Dark Side? Never- pt 3

Pt1 Previous 

Adrien wasn’t sure how to feel. The same thought kept racing through his mind: Ladybug just relieved her civilian identity! But there was a lurking sense of uneasiness. His lady was essentially captured by their arch enemy, doing things without her consent and was FORCED into telling him one of her most treasured secrets. The reveal wasn’t supposed to go this way. 

And now Hawkmoth knows! Or at least he thought so. It made the most logical sense, right? But Ladybug did regain control so would that mean that the butterfly villain lost his outlet to her thoughts and vision? His partner wouldn’t reveal any information that would put her loved ones in danger but at the same time would do anything to keep Paris safe, even sacrificing herself in the process. The thought made the running hero shiver. 

Looking back he saw no trace of the once spotted heroine but wasn’t about to take any risk. Her new capabilities weren’t yet relieved and he wasn’t about to go in blind. Making random turns and hiding in the shadows he aimed to lose Silentblow from his track. 

--- 

Slamming the phone Adrien let out a whine of irrigation, “Those idiots don’t even pick up!”  

Plagg looked up to see his holder pacing around the abandoned apartment throwing his hands and making random remarks mocking the League. “We have more important problems. Don’t prank call kid. One more time and you will face a lawsuit. BLA BLA BLA!” 

“Whoever the guy is behind the phone cuts me off in the first second. In the first damn second Plagg! He stopped picking up and I have been calling from different phone numbers!”

Falling back onto the makeshift bed with a “Ugh what do I do now” he started pulling his hair. In a small whisper he continued “I won’t defeat Silentblow alone. I don’t even know where the rest of the miraculous are.”

Plagg felt guilty for how the situation turned out. If only he took Adrien concerns more seriously and actually tried to confront the problem at hand. The thing is that he really didn’t feel anything shift in the air.  I am getting old. 

“Plagg” 

The gentle voice pulled the god of destruction out of his thoughts. “Don’t start playing around with the what ifs. I was there, a few steps away from Ladybug and yet couldn’t stop the butterfly. We didn’t know, so no more blaming ourselves.” 

A small smile greeted the kwami’s face as he was scooped up by the teenager. His kitten really grew as a person and it was mainly thanks to Marinette’s influence both in and out of the mask, even if he didn’t know that yet.  

Looking out of the window both slumped as they were once again met with the visible destruction of Silentblow roaming the city freely. Darkness dominated the city of love. Fallen structures, missing people, shadows and the utter quietness had now became a norm. The city was empty, no one daring to leave their homes.   

Adrien was forced to find a hideout in the slums of the city. Hiding in big visible buildings like the Agreste manor was a big no and “moving out” wasn’t a problem. For the past week his father was out of the country on a business trip with Natalie, not even bothering to call and check up on him. Adrien was so used to his father’s disappearances that he doesn’t even bat an eye anymore.  Escaping Gorilla wasn’t hard either, a few white lies and he was secure. 

Other than that Adrien felt useless. He went out a few times, trying to help the city as much as possible but each time he barely escaped the akuma alive. Looking down he could already see dark purple bruises forming on his legs. Today’s encounter with Ladybug … no Silentblow was once again a close call. What he saw in her eyes, desperation and the willingness to fully submerge to Hawkmoth, broke him. But deep inside he knew she was still fighting, if her small distractions to let him escape didn’t tell him that much. And he will continue fighting as well, not for Paris but for her. For the person that helped him grow and find himself. For the person that stayed even when he made mistakes. For the person that filled in the gap his father neglected. For the person that he couldn’t imagine life without. For Marianne al Ghul.

With a small smile Adrien turned to face the tired kwami, “You ready for another run? We don’t have time to waste on the League anymore. Every minute counts.”

Calling out,“Wait Adrien” stopped the blond-haired teen in his tracks. “Magic keeps me silent but there is a way to bypass it.” Plagg noticed how Adrien’s small small dropped, changing into a serious “hero attitude” expression.   

“What do you mean?”

“So you know that the previous Guardian disappeared right?” A nod. “And you know that magic prevents me from outing out who the current Guardian is and any locations related with them.”  

That grabbed Adrien’s undivided attention. Plagg wasn’t the type to spill facts and rules on him. From what he observed, that was more of Tikki’s role in the dynamic duo of creation and destruction. “Yes but where are you taking this?”   

Flying up closer Plagg continued, “You are a true holder of my miraculous, some might even say a true destruction soul. That technically means that you aren’t susceptible to all the traps of the miraculous stones as “normal” users are.”

“In the years past I had only two true holders, both times they figured out loopholes to help them fight the problems of their time. A century ago Lev realized that concentration and deeply desiring a change allowed him to activate my miraculous’ power-ups, that for many of my past cats took their whole careers to develop.” Till this day, Plagg remembers Lev’s anguish and desperation when his counterpart fell in battle. He was new, barely a year into the hero business when chaos unleashed itself in his small town of southern Russia. Calling on power ups saved his life that day. However, his partner, Nayda didn’t make it. 

“In ancient times my other true kitten, Hehet, was able to transfer some of her miraculous magic into a different one and then use the modified one. She was pregnant at that time and couldn’t wear two of the jewelries at the same time without harming her child. Egypt was under an ambush and Hehet wasn’t about to back down from saving her people.” Hehet was always the one to put others before herself. She ended up finding a way to keep her baby protected and at the same time strengthen the miraculous.  

“What I am trying to say is that you can’t make a miraculous appear but instead might be able to call on its power” Plagg really hoped that Marinette was keeping the location of the miraculous away from Hawkmoth. But the world wasn’t yet in ruins, so she still must have some time of control over herself. Or maybe Hawkmoth is keeping that information hidden, nope you are not going down that path of thinking Plagg. Tikki and Marinette are a force to be reckoned with, they won’t go down without a fight. 

Stupid rules and magic. 

“You need another miraculous if you want to win this battle. If you choose wisely magic could aid us in getting into direct contact with the league.” 

“So what I am hearing is that I can call on any power.” Adrien excitedly thought out loud. Finally some positive information in the mist of all this darkness. 

“Don’t get ahead of yourself Adrien. It won’t be an easy progress and might not even work. It took out of lot from both Lev and Hehet, and they weren’t even trying to call on a different miraculous. We are taking a big risk by even thinking about doing such a thing.”

The hero straighten up, took a deep breath and looked straight at Plagg with such determination that could rattle any world on its path. 

“I am ready to try” For you bug I will always be.  

——- 

This seems like a good place to end this chapter. The Bat- family is coming next :) 

Tag list: @ash-amg @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @angelic-anissa @cutechip @lozzybowe @schrodingers25 @dramatic-squirrel @moonlightstar64  @maribat-is-lifeblood @toodaloo-kangaroo 

Assassin’s Heart pt 2

Part 1

Dodging and aiming for a high punch, Jason, or currently better known as Red Hood, let out a grunt of dissatisfaction as he kept failing in pinning Damian down. The little Demon has been keeping up with his attacks for the past twenty minutes with no sign of sweat, frustrating Jason to no ends.

“Hood you should spare yourself the embarrassment once you land face first on the platform.” 

Canceling out the cheers Jason mouthed “bring it on little brother”, receiving a tisk and a full force punch in his ribs. Stumbling back, the cladded in blood red and black vigilant continued the taunting, aiming to distract the little demon until he leaves a side unguarded.

Rolling onto his side, Jason avoided becoming a punching bag and swung his feet under Daman’s. The urge to pull out a gun started to become unbearable.  

Huffing in irrigation, he couldn’t up but wonder how the heck he got pulled into this shit-show. Being an attraction and following guidelines was borderline neglect. Why do people find throwing hands so fun to watch, like I am trying to kill someone not liberate them. 

He should probably mention that the rules of this match were borderline neglect: No weapons, no killing, make it entertaining and keep up the distraction.  

All because of a stupid bet.

Oh right context:

Damian and Jason found themselves on opposite sides of a bet. The typical bickering in the noble house of the Waynes had gotten out of control, ending with blood and knives scattered at every inch of the dining room. The argument over who had the rightful claim of the newly  golden trimmed weapons escalated, and in hopes of calming down the tension a bet was made. Whoever wins will get their prized possessions. 

Who in their rightful mind thought that a bet would calm down the Waynes boys? Dick ficking Gayson, that's who. 

But of course things couldn’t go smoothly. That would have gone against the whole lifestyle of the Waynes, and the universe just wasn’t yet prepared. Honestly speaking, it probably will never be. Scoffing, Jason dodged another  kick and started recalling the series of unfortunate events that got them in a fighting pit of all places. Somewhere along the lines he ended up going to the market in hopes of interrupting an illegal shipment of gunpowder. He couldn’t have the guy come in 2 days before his placed bet. Then the Demon would win and that was simply not happening under his watch. And yes for all those wondering, they placed a bet about a delivery date, the most sane thing the Bats did in a very long time. 

Arriving at the scene, to Jason’s utter disappointment, the youngest Wayne was already perched on the side of a rooftop.

“How?”

Ginning, Damian curtly answered “Alfred.” 

Before Jason could counter Damian’s response (like he could ever go against the Alfred argument), shouting and cursing erupted in the streets below.

From there the details blurred. One moment they heard the dealer screaming that his lot got stolen and the next they were down breaking apart a fight. Hidden under masks -hey living the noble life is way too boring- the Bat boys dealt with the situation fairly quickly. They found out that the dealer was only left with a few scraps of powder, meaning that Damian won. 

Jason couldn’t believe that the brat had his toys and on top of that is currently beating him in the ring. Why couldn’t Bruce just dump the little rotten back to his mother. Curse his adoptive nature. Even if the brat is his, that man adopts too many!

Anyways upon further questioning, people claimed to see a woman in black running around the city. At first Jason didn’t make anything of it, as that was not the weirdest thing they witnessed in Gotham. A few hours later the news of Malnesias lord’s murder reached the manor, prompting the lord of Gotham to send the noble houses into action. With a lead from a few drunk soldiers and traveling merchants, the undercover Waynes found themselves on a trip to the Kingdom of Adan.

While traveling, Damian slipped information that he had personal business with this infamous Shadow girl, who a few months ago decided that releasing his herd of sheep from their “prison” - as she put it in a lovely letter -  was a good idea. The Wayne boys kept snickering every few miles, everyone understanding why and joining along. Heck, Jason was dying of laughter even hours after the reveal. 

That was a week and a half ago. 

Somehow getting more information on this Shadow woman required creating a distraction. And that's how he found himself currently throwing a punch to Damian’s ribs. 

-- 

It was way too early to deal with the wants of the king. On the other side of Marinette’s wooden door someone - by the sounds of it her maid - has been knocking for the last five minutes with no success. 

“Madam please open up. You are going to be late for breakfast!” With a barely recognizable sigh she added, “Again”

Slightly smiling at the display of distraught, Marinette flipped onto her side, simultaneously pulling the gray cover over her face. Today is my sleep in day. 

The next thing she registered were two sets of arms grabbing her shoulders, pulling her up onto her feet. Grumbling at the force, Marinnete yielded and allowed the girls to circle around her. She learned a long time ago that when facing a group of determined women, it's better to let them have their way. Thinking otherwise would have called her a hypocrite in ten different languages. 

Looking at the mirror, she couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable at the person staring back at her. The tight blue dress hung her body, enhancing her curves and muscles. From a distance you could see that the material is expensive, sparking in the sunlight with a delicate touch. She knew that someone with her status had to look appropriate, but dressing all lady-like wasn’t at all her style. I can’t wait to change into a running outfit after this fiasco is over with. 

Heading to the dining room her vision started to blur, with each step requiring more energy than the last. Marinette couldn’t help but grunt as she felt herself losing balance. Leaning against a wall, she tried to steady her breathing. In and out. In and out.

After a few counts, the lightheadedness disappeared as quickly as it appeared, leaving Marinette confused. Her headaches were getting worse by the day but each time she tried remembering why, the feeling of losing control came back. It was like something was blocking her memory. Frustrated, the blue dressed assassin continued walking. 

Entering into the ridiculously expensive dining room, Marinette met eyes with the King. Without a second glance she sat down, thanked the server and started eating. The King was never the talkative type and with the morning she had, she didn’t feel like talking either. 

After a while the emptiness started to bother her and with a lift of her head, she asked  “Where is Adrien.” Marinette didn’t know what prompted her to ask as his whereabouts never interested her to begin with, especially after their argument few weeks ago. Matter of factly, staying away from the golden hair men was on her daily to do list.

“You mean Prince Adrien”

“No, you heard it right the first time”

“He came in drunk yesterday.” Gabriel finally said, short and indirect as usual. Fine two can play that game.

Humming in response, the assassin pushed her plate and lifted her legs to the table, her heals hitting the metal with a clack. She didn’t care if her actions were unladylike or down right rude. Leaning back and crossing her hands she irritatingly got to the point.  

“Look Gab, I am in no mood to play along with your games today. Its way to early to deal with your pesky attitude.” Hearing few gasps she grumbled, apparently all it took was a few weeks out and suddenly everyone forgets that she doesn’t care what comes out of her mouth.  Gezz cut me some slack, like hello I could have still been enjoying my sleep if this guy with a crown hadn’t woke me up. 

“What the heck do you want from me?”

------ 

Finally done with school and got the plot down!

Disclaimer I got inspo from the Throne of Glass book series, just putting it out there. (Assassin’s Heart won’t be similar in many aspects butttt ... yea just letting you guys know)

Tag List:   @thestressmademedoit @dreamykitty25 @loveswifi 

​ @dorkus-minimus - not sure if u wanted to be tagged or not, let me know :)

Assassin's Heart

The castle was just like Marinette remembered. At every twist and turn its glass walls stretched into the horizon, the metallic floors resembled a mirror trying to track down your every step while the silver decor seemed to enjoy taunting your status. The court ladies gossiped about everything and nothing in their extravagant gowns while the servants rushed to fulfill their orders. In other words, as boring as ever.   

The guards didn’t spare her a second glance as she walked past the various guarding points. Feeling irritated Marinette couldn’t help but huff, these irresponsible bastards. Sure she outranked them, but the men showing off the royal colors should at least pretend to look up and access who was walking past them. A clever thief could easily outsmart them. 

The guards, even those “trained” were causing her more problems than usual. If only those morons actually knew what they were doing, she could have been relaxing in her hot tub for days now. But instead of being helpful, they just managed to throw a surprise attack out the window, literally. That smoke bomb could have changed the tables.

Without realizing the fully cladded in black young lady zoned out, absentmindedly taking steps that she memorized by heart. Why did the king decide to sent more people on this mission? She competed far worse ones from such a young age, mastering every type of attack and technique possible. The lord of Malnesia is highly guarded, you will need the back up. Yea right! I did all the work either way. The rest just managed to get themselves killed!

In her side vision she saw some bypassers giving her odd looks. Marinette simultaneously noticed that her hands were up in the air and slowly descended them down. In return she glared, covering up her silliness and received her desired effect as the guard casted his glance to his side. Marinette smiled, oh how she loved her reputation. Anyone in their rightful mind would fear someone known to kill without mercy.  

She approached the council chamber and with a nod to the posted guards silently entered. Her black cloak swept behind her as the black sack in her figures dangled with her every movement.

Dropping to one knee, Marinette greeted King Agreste. The activity in the throne room stopped as the king’s advisors looked curiously at the new comer.  

“Your majesty” 

Gabriel lifted up his hand and replied back with a phrase he surely must be tired of repeating, but that smile pointed out a different story. It wasn’t tiredness radiating from him, no instead it was great pleasure of holding so much power.  

 “Rise” 

Marinette obeyed and with the snap of her fingers, three royal servants came forward. Each of them carried a pale sack filled to the brim. As they placed it down besides the king, Marinette signaled them to leave and walked up towards the sacks. 

“I brought some goods. Malnesia’s lord was one rich guy.” Picking up a handful of gold coins, Marinette tossed them around in her hands for a few moments before going back to observing the king. 

“Does your majesty have something to say? We are a bit quiet today”

“You know what I am waiting for.”

“Oh yes how could I forget.”

Moving a few steps back, Marinette tossed the black sack on the marble floor. No one spoke as a decaying head rolled out, tinting the marble with dried blood. 

Looking up she couldn’t help but comment on the disgust on the King’s face. “Such a surprise, who would have thought that ruler of several fallen kingdoms can’t look at a corpse.” 

With a small giggle she added, “Don't act so surprised Gab.” The advisors froze, no one got away with belittling the king, but after all she wasn’t just a nobody. “Your royal wasn’t very appreciative of the fact that someone was stealing from him. And weren’t you the one who ordered, umm how should I say this nicely.” Tapping her chin and with another a um she continued, “that some sacrifices are necessary for a successful mission.”  

“And might I add that your disappointment of protectors weren’t really helpful in that sense. Lets just say that the lord was one hot-tempered guy and it didn’t end well for him or your men in fact.”

“I am warning you Marinette, enough of this show” With a grim he added, “or should I say Emida.” Marinette narrowed her eyes, prompting him to continue. “I know fully well what our agreement included so cut to the cheese. I think you already achieved your goal here.” 

For once he was right. Scanning the glass chambers Marinette clearly saw the fear, disgust and alarm on everyone’s faces. Well if she is going to be out in the field as a puppet to command, she might as well do it right. 

Huffing, Marinette released a you're no fun under her breath and reached inside of her pockets. The stone felt heavy in her possession and that feeling of wrongness didn’t change as she held it in her palm. Examining it she couldn’t help but stare in awe. The stone glowed, illuminating a royal blue with sparkles dancing under the chamber’s lights. 

Wanting to get rid of the heavy stone, Marinette tossed it to the King who caught it effortlessly. 

Turning around, she lifted her bow and flawlessly shot towards the entrance. Her movements were so clean and fast that no one caught up until an arrow was dangling inches above a paralyzed royal guard. 

Suddenly, Marinette found herself surrounded by men who wanted to play heroes. Without a second thought she pushed through them and directed a “I would do something about your royal guards. They are getting kinda sloppy” to the King. 

Laughing he signaled the guards to lower their weapons.

“You never fail to amaze me”

Marinette didn’t look back as she gracefully walked out.   

 “Well they don’t call me Shadow’s Hunt for nothing.” 

------ 

I enjoyed writing this piece. I am always a sucker for royalty, especially when you add a assassin and chaos to the mix.

Dark Side? Never - pt.2

 Pt1 Next

If someone asked, Adrien would have said that it was a normal night out in the city, patrolling the skies, waiting for a robbery or akuma to rise and getting a chance to run without supervision but the key word being would. Something felt off. Whether it was dark magic or his senses going haywire, something was sparking a feeling of dread inside of him. After a few moments of searching, using patron time as an excuse, he figured that the next best course of action was talking to Plagg. 

Finding a secluded alleyway the black cladded hero called of his transformation, right after informing Ladybug of his detour. He knew for a fact that the spotted heroine would worry too much if she couldn’t find him on the tracker even for a split second. He couldn’t blame her as he would have had the same response. Years of working together taught them to trust each other but sometimes worry got in the way of logic.  

“Plagg did you sense that?”

The god of destruction looked up bored as always, extending his tiny arms for his desired prize. 

With a huff Adrien searched his pockets for some camembert, passing it to his little devil of a karami. “Plagg! This is no time for your nonsense.”    

“Yea, yea. You want to talk about that feeling of yours. So what's up, I don’t sense anything.”

Deflating, he released a breath he didn’t know that he was holding. “So you don’t feel anything.”

“Nope”

“Ok, that makes me feel a little better” 

Sensing the worry of his kid, the karami encouraged Adrien to go to Ladybug. Even after living for an eternity he never mastered the art of comforting another being. Tikki and her bugs were usually the better ones at that. 

--- 

On the top of the Eiffel tower the duo were leaning on each other, observing the bright stars above them. Adrien took this time to reflect on the past few years. So many things had changed. First and foremost Ladybug and Chat Noir had grown into an unstoppable team, they were no longer those inexperienced newbies who tripped on thin air. No now they were a team who took down akumas in record time. Chat had stopped pinning for Ladybug as his civilian side was dating someone else, Ladybug was more considerate of Chat’s feelings, they developed a full-prove routine and so on. They matured together. 

Coming back to reality he was met with his partner’s flashing hands, “Earth to Chat!” 

Shaking off his initial confusion he heard a laugh in the background. “Where have you gone to this time?”

Smirking he leaned in closer, “So bugaboo would want to know where her kitty travels I assume.” Crossing his arms he continued, “but what if I want to keep my adventures a secret from this fair maiden?” 

Trying and failing to keep off the smile from her face, the heroine pushed him back and stood up. “Then leave this fair maiden for the rest of the night. She needs her beauty sleep.” 

“Of course” With that he dramatically bowed and extended his staff departing onto a lower elevation.        

Turning back with the intention of yelling out one last retort, the dark clad hero was met with a sight that will hunt even his darkest nightmares. A light pink butterfly, appearing to shine in the moonlight’s reflection was flying behind the descending figure of Ladybug. In a split second, before Adrien was even able to process what was going on, the insect absorbed itself into the heroine’s uniform. 

His body went on autopilot as he found himself speeding to his partner’s side, who was currently clutching onto her stomach. 

“Ladybug!”

But it was too late. Before his eyes the bug themed hero was surrounded by a bright light as her suit took on a new form. Her once inviting and colorful bodysuit now illustrated a darker vibe, dangerously similar to an assassin. Black dominated her suit as strips of red outlined her figure. Weapons, seemingly sharp were wrapped around her torso, with the handles tinned in bloody red. Her dark hair was pinned into a long ponytail while her black mask perfectly captured her now piercing green eyes.   

Chat stepped back.  

With a dangerous smile and deep voice, the once cheerful bug smoothly greeted her new enemy. 

“Evening kitty.” Who knew that two words could send chills so easily. Oh how the holder of destruction cursed his bad luck this very second.

Tilting her head she placed her hand on her heart, mockingly. “So kitty doesn’t like the new bug?” Releasing a pound, she continued “But I feel like it totally reflects the true me though.”    

Ladybug, ex-Ladybug, Darkbug or the akuma [come on give Chat a break he was still trying to process everything] started attacking. 

How the heck did this happen? 

Ladybug striked with her new staff. Dodging, the destruction teamed hero dipped down and cartwheeled out of the way. 

She's akumatized? 

Pushing forward, the darken figure fixed her stand and once again brought down a strike, this time hitting its intended spot. The suit deflated most of the blow’s impact and he continued fighting without a sign of strain.

How? We were just laughing moments ago. She didn’t even say yes! 

Frustrated at Chat’s omitting she yelled, “Stop dodging and start fighting kitty cat! I don’t have all day” 

“Well I do” 

Gritting her teeth she rushed into another strike, landing a blow into his lower side. “Pass me the miraculous and no one will get hurt”

“Never! Ladybug this isn’t you! You fight against evil, not along side of it” 

Laughter bubbled in her throat, “So it seems that the kitty needs to get his eyes checked. Are cats really colored blind cause I clearly see a shift in design. Newsflash Ladybug isn’t here, its Silentblow now.”

Seeing an opportunity, Silentblow maneuvered herself effortlessly going in with a high strike only to be met with a surprised grunt as she quickly switched tactics and hooked her legs around his ankles. She ended up on top of Chat, holding him with both of his hands above his head. 

It was the perfect opportunity to take off the ring. Silentblow felt Hawkmoth's delightful glee echoed through her body but at the same time felt a sense of wrongness. Her green eyes were flashing with a tint of blue and her head started pounding in pain. As she lifted her hands to grab her forehead, Chat took the opportunity to throw Silentblow off of him. Using the momentum she backflipped and landed gracefully on her legs.   

“Chat leave!”  

“I am not leaving you to fight this by yourself”

Walking backwards she grunted in pain. “Get help” 

‘“How? The Guardian disappeared” 

“Call the league and make sure to get Batman,” green started filling Silentblow’s eyes once again and she gritted her teeth in pain. “Say that its Marianne al Ghul” she collapsed on the floor growling in frustration “he has to listen to his own daughter for once, after all the world is in danger.”

“Milady” 

“Chat leave! I am losing control ” 

With a “I'm sorry that I am not strong enough,” Marinette’s alter ego once again started chasing after Chat. 

----- 

Thank you guys for all the wonderful comments ❤️ I have a busy week planned so the next update might take a while

Tag List of lovely people: @ash-amg @throneoffirebreathingbitchqueen @angelic-anissa @cutechip @lozzybowe @schrodingers25

Dark Side? Never - pt 1

Maribat Sibling + Forced Akumatization AU

Pt2

Memories were flashing; walking into the classroom with everyone gossiping, sitting in the back alone, Adrien calling that he has a photoshoot, Chole falling sick, being picked on without having anyone to lean on, her “friends'’ mocking her.   

Marinette was violently shaking, trying and failing to keep her cries at bay. 

As she walked to her last class of the day, she thanked the kwamis that the day was almost over. Nothing new. But what she wasn’t able to foresee was the scene in front of her. Her sketchbook torn apart on the floor, several sheets spread across the room and pencils spilled. That was the breaking point.

Her head filled with visions. The faces of her classmates surrounded her. It seemed as if all her attempts at reaching out to the surface were fruitless. Marinette felt grounded to the floor.  

Memory of Lila’s triumphant smile as she fled kept replaying in her mind.  Everything was suffocating as she was holding onto her legs for dear life. 

“Marinette”

Tears leaked down her face with sobs escaping her mouth. This time Marinette couldn’t control her emotions. This time she let herself feel. Everything was rushing back, all those days of being pushed around, being ignored by those who were supposed to have her back and the fact that she held the world on her small shoulders. 

“Marinette! The butterfly!”

But it was too late. The dark purple insect absorbed itself into the crying girl’s chain, calling her to enter the dark side. 

“Marinette we meet again”

Trying to steady her breathing, Marinette let out a sound of displeasure. “Get out Hawkmoth! I will never want your powers!”

Dark laughter filled her mind as she tried fighting off her inner thoughts. 

“This time I won’t be so easy to get rid off. I haven’t felt emotions this strong for such a long time.”

The heroine felt dark magical powers carry through her veins and her consciousness slowly slipping through her fingers. She was having a mental battle with herself. 

Tikki watched frightened at the course of events. Her chosen was banging her fist on the floor, muffling her screams. The goddess felt helpless. As Marinette was reaching for her earrings Tikki had half the mind to fly to get help, with the intention carrying the miraculous far away from here. 

The next events happened in a flash, a dark butterfly outlined Marinette’s face, she violently collapsed on the floor and a butterfly slowly flew out of the chain. Tikki quickly purified it, concentrating on her powers in order not to overdo it. The red being wasn’t about to risk anything and most was definitely wasn’t planning on commiting a mistake similar to Plagg’s. The dinosaurs extinction will forever be fresh in her mind, even though her explosion of power wouldn’t cause destruction of any sorts.

Back in Hawkmoth's lair the villain was furious with his sixth failed attempt to akumatize the designer. Grabbing the first object he saw which happened to be a glass vase he slammed in on the floor, aggravated with the course of today’s events. She was supposed to be his strongest akuma yet! 

De-transforming he turned around only to be met with the face of his assistant. 

“A failed attempt again sir” 

Walking past Nathalie he headed towards the elevator. “Don’t remind me” 

“Well look at the bright side here”

“And what will that be?”

“The elixir is almost done. Soon no one will be able to resist your butterflies, not even Ladybug.” 

--- 

Waking up Marinette felt disoriented. Opening her eyes proved to be the most difficult task in the world as the world was spinning. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was running into her bedroom, Tikki trying to calm her down and a dark butterfly. A akuma!

With that realization Marinette jumped up from the couch. How did she get there? Never mind that was a later problem, she had a more important matter to deal with first. 

“Tikki!” Placing her head to her earlobes she released a scattered breath. Thankfully the magical jewelries were still in their rightful place. 

“Marinette! You finally woke up. You scared me!” Tikki zoomed to Marinette, giving her the best hug a tiny creature could manage. 

“I am ok, really. But… but what happened?” Tikki explained everything, skipping few details here and there not to overwhelm her. Before Marinette could respond back her door slammed open and Tikki flew out of sight.  

“Nette! How could you leave me on delivery and make me worry about you the whole time.” 

Oh and here comes the one and only Adrien, Marinette’s once obsessive and unhealthy crush in his beautiful blond glory. They had their ups and downs, especially with the blondie’s initial take on the whole Lila situation. Thankfully he realized his mistake, it may or may not have been with the help of Plagg’s cataclysm threats but he eventually apologized to the tiny girl. Now they are inseparable best friends tasked to face Lila’s nonsense together.

Seeing Marinette’s state, even the socially isolated boy noticed that she was out of it. He found himself walking further into the pink bedroom and wrapped his friend tightly in a hug. Leading down to accommodate for the height difference he whispered, “Mari whats wrong?” 

“I am fine, really” Adrien frowned  at that, he knew the dark haired girl better than anyone else in the world and wasn’t about to be fooled. 

 “Nette I know that smile. You are faking it” 

“I don’t want to talk about it now” 

“Ok, ok I get it. But …” 

Lifting her face, Marinette signed at Adrien’s facial expression. “I know that face, what are you planning Agreste?” 

The next thing Marinette saw was a model in front of her on the ground. He started begging on his knees, tugging her sleeves and showing off his green kitty eyes. “Please, please let's get ice cream. It will cheer you up! Please!”  These were the moments where Marinette questioned everything. How did she manage to befriend another person that acts just like her kitty? What was the universe trying to tell her?

Giggling she let out a yes. 

“Yes! Thank you! Thank you! Now we just need permission from downstairs.” The holder of destruction was out just as quick as he came in. 

“You know that I am adopted Adrien. They don’t really care what I do and just put up an act for good measure.” At least that makes being Ladybug easier, Marinette thought bitterly. 

She grabbed her purse, made sure that Tikki was already settled in and left to join one of her besties.  

Later that evening patrol was calm. Anyone passing by could hear the laughter of the Parisian duo racing through the sky. But hidden deep underground two villains were planning to ruin this peaceful night. 

“Gabriel everything is really for showdown”

----- 

I had this in mind for a while. Another angst piece :) 

Days that turned into months and eventually years - Pt 4

Pt 1 Pt 2 Pt 3

** I see Damian as cold, at times irrational and a type that won’t think straight after years of being essentially lied to. (He definitely possess hidden love and kindness as well)

I was debating on whether or not to post this but here goes nothing - DLDR

------

Marinette felt numb. Thoughts were uncontrollably rushing through her mind without any direct path. It had to be a dream, it just had too. Right? Her mind is playing tricks with her. No way is that actually Damian. No way would her lover be standing at arms reach. If she dared to stretch out would his form evaporate into thin air? She wanted to test out her theory but at the same time was too afraid to let go of the possibility of him being here, even if it was just a fluke.  

Memories were rapidly flashing, hitting her senses hard. Moments of happy times spent together, days of cuddling in bed, late night adventures, playful bantering with the Waynes, family pranks and their last fight. A feeling of failure suddenly hit her like a train wreck. The dark-haired women couldn’t move, as in the background she saw the faces of those who she cherished  judging her for not fighting harder, mocking her weak attempts of escaping and laughing at her current predicament. What kind of hero does it make Ladybug if she can’t even protect herself? Marinette felt herself shrinking. 

On the other side of the door Damian wasn’t doing any better. He just stared at the doorway, without exhibiting any clear emotion. His face was pale. Was Marinette’s ghost hunting him? But why does it feel so real? Is it really her? He wasn’t able to catch a single clear thought as the reality was crashing into him. What was he supposed to do when someone who he accepted as dead was standing in real flesh and soul right across from him? His body and mind felt hopeless as no answer arose.       

Both of the adults were desperately stuck in their minds until a small and gentle voice  interrupted. As Damian looked down he saw a girl slightly younger than Thomas tugging Marinette’s long sleeves. The resemblance between the two was disturbingly transparent. The young child’s long dark hair was tied into a high ponytail, her blue eyes were glistening with concern as her darker skin complexion was elicited by the setting sun.  

“Mom you ok? Father asked me to come check”

Marinette visibility paled but kept her composure with a soft “I am fine go back inside” 

That short exchange stopped Damian dead in his steps once again. Did he just hear mom and dad come out of the mouth of the girl who looks almost exactly like Marinette? FATHER?! Before his mind was able to spiral down into the deep hole of misery and confusion a new figure stepped into the frame. 

A well dressed, dark haired man with a seemingly gentle smile walked up to the entrance. At his arrival he wrapped his arms around Marinette and kissed her on the cheeks without receiving any response. Marinette stood there lost in thought. Holding up his free hand he announced his presence.   

“Good evening Mr. Wayne its a pleasure meeting my new business partner. I am Andrew Dobronski and this is my wife Mrs. Dobronski.”   

Mr. Dobronski pointing and calling Marinette his wife was the last straw. Damian saw red. He lived through all these years of grieving, all these years of trying to think positively, all these years of telling Thomas that his mother loves him and is watching from heaven just to witness her finding someone else. What kind of stupid game is the universe playing? His wife, his goddamn wife is standing with some stranger wrapped around her ALIVE! Could he still call her his wife, after all it looks like she married again to some richass billionaire. Was the kidnapping just for show? Couldn’t she just tell him off like a normal human being? Damian couldn’t. His emotions were running wild, screaming to escape. Built up rage and the remains of the Lazarus Pit magic were arguing with his soul to be let out. Inside he was fighting to remain in control.

Damian might have won the battle, walked back peacefully and took his time to rethink his feelings like he had learned to do over the past years if it hadn’t been for the slick comment of the billionaire. In the near future he would regret his words. 

“Mr. Wayne is everything alright? I hope that my wife hasn’t offended you while I was busy inside.” 

Something in Damian snapped and everything exploded. Looking directly at Marinette his inner thoughts released in a high range fury.  

Marinette felt the urge to fight back but as she opened her mouth the hands around her tightened. The billionaire's nails dug into her skin as she fought the impulse to grin in pain. There was a clear and silent message: Don’t you dare say anything if you know what's better for you. In return Marinette stared at the rose bush outside, trying and failing to cancel out Damian’s voice. Her inter thoughts kept reminding her that she deserved his wrath after abandoning their son at the mere age of one. 

If Damian was more observant and in full control of his emotions, he might have noticed their interaction and figured out what was happening much earlier.  

They stood there one screaming, one looking away and the other slightly smirking for what felt like hours.

--------- 

In a venom filled voice Damian stated, “I am done here. Good night.” 

As Damian was walking away, he came to an abrupt stop when Mr. Dobronski called out. Looking back he saw the billionaire approaching him leaving behind a stunned Marinette. 

“Now that you have taken care of your personal business can we discuss the business accept of your trip. This partnership is especially important for the International Wayne Industry.” 

Damian stared dumbfounded. This guy really thinks that I care right now. I want to get out of here.

“I have some errands to run… You can contact one of my brothers to fill in my spot.” 

“Very well.” 

---------

Leaning back on the door, Marinette closed her eyes and shrugged into herself as she was trying to hold back the tears that were about to spill. ‘Hold it in, you already did it so many times. Keep it up. Don’t show a sign of weakness, don’t allow him to win.’ She kept repeating the rehearsed speech to herself while trying to calm down.

Pushing all her emotions aside she reluctantly looked up just to be directly facing a smirking billionaire.  

“You invited him on purpose” 

“So I see you liked my surprise. How it is like losing the last person you cared about, someone who was supposed to love you till the end.” 

Marinette deflated with that punch to her heart but picked herself up quickly. Stepping aside she started moving away from the older man and suddenly felt a strong force pushing her back. He grabbed her hands, slammed her body on the rigid wall and held her hands above her head. 

“Now listen to me little lady. Under my roof you are going to look at me when I speak and wait until I give you permission to walk away. Do I make myself clear” Receiving a small node he continued, “I hope that after Mr. Wayne’s lovely speech which might I add had gone a hundred times better than expected, you will get your head out of the gutter. Now I thought you had plans for later tonight, better start getting everything ready.”       

Rubbing her left wrist Marinette followed him deeper into the mansion.   

Its better not to get Damian or his family involved in this. Just let it go Marinette, its for the best. There's no say what Andrew and the rest would do to them.

--------- 

Sorry not sorry. In the plot’s defense, Damian had a lot of built up emotions and was in big shock. The kiss and word wife triggered it all to explode. And Marinette isn’t in the best headspace right now. 

Damian had a chance to split his heart out, so now it's only fair that Marinette has the same. It's been awhile since she was able to yell at someone. (Possible next chapter spoiler).  

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Days that turned into months and eventually years - Pt 3

Pt 1 Next

The days seemed to go on repeat, wake up, make breakfast, listen, prepare lunch, serve, protect and get hurt. Marinette gave up on trying to escape, it was no use as he caught her every.single.time and the consequences left her questioning how she survived all those years. She was a toy, something that her “master” could bend to his wishes, something that he drained all the energy from, something that always had to say yes. For Marinette, there wasn’t anything left of her previous life. He completely destroyed her. 

At this point she wasn’t fighting for herself but for her little bundle of joy that didn’t deserve to be stuck in what has become her reality. Marinette protected her little one in every way possible, agreeing to demands, setting deals and providing to the best of her abilities. But as life would have it, her source of joy became a weakness.  

Her possessor or as he would like to be called, husband knew exactly how to keep her at bay. She was a servant, bought and held against her will.  

-------- 

“You morons! You guys had one job! One job I say and yet managed to mess it up!” The gang’s leader yelled frustrated at the turn of events. He had everything under control, managed to track and take down Ladybug, stir the vigilantes off of their traces and locate a perfect hideout spot just to find out that the miraculous was gone. He kicked the rubble on the floor and took out a gun. 

“I had to go keep the Bats out of our track and all you needed to do was take the jewelry off of our weak, mind I repeat that again WEAK prisoner! The miraculous was the goddamn earrings!” Before the men were able to respond gunshots echoed through the abandoned warehouse as bodies collapsed. It was deadly silence if not for the slight whimper heard in the background. 

The black coated masked man turned around smiling at the slight. Fear was thoroughly visible on the former hero’s face as she tired but failed to get out of the chains bounding her to the wall. Walking up closer he noticed how her movements slowed down, how her blood-covered face emitted clear rage and how her face formed into a glare. 

Cradling her head he declared, “I know fully well that you had something to do with this mess, I had observed you long enough to see how creative you get.” She tried to wiggle out of his hold but he stubbornly tightened it and carried on, “I should kill you just like the rest but I have better plans, ones in which you surely will find pleasure in.”  Lifting her up by the throat so her feet were dangling in midair, he continued, “I can’t lose any more money on a beautiful face like yours, can’t I?” 

Releasing his hold he remarked about cleaning up first, leaving a coughing Marinette alone once again. 

For the first few months, not one day passed where Marinette wished that he could have finished her right there and then. She would have taken it with gratitude but now that's no longer an option. Now she has a life to protect.

Bound and gagged Marinette was thrown into the back of a van, at least that's what it felt like. She lost track of time. For her the darkness felt like an eternity but in reality it might have just been a few hours since it all started. She couldn’t tell and the severe pain radiating through her body intensified her disorientation. The metal was cold, the vehicle was uncontrollably shaking as it hit bumps on the dirt path and her position was extremely excruciating. She tried shifting her weight but it was no use as she hardly had enough energy to lift her head. 

The vehicle stopped abruptly causing her whole body to slide and hit the walls with full force. She let out a muffled groan of agony. Marinette heard hushed voices outside but didn’t have enough time to register them as she was suddenly repelled back with a huge beam of light.           

“Mr. Dobronski I have something for you” the masked man exclaimed as he dragged the barely conscious dark haired woman out of the vehicle, slightly laughing. 

“John, you outdid yourself this time and its a Wayne nevertheless.” 

The next thing Marinette registered was being handed into unfamiliar cold hands. For the next few months she was chained away from the outside world until she involuntarily become a housewife. For anyone outside they seemed like the perfect family but as it tends to be the walls hold a different story. 

——— 

“Mommy, mommy look what I have!” It was late afternoon and Marinette was preparing dinner when Anastasia barged into the kitchen. 

“Hey sweetie” Marinette addressed her three year old daughter as she finished chopping the vegetables simultaneously placing them into the boiling water. 

“Can I?” 

“Yea come” 

Marinette reached out her hands to hug her little girl loosely, giving her enough space to get out of the hug easily if she wanted to. She returned it in the same manner. Anastasia was a smart and considerate girl for her age, she knew more than she let others acknowledge. She never spoke about it out loud but was aware that her ‘father’ was hurting her mom behind closed doors. 

“So what do you want to show me?” After hearing her mom’s approval, the dark haired girl started excitedly talking about her doll, its design and how she would change it to the best of her abilities. Sure she stumbled on a few words and got frustrated when she wasn’t able to fully describe what was on her mind but it brought a small smile on Marinette’s face. At least she still had something that brought her a sense of happiness. Her smile faded quickly however, as she remembered the cruel reality her daughter was born in when a male’s voice filled the walls.

Walking into the kitchen, dressed in business attire the billionaire went straight to the alcohol cabinet. Marinette and Anastasia shared a look and with a nod the three year old girl left the room, ever so blinded by the tense atmosphere. 

“We have a guess today.” Marinette just hummed in response not taking her eyes off of the meal she was preparing. 

“It’s an important business partnership, one that you will definitely find interesting. Make sure to prepare another seat, he will be eating with us.” With that he left, a bottle in his hands. 

———- 

An hour later the doorbell rang. Placing down her apron she headed towards the door, stunned to see someone part of her former life.  

--------- 

Slowly backing away, heading to hide behind the closest door - opps did I go too far? 

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Days that turned into months and eventually years - Pt 2

Pt 1  Next 

Being a father, especially a single parent who was also protecting the city in disguise, wasn’t at all what Damian expected it to be. Sure it was tiring, wearisome and frustrating but he couldn’t for the life of him imagine a world without Thomas. His little sunshine brought joy into an apartment that was once a sol dreadful reminder of his lost. Of course there were moments where he wanted to dump it all and move out, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to do so. The vigilante wanted his son to remember his mother and what better way than to grow up being surrounded by her style, inputs and creativity. 

Although Damian wouldn’t admit it, he knew that his family and friends were proud of how far he has gotten. For the first few months he attended therapy religiously, trying to work out his emotions and find a sense of peace. Damian desired to be a good father to Thomas, so he decided to first focus on himself. It wasn’t easy to break apart the imaginary barriers, reflect on his childhood and speak freely about his late wife but at last he succeeded. Damian finally found a sense of belonging. But as the saying goes, everything that's good eventually comes to an end. All the months of therapy, years of building and strengthening bonds, and family emotional support nights seemed to slip through his fingers one fateful Saturday afternoon. His reality spiraled down within seconds.    

----- 

Knock, knock, bang, knock 

Damian sighs as he gets up to open the door, he tried ignoring the knocking, he really did but it just got louder and louder each time. Ugg it’s not even six yet, I am gonna strangle the first person I see in my doorstep. This better be important. Yep Damian is still Demon Spawn especially when he gets irritated. 

Reaching out and barely twisting the handle, the whole door slams open. Wide and behold, Adrien is standing in his full glory jumping as a sick puppy. 

“It’s not even six yet what are you doing in my apartment at this time of day?!”

“I came early, you needed someone to babysit Tommy and who better than his favorite uncle.” 

“I doubt that you are his favorite.”

“I claim otherwise” 

“Fine, there is no point of arguing with a lunatic” 

“Hey!” 

Damian ignored one of his best friends and with a slight smile started walking towards the kitchen. He truly was a 5 year old hyper kid stuck in a 25 year old body. No wonder Thomas and Adrien both got along so easily. Till this day he still shudders at the memory of them destroying the kitchen after a food fight broke out. 

“You know that my fight is at 5 right?” 

“Yep. I thought you might need some extra time to get prepared.” They both understood the silent message behind those words. This was going to be the first time he traveled outside of the county without Thomas and after what happened all those years back he was afraid of leaving him behind. 

Now that Damian thought about it he really needed the extra time to himself, to simply finish packing and organizing his thoughts. He releases out a low “Thanks.”

“Hey Damian, you know fully well that Thomas will be safe with me. Have I ever disappointed you?”

Looking up Damian saw Adrien’s gentle simile and opened arms.  “Well that's debatable but I know that you are always here for me, what will make this time any different.” 

Out of nowhere a tiny black blur zoomed directly in front of his face. 

“How dare you guys forget about me! I am hurt” The god of destruction placed his tiny hand in front of his heart, putting on a pained expression. “I would be the first one to cataclysm anyone who dares to touch a hair on my kitten. You ungrateful humans.” 

“Plagg!! Get your little self over here and stop bothering them!” Tikki yelled from across the room.  

“Nope. I am not moving anywhere until I receive the recognition I deserve. Not even your demands will change my mind Sugarcube” Tikki stared at his response grumbling “We went over this like a thousand times. Stop calling me Sugarcube!” 

With a satisfied smile, which quickly changed back into a stubborn expression, Plagg replied “never” as he returned back to eyeing Damian. 

“Plagg, of course I trust you more than anyone to protect Thomas but how should I say this … umm your powers aren’t always the most stable.” 

Both Tikki and Adrien were stifling a laugh. Of course you can count on Damian to put down Plagg. 

The god of destruction just huffed and flew towards the refrigerator, opening it to reveal a pile of cheese. “Oh my sweet delicious camembert!” 

“Don't eat all of it. That's all you are getting during our stay here.” 

Plagg glared, “Try me.” 

Before Adrien could respond he heard a huge gasp and was knocked out of his chair. 

“Uncle Sunshine! You are here.” The five and a half year old exclaimed as he jumped on top of Adrien.  

Ruffling Thomas’s hair, the former model chuckled. “Hey cupcake. Where did you come up with that ridiculous nickname?”

“Plagg told me that it was one of your favorite names growing up”

“Plagg!!” 

Damian decided to just lean back and enjoy the bantering. He was content in watching Plagg’s and Adrien’s antics while hearing Thomas’ giggles fill the apartment. After Marinette’s disappearance he was left as the next in line to become the guardian, as the kwamis took a liking to him and he in return accepted the new responsibility. Following and learning from Marinette’s way of balancing her hero, guardian and daily life, he allowed the holders to continue keeping their representative kwamis. After all, even though Hawkmoth was defeated crimes still arose in the city of love, allowing Luka, Chloé and Kagami to roam the skies. Two years ago, Adrien moved permanently to Gotham to live with his boyfriend, Jon. He graduated with a master’s degree in teaching, patrols the nights constantly and helps out in several missions under a new persona. The Waynes agreed that Chat Noir shouldn’t be seen out in the most crime filled city with the lurking danger of people trying to get their hands on the miraculous. Of course Adrien still transforms, as the suit does give him extra protection but now he carries a green-black cape at all times, covering his bodysuit. 

----------- 

It was mid-afternoon when Damian finally landed at his destination in Europe. He could have used Kaalki to teleport himself within seconds but he still wasn't used the idea of transforming and nevertheless using a kwami. Sure he was the guardian and he didn't hold any grudges but he just felt more comfortable in leaving the transformations to the professionals while simply taking care of the tiny creatures.

He was still confused as to why the head leader of the Dobronski billionaire company wanted to specifically speak with him. Sure he became the CEO of the Waynes business at the early age of nineteen and had a vast amount of experience under his belt but the same could be said about his adopted brothers. Why not ask them to come and discuss the final details of the deal? Damian was frustrated that he had to leave Gotham for this stupid arrangement between the companies but agreed to do so after Burce’s pleading. A change in environment for a few days will do you good.          

---------- 

Damian and his alter ego had seen a lot. But nothing in the world could prepare him for Marinette standing wide-eyed when the doors to the company’s mansion opened.   

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I just wanted to say thank you guys for all the wonderful comments, I wasn’t expecting to receive much attention on this fanfic. You guys are the best 💖 

I was debating how deep I want to dive in anddd I am going full on. Lets just say that this part was more on the lighter side of the spectrum.  

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcomed :)

@urbanpineapplefarmer @18-fandoms-unite-08 @clumsy-owl-4178 @rebecarojas07 

Days that turned into months and eventually years

Next 

The last few years for the Wayne family had been rough, to say the least. At one moment they were immersed in a terribly even match against the Rogues and in the next Marinette was missing from the face of the Earth. 

“I have 50 seconds left. I need to go, cover for me” the heroine directed towards her husband. Wow, yep husband. She got married at nineteen, gave birth to her currently one year old son at twenty and was surrounded by a loving family. Sure they annoyed the shit out of her but the Waynes were always there when she needed them the most. Marinette still couldn’t believe how much her life has changed. For months she was being bullied by her classmates and was mentally exhausted from keeping a leveled head with all the accusations thrown towards her from her so-called friends. On top of that, her parents started believing Lila’s lies because of her constant absences while Hawkmoth was getting stronger with each akuma. To say the bare minimum if it wasn’t for Tikki’s and surprisingly Adrien’s support, she doesn't know if she would be standing here, alive right now. 

Marinette needed a change of environment, so at fifteen she decided to take on Jagged’s offer to join him on tour, one of the best choices she ever made. She met Robin- actually Damian, totally by accident and might have or not mistaken him as a mugger, flipping him over with ease. Oops, well on the bright side her combat skills made the red traffic light vigilante fall even more deeply in love, with how he puts it “a blue eyed angel.” Unknown to her, the Bats had a night full of laughter afterwards, teasing their little grumpy brother. 

The spotted, mostly black covered heroine was pulled away from her thoughts as she felt a gentle kiss on her forehead. Looking back up at the green eyed vigilante, she smiled. 

“I got you. Stay safe”

“You know it”, kissing him gently on his lips before pulling away to find a place to recharge.  

“Aww. Lil D, get a room already!” 

Robin glared at his brother in return and simply stated with a smog smile, “We already have one.” 

An explosion was heard in the distance and before the bat duo ran towards it Dick chuckled, “Some things never change.”

 Damian vividly remembers their search for Marinette after the Rogues were defeated. The fight lasted for about 30 more minutes with his wife never returning back to the battlefield.

“Alfred, did Marinette return back home” 

“No she didn’t. I can’t track her either, she isn’t transformed.” 

A worried glance was shared between the Bats as Damien rushed to the roofs. 

“Damian!” He turned around and his face said it all. Only once had Jason seen his brother this worried and it was during the birth of Thomas, when he went to check on him in the bathroom. Damian usually suppressed his emotions and before Marinette came along they never even saw him smile. Him openly showing distress just reinforced their already set plan.

“We are coming along.” 

“Yea and don’t you think you are in this alone. Newsflash this is Pixie-pop we are talking about!” 

“We are going to find her,” Nightwing said as he approached Robin placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Let's split up to cover more ground.” 

They ended up searching throughout Gotham with no lead until Tikki came flying straight into Robin and Nightwing as they were rooftop jumping. She recalled what she witnessed and lead  them back to where Marinette was chained against her will, but it was too late. 

“Robin over here!” 

“Tikki! Where is Marinette !?” 

“She landed in an ally to de-transform and while I was eating we got ambushed from all sides.” Her breathing started becoming more forced and she was now rapidly spitting out random sentence fragments. 

“Tikki look into my eyes and count to 10.” Damian knew they had no time to waste but after helping Marinette through many previous panic attacks, especially early on in their relationship he understood the importance of calming down the little goddess before moving on. Tikki followed the commands and slowly started evening her breathing. 

“Marinette defended herself well but there were so many and you could just feel the tiredness radiating off of her. It was a matter of time when the masked man saw an opportunity, hit her on the back and pinned her down.” Fresh tears started to leak but the spotted goddess kept speaking, “I was hiding in her jacket and must have lost consciousness because the next thing I remember is waking up to see my holder chained and beaten up. Blood… she was covered with blood. With a shaky breath she told me that her capturers are after the miraculous, that they still hadn’t figured out that it's the earrings and said that she wasn’t about to let them have it. She forced me to take them somewhere safe. I … I didn’t want to leave her but I heard someone entering in and made the mistake of looking into Marinette’s eyes. I fled with the earrings just as Mari’s screams filled the building.” 

The warehouse was abandoned. Broken glass was spread across the floor, chairs were flipped and strips of metal were everywhere. It was the aftermath of a fight. The vigilantes had arrived too late. All that was left behind was rope and fresh stains of blood.     

“They couldn’t have gone far!”

After days which turned into weeks and eventually months of intense searching, Marinette was proclaimed dead. Damian accepted the reality last, refusing to stop looking and went several nights without sleep. 

“Damian” Burce said as he entered into their library where his son was staring intensely at the map. The map of Gotham and neighboring cities was marketed up, all the possible locations of his daughter in law were triple checked and yet not even a single trace was found.

Without looking up Damian hummed waiting for Bruce to continue.  

“I know it's difficult to acknowledge the … the events that occurred but Damian you can’t just keep isolating yourself from the world around you.” 

“I … I can’t. You can’t just expect me to give up on her… I can’t just give up on her.” 

“Damian look at me” He stubbornly didn’t move and continued staring at the map. 

With a sigh the detective carried on, “Damian, son hear me out”

The addressed man slowly turned his head around, after all it wasn’t a daily occurrence that his birth father addressed him that way. Growing up Damian never really had a strong relationship with his father, sure they had they moments but it was usually just ‘listen, fight and defend.”

“Marinette was special to all of us [Damian didn’t miss the “was” but thought against interrupting him] heck if it wasn’t for her our family wouldn’t be standing the way we are now. She brought us together, showed us what it really means to be a family even though hers abandoned her.  She made me realize that my fathering methods towards you weren’t the best.” He chuckled at the memory of a young Marinette storming into his office not giving an ounce of care that she was yelling at the one and only Bruce Wayne inside his own building. Placing a hand on Damian’s shoulder he went on, “I know you care deeply about Marinette and that you are afraid of losing her but what about your family?  We all care about you but look at yourself Damian. You haven’t been eating, you’re running on zero sleep and didn’t come upstairs for the last few weeks. Heck, your brothers and Alfred have been taking care of a crying Thomas who keeps calling out for his parents. Your son misses you. I know this is a difficult time for you but you’re not the only one who is missing her. Let us be there for you and come out to support your son.” 

For the first time in months, Damian cried. He cried about allowing Marinette to go recharge on her own, about not arriving at the warehouse fast enough, about never being able to hear her angelic laugh again and not being there for his son during his mother’s absence. He decided that from now on he is going to take care of his son just how Marinette would have wanted him to.

It's been exactly four years and here Damian stood staring at Marinette’s tombstone, hugging his five year old son tightly as tears formed around his eyes.   

In memory of Marinette Cheng- Wayne 

A loving wife, mom and in law

20XX  

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I blame all the maribat writers for pulling me into this hole of maribat shippers that I can’t get out of. This is my contribution to the daminette fandom :) 

For now this is a one-shot but I do have some ideas for a continuation.

** English isn’t by best subject so sorry for the grammatical incorrections- I tired