you might be going with that loser Fenton."

"Danny isn't a loser!" Marinette defended.

"See? You two are married already..." Paulina said with a haughty laugh.

As Paulina left, Marinette growled at her for thinking she and Danny were a couple even though they were friends.

"I swear, she's just as bad as Chloe, maybe even worse. Even though Danny is funny and sweet, you can get lost in his blue eyes. Danny is a great guy, but not as great as Adrian. Or maybe he is? I'm not so sure at the moment." Marinette said.

"Are you speaking to yourself or me?" Tikki asks.

"Uh... no... one..." Marinette answered sheepishly.

"Marinette. You should stop Paulina, or she might get hurt by Hotep-Ra. No matter how obnoxious she can be, she doesn't deserve that." Tikki told her.

"You're right, Tikki. We better go," Marinette said and went after the rude, popular girl.

With Danny

Danny was about to trap Hotep-Ra in the Fenton Thermos before hearing a familiar yell.

"Yoo-hoo, ghost boy! Over here, it's your soulmate!" A familiar voice called out.

Danny turned his head and saw Paulina waving at him.

"Paulina?"

"You remember me!" Paulina went with a big grin as she swooned for him, leaning on the doorframe.

"What are you doing here? You have to get out of here now before you'll get hurt!" Danny told the lovestruck teen.

"I don't care about that, ghost boy. Instead, I want to ask you if you want to go to the Casper High Spring dance with me this Friday and finally start our relationship!" Paulina told him.

Before Danny could respond to her, Marinette showed up, fists at her hips.

"What are you doing?!" She questioned as she glared at the Latina girl for doing something dangerous with the ghost boy for a date.

"Busy telling the story. I'll tell our kids how their Papa and I started dating," Paulina stated.

"Seriously?!" Marinette and Danny snapped in unison.

Hotep-Ra took advantage of the situation and used his bandages to grab Marinette.

"I have you now!" He explained as he lifted her into the air.

"Let her go, you mummified creep!" Danny demanded.

"Put the pretty French girl down before I give you a reason to add more bandages!" Danny shouted.

"Pretty?!" Paulina questioned in shock.

"Not until I get my vengeance on her, I won't!" Hotep-Ra declared.

"I won't let you!" Danny shouted.

"I'm prettier!" Paulina shouted.

Marinette blushed a little from Danny's comment about calling her pretty. She also hoped that Phantom wouldn't flirt with her like Cat Noir does when she's Ladybug.

Danny fired a ghost ray at the bandages that held Marinette in the air. After the ray hits its target and causes Marinette to fall, Danny catches her bridely style and lets her down gently.

"Are you okay, Ma-miss?" Danny asked her, quickly saving himself.

"Yeah, thanks." She said to him with a shy smile at being held by him briefly.

"No problem, it's my job-saving people, after all, especially the pretty ones. Now, I recommend stepping aside." Danny said and went back to the fight.

"You have interfered with my plans too much, boy! I'll make sure you regret crossing me!" Hotep-Ra stated.

"Well, it's my job to beat creeps like you, picking on innocent young women!" Danny said.

Danny created a giant snowball in his hands and threw it at the mummy ghost. Unfortunately, when the snowball hits Hotep-Ra, he is now trapped in a block of ice. Because of the ice, he could not fly and crashed down onto the ground. Danny then pulled out his Fenton Themos and sucked the mummy ghost into it. There was some resisting, not wanting to be sucked into the Themos, but he was too tired to fight back from the suction. Finally, Danny closed the cap of the Themos so he wouldn't escape.

'That reminds me of how I catch Akumas as Ladybug, and only my method doesn't look like I turn them into soup.' Marinette thought.

"Uh, Mr. Phantom, thanks for saving me. I want to ask you if I can take a picture of you for my friend Alya. She runs a superhero blog known as the Ladyblog, and she wants to add you to her blog for the American Superheroes since you're the best-known one in our age range." Marinette asked.

"Uh, I never asked for my picture like that before. So why does your friend want to add me to her blog? Isn't Ladybug cooler than me?" Danny asked her.

"Well, she heard about you, and she wants your side of the story about the things you did that weren't so heroic, so she wants to be fair," Marinette answered.

"Wow, someone finally asked me about my side of the story about those events. I was mind-controlled by this evil ring leader, and on Christmas, I was trapped in a ghostwriter's story for destroying his script. I don't want to talk about the Christmas one, just that I should probably not be such a jerk on the holidays." Danny told her.

"Okay, I understand that you don't want to talk about that. So can I take a picture of you, Phantom?" Marinette asked him.

"Well, in that case, snap away," Danny said to her as she took a picture of him.

"Thanks, Phantom, I'll send these to Alya now, and she will flip," Marinette sends the picture to her best friend.

"No problem, miss," Danny said.

"Call me Marinette, Phantom," Marinette told her.

Danny nodded and left the two girls.

Paulina was angry that the French girl was trying to steal her ghost boy away from her. So much so that she shoved her.

"Hey!" Marionette went.

"Stay away from my ghost boy!" Paulina demanded.

Marinette glared at her before Paulina left to go with the rest of her class. After she left, Danny Fenton came up to his guest.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Danny asked her.

"I'm okay. I'm just dealing with another Chole, but maybe even ruder than her." Marionette said, glaring in Paulina's direction.

"Yeah, she's always been this rude. I can't believe I used to have a crush on her. Big mistake." Danny said.

"I can't believe you used to have a crush on her," Marinette pointed at the walking Paulina. She stared in disbelief as Danny shrugged nonchalantly.

"A lot of guys did…and still do. Last year, I saw her as too much after some events." Danny turned to the French girl, and he had a small blush as he spoke his next words. "Besides…I kinda like nice girls better."

Marinette wondered if Danny meant nice girls like her.

One of Vlad's cameras flies was watching the two teenagers. Vlad smirked and thought of giving his little badger and his French girlfriend a visit.

Oh no, it seems that Vlad will cause more problems with our favorite ghost boy. Anyway, let's get back to Sam and Adrien to see what they are up to.

#danny phantom #dannette #danny fenton x marinette #ladybug x danny phantom #miraculous tales of ladybug and cat noir #dannyxmarinette

[ao3feed-ladynoir]

Vengeance Noire

Vengeance Noire by phieillydinyia

After a horrific argument with his father, Adrien escaped from the mansion with his heart in pieces. In hindsight, it made sense why an akuma was sent his way. He shouldn't have let his emotions get the better of him.

But he never expected Plagg to be even more upset than he was. He never expected his own kwami to be akumatized. To become the threat of a city he swore to protect. And what's worse is the fact that Chat Noir can't jump in to save this one.

But Ladybug can. And that's why he has to find her as quickly as possible, suit or no suit.

Words: 16712, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Plagg, Tikki, Gabriel Agreste, Sass

Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Plagg, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Gabriel Agreste, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug

Additional Tags: Ladrien | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng as Ladybug, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Crack Treated Seriously, Or at least as seriously as it can be considering this concept was adapted from a dream, This was originally a one-shot that got out of hand, I regret everything, Probably takes place somewhere in season 4, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Identity Reveal, Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Protective Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Protective Plagg, Tikki just giggles a lot, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Implied/Referenced Body Horror, Temporary Character Death, Akumatized Plagg, Plagg Cares, Plagg Being Plagg, No beta we die like Adrien's mental stability, Self-Doubt, Disassociation, Anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks, A lot of panic attacks actually, It's a rough night for everyone, The hits just keep on coming, also they cry a LOT, It's a rollercoaster of emotions for our two favorite superheros, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir-centric, sadrien angstgreste, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hurt Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Adrien Agreste Needs Love, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Gets a Hug, Adrien Agreste Needs Help, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Needs a Hug, Plagg needs a spatula so he can slap Gabriel with it, Bad Parent Gabriel Agreste, Gabriel Agreste's A+ Parenting, Insane Gabriel Agreste, Runaway Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Self-Sacrifice, I feel so bad for traumatizing my precious sunshine boy, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Deserves Better, Protect Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, From writers like me, I think there might be like one or two swear words, Aspik once again gets curved so hard, why are you still reading the tags, Just read the story already, Go on --- git (endearing)

Read Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/45230923

#AO3 Feed #FanFiction #AO3 Ladrien #🐞 #💚 #Ladrien #Miraculous Ladybug #♥ #R:T #A:Phieillydinyia #Reveal Fic #Mental Illness #Abuse

[jayphoenic]

Tumblr MLB Lila (Salt) Bashing Prompt/Fanfic Recommendations

Kind Adrien, Jealous Chloe by @mcheang

What if Adrien decides to fight back against Lila? After Oniichan. Now he knows her lies are bad and she is out to hurt people, like Kagami and Ladybug.

Miraculous Prompt: Resigning With Grace (And Spite) by @nobodyfamousposts

Thus the class demand from Ms. Bustier that they do a new vote for Class Rep. And of course the rest of the class insists they want it to be Lila.

Lila of course gasps and puts on an act of being surprised and completely unaware they were planning this, how wonderful they are to consider her for such an important role, and while making less than subtle jabs at Marinette in any number of ways (her “bullying”, her “inability to handle the role”, etc). All while sending secret smirks at Marinette when she thinks no one is looking.

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Marinette doesn’t get upset. She doesn’t get mad or despondent. She’s not even hurt. Instead, she smiles.

Miraculous Ladybug - Kill Them with Kindness by @luki-fanfic

However, after reading many, many ‘Marinette-snaps’ regarding Lila’s lies, I wondered how I would have written Marinette handling the situation. For me, I think it would involve slightly less salt, more spite, and a whole lot of petty vengeance on Marinette’s part as their ‘Everyday Ladybug,’ without turning the class into an obsessive anti-Marinette-mob.

The Liar Trap: A Lila Salt Prompt by @aliensunflower-fics

You expect me to believe that after Lila gets Marinette expelled that Marinette would just leave that alone? Marinette the girl who made a tamper proof DIARY box?? Yeah I don’t think so years of Chloe messing with her and her things, Lila proving to be the same kind of bully, and then of course the added paranoia of hiding Tikki and a secret identity everyday should mean that Marinette is some kind of bully prepper from hell. So I present to you my idea:

Let it go by @mcheang

“Be the good girl you always have to be.”

Well, now that she was no longer class president, now that she had no more friends, Marinette no longer had to please others for their sake. Especially since they weren’t really her friends if they just turned on her like that.

“It’s funny how some distance makes everything seem small.”

Without friends and class rep duties, Marinette has more time to truly let her creativity flow and soon her business begins to boom, especially once Jagged hears about it.

Soon even Ladybug is seen wearing her accessories in winter.

“It’s time to see what I can do, to test my limits and break through.”

Part Two

Remember some chapters are longer than others

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*.✧

#adrien agreste #marinette #miraculous fanfic #miraculous fandom #mlb #miraculous #mlb fanfic #mlb fanfiction #lila bashing #lila exposed #lila gets exposed #lila salt #crack fic #marinette deserves better #marinette dupen chang #lila rossi #mlb adrien #mlb marinette #miraculous ladybug #mlb fandom #adrien deserves better #bamf marinette #fanfiction #fanfic #ml fanfic #fanfiction recommendations #fanfiction recommendation #tumblr #tumblr blog

[themaribatpit]

Saturday Challenge: Continue a Fic You Wrote for Jasonette July

Written by: The Maribat Pit  @jasonette-july-event Prompt: Continue a fic you wrote for Jasonette July Rated: M (for violence and strong language)

Then Perish : Part 2

Marinette tossed the helmet aside, she glanced over at the desk and grabbed a letter opener.  She tried to take several swipes at him, all of which he evaded with ease before grabbing her by the wrist.  Marinette tried to drop the letter opener into her other hand but he caught it before she did.  “Nice try, mind telling me why you’re so desperate to kill me?” he asked, Marinette could just about hear him smirking under the mask.  Up close, she noticed that, in addition to his dark hair,  there was a white streak of hair framing his face.  His eyes were still covered by the domino mask as they looked down at her.  “You killed my parents,” she growled. “So is that what this is all about…tell me, what makes you so sure that I did it?” he asked. “I saw you, I saw people begging for their lives just before you killed them.” she recalled, “I saw you standing over their dead bodies.” He pushed her back with very little effort, but before she could charge at him again, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a gun.  He tossed it to her and she caught it, the cold metal felt heavy in her small hands. “If you are so certain that I’m the one who did it,” he said, “then let the punishment fit the crime.” Marinette looked down at the gun in her hands, she knew exactly what he was asking her to do.  She took aim with the gun, her hands shook as she pointed it at the Red Hood. Her eyes were wide, her hands were shaking, she tried to steel herself.  She tried to ignore the voice in her head telling her that something wasn’t right.  It couldn’t be this easy, there had to be a catch, a struggle, something.  She brought her other hand to the gun, trying to hold it steady. She hoped he couldn’t hear her heart hammering in her chest, she tried not to think about how frightened or nervous she was at that moment.  Meanwhile the Red Hood remained calm, beckoning her to shoot him. “Come on I’m right, here, need me to draw a bullseye?” he taunted. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the trigger, she heard a loud BANG, followed by silence.  She slowly cracked open an eye to see her target. “You missed.” Red Hood remarked. Marinette tried to make another shot, but the gun went CLICK, it was empty.  She looked down at the empty gun in her hand, before glaring up at the Red Hood. 

“Look kid, you’re after the wrong guy. I’m not the one who killed your parents.” he explained.

Marinette eyed him suspiciously “More lies.” she scoffed as she glared at him.

“Fine, but the camera doesn't lie,” he walked over to the laptop on his desk and pushed a button. A projector screen appeared and began playing footage from a camera during that fateful shootout. Red Hood continued typing away, until he found the right camera to see the events unfold. “There, camera 5.” he finished typing and turned to watch the footage with her. 

Marinette stared at the footage, her eyes widening in shock. She saw their final moments and it made her heart ache. She watched them go looking for her while she was helping other people as Ladybug. She wondered if she had left those people to die in Park Row, would her parents still be alive and well? She watched her parents run into some mobster with a gun, he tried to mug them. Her father tried using his large size to threaten the mobster, but he had a gun and her father didn't. Tom Dupain was then shot in the head, Sabine held his dead body begging for the mobster to spare her. 

Upon hearing her mother’s cries of mercy, Marinette dropped the gun and fell to her knees.  Her hands were balled into fists, trying to latch onto the carpeted floor beneath her.  There were tears dripping down to her cheeks and clouding her vision. Even so, she could not bring herself to look away, she had to know who this man was. The man then shot Sabine in the head. He ran away, just as the Red Hood showed up on camera to inspect the unfortunate couple who walked past Park Row. 

Marinette wailed as the video footage ended, “No more, please no more,” she cried. “<Mom, Dad, I’m so sorry.>” she cried to herself in French. 

Jason watched the girl cry her heart out after watching her parents get murdered. He couldn’t blame her, no one could. He sat on his desk, as she continued crying. He brought up zoomed camera footage and a mugshot up on screen. Once he was done he stepped in front of her.

The Red Hood standing right in front of Marinette was enough to stop her from crying, she looked up. “You want the man who killed your parents?” he asked. Marinette could only nod. “Luca Angelo, known associate of the Falcone Crime Family.” he stepped aside and pointed to the mugshot. “Last spotted in the Falcone Slaughterhouse.” 

“You want him? We’ll go together at sunrise.” he told her. Marinette stood up and nodded, wiping her tears on her sleeve. “All right Suzie’ll bring you back to your room, they’ll pick you up again later.” Marinette then left the room, escorted by Suzie Su.  

Jason looked over at his window viewing the Gotham Skyline. “I know you’re there Batman, come on in, it's unlocked.” Batman emerged from the shadows. 

"Isn't she the French girl that was in GCPD a few weeks ago?" Asked Batman, staring straight at Jason.

"Yup" said Red Hood, "Sent back to Paris, if I remember correctly. Came back to Gotham thinking I was the one to kill her parents." Red Hood shrugged and sat on his chair, feet resting on his desk.

“She could have killed you.” Batman pointed out. “It’s nice to know you care, Bruce.” Jason said sarcastically, “You saw what happened there, she couldn’t even get a scratch on me.” he explained. “Not without her powers anyway,” he thought.  “She could have killed me...just like how I could have killed the Penguin.” Jason told him.  Batman sighed, remembering how Jason explained that the Penguin didn’t really die the night that he shot him.  One of these days, Jason was going to give him a heart attack with all the elaborate stunts that he pulled. 

"Why are you two going to the Falcone Slaughterhouse?" Batman asked, as Jason poured himself a drink. 

"Closure." Jason told him,  "You and Dick should know how important closure is when you lose your parents." 

"Luca Angelo is dead." Batman stated, "That gang war was unsanctioned by the Falcones, they killed him to appease you and the Maronis."

"You're right, but she'll need to learn that herself.” Jason nodded in agreement, taking a sip of his drink.  “At that moment she’ll have to make a choice, whether or not she wants to find peace or let her vengeance spiral out of control?” “That’s quite a risk to take,” Batman pointed out, “what makes you so sure she won’t choose the latter?”  His eyes fell on the helmet that lay discarded on the floor. “Call it a calculated risk,” he said “sometimes you just have to give people a chance.”  Batman narrowed his eyes, Jason looked back at him over the rim of his glass as he took another sip.

"Fine," Batman relented. "but I'll be there to watch you two." “Say hi to Yo-Yo Girl for me, next time you see her.” Jason said nonchalantly, “She was a huge help getting people to safety that night.” “Yo-Yo Girl?” Batman asked, Jason looked up and cocked an eyebrow. “Sorry, thought she was one of yours,” he said, before finishing the last of his drink.  Batman decided not to ask anything more about it, before he crept back into the shadows and vanished. That morning, Marinette opened the Miracle box and took out Tikki’s earrings.  Tikki gave her a sad look, “Are you sure about this, Marinette?” she asked in a soft voice. “I saw the man who really killed my parents,” Marinette told her, “if I let him walk free, all this would have been for nothing.”  Tikki sighed but had no choice but to comply.  “Spots on” she said, she transformed into Ladybug, ready to face the real culprit. When she stepped out onto the rooftop, Red Hood was waiting for her.  He turned to see the Yo-Yo Girl who was getting civilians to safety that night, it explained how she managed to avoid meeting her parents’ fate that night.  Still, this should be interesting. “So you got a name or is it really just ‘Yo-Yo Girl’?” he asked. “Ladybug,” she told him, “let's get this over with.” she said.  Red Hood grappled away and Ladybug followed with a very creative use of her yo-yo.  

Later, Red Hood and Ladybug snuck into Falcone Slaughterhouse.  The pungent smell of blood gave Ladybug the sinking feeling that livestock wasn’t the only meat that was cut up here.  They quietly knocked out the guards as they made their way in. Red Hood pointed to the door with a sign above the said "Foreman". He then kicked the door down, and they quickly subdued the two guards in the room.

"What the fuck?!" cried the foreman as Ladybug ran up and bashed his head with an ashtray.

She wrapped the string of her yo-yo around the foreman's neck. "Where is Luca Angelo?!" she yelled.

"Rat-faced Luca? Motherfucker's already minced meat by now!" the foreman laughed.

"W-what?" Ladybug stuttered, “No, you’re lying!” she yelled.  This had to be a trick, he was probably hiding somewhere, relishing in the memory of making her parents feel helpless.  She would not be so easily defeated.

"Are ya deaf? He's dead." The foreman drew a gun from his pocket and pointed it at Ladybug. A shuriken then hit the gun, knocking it away from his hand.

Ladybug tightened her grip on the wire. As she was strangling the man her hands shook as rage consumed her. The man gasped and struggled for air, but she held it tight. “Please” he croaked, “have mercy.” 

“Why should I show you any? My parents were shown none!” Ladybug growled, baring her teeth. She pulled the string tighter, as if she was garroting the man. She pictured how her parents had suffered, her mother’s cries for mercy echoed in her mind. 

“Please...I..have..a..daughter.” The foreman barely managed to speak, he tried to paw at the wire with his hands but it wouldn’t budge.  Ladybug paused, she looked at her reflection in the window. She had seen what she had become. 

Shame and guilt filled her as the man became limp. She let go of her yo-yo, and released the man.  She brought her hands to her mouth as she stumbled back in fear and guilt. What would Tikki, Alya and her parents feel if they knew she had blood on her hands? Her breathing became more rapid as panic set in. 

Red Hood calmly walked over, placed two fingers on his neck. “He ain’t dead.” he commented. Ladybug ran, tears streaking down her cheeks. Red Hood didn’t follow, he knew she needed time alone to think. He hoped what she saw was enough to give her closure. He tried to be optimistic that Ladybug would not walk the path of vengeance, but he wasn’t known for his optimism.  Roy would have known what to say to her, but thinking of Roy at all made his heart sink. 

Ladybug ran, she had no clue where she was or where she was going, she just needed to be alone. She didn’t know how long or how far she had traveled, she just found a secluded rooftop. “Spots off” she muttered, Tikki didn’t say a word as she looked up at her.  They sat on the edge of the roof, watching Gotham at night. They both sat in absolute silence, as Marinette came to terms with the tempest of thoughts, guilt and anger that stirred in her mind.  She wondered if she could bring herself to use the Ladybug Miraculous again? If she could trust herself not to lash out at innocent people? A part of her began to question if she was even fit to be Guardian of the Miraculous?

“I almost killed an innocent man,” Marinette croaked, tears welled up in her eyes. “I don't know what to do Tikki, the man who killed Maman and Papa is already dead. It still hurts.” she cried harder. 

Tikkie floated in front of Marinette’s face. Marinette didn’t even try to look at her through the sheen of tears in her eyes, “Marinette, I know, everyone needs time to grieve and move on.” Tikki told her, trying her best to comfort her.

“How, how can I move on? What should I do now? Go to Shanghai and live there?”  Marinette asked.

“Maybe I can help,” came a voice from behind. Tikki zoomed straight to Marinette’s pocket and hid in there. The figure walked up to her and took a seat beside her on the edge of the roof. 

The man wore a leather jacket, looked like he was a few years older than her, and he held a takeaway bag with him. She was about to ask who he was until she recognised that distinctive white streak of hair. Her eyes widened as he handed her the bag. 

“Go on, dig in,” he said, pushing the bag towards her. She apprehensively took the bag from him until the scent of freshly baked bread hit her nose. “I had a friend make those for you, he’s an amazing chef and baker.” he told her, “Don’t eat his waffles though, they taste like paste.”

Marinette gave a small chuckle at his joke, “Thank you” she quietly said. She opened and tearfully ate the baked goods. They were just as good as her father’s baking. 

“There’s not much left for you in Paris, and I know you don’t want to go to Shanghai. Why don’t you stay here in Gotham?” He asked. 

Marinette paused to think, she had no plans on what to do after she had her revenge. She had just spiraled into obsession. He was right, she had nothing left in Paris, and Shanghai would be a struggle to start all over. 

“I know you’re underage, why don’t I be your Guardian until you’re 18?” He suggested, “Then you can swing away and do whatever you want.”  Jason thought she could do a lot worse for a Guardian, besides, Batman and Catwoman weren’t the only ones who were allowed to take orphans under their wing.  

Marinette stayed quiet, thinking of her options. It was either Shanghai or Gotham. After a few minutes of contemplation, she nodded her head. 

“Name’s Jason, Jason Todd.” He held out his hand. 

Marinette shook his hand, “Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but I guess you already knew that.” 

“You don't have to call me ‘Daddy’ unless you want to,” Jason Joked. Marinette wrinkled her nose and playfully shoved him away. For the first time since her parents died, she actually smiled. “I’m already a Guardian myself” she said, “but I always wanted an older brother.” “I have one, trust me it’s not all it’s cracked up to be,” he said. They sat in silence for a long moment, “so what’s the story with you and Ladybug?” he asked. “I helped one old guy across the street, and he decided that was a good enough reason to make me a superhero.” she explained, “I had to fight against a villain who was using people’s negative emotions to control them.” “Well, good thing he hasn’t found his way here, plenty of those going around in a city like this.” he said, trying to make her feel better. “How about you?” she asked, “Were you always this big bad crime lord?” She said the last part as if it was merely a facade or the stuff of legend.  “My dad was sent to jail when I was a kid, my mom didn’t last that long after that,” he told her, “so I spent a few years living on the streets of Gotham.” “Was it always like this?” she asked, her childhood in Paris was already looking rosier by comparison. “Gotham? Almost certainly.” Jason told her, “When I was 13, I thought I’d be joining my old man in prison sooner or later, before I met the Bat himself.”  Marinette’s eyes widened, she remembered hearing Alya gush about Batman and his various sidekicks over the years.  “I thought he’d just beat me up for trying to steal the wheels off of the Batmobile, instead he gave me a hot meal and a place to call home.” he told her.  “You’re looking at the second Robin,” he said. Judging by the sad smile he had on his face, Marinette could tell this story didn’t have a happy ending.  “So, what happened?” she asked cautiously, he took a deep breath as he tried to find the words.  On the one hand, the last thing he wanted, the last thing anyone needed, was this girl making the same stupid mistakes that he did.  On the other hand, she had been through enough, it would have to be a story for another time. “That’s a story for another day,” he decided “but I promise you, one day I’ll tell it.” Marinette looked down at the city streets before her, it was a far cry from Paris, but maybe one day she would come to see it as home. Batman watched the two of them from a distance and smiled slightly.  Maybe this girl would keep Jason from going too far down the treacherous path he was on, much like Tim had done all those years ago after he lost Jason.  Only time will tell if that proved to be true, but for now he was pleased to see the two of them getting along.  He grappled away, leaving the two of them to talk, laugh and joke with each other.

#jasonettejuly2021 #jasonette #ml x dc #maribat

[sturchling]

Breakdown Part 2: Heartbreaker

I am a little shocked by how many people wanted a part 2 to this. I was just venting during that story, glad you all liked it so much. Hope you like this just as much! Here is the original post. Enjoy!

I think this is everyone that wanted to be tagged. @smolplantmum​ @heyitsbugette @miraculous-ninja @neakco @kristycocopop @remy-289 @moonlitceleste

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

Marinette wasn’t aware of anything. She was surrounded by darkness, her feelings of sadness pounding against her like waves against cliffs. She felt like she had no option but to surrender to the darkness.

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

Heartbreaker made quick work of the class. She arrived at the park with a vengeance. The class was in complete shock that Marinette had been akumatized. All they did was not invite her to a party. Why did she react like this? “You all shattered my heart. Now it is your turn!” Alya started recording the akuma, while the class tried to talk her down. Rose called out, “Marinette! Please! We are your friends!” The akuma scoffed. “Friends? Friends don’t do what you did. They don’t intentionally leave a friend out of a plan. They don’t ignore her. They don’t leave her behind for a liar. You are not my friends and now I will break your hearts like you did to me.”

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

 Heartbreaker started to attack the class. She shot some kind of beam at the class, and when they were hit, their figurative heart was ripped from their chests. Their chest felt like they were ripped open. When their heart was displayed, their deepest insecurities projected for the world to see. They were surrounded by the same feeling of sadness that Marinette had felt. They were so sad, they could hardly move. Then Lila was hit. All her insecurities focused on being found out as a liar. The class realized through the haze of sadness that Marinette was telling the truth. They had abandoned Marinette for a liar. This was all their fault. That realization somehow made the sadness worse.

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

Damian was horrified as he raced through the city holding Marinette’s earrings. While he ran, he listened to this little creature that was apparently a kwami. This creature, named Tikki, was telling him that one of his closest friends was Paris’ hero, Ladybug. He can’t just have one normal friend, can he? Tikki explained everything she could to him and had Damian stand in for Marinette. When he met up with the other hero, Chat Noir, Chat seemed confused. “Who are you? Where is milady?” Damian knew that he couldn’t reveal Marinette’s ID to Chat. “She is ill and unable to fight. I am covering for her today as a favor. We don’t have time to discuss this. We have to defeat this akuma and restore Marinette to her right mind.” Chat wanted to discuss it more, but this new guy was right, they had to save Marinette.

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

The attack wasn’t working well. The two heroes were being beaten back easily. Damian had used his lucky charm and it wasn’t helpful. Chat was down, having been slammed into a building and then down into the cement. He was having a hard time coming back to the fight, so it was all up to Damian. He decided to try and speak directly to Marinette, since attacking wasn’t working. He detransformed and subdued Heartbreaker with some spare rope, using all his training as Robin. Once it was safe, he approached her, grabbing her hand and squeezing it tight. “Marinette? Can you hear me?”

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

Marinette was still sitting in the darkness, feeling surrounded by nothing but despair. Then she heard a voice calling out from the darkness. “Marinette? Can you hear me?” Damian? Suddenly, a vision of Damian appeared through the darkness and held Marinette’s hand. “Marinette, you have to fight back. You are one of the strongest people I know. Don’t let this monster use you.” Marinette wanted to fight, but then an overwhelming feeling of despair crashed into her again. She pulled her hand away and turned from him. “What is the point Damian. They abandoned me. I’m alone, no one cares about me.” Damian grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around to face him again. “That is nonsense Marinette and you know it. Sure your class may have been cruel, but there are plenty of people that care about you. Your family cares. And my family adores you as well. And what about me? I care about you. You are one of my closest friends and mean the world to me. Please, you have to fight this.” Marinette felt the darkness around her start to lighten. Damian is right. “Please don’t let go of my hand.” Damian smiles, “I would never.” Suddenly Marinette was surrounded by a light and felt the heavy sadness around her lift from her.

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

Marinette opened her eyes and was surrounded by her classmates, Damian, and Chat Noir. Damian was still holding her hand and smiled at seeing Marinette’s blue eyes again, instead of the haunted red eyes of Heartbreaker. The class tried to apologize, but Marinette didn’t want to listen to them. “Guys, I don’t want to hear it right now. I need to be away from you. You all really hurt me. Damian? Get me out of here please.” Damian didn’t ask questions, and pulled her to her feet. He guided her out of the park, glaring the class into submission when they tried to follow. Marinette felt safe and cared for, glad to be holding onto Damian’s hand.

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

After what happened, Damian became Marinette’s biggest advocate, having seen the damage the class was doing to Marinette’s mental health. He tried to get her to switch schools or classes, but she wouldn’t do it. He tried to get her to come to Gotham, but she also refused that. So, he decided to transfer to Paris for a while to help his friend. He kept Lila and the class off her back, and made sure that Marinette felt secure and never felt that sad again. Things with the class were tense, the damage done to the relationships was immeasurable. But they were at least civil to each other. Lila had been outcasted and ended up moving back to Italy in the hopes of finding a new class of suckers to trick.  Marinette and Damian got closer than ever and ended up dating. Marinette felt more loved than she ever had in a while. She was really and truly happy.

#ml #ml fic #ml fanfic #ml salt #ml salt fic #ml salt fanfic #lila rossi #Lila exposed #lila exposed fic #lila gets exposed #lila salt #ml class #ml class salt #class salt #maribat #damimari #maridami #damian x marinette #marinette x damian #ml x dc #miraculous x dc #miraculous ladybug #miraculous fic #miraculous fanfic #miraculous salt #miraculous salt fic #miraculous salt fanfic #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir

[syndianites]

A Queen Serves and Protects

Chapter Three

First Chapter --> Last Chapter --> Current --> Next Chapter Summary:

Post-Style Queen, Pre-Queen Wasp.

Chloe finds the Bee Miraculous, but instead of finding an obliging, subservient Kwami, she finds the Kwami of Order and Subjugation, and Pollen is not about to let herself be used like Nooroo was.

Granted, the only danger in a teenage girl is the damage she poses to herself. Can Pollen shape Chloe into a hero? Or will she stubbornly refuse to change and remain the bitter, harsh person the city has long since known?

[My take on how Chloe’s character could have developed] ——————————————————————————————

Getting akumatized was a special sort of uncomfortable. But it was exhilarating in all the same ways. Everything that one felt became louder, bigger, something beyond what it used to be. It grew into power. The power to act and take what was yours.

For Chloe, it just made her more upset. The anger had almost fizzled out, but the akuma brought it back with a vengeance. But unlike the last time she had been akumatized, her sorrow manifested much stronger than her rage.

Her skin darkened to a deep blue, almost purple, like the edge of the night sky after the sun had set. Where her hair had been in a high ponytail, it was undone and draped down and around her face. It looked stuck together and damp as though she had just been rained on. Chloe’s makeup looked washed out and runny both from her own tears and the transformation.

Most notably, her clothes became a simple long t-shirt and sweatpants that looked worn down and overused. The pants were a bright, light blue, while the shirt was a dark, deep crimson. To top it off, her sunglasses molded into a hat not unlike what her mother wore, but with goggles inlaid into them.

Without a word, Chloe put her hands before her and a large pair of scissors, easily the size of her chest, formed in her hand. Transformation complete, she turned on a dime and walked out the locker room.

A moment of silence followed before Pollen poked her head out the locker she had hidden away in. “Well, this isn’t good.”

//////

Marinette had never been so uncomfortable in her life. That included that time when she was seven and her twice removed cousins from her dad’s side came over and asked her why she didn’t wear dresses if she liked making them so much. And that one time she stepped foot first into a mud puddle, lost her shoe, and had to walk home with a sock soaked in mud.

It was bad.

Audrey, once Chloe had stormed out, continued on her tirade. “Ugh, how dramatic. Little Charlie needs to learn her place. She simply can’t compare to talent like yours, dear.”

Starting at being addressed, Marinette gave her a pinched smile.

“Now,” Audrey continued. “You simply must come to New York with me. The opportunities are endless, and skill such as yours would flourish under my attention!”

Her heart skipped a beat. New York was a big deal for fashion. Next to Paris, it was the place to be, and opening up her contacts to overseas big names would be a huge step for her career.

But could she work with someone this awful?

Sure, Marinette didn’t like Chloe, but even she thought that how her own mother treated her was cruel. It made her feel bad for the girl. It explained a lot about her, and for a moment Marinette considered being nicer to Chloe.

Not that that would make Chloe suddenly decide to be a good person. It would take the inevitable explosion of the sun for that to happen.

“I-i, um, I need to think about it, Mrs. Bourgeois.” Marinette glanced over at her parents. “I have a lot to consider about leaving or staying, and my parents still need my help at the bakery.”

Her parents, and oh how she loved them, spoke up immediately, “Oh, we can manage the bakery dear! Don’t worry about little old us, what’s important is your future.”

Please, take the hint guys.

Before Marinette can struggle to find more excuses to deny her request, Adrien pipes up, “Mrs. Bourgeois,” he flashes her an award winning smile, “Don’t you think that the way Chloe was handled was a bit… out of hand?” Gabriel laid a hand on Adrien’s shoulder, squeezing it gently before sharing a look with Natalie and wandering off.

Audrey rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. “Oh, darling, for such a sweet thing you can be so daft. Girls like that need a quick strike down before they let their misguidedness get to their head.”

Adrien, for his part, kept smiling. For those who knew him well enough, they could see the twitch in his eye as he struggled not to snap at the woman. “Ah, my apologies. In my experience, the best growth comes from a guiding hand that focuses on building a person up rather than tearing them down. But I suppose, for a critic, that is not the case at all. Though, the modelling experience is often different from the experience of those who make judgement calls on others’ hard work.”

Bringing a hand to her chest, Audrey sniffs derisively. “Sure, dear. Of course, most models are meant to make anything they wear look pretty, so it can be hard to see where their accessories are lacking when all they see is themselves.”

Marinette wanted to desperately be anywhere but where she was standing. She almost wished that someone had bust in with the Bee miraculous and caused a scene just so she could excuse herself.

She’d rather deal with her own mistakes a million fold over than this.

Mayor Andre, for his part, smiled a shaky press smile as he tried to talk his wife down. 

Adrien, fed up with Audrey, grabbed Marinette ’s hand and pulled her away quickly. Natalie spared him a glance before going to converse with his bodyguard.

“Can you believe her!” Adrien simmered. “How cruel can you be to your own child!”

Marinette laughed awkwardly. “I mean, at least we know where Chloe gets it from?”

Adrien rounded on her. “Chloe is not as bad as her!”

Taking a step back, she watched Adrien wide-eyed. He sighed, taking a breath to calm himself. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. That display was just awful.”

He ran a hand through his hair, mussing up carefully styled locks.

Hesitating, Marinette asked, “Is she… always like that?”

Adrien gave a tense nod. “Since we were young. Chloe always wanted her mother’s support, but well,” he waved his hand back in her direction, “You try reasoning with that.”

Before either could pick the conversation back up the front doors to the building burst open. Carrying comically large scissors and dressed as what could only be called a fashion disaster was an akuma that looked one bad day away from a mental breakdown.

Or, well, in the middle of a breakdown.

“Audrey Bourgeois! You claim to recognize talent when you see it, but failed to see how your own daughter can be exceptional. Well, I am the Queen Killer and if I cannot be exceptional then no one can! I’ll cut your reign to shreds.” The akuma accented her speech with a threatening snip of her scissors before launching forward at the Style Queen.

Before anyone could react, Queen Killer had Audrey between her blades and closed. A thing, white line appeared where the blades connected and, as Queen drew her weapon away, there was a horrifying moment where Marinette was sure Audrey was split into two pieces.

Instead, a dark shadow started spilling out of Audrey, enveloping her body as she screamed. When the shadow dissipates, a twisted, snarling version of Audrey that looked like she was fused together with five other versions of herself appeared. It lashed out at those around her, screeching and clawing at them.

Queen Killer laughed. “Now everyone will see how hideous and cruel you are!”

Marinette jolted out her shock as Adrien roughly pulled her away. This, unfortunately, brought Queen’s attention to them as the rest of the room also began to run. 

“Dupain-Cheng!” If she had any doubt that that was Chloe, she had none now. ”You stole my mother’s love from me!”

As Queen launched forward with her scissors open, Marinette screamed, “That was not my intention! I didn’t know she would ask me to go to New York with her all over a hat!”

Alas, her pleas were not enough. Stuck in her civilian form, Marinette could not outrun the enraged Queen. Twin blades circled around her waist and cut, forcing Marinette to stumble and fall.

Adrien, worried for his friend, stopped and tried to go back for her. But, between a snarling Queen and Marinette urging him to keep running as a dark shadow overtook her, he kept running. The best thing for Marinette would be Chat Noir and Ladybug. He would have time to check on her later.

Marinette , meanwhile, felt the shadows come off her and… she looked the same. For a moment, she was confused. What was the akuma’s power supposed to be?

But then it bubbled up. Nothing physical. No, that would be too easy. As she looked up towards Queen and thought ‘I need to transform into Ladybug’ a wave of crushing doubt and insecurity gripped her throat.

She would just mess up again. Like she had when she started out, when she lost the Bee miraculous, and every time she let someone get harmed by an akuma. There was no way she could do this. Chat Noir would be better off without her.

As the building cleared and Queen ran out to terrorize the fleeing patrons, Marinette stayed on the ground, shaking. What could she do? Make things worse? Disappoint all of Paris? Put Fu and Chat Noir in danger?

Distantly, she heard someone talking to her, urging her to get up and move. The voice disappeared as he heard footsteps and she was lifted into someone’s arms. A hop, skip, and a jump later had her safely placed down on a chair in a private room, looking into the eyes of Chat Noir. His eyebrows were brought together in concern.

“Stay here, okay? I promise Ladybug and I will fix things for you.” He offered a reassuring smile before dashing out of the room.

When she couldn’t hear his footsteps anymore, Tikki flew out of her pocket. “ Marinette !” The little ladybug placed her paws on her face, getting her to look at Tikki. “Are you okay? What happened after she cut you?”

Shaking her head, Marinette focused on her breathing. ‘C’mon Mari,’ she thought to herself, ‘You can’t let Chat do this alone.’

“I, uh,” she looked back at Tikki, “It’s so bad Tikki. I’m going to mess up and make things worse. Like yesterday with the Bee miraculous! I lost it! Instead of getting help, I lost a potential ally and a powerful magical artifact. If I can’t even keep track of things placed under my care, how can I protect Paris?”

Tikki was at a loss for words. This reminded her so much of the Marinette she first met- unconfident, afraid, and so uncertain in her actions. It was like the cut brought out all the most hurtful parts of herself…

“ Marinette ,” Tikki began, “We all make mistakes. What’s important is working to fix them. Sure, if you do nothing you can’t mess up or disappoint people, but you also can’t grow and succeed. Paris needs its Ladybug, regardless of what the people think of you. I know you can do this. Chat will be there to help you too, I’m sure of it.”

Doubt in her eyes, Marinette nodded. While her doubts and insecurity swirled in her mind, the urge to help others reigned supreme. She had to at least stop the akuma and set things back to normal.

“Alright Tikki,” Marinette swallowed thickly. “Spots On!”

///////////

Chat was not having a good time.

His first thought upon finding Queen snipping people in half with her scissors was that he could easily beat her in combat. What could she do with a pair of large scissors when he had a versatile staff?

A lot, apparently.

As he dodged backwards from another attempt to cut him in half from Queen, he tossed a jab her way. “So is clashing colors the new look, or did I miss the memo?”

Queen huffed at him, “Says the boy in full leather! I would know a fashion disaster when I see one!”

She ran at him again, holding the scissors completely open so she could swipe at him with a blade. Chat blocked it with his staff, before pushing her away as she tried to close the blades on him.

“Excuse you, Queenie!” He retorted. “I’ll have you know that my outfit is purr-fect.”

Clearly, she disagreed, if the groan and slash at him was anything to go by.

What a party pooper.

But what was worse was that he couldn’t get close enough to her to properly disarm her. Nor could he figure out where the akuma was while trying his best to not get cut in half. Chat needed to regroup with Ladybug, but she was nowhere in sight.

Biting his lip, Chat jumped back and up onto a rooftop. Giving Queen Killer a salute, he started away from her.

“Get back here you mangy cat!” Queen simmered on the ground below where he ran off. “You better bring back Ladybug so I can take you both off your high horse!”

///////////

Pollen was not the best at sneaking around. Not for lack of trying, of course, but people were ingrained to see a blur of yellow and the sound of buzzing and think ‘Bee!’ It didn’t help that she was larger than the average bee.

What did help, however, was people being too busy staring at an akuma running full tilt down the street to pay attention to the yellow being that was trying to stay unnoticed behind them. So Pollen got a front row seat to Queen’s akuma speech and display of her powers. When Chat Noir showed up she waited for her chance to talk to him or Ladybug whenever she came around.

And, well, there went Chat running for his life.

Pollen sighed. At least flying along rooftops was less obvious than following an akuma.

After shooting past building after building, she manages to get closer to the black blur that was Chat Noir. He was vaulting along, keeping an eye out as he worked on not plummeting to the ground. When he finally stopped to catch his breath, Pollen nearly sped past him.

As Chat retracts his staff and starts to dial Ladybug, Pollen drops down in front of him. “Oh!” He stumbles back, “Hello? Who are you?”

Pollen smooths out her fluff and offers a paw. “I am Pollen, Kwami and Order and Subjugation, and the one who dwells inside the Bee Miraculous. You must be Chat Noir. A pleasure.”

Chat, mystified, offers a finger. “Nice to meet you. I thought you would be with Master Fu and your miraculous?”

“Ah, well,” Pollen tilted her head. “Did Ladybug not tell you?”

He pinched his lips. “No?”

“Ladybug lost my miraculous in the fight with Style Queen. You weren’t there, though, were you?” Pollen considered him for a moment. “I don’t blame you for that, nor do I blame Ladybug for losing my miraculous. But that isn’t important right now.”

Accepting the hand Chat placed out for her, she settles into his palm. “I need to talk to you and Ladybug, but the akuma is our first priority. What do you know about them?”

“Well,” Chat began, “I believe it is Chloe Bourgeois. But as for the akuma,” He scratched the back of his head with his free hand, “I’m not too sure. My current two guesses are her scissors or her hat, since she normally doesn’t have either on her.”

Pollen nodded thoughtfully, despite having seen the akuma land in Chloe’s sunglasses. There was no way she could tell Chat Noir without him having at least some suspicions as to who she was with at the moment. At the very least, he could narrow it down to who had been around Chloe when she transformed.

Chat pushed on. “Even if we managed to subdue Queen Killer and get the akuma out, we wouldn’t be able to do anything until Ladybug gets here to purify it. The best we can do is wait and try to stop as much damage as possible.”

“Actually,” Pollen butt in, with a slow smile spreading across her face, “I may have a solution to that.” Chat tipped his head to the side. “I can immobilize people with my power. As long as I can hold onto the power they will remain frozen, or until I touch them to let them free.”

He perked up, stars in his eyes. “Like how Plagg can use Cataclysm when he’s himself! That’s perfect, Pollen.”

She nodded eagerly, before stopping. “Wait, did you not know kwamis can use their own power?”

Chat looked confused, but nodded slowly. “I didnt figure that out until he used it to free from an akuma a while ago.”

Pollen buzzed, frustrated, before saying, “The Guardian should have told you that! It’s important for a holder to know about their miraculous and kwami, especially a trouble maker like Plagg.”

“Well,” Chat scuffed his foot on the roof, “I don’t speak to the Guardian that much. Last time we talked was when he came to my house and talked about the Miracle Box and such.”

“That’s ridiculous!” Pollen moved out of Chat’s hand and floated in an irritated circle. “You should be just as informed as Ladybug. It’s not fair to you or her to pile information on one of you and expect the other to just go along with it!”

Chat shrugged. “That’s how it’s been for most of it. Besides, I trust Ladybug with my life.”

“But, when keeping so many secrets, can she trust hers with you?” Pollen replied with a meaningful look in her eyes.

She received no response. Instead of dwelling on the matter, she urged Chat to get back to Queen Killer. They still had a job to do, after all.

/////////

Ladybug arrived on the scene to find Chat nowhere in site and Queen Killer happily snipping at random citizens. Great. Before she can engage with the akuma, she hesitates. Could she really do this without Chat? What if she lost her miraculous because she let her civilian self get hit with the akuma’s power?

Shaking her head, she prepared to head in when a flash of black caught her eye. The familiar form of Chat pole vaulting across the rooftops to her left filled her with a sense of relief. She really, seriously needed to keep it together.

Taking a second, she throws her yo-yo to wrap around a chimney in Chat’s path. Her heart races as she tests the line and jumps. Shit, shit, shit, she’s gonna hit the wall, then Queen will notice her, then-

She made it on the roof with two scraped knees. Not flawless, but still unseen. Chat landed beside her, more than happy to see his Lady. A frown creased his brow as he took in her demeanor.

“Are you alright?” He checks her over for wounds, but comes back with nothing beyond a few scratches. “Did something happen?”

Ladybug goes to dismiss the idea before Tikki’s words ring in her head again ‘Chat will be there to help you too.’ Shaking her head, she gave Chat a grimace. “Queen managed to cut me while I was in my civilian form. Even after I transformed the effects are bothering me. It’s… brought back a lot of my insecurity and confidence issues. But we can do this, I know we can.”

Chat nodded, resting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, I have a plan. And some back up.”

“Backup?”

A yellow figure lands on Chat’s shoulder. “Hello, Ladybug. It’s nice to see you again.”

Blinking in shock, Ladybug exclaims, “You’re the kwami from the Bee miraculous! Oh god, another thing I messed up, I’m so, so sorry.”

Pollen holds up a paw, stopping her. “It’s not your fault. You were in a tight situation and did the best you could. Besides, I’m with someone who may be a good ally in the future. They just need time.”

Chat and Pollen brought Ladybug up to speed on their ideas, to which she poked and prodded at. They exchanged glances before nodding and Chat and Pollen split. Still standing on the roof, Ladybug calls her Lucky Charm. It dropped from the sky as a red and black spotted crowbar.

Keeping the crowbar in hand, Ladybug drew Queen’s attention with a hit to her scissors. “Hey!” Ladybug called out, “Don’t you know scissors are dangerous?”

Queen Killer growled back, “Of course you would start preaching at me, little miss perfect. I bet everyone in the whole city loves you. Well I’m here to cut your heroic tales short!” She launched forward, bouncing off a car and digging her scissors into the side of the building to propel her up to the rooftop to get on Ladybug’s level.

Ladybug, in a quick move, flipped over her and flung her yo-yo around the scissors to send Queen flying back to the ground. Before she could hit a lamppost, Queen dug the blades into the street to slow herself down, only to run back to Ladybug.

‘Good,’ Ladybug thought to herself, ‘Keep coming.’

In the moments before Queen got back in range, Ladybug took a moment to eye the area around her for clues on how to use the Lucky Charm. Nothing stood out, so she sprung from the rooftop to land before Queen and send her yo-yo swinging at her feet.

Queen, quick to the punch, lowered her scissors to cut the yo-yo string. Ah, what a lovely and easy mistake to make when fighting a person who used scissors with a string based weapon. Panicking, Ladybug brought up the crowbar to stop the scissors from striking her.

Pulling back, Queen raced in again with the blades open, looking to trap Ladybug the same way she had Chat in their fight before. Ladybug readied her crowbar, bringing it up to block again. Queen smirked, shutting the blades in a smooth motion. By luck or skill, Ladybug managed to sidestep the action, getting the crowbar’s hook caught in between the blades. Seeing her chance, Ladybug used the hook to pull the scissors from Queen’s hands.

Spitting a curse, Queen abandoned her scissors to tackle Ladybug.

Chat, meanwhile, called forth his Cataclysm and rushed the scissors, destroying them with a touch. When no akuma appeared, he looked back confused. Queen kept fighting Ladybug, managing to get the upper hand as Ladybug hesitated in kicking her off. As Queen pinned Ladybug’s hand with one of her own and reached for her miraculous Chat sprung towards her.

He wouldn’t make it in time.

But Queen stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide beneath the wide-brimmed hat. Pollen popped up from behind her, giving Ladybug a little giggle. “Sorry, I meant to do that a little earlier.”

This time with no reservations, Ladybug pushed Queen off of her. Chat bounded over to her to help her up, to which she shook her head and pointed at Queen. “Find the akuma.”

Receiving a nod, she picked herself up to retrieve the cut off part of her yo-yo. Chat, in this time, took Queen’s hat and ripped it. For good measure, he broke the goggles on them as well. Lo and behold, the akuma haphazardly fluttered out. Before it could escape, Ladybug snapped it up in her yo-yo.

“Bye, bye little butterfly,” Ladybug murmured, letting it fly off into the sky. With a nod to her partner, she threw her crowbar into the air and let forth the rush of ladybugs to fix the damage done.

Pollen, seeing Chloe safely de-akumatized, gave Chat a little nod before rushing off. He made a move to go after her when a bawl reached his ears. Chloe, freshly purified, was trying her best to keep it together. But as Chat knelt to help her to her feet, she jumped him for a hug. 

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I’m sorry that I was too pathetic to not get akumatized again. My mother was right about me, I’m so, so sorry.”

Chat rubbed her back slowly. “What your mother said was cruel and unfounded. You’re not pathetic at all, Chloe.”

“And it’s definitely not your fault. Even the strongest, most exceptional people can get akumatized,” Ladybug added, “Besides, even heroes have bad days.” Not that she considered Chloe even close to a hero.

Andre chose this moment to come bustling through the doors of the building behind them. “Princess, my darling!”

Seeing that she was in good hands, Chat and Ladybug pound their fists together and part ways.

Ladybug, however, is stopped by Pollen two blocks over. “There you are! Thank goodness. Can you show me where your miraculous is so I can return it to Master Fu?”

“No,” Pollen told her quietly, “But I want to ask you to trust me. I’ve found someone who needs my help. Maybe one day she could be a great hero, maybe not. But this person has gone through a lot of heartbreak and I don’t want to be another person that leaves her behind. I want you to tell Fu that I have decided to stay with them.”

“Wait, but what about secrecy? How will we know they won't spread the word about the miraculous or accidentally lead Hawkmoth to you?” Ladybug fretted, cupping her hands for Pollen to land in.

“I haven’t told her the transformation words, yet.” Pollen stroked her hand reassuringly. “That way if things go south I can still manage to keep my power from being abused. Please, Ladybug, trust me.”

Biting her lip, Ladybug hesitantly nodded. “Please stay safe, Pollen. If you ever need my help don’t hesitate to ask.”

Giving her a bright smile, Pollen floated up to nuzzle Ladybug’s forehead. After giving parting words, they went off in different directions.

Hopefully, Pollen hadn’t just made a huge mistake.

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous tales of ladybug and chat noir #ml #ml fanfic #ml fanfiction #chloe bourgeois #chloe bourgeois redemption #ladybug #marianette dupaign-cheng #chat noir #adrien agreste #pollen #pollen (ladybug) #pollen the kwami #bee kwami #tikki #plagg #marinette dupain cheng

[a-chlolix-blog]

Scarabée and Kitty Claws AU

Season 3 Akumas/Episodes that stay similar to canon

Bakerix

- Marinette's still wanting to meet her Grandfather & he's still akumatized into Bakerix.

- Scarabée and Kitty Claws actually see Draconia & Stallion Star dealing with this Akuma first before they jump into the fight.

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

Silencer

- Luka is still akumatized and wants to get vengeance for his friends and their ground after their music and costumes are stolen.

- Busy Bee, Shellraiser, and Empress Tigress wanna beat up Bob Roth themselves through out the whole fight.

- Luka or Silencer doesn't confess his love for Marinette, but does write a song for her Adrien and Kagami after the show they put on.

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

Desperada

- Another episode that stays similar to canon, but Scarabée unifies the Snake and Ladybug Miraculous when others she could've given it to are attacked by the Akuma.

- As Scarlet Scales, she has to conquer her fear of Time Travel to defeat this Akuma.

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

Kwami Buster

- This one's earlier into the Season.

- Ms. Mendeleiev still tries to get Tikki and Plagg on camera, loses the game show, and she gets akumatized.

- Alix and Chloé take in private on how much their science teacher could know.

- When it comes to fighting this Akuma, multiple heroes are there and some of them get their Kwamis taken.

- This is when Scarabée unifies the Mouse and Ladybug Miraculous, becoming Bitty-Bée.

- She's given Chloé and Nathaniel's miraculous Miraculous to make this plan work as well.

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

Feast

- Alix was actually there when Alim and his Co-workers dug up the solid Senti-Monster.

- She didn't know it was a Senti-Monster until she looked at the pictures on her phone she took of an old sketch book that belonged to Fu.

- He draw what the Senti-Monster looked like and what it could do. This would give the heroes an advantage over Hawkmoth and Mayura.

- When Alix told Alya to not upload the video to her blog, she listened. But that was gonna stop Nadja Chamack!

- Gabriel and Nathalie see the Senti-Monster statue on the computer and tablet and form a plan.

- But they down know Scarabée and Kitty Claws have a plan of their own.

- They dropped by the homes of each miraculous hero, informed them of their plan and met up in an area away from people and the Miracle Box.

- While Feast does go to where the Miraculous are, it's not what Hawkmoth and Mayura have in mind.

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

Puppeteer 2

- Adrien gets permission from those who are working at The Musée Grévin to bring a few friends.

- He choses to bring Sabrina, Alix, Chloé, Marinette, and Luka (Kagami had to train with Tomoe).

- Marinette brought Manon with her & Chloé brought Aurélien with her.

- Sabrina not knowing that Chloé and Alix are secretly dating tries to set them up, much to their annoyance.

- While Aurélien reads a book his mother gave him, Manon wants to help with the teenagers, but feel ignored and gets akumatized into Puppeteer 2.

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

Party Crasher

- Nino and the boys still go through with their hang out plan for Adrien.

- The girls know they're lying, but don't care and continue helping Mylène with the trees. Deciding to give the guys an ear full later.

- The party gets bigger and more out of control, like in canon.

- Chloé's looking for André and Butler Jean (who are also at this party) cause Audrey thought it would be a good idea for the two men to model uncomfortably tight outfits.

- The power still goes out for abit & Gabriel's trapped with Emilie on life support. So he transforming into Hawkmoth to stop the party with an Akuma.

- Wayhem is still akumatized cause Adrien's unable to answer his phone due to the loud music & breaks into the Agreste Home, traps as many people, as well as Markov which gets the power turnt back on.

- Jalil quickly hides and calls Alix, who quickly calls Chloé after ending the call with Jalil.

- Scarabée and Kitty Claws show up to all the guys heroes on their team so far fighting the Akuma together, but also getting trapped.

- Kitty Claws distracts the Akuma while Scarabée pulls Marcel Gibbon to the side to come up with a plan.

- MG then waits until Scarabée is captured along with the other heroes & they're all being sent to Hawkmoth.

- He then uses Uproar while the Akuma's back is turnt, throw it at his back, and frees them all like in canon.

- The ending of the battle is the same as canon.

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

Loveater

- Part 1 of the Season 3 Finale.

- It's still André and Audrey's 20 year marriage anniversary.

- Prince Ali's there, but sneaks out the back with Rose, Juleka, Alix and Chloé.

- Marinette still hangs out with Adrien and Kagami & they all send Luka pictures.

- Gabriel with the plan to lure Chloé to his side, akumatizes André and Audrey into Loveater.

- Since Chloé isn't found by the akuma or Hawkmoth (as herself) & there's no romance drama, this Akuma was quite Season to take down.

- But Hawkmoth had a backup plan that involved Lila Rossi.

Hope you all enjoy!

Inspired by: @princess-of-the-corner @emdoddles @muggle-born-princess @dcschart @justanotherpersonsuniverse @symphonic-scream

#Miraculous Ladybug #Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir #Chloé Bourgeois #Chloe Bourgeois #Alix Kubdel #Other Characters #Scarabée and Kitty Claws AU #AUs #Kwami Swap

[dessarious]

Balancing Dynamics Prologue

Alright everyone, here’s the beginning of the long awaited Broken Harmony Sequel. Given that most of Broken Harmony was from Damian’s perspective the plan right now is for this to be mostly in Marinette’s. Granted everything is subject to change since I have no idea what I’m doing until I actually write it. But this prologue is sort of a mirror to the one for Broken Harmony so that you get an idea of Mari’s mindset and experiences prior to meeting Damian.

AO3   Beginning

Marinette was six and a half the first time she felt the resonance. They were visiting some of her mother’s family in China and had been there close to a week when it started. When she’d excitedly told her parents what she felt they looked worried and she didn’t understand why. They told her to wait and let her soulmate come to her but they wouldn’t tell her why. But she did as they asked.

She was disappointed when she felt them leave and wondered if they had been waiting for her to look for them instead. Her parents consoled her, told her that they would meet when the time was right. She could feel their relief though and that just confused her. When she asked them why they didn’t want her to meet her soulmate they were surprised. They told her she’d understand when she got older.

Years went by and she still didn’t understand. The resonance never came back and she tried so hard to not be upset by it. She didn’t talk about her soulmate with anyone, not even her friends. Partly because they didn’t have soulmates of their own but mostly it was the way her parents reacted when she’d tried to describe their song. They’d been upset but wouldn’t tell her why. After that it just seemed safer not to talk about it. That was when she started the journals.

She wrote down how their song sounded and how it made her feel. She wrote letters to them so when they finally met they’d know they were cared for. Their song made her think most people around them didn’t. She spent a lot of time concentrating on the bond, both what she felt from it and, she hoped, making her own song comforting for them. It was why she was so clumsy most of the time because she was paying far more attention to the bond than the world around her.

On her eleventh birthday their song changed. It was wrong, muted. It was far more calm and peaceful than it had ever been which should have been a relief. It wasn’t. Her soulmate's agitation had been a constant her entire life. For it to just be gone all of a sudden… she didn’t like it. She didn’t like it at all. Her parents could tell something was wrong but she wouldn’t talk to them about it. It felt too personal and given the way they always tiptoed around the subject, she didn’t want to give them one more thing to worry about.

Instead she spent even more time concentrating on what she could feel in the bond. She noted down any little change and realized that their song seemed to be reacting to her emotions. Her song seemed to be their only focus. So she did everything she could to stay positive and happy. It seemed to soothe their song.

Almost a year later the wrongness went away. It was replaced with pain and rage so strong she ended up missing school for a week. She did everything she could to keep herself calm but she couldn’t help how worried she was about them. It got better slowly. Within a month it was a far more controlled feeling, like a military march. Every once in a while it would flare into an inferno again, but those were rare.

Master Fu helped her once she broke down in the middle of a training session because of it. He helped her meditate and use that to separate her soulmate’s song from her physical reactions. It wasn’t easy but she was able to make them their own space in her mind where she could still feel them, but not get overwhelmed by it. It helped her stay calm which seemed to help them as well.

When Hawkmoth showed up she was able to compartmentalize well enough to stay off his radar. She was worried about her partner though and told Master Fu as much. He seemed to think her fears were groundless. She offered to teach Chat meditation techniques once but he kept insisting it was a date so she asked Master Fun to go in her place. After that was the first time he sat out a fight to punish her.

Then Lila came. She tried to keep herself together but she couldn’t just do nothing when her friends were being lied to. When the Akuma came for her the first time she thought she just had too many stress points so when Adrien said she should just let Lila be, it seemed the best option. She couldn’t stop her stress from being Ladybug and Master Fu still refused to do anything about Chat. She needed something in her life to change and worrying about Lila seemed the best thing to drop. She didn’t realize how wrong she was until it was too late.

After that everything just got worse. When she had to cancel plans last minute, like she had always done, it was suddenly a slight to Lila. When she had prior commitments and couldn’t go somewhere with the group it was because Lila would be there. They decided that all her decisions revolved around the other girl and Mari couldn’t persuade them otherwise.

She tried so hard to be more available but then Lila would decide not to show up. She did it every time Marinette actually made it to something. After about a month Lila told everyone that Marinette had threatened her to stay away. That happened the day after Master Fu died. It was a Thursday evening and Lila used her absence Friday to make the accusation. When Marinette went back to school on Monday she was only just holding it together. As soon as she entered the gate she was met with hate and anger. She swore she could feel herself shatter.

After that her control all but evaporated. Her soulmate’s rage came back with a vengeance and she couldn’t keep it separate anymore. Chat didn’t know the Guardian had died but for some reason he started becoming more aggressive about them dating. It was all too much. She spent close to a month wielding both the Ladybug and Turtle Miraculous so she could find a private spot to break down while Wayzz shielded her and Tikki took care of the Akumas. She felt so useless.

She became completely withdrawn from everyone around her. Both in an effort to protect herself and because no one seemed to want anything to do with her. She spent all her time trying to keep her emotions contained to not be a target for Hawkmoth. The best she managed was to only have one Akuma a week come for her. She couldn’t get herself together enough to hide her emotions from her soulmate at all. Their song was more agitated and enraged than she’d ever felt before and she couldn’t help. That more than anything was eating away at her. She was making them worse and she couldn’t help it.

The morning she felt the resonance again she panicked. Being this close she felt like her entire body was on fire with their anger. She couldn’t concentrate at all. If she’d been able to pay attention to the atmosphere around her, maybe she would have seen what was coming. She was trying to leave when Alya confronted her. She was so focused on getting out of there before her soulmate found her that she didn’t see the slap coming. She hit the ground and heard their anger explode in her head. All she could do was curl up as it overwhelmed her. She didn’t even feel it when her class started kicking her.

It was only when she heard notes of concern in the rage that she started to become aware of the world around her again. When she heard Adrien tell her to get up and felt her soulmate’s anger spike again, she grabbed onto them on instinct. Suddenly the song in her head was matched with her own. They were so different but somehow they meshed into one cohesive tune. She could suddenly hear which emotions were directed at her and which were directed elsewhere. When she didn’t feel any anger towards herself it caused a wave of relief. Suddenly she wasn’t alone. It was in that moment that she knew everything was finally going to be okay, even if she had no idea how.

AO3     Beginning 

Ko-Fi

#maribat #marinette dupain cheng #Damian Wayne #soulmate au

[unmaskedagain]

Daddy’s Little Villain

So this prompt I think I got months ago. I meant to work on it for quite some time but I never got around to it. I got inspired yesterday so I decided to take a shot. I went completely off memory for this. Its been a while since I watched Young Justice or any of the DC animated shows; apart from the new Harley Quinn one. So sorry about what I got wrong.

A clown with a killer punchline.

A lantern of terror.

The king of Metropolis.

The master of shadows.

A destroyer of worlds.

Different faces, powers, histories but all categorized under one name.

Supervillain.

           Ruthless, intelligent, powerful, charismatic, tempting; villains reflect just how easily and quickly this planet, if not the universe could fall under their might. However, none of them started out evil. None of them were born evil. No one is born to be evil.

           Marinette, however, came very, very close.

           Her biological father was one of the first that came to mind when anyone thought of a Supervillian. He personally had killed thousands, and arranged the deaths of tens of thousands more. He conquered kingdoms, destroyed dynasties, annihilated empires, controlled governments, and used presidents, kings, any old politician as puppets on strings.

           And he was a good dad.

           He made sure Marinette had the best of everything. The best tutors, the best trainers, the best bodyguards (though Marinette had only ever seen them out of the corner of her eye; hiding in the shadows).

He was even okay with Tom Dupain being a father figure to his daughter. Tom had married Sabine when Marinette was four. However, the acceptance of this came after several failed assassination attempts after the first time Marinette called Tom Papa. Sabine hadn’t been happy that to have protect her new husband from assassins sent by her jealous baby daddy.

Marinette spend most of her days pretending to be a normal girl. The rest of the time she was being trained by near unstoppable assassins in every manner of fighting style her body could handle, learning how to speak various different languages ranging from Spanish to whatever the hell Atlantians’ spoke, hacking and computer skills from former spies, and being taught strategy from some of the greatest military minds that could be bought. (And this was one top of her duties as Ladybug because her dad was still a bit of an asshole.)

He just wanted what was best for her. And he made sure Marinette knew she was loved. He sent her presents every week, letters every day, and she woke to fresh roses in her room every morning.

           The presents ranged from diamond tiaras to ancient samurai swords; anything she so much as mildly expressed an interest in was always found at the foot of her bed the next day. The letters were always thoughtful and kind; always wanting to know about her day, and how she was doing. They would appear in her desk sometime during the day. Marinette would leave a reply via email because she was a sane person of the year 2020. She’d wake to red roses every morning to remind her she was special to him. Sometimes she handed them out at school. Other times she gave them away to any pedestrian who looked like they needed a pick me up.

           He was a good dad, even if he was never actually around. They talked on the phone and over video chat as much as they could.

           He was busy. She understood that.

           Trying to take over the world wasn’t easy. It certainly wasn’t the average 9 to 5 job. The Light needed him.

           She forgave him for that; just like she forgave him for all the things he did to… ensure the future he envisioned became a reality. They were distasteful, immoral, and most of the time she didn’t have the stomach to listen to 1/12 of all the things he did or orchestrated.

           Marinette was always fine with staying out of it. Unlike most Supervillian kids, she never had any interest in taking her place in the family business. Or doing the opposite and doing everything she could to take their villainous family down. No, she had better things to do.

           And her father was just fine with that. He could forgive Marinette for wanting a normal life. He just wanted her happy, safe, and well cared for. He kept the Light and Cadmus out of Paris as best as he could.

           He could even forgive his little girl when she adorned a mask and became the Hero Ladybug. Though it did prevent him from recruiting Hawkmoth into the fold; he wouldn’t have been more than cannon fodder but still. As long as Ladybug kept out battle between good and evil that encased the rest of the world, the city of Paris, France could be hers. Hell, he would even give it to his baby girl as a birthday present should her desire for it arise. It would be good preparation should he need someone trustworthy and loyal to rule the rest of Europe.

           Still he was quick to stop any admiration for the heroes of Justice League. Or at least make sure his daughter didn’t put them on a pedestal like the rest of the world did.

“But they’re the good guys,” She remembered her seven-year-old self protesting. At the time Marinette hadn’t really understood that her father was considered one of the ‘Bad Guys.’ “The heroes.”

“I believe the Justice League’s actions leaves humanity weak,” He told her. “However, even if I didn’t find fault in them, they are only people. They make mistakes. There is good and evil in them; few realize just how easily one side could win over the other.”

           Marinette frowned, “You mean go bad. They won’t go bad. They fight for justice and what’s right.”

“What’s right is subjective,” He warned her. “And justice is in the eye of the beholder.”

“But-but they’re superheroes!”

“You know what’s more dangerous that a villain?” He asked her. “Someone who refuses to acknowledge that anyone can become one.”

           He would say more on the subject later until he was sure Marinette understood.

           He loved his daughter with all of his heart. And Marinette returned the favor.

           So when rumors spread, not long after Hawkmoth’s permanent defeat, that the Light’s founder had fallen; was dead, killed in action, murdered by superheroes, Marinette’s heart broke. She always knew the risks of her father’s job, the dangers this world had in it; it was survival of the fittest after all, that was what he taught her.

           Nevertheless, that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt; that it didn’t burn. And for the first time, the darkest part of her, the part of her that was all her father’s daughter, wanted to make the world feel her pain. However, Marinette was better than that. She wouldn’t blame the world for her sorrows.  She refuse to set fire to everyone and everything just because she wanted to vengeance.

           No, she was smarter than that. Her father, had he still lived, would expect better from her.

           Marinette blamed the Justice League; wonder woman, superman, the Green Lantern. She blamed. Artemis. She blamed Aqualad. She blamed Miss Martian. She blamed Superboy. She blamed Kid flash. She blamed all of Young Justice who set up the plan to bring down the light. (Apart from Batman and Robin who been in Gotham because Robin had all but on his death bed after a fight with DeathStroke.). And they would burn for taking her father from her.

           …The only problem was that Marinette wasn’t a killer. She didn’t want to be one unless she had no other choice. So she had to think of another way to get her revenge.

           The plan had started out very simple. Slowly the hero Ladybug would start being seen outside Paris; fighting random villains’ here and there; captain cold one day, the cheetah next. Never seen in the same place twice. Rumors spread that she was looking for someone; her partner, Chat Noir. It helped that Chat Noir had been seen in months.

           It was just a rumor, of course. Chat Noir had been officially retired. All kwami were taken back. Marinette wasn’t using Tikki to power herself up. No, she refused to use them like Hawkmoth had done. Instead, they were put away and were very well cared for; like well pampered, spoiled pets.

           Marinette used her money to buy a replica of her Ladybug suit; better armored though. She used her private plane to travel around wherever she needed to go. The more villains she fought, the more the rumor of the heartbroken Ladybug hunting down the Light to find her partner grew.

           The only downside was that Ladybug was rapidly gaining enemies left and right. It wasn’t long before The Light sent people after her. Ladybug was quick to send their minions back to them all but in a body bag.

           She had been approached multiple times be members of the Justice League; even teamed up with them multiple times to save the day. They never even feel the near microscopic camera she puts in them. It degrades three hours after but it’s plenty of time for Marinette to get the information she needs.

           It took two months for Marinette to learn the identities of nearly every member of the Justice League. She’s quick to destroy any secret identity evidence for anyone who didn’t wrong her. The batfamily was spared. The Green Arrow and his family was spared. (One day soon Oliver Queen would thank his lucky stars that Speedy went solo instead of joining Young Justice. And that Cheshire, who had a thing for the redhead, was an old friend of Marinette’s, whether the older girl remember the bluenette or not.)

           The family of Steal would burn though. As would fastest family alive. The king of ocean and his sidekicks. The “human” identities of the worlds’ favorite Martians. Woman Wonder and her sidekick. The Green Lanterns.

           The Justice League never saw her coming. All they saw was a pretty fourteen-year-old girl with tears in her big blue eyes as she swore it was her duty to right this wrong. She would fight the light on her own. A young hero, they thought, who did realize just how over her head she really was. Pity was always clear in their eyes. Every time Marinette refused their offer of help, said she could handle it herself.

           Marinette was just biding her time. She still needed the identities of Young Justice. When she got that, she would strike. Hard.

           It only took three months, and Cadmus capturing little Miss Martian.

           By the time, Young Justice arrived Ladybug had already been on the scene. Marinette had already freed an injured Miss Martian and they were trying to fight their way out. The bluenette was beaten, battered, and bleeding.  The two girls did their best to fight the bad guys that seemed to come in a never ending storm. It wasn’t long before they were surrounded.

“Go,” She whispered to the green girl. Marinette had always placed the cameras. She didn’t need to alien any longer. “You can fly. Go. I’ll hold them off, okay.”

“I won’t leave you,” Miss Martian shook her adamantly.

           Marinette frown, “You have to. You know what Cadmus. You know what these monster will do to you. You have go before it’s too late.”

“I will not!”

“Don’t be a hero!” Ladybug snapped.

“Why?!” A new voice called. Robin landed in front of them. The rest of the Young Justice was “It’s our job.”

           The fight was epic. And Marinette could admit that the members of Young Justice were skilled. But they had to be to take down her father, so it wasn’t surprising. Still, she managed to put a camera on each and every one of them.

           When it was over, and it was clear more of Cadmus’ henchman were arriving, Young Justice made moves to flee…

           Until they realized Ladybug had no intention of coming with them.

“He’s not in there,” Miss Martian told her gently.

“You don’t know that,” Ladybug murmured.

“I do,” Again the pity was clear in redhead’s eyes.

           Ladybug shook her head. “You don’t understand. I can’t give up. I won’t!”

           Robin put a hand on her shoulder, “Chat Noir isn’t in there.”

“Getting yourself killed will not help him,” Aqualad stated.

           Ladybug nodded, gave them a small smile, and then made a break for the Cadmus lab. Then Marinette felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and everything went black.

           She woke up in the infirmary of what she guess was the Young Justice headquarters. With a huff, she got up and marched out of the room. It didn’t take her long to find the teen heroes lounging in their living room. “You guys are jerks!” She yelled at them.

           Kid Flash snorted, “We saved you from yourself.”

“Oh you self-righteous little-” Marinette groaned. “I can’t believe you! I can take care of myself” She crossed her arms and stomped her foot.

“Oh yeah because that proves it,” Artemis laughed.

“I’m a hero too, you know?”

           Robin nodded. “Everyone knows about Ladybug. But you’re like thirteen.”

“Fourteen! And a half!” Marinette corrected. “Which is basically fifteen.”

           The older heroes just looked at her, and then burst out laughing.

           Marinette forced herself to think of her most embarrassing memory so that her face would heat up and it would look like she turned red from embarrassment. As if she care what they thought.

           The bluenette grabbed a slice of pizza and asked politely for someone to send her back to Paris. She needed to regroup, she claimed.

           They tried to convince her to stay. Or let Young Justice or the Justice League help her but she refused. Marinette was back in Paris ten minutes later.

           She had the identities of every member of Young Justice an hour after that.

           It was time.

           Ladybug “tracking” down the Light had been an experience. Technically, she knew enough to figure out various locations they used. However, she also knew enough to know that Ladybug just showing up there would get her killed. It was a move of an amateur hero. And Marinette was done thinking like a hero.

           So she put down her mask, ditched her Ladybug gear, and got on a plane. Marinette arrived in Metropolis on a windy Tuesday morning.

           It took her until Friday to hack into Lex Luther’s secretary’s calendar to figure where the King of the Metropolis was scheduled to be and another week to decipher the Light’s next meeting. Hacking into pentagon was easier.

           Marinette waited watched from the shadows of the remote island she found herself on. She watched as villain after villain arrived. Until Lex Luther, surrounded by bodyguards and personal assistants, arrived in his private jet.

“Mr. Luther!” Marinette called as she stepped out of the shadows where she was hiding.

           Guns were immediately pulled on her. The secretary, Mercy, hand suddenly became weaponized. The surprise on their faces were clear. Particularly when they saw the small teen girl standing there.

           Marinette smiled.

“And you are?” Lex asked, only mildly intrigued. He wondered just who the child was that managed to be sneak up his men and possible the rest of the Light.

“My name is Marinette,” She answered. “But you and the Light know me as Ladybug. I mean you no harm.”

           Lex narrowed his eyes at her. He could see the resemblance. Ladybug and Marinette had the same stature, the same eye color, and looked to be the same age. Still, it could be a trick.

“Two months ago, I broke into one of your building.” Marinette said. “The break in was the news but LexCorp assured that nothing was taken. That wasn’t true. I took the Cuban cigars out of the safe behind the Rembrandt painting. Please. I merely wish to speak with the Light. Somewhere… not even gods among us can hear.”

           Well, that assured the villain that it wasn’t a trick.  However, for the first time in his life, Lex Luther found himself confused. On one day, Ladybug had been a slowly become a thorn in the Light’s side. On the other hand, the hero had just revealed her identity and now just wanted to talk. About what, Lex yearned to know.

           Lex nodded, “Mercy will check you for weapons. Then you will be escorted inside safely. Whether you leave alive will be up for debate.”

           Marinette sighed in relief and raised her hands. Mercy, who the bluenette tried to figure out whether she was a robot or a cyborg, was very thorough. She even scanned Marinette’s phone for any traces of explosives.

           When it was done Marinette found herself escorted inside, and then found herself a cliché Supervillian lair staring down the greatest supervillains in the world. Ra's al Ghul, Black Manta, Queen Bee, Klarion, Deathstroke, Ocean Master, and their operatives Hugo Strange, Bane, Sports Master, and Cheshire all sat at a large round table. There was four pieces of glass hanging from the ceiling in front of them; monitors, Marinette figured.

And it was clear from the anger on the faces that the bad guys had been informed of exactly who Marinette was.

           It was daunting, to say the least.

“You have our attention, Miss Marinette,” Lex said. “Do not waste it.”

           Marinette nodded, “I have information on the Justice League I thought the Light would be very interested in.”

“Why would a hero do such a thing?”  Ra's al Ghul asked. “Hoping to make a deal? Your information for the return of Chat Noir, perhaps?”

           The leader of the League of Shadows didn’t know why the rumor persevered that the Light kidnapped the Parisian hero. He had confirmed himself that it was highly inaccurate.  

           The bluenette giggled, “Chat Noir no longer exists. He was retired at the same time as Hawkmoth. The Light has never had him. Neither did Cadmus. It was just heavily implied.”

“Yet that didn’t stop you from destroying our labs,” Lex glared. “Ruining missions, capturing my associates. Months of research. Millions of dollars. Gone to hell.”

“You were a tool,” Marinette shrugged. “I used to you get to close to the Justice League. It was never personal.”

           Lex felt eye twitch. He should have Mercy shoot her on principle.

“You’re more annoying than Robin,” Deathstroke shook his head at the moxy of the girl.

“It was just business?” She offered. “I needed a way to make them pay.”

“Just… just business,” Lex pinched his nose. He was going to kill her. “What could you possible offer the Light that would stop us from destroying you and everyone you love?”

           Marinette smirked. She pulled out her phone and hacked into the monitors. Once she was done, and played a video. The villains watched on the screens with old mild interest on their faces. Slowly the interest faded as shock and astonished looks overtook it.

           Lex’s felt his entire body shake. The video had shown undeniable proof that Superman was secretly Clark Kent. It was what he dreams were made of. He could barely stop himself from snatching the phone out of Marinette’s hand and playing it the video over and over again.

           Lex forced himself to calm down. He looked at the bluenette hard. A part of him wanted offer to pay as much money as the girl could want for the video. Another part of him realized if Marinette had been a little older he would’ve proposed.

“Superman’s civilian name is Clark Kent.” Marinette smiled, “I have video proof of nearly every member of the Justice League’s secret identities; along with their sidekicks.”

           The statement was met with silence. Each villain contemplating the ramifications of what such information could mean; not just for them, but for the world.”

“I think that’s worth a little forgiveness,” Marinette slyly added. “What’s few million dollars in damages compared to bringing down the Justice League once and for all.”

           Klarion chuckled, “I suppose some things can be overlooked.”

“Why?” Black Manta asked. “That is what we should be asking. Why betray the heroes?”

“Justice,” Marinette shrugged. “Revenge. I blame them for the death of my father.”

“That’s a good a reason as any,” Cheshire said. Her mask still hid her face.

           Sportsmaster gave his daughter a side look, “You never tried to take down any heroes any of the times you thought I died,” He complained.

“Sorry,” Cheshire shrugged. “I was too busy eating ice cream and getting drunk off my ass; it’s how I usually celebrate.”

“Why come to us?” Ra's al Ghul asked still intrigued.

“Why wouldn’t she?” A new voice rang through the room. Marinette stumbled back in shock. She knew that voice. But that wasn’t possible. Right? “The Light is in her blood.”

           Door opened and in walked bane of nearly every hero in the world, the Founder of the light, Vandal Savage. “You’ve done well, daughter.”

           Her father looked exactly the same as she remember. He was tall, with broad shoulder and square jaw; three pale scars across his face. His hair was longer though, much longer, and was pulled back

           Marinette rushed over to him and threw herself into his arms. He hugged her tightly.

“I thought you were dead,” Marinette whispered. Tears stung her eyes. “Everyone said you were dead.”

           Vandal smiled gently at her, “And you decided to bring down the world’s heroes in my name. I’m truly touched,” He said. “I wasn’t dead but I was close. I got better.”

           The bluenette backed away from her father; realization slowly hit her.

“It’s been months,” Marinette ran a hand through her hair. “You have any idea what I’ve gone through, what I did! You suck! Ugh, I’m telling Mom!”

Sabine Cheng would show Vandal Savage a thing or two once she found out. She was the one who had to dry her daughter’s tears day after day once the news of Savage’s death broke. The Asian woman was possibly only one infamous Vandal Savage was afraid of.

           The others villains watched, entranced by the argument between father and daughter.

“You gallivanted around as hero,” Vandal reminded. “To get close the Justice League; leaving me to wonder if in my absence I had lost my daughter to the so-called forces of good. It turned out all my worrying was for naught.”

“You could’ve called!” Marinette complained. “Wrote. Something to tell me you were alive. Anything.”

“At the time it was best decision.”

           Marinette glared, “You seriously for even one second I’d team up with the Justice League? Really? Me?” She glared. “I’m NEVER talking to you again!”

“I’ll make it up to you, sweetheart,” Vandal assured the bluenette. “We can kill Superman together.”

“Actually,” Lex interrupted. “I have dips.”

           Vandal shot him a quick glare.

The teen girl crossed her arms, “Give me one reason I shouldn’t destroy everything I have on the Justice League?” She asked. “And before any of you threatened to kill me. I only brought the Superman video as insurance. I die; you will never get your hands of the rest of them. So again,” She hissed at her father. “Give me one reason I should hand over my Intel to the Light?”

“…Father’s day’s coming up?” Vandal offered.

“Dammit!”

           Marinette stumped over to an empty seat, next to Cheshire, and glared petulantly at the inhabitants of the room. She didn’t care that it made her look like a little kid.

           An awkward silence filled the room.

           Luther took the opportunity to finally start the meeting as it was the reason they were all there. It was long. It dragged on. Even with Marinette’s intelligence on the Justice League. Everything felt like a stuffy board meeting. Nowhere near as exciting as Marinette once imagined it would be.

           The meeting took a short break. Food was brought out. A small buffet. Marinette made herself a plate; she grabbed a fancy steak sandwich, some fruit and chips, and a rather large chocolate cupcake because she freaking deserved it. She thought she was done until her plate was grabbed by her father. He didn’t hesitate to put baked Brussel sprouts provided on her plate.

“Oh come on! No one likes Brussel sprouts,” Marinette complained. “Not even you’re that evil.”

“They’re good for you,” Vandal told his daughter. “And you will eat them.”

“You’re seeing this too, right?” Deathstroke, otherwise known as Slade, asked Bane. “It’s not just me.”

As they ate, the villains shared stories about what they’d been up to. Most just complained about the problems they were having with the Justice League; who fought who, who should they consider for Light membership, and anyone getting on their nerves.

“Some assholes decided to send the wannabe Villain current status moron after me,” Marinette cast a dark look around the room; making it clear she knew they sent the assassin. She didn’t get as much as a single sheepish look. “He kept trying to light me of fire. And then he was accidently pushed off the top of a building, twice.”

Ra's al Ghul nodded at the young girl, “I would like to mention that I have an heir not much younger than you. You would get along quite well, I believe.”

           Marinette narrowed her eyes at Leader of the League of shadows, “Are you seriously trying to get me to date your grandson right now?”

           Al Ghul didn’t answer her.

Marinette took the opportunity to excuse herself from having to come back, “I’m going to explore the island.” And then see if she could escape before her dad caught her.

“I always blew up your boat,” Vandal raised an eyebrow. “I’ll be taking you home myself.”

“You suck!”

“Love you too, sweetpea.”

           Marinette marched out of the room. She’d swim if she had too.

           It turned out she didn’t have to swim. Just hotwire Deathstroke’s ride.

           She got a video call fifteen minutes after taking off.

“Go for Marinette?” She answered cheerfully.

           Vandal Savage’s face appear on the screen, “You stole Slade’s helicopter.”

“Juuussst like you taught me.” Marinette smirked.

#ml fic #marinette dupain cheng #Young Justice #Marinette deserves better #justice league

[lordmartiya]

lord Martiya’s Lilanette Week 2021, part 2: Sick

@lilanette-week

@lilanette

Second part, after a timeskip where Lila has been friends with Marinette in her own unique way. And we get my comments about how the show handled a certain love story, and my solution to Volpina’s anomaly.

06/21: Sick

The previous day had been quite a trip, what with Luka getting Akumatized with truth-forcing powers and demanding to know Marinette’s secret. That the girls thought was her crush on Adrien. Lila, on the other hand, had some fun by flat-out telling him it wasn’t his business, the experience in lying and the anti-truth serum conditioning she had been given due her mother’s job combining to have her tell something that was truthful yet nothing Truth, Luka, or the Bowtie Terrorist (that pun never failed to get a laugh out of Marinette) wanted to know. The discovery Jagged Stone had a child from her former guitarist, on the other hand, had caught her by surprise – she had thought he’d be more careful. Then again Lila was a diplomat’s daughter, closer in carefulness to that Count of Fersen that had seduced half the noblewomen of Europe and even the Queen of France and managed to die childless, not a rockstar.

Then Marinette entered the class just in time, and after looking at her once Lila knew exactly what she had to do: “Ms. Bustier, Marinette’s overworking finally got her sick, I’m bringing her back home for the day.”

“I’m well!” Marinette protested.

“Oh, look, Rose Bride.”

Marinette turned where Lila had been pointing to, her stress making her forget that Chevalot was still at the hospital and Papillon had not Akumatized her since (though one of Mr Pigeon’s appearances had resulted in his birds discharging on her right as she came out of the tribunal), thus proving the Italian’s point. She didn’t make resistance as the Italian brought her back home and to her room – with most of the Adrien pictures long replaced by ones of her friends, Lila having helped taking them down… And relocating them into Tsurugi Kagami’s room as a prank, her ability to speak Japanese with the pattern traditionally attributed to kitsune and a precise description of the prank helping her getting the collaboration of her mother.

“So, should I call your boyfriend and have him take care of you?” Lila teased Marinette after tucking her in. And getting caught by surprise when Marinette flinched.

“We broke up.” Marinette explained. “I-I told him I couldn’t tell- Nevermind, we broke up.”

Lila pinched her nose. If nothing else, that explained how Marinette had been pushed over the edge. As she thought about that, though, she couldn’t help but utter: “Seriously, just because you couldn’t tell him you’re one of Ladybug’s interns?”

“Wait, what?”

“Mapporca… You disappear at any Akuma attack, lie, lie, about why, and you’re too creative to wear Ladybug’s plain suit, the conclusion was obvious: you’re one of the temporary heroes and dodged Miracle Queen, at every attack you go to whatever place Ladybug told you to wait so if she needs help she’ll lend you a Miraculous. There’s nothing wrong with keeping this a secret, just the fact you told him you had it was an incredible sign of trust…”

“You mean it?”

“You weren’t cheating on him or planning other betrayals, and those would have been the only secret he was entitled to find out without your approval. It’s even in the word, its a secret because it’s called a secret, why would anyone try and find out?”

“For the last time, it’s you who are weird!” Trixx said as he came out of the weird Ladybug-themed box.

“For the last time, Trixx-” Lila started to reply as she turned, then she registered that TRIXX THE KWAMI WAS IN MARINETTE’S ROOM AND HAD COME OUT OF THE WEIRD LADYBUG-SHAPED BOX. And two other Kwamis, a red one and a green one, were trying to drag him back into hiding. And that was enough for Lila to break through the Quantum Masking – and put her right hand on her face.

“I went full Countess of Montecristo on someone for months and it turns out she was just neurotic when she offended me…” she stated. “What’s happening here? And most importantly, why do you have such an unimaginative costume?”

They exchanged explanations. On how Marinette had been bullied into near-depression by Chloè until she was given the Ladybug Miraculous and got the confidence to stand up to her and the other issues – including how the Miracle Queen debacle had resulted in the last Guardian (incompletely trained at that) sacrificing his memories to keep the Miraculous out of Papillon’s hands. In turn Lila admitted she had been telling the truth when claiming to Adrien her grandmother had been the holder of the Fox Miraculous and had trained her to succeed her as a heroine – that being how she could get around the limitations when Akumatized, she knew a spell that mimicked Mirage and was using that in place of the real thing – something she had done for a while her uncle found what kind of entertainment she used her illusions for, took away her Miraculous and sent it to the Guardian, and admitted that, in her quest for vengeance, she had been working with Papillon – though with plans to take him down at the end.

“This little trick will take him out on the spot.” she concluded, showing the Alsetex 410 she always carried for defense among things for less tough opponents.

“Marinette, I’m going with this idiot to make sure she keeps a conscience until she redevelops one.” Trixx said.

“You do that.” Marinette said as she took the aspirin Lila had offered her.

“Can I take Alya then?” the Pig Kwami asked.

Before Lila could ask what Marinette had been thinking when she gave the one Miraculous that, once mastered, allows to see through Quantum Masking to someone who wanted to know and expose her secret identity the Ladyblog announced a new Akuma attack.

“Why did you throw her an engine block?” Marinette asked as Lila was tucking her in after dealing with Lies – AKA Tsurugi Kagami (whose personal name was still ridiculous to Lila, as “Kagami” in Italian and Spanish sounds like “shit me”, thank you very much) upset at her relationship troubles with Adrien.

“Because whole cars are designed with crumple zones to increase the safety of the occupants that make poor projectiles, while engine blocks are solid and dense and make excellent projectiles.” came the reply.

“I mean, why so violent?”

“Because I still hold a grudge for her becoming Onichan over less than what Bourgeois did to the fanclub without getting any of them Akumatized, because today I don’t want to keep you out there more than necessary, and because I spotted Alya and this way I’m establishing a narrative that won’t get her hurt over being replaced, one that features the heroine Volpina retiring after the mess with the Evrees out of PTSD and returning because there’s just no time for Rena Rouge to become as competent as needed.”

“And what did you show her?”

“Bourgeois’ little movie, the one that decimated Adrien’s fan club.” the one where she had her minion film her reading at Adrien those desert puns from Asterix and Cleopatra and getting him on his knees from the laughter. “Tsurugi is still convinced that Adrien’s facade is the real thing, if she find out early she was wrong there’s a chance the inevitable break-up won’t be too bad.”

“But-”

“Inevitable. Now rest, I want you back in shape.”

Unseen and unheard by the two humans, Tikki and Trixx were talking about something the former had noticed about her Chosen – namely a suddenly increased willingness to put up with Lila’s (admittedly now more subdued) antics.

“People tend to believe what they want to hear, Tikki.” Trixx explained. “And Lila just said what Marinette wanted and needed to hear.”

“It can’t be that simple, Marinette is too smart, too mature.”

“Poyais.”

That single word left Tikki looking at Trixx in horror, reminding her how just how gullible people can be in the right situation.

“Hey, don’t worry, Lila always had limits on what she’s willing to do, especially when she doesn’t feel threatened, and I know her buttons. She’s no danger to Marinette. If anything, Marinette could become a danger to Lila’s virtue.”

#lilanette #lilabug #ladypina #volpinette #miraculous #miraculous ladybug #miraculousladybug #miraculous lb #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Lila Rossi

[pl-panda]

Damienette arranged marriage: part 20

Credits: Miraculous Ladybug team for the elements I take from MLB show. DC for their characters, @ozmav for the AU, @maribat-archive for giving me access to so many different stories to have take inspirations from, @thyladyanput for idea for Chat Damian and me for the plot.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 part 14 part 15 

part 16 Part 17 Part 18

Part 19

Damienette arranged marriage: Part 20

NEXT

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

“But MDC is still...” Alix started and suddenly realization dawned on her. She finally connected the dots. From there, she realized more and more. It was like she woke up from some trance. Image of utter fear and regret on her face was priceless. “No…“

Alix run out of class just as madame bustier entered. 

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

After the matter with Akumatized Alix crashed the classroom and was defeated by ladybug and her team, the classes were canceled. Marinette spent the afternoon with Damian, happy to crush him several times in Ultimate Mecha Strike and several other games.

“Can we play something else now?” He moaned as the big red defeat displayed on the screen. He convinced her to go to arcade to have more choice, which proved to be his biggest mistake. The girl decimated him in absolutely everything. 

“Oh. Ish baby shad that I win?” Marinette tried to imitate english babytalk, but it did not really work in her favor.

“I see no dishonor in losing to a titular champion.” Damian tried to defend his ego, but she only giggled.

“I have an offer for you. If you beat me in any game, you can choose what we do tomorrow.” She tried to motivate him.

“You want to repeat it?” He asked surprised.

“Yes silly. I really like you… I mean spending you with time… No wait! Timing with you spend… Spending time with you! I like spending time with you!” She finally shouted, getting some confused looks from people around. That is until they met Damian’s gaze and run away before Marinette could get more embarrassed.

“I was just kinda... surprised. Not even my brothers want to spend that much time with me.”

“They aren’t married to you now, are they?”

“Only you Angel.” Damian grinned as she blushed deep shade of red. “I challenge you for a dance.”

“What?” She asked confused.

“tt. Dance Off. The game. You asked me to challenge you for a game. That is what I choose.” He explained.

“I… never played before.” She said a bit shyly. 

“Is that a surrender?” He gave her a challenging look.

“Dream on.” She retorted and moved to the panels in the back. there were no people currently using it so they jumped on the platforms. 

Damian confidently got into stance while Marinette just copied him. One of Jagged Stone’s older songs started playing. While the boy immediately started to follow the rhythm and get the perfect score, Marinette clumsily tried to follow his footsteps. She was off balance and hardly following the keys. She missed every third one and never scored perfect. She would definitely loose. 

She stopped dancing and took one deep breath. She focused on the song instead of just pressing the buttons. When she started dancing, there was no more clumsiness or flailing hands while losing balance. She was confident, strong and she would totally kick Damian’s ass in this game just as well as in the others. 

As Damian danced, he kept perfect score. If not for the fact that she’s beaten him in every single other game in this arcade, he would actually pity his wife. At least until she started to get perfect score too. Suddenly, they were moving in perfect synch with music and each other. A crowd gathered around them. People were cheering for them. He was pretty sure he heard some wolf whistles from the boys in the back that were directed to Marinette and he was pretty tempted to drop the game and just throw some things at them. Maybe exploding batarangs. Yeah. That would work… 

By the time they were getting to the final, Damian had a quite firm lead. Then, he heard someone from the crowd actually dare to call some slurs at Marinette and got distracted. It was something along the lines “I want to see your other moves”, He only slipped for a moment, hitting several wrong buttons while getting up, but Marinette got in the lead by mere ten points. She was completely unfazed by the cries and words of the crowd. It was like she was in her own world. Damian caught himself staring at her instead of dancing so he doubled the effort. In the end, she still won. 

“Yeah! You go babe! I want to...” Damian saw red. It was the same guy as before. He jumped over the railing that kept players from falling off the stage and punched the guy mid-air square in the face. There was a cracking sound and the idiot fell down with bloodied nose. The crowd dispersed as if it was never there.

Immediately, almost half a dozen of other guys appeared around to support their mate. 

“Now you just got yourself a problem boy.” One of them commented.

“Actually…” A new voice joined the ‘discussion’. “I think your friend is the one in trouble. He was calling my friend here some very inappropriate names and suggesting several less than legal things.” Alix rolled into the sight.

“So since the girl can’t take some compliments! Doesn’t mean he can punch our friend.”

“He is her boyfriend who was defending her from an elderly man. She is underage so get lost before I call the police.” Alix threatened them. While the idiots were distracted, Damian took the opportunity to grab normal dusters and put them on his fists. He was ready for a fight. The fact that this tugs didn’t pull knives or guns already was close to a miracle. If it was Gotham, he would have a gang-fight on his hands ready and set. 

“Sowwy madame.” The one with broken nose spoke, showing that he also lost some teeth. “I was not awawe of that. You looked so full of confidence that I fowgot myself.” He apologized and got lost with his friends as per instructions. 

“Ugh! I swear they keep getting in trouble.” Alix complained to himself. Damian was suddenly in front of her. Because of her rollerblades she was taller so he had to look up. 

“Excuse me, but where from do you know this criminals?” He started to interrogate her.

“Calm down Short Stack.” She cooled him off. “My brother and I sometimes volunteer at the homeless center. They tend to come there from time to time. One of this guys even works there.” She explained. 

Marinette walked to the scene and practically pulled away the still fuming Damian. “Thanks for the assist Alix.” There was an awkward silence interrupted only by Damian’s breath. He was not tired, only angry. 

“No problem.” Skater girl finally shrugged. “Listen Mari. I wanted to… apologize. Lila is a liar and an idiot. I was even bigger idiot for believing her.”

“tt. My plan worked at least partially I see…” Damian commented.

“Your… plan?!” Marinette shouted at him. “I asked you specifically not to do that because we will have another scarlet moth at our hands!” 

“I think that is something the two of you should solve between yourself so I will leave you to it.” She was about to ride away, but Alix took one last look over the shoulder. “Are we cool MDC?”

“Yes Alix. Yes we are.” Marinette smiled before making an angry face at Damian. Alix chuckled and zoomed away.

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

Late in the night Red Robin, Ladybug and Robin met in the Wayne Enterprises headquarters. 

“Anything new on hawkmoth?” She asked. It was more than a month of them working separately but so far there was little they could do.

“Well, I think I tracked the Akumas to this general area.” He pointed to the holograph map of Paris.

“This is like one-fourth of the city!” Damian was less than amused.

“It is still something. At least Akuma appear on camera.” He said, reffering to the time when Tikki (convinced by Marinette) sneaked into the building to switch Tim’s coffee for the non-caf version so he would get some sleep. He didn’t forgive her to this day, but he would not take vengeance when mr. I-stab-anyone-who-harms-her was on the same continent, much less the same city. 

“So we are not really that close.” Ladybug sighted.

“I do have some suspects. Out of the people in Paris who were not akumatized only handful match the criteria. And then, if you eliminate those who are not living in the area, then you have… an empty list.” 

“So hawkmoth only owns a hide-out in this area.”

“That would be hard, unless he works from the sewers.” Red Robin zoomed on the area. “This is stricltly living space. Not even that many shops. I also don’t believe a shop owner would have time to attack the city on so many occasions. At least not while keeping a steady revenue.”

“So we have literally no clue?”

“Well, if you take in account that Hawkmoth could somehow akumatize himself, we do have one solid lead.”

“Who?” Ladybug was very eager to finally be done with all of this and return to being a normal teenage girl.

“Gabriel Agreste.” Red Robin displayed a profile picture of the artist for reference.

——————————————————————————————————–

Taglist (sorry if I missed you)@pheonixashtree @sassakitty @unabashedbookworm @vixen-uchiha @maggiecc12 @actualdisasterwoman @tired-butterfly @shizukiryuu @floralfi @imanerddealwith @northernbluetongue @krispydefendorpolice @toodaloo-kangaroo @dast218 @bluesoulblueheart @theatreandcomicfreak @disneyfoxuniverse @mindfulmagics @alwaysnumberonetruth @nyaabinch @jardimazul @lenamau @rosep16 @dramatic-squirrel @sonif50 @daminett4life @lulutheawkwardess @weird-pale-blonde-person @mooshoon @jeminiikrystal @mochegato @moonlightstar64 @dragonflyswing @silverwhiteraven @shamefullove @magic-miraculous @valeks-princess @heaven428 @mlbchaosqueen @winter-gardenflower @spicybelladonna @emo-elaine13 @vetilora @karukofox21 @my-name-is-michell  @sturchling @lokiifriggasonn @redscarlet95 @melicmusicmagic @interobanginyourmom @the-fusionist @razzledazzle247 @miss-mysterys-blog @darkthunder1589 @i-is-mysterious @catthhay @the-one-woman-army @zestyzealot @dahjokester @write-for-your-life2 @mermaidreject @peachedpocky @sassakitty @dahjokester @crazylittlemunchkin @novicevoice @justafanwarrior @eliza-bitch @schrodingers25 @tired-butterfly @toodaloo-kangaroo @redscarlet95 @miukiiu

#mlb #mlb x dc #maribat #maribat au #marinette x damian #arranged marriage au #maridami #order of the guardians #guardian!marinette #league of assassins #damienette #miraculous lb #fanfic #fanfiction #crossover #batman #miraculous ladybug

[eternaliax3]

Moving On

Slowly migrating my fics onto here from AO3!

One-Shot | AO3 Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug Relationship: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng

Rating: G Summary:  Adrien's off-handed comment spurs Marinette to accept that she wouldn't be anything more than a friend and to consider someone else.

Marinette was left wondering at what she should do about Adrien as time went on. While her love for him never dwindled, she was steadfastly losing hope for their future as he never showed more interest than friendship.

It was when she was pondering this while she sat with Alya and Nino during lunch that she made up her mind, because Alya brought up the topic of Luka.

“So Marinette, what's going on with guitar boy?” She wiggled her eyebrows at her as she nudged her arm. Marinette looked at her not amused.

“Nothing, Alya. And you know that.”

“But he's so into you!”

“I know, he even confessed to me earlier.” Her eyes turned rueful as she remembered his words as Silencer, and then as himself.

At this moment, as she was staring at her sandwich, Adrien walked up to the group and overheard what she said.

He waved as a greeting, his smile sunny as ever.

“You guys talking about Luka? He's a really cool guy Marinette, you should definitely go for him!”

It was that moment where one could see a young girl's heart break, and the other two people could only look on in a mixture of horror and pity as the one who said it remained oblivious. And yet he continued on, driving the knife even further into her heart.

“You two would definitely make a great couple. I’m rooting for you!”

Marinette plastered a smile onto her face. “Thanks, Adrien.”

Alya and Nino started talking about something else, anything, that Marinette didn’t hear as she zoned out staring at her sandwich. She spent the rest of the school day quiet and thoughtful.

The next week Marinette was sitting on her balcony in the evening, staring at Luka’s contact information on her phone. During the week, she made her resolve to move on. It was painful, oh, it was so painful, but she accepted that Adrien didn’t see her as anything more than a friend. The first few nights were spent crying and writing sad diary entries. But she eventually accepted it.

That night, she sent a text message to Luka asking to meet.

                                                ━━━━━━━━

Luka agreed to meet her at the theater to watch a movie, and then get dinner together at a restaurant near the Seine. While the day of the date loomed closer and closer, Marinette decided to craft some new clothes to commemorate the occasion. After all, it was special and she wanted Luka to know that too. She decided to make a circle skirt in her signature color with white and black flowers, and a ruffly white off-the-shoulder top with straps going over the shoulders. She paired her signature flats and purse with them and on the day of the date she twirled in front of her mirror, proud of the new outfit.

Her hair was also left down, and she tied a pink ribbon with a bow on top of her head.

Tikki smiled at her outfit, beyond ecstatic that Marinette was going to be happy. It was also never a bad thing that her ladybug was creating.

Marinette walked down to the theater, butterflies exploding at her stomach, but calming once she saw Luka. The butterflies melted into excitement, and she ran over to give him a hug.

“You look beautiful, Marinette.” His eyes glinting with appreciation at her new outfit and hairstyle. Marinette blushed and thanked him. She noticed that he also wore a new outfit, ripped black jeans that accentuated his tall legs, and a Jagged Stone t-shirt with a black vest over it. His guitar in its case was on his back. It was casual, but definitely Luka’s style.

“You look good too, Luka.” Marinette smiled genuinely at him.

“Thanks, Ma-ma-Marinette.” She had to laugh at that, a slight tinge of embarrassment wafting over her face, but knowing that he was more affectionate with the endearment.

“Shall we go in, then?”

“Of course.”

Luka took her hand in, her much smaller hand in his, and lead her inside.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

The movie was enjoyable, and halfway throughout Luka put his arm over her shoulders and she leaned into his warmth. Her heart skipped a few beats as she felt more happy than she did the last month being there with Luka.

After the movie, they both went down to the Seine. Grabbing a bite to eat from a local restaurant, they talked about anything that came to their minds at the moment. Kitty Section and practice, designing new outfits, schoolwork; Marinette found herself rambling at times, but Luka was ever patient with her, finding it endearing when she would gesture  with her hands. It spoke of her passion when she was talking about designing.

It came to the topic of music, and Luka took out his guitar and started strumming the chords of a song he was writing. Marinette closed her eyes and let the notes circle around her, the two stuck in their own little world.

“I think I just came up with a new song, Marinette.” He smiled and started strumming a few upbeat chords and humming along with it. His voice was a low timbre, and Marinette found her heart flip flopping and a blush rose to her face.

She closed her eyes and enjoyed the music, one she recognized as the melody he played to her when they first met, but different. Revised into a more complicated but accompanied with lower notes at times. She found herself more inspired and her already happy mood lifted higher.

And she pulled out her sketchbook, a mini one that fits into her purse so she could take it with her anywhere. She shot a smile to Luka who closed his eyes and continued playing. They sat together on the steps of the Seine, a guitarist and a designer, finding inspiration from each other and enjoying their time together.

They both didn’t realize how much time had passed as they sat together.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

Two months have passed, and Marinette found herself thinking less and less of Adrien, and more of Luka. Pictures of Adrien that she took down that first day of those fateful words that were spoken to her were replaced by pictures of Marinette and Luka together, and of other friends.

Her stutter was nonexistent now, and she found herself becoming good friends with Adrien. She started wearing different outfits that she created and wearing her hair in different styles that she finds online.

Luka and her meet some days after school, sometimes on the weekends, though with Luka’s part time job it was sometimes difficult to schedule a date. Most of the time, it was planned on the spot, after a stray text message sent to each other saying I miss you , it usually led to them meeting up after school. It was instantaneous and improvised, and Marinette wouldn’t have it any other way. Her favorite activity was listening to him play his guitar and sing. She smiled fondly as she remembered the keychain she made him that was now on his guitar case—a little black music note, dangling off of a keyring that seemed to wink in the light.

She found herself missing him every moment he was away, and counting down the seconds she could see him again, even though it was sometimes for days if their schedules didn’t permit it. Marinette found out that he was quite the gentleman, being polite towards every one of her friends and respecting her space. It also seemed like they were on the same wavelength, as if Luka was so in tune to her and she to him, that whenever she tripped or was about to, Luka would catch her and hold onto her.

One of her favorite memories together is when they were walking, and she tripped over a crack in the sidewalk. Luka caught her by the waist and swung her around to hold her in an embrace, as if it were straight out of a romance movie. She laughed and poked his nose, and he responded by pulling her into a sweet kiss.

Sabine and Tom even adored him, saying that he was welcome to visit the bakery anytime and that he was always welcome to stay for dinner. Which surprised her, since Tom was extremely protective of Marinette. It spoke of Luka’s character in spades, if they were taken with him so easily.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was a few more months that passed and Hawkmoth sent out akumas with a vengeance. Akuma sightings that had to be dealt with in the middle of the day, past midnight, and then in the early morning at times. It drove Marinette mad, and Luka was ever so understanding about Marinette having to leave in the middle of their dates. It ate at her inside, she didn’t think she deserved him.

On the other hand, Marinette hadn’t made any progress into tracking down Hawkmoth, and she felt so guilty towards the people of Paris. How is she doing her job correctly aside from purifying akumas if she couldn’t even figure out who the person starting it all was?

One day she was at Luka’s house for one of their usual hangouts, and she couldn’t take it anymore. She wasn’t enjoying his presence as much as she usually would have, and she was distracted and mopey. Luka couldn’t help but ask what was wrong. And she crumbled. She tried to be strong for so long that it was all let out once he asked that.

“There’s just too much pressure, Luka!” She said in between tears. “There’s just too much. I’m only sixteen years old and have to handle so many things!”

There was so, so much she wanted to say to him, but couldn’t. The next thing she knew, she was wrapped up in a warm embrace.

“I’m here for you, Marinette. You’ve done an amazing job so far. Just let it all out.” His warm voice wrapped around her and she cried harder.

“I don’t deserve you, Luka.” She sobbed.

“Yes, you do.” He smiled at her and gave her a sweet kiss that she reciprocated. 

She felt lighter after that, as if the world wasn’t resting solely on her shoulders anymore, and she wasn’t alone.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was when they were sitting at a café eating lunch together on a lazy weekend that she decided to ask something that was on her mind for a while.

“Hey, Luka? Why did you start liking me?” Her eyes bored into his as they crinkled into smiles. “Was it when you saw me for the first time?” She joked.

“I actually started to like you before then.” He replied with total honesty. At her gape, he continued.

“It was during the time after Juleka came home and started to talk about you. She said that you helped to include her in the class picture a few years ago. She said so many good things about you, and you made my sister so happy that day. I knew you were a good person.”

Marinette couldn’t help but blush, her face heating up. “Wow, that long? That was years ago!”

“Yes, for that long.” He reached over and held her hand on top of the table. “I’m really happy you gave me a chance, Marinette.”

“I’m really happy too, Luka.”

                                               ━━━━━━━━

It was during patrol and when she was transformed into her alter ego that Chat Noir asked why she was in a happy mood for the past few weeks. And she told him the truth.

“I’ve started dating someone.”

Chat Noir could feel his own heart breaking as she said that. While she looked into his eyes, he couldn’t help but try and keep a happy facade. After all, she was his dear partner and he had to be happy for her in the end.

“Are you happy, milady?”

She smiled, one that genuinely reached her glowing eyes. Eyes that weren’t happy because of him.

“Very much so, Chat.” She turned towards the glowing city lights around them. “He’s...amazing. Really inspirational and he’s there for me all the time.”

She giggled and started swinging her trusty yoyo in her hands.

“He really sees who I am under the mask.” Her eyes turned wistful.

“But you know what’s funny?” She turned back towards him. “It was actually the boy I loved before that told me to go for it.”

Chat Noir realized he never had a chance with Ladybug. And he had to accept it in that moment.

“I’m happy for you, Ladybug.” And he truly meant it, as he went home trying to mend his broken heart.

                                               ━━━━━━━━

The next day, Adrien went to class looking a mess. There were dark circles under his eyes and he was slow in responding to people when they tried to talk to him. It even really worried Marinette throughout the day as she was able to see how he was acting in front of her.

The end of the school day came around and she put her hand on his shoulder as the students ushered out of the classroom, chattering about.

“Adrien, are you ok?” She was wearing a small pout as she looked at his defeated demeanor.

“Hey Marinette, I’m fine.” He tried to hold it together by giving her a small lopsided smile. “Don’t worry about me. Aren’t you meeting Luka soon?”

“Yes, but I wanted to check up on you. If you need to talk or anything, I’m here for you.” She smiled.

“Thanks, Marinette. I really appreciate that. I’m glad things are going well with you and Luka, by the way.” He started walking towards the front gates of the school.

“Yeah, he’s really great. I’m really glad I gave him a chance.” She spun around next to him to look earnestly into his eyes. “Hey, maybe we can all go on a triple date! Nino and Alya, Luka and I, and you and Kagami!”  

“Ka-Kagami?” He sputtered.

“Yeah! Isn’t she the one you’re pining for?” She nudged his arm.

He laughed. “Not Kagami.” If only she knew.

“But let’s change the topic here, is Luka treating you right? After all, you only deserve the best.” He winked at her and she laughed.

“He definitely does, Adrien. He really sees me.” She said, and he had to stop right in his tracks in confusion.

“What do you mean by that?”

Marinette also stopped as she realized what she just said and scrambled for an explanation.

“Oh well, you know, I just feel like I have a mask on sometimes, with how much I have to do with the bakery, schoolwork ,and being class president.” And being a superhero that fights akumas at all times of the day , she thought. “Luka just sees past all of that. He really sees the person  under the mask.”

Marientte smiled as past Adrien, she saw Luka waiting for her at the school gates.

“Well, try and get some rest today, ok Adrien? I’ll see you tomorrow!”

She left and ran towards Luka, and Adrien could only stand gaping as the deja vu almost knocked him over. Words that were spoken in the night kept repeating in his head and he kept cycling Marinette’s face with Ladybug’s face over and over and over in his mind.

Oh my god, what have I done?

#eternalia writes #miraculous ladybug fanfic #lukanette

[nobodyfamousposts]

Felix July - Villain Felix (Demon Felix AU)

@felixmonth​

I was planning this for Halloween. The fact that the trailer for the latest Felix episode came out the day before is mere coincidence.

Though it does make me wonder which of these two Felix’s will be legitimately worse...

Shall we take a vote?

_____________________

Felix had a couple of encounters with the Kwamis and Miraculous in the past. Usually those encounters involved him butting heads with the godlings as the sort of person who would summon him would also be the sort to require a Miraculous or two to deal with. But only once had he ever met the one known as Tikki, and that was more than enough to sear the meeting into his memory.

Honestly, he had expected the Creation Kwami to remember him. He would have been surprised if she hadn’t. Joan was a favorite of hers, after all, and he had been involved in her rather unfortunate fate when one of his Contractors happened to use his position to ill effect. It was no surprise that the little thing would blame him, though.

As it was, he was more surprised at the chittering noise she made at his appearance, full of rage and as if she were about to attack at the very sight of him. 

How rude. He hadn’t even done anything this time.

Yet.

“YOU!”

“Hello to you, too.” He said with an all too pleasant smile. “It’s nice to see you again. How have you been?”

Tikki let out an infuriated shriek that forced her mortal chosen to cover her ears but did very little to Felix himself. He merely looked down at her in distaste.

“Now that language is rather uncalled for.”

“What are you even doing here?” Tikki demanded.

The girl—Marinette Dupain-Cheng lowered her hands and looked back and forth between the two of them, all the more confused.

“So…I take it that you two know each other?”

“Obviously.” He replied with dry amusement. “But that hardly matters now.”

“I think it does.” She countered—smart girl. He could already tell this would be a fun one. “Who are you?”

Ignoring the kwami’s glare and attempt to get in his way, he merely brushed past the little being until he was standing face to face with his new contractor.

She was cute, he supposed. For human terms at least. She wore her hair in pigtails—a sign of immaturity. She seemed to draw back from him—clearly fear and uncertainty. She was in a constant state of anxiety and her aura was as limited as her self-confidence.

She was perfect.

He bowed with a flourish, appearing every part the picture of servitude and obedience.

“I am merely your humble servant, dear Mistress.”

“Eh?” Marinette flushed at that.

“NO! No, no, no!” The annoying kwami shouted, forcing her way between them. “You are not doing this! Not her!”

He smiled with false kindness. “Oh, but it’s already done. She and I have a contract to complete. I am merely here to fulfill my role.”

“No, it isn’t!” Tikki insisted. “She never summoned you or agreed to any deals! You have no claim on her!”

“Tikki, what’s going on? What is he talking about?” Marinette asked, increasingly worried at the state of her kwami.

“Don’t trust him, Marinette!” She exclaimed. “He’s here to try and make a claim on your soul!”

Marinette stiffened at that, her gaze jumping to Felix. “Is that true?”

He continued to smile. “Mostly. The only wrong point is that there is no ‘try’. Your soul has already been offered to me. I am simply upholding my end of the bargain.”

Both girl and kwami gasped in horror.

“But how?!” Tikki rounded on Marinette, not in anger but in worry as she looked the girl over for any sign of a contract. “Marinette, did you contract with him?”

She shook her head fervently in response. “No! I didn’t even know that was a thing!”

The kwami continued to mutter fearfully as she checked her chosen. Marinette was too stunned to move or try to stop her, her gaze not straying from Felix.

“What…what are you?”

He smirked.

“I’m a demon.”

Her eyes narrowed. At first he thought it was out of anger, but as she began to speak, he realized it was contemplation.

“I never made a deal with you. Or any demon.” She looked down to her clearly upset friend who had been just investigating her body. He could see her mind in motion, putting the pieces together and drawing conclusions.

“You didn’t, no. That original summoner would be a girl by the name of Lila Rossi.”

A pause.

“I take it you’ve heard of her.” He stated.

It went without saying, really. The way both girl and kwami tensed and the sheer anger they both displayed were indicative enough of that, even if he didn’t already know of their conflict with his former “Mistress” from his own observations of her or her final wish specifically targeting this girl.

But still…better to lead her in the direction he wants her to start looking. All the easier to build on that resentment and have her act on it.

“Lila! I should have known!” Marinette hissed, fists clenched and looking to the side. But then she immediately paused, considering. “Wait…”

Tikki floated up to her face, concerned. “Marinette?”

“Lila summoned you. Lila contracted with you. That means…Lila had to have made a wish from you.” Marinette reasoned.

Interesting. She was rather quick to put the clues together.

He nodded. “Three, in fact. Standard contract. Three wishes. No misfortune countertransference or ‘Monkey’s Paw’ drawbacks.”

Marinette nodded at that as she thought it out in her head.

“Is it possible…did Lila use her wishes to make everyone just trust her so easily?”

Felix didn’t dare grin. He merely nodded again, maintaining the picture of subservience. “Good fortune. Charm and charisma. Beguiling of the mind. The trust and adoration of those who meet her. Invoking immediate belief in her words. The inability of her listeners to question her unless she makes a claim they know with absolute certainty cannot be true.”

He let that slip out. It was all the better to confirm his new Contractor’s suspicions. Both to build her hatred of his former “Mistress” and to give her all the more justification to act in the belief she would be protecting others from Rossi’s continued manipulations if it’s clear they will be unable to realize it on their own.

“And as her last wish, she bequeathed her contract onto you so that your soul would be taken in place of her own.”

THAT got their attention.

“WHAT?!”

Ah, sweet music. Indignation, fear, righteous fury, injustice. A rather potent combination.

And he barely even had to do more than pluck a few strings to get it going.

But those few strings were perfectly times and expertly played as he divulged in full detail the tragic news of Marinette’s fate thanks to the schemes of a liar. He told them how Lila had gone well out of her way to learn about him and to summon him—the materials to conduct a demon summoning are hardly simple, after all. He spoke of the wretched girl’s history, of all the pain she had caused even before gaining any wishes from him and how much worse she became after. And he delightfully told them of how Lila, in an attempt to save her own life after having ruined so many others had seen fit to continue rather than repent—and went so far as to target the one person seemingly unaffected by her Charm. If allowed to continue, surely she would never stop. And she would certainly not make the same mistake as to allow anyone else to find the loophole Marinette had unwittingly stumbled into.

Through it all, Tikki merely glared at him, but Marinette…she was observing him just as much as he had been observing her. Considering. Contemplating.

It was all too perfect.

He already knew how this would end.

She was a thinker, this girl. Logic may not have been her strong suit, but she could certainly plan and reason.

He had dealt with people like her in the past. People who tried to rationalize their way out of bad situations while failing to see the traps. He had seen it before. This was nothing new.

She had a little understanding of how his power worked. Limited knowledge of the tools at her disposal. She was an outsider thrown into a game she did not know how to play. But she was smart—oh yes, she was certainly smart enough to come to the obvious conclusion.

It was clear how this would end. She would realize it soon enough.

The easy answer was to get vengeance against the one who sought to sacrifice her.

The logical answer was to make a wish to try and rebound the contract back on Lila.

The simple answer was that if Lila could wish her payment on another, then certainly it could be wished back on her.

The obvious solution was for the would-be victim to wish it.

“No.”

He startled.

“What?”

Yet it was the one thing she refused to do.

“No?” He asked in genuine surprise. “What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Exactly that. No. I’m not going to wish anything to happen to Lila.” She insisted stubbornly. “In fact, I’m not going to wish for anything! I refuse!”

Tikki beamed with pride.

This was…not what he was expecting.

“You can’t refuse. No one has ever refused!“

If Felix was inclined to care about appearances, he probably looked more harried than he ever allowed himself to seem before. At this moment, however, he was more concerned with this sudden deviation from his plans.

Uncaring of any such plans, the girl merely crossed her arms with a huff. “Yeah, but they all summoned you specifically to get things in the first place. I’m not like them! I never asked for your help.“

“No, you didn’t.” He mused. “But you never ask for anything, do you?”

He walked around her in a circle. She turned with him, and never once allowed him out of her sight.

Smart girl.

“Wouldn’t it be nice if for once someone tried to help you without you having to ask? Without you having to jump through hoops and break your back to somehow ‘earn’ their loyalty first? Loyalty they long since should have afforded you as a friend if not all the good you’ve already done for them?”

“Don’t act like you’re trying to help me.” She snapped at him. “You’re certainly not doing this for free.”

“No.” He admitted. “But I’m not requiring anything of you either.”

“Just my soul.”

“Your soul is already mine.” He explained, logically. “You have Rossi to thank for that. This is merely you taking payback. Or at least making the exchange worth it.”

She glared at him fiercely. Something in her eyes sent a thrill down his spine even as his hands ached to take that fire and snuff it.

She huffed angrily. “Why would I go and do a thing like that?”

That was obvious.

“Because it’s in your nature.”

“That’s not—”

“Don’t kid yourself. Of course it is! It’s why your city is currently under siege. It’s why your friends are letting themselves be played for fools. It’s why I’ve been sent to you in the first place. Because everyone wants something. Even the majority of your most reviled sins are centered around the general concept.”

She frowned in confusion. “What?”

“Those cardinal vices—the seven deadly sins. Well, seven after the Catholic Church got ahold of the list, at any rate.”

Marinette looked rather unimpressed.

Felix was disinclined to care, and chose to continue.

“Greed. Lust. Gluttony. Each in some way is about the idea of wanting more than one has or should have. Whether it’s food, riches, or bodily pleasure. Even envy is about wanting what others have. Pride is in a sense feeling you are more deserving than others of the things you want. As for wrath…well, how often do people turn to destruction when they can’t get what they want? And in turn, the cardinal virtues that oppose the sins are all about restraint and holding oneself back from that which they want…and is it really no wonder why people keep giving in to the temptation if the demand that people should deny themselves the best they have to offer. Honestly, I barely have to try and convince anyone before they jump right into Faustian bargains.”

“You sound so sure of yourself!” Tikki hissed.

“Because I am.” Felix replied with a smirk. “I’ve yet to have a contract I never collected on. This will be no different.”

Marinette glared at him. “And what makes you so sure I’ll give in?”

“Because you’re human.” He replied simply. “If there is one thing humans excel at, it’s wanting. It’s the constant desire. The yearning for things they cannot or should not have, even to their own detriment. So many people every day waste their lives away wishing…dreaming…wanting.”

He caught her chin with his fingers, forcing her to meet his eyes.

“And you, my dear, are particularly brim with desires.”

“What would you know of my desires?”

He smirked. “How could I not know? You wear your desires so openly that it would be impossible to ignore them.”

Her eyes widened—likely fear and maybe embarrassment as he started to list them.

“The heart of a boy with no reason to even look at you.”

“To become renown for your designs and artistry.”

“A family life. A loving husband and…” He grinned. “Children.”

She gasped and drew back.

He barely held back the laugh, limiting it to a mere chuckle at the inanity of it all.

“Two boys. And a girl.” He leaned forward, whispering their names like a prayer. “Hugo. Louis. Ema.”

She gasped. Like it was a surprise. As though those names weren’t etched into her very heart, big and bright and so easily for anyone to read.

The girl was an open book.

“Such a loss…wouldn’t it be a shame?”

“You don’t touch them!” She snapped at him.

He didn’t even bother to hide the laugh this time.

“Touch them? Princess, they don’t exist! Those ‘children’ are mere illusions conjured by your imagination! They are figments of your desire. Nothing more than a dream. And the way you’re going, that’s all they’ll ever be.”

She practically wilted at that. He watched her spirit falter and fall like a dying flame.

It was over.

Tikki’s hissing didn’t even seem to penetrate the girl’s mind as she stared at him, looking oh so perfectly lost.

“You help others to no end and with nothing to show for it. You lose time and again to liars and bullies who abuse their power and authority to harm you and those you care about. You give of yourself until there is nothing left for the sake of a boy who would have every reason to love you if he weren’t so blind. And for all your attempts, it only leads to demands for more. From yourself. From your friends. From the world.”

He reached out a hand to touch her cheek in a gentle caress.

“You could have anything—simply ask for anything to at least make things a little better. Not even just for yourself, but for everyone. You could wish Hawk Moth to die and his Miraculous in your hands. You could wish Adrien to finally see how much you love him. And you know your friends are little more than tools to Rossi at this point. If you really want to save them from her, you could just ask and that little problem will simply go away. No blood. No mess. No guilt on your shoulders. You could erase her from existence entirely so you never even remember her.”

She looked up at him, almost shyly as she listened despite Tikki’s warnings. He knew he as good as had her.

“So many things. So many ways to make your life better in the here and now.”

He smiled gently now. Play the part of the rescuer. Calming her and reassuring her that it was okay.

“All you have to do is ask, Princ—.”

He was cut off by the sensation of something very cold and very wet hitting his face.

Sputtering, he wiped his eyes and found Marinette giving him an altogether unimpressed stare with what appeared to be a mister in hand.

He was…pretty sure he hadn’t seen her holding that just a minute ago.

“Did…did you just squirt me?” He asked, completely bewildered. He’d been stabbed, burned, hung, and even cut in half on one occasion. But no one just…SPRAYED him with water before like he was an unruly housecat.

Tikki laughed, joyously as Marinette looked down on him figuratively and literally.

“Yes. And there’s more of that, mister.” Marinette threatened, shaking the bottle and making it evident from the sloshing within that there was still plenty of water left.

“You can’t just do that!” He exclaimed, incredulous. It was silly, of course, because she clearly just had. But it was the principle of the matter!

“And you can’t just buy my soul from someone else! Especially not someone who has no claim to it!” Marinette countered.

“It was her wish.” He insisted.

“And it’s your contract. Surely there would have to be some stipulations about either party requesting or promising something they can’t deliver.”

…

She took his silence as an answer and smirked.

“Now let me make this perfectly clear.” She told him in a ‘no nonsense’ tone. “I don’t want you here. I never agreed to any contract or to any of the terms of your contract with Lila. I don’t want your power or any ‘help’ from you. I’m not going to make ANY wishes to you. In fact,” She straightened, growing…alarmingly more confident than he expected from the anxious girl with poor self confidence she initially presented herself to be. “I’m going to find some way to save myself AND Lila from you.”

Wait—what?

“You can’t do that!”

She couldn’t do that, right?

Marinette merely glared with all the fury of a very frustrated and unhappy teenager who happened to moonlight as a superhero with all the powers of creation at her disposal.

It…turned out to be more intimidating than expected…

“Watch me.”

And with that, she turned away and stomped to her desk where she promptly began working and doing her utmost to pretend he wasn’t there.

He frowned at her back.

“You are already doomed. Why not enjoy what you can?”

She would not be cowed.

“I couldn’t expect you to understand.”

Ah. A “human” thing. How droll. And as pathetic a comeback as any could be.

But she said nothing further, and took to ignoring him from then out. Tikki smirked at him from her side as she kept watch over them both—her to protect and him to be protected from.

He glowered at the two from the corner, considering his next move.

It seemed Marinette Dupain-Cheng would not be so easily played.

That was fine. Really. It was a minor setback, nothing more.

After all, she was only human. As was Rossi. As was every Contractor before.

She would falter in this newfound determination sooner or later.

He could be patient.

#ml au #felix july #felix month #demon felix #marinette dupain cheng #tikki #lila sucks #tikki is terrifying #spray bottle #ways to deal with an unruly demon #Marinette is awesome #felix was not prepared for this