#mldccrossover Plagg | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

goggles-mcgee · 7 months

Text

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

Tags:

@dorkus-minimus @astridflies @coolspidermanmusicflower @myazael @zephyranemone @rubixchick @cydaeashootingstar @ramos123 @eventhedarkestlightshines @too0bsessedformyowngood @solangelo252 @mythogaychic @electrocution-dp @icerosecrystal @thefangirlwholiterallydies @maskedpainter @frieddonutsweets @whoseanonymouswriter @murderrobins @zorua-adorable @amigotasbien @plushbookworm @alytori @lovepink3772-blog @robyalix @mystery-5-5 @heckinggremlin @fantasiame @neromerp13 @lady-bee-fechin @ihatecomingupwithusernameswtf @vroomtaka @jayjayspixiepop @i-need-blog-ideas @bloodydragon000 @aestheticnpoetic @salmakshortstories @insane-fangirl-of-everything @mizzy-pop @smolplantmum @lunabey2sky @eternal-exhaustion24 @roguishredaxion @jjmjjktth @miraculous-trinity-leo @buginetye @ladybug-182 @liquid-luck-00 @alysrose-starchild @vixen-uchiha @emilyphee @moonlightstar64 @komatsuna-yuki @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @bygge00 @souleateralicestein @1-801-bitch @lupagrimm @maribatshipper @doglover82 @corporeal-terrestrial @alyssadeliv @trippingovermyfeet @miraculous-simmer7 @galla02006 @bonusbuggy @derpingrainbow @kking13 @laurcad123 @jeminiikrystal @a-star-with-a-human-name @princessanimeangel11 @fan-of-fans-iggy @suddenly-i-kin-oikawa @zalladane @weirdo-with-no-beardo @ali-kitkat @mikantsume @babylovebug18 @livelifeauthorstyle @woe-is-me0 @i-am-creator28 @meme991001 @enduskdragon @guessmyname17 @yukirivea @zotinha456 @idontwannaexistsopleasekillme @introvertpan84 @all-eyes-no-dragon @humanoid606 @rainbowbunny0159 @allis-sun @kaitense1 @babylovebug18 @blep-23 @midnightrose @midnightrosebell

TAGS that don’t work: @pandasbite2 @michaelshadow7779 @maribat-writing-and-prompts @macncheesemonster @lunerlover2024 @loupgris-blog1 @lubsnubsbubs @sailormarelda @alexizlazy4eva @wolf2118 @occulta-lacrimarum13 @nylanyra @leia-07 @vice-artist @laydeekrayzee

77 notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 1 year

Text

Wish Me Away: Hold Me Close & Hold Me Near

Beginning Last Chapter

Summary:

*waves* Hi

Bruce muses on his new life despite it only being a couple days since the family welcomed Marietta into it.

Nothing could have prepared Bruce for life with a baby, two days had passed and it felt like his life had been completely flipped on its head. She required a lot of attention and physical affection. The attention he had no problem with, it was the physical affection he was terrified of. Marietta was such a tiny little thing, she was so fragile that Bruce was so scared that the slightest wrong move from him could hurt her. Yet, sometimes the physical affection came so easily to him, so easily he felt like he was robbed of this time he could have had with Damian and found himself wishing Talia had told him about his son sooner. When she smiled up at him when he tried to feed her, it was almost instinctual to give her a kiss on the head, or when she babbled and held out a hand to him, he was compelled to coo and let her grab at his fingers. Hugging her is what scared him most, she was so small, so warm, and he had never understood what all those people said about the smell of a baby but he got it, and hugging her brought him such a feeling of joy and love that he couldn’t even put it into words. Bruce just felt scared of hugging her too tight because of all the new feelings of love that filled him.

Once she had fallen asleep her first night in the Manor, at her new home, he had been entirely too frightened to sleep in his large bed with her, but he and the boys made a pretty sturdy wall of pillows all around her as he stayed up to study. He bought parenting books, so many parenting books, from baby meal cookbooks, to psychology. He wanted to know anything and everything he had to about taking care of a one year old. And from the many boxes that arrived at the house he deduced he wasn’t the only one. The manor now looked like a bomb went off in it, one that filled the place with bassinets, diapers, baby food and snacks and so many freaking toys. Most of which came surprisingly from Alfred, Bruce had wanted to laugh but Alfred had basically said he had no room to talk. He was right. Bruce had kind of gone overboard when buying her clothes, it’s not fair that tiny versions of clothes were so cute and apparently brought him more joy than his own.

Cassandra had helped him choose a lot of the clothing as well, it warmed his heart the way she immediately took to being an older sister. The way she held Marietta and the way she hugged her was something that Bruce loved to see, because he could tell just how precious the baby was to Cass. He had many pictures on his phone of the two twirling in the dance room he had built for Cass. It was wonderful and Cass looked at Marietta with so much love, the excitement in her eyes was plain to see as well, though so was the fear, Bruce expected it was much like his own but something stronger. Cass feared hurting her new sister much the same way that Damian was, but whereas Cass spent as much time with Marietta as she could, it seemed like Damian was avoiding the baby. It didn’t take the ‘world’s greatest detective’ to figure out that Damian was frustrated at no longer being the youngest. Bruce wasn’t worried though, when Damian did interact with Marietta, he saw how gentle the boy was with her, even if he scolded her for drooling on him or not paying attention to what he was saying. He tended to hold her and tell her about their siblings and why they annoyed him that day, or classmates, or even just random people that he had a rough interaction with. It was an odd thing to bond over but Bruce was just happy Damian was trying.

Tim adored her as well, he read all the books Bruce bought and all the ones he himself bought. Within a night, the Manor had been baby-proofed and monitors had been added everywhere. It was like he was waiting to be a doting older brother, Bruce of course knew he and Damian got off the wrong foot and were better but he also knew they would never be as close as Tim and Dick, Tim and Jason or Dick and Damian. It was like a worse Jason and Dick situation when they were younger, both bitter for different reasons and both took it out on one another. There was no doubt in Bruce’s mind that both Tim and Damian loved each other, it was just a strained kind of love. Tim took her everywhere with him if he could, as did Jason, both bought baby carriers to strap to themselves and it was hard not to laugh when Bruce realized they had bought a Red Robin carrier and a Red Hood carrier respectively. Tim liked to take her down to the cave and work on whatever case he was trying to solve or tinker with whatever tech he and Lucius Fox were working on. He said he liked asking her questions and hearing her babble like she was giving feedback. Of course Alfred and Bruce made sure the boy baby-proofed the cave as well and made sure she had her own activities to do besides giving her older brother feedback on his projects. To the surprise of no one, Tim even set her up a little play-pen in the Cave, which maybe wasn’t the best thing but it still tugged at Bruce’s heartstrings to see.

Jason loved Marietta. It was honestly amazing to see just how fast the man adjusted to being a doting big brother. Of course Bruce already knew Jason was great with kids and with his younger siblings but it was another thing to witness it, especially with someone as young as Marietta. Jason loved to feed her which was always an interesting thing to witness, but boy was he good at it, she never complained when he fed her. He also read to her everyday even if he couldn’t be there physically, he would video-call, though his reading choices varied from the Well Loved Tales books he scored at a garage sale to classics he had in his room or brought from his apartment. It was entertaining to watch him read things like Cinderella to her and then go from that to reading her Pride and Prejudice. He made sure to get books with pictures for her and if they didn’t have pictures he would show her pictures he found on the internet to show her who he thought a character looked like, or an object in one of his classic books that he couldn’t describe. It was awfully endearing and Bruce and Alfred made sure to take as many pictures of the two as they could. Nap times they would often find the two together with Jason sprawled out on a couch, the floor, a chaise or bed with Marietta snuggled on his chest. It was those times that Bruce envied Jason.

Dick was also one that adjusted to having another younger sibling surprisingly fast, even if said younger sibling was younger than any of them have dealt with before. He never complained about changing her diaper, he just laughed and said they would have to get on top of potty training but only when she felt like it. He was incredibly gentle with her and patient and tried his best to help Damian get more comfortable with her. He was also the one who could get her to stop crying the fastest out of all of them, well second to Alfred. It was impressive, and yet it was another thing that Bruce found himself jealous of. He was the parent and he felt like he should be able to soothe her cries easily, but the truth was, he had no idea what he was doing. Sure, he had a lot of children, but he had not had any of them when they were babies, this was a whole different playing field and it hurt him that he wasn’t excelling at it. Of course, Bruce wanted to be the best father he could be, and he would admit that he, like his children, wanted to be Marietta’s favorite person. Both Dick and Jason would put her in the middle of them and coo at her and see who she would waddle or crawl too, they said it was a competition to see who her favorite was but most of the time she just laughed at them and would end up falling back on her bottom if she was standing. Damian found this highly amusing every time it happened and Bruce suspected so did Alfred.

Duke was a little like Babs in the sense that he adored Marietta, but she made him nervous. He never held her long unless he was sitting down because he feared dropping her, if she was asleep that fear tripled because he said she was just dead-weight and would fall no problem. Though, he liked working on his homework with her and telling her about school. Sometimes he brought out her crayons and coloring books but that was rare since Marietta hadn’t yet grasped the concept that the canyons were only for her coloring books. Alfred lectured all of them about watching her during ‘coloring time’ after she found out that crayons work just as good on walls as they did on paper. Though Duke was nervous around her, Marietta always managed to get him to relax around her after enough time passed and the boy would play games with her, though the games mainly consisted of peek-a-boo and making silly faces at her. She loved it though and it seemed like no one could make her laugh more than Duke and his silly faces. Every time he made her laugh or giggle, Duke looked like he had just won an award or something and would give her the brightest smile in response. Of course he and Alfred had many videos and pictures of the two already.

Babs hadn’t met little Marietta face to face yet but she had seen the little one over the Batcave’s computer and she had looked smitten. She also promised to visit them soon, probably within the week which was great. Alfred had been wanting the young woman to visit the Manor more often, so her visit was more than welcome. Especially since it seemed like Marietta took a shine to her, even if it was just over video. Babs took to face-calling whoever she knew was in the Manor so she could see Marietta and hear her babble at her nonsensically with some actual words thrown in here and there. Though she hadn’t met the little one properly, Babs did send gifts that she ordered online and she sent everyone books on childcare. Bruce didn’t have the heart to tell her he had already bought the book she had got for him, he had just thanked her and used the new copy to take notes in. She seemed excited to hold Marietta and Bruce could honestly say he understood that feeling now, before he hadn’t, not really, but now it was like all he wanted to do was hold his daughter and show her to everyone. Thank goodness he had such good self-restraint. They, as a family, decided they wouldn’t go public with Marietta until Selina came back from Central City; she was setting up another animal shelter/rescue center after the success of the one in Gotham, then the one in Metropolis. This was her baby, her project, she was very hands on with everything that came with the business. Bruce felt so proud of her and he was also extremely happy his influence was good for something like this. When it got out that Bruce Wayne was investing in the Kyle Animal Rescue & Shelter Centers, many of Gotham’s elite followed. Though she wouldn’t admit it, he knew that Selina was grateful.

Stephanie had the habit of carrying Marietta everywhere she went when she was at the Manor, which considering the baby had only been there for about two days, meant Steph had been there everyday now. When she walked into a room and saw Marietta she would scoop her up and give the little one a shower of kisses which resulted in the most delightful giggles. Though Steph also had the habit of just…sniffing Marietta, when they asked her about it she just shrugged and said she loved the smell of babies. Which, fair, but she did it so obviously and made such a spectacle of sniffing the newest Wayne that you couldn’t help but laugh. It always made Marietta laugh as well so it was a welcome habit. Steph was also someone who liked feeding Marietta which Bruce could not understand as it was a time that he saw his baby daughter be truly stubborn, worthy of the Wayne name, which was something his mother would tease him with whenever he was stubborn. But like Jason, Steph could get the baby to eat whatever Alfred served for their meals. She said she liked to see the faces Marietta made when eating and she just liked to see just how messy the baby could get. Which was, astoundingly, a lot. She had many baths that she thankfully enjoyed.

Damian was complicated. There were moments he seemed to crave Marietta’s attention and other’s where he would avoid her altogether if he could. From what Tim, Alfred and the books told him, Damian felt ‘threatened’ as he was no longer the ‘baby’ of the family. The wording was ridiculous but maybe fitting for the situation. Damian was a child who adored having Bruce’s attention and Dick’s attention the most, though he would sooner play nice with all the kids at Brentwood Academy than admit it. When he held her, he no longer held her like a bomb about to go off, but he cradled her like one wrong touch and he’d break her. There were times that Bruce had walked past a room to see Damian hugging the little one to him with his eyes closed and hands shaking, it always felt wrong to intrude so Bruce would just continue to walk past. The boy also introduced his younger sister to all his animals, even Goliath who lived in the Wayne Farm. Damian built his own underground Cave beneath the farm to hide Goliath if the need arose, he called it the Underground BatFarm after Dick called it that once. So they all just referred to it as the BatFarm. Damian had simultaneously been overjoyed and annoyed that all his animal friends seemed to take a shine to the newest addition to the family.

Alfred was in love. Plain and simple. He doted on the baby so much that Bruce often wondered if the Butler/Grandpa/Adopted Dad ever did that to him when his parents introduced the two when he was born. He always served her food first at meals, he gave her treats when he thought no one was looking and if the boys weren’t around he took to carrying Marietta in his own carrier. It was always quite the sight when Alfred would walk into a room with a baby strapped to his chest. Though in a weird way, Bruce was getting used to it. What he couldn’t get used to just yet were the tiny creatures that called themselves Kwami. They stuck around Marietta like glue. They never left her alone, not even when she slept. It was very disconcerting to wake up and see two creatures sleeping on the pillow next to you first thing in the morning. Even if a family member was just going to change her diaper real quick, they followed. Their import on cheese increased an unhealthy amount and really Bruce had no way how they would explain those finances away if anyone bothered to look. At least Alfred usually baked biscuits. So there was no shortage of Tikki. Plagg was insatiable.

Even now, Bruce watched as the little black cat Kwami absolutely inhaled a wheel of brie. “You keep eating like that and we’ll run out of cheese before you know it.”

“Eh, you’re rich.”

Jason’s cackle was welcome but also Bruce felt like this was a serious matter so he did not appreciate being laughed at. “It’s true, Bruce. You are a very~ rich man.”

“That doesn’t mean that Plagg should demolish our entire cheese supply and have us order more in less than a week. It could be considered suspicious and we are trying to lay low.” He reasoned.

“I mean, it could be suspicious, or people think you’re on some weird new cheese diet and you accidentally start a trend again.” Tim piped up from his position on the floor where he kept pressing buttons on one of Mari’s toys which made her coo from her spot on her mat.

“Oh man, please not another ‘Bruce Wayne Original Trend.’ The amount of people I saw wearing their shirts backwards in Blüdhaven after his last ‘trend,’ is more than enough for me.” Dick complained from where he was laying on the floor tossing one of Marietta’s toy balls up and down.

“Father was very tired that day.” Damian defended, he was sketching something from his favorite spot in the windowsill. They were all relaxing in his office despite the fact he told them he had paperwork to do. “Though he should have had more decorum and noticed his mistake.”

So much for defending him.

“You humans are so weird with your clothes.” Plagg sighed loudly.

“You act like we never wore clothing once upon a time, Plagg.” Tikki teased.

That had Tim’s attention. He loved learning more about the beings that came as an added…bonus with their newest Wayne. “You guys wore clothes?”

“Well, duh! We weren’t always this adorable you know?” Plagg replied.

“Wait. You guys really weren’t always this itty-bitty?” Jason asked.

“We did mention we were basically revered as Gods in the past. Can you see these forms being worshipped?” Tikki fired back. When she got no reply, she looked unbelievably smug. “Before we were bound to the Miraculi, we tended to use a more human-like form. Hence the clothing. Though even that form was not our true form.”

“It’s been ages since we got to be in our true forms.” Plagg said wistfully.

“What are your true forms?” Tim asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Tikki chuckled softly. “They are…well, they are hard to explain. But it is because the ‘First Guardian-”

“The ‘Betrayer’!” Plagg interrupted with a shout.

“He saw our true forms, and I guess that’s what pushed him to create the ritual that bound us. He called us monsters. Creatures living amongst man. Honestly he just raved at us how he couldn’t believe that we tried to take advantage of the folk who worshipped us and that he was doing them a favor by binding us.” Tikki explained.

“Crazy loon.” Plagg scoffed.

Bruce shared eye contact with all his sons who looked just as disturbed at the information as him. Their true forms scared a man so deeply that he went to such lengths. He felt bad for the Kwami but he also could understand the man’s need for protection even if it was unwarranted. Bruce was always prepared, no matter the circumstances, but now it felt like he would never truly be prepared with the Kwami living with his family. They were truly neutral beings, and it was interesting to have them in the Manor, but when he and Jason got into another argument about the no-killing rule, Plagg and Tikki had looked at him like he was the wrong one. Or more accurately, like they couldn’t understand why he was arguing about it with his son. It was an issue, but not more so than the two beings announcing their plans about Paris.

“So today’s the day.” Jason brought up as casually as he could, which wasn’t as casual as the young man would have liked.

Plagg nodded. “It is.”

Bruce sighed.

“Oh Bruce, I know how you feel about it, but really it isn’t your place to tell us we can’t spread Karma across Paris. It has already been enacted and They have given their permission to all of us Kwami of the Miracle Box of Fortune & Fate.” Tikki explained once more, she wasn’t being condescending and yet Bruce still felt like she was.

“And I told you, I don’t understand that.”

“You don’t have to understand it. Just let it be.” She replied.

“Or better yet ignore it.” Plagg gave his two-cents.

“I can’t just ignore it. You told us you will be going to Paris to punish them!” He argued as softly as he could, not wanting to disturb Marietta who was still distracted by her noisy shiny toy.

“Not all, only those who deserve it and though Paris will no longer be protected by us, it doesn’t mean forever but they need to know. Which is why the announcement is also needed.” She argued back, though she didn’t even look affected by his words and that made his hackles rise more.

“Look. I know your whole ‘job’ is ‘justice,’ and that’s great.” Plagg interjected. “But justice is up to the interpreter and this, Karma, that’s our justice. That’s how we deal with offenses and crimes against us. You don’t have to understand it, but for your sake and Marietta’s sake, don’t try to stop us or talk us out of it anymore.”

“Are you threatening me?” Bruce growled which made Marietta whine.

“Bruce.” Alfred warned. “Calm yourself. You’re scaring the baby.”

Bruce cleared his throat and looked over at his daughter who was looking at him with her big doe-eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry Baby, nothing’s wrong. We’re just talking Sweetheart.”

“Master Bruce, I understand your feelings on the matter but at the end of the day this is their business and if you ever feel the need, I’m sure Paris would appreciate vigilante help if they ever need it.” Alfred said as he set down some tea for Bruce on his desk. And like every time Alfred was the voice of reason, Bruce felt the fight leave him.

“I apologize.” He said after a while.

“Sooooo, how are you going to make the announcement if you guys can’t be caught on camera?” Dick asked to break the tension.

“They have kindly lent me some of their power and my old power so I can retain my old human form.” Tikki explained. “If the announcement goes on longer than I can hold the form then Trixx can cast an illusion of my human form. Before the announcement though we will be going and giving out Karma to a select few.”

“I thought you were…uh, doing the Karma thing after the whole announcement.” Jason said.

“Oh, we are, but there are a couple of people who will get their Karma before the announcement.” Plagg said with a smile that shouldn’t look so frightening on such a tiny face and yet it was.

Quiet covered the family yet again until Damian spoke up from his spot, “Well, happy hunting.”

The two smiles shared between the Kwami somehow dwarfed the one Plagg had made just before and Bruce felt a shiver run down his spine. He sent a silent prayer out for Paris.

_____________________________________

Gabriel sat at his place at the head of the table and watched as his wife talked with Adrien and for the first time in a long time he felt completely at ease. His heart still raced when he acknowledged the fact he had no idea where Nathalie was and he didn’t know what to say when Emilie asked him where she was. Right now she believed that Nathalie was visiting her sister but the truth was he had no idea and it scared him. After The Wish, she and Dupain-Cheng disappeared without a trace. He didn’t understand where they were and his son’s complaints and worry over the girl were getting on his nerves. Neither had their Miraculous so Adrien complained about not being to check on her the ‘Chat Noir’ way, they figured that was their price for The Wish. Though it saddened him, Gabriel was willing to leave the Miraculous behind in exchange for his wife who was a bit different now that she was back but he just chalked it up to her being confused at being awake once more.

He impulsively reached out and took her hand in his. Emilie gave him a small smile back in return and he tried his best not to frown. She should be happier, she was finally reunited with her husband, he would think she would be overjoyed. “Adrien. I…called your school and told them you won’t be there today. We will be spending the day as a family.”

“Okay Father.” Adrien responded promptly.

Emilie looked as though she was going to respond but before she did the doors to the dining room blew open, they nearly came off the hinges. All three family members turned to look in shock and just to see what or who came through in such a fashion. Gabriel opened his mouth to shout at the insolence of it all but his voice caught in his throat when he saw four very familiar Kwami fly in. He tried to get out of his seat but found he couldn’t and from the looks of it, neither could Adrien or Emilie. It made Gabriel struggle against whatever bound him to his seat more. He tried to yell, to shout, but found he had no voice at the moment. Emilie looked so scared and there was nothing he could do about it. The Kwami flew until they were all floating above the middle of the table so all three Agrestes could see them. The red one, Tikki glared at Gabriel so fiercely that if looks could kill, he was sure he would be six-feet deep at the moment.

“Hello Gabriel. Let’s talk.”

Next Chapter

TAGS: @dorkus-minimus @astridflies @coolspidermanmusicflower @myazael @zephyranemone @rubixchick @cydaeashootingstar @ramos123 @eventhedarkestlightshines @too0bsessedformyowngood @solangelo252 @mythogaychic @electrocution-dp @icerosecrystal @thefangirlwholiterallydies @maskedpainter @frieddonutsweets @whoseanonymouswriter @murderrobins @zorua-adorable @amigotasbien @plushbookworm @alytori @lovepink3772-blog @robyalix @mystery-5-5 @heckinggremlin @fantasiame @neromerp13 @lady-bee-fechin @ihatecomingupwithusernameswtf @vroomtaka @jayjayspixiepop @i-need-blog-ideas @bloodydragon000 @aestheticnpoetic @salmakshortstories @insane-fangirl-of-everything @mizzy-pop @smolplantmum @lunabey2sky @eternal-exhaustion24 @roguishredaxion @jjmjjktth @miraculous-trinity-leo @buginetye @ladybug-182 @liquid-luck-00 @alysrose-starchild @vixen-uchiha @emilyphee @moonlightstar64 @komatsuna-yuki @read-fantasy-to-escape-reality @bygge00 @souleateralicestein @1-801-bitch @lupagrimm @maribatshipper @doglover82 @corporeal-terrestrial @alyssadeliv @trippingovermyfeet @miraculous-simmer7 @galla02006 @bonusbuggy @derpingrainbow @kking13 @laurcad123 @jeminiikrystal @a-star-with-a-human-name @princessanimeangel11 @fan-of-fans-iggy @suddenly-i-kin-oikawa @zalladane @weirdo-with-no-beardo @ali-kitkat @mikantsume @babylovebug18 @livelifeauthorstyle @woe-is-me0 @i-am-creator28 @meme991001 @enduskdragon @guessmyname17 @yukirivea @zotinha456 @idontwannaexistsopleasekillme @introvertpan84 @all-eyes-no-dragon @humanoid606 @rainbowbunny0159

TAGS that don’t work: @pandasbite2 @michaelshadow7779 @maribat-writing-and-prompts @macncheesemonster @lunerlover2024 @loupgris-blog1 @lubsnubsbubs @minightrose @sailormarelda @alexizlazy4eva @allis-sun @wolf2118 @occulta-lacrimarum13 @nylanyra @leia-07 @vice-artist

145 notes · View notes

goggles-mcgee · 7 months

Text

Ashes of Rage: Act 1 - Picking Through The Rubble

Chapter 2 of the story for @miner249er

AO3 Last Chapter

Summary:

Luka is having a very terrible, horrible, no good, time.

He had a bad feeling in his gut and to his utter dismay, it was right. Luka had encountered many disappointments in his life and many hurt, but this was his first time encountering heartbreak.

Picking Through The Rubble:

Luka couldn’t explain the way his heart had been beating in his chest ever since Ladybug left the team in order for their plan to start. It was like listening to a drummer in a rock band having a solo at a concert next to the speakers. Loud. Overwhelming. All-consuming. All those things, but on a day where all your senses felt overwhelmed and too big for your body. Again, it was hard to explain and maybe that’s why he didn’t mention it to Donryu, or anyone else on the team. He knew they would never look down on him if his words made no sense or if he had a hard time using his words, but this was such an important moment for them all so he bit his tongue. Maybe if he hadn’t he wouldn’t have been too late. As it were, they had been in their own locations surrounding the Agreste Mansion, Luka, i.e Viperion was stationed closest in case he was called on by Ladybug and in need of Second Chance. The second closest to the target was Bee-Witch who they all knew was having a hard time keeping her emotions calm. They all understood of course, to think a man you saw as an Uncle had been using you and your emotions more than most in Paris, was not something easily accepted.

Honestly it had been a shock and yet at the same time perfectly reasonable when Ladybug, Donryu and Noc-Turtle had announced to the group their belief that Hawkmoth and Mayura were none other than Gabriel Agreste and Nathalie Sancoeur. A shock because you never want to believe that a parent of one of your friends could possibly be the madman terrorizing Paris, and yet a reasonably sound idea when you thought about it. And the more you thought about it, the more sound it was. He was a notorious hermit, that meant he had the time to pull off causing akumas. He had a motive, a missing wife that went missing months before the attacks started happening. He was rich, which meant he had the funds. He had a plausible partner in one Mlle Sancoer, someone who did everything for him and would arguably do anything for him. It didn’t take a genius nor a psychic to notice just how in love Mlle Sancoeur was with M Agreste and with what the team had seen from Mayura, how devoted she was, it was the most believable theory.

So they planned. Ladybug and Chat Noir would take the plunge and hope to catch Agreste off guard by breaking into his secret lair to confront the man. Luka would be positioned on a building facing the back of the Agreste Mansion, where the lair was highly suspected to be while Bee-Witch was on a neighboring roof near the front in case someone tried to run, her Venom already poised and ready to strike. Donryu was further down the road on a roof with Noc-Turtle in case an akuma or senti-monster was let out, or even both. The two were going to hold them off or distract them for as long as the main battle went on. Fox-Tail was positioned near the back of the mansion, ready to lend a Mirage if it was needed. He already had plans on what illusions would work best on M Agreste and Mlle Sancoeur. They were ready. They were prepared. Everything should have flowed as smooth as a symphony, but one missed note had made Luka feel off-center and on edge. Chat’s expression when the team had briefed him on the plan and overall who they thought was Hawkmoth had worried Luka.

It was a blink and you miss it, but Luka hadn’t missed it, he hadn’t missed the anger nor the fear. The shock the hero used to mask it was believable enough but something about it all left a bad taste in Luka’s mouth.

The more time that passed, the louder Luka’s heart seemed to beat and the drier his mouth became, he longed to do something, anything, but the fear of ruining the plan made him freeze in his place. He wished he wasn’t transformed, that way he could fidget with his rings like he tended to do when he was anxious, but he had to be at the ready. They all did. That didn’t make waiting any easier and Luka was usually a patient guy. “It’s quiet.” He murmured.

“Indeed.” Donryu’s voice made him jump, he forgot they had their comms on, everyone beside Ladybug and Chat Noir that is. They would turn their’s on, only if they were in danger or needed backup.

“Do you think something’s…wrong?” Noc-Turtle asked softly. His voice was laced with worry.

“Our plan is solid. Ladybug always plans for the unexpected.” Bee-Witch pitched in confidently, but Luka could hear the slight hesitation in her voice. He didn't know if it was due to finding out who was likely Hawkmoth and basically admitting her identity with her reaction to news or if it was just nerves because of how big this fight was and all that depended on it going well. Either was a valid excuse. Luka could admit, he too, was nervous. More so for Ladybug and Chat Noir than himself and the others but the way the nerves pulled at his stomach were anything but pleasant and were more than a little distracting. He tried not to linger on the 'what could go wrongs' and did his best to think how they would be coming forward from this, but even he had to admit defeat eventually as it had not been working.

Luka licked his lips as his thoughts flooded with various way things could go wrong. They brought a cacophony of sour notes with him that made him wince to himself. "Maybe…"

"You have a thought Viperion?" Donryu asked, though her questions almost always came across as statements, so did this one.

"It's been a long time," Luka began, "we haven't reached the time limit yet but…Maybe we should enter the mansion and check on Ladybug and Chat Noir. If something is wrong I'll use Second Chance, if not then we return to our positions unless it looks like they need our help."

"A solid plan." Donryu commented. "Though perhaps we should not all go. It would do no good to completely abandon Ladybug's plan."

"So what? We split up even more?" Bee-Witch huffed.

"Yes." Donryu confirmed.

"It makes sense." Luka agreed. "Okay, Donryu, you and I will go check on them while Bee-Witch, Noc-Turtle and Fox-Tail stay in position."

Before Bee-Witch could even protest, Donryu was fast with placating the girl. "It's the most logical split. If an akuma or sentimonster is formed to fight Foxtail can distract them with their illusions and if Hawkmoth or Mayura try to run, Bee-Witch, you will be ready to sting them."

It was logical. Maybe that was why they got nothing more than an irritated sigh in response from Bee-Witch. Luka had honestly just suggested Donryu because he trusted her to keep her cool no matter what they came across. Well, no matter. He jumped from his spot and landed in the backyard of the Agreste Mansion, it had never seemed more foreboding. There was just this eerie air that squeezed at his lungs and made his heart pound like before. It was not a new feeling whatsoever but it was one that Luka rarely felt as he was not one to panic easily. With one more swallow of his built up saliva - why was his mouth somehow dry yet watering at the same time ? - Luka made his way to the front of the mansion so he could meet Donryu. He made sure to stay on the opposite side of the road as to not be caught on the front cameras of the mansion. The security should have also been a clue, though , Luka thought, it did just help the rich recluse vibe that Gabriel Agreste had been selling.

Footsteps to his left signaled Donryu's arrival. Now that she was here, Luka's heart felt like a jackhammer or that of a hummingbird. "Ready?" He asked even though he was decidedly not.

Donryu gave him a firm single nod and it was all the answer he needed before they both turned towards the mansion and what happened next seemed to happen in slow-motion. Luka hadn't even set his foot down in a step before the ground shook and a brilliant red light blinded him and Donryu. Right when it reached it's brightest moment all Hell broke loose. The mansion exploded and the force of it sent Luka and Donryu flying into the nearest building. The pain was instantaneous. The taste of copper danced on his tongue and the smell of smoke nearly drowned him if the pain wasn't doing a good job of that already. His ears rung and when he tried to open his eyes his vision was slightly blurry. Luka hated to think what his fate would have been if it weren't for his magical suit.

The ringing and accompanied dizziness started to drift away slowly but when it did he could hear the frantic voices of Foxtail and Bee-Witch. He wanted to tell them he was fine, that he and Donryu were fine but as soon as the thought came to him he immediately looked for his teammate who had been blasted back by the explosion. His eyes were unfocused, blurry, and his ears were still ringing but he had to find Donryu. They were too close to the explosion, who knows what happened, sure they had magical suits that could protect them but they could still feel pain no matter how diluted.

"Don….ryu…." He called out as best he could, he had no idea if it was loud or not.

He stumbled. There was rubble everywhere, smoke stained the sky and everything was overwhelming. But he pushed on, he had to find his teammate, Ladybug asked him to make sure everyone was okay. He had to make sure everyone was okay, that they were safe. So he ignored everything around him, he ignored the pain, the ringing in his ears and he steadfastly ignored the blurriness of his vision, it was clearing up anyways, no need to sit and wait for it to do so. Luka called out as much as he was able to, his panic rising each time his call went unanswered, but finally he heard a weak response.

"Vip…Viperion…..over here…" It was Donryu and she was walking towards him. It looked like they both had the same idea. Once they reached each other they just stood there with Luka's hands on her shoulders and her hands on his elbows. They took the time to look each other over and just breathe.

"Are you okay?" It felt like a stupid question to ask seeing as he felt like his entire body was bruised so surely she felt the same but still, he had to know.

"About as okay as you I imagine." Came her wry reply.

“You feeling up to a search?”

Donryu nodded firmly, “Yes. We need to find Ladybug and find out what went wrong. Have you heard from the others? Are they injured?”

Luka licked his lips as he looked over all the debris around them and over to the surrounding buildings that were affected by the explosion. “Looking at the damage…I think they were far away enough not to get blasted like us but probably did get slightly hit by something. We should make sure before we do anything else. We need someone to look for…for survivors and any one injured.”

Donryu’s lips became a thin line at the word ‘survivors’ but they both knew it was true. The violence of the explosion wouldn’t have been merciful enough not to hurt any passersby and unlike the heroes, those people didn’t have magically enhanced suits. He prayed that no one had been hurt, he had never been one to be an optimist but meeting and being around Marinette had made him want to see the good in people, the good in bad situations like she did, but this was a situation where his prayers seemed silly and redundant. He was also someone who rarely, if ever, prayed, so he hoped it counted for something. He prayed to every higher being he could think of as his head swiveled this way and that as he took in all the damage.

Luka took in a deep breath before he took out his communicator, “Bee, Fox, you guys okay?”

“Are we okay!? You idiot! We weren’t the ones so ridiculously close to that stupid house!” Bee-Witch’s voice cut in right away, loud and shrill as always but so full of worry that Luka felt bad for the wince he made at the sound of her voice. Donryu looked like she felt the same if the scrunching of her nose and the guilty look that followed were anything to go by.

“I’m okay, a little shaken and maybe mild bruising from a fall but Bee is right, are you guys okay?” Noc-Turtle asked.

“That’s not what I meant!” Bee grumbled but they all knew that’s exactly what she meant.

“I got blasted back a bit but I managed not to be hit by debris or anything.” Fox-Tail groaned.

“So overall we could be better but we’re not bad.” Donryu concluded. “Plan is somewhat the same. Viperion and I shall go and look in the…what is left of The Agreste Mansion, Bee, Fox, Noc, you three check for anyone injured and ....”

“Survivors. That was a bad explosion. I know it’s not something we want to hear nor consider but it’s best we all brace ourselves now.” Luka said. He hoped his voice came out stronger and more sure than he felt.

Nods were given in response and they all went their assigned ways. Luka’s heart was performing it’s very own drum solo, it was roaring in his ears and it muffled all other sounds, including their footsteps. He kept biting at his lips, a habit of his when things were getting to be too much, it was better than him picking at his cuticles which was also a habit of his. Thankfully he had a magical suit that came with gloves so that was something he couldn’t do, thus he resorted to biting the skin of his lips. It felt like he was simultaneously moving through molasses and yet somehow walking faster that he normally could in the suit. It was like how five minutes in class seemed to go so slow yet five minutes out with friends went by so fast, but both happening at the same time. No words were said between Donryu and him, it was a blessing as he felt like he had run out of his daily quota of words already. At the same time though, he could have used a distraction. Eventually though the two reached what seemed to be the inside of Gabriel’s study but shockingly the floor was caved in.

The more Luka looked around, the more he noticed that it wasn’t just the study. Parts of the flooring were completely caved in, like there was room for it to fall, a lot of room by the looks of it. They weren’t aware of a basement, Ladybug had somehow gotten the house’s floor plans and they had all studied it thoroughly, so the sight of just how deep the floors had caved in was staggering. “Do you think…?” Donryu didn’t finish her question but Luka guessed it all the same.

“It’s possible. They were supposed to be in the top room though, the one with the glass dome looking design. It used to be a garden.” Luka mechanically replied.

“Getting hit by the explosion from there would have…”

“It…” Luka didn’t want to think about it. “It depends where, the uh…the explosion originated. They could be down there or….”

“Further away.” Donryu concluded for him. He just gave a weak nod.

It felt like years went by as they climbed up and down the debris to look for their teammates, Hawkmoth and Mayura. It felt like years left him when he and Donryu realized they hadn’t checked the caved in flooring yet and that’s where they made their way to. Down they went and the more it seemed to go on and on and on. It was shocking to think the mansion hid this large amount of underground rooming. It felt like something out of a movie, whether it be horror or superhero, both fit in Luka’s opinion. It felt wrong to talk or even breathe too loudly so the silence was expected yet suffocating. It felt like the moment in a horror film where the music was swelling with the tell-tale sign of a jump-scare or when the superhero finds or sees something they didn’t want to but it happened anyway. Something settled in his heart then, whatever they were going to see was something horrid and something he never wanted to. It was a sad conclusion to come to, but when all the signs are pointing that way there really was no other way to conclude what was going to happen even if he wasn’t sure of the specifics.

They had to grapple down because that is how far the ground actually was in this underground room that surprisingly had foliage in it, but it was when they had their feet firmly planted that Luka saw the thing he never wanted to. His vision seemed to skip over the coffin with a blonde woman in it, it skipped right over the three bodies on the floor that looked…well to put it lightly, it looked like they had been hit by a car or two and then some. No those sights didn’t catch his attention, though maybe they should have, no, it was the lone pair of pink flats with black bows on them. A very familiar pair of pink flats that he had seen many times, especially when their owner visited his family’s houseboat. No.

No.

No, please.

Please not her.

Not. Her .

Luka didn’t blink, he didn’t think, he screamed and his hand immediately went to his wrist. He pushed the snake head on his bracelet back harshly as he continued screaming and all he wished, all he could think of was going back and saving her. Going back and preventing whatever happened. He knew that too much time had passed but he didn’t care, he would push his Miraculous to its limits if he had to. He would push himself to his limits if it meant she was safe. It worked but it left him disoriented, it took a couple seconds for his eyes to adjust but even then he staggered as he got up on his feet, he could taste the metallic tang of blood. All of it was ignored as his head was full of thoughts all centered around her and the explosion. He ran as fast as he could, he didn’t even warn his team, he just ran. As he ran he heard a high pitched whistle and something in him told him it was the cause of the explosion. His lungs hurt as though he hadn’t taken a breath in ages but it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered but her so he looked around for the source of the whistle and saw something red plummeting towards the mansion.

He cried when he realized he wouldn’t reach the mansion before the object, whatever it was, would hit. He never hated being right so much, though he was closer to the explosion this time so he had to act fast and reset time before he ended up a stain on the street or something. Luka failed again, though he did try and warn his team the second go around. They had all been too confused by his yelling to really do anything. They all watched the mansion explode. The third go around went the same way but this time Luka got a closer look at the red thing hurling towards the mansion, it was small, deceptively so. Fourth round he managed to record the object, when he zoomed in on it he saw that it was a ring. How could a ring bring such destruction ? Many resets passed and all of them failed. Luka was exhausted but he had to keep trying, he needed to, but he had lost count of how many times he reset and moving felt like his blood had been replaced by molasses. He could feel it in his bones that this would be the last reset, his body couldn’t handle anymore and yet he cursed himself for not being stronger, for being too weak to continue.

This reset started eerily the same as the original timeline had, though this time he put more urgency in his demands that the team stick to the plan, he hoped they started early enough but the familiar whistle was getting closer and Luka just knew it wasn’t enough. They wouldn’t be successful and that tore Luka apart, even if he knew they didn’t have a chance to save her , he still tried to push his body to be faster. It was all for naught, the ring made violent contact with the mansion once more and triggered the explosion. He was closer to the explosion this time, along with Donryu and they were thrown farther than they had been the first time and the pain was so much worse but it didn’t matter. He had to get to her , or what remained but he hated himself for thinking that. Instead of thinking, Luka just ran.

_________________________

Kagami was running on adrenaline after being blasted back by the force of what seemed to be an explosion. She had turned to ask Viperion what that was, as she had a feeling he knew by the urgency he had had while getting the team to act. Whatever happened that had him acting like that could never be good so the team just followed his commands no questions asked. The questions seemed more than justified now and all she wanted was answers, but as she searched for her teammate she saw him running towards the remains of the mansion. Her heart stopped beating for a moment when it dawned on her that Ladybug had been in that house, so had Chat Noir, so she followed after Viperion as best she could. Despite them both being blasted into buildings Viperion was moving like it hadn't happened which worried Kagami even more than she already was. He moved like he had one thing on his mind and Kagami was reluctant to find out what it was, because whatever it was, wasn’t good and she knew it.

She tried not to think of how she had followed him down in the mansion of her former crush, how it just kept going down , she may not be thinking about it but it did alarm her for the few seconds she let herself realize where they were going. She tried to ignore the feeling of doom that twisted in her gut, but the more they went down and seemed to still keep going, the more the feeling of doom overcame her. After what felt like a lifetime, they slowed down and Kagami felt a small bit of relief before it was completely squashed by the scream Viperion let out and the way he fell to his knees. It was awful, like something described in books and the one her own mother let out when her father had died. It was a scream born and full of grief. She wasn’t the best “people” person but her teammate was in pain and she wanted to help however she could but when she got closer she saw him cradling something familiar. Scarily familiar. She didn’t even register herself falling to her knees at the sight. Her eyes were too busy staring at the pink purse lying innocently in Viperion's hands.

It was Marinette’s.

Why was it there?

Where was Marinette?

Questions zoomed around her head so fast it left her feeling dizzy. Then she spotted a pair of familiar shoes next to what had to be blood, charred blood. After that, there was no holding back a scream just as pain-filled as Viperion’s. She didn’t even notice her other teammates approaching the two of them. All she could do was scream as tears fell from her eyes, her eyes that were locked on the pink flats speckled with blood.

Next Chapter

27 notes · View notes